From the Edge: Chapter 3
Angels, Devils, and Humans. All are partners in the eternal dance of life. Both Angels and Devils attempt to persuade and seduce humans into the ranks of good or evil. But, is it really the work of these higher being that turns one from light or dark? Is it the Devils' doing that there are bad seeds among us? Is it the Angels' guidance that makes the good priest and choir boys? Or is it the fact that there is a little of the Angels and Devils in every Human?
Velsicar paced in limbo cursing all creation that Zelgadis was able to stop him. "How in the nine hells did he get free? How did he know how to undo the transfer of control? He doesn't believe in the cards, much less know there meanings."
Melkin watched the mazuko pace back and forth with the same apathetic look he always kept. He watched as the mazuko began to clam slightly and started to rationalize what could of happened. Melkin then raised an eyebrow at Velsicar as he turned to glare at him. "This wouldn't have anything to do with you would it Melkin," Velsicar asked, his words practically dripping with venom towards the golem.
Melkin looked at Velsicar and just shrugged. Velsicar was sure that Melkin helped Zelgadis, but Velsicar was only as powerful as Melkin, so they would pull a draw if they battled. Velsicar's mood changed quickly and he said, "Oh well, I will have another chance soon enough," with that he let out an evil cackle that resounded through the limbo.
Zel awoke with a start. He sat up straight, sweat pouring off his brow, and breathed heavily. What a nightmare. To think I would ever think of doing that to Lina, no, I wouldn't. Zel looked down when he heard someone moan and felt a shifting near his lap. His eyes widened as he saw Lina's sleeping form. She sleepily shifted so she was facing a certain part of Zel's anatomy that was slightly aroused by the sorceress being that close. Zel attempted to stealthily move out from under Lina, knowing it would be certain death for him if she awoke, but was greeted with Lina's eyes flying open.
Lina opened her eyes to find her head resting in Zel's lap. Now this was looking bad enough, but with their being a slight bulge in a certain area, it was all the more embarrassing. Lina blushed five shades of red as she jumped up from the bed. She turned around quickly, mainly to hide the blush from Zel, and said sheepishly, "Have a good sleep?"
Zel, thanking the gods that Lina didn't blast him to the ninth hell, simply anwsered, "....yes."
As Lina's blush started to die down she turned back to him and asked, "Zel....there is something I need to ask you."
"What do you want to know Lina," Zel asked. He was feeling very guilty about what had happened the night before, and wanted to make it up to Lina. So he decided to be open with her for now.
"What happened at the ruins before I found you? What did that mask do to you," Lina asked with concern in her eyes.
"It wasn't a mask, it was either a man or a mazuko, I couldn't be sure. He said he would give me the cure I was looking for."
"But, what did he say, surely you didn't just let him do something to you?"
"He actually tried to talk me out of it, but I didn't care. I wanted my cure."
Lina's eyes narrowed slightly, Man Zel, if the guy warned you why didn't you leave. Gods, you can be so foolhardy at times, Lina thought as the chimera made his case. "Zel! Why did you continue if the guy told you it was dangerous?"
"Like I told you I wanted my cure. I didn't care what the cost was."
Lina looked at Zel and saw just how determined he was when he said he wanted his cure. Zel, you don't need a cure that badly. You look fine, Lina thought as she placed a hand of his shoulder. "Did he say anything else to you?"
Zel looked up at Lina, somewhat shocked, but comforted by Lina's touch. "He said that for the cure to fully work that I would have to be tested and pass."
"What kind of a test," Lina asked with more concern for her friend.
"He didn't say, he just left me there after that."
"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," Lina mumbled to herself, thinking Zel wouldn't hear.
But Zel did hear and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Lina started at the chimera's ability to hear things that low. "It's what the mask said to me when I told it to bring you back. I have no clue what it means but it must have something to do with this cure."
Zel thought for a second, One in three? That kinda sounds like a chimera, a single creature made out of three. Wait that is a chimera, and only one will live, oh no. With that Zel felt an anger, an emotion well up in him that he couldn't control. He yelled, "Damn it all," as he slammed a fist into the bed.
Lina jumped away as Zel slammed his fist into, and through the bed. As the chimera tried to pull his hand out Lina saw the bed was about to give and shouted weakly, "Ze.........l," as she covered her eyes.
The bed collapsed with a smash and feathers went flying everywhere. Zel dug himself out of a pile of feathers and looked around. He looked up to see Lina cracking an eye and looking down. "I tried to warn you," she said somewhat sheepishly.
Zel stood up and dusted himself off. He was speechless for a moment. He normally was so good at controlling his emotions, but this one just came out of nowhere. He then looked at Lina who was watching him with the utmost of concern in her eyes. He sighed and then said, "Maybe we should check the ruins again. Y'know see if it has any clues to this test."
"Sure, how about me and you head out while Gourry watches over Amelia," Lina asked.
"That's fine, and I am sorry for what I let happen last night I.....," Zel was about to finish his sentence when he was bonked in the head by a pillow.
Lina lifted began to lift the pillow from Zel's head just to find it was stuck on some of his metal hair. Lina pulled real hard just to have the pillow rip. She began to chuckle as she saw Zel with bits and pieces of pillow stuck in his hair. "What did you do that for," Zel asked, somewhat annoyed as he raked pillow stuffing out of his hair.
"Because, it wasn't your fault for last night, don't go taking all the blame on yourself. It was all that demons fault not yours," Lina stated matter-of-factly.
Zel looked at Lina to receive that 'don't you dare argue with me,' look and decide to keep what he was thinking to himself. "So I guess it's off to the ruins?"
Lina wagged a finger at Zel and said, "Patience Zel. First, I need my breakfast, when we will go to the ruins ok?"
Zel nodded and followed Lina downstairs for her to eat her large breakfast (and I do mean LARGE).
After Lina's meal her and Zel tracked back to the ruined city of Glaouden. They went into the main room where Zel had met the man in the mask. "Ok, you search over that way, and I'll look over here," Lina said, taking full command of their little information hunt.
Zel nodded and went over to his side of the ruin to begin looking for clues. About thirty minutes later, having found nothing, Zel was about to see if Lina wanting to take a break when he heard, "Why stop the fun is just beginning, HAHAHAHA,"
As Zel was about to jump up his senses went dead and he found himself slipping out of his body again. Soon the body began to move with life, but it wasn't Zelgadis' it was something much worse, Velsicar was back in control.
Velsicar glanced at a pool of water nearby to see that the body had reacted as normal to his control. His eyes were glowing red and he knew something needed to be done about that. I think I have just the idea for this problem, he thought as a card appeared in his hand, "Moon."
As the moon card took effect Velsicar grinned as the eyes of the body turned back to their normal coloration. The Moon, master of disguise and trickery, he mused as he stood and silently made his way towards Lina.
Lina had been searching for what had seemed like an hour when she was about ready to take a break. She stood up, and was about to turn towards where Zelgadis should have been, when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. Lina stiffened in pure shock as she saw those pale blue arms wrap around her. What's going on here, one Zel couldn't care for someone like me could he? And two, he would never be this open about it, unless........OH NO that demon is in control. Lina whirled around to be met by a smiling Zelgadis, not the red eyed demon she expected. She blushed slightly and then very sheepishly asked, "Ah Zel.......What's going on?"
Velsicar wrapped one arm around Lina's waist, and wiped a loose lock of hair from Lina's face with the other hand. "Nothing Lina. Nothing at all," was his sly answer as he grinned down at her.
Lina was caught off guard by this; Zelgadis acting this way, grinning down at her like some predator that had just cornered its prey, it was all very confusing. She looked up at him and with every bit of courage said, "Well if it's nothing then you won't mind this," and she kiss him passionately.
After a few minutes they released the kiss and looked into each others eyes. A moment later Velsicar began to laugh. It was a menacing laugh that chilled Lina to the bones. Then Velsicar turned, looked at Lina and said, "Did you think I could ever love an under-developed, immature, greedy little brat like you? Well then your wrong. This was all just a game my dear, a game to see if I could actually break down those barriers of yours. Looks like I have won," with that Velsicar began to laugh again.
Lina looked up at the man she loved and thought might love her back, for a second at least, and then began to cry as what she thought was the truth came out. She collapsed to her knees sobbing, not able to understand how Zelgadis had changed all of a sudden. How can this be? Has he been playing with me all this time? No, it can't be Zel, it has to be the demon. Lina looked back at Zel to see no indication that the demon was in control. Her hopes and dreams began to crack under the assault of the laughter. I desperation she threw herself at Zel asking almost in tears again, "Why Zel? Why did you do this? Why am I not good enough for you to love."
Velsicar couldn't help but be amused. His plan was working if caused a spilt in the group then no one, other than Melkin, could help strengthen Zelgadis. He grinned even more as the sorceress cried her eyes out asking why. "Why? I'll tell you why. Because, you where always going around like the world owed you everything. Because, your a stuck up, spoiled little girl who couldn't keep her hand out of the cookie jar so to speak," Velsicar's words came out like pure cobra's venom.
Lina couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe that the Zelgadis she had been friends with all this time could be this cruel. She crumpled to her knees under his assault; all his words burning a hole of truth in her soul. "Zel why do you hate me so? Can't you see I love you," Lina asked as she sobbed openly for anyone to see.
Velsicar smiled ear to ear at the emotions he was getting from this girl. My, my find the right spot and Lina Inverse the great demon slayers is nothing but a vulnerable little girl. "Do we have to go over this again? I thought you were more intelligent then that?"
Lina looked up at Zel, tears spilling down her face, and gapped in shock at the coldness of his words. She when back to hiding her face and pleaded, "Zel please stop. I can change, I can do whatever you want just don't hate me."
Velsicar began to laugh again this was just priceless. He stopped soon and bent down to Lina's height. He cupped her chin and made her look him in the eyes, "Lina it's too late for that. No matter what I will hate you until you die," Velsicar said, continuing his facade.
Lina could stand it anymore, she had to get away. She got up and began to run but was tripped by Zel. She rolled over and grabbed her knee, which was very badly bruised, and looked at Zel totally clueless on what to do. "I think I will be off now. Hope to never see you again," Velsicar said as he walked off into the ruin.
Lina cried her eyes out. She just laid there and cried. She probably would have been there until nightfall if her hand hadn't hit some kind of paper. As Lina attempted to dry her eyes she looked at the piece of paper. It was a card a tarot card to be precise, But, what's it doing here, Lina mused then it hit her. She flashed back to when the demon was in control, he had used a tarot card to sap Gourry's strength. I must be the demon in control now, just in disguise because of the tarot's power. I hope Zel is ok, and I hope that the demon really was in control. Unsure of what to do or think Lina picked herself up and sluggishly made her way back towards the inn as night began to fall.
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.)
I know I was quite cold hearted in this one but got to be that way sometimes.
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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