Chapter 14: Shades and Shadows

There was no time to hold a proper burial for Sylphiel, and despite her anger and sorrow, it didn't feel right to Lina to leave Gaav on the mountainside as well. On her request, Valgarv put them to rest, using his staff to make a makeshift pyre for the two fallen warriors.

Ashes and dust, Lina thought to herself as the flames licked higher into the clear blue sky. Why do people keep dying? Why can't I stop it? She felt a hand descend on her shoulder, and looking up, met Zelgadis' concerned gaze with dry eyes. No more tears, she thought to herself. We can't go back now. Giving him a swift nod, she turned to the others.

"We have to move on." She remained confident despite the surprised stares of her remaining warriors. "I know it's sudden, but Sylphiel wouldn't have wanted us to wait here. She gave her life so we could finish this quest. I won't allow that to be wasted. I can't." She looked one final time at the fire, and closed her eyes. "I wasn't raised here, and I don't know anything about your gods or your religion," she said to the flames. "But Sylphiel, wherever you are, I hope Cephied is watching over you." She bowed deeply, and then, strengthening her resolve, spun around and faced the giant boulder on the mountainside. "How do we open it?" she demanded curtly of Xellos.

Xellos quickly glanced over the runes, and then touched the stone with his staff. "The seal is gone. The rock is only an illusion now." As he spoke, the boulder rippled under his staff and formed into the shape of two immense doors hewn from the rock itself. "All we have to do is open them."

"Then do it!" Lina said, frustration colouring her voice.

Xellos stepped out of the way, allowing Zelgadis and Valgarv to push at the rocky doors. After some effort, there was a loud creak, and the doors swung inward to reveal a dark, cavernous hallway leading into the heart of the mountain. Grimly, the small group ventured into the passage.

"There are restless spirits here." Xellos' voice rose out of the darkness, and shortly afterwards, the cavern was lit with the flickering glow of Valgarv's staff.

"Then let them come," came the former bandit's deep growl as he held the staff before him angrily. "I won't let anything else happen."

"You mean we," Zelgadis corrected him, his eyes glinting dangerously in the firelight.

Valgarv grunted, and they continued their descent into the mountain.

Lina shivered involuntarily and rubbed her arms. "Is it me, or is it getting colder in here?" she asked as another chill shook her. As she spoke, the temperature in the cavern dropped several more degrees, and Lina saw her breath rise before her in smoky white puffs. "What's going on?" she said.

"Hey Mimi, it looks like we have some visitors," came a heavily-accented female voice.

"Oh my gosh! You're totally right, Nene!" answered another.

The cavern flared to life with harsh, blue light, revealing the forms of two slender, identical-looking young women. The two girls smiled at the confused warriors and waved cheerfully.

"I'm Mimi!" sang one, fluttering her large fan gracefully through the air as she bowed.

"And I'm Nene!" chimed the other, twirling her staff in an elaborate pattern as she also bowed. "And we're…"

Both girls struck a ridiculous pose in the cavern with blinding smiles as they finished the sentence together. "The Guardian Twins of Vorfeed!"

Lina's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Cheerleaders? You guys are cheerleaders?" she said with a note of exasperation.

"Interesting," Xellos commented as he regarded the two giggling girls.

"More like sickening," Lina corrected him as she crossed her arms defiantly. "Well, whatever. We're here for the artefact of Vorfeed, so hand it over."

Zelgadis winced. "Lina…" he began.

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Fine. Please," she added sourly.

"Well now, that was pretty rude, don'tcha think?" said Mimi to her sister.

Nene nodded emphatically. "Yeah, you guys have a lot of nerve, just barging in here like that and disturbing our beauty sleep." With a flick, she brought her staff before her, narrowing her eyes at Lina's group. Behind her, Mimi began to twirl her fan rapidly. "Let's cool your tempers down a little!" The air in the cavern dropped several more degrees as the twins levied their attacks against the warriors.

"Look out!" yelled Valgarv, bringing his staff down quickly and splitting the blast of ice that flew towards them with his magic flames. Zelgadis grabbed Lina and leapt backwards before the rapidly growing crystals of ice could wrap around their feet.

Lina growled and struggled out of Zelgadis' grasp, the hilt of Gourry's sword already in her hands. "I never did like cheerleaders!" she yelled. "Now listen up. I'm the priestess of Cephied, and I need that artefact. So you can either be helpful and tell us where it is, or you can get out of our way."

Mimi scoffed at Lina, shutting her fan with a loud snap. "You can hardly be the priestess of Cephied."

Nene nodded in agreement. "Too young, too rude, and definitely too flat-chested to be a priestess," she added disapprovingly.

Lina felt her face turn red. "Fine. Get them!" she snarled, pointing to the two girls.

"With pleasure," Zelgadis said, the symbol on his forehead glowing with dull red light. Valgarv's resounding growl followed his declaration as they leapt forward into battle.

Lina felt a growing sense of apprehension watching her two champions fight against the icy attacks the twins were throwing at them. "Something's not right here," she growled under her breath. Whirling around, she grabbed onto Xellos' ear and brought his face down to hers. "What do you think you're doing, fruitcake?" she yelled at him. "Go out there and help them! Or are you just willing to give up so easily after Sylphiel died?"

"Oww! My dear Lina, it's really quite useless. Just look," the magician said, wincing and pointing over her shoulder.

Turning around, Lina saw Zelgadis approach Mimi and attempt to wrest the large fan from her grasp. His attack failed as his blow passed cleanly through her body, sending him careening into the wall behind her. Valgarv shared a similar fate, crashing to the floor as his foot sailed through Nene's body.

"They're not real!" Lina gasped as Zelgadis and Valgarv retreated.

"Oh no, they're very real," Xellos corrected her, a small frown on his face. "They are the spirits of the warriors of Vorfeed, from over a hundred years ago."

"Pretty good, magician!" Nene smirked, twirling her staff over her head. "We abandoned our bodies a long time ago to guard the holy artefact of Vorfeed. And only a pure heart can take it!"

A pure heart, Lina thought to herself. She remembered Sylphiel sadly, and then clenched her fists together. "Fine! Test me, then. I'll beat you!" she said, striding past the others.

"Lina! Get back here!" Zelgadis yelled, reaching for her arm. His hand was knocked away by an almost invisible barrier of solid ice that suddenly formed between them. "What?" he growled in confusion, and then reached back and punched the sheet of ice. Instead of shattering, as he had hoped, the ice misted over slightly and grew a few more inches thicker. "Damn!"

"Let me do it," Valgarv said, hefting Vessegace before him. A hand grabbed his staff and forced him to lower it, and Valgarv glared at the offender.

"You can't melt this ice with fire," Xellos said, releasing his grasp. "This is a test that Lina must pass… alone."

"What do you mean alone?" Zelgadis said, sending another fist into the ice, creating a few fine cracks in the barrier from the force of the impact. "We're her protectors. We can't just leave her to those two ghosts!"

"If we want the artefact of Vorfeed, then Lina has to win the trust of its guardians. We can't interfere," Xellos said, cracking one eye open and peering at the chimera. "Don't try to, my friend. I won't allow it."

Zelgadis' fist clenched, and he resisted the urge to attack the magician. But if there was one thing he had learned, it was that Xellos was usually right, even when he was being irritating. "Fine," he said tersely. "But if Lina gets hurt, so will you," he added ominously.

On the other side of the barrier, Lina continued forward, unaware of the trap the twins had devised for her. "So, tell me what I have to do to prove myself," she said confidently.

"Well, like, nothing!" Mimi laughed, pointing her fan at Lina.

"Huh? What do you mean, nothing?" Lina said, feeling her irritation rise. As she tried to advance, however, her feet caught on the ground. Looking down, she saw with a sense of panic that they had been encased in solid ice; ice which was currently freezing its way up her legs. "Hey! What is this?" she yelled in alarm.

Nene leaned on her staff and grinned amusedly at Lina as the ice reached the redhead's waist. "Well, you ARE the priestess of Cephied. Like, duh! Cephied is the god of fire!" She sniggered slightly and then gave Lina a cold grin that was matched by her twin. "If you really were the priestess of Cephied, you wouldn't be trapped by such a simple spell. Sorry!"

Lina's eyes grew wide as the ice reached her chin. "Wait—" she began, but it was too late. With a crack, the coating of ice rose over her head, freezing her in place.

On the other side of the barrier, both Zelgadis and Valgarv were pounding at the wall. "She's going to die!" Zelgadis yelled, spinning around and grabbing Xellos by his cloak. "Do something, you freak!"

Xellos frowned slightly and with surprising ease, slipped free of Zelgadis' tight grasp. "Be patient. I'm sure our precious Lina won't disappoint us," he said simply, cracking his eyes open to regard Lina's frozen statue.

- x – x – x -

Am I dying again? Lina tried to open her eyes, but it was so cold. She wanted to shiver, but she couldn't move a single muscle in her body. Great. Luna would never let me hear the end of it if she knew what I got into. How could I be so stupid, walking into a trap like that? Way to go, Lina! she berated herself angrily. The coldness seeped into her bones, and black spots danced in front of her eyes as her breath ran out.

"Lina," came a quiet whisper, like a ray of light in the darkness that was consuming her. "You promised me."

Sylphiel? The numbing cold pulled at her, tempting her to sleep, but she shook it off, straining to hear the voice. Right… I promised… for you, and for Gourry. I won't fail! Her anger, fueled by her grief, sparked to life as the oppressing cold returned with all its force. But this time, rather than let herself be dragged into unconsciousness by the cold, she fought against it with all of her strength.

The twins watched Lina's statue with interest. "Do you feel that?" asked one.

"The power of Cephied," answered the other, her eyes growing wide.

As the ghostly warrior spoke, Lina's body glowed with pulsing red energy. There was a flash of light, and suddenly, the sword of light blazed to life in her frozen hands, cracking the ice. A loud pop sounded, and then splinters of ice flew everywhere as Lina swung the sword around, her eyes open and blazing with anger. "I don't have time for your games!" she yelled, turning around and spotting the others warriors trapped behind her. With a grunt, she swung the sword at the icy barrier, shattering it with one strike.

"You're okay?" asked Zelgadis curtly as he stepped before her defensively.

Lina nodded, locking her gaze on the twins defiantly. "If you want a fight, you'll get one," she called out to them. "But we're not leaving here without the artefact!"

"Like, you can relax now," said Mimi in an appeasing tone of voice. "You just proved you really are the Priestess of Cephied."

Lina wavered, lowering the hilt of the sword uncertainly as the light blade sputtered and died out. "What? That was it, that was the test?" she asked incredulously. "I thought you said you needed a pure heart."

Nene nodded at Lina. "Yeah, but it wasn't just our attack that you broke out of. We felt your power, and your intentions were good enough for us. So, you pass!" she said with a grin. Turning to her sister, the two girls smiled at each other and brought their hands together. A gentle green glow rose from between their palms, and when it faded, they were holding a tiny stone between their hands.

"Is that it?" Lina asked, holding her breath. The twins nodded at her. "But it's just a rock," she said confusedly as they handed her the small stone. Lina held it up to the light, rolling the unassuming-looking lump between her fingers.

"It's more than that, Priestess," Mimi cut in, putting her hands on her hips.

"Like, yeah. The artefacts are really just objects that held special memories for the priestesses who carried them. And now, this one is yours!" said Nene.

A hand settled on her shoulder, and Lina looked up to see Zelgadis regarding her. "Congratulations, Lina. You did it," he said to her quietly.

Lina felt a small blush creeping over her face as she smiled back at Zelgadis thankfully. "Thanks for believing in me," she told him. She turned to face Valgarv and Xellos and smiled broadly at both of them. "All of you," she added.

"Yes, you really did manage to do it," said Xellos in amusement as he gave her a heavy pat on the back. "Quite surprising!"

"What! You mean you weren't sure she could do it, and you stopped us from helping her anyway?" came Zelgadis' seething reply. Before he could clobber the smiling magician, however, the metal handle of a staff, minus flames, descended on Xellos' head, knocking him flat to the cavern floor.

"The fruitcake believed in you too, Lina," explained Valgarv as he hoisted his staff back over his shoulder and stepped onto Xellos' back. "I bet he's just looking for gratitude for being right."

"My dear Valgarv, this would work so much better if you would let me explain things my-MFPH!" Xellos' complaint was abruptly cut off as Valgarv's heel reacquainted Xellos' lips with the ground.

"Shut up, I'm being thankful," Valgarv said with a nasty grin as he ground his foot against Xellos' head.

Lina, Zelgadis and the two ghosts sweatdropped as they watched a small fight ensue between the two warriors. "You know," Lina whispered thoughtfully to Zelgadis, "I think Valgarv likes dishing out pain as much as Xellos enjoys eating it."

"You'd better not let them hear that, or it could get uglier," Zelgadis whispered back with a smirk.

Lina's smile faltered slightly as she watched the antics of her two brawling friends. "They're not really this bad all the time," she noted. "I guess they're trying to cheer me up a little."

Zelgadis crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Sylphiel knew what she was doing, even at the end. She wouldn't want you to be sad, Lina."

Lina nodded, clutching the stone to her chest. "Yeah… I know, Zel. I could feel her helping me when I broke out of the ice."

"Umm, like, not really…" The voice of one of the twins startled her out of her reverie.

"Yeah," said the other with a serious nod. "We felt the energy of Cephied and Shabranigdu released outside on the mountainside. We're sorry for your loss, Priestess."

"But that doesn't change what happened inside here," the other twin chimed in. "The power that freed you came from yourself. You're stronger than you think!"

Lina faced the twins with surprise written across her face. "You mean that wasn't Sylphiel? But— I mean, I felt her…"

"Your warriors might be strong, but you're the one Cephied chose," scolded Mimi. "Of course, if you're missing one of the stars of Cephied, it's no wonder you need the artefacts."

"Right," said Nene. "And since the Priestess of Shabranigdu suffered a loss, too, you're not the only one. You know, you'd better get a move on if you want to get the other artefact."

Lina suddenly focused her attention on the twins, whose bodies were slowly turning insubstantial. "Wait! I don't even know where to find the second artefact!" she yelled at them. "Can you help me?"

"Well, we're not supposed to do stuff like that," answered Mimi as she faded out of view.

"But, we can give you a hint," said Nene as she also disappeared. "Look for an ancient temple, beyond the desert." The last words were more a whisper of air than a human voice, and slowly, the unnatural light faded away from the cavern.

Xellos and Valgarv had torn themselves away from their fight as the light faded, and returned to Lina's side to escort her through the darkening cavern. Once again looking unruffled, Xellos motioned them towards the cavern entrance. "Their duty is done. This place is empty now. Come, my dear Lina, it's time to move on."

Lina nodded once, glancing down at the ordinary-looking rock between her fingers. She closed her eyes, and bowed to the yawning darkness of the cavern. "Thank you," she said quietly, and then picked her way after the others.

- x – x – x -

"You failed." Rezo's voice was cold and disapproving, as he looked at the two women kneeling before him.

Prideful as always, Martina spoke up, her angry gaze still locked on the floor before her. "We did manage to kill one of them, too! But how could you not expect this? Four of them against the three of us! It wasn't fair odds!"

Lighting rose out of the floor and wound its way around Martina's body, cutting off her diatribe abruptly. "You will speak when I ask you to," Rezo growled. "The three of you should have been more than a match for the warriors of Cephied." Hearing Martina's whimper of pain, he absentmindedly dropped his spell, releasing her.

"My lord," said Eris, keeping her eyes fixed to the ground. "We underestimated the power of the Priestess of Cephied. She killed Gaav by herself…"

"Gaav was weak and stupid," Rezo cut in harshly. "It is more a matter of overestimating your own competence once again." He turned away from the two women in disgust and stroked his chin. "The Priestess and her warriors will undoubtedly try to obtain the second artefact in Zephilia. We must stop her before that happens." He tilted his head slightly.

"My lord?" asked Eris hesitantly.

He turned, facing her, and she quickly looked down, despite his shut eyes. "No, Eris. I am not going to give you another chance."

"But my lord!" came her quick reply, a blush of shame blooming across her cheeks.

"I will take care of this matter myself. You will follow me into Zephilia. Look after the Priestess while I am away," he instructed the two women curtly. "I expect you two to be capable of at least babysitting. Do not disappoint me this time."

Silence settled over the tent as Rezo strode out. Finally, Martina sat back, rubbing at her side painfully. "That man is a complete and total bastard," she hissed angrily. Her head snapped back as Eris' hand caught her unexpectedly in a slap.

"Don't you ever speak of Lord Rezo in that manner in my presence again," the other woman said, a dangerous spark glinting in her eyes.

"H-hey! What was that for? It's not like he treated you any better!" Martina retorted, cupping her stinging cheek.

Eris stood up, crossing her arms and staring into the wall of the tent blankly. "It doesn't matter how he treats us," she said softly. "I serve Lord Rezo because he is the only one who is worthy of being followed."

Martina rose to her feet, her glare unnoticed by the dark-haired woman. "Speak for yourself," she growled, stomping out of the tent angrily.

- x – x – x -

Lina looked up at the mountain path before her in dismay. "This is almost as bad as riding horses," she mumbled as the mule she was sitting on bayed belligerently. "Come on, you stupid ass, keep moving!" she shouted at the animal.

The mule snorted and planted its feet even more firmly into the ground.

Zelgadis shook his head slightly and reached over towards the stubborn animal, coaxing it forward with a dried carrot he had pilfered from the city. "We're lucky we were able to get these animals at all," he said to Lina. "Otherwise we'd be climbing over these mountains ourselves."

"I would rather be climbing over these mountains on foot," grumbled Valgarv as he spurred his own mount forward. "This is embarrassing. The Mountain Scorpions never relied on beasts like these to travel. They're too slow, too noisy and too noticeable," he muttered in disgust.

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about it, Valgarv," Xellos said with his usual smile. "It won't be long before we reach the border of Elmekia. Our fuzzy friends won't be able to come with us if we want to make it to Zephilia unnoticed."

Lina felt her stomach drop as she heard Xellos. "Hold on a second, fruitcake. I might be a stranger to this world, but no one said anything about having to go through Elmekia to get to Zephilia! What are you talking about?" she asked worriedly.

"Well, technically, my dear Lina, we're not going to go through Elmekia…" Xellos began.

Valgarv rolled his eyes and turned in his saddle to face Lina. "Don't listen to that idiot. You really don't know anything about our world, do you?" Seeing Lina's insulted expression, he quickly pressed on. "Sorry, Lina, I just assumed the others already told you the basics about the four kingdoms." Seeing Zelgadis' insulted expression join in with Lina's, the bandit felt a sweatdrop roll down his head. "I just remembered that I wanted to scout ahead," he said quickly. "Maybe Zelgadis will explain it to you." Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and spurred his mule forward very quickly.

"Tactless," Zelgadis muttered darkly as he watched Valgarv's retreating figure. Turning to Lina, he schooled his face into a more serious expression. "He's right, though. I guess we should have shown you a map of the four kingdoms."

Lina sighed. "Well, I don't know if you've noticed by now, but I HATE MYSTERY! Explain to me at least where we're going," she said to the chimera.

Zelgadis closed his eyes, thinking briefly. "Well, you know Sairoon is the kingdom of the south, Elmekia is the kingdom of the north, Kataart is to the east and Zephilia is to the west. That's just a rough generalization, however. The actual continent is almost split in half by the sea we sailed across. Elmekia is the smallest country, located on the northern tip of the land. Sairoon is the second largest kingdom on the continent, taking up most of the south, but it's still dwarfed by Zephilia. Think of Zephilia as being on the entire west side of the world, and Kataart in the lower east."

"Wait," Lina interrupted. "Elder Reika told me a little bit of Kataart's history. So Sairoon was a pretty prosperous kingdom even in the past, and tried to expand into Kataart, right?"

Zelgadis nodded. "Yes, Sairoon had the resources and the manpower for warfare, unlike the other three countries. Kataart was said to be less mountainous then, but they still weren't as developed as Sairoon. Elmekia was split into too many warring factions to be any kind of threat, and Zephilia might have been big, but they didn't have Sairoon's population. We started a war with Kataart, and it might have spread to the other countries if the Priestess of Vorfeed hadn't been there to stop Sairoon's army."

"Yeah… her final wish caused the mountains around Kataart to grow, that's what Reika said," Lina mused.

"Not only around Kataart," Zelgadis added. "The mountains we're traveling over right now separate Kataart, Elmekia and Sairoon from each other. The border shared by Sairoon and Elmekia is mostly impassable, except for the few stretches where the valleys run low enough to allow for gates."

"Like where I crossed through the first time," Lina said. "So that's why it's been so easy for Rezo to disrupt the trade caravans, huh?" Seeing Zelgadis' nod, she drew her eyebrows together. "That still doesn't explain why we're cutting through Elmekia. I mean, couldn't we just go back through Sairoon? Doesn't that seem a little safer to you guys?"

Zelgadis shook his head. "You might be right if we still had the ship. The Demon Sea, which we crossed, separates the passable border of Sairoon and Kataart. The mountains are much too rough to cross over anywhere else. They're not as bad by the northern border of Sairoon, but like Xellos said, if we want to avoid trouble, we're going to have to pass through Elmekia one way or the other."

Lina continued to frown, still feeling uncomfortable with their chosen path. "But… well… don't you think we should stop by the capital anyway? I mean, shouldn't we tell Gourry about Sylphiel…" she began uncomfortably.

"There's no time," Zelgadis cut her off harshly. Seeing hurt and anger flash across her face, his expression softened slightly. "I don't mean to be cruel, Lina," he amended. "But Zephilia is a desert country. The entire southern half of their country is nothing but sand. There's no way to travel to the capital from Sairoon. No one has ever made it through the desert between our borders alive. On the other hand, Rezo and Amelia are going to have a natural advantage over us. Not only will they be traveling through their home country, but there are only a few small canyons and rivers separating them from the civilized parts of Zephilia. Rezo's going to be chasing after the last remaining artefact, now that he knows we have one of them. There's no other way if we want to find it first. It's already difficult enough as it is," he finished grimly.

"I see," Lina noted sadly. "But I don't like it, Zel. I just have a bad feeling about this."

"So do I," Zelgadis admitted to her reluctantly. "But we don't have any other choice."

- x – x – x -

The harsh, tall mountains of Kataart gradually softened into more hospitable territory, and soon Lina and her small party eventually abandoned their mounts in favour of the stealth offered by traveling on foot. Valgarv took the lead, being naturally the most experienced in marking out and covering their passage. Still, the tension that settled over the small group as they made their way into the lands of Elmekia was almost tangible. The small talk had all but died out between them in the days that followed. Even the ever-cheerful Xellos was acting much more reserved, as he tried to mask his presence from Rezo's watchful senses, refraining from tapping into his powers.

Nights were almost worse than the days; in their attempt to remain unnoticed, fires were rarely allowed when they stopped to rest. Occasionally Valgarv would steal or Xellos would shift his form in order to gather more supplies for their journey, but nothing either man brought back could substitute for the warmth and cheer a campfire provided. So it was no surprise that Lina's spirits were low on the evening that Xellos and Valgarv departed to find more provisions for their party, leaving her alone with Zelgadis.

Lina shivered and pulled the blanket around herself more tightly. "Another night without a fire?" she groaned as she settled herself on the ground next to the chimera. Zelgadis remained silent, his eyes watchfully surveying their surroundings warily. "Gee, Zel, we've been going at this for days now. Don't you ever relax?" she grumbled as he ignored her.

Zelgadis stopped his surveillance and focused his eyes on Lina. His face was strained and worried, the small hints of good humour that had begun to lighten his personality during their time in Sairoon were disappearing under the stress of their journey. "I can't relax, Lina. We're in Rezo's territory now. I won't be captured by him again… and I won't let him hurt you," he said.

"Yeah, but Rezo's not here," Lina replied with an exasperated snort. Seeing Zelgadis' posture stiffen, she put her hand on his arm cautiously. "Hey, calm down. What'd he do to you anyway?" she asked him gently.

Zelgadis' eyes narrowed as his jaw clenched. "You don't want to know," he said finally, tearing himself away from his bitter thoughts. "Just believe me when I say, I won't let it happen again."

Lina nodded at him once, and huddled into her blanket once more, rubbing her fingers together for warmth. "You know I trust you, Zel," she said confidently. Pausing after blowing on her fingers, she looked up at the sky and grumbled. "What is taking those two jokers so long? I'm starving!"

"They have to be careful," Zelgadis said with boredom as he resumed scanning their surroundings. Hearing Lina's annoyed huff, he paused and turned an amused glance in her direction. "Besides, you're always starving. It's a wonder that Rezo hasn't noted our passage from the linear famine your stomach is cutting through the countryside." A boot in the side toppling him over was Lina's answer.

"Don't be a jerk, Zelgadis!" she said with a smirk.

"Or you'll what?" he answered, lifting an eyebrow at her.

A mischievous grin crept over Lina's face. "Or I'll tell Xellos all about how you wanted to spend more quality time getting to know him." She laughed as Zelgadis shuddered with horror.

"You wouldn't…" he growled, reaching for her playfully.

"Don't try me!" Lina laughed, throwing off the blanket as she sprang to her feet. "Don't think you're going to get any special treatment just because you're my boyfriend," she added with a smile, dancing away from him as he sprang at her. "I play to win at any cost!" She turned to dash away from Zelgadis once more when suddenly, pain lanced through her body. "AAAAH!" she screamed, tears springing out of her eyes as the jolts shot through her body. Behind her, she heard Zelgadis' grunt of pain, and she forced her eyes open.

"I see we have more in common than I suspected, Priestess," Rezo said as he stepped out of the shadows of the surrounding trees. "Don't bother trying to move, you will only increase the pain," he said conversationally as Lina struggled against the lightning chains that trapped her in place. "I'm here to retrieve something of yours," he added calmly as he stepped closer towards Lina.

"Stay away from her!" Zelgadis roared as he struggled even more violently against Rezo's attack.

A small smile flitted over Rezo's face, and he purposefully stepped closer to Lina. Grabbing her chin roughly between his fingers, he turned her face upwards towards his closed eyes. "Pathetic," he said after a moment of quiet regard, dropping his hand away from her face.

Much to Lina's dismay, his lightning chains held her in place, and she couldn't tear her gaze away from Rezo's creepy closed-eyed visage.

"To chose her over the Lady Amelia… yet another reason why you are a failure, boy." Rezo grinned as another choking noise rose out of Zelgadis. "But I can see how strongly you feel about each other. Tell me, does it bother you? Seeing her so close to me, and being helpless to do anything about it?" He laughed cruelly as his hand closed around Lina's neck. "Now, girl. Where are you hiding your little secret?"

Lina suppressed a shudder as his hand methodically moved its way down her neck and chest, pausing at her stomach. If his touch had been lewd, she might have been able to swallow the fear and horror rising through her, but it was in fact the opposite that made her blood chill. Rezo's fingers were cold, efficient and searching. And she knew what he was looking for. "N-no…" she managed to grit out, her face flushing scarlet as his hand stopped on her hip.

"Oh yes," Rezo said calmly as he withdrew the tiny stone from the pocket of her jeans. "You have my thanks, Priestess of Cephied. It would have been much too troublesome to obtain this on our own."

"Bastard!" she spit out, her eyes filling with tears as she fought against the bonds holding her down. Strength flowed through her body as she managed to twist her head to glare at Rezo, and her fingers twitched slightly. "Give it back! Sylphiel died for that! Give it back!"

Rezo stepped away from her, watching her movements with interest. "You are strong, aren't you?" he mused thoughtfully as he held the artefact up. "I have as much claim to this as you do, girl. Or did you think I would let Gaav's death pass so lightly? Consider your debt for that misfortune paid with this stone."

This only caused Lina to struggle even more violently as her blood boiled. She managed to force her arm to her hip, her fingers straining desperately at the hilt of her sword. "He killed Sylphiel!" she yelled as she struggled.

"A dog should not mourn the death of its fleas," Rezo answered her coldly.

"You shouldn't have come here," murmured a low voice, calm and deadly.

Rezo's attention snapped off of Lina and focused on the chimera behind her, who no longer appeared to be struggling against his spell.

"You're going to die tonight," Zelgadis said again, looking up. The symbol on his forehead blazed through his bangs, and his eyes were filled with fury.

Rezo frowned and lifted his staff, causing the lightning to rise more painfully around the two as the strength of his spell increased. "You are hardly in a position to speak," he said.

Zelgadis didn't waste any more words, and the light emanating from the character on his forehead increased in intensity. Then, he moved. Rezo's lightning chains wrapped around his arms, trying to bind them in place, but Zelgadis refused to stop, bringing his arms away from his side with a low growl.

He's breaking the spell… but he's not strong enough! Lina thought to herself, watching Zelgadis' struggle as Rezo regarded them with amusement. I have to help him! But how? Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the chimera. His fleeting smiles, his serious eyes, and the rocky blue stone of his skin filled her memories. Zelgadis… you are strong. If anyone can break this spell, I know you can! She took a deep breath and bit out the words. "I believe in you!" she yelled out.

The encouragement was all he needed, as the tide of the battle turned. Zelgadis grunted as he twisted his torso around violently, shattering the chains that held him with a crackle. Without pause, he immediately leapt towards Rezo, who had stepped back with surprise. The magician barely had time to bring his staff up before Zelgadis plowed into him, sending them skidding into the trees.

"Impossible!" Rezo choked out as he whirled away from the chimera, pushing him off.

Zelgadis, not to be deterred, used his momentum to spin around and catch the sage off guard with a solid kick to the abdomen. As the blind man doubled over, Zelgadis drew his arm back and sent a punch flying towards Rezo's face with all of the force he could muster.

The magician was surprisingly agile, managing to straighten up before the blow could impact him with deadly force, but it was much too late to dodge. The strike caught him on the shoulder and drove him backwards into a small tree with a sickening crunch. The armour on Rezo's shoulder cracked and fell away, revealing the blood-stained robe beneath.

Already Zelgadis was following with another punch, a murderous look in his eyes. "Die!" he snarled, sending another punch into Rezo's abdomen and splintering the tree the sage had been pushed against with a snap.

Rezo grunted, falling forward, but even as he did so, his hands were moving. Zelgadis barely leapt away in time as a blast of energy rose out of the ground where he had been standing. It was more than enough time for Rezo to make another quick symbol, his body growing transparent as the lightning rose around him. "Another day," he coughed to Zelgadis with a wry smile as he faded completely from view.

Zelgadis stood quaking at the empty space where Rezo had been standing, furious. With an inarticulate cry, he sent a frustrated fist through the unfortunate tree, felling it completely.

"Zel! Are you alright?" Lina said worriedly as she ran to his side. "The spell just stopped suddenly," she said as she leaned over and caught her breath. "Did you get him?"

"No," Zelgadis answered roughly, his hands clenching and unclenching at his side. He looked down as Lina grabbed onto his arm unexpectedly, growing unusually silent. "Lina?" he asked, shaking off the angry fog that was clouding his mind. She remained still, clutching his arm tightly as her bangs shielded her eyes. When she did look up, he almost wished she hadn't. The flash of despair he saw was almost enough to make him forget about Rezo's attack.

"The stone, Zel. He got the stone."

- x – x – x -

Amelia looked up as a tall figure faded into the camp and stumbled forward, obviously in pain. "Rezo?" she said, a note of worry in her voice. Standing up, she made her way to his side nervously. "Rezo, is everything- oh my God!" she said, seeing the blood flowing freely from his arm. Grabbing onto him, she guided him carefully to the tent. "Eris!" she cried out with panic as she tried to set him gently down on the cot inside. "Eris, something's wrong!"

There was a swish of cloth, and Eris strode into the tent with an annoyed expression. "What is it you want now—Rezo?" Instantly, she was kneeling at his side, gasping as she took in his pale features and the blood trickling from his lips. "My lord!" she gasped, laying him across the bed. "What happened?"

Rezo coughed weakly, but a smile stretched itself thinly across his pale face. "Your friend attacked me," he said, turning his face slightly towards Amelia. "Your Lina did this to me."

Amelia sat back on her heels, sucking in her breath. She felt her eyes water even as Rezo leaned his head back with a low groan.

Eris turned and gave Amelia a dirty look. "Bring me some water. Quickly, you little fool! Or do you want him to die?"

"I… I'm sorry!" she whispered, cringing as she stared down at her bloody hands. With a slight gasp, she stumbled out of the tent.

"Fool," Eris muttered under her breath before turning back to Rezo with concern. She was stopped short, however, by the smile on his face as his breathing became less labored. "My lord?" she asked confusedly as he sat up and wiped the blood from his lip, looking much less critical than he had moments before.

"The boy was stronger than I thought. Perhaps I underestimated him as well," Rezo said to her, one hand snaking beneath his robes. "But I succeeded," he added, drawing out the stone and displaying it to Eris. "The first artefact is now ours." A wince crossed his face as he moved, and Eris pushed him gently back down onto the cot.

"You're injured, my lord. Please, don't try to move!"

Rezo grunted in irritation. "I was careless," he said. "But my wounds will heal. We must reach the second artefact before they do. There is still a risk," he said. Just then the rustle of fabric was heard, and Rezo lay back against the bed again. His breathing hitched, and he turned his face away from Eris.

"I-I brought water," Amelia said hesitantly, her scared eyes running over Rezo's injuries. "Is there anything else I can do?"

Eris opened her mouth to give Amelia a harsh reply, but a slight pressure on her wrist made her shut it abruptly. Sparing a quick glance at Rezo, her eyes widened as he turned his face towards Amelia and drew a rattling breath.

"My lady," he whispered weakly to the young girl. "Please… you must not see me like this. I dishonour you. Allow Eris to tend to my wounds. You must rest." As he said the last words, he dropped his head back onto the pillow wearily. "Eris… take her to Martina. I will be… fine." He winced as he said the last words, causing Amelia to protest, but Eris narrowed her eyes and stood up.

"Come on, girl, you heard what he said. Let's go," she snapped, grabbing Amelia and dragging her out of the tent.

Rezo smiled to himself as the tent fell silent. A slight rustling in the air made his smile drop, and he turned his head quickly towards the source of the noise. "Come out," he commanded.

"Fine acting, my lord," said a mocking voice from the darkness. "Perhaps you should have considered a career the theatre?"

"Why bother with the pretense of a stage?" Rezo answered dryly. "What do you want?"

The figure emerged from the shadows, deceptively small and smiling with the innocence of a child. "You really are injured, aren't you?" he said thoughtfully, tapping his finger on his chin. "Interesting."

"You will keep your observations to yourself," Rezo said harshly, frowning at the dark-haired boy before him. "I won't ask you again," he added.

"I don't see how you're going to do anything to me in that state," the boy shot back amusedly. "You should use this chance to rest and recover. I'm sure your doting Eris would enjoy that, wouldn't she?" The boy crossed his arms and laughed, the light laughter of a child that was all the more chilling for its innocence.

"Phibrizo," Rezo said with a note of warning. "I'm not in the mood for your little games."

"Relax," the boy said, his eyes sparkling as he stepped back towards the darkness. "You want to get the second artefact. The warriors of Cephied are undoubtedly moving as we speak. You need me."

Rezo leaned back in the bed and turned away from the child. "Do what you will," he said carelessly.

"You couldn't stop me anyway," Phibrizo replied with a smirk. "Don't worry, I'll buy you the time you obviously don't need to recover from your fake injuries," he laughed, fading from view.

"Insolent whelp," Rezo muttered into the empty air.

- x – x – x -

"You lost the stone?" Valgarv exploded as Lina and Zelgadis explained what had happened.

"Shut up! It's not like there was much we could do, what with you two being gone," Lina shot back angrily.

"At least we're still alive and healthy," Zelgadis added. "Which is more than I can say for Rezo," he added with a smirk.

"Alive and healthy, but missing one very important piece of this journey," Xellos added, his brow furrowed over his shut eyes. "Well, there's no point in keeping our powers hidden now," he added with a shrug. "We'll have to move quickly to keep ahead of the warriors of Shabranigdu."

"What's the point of continuing if we don't even have the other artefact?" Valgarv cut in angrily.

Lina growled and strode forward. Lifting her hand back, she slapped a surprised Valgarv full across the face with unmitigated fury. "Don't you dare say that!" she yelled, clenching her fists by her side.

"What the hell was that for?" Valgarv asked, his eyes wide with shock.

Lina put her hands on her hips and glared at Valgarv. "Don't even THINK about giving up. So we lost an artefact. So what? There's still another one to get. And when we have it, we'll just take the first one back from Rezo himself." She turned and spared a glance at both Xellos and Zelgadis. "If the mighty red sage can be injured by just one of us, then we can get back that artefact. We've come too far to stop now. So I don't even want to HEAR you thinking about giving up. Do you understand me?" She whirled around to face Valgarv once more, who was looking at the ground shamefully. "UNDERSTAND?" she repeated once more, with steel in her voice.

Valgarv finally looked up and met her eyes, nodding slightly. "We'll make it," he said slowly.

"Damn right we'll make it!" Lina said, planting her hands on her hips confidently. "No sense in getting any rest now, so let's get this show on the road!" Whirling, she stomped towards the forest determinedly.

"Lina—" Valgarv began nervously.

"Hey, what part of that did you not understand?" she yelled furiously, turning to face him once more.

"Nothing, but—"

"No buts." Lina pointed her finger at Valgarv. "Get it together, Val! We're going to get to Zephilia first, if I have to drag you there myself!"

"That's not the way to Zephilia," Valgarv said cautiously, keeping his face neutral.

Lina opened and closed her mouth for a few moments, looking shocked. Finally, to the delight of Xellos, who recounted her expression for hours afterwards, she turned around and stormed back to the small group. "Just shut up," she mumbled in embarrassment.