The Price of Self

Chapter: 3

Faith of the Blind

Next chapter up. Hope you all enjoy. And, can anyone name the irony I'm starting to present in this fic?

He sat up quickly and looked around just to be meet with darkness. He felt that his eyes were closed but he could not make them open. The more he tried to force his eyes open the more of a headache he acquired. After a few minutes Zelgadis sighed as he remembered the oracles words, 'After you are released then you will become as physically blind as you are mentally.'

"Well, I guess there is not much I can do about this one other than accept it," Zelgadis spoke to himself as he felt depressed about his condition.

"Zel...," he heard a groggy voice off to his side that he knew was Lina.

Lina rubbed her sleepy eyes as she watched Zelgadis turn towards her. He had sat up in his bed and was now facing her even though he was a bit off in his direction. It was after noticing this odd moment that Lina noticed that Zel's eyes were still closed. Lina yawned before saying, "Zel you need to open your eyes or your going to constantly be facing an off direction."

Zel sighed as he moved his right hand towards the side of the bed. "I would if I could Lina but my eyes are kinda cursed," Zel replied as he felt around for Lina.

Lina's eyes widened for a moment before she grabbed Zel's groping hand with her own hand. After she grabbed his hand Lina placed her other hand on top of his and asked, "What do you mean your eyes are cursed? What happened?"

Zelgadis sighed as he corrected the direction of his head before saying, "Let's just say a cure lead turned out to be a double curse. I was first cursed to act like a monster which you were finally able to break. And, the second curse was to be blinded until I can figure out how to break the curse."

Lina looked at Zelgadis with hurt eyes as she could sense the anger and pain that radiated off of Zelgadis. She knew that of all the curses that being blinded like his grandfather was the ultimate slap in the face to her long time friend. Lina sighed as she stood up, while still holding onto Zel's hand, but then let go to hug her friend on the shoulders. "Zel I know that this is a tough time but don't beat yourself up over this. We'll find a way to get your sight back don't worry."

Zel rested his arms on Lina's back before he felt her back away. His sensitive ears heard the slight movement of her chair as she sat down once again. He moved his head back to the front and began to think for a moment before his head shot up and asked, "What happen to Gourry? I remember attacking him...but after that my mind goes blank."

Lina was about to answer when the door to the room opened up and Gourry looked in on them. "I'm okay Zel...You beat me up a decent bit, but nothing that a week of rest couldn't fix," Gourry replied from his post from the chair next to the room door.

Zel looked towards where he heard the door and sighed before saying, "I'm sorry Gourry...," and then growing silent.

Gourry smiled lightly before saying, "Don't worry Zel. I know you weren't you then, but the village people don't know that so they still think you're some kind of monster...Ouch! Lina why did you do that!"

Zel heard Lina stomp towards the door before slamming it. She probably thought that it would keep the conversation from Zel but she was again forgetting that he was not human. "Damnit, Gourry right now is not the time to remind him that there are people here that hate him. Zel's had it bad enough without you pretty much calling him a monster."

Zelgadis heard the whole one way conversation but was surprised that he had not heard a single sound of violence. He thought too soon as he heard a crash before the door opened again and he heard Lina yell, "And, find yourself a new chair because your still on guard duty!"

Lina sat down in her chair with a huff before looking back at Zelgadis. He had his head turned in her direction though he was off by a little bit. 'He's pretty good at following sound. He just needs to get used to it a bit more and he might not be at a disadvantage at all,' Lina thought before asking, "Do you need anything? Maybe a bite to eat?"

Zel thought for a moment before saying, "Something to eat would be nice and some coffee to drink I haven't had anything in a few days."

Lina nodded before getting up and heading towards the door. She opened the door and was about to step out. Lina quickly poked her head back in the room and said, "Zel I know your not the type to want to stay in bed but if I even heard so much as a foot hit the floor then you are in trouble got that?"

Zel nodded at the implied threat before he heard the door shut and heard Lina's footsteps start to become distant. After he could not hear Lina anymore Zel slowly moved to get out of the bed. 'I know I said I wouldn't but I need to find my cloak. It was still with me during that little fight and it has it inside,' Zel thought as he silently crept onto the floor.

'Just one problem...I can't see where anything is...this is going to be interesting,' Zel thought again as he slowly began to shuffle across the floor.

After a few minutes he bumped into something and heard it begin to wobble. Zel quickly reached out and caught the item and felt it to figure out what he had in his hands. It was a chair and he began to feel around on it. After a moment he found a piece of cloth in the seat and continued to feel around. He soon came to what felt like a hood and he knew that he had just found his cloak, "Good now to get back before..."

Zelgadis was interrupted with the door opening and Lina asking, "Before what?"

Much to Zelgadis' chagrin the chair he had found was right in the opening path of the door. Once Lina opened it fully it hit him in the back. Zel lost his balance and fell on the chair thus breaking the wooden object and causing a loud crash to ring in the room. A low moan was Zelgadis' reply as he laid on the floor knowing that he was caught. "What did I say," Lina yelled from above him.

He heard her set something down before he felt her small hands on his shoulders. Before he could move Lina pulled him to a standing position. Zel did not move knowing that it was not over yet. "I told you to stay in the bed and what do you do," Lina yelled as she held Zelgadis by the collar.

Zel faced Lina while she yelled and prepare for the punch that he knew she was about to throw. When Lina let go with one hand he began to listen for what was coming. As he listened he heard the air moving with the punch. Zel moved his head to the right as he felt the breeze of the punch go by. He heard Lina gasp before she asked, "How in the world did you dodge that?"

"I'm not human remember," Zel replied solemnly as he began to shuffle back to the bed slowly.

Lina watched as Zelgadis slowly moved back towards his bed. She stood for a moment still shocked that he was able to dodge her punch. After the shock passed Lina moved and took hold of Zel's right arm. "Don't worry Zel I'm just going to help you back to the bed," Lina replied as Zelgadis quickly turned his head in her direction.

Once Zel was back in the bed Lina went over and grabbed the tray she had sat down. She moved back to her seat before saying, "Now I have a sandwich and the coffee you wanted. I didn't know how you like your coffee so I brought some sugar if you want some."

Zel shook his head and replied, "No thanks but could you mix this in with the coffee," as he produced a small pouch from his pants pocket.

Lina took the pouch and opened it to see a brownish powder before asking, "What is this stuff Zel?"

"It is a mixture of certain elements and minerals that this body needs to continue working. The human body needs a certain level of things like salt to work correctly...but since I'm part golem I need a few other components," Zelgadis replied as he turned his head in Lina's direction.

Lina smiled as she finally understood why Zel seemed to drink so much coffee. At first she thought that he was just a caffeine junkie but it seems it was the way he choose to intake this power. Lina dumped the powder in the coffee and stirred until the powder had fully dissolved. "So why did you choose coffee for this stuff? Why not just water or a light tea," Lina asked as she placed the cup in Zel's hand.

Zel slowly brought the cup up and felt for it on his lips before lightly tipping it back and taking a swallow. He sighed before replying, "Because the stuff taste horrible. It takes a very strong taste to mask the powder and the best thing for that is black coffee."

Lina sat and watched as Zelgadis slowly drank his coffee with a content smile on her face. 'Well, hopefully Zel will be able to get out of bed soon. Only problem is he is still blind and nether one of us knows how to cure it. I'd better get something for him before we head out again,' Lina thought before moving the tray closer to Zelgadis and saying, "Here have something to eat...I'm sure even you would be hungry after all that has happened."

Zel nodded as he received a piece of the sandwich from Lina. He began to eat as Lina sat by his side to watch over him and take care of anything that he needed. As the day went on Zel laid in his bed while he heard Lina flipping through a book next to his bed. "You know you don't have to stay with me the entire time," Zel said lowly as he just laid there.

Lina stopped and looked at Zelgadis before replying, "Well, I'm going to stay here. I'm not going anywhere until I know you are alright. And, besides I don't want you to have to overdo it with your eyes in the shape they are. Just let me take care of it a relax."

Zel heard the, 'that's final,' tone in Lina's voice and just sighed before just laying back again. He mused to himself, 'Why does this seem familiar,' as he relaxed listening to Lina flipping the pages of her book on into the night.

Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.

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