"We have to stay tied together or we'll lose each other," Lina said after Zelgadis explained about the illusionary pit. "And when you fall, don't grab for the edge...."
Amelia beamed, happy to be tied next to Zelgadis, the Chimera was tied to Gourry, who was then tied to Lina. Zelgadis sighed, "You'd think I'd get used to being embarrassed all the time but no, Lina always finds new ways to torment me..."
"What was that, Mr. Zelgadis?" The Chimera's eye twitched a little and he ignored her.
"LETS GO!" Lina announced, starting forward, everyone suppressed their groans at Lina's over enthusiasm. They tromped though the darkness, lit by light spells from both Lina and Zelgadis. Amelia rubbed her arms somewhat, shivering at the bones sprawled across the floor in places. Zelgadis occasionally checked something from his pocket, gaining Amelia's curiosity.
"Is she mad at us?" Zelgadis asked rhetorically.
"Well... she did tell us to get out and hasn't reappeared since then, so I think she is," Amelia replied. Zelgadis took a chance to look at her over his shoulder then turned forward again.
"Hey- there's that lady!" Gourry announced suddenly, pointing forward. Lina looked and caught a fleeting glimpse of silver hair.
"She was headed East," Zelgadis announced softly.
"How can you tell in this place?!" Lina demanded then gaped at what Zelgadis was holding. "Ouuu!! Gimme that! Lemme see it! Please?!"
"Lina- aren't we supposed to be finding that book?" Zelgadis reminded her.
"But I want that too!"
"Uh- what is it?" Gourry asked.
"It's an actual compass, Jellyfish-brains! It can actually show the direction we're traveling in!" Lina gloated at the blonde, she liked knowing more then him, it fueled her ego. Zelgadis noted absently that they were a good match. He could keep her ego in check just with an offhanded comment about the size of her breasts. "Let me have it Zel? PLEEEEASSSEE?"
"No, because I won't get it back. I know you, Lina-"
The silver haired woman was standing by his arm suddenly, looking down at the compass, almost blankly. "How interesting," she said in a deadpan voice and waked through Lina, much to the red-head's annoyance.
"Hey! Don't just go walking through people like that you-" Zelgadis tuned out the rest of the insults Lina was screaming. Instead, he untied himself and Lina, quickly switching places with her on the rope and started forward. Gourry was content to just follow and Amelia was disappointed. Once Lina realized what had happened, it was too late and they were on the move again.
"There's a pit ahead, walk on the right side of the hallway, carefully-" Zelgadis said as he walked.
"Am I the leader or not here?! Zelgadis! That was a dirty trick you pulled on me!" Lina whined from her place near the end of the line.
"At least you get to have a view of Gourry's butt for once," Zelgadis tossed back at her, causing Lina to blush furiously. Gourry blinked, completely oblivious.
"You know, I'm hungry," the swordsman commented.
"Yes, Gourry, that's the fifth time you've told us," Lina growled.
"Oh? I forgot!"
"And these are my saviors..." the silver haired woman commented as she walked beside Gourry, "A freak, an idiot, a two-year-old in a grownup's body, and a royal-wannabe."
Zelgadis growled at her. "How DARE you call me that-" CLANG!
"Zel- are you alright?" Gourry asked, peeking at the blade that had suddenly dropped from the ceiling and landed straight on top of the Chimera's head.
Zelgadis sighed, "Nothing a little healing spell wouldn't cure," part of the blade was bent in the shape of Zelgadis's head. He stepped aside and let Gourry cut it down with his Sword of Light.
The silver haired woman was standing further in front of them. "How could you possibly survive that?" she asked coolly, her head cocked to the side.
"Believe me.. it hurt," Zelgadis told her. "Are there any more surprises like that around here?"
She pondered a moment, her face completely blank. "Even if there weren't I would have to lie to you."
"Why is that?" Lina asked, shoving forward.
"Because, I'm not allowed to." The silver haired woman turned to start down the hall.
"By who?!" Amelia piped up.
"By me."
"Are you just playing with us?!" Lina screamed.
The woman laughed, walking away, "Perhaps."
"I'm hungry."
"WE KNOW GOURRY!" everyone yelled at him. The woman's laughter echoed through the halls once more.
* * *
All four of them were panting for breath at the end of a long hallway of sprung traps. Zelgadis put his hands on his knees and bent over, gasping. His head hurt.
The Silver Lady suddenly stood there, looking down at him. "Still alive?" she looked down the line, "ALL of you?!" she seemed completely disturbed by that.
"I- got- a questi-ion.. for you." Zelgadis panted, straightening, looking at her then at the three possible directions they could go. "Which way?"
She smiled coldly, "Depends on where you want to go."
"Which way leads to where you are?" Zelgadis asked.
She smirked, pointed to the far left branch.
"Which way leads to where you are?" Zelgadis asked again.
"Zel- why did you ask her again?" Lina poked the Chimera in the back. The Silver Lady blinked once then pointed at the far right branch.
"I asked again because she said she would lie to us. That's one thing we can count on," Zelgadis smirked. "Which way leads to where you are?" The Silver Lady smirked back at him and pointed to the center branch.
"NOW what do we do? She pointed at all three of the routes!" Lina moaned.
"Now- we check the walls," Zelgadis said. The Silver Lady's face became blank once again, but Amelia saw the flash of slight respect for Zelgadis's solution to the problem. "So the passage to you is in the walls?" Zelgadis asked her.
"No," she answered and turned, walking away, disappearing in the darkness.
"I think she's just a little nuts to be playing games like that with us," Lina muttered.
"She's been here three thousand years, Lina, alone. Don't YOU think you'd be a little crazy?" Zelgadis almost snapped at the red-head sorceress.
Lina cringed back, "Soorry!" she sniffed. "I think Zel has a crush."
"Wha- I do not!" Zelgadis protested. Gourry blinked as Lina hid behind him. Amelia pouted and ran her hands along the walls.
"Zelly's got a CRUSH! Zelly's got a CRUSH!" Lina chanted as Zelgadis was about to throw Gourry out of the way and strangle Lina.
Amelia sweatdropped, "Hey guys-" she said, "I found something," her first remark went unnoticed, but her second had instant attention. "It looks like this brick comes out," she said, working at it with her dagger.
Zelgadis moved over to her and pulled out his own dagger, helping her lever the brick from the wall. After a while they gave up. "It just won't budge!" Amelia cried, looking at Zelgadis, "I'm sorry!"
Lina and Gourry were watching silently from behind them. "What? Let me try!" Lina shoved her way forward, trying to dig her fingers into the crack and pull the brick out.
"Lina, that-"
"Shut up!"
"Lina-" Zelgadis tried again.
"I said shut up!"
After a while, Lina growled and slammed her fist into the brick. "It won't come OUT!"
Zelgadis had to laugh softly, "Because it's not supposed to!" he reached forward and pushed on the brick. It slid in easily.
"Hey look guys!" Gourry said, pointing at the opposite wall. It had disappeared. The others moved over to it, Lina about to march in without thinking.
"Lina! There might be more traps!" Zelgadis snapped at her, causing her to stop and look at him. He took a breath and crept though the doorway. He held up his light spell, sword drawn and ready in his other hand. "The ceiling is really high in this place. It looks like just a square room," he told them. They stepped in one at a time until they were all inside. The door slid closed with a thump.
"Mr. Zelgadis!! The door closed again!" Amelia cried.
"Its alright, when we find her she might be kind enough to show us the way out."
"I can show you the way out now if you want." The Silver Lady commented from just beyond the light cast by the lighting spells.
"Who are you exactly?" Lina asked.
The silver haired woman bowed her head, coming forward into the light. "I suppose I could tell you," she said. "I am Canthrea, the Seventh of the Seven Magi."
Zelgadis and Lina gaped. "Canthrea- you were the most powerful of all the Magi!"
"Yes. I was the sensei of the other six, yet none of them could ever reach my level of power. I was the only one to ever attain such power without the help of Mazoku or Ryzoku. The others feared me, and when I created the book, they feared me even more. For in that book are all the spells I know. All my knowledge of magic and its workings, everything from my memory onto the pages of a book. I had hoped, that some day, I would find someone.... Someone with the spirit energy to house this knowledge in, that I could give the book to and I would finally have an equal to my power.
"Alas, the others plotted against me. I had hidden my book away in this tower. None of them could find it, for only I know where it is. They stole into my tower and took me while I slept, casting a spell over me. I believe that my body simply is sleeping, but they could not bind all my powers.. All six of them working together could not bind all of me." Canthrea smirked slightly, "Now I am as you see me. A shadow. I walk these halls... I don't know how long I've walked, yet you say it has been three thousand years... No wonder I'm a little batty. Even I admit it. I envy you for the freedom you pitiful creatures have."
Amelia had teary eyes. "That's so sad!" she cried.
Lina pondered a moment, "What about all these traps?"
"The traps and illusions are of my own making. They are to safeguard my privacy and the book. None- save one- has ever gotten as far as you have. I do congratulate you on that." Canthrea lifted her hands and clapped softly. "I would enjoy seeing you make it further."
Lina smiled sweetly, overly sweet. Gourry sweatdropped.
"So- what about me? Do I have enough spirit energy?" Lina wheedled.
Canthrea smirked at Lina, "I with-hold judgement on you until you reach my chambers." The Silver Lady disappeared into the darkness. Lina grumped and Zelgadis sighed. Looking around he noticed that the floor was made of square tiles. He thought he could see a door dimly off to the left.
"I think there's a door over that way," Zelgadis spoke softly, starting off that direction. The others had to follow or be pulled along unwillingly.