Author:  Irk
Title:  Bind 

Bind Part One [c]
Section [b] [c] [d] [e]

Zelgadis's eyes widened. "You don't mean...can that actually be done?" He supressed a flood of other questions, all more personal than he wanted to ever get towards Xelloss.

"I suppose anything is possible in theory. But this is possible in fact. I know because I've spent the last two weeks calculating exactly how it can be done." The words were the calmest Xelloss had spoken yet. They fell one behind another, heavy as tombstones, but Zelgadis did not catch the morbidity. "You're wondering why I chose you, aren't you?"

"Yes." No. I'm wondering how a being as selfish as you could do this. I'm trying to figure out, with every thought I can muster, WHY you would ever do this thing.

"You're the obvious choice, once all things are accounted for. You're a skilled astral magician, thus you are qualified to do the ritual. You care for Lina, thus you have a reason to commit your energy to this. You're quick-minded enough to handle any complications, smart enough to eliminate the possibility of error. You have absolutely no mazoku allegiance, don't have enough white magic in your blood to kill me from exposure during close astral work, and most importantly...you hate me, so I know you won't have any moral compunctions with doing this to me." Calm and silken, his voice spit them all out with ease.

...Bastard. "I guess you have this all figured out then."

"I do. You agree to it, then?" Just don't ask questions, go along with it and don't ask what's really at stake here...

"If there's no other way to keep Lina safe...hell, it's your life. Throw it away if you want to." That sounded terrible. I'm so harsh right now. But I don't understand how he could even be feeling this!

Xelloss nodded. "Good. The only other person would have been Lina herself...and I doubt she would have been nearly as calm about things as you. And I don't know...what I'd do now, if I were around her...with my orders as they are. My will is difficult to keep. Even now, it's taking all the effort I have to keep myself here. This goes against every fiber of my being." Oh gods, I feel sick. "So you'd better hurry and begin. First, you need to restrain me so that I can't flee in the middle of this."

Zelgadis straightened his posture and prepared his mind and body for summoning power. He'd probably need it soon. "Right. How do I go about that?"

"You take an astral ward and wrap it around my soul. It's pretty easy, actually." He watched Zelgadis raise an eyebrow. "Well, relatively so. The only hitch is that no sane mazoku ever lets their guard down enough for that to happen."

"But you don't have that problem?"

"No, I don't." Xelloss leaned back against the rock wall behind him, almost slumping with relaxation. "Go ahead. I'm completely open to you. All you have to do is find me."

Zelgadis searched with his astral senses. Weaker practicioners would have to close their eyes to do this, but he could focus on both worlds at once, to a point. Besides, he didn't trust Xelloss enough to take his eyes off of him right now. After all, what if this was all just some elaborate story, all leading up to trap him in this moment, when he reached out with his astral senses and touched-

Zelgadis had never sensed Xelloss astrally before. The mazoku was stealthy, and clever, and powerful enough to shield himself away from Zelgadis. And besides that, Zelgadis had never looked for him. The chimera had experienced a lot of strange, frightening things astrally, and didn't really want to add Xelloss to that list. Besides...who would really want to be close to...

...felt that, Zelgadis.

He jerked away. Xelloss only looked up at him, his face revealing nothing. "You have me."

Curling his fingers into a fist, but trying not to, but trying not to show that he was trying not to, Zelgadis reached out again and felt Xelloss on the astral plane. What was frightening was that it wasn't anything that he expected. No, it wasn't even that. Zelgadis had expected the unexpected, along with the terrifying, or the maddening, or the repulsive. This was not anything like that. It was simply...there.

A mass of gray, of maybe, of perhaps possibility but perhaps not, perhaps just laziness, of fact and matter of fact, of the truth, but not the easy truth and not nearly all of it, of honesty and falsehood rubbing elbows, of not-really-malice but not-really-friendly. Power was there, great power, but it was tucked safely away behind a great many bowing veils. It was simple, it was plain, but it wasn't, wasn't really. That was only the facade, only the grinning mask on the outside. Inside the shadows grew darker, and deeper. But they were still gray, always gray...always multitudes and multitudes of gray, layers and walls and corridors and halls and turns turns turns...

"Once there was a human sage who made a deal with a mazoku - that he would give his soul to the mazoku if he could only see the depths of the mazoku's soul. The mazoku agreed, and let the sage in. The sage was all too soon engrossed in what he saw, and the mazoku swallowed up the sage's soul when it became lost inside of his." Xelloss smiled at Zelgadis. "Be careful."

This is insane. Even when he's sitting around doing nothing he's a danger. Zelgadis continued anyway. He knew it was complete idiocy, but he felt for Xelloss' soul again, touched that gray, gray maybeness, and walked around it. He wouldn't dive into Xelloss this time. He wouldn't risk losing himself in that nautilus shell. He simply surrounded Xelloss, stretched space a bit [what limitation is space anyways, nothing to me on this plane] and wrapped around him.

Xelloss let out a little moan. Zelgadis looked at him with his earthly eyes and watched the mazoku shiver a little. He almost let himself think that the mazoku was disgusting, getting pleasure from this, but cut himself off from that. For one, Xelloss was close enough to feel that rude thought, and for another, Zelgadis realized that he had just done the equivalent of wrapping somebody in a straightjacket without fastening the buckles. Xelloss was sitting patiently and waiting to be strapped down, made helpless, and warped beyond comprehension. His reaction was far from pleasure.

Zelgadis hesitated for just a moment, twisted, and locked the mazoku with the barest nudge of energy. He knew it had worked when he heard Xelloss let out another little cry, a tiny bit more involuntary than the last one. He reverted back to earthly vision in time to see Xelloss draw his knees up to his chest, wrap his arms around himself, and give the entire cave one long, paranoid look.

"I can't move." It was probably meant to be a confirmation, an announcement of success. Zelgadis pretended that was what it sounded like.

"How much is there to do after this?" Zelgadis glanced outside, measuring the growing deepness of the shadows. They might be here for awhile.

Xelloss shrugged, the maneuver clearing away the heavy sag of his shoulders. He smiled as if he hadn't a care in the world. Back to normal again. How did he do that!? "Mercifully little. But now that I'm not going anywhere, you should sit down. Relax. You need focus more than you need a height edge on me." He watched Zelgadis perch on the rock he himself had occupied some time before. The chimera regarded him with a scowl.

"Just because you're trapped in that one spot doesn't mean you're any less of a danger to me."

"A very astute observation, Zelgadis. But with all my powers, I still can't free myself of your lock, no matter what kinds of pain or death I put you through." The cheerfulness in his voice seemed more sincere in those last few words. "So it would be best to focus your pretty mind on the task ahead. Which is short, but difficult nonetheless."

"Oh?" Zelgadis's voice was just as calm as Xelloss'. "This is all going rather quickly, then. Very well. What is my task?"

"To pull out what is presented to you, and then to destroy what you have taken, and then to pull back together that which you removed things from." Xelloss forced his hand not to clench, forced himself not to grab something as panic built within him. Fear of what lay ahead came more easily in such a trapped, helpless position. But Zelgadis must only see smiling confidence. "Three simple steps. I will guide you through them. But I cannot do more than that. My loyalty forbids me from actively aiding you in this process. So you see, Zelgadis, both Lina and I...are at your mercy. This is all in your hands." The same smile, the same lighthearted voice.

In his head, Zelgadis began to trace over the steps Xelloss had described. "To pull out what is presented to me..."

"There." Xelloss interrupted Zelgadis's ruminations. Let him not think too long on what he would be doing... "Excise it, isolate it."

'Excise what?' would have been Zelgadis's reply, but he could see astrally what Xelloss meant. A sector of gray within the gray island that was Xelloss seemed a bit more separate than the rest, seemed to whirl slightly unlike Xelloss did. Perhaps it could be considered alien to the rest of the gray [the gray that was Xelloss], but still similar in that a parent is similar to a child. That part of the greater gray [the gray that was Xelloss] wasn't just in one separate area, nor was it spread uniformly throughout. It seemed to cradle, to wrap around and gently lead the gray [the gray that was Xelloss] to almost collar it, but not quite so restraining. A guardian does not collar its ward. But there was ownership here, almost written into the smoke? mist? veils? that made up this gray [the gray that was Xelloss]. Zelgadis would have to be an astral sheister not to see that. To remove it, then, was more difficult than Xelloss [the Xelloss that was the gray] made it sound. It was like trying to pull the white of an egg away from the yolk. It was more difficult, in fact, because this filmy, clingy thing didn't WANT to let go of its possession, its child. More than once it lashed out at him, and Zelgadis had to shield himself from the thing he was trying to catch.

Little by little, he started to taunt it, to make it attack him, to draw it further away from Xelloss the gray child. Slowly and patiently he led it into the folds of his own astral material, never giving himself away until the last tendril stretched so thin that he could grasp it. He held the squirming, thrashing thing and pulled it until it finally gave from the roots.

"Like a weed from Hell," he muttered, and tossed it into the prisonfolds of the astral cage.

Zelgadis didn't see it, but Xelloss hid his face in his hands.

To destroy what I have taken... Zelgadis shrugged. This was the easiest task he'd been presented with since Xelloss had arrived. Once separated from its host, the thing he had caught was a fairly weak astral parasite. Extinguishing it would only call for a minor astral attack, if he went that route. But considering the evening thus far, Xelloss' remaining tasks might call upon all of Zelgadis's resources. In case of that, he should conserve his energy. Since the thing was in his possession now, he could take care of it in ways that would be beyond his means in a battle.

So with a simple tuck and tie of astral space, the parasite ceased to exist.

Xelloss almost gave out just by trying to supress his screams. At least he didn't have to restrain himself from fleeing. Zelgadis had already taken care of that. But it was very difficult to hide his outright terror when the chimera practically had his soul in the palm of his hand. Hell, terror was just the beginning of what he should be feeling. There was a great abyss where there should be--but don't think about that now. It was numb, anyways.

Still, he perservered. If he didn't keep awake and alert for this next part, everything would go to shit. He couldn't have that.

At least Zelgadis followed directions.

To pull back together what I removed things from. It was the final task, wasn't it? Zelgadis would be glad to get it over with. But then, why was he feeling apprehensive? He suddenly thought it might be that subtle voice in the back of his mind that always seemed to whisper right before danger struck. Could he hear that now? Maybe there was the faintest of echoes...but no, only silence.

Still, something wasn't right...

I just killed Xelloss' link to his entire race, something so important to mazoku that it actually engenders loyalty. Maybe it was too easy. Or maybe...for some stupid reason, I'm guilty.

Zelgadis stood there in mental silence.

Nevertheless... He straightened up, pulling all of his senses into complete alertness. To pull back together what I removed things from.

Xelloss couldn't stop himself from sighing aloud as he felt Zelgadis's astral energy touch his own. Sealed away like this, and left with no link to his race, it was very easy and terrible to feel alone. He felt Zelgadis cradle him, wrap around him, weave through him just like the force that he had so recently removed. It was unintentional. Zelgadis was merely trying to mend Xelloss in the places where he had laid the mazoku's astral form bare. Since he followed the empty areas where the energy had strung through Xelloss, it wasn't surprising that he would end up weaving through Xelloss in exactly the same way.

Exactly as Xelloss had planned it.

Zelgadis mended him, filled the hollow parts, melded the fresh parts with the old, left him in a condition that the chimera probably thought to be good as new. But Xelloss didn't let him leave it at that. He revealed a new empty area before the chimera departed, and watched with something like glee as Zelgadis repaired that just as he did all the other hollow parts. Then the chimera withdrew, and Xelloss felt the loneliness oh so much now, and he folded.

All Zelgadis knew was that at the end of it, when the mazoku fainted from the ordeal, he looked far too satisfied.

* * *

Zelgadis sat up and sighed.

"Are you going to do that all night again?"

"I--I'm sorry..." Xelloss mumbled from the spot where he had collapsed two nights ago. Zelgadis's bedroll was on the opposite side of the cave.

"Don't worry about it. Just calm down and sleep it off." The chimera rolled over and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry Lord Ruby Eye...please forgive me..."

"..." Zelgadis's fists knotted up the blanket. Damned mazoku! Why does he have to keep doing that!? He reluctantly pushed the blanket away and stood up. He tripped on the blanket a little, cursed, and then stalked over to where Xelloss lay.

The mazoku lay curled on the floor, completely unaware of Zelgadis or the chimera's ire. All he did was mumble in that flat, low voice: "Mistress Zelas--I'm such a poor servant...a disgrace..."

Zelgadis reached down to shake him, but hesitated. He really wasn't sure if he wanted to touch Xelloss. It just seemed like a dangerous thing to do. And besides--

I shouldn't be afraid of him! Not when he's like this, anyways!

Still, Xelloss did make a room creepier. Right as Zelgadis thought just that, a wordless moan resonated through the mazoku's chest. It chilled Zelgadis's blood. Under him, Xelloss rolled to the side, his body trembling. His hands scrabbled blindly under him, as if searching...or fleeing. His fingers snagged the edge of his own cape and clutched it, pulling it closer, until he managed to hide under it.

"Please, I didn't mean to defy you...please..."

That's just pitiful. Zelgadis curled his fingers in his hair until the strands kinked. Two days of this! What the hell is his problem?! "Xelloss! Wake up!" Zelgadis drew his fingers into a fist as the mazoku's delusions continued. His fist shook in sync with Xelloss' body. "Come on already! I want to sleep!"

The only reply Zelgadis recieved was a whimper. It probably wasn't even in response to him.

I can't put up with this. Not for two nights. I want to sleep! Zelgadis forced himself to stay calm. Even if it might be possible to hurt Xelloss now that he was in such a wretched state, it wouldn't be the right thing to do. There had to be a non-violent way of solving this problem. That's right. A solution that didn't involve tossing Xelloss down a cliff.

That might not even shut him up.

After a lot of thought, Zelgadis just picked the mazoku up, carried him over to his own bedding, rolled him up in the blanket so tightly that he couldn't move or be heard, and then plopped down where Xelloss had been curled up before. He laid his head on the stone floor and slept in the silence.

* * *

From the depths of sleep, Zelgadis could just barely feel the blanket against him. It wasn't anything of concern to him, really. Signs of impending danger would always rouse him from the deepest sleep. This was just his blanket.

It wasn't until he began to wake up that he realized his blanket was with Xelloss.

Zelgadis jerked awake and opened his eyes. He had been right. His blanket was with Xelloss. But it just so happenned that Xelloss was with him.

The mazoku must have scooted over to Zelgadis while the chimera slept, or perhaps rolled across the cave. He was still wrapped up tight in the blanket, but he was quiet now. He must have finally fallen asleep.

Zelgadis didn't know why the mazoku had curled up next to him, but it would explain why he wasn't as cold now as he had expected to be.

"Mrrrh..." A muffled yawn struggled out of the blanket.

Xelloss shifted slowly, vertigo keeping his motions sluggish and clumsy. Where...what plane was he on now? It was so hard to tell now...impossible to see...he could be on the 2nd level of truths, or was this one of the higher sensory landscapes? They really shouldn't be percieved individually...he really should have several selves now, each percieving one plane in synchronicity, the layers stacking on top of each other and forming one perfect image. Instead, he was seeing through the imperfect lense of one plane, trying to imagine what the whole image was while only seeing a sliver of it. Sense, was that what this plane was? Touch. Shaking. He was falling? Rolling?! No, just shaking...being shook...being shook by hands. By someone's hands. Who...

The plane of time rolled briefly before Xelloss' eyes. Ah. Zelgadis! Zelgadis would be shaking him now.

Why was the chimera shaking him? Xelloss hadn't done anything to merit a shake.

Zelgadis watched as Xelloss opened his eyes. Finally! "So, are you really awake, or is this just the prelude to another 48 hours of insanity?"

"I...huh?" The mazoku fidgeted in the blanket until his arm was freed. He rubbed his eyes. "Wha?"

Zelgadis sighed. So he was going to be difficult. Great. "You were blathering on and on for the last two days. I couldn't sleep at night."

Xelloss looked ahead, his eyes bleary. "...Really?"

Zelgadis clenched his fist, and then had the sneaking premonition that he would clench it quite a few more times today. Why was the mazoku being such a big pain?! Was he still recovering from the bind spell? "Yes. I had to wrap you up to muffle it. And to keep you from falling out of the cave in your delirium."

"Wooooooooow." Xelloss sat for a minute, contemplating this revelation. Then he tilted his head back and stared up at Zelgadis with wide open eyes. "Heeeeeeeeeey."

"..." The chimera didn't know how to reply to that. He wasn't even sure if he should be angrier or not. Finally, he bit. "Hey what?"

Xelloss' eyes got even wider. "Heeeeeeeeeey Zelgadis!!" He broke into a fit of giggles.

"..." Zelgadis had never before found it so difficult to resist hurting someone. Then again, why didn't he hit Xelloss? Lina did it all the time. He was a mazoku! Zelgadis couldn't hurt him!

...Well, not unless Xelloss told him how, and then sat around waiting for it to happen.

He looked down at Xelloss. The mazoku was still laughing as if he had heard something genuinely funny. Zelgadis began to wonder if the mazoku really had recovered fully yet. He put his hand on Xelloss' shoulder. "Xelloss? Xelloss!"

Xelloss couldn't hear Zelgadis. He was rising, rising up...falling! Rising up...falling! A cacophany of color poured over him. Xelloss' eyes dialated, parsing the colors. On one plane, sound could actually be made visible through a unique spectrum. Sure enough, that was the spectrum he was drowning in. He regarded the colors thoughtfully, translating them. But he was slowly, only slowly thinking...he couldn't do it faster...couldn't move twice at once...but the colors moved anyways. What were the colors, the colors, the colors...he knew that color, knew the sound of that color...

Zelgadis walked away, giving up on his guest for a moment. He could figure him out after he made breakfast.

"Oh. I was laughing."

Zelgadis whirled around. Xelloss had an incredibly serious expression on his face.

The chimera paused for a moment, then walked back to Xelloss. This was getting...weird. He knelt beside the mazoku. "Hey."

Xelloss whirled to face him. "Zelgadis, that joke isn't funny anymore!"

Zelgadis got up and returned to his cooking equipment. He didn't say another word until he had finished his breakfast.

* * *

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