Lina walked back into the room and knelt at Zel's ankle. Taking it and being as careful as possible. She wrapped it in pale peach gauze and set it in a bowl of ice to help with the swelling. Zel sat as still as possible trying not to recoil from the pain of his ankle. Finally finished with her task she stood up and went over to the window. Looking down she saw Gourry still working on the crutches for Zel.
"So Zel do you have any idea as to what is going on?" Asked Lina. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge. Looking up she waited for Zel to answer.
"I'm not sure. But if something has the power to take Xelloss out, then I think it would be a good thing to know what it is."
"Zel just before all hell broke loose, was I seeing things or did Xelloss look different?"
"No you weren't seeing things. I noticed the difference as well. That is why I went into the woods and looked for the bandit. Something looked vagualy familiar about him. And that is why I am worried."
"Do you know if there is anything we can do?"
"I really don't know. All I know is that if Xelloss is in trouble and he can't handle it, we could be in deep trouble." Sighing he leaned back in his chair and let the ice on his foot cool his entire body. Both of them continued to stare into space, lost into their own thought. What brought them out of it was Gourry opening the door an hour later, bearing the crutches he had made.
"Lina, Zel. I finished these things. What do you want to use them for?"
Lina seriously considered throwing him out the window. Instead she stomped over to him, whacked him upside the head and claimed the crutches as her own. Walking back over to Zel she rolled her eyes.
"Here Zelgadis try these out."
Taking them from her, he gingerly placed one under each arm. Standing for a moment to become accustomed to them, he began to hobble around the room.
"They'll do. Better then me using my sword." He said smiling at her.
"Good now what say that we start working on our trickster shall we." Going over to the bed she sat beside the still form.
"Alright Xelloss you've slept long enough." Taking his head and placing it in her lap. She recited a small revival spell.
Someone is calling me. Who is it? It sounds like Lina. Lina is that you? Opening his eyes he found her to be staring down at him.
"Good afternoon Xelloss. Time to get up and explain a few things."
What is she saying? I don't want to get up, sleep is better. Maybe if I close my eyes again.
"Oh no you don't. We have already put enough effort into you with nothing in return. Time to get UP!"
Taking him by the shoulders she lifted him into an upright position. Xelloss didn't have much strength so his head lolled backwards until it rested on her shoulder.
"Xelloss stop that! Now come on you have had us worried for two days now. Be a good boy and come out of your shell."
"Xelloss here take some of my strength." Zelgadis hopped over to him and gently placed a hand on his shoulder.
Xelloss could feel strength returning to him. Not enough to restore him fully but enough so that he was no longer dependant on Lina holding him up. Zelgadis meanwhile returned to his chair and only then began to shake.
"Zel you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just that I haven't done an energy transfer like that in a long time."
"What do you mean?"
Zel didn't answer. Instead he leaned back, closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep.
"I wish someone would explain this all to me."
"I can or at least what Zelgadis just did."
"Then explain."
"All of you can feed a person energy while they in turn use it to heal themselves. What Zel did was take his own energy and give it to me. I didn't us it for any sort of healing. I just used it to get some strength back."
"What so special about that? I can do that along with the others."
"True but you are all human. With me I am Mazoku. What he did was take his own energy filter it though his own 1/3 Mazoku nature and pass it to me so I could have it. I find it interesting that he would even think of doing anything like that for me."
"So now that you have it. How about answering some questions?"
"About what?"
"About what the hell is going on. I mean Zel brings you in here, does some sort of scan there is a big explosion, (which is how he sprained his ankle he landed wrong.) And he is out the window and you're screaming.
Xelloss was looking over his shoulders at her. When she had finished he started to shake. Turning from her he put his head in his hands. Lina could feel a build up in the magical energy around her. She looked at Xelloss and saw it was concentrated around him. The energies were gathering faster now. In a few moments they would explode again. Just as they did 4 things happened. Xelloss screamed, there was a bright flash, he disappeared and Zel woke up swearing.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? Lina where's Xelloss?" He yelled jumping to his feet then he promptly collapsed as his ankle gave out from under him.
"Zel, be careful." She said hurrying over and helping him back into his chair.
Shaking his head and placing his foot back into the ice water. He address her.
"Sorry for yelling at you Lina. It just startled me. Have you any idea where Xelloss is though?"
"No but I'm worried sick. If I knew where he was I'd go after him. Just what the hell is going on that's what I would like to know? "
"I might have an idea as to where he is. As to what is going on I would like to know that as well."
"Oh yeah, where?"
"He might be were I found him last time."
"In the woods?" Lina asked
"In the woods." Zel answered
"Xelloss, I can feel you. You are near. When I find you, I'm going to rip out your throat and dine on your intestines. Onwards my pack, find the traitor.
Michael woke up slowly in his cave. Looking around he found that it was very dirty. It looked like someone hadn't cleaned up in a week. Which isn't' possible, he had remembered waking up here. After that sorceress had blasted him with that spell.
"Oh man. I am sore all over." Getting to his feet he reached for his staff that lay beside him. He walked over to his bed and sat down. "Jeez, I wish I knew what was going on in my life." Sighing he decided to not worry about it for now and just go to sleep.
"Lina I believe it's over that way more." Zel said pointing.
Lina looked up at Zel to see where hew was pointing. Then taking the draft horse they had borrowed for Zel, by the reins she went deeper into the woods.
Zellas stopped sniffing the ground. "He's here. I found you, at last Xelloss your dead."
"There it is Lina. That's the cave, now please help me down."
Lina and Gourry helped Zel get off the horse. Taking his crutches off the side of the animal he hobbled over to the cave.
"Lina he's here!" Zel called from the cave.
"Zel get out here we need your help." Lina yelled at him.
"What..." going back to the entrance he saw what Lina had seen, wolves, hundreds of them. Only one person was able to call and control that many wolves at once. The Beastmaster.
"Shit" Zel went back to the figure on the bed. "Xelloss wake up, NOW!"
"What, huh, who, WHAT are you?" Michael cringed back in fear at the stranger.
"Never mind me, we have to get you out of here." Zel grabbed the young man and tried to drag him out of the cave.
"Hey wait, my staff." Michael broke free of Zel's grasp and ran back to get his staff.
"Look we need to get out of here. Now follow... Lina look out!" He shouted when a wolf jumped her from behind. It caught her square in the back and bit into her shoulder.
"Lina!" Zel looked to see where Gourry was and found him fighting off a dozen more.
"My god they're everywhere." Michael exclaimed.
"Yeah way to many. Even if I was fine I couldn't take care of them all." Looking again to Lina he found her pinned under the wolves. They didn't seem to be trying to kill her yet. Instead they looked like they were wondering who would get first chance at her. The same was going for Gourry.
"Um I hate to say this. But isn't that wolf a lot different then the others." Michael pointed to Beastmaster.
She had changed into more then a monster. She had three heads all containing poisoned-laced fangs. Spikes ran down her back all the way to her tail. She stood 5 feet tall and her coat seemed to radiate purple fire. However, the scariest part of her was her eyes. They showed nothing but madness. What pupils she once had were gone. Instead all that showed was a black nothingness.
"Ah crap, we are in so much trouble. LOOK OUT she's coming towards us." Zel shoved Michael out of the way then fell under the weight of the Beastmaster. Her claws dug deep gouges into his back as she leapt after Michael.
Damn it. I didn't want to do this but I guess I have no choice. Raising himself up to his elbows he yelled as loud as he could.
"MOTHER HELP!"
Beastmaster looked up from where she was about to rip out Michael's throat. In that instant Zel, Gourry, Lina and Michael all disappeared.
Zellas howled in anger. Her pack joining her at the lost of their prey.
Lina woke up in a strange bed. It was softer then any other bed she had been in. But firm so it would not sink under her. Sitting up she grunted. Looking at her left shoulder, where the wolf had bit her, she found a neat white bandage.
"What happened? How did I get here?" Not wanting to but doing it anyways, she crawled out of the bed. She went to the door and opened it. Looking out she found similar doors each one bearing a name on it. One said Gourry so she walked over and looked into the room. Finding him asleep she left to continue down the hall. She was about to open another door when she heard a loud yelp. She approached the door that she heard the sound come from behind. Looking at the name tag on the door it bore the name Zelgadis. She heard a second yelp and decided to open the door.
Well hopefully, he might know what was going on. "Zel I'm coming in." When she came into the room she spied many things.
One was the bed Zelgadis was on. It was standard size but looked like it could hold up a stone bull. Second was that Zelgadis was lying on his stomach with no shirt on, only a pair of shorts. Showing, not only his well-muscled body, but also the deep gouges in it. Along with that she noticed a tray holding many different bandages and medicine type things. Sitting on the edge of the bed was a woman. She had long golden hair that trailed down to the floor. Her skin was dark and smooth looking. Her face was radiant. Every detail was perfect. Lina couldn't stand to look at the face for very long. She looked away feeling unworthy of looking at her.
"Mom, cut it out. You're just making her feel worse then what she does now."
"Ah honey you don't let me have any fun." Smiling she looked at Lina. "Child don't worry you're safe here. No one can harm you here. I won't allow fighting in this time and space. Now why don't you come over her and help me take care of Zelly dear.
"Umm Zel what's going on?"
"Lina it's a long story. I'll explain tomorrow but for now why don't you get some rest in YOUR room." The last thing Zel needed right now was Lina taking care of him. His mother was bad enough but he didn't need another female rubbing his body.
"Oh don't listen to him. Lina come here. He is just grouchy because of me trying to patch up his back." Then applying another round of disinfectant to his back, she went back to cleaning it. Zel yelped a third time and hid his head under the pillow. L-sama just chuckled.