Slayers Lunar
By Sakura
Part 9: Up, Up Away! The Red Dragon's Cave
The group had retrieved their stolen White Dragon
Wings from the Thieves' Bazaar. They were now in a small farming village called
Iluk. The head of the Thieves' Guild had told them of an inventor living there
who had blueprints for a flying machine.
"So where do you think this Washuu guy is anyway?"
Nall asked.
"Don't look at me cat," Valgarv said, miffed that the
hamlet had no tavern. "I've never past Reza before."
"That's only because there's no place for you to get
smashed," Firia retorted. Valgarv growled then blushed.
"Let's split up and look around," Xellos suggested,
not willing to be a witness to a fight between the two.
"I'll go get some supplies," Zelgadis said noticing an
item shop near the entrance.
"I'll go with you, Zel-kun," Amelia said, causing the
lavender haired boy to blush.
After searching the village, which took only a few
minutes, the group regrouped back at the entrance.
"Any luck?" Firia asked.
Amelia blushed. She couldn't bear to tell them of a
rather racy poster of her father, she had found after getting supplies with
Zelgadis. "Um… No," she replied.
"We found Washuu!" Nall called as he flew past Xellos
to meet them. "And guess what! He's a she!!"
"It's about time," Zelgadis muttered, "the
peasants here are as bad as those in Meryod."
Valgarv snickered. "The ladies too much for ya, kid?"
The apprentice mage blushed again before puffing
himself up. "How dare you call me 'kid'!! I'm a third level apprentice!!"
"Oh yeah, well you sure act like a kid!" the aqua
haired boy spat back.
"Takes one to know one," Firia quipped before bopping
her ex with her mace.
"We've got to get to the Red Dragon's cave before Rezo
does!" Amelia said bopping Zelgadis with the ice rod she'd purchased at Reza.
The lavender haired boy backed down, a sheepish look on his face. "This is no
time for petty childishness."
"Thanks Ame-chan," Xellos said, glad he didn't have to
be mediator this time. Lina was so much better at it anyway. "Washuu said he'd
build the flying machine for us, but…"
"But?" Firia said getting ansty.
"She needs something called a Fluffy Bug to make it
fly," the purple haired boy finished.
"So how the #%(* are we supposed to find one?" Valgarv
asked. "Do any of ya even know what it looks like or where to find one?"
"Washuu said it's kinda like a pink puffball thingy,"
Nall explained, "You can find them in the fields behind the village."
"Well that settles it then," Firia said, "Let's go get
that bug thingy!!"
"There's one!" Xellos whispered, pointing to a group
of blue puffballs. Amongst them was a single pink one.
"Oh they're soooooo kawaii!!!" Amelia squealed,
causing the bugs to flee. "Um… oopsie," she said apologetically.
"Yare, yare," Xellos muttered.
After several attempts and various battles with the
various plant and insect monsters in the fields, the group was able to corner
one Fluffy Bug and capture it. "Well looks like we finally get our flying
machine," Nall said happily.
"Don't you even think of saying anything bad about
this place Zel-kun," Amelia warned her fellow mage. "It'll do us some good to
mingle with the other peoples of Lunar. Vane isn't the only city here you
know."
'I wish it were though,' Zegadis thought and
shuddering at the thought of the local girls throwing themselves at him.
"Wow! You actually caught one!" the short and spiky
pink haired girl said, happily accepting the pink puffball. "Now my masterpiece
can be complete! I've already have most of it built, but it'll take all night
to install the bug and get the kinks out, why don't you stay here. There isn't
much room, but it's cheaper than the inn," she offered.
No
one complained. They were exhausted from the bug hunt and the journey from
Reza. Most of the group was asleep within minutes, totally oblivious to
Washuu's hammering and muttering.
The next morning, they awoke to a happily beaming
Washuu. "At last it's ready! My masterpiece is complete! Mwhahahahahaha!!!!"
the motley group of travelers stared at her nervously. "Oops. Sorry 'bout that
folks. I got a bit carried away there for a sec."
She led them outside to a large platform where a huge
basket and a strange looking bag of multicolored cloth attached above it.
"That's your masterpiece?!" Zelgadis said, not too impressed. "It's just an old
hot air balloon! Anyone from Vane knows about them!"
"Well she's not from Vane, Mr. Smartypants," Firia
said. "Just humor her so we can get the heck on our way." Zelgadis sulked, but
did as the blonde miko said.
Once
they were briefed on its operation and had their supplies loaded, they were on
their way, sailing the blue sky in Washuu's balloon.
"Wow! I've never been up this high!" Nall said,
enjoying himself immensely.
Valgarv however wasn't. He was sitting against the
basket, not daring to move. "Oh poor Val's afraid of heights!" Firia teased.
"Urusai (shut up) onna!" he growled, blushing in
embarrassment.
"It's ok Val-san," Amelia said patting his shoulder.
"We'll be there in no time."
True to her word, they arrived at the volcano where
the dragon's cave was rumored to be a half hour later. The balloon landed
safely an entrance in the dormant crater. "Sure is hot in here," Firia said
pulling down her hood.
"Whatcha expect, toots? This is a volcano," Valgarv
quipped, eager to get back at her for teasing him earlier. Firia promptly beaned him with her mace.
"Valgarv no baka!" she spat before joining the others
in the cave.
After two hours of battling their way through the
various areas of the cave Xellos-tachi came to a corridor like passage
virtually free of enemies. "That's weird," Xellos said expecting something to
jump out at them any second. "There's hardly anything here."
"Well maybe we've gotten rid of all the monsters,"
Nall suggested.
"Welcome travelers," came a disembodied voice,
startling them.
"Who's
there?! Show yourself!" Valgarv called brandishing his sword.
"If you've come to face my trial, you must show me how
brave you are otherwise, please return to wherever you've come from."
"Heh! I'm braver than you, you coward!" the aqua
haired boy called. "At least I don't hide in shadows like a rabbit!"
The voice laughed. "How amusing you mortals are. As a
reward for amusing me, I shall heal any of you who are injured." A soft red
light enveloped them and the group found that they indeed had been healed and
their equipment was cleaned and repaired. "Now are you brave enough to
continue?" the voice asked.
"We're
brave enough!" Xellos answered, remembering that no matter what, he must get
Lina back.
At the end of the corridor was a wall of flames blocking
further advance into the cave. "Well that's it," Zelgadis said when all of
Amelia's ice spells failed to douse the stubborn fire. "Might as well give up
and go back to Vane now."
"Listen here pal!" Nall said flying over to him so
that his face was almost touching the lavender haired boy's. "I've had enough
of your lip! I'm not gonna give up on Lina and neither are you! Got it?" The
little white dragon then bared his fangs and claws. Zelgadis quickly backed
away in fear for his precious face.
"Well do you have any other great ideas?" he asked,
"I'd be willing to listen." None of them could come up with anything.
Xellos stood at the wall of fire for a few more
seconds then gathered up his pack and courage. "I'm not giving up," he said
then walked straight into the flames, not caring what happened to him now.
The others stared, amazed as he emerged on the other
side unscathed. Feeling sheepish, Zelgadis followed his comrade. The heat of
the flames was real, however the fire was an elaborate illusion. "I should have
known," the lavender haired boy muttered, "when we couldn't destroy it with
magic." Shortly the others followed as well.
Another hour or two later, Xellos-tachi reached what
had to be the Red Dragon's lair. A pair of stone dog-shape gargoyles and
another path of fire guarded a rather large opening at the back of the room.
Not fearing the flames this time, they proceeded only to be blocked by of all
people –
"Martina!" Zelgadis cried.
"Hello, Zel-kun," the mint haired fortuneteller said
with a flirtatious smirk. "I knew you'd be here. Too sad that I also knew that
you'd die here. Fido! Rex! Sick 'em!" With that, she vanished then the two
gargoyles came to life.
"OH #%^@!" they said in unison.
"Come back here you hussy!" Amelia shouted.
"Gomen ne, princess," came Martina's voice. "I'll have
to give you a rain check on that. You know how it is. People to kill, a planet
to take over. Jya ne!"
"Shimatta!"
cursed Xellos, as the gargoyles advanced on the group.
Sorry kiddies, but I'll have to leave you hanging until
next month, my life has become a living hell! Mwhahahahahaha!! Note to self: switch
to decaf.
Amelia: You're mean Sakura-san! What if Zelgadis-san dies?!
Sakura: Do you really think I'll let him?
Zel: I should be so lucky.
Sakura: (bops him with Xel's staff) Quiet you or it's back
to the Rabid Fangirls you go.
Zel: Eep. (runs like a bat from you know where)
Sakura: It's good to be the miko. Anyhoo in other news,
I'll be closing my site as soon as stupid Crosswinds is done with their security
renovation and allows me access to my pages again. It doesn't mean I'll stop writing
though. Not even a herd of rabid Nagas could stop me. I'll just be posting my stuff
here at FF.net from no on. Keep checking each month to see if I uploaded anything
new. Till then, same bat time, same bat channel.