From the Edge: Chapter 1
How much would you give to get what you thought would bring true happiness? What would you sacrifice for the answers you search for? Would you give up the things you like the most, would you stop for that one object of desire? Would you blindly sacrifice the ones you cared for the most to get what you thought was happiness? Is this truly happiness you search for, or is it just more suffering you find along the way?
Zelgadis Greywords, made his way through the ruined city of Glaouden. He had heard of a power being here, maybe it could be his cure. As he looked around the ruins he came across a huge pair of double doors. He inspected the doors, looking for any clues as to what was behind them, and how to open them.
The doors where in an odd style of a coloration format. One fashioned out of the blackest obsidian, while the other, the whitest of opal. The opal side contained a black mask, etched with the expression of a wicked smile. The obsidian door contained a white mask with a frown and a single tear drop on its right cheek.
Zel went up to the doors and tried to push them open. They wouldn't budge. He looked about for a lock, but found none. He soon noticed the mask shaped indentation in the middle of the door. Putting two and two together he went to the opal door and pulled on the black mask. The left side of the mask came off the door after a small amount of pulling. Zel placed it in the indentation and repeated the process for the other door. After he had placed both halves in, they made an odd looking smile/frown mask cut down the middle. He backed away as the doors began to glow.
Zel watched as all the energy ran down into the combination mask. The mask detached itself from the door as it opened. It floated back into the room and hovered in mid air.
Zel followed the mask in and came to a stop a few feet in front of it. He looked around the room, making sure of any traps or would be attackers, as he waited.
The room was quite a sight for anyone with a decent taste. The floor was fashioned out of the same obsidian as the door, but glossier in the styling. The walls and ceiling where made of opal with the obsidian swirled into them. All around where cravings and tapestries depicting battle, and in everyone there was that half mask. Zel quickly turned towards the mask as he heard, in an almost reptilian voice, "What is it you seek mortal."
Zel looked up to see the mask's eyes glowing with red energy. He relaxed slightly and said, "A cure for my condition."
"Cure for chimera's curse. Yes, I believe I can help you," softly hissed the mask.
Zel allowed his hope to flow out as he smiled somewhat, "What is the cure," he asked a little over enthusiastic.
"First, you must do something for me."
"Like what," Zel asked, a little irritated for there being a catch.
"You se that coffin over there, " the mask waited until Zelgadis caught sight of it and continued, "Open it, that is all."
Zel walked over to the coffin, and with hardly any effort, threw the lid off. Inside was a well preserved body of a young man, maybe three or four years older than Zel. Zel couldn't place it, but it seemed like he knew this man from somewhere, like they had met before.
The man had the same body form as Zel, lithe, but very well muscled. His skin was a pale peach color, which was kind of an odd complexion for a corpse to have. Normally, it would be a very pale white or even blue, but for some reason this body looked newly buried. But, that can't be possible, no one has been down here in ages, Zel mused as he viewed the body. The last thing he noticed, and that reminded him of someone he knew, was his hair. He had short cut red hair coming down to the nape of his neck. The only thing different about this was he had streaks of silver in it as well.
After competing the task Zel turned back to the mask and said, "There, its done, now give me the cure."
"Patience, mortal, all will come in time," hissed the mask as it flew rapidly towards Zel.
Zel jumped out of the way as the mask flew at him. Before he could do anything he saw that he wasn't the mask's true target. Zel watched as the mask flew into the coffin and the lid shut back on top the coffin. Zel picked himself off the ground, after recovering from dodging the mask, and looked at the coffin. What was that all about, he asked himself as he stood there.
As Zel watched the coffin began to shake violently. At the height of the shaking, the top shot off, and the body sat up. It turned to face Zel with new found life and the mask over its face.
The man stepped out of the coffin and looked at Zel. He dusted himself off and then said, "My it has been a while since I have been awake, all the dust."
Zel raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "How long have you been, 'asleep' as you say."
The figure thought for a second before answering, "About a thousand years."
Zel looked at him and asked, "How would you know my cure if you have been asleep for the past one thousand years?"
"Well, I was awake before, and participated in the Kouma War," the figure retored.
Zel went bug eyed at that remark, This man was alive before the Kouma War. He must know if anyone would. "Please tell me the cure to my condition. I'll do anything for it," Zel pleaded the man becoming somewhat desperate for his cure.
The man looked at him the asked concerned, "Are you sure you want it. The price can be very costly."
Zel grabbed the man by the collar and forced him to look him in the eye. "I don't care, whatever the cost to me, it is better than looking like a freak for the rest of my life," he all but yelled at the man.
The man's eyes glazed over red, and Zel was shot away from him. "Now, is that anyway to treat the man who knows the cure?"
Zel tried to move but found he was stuck in place, "What have you done to me. Give me the cure, quit playing around, or I'll...."
"You'll what boy!?" the man asked dangerously at Zel.
Zel scowled at him but kept quit, he was stubborn at times, but not stupid. He looked to the man and asked, "Are you going to give it to me or not?"
The man looked at him, eyes still glowing red, and said, "There is nothing I can say to stop you, but be warned you brought this on yourself."
With that the man walked up to Zel and placed a hand on his shoulder, "There it's done," he stated as he backed away.
Zel looked at himself and saw he was the same. He jerked his head up violently and yelled, "You didn't do anything, you fruitcake."
"I did, it just takes awhile to work, not everything is instant you know. Oh yes, and for the cure to work fully you must pass a test," the man stated matter-of-factly as he phased out.
Zel was about to shout in anger, but then a burning pain ran through his body. He dropped to his knees as the pain intensified. He let out a scream of pain as darkness over took him, and he collapsed, unconscious.
Lina crused as she tripped over a root shooting out from the side of a old building. Why does Zel have to do these things, always running off on his own like this. She mused over that thought as she nursed her bruised leg. As she was standing back up she heard a scream that she identified as belonging to Zelgadis. Lina took off at break neck speeds as she attempted to locate the chimera. "Damn him, if he gets himself killed I'll never forgive him."
Lina was running so fast she almost bypassed the doors that Zel had entered, but saw his body in the room. She turned directions and made it to the middle of the room. She came to a halt above Zel's unconscious body. Lina knelt down and felt for life signs, when she found he was alive she released the breathe she was holding. She pulled Zelgadis' form onto her lap and began to cast, "Recovery."
Lina kept the spell going hoping that he would awaken soon, but when she saw it was having no effect, she cut it off. She took off a glove and placed a hand on Zel's forehead. She drew it back as if a snake just bit her, He's burning up, her mind screamed as she rubbed her hand. "Oh Zel, what have you done to yourself," she asked but not expecting an answer.
Lina looked up when she heard a childlike laughter from above her. She was greeted by a mask, floating in the air, eyes glowing bright red. She put things together and figured out this was responsible for Zel's condition. "What did you do," she asked dangerously at the mask.
"He came her for a cure, I gave it to him. I can't help the painful consequences that come with that cure. Oh well, no pain no gain," the mask somewhat chuckled out.
Lina glared at the mask as it made light of Zel's situation, Who dare this thing do this. "If you don't undo this I will hurt you. Give Zel back, and don't trick him again."
"I haven't tricked him and he will be around soon," the masked said as its voice became a convolution for different pitches and continued, "One in three, One in three. Only one will live to be. They will choose which one will live, and what will happen to the rest of thee," with that the mask disappeared.
Lina looked back down at Zel and mentally asked, What have you done now Zel. She then noticed Zel was coming to, "Zel your ok," she squeaked as she hugged his neck.
Zel went bug eyed and blushed deeply from what he had awakened to. He stood up and looked to Lina asking, "How long have I been out?"
Lina looked up at him with a curious look on her face and said, "You know I truly don't know. I got here and you were already out, but I heard you scream a few minutes before, so no that long."
Zel turned and began to walk out of the room. He turned when he noticed Lina just staring at him and asked, "Are you coming."
Lina shook her head and said, "Yeah, but what did that mask offer you Zel."
Zel turned away and began walking again responding with just, "......"
I wonder what the mask meant by what it said. Oh well, Zel's ok so lets go back to the inn. With that Lina caught up with Zel and said, "Let's get back before Gourry eats all the food," with that she took off running.
Zel smiled at her as he tried to keep pace with Lina. And with that they headed back towards the inn they were staying in.
Author's notes: The brief saying above is just me trying to be somewhat of a philosopher, but the small excerpts from my mind will have something in general to do with the fic. Mainly I'm asking you to just bare with me and this philosophic period with come to a close soon. (On the other hand if you like my philosophy ranting then expect to see one a the top of each chapter.)
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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