Slayers: Chaos

Chaos 27

Slayers: Chaos

Episode 027: Depression! The Choice Of A Desperate Fool

"He's gone?!" The disbelieving echoes invaded Sylphiel's house as Amelia replied to the hostess' innocently concerned question about Zelgadis' whereabouts.

"Yes," Amelia confirmed, "he said he would be back soon, so I'll wait for him here a little longer if that's alright."

"Of course," Sylphiel insisted. "You're all welcome to stay for as long as you want."

"Thank you," Amelia gratefully replied. The last thing she wanted right now was to wait for Zelgadis alone. But she knew her friends wouldn't leave her, and he knew that as well when he left her in their care at Sairaag, even if he didn't directly say it.

Lina half expected Filia to point out that they should be moving on with their journey, but she didn't breathe a word. The redhead had heard the townspeople talking about the purple haired lady's outbursts and the way she would chase the blond dragon around town, but no notable injuries came out of it other than a bump on Xellos' head. The citizens of Sairaag didn't seem to realize that Filia was a monster, but the fact that Xellos was a dragon was obvious to them, since his golden scaly tail was always out.

Xellos and Filia had once again established a connection with each other and she could see Filia awakening into her true self. Lina could see it and she wondered if any of the others could see it too. She no longer worried so much about what a proper monster should do and acted according to her own judgment rather than the expectations that hung over her head, or that she thought were there. At least the journey would be easier in terms of those two from that point on. Lina didn't think they would seriously try to kill each other again and if left to their own devices, maybe they would rediscover what they had and be overall, a little easier to deal with as a pair.

Yet that wasn't the only issue hanging in the air. When something improved, something else went horribly wrong. Amelia didn't speak of Zelgadis' destination, she only stated that she would trust him and hope for the best. That was what worried Lina the most, the look of resignation in Amelia's eyes, as if the Seyruun princess knew that stopping whatever actions Zelgadis was intend on taking was impossible and her only available course of action was to support him through them. What did Zelgadis intend to do? Amelia wouldn't say, but Lina had a feeling that she would find out eventually, and if her recent luck continued, she would find out in a not so convenient manner.

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Meanwhile, at Wolf Pack Island, Zelgadis found himself at Zelas' throne room, the same place where she had spoken to Filia before and to Xellos even earlier. Fang had teleported him there after Zelgadis summoned Jarde with the courier bird spell and had him fetch the fox monster, who had sufficient energy to teleport him to his master's home base. The imposing yet elegant monster lord, Beast Master Zelas Metallium, sat regally upon her throne, with a mocking smirk upon her face reminiscent of Xellos. Her expression made Zelgadis feel uneasy, as if he was making a mistake, yet he already knew that, so his concern didn't increase too much beyond what it already was.

"Zelgadis Graywords," Zelas' strong voice pierced the silence that previously clung to her throne room. After Fang delivered Zelgadis there, he left the chimera alone with the monster lord, left them to their conversation, their negotiations, her manipulation. "Your visit here is closely linked to the recent happenings concerning your son," she stated, rather than asked, as the matter was obvious.

"Yes," Zelgadis admitted, trying to keep his voice steady, firm and devoid of a hint of anything aside from the outmost serious neutrality. He knew that it was a useless facade. She was a monster lord; she could clearly taste the turmoil that was unfolding in his heart. Yet if he didn't show it outwardly, he could make-believe that he was in control.