Chapter II

In her room, Lina stripped down to her undergarments and put on a night gown. She walked over to the dresser and picked up and brush and started to comb her orange-red hair. Thought's ran through her head.

"It's been a year since Dark Star tried to annihilate our world," she though. "Valgaav is dead and I haven't seen Philia. I wonder how she's doing. Hopefully good. Besides not seeing her, our world has been extremely quiet. Not one war not one demon invasion. The 'hard to keep quiet' Mazoku haven't even be heard of since then. They must be up to something. Which reminds me, where is Xellos. I haven't heard of him in a while also. He's the one that's always up to date on this sort of thing."

She looked at her self in the mirror that had a little smudge on it. She extended her arm and took the sleeve of her gown and cleaned the smudge off the mirror. She closed her eyes for a few minutes just thinking about anything and anything in its place. A sudden feeling as if she was being watched came over her. Her eyes shot open and she jolted around. There standing there in partial shadow was a man holding a staff with a red spherical jewel at the top, with a black cape with a yellow black and red design near the mid-chest area and around the neck, a white segment with three red jewels, covered a tan shirt. His eyes were a deep purple along with his hair which was shoulder length.

"Well Lina, long time no see," He said kind of laughing.

"XELLOS YOU PERVERT," Lina screamed at the top of her lungs as the brush she thrown hit him in the middle of his face.

"Well anyway Lina, I have a mission for you."

"And why should I be taking orders from you. You used us many of times."

"Yeah, but everything turned out to be ok in the end, did it not?"

"Yeah, but that's not even the point. I don't like being used," Lina said just getting a little bit tick off at Xellos.

"I can see, but I guess the ridiculously large sum of money would be worth nothing them," Xellos sighed.

"MONEY," money screamed out at the top of her lungs as she pulled out a old looking board with beads.

"How about this much," she said as she moved a few of the beads in the millions place.

"10 million! Don't you think that's just a little bit overdoing it Lina?"

"9 million!"

"Eight!"

"Ten and a half!"

"Deal," Xellos said unknowingly tricked.

"Good! Ten and a half million it is," Lina said with a big smile on her face.

"Lina that's not fair," Xellos cried. "You tricked me!"

"Well you can't get ahead in this world without knowing how to push people buttons."

"Damn-it Lina. Well just go to Sairaag," Xellos said as he phased out.

"Sairaag," Lina said with long pause. "Everything started to happen there about four years ago when I started traveling with Amelia, Gourry, and Zel." Lina got up from the stool and walked over to the best and went to sleep.

Morning arrives quickly for Lina and the others. As the morning light shined through the open window and onto Lina. Her eyes slowly opened as she yawned and sat up in her bed and stretched. She looked out the window revealing a cloudy day. Birds were nowhere to be found flying and the sea breeze rushed in through her window. It was cool with a damp feeling, probably a storm coming in off the sea. Sure enough when Lina turned her head to face the ocean, black storm clouds were approaching.

"Well this is going to be a bright and cheery day," Lina greatly exaggerated as she climbed out of bed and stumbled over to her clothes. Thinking of what to do before she goes down to meet Gourry and Zel she unconsciously grabs a towel and heads for the bath on the first floor.

She walked into the bath room only to see that no one else was in there. She was all alone. "Some peace and quiet," she though. The steam was floating on top of the water.

"Yeah! A quiet place with a hot bath! This is the life!"

She took of her gown and jumped into the water submerging her whole body. Her cheeks grew red from the hot water. She just sat there thinking about what Xellos said last night. "Go to Sairaag." Those words haunted her. Sairaag is where it all began between them and hopefully where it all won't end.