Zel opened his eyes, squinting in the early morning light. He sat up and ran his hand through his hair. He looked around the room. He dropped his hand when his eyes fell upon a portrait of a black dragon. Zelgadis stood up and walked towards the picture. He leaned closer to it so he could see more of it but he stepped back. The portrait had changed into the picture of an old man who looked very tough. He had a small patch of scales under his left eye.
"That was my father," Thalos, who had crept up behind Zel, said.
"Oh, you're awake."
"I'm awake and ready to go. Are you?"
"I still need to pack a few things."
"Alright, I can pack some more food while you pack."
Thalos out and Zel turned and grabbed his bag and shoved a dagger from the dresser into it. He then reached into a pocket in his cape and pulled out a small black case. Zel looked thoughtfully at it and opened it. Inside was a white stone with a dragon carved into it. Zel then shut the case and set it carefully in the bag. Zelgadis then picked up the bag and fastened it to his belt.
"I wonder ... ... .?" Zel shook his head and walked out of the room.
"Quate, do you think Zel likes rye bread?"
Quate smiled. "Ask him yourself." Thalos' eyes widened in comprehension. She turned around to face Zelgadis.
He smiled. "Rye bread is one of my favorites, thank you for asking." Zel put out his hand and guided a blushing Thalos close. Then he put his hand on her chin and pulled her closer, to kiss her. After awhile their lips parted.
"Wow!" Thalos sighed.
"Really!" Zelgadis stated.
"You two never even came up for air!" Quate quipped.
Thalos looked sternly at Quate. "Have you decided who you will put in charge?"
"Pumqu. She is the fairest of the dragons."
"Pumqu ... . . isn't she the one that killed Gemitar's dragon?"
"The one and only."
"Wait a minute!" Zel held up his hands in frustration. "Gemitar had a dragon? How is that even possible?"
"Remember how I told you Gem's ancestors made Zanifpher? Well he had the same ability but weaker. His ‘dragon' was just a weak attempt at a beast like Zanifpher."
"If it was just a creation then why do you call it a dragon?"
"Well, what else would you call it?"
"Good point."
"Quate, go tell Pumqu she's in charge."
"I'm going!" Quate flew out back.
"So, Quate will be joining us?"
"Yeah. She's like a sister to me, there's no way I could just leave her here. You know what I mean?"
"No I don't. My brothers were ruthless. We all hated each other."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
Quate appeared. "Let's go!"
Zelgadis looked at Thalos who was putting the food into her bag. Once she finished she stood up and looked at Zel. She nodded and the three set out.
Once they were in the yard, Quate yelled, "Jaxom! Ruth!" Two dragons flew into the yard.
"Yes?" they answered in unison.
"You will escort Zelgadis and Thalos on their journey."
"Where are we going?" questioned the deep, booming voice of Jaxom.
"Nowhere in particular. We just want to be at a town during the night," Thalos said.
Ruth and Jaxom looked at each other.
"We get to go into town?" Ruth asked in a sing-song voice.
"Yes and you may go play with the children when we stop."
Ruth and Jaxom bulged in delight.
"Aren't the children scared of you two?" Zel asked.
"NO!" Jaxom boomed, "Children can tell a good dragon from a bad one. Kids like to ride on us."
"Sorry. I didn't know."
"It's fine. Your inference was based on only what you knew," Ruth's soothing voice reassured him. Jaxom looked as if he could kill.
"Zelgadis, you will ride Ruth. Jaxom seems to have taken a dislike to you."
"Really?" Zel gawked in mock-surprise. Thalos looked at him with an angry smile on her face.
"Mount up if you're coming." She got up onto Jaxom's back.
Zel mounted Ruth and the three dragons took to the air.
Ruth was following Jaxom, and Jaxom was following Quate.
Jaxom and Thalos were having a private talk.
"How can you even SPEAK to that ... that," Jaxom faltered, "chimera!"
"Don't you ever call him that! He's human. The same as me."
"You are normal, he's a freak."
Thalos hit Jaxom with all her strength. "Freak?" she exclaimed, "Call him that again and you life will be 100 years shorter!"
"Understood." Jaxom looked back at Ruth and Zel. His eyes narrowed and his mouth's corners turned down.
Meanwhile Ruth and Zel had been talking about spells.
" ... Night's darkness!"
"So, you created that spell? On your own? And it worked?" Zel sputtered.
"Yes, yes, and yes. You know, I think, that even you could create a spell."
"Really? How do I do that?"
"Well first you would have to find a magic dragon stone ..."
"Dragon stone?"
"Oh, sorry. I forgot that you are not familiar with dragon artifacts. A dragon stone is a small white stone that, depending on the type of dragon carved on it, has weak or very powerful magic in it."
"You mean like this." Zel pulled out the small black box and opened it.
"Exactly. Tell me, what kind of dragon is carved on it. A small one, large, medium spotted, striped, or solid?"
Zel looked down at the stone. "A large, solid dragon. It's wearing some kind of head piece ..."
Zel was cut off by Ruth, "Land!" she ordered.
The three dragons landed.
"What's the emergency?" Quate demanded.
"Thalos, may I see your necklace for a moment?" "Of course," Thalos answered oblidgedingly. She took off her necklace and handed it to Ruth.
"WOW!"
"What is it?" Zel questioned.
"Just look!" She held up the two stones. They were exact pictures of Thalos and Zelgadis as dragons. "This is amazing! For someone to find a dragon stone with their picture on it is rare but for two people to have each others dragon stone is almost impossible!"
"Let me see those," Thalos ordered. "Wow! But Zel's portrait is on my necklace and his stone has my picture. What does that mean ... exactly?"
"One word; soulmates!"
Thalos and Zel looked at each other. "And this is something we don't know?" Thalos scoffed. They both smiled. Thal handed Zel's stone back to him. Jaxom snarled, "That doesn't mean anything. It's a fluke."
"Jaxom! Stop it! You know very well that if he weren't her soulmate the dragon king would've killed him long ago! It doesn't matter that he's ..." Ruth faltered, "different."
"My words exactly," Thal paused. Jaxom looked away, indifferent. "Let's go. I think we can reach Krycoke by nightfall." She leaned over and gave Zelgadis a kiss on the cheek. "See you when we get there." Zel pulled her close and gave her a dazzling kiss.
"I guess so," sighed Zel.
"Yeah," breathed Thal quite surprised at Zelgadis's impulsiveness.
"Can we GO?" spat Jaxom.
Zel and Thalos mounted up on Jax and Ruth. Quate rose up first, then Ruth and Jax followed.
"How could you let him kiss you like that?" Jax hissed.
"It was romantic," Thalos paused, "well, romantic-ish."
"It was ..."
"Just shut the hell up ok! You are way too narrow-minded."
They flew the rest of the trip in silence.
When the three dragons landed in Krycoke, the children of the village swarmed around Ruth and Quate but only a few kids even came near Jaxom.
Thalos and Zelgadis walked to the nearest inn. Zel had pulled his hood over his face. They entered the inn.
"Ah, Thalos! Good to see you," the innkeeper stopped all his work. "I am sorry to say we only have one room left Thalos. Will that be a problem?"
Thalos looked at Zel thoughtfully then turned to the innkeeper, "No, it's fine. We can work something out." She pulled a small pouch out of her cape and handed it to the man. He took it and handed her a key.
"Room C," he stated leading them to a door, "If you need anything holler." He turned and went back to his work. Thalos opened the door. Zelgadis walked inside and took his hood off.
"So who gets the couch?"
"Flip a coin?" Zel joked. "I'll take it."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I'm used to it."
"Lina must've been a very nasty person."
"Was not!" cried Lina, who was outside the window. "Hey Zel, who's your girlfriend?"
"If you didn't notice I'm Thalos Leion ... and I'm not his girlfriend!"
"You're in a hotel room together ..."
"If you would join us for supper we could give you a perfectly good reason for that," assured Zelgadis.
"Free food? When do we go?" Lina questioned, hungrily.
Later that evening:
" ... So we traveled here," Thalos explained.
"So Gemitar is after you two?" Gourry asked.
Thalos turned to Zel; "A plant is smarter!"
"Wha ..." Lina drawled.
"Private joke," Zel chuckled.
The people around them suddenly became silent, got up, and left.
"What's going on?" Lina questioned.
Suddenly a woman walked up to their table. She looked over at Gourry, "Hello there big, tall, and handsome." The woman leaned closer to him.
"Who are you?" Lina and Thalos asked in sync.
"The name's Gaeriel Dular. Nice to meet you ..."
"Inverse, Lina Inverse," she spat.
"I am Thalos Leion and this is Zelgadis," she said pointing to him.
"And who are you?"
"Oh, I'm Gourry."
"Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis. Why do those names sound familiar?"
Thalos looked disapprovingly at Gaeriel. "Doesn't Thalos Leion ring a bell?"
"Nope. Never heard of you," sighed Gaeriel, shrugging.
"Dragon lord?" Thalos hissed, turned redder and redder.
"Oh, yeah. That's you?"
"Yeah, that's me!"
"Cool. So Gourry, you busy tonight?"
Lina and Thalos looked at each other and nodded. They looked back to Gaeriel. Zel looked at both of them and spoke up, "Uh, don't we have to be going?"
"I guess so," said Thalos understanding Zel's reasons, "Come on Lina. Gourry?"
"Coming," he yelled, "see you later kay, Gaeriel."
"Okay, cutie."
They all stood up. Zel looked over to Gourry. He had been oblivious to the girls dislike to Gaeriel. He walked over to her.
"Gaeriel, you don't seem to understand what ..."
"I can't talk to someone without seeing their face." She pulled back his hood.
"You're a ... chimera!" She drew her sword. "You are evil! You shall die!" She went to stab him.
CLASH!
"You even touch him and I will personally kill you." Thalos had been watching him and jumped to defend him.
"Let me at him Thalos. He is a demon!"
"He is my friend and my college. I know him well enough to know that he is not evil."
"He has you under a spell!"
"He only knows white magic."
"Really?"
Lina stepped in, "Yeah, really. I would know."
Gaeriel looked at him, then at Thalos and Lina. "I guess he is trustable," she stated, sheathing her sword.
"Thank you," Zel sighed, relieved. He pulled his hood up again.
"But not that trustable!" she charged at him with her sword.
"Souls long dead, I call thee to do my bidding. Time stop!" Thalos cried.
Gaeriel froze in her tracks.
"Gaeriel, do you realize that if you kill him you would be killing one of the three who killed Shabernigdo?" Thalos explained.
Gaeriel turned and looked at her, "HIM?"
"Yes, him," Lina answered.
"I knew I had heard his name! But I never knew he was a chimera."
Thalos picked Gaeriel up by her neck, "Don't call him that."
"Ok," sputtered Gaeriel. Thalos let her down.
"Let's go," Zelgadis hissed more than angry at Gaeriel.
"I'm sorry," Gaeriel sighed, "I didn't know ..."
"And you didn't care!" he spat.
She cringed. "Is there anyway that I can make it up to you?"
Thalos smiled, "You can be our body guard."
"Why do you need a bodyguard?"
"Do you have a lot of time? It's a long story," Zel said coldly.
"I've got all the time in the world," Gaeriel said in her friendliest voice.
"I'll leave you to tell her, Thalos."
"Ok, Zel! See you later." Thalos turned to Gaeriel.
Zel walked out onto the street, following Lina and Gourry.
"So, do you always let Thalos fight your battles for you?"
"Lina."
"Yeah, Zel?"
"Shut up for once!" He walked back to the inn.
"Don't you tell me to shut up, you wimp!"
Zel looked back at her. "When have you ever fought your own battles?" he questioned, looking at Gourry.
"That's different!"
"Is it?" he walked into the hotel.
"Lina?"
"What Gourry?" Lina spat.
"Why did you do that?"
"Why did I do that? DO YOU EVEN HAVE A BRAIN?" She grabbed Gourry in a headlock just as Thalos and Gaeriel walked out front.
"Do they do that all the time?" Gaeriel asked.
"From what Zel's told me: yep!"
They walked into the motel.
"Uncle! Mercy! Ouch!" Gourry screamed.
"I'm too tired to kick your ass right now!" She let him go and drug herself into the inn.
"Hey, wait for me!" called Gourry. He stood up and ran after Lina. "Guys, slow down!" He entered the inn.
"Do I look like a guy?"
"Kinda. Ouch! Ah! Lemme go! Mercy! Uncle!"
The next day they all woke up bright and early.
"Let's go!" Thalos cried, waiting outside with the dragons.
The tired procession filed outside.
"Lina and Gaeriel you will ride with me. Zel and Gourry, you ride Ruth."
"Alright," the weary travelers droned.
Suddenly the towns' people went running past them.
"What's going on now?" cried Gaeriel running up beside Jaxom.
"I'll give you one guess," Thalos snapped, her eyes narrowing.
Gaeriel looked ahead, "Gemitar?"
"Gemitar." She looked over to the others. They had drawn their swords.
Gemitar came over the road.
"Gemitar!" Thalos yelled, "This is only between us. We should not destroy this town."
"What should not I do? You will not tell me what to do!" Gemitar screamed. Gaeriel ran back t the inn. Watching. Following an unspoken plan.
"Why do you insist on my death?" Thalos accused.
"I do not want you dead."
"Wha ..." Thalos faltered.
"The original Gemitar hated you, they failed to recreate that hatred."
"You mean ..." Lina giggled.
Gemitar smiled. Thalos frowned, angry.
"The only one I want dead is Zelgadis. Demons of darkness, I bid thyne's help. Energy trap!"
Lina, Gourry, and Zel were now encased in a large field of light.
"You ... you ... you!" Thalos cried. "Let them go," she stated, her anger red hot.
"Sorry, but no!"
"Fire shield!"
Thalos became enclosed in a dome of fire.
Gaeriel knew she had predicted correctly. Gemitar had done what she expected. She grabbed a staff from her belt. She touched it's top and it shot out, becoming a bow. "Let's see how this wizard deals with a bow of wrath." She ran out onto the street. "Yo, Gemitar!"
"What is it?" he screamed in answer.
"Why don't you fight hand to hand? Or are you a wimp!"
He looked over at Gaeriel. "You want to fight me. With a stick?"
"No, I want to fight you with a bow."
"Whatever it's called." Gemitar drew his sword. "It won't help you now!" He charged her.
"Too easy." She stepped out of his path. Gem ran into a building. She hit him on the head.
"Won't help me, huh?"
"I can do without your sarcasm." The bow and sword clashed again and again.
"Thank you kindly for the diversion, Gaeriel." Zel and the others had gotten out of the magic ages.
"Damnit!" Gem swore.
Gaeriel hit him in the groin, hard!
"That's my line you bastard!"
"Nice hit," Lina commented.
"Pain!" Gemitar groaned from the floor, where he had fallen.
"It won't be there for much longer." Zel unsheathed his sword.
"I will be back," groaned Gemitar, vanishing into thin air.
"Bastard!" hissed Gaeriel.
"That's your favorite word, or what?" Thalos asked, sarcastically.
"Actually it is," Gaeriel smiled.
Thalos started laughing and Zel, Gourry, and Lina soon joined in.
"Aw! Shut up!" Gaeriel snickered.
"Let's go," called Ruth's light voice.
"Coming," Zel called out. Gourry and Zel mounted Ruth. Lina, Thalos, and Gaeriel got on Jaxom.
The dragons took off.
"Do you think Gemitar will attack again?" Gourry sighed.
Zel slapped his forehead in frustration. He nodded.
"Oh. When?"
"Plants must be smarter. Gourry, no one knows just when Gemitar will attack."
"Oh, Ok."
"That proves it. Ignorance is bliss."
Ruth cut in; "We are going to stop at Joannasberg."
"Joannasberg. That sounds familiar ..." Zel wondered out loud.
"Maybe that's because the plague destroyed it. It's a ghost town," Ruth stated.
"Then why are we stopping there?" Gourry asked.
"It is said that in its' ruins is a magic sword. It might help us if we find it," Zel answered.
"You mean the sword of light?" Gourry asked, his hand on is sword.
"No, the sword of life."
"The sword of life? What kind of a wimpy sword is that?"
"The sword of life can bring people to life or kill them."
"Any old sword can do that."
"Not just any sword can bring back the dead."
"It brings back the dead?" Gourry whimpered imagining dead decomposing old people coming back to life.
"Only those freshly killed."
"Oh, kay!"
Suddenly Thalos screamed, "Where's Quate? She's missing?"
"I haven't seen her," Gourry smiled. Thalos's face only became more distressed.
"Gourry!" Zel sighed angrily.
"What?"
"I'm sure she only flew ahead to Joannasberg," Ruth tried to assure her.
"She wouldn't. I know she wouldn't," Thalos stated.
The ruins of Joannasberg were now visible before them.
"Hurry," Zel ordered. The dragons sped on. They soon were at the destroyed city.
They all dismounted and stood around.
"Look for Quate!" Thalos ordered. Everyone but Gourry started looking around.
"Why are you so worried about a stupid ..." Gourry was cut-off midsentence by Thalos. She was holding him up by the throat.
"Call her a stupid dragon, and I will rip your head off. Understood?"
As Gourry went to answer, Thalos screamed and fell to the ground in agony. Gaeriel ran over to her and was followed by Zel.
"Thalos! What's wrong?" Zel and Gaeriel questioned, worried.
"Quate ..." Thalos choked out, "is hurt. Badly!"
"How do you know?" Zel asked.
"Remember when I told you she was like a ..." Thalos coughed, "sister."
"Yes, I remember quite well," Zel recalled.
"I lied."
"What?" the two gawkers cried.
"She is," Thalos moaned, "my sister."
Zel and Gaeriel gasped, "How?"
"My father was a - human. Mother a d ..."
"Dragon! SO Quate was the dragon-like one and you were the human like one," Gaeriel exclaimed.
"Right on," Thalos, almost, smiled but couldn't because she screamed out again.
"She's," Thalos sobbed, "gone." Her voice was only a whisper. She began crying.
"I'm sorry," Gourry sighed.
"It doesn't matter," she paused. "Now," she began bawling again.
"It's so sad isn't it?" Gemitar was levitating in the air above them.
"You bastard!" Gaeriel yelled. "You unfeeling idiotic bastard!"
"Are you that angry over a dragons death?"
"I'm angry at you because you've killed my sister!" Thalos screamed. "For that you will be punished!" Thalos stood up and closed her eyes:
"Pure light,
I summon the power of your simplicity,
Gather in me and give me your strength,
Feel my anger and turn it to power,
Trust my mind,
Dragon ..."
"A dragon slay? That's impossible! That's the only spell against dragons!" Lina exclaimed.
"Blood!" Thalos finished. Her hand was in the air. Suddenly a cut appeared on it and began to bleed.
"Thalos!" Zel yelled out in concern.
"Stay back!" Gaeriel whispered.
"Why?" he demanded.
"In the dragon blood spell the one who casts it always bleeds. Watch."
The blood, which had pooled around Thalos's feet, lifted and formed itself into the shape of a dragon. It then sped towards Gemitar.
He cried out as the bloody dragon hit him, staining his face a deep red. Part of it was the blood-dragon's; the other blood was his own.
"I will return," he choked out, vanishing. Where he had fallen lay Quate's lifeless body. Thalos had fainted at the sight of her.
"Look!" Gourry pointed to a large stone that had risen up. It shattered to reveal a sword. The sword began floating toward Zelgadis. He snatched it from the air and walked towards Quate. "Spirit of this body I beseech thee. Return!"
Quate opened her eyes. "What happened?" she demanded.
Thalos stood up. She looked at Quate. "You're alive?" she cried out of pure happiness.
"What's the big deal?" Gourry asked.
"I think we should get going Gourry!" Lina sighed. She started walking away, dragging Gourry behind her.
"Thank go you're all right, Quate." Thalos hugged the petite dragon. "Good bye and good luck."
"Bye," Lina laughed, walking by Zel, "see you."
He answered, "Goodbye!"
They walked away, well, Lina walked away, and Gourry had to waddle away because he was in a headlock.
Thalos walked over to Zelgadis. "Thank you so much!" Thalos hugged him, bringing him out of the trance-like state he was in. She let go.
"We found the sword!" Gaeriel exclaimed.
"So we did," sighed Zel.
"Shall we be on our way?"
"Let's go," Quate and Thalos said in sync.
"Do you want to join us Gaeriel?" Zel asked.
"Like I could leave now!" Gaeriel smiled.
"Let's move!" exclaimed Ruth.
The six travelers took to the air.