Capriones 8/13/2006
Disclaimer: We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.
Chapter Twenty-One -- Zelgadiss Revealed
Xelloss tenderly kissed Sylphiel's cheek, to her astonishment, and then pulled back, smiling.
"You said exactly the right thing to Zelas. I couldn't have done better. Let her think what she will; it will keep her amused and excuse Lina's absence. It's far safer for us to have mother think Lina and Gourry are fooling around than that they are off the settlement. It's easy enough to fix everything later. Gourry could have his fling, shall we say, think better of it, and become engaged to you, for instance. Besides, Zelas can tell a headstrong girl like Lina's not everyone's cup of tea."
He chuckled to himself as Sylphiel blushed, not from the kiss, but from his insinuation that Gourry and Lina could become lovers, if even only in Zelas' eyes, and smiled at her foolishness. Still, he did say everything would work out in the end.
"Thank you," she said. "That means a lot to me."
"Good," he said. "Because I look forward to having you as a sister and I shouldn't like to murder my brother to get my girl back."
"Your girl? You mean Miss Lina? Are you sure she's attracted to you? Do you like her that much, er...?" Sylphiel blurted out, and then realizing how rude it was for her to pry, turned bright pink. "I'm sorry! It's none of my business."
Xelloss laughed at her discomfort. "It's all right, Sylphiel. I do love Lina with all my heart and I know she's, well, attracted to me, as you so gently put it. It's not something I can expose out right. Not yet."
Xelloss' laugh died on his lips, as his chest clenched in pain and sorrow filled his heart. He was stunned at how deeply he felt for Lina and how much he missed her. The memory of their parting remained fresh in his mind and her kiss indelibly etched on his lips. If only she was already safely returned; he would trade anything for that assurance.
"Because your mother still thinks you and I are married?" Amelia asked.
"That is an important reason for keeping my secret, yes."
"How are you going to tell her? You'll have to when Lina comes back. You can't keep pretending. I don't know how long I can!"
"We will have Rezo to contend with soon. Hopefully, destroying him and his Red Guard will satisfy her, and I'll be forgiven," Xelloss said, his face pinched with worry.
Zelgadiss was excited to get underway. The longer they waited the more nervous he become. His rising apprehension over the outcome of the 'procedure' tested his patience at last.
"Amelia, Sylphiel, if you would please get started? You can discuss Xelloss' love life after I'm back to normal."
"Excellent idea!" Xelloss said, grasping for a diversion from his gloomy thoughts.
"Oh, yes, certainly we can," Amelia said without hesitation. "First, Miss Sylphiel and I will apply the healing spells. As we encounter the black magic ones, Miss Sylphiel will undo them, if possible, or ask Mr. Xelloss, and then we have some alternate ideas using spells from the book."
"Then get on with it, please," Zel said.
Amelia was not offended by his shortness because she understood how nervous he must be feeling. She closed her eyes in concentration as healing rays of glowing energy radiated from her hands and over Zelgadiss' prone body. She began at his head, while Sylphiel started at his feet. From time to time, one of them would stop and brew more infusions of herbs, which Zel drank-- the Bonemend leaves Lina had bought at the market being one of the herbs used.
Sylphiel applied a steady stream of magic, progressing from his feet to his legs, pausing intermittently to peal away a trouser leg to reveal bare skin that was smooth with a healthy skin-tone. Amelia's hands moved with excruciating slowness over his face, taking care to remove every trace of scar tissue as she moved along. The ears didn't change, nor did his hair, but when she had reached his neck his face was flawless including the chiseled jaw and well-shaped nose.
"You are very handsome, my friend," Xelloss told him with a smile.
"So...so it's taking effect?"
"Yes, the scars are going away. The hair is another problem it seems, right Amelia?" Xelloss asked.
She was busy so she just nodded so not to lose her concentration. Twenty minutes into the job, both girls' hands met over his abdomen where they remained a few minutes more, then pulled back.
"Whew! I need to rest," Amelia said.
"So do I," Sylphiel said, "That was the easy part, Zelgadiss. I had to supplement with two different black magic spells from that book in order to release the binding magic. Still, there's more to go, after we rest a few minutes."
Sylphiel swallowed a cup of water and fell back onto a cushion, while Zelgadiss stood to examine himself in his mirror. He gasped.
"My gods! It's me again!"
"Mostly," Xelloss said. "Looks as if Rezo mixed a little demon into his spell– you know, the hair...ears"
Zelgadiss punched him, but not to hurt. "I can see."
"We think we know how to take that last bit away," Sylphiel said.
"Tell us," Xelloss said.
She explained the mix of spells she intended to use and Xelloss conjured up the Claire Bible to check her plans and make adjustments. Zelgadiss recommended Amelia stand by to cast a Recovery spell.
"Keeping me in some kind of 'stasis' sounds dangerous. Remember what Zelas said. I don't think she was joking when she said you'd have to kill me to undo some of the curse."
"Recovery won't bring you back to life, only the powerful Resurrection spell. A-aand... that's illegal to use! I'm not strong enough in white magic do that spell, Mr. Zelgadiss!" Amelia said, desperation coming through her voice. "Or I would. I don't know who can."
"Possibly Filia, though I've never seen her do it or even mention it," Sylphiel said. "The stasis will keep you from going into shock, but you're right, it's too dangerous to continue. We should stop at this point and wait until Filia is here to help."
"If Filia comes back, you mean," Zelgadiss said. "Who's kidding who now? If she and Valgaav ever come back here, I'll be surprised. No, I don't want to wait until hell freezes over for my complete cure. Just do it now and prepare to stop the moment you think I might stop breathing."
"I love you just the way you are. Please, don't ask me to go on," Amelia cried.
"It will difficult to monitor anything while you are in stasis," Xelloss told him. "If you want my opinion–"
"I don't," Zelgadiss said abruptly."
"I think finding you a fashionable hat to wear is a safer choice," Xelloss finished.
The girls agreed with Xelloss, but Zelgadiss stood firm, and at last they conceded to him that it was his choice. He drew Amelia into a passionate kiss.
"I trust you," he said. "But if it doesn't work, I take the blame, not you. Understand?"
"Yes," she conceded.
As Amelia nodded, he told them to begin.
They began chanting spells which blended black and white magic into an unstable energy mass covering Zelgadiss in a cocoon of magical electricity. His eyes shut, heartbeat slowed, and muscles went lax as he entered a near-death-like state.
"Okay, this is it!" Sylphiel warned them as she chanted the last few words.
With her hands, she extracted a nearly invisible, black miasma from around his head, and as she did, his hair softened, turned brown, and relaxed over his face and onto the pillow. Xelloss snapped his fingers and the darkness disappeared instantly.
"How's he doing?" he asked Amelia.
"He's okay. Alive, barely. Hurry, Sylphiel," she whispered.
Sylphiel's lips moved, more miasma escaped the cocoon of white shielding and his ears returned to a normal size and shape. Once more, Xelloss collected the dark energy and made it disappear.
"That's it. Time to wake him up," Sylphiel said.
Precious minutes ticked by, both girls recited spells, Amelia's eyes catching the other girl's and exchanging worried looks. Xelloss could tell something was not right.
"Oh," Sylphiel gasped. "Dear Cepheid, give me strength."
"He's not waking up!" Amelia cried out. "He's alive, but I can't bring him to consciousness! I don't know what else to do!"
"Try Recovery," Xelloss said, looking at Sylphiel, who was chanting healing magic over Zelgadiss' body.
"That's what she's doing, but it's not strong enough. It's what I was afraid would happen! Oh, how I wish... oh, Filia...I wish you were here, too." Amelia broke down into tears.
"Can he be moved in this condition?" Xelloss asked, nearly frantic himself.
"I don't know... Yes, I think so," Amelia said, no longer thinking straight and panicking.
"Then there's only one choice," Xelloss said.
"You're not taking him to Rezo!" Sylphiel cried out. Her arms fell to the side, her magic powers drained completely.
"No!" Xelloss shouted back. "No," he repeated, more calmly. "I wouldn't do that. I'm going to have to take him to Milgasia, and hope that Filia and Valgaav are on his good side already. The man can bring the dead back to life."
"Are you sure?" Amelia asked, hope in her eyes. "How do you know that? Information like that could get the Cephied leader executed!"
"He can," Xelloss said his eyes dark and serious, "and you will have to take my word for it that he's done it before. This case should be easier, I'd think, because Zel's not truly dead. Here wrap his cloak over him."
Xelloss rushed out of the tent, punching the flap aside, and whistled three times, long and shrill. He hurried back into the tent and scooped Zelgadiss into his arms.
"Wish me luck," he said, even as he dashed out of the tent and into the path of a powerful, black stallion.
"It came to him," Sylphiel said in wonder. "With a whistle. Did you see that?"
Amelia nodded. "Hurry!" she cried out.
"Xelloss will save him, Amelia. Zel will be okay." Sylphiel wrapped her arms around Amelia whispering, "We have to believe and trust in Cepheid."
"Couldn't hurt," Xelloss said.
With amazing strength, Xelloss heaved the limp form of his friend over the horse, then from a stance, leaped onto the horse's bare back. Burying one hand in the mane and griping Zel firmly with the other, he directed the horse at a full run, away from the tents and caravans and onto the road Valgaav and Filia had taken the night before.
End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-One.