Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They are the property of Hajime Kanzaka and Shoko Yoshinaka.

Chapter Sixteen

Zelgadis sat in an arm chair with his legs stretched out. It had taken him a long time to decide on the form he would traditionally take as a mazoku. He decided to let most of his stone golem appearance go, except for the two bulges that traveled from his ears across his cheeks. As for the rest of his skin, he was satisfied that it could go rock hard if he only willed it. He wanted to leave his flesh soft the rest of the time. It had been years since he had felt anything tender with his skin.

He had also decided that his hair would remain the same colour as blue silver, as he wanted Lina to be able to recognize him when she saw him, but had extended its length and now wore it in a long ponytail down his back. Other than those things, he basically remained the same – which suited him fine.

Zelgadis turned his head so he could look out the window at the desert ahead of him. It was interesting, looking out now, that the mass of space didn't matter to him at all. He could cover it in a moment to be beside Lina – and he would be able to do it soon.

Hellmaster had not wanted him going to Dynast's castle until he was prepared. Phibrizzo insisted on taking the time to train Zelgadis as Dynast had taken the time to train Lina. To Hellmaster, a great deal was invested in Zelgadis and he didn't want it coming to nothing by Zel going off half-cocked. Zel found that he agreed with Phibrizzo and allowed him to take whatever time he needed. Besides, for some reason Zelgadis found that he couldn't disobey Phibrizzo. He simply didn't want to.

Zelgadis let his head fall back on the stone headrest of the chair he was sitting in. Yet, even though he found he did not despise Phibrizzo, he found that he did despise Xellos. And he was always around. When Zel asked Phibrizzo why Xellos was still there, he told him it was because Xellos was going to go with him to Dynast's castle when he went to go get Lina. Zel asked very pointedly why that was, and the answer he got actually made his mouth water.

"Don't forget Zelgadis, Dynast has two priests, a general, and Lina. Not to mention his own considerable abilities. If a battle should break out, and one most likely will, you will want to have Xellos by your side. He is the strongest of the lesser mazoku, and clever enough to take on someone far superior to him in strength without getting himself killed," Phibrizzo said simply.

Zel closed his eyes and tried not to think about going into battle. The excitement that reverberated through him was enough to send him reeling, so he fought hard for self control.

Now he was waiting for Xellos to arrive with the word that they could depart. It felt like Zel had been waiting a very long time - like he had been waiting forever for Lina. Waiting for Xellos was considerably less pleasurable. Zelgadis longed for the day that he was stronger than Xellos.

"Zelgadis-san," Xellos said, coming up behind him from nowhere. "It's time . . . if you're ready." The last words were said as if they were a challenge, and Zelgadis could never let Xellos taunt him.

Zel didn't say a word at first, but raised himself to his feet and equipped both his own sword and the Sword of Light to his hip. "Don't be an ass, Xellos," was what he said at last.

"As you say," Xellos said with a smirk as he teleported out of Zelgadis' view.

Zel shook his head and followed.

They were to meet at first at the back garden entrance to Dynast's castle. It was a place Zelgadis had not seen on his first visits to the castle, but it was a place of reputation among mazoku. Zelgadis had wondered how there could be a garden so far north, but as he appeared beside Xellos he saw that there could be. The sun had set forever in the north now and the northern lights blazed emerald and soft garnet shades. The lights radiated iron fences and dark statues of women and beasts. Icicles froze in the shapes of trees and thistles were the main attraction though. They provided a background for the perfect battle – if indeed they were to fight here.

"Something is strange," Xellos said, standing slightly in front of Zelgadis. Zel had not even seen him approach.

"What is it?" Zel asked.

Xellos shrugged. "I sort of half expected Sherra, Dynast's General, to meet us here. I wonder why she hasn't appeared."

Zelgadis didn't say anything, but scanned the area carefully. No, he didn't think Sherra was hiding anywhere among the icicles either. He could sense no aura – nothing. All the power Zel was aware of was pulsing from the castle itself.

"Do you want to go inside then?" Zel asked cautiously.

"I'm not convinced that's the best course. Waiting here wouldn't be wise either. Do you know what the problem is Zelgadis-san?" Xellos asked.

Zel thought hard, but the answer wasn't evident to him, so he kept silent. He wasn't satisfied. He didn't like for Xellos to beat him at anything, so it was unnerving not to be able to sense the danger that Xellos recognized.

Evidently, Xellos realized that Zelgadis didn't know to what he was referring, and said smugly, "Neither Dynast or Lina are in the castle right now. It's too bad you aren't quite able to distinguish between different astral characters to realize that Sherra and the priests are waiting in the castle for us – probably prepared for combat – but Dynast has politely removed Lina. If we retreat now, without knowing the whereabouts of Lina, Dynast will have the chance to change their position and make Lina even more inaccessible."

"Then we'll have to go in now, and find out from Sherra where Dynast has taken Lina," Zel said.

"Very well," Xellos said taking his staff in two hands, "whenever you're ready. It's probably just as well. If you think you'll be able to get the information out of Sherra . . ."

"You think I can't?" Zelgadis snapped.

Xellos winked at him, and Zelgadis wanted to kill him.

"Are you ready Lina?" Dynast asked her. His lips were close to her ear and his arms were wrapped around her waist.

Lina wanted to move away – force his hands away from her. Somehow he hadn't given up the habit of touching her like she was his lover. Lina knew it meant nothing, she was just a tool to him, but she couldn't summon her voice to tell him not to touch her. There was just something inside her that forbade her.

"Remember all the times we practiced?" Dynast said, grasping her hand and forcing her to entangle her fingers in his hair.

"I can't think," she whispered, afraid of what he would say or do if she denied him even the slightest thing.

"Still a little human, aren't you Lina-chan? I'm sorry that you haven't been able to shake it, but I know you can do this. All you have to do is forget . . ." he paused.

"You mean you want me to forget my life before, and forget Zelgadis-san?" she asked.

"It wouldn't do you any good to remember him. Come on Lina – just do what I ask you to do. The Giga Slave is a spell that would certainly cut your ties to your past life. I promise. After you view the destruction it causes and feel the power of the Lord of Nightmares, you won't care at all about anything else, except the power. I promise. And wouldn't that be better than constantly brooding over what you gave up to be with me?" Dynast asked, and all of it seemed like perfect logic to her.

It seemed perfectly logical that destroying the world would make her feel better – that doing so would cure her sorrowing soul. She had not the soul of a mazoku if she didn't feel a certain amount of blood-lust.

She licked her lips and thought about what he had said, but then suddenly had cause to look around at her surroundings. Where were they?

One of the first things Hellmaster had taught Zelgadis was that to fight a mazoku, one must not try to pin the mazoku. Because mazoku could teleport, it was utterly useless to try to back them into a corner, unlike in human swordplay. He said that the best tactic was to do surprise attacks. That was the only way. He also said that the more psychological the better. It was best to try to trick your opponent so that the attack could be more than a pin-prick before they teleported. He said that Xellos was the master of this, which was why he was called the 'Trickster Priest', and why Hellmaster tried to get Zelgadis to learn as much as he could from Xellos. It might have been very beneficial for him, Zelgadis reflected, except that he couldn't stand to be taught anything by Xellos.

Even now, when Zel realized that Sherra had several advantages over him, he would still not acknowledge that he ought to have taken some pointers from Xellos. He couldn't help it. He believed firmly that everything Xellos said was a damn lie, and couldn't be persuaded that the priest meant anything he said. Zel thought it was a miracle that Xellos had been able to convince him of the truthfulness of Hellmaster's offer.

"Why do you want to find her so badly?" Sherra called to him from a vantage point by a pillar on a second floor balcony. Her dark indigo braid fell over one shoulder, and she kept her eyes firmly on Zelgadis.

Who knew what exactly happened to Xellos now, but Zelgadis was left to face Sherra alone. He didn't care that Xellos deserted him – he expected him to.

"I won't explain myself to you!" he hollered. Suddenly, he got an idea, and wondered if it would work. He drew the sword of light and said the words to call the white blade from the enchanted hilt.

"Oh, come on! You can't expect me to tell you something for nothing you know. So, you might as well try me. Come on – tell me," she said.

"Well," Zelgadis said, measuring the distance behind her with his eyes. "I'm in love with her."

Sherra's eyes went wide.

NOW!

Zelgadis teleported behind her and slammed the Sword of Light into her back. He hoped that those words would surprise her enough for him to get that moment in which to attack.

She screamed.

"Where is she?" Zelgadis demanded, using his strength to move the blade in heavy circles, causing more damage throughout her entire body.

"Oh my!" Xellos exclaimed, suddenly appearing beside Zelgadis. "So, you were able to pin her – imagine that!"

"Shut up Xellos!" Zelgadis yelled, and then focused his attention on Sherra. "Tell me where your master has taken her!"

"I don't know," she spat out in her pain. "I don't know where."

"Where?" he persisted, becoming more blood-thirsty by the second.

"The top of the world!" she shrieked.

Author's Notes: Okay - there's more to come. Please review !