Odessa ran all the way back to the town. She was so distraught with Zelgadis' rejection that she forgot to go through the back way. She walked into her house and came face to face with her father.
"Odessa, what are you doing here? I thought you were in your room?"
"I ... I ... um, I'm feeling better now. So I went for a walk."
"But I didn't see you coming out of the room." He tried to open the door to the her room and found it locked.
"Wait, father!"
He unlocked the room and walked in. His eyes were immediately drawn to the rope that was tied to the bed post and out the window. His face contorted in anger.
"You were out seeing that Zelgadis boy again, weren't you?" He roughly grabbed Odessa by her arm. "How many times do I have to tell you, that boy is bad news! He's garbage and he'll amount to nothing!"
Odessa pulled her arm out of her father's grip. "He is not garbage! Zelgadis is the smartest and kindest person I know!" Then she remembered how Zelgadis was like at the clearing and quickly dismissed it from her mind. She knew in her heart that Zelgadis cared for her and his shabby manners was due to his frustrations. She understood.
"That boy is a bastard! You know what happened when his father found out. He killed his wife and then himself! Do you want to associate with such filth?"
Odessa whirled away from her father and ran out of the house. Her father chased her and grabbed her arm.
"Just where do you think you're going, young lady." His eyes bore into Odessa. "Now you listen to me very carefully. I strictly forbid you to see that boy anymore. Do you, hear me? I forbid-"
He stopped in mid-sentence and stared straight ahead. Suddenly, he slumped over.
"Father!"
Odessa grabbed her father to support him. It was then that she saw the arrow protruding from his back. Horror filled her as screams echoed through the town. She looked up and saw a band of men on horses charging into the town. They were cutting people down, left and right.
"BANDITS!!"
Zelgadis stared at Rezo.
"Grandfather, what are you doing here?"
Rezo stepped forward. "I think you are ready, Zelgadis." Rezo looked at Zelgadis as though he wasn't blind. This uncanny ability to see yet not see had always unnerved Zelgadis. It still did.
"Ready, grandfather? What do you mean?" A small part of him started to hope.
"I think that you are now ready to receive the power that you have been destined for." Rezo tipped his head inquisitively. "Do you want this power?"
"Yes! Yes! I'm ready! I want the power!" Zelgadis clenched his sword. Finally! My time has come. No more boring tomes to read, no more meditations, no more memorization, and the best ... I can finally ditch this cursed town!
Rezo lifted his staff and pointed it at Zelgadis.
Odessa ran as fast as her feet can take her but she could not outrun the bandit. The bandit tackled her and Odessa went down with a scream. She struggled but she couldn't loosen his grip.
"Why are ya runnin' away? Come and play with me." He's breath stank and he's teeth was green with rot. He had an eye patch and he's hair looked unkempt and greasy. Odessa tried not to puke.
"Get the hell off of me!!" She kicked him the groin.
"Ugh!!" The bandit rolled away in pain.
Odessa scrambled up and ran again. Suddenly, a blinding pain filled her body and she slumped to the ground. She looked up and saw a man standing over her with a glowing hand.
"That wasn't very nice, little girl. I guess we'll have to teach you a lesson."
Odessa felt like a thousand pins were stabbing her. She watched as another bandit came toward her and she definitely didn't like the leer on his face.
"She's so small and pretty." He shouted to the bandit that was grabbing his groin and groaning. "What kind of a man are you if you can't even handle a little thing like her!"
"Ugh ... shaddup! Go fuck yourself!!" He continued to groan.
"Hmm ... actually I feel like having me a piece of this sweet thing." He caressed a lock of Odessa's hair.
Tentacles of black came from Rezo's staff and wrapped itself around Zelgadis. He sucked in his breath in pain. The tentacles were so cold that its touch sent jabs of pain all throughout his body.
"What's going on?" Zelgadis began to panic.
"Calm down, Zelgadis."
The tentacles suddenly tightened and crackles of energy shot through Zelgadis' body.
"AAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
"AAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
The bandit straddled Odessa as he ripped her dress. He undid his belt and flung it to the side.
"Now, now ... don't be screaming like that. I promise you'll like it." He buried his face in her neck and started to suck on her skin.
Odessa struggled as her insides churned. She screamed.
"Stop it! Get off me, you son of a bitch"
"But the fun's just starting." The other bandits gathered around to take their turn.
He fumbled with his pants until he was free. Odessa saw his large manhood and struggled harder.
"NO! NO! NO!"
He spread her legs and pierced her. Pain filled Odessa as tears rolled down her face.
"Heh ... you're a virgin. That's even better."
He thrust harder and she felt waves of pain. Her hand searched the ground for a weapon, any weapon. Then she felt the bandit's belt. Her hand fumbled with it and finally found his dagger. She pulled it out and thrust it into his neck.
Simultaneously, the bandit climaxed and spilled his seed and blood on to Odessa. He slumped over her, dead.
She pushed his heavy body off and scrambled away from him. Tears of shame and revulsion filled her eyes. She clutched her stomach and whimpered.
The other bandits stared at their fallen comrade in amazement. Then they turned hate filled eyes toward Odessa.
"YOU BITCH!!"
The pain was excruciating.
Zelgadis screamed as the tentacles tightened even more. Then his eyes widened in shock as he watched his skin turn to blue stone. Pebbles appeared on his body and his hair turned metallic. His ears turned long and pointed.
With a final burst of energy, the tentacles disappeared.
Smoke rose from Zelgadis' body as he slumped weakly to the ground.
Everything turned black.
The bandit had his hands around Odessa's throat.
"You bitch! How dare you kill one of us!!"
Odessa clawed the bandit's hand but his grip did not loosen. The world spun as the air in her lungs disappeared. He tightened his hold.
"Die you little bitch!!"
She struggled with no result. Darkness was claiming her.
"Adis ... "
Life fled from her body.
Zelgadis came to slowly. He opened his eyes and stared at Rezo's feet. He put his hands on the ground and painfully lifted himself up. He looked down at his hands. They were stone. He frantically felt his face and realized his face was stone as well.
"What ... what did you do to me?"
Rezo's face was expressionless. "I gave you what you wanted ... power."
"Power?! Power?! You didn't give me power! You turned me into a freak!!" Zelgadis' voice was edged with hysteria.
"You are now a Chimera ... 1/3 human, 1/3 rock golem, and 1/3 demon. The rock golem part gives you a body of rock that is impenetrable by mundane weapons. The demon side of you gives you power over the Five Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, and Astral. You are now a master shamanist."
Zelgadis grabbed Rezo's robe. "LOOK AT ME!! I'M HIDEOUS!!"
Rezo calmly pried Zelgadis' fingers off his robe. "There is a price to everything, Zelgadis. For your wish of instant power, you must have this body." He watched as Zelgadis seethed. "Oh come, Zelgadis. Can you not see the advantages of this body? You do not have to eat to live, ordinary weapons are useless against you, and you have demonic speed and strength. You now have all the power that you've always wanted. Aren't you satisfied?"
"I wanted to be strong! Not a monster!"
"It's too late to regret your decision. From now on, you will work for me."
"Work for you? What kind of work?" Zelgadis asked suspiciously.
"I need to find a very important artifact. Perhaps you've heard of it. It's called the Philosopher's Stone."
Zelgadis gasped. The Philosopher's Stone. Everyone knew of its legend. A piece of the Pillar of the Gods that held up the world. It was the most powerful magic amplifier known to man. If Rezo had it, his magic would increase a thousandfold.
"Why would you need the Philosopher's Stone? You're already powerful."
"As you know, I've been blind since birth. I've mastered white magic in hopes of curing myself. Alas, none of my effort has bore fruit. I'm sure that the Philosopher's Stone will give me the power I need to finally cure my blindness." He stepped toward Zelgadis. "Now come, we have a long journey ahead of us."
"But, wait." Zelgadis hesitated. "I have to say good bye to Nell and James. I can't just leave them without notice." He looked down with shame. "And I've got to apologize to Odessa for acting like a jerk." Then he remembered about his body. He didn't want her to see him like this!
A flicker of emotion crossed Rezo's face. "You must not go back to the town, Zelgadis. It's very important that you do not."
Zelgadis got a very strange feeling. His grandfather hardly ever showed outward emotion.
"Why don't you want me to go back?"
"Please, Zelgadis. Have I ever led you wrong? Please, come with me now." He put his hand on Zelgadis' shoulder. Zelgadis shook it off.
"Why?" Rezo did not answer. Zelgadis got a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was terribly wrong. Wait! Odessa! What if she's in danger?! Thoughts of Odessa in danger overcame his need to hide his freakish body. He turned around and ran toward the town.
"Wait, Zelgadis!!"
Zelgadis did not heed Rezo. He ran so fast that his surroundings blurred and he marveled at his newfound speed. Zelgadis made it to the town in the blink of an eye. What he saw sickened him.
Building were on fire and bloody bodies filled the street. The town was silent except for the sound of scavengers claiming their prize. He walked down the street in stupefied shock. He looked right and left and all he saw was devastation. Then something caught his eye.
He ran toward the body strewn in the middle of the road. He looked down and realized it was Odessa. All air in his lungs exploded as his brain stopped functioning. He slowly knelt down and with shaky hands, brushed away her hair from her face.
Her dress was torn open. Blood and semen covered her. Black and blue bruises ringed her neck. Zelgadis knew that she had been raped then choked to death. A whimper escaped from his lips.
He gently took her battered body and cradled her against him. He tenderly wiped the blood off her face.
"Odessa, Odessa. Please forgive me ... if I hadn't fought with you, you would have been with me and you would be alive now." Tears flooded his eyes. He clutched her against his chest. "ODESSA!! I'M SO SORRY!!!" He cried as pain and grief ripped his soul. He rocked back and forth as despair overwhelmed him.
Rezo walked slowly toward Zelgadis and gently laid his hand on Zelgadis' head. Zelgadis stopped his rocking and stared at Rezo with accusing eyes.
"You knew ... didn't you?" Rezo reluctantly nodded.
"Are you responsible for this?" Rezo would not answer. His silence was enough.
"Why? Why did you kill these people?" Zelgadis' voice cracked.
Rezo looked at the dead town. "Human life is so fleeting. People are born and they die so quickly. What does it matter that a small town is no longer inhabited? A new one will rise from it's ashes very soon. Human life is very resilient, Zelgadis. Please don't despair."
Zelgadis got up with Odessa in his arms. "I'll go with you but after I bury the dead. I won't leave until everyone is given a proper burial."
He walked away silently toward the cemetery. He laid Odessa's body gently on to the ground and stared at her. Then Zelgadis cleaned her body so that blood and semen no longer covered her. He took her treasured red medallion off her dress and attached it to his cloak. Then he buried her while weeping his sorrow.
You were right, Odessa. With great power, comes great responsibility. I just hope I can fulfill my responsibility to you. He clutched her medallion. I swear that I'll avenge your death. Rezo will pay for this.
Then he proceeded to bury the rest of the town's people. With his new demon speed and strength, it did not take long.
He walked out of the ghost town with Rezo by his side. Zelgadis turned back once to look for the last time ... and to remember.
Good bye, Odessa.