|
|
Author’s notes: Never fear, the end is near! I think…Of course, all the participants are demanding pay raises…As to the story, it goes on.^_^. Oh, by the way, the cliché and absolutely unoriginal title did NOT come from a RK soundtrack. It’s just been overused.
Lina stared off into space.
Thunk. Thunk.
Lina continued to stare off into space.
Thunk. Thunk.
Lina stared emptily for a second after someone tapped her lightly on the shoulder. Then she blinked and seemed to return to earth, looking a little apologically at Gourry, who gave her a worried look.
"Are you okay, Lina?" he asked, sheathing the sword that he was practicing with and brushing some hair out of his eyes. The sorceress smiled and assured him that she was fine. "But you were really out of it."
"Sorry." Lina apologized. Leaning back on her chair, she yawned. "Though, really. There isn’t much to do. I guess I was oblivious because I was bored."
Indeed, there was nothing to do. It seemed that the more hurry that one is in, the slower the important things happen. It’s been four days since they had first found Sato. Three since Xelloss told them that Zelgadis was the one that contains Shabranigdo. Now that little piece of information had been rather shocking. Well…she shook her head. Maybe not. Deep down inside, she had felt that something was wrong with him… Besides that, the four days passed without anything else happening, except for the little talk Zira had with her the first day.
And that was what had kept her so silent those four days. She was getting used to the idea, certainly. In fact, she had even suspected, a little, that Zira was someone special. But to bear the title of L-sama’s most powerful servant, her only servant…Lina shook her head. She just wasn’t sure. The same things that made the power attractive also had their negative sides. Power is nice, but with power comes responsibility and loyalty. She knew, from personal experience with her sister, that the loyalty, more often than not, forced the Knight to do something that she’d rather not. With power came immortality, but does she want immortality? Living forever, or at least for a very long time, would mean a wealth of experience, but it would also mean losing her friends to the sickle of time. It would mean loneliness and isolation…not that she really knew that those things will happen, for sure, but she wasn’t about to barge into something like this without thinking it over.
Yet…humanity will be caught between the two races in the war that will come. Can she really expect humans to survive without some sort of protection? She had no illusions about the type of resistance normal humans can put up when faced with the warring races. Since the War of the Monsters’ Fall, many of the spells of both White and Shamanist magic have been lost, and those were the only spells that were available to the human sorcerers. The few human sorcerers. In short, the resistance would be weak, ineffectual, and temporary at best. That problem was what prompted her to recruit Garv to the humans’ side in the first place, but she knew that even with his powers and hers, they were both still human. As just humans, they would not be very useful against the armies of the other two races.
A figure made its way from the mansion, and she recognized Zelgadis. The young man’s attitude had not improved at all. If anything, his manner was more haughty and arrogant than before, now that everyone knows of his importance except Sato. Lina disliked the guy immensely. How much can you like a guy that puts himself in first and on top of everything?
Gourry stood by her protectively as Zelgadis stopped before them, smile fairly radiating distain. "Yes, Zelgadis-san?"
His smirk got a little bit wider, but all he said was, "My grandfather wishes to see you and inform you of an important proceeding that has occurred."
"Thank you," she replied, getting up. "Sorry for the bother."
"Not at all."
The people in Rezo’s living room were all in an uproar.
Okay, maybe not all the people were in an uproar. Zira looked on with unruffled calm, sitting in her chair with her arms crossed. Xelloss smiled placidly, mask firmly in place, staff in hand. Filia was surprised, but hardly hysterical, more curious than upset. The Red Priest stood silently, expectant.
Amelia was another matter.
"NO! I’m NOT! I’m not her!" Her voice hit a shrill pitch.
"I’m sure!" the elderly clergyman, who had called to visit Rezo, said insistently. "I remember the face, and the family features. You are most definitely Princess Amelia Wil Tesla de Sailloon."
Amelia shook her head, fighting tears. The few parishioners that had come with the Reverend looked at her with awe and doubt, some whispering, some nodding. Gods, she should have never decided to come down…Amelia backed off, feeling sudden fear. "I’m not…I’m not the princess. She died ten years ago!"
Lina and Gourry, followed by Zelgadis, chose that moment to come in. Amelia looked at them and panicked, knowing that Lina could confirm that she was indeed from Sailloon. With a barely stifled sob, she turned and ran up the stairs, despite Lina’s call to stop her.
Lina blinked. Then blinked again. Amelia was…crying? The red head’s eyes swept over the room, demanding answers.
Since none were forthcoming, Rezo decided he’d better step in before Lina decided to Fireball first, ask questions later. The angry gleam in her eye was certainly a bad sign. "Reverend Lupe, would you please excuse us? I’m sure you are firm in your judgment, but maybe there is a mistake."
"I’m really sorry…" The elderly man trailed off as he headed out, bowing humbly and sweating a little at Lina’s glare. "Please give the young lady my apologies…" The rest of his followers trailed out behind him. Once they were gone, Lina turned to Filia and Xelloss expectantly.
"What happened?" She asked very quietly, her eyes hard orbs of red.
"I’m not sure." Filia answered, just as quietly. "The man seems to believe that Amelia is Sailloon’s long lost princess, the last survivor of the Sailloon Royal family." She paused, giving Lina a long look. "Would you happen to know anything about that?"
"Yeah," Xelloss piped up with a grin. "The same ones that were massacred ten years ago when the Dragons attacked the city thinking that the Royal family was plotting with the Demons, right?"
Filia shot him a startled look.
The red haired sorceress remained silent, and then shook her head. "I’m going to talk to Amelia." Gourry nodded and watched the petite woman run up the stairs.
Zelgadis walked upstairs into the library calmly, as if nothing had happened.
"Amelia?" Lina knocked on the door of the girl’s room, turning the knob cautiously. It was locked. "Amelia, I know you’re in there," she called.
"Go away," came the muffled reply. Lina cursed inwardly, torn between honoring her friend’s request and worry. She knew Amelia wanted to be alone…but the look on her face downstairs had been one of real anguish, and she didn’t think it was wise to leave her alone in that condition. Another muffled sob made up her mind and she placed her hands on either side of the knob.
"I’m coming in, Amelia," she warned before chanting a quick spell. A small, tightly controlled bolt of energy sizzled and the lock was efficiently incinerated. Lina pushed the door open easily.
Amelia sniffled and tried to wipe her eyes as Lina came in. "Please, Lina-san, just leave?" she asked in a quivering voice, obviously fighting tears.
Lina smiled gently and sat down beside the girl, patting her head. "If you want to cry, go ahead, Amelia." The girl’s face scrunched up as she tried very hard to fight tears, then with a wail, she gave in and threw herself into Lina’s arms. "It’s okay…" Lina whispered.
"I’m...I’m not her…Princess Amelia died a long time ago…and I…I am not her…I don’t know how to be her…"
"Shh…it’s okay. I don’t need you to be her, Amelia. Even if you are the princess, it doesn’t matter to me, you’re still Amelia, right?" Lina rubbed Amelia’s back soothingly. "You’re still Amelia. Is that what you’re worried about, silly girl?"
"I don’t...want to be…a princess…I don’t want people to die…for me…"
An old, old memory flashed past her mind’s eye. An old shack and the dried, bloodied remains strewn around the corner…and a little girl with wide, wide blue eyes peering from the rubble. Sailloon smoldering. Lina sighed to herself. If what she said was true… "I won’t let anyone die, Amelia. Promise."
"Things are getting weirder and weirder." Filia noted as she watched Lina disappeared up the stairs. Gourry nodded.
"I wonder if I should go up there too…" he murmured. Xelloss shook his head.
"I think they need some time to talk," he ventured. "We should just mind our own business for a bit."
"Sensitivity? From you?" Filia snorted. "I’m surprised."
He smiled at her, eyes closed. "I’m sure you are. After all, Golden Dragons are so stuck in their stuffy old ways…"
To both of their surprises, Gourry held up a hand. "Please, no fighting. Now’s not the time for it."
Innocently, Xelloss replied. "Why, we’re just bantering, weren’t we, Filia-chan?"
Gourry glared daggers at him and Filia merely rolled her eyes.
"Gourry, don’t bother getting pissed off. You’re just feeding him." Her sapphire eyes searched the second floor, and sure enough, there stood Zelgadis. "And him, up there. Just ignore him."
Xelloss grinned. Zelgadis smiled.
"Mazoku." Filia muttered.
Unknown to her, Zelgadis heard every word. The fear emanating from inside Amelia’s room and the anger radiating from the swordsman were absolutely delicious. The Dragon’s irritation was nice too, but it still wasn’t enough. He flexed his hands, frowning a little as the invisible barrier continued to block his powers. The human powers he had, those of Lei Magus before and during the war…if he wanted to cast the Dragon Slave, there would be no trouble. But his powers as the Dark Lord…He could feed off of those people for a year and still not be able to dent the Seal.
Zelgadis, or rather, Lei Magus, frowned. Whatever action he decided on, he would have to be careful. He had not missed the meaningful look the Chaos Knight had given him before she disappeared to wherever it is that she disappears to every so often. He was not about to mess with the Knight, especially without his powers. He was Sealed, not suicidal. If the redhead was really Zira’s choice for her successor, then it would be wise to not mess with the girl and her friends…Yet there was no sure sign of that yet, and he could not wait to get rid of Cepheed’s General. As soon as he recovered his true form…
"Zelgadis."
The youth turned to face his grandfather, smiling. "Yes, grandfather?"
Rezo did not miss the mocking tone in his voice, and if he could see, he would have surely seen the smirk on the younger man’s face. Yet he said nothing. "I think it’s time that we had a discussion on what we should do about Unsealing you, don’t you think, Lei Magus-san?"
The spirit possessing Zelgadis did not let his displeasure at the lack of respect show. "That would be a good idea," he agreed. "Shall we go talk with our esteemed friends? Maybe Xelloss or the Cepheed General would know what to do about this Seal."
"I have an idea, actually." Rezo replied. "Would you care to hear it?"
Lina climbed up the stairs for the second time that day, this time looking for two of her companions. She stuck her head in the library and made a triumphant sound. Xelloss and Filia stopped their glaring match to look up at her. "Time out," Lina called from the doorway. "Sheesh, can’t any of you behave for two minutes?" she joked as she came in. "Amelia’s fine now, she said she just wanted some time to think. Sato-chan just got back and he wants to go out for ice cream, and I was wondering if you guys wanted to come too."
Filia frowned. "That’s nice, but why are you asking us, Lina?"
"Good question," Lina rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment. "I’m not too good with children…so I was hoping you guys can come and help me out. Sato’s not too happy that Amelia isn’t coming, and Gourry wants to talk to her when we’re gone."
"In other words, you want us to help you baby-sit Sato." Xelloss said astutely. Lina squirmed.
"Yeah."
Filia glared at Xelloss. "Stop smirking like that, it’s not like it’s her fault that she’s not good with kids." To Lina, she said kindly, "We’d love to go with you and Sato."
"All right!" Lina cheered.
"Who’s we?" Xelloss whispered to Filia. She glared daggers at him and he gulped. "Oh, yeah. We."
The sound of the front door closing as Lina left with Sato, Xelloss and Filia went unnoticed. There was expectant silence in the upstairs room as Zelgadis paced slowly, deep in thought. Rezo waited patiently.
"I admit," he said calmly, "that it seems a rather dangerous plan."
"It is." Lei Magus agreed with Zelgadis’s voice, frowning a little. "But it solves some problems. Such as the problem of dealing with the Dragon Army if my power was restored in Sailloon."
"I heard that Dynast resides in the North. The true body of Ruby Eye, along with His power, is still buried deep in the ice of the Kaahato Mountains. In order to Unseal it, it makes sense to go there."
Zelgadis continued pacing, albeit a bit impatiently. "Of course. I knew that," he answered. "But going over there is almost as dangerous as remaining here, since the Dragon’s Peak is a formidable gate to bypass."
Rezo remained silent. Then he finally spoke up. "Maybe we should discuss this with Lina Inverse and the others. Not only might she have some ideas, you said yourself that Xelloss was already considering this plan of action."
"He did bring it up, but I have the feeling that he doesn’t like it one bit." Lei Magus shrugged mentally. "It would be wise to seek their aid, seeing as how they had already freed the others."
"Then we shall ask."
Lei’s smile was calculating. "And I might ask, Rezo Akahoushi, why are you doing this? Purely for the sake of removing me from your grandson?"
Rezo remained silent.
"I didn’t think so." Zelgadis’s cape swished lightly on the ground as he paced, coming to a stop beside the window. "Do not worry," he said softly, almost maliciously. "You will be well rewarded for your efforts."
"Here we are," Xelloss said as they entered the busier part of the city of Sailloon. Sato whooped and jumped up and down, grabbing Lina’s hand, much to her chagrin, and pulling her along insistently.
"It’s over there! They’ve got the best ice cream!"
"I’m sure!" Lina agreed a little desperately, giving Filia and Xelloss pleading looks. "A little slower, Sato-chan, my arm!"
The demon, taking pity on her, stepped in smoothly. "Sato-san, what flavor would you like? I’ll go buy you a cone."
"Chocolate!" Seeing the immediate prospect of ice cream within reach, Sato relinquished his hold on Lina’s arm and attached himself to Xelloss instead. "Chocolate! A big cone!" Xelloss took all this with the calm air of one who was used to being climbed on by younger siblings.
"A big, chocolate cone. Got it. Lina? What would you like?"
Lina’s red eyes were glittering greedily. "You’re paying?"
"Say no." Filia whispered. Xelloss looked at the drooling sorceress.
"If I say no, she’ll eat me instead," he whispered back. In a louder voice, he said a bit warily, "Yeah, I’m paying."
"I want one of everything on the menu!"
Xelloss groaned and Filia smirked. "See?"
"Lina," he tried to reason with her. "You can’t buy one of everything. You’ll make yourself sick eating all that." Lina, a la Sato, attached herself to his free arm.
"Pretty, pretty please?????" She said sweetly, batting her eyelashes. Xelloss sweatdropped and tried to dislodge her. "Ice cream! Ice cream!"
"This is getting ridiculous." Filia laughed as Xelloss and Lina haggled about the ice cream. With reluctance, Lina finally agreed that she couldn’t have everything, so she settled for four cones.
"And you, Filia?"
Filia blinked. "Oh, um…no, thanks. I don’t want ice cream right now."
"You sure?" He gave Sato and Lina a look. "If you don’t get one now, there might not be money for it later."
"Well, better to save it for those two, then," she said with a smile. "Sato-kun, come here. Let Xelloss go get the ice cream. Lina, you’d better go with him, seeing as how most of it is your order."
Lina readily agreed as Xelloss handed Sato over to Filia. The Dragon shook her head ruefully as the two went to get the ice cream and found a seat for herself and Sato at the rim of a nearby fountain. Sailloon seemed to be a prosperous and bustling city, completely different from the charred ruins that she remembered from before. Sato made himself comfortable in her arms and began poking curiously at the large orbs on the sides of her head.
"What are these, Filia-chan?" he asked.
Filia hesitated. She remembered that Rezo had mentioned that the people of Sailloon are not particularly hostile to strangers, but they are apprehensive of non-humans, especially Dragons. That was understandable, considering what happened ten years ago, so Filia decided to cover her pointed ears, the only sign (besides her tail, but she can control that) that indicated that she was not human. But how to explain that to a little boy that knew nothing about the hate and fear that one mistake in the past had caused? "Um…earrings." She said, noting that she didn’t sound particularly sure.
"Pretty." Sato nodded approvingly, touching one lightly. " Big, though."
Filia smiled and nodded, then changed the subject. For a while, they were preoccupied with the best stores to visit and the names of all Sato’s friends in town. Xelloss and Lina soon returned with the promised ice cream, and Sato immediately joined Lina in the contest of ice cream eating and cone licking.
"I don’t even want to know how much that cost," Filia murmured as Xelloss sat down beside her. He chuckled ruefully.
"I don’t either," he agreed, holding out a cone to her. "Lina said you liked strawberry."
Filia blinked, and then raised her eyes to his. "I thought I said…"
He shrugged, smiling. "Well, it would be rude to not buy you anything since I’m treating those two anyway."
"Mazoku with manners?" she said with a faint smile. He grinned.
"Why do you sound so surprised?" Xelloss shot back.
She ignored that question and took the cone from him. "Well, it would be impolite to refuse," she said, almost to herself.
The demon rolled his eyes. "Dragons," he said, his tone speaking volumes. Filia narrowed her eyes and stuck her tongue out.
"At least I don’t have a strange obsession with-"
"Are you two starting again?" Lina asked, eyes glittering happily. "You know, all that ice cream is going to melt if you argue, so can I have them?"
Unfortunately, she was right, so Filia and Xelloss took a time out as they frantically tried to catch up on ice cream consumption before the melting dessert could make a mess.
Lina rolled her eyes. "Idiots," she muttered fondly.
The two glared at her indignantly and she grinned.
The Supreme King of the North surveyed the scene before him disdainfully. His Master, the Dark Lord, was still Sealed, yet that rogue human that he had been reborn in a thousand years ago was free. Thankfully, the human sorcerer seemed willing to Unseal the Dark Lord. If he hadn’t, matters would have been a lot more complicated.
The glass rippled and he watched. Xelloss was with the Cepheed General and the human called Lina Inverse. He frowned as the huge scrying glass rippled again, then the image of Xelloss looked up.
He smiled and Dynast knew he could see him.
A dark, oily spot appeared in the pool, rapidly spreading like a cancer. Soon, nothing could be seen and Dynast chuckled. He had expected that.
"We are merely the pieces, Dynast. Remember that," she said softly as she moved the white pawn forward. "It’s not how many pieces, it’s how you use them. Even the pawn can turn the tide of the battle and change the outcome. Checkmate."
Dynast shook the memory off. When had he first met Zira? Too long ago, even for him to remember. Standing up, he scanned the area that the humans named Sailloon. The next logical step would be for the group to head for the Kaahato Mountains, in search of that piece of Ruby Eye, and he wanted everything to go smoothly for Lord Shabranigdo’s Unsealing.
"What’s this?" he murmured when a fleetingly familiar aura reached his senses. Wild…uncontrolled…yet predatorial and dangerous. Rather like his sister’s. "Hmm…what is one of Xellas’s wolves doing here?" One would have thought it was enough having Xelloss hold down the fort. Another variable.
Dynast made a disgusted noise. Variables usually meant complications, and he did not need complications right now. Human, demon, dragon. Throw in a blind sage, a Dark Lord waiting to be resurrected, and a liberal doze of strange happenings. A catastrophe waiting to happen, to be sure.
He always hated complications. There was a beauty to the straightforwardness of a well-executed plan, without complications. Sure, a large degree of planning and backstabbing was needed, but the best plan was the plan that didn’t go wrong. A plan without randomness or chaos.
He would have to keep deal with this one…
The three made their way back to the mansion without mishaps. Xelloss was carrying Sato, who was dozing off, as Lina opened the door and shouted out "We’re back!" loud enough to be heard by Shielfiel in Sairaag. Gourry, being used to Lina’s natural exuberance, smiled and waved as they came in. Amelia peered out from upstairs and came down hurriedly. Her eyes were still a little red, but the smile on her face was genuine.
"You’re back, Lina-san," she said as Sato rubbed his eyes and latched onto her. Lina grinned.
"Of course," Lina replied smartly. "I would have brought you some ice cream too, except that it would have melted."
A dark haired woman walked into the room, smiling. "Miss Inverse? Oh, good, you’re all back. Rezo-sama and Zelgadis-san would like to see all of you in the study."
"Eh?" Lina asked, blinking. "What does he want, Eris?"
Eris shrugged. "I don’t know, but it’s something important, I think." Lina gave her a slightly confused look, but the woman’s eyes told her that she really didn’t know anything about it.
"Okay, then," she agreed. "Amelia, why don’t you let Eris take Sato-chan, ne? Let’s go."
The Red Priest and Zelgadis, or rather, Lei Magus were quietly discussing something when Lina knocked, then opened the door. Rezo stood up to greet them and Lina waved a hand at him. "It’s okay. Yeah, yeah, we’re back and all. What did you need us for?"
"Please, sit down." Zelgadis said pleasantly, a rare, if a bit fake, smile on his face. "We were discussing a trip, to be precise, and we wanted your opinion on it."
"If you’re taking a trip, how does that concern us?" Lina asked, sitting down. Gourry took the seat beside her as Amelia hovered behind her uncertainly. Filia leaned against the wall as Xelloss almost seemed to melt into the shadows.
"We were hoping you would be kind enough to accompany us."
The redhead heaved a sigh in her usual dramatic way and slumped back in her couch. "Oh, no. Wait, I can guess…" she moaned theatrically. "Another jaunt into some super dangerous place, right? Tell me that is not so."
Even Lei Magus had to sweatdrop.
"That is so," Xelloss said dryly. "Let me guess, you want us to go the Kaahato Mountains, right?"
"The Kaahato Mountains?" Gourry asked as Lina smacked her forehead.
"I win first prize," she declared. "What did I tell you?"
"Where’s the Kaahato Mountains?" The blond swordsman of Light asked. "Is it far away?"
Lina merely moaned and groaned louder.
"The Kaahato Mountains is a major mountain range in the North. The Dragons’ Peak is in the Kaahato Mountains, which I think is where you want to go," Filia said quietly, crossing her arms. "It is one of the most heavily guarded Dragon fortresses on this continent. I suppose you want to go to Dragons’ Peak because your true body is there." She shot to Lei Magus. He smiled through Zelgadis’s face.
"Yes," he answered simply.
"THE DRAGONS’ PEAK!" Lina growled. "THE Dragons’ Peak. Of all places you want to visit…" She sighed again as the implications finally sank into Gourry’s thick skull. "Well, no one said this was supposed to be easy."
"This isn’t exactly a joke," Xelloss said. "It’s a very dangerous place."
"I think I knew that." Lina shot him a glare.
"You’re all speaking as if you don’t want to go." Zelgadis said in amusement. "Yet you’re complaining because you know you are all going, so why whine too much?"
"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" Lina grumbled. Considering the circumstances and who he was, probably. She decided that no one, not even a Dark Lord himself, deserves to make her feel bad for the whole day, so she flashed him her best confidence grin. "Well, too bad! Now that I, Lina Inverse is on the job, everything is as good as done."
Xelloss shook his head. "Humans," he muttered.
The house was quiet.
Amelia sat on her bed, not really sure what to think. It seemed like just yesterday that she was sneaking out when she saw Lina going off on some unknown errand. Just yesterday that she packed up from Xellas’s abode to come here. Just yesterday that she came home.
Things were moving too fast. Perhaps the confrontation with her past had to be made, but why did it have to be now, of all times? And what was she going to do?
Follow Lina, most likely. Isn’t that what she always did? What she always will do? Her old life, now barely a dim memory, was past her now. Can she really forget it?
She pondered on that as she headed back to the library, recruited into active map searching duty by Lina.
She wasn’t really sure what to think.
The dry, aged paper rustled as she flipped the page. Dust tickled her nose and she sneezed. "Sheesh," she murmured.
"Any luck?" Lina called from the other end of the library.
"No." Filia answered. "These maps are all way outdated. I think we’re going to have to either find some newer maps or bring lots of food because we’re going to get lost."
"Maybe this one?" Xelloss asked, leafing through a thick tome of geography.
"Anything," Filia said. "Anything, any pass, any hidden valleys, etc. Anything but Lina’s harebrained idea of going through the front door."
"Harebrained?" Lina protested from a distance away, waving her gloved fist indignantly. "It’ll take less time if we do that."
"It’ll also take less time for them to all fry us." Filia countered. "I’ve been to Dragons’ Peak before, and it’s not going to be a picnic, believe me."
"Can’t you get us in, being the General of Cephy himself and all?"
Filia rolled her eyes. "No." because they all think I’ve turned traitor, she added silently. Somehow, that didn’t bother her as much as she thought it would. Maybe she was finally coming to terms with giving up what she had been taught.
"Drat," Lina muttered. "Xelloss, any ideas?"
Xelloss shrugged. "Don’t ask me, I wasn’t too successful the last time I tried to sneak out of Dragons’ Peak."
"Oh, what happened?" Amelia asked, curious.
"There are strong magical wards around Dragons’ Peak," Filia explained. "A lot like the ones that Sailloon used to have, which meant they were nearly strong enough to be walls. The dragons took every precaution when it came to building the place, since we did have to watch the Dark Lord and make sure he didn’t escape."
"Oh," Amelia said.
They fell silent as each one continued their search. Well, all except Gourry, who had found a very interesting book on swords. The quiet of the room was only broken occasionally by the sound of turning pages.
Filia was just about to turn the page when it happened.
Lina looked up as the pencils and books on the table began to rattle. The ground seemed to be shaking, ever so slightly, beneath their feet.
Filia could feel it, tendrils of dark and cold power radiating from somewhere, not here on this plane, but still strong enough to manifest itself. "Oh, damn…" she hissed as it built. "EVERYONE GET DOWN!"
What started as a light tremor exploded as the earth buckled and shook beneath them. Amelia yelped as she was thrown off her feet and landed hard on her back, looking up to see a heavy bookshelf toppling towards her. She closed her eyes tightly as it came down.
Something grabbed her and yanked her out of the way, hard. "Amelia, you do NOT close your eyes against certain death, you idiot!" Lina huffed as they rolled, coming to their feet unsteadily as the shaking abated a little, then stopped completely after a few more seconds.
Shakily, Lina stood up straighter when she was sure that the ground wasn’t going to move under her feet again. The library was in shambles, books strewn everywhere, shelves emptied out and toppled, papers and pencils on the ground, buried beneath a whole lot of who-knows-whats…
"Everyone okay?" She called. There was frightening silence for a split second, then Filia grouchily shoved the side of the bookcase off of herself, snarling a few oaths.
"Stupid…" she muttered. Lina sighed.
"At least the floor didn’t collapse," the sorceress philosophized. "We are on the second floor, after all."
There was a muffled exclamation and Gourry erupted from a tall mountain of books, looking a bit wide-eyed. "Whoa! What happened?" he gasped.
"Looks like there was an earthquake."
Filia shook her head as Xelloss helped Amelia up from where she sat. "That wasn’t a natural earthquake…" she muttered under her breath. That flash of cold that ran through her right before she felt the tremors…She recognized that aura.
Before she could open her mouth and say so, yet another strange thing happened. The relative silence of the room was broken by what sounded like a very loud howl, coming from outside. Amelia jumped.
"What’s that?"
Filia didn’t miss the expression that crossed Xelloss’s face for a second, since she knew he was probably the only one in the room who knew what the message meant. And it was definitely a message, and an urgent one, from the looks of it. The demon’s smile had dropped, just a second, to be replaced by something like surprise and anger. And realization.
"Excuse me," he murmured, fading out.
"Hey!" Lina called, but he was already gone. "What the heck?"
Filia’s face was grim. "That was Dynast."
Gourry scratched his head. "The wolf howling?"
She shook her head. "No, the earthquake. It was a dark power reaching out, and it was his power. I’d recognize Dynast even if he were a pile of ashes at my feet."
Lina’s face was serious. "Do you think that Dynast had anything to do with that wolf? And why Xelloss left so fast?"
Filia nodded. "It was a summon, of a sort. Some kind of message, most likely." The howls started again, rending the cold night sky with the sound. It almost sounded…mournful…
"What do we do now?" Amelia asked, looking around. "This place is trashed, and Xelloss-san is who-knows-where. Should we go or stay?"
Lina remained quiet for a minute. "Filia?"
The Dragon’s eyes were hard. "I told Dynast to not try anything funny, and I intend to make sure he follows the rules. You coming, Lina?"
Lina grinned. "I have a feeling that this is technically none of my business…but heck, I’m just nosy like that. Let’s go, then."
Gourry smiled. "Does that mean we don’t have to clean this place up?" Amelia rolled her eyes as they took their positions near Filia so she could teleport them to wherever Dynast, or Xelloss, might be.
"Gourry-san!" She admonished.
She watched, not without interest, of the proceedings. An interesting development, this little incident with Dynast now unfolding. She hadn’t quite expected the usually aloof and haughty Demon Lord to actually involve himself in the matter in such a direct way. Dynast had always been known as the subtlest of the group, and she briefly wondered if he was losing his touch.
No matter, things will go where they shall. No one, not Dynast, not Shabranigdo, not Cepheed himself could stand in the way of the things to come. The pieces are all in place, ready for that final battle, set up with loveing care by the same hands that created them. Readying them...for the final clash that will only leave the few standing after the dust settled.
A smile tugged at her lips, reminiscent of sadness, maybe a little regret. She knew what the answer will be, for there were too many things at stake. There was no such thing as free choice, after all, just like there were no such things as happy endings.
"What will your answer be, Lina?"
Filia’s teleport dumped them in the middle of what appeared to be a forest. Trees were burning and a large section was charred and smoldering. Lina, upon appearing, immediately saw the man in the dark armor standing in the clearing, his back to her. Filia hissed beneath her breath.
"Dynast."
The Demon Lord turned coolly towards them, alerted to their presence by means unknown to the sorceress. She hadn’t expected the Demon Lord to look quite so…young. Yet there was nothing young in his expression, or his eyes… Dynast’s ice blue eyes raked over them, seemingly bored, yet missing nothing. Without a sound, he turned his back to them again.
Filia held Aqua at ready, noticing that they were not the only ones in the clearing. A dark gray mist was swirling around, despite the dying flames, and she could see vague, faint shapes inside the fog.
Wolves.
"Xelloss!" Lina called, and Filia snapped her attention back to the sorceress and the Demon Lord in front of them. The Beastmaster’s General-Priest was kneeling off a little to the side, holding something protectively in his arms, his head down and eyes shadowed…
Her eyes widened.
Someone, not something.
"Oh, gods," She heard Amelia whisper in a sick voice.
A wolf howled in the distance.
She could see barely recognizable patches of unburnt skin on the figure Xelloss was holding. The figure of a little girl, with lavender hair…
"Looks like your companions decided to show up after all." Dynast said without a hint of emotion in his voice. Lina’s fist clinched.
She didn’t know Xelana too well…but the girl had helped them on the quest to Unseal Garv…and she had been the most courteous host when they stayed over on Wolf Pack Island. "What the hell did you do, Dynast!?" She yelled. "She’s on YOUR side!"
Filia remembered…a small, out of the way town near the North Pole, Xelloss’s amethyst eyes peering at her over his cup. Discussing Mazoku loyalties… "No, she’s not," She whispered. But that still didn’t excuse what he did.
The Demon Lord couldn’t act more uncaring about the now angry group behind him. He turned to them, as if it was an annoyance just to acknowledge their presence. "Xelana Metallium was disturbing my plans. I took action accordingly." Narrowing his eyes, he studied them, noting the varied reaction to his words. The sorceress named Lina Inverse clinched her fists tighter, seeming on the verge of attack, not understanding the reason, and not wanting to understand. The younger girl, Amelia, was looking very shocked and horrified. The swordsman’s expression was a mix between the two as he unsheathed the Gorn Nova and held it at ready.
The Dragon General was not surprised, nor horrified. But her eyes were cold, hard flecks of dark sapphire that showed no mindless rage, just calculated anger. He smiled.
All were ready to fight him, but Dynast merely kept the smile. "Isn’t it ironic?" He said, directing his comment at Filia. "That you are so willing to defend the very Demon that you hated so? That you’d be willing to defend the murderer of your race?" Filia tensed, her eyes flashing angrily. It was not time yet, he knew, not time to start the war, with the pieces incomplete. Maybe next time. "My job here is done," he said without any inflection, turning his eyes to Lina’s. There was something chaotic in them…a touch of gold, perhaps? "I’m sure we will all meet again, soon. Lina Inverse, Amelia Wil Tesla Sailloon, Gourry Gabriev…" Filia met his eyes without flinching, silently promising that indeed, they will definitely meet again. "And you, Filia Ul Copt."
"Dynast."
The Demon Lord stopped at Xelloss’s quiet voice.
"Remember that the day of your judgement will come." Lina shivered, remembering when he had used the same icy tone of voice, when she was lost inside a memory inside Deep Sea Dolphin’s mind. "Do not be surprised if you see me there as your executioner."
Dynast never changed expression. "I will remember that," he promised humorlessly as he disappeared. Some wolves solidified and growled as another howl ripped through the air.
"Well, well…"
Lina blinked as Xelloss stood up, the wolves fading as he did so. Xelana was gone, and his smile was back on his face.
"Looks like there’s no hope for complete harmony between the Demon Lords after all," he mused. "Oh, well. Can’t have everything."
He idly flipped the page. Lina and company had long since gone to bed, with the sorceress more than a little incensed at him for his seeming apathy to what had happened. He didn’t really care, since she had no idea how he really felt. Better that all of them get the impression that he was a cold-hearted bastard, it’ll make things easier in the end.
Tomorrow they will leave for the Kahaato Mountains, in search of Lei Magus’s true body, and the piece of Ruby Eyed that was sealed there. Tomorrow…
"Hi."
He blinked, looking up to see Zira sitting across from him in the more-or-less cleaned up library. "Oh, hi. What are you doing here?"
"I did what you asked." Zira replied, seeing the veiled interest in his eyes. "Of course, with Phibrizo gone, it was rather difficult…"
He smiled. "But?" There was the barest hint of curiosity in his voice, already betraying too much emotion.
Zira shrugged. "But since you so rarely ask me for favors, I went ahead anyway. The lady in charge wasn’t too happy about it, but I managed. As soon as her body regenerates, she’ll be fine."
"Ah."
Zira stood up, straightening out her cloak as she did so. "Leaving tomorrow, huh? Well, good luck."
"Thanks," he said.
"I wish everyone luck, Xelloss."
"That’s not what I meant."
Zira smiled as she faded out. "Ah. You’re welcome."
Tomorrow…maybe they’ll finally find some closure to this…maybe there will finally be an end.