Chapter 1

Four young lads, a suit of armor, and a stuffed animal were walking down a dirt road. It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke but, in reality, it was the beginning of a bad day. Lina's group had just left Hans's village behind and now they were heading south. They were searching for the Hellmaster's Jar.

The sun was already peeking over the distant mountains and, in the distance, the outlines of a coastal town were finally visible. Its white walls contrasted with the acid green of the pines, with the electric blue of the sea.

"Finally!" Lina yelled, "I'm starving. Come on, Gourry, let's go and have a proper breakfast!"

"Hey! Wait!"

But Lina didn't wait for anything or anyone, at least, not when the smell of homemade bread was so intense. The sorceress bolted out, followed by her blonde giant and a lime-colored plush.

"Nama also wants to play!" said the armor then.

Thus, she screeched forward, leaving the princess and the chimera behind.

"Let's go too, Zelgadis," she encouraged him. "If we don't hurry up, Lina won't leave even crumbs."

The boy grunted something low and quickened his pace. They walked in silence, until the trees gave way to the white walls and the road left the dirt to cover itself with the grayish color of the stones. There, as usual, Zelgadis pulled his hood over his head and left his mask up to cover his mouth with the sand-colored cloth. It was already part of a routine. Every time they entered a new place, the chimera covered his rock face and his wired hair. And every time he did, Amelia's mouth twitched a little bit.

This time, his ritual was accompanied by a long grim look. That's new, the princess thought. Normally his eyes danced from face to face, studying how the villagers reacted to his presence and snorting at frowns or frightened faces. This time, however, his gaze was fixed on the cobblestones, his hands were huddled in fists and, if only she had been able to see his mouth, Amelia would surely have found a bitter line of anger too.

"Zelgadis? Is something wrong?"

But the boy didn't answer. Today, that little ritual had brought something else to his mind, a scene from last night. One, two, three times. The moment of the forest ran through his head on a loop. Five, six and seven times. He saw Hans and the other dullahans calling him a monster. He saw images of his past. Monster. Shouting, teasing... Reza. He saw Rezo everywhere.

A kind voice spoke his name. The images bounced uncontrollably through his head, as he felt them take control of his… "Zelgadis?"

"It's nothing," he lied. "Come on."

The couple entered the first restaurant they found and, of course, their friends were there. They made such a pitiful sight. Gourry and Lina were fighting over a steak. To his left, Nama was cheering Gourry from the top of her non-existential lungs and Pokota was standing on the table. Both his hands and his two strange ears were bursting with potatoes. What was once a feast was now a massacre. Chicken wings were scattered across the wood, the beer soaked the rice and a lime-colored foot crushed the vegetables. Wait, vegetables? At Lina's table? That didn't add up. Surely, those were some kind of exotic green meat.

Amelia frowned and sat down in the chair with the fewest food stains. It wasn't an easy decision. Afterward, she chose a pair of wings from the table and helped herself to some potatoes. Beside her, Zelgadis took another chair. He was still wearing the mask. And his head was full of torments and ideas.

"You're not eating, Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.

"I'm not hungry."

"But…"

"Amelia, let him be," Lina cut her off.

The sorceress had won the steak fight and now she was chewing it heartily. When she swallowed, she gave the princess a shake of her head and then she slapped Gourry before his fingers brushed the ribeye the waitress had just served.

More dishes arrived: toast with cheese, octopus, and clams, sprinkled the table with colors and, with one of Gourry's careless moves, they sprinkled also the chimera's clothes.

"Oops, sorry Zelgadis."

The boy glared at him as the sauce dripped down his clothes.

"I'm done. I've had more than enough," he growled, dragging his chair.

Zelgadis and the whiff of clams climbed the stairs and disappeared into the rooms of the inn.

Amelia could not contain the doubt any longer and she asked: "Lina? Do you know what's with Zelgadis?"

"Is he acting differently?" Pokota intervened. "I see he's as sullen as always."

"Well, it's not like he said anything to me," the sorceress replied.

"But?"

There was a 'but'. With Lina, there were always 'buts'.

"But I get the idea." She locked eyes with her friend and took a long drink of her beer before answering. "Look, if he hasn't taken off his mask, then it surely has something to do with his appearance. And Zel gets a little sensitive on that subject. Just let him be. He'll get over it eventually."

The princess cast a glance at the stairs, and a look of concern crossed her face. "Then perhaps…"

"No. Don't go that way, Amelia." She said pointing at her with a chop "Zel is a bit of an asshole when he gets like that. Trust me. It is better not to interfere. He'll come down when he feels better."

Amelia sought support from the other members of the table, but Pokota just shrugged and it looked like Nama had fallen asleep in her chair. Her last hope was Gourry. She looked at the mercenary and he opened a mouthful of garlicky potatoes. "Lina is right, Amelia. It is better that you leave him alone."

That said, he took advantage of Lina's fight with Pokota and timidly poked his fork into ribeye territory. Then, desserts arrived, and fights over puddings and pastries erased any memory of any civilized conversation. But Amelia stayed there, with her head full of righteous ideas, with the firm intention of cheering the chimera.