Chapter 13: Sacrifice

"You're just a made-up character in a book!" The words echoed through Zelgadis' head, leaving him feeling cold inside. "What do you mean?" he said woodenly, looking at the small girl who stood before him.

Amelia had fallen silent after her outburst, staring at Zelgadis with her wide blue eyes. "Z-Zelgadis, I'm sorry…" she began nervously.

Zelgadis glared at Amelia, anger and a tickling sense of nervous doubt still coursing through his body. "I'm a real person, Amelia, just as real as you and Lina. And you're not going to come between us," he said. "You're going to destroy yourself if you keep believing the lies Rezo tells you. We found a way to summon Cephied once more, Amelia! Don't you understand? Once we have the artefact, you won't need to summon Shabranigdu. Come back with me!"

Amelia twitched, filled with guilt as she heard Zelgadis. He was filled with so much false hope, but she knew he wasn't real. Even though he didn't believe her, Amelia felt a sharp sense of regret at having spoken so quickly. "Zelgadis…" she murmured.

"There you are!" Amelia spun around to face Eris, who was standing at the foot of the street with her hands on her hips. As Eris' eyes traveled past her wayward priestess and settled on the chimera, fury flashed across her face. "You!" she hissed, bringing her palms before her.

Zelgadis had also crouched into a battle position with a grim expression. "So we meet again, Eris. You won't get away this time!" he growled dangerously as he formed a fist.

Eris was already weaving her hands in a complicated pattern as static energy filled the small alleyway. A blue symbol blazed out from the base of her throat, forming into the kanji for 'Loyalty.' "It's you who won't escape, Zelgadis Greywords!" she hissed as she parted her hands, sending a bolt of lightning racing down from the sky.

Zelgadis neatly avoided the elemental attack and leapt towards her with a deadly strike. With a grunt, Eris moved quickly to dodge his attack, the punch he had been aiming at her only glancing off of the side of her armoured shoulder.

"Stop it, Eris!" Amelia cried, panicking. "I don't want him dead! Don't kill him!" She tackled her guardian and desperately tried to hold her down.

"You little twit! Let go of me or you're going to get us both killed!" Eris yelled, glaring at Amelia as she shoved the young girl away.

Zelgadis had already backed down the street, however, regarding Amelia and Eris through slit eyes. "I'll let you live for now. But only because she's here," he said to Eris, inclining his head at the younger girl. "You won't always be this lucky." He shot the two women a final glare before racing down the alley, disappearing into the bustling street beyond with his chimeric speed.

"Damn it! He got away. Rezo won't be pleased," Eris fumed. She turned her angry gaze onto Amelia, narrowing her eyes. "When Rezo isn't pleased, I'm not pleased," she said threateningly.

Amelia glared back at the older woman, regaining some of her shaken confidence. "You don't scare me, Eris. I don't want you to mention this to Rezo."

Eris crossed her arms and lifted an eyebrow at Amelia in disbelief. "Oh? And what's to stop me from telling him?"

Amelia smiled, undaunted by the other woman's attitude. "Only the fact that you'd have to tell him you let me get away from you. I wonder what Rezo would think of that, huh?" She grinned inwardly as the mocking smile froze on Eris' face. "I'm glad we agree on something. Let's go back to the camp, I'm tired of exploring this city," she huffed, leaving her sputtering guardian behind her.

- x – x – x -

Zelgadis regarded the darkening sky with frustration. "It's already late," he muttered to himself angrily. "That meeting with Amelia held me up more than I thought. I hope Lina and Sylphiel are okay." Pulling up the hood of his cloak, he made his way back towards the pub near the entrance of the city.

At least some things are going according to plan, he thought with a small measure of relief as he entered the pub. Valgarv and Xellos were already there, the former managing to look both bored and annoyed as the latter chatted animatedly with him. They stopped their one-sided conversation as Zelgadis approached the table.

"It's a good thing you're finally back. My knuckles were starting to get raw," Valgarv growled in greeting to the chimera.

"Oh, you flatter me, Valgarv," Xellos grinned, tapping his fingers on the table. "I wasn't trying half as hard as I do for my precious Lina and Zelly-boy!" The magician ignored the groan that this elicited from both of his companions. His smile dropped slightly as he leaned over and appeared to peer behind Zelgadis' back, despite his closed eyes. "And why would our darling Lina not be in your presence right now, Zelgadis?"

Zelgadis sighed and sat at the table heavily. "We found something," he explained. "Sylphiel wants you to have a look at it, Xellos. It's a monument in the city that has some script on it telling about the Priestess of Vorfeed."

Valgarv crossed his arms. "You left the girls alone at the monument? Are you a moron?"

Zelgadis glared at the aqua-haired youth, who met his gaze unapologetically. "No. That was Lina's suggestion, actually. I'll let her know what you thought of it later," he added with a smirk. "Something happened on the way here. I wanted to find you two first, but I ran into Amelia… and Eris."

This caused both Xellos and Valgarv to grow serious. "I hope you killed that lightning bitch," Valgarv grumbled as he stood from the table.

"No. Eris got away. But if they're here, it means Rezo's close by." Throwing a few coins on the table, he also stood, joining Valgarv. "Come on, let's find Lina and Sylphiel."

Xellos remained seated, his eyes still shut as he raised his eyebrows at the other two. "Oh, go on ahead, don't mind me!" he said with a smile and a wave.

Zelgadis felt his brow twitch. "Why are you not coming with us, fruitcake?" he growled at the magician.

Xellos leaned back in his chair lazily and wagged a finger at the other two. "Now now, that is a secret!" he chided them amusedly.

"I'll get his head, you take his feet," Zelgadis said ominously to Valgarv, who nodded. Their advance on the grinning magician was halted by a loud voice.

"Oh, leave the pervert alone. He's just trying to get a free beating out of you," Lina said as she pushed her way to the table.

"Lina?" Zelgadis said in shock, staring at the petite redhead as she and Sylphiel collapsed on the bench next to Xellos wearily. "What are you doing here? I thought we were going to meet at the monument!" His concern grew as he noticed the silence of the two girls, who were both panting heavily. Lina had dropped her head into her arms, and Sylphiel, while still trying to sit with a semblance of modesty, was resting her elbows on the table and leaning her forehead against her clasped hands. "What happened to you two?" he asked, quickly reseating himself at Lina's side.

"Everything," Lina moaned, lifting her head and glancing up at Zelgadis tiredly. "There is no monument anymore. One of the warriors of Shabranigdu found it," she groaned.

"Eris!" Zelgadis said, growling.

Lina looked at Zelgadis strangely, and shook her head. "No… it was a new one. I don't know his name, but believe me, if you meet him, you won't miss him," she groaned.

"Beast," said Sylphiel quietly. "His character symbol was beast," she repeated.

"Why am I not surprised?" Lina said sarcastically. "That's exactly what he was," she told the other warriors. "He's huge, he's fast, he's strong, and he eats people for fun," she said, turning faintly green as she mentioned the last. "That creep managed to completely crush the monument just by landing on it," she said. "I couldn't even touch him with Gourry's sword!"

"You fought him?" Zelgadis asked with shock.

Lina laughed wryly and shook her head. "Fought is hardly the word I'd use. Sylphiel managed to blind him, so at least we got away," she said. "But if you ask me, I think Shabranigdu's feeding his team steroids," she muttered angrily.

"The god of warfare would naturally call together violent warriors to serve him, Lina," Xellos said with a friendly smile. "It's not surprising that they're all proving to be difficult opponents to beat."

"And what is Cephied, then?" Lina shot back with irritation. "The god of peace, love and understanding?"

"Well, actually—" began Xellos, but Lina managed to work up enough energy to smash her fist over the trickster's head.

"It was a rhetorical question. Now shut up unless you have something useful to say," she yelled.

Xellos sat up very quickly, the sting of his impact having been greatly lessened due to the fact that Valgarv had already managed to form an impression of the trickster's face in the table from their earlier conversation. "But Lina, I did have something important to ask you!" he whined mockingly. "You're almost forgetting the most important part of your little adventure!"

"What, the part where Sylphiel and I nearly became that beast-freak's supper?" Lina growled.

"He means the monument," Sylphiel interrupted once more, raising her head from her hands. Her face was drawn and pinched, her travel-weariness only compounded by the massive spell she had cast earlier. "I still remember what it said," she added. "We need to find Dragon's Peak."

"Why thank you, Sylphiel!" said Xellos, pulling the map from his cloak and unrolling it on the table. "It seems we're in luck," he added as he regarded the parchment, pointing at one of its corners. "The holy mountain is just outside the city. If we leave early enough, we can reach the peak tomorrow before sunset," he added with a smile.

"Then it's decided. I think we all need to get some rest," Lina told the others. "And this place looks as good as any. Let's get a couple of beds for the night." The others agreed with Lina's decision, and soon after the small party retired to their rooms to prepare for the next day's climb.

- x – x – x -

An inhuman howl rose out of Rezo's tent.

"You disappoint me, Gaav," said Rezo without emotion as he paused, allowing the large man sprawled across the floor before him a moment of respite. "I expected better of you."

Gaav glared up at Rezo, his eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hatred. He bared his teeth and clawed his massive fingers into the ground. "Priestess use tricks!" he snarled at Rezo, trying to push himself to his feet.

"Silence!" Rezo commanded loudly, a look of displeasure crossing his face. As he spoke, the lightning manacles rose around Gaav's body, eliciting another painful howl from the large man.

Eris, who had been watching silently from Rezo's side, winced as Gaav was reduced from an angry man to a whimpering beast by the red sage's powerful attack. "My Lord," she said hesitantly. "Don't you think you're being a little too harsh on him?"

Rezo glared at Gaav's writhing form impassively, his magical grip over the beast not wavering in the slightest. "When I want your opinion, Eris, I will ask you for it." Finally, he dropped the staff, and Gaav collapsed on the floor, all hint of resistance and anger gone from the giant man's prone form. "Half-witted creatures incapable of succeeding at the simplest of plans must be taught the price of their failure."

Gaav remained on the floor, breathing but unresponsive.

"Look at me, filth," Rezo commanded. Still Gaav remained motionless.

Eris swallowed audibly in the tense silence. "Gaav…" she whispered in desperate warning. Finally, the large man stirred, bringing himself painfully onto his knees.

Rezo smiled slightly, directing his sightless visage at the entrance to his tent. "I'm glad you remembered your manners in time for our visitor, Gaav." He bowed slightly as the flap was pushed back and Martina escorted Amelia through the opening.

"Rezo! What was that screaming I heard?" asked Amelia, her eyes wide with fright.

Rezo gave Amelia one of his half-smiles and guided her into the tent. "Nothing for you to be concerned over, my Lady," he told her. "Your humble servant Gaav was only expressing his discontent for having failed you. Isn't that so, Gaav?" he said, looking down on the kneeling warrior, who only grunted in response. He smiled slightly and returned his attention to Amelia. "But enough talk of the inconsequential," he said to the young girl. "Perhaps you would care to share with me your impressions of the city of Atlas?"

Amelia bit her lip and stared at Rezo nervously. "But I want to know, Rezo. What did Gaav do that was so bad?" she asked him.

"He allowed the Warriors of Cephied to slip from his grasp. It is of no matter, however, my Lady. I assure you, we will prevent the Priestess of Cephied from finding the artefact."

Amelia bowed her head, thinking about her meeting with Zelgadis earlier.

"We found a way to summon Cephied once more, Amelia! Don't you understand? Once we have the artefact, you won't need to summon Shabranigdu."

"Lady Amelia?" Rezo's calm voice broke her reverie, and she looked up at him.

"We're doing the right thing, aren't we Rezo?" she asked him.

Rezo contemplated Amelia, his sealed eyes giving away nothing. "I would not presume to tell you what is right or wrong, my Lady," he said finally. "But I can tell you this: everything that I do is ultimately to protect you. You are the Priestess of Shabranigdu, and I serve you loyally."

His words filled her with an uneasy satisfaction, and she nodded decisively. "There's something I have to tell you. I… I met Zelgadis in Atlas today," she murmured.

"Is that so?" Rezo replied, turning his head slightly towards Eris, who leveled a frosty stare at Amelia.

"It's not Miss Eris' fault!" Amelia said quickly. "I ran away from her, and I found Zelgadis myself. He tried to get me to come back with him." She paused and wrung her hands together nervously. "I think they've found the artefact. I think they're going to get it before us!" she added, rushing towards the sage. "You have to stop them, Rezo! You have to keep Lina from summoning Cephied!"

Rezo caught Amelia in his arms and rested his hands on her shoulders comfortingly. "Once again, you have proven yourself to be a true Priestess of Shabranigdu," he told her soothingly. "You shame your own warriors with your bravery and courage." An angry gasp was heard from Eris and a barely audible growl rose from Gaav's throat, but both were quickly silenced when Rezo tilted his face towards them in warning. The half-smile returned to his face as he addressed Amelia once more. "It shall be as you wish."

- x – x – x -

Flickering firelight chased away the evening shadows in the nearly empty common room of the pub. Only the most desperate of patrons remained, spread throughout the shadowy corners of the room, each trying to mind their own business and nursing their drinks. Zelgadis was no exception as he stared moodily into the depths of his half-emptied cup of coffee. "A made-up character in a book?" he muttered to himself. "What did she mean?"

The sound of a stool scraping the floor as it was pulled out made him look up. He lifted an eyebrow in surprise as his companion seated herself next to him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, Zelgadis," said Sylphiel with a small smile. "You seemed troubled today," she added. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Zelgadis turned back to his cup and took a sip of the bitter liquid inside. "I'm surprised you noticed. You weren't looking too good yourself tonight. What exactly happened to you and Lina?"

Sylphiel shuddered involuntarily. "We were lucky to escape," she said truthfully. "The creature that attacked us was vicious… almost desperate," she added thoughtfully. "I know he was trying to kill us, but there was something more I sensed. It felt as though he was trapped," she said sorrowfully.

Zelgadis regarded the healer with a skeptical gaze. "Sylphiel, you're a white magician, I understand you how you feel about fighting. But you have to stop being so naïve or you're going to get yourself killed. Or worse, Lina could get hurt."

Sylphiel ducked her head slightly with a blush. "Of course, I know that," she said nervously. "But I can't help it. If someone is suffering, I have to help them."

"Even if it meant your own life?" Zelgadis said sharply. "Because that's what would happen to you the moment you stopped to ask that beast how he felt. Sylphiel, this is isn't a game. Rezo and his subordinates don't want to make friends. They want our heads on a pole."

Sylphiel twisted her fingers together nervously as Zelgadis spoke. "Yes… but I can't change how I feel. I've been trying, and I don't think it's working," she said sadly.

Feeling slightly guilty over his strict reprimand, Zelgadis gave Sylphiel an awkward pat on the shoulder. "You're doing fine, Sylphiel. I know Lina relies on you. We all do." A brief smile flashed across his face as he regarded her. "You're not as weak as you think. The world would be a pretty sorry place if the only thing people knew how to do was fight each other. Look at Elmekia," he added with a wry smirk.

Sylphiel blushed once more and smiled gratefully at the chimera. "I'm sorry to have bothered you with this, Zelgadis." A small gasp escaped her, and Sylphiel covered her mouth with her hand in embarrassment. "And to think, I wanted to ask you about your own problems," she added in a slightly mortified tone. "I'm so sorry!"

Zelgadis took another sip from his cup and shrugged. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing," he told her nonchalantly.

Sylphiel folder her hands on the table and carefully avoided Zelgadis' gaze. "I'm sorry, but I just can't do that," she said to him. "You shouldn't try so hard to hide your feelings from others. Perhaps they could help you in ways that you wouldn't expect." The hesitance in Sylphiel's voice faded slightly, along with the nervous blush on her cheeks. "I've… I've always hid my own feelings from Lord Gourry," she admitted quietly. "I regret that now. Lina told me I shouldn't wait any longer," she said. "I know she cares, and I trust her judgment and advice. Maybe you should also do that." She glanced up, and gave the chimera a tiny smile. "We're the warriors of Cephied, we protect our Priestess. But maybe, Zelgadis, she protects us, too." As if realizing how much she had spoken, a blush overtook Sylphiel's face once more, and she stood up from the table. "Excuse me… goodnight, Zelgadis."

Zelgadis watched the healer thoughtfully as she made her way across the room. "Sylphiel," he called after her loudly. The healer turned and regarded him in surprise. "… thanks," he said after a moment.

Sylphiel smiled gently at Zelgadis and inclined her head slightly, before quickly climbing the stairs and disappearing.

- x – x – x -

The trek up the snowy mountain path was difficult, to say the least. Being something of a sacred mountain, the local residents were not inclined to climb to its summit. That, or the roughly five feet of snow blanketing the ground deterred them. It did nothing to stop the Celestial Warriors of Cephied from attempting the journey, however, and it also did nothing to silence Lina's complaints as they struggled up the mountainside.

"So c-c-cold!" Lina said, her teeth chattering. "Hey, Val, are you sure you couldn't use that staff just a little?" she moaned, turning to the former bandit with a pleading look in her eyes.

Valgarv rolled his eyes skyward and stifled a groan. "For the last time, Lina, Vessegace may be a magic weapon," he grunted, pushing himself through another drift of snow with some effort. "But I can hardly use it to melt the snow off of the entire mountainside!"

Lina scowled angrily. "You could at least use it to clear us a path!" she mumbled.

"Now now, Lina dear, you know that could attract the attention of the warriors of Shabranigdu," Xellos scolded her happily. The magician was looking particularly comfortable, as he, unlike the others, was able to use his powers to magically lift himself over the snowdrifts and simply float above the trail the others were making. "We should all try not to use our powers while they're so close to us."

"Then why the hell are you floating around above us, huh perv?" she shot back, annoyed. "Don't you think you're being more than a little obvious?"

Xellos smirked and leaned back, crossing his legs and floating backwards for good measure. "Ah, Lina, levitation is but one of the simplest magic spells that any skilled sorcerer could learn. I'm hardly expending enough energy for Rezo to notice my presence."

Lina felt her brow twitching. "Is that so?" she said dryly. Grabbing a piece of his cloak as he floated by, she used it to drag his face next to hers and inhaled deeply. "Then why the hell don't you levitate the rest of us too?" she screamed into his ear.

Xellos wobbled through the air unsteadily and then quickly straightened himself out with a thoughtful frown. "Hmm, not as satisfying as actual physical contact… but that did send a pleasant tingle down my spine." Grinning, he reached down and ruffled Lina's hair, ignoring her as she attempted to bite his hand. "Why, thank you Lina, for trying to make this journey as comfortable as possible for me! I'm afraid actually using my powers to lift the rest of you, however, would catch Rezo's attention," he said amicably.

Giving up on her onslaught as Xellos floated out of reach, Lina let out a heavy sigh. "Figures," she mumbled. Carefully picking her way behind Valgarv, she stumbled as an unexpected mound of snow gave way under boots. A pair of strong arms caught her before she could make contact with the snowy ground, and set her back on her feet.

"Be careful, Lina," Zelgadis told her as he released her. "I know it's difficult, but we'll be there soon."

She smiled at him gratefully and tucked the heavy robes under her chin more tightly. "I know, Zel. I just like to complain. It makes it easier, somehow."

"Not on the rest of us!" grunted Valgarv.

Zelgadis narrowed his eyes and stepped behind Valgarv. "Sorry, Valgarv. I guess I haven't been very helpful while you were clearing a path for us," he said dangerously. "Let me fix that now."

The aqua-haired man turned around and raised a suspicious eyebrow, but didn't manage to do much else as Zelgadis picked him up by the collar and with a grunt, flung him headfirst through the snow. It was rather effective, as Valgarv's skidding body made a quite smooth and convenient path several feet up the snowy mountainside.

"Oh, let me help next!" Xellos offered eagerly, zipping ahead of the others to assist Valgarv. The muffled thump and then cry of "Thank you!" that rang through the air afterwards was enough to assure the others that the two were fine.

Lina giggled and poked Zelgadis carefully in the arm. "Hey, did you have to do that? He's gonna be pissed you know," she grinned. Then her eyes flashed as an evil grin crossed her face. "Maybe pissed enough to use his staff. Hey, do you have the sudden urge to fight for my honour, Zel?" she asked hopefully.

Zelgadis rolled his eyes and huffed. "Nice to know you're looking after our welfare, Priestess," he told her wryly.

"Hey! None of this 'Priestess' stuff with me, Zel!" she scolded him. "You're my friend before my guardian, and I just treat you the way I would any good friend!"

Zelgadis' lips twitched as he tried to hide his smile. "I suppose so." He grew serious once again as they continued their trek. "But you shouldn't joke about getting Valgarv to use Vessegace, Lina. Rezo is here, and it could put you in danger."

Lina nodded slightly, the smile dropping from her face as she thought about her encounter with the beast-man. "We've been lucky so far, but that last attack was a little too close for comfort," she admitted. "I'm just glad we haven't run into any more of Rezo's group while we were in Atlas."

Zelgadis sighed slightly as his conscience delivered another kick to his head. That, or latent caffeine withdrawal from the many mugs of coffee he had downed the previous night was starting to affect him. "About that, Lina…" he began. "We have run into more of them. Eris and Amelia, to be exact."

Lina stopped in her tracks, her eyes growing wide. "Amelia's here too? You saw her?" she said.

Zelgadis nodded and grabbed Lina's elbow, gently urging her onward. "Yes. That was what delayed me, why I didn't reach you in time when the beast attacked." He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "I ran into Amelia alone at first, but Eris found us shortly after. I left before we got into a real battle, though."

"You were protecting Amelia, weren't you?" Seeing Zelgadis' slight nod, she smiled at him. "Thank you, Zelgadis. But tell me… did she… I mean, did Amelia say anything?" she asked hesitantly, her voice full of doubt.

It sounded unusual, not at all like Lina. He spared her a glance. Lina looked sad, her eyes distant and clouded. I wanted to ask her about what Amelia told me… but seeing her like that, I just can't. He sighed slightly. "No, Lina. Only that she wouldn't come back with me. Eris interrupted us before she could say any more."

Lina nodded slightly and fell silent, lost in her thoughts as they continued up the mountainside. A sudden shout made her look up quickly. Valgarv was waving at them, while Xellos was studying what appeared to be a giant boulder set into the mountainside quite intently.

"Did they find something?" asked Sylphiel from behind Lina. The healer, huffing, caught up with the younger girl and looked over her shoulder.

"Looks like it," Lina said, quickening her pace. As they neared the top of the hill, Xellos suddenly turned and said something to Valgarv. "What's that fruitcake doing?" Lina wondered out loud, when a hand reached out and grabbed her. "Huh? Sylphiel?"

"Lina, Zelgadis! Stay back!" came the healer's warning as her eyes widened. "I can feel them!"

"Feel who?" Zelgadis asked with confusion. He let out a low growl as Xellos suddenly disappeared, and Valgarv drew his staff. "What's going on?"

Lina drew out the hilt of the sword of light, looking around cautiously. "Not again…" she said. "Sylph?"

Sylphiel had turned several shades paler, but didn't have a chance to reply to Lina's question. There was a crackle in the air, and a bolt raced down from the sky.

Quickly, Zelgadis pushed the two girls out of the way as the deadly energy struck the ground they had been standing on moments before. "Eris!" he grit out, his eyes scanning the snowy landscape.

"There!" Sylphiel cried out, extending her hand.

As Lina's eyes followed the healer's pointing finger, she felt her stomach sink. "Not just Eris… it's that guy again. And Martina!" She hefted the sword, calling forth the wavering blade of light. "Three of them at once? That's not fair!"

Zelgadis only cracked his knuckles with a grim smile. "Yes… the only problem is which one to take out first," he said darkly. The decision wasn't left up to him, as the warriors of Shabranigdu attacked.

Martina's laugh echoed through the hillside as a blaze of energy came racing through the snow towards Lina's group.

"Curse energy!" Sylphiel gasped. "I can't block it!"

There was a ripple, and Martina's attack split around Lina, Zelgadis and Sylphiel cleanly. Xellos materialized before them, his eyes ever-closed and a small smile on his face. "Ah, but I can, Sylphiel," he said with a smirk. "I do believe I owe the lovely Miss Martina a thank you for her introduction at sea," he sneered. "Take care of the others." With a sizzle, he was gone, and just as suddenly, a dark blast of magic sent Martina toppling off of the snow bank she had been standing on.

There was no time for Lina to see what happened to Xellos and Martina afterwards, as the smell of ozone filled the air once more. "Eris!" she managed to yell before diving once more, narrowly avoiding another bolt of pure energy.

"You won't get away this time!" Eris yelled as she twisted her hands together, her hair lifting with the static energy she was generating.

"Hmpfh, Zelgadis couldn't get the job done right the first time," Valgarv said as he twirled his staff around his head expertly. "Believe me, I won't make the same mistake," he grinned as the flames roared to life out from the weapon. With a quick swing, a tongue of fire raced toward Eris, melting away the snow along its searing path.

The thick, static energy in the air vanished as Eris cursed and dove out of the line of flames. Valgarv smirked and leapt after her, a feral smile on his face. "Don't play hard to get!" he roared as Eris turned to face him.

Zelgadis cracked his knuckles, staying close to Lina's side. "Well, it looks like Eris and Martina have their hands full. I guess that leaves ugly," he said calmly.

The man in question drew himself to his full height, and even Zelgadis had to suck in his breath at the warrior's unusual size. "I am Gaav," the redhead rumbled, baring his fangs in a mocking smile. "You are lunch." His declaration made, he charged at the small group.

Zelgadis was quicker, racing to meet Gaav and landing a solid fist on the larger man's chin, stopping his charge. As the two backed away from each other, Zelgadis gave the large man a cold smile. "You might want to rethink your decision. I'll only get stuck in your teeth." Whether it was his mocking commentary or just the tone of his voice, he obviously infuriated Gaav. Soon Zelgadis found himself unable to make any more quips, caught up in trading a flurry of parries and blows with the beastly warrior.

Lina crouched in the snow by Sylphiel, watching as the battle raged between her warriors and the servants of Shabranigdu. "Sylphiel!" she hissed worriedly. "Maybe we can't help them, but we can try and figure out what's behind that boulder! Now might be our only chance, come on!" Dragging the older girl forcibly behind her, Lina raced towards the top of the hillside to approach the large rock. As they came closer, elaborate markings carved across the surface of the boulder became visible. "Sylph, can you read this?" Lina asked.

The purple-haired maiden stood back and studied the rock, sweat running down her brow. "Y-yes… I think it's a door," she breathed. "There's a barrier… a seal that needs to be broken," she added.

"A door? Where? It looks like a huge rock to me!" Lina yelled. "How do you open it?"

"The seal has to be broken," Sylphiel said, her eyes scanning over the ancient script rapidly.

"Fine. Breaking things is my specialty," Lina growled, pushing Sylphiel back.

Sylphiel gasped as Lina brought the Sword of Light before her and called out the blade. "No, Lina, wait! You can't break it with that!" Her warning came too late, as the sword blazed into existence with its pure white energy, and Lina smashed it towards the boulder with all of her strength.

The clash of magic energy as the blade of the sword met the barrier within the rock briefly lit up the snowy field with its intensity. Then, with a popping sound, the sword of light sputtered out and died, leaving Lina blinking in confusion before the smoking boulder.

"Lina!" cried Sylphiel. "Are you hurt?"

Lina stepped back from the boulder, rubbing her aching wrist and sheathing the hilt of Gourry's sword in her belt. "Yeah, just a little surprised. It felt like I was trying to break concrete with my fist," she winced.

Sylphiel shook her head in disbelief. "Not everything can be solved with force, Lina," she said, her eyes scanning the runes once more. "It says that the seal can only be lifted by a pure heart," she added. Noticing Lina's glare, a blush rose to her cheeks.

"You could have told me that sooner!" Lina growled.

Sylphiel held her arms out towards the rock and closed her eyes. "I think I can breach this barrier," she said as a white glow surrounded her hands and seeped into the rock.

"Great!" Looking over her shoulder, Lina felt her face drop. "Zelgadis!" she screamed. The healer didn't seem to hear her, her face already set in deep concentration as she worked her magic on the barrier.

- x – x – x -

"Ugh!" Zelgadis grunted as Gaav landed another blow on him. He was fast, and his stony skin offered him a measure of protection. But Gaav's brute strength was incredible, and his speed was uncanny. Zelgadis blocked another blow, wincing as the power of his opponent's blow drove him a few feet backwards into the snow.

A flash of light caused him to squint, and despite the risk, Zelgadis shot a worried glance over his shoulder towards Lina. Good girl, he thought to himself as he saw her and Sylphiel standing before the boulder, obviously trying to decipher the runes there. Then a cold chill washed through him as he turned back towards his opponent.

Gaav had also observed the two women, his attention caught by the bright flash. His eyes grew wild as his attention left Zelgadis and focused completely on the two girls. "Hurt… light hurt!" he snarled. "Pay!" He leapt past Zelgadis, the fight with the chimera forgotten.

"Oh no you don't!" yelled Zelgadis, leaping after Gaav and managing to loop an arm over the man's meaty neck, squeezing for all he was worth.

Gaav stopped long enough in his charge to snarl with annoyance, and then reached over his back and plucked Zelgadis off like one might remove an annoying insect. With a roar, he tossed the chimera over his shoulder, sending Zelgadis flying into the rock face beside Lina and Sylphiel.

Faintly, Zelgadis heard Lina's panicked cry as he crumpled to the ground, spots dancing in front of his eyes. "Lina…" he mumbled, trying to pick himself up and clear his vision. "Run!"

Gaav was already upon them, his speed rivaling that of Zelgadis' own and an ugly scowl on his face.

Lina yelled and dove out of the way, narrowly missing Gaav's murderous charge. "Damn!" she shouted as she skidded to a stop in the snow. "If Zel can't do it, how are we gonna stop this mons" Her words choked off as a sudden chill overtook her. It felt like something in her chest snapped, and with an icy sense of fear, Lina forced herself to look up.

Gaav stood before her, his eyes wide and bloodshot, and a maniacal grin on his face. But that was not what froze Lina, as her eyes left his form. Before him stood Sylphiel, her arms still extended towards the boulder, and her eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"Lina…" Sylphiel choked, as a tiny line of blood ran out of her mouth. She shuddered as Gaav snarled behind her and ripped his hand free of her body. The healer slowly fell to her knees, staining the surrounding snow crimson with her blood.

"Sylphiel!" Lina's words came out more as a hoarse croak than a shout as she scrambled over her hands and knees towards the injured girl. She watched Gaav raise his claw once more, his fangs bared as he prepared to finish off the healer before him. "You bastard!" she cried suddenly, rising to her feet, a wave of fury crashing through her. She didn't know when or how the hilt of Gourry's sword came into her hands, but suddenly, the light was blazing before her, brighter and more powerful than ever before. She swept the blade upwards in an arc, a wordless cry of anger coming from her throat as the sword sliced through Gaav's massive form.

There was a moment of silence, and Gaav turned and faced her, anger contorting his face as Lina stood before him with her trembling arms and blazing sword. "You can't kill me!" he rumbled, taking a step towards Lina. But as he reached for her, he stumbled, a look of surprise coming over his face. Then with a low whine he fell forward, crashing to the ground in a fountain of blood, his body sliced open by Lina's deadly slash.

Lina stared at the fallen figure of the huge man for a few moments in shock as his blood seeped into the snow by her feet. Then with a muffled cry, she dropped the sword and leapt over him, crouching over the fallen healer. "Sylphiel!"

Sylphiel coughed, her eyes fluttering open as she felt Lina lift her out of the snow. "S-sorry," she gasped out as she looked into the younger girl's panic-stricken face.

"Sylph! Come on, use your magic! You've got to heal yourself! Stop messing around!" Lina yelled, her eyes wide and frightened.

Sylphiel's eyes closed briefly. "Tired," she mumbled. A sharp sting on her cheek brought her eyes back open, and distantly, she realized Lina had slapped her.

"Don't you dare go to sleep! Use your magic right now, you stupid twit!" Lina yelled, tears springing out of her eyes.

Sighing, the healer struggled away from Lina's grasp. "Yes… the magic," she breathed, looking up towards the boulder. Reaching out a hand, she touched the face of the rock, a gentle white glow rising from her fingertips. "Almost got it," she murmured.

"No! No!" Lina cried, grabbing Sylphiel's arm and trying to draw it away. But for once, the gentle healer's strength was greater than her own.

Sylphiel narrowed her eyes in concentration, resisting Lina's desperate pull and pushing her magic forcibly into the barrier. I can do it… I know I can. I'm a warrior of Cephied, she thought with determination. I am a warrior! There was a faint shift, and a sense of pride and relief rushed through Sylphiel when she felt the barrier collapse. "I did it!" she gasped, even as she felt her strength and magic leaving her body.

- x – x – x -

Martina froze as searing pain lashed through her, snapping at her consciousness like the bite of a whip. It held her in check as she gasped. Gaav! I can't sense that animal anywhere! She let her concentration drift, searching wildly for his presence.

Xellos smiled as he noticed her minute distraction, providing him with the opportunity he needed. With a swift motion of his staff, he blasted Martina with a wave of dark energy, sending her reeling to the ground. "Tsk tsk," he chided her mockingly. "You should know better than to let your concentration waver like that," he scolded. To his surprise, Martina ignored his jibes, rising shakily and throwing one of her potions before her, escaping from the surprised magician.

But he didn't pursue her as his focus expanded outside of their battle. A frown crossed his face. "The energies of the beast gods are shifting," he mused. A moment later the worried crease on his forehead erupted into a full-blown frown, and with a swirl of dark energy, he winked away.

- x – x – x -

Valgarv glared at Eris, as the two faced each other down in a battle of strength. The staff of flames hung dangerously close to Eris' head as she held him in check with paralyzing chains of lightning. "I WILL win…" Valgarv snarled as the staff inched closer to her head.

The feeling similar to whipcord snapping rushed through Eris' body, and her eyes widened. Her concentration broken, the lightning spell suddenly dissipated.

"That was a mistake!" yelled Valgarv as he brought the staff down towards Eris with a grimace.

Eris closed her eyes and winced, expecting Valgarv's blow to land. Instead of feeling the licking flames burning her skin, however, there was a blast of cold. She opened her eyes to see Valgarv swept away from her by a unusually violent gust of wind. Turning in surprise, she saw the panicked face of Martina, who ended her spell and grabbed Eris by the arm. "Martina?" she yelled, confused. As far as she remembered, the lime-haired woman could have cared less about anyone's safety besides her own.

"It's Gaav! His lifeforce, it's gone!" Martina said urgently to the other woman, pulling a potion from her cloak as Valgarv leapt towards them with an angry bellow. "Another time, cutie!" she yelled brazenly at the bandit as she threw her potion to the ground, disappearing in a puff of black smoke.

"Damn! Great," Valgarv coughed as he landed in the dissipating smoke. "Looks like I won't get to hold this over Zelgadis' head after all," he mumbled as he slung his staff over his shoulder. A sudden chill raced down his spine, and he spun around towards the boulder. "What is this?" he growled, making his way towards the summit as a sense of urgency filled him.

- x – x – x -

"Lina… I felt... what…" Zelgadis' voice cut off as he stumbled unsteadily towards the two girls. "Sylphiel!" he yelled, dropping by Lina's side and helping her lower the healer gently to the ground.

Lina ignored the chimera, her eyes focused on Sylphiel's pale face. "You idiot, why'd you do that?" she cried out angrily, sobs choking her voice. "I told you to use your magic! I told you to heal yourself! What were you thinking?" Lina's voice trailed off and broke, as Sylphiel reached up and squeezed Lina's hand gently.

"Sorry, Lina… I won't be able to keep my promise," she whispered slowly, leaning her head back onto the snow. "So… please… make it back to Sairoon safely. And tell him for me. Promise me this, Lina."

The redhead blinked back her tears and struggled to find her voice once more. "I promise, Sylphiel. I'll tell him," she choked out. "I promise."

"Yes," sighed Sylphiel, with a note of relief as she closed her eyes. "Tell Gourry… my lord Gourry," she whispered. And then, with a quiet sigh, Sylphiel Nels Lahda died.

- x – x – x -

A quill clattered from the table.

"Your imperial majesty?" came a concerned inquiry from the Emperor's side.

Gourry ignored the man, his blue eyes soft and unfocused.

"Is something the matter, your majesty?" pressed his advisor more urgently.

Gourry frowned, and then shook his head, as if to clear it. "Nothing," he said finally, after a long moment. "It's just…" he trailed off, his throat suddenly dry and closed. He tried to swallow, and pushed away from the table hurriedly. "I'm going to the shrine," he said abruptly.

"But your majesty, the meeting—"

Gourry rested his hand against the door and dropped his head, allowing his long blond bangs to mask his pained expression. "I think I just lost something," he mumbled finally, when the feeling had passed. "Something I didn't know I had." Pushing himself away from the wall, the young emperor ran a hand over his face tiredly. "Cephied," he murmured in a soft prayer. "Look after Lina and the others, okay?"

- x – x – x -

Valgarv arrived only to find Zelgadis sitting in the snow, carefully cradling Lina within his arms.

"What happened here?" Valgarv finally managed, after taking in the sight of Gaav's massive corpse lying next to Sylphiel's comparatively tiny body. "Sylphiel… she's not..." he began, as Zelgadis quickly glanced up and shot the bandit a helpless, furious glare.

There was a crackle of dark energy beside him, and Xellos was there, his eyes opened as he regarded bloody scene. "Her lifeforce is gone," he said simply, all trace of mockery absent from his voice. "Gaav must have killed her."

Lina's quiet voice rose through the shocked confusion. "Gaav didn't kill her," she said. "She chose…" Her voice cracked, but she forced herself to steady it. "She chose to die. She could have healed herself, but she didn't. That stupid girl didn't listen to me. She didn't listen!" Her voice rose into an angry shriek, and her knuckles turned white as she gripped Zelgadis' shirt.

Xellos' eyebrow raised, and he approached the boulder speculatively. He reached a hand to the rock face, and then drew it back quickly, as though burned. "Yes…" he said slowly, looking down on Sylphiel's body with grim understanding. "The seal is broken."

- x – x – x -

Gracia paused, her hand trailing over the rough parchment of the page as the letters flowed out onto the paper underneath her fingers. She inhaled sharply, the script blurring before her eyes. After a moment of foolish confusion, she realized that it was not any strange magic from the book itself, but rather her own eyes that were clouding with watery tears.

"Naga?" Luna called out sharply as she looked up from her conversation with Diol. "Why'd you stop reading? What's going on? Did Lina do something stupid again?"

"Lina's fine," she answered woodenly, unable to bring her eyes back down to the page. "It's Sylphiel. She… she's…"

Luna patted Diol's hand apologetically and stood up, striding quickly towards Gracia. With an annoyed sigh, she snatched the book away from the other girl and skimmed through the script quickly. "No…" she said finally, as her finger paused on the page. "She died? You mean they can die?" she finally said with a note of disbelief.

Gracia snatched the book away from Luna as her eyes sparked with anger. "Of course they can die! Sylphiel just did!" she yelled.

Luna fidgeted, looking oddly uncomfortable for perhaps the first time in her entire life. "But it's just a character in a book," she mumbled.

"No!" said Gracia fiercely, gripping the book so tightly the pages bent under her fingernails. "It's not just a story, not anymore. And if Sylphiel can die, then…" She trailed off, the worry and fear overwhelming her.

"Lina," finished Luna, before her face settled into its usual stony expression. "They won't die," she growled. "I taught Lina better than that." She said it with a note of conviction that would have convinced anyone else who heard it. But as the two girls looked down at the deceptively harmless-looking book, the words rang cold and hollow.

- x – x – x -

Do not stand at my grave and weep;
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there. I did not die.

- Anonymous