Zelgadis sat on the table wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
"Lie down and think of quiet things." Elena whispered, gentle hands running over his chiseled muscles. Shivers of pleasure raced up his spine as he complied. She took out a couple of mottles, then paused.
"Greywers-sama, would you like rose, honey suckle, or jasmine scented oil?" She asked, presenting the three for his approval.
"It doesn't matter." He shrugged. "Jasmine, I suppose." There was a soft splash as she poured the oil, then promptly began the massage.
"What is it that would make you happy, Greywers-sama?" She asked, her hands weaving a pattern of scented delight through his torso.
"I want to be human." He tensed as her fingertips ran over his sides, just above his hips. "I never wanted to be a chimera."
"Human, not chimera." She repeated. "I think we can do something about that."
"I doubt it." He sighed. "I'm beginning to think that there is no cure."
"Greywers-sama, rest now." She cooed. "You are here to relax, not despair."
"It's just that - "
"Hush."
Zelgadis wearily closed his eyes, and tried to ignore the sensations that welled up beneath her skilled hands.
"Hey, Sedal, where'd Zel go?" Lina snagged the guide by the sleeve.
"Greywers-sama, is in relaxation therapy." Sedal bowed. "My daughter Elena is taking care of him."
"Relaxation therapy?" Amelia pouted. "What's that?"
"Relaxation therapy is a combination of techniques designed to make peace with a person who's heart is burdened with either stress or depression using massages and hot springs and the like." He smiled. "Would you like to try it?"
"It sounds great." Lina chirped. "Let's do it!"
The peace and quiet was a rare thing that Zelgadis had learned to treasure in his travels with the Slayers. As steam wafted around him, he sank deeper into the warm water. His eyes closed briefly, and he inhaled the aroma of jasmine.
"Greywers-sama." Elena announced her presence as she began to massage his shoulders and neck.
"Mmm..." He twisted away. "You don't have to do that."
"Oh, it's quite all right, Greywers-sama." She beamed. "I enjoy giving these. Besides, I have good news."
"And what is that, Elena?" He sighed, leaning back as she happily continued the massage.
"We can make you human again, Greywers-sama!"
"What?!" He spun around, eyes wide. "Don't lie to me..."
"All we seek is to give you peace and happiness." She offered him a white silk robe. "Being human is what you want, so we found a way for you."
"How?" His gaze narrowed, and doubt flashed through his mind.
"This is an anti-enchantment ointment that we developed long ago, to help others like you." She held up a vial of clear, syrup-like liquid.
"Like me?" His words were cautious and slow.
"Well, you know, cursed." She beamed. "It works wonders on Frog Princes and the like, and I can administer it to you in another massage. What have you got to lose?" She grabbed his hands and squeezed reassuringly.
"I suppose..." He felt his face begin to color.
"Great!" She laid out the robe for him and smiled brighter. "I'll wait for you to finish your soak by the east table, okay? Take your time, you've got to unwind!" With a giggle, she darted out the door and down the hall.
Lina was fully prepared for a long soak in the hot spring, but what she saw when she opened the door to the natural enclosure was something she would never have expected.
Zelgadis, completely nude, stretched his lean body in a cat-like way as he emerged from the hot spring. Water glistened on his hair like a thousand tiny crystals, shattering on the ground as he shook his head quickly. At a leisurely pace, he slipped on a pair of cream boxer shorts, then retrieved a robe and slipped it loosely over his shoulders. He knotted the belt, then turned.
Zelgadis' face instantly turned a hundred shades of red and pink as he saw Lina standing in the door, gaping at him. Any water still on him evaporated as his mind registered that she had just watched the entire episode while wearing nothing but a towel. A dirty thought ran rampant through his imagination, and he wondered why Gourry called her flat chested.
"A... ano... sorry!" He sputtered as he ran out the door. Lina turned to watch him go, not yet having recovered from the 'show' he had put on earlier. A wicked image was still foremost in her mind when she laid down to sleep that night.