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Chapter 11

Lina laughed sourly. "Yeah right, you have to be kidding. I beat that fruitcake's ass hands down, and you better not try to tell me some shit about a copy Rezo. That gets so old so fast..."

Hiyo's face scrunched up in obvious confusion. "Copy Rezo? How could there ever be a replication of the legendary Red Priest?" Lina waved her hand, dismissing the question.

"Never mind, its far too long, and annoying, of a story to explain at the moment."

"Could there have been another Rezo we were not aware of?" Zelgadiss asked, staring pointedly at Lina. She shook her head.

"Nah, after all this time? I doubt it. It's been over 3 years since we defeated copy Rezo, and if there was another he's bound to of blown himself up by now or done something else just as stupid."

Xelloss lifted an eyebrow, his voice growing eerily low. "Then who could this self-proclaimed Rezo be?"

Lina shrugged, leaning back lazily in her chair. "Don't know, but he's got some nerve to go around saying this stuff about me. I never even knew the real Rezo and I'm starting to hate him just for existing at all..."

Zelgadiss nodded, taking a swig from his sake. "Should we confront this fake?"

Hiyo interrupted again, determined to get an answer. "Ms. Lina this is very disturbing. What is this nonsense about another Rezo?"

Lina sighed and looked over at Zelgadiss expectantly, but he shook his head and held his hand out towards Hiyo. "Oh-ho no. This one's all yours."

Grudgingly Lina explained the copy Rezo scare from what seemed like now ages ago, and how she had finally defeated him with the help of her old traveling companions. She even mentioned that he wasn't really that bad of a guy, he was just desperate to have a purpose in this world.

Xelloss laid his chin into his hands. "Does this mean that we are heading for this village that Lina-san has plagued?"

Lina smacked him upside the head, and grunted. "I did NOT plague that village. Damned priests, you and Rezo can go to hell."

Xelloss chuckled and rubbed his scalp. "Of course you didn't, Lina-san."

Zelgadiss rolled his eyes and pointed a stony finger at the dumbfounded knight. "What are we going to do about him?"

A cruel smile curved the edges of Lina's mouth and she got up to pat the knight on the shoulder. "He's going to lead us to his humble little corrupted village."

Hiyo frowned at Lina, and crossed her tiny arms. "Why would we go there Ms. Lina?"

Lina smiled sweetly down at Hiyo, too sweetly. "So I can kick Rezo's ass."

OoO

Lina marched cheerily down the road, what little belongings she carried in her handbag hanging over shoulder. She was following close behind the crazed knight who had barged into the diner just hours before, claiming to challenge Lina. Hah. She laughed to herself. No one could ever defeat her! Especially not this puny stubborn big-mouthed knight.

Xelloss watched Lina’s long red hair swish gracefully behind her as she followed the knight leading them all to his village. She had seemed all too eager to go with this man, and he knew why: she’d had no where else to go. The look on her face at breakfast this morning had made that much obvious, and not to mention the relief that filled her face at the idea of leaving.

Xelloss.

He blinked, realizing that it was his master calling for him. The feel of her mind invading his was the unmistakable feel of her dominance; it was his master’s trademark.

Xelloss, report here immediately. I wish to know how much progress you’ve made.

Xelloss mentally nodded, and he felt his master’s presence slip from his mind, leaving only his conscience once again left alone.

“Well, it would seem that I must venture away from you all for a bit.” All eyes turned to him curiously, but he just simply smiled and turned to teleport away. A small hand clasping his shoulder stopped him, and he turned to find Lina’s eyes staring up at him.

“Why so soon?” Xelloss smiled faintly and reached his free hand up to grasp hers. His lips grazed the surface of her palm tenderly and she watched as his eyes slowly slit open to gaze into hers.

“Now, Lina. You of all people should know not to ask such questions.” His voice was soft, slow, almost a purr. Her eyes didn’t leave his, but she did slide her hand away, holding his gaze till the very second his human form disappeared from sight.

She raised the palm his lips had touched to her cheek, caressing her own face gently. For a moment she thought she could feel Xelloss’s lips upon her tender skin.

Zelgadiss huffed, and turned to Lina with a scowl. “What was that?” Lina shrugged, dropping her arm to her side. “Nothing.” And with that she continued walking down the dirt road, leaving everyone but the flustered Hiyo behind.

OoO

Xelloss reappeared in his master’s quarters, his head bowed in respect to her presence.

“Tell me, Xelloss, what have you gathered about the little sorceress?” A cruel smile formed onto her full lips, somehow only making her even more attractive. She lifted a delicate hand to take a long puff out of her cigarette and cross her long, sexy legs one over the other, expecting an answer.

Xelloss lifted his head with his eyes still open and spoke, “She has the Heiliege Lance now in her possession Juo-sama, and as we speak she is heading for some tiny village out west of the Kimono Prefecture.”

“Did you help her retrieve the spear?” a flick of her cigarette.

“Yes, Juo-sama, I did.”

“Why is she heading to another village?” another flick, and to follow a sip of wine.

“Another imposture of the great Red Priest has appeared, and has his sights set on Lina-san.”

“She plans to kill him?”

Xelloss chuckled. “From what I can gather…”

Zelas nodded, and took another drag from her cigarette. She raised an eyebrow while speaking. "I assume she doesn’t know of your future orders?” Xelloss nodded, smiling wickedly. “You assume correctly, Juo-sama, she is oblivious.”

She laughed, rubbing out the stub of her smoke and reaching out again to light yet another. “I’ve been watching you, Xelloss. I don’t recall telling you to seduce her; it could very well affect your abilities to follow through with your orders.” There was a sardonic tone to her voice; she was teasing him.

Xelloss chuckled darkly and waggled a finger at her. “You know that it is merely a ploy to lure her in, Juo-sama. I would never let myself be sunken so low as to feel human emotions.”

He had always known just what to do to make his master laugh, for he enjoyed the sound of it. Her laugh was his confirmation that she was pleased, in return pleased him as well. Zelas reached with her free hand down to clasp the glass of wine setting on her desk, and took a nice long drink before speaking again.

“I have faith in you, Xelloss, but if you prove yourself to be unworthy of my faith…” She trailed off staring down into his eyes, her own eyes cold and emotionless. “Well, you know what to expect, now, don’t you?”

Xelloss nodded curtly before excusing himself, and teleporting swiftly from the dimly lit room.

OoO

Meanwhile...

Lina thumped the knight on the back, and doubled over with laughter. "What is so funny, demon?!" He was starring daggers at her, obviously not getting the joke.

They had all stopped at a small clearing not far from his village, and he needed to change into his head priest's required uniform. After returning everyone including, surprisingly, Zelgadiss started laughing-the sorceress was the loudest of them all of course.

She laughed harder still, and eventually tears came to her eyes. She pointed down at his attire, and burst into another fit of giggles. "You're wearing a dress!"

The knight blushed, and stuttered pitifully. He'd never come across such a rude woman; no wonder she was a plague.

"Ms...Lina...you shouldn't laugh! It's...rude." Hiyo bit out between laughter, she really was trying her best not to laugh at the man's silly outfit.

Zelgadiss was muffling his laughter in his hand, as it was very hard for him to keep his composure and laugh at the same time.

"It is NOT a dress! It is what our humble head priest requests of us to wear as his loyal followers! How dare you disgrace him?!" The knight's face grew purple, and he stalked off down the road, ignoring the echoes of laughter that followed him.

Lina held up her hand in a weak attempt to stop him. "Wa-wait. Sorry for" giggle. "Laughing at your outfit." She bit her lip to suppress the bubbling laughter that was welling up inside her again, but she was not going to let him walk away and leave them in the middle of nowhere.

The knight dismissed it and kept walking, while Lina ran with Hiyo and Zelgadiss to catch up. Hiyo exchanged a worried glance with Lina, and decided to lighten the man's mood. "Excuse me, Mr. Knight? We haven't learned your name."

He spared her a glance. "My name is Cobalt. And what is yours young maiden?" Hiyo blushed and mumbled shyly. "Hiyo Takehashi, pleased to meet you Mr. Cobalt."

Cobalt grinned charmingly down at her, and turned to clasp her small hand in his. He kissed the top lightly and breezed. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Hiyo." Hiyo bashed her lashes at him and lifted her free hand to her chest, extremely smitten.

Lina rolled her eyes and walked ahead of the two with Zel, enjoying the familiar air of silence between them. She had never appreciated Zelgadiss when he traveled with her, for it always came to mind that every time he left he'd be back, he always had. But about a year ago, maybe longer, that last goodbye had really been their final farewell. By the looks of it their had been no fruit to his journeys.

"Zel?"

"Yeah, Lina?"

"Why do you want to be human again?"

Zelgadiss scoffed, but didn't look at her while answering. "Isn't it obvious? Why would I want to stay like this? Being a monster isn't exactly fun, you know."

Lina nodded but pressed on. "But why would you think that being a human is any better? Disease, war, death, old age, etc. Don't you like being invincible?"

He thought for a moment, and spoke slowly. "I am not completely invincible Lina, but yes, it does have its benefits. But it’s not always going to be this great, eventually everyone I know will grow old and die. What happens to me, though?"

His voice had grown husky, strained. Lina wanted to console him in some way, but since she was not used to giving anyone else attention the light hand she placed on his shoulder friendly felt awkward to her. Now she felt like she understood his troubles more, and now she didn't see his wild goose chases around the world for powerful relics just as a cry for social acceptance, it was so much more than that.

Suddenly she felt guilty for not giving him the spear, but still that strange possessive beast inside her told her that guilt was misplaced.

"Hello, everyone." Xelloss' s voice sounded and his form appeared just in front of Zelgadiss and Lina. He looked over their shoulders at Hiyo and Cobalt, who were now holding hands and chatting, still oblivious to his reappearance. "What is this?" He inquired.

Lina shrugged and walked around him. "I don't have the faintest, Xelloss. But they aren't important, what IS important is that I see crazy's village just up ahead."

--

Next chapter up soon. Possibly by the end of the day? eh, who knows?;3

NOTE: You HAVE to go see this website I found on Lina and Xelloss...it is wicked funny! I laughed almost the whole time reading it. It has proof that both the mangaand the anime have given us little hints to their relationship, pics, and a really funny thing I posted on my profile. So go check it out! I posted the link somewhere in my page..i forgot where;3

 

Chapter 12

Lina strode into the little village, her eyes darting everywhere. She was obviously expecting an ambush of some sort or at least a couple of angry stares. This town was vaguely familiar to her, but it held no significance in her mind when passing through. This 'Rezo' was definitely in for something more than he bargained for because when she was done with him...well...there really wouldn't be a him left to speak of.

This always happened to her, all these crazies were always looking for one way or another to kill her! Ridiculous...It wasn't like she ever did anything that bad, sure a couple of gangs here and there, but going so far as to kidnap her friends, kidnap her even, trying to blow her out of existence, put out wanted posters for her, use her emotions, and even taking her treasures for no reason at all? That was going a little overboard, eh? It seemed that all her troubles had started as soon as she had gained traveling companions long ago, not that she really minded. Having company was worth everything she'd once encountered.

Now that those days were over, things like this only seemed to piss her off rather than excite her as it once had. I mean, yeah, it was good to see Zel again, and Hiyo wasn't bad company either, but for once she actually wished she was just a normal girl that lived in the mountains somewhere. For once she wished she was still with her family, even if her sister was a scary bitch that was worth it. Xelloss she didn't count as company, though, he wasn't staying. And now that she thought about Zel wasn't either, at least she didn't think he was. Hiyo was probably going to go back to her village as soon as the war had ended and Lina would be alone again, blowing up stupid bandits.

That lifestyle had never bothered her really, and even now it still had a certain appeal to it, but having people to talk to every once in a while never hurt either. Maybe it was just one of those irreplaceable feelings being with friends gave her, or maybe she was just as crazy as the goons that were always trying to kill her. Eventually it would all end, just like it had a year ago. This kind of happiness never lasted forever; Lina knew that from harsh experience. She was happy for everyone, really she was, but it had always seemed unfair how she never got that happy ending, nothing was ever happy in her endings.

What was she thinking? This wasn't like her at all! She was supposed to be confident, beautiful, and brave! Not weak, ugly, and cowardly! Keh, that wasn't Lina Inverse at all! She mentally smacked herself and started walking a little straighter, feeling more like normal again.

"Head Priest Rezo's chapel is down this road and to the left, all the way down the Forrester’s Trail." Cobalt spoke, pointing north. "This is as far as I can take you, I'm afraid."

Hiyo's eyes widened and she turned to clutch her tiny hands into his shirt, her eyes were watering. "You're leaving me?" Cobalt gave her a heart-wrenching look and embraced her intimately. "I'll find you again, my dear Hiyo. A knight always finds his maiden."

She smiled sadly when they broke apart, waving him off with a 'be safe' and then turning back to the others. "I'm going to miss him, very much."

Zelgadiss snorted. "I'm certainly not."

Lina seconded, "That goes double for me! He was so annoying, and a very pompous man. But I am happy for you Hiyo-san, you've found someone who cares about you just as deeply as you for him." A sad look passed over Lina's face before she quickly hid it with one of her cheery smiles. In truth she was just a little jealous that Hiyo could be so fortunate in love, but she really was happy for her all the same.

Hiyo noticed Lina's momentary slip but decided not to ponder it, Lina could handle herself couldn't she?

Xelloss glanced between the two, feeling their mixtures of conflicting emotions. He'd known exactly who Lina had been thinking of just a moment ago, and he'd recognized the usual feelings that clouded her mind everytime his picture came into her thoughts. It made him angry that the idiot swordsman had left such a deep wound on Lina, and thought nothing of it, or rather he was just too stupid to know anything was wrong.

Zelgadiss just stared at the three who had suddenly fallen into a critical silence. "What is wrong with you all?"

Lina looked up, almost surprised to see him there. She realized that he was sensing something was amiss, but she quickly put a stop to his assumptions. "Nothing! Jeez what made you think anything was wrong?" She lifted her chin up a couple of notches and marched up ahead, trying to look eager to reach this Red Priest.

Hiyo smiled reassuringly at Zelgadiss and followed Lina, while Xelloss gave him a knowing smile and tapped him teasingly on the nose with his staff. Zel reached out to smack him, but he easily dodged through teleportation up ahead with Lina. He grunted irritadedly and hurried onwards to catch up with the rest of them.

OoO

"Oh, wow..." Hiyo breathed, staring up at the huge chapel. It looked more like a mansion from where they were standing, and Lina was getting madder by the second.

So this is where the dirty fake lived? Keh. It wasn't THAT big.

"What are you all gawking at? Let's get in there and kick that little fruitcake's ass!" She growled before literally kicking the door open and barging into the huge entry hall.

The place was disgusting, there were cobwebs in every dreary corner, and even the bright sun outside couldn't brighten the dark house. It looked like it was...haunted or something. Lina ventured farther inside, everyone behind her following hesitantly. "Ms. Lina...I'm not sure I want to be here anymore. This place is kind of scary." The door behind them slammed shut as if by magic and Hiyo yelped while reaching out to latch herself to Xelloss's arm. He rolled his eyes and patted her hand sympathetically.

Lina turned her face up to the second floor balcony, and shouted defiantly. "We know you're here, you fruitcake! Now get your ass down here so I can kill you!"

A laughter cackled in response to her shouts, and the whole group froze in fear-except for Xelloss of course. "Ah, Lina Inverse. It seems you are still just as charming as ever. How pleasant."

A figure emerged from the shadows of the second floor and stepped forward to peer down at them with an evil smirk.

Lina's jaw dropped and she raised an accusing finger up at the imposter, "I-I know you! You were one of the mazoku I fought off awhile back!"

The mazoku laughed dryly. "It's so nice to see that you remember me, Lina-san. That's fantastic!" Lina growled. "What the hell are you doing going around spreading rumors about me? Didn't I kick your ass hard enough already?"

He only laughed again, this time hysterically. "When my master had heard of your search for the Claire bible, he sent me after you to eliminate you as a threat." His gaze swiveled to Xelloss. "But HE was with you." Xelloss pointed an innocent finger to himself. "Me? Why, yes I was. But what does that have to do with anything?"

The mazoku snarled. "That made it harder for me to approach Ms. Inverse, for I had to first lure you away from her. It worked of course, but the little wench still defeat me. Now my master has banished me from the mazoku realm and I am the laughing stock of my entire race!"

Lina rolled her eyes. "So? What did you expect me to do? Be a good little girl and lay down to die? No way! I'm a sorceress, not a coward."

An evil grin spread across the mazoku's features, his malicious face shone in the dimmed sunlight through the tinted windows. "It no long matters, young Lina, for I have lured you here so that I can stop all possibilities of my race winning the war against the ryuzoku.”

Lina crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh. "Let me guess, this is all about revenge, isn't it? You want to kill me so the mazoku won't have a chance at defeating the dragon lord, then you'll get to laugh in their faces while they are crushed into the dirt by the ryu?"

"Exactly."

--

Eh, I am sorry to inform the readers that since I am not getting reviews but from one person(to whom I am now in her eternal debt for keeping my spirits up on this one), I have decided that I might just drop this story. So far I've gotten since I last checked (bout an hour ago) 1,345 views all together, and each of my chapters have been looked through. I'm not sure if I should keep this story up since it feels like you all are reading it and then cringing in disgust. Sorry panda-chan but I might just drop this one into the dirt:( I've been working on this plotline for awhile now it does feel sad to let it go, but what happens happens, eh? Anyways, happy reading for what I predict to be the last chapter will be coming soon!

REVIEW, although I know you aren't I'm going to slowly kill my fingers a little more anyways:D

 

Chapter 13

"And what makes you think that the mazoku race needs Lina-san?" The sudden seriousness in Xelloss's voice made Lina turn a wide eye to him. Uh oh, this guy hit a soft spot...

The-mazoku-with-no-name still only laughed. "You know as well as I do Xelloss that your entire race is cowering in fear of the reincarnation of Gaav. The only thing that stands between them and victory is," He offered his hand to Lina, "Ms. Inverse."

Before Xelloss could kill the annoying bastard, Hiyo jumped in to question him. "But what I don't understand is why would you disguise yourself as Rezo? Why not just come after Ms. Lina yourself?" He raised a finger into the air, an act dangerously similar to Xelloss's signature move. "That is a good question, little maiden, to which I cannot answer at the moment. Don't worry though; my master will answer all of your questions in time." Then he was gone.

"Ma...ster?" Lina looked back to the closed door, and a sinking feeling crept into her. "Who the hell is his master?"

Hiyo turned pleading eyes to Lina. "Ms. Lina I want to leave, it doesn't look like this is the real Rezo's home. So we can go now, ne?" She whined.

Zelgadiss turned away from them to yank at the handle on the doors, but to no avail. He tried again, this time much harder, but the door still did not move. "Damn it!" He gave an angry kick to the door. Hiyo moaned miserably and attached herself to Lina's arm. "Ms. Lina I'm scared. That man didn't look very friendly!"

Lina pushed her away and glanced at Xelloss, who was still fuming from the mazoku's earlier arrogance. But Xelloss hadn't denied what he had said either, so did that mean that she was his race's only chance at victory? Oh shit...

"Xelloss can you try teleporting yourself out of here? If at least you can leave then you could find a weak spot in the spell and possibly break it." Xelloss opened his mouth to reply, but Zelgadiss's rude snort interrupted him. "Yeah, right. Him? He'd probably just teleport himself outside and then leave us all here to die, don't bother with it Lina."

Xelloss clamped his mouth closed, and Lina looked nervously between the two. "Err...guys listen. We shouldn't be fighting about this right now, I mean-" But they ignored her. "Now Zelgadiss-san, that wasn't very nice. Shouldn't you consider your own selfishness first? It's only fair." Xelloss taunted, his pouty voice only angering Zelgadiss more.

"What the hell are you talking about, you damned fruitcake?"

"You've never left your little party to pursue your own desires? You can't tell me you haven't."

"Well yeah but that's because-"

"And you weren't the one that left Lina to fend for herself? That wasn't very gentlemanly of you, you know."

"Shut up, you don't know anything."

"Quite the contrary, my little rock friend, I know everything."

“Why don’t we start pointing fingers at you? Don’t you always leave right when we actually need you around? Don’t you always lead us straight into the enemy’s lair and then leave us to rot?”

Xelloss chuckled, and spoke like Zelgadiss was only a child. “Yes, indeed I do. But unlike you I have not claimed any of you to be my friends nor comrades. Everything is business Zelgadiss-san, business.”

“You’re a sick bastard, damn you.”

Xelloss pretended to think for a moment, and then turned to give Lina a meaningful look. “Yes, you’re right Zelly-san, there is one of you I do respect and maybe even admire. She might even be one of my, what you humans call, ‘friends’.”

He gave her a roguish wink and leaned down to give her a sweet kiss to the cheek. Her hand flew up to her face while she blushed furiously and stuttered, “X-Xelloss ah…hey!” She slapped him out of pure embarrassment and turned away from them, taking deep breaths. Why do I always get so excited when I’m around him? Something is wrong with me…

Xelloss laughed and gave a smug look to Zel while rubbing his sore cheek. “Bastard.” Zelgadiss muttered, glancing at the white-faced Hiyo who was staring at Lina. “Oh kami.”

“Oh kami indeed.”

About an hour later, they all sat in what seemed to be the mansion’s old dining room. They had each tried their hardest to bust the doors open to the old mansion, they even tried all the windows and walls, but they couldn’t leave. Xelloss had tried teleporting through the doors, but he was thrown back by the barrier’s strength. It appeared that whoever set this barrier up knew to expect the Trickster Priest and his mazoku powers.

“Now that we’ve beaten ourselves bloody, let’s put our heads together and try to find out just who the hell is this ‘master’ that freak spoke of.” Lina said, taking a seat on top of the enormous dining room table.

“Well, it seems obvious that since he was a mazoku that his master must be one as well.” Zelgadiss replied, sitting instead into one of the chairs placed in front of the table.

“A mazoku lord? But who? I’ve never heard of any rouge mazoku lords. I thought that they were all still within the mazoku race’s leagues.”

Xelloss held up a finger. “Then maybe this master is not a mazoku, but maybe something else?”

Lina scrunched up her eyebrows. “Like what? A human?”

He shook his head. “No, more like someone who has enormous powers that can even threaten a being such as I. Like…a knight?”

Zelgadiss grunted. “Like that freak down at the diner? Yeah right, the mazoku would chew him up then spit him out.”

“Not that kind of knight silly, more like a Knight of Ceifeed. Mazoku have been known, despite the obvious fact that Ceifeed is their enemy, to admire and respect the Knights of Ceifeed.” Xelloss chuckled.

Lina froze, her eyes going wide. She was clenching her fists so hard that her knuckles were turning white. “No…you’re wrong Xelloss. Wrong!”

She jumped off the table to start pacing around the room, her face a wild mess. Hiyo leaned over to whisper into Xelloss’s ear. “What is wrong with Ms. Lina?” He chuckled.

“Ms. Lina’s sister is one of the only known Knights of Ceifeed, little Hiyo. Her sister is definitely one of the only beings on this earth that can instill fear into Lina-san’s heart. As you can gather they have never had the best of relationships.”

“Have you ever met Ms. Lina’s sister, Mr. Xelloss?”

“Yes, on one or two occasions I have crossed paths with Luna-san, and I do have to sympathize with Lina-san that she is not one of the nicest people. I think she could possibly even beat me if she put her mind to it.”

“Oh, so does that mean she’s strong?”

Xelloss slit his eyes open before answering, staring Hiyo straight into the eyes. “The power she possesses that the great Shinzoku Ceifeed left could quite possibly threaten my master, Beastmaster Zelas Metallium. This means that this human is one of the few whose powers extend a great deal farther then some mazoku. But Luna-san is actually very good friends with my master, and is seen as no threat to us mazoku, so I don’t think Lina-san has any reason to worry at all.”

He closed his eyes again, his mask slowly settling back into place, and smiled at Hiyo. She attempted to smile back but it was a very weak smile, for this information did not give her any pleasant thoughts.

“Lina-san you really have nothing to worry about. I’m sure Luna-san is the last person who would lure you here like this, wouldn’t she confront you herself if she’d had anything to say to you?”

Lina looked back at Xelloss, and thought about this for a moment. He was right of course; her sister had never been one to sneak around. She liked to be in your face at all times and she never hesitated to confront a problem. Hopefully it really wasn't her sister, just the thought of Luna being somewhere in this building gave her the shivers.

Zelgadiss had overheard Xelloss and Hiyo's discussion and decided to cut in. "So, if not her, then what other Knights are there?"

Xelloss for once shrugged; he was at a loss of knowledge. "There hasn’t been any other recorded Knights Ceifeed; Ms. Luna has been the only one to make her status know to the world. The others have been in hiding for, well, forever. No one knows of any other Knights. Of course they know they exist, but none have revealed themselves just yet."

Hiyo had never even heard of such knights, so she didn't even know how they came to be or anything of their existence. "How many Knights are there?" Xelloss thought for a moment. "That is not known either. A fragment of Ceifeed's power was passed down from generation to generation, but originally it is said in legends that there were four...or maybe five."

Lina sat back down onto the table, thinking about all the possibilities. Where would a Knight of Ceifeed be exactly? If Ceifeed was the great Shinzoku dragon lord, then where would the Knights hide out? Possibly as normal humans in some village somewhere, but she highly doubted that this one would be one like that. The ryuzoku are the lesser of the Shinzoku, and so that means…aha!

“I’ve got it!”

“You got what?”

“The answer! I know!”

“Think about it, Xelloss. If you are right and this is one of the lost Knights of Ceifeed, where do you think they have been hiding out all these years since the death of the great shinzoku died?”

Xelloss put his finger to his chin, thinking a moment. “As normal humans?”

“No! One of them, most likely this one, has been in hiding within the leagues of the ryuzoku! They want me because they think I’m the key to the mazoku’s victory in the war, that idiot mazoku said it himself!”

Xelloss raised his eyebrows, and smiled. This was very likely the reason behind it all, it made a lot of sense. The ryuzoku were the servants to the shinzoku, and the lord shinzoku’s reincarnations would naturally want to be apart of this war and to ultimately win. But there was a very, very bad side to this accusation. If it was a Ceifeed Knight here, then even Xelloss could not take him on and have any hope to win. Just like Luna, the other Knights are immensely strong and could put up a fight with a strong mazoku such as him.

“What’s wrong, Xelloss?” Lina’s smile was disappearing, and it was obvious that she thought he doubted her plan. To encourage her he just smiled. “Gomen Lina-san, I was just thinking. It’s nothing.”

She smiled back, and turned to the rest of the group, chattering away at Lina’s brilliantness. Hopefully if Xelloss was defeated and killed in battle they could handle themselves, but not that Xelloss cared whether they lived to see another day or not.

 

Chapter 14

Ah, there hasn't been any good Xelloss/Lina action! Hehehehehehe, not anymore:D

MATURE ADULT WARNING!

This is where the M rating comes in handy, little kiddies...:O

--

"Xelloss?"

Xelloss turned his head to Lina, who had noticed his silence and saw it as trouble. "Are you okay?" Somehow Lina always seemed to know when something wasn't right with him, it was as if she was a mazoku herself, and she could sense his obvious discomfort. Of course he never let her know what had been bothering him, why should he? It would only give her an unnecessary burden.

"Of course Lina-san! Why do you ask?" He smiled cheerily, his eyes firmly shut, blocking out his tricky mind to any curious gazer.

Her face fell into a frown, and it was obvious that she didn't believe him. Even with his mask in place she knew, oh yes she knew, that something was definitely not right. But she could always pump him for information later-when they were alone. "Never mind."

Zelgadiss leaned onto the dining table with his hip, and turned to the group. "So what do we do now? We have our lead, but we can't just go barging into every room of the house looking for them. Do we just wait?"

Lina shrugged and hopped off the table to head for what she assumed to be the kitchen. As she walked she called back, "That's all we can do. But don't worry; they’ll come to us sooner or later. In the meantime let's eat!"

Zelgadiss rolled his eyes, but followed her anyways. Hiyo exchanged an amused glance with Xelloss before following suit, him at her heels. Lina was snooping through all the cabinets and pantries, and finally came to the fridge where she started dragging out various food items. She handed out a random piece of everything to the group before taking a leg of meat into the living room.

Xelloss followed after her, a piece of bread in hand. He of course threw it away before exiting the kitchen. Zelgadiss and Hiyo went the opposite direction, and into the dining room. They knew that Xelloss and Lina needed to be alone, and even though Zel didn't like it, he left them alone anyway.

"Xelloss, don't bullshit me. What is your problem?" Xelloss chuckled, indeed Lina was smart.

He waggled his finger at her. "That's a secret, Lina dear."

She rolled her eyes and took a bite out of her meat, slumping into one of the living room chairs. In just that short time she had finished it already and threw it into the trash can across the room. Xelloss took a seat in the couch next to hers, staring at Lina behind closed eyelids. Lina cocked her head to him, her eyes questioning him with innocent curiosity. "Lina-san?"

She jumped, obviously not expecting him to speak, but still attempted a smile. "Yeah?"

"Why haven't you doubted me yet?"

"Huh?"

He leaned forward, bracing his hands on her couch's armrest. "Haven't you been even suspected me in the least?"

She swallowed, and her eyes traveled south towards his mouth, her gaze focusing on it. "Wh-What do you mean?" Oh no, here was this feeling again. He was making her heart beat so fast...so fast...Her heartbeat increased so much she thought it would burst from her chest.

"I could very well be behind all of this; I have every reason to have lured you here and then tricked you into thinking I had nothing to do with it." He lifted his hand to trace her bottom lip gently, his gloved hands making her shiver. "I-I trust you." She whispered against his hand, her gaze now lifting to his slowly opening eyes.

"That's a very bad thing to do, Lina-san; I'm not a good person to trust." Xelloss teleported instantly from his couch to hers, his hands seemingly never leaving her lips. She reached her hand up to start to slide his glove off, her eyes seeking permission from his, and when he accepted she slid it off gently. Letting it slide from her fingers to the couch to settle in between them, she slid her lips over his index finger, mimicking his earlier acts. Her teeth grazed against his skin and she heard his harsh intake of breath. "I trust you anyway." She breathed onto his exposed hand, sending another shiver up his arm.

He smiled at her, but this was not one of his normal smiles. It was a smile that made her nervous, one that said he was up to something no-good. Before she could even blink Xelloss had jumped forward, pinning her body face up to the couch while his strong hands gripped her tiny wrists, his face hovering over hers. "Do you really trust me, Lina-san?"

She wriggled under his body, unsure if she liked being dominated like this. "Do you have to ask? I just said I did, didn't I?" The annoyance in her voice made him chuckle darkly, and leaned down to slide his tongue along her neck. "So you did..." He murmured, breathing in the sweet smell of her long red hair. It felt oddly good to hear that Lina trusted him, but it also made him feel what he never thought he'd ever feel-guilty. Lina really shouldn't trust him, but she'd chosen and he'd already decided how much he liked his newly gained trust. It made him lust for her.

Lina couldn't believe what she'd just said. She trusted him? Like hell. When had she started to trust this dirty mazoku? He'd done nothing to ever prove himself worthy of her trust and yet she still felt it was only right to trust him. A moan escaped her lips and interrupted her thoughts as he bit down into her neck, drawing blood. He sucked at it gently, teasing her skin with his tongue as he drank. In any other situation she would have slapped him for ever making her bleed, but right now it just felt really good. The feel of her blood leaving her body made her dizzy and very responsive. Her hands pushed against his, wanting to clutch at something. Oh god it just felt amazing, like he was touching her whole body at once. He breathed into her ear, sending a jolt of electricity down her spine, and to follow a shiver.

He raised his head up to kiss her, his tongue probing her lips for entrance. As she accepted the bitter sweet taste of her own blood invaded her mouth, and it only seemed to add to her pleasure. Down there, she felt herself get very hot and tender. Her hips bucked gently against his thigh that had settled itself between her legs. She felt his hands rotate and he only held her wrists with one of his hands, while he let the other slide down her arm, neck, breast, and all the way down to her thighs.

In an instant her slacks had been undone and his hand cupped her through her undergarments, and she groaned into his mouth. He tore his lips from hers; his piercing eyes stared down intently into hers. "Do you like this, Lina-san?" His voice was low and gruff; the passion was obvious in his tone. He slipped one finger inside her through the cloth, making her body jump. Her only answer was another buck of her hips and a moan. The finger pulled out again, gliding up and down her, teasing her to the point of insanity. "Now, Lina-san, you have to be quiet." He gently probed again at her entrance, this time using two fingers. "Your friends will hear you."

She was panting now, and her body was on fire. This was so cruel; he was doing all these things to her and telling her not to react. Urgh this was driving her insane! Her teeth bit down into her bottom lip, attempting to soften her cries. She really did have to be quiet though, for if anyone walked in on them she would die of utter embarrassment.

“Ba…stard.” Lina bit out, trying not to scream from the sensations he was creating. He chuckled before leaning down to whisper into her ear. "Do you really want me to, Lina-san?"

"Really want you to wha-oh." She blushed, suddenly feeling a wave of embarrassment crash over her. Did he really expect her to say it? That was just too evil, even for him. "Come on Lina-san. Do you?" He taunted sweetly, his voice still gentle in her ear.

His fingers lightly slid over her again, causing her to jump. He continued this until she was writhing underneath him in frustration and pleasure, moaning and cursing him all the while. Finally she groaned and hissed through her teeth. "Yes, damn you! Just do it already!" Xelloss laughed into her ear, causing her face to turn another shade of red at the realization to what she'd just said.

Before she could protest his hands swiftly pushed the flimsy fabric to the side of her sex, and pushed in two fingers, keeping a slow but strong rhythm. His other hand still gripped her hands together and she tried to push them off yet again, but his strength withheld her. He watched her closely as she groaned deep in her throat, her face betraying all her emotions.

Since when did his fingers make her feel this good? Oh god why were her hips rising to meet his fingers? And how could this possibly get better with each passing moment his fingers worked their magic on her? Never had she imagined ever doing this with Xelloss...Her eyes flew open as she felt herself being pushed over the edge, her mouth opened to scream but Xelloss clamped his mouth over hers, letting his ears be the only ones graced with the beautiful sounds of her climax. Her hips bucked one last time before the sensation faded, and Xelloss lifted his mouth from hers.

Slowly he let her wrists go, and her eyes opened again just as his were closing. "You are very beautiful, Lina-san." He murmured as he sat up, giving her a moment to collect herself and sit up as well. What Lina didn't know was that he was mostly referring to the unforgettable image of her pretty face as he sent her body over the edge, which indeed was a very beautiful image. She blushed, averting her eyes from him. How could she look at him after he had seen her like that? This was going to be very awkward now that she'd let herself be drawn to him. How did he ever do that without taking her clothes off...?

Urgh, damn Xelloss and his stupid fingers.

 

Chapter 15

"Ah...er...thank you." Lina stuttered, her face turning an eerie shade of purple from the shame mixed in with embarrassment. Why had she acted like that? Xelloss was supposed to be the enemy...damn it! A mischievous smile spread across his face as if he knew, just knew, what she was thinking. Xelloss made her do that! He seduced her on purpose! This was all just another one of his games; he hadn't been affected at all. This was his way of showing her that she really shouldn't trust him. Stupid fruitcake. "What's wrong, Lina-san?" He purred, his eyes taunting her with their smug knowledge.

Her mouth opened to respond, but no words would come out. She couldn't move at all. This was humiliating...And to think she was actually starting to believe she just MIGHT have feelings for him, but now she was realizing that she didn't. None of it mattered, and now she was pissed. As her temper snapped the spell was broken and she jumped off the couch. He didn't even blink, only stared up at her as she loomed over him. "I told you Lina-san, I really did warn you." The sound of the bitterness in his voice made her so mad that she could just...slap! Her hand came down hard onto his cheek, stinging her hand in the process. "You...you...there aren't even any words to describe you. I hate you." She spat, her eyes filling with angry tears.

"I can think of a few words to describe him." Zelgadiss's voice wafted through the room, making Lina jump and turn to him. He looked just like she felt, pissed off. His face was red with anger and his hands were clenched into tight fists at his side. "Damn you, bastard. I knew you were no good." Zel zoned in on them, and stopped just in front of Xelloss. "What did you do to Lina?"

Xelloss's eyes were now just a blank, his face hardened almost to stone. Lina didn't know if this was his way of being guilty or being an ass, she didn't like it either way. She put her hand on Zelgadiss's shoulder, not looking at him but at Xelloss, holding his stony gaze. "It's ok Zel, it was my fault. I didn't listen." Zelgadiss shrugged her hand off and growled. "I don't give a shit. He should have known better, no, he does know better." The distinct crack of his fist connected with Xelloss's face made Lina flinch.

"You do realize that this only makes me feel fantastic, don't you? You seem to forget I feed off your negative emotions. This a feast." The empty smile on his face brought a sinking feeling to her gut. Zelgadiss just growled. Lina turned away from them and walked to the door, stopping only to say, "So, that was it wasn't it? I was just another meal..." And she was gone.

OoO

"Um, Ms. Lina? Is something the matter?" Hiyo asked, exchanging yet another worried glance with Zelgadiss. Lina had been eating for the past three hours straight-nonstop. Not that eating had ever been anything abnormal for her it was just that his time it seemed she was taking it a bit too far. One plate after another she devoured with her tiny canine teeth. She stopped for a half a second to give Hiyo a strange look before returning to her food and saying between bites, "Of course! I'm fine, fine! Just hungry."

Hiyo tried to smile reassuringly, but she failed miserably as she felt the sudden need to cry for Lina. When she was moped into the dining room it was obvious she had been crying, but as soon as she had spotted Hiyo she brushed it off nonchalantly and ran back into the kitchen for food. Ever since then she was been doing nothing but eating and eating, Hiyo began to wonder if eventually Ms. Lina would explode.

Zelgadiss had come in not long after Lina had, his face was beet red and he looked very, very mad. She had thought maybe Mr. Xelloss would come in soon to help the awkwardness, but he never came. Neither Lina nor Zelgadiss seemed to care at all either, it seemed like they hadn't even remember he was ever here.

"Where is Mr. Xelloss?" Hiyo asked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere, and ended up making it even worse as she saw Lina's eyes start to glow with anger. "I don't know and I don't care! That damn fruitcake can go to hell, and his fingers can go right with him!" Both Zelgadiss and Hiyo frowned in confusion at her, but she ignored it and kept eating.

Hiyo sighed, laying her chin in her hands. This was going to be a very long night indeed.

Xelloss had been sitting on that couch for what seemed to be forever. He didn't know why but that look Lina gave him just before walking into the kitchen made him very uneasy. Now that he'd proven his point to her he wasn't sure if it was worth it anymore, but it did serve the ultimate purpose. This would put a very big glitch in his plans later on since now she didn't trust him at all.

He knew that he had only been taking advantage of her momentary weakness, for there were very few moments that Lina Inverse ever trusted anyone with her body. Hopefully this would make her wary of him now; it wouldn't be any fun to kill someone that didn't put up a fight. No, he wanted to see the anger spark in her eyes just before, he wanted to devour all her emotions and energy and watch as her face twisted in disgust.

Letting himself feel anything for her was out of the question, none of it was worth it. Lina was indeed very interesting and he had to admit it did appeal to him in some way, but Zelas would never accept anything of the sort. This was the only way to set himself from her, keep her on edge, and then break her down slowly till there wasn't a single bit of trust left in her body.

Now that she was angry at him, he supposed he wouldn't be very welcome near them anymore. That was fine, more time to himself.

Lina took another angry bite of her meat, chewing viciously and trying to forget ever seeing Xelloss. She could still feel his hands everywhere on her body, and yet he had barely touched her at all. The bite mark on her neck would likely never fade and she'd have to live with this miserable shame for the rest of her miserable life. In a way she was grateful to him for giving her a reason to doubt him, for trusting him at all scared the hell out of her. Now she could say with confidence that she felt nothing for him, nothing at all.

Finally Lina stopped in mid-chew, realizing that this was not working. She put down her food and left the room, seeking a place to be alone with herself so that she could hit something, anything! As she walked not even did she glance at Zelgadiss or Hiyo as she exited, and found another room. It looked like some sort of tea room, like the dining room but much more elegant. There would definetely be something breakable in here...

"Hello, Lina Inverse." A voice breathed down her neck, and faded as her arm swung around to slap him. He reappeared on the other side of the tiny table set with teacups, and grinned at her. "And how is Ms. Lina today?"

She growled and launched herself at him, crashing to the floor as he disappeared again. Gathering herself she spotted him this time hovering above the ground, waggling his finger at her. "Now Ms. Lina can't we talk?"

She ignored him and started just throwing teacups at him, he dodged each and every one of them, disappearing just before they hit. All of them crashed to the floor, into the glass case, over the chairs, and into the walls. When there was nothing left to throw Lina was panting, feeling oddly satisfied that she had let her anger out on something worthy of her efforts.

"Finished?" The annoying man asked, slowly landing back onto the plush carpet. She glared. "I'm not in the mood for this shit, buddy, so let's get to the point. Are you the one that trapped us here?" He laughed, his eyes twinkling in what seemed to be innocent amusement.

"Why of course I am." He bowed deep like a gentleman, catching her eye. "I am Faroh, the third Knight of Ceifeed at your service Ms. Lina." A triumphant grin spread across her face. "So I was right? You are in leagues with the ryuzoku?" He nodded.

"So just what makes you think they need me so bad to beat your leader?" He laughed again, this time mockingly.

"I see Xelloss has not informed you of what his master's future plans for you are?" She squinted at him suspiciously, wondering if she should believe the next answer to her question.

"What...plans?" She asked slowly, holding her breath as he spoke.

"I assume that it may have crossed your mind once or twice that his orders are to kill you?"

She hesitated before nodding. "You are wrong to think this, Ms. Lina. Why would I want to kill you if Xelloss was already first in line to do so?"

Her teeth chewed on her bottom lip, knowing she wouldn't like whatever he was going to say. "Beginning to see reason? Yes, I assume you are. It is not my place to tell you just what I predict his orders are, I'll let the mazoku decided whether or not he wants to say. Of course whatever he tells you will be his final words in this life."

Lina's eyes widened. "What?"

Crack!