"I am surrounded by idiots! Present company excluded of course." Jack tipped his wine glass toward the Countess Elizabeth Barkley. He couldn't really drink but it was the principle and appearance he needed to maintain. For that matter, the Blood Countess didn't really need to drink anything either. Drink anything that is, except blood.
"If I had a taste for young men, I might be tempted by your new assistant," Elizabeth coyly winked at Igor. "But I know you're here for business. It's always business with you."
"My dear, I'm hurt," Jack sighed deeply, holding a hand over his chest as if his heart pained him.
"You don't have a heart."
"I don't? Let me check." Jack slipped his hand under his silk dress shirt and into the moldy hay stuffing. He pulled out a small mouse. "Does this count?"
"Ever the joker."
"Once the endless night has returned, we will have plenty of time for small chat."
"You men are all alike. You promise much but provide little," smirked the countess. "But come, I will not waste your time much longer. My services are at your command as long as your wishes do not endanger myself too much."
"As you've undoubtedly noticed, I've been plagued with a rash of imbeciles. I need an intelligent, cunning mind now."
"Very good. If you had said minion, I would have thrown you out on your hollow head," Elizabeth said with approval. "I'm willing to hear you out."
"You see, it's like this..."
"Are you sure about this?"
"Of course, I'm sure. It's probably safer out here in the market than it is in the palace!"
Lina and Arthur were unofficially patrolling the Saillune Market. Actually, as Lina said, they were out here in the best interests of their health. That supernatural hunter fanatic, Harker, got Amelia's permission to set up security against the supernatural agents of Jack Hallow. Needless to say, the traps were based off of the old wives' superstition that all of Harker's speculations came from. And some of the traps were as hazardous to the living as to the dead.
"So, have you seen Zel anywhere?" Lina tried to pretend like she wasn't asking much. Last night, Arthur had returned without Zel but with a cute white kitten. When asked, he kept saying that Zel was nearby, conducting research in his own way.
"He's on your shoulder."
"No, not him," Lina stroked the white kitten on her shoulder. She had purposely left behind her should guards so the kitten could keep a grip on her cloak with his claws. He was such an adorable little thing. Harker's traps were more likely to catch the poor kitten than anything else. "Though he really does look like Zel when Zel sulks."
"You have no idea."
The kitten glared at Arthur.
"And when he seems to glare."
Arthur smothered a snicker.
"Anyway, this is Koneko-Zel just so we don't mix up the two. So where is that stone idiot?"
"Oh, he's around," Arthur shrugged, carefully keeping himself from looking at the kitten.
"Always like that," Lina muttered. "We're supposed to work together and he always goes off on his own."
"The situation is rather forced," Arthur tried to keep himself from laughing. "By the way, what do you think of Zel? Besides him being a stone idiot."
"Why do you want to know?" Lina looked at Arthur suspiciously. "And how do you know him? I remember old Mr. Uther complaining about his son who never wrote, never visited. But that son was taken away by some mysterious mage for training."
"The story of my life."
"How can you be Mr. Uther's son? He traveled a bit with my father and you're probably only in your twenties!"
"About that mysterious mage who took me away? Every time he was busy with something else and couldn't keep an eye on me, he would throw me into this really dark place where I guess time doesn't flow. I've been in and out of there at least ten times now."
"Why would he do that?"
"I'm not sure. Something about my being a great legendary hero king who needs to slay some beast or other and if I die before then, it doesn't get slain. Nilrem never was too clear on the details."
"I hate pre-determined destiny," Lina grumbled. "So again, how do you know Zel?"
"We were both the youngest in a mercenary company," Arthur shrugged, scanning the busy market. "So we were usually assigned to work together. You know scouting, trail marking, spying, dragon bait..."
Lina decided not to ask about the dragon bait.
"And then Nilrem came and locked me away so I'm quite behind the times. I take it you've traveled with Zel recently?"
"The last time was several years back. But he left again to search for a cure. Was he always that obsessed?"
"Always."
"I guess he has a reason, liking Amelia and all," Lina said glumly.
Koneko-Zel shook his head furiously.
"Amelia? You mean the princess? No, I don't think he likes her in that way. But yes, part of the reason he wants to become normal again is because of a certain lady love."
"...oh." Lina absently stroked the kitten's fur. Hesitantly, the cute white kitten nuzzled Lina's cheek. "Trying to make me feel better?"
"I'm sure he's with her right now."
"I thought he was supposed to be conducting research on this Jack Hallow!" Lina turned quickly, snapping at Arthur. Koneko-Zel mreowed in surprise and lost its grip on her cape, tumbling into Lina's arms as she caught him. "Oops, sorry. But why is Zel going out on a date now?!"
"Who said he was going on a date?" Arthur grinned as the kitten scowled at him. "I mean just because he's probably in her arms..."
"I don't care!" Lina growled, storming off.
"I was only trying to help." Arthur's grin grew even wider seeing how Lina was holding the kitten in her arms. "I'm betting Zelgadiss is feeling like he's in heaven."
"I don't want to hear another word about him!"
"Of course," Arthur surrendered. Zelgadiss was going to really get him back for this but it was too much fun. "I take it you don't mind keeping that kitten then. Even named as it is."
"Like I have a choice. You put me down as his owner," Lina huffed, though she really wasn't as angry as she tried to appear to be. Who could be with such a cute kitten?
"We should be heading back now," Arthur suggested as they finished the circuit around the Market. "Perhaps they've found a way to return Gourry back to his usual self."
"Either that," Lina snickered. "Or he's been dragged off by that Romeo mummy freak or Volun the hapless merc. Sylphiel was going to faint when she learned that Juliette was really Gourry. I mean, she almost married the two!"
"Then you blew up the wedding chapel."
"It was a quick way to end it all," Lina retorted. The kitten sighed.
"See? Even Zel agrees with me."
"Koneko-Zel can't possibly understand what we're saying."
"You never know..."
Koneko-Zel hissed.
"Don't listen to him," Lina told the kitten, holding it up. "He just likes to tease you as much as he apparently likes to tease your namesake."
"Meow?" The kitten tipped its head to one side.
"Kawaii," she grinned.
"Meow!"
"Lina, down!"
Arthur's blade whistled above her as she dropped and rolled to the side, cradling the kitten to keep him from being crushed. A knife clattered onto the street. She looked up just in time to see some crazed man lunge for Arthur, snarling like a wild animal. Or a person possessed.
"Diem Wind!"
Lina's spell slammed the man into a fresh fruit display. It wasn't enough as he began to stagger onto to his feet. Then he stepped/slipped on the proverbial banana peel and was off to dreamland. From his body rose a thin mist that quickly disappeared but not before making a sound similar to a raspberry. No one paid any attention to all of this.
"The man was being controlled somehow?" Arthur resheathed his sword and helped Lina to her feet. The kitten glowered at him.
"If we didn't have this problem with Jack Hallow, I might consider it. But what we saw coming out of him was probably the ghost that was acting through him."
"Possession? That could happen to anyone."
"True, but since ghosts often embody only an extreme aspect of their living self, their host behaves in that aspect. So it's rather easy to tell when a person is possessed."
"If you say so. I'm sure if Zelgadiss could speak, he'd add something."
"We're going back to the palace," Lina said abruptly. "Xelloss has to know more about this Jack Hallow thing then he's let on."
"What about Zelgadiss?"
"Who care about Zel!!"
She stormed off leaving Koneko-Zel with Arthur. Arthur felt the kitten's claws digging into his hands. That was about the worse Zel could do to Arthur right now in his current condition. And he was just too cute to get angry at.
"You know, I don't ever recall seeing a cat blush. Exactly why were you blushing when she was holding you in her arms?"
The kitten amazingly blushed again.
"That was pathetic," laughed the stark white Countess. "Are you sure you're trying to bring the eternal night to the world?"
"Like I said, I need your help," Jack said, bowing grandly to the vampiress. "Between you and Igor, Xelloss's ignorant pawns will fall easily. And you'll both get to dine freely. Hey, that rhymed and I wasn't even trying."
"Another...chance..." beseeched the ghost.
"Oh stop your moaning. It isn't as if there's anyone here to frighten," Jack waved away the translucent mist.
The mist coalesced into a small boy who stuck his tongue out at Jack.
"You never let me have any fun," he pouted. "I'm going to hold my breath until you let me go."
"Go right ahead. You're already dead," Jack replied drolly. "A spoiled, violent boy. What else can you expect?"
"Yes, you need the finesse of experience," purred the Countess. "I hope your servant won't mind my taking first pick. I do enjoy the blood of virgins."
"I can hardly deny a woman of your taste her desire," Igor inclined his head. "May your beauty forever bloom."
"I will drink to that," Jack toasted, tossing down the glass's contents. He turned his dark head toward his servant. "Igor, another candle please. One that doesn't drip as much wax this time."
"The little princess will be mine tonight. All of the invitations for tonight's party are already sent."
The little ghost boy perked up his ears. Did she say party? That meant lots of food, lots of people, and therefore, lots of fun for him. Who cares if the stuffy pumpkin-head didn't want him to go. No one kept this nasty spirit from doing what it wanted.
"What is that?" Filia asked, fanning away the smell of the garlic bundles Harker had hung everywhere in the palace. It didn't help that he had also welded all of the windows shut.
"It's an invitation to an early Hallow's Eve party held by the Countess Elizabeth Barkley. I don't think I've ever met her even though she is a long-standing member of the Nobles' Council. There was some...discussion yesterday about whether or not she was a vampire."
"Is she?"
"All of the signs seem to be there but there's always an explanation."
"So why does the bottom of the invitation also ask that all guests wash their necks before attending?" Lina asked, reading over Amelia's shoulders. "Is that explained by her being some clean freak?"
"Lina-san! Have you seen Zelgadiss-san?"
"No!" Lina stormily stomped over to an empty sofa and sat down.
"Something is bothering, Lina-san."
"We were just attacked in the market by a ghost-possessed person. Perhaps that's why." Arthur blandly suggested as he let Koneko-Zel down so it could scamper over to Lina. "Are there any protections up against that?"
"Betcha fancy stick there are!" boomed Harker. "Mirrors above every door in the palace and believe me, that's a lot of doors."
"So, where's this party being held?"
"At an old run-down creepy house on a hill that appears every year about now."
"How very convenient," Fibrizo snorted, building the twentieth level of a house of cards because he was bored beyond belief. If only she had left him as Hellmaster, he could be having a lot of fun with these humans. But no, he was here to help them, as disgusting as the thought was, and he couldn't be the all powerful Lord of the Dead again. "Splitting up the group. You're all fools if you think Jack Hallow hasn't figured out who you are. It smells of a trap."
Arthur sniffed the air. "If that trap smells old, musty, and thoroughly dead, then I must agree with you."
"Oh, Juliette!" sang Romeo with various spears and arrows in his freeze-dried body as he peeked through the doors of the room. "Where are you, my precious?"
"Your anti-supernatural traps?" Lina snorted, throwing a glance at Harker.
"Mummy!" Harker roared brandishing a torch and nearly setting several tapestries on fire. "You will burn with my flames of vengeance."
"Your flames mean nothing to me, because I burn with the fire of true love!" declared Romeo, dropping to one knee as he began to spout awful poetry that he probably composed himself.
Even the room sweatdropped.
"And I burn with the fires of justice!" Amelia countered, leaping onto the back of the chair that Fibrizo was using to help him reach the top of his card house. "Even though I too follow the path of true love, I can not allow such a mockery of life such as yourself to stalk the lovely Juliette, I mean Gourry-san."
"Do you mind doing that somewhere else?" Fibrizo groaned. "This isn't very stable and - "
The very shaky tower of chairs and stools the former Hellmaster was using decided it didn't like two people being on it and fell apart. That made the princess topple over onto Fibrizo who in turn fell into the card house which sent hundreds of playing cards into the air.
"What was that? Are we being attacked?" Gourry demanded, coming in from a sideroom in a much less revealing outfit than what he had been changed into. It was however still pink since Amelia said that color suited him best.
"My Juliette!"
"Nooooooooooooo!!" Gourry disappeared back in his room and slammed the door. The sounds of multiple locks and deadbolts were heard. That didn't stop Romeo as he broke the door down. "Get away from me!!"
"Come back my love!"
"I'm gonna burn ya!" Harker raved, waving two handfuls of torches as he chased after the two.
"The power of true love," Amelia sighed.
"Actually, all mummies are that strong," Fibrizo muttered, drumming his fingers on the floor. "And will you get off of me?"
"Oh, I'm sorry." Amelia held out a hand to help Fibrizo up. He looked at it as if she was offering him a snake or something.
"What's that for?"
"To help you get up."
"Hello? I was Hellmaster Fibrizo remember? Killed you? Was going to destroy the world? All that nasty stuff?"
"But you aren't Hellmaster anymore right? And you're helping us. So it's only right to give a helping hand to a fellow ally," Amelia smiled. "Besides, everyone has done something they've regretted and they need to have the chance to redeem themselves."
Fibrizo stared at her in disbelief. Was it him or was it getting hot in here? The youth snorted and stood up without taking her hand.
"You humans are so gullible. Just because I'm not killing you all now doesn't mean I won't after Jack is gone again."
"So why don't you or Xelloss get rid of him?" Lina challenged from where she lounged on the sofa. As was becoming a calming habit, she was stroking the white kitten purring contentedly in her lap. "Why does it have to be humans who do it?"
"Didn't Xelloss tell you anything? No wait, that would be out of character for him." Fibrizo glared at the fallen cards and they reassembled into the cardhouse formation. "Simple. Jack is a Primal. We're Mazoku. End of story."
"So what are Primals?! I've never heard them and I bet if we go to any of the libraries here in Saillune we won't find a single entry on them."
"Wrong. There are plenty of entries on Primals. Just not where most of you human academics think to look for them."
"Nursery rhymes? Old wives' tales? That's all superstition."
"Exactly."
"What kind of answer is that?"
"The only answer I'm going to - " Golden lightning struck Fibrizo. "Okay okay! I'll tell them. Sheesh. What a bi..." The air was tense around Fibrizo. "Er, beautiful kind mistress who spared me and is giving me another chance at life."
The atmosphere lightened tremendously.
"Well?" Lina smirked. She had a pretty good guess who was urging Fibrizo on. But the reason behind it? Who knew.
"Fine," Fibrizo sighed, dropping all of the lights in the room except for one to shine eerily up to cast his face in shadows. "As you know, the Mazoku and Shinzoku were created long ago along with the world. During that time, humans were still primitive as was the world and much of the substance was not fully shaped. From that substance rose the Primals, formed from the world itself and from the fears and beliefs of humans. We Mazoku, and in a sense the Shinzoku as well, were created outside. We have no ties to this world."
Amelia threw a globe of light into the air to banish the darkness. "But you feed on human fear and anger. Such evil - "
"Evil by whose standards? That is simply our way," Fibrizo coldly informed the princess, extinguishing her light and returning the dark. "Evil and good are only relative concepts. As I was saying, we may gain sustenance from human emotions but the Primals were created by those same emotions. Neither side will touch the other."
"That doesn't make very much sense," Lina frowned, watching the two continue turning on and off the light in the room. "And stop that, you're making my eyes hurt.
"How dare you put the Dragon Gods on the same side as you Mazoku!" Filia fumed, glaring eye to eye with the now taller Fibrizo. "As if the protectors of the world would - "
"Filia-san." Xelloss's hand fell on the dragon's shoulder, holding her back. "As you surely must realize, the Flare Dragon and later his Dragon Kings do not protect the world because they want to out of selfless desire. They simply do it because that purpose is entwined in their existence. There is no good or evil to it."
"However, as the incident several years back with that Ancient Dragon shows, most have forgotten why the battle is fought and have since drawn on the mortal's concept of good and evil to explain it," Fibrizo shrugged, who for the final time, dropped the lights. "As to it making sense, the only being to whom it may make any sense is the Mother of All. If you want a simple answer, then try this. The Primals represent portions of the human psyche. You made it, you deal with it."
"That was a bit too simplistic," Xelloss corrected.
"Do we really need to get into all of that now?"
"Not so close to Hallow's Eve and besides, it's much too serious for this story. Well, Amelia-san, are you going to go to this party?"
"It's part of my duty to attend the revels of my people. No matter if it is a trap or not."
"And at least we may finally learn some more about this Jack Hallow fellow. If you don't mind, your highness, I would like to accompany you tonight," Arthur bowed.
"Safety in numbers," Xelloss approved. "And I believe Fibrizo will also be going."
"I'm WHAT?! Since when do I take orders from you!" spat the former Mazoku Lord. He still had enough power to give Xelloss the beating of a lifetime. He just couldn't play with anyone's souls for the time being with Jack Hallow's growing power.
"But your long expertise with the dead will be very helpful," the mysterious priest placated. Actually, he just wanted to keep Fibrizo as far away from himself as possible. The former Hellmaster's presence made him jittery since the Mother had never made any sign that she even knew about this every 75 year occurrence. "After all, aren't you here to guide the hapless heroes as well?"
"Hey!" Lina and Amelia protested. The kitten also meowed its opinion.
"I'm here to convince them to go along with this," Fibrizo snorted.
"Then why are you still here?"
"..."
"So, I'm sure someone won't mind if you go along," Xelloss smiled, and then spoke in a much lower voice. "You do remember Elizabeth Barkley."
"Of course. Absolutely charming lady of morbid taste. But if she's working for him, then our powers can't touch her either."
"We can't attack him or his servants directly, true. After all, it's already been done and nothing works twice on that Primal. I just need to make sure Amelia-san comes back in one piece. Can't have anyone of the main cast dying now can we? This isn't a dark fanfic."
Strains of music drifted through the thick, musty air of the stone building. No one could hear it because this underground chamber had been sealed with brick and mortar and then completely buried by dirt. It was used to house the insane member of some long forgotten noble house who lived there playing songs all day until she died. All that was left was her skeleton draped across the piano.
"You don't mind if I play a few notes do you? No? Why, thank you very much."
Jack unceremoniously knocked the pile of bones aside and seated himself on the dusty, falling apart, cushioned bench. Flexing his fingers, he looked over the instrument.
"Let's see now."
Jack pressed a key which didn't go down. He tried several more. The keyboard cover suddenly slammed down onto his hands. Pulling back his arms, Jack contemplated the empty sleeves as stuffing fell out because the gloves were gone. The Primal Creation looked down at the heap of bones.
"You're doing this to spite me aren't you?"
A pink mist rose from the old broken down piano, hovering protectively over its reason for being. It moved away from Jack's touch but stubbornly refused to let anything else touch its piano. Oddly enough, the music was playing again and it sounded like the Monster Mash even though no one there knew that was the title.
"I wanted to hear the Addam's Family theme," Jack pouted. "Ghosts are always so headstrong."
"Perhaps, master, if you asked nicely, she may play it." Igor resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose at the unkempt place his master was in. But now was not the time to go into a cleaning frenzy. "The Blood Countess desired her music tonight."
"Don't be silly, Igor. Why should I need to ask politely? After all," Jack struck a pose, lightning flashing, thunder booming, pillars of flames erupting around him. "I am Jack Hallow!"
"Achoo! Forgive me, master, it was the dust."
"No cooperation, no cooperation at all," Jack grumbled, making everything disappear with a snap of his fingers. "You young supernaturals just don't appreciate me anymore. Now where did that little boy ghost go?"
"I believe he has gone to, what is the word, crash the Countess's party."
"No skin off my neck if he gets on her bad side. Actually, I don't have skin on my neck, or even a neck for that matter." Jack lifted his pumpkin head off of his shoulders, turning it around so he could look at himself. "What do you think, Igor? Perhaps I need a makeover. 10,000 years in the same form can get dull."
"You will definitely need more stuffing, sir." Igor pulled out a brush and dustbin and began to dust the room. "Perhaps tomorrow we can make rounds at the various cloth stores to find a new look."
"Excellent idea as always." Jack pulled out his Sole 133 which was the sole of someone's foot on which he always recorded his schedule for the few days he was awake. "Hmmm, guess I'll have to ask the werebear to take over tomorrow. He was getting anxious anyway. That'll be perfect. I'll have a new look to usher in the new age of eternal night."
"But sir, was there ever an age of eternal night?"
"Not really." Jack shrugged, spinning his head like a basketball on a finger that you couldn't see.
"So how could it be new?"
"How impressive does 'the age of eternal night that I've been trying to bring since the dawn of time' sound? It makes me look as if I have a terrible track record."
Igor refrained from commenting that his master did have a terrible track record, banished every time he appeared. And he was just a prince of incubus so what did he know? World domination was never as high on his list of things to do as seducing women. But seduction had become too easy which was why he agreed to work under Jack Hallow as his right hand man. Or was that Jack's left hand man?
"So, do you think we've wasted enough time yet so the readers can hit the more interesting part of the party upstairs?"
"Most likely, sir."
"Alright. Then you can go off to feed as I won't be needing for the rest of the evening. It probably won't take long, your meal."
"It never does sir," Igor bowed before vanishing in a flurry of bats.
"I thought only vampires did that," Jack pondered.
The pink ghost sighed in dreamy contentment.
"Don't tell me you've fallen for him. By the Maker, he charms the living and the dead." Jack shook his head even though it was still in his hand.
"Shouldn't you help?"
"Why should I?"
"Would you please lend us a hand?"
Fibrizo tossed Amelia a dismembered hand.
"That wasn't what she meant."
"I know." Fibrizo smirked from where he was reclining on a cushion of air above the mayhem below. As he expected, the Blood Countess had finally unleashed her little clique of female vampires all desiring eternal youth and beauty. "You humans never cease to amaze me with your stupidity. Elizabeth has been vampire for at least a century and no one ever suspected her."
"We couldn't just blindly accuse her of something she might be innocent of!"
"Actually, by my accounts, she's killed over 500 virgins over the course of - " Fibrizo was cut off as another table of refreshments swooped by a little too close. He grabbed several appetizers before Arthur sliced the table in half. "Such a waste of food. But then, I don't need to eat.
Arthur cut down another chair that flew his way. "There must be quite a wind in here to be blowing around all of the furniture."
"I am not a wind! I am a poltergeist!" No one paid any attention to the voice of a whiny boy.
"Perhaps you should help your date, Fibrizo."
"WHAT?!" All of the furniture flying around the former Mazoku Lord but not touching him spontaneously combusted. "That...that...that human is in no way, shape, or manner my date!! Not then, not now, not ever!!"
"You don't need to throw a temper tantrum over it."
"I am not throwing a temper tantrum!!" Fibrizo shouted even as the roof was blown off of the house. Suddenly, everything quieted down again. "What's a date?"
Everyone, vampires, guests, flying furniture, facefaulted. Anything that couldn't move like paintings on the walls had to settle for sweatdrops. The little poltergeist floated up to Fibrizo.
"Even I know what a date is! What kind of hole have you been living in?" snorted the young boy.
"Excuse me, is that any way to talk to the Lord of the Dead?"
"You?!" the kid laughed. "I guess that would make sense."
Fibrizo preened.
"Hellmaster was an idiot for trying to use a human girl to end the world."
"What was that?!" Fibrizo fired a blast of black plasma at the insolent ghost. "I'm gone for several years and that is what's said behind my back!"
The blast tore a hole in the poltergeist form but it closed immediately. Fibrizo's jaw dropped. Blowing a raspberry, the boy ghost taunted Fibrizo.
"Nwa nwa. Like I thought. You're a fake."
"He is?"
"You know, Arthur-san, we don't really know if he is Hellmaster. We did accept his words at face value," Amelia remarked even though Fibrizo was floating just above them.
"So then he's been faking the entire time," Arthur thought aloud. "We could be after the wrong target if there ever was any."
"Don't talk about me as if I wasn't even right here!!" Fibrizo roared demon head style.
"He looks like Lina-san," noted the princess while ducking the flames bursting from Fibrizo's mouth.
"That's enough! You, ghost boy! You're working for Jack Hallow aren't you?"
"And what if I am?" he retorted, mooning the room in general.
Several veins popped on Fibrizo's brow. "Alright then. That explains why I couldn't use my powers against you. I'll do this the old, very old, fashioned way. I'm going to beat the crap out of you!!"
"Like to see you try, sissy boy!"
The former Mazoku Lord and the spoiled poltergeist degenerated into a face-pulling, name-calling, dirt-throwing dust cloud fight that would put all other dust cloud fights to shame.
"He really is a child isn't he?" Amelia sighed.
"In terms of human customs and relationships, most likely," Arthur shrugged.
"An interesting observation but one that shall be your last," smiled the Blood Countess as her unbound black tresses writhed with power. "Girls."
Immediately, four young vampiress separated from the others who were rounding up the guests and descended on the princess and hero king. With only a brief struggle, both were apprehended. It was rather unpleasant situation.
"Are things supposed to get this serious?" Arthur asked Amelia.
"I don't think so," Amelia answered shakily, fearfully watching the Blood Countess leisurely come toward her with a hungry look. The tip of her tongue ran over her very dark lips. The moans of hunger from the two vampiresses who were holding the princess still didn't help matters.
"Now then, my dear. Your life will be used to continue my beauty." Elizabeth Barkley's eyes glowed darkly. "The virgin blood from your veins is all I need."
"The rumors are true? You really are a vampire?"
"Of course. Now be a darling and hold still while I - "
"You can't be a vampire," Amelia declared.
Elizabeth paused. "And why not?"
"Just look at you. No shaved head, no body tattoos or body piercings, not even leather. How can you be a vampire?"
"This is not some Anne Grain novel," the countess said thinly in exasperation. "Nor do I necessarily need to feed on your blood. You will share my bath tonight.
"I'm closing my eyes," Arthur declared. "I don't want to get in trouble with my fiancee over this."
"It isn't anything like that!" hissed the vampiress. "I will bath in her blood, not with her body!"
"Oh. Well, in that case, my fiancee wouldn't mind."
"You I will deal with later, oh great hero king. There are many in the darkness that would love to have a piece of you." Elizabeth turned her attention back to Amelia. "And now, I will...??" The countess frowned as her manicured finger touched Amelia's fair skin. "You're not a virgin?!?"
"Hey, Gourry! Where are you, you big oaf?"
Lina sighed, closing the door to yet another room in the west wing of Saillune's Royal Palace. While Arthur, Fibrizo, and Amelia went off to that countess's holiday party, she was stuck here searching for Gourry and Romeo and Harker. It should have been easy. After all, how hard could it be to find a screaming blond, a lovesick mummy, and a fanatical hunter of the supernatural?
"Much harder than I thought," grumbled the sorceress.
"Meow?"
"Don't get lost now, Koneko. The palace guard dogs will probably tear you apart," Lina warned the white kitten rubbing against her leg.
Zelgadiss had no intention of getting lost. He kept so close to Lina that she almost stepped on him several times. It was hard since his field of view was so close to ground level. And walking on all fours was odd. But the food wasn't that bad.
The really bad thing would happen when Lina found out her cute little kitten wasn't just named after Zelgadiss. She had already given him baths, that had been embarrassing, tummy scratches, those were nice, and cuddles. He blushed at that. Plus he slept on her bed every night. He was enjoying being a kitten, her kitten, and getting all that attention from her. Zelgadiss seriously felt he needed his head examined.
He should be worried about how to get out of this curse and Rezo's little curse. Unfortunately, to do that he needed someone else's help. But only Arthur knew about what happened. Perhaps Xelloss learned of it but Zel didn't want that Mazoku's help.
Suddenly, his fur was standing on end and Zel hissed involuntarily. Lina stopped at the kitten's warning but there wasn't anyone around. She didn't even smell Romeo's dead smell or Harker's plain stench. A bat fluttered by above.
"How did that get here?" she wondered before scooping up the agitated kitten.
"The kitten?"
Both Lina and Zel looked at the speaker with two different reactions. Both were struck by how utterly handsome the man dressed in gray silk with black gloves was but afterwards their thoughts differed. Lina was speechless with awe. Zel's hackles were all up and the red alert was ringing. Something was up with this person and no, it wasn't just because he was jealous.
"That's a very adorable kitten. How did it wander into the palace?"
"Huh? Oh this? He's mine," Lina laughed nervously.
"How appropriate. An adorable kitten for an adorable young lady."
Lina blushed.
Zelgadiss wanted to gag. She couldn't possibly be buying this act. One look at her eyes told him if she wasn't buying the act, she was at least window shopping. He sulked.
"Permit me to introduce myself. I am Sergei Igor, a guest here," he bowed, reaching to take Lina's hand. Zelgadiss hissed, swiping a small claw at the black glove.
"Zel! Don't be rude," Lina admonished, moving the kitten onto her shoulder where he hopefully would be too busy trying to stay on to indulge in mischief.
"That's an interesting name for the kitten, Lady...?" Igor smiled charmingly.
Lina almost melted, looking into the handsome man's eyes. "Lina but I'm just a normal person. And well, he's actually named after a...bad-tempered friend of mine. That's right. I was looking for Gourry. How did I get distracted from that?"
Igor kept his smile fixed but inwardly frowned. She shouldn't have been able to break out of his charm spell. All of her attention was supposed to be fixated on him. But no matter, he wasn't the prince of incubus for nothing.
"Would you mind if I accompany you? There seem to have been many suspicious characters around the palace recently."
"You think I can't take care of myself?" Lina asked sharply.
"Of course not. You appear to be a very competent young lady," Igor mollified. No fragile damsel in distress treatment for this little one. "I simply worry about this beautiful person before me getting hurt."
To Zelgadiss's private amusement, Lina snorted. "Whatever. You can follow me if you want but don't expect me to save you if something happens."
That has not been the reaction Igor was expecting. Most women were flattered by the attention, even the independent ones most of the time. Now here was a challenge he had long been lacking. To seduce her ought to be very rewarding. Igor also needed to know from whom he was seducing her. It was a matter of pride.
"If I may ask, do you have any...significant other? This Gourry perhaps?"
"Gourry??" Lina laughed. He wasn't a significant other for anyone but a mummy and muscle-brain merc. "No way."
"Is there though?"
"No," Lina said a bit too quickly, putting one hand on the kitten to steady him as she picked up her pace. She was getting major bad vibes from this Sergei Igor. That last name, Igor, was so perfect for an evil henchman. Something clicked in Lina's mind. "Actually, Sergei..."
"Yes?"
Lina hid an evil smile behind an unbreakable mask of yearning. The kitten was getting goosebumps under his fur. Whatever Lina was up to couldn't be good.
"There is someone I really, really like. But I don't think he even knows I exist," Lina sighed mournfully. Sergei seemed to pay polite interest but the fires in his eyes were lit. He was caught, hook, line, and sinker. "He's so obsessed with himself that he doesn't realize that everyone admires him because he is just gorgeous."
Lina's words were fanning Igor's competitive spirit and pride.
"Those blue eyes of his just seem to go straight through you. You've never seen skin or hair like his, he has absolutely NO rival. He's smart, good with a sword and magic, and he'll stand by your side through rain and hail, Demon Kings and copy mages, Mazoku Lords and crazed Ancient Dragons."
Lina sighed deeply again. Zelgadiss wasn't too sure but was she talking about him?! Impossible. Lina couldn't really like him that way. Could she?
Lina meanwhile was secreting gauging Igor's reaction. Whoever or whatever he was was just bursting with impatience to challenge this unknown rival to his latest conquest. The big egos of seducers made them so easy to manipulate.
"He sounds quite amazing," Igor managed to say calmly. To think that such an upstart rival existed and he was mortal nonetheless! For the sake of his title as prince of incubus, Sergei Igor was going to find this man and prove once and for all who was the better man, incubus, whatever. "What did you say his name was?"
"Zelgadiss," she murmured dreamily.
The kitten slipped off of her shoulder in a daze and into her arms.
"I will find this Zedaliguss and - "
"Zel-ga-diss," Lina emphasized.
"Yes, Zelgadiss and fight him for the honor of courting you. I will - "
"LINA!!!" Gourry/Juliette/Lala-san came tearing down the hallway. He/She dove behind the petite sorceress sobbing. "Please you have to do something!"
"I don't know Gourry, why don't you try taking it like a man?" she said snidely for all of those times he told her the same thing.
"This is Gourry?"
Gourry looked at the strange man who had this very disconcerting look in his dark eyes. The man-turned-woman cowered behind Lina. This was scary, he couldn't look that good as a female.
"Why yes, this is Gourry," Lina smiled sweetly, deciding that this seducer could get taught a lesson. "You see, she seems to have an aversion to men."
"Naturally," Gourry muttered.
"I see."
That spark was back in Igor's eyes. Not only had Lina hooked him into thinking that Zelgadiss was his rival for seduction but that there was here a very attractive, Lina supposed, Gourry who didn't like men. Challenges to the male ego.
"Perhaps I can make her change her mind," Igor murmured.
"Oh no," Gourry shook his head, backing away. "Not again. Lina how could you?!"
"Oh, Juliette!!"
"And here comes Romeo," Lina pointed helpfully to the mummy.
"This is NOT fair!!" Gourry wailed as he began running away again from the mummy and his newest admirer. How damaging to his ego to know that he had three men after him.
Lina grinned smugly, holding the kitten to her chest. "That went pretty well. I can't wait to see Zel's face when that seducer confronts him."
The kitten, who was trying not to think too much about exactly where he was, mentally sighed. So Lina was only setting up that Igor to get rid of him. But the way she talked, he could almost believe it. Idiot.
"You know what?" Lina looked down at the cute white kitten. "I think it's time for another bath for you."
"Mreow?!"