Slayers is the property of Kadokawa Shoten. NAGA: Naga the White Serpent here! Normally, Lina chan would go over what’s happened before, but just like Lina chan, she’s out making a pig of herself! LINA: (Sitting at a campfire with Gourry and Amelia.) ACHOO! Hmmm…If I didn’t know better…I’d say someone was talking about me behind my back… NAGA: Anyway…After many adventures with my associates, Stony, Sylphiel, Achi, and my priest side-kick of questionable worth, Xellos, we’ve finally found the island, Zarak Tor….Now where the hell is my money, Xellos?! XELLOS: Money? Did I say, “money?” NAGA: YES, YOU SAID MONEY, DAMMIT! Anyhoo! It seems that Sylphiel and Stony…I mean…Zelgadis…Had a *very* interesting evening last night celebrating his acquittal by the Wheel of Justice… SYLPHIEL: (Blushing) It’s not what you think! Not what you think at all! NAGA: Of course it’s not….Yeah, right! Adara is still trying to get Stony, and Achi…Hey, where is Achi anyway? She’s been acting a little suspicious lately… "Slayers Faces" Part 6 By: Davner Unmasked! Achi Revealed! Zelgadis woke up slowly, not really caring if he woke up at all. He wasn’t quite sure where he was, so he tried to mentally retrace his steps from last night. He could feel tiny daggers scratching his back through his tunic. He realized that he was lying on straw. Something covered him, a blanket of some kind. He looked down and saw it was made of a familiar purple material. He felt something move against his right side and turned his head. Sylphiel’s head was nestled against his shoulder, her hand coming up to rest on his chest. The blanket was actually her cape. He panicked for a moment and tried to remember what had happened. They were both still fully clothed, so he was fairly certain that nothing…er…final…had happened. It came back to him a moment later, and he breathed a sigh. He remembered now. They had fallen asleep like this, spending the night talking and holding one another. (I guess we lost track of time,) he thought. Not that he minded, really. It had been a night of revelations for them both. Someone loved him. For a man who had never known what that felt like, the realization had hit him like a kick from a wild horse. He felt her stir against him and remained perfectly still, not wishing to disturb her sleep. He was content to remain like this for just a little longer. Sylphiel felt him stir and tried to stay very still so as not to disturb him. She didn’t want to let on that she was awake yet. She was trying desperately to savor every moment of being held by him. She thought about last night, about how he had come to comfort her, had held her…had kissed her. She couldn’t help but smile sleepily when she thought about how warm it had felt. For a few seconds when his lips touched hers, all the problems in the world seemed to fly away. She had felt so warm, so safe… What did this mean for them now? She sighed to herself softly and let her mind play with the idea. What would happen now? Now that Zelgadis dear was cured, he would undoubtedly want to move on to a normal life. He may continue to travel, and if so, she’d go with him, refusing to leave his side. Days would be spent exploring the greater world around them, and nights spent nestled together in a sleeping roll. Or perhaps he’d prefer to settle down somewhere. He did have options open to him. He was, after all, willingly or not, educated by Rezo the Red Priest, one of the five wise men of the age. And with his knowledge of magic, he could probably teach at any of a hundred universities. He had certainly done a fine job teaching her. They could get a small house in the city and live the simple dream of being a family. (Sylphiel Greywords…) her mind played with. Oh, no, it was far too early to even play with an idea like that! (Sylphiel Greywords.) Okay, maybe just *a little* toying… She snuggled into the crook of his shoulder and rested against him. She loved feeling this way. “Sylphiel?” she heard him whisper. “Hmm?” she replied. “I have to go.” Her response was to hold tighter. “Not yet,” she begged. Soft fingers touched her hair, stroking it gently. “I still have to find that weapon,” he told her. “The sooner, the better. I have to go back up that mountain.” “They’ll arrest you again if you do that,” she told him. “I don’t have a choice.” “Of course you do.” He looked down at her and blinked. “Miss Zuanna goes up that mountain every week,” Sylphiel told her. “I spoke with her for awhile last night, one shrine maiden to another. If anyone on this island knows where the weapon of Zarak Tor is, it’s her.” He just stared down at her in surprise. Why didn’t he think of that? (You’re used to people looking at a devil and saying no…) “I’m sure if you ask her about it, she’ll try to help,” the shrine maiden said softly and yawned, snuggling closer. “I…I think I will,” Zelgadis told her. “Good,” Sylphiel whispered. “That means you don’t have to leave yet.” Zelgadis chuckled. If there really was no reason to leave… Suddenly, Sylphiel lifted her head. “I know!” She looked up at him. “I’ll make you breakfast!” “You don’t have to do that,” he told her. “I want to,” she assured him, climbing to her feet. “You stay here. I’ll be right back.” “Sylphiel…” She rushed forward and kissed him lightly on the lips. “I promise.” With that, she dashed out the door. Zelgadis sighed and smiled, resting back against the pile of hay. Sylphiel hummed happily as she cracked an egg on the edge of the pan and started to fry it. She’d have to remember to replace the ingredients she was borrowing from Adara’s cupboard later. “Well!” she heard someone behind her call out. “You were out late last night,” Naga commented, leering over her shoulder. Sylphiel blushed. “Er…yes…I…was speaking to Miss Zuanna about Elven religious practices…” “Of course you were,” Naga agreed, brushing some straw off of Sylphiel’s back. Sylphiel turned an even deeper red. “What’s going on?” Achi asked as she entered the room. “Our little Sylphiel chan has had an interesting night,” Naga told her. Sylphiel tried to ignore them and went back to frying the egg. “Oh,” Achi smiled. “Did you have fun with Mister Zelgadis?” she asked. Sylphiel sweatdropped. “I…I don’t know what you mean…” she stated. “Oh no?” Naga asked with another leer. “That’s a big breakfast you’re making,” she commented, looking at the tray of toast, juice, and bacon already prepared. “Going to eat all that yourself?” “N…No…” Sylphiel confessed. Naga and Achi grinned at one another. “Then who’s it for?” Naga pressed. “I…I thought Zelgadis dear…” “’Zelgadis dear?’” Naga asked. “I mean Mister Zelgadis!” Sylphiel tried to catch. “I just thought he might like breakfast!” “Well, you’re forgetting something, Child,” Naga told her. “What?” Naga grinned evilly. “Dessert…Oh wait! That’s right! You *didn’t* forget dessert, did you!? You served it last night!” Sylphiel was the color of her cape by now. Achi smiled and decided to make things even more uncomfortable for the priestess. “Oneechan, I don’t understand. What’s Miss Naga saying you did last night?” Sylphiel began to sweat profusely. “Were there any strawberries?” The three shrieked in surprise and found Xellos standing behind them, a smile on his face. “NOTHING HAPPENED! NOTHING AT ALL!” Sylphiel cried out. She returned to making breakfast. Naga’s grin refused to leave her face. “So…what you’re saying is…that you made the soufflé…you just didn’t eat it?” “Maybe it just didn’t rise,” Xellos suggested innocently. “It rose just fine!” Sylphiel cried, then clapped her hands over her mouth. She sniffed and turned back to the pan. “Fine! Since it’s obvious you all know, anyway, I’ll tell you! I was with Zelgadis dear last night…talking.” “Talking?” they all asked skeptically. “Yes, talking!” she stated. “I’ll have you know that Zelgadis dear is a true gentleman and a romantic! One doesn’t need to be…intimate…to convey intimacy!” She concentrated on flipping the egg over. “After all, once a man and a woman have expressed…feelings…for one another….there’s no rush at all.” It was obvious to everyone present that she was now just blathering incoherently. “Two people can express those emotions by simply…kissing…or holding one another…or…with soft caresses…” She paused and shivered as she remembered it. Naga arched an eyebrow and turned to Xellos, whispering. “Jeez, Stony’s never going to get any at this rate…” “I think it’s sweet!” Achi cried defensively. “If Mister Zelgadis and Oneechan are happy together, that should be the end of it!” “Thank you, Achi.” “Even if she is a prude…” Sylphiel hit the floor. Climbing to her feet, she quickly placed the egg on the tray and carried it out the door with a huff. The three waited for a second before breaking out into laughter. Sylphiel heard them laughing behind her but paid it no heed. It didn’t matter what they thought anyway. What mattered was that Zelgadis dear was waiting for her. She opened the barn door with her elbow and smiled as she stepped inside. It was empty. She blinked. Where was Zelgadis dear? “I guess he stood you up,” she heard behind her. She turned and found Naga standing there. “Where did he go?” the shrine maiden whispered, more to herself than anyone else. “I’m sure he just stepped out for a minute,” Naga assured her, closing the door behind her. She smiled. It had occurred to her that this new situation presented an opportunity to cause a small…diversion…to keep Zelgadis and Sylphiel from interfering while she looked for the treasure. It wasn’t anything *BAD*…just…sneaky. As she watched Sylphiel turn different shades of red in the kitchen, it had dawned on her just what Sylphiel was… A very traditional…very lady-like…very *naïve*… Virgin. Sylphiel looked up to find Naga barely an inch from her. “So…” Naga began innocently enough, “No souffle?” The shrine maiden cleared her throat and blushed. “Tell me, child,” Naga grinned, “Didn’t you want to?” “I’m sure he just stepped out,” Sylphiel said and made for the door. Naga took her by the elbow. “Didn’t your mother ever give you ‘The Talk’ when you were growing up?” “My mother died when I was six,” Sylphiel breathed quietly. Naga’s face fell. “I was only a little older when my mom died,” she told her. Neither spoke for a moment. Naga smiled. “Allow me to be her surrogate!” Sylphiel blinked. “What do you mean?” The White Serpent took her and sat her down on a bale of hay, placing the tray of food between them. She poured Sylphiel a cup of tea and handed it to her. “Child,” she began, “When a woman wishes to fully express the depth of her love for the man of her dreams, there is something she must do…” Sylphiel paid close attention as Naga continued on. “I’m afraid I don’t understand,” Zelgadis told the priestess. Zuanna tried to think of a better way to explain it as she walked down the road. “The mountain is the home of our holy garden. There is nothing else up there. I don’t know who told you of this weapon, but they were mistaken.” “That’s not possible,” Zelgadis told her. “I’m living proof of it. Something is keeping magic from working on this island!” “Of course,” Zuanna told him plainly. “The will of the gods. They keep us safe from the Great Wind Dragon.” “There has to be more,” Zelgadis told her. “Something. Anything!” A slight aftershock at that moment gave him an idea. “A cave in! Have you ever heard of or seen evidence of an avalanche or cave in?” “None,” Zuanna assured him. Zelgadis reached up and pulled at his brown hair in frustration. “I don’t believe this.” “You were up there,” Zuanna pointed out. “You saw for yourself. We have no secret weapon. Only the garden. I suppose you could call that magical, if a different kind of magic. The mountain provides the trees that provides the fruit of our salvation.” “What do you mean?” he asked. Zuanna smiled. “The holy fruit. It’s a part of the gods. We take it into ourselves on our holy days, and it protects us, allows the power of the gods to keep us safe and hidden from the evil of the Dragon King.” “That’s fine for a religion, but it doesn’t really help me much…” Zuanna’s face fell. “I’m sorry, Mister Zelgadis. Perhaps your answer lies elsewhere.” “Like where?” She blinked. “I know! We’ll pray for answers!” “Excuse me?” Before he could react, Zuanna grabbed his hand and dragged him down to his knees next to her, right in the middle of the road. She clasped her hands in front of her and closed her eyes as she began to pray. “Great God, giver of light!” “Oh my god…” Zelgadis muttered. “Please grant Mister Zelgadis the answers he seeks!” “Please get me the hell out of here,” he muttered under his breath. “GRANT HIM KNOWLEDGE, OH GREAT GOD!” “Grant him an escape plan,” he echoed quietly… She was silent for several moments. “Now what?” he asked. “We wait for God to give you knowledge,” she told him. “How long does that take?” “I have no idea,” she replied. He sighed. He didn’t have time for this. Were all elves this utterly dense? Maybe it was the diet. (Heh…Holy fruit causes stupidity.) He smiled inwardly. (What kind of fruit is that, anyway?) he wondered. He had seen a good part of the world, and he had never seen anything like it. (The way the elves go on about, you’d think it really was God’s fruit. Protection indeed…) He blinked. The trees were awfully important to them, important enough to kill for by the way they conducted his trial. And the elf that had attacked him at Inverse seemed to somehow carry the island’s powers with him… Zelgadis blinked as it finally dawned on him… “The trees,” he whispered. “They were using the trees…” “And that’s when you know he’s done!” Naga announced in conclusion. Sitting on the hay bale across from her, Sylphiel placed a shaking tea cup back on its saucer, the sound of the two porcelain objects clanking together could be heard throughout the barn. The shrine maiden was pale now, the blood having drained from her face. She put her hands in her lap and continued to shake. (Quivering in anticipation and want,) Naga thought proudly. (That should take care of the two of them.) “It…um…sounds…er….” Sylphiel struggled through her fear. “I mean…” “It’s all right, Child,” Naga waved away the perceived thanks. “You needn’t thank me.” “Miss Naga…are you…um…*certain* …that all women do this?” “Oh, yes! Of course! Sometimes even two women or two men get together and…” Sylphiel turned green. “Thank you!” she said quickly, raising a hand to stop her. “I…I think I see…” Naga grinned. “It’s okay to be a little nervous,” she assured the shrine maiden, who was closer to being scared out of her mind than just a little nervous. “You’ll enjoy it. Trust me. And after all, it’s what *he* wants.” Sylphiel swallowed nervously. “And, I should point out,” Naga whispered, pointing out the window. “There are others waiting…” Sylphiel turned and saw Adara hanging up laundry not far away. She looked back to Naga in shocked fear. “You mean…she would…Zelgadis dear?” The White Serpent nodded sagely. “If she thought she could get your Zelgadis dear away from you, she most certainly would….the slut…” she threw in. “Wh…What should I do?” Sylphiel asked. Naga grinned. If this had been going any smoother, she’d swear it was a dream. “Well,” she began conspiratorially, “First you find him…” “Right…” “Then kiss him and take him somewhere private…” Sylphiel started to turn red again. “And then refer to lessons one through three that we just went through!” The shrine maiden started shaking again. “You’re going to have the most wonderful time!” Xellos blinked as the barn door opened up and a rather shaken Sylphiel stepped outside. “Ah, Miss Sylphiel…are you feeling all right?” “I’m fine…fine…” Sylphiel told him. “Excuse me.” With that, Sylphiel went off in search of Zelgadis. Naga appeared at the door a moment later and watched as Sylphiel walked out of earshot. “OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!!!” “Miss Sylphiel doesn’t appear to be herself this morning,” Xellos noted. Naga ignored the statement. “Come, priest side-kick of questionable worth!” she cried. “We go to find treasure!” “Just when did I become *your* sidekick?” Xellos asked her. She turned to him. “It’s just the way things are. The shorter person is always the sidekick!” The Mazoku’s eye twitched “First it was Lina, now it’s you. Now let’s get going! I managed to buy us a few hours. Let’s use them.” Xellos sighed. Without his powers, this was probably the best lead he had. He hefted his staff and followed. Sylphiel tried taking a few deep breaths as she went over in her mind again just what would happen…according to Naga, anyway… Okay, it *did* sound…well…a little exciting, but from the way Naga had described it, it sounded more like an attack…and what was that bit about chocolate sauce anyway? She saw Zelgadis not far up the road and stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart was beating like a drum. She began to sweat. He saw her and started running towards her. (Be strong, Sylphiel,) she told herself. (You don’t want to lose him, do you?) She put on a smile and waited for him to arrive. In his haste and excitement about his discovery, Zelgadis wasn’t careful about where he stepped and tripped. Sylphiel cried out in surprise as Zelgadis’ weight hit her and knocked her to the ground, the human male landing right on top of her. (Right here?!) her mind cried out. (Outside!? In public!?) “Sylphiel! Are you all right?!” Zelgadis asked her from his position above her. The shrine maiden turned a dark crimson color, nodded, and replied with a quiet, “Mmm hmm.” Zelgadis rose to his feet and helped her up. “I think I know what the weapon is,” he told her excitedly. Before he could continue, she kissed him. He blinked, then suddenly remembered. “Oh,” he said sheepishly. “Breakfast…I forgot. I’m sorry, Sylphiel, but I saw Zuanna walking up the road. It seemed like a good time, and…” “Zelgadis dear, can I ask you something?” she asked. “Of course.” “Would you like me more if I were to…If I….” Zelgadis arched an eyebrow in puzzlement. Sylphiel blushed and leaned up, whispering something into his ear. Zelgadis sweatdropped and remained silent, turning a shade of red to match Sylphiel’s. “Zelgadis dear?” Sylphiel asked. No reply, he just stared straight ahead. “Zelgadis dear?” She tried waving her hand in front of his eyes. The chimera made no sign. “Zelgadis dear?! Are you okay?!” Finally, he blinked. “Who gave you that idea!?” he asked. Sylphiel blushed and turned away slightly. “Well…Naga said…” “Stop. That in itself explains all of it.” He started down the road back towards the house. Sylphiel trotted up and fell into step next to him. “So…you wouldn’t…” “Sylphiel, it’s still kind of early for that, isn’t it?” he asked uncomfortably. Sylphiel blinked in shock. “But…It wasn’t *my* idea!” “I’m kind of old fashioned about that kind of thing,” Zelgadis continued. “So am I! I just…” “I didn’t know you had such a dark side, Sylphiel,” he commented. “I do not!” He smiled. “AND STOP TEASING ME!” She paused and started to giggle. Zelgadis actually laughed. She stopped and stared at him. “What?” he asked as his laughter trailed off. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh at something before,” she told him. He stopped and blinked. “Just once,” he told her. “When we first arrived here.” She looked at his eyes. They seemed so happy. She took his arm. She wanted to hear him laugh some more. “You said something about the weapon.” “Right,” he said. “Let’s talk inside, over breakfast. I’m starving.” “I should have thought of something like this to begin with,” Zelgadis told them, taking a sip of coffee. Sitting next to him, Sylphiel placed a few more pieces of bacon on his plate. “It’s something Rezo was fond of,” he said. “Meaning?” Adara asked. “The term he used was, ‘biological weapons.’” Zelgadis told them. Achi tensed suddenly. “It’s when you take a plant or spore and alter it to be used as a weapon, deliver venom, disease, that kind of thing.” “I’ve heard of this,” Sylphiel spoke up. “Sometimes, invading armies laying siege to a castle would hurl dead animals over the walls so that disease would spread.” Zelgadis shook his head. “It’s not quite the same. In that case, it’s making use of something that already exists. In this one, the elves actually *created* a plant that could disrupt magic fields.” “The holy trees?” Adara asked. “But what kind of weapon could a tree make?” “Actually, it’s ingenious,” Zelgadis told her. He looked down at his empty plate and placed a sausage in the middle of it. “Say this sausage is the tree, and this plate is the island. With the sausage right in the middle, the effects of the tree affect the entire plate, the entire island.” He put a few other sausages on the edges of his plate. “If you add a few more, the affects would spread out to encompass more land, the entire table perhaps.” “Why a tree?” Sylphiel asked. “Why something so difficult to move or carry?” “I think it has to do with the fruit,” he said. “The fruit falls from the tree and is eaten by a bird or a rat. Then the seeds in the fruit are carried and left in the animal’s droppings. A new tree would grow, and another splotch of land would be affected.” He emphasized this by placing another sausage farther away from the plate. “Before long, there wouldn’t be a single untouched area of land in the whole world!” Sylphiel concluded. “Well…then how come there aren’t a bunch of holy trees all over this island?” Adara asked. “I don’t know,” Zelgadis told them. “Maybe it’s the climate here.” Sylphiel blinked as she realized something. “Zelgadis dear! The elf you fought at Inverse! He was immune to magic! Do you think…” He nodded. Zuanna told me that by taking the fruit into themselves, the protection of the gods goes with them. I take that to mean that they eat the fruit…” “Every week,” Adara said with a nod. “So, if *you* ate a piece of the fruit, wouldn’t you….” Zelgadis thought for a moment. “Maybe, then again, the elves we fought had been eating it for hundreds of years. It might not take just one.” “Then we’ll try more!” Sylphiel cried. “Until it does work!” She got out of her chair and ran to where she had placed her bag the other day. “I know I had some…” she muttered. “I threw those out,” Adara said sheepishly. They all looked at her. “Having holy fruit on an unholy day is forbidden!” she explained defensively. “Then we’ll go get more,” Sylphiel stated solemnly. “Achi, do you know where Mister Xellos and Miss Naga went?” She turned. Achi wasn’t there. Sylphiel blinked. “Where did she go?” Naga picked a piece of fruit off the tree and tossed it up and down as she looked over the garden. She took a breath. “This…” “SUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!” The echo of her cry reverberated off the cavern walls. She reached out and grabbed Xellos by the front of his robes. “Okay, side-kick!” she growled. “Where the hell is this treasure you told us about?!” Xellos scratched his head. “Did I say there was a treasure?” “YES! YOU SAID SYLPHIEL WOULD GET HER MONEY BACK AND THOUSANDS MORE!” Xellos hmm’d in thought. “I guess I did imply some sort of monetary reward, didn’t I? Oh well! My bad!” “Your bad?” Naga hissed. “YOUR BAD?!” She growled and threw him to the ground. Xellos stood up and dusted himself off. “You know,” he said, “I doubt very much a treasure would be out in plain sight…assuming there is one.” He looked over a short boulder as he said this. “You know,” Naga whispered, “I’m getting pretty tired of your wise, old sage act. I think I might just ki…” At that time, Xellos tapped the boulder with the end of his staff. The boulder cracked, and a one inch mask of rock fell off the front, revealing a glittering sheet of rock beneath. “KISS YOU!” Naga finished, rushing up to the boulder. She wrapped her arms around the rock and kissed the glittering part. Xellos hmm’d again. “Orihalcon,” he whispered. “That explains part of it. This whole mountain must be rife with it.” Naga was busy kissing the rock. “But orihalcon doesn’t have this kind of effect on the world around it. There’s something more,” the trickster priest mused. Naga stood up, threw her head back, and, “OOOOOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO!” Xellos just gave her a surprised look. “Now that that’s done, we can relax!” She raised the fruit to her lips and took a bite. Her faced turned green. She quickly spit the mouthful out and began to wretch. “UGH! THAT’S DISGUSTING!” she cried. “Is it tasty?” Xellos asked. “It’s hideous!” Naga complained, cleaning out her mouth with a rag. “Ick! Forget lunch. Let’s start thinking about how we’re going to move *my* orihalcon off this mountain.” “Miss Naga! Mister Xellos!” They turned and saw Achi huffing up to them, obviously distraught. “What is it?” Naga asked. Achi stopped and bent over, panting from exhaustion. “It’s…It’s Oneechan!…There was…an accident…She’s dying!” “What?!” was the White Serpent’s reply. “But how!?” Xellos’ eyes narrowed. “A snake bit her!” Achi told them. “Please! You have to help her!” Naga nodded. She knew a bit about serpent bites. Travelling for years allows one to pick up certain tricks. “All right. Let’s go.” Achi was still panting. “Go on…ahead…I can’t…run anymore…” “Come on, side-kick! It’s rescue time!” Naga ran to the cave and for the exit. The young girl continued to pant. Xellos circled around her, staring down at her. “What are you up to?” he asked suspiciously. “It’s Oneechan…” she panted in reply. “Please…you have to help her…” “You really do disappoint me, Achi chan,” he said with a dangerous smile. “I’m…not….kidding…” “Except for one thing,” Xellos noted, “Before this island was an island, it was a peninsula a thousand miles east with a different climate…” “So?” His eyes narrowed. “Zarak Tor wasn’t home to any poisonous snakes.” Achi stopped panting. “You and your guidebooks,” she muttered in annoyance. He smiled. “But you’ve forgotten something too,” she commented. “And what’s that?” She screamed and lunged at him, her hands going to his midsection! Xellos gasped as he felt something cold entering his body. “You’re mortal here, you son of a bitch,” she hissed at him. She pulled her hand back, revealing the blood soaked steak knife she had pilfered from the kitchen. Xellos stumbled back and fell on rear, his hand going to the wound in shock. Achi kicked his staff away and knelt next to him. “Dying sure is different when you do it as a mortal, isn’t it?” she asked quietly. Xellos didn’t reply. “Now stay there and be good.” Xellos was in agony. Sure, he had been injured in the past. Gaav had nearly killed him, and ValGaav had gotten in a few hits of his own, but this was completely different. His body, no longer protected by constantly recycling regeneration, was vulnerable to the same physical sensations as humans. He tried to rise, but immediately felt ill and a splitting pain in his stomach. He fell again. Spots appeared before his eyes. “Orihalcon,” Achi noted as she removed her tiny boots. “That’s the secret. That’s why there are only these few trees in this area. Sure, they’re powers are incredible, but they can only grow in places rich with the ore. That’s why they never made it into the greater world.” She twisted the heel of her boot, and Xellos watched as it came off. “I suppose in the right circumstances and with enough research, one could find a way of exporting their abilities.” She removed a small, red gem from the boot heel. “The elves did it without even realizing it. Eat the fruit and you’re immune to magic…and Mazoku…and Shinzoku.” She removed a second stone, then turned her attention to her other heel. “Metallium…thought it would be something like that…” Xellos bit out, trying to sound calm and casual. “She knew the weapon must have been incredibly…difficult…to main…tain…Which is why the elves gave up…on it…” Achi removed two more red gems and smiled at him. “How long have we known each other, Xellos?” Xellos glared at her. “I remember the day you killed that clan of golden dragons. I remember hearing the thoughts of the other Shinzoku when they first heard about it. ‘How do we fight someone like that?’ they used to ask. Who would’ve thought it’d be so easy?” Xellos tried to smile. “I’m not done quite yet,” he assured her. She showed him the gems. “You will be soon.” She placed the gems on the ground, forming a square about ten feet wide. “One thing about the Wind Dragon King,” she noted, “Is that he’s very single minded. He spent the last thousand years perfecting these, the only things he could think up to counter Zarak Tor’s defenses.” The wounded Mazoku said nothing. Achi stood in the center of the square and gave him a smile before closing her eyes. The gems began to sparkle and crackle with electricity. Xellos gasped as he saw a light begin to form around Achi. She looked up at the sky, and a ray of light shot from her forehead. Achi’s powers had returned to her. Zelgadis blinked as Adara latched onto his arm. “Zel-Ga-Diiiiiis!” she sang. “I happen to know this spring nearby that’s just perfect for a picnic! What do you say you and I have lunch, and we’ll just catch up to Miss Sylphiel farther up the mountain?” Walking on the other side of Zelgadis, Sylphiel actually found herself growling low in her throat. Who was this woman to be throwing herself at *her* Zelgadis dear? She, Zelgadis, and Adara were carrying packs on their backs, intent on bringing back some of the holy fruit. They were almost to the garden now, “I’m sure Miss Sylphiel wouldn’t mind,” Adara pointed out. She looked across Zelgadis at the shrine maiden. “Wouldn’t you, Miss Sylphiel?” The normally meek and even tempered woman grit her teeth. She had known him the longest. She had fought next to him. Hell, she had *slept* with him! Zelgadis noticed that Sylphiel was suddenly showing a blue battle aura. “Um…Sylphiel?” She wanted to throttle that elf. For some odd reason she couldn’t explain, she had this overwhelming urge to beat the life out of that…that…THAT WOMAN! Zelgadis saw the shrine maiden begin to shake and sweatdropped. In desperation, he tried to change the subject. “Err…Adara, what do your people know about the continental shelf?” Adara blinked in puzzlement. “Shelf?” Meanwhile, Sylphiel was still shaking in rage. She just wanted to grab Zelgadis dear right there, kiss him right in front of Adara, and then stick her tongue out at the haughty elf huntress….That’d show her… “Your island seems to be right on the very edge of it. Has anyone ever actually looked to see how far away from the edge you are?” Zelgadis asked her. “No,” Adara shrugged. “The water tends to be deeper at the north end. That’s why we fish there and keep our boats there. The south end is more shallow.” “You must be right on the very edge then,” Zelgadis mused. “That could be trouble…” (Sylphiel! Get ahold of yourself! They’re having a conversation!) She blinked and looked up. Sure enough, Zelgadis was telling Adara about how their proximity to the edge of the shelf could be what was causing the aftershocks and explaining it to her using the same kitchen table metaphor he had used with her. “Zelgadis dear,” she said, returning to her usual self. “Perhaps we should stop for lunch. I made your favorite.” She held up her knapsack containing what she hoped was Zelgadis’ favorite sandwich. “Just put it down and move on,” Adara instructed her with a wave, not even turning to look at Sylphiel as she gazed up at Zelgadis’ eyes. Green fire flashed into Sylphiel’s eyes. Okay, she had never felt like this when Gourry had spent time with Lina, true. But Lina had a more pleasant personality, and Gourry had never been really *HERS*. (Dear Cepheid,) she prayed. (I’ve never asked you for much, but I would really appreciate it if a mountain fell on Miss Adara right now.) She sighed. It was wrong to pray for such things. She was a shrine maiden of Sairaag…She knew better than that… (Dear Cepheid, please cancel my last prayer. Just please do *something* to end this scene…) “HEY!” “Miss Naga!” Sylphiel cried, waving as she saw the White Serpent running down the mountain path towards them. “Look, everyone!” she cried thankfully. “Miss Naga is here!” (Dear Cepheid,) she prayed, (Thank you so much for sending Miss Naga to foil the lecherous schemes of said elf. I really do appre….) Without warning, Naga tackled Sylphiel to the floor! The shrine maiden cried out in shock and fell on her back. Naga reached down and removed Sylphiel’s boots. Zelgadis and Adara looked on in shock. “Where did he bite you?” Naga asked the shocked Sylphiel. “I have to suck it out.” “WHAT?!” “Oh, you have no idea how relieved I am to be hearing this,” Adara said with a sigh. “I didn’t realize you two were involved. I feel so much better!” With that, the elf glomped onto Zelgadis. “Just a moment!” Sylphiel cried, trying to stand up. Naga grabbed her and pinned her down again. (Dear Cepheid. You suck. Sincerely, Sylphiel Nels Lahda, Shrine Maiden of Sairaag….) “Stop moving around!” Naga chastised her. “It’ll take longer that way!” “Let go of me!” the priestess cried in alarm, suddenly remembering what Naga had said about two women during her ‘lesson.’ “Don’t struggle! The venom will move faster!” Sylphiel stopped and blinked. “Venom?!” “What are you talking about, Naga?” Zelgadis asked, trying to disengage Adara from his arm to avoid Sylphiel’s pain-filled look. Naga sat up. “Achi told us you were bit by a snake and needed help,” she supplied. “I’m fine,” Sylphiel told her. She got up and calmly walked over to Zelgadis, reaching out and taking his arm. Adara glared at her. “I don’t understand,” the sorceress told them. “Why would Achi lie to us?” She turned. “Do you know anything about this, side-k…” She blinked, then frowned. “Where did he go?” Suddenly, a bright light flew from the mountain into the sky, forming a pillar of light. They looked at it in awe. “What is that?!” Adara cried, clinging to Zelgadis. Zelgadis’ eyes narrowed. “It’s a magic beacon,” he growled. He started running up the path. “Damn you, Xellos!” The others followed. Xellos began to crawl towards Achi. If he could get within the square formed by those gems, he’d have his powers back. He stuck a hand out, trying to reach past the borderline of the gems, but a blast of electricity from Achi’s outstretched hand struck the ground next to it, still within the barrier. Xellos yelped and withdrew his hand. Achi didn’t even open her eyes as she let her hand fall. “Not so fast,” she told him simply, concentrating on the beacon. He eyed the magic zone as blood dribbled from his wound and between his fingers. He didn’t have much choice. He had to try. “ACHI!” He turned and saw Zelgadis, Naga, Sylphiel, and Adara at the entranceway, staring at the scene in shock. Achi didn’t open her eyes. “Stay back, Oneechan,” she said. “This has nothing to do with you.” “Zelgadis dear! Help me get her out of that!” Sylphiel ordered, running towards them. “Wait!” Xellos tried to warn them. The two humans rushed forward. Achi furrowed her brow and reached out. An energy beam shot from her hand and struck Zelgadis just as he was crossing the border into the field, throwing him back twenty feet. “Zelgadis!” Adara cried, rushing to him. Before Achi could get a bead on Sylphiel, the shrine maiden had a hold of her arm. She gasped in shock, her eyes went wide as electricity seemed to spark between them. “SYLPHIEL!” Zelgadis shouted from the ground. “What’s going on!?” Adara cried in puzzlement. Naga was bending over Xellos, trying to treat his wound. Xellos watched in growing realization. He had an idea what was going on. “What?! What is this place?! Where am I?!” “Welcome, Oneechan.” “Achi chan?! What is this?! What’s going on?!” In the blackness, a small dot of light appeared. Sylphiel ‘walked’ towards it, though she wasn’t sure how. She couldn’t even see her own feet. “I’m sorry I can’t be more hospitable,” Achi’s voice seemed to come from everywhere. “I’m afraid most of my power is being used for my other task.” The dot of light grew bigger, and soon Achi was standing there before her. “What’s going on, Achi chan?” Sylphiel asked in general wonderment. “What is this place?” “This,” Achi said, waving at the expanse around her, “Is me. My mind.” “But…how?” the shrine maiden asked. “You caught me by surprise, Oneechan,” Achi told her seriously. “I didn’t realize you were quite that powerful. When you touched me, you somehow entered the link between my mind and my king.” “King?” Sylphiel whispered. Achi smiled. “The Wind Dragon King, of course.” “But…you’re just a child,” Sylphiel whispered in shock. Achi grinned. “I’m a very mature three thousand year old,” she said. “You’re one of the Shinzoku,” the shrine maiden whispered in surprised realization. “Yes.” “You’re here for the weapon.” “Yes.” “What about the elves?!” Sylphiel cried. “Last time, the Wind Dragon King nearly killed them all!” Achi paused. “That’s none of my concern. I obey my orders, Oneechan. It’s all I have.” “You tricked us,” Sylphiel whispered. “Used me to get here, didn’t you?” “Yes.” Sylphiel marched toward Achi angrily. “I won’t let you hurt them anymore!” she told the Shinzoku. “How many of these poor people grew up without parents because of the Wind Dragon King?! What right does he have to hurt them?!” “We have the right to preserve our race!” Achi hurled back at her. “Why do you think Xellos is here?! He’s here to take the weapon himself!” “But he’s not doing something that will kill everyone here!” Sylphiel shot back. “If the Wind Dragon King comes, what do you think he’ll do?!” “Whatever he has to to make sure the Mazoku are *never* in a position to threaten us!” “And what about the innocent people in the way!?” “Casualties of a war that’s been going on for more than a thousand years, Oneechan.” Sylphiel shook her head. “Unacceptable! I *will* stop you!” She took a step towards Achi, who took a step back in fear. Sylphiel stopped and blinked. She was in Achi’s mind, why would she run? Unless… “You’re vulnerable like this, aren’t you?” Sylphiel whispered. “I’m not supposed to be here,” she said in realization. “Am I?” “Listen to me, Oneechan,” Achi began, ducking the question. “We don’t have to be enemies. The Wind Dragon King is just trying to help all of us. He’ll use the trees to defeat the Mazoku! Wouldn’t that be a *good* thing? For the greatest evil in history to be wiped out?” “And kill innocent people? That’s just one evil replacing another.” She took another step toward the girl. “Wait!” Achi hissed. “Just…wait. Turn around, Oneechan. Turn around, and…” She stopped. “The Wind Dragon King can be *very* generous to his allies,” she told the shrine maiden. She held up a red gem and tossed it to her. Sylphiel caught it without thinking. A flash of light overcame her. She shut her eyes to escape it. When she opened them again… She was sitting on a blanket in the middle of a field. The sun was out and shining brightly above her. There was a lake nearby, blue and inviting. An open book sat on her stomach as if she had been reading and had decided to break for a few moments. Why would Achi send her here? “Mama!” She looked and blinked in shock as two young girls no older than twelve, one with light purple hair like hers only in curls and another with light brown hair ran up to her. “Mama! Amelia pushed me!” the one with purple hair cried, pointing at the other girl “Lina called me stupid, Mama!” the brown haired one cried in response. Sylphiel just blinked. “Um…” she began. “Neither one of you should be doing things like that,” she tried. “But Mama!” they both cried at once. “Oi! You two shouldn’t be bothering your mother with such things!” Sylphiel looked up to see Zelgadis, still in human form, and a young boy walking up to them. The two girls sighed. “Yes, Papa…” “Now go play. But don’t wander far. We’ll be leaving soon.” The two girls ran off to play tag. Zelgadis smiled down at her. “How are you feeling?” “I’m…I’m fine, Zelgadis dear,” she whispered. “Just confused.” He smiled and patted her hand. “I’ll start packing up.” “Let me help,” she began. She started to get up, but found it very difficult to rise to her feet. She looked down and removed the book from her stomach, only to find her abdomen bulging. She placed her hand there and was shocked to feel something kick from within it. She looked up at the children playing in the field nearby and the small boy helping Zelgadis pack up their picnic. That’s when it dawned on her. “They’re all mine,” she whispered. “Mine and Zelgadis dear’s.” “I can make this happen,” she heard. She turned and saw Achi standing next to her. “All of it. I can make sure Zelgadis remains human. I can even make sure he’s desperate to spend the rest of his life with you.” Sylphiel jumped in startlement as the whole scene disappeared around her to be replaced by the blackness again. Achi was the only thing to remain. “I can give you your fondest dreams, Oneechan,” Achi told her. “And all you have to do is turn around, shut your mouth, and walk away.” Sylphiel looked at her in shock. “Just walk away, Oneechan,” Achi told her quietly. She wanted to. She wanted to be selfish. This one time she wanted to just forget about all of it except her happiness. Doing the right thing had only resulted in her losing her father, her home, all her friends, and had all but condemned her to a life alone. Wouldn’t it, just this once, be okay to let someone else worry about it? Someone like Lina? Or Zelgadis dear? What about him? How many times had he given up the cure to his curse to do what was right? That was why they were here, wasn’t it? To cure him? Why should anything else distract them from that? For the same reason it had distracted Zelgadis before. Sylphiel closed her eyes and raised her hands. Achi shook her head and frowned. “Don’t do it, Oneechan,” she whispered. “Flare…” Sylphiel croaked out. “I’ve seen the future,” Achi told her, in one last gamble. “HE’LL NEVER BE HUMAN!” Sylphiel swallowed back grief and allowed a single tear to escape her eye. “ARROW!” The fire bolt struck the mental image of Achi right in the chest. Achi’s eyes flew open. “Never be human,” the Shinzoku whispered again. The reality around them shattered like glass. Sylphiel fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes again, she found Zelgadis looking down at her, a look of deep concern in his eyes. “Sylphiel?! Are you okay?! Answer me!” Tears formed in her eyes. “Zelgadis dear!” she cried and embraced him, crying into his tunic. Lying not far away, Achi was still breathing, but unconscious. For some reason, Naga and Adara couldn’t wake her up. The red gems that had allowed her to use her powers were black and charred, apparently overloaded. Xellos was leaning against a rock, his midsection bandaged. He watched the scene unfold. “Yareyare,” he whispered to himself, looking forlornly at Achi’s sleeping form. “She should have been born Mazoku,” he whispered regretfully to himself. “I’m sorry,” Sylphiel weeped into Zelgadis’ tunic. “I’m so sorry…” Zelgadis didn’t say anything. He held her and stroked her hair, allowing her to cry it out. “Could someone tell me what just happened?” Adara asked in annoyance. No one answered her. The ground began to shake a little as another aftershock rocked the island. Naga reached down and pocketed one of the gems. A thunderclap roared overhead. “That’s odd. It didn’t look like rain before,” Adara noted quietly. Sylphiel’s eyes went wide. Her grip on Zelgadis tightened. “No,” she whispered. Clouds began to converge in the sky above them. “A hurricane?” Naga asked, raising her voice to be heard over the wind. She turned to ask Xellos what he thought and found the wounded priest staring at the sky, his eyes wide and his teeth grit in either anger…or fear. Another thunderclap roared above them. “Zelgadis dear!” Sylphiel whispered urgently. “We have to get out of here!” “It’s okay, Sylphiel,” he told her, trying to calm her down. “It’s just a storm.” “You don’t understand! We have to leave! We have to get off this island! Quickly!” she cried, rising unsteadily to her feet. “But…” Zelgadis began. “Miss Sylphiel is right,” Xellos grunted as he rose to his feet with the aid of his staff and Naga. “We must leave…now.” Zelgadis looked at him in shocked awe. *Xellos* wanted to leave? “But…But…But…” Naga whimpered. “MY ORIHALCON!” “Leave it!” Xellos growled at her. Lightning flashed above them, bolts of electricity merging together. Sylphiel tried walking, but was still very weak. Zelgadis supported her. “No. Please, Zelgadis dear, carry Achi.” Zelgadis picked up the child while Adara supported Sylphiel. “Wait,” Adara said. “What about the holy fruit?” “There’s no time,” Xellos told them. “Hurry!” He cried as he and Naga, still pocketing pieces of orihalcon, started to hobble away. Sylphiel stopped and turned. “No, she’s right! We can’t leave it!” She tried walking and nearly collapsed. She looked up to see that Zelgadis had caught her, carrying Achi over his shoulder. “We’ll come back,” he told her. “You…you don’t understand,” Sylphiel whispered, her eyes drooping. “It…it…” (Won’t be here,) she tried saying the words, but faded into unconsciousness before they could form on her lips. Another thunderclap above them heralded rain, and soon, they were all drenched. “Adara,” Xellos huffed painfully. “We need a boat.” “We have a fishing fleet at the north end of the island,” the elf told him. “How big is it?” “Not that big, but they’re all good, elf-crafted boats,” she announced proudly. “Adara,” Sylphiel whispered, coming to. “You…you have to go back to the village…Warn them…” Another quake shook them. Thunder roared overhead. “Warn them about what?” Adara asked. “The storm? They all know by now and are probably…” “No,” Sylphiel breathed quietly, barely audible over the now roaring wind. “It’s not a storm.” “Then what is it?” Naga asked. “It’s the Wind Dragon King,” Xellos said simply. The others turned to him in shock. Xellos looked at them, his expression grave. “It appears that despite Miss Sylphiel’s efforts…Achi’s message got through.” Another thunderclap seemed to emphasize this. The wind began to blow harder. They turned and looked back at the cave. It wouldn’t be long now. To be continued...

Chapter 7
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