The group trudged through the dense foliage of the jungle on the lower flats at the Zephelia mountains, Xellos was continualy moaning, and teasing to keep himself occupied, Lina was using controlled bursts of flames to create paths from the shrubbery and tall grass, Gourry and Zelgadis conversed, planning light hearted revenge on Xellos (though we all know otherwise, theres nothing light hearted about it!) while Amelia all the while was the unfortunate target of Xellos's torturous teasing. She was forced to listen to him mock her justice speeches in horrible high-pitched mimicry, knowing that any attempt to stop him by force would only provide Xellos with joy and delight...
A few miles across one of the larger, less forested flats, the group stopped at a clearing, Amelia was fighting with Xellos now, she had floored him with a justice shoulder when she had been brought to the limit of her temper, and now she was sitting on his chest, punching him over and over, she knew he wasnt in pain, but at least she could release her anger and pass the time this way.
Zelgadis and Gourry argued, Zelgadis had grown tired once more of Gourry's stupidity and of course, Gourry was offended (just this once, he notices the fact he is being insulted), Lina also sat on Xellos behind Amelia, using the break for what it was and replenishing her magic attack abilities for the rest of the trip
(And speaking of flats, i think Xellos is pretty FLAT too eh? heh)
In the escilating anger withing the party, a flash of black lightning struck, and a new figure stood among them now, silence swept the clearing, Zelgadis and Gourry stood and stared at the figure, neither of the girls gave up thiere seat on the grinning (and flattened) Xellos, who also stared at the figure from his position, which was difficult as he had to balance the top of his head on the floor and look upside-down. The figure bellowed "BEHOLD PARANOIA!!"
Its voice reverberated among the trees around the clearing, a blinding light flashed, and the figure was gone...
"What the hell?" Gourry looked puzzled
"What did he say?" Amelia said, dropping her weight back on xellos, who struggled a bit.
"uh, i dont think we should stay here any-more" Xellos said grinning
"Your only saying that because i'm sitting on you...if you want to get up your going to have to beg, thats right Xellos, BEG!!" Amelia smiled
"I hate to prove the bastard right, but we SHOULD leave now" Zelgadis explained
Amelia frowned, and released the still grinning Xellos, who now looked more delighted than before, at being proved right.
Xellos got up slowly "Where are we going now oh RIGHTEOUS one?" turning to amelia who clenched her fists
"Hurry up and get us going lina before i go looking for a way to REALLY kill him!!" Amelia could barely contain her rage
Lina led on into the jungle again, burning the path out of the jungle; there were only a few more miles in the jungle, little did they know though, that those last few miles would be bloody and treacherous..
Everything was back as it was at the beginning, Xellos was teasing Amelia, and Gourry still conversed with Zelgadis, while Lina made the path leading out of the jungle, but something was different......Xellos seemed far more annoying, too annoying even for him, Gourry's stupidity was just that much more irritating, and constantly clearing paths was just that much more tiring....
As they reached the end of the jungle some miles on tempers began to frey, ahead of them was another mountain, and at least another ten or so forested flats on theire level!
"Xellos! i knew it! this has something to do with you and your illusions!!" Ameria lost her temper again and launched at Xellos, but Xellos, who was prepared, sent her tumbling to the ground with a squarely aimed punch
"Its not me,i promise i haven't done anything, i think your pawn of justice thing has finally driven you over the edge!" Xellos smiled and walked to Amelia, offering her his hand to help her up
"Get Away From Me Traitor!!" Amelia screamed, as she wrapped her legs around his, tripping him again, and then sitting on his back pushing his arm backwards!!
"STOP!! THATS HURTING" Xellos's eye's opened wide in pain and surprise "PLEASE STOP IT!!"
Amelia released Xellos, and rolled off of him in shear amazement
"Did i really hurt you?" Amelia stared at the mazoku as he rose to his feet cradeling his arm
"That you did" Xellos uttered quietly "That you did indeed"
"How is that possible Xellos" Zelgadis watched Xellos, who was observing and tapping his arm to test himself "You are mazoku, you cant really hurt can you?"
"I fear i am no longer mazoku" Xellos looked grimly at the rest of the group...everyone was watching him
"How is that possible Xellos, not that i care or anything" Amelia smiled grimly at Xellos who looked frightened back at her...this was an expression no-one had ever seen on his face before....there was something pitiful about it..but he was obviousely frightened of her in his present state, and you could see it in her face, she was amused.
Sometime later they found the mountain town of Zaphelia, and decided that they would rest and stock up there, the group would cross the two mountain semi-circles, and be there before the sun sets...they crossed the first semi-circle mountain trail, and admired the town until it left thiere sight once more.....then they reached the peak of the second semi-circle. There was no town, no more people, no more traders, just a smouldering wreck of mountain bridges connecting one smouldering wreck to the next at which they stared in astonishment and horror...
The party reached the destroyed town, skeletons lay among the wreckedge of houses and market places, and stood there, in the town center, was the figure from the forest clearing. The figure rose its hand, the air around it shimmered with red light, and a second later a black, slow burning fire enveloped Lina,Gourry,Zelgadis and Amelia, leaving the powerless Xellos to defeat the powerful figure...an icy whisper demanded his attension
"You have ten minutes before your friends are ashes"
Xellos ran to the barely standing wreck of the inn and looked around...his search yeilded an elvish sword with magical properties that he had pried from the fingers of the skeleton of an elvish ranger, no sooner than an energy discharge from the figure struck the building down..
In the wreckage Xellos was still free, but at the same time trapped..he could move, but was still held inside the wreckage, so he hid under a second ledge down, hoping he would be missed, but he had no suck luck.
The wreckage moved above the ledge he hid under, for the first time in his existance he was truly terrified....still, among the fear and the thought of the painful death he would surely assume, he could think like himself again, it was the decisive strike with which he would save himself and his um.....demi-friends....within himself he found the courage he required.
Xellos threw himself from the second ledge, touched the ground not even for a split second and launched toward the figure looming over the hole in the wreckage...The sword peirced something within the hood of the cloak, before the cloak went limp over the sword, and Xellos landed on solid ground again.
"In all my years of existance i have never felt so good about my - guk, wat am i saying? i just saved the village idiots!"
Xellos smiled, as he turned to the group who could stare and say nothing, they had witnessed everything he had done but found it unbelievebly hard to .....well, believe!
"So i guess you guys owe me right?" Xellos's smile spread from one eye to the other...
Xellos looked about him....something was wrong...the air was blood red....Xellos felt fear grip him again as he was taken from the town, and the surrounding area drew darker, and he materialised...
There was nothing in the room in which he materialized, just a spotlight, and in the spotlight a hooded figure....
"You never fail to amaze me Xellos, you surprised me back there, im glad i tested you" the figure drew the hood back
(xellos -->) "Xellas?!"