Nocturnal Meetings, Part 13

Part 13 - Zelgadis

I am still panting heavily when Xellos turns on his side and tells me he needs to leave. But me, I am far from being sleepy. Even with the strong pleasure I just felt, I don't feel like taking any rest. I long for...drinking coffee.

I let my partner - or shoulder I say lover? - dress again and, like him, leave the room, close the door and walk down the large stairway. He leaves inside the night, while I walk my way to the kitchen. I have to pass in front of the back door, when I heard a faint but clear knock coming from outside.

How long I haven't heard that sound? Without thinking, I unlock the large piece of wood and open it. A young, pretty woman, with long blond hair hidden under a cape, or a veil, looks at me. Her blue eyes remind me of...

"Mother Superior Filia?"

She already shushes me, urging me to talk lower. But I am happy to see her, since it's been a while I haven't see anyone but my new friends.

She enters. I am surprised to see her in civil clothes.

"Xellos is gone?" She asks nervously, looking around.

"For a while, yes. Why?"

She turns to me then take my arms.

"I need to talk to you." She walks fast and brings me into the library. "It's been a long time I am trying to reach you. Listen to me, it is extremely important."

She places two chairs, one in front of the other and makes me sit on one of them.

"Listen to me," she repeats with the same nervousness. "You have to leave this place. Now!"

I am stunned. "Why should I? To affront this killing mob of peasants, ready to melt over me and dismember me?" I answer, pointing at one window.

"Zelgadis..."

"No! Enough! I am happy, here. For once in my life I feel happiness! Jealous woman!"

In a quick movement, she stands and slaps me. "Fool! Don't you understand the danger that lies upon your head? Xellos is a killer, a murderer, one of the most sinful creature I haven't met in my whole life."

Her eyes are stern. She takes my hands in hers. She lowers her voice when she says: "You are protecting a monster, Zelgadis. You are living with him and I am surprised to see you are still alive."

I can't answer anything back.

"He is a vampire, Zelgadis. A vampire." Her voice is now barely audible. "He drinks blood. He kills human in order to drink their blood. This is probably what he went to do right now."

She looks around, making sure we are still alone.

"I am risking my life by coming here. We already lost some faithful souls while trying to track him down, to defeat him."

I am still speechless, so I let her continue. But she seems to realize I don't really comprehend what she is attempting to make me understand.

"I will start from the beginning. I had a dream, the demon came to visit me. He had his form. Body and face were like Xellos of Metallium's. At first, I thought it was only a coincidence, since that man scared me from the very first second I saw him. But I was wrong. He is really the demon."

I can sense a cold wave passing through my body. A dream? A demon? A demon that looks like Xellos? Did we have the same dream...?

"And I saw the danger upon you. I even placed one of my ladies near you, so she could protect you as much as she could: Sylphiel."

My eyes open wide. Sylphiel, our servant, is dead.

"Sylphiel knew my fears since the beginning. And she knew death was around when Xellos went to your house, that first night."

That night...when Xellos came, he was hurt. Sylphiel and Amelia helped him.

"Your wife, Amelia, knew too." She presses my hands even more. "She didn't know at that precise moment, unless she would never have left you alone with him. He is too dangerous."

Maybe I look like I don't believe her. She shows me papers.

"But Amelia was soon alerted. Here are the letters she wrote me."

I proceed to read.

"Mother Superior,

Knowing this man was such a devilish creature, I wouldn't have left my husband. I learned he passes some days in his company. Zelgadis looks thin, and sick. I do not know what should I do. Please give me your advises."

And another one.

" This morning, over my husband's neck, I saw the same mutilations they found over Father Philionel's corpse. I am afraid my poor Zelgadis is already targeted. I request a private interview with your Excellence as soon as possible."

"We also found this one into Amelia's personal cabinet, just beside the place she found death."

"This morning, I went to see Zelas of Metallium, who is supposedly the mother of the demon. I think she is directly associated with her son. She probably is a creature of the night, since she cannot stand the sight of the sunlight. All windows are barricaded. Is there another way to defeat those creatures? Sir Gabriev might know."

Yes, it is indeed Amelia's handwriting. I look up at Filia.

"Is...is all this true? But Xellos never tried to hurt me, you know?"

Now, she is the speechless one.

"He is the only one that believes me, who trust in my innocence."

"Because he KNOWS you are not the guilty one. Because he knows exactly who murders Philionel, Amelia, Sylphiel and even his own mother. And he knows it is not you. Because he knows he is the only murderer."

I stand up. "He wouldn't have kill his mother!"

Filia rolls her eyes. "No, maybe not that one, but what about the others?"

"He couldn't! He..."

Then I realize I might be wrong. I sit back.

"Zelgadis, let's get out of here. It is only a question of time before you fall into his claws," she urges me.

"He promised me to stay with me forever..." I answer unconsciously.

"Lies! Maybe his plans were not to kill you, but only to transform you into his puppet. Look at what you became, Graywords: You now live such a sinful existence, I cannot recognize the man from before. You were pious and attentive to the words of God."

"God abandoned me..." I say, lowering my head and crossing my fingers.

"God wouldn't abandoned His children. You are the one who abandoned Him. This attitude of yours totally differs from what you used to be. Wake up, Zelgadis! It is not too late to reach back the path of redemption! However, by staying here, you are drowning into luxury, you only pleases the desires of your body without thinking of your soul! Perdition is not far, but there is still time to change the road you're on."

She tends me her hands to take, and they seem to scream 'let's go away!' But my own hands cannot reach for them.

"I don't want to be judged again. I don't want to be looked like a assassin."

"With my position, I can change it! I know you are blameless, and I know I can make everyone believe the same. You are guiltless, Zelgadis. Xellos used you, like he used a lot of other naïve persons.."

"So you call me naive?" I cut her off, angry.

"No, indeed, no, but this man knows much more about you than you think. He knows your weaknesses. He is clever. He possesses a great intelligence. He knows how to make you trust into lies and illusions."

She pauses before leaning closer to me.

"Come with me!"

But I cannot. My body is frozen. He is there.

"Why won't you come with me?" she repeats with her pleading eyes and whispery voice.

"Yes, why don't you go with her?"

She lets out a scared cry as she recognises his voice, Xellos' voice. He stands behind her, then he places his hands on her shoulders.

"Filia, my dear Filia! How I missed you!"

I can hear his voice is impregnated with so much irony. Now he exposes one shoulder and places a kiss on it...a kiss that leaves a red mark on her skin, as if Xellos' mouth was bleeding, or...full of blood.

"You look better into civil clothes, Filia."

Like me, she is frozen under his glare, his voice, and his touch. He wraps his arms around her body and lays his face against her back before he continues to talk.

"But such cruel words in your mouth, dear Filia! Vindictive words about me should not be into such a pretty mouth..."

He holds her chin and forces her to look at him. I wish I could separate them, for they seem to be ready to kill each other. But my body orders me to stay still, and my throat cannot find any word to express my fear.

"Satanic creature, do not touch me!" she screams, slapping his hand away. "You are nothing but a manslayer, and I will not let you continue to pervert this man any longer! Now behave!"

Hidden in one of her sleeves, she takes out a crucifix and shoves it in his face. Assurance quickly evades her visage when she realizes it has no effect on him.

"Fool!" he growls, snapping to sacred object from her hands, then admiring it. "So you are the one who told Gourry how my mother couldn't stand the sight of this thing? This might be a useful tool to use against a vampire of the old generation, such as Mother, or even Lina, but..."

He starts to monologue about how Lina could be afraid of crucifix, and how this might be why she was always chased away by the peasants. He almost has a soft smile...but he soon returns a deadly glare to Filia.

"...But I am not part of this generation. And I am not afraid of a crucifix."

He kisses the holy item, and I hear Filia to whisper "Blasphemy!"

"Be a little more modern, Filia!" he carries on with this satirical tone. "Inquisition is over! The king and his entire court live into a deeper sin than I do, and you only have obsession for me, while you could save more than only one soul there! At least, I am not hypocrite: I do not go to the Church while I have numerous lovers. I don't poison my enemies while I help the poor. I only kill... in order to survive."

Quicker than a lightning, he dives over Mother Filia and buries his teeth in the skin of her flesh. The way his mouth is placed over her and how she just trashed her head backward...this image could have been erotic if I would not know what I was now suspecting...

Filia now cries, and pulls on Xellos' own neck, trying to detach from him. She sobs, yelling at me to help her... but I am still unmoving, now alarmed by a new sight: a fine line of blood runs down her shoulder to disappear between her breasts...and the way he digs his nails into her arms, his hateful eyes over her...

Finally, I can move. I run to him and attempt to pull him back.

"Xellos, let her go! You are hurting her!"

I see his deadly glare shifting over me before he pushes me away, releasing the woman in the meantime. He pants contently, smiling, then passes the back of his hand over his red mouth.

"That was an exquisite dessert!" he exclaims, still looking at me. "I always be fond of religious people's blood. It tastes sweeter..."

Filia holds her injured neck, and sobs:

"There is no doubt that you are the one who slaughtered Father Philionel! I saw you!"

He slowly turns on his heels and answers:

"But of course, I did! I couldn't let escape the opportunity to slay another one of your breed, Filia."

Then he returns to me and says, over his shoulder: "By the way, your confession was very enjoyable, Zelgadis!"

I can feel my lips trembling. He was there. In the confessional. Hearing what I said while he was putting an end to the priest's life. I must look very pitiful since he bends to me, a serious look on his face, and caresses my visage. But he soon starts to laugh as if he was drunk, giggling incoherently. His laugh has a demoniac accent that makes me shiver. He was there, listening to me. I revealed him a secret I was so ashamed of, a secret I didn't even purposely tell him during the past months. He knew since the beginning... And I can remember the words of Filia: This man knows much more about you than you think. He knows your weaknesses.

Never have I felt so shocked in my life than at this precise moment. Now he is arguing with Filia, but their words are too distant to be comprehended. I don't even have energy to let my body slide on the floor. I stay motionless, sitting down, and even the pain I feel in my legs, that are trapped under my body, cannot make me move.

I get out of my astonishment when I see him just before me. Xellos' amethyst eyes are as sweet and kind as they use to be. Why do I feel so confused about this man? What I just saw, what I just heard...was it real? My body trembles under his touch. I am afraid he will hurt me.

"Hush.." he shushes me, passing a finger over my lips. "It is over."

He presents me his open arms and I instinctively throw myself into them.

"Please...make this nightmare stop," I cry. When he returns my hug, I know I had been wrong again and that all of this was nothing by another illusion.

A screech pushes me back into my bad dream. Filia is back there, ordering Xellos to not touch me. He stands quickly and walks rapidly into her direction. I follow the scene with horror as I see him grabbing her head with both hands and twisting it in a snap... An awful cracking sound. A woman body falling on the floor. Her eyes wide open. Looking at me, blaming me: Why didn't you help me? Be cursed.

It takes me a long time to realize my arm was up in the air, in her direction, my fingers seizing an invisible cloth as the word "no" echoes in my throat.

My body shakes even more when I see him standing before me.

"You...you killed her," I finally let out.

"Yes, it's one of my favourite pass-time," he answers, like it would be the most simple and natural thing in the world.

"You lied to me..." I murmur. He stays silent. "YOU LIED TO ME!" Now my voice is nothing but a mad scream.

"I didn't lie. You are the one who believed in the wrong thing."

Oh, you want to play that game, Xellos? Fine.

"Who killed Father Philionel?"

"Me!" he retorts cheerfully. "I just said it minutes ago.."

"Sylphiel?"

"Seriously I don't know, but I suspect Valgaav."

"Amelia?"

"Ah, a nice little gift from madam Zelas! But if this can calm down your anger, my poor mother is already punished."

And Filia...I just saw him doing. So...all that the woman said... was true?
Xellos is a killer, a murderer.

"You...used me."
Maybe his plans were not to kill you, but only to transform you into his puppet.

"You...make me fall into sin."
Look at what you became, Graywords: You now live such a sinful existence.

"The dreams I had...were true."
He knows how to make you trust into lies and illusions.

"You... are really a demon."

"I am really a demon."

He is really the demon.

I look at the floor a moment. O God, how I been lured. I abandoned You, you punished me. Do not fear, I am with you, is what You said. I forgot your words, my Lord. Why?

Because you are not worth it.
I remember what Valgaav told me that night. I am not worthy to meet God in Heaven. My place is in Hell, with other demons such as me. This man before me turned my light into darkness. My dreams into nightmares. My prayers into sins. And I let him do. Please let me die. Please let me stop to inflict my soul more atrocities.

I run to a small drawer in which I know Xellos puts his favourite pistols. He quickly figures out my movement since he follows me and grabs the pistols off my hands. I cry, I beg him to let me put an end to my existence. I scream how I hate him, how he should die in the most torturous way. But soon, through my mouth, only passes one phrase: "I want to die...I want to die...I want to die." Hiding my face in my hands, I feel hot tears running down my fingers.

"How...about...myself...I make you fall into Eternity?"

That phrase sounds good right now. Fine. Kill me, if it is what you want. This way, I will save my heart from another crime. The crime of killing myself. Yes. Send me into Eternity. Send me into the Eternal Sleep. Into the Eternal flames of Hell. This is what I deserve.

"You want to go into Eternity?" He repeats.

"Yes.." I murmur between two sobs. Yes, kill me.

"Ask...and you shall receive."

A satanic person like you should not quote the holy writings of the Bible. Since my eyes remain closed, I hear him drop the gun he was holding. I thought of another trick of him, but before long I feel his fangs burry into my neck. Ah, so it is the way you want to end my life. As you wish, nothing matters to me anymore.

I can hear my heart beating so loud, crashing into my chest. I can feel the blood to quit my veins. My eyes closing by themselves. Strength evading my body, and my soul. Then, I hear him say a final phrase before everything turns red:
"A promise is a promise."