Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They are the property of Hajime Kanzaka and Shoko Yoshinaka.

Chapter Eight

"Zolf, if we push our combined magic we should be able to break the ward and open the door," Zel ordered.

"Let's try it," Zolf agreed, bringing his hands together for the spell.

This was warfare.

Weeks before when Rezo had ordered Zel to keep Amelia out of the top chamber, Zel had tried to open the door, but it couldn't be opened. It didn't take long to discover that there was a ward on the door. Amelia might have been able to open the door with her magic, thus Rezo had instructed Zel to keep her away from the door as well as placing a ward on it, but still, after testing its strength, Zel found it difficult to believe that Amelia could have taken the ward down by herself. It was impossible. He and Zolf had tried it while Amelia was practicing, but had to stop when Zel realized the power of the ward. It could take the building down with it, and there was no way that explosion wouldn't rouse the Red Priest's suspicion if not his immediate presence no matter where he was. Zel didn't want Rezo back early, but now that he was already on his way; there was no reason to wait.

Zel had been in the chamber before, and there had been nothing extraordinary about it. He didn't understand. Why bother with an order to keep Amelia out. Unless there was something there that was worth protecting. The Red Priest had many secrets as well as many magical items. It was possible that there was something behind that door that would be as valuable as the Philosophers' Stone in killing Rezo, but that meant that Zel was counting on one thing. Rezo had already used the stone in Sayruun to cure his blindness and would not have the extra power of the stone to draw upon. It meant everything to his success.

Zel put his hands close to Zolf's as they cast the spell together, aiming at the closed door.

"Stars which pass through heavens' night skies, heed the ancient coven and the Earth, I pledge my life that he may be called forth! FERROUS BREED!"

As the smoke parted, Zel saw they had succeeded as there was a gaping hole in the wall, the door having been blown to pieces. It was dark in the room. They had been very lucky; it worked.

"Rodimus," Zel called down the stairs, leaning over the edge. "We've broken through it."

"Hai, Zelgadis-sama," the warrior shouted from the bottom of the shaft.

Zel stepped into the room, casting a Lighting spell.

The room looked empty, but as he walked deeper, something on the floor caught his attention.

"What is that?" he said out loud looking at the markings. They were light blue and getting brighter every second, revealing – the largest magic circle Zel had ever seen. So, that was what Rezo was hiding.

"What indeed!" a voice said far in front of him.

Rezo was standing in the middle of the circle, a statue of a woman in his hand. He stretched forth his hand allowing the ornihalcon to hover in the air slightly in front of him. The metal – it shattered. The newly uncovered Philosophers' stone shone painfully silver.

"What are you doing?" Zel barked.

"What do you think, Zelgadis? Getting what I always wanted," Rezo shouted as the wind gathered and surged around him. He thrust out his staff at the stone that lingered in the air and said the spell, "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows; buried in the flow of time, broken to pieces – I call thyself to stand by my side - I call thee from the darkness to break free and retake thy life. RUBY EYE SHABRANIGDO!"

A vermillion light shot from Rezo's staff piercing the stone. There was nothing left of it, broken beyond recognition.

The blast threw Zel off balance and he landed on his back. Rezo hadn't meant to . . . he couldn't have meant to resurrect the Dark Lord Shabranigdo. He wouldn't have.

Zel jumped to his feet.

Rezo was laughing.

Rodimus and Zolf stood behind him.

"It's marvelous!" Rezo cried euphorically. "I can SEE! It's everything I dreamed of. The mazoku didn't . . ." His body wretched in apparent pain.

Where was the Dark Lord? Only Rezo stood before them. Then he understood. The Dark Lord was being reborn inside the Red Priest's own body.

If he was going to do something – he had to do it now. "Source of all souls which dwell in eternal and infinite. Everlasting flame of blue, let the power hidden in my soul be called from the infinite. RA-TILT!" Zel roared over the noise, over the wind.

The blue light flared, but as it dissipated, it was obvious it had no effect at all.

Rezo's body was being torn to shreds from the inside. The monster was breaking out of his grandfather's body. The eyes Rezo had opened to the world were not human, but mazoku, and red like blood. Nothing of the man was left, but only the monster remained, and the voice that spoke to them was not Rezo's, but the Dark Lord Shabranigdo.

"How kind of you all to allow me this body," the demon was saying quite clearly. "In exchange I will grant you eternal life if you join with me, if not then there is nothing but death for you."

He grabbed his hair suddenly. If a Ra-Tilt did not work, then what could he try? Nothing. You're not a black mage, he told himself, but to join a pact with him. Never.

Zolf was stepping forward, pulling his hands together for a spell. Zel shook his head, Zolf was a black mage, but it would not help him as he didn't know of a spell Zolf knew that would call upon the only mazoku above Shabranigdo.

I know that spell, Zel thought, but put his mind to happier thoughts that perhaps Zolf was only going to buy them a few moments to escape.

"Let's try this," Zolf called to the Dark Lord before reciting the spell. "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows; buried in the flow of time; in thy great name . . ."

"NO ZOLF!" Zel yelled. "Didn't you hear the words to the spell Rezo cast?"

Rodimus grabbed Zolf by the arm and was pulling him away, but it was too late as the Dark Lord laughed and cast a deadly blast towards Zel's two retreating comrades.

Not even their bones remained as the white light disappeared.

Zel ran behind a rock, pushing his back against the stone. His sword was out of its sheath and in his hands. Panic was flowing through his veins along with his blood. His friends – people who accepted him regardless of his face, regardless of his skin, and regardless of his unforgivable sin. Why couldn't he protect them? Rage was replacing panic as he heard the dark voice that spilled over the edges of the rock he was leaning against as though it were something tangible.

"Running? Are you going to run forever? You'll have to," the Dark Lord said smoothly, "The blood I bring with me will cover the whole earth. Face me, chimera."

Zel licked his lower lip. How had this suddenly gone so wrong? He would avenge his friends even if it meant giving his own life. There was no one left to protect. There was no dream to reverence. He cracked his neck, preparing for what he would cast. If he had to end this himself, right now then he would do it, even if he died. What about that spell? he thought remembering the highest of all mazoku, even higher than his opponent. Not yet. That was a dangerous spell, and he had never cast it before. That would be his last resort.

Stepping from behind the rock he said in an easy voice, "Well, let me think about that. You called me a chimera. Do you know a way to change that? I'd like to be human again."

He heard a gasp.

Who the hell was around to gasp?

Then he saw her. The blue eyes peaked up behind the remains of a brick wall. It had once been part of the tower. Amelia! Damn it! She was every bit as rebellious as he thought she was, and it was going to be the death of both of them.

"You want me to change you into a human?" the smooth voice said. Obviously he hadn't noticed Zel's eyes or the girl.

"As you say," Zel said lowering his sword.

Amelia didn't gasp this time but ducked behind the rock until he couldn't see her. Suddenly she popped up on top of the highest remaining part of the tower. Her voice was loud and ringing as she shouted, "How dare you tempt Zelgadis-san with your evil offer!"

Shabranigdo laughed. "Your righteous indignation is something quite extraordinary, my girl. Did you not notice that this was an offer he was making me?"

"What?" Amelia said.

Obviously, if Amelia was there, talking his way out of this was not going to work. "I'll never join you!" Zel stated with conviction. This was going to be quite troublesome, probably beyond his wildest dreams.

She jumped down beside him.

"Then die," Shabranigdo said without emotion.

"Cast a Ra-Tilt with me," he said taking her hands in his.

The blue flame was much larger than when he had cast it alone, but it was not enough to harm Shabranidgo, and this time he retaliated. Zel had pushed Amelia out of the way, but he took the tiny red slivers of light and pain in the back.

One more try.

"Infinite earth, mother who nurtures all life, let thy power gather in my hand! VLAVE HOWL!"

At first it seemed as though nothing had happened, but then the earth in front of the monster cracked and dark lava burst from it hitting him smack on.

Amelia began to cast an ice spell, but was not fast enough as the dark lord burst from the shell created around him and retaliated. "Boy, this is how you use lava," he said.

The spell he cast sprouted red dragons from the pools of lava which immediately attacked Zel and Amelia.

For the first time Zel blessed his stone skin as he jumped into a brawl against them. His cloak was burned and so were the cuffs of his tunic, but his skin remained unharmed as usual. His sword drawn and his body spinning, the spells he cast were good and soon all the dragons fell to the ground – destroyed.

"Not bad boy," the Dark Lord said, still completely confident in his voice and his manner.

"Amelia?" he called over his shoulder. Perhaps he had a moment before the next attack came, but he had to make sure she was safe before he could make a move. It wouldn't do to have her caught up in one of his spells intended only for the enemy. Where was she?

Then he saw her. She lay on the ground not far from the battlefield they had drawn out. She had knocked her head against a sharp stone. Her eyes were closed and she was bleeding. She wasn't moving.