Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers For the Future: The Prophecy of Inverse ❯ Kidnapped!! Metallium Mayhem! ( Chapter 7 )

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Chapter 7

Kidnapped!! Metallium Mayhem!

~ Two Weeks Later ~

Hiero slept peacefully in his bed, no dreams coming to him this night. He only saw darkness, nice peaceful darkness that cradled him like a demon in the womb of hell. He loved to think of it that way. It made him think of perfect silence and serenity. Hiero would never tell his parents that, never, but he told Val. The dragon boy said he was happy when he got a nice dream, but all he had been getting lately were nightmares about Xellos killing his mother. Hiero had offered to put an enhance calm spell on him to think the nightmares away, but Val said it had been done before and hadn't worked.

Hiero told him he knew another spell that might work, but said Val would have to be asleep for it. Val said it probably wouldn't work, but for Hiero to give it a good try. He thanked Hiero for his kind offer before going to his and his mother's room for bed. Hiero stole himself in there and cast a dream spell on his friend, one he'd mastered in his first life to bring tranquility to those plagued with fear.

Val didn't complain about nightmares after that. It had been a couple weeks since the dragon folk had come to stay with his family, Filia being more a burden when her tail would hit things and people, knocking things over and tripping whoever was unlucky enough to be behind her. It was usually his mother. He and Val knew to eat breakfast before Filia, not wanting bruised legs or faces due to their height.

They'd made a habit of spying on the bathhouse patrons after lunch, not getting caught as yet since Filia stayed at the house to aid Zelgadis in things at the house whenever Lina went shopping. Poor Aunt Filia, but more he believed was his poor Dad, who had to deal with Filia and her tail most of the day. It hurt to get Filia even the slightest bit irritated.

'She's a bother, but she's Val's foster mother. She has to be tolerated. At least for my friend's sake. Mmm, least it's been quiet, other than the priesthood wanting to speed up my training in a larger facility. I don't want to leave home.' He thought, feeling like he was floating for a moment, then hanging over in a lopsided manner.

He opened his eyes, even though it was a waste of time. He felt around slightly and clasped a hand, it was rather cold and gloved. His eyes weren't really focusing even as he was touching it, more of like seeing everything in the color purple, then black, blue, like someone had thrown paint in his face.

When the room finally came into focus, he became fully aware he was being picked up and being dressed. It was also still dark out. His sleepy body shifted, the freezing cold hands on his arms and legs making him angry. He wanted to sleep, damn it! He didn't want to be dragged out of bed in the middle of the night for anything.

His body started waking up as his pants were pulled on and an arm going around him. He suddenly felt very cold, like he was being engulfed in ice and snow all at once. It made him squirm about, thrashing and hitting whoever was holding him. He heard when he managed to kick the person in the groin that it was a man, a man with a very odd voice.

"Xellas….wants you, young Inverse. I, Xellos Metallium, am your deliverer, isn't that nice? Now why don't you just be a good boy and be kidnapped with a little more dignity, hmm?" the man said, chuckling at some private joke.

'XELLOS!! The Mazuko after Val!? NO!' Hiero mind screamed, and soon he was screaming as loud as a banshee the one word he knew would get the entire house's attention. "NAMAGOMI! NAMAGOMI! NAMAGOMI!! NAMAmmmmphhh!!!!" Hiero screamed, thrashing wildly even after Xellos covered his mouth. Hiero promptly bit him for the act, but it made the guy snickered.

Hiero felt funny after that, the room starting to fade away just as Filia, a tearful Val and his parents rushed into the room screaming his name, reaching out pointlessly to save him. Then, everything went dark, Hiero couldn't even hear his own mind think.

~ Wolf Pack Island ~

Hiero woke to find his body laying on a slender lap, the legs sticking out of an extremely short skirt. The legs were quite sleek and tanned….then Hiero gasped. "I can see?" he asked, being lifted up suddenly by two very sleek arms. "Mazuko are quite powerful, little Hiero Inverse. I have temporarily restored your sight….to show you all I can give, things your parents never can." The white-haired woman said, her wolf-like grin making Hiero consider the fact that she was going to try and eat him if he didn't behave.

"Xellas Metallium….the Beastmaster. Hmmph, so you restored my sight to make me a lackey. So what?" he said, his initial shock of sight dissipating quickly. He even went so far to sneer in her young face. She looked a little surprised, obviously not used to such treatment, even from the mouth of a child. Hiero half-regretted his words when she just smiled, looking very feral. "As spirited as my little Xellos told me. He also informed me that you know the art of Nightmare magic, but do not use it. Why is that….scared?" she teased haughtily.

"NO! I want to be a man, not a little kid, for eternity. Phibrizo the Hellmaster was a loser to use that form. Innocence can be misleading, but appearance matters greatly if your chosen form hinders you." Hiero snapped, sliding off her lap. He tried walking away, but she swiftly grabbed him by his hair.

"Your mother looks like a teenager and so does your father, though he looks a lot scarier than she does, isn't that right little one? And don't test my patience, strong or not, if you insult me one more time, you won't have to worry about much except the torments I'll put your retched soul through." Xellas warned, and Hiero felt her fingernails prick in his scalp, the gently flow of blood trickling down the back of his neck and into his shirt.

"…." Hiero had no response to that. If he died now, he'd be trapped in this body forever. 'I'm not going to join either way, but she is trying to keep me alive. How she even knows what potential I have is beyond me, but she doesn't know what my body really hides, and I intend to keep it that way.

"Good human….now….here's the deal, little Hiero. You give yourself to the Mazuko race and become one of us and I will restore your sight permanently. Don't worry, your little friend Val will join us too if you cooperate. He's special too….so, what do you say?" Xellas said, as if it was common conversation.

'Val….no, I said I'd protect him and Filia, I can't do that if I give in to this bitch and her fruitcake lackey. Val would hate me if I gave in. Hah, like I can't handle these two….with some of their own pointers. This body will be useful in this state….she'll think I'll give in if they hurt me. I'll prove them dead wrong.' He thought, a grim smile forming over his lips.

"To put it in the most flattering way possible, Mighty Xellas," he began quietly, the took a breath to scream," SHOVE YOUR DEAL STRAIGHT UP YOUR NARROW ASS! Life is wonderful! Life is wonderful! Life is wonderful!!!!"

Xellas' face got a sickly green before she buckled forward with her cigarette in hand and threw up. "XELLOS! Take him to your quarters and torture him. No one makes me throw up perfectly good wine!" Xellas raged, her voice and face no longer very feminine.

Hiero's sight was still in place even as the trickster priest grabbed him by his hair and teleported them out of the room.

'This is going to hurt him more that its going to hurt me….I hope, I hope, I hope.' Hiero thought, feeling sick himself when his sight vanished, leaving him in his blind world once more.

~

"You're awful pretty for a little boy. You sure you're a boy? Want me to check?" Xellos teased, touching Hiero's hair in a very picky manner. Hiero never felt so sick in his life. Xellos had been feeding him bugs for an hour, he was sure of that, but what made it sickening was the fact Xellos was touching him like he was a doll.

'Or a hooker. This guy is cracked….Xellas made him a real nutcase when it comes to torture. I'm too tired to puke. No, on second thought….Oi!' He thought, throwing up his last helping of live bugs and worms. He'd get back at Xellos for this. This was downright cruel, even to do to smart-mouthed child. He thought he'd get hit or beaten, not played with, Xellos pretending he was some brat kid feeding his dolly.

The bug feeding stopped, giving Hiero time to toss the rest of them out onto the floor. He wasn't tied up or anything, but rather forced into a corner. Xellos had been holding him in place the entire time feeding and fingering him. "Bleh! I'm sure, namagomi! Why don't you cram those things up your nose and blow!" Hiero snapped, not caring anymore. Bugs were awful tasting, but you got used to the taste after five helping had been crammed down your unwilling throat. He'd rather be eating bugs than have this Mazuko touching him and insulting him.

'They feed on hate according to Mom's books….and fear. I'm not afraid of him….but he's pretty disgusting and irritating. Hmm….,' Hiero was thinking, gasping when he felt his left wrist get squeezed, then a white hot pain slitting down his middle finger to just above his wrist,' The bastard's trying to fillet me now….Oh gross, he's licking my wound. The Mazuko are weird freaks. Yuck, and he's giggling about it. If I could see, I'd poke him in the eyes.'

"You're so cute I could eat you up. I think I will too. Before I'm done with you, you'll be begging to be a Mazuko. Then this might be enjoyable for both of us. Hee, hee, you taste so sweet, so full of hatred. You're going to spoil me, cutie pie." Xellos tittered, laughing as if this was a kind action.

Hiero just wanted to rip his voice box out, the Mazuko sounded way too cheerful about what he was doing to him, like this was fun beyond all fun. Hiero decided not to say anything, relying on Xellos' eyes to let him know where he was.

The Mazuko's blue-gloved hands were all he could really see, so he had no choice but to keep pay attention to where the channeling was getting him. He noticed a shiny thing around Xellos right wrist, a palm-sized red gem embedded in a silver bracelet. It seemed to glimmer at Hiero. He knew it couldn't be part of the Demon Lord, he wasn't feeling anything from it, but it had power.

'He probably stole it after he killed some poor dope and just wears it to remember the day. He's a Mazuko, he doesn't need any amplifiers for his magic….but I'd like it. He seems to intent on teasing and bullying me to even think that I see it too. Ah yuck, he's licking me again. That tears it, literally!' Hiero thought, his little Mazuko eyes of pure blue snapping open hatefully, but he could tell Xellos hadn't noticed. Xellos' gaze was aimed at Hiero cheek and ear, which he was currently licking.

Hiero just waited, hating trying to keep his cool when the Mazuko bit his neck, a playful one but painful from the way Xellos was giggling. The moment he felt Xellos lick his ear, he whipped his head around and bit down on the shocked Mazuko's tongue and tore it out with one growl-filled tug. He held it for a minute like a wild animal holds fresh prey, spitting it back at a Xellos. He heard an angry growl, and smiled.

"Ack…." Was Xellos reply afterwards, cold demon blood splashing against Hiero's face as Xellos tried talking, but his lack of a tongue only made him sound like he was spitting and drooling heavily.

Hiero kicked out and clawed, getting the Mazuko by his wrist before he yanked and shoved, hoping he had caught Xellos off guard enough to topple him. He was proved wrong when his hair was grabbed at and he felt his feet lift off the floor. He grabbed Xellos wrist again, pretending to try and break free.

"Tsk, tsk….you're not very intelligent after all. You can't hurt me. I am Mazuko. Your anger and hatred are just making me happier, can't you tell?" Xellos said, and Hiero almost thought he heard teeth grinding. "Yeah right. I tricked you and you're pissed cause I'm a whelp. Big bad Mazuko is insulted. You are nothing but a worthless pile of refuse, you namagomi fruitcake!" Hiero said happily, grinning.

Xellos gave him a harsh shaking and slammed him into a wall before yanking him back to where he stood. Hiero just went on smiling, giving the Mazuko a taste of his own medicine. Xellos occasionally slammed him into something as he started walking. 'Maybe I think he is….for all I know, he could be floating. Like it matters.' Hiero thought, feeling himself get thrown into something metallic and cold. Something that was swinging back and forth with a terribly howling wind blowing through it.

"Rot in here for a while, not like you'll notice until you start to freeze, you little blind bother. This block all magic except that of the Mazuko, so you can't break free. Isn't that nice? I'll be back in a week, happy trails."

"Wait a minute! What the hell is so important that you leave me all alone in this place and you don't have to watch me?" Hiero queried.

Xellos chuckled, Hiero taking note of the faint tapping of his staff before the Mazuko spoke. "That's a secret. Toodles." Xellos chirped, then Hiero heard nothing.

'Thought that obnoxious chump would never leave. Guess he's not as smart as he thinks he is or he would have noticed that he's missing some jewelry. Sucker," Hiero mused silently, feeling at his surroundings,' A cage….how cute. Like I haven't been shoved in something this corny before. Anti-magic, huh? Big deal….Dad taught me how to pick locks. Hmm, well, he would have personally if Mom wasn't hell bent on making me a priest. Dream siphoning is such a treasure to me.'

He had always liked the ability in his first life, to be able to touch someone in a deep sleep and poke around their heads without their knowledge, accessing memories, spells, dreams, and skills Hiero had felt were useful. It was a psychic spell and only a rare group of talented people could pull it off, Hiero being one of the very few and the rest half-breed elves. His homeland had been very picky about breeding, half-breeds of any kind ordained by world law to be lynched or burned to prevent them from using their powers against the pure people.

'Pure….more like weak and paranoid fools. The few I was able to save gave me knowledge beyond my imagination and I….I gave them freedom and hope to avoid death. They were an interesting lot. Heh, thanks to those who'd managed to master it, I was able to excel at it. It's helped me learn so much. Even how to use common metal pieces to pick locks. Xellos, dear stupid Xellos, you didn't do your homework as well as you thought. Now that's a real secret.'

He smiled to himself when his probing fingers found the lock. Hiero, reached into his pockets and pulled out a piece of his father's hair he'd taken when his father had taken it out. The hair in question had become a bit crooked, so with a quick yank from Mom with the pliers it was out and in the garbage basket. It had been back when he still had a dog, so it was fairly easy to take it out and keep it for lock picking. He wasn't old enough and lacked the amount of saved allowance to buy thieves' tools anyway Most importantly, he knew that his mother would have kittens if she, the Bandit Killer, found such things in his room.

"What she doesn't know won't hurt me. Yes, it is so true." He chuckled, starting to pick the lock with the stiff metal hair. In a few minutes he got the lock open and put the hair back in his pocket. Hiero took a moment to listen to the winds around him as he put Xellos' bracelet in his other pocket, sticking one of his feet out below the cage.

"Darn, this must be hanging in a pit, but the wind is coming from above, so that means the way out is by going up. I'll have to jump out of this thing before I can get any levitation spells to work, this anti-magic crap will hinder my escape if I stay in this thing. I'm glad I'm blind now, who'd want to have to see a bottomless pit or whatever kind of pit this is?" he said, steeling himself before leaping out of the cage.

"RAY WING!" he yelped, feeling the gravity of endless air yank his little body down. He jerked in mid-air as the spell took hold, thinking his hardest to make the protective bubble take him out of this place. "I'll probably have to float out of here, just my luck. There are no maps to the island of Xellas….I wouldn't know where to go. I can't teleport yet. I'd need to tap into a sleeping Mazuko for that, if they actually sleep." He was telling himself, setting himself down when he was sure he'd gone at least several miles away from the cage pit. He met with land, much to his happiness, but he was lost and blind, with no one to touch to guide him to safety.

"I can't wait here for Mom and Dad to come for me….Xellas might kill them. I can't have that. If this is Wolf Pack Island, maybe there are wolves I can use….but the thing is, would Xellas know if I was using them if I channeled through them?" he pondered, grumbling in frustration as he sat himself down on the rocky ground. He just sat and thought, his mind coming up with nothing that didn't require his true strengths that were going to lay dormant until he went through certain events or his eyes which were pretty useless.

Hiero felt like crying, but he was too old in his mind for that. His body seemed to disagree with him, but he held back the frustrated tears, not wanting to attract any hungry Mazuko. "Fear, pain, sorrow, and hate….how they love it all. Hmmph, I used to hold nothing but indifference in my heart. I never enjoyed the pain I caused, I just didn't care. Because Delphine didn't care, when I get out of here I fully intend to enjoy hurting those that hurt me. Well, except Xellos, he can have the indifference and starve." Hiero grumbled. He whipped about in his sitting position when heard a scraping sound.

"Who speaks the name of that little rat trickster priest? Who dares say his name in my grotto? Heh! Speak up!" said a craggy and grating voice, like it hadn't been used in centuries. Hiero just waited, hearing whatever was yelling at him shuffled closer, the smell of rotting flesh and filth nearly making him heave out what little food he had left in his stomach.

"Just a little Mazuko boy. That you Phibrizo?" the thing said, a scaly claw clutching Hiero's little hand. His channeling started up again, Hiero's face in the thing's line of vision. It was a head taller than him, the claw old, green and papery. His clothing was a bit similar to Xellos', from what Hiero could see from its eyes.

'Phibrizo….the Hellmaster. He took the form of a child and this guy's vision is a bit crummy. I look like an oil painting. Hmm, this could work to my advantage.' Hiero thought, smiling wickedly.

"Yes, it's me. Who the hell are you, disgusting excuse for a Mazuko?!" Hiero said in his most commanding voice. The creature seemed to shiver and suddenly stiffen. 'Senile, weak, and stupid….maybe he's just an old troll. Don't blow this, kid, he might get you out of here.

"Hellmaster, it is I, Hellas, Xellas' former general. She got tired of me a thousand or so years ago and found that human trash Xellos to replace me. He was some fool, I tell you, Hellmaster, a fool indeed. She made him a Mazuko and let him absorb all my strength and energy, casting me out near the ruins of the city that once stood here so she'd never have to look at me again. You in need of a general, Lord Phibrizo?" the old Mazuko grated out, both claws taking his hands.

"I might….a city, huh? I haven't seen that. You know Xellas and her little secrets. Take me to this city and we'll talk….I don't know if you deserve the honor of serving me." Hiero chuckled evilly, the Mazuko gasping proudly. He was soon dragging young Hiero off into the dark lands that Hiero had no desire to see, but he was getting to with Hellas' poor eyesight. Blurry as it was, he could still make out what he was looking at.

'Mazuko general, so he probably knows how to concentrate a teleportation spell like Xellos can. He's weak, so I can probably knock him out long enough to drag out his memories about that….and maybe the whereabouts of the other pieces of Ruby-Eyed Shabranigdo. This is too perfect….' Hiero thought, not really paying attention until he slammed into the back of Hellas' body, getting a face full of scales and dirt, or least he hoped it was dirt.

"Here we are, Lord Phibrizo….Seren, the city of the double moons." Hellas chuckled is a raspy sort of way. Hiero grimaced when he saw what Hellas was looking at, a crumbled entrance that had to busts atop it, their naked posteriors facing their way, two women's rear ends carved in dark marble and larger than any statue he was familiar with. He could see naked rears had been carved on the sides of some of the pillars within and on the crumbling walls. Hiero personally couldn't summon the strength to even laugh and just rolled his blind eyes.

"Someone around here has a sick sense of humor." Hiero said, gasping when he found out he'd said it out loud. Hellas seemed unaffected by the comment and started talking again. "It was once a disgustingly happy place full of peace and harmony, then Xellas was created and she wiped the entire city out. She left it up here as a reminder to anyone else that dare throw sickening good things in her face on her island. The man that designed this place was a genius though. Everyone said what a brilliant man he was, constantly, how his designs touched the souls of all who once lived here." Hellas said, almost in awe.

Hiero didn't share his sentiments. "I think the designer was some kind of twisted ass freak. This was a waste of marble….Now Hellas, take me through it….there's something past this that I desire. If you want to be restored as my general, you'd better do it. You'll really make Xellos look bad, he's been screwing up missions terribly lately." Hiero lied, making himself sound as sweet as sugar.

Hellas bought it as he tugged anew on the boy, leading him through the ridiculous ruined city devoted to rear ends in any shape possible. 'I hope I never have to do this again. I'm actually glad she destroyed them, what a pack of weirdoes. Now, onto Crabby's riddle.' Hiero thought, playing the dark lord's riddle through his mind over and over again.

Past the sea of chaos, the golden charm awaits. The dark rainbow of pain beyond the blackest sea that sates. What feeds this place beyond the ruins of the double moons, where Mazuko thrive and the she-wolf croons.

'Xellas can become a wolf….so I'm on the right island. I've never read about any other she-wolves in my books and this is in the sea of chaos. From what Hellas is seeing here, this entire island is made of obsidian or black rock, maybe lava rock. The Mazuko are most definitely around this pit of hell. Now all I have to look out for is painful dark rainbow and the talisman is mine. Keep being a huge dope, Hellas, then I'll have your mind to guide me out of here with my prizes. Nobody messes with me.' He thought wickedly.

"Look out for anything that resembles a dark and painful rainbow, Hellas. My prize is beyond it." Hiero piped up, hearing Hellas grunt out something. "No rainbows here, Lord Phibrizo, only the Acid Lagoon and its waterfall. That sort of looks like a rainbow with all the corrosive potions flowing through it. I'll take you there, my soon to be boss. Yes, Xellos will be so jealous." Hellas was chuckling, his other hand cracking when he flexed his green and withered fingers.

"Trust me….he won't know what hit him till its too late." Hiero smiled, getting an evil look in his eyes. 'And neither will you.' He added mentally.

~

"We're here….now what, Lord Phibrizo?" Hellas asked anxiously, as anxious as his aged voice could manage. Hiero was glad this guy was so eager and so near-sighted, but having everything looks like soup was bugging him. "Take me closer. It's behind the falls, I can feel the power. Closer, Hellas." Hiero told him, and the thing complied.

'Almost….man, that talisman is strong. Like its calling out to me with all of Shabranigdo's hatred….and Lei Magnus' power. Can't let him free or I'd have to kill him. He made the Dragon Slave spell, that's Mom's and my spell. He'll stay trapped, but I'm taking his piece. Heh, just a little closer, Hellas, closer.' He thought, the multicolored and bubbling falls, like some lagoon of paint, getting brighter.

The stench of acids reached him, the pure corrosive odor making his nose cringe. When Hellas stopped, they were right next to the ten-foot tall waterfall, but Hiero could see through the creature that the water surrounded whatever was behind it all the way. "Now what, Hellmaster? I'm too weak to teleport….could you take me with you?" Hellas asked, fear in his voice. 'Phibrizo did a number on you, didn't he? Well, not to worry, it'll all be over soon.' He thought smiling.

"Certainly….As a matter of fact, I've been dying to do this ever since we met." Hiero chuckled, grabbing Hellas by the back suddenly and casting Levitation to send both himself and the flailing Mazuko through the acid waterfall, Hellas taking all of the corrosive liquid face first. He howled all the way through, Hiero discarding him on the inner sanctum. He dragged the heavily burned Mazuko along with him, making sure the thing's eyes were facing forward. He forced himself to move faster when Hellas' eyes started to blur worse.

'I can see the talisman….it's right there….grab it now! His mind will survive this long after I'm done getting my prize.' Hiero thought, the power drawing him forth and he let go of the moaning Hellas. Hiero knew he just had to run forward to get it, he sensed no magical traps and saw no physical ones. It proved to be in his fortune to reach the freezing cold talisman of pure gold, the power fluxing through his little hands when he touched it.

"Mine….it's all mine. Shabranigdo, I did it! I found the talisman that will bring about your resurrection!! And your destruction." Hiero laughed, turning quickly on his heels to head back for where he'd left Hellas. The Mazuko was still alive, but had passed out from the pain.

'Weak….Xellos took all his abilities, that's why he's so durable. Not Hellas, he's just another miserable creature waiting to die. I'd rather there be one less Mazuko in this world. I don't need him being given powers later on. Time for the dream spell.' He thought, putting a finger to the acid soaked Mazuko's head.

"Gah, that burns, but its nothing a recovery spell won't cure later on. Time for me to do my thing." he sighed, putting talisman about his neck and stuffing it in his shirt before chanting his spell. "Dream God of all creation, through nightmare seas where dark spirits reign, grant passage within the dream world, I ask of this of the Astral Plane. Dream Merge!" he chanted quietly, a haze of blue lightly shooting from his head down to the finger against Hellas' unconscious body.

'Its not time yet, L-sama, its not time for you to involve yourself yet. I'll meet you then....' he thought faintly, taking in all of the dying Hellas' memories and thoughts away into his own body.

"Its better this way, Hellas. Now you can rest. You'll never see or hear Xellos ever again, you poor deluded fool. You would have died anyway…." Hiero said sarcastically, enjoying the memories that flowed into him.

~ The Inverse Home ~

"Let's go already, Zel. Xellos could be doing anything to my baby! Hurry up!" Lina screamed from outside, her patience long gone. True, it had only been ten minutes since Xellos took Hiero away, but Xellos was Mazuko. Time meant nothing to them, and neither did human lives.

"I'm coming….I don't want to be ill prepared to hunt that fruitcake down. Wherever he took him, we'll find him. Just be patient and get a Ray Wing ready….!" Zel shouted from within the house, still searching for his sword.

'I'll kill him….no, I'll stuff him in a church, break his arms, his legs, that stupid grin, jab out his eyes, and then I'll kill him. How dare he steal our son! That bastard Mazuko! Oh L-sama, why Hiero!? He's just a little boy!' Zel thought painfully, gritting his teeth as he ripped through his closet to locate his sword.

Val and Filia were helping him, they wanted to help them as well. Val was only as old as Hiero, Zel had been fighting with her for five minutes to leave him with the church for his own safety. However, young Val piped up loudly that he was going to fight to protect his best friend just like Hiero said he would for Val. Zel had been touched that Hiero and Val thought so highly of each other. Filia was against his going, but Val ran out of the room to find a weapon to help, he said he wasn't going to abandon Hiero for anything, even if he was still a kid.

'Those two only have each other, looking the way they do. Lina was always right about people, they just judge so much about appearances that there's no changing their minds, even when it hurts even the most innocent people. I just hope Hiero is all right. I'd die if anything happened to him….' Zel thought, finally finding his sword wedged in the darkest corner of the closet.

"Ok, Filia, get Val out now. We're leaving." Zel announced, running past the dragon maiden and then past her son who was in the hall with Hiero' staff. 'I'll have to cast a sleep spell on him….he can't fight with that. He's not strong enough yet. I know he wants to help, but that won't prevent him from getting killed.' He thought.

Zelgadis had reached the kitchen when it filled with a dark energy ripple that went from black to purple in a few seconds. He shielded his eyes as the energy expanded, bracing himself for an attack. It never came, all he heard was a loud thud and yelp of pain.

"And I thought the book hurt….this table's like a rock. Ouch!" said a small and irritated voice.

Hiero….

"Dad!!" said the voice, anxious yet frightened," MOM! I'm home. I got away! Mom? Dad? Ohh, please say you're still here, please!"

Zelgadis finally looked up too see his very bruised and dirty looking son, tears nearly escaping his eyes at the sight of what had been done to him. There was blood and little black things on his mouth, blood in his hair, his hands had scratches all over them and his clothes looked like they'd been through hell and back.

"HIERO!" Zelgadis cried, the sight too much for him to control his emotions any longer, grabbing his suddenly joyous son in his strong arms. "DAD!" Hiero cried, nuzzling his face against Zelgadis' stone shoulder.

"How? How did you get away….did they send you back….?" Zelgadis asked stupid. He knew very well that once a Mazuko took something, you weren't getting it back without a fight. Hiero nodded anyway.

"A Mazuko sent me back, I tricked him. The dummy thought I was some guy named Phibrizo. He sent me back when I asked. The guy was really near-sighted when I channeled through him, but he was old and weak. He was Xellas' old general before Xellos. That mean wolf lady Xellas….she tried to make me like the namagomi! Don't let her get me! Please!" Hiero cried, sobbing audibly.

Zelgadis patted him on his back, rocking him back and forth in his arms. "No, we won't let them touch you again. Never….I'll guard your sleep every night if I have to, Hiero, I won't let them harm you again."

"ZEL!! What's taking you so long??….-gasp- Hiero! My baby boy! Hiero! Oh by L-sama, you're home!" Lina cried out, rushing forth to hug her son and husband with tear filled eyes. None of them noticed Filia and Val until they joined in the hugging, making Hiero gasp for air.

'Its good to have friends and family….it's good to be missed. Mmm, never want to leave this….my family. All mine.' Hiero thought happily, clutching at his shirt gently, where the talisman of Lei Magnus was still hidden.

'I will protect you all from the Mazuko when the time comes, I'll pay back all your kindness, I will. I just hope Delphine does my immortality gift right this time, no more losses. My family won't be hurt this time.' he added mentally, smiling pleasantly as he felt Val's small hand grip his.

"Life is good." Hiero said quietly, sighing contently as the hugging slowly ended.

To Be Continued….