"Oh goody!" Zangulus turned to look at where his lady love had just suddenly appeared. He marveled at the child-like and innocent sound of her voice. "You brought him to me."
"We can be together now?" he asked desperately. Martina turned to look at him and traced a finger down his jawline.
"We are together my love," she said sweetly. "But before I make you as eternal as our love, I have to be sure what I need is here. I might still need a mortal to help me."
She reached for the bag gingerly, and when no black light assaulted her she set about greedily digging through the bones of the fallen mazoku. Like the mazoku on Wolf Pack Island, Xellos's power had not dissipated immediately after his death. Instead it soldified, appearing as a normal body, and decayed as a normal body. She snatched each bone and drew the power it contained within her, causing the bone itself to crumble into dust. Zangulus noted with concern as her expression darkened with each shattered bone.
"It has to be here!" she screeched. "It has to be." Finally she drew out the grinning skull. Watching it collapse into dust taking that damn endless smile with it did her mood no good. The key was Xellos's essence, the power his departed spirit left behind, and yet his body was no different than the bodies of all the other mazoku she had dredged up and absorbed.
"There was a staff," Zangulus noted. Martina whirled on him.
"His staff! His staff was intact!" Martina screeched furiously. "Why didn't you bring that to me?" she restrained herself from actually attacking him, but was on the edge.
"Zelgadis showed up," Zangulus explained to her. "I took the body and ran, since that is what you sent me for. Xellos's daughter has it."
"Xellos had a daughter?" Martina asked curiously.
"That is what the girl claimed."
"Could you describe her too me, dear?" Martina asked sweetly.
"Purple hair and tail, fox ears," Martina howled and slammed her fist into a tree, knocking it down.
"The bastard and the bitch had a little brat!" Martina whispered viciously to herself. Then she faced Zangulus with a sweet expression on her face. "Get the staff from her, my love. The staff has what I need. Do that and then we can be together, forever."
"As you wish, Martina," he bowed over her hand as she smiled over him.
"This is the staff?" the sorcerer asked.
"Xellos Metallium's staff," the thief assured him, eyeing the staff anxiously. "It will prove itself."
"If this is a scam, you will pay," the sorcerer assured him. Somehow he was certain that it wasn't a scam, the man was too eager to be rid of the staff.
"This is no scam," the thief assured him. "Now can I have the payment?" The sorcerer handed over the bag of platinum unconcerned. There were spells on the coins that he could trigger at any time if the product still proved to be a fake. The sorcerer didn't no for certain what he could do with the staff, but an item with such a master must be great indeed.
The mage stepped up into his carriage and commanded the magical construct to carry him down the alley. Soon he would be far away from this distasteful city. There was a startled rustle among the crowds, mixed awe and terror. The sorcerer looked out and his jaw dropped as he saw a dragon winging down for a landing beyond the city walls.
"I know your faster than that," Zelgadis admonished, lifting his practice blade away from her neck.
"Why are you making me do this?" Xina asked leaning over her practice sword.
"Haven't had a sparring partner since Amethyst went travelling," Zelgadis answered. "Now come again."
"Can't you teach me how to use something else?"
"Not as well as I can teach you this, now come again." She stood up and gritted her teeth.
Xina snapped forward with stab, which he blocked, she let the sword bounce away from the block and added power to the back spin as she slashed around with blinding speed coming in the other direction. He blocked again, and Xina pushed forward with her shoulders in a body block. The girl bounced off Zelgadis and landed on the ground.
"Damn it," Xina growled as she stood back up again, Zelgadis had never helped her up in any of these practice sessions.
"At least you managed the spin this time," he commented. "But you shouldn't try to shove someone stronger than you unless they are far off balance. Come again."
"Just give me a moment," she asked, panting and leaning on her sword again. Zelgadis's eyebrow arched and his stance lowered. It was what she had been waiting for. Xina whipped forward with her blade a triumphant grin on her face, until the sword flew from numbed fingers and landed a few feet away.
"I'm not human," he reminded her. "I won't fall for the false fatigue trick from a half-mazoku." A herald appeared in the sparring room, breathing heavily, Zelgadis saw hm and walked away from the dueling area. "Not much of a spar."
"Sir a..a...a...dra..dra..."
"A dragon?" Xina asked excited. Zelgadis turned to face her.
"Yes, its a dragon," the herald gasped. "Landing, beyond the walls."
"You said it took you three days to get here?" Zelgadis asked Xina.
"Yes," she answered grumpily. Zelgadis turned back to the herald and arched an eyebrow.
"That is all I know, Lord." Moments later another herald appeared.
"Lord, your daughter, she's back."
"Amethyst? Who's with her?"
"How did you...of course you know. I think its her brother and some swordsman dressed in an elven manner."
"Her guards?"
"No sign, Lord," Zelgadis nodded.
"Send out an escort," he instructed, the man nodded and started to leave. "An HONOR guard, these are not enemies. The dragon as well."
"Umm," they looked at Xina. "You might want to bring Val some clothes, I sort of lost his on the way here."
"Very well," Zelgadis sighed. "Is this all understood?"
"Yes, my lord," heralds bowed and left at a near run.
"You lost his clothes?" he asked. Xina made a non-commital sound and looked about nervously. "Isn't that a little obvious?"
"The stupider the story the more they....hey!" Zelgadis smirked
It wasn't much longer before Amethyst stood again before her father. Xina watched in amazement as the man actually displayed some emotion and hugged his daughter.
"Dad?" Zelgadis released her and stood back nervous. "Why didn't you tell me about mom?" Zelgadis frowned and turned his face away from her.