Disclaimer: The characters of Spike and Druscilla are from the television series "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." The city of Yar Nadrak is from the novel "Polgara the Sorceress," by David and Leigh Eddings.
Lina spoke briefly with the old innkeeper, who answered her questions upon fear of death since she had earlier threatened him. She left the old man and returned to her friends, who were patiently waiting for their food in the inn's dining area. She sat and eyed her hungry-looking friends with forced calmness. "The old man claims that a blue-skinned chimera came in here a few days ago and stayed the night, but left early the next morning". She paused before adding, "He also says the chimera was traveling with a young girl".
Amelia's eyes widened. "Are you sure? A girl?"
Gourry scratched his blond head. "You mean Zelgadis has finally found himself a woman? Good for him!" Amelia threw him a withering glance while Lina proceeded to punch him in the face for being so incredibly dense. He rubbed his nose painfully, looking perplexed. "What? Why else would he check into an inn with a girl?" The blond swordsman immediately regretted that last statement. Both Amelia and Lina leaped on him and soundly thrashed him until there was nothing left to thrash. "What did I say?!"
Amelia sat back and decided to let Lina handle that one. She rested her chin on her small hands and sighed, ignoring Lina's angry shouts and Gourry's yelps of pain. She was very worried about Zelgadis. It wasn't like him to run off alone like that. Well, actually, it is, she thought. He had been acting rather strangely in the last couple of weeks with them, restless. As if he was tiring of all their adventures...as if there was something missing from them. He wasn't himself. He was so cold and distant...more so than usual.
The dark-haired princess folded her thing arms on the table and lay her head on them. She'd loved Zelgadis for a long time, despite the cold reaction she received from him every time she got close. Amelia refused to believe that he thought of her as a nuisance, a mere child, even though deep down she knew it was true. She refused to give up on him, in hopes that he would one day see her as something more than just a little girl. Although he didn't return her feelings, she always tried her best to capture his attention. And although Lina and Gourry constantly reminded her that Zelgadis wasn't hers, she clung to her dreams. I love him, Amelia told herself. And I'm sure he'll someday love me back. I just have to keep on trying.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of dinner, and by Lina and Gourry's exclamations of joy. I'd better grab my share of food before they devour it all! Amelia abandoned all thoughts of Zel in her frenzy to snatch a few morsels for herself. "Lina-san! I grabbed that piece of chicken first!!"
Cold stone blocks, covered in moss and grime, were the materials used to build the catacombs beneath the duchy of Daneira. Most of the cities in the world had catacombs of some sort beneath them, home to the creatures of the night and other beasts. In the Daneiran catacombs, most of the monsters and beasts had been destroyed by the many vampires who had chosen the place as their home. Perhaps this was due to the fact that the Anointed One resided there, awaiting the time when he would wreak havoc upon the world. He was the vessel into which one of the pieces of Shabranigdo, the demon lord, would be reborn, if the legends were correct. These legends also stated that Shabranigdo would open the gate to the demon realm, allowing all the beasts ever created to roam the world freely, creating a state of chaos. To the vampires, this, of course, sounded like the perfect world to inhabit.
The Anointed One was actually a mere boy of seven or eight, but his demonic personality was easily recognizable in his darkened eyes. His body was weak and small, but he sat upon his throne with the regality of a king and looked upon his followers with scorn. "So you return, Spike, Druscilla. What information have you found?"
The two lovers exchanged a knowing glance before Spike stepped forward and knelt at the boy's feet. "Not much, my lord. Only that the Orb is located within the Mountain of Tears. And that we have some competition for it. Two humans, a male and a female, are also searching for the Orb". Spike was not about to tell him that these two were sorcerers, and could probably kill the boy with ease. He decided to let the lad discover that on his own, for although he was the chosen vessel, he had grown too pompous and full of himself as a result.
The Anointed One shifted around on the throne, deep in thought. "Competition, you say? Interesting...but of no consequence. Take care of them as you would anyone else who gets in our way". The boy dismissed his vampires with a regal wave of his thin hand and turned away, his dark eyes large and brooding.
As Spike exited the room, he threw a look of disgust over his shoulder at the boy. "Wretched brat," he seethed, his face taking on a brief vampiric form before reverting to its usual visage. "That child gains more enemies every minute he treats us so condescendingly, so inferior..." The vampire spat distastefully on the cold floor of the catacombs, displaying his feelings for the boy.
His partner slipped her arms loosely around his waist and smiled coyly. "Calm yourself, Spike dear. He's only a little boy. He won't survive long among the creatures of the underworld".
Spike sighed. "You forget about his loyal bodyguards, love". It was true, the boy was at all times surrounded by six or seven strong vampires who were all eagerly awaiting the rebirth of Shabranigdo. They would never allow anyone close enough to the boy to do him harm. "We should have killed him long ago".
Druscilla patted his arm soothingly. "We'll get our chance, Spike dear. As for now, I suppose we should decide how to dispose of our little competition. Shall we follow them to San Doria and capture them there? Or perhaps just wait until they set up camp again and ambush them there".
Spike thought for a moment. "When darkness falls again, pet. We'll get them then".
Solanna stumbled along the rocky path, silently cursing her chimera friend for having picked such a rugged terrain to travel on. Of course, he wasn't having any trouble at all. Having a body composed of human, demon, and golem did have its advantages. Besides having incredible reflexes, balance, and speed, he was extremely strong. Not to mention well-muscled...and built very, very nicely... Solanna blinked and touched her palm to her forehead gently. "Now don't be thinking like that," she scolded herself.
"What was that, Sol?" Zelgadis called back to her from up ahead. "Did you say something?"
She blushed furiously, realizing that she'd once again spoken her thoughts aloud instead of to herself. "Uh...never mind!" She mentally reprimanded herself for letting that statement slip. Good thing it was only something trivial...what would you have done had it been something else?! She continued to scold herself, concentrating very, very hard on not letting any of that slip.
Dusk settled in very quickly over the forest, and the two travelers set up their camp in the midst of a small grove of trees. Solanna was tired, and the thought of sleeping on a pile of rocks in full clothing for the fifth consecutive night was not at all appealing to her. They hadn't seen any villages or towns for a long time, which meant that San Doria could not be more than a few days' journey away. In San Doria there would be inns to stay at, real beds to sleep in, and good food to eat. "We're pretty close to San Doria, aren't we, Zel?"
He nodded in affirmation. "We should reach the city gates in a few days or so. I need to meet with an old man there. He can show us how to get to Sairiis without even getting near the Mountain of Tears".
Solanna untied her cloak and stuffed it behind her head like a pillow, leaning against the rough bark of a tall tree. "I thought the city of Sairiis was located inside the Mountain of Tears. That's gotta be some trick to get there without crossing the mountain". She half-closed her eyes and yawned, looking very, very sleepy.
She was suddenly snapped out of her dreamlike state by the sound of someone breathing behind her. "Boo". Solanna moved quickly away, only to be held back by a pair of strong arms. "Did I scare you?" a ghostly male voice whispered in her ear, sounding rather amused. "It's no use trying to struggle," the voice informed her, tightening his grip around her and pinning her arms to her sides.
Solanna glanced at the tree her companion was sleeping against, his lavender head nodding against his chest. "Zel!" she cried plaintively. "Zel, wake up!" There was no answer, not even a brief stirring.
She felt her captor's hot breath against her neck. "That's no use, either. He's under a mind-control spell".
Solanna grumbled a bit under her breath, not very impressed by her captor's methods. "Okay...so, mind telling me who you are and why you're holding me against my will?"
She could almost sense the man's wicked smile. "Ah, ah, sore wa himitsu desu!" The man let go of her, but she could still not move her arms. It was as if she was caught in some sort of magical vice. A strong gust of wind blew, ruffling Solanna's hair, and she looked up to see her captor sitting cross-legged in front of her, peering intently at her face. The man had medium-length purple hair and a pale expression, and he wore a priest's robes of deep purple. He was rather harmless-looking in most aspects, but Solanna could not bring herself to look into his eyes. His eyes...they were frightening, to say the least. It was as if some incomprehensible evil lay beneath that human exterior.
The man was uncomfortably close to her, sizing her up inquisitively. Solanna blinked and shuffled around a bit, trying to move away from him. "Do you mind? What do you think you're doing, anyway?"
He didn't answer her. "Might I have the pleasure of hearing your name, my dear? And perhaps there are a few other questions you could also answer". The man was certainly suave, but falsely polite.
Solanna raised an eyebrow at him. "Why should I answer any questions of yours, o' noble kidnapper?" she asked sarcastically.
He smiled at her display, half-closing his eyes in a jesting sort of way. "Ah, such spirit! You must be a very interesting girl, my dear. Perhaps you would be so inclined as to tell me a little about yourself?"
She glanced at his eyes again, wondering about the evil that lurked there. "I suppose I don't have a choice...right, Mazoku-san?" She smiled at his shocked expression. "You really shouldn't look people directly in the eye when talking to them, Mazoku-san...it betrays your true identity".
The Mazoku smiled dazzlingly at her. "How clever".
Solanna grimaced. "Let's make a deal, okay? You remove your mind-control spell from my companion, and I answer your questions. How's that sound?"
The Mazoku laughed lightly. "All right. But you must answer my questions first. What is your name?"
"Solanna Chamier".
"Chamier...that sounds familiar. Guillaume Chamier, the philosopher?"
"He's my uncle. No blood relation".
"Then why do you use his last name?"
Solanna shrugged. "He's the closest thing to a father I ever had. I never even knew my father's name".
"And your mother?"
"My Aunt Pol's sister Cassia. She was a sorceress".
The Mazoku stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Cassia...that name sounds very familiar...I can't quite place it". He laughed suddenly, hollowly. "Well, my dear, I must say, you've quite mystified me. I suppose I can wake up your friend now".
Zelgadis blinked groggily and opened his eyes. A dreamless sleep...? He sat up with a start. A mind-control spell! He quickly scanned the area and spotted Solanna sitting by a tree, talking with... Xelloss! Zelgadis snarled and leaped to his feet. "Xelloss! What are you doing here?"
Solanna glanced at him. "Oh, good, you're awake".
Zelgadis glared at the Trickster Priest, hatred in his eyes. "What are you doing here, you namagomi?"
Xelloss turned to him, looking quite falsely hurt. "Why, Zel-kun, I'm insulted".
"Aw, calm down, Zel. He's not gonna do anything". She turned to the Mazoku. "You're name's Xelloss? As in Zelas Metallium's servant?"
The Trickster Priest grinned, ignoring Zelgadis's steely glare. "You are truly a clever girl," he told her, winking suggestively. She made a disgusted face and wrinkled her nose at Xelloss, causing his grin to widen. He enjoyed making humans nervous. Xelloss's head suddenly snapped up and he turned to look out into the blackness of the forest. "Well. There's my cue to leave". He disappeared in a light gust of wind.
Solanna sighed with relief, finally able to move freely again. "What an annoyance!" she complained. "You'd think a Mazoku would have more important things to do than interrogate a poor girl like myself. And he didn't even ask any important questions!"
Zelgadis was still snarling at the departed Mazoku priest. The look of hatred on his face was intense. "He didn't do anything to you, did he?"
"No, he just asked me a whole lot of stupid questions about who my parents were. It was weird. Why does he care so much about my background, anyway?"
"This can't be good," Zelgadis informed her. "Usually, when someone attracts Xelloss's attention, it means he intends to use them for..." he trailed off, hearing a soft rustle of leaves in the bushes behind him.
"What is it?" Solanna whispered, backing up.
"Six or seven vampires...possibly eight," he answered, drawing his sword. He noticed Solanna reaching for a piece of parchment out of the corner of his eye. "Don't even think about it". She thrust out her lower lip in a pout and glared at him. "Here they come".
"Elmekia Lance!!" Solanna blasted the arms off the first vampire she saw, her usually blue eyes taking on a familiar purple tone. "Damn! I forgot you can't kill these guys with magic, only wound them!"
Zelgadis neatly sliced off the head of an oncoming vampire, causing it to perish instantly. "There's only two ways to kill vampires," he called to her. "By beheading and by staking them through the heart". He turned his attention back to the vampires and utilized his skill with swords.
Solanna looked thoughtful as she blasted a group of vampires away from her with a fireball. "Staking through the heart, huh?" She snapped a branch off the tree next to her and grinned at her attackers. "Playtime's over, boys". In a frenzy of energy, Solanna struck out at the vampires, killing most of them with ease. However, she noticed something out of the ordinary about them. Several attempted to weave spells before they died. These attempts were weak, but it was disturbing to know that someone had taken the time to teach them magic.
Zel finished killing the last vampire and scanned the area, looking for more. He was greeted by a laugh, deep and mocking. There before him stood two vampires, the male clad in black leather and the female in a velvet dress. "Looks like we underestimated you two," the male said in a heavily-accented voice, stroking the hair of his female companion.
"A fatal error," Zelgadis told him. "Flare Arrow!!"
The female vampire bared her teeth. "Freeze Arrow!!" Her spell canceled out the first, much to the surprise of Solanna and Zelgadis. "I suppose we'll have to finish this battle later. Ray Wing!!" she called, forming a shield around herself and the male, and escaping deep into the woods.
Solanna scratched her head. "Who the hell would teach magic to a vampire?"
Zel put his sword back in its sheath, also looking confused. "So someone sent a bunch of vampires after us...I wonder why".
Don't know, but we'd better hurry up and get to San Doria before they try to get us again". She paused. "Do you think this has anything to do with that Mazoku?"
"Hard to say," Zelgadis answered. "I can't even begin to guess what Xelloss's motives are. He's harder to read than anyone I've ever met before". The chimera peered out into the darkness, wondering if the vampires would try to attack them again that night. "Let's get going".
They reached San Doria two days later, having fought vampires twice more in that period of time. The streets of San Doria were as colorful and noisy as ever, with all the excitement and business that port cities normally have. This made it increasingly difficult to find the man they were looking for. Neither had any idea what the man looked like, or even how to find him. They'd traveled to several taverns, asking about and even demanding information about this man, Gallan. However, no one was willing to speak with them about him, and most claimed not to know him at all. Zelgadis was unwilling to threaten these people, lest he reveal his true identity and cause a scene. However, they were running out of options.
The pair stopped before yet another tavern, crawling with drunkards, whores, and other people of immoral profession. The owner was a tall, burly fellow named Dannick who was rumored to have been working for Gallan at one time. He was inside, seated at a table with some of his drinking buddies, a tankard of ale in his hand and a dancing girl on his lap. The man wasn't roaring drunk, but he was definitely on his way there. Zelgadis surveyed the scene warily. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea".
Solanna brushed past him. "Aw, come on, Zel. Who's the man here, anyway?" She paused and looked over her shoulder at him. "Well? Are you coming, or what?"
The chimera shrugged and followed her, hoping that he wasn't going to regret getting into this situation. "Excuse me, good sir..."
Minutes later, the pair was back out on the street, Zelgadis with his nose buried in a map and Solanna wondering if she had enough money to buy herself another stack of parchment. "That guy was surprisingly easy to pump for information".
"Yeah," Zel agreed. "Who knew the old drunkard would grow squeamish at the thought of blood?"
"All I did was show him my daggers and he nearly fainted, the wimp," his companion lamented, inspecting her saw-toothed, hook-pointed knives.
Zelgadis shuddered a little at the sight of them and buried his nose in the map once more. "Dannick said that Gallan had moved to the Artisan's Circle, the den of thieves, in...what city was that again?"
"Yar Nadrak".
"Right. Yar Nadrak...that name seems familiar..." Suddenly, it clicked. Yar Nadrak, the mosquito-infested, tar-smeared city to the east of San Doria. A place that Zelgadis would really rather not visit. Humanoid creatures of all kinds lived there, including werewolves and hybrids of troll and human origins. Only the strongest survived there. And the social politics of Yar Nadrak were unthinkable. The women there were considered property, yet they more or less terrorized their masters and the other men of the city. "Wait a minute, Sol...Yar Nadrak?! Are you sure?"
"Yep," she answered calmly, trying not to laugh at the horrified expression on her companion's face. "What's the matter, Zel? Scared of lil' old Yar Nadrak?" she taunted. "Don't worry about it. It's not that bad a place".
The chimera dropped the map he was holding. "You've been there?"
"Yep. Twice. My cousin Talmara and I had to go undercover through there while on a few of our quests. In fact, she lives with her husband in Yar Nadrak. She could probably help us find this Gallan guy you're talking about, come to think of it". Solanna turned to Zelgadis, noting the surprised look on his face. "Jeez, Zel, what's the matter? Think I'm not tough enough to handle the streets of Yar Nadrak?"
The chimera quickly recovered and retrieved his map, wondering what else there was that he didn't know about the little scribe. "Uh...well, I've heard that the gates to Yar Nadrak are pretty well guarded, and they don't let just anyone in. How do you propose we get past them?"
Solanna grinned, glad she was now the resident expert on something, at least. "I figure it would be best if we just use the Ray Wing spell to completely bypass the gates and get ourselves to my cousin's house. She'll have disguises for us and can probably give us some information on our friend Gallan. Isn't that great?"
"Great," Zelgadis echoed hollowly, wishing the old man had chosen some other city to inhabit. Oh, well, he thought. It can't be that bad. And if it brings me one step closer to turning myself back to normal, then I'm ready to take on anything.
The journey to Yar Nadrak was quick and rather uneventful, since they'd thrown the vampires off their trail by changing directions suddenly, and the two arrived in front of Talmara's home late at night. Zelgadis eyed the tall, Gothic-style mansion apprehensively. The mansion looked rather dark and disturbing, with sharply carved cloisters and haunting gargoyles perched on the rooftops. "Your cousin has an interesting taste in decor," he observed dryly.
Solanna grinned and lifted the heavy knocked on the front door, rapping it sharply three times. There was a pause, and the heavy clank of boots on stone was heard, growing louder as the footsteps approached. The door slowly creaked open and a shadowed figure of a man poked its head out. The man was tall and lanky, with jet-black hair and a square jaw. He wore the clothing of a civilian, in dark tones that matched his deep-set eyes. Solanna recognized him immediately. "Why, hello there, Marron. Long time no see".
The man blinked in confusion for a moment, then a look of recognition crossed his face. He threw the door wide open. "Solanna-chan!!" he greeted, throwing his arms around her in a big bear hug. "How ya been, kid?"
"Not bad, Marron. Where's Talmara?"
"Upstairs," Marron answered, ushering the two inside. "Hey, Tal-chan!!" he called, his voice echoing throughout the vast mansion.
There was a grumbling reply from the top of the main staircase. A scantily-clad girl appeared there a few seconds later, rubbing her eyes sleepily. "Darnit, Marron, can't you just let me sleep for once in my life?" The girl was small and compact, with medium-length blond hair and azure eyes. She looked almost exactly like Solanna, except for the hair color. The girl glanced downstairs at the three, immediately zeroing in on the copper-haired girl. "Sol-chan!!" she shrieked, leaping over the banister and dropping twenty or thirty feet to the floor below. The two cousins embraced forcefully, shrieking and laughing delightfully, engrossed in the happy reunion. "I'm so glad to see you! How have you been?"
"Not bad, Tallie. I've taken up writing again, and..."
Zelgadis cleared his throat in a pointed manner. "I hate to break up the party, but there are a few matters that need attending to, Sol".
His companion nodded. "Oh, right". She turned to her look-alike cousin. "Tallie, we're not exactly here on a social call, to tell the truth. We sorta need your help".
Talmara shrugged. "I sorta figured that, Sol-chan. Why don't we all sit down and have something to eat while you tell us all about it?"
"...and so you see," Solanna continued, downing another glass of lemonade, "we thought that you might be able to help us out".
There was a short silence. "Gallan, huh?" Talmara scratched her head thoughtfully. "The name sounds familiar. Marron?"
Her husband didn't look up from his glass of wine. "He leads th' Artisan's Circle...ya know, th' den of thieves. Often frequents our tavern, Tal-chan".
"Oh, right. I remember him. Old coot tried to paw at me during one of my performances there". Talmara sniffed disdainfully.
"Performances?" Zelgadis asked.
Talmara laughed musically. "Why, don't tell me you haven't heard of Nadrak dancing before, Zelgadis-san".
In fact, Zel had heard of Nadrak dancing. Nadrak women, in addition to their social freedom, took the art of breaking hearts to the extreme. When a Nadrak woman danced, she challenged every man in the room. "Uh, no need for a description".
Marron leaned back and grinned stupidly at his wife. "Tal-chan draws quite a crowd when she dances at our tavern". He sighed mournfully. "Although not quite as big as th' crowd Solanna-chan used to get when she danced there. She was one o' th' best. Business will never be th' same..."
Zelgadis blinked in surprise and turned to his companion. "You were a Nadrak dancer?! But...you're so clumsy! And awkward!" Solanna kicked him under the table for that, then winced because she'd hurt her own foot in the process.
Talmara looked at her cousin, rather surprised. "You mean you haven't danced for him yet? Jeez! What kind of lover are you?"
Both Solanna's and Zelgadis's mouths dropped open, and they turned an interesting shade of red. "Uh...Tallie, we...we're not...we're just traveling companions..." the copper-haired girl stuttered.
"Aw, really? That's too bad," her cousin remarked, an evil glint forming in her eye. "Because you know there's one good thing about a man made of stone..."
THWACK. Apparently, Solanna had already heard that one. "Hentai," she grumbled under her breath. "As perverted as ever, ne, Tallie?"
Talmara laughed and picked herself up off the floor. "You two are gonna need disguises to go walking around Yar Nadrak. Zelgadis-san, I think you might fit into something of Marron's. Sol-chan, let's go see if we can dig up one of your old outfits".
Marron watched his wife ascend the staircase, a look of admiration on his face. "Ah, I love women," he sighed absentmindedly, getting up out of his chair and leaving the room for a moment. He returned with an armful of clothing, including a dark brown cloak, trousers, and a hunter-green smock. Marron dumped the clothing in Zelgadis's lap, adding, "You can change down th' hall. Third door on th' right".
"Oh...uh, thanks". Zel eyed the man warily. He seemed to be trustworthy, but Zelgadis didn't really like him. Marron was a good businessman, albeit a dishonest one who enjoyed swindling his customers. He was a good match for his wife. Both were rather nice, a little crazy, a little scary, and more than a little perverse. This is probably what made Zel wary of them. He finished changing and left the room, heading back towards the main foyer, hearing Marron and Talmara's voices in there. "Where's Sol?" he asked upon entering the room.
"Changing," Talmara replied nonchalantly, looking him over and nodding in satisfaction. "Good. You'll fit in real well here...now".
The clunk of boots was heard on the stairs. "Damn, this outfit feels tighter than before," Solanna's voice complained as she descended to the floor.
Zelgadis turned to look at her and nearly fell over in surprise. Solanna's clothes...well, they fit her like a second skin. She wore black leather boots, tight-fitting black leather shorts, and an even tighter-fitting black leather halter top that showed off the soft skin of her belly. Her copper hair was drawn up into a high ponytail and she wore a lot of eye makeup. No one was likely to confuse her gender. Zelgadis's chin had already hit the floor, and he attempted to recover with an embarrassed laugh. "Uh...um...haha..."
Solanna looked herself over critically in the full-length mirror on the wall. "I think I put on some weight since the last time I wore this..." She pulled out her hook-pointed daggers and added them to her costume, two at her belt and one tucked into the top of each of her boots, as was the custom in Yar Nadrak.
"What are those for?" Zelgadis asked, still not quite used to seeing Solanna dressed like that.
"It's a Nadrak custom. Lets men now that I don't mind if they look, but touching will get them in trouble". She inspected herself once more. "I'm going to need a collar".
"What for?"
"The collar gives me social freedom. It's there to let men know that I'm taken, and that you'll kill them if they interfere with me," she replied nonchalantly.
"Me?" Zelgadis asked, surprised. "Why me?"
"Because, Zel, you're my owner".
"What?!!"