Nocturnal Insight
By DragonTeenager
The Slayers Vault- http://www.purple-gizmo.com/zelink14/
Chapter 2
Amelia hadn't caught herself dozing off.
Zelgadis continued down the path, carrying a now asleep Amelia; however, he hadn't noticed since he was off in his own mind again.
The looming darkness of nighttime has a tendency to relax the senses and emotions. Even the most powerful of emotions don't stand a chance against the eerie, hypnotic powers of the shadows. The calm, uninterrupted silence of nighttime could cause any person's mind to wander.
The sound of a deep, almost mournful howl in the distance - somewhere off in the midst of the vast forest - brought Zelgadis back to reality.
A wolf? . . . In the middle of a forest? he wondered suspiciously. Why would a wolf be here?
Seemingly having nothing else to think about, he took the time to lull over the ordeal. The only light leading him down the path was of that coming from the sky. It was unusually bright, Zelgadis noticed, but, of course, it was still natural. His eyes were being coaxed to look up into the sky, and he did so. The stars were clearly vivid, shining their brightest. The moon, being the source of the blue light, was looming lazily over the forest.
Much to Zelgadis' surprise, the moon was full.
Upon coming to a logical conclusion concerning the "wolf howl", he dismissed the thought and continued on his way.
Amelia's eyes began to peer open, although her subconscious remained submerged in slumber. She could feel the cool night air brushing gently across her cheek as Zelgadis walked along, but that conclusion didn't seem to phase her. She was moving, yet her feet weren't even touching the ground. What's going on? she wondered unconsciously, still half asleep. Am I floating? . . .
Gradually the darkness of nighttime came clearer to her eyes as consciousness overtook her, and she began to discover otherwise. She rediscovered the bundle of wood she had been holding the whole time.
Where am I?
She realized that she wasn't floating, after all, rather something - no, someone - was moving her . . . Carrying her, apparently.
What's going on?
As her mind neared reality, her sleep-glazed eyes caught sight of a pale- colored garb she recognized somehow . . .
In an instant a deep blush overtook her face at the recognition of the clothing.
Wha - what's going on?!
Even through her embarrassment she felt a tingling sensation of remembrance clawing at the back of her mind. Wait a minute . . . she thought, interrupting her jumbled thoughts. Didn't something happen before? . . . yes . . . otherwise Zelgadis-san wouldn't be carrying me . . . right? Amelia's mind was boggled, and her face was now burning with both embarrassment and confusion.
Suddenly it hit her. The dark, eerie figure she had seen came into her mind. Everything she had seen - the darkness of the forest, the dark, swishing cloak, and those eyes - Oh, those eyes . . . the way they had glinted that bright, sinister blood red hue . . . that seemed to penetrate her soul . . .
Amelia shivered involuntarily as she recalled their evil, piercing gaze.
". . . Are you alright?"
Her thoughts were simultaneously intercepted and she jolted in surprise. Her faced burned even hotter now. She looked up shyly to see Zelgadis looking down at her curiously. Upon realizing just how close his face was to her own, she quickly turned away. Her heart was racing as if she had just run a marathon non-stop, and she was hoping and praying that Zelgadis couldn't feel that, too.
"Ye - yeah, I'm fine! . . . I th-ink I can walk on my own now."
"Alright, then," he answered, not fully believing her.
Zelgadis bent down enough for Amelia to get her feet on the ground. The moment she was standing on her own she nearly lost her balance due to how wobbly and weak her legs felt. She tried her hardest to tame them to avoid further embarrassment, and to avoid looking foolish. It took quite a bit of concentration to regulate her strides again.
Zelgadis was watching her out of the corner of his eye just to make sure she was keeping up alright - at least that was the reason he told himself in thought.
"I've got it," Amelia joked, getting the hang of her seemingly new pair of legs.
Zelgadis gazed back at the path, embarrassed that she had noticed him watching her. He nodded to affirm that he had heard her.
Amelia looked away from him with a gentle and somewhat excited smile. Zelgadis-san has changed, she thought, even though he wouldn't ever admit it himself. She shifted her grip on the bundle of firewood as she muffled a giggle.
Zelgadis had heard her making noise over something, but he didn't care to ask. It probably wasn't very important, anyway.
The small clearing from which they had originally come from could now be seen not far ahead off of the path. The fire Lina had built was visible, now, and was still burning, but it's brightness seemed to be diminishing as they approached.
The atmosphere about the clearing was unsettling. It felt strange and eerie as if it were completely new to them, and it held an uncomfortable feeling of suspense. Why would it feel so strange? . . .
Upon entering the clearing, Amelia and Zelgadis caught sight of Lina and Gourry sitting by the struggling fire. Lina and Gourry saw them enter, as well.
"Here, Lina-san!" Amelia said in a calm voice, holding out the bundle of sticks and twigs she had collected to Lina.
A relieved look spread across Lina's fire-shadowed face. "Alright! Great job, Amelia." She hastily retrieved the bundle from Amelia, and simultaneously dumped it on the ground beside her and, picking out a small amount of dry twigs, tossed them into the dying fire.
They caught fire immediately.
"Ah, that should do it!" she exclaimed with a sigh, dropping some larger, more effective pieces of wood into the flames.
It wasn't long before the fire enlarged itself and regained it's healthy form.
Lina abruptly clicked her tongue and rocked her head. "Poor Zel," she joked with a smirk, "it seems as if your mysterious act doesn't even work on your own friends anymore. We know you all too well."
Gourry laughed in agreement.
Zelgadis, not deciphering the difference between mockery and kidding, and feeling slightly embarrassed by her comments, just narrowed his eyes and stared blankly into the fire.
"Oh, that's right!" Amelia exclaimed in remembrance. "Zelgadis-san had some things he wanted to mention to you, Lina-san."
Huh? Zelgadis peered up with surprise in his face, and upon remembering, his face dropped in regret. Leave it to Amelia to have bad timing. . .
"Oh?" Lina asked with interest, placing her chin in the palm of her hand intently. "Like what?"
"Oh, well," he sighed silently.
"Well, it was about those Soul Stones . . . How much research did you accomplish before we came out here?"
". . . Enough . . . What - you think I would just jump into something like this blindly or something?" she asked, seemingly offended.
"Maybe. . ." he muttered.
"WHAT?"
"Nothing," he smirked; of course, he made sure to slightly turn his face away so as Lina would be unable to see it. He knew for a fact that Lina couldn't inflict any pain on him - well, unless she used her magic, anyway.
"Anyway," he continued, putting on a straight face, "I think you should be rather cautious."
"Of course," Lina fumed, but her suspicions got the better of her anger.
"Is something bothering you, Zel?"
"Well. . ."
It hit them all - the feeling that they were being watched. Lina stood up and looked about defensively.
There, in the gloomiest area of the clearing, a cloaked figure of average stature stood silently.
Lina was dumbfounded. Where did he come from? How could he get here without us noticing? . . .
Lina found her voice again after clearing her throat. "Hey, you!" she exclaimed, addressing the cloaked figure in a less-than-friendly tone. "Can we help you with something?"
He said nothing.
Lina spoke with obvious frustration in her voice. "You know, it's rude to just barge in on people like that!"
Ok, so maybe he didn't exactly "barge in", but . . .
Again, the figure said nothing. Had he even heard her?
The figure's head raised slightly as if he had, but the details of his face remained shadowed and vague.
Zelgadis heard a muffled gasp from beside him. He looked over to see Amelia scooting towards him.
"Zelgadis-san!" she whispered with fearful worry in her voice, "That's him."
He was shocked, but he kept his cool.
Lina placed her hands on her hips in frustration. "Well? Didn't you hear me? Can't you talk?!"
The cloaked figure seemed to stir under his cloak. He no sooner spoke in a low, growling voice.
"'Help', you say?"
Oh! So he can talk!
"You couldn't help me," he said with bitterness in his voice. He didn't budge from his position.
"O~kay, then . . ." Lina mumbled. Clearing her throat, she attempted to continue more calmly. "Sir - What exactly do you want?"
"'Want'?" the voice growled.
"Yes, I said 'want' . . ." she growned. "Who the heck are you?!"
"You cannot provide what I want," he replied in an icy tone, ignoring Lina's comment altogether.
As he raised his head, the red glaring eyes peered out from underneath the hood. "But you'll have to do."
The dark cloak billowed and swished wildly without the aid of any breeze.
"What?!"
Lina was dumbfounded and confused.
Gourry suddenly jumped up in front of her, and Zelgadis and Amelia soon followed.
"What is that?" Amelia asked fearfully.
"I - I'm not sure . . ."
Gourry, sensing trouble at hand, unsheathed the Sword of Light and called forth it's power.
"Could it be . . . a Mazoku?" Zelgadis pondered.
Lina said nothing.
"Whatever it is doesn't matter right now," Gourry commented seriously.
"Gourry-san's right!"
Lina nodded, keeping her glance fixed defensively on the cloaked threat that stood before them. A smirk spread across her face.
"Let's cream this guy."
Everyone nodded in reply.
Lina closed her eyes in concentration. She prepared to shoot off a spell, but upon opening her eyes, she discovered that the cloaked man had disappeared.
"Where did he go?!" she cried both frantically and angrily. By the looks of it, no one else knew, either.
"Look up there!" Gourry exclaimed, pointing up into the night sky where the cloaked figure levitated. His cloak continued to flap about.
"FLARE ARROW!"
Lina launched the spell at the figure; unfortunately, it seemed to deteriorate the instant it reached him.
"Dang it! Oh, well. That was just a test!" Lina said. "Now it's time to get serious."
"'Serious', indeed." the figure replied coolly, raising his right hand.
The hand that emerged was bare, but something about it was disfigured and abnormal . . . Lina noticed, but because it was so dark, she couldn't see clearly. All she could see was that there was something green . . .
. . . and it was beginning to glow brightly, as if the man were casting some sort of spell.
Lina's group stood on their guard.
"What is he doing?" Lina questioned no one in particular.
Zelgadis armed his sword. "Nothing I've ever seen before, but I wouldn't take any chances."
The group stood watching the cloaked man cast his unknown spell, prepared for anything he might send their way.
I don't know what affect it'll have, but it's worth a try! Lina thought while chanting a spell.
"ELMEKIA FLAME!" she called. A large, bright lance shot out from her outstretched hands towards the mysterious figure. Upon striking the figure - or at least seeming to - it splintered away into nothing. It didn't leave a scratch.
"It didn't work?!" she cried. "Is it a shield?"
"Look!"
The spell appeared to be picking up. The flickering light from the spell was blinding; it seemed to be enlarging each moment they waited. Suddenly, some kind of portal seemed to open up amongst the great light, but it was very difficult to see.
"I-It's a spell of summoning!" Zelgadis proclaimed upon recognition.
Lina placed her hand on her cheek with disappointment. "Is that it?"
"Lina-san!" Amelia groaned. "You've got to be kidding!"
The light seemed to be taking shape now, or rather something was being emptied out into it from the portal. The new shape was not decipherable while such an immensely bright light was in the way. It was much too hard to see.
All that could be assumed was that whatever it was was very large.
The light began to gradually dim, but it was still too bright to see clearly.
As the light dimmed further, an enormous pair of slitted, blood-red eyes peered out sinisterly. A deep growl gurgled from the creature's throat.
Light continued to leave the forest and more detail came to the shapeless creature until darkness returned.
It took a few more seconds till Lina's eyes adjusted back to the darkness from before. She glanced up curiously to see just what this guy had called upon.
This beast was even larger than she had previously thought; it stood almost level with the canopy of the forest. Two enormous, leathery wings rested at the beast's sides. Scales ran down from the tip of it's snout to the tip of it's long, serpentine tail, which swished about irritably. It was standing completely erect and alert, baring it's sharp teeth - obviously trying to be intimidating. Two long horns sprouted from the base of it's head, where began a hard chain of spines down it's back.
"He summoned a dragon?" Gourry questioned, in awe. With a confused expression displayed on his face he looked over at Lina. "Can he do that?"
"Well, he just did." She replied with a sigh. "It takes a high-level sorcerer to accomplish something like that. It seems we've underestimated him."
"Well, in any case, we've beaten dragons before." he smirked. "This'll be a breeze!"
"Of course! Let's get to it!"
"Right!"
The dragon, sensing the commencing of the battle, reared up in preparation for it's first attack.
"Nah-ah-ah, doragon-san," Lina boasted. "Let's see how tough you really are! FIREBALL!!"
The ball of flame rushed at the rearing dragon and upon impact exploded into thousands of tiny embers. Unfortunately, it had no effect.
The dragon turned its head towards Lina bitterly, its lip upraised and quivering.
"Oh no! All she did was make it mad!" Amelia exclaimed.
The dragon raised its head the exact same moment the cloaked man raised his right hand. They were preparing to attack.
"Lina-san! Look out!!"
Amelia and Zelgadis immediately jumped in and cast a protection spell around her. Lina reinforced the barrier with her own.
The dragon's mouth had gapped open, revealing the flickering reddish light at the base of its throat. A bright stream of fire suddenly sprouted from its mouth, aimed straight at them.
The powerful blast struck the protective shield uselessly. Being countered by their spell, it splintered away into nothing more than mere embers.
"You're just wasting your time, Mister Sorcerer," she bragged, flicking her hair with her hand. "A dragon is just a dragon, after all - and quite beatable!"
The cloaked man seemed to be amused by her confidence - or rather her arrogance. "You think so?"
"Hm! I know so! So without further ado - Gourry! Go get 'im!" She pointed at the dragon.
"Alright!" Gourry exclaimed with excitement in his voice. With sword in hand, he dashed at the dragon head on.
The dragon was standing tall again - as if it were amused - or waiting and plotting . . .
With a determined battle cry, Gourry made a great leap accompanied by a powerful vertical slash aimed at the dragon's snout.
. . . but it was to no avail. The dragon was prepared for this. Upon meeting Gourry it opened its mouth and clamped down on the blade of the Sword of Light. It seemed completely undisturbed by the fatal blade of light probably now cutting into the flesh inside its mouth.
Gourry was caught completely off guard. With no intention of releasing the hilt of his special sword, his arms felt as if they could be pulled out of his sockets as he was jerked into a stationary position - hanging foolishly from the dragon's mouth.
"What the heck's going on?!" he whined, frustrated at the fact that his sword, too, was useless. He grew nervous as he discovered the dragon's red eyes were focused on him - and it did not look happy at all.
With a snarl the dragon began swinging it's head roughly to and fro, flinging Gourry about with it.
Gourry was unsure if the sword had, in fact, caused any kind of damage. Instead of uselessly attempting to remove the sword, he tried shifting it a bit to hopefully cause some damage - or at least cause some discomfort for the dragon.
Just as he was about to execute his efforts, he fearfully noticed that he could see more of the blade protruding from the dragon's mouth, as if it were loosening, or . . .
. . . as if . . . the dragon were letting go!
Gourry began to panic. With this much inertia who knows where he'd end up!
It was too late for any reaction on his part. With one last powerful swing of its head, the dragon mercilessly released the blade completely from its jaws, causing both the sword and Gourry to go flying.
"Gourry!!"
"Oh no! Gourry-san!!"
Gourry's cries could be heard as he flew - or rather fell - through the night sky. He had lost his grip on the hilt of the sword, so it took its own course through the air. The blade of light vanished as it fell.
The splash of water was heard nearby as Gourry landed, and the hilt made a clinking sound as it hit the edge of the same lake.
Lina gave out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she mouthed.
"Now he's just playing with us," she huffed. "I'll finish this with one shot!"
The cloaked man raised his head slightly with interest.
Lina began to chant.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows.
Buried in the flow of time . . .
In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness.
All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed
by the power you and I possess!
DRAGON SLAVE!"
A great explosion occurred as the great blast of energy met with the dragon. To Lina, the sound of that great explosion was the sound of defeat and the closing of a battle.
The cloaked man had changed his position to avoid being in range of her sure-kill spell. He was still levitating in place, seemingly amused, but he did nothing. He almost seemed as if he was waiting for something . . .
The Dragon Slave was now beginning to fade. Lina began feeling cocky once again, having just defeated yet another dragon and all. But she was momentarily interrupted by a strange sound - coming from within the diminishing explosion. A blast of flame shot out; it seemed as if some kind of struggle was occurring from within.
"It can't be -"
Something else shot out this time - something extremely large. As wing beats sounded, a great roar came forth.
The dragon was in flight and completely whole.
Gourry had just made his way into the now fried clearing. He had retrieved his sword, obviously, for it was once again in its sheath. It was also very noticeable that he was soaked and dripping.
"Whoa! What's going on?" he asked, seeing the dark shape in the sky and the clearing he no longer recognized. He, as quickly as he could, made his way over to Lina. He first noticed the expression of disbelief on her face. It was apparent in her voice, also, as she spoke.
"The Dragon Slave . . . didn't work . . . ?"
"What?! How can that be?"
Her state suddenly changed completely. "I don't know!!" she cried, "but now I'm really ticked!! Something's unusual about that dragon, and I'm bound to find out why!!"
"Lina-san!"
Lina and Gourry turned to find Amelia and Zelgadis running up to them.
"Look at the dragon's mouth!"
The dragon had been flying about in a rage, but even so Lina was able to see it's face. The sky was seeming a bit brighter now than it had been before.
The dragon was not only angry, but it also seemed as if it were feeling some kind of pain. And, as Amelia had told her to do, Lina focused on the dragon's mouth. It was gaping open as deep growls were released from its throat. From in between the sharp teeth on its lower jaw tiny streams of dark-colored liquid were trickling out and building up underneath the dragon's chin, which consistently dripped and fell to the charred soil.
Lina could see that it was, in fact, blood.
Black blood? Dragons don't have black - . . . Lina grew skeptical as realization came to her mind. "Why isn't he making any advances to attack us?" she wondered, pointing at the cloaked figure.
"Good question . . ." Zelgadis replied without a definite answer.
"Lina-san, why would that man's eyes be glowing like that?" Amelia wondered nervously.
"The dragon's eyes are glowing, too," Gourry brought in.
Lina was deep in thought.
The cloaked man finally made a move; he raised his right hand again and threw it forward. The dragon, curiously enough, almost instantaneously made a nose dive at the four.
Fortunately they were quicker than the dragon; they all scattered to evade the claws that came crashing down where they had been standing only a moment before. From the impact a great cloud of dust and unearthed embers rose up into the sky.
Lina had been paying close attention to the actions of both the dragon and the cloaked man, and she now knew what was going on.
"Amelia! Zel!" she called to her scattered friends, "Try a Ra Tilt!"
"What?! On a dragon?" Amelia cried in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding!" Zelgadis exclaimed soon after. "That wouldn't work! - not on a dragon!"
"That would be true," she replied loud enough for both of them to hear, "if that were a real dragon."
The dragon continued striking the ground with great force, attempting to crush any of the members of Lina's party. A choking fog of hot dust was thickening with every strike; time was quickly running out.
"How . . . can that be?" Amelia asked, taken aback. Zelgadis just shook his head at her.
Lina was too close to the beast, and it noticed her. It began charging at her head on.
Knowing there was no better option she cast an Elmekia Lance. The beam struck the dragon straight in its breast. The dragon cried out, and though it continued to charge, it began to stumble. Lina was barely able to avoid getting trampled by the angry and now pained dragon.
"Guys! Do it now! Hurry!!"
"Source of all souls which dwells in the infinite!
Everlasting flame of blue.
Let the power hidden in my soul be called forth here from the infinite!
RA TILT!"
A new light came to the forest - a blue light that headed straight for the dragon. The cloaked figure once again changed his position, only before doing so, he raised both of his arms roughly. Upon dropping them the dragon's throat began burbling with flames, which shot out into the blue light with powerful jerks of its head.
It's resisting, Lina noticed.
Actually, she smirked lightly, that's a good sign.
The spell was not slowed. The dragon was swallowed up in its struggle for survival; one last roar sounded, and the beast deteriorated into nothingness.
"Left without a trace!" Lina exclaimed with pride.
"Alright!" Gourry cheered soon after.
"But how . . . ?"
"Lina-san," Amelia looked over to her, "how . . . did you know?"
Lina held her head up with a proud smirk.
"Any sorcerer knows what color blood each creature has - especially dragons! No dragon has black blood. Unless, of course . . ."
"A . . . a Mazoku?" Amelia said reluctantly, knowing Lina was awaiting an answer.
Lina continued. "Besides, Gourry's Sword of Light seemed pretty effective, even though that dragon seemed to be trying to hide its pain."
"It wasn't a dragon at all?" Gourry asked, confused.
"That what I just said, didn't I?" Lina grumbled.
"Then . . . what was it exactly?"
Lina paused.
"Well, that's where he comes in."
She turned to the cloaked figure now standing on the soil again.
He made no move.
"It seems your plan didn't work, did it? What are you up to?"
"I pity you, girl," the cloaked man growled, ignoring her question. "You and your friends possess great strength."
". . . Is . . . that bad . . . or something?" Lina gave him a strange look.
A breeze began to blow again, but this one was very unsettling.
The cloaked figure was suddenly pulsing with great energy. His black cloak again billowed and flapped about insanely. The man began to glow with the same brightness of the summoning spell he had cast.
His eyes glowed with the same blood-red glint they had before.
"Too much . . . leads to . . . destruction," a new, overpowering voice rasped.
It belonged to the cloaked figure.
"What the - ?!"
"What . . . are you?!" Lina questioned in a whisper.
The bare hand once again raised up out of the cloak, only this time its features were more vivid; however, most of which were still concealed under his dark cloak. The direct source of the light was seeable now.
On the back of the man's right hand a green stone was embedded.
"It couldn't be - !" Lina hissed in disbelief with her eyes wide.
"What do we do?!" both Amelia and Gourry wondered aloud.
A rush of panic surged through Lina's veins. She had no idea what the man was doing, much less what they should do. All that came to her mind was one single word - a single thought that screamed at her to have it commanded to her comrades.
". . . run."
Gourry and Amelia cringed.
The three began to run in the opposite direction, but they were immediately stopped by Zelgadis.
"No! It's too risky!" he exclaimed. "He has to be stopped!" Drawing his sword, he started a dash at the cloaked man.
"Zel! What are you doing?!"
Zelgadis ignored her and cast an Astral Vine on the sword.
The glowing red blade caught the cloaked man's attention.
"Insolent fool . . ." the voice rasped again.
With a raising of his arms, the light around him seemed to change its proportions and color right before their eyes. Was he changing his incantation?
As Zelgadis came closer, the power seemed to thicken. A beam of energy shaved past him unexpectedly.
The man was aiming all the energy at Zelgadis.
"Zelgadis! Stop it! Come back!!" his comrades called after him.
He paid no heed to their calls.
Again came the beam of energy - and again. Zelgadis just barely dodged each one that came.
Then came yet another beam, but this time Zelgadis had been unable to dodge. He was instantaneously consumed in the light.
"Zelgadis-san!!"
"Zelgadis!!"
There was no reply. The light prevented any clear vision, and must have also drowned out any sound from inside.
The light lasted only temporarily, and it began to diminish immediately. The three had no idea what to expect to see, but what they saw when the darkness returned was much more frightening than anything else.
Zelgadis was gone.
There was a moment of dead silence as the truth settled in, then the commotion hit.
"Zelgadis-san . . . ? What - ?" Amelia stumbled over her words as thoughts arose in her mind. Rage immediately overtook her face as she stared down the cloaked man who now posed a threat.
"What did you do with him?!"
The man said nothing. He very calmly raised his arms again.
He began chanting another spell.
"Oh no. What now?" Lina groaned with worry. Rage suddenly exploded in her as well.
"That's it, pal!! You're done for!!"
Raising her arms, she began chanting the Dragon Slave once again.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows . . ."
"That's . . . too bad -" rasped the voice again, still casting his spell; only this time, it almost seemed involuntary.
"Buried in the flow of time . . ."
From the hands of the cloaked man glowed two lights of green and blue, each producing a powerful energy of its own. The stones embedded in the hands of the man glowed so brightly, they looked as if they would shatter.
"In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness."
Everyone could feel the strength of the obsessive desires of the wizard of old being released into the atmosphere.
It was too late. With a throwing down of the two hosts of the stones, an explosion of white light blasted everyone apart from one another, scattering them throughout the forest . . .
Silence again returned to the forest.
By DragonTeenager
The Slayers Vault- http://www.purple-gizmo.com/zelink14/
Chapter 2
Amelia hadn't caught herself dozing off.
Zelgadis continued down the path, carrying a now asleep Amelia; however, he hadn't noticed since he was off in his own mind again.
The looming darkness of nighttime has a tendency to relax the senses and emotions. Even the most powerful of emotions don't stand a chance against the eerie, hypnotic powers of the shadows. The calm, uninterrupted silence of nighttime could cause any person's mind to wander.
The sound of a deep, almost mournful howl in the distance - somewhere off in the midst of the vast forest - brought Zelgadis back to reality.
A wolf? . . . In the middle of a forest? he wondered suspiciously. Why would a wolf be here?
Seemingly having nothing else to think about, he took the time to lull over the ordeal. The only light leading him down the path was of that coming from the sky. It was unusually bright, Zelgadis noticed, but, of course, it was still natural. His eyes were being coaxed to look up into the sky, and he did so. The stars were clearly vivid, shining their brightest. The moon, being the source of the blue light, was looming lazily over the forest.
Much to Zelgadis' surprise, the moon was full.
Upon coming to a logical conclusion concerning the "wolf howl", he dismissed the thought and continued on his way.
Amelia's eyes began to peer open, although her subconscious remained submerged in slumber. She could feel the cool night air brushing gently across her cheek as Zelgadis walked along, but that conclusion didn't seem to phase her. She was moving, yet her feet weren't even touching the ground. What's going on? she wondered unconsciously, still half asleep. Am I floating? . . .
Gradually the darkness of nighttime came clearer to her eyes as consciousness overtook her, and she began to discover otherwise. She rediscovered the bundle of wood she had been holding the whole time.
Where am I?
She realized that she wasn't floating, after all, rather something - no, someone - was moving her . . . Carrying her, apparently.
What's going on?
As her mind neared reality, her sleep-glazed eyes caught sight of a pale- colored garb she recognized somehow . . .
In an instant a deep blush overtook her face at the recognition of the clothing.
Wha - what's going on?!
Even through her embarrassment she felt a tingling sensation of remembrance clawing at the back of her mind. Wait a minute . . . she thought, interrupting her jumbled thoughts. Didn't something happen before? . . . yes . . . otherwise Zelgadis-san wouldn't be carrying me . . . right? Amelia's mind was boggled, and her face was now burning with both embarrassment and confusion.
Suddenly it hit her. The dark, eerie figure she had seen came into her mind. Everything she had seen - the darkness of the forest, the dark, swishing cloak, and those eyes - Oh, those eyes . . . the way they had glinted that bright, sinister blood red hue . . . that seemed to penetrate her soul . . .
Amelia shivered involuntarily as she recalled their evil, piercing gaze.
". . . Are you alright?"
Her thoughts were simultaneously intercepted and she jolted in surprise. Her faced burned even hotter now. She looked up shyly to see Zelgadis looking down at her curiously. Upon realizing just how close his face was to her own, she quickly turned away. Her heart was racing as if she had just run a marathon non-stop, and she was hoping and praying that Zelgadis couldn't feel that, too.
"Ye - yeah, I'm fine! . . . I th-ink I can walk on my own now."
"Alright, then," he answered, not fully believing her.
Zelgadis bent down enough for Amelia to get her feet on the ground. The moment she was standing on her own she nearly lost her balance due to how wobbly and weak her legs felt. She tried her hardest to tame them to avoid further embarrassment, and to avoid looking foolish. It took quite a bit of concentration to regulate her strides again.
Zelgadis was watching her out of the corner of his eye just to make sure she was keeping up alright - at least that was the reason he told himself in thought.
"I've got it," Amelia joked, getting the hang of her seemingly new pair of legs.
Zelgadis gazed back at the path, embarrassed that she had noticed him watching her. He nodded to affirm that he had heard her.
Amelia looked away from him with a gentle and somewhat excited smile. Zelgadis-san has changed, she thought, even though he wouldn't ever admit it himself. She shifted her grip on the bundle of firewood as she muffled a giggle.
Zelgadis had heard her making noise over something, but he didn't care to ask. It probably wasn't very important, anyway.
The small clearing from which they had originally come from could now be seen not far ahead off of the path. The fire Lina had built was visible, now, and was still burning, but it's brightness seemed to be diminishing as they approached.
The atmosphere about the clearing was unsettling. It felt strange and eerie as if it were completely new to them, and it held an uncomfortable feeling of suspense. Why would it feel so strange? . . .
Upon entering the clearing, Amelia and Zelgadis caught sight of Lina and Gourry sitting by the struggling fire. Lina and Gourry saw them enter, as well.
"Here, Lina-san!" Amelia said in a calm voice, holding out the bundle of sticks and twigs she had collected to Lina.
A relieved look spread across Lina's fire-shadowed face. "Alright! Great job, Amelia." She hastily retrieved the bundle from Amelia, and simultaneously dumped it on the ground beside her and, picking out a small amount of dry twigs, tossed them into the dying fire.
They caught fire immediately.
"Ah, that should do it!" she exclaimed with a sigh, dropping some larger, more effective pieces of wood into the flames.
It wasn't long before the fire enlarged itself and regained it's healthy form.
Lina abruptly clicked her tongue and rocked her head. "Poor Zel," she joked with a smirk, "it seems as if your mysterious act doesn't even work on your own friends anymore. We know you all too well."
Gourry laughed in agreement.
Zelgadis, not deciphering the difference between mockery and kidding, and feeling slightly embarrassed by her comments, just narrowed his eyes and stared blankly into the fire.
"Oh, that's right!" Amelia exclaimed in remembrance. "Zelgadis-san had some things he wanted to mention to you, Lina-san."
Huh? Zelgadis peered up with surprise in his face, and upon remembering, his face dropped in regret. Leave it to Amelia to have bad timing. . .
"Oh?" Lina asked with interest, placing her chin in the palm of her hand intently. "Like what?"
"Oh, well," he sighed silently.
"Well, it was about those Soul Stones . . . How much research did you accomplish before we came out here?"
". . . Enough . . . What - you think I would just jump into something like this blindly or something?" she asked, seemingly offended.
"Maybe. . ." he muttered.
"WHAT?"
"Nothing," he smirked; of course, he made sure to slightly turn his face away so as Lina would be unable to see it. He knew for a fact that Lina couldn't inflict any pain on him - well, unless she used her magic, anyway.
"Anyway," he continued, putting on a straight face, "I think you should be rather cautious."
"Of course," Lina fumed, but her suspicions got the better of her anger.
"Is something bothering you, Zel?"
"Well. . ."
It hit them all - the feeling that they were being watched. Lina stood up and looked about defensively.
There, in the gloomiest area of the clearing, a cloaked figure of average stature stood silently.
Lina was dumbfounded. Where did he come from? How could he get here without us noticing? . . .
Lina found her voice again after clearing her throat. "Hey, you!" she exclaimed, addressing the cloaked figure in a less-than-friendly tone. "Can we help you with something?"
He said nothing.
Lina spoke with obvious frustration in her voice. "You know, it's rude to just barge in on people like that!"
Ok, so maybe he didn't exactly "barge in", but . . .
Again, the figure said nothing. Had he even heard her?
The figure's head raised slightly as if he had, but the details of his face remained shadowed and vague.
Zelgadis heard a muffled gasp from beside him. He looked over to see Amelia scooting towards him.
"Zelgadis-san!" she whispered with fearful worry in her voice, "That's him."
He was shocked, but he kept his cool.
Lina placed her hands on her hips in frustration. "Well? Didn't you hear me? Can't you talk?!"
The cloaked figure seemed to stir under his cloak. He no sooner spoke in a low, growling voice.
"'Help', you say?"
Oh! So he can talk!
"You couldn't help me," he said with bitterness in his voice. He didn't budge from his position.
"O~kay, then . . ." Lina mumbled. Clearing her throat, she attempted to continue more calmly. "Sir - What exactly do you want?"
"'Want'?" the voice growled.
"Yes, I said 'want' . . ." she growned. "Who the heck are you?!"
"You cannot provide what I want," he replied in an icy tone, ignoring Lina's comment altogether.
As he raised his head, the red glaring eyes peered out from underneath the hood. "But you'll have to do."
The dark cloak billowed and swished wildly without the aid of any breeze.
"What?!"
Lina was dumbfounded and confused.
Gourry suddenly jumped up in front of her, and Zelgadis and Amelia soon followed.
"What is that?" Amelia asked fearfully.
"I - I'm not sure . . ."
Gourry, sensing trouble at hand, unsheathed the Sword of Light and called forth it's power.
"Could it be . . . a Mazoku?" Zelgadis pondered.
Lina said nothing.
"Whatever it is doesn't matter right now," Gourry commented seriously.
"Gourry-san's right!"
Lina nodded, keeping her glance fixed defensively on the cloaked threat that stood before them. A smirk spread across her face.
"Let's cream this guy."
Everyone nodded in reply.
Lina closed her eyes in concentration. She prepared to shoot off a spell, but upon opening her eyes, she discovered that the cloaked man had disappeared.
"Where did he go?!" she cried both frantically and angrily. By the looks of it, no one else knew, either.
"Look up there!" Gourry exclaimed, pointing up into the night sky where the cloaked figure levitated. His cloak continued to flap about.
"FLARE ARROW!"
Lina launched the spell at the figure; unfortunately, it seemed to deteriorate the instant it reached him.
"Dang it! Oh, well. That was just a test!" Lina said. "Now it's time to get serious."
"'Serious', indeed." the figure replied coolly, raising his right hand.
The hand that emerged was bare, but something about it was disfigured and abnormal . . . Lina noticed, but because it was so dark, she couldn't see clearly. All she could see was that there was something green . . .
. . . and it was beginning to glow brightly, as if the man were casting some sort of spell.
Lina's group stood on their guard.
"What is he doing?" Lina questioned no one in particular.
Zelgadis armed his sword. "Nothing I've ever seen before, but I wouldn't take any chances."
The group stood watching the cloaked man cast his unknown spell, prepared for anything he might send their way.
I don't know what affect it'll have, but it's worth a try! Lina thought while chanting a spell.
"ELMEKIA FLAME!" she called. A large, bright lance shot out from her outstretched hands towards the mysterious figure. Upon striking the figure - or at least seeming to - it splintered away into nothing. It didn't leave a scratch.
"It didn't work?!" she cried. "Is it a shield?"
"Look!"
The spell appeared to be picking up. The flickering light from the spell was blinding; it seemed to be enlarging each moment they waited. Suddenly, some kind of portal seemed to open up amongst the great light, but it was very difficult to see.
"I-It's a spell of summoning!" Zelgadis proclaimed upon recognition.
Lina placed her hand on her cheek with disappointment. "Is that it?"
"Lina-san!" Amelia groaned. "You've got to be kidding!"
The light seemed to be taking shape now, or rather something was being emptied out into it from the portal. The new shape was not decipherable while such an immensely bright light was in the way. It was much too hard to see.
All that could be assumed was that whatever it was was very large.
The light began to gradually dim, but it was still too bright to see clearly.
As the light dimmed further, an enormous pair of slitted, blood-red eyes peered out sinisterly. A deep growl gurgled from the creature's throat.
Light continued to leave the forest and more detail came to the shapeless creature until darkness returned.
It took a few more seconds till Lina's eyes adjusted back to the darkness from before. She glanced up curiously to see just what this guy had called upon.
This beast was even larger than she had previously thought; it stood almost level with the canopy of the forest. Two enormous, leathery wings rested at the beast's sides. Scales ran down from the tip of it's snout to the tip of it's long, serpentine tail, which swished about irritably. It was standing completely erect and alert, baring it's sharp teeth - obviously trying to be intimidating. Two long horns sprouted from the base of it's head, where began a hard chain of spines down it's back.
"He summoned a dragon?" Gourry questioned, in awe. With a confused expression displayed on his face he looked over at Lina. "Can he do that?"
"Well, he just did." She replied with a sigh. "It takes a high-level sorcerer to accomplish something like that. It seems we've underestimated him."
"Well, in any case, we've beaten dragons before." he smirked. "This'll be a breeze!"
"Of course! Let's get to it!"
"Right!"
The dragon, sensing the commencing of the battle, reared up in preparation for it's first attack.
"Nah-ah-ah, doragon-san," Lina boasted. "Let's see how tough you really are! FIREBALL!!"
The ball of flame rushed at the rearing dragon and upon impact exploded into thousands of tiny embers. Unfortunately, it had no effect.
The dragon turned its head towards Lina bitterly, its lip upraised and quivering.
"Oh no! All she did was make it mad!" Amelia exclaimed.
The dragon raised its head the exact same moment the cloaked man raised his right hand. They were preparing to attack.
"Lina-san! Look out!!"
Amelia and Zelgadis immediately jumped in and cast a protection spell around her. Lina reinforced the barrier with her own.
The dragon's mouth had gapped open, revealing the flickering reddish light at the base of its throat. A bright stream of fire suddenly sprouted from its mouth, aimed straight at them.
The powerful blast struck the protective shield uselessly. Being countered by their spell, it splintered away into nothing more than mere embers.
"You're just wasting your time, Mister Sorcerer," she bragged, flicking her hair with her hand. "A dragon is just a dragon, after all - and quite beatable!"
The cloaked man seemed to be amused by her confidence - or rather her arrogance. "You think so?"
"Hm! I know so! So without further ado - Gourry! Go get 'im!" She pointed at the dragon.
"Alright!" Gourry exclaimed with excitement in his voice. With sword in hand, he dashed at the dragon head on.
The dragon was standing tall again - as if it were amused - or waiting and plotting . . .
With a determined battle cry, Gourry made a great leap accompanied by a powerful vertical slash aimed at the dragon's snout.
. . . but it was to no avail. The dragon was prepared for this. Upon meeting Gourry it opened its mouth and clamped down on the blade of the Sword of Light. It seemed completely undisturbed by the fatal blade of light probably now cutting into the flesh inside its mouth.
Gourry was caught completely off guard. With no intention of releasing the hilt of his special sword, his arms felt as if they could be pulled out of his sockets as he was jerked into a stationary position - hanging foolishly from the dragon's mouth.
"What the heck's going on?!" he whined, frustrated at the fact that his sword, too, was useless. He grew nervous as he discovered the dragon's red eyes were focused on him - and it did not look happy at all.
With a snarl the dragon began swinging it's head roughly to and fro, flinging Gourry about with it.
Gourry was unsure if the sword had, in fact, caused any kind of damage. Instead of uselessly attempting to remove the sword, he tried shifting it a bit to hopefully cause some damage - or at least cause some discomfort for the dragon.
Just as he was about to execute his efforts, he fearfully noticed that he could see more of the blade protruding from the dragon's mouth, as if it were loosening, or . . .
. . . as if . . . the dragon were letting go!
Gourry began to panic. With this much inertia who knows where he'd end up!
It was too late for any reaction on his part. With one last powerful swing of its head, the dragon mercilessly released the blade completely from its jaws, causing both the sword and Gourry to go flying.
"Gourry!!"
"Oh no! Gourry-san!!"
Gourry's cries could be heard as he flew - or rather fell - through the night sky. He had lost his grip on the hilt of the sword, so it took its own course through the air. The blade of light vanished as it fell.
The splash of water was heard nearby as Gourry landed, and the hilt made a clinking sound as it hit the edge of the same lake.
Lina gave out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness," she mouthed.
"Now he's just playing with us," she huffed. "I'll finish this with one shot!"
The cloaked man raised his head slightly with interest.
Lina began to chant.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows.
Buried in the flow of time . . .
In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness.
All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed
by the power you and I possess!
DRAGON SLAVE!"
A great explosion occurred as the great blast of energy met with the dragon. To Lina, the sound of that great explosion was the sound of defeat and the closing of a battle.
The cloaked man had changed his position to avoid being in range of her sure-kill spell. He was still levitating in place, seemingly amused, but he did nothing. He almost seemed as if he was waiting for something . . .
The Dragon Slave was now beginning to fade. Lina began feeling cocky once again, having just defeated yet another dragon and all. But she was momentarily interrupted by a strange sound - coming from within the diminishing explosion. A blast of flame shot out; it seemed as if some kind of struggle was occurring from within.
"It can't be -"
Something else shot out this time - something extremely large. As wing beats sounded, a great roar came forth.
The dragon was in flight and completely whole.
Gourry had just made his way into the now fried clearing. He had retrieved his sword, obviously, for it was once again in its sheath. It was also very noticeable that he was soaked and dripping.
"Whoa! What's going on?" he asked, seeing the dark shape in the sky and the clearing he no longer recognized. He, as quickly as he could, made his way over to Lina. He first noticed the expression of disbelief on her face. It was apparent in her voice, also, as she spoke.
"The Dragon Slave . . . didn't work . . . ?"
"What?! How can that be?"
Her state suddenly changed completely. "I don't know!!" she cried, "but now I'm really ticked!! Something's unusual about that dragon, and I'm bound to find out why!!"
"Lina-san!"
Lina and Gourry turned to find Amelia and Zelgadis running up to them.
"Look at the dragon's mouth!"
The dragon had been flying about in a rage, but even so Lina was able to see it's face. The sky was seeming a bit brighter now than it had been before.
The dragon was not only angry, but it also seemed as if it were feeling some kind of pain. And, as Amelia had told her to do, Lina focused on the dragon's mouth. It was gaping open as deep growls were released from its throat. From in between the sharp teeth on its lower jaw tiny streams of dark-colored liquid were trickling out and building up underneath the dragon's chin, which consistently dripped and fell to the charred soil.
Lina could see that it was, in fact, blood.
Black blood? Dragons don't have black - . . . Lina grew skeptical as realization came to her mind. "Why isn't he making any advances to attack us?" she wondered, pointing at the cloaked figure.
"Good question . . ." Zelgadis replied without a definite answer.
"Lina-san, why would that man's eyes be glowing like that?" Amelia wondered nervously.
"The dragon's eyes are glowing, too," Gourry brought in.
Lina was deep in thought.
The cloaked man finally made a move; he raised his right hand again and threw it forward. The dragon, curiously enough, almost instantaneously made a nose dive at the four.
Fortunately they were quicker than the dragon; they all scattered to evade the claws that came crashing down where they had been standing only a moment before. From the impact a great cloud of dust and unearthed embers rose up into the sky.
Lina had been paying close attention to the actions of both the dragon and the cloaked man, and she now knew what was going on.
"Amelia! Zel!" she called to her scattered friends, "Try a Ra Tilt!"
"What?! On a dragon?" Amelia cried in disbelief.
"You've got to be kidding!" Zelgadis exclaimed soon after. "That wouldn't work! - not on a dragon!"
"That would be true," she replied loud enough for both of them to hear, "if that were a real dragon."
The dragon continued striking the ground with great force, attempting to crush any of the members of Lina's party. A choking fog of hot dust was thickening with every strike; time was quickly running out.
"How . . . can that be?" Amelia asked, taken aback. Zelgadis just shook his head at her.
Lina was too close to the beast, and it noticed her. It began charging at her head on.
Knowing there was no better option she cast an Elmekia Lance. The beam struck the dragon straight in its breast. The dragon cried out, and though it continued to charge, it began to stumble. Lina was barely able to avoid getting trampled by the angry and now pained dragon.
"Guys! Do it now! Hurry!!"
"Source of all souls which dwells in the infinite!
Everlasting flame of blue.
Let the power hidden in my soul be called forth here from the infinite!
RA TILT!"
A new light came to the forest - a blue light that headed straight for the dragon. The cloaked figure once again changed his position, only before doing so, he raised both of his arms roughly. Upon dropping them the dragon's throat began burbling with flames, which shot out into the blue light with powerful jerks of its head.
It's resisting, Lina noticed.
Actually, she smirked lightly, that's a good sign.
The spell was not slowed. The dragon was swallowed up in its struggle for survival; one last roar sounded, and the beast deteriorated into nothingness.
"Left without a trace!" Lina exclaimed with pride.
"Alright!" Gourry cheered soon after.
"But how . . . ?"
"Lina-san," Amelia looked over to her, "how . . . did you know?"
Lina held her head up with a proud smirk.
"Any sorcerer knows what color blood each creature has - especially dragons! No dragon has black blood. Unless, of course . . ."
"A . . . a Mazoku?" Amelia said reluctantly, knowing Lina was awaiting an answer.
Lina continued. "Besides, Gourry's Sword of Light seemed pretty effective, even though that dragon seemed to be trying to hide its pain."
"It wasn't a dragon at all?" Gourry asked, confused.
"That what I just said, didn't I?" Lina grumbled.
"Then . . . what was it exactly?"
Lina paused.
"Well, that's where he comes in."
She turned to the cloaked figure now standing on the soil again.
He made no move.
"It seems your plan didn't work, did it? What are you up to?"
"I pity you, girl," the cloaked man growled, ignoring her question. "You and your friends possess great strength."
". . . Is . . . that bad . . . or something?" Lina gave him a strange look.
A breeze began to blow again, but this one was very unsettling.
The cloaked figure was suddenly pulsing with great energy. His black cloak again billowed and flapped about insanely. The man began to glow with the same brightness of the summoning spell he had cast.
His eyes glowed with the same blood-red glint they had before.
"Too much . . . leads to . . . destruction," a new, overpowering voice rasped.
It belonged to the cloaked figure.
"What the - ?!"
"What . . . are you?!" Lina questioned in a whisper.
The bare hand once again raised up out of the cloak, only this time its features were more vivid; however, most of which were still concealed under his dark cloak. The direct source of the light was seeable now.
On the back of the man's right hand a green stone was embedded.
"It couldn't be - !" Lina hissed in disbelief with her eyes wide.
"What do we do?!" both Amelia and Gourry wondered aloud.
A rush of panic surged through Lina's veins. She had no idea what the man was doing, much less what they should do. All that came to her mind was one single word - a single thought that screamed at her to have it commanded to her comrades.
". . . run."
Gourry and Amelia cringed.
The three began to run in the opposite direction, but they were immediately stopped by Zelgadis.
"No! It's too risky!" he exclaimed. "He has to be stopped!" Drawing his sword, he started a dash at the cloaked man.
"Zel! What are you doing?!"
Zelgadis ignored her and cast an Astral Vine on the sword.
The glowing red blade caught the cloaked man's attention.
"Insolent fool . . ." the voice rasped again.
With a raising of his arms, the light around him seemed to change its proportions and color right before their eyes. Was he changing his incantation?
As Zelgadis came closer, the power seemed to thicken. A beam of energy shaved past him unexpectedly.
The man was aiming all the energy at Zelgadis.
"Zelgadis! Stop it! Come back!!" his comrades called after him.
He paid no heed to their calls.
Again came the beam of energy - and again. Zelgadis just barely dodged each one that came.
Then came yet another beam, but this time Zelgadis had been unable to dodge. He was instantaneously consumed in the light.
"Zelgadis-san!!"
"Zelgadis!!"
There was no reply. The light prevented any clear vision, and must have also drowned out any sound from inside.
The light lasted only temporarily, and it began to diminish immediately. The three had no idea what to expect to see, but what they saw when the darkness returned was much more frightening than anything else.
Zelgadis was gone.
There was a moment of dead silence as the truth settled in, then the commotion hit.
"Zelgadis-san . . . ? What - ?" Amelia stumbled over her words as thoughts arose in her mind. Rage immediately overtook her face as she stared down the cloaked man who now posed a threat.
"What did you do with him?!"
The man said nothing. He very calmly raised his arms again.
He began chanting another spell.
"Oh no. What now?" Lina groaned with worry. Rage suddenly exploded in her as well.
"That's it, pal!! You're done for!!"
Raising her arms, she began chanting the Dragon Slave once again.
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows . . ."
"That's . . . too bad -" rasped the voice again, still casting his spell; only this time, it almost seemed involuntary.
"Buried in the flow of time . . ."
From the hands of the cloaked man glowed two lights of green and blue, each producing a powerful energy of its own. The stones embedded in the hands of the man glowed so brightly, they looked as if they would shatter.
"In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness."
Everyone could feel the strength of the obsessive desires of the wizard of old being released into the atmosphere.
It was too late. With a throwing down of the two hosts of the stones, an explosion of white light blasted everyone apart from one another, scattering them throughout the forest . . .
Silence again returned to the forest.