"The Beast," written by Johnette Napolitano, is performed by Concrete Blonde on their album "Bloodletting." If you've never heard that album, you are SO missing out.
the prey of the beast
screamed bloody murder
the line is so fine between hoping and hurting
former believers, they beg for release
as love, looking down on them, smiles and picks his teeth
"It's MY LIFE!" Lina screeched angrily.
"And you're risking it!" Gourry returned heatedly.
"I risk it every gods-cursed day!"
"Being who you are, yes, simply living day to day can be dangerous. I understand that," Zelgadiss, ever the quiet voice of reason, interjected. "But this is beyond everyday risk. It's reckless, even for you."
"Don't you think I know it's not safe? Don't you think I've thought about this myself?...wait, you don't think I've thought about this, do you?"
"But, Lina-san, you don't seem to be - "
"I don't seem to be many things. Things aren't always what they seem." She glared at Amelia, then gave Zel a piercing look. "You, at least, ought to understand that, Zel."
Zel bristled. "Stop dodging the issue."
"The subject is not open for debate," Lina finally said, her voice cold.
"But Lina - " Gourry began.
"It's not debatable," Lina reiterated, her tone getting chiller still. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to be alone." The unspoken corollary was that she was to be disturbed only in case of extreme emergency, and even then at the risk of the one's life.
After she was out of earshot, Gourry made an exasperated noise. "I don't understand her sometimes."
"Most of the time," Zel corrected with bitter humour.
"Can't she see the danger?" Amelia asked no-one in particular.
"That's the problem. She sees the danger and doesn't care," Zel responded flatly.
Nearby, sprawled on the branch of a tall tree, the reason for this conversation watched, his violet eyes open and sparkling with amusement. Then, smirking widely, he disappeared.
trapped in-between heaven and hell
he knows all the secrets and don't want to tell
there's nowhere to run and there's nowhere to hide
love knows you all too well - he will find you
Lina hit the water for the umpteenth time that evening. How dare they try to tell me what to do. As if I can't take care of myself!
She sighed, climbing out of the river. It's hard to keep my mind off the others when I'm engaging in Zel's favourite passtime.
Absently Lina began drying herself off. Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so angry. But, dammit, it is my life.
Xelloss hid in plain sight, the shadows masking his presence. He'd gone after Lina and had been able to watch her bathe. What a lovely bonus, he mused as he watched her dress.
Lina opted not to put her cape back on; it was a little warm, and she was more comfortable without it. Slinging it over one shoulder, Lina wandered in the opposite direction from the campsite, humming tunelessly as she did so.
Lina gasped as she turned a corner to find Xelloss perched atop a large rock.
"Hello, Lina-san," the priest greeted with a smile.
"Xelloss? What are you doing here? Wait, I know: 'that is a secret'," she recited.
Xelloss winked at her in reply.
Lina looked at the priest with not a little suspicion. Does he know that the others and I argued about him just a little while ago? How could he? But, then, this is Xelloss... "What do you want?" Lina asked.
"Why do you think I 'want' anything?"
Lina frowned. "I learn from experience."
"Touche."
love is the ghost, haunting your head
love is the killer you thought was your friend
love is the creature who lives in the dark
sneaks up and sticks you and painfully picks you apart
"It's my life!"
Even without Lina there, her words seemed to remain, living things buzzing around her friends' heads.
"He could just kill her, and we couldn't do anything about it," Gourry said, glaring off into the distance.
Zel sighed softly. "I don't really think it matters whether or not he travels with us, on that count. If he's going to kill her, he'll find a way."
"Then why were you arguing with Lina-san, too?" Amelia asked, confused.
"My dislike of that mazoku aside, I worry about what trouble his presence will result in." More quietly, he added, "I worry about the effect his influence will have on Lina."
love is a poet, love sings the songs
pointing his finger, you follow along
voices are calling, the monster wants out of you
paws you and claws you, you try not to fall
"You seem upset, Lina-chan," Xelloss noted, his eyes opening to regard her.
"I...I'm fine." Now. Mostly. If you use a very loose definition of 'fine.'
Xelloss raised an eyebrow and Lina reddened slightly. "I had an argument with the others," she admitted.
"Over what?" the priest inquired curiously. As if he didn't know...
"What I should - or rather, shouldn't - do," she said with a dismissive gesture, trying to be as vague as possible.
"You are one of the most powerful sorceresses this world has ever known, you have defeated Dark Lords and part of Shabranigdu Himself, you can cast Nightmare magicks...and they are trying to tell you what to do?" he asked with a chuckle.
She blinked. When you put it that way, it sounds even more absurd that I'd thought. "Well...yes."
"Such interesting travelling companions you choose, Lina-chan."
You got that right, she thought, eyeing the mazoku priest. She simply shrugged in reply.
"You were right; I do want something," Xelloss said.
Lina was startled by Xelloss' straightforward statement, but quickly recovered. "And what's that?"
"I'd like to show you something." He hopped up, walked over to her, and offered his hand.
She regarded it, and him, a long moment. Straightening her shoulders, she placed her hand in his. "Let's go, then."
love is the leech, sucking you up
love is a vampire, drunk on your blood
love is the beast that will tear out your heart
hungrily lick it and painfully pick it apart
"His influence?" Amelia repeated, obviously still confused.
"He's a mazoku. Whatever influence he has on Lina will not be good. The longer she allows him to travel with us, the stronger his influence may become."
Gourry looked seriously worried; he obviously had not considered that before, thinking only of Lina's physical saftey.
I'm tired, he thought wearily, feeling suddenly as if the life had been drained from him. Zelgadiss gave him a sympathetic look, apparantly in the same boat as the swordsman.
"We went about it the wrong way. If we'd gotten her to reach the same conclusion we did on her own, this might have worked out. As it is, she'll keep him around just to prove she's right," Zel stated wearily.
There was a not-entirely-comfortable silence before Amelia ventured, "Zelgadiss-san? Are you afraid that Xelloss-san may coerce Lina-san to work for the side of Evil?"
"Not...coerce, so much as convince."
"Like we convinced her to get rid of Xelloss?" Gourry asked with uncharacteristic bitterness.
"No, not like we did. Not at all."
"Then how?" Amelia inquired.
Zel stared off into the distance, unseeing, his expression and tone dull, resigned. "Using the influence I fear he's aquiring the longer he's in contact with Lina."
"What influence?" Amelia was getting tired of not understanding what was being said.
Zel made no reply, simply continuing to gaze at something only he could see.
love is the leech, sucking you up
love is a vampire, drunk on your blood
love is the beast that will tear out your heart
hungrily lick it and painfully pick it apart
"What is this place?"
Lina looked around her with awe. They stood in some sort of cave, whose walls were covered in shimmering silver and crimson crystals.
Xelloss took a sort of satisfaction from Lina's wonder. "Very few have ever been here," he told her.
"It's beautiful," Lina couldn't help but state the obvious.
"It works quite well as a place to think without fear of interruption."
"You come here often?" It was only partly a question.
"Oh yes, indeed. You might even say it's my 'home away from home.'"
Lina felt vaguely flattered that Xelloss had chosen to share this place with her. "And you brought me here because...?" Lina finally asked.
Xelloss shrugged lightly. "I thought you might like to get away from your friends, as you aren't getting along famously at the moment." Of course, that was only one of the reasons, but there was no need for him to tell Lina that. "Do you mind?" he asked, though he knew the answer.
Lina shook her head energetically. "No, not at all." She tossed her cape on the ground and situated herself atop it. I did want to get away from the others for a while.
Lina began studying the cave in earnest, so she did not notice the strange, half-fond, half-predatory smile on Xelloss' face as he looked at her.
love is the ghost, haunting your head
love is the killer you thought was your friend
love is the creature who lives in the dark
sneak up and stick you and painfully pick you apart
It was late, but only Amelia had gone to sleep. Lina had not yet returned, and both Gourry and Zelgadiss were awake, the former pacing nervously, the latter staring off in the direction in which Lina had gone, as if expecting her to suddenly reappear right there.
Lina did indeed suddenly appear, but in the middle of the campsite, and with Xelloss.
Zelgadiss bit his lip to keep from yelling at the priest. Xelloss looked more smug than usual, possibly because his hand was still on Lina's shoulder and the sorceress showed no sign of discomfort or anger about it.
"Are you okay, Lina?" Gourry asked worriedly.
Was she with Xelloss all that time? both Gourry and Zelgadiss wondered, each worried if for slightly different reasons.
"I'm fine," she said airly, then added, "I can take care of myself."