Fifteen - Run All The Way
Lina and Zel woke up later that usual the next morning but both of them needed the extra sleep. They didn't waste any time, ate a quick breakfast, and continued on their way.
As they were walking through the woods, Zel froze and Lina stopped as well, her ears twitching. A slow grin spread across her face as she glanced around. A menacing grin appeared on Zel's chimera face and something sparkled in his eyes.
"They're here." Lina said as she and Zel turned their backs to each other.
Just as she spoke, a bandit gang leaped out of the bushes and attacked them. "Fireball!" Lina toasted a few bandits gleefully. Zel grunted, spun around and caught the heel of his boot on some guy's chin. His stone fist connected with another bandit's jaw a second later. Zel was just getting warmed up. A sinister grin spread across his face as he turned for the next guy but froze when he caught sight of Lina perched on a rock.
"Dragu Slaaaave!"
"Wha?!" Zel put up a protective shield just in time. Once the bandits (and surrounding forest area) were disintegrated, Zel released his shield and walked up to Lina. "You idiot!" He whacked her over the head.
"Ow!" Lina cried, rubbing her head and making a face at him. "'Least I got rid of 'em. Besides," Lina paused to hop down from the rock and stretch. "That felt great!" She grinned, relaxing her arms behind her head.
Zel just sighed and grabbed her by her cape. "Let's just go."
"H-hey!" Lina thrashed herself free as she followed him. "I can walk by myself, ya know."
Since Lina had subtracted the existence of the majority of the forest, her and Zel took the short cut and ray-winged to Sailagg. The streets were bustling with people going places just like it was a normal day. Lina and Zel knew better.
"They're fakes." Lina said.
Zel nodded in reply. "Phibrizo has the power to control the dead. They're zombies."
Lina frowned then started walking again. "Let's go. That dark palace in the middle of the city is a dead give away." They made their way through town towards the palace when Lina stopped suddenly. Zel wasn't paying attention and nearly ran into her.
"Alright! Ice cream!" Lina cheered and ran into the little shop. Zel sighed and followed. Lina's breath caught in her throat as she stepped inside, the joy of finding food melted away. Zel stepped up beside her and gasped.
"Hi Lina-san!" Raymia greeted them cheerfully, holding an ice cream cone in each hand.
"R-raymia.." Lina stuttered, not believing her eyes.
"Hi! n.n" Raymia said again.
Zel stepped forward. "Raymia, what are you doing here? Are you..?"
Raymia blinked back tears but kept a smile plastered on her face. "Get some ice cream and we'll talk over here, ok?" Lina got a banana split and fudge sundae and followed Zel and Raymia over to a booth. "First of all," Raymia began, feeling very businesslike. "I am dead."
Lina swallowed her ice cream hard. Zel's jaw tightened. They both knew Raymia was telling the truth. It made sense. "Raymia?" Lina asked.
"Yes, Lina-san?"
"Did I.. really... Did I kill you?" Lina bit her lip.
"Yes." Raymia said matter-of-factly.
Lina's mouth dropped open slightly. "I..."
Zel's eyebrows furrowed. "How can you say it so calmly?!" He yelled at Raymia. "You are a zombie, aren't you?!"
"Yes, I am. I am merely a shell of what Raymia used to be. Those feelings of happiness I displayed earlier were just for show."
Lina blinked and took a deep breath. She let her heart go cold again as she narrowed her eyes at the false Raymia in front of her. "Why are you here?"
"Phibrizo-sama said we were a welcome for you, Lina-san."
"Did he intend on us battling?" Zel asked.
"I do not know. Phibrizo-sama only wants Lina-san. He does not care about you." Raymia glared icily at Zel. He gritted his teeth but didn't respond. Lina dropped her ice cream spoon suddenly, letting it spin around in the empty bowl noisily. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin on the backs of her hands. Blood red eyes narrowed and stared intently at Raymia. "What does Phibrizo want from me?"
The tension built in the shop as all the costumers and workers came to a halt. All eyes were on Lina and Raymia. Vacant, lifeless eyes in faces without souls. Finally, Raymia spoke. A sinister grin curled on her lips. "Phibrizo-sama... wants you to cast the Giga Slave."
Lina and Zel's eyes widened. "What?! The Giga Slave?! But I can't do that!" Lina protested. "You know what could happen!" Lina learned across the table, yelling in Raymia face. The false Raymia didn't bother to react. Her blue eyes narrowed and Lina slowly sat back down.
"I know what may happen if you cast the Giga Slave incorrectly." Raymia's voice was low and forewarning. "And so does Phibrizio-sama. But if you want you friends back.. if you want Gourry back." She paused, feasting on Lina's pained expression. "You'll go to Phibrizo-sama. That is the only way." Raymia smiled sweetly, tauntingly then slid out of the booth. "Sayonara, Lina-san!" She winked, then ran out the door.
Lina swallowed, her right hand tightly gripped the ice cream spoon. Her gaze was straight ahead. Zel stared at her, waiting for her to speak. Lina's eyes narrowed and she jammed the spoon into the table. Zel jumped, going bug-eyed but Lina didn't seem to notice. She slid out of the booth and stood, turning back to Zel just as he was about to stand. Lina glared down at him. He blinked, looking up at her. "I'll get them back, Zel. I'll get them back." Then she turned and walked out of the shop.
Zel stood and walked after her. Lina marched ahead. "Hurry UP, Zel!" Lina called behind her. "Let's go!" She suddenly took off running towards the sinister looking palace. Zel sighed and ran after her. He didn't want her getting there first and claiming all the glory anyway.
Lina and Zel woke up later that usual the next morning but both of them needed the extra sleep. They didn't waste any time, ate a quick breakfast, and continued on their way.
As they were walking through the woods, Zel froze and Lina stopped as well, her ears twitching. A slow grin spread across her face as she glanced around. A menacing grin appeared on Zel's chimera face and something sparkled in his eyes.
"They're here." Lina said as she and Zel turned their backs to each other.
Just as she spoke, a bandit gang leaped out of the bushes and attacked them. "Fireball!" Lina toasted a few bandits gleefully. Zel grunted, spun around and caught the heel of his boot on some guy's chin. His stone fist connected with another bandit's jaw a second later. Zel was just getting warmed up. A sinister grin spread across his face as he turned for the next guy but froze when he caught sight of Lina perched on a rock.
"Dragu Slaaaave!"
"Wha?!" Zel put up a protective shield just in time. Once the bandits (and surrounding forest area) were disintegrated, Zel released his shield and walked up to Lina. "You idiot!" He whacked her over the head.
"Ow!" Lina cried, rubbing her head and making a face at him. "'Least I got rid of 'em. Besides," Lina paused to hop down from the rock and stretch. "That felt great!" She grinned, relaxing her arms behind her head.
Zel just sighed and grabbed her by her cape. "Let's just go."
"H-hey!" Lina thrashed herself free as she followed him. "I can walk by myself, ya know."
Since Lina had subtracted the existence of the majority of the forest, her and Zel took the short cut and ray-winged to Sailagg. The streets were bustling with people going places just like it was a normal day. Lina and Zel knew better.
"They're fakes." Lina said.
Zel nodded in reply. "Phibrizo has the power to control the dead. They're zombies."
Lina frowned then started walking again. "Let's go. That dark palace in the middle of the city is a dead give away." They made their way through town towards the palace when Lina stopped suddenly. Zel wasn't paying attention and nearly ran into her.
"Alright! Ice cream!" Lina cheered and ran into the little shop. Zel sighed and followed. Lina's breath caught in her throat as she stepped inside, the joy of finding food melted away. Zel stepped up beside her and gasped.
"Hi Lina-san!" Raymia greeted them cheerfully, holding an ice cream cone in each hand.
"R-raymia.." Lina stuttered, not believing her eyes.
"Hi! n.n" Raymia said again.
Zel stepped forward. "Raymia, what are you doing here? Are you..?"
Raymia blinked back tears but kept a smile plastered on her face. "Get some ice cream and we'll talk over here, ok?" Lina got a banana split and fudge sundae and followed Zel and Raymia over to a booth. "First of all," Raymia began, feeling very businesslike. "I am dead."
Lina swallowed her ice cream hard. Zel's jaw tightened. They both knew Raymia was telling the truth. It made sense. "Raymia?" Lina asked.
"Yes, Lina-san?"
"Did I.. really... Did I kill you?" Lina bit her lip.
"Yes." Raymia said matter-of-factly.
Lina's mouth dropped open slightly. "I..."
Zel's eyebrows furrowed. "How can you say it so calmly?!" He yelled at Raymia. "You are a zombie, aren't you?!"
"Yes, I am. I am merely a shell of what Raymia used to be. Those feelings of happiness I displayed earlier were just for show."
Lina blinked and took a deep breath. She let her heart go cold again as she narrowed her eyes at the false Raymia in front of her. "Why are you here?"
"Phibrizo-sama said we were a welcome for you, Lina-san."
"Did he intend on us battling?" Zel asked.
"I do not know. Phibrizo-sama only wants Lina-san. He does not care about you." Raymia glared icily at Zel. He gritted his teeth but didn't respond. Lina dropped her ice cream spoon suddenly, letting it spin around in the empty bowl noisily. She propped her elbows up on the table and rested her chin on the backs of her hands. Blood red eyes narrowed and stared intently at Raymia. "What does Phibrizo want from me?"
The tension built in the shop as all the costumers and workers came to a halt. All eyes were on Lina and Raymia. Vacant, lifeless eyes in faces without souls. Finally, Raymia spoke. A sinister grin curled on her lips. "Phibrizo-sama... wants you to cast the Giga Slave."
Lina and Zel's eyes widened. "What?! The Giga Slave?! But I can't do that!" Lina protested. "You know what could happen!" Lina learned across the table, yelling in Raymia face. The false Raymia didn't bother to react. Her blue eyes narrowed and Lina slowly sat back down.
"I know what may happen if you cast the Giga Slave incorrectly." Raymia's voice was low and forewarning. "And so does Phibrizio-sama. But if you want you friends back.. if you want Gourry back." She paused, feasting on Lina's pained expression. "You'll go to Phibrizo-sama. That is the only way." Raymia smiled sweetly, tauntingly then slid out of the booth. "Sayonara, Lina-san!" She winked, then ran out the door.
Lina swallowed, her right hand tightly gripped the ice cream spoon. Her gaze was straight ahead. Zel stared at her, waiting for her to speak. Lina's eyes narrowed and she jammed the spoon into the table. Zel jumped, going bug-eyed but Lina didn't seem to notice. She slid out of the booth and stood, turning back to Zel just as he was about to stand. Lina glared down at him. He blinked, looking up at her. "I'll get them back, Zel. I'll get them back." Then she turned and walked out of the shop.
Zel stood and walked after her. Lina marched ahead. "Hurry UP, Zel!" Lina called behind her. "Let's go!" She suddenly took off running towards the sinister looking palace. Zel sighed and ran after her. He didn't want her getting there first and claiming all the glory anyway.