Zelgadis studied the effect of the make-up in a small hand mirror Rory had handed him. He had never been used to looking at himself before he had been cured, and certainly he was not used to it now, but the make-up was....he stroked the beard. Interesting. In fact, he rather liked the look.
Rory didn't look so pleased.
"Hunch your shoulders more. Sawpht spends much time looking over his kingdom's profits." Rory advised. "And squint."
Zelgadis squinted. He'd forgotten that he could use the muscles in his face to express emotion by slight moements, so his face scrunched up like a rag being wrung dry.
Timbre supressed a laugh. Well, not quite supressed it. "DUDE - you look like you're eating prunes." He chuckled.
"Don't squint that much!" Rory said. "He's not blind. He's just not used to looking at daylight"
Zelgadis relaxed the squint. Even with the squint, Zelgadis felt he looked, well, dangerously good. He smirked "Do you think I really could imitate him. He sounds rather strange."
"Dude, so are you!" Timbre commented lazily to Zelgadis.
"Yes he is." Rory said. Zel glowered at Rory and Rory clarified. "Sawpht is strange, I wasn't referring to you Zelgadis."
"Dude" Timbre said. The tone somehow implied that Timbre didn't agree with that.
Zel clenched his fists. Timbre, he reminded himself, could show Goury something about being stupid. He realeased a breath.
"Anyway, I think you're ready." Rory looked around, surveying the landscape going golden as the sun began to fade. "We're right about on time. Enough light for her to see who you look like, but not enough for her to realize who you really are."
"So, are you really going to deliver this fast? I need guaranteed same-day, on-time delivery for this." The woman cocked her head to the side. "I would choose that more well known service, but they don't pick-up unless you have a business address..and as you can see, I'm working on location at the moment. However, I cannot afford to trust this message to you unless you guarantee a time of delivery."
The unassuming young man smiled, his eyes almost closed due to the width of his grin. "Of course. I am very fast." He nodded pleasantly as if he was oblivious to the suspicous nature of his potential employer.
"As a mazokou, I would suppose you can be fast, but what I am asking is, are you going to deliver THIS message fast?" Glory Gabriev asked as she gently tapped a red booted foot.
The would-be messenger floated back in surprise. "A mazokou? Me?"
"Please do not try to fool me." Glory smiled. "I am part elf, you know. I can see your real form no matter what disguise you use and it doesn't bother me one bit. Especially since you are in an enchanted circle which means you are quite stuck until I choose to let you go."
"I am?" He said politely stepping to the side, outside the circle. He smiled mysteriously. "I do not think so."
She raised an eyebrow at that. The circle glowed once and expanded, trapping him again. "Think again, oh nameless one. Now about our bargain?"
"This is most irregular." Xellos said looking at the pattern of light that bound his feet. Of course, he wasn't at all dismayed by the trap she had set. If he really wanted he could still break it.
"Dissapointed?" She said. "or impressed?"
Xellos smiled. He was neither, but he felt slightly amused.
"Oh dear you have me." He said in a voice that sounded utterly unconvincing.
She narrowed her gaze behind her mask "Whatever game you play Mazokou, is of no difference to me if it suits my needs."
"And what would your needs be?" He asked politely.
She smiled. Softly she leaned in.She turned to whisper in his ear."That is " she paused, catching her breath, and then yelled at the top of her voice "A secret"
"Luckily, I always have other options." She relaxed her self a bit, and made a high pitched whistle call. A bird swooped down and landed on her shoulder.
"Here - to Sawpht." She said. The bird flew off, dropping a rather untimely present on Xellos, making Glory loose her composure, and Xellos briefly thought of revaluating his decision to keep a low profile. In order to break the chain she had on him would take a greater degree of power than he wanted to exert. That much power would attract the notice of his superiors and end his vacation. But this treatment was a bit...much.
"Well, you are a funny one, Mazokou." Glory said. "I think for now, I apologize but I will not be needing your services. The job is taken."
She laughed and dissappeared in a could of red white and blue smoke. Xellos sighed still somewhat trapped by the spell. He debated breaking the bind around him and then decided it wasn't a bad seat for what he contemplated would be happening.
Ameria shifted her body trying to avoid the many drafts that wafted through the cave, carrying traces of slimy scents in their wake. "OOOOH." She whimpered. "This is just AWFUL!"
A voice deep inside her head gently chided her"Come on Ameria. Have faith in your friends and Justice" The voice sounded awfully like Lina.
Ameria looked around. "La, la, Miss Lina?" She called tentatively, not sure if she wanted an answer or not.
The only answer she got however was the sound of her own voice echoing because Lina wasn't here to save her this time, or even to blame her for starting the trouble in the first place. Ameria sobbed. She missed Lina!!!
"STOP IT!! Come on..even if I were there, which I'm not, would I really say something as stupid as that!?" the voice snapped, no longer gentle.
Ameria paused in her whimpering. "No..."
"OF COURSE NOT! What I would say is "SNAP OUT OF IT!" the Lina voice in her head continued.
"But I can't!" Ameria responded. "I'm not as strong as you are! I'm scared - its not something you'd understand"
"Scared? Of what? The only thing you should be scared about is that you're talking to yourself right now."
"But I can't get out of this!" Ameria said. "My magic doesn't work."
"That's not so bad. How many times did I tell you - you can't underestimate Lina the Swordswoman!?"
"What?" Ameria replied. "That is not going to help me." Ameria sniffed.
"It would if you started telling yourself not to underestimate your own non-magic abilties. Ameria, the only reason I'm stronger is because I won't let myself be weak. Whether itis magic or it is just strength."
"Just strength?" Ameria frowned. "Lina, is that really you?"
The Lina voice chuckled. "Magic doesn't work in here right? So how could it be."
"yeah, there's no food in here." Ameria said.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!?"
"Nothing." Ameria giggled. She was losing it, imagining Lina. This was the end. She was going crazy, and she'd die here all alone. Or worse, with Lina's voice yelling at her.
"WHY IS THAT WORSE!?" the Lina voice shoulted "OH, ENOUGH WITH THE SELF-PITY!"
"You're not exactly comforting you know!" Ameria said.
"Blame yourself then. You take it the way you want." The voice said. "I've done what I could do."
"You haven't! You're supposed to say "Don't give up, you're friends will come - Not shout and yell at me!" Ameria argued.
"I AM?" The voice said. "Ok. Don't Give up. Your Friends Will Save you. Are you happy now?"
" You didn't say it like you believe it!" She said, her voice wavering and she bit her lip.
"I don't. That's why I didn't say it before."
"THEN LEAVE ME ALONE!!" AMERIA shouted.
"You are, that's my point. Your friends don't know where you are. You don't know where you are. So if you're getting out of here, you're doing it on your own."
"GO AWAY!" Ameria said. "YOU"RE JUST MAKING IT WORSE!"
"Why should I go away-you're the one that WANTS to leave" The Lina voice replied so softly that Ameria jerked. "So act like it."
Whether it was a dream or a delusion, she couldn't take it anymore. Forcing herself, she concentrated on trying to break the chains that held her. It was no use. Even all her tears hadn't rusted the metal binds that held her.
"You're pathetic!" Lina said.
It was hopeless - No, No No. Violently she threw her head from side to side, reaching up with her hands to steady her pounding head. She couldn't be so negative! She had to think. She concentrated. Magic didn't work in this cell, because something was drawing the magic away from here.
"Uh, Ameria." The Lina voice pointed out.
"WHAT! I'm busy right now!" Ameria took a step forward, pointing her hand and posing. "I have to figure out how to get myself out of here and help fight for justice and - " She looked down at the broken chains at her wrists.
"OH." She said in wonder.
"Exactly." The Lina voice said, chuckling. "I think you'll be ok for now." There was an audible snap to the air and total silence covered Ameria as a cool breeze drafted by. made her feel a little more alone than she had been. It was odd, because, as Ameria knew, Lina couldn't have been there.
"Thank you Lina." She said steadying herself. "I will be ok."
There was no reply.
A trumpet, a little off key, blared majestically. Glory looked up from the mound on which she sat. "Sawpht, you're here already?" She eyed the cloaked figure in front of her.
He nodded. "She is important to me isn't she?"
Glory shrugged. "To your pride."
Ameria, below the mound of earth looked up. She couldn't see anything, but she thought she heard Zel's voice. "HEYYYY" She screamed, the sound somewhat deafining her. "ZELLLLL! I'm DOWN HERE!"
Above Zel frowned, wondering if he had imagined hearing Ameria from beneath him. The mound did look rather suspicous. He had to keep going. "Whatever. In any case, you caught her, so your job is done."
"Not so fast." Glory smiled. "The information about Lina Inverse."
Zel faltered. "The information?"
"Oh, don't play dumb. You know why I took this task on - to find Lina Inverse!!!"
Zel frowned. "You are only one of several bounty hunters I talked to. How could I remember what you wanted if it wasn't the standard price?" He waived an arm dismissively.
"Don't toy with me. I want the information on Lina - everything your Empire has. I also want a team dedicated to gathering information and I won't hand this girl over to you until she tells me what she knows. So that's the deal Sawpht. She's unharmed now...but, of course, she doesn't have to stay that way."
From behind a tree, looking far below, Rory frowned. Why was his mother after LINA INVERSE of all people!? He paused. That was a stupid question. Lots of people were after Lina Inverse, of course, with plenty of reason. But! He pounded a fist and racked his brain. Why was HIS mother of ALL PEOPLE after Lina Inverse? He just didn't understand.
Zel shrugged. "You drive a hard bargain. Sure, if that's what you want. Now show me where she is."
Glory smiled. "Easily done." She took a step back, her cape twitching as she began a dance. "Sky above that sees, Wind around that whispers, oh Bephimos let the earth below, hear me and open to my command - "
The dome of earth split open, revealing Ameria looking up, quite dazedly.
"There she is, safe and sound." Glory said.
Ameria squinted her eyes, trying to make out the figures silouhetted against the bright light of day. "Zel!? Is that you!? Zel, you're safe!?" She cried. "And you came to save me!!!"
Glory stepped back. "WHO ARE YOU!?" She said, shifting her weight to an attack stance.
Zel ripped off the fake gotee. Or at least tried to as the glue was somewhat strong and it hurt like a demon's kiss. It hung, dangling from his chin, which was rapidly turning a nice crimson with the irritation and embarassement he felt. Zel took a breath. "I am Zelgadis Greywars." He said calmly, ignoring the urge to itch his face. No, he couldn't resist.
"Oh, is that all?" Glory replied sweeping her arms wide while he itched. "That clears up everything."
Zel widened his eyes. "It does ?" relief swept over him.
"No not really, but this little spell will" She swirled her hands together. "Dim Wind"
Zel barely ducked in time for the gust of super-powered wind to clear him. In fact, his fake gotee, was completely removed and flew off into the sky, perhaps to land on some lucky facial-hair deprived young man.
"No Zel, look out!!!" Ameria cried as Glory began to shape another spell.
"Freeze Arrow!" Glory called, as a packet of cold arrows sprayed towards Zel.
Ameria frowned and jumped up out of the pit. "FLARE ARROW!" She called, the fire arrows rushing into the stream of freeze arrows to knock them down.
"Oh, you're free." Glory said turning to Ameria. "Fire-Ball" She called singeing Ameria's hair, as Ameria fell with a rather ungraceful and loud thump into the pit.
"HEY!" Timbre said, jumping from his hiding place. "You can't do that!!! Miss Ameria, are you all right?"
"Who invited you?" Glory complained "Shadow Stop" She called, throwing a knife and pinning Timbre in mid step by stabbing his shadow behind him..
Zel frowned. This was not going as planned at all. However, that didn't matter. A magic fight he knew how to handle. "Dil Brand" He said. Nothing happened. What was going on? He barely was able to duck the sheet of ice that formed in response to Glory's spell of Dimona Crystal.
Luckily in the meantime, Ameria had jumped out of the pit with a leap, high enough to levitate the rest of the way, and was able to cast a light spell and free Timbre, and was now proving to be more of a liability to Ameria who kept trying to combat the spells of Glory.
"Please stop fighting me. I don't want to hurt you, Ameria." Glory called. "Unless it is necessary, and you are starting to make me think it is."
"You are the one who will be punished!" Ameria responded, allowing Timbre to momentarily step in front of her so she could utter a spell "Wind and Red flame, Come to my hands and be the lightning, And release the power of the judgement"
Glory sumersaulted in the air, up over Timbre, so that the lightening, when it came, struck Timbre instead of her. "Oh, I believe your friend is at a stand still. Wind Brid!" She called. The air tensed up around Ameria, and suddenly, the wind wrinkled into shockwaves of energy which surrounded her and made it hard for her to breathe, and she sunk softly to the ground.
"You killed her!" Timbre said, startled out of his paralyis.
"No, she fainted. Amazing, that you didn't. No matter, I'll put you under, and "
Zelgadis shut the scene out of his mind so he could concentrate. So far he had been useless, his magic not responding as it once had. Eventually he could reason out why but for now if he had to concentrate then he did. "Spirits who dwell in the Earth, As thy words of pledge, obey my will and be my power" He thrust his hand into the ground, inscribing a cirlce around him.
The ground under Glory's feet blasted upwards, spraying her with dirt and air.
"Oh Dam" Glory started to swear in response, noting the rushing figure of Zelgadis, sword in hand. "Brass" She added casually.
Several balls of light appeared, surrounding his sword and shattering it.
"I really can't have you pulling weapons on me." She said. "Grey Bomb"
The ground underneath him shook, and suddenly he was flying towards the trees, blasted by the spell.
She was much more of a powerful sorceress than he would have thought as normally this type of spell was something he could dodge or resist. Yet, he wasn't really himself now. He crashed next to Rory who was watching the fight.
"ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE!" Zel swore. Mostly he swore because it seemed better than screaming, because his landing, on the lighter side of many such landings he'd experienced over the years while still a chimera, hurt him like what he imagined someone might feel after Lina Inverse realized they'd eaten her food.
"What?" Rory said, pulling Zelgadis back to the task at hand. "She's my mother! I can't fight her."
"She doesn't seem to ." Zel shouted, suddenly breaking off to shout "WINDY SHIELD" before a slew of meteroites fell down, called by Glory's last spell. "share the sentiment" he finnished.
"I do see what you mean." Rory said. watching as the meteroites created craters in the ground. "Well, families fight all the time. Cover me." He said as he rushed forward.
Zel frowned, and ran after Rory, the shield dissispating.
"Son, this is ridiculous. I'm your mother." Glory said, looking at him dissapointingly.
"Mother or not, what you're doing is wrong!" Rory said, narrowing his stance and hefting his sword.
"OH!!!" Ameria exclaimed. She jumped up and pointed a finger at Glory. "Motherhood is a noble thing, and yet you debase your role by using that sacred bond to dissuade this brave man from his mission! You are the most wicked of women to attack your own son and tell him - "
"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Glory ordered. "Young lady, you are really irritating me with those speeches of yours! Now sit down and be quie and let me and junior here finish this!" "Yes m'am." Ameria replied, sitting down for a second, then suddenly, recovering, standing back up, just in time to dodge a ray of ice.
"That was ...That was!" Ameria stammered.
"Uncalled for?" Timbre finished for her. "Dude, she's mean."
"They can't go through with this!" Ameria said, watching Glory and Rory circle each other.
"yeah, cause, dude, his sword isnt any match for her magic!" Timbre said.
Zel frowned from the other side. If only there was something he could do - but as it was, he was helpless.
"Well, now, son, don't go complaining 'bout that." Lou said, appearing out from nowhere. Zel jumped. "Where did you come from!?"
"Oh, now, you know where. You mean, why?" Lou's many hands swirled around. "You look thirsty son." One hand offered a glass of water.
"I'm not thirsty." Zel said turning back. So far not much had happened.
"Oh, its not for that." Lou faded out as he dumped the water over Zel.
And the most odd sensation passed through Zel's body. Almost as if - no...not as it. he looked down at his hands. They were blue. They felt powerful in a strange way. There wasn't time to wonder though. He had to do something to avoid this fight.
"DUG HAULT" He called, reaching into the earth to call forth the shattering power. The ground trembled and Rory and Glory both stumbled to the ground.
"RUN Everyone" Zel shouted.
Everyone, including Glory, looked up, saw him, and ran....from him.
Chapter 8 | Fanfiction