As it stands, our road weary travelers were fortunate enough to find a reasonably comfortable spot to rest and set up camp. The Slayers soon fell into a peaceful sleep under the watch of a perfect night - the fall of the silvery moon, the hum of the crickets, the soothing lullaby of the owl's constant hoot...
Well, till said owl found itself on the receiving end of a patented 'Super Greyweres Shut the Hell Up Glare' (tm). Then it just kinda flew away, but we're getting off subject.
Zelgadiss groaned and stretched against the tree trunk, keeping an eye on his sleeping companions. After the fortune telling incident Lina had been very insistent on returning to Zephilia. So here they were, trouping south through the forrest. The air just got muggier and muggier the further south they went. Not pleasant, stone skin and all. Besides, his home had been at a considerable northern latitude.
But on reflection he couldn't help but to smile on the conversation that had helped spur their most recent travel.
"We're going to Zephilia," Lina repeated to her friends, her eyes settling into determined rubies.
"But didn't Luna-sama tell us to go north?" Amelia ventured, confused. "She mentioned something about the Sword of Light."
"Well she never said when to go!" Lina snapped back.
"Oi, Lina, this is my sword we're talking about!" Gourry's sky blue eyes narrowed as he entered the fray.
"That's right." Sylphiel stepped up to her lover. "We have to get it back!"
"But what if Luna's hunch is wrong," Zel mused, holding his chin. "It might not even be there."
"It doesn't matter!" Amelia interrupted. "We have to try! In the name of Justice, we can't let it fall into the Mazoku's hands!"
"That hurt, Amelia-san," Xelloss pouted.
Lina thwacked the loony priest upside the head. "You stay out of it!"
Said purple haired priest just kept on smiling. If they chose to ignore him that was fine, it just made his job easier.
Shyly, Maggie stepped up from where she had been hiding behind Klea. She couldn't help but be intimidated by these people, especially after her earlier behavior towards Lina... "The cards indicated traveling to Zephilia."
"But the sword," Sylphiel pressed.
"Fine!" Lina threw up her arms in anger. "If you guys won't come with me, then I'll go alone!"
Klea made the slightest movement to protest when she noticed Zelgadiss stroll towards her small sorceress friend. As it was she just grinned and stepped back to watch.
"Lina," Zel sighed, clamping one hand on her shoulder. "you don't know us very well, do you?"
"Eh?" she stuttered, blushing.
"We'll come with you; you'd get into too much trouble otherwise."
CRASH
That had ended the debate. After Lina had thoroughly pounded him into the ground, they had set out. And so here they were, within a day's reach of the final town before Lina's home.
He sighed again and briefly wondered how he had once again wound up in such a disorganized, chaotic, day by day travel... well one answer of course-
Lina.
Never a dull moment, he mused. It was one of the most irritable, if not the most wonderful thing about her. But this time, something was wrong. Terribly terribly wrong, and he had no clue on how to stop it.
He gazed over his traveling companions - all sleeping in their place except the newcomers. The slight Enchantress called Maggie had retreated to replenish their water supply and her haphazard former body guard had recently set out for her.
That was another thing... while the younger one was harmless, there was something he couldn't shake about Klea. In her he sensed something oddly familiar, yet totally foreign to him all at once. And her timing in reappearing in LIna's life... ANd although he had no cause not to at this time...
He just couldn't bring himself to trust her.
Maggie's pale blue eyes closed in pleasure as the brisk water ran over her bare hands, replenishing the desolate containers. The closer and closer they came to Zephilia, the warmer and warmer it became. The area around the creek had formed a more habitual atmosphere for the northern dweller. But she wasn't complaining.
She knew she was supposed to be here, traveling with these people and helping the one called Lina Inverse. It would all work out, she would prove herself to the Guild, she would prove herself to Lina-san, and just maybe...
"Hiii! ^.^" Klea chirped, her reflection joining her former charge's in the water.
"GYA!!" Maggie leapt from the ground, clutching her nearly stilled heart. "Klea-san?"
The taller girl continued to grin as she plopped onto the ground, arranging herself so that she could look at the sky. Irritably, she swiped a dark green bang from her face. "You people are jumpy," she admonished, lacing her hands behind her head as she gazed at the sky.
"Funny." The slight maiden muttered, joining her friend in stargazing. "I thought you were sleeping."
"Yeah, well," she shrugged. "Should't you be?"
"But the water..." she motioned to the now full containers with one perfect pale eye brow, the light lavender shining in the even paler light.
Klea smiled and never looked away from the distant stars. "That's nice of you."
"Well, I can't fight, I can't defend, I have to do something."
The mysterious girl stared at her, peculiar orange eyes staring into young blue till Maggie had to turn away. "Why did you come?" It was more of a demand than a question.
"Why did you leave?" Maggie countered dully.
"That's none of your business."
"I'm sorry." And she really was. But for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.
"You probably won't find him," Klea sighed, looking back heavenward.
"I know... but that's not why I'm here. Well, yeah, it's part of it, but it's not the reason, it's not what's really important. The other day, when I helped Lina-san.. I knew it was where I was supposed to be, I knew I was doing what I was supposed to be doing. In a way I guess... it could be considered destiny."
A silence descended upon the two ladies and the lay there and listened to the peaceful melody that was the night. FInally, Klea broke the silence, her usually clear voice slightly cracked. "It's time for bed, Maggie."
"You didn't use the honorific," she pointed out, smiling slightly.
"Well, I don't work for your father anymore, do I?"
"...oh."
Feeling like she said something wrong, Klea was quick to try and make amends. "I mean.. well, you're not used to traveling and if you don't go to bed now Lina'll get mad at you in the morning."
"But the water..." She glanced down at the full containers.
"I'll get 'em. They're probably too heavy for you anyway," the Zephilian grumbled good naturedly as she rose to her feet.
Maggie grinned and stood up as well. "Thank you, Klea-san!" she chirped, disappearing down the path that led to the camp.
Klea watched until the young girl was out of sight, her sunset eyes glowing with sadness of the inevitable. She understood now... Shaking her head of all thoughts, she slowly began to gather the parcels of water.
"One more day till Zephilia," Lina muttered aloud. "One more day till Zephilia." She continued to repeat the mantra as she dumped the steaming water over her soapy hair. "One more day..." Perhaps she thought that by repeating the inevitable she could calm her worried mind, soothe her frayed nerves...
But nothing really worked when one realized that they were going to face Luna Inverse!
Admitting defeat, she glanced around the empty bath house while drying her fiery locks. The day of walking had led them to Bladen, the final town before Zephilia's capital.
As she toweled off the rest of her body, her drying turned to furious rubbing. I have to face Nee-chan tomorrow, I have to face Nee-chan tomorrow... Feeling a dull sting on her leg, she stopped to peer at the thigh, the skin red and raw. Now would be the time for happier thoughts...
Klea. She was very glad that she had met up with her old friend, though the circumstances were... different. She had never really talked about her past with the others, and she certainly never told Klea, but their friendship was very important to her. In the past, Klea had always been there for her, encouraging her, pushing her...
Funny how she never really thought about it till recently. Almost as like... she couldn't remember..
Her thoughts turned to the young rich lady that had more or less followed her former body guard. Lina could easily admit that she felt no love for the boy crazy fre - er, girl, but she was slowly getting better. The water had been a nice gesture, it had softened her irritation when the pampered Enchantress had gotten tir -
Xelloss fazed in behind her, sending cold chills down her flesh from the energy. "Ooo, m'poor Lina-chan," he soothed, kneading the taught muscles of her shoulders. "Tense?"
"Get off of me!" she snapped, slapping his hands away as she swiveled around to glare at him. Unfortunately, her actions only made him grin wider, as her towel was clenched in one fist, leaving an... interesting view of her person.
"Gah!" her face shot to the red end of the color spectrum and she quickly turned around to accommodate modesty. Knotting the towel around her slight form, she again turned to face him, all important areas covered. "What do you want?"
"Ma ma, so testy," he cooed. He laced his long, perfect fingers behind his head. "I'm just concerned over you, Lina-chan."
'Lina-chan'? Her eyebrow twitched at the informal use of her name. "Bullshit," she countered calmly, her ruby eyes glinting slightly in the dim light. What are you thinking, Mazoku?
Chuckling, his violet eyes slowly slid open, the violet irises glowing with their unholy light. "You think so?" He grinned ferally, stepping slightly forward. "What are you expecting tomorrow?"
"I - " She chocked a little on her reply, stepping back as he came forward. "I'm.. expecting Nee-chan to be furious with me."
"But why?" he breathed, advancing till she bumped against the wall. "Are you scared of learning something you don't want to kn - "
THWAP His head snapped back from the force of her slap. "Don't pretend you know me!" she hissed, narrowing her eyes to bloody slits.
His eyes slowly rolled back to look at her, his head still left where she had hit it. "Lina-chan, it's my job to know you."
She backhanded him, beside herself with fury. "Shut the hell up!" He smiled as he fed off of her anger. Frustrated, she shoved him aside, stalking out of the bath house. The Mazoku stayed where he was, savoring the luscious taste of her still present rage and delighting in the exhilarating sting that was left across his cheeks.
shhing Of course, cool steel against one's throat was always nice too. "Something the matter, Zel-kun?"
The blade pressed harder against his throat, drawing black blood and Zelgadiss' grip tightened almost enough to give Xelloss real pain. It's amazing how strong stone can be, really. "Stay. Away. From. Her," the Chimera hissed hatefully at the Trickster.
Xelloss shuddered in ecstasy. It was fun, but not really productive... oh well. "MmmMMMmmm, Gadiss-kun, that feels so good! I didn't know that you cared about me like that!"
Zel nearly dropped his sword. "Wha-what?!"
Xelloss took the opportunity to shoot around, coming uncomfortably close to the Shaman's face. "Tell me, Zel, how much did you see?"
The fury returned and Zel's cobalt eyes hardened into diamonds. "All of it, you fruity bastard," he growled.
"My, my," Xelloss placed a gloved finger on his cheek, feigning a pondering look. "So that means that you were spying on Lina-chan."
The stones on Zelgadiss' face flushed with embarrassment and anger. "Don't put me down on your level, fruitcake!"
"But you did watch her bathe, did you not?"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!" Zelgadiss leveled his sword, radiating contempt for the damned General Priest. "If you hadn't noticed, something is wrong with Lina! Someone has to watch her!"
"Oh your so noble, Zelgadiss," Xel rolled his eyes, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Tell me, did you see something that you liked?"
Zel charged at him, howling with fury. "I'll take that as a yes," Xelloss chirped, easily teleporting out of arm's length. "No need to be shy, Zelly, I know I saw something I liked."
"Astral Vine!" The enchanted sword grew a violent crimson, and Zelgadiss leapt at the Priest, intending to slice his throat.
Xelloss bowed his head and merely grinned. "You people never learn, do you?" he asked softly, disappearing into the shadows.
Zelgadiss stopped and wildly spun around the room. Where did he - Gya! His sword dropped to the floor as he struggled against the Mazoku's death grip around his neck.
"Listen to me, Zel-kun," he sang happily before switching to a more ominous tone. "There's a lot of stuff that's way over your mortal little head, so do watch your step my friend. I won't stay away either, I'm afraid that I can't and that you would be so~rry if I did." He chuckled under his breath. "And one more thing," he whispered into Zelgadiss' elf like ear. "shut up with the 'down to your level' crap. I think that... you're just like me." So saying, Xelloss fazed away as if he was never there at all.
Zelgadiss dropped to his knees, gasping for air and holding his throat protectively. No, I'm not 'just like him!' he thought angrily. He rose to his feet. The damn demon had just proved to him that something was going to happen and that he was withholding information again. Slowly, the Chimera rose to his feet, retreating from the bath house. I swear, I'm going to protect her just for her being Lina..
Because I'm nothing like him.
Part 9 | Fanfiction