Chapter 15
Val's fascination with flying lasts two days, right until we have the teleporting lesson. The excitement about teleporting is even more short-lived, exactly the time Lina needs to pack.
She expertly ties her hair into a pony-tail (something I have never seen her do in preparation for a journey ever before, but then, humans tend to grow up and realize that some things are more convenient than others) and gives me a long assessing look. I wonder what that means.
"Xellos. Good you're still here. You know what, I thought it wouldn't be too great if we were seen simply walking around Seyruun. I suggest you drop us off at some remote place where at least not every street vendor knows me by sight. How about Zelein, for instance?"
She has a good point. Here, in Seyruun every single person knew her at least by description, and even if she manages to pass Val as her own child (of whom no one has ever heard) it will be news number one for every bored spinster. Zelein, on the other hand, lies beyond the Desert of Destruction, and as far as I know, Lina has yet to poke her freckled nose into that country. At the same time, Zelein is a rather civilized state, and just a few months ago they signed a few treaties with Seyruun to promote international trade and ensure military support. I've been present at the summit, unseen, of course. Zelein is also a nice green country with a lot of forests and lakes. I am sure Val is going to enjoy the scenery.
"Fine," I say. "I'll get you to a quiet place near the capital. That way you'll get to Zelein-Kmet right in time for the Yule Festival. I am sure that will be a lot of fun."
And so we are off.
I leave the two of them on the outskirts of a village and let Lina decide what she wants to do next. I have some things to take care of.
First of all, Val's flying lessons were quite a surprise. The thing is, neither we, nor the Dragons can levitate like human wizards. We simply don't care where to position the physical body — on the ground or in midair. It is often a problem for young or weak Mazoku to learn to keep their feet on the ground, because they lack precision. The Dragons, however, can't levitate at all, they are way too heavy for their own magical powers to support them. If a Dragon falls off a cliff, it has to transform into the winged form, otherwise it'll crash. I have, of course, calculated and experimentally proved the exact height of a cliff that would be lethal for each size of a Dragon. I mean, the cliff should be high enough for the human form to crash, but low enough for the Dragon not to have time to transform. It is also interesting that even while the winged form is generally much tougher than the human form, if a Dragon manages to transform bare inches before hitting the whatever is under the cliff, it still crashes at the impact as if it were still human-shaped. Seems that the velocity increases in proportion to the size of the body, which would only make sense if we assume that every power, magical or other, increases if applied to a Dragon during transformation, which leads us...
Ahhhh, that wasn't what I should be thinking about!
So, back to my initial topic. Val can levitate using human spells for that. I searched Milgasia's manuscripts, but they mention nothing of the kind. Which probably means that the reason for this phenomenon is lost. Which is bad because if I don't know how something functions, I can't fix it in case it stops. So I have to try and get Milgasia to search for more data on the Ancients. Unfortunately, I know for sure that I never collected any pieces of information even remotely relevant to my problem. Even more unfortunately, the reason for Val's levitation might lie not with the Dragons, but with me, and then I am risking Milgasia finding out the truth. Then, again, he already knows too much, and should another piece of puzzle be put in its place, I would have either to kill him or to confess everything to the public at large...
Then there is the matter of Val's teleporting. He does it Mazoku way which is good because it's faster and he can appear and disappear in any position and cover any distance in a single jump. It is also bad because anyone familiar with both ways can notice that he skips the movements necessary for the Dragon teleportation. And here I thought I would never hate secrecy.
Milgasia turns out to be at home, but his blasted apprentice is with him. The brat still looks green in the face, but otherwise healthy. He jumps when I appear and looks at me with a mix of horror, admiration and shame. My guess is, the third is the result of the second.
"Xellos," Milgasia stands up to greet me. He is slightly surprised, but otherwise calm. Got used to me lately, didn't he...
"And here I thought we could enjoy some of your special tête-à-tête tea," I drawl with a sugary smile.
"Yes, I think we can arrange that," he says pursing his lips and giving his pupil a meaningful looks.
"Right," croaks the boy glancing my way. "I just... er... just wanted to thank you, sir..."
Both Milgasia and I wince.
"I told you not to do that," the old Dragon hisses. Clearly, the lesson didn't stick to that liquid brain. I think the Elder can do with some assistance. I walk up to the youngster who is just a little taller than me, invade his personal space and look him directly in the eye.
"By this simple statement you have disgraced yourself at least twice," I say in a maliciously serious tone. "Firstly, because the Dragon Code, as far as I know, forbids to accept help from enemies, and I remember clearly that you have called me one. Secondly, because by saying the words of gratitude, you have shown how little you have learnt despite having a very knowledgeable teacher. Clearly, the simple idea that positive emotions are unpleasant to my kind hasn't lingered in your empty skull. Unless, of course, it was your objective to anger me?" I raise an eyebrow and enjoy the speed at which the youth blanches. Well done.
He stutters something apologetic, but Milgasia quickly sends him away before he makes things worse.
"Really, Xellos," the old Dragon sighs, "did you have to scare him into oblivion?"
"I thought you could do with some help with getting ideas through to him. He is obviously disregarding you."
"Now let me handle my pupil!" Milgasia snaps.
"I will, once you teach him to behave around me."
The Elder sighs and sinks into an armchair. He looks so defeated, I am almost touched.
"I am guilty of that particular misdemeanor myself," he reminds me.
"Penitence is not my favorite flavour either," I scowl.
He suddenly laughs.
"Why, don't you want to dwell on my disgrace?"
"It's funny that you would suggest that," I say raising my other eyebrow. "I gather, you are unaware that you have never actually called me an enemy?"
He shrugs.
"It was too obvious for words, I guess."
But he looks bewildered. Most likely, so do I.
"Was?" I ask.
He looks up at me through his fringe, obviously trying to figure why he said that. I decide to stop tormenting him before he lets any other compromising thoughts slip.
"I have come to you because I need more information on the Ancients," I say. "Especially in the matter of their aerial magic. Do you think you could get me anything else?"
He shakes his head slowly.
"We have some more texts in the Main Temple Library, but the access is restricted. I can read things inside the hall, but even I can't take them out. And there is no way you could get in, it is sealed, of course. I could try to search the archives for you and copy things out, but I don't know what exactly you are looking for, and it'll take ages, so..."
"Come on, Milgasia, do you really think I am so naive?" I wink at his confused expression and pull out my splendid self-devised copying machine. It is a tube the length of an average scroll's width and has two chinks in it. "Here. You take the scroll with the text, put in on top of a clean one and then you push them both into this chink, see, it's marked 'in'. Then you turn the butt, and both scrolls go out from the other chink. Here, try it out."
Milgasia does try and then gives me a very dirty look.
"No wonder they say Juu-ou Zellas's library is the largest in the world," he mutters.
"Just be careful with it," I instruct. "It's unique and fragile. Remember, I want everything about the element of air. And if you find something on teleportation, that would be great, too."
He immediately brightens.
"Oh, you want to teach him to teleport! That's great news. Although... are you sure you can? I mean, your way is different..."
"If you want him to learn from you, that's not going to happen," I say with a sudden flash of jealousy. "He has already learnt. I simply want to check if he is doing everything right because there might be subtle differences. After all, Ancients were extraordinary big creatures, and there might just be problem with that."
Milgasia nods, slightly disappointed. No way I am going to let you teach Val something so exiting. Don't you even dare voice it!
"How... how does he look... in the Astral Plane?" the Dragon asks after a pause.
One hell of a good question. He definitely doesn't look like a five-year-old Dragon.
"Odd," I say, failing to conceal that it bothers me. "There are... several separate pieces."
Milgasia pales.
"You know that means mental disorder, right?"
For physical creatures, yes. For us... could be other things, too. For him — only L-sama knows.
"I hope it is just the result of two reincarnations. But then, abuse tends to cause certain psychic conditions too."
Milgasia looks like he is dead or dying or willing to.
"I... am not sure I could heal him..."
Well, that is one lovely confession from the second-best healer in the world. Anyway, he'd better not even try. Val is still half Mazoku. Oh L-sama, WHAT was I thinking back then!
"Do you..." Milgasia clearly has a problem saying phrases in one piece today. "Do you think he has retained his old personality somehow?"
If I refuse to answer, he will suspect Val gradually turning into Valgaav. No, thanks. And I don't want to lie, as usual. Well, why not just tell him.
"He had a dream once. Seemed like the last memories of Valgaav." I make a dramatic pause to examine Milgasia's horrified face. "He clearly didn't relate to the emotions and objectives of his prior incarnation. And Lina seems to have managed to make him distinguish between himself and the person he was in his dream."
"Oh", Milgasia whispers.
Indeed, oh.
"Xellos... What is going to happen if he remembers it all? I mean, you and Lina-san are responsible for his death as Valgaav. I took part in the extermination of the Ancients, even if I have come to regret it. Who will he turn to?.."
Do you have to bring it up, old lizard!
"We are trying to convince him he has nothing to do with his prior incarnations."
"But that is not true!"
"We don't know."
"But Xellos... if his Astral body looks like you said, it has to be that he still keeps parts of those two with him!"
"Or just that he is schizophrenic."
"Does he show any signs?"
Apart from being an incredible mixture of creatures, having a hysterical mother and a father who is both General and Priest?
"Not yet."
"You don't wish he were, do you?"
"You don't wish another round of Valgaav, do you?" I tease him. I am not amused.
"No one does," he shrugs. "Does he have any memories from the first Valteria?"
"Again, I don't know yet. I haven't really met him then. Sometimes it seems to me that instead of learning spells or moves, he recalls them, but I can't tell for sure, and he doesn't feel any difference."
"I see. I... met him once. He and his mother were at an official reception, back when we were still trying to retain some civility. He seemed distraught and subdued, but then the atmosphere wasn't exactly relaxing."
"Neither was his mother," I murmur.
"Oh, so you've met her!" Milgasia says with uncharacteristic passion.
"Yes..." I frown. "What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing." He stands up and takes a few steps around the room. "I am just glad you've seen for yourself what she was like. Perhaps you don't know, but she was one of the reasons we decided to attack. Her father, the Supreme Elder, was very old already. It would have taken less than a century for her to take his place. And then the world would have been cleared of all Dragons, not just us. We had to prevent that!"
I blink. Who would have thought...
"She couldn't have made the Elder's position!" I say.
"Yes, she could," he nods with conviction. "Don't you know the Ancients allowed both male and female Elders?"
"Yeah, I know that, but she wasn't clean!"
"You mean, she's committed crimes? Well, I am sure, she would have convinced everyone those were acts of justice or something..."
"Really?" I laugh. "And how would she have justified sleeping with me?"
Milgasia stares. No, STARES.
"You... she... WHAT!"
I can't help but burst out at that astounded expression. Hell, I haven't laughed so hard for a while! Not since Filia sent Zelgadiss flying, I think.
"Wait, are you serious?" the Dragon tries to get through to me while I'm rolling on the sofa, punching the pillows with my fists. Finally, I manage to even my non-existent breath.
"Deadly serious. She actually was quite kinky. Shackles, gags... err, too long to explain."
Milgasia shakes his head violently, obviously trying to make the news settle. But shaking makes something fall into the right place. Suddenly his face goes blank, and his eyes flash with all the tired wisdom of his age and experience. His hands hang uselessly along his body. He seems both old and feeble, and eternally young, free from all worry. He finally looks at me, and I can read peaceful resignation in his eyes.
"Xellos... I don't think it makes much difference to you," he says quietly. "If you would do me a final favour... leave me in the sea when you are done."
I try to blame my sudden nausea on the mention of sea.
"You don't even ask for it to be painless or quick?" I ask just to say something. I am oddly rigid.
"You know I'd prefer it that way, and there is no point in pleading."
It's my turn to look up at him through my fringe. I feel sick to the core. I am not even surprised. I always hated killing others for my own mistakes. It's a waste. And this mistake was mine all right. I shouldn't have let it slip about my contact with Val's mother. Milgasia was never satisfied with the excuse I gave him for taking care of the boy. He just made an obvious connection. And it is more obvious to him than to me because among Mazoku sex and reproduction have nothing to do with each other.
I stand up, and he doesn't even flinch. He just stands there, totally relaxed, waiting for his fate to swoop down on him. My imagination diligently supplies me with a series of images of me killing him in different ways. The remnants of my dutiful conscience struggles to get me to move. Here, darling, raise your hand. Just one word, honey, it's so easy. And it's right, too. He has discovered a really bad secret. He'll rat you out. Val will be in danger.
Val. I can make it so simple to decide. Will I be able to break the news to him? What will I say if he asks how it happened? There you go, sweetheart.
Milgasia must have noticed a change in my seeming because he suddenly looks anxious. He probably thinks I actually decided to give him hell, literally. Oh, I shouldn't have thought that — it makes me double sick. I almost moan, actually. Oh, Lina... what have you done to me!
"I won't" I squeeze through gritted teeth. He bloody doesn't understand!
"It's really not much to ask," he says in a high strained voice.
"Live, damn it!" I snap. Why the hell did I stand up? Now my head is spinning, I have to grab the back of the sofa. I think he thinks I am trying to contain my rage.
"Are you giving me time?" he ascertains.
"I'm n't gonna kill ye never!" I force out. I am so sick like I'll turn inside out next moment. And the problem is, if I think I should kill him, it makes me sicker, and if I think I should let him live — it makes me sicker just as well!
I must get to Lina. She did this to me, she'll know what to do.
I put my best and last effort into teleportation.