Slayers AGAIN
Episode 1
A Forbidden Spell?
The Terror of the Ruby-Eyed Blade!
by That Long-Haired Creepy Guy
Episode Guide: Where monsters rampage, they're there to take them down! The offspring of Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev wander the world in search of fame, fortune, glory, and food. Especially food!
"All right! Hold it right there!"
The bandit leader stood proudly, surrounded by eight other highwaymen. His clothes were ragged and worn, as befitted someone who lived their lives on the fringes of society. The sword he brandished, however, looked as lethal as any; and the cross-shaped scar covering the left side of his face spoke tales of a life of violence.
"I don't know what possessed two young punks like you to wander through our neck of the woods," the leader went on, while behind him, the other highwaymen laughed wickedly. "Didn't your parents warn you how dangerous the open road is."
The taller of the two, a girl of fifteen with strawberry blonde hair that swooped down to her hips, sighed irritably. She was sporting light armor, colored white, that concealed much of her figure. At her height, she stood nearly eye level with the bandit leader. A sword was strapped to her back, concealed in part by her hair. Blue eyes shined brightly as they swept the area, counting off the number of enemies.
"I guess we should've taken the main road like that merchant said," the shorter one mused, eerily calm in spite of the circumstances.
A long blue cloak draped around his body, and the hood concealed part of his face. Chestnut brown hair protruded from the side opposite of what the cloak covered. A darker blue shirt lay underneath, meeting with a simple pair of brown leggings. His attire was a bit more mismatched, yet it marked him clearly as a sorcerer.
"This is the shortest way to Atlas City," his companion insisted, sounding annoyed more than anything. "So what if there are a few bandit gangs along the way?"
The bandit leader looked offended.
"Hey," he warned, holding his sword up near their faces. "Are you two even paying attention?"
"You can say that," the shorter of the two went on, ignoring the danger for the moment in favor of arguing with his traveling cohort. "But this is the third bandit gang we've come across. I, for one, am getting tired of being attacked every few miles."
"Oh, there you go! Exaggerating again!" the girl shrieked, clenching her hands into fists as she glared. "Things haven't been nearly that bad. Why don't you try looking on the bright side of a situation for a change?"
"Hey! Weren't you listening?"
The bandit leader's face burned a bright red, half from embarrassment, but it was to no avail. "We are the mighty Falcon Claw, the most feared gang of highwaymen in all the land."
"Very well," the shorter of the two went on, still ignoring the bandit leader. "I'll try to see the brighter side of being accosted by bandits. At least we're not dead yet."
The young man threw his arms out and shrugged, which caused the girl with him to roll her eyes in contempt.
"Like either of us would die by the hand of some smelly old bandits anyway," she derided, before turning toward the bandit leader. "Anyway, can't say we've heard of ya."
The bandit leader grit his teeth together. Behind him, the other highwaymen moved in, ready to attack.
"You're gonna be sorry for this," the bandit leader swore, gripping the hilt of his blade tightly. "Nobody offends the Falcon Claw this way!"
The girl, meanwhile, hadn't unsheathed her sword. Both stood side by side, staring at the gang before them with looks of bewilderment.
"Why do bandit gangs always say the same speech right before they rob somebody?" she wondered.
"I dunno," he replied, marveling at the situation. "It's as if they get together beforehand and rehearse with one another."
"Wow, boss," one of the highwaymen behind the bandit leader said. "Who told them about rehearsals?"
"Shut up!" the bandit leader howled.
The two would-be victims of the bandit gang laughed.
"I suppose we've let this go on long enough," he said, eyeing the girl next to him. "Since I took care of the last bunch, these guys are on you."
"What?" she shouted, glaring at him again. "No way! I handled the first bunch all by myself. This is your fight this time."
"I recall you having some help with that first bunch," he countered with calmly, "and I handled the second batch single-handedly. Now, it's your turn."
"We sure picked some weird people to rob, huh boss?" a different bandit behind the leader commented. "Never mind how strange they're actin'. The tall one wearin' the armor's gotta really squeaky voice."
"Yeah, no foolin'," another chimed in, laughing. "Whasamatter, boy? Your balls haven't dropped yet 're sumthin?"
The girl's face burned red with anger.
"What?" she shrieked, her arms flailing now. "I'm not a guy! What the world makes you think a beautiful young flower such as myself could possibly be a man?"
The bandit leader frowned, looking confused.
"Seriously?" he said, lowering his sword. "I thought you were a dude this whole time."
The girl ground her teeth together.
"Oh, this won't end well," her friend said, backing away from the situation. "You and your gang might want to run now. Otherwise, it will get ugly."
"No way," yet another bandit protested, ignoring the advise being offered. "I ain't buyin' it. That bean pole is supposed to be a girl?"
"Yeah," said another. "I mean, I guess the armor could be coverin' stuff up, but seriously? Must be one flat-chested girl. No hips either!"
"I still say it's a dude," one of the others insisted. "No way would any self-respectin' girl walk around wearin' armor like that, carrying a sword."
The girl's eyes blazed with fire now. Slowly, she began to reach for her sword. The gold hilt gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and a small orb on the end of the hilt sparkled for a moment as she drew it out.
"Don't be getting any funny ideas," the bandit leader warned, brandishing his sword once more. "There's still eight of us, and only one of..."
"Howling sword!"
The girl swung her blade once through the air. The sharp sword never came near the bandits, yet it vibrated with an unnatural aura. A bright green flash filled the air, creating a shock wave. The bandits all screamed in pain and surprise as they were thrown backward.
"The demonic Howling Sword," she gloated. "Able to fell whole armies with one swing. Perfect for clearing out a few stray bandits as well."
"You do have a way with crowds, sis," her companion complimented dryly. "Mind finishing them off now so we can be on our way?"
"Not yet," she leered, bloodlust clouding her eyes. "First, I'm gonna make them pay for what they said about me."
The girl dove into the throng of highwaymen, swinging her sword with a timely precision. Each member of the bandit gang went flying, many high into the air. Her brother stood to the side, arms folded, watching as they each crashed back to the ground. Two landed close to where he stood, and were fast on their feet again.
"Call him off!" one yelled, pointing the tip of his sword at the boy's neck. "Her off! Whatever! That she-male is outta control."
"Let's hope she didn't hear you," the boy warned, glancing off to the side at where his sister was still fighting. "Oh, well. I suppose I'll have to deal with this on my own."
Kneeling down in the grass, the boy touched a finger to the earth. The tip began to glow brightly as he chanted.
"Dill Brand!"
The ground beneath the two bandits ruptured violently. The young sorcerer watched with a detached sort of amusement as the explosion blasted both highwaymen back into the air.
Getting to his feet, the magic-user looked around, surveying the damage. The other bandits lay scattered back, unconscious. Only the leader remained, trapped on his knees against a tree with the point of the Howling Sword aimed at his face.
"Who... who are you people?!" he shrieked, wide-eyed and scared out of his mind.
As if to emphasize the point, the two bandits that had been blown into the sky by magic crashed back down to the ground, landing on the safest body part they had–their heads.
"What?" the girl asked in a jeering tone, keeping her sword pointed at the bandit leader. "You mean, you've never heard of us before?"
"I suppose we'll have to hunt down a few more bandit gangs before we gain the same reputation that Mom and Dad enjoyed," said the sorcerer, coming up behind her.
"Fame doesn't come easy for some people, I guess," she sighed, looking forlorn for a moment. "But, since you asked, I am the lovely, genius swordswoman and white mage, Luna."
"Swordswoman?" the bandit leader asked. "So, you really are a girl, then?"
"Quiet," Luna warned through gritted teeth, giving the bandit leader a sharp smack on the head with the flat part of her blade.
The sorcerer behind her coughed, pointedly.
"Oh, all right. Fine." Luna gestured to the young man beside her. "And this is my brother, Rowdy. We are the Inverse-Gabriev twins, the children of the great mazoku slayers."
The bandit leader's eyes widened with shock at the mention of the name 'Inverse'.
"You're not..." he stammered, clawing backward into the tree. "You can't be..."
"Yes!" Luna declared, striking a dynamic pose. "And so long as there is wickedness in the world, my brother and I will continue to..."
"Mistress Luna!"
Luna staggered slightly as the sharp cry pierced the air, cutting her off.
"Master Rowdy!"
"Looks like he finally caught up with us," Rowdy mused, staring off in the direction of the cry. "I was wondering where he'd gotten off to."
The bandit leader watched, still in shock, as a cluster of bushes not far away rustled. From out of it, a large wolfman with green fur emerged, brandishing an axe.
"There you two are," the wolfman gasped, gasping for breath as he came to a stop beside them. "Please, don't run off like that."
"You knew we were leaving," Rowdy chided, unamused. "We told you that if you didn't hurry, we'd go on without you."
The bandit leader let out a high-pitched scream worthy of any maiden in distress.
"A beastman!" he shrieked. "A wolf! Please, don't eat me!"
"Oh, and this is Dilgear," Luna added, ignoring the fact that the bandit leader most likely couldn't hear her over the noise he was making. "He's our bodyguard and... well, I guess you can call him a manservant as well."
"We call him Spot," Rowdy added, grinning slightly.
Dilgear slumped his shoulders at this, and a sweat drop appeared down the side of his face.
"Please, Master Rowdy," Dilgear begged.
"Well, I guess all the introductions have been made," Luna said, sheathing her sword. "We've defeated the fearsome bandit gang, the Falcon Claw."
Luna began to walk off, then paused.
"Oh, and feel free to tell all of your bandit friends about us," she added, speaking to the leader.
"Wait, what?" The bandit leader looked confused, and he wasn't the only one. "That's it?"
"Are you seriously just going to walk away like that?" Rowdy asked.
"Hey, it's not like these guys have a lot of money on them," Luna pointed out, turning around to go. "They're small potatoes. Besides, if we let them go, more people will hear about us."
"Huh." Rowdy considered this for a moment. "I guess you're right."
Rowdy followed after his sister, leaving Dilgear behind with the leader of the Falcon Claw.
"Nice meeting you," he told the bandit leader, who recoiled in fear. "I'm a big fan of your work."
"Spot, we're leaving!" Luna called out warningly.
Dilgear's shoulders slumped again.
"Coming, Mistress Luna," he said, racing off after them.
The bandit leader watched the trio go for a moment. Shame, and a palpable rage, churned together inside of him. Taking up his sword, the bandit leader got to his feet, then charged at the backs of the twins.
"You'll regret this!" he roared, preparing to strike.
Rowdy didn't even bother to turn around. Raising one hand, he aimed it back the way they'd come and began chanting again.
"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand."
The bandit leader tried to stop, but it was far too late.
"Wait, stop! Let's talk about this!"
"FIREBALL!"
The explosion that followed took out the bandit leader, as well as the unconscious members of his gang. Their smoldering bodies scattered all over the nearby woods, leaving behind a smoking crater.
"I guess we'll have to wait until the next bandit gang attacks us to have someone spread our reputation around," Luna noted, taking in the damage with both arms folded behind her head.
"You could always hunt down one of the bodies," said Rowdy calmly as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his cloak. "See if they could be revived."
"Nah, that's too much work," Luna dismissed, moving on. "Let's go."
The port of Sangoria was a bustling hub of activity, which was not surprising considering the number of ships that moved in and out each day. Though the air smelled of salty sea brine and fish, there were more than enough things to make up for it. Vendors peddled their wares from booths and tents, desperate to entice consumers with their trinkets. Shop windows boasted the latest fashions from across the seas, attracting the eye of more than a few young ladies. Blacksmiths also hung about, showcasing various weapons and tools for sale. It was a mecca where anything was available for the right price.
"So, where should we eat?" Luna wondered, ignoring all of that in favor of her stomach. "Nothing brings out an appetite like a good fight."
"And that last brawl was nothing like one," Rowdy retorted with.
"Oh, don't act like you're not in the mood for a hot meal." Luna stuck her tongue out at him for emphasis. "We've been traveling for days. Let's make the most of our time here."
Rowdy was, in fact, well on his way to being very hungry. Still, he couldn't resist the temptation to antagonize his sister.
"I suppose we could always explore the town later," he mused, acting as though it were no great concern of his. "Though, I would at least like to find an inn first."
As if conspiring against him, Rowdy's stomach let out a horrific roar that startled several nearby pedestrians.
"Uh-huh," Luna said knowingly. "Sure, we could find ourselves an inn. And who knows? Maybe they'll have a cook working there as well."
Rowdy clutched his stomach, feeling betrayed.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Let's go eat."
"Oh, no!" Luna said loftily, tossing her head back. "You wanted to find a place to settle in for the night first, so that's precisely what we'll do. Even if it takes the rest of the day!"
Rowdy grit his teeth together.
"You live to watch me suffer, don't you?"
Dilgear, who had remained silent throughout the exchange–he knew better than to get involved in their squabbles–noticed something. A number of locals were staring his way. Whenever he caught them looking, they would turn away, as though afraid. He was used to some people responding to him in such a manner, but it seemed odd that a well-known port like Sangoria would be unused to seeing a beastman.
"People here sure are acting weird," Luna blurted out, having noticed as well. "You'd think none of them have ever seen a wolfman before."
"Maybe it's the green fur?" Rowdy offered, though he was half-joking. "You are half-troll, after all, Dilgear."
The looks weren't just coming from random passersby, however. A number of armed citizens, each sporting weapons of various lethal quality, glared dangerously as the trio walked past. Their eyes seemed fixed specifically on Dilgear, though more than a few spared an ugly look at the twins as well.
"Hey!" Luna shouted at one muscle-bound swordsman giving her the stink eye. "If you're spoiling for a fight, come over here and say so! Don't lurk off to the side like that. It's rude!"
The swordsman looked as if he were going to take Luna up on her challenge. However, his eyes drifted over to Rowdy, and then to the axe Dilgear was carrying. Growling, the swordsman moved on, though not before spitting on the ground in contempt.
"Oh, why you!" Luna howled in anger. "What's that all about, anyway?"
"He's far from the only one," Rowdy said. "This town seems to have something against beastmen. I wonder why that is."
"I haven't done anything!" Dilgear protested very quickly. "You both know that. I've been traveling with you two this whole time."
Dilgear paused during his tirade to think for a moment.
"And besides," he added nervously, "this is my first trip to Sangoria in years."
"Try explaining that to them," Luna said, gesturing at the surrounding people, all of whom were giving the trio looks of contempt. "No offense or anything, Spot, but beastmen don't exactly have the best reputation under normal circumstances."
"So, you're saying their prejudice is justified?" Rowdy asked, giving Luna a raised eyebrow.
"I'm saying," Luna replied, moving on ahead of them, "that we're here to find an inn. So let's not let anything slow us down. Keep moving, guys."
Rowdy watched his twin sister walk ahead of them.
"I really don't think that's what she meant at all," Dilgear commented.
"You have a remarkable grasp of things, Spot," Rowdy replied. "Come on, though. I don't think it would be wise for us to stay separated for long."
The group's troubles weren't over, however. At each inn they came to, someone was there to turn them away. Worse yet, the story of each innkeeper was the same: no vacancy. Pretty soon, they weren't even able to make it past the front door. People were hanging signs out as they approached, warning that the inn was full.
"Oh, for crying out loud!" Luna raged, glaring up at the hanging sign overhead. "This is the eighth inn we've come to!"
"It would appear word travels fast in Sangoria," Rowdy said, studying the sign thoughtfully. "I guess we may have to try further in town."
"But all the best inns are supposed to be located along the docks," Luna whined. "And so are all the best restaurants. I was looking forward to having a soft bed and a real meal for a change."
"There's nothing for it," Rowdy said, moving along. "We'll just have to keep looking until we find someone willing to accommodate us."
"Um, Master Rowdy," Dilgear began hesitantly. "Forgive me, but perhaps if I..."
"Not another word," Rowdy said at once, calmly shooting down Dilgear's idea before he could finish voicing it. "We'll find something eventually. Until then, we stick together."
"We could just go in ourselves," Luna advised, following after her brother, "get a room, and then sneak Dilgear in through the back."
Dilgear sweat dropped again.
"Um, how is that better?" he wondered.
"We could try that," Rowdy mused. "Though, by now, I'm sure many of the innkeepers have been given our description. If they knew enough to post signs up, then..."
"Yeah, you're probably right," Luna agreed, looking dejected. "Still, it beats wandering around through town all day on an empty stomach."
The trio was able to locate a inn that let them inside after an exhaustive search. The place in question was called the Salty Seadog; a small, two-story structure sandwiched between two other shops much further inland from the port. Naturally, it wasn't in the best of neighborhoods and looked rather shabby from the outside.
"At least no one was standing guard outside," Rowdy commented as they entered.
The interior of the inn was just as shabby, though the three did notice that someone had gone to a great deal of trouble making the place look clean. The lobby area was completely empty. No one was manning the bar off to the side. The front desk was completely deserted as well.
"I wonder if anyone's even around," Luna said, tapping the service bell impatiently. "Hey, can anyone hear me? We'd like some service!"
"I'm sure there are people back at the port who can hear you," Rowdy chided. "Keep that up, and you'll have us back on the streets again before the owner has a look at Dilgear."
"At least you called me by my proper name," the wolfman muttered.
The innkeeper, meanwhile, hurried out through a door from somewhere in back.
"Sorry!" the older man wheezed, sliding to a stop behind the counter. "So sorry! I was in the back taking some inventory and didn't hear you come in. How can I be of service?"
"It's about time," Luna declared, giving the bell one last smack for good measure. "We're from out of town and would like to rent a room while we explore Sangoria. Is that going to be a problem?"
"Oh, of course!" the innkeeper exclaimed, looking overjoyed at the idea. "Yes, please. By all means! Why in the world would I take issue with that?"
"We've had a less-than-savory welcome from the locals so far," Rowdy explained, moving aside slightly so the innkeeper had a better look at Dilgear. "It's possible the people here aren't enthused by the company we keep."
The innkeeper jumped back slightly in surprise the moment he got a good look at Dilgear's face.
"Oh! Oh my, yes." The innkeeper studied the wolfman for a moment. "This young fella here is your traveling companion, you say?"
Dilgear tried to smile as the innkeeper pointed a finger at him, which brought it dangerously close to the wolfman's nose. Furthermore, the smile in question looked more like a leer full of fangs.
"It's like he doesn't even know how to smile properly," Luna moaned, her face buried in one palm.
"This is Dilgear, our manservant and bodyguard," Rowdy went on, giving Dilgear a clap on the back for good measure. "He's been with us for a while."
"Very nice to meet you, sir," Dilgear said, bowing politely.
"I see," said the innkeeper. "And you all are out of town, eh? Well, I guess that explains everything. Our inn has plenty of vacancy at the moment, so why don't the three of you go right on upstairs and pick out whichever rooms you like."
"Wow, really?" Luna looked surprised for a moment, but didn't argue with the older man. "Thanks! I call dibs on the one that has the best view of the city."
"One other thing," Rowdy added as Luna skipped off happily. "Would there happen to be a restaurant near here that has the same... open-minded policy as you?"
"Oh, that's right," Luna said, stopping in mid-skip. "I was so happy that we'd finally found a place to sleep I forgot how hungry I'd been."
"That's no trouble at all," the innkeeper revealed. "We have a restaurant right here. It's part of our service. The kitchen is fully stocked, so just let me know when you're ready to order."
Rowdy nodded his thanks, then motioned for Dilgear to follow. The wolfman gave the innkeeper one last bow of thanks before following after. Luna beat them all upstairs, naturally, and had already claimed her room by the time he and Dilgear reached the second floor. Dilgear picked the room directly across from Rowdy, whose room lay adjacent to Luna's.
"I guess we really lucked out in the end," Rowdy mused to himself, settling back on the soft bed. "One wonders why a place like this doesn't get more business. I guess the inns down by the port snatch up all the best clientele."
It was still relatively early in the day, so a nap was in order. Rowdy dozed on top of the bedspread, letting the warm sun from the nearby window wash over him. As he napped, a strange noise drifted to him in his sleep. For a moment, he thought he could hear the sound of ceremonial rings clattering together.
Rowdy's eyes flew open abruptly. At first, he couldn't tell what it was that had woken him up. A second later, however, the answer came. The sound from his dream was echoing outside the door to his room. Soft footfalls crept along in time to the chimes, moving past down the hall.
Raising up, Rowdy hopped off the bed and rushed over to the door. Throwing it open, he swept the hallway back and forth with his eyes. Both hands were raised in readiness to cast a spell, if needed. The corridor was deserted, though. Not a soul could be found.
"I must be dreaming still," Rowdy said to himself aloud.
"Hey, Rowdy!" Luna's shrill voice rang out, shattering that preconception to bits. "Are we ever going to eat or what?"
Rowdy sighed, leaning against the door frame for support.
"I could never be so fortunate," he moaned. "Coming, Luna!"
After they had retrieved Dilgear, which took several more minutes due to the wolfman being a very sound sleeper, the trio made their way downstairs. The innkeeper was more than happy to prepare a huge feast for the hungry travelers, especially once he saw how much they were willing to pay.
"Here you go, kids," the innkeeper said, wheeling out a squeaky food cart loaded to capacity. "Help yourselves. I cooked enough to feed an army, so dig in!"
The innkeeper scarcely had time to finish speaking before the trio did just that. Luna swiped an entire roast off the cart with one hand, then bit a huge chunk of it off. Rowdy and Dilgear both attacked separate roast chickens.
"I cooked enough... to feed an army," the innkeeper whispered to himself weakly as the threesome moved on to the huge platter of smoked clams. "At least, I think I did."
"Delicious!" Luna crowed around a mouthful of pasta.
"Amazing!" Dilgear praised. "You're an incredible chef, sir!"
"Thank you," said the innkeeper, still in shock over what he was seeing. "At least, you are all tasting my food, right?"
The front door of the inn burst open suddenly. All three swallowed the food in their mouths one after the other before turning around to stare. The innkeeper had already seen who was standing in the doorway, and judging by his expression, it wasn't good news. Sure enough, a procession of large men, each armed and spoiling for a fight, filed in one after the other.
"Remus."
The name was spoken by one of the biggest of the bunch. Rowdy thought the man looked familiar, and realized that he'd seen the guy glaring at them down by the docks earlier. He was pointing a finger accusingly at the innkeeper, whom Rowdy reasoned must be named Remus.
"Are you really so desperate for gold, old man," the accuser said, touching the hilt of his sword warningly with the other hand, "that you'd taken in this... riff-raff? Have you no pride?"
"See here, Didymous!" the innkeeper named Remus fired back, not the least been intimidated. "These are guests of my inn, and none of them are from Sangoria. They traveled a long way to get here, which means they've got nothing to do with this town's bad business."
"Bad business?" Luna wondered aloud.
"Are you blind, you old fool?" Didymous shouted. "They're travelling with one of that!"
Didymous's finger went from the innkeeper over to Dilgear, who looked back and forth from Luna to Rowdy in confusion.
"You're the one who's the bigger fool here, Didymous," Remus barked, clenching his fists. "Didn't you just hear me say that they're not from around here. That one has nothing to do with the beast tribes!"
"They're all the same!" Didymous declared. "Everyone in town knows that. You're just too blinded by your greed and desire to keep this ramshackle place open to see that!"
The crowd of men behind him all pumped their fists in the air and whooped in support.
"Excuse me," Luna said, getting to her feet. "I think I've heard enough."
"We outta burn this place to the ground," another man cheered, raising an unlit torch. "It'd be a public service."
"You lowlifes get out of my inn this instant," Remus scowled, as Luna approached.
"Sorry, Remus," she said, drawing her sword as she stood in front of him, "but I need to cut in real quick."
Didymous glared at her in response.
"Boy!" he jeered. "Do not interfer in matters that don't..."
Luna swung the Howling Sword at that, her eyes blazing with anger as the shock wave attack from it blasted everyone in the crowd out the front door. Rather, the gaping hole that was made where the front door had been.
"Oh, sorry about that," Luna said sheepishly. "Guess I got a little carried away. Just put the damages on our tab. My little brother over there will take care of it."
"I'm sorry," Rowdy glared. "What?"
"Come on, you two," Luna said, waving them both over. "Let's finish them off so I can get back to eating!"
"Nice to see she has her priorities straight," Dilgear noted, standing at the same time as Rowdy.
"Let's go," Rowdy said wearily. "It's entirely possible that Luna may need our help this time. And if she does manage to beat all of those men single-handedly, we'll never hear the end of it."
"Gaahh!" Dilgear's jaw dropped as the horror of what Rowdy just said struck him. "We have to hurry, Master Rowdy!"
Luna was already engaging in battle with the mob as they exited the inn. Two men had already been put down. A third had crossed swords with her while the others looked on, waiting for an opportunity.
"Vas Gluudo!" Luna cried out, using her white magic to call forth a holy shield for protection.
"I'll be damned!" one of the onlookers exclaimed in shock as Luna used her magic shield to block a strike from her opponent's sword. "She's a sorceress."
"I guess the outfit wasn't a big enough clue for all of you," Rowdy said, getting their attention. "In any case, why don't the rest of you leave all of us and the nice innkeeper alone?"
"Trust me," Dilgear added sheepishly. "You don't want to be around here when these two decide to fight you all seriously."
One of the men stepped forward, holding up a sinister-looking club that had spikes protruding from the head. With a jeering smile, he laughed at Dilgear.
"You can't be serious, beastman," the club-wielding warrior said, giving the tip of one of the spikes a lick with his tongue. "They're just a couple of punk kids."
As if waiting for someone to say those very words, Luna unleashed a shockwave attack with her sword. The man she'd been fighting flew through the air, stopping only when his body collided against the wall of a building across the street.
"She has a powerful magical sword," Rowdy pointed out, just in case the armed thugs were slow on the uptake, which was entirely possible. "And as for myself–"
Rowdy paused, extending one hand out.
"Icicle Lance!"
The air soon shined with flakes of ice. Rowdy hurled one lance after another at the mob, locking all of them in a state of frozen suspension. Pretty soon, the entire mob of thugs were trapped. It looked as if a sculptor had left a venerable museum of his wares right outside the inn.
"I guess that'll take care of them," Luna said, satisfied. "Now, we can finish our meal."
"I really didn't get a chance to do anything," Dilgear mumbled, dejectedly.
"Let's go back inside, then," Rowdy suggested, "before anything else can–"
Sharp bells rang out, cutting Rowdy off in mid-sentence.
"You just had to ruin it, didn't you?" Luna yelled, stopping a foot on the ground impetuously.
"What's all the noise for, I wonder?" Dilgear asked, sniffing the air curiously.
"Those bells," the innkeeper said, stepping out into the street. "That means the beastmen are attack again. We should take cover before... GAH!"
The innkeeper stopped short, staring wide-eyed in horrified shock at the frozen men all around him.
"Wha... wha... what happened here?!" he howled with dread. "What did you two do to them?"
"Oh, they'll be fine," Luna replied, waving away the innkeeper's concerns. "At least, probably. Rowdy and I made sure to go easy enough on them."
"This is horrible," the innkeeper moaned, clutching the sides of his face. "Lately, the town has been under assault by beastmen from the nearby woods. They attack trade ships that are docked in our ports, and have even kidnapped young, beautiful women."
"That explains our warm reception," Rowdy said, giving Dilgear the eye. "People must have thought you were a member of the attacking beastmen's party."
"Never mind that!" shouted the innkeeper. "Because of these attacks, the city has had to hire extra security to help fight them off."
"Huh?" Luna looked confused for a moment, but then realization dawned on her. "Oh, I get it. These guys were all a part of the security team working for the city."
Everyone looked around at the frozen men, still encased in ice.
"It would seem the city hired the lowest common denominator," Rowdy muttered sardonically.
"No kidding," Luna agreed.
"This is no time for joking!" the innkeeper howled. "With the men out of commission, the town is sure to be overrun, and the people will blame me for it!"
"Well, then. It looks like you've got some problems," Luna said calmly. "Do you think we could get our meal to go, instead?"
The innkeeper fell to his knees at this and wailed, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Mistress Luna!" Dilgear chided.
"Oh, all right." Luna looked less than happy with the situation, but gripped the hilt of her sword. "He was willing to put us up when nobody else did. I guess it won't hurt to repay him for that by driving off the beastmen."
"The compassion of white mages never ceases to astound me," Rowdy retorted, joining her. "You won't have any personal conflicts helping us. Will you, Dilgear?"
Dilgear blushed bright and stammered for a moment.
"Ah, well," he babbled. "I, uh... My orders are to protect the two of you, so... of course I'll be fighting at your side."
"That's what we like to hear," said Luna, pumping her fist into the air. "Let's go, Rowdy. Those beastmen are history."
Dilgear lingered back for a moment with the innkeeper, who had finally stopped crying, but was still down on his knees in the street.
"It's not as though I have much choice," the half-troll wolfman muttered through clenched teeth. "The great mistress would skin me alive otherwise."
The beastmen had swarmed the port by the time the trio arrived. Great anthropomorphic cat men, dog men, wolf and bear men, and even a couple of gazelle men were mobbing about. Worse yet, in addition to the beastmen, there were also a number of reanimated corpses among the horde. They were all carrying weapons that looked to have either been cobbled together by their own hands–er, paws–or else stolen. A number were sporting torches, and evidence of their handiwork lay in the fact that several ships had caught fire.
"Digger bolt!"
Rowdy's spell struck the first batch, sending a wave of electrical energy surging through them.
"Rumor has it, you boys have been attacking the town a lot recently," Luna said to another group, before sending a shockwave blast their way, knocking them to their feet. "And this is the part where we'd normally make some grand speech about punishing you in the name of justice or some such."
Without so much as an introduction for himself, Rowdy stepped forward and proceeded to chant.
"Infinite earth, mother who nurtures all life, let thy power gather in my hand!"
"Wait, stop!" one of the lion men cried out, begging for mercy. "Nobody told us there were sorcerers in the city!"
"VLAVE HOWL!"
Lava burst forth from the ground, bathing the beastmen. Before the liquid earth had even touched them, the flesh on their bones burned black and began to rend. Dilgear looked on in shock.
"Don't you think that might've been just a little bit too much, Master Rowdy?"
Two undead soldiers came up from behind, distracting the wolfman bodyguard. Raising his axe, Dilgear blocked the attacks with their swords, holding them at bay. As the undead warriors tried to advance, Dilgear's axe started to shine with a bright golden light.
"This is an enchanted axe," Dilgear gloated, while the undead soldiers began to weaken from its light. "Given to me by the Knight of Ceiphid herself."
With two clean cuts, the undead soldiers went down and didn't move.
"Nice to see you've remembered what that axe can do, Spot," Luna chided playfully.
"FIREBALL!" Rowdy cried out, launching a bright orb of pure flame at a charging platoon of beastmen.
"Nice shot," Dilgear complimented as the beastmen's charred remains were blown backward.
"This may be a raid," Rowdy said, observing the surrounding chaos, "but these attacks are too organized for it to be a simple roving band of scavengers."
Luna swung her sword out, sending another bunch flying away from them, while Dilgear fended off another duo of undead warriors.
"You're saying someone's directing this bunch?" Luna asked, looking back over her shoulder at Rowdy.
"It makes the most sense," he replied, readying himself for another assault. "How else do you explain an army of undead soldiers working alongside them?"
"Speaking of, Mistress Luna," said Dilgear sheepishly. "It's not that I don't appreciate the great mistress's gift, but couldn't you do something about all these zombies?"
"There do appear to be a lot of them," Rowdy noted, as a mixture of wolfmen and undead warriors rushed him.
"Right. Right." Luna sighed and turned her sword around so that the orb embedded at the bottom of the hilt was pointed up. "I was just getting to that anyway. Sheesh, don't be so impatient!"
The orb on the hilt of Luna's sword began to glow brightly. A wild wind from out of nowhere blew up, stirring her hair as she chanted.
"You pitiful twisted creatures, not of this world... by the Light of Purity I possess, I bid thee, begone to the nexus of our two worlds! MEGIDO FLARE!"
The light from Luna's sword expanded outward, engulfing first her two companions, followed by every other creature in the area. All of the undead bathed in the white light went rigid, as if seized by some unseen force. As one, each then crumbled to the earth, still as dust from which they had come.
"Nice work," Rowdy complimented. "Now, let's find the ringleader of this little outfit."
Peasants everywhere were scattered about, most running for their lives or boarding up their houses and shops. Guards were doing their best to stem the attacking tide. With the loss of the undead soldiers, it seemed things were beginning to turn in the town's favor.
"Ugh, this is like a needle in a haystack," Luna complained as they raced through the streets, taking out the stragglers who tried blocking their path.
"I had assumed the leader would be out among the crowd fighting," Rowdy concluded, stopping long enough to let Dilgear take out two catmen. "Looks like he took the smart route, though."
"Well, whoever they are, they can't hide forever," Luna declared. "Let's keep searching."
"Mistress Luna! Master Rowdy!" Dilgear was pointing up to a spot on a nearby rooftop. "Up there!"
Both twins turned, and saw at once what Dilgear was pointing to. A man dressed in long, flowing robes carrying a staff was perched on the roof's ledge. A hood concealed much of his face, but the sunlight was bright enough for Rowdy to tell that he was an older gentleman belonging to a sorcerer's guild.
"Got him," Rowdy declared. "Keep the rest off me. I'll handle this guy."
"Hey, who said you could take charge?" Luna roared as Rowdy began casting a spell around himself.
"LEVITATION!"
The spell broke the bonds of gravity over Rowdy, allowing him to lift off the earth and into the air. The street below drifted away as Rowdy floated within sight toward the mysterious sorcerer.
"You don't look surprised to see me," he noted, once close enough for the older man to hear him.
"I decided to see what sort of challenge you'd pose," replied the older male, whose voice was surprisingly soft and delicate.
The sorcerer slammed the tip of his staff into the rooftop, which caused the rings on the top of the staff to chime. Rowdy recognized the sound.
"I see you remember me after all," said the old man, looking pleased. "My name is Grimlee, and I am known as the Pearl of Atlas City."
"That explains the off-white coloring," Rowdy replied, noting the color of the man's robes. "So, let's settle this already, shall we?"
Rowdy levitated himself over the man's head, settling down on the rooftop behind him.
"The impatience of youth," Grimlee noted, still grinning. "Could one so young as you be so eager to die?"
Rowdy shook his head, holding a finger up in protest.
"Who said anything about me dying today?" he replied boastfully. "I have other stuff to do after this, is all."
"Very well, then," Grimlee said, holding his staff out in front of him. "Then allow me to make a proposal. I wish to test your strength. Why don't you come at me with your most powerful offensive attack spell."
Rowdy looked skeptical. "That simple, eh?"
"If I survive your assault," Grimlee went on, "you will most assuredly die by my hand. If your attack is successful, however, and I cannot defend against it, my life will be in your hands."
Rowdy seemed to consider this for a moment, taking his time.
"Well?"
"Yeah, I don't think so," the young sorcerer said finally, waving the old man away. "See, I'm certain that I could kill you right now. It really doesn't seem fair to take advantage of your proposal when you clearly don't know what you're up against."
Rowdy paused, then gave the old man a wink.
"Plus, my mother raised me better than that. I'd never hear the end of it if she found out I disrespected my elders in such a way."
"Oh?" Grimlee the Pearl grit his teeth together and readied to attack. "But, I insist!"
Rowdy's eyes doubled in size as a flurry of fireballs suddenly whooshed through the air from Grimlee at him. The young sorcerer was forced to duck, weave, and dodge out of the way to avoid being barbequed. Whole chunks of the rooftop went flying as the spell blasted the area out from under Rowdy's feet.
"Ow!" he cried out, landing hard off to the side, covered in soot. "Who knew this guy could take things so personally?"
Grimlee ceased his attack and strode forward, his gait confident as drew nearer to the younger spellcaster.
"Are you finally ready to take this seriously?" Grimlee demanded, leering down at Rowdy in a way that made the young man uncomfortable.
As fast as he could, Rowdy got up on his feet.
"It would seem I have no choice," Rowdy replied, extending a hand outward. "So now you'll see it. The most powerful spell I know."
Grimlee chuckled, but took a step backward and waited.
"Crimson King of the Frozen North, You whose eyes shine like blood in the darkness. Gather your strength in my hand and become one with my power."
Grimlee eyed the young sorcerer skeptically as red lightning crackled all about Rowdy.
"What's this?" he asked. "Is it a spell of your own devising, then?"
Rowdy's eyes opened, and narrowed in on the old man.
"A spell that calls upon the power of Dark Lord of this world," he explained, as the power began taking shape in his palm. "A spell that molds it into a blade that can match even the legendary Sword of Light."
Rowdy paused for effect.
"RUBY-EYED BLADE!"
"Impossible!" Grimlee declared as the shining blood-red blade took form in Rowdy's hand. "Nothing could match the strength of the Sword of–"
"Challenge accepted!" Rowdy howled, charging forward.
Grimlee had all of a second to throw up a protection barrier around himself. The spell held fast against the blade when it first clashed against his magic. Then, the barrier shattered all around him, as though it were made of sugar glass. Rowdy kept going, his eyes shining bright as the blade slashed through Grimlee's body, cleaving him in two.
"Impossi...ble," the dying sorcerer gasped around a mouthful of blood. "Im...possi...ble."
Without a word, Rowdy dismissed the glowing red blade in his hand and marched off to the roof's edge.
"I am the son of the greatest sorceress in the world," he murmured, speaking to the departing spirit of the man he'd just defeated. "Never challenge unless you know you can win.
One quick chant of a levitation spell later, and he was floating down to the ground. It looked as if the beastmen were giving up. Luna and Dilgear were finishing off the last lingering few who hadn't fled. Rowdy observed the beastmen as they tried to run, landing next to Luna as she fired off a final blast from her sword.
"There you are!" Luna said, giving Rowdy a hearty slap on the back for a greeting. "So, how'd it go up there?"
"It's done," Rowdy answered neutrally, avoiding his sister's eyes.
"Good news, Master Rowdy," Dilgear said, looking excited. "The hordes are retreating. It looks like we've saved the town."
Rowdy didn't respond.
"Ah, Rowdy?" Luna pressed, poking him on the arm. "That's a good thing, you know?"
"I'm not convinced just yet that this town is completely safe," he said in a grim voice, watching as the retreating beastmen in the distance fled the town. "I think we may have more problems on our hands than a few beastmen."
To be continued...
