Once Zelgadis had gone outside for some fresh air and everyone had gone back to researching, Lina pulled Mr. Hender into a different room to talk.
"Well I have to say that was a close one with Miss Amelia. Thankfully Mister Zelgadis came up with that excuse to not leave town. Otherwise we'd be in trouble." Mr. Hender observed.
"Yeah keeping yourself guarded and safe while your staying a town is much easier then protecting yourself on the road." Lina said with a frown.
"Is something wrong? Or least is there something new that is wrong besides what already is?"
"I'm actually not too sure right now..." Lina's voice trailed off while in thought.
"What is it Miss Lina?"
"Well you know that Xellos has been acting a little on the odd side for a little while after he reappeared after being gone for a period of time."
"Yes, but isn't that guy always odd?"
Lina shook her head. "That's not what I meant. He's been acting more strangely then normal."
"Like what?"
"Well actually directing answering a question instead of bating people with only a tidbit of information. Being helpful instead of being vague. And just generally the way he's been acting. The way he talks and presents himself without his usual cocky and playfully mischievousness. The only thing that hasn't changed about him is that he's still annoying."
"Hmmm... I guess that would be considered strange, but I haven't known him that long. But what if he is? What are you getting at?"
Lina paused for a moment in thought. "Well I was just thinking... I know that demons are able to possess humans, but can they possess monsters as well?"
"You think Mister Xellos might be being controlled by Mister Zelgadis' ex-demon part?" Mr. Hender asked shocked.
"Well it makes sense doesn't it?"
"Oh the ramifications of that would be terrible. A bloodthirsty demon such as this controlling a very power monster, and a monster lord's priest at that. If this is the case then not only would the demon have complete control over Mister Xellos' actions, but all of his powers as well."
Lina frowned. She had hoped that Mr. Hender could prove her otherwise on the likeliness of a demon being able to take over a monster. Instead this just confirmed her fear. "But wouldn't a powerful monster be able to resist control like that? It seems a little weird that Xellos would be able to be taken over so easily."
"Don't forget this demon may very well be invisible to everyone but you. Chances are Mister Xellos didn't seem what was coming till it was too late. That is, if he is in fact possessed. Are you certain that he could be?"
"I'd like to say that I'm certain that he isn't... but no I'm not sure if he is or not. But if Xellos is being possessed, then I might have to say something to Zelgadis after all..."
Mr. Hender raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps it would be a better idea if we just told them all anyway."
"We can't. It's not a good idea to openly discus this even if they don't freak out. We don't know if that demon is watching everything we do, and if he's possessed Xellos then that makes it ten times worse. With Xellos' powers that demon could do a lot of damage. And if it finds out that everyone knows about it, it might get drastic. And what if I'm wrong? What if Xellos isn't being possessed by the demon? That demon could have possessed any one of us by now. How are we supposed to know whose acting upon their own actions and whose not?"
"I suppose you have a point." Mr. Hender said with a deadpan face. "But if the demon has possessed Mister Xellos, then why hasn't he done anything since Zelgadis got out of the koppi machine?"
"Well what we do know is that the demon primarily attacks people in their dreams. So I guess whoever has put up those dream barriers has protected us from those attacks." Lina frowned. That was another mystery that lay before her. Who was it that kept putting up those damn barriers? And why would that person or thing be helping them? She was no closer to solving that then she was at trying to figure out her problem with Zel's ex-demon. "As for attacks using other people's bodies, well maybe it's waiting for something. It might be planning something bad that can only be done at a certain time. Or maybe it's gathering power for something that requires time to conjure up. The demon might have only just recently acquired a body and hasn't had the chance to do anything yet. But then there's also the chance that maybe it hasn't possessed a body. Like perhaps without a physical form it doesn't have the power to do that."
"I'm afraid that it does definitely have the ability to posses a person. In fact in this respect it's actually easier for a demon of this type to control someone. Normally it would have to use its physical strength to control a person from a set location. And the demon would need lots of mental control to keep their hold on the person they possess. But in this case, the demon has no physical body so it can actually enter a person's body and control them from the inside. Now for other types of demons they would control people in a different way, that's provided if it's a demon with the ability to possess people."
"But this is the case with this type of demon."
"Exactly."
"So how do we attack something with no physical form to touch?" Lina already had a few ideas in her head, but unfortunately they weren't exactly the best ideas on dealing with this thing.
"The only way we could even hurt it would be on the astral plane like any other demon or monster. Though given the type of demon he is tracking his astral body is going to be difficult. But this might make it even more harder to directly attack the demon if it's possessing someone."
"Yeah it might end up hurting the person and not the demon that's possessed them. Is there anyway to dispel the demon from the person it's possessing?"
"You mean exorcism? Yes it is possible, but only if you are a hundred percent sure on whose being possessed. But like attacking the demon on the astral plain -- "
"We're still putting the person at risk."
"Unfortunately so."
Lina sighed in annoyance. It seemed hopeless, they'd be putting someone's life at risk even if they knew who was being possessed. "What about using a sword of light? What if we tried to use that to dispel the demon?"
"You have a sword of light?!" Mr. Hender said in a very shocked voice and stared at her with wide eyes.
"I don't, but Gourry does. He's a descendant of the famous swordsman of light that slew the demon beast Zanifar though he sure as hell doesn't look it. But can the sword be used to dispel the demon without hurting the person he's possessing?" Lina asked impatiently.
"Well for this type of demon unfortunately -- "
"It will."
"Yes. You'd have to strike the person because the demon would be imbedded so well with the person possessed."
"Damnit this is so irritating!!!" Lina fumed. "So is there anyway at all?!"
"Well I didn't know before that you had a sword of light before, so maybe we can still use that to our advantage." Mr. Hender pulled out a few books that he had in box. Every somewhat useful book Mr. Hender had found had been placed in this box. He was intending to keep everything useful he found in one place incase something new such as this came up.
Lina groaned. "Don't tell me..."
"More researching."
Lina facefaulted.
Zelgadis was actually quite surprised that Xellos hadn't noticed that there was someone behind him.
Don't monsters have a natural detection for sensing people or is Xellos just loosing his touch? Zelgadis thought with a twisted grin. He knew the reason why Xellos couldn't detect him. But of course Zelgadis was not invisible nor would Xellos not be able to hear him if he made a noise, so Zelgadis remained in his stealthy position. He mentally calculated on what to do. Though the urge to off Xellos right then was very strong, Zelgadis refrained from doing so. It would be too easy for him if he just got rid of Xellos so quickly. And besides Zelgadis wanted him to suffer in extreme torture before his untimely demise.
So again every bone in his body, Zelgadis left Xellos alone... for now.
Even if I can't kill him right now I'd better make sure that he wont interfere with my plans. But what to do to him...?
Zelgadis held out his palm and a triangular dark green crystal appeared in his hand. Hopefully this one will be more effective then the last one.
Just as Zelgadis thought this, Xellos turned around to look behind him. Their gazes met for less then a second. But it was long enough for Xellos to catch sight of Zelgadis' evil mischievous grin, and long enough for Zelgadis to trap Xellos in his crystal.
Zelgadis let loose the malicious laughter he had been suppressing.
"Now lets see you weasel your way out of that one!" Zelgadis dared the green crystal even though he was well aware that Xellos couldn't hear him.
Figuring that he'd been out long enough, Zelgadis appeared back near the library.
Inside the little green crystal he was trapped in, Xellos cursed out loud.
"AHHH!!!! WHY THAT LITTLE BASTARD!!! That damn creature took over his body!!! I can't believe I didn't even realize it before!!!! Well believe me, I was able to break out of the last one, I'll get out of this one too!!" Xellos yelled freely hoping that Zelgadis would be able to hear him. But alas, it was futile. One of the differences besides that it was stronger and harder to get out of, this crystal was soundproof whereas the other one wasn't.
Lina had a dreadful thought as she went outside to look for Zelgadis. Knowing of the possibility of Xellos' possession Lina was aware that Zelgadis was in danger by himself.
She had made the decision to finally tell Zelgadis about his ex-demon part running amuck on a possible killing spree.
Lina almost bumped right into Zelgadis as she a corner.
"Oh Zelgadis there you are!"
"What's wrong Lina?" Zelgadis asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.
"Well have you seen Xellos around?"
"No I haven't seen that fruitcake around at all." Zelgadis lied.
"Good. Zel come with me, I need to talk to you about something."
Lina led Zelgadis to a secluded area behind the library. She eyed her surrounding to make sure that they were alone. "Okay I think we're safe. Zel do you remember what we told you about your chimera form? That you used to part human, golem and demon?"
"Yes I remember."
"Well you know how we said that you separated from your chimera form into a spirit like and then your chimera physical body disappeared? Well your demon part didn't disappear along with the chimera body. It remained in spirit form like you were."
Zelgadis faked shock. "What? How is that possible? And why didn't you say anything before?"
"Because I was afraid of causing a panic, and the demon is hostile and I didn't want to risk telling anyone so as not to provoke it to do anything."
"Okay, sounds logical. But why are you telling me now?"
"Because I believe that we might be in more danger then before." Lina said very darkly. "I believe that the demon might have taken possession over someone..."
Zelgadis mentally gulped. She doesn't know... does she...? He didn't say anything, but continued to stare at Lina waiting for her to speak.
"I believe it has taken possession of Xellos."
If Zelgadis didn't have iron control he would have laughed out loud hysterically. Oh this is too perfect! In amidst his mentally cackling he realized that Lina was waiting for a response from him. "Are you sure?"
"No I'm not, but he's been acting extremely strange lately, not like Xellos at all."
Zelgadis nodded in agreement. He had noticed too that Xellos was acting differently from usual. "So what do we do? If the fruitcake is being controlled by that thing shouldn't we do something to stop it?"
"Well Mr. Hender and I are trying to find a way to stop him. But so far all we've managed to come up with are things that would hurt the person being possessed along with the demon."
"Maybe if all three of us get to work maybe we can come up with something helpful." Zelgadis suggested as they walked back into the library.
"Okay we'll start in this room." Lina sat herself down at one of the tables.
Zelgadis looked around the room and noted that the librarian was nowhere to be seen. "Where's Mr. Hender?"
"He's in another room, we'll catch up with him later after a little while." Lina said already leafing through a book.
"So we'll be alone then?"
"Uh-huh." Lina responded barely listening.
Perfect. Zelgadis' stoic mask crumbled to reveal a dark evil grin.