It wasn't long after leaving the town of Biar that Gourry started developing stomach aches. Even though he had been desperate to leave Biar, he missed his mother and siblings tremendously, and soon became extremely homesick. He even missed his father, the good father. He missed the familiar sights and smells of the town he had spent his whole life in. The shock of leaving piled onto the grief of losing his loved ones in such a horrifying manner took a tremendous toll on him.

Nes became alarmed as Gourry stopped eating and lost weight. Gourry started to obsess over what would happen to his cousins and sister when they reached Gungini Hall. Scared of what could happen should he leave Gourry at Gungini Hall without them, Nes secured housing down the road which Gourry could visit every day during his free time. Secure in the knowledge that Nes and a few members of his family would remain close by, Gourry relaxed and settled into his new life at Gungini Hall.

And it turned out to be exactly what the young boy was needing. Gourry's day was highly structured. In Biar he was used to waking up, getting a few chores out of the way with and then spending the day playing in the neighborhood. But now he woke up at the first bell, dressed and made his bed and then went down to breakfast before going out to the yard to exercise. After exercises he had his classes in reading and writing, something he never saw the use of. No one in Biar knew how to write so it wasn't as if he could read letters they sent. But Nes said it was all part of the training, so he managed to figure reading out. He never progressed far in writing past learning to sign his name, though.

After lunch was the time Gourry loved best, because for hours he would be trained in the sword and battle tactics. He was an eager student and would often spend his free time honing his skills. Focusing on sword play gave him something other than his family tragedy to obsess over. To his surprise he learned that a lot of what Nes had taught him that had not seemed related to swordplay helped him to develop his skill. Keeping his senses open helped him to figure out where his opponent was going to strike, and the breathing techniques helped him to control his emotions so he did not act stupidly while feeling intense emotions such as fear, anxiety or anger.

While learning the sword was a painful undertaking that involved taking a lot of hits, Gourry didn't feel powerless while learning it like he did when his father would hit him. He would be paired off with an older knight, both of them armed with a wooden practice sword, and messing up resulted in a firm whack. But it was different than being hit by his father. His opponent wasn't in an out of control rage for one thing. For another Gourry knew that if he learned to block better he could control whether or not he was hit in the first place! The sense of control was powerful, and a strong motivator to practice often and train hard.

Gourry liked his instructors. They were full-fledged knights who alternated between doing good deeds in the Empire and teaching their skills. In the knights, Gourry found a group of people who were like him. Back home people didn't understand how overwhelming it could be to hear and smell all that he did. Shifting through the important versus extraneous background sounds could be tiring. Back home adults would rap him on the head for not paying attention, but the knights knew how distracting it could be to focus on what someone was saying when you just realized that five hundred feet away the footsteps of someone you wanted to see were ringing.

They also didn't think it was strange for him to be so in tune with what others around him were feeling. His parents told him he needed to toughen up and not worry so much about other people's feelings. But it was hard because he felt for others so easily. Nes said that it was common for knights, whose senses were amplified, to be highly empathic. Gourry wasn't sure what that meant, but he learned that he was not the only one whose parents showed him a stern hand for being too soft. In fact it was something he bonded with the other children over.

Nes said it was why the Gunginiel Knights were so respected. While they made the perfect warriors, by their sensitive nature they were also the least likely to abuse the gifts they were imprinted with.

The days passed and grew into years. The horrors he had escaped receded from his mind as he grew tall and strong and was soon regarded as one of the best swordsmen Gungini Hall had ever seen, if not the very best. Nes remained down the road with his cousins and sister. His cousins adjusted while Adena, who had known nothing of the harness of life that they had escaped from, flourished.

Then when he was seventeen one of his instructors, Aigen, told him he was ready to start training the newbies. What started as a proud moment crushed under the horror of the reality of actually teaching swordplay to small, young children. Every time he whacked a kid on the back, ribs or legs with the wooden sword when they failed to defend themselves he felt himself recoil in disgust as memories of his father beating him surged in his mind. While the kids took their blows stoically and while Gourry knew that you were never going to learn to protect your back without getting whacked a few times, he couldn't hold back the feelings of revulsion he felt with himself as the old worries of whether or not the bad father would manifest within him resurfaced.

He fled as soon as the lesson was over, but Aigen had noticed and followed him. When she caught up to him she put a hand on his shoulder as he trembled and tried not to throw up, the stomach ache he'd not felt in years returning with a vengeance. All Gourry could think of was his father bringing the rod down upon him and his burning desire to not be anything like his father.

"As big of a pain in the ass it is, remember, this is our strength." Aigen said.

Gourry shook his head, "It doesn't feel like a strength."

Aigen moved so he was forced to look at her, "This is the reason we don't abuse our strengths. Because we feel other's pain we hate inflicting it, only doing it when necessary. Because of this we don't hurt others for sport or pleasure or because we've had a bad day..."

Gourry suddenly laughed a hollow, gallows laugh. "What?" Aigen asked.

Relief washed through him. After his father would beat him or his siblings he would usually sit down and have a drink without being perturbed by his actions. The sight of his children lying on mats for weeks as they recovered from his brutality failed to move him. Aigen was right. And the fact that he was feeling bad was a tangible difference he possessed that differed from his father. "You're right. And it's just such a relief to know you are, that's all."

Aigen smiled as she patted him on the back, "Come on, you did well. And they should be serving dinner soon."

The relief had so completely displaced the fear he had been feeling that his appetite returned with a vengeance. He straightened to follow her to the hall. "Aigen," he said quietly, debating whether or not to ask the question that had been bothering him the closer he came to coming of age, "Have you ever had to kill someone?"

If she was offended by the question she did not show it. "I have."

"What was is like?" he asked quietly.

He noticed how she tensed slightly, and when she spoke it was very deliberate, "It's not pleasant. At times it's unavoidable, though I suppose you're always going to wonder if it could have been avoided. One time I had to kill a duchess who had developed a taste for abducting and murdering children from the village. She believed that bathing in their blood would keep her young. There was nothing I could do then, if I even tried to have her locked away the Emperor would have campaigned for and secured her release. That duchess's brother is the Emperor's closest friend. I don't lose too much sleep over that one.

"But then there are times where it's less clear cut. Sometimes you have to make a decision so quickly and then you find out something later that you wish you knew at the time, but it's not worth going down that path. We can't change the past, we just have to work on doing better. And bear in mind at all times that taking a life is not to be taken lightly."

Gourry was silent as he thought about what she said as she put a companionable arm around him, "Enough about that. I noticed that you and Ardla were rather chummy at lunch."

He blushed a little, "Yeah, we're getting along well." He admitted as she smiled and made odes to young love as they made their way to the dining hall. He ate hardily, and then went down to the village for a few hours to visit Nes and his family, before returning to Gungini Hall for his night exercises and before going to bed.

He lay awake in bed for several minutes after he woke the next morning, his pulse racing and his senses open for anything threatening or dangerous. But he was safe in the dormitory along with his dorm mates. He exhaled in relief. Nine years had passed since he had settled in Gungini Hall, but still the dream of being chased by his father through the dunes plagued him when he least expected it. He inhaled deeply, relaxing further as he thanked his lucky stars that none of his dorm mates had woken. But his stomach was hurting.

Slowly he got up and went to the window and looked out at the sky to get a bearing on how long he had until the morning bell sounded. By the position of the stars he determined that he had an hour. Deciding that it would be pointless to go back to bed only to have to wake up in a few minutes he instead made his bed and dressed. One of the first things he had learned after coming here was how to get dressed in full armor in under five minutes. He ran a hand through his hair and grabbed his sword and quietly made his way to the hallway.

Only the youngest of his dorm mates stirred as Gourry left. One of the things that surprised Gourry when he arrived at Gungini Hall was how few trainees there were. While it was highly desired, it was also highly unusual to successfully birth one. When Gourry had arrived he was one of twelve trainees. Now he was one of fourteen. The boys stayed in one dorm, the girls in the other. There were two other rooms that were used as dining rooms, meeting rooms, or classrooms depending on need. It wasn't much, but it was the largest building Gourry had ever been in.

Gourry went outside and felt himself relax as he breathed in the clear morning air and went through the calming motions with his sword as he wondered why he would have the dream now. Dawn broke and the bells rang, and Gourry headed for breakfast. It was their free day, so there would be no classes. He alternated weeks between spending one free day wandering through the town with his friends and other weeks spending the day with his family. This week was a family week.

He got there just as they were finishing breakfast and his cousins were heading off to work. He talked to Nes for a bit before he left for errands, and then entertained Adena and made her lunch. It was late in the afternoon while eating apples on the porch with her that he noticed a familiar footstep down the road. But the smell was confusing him. It was at once familiar and foreign. "Wait here." He told her as he stood up and started to walk down the road, wondering why Pollock would come here.

"Gourry!" Pollock said as he became visible and opened his arms wide for a hug. Beside him Gourry saw a young teenager and, though he had not seen him in years, he was able to deduce that it had to have been Mills, "You have grown! I wouldn't have recognized you if you didn't look so much like Gunther. Except you're a good deal taller than him now."

Gourry gave him a hug, "How are you?"

"Well! And would you recognize Mills?"

"I'm not the only one who's grown taller." Gourry said as he gave his younger brother a hug. It felt exhilarating to see them again, but it was also nerve wracking. People didn't travel in the Elmekian Empire without good reason. "How are things in Biar?"

"Business is booming. Did you know you're an uncle now?" Pollock asked as Gourry shook his head as they continued to the hut. No one in his family could write and Nes had not traveled to Biar since he had taken Gourry. Pollock continued, "Officially I've got four daughters and am hoping the one coming in the fall is a boy. Unofficially there are a few more. For whatever reason everyone but my damn wife can produce a son!" He added with a grin as Gourry felt his respect for Pollock crumble. Whatever else his father had done he had been faithful to their mother. The cruel way Pollock talked about his wife was nauseating, "Fyla has one of each and was due to deliver another when I left. And Gunther had a son."

"Wow!" Gourry said, "Things sure have seemed to change since I left."

"They have. You wouldn't recognize Biar. Did you hear we found a diamond mine? We have actual buildings there now!" Gourry looked at Pollock's clothing, noting the cut and material. He sure had seemed to move up from the plain homespun clothes he had known all his life. He even wore jewels on his jerkin! "My goodness, this must be Adena!" he exclaimed as they reached the hut.

Adena looked warily at Pollock who opened his arms wide in greeting. He laughed at her puzzled expression, "Well, of course you wouldn't remember me! You were just a small babe when you left. I'm your oldest brother, Pollock!"

Adena looked questioningly at Gourry, who nodded. Cautiously she let him hug her. "You smell funny." She said.

"Adena." Gourry said.

"It's the tobacco. Do you want to try some, Gourry? We've established a trade route and it's the best thing to come through it."

"No," Gourry said. If the smell was that overpowering he didn't actually want to inhale it. But at least it explained why Pollock smelled different.

"Are you another brother of mine?" Adena asked Mills, "You look a lot like Gourry did when he was younger."

"Yes, I'm Mills. Didn't Gourry tell you about me?"

"A little." She answered truthfully.

Gourry looked at the sky. He still had lots of time before he had to be back at Gungini Hall, "Why don't you come in and have a drink? Nes is out I'm afraid, but he'll be back before nightfall."

"I'd love a drink." Pollock said.

As they entered the hut Gourry explained, "Jula, Ketcher and Nona are in town. Jula started a business and Nona helps her a lot and Ketcher was apprenticed to a glassblower. Usually they stay late with their friends before returning."

"Jula will be eighteen soon." Pollock said pointedly as Gourry grabbed some glasses and found the ale.

Gourry knew he was referencing her intentions about the Sword of Light. "You'll have to talk to her about that." He said as he poured the ale into three glasses.

"Can I have some?" Adena asked.

"Nice try." Gourry said as he easily put it on the tall shelf and out of her reach.

"I can levitate now!"

"Nes is going to rue the day he took you to that guild." Gourry muttered as he found some milk and poured her a glass.

"Guild?" Pollock asked, "Sorcerer's Guild?"

Gourry shrugged, "She has a knack for it apparently. Anyway, what brings you out here?"

Pollock drank the whiskey in one gulp, "Bad news I'm afraid. About a week before I left Mom collapsed. She's alive, but Aunt Anga says it's only a matter of time."

Gourry looked at the drink in his hand, downed it, and sat down, feeling weak. "Oh." It was all he could think of to say.

"I know your training is important, but surely you can take off some time to…"

Gourry waved his hand, "It happens. I've seen it. I can take the time."

Gourry just wasn't sure how he felt about going home.

"Can I come too?" Adena asked.

Pollock grimaced, "Sorry kid."

"Why not?"

Pollock looked at Gourry, who struggled to find a way to explain, "It would hurt her too much to see you because she couldn't raise you."

"But why couldn't she raise me?" Adena asked. While Gourry had tried to explain countless of times in a way that wouldn't hurt her, she never seemed satisfied with the answer.

Gourry pulled her into his lap and gave her a hug, "She was old and tired, and she knew you'd have a lot more fun with Nes and me."

"And once Mother dies, Father wants you to come home, you know." Pollock said.

Gourry stiffened as Adena asked, "What about Dad?"

"Dad?" Pollock asked, confused, "You mean Nes? Is he trying to take…"

Gourry put a hand on his arm, "Adena insists on calling him 'dad.' Nes tried to discourage it, but he's raised her since she was a baby so it's natural for her to think of him that way."

Pollock looked livid as Mills said, "She has a father! It wasn't his fault that Mother…"

Gourry placed a gentle hand on Mills' arm, "Come on you two, you know Nes, he wouldn't try to take Father's place."

"He should have beat it out of her as soon as she started with that nonsense!" Pollock yelled, and Adena slowly backed away into the corner. "And if I hear her do it again, I will!"

Gourry moved between them, "There's no need for that. And Nes is her guardian and this is his house and he does not approve of giving beatings, and you will respect that."

"I'm her blood, I have more sway over her than some old friend! Especially one who hasn't been instilling the proper respect in her!"

Gourry felt his blood pound through his veins as his heart rate accelerated and he saw that same fearsome rage burning in Pollock's eyes that he so often saw in his father's. But he was no longer that small, frightened child. Hell, he was taller than even Pollock now! And he knew how to defend himself.

But before it even got to that point the door opened and Nes walked in. Adena ran to him and wrapped her arms around him possessively, "They want to take me from you!"

Nes placed an arm around her, "Do they now? Is it safe to assume your mother is unwell?"

"Unwell?" Pollock mimicked, "She's dying!"

Unperturbed by the hostility in Pollock's voice Nes set some packages on the table, "I am saddened to hear it. It would seem that there is much to discuss. And you two must be exhausted from your journey. Have a seat while I prepare some food. Gourry, why don't you take Adena into town and fetch your cousins?"

Gourry could think of a million reasons why not. One of the top being that in all the time he had known Nes, he had never seen him lift a hand to defend himself, nor had he ever instructed another in sword play. Seeming to read his mind Nes put a gentle hand on his shoulder, "I will see you in a few hours."

Gourry took a deep breath and put a hand around Adena's shoulder and guided her out. Once they were far enough away to not be overheard she asked nervously, "Do you think Dad will make me go with them?"

"Nes won't leave you." Gourry said. Of that much he was sure of. Even if Adena had to return to Biar he was sure that Nes would stay close. But he was less sure that he would be able to protect her from his father's rage. Gourry felt his stomach twist in knots. Never before had he considered the possibility of his mother dying and Petri wanting to reclaim her. And if she went to Biar he wouldn't be able to go with her. He had his training to complete, and after that missions to attend to. The thought of her suffering through their father's brutality chilled him to the core.

"Was he serious about beating me?" she asked.

"Neither Nes nor I won't let him." Gourry said.

She was quiet for a moment, her expression contemplative, "Is that why she gave me up? To protect me so they wouldn't beat me?"

Gourry's eyes widened as he wondered where she had drawn that conclusion. But after his initial shock cleared, he quickly realized it would be kinder for her to think that than the truth. He was about to tell her that it was exactly that that compelled their mother to give her up, but then he thought better of it. If she had to go home she would quickly find out the truth, that she was a reject, and from someone who cared about her feelings a hell of a lot less than he did.

He wrapped an arm around her and squeezed her gently as he took a deep breath and failed to swallow the lump in his throat away. His mouth was dry as he wondered where to start, how best to break it to her, and realized that even doing it in the kindest manner he knew how it was still going to hurt.

"Nes kept warning me that something like this was going to happen, that I was going to have to start thinking about whether or not I wanted to assert my right to the sword." Jula said quietly, "But I just couldn't see how it would all come crashing into my life like this again."

Gourry walked beside her while Ketcher walked on her other side. Behind them Nona was attempting to console Adena, who had been in a morose mood since Gourry had explained the circumstances of her birth. "Pollock was trying to figure out what you wanted to do about the sword." He said.

Jula exhaled. "Well, I hate that that man has it. And if my mother knew I was even thinking about rolling over and letting him keep it, it would kill her all over again. But I've got a good business going here, and Lex asked me to marry him! And really, what am I? A young shopkeeper and whatever talent our family has had with the blasted weapon missed me completely. I'm not a fighter."

Gourry put a hand on her shoulder, remembering how after they had arrived at Gungini Hall Nes had attempted to arrange to have Jula and Ketcher instructed in swordplay, but neither wanted anything to do with it. Both put their full efforts into eking out a life in a new town and forgetting as much as they could about the sordid circumstances that led to their self-imposed exile. "I don't think anyone would blame you for not wanting to go back."

"I worry about what that man is doing though, especially after what you told me about Pollock."

"But maybe it's not that bad, though." Ketcher said. "I mean, we keep thinking these horrible things, but may be he's settled down now that he has everything."

"That's a very childish way of thinking." Jula said as she folded her arms across her chest, "He's evil, and considering the lengths he went to get the sword I'm sure he's doing even more vile things now!"

"Maybe it's good that Gourry has to go to Biar then." Ketcher persisted. "He can see how it is, let us know what's going on. And if it's not too bad, we can leave it be. But if he's being a tyrant, then maybe we should figure something out. I mean with Nes and then Gourry's skills, I'm sure we could figure out a way to get it."

Gourry's stomach was now aching so badly he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to tolerate dinner. What if his father really was horribly misusing the Sword of Light? Could he really fight him over it?

"We can't ask Gourry to fight his own father for it!" Jula protested, "No, if he's misusing it I'll have to figure out how to get it on my own."

But Gourry knew that her odds of succeeding were nil. Fighting his father over a sword was the last thing he wanted to do. But Jula and Ketcher were right. If he was abusing the townspeople with it Gourry couldn't let it continue. A sense of resentment grew within him as he wondered how he could fight for the Sword of Light without becoming his father.

"I'll let you know how things are in Biar." Gourry said quietly, "And if I need to, I will fight beside you."

She patted him on the back, "Your word all I need and nothing more. If you say I need to act, I will, if not, then I'll forget everything about Biar. I mean, if I can't trust you to do the right and moral thing, who can I trust?"

Together Lina, Nes and Adena got Gourry on the bed. Lina swiftly chanted a light spell noting how pallid and sweaty he was. Her eyes trailed to the blood soaked bandage that covered his right hand and she feared just how bad it was as Adena lifted his feet. Nes started to unwrap the bandage, and as soon as he removed the cloth and unwrapped it Lina felt the air go out of her.

"What did they do to him?" she hissed.

"They tried to cut his hands off." Nes explained calmly as he examined the wound. "He's a better swordsman than the rest of them."

Lina shook her head as she stared at his mangled wrist, just barely connected to his arm, and felt sick. While she could save him she wouldn't be able to save his hand. If Amelia or Sylphiel had been there one of them might have been able to, but Lina was doubtful that even then there was anything to do save regrow it, which took time. Lots of time, "This is beyond my abilities."

Lina looked at Nes and tried to get a read on his abilities. He wore simple robes that didn't give much away. Under her light spell Lina could now detect the faint resemblance to Gourry that Adena shared. It wasn't as overpowering as that between Gourry and Mills, but it was there in the curve of her nose and the shape of her lips. The way Adena dressed indicated she knew some magic, possibly shamanist, but she did not have the aura of a powerful white magic user. Nes continued to stare at the wound and finally said, "I can heal him, but it's too late for that hand. I'm going to have to sever it completely and then regrow a new one."

Lina looked at him skeptically, "You can regrow limbs?"

"Yes." Nes said calmly as he reached into his robes and pulled out a bag.

"That's not something that the average person walking through the woods can do." Lina continued. "Besides, even in Saillune, it takes a lot of time and…"

"I know a few tricks that are not known even in Saillune." Nes replied as he got out a thin knife and some vials of potion.

Lina was feeling uneasy. Gourry had said that Nes and Adena were friends, but he was also suffering from a severe loss of blood when she found him. What if this was a trap? Nes grabbed a towel and set Gourry's arm on it. He grabbed the vial and shook it. "What's that?" Lina asked accusingly as she grabbed Nes' arm to prevent him from administering it.

"Something to help him fight off infection." Nes replied casually, thoroughly unaffected by her hostility. He handed it to her but Lina did not reach out to take it.

Should she try to run with Gourry? No, with their combined weight it would be impossible for her to levitate quickly enough for them to get away. Besides, the longer he went without any care the more likely he was to bleed out and die.

And if they really wanted to harm him they would never have let him get to her, would they? She struggled to listen to what her intuition was telling her, but she could not hear it over the chaos of confusion of the situation she had found herself in.

"I'm afraid I don't have the time I need to gain your trust." Nes said as he forced the vial into Lina's hands and carefully positioned Gourry's arm on the bed. "If I don't do this now the consequences could be dire."

Lina felt unusually paralyzed as Nes precisely severed Gourry's hand. While Lina didn't know enough to pull it off herself, she could tell that he knew what he was doing and possessed a surgical skill that whoever first attempted to hack it off did not. She held the vial he had given her tightly as he started to chant a spell. Lina's eyes widened. It was not the typical resurrection spell! In fact, she had only known one person who used that spell.

Does that mean that Nes is…?

Feeling more secure that she could trust Nes she leaned over and lifted Gourry's head and poured the vial into his lips. He swallowed reflexively. As she moved her hands away she could not help but stroke his hair before moving them back to her side. It was a move that did not go unnoticed by Adena.

"Is that something you do often?" she asked.

"Huh?" Lina asked as she watched as a white light encompassed Gourry's wrist.

"Stroke his hair?" Adena asked before she proceeded to launch a series of questions in a quick, lightning fast manner leaving Lina feeling as though she was being interrogated. "Are you two close like that? You've been traveling with him for a long time, right? I mean, are you my sister-in-law? Or going to be?"

Lina turned bright red, "I think we have more important matters to sort out! Starting with who did this!"

"Gunther." Adena said as though it should be obvious.

"And just who is Gunther?" Lina asked.

"Wow, you were serious when you said Gourry never talks about his family! Glad to know it wasn't just me he left out. I guess nothing much has changed, he never talked about them much growing up. To answer your question Gunther is our brother."

Lina shook her head as she struggled to figure out who was who in the strangely complex family drama she had found herself thrust into. No wonder Gourry had left home and never talked about the place! "Just how many brothers do you have?"

"Four. Well, full blooded anyway. Father started a new family after Eica died. Gunther, Gourry and Mills. And Pollock, but he's dead."

Pollock. Lina was silent for a moment as Nes continued to chant, "Is it true that Gourry killed him?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Adena replied cryptically, "There are so many stories about what happened. The truth changes depending on who you talk to. Make no mistake, though, even if Gourry did it, Pollock had it coming to him."

Lina felt her stomach flip as she watched as the stump that was now Gourry's hand started to grow and expand and take the form of a new hand. Adena talked about fratricide as casually as one would changing the bed sheets. "Wow," Adena said softly as she saw the expression on Lina's face, "He really didn't tell you anything, did he?"

"He told me that his family was fighting for it and he stole the Sword of Light to stop the fighting." Lina said, feeling strangely desperate to show that she knew something.

"Well, that's the short version sure enough." Adena confirmed, "But I guess you're wanting the full, gory details. Hmm, where should I start?"

"I noticed you didn't eat breakfast." Lina said quietly so as not to wake up Gourry or Adena.

"I don't have much of an appetite. Go on and get some rest." Nes said quietly.

"Not that I wouldn't mind a good sleep," Lina said casually, "but I never do when an enemy might attack. When this is all over I'll probably crash for a day or so. Just ask Gourry when he wakes up. Anyway," she said, her voice becoming more serious, "That spell you used to regenerate his hand, I've only heard one other person use it."

"Have you?"

"Yes, someone we've traveled with on and off. His name is Milgasea. Do you know him?"

"I do." Nes said quietly.

"It's not everyone who knows him." Lina continued. "We first met when I decided to visit the Kataart Mountains to ask to see the Clair Bible."

"That was rather brazen of you." Nes observed.

"There were extenuating circumstances." Lina said as she stretched. "So, how do you know him?"

"He's my uncle." Nes said quietly.

"So you're a golden dragon!" Lina pounced.

"I've been found out. Is that why you decided to trust me?"

"Yeah, I couldn't reconcile a golden dragon using tricks and deceit just to hurt him."

"It seems you are very protective of him."

Lina stiffened as she started to ramble, "Well, we're partners you know. I mean, he says he's my guardian or whatever, but really I'm always having to look after him and…"

Lina was cut off as Gourry started crying out in his sleep as he thrashed around the bed, nearly knocking her off of it. She grabbed him firmly by the shoulders and yelled, "Wake up!"

Nes and a newly awoken Adena stood beside her as his eyes shot open and he took in where he was and who he was with before noticeably relaxing. Adena moved forward, pushed Lina out of the way and hugged him. "You came." He said quietly.

"We would have years earlier." Adena said, "But Gunther had people tailing us. We couldn't risk bringing them to you. When we heard he was going to pull this, though, we knew we had to act."

Gourry patted her on the back, and then pulled away abruptly and looked at his hand. "Not even a scar! And my calluses are gone."

"I had to amputate the old one and regrow your arm." Nes said quietly, "I'm afraid you're going to have to earn new calluses."

Gourry exhaled as he stared at it, "Better that than being without it. How have you been?" he asked as he pulled Nes into a firm embrace.

Nes patted him on the shoulder as he pulled away, "We have been doing well."

Gourry smiled at Adena, "You've grown so much! I guess I still thought of you as a little girl."

She glared at him, "Sounds like you didn't think about me too much! Did you even tell her that you had a sister?"

"Well, thinking about you was just too painful." He said quietly. "I missed you so much but there was no way I could see you, and it was just less painful not to think about you, or what happened."

"What did happen?" Lina interjected, her arms folded across her chest, her expression unreadable.

"Did Mills hurt you?" Gourry asked.

"I'm fine." Lina said, "But I'm pissed. Why didn't you tell me what was going down?"

"I panicked." He said quietly.

"That's not like you." Lina said.

His face became stony. "Well, what do you want to know?" he asked, his voice resigned.

Lina glanced at Adena, "Well, she filled me in on the sordid details, so I understand what went down and who the major players are. I guess right now we need to figure out the best way to send them packing."

He relaxed a little. Had he really ducked out of having to talk about it? Or would Lina grill him as soon as they took care of Gunther? He looked into her eyes, so set and serious but burning with anger and became nervous. Oh, she was going to grill him good when this was over!

But then, there was a measure of comfort in knowing that even after what had happened and after the knowledge of the horrible things his family had done, Lina was still here and ready to fight beside him. His heart warmed, and hope grew within him that he had not irreparably harmed things between them. And now Nes and Adena were back, and they didn't seem mad at him. Their support meant the world to him. And with them by his side, he knew that somehow things would turn out all right.