Very sorry for the delay in updating. I will try and update the story more regularly from this point, but school and work make such goals difficult. To make up for it, I've started the plot in earnest here and written the longest chapter yet. Italics represent thoughts. Please keep reading and reviewing!

I wake without incident the next morning and glance at the books on the nearby that may possibly contain my cure. I sit down and continue my work from yesterday, going through the volumes with much more care than usual. A part of my mind realizes I should perhaps be helping my royal friends, but I cannot think of anything to do at the moment. I keep alert for feelings and sounds of alarm as I read.

I finish going through one of the books as I notice footsteps. They are light and unhurried, but my chimeric ears are useful for something. Amelia, I tentatively identify my visitor. She knocks softly. "Come in." I say the words simply as I stand.

Amelia enters cheerfully and looks at me. "Good morning, Zelgadis-san!"

I could not possibly restrain a smile. "Morning, Amelia." She continues to stare at my face, and I start to sweatdrop. I cough lightly, bringing her back from her thoughts.

She blinks and smiles nervously, before taking in my surroundings. "Searching already, Zelgadis-san?" She seems neutral in her question. Either she is restraining her feelings on the matter, which to me seems unlikely, or she does not know how she feels about my search.

"Yes, this first book is interesting though useless to me. I'll go through the other later, and continue my search at the library." Her mouth forms a small "oh" of comprehension. She's not sure how to respond. How much of my time will I devote to the search, and how much to . . . other matters? I am not certain, either. "What are the plans for today?" I smile at her reaction, she shifts from neutral to enthusiastic before I even finish the question.

"Tou-san wanted to introduce you to a few people. We've already told them so much about you, and now they get to meet you!" She is ecstatic at the prospect, and I manage to restrain all reaction except an enormous sweatdrop.

I blink and manage a reply of "Okay." She grins, apparently taking my reply for one of great enthusiasm. I walk to her, and we leave my room. As we walk she talks, her tone that of fairly inconsequential matters. I enjoy the sound and enthusiasm of her voice, but focus my attention on the odd feeling I have. I had long ago learned to trust my instincts, and oddly enough now they are trying to tell me something. I am pretty sure there is no immediate danger, but I keep my guard up.

We nearly reach our destination when Amelia pauses in her speaking, looking at me for an reply of some sort. I blink at her, wondering how I should respond. I grin, before replying. "I'm sorry, Amelia." Here I pause, considering how I should continue.

Amelia laughs before I have the chance. "Turning into Gourry-san, are you Zelgadis-san?" She grins at me as I smile back. I decide not to tell her about my instincts, she would only worry. "It wasn't anything important." She smiles to take any possible sting out of her words. She opens the door and we enter the room.

The long table and number of chairs implies this is a room for formal events and councils. The fact that everyone was standing implies that the atmosphere is informal. The people in the room look at me carefully. Many unfamiliar eyes flash recognition; I only recognize Phil. He's hard to miss in a crowd. As if I summoned him with that stray thought, in the blink of an eye he appears at my side. "Minna-dono, may I present Zelgadis Greywords-dono!" Again unsure of protocol, I bow to the group. I can see the royal grins on both sides of me. I am not sure what to expect of the group.

One man nods and approaches me. His stride and other movements show control; this was a very experienced combatant. He quickly makes his way in front of me. I infer from his clothing that he is a successful mercenary: stylish cloth covering strong but light armor. "Well met, Zelgadis-san. My name is Akira." He grins at me with something more than friendliness. A challenge, perhaps?

I nod politely at him and shake his outstretched hand. We both shake firmly. I assume that my reputation has spread, but I am not sure what exactly people know of me. "I can tell you want to fight." I speak frankly, surprising many. Akira's grin increases. "A spar later, perhaps?"

He nods happily, and releases my hand. "I would enjoy that very much, Zelgadis-san." He seems satisfied, indeed quite pleased, and the monarchs beam.

Others step closer, in response to what I am not sure. In the flurry of names and introductions only one other person stands out. He is one of the final people to shake my hand and offer a greeting. Probably the least eager to meet me, but that could mean anything. Before coming forward, I noticed him staring at me thoughtfully even as I greeted others.

He is wearing an unadorned white cloak of an expensive fabric. A dignified, intelligent man who I think is deliberately alone in the room. We look at each other while I try to listen to a conversation between Amelia and I person I guess to be a suitor. I shift my glance to the suitor, planning to study him as I let the corner of my eye focus on the more distant person. Even as I shift my gaze, the cloaked man walks to me. Apparently he found his conclusions.

"Hello Zelgadis-san, I am called Iago." We shake hands, as I try and form my conclusions of him.

"Another advisor from the Outer Lands?" I guess at his identity with some certainty. He raises an eyebrow at this, in slight surprise.

"Yes indeed." Here he pauses, considering a further response. "Who was the first?" He laughs lightly at his own joke, and I smile politely.

"Audric." I answer simply, and he stops laughing. He is no longer as amused, but his smile remains. There is no hostility in his expression; his laugh seems to have simply ended.

Next to me, Amelia and her father turn to us, and the man they were talking to walks away to speak with Akira. "Ah, I see Iago-dono has finally introduced himself!" Phil laughs with the usual volume, causing Amelia to smile hugely and everyone else to react slightly differently. A sweatdrop forms on the back of my head, and Iago smiles slightly.

"Of course, Your Highness. I was just beginning a conversation with Zelgadis-san here." He nods politely at me and makes a point of assuming a thoughtful expression. "I was just thinking that introducing our hero here to the public may decrease the tension in town." He smiles at me, a smile that seems almost odd to me. "After all, the presence of such a capable bodyguard would allay any fears about your safety." His tone is nothing if not courteous.

Phil opens his mouth to reply, a serious reply if I am any judge. I interrupt him quickly. "I disagree." I keep the flat hostility in my head from my voice. If nothing else, I hate crowds. I always feel as if every set of eyes is on me. I can't imagine how uncomfortable I would be if, in fact, everyone was truly staring at me. I'd sooner face any number of Mazoku. "I'm no fan of crowds or attention. Besides, my curse has made me unpopular and suspicious to many."

Iago raises another questioning eyebrow. "How so? Your capacity is most admirable, after all." He is stoking my ego again. Many would pay for that sort of service, but to me it rings false.

"That doesn't stop people from thinking me a freak." I state this as unemotionally as I can, which is to say, fairly emotionally. By now, everyone is listening, and only a few do me the service of attempting to hide that fact. Amelia and Phil seem concerned, and I think I see Akira blinking in innocent surprise.

Iago has the gall to appear surprised. "People truly think that of you? My condolences. But if you anticipate such hostility, why did you appear before us here?" I had anticipated this little gambit.

"I thought that these fine people of the Outer Lands would not think of me in that way. Both because they have not seen magic, and also because they were invited to Seyruun. Wouldn't you agree?" I imitate his tone of simultaneous challenge and flattery, and raise an eyebrow of my own. He tries not to react as the others around me seem inclined to applaud.

"Ah, but would not the people of Seyruun themselves be equally honorable?" His tone is slightly satisfied. I start to open my mouth to reply, before Phil replies.

"Of course! The people of Seyruun are very just! They will welcome such a Warrior of Justice into their company!" Phil guffaws after this loud declaration. Amelia makes the V sign for victory with her usual zeal. "We shall have a ceremony and party this evening, Zelgadis-dono! No time like the present, right?" He slaps my back and laughs loudly again. I manage to keep my balance. Amelia's face shifts a little. She knows how I react in crowds, and I'm sure she would want me to be more comfortable. Iago smiles, seemingly sincerely happy. The fairly cheerful reactions of the rest of the Outer Land people are less complicated to interpret: they do not know what happened, only that invitations to a party were implied. As Phil's laughter disintegrates, everyone else looks slightly unsure of what to say.

"Oi, Zelgadis-san!" Akira gathers my attention with a wave and a yell as he walks to me. "Up for a spar now?" He grins. I know his feeling all too well, I ache for a simple sword fight. But now? Should I satisfy my urge for battle, or continue to make idle chat with strangers?

I grin. "Sure, lead the way." I glance at Phil and Amelia for approval. Both seem unworried, and Phil is thinking about something.

"Everyone, we shall relocate! It's such a nice day for a good contest!" Contest? I frown, not anticipating an audience. I have no desire to show off. Akira blinks again in slight surprise, but his grin returns in full force. He is confident he will at least do well. I grin as well; it should be a good fight.

A few minutes later, a small crowd is forming near the palace. Akira and I are perhaps twenty paces from each other with a wide birth between us and everyone else. We stare at each other before drawing our swords. We have set up no signal, despite the audience no one else is participating in any way. I stare into his eyes, not certain if I should attack or wait for him. With a grunt, Akira makes the decision for me. I step forward, my blade held in a horizontal position, blocking his downward thrust with a loud clang. He presses down onto me with his strength. Instead of using my strength to continue to counter the blow, I used my speed to blur to his left side as his blade starts to hit the ground. He is a completely different person, giving himself over entirely to his reflexes. I aim a quick blow at his left shoulder, but he uses a two-handed grip to swing his sword quickly enough to block. I grin at the sound of our blades; he is a quick opponent with good reflexes and unhesitating movements. I blur to his other side, exercising less restraint over my chimeric speed, and aim at his helmet. He barely blocks the blow. He swings at my head in turn. Instead of blocking, I simply dodge, before striking. I aim a diagonal stroke at his chest, but he backs away such that the blow only barely nicks the armor of his left shoulder.

He holds the blade over his right shoulder, aimed at me, and charges. I have enough room to charge as well, and do so with an identical attack. Our blades meet with a clang in front of our faces. I had used enough strength to make his grip unsteady, and he nearly loses hold of the sword. He dips it downward to gain control, aiming it at the ground for a split second. I start to strike over his arm, but he strikes at my feet. I respond by flipping directly over him, retraining my blow at his helmet so that he is not killed. This restraint gives him an extra blink, and he manages to catch my blade with what I perceive as a fairly lucky block. He is not even looking; his instincts are fine indeed.

But he has never faced anyone with strength or speed equal to even a restrained chimera. I slid my blade down along his, drawing sparks in a colorful display before I solidly smack him on the helmet. The blow is not injuring, but the ringing is probably distracting as hell. His focus is on recovering his wits, allowing me to sweep his blade away. I knock it aside and it flies into the air. I stab my blade, stopping it just before the visor. He stiffens even as I hear his sword stab into the earth a few paces away. I sheathe my sword, and offer him a hand. He accepts my assistance, and takes off his helmet.

Before now the crowd was absolutely silent, but now it thunders with cheers and applause. I recognize Amelia's voice from the rest, but cannot make out her words. Akira starts to speak. "You were holding back." It was not a question by any means, but I could not make out the emotion in his voice.

"Yes." I answer simply, withholding my reasons from my response. He may not know I could have easily killed him in battle, but he surely realizes I rightfully restrained myself. He manages to bow deeply.

"I hope to someday see you unrestrained, Zelgadis-san." He finally smiles. I deftly draw his blade from the ground and hand it to him, leaving my own sword unsheathed.

"Perhaps you will. I have a friend Gourry who could easily outfight me with a sword." He looks shocked, and I have to admit that is oddly satisfying. We both bow to the monarchs, who continue to applaud. Audric and Iago, while isolated from each other in the crowd, both posses looks of thoughtful surprise. Not exactly sure of what to do, Akira and I walk to the monarchs. I hope Akira is not offended that he is still sweating and breathing heavily, while I am unaffected yet satisfied.

"Congratulations Zelgadis-dono!" Phil grins at me, and Amelia looks at me with shiny eyes. "You did very well, too, Akira-dono. More capable than my guards." He says the last sentence quietly, such that Akira probably barely heard it.

"Thank you, Prince Phil." He bows again. "If you will excuse me, I think I need to get out of this armor and rest." He does look winded, perhaps it has been quite awhile since he has fought anyone.

"Zelgadis-dono, would you like to be announced now?" Phil's question catches me completely off-guard. I completely forgot about that plan, due to my excitement over the fight. I can think of no way to properly argue against the idea, either. Amelia seems to be likewise torn. I only nod in response. Amelia squeezes my hand hard enough for me to feel slightly reassured. After all, if the two of them can constantly be in such a public domain, why can't I?

"Talk about me if you feel it necessary, Phil-san. But remember to not speak of details. The less potential enemies know about me, the better." I feel such a thing should probably go unsaid, but Phil and Amelia do not think the way I do. We walk to a nearby courtyard, crowded except for an empty elevated platform. We walk up the stairs to the platform and sit in the wooden chairs. Rather, I and Amelia sit down, while Phil gathers a breath and begins praising my efforts to Seyruun. I do not bother to listen, largely ignoring his voice and trying to ignore Amelia's admiring glances. It's the only way I can walk away from this without being mortified.

I study the reactions of the crowd. The usual reactions are of polite disbelief or admiration, and more commonly sweatdrops at Phil's zeal. A few people are talking amongst themselves. My ear twitches as I make an effort to ignore Phil entirely and focus on these mumbles. I scowl slightly in concentration. Amelia seems to notice my shift, and glances at me in slight confusion.

"Look at how she looks at him! How could she love such a freak!" At this, my expression changes from focus to irritation. My scowl deepens, but I manage to restrain my growl and only glare at the speaker, who had been looking at me with suspicion and disdain. The man pales, muttering "I wonder if he heard me!" I smirk evilly and nod at him.

"Wouldn't surprise me. Maybe that's why she loves him, that and how he's always hard." At this, I glower at the man, who was too busy giggling at his joke to notice.

"Let's leave before the bitch joins her moron of a father in praising the freak." I manage to restrain my rage, restrain from shooting at the men at demonic speeds and slicing them in half. I continue to smirk evilly as I think of the best way to inflict pain. Perhaps showing them magic, and humiliating them. I could always find them later and kill them painfully. Best not to be especially violent in front of the crowd; they seem to have already sensed my hostility. I promise myself that they would truly regret the next comment that made me angry.

"I bet he doesn't even know magic." This did not invoke rage, only a feeling of superiority.

"Heh, I doubt the girl does either." The feelings of superiority increase. The fools probably don't even believe in the existence of magic. "Hell, I'm pretty sure magic doesn't even exist." Vermin are so predictable. What would be the best way to show them some magic without causing much damage? Wind spells, I decide.

"If the bitch doesn't know magic, I'm sure we can have a little fun with her tonight, eh? She's more beautiful than the whores at home." At this, my rage explodes. My restraint vanishes as my protective instincts toward Amelia increase. How DARE he!

"Sounds good to me, ha! We should meet after dark and come up the back way." He laughs cruelly. The laughter, silent to most but me, increase my rage, and diminish whatever restraint I still had. How DARE they! I dimly feel my eyes become bloodshot, and a minuscule amount of pain as my entire face contorts with rage.

I growl, flashing my teeth in anger. "Kisama." The soft word spoke of my rage and the pain it promised. The targets of my rage twitch in fright, as do several others. Everyone near my targets backs away quickly, while they are too petrified to move. I feel like grinning. Instead, I thrust my arms to his sides, and gestured at my targets. They and everyone else probably prepared for a traditional magical attack, perhaps even one of Lina's famous fireballs.

"Raywing." They are completely caught off guard as a bubble of wind surrounds them, lifts them, and takes them quickly onto the platform. They fall several feet from the air, and land directly in front of me. I briefly glare at the two people in my Raywing bubble before allowing it to dissipate. One of them is far too frightened to move. The other quickly gathers his wits and his balance and starts to run away. In a single smooth motion, I draw a dagger and throw it at the man's shadow. Shadow Snap. The man is startled what he perceived as a near miss, and starts to move. The crowd is shocked that he is unable to do so, though none as shocked as he. Satisfied, I turn my attention to the man who dared to speak of Amelia in such a degrading way. I step towards the man as he manages to stand. Another step, as he shakily makes a step of his own. By now, I am within arms reach and allow an evil grin. I use my chimeric speed to grab him by the back of his collar and toss him a few feet into the air. The man squeaks as he rotates, and squeaks even more pathetically when I catch him by the front of his collar and bring his face just inches from my own. I maintain my enraged glare all the while.

"Repeat what you said." I manage to communicate through my clenched teeth.

"Na-Nani?" The man blinked, not sure he heard me correctly. I reward him with a harsh shake. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Amelia raise a hand, swallow, and start to move toward me. Phil restrains his daughter with a hand on her shoulder. I notice Phil's stare well enough to do a fair job of reading his mind. His stare is cautioning me to restrain myself as I am essentially showing the crowd my true colors. Amelia is probably thinking along similar lines.

After a few seconds, I drop the man at the feet of Amelia and Phil. "Repeat your plans for tonight." At this, Amelia and Phil blink. Apparently they did not expect such a request. The man's face becomes even more pale, his breath even more labored. But he did not attempt to speak. With this, I drew my sword in a blur, and have the blade on the man's neck as quickly as my chimeric speed allows. "Confess or die without a trial." By now, most everyone is confused, with a few notable exceptions.

The man gulps, and begins to speak. "I said that..." The man is hesitating, perhaps coming up with a lie. I press my sword slightly into his throat, causing a small drip of blood. The silent threat was obvious. "...that...we could have fun with Amelia-hime..." The crowd reacts silently to this. The people of Seyruun adore their monarchs.

I draw more blood from the bastard's neck. "Address her as you did before."

The man manages to gulp, causing tears to run down his face and a drop of blood to fall from his throat. "...with the bitch...who is...more beautiful than the...whores...back home..." At this, the crowd gasps. Amelia backs away, horror stricken.

I could feel the rage and murderous intent from Phil, who steps to the man. I'm not sure what exactly he wants to do, either choke him or simply push him into my sword. Amelia manages to put a hand on his back, restraining him with her touch.

I of course perceive this. "You see, she still does not want to see evil. You just said you were going to rape her, and she still wants justice to prevail." I growl and lift the man. By now, a guard stands next to the immobile man. "Arrest them for treason, conspiring to harm the Princess of Seyruun." The guard nods, and gestures to the immobile man. He tries to find how to ask me to release him, but I save the guard that problem.

"Lighting." I cast a small lighting spell, removing the shadow snap. With that, I simply throw the man at his friend, knocking the two to the ground. I sheathe my sword, and turn around. I am almost startled to see the crowd. My rage inspired a sort of tunnel vision; that is very dangerous. I must practice restraint in the future or else suffer a huge weakness.

As my mind clears, I turn to them and attempt to calm down. I make my tone as reasonable as possible. "Think what you will of me. I will restrain myself against those who think I am a freak or a monster. I will not restrain myself against those who threaten Amelia. Any who do so will be punished, by the law if possible." I slightly emphasize that last phrase, and follow the guard out. I bend over slightly to grab my dagger, and exit dramatically with my cape flourishing behind me. The crowd is still shocked. I'm sure I've affected my reputation to some degree, but at the moment do not particularly care. I leave control of the crowd to those that truly posses that ability.

Author's note:
Got a little carried away there, heh. I'll be out of town for a fairly long amount of time this summer. I am not sure how much time I can devote to writing, but I promise I will update more regularly than last year.