The lightening crashed across the sky and penetrated the night with a bright flash. The sky rumbled with thunderbolts. And the rain continued its immense and relentless pattering onto the earth below. It was as if the heavens were erupting with war. And it the Earth was bearing the brunt of the chaos from above: The soft ground quickly turned into mud, puddles upon puddles formed in legion, and, occasionally, the lightening would scorch the grass.
In a forest somewhere, it was no different - the spongy ground was extremely damp and the rain dripped from the leaves and the branches. However, there was a feeling of menace within the trees: Darkness grew stronger and larger and enveloped its cruel cloak in and around the forest. And then it unleashed it's children, the shadows, in amongst the trees. It was here that the hundreds of shadows resided, each lurking and waiting - waiting for an unwary traveller to be sucked in to its grasp.
But there was no traveller tonight - not surprising considering the appalling weather. And the forest was deathly silent. Apart from a soft breeze, rustling through the trees and the odd small animal scuttling through, not a sound could be heard. The forest was as quiet as a tomb.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS WEATHER!!! I NEED SHELTER NOW!!!"
All of a sudden the silence was broken by the screams of a grumpy and generally dissatisfied adventurer. Suddenly, from out of the gloom came four drenched, bedraggled and indeed miserable shapes. The four shapes made their way through the forest and the rain. Many miles they had travelled, many foes had they faced, many dangers they had encountered but now they must press on, to shelter, to some dry place. Anywhere! Just as long as its out of this rain!!!
A princess, a swordsmen, a chimera and a grumpy sorceress made they way through the storm - Each determined to get out of the rain.
"I WANT OUT OF THIS RAIN!!!!!" shouted Lina Inverse for the hundredth time. Her companion, Gourry Gabriev, sighed yet again.
"Don't worry Lina, I'm sure we'll get to shelter soon"
But if Gourry was trying to add reassurance, his efforts fell through.
"Haven't you said that enough times already?!?!" She snapped.
"And another thing", she continued her voice growing in irritation, "We would've found shelter if YOU hadn't taken a wrong turn back at that junction!!!!"
"Wrong turn?!?" Gourry exclaimed "I was following this map!!!"
To reinforce his point, Gourry pulled out a damp and torn scrap of paper. Lina turned to peer at Gourry's map. Suddenly her eyes widened and she glared at Gourry, an increasing fury burning in her eyes. Gourry looked astonished.
"Wha.... Wha.... What?!?!"
"GOURRY YOU JELLYFISH!! YOU HAD THE MAP UPSIDE DOWN!!!!"
"What?? Was it really?!?" said Gourry as revelation sunk in. "No wonder I couldn't read it!!!"
"WHAT?!" roared Lina. "I BET YOU CAN'T READ ANY MAP!!!!!"
And with that Lina began to vent her annoyance onto Gourry in the only way she knew....
Some distance away, Zelgadis Greywars sighed. He saw, just up ahead, Lina letting her anger loose - by pounding Gourry. Zel turned away shaking his head.
"Looks like its going to be one of those days" he murmured.
Then he turned to see his friend, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune. She was lagging behind, treading with caution. Zel could easily tell she was frightened - her eyes were wide and darting in all directions, her hands were clasped together and her steps were small and delicate - as if she was afraid of making the slightest noise.
Zel slowly turned around and made his way over to her. She looked up at him and smiled.
"Zel?"
"What's wrong Amelia?" he smiled teasingly, "Afraid of a storm?"
Amelia softly giggled. "Well I've never been outside during a storm before"
Amelia continued to giggle and for a moment she forget all about the storm. Suddenly she looked up and, to her surprise, Zel was also smiling. She paused momentarily. She knew only too well that Zel smiled only rarely. So what was this?
Her heart began to beat even faster as Zel drew alongside her.
"Come on" he said.
Amelia walked with Zelgadis. Her confidence rose rapidly. She felt better knowing he was near. She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling.
"Zel?"
He looked down and met her gaze.
"Thank you"
"You're welcome" Zel answered. "You know, you look a lot better when you smile."
Amelia's eyes widened in astonishment. A red blush worked its way across Zel's face. Amelia giggled. She knew what he was thinking.
It was fairly obvious that Amelia had a crush on Zel. But what Amelia longed to know was did Zel feel the same way about her? Or did he even notice her crush for him? Hey, it was very hard NOT to notice. In order to seek an answer, Amelia began to go over the facts - She was very well aware that he had a difficult time being the romantic type. But whatever he did, it was close enough and he did it well - even if he hid his eyes in embarrassment every time.......
Amelia and Zelgadis had drawn nearer to Lina and Gourry - who were still squabbling. Finally Gourry stepped away from Lina.
"All right then, Lina" he said firmly. "If you want shelter that badly, I'll find some."
His eyes darted all over the place. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for.
"Here we are!" he beamed. He strode over to a nearby tree. This tree had a low over-hanging bough. Gourry strode under the bough and revelled in the shelter (or whatever shelter) the bough provided.
Gourry looked really pleased with his discovery. Lina, however, didn't agree. She pressed her palm against her face and let out a groan. Zelgadis wore an expression of disbelief.
"Um.. Gourry?" Amelia began, "Isn't there some rule about not going under a tree during a thunderstorm?"
"What are you talking about?" Gourry said with a grin, "Its great in here! Its dry, warm and completely......"
Gourry never got to complete his sentence. A bolt of lightening struck the bough and it burned through from the tree. The now separated bough then fell onto Gourry's head, knocking him out. This was enough to send Lina right off.
"YOU JELLYFISH BRAINS!!!!" she yelled. She grabbed the bough and, using all her strength, pulled it off Gourry's limp form. She then began to bash Gourry's body whilst unleashing a barrage of epithets, questioning Gourry's intelligence.
Amelia couldn't help but laugh at the hilarious situation - at least that made her forget the storm even more. But Zelgadis was having none of this.
"Stop Lina!" he exclaimed, "Can't you see he's in pain?!"
Zel pulled Lina away from Gourry's form. Lina was shocked but then grumbled.
"Why bother" she murmured under her breath. "He's got a thick head anyway...."
Zel, with a dramatic flourish, began to heal Gourry. Within moments, Gourry opened his eyes, sat up and rubbed a huge bump on his cranium.
"Whoa, what was that..." he mumbled.
"That was a branch that got struck by lightning." Lina answered. "Now seeing as you're awake...YOU JELLYFISH!!!!"
Without a moment's hesitation Lina continued to berate and clobber Gourry for his stupidity. Amelia began giggling at the hilarity of the situation. Zelgadis sighed and hid his eyes. Then he looked up at Amelia.
"Come on. Lets find some shelter."
"But Zel..." Amelia began gesturing to Lina and Gourry as they squabbled.
Amelia stopped. Zel stared straight at her. Amelia nodded. They both headed deeper into the depths of the forest as Lina and Gourry continued fighting.
"Was that right to leave them back there?" inquired Amelia.
"Sooner or later they'll realise that we have gone and maybe then they will get their act together" answered Zelgadis.
And so Zel and Amelia continued on their way as the storm raged above them. But a grim silence hung between them. Amelia grabbed her tunic in a fist. She wanted to banish the silence. She admired his cool, enigmatic and quiet behaviour but it sure got annoying at times. She understood that he was determined to find a cure at any cost - But did he have to be so self-centred?.
But now they were alone - alone in a dark forest during a thunderstorm. But now that she was with Zelgadis, Amelia had long since banished her fear. Suddenly she stopped walking and shivered from the cold of her soaked clothes. Zel kept walking but suddenly, realising that Amelia wasn't with him, stopped and turned.
"Amelia?" he inquired, walking towards her.
"Zel, I'm cold..... From this rain....." She shivered.
"Here" Zel said. He drew his cloak up and over the pair of them - shielding them both from the rain. And for a brief moment they remained there. Amelia's heart raced. This situation was so....
Perfect.
Amelia savoured every second of this intimate moment. She inched her way to Zel, taking in his scent and his body warmth. Gently she placed her hands on his chest and rested her head alongside them. Zel was so surprised by this move that he nearly dropped his cloak. As his eyes widened in astonishment his face turned red - again. Eventually he sighed and moved his head down - and nearer to hers. She looked up and smiled.
"Zelgadis?"
"Yes?" he murmured.
"I...I....." Amelia struggled to get the words out. Zel blinked. What was wrong? What was she struggling to say? Did she really want to say what was on her mind Was she equally embarrassed about this situation as he was? Was she....
Wait....
What was that....?
Hang on....
There it was again!
He suddenly looked up at the road ahead. Amelia blinked. Why did he suddenly break eye contact? She mentally cursed herself for not saying what she wanted to.
"Zel? What's wrong?"
"Shhh Amelia" whispered Zel. "Can you hear that?"
Amelia paused. Hear what? All she could hear was the noises of the storm. What was there to hear?
Wait a minute...
What was that....?
A distant rumbling sound was coming from the road ahead.
"Zel!" she said in alarm. Zel nodded in acknowledgment.
"Whatever it is" he said. "Its big and its coming this way very rapidly..."
Suddenly a flash of lightening lit up the forest. In that burst of light Zelgadis and Amelia could see, in the distance, an immense coach bearing down at them at an incredible speed.
"A coach?" inquired Amelia. "What's a coach doing out here in this weather?"
"Its not stopping!" yelled Zelgadis in alarm "Get down!"
And with that Zel grabbed Amelia around the waist and dived out of the coach's path. He landed in the undergrowth - on top of Amelia. As the coach thundered past, another flash of lightening illuminated the monstrosity for Zel and Amelia to see. And both Amelia's and Zelgadis' eyes widened at the coach.
It was a huge and made from black ornate panels. The windows were hidden with red curtains and the whole thing was decorated with sinister gargoyles - on the door, the corners of the coach structure and around the panels. Even the wheels were of hideous construct - made out of metal, they contained ghastly faces and unsettling patterns. The coach itself was being pulled by a pair of horses, but what horses! They were of jet black coating; had red eyes and all the while emitted an aura of menace. But the most threatening element was the coach driver. The driver was shielded by a heavy cowl which covered his features entirely - all bar a pair of glowing red eyes. The driver turned to see Amelia and Zelgadis in their hiding place and laughed. A hollow laugh, a shrieking laugh, a laugh at the duo's predicament. And with that, the coach thundered off into the night.
Zelgadis and Amelia watched the coach disappear. The horrific visage had shaken them both to the core. In fear Amelia reached out to Zelgadis...
....And realised that he was lying on top of her. Amelia blinked in surprise. Meanwhile, Zelgadis also came to the same conclusion. His eyes widened at Amelia and his face grew redder then ever.
And for a while they remained there, both in a state of silent shock. That was, until a certain red-headed sorceress barged onto the scene.
"Hey guys? Amelia? Zel?"
Both Amelia and Zel snapped back to reality and drew away from each other. Lina saw the whole thing and her expression of surprise evolved into a secret smile. As she waited for Zel and Amelia to get back to their feet, Gourry came running up.
"Amelia? Zel? Did you both see the coach?" he asked.
"See it?" Amelia answered, "It nearly ran us both over!!!"
Amelia had recovered her wits much quicker then Zel. Zel was embarrassed about being discovered by Lina and remained silent. Lina spoke up.
"What was that coach doing travelling through this storm at that speed?"
"Maybe" began Amelia, "The driver wanted to get to his destination urgently."
"Out here in the middle of a forest?!" asked Gourry.
Lina thought it all through: "If a coach was heading through a forest at that speed then the driver must be heading back to his home which must be in the middle of the forest."
"Quick everyone!" she cried "Follow that coach! It'll lead us to shelter!!!!"
In an instant she was gone, taking up pursuit of the coach with Gourry following close behind. Zel sighed and followed. Only Amelia remained. She paused as she assessed what had happened between her and Zel seconds earlier. He looked concerned when she was frightened by the storm. He had shielded her from the rain. He had pulled her out of the way of the coach. But he was embarrassed by ending up on top of her. No doubt about it, he did care of her - even if he was hopeless at the romantic stuff. After wrestling with what Zel thought about her she finally had an answer. But nonetheless, she must follow up on this subject. With high spirits and a huge smile she set off after her friends.
The four adventurers charged through the storm, pursuing the coach. They followed the coach by its fresh tracks. However it only led them deeper and deeper into the forest - and mostly back along their original route.
"Hey Lina" Gourry asked as they ran.
"Yeah?"
"Isn't this coach going where we've already been?"
"So?"
"Wouldn't we have already passed the place where the coach is heading already?"
Lina paused before answering. "Maybe we're going into another part of the forest!"
And she was right. The coach was heading into a part of the forest - but this part of the forest looked much, much more sinister form where they had previously been. The shadows were even more darker then before, there were an increasing number of dead trees, the vegetation began to look lifeless, the place was deathly silent and there was an aura of menace circulating around the place. Even Gourry noticed the change in scenery.
"Hey this wasn't on my map." He noted.
"Well maybe you shouldn't have been holding it upside down" Lina muttered.
"Hey" Amelia said "Up ahead, I think I can see a light."
Amelia was right - up in the distance was a faint light. Immediately the group headed off towards this discovery.
The light turned out to be emitting from a mansion - situated right in the middle of the forest.
"See?" proclaimed Lina proudly "I told you that coach driver would be heading home!"
"Uh, Lina" said Amelia. "This place looks deserted."
That was true. The mansion's paint was peeling, there was a hole in the roof, and the whole thing looked empty and neglected. The grounds were no better: there was rubble everywhere, the garden was overgrown and full of weeds and the surrounding walls had crumbled.
"Gee, I'd hate to be the housekeeper" said Gourry.
"Yeah, there doesn't seem to be anyone home!" said Lina
"Impossible" murmured Zel, breaking his silence. "Why are there lights coming from the inside?"
"Yeah, well if they are people inside, I hope they'll let us in!" Lina grinned as she set off.
"Yeah, I want to get out of this rain!" agreed Gourry, leaving Zel and Amelia.
Amelia turned to Zel.
"Uh Zel?"
Zel turned to face her as Amelia continued:
"Can we have a talk sometime?"
Zel's eyes widened. "How about we get inside first?" he said with a smile.
Amelia smiled back. "Yeah......"
But her smile was a fake - she couldn't help but feel disappointed that he had turned her offer down. She'll have to try and get him once their inside.
Zel and Amelia joined Gourry and Lina at the mansion's doorstep. Lina grasped the door handle and rapped it.
The door was eventually opened - by a tall man. He smiled at the travellers.
"Good Evening." He purred.
Chapter 2
Contents