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                                   Chapter IV

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                                     Part II

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"Phyria, do you know where should we search for the Ethereal Emblem of Air?" Asked Zel.

"I thought, we could go for the temple of the Air Dragon King and ask the elder.... but I don't know where it is. BEsides I need to check on something." Replied the dragon.

"On what?"

Phyria didn't answer, instead started walking in a western direction. A little later they stopped before a shop.

"A relic shop? Phyria, do we have time for this?" Asked Gourry.

"Phyria-sama, you're back." A voice could be heared from inside. A kidsized humanoid fox with an eyepatch stepped out and greeted the priestess.

"Jiras. *Recognized him Gourry* You here?"

"Mommy." The owner of the voice closed to the door.

"Mommy?" Repeated the band. A little green haired kid stepped out.

"Valgaav-sama, you know that youo mustn't go out." Tryed to hold him back the fox.

"Phyria, about a year ago Valgaav was still new born." Stated Zelgadis.

"The dragons grow faster, and because Valgaav is an Ancient dragon he grows more faster than the average dragons." Replied the priestess.

"Mommy, who are they?" Asked the boy.

"Valgaav, how many times did I told you, that I'm not your mommy?"

"Yes Phyria nei-chan." replied the boy.

"They are Zelgadis Greywords, Gourry Gabriev and Sylphil Nels Rahda." Introduced them Phyria to Valgaav, who looked at them like he knew them from somewhere.

"Mommy, you said to me that you need the help of Lina Inverse."

"Yes, Valgaav my dear. I said that, and found her, but we need to get to the temple of Air dragon king."

"Why?"

"We need the Ethereal Emblem of the Air."

"How does it look like?"

"Let me see ... *Phyria searched in her back pack and lifted the Fire Emblem out* Like this, but I think it's made of different materia."

"Oh, I know that. I know where it is." Said the boy.

"You know it Valgaav -sama?" Asked Jiras.

"Could you show us the way Valgaav?" Asked Sylphil.

"I could, but mommy would be mad at me."

"Why would I Valgaav dear?"

"Mommy... it ... it ... is ..." The boy crossed legs and frowned.

"Whaaaaat?" Echoed Phyria's voice, as they stopped before a cave entrance.

"Phyria-sama, is there something wrong?" Asked Jiras.

"valgaav dear, how do you know that the Ethereal dial is here?" Asked the dragon.

"It isn't here."

"Then?"

"The Cave of Gloom is just the entrance, after that we must cross the Pits of Insanity, the Peek of Death and the Soulles Swamp."

"Valgaav, my dear. You were there once?"

"I wasn't mommy."

"Then Valgaav-sama, how do you know that?" Asked Jiras.

"A priest wanted from me to get this for him, but I refused."

"A priest?"

"Yes, a purple haired, always smiling, ruby staffed.. like him." Pointed he at Xellos.

"Namagomi!! *Phyria grabbed her mace and swinged it before the tricksters nose* Xellos, what did you ask from Valgaav?"

"He refued and I only told him where it is."

"Mommy, you know this man?"

"This namagomi is a mazoku."

"Temper, temper Phyria-chan, besides. We be hurry."

"Why should we?" Asked Jiras.

"Because that Hidrogen guy is almost here." Said Gourry.

"Gourry-kun that's Helix and yes." Xellos levitated into the cave.

In a half day, they blind walked throught the Cave of Gloom. Phyria, Xellos, Valgaav and Zelgadis was lucky to see in the gloomy mist. The others had their bad experiences... as the cave was completely dark and absorbed any kind of light at the moment.

As the little group emerged from the cavern Sylphil quickly used recovery spells to eradicate the boils and bumps on the unlucky rest.

"Come to think of it... we need to get backwards this way." Said Gourry while he was treated by Slyphils healing spell.

" ... I don't want to upset you ... but see for yourselves." Said Xellos and vanished.

"Huh?" Moved Gourry to see what he meant.

"Great." Commented Zelgadis as he saw the next difficulty. An unimagineable deep pit with dozens of rock pillars. And of the look of it as someone stepped on one of them if began at the moment to crumble and fall.

"This area is a holy ground, that means that we can't use our spells, except healing of low level." Explained Phyria.

"And then how can we get over?" Asked Sylphil.

"For the three of us it won't be a problem." Said Zelgadis.

"Three?" Jiras didn't understand.

"Yes, Phyria can transform, Valgaav can summon his wings---"

"How did you know that?" Asked the boy.

"And I have enough speed to cross over." Finished it Zelgadis.

"So this means that Gourry-sama, Jiras-san and I must risk our lives to cross over?" States Sylphil.

"Not quite." Gourry lifted Sylphil and hastly crossjumped over a pillar, wich immediately started to fall and almost at the last moment he jumped on the next one. And as the process repeated he was through in  mere minutes.

"There you go, Slyphil." The warrior put down the girl.

As soon as almost everyone crossed the gap ... except Jiras.

"Jiras-san, why aren't you coming?" Shouted over to him Sylphil.

Jiras laughed in a maniac way and then pulled out numerous bombs.

"Watch this!!" He covered himself with a wooden shield and placed a burning bomb at the others. Suddenly an explosion rocked the area and Jiras flew off in a wide course.

"Guess, that wasn't exactly how he planned it." Commented the chimera.

"And now?" Gourry turned to Valgaav.

"We must climb that." Showed the boy at a mountain wich ended high over the clouds.

"The Peek of Death .... a name trully full of meaning." Looked up the chimera.

*Three days later*

"... How the hell will be able to get back?" Asked Gourry, whose armor was almost in pieces... not to mention the rest....everyone except the two dragons was outworn, battered and full of wounds. Sylphil only cared for the major ones ....althought that was a bit dangerous on the steep mountain side.

"Bet there is a shorter way...there is always a shorter way." Said Zelgadis.

As the group advanced onwards the long not used path they found the body of Jiras...althouht it looked a little pale. He lied besides of a watery pool.

"Soulles Swamp ... Guess who inhales this miasma losses his soul if the dose is too much for him." Appeared Xellos.

"Xellos, what are you doing here?" Asked Zelgadis

"Better hurry, cause a long lost friend is headed this way." Vanished again.

Zelgadis grabbed the soulles Jiras and sprinted with him through the swampy area. After they left the overtoxined atmosphere suddenly Jiras coughed up smoke and stood up.

"Valgaav-sama, Phyria-sama. I must warn them. The swamps miasma is dangerous." Said Jiras and tryed to run towards them, but Zelgadis stopped the fox.

"They'll be fine and we know about it, Xellos was so helpull to fill us in."

As soon as Zelgadis brought them through the swamp the group continued their trip along the long used path. Valgaav lead them to a dead end.

"Eh?" Looked up Gourry.

"You don't want to say that the we marched all time this and for nothing?" Asked Phyria.

Xellos appeared. "You didn't." Raised his staff Xellos and poked the wall, the result was tha the priest was hurled back with enormous speed and crushed into the nearby wall.

"What the?!" Asked Zelgadis.

Xellos stood up and cleaned himself of the debris.

"If a mazoku, human or a dragon tries to enter that place the effect would be same ... although a human would surely die ,the power that threw me back is trendenmous."

"And how the hell will---" Started Zelgadis but stopped as he saw the nearing Helix.

"Xellos!! Now you can't run." Echoed Helix's voice.

"Valgaav dear, you better hide. We will fend off this fiend." Said Phyria.

"I won't run." Giggled Xellos and vanished.

"Oh, the shrine of the Ethereal dial." Helix started to walk towards the entrance.

"No, you won't lay a hand on that holy artifact." Stepped Phyria forward.

"Patethic human, you can't stop me!" Pulled out Helix his whip and stiked with it at Phyria, who was then smashed to the mountain side.

"Without the help of the coward Xellos, you humans doesn't stand a chance agains me."

Phyria stood up and looked at the mazoku.

"I'm no human! *The amuletts on her cloths started to glow in a golden light* I was the  priestess of the Fire dragon king." Transformed Phyria into a dragon.

"A golden dragon, I heard that all golden dragons were slain by creatures from the other world. It looks like one weakling is still here. I'll send you to your fellow dragons. " Laughed Helix and enflamed the whip.

             FLAME BREATH!!!

Casted the spell Phyria, wich didn't work on the mazoku.

"Gourry, stop!! *Said Zelgadis* If Phyria's spell didn't affect him, than how can we?"

"I only wanted to face Xellos, but this dragon is irritating me." Helix raised the whip and slashed with it towards Phyria. The dragon sidestepped to avoid a critical blow, but the flaming weapon coiled around her wings and burned them badly.

"Now I have you." Laughed the mazoku and pulled at the whip. Phyria who's wing was trapped in the flaming weapon was send to the entrance, but the barrier at the entrance hurled the priestess back and smashed her body at the same place where Xellos crashed. Although Phyria wasn't able to slow himself down like Xellos, and a cracking sound echoed. Phyria, who was still able to stand up bleeded from numerous wounds and one of her wings was apparently broken and the other bleeded from the critical blow.

Phyria collapsed from the exhaustion and transformed back to humanoid form. Sylphil and Zelgadis ran tovards her and started to heal the wounded dragon.

"This will finish you off!!" Made a last attack to kill the priestess, but the weapon evaporated. Helix groaned in agony, since the whip was part of his astral body.

"Mazoku ... " Valgaav was encased in red flaming arua of hatred.

"Kiddo, get out of my way, or I'll kill you aswell." Advanced Helix towards the boy.

"Helix, better you scram." Echoed Xellos' voice.

"Why should I, you coward little Xellos." Asked Helix.

"You hurt my mommy." Cried Valgaav and started to scream, soon his wings appeared and black scales growed on his arms. The boy looked up at the mazoku and started to charge a shining red orb of power.

"And I will hur---" The orb shattered on the mazoku and red shockwaves started to arc through the body of the mazoku. Valgaav summoned another ball of chaotic energy and released it towards the grieving mazoku, who barely dodged the ball, but the shockwave still got a grab on him.

"I warned you Helix." Appeared Xellos at the side of Phyria.

"You brat. We will meet later you coward." Said Helix and vanished.

"MOMMY!!" Turned around Valgaav and run towards Phyria.

"Relax Valgaav-kun. Phyria-chan is O.K. Zel-kun and Sylphil-chan treated her well." Said  Xellos and backed off as the raging boy advenced to him.

"You're a mazoku aswell. I should kill you here and now." Stated the boy and charged another red pulsating orb.

"Guys, Guys!!!" Shouted Gourry from the entrance.

"What is it?" Asked Zelgadis.

"This seal.... it become transparent." Said the warrior.

"Can it be that something reacts to it?"

"I wonder if the Fire dial you carry reacts to this?" Ducked Xellos to avoid the spell, but the backfiring waves caught him. Xellos grinned, but didn't defend at all.

"Valgaav, let it be. *Phyria managed to stand up* That is right that this namagomi is a mazoku, but he helped us some times, though that was for hi own purposes. No mazoku could outstand goodness." got closer to the barrier.

Xellos smiled with pain. "Thanks Phyria-chan ... Gourry, you could try to open a hole in the barrier with you Saber of Light."

"Wait, who will get in? None of us can enter ..." Said Sylphil.

"No human, mazoku nor dragon could enter .... but." Smiled Xellos.

"But?" Asked Gourry.

"Here are two person who can try it."

"And who are they?" Asked Zelgadis.

"You and Valgaav-kun." Smiled Xellos.

"Why--- don't say ..." Realized it Zelgadis.

"What?" Looked around the confused warrior.

"In short, I'm not trully human, nor mazoku and Valgaav is a part dragon ... " Zelgadis didn't wante to continue, sine the boy apareantly didn't know that he is half mazoku.

"Isn't there another way?" Asked Sylphil.

"Nope. Have fun, I need to check on Lina-chan." Vanished Xellos.

"Xellos, is there something that you're not telling us?" Asked Phyria.

"Anyone who can safely enter the temple will have his lifeforce slowly drained away."

"Then, here I go!!" Zeladis forced himself throught the barrier and made his way towards the Ethereal dial.

The group was filled with desperation and hope, but when the worn out chimera emerged from the entrance the priestesses run to him, and started to heal the exhausted chimera.

"2 on 2." Echoed Xellos' voice.

"What do you mean?" Asked Gourry.

"We know that he has the Earth dial, we have the Air and Fire dials, and probably meant the Spirit dial is at the mazoku side." Said Phyria.

"No, I don't have the Spririt dial." Echoed Xellos' voice.

"Then?" Asked Sylphil.

"Lina-chan has it."

"Lina or Yumiko?" Asked weakly Zelgadis.

"That is a secret."

" ... *sigh* Xellos, get the hell out of here." Said Zelgadis and went to sleep.

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                                  TO BE CONTINUED.

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