The quarter moon shone down on the raven-hared being that knelt on the edge of the roof. Very, very slowly, blood-red eyes slipped open. Pale lips parted, and the figure spoke in a low, husky tone.
"Arbez has been executed. She addressed the blue cloaked figure who stood motionless behind her. "T'nepres, too."
Failure is not acceptable. The second replied. Have you an explanation?
"T'nepres almost succeeded." She continued. "The Runes interfered."
WHAT?!
"The last Runecaster has surfaced." The night breeze blew back her ebony tresses. "I doubt he realizes how much power he possesses."
Has he surpassed the girl?
"Not yet."
Destroy the Runecaster first. Replacements for Arbez and T'nepres will be arranged. Proceed as planned.
"Who are you sending?"
Etoyoc and Drapoel. The other turned to go. And Kwah.
"Sir?"
Do not fail.
"Yes sir."
Stormy blue eyes, clouded with dark emotions, had found the subject of their focus to be distant and unresponsive. Said target had been concentrating on the same patch of wall for the majority of the morning meal, which, though easily missed by less observant people, did not slip by him. It was almost as if she were in some kind of trance...
"Good morning, all!" Xellos chirped, appearing out of nowhere in his usual manner. To the Trickster's dismay, none of them even acknowledged his presence. Lina was overly interested in wall, barely even eating. Zelgadis had his attention on the red head, which made for a very boring scene.
"I Rerooss!" Gourry waved, his mouth full. Okay, so one of them acknowledged him.
"Gourry, what's wrong with the others?" The Mazoku gestured to the two unmoving spell-casters. "Lina isn't eating, and Rock-head isn't doing anything."
"Mmm..."
"Well?"
"I dunno." The blonde shrugged. "They've been like this since they came down to breakfast."
"Lina..." The purple-hared priest gently shook said sorceress, and she violently snapped out of her trance.
"Wha - ?!" She automatically smacked the closest person out of sheer instinct.
"ACK!" The cerulean-skinned chimera was thrown out of his chair by the force of the impact. "Oww..."
"What's the big idea?!" Lina snapped, angrily jabbing the Mazoku in the chest. "Why the hell did you do that?! I'm going to have a bruise from Zel's head!"
"So it's my fault the fruitcake pulled yet another prank?" The tempest reflected in his eyes was the kind that sailors knew not to set out in, and made beach-dwellers scurry far inland.
"Good morning, Lina!" Xellos chirped. Zelgadis growled, and the surrounding temperature dropped ten degrees.
"Damned fruitcake..." Stone fingers twitched with rage, his rational mind reminding him that hurting the priest only pleasured him.
"Now, now, Zelgadis, play nice." Xellos chided. The contrast between the coldness Zelgadis radiated and the heat of his rage created a low-hanging mist that did not improve the tense atmosphere.
"Go. Away." Hard blue eyes narrowed, glittering like twin shards of ice. The trickster's eyes opened as instinct screamed at him to run. Something was glowing inside the chimera's eyes, but what? It was gold, that much he could identify, but no man could ever gain the power of Nightmare magic. The Lord of Nightmares bestowed her true strength on women only, as she herself was the Mother of Chaos.
"And what if I say 'no'?" He sneered, his smile opening, then fading as a morbidly distorted smirk took over Zelgadis' expression. The aura of emotions that had only recently flared up now froze and vanished completely. Power seemed to be collecting in him as if he were some kind of vacuum.
"Zel?..." Lina's voice was sharp as she felt a strong tug on her magic. Gourry, ever dense, continued to eat without noticing that the chimera's eyes emitted light.
"You forget who you are dealing with." Mazoku manifested magic nicked the underside of the rock hard throat, drawing a few drops of scarlet ichor. This last act put Zelgadis over the edge.
"You don't know who you're dealing with." He chuckled, allowing shadows to hide his upper face. His smile was bordering on insanity, and the black garb didn't help to lessen the dark atmosphere he created.
"Zel?" She refused to be scared. She wouldn't let this scare her, not this psychotic version of her best friend. She placed her hand on his arm to hopefully restrain him, but he jerked away as if she would infect him with a terminal disease. She refused to be hurt.
"Xellos Metallium," the shaman hissed, "that was your last mistake."
Amethyst caught glaciers, exchanging brief flashes of emotion. Fear. Anger. Anticipation. Hate. Curiosity. Bitterness.
"Zelgadis!" Ruby-red eyes flashed with ire.
"FINAL JUDGEMENT!" Zelgadis' hand dashed out, a line of golden energy shooting up Xellos' middle. The chimera suddenly twisted, Pulling the runic magic into for; two aureate V's attached to the upper right hand corner of the line. The Mazoku screamed, and was only saved by his mistress' frantic intervention.
Zelgadis only laughed.