Chapter 10: Reunions
Amelia bit back another yawn and forced herself to keep her expression as calm and disinterested as possible as she watched her guard trade shifts with another. It's the start of night shift, she thought to herself. A new face this time. Young too. Perhaps they're growing more lax. From the time she awoke from her drugged stupor to find herself in a small stone room, one guard or another constantly blocking her only exit, and her magic dulled, Amelia had tried speeches, negotiations, and brute force in an effort to get out. Bruises and a mild magic-nullifying sedative tea were her rewards.
"Quit resisting," an elderly guard had told her as she struggled to her feet under the effects of the bitter tea, "and you wouldn't have to drink that sludge. Or at least not as much."
Her mind on the infant growing within her, the young queen ceased her struggles and attempts to escape. Lina-san will come for me, she was certain. It was just a matter of time. And time seemed to be something that she had plenty of at the moment. Smoothing out a few of the worst creases in her ruined gown, she bided her time to speak to someone other than her guards to find out just why she'd been captured and how long she'd been gone. She'd been in the tiny cave-cell for what she figured to be two full days and going into the third night based on the guard rotation.
"Excuse me," she finally called out to the young guard. When he studiously ignored her, his broad back toward her, the dark-haired woman rose stiffly from her wooden bench and moved to stand a short distance away from the youth. "What's your name?"
"Horst," was the gruff reply and Amelia grinned triumphantly.
"Well Horst-san, I'm Amelia. I just want someone to talk to a while, it's incredibly boring sitting in here alone without even a window." Taking the couple more strides to the wall a few feet from where the dark-haired guard stood, she carefully lowered herself to sit cross-legged on the floor, arranging her skirt comfortably around and beneath her. "Don't you ever find this boring? Standing there all night I mean."
It was several moments before the young man answered, tersely, "I don't get paid to be bored."
Amelia chuckled softly as if to herself and leaned back as comfortably as she could against the rough stone of the wall. "No, I suppose not. I wonder if my guards and soldiers from home feel the same? I will have to look into that when I do ever get home. I see no sigil on your arm, are you a soldier?"
"Not exactly," Horst snorted, amusement finally entering his growlish voice. "I'm a merc. And before you get any ideas," he began, giving her a quick glance from the corner of his eye, "I do know who and what you are. You cannot bribe me."
"I wouldn't dream of it, Horst-san. Loyalty is a valuable commodity and your employer is luckier than he knows for that," the Queen told her guard seriously. She meant it too. Too bad though, she mused. It would have been convenient had the youth had said something to the opposite effect. "I realize that you're probably not permitted or don't know why I was brought here." He grunted in response, so she continued as conversationally as she could manage. "But would you happen to know how long it took for me to be brought here? Wherever here is…"
Horst stood as stoically as if he were a statue for so long that Amelia was about to try another tactic to make the man talk when his answer was rasped as shortly as his few other sentences. "A week."
"Huh, that's a while. I could be nearly anywhere in the world," she mused softly, making sure her captor could hear. "I didn't expect it to be that long. Well, Horst-san," she addressed politely as she rose from the floor. "I'm tired. Doing a lot of nothing wears a person out nearly as much as being busy all day. Good night to you."
Her response was another grunt, though somewhat less gruff than previously. Allowing herself a small smile, Amelia moved over to the thin pallet they'd left for her bed and stretched out to make herself as comfortable as was achievable on the lumpy, smelly thing. With a deep, relaxing breath, she closed her eyes to ready for sleep and let her mind wander.
A week. On foot, that's still within Seyruun borders. By horse, we could be nearly anyplace on the continent. Magic… we really could be anywhere. Think, Amelia! She chided herself, forcing the worry and despair from creeping into her thoughts. Shifting to move off the hardened lump that dug into her hip, she refocused her attention. How would Lina-san or Zelgadis-san be working this out right now? Let's see. I'm not sure that magic, at least not strong magic was used because they wouldn't be worried about what I could do if there was someone that strong around here. At least, however I was transported it wasn't using a vast amount of magic. Not if Horst was being sincere about travel time and I think he was.
And when I woke up first, I wasn't sore at all. Groggy from whatever had been cast on me or drugged me, but I felt fine otherwise. Had I been transported by horse, I would have been so stiff from being hauled like a sack of oats. Even in a carriage, the rough ride still would have given me some aches. Amelia smiled to herself before schooling her expression back into relaxation once more. It was best the sentry thought her asleep. I was brought somehow on foot, or close to that pace. I'm near the border! I haven't heard of news of discontent from anywhere along Seyruun's borders, so just what is this attack all about? They – whoever they are – haven't demanded anything. Not money, information. Nothing.
Stifling another yawn, the young woman rolled onto her other side and allowed exhaustion take over. Perhaps I'll get answers in the morning.
- -
Filia stepped out from the tea shop, with a contented smile on her full lips. She was quite satisfied with the low price she'd paid for the specialty tea she'd tucked away already into a pocket and made a mental note to return here for the special blend the next time that she was in the area. "Zefilia always did have the best selection of herbs," she commented quietly to herself as she turned down the street toward the inn where she was staying.
Just as she rounded the corner, she caught a flash of crimson hair in the lantern light that lit the from of the inn against the darkening evening and paused reflexively to see if it was her old travelling companion but the figure was gone. Shrugging to herself, the Dragon priestess continued on inside the building towards her room. A familiar voice barely heard as she passed the doorway to the dining room caused her to stop again, however. "It can't be," she whispered, opening the door for a look.
There in the nearest corner to her, a bit to her left, was a table around which her friends were seated, as well as Luna Inverse and a couple of strange women. It was Luna that noticed her in the doorway and waved her over with a kind smile.
"Filia!" Lina greeted simply though she smiled widely in welcome. Everyone around the table added their greetings when she'd seated herself in an empty chair between Lina and Luna. "I didn't know you were in Zefilia. What brings you to this part of the world?"
"Just some shopping," Filia replied eagerly. It had been quite some time since she'd seen or heard anything from her strange group of friends and felt her smile widen with elation at the accidental run-in. "Val-dear offered to mind the store for me for a couple of days with Jillas and Grabos so I could have a break a quick visit with Luna-san. But this is wonderful to see you all again! Who are your new friends?"
"My name's Aisha," the young woman sitting quietly beside Zelgadis answered with a warm smile. The youth was very pretty with her jade-green eyes framed by long, chocolate waves of hair that disappeared behind her slight form. "You are a priestess, I heard. For the Dragons?"
Filia was slightly surprised that this stranger new just what she was. She hadn't expected her friends to explain about her and it took her a moment to answer. Noting the warm expression Zelgadis adopted when he glanced at the woman beside him, the Dragon relaxed; she was obviously very close to him and had earned the trust. "Yes. Pleased to meet you."
"Hi, you can call me Zellas," the stunning blonde seated on the other side of the Knight of Ceiphied cut in, extending her hand to Filia to shake. An almost feral smirk spread across her lips when the Dragon took the proffered hand in her own then yanked it back as if burned.
"You're a … a Mazoku!" Filia gasped. Anger mounting and extremely startled, she turned her gaze to Lina who merely sighed and shrugged. Getting no desired explanation from her young friend, she turned her attention to the girl's older sister seated on her right. "Luna-san! Surely you knew! How can you let … that sit here?"
"I am many things, admittedly, but I'm a not a 'that'," Zellas growled softly. "I'm sure that I told you to call me Zellas, little reptile."
Xelloss appeared standing next to Lina, just out of Filia's immediate reach and greeted them all with his usual cheery smile. Shrugging to the blonde Mazoku he said, "She's young." Ignoring the Dragon's indignant snort and his mistress' satisfied grin, he glanced around the table to let his gaze fall on the red-headed sorceress at his side. "Perhaps we have strayed from why we are here to begin with?"
"What did you find out?" Zelgadis demanded immediately, over-riding Filia's attempt to vent her anger verbally. Turning a gaze as hard as the glacial shards the color emulated on the Dragon priestess, the stone-fleshed chimera caused the woman's protests to stutter into silence. "Enough, Filia," he told her in low, dangerous tones. "This isn't the time for your personal vendettas against the Mazoku. I hate them nearly as much as you but that is for another time and place. Right now we're trying to rescue Amelia and I won't allow your lack of control over your mouth to jeopardize that. Am I clear?"
Filia could only nod slightly, too stunned for any other reply. It took her a moment to take note of the rest of their companions staring at Zelgadis, mostly in incredulity. Both the Mazoku, however, were smiling with obvious amusement, the blonde more-so that Xelloss.
Sure that she wouldn't interrupt again, for the time being at least, Zelgadis turned to the priest expectantly. "Well?"
"A small entourage passed through yesterday morning accompanied by what a few people around here said were some well-known sell-swords."
"That could be nothing," Zellas pointed out after eyeing the chimeric youth to her right speculatively for a moment.
"Zellas is correct," Luna added. She wasn't trying to hamper her sister's investigation, merely point out possibilities. "Mercenaries aren't uncommon in this area. You know that Lina."
Gourry shifted slightly in his seat and spoke for the first time in a long while. "But it's possible. We still need to look into it. We've sat around here for too long. And we were in town for a full day before you stopped us here. The longer we wait, the harder this is going to be."
Lina nodded at her guardian and turned her attention to the rest of the table's occupants. "Gourry's right. I'm sorry, Sis, but we've got to try. However Amelia was brought here, it wasn't by a sorcerer. But the way these things usually seem to go is that the lackey's hole up for a while waiting for their superiors who are typically a handful to deal with. I think that we may be too late to find her without a hell of a fight on our hands but we've got to do something. Now."
Luna watched her younger sister from beneath her long violet bangs for a long moment. The girl has changed, she thought. Where's the impetuous little runt? She's learned to look after the good things in her life. This is not a renegade child anymore. This is an impulsive woman, but a woman none-the-less. I suppose it's time to treat her as one. "Very well, Lina. But before you go, I wish to speak to you alone if you don't mind."
Lina immediately rose to follow her sister from the crowded room into the hall. Luna hadn't ever asked if she'd mind to do something before and the younger sorceress was wary of what to expect. "Yes, Sis?"
"You've grown up well, little sister. You seem to have straightened out your priorities for the most part. Mom would be proud." Lina's jaw sagged and Luna allowed herself to smile fondly at her sibling. "Just so you know, I've never hated you. I was hard on you, admittedly, but you toughened up enough to manage well on your own if need be. I don't apologise for that, but I just wanted to say that I would have liked for us to have been closer. My job is done here, there's nothing else that I can really teach you now. So I would just like to say… I love you still, Lina. I wish you the best."
Lina was too stunned to speak. It was the longest she'd heard her sister speak since before their parents died, and what the older woman had told her, shook the foundations of everything she'd ever thought about her. Lina couldn't like her sister just on a few words but a sense of wonder and belonging surged through her. "I wish you the best too, Luna."
Luna smiled happily as she wrapped the smaller woman in a tight hug. "Take care, Sis." Then she vanished.
The red-head took a deep breath as she tried to absorb the last few minutes. Calm once more, though she was still confused at the sudden change in her sister, Lina pushed her jumbled thoughts and emotions to the side and focused on Amelia once more. There were more important things that needed to be done besides dwelling on whether Luna had finally fallen off the deep end or not. Striding confidently back into the dining room, she smiled at her friends.
"Ready?"