********
"Is it me, or has that mountain over there sprouted a Mazoku?"
Lina spun to look. A shadowy form with gangly limbs and a wolfish snout stood idly on a mountainside, watching Xelloss and Valteira with more than passing interest. He didn't see them, or was ignoring them. Lina was slightly offended that he wasn't cowering in fear of her.
"Looks like the Greater Beast sent back-up," Zelgadis said softly.
"Is Val really that powerful?"
"He's just a dragon. An equal to a Mazoku, probably, but definitely something Xelloss can handle, from what we know of him."
"Then that's not back-up..." Lina glanced at the combatants, trying to follow their lightning movements. The black blur of Val's wings were often all she had to go on. "That's insurance...." Zelgadis nodded. "The Greater Beast doesn't think he'll do it!"
"Yes! The only father Val's ever had... I bet his boss doesn't like that!" Zel laughed mirthlessly.
"But, how do we stop this? Xelloss will be forced to kill Val.... I mean, he may be hesitating, but he's a Mazoku."
"He'll do what his Master orders him too. Ceiphreed knows he's tried to sell US out enough times."
"And once to Valgarv.... Val must know that now. And he knows that he didn't take the offer."
"That merely explains the 'why' of this. Xelloss knows Valteira would never join the Mazoku-"
"Filia raised him better than that!"
Zel raised an eyebrow at her interruption, and glanced at the strange Mazoku. He was still staring at Xel and Val as if nothing else existed. "This isn't a continuation of that fight, though, Lina."
"It's revenge for it, I think. The Greater Beast has a bigger hand in this one. I mean, Valgarv repudiated her offer. And here he is, given a second chance, free of her. She must be really ticked off!"
Zelgadis nodded again, and turned back to the fight with Lina, thinking hard.
***
Xelloss was taking full advantage of his superior teleporting skill now, but he still wasn't using his most devastating attacks. He used his staff, and sometimes the deadly black cones to simply scratch, wearing away at the boy- a tactic Val remembered from their fight when he was Valgarv. He desperately wished he still had that kind of power. It was taking all his strength just to keep up! He batted away a staff-blow with his wing, accepting the pain.
"Stop playing with me!" he roared in frustration.
***
Lina flinched visibly when she heard this. Zelgadis drew close to her, hesitantly putting an arm around her shoulders.
"What do you think you're doing!?" she yelled, curling her fist.
"I have a plan!" he hissed before she could pummel him into oblivion. He glanced at the oblivious Mazoku before he began whispering to her. She grinned slyly as he spoke, and forgot the arm around her.
***
Val's wings were weighing him down. He broke away from Xelloss and willed them away.
They stood apart from each other, Val's whole body shaking in an effort to breathe, Xelloss leaning heavily on his staff. Neither wanted to continue. But Xelloss knew that Ralfarj was watching, waiting to report the outcome to his master. The final report that said that Xelloss hadn't become weak, hadn't become enamored of this Ryuzoku boy, and had killed him to prove it. The final report that was a big fat lie.
'Mazoku have no hearts,' Xelloss reminded himself. 'You can't love Val-chan. You don't have that ability. Destroy him and get on with your life.
'Oh, Lina, do something!'
***
"Now, Zel! Now!"
***
Xelloss teleported back in, sweeping the boy off his feet. He stood above him, the butt of his staff against his throat. Golden eyes glared up at him.
"I'm sorry, Val," he said, his voice carrying to Lina- and Ralfarj. "But orders are orders." Lina winced as she heard the crunch of the staff crushing his throat. It sounded vaguely like cracking ice.
Xelloss looked up at the wolfish Mazoku, and teleported away. Ralfarj followed immediately, his howling laughter ringing off the mountains.
Lina swallowed roughly and looked for Zelgadis. She saw his pale cloak, barely visible against the snow. He was hunched over something large. She wiped the sweat from her brow as he waved to her.
She could make out Val's green hair from under his cape.
"Blessed Ceiphreed!" Val croaked as she levitated over to them. "What happened?"
"An ice golem!" Lina exclaimed proudly. "My best work yet."
"I was pleasantly surprised," Zel added.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"You're terrible at golemcraft," Zel admitted, knowing well what was coming. Lina just kept forgetting that her elbow-drops to his head hurt her more than him.
Rubbing her newly-bruised elbow, Lina leaned over Valteira. As she cast a Recovery- the first of many, with all the bruises and cuts- she explained to him. "I made an ice golem for Xelloss, while Zel whisked you away. Now we can keep you, and Xelloss and the wolf-mazoku can tell their boss that he got rid of you. It should be a while before she finds out the truth."
Val chuckled. "She'll be awfully mad at him..."
"We can only hope."
*******
Thanks for sticking with me so far. Stayed tuned for the epilogue!
