Mazoku Lords forging alliances always boded poorly. Xellos stood slightly behind his Mistress as she finished speaking with Deep Sea Dolphin, watching her, her general, and her priest. Huraker seemed to be studying him as well, while Riksfalto looked bored. When the three finally left, his Mistress turned to him. "What do you think, Xellos?"

"There's no doubting Lina Inverse used a very powerful unknown spell," he said thoughtfully. "But considering she's created a spell over the course of her lifetime calling upon the Golden Lord, I wonder if she created another one."

"Yes, the Giga Slave…" Within a breath, both of them were back on Wolf Pack Island, among allies. "If she is using the Golden Lord's power so freely, she needs to be watched. She successfully called the Golden Lord into our world once. I would rather not have Her eye on our world a second time."

Xellos couldn't help but agree. Just being in the presence of the Golden Lord once had seized him to his core. Mazoku would call Her one of their own, but only viewing Her through the shell of Lina Inverse had told Xellos She was beyond such petty labeling. Having Her filling Lina Inverse again, and perhaps truly scattering the sorceress to the farthest reaches of the Sea of Chaos this time, would not be ideal. Not only would Lina be lost, but he doubted She would spare their world twice. "What are your orders, my Mistress?"

"Continue watching her. If she casts the Giga Slave again, or it appears what new spell she's created will have the same effects, destroy her."

Well then. Xellos bowed. "As you wish."

He rather enjoyed Lina. It would be a waste to see her destroyed. But if she looked to be calling the Golden Lord back into their world… Well, they did have good times together. He would fondly remember them after he disposed of her body.

"As for her companions…" His Mistress paused for a moment. "The only one I'm still worried about is the chimera. How many manuscripts have you destroyed that he found?"

"Six in the last month."

"Keep an eye on him to make sure he won't wake anyone improperly."

He bowed again. That, he would do with far more enjoyment. "As you wish."

Zelgadis picked a book off the table and brushed the dust off the cover. No writing on the cover, nothing to tell him what it was. With luck, it would be the old sorcerer's diary he was looking for in this forgotten tower. And Xellos wouldn't be turning into ash in his hands again. Rage filled him at the thought, and he just barely kept from throwing the book across the room.

There might not be a 'cure' in the way he had thought of it, but… Rezo never said it couldn't be undone. If he studied chimera research, he could see how people created them in the first place. He could find Rezo's research, and see what it was exactly Rezo did to him. And once he knew, well, his knowledge of magical theory was pretty good. Failing that, he could find the nearest bandit gang and wait for Lina. But he could find ways to undo what Rezo did from the inside out instead of hoping something would cure him if he rubbed himself on it.

So he started reading, settling himself into an old dusty armchair.

Halfway through, his mind started to wander. While the magical theory written in the pages was amazing, it was so dry and not what he was looking for. He'd be able to sell it for a decent price to the nearest guild, but so far it didn't have any information that would help him. It looked like he'd need to search out Rezo's research.

Rezo. Zelgadis put the book down, sighing. When Rezo had taken him in after his parents died, he had felt irresistibly drawn to the priest. He could tell he wasn't the only one; Rodimus and Zolf had both been with Rezo before he took Zelgadis in. The Red Priest had that kind of aura. He drew all to him with his kind and gentle demeanour, healing the sick and gaining the trust of all around him. And even when he learned the truth to why Rezo transformed him… he couldn't simply leave Rezo. It took Lina Inverse to finally give him a reason to break free. Lina, and the Philosopher's Stone she unwittingly carried.

But even when Rezo's spirit had told him there was no cure… despite having broken all ties by helping Lina kill him, kill Shabranigdo, he couldn't destroy the Hellmaster's Jar. He couldn't consign him to oblivion.

And then after his rebirth into Pokota's human body… how easily he fell right back into the old habits…

He wondered if he would be able to read Rezo's research, or he would try to burn it all immediately.

Zelgadis closed his eyes at the thought. It deserved to be burned. It had been what turned him into a chimera in the first place. But maybe, if he fit what Rezo had done into various other magical theories, he could-

This time, he did hurl the book across the room. There was no cure. Why was he trying? Why wasn't he letting himself accept this simple fact?! Zelgadis looked down at his hands, then clenched them. He couldn't give it up, though. Not until it killed him.

Nodding to himself, he stood to retrieve the book.

Then stopped, looking over at another book.

Strange. This one radiated magical energy. Zelgadis picked it up, feeling the energy shiver up his arms. He studied it for a moment, then looked around. Xellos hadn't shown up yet, but that damned Mazoku would wait until he would be hopeful that there was something in the pages for him before he destroyed it. Slowly, he opened the book.

The pages were empty. Zelgadis flipped through them, running his finger along the blank pages, trying to see if the energy attached was a privacy spell to dissolve. If it was, he couldn't tell. With a sigh, he shut the book, keeping it in one hand as he snagged the one he had tossed across the room before heading for his pack. Absently, he rummaged through the pack, feeling a little hungry.

… had he forgotten food? And water? Zelgadis frowned. The last town he had been in had been a week away. And he just now realized he didn't have food and water? How had he survived without food and water for that long?

No, he had to have caught food and drank from clean springs along the way. There was no way he'd go that long without food and water. He just didn't remember because it was so commonplace.

But now he had to find food because he was starving. There was a stream nearby. He could do what Lina did that one time and fish. He wouldn't empty the stream like she had, but a few fish here and there would keep him going. Zelgadis packed the books away and started to make his way out, almost desperate for food.

Maybe he should Raywing back to the nearest town. This was becoming uncomfortable…