Chapter 5:
"Lin…can’t you at least trust me a little to tell you what you are doing?" Zelgadiss asked the girl that was still sitting in the tree and that was staring at the restaurant.
"If I do you won’t trust me" Was all Lin replied. She couldn’t show Zelgadiss she was smiling though. Her Master really was getting along quite well with Lina Inverse. Now for the general and the human…
"Lin, how can you know I won’t trust you?" Zelgadiss asked.
"…Zelgadiss-san, you don’t trust someone I trust more than anything. That is the only hint that you would receive from me." Lin replied.
"Okay, then who is this person that I don’t trust and you trust more than anything?"
"I SAID that is the only hint you would receive!!" Lin yelled. Didn’t this Chimera ever stop asking for information!?
"Well I want more information." Zelgadiss clearly stated. Lin through her hands up in exasperation. This was not getting anywhere. She stood up meaning to leave, a hard task though if you’re trying to stay balanced on a thin tree branch. Zelgadiss still didn’t know that she was mazoku, she’d have to climb down the tree, since if Lina had been telling her friends what she taught Lin, Lin was not suppose to know any flying spells.
"Wait a second, I’m talking to you!!" Zelgadiss said grabbing a hold of her hand, causing Lin to lose her balance.
"Wa, wa, wa!!!!" Lin tried awkwardly to regain her position but it wasn’t working, she fell straight down.
"Lin!!" Zelgadiss screamed as he followed her, casting a levitation spell around him.
Lin had turned in mid air so that she wouldn’t land on her head. She knew Zelgadiss was watching and couldn’t risk flying to save her, she’ll just have to land feet first. Maybe there was a bush around here and if she could move herself a little, she could land in….Lin smiled when she spotted one. She caused a little wind to occur, and allowed the wind to carry her closer to the bush.
Zelgadiss was glad that the wind pushed her towards the bush. He wasn’t fast enough in catching her before she fell. She landed with her legs tangled up in the bush, Zelgadiss followed her down, landing on the ground next to the bush.
"Are you okay?" He asked, offering her his hand.
"I’m fine." Lin replied trying to get out of the bush, but it wasn’t working. Lin sighed and allowed Zelgadiss to help her. Zelgadiss grabbed her hand and placed her straight up on the ground next to him, very close to him. That’s when they heard a scream.
What was that girl doing so close to Zelgadiss?! Amelia screamed out loud when she saw the situation. Any one can mistake those two as lovers!!! Amelia walked straight up to Lin and pointed to her.
"What is your intention for seducing Zelgadiss-san!!?" She demanded.
"Seduce!?! Wait, hold on a second I am not interested, repeat, not interested in him." Lin replied.
"Oh right, your innocent smile, what a fake!! I am also from a branch of priestesses, I can sense your miasma!!!" Amelia smiled victoriously. "You are mazoku, putting on an innocent act."
"Innocent act?! Excuse me but I have been acting perfectly myself since I appeared in front of you!! Why would I have to act innocent?!"
"In order to seduce Zelgadiss-san and gain Lina-san’s trust." Amelia concluded. "you have decided to seduce Zelgadiss-san."
"I am not interested in him and why should I be!! I tell you, again and again. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN HIM PERIOD." Lin declared.
"You lie. All mazoku are liars. Especially Xelloss-san. He is good for nothing and…"
Amelia never finished her sentence, for Lin slapped her. Lin’s eyes showed a rare rage, a fire starting to burn in them.
"Take that back…" Lin quietly stated. "TAKE IT BACK!!!!" Lin screamed almost hysterically as she continued to slap Amelia.
"What’s going on?" Lina asked as she heard a huge commotion in the forest in front of the restaurant.
"How would we know." Sheela said sarcastically. "Why don’t you go check?"
"Oh, I’ll do exactly that. excuse me." She said to a waiter. "Open those doors before I do it myself." An evil smile appeared on her face. As if that scared the waiter, he obeyed her. Lina walked out, allowing the cool night breeze to hit her.
"Wait Lina!!" Gaury said following her. "it maybe dangerous."
"Maybe, maybe not. I am capable of taking care of myself." Lina declared as she continued to walk. Added to a fact the commotion was a good excuse to get away from Sheela, who Lina learned was the general to Dynast.
"It does seem to have some what of a meaning in going though, it maybe a fun sight." Xelloss told her, appearing at her side and smiling.
"Do as you care. But if it’s a group of bandits, they’re mine to deal with." Lina smiled at the thought of what she can do to a bunch of robust men. The law would be on her side. That was a nice thought.
"I’m going with." The general declared. No way was she going to leave Lina Inverse and Xelloss alone for even a second, it seemed as if Gaury had the exact same idea.
Lina merely nodded in acknowledgement of the party following her and made her way to the sound she heard. It seemed to be of two girls yelling. They seemed somewhat familiar, Lina noticed, a squeaky high pitched voice, and a more hysterical yet a voice as soothing as the singing of a bird.
"Amelia!! What are you doing?!" Lina asked as she came into a part in the woods where Amelia and Lin were hitting each other. Zelgadiss also stood there, stunned, and rationality not in him at the moment.
Amelia was hitting Lin with fists, while Lin slapped Amelia, her slaps obviously strong enough to cause blood.
"Lin!! Stop this nonsense." A voice called to Lin and Lin stopped her actions, bowing her head lightly, obviously slightly intimidated by it.
Lina wasn’t paying attention to Lin or Amelia at the current moment, but rather at Xelloss, who had stopped Lin.
What is going on? She asked herself. How does he….oh god, could it be that Xelloss is the guy Lin likes? Lina thought as Xelloss quietly approached the girl.
"What are you doing here in a fight with Amelia-san?" Xelloss asked as he picked up the girl’s chin so that she looked into him, his eyes visible.
Lin gulped at the sight of her master. He obviously wasn’t happy to see her in a fight with the clumsy princess. She could feel her heartbeat when he lifted her chin, making his eyes visible.
Lin kept quiet when he asked her what she was doing in a fight with Amelia, he had used the astral plane to keep her from wandering her eye.
"Lin answer my question." He stated with absolutely no emotion. Lin couldn’t even detect the usual teasing tone in his voice when he talked to her. "If I recall correctly I had ordered you to have nothing to do with Lina Inverse and her party. And I remember Amelia Will Tesla Seyluun as a member of that party. Explain to me what you were doing in a fight with her."
Lin knew she had deliberately disobeyed that order, but he gave that order to her after she had made up her mind about Lina and Xelloss. She had trusted her instincts that this would turn out right…now Lin knew never to do that again.
"She insulted you." Lin answered. "For that I will not forgive her until she takes it back. Even then I am not sure if I could or would" Lin stared at her master, waiting for his reaction.
"I will question you further on that later, now why are you here with the chimera and the princess. Start from the start, leaving no details out." It was an order and Lin could do nothing but obey.
"…I wished to get to know Lina Inverse. I pretended to act as a towns girl who knew nothing of magic and ask Lina Inverse to teach it to me. I didn’t mean any harm to her, or her party, I swear this Xelloss-sama, all I wanted was to get to know her!"
"Continue with your story." His voice left no room for arguments.
"As I got to know Lina Inverse, I was convince that…that you and her would be great together. I just thought that Lina Inverse was all that I wanted to be as a woman, and that you are the greatest man I have ever known that…that it was perfect. I spent a week as a towns girl, staying with a family called the Dist’s. I had put a mind control spell on the whole town. I knew that the swordsman suspected me of a mazoku from the beginning, and tried to get Lina Inverse to believe me. I planned on having you and Lina Inverse come here tonight, I thought it would be a good time for you two to get to know each other, with out all the other problems that could appear." Lin stopped and took a deep breath. "The Chimera found me, and pestered me for questions, I lost my balance and from my fear of not wanting to be known I am a mazoku, I allowed myself to fall into a bush. The Chimera helped me up, and that enraged the princess. I didn’t care that much on what accusations she made of me, until she insulted you."
"…I see, I will have a talk with you later. I expect to find you in your room at Wolf Pact Island." Xelloss stated and Lin nodded disappearing.
Sheela’s smile widened this was too good!! Lin was getting yelled at by Xelloss, this was a once in a life time opportunity she would be able to see, and best of all Sheela didn’t have to do a thing!! Now to get rid of Lina Inverse.
"Xelloss-san, since you found out what’s going on, I think you can leave now." Sheela smiled up at him, in what she knew to be a cute one.
"No, I can not. Lina-san deserves an explanation." Xelloss replied not even looking at her, his eyes focused on the human sorceress.
"That’s okay Xelloss, Lina understands what’s going on." Sheela smiled as the blond swordsman stood in front of Lina, blocking Xelloss’s view of her. "Lina’s smart and she can figure out what’s going on on her own. Right Lina." He turned around, expecting her to give him the same answer.
"No, I would like an explanation, clarification of the details." Lina stated pushing Gaury aside.
Lina walked passed Gaury and towards Xelloss. "I think I really do deserve an explanation of what is going on. Who is Lin, really? How does she know you? I have a rough guess on both but I want to make sure I am right. And…." ‘What is she to you?’ Lina wanted to ask but caught herself in time. "will I still get paid what she promised me?"
Xelloss smiled at her and Lina felt her heart skip a beat. "Lin works under me, just as I work under Zelas-sama. She has been with me for five hundred years. She was originally an elf, who had her tribe wiped out when she was an infant. I gave her power as mazoku, allowing her to live. She takes care of the domestic chores at the castle in Wolf Pact Island. She does what ever her instincts tell her and doesn’t take much time to evaluate the situation. And, I suppose you will get your pay that was promised."
"….That’s all I need to know." Lina stated, turning around. She started to walk, slowly at first, telling Gaury that they should be going. Gaury nodded, happily obeying her. Soon Lina increased her pace, and started running. Lina knew for a fact now. Xelloss was the one Lin liked, so much that she would be willing to go against L-sama’s ultimate law. Ones of different races could not mix, it either had to be human to human, mazoku to mazoku, or dragon to dragon. Lina wished it wasn’t, the thought surprising herself.
Zelgadiss had turned around and started to walk back to the village soon after he had heard Lin finish her story. Lin was a mazoku…but she didn’t seem to fake anything that she was. Was she telling the truth that she had not acted at all. Zelgadiss understood who she trusted most, and some one he didn’t trust Xelloss.
Zelgadiss almost laughed out, how had she figured out that he didn’t trust Xelloss, had he told her that? No, Zelgadiss decided, he hadn’t. Which meant that she probably learned about the group from Xelloss. Highly reasonable, considering that she seemed extremely fond of Xelloss, and he was the only one who seemed capable of intimidating the girl.
"..Zelgadiss-san." A voice called to him. "Are you….okay?" Zelgadiss turned around and found Amelia looking at him warily.
"Sure, why do you ask?" Zelgadiss replied with a shrug.
"…I feel terrible for the accusations I made towards Lin-san." Amelia didn’t answer his question. "I must apologize, shouldn’t I. It’s the way of justice." Amelia lowered her gaze. "It isn’t her fault she is mazoku." She added in a whisper.
"Maybe Lin likes being a mazoku. She certainly doesn’t seem to hate it." Zelgadiss replied as he continued to walk, expecting Amelia to follow him like she always did.
Maybe, was all Amelia said as she stood there.
"Aren’t you going to come?" Zelgadiss asked, surprised. Amelia shook her head.
"Please go with out me." Amelia said and sat down. "I am fine, there is no need for worry." Amelia sighed inwardly, willing Zelgadiss to disappear.
"You sure?" Amelia nodded at his words and smiled at him reassuringly. He was too nice and caring for his own good. She didn’t deserve him, Amelia knew that.
Lin cried as she laid on her bed, waiting for Xelloss to come back. She deserved to get yelled at, but the thought wasn’t pleasant. Why did things turn out so bad!! All she had hoped for was that Xelloss would be happy. All she had done though was screw things up.
"Lin, are you home?" Lin snapped her head up as she heard Zelas’s voice and the knock on the door.
"Ye-Yes." Lin replied wiping her tears from her face.
Zelas entered the room, taking that as a sign to come in. "I’m a little hungry, can you…" Zelas stopped her sentence when she noticed Lin’s puffy eyes. "Lin, what happened?" She asked walking over to the bed.
"No-nothing." Lin replied putting on an obviously forced smile. "Absolutely nothing Zelas-sama."
"…okay, what are you hiding and where is that priest of mine?" Zelas asked, her voice leaving no room for anything but a straight answer.
"Xelloss-sama should be returning soon, as for what I am hiding….I disobeyed Xelloss-sama." Lin felt as if her heart was torn into pieces when she said that. There was a difference from knowing you disobeyed, to admitting you disobeyed.
"….how did you disobey him?" Zelas’s voice was a lot more nice and calming now as she patiently waited for Lin to continue.
"…he ordered me to have nothing to do with Lina Inverse and her party…. I though, tried to get him and Lina Inverse together." Lin then told the story she told Xelloss to Zelas.
"I thought it was a good idea… I really did." Lin tried to justify her action, knowing it was no use. Facts were facts, no matter what Lin’s intentions were.
"….you had no right to disobey your master Lin." Zelas said in a strict voice. "It is a rule of the mazoku, never to do that. You though, disobeyed that rule, and that calls for a punishment, what ever Xelloss decides as your punishment, you will obey it." Zelas waited for Lin to nod till she continued. "But, your actions were based on the fact that you wanted to do your master a favor. That is something honorable as a mazoku."
Lin snapped her head up. It was rare for Zelas to praise ANYONE, let alone her. What had led the Beast Master to praise her.
"Our priests and generals were created to protect and serve us. But there was something that always bothered me, who were to protect our priests and generals. I decided to take on that responsibility myself, I do not like to only take and not give, I know, it is strange for a mazoku. I was glad when you came to work for Xelloss Lin, I knew that you would grow up trying to protect Xelloss."
Lin blushed, it was rare that Zelas ever talked about her feelings to her, let alone ones that had to do something with the whole mazoku race.
"I did not want Xelloss to turn out like the priests and generals to Phiblizo. You don’t know them since they died 500 years, during the Mazoku war, before you were born, but let me say that they were cold blooded, and cruel. I am not saying Xel isn’t, for he is if he wants to be, I just wanted him to have the privilege of feeling other emotions. In a way, you helped him see somethings he doesn’t believe he himself has by trying to put him together with Lina Inverse."
Zelas stroked Lin’s hair and smiled. "Mazoku do not love, or so it is believed that we are incapable of it. I disagree, mazoku are living as well, it is possible that we can love, any living thing created by L-sama is capable of love. It is a conclusion I have reached. I want Xel to know that, and sometimes pushing him to see it, such as you did, is the only way."
"…I still disobeyed Xelloss-sama though…" Lin replied. "I followed my instincts and look what the mess I caused."
"Instincts are made to follow. Rules are made to be broken. Remember that Lin-chan. Besides, I would not want someone who only followed rules working under me, and I’ll bet you anything neither does Xelloss." Zelas smiled and patted Lin on the head once more before she left the room.
Lin sat up on the bed thinking over what Zelas had just said. Perhaps she was right. Rule were made to be broken maybe. It didn’t mean she didn’t deserve to get yelled at, she did, but still Xelloss wasn’t as angry at her as she thought she was. Despite the situation, Lin smiled.
Lina was well aware of the fact that Gaury was yelling at her. It was late that night and Lina was in her room when Gaury had come in. He had told her that he was not intending on having a nice chat. It escalated into him yelling at her for not believing him when he said Lin was mazoku.
So Lin was mazoku, big deal!! That was what Lina’s whole idea was to this thing. All she had intended to do was get Lina and Xelloss together…not exactly something Lina would have asked her to do but still, her intentions were in the right place, or so Lina thought.
…Lin cared about Xelloss, any fool can see that. So why did she want him to get together with Lina? If she was Lin, she wouldn’t want someone she liked going out with another girl. Or was the like that Lin had towards Xelloss different from the one that Lina thought she had? Lina didn’t know the answers to any of those.
One question though stood out in her mind and Lina now regretted not asking Xelloss about it. What is Lin to him? And second of all, why does she even care?!! Lin liked Xelloss, obviously, and Xelloss obviously didn’t hate the girl.
Why wasn’t she mad though when she heard Lin had deliberately planned on getting her and Xelloss together? She would have been if anyone else was trying to get her together with Gaury or Zel. So why wasn’t she mad towards Lin? Would she have been mad for someone trying to get her together with Xelloss? She’d be mad that they interfered with her personal life. Lina though knew that she wouldn’t have been as mad with them if it was with Xelloss instead of someone else. So why was that? Did she care about Xelloss? She thought she didn’t, or at least until tonight.
Lina suddenly wondered what it would have been like if Sheela and Gaury hadn’t shown up. Would she have gone about having a dinner with Xelloss calmly, and possibly dancing with him. And when she would have danced with him, would she have been enraged, or would she have been fairly content? She regretted not being able to dance with him, though she didn’t know why. He probably would’ve been a great dancer, certainly better than Gaury.
"Lina are you listening to me?!" Gaury’s voice brought her back into the real world.
"…Why would I want to listen to someone yelling at me." Lina replied dryly.
"Because, I just said that if Lin would have attacked you tonight, you would have had no means of defending yourself."
"She wasn’t planning on attacking me Gaury." Lina informed him exasperated. "And don’t say Xelloss would’ve, I can prove it he wouldn’t have."
"How?"
"He didn’t. That’s how."
"Lina, he COULD have."
"but he DIDN’T!! I think that’s more important." Lina smiled and leaned against her chair. "Besides…I rather wish you and Sheela hadn’t appeared." She spoke the truth.
"Why would you wish that?"
"Well…"
"Would you rather have been alone with Xelloss?!"
"I…well….I guess…" Lina replied looking away. "I don’t know!! All I know is that you and Sheela came with the intention of RUINING my evening. Gaury stop being overprotective, possessive, paranoid, and untrusting!!! For your information I am seventeen, and in three months I’ll be eighteen, legal age in mostly anywhere. I have traveled by myself when I was THIRTEEN and FOURTEEN!! If you forgot ‘I’ was the one that beat Shablaniguduu and Copy Rezo when I was ONLY fifteen!!! And for your information, I did suspect Lin was mazoku, but I can SENSE when someone gets near me with evil intentions."
"Well Lina how about this. You have still not out grown your childish ways of doing things. Even when you traveled by yourself I remember being told that the first year you were extremely home sick and that the second year you had a companion with you!!! And for your information who is the one that lent you the sword of light to beat Shablaniguduu, saved you when you starting glowing gold. And TRUSTED you even though I knew Xelloss was mazoku from a start."
"You are still too overprotective of me!! I intended on having a good evening tonight, whether my companion was Lin or Xelloss, mazoku or not. Remember Gaury, YOU are the one who took up the idea of being my ‘guardian’, I didn’t ask for it. And you are in my room, I advise you get out!!"
"Lina for the umpteenth.."
"I SAID GET OUT!!!!! BOM DI WIN!!!!!" Lina screamed as she threw a huge gust of wind towards Gaury, kicking him out of the room.
She went over to her bed and plopped down on it. She was going to leave this town tomorrow, mazoku were capable of looking for people, Lin could give her what she owed her some other time. There was no need for her to stay now. Maybe she’ll leave without telling anyone, she needed the solitude, she had a lot to think about.
What was Xelloss to her anyway. Maybe she had wanted an evening alone with him, but then again, maybe she didn’t. Lina took out her talisman and traced the outline of it. Come to think of it this was the first thing that had linked her to Xelloss. If she had this she would always be linked to him.
Lina took out the stone that had eased her fear of the night. She hoped that the person who gave it to her would appear in front of her again, and help her figure out this dilemma of hers. She surely hoped so.