Zelgadis slipped into the familiar darkness of his lair, thankful that he was finally out of the sun. It had been an unpleasant trip home without his cloak which he had leant Amelia earlier that morning. Creeping from shadow to shadow, desperately trying to avoid the rays of the sun, it all served to make him quite miserable. Normal people didn't fear the light of day. If they hadn't been in such a dire situation, Amelia probably would have loved to lay out in the sunlight, feeling its pleasant heat on her face.
Fetching a deep sigh, Zelgadis started down the cool stairs into darkness. Thinking about Amelia enjoying the day while he hid in the darkness did little to make him feel better. It was a happy image, Amelia napping in a grassy field, the sunlight illuminating a content smile upon her face, but it did little save to remind him that it was one of the experiences he'd never be able to share with her. Glancing down at his red and blistering skin, he wondered what it was like for her, enjoying a sunny day. How did the light feel on her skin? He'd never known, being cursed with his condition since birth. He tried to imagine it; tried to understand why it made her smile, but found himself thinking only of how agonizing it was for him.
"Don't be stupid," Zelgadis admonished himself with a shake of his head. He was who he was and wondering about what might have been would only serve to make him more miserable than usual. Taking another step down the stairs, he suddenly hissed in fear, the image of Amelia grotesquely changed in his mind's eye.
The acrobat had been sleeping in a meadow before. That much hadn't changed. But now, she would never wake. Death had claimed her. She was sprawled out on the ground, her limbs appearing to be broken in several places. The formerly lush grass had been stained red by her blood. Every inch of exposed skin bore ugly symbols, carved into her flesh with what appeared to be a very fine blade. Judging by the way they had bled, she had been alive for at least part of the ordeal. She had been split open from belly to breastbone, her insides now on the outside. Finally there was her face, unmarked by her attacker, but bearing an expression of agony. Zelgadis got the sense that it wasn't the physical pain that had hurt most, but the agony of betrayal. Somehow, he knew that this was his doing. Just as he knew what the symbols on her skin meant. He'd never studied the dark language of Chaos, but he knew just the same. They all said, "Rebirth."
Zelgadis lost his footing and tumbled the rest of the way down the staircase. When he hit the bottom, tears were streaming down his face. He'd dreamed of Amelia being hurt before, but never while he was awake and never so vivid. He fancied that he could smell the hot stink of new death; taste the coppery tang of blood on the breeze.
Then it was gone. Zelgadis lay on the floor, curled into a tight ball, struggling to banish the last lingering remnants of that horrible vision from his thoughts. Then, the pain that had plagued him for the last month struck again and struck hard. The last conscious thought that he had before his mind was overwhelmed by agony was that he couldn't let Zolf hear. If his servant came to investigate his screams there was no telling what could happen. Zolf hadn't been exempt from his bloody dreams and he wouldn't risk making them a reality. Just before he lost control, he bit down on his forearm to stifle the noises of his suffering, his fangs sinking deep and scraping bone. Then, everything became red.
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Rezo sat at his desk, penning the document that would officially brand Lina and her friends as heretics and cast them out of the church. He'd already released Gaav and Eris upon them, which should be sufficient, but the document would make their fallen status public knowledge. Then there would be no place for them to hide. They were probably dead already, but it was always better to be sure.
Just then, the door to the office flew open with a loud crash. Rezo glanced up at the man standing in the doorway and winced sympathetically. "I take it you've had a pretty rough day, captain?"
Gaav sneered as he strode into the room. He was coated from head to toe in black oily blood and his sword had been broken in half. When he reached Rezo's desk he unceremoniously flopped down in a chair and propped his muddy feet up on the corner with a satisfied grunt. "With all due respect, sir, I want some goddamn hazard pay," he said as he tossed a bloodstained sack on top of the High Priest's writings. "I don't get paid enough to police the city and whatever those things are underneath it."
"Underneath, captain?" Rezo asked as he undid the cord binding the sack. The parcel tumbled open and several vaguely humanoid heads rolled across his desk and onto the floor. "They were with the priest," he said, recognizing the creatures that Gaav had brought him.
"That's right," Gaav said with a nod. "It was just like you said. How'd you know where they were going to be?"
Rezo glanced at a white cloak that had been carelessly tossed in a corner of the chamber and grinned smugly. "My little songbird told me." Before Gaav could ask what he meant, he said, "The priest took them into the tunnels. And you pursued, but I take it that you didn't get them, did you?" He swept the rest of the grotesque trophies onto the floor with an impatient sigh and resumed writing on his blood-spattered parchment. "Such incompetence, captain." He shook his head irritably and asked, "Why am I surrounded by such gross incompetence?"
Far from being upset, Gaav grinned as he produced one final prize from within his coat. "I wouldn't say that. I got you the old man, at least." He casually lobbed Xellos's head to the High Priest. Rezo's reaction was not at all what he expected.
"By Ceiphied!" Rezo yelled as he looked into Xellos's glassy eyes. He quickly flung the head away and pushed himself away from the desk with such force that he overturned his chair and fell to the floor.
Gaav grimaced and hustled to Rezo's side. "Sorry about that, sir," he said as he helped the smaller man to his feet.
"Captain, if you ever throw another man's head at me, please believe me when I say that yours will be the next to decorate my desk." Rezo never took his eyes off of Xellos's as he spoke. The priest's head had come to rest a few feet away and, of course, he appeared to be smirking at the High Priest.
"Duly noted, sir. Never knew you to be the squeamish type though." Gaav remarked as he walked over to pick up Xellos's head. He casually tossed it from hand to hand and grinned. "You used to be just as bloodthirsty as the most heartless mercenary. Are you going soft in your old age?"
"It's not squeamishness, captain. This man has caused me a lot of… trouble over the years. It was just a little disconcerting to have his head land in my lap, you understand." Rezo approached Gaav cautiously, almost as if he expected Xellos's head to spring to life and attack. "Are you really dead?" he whispered to the priest.
"I'd have to say so. That was a strange thing though," Gaav said with a shrug. "He let me kill him. And he smiled while he did it. Crazy old man."
"Yes, I suspect he was quite mad," Rezo said quietly, unable to tear his eyes away from the creature that had tormented him for so long. "Quite mad, indeed." Instead of feeling relief at the knowledge that his foe was dead, the High Priest instead felt a horrible sense of foreboding. If Xellos was gone, it could only mean that he didn't think that he was needed anymore. Which could only mean that he'd found someone to finish his work. "I want Inverse found and killed without delay," he said angrily. "I'll not tolerate any more mistakes, captain."
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Two figures crept through the back alleys of Sairaag. Normally, even during the day, taking such an action was considered foolhardy, but things were far more perilous out in the open. Besides, they were more dangerous than any lowly thief lurking in the shadows.
"And once we get out o' th' city, I know a great place t' 'ide," Jillas explained as he shifted one of Amelia's bags from hand to hand. "Jus' ye watch, Sis! I'll take care o' ye an' th' boss. We'll go t' my 'omeland. Nothin' left there, so 'Ezo won't even bother t' look." He suppressed a pained grunt as he felt a twinge in his back. Did she really need all this stuff?
Amelia grimaced as she watched Jillas struggle with her bags. Taking a step towards him, she said, "You know, I could carry some of those…"
Jillas vehemently shook his head and quickly scampered out of Amelia's reach. The way he'd reacted, one might think that she was trying to steal his property. "Uh-uh! No' te' problem, Sis!" He pulled the largest of her bags a little higher up on his back to show exactly how little trouble it was.
"Well, thank you, Mister Jillas." Amelia had a warm smile on her face as she shook her head. Not twenty-four hours ago, Jillas had tried to shoot her; had shot Zelgadis, and now he was chatting with her friendly as can be. It was strange for someone with such a sad life to be so kind and helpful. "Why were your people killed?" she asked after a moment of thought.
Jillas shrugged and said, "Don't rightly know that, Sis. F' generations th' fox tribe has always kept t' themselves. Never harmin' nobody. Mos' o' us never even seen a normal 'uman 'til them Slaya's came wit' their silva'."
"How do you know so much about people then? And gunpowder?" Amelia glanced down at the pistol tucked into Jillas's belt. "That's new technology. Even the Imperial Army hasn't really begun using them yet."
"Well, I've always been fascinated b' 'umans and their stuff. Tha's how come I talk so good. I started teachin' m'self when I was jus' a lad o' six," Jillas explained, his chest swelling with pride. "Don' I soun' good, Sis? Jus' like one o' th' natives!"
"Huh? What?" Amelia said, as she struggled to translate Jillas's long sentences. "Oh, right! You sound great, Mister Jillas!" She patted him on the shoulder affectionately, causing his knees to wobble dangerously. "Sorry about that."
"It's a'right," Jillas replied with a cheerful nod. "The tribe made me th' official ambassada' t' th' 'umans. Even made me a badge." He fetched a deep sigh as he said, "Should've stayed 'ome. Me mum always told me tha' messin' wit' 'umans would only bring trouble, but I ne'er listened. I shoulda' though. When 'Ezo learned o' our existence, 'e ordered us wiped out. I 'eard 'em as I ran. 'Eard 'em talkin' about killin' us t' keep th' Eternal Twilight from 'appenin' again. Then, I swore t' get m' revenge on 'Ezo and ye know th' rest."
Amelia sniffled and wiped away a tear. "What a sad story. I'm so sorry, Mister Jillas!"
"I's not a problem. I got more important things t' worry 'bout now anyway. I got t' take care o' ye n' th' boss. Two o' the nicest mastas' a guy could eva' wish for." Jillas nodded as they reached the mouth of the alley. The city gates stood about twenty feet away. "Tha's where we're goin'. Now we jus' wait f' th' boss."
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"Lina, why aren't they stopping?" Gourry twirled the Sword of Light over his head and brought it around at waist level, neatly splitting two of the creatures in half. Four more replaced it.
"I don't know!" Lina yelled as she hopped back to avoid gnashing teeth. One of the beasts lashed out with its tongue and snagged her wrist. At that moment, another one leapt towards her, meaning to snatch the redheaded appetizer from its brother. She grimaced and yanked her arm back, jerking the first beast off balance.
In its zeal, the second bit down on where Lina's arm had been a moment before, neatly severing the tongue of the first. Before her horrified eyes, the luckless creature's tongue had been slurped up like a noodle. Then the beasts turned on their wounded companion and devoured him in a whirlwind of teeth and claws.
"Ugh, I really could have done without seeing that," Lina muttered, feeling a little ill. She quickly backed up until she felt cool stone behind her. At least this way nothing could get her from behind. "C'mon Lina, think!" she growled while tugging on her hair in frustration. Xellos wouldn't have really sent them to their deaths like this, would he? That meant that there had to be a way out of the situation.
"Lina, if you're going to do something, do it quick!" Gourry yelled. One of the Fallen leapt onto his back meaning to nibble on his neck. Instead, it got the blade of the Sword of Light crammed down its throat for its troubles. The swordsman quickly flipped the dying creature forward to bowl over the others and give himself some breathing room. He turned and flung himself against the wall next to Lina. "Any ideas?"
Lina looked at the Sword of Light and then up into Gourry's bloodstained face. The sword required concentration and pure thought. Concentration she could manage but a pure thought… After a moment of contemplation, she smiled at the swordsman affectionately in spite of their grim situation. "I have one," she whispered. "Gourry, let me touch the sword."
Gourry shrugged and lowered the sword into Lina's waiting hand. "Okay, but I don't really understand. You said that you can't use it, right?"
"Close your eyes," Lina instructed as she squeezed her own eyes shut and concentrated. Then her hands closed over Gourry's around the hilt. The sword seemed to dim for just a second and she wondered if she'd made a mistake. Then, she found her thought again and concentrated on it, giving the blade what it needed to thrive.
They'd always thought that the blade had been bright before. In that instant, they learned just how foolish that assumption had been. Bright didn't even begin to describe what they'd just caused. The Sword of Light seemed to erupt, the blade no longer able to hold its shape. Instead, the light seemed to pour out of the hilt, flowing into the air like liquid heat. Everything in the chamber turned white for what seemed like an eternity before all became dark again.
Lina and Gourry dropped to their hands and knees, exhausted by their exertion. They released their hold on the sword and heard it fall to the floor in front of them. The sword had fed on something within them to generate that light. For a few moments, they did nothing but sit in the comfortable darkness gasping for air.
Gourry was the first to recover and he quickly reached out to grab the Sword of Light. He hissed in pain and jerked his hand back when he found it.
"What's wrong?" Lina asked between pants.
"It's hot," Gourry muttered as he blew on his lightly burnt fingers to cool them off. He reached out and tentatively patted the sword. "Huh, it's already cool." Igniting the sword again, he scanned the cavern grimly. The creatures were still there, staring at him and Lina. "So much for that idea," he growled as he stood and prepared to defend himself.
Lina held up a hand. "Gourry, wait." She cautiously crawled towards the creatures and, swallowing nervously, hesitantly reached out to touch the closest one. "Something's different," she said quietly.
"Lina, what are you doing?! Don't touch him!" Gourry quickly leaned forward and grabbed the back of Lina's dress, bodily pulling her away from the beasts.
It was too late though. Lina's fingertips had brushed against the face of one of the creatures setting off a chain reaction. The beast seemed to collapse in upon itself leaving nothing but a cloud of ash to mark its passing. That disturbance in the air set off the one next to it, and so on, and soon the rest of the creatures were gone as well.
Gourry stared at the spot where the throng stood only a moment ago and whispered, "Wow, that was pretty cool." He looked down at the Sword of Light in wonderment. "Hey, Lina. How'd you make it do that?" He glanced at his partner just in time to receive a swift punch in the face, knocking him off his feet.
Looming over her dazed protector, Lina snarled, "You jellyfish! Don't you try to tell me what I can and can't touch! I am the professional here, you know! Lina Inverse, Slayer extraordinaire! And what's the big idea of jerking me around like that? Do you think that just because you're bigger than me you can sling me around like a sack of garbage or something?" She pouted as she examined her mangled dress. "You could have ruined this, you know."
Gingerly rubbing his aching jaw, Gourry said, "Sorry Lina. I didn't want to see you get hurt, that's all."
Lina looked down at her tightly balled fist and sighed. Unclenching her fingers she nodded and said, "I know. Thanks for worrying, but you should trust me a little more. I do know what I'm doing most of the time."
"Yeah, I guess so!" Gourry admitted with a laugh as he regained his feet. "It might have taken me a while to beat all those things. Your way was a lot quicker. So, Miss Professional, what'd you do, anyway?"
Trying to hide the redness in her face, Lina chuckled and waved dismissively. "Oh! Well, it was pretty obvious once I thought about it for a minute. The sword needs pure thoughts to function, so I just gave it one." She put her hands behind her head and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet. "No problem, you know?"
"Oh, uh, sure," Gourry said, nodding as if that were the most reasonable explanation in the world. "So, what were you thinking about?"
"Well, you know… just stuff," Lina said quietly. She stole a quick glance at her protector's confused expression and her face became so hot it almost seemed to glow. "Good stuff," she explained to clarify things for the swordsman. "Hey, is that light over there?" she asked, pointing at a spot somewhere beyond the edge of the Sword of Light's illumination.
A thin beam of light shone through a fissure in the ceiling illuminating a rough set of stairs hewn from the cavern wall. What was really exciting though, was the fact that they led up. Up was good.
Lina cheered and slapped Gourry on the back. "Let's go, Gourry!" She darted off towards the stairs without waiting to see if the swordsman followed. She ran like the wind, heedless of the treacherous footing. Almost tripping over a loose stone, she laughed cheerfully, barely saving herself from a nasty fall. They were getting out of the cavern, out of the darkness. That was all that mattered.
"Lina, wait up!" Gourry called without much hope as he watched the redhead put a good amount of distance between them. "Jeez, if you weren't so bony," he panted, "maybe I'd be able to catch up." Despite his irritated tone, he was worried. The Sword of Light only illuminated so much and she might trip and hurt herself in the semi-gloom.
Shadows flickered at the base of the stairs, dancing as the glow of the Sword of Light drew near. One of those shadows seemed to resist the whim of the light and refused to retreat when it approached. An instant later, it moved into the illumination, revealing itself to be a large hooded figure.
Gourry saw it move before Lina did. "Lina, watch out!" His shout echoed off the walls finally drawing her attention. The redhead turned, not understanding what he had said, but hearing the urgency in his voice. She had maybe a second of awareness and then the shape was upon her.
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Mocking laughter rang out in the darkness, taunting Zelgadis. First from his left, then his right, and once from high overhead, and always from just out of sight. He ran, desperately trying to catch up with his tormentor. Somehow, he knew that the owner of the laugh had the answers that he wanted. Even as he ran, the voice grew fainter, easily putting distance between itself and Zelgadis. As the voice faded, pain seemed to fill the void left behind by it's passing. First a nagging sting between the shoulders and then a burning ache once the voice had finally been silenced.
This pain was what greeted Zelgadis when he opened his eyes. It wasn't the stabbing agony that had vexed him for so long, but a throbbing ache centered in the area around his shoulder blades, something almost like muscle fatigue. The first thing he saw upon regaining consciousness was a pool of blood surrounding him, making him briefly wonder if he was still dreaming. Wincing painfully, he carefully pulled himself up to a sitting position and wiped some of the tacky fluid from his face. Not asleep then.
Zelgadis glanced around fearfully, half expecting to see Zolf's mangled body lying beside him. Thankfully, he was alone in the dark. Where then had the blood come from? He glanced down at himself, noting that his once fine dress shirt was little more than a gore stained rag by this point. It was him then. Had he somehow injured himself as he slept? Shakily climbing to his feet, he almost lost his balance and staggered back into the wall. He was still woozy; from blood loss he assumed. He reached back, expecting to brace himself against the stone but found himself grasping at thin air.
This confused Zelgadis immensely and for a moment he stood, staring off into space with a perplexed expression. He could feel the wall against his back, but couldn't touch it? Stealing a quick glance over his shoulder, he frowned. He knew what he was seeing, but the rational part of his mind refused to accept it. Grand bat like wings jutted from between his shoulders. He shuddered as the reality of the situation hit home. As he did so the wings trembled as well, driving home the fact that they were a part of his body.
Then Zelgadis screamed, no longer caring if Zolf or anyone else heard him.
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Lina yelped in surprise as she barely ducked a clumsy swing from the cloaked figure. She heard his fist go whistling over her head. Somehow she knew that if he'd made contact with her head, it would have been separated from her body. As she crouched, she lashed out with her foot, striking her attacker in the knee. Smiling grimly, she waited for him to fall to the ground clutching his maimed leg. Luna had taught her that trick. If your enemy couldn't walk, he couldn't fight.
Her attacker apparently hadn't received the same training as Lina. He glanced down at his now double-jointed knee curiously and shook his leg. There was the audible grinding of bone on bone and then he rested his weight on it again, apparently none the worse for wear. He then turned his cold gaze back to the Slayer.
"Oh, wow. Well, um, you were kinda… you know… supposed to fall down after that… maybe scream a little…" Lina nervously explained to the cloaked figure as she quickly scrabbled backwards to what she hoped was a safe distance.
The creature leaned forward and tried to roar in anger, but only managed a gurgling croak. Fingers jutted from his open mouth grotesquely and for just a moment, his face was illuminated in the approaching light.
Lina's eyes widened. "I… I've seen you before," she muttered curiously as she regained her feet. She hadn't seen this thing before, but she had seen the man that it used to be. Somewhere… Before she had time to figure it out, it was upon her. "You're quick," she admitted as she deftly avoided two more murderous swings. Then, she lunged forward, striking him in the throat. That was soft at least, she thought as she felt his windpipe give under her fist.
A moment later, Lina was dangling a good two feet off the ground, the front of her blouse in Vrumugun's iron grip. "Well, I'm out of ideas," she said with a grin, as if she wasn't at all bothered by the fact that his fist was about to go soaring through her face. Nothing she could do about it, really.
There was a meaty thwack and a flash of light as Vrumugun swung. Lina's face suddenly disappeared in a fan of blood. He held her there for a moment, his head cocked to the side inquisitively. He'd swung, but there hadn't been an impact, had there? He glanced down at his fist, or rather where his fist should have been. Somehow, he'd lost his arm below the elbow.
Sputtering, Lina wiped Vrumugun's blood out of her eyes and groaned in disgust. "God, that was gross, Gourry!" she complained, "Did you have to wait until the last second to do that?"
Anger replaced the confusion on Vrumugun's face and he pulled Lina forward, meaning to tear out her throat with his teeth. Before he was able to reach her, the blade of the Sword of Light erupted from his stomach. Growling, he swung the screaming redhead around, meaning to use her as a club against Gourry.
Gourry tried not to laugh at Lina's expression as she flew by a mere inch over his head. He yanked the Sword of Light to the side, using Vrumugun's own momentum to nearly cut the former Slayer in half. The instant the blade was free of his body it flew upwards to remove the hand clutching the swordsman's crimson haired charge. He deftly caught her and lowered her to the ground before turning his attention back to Vrumugun.
The misshapen creature thrashed about on the ground squealing in anger. Pain and death seemed to be alien concepts to the beast as he continued to try to drag himself towards Lina despite his grievous wounds.
Lina yelped in surprise as Vrumugun flopped towards her and quickly hid behind Gourry. "Kill it, kill it, kill it!" she ordered.
Gourry planted a foot on Vrumugun's chest to hold him still. A look of pity upon his face, he twirled the Sword of Light once before driving it down into the beast's heart. After waiting a moment to make sure that it was truly dead, he withdrew the sword and stepped away from the corpse. "God, Lina," he muttered with a roll of his eyes. "What'd you do to that guy?"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Lina demanded as she fell into step beside her protector.
"Jeez, don't get mad. I'm just saying that everyone we run into wants to kill you for some reason." Gourry shrugged and said, "I was just kinda wondering what you did to him."
"For your information, bait for brains, I didn't do anything to him. It's just a part of the job. The forces of darkness are always trying to get the hero." Lina smiled cutely and asked, "And I can't help it that I'm the brave and talented heroine, can I?"
"Brave and talented heroine?" Gourry said with a smug grin. "This coming from the girl that was just hiding behind me yelling, 'Kill it'? What's so brave about that?"
"Well," Lina said through clenched teeth, "that was the talented part. I was displaying my remarkable leadership capabilities by doling out brilliant tactical commands to my loyal and decidedly clueless lackey." Noting Gourry's confused expression, she nodded happily. "Exactly."
Gourry stared at Lina thoughtfully. "I don't know what you just said," he admitted after a moment, "but I'm willing to bet there was an insult in there somewhere."
Lina just shrugged noncommittally and asked in a tone of mock hurt, "Would I do something like that?"
As the bickering pair made their way to the stairs, the light shining on Vrumugun dimmed. Just before the darkness claimed him, he seemed to twitch, just once.
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Zelgadis staggered into the comforting familiarity of his private chambers. Or rather, it would have been comfortable had the damned things on his back not followed him in. He glanced over his shoulder again and grimaced in revulsion at the leathery monstrosities. There was no way he could pass for a normal person now. Unless…
Trying to manipulate the wings was akin to having to learn to walk again. One didn't just maneuver new appendages with the same dexterity as the old. "No, no, no! Don't do that!" Zelgadis pleaded, as his left wing seemed to move with a mind of its own to sweep several bottles off a nearby table. He winced as they shattered on the floor and his right wing apparently took that as a sign that it was supposed to knock a lantern from a hook on the wall. "Son of a…" Growling angrily, he quickly stomped out the flames before they could spread to anything important. He sighed irritably as he reached out to grab one of the wings. "Listen, I don't know where you came from, but you're riding on my back now! And so help me, if you two don't behave yourselves, I'll pluck you both just like that!" he snarled, snapping his fingers for emphasis. A moment later, the incredulity of what he was doing hit him and he smacked his forehead in frustration. Taking a few deep breaths, he forced himself to calm down. This seemed to have a soothing effect on the wings as well.
Holding his breath, Zelgadis carefully willed the wings downwards, trying to learn the ins and outs of a whole new set of muscles. After a few minutes of work, they were comfortably draped about him, appearing like nothing so much as a living cape. He admired himself briefly before nodding in satisfaction. This would do. He could conceal them beneath a cloak easily enough.
Then it hit him. Despite all the noise that Zelgadis had been making over the last few minutes, Zolf hadn't come to investigate. "Zolf?" he called out without much hope. As he feared, he received no answer. Sensing his nervousness, his wings began to skittishly flutter about him. He unconsciously willed them down as he quickly made his way to Zolf's quarters. "Zolf?!" he yelled, barging into his servant's modest room.
Zolf sat at his desk, his head cocked to the side as if he were staring at Zelgadis inquisitively. His features were ghostly white and his face was a mask of terror. Twin puncture wounds marred his neck, the telltale mark of a vampire's kiss. One of his arms had been draped across the table and a card had been set in his hand as if he were offering it to Zelgadis.
Frowning, Zelgadis stepped forward and plucked the card from Zolf's cold fingers. "Sorry, Zolf," he muttered quietly as he began to read.
I deeply regret the fact that I missed seeing you. I expect that it would have been an interesting encounter. Your servant was quite lacking in manners and I chastised him accordingly. I've found that he serves his purpose just as well as before, however. You'll find that he's holding a parcel for you. I'm confident that you'll know what to do with it.
Zelgadis eyed the gently flowing script angrily. It looked vaguely similar to his father's but some of the flourishes were different. A scholar perhaps? Certainly not a surgeon. They had the most atrocious handwriting. Maybe a woman? Scowling, he balled up the card and cast it aside. There were no secrets there. Curiously, he approached Zolf and saw that the author of the note had been telling the truth. Sitting in his lap was a plainly wrapped package, bound with a length of string.
Cautiously cutting the string, Zelgadis opened the package and frowned in puzzlement at its contents. "What the hell?" he muttered quietly, before wrapping it back up. He nodded at Zolf as if saying goodbye and then quickly turned to leave. Had he taken the time to look, he would have found that his servant clutched something in the hand that wasn't on the table, something that would have done more to reveal the identity of the attacker; three long strands of hair, barely visible in the lamplight.
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"Do you think he got caught?" Amelia asked nervously, as she watched the blood red sun set over Sairaag. It'd been hours since she and Jillas had hidden in the alley. Zelgadis should have been there by now. He said that there were only a few things that he had to take care of and then…
"Ready to go?" Zelgadis asked quietly, emerging from the shadows a mere two feet from Amelia. "Sorry," he said with a shrug when the acrobat almost jumped out of her skin.
After regaining her wits, Amelia hugged Zelgadis tightly. "Mister Zelgadis! I thought that you had-oh?" When she grabbed him she felt something give beneath his cloak. Somehow it felt like grabbing a folded umbrella. She glanced at him inquisitively as he pulled away from her. Had he really been that bulky before? "Have you put on weight?" she asked curiously.
Zelgadis frowned and stepped back into the shadows. "Amelia, I just saw you this morning! No, I haven't put on weight." He sighed and shook his head in annoyance. "Are you ready to go or not?"
Amelia nodded and gasped in surprise when Zelgadis swept past her into the street. "Mister Zelgadis!" she stage whispered. "What are you doing?!"
As expected, guards immediately surrounded Zelgadis as soon as he stepped out into the open. When Jillas growled and reached for his pistol, the former minister held up a hand to stop him. "There's no need for that." He cordially smiled at the sergeant and said, "You're barring my path. Do you know who I am?"
The sergeant's gaze never faltered as he said, "Former Chief Minister of Sairaag, Zelgadis Greywords, you have been branded a traitor to the church. The sentence for your crimes is death."
Zelgadis smirked and crossed his arms. "Death?" His mocking laughter echoed through the street. "That's quite amusing sergeant," he said with a cruel grin. He glared at the man for a moment before snorting dismissively and muttering, "Cut your throat, please." He reached out to mentally compel the guard to do so, even as he verbally commanded him.
"Mister Zelgadis!" Amelia gasped. She watched in horror as the guard's hand flew to his belt where his dagger was sheathed. Without thinking, she tackled him before he could carry out Zelgadis's command. As she wrestled with him for his dagger, she looked into his eyes, seeing terror there. He didn't want to do this. "Stop this!" she called out to Zelgadis.
The other guards just stood, too stunned to act. Nothing in the manual covered having your commanding officer spontaneously try to commit suicide while trying to make an arrest. The manual, it seemed, could use a little bit of reworking.
The cruel grin still upon his face, Zelgadis watched as Amelia fought with the guard. A sudden tug on his sleeve drew his attention and he glanced down at Jillas, looking as if he'd just woken from a dream. "What are you doing here?" he asked, talking more to himself than the fox man.
"Ye 'ave t' stop 'em, boss!" Jillas said, pointing at Amelia and the sergeant frantically.
Zelgadis turned and gasped in surprise. "What did I do?" he asked before glancing around at the surrounding soldiers. "Sleep," he commanded, and in an instant, a dozen men dropped to the street, deep in slumber.
Amelia sighed in relief as the sergeant followed suit and released his hold on the dagger. Not quite trusting him to keep it himself, she tucked it into her belt and turned to look at Zelgadis. "Why'd you do that?" she asked in a wounded tone, almost as if he'd tried to hurt her instead of that poor man. She'd accepted that he could do it; after all, he had told her that he was different, but why had he done it? That wasn't the Zelgadis that she knew. Truth be told, he'd frightened her a few moments ago.
Unable to bring himself to look into Amelia's eyes, Zelgadis mumbled what might have been an apology before nodding at the gate. "Let's go. I expect there'll be more coming soon enough."
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The fugitives sprinted into the forest that lay just outside the city gates. As they watched the walls disappear behind the trees, they each felt a strange sense of loss.
Zelgadis because the city was all he'd ever known. In a way, it'd been a prison, but he'd made it his prison. His station, Zolf, his very life lay behind those walls, and it'd been snatched away by cruel chance.
Amelia frowned because her family still stayed behind those walls. They had no idea of what she'd gotten into and it was for the best, she told herself. After all, what they didn't know couldn't hurt them, right? Or at least, that's what she hoped.
Jillas just really regretted that he'd left Amelia's bags behind in the alley. In all the excitement, he'd just forgotten to grab them again. What was she going to wear on the trip?
Zelgadis suddenly held up a hand, signaling that the others should stop. "Wait a moment," he whispered. Laughter. There'd been laughter and conversation on the breeze. "We're not alone," he explained to his companions.
Just then, a nearby bush began to rustle, setting all three companions on edge. Amelia hesitantly drew her dagger, Zelgadis his sword, and Jillas his pistol. They all waited with baited breath to see what would emerge from the woods.
The first figure emerged from the bush saying, "Look, all I'm saying is that I'm the heroine! You're like the loyal sidekick or something, you know?"
Her companion protested, "But I do all the fighting! It's not very heroic when I do all the fighting and you hide behind me!"
"That's because you're the sidekick," Lina patiently explained. "You're supposed to take the lumps for the hero. And I don't hide! I strategize and-oh?" She glanced up to see her companions standing with weapons held at the ready. "Uh, is something wrong, guys?" she said, holding up her hands to show that she was unarmed.
A few moments later, Lina was rummaging through the package that Zelgadis had taken from Zolf. "A silver dagger, stakes, my clothes… No sword though. Where'd you say you got this again?" she asked, glancing up at Zelgadis inquisitively.
"It was at my home," Zelgadis said with a scowl. "Someone knew that I'd see you again." He shook his head and muttered, "Lina, I think someone's following you."
The others quickly glanced around at their surroundings feeling a bit more on edge. Had the forest been that menacing before? The afternoon light seemed to make the shadows grow. Anything could be hiding within them, waiting to pounce…
Lina laughed happily, dispelling the sense of disquiet the others were feeling. "Yeah? Well, let them follow me if they want! I don't care anymore." She gathered up her things and slipped behind a rather large tree for some privacy. There was the sound of ripping cloth and a moment later, the tattered dress she'd worn for the last twenty-four hours came fluttering out from behind it.
Zelgadis's shook his head in disbelief. "Lina, did I just hear you right? I did just tell you that someone's following you. Someone that may want to see you dead. Doesn't that bother you?"
Stepping out from behind the tree, Lina grinned and gave herself a quick examination. It felt good to be herself again, to have her weapons and to be back on the road. Free. She laughed again, forgetting for the moment that she'd lost Xellos, Luna, and her faith in Rezo. Later there would be time to think on it, but none of that mattered right now. Noting that Zelgadis was still scowling, she said, "Hey, we'll deal with that if it comes up, Zel. It doesn't help to be gloomy all the time, you know. You've got to stop worrying and just live once in a while."
"You're just going to walk away from all the questions?" Zelgadis asked in disbelief as he pointed back in the direction of the city. "What about Rezo?"
"What about him?" Lina asked, pretending to stifle a yawn. "He wants us dead. The smart thing to do is stay as far away from him as possible, right?" She glanced up at her blond haired companion and nodded. "What do you think, Gourry?"
"Sounds good to me," Gourry replied with a nervous grin. "Better to run than be executed, right?"
"What about your sister?" Zelgadis asked, hoping that would drive some sense into her. He didn't want to stay in Sairaag, but just running off like nothing was wrong was even worse. They had to figure out what to do.
Lina's grin didn't fade, but it did look a little less genuine for a moment. "Sis, told me to run a long time ago. It was the right thing to do then, and it is now." She turned her back on Zelgadis and began to walk, Gourry by her side. She'd never told Zel about what happened to Luna, she thought angrily. Had he been the one to take her? She'd have to think about that one for a while. Zel had never played straight with her.
Sensing that Lina wasn't quite as happy as she'd been a moment ago, Gourry put an arm around her and pulled her close as they walked. That seemed to work. She didn't look ecstatic, but she wasn't fuming either. That was a start.
Shaking her head thoughtfully, Lina allowed herself to enjoy Gourry's embrace. Zelgadis was another of those things that could be figured out later.
Amelia watched Lina and Gourry go with a nervous look on her face. She bit her lip contemplatively before calling out, "Miss Lina! Do you know where you're going?"
"Yep!" came the redhead's reply. "I'm going wherever the road takes me."
That was good enough for Amelia. She favored Zelgadis with a smile before running off to try to catch up. "Miss Lina! Wait for me!" Close behind her was Jillas.
Zelgadis stared after the group in disbelief. This was madness and it wasn't going to solve anything. However, having nothing else to do and not wanting to face the world alone, he found himself following them soon after.
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Next Chapter: Friendly people, an inviting atmosphere, and on top of that, it's home for one of Lina's companions. Perfect for our heroes to take a moment to breathe and sort out their feelings. But even the most idyllic locale has its dark secrets…
Notes: Whew, it was incredibly liberating to get the cast away from Sairaag for a bit. The change of locales was incredibly invigorating and marks the beginning of a series of stories that deal more with the characters themselves than the big villains (not that I'm suggesting that Rezo's a villain mind you).
Reviewer Response:
Sami, thanks for finally reviewing! I know I said it before in my e-mail to you, but I really appreciate your kind words. I really don't deserve them. How's the artwork coming? I'd love to see it.
Otaku girl, glad you liked Xellos's secret. Did you ever post your story?
Miss Gabriev, Reika is from TRY. One of the Peacemen, remember? I have no plans to include Filia at the moment, but I THINK (think, mind you) that she and Val will have big parts in ET2.
Hey, I'm a big Jillas fan, Dragonet. I know he's a little goofy now, but he's basically playing comic relief. I do like his loyal nature though and will be playing that up in the next few chapters.
Well Colin, Lina didn't seem to be too happy with Vrumugun, did she? Good thing he's dead now, right? As for L/G, wait for the next chapter. That's all I'll say.
Pogo, are you suggesting that you want MORE chocolate covered cherries?! Hazard pay… bah! I'll bet anyone here would love to get to read 2-3 chapters ahead. As for Xellos, I don't think you'll be hearing, "That is a secret," anytime soon, but his actions are still going to influence the story in a huge way. Thanks again for betaing. A lovely job as always.
Until next time!