Zelgadiss lay curled in a fetal position, unwilling to move or pay attention to the world around him. As he had watched his beloved burning in the flames, he had felt the undeniable need to follow his love into those flames.
However, Val had stopped him! He wished he hadn't. The empty place in his heart was more than he could bear. He lay in there wondering why he hadn't died, nor why he had not the urge to end his own life. He felt like an intricately woven net was holding him up over a great chasm.
So... he could not die. Then he'd go crazy.
He laid in bed ignoring Val as he fussed over him trying to make him comfortable. He continued to lay there unmoving, unfocused, uncaring even as Val said he'd leave for a little while to find blankets.
He continued to lay in a shocked stupor, even as Shabrinigdo appeared in the room.
"Zel?" came the deep whispered voice.
Zel continued to ignore the dark lord, withdrawn into his mental prison. He didn't move, stilled curled into a fetal position, staring almost unblinkingly at the walls.
"Zel!" the dark lord said again, "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have lost my temper."
Shabrinigdo stared at his love, fighting back tears that didn't belong on a dark lord's face. He had been an angry fool. He shouldn't have killed that annoying priest. Zelgadiss had always come to his bed willingly. However, now that he'd killed that priest, there was little doubt that Zelgadiss would hold it against him for a long time, if not forever. He stared at his beautiful lover, who was now completely lost in a world of despair. He reached out to stroke a cheek, and watched, as his love made no response. He felt the tears fall down his cheeks.
NO! He was the Dark Lord. He was the King of the Mazuku and Zelgadiss was one of his generals. He had every right to him. Every right to kill the priest to punish his general and now his general had no right to deny himself to his lord.
He brushed the tears away and grabbed Zelgadiss roughly by the shoulders, jerking him up to himself.
"Zel!" he shouted into Zelgadiss' unblinking face, "You are mine. I want you to wake up and show the proper respect!"
Zelgadiss just went limp allowing his head to fall back, as if dead.
Panic set into the proud dark lord. He reached back a hand and brought it across Zelgadiss' face. Shabrinigdo felt the backlash from the strike through the link, but shook it off, his fear escalating.
"Wake up, NOW!"
Zelgadiss' head just hung limply from where the strike across his cheek had put it.
Shabrinigdo pushed Zelgadiss back down onto the bed, staring at him in pain and disbelief.
"I'm sorry" he leaned over, giving Zelgadiss a passionate kiss, which not returned or denied. Shabrinigdo pulled back. "Please, wake up! I shouldn't have done it! I just lost my temper! Please, don't ignore me!" Tears ran down the dark lord's cheek.
He had to wake him up. He had to get his love to respond. He couldn't take the silence.
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP!"
He ripped Zelgadiss' shirt off, and kissed him again, letting his hands run over Zelgadiss' bare torso. No response. None, whatsoever. He buried his face into Zelgadiss' chest, sobbing.
He lifted his head, tears staining his cheeks. "Please! Wake up! Don't ignore me!"
He pulled back his hand, "Zel wake up!" and his hand came down, but before his hand touched Zelgadiss' cheeks, Shabrinigdo found himself knock over. He released Zelgadiss who fell limply to the bed. Shabrinigdo pulled himself up to see who had dared to strike him. He looked down at the green haired mazuku, a horn jutting from his forehead. The young mazuku crouched on the bed, straddling Zelgadiss holding out Shabrinigdo's own black sword in a defensive stance.
Val stared at the dark lord. Shabrinigdo could see the fear, but also the determination to protect his master.
Shabrinigdo took an angry step toward the impudent mazuku, angry at the interference.
"Leave, this is none of your business."
Val glared at the dark lord. "It is, if my master needs protecting."
"YOU IMPUDENT COCKROACH." Shabrinigdo swung his fist knocking Val off the bed. He then leaned over grabbing Zelgadiss by the throat and yanked him off the bed. He brought his hand down across Zelgadiss' face.
"WAKE UP, NOW!"
Val looked up, "STOP IT!" and launched himself at the dark lord. Still holding Zelgadiss by the throat. "YOU'RE HURTING HIM."
Shabrinigdo was again knocked down by the impertinent mazuku. He spun around to look at the mazuku again standing in a protective stance over his master.
Shabrinigdo stopped, as he looked at the mazuku, it suddenly hit him. "Yes, this mazuku is protecting him...from me."
He felt as if his stomach was full of lead. "I should be the one protecting him. What am I doing?"
Shabrinigdo stood there for a moment, a feeling of despair permeating through his soul. Then, in a defeated daze, turned and phased out of the room.
Val kneeled there over his master in a defensive stance, not believing that the dark lord had left without more of a fight. However, once he decided Shabrinigdo was not coming back, he felt the strength of adrenaline leave him. The sword clattered to the ground. He dept taking deep breathes staring at the ghastly thing. He could not believe how scared he'd been, but he was not going to let anymore harm come to his master.
"Val?" came the soft question.
Val spun around to pear down at his master, who now stared up at him with dazed, tear filled eyes.
"You shouldn't have done that. He could have killed you."
"Zelgadiss-sama, I couldn't stand to have him hurt you again. I would gladly die to protect you."
Zel tried to lift himself and Val pulled him up cradling his master to his chest.
"No! Don't say that. You should have let me be. I'm not worth protecting."
"Don't say that, master. You're worth so much. I couldn't stand to see you hurt. I love you too much."
"What?!" Zelgadiss stared at him, wide-eyed.
"Zelgadiss-sama, I..."
"NO. NO."
"Zelgadiss-sama?"
"NO, NO, YOU CAN'T LOVE ME! YOU'LL END UP DEAD!" Zelgadiss suddenly panicked, pulling from Val, and falling off the bed. Val tried to catch him, but Zelgadiss jerked away, standing up and moving away from Val.
"NO, NO. TAKE IT BACK, TAKE IT BACK", throwing himself against a wall, as Val tried to catch his flailing wrists. "Please you'll end up dead. Please, take it back", he sobbed as he slowly slumped against a wall till he was in a fetal position.
Val threw up his hands, trying to calm his master. "You're right. I don't love you."
He watched as his master's sobs lessened and he looked up at Val, tears still streaking his cheeks.
"I'm sorry, master. I have a lot of respect for you, and I got that confused with love." Val softly reassured his master, gently grabbing his master's wrists and pulling him into his arms.
Zelgadiss just laid his head against Val chest, tired and dazed. Val gently ran his fingers through his master's hair as he lifted him and laid him on the bed.
"Yes, master", he soothed. "Don't worry, I don't love you like that." He sat down on the bed, pulling Zelgadiss with him. He laid down, his master curled in his arms.
"Good," Zelgadiss whispered, as he fell asleep. "I don't want you to die for me."
Val pulled his master close, his own tears running down his cheek. "Yes, master. I promise I won't die. I won't leave you."
Zelgadiss quietly watched the sunrise. He sat on the low green plateau overlooking the meadow. He sighed. He was glad Val had brought him here.
This area wasn't far from where Val's foster mother lived. Val had said he had gone here when he was troubled. It had helped calm him.
However, it held a different significance for Zelgadiss. He'd been sitting here with Val and Filia, when Xellas had come, carrying a small urn.
Zel had known immediately what it carried. It was beautiful, however all he could think about was Xelloss being trapped inside this ornate prison.
So, he had quietly and solemnly poured out the remains, allowing them to be caught by the wind. He had watched it sparkle as the remains of the red stone also danced in the wind.
Now, Zelgadiss sat up there, the closest he could be to Xelloss. Sometimes, when the wind picked up, he could still see a sparkle of red dancing in the air.
Zelgadiss sat watching the dancing wind and didn't even hear Filia walk up behind him. He turned to see her standing there. She was also watching the wind.
"You must have loved him very much" she whispered, "I'm sorry what I said before, so long ago. I was...just...just...jeol..."
"That's O.K." Zelgadiss interrupted. Since Xelloss' death, he'd had concentrated on searching his subconscious for those hidden links.
He'd found them and had been surprised at the amount. He'd had to discontinue the search when he was overwhelmed by the surge in emotions.
He chuckled. He was linked to every one of his minions. They were smaller links, seemed intended for lower friends.
Zelgadiss smiled at Filia, and watched her blush. Her link was there, too. It seemed he'd had stronger feelings for her than just a friend. He knew he'd been attracted to her before he had mated with Xelloss, but he didn't know he'd cared so much for her.
He carefully picked through the links, finding hers. She'd been horribly jealous. She'd felt a kinship for him. She was the last of her kind and, at the time, he was the only chimera of his kind. Of the entire group, they were the most restrained, most controlled, and in many ways the most alike.
She'd had fantasies of him being there to help her raise another one of a kind creature, Val. She'd had many fantasies, many Zelgadiss felt compelled to try to avoid of respect for her privacy. But, he'd got enough of an inkling of them to feel his cheeks blush.
He looked up at Filia. He could see her cheeks still blushing. He chuckled.
"So Filia" he smiled, "what did you come up here for?"
"I thought you'd like some tea or coffee."
"Thank you" he smiled fondly.
Zelgadiss quietly followed Ezro down the deep cavern. Ezro was secretive about the reason for their journey, only saying that villagers had found this ancient cavern, and he'd felt compelled to search it's labyrinths.
Zelgadiss sighed. It had been a long since he'd been at Xelloss' plateau. However, he was a general and he had to go back, no matter how much he hated his master.
He closed his eyes in disgust. Shabrinigdo had taken him to bed many times since Xelloss' murder. However, it had become a job, a chore, something he waited impatiently to end.
Each time, Zelgadiss would quietly lie there waiting for the dark lord to finish. He didn't care that the lovemaking was tender and caring. He didn't care how much Shabrinigdo kissed his lips tenderly, massaged his aching body, or brought his body to climax. Shabrinigdo only had his body, and empty shell. He could not forgive him, and therefore give him nothing else, not his heart, not his soul, and definitely not his heart.
He couldn't even take his revenge against the dark lord. He couldn't make plans against the lord. His link made that impossible. He didn't even try to think about it. He just hoped an opportunity would arise, and he'd recognize it, and take it.
So, he numbly followed Ezro through the long maze of caverns. So lost he was in his thoughts that he didn't notice that they had been steadily going deeper and that it was getting colder.
Suddenly Ezro stopped, and Zelgadiss not paying attention nearly walked into the priest.
"Ezro! What did you bring me here for?" a little irritated.
"Just look around" his grandfather responded a little annoyed by his grandson's inattention.
Zelgadiss looked up to stare at a large crystalline ice structure. No wonder it was cold in here!
But, the thing that kept his attention was the man imprisoned within the ice.
Lei Magnus. The last remaining piece of Shabrinigdo locked inside him.
Zelgadiss stared at the form. NO, Shabrinigdo could not be allowed to have this last piece, Zelgadiss couldn't permit that.
Zelgadiss reached into the trans-dimensional bag that Xellas had given him, pulling out the black sword, the sword that had killed Xelloss. How appropriate that it was going to be used to kill a piece of Shabrinigdo.
He pulled back the blade, ready to cut through the ice and to the man inside.
SNAP! The blade was ripped from his hands.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" hurt and rage reflecting in the dark lord's eyes.
"WHAT DO YOU THINK?!" sneered Zelgadiss. "I'M TRYING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER FOR WHAT YOU DID. I HATE YOU!"
Zelgadiss could see that he had struck a soft spot in the dark lord, his eyes closing to hold back tears.
"Fine" the dark lord's voice shaking. "But, I'm going to have to punish you."
"Fine" Zelgadiss bellowed, "kill me!"
Shabrinigdo looked at him sadly. "I cannot do that, my love" He closed his eyes trying to control the pain, then opened his eyes to glare at Zelgadiss angrily. "You will be demoted. You are no longer a general."
"That's fine with me" snarled Zelgadiss.
"You don't get it, do you?" hissed Shabrinigdo. He pulled Zelgadiss close, so they were nose to nose. He lifted his black sword. "Since you are no longer a general, you cannot have any minions."
He smiled. If it hadn't been for the emotional backlash from the link, he would have enjoyed the look of horror that spread across Zelgadiss' face. He lifted his black sword and turned to leave.
"NO! THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" throwing himself at the dark lord, but bouncing off the wards as Shabrinigdo fazed out.
Zelgadiss picked himself off the floor.
"NOOO! PLEASE DON'T!" But Zelgadiss could feel the links snapping like dry twigs. He collapsed to the ground, writhing and screaming. Ezro fell next to him, trying to calm Zelgadiss. Zelgadiss felt the terror, before each link was crushed and a hollow feeling spread through his soul.
Zelgadiss screamed, anger and pain echoing through the labyrinth. His mind snapped and escaped into unconsciousness.
Zelgadiss slowly awoke. His heart ached. The links he never quite noticed before were now gone, leaving a void that could not be ignored.
He opened his eyes. He was slowly moving upwards through the cave, draped over Ezro's arms.
He sensed the wards were gone, so immediately fazed himself and Ezro to what had used to be his domain.
He nearly broke down in tears at the sight. Blood was splattered across floors and walls. Bodies of his beloved minions lay throughout the cavern. He found himself walking through the grounds, looking at the bodies, remembering names. He choked back a sob as he got down on his knees to lift a gold haired female, her hair now streaked and sticky from black mazukun blood.
"Cherice" Zelgadiss whispered, smiling faintly, as he brushed her hair out of her face. He faintly brushed her cheek as he looked up at Ezro, who stood in silence, his mage sight witness to the carnage.
"She was my priestess." Zelgadiss made an attempt at a chuckle, which only came out as a sob. "It's a good things you didn't become my priest, ne?" He looked down at her lovingly. "She was such an innocent thing. I felt guilty about getting her to join. But, she had an inborn talent for magic and Shabrinigdo wanted her." He reached down to lift a medallion hung around her neck. "She loved this. She was so proud that she'd found an Ancient Drag..."
Zelgadiss stopped, feeling a pain in his gut.
"Val!"
He charged down the hallway to his old bedroom, Ezro following close behind.
"NOOOO!"
Zelgadiss stood there in shock, before stumbling forward to the bed and pulling himself upon the bed to stand, staring at Val.
There it was again. That evil, black sword, pinning Val to the wall above the headboard, like a flimsy rag doll.
Zelgadiss shuddered. He noticed that there were no other wounds, just the blade through Val's stomach. He felt tears roll down his cheek. This was a slow, painful way to die.
He stumbled across the soft surface of the bed, choked sobs escaping his lips.
He reached out to grab the blade, to pull it out. But stopped, gasping as Val's head slowly rose to look up at him, pain etched in every feature.
"Val?!"
Zelgadiss pulled the blade out, and Val crumpled into his arms. Zelgadiss gently cradled him in his arms.
Val looked up at Zelgadiss and smiled.
"Don't worry, I'll be O.K."
"You'd better be. You promised you wouldn't leave me."
"I did, didn't I?" Val sighed, closing his eyes.
"No, you promised, wake up. Oh, why did you have to join me? I didn't even have to ask you. You came to me. You were such a foolish child."
Val slowly opened his eyes, which looked cloudy and distant. He smiled nostalgically. "I remember when I was little that you would visit all your friends at Mama's. You'd be with Xelloss, and Mama would only put up with Xelloss, because she'd hoped you stay."
Zelgadiss shook Val as he saw his eyes close. "Wake up, you promised."
Val's eyes jerked open, "Mama always wished you'd stay, and because of that I wished you'd stay. I wanted a father. I figured if Mama wanted you than you'd make a good one."
Zelgadiss quietly cried as Val snuggled almost blindly into him. "I joined to be with you, father."
Zelgadiss gently stroked his hair. "And you won't leave me, ne?.........ne?"
Zelgadiss cried quietly in the dark, cradling his now dead son.