Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Gypsy Moon ❯ Chapter 7: ( Chapter 7 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none"

-All's Wel The Ends Well, William Shakespeare

Chapter 7: Happiness is a warm grave

The shop was small, dark, and dusty. Various weapons hung off the walls, laid on shelves, or stood against the wall. The only source of light that came into the shop was sunlight that tried to break through two dusty windows. An old man, with a short, scruffy, beard, slept with his sword on his lap, slowly rocking in his rocking chair that was behind the counter.

"Alright Gourry, make it fast." The door creaked open, and the redheaded sorceress speed-walked in the shop. "Aw man, who died in here!? And I thought it was dustier under my bed!"

"A-chu!"

"Ah! Don't sneeze one me, Gourry!" Lina hit the blond man over the head.

Gourry slowly stood up from the floor. "Sorry, Lina. I didn't expect it to be so dusty in here."

"Customers," an old voice spoke. The two friends jolted at the sudden voice and stood still as they saw an old man emerge from behind the counter. "I haven't had customers for a while."

'Yeah, looking like that...' Lina thought to herself. The redhead cleared her throat and walked up to the old man. "My friend here is looking for a new sword. From the looks of it, you should have one he may want."

"Ah yes, we have.." The old man droned on. While he and Lina spoke Gourry looked around the shop in amazement. There were swords, shields, daggers, staffs, and so many other weapons; even some Gourry hadn't seen before. One inparticular caught his eye.

Neither Lina nor the old man paid attention to Gourry walking over to the wall to look at the weapon. Gourry bent down and read the sign underneath the weapon hanging on the wall. "Cross...Bow." The blond put out his hands and took the weapon into his arms. It fit well; the right size, the right shape, it was even loaded as a bonus.

"Y-young man! Don't touch that!"

"Huh?" Gourry looked up to see the old man with a look of terror on his face.

Lina twitched as she saw the cross bow's arrow pointing at her face. "GOURRY!"

The swordsman felt his nose itch. He was going to sneeze. The shop was full of too much dust. "Miss! Look out!" The old man yelled. Before Lina could even put up a shield, Gourry stumbled, sneezed, and the cross bow was triggered. The arrow flew right past Lina's face barley hitting her.

A loud 'thunk!' was heard as the arrow hit the wall and buried into the wood. Gourry and the old man stood still gazing wide-eyed at Lina. The redhead was frozen with terror and white as a ghost. She slowly turned her head and looked at the arrow buried in the wall. Gourry slowly put out one of his hands. "Li...na?" Lina stared at the arrow once more and then fainted onto the floor.

~)*(~

Amelia rubbed the fabric between her two fingers. "This feels nice." She chirped. The princess picked up the folded dress and held it in her arms. Something glistening caught her eye. She turned her head and looked in the direction of the sparkling objects in the shop. "Look at all that jewelry!" Immediately, Amelia went over to the shelf and looked at the sparkling pieces.

Zelgadiss sighed and trudged behind the princess. "Amelia, maybe we should get going. I'm sure Gourry has gotten a new sword by now."

"Ah, you are one of the travelers aren't you?"

"Huh?" Zelgadiss turned around and saw a tall woman shielded by a long cloak and her face hidden under a hood. "Uh-"

The woman carefully lifted her finger and pointed to Amelia. "Are you with the beautiful princess over there?"

Zelgadiss looked over at Amelia. The princess tried on some of the jewelry and looked at herself in the mirror. A young woman behind the counter seemed to be complimenting her and made Amelia blush and smile.

The woman next to Zelgadiss got closer and whispered into the chimera's ear. "They look good with those clothes she has on. I'm guessing that Sasheem gave them to her."

Zelgadiss looked to his right and faced the woman. "How did you know that?"

The woman grinned. "Because the embroidery on that sash's border is the same as the one that I made for Sasheem. And I only made one, so naturally I just assumed that."

"You made that yourself?" Zelgadiss took another look at the sash that hung around Amelia's waist.

"Yes." The woman smiled. She took a look at Zelgadiss and began to examine him. The chimera didn't notice this at first until after a few minutes he realized the woman hadn't said anything. When he turned around he saw that she was staring him up and down. Zelgadiss shifted and began to blush. "What are you doing?" He stuttered.

The woman kept staring at his body then pulled at his vest. "Hey, you're that same guy from last night aren't you? I recognize these clothes. Oh, you were the one dancing with the princess last night."

Zelgadiss blushed and turned to Amelia. "Amelia, let's go."

"Oh, um, coming!" The princess turned back to the woman over the counter and put down her money. "Thank you!"

"Come again," the woman spoke softly.

Amelia grabbed her bags from the dusty counter and trotted over to the chimera. Her eyes went past Zelgadiss to see the woman standing still behind the chimera with her hand gripping his vest. Amelia felt a butterfly flutter in her stomach. Then the butterfly caught on fire and burned because the princess was overcome by a feeling of rage that she hardly knew was caused by her jealousy. But her face showed no sign of her true intentions. The cloaked woman stared at the small princess, whose eyes had lost a bit of light.

Amelia shook her head and realized she had been staring into space. She lifted her head and looked back at the woman. "Hello," was all she could get out.

Zelgadiss began to feel uncomfterbal between the smiling woman grabbing his vest and the princess. Zelgadiss brought his hand up and slowly pushed the woman's hand off his vest. "Come on, Amelia. Lets go." The cloaked woman stood shocked for a moment as she watched a nervous chimera and a princess with a shopping bag walk out the door.

When the old wooden door slammed shut, the tall, cloaked woman stared into space for a moment. The woman from behind the counter came around and looked at the old door. A slight chuckle escaped from her lips and she looked at the woman she stood next to. "Well, looks like you're lonely again tonight."

The cloaked woman snarled through her teeth and clenched her fist tight. She mumbled a line over and over again. "Must control fist of death, must control fist of death, must control..." She paced past her friend with her cloak flipping through the air.

The other woman chuckled and proceeded back to the counter.

~)*(~

The red blush that had crossed the chimera's face had faded away. He concentrated on walking down the dusty road and heading back to the Dead Parrot Inn. The gypsies and creatures he had seen the other day going about their business, had seemed to calm down. The streets weren't filled with all the mayhem of fussing shoppers or happy children. Zelgadiss lifted his head and looked at the bright blue sky. The shades of blue shown well and clear, but not a single annoying fairy flew through the perfect sky or rolled along in the wind. Zelgadiss closed his eyes and concentrated on the sounds around him. He couldn't hear any small jingles or twinkles of any fairies. He finally admitted to himself that this bothered him. Not that he liked the annoying, dancing, pains, but that fact that they weren't flying around made him feel that something was wrong. He had always thought fairies were cherry creatures that were always out in the open. Now he couldn't find or hear a single one in a place that had so many.

Amelia had been running over what she saw in the shop. The woman who had a hold of Zelgadiss' vest. Yes it bothered her, she could admit that to herself. Amelia let out a sigh and closed her eyes. At least it was over, nothing happened. She hadn't realized that the whole time her and Zelgadiss had been walking down the road, she had been hanging her head and looking at the ground. The winds blew by and licked through her hair bringing a cool breeze on her neck. The cold touch startled Amelia and made her lift up her head. The princess' startled reaction caught the attention of the chimera and he turned to Amelia. Another thing that could bother him. Amelia hadn't said a single thing the whole time. Usually she would be talking up a storm to him, and now she hadn't even said a word. 'Maybe it's all in my mind,' he thought.

"Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia watched the chimera slowly shift his eyes to look at her in the face. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he shrugged. "I was just thinking."

"Oh," the princess seemed to back off. "You just seemed in real deep thought about something. I was wondering if anything was bothering you." Amelia turned her gaze back to the chimera, who walked down the street with his arms folded across his bear chest. She kept contemplating over and over in her mind, whether she should ask him if he wanted to talk about it or not. On one hand it could be very private, Zelgadiss never talked about his feelings. But what if he wanted to talk? Not wanting her friend to think she was annoying, Amelia dropped the thought and decided to not ask. Her gaze shifted to the clear sky. "Do you think it's odd the fairies aren't out?"

'She noticed too?' Zelgadiss looked up at the sky. "I was also thinking about that," he replied. "I thought for sure they might be out."

'So that's what he was thinking.' Amelia smiled and thanked Cephied that Zelgadiss wasn't mad about something. "It is weird," she went on. "They should be flying around. I hope nothing went wrong." It was about this time that they reached the Inn and opened the door. "Were back!' Amelia chirped as she entered the dimly lit room. "Melendil-san? Sasheem-san?" Amelia placed her bag down on one of the tables and heard Zelgadiss close the door behind him.

"Is it happy-hour yet?" Melendil pushed herself up from behind the counter and yawned.

"Not yet." Zelgadiss grumbled He took at seat at the table and leaned back in the chair.

Amelia placed herself in a chair across from the chimera and brought down her bag on her lap. She smiled as she pulled out a smooth, light blue, sash that had small tassels hanging off the boarder. Melendil stumbled over to the table, propping herself on several chairs that were in her path so she wouldn't fall on the floor. "That's really nice," she commented. "you aren't gonna' wear that when you're at the grave yard, are you?"

"No!" Amelia snapped. "I just got this!"

The elf smiled and sat on the rim of the table to look at Amelia. Zelgadiss snarled as the shapely elf sat right in front of his gaze, blocking Amelia from his view and anyway of having a straight conversation with her. 'Why should I care? It's not like I'm going to stare at her, and we weren't even talking.' The chimera rubbed off the thought and went back to, well whatever he was doing; that would be staring around the room. He started to think that maybe having a conversation with Amelia would have been better than looking around a dimly lit Inn. He listened in and heard Melendil and Amelia having a happy conversation about different clothing.

Zelgadiss found himself feeling a little stabbing in his mind again. Frustration. Annoyance. Jealousy? No, not the last one, he was just really annoyed with Melendil sitting smack in front of him blocking off any form of communication with either her or Amelia. And even worse, she was invading his space. Every time he even tried to look to the left, there was the elf with her voluptuous body right in front of him; her round bottom planted on the table facing him. Every time she shifted position, Zelgadiss couldn't help but notice her butt move about, sometimes closer, or to the left or right. The chimera blushed and turned his face away in an instant. It was embarrassing and frustrating having that 'thing' moving about next to him.

The next time Melendil moved, Zelgadiss had about enough. "Do you have any shame?!"

"Zelgadiss-san?" Amelia looked to her friend.

He grabbed the elf around her waist and put her down on the floor. "What the hell?" Melendil turned around and glared at the blushing chimera. "What are you doing?"

Zelgadiss took his seat again and felt like a huge amount of space had just appeared around him. "Your b-," he caught himself. "Y-you were right in front of me, it was annoying."

"Well that's just sel-" Melendil thought for a moment. Amelia had just been confused by this point. "Oooh, I get it!" The elf's eyes narrowed and her mouth became a sly grin. "My pretty ass was in your face, huh?"

"....Huh?" Amelia's eyes widened as she gawked at Melendil.

The elf turned around patted her butt with her hand. "Do you like it?" She sneered. "Come on, Zelly. Was it that distracting?"

"Shut up! It wasn't distracting me!" Zelgadiss pounded his fist on the table, but the blush on his face was noticeable.

Melendil lifted her short skirt a bit, revealing a little more leg. The chimera's eyes grew wider. Amelia couldn't believe this was going on. "MELENDIL-SAN!" It was Amelia's turn to stand up from the table and scream. The elf and the chimera each turned to the princess in shock. Amelia wasn't sure what to say, it had happened out of impulse. "That's just wrong, Melendil-san!" She got out.

"Aw, it was just a joke," the elf pushed her skirt back down. "It didn't mean anything. Besides, why should this matter to you?"

Amelia hung her head and looked down at her clenched fists pressed hard against the wooden table. "It was just... wrong, that's all."

By this time Zelgadiss had turned away from both the girls and faced a different direction. 'Stupid, stupid, perv!' The chimera began to damn himself over and over. 'Why did you stare? I'm not a pervert! Shit, shit, shit!' Zelgadiss took a quick glance behind him to see Melendil trying to reassure the princess that it was just all for fun. He turned back and faced the wall. 'Damn, Amelia probably thinks I'm so stupid perv, like Gourry with his breast fixation, except I'm with people's butts!' He felt his chest sink as he let out a long frustrated sigh. 'What the hell is wrong with me?'

Amelia sighed and was lowered back down in her seat by a comforting elf. Melendil tried her best reassuring the princess that she truly was sorry. "Amelia, really-"

"Melendil-san, I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Melendil stood shocked for a moment till she leaned back in to look closer at Amelia. "You are sorry?"

"I, uh, shouldn't have overreacted." Amelia whispered.

Melendil took a moment to look at Amelia staring down at the table. When it finally occurred to her, she smiled and nodded. "Gotcha'" She gave Amelia thumbs up and turned around.

"Melendil-san?" Amelia lifted her head and looked at the elf walking back over to the bar.

The elf sighed and leaned on the bar's table. "I can't believe I didn't see this before."

"Hm?" Amelia felt a twist in her stomach and she panicked. "S-see what?"

Before Melendil could continue, the door to the Inn flew open and Gourry entered carrying a passed out Lina in his arms. "Can someone help me?" He stumbled through the doorway with a sword that was slowly falling out, under one arm, and carrying Lina in both his arms.

Zelgadiss immediately got up when he heard the door open. When he saw Lina in Gourry's good hands, he felt a fear creep up on him. 'She's not dead, not dead like Niennafal. Gourry would be panicking more if she was.' Zelgadiss grabbed the sword before it fell to the floor and Amelia dashed over to Gourry's side.

"Gourry-san, what happened? What happened to Lina-san?" Amelia watched as the swordsman placed Lina down on the table. When she looked closer, Lina's skin appeared much paler then usual. Amelia suddenly didn't feel scared, more confused. "What happened?"

"It's... well..." Gourry scratched his head. "At that weapon shop-"

"This is great! I want it! I want it! I WANT IT!" Everyone, except the dazed sorceress, turned to Melendil and saw her smiling like a maniac at another weapon Gourry had put down. Melendil snatched up the crossbow that was seated on the chair, and hugged it as if it was a child's stuffed toy.

Amelia squinted her eyes. "Is that a cross bow?"

"That's it," Zelgadiss declared. "I can now say that there is someone who almost scares me more than Xellos."

"Aw, and I thought I was special." Zelgadiss jumped for a moment and turned behind him to see the grinning mazoku wave at him. "Hello, Zelgadiss. Did you enjoy that little display Melendil gave you? I know I did."

Zelgadiss groaned and turned away. "Fruitcake."

Amelia watched as Gourry looked down at Lina. "Gourry-san, how did you get a cross bow?"

Gourry twitched as he remembered what had happened. "Well, I kinda' ruined it a little, because it was really old, and the old man forced me to pay for it and-"

"What the hell..." The room turned quiet and watched as Lina slowly fluttered her eyes open. She jolted up straight on the table and looked every which way. "Where am-" The sorceress stopped dead when she saw Melendil practicing different aims with the crossbow. "Gaahhhh!!" Lina fell back down on the table and passed out.

Everyone stared at Lina, then looked at Melendil, who held the cross bow in her hands and blinked. "What?" No one said anything to her. "What? What did I do?!" Xellos smiled and everyone else turned to Gourry.

Amelia looked up to the blond man. "Did you get a new sword, Gourry-san?"

"Yep," he reached beside him to where Zelgadiss had propped up the sword. "I got a new sword."

"Well, that's good," a new voice entered. Sasheem walked in and looked at the group. "Well isn't this a nice little family reunion. Oh Melendil, you got a cross bow?"

"No, Gourry got it."

The gypsy looked over to the swordsman. "Um, I can explain."

"Uh, sure." Sasheem took a seat at the table and realized that Lina's body was spread out on the wooden table. "Yeah, I do hope you can explain. But later."

Melendil propped up the cross bow again and looked at Xellos. "So, Xellos. What are you doing here anyway?"

"That's a secret." He grinned.

Melendil glared at the smiling fool. "I know you are in this, Xellos." Melendil looked over to Sasheem, who was talking with Gourry, Zelgadiss, and Amelia. While she had their attention, Melendil pushed Xellos over by the bar and gave him a straight look in his face. "Xellos, I know you are in this. And as far as I'm concerned, I'm damn well sure that you have quite a bit of information." Melendil's words came out in a hiss as she spoke to Xellos, who smiled the whole time. "I know that you and Sasheem get along fine, and maybe you would tell her some information because I know that the mazoku and gypsies get along well. Not to mention, that because your mistress may be with her father you would even let her in on your secrets. But you are not, and I'm starting think that it may be because of me."

"Now why would you think that, Melendil?" Xellos sat down in one of the stools at the bar. "We get along well, don't we?"

Melendil concentrated on controlling her voice form not screaming. "Because I'm a elf, Xellos. And I know for a fact that all mazoku happen to hate elves. So if you are keeping information from Sasheem because she is friends with me, then you are making a mistake and making things harder for yourself!" The blond elf caught her breath and took a moment to collect herself while Xellos smiled and took in her frustration. Melendil looked back at the mazoku. "I know that the mazoku race attacked the elves when Saillune killed the former Gypsy King with some help from the elves. But that was a long time ago, and you know that right now I am fearing that my people are being attacked again." This made the mazoku grin. As much as Melendil wanted to rip his lips off his face, she controlled herself. "I haven't done anything to you. So please, at least tell me how my race is doing." Melendil waited for an answer. She wanted to know how her village was, she needed to know that they were not being attacked. And this mazoku in front of her sat their propping his head on his hand and smiling. "I know you have paid a visit there, Xellos. What is going on with my village?" She demanded.

Xellos brought up his index finger and said the words Melendil hated most. "That's a secret."

The elf pulled every muscle in her body from reacting to his answer. "You will tell me, Xellos, how my village is!" Melendil's rise in her tone of voice caught the attention of the group talking to Sasheem.

The gypsy looked up to her friend and saw Melendil gripping the bar counter with her hand and scrapping her nails along its wooden surface. "What is this?" She spoke softly.

Xellos grinned. "I can't tell you how your people are, Melendil."

The elf dug her nails further into the wood and hissed through her clenched teethe. "Xellos, what have you done to my VILLAGE?!"

That was a long silence until Xellos brought his finger back up. "That's a secret!"

"Xellos, you stupid mazoku!" Zelgadiss began to advance over to Xellos until Sasheem grabbed his arm.

"Don't get in this, Zelgadiss!"

"Xellos, what have you done?!" Melendil yelled.

"Well, you see," the mazoku began, raising his finger once more. "That is a se-" Before Xellos could finish his line, the elf shot her hand out at such quick speed and snapped the mazoku's finger back, breaking it. Xellos cringed and shot open his violet eyes.

"Melendil! Control yourself!" Sasheem got up from her chair and ran over to the elf's side, only to be shoved back by her mad friend. Amelia quickly ran over to help the gypsy up.

Melendil punched Xellos in the face and tackled him onto the floor before the mazoku could react. Xellos stumbled up on his knees and rubbed his face smirking. 'She's fast,' he thought. Xellos let go of his hand with the broken finger and brought up his good hand. "There are two sides to everything," he taunted.

"What are you doing? Xellos, stop it!" Zelgadiss dashed over to where Amelia was with Sasheem. "Are you alright," he asked the gypsy.

Sasheem didn't say anything because a small cracking sound and a blast cut off her words. The crew looked over and saw Gourry slumped against the wall and Melendil holding the mazoku's last good hand in her hands. "Gourry- san!" Amelia ran over to the swordsman.

"This is not getting any better," Zelgadiss groaned.

Amelia kneeled down by the blond man. "Gourry-san! Gourry-san!"

"I'm fine, Amelia." Gourry rubbed his head. "I tried stopping her, but..." Gourry was soon distracted by the scene placed in front of him. Xellos was on the floor, and with each attempt to get up he was pounded down by an enraged elf.

Melendil couldn't think of anything else in her mind except to take every last grain of energy out of this mazoku before her. She scratched him, pounded his face, kicked him across the floor, and watched his white skin turn red from the impacts. "Amin delotha lle!" The elf grabbed the man's violet hair and pulled his head up, only to thrust it back down on the floor.

Xellos felt a pounding within as he gagged for air. He damned himself for not casting a spell earlier to stop this uncontrollable elf from beating him down to his death. Getting his fingers and one hand broken was the last thing he had expected. He was now unable to hold his staff, and if he even tried to cast a spell with his hand he couldn't aim it. It would most likely end up hitting him. He tried pushing himself up with his elbows but it hurt all too much. The mazoku's eyes were too hazed over for him to realize that blood and saliva was dripping from his mouth and spread across his face.

Xellos tried his best to start chanting a spell. The words caught in his throat and he found it painful to even try and talk. Apparently Melendil knew all the right weak points, because Xellos came to the conclusion he couldn't do anything. Now all he could do was hope that she wouldn't beat him to death, because if she didn't he knew he could heal in a small amount of time. The thought was cut short by a kick in the stomach and a voice yelling; "Amin feuya ten'lle!"

"You crazy elf!" Zelgadiss quickly ran behind Melendil and grabbed her arms holding her back. As much as she struggled and kicked, the chimera's strength overruled her. "Stop it! You're crazy!"

Amelia quickly stood up form treating Gourry and lifted her hands to cast a spell. In the meantime, Melendil screamed and fussed in her Elvin language, trying her best t move out of the chimera's grip. Sasheem quickly skimmed across the floor to Xellos' side. Melendil had enough and was about to cast a spell when she heard Amelia chant. "Sleep!"

The elf slowly closed her eyes and relaxed in the chimera's arms. Her rage had come to a stop and she fell asleep. Zelgadiss stood still with the limp girl in his arms and his breath caught in his throat. He looked at Amelia who slowly put her arm down from casting the spell. The princess had done a 'recovery' spell on Gourry, who had come to her side to watch over her.

All eyes turned to Sasheem who was at the mazoku's side. She felt her heartbeat pick up pace as she saw tried to help Xellos who was down on the floor. Amelia knelt down at the mazoku's side and lifted her hand. "Recov-"

"Wait, let's get him to a bed first," the gypsy whispered.

Amelia nodded and turned to the blond swordsman. "Gourry-san, can you lift Xellos-san up and take him to a room?"

"Yep." Gourry walked over and gently lifted up Xellos. The mazoku fell limp into his warm arms as each of his limbs became helpless.

"Um," Amelia and Sasheem turned to Zelgadiss, noticing he had not moved at all and still was holding Melendil. "What should I do with this?" He gestured at Melendil.

"Could you take her upstairs, as well?" The gypsy asked.

Zelgadiss nodded and followed behind Gourry. In a sense he felt real bad about what had happened to Xellos. Yes, he hated him, infect a whole lot, but never had he seen the trickster so helpless and take such a rash beating. The chimera shook his head. He had grown soft on Xellos there for a moment, but he reminded himself that Xellos brought it on himself. It was his choice to taunt the elf, his choice on bring on a beating he knew would come, he didn't want to tell Melendil a thing. There for, Xellos found the consequences of his huge mistake. Never had Zelgadiss ever expected to see Xellos beaten down.

Zelgadiss turned and entered a room at the far end of the small, dark, hall. A bed was clearly seen to the far right thanks to the moon's light. As the chimera walked in, he couldn't shake off the feelings that the elf would suddenly wake and burst out into a rage once more. As he placed her back down on the bed, he took a last look at her. Her face was calm as a sleeping child, and he could hear her breathing ever so gently. When he looked down on her, she could be classified then and there as innocent. But that would be wrong, because this was just the woman who had snapped Xellos' finger back, ripped his skin, and bruised his body.

Zelgadiss suddenly was over come by a fear that he had been transported into a real cliché horror book. He quickly turned and paced out of the room shutting the door behind him. Gourry was standing outside in the hall waiting for the chimera. Zelgadiss noticed how Gourry tried to put on a little smile. It quickly faded when Zelgadiss sighed and they began to walk downstairs. "Looks like Lina is awake," the swordsman pointed out.

"And I missed it?" The redhead squealed.

"It was better that way, Lina-san. This is serious!" Amelia scolded.

"I don't believe this," Lina grabbed her head and began to go hysterical. "Xellos, out of all people, was beaten to a pulp! Why did I have to faint? Why?!"

Sasheem turned at watched Gourry and Zelgadiss come over to the table. She looked around at the group. "I'm sorry this happened."

"It's not your fault, Sasheem-san." Amelia put her hand on the gypsy's shoulder.

"Xellos did this to himself," Zelgadiss added. "He could have stopped it."

Sasheem didn't say anything. She took in a deep breath and let it out. "Wow..." She stretched her arms out and stood up. "Well, is everyone alright?"

Amelia smiled. "Yes."

Gourry patted the princess on the head. "Amelia healed me," he gave the girl a smile.

"I couldn't have gotten' hurt anyway," Zelgadiss mumbled. It was all thanks to his curse that Rezo had so kindly blessed him with.

"I can't believe I missed it all!" Lina whined.

"Well your lucky!" The gypsy snapped. 'How dense,' she thought to herself. She looked over to Amelia and motioned her to follow. "Let's go see what we can do for Xellos." Amelia nodded and followed behind.

~)*(~

It was about half an hour later that the two girls came back downstairs. Zelgadiss, being the only one awake, looked over to the staircase as he watched the two come down gently. He gave them a look, which held it's own question. Amelia smiled back at the chimera. "Well, he should be fine." Zelgadiss gave a slight shrug and turned back around to the table.

Sasheem pulled out a chair for Amelia to sit in and took a seat of her own. Zelgadiss brought his gaze to see Amelia. Her obvious look was that of exhaustion. "Amelia, are you OK?"

"Oh," she turned to Zelgadiss and smiled. "I'm fine. Just had to use quite a bit of magic. It wore me down a bit, but I'm alright!"

"If you say so."

Lina woke up and Gourry yawned. The sorceress stretched her arms and scratched her head. "So, how's our mazoku priest doing?"

Sasheem leaned on the table. "We can really thank Amelia for everything tonight. She put Melendil to sleep and now has just done some nice work on helping Xellos. He's still pretty beat up, but his hands are back together and most of the wounds and bruises are gone."

Lina nodded and looked out a window that was across from her. "It's gotten' real late. It's pitch dark outside."

Sasheem looked behind her, out the window that Lina looked to. "Yes, it has." She turned her gaze back to the table. "We should get going to the grave yard."

"What?!" Amelia and Gourry screeched.

"We just had a huge encounter with a raging elf and you want us to now go into a kings tomb?" Zelgadiss questioned.

"Relax, Zel," Lina beamed. "We're fine! You worry to much."

"I don't believe this." Zelgadiss leaned on the table and groaned.

Sasheem fidgeted in her chair. "I'm only suggesting this because we should move fast. But after tonight if you really don't want to-"

"Nope, we are going to go!" Lina yanked Gourry's arm and pulled him up from his chair. "Gourry, you're coming too!"

Gourry grabbed his new sword that was leaning against the wall. "Well, Amelia healed me, so I feel just fine."

'But she also used a whole lot of magic on Xellos,' Zelgadiss told himself. Just as Amelia began to stand up Zelgadiss pushed on her shoulder seating her back down. "You should stay."

"But Zelgadiss!" Amelia wasn't too sure what to say. Her words caught in her throat until she found the only thing she could think of. "I'm part of this too! I should go!"

"Nah, Zel's right for once." Lina added.

"Hey!"

"Quiet, Zel," she continued. "Amelia, you used a whole lot of your magic. You're tired anyway, stay here."

Amelia already knew she wouldn't win at this fight. She slowly took her seat and nodded. "Alright."

"Wait," Sasheem stepped in between the chimera and Amelia. "I have to show you guys to the grave yard. And Amelia can't stay here alone. Have you already forgotten about Mikau?"

Gourry blinked. "Mikau?"

"The killer, Gourry." Lina huffed.

"Ohhhh."

The four exchanged looks for a moment. "Amelia, why don't you go with my grandmother over at the bathhouse. Stay with her, and when I come back we can talk."

"Alright." Amelia got back up. "But what about Xellos-san?"

"Mikau won't hurt him. Xellos is asleep, he'll be fine." Sasheem turned with her final words and opened the door. "Let's go."

~)*(~

It was almost midnight. The graveyard's only light came from two places; one was the moon and the other was a lantern. The lantern's light came from deep within a new grave that was being dug. From within the grave Tybolt sang to himself as he shoveled up the dirt to go further into the earth. "O, once when I did love did love/ Methought 'twas very sweet." Tybolt jabbed his shovel in the ground and felt something stop him from going further. "Hm?" The gravedigger scooped up the object in his way and lifted it up with the spade of his shovel. "Ahh," he chuckled. "why hello there." Sitting in the spade of his shovel was a chapless skull.

Tybolt began to whistle a tune as he proceeded. He swung his shovel in the air, tossing the skull off the spade. The gravedigger turned his shovel on the side, still holding it in his hands, and caught the skull on the side of the spade. Balancing the skull on the spade's edge, he moved the shovel to make the skull roll back and forth slightly.

"Ah, he hath a clawing clutch/ And pulled you to the land." Tybolt continued tossing the skull around on the spade with grace. It was a small project he had practiced for a few years now. He flicked the skull from his shovel and caught the dirty bone in his left hand. "Why do you look so speechless?" He mocked. For a moment he stared at the skull, then reaching over the edge of the grave, he placed the bone on the rim of the hole he dug, putting it next to two other skulls and a few other bones.

Lina and her two friends reached the dark graveyard that the gypsy had led them to. "Here you are," Sasheem stood next to Lina. "Tybolt is over there digging a grave. I see his lantern light. Go tell him what I told you and he will open the tomb."

Lina was taking in her surroundings in an instant. A thin fog rolling across the ground, and somewhat in the air, with the different shaped grave stones; some standing straight, while others were slightly slanted. Lina turned around to Sasheem. "Wait, where am-" She stopped when she realized the gypsy was no longer there. "Sasheem?"

Zelgadiss had been examining a certain gravestone shaped like a cross. "I guess she already left."

"Lina," Gourry drew a little closer to his red-haired companion. "The graves are singing!" He tried to whisper.

Lina glared at the blond man, who was gripping the handle of his sword. "You idiot, stones don't sing!"

"But Zel does!"

The chimera sunk on the ground glooming at one of the graves. "Maybe I should just burry myself while I'm here."

"Stop it, Zel!" Lina snapped. She quickly turned to Gourry and hit him over the head. "Jellyfish brain! When will you learn?!"

"I'm-"

"Wait." Lina put her hand up and stopped Gourry. A little whistle caught in the air caught her and she turned to a dim light that was coming from the ground. "Come on," she motioned to Gourry.

The swordsman followed behind Lina. Before he continued walking, he turned to Zelgadiss who was propping himself with an arm on a gravestone. "Zel, are you coming?" The chimera grumbled and followed behind Gourry.

Lina reached the grave and peered over. "Hello?" She couldn't see fully into the grave. She tried to get closer till she saw something flying out.

"Heads up!"

"What?!" A round object came flying at full speed, out of the grave. "Whaa!"

"Lina!" Gourry acted quickly and jumped in front of Lina, bunting the object with the back of his sword. The thing rolled on the ground and stopped. Gourry took a stance in front of Lina and prepared himself.

Zelgadiss found this a little odd. The thing didn't move, and he couldn't quite see what it was in the dark. Calmly, he walked over and knelt down.

Lina peered from behind Gourry. "What is it, Zel?"

Zelgadiss slowly stood up with the object in his hands. He turned around and walked over to Lina and Gourry. He held the thing out to them in his hands. "It's a skull."

"What?!" Lina and Gourry's eye's widened. "What the hell is a skull doing flying out of a grave?!"

"Heads up! Get it?" The trio turned around and saw Tybolt with his arms folded on the rim of the grave he dug. He smiled to them and pointed to the skull in the chimera's hands. "Heads up! See, it's a head. And I flung it up, and-" Tybolt found himself getting three dark glares. "You guys aren't really ones for puns or jokes, are you?"

"What the hell are you doing throwing skulls around?!" Lina yelled in his face.

"Gotta' dig a grave." Tybolt said in a calm matter.

Zelgadiss and Gourry walked over. The chimera placed the skull down on the ground. "Aren't you supposed to dig a grave in a clean area of land, not one that already has someone in it?"

Tybolt jabbed his shovel in the ground and leaned back against the inside wall of the grave. "Can't help it. This graveyard is already full of bodies. No matter where I dig, I'm always going to be digging up some old bones. Nothing I can do about it." The gravedigger bent down and picked up a long bone. "See, already another." He tossed the bone behind him and out of the grave. "Think of it this way, at least everyone gets a stone."

Zelgadiss watched in shock as the gravedigger tossed around the bones without a care in the world. He shifted to the side to dodge another bone that was tossed from the grave.

Lina's eyes flickered in the dim lanterns light as she watched Tybolt go back down and come back up with another skull. He placed it by his collection and tapped the head with his shovel. Lina huffed and kneeled by the grave's edge. "Have you no respect for the dead?"

Once again, Tybolt stabbed his shovel in the ground and looked up to Lina. "Have you no breasts?"

Lina grabbed the grass at the ground and hissed through her clenched teeth. "You better hope that grave is big enough for you."

For a moment, Tybolt's eyes widened and shone bright even through the dark fog that rolled over the land. "Hahahaha!" The gravedigger wiped his forehead; his whole body was rather dirty from digging around in the graveyard all day, and held a gleam of sweat. He looked back up at Lina with a charming smile. "Well this grave is not mine."

Zelgadiss leaned in to look down at Tybolt. "What man gets this grave?"

Tybolt held his chin and looked up at the night-cloaked sky in thought. "Uhhh, no man, sir."

Zelgadiss grunted at the gravediggers reply. "OK, what woman, then?"

"No woman, either."

Lina's eye twitched as she stared at the gravedigger. "Well someone's gotta' be buried. What, are you just digging a grave for fun?"

"Well," Tybolt began. "It was for a woman, but bless her soul, she's dead now."

"I think I get it!" Gourry stepped in. "You're digging a grave for her body with no soul!"

Lina hit Gourry onto the ground and looked back at Tybolt. "I'm not here for games, so don't start throwing out your jokes!"

"Who said I'm joking?" Tybolt shrugged.

'This man shouldn't be a gravedigger,' Zelgadiss said to himself. He watched as Tybolt went back down in the grave and began to sing. Zelgadiss cringed. 'What an absolute fool! He sings while he digs graves!' Zelgadiss turned around and mumbled to himself. "Great, does this mean my bone will be kicked around when I'm dead?"

"Hm?" Gourry turned around. "Say something, Zel?"

Zelgadiss sighed. "No." He figured his bones wouldn't even be kicked around. Zelgadiss stopped his train of thought. Now that the thought about it, death had never really been in his train of thought for a long time now. Where would he be when he died? He had just caught himself thinking that he would probably die all alone while traveling, but he remembered something else.

Zelgadiss pushed back his cape and reached into his pocket. He felt Amelia's bracelet. He had promised to return it to her, and returning it to her meant he had to come back to her. If he went back to Amelia, would that mean he wouldn't be alone anymore? If he-

"Are you coming?!"

Zelgadiss snapped out of his train of thought and turned around to see Lina and Gourry ahead of him and following behind Tybolt. "Yeah," he turned around and followed behind the three across the graveyard.

~)*(~

Amelia walked behind the small old woman with a basket of soaps in her hands. The two walked down the hall and into the empty room where Amelia and Lina had bathed before. As the grandmother set down her pile of towels, she noticed how Amelia's head hung and her eyes were staring into the world unaware of anything. The old woman placed her hands in front of her and sighed. "What is wrong, Princess?"

Amelia jumped and quickly turned her gaze to the old woman. "Huh?" The old woman shuffled over took the basket of soaps from Amelia, placing them in their proper place on the shelf. "Oh, I'm sor-." The princess didn't continue. When the old woman turned around again she looked up to Amelia. Amelia looked at the old woman's face that was full of age. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Uh," Amelia pushed her hair back. She listened to the rushing water for a moment and the hissing of the steam. When she put her hand down, she let out a slight chuckle. "I don't know. It must be real late if I'm talking about things for no reason."

The old woman didn't answer. Instead, she beckoned for the princess to follow her out the door. "Let us go make some tea."

The tea was made and the two of them sat at an old wooden table. Amelia cradled the small cup in her hands and held it up to her mouth, but she didn't drink it. The silence was broken by the old woman placing her the cup on the table and pushing a deck of cards across the table to Amelia. "What's this?" Amelia put her cup down and looked at the deck in front of her. The backs of the cards were facing her; they were blue with a large black swirl.

The woman smiled. "Have you ever had your tarot read before?" Amelia shook her head. The old woman smiled. "Shuffle the cards."

~)*(~

A loud snapping of metal echoed through the graveyard. Tybolt hit the lock on the tomb once more and the doors swung open. "Here we go," the gravedigger beamed, whipping his forehead.

Lina already held a light spell ready in her hand. "Thanks, Tybolt. Lets go, boys!" Lina took one-step foreword before the gravedigger stopped her. "What's the big deal?"

"You think you, out of all people, can just waltz in our dead kings tomb?"

".Yes."

"You are wrong!" Tybolt proceeded to the door. "I'm going first."

Lina grabbed the gravedigger's sash; she would have gone for a shirt but he had none on. "Why you?!"

Tybolt stopped and turned his head to look at the ticked off sorceress behind him. "Well, I am the gravedigger."

"Is it really necessary to fight over something like this?" Zelgadiss asked, feeling his mind start to lose its patience.

"Yes!" The two snapped.

Tybolt ignored Lina's protests as he walked in the tomb. "Woo! I haven't been I here for a while!"

Lina and her friend entered into the tomb. It was not as big as they had expected. The inside was pitch dark until Lina entered with her light spell in her hands. The inside was cold and moist. It wasn't dusty, but Zelgadiss could pick up the smell of mulch and moss growing around the circular room. Lina looked at her surroundings. "Is this it?"

"This way," Tybolt motioned. In the left, Lina saw the gravedigger walk down and flight of stairs in the floor.

Lina looked down the flight of stairs. "Tybolt! Don't you want to take your lantern with you?!" Lina didn't get a reply. Instead she heard the gravedigger singing. "Idiot," she mumbled as she followed.

Gourry shrugged and went behind Lina with Zelgadiss pulling up in the back. The chimera was thinking about what they were supposed to find. Possibly he could find a few more books to help him with his cure.

~)*(~

Amelia shuffled the cards and handed them back to the old woman. She had already started the cards. "Cut the deck into two." Amelia did so and placed the two decks out. "Now pick one."

The princess looked at them both. 'Left or right,' she asked. She chose the right. The old woman placed the left deck aside and took the right one.

The first card was placed down. Amelia looked closer as the woman talked. "This is your present position," the old woman stated. She looked at the card. "Ahhh, The Chariot."

"Is that good?"

"It fits you quite well," the old woman smiled. "You, ah, have a good will power. It represents victory; having the choice to move forward, keeping our emotions in control so we can make a positive move."

This made the princess smile. "Then, this is good so far!"

The woman smiled and put down the next card. "This one represents immediate Influence," she continued. "The obstacles ahead." Amelia paid careful attention. "This card is Death."

"What? No!"

The woman put her hand up and motioned for Amelia to sit. "Please calm down, it is not what you think." Amelia relaxed and sat down slowly, not relaxing at all. "Death represents a total transformation in. some area of your life. You must accept this change and make way for the new."

"Oh, thank Cephied." Amelia took a deep breath and let it out.

"Shall we continue?" The old woman asked. Amelia replied with a nod. The woman placed down another card. "This is what you can best accomplish under the circumstances." Amelia felt a tugging at her chest. "The eight of swords, interesting."

"Why?" Amelia instantly asked.

The old woman scratched her head. "It spears that things are becoming very vague." She placed her hand on the card. "This card means that a certain fear is keeping you bided inside." Slowly, the woman watched as Amelia's eyes grew slightly wide and her grip tightened on her skirt. "You must use your mind creatively to get out of the situation."

"You mean, run away?"

"Let's see what else comes up." Before Amelia could protest, the next card was placed down on the table. "The nine of wands." She spoke.

Amelia looked at the card closer. It was of a man at the top of a hill fighting against eight men coming after him. "What happened?" She whispered.

"This card is for your distant past," the woman stated. "The nine of wands digs down deeper into a person's past to bring up an old situation."

Amelia raised her head and pulled back from looking at the card. "I don't understand."

"I am sensing that you have an old situation from your past that is being brought up again. Perhaps you have had just about enough of it, but you have to now face it."

Amelia leaned on the table and put her face in her hands. "I-I lied to Sasheem-san." She whispered.

The grandmother didn't say anything. She placed down another card, the seven of swords. "This is the effect of events that are now or that have just passed."

Amelia slowly lifted her head. "Um, I think that-"

"I will not tell you anymore, don't worry." The old woman smiled at Amelia, but she kept placing down cards. Amelia finally lifted her head and drank down her cup of tea within seconds.

Nothing was said at the table. Amelia was looking down at the wood patterns and the cards that the old woman kept placing out. Amelia's thoughts were broken by the woman cutting in. "You look much deeper then others do, Princess." Amelia lifted her head to meet the eyes of the woman across from her. She began to point to the different cards. "You are a strong person, and full of good deep wisdom that doesn't seem to show on your outside." She leaned back and sighed. "You look on the inside of a person, not the outside." She pulled a card towards her. "Here it says that your influence on others, well." She paused for a moment.

Amelia leaned in with interest. "Yes?"

The old woman smiled. "There is a person in your life right now that means a whole lot you. I can see that you are helping them by showing them emotion and love. You are putting them in a new path for the better." She drew back. "But, this is not easy."

Amelia swallowed and looked down at the table. The two were cut in by the door opening and Sasheem walking in. She smiled to her grandmother and Amelia. "Tarot, who's being read?"

"Our Princess here is quite a strong person," the grandmother smiled.

Amelia stood up and dusted herself on with a blush on her face. "You're really giving me too much credit." Amelia looked up at Sasheem, trying to look in her eyes, but she couldn't see them. "Sasheem-san, there is something I want to tell you."

The gypsy smiled. "All right, let's go back to the Inn."

~)*(~

Lina coughed in her hand and dusted off the old books. "Tybolt, you should really consider cleaning up down here!" The sorceress flipped through old books on a table. The crypt was damp and held a strong stench of mulch. The only source of light was the ball of light Lina had in her hand. Gourry was sitting on top of a stone casket and polishing his sword. Zelgadiss was looking at other books on a desk for something that may help him with finding a cure.

Tybolt looked around the room and whistled. "Haven't been down here for a while." He walked over to Gourry and poked him with the tip of his shovel. "Hey, you're sitting on a casket."

"What's a basket?"

"I said 'casket'," Tybolt pushed Gourry over and sat on the casket by him. They were silent for a moment as Tybolt gazed around the room and Gourry questioned whether he should talk or not. The swordsman was startled when the gravedigger spoke up. "Can you believe we're sitting on a dead body?"

Gourry's face began to turn an interesting shade of white. "What?"

Tybolt hopped off of the casket. "Well, I'll be outside. I got grave digging to do!"

"Yeah, whatever," Lina replied, not paying attention to anything but going through the journals. She could hardly see the writings on the pages. "Have you found anything, Zel?"

Zelgadiss didn't look up form one book he was intent on reading. "Well, here is says the chimera's can be s-" He stopped when he felt a cold glare staring at him. He turned his head to Lina slam a journal down the table, making a loud echo run through the tomb

"You're supposed to be helping me! Not looking for your cure!"

"Don't tell me you didn't expect me to not look for it?!" Zelgadiss yelled, putting the book back down on the table.

"We have more important matters to attend to then your cure!" The redhead screeched.

Gourry stopped polishing his blade. "You guys, you're going to wake up the dead."

"More important things?" Right then and there, Zelgadiss had to control himself to not go running over and strangling the girl's neck. "If you only knew how I felt Lina, then ma-" He stopped his rant as he saw that Lina had gone back to reading the books. "So you just ignore me now?!"

"Hey, I think I found something!" The girl chimed.

The chimera snarled and clenched the book in his hands, digging his nails into the cover and not realizing that he ripped out a page. He slammed the book on the table, realizing that he was no longer in the mood to read anything.

Gourry hopped off the casket and went behind Lina. "What is it?"

"Well, it's talking about the war of course," she started. "He says that he had some meeting with the elves and. Shoot, it's too dark." She held her light spell closer and began to read to herself.

Gourry looked puzzled as Lina didn't answer him. He shrugged and pulled back to go sit on the casket once again.

In a few minutes, Lina slammed the book shut and stood up. Zelgadiss and Gourry looked at her as she faced them. "Let's go."

"Wait, Lina." Zelgadiss caught up to the redhead's pace. "What's going on?"

Lina wagged the book in the chimera's face. "Amelia can explain, I'm sure of it. Xellos also has a few things to explain."

"Like we can get anything out of him," Zelgadiss grunted.

~)*(~

The princess sat on her bed and looked out the window into the night. Sasheem said she could go lay down for a little before she explained everything. Amelia appreciated the gypsy's kind thought and did just that. But she couldn't fall asleep, she just sat on the bed and looked out the window. She knew that she couldn't keep the secret from Sasheem. Each time she thought about it she found herself become more and more stressful.

The truth was that the Saillune council knew why the assassin had come to kill Garcia, the heir to the throne at the time.

Amelia sighed again and swayed her legs back and forth over the side of the bed. "I should have just said something before," she mumbled. It was one of Saillune's deep secrets that were never supposed to be revealed to the public.

The crickets chirped outside and an owl hooted in a tree near by. The princess pulled the bed's cover around her as a cold wind blew in through the opened window and wrapped around her. 'I can't let this get to me; I'm going to go tell Sasheem-san and get this sorted out! I know she will understand why, she didn't want to betray her father either,' Amelia thought. She stood up from the bed and walked over to a mirror placed in her room. She smiled to herself and let the sheet fall to the floor like a puddle of spilled milk.

"Where did I put the earring?" she said to herself. Amelia looked down on the top of her dresser and sorted through her things. "Found it!" She chirped. Amelia picked the earring and began to put it in her ear while she looked at the mirror.

Her face went blank and she stopped what she was doing. The mirror reflected her room, and by doing that she could see the reflection of the window. Sitting on the ledge of the window was a man with short, flat, shaggy, light blue hair, and a red cloth tied around his head.

The man stepped off the ledge and came down into the light of the room. He had on a beige cape with a collar that only came down to his hands, and a beige vest worn over a white shirt, and pair of pants.

Amelia kept looking in the mirror at him until she saw him unsheathe a sword. She quickly turned around and leaned against the dresser. She could feel his cold eyes staring right into her. "Who are you?" She edged to her left and soon made a quick dash for the door.

Before she even got near the door, the man was at her exit before her. "That soon won't matter," he said in a soft voice.

Amelia was taking deep breaths and felt her heart pounding in her chest. She was having trouble thinking of what to do next. 'I can yell for Sasheem- san, but then he might attack me. I'll cast a spell,' she thought. The 'Ra- Tilt' would take too long, she decided to start off with a 'Flare Arrow'. "FLAR-"

"Don't even think about it." His quiet voice said. Before Amelia could think, he pulled back his sword and plunged at her.

Amelia dodge the attack, but not by much. She was over by the bed, but unfortunately not on the same side as the window. "Sashe-"

The man flew at Amelia again, and covered her mouth with the bed sheet from the floor. The princess was forced onto the bed, kicking and trying to scream, but she was loosing her breath. The man's grip tightened on her face. One hand held one of her arms down on the bed while the other pushed her head deeper into the bed. Amelia closed her eyes and was already aware of the streaks of tears rolling down the side of her face.

The man that sat over her moved the hand that held Amelia's arm and grabbed his sword, holding it over her head. Amelia moved her free hands up and grabbed his arm that held the sword, trying her best to hold him back.