Author's Note: Happy Halloween, everyone! And welcome! :) I am ecstatic to publish my first ever long multi-chapter Slayers fanfic!

As of late, mystery shows/classic novels (such as Father Brown, Hinterland, Wuthering Heights, The Woman in White, Rebecca, etc.) have inspired me to write a drama mystery myself. And what better way than to combine two of my greatest loves on Halloween night?

I have been toying with plotting out this story since spring and have finally decided to take a whack at it. I am both nervous and excited to write in new territory for our heroic misfits as well as share this story with you all. This story will have a good dusting of comedy (as there always is in The Slayers) and romance (traditional pairings i.e. Zelgadis/Amelia and Lina/Gourry). I will also be featuring a plethora of original characters integrated into the plot.

In keeping tradition with typically published novels, I will try my best to have chapters between 5,000 to 8,000 words max. I cannot promise how often updates will be provided, but I will try to follow a schedule of sorts.

GENRE: Drama/Mystery

PG13 CONTENT: Rated T for adult situation, minor language, violence, descriptive imagery, and crude humor.

DISCLAIMER: The Slayers © Hajime Kanzaka, Funimation, and J.C. Staff. Any original characters belong to me.

And many thanks to my beta reader's continuous support! :) You are a ray of positivity and encouragement, my friend. I couldn't do this without you. And of course, thank you, my readers, for reading. Enjoy the start of this spooky tale! Mwah! ;)

Troubled Waters

Chapter 1

Beware

"Dill brand!"

BOOM!

"That should be the last of them!"

Once again, the spell had worked its wonders.

A trail of raging soldiers was left paralyzed and fried from the epic blow. Farewell, Dabuon!

Fleeing the outskirts of the city, Lina tightened her grip on the reins and thrusted a sturdy slap onto the horses. Beside her sat Gourry, fighting the uneven terrain of the dirt road to remain balanced. The bumpy ride nearly caused him to slip from his seat; but much thanks to his sword-fighting skills, his swiftness was enough to catch himself before tumbling into a cloud of swerving dust.

"Can't believe we got out of there with all this ice cream!" the swordsman exclaimed as he straightened himself up in his seat.

"I can't believe we got away unscathed. Period."

The voice originated from the back of the wagon, buried among plentiful clumps of hay. Hungering for air, Zelgadis's lungs were blessed with oxygen. Straws of the dried grass stuck from his wiry hair, his displeasure of having to ride in the back lividly exposed.

"You nearly destroyed a fraction of the city," he lectured to the sorceress. "So much for being subtle."

"It's not like they made it easy for me," Lina replied, glancing at Zelgadis, before turning her attention back onto the road. "Besides, Phil should know better. If he wanted to taste Ralteague's ice cream for himself and know what has been going on behind closed doors, then he should have been aware we'd manage to ruffle a few feathers."

"Oh. I thought Zelgadis was going to say because you were involved Lina, then, of course, there'd be destruction," Gourry piped up.

"True," the chimera nodded. "To both I mean."

Lina narrowed her eyes at her male companions. What did they expect? Sneaking around would lead to trouble one way or another. Considering how careful they were, Lina was proud of what they had uncovered… and managed to get away with.

"But I think Phil was after a sample," Zelgadis reminded, staying on topic. "Just a sample. Not gallons!"

All they needed to do was go and purchase a single vanilla ice cream cone, place it inside Seyruun's newly invented traveling cooler, and be off on their merry way. Well, that was the original plan until Lina had suggested a more 'sufficient way' to enact their deception. The proposal was an underhanded attempt at sneaking into the shop, to see the process of the ice cream's path from conception to birth. As ridiculous as the entire mission was, Zelgadis couldn't argue with her. There was a concrete sense in seeing how Ralteague ran their processing of the cold goods from the inside. After all, with talk growing on the comparison of Seyruun versus Ralteague ice cream (and how eerily close the taste was) it was only fair to investigate. Not that is was a crime to make ice cream… but copyright was. If they had stolen Seyruun's secret recipe than they deserved to be snuffed out.

But to steal gallons worth of ice cream... that wasn't on the itinerary. Nor was making a scene. Hence: greed triumphed subtly.

"We need something to nourish us on the way back to Seyruun," Lina argued. She wasn't in the mood and would never be for any rabbit or squirrel strew as much as Gourry boasted about his grandmother's prized recipes.

"Besides," she continued with a playful grin, "it gives us a chance to refresh our palates."

"I thought the ice cream was pretty good," Gourry interjected.

"Yeah, but as good as Seyruun's ice cream?" Lina emphasized.

A thoughtful hand stroked the swordsman's chin, as if there was a dire matter calling for deep thinking. "Hmm... That would require another tasting," he decided.

Lina smiled and looked over her shoulder. "See? What did I tell ya, Zel?"

Zelgadis scoffed. "I just hope Phil finds your reasoning as comical as you two do."

Knowing Phil, he probably would. Admittedly, without shame no doubt, Lina had intended on keeping one of those barrels of ice cream for herself and Gourry. There was another for Phil to sample, to test, whatever he wanted to do with it. The extra barrel was merely a reward for their efforts. And, aside from Gourry, she didn't plan on sharing it with anyone else either.

Not that Lina was concerned of Zelgadis helping himself to dessert while riding in the back. He was a rather finicky creature when selecting his meals, and when he did eat, it was an often-rare occurrence. She wasn't sure if it was just the lack of a ravenous nature or his chimeric state at works, altering his basic human functioning. Sarcastically, Lina surmised he had absorbed enough nutrition from the sun's beating rays that day to equal the respectable amount of food consumption a normal human body required.

"Relax, will ya?" she waved, unmoved by her friend's rising anxiety. "No one in Ralteague is going to think we did this for Phil. The soldiers are way behind us now anyhow. With the horses we'll be in Seyruun by tomorrow."

"You missed the road to Seyruun a few miles back because of those soldiers!" Zelgadis griped. "Now, what are we going to do? It'll take us twice as long to get back and I've been away from Seyruun long enough as it is."

As of late, he had done some diplomatic errands for Prince Phil in between investigating leads into his cure. Upon his return to Seyruun, he was whisked away yet again. Lina and Gourry had answered a letter from Phil, who requested Zelgadis tag along. His keen eye for observation was to be used, among being the sensible voice of reason. Normally, he wouldn't have minded only it was that he was dog-tired from his previous journey and that he was expected to leave in the middle of the night. He hadn't even gotten to see Amelia nor wish her goodbye, who was looking for him the following morning… Not that he knew indefinitely. He simply assumed. Not that he cared or anything…

"I'm sure there's another path to Seyruun, Zelgadis," Gourry said optimistically. His inner child was indulged as a butterfly fluttered by. He smiled. "In the meantime, we can enjoy a little extra scenery."

"Gourry's right, Zel," Lina concurred, to ease his already dispositioned peeved state. "There's nothing to get all worked up about. Before you know it, we'll be in Seyruun and you'll go back to following Amelia everywhere."

"I don't follow her everywhere out of habit or fun if that's what you're implying," Zelgadis snapped. "I'm her bodyguard. It goes with the paycheck. I have to get paid somehow."

"Phil must be giving you some pretty hefty paychecks to get you to stick around," she continued with a sly grin. And she'd elbow him with an all-knowing look if her arms could magically reach that far back. She hadn't discovered a spell for stretching body parts at incredible distances yet.

Zelgadis looked down. He wasn't going to complain. Phil had provided him with quite the banquet of accommodations. Knighted, he was ensured with a replacement magically infused sword, his own room, a regular monthly payment (of course), and a black stallion, whom he named Magnus. Spending time with Amelia was a bonus. A tedious one at times given her schedule and responsibilities but she herself was never a bother.

"The benefits are adequate," was all he said. Another thud against the road set him into a tizzy of irritation. "And will you slow down?" he snapped, grappling the side of the wagon. "We're a reasonable distance from the city now."

Zelgadis's attention broke by the sound of sloshing liquid behind him. Twirling, he quickly tore through layers of loose hay, only for his glove-covered hands to be saturated in a sweet-smelling sticky substance. He made a face and waved his hands, shaking off wet strands of hay. He soon discovered long-running drips of cream leaking from wooden barrels.

"Uggh," he groaned in annoyance.

"What is it now?" Lina said from the front of the wagon, in a voice that resembled a fatigued mother over her fussy child's peculiarities.

"So much for carting around all this extra ice cream," Zelgadis grimaced.

"Why would you say that?"

"Because it's melting."

"What?!"

Hair stood up on the back of the sorceress's neck, her temper flaring like a heatwave across burned milky skin. At the sound of her cry, the horses halted, neighing and stamping their hooves wildly into the air. Swirls of dust circulated around them, ceasing Lina's tirade into a coughing fit.

Gourry quieted his coughs as he abandoned the stopped wagon, coming to the aid of the restless jumping horses.

"All right, all right. Whoa, boys!" the swordsman eased. Gentle fingers graced their foreheads, eventually calming their spooked nerves. Once the horses were pacified by his reassurance, Gourry chuckled, looking to his comrades as the dust settled around them.

"Guess Phil we'll have to try ice cream soup. Hey!" He snapped his fingers. "There's an invention I'm sure Ralteague hasn't thought of yet!"

A slit side-glance was given in the swordsman's direction. "More like stolen yet," Lina muttered, suppressing another cough.

She then lowered her head and scrunched it between her tense risen shoulders. She knew this would, inevitably happen. That was the risk of bringing home something that required immediate temperature control. The small sample was safeguarded but the barrels of ice cream were on their way out. Still, food failing to remain in its purposeful state…. It just seemed too wasteful! Considering how many spells she had cast to make their getaway Lina had worked up a well-deserved appetite.

"Oh, well," she eventually sighed, shrugging her displeasure off. "What can you do?"

Maybe the ice cream would turn to soup (or had already done so), but there was still a chance of preserving it for tasting purposes. As Zelgadis pointed out (in his own congenial way) she had been so focused on escaping the Ralteague officials she had missed the original path that would take them back to Seyruun. If she dared to turn around Lina was certain they would be met with swords, handcuffs, a few amateur flare arrows, and vigilante speeches of justice. Then again, Amelia was not with them, so perhaps the speeches wouldn't be too long-winded and flowery…. Still, it wasn't a risk the sorceress was willing to take.

With another slap against the horses, the driving commenced. Lina's eyes dashed from side to side, scanning the horizon up ahead. By this time, the horses' neighs had quieted incredibly as they rolled down the road, distancing themselves further from the city. As the galloping of hooves slowed so did their minds. Everywhere a pair of eyes turned was the witnessing of fading colors. Leaves dropped from the skies, their withering states decaying into muddy graves. Autumn was coming. Slowly, but surely. The days of extended sunshine, boiling temperatures, and flourishing flowers were starting to bid their goodbyes and would eventually, disappear altogether.

"There's gotta be a path somewhere coming up that will lead us back to Seyruun," Lina said to herself, still scoping the area. Her eyes then sparked with anticipation. "Look!" she pointed up ahead. "There's a path."

Across a trickling creek, was what may have been an answer to their prayers. The opening to the found path was a narrow black tunnel, shrouded by monstrous half-naked arms of trees and an unknown welcoming of ghostly quietness. There was no telling what lay ahead. But off to the side, a short distance away from the beguiling path, stood a weathered stranger.

Without declaration, Gourry helped, putting his keen eyesight to work. "Hey, there's a lady up ahead!" the swordsman proclaimed. "Why don't we ask for directions?"

Squinted amber eyes called for a quick examination of the oncoming presence. Swiveling like an owl's rotating head, showcased a woman. Against the sun's dimming rays, silver as starlight danced upon her head in curly disorder, her soul concealed behind tattered dark draping hidden beneath a crepe exterior of pronounced bones. Her eyes were comparable to sunken rocks in solidified mud, with lines of century-old trees below. A sharp perch settled at the center of her face and thin lips drooped as if etched in. A carved staff was clenched in her grasp, with what looked like a serpent's head sculpted on top. By looks alone, she was the type of person who must have been the inspiration behind: "I'd turn back if I were you".

"She doesn't exactly seem like the friendly type, Gourry," Lina deduced.

"You can't judge a book by its cover, Lina," Gourry wagged his finger. "If we thought that way about Zelgadis, we would have never talked to him and become friends with him."

"Thanks, Gourry," Zelgadis said sourly.

"I think you're forgetting how we met Zelgadis," Lina reminded.

If her memory served her correctly, which it did, Zelgadis relentlessly pursued them for the Philosopher's Stone (hidden inside an Orihalcon Statue); not inviting them out for tea and friendly mindless discussions of the weather. Aside from that important fact, neither she nor Gourry found themselves judgmental of Zelgadis's appearance. Curious perhaps, but not terrified. This woman on the hand, well, she looked terrifying. Not that Lina was afraid. If battling high-leveled monsters didn't scare her, then a creepy looking old woman was nothing to be concerned of…. Right?

She eventually sighed, seeing there was no other choice. "Well, I guess you make a point. Here goes nothing."

Worn wood beating against a rigid dirt road was prevalent to its audience. The wheels of the wagon moaned painfully with each slow foreboding turn. Drawing closer, an act of retaliation was at works. Above, high in the graying sky, a flap of ominous black wings led to violent swoops and dives inches away from unsuspecting heads. Lina was the first to look up, discovering a perturbed and temperamental raven. She ordered her comrades to duck for cover. Zelgadis protected his eyes with a raise of his arm as the instigator glided above his head.

He didn't understand what was happening; was this attack about territory or was it contaminated by a mad disease? As quick as it flew, the chimera felt sharp claws fail to nick his stone-like skin. Above his arm, Zelgadis furrowed, staring into eyes black as ink as if to imply a challenge would be a foolish choice on the bird's behalf. If it wasn't his silent warning for the bird to stand down and retreat, then it was the whistling that came from those thin lips. Still cawing at the trio, the raven flew to the shoulders of the woman, crouching itself down into her hunched aging shoulders.

Hobbling with her cane in hand, the old woman approached the wagon. Lina met her eyes and studied them. So, she had her own pet raven. How typical. Still, while she looked like the kind of person who would own ravens and at the same time, she also resembled the type to bake them into blood-filled puffy pies and feed them to unsuspecting weary travelers.

"Hey um, lady," Lina started carefully. Still on guard, she watched the raven from the corner of her eye. She swallowed uneasily. "Do you know if this path will get us any faster to Seyruun? We're kind of in a hurry."

The old woman fixed the redhead with a tight frown, gripping her cane with protruding bony digits and long stubby fingernails. "If you know what's good for you, you'd keep off that path," she advised, her voice rickety as an old rocking chair.

"Why? Are there wolves who inhabit the path or something?" Lina asked.

She knew both Ralteague and Seyruun had their own plentiful herd of cows (after all, how else would they be able to make their rivaling ice cream?). Wolves were the number one enemy when it came to herd animals. It seemed reasonable enough to deduce. And if that was the case, Lina had nothing to fear. She had experienced her fair share of wild animals and mystical creatures while traveling the globe. If there were no scheming monsters waiting to pounce, she had no hesitation in journeying onward.

"You'd wish," the old woman hissed between chipped stained pearls. She then motioned her head to the path. "Beware: he who betrays unparalleled eloquence shall suffer bedeviling penitence."

Lina made a face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you know what's good for you, you'd take heed of my advice," the old woman simply warned.

"How can we if we don't understand it?" Zelgadis remarked sharply.

Her pointed nose raised in their air, nostrils widening with a scrunch of her face. She scoffed under her breath. "A chimera man; don't see many of you often, do we, Ebony?" She somehow found this comical, chortling alongside the responsive bird's caw. She turned back to Zelgadis. "Tell me young man, do you believe in what lingers after death?"

Zelgadis wrinkled his nose, struggling to follow the chain of discussion. The offhanded comment about his appearance was enough to drive him into a tizzy. Nonetheless, he set it aside and just shrugged.

"Depends on what you're insinuating; are we talking about literal ghosts or the remnants of repercussions of the hereafter?" he retorted.

She released a smirk. "That's for you to decide."

With a confused and frustrated shake of her head, Lina acted on Zelgadis's behalf. Was this a scare tactic out of perverse fun? The ramblings of a twisted delusional individual? Or, the possibility Lina wasn't entertaining — was there treacherous danger ahead? Considering the urgency to return to Seyruun, they didn't have the time nor the mental energy for mind games and nonsensical riddles. After all, need they forget the urgency of preserving her—ahem! The ice cream?

"Listen, lady, I don't know what you're exactly getting at, but does this path go to Seyruun or not?" Lina cut to the chase.

Impetuous girl, the old woman sneered. She fixed the sorceress with a cold stare and used her cane as a pointer. "Follow that path, and you shall be at the capital by morning. But take heed young travelers of what you might encounter. Remember: Beware."

"Uh, sure," Lina waved a hand of halfhearted thanks. "Whatever you say."

The old woman stayed not a minute longer. Within seconds, she commanded a ray wing and sped off into the sky. The raven followed with emanate caws as if echoing its master's forewarning. As the old woman distanced herself, her black cap became one in the same of her feathered friend's pronounced wings. Eventually, the pair became nothing more than two black specks upon a smoke-colored canvas.

Lina broke the silence, her mouth opening as she turned to her companions. "What the heck was that about?" she balked.

"Whatever she said, it's utter nonsense," Zelgadis resolved, his voice still lingering with irritation.

"I don't know," Gourry said slowly. "The way she talked kinda reminded me of someone back home."

Lina frowned and cocked an eyebrow. Oh, this should be fun. "Let me guess: the creepy old lady who lived in the back of the woods, had skinned animals hanging from her porch, who wouldn't talk to anyone, and was under suspicion for ongoing multiple missing person cases?"

Gourry fixed her with an odd look. He wasn't sure where Lina had dug up such a macabre assumption, but that certainly wasn't his line of thought. Considering how bright she was, he thought the answer was obvious.

"No," he simply said. "My grandmother."

Both of Lina's eyebrows rose. "The same one who made squirrel stew?"

Gourry folded his arms over his chest proudly. "Yep."

Lina slumped in her seat. At least I was right about the dead animal hanging from the porch thing.

As the sun's rays took their bow for the evening, the welcoming of a cool breeze entered.

Normally, the breeze did not sweep on by. Instead, the winds grew stronger as the trio's journey continued, pressing into what was now a winding dimmed path. The trail was not exposed to fields of grass or fading wildflowers as they passed earlier. This place was kept away from the sun, ensnared by tall trees, overgrown shrubs, and thick prickly berry vines. There was just enough room for the wagon to wheel its way down, the wooden sides being scraped and screeching from the touch. When a clearing came into focus, Lina ordered the horses to come to a standstill.

"Why'd you stop?" Gourry asked.

He watched as the sorceress leaped off the step, examining the area before her. Lina kicked at the dirt, finding it to be impenetrable. Her eyes scanned the endless rows of trees. It wasn't an ideal camping spot, but at least it was hidden away. If she had traveled down the main path back to Seyruun as Phil had instructed, then there was a likely chance Ralteague officials would locate them. So, considering things, perhaps this was for the best. Stopping here meant they might only run into some hopping rabbits or pesky raccoons… or maybe a bear. Or a troll. She hadn't encountered a troll in what felt like ages. If anything, she could brush up on some flare arrows or fireballs. Just for kicks of course.

"I think this spot will do," the redhead surmised, turning to face the men. "Looks like this road hasn't been traveled in quite a while."

"How can you tell?" Gourry inquired, following her.

Lina pointed down. "Just look below your feet. There are no track marks from carriages; not even animal footprints embedded into the dirt."

"The branches are overgrown as well," Zelgadis noted, leaping off the wagon with ease.

"This place gives me the creeps," Gourry murmured. He turned his focus back on the redhead. "Do we have to camp here, Lina?" he asked in a voice that resembled an anxious child dragging his feet.

"I don't think we have a choice," the sorceress resolved. "This seems like the only place the Ralteague soldiers won't come looking for us."

If there was little to no evidence of animals about them Lina was certain no human was treading among their presence. Still, she couldn't help but wonder why this path kept people away.

By this time Zelgadis had wandered a short distance from his friends. He took note of the scenery and found himself unperturbed by its state. All he saw was woods. Nothing strange, unearthly, or formidable. He concluded there was nothing to beware of—

THUMP!

As Lina was about to instruct Gourry to fetch their tent from the wagon, Zelgadis abruptly called for her undivided attention.

"Lina. Over here!"

Okay, so he was still convinced there was nothing to beware of— other than what he bumped into. But the grass was tall and the branches that overhung in crisscross patterns made it difficult for even the tiniest bit of remaining daylight to shine through. He hadn't expected to come across this. Not here. Quiet, yes, tranquil, perhaps. In society, however, the woods were never a suitable resting place.

Lina and Gourry had rushed to his side. Zelgadis was on his knees, crouched as he closely scrutinized the strange finding among overgrown patches of grass.

"What?" Lina pressed, excited by the surprise in his voice. "What did you find, Zel?"

Slowly, the chimera moved the long strands of greenery away. There, staked into the hardened ground, were four weathered wooden crosses each etched with the capital letter P.

No flowers. No personal belongings left behind in memory of the deceased. It was as if they had been utterly forgotten. Alone in the middle of nowhere.

"Grave markers..." The sorceress's eyes narrowed. "This couldn't be... It must be."

Night came as fast as they made camp.

Sweet smoke from fallen cedar trees hung in the air as the fire grew stronger. Stars dominated every inch of the sky that their spectacular brightness outshined the dusting of darkening clouds. A constant gust of wind swayed the tree branches, creating a dissonant melody with the crackling burning wood. The song of nature and fire melded eerily with every snap, swish, and howl. It was a tune that no captor could forget. The horses— even with the ample helpings of carrots and apples Lina had hand-fed them— were restless. There was an unexplainable sensation in the air. A feeling that the path itself had a mind of its own.

As she sat down before the source of warmth, Lina listened to the rattling of leaves. If she had permitted her imagination to run amok, then she could have sworn the shaking was a disguise of lost voices whispering its way into the ears of its guests.

But she knew better, of course.

"Now I understand why that old woman was acting so strange," Lina started, watching the fire intensify as Gourry added another log to the thriving flames. "This road here is where the Payne family died."

"You mean, right on this road?" Gourry emphasized, pointing to the very dirt he was now settled upon.

Lina nodded.

"Wasn't it an accident?" Zelgadis interjected, seating himself on the opposite side of the fire.

Lina arched back with her hands behind her. She looked up at the stars. "Yeah. Like seven years ago."

"Wonder what happened to them," Gourry pondered, his eyes wandering over to the hauntingly dingy white grave markers as if something compelled him to.

Lina shrugged the mystery, the gloominess of the subject, claiming her eyes. "I don't know the full extent of how they died, other than it was some kind of freak accident. They were heading to Dabuon. No one seemed to understand why they took a path off the main road… Their deaths were sort of a weird coincidence given their station in society."

"I believe they came from Kalmaart. Didn't they run a successful business?"

A nod of confirmation was returned to the chimera. "The Payne family was prominent along the coastline of Kalmaart," the sorceress began to elucidate. "The head of the family, Sir Gilliame Payne, was a popular merchant in Mane. He imported and exported armor on behalf of several kingdoms for their military forces, but some say that was a front for his real business. Rumor tells, that he was a collector of sorts; finding and selling some of the rarest, and most valuable spell books known to mankind. Some even say he concocted spells himself."

"Makes you wonder what kind of spells would be in those books," Gourry mused out loud.

"Ones people would pay anything to get their hands on," Lina emphasized. "Amplifying basic offense spells, acts of summoning, enchantments, transformations-"

"Cures?" Zelgadis interrupted.

Lina shrugged. "Possibly."

She witnessed the excitement in Zelgadis's eyes match the bright sparks of the searing flames. Any mysterious book or relic that held unlimited possibilities was an instant draw to the desperate mercenary. That being the case, Lina had no intention to rile him up and in doing so, send him on a wild goose chase based on rumors alone.

She found a twig and mindlessly tossed it into the flames. "It was never proven though," she clarified. "Just rumors. As far as I know, there was no evidence found when the Kalmaart government ceased their home after their deaths. Only that, the entire library looked like it had been ransacked. Supposedly, that is."

"It makes one wonder if the Payne clan was hiding something," Zelgadis concluded, carrying similar suspicions. "And why exactly they were traveling this path, to begin with."

"It's an interesting story to mull over, to say the least," Lina answered. "Man, if it was true, I would have loved to get my hands on one of those books!" she exclaimed, now psyching herself up on the fanciful notions of the rumor mill. "Think about what could have been inside! There could have been translations from the Claire Bible."

"That would be something," Gourry agreed. He then proceeded to move to his right, his mouth turning into a frown as he picked up his battered sword. "Maybe one of those books could have told me where to get a new sword."

Lina gave him a small encouraging smile. "Don't worry, Gourry. Phil promised if we did this for him, he would make sure you'd get a new sword. And hopefully, it will be one that will last more than a few rounds of sparring."

"They just don't make them like they used to," the swordsman mourned, his fingers scouring over his latest loss. "Seems like the blacksmiths are taking shortcuts."

"Doesn't surprise me," Lina said, unstirred. "They'll technically be making more money if they make the swords cheap. Knights and mercenaries will keep coming back for replacements. Kind of smart when you think about it from an economic standpoint."

"Yeah, but at whose expense?" Gourry cried.

"I'm not saying what they're doing is right to the consumer... Just sensible for the businessman."

"Guess the little man always gets the short end of the stick," he drooped.

Her sympathies were extended with a friendly pat on the back. She then proceeded to stretch her arms over her head, releasing a long noticeable yawn. Her eyelids were heavy, and she could feel the last of her energy slip for the day. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm pretty bushed. I think I'm callin' it a night."

As she rose to her feet, Gourry opened his mouth, hesitated, but then decided to speak before he lost his nerve. "You're not afraid of going to sleep?" he blurted, almost stupefied.

Lina froze in her tracks. She perked in surprise at Gourry's question. "No," she started slowly with a concerned look. "Should I be?"

"Lina, you just got through saying an entire family mysteriously died on this road," the swordsman pointed out, knowing this was no minor detail to just brush off as nothing. "Doesn't that leave you feeling, I don't know… uneasy?"

The sorceress recognized the tragedy; however, she did not feel that constituted the need to worry.

"That was years ago, Gourry," Lina waved dismissively. "Besides, since when do you get easily scared? We've had our fair share of scary experiences; think about all the monsters we've fought or those ghosts that sorcerer summoned around when we first met or what happened at Artamay Tower. Now that was disturbing."

Gourry's eyes fell to the dirt beneath him. He was, to a fault, a blindingly brave man. He was comparable to a heroic knight, which on several occasions, he had been called just by physique alone. Even if he could set aside his own fears for the greater good of humanity, that didn't mean his 'spidey senses' weren't tingling. It was just… something he couldn't pinpoint with a definitive rebuttal. Having an advanced arsenal of vocabulary was never Gourry's strong suit, so explaining his feelings to Lina was bound to be complicated and headache-inducing.

"I don't want to disturb the already once disturbed," he eventually stated. "My grandma always told me that if something terrible happens and it's the reason behind someone's death, then it's likely that very place could be haunted."

Again, with the crazy squirrel stew grandma? Lina thought to herself.

For one thing, there were no vicious intentions that led to the Payne family's untimely death. At least to Lina's knowledge. And if there was, her forte wasn't in studying the deceased and their hauntings. So admittedly, she knew she couldn't argue if Gourry's grandmother's warnings were words of wisdom beyond the scope of mortal reality or silly superstition induced by rabid squirrel meat. Even so, she was not about to permit fear to overpower her. To accomplish a few hours of total shuteye, she would have to soothe her protector's anxieties, even if she felt the entire conversation was (as Zelgadis's favorite word next to idiot) ridiculous.

"Gourry. Think about it like this: you're not dancing on anybody's grave, are you?" Lina threw back.

The swordsman looked under his seated self. It was hard to tell. He had no prior knowledge of how the family died or if any remnants of their once physical vessels were scattered. He could confirm, however, that he was in no way in a jiving position or mood.

"I don't think so," was all he said.

"Then you have nothing to fear."

"But Lina, that old woman told us to 'beware'. Doesn't that concern you just a little bit?"

"She was just trying to scare us Gourry."

"But why?"

"Because she's just some crazy old bat who's exploiting a tragic event for her own sick pleasure!" she shouted, fists tight at her sides.

She agreed full-heartedly; the woman gave off unsettling vibes. And she could in no way blame Gourry for feeling the way he did. But she did not see it as a reason to start an hour-long conversation when there was clearly no evidence to support it.

"I wouldn't call her a credible source either," Zelgadis concurred evenly.

"See? Two against one," Lina insisted, gesturing towards the chimera. She then focused back onto the swordsman. "Now, that should settle this."

"So, you guys really don't think there are any ghosts wandering around here?" Gourry double-checked, still highly speculative.

"If there were, I think we would have sensed something by now," Lina contested.

"I don't think there's anything to worry about, Gourry," Zelgadis agreed. As long as Lina is with us, I don't think anyone or anything is going to bother us.

If bandits had nearly gone extinct and monsters viewed her as a formidable foe, then he doubted wandering lost souls would take the gambit of challenging the infamous dragon spooker. Personally, because he did not require Lina for protection, Zelgadis wasn't scared of the idea of ghosts. As long as it wasn't an inner conflict within himself, he was an often-stoic creature.

"Well, if you guys say so…" Gourry yielded reluctantly.

A groan slipped from Lina's throat. "Just drop it already, will you?" she encouraged adamantly. "I'm telling you there's no boogieman running around here."

"Who said anything about a boogieman?"

Whether it was physical or mental exhaustion, Lina allowed her head to fall into her open palm. "Somehow I'm more tired than I was before," she said in a muffled voice. She then looked up. Her last ounce of energy had finally been zapped. "Now I really need to get to bed. 'Night, guys."

"'Night, Lina," Gourry replied.

He watched as she walked away from the campfire, entering the tent as she pushed a flap of fabric back with her hand. It was common for Gourry to be the one to stand guard. Either it was because he was a superb swordsman, Lina expected him to do so, or it was the simple fact he saw himself as her protector.

But Gourry wasn't the only one who intended on remaining by the campfire. Zelgadis peered at the swordsman, observing the contagious phenomenon of yawning… and nervous twiddling of thumbs. Seeing how things were going for the night, Zelgadis figured he might as well intercede before Gourry started whistling or worse— humming.

"I'm not especially tired, Gourry," Zelgadis stated, catching his attention. "Go ahead and get some sleep. I'll wait up for the fire to go out."

Gourry blinked at the chimera. He was surprised by his consideration. "'Ya sure?"

"Yes."

The swordsman rose to his feet and gave a tired wave. "Okay. 'Night, Zelgadis."

The pace of Gourry's walk was steady with its first steps. But within seconds, his feet were whirling dervishes as he flung himself into the tent. From outside, Zelgadis could both see and hear a scuffle between Lina and Gourry. The fabric took punches and blows from the pairs' legs and arms. Space wasn't on their side, which meant cramped quarters for someone who was petite and thin as Lina and as full of height and muscular girth as Gourry. Most of the bickering was unintelligible until minor smacks and whacks were accidentally thrown onto one another.

"Gourry, watch your feet!" Lina yelled, twisting and turning for comfort. "They're right in my face! Uggh!"

"My feet?" Gourry defended. "Yours are the ones that smell!"

"Who said anything about smelly feet? And for the record, my feet…" Lina trailed off.

The silly banter was drowned out by crickets and eventually, silenced by the need for sleep.

As the fire began to dim, Zelgadis waited. He wasn't especially prepared to be kicked in the face with any pair of 'smelly feet'. He was, as he mentioned to Gourry, too awake to sleep. He assumed it was due to his restless mind. Recently, the chimera found difficulty in doing most anything.

Zelgadis stuck to his thoughts for inner conversation as the hour passed, watching fireflies for entertainment. He had become accustomed to the quietness when he traveled on his own. He had no complaints; often, he preferred being a lone wolf. He could focus solely on his goals without any distractions. As of late, however, he had been nothing but distracted.

To be honest with himself— which he never cared to do unless it provided him with a dose of instant gratification— he was not thrilled to be heading back to Seyruun despite how eager he was earlier that day. It was a confliction he had been fighting as of late. Perhaps taking this short trip to Dabuon had reignited the nomad within him. The freedom, the pleasure to go where he wanted, whenever he wanted was addictive to the mercenary. Wandering provided him with comfort.

Despite the great responsibility he carried for the safety of the royal family, there were no restrictions as to when he could leave. Phil had made it clear that the chimera could come and go as he pleased. Yet, as much as hungered to leave and search for his cure there was a part of him that would not remove itself from the palace's grounds. His mind urged him to push further into revealing this frustrating anomaly, but he refused to expel such energy where there was nothing to analyze. He was simply being… pragmatic. It seemed like there was a major occurrence going on daily with Phil and Amelia. There really was no perfect time to slip away for a few odd months and then there was the matter of a steady income to consider. If he wanted to travel, he would need the funds to do so. And by getting funds, that meant sticking around.

Even so, Zelgadis knew there truly was nothing to tie him down to make him stay, no one waiting for him, no one expecting anything from him...

Until recent feelings started to emerge from the depths of his mind. As Amelia's bodyguard, he witnessed firsthand how much she had changed. Not that she wasn't the same zany, thoughtful, helpful, fighter of justice she strived to be. But she had matured. She was more grounded, more careful in her thinking before jumping right into action. Her position and growing responsibilities required her to be. From where Zelgadis stood, Amelia was accepting her role as princess of Seyruun with graceful ease. Still, there were times where he couldn't stand to be witness to it anymore. And when he'd leave the palace, he was soured to watch her wave goodbye behind a brave smile and then to feel this indescribable longing to be back at her side. He didn't want to admit any of it consciously, which made his feelings and the simple notion to understand what he was experiencing unbearably complicated.

But why should he feel anything? What was the point when he already knew the answer that lay ahead? He was aware of what was expected of her, especially at her age. None of it was a shock. Whatever torch she carried for him, Zelgadis hypothesized it would extinguish sooner than later. Besides, he had his own needs to think about. Though he was working for the royal family, that did not mean he no longer strived for obtaining his original form. He wanted his human body back, and as of late, that desire had begun to burn more brightly than normal.

An abrupt gust of wind interceded the stillness of the night. Flames of the fire flickered against the invisible force, swiftly extinguishing them. The smoke of burnt wood filtered Zelgadis's nose, letting out a sneeze. His skin turned cold to the touch, craving his cape when before he couldn't wait to take it off. A bone-chilling shiver dispersed itself throughout his body; his weaponized form made such sensation nearly impossible. But the touch was so unearthly powerful as if the wind grazed itself down to his jawline with purposeful intentions. For a moment, he was paralyzed.

A violent shudder erupted and Zelgadis jumped up from the ground. He drew his sword out of its sheath. His eyes dashed from side to side, his chest rising and falling.

"Who's there?" he barked. His intense eyes scouted the greenery before him. He kept his arm raised with his sword in position, ready to defend.

The wind moved against the trees. Only this time it was deliberately slow, responding with nothing more than another fallen ballad of leaves. Zelgadis studied the movement of the leaves against the dark as if he could find something tangible within the invisible force.

He shook his head, annoyed at himself.

Don't be ridiculous. There's nothing here.

He closed his eyes and his hand met his temple, giving it a thorough rubbing. The action, however, was incapable of soothing his nerves. He tried to tell himself that it was just that old woman getting to him. That's all. Her nonsensical riddle leaving his head spinning in dreamt paranoia. If she was indeed referring to the loss of the well-known family, the cliché talk of death was inevitable. Even so… why did she target him? Lina was the one who instigated the start of the conversation. Why didn't the old hag throw her for a loop with her random question? He thought perhaps it was his big mouth, inviting himself in on the discussion. A voice inside of him— one that usually spoke the loudest and most frequently— told him it had nothing to do with his mouth but the way he looked. Nothing about his chimeric form was subtle. Words were never necessary to know what others thought about his appearance. Their expressions, gasps, gestures… It all readout of some horror novel.

Zelgadis opened his eyes and looked to heavens, ordered and ruled by dead-end trails of darkness.

It's times like these I'd give anything to have my human form back.

Suddenly, there was a rustle. Zelgadis's posture stiffened. Somewhere in the distance, he could hear the crunching of rotting vegetation. Whatever it was, Zelgadis was convinced it was too loud to be a measly woodland animal. If he wanted to put his mind fully at ease, then his only option was to investigate.

A lighting spell lit up his free palm, guiding him through the night. Closely, he listened to pinpoint the source. It ebbed and flowed in waves, falling and then rising with each crescendo. By now, he had passed the occupied tent and was near the grave markers. Indistinguishable shadows bounced around against the source of light, like a masquerade of taunting illusions. It was enough to make an overactive imagination go mad.

Then, a meek sweet scent infiltrated the air and into Zelgadis's nostrils. One whiff and his mind took him to another place; the distant memory of crusty granules spilled between his toes, the aroma of sea salt was prolific, bushes of little pale flowers grew with its beauty strangled by turned black shriveling leaves. But it was impossible. There were no lavenders native to the area. In particular, sea lavender. Sea lavender grew on the coast in sandy dry soils; where seagulls' screeches were mistaken for sirens, seashells buried themselves in the sand like troubled memories, and where longing waves contacted the shore, only to be torn away by governed nature.

Curious and bewildered, the chimera followed the aroma and continuous crushing, his nose, and ears guiding him away from the grave markers and into the grove of trees. He weaved and bobbed through the maze and with each step the sound grew stronger and the smell more pungent until— they withdrew to their mystery origin. The return of sweet sap and wet moss on slick stone regained its dominance in the woods. Zelgadis's elongated ears pricked, but nothing could be heard. He turned on his heels, the small cast of light shining back onto the grave markers. There was nothing. Only stillness.

What was going on? Was there a supernatural force at play? Or was it his own psyche, allowing the human weakness of paranoia to seep and contaminate his logical sense of belief? Zelgadis craved for some semblance of control. For the first time that night, he was ready to retire to the crowded tent. Even if he didn't feel physically tired, it was evident his mind required rest.

As he turned to make way back to camp, something caught his eye. Something dark and free-flowing and upright glided and disappeared behind an overgrown bush. He drew his sword out and stifled a gasp. The sword became a brilliant red by the casting of a spell but was rendered useless as a river of fog blurred his vision. Manically, he slashed his weapon in all directions, but the attacks brought not a single downfall.

The fog moved in sagacious patterns, swirling, circling his head and then down to his hands. Everything around him was lost in murky clouds, causing his most reliable battle resources to be impaired. In another effort to strike, Zelgadis stumbled backward, then forwards, and soon lost his footing altogether on a risen tree root. The tip of his boot was caught and then twisted as he tumbled forward face first. Fingers lost their grip and the sword was flung across the woods, ricocheting onto a tree before crashing at the base of its massive entangled roots. The force of his collapse led to mud splattering onto tree bark in long streaks, dripping heavy pools onto the grass below. As expected, he felt no pain, but he was riled with aggravation. As he raised his head, Zelgadis dipped his chin towards his neck. A hot tension of embarrassment ran across his cheeks but was covered in a blanket of muddy slime.

The taste of earth lingered in his mouth as he ran his tongue over his chalked teeth. He coughed in disgust, vigorously spitting out the undesired contents. From there, he propped himself onto his elbows, flicking mud off from his fingers. He could feel the dirt caked onto his wiry eyelashes, bits falling like filthy snowflakes onto the gray rocks beneath his eye sockets.

The fog had lifted.

Had his eyes deceived him? Or was it the subconscious provocation of fear spiking fallacies even in the most logical of men? Zelgadis grumbled under his breath and placed his hands onto the ground, palms squirting mud, ready to push himself back up. But when his long fingernails slid into the softened dirt, grappling for a hold, he could feel something uncharacteristically strange beneath.

His embedded fingers froze in wonder and then went to work. With persistence, he scrubbed harder and harder, swiping specks of earth away to discover a splintered rough surface. The upper portion of his body was adjusted enough for him to cast a small ball of light with his left hand, the other beginning to scoop handfuls of sod. The pile of clods grew to the size of his head when he, at last, came upon what had been discreetly hidden below. There was no treasure, no jewels, or an ancient relic most would expect, or more so, hope to find.

Instead, all that could be found was a half-sunken mud-soaked chest.

A/N: What is in the chest? Can any of the rumors Lina has heard be confirmed? Were Gourry's spidey senses legitimate? Is there something dark at play? And what really happened to the Payne family? Find out in the next future installments! :)

When originally constructing the plot, I recalled in an episode of Slayers Next, there is a brief mention of Seyruun's delicious and famous soft served ice cream. So, I thought it would a silly motivator to implement tension between the two rivaling kingdoms. ;) I also noticed in the anime there isn't much discussion or exploration regarding Ralteague, so I have taken liberties in exploring ideas of the country for this story.

In any case, there is much more to come! Thank you all once more taking the time to read. Support, constructive feedback, and interest are very much welcome! :)

Until next time!