Chapter Nineteen: Get Ready! Prelude to the Final Battle

When Zelgadis woke next, Xellos was asleep beside him. He was on his side facing the chimera, and locks of his cropped hair were in his face, as his hair always seemed to if he didn't mind it. Zel reached over to lightly brush the strands away, caressing Xellos' face, which was also getting scruffy from not having shaved recently. He could hardly feel the texture against his fingers, but knew Xellos would be self-conscious about it when he woke up.

Xellos made one of those soft, sleepy sounds and Zel pulled him closer, kissing his forehead.

The former priest's eyes fluttered open slowly. "Zelgadis?" His voice was low and tired.

"I'm here."

Xellos nuzzled, then pulled away slightly and felt his chin as he, as predicted, noticed the stubble. He grimaced. "This may be a silly question, but how are you feeling?"

"Not great," Zel answered honestly, not wanting to lie.

"I'm sorry," Xellos said again, rubbing his back, eyes concerned.

"I'll be okay," Zel told him, also not a lie. "You're with me."

Xellos smiled faintly. "Yes. I'm afraid you're stuck with me, my dear."

"Good." Not giving any warning, he pulled Xellos back down for a deep kiss. "I love you, Xellos," he whispered against his mouth.

"Oh, Zelgadis," his lover sighed, smile wide and warm. "And I you."

It was the first time either of them had said the words. Xellos had freely said, 'Icareforyou' before, and Zel himself had alluded to it as much as his self-preservation allowed him to.

It made him feel a little better, but his chest still felt heavy, still upset about Aqua's news. He would never be human again.

A warm hand touched his cheek, and Zel looked back up into Xellos' sad expression.

"I do love you," Xellos softly sounded out the words, as if it were an effort to do so. "I always have."

"Xellos?"

Xellos smiled awkwardly and let his face go. "Apologies. I am human now, but it's still hard breaking with some habits. I need to get used to actually saying the word."

Oh. Zel hadn't really given it thought, but he supposed a Mazoku saying, "love" in any context, but especially when referring to oneself, would be very strange. Not only that, but it was something that Xellos had been struggling with for awhile, like with the incident the other night. The former priest had confessed his feelings when he thought Zelgadis was asleep.

"It's okay," he told Xellos. "I know you do." It was the main reason he wasn't still curled up in a ball of misery at the moment.

Xellos smiled and finally gave into his urge to groom. Taking some of their remaining water and pouring it into a basin, he pulled out his razor and a small mirror, meticulously beginning the process of shaving the stubble without leaving the bed. Or him. Zel was grateful and sat back to watch his lover perform an ordinary activity.

"Thank you for telling me privately," he said softly. "I'm glad you're the one who told me."

More fluid flicks of the blade across his face, accompanied by the sound of the razor cutting the fine hairs. He used a towel to catch the shavings that he didn't with the razor. "You're welcome. I would have gotten angry if anyone else had tried, but it also hurt to tell you myself. That sounds almost like a contradiction, does it not?"

Zel smiled fondly, curling his arm behind his head as he stretched out. Still sore from the last spell, he could not move much more than that. "I know what you mean, and I know it was hard. I'm grateful."

Xellos smiled before tilting his chin up and beginning the slow process of carefully cutting along his neck. "Then I'm glad I was the one."

After the shaving was complete, Xellos then tried to do something with his hair, which Zel believed looked fine but the former priest believed was oily and flat once again. His purple eyes darted toward the curtain that partitioned their little alcove from the rest of the shrine, murmuring about a shower, but Zel didn't let him get that far.

Just watching was fine, almost perfect in fact, but he still wanted to feel him too.

He grabbed Xellos by the waist and hauled him closer, earning a surprised giggle from his lover. He felt Xellos' bright smile as they kissed and pressed together.

Maybe he had to give up on being human again, but he didn't have to give up this. This thing that he had with Xellos was still here, and very real. The eager contact reassured him and went a little more to helping him feel better, though the sadness he felt was still very near.

Zelgadis was just having thoughts about getting the former priest out of his clothes when soft voices outside reminded him they were not strictly alone. Xellos made a disappointed sound as their kisses slowed down.

"Later," he promised, giving pouting lips another soft peck.

Xellos smiled, but he could see the disappointment around his eyes. "Yes. It would best to wait for an actual door, wouldn't it?"

He kept his purple haired love close as he settled back on the pillows. "What did that spell do to you guys?" he asked, changing the subject.

"I believe I was a kitten," Xellos confided with some amusement. "I felt very catty. Gourry-san was a turtle, Amelia-san a puppy, and Lina-san a crab."

Zel snorted softly. "She is, isn't she?"

"Oh, yes," Xellos giggled softly.

He slowly relaxed. They talked quietly for a little longer until his eyes began to flutter sleepily.

"Sleep," Xellos urged gently, kissing his forehead and rubbing his arm.

So lulled, Zelgadis gave in and closed his eyes. Despite it being on his mind, he did not dream about Rezo or his nightmarish transformation.

Once Zelgadis' breathing had evened out and Xellos was sure he was asleep, he slipped out of bed and their alcove to the hallway beyond. There were other such rooms lining the hall, some of which his friends had been using to sleep in, and in the middle was an old fashioned burner. This was used to heat food and keep the sleeping areas warm. There was a hole cut up in the ceiling all the way to the surface of the hill, to let out the smoke, but it was still thick in the air. The scent of food offset it a bit.

He found Amelia sitting near the fire, tending to a pot over the small fire.

"Are Lina-san and Aqua-san still in the Claire Bible chamber?" he inquired, assuming Gourry was in one of the alcoves resting.

"Yeah," said the princess. "Is Zelgadis-san okay?"

Xellos offered a faint smile. "Not yet. But he will be. Is there something light for him to eat? He does not eat much in the best of times, and I do not believe he could handle a lot right now."

She smiled. "I'll bring it to you."

Xellos inclined his head appreciatively and returned to Zelgadis' side, sitting at the bed. Amelia came in with two bowls of soup.

"It's from our supplies," she whispered. "Lina-san wants to get to a town when he's recovered."

He nodded. "Thank you, Amelia-san."

After she left, Xellos hesitated, not sure if he should wake Zelgadis if he was still tired, but the chimera stirred on his own.

"Amelia-san fixed us soup," Xellos explained, smiling.

His heartless sorcerer swordsman moved with some difficulty as he sat up again. "Smells good."

Xellos propped the pillows up behind him so that he was comfortable, then handed him one of the bowls. He sat next to Zelgadis with the second and they ate quietly for a time.

"Our supplies seem to be getting low," he said eventually. "Lina-san wants to get to a village as soon as you're recovered."

"Lina's own fault, I'm assuming."

Xellos laughed quietly. "That would not surprise me."

"Nor me." Zelgadis sighed and set down his spoon, rubbing the back of his neck. "It might take me a little while to recover," he admitted. "That spell hit me pretty hard. I'd just rather not set out without being ready to fight."

"I'll speak to the others later," Xellos promised soothingly. "Perhaps we can gather food from the forest. Wild game, fruit..." He trailed off as he gathered up their dishes and returned them to Amelia, thanking her for the meal.

Zel watched Xellos take their dishes back out to Amelia, and when the former priest returned he added, "They're going to hit us harder next time."

"Yes," Xellos agreed softly, troubled. He didn't seem surprised, as if he were already thinking about it and had assumed the same.

Zel leaned against him as Xellos settled back on the bed. "We'll need to be ready. I'm betting Lina already figured that out and is working on those weapons."

"I believe that is what she's working on with Aqua-san in the Claire Bible chamber."

That was a relief. Hopefully Aqua had some ideas on what to do with the strangely shaped devices. "Hopefully she's getting some useful information out of it. We're going to need the weapons if we're going to go up against the remaining Lords." Xellos frowned, staring down at his hands, and Zel grew concerned. "You okay?"

Xellos nodded slowly. "I am… merely wondering what my master is up to these days. It's nothing. I apologize for getting off subject."

Zel frowned at him. "You're not. It's okay to be concerned about it, Xellos. Personally, I hope we don't have to fight her. It'd be a lot better if she stayed out of it."

The former priest fingered the material of his black pants. He had decided to mix up his wardrobe today and wore his purple shirt with it. "Yes."

"For you, I mean," Zel clarified, touching his hand. Xellos looked up again in surprise. "I know you'd help us take her down if you had to, but it wouldn't be easy on you."

"It is… difficult to explain in words." He looked away again. "She was a nearly constant companion for all my life. One thousand years. Even though I was not always by her side, I could feel her presence wherever I traveled to. A link bound us together, because she was my creator. She is… a very certain and strong-willed person, which can be reassuring to someone such as I, who has occasionally had doubts. Now that presence is gone. I think that if I miss anything, it is her."

Zel squeezed his hand, not sure what to say. He didn't think he could really understand, ever, the kind of connection Xellos was talking about. His parents had died when he was very young and Rezo had never treated him as family, even in the days when he'd trusted the bastard. Rezo had left much of his caretaking to Rodimus the swordsman and Zolf the sorcerer, Zelgadis' only friends before he learned to trust Lina and the others.

Rodimus and Zolf had been dead for five years now, and Zel still missed them. His earliest lessons in swordplay and shamanism were from them. Rezo had never been big on lessons either. While he had spared Zelgadis a few moments of his time, it was only long enough to see that his grandson was studying hard. Then the Red Priest was off on his crusade/search for a cure for his eyes.

He sighed quietly. He wished he could remember his old friends without remembering that man, but everything from those years was colored by what Rezo had done to him.

Xellos turned his hand, twining their fingers, and smiled. "It will be alright. I can think that way now."

"It will be," Zel agreed firmly, brought back to the present. "I mean, we're together. That's how I know."

Purple eyes sparkled happily. "I'm glad you think so too."

Since Zel preferred not to be bedridden, he decided that despite still being tired and in pain, he would try standing. Xellos suggested that he only walk into the outer room and Zelgadis swung his stiff legs over the side of the bed. He took a deep breath before forcing himself up.

Despite how strong his chimeric form usually made him, sometimes even he woke up too sore to move. A reoccurring habit caused from one too many adventures with Lina, actually. The last time it had been this bad was with the Ghost of Shabranigdu. Since the dragon magic yesterday had felt like it was ripping him apart from the inside out, it was not surprising that it was this bad.

Xellos stayed close, wrapping an arm around his waist, but Zel only let his lover support him a little bit. As a human, Xellos wasn't strong enough to keep him on his feet should his strength give out.

He managed to take make it to the doorway, his steps slow and painful, which caused Xellos to worry.

"Perhaps this is too much right now," the former priest said.

He leaned against the stone doorway, pausing to catch his breath. "Just outside, right?"

They continued, but Zel only managed a few steps before he sagged hard to his knees. Xellos cried out softly and went with him, trying to keep the chimera up but not strong enough.

"Sorry," Zel croaked out, gasping, the pain increasing. Walking was perhaps not a good idea after all, like Xellos said. He didn't look forward to crawling back to his bed.

Stupid Rezo.

Then suddenly Gourry was there, grabbing onto his other side. "Hey, Zel. What's going on?"

"I'm okay," Zel managed through the pain. "Just need a minute."

He could feel Xellos gently petting his face. "I should not have let you, it was too soon."

Leaning into his touch, Zelgadis sighed. "Not your fault, I wanted to. I'm a grown man." He closed his eyes, ashamed but dizzy. "Going to need some help getting back."

"Sure." Gourry, being much stronger, helped Xellos get him back to bed, Zel's own strength mostly useless in the endeavor.

Zel sank gratefully back into the bed. "Thanks, Gourry."

"S'okay. Rest for now though. There's no rush. I'll tell Lina you're in here when she's done." With that, Gourry stepped out, closing the curtain to their alcove.

Zel slept for a time, his short exertion wearing him out. When he stirred from his nap, he discovered Xellos once again in the bed beside him, now with a pile of old books. From the look of it, they were not the books that were already in their little niche. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he softly asked what they were.

Xellos reached over, absently petting his hair. "Aqua-san is strangely supportive of my plans for a future career in translating, so she is giving us a few more."

He hummed, pleased but still really tired. "Lina's going to have to wait a while before we go anywhere, I guess."

Xellos kept petting him. "Lina-san will just have to deal with the disappointment."

"If the Aqualord hadn't been here, that spell might've…" Xellos' expression became troubled, and he trailed off.

"I know," Xellos said, setting aside the book he was reading and shifting closer. "Try not to dwell on it."

Zel leaned against his chest, kissing him lightly through the fabric of his shirt. "I'm still really sore; it's taking a while for my body to heal."

"I with there was something more I could do." There was frustration and worry in his voice.

The admission made Zel smile and relax. "You are. I feel better with you around."

"I'm glad."

Someone cleared her throat outside the curtain, and Lina poked her head in. "Is he awake?"

"Kind of," Zel murmured, answering for himself.

Xellos sat up, shifting Zel back to the pillows. "Gourry-san said you wished to speak to us?"

"Yeah," said she. "Took a while to get all the information I wanted. You okay, Zel?"

"I will be," the shaman answered tiredly. "It might take a few days, though. Xellos had an idea about hunting for food in the forest around the shrine."

The redhead sighed, blowing her red bangs out of her eyes. "We might have to. Gourry said you barely made it from the bed into the hall."

"Wasn't easy to get that far, either," he conceded. "Find out anything important?"

Lina brightened at the topic change. "Yeah. The weapons work now. They amplify magic, like I guessed. There's a catch though. They also feed off your energy in order to work."

"Oh my." Xellos curled a hand under his chin thoughtfully. "I can see how that wouldn't be precisely viable for normal sorcerers."

"Yeah. Apparently they killed a bunch by draining everything. I'm working on that."

The former priest smiled. "Well done, Lina-san. I had the utmost faith in your expertise."

She flushed, obviously flattered by the praise. "Well, I am the beautiful sorcery genius, yanno!"

Zel rolled his eyes, though not unkindly. It was just Lina being Lina. "You were gone a long time. Did you spend the whole time with those weapons?"

The girl yawned widely. "Mm, yeah. I think I'll get a bite to eat and take a nap."

"Only a bite?" Zel joked weakly.

She casually flipped them off and stepped back outside, leaving them alone once more.

"She seems to be in a better mood," Xellos giggled.

Zel hummed in agreement and rested once more against his lover, his head on Xellos' shoulder. "M'falling asleep again."

"That's alright, dear. Rest."

He did, gratefully slipping back into slumber.

A week of bed rest later, Zelgadis was better. He was able to get around the shrine easily, and had even gone outside a few times. The pain had haunted him at first, making movement difficult, so he had largely stayed in bed. It had been boring, even with Xellos nearby finding ways to entertain him (and not the kind that involved being naked, due to their lack of privacy).

He was sitting on the bed again with Xellos, resting before their journey back to Avalo, the village with their shrine and protective barrier, and where they hoped to live. Xellos absently ate from a bowl of berries and nuts, immersed once again in one of the books Aqua had given him. He read fast and in the week they had been there, Xellos had gone through most of them already.

"We going to carry those back to Avalo with us?" Zel asked softly. Xellos never minded when he disturbed his reading, though the former priest had a habit of tuning the rest of the world out.

"Gourry-san and I can," Xellos answered negligently. "You're still recovering."

He resisted the urge to sigh. "I've recovered, Xellos. Otherwise we wouldn't be planning to leave, even if Lina's basically cleared the entire forest of anything edible."

"Yes, I know." Xellos smiled and fed him a bright red raspberry. "But you must promise not to push yourself."

Zel relaxed. It was nice that Xellos worried about him, even though he wished he gave his lover less to worry about. "Have you talked to Aqua?" he asked. Everyone else had but his lover and he wondered about it. She had spoken to him at length about what exactly Rezo had done to his body and spirit. A hard conversation, but it oddly helped.

"Not yet." His fingertips were red from the fruit and they traced his lips.

Zel smiled slightly, closing his eyes and suppressing arousal. They had exchanged touches like this all week, but with the others so close, real intimacy had had to be put aside. "I'll be glad when we have a little privacy."

Xellos fed him another berry. "Me too."

The chimera smiled as he chewed, seeing the simmering heat in Xellos' glittering eyes. He didn't mind this kind of teasing so much, because he knew Xellos wanted it just as much.

"Of course, if we're very quiet, maybe they won't notice!"

He flushed and glared mildly. "Xellos."

Xellos giggled and winked, but let it drop.

They pulled away, both of them reluctant, but they needed to pack. No one wanted to be caught out after dark without the protection of Aqua's shrine or the barrier in Avalo.

Zel was just pulling on his cloak when he was grabbed and pulled into a firm kiss. Xellos pressed him up against one curved wall and stayed close, but that was as aggressive as he got.

"Xellos?" He touched his cheek, confused.

Xellos sighed heavily. "I apologize, my dear. I fear that I am worried, and tension is coiling in my stomach." He placed his hand over his abdomen as he spoke, and there were worry lines on his fine features. "I have a… bad feeling of sorts."

Zelgadis pulled him close again, this time for a deeper kiss, his tongue sliding into Xellos' mouth to make the former priest purr and melt against him. They were panting softly when their mouths parted again, but they stayed close for a few minutes.

Xellos put up a really good act when he wanted to. Zel had had no clue he was this worried about their trip back to Avalo.

He pressed their foreheads together so that they were nose to nose. "It's going to be okay."

Xellos smiled slightly and rubbed their noses, a gentle slide of flesh against stone. "Alright."

"And don't apologize for worrying, Xellos. It's not something to be sorry for. Being afraid is just another part of being human."

"I don't like it." He could hear the pout in his voice.

Zel laughed softly and kissed him again. "I know. None of us do. We just bear with it."

"I see."

Lina was smirking when they emerged from their alcove. "Finally up, I see."

"Yeah," was all Zel said to the obvious statement. "Everything set?"

"Yup. Come get something to eat and we'll head out."

The five of them ate a small meal together around the fire. Aqua did not join them, as she was ethereal and did not need to eat. They talked about the weapons again, which Lina managed to weaken the draw on their magic to the extent where it wouldn't kill them, but they still needed to be careful.

Amelia asked how he was feeling and Zel smiled at her, assuring her that he was much better.

"Wonderful."

Most of them, apart from Xellos, jumped at Aqua's unannounced entrance. He just kept on drinking his tea as if nothing was strange.

Zel shook his head. He supposed that was why Xellos had never gotten along with Filia, aside from their natures – they were, in some ways, very much alike. Not that he would ever tell either of them this observation. He did have some preservation instincts.

Aqua smiled at him. "I apologize again, Zelgadis. I could only stop the effects and heal the worst of the damage. If there was more I could do, I would."

"It's alright. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be here at all now."

The small woman nodded and turned to Xellos. "Xellos-san. You started out on this journey with one purpose in mind, but found another. Do you have any regrets?"

The purple-haired man snuck a glance at him. "No, of course not."

Aqua seemed pleased. "You have changed."

His lover flushed prettily. "I suppose it was bound to happen eventually."

"It is not that simple. Mazoku cannot change as you have."

Now Xellos frowned. "That's always been the trouble with Shinzoku, if you'll pardon my speaking so boldly. You always see things in black and white. We are not all the same. I cared for these people long before the curse."

"I meant no insult, Xellos-san." Aqua was amused. "Dragons, also, cannot change so drastically."

He shrugged carelessly. "You could argue that one among them has. Filia-san found a generosity and compassion I've rarely seen in Ryuzoku."

Zel's eyes widened. He'd never heard Xellos speak so kindly about Filia. He wondered if he should check his lover for a fever.

Aqua noticed it too. "That you would say that shows how much you have changed." She beamed at him. "It is good that you have no regrets, as what has been made cannot be unmade."

"… Pardon?"

Zel frowned and looked between them, confused also. What was the old woman talking about?

"Your soul, Xellos-san," she elucidated.

Xellos blinked slowly as he put the threads of thought together, trying to understand what she was getting at.

Oh, of course. He was not merely trapped in his human body, as Gaav had been, caught in an endless reincarnation cycle until his humanity purged his Mazoku spirit completely. The Curse of Humanity was created by Mazoku and was not meant to be so kind. He had now what most Mazoku would consider a great hardship—he had a soul.

Once a soul was made, it could never be unmade. A human life could end, but the spirit did not get destroyed. Death only changed the composition, but the soul lived on, passing into the great beyond or continuing a natural reincarnation cycle.

A soul was not something that could be taken away, unless a demon bargained with it.

He said these things out loud, carefully, to be sure he got it. "That is what you're saying, yes?"

She looked pleased again. "Precisely."

His beautiful chimera was confused. "What?"

"Humans are under a different set of rules than Mazoku or Ryuzoku," Xellos lectured gently. "Though they are living creatures, they are subject to the desires of their race. Humans, however, are allowed to follow their own set of rules. They are subject to free will. A Mazoku or Ryuzoku can become human, if one can find a way, but the reverse may not happen."

Zelgadis nodded. "So you're human permanently. I get that. But if you're not like Gaav, why is Dolphin attacking?"

Xellos shrugged. "I would assume she misunderstands the spell. I did."

Lina sighed loudly through her teeth. "Somehow, I doubt she would listen if we tried to explain."

"So you don't have a choice, Xellos-san?" Amelia asked, touching Xellos' elbow in concern.

He smiled and petted her small hand gently. "Don't worry, Amelia-san. I had already decided to remain human." He had only told Lina and Zelgadis so far, but he did not believe the others would mind.

"So we'll have to fight them," Gourry noted. He didn't seem particularly bothered by it, but he rarely was about most things. Except heights and Lina's crazier schemes.

"I do apologize for the inconvenience, but," he glanced at Zelgadis again, "there are things I cannot bear to lose now."

Lina jabbed her elbow against his arm gently, playful. "Eh. I'm not worried about it. I'd say it's worth fighting for."

Xellos smiled at his dear chimera. There was nothing he could say to argue with that, nor did he want to. They reached for each other under the small table, hands touching.

"Right!" said Amelia. "It's not an inconvenience, Xellos-san."

He looked at all of them in turn, his humans that he had grown fond of despite his best efforts. None of them looked willing to abandon him now and Xellos smiled more, his bad feeling lessoning slightly. "Thank you, everyone."

Gourry smiled. "You and Zel deserve to be happy."

"Hm, Zelgadis more than me, I should think."

"You deserve it just as much," Zelgadis spoke softly, squeezing his fingers gently.

Xellos was surprised, but before he could argue, Amelia interrupted. "You can't expect Zelgadis-san to be happy if you're not!"

He forced a smile. "I am happy."

It was true, though whether he truly deserved it or not was another matter. He had done things as a Mazoku, some things they knew, and many others they did not. But it was a matter left for another time.

Amelia gushed and Lina shook her head in amusement.

"Gotta say, Xellos, I'm not sure that 'Curse of Humanity' is properly named. For you and Zel, it's been more like a blessing."

"Definitely," Zelgadis concurred, squeezing their fingers again.

Xellos smiled at him happily. Maybe whether he deserved it or not wasn't the issue, so much as just accepting the gift that fate had chosen to give him.

"Now you can both live," Aqua said with a mysterious smile, "instead of just surviving."

Xellos raised an eyebrow, while Zelgadis looked much more surprised. He gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, figuring he could explain later about how the Gods, while not truly all knowing, did occasionally have some actual insight.

"I give you all my blessing. Safe journey, my young friends."

And then she was gone. Xellos knew they would not be seeing her again until the next time they returned to this place.

They doused the fire and prepared to leave. Since they did not have new swords, it was agreed that Lina, Amelia, and Xellos would use the dragon weapons. She showed them how to use them quickly before they left.

Lina had changed the shape slightly as she worked on them. Instead of a simple triangular shape, now they were shaped vaguely like stars. The change, she explained, was in order to keep the devices from outright killing them. They were still dangerous to use, just less so. It likely would not drain them completely if they were careful, nor blow up in their faces as it amplified their power to convert to holy magic.

"Probably," she added as a disclaimer.

Xellos nodded, understanding her need for more vigorous testing that current circumstances were not allowing.

There was a backwoods path that would lead straight to Avalo, or so their map claimed. It was more than a little off the beaten path, but they didn't have much of a choice if they wanted to get to the village before sundown. They could have normally used Ray Wing to travel quickly, but once again, they needed to conserve their strength.

So they would walk to save energy.

They left the shrine, their way blissfully free of booby traps. Xellos stayed close to Zelgadis, for it was not dragon traps that he was worried about.

He glanced back once at the shrine before they entered the forest, offering a silent thanks to the Water Dragon Lord. The shrine's protection had given them their longest rest since this whole adventure began and his chimera especially had needed it. He dreaded to think about what might have become of Zelgadis otherwise.

Of course, the mosquitoes returned, and sticking close to Zelgadis meant his chimera noticed them and shooed them away as kindly as a week ago. He almost told him not to because it was a distraction if Zelgadis was once more focused on him, but he could tell that his lover was indeed keeping a lookout. Both with his eyes and his senses.

It was Gourry, however, with his uncanny ability, who sensed the danger first.

"Something's coming," he said, pulling out his sword.

Xellos stiffened a moment later. He recognized this presence.

"Hello, Dolphin-san."

TBC. Please review if you read.