"And just how did you know that?" she demanded. Zelgadis turned around and laughed once. "What's so funny, stone-man?"
"You remind me of your mother," he admitted. "I assume Amethyst found where ever it is you three are living. If not, this is an incredible coincidence."
"Yeah, yeah, she found us," Xina grumbled. "Did you catch that bandit?"
"Zangulus escaped."
"He got away!" she restrained herself from leaping forward, her attacker had run from this man. "Did you hate my father that much?"
"Don't presume," he reproached and Xina flinched. This man was like her mom, she had the same huge presence. Xina had grown up with that, that forest was filled with it. She had never thought to meet some one else like that though. She had a sense that if the castle didn't have its own presence that his would be just easily felt as her mother's.
"You let him die," she noted defiantly. "Didn't you?" Zelgadis ignored the question.
"I had a choice," Zelgadis said.
"Hmph, what choice was that?" If she could face her mother, she could face this jerk. Zelgadis turned fully around to face her.
"Xellos's staff and bones," he said, lifting one hand. "His and Lina's daughter." He lifted the other and arched an eyebrow. "Would you rather I made the other choice?"
"Thanks," she said begrudgingly. "and thanks for the clothes, but I'm gone." She turned around to walk out the door.
"Sit. Down." Zelgadis didn't yell like her mom, but the tone was basically the same. Xina stopped and sullenly sat down in a chair she was passing. "I let your father 'sore wa himitsu desu' himself to death, I'm not going to let..."
"What did you say?" she snapped.
"I'm not going to let you get yourself killed..."
"No, the other thing, sore wa himitsu desu." Zelgadis looked at her curiously.
"Your mother never told you about that?"
"What about it?"
"It was your father's standard response to any question," he answered. Xina snapped to her feet and turned back to the door. "Stop."
"He can beat me, but can he beat a dragon?" she snapped.
"Val's here too," he laughed. "Are you intent on bringing Lina AND Filia down on me?"
"Its not FUNNY!" she shouted. She rounded on him and reached up to his face with her nails. Zelgadis caught her by the wrists easily and held her away, she kicked at his legs. Xina couldn't reach anything to bite either, so she was just basically just flailing about ineffectually.
"Do you need help my lord?" Zelgadis shook his head at the guard. "Are you sure." Zelgadis leveled a glare at the guard and the man swallowed before walking out. "As you wish."
"Let go of me!" she shouted. "He has my father!"
"Your father's dead, you're alive." He pushed her away gently, letting go of her hands. Xina rubbed her wrists but didn't try anything further.
"I HEARD him. While I was fighting that bastard, I HEARD him."
"Heard who?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu! Who do you think?" Zelgadis was silent for a long moment while Xina sat back down and sulked.
"I see," Zelgadis said. "This is an interesting developement." He fixed her with a glare. "But you are still waiting for your family to get here. I suppose Lina is already on her way here."
"I'll bet she's bringing a herring," Xina grumbled.
"What?"
Val was on the verge of flying back away home and facing his mother. Of course he'd have to avoid Lina. Lina didn't really like him much any way, if he came back saying that he lost her daughter. Well, he didn't want to face her with that information.
"Is there a Val Garv out here?" the dragon twisted his head about to peak through a gap in the trees. There was a human there, a herald or messenger of some sort. "I'm bring word from Xina Metallium."
"I'm here," Val said. In dragon form pretty much everything he said would sound angry and hostile to a human. This herald was apparently no exception, he swallowed hard at the sound of the booming voice. "Where is she?"
"She is in the palace a guest of the Regent-Prince Zelgadis Greywyrds."
"Guest or prisoner?"
"Guest, the Regent-Prince was hoping you'd take word back to her family. Though I don't know how you could take the message better than a trained herald."
"Can you fly?"
"No."
"They didn't tell you what I was, did they?"
"No, umm there is one more thing," the sound of groaning wood had accompanied Val's preparations to take flight, but they paused as the herald spoke again. "He wishes the girl's mother to know that Martina has been here, and that Zangulus has stolen Xellos Metallium's body and staff." The names were vaguely familiar, but he assumed his mother and Lina would know them better.
"Just get out of the damn way," before the herald could respond he leaped out of his cover into the air with spread wings. The poor man was too busy dodging a falling tree to properly register the dragon, all he knew was that whatever he had been talking to was big.
Val winged back with no hesistation, at least he knew where Xina was. In another three days he could tell Lina that Xina was in Sailoon. Less, actually, he wouldn't take any breaks on this trip, they probably already furious with him and Xina. This was better than he'd lost her, not much better, but better. He thought about trying to go to the palace and get Xina away from there, but something told him that might have been a bad idea.
Sometime on the second day, more than half-way home, he passed three people moving quickly below. He recognized one of them and blinked. The dragon tucked his wings and swooped down towards them.
"L-Sama, its a dragon!!" one of them, a female smelling of ivory and steel, shouted. She started to raise her hands and gather power.
"Amethyst, wait," Xalan shouted. "That's a friend, sort of." Xalan didn't know all the history his mother did, but he shared her hesitance over Xina's friendship with the dragon.
"You know a dragon?" the third humanoid asked as the dragon settled.
"Two," he sniffed and looked about, eyes narrowed. "Where's Xina, Val?"
"Sailoon palace," the dragon rumbled. "I was on my way to tell Lina."
"More like tell your mother, and ask her to tell Lina, care to hold off and give us a lift back to Sailoon."
"I'm not a beast of burden," Val protested.
"Something hurt my sister," he noted. "I felt it." The dragon lookrf at him.
"The herald didn't mention that," Val growled.
"Excuse me, Val-san," the dragon appraised the chimera curiously. "Please could you take us to my home, it would be a great honor to be escorted by such a wonderous being as you." Xal and Jol watched as the young dragon preened under the flattery.
"Of course I'll be your escort, at least somebody gives me the respect I deserve." Xalan looked at Amethyst for a moment.
"If you and Xina ever pool talents..."
"What?" Amethyst asked unaware of what she had done.
"Sounds like we're in for a real adventure now," Jol smiled.