Zel looked puzzled. "That sounds like it should be impossible, Lina..." he said, doubtfully...
Lina replied "Yeah, I know, but listen. I know this is a little shakey. Um, but I just gave you the signs that he isn't a Mazoku anymore. And think, he's been baking in the light of pure goodness, or whatever he called it, for months now. I say months as I am sure he was stuck on the spike the night that Beastmaster rescued me. So, he had been permiated through and through with that light. But the spike gave off dark energy and somehow balanced the light. So, he didn't dissolve, instead, he became a creature in which the light and the dark balanced equally."
"But nothing could happen while the spike existed. Then I cut the dark power off with the Raguna blade, so the holy power of the Golden Lord interfered with the spike and left Xellos high and dry, bathed in the light of good only. So, good took what was there, a living being mixed with light and dark, and worked upon him, and turned him into the only type of creature able to survive this mixture of the good and the bad. A human! Otherwise, he'd have died, but good wouldn't let that happen. I can't think of any other explanation."
Zel thought for a minute. "Me either, but it just doesn't seem right..." he said.
Argentus spoke up. "Not to interfere in this, but have you seen the weather?"
Lina came back to the reality of where they were with a start. The storm was upon them, and it was getting heavy, cold, and windy. She looked around in fear. Their tracks were dissappearing. They had to get back to the tent, and now!
She grabbed Filia and shook her awake. "Come on. We have to go or we freeze to death!" she said urgently. Filia groggily got up.
Zel moved in and scooped up Xellos onto his shoulders. "Well, he weighs enough for a human..." he said.
"This is too unreal..." Filia said. "And I was so warm too. Why did you wake me Lina?" she asked, a bit disoriented.
"So you wouldn't freeze to death!" Or us." replied Lina. Seeing Filia was still sleepy she shook the girl and rubbed her. "Come on Filia, wake up! We need you to get back! Come on, if not for us, then do it for Valgaav!"
With that Filia became more alert, though not fully awake. She struggled to find the way back to the cliffs. But the snows had come with a vengance and soon the crew was lost. Lina turned to Argentus. "Well, guide, now what?"
"We can't stay here." he answered. "And we can't get back. We have no choice do we? We have to go on."
LIna said "On to where?"
Argentus pointed. Lina looked and realised the silver dome was visible despite the storm, strong and clear, like a full moon it seemed, a beacon perhaps? Of what? "Yes." said Lina. "Our only hope now."
Lina turned and went towards the silver dome. As she walked on her steps became slower. Besides exhaustion, many forces were at work. First of all, she was simply in awe of the dome. Argentus had said they were three miles from the pole. It was obvious the dome surrounded the pole, so the dome had a radius of three miles. Or a diameter of six! Thus it had to be eighteen to twenty miles around. And it was a spherical dome, so it was three miles high!
The next thing was the light. The dome glowed with a gentle silver light, you could look at it and never hurt your eyes, yet the light pierced all. The storm might block out the sun that never set in the sky, but it only brought the dome into clearer relief. Behind her, Lina could see the sky was black, ahead, the light shone steadily on in the darkness, unconquered. This was magic of a sort Lina had never known, and she was both afraid, and in awe.
Finally, Lina was afraid of what was on the other side. What if there was no help? What if they angered the dweller of the dome? They had come so far to see this being, now Lina was shaking in her boots, not only from the bitter, bitter cold, but from fear of the unknown. Finally, she stopped, unable to move.
"I can't go on!" she said in a panic. "Someone, help me?" she begged.
Several things happened at once. First, Xellos woke up. Zel put him down and the former trickster priest stood there, trying to comprehend, shivering violently in the cold. At the same time, Filia fell, and was unable to rise by herself. Argentus helped her up, and held her. Zel stood beside Lina, shivering as well.
"We must go on, Lina." he said gently, giving her a helping hand.
Lina tried. She really did. But she couldn't move. She gulped and looked at Zel, and sank to her knees. "I, I can't. I don't know why..." Zel was gentle, but he couldn't move her.
Argentus went forward with Filia. As he passed Lina he said "Lina, it may be your time, but you will not know that for sure until it happens. But even if it is, given what awaits you, do you want to go to death on your knees, or on your feet?"
Lina's head snapped up. "No! you are right Argentus." she said, her voice suddenly strong again. "Death will come soon enough, I will not make it easy for him! Even if I die trying, I will try."
Zel helped her up. "Remember what you said before we fought Shabradnigdo?" he asked. "That even if you only had one chance you still could win? This isn't over till it's over Lina. And I am here too, I will go with you every step of the way. Let's go win!"
Lina smiled. "Yes! Nuts to death, lets get the glory." She smiled. Zel hugged her.
"You're cold!" said Lina with surprise.
"We all are." said Zel.
Lina hugged him as they faced the dome. "Hold me, and I'll do what I can to help you keep warm." she said. Arm in arm, they made their frozen way to the dome.
And it was there they were checked, there was no door. Xellos was so cold now all he could do was stand there numbly. Tired Filia sagged into Argentus' arms. Lina and Zel went up and down the wall of the dome as best they could with the worstening storm blowing against them. "There is no door." said Zel.
Lina went around and around. "We are missing something. The answere is simple, I know it. But we don't see it..."
They tried yelling. They tried pleading. They tried begging. No results. Then Xellos hit upon the answer. Literally.
He stood before the dome, not really comprehending as his mind slowly went numb from cold. In a last effort he raised his fist, and of all things, knocked on the dome. "Oi, let us in, please!" he said.
There was a soft click. part of the dome swung inward, beckoning the desperate travellers. There was light, and warmth, inside. They stared for a second. Then, with the last of his energy, Xellos tottered forward and into the door. Another second and Lina and Zel, again supporting each other arm in arm, tottered forward and inside as well. Finally, Argentus brought Filia. As he entered, there was another soft click, and the dome shut!
The first thing thay noticed was the warmth, the sweet, pure, blessed warmth. Not baking heat, not freezing cold, not sweltering and humid, nor yet arid and dry, but sweet, gentle, just right warmth.
And the light. Everywhere they looked, the beautiful, muted silver light. "I never knew there could be so many shades of silver!" said Lina, as she looked around.
"Nor that all of them together could be so beautiful " said Zel.
Filia even seemed stronger. "It is wondefully quiet." she said softly. And so it was. No wind, no lashing snow, just quiet. But not blankness. If it were possible, it seemed the quiet itself was somehow, well, musical.
Argentus said "There is something ahead. you are tired, I can still go see. Lina, Zel, Filia, and Xellos. Go off the path and lie down on the grass. I'll be right back. Filia, help Xellos, he's very cold." With that he was off. Filia was too cold to think straight, though she was warming up. She helped Xellos off the road, and got him sitting down. Zel and Lina did likewise.
Before they could lie down Argentus was back, with a silver cup in his hands. "There is a fountain. Here, drink, then sleep." he commanded gently. Everyone drank. The cup seemed small, easy to hold, but surprisingly, they each drank their fill and it still wasn't empty. Filia and Xellos collapsed beside each other. Lina and Zel did almost the same, but they remained snuggled together. Perhaps for warmth? At any rate, in seconds they were all asleep.
When Lina awoke Argentus was there with more water. He semed strong and ready to go on, and Lina suddenly realised she was too. "We slept how long?" she asked.
"Two full days." was the reply.
"Strange." said Lina. "I feel fully refreshed and ready to go. I am not hungry, I don't even need to relieve myself. What's going on?"
"We aren't on earth anymore." said Argentus.
Soon everyone was up. Filia was certainly back in form as she realised she had been somehow snuggled into Xellos during the sleep. "Eww! Even if you are human now, and I'm not sure I believe that..." she said, giving him a shove away and a frown. Then she tried to brush off her coat.
Xellos giggled. "Ah, same as always, I see, dear Miss Filia." he sighed. "But yes, Lina is right somehow. I feel like I am a human, so, I'd better not anger the dragon, I suppose. I can't dodge like I used to."
"But do remember dear Filia, we are in a place that is someone's house, I would be careful of my actions if I were you. All of you. Beat up on me when we get out again if you must, but this is holy, I can feel it."
Filia frowned more and said "I got it, I got it, Namagomi!" She stared at him for a few seconds. Then she lowered her eyes. "But I am glad you are off that spike, I could feel the pain you were in."
Xellos gave her a curious look. "So, this is tenderness." he said quietly. "Thank you Filia, I am honoured you extened it to even me."
She nodded, and favoured him with a little smile. "Benefit of the doubt." she said. "Since you are human now..."
"Oh yes. And that's going to take some adjusting to. Thousands of years old, and a newborn, all over again. Well, I will admit to being afraid..."
"Welcome to the world of men." said Lina with a smile to Xellos. "okay everyone, we need to go on. We can't go back."
Soon the gang was moving south again, towards the center of the dome. They were fairly silent as they drank in the total effect of the place. It was beautiful, but it was not anything they had ever experienced before. There were fields and flowers, little rivers, trees, you name it, it was there, in some variation of silver.
As they went they wondered at each new marvel. And so it was that still in wonder they at last came to the pavillion at the center of the dome, and the raised dias with the simple throne upon it. But it was empty...
"Nobody home?" said Lina. "No, I hadn't thought of this!"
Zel was stunned. Filia started weeping. Xellos was confused, but said nothing.
Lina was angry. "All this way, our lives in danger, the lives of countless others at eternal risk, at least there might have been someone here to tell us to get lost. Has this been in vain?" She gave an angry scream. "Hey Silver Lord! Where are you? You have guests in need of your help!"
Zel hugged her, and suddenly she began to weep. After a minute she sniffed and looked up. "I'm sorry." she said. "I'm just an emotional girl, please forgive me."
Zel nodded to the throne and said "Tell him..."
Lina nodded. She turned and went up to the throne. There she bowed, and said "I apologise for my emotional outburst. It's just I've been through a lot to see you, and, well, I had hoped someone would be here, and visible. I don't know why I should have expected that." She then became silent, she had no more to say.
Zel lead her down the dias and they stood facing the empty throne again. Then Xellos went up and said as he went "Sometimes the power is hidden in the throne till someone sits on it. I volunteer if you'll trust me..."
Lina shrugged. Zel sighed and said "Be our guest." Filia stopped him. "Why should we trust him?" she said. "I mean no disrespect, but he was until recently an evil being, maybe if he gets a rush of power he will go back?"
"Then you sit." said Xellos with a smile.
Filia hesitated, and looked at Lina. Lina shrugged. Filia sat down.
All the way down. With a bang. "It's only silver light?" she said painfully as she got back up. The others tried too, just in case it was that the throne would only hold one particular person, no one succeeded. Not Lina. Not Zel. Not, finally, Xellos. They went back down the dias.
Lina looked crushed. "I guess this is over then." she said quietly. The others were quiet for a long time too. "Maybe he's just out for a bit?" one of them asked. Lina replied. "Well, we can't go back, no supplies, the cold, everything. We are stuck here. So, if he comes home we will be here, though whether alive or dead, who can say..."
The others nodded. "Well, I get a second chance at death it seems." said Xellos with his usuall good natured giggle.
Lina gave a small smile. "I guess I better get used to this paradise of silver. I'm going to be in a lot of red pain, I'm sure, when it's over."
Zel shook his head. "Next time, we book an appointment. Hey, by the way Xellos. How did you know to knock at the dome to get us into here?"
"I didn't." said Xellos. "It just seemed the right thing to do."
Filia started weeping quietly. "What will happen to Valgaav now?" she blubbered.
Lina laughed. Filia shot her a dirty look, but Lina hastened to explain "No, you reminded me of Valgaav, which reminded me he's with Luna, which made me recall what Luna said. There is a saying that goes with this. "Seek and you shall find, Knock and it shall be opened to you, Ask and you shall receive." I remember her saying that. Well, we have sought and found. Thanks to Xellos, we have knocked, and opened. Here's the irony. No one is home to ask, and receive from..." She turned and saw Argentus standing there, looking the same as usual. "How cool can you get?" she thought to herself.
She spoke to him. "Well, here we are. And we have seen what we can see. Wasn't it here you were supposed to claim your fee for helping us?" Argentus smiled and nodded. Lina asked "What was it you wanted?"
"Only your trust." he replied gently.
Lina laughed. "You went with us to what looks like death, to get our trust?" She looked at the others, but spoke to Argentus. "Well, I think I can say, for all of us, that you have it." The others nodded.
Argentus' smile broadened. "Good!" he said with friendly enthusiasm. "Let us begin."
With that cryptic phrase, he finally walked forward and ascended to the throne as the others had done. Like them, he looked at it for a second. And like them, he turned and sat down on the throne.
It held...
