In November, Thankfulness
The Slayers find that they all have something to be especially thankful for this month. Although this made be read as a standalone story, it is best read following the "In October, Halloween" story.
"I can understand your attraction to Lina. I don't know how it was possible, or how you convinced her that you were worthy, but I can see how she would interest you."
"Do you? Oh, of course you would. You found her appealing at one time, didn't you?" Xelloss had overheard Zelgadiss admit the fact to Lina and would take every opportunity to use that knowledge to discomfit the poor man.
"At one time," Zelgadiss emphasized.
Xelloss raised his head and smiled. "Why did you feel the need to italicize a statement like that for?"
"What I can't grasp," the young man continued, ignoring the demon's wittiness, "is what she saw in you."
"That's a little insulting."
"Just a little?" Zelgadiss wore a bemused smile now.
"Oh, I get it. You are teasing me." Xelloss lowered his voice to 'spooky', furtively observing Zelgadiss out from under his bangs. "Because you know I hide my best qualities."
"That must be it," Zelgadiss agreed.
"Of course it is. I don't wear a badge of office stating I'm among the most powerful creatures on this planet, do I?"
"Not today. You're out of costume."
"You are a funny man." Xelloss smiled and straightened his plaid cap. "I didn't want to frighten the dragons."
"You mean, Lina didn't want you to, and she made you change into whatever that outfit is called."
"Plus-fours and a sweater. A golfing ensemble. Some kind of a sporting event Milgasia takes part in. I'll fit right in, she says."
"You'd fit right into a straight jacket, too. It's the off season for golf, Xelloss. Lina might have been setting you up for a joke."
"There you're wrong. The Dragon's Peak clan is flying south for the All-Gold tournament. We've been invited. Didn't the princess tell you about the travel plans?"
"No." Zelgadiss' merry mood plunged. "I thought we'd take care of the whole 'cure' thing right here. I don't want to 'go south' for the winter, damn it."
"Which is probably why she didn't tell you. The ladies want to go."
"You always give in to Lina and her whims. Don't you ever stand up for what you want? Have you no backbone?"
Xelloss looked thoughtful, then replied, "No, but I could create one."
Zelgadiss hated having his plans changed nearly as much as he disliked being hoodwinked by his trusted wife and friends. Taking out his annoyance on his friend, Zelgadiss snapped, "You simply replaced one master with another. Lina broke that bond of yours with Zelas, and you established another with Lina."
Xelloss smiled, nonplused. "Yes, but don't tell, okay?" Xelloss heard his name called, and rose to answer before Zelgadiss had a chance to discover if he was joking or not. A man had to keep a few secrets, if only to be interesting.
Earlier that week, Milgasia and Filia's egg hatched, producing Valiant's brother. They named him Cornelias, Neal for short. Baby Neal looked like a large-headed, lemon lizard. Right from the start, he resembled lemon custard spilling from his brittle, ivory shell. The slimy coating hardened in the air and toned up to a healthy citrus-rind texture within hours. In time, his delicate baby scales would mature into tempered plates, but in the meantime, while in this form, Neal could remain in the clan incubator for days at a time. It would be months before he could achieve a human appearance or be able to travel, so for the duration of the All-Gold tournament, Neal stayed home under the supervision of the many shrine priestesses supervising the clan incubator facility.
Val and his wife offered to watch both Amelia and Lina's children for the weekend. At first, Amelia wouldn't think of allowing it, but Filia assured her that the neighbors were experienced parents and would check in from time to time. The princess was convinced to leave them in the newlywed's charge only under the condition that the palace nanny be included. Lina on the other hand had no concerns for her own children's situation– just the opposite. Lina knew Maddie could control her brothers. "Don't let them tie you up or offer to start the fire," she warned Val on her way out.
"I won't. I'm a dragon, Lina; you know I breathe the stuff."
"Oh, yeah, heh, heh... Well, good luck!"
"Thanks, Lina." Val spun around to meet Amelia's expectant eyes. What could she want this time? She had met with him three times already to discuss the children's minutest needs. He drew his breath, mustering his best manners, then asked, "What was that, Princess Amelia?" He found it difficult not to show some exasperation with the Seyruun family demands, though, and may have over done his emphasis on the title part..
"The nurse drew up this list of things you'll need to get. She'll be staying in the girls' room..."
"Girls' room? There's just the one. Okay, I'll give her the guest room and the kids can sleep in the front room."
"Don't let them stay up too late, they'll miss their morning exercise period. They need plenty of fresh air and, well, here's the list."
"Don't worry 'bout them. Everything will be fine." Val glanced at the lengthy, detailed list and rolled his eyes.
Milgasia strode up the pathway, joining Xelloss and Zel. He looked tired. "Well, the ladies are ready. They ought to be along momentarily."
The grey morning was veiled in dispirited drizzle. Torn-looking clouds veiled the waning autumn sun of November. "Perfect," Zel muttered.
"So I'll be taking you," Milgasia said to Zel. "Amelia and Lina can ride on Filia." He looked toward Xelloss. "You are providing your own transportation, I take it."
"Yes."
"But you are worried?" Milgasia was doing his best to read the demon's expression.
"I am. Lina's magical strength is being absorbed by the growing child. It was quite a shock to her a couple weeks ago when her attempt to cast a fireball fizzled. I doubt she can sustain Levitation should she fall. I trust this information will go no further."
Milgasia stood in disbelief that the demon would reveal that information to him, then nodded. "I shall keep that secret. Filia will exert the utmost care, I can assure you."
"Lina can ride with me. I won't let her slip," Zelgadiss offered. "Filia will have just my wife, then."
"And Lina's additional weight on me would be negligible. A good plan. I will check on the baggage. The carriers should be departing presently." Milgasia strode off on his mission, leaving Zelgadiss and Xelloss alone again.
"Why are you looking at me that way?" Zelgadiss asked.
"I am thinking you have a lingering crush on my wife and I am leaving her in your care, in your arms, for an unspecified period of time."
"That's ridiculous, and you know it. Riding on the back of a dragon in a rainstorm was not my idea, it was yours. I can't imagine a less comfortable setting for a romantic tryst. Why don't you ride with Lina so I can ride with my own wife? No one is forcing you to teleport."
Xelloss hated to rely on dragons for transportation, not when he could traverse the astral plane effortlessly. Lina, however, was absolutely unable to travel in that manner with him. She was far weaker than what he had revealed to Zelgadiss. A trip through the astral plane would currently kill her or the unborn child. "Perhaps you are right, my friend. I shall accompany you all."
"Wonderful," Zelgadiss muttered. "Ah, here comes Val. I want a word with that boy."
Xelloss wondered what that might be. His curiosity drove his passions. New emotional sensations or gradations were to Xelloss like the new favors and aromas of a freshly discovered dish to a gourmet– both irresistible and not fulfilling. There had to be substance to satiate his hunger, yet he still craved more. After all, it had been the combination of skepticism, wonder, and overwhelming desire which gave rise to his infatuation with Lina Inverse in the first place. "Why are you so anxious and angry at the same time, my friend?" Xelloss wondered as he watched Zelgadiss greet the Ancient dragon.
Zelgadiss unwittingly acquainted Xelloss to an ever-widening supply of emotional fodder. Where Lina was a powder-keg of volatile passions set to erupt if his timing was wrong or reward him in immeasurable ways if he was on target, Zelgadiss was a pendulum of extremes and mystery. It wasn't as if Xelloss couldn't guess how Zelgadiss might react, the man was fairly predictable, but Zelgadiss could shift moods in a heartbeat. From pleased to depressed or hysterical to logical, the human man could switch gears mid-mood, and then gyrate back to calm and collected. Additionally, Zelgadiss had a limitless emotional range of highs, lows and innumerable fine distinctions in between. For that reason Zelgadiss lay close to the demon's heart, second only to Lina and his family– and his ex-mistress.
Zelgadiss held out a hand. "Val, I need a moment."
"Yes?" Valiant hoped whatever the prince had to tell him would be simple and brief. He wanted no more 'reminders' about the children that he would certainly forget.
"Just one thing: keep Maddie away from Adrian." Zelgadiss spoke in a low controlled voice, which worked to lend additional import to the message.
"They like each other? I hadn't noticed that," Val said with a grin.
"I'm not sure of him, but she is...artful and inquiring."
"You don't trust her then."
Zelgadiss felt increasingly uncomfortable as Xelloss neared them, listening. "I didn't say that. She's a teenager and more mature than my son. He's easily influenced..."
"Xel's daughter is hot. Who wouldn't notice? I get it. I'll keep them all in my sight. Don't worry. Hey, I'm gonna be a dad myself soon. I'm already getting protective."
Xelloss' eyebrows arched into his bangs. His daughter? Hot? Wasn't she a little girl?
Zelgadiss smiled. "That's right. When's the hatch date? Around the same time as your baby, isn't that right Xelloss?"
"My baby?" Xelloss looked blank a moment. "Oh, yes, of course. Due in February. Just in time for Valentine's Day."
"What a gift, eh?" Val said.
"It is. It is remarkable that either of you can reproduce," Zel pointed out. "Val should have vanished when Valgaav died, and no demon has ever reproduced with a human, that I know of."
"We are lucky, by the grace of Her," Xelloss agreed. He turned to the taller dragon man. "So what do you think of your new brother?"
Val grinned. "He's great. Best thing is he's got Mom off my back. She's so busy fussing over him, she leaves us alone."
"You two doing okay?" Zelgadiss asked.
"Yeah, the clan's been great. We have everything we need."
"He means: are you and your wife still..."
"Happy," Zelgadiss supplied. "Compatibility is one thing, but happiness after the first flush of passion is another."
"Zelgadiss is the expert in infatuations," Xelloss inserted.
"I am not. Now cut it out!" Zel growled.
"He was in love with Lina once, and his princess, of course, and probably countless others," Xelloss continued.
"Xelloss, I wasn't in love with Lina," Zel attempted to correct the false notion before Val misconstrued the meaning. "Attraction is a natural start to human friendships."
Val was fascinated. Zelgadiss had been the pillar of unswerving constancy in his mind. "Oh, yeah? Did those rocks give you an edge or something? I like scales, personally. Slippery, if you get my meaning. So, what do you think will happen if this new spell thing works and you lose the blue? I won't know you from your son. Humans mostly look alike, I think, anyway. Guess the princess can tell the difference, huh?"
Zel flushed hot to the pointed tips of his ears. "My wife is happy with me however I look. She supports me no matter what. And she was the only woman who ever accepted me. There was never any other. And for that I am forever thankful. Now, that's all I'm going to say on the subject. As for the kids, just keep your eyes open. We'll be back in a few days."
As Zelgadiss walked stiffly away, Val folded his arms over his chest, holding in a rumbling laugh. "Think your plan will work? I wasn't joking. I might not recognize him if it does and turns back all human."
"The plan hasn't a chance unless that crazy sister-in-law of his gets here." Xelloss did not explain further. He could see Val's eyes glaze over as his own pretty wife joined him. The dragons hadn't been married five months yet and the magic of being in love was like a tangible force surrounding them. There was a tenderness in the young dragon man's eyes that was not yet habit but was intense and thrilling, full of discovery, taking nothing for granted, making everything infinitely precious. It was being the center of someone else's world, and they of yours.
Xelloss smiled outwardly, recalling the young dragon woman he'd counseled into accepting Val's hand. In May, Val was a young dragon man too poor to afford a wife, but she was wealthy. "And do you like him?" Xelloss had asked her. "Enough for me to convince your parents of the match?"
"Oh, yes, definitely! He's immense fun, full of laughter and imagination, his mouth is always ready to smile, sensitive to the beautiful and to the absurd. He's a brave, tender, and funny man I love with all my heart."
"That's all I wanted to hear," Xelloss had said, then left to apply some pressure. He understood love pretty thoroughly, he believed then, and more so now.
Yes, but now he understood even the love of close friends. Xelloss was about to explain about Nahga, but Val and his wife were absorbed in one another. Xelloss shook his head. Val was certainly not the priest of Gaav, not in any way. She, the Lord of Nightmares, had cleansed him thoroughly of demonic spirit, which was good, and yet also too bad. As Valgaav, he had been a tough opponent Xelloss wished he had turned to his side. But if he had, would they be where they were today? Xelloss thought not. Mixed feelings disturbed him, so instead of remaining any longer, Xelloss disappeared with a quiet, "Excuse me."
Minutes later, he reappeared carrying a busty woman in the skimpiest black leather dominatrix costume Val had ever laid eyes on. He glanced up to make certain his wife had returned to the house and was out of sight. "That is one memorable human being you have there," Val said, his voice husky. "Lina's another, but for entirely different reasons." Without removing his eyes from the voluptuous lady, Val went on, "Oh, and I hate when you do that, just go and disappear, by the way. It freaked out my wife, man. Ah, so who is she?"
"Princess Amelia's older sister, Gracie, whom Lina calls Nahga from their illustrious past. It was this woman's accidental spell which combined with mine under the influence of a magical item and caused Zelgadiss' transformation."
"She's fainted. You need her to perform the next spell too? I can heal her and wake her up for you."
"Thank you, but no healing magic is necessary. She was unable to retain consciousness on the astral plane, which makes this next part easier, and no, her magic ability is negligible. She's of no use to me, except that she holds the charm I need. It affects demons, even those as weak as Zelgadiss, so I took it from Lina and gave it to this woman for safe-keeping. I'm afraid she would be loath to give it up, so while she's out we must find the necklace and then hand it over to Filia." Xelloss gingerly patted her sides with one hand while supporting her effortlessly with the other. "What I'm searching for appears to be an ordinary diamond necklace."
"I'll help," Val offered generously. "This it?" He withdrew the glittering object from her bra.
"Yes." Xelloss pulled back, putting space between himself and the magical charm. Nahga groaned in his arms, waking slowly from the astral travel. "Sorry to do this again to you, Miss Nahga, but I have to go. Val, while I return Miss Nahga to her seat at the Tavern Seyruun, rush that thing to Filia, would you?"
Val smiled and held the sparkling diamonds close to the older man's head. "You don't like this thing. In fact, you avoided finding it. I had no trouble; first place I checked, and the most obvious. Not only that- I'll bet you've been waiting to get this back until Zel wasn't around, and put it off to the last possible moment. Must be powerful. What does it do to you?"
Xelloss frowned, saying, "That's a secret. Under no circumstances should Zelgadiss see it or know your mother has it either," and then disappeared.
Xelloss resurfaced alongside Milgasia. "Slight change of plans."
The dragon man jumped. "Damn you demon, sneaking up on me like that!"
A little smile played at the corners of Xelloss' lips. It was a rare treat to surprise the old man. "Lina and I will go with you. Zelgadiss and Amelia with Filia." His eyes were on Val in conversation with his mother. The transfer of the charm was made. Mission accomplished.
"I won't bother to ask why," the dragon man said with a sigh. "I know you won't tell me. No matter. Do what you like, as long as you are not recognizable as Xelloss the Beastmaster."
"You don't want me terrifying the dragon multitudes? That would be satisfying, but Lina would not allow it. This trip is for Zelgadiss and not sport."
"I thank you for your restraint; otherwise my reputation amongst my fellow dragon-kind would be jeopardized."
Xelloss watched the dragon man's face carefully. He couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or truthful. Deciding to play down the moment and assume it was the man's odd sense of humor, Xelloss replied, "You are welcome."
"Besides, it could damage your own reputation. You know: consorting with the enemy." This time Milgasia chuckled and Xelloss joined him in a light moment.
"By the way, your wife has on her person a necklace of remarkable power. When you get the chance, I would like you to examine it. I believe it was somehow responsible for Zelgadiss' partial transformation."
"You want to use it again. I can understand that, but why me? Surely Lina should be able to recognize the power signature. Unless... You must think it's a dragon clan artifact."
"I do, and Lina detected nothing out of the ordinary. Zelgadiss, however, must not see or contact it."
"It is a danger to you?" Milgasia knew this was yet another test of their friendship. No demon would give a dragon the upper hand in a fight or give away a tool which he believed could do him harm, and Xelloss had already told him of his wife's diminished powers.
"I feel its effect; let's just leave it at that. It doesn't hurt me, per se, but Zelgadiss' demon component is substantially weaker and subject to the charm's power. I hope your understanding of what it is and how it works will help me dispel the last of the chimera in him."
"You must love your wife very much, Beastmaster, to have revealed such information to me. The longer I know you, the less I understand about the nature of demons."
"I am no ordinary demon any more." Xelloss looked like he might say more, but they were joined by the women. "Oh, my, Lina are you and Amelia ready to depart?"
"Yes, I was a long time ago. She's such a worrywart."
"Amelia and Zelgadiss both worry too much," Xelloss agreed. "Oh, good news! I've decided to catch a ride with you, and Mil here is willing to carry us both. How about that?"
Lina's eyes narrowed as she searched out her husband's. "You're an even bigger worrywart."
The dragon's transformed before the bickering escalated. Everyone mounted up and the journey commenced. The flight was chilling, but by the time they reached their destination, they had moved to the warmer climate and had dried off.
"Looks like the All-Gold golf tournament is in 'full swing', as they say," Milgasia told them, smiling at his own pun.
Filia rolled her eyes, then checked her irreverent behavior and smiled. She strove to please him and demonstrate obedient Golden dragon wife behavior when surrounded by others of her race.
Milgasia reached out and touched her cheek with the back of his hand, a gesture of his love and appreciation. "Most importantly, it means that the inn will be empty. We should go inside now."
"Of course," she agreed. She gestured to another couple she recognized, but made no move to greet them. Observance to duty and order were driving principles for her people, and her husband was an important shrine official.
Xelloss gazed out across the rolling greens dotted with white sand, blue water traps, and Golden dragons, mostly in human form. "Oh yes, let's!" he said with false enthusiasm intended to tease Filia.
Filia was about to step into the inn, following Milgasia, but on hearing Xelloss' remark she paused at the threshold, partly hidden by the door. She turned her head quickly and stuck out her tongue. Xelloss raised his eyebrows in surprise then pointed at her, snickering in a very un-dragon-like manner.
"Be nice, kids," Zelgadiss grumbled as he slipped past, shaking his head, with Amelia close at his heels.
Milgasia was at the desk, checking on the room arrangements with Filia blushing hotly as she rushed to join him. Lina grabbed Xelloss by the sleeve and pulled him toward the dining room, where Zelgadiss and Amelia had found a table. "Okay, good idea. You can go have a bite with your friends," Xelloss encouraged Lina as he extricated his arm from her grip. "I'll meet you later."
Zelgadiss had just settled into a chair and started reading the menu, when he overheard him. "Was that Xelloss?" He dropped the paper and jumped to his feet. He was very aware that he stood out like a blue demon in Golden dragon party. He tried to move quickly yet not draw too much attention to himself. He pulled at his concealing hood self-consciously as he asked, "Where are you going? I thought we agreed to eat first."
"I have something to discuss with the dragons. We won't be long." Xelloss tipped the brim of his cap, and then stepped alongside Filia and Milgasia. "Shall we go to your room?"
Zelgadiss bolted like lightning to block their way. "If it concerns me, include me."
Lina and Amelia joined with a "Yeah!"
Xelloss, outnumbered, conceded with a resigned "Okay."
They chose to collect together in a cozy sitting room which joined Milgasia and Filia's room to Zelgadiss and Amelia's. Milgasia and Filia examined the necklace closely. "It's clan workmanship, no doubt. The chain is woven with astral unraveling and disruption spells; weak but effective under certain circumstances. The crystals are Dragon Tears, which can act as spell boosters. Whoever wore this originally was fearful of a demon attack and was wealthy. A Dragon Breath attack augmented by these could destroy any lower level demon, even from a weak caster, I would imagine," Milgasia told them.
"Handy. Can I keep it when this is over?" Filia asked, half jokingly. She treasured her friends with whom she could be herself, which was a rather irreverent Golden dragon lady. She didn't expect Xelloss to answer her seriously.
"Sure. Consider it a 'hatching' gift."
Lina hated to see her beautiful necklace go to someone else, but she understood why Xelloss wouldn't permit it in his home. "You're thinking you can use this to remove the blow demon from Zel, right?" Lina asked him.
"Yes. It has to have supplied the missing component to the combination of spells we cast accidentally. The trigger. I did a few trials, and nothing happened without it."
Zelgadiss' frowned and folded his arms across his chest. "I don't want to know what manner of beast you were conducting your tests upon, Xelloss. I want to think it wasn't part human, and, yet, I would like to think you've some idea what your spells might do to a human, since your next subject will be me, I assume?
"That's correct."
What Zelgadiss suddenly feared was that Xelloss might not care whether his spell cured him or killed him. He knew Xelloss had promised Lina that he would try to help, but did the demon care enough to ensure his safety? Zelgadiss thought back over the last few weeks, remembering Xelloss' allusions to his past attraction for Lina. What if the demon was insanely jealous and saw this as the perfect opportunity to kill him? It was an unsettling thought, and preposterously plausible. "Have you tried this out? No, scratch that. Would you use it on yourself?"
Xelloss, Zel knew, was a far cleverer man than anyone gave him credit for, and was certainly subtler. The demon never intentionally gave away anything of himself that he didn't want revealed. Secrecy, misleading, and taking knowledge without giving it were his profession. Lending a human a helping hand, collaborating with dragons to do it, and performing a demon dissolution spell were counter to his nature.
Still, he and Xelloss had maintained a close friendship over the past decade. Xelloss was not the same creature he had been twenty years ago. Lina had complete confidence in him. Being obliged to trust where he could not see all the facets of the problem was a challenging experience for Zelgadiss, and not a comfortable one. But. But this was Xelloss, and wasn't he a friend?
Of course, with that necklace Milgasia and Filia could combine forces and avenge me should I be wrong about that, Zelgadiss thought, but said nothing aloud. He shook the cobwebs from his head. This is all nonsense. If Xelloss wants me dead, there isn't a thing that can stop him but Lina, and she's probably incapable.
He made his silent decision. "Have you?" Zelgadiss repeated. This time it was a challenge. For a moment they faced each other in a silent, level stare. Zel was not sure he could afford a confrontation, but he was too tired to be careful. This was it.
"Well, not exactly, but it has promise," Xelloss said lightly. "The worst that will happen, probably, is that you will remain unchanged. You might get a headache--"
"I already have a headache," Zel said, interrupting, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he put to rest his worst fears.
"–or start spouting more details of your past. That nasty necklace seems to bring out the worst in us both, I'm afraid. I told Lina things about the Dark Lords I didn't mean to."
"Like a truth serum?" Amelia's eyes brightened with excitement.
"Absolutely not!" Xelloss insisted. "More like the first step in separating my solid form from my astral one. It isn't powerful enough to do me any real damage, so don't get too excited, Princess." His eyes met Zel's again. "You're still game?"
"Let's get this over with." Zelgadiss took a step nearer to the charm. "So, should I have contact with the necklace?"
"No!" Xelloss raised a hand to bar him from getting any closer. "No touching. Filia will keep it. What I planned, and why I needed both Milgasia and Filia to be present, was to use the resurrection incantation blended artistically with a demon creation spell, while they simultaneously use an astral attack."
"An attack! And on me, I suppose? What good will all that do? I'll defend myself just as a natural reaction."
"Try not to. You were so distracted before attacking me back at the palace, as I recall," Xelloss said, smiling, "that you didn't have time to respond. You absorbed the full impact of the spells."
"But how do I know you won't kill me-- accidentally, naturally?"
"Well, I am going to kill you," Xelloss said, his tone dangerous. He was convincing enough that Zelgadiss paled slightly, his irises widening in shock. "But only a part of you, the demon part, after I extract it. And what I can't destroy, I'm sure Filia will enjoy obliterating." He smiled as if to say, "What did you think I meant?"
Zelgadiss' faced darkened with suppressed anger, which passed quickly. "You did that on purpose."
Xelloss smiled. "I can't help it."
"Yes, you can, Mr. Xelloss. You don't need to worry us any more than we already are." Amelia's tone was sharp. Her concern for her husband's welfare had jumped a few magnitudes. "So, what am I to do?"
"Heal your husband, should it be necessary," Xelloss said, impatient. "Milgasia can perform a resurrection spell, in case I make an error. What? Is this all so puzzling to you?"
Amelia blushed, embarrassed. "No, I understand that much. I just thought since Lina and I are here, there was some specific part in the spell we were expected to carry out."
"Oh, ah, sorry," Xelloss faltered.
"Resurrection...!" Zelgadiss was sputtering in the background, unnoticed, "You said, and I quote: "The worst that will happen is that you will remain unchanged. You might get a headache." So, so why a resurrection spell, you sneaky demon?"
Lina spoke up for the first time in several minutes. "You're worrying too much, Zel."
"But you heard him. You know what your husband is going to do to me, and you're not worried? Can you interrupt the incantations if things get out of hand?"
"I would do more, but when I use magic, it draws energy from my body, energy that the baby uses, too. That, ah, leaves me without much to live on, if you get my drift."
"So you're here for you own safety as well," Milgasia deduced. "Good idea. You should stay among the dragon clans for the duration."
"What about my safety?" Zel's voice raised an octave.
"Oh, yes, Lina. You must stay with us when we get done here," Filia said with growing excitement.
Amelia patted Zel's arm comfortingly. "You'll be safe. I'll see to it, dear."
"Can we just get on with this?" Zelgadiss said loudly.
"Right!" Xelloss said, elated that Zelgadiss was amenable. "If you will excuse us a second, Mil, Fil, and I need to talk over our sequencing. The timing is critical."
With no further discussion, the three comrades moved to the dragons' room next door. Amelia, Lina, and Zelgadiss settled into their chairs and waited. "So you think Xelloss chose to come here, surrounded by dragons, because it would be safer for you, Lina?"
"It doesn't hurt to overdo the security thing, but no. I'm sure is has to do with the castings. Maybe summoning demons or creating them attracts others," Lina mused. She looked over Zel's shoulder as Xelloss re-entered the room.
"Right, that would create an awkward moment, wouldn't it? Here's the great Xelloss knocking off his own creations. The other demons would have a fit." Zelgadiss chuckled at the picture forming in his mind.
"Well, let's hope the golfing event has attracted plenty of clans to provide us sufficient, though unsuspecting, protection," Xelloss said. His tone put everyone on edge. "We don't want to bring the Dark Lords down upon us."
Filia shuddered and gasped. "Xelloss! You wouldn't put us and my people in that kind of danger, would you?"
Lina pounded on Xelloss' back. "No. He. Wouldn't. Now apologize for that idiotic comment!"
"Well, it is possible, but highly unlikely." Xelloss did manage to look somewhat apologetic for Lina's sake.
"Can we please get this over with!" Zelgadiss begged.
"Soon, but first we should all hold hands." Xelloss extended both of his toward Zel.
Zelgadiss turned to Xelloss, his expression incredulous. He was about to curse the demon for joking at a time like that, but was speechless as his body, mind, and spirit came under simultaneous attack.
"Manaku Soromu Zanaku Sakurimu– Chaotic Disintegrate!" the dragons recited.
Xelloss recited no chants to perform his magic; it was a natural manifestation of his body based on his power level, which was why he had drawn Zelgadiss' attention toward him and coined the catchphrase "hold hands" to trigger the dragons to release their attacks.
"OH!" Amelia cried out. Her own hands flew up as she starting reciting a complex pain reducing spell.
Zelgadiss was bombarded with the dragon's attack as Xelloss extracted the demon portion of his makeup and pumped enchanted life into it. For the briefest moment, Lina thought she could discern an apparition hovering in the air above Zelgadiss an instant before Milgasia's Dragon's Breath attack vaporized it.
The multiple spells enveloped Zelgadiss in brilliance that pulsed with his heartbeat. The light flared, shootings sparks. "He's blowing up!" Amelia cried out.
Filia screamed, her hand burning as the necklace charm she held exploded.
"No!" Xelloss roared over the noise. "He's over-energized!" Xelloss summoned his staff and swung hard. The red globe at the staff tip luminesced on contact. There was a wet squelching sound upon contact. "Mil! Stabilize him! Amelia! He's in shock!" Xelloss commanded, exerting his own magical power to levitate Zelgadiss into a horizontal position floating a few feet off the ground.
"Oh my gods, I think this is his natural color," Amelia said excitedly as her hands hovered over his face while applying continuous healing spells. "He's going to be okay, isn't he?"
"Heart rate is elevated but invariant," Milgasia told them. He lowered his hands. "He's fine."
"I think it was a success," Filia agreed. "Although it was a bit of overkill having both Milgasia and me attack, I think."
"I'll remember that the next time I need to do this," Xelloss said with a wink. The light from the south windows shone briefly on Zelgadiss' dark soft hair and pale, peach-toned skin before the clouds blew across the sky again and the sunlight vanished. "Oh, my... I'm afraid, Zelgadiss, you haven't aged since Rezo altered you."
"He does look pretty young, Amelia," Lina said.
"Peaceful," Filia agreed.
"He's knocked out, poor guy," Lina said.
Amelia let out a sigh. "I think he's beautiful."
Lina had to concur; her old friend was a delicately handsome young man. "Yeah, Xelloss has a point. Your guy is a dead ringer for Rezo."
"And vulnerable," Xelloss put in, eyeing Lina and her response. "No special gifts to make up for that all-human handicap he's got now. Speaking of handicap, do you think we might get in a little game later?"
Lina nodded and opened her mouth to add her perspective, but Amelia wasn't attending to either of them. "We'll just have to see. I believe in Zelgadiss' ability to bounce back from anything. He's an excellent swordsman and shaman. Rezo was a powerful magician, even without the later demon violation, and Zelgadiss carries that blood in his veins." The princess stood, eyes glowing with pride. "With his body restored to its rightful form, he is ready to rise and fulfill his birthright!"
"Think he'll be satisfied?" Xelloss asked Amelia, his mood indeterminable, but she thought him serious. She simply nodded in reply.
"He's a prince in a peaceful kingdom, happily married with two fine, healthy children, and now he's cured of his curse– what more could he want?" Milgasia asked.
"To be a strong, mysterious, Shaman-swordsman." Lina put her hands on her hips and straightened her back. "Like he always was, just human."
"Mysterious?" Milgasia asked, his face twisted into a wry smile.
Lina laughed. "Oh, yeah. Typical teenage boy thing. That's how I could tell for sure he was human. So, Amelia, are you sure that you're going to be able to spot your husband in a crowd anymore?"
Tears of happiness sparkled in Amelia's blue eyes. "Yes. He'll be so pleased. I knew justice would prevail and give him back his humanity."
Xelloss blinked. "Justice? I say! That was my experience, reasoning, and a shot of good luck, not justice..." He left off when he noticed Lina shaking her head. What good would explaining do?
Suddenly, though, Amelia's arms were wrapped around his waist, squeezing him hard. "Thank you Mr. Xelloss. You've been the best friend ever. I'll never be able to repay you."
"Well, I could use some–"
Again, Lina's harsh "Shhhh..." checked his next words.
"– air."
"Oh!" she released him at once, her cheeks pink. "Sorry!"
"Amelia, don't worry. He doesn't breathe, not really."
Xelloss smiled over at his wife. "I can." He took a deep breath to prove it, however, he forgot that to be convincing he needed to let it out.
"He was happy to assist, Amelia," Lina said. "He's expanding his horizons past the boundaries of ordinary friendship to true altruism. And it feels good, doesn't it Xelloss?"
"Welllll, the worship of my minions is nice, too," he quipped. "Oh, sleeping beauty awakens."
"Ugh," Zelgadiss groaned.
"Bring him a mirror!" Lina ordered Filia.
Amelia held her husband's hand, looking urgently into his face, tears dripping onto his fair skin. His eyes opened, unchanged aqua blue, hopeful that the experiment was successful. He blinked. Seeing his friends' serious expressions and Amelia's tear-streaked face suggested failure, and his eyes closed. He fought back despair, which Xelloss absorbed to replace the energy lost to the spell he had cast.
Zelgadiss opened his eyes again. "Why are you smiling?" he asked the demon.
Lina ripped the hand mirror out of Filia's hands and thrust it within inches of his face. "Look!"
"The Blow demon was exorcized," Amelia said her eyes still bright with tears, but smiling sweetly. "It worked!"
Zelgadiss looked in disbelief at the face reflected in the mirror. "Damn, I look like my great grandfather, don't I?" he said, the sarcasm heavy. He smiled, though, and rubbed a finger over his upper lip. "I'll have to start shaving, or maybe grow out a moustache. What do you think, Amelia?"
"I think you can do anything you want, sweetheart. I'm just so happy you're okay. No headache or anything I can help make go away?"
"No. I feel fine. I have never felt better, in fact, which is why I'm sure that this must be a dream."
"I think this calls for a little celebration," Milgasia announced. "I'll call for some champagne."
"Don't forget sparkling apple juice for Lina. We don't want to hurt the baby," Amelia reminded the dragon man who might not know anything about human reproduction.
The man shrugged and left the room. "Go help him!" Lina told Xelloss, pushing him in the direction of the door. "And bring food, too!"
"How could I have guessed?" Xelloss chuckled,but he alsodid his wife's bidding.
Before long, the men were back, followed by a line of servants struggling under the weight of many plates and bowls of food and drink. The servants remained to offer glasses, divide the dishes, and distribute refreshments. It was a merry afternoon, all told.
While Zelgadiss continued to examine his long hidden features, Xelloss turned suddenly to Lina and whispered that he must leave. "One of my over-eager apostles has contacted me."
She knew he meant that his underlings were communicating with his astral body and that he had business to conduct. She had a moment to signal her understanding, then he was gone. Zelgadiss was moving around the room, testing his weight and balance. When he noticed Xelloss was gone, he asked, concerned, "He's coming back, isn't he? I hadn't even thanked him."
Lina shrugged, her eyes downcast. "Who knows? He's out on the astral plane on a business call. Don't worry; I'm sure he felt your joy."
Amelia detected Lina's sadness, although she misunderstood it. She touched Lina's hand and held it. "I feel bad having my husband whole, thanks to yours, who is... he's... not really, really here, or is he?"
Lina was confused. "What are you trying to say? Do you mean Xelloss? He's here when you see him."
"But he's not actually," Amelia decided on a safe-sounding word, "solid, is he? I mean, when Gaav sliced off his arm and shoulder, he was just vapor."
"Well, that's something!" Lina said abruptly. "He fills the form he makes. The form's real, just not tissue."
"But what about the clothes he wears?" Filia interjected, curious.
"They're clothes, well, unless he chooses to create those too, which he doesn't do anymore– just the traveling-priest's outfit."
"But he's a creature of spiritual matter, not material like us," Milgasia argued.
"We are, too, if you think about it," Zelgadiss said. "We have souls and we eat to fuel our growth and create our physical bodies. So does he. The internal processes are different, the chemistry different, but the outcomes are comparable. What we see isn't a projection he makes, it is a real being, although, he told me most of his 'self' does exist on the astral plane at any one time."
Lina nodded. "That's right. But for the last twenty years he's spent more time in his human skin than not, or so he tells me, and he's becoming more 'stuck' in it. I imagine that means more of his 'self', as you call it Zel, is in the physical body now. I don't know, or care. He's devoted to me, obscenely powerful and very malleable, which is what I care about."
"Well, I'm glad you rein him in, otherwise," Milgasia looked off into the distance toward the golfing tournament and all the Golden dragons whose lives could be wiped out by the demon with an evil thought. "Who knows?"
"Yes, it's been a very peaceful few years, hasn't it?" Filia stroked her husband's arm affectionately. "And I, for one, am grateful for it."
"We all have a lot to be thankful for," Amelia said.
"Yes, we do!" Xelloss chimed in, appearing suddenly in the room.
"Is everything okay?" Lina asked, fear in her eyes at the thought of her husband's ex-mistress re-entering their lives.
"Yes, just a little excitement for Val and wife when a few of my servants showed up at the house unannounced. The wolves, you know, looking in on the children," he explained. "They have formed attachments to them, you see."
"Valiant is fine, isn't he?" Filia asked breathlessly.
"Oh, certainly. He put on a fine show. Went into Dragon form, and a mature Ancient Dragon is a sight to see. The children were impressed, although he nearly destroyed my servants. I took care of everything, though, and all is well. We can relax and enjoy the weekend." He smiled convincingly. "So, what did I miss?"
"A lot of discussion about your ghastly existence," Filia retorted.
"And then we were telling how thankful we are for how our lives turned out," Amelia went on. "Valiant is so fine a man, Filia, and he's to be a father. You and your husband were just blessed with your own hatchling. I have Zelgadiss and our children, and he has had his wish fulfilled. Lina and you have a lovely family and another baby on the way. And although Mr. Gourry and Sylphiel aren't here with us today, I know they'd agree that their lives have been full and wondrous, too. We all have enjoyed the most unusual and lasting friendship, to our mutual delight and benefit. So, aren't we all lucky?"
Xelloss smiled while the princess spoke, thinking. He could easily bring Lina to mind, even when he was not intending to. Eyes closed, he could picture her bright halo of hair, the angle of her shoulders, her jaunty gait. She was still petite and not to most men's tastes, with so little shape to her, still no more than a girl. He hadn't thought he'd be attracted to a woman like that, but she was special. She was all spirit and mind, a sharp tongue, courage, and wit.
As he opened his eyes and settled his gaze on the object of his thoughts, he found himself considering his assumptions about men and women, what each expected of the other and of the happiness marriage might afford or deny. He had expected passion, and he had found it, and fulfillment. He had also experienced times of loneliness, misunderstanding, exasperation, but on the whole he could only feel deep and enduring happiness. "Yes," he said, but it came out in a low, raspy voice. "Very lucky."
"Now, Amelia, I think you've gone and nearly killed Xelloss with your happy thoughts. Can't you contain yourself better?" Filia teased.
"Oh, I think he's feeling just fine," Zelgadiss said. "Damn it, Xelloss, you have your own room to go to. I don't need to watch you make love to your wife."
Xelloss tore himself away from his passionate kiss. "Indeed you do not. If you'll excuse us both?" He smiled, leading Lina to their room further down the hall.
"Thank goodness he listens to you too!" Filia sighed in relief, and then smiled broadly. "See? I guess I have something else to be thankful for!"
Happy Thanksgiving to you all!