Gourry knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. It wasn't hard to figure out, especially with everyone always ramming the point home by making him feel like more of an idiot than he actually was. It didn't really bother him, though, even more so when it was Lina reinforcing the notion. In fact, when it was her, he actually kind of liked the attention. Glutten for punishment? Him? Nah. Where had that train of thought gone...? Oh, yes, there it is. While he wasn't altogether bright most of the time, Gourry more often than not got things more easily when the situation was serious. Like now, as they sailed for...what was the name of that island again? Puppypile? No, that wasn't it. Anyway, the swordsman was certain that something was eating at Lina, who was currently standing at the bow of the ship, staring off into space. For all the time he'd known her, which had been awhile, he'd never seen her zone out unless something heavy was on her mind. Trying to come up with a way to get her mind off her troubles, Gourry started the sorceress's way, frowning as he did so.
"Hey, Lina," he began, hoping to draw her attention. When she didn't respond he tried again. "Lina, wake up!" Still nothing. "Wow, Lina, never thought you'd miss a meal but...well, I'll try not to-eek!" Lina had just rounded on him, deadly glare in place.
"Don't you dare steal my food, Gourry!" She snapped, only to blink in confusion. "Wait, it isn't lunch yet." Her crimson eyes narrowed. "Gourry, did you just do something clever?" It was the swordsman turn to blink now.
"Who, me?" He asked innocently, trying to figure out if he had or not. "Wow, I guess so." Will wonders never cease? Lina sighed, sounding tired.
"So, what is it?" Her question only caused him to look at her blankly. "There must be some reason for you to be bothering me, right?" Gourry thought about it, then slapped fist to palm.
"Oh, that's right!" He exclaimed, as if having an epihany. "What's got you so down, Lina?" He asked, causing the sorceress to shift uncomfortably.
"well, nothing much," she muttered, Gourry frowning at her sternly.
"Lina, don't lie," he told her sharply, showing that rare streak of perceptiveness again. "You've been sighing and frowning and staring at nothing ever since we left port." Lina silently cursed, sighing again.
"You do realize that this will be one of hardest battles in awhile, right?" At his nod she frowned back at him. "I'm serious, Gourry, we could very well die on this little venture of ours." The swordsman crossed his arms over his breastplate.
"I won't let you die, Lina," he stated firmly, blue eyes filled with conviction. "Even if it takes my own life, I'll-ow, hey!" Lina had just hit him with her ever handy slipper.
"What makes you think I'd want to live if it meant you had to die, you fucking dumbass?" She shouted, not caring about the stares they were now drawing from the crew. "Don't you understand that I-" She suddenly cut herself short, turning away to hide a sudden blush. "Stupid, gods damned jellyfish." Gourry sighed softly, rubbing the red spot on his face where the slipper had struck.
"Hey, uh, Lina?" He querried, earning yet another sigh, this one sounding rather disgruntled, for his trouble.
"What is it, Gourry?" She asked in turn, half turning towards him as she spoke, blush handled at this point. The blond mercenary looked away for a moment, as if considering something.
"If...no, when we get back," he began, sounding almost timid, "Would you consider, maybe, going out to a meal with me?" Lina titled her head to the side slightly.
"Well, yeah, I imagine we'll all be starving having fought a likely epic battle against a very powerful mazoku," she agreed, only to become puzzled when he shook his head.
"No, I mean like, you know, just you and me," he clarified quietly, barely audible over the sounds of the ocean around them. Lina could only stare at him, stunned. Had he seriously just asked her out on a date?
"I, uh, erm." Smooth, Lina. "That is, I mean...come again?" Yup, real smooth. Gourry's cheeks turned a little red as he seemed to struggle for a moment.
"You heard me, Lina," he said, voice more firm this time. "So, what's your answer?" Lina floundered for several moments, then, mustering her courage, she prepared to answer.
"I-"
"Well, well, well...how very touching," a familiar, and highly unwelcome, voice interrupted her. Lina and Gourry looked up at the rigging of the foremast, where floated, you guessed it, Xellos.
"Xellos," Lina began harshly, hands coming up in preparation to attack, "What in the hell do you think you're doing here, showing up after what you've done?" The mazoku smiled his famous, irritating smile.
"Why, to give you all a friendly warning," he announced cheerfully, left eye opening a crack. "If you insist on following this course of yours, Miss Lina, you will truly become my enemy." The smile vanished, both eyes fully open now. "You don't want to be my enemy, Miss Lina." The sorceress scoffed, energy gather between her palms.
"The only thing you're doing right now is confirming we're on the right track," she spat, pointing that ball of energy his way. "Almost like you want us to find Wolfpack Island." Her scowl turned into a deep frown. "What's your game this time, Xellos?" The mazoku shook his head slightly.
"No game, not this time," he replied, his normally jovial tone absent as he began to float down towards the deck. "I can split your ship in half, if you like." Black energy crackled around his free hand. "Or would you prefer some kind of epic showdown between us?" Lina found herself growing confused by the mazoku's strange behavior.
"What's going on here, Xellos?" She lowered her hands, the energy dissapating. "You're not one to make cliched threats like this." Xellos smiled, a mere ghost of his usual expression.
"Perhaps I'm just trying to get my point across," he suggested, the energy he had been gathering fading as well. "Or maybe I've just become attached to you all over the years."
"A mazoku becoming attached to a bunch of 'mere humans'?" Zelgadis asked, he and Amelia having come up behind the General-Priest moments before. "Speak plainly for once in your existance, fruitcake."
"Very well, Zelgadis, here's the truth for you." The look he sent the chimera was absolutely chilling. "If you attempt to take back Claire from my master, you will all die."
"We would never fall to some evil being like you!" Amelia cried, pointing at him in a rather dramatic fashion. "You're threatening us like this because you're actually afraid of what we can do!" Xellos frowned at her, clearly unimpressed by her words.
"Cling to your delusions, princess, I could honestly care less." He turned to face her then, a sinister gleam coming to his lavender eyes. "But should you really be here when your kingdom is in danger?" Amelia paled.
"What do you know?" She demanded, taking a step towards him. "Tell me!" The smile returned, the mazoku's eyes drifting shut.
"That, as always, is a secret," he gleefully reminded her, wagging the index finger of his left hand back and forth. The princess charged him, fists raised.
"Visfarank!" She cried, swinging her now magically charged right hand at him, only for Xellos to simply up and vanish in his usual irritating style. "Come back!" She shouted at the empty air, only to receive no response.
"What do we do now?" Gourry asked, sheathing his sword once more. "I mean, if Seyruun is really in trouble, shouldn't we do something about it?"
"No," Amelia replied, letting her hands fall to her sides as she stared at the horizen. "I believe in my people, in my father." She wiped at her eyes stubbornly, Zelgadis offering her comfort in the form of a one armed embrace. "If there truly is any danger, they are more than capable of handling it."
"Well, if that's what you want to do," Lina murmured, looking back towards the bow once more. "Xellos as an enemy...I'm definitely not looking forward to making landfall, now."
0o0o0o0o0
Phil stood before his councilors and military commanders, expression grim as he heard the latest reports.
"Our scouts have reported a massive force gathering along the northern border of Kalmaart," one of the previously mentioned commanders stated, sounding as grim as Phil looked at the moment. "We don't know where such a large army suddenly came from but we do know this much: the Duke* had no hand in mustering them." Phil's frown deepened.
"Is there any other information regarding this mystery army?" He inquired, causing the commander to shift his weight from foot to foot, as if nervous.
"we think there are monsters among their ranks, such as lesser demons, my Prince," the man told him, clearly disquieted. Him and everyone else in the room after that statement.
"We must gather our forces at once in order to launch a preemptive strike against this threat," one of the other commanders said firmly, looking around the table at the others seated there. "We cannot allow them to defile our lands!"
"And leave Seyruun open to attack?" One of the councilers countered, shaking his greying head. "Don't be a fool."
"But we should at least marshal our armies," another pointed out reasonably. "We must be prepared in the event this force moves south."
"I agree, but it is not for us to decide," the remaining commander said simply, looking to Prince Phil. "What are your orders, your highness?" Phil considered the options, mulling it all over carefully.
"Double the guard at our northern border and have the remainder of our forces gather here," he ordered decisively, his tone leaving little room for argument. "Prepare the city for a prolonged seige and send word to our allies to inform them of this new developement." He seemed to simply radiated resolve, giving them all hope for victory in case things took a turn for the worst. "We will not let these monsters defile our kingdom!"
"Yes, sire!"
0o0o0o0o0
Zelgadis was currently staring at the ocean passing beneath the ship, leaning heavily against the guard rail as he did so. They'd been sailing like this for days now, with no clear end in sight. Frankly the tedium was starting to get to everyone aboard and he was no exception. How did one find an island that no one but mazoku know where it is? The captain and crew were less than happy to be risking their lives, while their rag-tag little band was starting to crack from the pressure. Well, except Gourry at any rate.
"Ignorance must truly be bliss," the chimera muttered darkly, straightening slightly to peer at the horizen. All anyone really knew of Wolfpack Island was that it was to the south and, obviously, inside the old barrier. At least they didn't have to search the entire ocean. Small comfort, as the current argument between Captain Morgan and Lina could attest.
"So, you expect us to just stumble upon the island?" Valeria snapped, clearly of foul temperment at the moment. "So much for the 'great and intelligent Lina Inverese'!"
"What the hell do you want from me, Captain?" Lina demanded, more than a little pissed herself. The journey thus far had been frustrating all around it seemed. "A map? Well too bad. BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHERE THE FUCKING PLACE IS!"
"Exactly!" The captain waved an arm, gesturing toward the vast expanse of ocean around them. "We could be out here months searching for it and never find it and I have half a mind to turn us around right now, orders be damned!"
"We're not abandoning Claire to the mazoku," Lina stated heatedly, tempted to Fireball the woman for even thinking of doing so.
"There's another thing," Valeria went on, taking a step toward the sorceress. "Why are we wasting time and risking our lives to save some girl even you know hardly anything about?"
"Because no one, not even a heartless bitch like you, deserves to be left in the clutches of the mazoku!" Lina shouted, clearly at the end of her patience, which is always limited to begin with. "She's likely being tortured for their amusement even as we speak!"
"And why should I care about that?" Valeria queried, expression cold as she spoke. "One life is not worth the expense of thirty or more dying in the process." Namely her crew and passengers.
"I don't even know why we're talking about this, considering that you don't have any choice in the matter," Lina said, almost conversationally compared to her earlier tone. "Given that the Crown Princess has ordered you to undertake the voyage, that is."
"I'm sure her father could be persuaded that a certain flat chested, stunted Dragon Spooker manipulated the princess into it in order to give the mazoku a hostage," Valeria said in reply, also as if talking about something other than she was. Treason, for those of you that hadn't clued in yet. Lina, of course, had heard the taboo words and was now seeing red.
"Flat? Stunted?" She muttered, her bangs hiding most of her face as she started to tremble slightly. "That's it! You're going down, you salty, bow legged sow!" She then proceeded to gather magical energy for an attack. valeria, meanwhile, was taking several steps back.
"H-hold on now," she tried reasoning with the fiery tempered sorceress. "You can't be...you'll take the whole ship down!" Lina only grinned ferally.
"Say whatever prayers you care to," she began menacingly, the energy in her hands reaching its peak, "because I'm sending you on a one way trip to see Davy Jones." Meanwhile, Gourry, who was at the bow of the ship again, pointed at something in the distance.
"Hey, what's that dark thing out there?" He asked, looking back ovr his shoulder...only to see Lina about to go ballistic. "Oh, shit on a shingle..."
*KABOOM!*
0o0o0o0o0
Zelas stared out from one of the towers of her palace, frowning slightly as she did so. An explosion had just occured in the distance, a wave of negative emotions that could be felt even from her vantage point following it.
"Hmm?" She crossed her arms under her breasts, her frown deepening. While the negativity was a nice after snack, the explosion represented something potentially troubling. "Xellos." The general-priest phased in next to her, bowing low in respect.
"Yes, mistress?" He asked, ready to serve as always. The mazoku lord half turned to face him, gesturing at the pillar of smoke that had replaced the explosion.
"What do you make of that, dear Xellos?" She asked him, an undecipherable edge to her tone. "It couldn't possibly be the humans I told you to warn off, could it?" xellos straightened, turning his head to...could you call it looking when his eyes were still shut? Anyway, his face was turned towards said pillar of smoke.
"It seems Miss Lina had an accident," he mused, free hand coming up to rub his chin in thought. "She really should control her temper better."
"Xellos," Zelas said sharply, drawing his attention back to her. "I told you to turn them away, correct?" He nodded. "Then what are they doing so close to my island?"
"It seems they didn't heed my warning," he replied casually, as if not perturbed by the look Zelas was currently giving him. "They are a reckless bunch, after all." Zelas sighed, a new habit of hers lately.
"What am I going to do with you, Xellos?" She shook her head slightly. "I'll just have to think up something to punish you with later...by the way, how is my new pet getting on?"
"Miss Claire should be quite comfortable at the moment, mistress."
0o0o0o0o0
Claire was currently sitting in a rather extravagant bath tub, feeling genuinely confused. After the "tests" had finally concluded, she'd been pampered like a princess...or maybe a well liked pet would be more accurate. Especially with the simple golden collar around her neck at the moment. Good food at meal times, which was now three times a day. Fancy clothes, which came with the fact Zelas liked to treat her as if she were a doll in dressing her up in them, and...this. The bath was just the right temperature and the scented soaps were wonderful. So here she was, taking a bath and feeling very, very confused. Just what the hell was going on? First they torture her with all the...tests and now this? Granted being pampered was a nice, more than nice, change but what was the mazoku lord planning? Surely all really evil people had plans, right?
"So what's hers?" Claire asked herself quietly, taking a moment to rinse the suds from her hair. "Lull me into a false sense of security?" Unlikely, given how torturous the tests had been. "And what happens when she stops enjoying having me as a pet?" That one was fairly obvious, unfortunately. The second she stopped being interesting, or what have you, she was dead. "Great..."
"I'm so glad you're enjoying your bath," came an all too familiar voice, startling the girl from her musings. It was Xellos, a towel held in his free hand, the other occupied by his ever present staff. Claire, under the circumstances, took his presence remarkably well.
"GET OUT YOU PERVERT!"
0o0o0o0o0
Fast forward five minutes and we find Claire dressed in a fluffy robe, glaring heatedly at Xellos, who was now sporting a nice lump from the soap tray the girl had thrown at him.
"Goodness, Miss Claire, you're starting to remind me of Miss Lina," the mazoku remarked, rubbing his head as if in true pain. Right.
"You popped in on me while I was bathing, what did you expect?" Claire snapped, showing more fire than she had in over a week. Xellos cracked an eye open slightly at this.
"And why should that matter?" He asked in turn, startling her with his cool tone. He started towards her, causing the girl to back up into the wall, his manner more than a little agressive as he hedged her in, hands on either side of her, blocking any escape. "You are simply a doll, after all." Claire's glare returned, though with a hefty mixture of fear to go with the anger this time.
"I'm no one's doll," she stated, her defiance sort of ruined by the trembling of her voice. Xellos smirked, both eyes open fully as he regarded her with a look bordering on sinister.
"Oh?" He leaned in closer still, nose inches from hers. "Do you require another demonstration of exactly what you are?" Claire couldn't help but flinch, the fear overtaking the anger. And yet...
"D-do your w-worst," she bluffed, bracing herself internally for what was surely to come. The mazoku grinned, showing his teeth.
"Certainly." With that he reached up...and gently ruffled her hair, causing her to nearly fall over in shock. "Good girl."
"Eh?" Seriously, what the fuck? Even I don't know where that came from. Ehem, anyway. Xellos chuckled, backing up a few steps.
"I was wondering how long you were going to mope around," the general-priest told her, his usual expression back in place. "Honestly, she was starting to become bored with you." She being Zelas, obviously.
"Why?" Claire asked him quietly, trying to slow her heart rate as she did so. "Why do you care?" He shrugged, one eye opening slightly once more.
"I wouldn't say that I 'care'," he began slowly, letting his eyelid drift back down again, "but you're far too interesting to simply die in such a boring manner." He turned as if to go, head turned so he could "look" at her over one shoulder. "So, keep that chin up and keep yourself alive...at least for the time being." Then he was gone, phasing out of sight. Claire slipped into a sitting position against the wall, shaky with relief.
"Now I'm really confused..."
0o0o0o0o0
Meanwhile, at the northern border of Seyruun...
Phillip considered himself a rational man and a level-headed soldier. What lay before him and the rest of the soldiers guarding the northern pass was far from rational and made him feel less than level-headed. A swarming mass of monsters, man-beasts and twisted men was making its way towards the keep that protected the pass leading into Kalmaart, looking ready to swallow them all whole.
"Steady men," their commander ordered, no, demanded, appearing not the least bothered by the army approaching their gates. "We are soldiers of Seyruun and do not falter in the face of creatures such as these, no matter their number!" Yes, that was right, they were soldiers of Seyruun, of their Prince, Philionel!
"Huzzah!" Was the resounding cry from Phillip and the rest of the soldiers defending the keep. If only they knew what lay in store for them.
Five hours later...
The keep lay gutted and burning behind the undiminished force of monsters and other beings in its midst. The commander hung from the shattered gate, once gleaming armor torn open and his heart ripped from his chest. Poor Phillip and so many others lay massacred, weapons broken and hope crushed moments before the end. And there, atop the crumbling battlements, stood a figure dressed in armor the color of bleached bone, wielding a sword made from some metal so black it seemed to absorb the light. Removing his dragon fresco-ed helmet, he was revealed to be none other than Victor, gazing at the destruction with a measure of satisfaction.
"Fear not, poor mortals," he said to the dead softly, sheathing his blade as he did so. "Your brethren shall be joining you soon." With that said, the dark, quiet man phased out of sight. War had come to Seyruun and it was starting to appear that it was one they could not win.
0o0o0o0o0
Amelia, Zelgadis, Lina and Gourry, along with Captain Morgan, floated above what was left of the merchant ship the latter had been captain of, the crew clinging to bits of hull in order to stay afloat. Lina, holding on to Gourry at the moment, chuckled feebly as the rest of their merry (right) band glared daggers at her.
"You're paying for this, Red," Valeria growled, Amelia and Zelgadis nodding in agreement. Lina groaned, imagining the amount it must cost to buy a ship that size.
"Why me?" She asked the heavens, which of course didn't have an answer for her. Well, not one she would have liked anyway.
OOC: and there we have it, another chapter done. Too over the top with the dramatics? Not enough dramatics? Let me know what you think.
*for those of you that don't know, Kalmaart is a Dukedom that borders Seyruun to the north.
