The darkness stretched on eternally. Lina slept uncomfortably, sometimes dead to the world, sometimes a hair's breadth away from awareness, but always unconscious. In the times that she felt almost awake, snatches of conversations came to her.
"It's quite bad … have to set…"
Lina wondered briefly what was going on when she felt agonizing pain in her leg. She made a mental note to strangle Sylphiel when she woke up. She promptly forgot her promise when she slipped back into a deeper sleep.
"…stay with her … doesn't like … in the dark…"
That voice comforted Lina. She knew from the way that he sounded and the pressure of his hand on hers that Gourry was with her. She slept easily that night.
"…brought flowers, Miss Lina!" This cheerful voice was accompanied by a light floral scent.
Lina smiled inwardly. She struggled against the darkness listen to Amelia. It was hard because she was always so tired and listening to anything in great detail had a tendency to drain her already exhausted strength.
During her sporadic and brief periods of semi awareness, Lina listened as Amelia regaled her with stories about the reconstruction effort in Sairaag, the activities of her friends, and some very exciting news. Zelgadis had told Amelia that the High Priest was visiting the city.
Lina felt some of her enthusiasm return when she heard that. She'd always wanted to meet Rezo XVIII. In the long and illustrious line of High Priests, he was without a doubt one of the most compassionate and intelligent of them. The only problem with meeting Rezo would be the fact that he'd have her put to death. She was a rogue Slayer after all. She wondered if that particular quibble could be worked around as the world went from gray to black again.
As time went by, it became harder and harder to focus on the voices around her and Lina wondered if something was wrong with her. Well, something more than her injuries that was. So she wondered and occasionally she'd try to listen, often with little success.
Lina rose reluctantly out of the depths of unconsciousness, drawn back to the sounds of reality by frantic voices. It was easy to hear these, because of how loudly they were speaking. Sensing their urgency, she began to panic a bit herself.
"…can't leave … Lina…" Gourry's voice called out repeatedly. He squeezed her hand every time he spoke to her.
Lina wanted to tell Gourry that she had no intention of going anywhere, but she couldn't deny the fact that something was dreadfully amiss. She struggled fruitlessly to squeeze his hand in return, but couldn't muster the strength.
Amelia's near panicking voice asked, "…wrong with her Miss Sylphiel?"
There was the sound of dripping water and a moment later Lina felt something cool and damp placed on her forehead. Not just cool, she corrected herself a moment later, icy cold. How anything could be that cold was beyond her understanding.
It was just then that she realized how hot she was. It felt as if her insides were ablaze. And these people had a heavy blanket on top of her? What were they thinking?! She shrugged it off repeatedly, but invariably Gourry would replace it while whispering reassuring words to her.
Lina wanted to call Gourry a stupid jellyfish and hit him over the head for trying to keep her covered, but the simple fact of the matter was that she felt incredibly weak. Not that she'd felt strong before, but this was worse. In a way, it felt like she was fading away. Reluctantly, she allowed her protector to tuck the blanket back under her chin.
Sylphiel said, "…burning up … won't last the night …"
For the first time in the entire ordeal, Lina felt a deep sense of dread. "Won't last the night" was obviously referring to her. Had she become sick on top of everything else? After all she had been through, wasting away in bed seemed to be a horribly unfair end. She wanted to cry out that she was going to last the night and she was going to last a whole bunch of other nights too, damn it!
"That's the spirit, young lady."
Lina smiled. Xellos's warm breath was tickling her ear. He was apparently whispering. Had the others left her alone?
"Gourry's here. He's asleep," Xellos explained. "You've worn everyone out with your antics. I expect that pleases you." He sighed. "But that's not important right now. Rest. You're quite tired and rest would be lovely, wouldn't it? Eternal sleep and an end to your pain. As nice as it sounds, I think you want to stay with us a while longer, don't you?"
Lina struggled to nod, but found her body unwilling to comply with her wishes. Secretly fearing that Xellos would see her lack of response and leave her for dead, she silently pleaded for him to stay with her.
"No need to shout. I can hear you, Lina."
Lina felt momentary pressure on her chest and then gasped as a wave of coolness suddenly permeated every part of her body. At that moment, she was incredibly grateful for the blanket. The cooling sensation was the antithesis of the sick burning she had felt earlier. When it faded, she found the world a little more comfortable and darkness a little less sinister than it had been before. Somehow, she knew that the worst was over and it was only a matter of time before she healed.
"You sacrificed a lot, Lina. I suspect that you won't understand just how much you've lost for quite a long time."
Lina felt Xellos gently stroke her cheek as he spoke, dispelling the apprehension that she was feeling about his words.
"However, those are concerns for another day. You're body will mend now. As will your spirit. It'll take time, but I expect that you will become something akin to what you were before."
Lina vaguely remembered hearing Xellos's voice in the void between worlds. She wondered if he had really been there with her.
Xellos chuckled and said, "That is-"
Lina swore silently.
"All right, Lina," Xellos said with a sigh. There was the sound of wood scraping across the floor and a sigh as the old priest sat down beside the bed. "You really shouldn't swear at me. I am a priest you know. Where you picked up words like that, I'll never know. Why in my day-"
Lina sighed impatiently.
Xellos chuckled again. "I don't know why you're so upset. It's not like you have anywhere to go, you know." He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You're right. I was with you."
Lina did a mental victory dance. She had been right after all. But that brought up an unpleasant thought. If Xellos had been there, how much had she really accomplished on her own? Had he saved her from Zelas?
"Oh, you needn't worry about that, young lady!" Xellos said. Lina felt him squeeze her hand reassuringly as he continued. "Everything you accomplished, was your triumph and yours alone. You saved yourself from the Beast. I had nothing to do with that."
Lina gave herself a mental kick. She'd been stupid to fall for Zelas's trick to begin with. It was an amateur's mistake and one she was sure that Luna would have laughed at.
"That is something that you'll never know," Xellos said sternly. "You're not your sister and I fear you'll never be happy until you realize that."
Lina mulled over this bit of advice for a short while before setting it aside in favor of asking the priest more questions. He was being unusually forthright tonight. Or was it daytime? It was dark. That was all that mattered. The Sword of Light, she thought. He had to have been lying about that. She'd never been able to use it before.
"Lina, that's rude," Xellos scolded. "I've never lied to you. You used the Sword of Light. What were you thinking when you fought Hellmaster?"
Lina struggled to remember. She'd been thinking about dying, but it hadn't really mattered, had it? All that mattered was making sure that Sylphiel and Phibrizzo were saved.
"Purer, more selfless thoughts, I've never heard," Xellos said. "You did very well and I am extremely proud of you, child."
Lina smiled as she felt the priest's soft lips brush against her forehead.
A moment later, Xellos lovingly mussed her hair and said, "Rest now. You need your strength. There's still so much work ahead of you."
Lina wanted to ask what the priest meant, and more importantly, who or what he really was, but she decided that it wasn't really that important. Somehow he had helped her, and now she was on the mend. She went from her near conscious state back to the darkness.
It was a different kind of darkness though. Instead of the feeling of being dead to the world, it was comforting, almost like a warm nest. Lina curled up in this pleasant place and, sighing contentedly, went about the process of healing.
************************************************************************
There was a tickling sensation, cool droplets on her face. Lina giggled as the liquid rolled down her chin onto her throat. "Tickles," she murmured.
"Did you say something, Miss?" a soft voice cautiously inquired.
Lina nodded sleepily. "I said it tickles." She yawned long and loud, and slowly opened her eyes. "Feels like I've been sleeping forever," she commented. A moment later she shrieked in terror. "Hellmaster!"
Phibrizzo screamed in return and dropped the bowl of water he had been holding. It hit the floor and shattered, doing little to calm the situation down. The child ran from the room screaming, "Help! Sylphy, she's gone crazy!"
A moment later, Sylphiel was standing in the doorway with the terrified Phibrizzo cowering behind her. "Miss Lina!" she exclaimed happily.
Lina ceased her screaming and blinked in surprise. "Sylphiel?" She carefully scrutinized the boy trying to hide behind her. "And Phibrizzo?" She grinned hesitantly. "So you guys made it, huh?"
"That's what I was about to say," Sylphiel replied as she entered the room. "We thought that we were going to lose you, Miss Lina."
"Lose me?" Lina repeated curiously. She struggled to recall the events of the last couple days. She'd beaten Hellmaster and then… nothing. Looking around at the familiar surroundings of Sylphiel's clinic, she asked, "How did I get here?"
"Gourry found you in the rubble," Sylphiel said as she began the process of poking and prodding at Lina's injuries. "Arms up, please," she instructed.
Lina complied and asked, "Where is Gourry?" as she looked around the room. She was more than a little hurt that the swordsman hadn't been there when she woke up.
Sylphiel smiled secretively as she examined Lina's injured ribs. She giggled and said, "He didn't want to leave, but he's been very busy. I expect that he'll be back tonight." Before her patient could ask what she meant, she said, "Oh! I almost forgot! There's someone else that wanted to see you." She turned towards the doorway and cheerfully called, "Come on in!"
Phibrizzo nervously peeked around the corner into the room and shyly asked, "Is she okay now?"
Sylphiel nodded. "She's fine. You just startled each other a bit. Come on in and say hello!"
Lina watched as Phibrizzo hesitantly entered the room. The differences between him and Hellmaster were remarkable. The child carried himself with none of the wicked arrogance of the Hellmaster and his eyes darted around the room nervously. He almost tripped over a stool as he made his way over to the bed. He was a normal boy, prone to all the clumsy accidents and insecurities associated with being ten.
Lina chuckled happily as she watched Phibrizzo approach.
Phibrizzo glanced at Sylphiel, looking for reassurance as he stopped well out of Lina's reach. "Hello," he said almost inaudibly.
"Hello yourself," Lina said with a large grin.
"I remember you," Phibrizzo said a moment later. "You're the lady that stabbed me in the arm, right?"
Sylphiel gasped in shock. "Miss Lina! You stabbed poor Phibrizzo?"
"Oh," Lina said stupidly. Well, she hadn't really expected that. She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly as she said, "Well, yeah, but there were extenuating circumstances and-"
"It's okay, Sylphy. She helped me wake up." Phibrizzo darted forward and flung his arms around Lina. "Thank you, Miss."
"Phibrizzo!" Sylphiel said fearfully. She hadn't expected him to grab Lina like that. He might have aggravated the Slayer's injuries, or…
Lina laughed and returned Phibrizzo's hug. "Hey, no problem, kid. It was nothing." She mussed his hair affectionately and looked up to see Sylphiel staring down at her dumbstruck. "What?" she asked, oblivious to the healer's concerns.
Sylphiel asked, "Doesn't that hurt?"
"What, this?" Lina said, nodding at Phibrizzo, who was still tightly latched to her torso. She joked, "The kid's got a strong grip, but it's nothing that I can't handle."
Sylphiel smiled, more than a little confused, but pleased nonetheless.
***********************************************************************.
Lina thoughtfully looked out the window at the setting sun. She was absentmindedly picking at a bowl of cold stew that Sylphiel had brought her an hour ago. "Hey Zel," she said quietly without turning from the window. "How are you doing?"
Zelgadis lingered in the growing shadows of the doorway a moment longer, scrutinizing Lina. She was healing far more quickly than he would have ever expected. It was unexplainable and nothing vexed him more than that which couldn't be explained. He scowled darkly as he shifted a long package from under one arm to the other.
"Well, are you just going to stand there all night?" Lina asked with a quiet laugh. "Come in and sit down." She turned to look at Zelgadis as he made his way through the room. He was clad in a crimson outfit with an elaborate cloak trimmed in gold. "Aw, you dressed up for me?" she said with a playful wink.
Zelgadis snorted as he sat down beside the bed. "Lina," he said smugly, "contrary to what you seem to believe, the whole world doesn't revolve around you. I have another engagement this evening that I'm already late for."
"But you still came to see me," Lina said gratefully. "Thanks Zel."
Zelgadis coughed embarrassedly. "Whatever. I only stopped by to return this to you." He tossed a long parcel wrapped in white paper and bound with golden cord onto the bed beside Lina.
Lina looked down at the package and then back at Zelgadis with a large smile forming on her face. "You brought me a present. I like presents."
"It's not like that," Zelgadis grumbled. "Like I said, I'm just returning it to you."
"Even your cheerful attitude can't get me down tonight, Zel," Lina said jokingly.
Zelgadis smiled and was about to say something when a fierce pain suddenly struck him between his shoulders. His eyes bugged out and he frantically began to claw at his back.
"You okay, Zel?" Lina asked concernedly, the package momentarily forgotten.
"Fine!" Zelgadis spat through clenched teeth. "I'm fine!" The sudden pain ended as abruptly as it had begun and he breathed a sigh of relief.
"You sure?"
Zelgadis nodded and pointed at the package, indicating that Lina should go ahead and open it.
"Well, if you say so," Lina said reluctantly. A moment later, Zelgadis's strange actions were forgotten in favor of a far more pressing question. She eagerly asked, "What is it?" as she fumbled to undo the knot in the cord.
Zelgadis rolled his eyes and said, "If you ever got it open, you'd see." Another few moments of fumbling brought him to the end of his patience. "Oh, here," he growled as he effortlessly undid the knot for Lina.
Lina gasped at what was revealed in the paper. A familiar sword encased in a beautiful black leather scabbard lay in her lap. An incredibly lifelike image of the Flare Dragon, stitched in threads of gold and silver, wrapped around the length of the sheath. "Oh, Zel…" she whispered breathlessly, hardly able to believe what she was seeing.
"Well, take a look at the sword," Zelgadis muttered. "I didn't pay an arm and a leg for you to drool over it you know."
Lina slowly drew the sword. There was a quiet hiss as it the silver blade emerged from the well-oiled sheath. "This is Sis's sword," Lina said, her voice quivering with emotion. In a way, she was right, but it was so much more than that.
A master craftsman had repaired the blade with such care that Lina could have sworn that it had never been broken. Skillfully etched in the silver was an uncannily accurate depiction of Lina standing triumphantly over the body of a fallen demon.
Lina looked at Zelgadis gratefully. Her voice quivered with barely contained emotion as she asked, "Where'd you get this?" She vaguely remembered something about it being broken, but now…
"It was lying next to you when Gourry found you," Zelgadis explained. "Well, flip it over and look at the inscription," he said with the faintest hint of a smile on his face.
Her eyes brimming over with tears, Lina flipped the blade over to see if the familiar initials had been saved. Sadly, the smith had not been able to recover them when he repaired the blade, but "Lina Inverse" was written in bold, yet graceful letters along the length of the blade. "Zel?" she whispered.
"What?" Zelgadis asked suspiciously, as he recoiled slightly. The last thing he needed was for an overly emotional woman to latch onto him.
"What's it say right there?" Lina asked as she pointed to her name. She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I can't read it."
Zelgadis sighed and leaned in to point to the letters. "It has your name on it, Lina. See?" He looked over to see her grinning at him mischievously through her tears. "Oh no," he groaned, realizing that he had fallen into her carefully laid trap.
Lina glomped onto Zelgadis's neck and enthusiastically bellowed, "Thank you, Zel!" directly into his ear, almost deafening the hapless man. Just when he thought that the situation couldn't get any more embarrassing, she leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek.
"Oh, come on now!" Zelgadis loudly protested as he struggled to disentangle himself from the girl's embrace. After freeing himself, he beat a hasty retreat until he was safely out of grabbing distance of the bed. He made a show of straightening his slightly wrinkled clothes and grumbled darkly about "clingy women" and "getting the wrong idea".
Lina winked at Zelgadis and stuck out her tongue cutely. "Thank you, Zel," she said in a syrupy sweet tone.
Zelgadis flushed bright red and muttered a "You're welcome," as he turned to leave. Just as he was about to go through the door, he paused and turned back to look at Lina, marveling at what the girl was. She giggled happily as she scrutinized every inch of the blade, very much resembling a child with a new toy. In spite of the fact that she acted incredibly immature at times, she was one of the most talented people that he had ever met. "Lina?" he said quietly.
"Huh?" was Lina's intelligent response.
"You're one in a million. You know that don't you?"
In answer, a cocky grin flashed across the redhead's face.
Zelgadis rolled his eyes and left the room. She knew. Ceiphied help him, he had just thrown more fuel onto the raging inferno that was Lina's ego.
************************************************************************
"It's beautiful, Miss Lina!" Amelia squealed as she admired Lina's new sword.
"Isn't it?" Lina said excitedly as she pointed out some minute detail on the blade that only a connoisseur of such things would appreciate.
Amelia nodded in agreement as if she actually knew the difference between a rapier and a foil. "Mr. Zelgadis said that he hoped that you'd like it."
Lina grinned. "He did, did he?" Maybe there was more to Zel than gloom and doom after all. She reverently set the sword on the nightstand and turned back to face Amelia. "So," she said as she stifled a yawn, "What'd I miss while I was asleep?"
"Oh, there's been so much going on," Amelia muttered while scratching her head. "Where should I start?" Her face lit up and she exclaimed, "Miss Martina got married!"
"Oh, she did?" Lina said with somewhat less enthusiasm than Amelia. Martina had slapped that dark prophesy on her head, after all.
Amelia sighed blissfully and said, "She looked so beautiful in her gown. And the groom…" She grimaced at the memory of Zangulus being dragged kicking and screaming to the altar. "Well, he was excited too!"
Lina looked at Amelia confusedly. "He was? Hmm, he must be a pretty brave guy."
Amelia quickly changed the subject. "And would you believe that the government has already opened the coffers to help rebuild Sairaag? Everything looks almost as good as new! High Priest Rezo truly is a kind and just man."
"That's nice," Lina said. She cleared her throat and said, "So… what's Gourry been up to?"
"Mister Gourry? You won't believe what he's done! He's-" She suddenly caught herself, remembering that she wasn't supposed to talk about Gourry's project.
Lina raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "Yeah? Gourry's done what?"
Amelia quickly shifted gears. "Did you know that there were only a few casualties in the fight against Hellmaster? It really was a miracle." She looked at Lina adoringly and said, "You saved so many lives, Miss Lina!"
"All in a day's work," Lina boasted. She noted that Amelia was staring at her with an awed expression upon her face. She shivered unconsciously and muttered, "Um, Amelia? Are you okay?" The girl was acting weird all of a sudden.
"Miss Lina, there's something that I have to ask you," Amelia said nervously. She knelt down beside the bed and clasped Lina's hand in her own. "You're so strong, kindhearted, and brave."
Lina couldn't do anything except chuckle nervously. She scooted away from the acrobat, trying to surreptitiously reclaim her captive hand. She didn't know where this little speech was headed, but she was sure that it couldn't end well. "Um, Amelia…?" she said apprehensively.
Amelia leaned in close to Lina and whispered, "Miss Lina, I've thought about this a long time and I have to know." She cleared her throat and asked, "Would you do me the great honor…"
Lina stared at Amelia helplessly, like a deer caught in a hunter's snare. She'd just figured out where this was going. She'd never suspected that Amelia felt that way about her. She swallowed nervously and briefly wondered if she was back in Hell.
Amelia stammered, "Miss Lina, will… will you teach me to be a Slayer?"
"Nooooooooooo!" Lina shrieked hopelessly. "I don't wanna be your girlfriend!" She blinked confusedly, just then realizing what Amelia had asked her. "I'm sorry," she chuckled. "Could you repeat that?"
Amelia stared at Lina with her mouth agape. She'd never suspected that Lina was a pervert. She stammered, "I… I said… I, well, uh…"
"Hey, you're finally awake!"
Lina and Amelia looked up, grateful for the distraction.
Gourry was standing in the doorway grinning broadly.
Amelia smiled at Lina knowingly and said, "Well, I'm sure that I have something important to do. I'll talk to you later Miss Lina. Bye!" She stood up and skipped happily out the door.
"H-Hey!" Lina stammered. "Amelia! Where are you going?"
Amelia paused in the doorway and glanced back at Lina. She nodded at Gourry, clasped her hands together over her heart, and silently mouthed the words, "Tell him." Then she was gone.
Lina flushed bright pink and stared down at her hands, unable to look at the swordsman. Why'd Amelia have to say that? Now she was all flustered and besides, it was a waste of time. Gourry had a girlf- She yelped in surprise when she felt Gourry's hand on her forehead. "What are you doing?!" she demanded.
"Just checking your temperature," Gourry said helpfully. "You looked really red there for a minute and I was wondering if your fever was coming back. You seem okay though."
"Oh, uh, that's good, I guess." Lina said while stealing a sidelong glance at the swordsman. He was smiling at her and she turned even redder than before.
Gourry frowned as he stared at Lina's face. "It's happening again. Maybe I should go get Sylphiel," he said as he started to stand.
"No!" Lina said, impulsively reaching out to grab onto Gourry's wrist. "I-I'm fine. I'm just a little hot, that's all." She suddenly shivered, realizing that the room was actually a bit chilly for her tastes.
Gourry watched in bewilderment as Lina pulled the blanket up to her chin. "I thought you said that you were hot?" he said while scratching his head. "You're acting pretty weird, Lina. Are you sure that you're alright?"
Lina rolled her eyes and said, "I told you that I'm fine!" Quickly changing the subject, she said, "Amelia said that you've been busy." She teasingly said, "How are you supposed to protect me if you're busy working on a secret project?" She immediately regretted her words when she saw the hurt look on Gourry's face. Yeesh, she'd only meant it as a joke.
Gourry nodded and said, "You're right, Lina. I should have been with you every step of the way. Then you wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"Aw, don't worry about it Gourry," Lina said reassuringly. She thought of her scars and said, "I get hurt all the time." She chuckled and said, "It's just one of the perks of the job."
Gourry didn't laugh. "Well, you shouldn't. We thought that we were going to lose you. After the first week, you got really sick. Sylphiel was sure that you were going to…" He swallowed hard and reluctantly continued, "To die."
Lina's smile faded. "How long was I out?"
"Almost a month."
"A month?!" Lina repeated incredulously.
Gourry nodded. "It was terrible, Lina. You were saying things the whole time."
"What… what did I say, Gourry?" Lina said, not quite sure that she wanted to know.
"Something about a beast and being used. You talked about how that Hellmaster guy hurt you. You called my name a lot."
"I did?"
"Yeah," Gourry said in a quavering voice. "And I tried to tell you that I was with you, but you didn't hear me." He clenched his fists tightly and blurted, "But I was, Lina! I promise that I was!"
"Oh Gourry," Lina whispered. It really had been bad for him. She tentatively reached out and embraced the swordsman. A moment later, she felt his strong arms encircle her waist and pull her closer to him. Her eyes widened in surprise and she tensed up briefly. There was a nagging sense of unpleasant familiarity about the situation. Shoving her apprehensive feelings roughly aside, she sighed and cautiously allowed herself to melt into his embrace. It was nice, the sense of closeness that she felt with him, both physically and emotionally. "I know that you were there," she said. "I heard you."
They stayed that way for a moment, awkwardly trying to comfort one another as best they could.
Gourry pulled back from Lina briefly to look into her eyes. "You did?"
Lina nodded slowly, losing herself in Gourry's eyes. She'd never been this close to him before and she took the opportunity to take in every detail of the handsome swordsman's visage. His strong jaw, his beautiful blue eyes, the flaxen hair that partially concealed his face, making him look all the more mysterious and appealing. Before she knew what was happening, she was leaning towards him, her lips parted ever so slightly.
Just as their lips brushed against each other, Lina fancied that she heard Zelas's cruel chuckle and she panicked. It was just like that other time. The handsome blond man, the warm embrace, the promise of love, everything was just as it had been before. But, the last time had been a lie and that wound was still horribly raw. How could she be sure that this time would be any different? She yelled, "No!" and forcefully shoved Gourry away.
Gourry was quite startled by this unexpected development and stumbled backwards, tripping over the stool as he went. He flailed his arms for balance and caught the tray that Lina's dinner had been on, sending the cold stew sailing through the air.
Sylphiel and Amelia entered the room with concerned looks on their faces.
Amelia asked, "What happened? We heard a crash and-oh." She saw Gourry sitting on the floor wearing the contents of Lina's bowl on his head.
As for Lina, she was sitting on the far corner of the bed with her knees drawn up to her chest. She glanced at Gourry apprehensively and muttered, "I'm sorry."
Sylphiel gave Gourry a questioning look. "Gourry dear, what did you do?"
Gourry picked a bit of potato out of his hair as he stammered, "I-I didn't do anything! I was just sitting here and…" He shrugged and said, "Tell them, Lina!"
Lina slowly stretched out and lay back down under the blanket. She turned away from Gourry and apologetically asked, "Could you please leave? I… I need to think about some things."
"But, I thought that you didn't like being alone at night?"
"I'll be fine, Gourry. Just go away. Please?" Lina said unhappily.
Gourry looked up at Sylphiel and Amelia helplessly.
Amelia shrugged, not knowing what to tell him, and quietly motioned for Gourry to leave the room.
Gourry looked as if he was seriously considering denying Lina's request. After all, she needed him, right? Didn't she know that? She'd called his name while she was in the grip of the fever and now that she was finally awake she was sending him away? It wasn't right. He opened his mouth to say so when Sylphiel put a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. Sparing Lina one last hurt glance, he relented and left the room with the girls.
Lina listened for the quiet click of the latch on the door before breaking down into tears of frustration. She pounded on her pillow angrily, trying to transfer some of the hurt she was feeling to the feathery cushion. She didn't want to be alone in the dark, but she didn't want Gourry around either. On the other hand, she found that she wanted nothing more than to be with him, so the entire situation was terribly confusing.
Xellos watched Lina through the window from his perch on a low hanging tree branch across the street. He shook his head sadly and whispered, "You'll figure things out, child. It's going to take a little time, but your heart will mend." He didn't sound very sure of himself though.
Unseen by the priest, another figure also observed Lina from the shadows of an alley. Cloaked in white, the being almost looked like a ghost. It cast no shadow and its cloak didn't stir when the wind picked up, as it inevitably did when Xellos came and went. Unmoving, the figure seemed content to watch Lina mangle her pillow. Sometime after the Slayer slept, the figure departed.
************************************************************************
Zelgadis stood on the staircase in front of the capital building. The statue of the Flare Dragon towered over his head. He looked at it thoughtfully and murmured, "To think that the darkest shadows are cast by the brightest lights."
"I beg your pardon? Did you say something master?"
"Just musing, Zolf." Zelgadis turned to see his trusted servant looking quite uncomfortable in the lavish outfit that he was wearing. He was a scholar, not an aristocrat and obviously felt out of place at this event.
Zelgadis smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have dragged you into this."
Zolf shook his head and said, "Don't be, Lord Greywords. I wouldn't risk allowing anyone else stand at your side. It'd be too easy for them to slide a knife between your ribs."
Chuckling quietly, Zelgadis said, "I appreciate it." His expression darkened as he scanned the group of politicians that had gathered in the dead of night. Any one of them would be pleased to hear of his untimely death. "I'm glad that I'm not alone in this den of vipers."
Zolf groaned quietly and whispered in Zelgadis's ear, "Speaking of vipers, take a look at who's heading this way."
Quickly glancing up, Zelgadis scowled. "Tarimu," he hissed unpleasantly as if the man's name were a curse.
Tarimu was a short heavyset man who didn't so much walk in Zelgadis's direction as he waddled. He insisted on wearing clothes that were several sizes too small, an unfortunate result of his misconception that he was a slim man. A foul odor hung about him, as he was always sweating from the exertion required by breathing. His ugly baldhead glistened faintly in the torchlight. At all times, he wore an unpleasant smile, taking pleasure in the discomfort of others.
There was no doubt in Zelgadis's mind that this fat toad was going fall over dead in a lobster dinner some evening when his overworked heart finally decided that it had had enough. He just wished that it would happen sooner.
If possible, Tarimu's obnoxious grin broadened when he noticed that Zelgadis was eyeing him unpleasantly. Unperturbed, he picked up his pace, moving at an irritatingly slow crawl until he was next to Zelgadis. He thrust his sweat-slicked hand out as he bellowed, "A fine evening, eh Greywords?" He intentionally refrained from using Zelgadis's title.
Zelgadis looked at Tarimu's hand distastefully until the bureaucrat got the hint and withdrew it. He sighed resignedly and said, "What do you want Tarimu?"
"Why, only to see how you were doing on this fine evening!" the obnoxious minister exclaimed too loudly. The rest of the city officials turned to watch the exchange with interest. "It's been so long since you attended an official function that some of us were beginning to wonder if you'd died!" He laughed at his own joke, snorting every now and again.
Zelgadis felt Zolf bristle beside him and held up a cautionary hand. He looked at Tarimu and imagined how the man would look after being dropped from the top of the capital building. This helped his mood immensely and he actually smiled when he said, "No such luck."
Getting his irritating laugh under control, Tarimu glanced around suspiciously before speaking in what he considered to be a whisper. That meant that one had to be within ten feet of the foul little man to hear what he was saying. "Actually, I was wondering why the High Priest was visiting Sairaag. He so rarely leaves the capital city, you know."
Zelgadis shrugged. "His business is his own."
"That's odd," Tarimu said with a sneer. "Because I had heard that with the unfortunate events of late, Rezo was visiting to evaluate the leadership of the city."
A withering glare from Zelgadis did little to dampen the minister's mirth. So, that was it. The sharks smelled blood in the water and were already jockeying for his position. "I suspect," he said in a cold tone, "that you should ask the High Priest himself of such matters. I'm sure that he would be glad to hear of your concern. Shall I arrange a meeting for you?"
"That won't be necessary," Tarimu said, matching Zelgadis's tone. "I expect that my loyal service is appreciated enough that I can arrange my own meeting with Rezo."
"Suit yourself," Zelgadis spat. A tug on his sleeve drew his attention to Zolf. "Hmm?"
With an apprehensive look on his face, Zolf nodded at something in the street. "He's coming," he said quietly. There was a strange sense of finality in the way that he stated it.
Zelgadis turned to see a jet-black coach drawn by horses of a similar color emerge from the mist. He glanced around at the assembled ministers and nodded.
In unison, they all dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.
Zelgadis heard a grunt and the angry sound of tearing fabric as Tarimu struggled to kneel. His face betrayed his mirth for an instant before falling back into stony indifference.
The clopping of the horses' hooves stopped just outside the gate and there was a quiet squeak as the well-oiled carriage door swung open. Quiet footsteps on the steps followed by a loud clack of boots on the cobblestones, preceded the heavier footsteps of the High Priest himself.
Deciding to risk a bit of impertinence, Zelgadis looked up, curious to see who Rezo's traveling companion was. His blood chilled briefly when he recognized the icy beauty that was Eris. He stole a sidelong glance at Zolf who had tensed up. He had seen too. Was Rezo on to their plan?
Eris was the highest-ranking Slayer in the church. In addition to that honor, she also held the unofficial position of being Rezo's master assassin. After all, even the church had nuisances that would occasionally need to be discreetly disposed of. Her presence could only mean that Rezo suspected something.
And then the High Priest himself stepped out onto the damp cobblestones. He struck the ground forcefully with the end of his staff, producing a small spark and a musical clang that split the night.
Rezo was an imposing man, standing well over six feet tall with broad shoulders. He'd once been a warrior and a peaceful life of piety had done little to diminish his physical stature. He stood tall and proud, but in his robes of the purest white somehow managed to give off an air of modesty at the same time. His facial features seemed to be carved from the purest alabaster and were similar to Zelgadis's, but not so much that one would assume that the two were related. He wore his silvery hair in a style similar to his son's, but more subdued at the same time. The most striking feature about the priest was his cold gray eyes, constantly scanning the area, never missing a detail.
Eris's sharp eyes caught Zelgadis's look of unease and she smiled coldly. "Your son doesn't look pleased to see us, my love," she whispered into the High Priest's ear.
The corners of Rezo's mouth turned up in the slightest hint of a smile. Other than that, he gave no indication that he had heard Eris's words. He strode forward, pausing when he was within a few feet of the assembled ministers. "Loyal servants of Ceiphied," he said quietly, with just a hint of a foreign accent. "You honor me far more than I deserve."
"Not at all," Zelgadis said as he reached out to take Rezo's hand. He kissed it and said, "Only the Flare Dragon Himself shines brighter than the High Priest."
Rezo looked down at Zelgadis with an unreadable expression on his face before walking past him towards the entrance to the capital building. His staff rang out repeatedly as he moved along.
Zelgadis and Zolf shared a nervous glance before standing. They, along with the rest of the officials, fell into step a dozen feet behind the High Priest. Only Eris walked beside Rezo, disregarding the edict that stated that only those of similar station were allowed to stand on equal footing with the High Priest.
"Lord Greywords," Rezo said quietly.
"Sir?" Zelgadis said.
Without looking over his shoulder, Rezo beckoned him forward. "Walk with me. I would have words with you."
Zelgadis nodded and quickened his pace until he was a single step behind the priest.
"Son, would you care to explain what has been going on?" Rezo said. He spared Zelgadis a glance.
Zelgadis recoiled from that gaze. There was a barely contained fury hidden behind those slate eyes. "I'm afraid that I don't understand your meaning, father."
"No?" Rezo said with the slightest hint of a chuckle.
"No," Zelgadis replied, trying to sound forceful. Rezo had cowed him for most of his life and he greatly resented the priest for it.
"I find that to be very strange, don't you Eris?"
Eris nodded and said, "Very strange indeed, my love."
"Because when I gave you control of Sairaag, I had this bizarre notion that you might actually manage it with some small amount of competence." Rezo sighed and shook his head. "Alas, it seems that talent skips a generation now and again. Let me break my question down, son. First of all, can you tell me how you managed to get Dilgear killed?"
"That wasn't my fault," Zelgadis growled angrily. "He was a buffoon, father."
"Granted, but he was a very expensive and loyal buffoon. Which leads me to my next question. Who killed Dilgear?"
"A rogue Slayer," Zelgadis said quietly.
"A rogue Slayer!" Rezo repeated to Eris in a tone of mock surprise. "Such things happen from time to time, or so I'm told. I assume, of course, that this Slayer was dealt with accordingly?"
"N-No, father," Zelgadis reluctantly admitted.
"Why doesn't that surprise me? But, I'm a forgiving man. People are occasionally prone to foolish errors." He glared at his son again. "And the Hellmaster situation? Can you explain that to me?"
"That was dealt with," Zelgadis said through clenched teeth.
Rezo snorted quietly and paused at the bottom of the stairs leading to the top of the tower. He turned to face the rest of the officials and said, "My friends, I'm quite weary from my long journey, so I will bid you all a fond good evening. I do hope to meet with each of you in the days ahead to discuss your services to the city."
The ministers bowed low and turned to leave.
Zelgadis turned to follow them, but was restrained by a hand on his shoulder.
Rezo said, "We weren't done talking, my son. Come along. Be a good host and see me to my chambers." He turned and made his way up the staircase with Eris and Zelgadis in tow. "You say that the Hellmaster was dealt with. That is obvious. If he hadn't been, we wouldn't be having this conversation now, would we?"
"No, father."
"Which of our brave and selfless Slayers banished Hellmaster back to his realm? I would dearly like to reward such an individual."
"It was…" Zelgadis hesitated before continuing, "A rogue Slayer."
"Another rogue!" Rezo chuckled. "Now isn't that an amazing coincidence? Now I'm quite sure that this second rogue was dealt with. Rules are rules, after all and I know that you're not inept enough to make the same mistake twice."
"No, she… she slipped away before she could be eliminated."
Rezo took a deep breath and nodded resignedly. "As I expected." He turned to Zelgadis and asked, "Her name. It's Inverse, isn't it?"
Zelgadis's breath caught in his throat. Rezo knew. He'd probably known all along. The only question left was whether or not his father would spare his life.
Rezo smiled coldly at Zelgadis's reaction. "You have much to fear, son. Nothing escapes my attention." He pulled a well-read letter from within his pocket and held it up for Zelgadis's inspection. "For instance, I know that Lina Inverse is guilty of killing two Slayers. I also know that you've been plotting with this woman. A letter from one of my more trustworthy servants implicates you."
Zelgadis stared at the letter, his mouth agape. Who? Who had known?
"Vrumugun. Head of the Slayers of Sairaag," Rezo answered as if reading Zelgadis's mind. "Tragically, he disappeared shortly after sending me this letter. So sad. But, you wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
Zelgadis shook his head mutely.
"How strange," Rezo mused. "To think that I, who have not visited Sairaag in half a decade, would know more about its happenings than the man governing it." He shot Zelgadis an angry glance. "You may cease your cowering. If I'd wanted you dead, you wouldn't have lived to see me enter the city. No, son. Because I have no idea of what you and Inverse were conspiring to do, I will spare your life. However," he added with an evil grin, "I don't want you to be tempted to do anything rash. This Slayer seems to be a bad influence on you. Therefore, I will do you the favor of disposing of her. Out of sight, out of mind, after all."
"I'm already working on it, my love," Eris said with a wolfish smile.
Zelgadis scowled. He hadn't meant for Rezo to learn about Lina this soon, but he'd planned for him to find out sooner or later. What he hadn't planned on was his father drawing a connection between him and Lina, but that could be remedied.
Lina was playing her role exceptionally well. She was a decoy. While she drew Rezo's attention, Zelgadis would wait for a moment of weakness on the High Priest's part and put an end to him. Deceptively simple. The slightest mistake on his part would result in his swift death. So, he'd bide his time and wait. After all, even Rezo could make mistakes.
But, if everything was going so going so well, Zelgadis thought glumly, why'd he feel so bad about it?
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Next Chapter: An invitation
Notes: Hello, and welcome back everyone! I guess that vacation from the story wasn't quite as long as I had expected. Not even a vacation, really. I've been working on just as much as before.
As my dear beta reader kindly pointed out to me, the Hellmaster arc was lacking a little in the resolution department, but it is only a small part of the bigger story so I hope that I can be forgiven for plunging right into the next portion of the plot.
Reviewer Response:
Otaku girl, I had the same problem when I wrote my first fic. I was terrified that it would be ridiculed, but my first review said, and I quote: "This was very well written, and cheered me up immensely." If I'd gotten a bad review, I think that I would have never gone on to write anything else. Thankfully, most people are quite kind, so keep that in mind when you wonder whether or not to share your work with the world.
Hello Miss Gabriev! Glad you enjoyed the chapter. How're the fics coming?
Dragonet, expect to see a little more about Xellos revealed in the next arc. He won't be featured as prominently, but there will be a little more insight as to who he is.
Pogo, why does everyone think that there's something unusual or *gasp* sinister about poor Xellos? He's nothing more than a mysterious priest. Leave the poor guy alone.
Stara, I did enjoy writing that bit of banter. It was one of the highlights of the chapter for me.
Thanks Pogo, for your fine betaing!