The rain had finally stopped and the road was a cesspit of sluggish, brown mud. It flowed listlessly down the gentle slope. Still, the storm was over, and the sun had come out from behind the clouds once again. The sun warmed the land and the air, banishing the chill that had remained from the winter, the cold that had returned with the early spring rain. The balmy light fell upon the lush, green grass, wet with fat raindrops, scattering the light in a million sparkling pinpricks.
Two figures, shrouded in a cloak of black, treaded slowly from the dark canopy near by. They advanced towards the waterlogged dirt path, taking slow, unhurried steps. When they exited the dense forest, they shook the water off themselves and followed the river of mud down the hill, towards the small town.
"I told you we were going the wrong way!"
"But the map said to go the other way, and I thought if we followed the map this time instead of your-" He received a well-placed smack up-side the head as his companion glared furiously.
"First of all, Gourry, I always go the correct way-"
"What about last week?" He asked. "We ended up at the edge of a cliff instead of a road."
"So I missed a turn or two here and there. I got us to the road, didn't I? Now where was I-ah…yes. Secondly, the map only brings you to the correct place if you don't have it upside-down!!!" She shouted the last few words, and punctuated her sentence with yet another punch to his head.
"But Lina," he whined, "It's not my fault…I couldn't find the arrow."
She sighed with exasperation. As if he wasn't thickheaded enough, now he had to be blind as well? She whipped out a worn map from inside her black cloak, its edges blacked, almost charred, and crumpled from hours of screaming, yelling, over who was right and who wasn't, and whether they were going the right way or not. "Gourry," she said, nudging him with her elbow. "The arrow is right here- eh? No, it's over…" She frowned when her finger traced the yellowed parchment and, as Gourry had claimed, found no sign of a North arrow.
"That's strange…" she muttered, glad that she hadn't had to hurt Gourry again. He knew better than to say 'I told you so.' "I could've sworn it was over here when we bought it from that guy." She pointed to an empty spot on the bottom-right corner of the map.
"Maybe that was a different map. We have been going everywhere, maybe it was on another map." He put an arm around her shoulders and continued walking down the grassy hill. "Thanks for trying to find me a new sword."
"Ah, stuff it already. You can't travel with me if you don't have a sword with you, especially a magical one. L-sama knows what we'll encounter…" She replied gruffly.
"Another thing, Lina." His voice was oddly serious. Not again…she knew what was coming. "We can't continue travelling like this forever."
"Why not, Gourry? Nothing's happened so far. No Dark Lords looking for revenge, no plots to take over the world, no hints of dark sorcerers planning world domination…well, not yet at least." She paused a moment to consider. "Maybe not forever," She conceded. "But not so soon either."
"It hasn't been that long yet, but one day…we can't continue like this for long, especially with you in this…condition."
"Idiot… This is partly your fault too, you know." She sidestepped a rock and kicked at a nearby pebble.
He grinned contentedly. "At least we got married first." His remark promptly earned him a passage headfirst into a muddy puddle.
"Wise-guy…" She muttered, wondering what had possessed her that night, that she had actually married Gourry.
They managed, probably through divine intervention that decided that Gourry had had more than enough punishment for the day, to make it to the tiny town at the base of the hill without anymore whacking, punching and similar injury-inducing actions.
It was evening when they found an inn, for although the hill had been gentle, it had been large. The innkeeper had raised an eyebrow when Lina had asked for one room, a comment ready to be delivered, only to be silenced into submission by a flame-orange light growing in her hand. He handed her the key to the room without so much as a squeak. She sent one last glare, before climbing the stairs to their room. Behind her, Gourry stood at the front desk, politely apologising for his wife's actions. She was pregnant, you see, and surely mood-swings would be a common occurrence.
She left the door open for him and sank onto the bed, sighing with relief. She yanked her boots off and unclasped her cloak, draping it over a chair.
"Long day, huh. Don't suppose it affected your appetite any?"
"No, and say another word and I'll make you regret it."
He shrugged and removed his armour piece by piece and sat on the floor by the bed. "I don't suppose I could make amends…"
"Foot massage, Gourry, and now."
He groaned. He should have seen that coming like a fireball to his head. Still, if it would appease his tired, bad-tempered wife, and prevent a real fireball from being aimed at his head, he supposed he could put up with it…again. He yanked off his own boots. If he was going to have to sit there for the next half-hour or so, he might as well make himself comfortable. He laid his temporary sword next to him and began rubbing her sore feet. They had walked a great deal, lately. Still no luck with his sword though. He sighed. There would never truly be a replacement for the Sword of Light, his Sword of Light. Not, just because of its power, its capabilities, but because it had been in his family for generations. It had been a gift to him from his father when he had finally come of age, and he had wanted it to be a gift for his own child, one day. No chance of that happening now, he supposed.
When Lina was satisfied that he had paid sufficiently for his crimes, however small and non-existent they might be, she let him bring her for dinner. That night, dinner was simple; chicken, fish, spiced rice and enough ale to get both of them the slightest bit high. However, simple as dinner may have been, they still ate more than enough to feed the entire army of Seyruun for perhaps even a week. They were still suffering from the effects of liquor when they reached their room, but that day had been harrowing and regardless of the ale muddling their senses, they were simply too tired to do anything. Perhaps the following night… They managed to change into their respective nightclothes and get into bed without any major mishaps. A kiss or two, maybe a lazy trail of fingers, but their weary bodies allowed them only that and nothing more.
Gourry pulled her closer to him, absently stroking her hair as she slept soundly in his arms. He wasn't as tired as her tonight, but neither was he brimming with energy. His body already ached for the comfort of sleep, so why couldn't he seem to sleep? The moon had already risen high in the sky before he felt sleep overpower whatever force had kept him awake for so long. He delivered a gentle kiss to her neck, marvelling once again at her strange beauty. He murmured something into her ears and yawned as wide as a cat. Then his eyelids shut and he knew no more.
The following morning approached with vengeance. Sunlight streamed full into his face, refusing him the succour of prolonged sleep. He groaned I protest, aimlessly trying to block off the intense light with an arm. He felt Lina stir in his arms, before he heard her contented yawn. At least one of them had managed to get some sleep. How was it that it felt as if he had only just fallen asleep? He felt her shift, then entangle herself from his bone-weary arms.
"Gourry, you're heavy…" She complained. "Move…"
"Tired." He moaned a curt reply. Still, he tried to lift his arm, heavy as it felt to him, off her. He felt a gentle poke in his side, then a soft purring in his ear.
"Why so tired, Gourry? Anything I can do to help?" It was an invitation and rare as it was, he found himself turning it down. How he wished he had the energy she had, but she hadn't been the one plagued with sleepless nights and exhausted days.
"Not today, Lina. I'm very tired…" He muttered from beneath her pillow, the pillow he was currently enlisting in defeating the dazzling sunlight. He mumbled an apology from beneath the soft object when he received a probably well-deserved smack to his head. Thankfully, the pillow absorbed most of the impact. He heard the soft, almost silent, rustle of fabric, and the loud, angry thuds of her booted feet, followed by the door slamming shut, a flurry of muted cursing trailing down as she went for breakfast when he didn't immediately pursue to seek peace.
However, when he never showed up for breakfast and she found him, still asleep, in their bed, worry took over. Lina had no idea if she had done anything to make him angry in any way, and in truth hadn't really, but it simply wasn't like him to miss breakfast. Or any other meal for that matter. Suddenly feeling guilty for whacking him in the head earlier, and the previous day both inside, and out side the thick forest, she padded noiselessly to the bed where his free arm was now dangling off, barely an inch from the wooden floor. She touched a hand tenderly to his forearm lying limply on his chest.
"Gourry? Hey, Gourry?" She whispered. "You awake?" She received a worn-out, scarcely coherent answer, and a failed attempt to grasp her fingers. "Are you okay?" He remained quiet, or at least it seemed that way to her. "You missed breakfast." She continued, as if that alone was enough, and it was. When he still said nothing, she sat down on the bed, beside him and sighed. "Are you angry with me, Gourry? Look, I'm sorry I kept hitting you yesterday, then. And just now…"
"No…" Had she heard that? Or was she just hearing things. He repeated it again, maybe for her benefit. "No, didn't sleep well last night…or the night before, and before that…" He explained, and then promptly fell asleep again.
So that was why he had looked so worn-out, so drained these past few days…
Getting off from her perch on the bed, she said, "I'll go get some stuff from the apothecary…but you had better not still be asleep when I get back." She warned sharply. Gourry smiled at that. He supposed that was the closest he could ever get to a full apology from Lina. He waved his hand slightly in semblance of a wave, goodbye, or otherwise, she couldn't really tell.
She strolled to the apothecary, taking her time to take in the sights she saw along the way. It had been rather late when they had finally reached the town, and quite dark too. It had seemed dark and foreboding at night, noises from the stretch of forest atop the hill resounding in the black night. But it was so much more welcoming in daylight. The greenery extended to the town, bright grassy patches scattered here and there, spotted with colourful spring flowers. Trees displayed their fresh coat of leaves, glossy and damp from the nighttime mists. The ground was still wet, the dirt paths muddy from the early spring rains. She splashed through a muddy puddle along the way, cursing mildly at her rotten luck.
The apothecary was a large building that loomed before her, making her feel even shorter than her already unimpressive height. It looked dark and musty from the outside, emphasized by the lively evidence of spring sprinkled all over town. She entered.
The inside was starkly different from what she had imagined, standing outside. Within its blackened windows, the shop was brightly lit, eliminating shadows from even the narrowest of crevices. The air was thick with the stilted taint of herbs, spices, exotic spellcasting ingredients and the like, but it could not be called a stench. She breathed in deeply, loving the herbal scent. She looked around. This place was larger than most apothecaries she had patronised, which was precisely the reason why she had insisted that she and Gourry stop by this town. It was two storeys high and packed with spellcasting paraphernalia in every corner. She was examining a package of dried spices when a chipper voice stole into her thoughts.
"May I help you?"
Lina spun around to face the owner of the voice, appalled when she saw a girl, barely in her adolescent years, standing behind a counter. The girl must have seen the look on her face, for she laughed, a bright tinkle that lit up the room impossibly further.
"I know… I don't seem old enough, nor the type, do I?" She shook with a bit more laughter, then continued. "Grandpa's got a bad leg. He's been resting the past couple of days. Doctor's orders. But I've been helping him for a long time already, so I know…enough. You need any help?" Her pale gold hair bobbed in a high ponytail as she made her way towards Lina.
Lina thought for a while, then remembered. "First things first, do you have anything to help ease insomnia? If that jellyfish sleeps any less, he's gonna turn into more of a zombie than he already is."
"Anything else?" The blonde asked. "We have something for aches and pains too. I don't suppose you need that?"
"I supposed that could come in hand when we're on the road." She listed a few more items, then made an odd request. "Could I talk to your grandfather for a while?"
Tilting her fair head to one side, she considered that option, then smiled and said in that seemingly perpetually energetic voice that was starting to make Lina a little giddy. "I suppose that wouldn't hurt. Why?"
"Ah…" Lina trailed off. "I'm looking for something and I heard he could help."
"Oh, then you've come to the right place. Grandpa's real old, but he knows lots of things. Come on," she motioned. "I'll take you upstairs." She bounced up the old staircase in one corner, Lina trudging up warily after her.
The second level was just as spacious as the first, with sachets and baskets full of items she could and couldn't identify. She was lead to a blank panel, and realised it was a door only when the girl knocked and turned the small wooden knob.
"Grandpa?" She murmured. "There's someone here to see you."
A dry, raspy croak replied. "All right." There was a shuffling; the man was probably making himself comfortable in bed. Lina entered, the girl closing the door noiselessly behind her. Soft footsteps indicated that she was returning to attend to any other customers.
"You are searching for something. Am I correct?" He asked, looking at her sagely. She nodded in confirmation. "So how may I be of service?"
She cleared her throat, not quite sure where to begin.
"A magical artefact?" He prompted.
"How did you know?" She wondered, not quite realising that she had spoken aloud.
"It's always that. Now what are you looking for? Perhaps I know of it."
"It's lie this. My fri-husband," she corrected. She was still having trouble addressing him as such. She'd have to try and overcome that in time. "He used to have a powerful magic sword, but it was destroyed, and since we frequently run into trouble, I was hoping to find him another sword, just as powerful. Do you know where to find something like that?"
"A sword as powerful as the Sword of Light? That's tough…"
"I never said it was the Sword of Light." There was something strange about this old man.
"You're Lina Inverse, aren't you?"
"And you would say that because?" Definitely. There was something definitely not quite right with the man.
"You're a redhead, you're, if you'll excuse me for saying, not all that-ahem- well-endowed, and not all tat tall either."
She resisted the sudden urge to cast a Dragon Slave at him, seeing as how he might prove useful in finding Gourry a new sword. However, that did not stop her from threatening bodily harm at the next mention of her stature, or assets. She sent him a death glare and if looks could kill, he would certainly have ended up as shrivelled and lifeless as his medicines.
"I'm sorry. And that husband of yours, a certain blond swordsman, I suppose?" He laughed heartily at the faint blush that spread quickly across her cheeks. "I try and find out as much as possible about sorcerers and sorceresses as significant as you are, Ms Inverse. Or would you like me to address you in any other way?"
"That-That's fine. So since you know so much, can you help?"
"Well, a sword as powerful as that would unquestionably be rare… Let me think a bit, see if I can recall any thing useful…"
She watched, fascinated as he pondered, absently humming something old, almost ancient, a melody both nameless and tuneless. She was rapidly losing her patience when he sat up straight. She half expected him to shout 'Eureka!' with his hair tousled and in a mess.
"I don't quite know if its still there, if it even existed in the first place, but I remember when I was a boy, dreaming about becoming a swordsman when I grew up, I was told an ancient tale about a magnificent sword. Created by the Great Lord herself, it was said." Lina was starting to wonder if he was in his right mind, his arms were waving, gesturing in airy, frantic waves, his movements animated. But she believed him. His eyes glinted with boyish enthusiasm, his voice suddenly youthful again.
"It was to have been given to her most powerful Dark Lord, the lord of the Underworld, of all the souls, both dead and alive. It was said to be in his possession, the Hell-"
"The Hellmaster Phibrizzo. Yes, I'm…familiar with him." She snapped shortly, frowning at the memory of the mazoku Dark Lord.
"Of course you are." He murmured soothingly. "Anyway, it was said to be in his possession, or rather, in the hands of his General, Breeze, was it? I'm afraid my memory fails me in History. It was his, and hers, to command for centuries, several millennia, I think. Until it was lost at the end of the Great War. It was supposed to have vanished after the death of the Hellmaster's General. Of course you understand that its actual existence has never truly been confirmed."
"What can it do? More importantly, is it…evil in any way?"
"Evil in that it would corrupt its wielder's soul? I don't know. But do keep in mind that it was once a possession of the Hellmaster's. Even if it wasn't evil to begin with, it most probably would be now."
"What can it do?"
"Ah, its capabilities. Well, similar to the Sword of Light, it's supposed to be able to amplify spells. The Sword of Light was, ultimately, a weapon of good. I'm not so sure about this one. Like I said before, it may not have been, but after soaking up so much of the Hellmaster's power over the millennia…" He didn't finish. He didn't have to.
"Anything else? That it can do, I mean."
"If it truly is an evil weapon, I suppose it would be quite useless against mazoku, but if it isn't, its origin alone should be enough to vanquish even the most powerful of mazoku."
"Even the General-Priest of a Dark Lord?" A very annoying one, she felt like adding. "It's that powerful?"
His aged eyes twinkled with humour. "I hear he travels with you?"
She frowned, an action almost identical to a pout. "Travelled." She amended for him. "And against our will too."
"Ah… Well, yes, it is. It should be. This is all theoretical, of course. It's all hearsay, probably a figment of a bored man's imagination ages ago. But," and he paused for a moment. "But, if it isn't then good luck trying to look for it."
"I don't suppose it has a name worth mentioning? The Sword of Something-or-the-other?"
"Well, it was told to me so long ago… I'm not sure if I can properly remember it…"
"Look, how much do you want?" She demanded.
"You misunderstand me. My services are always free, at least for a person of good nature like you. I really can't remember. It's been many decades…I once told my son when he was a little boy, but… Hold on a moment…I'll see if I can recall…"
She tapped her foot impatiently, although she had to admit his was a rare breed, helping her for free, especially after she offered to pay him. He was a good man, she could tell.
"The Sword of Hellfire? Maybe I accidentally made that up…or perhaps I used it in a bedtime story once…I'm sorry. I truly can't remember… But if you manage to find that sword, please give me a visit. It's been a long time since I've had anything worth cataloguing, even if it is mentally."
Disappointed that she hadn't uncovered a name for that mythical sword, Lina's hopes fell, crashing. It was like all the other leads she had gotten, except that he had sounded so sincere…he couldn't possibly have been lying, could he? She had been fooled, tricked by the Hellmaster before, and she now found it hard to trust anyone, regardless of who they were and what they looked like. After all, didn't he appear as a young child, innocent, eager to escape a small-time town? Mentally, she cursed him, cursed his existence. At least he was dead and gone now. She, or rather the Lord of Nightmares, had personally taken care of that.
She thanked the old man, promised to visit him whether or not she located the sword, and retreated downstairs. His granddaughter had already wrapped up her purchases and packed them neatly into a bag. She paid for the items, and left a hefty tip for the old man's help, and left. Generosity was not something readily associated with her, but she succumbed to it every now and then. Besides, the man had seemed so bent on helping her…
She made her way back towards the inn that they had spent the night in, wondering if Gourry was still asleep. She wasn't sure if she should carry out her treat in the event that he was. He was a thickheaded sometimes, but he was always so good-natured about her teasing and beating, and he really did care, that she was finding it increasingly hard to stay mad at him for anything. And in addition, despite his lack of sleep lately, he hadn't complained about her hectic travelling schedules, her crankiness whenever they ended up lost in some forest or wooded area.
She entered their room quietly; in case he was still asleep, and dumped her bag of stuff on a small table near the single window, open to let in the breeze. She tread softly to the bed and removed the pillow that still covered his face. His face, covered with wrinkles from the pillow casing, was peaceful, the foolish grin he had given her as she left still in place. She nudged him gently with one hand, her other playing with his hair. It was so awfully shiny, silky smooth. She often wondered how it was always like that, no matter how filthy he was.
"Lina?" He mumbled, his voice husky with sleep. "Oh, you're back. I'm not awake yet. Are you gonna beat me up?" He teased, his eyes still closed, his mouth still upturned.
"Nah, I'm in a pretty good mood now. Maybe later though… I found out something that might be useful in our hunt for a sword." He had fallen silent again. Was he asleep? She poked him in the ribs just in case he was. "Are you listening, jellyfish?"
"Yeah…" He opened his eyes, blinking a few times as he tried to get used to the glaring sunlight that still shone in his face. He squinted at Lina, then sat up. "I'm hungry." He moaned in despair.
She elbowed him playfully. "If you had been awake just now, you could have eaten with me. Back to the sword. Oi, yoghurt-for-brains, are you listening?"
"Tell me while I eat breakfast, please?" He pleaded his hands clenched in semblance of prayer, his sapphire eyes large and dewy. He looked like a blond dog. She tried not to laugh.
"Fine. Get dressed or I might make you leave town like this." She pointed to his bare chest.
"I'm sure quite a few people wouldn't object." He flashed her a lascivious grin and yanked her beside him.
"Gourry!" She screeched, even if out of surprise. "It's daytime!"
"So?" He countered. "That's never stopped you before. Fine, fine, I'll settle for something smaller then…" He kissed her hot and hard on her lips, a day's worth of stubble chafing her chin slightly. He left her breathing hard, her breaths coming in short pants, before rising to retrieve his clothes. She swore, her face the same remarkable shade as her flaming hair.
It was still mildly flushed when they returned the key to the innkeeper, who gave her a knowing glance. Lina grit her teeth, resisting the urge to burn down the entire establishment.
"I'll buy you lunch." Gourry offered, trying to prevent further catastrophe.
"You always buy me lunch." She retorted, but stopped frowning, both to Gourry and the innkeeper's relief.
They walked out into the busy streets, now cluttered with townsfolk. They made their way to the town border, away from the forest they had gotten lost in. They had barely made it to the signboards at the crossroads a hundred yards or so from the official border, when they heard a high-pitched voice calling them.
"Wait, stop!!!"