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Author: Dun dun dah! I wrote part two!

Zel: (very unenthusiastically) yay.

Xel: Hey, where did all the torture go? I was enjoying that! You took it
out!

Zel: You did? Thank you!

Author: I didn't take it out, there just isn't really much in this part.
Sorry!

Amelia: Well done Miss Lupine! You followed the justice in your heart!

Author: Well … not exactly.

Xel: (Chanting) Torture! Torture! Torture!

Zel: What is wrong with you, you … fruitcake!

Amelia: You tell him, Mr. Zelgadis!

Lina: Will you guys be quiet! I'm trying to eat!

Author: Everyone just shut up! This is my fan fic! It's scary when
characters you write get out of control.

Gourry: Wait, you wrote us? I'm not real?

Author: Um, well …

Zel: Oh, don't listen to the freaky torture girl!

Author: Hey! That's not very nice Zel! Wait, why are they insulting me when
I control what you say?

Lina: Oh! Just get on with the story.

Xel: Yeah, I want to know what happens between me and Zelgy.

Zel: Don't call me that!

Xel: Are there any chains in this part?

Author: Well … no, not really.

Xel: What? No chains! I quit!

Author: I'm doing my best here! Just give me a chance. You can tie him up in
chains right now if you want.

Xel: Can I really? Yay!

Zel: Wait! No! No! mph … Mph!

Author: I didn't say you could gag him!

Xel: (preoccupied) Hmmm?

Author: Never mind. Anyway, like I said, this part is less violent. I'm not
taking the violence out purposefully, it just doesn't fit in with what
happens. I'm sorry if that disappoints anyone!

Xel: Not any more!

Zel: Mph!

Author: I have to finish this introduction! It's getting really long. So,
once again I would love to get e-mails from anyone who reads this. I just
want to know that there are people out there who are reading it, and
hopefully enjoying it! E-mail me, e-mail me, e-mail me! Thank you to all the
people who did e-mail about the last part! I really really loved hearing
from you! So my e-mail address is lupinewraith@hotmail.com and now you can
start reading the story!

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Zelgadis sat bolt upright, still screaming. He stopped himself but
realized he was sweating and shaking. He felt his chest, but found that his
clothes weren't torn, his skin wasn't damaged.
"It was only a dream, it was only a dream," he told himself as he slowly lay
back down. "What the hell was I thinking though? Trying to save Xelloss?
What is wrong with me?" He tried to calm down, but found his mind was far
from rest. "I have to think about this. I can't meet Xelloss tomorrow (if he
comes back) still feeling this way. He would see it in my face immediately
then he would make my life living torture. What if the others found out?
What if Amelia … It wasn't really Xelloss in my dream. It couldn't have
been. He wouldn't act like that, I wouldn't act like that with him. He's
annoying and he delights in hurting us. The way he kissed me … it was too
gentle. No Mazuko could kiss like that. Even if he could I don't want him
to! I just want him to leave us alone. I want him to die …" but at this
thought Zelgadis stopped. It wasn't true any more. Now the Mazuko had been
gone a day he no longer … "But when I see him again I'll remember how much I
really hate him. I hate all monsters, even the part of my own nature that is
Mazuko. I don't want to become like Xelloss. I don't even want to be near
him. He's not even human … or part human anyway. I hope he never comes back
… I hope …" Zelgadis stopped, hearing muffled voices outside his bedroom
door.
"Er, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia called from the hallway. "We heard you screaming
and we wondered if you were ok."
"I'm fine, go back to bed."
"Are you sure Zel?" Lina asked. She was pretty worried about the chimera. He
had been acting strangely all day and now he was screaming in the night. He
hadn't done that since Rezo had been around.
"I just had another nightmare. It was nothing. I'm fine now." There was a
whispered conference outside the door which Zelgadis couldn't quite make
out.
"Don't you think we should go in and see if he's really ok?" Amelia asked.
"Come on guys, Zel says he's alright, so he's alright. Lets go back to bed!"
Gourry said.
"Zelgadis can look after himself Amelia, he's big enough now not be afraid
of the dark," Lina said, although she was far from such complacency inside
her own head. "But what if it's more than just the dark that's scaring him?"
she thought. "I don't know what's going on, but ever since Xelloss left he's
been acting really oddly. I wonder if he knows something we don't."
"You're right, Miss Lina. Mr. Zelgadis would ask for help if there was
anything really wrong," Amelia agreed, although she too didn't really
believe what she was saying.
"Goodnight Zel," Lina called and Zelgadis heard receding footsteps and doors
closing.
"Oh God," he thought. "They already know something's wrong, and when Xelloss
gets back I don't know how I'll behave. I just hope he stays away tomorrow."
He turned over, but lay wide awake, partly unable to get back to sleep,
partly unwilling. "Oh! This is ridiculous! It was just a dream! What's wrong
with me?" Zelgadis gave up the pretence of sleeping and swung his legs over
the side of the bed. Quickly getting dressed, he exited the room as quietly
as he could and silently left the inn. As he walked away through the
moonlight night, a lone figure watched anxiously through a bedroom window.
"Poor Mr. Zelgadis!"
Zelgadis left the town and climbed up a hill behind it, which overlooked
the darkened buildings. Behind him rose a mountain, and to either side
stretched woods. He found a rocky clearing and sat, staring at nothing, his
mind in turmoil. "This is useless," he finally thought. "Just sitting here
and brooding isn't going to do me any good." With this thought in mind he
started collecting pieces of wood and soon had a fire burning in the rock
strewn clearing. He sat again, gazing into the flames. "If it was just a
dream, then I wouldn't be affected like this. If I didn't feel anything that
I felt in that room with Xelloss then why does it bother me so much? I've
spent all this time blindly hating him, maybe I've never stopped to think
how I really feel. But everything he does infuriates me. Every time he's
with us I wish he weren't, yet … yesterday I sat the whole day waiting for
him. But that was just so that we could go and find the Claire Bible and I
could get my cure. No matter what I think about Xelloss, I can't forget
that. I must find my cure and become human again, then any twisted Mazuko
part of me which actually calls him a … friend, will be gone. I can live a
normal life and people won't stare at me like I'm a freak. They won't be
scared, I won't hurt them anymore … When I first met Lina she immediately
thought I was bad news because of my appearance, Amelia thought I was
disgusting, but Xelloss … he didn't say anything. But then he immediately
picked a fight with me. From the first moment that we met he's been annoying
me. But it's more than that …" He stopped and stared into the fire more
intently. "Oh!" he said out loud, throwing himself backwards to lay on the
shale.
"Oh, please don't stop," a voice beside him said. Zelgadis whipped round to
find Xelloss seated beside him.
"You! … when did you … What the …"
"Oh, I've been here for quite a while, if that's what you are trying to ask.
Staring into the fire is so much fun, don't you think? And you're very
interesting to watch!" The Trickster Priest said, thoroughly enjoying the
mixture of surprise, anger and worry that the chimera's face expressed.
"Oh no," thought Zelgadis, "what if I said something out loud without
realizing it? What if he knows what I'm thinking … what if he knows about my
dream …"
"So, what are you doing out here, all alone, at this time of night?" Xelloss
questioned him.
"I might ask you the same thing," Zelgadis replied, trying not to show any
emotion, but instead portraying anger in every feature.
"Oh good!" Thought Xelloss, happily. "This is going to be even more fun than
I thought. It's going to be so enjoyable to play with his anger."
"Where were you today?"
"I think you mean yesterday, Mr. Zelgadis. It's past midnight. Far past your
bedtime in fact!"
"Why you … ! It's none of your business how late I stay up, or where I spend
my nights," Zelgadis said, furious that he'd let himself get caught alone
with the Mazuko, in the darkness, with no-one else around, under the stars …
"Or with whom, I suppose? If you don't care then you wouldn't mind me
telling the others about your little midnight escapades?" Xelloss grinned
evilly. What fun it was to torment the chimera!
"He wouldn't tell the others … would he?" thought Zelgadis. "First of all
they would get even more worried because I'm wandering around at night, and
secondly, if they heard I was with Xelloss, they might guess something …"
"You've gone quiet again Mr. Zelgadis, you really do think too much."
"Just because you're incapable of thinking doesn't mean I shouldn't do it,"
Zelgadis shot back. He was finding it very hard to look at the Mazuko, who
sat right beside him, grinning like a maniac. "What is Xelloss doing here?
How did he know where I would be?"
"What are you doing here, Xelloss?' he asked again.
"Oh, just taking a stroll, working off excess energy. I saw your fire and
thought you might like some company. It's always nice to have a friend with
you when you're feeling blue!" Xelloss was particularly pleased with the pun
on the last word.
"You're not my friend," Zelgadis snarled.
"Oh! I'm hurt! After all the time we've been travelling together you won't
even call me your friend? Really, you are so unforgiving Mr. Zelgadis!" The
chimera wouldn't even admit to being his friend! All the better for his
plan.
"Stop calling me that!'
"Mr. Zelgadis? Why should I stop calling you Mr. Zelgadis, Mr. Zelgadis? I'm
just being polite!"
"No you're not, you're mocking me, and you're making fun of Amelia."
"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing."
"Yes you would."
"Why are you so concerned about Miss Amelia? You don't usually think of her
feelings," Xelloss said, trying to get Zelgadis to betray some of the
emotion he felt sure he had for the little princess. He was going to make
him pay for that affection.
"I …" Zelgadis stopped. "Why is he asking me about Amelia? What has she got
to do with anything? I don't want to think about her right now."
"You really aren't in touch with your feelings, are you? If you were then
maybe you would realize what a good friend I am!"
"Friend?!?! All you ever do is torment me! From the moment we've met you've
done everything in your power to stop me finding my cure!" Zelgadis fumed.
He couldn't let it slip that he was starting to think of Xelloss as a
friend. He had to concentrate on the area that he knew would always madden
him about Xelloss.
"I hardly thought you would be naïve enough to think that I was using all my
power to stop you reading the manuscripts. How amusing! I haven't used
anywhere near my full amount of power! But, more importantly, I have never
withheld information about your cure either. How could you even suspect me
of that, Mr. Zelgadis?" Xelloss was loving every second of Zelgadis' fury.
"How could I suspect you?!?!?! How can you even ask me that? Every Claire
Bible we find you destroy without letting me see it!"
"But none of those have had your cure in them," Xelloss tried to
diplomatically point out, or, rather, tried to bait the chimera.
"And I'm supposed to believe you? I'm supposed to take the word of a
Mazuko?"
"Why shouldn't you?"
"Because … because you always lie!"
"That doesn't mean you shouldn't trust me!"
"What … ?!? What kind of logic is that?" Zelgadis was impassioned now. How
could he ever have even thought of this creature as a friend?
"It's perfectly good logic. Lina lies to you, and you still call her a
friend. You lie to the others and they still trust you. We all lie Mr.
Zelgadis, you just have to judge the reasons for the lies, not the lies
themselves." Xelloss loved playing with Zelgadis' mind, trying to make him
doubt himself.
"But, when Lina does it it's different, and I don't lie!"
"Oh, don't you?"
"I …" Zelgadis floundered, appalled to find he couldn't think of a rebuttal
to Xelloss' argument. "What is the difference between the lies I tell and
the lies Xelloss tells?" he thought. "At least I don't leave for a day when
the group needs me most. I still haven't found out where he went yesterday."
"Where were you yesterday?" he said out loud.
"That is a secret."
"How can you even say that to me!"
"Because the truth … you wouldn't understand, and you just told me that you
don't like it when I lie to you." Xelloss said. He could tell that he had
totally confused the chimera. Zelgadis was doubting himself, which made him
even more angry. All his hate was directed towards Xelloss and the Mazuko
was bathing in the negative emotion.
"You know we waited all day. We couldn't go and fight Zanokou without you
telling us the way."
"And what makes you think I know the way?"
"Don't even try to play dumb, Xelloss."
"Well, even if I did tell you, are you sure you want to know?"
"Of course I want to know! My cure could be hidden in these hills! I could
have already been cured if you hadn't chosen yesterday to disappear!"
"But are you sure that you really want your cure?"
"Are you crazy?! … Wait, stupid question. Of course you are. And I want my
cure."
"Well then, let me make a deal with you," Xellos said.
"A deal? What deal could I possibly want to make with you?" Zelgadis almost
spat out these words. "Oh God, I'm on dangerous ground here," he thought.
"No matter how angry I am, Xelloss is still a lot more powerful than me. He
is a monster, and he has no reason to help me. I shouldn't trust a word he
says … but there's just something about him, about what he's say, about the
way his hair shines in the light, looking like ebony in the shadows, then
flashing violet when it comes in contact with the light from the fire. Wait!
Why am I looking at him? What am I thinking? He just looks so … peaceful. He
hasn't actually said anything threatening. But he's a Mazuko, and … and …"
Xelloss leaned back against the rock behind him. His legs stretched into the
circle of light from the fire, but his face and torso were engulfed in
shadows. He opened his eyes and regarded the chimera.
"The way he looked at me back there, so confused, but so hostile. Like he
wanted to tell me something, but wanted to rip me limb from limb! Oh, how I
love his pain, I will enjoy what I'm about to do to him so much! He looks so
pensive as he stares into the fire. The flames flicker on his face, creating
patterns on the stone, illuminating his eyes. Those eyes are so mysterious.
I wish I knew what he was thinking … but it doesn't matter, not now anyway."
"What deal do you want to make, Xelloss?" Zelgadis repeated.
"Oh, it's quite simple really. An exchange is it all it is. If Zanokou has
the Claire Bible then I promise to let you read it without trying to stop
you, in return you do something for me." Xelloss said, eyes fixed on the
chimera, waiting for his reaction.
"What do you want me to do, Xelloss?"
"That, is a secret. But I'll tell you after you give me your answer."
"What could Xelloss possibly want me to do that he couldn't do himself?"
Zelgadis thought. "And why should I believe his promises? And what if
Zanokou doesn't even have a copy of the Claire Bible? Then I would do
Xelloss a favor and get nothing in return! Whatever a Mazuko wants can't be
good. I should just say no … but … what if Zanokou does have my cure? And
then I let Xelloss destroy it? I could be stuck in this hideous stone body
forever! I can't take that chance. Whatever Xelloss wants me to do can't be
worse than a lifetime as a chimera!" Zelgadis told himself these were the
only reasons he was agreeing with Xelloss' proposal, but secretly he was
intrigued by what Xelloss might want him to do, and he was sure he would
never find that out if he said no. Xelloss lay patiently beside him, certain
that the chimera would answer in the affirmative.
"Ok, Xelloss, it's a deal. But if you break your promise then …"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Mr. Zelgadis," Xelloss interrupted. "I wouldn't
dream of it. Now, you must keep up your end."
"What do I have to do?" Zelgadis asked, still not looking at the Mazuko
behind him. He was half scared, half eager to know what Xelloss wanted from
him. He heard the Mazuko moving and looked round to see Xelloss inches from
his face.
"All I want you to do is kiss me," Xelloss said. His eyes were closed, but
his smile showed his glee in this proposition.
"Do what!?!?!?!" Zelgadis shouted, trying to leap up, but Xelloss caught him
and firmly held him on the ground, pressing his lips against the chimera's.
They remained locked together, the chimera's lips resolutely closed, his
face immobile. He was determined not to give Xelloss any pleasure from his
request, but every time he tried to pull away the priest held him still. He
could feel Xelloss' lips, warm against the cool stone of his face. The
Mazuko's eyes were closed, and he himself eventually allowed his own eyelids
to fall. He was just starting to feel it impossible to resist Xelloss any
longer, and his own were starting to open, when he felt the Mazuko's hands
on his cloak, undoing the clasp. "Hey! You said just a kiss!" Zelgadis said,
wrenching himself away from Xelloss, struggling frantically to free himself.
The Mazuko was far too strong for him however. He easily overpowered him and
pushed him to the ground by the fire.
"Well, I lied. Anyway, you hardly kept up your end of the bargain, that was
not what I call a kiss!" Xelloss said, as his eyes opened. Zelgadis looked
into them and was paralyzed. There was something about them, some deep
emotion expressed in the violet orbs. He could see the evil of Xelloss'
intentions, but beneath that a deeper longing, something he couldn't
understand. But Xelloss' hands were tearing at his clothes again and he
tried to get free. Just then a voice sounded in the distance, somewhere
below them on the hill.
"Mr. Zelgadis? Mr. Zelgadis, is that you?"
"Amelia!" Zelgadis said.
"Oh dear, it seems our fun will be spoilt for the night," Xelloss said,
moving off of Zelgadis and sitting back on his knees.
"Mr. Zelgadis?" Zelgadis could hear Amelia getting closer, she had probably
seen the fire, soon she would find him there with Xelloss.
"Well, I suppose I had better go now and leave you two alone," Xelloss said,
annoyed that his plans had been spoilt, but confident that he would be able
to conclude them on another night. Anyway, Zelgadis would have enough
trouble trying to explain to Amelia his ripped clothes and odd location.
"You're leaving?" Zelgadis asked, finding himself wishing that Amelia hadn't
come so that he and Xelloss could …
"Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia was even closer now. Without thinking Zelgadis sat up
and grabbed Xelloss by the ruff of his shirt, pulling the surprised, but
unresisting, Mazuko towards him. Their lips met for the second time that
night, but this time Zelgadis really meant his kiss. Xelloss, taken aback,
barely had any time to react. Zelgadis was holding onto him with such
urgency … but then he disappeared. Zelgadis found himself clutching empty
air, Xelloss had left him. His mind was in uproar, his body was shaking
again, then Amelia appeared in the firelight.
Xelloss materialized back on Wolf Pack Island, the sensation of
Zelgadis' kiss still on his lips. His fingers moved to his mouth, hardly
daring to touch his face in case he lost the feeling, lost the image of the
chimera pressed against his body.
"What on earth happened back there?" he thought, his mind in a mess, his
feelings more unclear than they had ever been. "I was supposed to take
advantage of him! Not the other way around! He wasn't supposed to want to
kiss me, he wasn't supposed to kiss me! Wait, he wanted to kiss me? Does
that mean that he … No! That's stupid. He would never want a Mazuko. He said
it himself. He hates all Mazuko. He doesn't even call me his friend! So what
game is he playing? What is he trying to do to me?!?! I was supposed to
violate him, make him lose that innocent streak, make him ashamed to even
look at that justice-obsessed princess. I was going to hurt him. I can't
believe I was so weak when Xellas described his torture to me. I can't let
her think I'm going soft! I'm a Mazuko and I don't care about people's
feelings. I don't care about Zelgadis and I'm going to prove it. Maybe I've
started to get a little … attached to Lina's little group, which is all the
more reason I have to sever some chords. They are not my friends. I'm only
with them because I enjoy watching them. I don't feel anything towards the
chimera. I want to feel his pain, but that's natural. I want to make him
suffer, and my plan was so wonderful. I was going to take away the sanctity
of his body so he couldn't even bare to look at me. Then I would torture him
more. It was going to be such fun! Everything was going so well, he was so
angry and it was all directed at me, he was supposed to resist me, fight me
all the way through … but now …" Xelloss trailed off. His mind was captured
by the picture of the chimera sitting cross-legged in the firelight. The red
flames reflecting off his cold visage, his cloak spread out behind him on
the ground. The wonderful look of horror when Xelloss had kissed him, how he
had fought … But there was something more in his look. Was it just Xelloss'
imagination or had Zelgadis started to kiss back the first time, just before
he had reached for his shirt? Why had he stopped struggling for a split
second when Xelloss had him on the ground … why had he looked at him with
those eyes? They were filled with such pain, such absolute loathing, such
silent entreaty to stop, such deep longing to continue … "Oh stop it
Xelloss! Stop inventing looks from that damned chimera! He's trying to play
with your mind and you are letting him. Well, if taking his body won't work
… or maybe it would if Amelia hadn't shown up. Damn her! Maybe I should get
her out of the way. That would hurt Zelgadis. He feels for her … maybe I can
use that." Xelloss' thoughts continued, but always utmost in his mind was
the feeling of Zelgadis' lips, the look in his eyes and the hope that
somehow he had meant that last kiss, although he didn't allow himself to
actually think that last thought. It was on the edge of the mind, a gnawing
sensation that he wouldn't allow in. "Tomorrow, the torture continues," he
said out loud.
From her vantage-point above Xelloss, Beastmaster Xellas smiled, a slow
smile, filled with cruelty and deep amusement.
"Oh, Zanokou …" she called. "I need to speak with you about your little
visitors tomorrow …"

By the time Amelia and Zelgadis made it back to the inn, it was morning.
Most of the journey had been silent, but the talking by the fireside had
possibly been the most uncomfortable experience Zelgadis had ever been
through. He shuddered as he thought of his totally unsatisfactory answers to
Amelia's questions. His mind couldn't concentrate, his body had still been
shaking and he had barely even heard half of what the young shaman said.
"Mr. Zelgadis what are you doing here?"
"I needed to be alone … to think."
"I thought I heard someone else's voice …"
"No, I was just, um, talking out loud."
Oh! Why couldn't he have thought of a better explanation? And what if
Xelloss came back and told her everything anyway? Then she would know he had
been lying! It wasn't like he had anything to hide …
"What happened to your clothes, Mr. Zelgadis?!? They're ripped! Were you
attacked?"
"In a manner of speaking …"
He didn't have anything to hide! That was a lie. He had kissed Xelloss! He
had kissed that annoying, destructive, hateful, disgusting, beautiful … Wait
a minute! What was he thinking? Anyway, surely he had only kissed the Mazuko
to fulfil his part of the bargain? Xelloss said that the first kiss didn't
count, so he had only done it again so that Xelloss had to let him see the
Claire Bible. Right? That must be it.
"Um, well I suppose we should get back to the inn," Amelia had said, she
looked very worried and as if she doubted everything Zelgadis had told her.
"Why is he lying to me? Why won't he tell me what happened? Who was he here
with? I'm sure I saw and heard someone. What happened to his clothes? Did
someone do something unjust to Mr. Zelgadis that he won't tell me!?"
When they entered the inn Lina and Gourry were already at the table,
eating. They looked up as Amelia and Zelgadis walked in. Lina raised one
eyebrow at the sight of Zelgadis' clothing, then she looked at the blushing
Amelia.
"It's not what you're thinking, Miss Lina!" she said before the sorceress
even had a chance to make a comment.
"Zel, you dog, you!"
"Oh shut up Lina. You know we didn't do anything!" Zelgadis couldn't be
bothered to put up with Lina's teasing today. He needed to be alone. Really
alone, not with some Mazuko appearing and …
"Another piece to add to the puzzle," Lina thought as she ate. "Now it seems
that maybe something happened between Zel and Amelia. I'll have to talk to
her later. Zel certainly won't tell me what happened." Zelgadis was heading
for the staircase. "Stop, Zel! We're going to be leaving soon, you'd better
get something to eat quickly!" Lina said. The chimera stopped.
"But what about Xelloss? He's not here."
"Well, yes I am actually," Xelloss said. Zelgadis turned round to see the
smiling figure comfortably seated in an armchair in the corner of the inn,
drinking a cup of tea. Zelgadis blushed bright red, and sat down at the
table with his back to the grinning priest.
"Interesting," thought Lina. "Am I the only one who doesn't know what
happened last night?" Xelloss, although his face displayed his usual radiant
smile, was far from happy inside. Xellas had forced him to come today,
saying he was slowing down her plans and he needed to go out and get some
fresh air and exercise anyway. He wasn't quite ready to see Zelgadis again,
but would make the most of the situation. A long trip with the chimera would
be just as good an opportunity for torturing him as any other time. Still,
he had felt momentarily unsure of himself when Zelgadis had walked through
the door. Something almost like nervousness had spread through his body …
Soon the group were on their way again. Zelgadis hadn't eaten any breakfast
and was lagging behind at the back of the party. Xelloss was happily walking
in front of Zelgadis, whistling a tune that sounded something like "You Can
Keep Your Hat On," while Amelia was unusually silent and thoughtful. Gourry
didn't notice anything odd was going on, but Lina was very worried. She
dropped back to talk to Amelia.
"I don't want to pry into your business, Amelia, but are you alright? What
happened last night?"
"Not what you're thinking! Mr. Zelgadis would never do anything unjust Miss
Lina! I'm sure he wouldn't!"
"Ok, ok, calm down. I just want to know what happened."
"Well, when we all went back to bed after hearing Mr. Zelgadis screaming, I
couldn't sleep so I went to look out my window. I saw him leaving the inn so
I thought I had better follow him, to see he was ok. He went up a hill near
the town, but by the time I got dressed and outside I couldn't see him any
more, but I thought I saw a fire on the top of the hill, so I made for that.
When I got close I thought I could hear voices, and see some movement in the
shadows, but when I got to Mr. Zelgadis he was all alone. He looked really
upset though and I don't think he was really listening to me when I asked
him what happened. I think something attacked him, judging by his clothes."
Amelia finished her story and looked at the ground.
"So you don't know what happened either? Zel has been behaving really
strangely lately. I wonder if he's in any trouble."
"Do you think he's ok, Miss Lina? Is there anything we can do?"
"I don't know, but maybe if we get to fight today then that will cheer him
up. He just gets depressed sometimes, maybe we should just leave him alone
and he'll snap out of it by himself." Xelloss heard their conversation and
laughed silently.
"Snap out of it?" he thought. "Not if I have anything to do with it. The
chimera is going to get a lot worse, Miss Amelia, until he's far beyond a
point where you can ever help him."
Somehow their journey had managed to go very slowly that day, and they had
hardly even made it into the forest when darkness fell. They set up camp and
Lina took the first watch. Zelgadis didn't even stay up for dinner, but
collapsed into his bed in his and Gourry's tent. The blond swordsman was
soon asleep.
"How wonderful it must be to have an untroubled mind," Zelgadis thought as
he watched Gourry's happy expression while he slept. "I wish I had nothing
to think about, nothing to worry me. I bet Xelloss is out there somewhere.
Although I doubt he's sleeping. Does he even sleep? I don't know. What was
he playing at last night? Why has he offered me the chance to look at the
Claire Bible, all in exchange for … Why has he gone all this time denying me
access to the information I desire, then all of a sudden he's just going to
give it to me? Unless he was lying. I can't trust him. Just because he said
he is going to let me read the Claire Bible doesn't mean he will. After all,
he tried to … take advantage of me. What was he doing? I can't understand
him at all! He's making my life miserable, which must be his plan. He must
be getting bored with just annoying Lina, so now he's torturing me. Thank
god Amelia arrived. Amelia … I can't explain this to her. She's too young,
she wouldn't understand. Why did I kiss Xelloss? Why did he want to kiss
me?" Outside the tent Xelloss had relieved Lina of her watch. He sat,
planning his actions for the next day. Zelgadis lay still, trying to
comprehend Xelloss' reasons, but not getting very far. He couldn't get past
the expression in those eyes when Xelloss had looked down on him. He
couldn't forget those eyes. But he couldn't understand his momentary
insanity when he had kissed Xelloss. "Ok, so I wanted to make sure that I
completed my side of the deal so he has to let me see the Claire Bible, but
was that what I was really thinking when I pulled him to me? He would have
just left then and I would have been safe, instead … I can't believe he's so
strong! He didn't even put any effort into pinning me to the ground, but he
didn't resist at all when I kissed him. And then he just left me! Damn him!
I hate him! I'll never think of him as my friend again after what he did to
me. If he tries it again then I'll be ready." Xelloss didn't wake Amelia,
whose turn it was to take the next watch. Instead he sat all night, watching
the shadow of the restless chimera against the canvas of the tent.
"Well, well. It looks like what I did to him last night has caused him a lot
of discomfort. I didn't think one kiss would bother him so much. But then
again, it wasn't just one kiss. When I finally break him I'll force him to
tell me what he meant by that second kiss. But there's no hurry, I have all
the time I want to torture him. I will enjoy making this last a long while."
Xelloss sighed contentedly. He had managed to push the discrepancies in
Zelgadis' behavior out of his mind, and was just concentrating on increasing
the chimera's anger until it consumed him. Tomorrow would be such fun.
 

End of Part Two