Four glowing windows separated from the others, and lined up before him. From left to right, they were; pink, light blue, crimson, and lavender.
"Thank you." Zelgadis looked at her with true grattitude. "I know I can make the final decision once I'm done with these."
"Take your time." She assured him. "Once you have made up your mind, there is no undoing it."
He nodded briefly as he placed his hand on the pink frame.
Queen Amelia Wil Telsa Seyroon stood alone at her father's grave, the flowers in her hand still damp from the morning's rain.
"Daddy." She whispered, her voice choked with sorrow. "The city is safe now, Daddy. Nobody needs to steal or break the law anymore. Seyroon is the city of Justice, just as you dreamed it would be.
"But... I'm so lonely." She laid the flowers on his monument. "Ever since Uncle Christopher killed himself out of grief, Alfred won't come into the city anymore. Gracia is still missing.. I'm all alone, Daddy. I miss you."
"... Amelia?" The voice that called to the young ruler was unfamilar, but soothing none the less. Still, that didn't give the speaker the right to be so informal.
"Who are you, and how dare you address me like that?" She spun around, her black mourner's dress swishing with the rapid movement.
"I... I'm sorry, your highness, I meant no disrespect." The one who spoke kneeled to the ground, head bowed. He wore an ivory ensemble, with the hood pulled up high and a mask drawn over the lower part of his face.
"Who are you, and what do you want?" Amelia demanded coldly.
"I couldn't help but overhear your monologue." His voice was low, but airy and mellow. "I'm sorry for your loss. I came to offer my condolances..."
"I sense that your intentions are pure." She closed her cerulean eyes. "I forgive you. Please, come closer." The man did as she asked.
"Your majesty?" He asked confusedly as she leaned against him.
"Let me cry on your shoulder?" Not an order, but a request. A request made by a lonely little girl. He rubbed her back to soothe her staggering sobs, allowing her to release all of the pent up grief inside.
"Are you going to be all right, your highness?" He asked, rocking her gently.
"Amelia."
"Are you going to be all right, Amelia?"
"Yes, thanks to you." She straightened up and dried her eyes. "It's been a long time since I could cry like that, Mr...?"
"My name would make no difference." He turned away so that she could not see his face. "I have to go now, but I pray that your loneliness will soon be over." She could only watch as he disappeared into the mist that never lifted from the graveyard.
Gourry Gabriev had once been a traveling mercenary, the best of his class. That was before the incident. No one really knew what happened, just that he had gone missing for a couple weeks, then came into town missing his sword arm. Being the exceptional warrior he was, he could still fight, but not very well. Gourry refused to talk about it with anyone, spending more time in the company of cheap beer than any other living being.
This was precisely how Zelgadis found him on that cool autumn night. The chimera had almost missed him at first, so much had the swordsman changed. The long yellow tresses were shorn drastically, and his blue armor had been replaced by the mundane clothes of the ordinary person. Hunched over a corner table with a mug of something that resembled ale, Zelgadis recognized him by the sword at his hip and nothing more.
"Gourry?" He asked, stepping over to him.
"Whadda ya want?" Was the half hearted reply. "I'm busy."
"What happened to you?" Zelgadis sat down, reading the other man's expression as he recieved no verbal response. "Where's Lina?"
"What?!" Gourry hissed, looking straight up at the masked man who spoke. "Say that again!?" He grabbed Zelgadis by the collar, but the chimera offered no resistance.
"Where is Lina?" He repeated. "I thought she'd be with you."
"How dare you..." The mercenary's eyes narrowed as he released his grip on the Shaman and went for his sword. "How dare you ask that?!"
Zelgadis nimbly leapt out of the range of Gourry's wild slash, catching the drunken mercenary as he stumbled off balance.
"Calm down!" The chimera pleaded. "What's the matter with you? Why are you doing this?" Gourry got lucky, and his sword neatly cut through the side of Zelgadis' shirt. However, it's blade was effectively dulled by the impact against his stone skin.
After another few minutes of angered struggling, Zelgadis finally managed to get the swordsman to sit back down.
"Now," he sighed, "will you please tell me what happened to Lina, without trying to kill me?"
But Gourry only sat there, staring at the wall blankly.
"Fine." Zel sighed, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Just do nothing. See if I care."
"Kill me." Gourry murmured. Zel's gaze turned hard.
"What?"
"Kill me. Please."
"Why?"
"It hurts too much."
"Your arm?"
"More than that."
"What, then?"
"Living like this."
"I'm sorry, Gourry. I can't do that."
"Oh." A weary sigh. "Thanks anyway."