Chapter 17: Too Late for Regrets
When Xellos returned to the inn of Belzed, he found that Zelgadis had, indeed, returned. While in and of itself this could be considered a good thing, the current row they were having with the innkeeper was far from the magician's idea of "good" or "discreet." It was, however, entertaining, so he allowed himself a few moments of gratuitous observation before making his presence known.
"I don't see why I have to be the one to pay for it!" Zelgadis said irately, glaring at Valgarv. "I wasn't even here when you destroyed that wall."
Valgarv snorted and crossed his arms. "If you had been here, the wall might not have been destroyed. Plus, you delayed us. So naturally it should come out of your pocket," he said with a smirk.
The innkeeper slammed his meaty fist on the table, causing both of the young men to fall silent and sweatdrop nervously. "I don't care WHICH of you gives me the money, but you can consider your fine DOUBLED from this point on!" he growled. This set Zelgadis off once more.
"You could buy yourself another building for that price!" Zelgadis yelled, rolling his eyes. "Besides, I don't have that much money. It looks like you'll have to help me pay now after all, Valgarv," he added with a smirk.
The bandit clenched his fist and swore under his breath. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to share any of my hard-earned loot with you—"
The thump of a large satchel of coins landing on the table caught everyone's attention, particularly that of the innkeeper, who greedily snatched the pouch up.
"My my, that was quite amusing. Allow me to handle the damages. Seeing you two fight was more than worth the price!" Xellos smirked. Ignoring the glowering stares of his two companions, he motioned them towards the door. "As you can see, Lina is not with me." This was more than enough to set Zelgadis and Valgarv in motion, as well as earn Xellos two free head knocks on the way outside.
As they exited onto the darkened street, Xellos placed his hands on both of their shoulders. "Lina informed me that I should give you a warning!" he said cheerfully.
The next thing Valgarv and Zelgadis saw was dirt as they landed face first in front of the temple.
"Valgarv?" Zelgadis said quietly as he picked himself up.
"What?" seethed the bandit.
"Truce. We kill Xellos first."
"Deal."
Xellos laughed and sweatdropped. "I'm afraid there's no time for that. It seems our headstrong Lina refused to listen to my advice and entered the temple anyway," he noted.
"Well, let's join her," Valgarv said, pulling his staff down.
"It's not so simple, the warriors of Shabranigdu are here as well," Xellos said with a frown. His mouth twitched thoughtfully. "And one other presence I didn't feel before… strange… I sense the power of Dark Star, but it's very weak."
"Well, Lina's in there, and so is Rezo. Why are we still out here?" Zelgadis said, already striding towards the temple.
With a shrug, Valgarv and Xellos followed him inside.
- x – x – x -
"I don't like this," Valgarv grumbled as the three warriors crept along the dark, silent hallway of the massive temple. "It's too quiet."
"Indeed," Xellos mused thoughtfully. "Rezo undoubtedly knows we're here."
"Shut up," Zelgadis said, motioning them to silence. "I think I hear Lina's voice," he said, straining his ears.
The three fell into silence, and then the faint cry that Zelgadis heard grew louder.
"Help! Oh, for crying out loud, I'm sick of being stuck in dungeons already!" shouted a familiar voice.
Zelgadis began to move forward, but Xellos darted before him, stopping him with his staff. "Get out of my way," Zelgadis growled to the magician.
"Something is amiss," Xellos said with a frown. "That is not Lina's life force."
"Well, geez, if you're not going to come to me, then I guess I'll have to come to you!"
The three warriors whirled around as Lina's voice echoed through the hallway, much closer than before. But instead of the familiar redhead, there stood a taller, better-endowed and much more tackily dressed figure in her place. Whirling around her head was a glowing golden orb, which pulsed when she opened her mouth.
"So what do you think of my new look?" Martina asked them with Lina's voice.
"You still make Lina's temper look good," Zelgadis told her flatly. "Where is she?"
Martina's eyebrow twitched. "If you want the answer to that question, you're going to have to go through us first," she said with bravado.
"That can be arranged," Valgarv said, flames shooting out of his staff.
Martina laughed loudly, her voice returning to its original pitch as she belted out the painful-sounding cackles. "You're certainly eager to meet your doom! Well, let's see if you sing the same tune after facing Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova, Mistress of Curses, and the great Illusionist Phibrizo!"
Xellos coughed lightly. "Actually, it looks like you're alone," he pointed out.
"WHAT?" Martina said, spinning around. She caught sight of the golden orb, which was lazily floating away from her head. "Where do you think you're going, Phibrizo?" she screamed after it.
Lina's voice floated back towards them faintly. "Oh, Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova, Mistress of Curses," it said sarcastically. "I'm sure someone of your prodigious skills can handle this by yourself. I have some business to take care of. Have fun!"
Martina facefaulted and then turned around, where the three Warriors of Cephied were regarding her with evil looks. She laughed nervously and took a few uncertain steps backwards. "Um, maybe we could talk about this? I have a great new speech I wrote just for this meeting…"
"Follow that orb!" Zelgadis commanded as he rushed towards Martina, ducking low and sending the surprised woman flying over his head with a crude throw. "Whatever this illusionist thinks is important probably is!" he yelled.
Valgarv grunted with agreement, using his staff to block and flip Martina's airborne body over his shoulder as he chased after Zelgadis.
Martina landed with a crash at Xellos' feet, her face planted into the ground and her legs in the air. The magician bent over and studied her with an amused smile. "My my, it would be so much fun to play with you right now," he grinned. "But I'm afraid Zelly-boy is quite right. Perhaps another time?" he said, bonking her on the head with his staff. Then with a dark flash, he winked away.
Martina sat up, wincing and groaning. "I have never been so humiliated in my entire life!" she fumed. "I'm going to kill them! If I don't kill Phibrizo and Eris first! Three on one is not fair!" Her eyes narrowed as she struggled to her feet and began to limp down the hallway in pursuit. "Hmph, Phibrizo always was unreliable. But where the hell is that bitch Eris?" she mumbled to herself as she stumbled down the corridor.
- x – x – x -
Lina shivered nervously as the shadows in the hallway she had been dragging Karel along lengthened unnaturally. She sucked in her breath sharply as they twisted and formed into the familiar figure of Phibrizo.
"So here's where you've run off to," he said with a smirk. "The mute and the invalid. How touching," he grinned. "Please tell me you're doing something noble, like finding 'strength' in your 'weaknesses' … it would make your friend Amelia so happy, wouldn't it?"
Lina glared furiously at the tiny child, her eyes hard with anger.
"Still eager to get into fights that you just can't win, Priestess?" Phibrizo laughed, holding out his hand and forming a golden sphere in his outstretched palm. "Well then, fight, if you wish."
The misty shadows around Phibrizo twisted and solidified, winding around his body like giant snakes. Their motion was hypnotizing, and Lina felt her eyelids growing heavy as she watched them. A painful pressure on her arm caused her to snap out of the spell, and she looked at Karel with worry.
"I can handle him," he rasped, gently pushing Lina towards the wall.
"You? You can hardly stand," Phibrizo laughed as one of the shadow-creatures snaked out from his body and struck at them.
Lina grabbed Karel and threw herself to the ground quickly. The snake struck the wall above their heads, sending pieces of dust and debris flying. She scooted to her feet quickly, but panicked when she saw Karel sprawled across the floor, unmoving.
"He's already down? How disappointing," Phibrizo laughed as he commanded the shadows to rise once more.
"Not down," Karel whispered, a green glow issuing from his outstretched palms. "Closer to the source of my power," he smiled. The warrior looked up from where he lay, his blue eyes cold and focused, all traces of weakness gone. As he spoke, thorny vines shot out from the ground around Phibrizo's feet, wrapping around the child's body and trapping him.
"What is this?" Phibrizo screeched, his eyes widening with surprise as the vines grew thicker and tighter.
Karel slowly picked himself up, keeping his hands steady as the vines continued to grow taller, almost completely obscuring the little boy. "You and your friends have desecrated this temple, and the property of my Lady of Dark Star. You won't go unpunished!"
The vines continued to wrap around Phibrizo, who screamed in agony until a particularly thick tendril covered his mouth, and then the rest of his face. Karel grunted slightly and clenched his fist. The vines squeezed together tightly with a sickening crunch, then collapsed into an unusually flat heap. Small trickles of red dripped from between the green foliage. Karel also collapsed with his magic, sweating heavily, and after a moment of shock, Lina rushed to his side.
"I'm sorry that you had to see that, Priestess of Cephied," Karel told her. He wheezed, and then reached for her hand. "I let you have the artefact, because I knew your intentions," he said. "If you wish to save your friend, then you must protect my Lady's artefact as well. My duty is now yours."
Lina nodded quickly, as Karel grew weaker in her arms. She glanced up as she heard Zelgadis' shout.
"Lina!" The chimera was racing towards her, Valgarv and Xellos following closely behind him. Lina's eyes widened and a look of relief and joy flashed over her face as she saw her friends approaching.
"Ah… so that is the one," Karel noted with amusement. "He will not be able to join you in your own world, Priestess. But never lose your hope or your strength…" He coughed, and his eyes dimmed. "My own salvation is upon me." Karel took a last, shuddering breath, and then fell silent, his body falling limp in Lina's arms.
"Lina!" Zelgadis said, kneeling at her side and touching her shoulder softly. He glanced down at Karel's body in her arms, and lifted an eyebrow. "Who is this?"
Lina opened her mouth reflexively, but stopped as no sound came out. She let out a sigh and shook her head slightly at Zelgadis. She shook her head, smiling sadly, and then reached down and gently shut Karel's eyes.
"Hmm… the last warrior of Dark Star," Xellos said as he came upon them. "Amazing that he lived for this long, the magic in the temple combined with his own willpower must have preserved him."
"That means he should've had the artefact," Valgarv interrupted as he toed the lumpy mass of vines and grimaced slightly. "Looks like he took care of the brat for us, too."
Lina gently laid Karel onto the floor and stood up, shaking her head.
"You don't have the artefact," Zelgadis interpreted. His frown deepened as Lina gave him a thumbs-up. "And you still don't have your voice back, even though Phibrizo is dead."
Xellos rubbed his chin, glancing over to the vine-wrapped corpse. "Hmm… either way, you're alive, and that's a good sign." He gave a heavy sigh and shrugged. "Really, Lina my dear, why couldn't you just listen to me and wait for our return? Let me guess… you've lost the sword of light as well?"
Lina scowled, then nodded and dropped her head shamefully.
"Take it easy," Valgarv interrupted. "You can argue about who should've done what later. Right now, my count says the Priestess of Shabranigdu has both of the artefacts. We've got a Summoning to stop, don't we?"
Lina's head shot up frantically.
"Then we need to find Rezo," Zelgadis said grimly, giving Lina's arm an almost imperceptible squeeze. "We've taken care of Martina, Phibrizo's gone, and I don't think Eris will be giving us any trouble. We can do it."
This gathered strange looks from the others. "How do you know Eris isn't here?" asked Valgarv suspiciously.
"It would take too long to explain," Zelgadis said with a blush.
Lina stomped her foot on the ground and waved her arms around wildly. Even without her voice, the message was clear.
"Let's go," Zelgadis said, giving her a nod.
- x – x – x -
Luna, Gracia and Diol stood at the doorway of the darkened room, guided there by Sarina.
"I'm sorry that we interrupted such a personal family moment," Luna said politely to the blue-haired girl. "My condolences on your loss."
Sarina shook her head, smiling sadly at the other girl. "No… it's okay. It's strange… but I think I know what you were talking about. Grandma was always telling me stories about that book," she said. "I never really believed her. But that was just weird," she added, glancing at Luna and her companions curiously. "It's like you were all on the same wavelength. You're not in some kind of secret cult, are you?" she said suspiciously.
"Cult?" Gracia interrupted, looking angry. "It's some stupid ancient cult that's causing all of our problems! We're not the cultists here!"
Luna elbowed the other girl painfully, hissing between her teeth. "Tact, Naga! Learn some!" She turned back to Sarina and gave her an apologetic half-bow. "I'm so sorry, my friend has this recurring case of stupidity…" Her words trailed off as she noticed that Sarina was no longer looking at them, but rather back into the room with her mouth hanging open. Turning, she felt her own jaw drop as light streamed out of the room. "Diol. Tell me what happened in the book just now," she stuttered.
"Huh? Oh," said Diol, flipping open the book and studying the pages intently. "Seems like a young feller just killed another younger feller, and then he died. Last warrior o' Dark Star, it says."
The small group looked into the room, each gasping as the ethereal form of a young woman climbed out of the bed.
"Grandma?" squeaked Sarina, her eyes as big as saucers. The ghostly form ignored them, smiling instead at something over Sarina's head. The young girl let out a high-pitched squeak as another glowing form passed through her body to join the other figure in the room.
"Karel… you've finally come back to me," whispered Leila.
"I knew I would see you again," he said as he fell into her arms and pressed his lips against hers. It was all very moving and romantic, until…
"GRANDMA!" Sarina cried, outraged. The two ghosts broke apart, blushing and straightening their misty clothing.
"Sorry, I forgot we had an audience," said Leila a little breathlessly. "Well, good luck with your own siblings," she said to Luna and Gracia. "Oh, grow up to be a good strong girl, Sarina," the ghost mumbled quickly. Then she turned back to her grinning incorporeal boyfriend and gave him a wicked smile. "I've been waiting for this for decades. Come on, let's get out of here!" With a flash, both of the figures were gone, and the light faded from the room.
After a moment, Sarina finally spoke up. "You have some explaining to do," she said unsteadily.
"I don't think I want to explain that," Gracia said, her eyes still glued to the spot where Leila and Karel had kissed.
"Well, at least I know the afterlife is gonna be a hoot," mumbled Diol wonderingly.
- x – x – x -
Martina stumbled down the hallway, her blue eyes narrowed with anger. "I'm going to kill Phibrizo when I find him," she muttered to herself once more. Her footsteps slowed as a softly glowing golden light floated unsteadily through the air. "What's going on?" said nervously, watching as the orb came to a stop before her and circled around her head lazily. "Phibrizo? Stop playing these stupid games already and show yourself! You have some explaining to do!"
The golden sphere flickered slightly, and then flew straight at Martina. The woman barely had time to let out a cry of surprise before it slammed into her chest, surrounding her body with tendrils of dark mist. A scream ripped from her throat as she clawed at her chest, stumbling across the hallway. "Stop it, you little bastard!" she moaned, running into a wall and bouncing off of it painfully. Her shoulders twitched, and then her crazy dance slowed down. Squaring her shoulders, Martina regained control of her body. A smirk crossed her face as she planted her hands on her hips.
"I never did like that air-brained twit anyway," she said, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Now, Lina. I'm going to make you pay for that little incident," she said, holding her hand before her and smiling cruelly as a golden sphere materialized into her palm. The shadows rose, and when they receded, Martina was gone.
- x – x – x -
"Which way?" Zelgadis said, pausing to catch his breath and glancing over Lina worriedly. The party of four had been zigzagging through the maze-like temple as quickly as they could, with only Xellos' vague instructions to guide them. "Well, come on!" the chimera added impatiently when Xellos failed to answer.
"Something is wrong. I've felt a shifting of Shabranigdu's energies, but I can't place it." His slight frown turned somber. "It's here. Prepare yourselves," he said, gripping his staff tightly.
Martina stepped out of the shadows a moment later with a grim smile. "This time you're not getting away," she said, her usual mocking arrogance gone.
"Short memory. You were the one trying to get away last time," Valgarv interrupted, twirling his staff. "Lucky for you, we still don't have any time to waste, bird-brain. Get out of our way."
"You're mistaken," Martina said, throwing a familiar golden sphere up into the air. Everyone inhaled sharply as her smile widened. "Rezo told me to stop you. I think I'll enjoy doing it, too. This new body has such interesting powers."
Xellos raised his fingers to his head and chanted softly, and Lina jumped as an inhuman roar of pain echoed directly behind her. She spun around in time to see a serpentine shadow-beast collapse on the floor, writing in pain as Xellos' energy dissolved it.
"I'm afraid a sneak attack just won't do," the magician chortled, opening one eye to peer at the newly-incarnated Phibrizo.
"Then how about a frontal assault?" Phibrizo laughed, stretching out his palm towards Xellos and sending the surprised magician flying backwards with a blast of energy. "You see, I can control Martina's powers now, as well as my own. I really should have thought of this sooner," he said lightly. "Though this woman's taste in clothing is abominable, she really is quite skilled as a sorceress." He checked his speech and faded away as a blast of flame razed spot where he had been standing.
"Damn," swore Valgarv, twirling his staff around cautiously. "Well, frontal assaults are my specialty. Show yourself!"
Phibrizo stepped out of the shadows behind Valgarv, knocking him forward with a well-placed kick. "Always so eager to fight, aren't you?" he said as shadows snaked out from the ground and wrapped around Valgarv's body. "You make a worthy opponent for yourself," he sneered at the bandit as his illusory magic took hold. Valgarv shuddered and dropped his staff, grabbing at his head as Phibrizo trapped him with his own memories. He smirked and turned his attention to Zelgadis, who was already preparing to attack him. "I would be careful, Zelgadis. If you touch me, you will succumb to your dreams and fears. Would you want to have a repeat of the last incident, right here in front of your beloved?"
Zelgadis growled under his breath. "You're a sick bastard," he said darkly. Still, Phibrizo's threat was obviously effective, as he stayed his hand.
The illusionist's smile only widened as he observed Zelgadis' discomfort. "Why, she doesn't even know, does she! That you nearly betrayed her… for Eris, of all people!" He belted out a laugh that sounded eerily reminiscent of Martina's own. "The will may be strong, but the flesh is weak, isn't that how the saying goes?"
Zelgadis flushed deeply and flinched. He froze with dread as a light touch descended onto his arm. "Lina… don't listen to him," he began, glancing at her distractedly. Her grip tightened painfully, and she hit him with her other hand. "Now's not the time to discuss this," he said, looking at her once more with annoyance.
Lina glared back at him looking miffed. Don't think I won't want an explanation about this later, her angry stare promised. Then she threw herself into the most complicated game of charades she had attempted to date. Well, not entirely too complicated as she pointed at Phibrizo and performed a few rude gestures. Then she pointed at Zelgadis and twirled her finger at her temples while making a goofy face. Finally she pointed at herself and then at Zelgadis once more, resting her hand over his heart. I don't care what you did, she tried to tell him. I believe in you. She gave him a small smile as Zelgadis' hand rose to his chest and covered her own.
"Touching," Phibrizo said sourly. "You two could be poster children for a romantic novel. It's a pity for you both that I prefer tragedies," he added, grinning as he held a golden sphere before him.
"No matter what happens, Lina, you know that I love you," Zelgadis said as he pushed her behind him protectively. Instead of being blasted by a wave of curse energy, or having the shadows attack his psyche, Zelgadis stared as Phibrizo's face contorted with rage and surprise. He watched suspiciously as the hand holding the golden orb began to shake.
"You idiot… you have to attack me now," came the stuttering voice as blue eyes focused on him.
"What?" said Zelgadis.
"I, Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova, will not allow my body to be defiled by this fool!" she gasped, trembling as beads of sweat broke onto her forehead. "I would rather die!" she screamed, taking a shaky step towards Zelgadis.
He balked, clenching his fist tightly. It was stupid, he knew he should be taking the chance Martina was giving him to tear Phibrizo apart, but despite his dislike for both of them, it seemed wrong to kill her. "I can't just…" he began. He stopped as her eyes widened and a scream of pain ripped from her throat.
"I can," Xellos said as he appeared next to them, his face set grimly. Jagged spikes of dark energy danced around Martina's body as they fought in a strange battle of sorcerers' wills: Xellos trying to kill both of them, Martina trying to bind Phibrizo's power, and Phibrizo trying to stay alive. The competition ended when Valgarv interceded unexpectedly, slicing through Martina's tortured body with his magic flames.
Zelgadis quickly turned and shielded Lina from the terrible sight as Martina, or perhaps Phibrizo, let out one last ear-piercing shriek, her body disintegrating in the fire.
"Hmm… she was selfish to the very end," Xellos noted as he leaned on his staff. "Phibrizo was extraordinarily powerful. We wouldn't have been able to defeat him if she hadn't held him."
Valgarv spit on the smoking pile of ashes, his golden gaze hard as he glowered at the others. "She was still our enemy. Good riddance to them both," he growled.
"Don't be such a bastard, Valgarv," Lina said sourly. "Too many people have died already." She squeaked as her hand flew to her throat, surprise flickering across her face. "My voice! It's back!" she yelled.
"At least we can be assured that Phibrizo is truly dead now," Xellos said. "Though I was beginning to enjoy the silence," he added with a grin.
"Mock later," Lina growled at the magician. "Find Rezo and Amelia right now!"
Xellos sighed disappointedly and then pointed up. "I believe they're on the roof of this building," he said amicably.
"Well, come on! There's some stairs right there!" Lina said with a frantic gesture. Together, they raced towards the top story of the temple. Even as they sprinted up the stairs, however, Lina felt a growing sense of dread. "We're not going to make it, are we?" she gasped as they ran.
Zelgadis grunted. "We're going as fast as we can," he said as they spilled out onto what he hoped was the final hallway between them and their destination. And stopped short, as another figure stepped forward to halt their progress.
"I can't let you go any further," Eris said, blocking the exit to the roof.
Valgarv pulled up beside Zelgadis and scowled. "Get out of our way or you'll end up joining your friends," he said shortly.
Eris' lips tightened into a thin line. "I know they're dead." She crossed her arms before herself, lighting crackling around her body. "But I live to serve my Lord Rezo. I will also die, if I need to," she yelled at them. "You will not pass!"
- x – x – x -
Amelia stood inside of the pentagram, holding the small stone and golden racquet in her hands. She stared at the objects in her hands sorrowfully. Am I doing the right thing? Again, she replayed the meeting with Lina over in her mind. She looked sincere… A shiver passed through Amelia's body. What if I'm wrong?
"Now is no time for doubts, my Lady." Rezo's soothing voice came from behind her, and she felt the weight of his hands settling on her shoulders. "You understand what is required of you?" he asked her.
"Use the artefacts is a little bit ambiguous, isn't it?" Amelia said distractedly, toying with the racquet.
"I am sure you won't disappoint me," Rezo said to her confidently. "But you seem uncertain. You must clear your heart of any doubt for Shabranigdu to appear," he told her.
"I just don't know!" Amelia exclaimed, her eyes travelling to Rezo's face. "I've spent all this time thinking that Lina was using me. But… but… I don't know anything anymore!" she cried out desperately. "I just want to go home! I want to forget all about this awful place! I want things to be the way they were before!" She let out a great dry sob as she finished, gasping for breath.
Rezo frowned, his face settling into stern lines. "I had hoped to keep this from you. I didn't want you to be distracted from the ceremony. But you continue to doubt me, my Lady." He turned away from her. "Have you not felt it? Your friend and her companions have already managed to kill Phibrizo and Martina," he said.
Amelia gasped, shaking her head. "M-martina?" she said, covering her mouth.
Rezo continued without pause. "Eris remains, fighting for your safety. Of course, she cannot win against them alone. Do you want her to die as well?"
Amelia looked down at the artefacts in her hand. "It doesn't matter what I think," she said softly. "It's too late to go back now, isn't it?"
Rezo gave her a cold smile and nodded. "I will do my best to protect you as well. But only you can stop the warriors of Cephied now. You know what you must do, my Lady." He gave her a tiny bow, and then faded from view, leaving Amelia alone in the pentagram.
"It's too late for regrets," she said, lifting the artefacts to the sky.
- x – x – x -
"Listen, Eris, I don't want to kill you," Zelgadis said, backing away as a tongue of lightning shattered the stones on the floor before him.
"She's the one trying to kill us! What the hell is wrong with you?" Valgarv shouted angrily at the chimera.
"No, she's not," Lina interrupted. "She's trying to keep us from reaching Amelia. Which means we're close! I don't want anyone else to die either," she admitted, "but we have to get by that door!"
"Sorry," said Zelgadis curtly, before swiftly darting between the bolts and landing a punch on Eris' stomach. He winced as she flew backwards into the iron doors with a loud bang. "Let's go!" he called to the others as he rushed forward.
"Wait!" yelled Xellos. His warning came too late, as a blast of energy sent everyone reeling backwards.
"There's no need for dramatics, Eris," Rezo said as he helped the fallen woman to her feet. "The Warriors of Cephied are too late to stop what has already been set in motion."
Lina felt her heart drop out of her chest when she heard Rezo's declaration. That terrible future I saw… "No, it can't be!" she cried out, struggling to her feet and rushing forward.
"But it is! Be my guest, Priestess of Cephied. It's only fitting that you should be the first to see the full glory of Shabranigdu," Rezo said mockingly as he gathered Eris into his arms and faded from view.
Lina burst through the door, stopping in shock as she stepped on onto the roof of the temple. "Empty?" she yelled as she took in the barren rooftop.
"It's a trick," Xellos said, appearing beside her. With a wink, they were standing at the railing of the roof, watching from overhead as the large pentagram on the ground below lit up with a holy white light.
"XELLOS! Get me down there!" Lina cried desperately, her eyes glued on the tiny figure inside of the pentagram. To her surprise, she felt him pulling her back from the railing, and she turned on him furiously. "What are you doing? Now, Xellos!"
The magician's face was pale and his eyes were open, also fixed on the pentagram. "It's too late," he told her, his grip tightening. "We can't stop this anymore."
"It can't be too late!" Lina screamed, squirming out of his grasp and grabbing the railing once more. "Amelia!" The blinding flash that rose out of the pentagram next not only knocked Lina backwards, but also lit up the darkened desert sky for a few moments with the radiance of a false dawn.
- x – x – x -
Amelia felt the power humming through her veins, the two artefacts growing warm in her hands. But something was still off. Do I really just have to use them? she thought to herself incredulously. Well… I guess even the gods can be fans of ping-pong, she concluded with a mental shrug. Then with a serve worthy of a professional racquet player, she batted the stone into the night sky with all the strength she could muster. The stone flew into the distance with a bright flash, leaving a trail of sparkling dust in its wake.
There were a few moments of stillness, and Amelia held her breath nervously. I didn't mess it up, did I? she thought. Doubt left her mind, however, when the pentagram began to glow. Powerful energy pulsed under her feet, and Amelia could feel it twisting through her body, as if waiting to be released. It was strange, and almost painful, and suddenly she knew that if she didn't complete the ritual, that the energy would tear her apart. In desperation, she opened her mouth and shouted out the words Rezo had taught her.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson from blood that flows! Let thy power gather before me!"
The light from the pentagram increased a hundredfold, enveloping her body and sending a blast of warm air up into the sky. Amelia squeezed her eyes shut against the painful burst of light, and then slowly opened them once more when the brightness did not recede. She gasped and tried to take a large step backwards when she saw the entity standing before her.
"Priestess of Shabranigdu," its voice rumbled darkly. "Offer yourself to me as a sacrifice, and I shall grant you three wishes."
Amelia's mouth hung open, her eyes wide and frightened. All around her was nothing but bright white light. The entity itself, however, was nothing but darkness. It wasn't even dragon-shaped, like the sculptures in the shrine or the tapestries she had seen hanging on the walls of Elmekia's palace. The being that addressed her could only be described as a shifting absence of light, with two slit red eyes glowing from its depth. It was constantly in motion, and though it could be said to resemble smoke or clouds more than anything else, there was definitely something sinuous in the way that it curled around itself.
"I wait," the voice said again, more demanding this time.
Amelia tried to swallow her surprise and fear, and nodded hesitantly. "Y-yes. I offer myself to you," she said. The words had barely escaped her lips when the light disappeared and she felt a new, and different energy coursing through her body. This time, however, it was painful, like being squeezed to death slowly. She tried to scream, but the pain was too much. I can't take it, she panicked. I'm going to die! It hurts so much—
And abruptly, it was over. Amelia's knees buckled, and she would have fallen over onto the floor if not for the sudden support of a pair of strong arms catching her. "Rezo?" she mumbled weakly.
"You have done it, my Lady. But there is no time. Even now the warriors of Cephied approach. You must seal their power, and quickly!" he whispered to her. "Do it as I have instructed you," he commanded.
Amelia gave him a tired nod and struggled to her feet. "I-I wish for Cephied to be sealed away! Let all who serve him be rendered powerless!" her voice rang out. "I pledge myself to thee, Shabranigdu!" The final words of the spell rang out, and Amelia's body was surrounded briefly with glowing blue light. As it faded, she fell into Rezo's arms once more, exhausted.
Rezo carefully dropped Amelia to the ground with a tiny smile. When he stood up, he turned his face towards the temple, his laughter ringing out clearly. He regarded the figures on the roof with a smirk. "How does it feel to be ordinary humans?" he called out to them mockingly. Then he raised his staff. "You have bothered me for long enough, servants of Cephied. Join your God in death!" The energy curled out from him, lashing at the temple walls and causing the entire building to shake. Dust rose in thick clouds as the building began to crumble in on itself.
- x – x – x -
"What's happening?" yelled Valgarv as he faltered and leaned into the railing. "I feel so weak! What did Rezo do?"
Xellos gripped at his staff, his eyes opened wide. "It wasn't Rezo," he answered. "The Priestess of Shabranigdu has sealed our powers."
Both of the snapped around as Lina's cry cut through the air.
"Zelgadis!"
The redhead was bent over the chimera, who had collapsed on the ground and was writhing and screaming in agony. He arched his back and let out another blood-curdling cry.
"What's happening to him?" Lina yelled, struggling as Valgarv pulled her away from Zelgadis' flailing limbs. "Xellos! Do something! He's dying!"
"He's not dying," Xellos answered her. "The power of Cephied is leaving his body. More forcefully than it did ours." He gestured at the struggling chimera.
It would have been inappropriate to call him a chimera any longer, however, as the magic leeched from his body. Pointed ears shifted and shrunk, becoming smooth and rounded. The rocky clusters of stone sank into blue skin, which slowly turned to a pale-pinkish shade. His metallic hair darkened and softened, becoming damp with sweat. When Zelgadis finally stopped convulsing, all traces of his chimerical body had disappeared.
"He's… he's human," Lina whispered, finally freeing herself from Valgarv's grip and kneeling at the unconscious man's side once more. "Is he okay?" she asked softly, gathering him into her arms carefully.
"Cephied's magic was severed from him forcefully. I can't imagine the pain he felt," Xellos said grimly. "Even I wouldn't want to go through that," he told her.
"We've got bigger problems," Valgarv interrupted them with a note of panic. Rezo's challenge rung through the air as he spoke, and then the building began to shake violently around them.
"We've got to get out of here!" Lina cried, struggling to heft Zelgadis to his feet. "Help me lift him!"
"There's no point," Xellos told her calmly, settling on the ground. "My magic is gone. All of our magic is gone. We won't be able to escape from this building before it collapses around us. There's no point in even trying."
"What?" Lina cried out, her jaw dropping with disbelief. She stumbled and fell, unable to support Zelgadis' weight on her own.
"You fucking bastard! You're just going to give up like that?" Valgarv said, striding over to the seated magician, his body visibly radiating his rage. "That's just like you, isn't it, you masochistic fruitcake! You're probably eager to just roll over and die!"
Xellos glared up at the angry bandit but made no effort to move. "I'm simply realistic," he said bitingly. "And if you please, I would rather spend my last moments in this world meditating, not arguing with you." Xellos would have closed his eyes once more, except that a boot firmly planted itself into his back, sending him flying face-first into the ground.
"Valgarv is right," huffed a feminine voice angrily. "Your behaviour is disgraceful, you piece of garbage!"
"Who are you?" Valgarv sputtered, stepping backwards from the newcomer.
"Introductions later! Filia, if you're going to do something, do it now!" Lina screamed as the stone floor began to give way under them.
The blonde woman sighed, closing her eyes and raising her hands above her head. "Haaaaah," she whispered, her voice echoing strangely around them as pale golden light flooded the area. When it disappeared, she remained there alone, floating in midair as the temple collapsed under her. Her brow wrinkled as she looked at the ruins, and then she turned her head slightly. "I don't approve of this wasteful behaviour," she said. "You should show some respect for the Temple of Dark Star."
Rezo materialized next to her, his long red robes flapping in the wind. "Interesting that you chose to give me this reprimand now, but said nothing when they destroyed the shrine of Shabranigdu."
Filia pursed her lips, her angry gaze settling onto Rezo. "You go too far," she told him.
Rezo's mouth twitched downward. "I won't challenge you. Taiitsukun. But it is not I who has broken the rules tonight," he said stonily. "There will be consequences."
Filia turned to face him, her golden hair fanning out around her. When she spoke again, her voice echoed with a power that made even Rezo shudder, despite his impassive face. "Do not forget with whom you speak."
Rezo's face twisted into an ugly grimace, and he disappeared.
The surge of power died away, and Filia looked at the ruins of the temple with sorrow. "Of course there will be," she murmured as she also disappeared.
- x – x – x -
"… and that's everything Grandma told me about it," Sarina finished as she set another cup of coffee onto the kitchen table. "I really just thought she was a nutty old woman, but now I maybe I'm going nuts myself," she said, landing in her seat with a thump.
"So once they finish summoning whatever Beast God they're supposed to, they'll return to the real world anyway," Luna said with a relieved sigh. She picked up the proffered coffee and took a long draught out of it. "Now the only question is what Garia thought was happening to his daughter, and how to prevent it from happening to our sisters," she said crisply.
"Uh, lil' lady, I think you better take a look at this," Diol said, flipping to another page in the book. "Somethin' happened again. Looks like one of yer sisters went ahead and did it," he said, pushing the book across the table.
"What?" said Luna, grabbing the book from Diol and scanning the page. Her face paled considerably as she read. "Oh no…" she whispered.
"Oh no? I don't like 'oh no,'" Gracia said nervously. "What happened?"
"It's Amelia. She summoned Shabranigdu," Luna answered, her eyes widening. "And she's trying to kill my sister!"
"WHAT?" yelled Gracia, making a grab for the book. Luna held it away with practiced ease, her face still buried in the pages.
"Oh… thank God, she lived," Luna breathed after a moment, collapsing in the chair and letting the book fall to the table. Gracia immediately snatched it up and read through it as well.
"You're thankful? My sister just took the first step to being eaten by this Shabranigdu thing and you're thankful?" Gracia screeched.
Luna sat up and bit her lip, fidgeting slightly. "I'm sorry, Naga. I didn't mean to sound insensitive," she mumbled hesitantly.
"You'd better be sorry! Because two wishes from now, saving Amelia won't be the only problem we have if this legend is right! Did you read what this Shabranigdu thing is? Who's going to stop it here if Lina and her friends can't even do it in the book?"
An uncomfortable silence settled on around the table.
"Keep reading," Luna finally ground out. "It's the only thing we can do right now."
AN - / This chapter has not been beta-read. If anyone finds errors, please, please let me know so I can correct them!
