The flight across the lake had taken far less time than Zelgadis had estimated. Whatever magic that surrounded the mountains must have reached to the lake as well, increasing the strength of his Ray Wing spell. Odd. I did not notice that last night. Perhaps I was much more tired than I thought. Anyway, I'm almost to the other side and it's not even past 9 AM, by my estimate. I may be able to reach the top of the mountain before nightfall. Taking a careful look around, Zelgadis chose a small glade for his landing spot. This side of the lake was thickly forested, barely three feet between ancient giants stretching towards the sky. Or perhaps, the chimera mused, they too are trying to reach the Temple.

 

Landing as silent as the wind, Zelgadis warily eyed his surroundings. The thick forest meant there could be lots of trouble waiting for him. With hiding places so vividly abundant, it was no wonder travelers were rare in this part of the country. The danger was almost tangible. Zelgadis stretched his senses to the limits, but nothing other than the rustling of leaves and long wild grasses could be heard. There was no scent of smoke in any direction. It was almost as if the chimera had become the last living thing that was not permanently fixed to the ground. Slipping his hand around the hilt of his sword, Zelgadis made his way towards the mountain, following a trail that was as overgrown as it was ancient.

 

Unexpectedly, the rest of the morning was uneventful. Although Zelgadis kept an intense eye out for danger, he saw nothing but the local flora. A part of him wished he could take the time to observe those plants, they were so different from anything he had seen already on his journeys. But the young man was nothing if not stubborn, and he continued on his way. Before midday had arose, Zelgadis wandered out of the dense forest and onto a savannah. It was small, to be sure, but the grassland was wide enough to leave him in the open for the last half-mile of flat land. Zelgadis paused for a moment. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the land here had been cleared of its tree covering. Neither did it take anything more than a simpleton to realize that this clear-cutting had been done long ago. Common sense decreed that the Temple had once held a few unwanted visitors, and had since made sure that they would not be caught unprepared for any arrival.

 

Lurking in the shadows of the forest, Xellos stood silently, warily, pleading with every fibre of his being that Zelgadis turn around now and give up this foolishness. Even as he did, Xellos knew that a mazokus prayers are never answered by anyone other than the mazoku itself.

 

Striking out across the savannah, Zelgadis headed stubbornly towards his goal, the base of the mountain that was now less than half a mile away. The wind cut down from the mountains, cold and clear. Zelgadis breathed deeply, savoring the aroma after the dense smell of the forest. He drew his cloak around his shoulders and removed his hand from the hilt of his sword for the first time since landing on this side of the lake.

 
 
 

Xellos noticed this, and he became worried. Despite all the rambunctious teasing that the two of them were constantly involved in, or possibly because of it, Xellos had come to consider Zelgadis his friend. He respected the little chimera more than he could ever express, but he wished that Zelgadis would just accept his chimeric body. After all, it was far superior to the human body he had originally inhabited. Why could Zelgadis not see that it was a beautiful body, strong and enduring. It would age slower and heal faster than any human. Why couldn't Zelgadis see the benefits? Why, the mazoku puzzled, could he only see the flaws? The differences? His exterior appearance had been altered, not his inner self. He was still a good man, a brave man. Why couldn't he see his own virtues? Why couldn't he see what Xellos saw? Drawing a shaky and shallow breath, Xellos sat on a low tree branch and began to think of what he could do to save his only friend from himself.

 

TBC...