"And....... this.....is a clue HOW?"
"Of for Ceipheed's sake, Zel! How can you be so stupid? Aoife as a chimera, yes! And she knows how to turn herself back!"
Zel shook his head. "But can she do that for me?"
Aoife sat up suddenly. "Fer crying out loud, canna ya talk about me as if I were here?" She leaned towards Zelgadis. "Herself told me that you were a smart fellow, the smartest she knew, and here ya sit, being a fathead." She sat back again. "Lina, yer sure this is yer friend? He's seems more of a boulder-brain than yer partner there." She waved a hand at Gourry, who dozed away.
Zel scowled even deeper. "Do not compare me to Gourry, thank you very much."
Aoife's eyegrows rose. "No? When ya canna accept what's before yer eyes?"
"Enough." Lina forestalled the growing tension. She glared at each in turn. "Zel, you ARE being silly. Just because you've searched high and low doesn't mean you've covered everything. And you, Aoife, quit baiting him." Aoife gave her a cocky grin, and Lina slammed her hands on the table. "I mean it! Don't make any jokes. Now, I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I'm going to bed. GET OUT!"
"But...." Aoife began to protest.
"NO! We'll continue this tomorrow." Lina kicked the chair out from under Gourry, and he woke as he hit the floor. "Zel, you bunk in with Gourry. All of you, OUT!" And she shoved the three into the hall, slamming her door behind them. Gourry just shrugged, yawned, and went to his room. Zel moved to follow, but gave Aoife a glance before he did. Her eyes widened, but she said nothing, just grinned and winked before entering her own room.
She WINKED at me?!? Zel thought as he followed Gourry. She's so damn cocky. She acts like her curse doesn't bother her at all. Like she's a regular person, with as much attitude as Lina! Grumbling to himself, Zel settled himself into a chair with his feet up on a chest. Gourry already snored on the bed. Zel sighed and wrapped his cloak around himself. Hopefully, Gourry won't talk in his sleep tonight.
Zelgadis woke to Gourry's voice. "C'mon, Zel! Or Lina won't leave any breakfast for us, and Aoife makes the innkeeper stop serving us after a while!" Seeing that Zel was up, Gourry left off shaking him and went out. Stretching, Zel pulled up his hood and headed down stairs.
Lina was already causing serious damage to the inn's stores when Gourry joined in. The only other people in the room were Aoife and the innkeeper, standing by the counter and chatting amiably. Aoife leaned against the counter in perfect ease, her cloak laid aside. She wore a purple short-sleeved tunic with gold embroidery, black fitted trews, and purple leather boots. Around her wrists were black leather bracers. Her cloak appeared to be green and gold. Zel coudln't understand how she could be so casual. So much of her skin was exposed, much more than he'd ever allow. But she seemed perfectly comfortable letting anyone see her.... deformity.
"Zel!" Aoife called to him. She tossed a key at him, which he caughted deftly. "Yer in number eleven from now on. Gourry snores." She explained.
Zelgadis just looked at her coldly and went to join Lina and Gourry at the table. He snagged a cup of coffee and watched the two go through their usual routine. Aoife didn't join them. She continued her conversation with the innkeeper.
After a few minutes, Lina sat back and sighed. She glanced at Zelgadis and asked, "What's the matter? Didn't sleep well?"
Zelgadis shook his head. "That Aoife. She's so...... informal."
"Yeah, she's open, friendly, and confident." Lina agreed. In a much lower voice, she added, "You could take some lessons from her," but Zel's enhanced hearing caught it.
"Just what is that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing!" Lina protested, giving him her best innocent, 'who-me?' look. Gourry made a noise of protest in fear. Lina smacked him. Zel chose not to pursue it as he sipped his coffee.
The door to the in burst open, and a young boy ran in, crying, "Aoife, Aoife, you're here!" He ran straight to Aoife, who caught him up and lifted him into a hug as the innkeeper grinned.
"To be sure, I am," she said to the child. "And you, Keenan, yer getting bigger every time I see ya. Soon I'll have to be using magic to toss you around!"
Little Keenan's face turned serious. "Aoife, Angus was attacked on the road by bandits."
Aoife immediately set him down. "Show me." She looked over to Lina and called to them all, "Wanna come?"
Lina nodded and stood. "C'mon guys, this could be interesting."
Keenan led them all to the healer's home. A crowd had gathered out front, but they parted to allow Aoife through. Once inside, she knelt by the wounded trader, who related the tale of the early morning attack. The bandits had beaten him and his apprentice, killed their ox team and stolen most of their stock of good cookware and jewelry. He described the area where it happened, and Aoife nodded as she recognized the place. "I'll get it all back for ya, Angus, I swear," she said. Standing, she motioned for Lina and the others to follow her outside. Zelgadis heard her mutter to herself, "I was careless. Shoulda checked for stragglers."
Outside, she raised her voice to be heard by all. "Twas my fault. I didna make sure that all were routed before." A murmur came from the crowd, denying her self-accusations. Zelgadis was amazed to hear the people telling Aoife she wasn't to blame. One man in particular, a blacksmith by appearance stepped up to declare "Nay, Aoife, ya canna be so hard on yerself. Ya protect this town to yer last ounce of strength, and we love ya for it!" More shouts of agreement.
Aoife grinned. "Well, then, me and me friends best be heading out, then, to capture these ruffians." She led the little group to the end of the town.
"Geez," said Lina. "I knew you were liked here, but that was ridiculous."
"I grew up here. Me Master's home isn't far, in the woods. They all know me, and that me word's me honor." They all walked down the road, heading for the attack site. "About this business: we wanna take the scum, capture them, and send them to the nearest city for judgement. No killing, just capture. Got it?"
The four found the bandits not far from the road. Their attack was swift. Lina danced her usual dance of terror, causing some of the bandits to break down crying. Gourry entertained himself by humiliating some with his famous slice-away-the-clothes trick. Aoife moved with grace, singing some warsong in her native tongue as she took out her adversaries. Zel, with an economy of movement, and with full power, took on as many as Aoife, as if to prove a point.
But the point she got was not the one he intended.
At the end of the fight, they took stock. Lina had beaten five, Gourry another five, Aoife seven, all knocked out, or tied up. But the seven Zelgadis had taken on.....no point tying up the dead bodies at his feet. Aoife stared a moment at the corpses, then walked right up to Zel. Her face was blank until she got right up to him. Then, enraged, she punched him hard in the face.
Zel landed on his backside, and yelled up at her "What are you doing?!?"
Aoife leaned over and grabbed him by the shirt. "Ya bastard! Ya eegit! Ya fecking amadan!" She shook him like a rag doll with every curse. "I said CAPTURE! NOT KILL! I canna send dead men to the local authorities. I always leave 'em alive and cowed, or send 'em ta jail!" Zel shoved her off and the two faced each other like enemies.
"Aoife, Zel, stop!" yelled Lina, but Gourry held her back. "Huh? Gourry?"
"Lina, I think this is important."
"Lemme go, you moron!" But Gourry didn't let her go. They watched as Aoife and Zelgadis faced off. Both still had their swords drawn, and their magic crackled around them. They were like a twisted, dangerous set.
"What, ya gonna take a shot at me? Then do it. DO IT, ya coward, ya bastard, ya MONSTER!" Aoife goaded Zelgadis, but he did not move. "Ya canna, and ya know it, 'cause ya know I'm yer match. But hear me now -- I will not help you! NO! Because the monster's not in yer skin, it's in yer soul! Ya killed when ya didn't have to! Ya treat yer friends like pawns or eegits. Ya sit in yer walls of self-pity and depression. Well , yer just SELFISH! Yer self-centered, vain, and cruel. Ya don't deserve to be cured, 'cause yer outside matches yer inside. Yer STONE at HEART! Yer the worst sort of monster there is, the monster inside. I will NOT justify yer selfishness by helping ya. I will NOT!" Turning, she cast a powerful Ray Wing around the living bandits and sent them towards the nearest city. She deliberately showed her back to Zelgadis and walked over to Lina and Gourry. They just stared at her in shock. Finally, Lina tried to speak.
"Aoife...." But Aoife stopped her.
"No. I said no. Yer friend isn't worth it. Maybe tis because ya know him better than I, or maybe he's got ya so fooled ya canna see it. But there's an evil that I will not satisfy in there. That's me choice."
Gourry reached out and put a hand on Aoife's shoulder. Aoife looked up into his eyes for a while, as if she read something there. Their gaze lasted so long that Lina stepped back from them, confused by the silent communication occuring. Then Aoife sighed and hung her head.
"Yer a fine man, Gourry. And ya give without thought. Very well. If yer friend," and the word came out as a sneer, "comes to his sences, and figures it out, ye can come to me. I'll be at my Master's lodge, Keenan knows the way." She sheathed her blade, casting "LEVITATION!" and flew off back to the village.
Gourry gave Lina a weak smile, as if to say he'd done the best he could. Lina didn't understand what just happened, but she turned and walked over to Zelgadis, who stood as still as a statue. he stared off into the woods unseeing, and Lina saw that his shoulders shook as if he were exerting a huge amount of control over himself. She waited until he saw him breath deeply, then reached up to grab his cloak. When he focussed in her, she gave him her best serious look and said, "We are going to have a talk."
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