Promises
Chapter One
"I can't believe we're doing this!" Zelgadis muttered for the umpteenth time that morning.
"Believe it." Filia said, moodily. Since Xellos had been kidnapped, she'd been in a foul mood.
"Are we taking enough food this time?" Amelia asked, sincerely hoping to prevent a repeat of the last time they had been out at sea.
"Enough food would mean bringing enough to sink this ship." Zelgadis mumbled, scrambling up the rigging when Lina took a swing at him with her sword.
"Watch it!" Lina shouted, threateningly, as Zelgadis glared down at her.
"That's enough you two. We don't have time for this. Every moment we waste here could put Xellos into even more danger." Rain said, as she climbed on board and prevented Lina from 'Dragon Slave-ing' the wooden craft, and all else around them.
"Are we ready to go?" Gourry asked.
"Almost. There is someone else coming along with us." Rain said, as another man climbed aboard, a look of eagerness on his boyish face.
"Who is that?" Zelgadis asked, from his safe perch above the deck.
"Everyone, this is Teim, the Blue Priest. A personal friend of mine." Rain introduced, as the youthful priest nodded to them, with a smile.
"ACK! Another priest?!" Gourry yelped, getting a warm laugh from Teim.
"Yes, I am a priest. One out of four. Unfortunately, Rain and I are the only ones that remain of the Four Sages of the Age." Teim said, calmly.
"How sad. We know what happened to Rezo, but what happened to the last one?" Zelgadis asked.
"No one knows. He just disappeared one day. The White Priest hasn't heard from in a long time. It's my guess that he vanished shortly after Shabranigdo was destroyed. Why, we have yet to figure out." Teim replied, as Zelgadis came down from his perch, but kept safely away from Lina while he was at it.
"Shall we go ahead and set sail?" Filia asked. Rain nodded.
"Yes. The sooner we do, the sooner we reach Lodoss and find out where that monster had taken Xellos." Rain said, as the sails were unfurled and they started on their journey.
"This is it. We might not see this place for a while." Lina murmured, as she watched the mainland fade from sight.
"We'll return, don't worry about that." Gourry said, gently, as he stood close to Lina, but didn't hold her, knowing that if he did without her consent, she would fireball him. He smiled when she snuggled into him, taking comfort in his warmth. Since the rest of the group had gone below decks, Lina felt secure in showing Gourry that she cared for him. No one was looking.
Meanwhile, an evil ruler watched as two monstrous guards brought a limp figure before him. An evil smile graced his features. Revenge would be sweet.
"Xellos! What a pleasant surprise!" the ruler said, as he descended from his throne, just as Xellos regained consciousness.
"What……………..what do you want?" Xellos choked, as the ruler gazed ferally down at him.
"What I want, is revenge. Plain and simple, Xellos." The ruler said, as dragon wings emerged from his back.
"Demon Dragon…………………" Xellos whispered.
"That's right, Xellos. I am the last of a race of dragons that was corrupted by a Dark Lord. A race that the Ancient Dragons, Mazoku, and Ryuzoku formed an alliance against and destroyed with one blow. I am Tern, the Demon Dragon!" the ruler said, as he slashed Xellos' chest, enjoying the outcry of pain from the helpless Mazoku.
"Why……………? Why are you doing this……………..?" Xellos asked, coughing as blood bubbled into the back of his throat.
"I want to destroy the Mazoku. Make them feel the wrath of one they have destroyed. And with the information you will give me, I will do it." Tern snarled, as he tilted Xellos' chin up with his clawed hand, his claws pricking the skin on Xellos' face and causing blood to drip off.
"I won't…………………I won't do it………………" Xellos whispered, stubbornly.
"You will, or that precious Ryuzoku of yours will be the first to die when I send my first wave." Tern threatened, menacingly.
"You………………You wouldn't dare……………" Xellos snarled, prevented from doing anything when a guard wrenched his arm painfully behind his back.
"I can, and I will. Either you give me what I want, or she will be the first to die." Tern snarled, his eyes glowing crimson as his temper rose.
"Never……………" Xellos whispered, stubbornly.
"We'll see how stubborn you are when your beloved is dead beneath the waves." Tern said, as he put his back to Xellos.
"No!" Xellos cried, when he saw a storm serpent appear before the evil king.
"Go forth, storm serpent. Seek out the ship that has the famed Lina Inverse on board and break it into a thousand pieces!" Tern growled.
"As you will it, Master." The storm serpent hissed, as it slithered away.
"What shall we do with this scum, your Highness?" one of the guards asked.
"Throw him in the dungeon. We'll see how resistant he is after he's had a few days of solitary confinement." Tern said, in a low, rumbling tone.
"As you will it, Master." The guards said, in unison, as they dragged Xellos off.
"You won't get away with this!" Xellos screamed, furiously.
"Oh, but I already have, Xellos. I already have." Tern sneered, as he returned to his throne and watched what was happening at sea through a crystal ball.
Rain watched as storm clouds gathered on the horizon.
"That isn't normal…………….." Rain thought, as she watched the clouds get darker and closer.
"Everyone! Trim the sails! There's a storm on the way!" Rain shouted, as the wind abruptly picked up. Quickly, everyone scrambled to obey the command and struggled to hang on as the wind got worse.
"Gourry! Tie this down!" Zelgadis shouted, as he tossed a rope to Gourry. Gourry nodded and quickly tied it down, struggling to keep his balance on the now rain-soaked decks.
"This isn't a normal storm!" Lina shouted, over the wind, as Amelia and Filia also hung on. Just when she'd finished saying that, Lina saw Gourry disappear.
"Gourry!" Lina screamed, as she rushed to the other side of the ship, where Gourry had been standing moments before.
"Gourry!" Lina shouted, again, as fear started taking hold in her mind.
"Zelgadis-san?! Where is he?!" Amelia asked, when she'd found that he too had gone missing. Then, without warning, something burst out of the water and onto the deck.
"A storm serpent!" Teim shouted, about to prepare a spell but stopping when he saw that Gourry and Zelgadis had their swords buried to their hilts in the body of the beast.
"Gourry! Hang on! You too, Zelgadis!" Rain shouted, as she produced a sword from nowhere and dove into the melee.
"Rain……………….and you wondered why we never took you anywhere! You are reckless!" Teim muttered, as he brought his own sword out and charged into the fray. Within moments, the battle was over. With a quick levitation spell, the carcass was cast into the sea and the storm abated. When the sun came out, all of those on board sat back to catch their breaths, then Lina walked over to Gourry, with the intent to hurt. She nearly slipped in something wet on the way there.
"Huh?" Lina asked, looking down and nearly freaking out when she saw blood on the deck, where Gourry had been only moments before.
"Lina, he's been bitten." Zelgadis said, as he worked on getting a tourniquet onto Gourry's right leg, that of which was bleeding heavily from two fang wounds.
"Let me see." Teim said, as he gently moved Lina aside and looked at the wounds.
"Can you help him?" Lina asked, in a subdued voice, all thought of getting after Gourry for his recklessness gone.
"I can, but it will take time. I need to diffuse the poison. Rain, I am going to need your help." Teim said, grimly, as Gourry moaned softly.
"Right. Hang on, Gourry." Rain said, as she and Teim started working on Gourry right on the spot.
"Come on, Lina, we need to get the sails loose again." Zelgadis said, as he gently led Lina away, who, uncharacteristically followed silently after him.
