From atop the cliffs, the view was breath taking. Sunset brought out every color of the rainbow, and they filled the sky with their hues. In the distance, an eagle flew towards its nest, where it's offspring hungrily awaited the spoils of the hunt. The crimson sun touched the distant shore of the lake, and light rippled in every tiny wave that lapped the place where earth confronted water. The breeze blew in the scent of honeysuckle and wildflowers.
Zelgadis was not moved in the least by this display of nature's beauty.
"What do you want?" He addressed the leader of a scruffy looking group of rapscallions. "Don't you have better things to do than harrass a monster?"
"Mazoku?" The leader arched an eyebrow, yet remained otherwise unphased by Zelgadis' reply.
"No," was the soft answer. "But just as bad." He turned around, giving them a full view of his stone encrusted face and dead eyes.
"What do you want?" He reitterated. "Money? I don't have much."
"We ain't after your money, pal."
"Well then, what?"
"We just wanted ta' know if you've seen a little red headed girl go by, about yea high, kinda skinny, flat-chested..." The spokesman continued to list off bad characteristics of Lina, but Zelgadis had stopped listening.
"Why do you want a red-head?" He inquired. "With the description you gave, she wouldn't be a very useful prostitue or slave."
"Ah, ya' see, it's like this..." The leader smiled nervously. "That flat-chested bimbo took off with all our loot, and we kinda want it back. And we want revenge."
"I see." Zelgadis nodded, appearing as if lost thought.
"So, have you seen her?"
"If you are trying to kill Lina Inverse, I suggest you forget about it. Bandits have died for much, much less, and you've already insulted her twice."
"Oh, but we've got a secret weapon." The leader smirked. "See, we have it on very good authority that little miss Bandit Killer freaks out when slugs are involved. Giam here has spent years learning how to summon this." There was a brief pause as the apparent sorcerer, Giam, summoned a four foot slug.
"Well now, this will never do." Zelgadis frowned.
"Why not?" Giam looked very disappointed.
"Because now that I know what you plan to do to Lina, I'm afraid that I can't stand back and let you do it." A Flare Arrow took Giam out of commission, and a few odd fireballs took care of most of the rest of them.
"So, you know the little wench personally?" The boss, so far unscratched, unsheathed his sword.
"You could say that." Zelgadis shrugged, doing the same.
"That would make you Zelgadis Greywers, right?"
"Whatever gave it away?" The chimera sarcastically replied.
"I know my regular sword won't pierce that rocky hide of yours, so I guess I'll have to use the special one."
"You're pretty smart, for a bandit."
"You're pretty slow, for a part demon."
"FREEZE ARROW!" Zelgadis flung the spell as a warning. "Don't under-estimate me."
"Of course not." The leader's sword absorbed his spell and began to glow. "And don't you under-estimate me."
"DIEM WIND!" The blade absorbed that spell as well. The outlaw snickered.
"Care to try again?"
"RA TILT!" To the chimera's surprise, the most powerful attack spell in Shamanism was eagerly devoured by his opponent's sword.
"My turn." Slashes and thrusts came in a flurr that would have given Gourry a hard time. Zelgadis barely managed to dodge or block.
"Damn, what are you?" A lucky swipe nicked his collar bone, and the gemstone clasp he wore clattered to the ground. His cape, splattered with blood from the wound, soon followed.
"Just a loyal servent to my master." Another cut, this time to his thigh. Zelgadis stumbled on the rocky edge and he saw the blade come down, but the deathblow never came. Somehow the earth had risen in aid of her child , forming a pillar around the blade and halting the progression an inch from the chimera's face. Spirits of the earth were screaming to him as the rogue freed his sword and attempted to strike again, only to find the Shaman's dagger embedded in his gut.
"I... won't go... alone..." he snarled, slicing through the ledge they stood on so that they plummeted to the water below.
There was a tremendous splash, and then all was still.
"Damn! Where the hell could he have gotten to now?" Lina scowled as she stormed along the cliffs, hoping her voice would carry better. "Zel! Hey, Zel! Where - " her foot scuffed against a small metal object, causing her to look down.
Zelgadis' blood stained cloak and crimson brooch lay at the jagged edge of the peak, and the remnants of battle became visible in the twilight. She drew in a sharp breath, her voice catching in her throat.
"Zelgadis!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, and was rewarded with a weak groan. Peering over the edge, she found the chimera cradled in the boughs of a strange tree that jutted from the side.
Gaea shealters her own. A voice on the wind whispered. Gaea shelters her own
III | Story Index | Fanfiction