FicWad

Title: Poison (13 of 14.5)
Author: Tsutsuji
Date written: August 2005
Fandom: Slayers
Rating for this chapter: R
Disclaimer and other warnings in chapter 1.
AN: Just noticed I never finished posting this here at Ficwad. Also noticed that hardly anyone has read it and no one has reviewed it here, but what the heck... here's the rest anyway.

Summary: The fate of Zelgadis and Xelloss is revealed...

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Poison, chapter 13
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Lina Inverse had never been a fan of long-winded speeches -- unless, perhaps, she was the one who was speaking. But a whole series of long-winded speeches while dinner was waiting to be served was absolutely unforgivable. Only the threatening glare from Amelia across the table kept her from casting a spell to make all the speakers loose their voices so she could eat.

She glared right back at Amelia, whose promise of a 12-course gourmet feast had brought her to this state dinner at the Palace in Seyruun in the first place. The Princess had neglected to mention that the formal banquet was in honor of a treaty being arranged between twelve neighboring territories, now all loyal allies of Amelia's father Prince Phil. As far as Lina could tell, each one of those twelve territories had seen fit to send at least twenty dignitaries to Seyruun just to make speeches.

What made the waiting even worse was the old guy sitting next to her, the chatty old captain of the militia in one of those twelve districts. Seeing her alternately yawn, glare, and drum her fingers on the table, he decided she'd be more entertained by stories of his own personal exploits. Her eyes started to glaze over as he described, in detail, how he'd led his troops to drive out every single bandit gang from his country. Lina made a mental note to herself not to visit that part of the world anytime soon.

"How's a girl supposed to make a living in a place with no bandit gangs to rob...er, subdue?" she muttered under her breath.

The old guy shook his head in wonder at his own tale. "I have to admit, it was easier than we expected," he admitted with surprising honesty. "Half of those gangs surrendered without a fight! They were just as friendly and sweet as your old grandmother, and just as generous, too. Couldn't wait to turn over their loot to my troops. I could see why, actually. They had pretty bad taste for bandits; they'd stolen some of the ugliest jewelry I've ever seen."

"Is that so!" Lina said with unconvincing enthusiasm. She wasn't much interested in the latest fashion in bandit wear, especially among reformed bandits. She just wanted the speeches to end before she started gnawing on the table, and before Gourry fell asleep and dropped his heavy head on her shoulder again.

The hair at the back of her neck stood on end. She tuned out the old captain and tuned in to the magical aura she sensed. Noticing it as well as her change of expression, Amelia scowled.

"Lina-san, don't you dare!" she hissed across the table.

But it wasn't any spell of Lina's that gathered in the air. Xelloss flickered into the space between Lina and the talkative militia captain, grinning like the fiend he was and carrying a large, shapeless bundle in his arms.

"Lina-san! It's so good to see you again!" he cried, beaming at her.

"Xelloss!" she squawked. The speech stopped abruptly and two hundred royal heads turned toward her.

Gourry woke up from his doze with a snort, then grinned and waved when he spotted Xelloss. Across the table, Amelia cringed at the undignified interruption.

"I have something for you all," Xelloss said cheerfully, tipping his head to the three of them.

Lina jumped back in her chair with a yelp when he leaned over and dumped the bundle on the table in front of her. Her eyes flew wide open when she saw that the thing was wrapped in Xelloss' own cloak, and that it was soaked through with some dark liquid.

"I know you'll want to take care of this... as quickly as possible, I think," Xelloss said. His voice was still cheerful, but Lina caught an unexpected note of urgency in his words. He stepped back and raised an index finger in front of his face. "After all, you know, healing spells are not in my repertoire!"

He vanished. Lina hardly noticed; she gasped as she saw the silver, wire-like strands of hair poking through the folds of the cloak.

Amelia screamed and dove across the table, scattering wine goblets and empty plates, as Lina peeled the cloak from Zelgadis' blood-soaked body. Without another word, their hands met over the wound from which blood still trickled slowly. The chimera's heart was barely beating and his face was as white as marble.

Lina knew instantly that Zelgadis was too weak for Recovery to activate his own body's healing energy. That level of White Magic wasn't exactly in her repertoire either, but she sent the strongest Resurrection spell she could muster through her hands. Amelia's was much stronger. Lina still wasn't sure it would be enough. Gourry stood at her shoulder, anxious to do whatever he could to help.

"Pray for him, Gourry," she said quietly.

Xelloss! she screamed in her mind. What have you done to him! Even if he lives I'll Dragon-Slave your ass for this, and if he dies...

She didn't let herself complete the thought. Instead, she turned her anger and worry into a pure burst of White Magic. Zelgadis stirred and hissed in pain... or, she thought, it might have been Xelloss' name he whispered.

---

The heavy, purple darkness Zelgadis had fallen into gave way slowly to a warm, golden glow and the tingle of White Magic permeating his body and soul. He felt something soft and heavy brush his face, and he tried to lift his hand to find out what it was.

"Don't move yet, Zelgadis-san," said a soft, familiar voice. "Lie still a little longer, please."

He found he couldn't do much else. His body felt more like lead than stone, but he managed to open his eyes at least. A curtain of fiery red hung in front of his face, and then it drew back to reveal a pair of sparkling, ruby-colored eyes.

"Nice to see you again, Zel!" Lina Inverse said, as cheerfully as if they'd just met in the marketplace.

"Lina!" he gasped - and then nearly blacked out from the effort of speaking.

Lina chuckled. "There, you see? Better do as Amelia says and lie still! Looks like you could use a little rest, anyway."

She spoke casually, but when he opened his eyes again he could see the concern and weariness on her face, which was mirrored in Amelia's frown of concentration.

Taking their advice, he remained still and stared up at a high, ornately carved ceiling. It looked familiar.... after a moment's drifting thought he realized he must be in one of the guest suites in the palace at Seyruun. He couldn't imagine how he'd gotten here. The last thing he remembered was the glittering cave full of steam, and....

"Xelloss!" he croaked.

Lina pushed him back onto the pillows.

"Eh, he's not here," she said casually. "He left right after he dropped you in my dinner plate. Just when the first course was finally about to be served, too! He'll get a Fireball for that, at least!"

He's alive? Zelgadis thought, but he didn't try to say anything more. He was feeling stronger by the second, but it was still too much effort to think and speak at the same time. He settled for thinking in silence, but even that proved to take too much energy....

Zelgadis drifted awake again with his mind already sifting through his memories of the last few days. The healing was done, but he was weary to the core; it still seemed like too much effort to even open his eyes. Lying on his back, still half-dreaming, he tried to piece together what had happened at the end. He remembered Zuller standing over him with his diamond-edged spear raised, and then nothing until he woke up in Seyruun-- except he thought he remembered hearing Xelloss' voice, but now that seemed like it might have been a dream.

But Xelloss had brought him here, which meant the Mazoku was alive and had his powers back. Added to that, the fact that he was still alive as well made it a fairly safe guess that Zuller wasn't. He couldn't help but smile a little at that thought.

Xelloss had saved him when he could have abandoned him and escaped on his own. He never would have expected that. Then again, he'd saved Xelloss, so maybe bringing him here to be healed was just an act of gratitude. He'd noticed that Mazoku seemed to have a sense of honor about some things like that. Xelloss always had his own Mazoku reasons for doing things, especially something like saving someone else's life.

But, he remembered as his thoughts continued to drift aimlessly, he had saved Xelloss, and ended Zuller's deceptive schemes, and accomplished what a whole army of Mazoku couldn't do. With a glow of satisfaction, he remembered the spell he'd created to destroy the Shrine. Original, unique, and powerful, it was a spell that might have impressed Lina Inverse, the sorcery genius herself. He had to smile a little about that, too.

"Feeling much better?"

Zel's eyes flew open. The sorcery genius herself sat next to him, leaning back in her chair with her boots up on the bed. He tried to compose himself to hide his surprise and whatever else had been showing on his face. Judging by her suspicious grin, he was a little too late.

"You look pretty content for a guy who just had a chunk of his chest ripped out a little while ago," she said. "Care to share the good news?"

Cautiously, Zelgadis pushed himself up to sit back against the pillows. His body still felt stiff and sore, but it was whole, and his spirit was healed and whole as well. He was nearly as healthy as a chimera could be.

He was also naked, he realized suddenly, except for the blanket covering him up to his chest. He decided not to sit up all the way after all. Lina giggled.

"Ah-ha! If you can blush that shade of red, I guess your blood's flowing properly again!" she said gleefully. "Don't worry, it was Gourry and one of the male servants who put you to bed here, once we had you stabilized enough to move. But the only clothes you had on were singed pretty badly, and so was your whole back side. Looked like you'd been guest of honor at a barbecue!"

He remembered the Soldiers grinning even while the superheated rocks burned through their boots to blister their feet. He hadn't even realized he'd been lying on the same hot stones.

"Thank you for healing me," he said to Lina. "I'm sorry to be so much trouble for you."

"Don't mention it!" she said, flapping her hand at him. "Amelia did more than I did, anyway. She's going to be nearly as strong with White Magic as Sylphiel someday."

"I must thank her when I see her, then," Zelgadis said. "I owe you all a great deal."

"Hm," Lina said thoughtfully. "I suppose you do! Care to start paying me back by telling me what happened? In particular, I want to know: next time I see Xelloss, do I thank him or run him through with the Ragna Blade?"

She laughed, but he could tell by her eyes that she was serious and more than just a little concerned. In spite of his smug satisfaction a moment ago, he couldn't seem to open his mouth to speak. How could he even begin to explain all that he'd done, and why he'd done it?

Well, you see, Xelloss was dying from a curse, so I had sex with him to help him feel better, and then I nearly got myself killed after destroying a sacred healing spring that could have made me normal again, which saved all of the Mazoku from being destroyed. Granted, the look on her face would almost be worth it, but he just wasn't ready to reveal several of those facts to anyone yet, especially since he didn't know the end of the tale himself.

"I know I owe you an explanation, Lina. I'm afraid the story is a little complicated. The truth is, I don't yet know the answer to your question myself."

She regarded him more thoughtfully.

"Well, if it's any help, I think I can guess the answer to that question I just asked, at least," she said.

He looked at her warily. "You can?"

She nodded. "I thought about it quite a bit over the last few hours. At first, I was pretty sure Xelloss was to blame for whatever happened to you. No matter how much he's helped us in the past, I was ready to kill him for it. Even though we all kind of like him, it's never good to forget what he really is, you know?"

Zel glanced away from her penetrating gaze. "Yes, I am quite aware of that."

"But then, the more I thought about it, the more I wondered."

Lina looked down and studied her hands in her lap. Her expression was hidden behind a veil of her hair, and her voice was odd as she continued.

"We weren't sure... you were pretty bad, Zel. You were almost gone when Xelloss brought you here to us. It was really close."

Zelgadis said nothing. For the first time, he remembered that he'd been ready to die-- until he thought he'd heard Xelloss whispering to him in the darkness.

Lina lifted her head and grinned at him. "So, it's a good thing there was a Mazoku around who can teleport so he could get you here in time!" she said brightly. "But aside from that, there's one other odd thing about Xelloss bringing you here. When he left you, you were all wrapped up in his cloak."

It took a second for that to sink in. His eyes flew wide open.

"Uh-huh," Lina continued after seeing his reaction. "It's like he left a part of himself behind with you. The cloak disappeared after Gourry put you in this bed -- after we knew for sure that you were going to recover."

He just stared back at her, unable to say anything to this. After a few seconds, she nodded.

"So, I guess that means I don't have to slice him up with my Ragna Blade after all, hm?" she said cheerfully. "That's good. I'd hate to have to kill my favorite monster!"

She laughed. He managed to smile back at her. He couldn't quite tell her that it wasn't a joke; someone nearly had managed to kill Xelloss. After a moment she looked at him, smiling but more serious again.

"If you're still not ready to explain, I only need to know one more thing, Zel. I know that only a powerful, magical weapon could injure you like that. Are you still in any danger from whoever it is that skewered you?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't believe I am."

She nodded with satisfaction, and to his relief, she really didn't ask any more questions.

But as soon as he'd said it, he remembered the fanatical gleam that remained in the Soldiers' eyes even after their cursed blades dissolved. Even assuming Xelloss had dealt with the squadron of Soldiers in the Hall, there were many more of them at large in the world. Their assortment of enchanted weapons hadn't been linked to the Shrine, including the kind that could kill a rock golem. He also remembered belatedly that two Assistant Shrine Keepers had been conveniently out of town as well... and that he hadn't seen Deputy Shrine Keeper Marcus anywhere after he'd unleashed his spell to destroy the spring.

He decided not to change his answer to Lina. He was a long way from Shimeria now, anyway.

"Well, just promise that you won't go off on your own again without an explanation to your friends, okay?" Lina said, leaning over him with one of her threatening grins.

"I'm done with traveling," he said, to his own surprise. "For a while, at least."

Her eyebrows shot upward at that, but then she laughed. She stood and stretched, then patted her belly.

"Well, as long as that's the case, I guess I'll go and see if there're any leftovers from the feast you interrupted! We're all honored guests of Prince Phil and Amelia, you know, so if there's anything you want, just send for it!"

She headed for the door, then turned and gave him a wink and thumb's up. "It is good to see you again, Zel," she said.

He smiled back at her, but she was gone before he could say anything else.

Over the next few days, Zelgadis became very glad that he knew his way around the palace so he could avoid two hundred or so royal guests (plus servants and retainers) who had gathered for the signing of the Twelve Treaties. After his dramatic entrance, a lot of them were terribly curious about him. They forgot their royal manners when they caught a glimpse of him, or maybe they thought he was no more than a mindless stone statue who wouldn't notice their stares and whispers. He soon acquired a new hooded cloak and scarf, and remembered why he'd worn them all the time before he'd shed them in the Valley of Shimeria.

He spent most of his time in the far corners of the palace gardens, or in the depths of Prince Phil's vast library. (There he read that Shimer had not only taken the jewels of his homeland with him when he went off to battle Mazoku, but he'd taken the name of his homeland as well. He'd been born with the unheroic name of Rory Riverrock.) Amelia, Gourry, or Lina kept him company most of the time, and did what they could to deflect the stares and quiet the rumors about him. He was grateful, but he felt awkward because he still hadn't told them what had happened. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how difficult it would be to explain.

He appreciated the company of his friends with their unquestioning acceptance of both his silence and his appearance. The overfriendly stares from the Shimerians had been annoying enough; the unfriendly stares from the palace guests were an uncomfortable reminder of all he'd given up at the Shrine. But at least here in Seyruun, people only smiled when they had a reason to smile. Being back in the little group of friends and avoiding the stares of strangers made it seem like life was back to normal, except that he didn't feel normal at all.

He'd become terribly aware of Xelloss' physical presence during their journey, but now he was haunted by the Mazoku's absence from their group. It was even worse at night, when he was alone. It was hard to believe that after little more than a week of traveling together, he'd become so accustomed to having Xelloss nearby that the darkness felt empty without him there.

As days passed into weeks with no sign of Xelloss returning, he sometimes found himself worrying that the Mazoku might not have recovered after all. From what he knew, teleporting with another person required quite a lot of magical energy. Maybe, after the weapons dissolved, he'd only had enough strength to bring Zel here before losing his grip on the physical plane entirely. Maybe even the breaking of the Curse had only allowed Xelloss to retreat to his spirit form, weakened to the point where he could never take on his human shape again.

He had no way of knowing. He listened, eagerly but discreetly, for news from the rest of the world that would indicate whether Mazoku continued to decline, or whether they had recovered their power to plague humankind. He managed to set aside the fact that, if they had recovered, it would mean he was to blame for allowing them to continue their destructive ways in the world.

He didn't care to provoke questions by asking for news, but it trickled in anyway. Because of the Twelve Treaties, Amelia was blissful to know that peace would prevail around Seyruun for another hundred years, but that gave her the opportunity to worry about all the other parts of the world that might need the guidance of the Hammer of Justice.

"Even on the borders of our own peaceful lands, bandits, thieves, and monsters still roam at will!" she cried one night when they were all gathered for dinner in her private suite. "I've heard they're even fiercer than ever these days!"

Zelgadis pushed his chair back from the table a bit and hid behind his cup of tea. He could tell Amelia was just getting warmed up. Gourry looked alarmed as well, but for a different reason. He leaned toward the princess and whispered in a voice loud enough to be heard in the next suite.

"Amelia, don't say that! Next thing you know, Lina will be out there blasting some poor band of thieves into bits! You know how she gets when she hasn't Fireballed anyone for a couple of weeks!"

Zelgadis scooted further back from the table until things had settled down again a few minutes later. He wrapped some ice from his water glass in a napkin and handed it to Gourry for the lump on his head.

"Yeah, well," Lina said as the flames in her eyes died down, "Something's got to be done about these crazy bandits I keep hearing about. All they ever steal is that ugly old jewelry everybody's wearing these days! What bandit-hunter would want to steal, I mean, recover stolen junk like that?"

"Oh, I heard it's because that particular brand of jewelry has become very rare all of a sudden," Amelia said. "They're all after the jewels that come from the Valley of Shimeria. That land is famous for all the fine jewelry made there, but something happened recently -- a big earthquake or something. The whole valley was affected by it, so they won't be able to produce any more jewelry, at least not any time soon."

"Shimeria, huh?" Lina mused. "I've never been there. Isn't there supposed to be some famous temple of healing there or something?"

Amelia cocked her head. "That sounds familiar, too. Now that you mention it, I heard that the jewelry from Shimeria is supposed to have healing powers as well. Maybe that's why it's so popular these days even if it's ugly."

Lina didn't comment on that, having been distracted by Gourry's sudden grab for the last sweet potato. Zelgadis ignored the battle that raged across the table. He'd composed his face into a mask of neutrality at the first mention of ugly jewelry, but he had to hide his grin behind his cup when Amelia mentioned earthquakes. He didn't think his own single spell could have caused such widespread damage, which meant something else had disrupted the flow of commerce in Shimeria. Apparently, Xelloss had recovered just fine after all.

Giving up on the sweet potato as a lost cause, Gourry turned to Zelgadis.

"Hey, if they've got a magical healing temple there, maybe you should go and check it out, Zel!" he said brightly.

Lina stopped in mid-chomp when she heard this, and Amelia turned to him with the Light of Hope blazing in her eyes. He shrugged, still hiding behind his cup.

"I've heard of the place," he said casually. "Rezzo said it was a fraud."

Their faces fell.

"Oh," Amelia sighed. "That's too bad."

---

Zelgadis was still grinning to himself later that evening as he got ready for bed. So, he thought smugly, Tambor and the other relic sellers would have no new Relics to sell any time soon. He grinned, but he couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt along with his satisfaction. The Shrine and the Relics had healed a lot of people, and now all of that great healing power was lost. And it could have healed him, if he'd let it.

He'd tried not to think about that too much. Now, as dusk fell and shadows started to fill the garden under his window, it came back to him with full force. It was starting to feel as if a moment of madness had overtaken him back there in the cave.

Nights were cool in Seyruun, but Zelgadis stood by the open window wearing only thin pajama pants without feeling the chill. The evening breeze brushing over his face and his bare chest had little power to warm or cool his stone skin, and didn't even lift his stiff, wiry hair.

He wondered if Xelloss had really wanted him like this, or if it had all been nothing but manipulation all along. Or maybe, even if it was real, it had only been a sort of fever-dream brought on by the effects of the Curse trapping Xelloss in his human form. Once back in his true form, he probably had no interest in physical intimacy with a mortal, only in the aura of human emotions he could feed on.

If Xelloss was back to normal, he hadn't taken the opportunity to pop in and annoy his human friends with his presence so far. After more than two weeks of expecting him to appear at any moment, Zelgadis was ready to decide that, whatever Xelloss had really wanted him for, the trickster priest was done with him for the time being. Maybe everything Xelloss had said to Zuller about using him was true after all.

He wasn't sure he cared if it was. Alone in his suite, watching shadows creep into the royal gardens, Zelgadis had to admit to himself that he would gladly give Xelloss all the dark emotions he wanted, just to feel his presence again.

He closed his eyes and sighed. The memory of hot, silk-smooth skin and violet eyes came back with such force it made his senses hurt. He'd been right when he'd thought they would never have another moment of intimacy like that again. Finding it to be true made his longing for it feel like his own draught of poison, irresistible in spite of the pain it caused.

He turned away from the window and wondered how it had gotten so dark in the room so quickly. Then the darkness shifted and blurred. Xelloss hovered in the air, inches away.

Zelgadis jumped back in surprise, but Xelloss leaned closer with his eyes closed and his old, smug smile on his face. The longing Zel had just been feeling and the worries he'd had shattered into a burst of anger at being left to worry all this time.

Xelloss reached out and hooked his hand around the back of Zel's neck to pull himself closer so they were nose to nose, and one eye winked open.

"Tell me, Zelgadis-san," he said softly. "How does it feel to be the savior of the whole Mazoku race?"

It was the last thing Zelgadis wanted to think about. With a snarl he tried to grab Xelloss' hand away, but that only pulled him closer.

"It feels like the stupidest thing I've ever done in my life, if you really want to know!" Zelgadis snapped. "Even more stupid than letting Rezzo turn me into a chimera in the first place!"

"Ah, but my dear Zel-san," Xelloss said, "every Mazoku in existence would thank you, grant you any wish, any power... "

Zel's eyes flew wide in horror. Having the attention of every Mazoku in existence was a nightmare beyond his worst imaginings. Xelloss smiled more widely.

"...They would if they knew, that is," he finished smugly.

He drifted down to stand in front of Zel with both hands on Zel's bare shoulders, thumbs resting against his throat. Zelgadis knew he could feel the pulse racing there. He stared back at Xelloss warily.

"What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately," Xelloss continued, "I couldn't give you the credit you deserve. In fact, I lied blatantly and took all the credit for ending the Curse of Shimer myself. My entire race thinks I saved them all. Isn't that amusing?"

Zelgadis frowned at him. He was utterly confused now, not least of all by the firm touch of Xelloss' hands on his skin. In spite of his initial appearance floating in midair, he felt just as solid as he did before.

"What story have you been spreading?" he asked suspiciously.

"Oh, there are many tales being told of the terrible destruction of the Shrine of Shimeria. It's generally known, among both my own people and among the residents of the valley, that a certain Mazoku managed to infiltrate the Crystal City with the help of a human dupe. Some say the human had made a pact with the Mazoku and others say he was deluded, but in either case, he only made it possible for the Mazoku in question to enter the city undetected. No mere human could have destroyed the Shrine of the great Shimer, of course! Some also say the human was under a curse and sought to be cured at the shrine."

He leaned forward and opened his eyes, gleaming jewels in the dim light of the room. His smile had vanished.

"Nobody," he whispered, "nobody who tells the tale says that the human gave up his own chance at achieving his heart's desire in order to save his Mazoku companion. Who would ever believe such a thing?"

Zelgadis barely breathed. Xelloss let one hand brush lightly down from his shoulder over his chest to touch the place where Zuller's spear had pierced him.

"I'm glad to see that Lina-san was able to make you whole again, Zel-san," he said, letting his eyes follow his hand's touch. Zel shivered under his gaze. "Does she know how you earned that wound?"

Zelgadis had to blink and swallow a few times to get his voice to work.

"No," he said with a brief shake of his head. "I couldn't explain... it didn't seem... Anyway," he said, drawing his thoughts together with an effort. He caught Xelloss' hand that was softly, maddeningly stroking his skin, and caught Xelloss' eye again as well. "As it happens, I don't know all of the story anyway. What happened after.... ?"

"After Zuller attacked you?" Xelloss shrugged. "The cursed blades disappeared after you destroyed the Shrine. You realize, of course, that Shimer's power rivaled Rezzo's? And yet you were powerful enough to break his seal and his power! At any rate, once they were gone, I was able to find Zuller and deal with him, after I took care of the Deputy Shrine Keepers he left in charge of me. The seal was slow to release our stolen power back to us, however. Do you remember giving me the strength to bring you here?"

Zelgadis shook his head. "I think... I thought I was dreaming. Actually, I thought I was dead."

"You very nearly were, you foolish mortal! That's why I brought you to Lina-san and the Princess. I thought it was prudent to leave immediately, however; rather than risk facing Amelia-san's wrath!"

Zelgadis shook his head, amazed at Xelloss' sudden switch to facetiousness. The mention of Amelia reminded him of the news he'd heard from her earlier.

"I understand that the production of jewelry in Shimer has been put to a stop. I assume that isn't just because of me?"

"Ah! News travels fast, doesn't it! Yes, I'm afraid you really can't take all the credit for that, after all. After leaving you with Lina, and after a little time in the astral realm to get my full strength back, I had to return to Shimeria in order to tie up a few loose ends. I wouldn't have bothered, but there is one unforeseen complication, I'm afraid. The Relics that exist still retain their power, which includes a little of Shimer's curse in a very diluted form. Zuller claimed that the Shrine Keepers could make more, even without Shimer's sacred pool. I don't know if it's true or not. Unfortunately, all our efforts to locate the two missing Keepers, Argo and Vargus, have gone unrewarded. However, I did find an Under-Assistant Shrine Keeper In Training!"

"Kemara?" Zelgadis said with a pang of regret. He'd liked the former Shrine Maiden. "I don't think she knew what she was leading us into," he said sadly.

"You may be right. The last I saw of our guide, she was walking away from the Crystal City by the River Road going south, and not looking back. I assume she is heading back to her grandmother's temple. In fact, by my brief observation, many people in the Valley are not at all unhappy about the destruction of the Shrine and the disappearance of the Keepers!"

Zelgadis smirked, but he didn't press Xelloss to admit that he'd let Kemara escape. Perhaps now, the farmers and bargemen and some of the innkeepers of Shimeria could make a decent living, and maybe the true craftspeople would return to work, as well.

Zel's lip curled at the memory of another Shrine Keeper.

"Marcus may have escaped as well," he said. "I wondered if they would be a problem. I also noticed that the Soldiers still had their singled-minded attitude even after the Curse was broken."

"Unfortunately, yes. Also unfortunately, the story being told among the remaining Followers includes a fair description of the Mazoku and his human traveling companion. Everyone in the Valley had heard of the chimera and the priest who were on their way to the Shrine! I'm afraid you may have to look over your shoulder for a while, Zel-san. They'll be hunting for both of us."

"Damn," Zelgadis sighed. "I was hoping I'd never see one of their sickly smiles again."

"I couldn't agree more! However, there's something else I need to tell you that might comfort you...or it might not, for that matter!"

Zelgadis leaned back and looked at him suspiciously. To his surprise, Xelloss let go of him and took a step back. He bowed his head briefly before he spoke again.

"There is one other who knows what really happened at the Shrine," he admitted. "I couldn't lie to Zelas-dono, of course!"

Zel's eyes widened in alarm again. "She knows? You told her?"

"She was actually quite impressed with what you did. She sent me to make you an offer, Zelgadis-san. In return for the service you've given to us (and for your secrecy as to how it was done, of course), I can offer you freedom from your chimera form -- if you'll join us." His eyes locked onto Zel's. "I can make you one of us, Zelgadis-san," he said very quietly.

Zelgadis thought his heart would stop. Xelloss' mouth quirked as if he was trying not to laugh at the expression of shock on his face, but the Mazoku remained silent, waiting for his reply.

"That's insane!" he finally blurted out. "I want to be more human, Xelloss, not even less human and more of a monster than I already am!"

He stopped short. He'd probably just insulted the Greater Beast and Xelloss as well. Most likely a fatal offense, he thought. But Xelloss broke into a beaming smile.

"I told her you'd say that!" he crowed, as if he was proud of Zel for answering correctly. "But she insisted I make the offer anyway."

"Then, in that case, what happens since I refused?" Zelgadis asked cautiously. He remembered that Mazoku could get rather insistent about this kind of offer.

"I go back and inform my Mistress that you refused," Xelloss said with a shrug.

"And then what? You come back here with orders to kill me?"

"Zelgadis-san! Why should Zelas-dono wish to have you killed after you saved us all?"

"No disrespect to your Mistress, Xelloss, but I wasn't trying to save your entire race."

Xelloss stepped toward him again. "I'm quite aware of that," he said quietly.

Once again, their eyes met and Zelgadis felt his breath almost stop. Then Xelloss grinned.

"In fact, I'm glad you said no, because this way I get to keep coming back to ask you again and again! However, as it happens, I do have new orders to follow if you aren't interested in becoming a Mazoku right away."

He leaned toward Zel a little, expectantly, like he was waiting for his moment to reveal the punch line. He looked exactly like his old, healthy, mischief-causing self. Zelgadis wasn't reassured. There were fates worse than death, after all.

"Well?" he asked.

"My orders for the time being are to make sure that the fanatical Followers of Shimer are never allowed to harm you."

This time Xelloss did laugh at the shock on Zel's face, and even reached over to nudge his jaw closed.

"Yes, I see you understand! I'm basically going to be your bodyguard, Zel-san. This means we'll be traveling together again.... indefinitely."

The flurry of emotions Zelgadis felt in response to this news registered on Xelloss' face. He leaned forward, eyes closed, smiling contentedly, as if he was appreciating the aroma of a savory dish before tasting it.

"So much better..." he breathed. "I can actually enjoy your wonderful, complicated emotions again, Zel-san."

"And is that all you want from me now?" Zel asked without thinking. Irritation flared along with the memory of all that Xelloss had said to Zuller. Impulsively, he reached out to touch Xelloss, prodding him in the shoulder. It felt solid under the cloak, but Zel refused to be deceived. "You're free of this human shell you were trapped in, aren't you?"

He paused, remembering what he'd been thinking only moments before Xelloss had arrived. If all the Mazoku wanted was his stormy emotions, he could have them. But now that he saw Xelloss like this again, he knew it would drive him mad if he had to look at this illusion every day without being able to touch what he saw.

Xelloss held Zel's hand against his shoulder. One violet eye opened.

"I don't hate this body, Zel-san. It gives me a lot of pleasure, being in this form. I only hated being trapped in it without any choice, without my powers. But now that I have my powers back, some things become so much simpler. For instance...."

He didn't even blink, but suddenly his cloak and shirt were simply gone. Zel's hand pressed against bare, warm skin, and Xelloss' hand held it there.

"Although I should never have revealed it," Xelloss said, "my desire for you is real, Zelgadis-san. For your body as well as your spirit."

Zelgadis stared at him. Half-lidded, violet eyes looked back at him, and Zel couldn't convince himself that the desire he saw in those eyes was a lie.

He let his hand drift down over Xelloss' chest, to rest over the place where his heart would be if he were human....where Zuller's spear had pierced him.

Silky-warm skin shivered under his touch, and Xelloss' eyes fell closed. Zelgadis leaned forward and touched his lips to Xelloss'. Once again the Mazoku's hand slid around the back of his neck, the other around his waist to pull him close. Zelgadis was the one who slipped his tongue between the soft lips this time, and he felt Xelloss' fingers curl against his neck in response. The taste of magical power was sweeter and stronger than it had been, but Xelloss' body still felt human to Zel's touch. The Mazoku who had the power to destroy a city or a fleet of dragons kissed him back with shocking gentleness. It made Zel's head swim.

Xelloss trailed his lips lower and closed them over the stones on Zel's chin. Letting his tongue curl over them, he sucked softly. Zelgadis moaned; this place had never been sensitive before, but under Xelloss' touch, fire seemed to arc through his body right to his groin. He could only endure this for a few seconds before he twisted his fingers in Xelloss' dark hair and pulled him up again for a deep, lingering kiss.

With a sigh, Xelloss pulled back a little and opened eyes sparkling with sudden mischief. His hands now rested on Zel's hips, and suddenly he stooped and pulled the pajama pants down to Zel's ankles, revealing the result of his arousing kisses. He stood up again just as quickly. His own trousers simply disappeared. Zelgadis yelped in surprise and Xelloss giggled.

"Damn it, you're still as annoying as ever, Xelloss!" Zelgadis said irritably.

"Yes, I am back to my old self again!" Xelloss said, wagging his index finger in the air. "It's your own fault, you know!"

Zelgadis glared, even though he knew it was true. He was going to have to live with pranks like this from now on, apparently, and he'd brought it on himself.

Xelloss pressed his lips against Zel's cheek. "Do you understand this?" he asked in a quiet voice. "I have all my power now. I am once again the Mazoku I always have been, not the mere shell that you came to desire on our journey. You know my true nature, Zelgadis-san. Knowing that, do you still desire me? Or do you hate me as you did before?"

Zelgadis swallowed with difficulty. He turned his face a little, so their lips were closer together.

"Do you still want me to?"

He felt rather than saw Xelloss' mouth curve into a grin. "Aside from the destruction of the world, of course, there's absolutely nothing I want more."

Zelgadis smiled as well, nudging Xelloss' lips with his own. "It's rather difficult to truly hate someone who saved my life more than once, but I'll do my best," he said.

"In that case," Xelloss whispered, "I think there is nothing more we need to say..."

Xelloss pulled Zelgadis to him and pressed their lips together. Zelgadis returned his kiss eagerly, because the Mazoku was right. For the moment, at least, there was nothing more that needed to be said.

---
to be continued

Next: The Epilogue: the conclusive lemon scene, and the start of a new journey....