Lina closed her eyes in anticipation of the blow. Ironic, almost, that she, defeater and destroyer of several parts of the Dark Lord Shabernigdo, would die from something as trivial as snake bite. A violent hiss of pain caused her eyes to shoot open.

Zelgadis' face was barely more than an inch away from hers, but his stone features were contorted in an expression of pain. She quickly glanced about to search for the reptile, and nearly screamed when she found it with it's fangs buried in one of the chimera's pre-existing wounds.

"Lina! Zelgadis!" Ameria and Gourry finally managed to shift the slab of granite that had trapped their chimeric and red-hared friends. The burden finally lifted, Zelgadis collapsed in unconsciousness.

"Zel?" Lina sat by the side of the still slumbering chimera. "Zelgadis... thanks... for what you did today." Blankly, she stared at the sling around his arm, and the bandage around his wrist where he had been bitten. It had taken most of Ameria's remaining magic to purify the venom and set the broken bones.

Why do I feel so guilty? Is it because he... saved me? Because he did this... to protect me? She pondered, taking a damp rag to apply to his stone brow. The fever had set in early that evening and dillusion had followed soon after. He had begun screaming out names randomly within the last hour.

"Lina!" The cry was strangled and hoarse as his good arm darted out. Startled, the sorceress tried to hush him, whispering quiet reassurances.

"Zelgadis, I'm here!" She hissed, grasping his hand, then recoiling. The part of his skin where rock shone through was literally burning to touch. "Zel.."

Ameria quietly entered, carrying some food on a tray. Without a word, she mournfully placed it beside them and took her leave. Only when Lina was out of sight did she allow herself to cry.

"Lina... just... Just hold on..." He mumbled, tossing gently. "I... I'll save you... Lina..." His movements became more jerky; more violent. Despite the natural interferance, she could sense the energy rolling off his feverish form; magical and life force stirred together in waves of invisible power.

"Zel, calm down!" Fearing he would break the settings on the bones, she tried to pin him down with her own weight. "I'm right here, you see? Right here with you. Don't move, you're hurt bad."

At the sound of her voice, he began to calm down, then lay still and icily cold underneath her hands. A flash of worry clouded her mind as a rather audiable crack echoed through the tavern.

"What's going on?!" Gourry burst through the door, shoulders heaving since he had just leapt up the stairs.

"I heard the crash..." Ameria followed, eyes wided in panic.

"I don't know." Lina shook her head, examining the chimera's wounds a second time. "He was thrashing about a few minutes ago, but he was still when the crack happened."

"I don't get it." Gourry's shoulders slumped. "If he wasn't moving, then what broke?" Lina turned to him, and he braced himself for the impact of a fist or a foot, but it never came.

"I don't know, Gourry." She whispered. "I don't know."

Xellos stared at the magic created image above his hand, then at the energy based screen before him.

So the First Seal is beginning to give, he thought. Well, if he survives the Shattering, there's still not much of a chance of them getting past the Second. Very few could even place a ward on something like that, but something vital seemed to break through the bonds...

"Rezo certainly knew what he was doing." He admitted while he polished the blood red gem of his staff. "This looks to be fun... and challenging, too."