The forest and trees gave way to the slightly steeper slopes and sheer rock cliffs of the Seera mountain range, which separated lower Sairune from upper Sairag. The more the ground rose though, the further temperature dropped. Tufts of snow decorated the ground, and rose like ghosts out of the stumps of the many hollowed trees. The few remaining trees stretched far into the sky, casting long shadows along the ground, and adding to the cloistered feel of the surroundings.
"AAAACHOOOOOO" sniffed Timbre in between a rather hollow sounding cough. Both sounds echoed loudly in the wintry quiet.
It wasn't that disturbance that irritated Zelgadis. He couldn't really say why he frowned when he watched Ameria hover over the sick musician.
"Really, tea makes you feel better." She advised Timbre, holding out a steaming mug of a brownish green liquid. The liquid had a potent smell - one that only the sick could ignore. Zelgadis mused that judging from the vigor with which Timbre rejected the mug that he couldn't be that sick.
"But COUGH why can't you just heal me like magically?" He eeked out, his throat so tight he could barely speak. "This stuff stinks!"
"At least you can smell!" Ameria shook her finger in his face, admonishing him. "Magic doesn't work on colds."
"Why not?!" He said around another cough.
"There's no cure for the common chill." She said. "Only the uncommon ones."
"Well I don't get them often. Isn't that like, uncommon?" Timbre reasoned (a sure sign he was sick, because he wasn't one to reason anything. Not that he was stupid; he was just incredibly lazy.)
"I mean magically generated chills. Yours is probably just something that happens in these colder temperatures. You need to keep warm." She said. "Maybe we should slow down our speed so it doesn't tire you out."
"And stay longer in these cold areas?" Zelgadis asked, "I think we should cross as fast as possible."
"I wish we could." Ameria shook her head, her shoulder length hair making a sweeping sound against her shoulders. "But the place I am looking for isn't easy to find."
"What place is that?" Zelgadis inquired. He hadn't really bothered to think about asking Ameria where she was going when they had left Rory. Somehow, it had just seemed natural to travel with her. After all, he had absolutely no idea where to find the Demon expert Rezzo consulted for his transformation spell. Luck had brought him the Golem and Troll spells, but he did not trust luck to find him the last portion. Then again, considering it was a demon master it was possible that it would be bad "luck" if he ran into a demon master without expecting it. In the meantime, traveling with Ameria was at least familiar and comfortable, like coming home after a trying day. Of course, she did a good deal of creating the trials in his day. But somehow, he didn't mind, and sometimes, even enjoyed it. He smiled fondly at her for a brief second, but when she glanced up, he shifted his gaze back to the sheer cliffs rising above them.
"Did you hear what Timbre said...were you listening?" Ameria looked up at Zelgadis, who as usual it seemed, was not looking at her when she was speaking to him. He nodded. She sighed. "He said he thinks my sister might be the one that hired Rory before. The one who owned that paper you stole from Rory. Anyway, Rory said she was staying in Lost Bay Gaws, just on the other side of these mountains."
"Lost Bay Gaws? He was lying to you." Zelgadis said sharply.
"What do you mean?!" Ameria said as she accidentally stood on Timbre's foot. Hewould have screamed, being weak about pain, but a fit of coughing overtook him and he collapsed on the ground.
"Lost Bay Gaws is just a legend, reputed to be a golden desert city, full of every delight and sin you can imagine. But, no one knows where it is." Zelgadis explained. "Nestled in these mountains, all trade routes died down decades ago during a horrible demon attack."
"Well, I'm not scared of a few demons if my sister is trapped in that city!" Ameria said. "As a Royal Princess, and her Sister, I cannot allow her to be held against her will!"
"What makes you think she's trapped there!?" Zelgadis asked. "if that city really exists,she probably is quite entertained there."
"My sister is a woman of honor - she must be trapped or she would have come on her own when she heard about my prob - er,my marriage to Sawpht, and of course she would come and take her rightful place as the older princess and rule Sairag."
"Uh, she like Cough didn't seem to want to leave when she met me and Rory." Timbre interjected as he stumbled up from the ground.
"See - he's been there." Ameria said. "So the city does exist."
"He also said your sister doesn't want to leave." Zelgadis said calmly. "Do you still think she's trapped?"
"Of course - she must be enchanted or something." Ameria turned to the mountains, and raised one hand. "Don't worry, dear sister, I, Ameria Wil Tesla de Sairune will save you!" Her voice echoed sweetly into the air around them.
Timbre and Zelgadis coughed, but for different reasons.
"Nice speech, but I really don't think she is the one that needs saving." A voice said.
Ameria whipped around to see a spiky ice hand slip around her throat and squeeze.
"Ooh, terror and shock, just perfect for a little snack." The mazokou (or demon, for that is what the term means) purred. It looked like a white tiger, stretched and made out of ice, and with two hands instead of four paws. Ice spikes poked out of its back like petals on a flower, in varying shades of blue and purple. For a demon it really was quite beautiful, because most are designed to repulse on sight.
"Dude - Cough" Timbre started but fell down as other hands snaked out to grab him.
Zelgadis crouched, his eyes assessing the situation. This was a lesser demon, but even lesser demons could vary greatly in strength and strategic ability. He couldn't just blast it while it was holding Ameria, or he could hurt her too.
"Zelgadis, I'll be fine!" Ameria screamed, despite the pain. "Get away and help Timbre!"
Zelgadis shook his head, still thinking.
The hesitation cost him, as the demon threw a series of spikes, which smashed him into the cliff. Not enough to damage him, but he felt the force of that blow go through him. Anyone without rocks for skin would have been killed. Sluggishly, Zelgadis attempted to stand, hoping he wasn't too late.
"Ah...." The demon said laughing as it observed Ameria's intense wince at Zelgadis' landing. "You have strong feelings for him, don't you? So the slower I kill him, the more it hurts you? Oh, how delicious"
Zelgadis blinked from under the snow as another wave of spikes hit him.
He heard Ameria scream, and the sound of a powerful blast of magic.
"Ooh, that tickles, what was that a fireball? Nice, try it again." It taunted back.
Ameria frowned. The only spell that would really hurt this demon would only possibly be the Dragon Slave - and who knew if she could put as much power into the spell as Lina? If she didn't try though, the demon would kill Zelgadis as well as her and Timbre. If she did the spell at this tight range, the shield it generated should save her, but she risked hurting Timbre. She couldn't do that, but she had to save Zelgadis!
"Ohh, I wonder if I killed him that time?" The demon mused as Zelgadis failed to stand after the last blast
A cough let her know Timbre was still alive, but that relief did little to relieve the growing constriction in her throat or remove the one thought in her head - ZELGADIS!!! No, she wouldn't let it get to her. He was all right. He had to be all right. She refused to believe otherwise.
At the sound of the cough, the Ice Demon dusted its hands together, slinging silvery splinters of snow with the movement. "Ah..I forgot about that one."
Timbre raised his head enough to see the demon striding slowly towards him. He backed away, but tumbled when another fit of coughs shook him.
"This is too easy! With that chill he's picked up, he's perfectly miserable the way he is. Ah, its soo tasty, that discomfort he feels...I don't need to do a thing." The demon closed its eyes, apparently enjoying the sensation. But then its eyes flew open and oriented back on Ameria (who it had held captive all this while). "You, my little toy, your emotions are not quite hopeless enough yet. You still have hope don't you?"
"Darkness beyond Twilight." She began to chant. She did have hope, because she had to have hope. If she had learned one thing about fighting the Mazokou, then it was that if you gave up hope you gave up any chance of winning. Even if she had to win by calling on power from a dark Mazokou lord, she could keep fighting if her cause was right.
"Crimson as the blood that flows - "
"HEY - SNOW-BALL - I believe you are interfering with my assignment." Rory Gabriev said as he charged with his sword.
Ameria felt her hope increase.
Rory was quickly splattered a stream of ice-shards, the bright flow of blood instantly reflecting on the crystal and ice. He fell to one knee, with a loud grunt of pain.
Shutting her eyes, Ameria chanted faster. "buried in the flow of time..."
A hacking cough preceded the sound of a guitar suddenly roaring to life - as Rory jumped up, one hand covering the wound on his side, the other brandishing his sword, now alight with a fierce energy.
Aeria was too busy with her spell to notice that Zelgadis had also risen, and had cast an astral vine spell on Rory's sword, nor did she notice that Rory was able to slice through the Mazokou seconds before she let go of the spell at what she thought was her target.
The screams of Rory, Zelgadis and a very hoarse Timbre echoed "NOOOOOOOO" in her ears seconds before the blast of an exploding mountain hit her ears.
Too stunned to do anything else, she shut her eyes and waited to be crushed by the exploding rock. She felt rocks slide against her skin, but in a surprisingly gentle and protective way. She opened her eyes, and saw only white. Was she dead? No, she could hear sounds. Was she blind? No, the whiteness was textured, and she could feel a coarse weave against her skin.
Against her ear she could feel Zelgadis whisper "Ameria, next time try something with less power."
Ameria swallowed hard as he released her from his arms, and released the shielding spell that had encompassed all four of their group as the mountain exploded. A huge cloud of dust continued to obscure their view of the mountain.
"I never should have tried that spell...If Lina had done that - "
"The mountain would be gone." Zelgadis smiled briefly. "Look, there's a tunne in the mountain nowl."
Indeed, the mountain continued to rise above them, but was now punctuated by a very clear tunnel (in the shape of a star no less) that seemed to go all the way through. A faint glimmer of daylight winked in the distance.
"Did I do that?" she said in wonder.
"Dude, you sure did, you kicked cough," Timbre said before being overcome by the need to clear his throat.
Rory stared at the tunnel. "You created a tunnel clear to Lost Bay Gaws. Amazing."
"How do you know that is where it goes?" Ameria asked.
"Because the city is on the other side of this mountain. I usually approach along the side of the mountain, because there is a thin path that is passable, but it is very perilous. This route is much faster." He turned around to the group. "Well, let's go. Unless you want to wait and see if more demons show up?"
"I didn't realize we were traveling with you again." Ameria said a bit stiffly.
Rory frowned. "I suppose I shouldn't expect you to forgive me."
"No." Ameria said as she walked towards him. She raised a hand as if to point and accuse him, but instead extended it for him to clasp. "But I will anyway. If my sister is really in this city, then my quest is done, and I can return with you to Sairune. So you see, we don't have anything to fight about anymore."
"You really are amazing, Princess Ameria." He said as gently took her hand. "I agree. We really don't have anything to fight over." He squeezed her hand gently. "Let's find your sister." When he didn't release her hand, Ameria blinked, and withdrew her hand with a slightly dazed look. What was getting into Rory?
Zelgadis coughed, wondering very much the same thing. "Shouldn't we get going?"
"Of course!" Ameria said, her face still slightly flushed, her mind glad of the change of subject. "Say, are you getting sick too, Zelgadis?" Ameria asked as she looked over her shoulder at the chimera. "You seem to have picked up a cough."
"I don't get sick." He replied.
The tunnel was an uneventful journey - though a very beautiful one. The interior of the rock, shaved by the spell, presented an interesting cross section of rock layers that sparkled against Ameria and Zel's light spells. The only draw back was that Timbre's coughs echoed much more loudly inside, driving them all almost deaf by the time they burst through into the bright hot sun, and the tall eccentric looking buildings of Bay Gaws.
Huge signs, glowing eerily even though it was day, splattered across the buildings, entreating any and all comers to " Enjoy the best of Bay Gaws - Loose Games, Loose people - don't lose out!"
"What sort of city is this?" Ameria asked as she looked at some of the signs depicting scantily clad women holding drinks and gold coins. Instinctively she pulled her cloak around herself.
Zel frowned. Despite that it appeared to be the middle of the day, there was not a single person on the streets anywhere. The more they strolled around, the more worried he became. Where were the markets? Why weren't the shopkeepers hawking their wares, their fruits and their prices? What happened to the children running, screaming and playing? Not that he missed the cacophony of the usual small town, but he wondered why this place lacked the things other cities always seemed to have. Something was most definitely odd.
Then he saw the strangest sign of all. Unfortunately, so did Ameria.
"ALL YOU CAN EAT!!!!!" She yelled out, becoming a blur of motion, perhaps only seconds slower than Lina or Gourry might have done.
"Guess (Cough) she was hungry." Timbre commented.
"Let's go after her." Rory said.
Timbre nodded. "But dude, I got to sit down. And I'm sure not hungry."
"You really are sick, aren't you?" Rory said as the two disappeared inside the building with the sign that had caught Ameria's eye.
Zelgadis looked around, shrugged, and entered. Something had to be going on here - but apparently, this "All you can eat" business appeared to be popular around here. Many of the other buildings also had similar signs, prices varying from three silver to maybe ten silver pieces. He shook his head. Amazing, really, but he doubted they were serving anything really good to eat - quantity didn't travel often with quality.
A shock of cold air blasted away the desert heat from his skin as he entered the dimly lit building. A rather tired looking lower class wizard sat on a chair near the door, apparently continually uttering a chilling spell at all who entered. He didn't even nod or blink at Zelgadis.
"Did you see a woman come by here?" Zelgadis inquired "Followed by two men, one with a cough?"
"Follow the signs to the Buffet." The man replied in a monotone voice. "And welcome to Happy Happy World." He didn't sound particularly "happy happy".
Zelgadis frowned. "Happy Happy World?" He repeated.
"Where all your wishes are a wish a way." The man said in the same emotionless voice. "The casino is to your right, and the showroom just off that to the left."
Zelgadis stared at the man a minute longer as if waiting for something else, just as he heard a familiar hacking cough. Within seconds he caught sight of his fellow companions - or at least, two of his companions. Ameria was buried behind a rather imposing tower of food.
"Miss, you realize you can go back for more?" A waitress wearing an apron (and apparently not much more) asked her. "You don't need to load so much on the first trip."
"I know!" Ameria mumbled around food. "Thank you!"
Rory shook his head, and offered to help Ameria as they settled into a table.
Zelgadis slid into a chair beside Timbre. "So this is where Ameria's sister is?"
Rory nodded. "Perfect place for her, if you ask me."
"Ameria, or her sister?" Zelgadis said as he watched Ameria chow down.
"Maybe it runs in the family." Rory commented. "Although, I couldn't say the rest of this city would suit Ameria."
"What is the rest of this place like?" Zelgadis said leaning over.
"Awful." Rory smiled thinly. "At least, I think so. Its fun in a strange way, but basically everything here is built around games of chance."
"Games of chance?" Zelgadis said raising an eyebrow.
"People throw their lives away in here....literally, some games are based around throwing dice, and if you roll too low" He drew his finger across his neck. "Its very unreal." Rory explained. "But like I said, it suits some people."
Ameria swallowed the piece of rib she'd been chewing. "And you mean it suits my sister!?"
Rory sighed. "Ameria, I don't know how much you know about who your sister has chosen to be..."
"Surely she is on the side of justice?" Ameria said seriously.
Zelgadis' nails slid into the wood of the table.
"Um...that is rather an interesting question." Rory sighed. "Around here, its hard to say that anything is "just." This place is more about entertainment, but she tries, I'm sure."
"The buffet will be closing in fifteen minutes - " The waitress announced.
A thin puff of smoke instantly replaced Ameria in her chair. Empty dishes clattered to the ground, and the harried waitress sighed. She slowly sunk and began to pick them up.
"Oh, let me cough help you." Timbre said, his eyes regaining a bit of shine.
She took one look at slightly sweaty, sickly sap, and shook her head.
"No sir, you are a customer. Perhaps you should visit one of the gaming halls if you are done with your meal?"
"No - I cough insist." He said, as he grabbed the dishes, sneezed, and knocked her and the stack over.
The crash temporarily stunned the waitress, and awakened the bouncers who were otherwise in a donut-inspired food coma.
"Um, on second thought - maybe I will just go check out those gaming halls" Timbre mumbled as he barely avoided being seized by the two oversized bouncer-types due to a well placed cough. Somehow finding the breath to run, Timbre took off with a wave back to the group.
Rory looked at Ameria still loading her plate, and at the entrance through which Timbre had disappeared. He hesitated briefly, but with a skyward glance of exasperation leaned gently over Ameria, gently stopping her eating by placing his hand on hers. "I better go find him."
She swallowed her food. "Oh, where did he go?"
"Where he always goes - trouble." Rory said.
Ameria laughed, a short mirthful, almost giggle like sound. "Well, Zelgadis and I could just wait here." She really didn't see why Rory seemed so worried. Timbre, she had realized, could in his own way take care of himself.
"You do that. This is a strange place, and I would feel safer if you waited until I return." He looked around the empty dining room. "And its better if we don't get separated for too long. People have a way of disappearing around here..." He said mysteriously as he took off.
"I wonder why he thinks we couldn't handle ourselves here?" Ameria said as she stood up.
"Where are you going?" Zelgadis, as he stood up and fell into pace beside her.
"Just because Rory tells me to stay put, why should I? My sister is here somewhere in this city. He doesn't know where, so I am wasting time if I don't look. So that is where I'm going. To Find My Sister."
"But you..." Zelgadis frowned thinking of the right way to phrase his concern. Why had she told Rory a lie? Was she trying to get rid of their over-confident companion?
"All I said was that we could stay where we were. I did not say we would. If we get separated, then we do. I'm sure it won't be that hard to find each other again - we've managed to keep running into the two of them no matter where we've been up to now!" Ameria said over her shoulder, her hair swinging with the motion.
Zelgadis smiled slightly as he caught up to her. She had a point with that, and somehow, he didn't mind not having Rory or Timbre around for once. "So where do you think your sister might be?" He said out loud, without any trace of his inner thoughts.
He looked at the row upon row of giant buildings and glaring signs. The sun had started to set, throwing everything into a slightly orange-golden haze. He had a feeling that with all these lights that somehow the night was as bright as the day around here
Ameria frowned. "Um, I hadn't thought that far, but maybe we can find a map of the city and think about it a bit. I mean, she is my sister, and I should be able to figure out where she would be because of that connection between us - the bond of sister to sister. I mean some of these places...well, no decent person would be in there!" She pointed at one in particular, boasting a sign of an incredibly skimpily attired, and certainly physically over endowed woman, posing with one hand as if laughing, as she brandished a whip at a huge snarling beast.
The sign read "The Great Serpent: Appearing Nightly at the Illusion!"
"Look at this - how demeaning it is to women, the way this poor girl is plastered onto a sign - "
Zelgadis shrugged cutting her off "Actually, I think that is exactly where your sister is."
Ameria glanced over at the establishment to which he pointed. "Why would you say that!?"
Zelgadis merely pointed at the sign again.
Ameria put her foot down, hard, treading just lightly enough to avoid having stomped her foot. After all, she was more mature, and wouldn't give into such a childish display of anger as a foot stomping, no matter how Zelgadis appeared to perceive it. "And why do you think that? Zelgadis, this is my sister. I fail to see what that sign has to do with anything."
Zelgadis sighed, as he pointed yet again. "Ameria, don't you see the resemblance between you and the woman pictured up there?"
Ameria slowly slid her eyes upwards but she was really too embarrassed to look too closely at the sign. "What resemblance?!"
Zelgadis shrugged. "Sure, her chest is bigger - "
Ameria didn't let him finish the sentence as her fist flew up and socked him.
Or attempted to do that - "OUCH!" She screamed grabbing her hand.
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "You're getting more like Lina - "
"Zelgadis! There's just some things that you don't say to people - " She said her anger renewing. This time she began to wind up for a spell enhanced hit, as huge boxing gloves appeared on her hands.
He was digging himself in deeper, he decided and wisely shut his mouth.
Luckily, something distracted Ameria, and he didn't have to bother with dodging her anger.
"NAHGA - Its only minutes to showtime, and you're not even undres, er, dressed!"
"What?" Ameria said to the short stumpy man who approached her. He had on a funny cylindrical black hat, and a powder blue tuxedo.
"Why are you so dressed up?" He continued tugging at her gown. "I don't think this approach works well on you - unless you're going to take it off in the show?!" He sounded very excited by that idea.
"Get your hands off me!" She yelled, her cheeks flushing with her mortification.
Unfortunately, she hadn't powered down her spell, and so when she swatted the man away, he flew quite furiously into one of the huge signs. His head just managed to replace that of the show-girl pictured on the front of the advertisement, so when he turned around, Zelgadis suppressed a snicker.
"This is not funny! Nahga, do I have to fire you? You're the one who's supposed to be dressed like this!" He insisted pointing down at the body on the sign. "But anyway, why are you wearing that tacky outfit?"
"MY SORCERESS OUTFIT IS NOT TACKY!!!" Ameria pounded one fist into the other.
Her irritation grew to new levels. Restraint quickly left her vocabulary.
Zelgadis blinked. One of the things he'd learned about women was that you never insulted their choice of dress. That was right up there with answering "Do I look fat in this?" with an absent minded "Yes."
Zelgadis wisely stepped out of the range of Ameria's fire path.
When nothing happened immediately, Zelgadis remained tensed.
Ameria might be more in control of her temper than Lina, but Zelgadis predicted she'd snap any moment.
"But Nahga, that cute innocent look just isn't you." The manager continued as he disposed of the sign. "The customers won't like it."
He held up a few small strips of connected leather. "Now put this on."
A confused Ameria backed away. "Put what on!? That's not a garment! What kind of a freak would wear such a thing?!"
"OH HO HO HO HO." A woman laughed confidently, with the casual arrogance that marked her every move, as she grabbed the strips of leather. The fading sunlight pooled around the back of her head, hiding her face in shadows. Her body however was clearly revealed by her outfit - a few scanty strips of leather similar to what the man had shoved at Ameria.
"Only those who understand true style could appreciate this design!" She declared. Her eyes glimpsed Ameria's form dismissively. "Besides, your body is not developed enough to carry a garment like this...."
Ameria's jaw dropped open. "How dare you say such a thing!?"
The new-comer merely laughed her hideous laugh again. "Because its true, and I Nahga, do not shy from the truth."
The short man whipped his head around from side to side in confusion. "One Nahga, and one...Nahga? What's going on?!"
Nahga laughed and placed her hands on her hips, and stepped forward, revealing her face. "Don't insult me. I look nothing like this style-less - "
Ameria's retort died in her throat. Instead, she gasped as she recognized the woman in front of her. "Sister?"
Nahga whipped her head around. "Ameria? What are you doing here?"
"I've finally found you!" Ameria shouted, as she started throwing her arms open to embrace her long-lost sister. "Now you can return to Sairune with me and - "
Nahga held up one hand to stop her, planting it square in her younger sibling's forehead. "Ameria, I'm sorry if you went to any trouble to find me, but I am never going back."
"Don't worry, I shall disenchant you! I shall break the curse that forces you to stay in this forsaken land - justice, nay, the bonds of sisterhood demand that " Ameria's eyes grew softer and threatened to fill with tears. "I save you!"
"Save me?!" Nahga rolled her eyes. "I don't need to be saved. No one captures the great White Snake! Oh, Ho ho ho ho."
Ameria stared after her sister in shock. "WHAT?"
"Excuse us, but she has a show to do." The small tuxedo-clad man pushed Nahga into the building, some how impervious to the hideous laughter.
Zelgadis placed a hand on Ameria's shoulder, and gently shut her jaw for her. "I don't think your sister is leaving this area. So your mission is done."
Ameria shook her head furiously. "No. No. NO. This is impossible."
"That was your sister wasn't it?" Zelgadis questioned.
"Yes."
"And she said she'd rather stay here, didn't she?"
Ameria nodded.
"Then isn't your quest done?" Zelgadis asked quietly.
"AH! Quite brilliant logic as usual, Zelgadis-san." Xellos said appearing from nowhere.
Zelgadis and Ameria both jumped a foot into the air, landing in attack positions.
Xellos's eyes flew open in surprise as he immediately held up both hands defensively, and grinned widely. "I'm touched you feel a special welcome is necessary, but really, you are overreacting, aren't you?"
Zelgadis lowered his head. "When it comes to you, an overreaction usually isn't enough."
Ameria nodded, but when Xellos drooped his head, she felt a little bit sorry.
"Zel, come on. Xellos has helped us before, and we shouldn't suspect him automatically..." She paused for a breath.
Xellos began to smile his peaceful contented smile, his eyes completely hidden, as he nodded.
Ameria cocked her head to the side and continued. "at least, not until he tells us why he's here and what he wants from us."
Xellos blinked. "Me?! Want something from my old friends?! I'm crushed that you suspect me so, but really, I don't want anything. It is pure coincidence that I ran into you. But perhaps I can do you a favor, yes?"
"We don't need any favors, Mazokou." Zel snapped. "We're not getting caught up in any of your machinations."
Xellos lifted his hands, palms open in a gesture of placation. "Now, now. I seriously am here on vacation."
"Vacation?" Ameria asked wide-eyed.
"Yes, we Mazokou do take breaks now and again. We torture others, not ourselves...at least, not unless we enjoy it." He smiled mysteriously.
"Besides, you realize that since you are not with Lina, I as a Mazokou would have no interest in your little plans?"
Zelgadis blinked. "Little plans?"
"Your desire to cure yourself is irrelevant to the Mazokou. Lina-san's adventures on the other hand - well..." He sighed. "But I am on vacation, and don't want to talk business. So what brings you two to Lost Bay Gaws? A honeymoon perhaps?"
Zelgadis and Ameria both turned purple.
"I thought you knew that from listening to our conversation." Ameria pointed out.
Xellos smiled wider. "True, true, but I was being polite. So, your sister doesn't want to return with you to Sairune!?"
Ameria nodded.
"Then she is smarter than she looks." Xellos replied.
Ameria frowned as she took a step forward towards Xellos. "What do you mean by that?! What is wrong with being a Royal Princess of Sairune!?"
Xellos waved his hands rapidly. "Now now! She's probably just afraid of the curse."
Ameria sprung forward and actually managed to grab Xellos (or he let himself be grabbed) As she shook him she yelled "WHAT CURSE!!!"
Xellos sighed, and vanished and reappeared behind Ameria. "The curse on the women of the Sairune household, of course. But I don't know that much about it. Actually, when I said I could do you a favor I was thinking more along the lines of showing you around the town...That would be fun, no?"
"You can't just bring up a topic like that and forget about it!" Ameria protested.
"Why not!?" Xellos said cheerily. "Besides, the night is growing older, and there are so many great spots for you to see - "
"I'm not going anywhere with you, Mazokou." Zelgadis said stiffly.
"Then you're definitely going to miss out." Rory said as he appeared, dragging a rather bruised looking Timbre. "Xellos, what are you doing here?!"
"Long time no see!" Xellos exclaimed. "Where have you been?"
"That is a secret." Rory said with a grin.
Xellos reappeared next to the swordsman and slapped him lightly on the back. "So, how's Lu..."
"We broke up." Rory said flatly.
"Really?!" Xellos exclaimed obviously surprised. "Then that does make things a bit, how shall we say it, awkward?"
"Only if anyone brings it up." Rory commented. "Maybe this changes how you view me, but it doesn't change how I view you. I can't trust you except not to trust you."
Xellos shrugged. "That is your decision. If you trust me on the right things I can be trusted." He smiled slightly. "You just can't trust me on which those are."
Rory laughed. "Anyway, we've got a task to complete. I know where your sister is, Ameria, and I can take you to meet her."
Ameria shook her head. "I already have! She's not coming. I suppose you'll force me to return to Sairune now?"
Rory frowned. "Force you? I thought you promised to return when you'd found your sister. A royal princess always keeps her word, so why should I force you?."
"But I thought she'd come with me!" Ameria protested.
"My, My...you're giving up much too easily." Xellos said.
"WHO ASKED YOU!." Ameria yelled, all her frustration exploding straight at Xellos.
He smiled pleasantly "No one - why? Should that stop me?"
Ameria huffily turned away.
"Ameria, we aren't going to leave at night anyway." Rory said stepping closer to her. "Why don't you try talking to her again, and we can leave in the morning?"
"She was pretty clear about what she wanted." Ameria said
"So, we'll just change her mind. I'm good at changing people's minds." Rory smiled. "Besides we don't have to leave in the morning. If even Xellos can take a 'vacation', then maybe I should too"
Xellos raised an eyebrow. "Are you implying I work too hard?"
"No. I'm not implying that. I'm saying it - even when you're on vacation, I suspect you're really not."
"I love what I do." Xellos smiled
"Well, you don't do anything else...so you should." Rory said nonchalantly. "But anyway, as I was saying - "
Xellos interrupted. "I do other things."
"Please! You're a mazokou after all. You take orders, and fill them. You may play around in how you choose to do them, but in the end, you never have any choice at all." Rory shrugged. "Or any free time"
"Is that so? I'm not following Lina right now - " Xellos responded
"Probably because she lost you." Rory replied. "You're only here because you are waiting reassignment. You are basically out of a job."
Xellos faltered for a split second before his cheerfulness was restored. "I would prefer you refer to it as a vacation."
"Right. That's what I'm saying. I'm going on vacation." Rory smiled. "So Ameria, I'm not going to push you right now. So, Xellos, where is a good place to go for some entertainment?"
Xellos smiled, his eyes closed. "I would recommend the Blue Demon Lounge."
Timbre blinked. "Like, dude, you're not going to listen to him, are you?"
Rory shook his head. "No, I asked so I'd know the places we definitely should avoid."
Timbre sighed in relief. "Man, good, cause that place is like, so lame."
Both Xellos and Rory looked at each other in some confusion. "Lame?" They repeated in unison.
Something struck Zelgadis. "Blue demon lounge?!"
"Yeah, its sort of a 'tourist bar'. The real locals don't hang out there. Its all gimmicky." Timbre said as he shoved his hair back. "The guy that runs it though is all right. Maybe I should like say hello."
Ameria noticed Zelgadis' expression. Something clicked in her mind, and before it finished, she blurted out "Your cure - if there are blue demons there, then we could do the spell."
"My, My...what's this?" Xellos said intrigued.
Ameria instantly realized that maybe mentioning Zelgadis' recent progress in front of Xellos was not a very good idea, at best, and at worst, well, she winced and avoiding thinking about it.
"Unraveling Rezzo's spell are you?" Xellos inquired. "How wonderful! So how many component parts have you got? Or let me guess...you have not encountered a blue demon yet, so you cannot undo the last piece?"
Zelgadis briefly considered getting angry at Xellos. "You knew all this time about how to effectuate my cure?"
Xellos smiled. "Where do you think Rezzo got the idea?"
Zelgadis lost the tenuous grip he had on his anger and launched himself straight at the priest. Xellos neatly dodged to the side, just in time to give Zelgadis a rather belittling pat on the head.
"You die today." Zelgadisgrunted out as he turned around, and began to pull magical energies together for an attack.
"Now, now. No need to be so surly." Xellos sat down, cross-legged in mid-air. "Think, Zelgadis. I am too powerful for any human to summon and why would I teach a human anything? No...Rezzo managed to summon one of the lessor mazokou who had seen me work the spell. He learned on his own, but the original idea was mine."
"Brilliant work, dude. Zelgadis is wicked cool." Timbre said. "So, like how do you undo it?"
"AH!" Xellos held up a finger. "That is a - "
"He doesn't know." Rory interrupted.
Xellos flipped towards the swordsman, who stood idly practicing swings.
"What?"
"I said, that you don't know. You always say that annoying phrase when you don't really know."
"That is not so!" Xellos protested looking somewhat embarrassed.
"Well, if you know, then you could reverse it, but unless you could, I'd have to say you don't know. Lets face it, only a fool would take your word.”
Xellos frowned. "You want me to reverse it?"
"No, I'm just saying you don't know. I don't care what state Zelgadis is in. He's probably more useful like this."
Zel looked at Rory, with one of those glances that by rights ought to have done physical damage.
"So, like are we going or what?" Timbre interjected.
Xellos meanwhile had gathered his staff. "Blue Demon Lounge then?"
Rory shrugged. "If you're paying."
Seconds later they stood inside the indigo-glowing room, lit from lights arrayed on the bottom of the floor, rather than hanging down. This cast eerie shadows over everything.
Xellos smiled and waived over a huge blue creature that was rather more terrifying than Ameria wanted to see.
"Is that a blue demon?" she asked, as she half-hid behind Zelgadis.
"No, what makes you think that?" Xellos said. "Now, there's a blue demon."
A contortion of limbs and fangs sat playing a gleaming saxophone. The instrument roared across the notes in a wail of sad, sad, melancholy music. The creature also appeared to be playing a bass with some of its arms languidly picking a haunting rhythm against the swirls of the main instrument. Then, the demon opened its mouth to sing.
"I've got the blues...yeah, you know the kind I mean."
Those low down deep blues, the worst I've ever seen "
I'm so down, so low, I'm past blue and turning green."
Timbre smiled, and pulled out his guitar. He began to play along. The demon stopped in the middle of the tune, his head (or rather, his main head) turned to Timbre.
"BRE!" It sang.
"Dude." Timbre nodded.
Then the two resumed playing.
"While we're waiting we might as well get a drink." Rory said.
Xellos nodded. He stuck a mug into one of the waterfalls decorating the wall. "I believe Zelgadis might want the Blue Demon Special then?"
Zelgadis eyed the blue mug Xellos produced with suspicion. "Why? What's in it?"
Xellos smiled. "In your case, I would have to say a cure."