Ignoring the other's confusion, Xeros began walking towards Firia. Something had happened to both of them, and it was scaring her. Wait a minute, how could he know that? Xeros paused, re-checking his mind and body. There was nothing to tell how he knew, but he knew that she was scared .... and that he wanted to ease her fear. A burst of anger, another new emotion, burned fiercely and irrationally within him. How could she dare do this to him? But logic, ever his preference, quickly doused the flame. Was she deliberately doing this? No. Her fear, while normally of him, was also now of what had happened, what had changed.
"Firia." His voice was still raspy, strained. Firia jumped at the sound of her name. She had not wanted to be anywhere near here, but reason had told her she had nowhere else to go. She winced back when his hand lifted her face to gaze at him.
"Oh!" Shock rippled through Firia as she took in the changes that had been wrought upon him. He too seemed stunned, and with good reason. "Firia ... Your eyes ... hair ... "
"I know, Xeros. They're now almost as purple as yours were." He winced at her clipped, hostile tones.
"What happened?"
"I don't know."
"No ideas at all?"
"I don't know!" A wash of pure terror rolled over Xeros from Firia, nearly knocking him from the rock with it's intensity. Xeros dropped his head in his hands once they were steady enough to do so. "This is hell."
Firia watched him, eyes wide and frightened. Frightened of him. "What is?"
He hated seeing her like this. A small bit of surprise at the revelation, but it was forgone. Xeros knew his emotions had been developing quite a bit because of her, but hadn't figured the return to mortality would be so effective in completely reviving them. And now it was for a female for whom a relationship was utterly impossible.
The trip to the manor had been tense, strained. Zelgadis had recovered with no adverse effects, as had Elkin. The two brothers had taken to walking at the front of the group, with Lina asking them questions while Gourry trailed along behind her like a forlorn puppy. Xeros and Firia walked side by side, not looking at each other directly, but sneaking uneasy glances when one thought the other wasn't looking. Amelia walked at the end of the group, watching everyone.
"OH HO HO HO HO HO!"
That was a garaunteed conversation stopper.
"Hello hooters." Zel and Elkin said in chorus, turning to watch Nahga run to catch up with them.
"I am Nahga! Not hooters!" Nahga hissed, looking ready to smack her cousins. Amelia stifled a giggle behind her hand.
"Oh, be quiet. You can complain to Mom if you want." Elkin gestured ahead, towards a rather large building built into the mountain.
"We're here already? My, time does fly quickly."