Special thanks to Lina Gabriev (and of course everybody else who reviewed!)

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Chapter 5, Recovering

Amelia tried to cast a healing spell. She was crying, because she knew that the spell wouldn't work. Lina and Gourry walked to her.

"Is he...?" Asked Gourry.

"It can't be!" Cried Amelia.

"Let me see." Lina said and put her hand to Zel's chest. Then she sighed in relief. "His heart is still beating. I'll help you."

Then they cast a healing spell together. Gourry watched and said: "I think it's working. The wound is healing up."

"Just a bit more..." Mumbled Amelia.

Few moments later they were done. Zelgadis was still unconscious, but the wound was better.

"I'm so glad he's okay..." Sighed Amelia.

"We can't be sure. We have to go back to Atlas City and find some place where we can rest." Said Lina.

"Lina... I've thought one thing." Said Gourry.

"Peculiar from you." Answered Lina.

"Well, what have you thought?" Asked Amelia.

"Well, you said that if Zelgadis die, Rezo would die too. But... now Zelgadis isn't dead. Does that mean that Rezo is still alive?" Asked Gourry.

Lina and Amelia looked each other.

"No..."

"It would be possible." Said Lina, worried.

Then they heard a laugh. "I never thought that you could figure that out. Too bad, now you have a few days before I'm ready to fight once more."

"He's not dead." Said Lina.

"I'll find you, wherever you'll go..." Rezo's voice said before faded away.

"What can we do?" Asked Amelia.

"I think the only way is to left the spell that Rezo cast." Answered Lina.

"But how?" Asked Gourry.

"I have one idea, but I'm not sure will it work..." Said Lina.

"What is it?"

"Well, Rezo can control Zelgadis because he's the one who gave him a chimera body. So if we find a cure which can turn him back to normal, we may have a chance." Explained Lina.

-Five hours later-

Zelgadis opened his eyes carefully. He felt pain on his stomach, but then he realized that the wound had disappeared.

"But how..." He thought, when Amelia came to his room.

"Mr. Zelgadis, you're okay! I'm so glad!" She said, smiling.

"What happened?" Asked Zelgadis.

Then Lina and Gourry came to the room, too.

"You're awake!" Said Gourry.

"Is Rezo dead?" Asked Zelgadis and sat up.

"Don't move! You'll open your wounds." Said Lina, "Rezo is still alive, but I think we can beat him."

"How?" Asked Zelgadis.

"I'm not quite sure, but if we can find a spell which turns you back to normal, maybe Rezo's spell won't work anymore." Lina told.

"Pretty good idea." Thought Zelgadis.

"But where can we find that spell?" Asked Gourry.

"I think the best place to begin is that place where Rezo lived before turning Zel into a chimera." Answered Lina.

"I'm not really sure if that place still exists, but we can try." Said Zelgadis.

"Where is that place then?" Asked Gourry.

"In the Forest of Death." Said Zelgadis.

"The forest of WHAT?" Asked Gourry, scared.

"The Forest of Death. It's very dangerous place, and if you get lost, you'll never return." Told Zelgadis.

"Oh, now we have a big problem." Mumbled Lina.

"I know the way to the house, but there's lot of dangers in the forest. It may be better that I go alone." Thought Zel.

"No way! You're still recovering, and you may need our help in the forest." Said Amelia.

"She's right. We're coming along." Decided Gourry.

Zelgadis smiled. "Thank you, guys."

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In the next chapter the Forest of Death...