Amelia stopped walking and gazed up at the sky, shading her eyes from the glare. There wasn't a cloud to be seen, and the air felt scorched. She hoped that it would rain soon, crops were failing all over the land and people were suffering this long summer. With a sigh, Amelia hurried to catch up to her travelling companion. "How much farther to Ceipheed's Blessing?"
Brenna turned to look at the princess. "It's just over that rise up ahead." the mercenary woman replied. The two of them continued walking in silence down the dusty road. Occassionally a wagon would pass by them, hauling huge barrels of water to the village from the river half a mile away. For the most part, Amelia spent the walk watching Brenna'a back. The woman had come to Sairune with a message from Filia and instructions to safely escort Amelia to her village. She could see that Brenna was no stranger to battles, her arms were covered with scars and she seemed as wary as a mountain cat. During the journey Amelia had tried to engage Brenna in conversation, but found the sell-sword to be somewhat cold and detached.
At last they topped the low grassy hill, and Amelia got her first glance at Ceipheed's Blessing. It was not really small enough to be called a village, but not quite large enough to be called a town. It seemed like a pleasant place, shaded by large oaks and sheltered from the sun's hot glare. Amelia picked up her pace, eager to enter the cool shade of the village. She couldn't wait to get out of her dusty clothes and take a bath.
Once they entered the village, Brenna stopped and faced Amelia. "This is as far as I go." she said. "You will find Filia's house if you go two streets past the inn and turn left. Her house is the two-storey one with the antique shop on the first floor." Without another word, the bodyguard turned and walked away. Amelia sighed. Stange woman, she thought.
Amelia followed Brenna's directions and came to Filia's house. She rapped on the door, and it was opened a moment later by the blonde Dragon.
"Amelia," Filia said, smiling warmly. She opened the door wider and waved Amelia inside. "Come in, make yourself at home. Zelgadis is in the kitchen, and I think there's some lemonade still left. If not I'll make some more."
"Filia-san!" Amelia exclaimed happily. She greeted the young woman with a hug. "It's been so long."
"Indeed it has," the Dragon replied. She smiled at Amelia again, and Amelia noticed her eyes. They were blue, with a ring of gold radiating out from her irises.
"Filia-san, your eyes..." Amelia said in a hushed voice. The princess was awed by their jewel-like beauty.
"Oh, the color? When a Golden Dragon matures, their eyes change to gold. Kind of like a cat's. I just passed my ninety-fifth birthday, which is actually quite young for my eyes to change."
Amelia could tell that Filia took pride in her changing eyes, it seemed to be some sort of status symbol to her. "I think they look lovely." she told her honestly. Together they entered Filia's large kitchen. Zelgadis was seated at the table by the picture window. There was a four-year-old child sitting next to the chimera, his gaze focused on the piece of paper he was scribbling on. Zelgadis looked up from his coffee when the young women entered. Setting his coffee down, he rose to greet them. "Amelia." he said, inclining his head politly.
Amelia could feel color rising in her cheeks. She lowered her gaze and tried to make her heart stop fluttering. "Zelgadis-san." she replied quietly. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.
The boy looked up from the parchment before him. "Aunt Amelia!" he cried, leaping from his chair and rushing across the room to her. He flung his small arms around Amelia's legs and hugged her tight. "You finally got here! I was waiting patiently, like Mama said, but it isn't really easy to be patient. Come sit with me an' Uncle Zel." They boy grabbed her hand and led her over to the table. Amelia chose the chair on the other side of the boy's and sat down wearily, her muscles stiff from the journey.
Zelgadis reclaimed his seat and began to drink his coffee once more. Amelia glanced over at him briefly and thought she saw him suddenly look away, as if he had been watching her. She turned her attention to Filia, who was bustling about the kitchen busily. "Did you need some help, Filia?" Amelia asked.
"No, no, you just sit there and cool off, I know it's an oven outside." Filia replied. She gestured to Zelgadis. "How he can sit around and drink coffee in this heat is beyond me!"
"I just like coffee, is all." Zelgadis replied, sounding a shade defensive to Amelia.
The princess glanced down to the paper on the table. It was a picture of Zelgadis, Amelia saw, and it was quite remarkable for a four-year-old. "Wow, Val," she exclaimed. "This is really good!"
Val looked up at her, a bright smile on his face. "You think so?" Amelia nodded. "Thanks! You can have that one if you want, Aunt Amelia. I have another one that I drrew last night."
Amelia ruffled the boy's soft hair. "Thank you very much, this is a wonderful gift." Carefully Amelia folded the drawing and placed it safely in her belt pouch. "I will carry it with me always." She happened to glance over at Zelgadis at that moment and caught his eye. For just a moment their gazes were locked, and Amelia thought she saw a blush stain the chimera's cheeks. Amelia blinked. Was that my imagination, she thought. Or did he look at me differently than he has before?
Filia aproached the table and placed a large bowl of fruit in the center. She brought over a pitcher of lemonade and four glasses as well. She poured lemonade for each of the and took a seat across the table from them. "Hopefully Lina and Gourry will be here soon." she said, selecting a peach from the bowl of fruit. "There is much we need to discuss."
Amelia helped herself to a pear and nudged Val to ask if he wanted any fruit. The boy shook his head, already hunched over another drawing and completely absorbed in his work. "Tell me how you have been, Filia." she said. "I had not heard from you in so long."
The other woman blushed slightly. "I'm sorry I haven't been keeping in touch quite like I used to." she apologized. "The weeks leading up to Val's birth were a very busy time. Although I will say that you are never prepared for actually having the child, no matter how much you try to prepare. Let's see, we've had a busy season at the shop. The locals love the antique vases that the boys find, and the Village Guard buys their maces and cudgels from us. The maces are imported from Elmekia and really high quality." Filia said matter-of-factly. "Every month I send Gravos and Jillas out to find more antique vases, and I have a friend who is a potter. We may go into a partnership together. Mostly I was just trying to make things ready for Val's arrival." She laughed suddenly. "To think I spent so much time on the nursery and he will be too old for it soon." Filia looked to her son then, and Amelia could see the worry in the girl's odd-colored eyes.
The four of them settled into an uneasy silence. Amelia finished her lemonade, relishing it coolness. She watched Val draw for a moment, noticing that it was a depiction of her. Leaning over the table, Amelia quietly asked Filia were the bath was. The Dragon girl told her it was upstairs and down the hall, offering to show Amelia to it. Amelia shook her head. "I will be fine, Filia-san." she said. She rose from her chair and walked to the far end of the kitchen toward the staircase. She paused halfway up the stairs and turned back to the kitchen, opening her mouth to speak. She saw Val slide the completed piture down the table to Zelgadis. The chimera looked at the picture and smiled. Amelia watched him, holding her breath. He folded it carefully and put it in his own belt pouch. When he opened the pouch Amelia caught a glimmer of the gem she had given him before he had left to find his cure.
Whatever she had been about to say vanished from her mind, and Amelia continued up the stairway and toward the bath, feeling as though she was walking on air.
As they neared the town of Ceipheed's Blessing, Gourry heaved a quiet sigh of relief. The past few days on the road had been a nightmare for him, listening to the two women complain about almost everything under the sun. Gourry was quite used to Lina's usual grumblings about being tired and hungry, but her sister (and the effect she had on Lina) was a different matter entirely. He had come sorely to miss Lina's compliants about hunger.
The first day of their trip hadn't been so bad, once he and Luna had caught up to Lina and had calmed her horse. It was really such a docile creature, Gourry cound't understand why Lina had such trouble controlling the mare The sorceress had been silent most of the day, her embarasment plain on her face. The only time she had spoken was to answer questions asked by Luna, but even still she had spoken quietly. Luna herself spoke rarely, and usually it was to tell Lina to sit up straight. Gourry wasn't quite sure if he liked the other woman yet; Lina had told him once that Luna was a Knight of something-or-another, and respected across the land. Truly she was a fearful pressence, but shouldn't sisters love each other? The way Lina's face paled everytime Luna spoke made Gourry think the older woman wanted to kill her. He hated seeing Lina afraid; she was strong and tough and not afraid of anything. Seeing the bravest person he knew practically quaking with fear did not do much to improve his opinion of Luna.
When they made camp that night, Luna had taken Gourry aside while her sister built the fire and set up their two shelters. "What are your intentions toward my sister?" she had asked him with a flat stare.
Gourry was taken aback for a moment. "What do you mean?" he asked. Desperately he tried to think of something else to say to get Luna off this potentially dangerous topic. "Don't you have two sisters? Lina and..........was it Lana?" he asked, hoping she would start talking about the youngest Inverse sister. He heartily desired a subject change
Luna nodded her head toward the campsite, where Lina was busily errecting two shelters on either side of the fire. "Lina, you fool." she sneered. Luna crossed her arms and stared at the swordsman, her face frighteningly emotionless. "How long have you travelled together?"
Gourry frowned. "About three and a half years," he said. "Why do you ask?"
"Three and a half years......." Luna mused. "In all this time, have you ever thought about staying with my sister permanetly?"
"Oh yes," Gourry agreed without hesitating. "As long as she wants me around, I'm hers."
Luna arched an eyebrow at him. "Really?" she asked. "Have you ever asked Lina how long she would she would 'want you around'?" She paused then, stepping closer to Gourry, a dangerous gleam in her scarlet eyes. "I mean," she continued. "It would only be...proper...for your union to become more binding. You know, if you continue to travel together. Then it wouldn't seem so indecorus for the two of you to share a room at a village inn."
Gourry took a step back and raised his arms slightly as if sheilding himself. "That room had two different beds on oppisite sides of the room." he hastily explained.
"Is that so?" Luna asked casually. She said nothing more, merely stared at Gourry for a long moment before turning back toward the prepared campsite. Gourry stood were he was, unsure if he should follow just yet. He was getting hungry, and the smell of the rabbit cooking over the fire convinced him to return to the camp. Lina smiled warmly at him when he approached, making room for him to sit next to her. Gourry returned her smile as he sat down. "This smells great, Lina." he said, indicating the roasting rabbit. "What else do we have?"
The sorceress glanced across the fire at her sister. "Well," she said, getting to her feet and grabbing the teakettle. "I'm going down to the creek to get some fresh water for the tea. Gourry, would you like to come with me?" She smiled down at him, and Gourry knew she was trying to manipulate him. "Come on," she hissed.
"Why do I have to go?" he said, affecting a slight whine. "I just sat down."
Lina frowned at him and grabbed his arm, pulling him roughly to his feet. "Now your standing." she said briskly. "Besides, I may need someone to protect me, if the Mazoku are active."
Gourry shoke his head, resigned. "Alright, I'll go with you." He held an arm out for Lina, and she hooked her own arm through. Together they had walked a few paces from the fire when Gourry glanced back and saw Luna look up at him from studying the flames. Her eyes locked on his, and Gourry repressed a sudden chill. He hated the way she looked at him, as if she could read his mind. He had tried many times himself to read his own mind, but it was as if it was written in some foreign language that he could not decipher. Luna had been looking at him as if she knew the meaning of what was written in the secret language of Gourry's memory. He felt a slight bit of resentment at this, if anyone should know its meaning it should be him, not some frightening creature that happened to be related to Lina. Frowning, Gourry stopped paying attention to the world around him and focused on the world within. He lost track of how long he tried to pull up even the faintest glimmer of a memory, the only thing he could come up with was an image of a red dragon.
"Gourry!" Lina yelled, sounding a great distance away. She tugged on his arm, forcing the swordsman to stop.
Gourry blinked, a little dazed. "What is it Lina?"
The sorceress rolled her eyes expresivly. "We're at the stream, dummy." she said. "You spaced out again."
"Oh, sorry."
Lina shook her head slightly. "No matter," she said. "I just wanted to talk to you alone for a little bit. You know, away from.... Anyway the rabit is all we have to eat tonight."
"What?" Gourry asked with shocked disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Mm-hmm." Lina nodded. "Luna hates excess. She would make our lives even more miserable than she does right now if she knew how much we could eat. She thinks just because she doesn't need as much food to survive that others don't either."
Gourry sighed. "And we have to put up with this for the next four days?" he asked.
"Not if my plan works." Lina said. "I think we should meet here tonight, after my sister falls asleep. We will go seperatly though, in case she wakes up. We can always say we're going to the bathroom or something." She crouched down, filling the teakettle with streamwater. "I've been stowing away some food since we made camp. Serves my sister right for making me do everything." Lina glanced quickly over her shoulder, as if making sure Luna was not within hearing distance. Gourry noticed she looked kind of pale. "At least we won't starve over the next few days." the young woman added. "You sure you can remember to meet here tonight?"
"I think so." Gourry replied truthfully. "After Luna falls asleep, right?"
"Yes," Lina said, rising to her feet. She handed the teakettle to the blond man and brushed the leaves from her pants. "Let's get back before she misses us. I don't want Luna to come looking for me, because then she'll be really mean."
Much to Gourry's disappointment, there was no secret meeting that night. Luna had intercepted her younger sister and forced her to hand over the supplies she had taken. The next day of the journey, Luna had extended Lina's punishment: she was allowed to touch no food the entire day and night. Gourry was made to prepare the meal that night, and it bothered him immensly that Luna was being so cruel to her little sister. When he was sure Luna had her back turned, Gourry slipped bits of food to the younger woman, who smiled at him gratefully.
Now, five days after they had set out, Gourry and his travelling companions had finally arrived at Ceipheed's Blessing. Gourry thought it was a pleasent-enough looking town, it's lanes shaded by towering oaks and maples. He nudged his horse lightly and caught up with Lina. "Well, here we are." he said, hoping to cheer her.
Relief was plain on the small woman's face. "I thought this trip would never end. I can't wait to see Filia and the others. I would rather have to fight Shabranigdo again than travel one more mile with Luna Inverse."
"Be careful what you wish for, little sister, Luna herself said from behind them, making both Gourry and Lina jump. "From what you told me about Filia's worries, you may just wind up facing another piece of the Dark Lord."
Gourry shook his head and smiled. "You're wrong there, Luna." he stated, paying no attention to Lina's frantic hushing gestures. "Lina already killed what's-his-name."
Luna looked to her younger sister disbelievingly. "Was he dropped on his head when he was a small child?" she asked. Lina shook her head, and Luna turned her sharp gaze on Gourry. "Shabranigdo was split into seven different pieces. If anyone should know that it should be you, Gourry Gabriev. When Lina defeated Shabranigdo, it was only one piece. There are six more left in this world."
"Why do you think Lina will have to fight another one?" Gourry inquired.
Luna said nothing for a moment, she just stared at Gourry in a manner that the swordsman found quite unsettling. "Did it ever occur to you that there may be something more to this Valgaav's rebirth?" she asked cooly. "From what I understand, the man is something of a phoenix. First," she said, holding up one finger, "He was killed by the Demon Dragon King and became a Mazoku. Second," She held up another finger. "He was consumed by Dark Star, and was reborn as a part of that entity. And lastly," she continued, holding up a thrid finger. "He was reborn once again as an Ancient Dragon. This world obviously needs him alive to fufill a purpose, and judging from his deeds in the past we can safely assume that he may have evil intentions."
"I have thought about it as well, Gourry," Lina said quietly. "This may not be a social call after all."
"What do you mean?" Gourry asked. They had entered the village proper. Gourry dismounted and helped Lina off her own horse. Luna remained atop her mount, scanning the cloudless sky with an unreadable expression on her face. Gourry asked again, "Lina, what do you mean?"
The sorceress sighed softly, bowing her head. To Gourry she looked lost and almost vulnerable. "I mean we may have to kill him."
Xellos paced the confines of the small room he had rented in Ceipheed's Blessing's only inn, trying to avoid what lay on the bed. To distract himself he built a fire in the stone fireplace, even though it was terribly hot for this time of year. Once he had the fire blazing away happily, Xellos strode towards the window on the other side of the room. He teitched the curtain aside just enough to allow him to see the village below. From this room he had a clear view of Vases and Maces, Filia's shop. Satisfied that no one was currently outside in her yard, Xellos drew back the curtains fully and opened the window to allow whatever air and coolness he could inside. He closed the curtains and they blew in and out or the room slightly, carried by the fitful breeze.
When he could put it off no longer, Xellos turned toward the bed. So I'm really going to go through with this, he thought to himself. I wonder how many enemies I will make from this. Xellos shook himself slightly, as if trying to shake away his trepidation and uncertainty. With a look of resolve on his face, he slowly removed his cloak and folded it carefully before laying it on the floor. Next he peeled the gloves off of his hands and set them on top of the cloak. He then pulled his shirt over his head and folded it neatly before it joined the pile. Kicking off his boots, Xellos unlaced his breeches and took them off as well, folding them as he had his other clothes. Standing there in his smallclothes a moment, he reached down and touched the large bundle on the bed. Xellos broke the string that held it together and began to unroll it. As he did so, he was aware of the sound of something wooden hitting the floor. He crouched down to retrieve what had fallen. It was a staff made of pale wood that was polished until it shone, capped by two bluish-gray dragon wings made of painted wood. The wings, one folded, the other extented as if in flight, supported an orb that was sky-blue and white. As Xellos watched, the colors within the orb shifted slightly, whirling together slowly as if there were clouds trapped within the stone. He whistled softly, quite impressed, and moved to prop the staff against the wall next to his own. He looked at the darker wooden staff bitterly, frowning over the absence of the red jewel that once crowned it.
Xellos grabbed his old staff roughly, and cracked it swiftly across his knee. It broke with a satisfying crack, and he broke the two pieces down further, until nothing was left but four lengths of wood. He dropped the remains of the staff atop his folded bundle of clothing, then went back to the bundle on the bed.
First he pulled out a pair of pants, dark gray and made of fine linen. Stepping into them and lacing them up, Xellos was not at all surprised to find that the pants fit perfectly. Next came a tunic of lighter gray, which fell just past his knees and had a dark blue sash serving as a belt. The cloak was the last article of clothing,and it was magnificent. It was made of a slightly heavy material, it's color was the deep blue of a midnight sky, and there were stars embroidered on it in thread-of-silver. Every hem was adorned with silver-and white fringe, even the hems of the cowl and hood. Xellos ran his hand down the silvery-blue silk lining, marvelling at the beauty of the garment. He slung it over his shoulders and fastened it, reaching into the bag once more to remove a silver collar with a gem that matched the orb on the staff. This was it. His bondage. It was everlasting service, binding oaths, but Xellos felt it was protection as well. That protection had to come at a price, it always did. He knew if he were to forsake the oath a second time, they would all hunt him down and desrtoy him. With a quiet sigh, Xellos snapped the collar around his neck, feeling the ancient magic bind him to his oaths.
After a few minutes it passed, and Xellos bent to retrieve his old clothing from the floor. e crossed to the fireplace and gently laid the pile on top of the flames. The fire licked eagerly at the fabric and wood, and Xellos stood there in silence, watching it burn.
"Mama, mama! Auntie Lina's here, mama!" Val called happily from the front door. Filia replaced the vase she had been dusting and went to join him by the window. Sure enough, as she approached the door someone rapped it sharply on the other side. The dragon woman smiled as she opened the door, relieved that all of her friends managed to arrive so soon.
The boy, who now looked to be seven or eight years old in human terms, was bouncing on the balls of his feet eagerly. When the door was open, he dashed out onto the porch and nearly knocked Lina Inverse over with a hug. "Hi, Auntie Lina!" he laughed. "Did you come for my party?"
Making her apologies, Filia pried her foster son from her friend. "Lina-san, it's been awhile." she said warmly.
Looking at Val with her eyebrows raised, Lina replied, "Looks like it's been alot longer than it really has been. What have you been feeding him, Filia?" She shook her head. "Well, whatever it is, I want some. I'm so starved!"
"Did Filia make dinner?" Gourry asked from behind Lina.
Fillia recognized Luna Inverse standing just to the side of the blond man. "Luna-san, thank you very much for bringing Lina-san and Gourry-san here so quickly." Filia reached into her pocket and pulled out a pouch of gold coins and tossed it to the woman. "Your payment. Again, thank you very much, Luna-san." In actuality, the pouch contained more than just Luna's asking price of 100 pieces of silver. Filia had given the woman the weight of the silver, but she had paid the woman in gold.
Luna nodded toward Filia. "Am I done then? Are you sure you don't need anything else? An extra sword on your journey?" Filia saw Lina turn white, and she shook her head. "Thank you for your offer," she said to the Knight. "But I don't need anything else. You have fulfilled your task."
Luna bowed slightly, then turned her head to look at her sister. "Remeber to drop by home, little sister." she said cooly. After another long look at Lina, Luna mounted her horse and rode away.
"Oh thank the gods!" Lina sighed once her sister was out of earshot. "Filia, you are too cruel. Hiring my sister to come get me. I'm gonna get you back for this, you know?"
The threats sounded hollow to Filia's ears. "It got you here quickly, didn't it?" she asked sweetly. "Besides, as you can see, time is something we're a litle short of. Look at me keeping you out in this heat! It's only a little cooler inside, I'm afraid, but it helps to be out of the sun."
The four of them entered the house, and Val ran to his toy shelf. He returned to Gourry's side, holding two wooden swords in his arms. "Do you wanna play swords with me Gourry? We hafta go out back though, 'cause Mama says I break too much stuff inside."
The blond man laughed and clapped the child on the shoulder. "Sure, we can play swords," he said. "Lead the way out back, Val. Don't want to upset your mother by breaking any of her lovely jars or anything." Together, the man and boy passed through the house on their way to the backyard.
Filia watched them go, then shook her head to clear it. "I'm sorry Lina-san, you must be exhausted after your journey. Where are my manners today?" Filia ushered the other woman further into the house, heading toward the kitchen. "Amelia-san and Zelgadis-san should still be eating lunch. You and Gourry-san arrived just in time, it seems." When they had entered the kitchen, Filia showed Lina to a chair and bade her to sit. The sorceress flopped into the wooden chair with obvious relief,nodding her greetings to the princess and the chimera already seated at the table. Filia poured her friend a glass of pear juice and returned to the pots that were simmering on the black iron stove. "I'm afraid all we have is rabbit stew right now, but I made sure to make enough so that everyone can eat to their heart's content, even you and Gourry-san." She filled a large bowl nearly to the brim with steaming stew, then set it carefully in front of Lina. The red-haired woman attacked the stew eagerly, eating it so fast that Filia was worried her friend would blister her throat from not letting it cool enough. Lina didn't seem to mind though, and Filia wondered if she had lost all the feeling in her gullet long ago. Filia dished up her own bowl of stew and set the pots on the back of the stove where they would stay warm but not continue to cook. "I know I should call Val and Gourry in here to eat with us," she said a little sheepishly. "But I'm kind of relived that Gourry is playing with the boy now, so I can speak freely without upsetting him." She claimed her own place at the table after closing the back door.
"So what's up?" Lina asked, with her mouth full as usual. She swallowed. "Aside from the obvious fact that Val's just over a week old but he looks to be about seven."
"Do you know what might be causing it?" Zelgadis asked quietly.
Filia shook her head slowly. "I haven't the slightest idea." she answered. "It can't be anything good though, and the villagers are already getting suspisious. I've not even taken Val into the rest of the town, but gossip travels fast, it would seem."
"Do the villagers know that you and Val are Ryuzoku?" Amelia asked from across the table. "Can you just explain it to them that way?"
Once again Filia shook her head no. "The villagers know that I am a Golden Dragon, and for a while they considered it a symbol of good fortune to have a daughter of the Fire Dragon King in residence. But remember, up until last year very few people even remembered what the Ancient Dragons were."
"And those who knew the Ancient Dragons were the ones responsible for their extinction." Zelgadis added.
Amelia stood and carried her bowl to the stove. "Do really even know if the quick-aging thing is something that all Ancient Dragons could do?" she asked, refilling her bowl and returning to the table. "I mean, are there any written records of them as a people?"
"It's possible that at one time there were histories," Lina replied thoughtfully. "But seeing the attitude of the Golden Dragons leads me to belive that they would have obtained every last one of those books, if they ever did exist. It seems the Golden Dragons weren't interested in just killing the Ancient Dragons. They wanted to erase all knowledge of the only people in the world more powerful than them. No offense, Filia," she added hastily.
"None taken." the dragon replied. "I think you're right there, Lina-san. If the other Golden Dragon kept the books and scrolls and whatever other documents there may have been instead of destroying them, they were probally lost after the destruction of the Temple."
"It seems ironic that the one place that could have held information about Val's people was destroyed by Val himself." Zelgadis put in. He laughed bitterly. "It would be like me burning the book that contains a spell for my cure."
Filia noticed Amelia glance at the chimera with a look of pain and disappointment. "Be that as it may," she said, returning the conversation to the original subject. "The only thing we know for sure is that we don't know. I'm just so afraid that one day Val is going to remember everything that happened to and because of him. What would that do to him? Would he go back to it? Would his conscience crush him? I just don't know....." Despite her best attepts, Filia found she could no longer remain calm and detatched. She covered her face with trembling hands and breathed deeply, willing herself not to break down hysterically.
"You really should eat that Filia," Lina said gently. Filia raised her eyes and saw the woman was pointing her spoon at Filia's bowl. "You haven't even touched it since we sat down."
Filia flushed slightly and wiped away the light tears settled on her cheeks. She nodded and picked up her own spoon, eating the stew without tasting it. The four of them ate in silence for several minutes. When she felt stable enough to speak, Filia said, "No matter what is causing Val's unusual aging, we really need to concentrate on the reasons for Xellos's interest in my son. He said something about Val having the power to save or doom us."
"Who was he referring to by 'us'?" Lina asked. "Us, as in those of us who have fought together? Or is he referring to the Mazoku."
"I don't know," Filia replied. She was tired of saying it, but it was true. Her own foster son, and she didn't know a damned thing about him. "It's part of the reason I called all of you here. I can't figure any of this out by myself, I can't even think about any of this logically enough to try to come up with any ideas. It seems I can't do anything on my own except worry."
Amelia reached across the table and touched Filia's hand. "It's understandable to be worried, Filia-san. I think anyone would in you position." the princess said. "But since we're all here, maybe one of us can figure it out. Five brains are better than one, right?"
"Better make that four brains, Amelia." Lina said, nodding toward the back door. "I brought Gourry, remember?"
For the first time in days, Filia laughed sincerely. She had begun to think she would never laugh again, as if she had forgotten how. "Now Lina-san, that's not very fair to Gour -- " She was cut off by a child's high-pitched scream and a man's startled yell. Filia, Lina, Zelgadis, and Amelia leapt to their feet as one and dashed to the door. Filia ripped it open and ran to the cleared area near the woodpile where her son usually played at swords with Jillas.
Val was there, wide-eyed and staring at the air infront of him. He ran to Gourry and hid behind the big swordsman. Filia reached her son's side. "What happened?" Filia asked Gourry. The blond man shrugged and pointed with his toy sword to an area roughly in front of him.
Filia stared toward the place Gourry was pointing at, dimly aware of her friends joining her by Gourry. It was s shimmer in the air, very much like heat waves, but much larger than any heat wave Filia had seen. It was taller than Gourry and slightly wider, and the shimmering seemed to intensify as she looked at it. Soothing her son, ilia watched with growing fear as the shimmer darkened and seemed to grow denser. There was a brilliant flare of light, and the shimmer was gone, replaced by someone Filia thought never to see again.
"Sirius!" Lina exclaimed. "You sure know how to make an entrance. Scared us all half to death."
"My apologies, human." the Overworlder replied. "It has been awhile."
"That it has," Lina said. "Did you suceed in sealing Dark Star's power?"
Filia happened to glance at Val and noticed that he mouthed the words "Dark Star". She frowned and smoothed his hair away from his brow. The child looked over at her, seeming to notice her for the first time. "Isn't that guy kinda cool, Mama?" he whispered. The dragon woman nodded.
"Yes, we were able to stop the Dark Star." Sirius answered. "It was a difficult battle, not without losses, but it is done now. In fact, that is why I am here. We could not destroy the Dark Star weapons anymore than we could have destroyed Dark Star himself. That is when we decided to seal each remaining part of Dark Star within his own creations, the Weapons. Naturally it would be to easy to revive the Dark Lord's power if the Weapons remained together. I have been sent to scatter the Weapons all over the other three worlds in the hopes that they can never be brought together again." The Overworlder removed something from a pack that he was wearing on his back. He handed the object to Gourry, and Filia saw that it was the hilt of the Sword of Light. Gourry took the sword from the Overworlder reverantly, bowing low. "I felt that you are one of the few people in this world that I can trust with Gorun Nova, child of Ceipheed. The Sword has been in your family for generations, and the Gabriev family has always kept it safe and has never abused its power."
"Thank you very much!" Gourry exclaimed happily. "I promise to value the Sword of Light as my family always has. Ah, but it feels good to have it back in my hand!" The swordsman concentrated for a moment, and a brilliant blade of light erupted from th hilt. At the core of the light-blade, Filia could see a great blackness; a darkness to the Sword of Light. Gourry and the others noticed it too. "Uh, what is that?" Gourry asked.
"I bet it's the part of Dark Star's power that was sealed within it." Lina answered.
Sirius nodded. "It is so. Gorun Nova is now more than twice as powerful as it was before. Use it wisely, child of Ceipheed, and keep it from the wrong hands.
Filia felt a tugging at her sleeve. She looked down and saw Jillas had come out of the house to get her. "What is it, Jillas?" she asked.
"Well boss, there's some customer here, and I told him we were closed, but he's really firm and he says he wants to speak to the managment about some antique vase from Berrilude. I think he really wants to speak to you, and he won't leave, even though I've had Gravos threaten to kick him out."
Filia sighed. "Alright," she told the fox-man. "I'll be there shortly." She turned to her friends, gathered around the Overworlder. "Sirius-san, you must be tired from your trip to our world. Please say you will stay for a time and have some tea or something? We could all catch up, and I would be intrested to hear how you beat back the rest of Dark Star. I have some buisness to take care of now, but when I'm done I'll put on the kettle."
"That would be most welcome, thank you." he replied.
"We'll just wait out here and watch Val beat people at swords while you help that guy," Gourry added. "This kid's really good."
"I think I might be able to take him," Zelgadis answered, humoring the boy. "If I'm lucky."
The child grinned at the chimera. "Check this out Sirius-san," he said. "Once you see my talent with a sword, you'll wish that I was there helpin' you guys kill Dark Star!"
Filia missed the uncomfortable moment of silence that followed, she had entered her house before her son had finished speaking. She passed through the kitchen and made her way to the part of the house that served as the shop proper. A cloaked and hooded figure was standing in front of a marble pedastool, examining a costly vase. Filia noticed with approval that the man was richly dressed, fine linens and silks. "May I help you?" she asked the potential customer. "We"re actually closed right now, but if you had some sort of special need...?"
"As a matter of fact, I do have a special need, as you put it." the hooded man replied. Filia frowned, thinking she recognized the voice. The cloaked man pulled back his hood. "I need to speak with you all right away, it's very important." Xellos said.