Hello! Thanks for stopping by to take a look at the story. For those who've read my fanfiction, Another Adventure, the summary for this fanfiction might sound a little familiar. This fanfiction is not a rewrite, but is a reimagining of the original premise of Another Adventure. That was my very first fanfiction- my first real writing project altogether. While I'm still proud of the plot, I feel that the execution is indicative of my skill level at the time, and so I've challenged myself to try again, incorporating everything I've learned in the meantime. While it may be inspired by earlier ideas, this is a fic separate and independent from all my others, and I'm hoping it will be a success in its own right.

As usual, I don't own anything. I'm just a fan writing some fiction. I hope you enjoy, and if you feel led to leave a review, please read my note at the end of the chapter.

1- All This for a Loaf of Bread?

"Your fever is up again. Did something happen?"

Amelia pressed a damp cloth to her grandfather's cheek, looking at the pallor of his face in concern. He reached up and placed his hand over hers, giving a reassuring smile.

"No, nothing much. I suppose it's the summer heat. This year's been brutal."

"It has." Amelia left the side of Eldoran's bed so that she could refill the glass of water on the nightstand. "I hope that Gracia is enjoying herself somewhere cooler. How did she seem in your letter?" She motioned to the folded piece of paper that Eldoran had placed beside him on the windowsill.

"She seemed her normal, cheerful self," he replied, "but if something was wrong, I assume that she'd sooner tell her sister than her grandfather. What have you heard from her?"

"Not much, to tell the truth." Amelia set the water glass back down and sat on the end of the bed next to her grandfather's feet. "Only that she's having a grand time trying the craft beers in the city where she's lodging. She never changes."

"That's good, then. Good to hear."

"She did say she wouldn't be able to make it for my birthday, though..."

Eldoran chuckled hoarsely. "You have a birthday every year, Amelia. She probably doesn't think it's special enough to come all this way. Now, if you were to finally marry that handsome bodyguard of yours, I'm sure she'd find a way to get here-"

"Grandfather!"

"It was only a suggestion, dear."

Amelia couldn't help a smile as she gathered some of the dirty dishes on a tray. "I'm glad that you're in high spirits. You've been so upset about things lately. Even Zelgadis was worried, and he never worries about anybody."

"Where is he, anyway? He's usually never more than two meters from you at all times."

"Didn't Dad tell you? He leaves on vacation today. Dad granted him two weeks off."

"He can't."

Amelia paused. "What do you mean, he can't? He already did. He left this morning."

"What about you?"

"I'll be okay. You don't have to worry about a thing." Amelia tapped her chest. "I'm using this time to resume work at the temple with the other priestesses. It'll be fun- and two weeks will be up before we know it. Then it'll be my birthday, and Miss Lina and Mister Gourry will be here, and we can-"

"Who allowed your bodyguard to take a vacation? Was it your father?"

"W-well, Dad was the one who approved the vacation time, but-"

"Send him here. I wish to speak to him immediately."

"But he can't come right now. He's in a meeting about public policy, and-"

"I don't care!" Eldoran was going to say more, but his overenthusiastic speech was tiring him, and he fell into a coughing fit. Amelia dropped the tray she was holding onto the table and ran to be next to him, but he reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could touch him. "I am the king. Philionel is working on my behalf. I can call him in for a meeting whenever I like."

"Yes sir." Amelia reluctantly bowed and picked up the tray to take it with her. She closed the door as she left, and the old man was left in the privacy of his room. With a fair amount of effort, he leaned over and plucked the folded piece of paper from the windowsill, unfolding it to read over again as he waited for his son to report.

My dear Grandfather,
Both Dad and Amelia told me you've had a recurring fever lately. Please don't overexert yourself! My letters to you aren't to scare you, but to keep you informed on the progress of my investigation. You said yourself that I'm a powerful sorceress who can take care of herself, right? Right! Anyway. So far I haven't found any evidence as to the fate of Miss Abbey, but I haven't lost hope. The Mazoku pursuing me seems to be losing his inhibitions against giving me information and I'm sure that eventually he'll let slip her status and location. If she is dead like you say- and that's a big IF, considering her reputation in Seyruun- it will complicate things. The Mazoku doesn't seem to want me dead so much as he wants me as a puppet. I'm troubled by the fact that I haven't seen him in a week, since he hasn't ever given me this much reprieve. He may be planning something, and, as such, I'll need to be on my toes. I can't say whether any of my family members are in danger, but Dad and Amelia are both good fighters, so I won't waste time worrying. Make sure that Dad doesn't stray too far from the palace grounds, and if Amelia wants to do so, that she has Sir Greywords with her for backup. As I said before, don't worry yourself sick over my situation. I'm determined to get answers, if I have to fight every one of these Mazoku myself.
Best wishes from your loving granddaughter,
Naga the Serpent

"Five."

"I already told you, I can't do less than ten."

"And I told you I can't do more than five."

"Look," The shopkeeper leaned in with a stern expression. "at least let me break even. Eight."

"Break even? For these?" The sorceress retorted. "If I give you four, you'll still make a profit. I'll be generous and say five and a half."

"Seven, but that's as low as I'll go."

"Six."

"Ma'am, do you understand how a business works?"

"I do. That's why I can offer you six with a clear conscience. I'm a businesswoman, not a robber."

The shopkeeper paused, staring the girl down.

"...six and a hal-"

"Done."

Lina slapped the money onto the table before the shopkeeper could change his mind and snatched up the book, taking off through the marketplace. There were so many people milling about, it was hard to see the stalls, so she was following her nose more than anything else. Gourry had said to meet at the baker's stall on the corner where he'd found some great chocolate pastries the day before (and didn't bother to buy anything for Lina- the jerk!), but Lina wasn't quite sure where it was, as she hadn't gone by that side of the market. Still, her sensitive nose could pick out good chocolate anywhere, and she soon found herself surrounded by scents that made her mouth water. For all the grief she gave Gourry over other things, he did have great taste.

"I'd like a chocolate croissant, please."

"Sure thing!" The old woman behind the counter answered with a smile as she retrieved the sorceress' order. "You're looking around a lot. Are looking for someone?"

"I'm supposed to be meeting a friend here, but I'm a little early." Lina answered, depositing her coins onto the counter. "He was here yesterday and said that these croissants are to die for. The two of us have been all over the world in search of good food, and the best always seems to be hiding in little villages like this."

"You're too sweet!" The woman placed a hand over one cheek to hide a blush. "Who's your friend? I can help you find him, if you'd like."

Lina waved her free hand dismissively. "Don't worry. He's pretty hard to miss."

"You mean the blond fellow from yesterday? Oh, he was such a sweetheart. He's your friend?"

Lina could only nod in response, too involved in eating too speak right away. "Friend, bodyguard, traveling buddy, fellow lover of delicious food- you name it."

"I see. So what brings you two connoisseurs to our little village?"

"We're just passing through on the way to visit a friend in Seyruun City. It's been a few months since we've seen each other, and her birthday is coming up, so we thought we'd drop by..." Lina answered between bites of the pastry. "Gods, this is good. I need your recipe... if it's not a secret, that is."

"No secrets at all!" the woman laughed. "I'd be happy to give it to you. It's a compliment to be asked. Perhaps you can make it for your friend as a birthday gift."

"Homemade treats from friends?" Lina laughed, trying to imagine Amelia's reaction. "She's so sentimental, that might actually be a better idea than what I was planning to get her-"

"STOP, THIEF!"

A swift, yellow blur passed by the people in the market faster than any of them could react to the yell. Any of them, that was, except for an experienced sorceress whose sharp reflexes had saved her in many a battle before. She immediately lunged after the child, catching them by their shoulder. There was only a split second for Lina to get a look, but a split second was enough for her to be completely horrified. It was a little girl, but her features were nearly unrecognizable underneath a knotted mat of dirty blond hair. She had a few pieces of bread tucked under one arm and a couple of oranges in the other. With no free hand to escape from her captor, she did what any trapped animal might have.

Lina was usually good at anticipating her opponents' moves, but she honestly didn't expect to be bitten.

The sorceress withdrew her hand with a sharp gasp, more in surprise than in pain. This gave the little girl time to run, and she did so, taking advantage of the confusion to become lost in the crowd. Lina moved to pursue her, but the pain in her hand prevented her. She looked down at her glove to see if there was any bleeding, but the fabric was made specifically to withstand the casting of powerful spells. It wouldn't allow a tiny child's teeth to do any damage.

With a sigh of resignation now that the child had disappeared, Lina set her pastry down on the counter so that she could remove her glove and check the damage to her hand. As she did so, a man ran up to the counter beside her to speak to the baker.

"That's the third time this week, Mrs. Abbey! Doesn't your nephew feed that poor child? What kind of man lets a child like that run amok in the village?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" The old woman bowed her head several times. "I've told you before, I'll pay for anything that she takes-"

"It's not about the money, Samantha. I'm concerned about the safety of that child and the safety of the village-"

"Lina! Hey! I saw what happened! Are you okay?"

Lina was so engrossed in the conversation between the grocer and the baker that she almost didn't hear Gourry. She turned to face him, momentarily letting her curiosity about the situation subside. "Yeah, I'm fine. Nice timing, by the way."

"Sorry." Gourry shifted his weight sheepishly. "I got distracted earlier and was running late. If I'd been even a minute earlier, maybe I could've done something to help. Seriously- is your hand okay?"

Lina held it up for him to examine. Her glove had prevented the bite from breaking the skin, but it had certainly left a mark, and Gourry made a face that indicated he was unhappy with it. Lina tugged her hand away with an uncomfortable frown, passing a quick healing spell over it.

"Who was that?" Lina asked, stepping in between the grocer and the baker. "Your nephew's daughter, I presume?"

"Well, sort of." the baker answered. "She's his sister's daughter, but... his sister passed away when the child was young, and he's the closest relative we know of."

"If he's supposed to be taking care of her, it doesn't look like he's doing a very good job."

"He..." The woman wrung her hands and looked down at her feet. "...he's never been very responsible, but..."

"If he'd spend his money on food for the child instead of always buying alcohol, maybe she wouldn't have to resort to theivery!" The grocer started back toward his store with a huff. "I don't care so much for a loaf of bread or an orange here or there. But when this becomes a pattern that's allowed, think of what it will do to that girl."

There was silence- as much as there could be in the busy marketplace- following the grocer's absence. Samantha looked up and noticed Gourry for the first time, bowing in apology. "I-I'm so sorry, you two! I hope you're okay!"

"I'm fine, but what about that girl?" Lina asked in reply. "How long has she been living with that monster?"

"He's not a monster. He's just a little misguided, and he's all she has left in the world. Without her uncle, she wouldn't have anywhere to go."

"All she has left?" Gourry asked. "No parents? No grandparents? Other aunts, uncles, cousins...?"

"No one knows who her father is. Her mother- Eliza- was a traveler, and she never gave any hints as to where the child's father was from, much less who he was. Klaus and Eliza were my brother-in-law's only children, and he and his wife passed away before Lizzie was born. Can we... talk about this after the market closes up? I'd be happy to invite you for dinner as an apology for what happened-"

"That'd be great, but in the meantime, where does Klaus live?" Lina interrupted. She wouldn't pass up the idea of a free dinner, but there were more important things weighing on her mind.

"He lives toward the edge of town, to the west. It's a green building and the area around it is pretty overgrown. But you're not thinking of-"

"I want to see what kind of household would produce a child like that." Lina shoved her half-eaten pastry into Gourry's hands and took off in the direction that the woman had explained. "Don't worry about me- I'll be back to take you up on that dinner offer."

"B-but Miss-" the baker yelled, reaching out in Lina's direction. She was cut off by Gourry, however.

"There's no stopping Lina when she gets her mind set on something. Is there a problem?"

"Klaus can be violent at times... he's always drunk nowadays, it seems, and he wouldn't hesitate to defend his property, even against a young girl like her."

"I'll take care of things." Gourry started after Lina with a wave. "We'll be back here before the market closes."

"Please be careful! You don't know what you're getting into!"

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Lina had found the door to the house ajar and knocked a few times before entering. The woman had been right about the weeds around the house, and the interior was not much neater. There wasn't much furniture, but clothes were strewn about the floor, and the table in the middle of the room had liquor bottles stacked on top of it... some empty and some not. Curiously, Lina walked over to the table in order to examine one of the half-empty bottles. It didn't have a label, and a quick whif of the dark liquid caused her to recoil, coughing violently. Whatever this man was drinking, it wasn't like any alcohol she'd ever encountered.

"Hey, you! Put that down, would you? Don't you have respect for people's property?"

The young man's voice caught Lina's attention, and she was happy to part ways with the bottle and it's unidentifiable substance. "You're Klaus, I take it?" Upon inspection, it was clear that he was just as dirty and unkempt as the girl she'd seen earlier... and that orange he was eating looked awfully familiar.

"Who wants to know?"

"Where is Lizzie?"

"The kid brought back food and then took off. No clue where she hides. Find her yourself." Klaus approached her, grabbing one of the empty bottles and waving it in her face. "Now get outta my house before I call the authorities on you for trespassing."

"What are you drinking?" Lina snatched the bottle from him and examined it one last time for any sign of identification. "This isn't alcohol."

"This is the best drink I've ever had- a kiddie like you wouldn't know alcohol if it bit you on the backside. Get lost."

Seeing she was getting nowhere, Lina turned her back on him and exited through the still-open door. For some reason, she'd imagined a violent, angry caretaker over an apathetic, cruel one. It didn't seem like he cared about anyone else... or himself, really. What was he drinking? Was that even safe?

"Lizzie!" The house backed up to the forest, and Lina walked around behind it, calling out in search of the girl. Her yell prompted a sudden flash of movement behind one of the trees and she followed that, immediately recognizing the profile of a child. Once she reached the tree, she found that Lizzie had stayed where she was and hunkered down rather than running. Even being circled by Lina a few times didn't prompt movement- it almost seemed as though the girl were playing dead. Still, Lina could see the girl shaking with ragged, nervous breaths, and a trail of blood sliding down her face. The blood definitely hadn't been there before, and Lina remembered the image of Klaus' threats with the empty bottle. He would have been so much more imposing to a small child...

Suddenly realizing that she was standing over Lizzie and might be just as threatening, Lina knelt down to get closer and appear a little more benevolent. The bleeding didn't look serious and Lina was sure that a quick healing spell could fix it right up. She reached out her hand to cast the spell-

"AH!"

It had been pretty foolish of Lina not to remember the earlier situation. She'd reached out her right hand- her ungloved hand- and ended up with the girl's teeth sunk into it. Even with her surprised yelp, Lizzie didn't let go, so Lina refused to pull back yet. She couldn't leave a child bloody like this, no matter what she had to go through.

"Recovery."

With her left hand, Lina cast the spell and watched the blood disappear from Lizzie's forehead. Immediately, Lizzie's jaw relaxed a little and she pulled away from Lina's hand. She reached up to touch her forehead with wide eyes as though trying to understand what had happened. Lina began working a healing spell on her own bloody hand, and the girl watched in amazement. Perhaps it was Lina's imagination, but she could swear that she saw something click in the child's mind, watching the healing spell in action. Once the skin on Lina's hand was all patched up and the light from the spell dissipated, Lizzie turned her gaze up to meet Lina's eyes.

For fear of startling the girl, Lina didn't speak. She tried to let her eyes say everything, doing her best to soften her gaze and give a reassuring smile-

"HEY, LINA? WHERE'D YOU GO?"

Gourry's voice broke the effect. Lizzie jumped to her feet in fear and took off through the trees, away from where she and Lina had been sitting. "Lizzie, wait!" Lina called out after her, but it was no use. She was gone.

(For those interested in leaving a review- I'd never discourage you from doing so. However, I want to express a request of my own that I'd like you to keep in mind- I am not a professional. Writing is not my field of study, nor my career goal, but it does help me in a lot of personal ways. I can't please everyone with my work. If I could, I'd have achieved something no writer in the world ever has- a real feat for an amateur, huh? I don't want to feel like I'm wasting anyone's time, so if you don't feel that the story is worth your time, don't bother with it, especially not on my account. I'm simply sharing something that makes me happy because I know there's a possibility it might make someone else happy too. Thank you so much for taking interest in the story, and I hope that those who have enjoyed it so far will continue to do so. Updates will be weekly on Fridays.)