Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers. I kinda though this wouldn't be necessary, being on a fanfiction website, but oh well.
By the time I lost this document due to an internet error and retyped it and found myself deep in the middle of the night...
I pretty much realised this chapter isn't quite like the others.
Ehe, I'm neutral.
Zelas did not like the meetings Dynast was holding.
They were awkward, new and often plagued with long periods of silence in which everyone contemplated to the fullest anything each other said. It could not be helped - to view each other's spoken thoughts with a critical mind was essential for beings of power.
Dynast had somehow assumed a similar role to that of Phibrizzo - the power shift had been so sudden it hardly seemed to have happened, and yet it was such a significant change that Zelas should have been thinking about it more than she did these..regular meetings. But his slightly more authoritative position seemed natural and just simply went unquestioned.
Zelas supposed that not attending these meetings meant that she would be missing out on whatever the other two lords had to discuss, and she didn't like the idea of that, either. It wasn't so much as why she attended these meetings as why she attended these meetings held by Dynast.
It was not that Dynast had officially became their ruler and could now order everyone about - far from it. Still...
Plus, Phibrizzo didn't hold meetings so much as appeared in the seat of another lord's throne, choosing personally to establish whatever it was he wanted to with the other lords after having alerted them unpleasantly somewhat with his sudden uninvited presence.
She made her entrance into the usual meeting room that neither seemed fit for meeting nor really a room, summoned her own throne in the plane to face the other two lords, sat, crossed her legs and leaned in her usual sitting position.
"Zelas," Dynast acknowledged.
"Dynast. Dolphin," she nodded back.
Nevertheless, to condescend the other two lords in the open would be foolish at this point.
Zelas also disapporved of how much more self-conscious she would become in presence of the other two lords. It was only to be expected - but she did not relish the realisation. She knew she was not as immediately powerful, but she was ever so slightly crossed between confidence and rationality. She treaded more carefully than she had ever remembered during these...precarious meetings.
Dolphin's humming suddenly became more noticeable as the room sunk into yet another period of silence.
Another thing Zelas didn't like about the meetings was that she somehow got the impression that Dynast and Dolphin was more collaborated than she was - or at least seemed to be on the same page. On the other hand, despite having been fed information from the two, she felt that she was still missing some vital information not shared with her exclusively.
Dolphin suddenly stopped humming, and turned to look at Zelas, as though only just registering her presence.
"We are gratified for lending us your priest for this occasion," she gushed slowly in her smooth voice rather suddenly.
There it was again. "We", she had said, not to mention that this did not seem usual of Dolphin. Then again, Zelas couldn't quite evident what the usual of Dolphin was like.
Being with the two other lords was nothing short of a headache. Zelas was adept in mind games, but Dynast was a master - so much more better, and Dolphin was simply too unreadable and unstable.
"Xellos has managed to convince Lina and her company for the time being," Zelas said, choosing her words carefully. No sooner had she said this than the room changed atmosphere into one of rapid computing and analysing. Various aspects of what she just said were calculated to their full, to see if there were loopholes underneath the surface meaning. A lie could be easily detected, and the truth difficult to hide.
Zelas continued. "They are co-operating under the lull of being rewarded with whatever they desire."
And she even felt odd saying that.
"There is a catch, is there not, Zelas..?"
"Of course," Zelas said, choosing not to answer her true question. Dolphin blinked, looked away and became transfixed in her delicate fingers. A faint, whispery musical echo resurfaced not long after.
Zelas was still thinking furiously. Things did not make immediate sense - there were too many questions. First - what Dynast was planning. Then came the query as to why things seemed to be going the planned way for Dynast, even though she was obviously a main factor and could easily tear herself away from these plans - unless there was more to his supposed invitation for these meetings. The puppetmaster in all of this seemed to be obviously Dynast, but Mazoku of all knew that surfaces were nothing.
Her mind was a vast mixture of countless questions. She didn't look at Dynast - she knew his eyes would already be there, waiting for their eye-contact that would no doubt only make Zelas feel worse. But only eyes revealed...things, when they came down to this.
And then the atmosphere seemed to change. Dynast stood up, and the other two lords followed suit. In this silent and short encounter, each of them had came to vaguely the same conclusions - continue observation.
With a faultless nod, Dynast swept away from the room with a regal stride.
Zelas became less tense, now having decided what to do. She too took her leave, leaving Dolphin alone.
Dolphin propped herself back on her throne, unreadable as her eyes spanned over her palms. She hugged her knees, rocked back and forth, humming a decidedly different tune as she waited for her priest to pick her up.
Lina was in a grumpy mood. She had not had a good night's sleep. In fact, she hadn't had a night's sleep at all. She was trying, but failing miserably, to contemplate the Mazoku lords and their unpredictable plans. Her extremely limited information of the lords didn't help, and what limited understanding she had of them contradicted any plausible explanations she made to explain their doings.
Things were too complicated for her liking.
"Rise and shine!" a familiar, chirping voice said. Lina felt her fringe ruffle as Xellos blew on her head.
"Stop it, Xellos," Lina mumbled, crawling to her feet, exhausted.
"Morning, Lina!"
Amelia had miraculously recovered from her little...ailment after everyone demanded Xellos...cure...her. He had whispered something and the next, Amelia was all fine and shine.
"It sure took you a long time to get up today Lina!"
Maybe shine too fine.
Everyone exchanged their morning wishes and strapped on their bags, ready to continue on the journey Xellos had set. They were travelling along a particularly long stretch of a dirt road and the place seemed somewhat deserted.
The walk that morning was relatively quiet. It would be late in the day when they got to the borders of Seiruun.
Amelia was happy and contented with the morning silence, Filia made it a point not to talk unnecessarily in case Xellos started trying his usual taunts, Lina was having a long travel of mental thought herself, Zelgadis too was thinking all sorts of possibilities for himself he hadn't the previous day, Gourry kept quiet as even he knew not to ask questions in an atmosphere as this and Xellos was nothing if not secretive.
The early rays of sun in the day proved to be an emotionless mood of constant moving of the legs...
When the silence was broken again, it was when Lina had nearly walked into a large sign. The road had split into two and, from glancing at the distance, could be told that they went very different ways indeed.
"Well, Xellos?" Zelgadis demanded. Perhaps how Xellos answered his question would give him an insight as to exactly what Xellos was planning, supposing he really was planning something and not just blindly leading them away from his purposeful destination. How he began his answer would tell him more than what he would seem to reveal...
...Only he wasn't there.
The Slayers turned back to look at a nonexistent Xellos.
"Oh, bother."