Chapter 1:
The Invitation
It all started in, of all places, a sleeping village. The day's activities had all passed and now everyone was lost in slumber-land. They had all spent all hours of daylight going about their daily business and working their fingers to the bone. Now they slept without a worry in the world. The village of Dakeyras was still, and was enlightened by the blazing light of a full moon.
In amongst the sleeping mass were four outsiders.
Lina Inverse the infamous sorceress, bandit killer and the bearer of the most overwhelming appetite imaginable; Gourry Gabriev, the owner of the legendary Sword of Light and the most degenerate IQ ever witnessed; Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune a princess and one of the fabled Champions of Justice; and Zelgadis Greywars the chimera and the most moody of the four.
Four adventurers who have seen the most fantastic sights and the most bizarre monstrosities that the mere sight of would've turned blood to water. Four adventurers who sought a haven following the most extraordinary, and most horrific, adventure they had ever experienced. They had pursued a dangerous and sadistic foe right into the depths of this very village. They had cornered this persistent adversary and brought about a demise - a demise most horrendous for an enemy most terrible.
But now the threat of Isabella von Hurst has now long gone. Now the four adventurers were hailed as heroes. Now the four adventurers slept easy knowing the evil that plagued them was now gone forever.
But little did they know that their troubles were only just beginning.....
The eradication of one threat only brought about the presence of a second.
And it was into this sleeping village that a ominous figure entered.
Clad entirely in black and blending right into shadows, this intruder crept silently and stealthily through Dakeyras, following the light of the moon. His movements were quick, yet sleek, his eyes darted everywhere and his intentions were hardly peaceful.....
He heard that the infamous Lina Inverse was staying at this very village....
The intruder felt a burning rage boiling up inside him. Yes, Lina Inverse. The same Lina Inverse who'd he had clashed with before. The same Lina Inverse who interfered with his plans and brought them crashing down. The same Lina Inverse who had brought him to ruin.
But, now was the time for a little payback....
Moving with ever-so-silence, the intruder made his way over to the local inn. Yes this was the place - Knowing Lina she would be situated here within this tavern's walls.
And probably recovering from gorging herself beyond belief.
The intruder grinned under his mask. If Lina was fast asleep, then she shouldn't be too hard to abduct.....
Then, without a further ado, the interloper set about climbing the wall of the tavern. He already knew that the guest rooms were situated above ground floor in this tavern.....
....All he had to do was get there.
Using his stealthy techniques and the light of a full moon, the interloper made his way up the wall and towards his destination.
It was one of the balconies that hung out from the wall. One of the balconies that would lead him into one of the guest rooms and inside.....
The intruder made his way onto the balcony with ease. Then he crept over to a window. A window that lead into the room adjacent to the balcony. This seemed like a good spot to begin the search....
The interloper peered through the window and into the room.....
....and grinned.
It looks like his search was over just as it had began. There, lying on the bed, was a teenage girl. Although her head was out of the moonlight that streamed in through the window, the rest of her was enough to convince the interloper that he had located Lina.....
Suddenly the moon disappeared behind a cloud. Immediately all light within the village was extinguished. The intruder was now left alone without his one source of light.
He cursed. Things had now grown slightly difficult......
But oddly beneficial. He now had the cover required to pull off his act of abduction!
Using what little light he had, the intruder calmly opened up the window. Ha! It was unlocked! This was getting better and better! He will pull this dirty deed quickly and easily! Come the morning, he would be long gone!
Suddenly, as the intruder clambered through the window and into the room, he heard a tiny voice at the back of his mind:
Are you sure that's Lina?
Suddenly the intruder stopped dead in his tracks. A peculiar sense of doubt had blossomed inside him and indeed had no sense of leaving. What guarantee did he have that the girl he was holding was indeed Lina? It had certainly been a while since he had last seen the sorceress. How long? Three years? Five years? He could never tell.
But no matter how long it had been since he last seen her, Lina would've certainly grown up from being the hyperactive fourteen year old he has come to know.
He didn't get much of a look at the girl through the window. Yet it was enough to establish that the girl was kind of.... young. And rather...
Well endowed?!
The intruder certainly recalled that the Lina he knew was quite.....
.....Flat chested. In fact part of her lethal reputation relied upon that fact.
Lina certainly must've grown older but this growth rate was quite unexpected!
Oh what did it matter? If that girl was Lina then he should just grab her and get out of here, quick smart! He shouldn't hang around. He shouldn't be paralysed by his own guilt. He shouldn't dawdle once his prize is in his grasp.
Particularly if said prize was the most dangerous force known to man!
And with that, the intruder scooped up the sleeping girl. He grinned. His master is going to be pleased with this.....
Then, with his newly-acquired prize, the intruder scrambled back through the window, before disappearing into the night completely.
The rest of the night passed without incident. When the morning came, the residents of Dakeyras, emerged from their homes, unaware of the visitor that passed through the night before.
At the local tavern, Gourry Gabriev, sat at the table, ready for some breakfast. Last night was the first good rest he had in a long time. Thus he felt quite refreshed and happy.
As he read the menu and pondered on what to have, he picked the sound of a voice so unmistakable.
"Morning Gourry!"
The swordsman looked over his menu to see Lina Inverse, standing beside him, grinning a grin most large.
"Hey Lina!" Gourry smiled. "You're here for breakfast too?"
Lina's face fell, in contempt for Gourry's remarkable talent for stating the obvious. Eventually she sighed.
"Yeah, Gourry. I am."
The sorceress then took her seat opposite Gourry.
"So" Gourry inquired. "Where's Amelia and Zel?"
"I didn't see them on my way down here." Lina answered. "I guess they're both still in bed."
Then she smiled a sly smile. "But I guess it would be best if we both left them that way!"
"Oh?" Gourry replied diminutively. "Why?"
Defeated, Lina's head crashed onto the table with a terrific thud. How could he be so dumb? How could he not notice things develop in an extraordinary way between Zel and Amelia?! How could he not notice the simple chemistry that was evolved into something much more?! How could he not notice Zelgadis, of all people, actually break out of his introverted prison and warm up towards the princess?!
Lina looked up at the swordsaen, an enormous scowl across her face.
"Oh never mind......" she growled, as she picked up a menu off the table.
"So" Gourry said conversationally, "What will you have for breakfast?"
Lina looked up over her menu, smiling the most devilish of all smiles.
"Why Gourry" she grinned. "Everything of course!"
Gourry smiled back. "Make that a double!"
It wasn't long before the two adventurers found their table covered entirely with food.
Well not exactly entirely. With the two friends going for their food with such ferocity and such ill-abandon, it didn't take long for space to be made on the table! And the space that was made soon grew larger and larger as the two adventurers polished off one plate after another.
And for a time not a word was spoken. All thoughts of Amelia, Zelgadis and their latest adventure were forgotten completely. What mattered was going for the food! Man, there was no better way to celebrate the completion of yet another adventure. It was certainly a welcome relief after spending so long, away from civilisation!
Eventually, the silence was broken by Gourry clearing his throat.
"So Lina." he said, in between mouthfuls "Now that we've killed Isabella and rescued Zel, what are we going to do now?"
"You know, Gourry" Lina replied, also in between mouthfuls. "That's a very good question."
"I guess" she continued. "We just wait for something to come along our way."
Gourry blinked. That doesn't seem like the best of ideas - even by his standards.
Eventually he shrugged and continued on with breakfast. It was Lina's idea. And in most cases Lina knew best. Who was he to argue?
However, little did the two adventurers know, but Lina's prediction was only moments away from coming true.
Had Lina and Gourry turned away from breakfast they would've caught the sound of footsteps approaching their table. Had Lina and Gourry looked up from breakfast they would've caught the sight of a young man walking up to the diners.
Yet it would only take a small sentence to bring the two adventurers back to earth.
"Umm.... Excuse me?"
At these words, the two friends flicked their heads away from their meal and towards this newcomer. He was a young man bedecked in the clothes of a messenger. His overall appearance was bedraggled and dirty, as if he spent a lot of time on the road. And his face bore an expression of weariness mixed with triumph - as if he was relieved at obtaining a long term goal.
"What?" Lina demanded with her mouth full.
"I have a message here for a Lina Inverse." The young man said.
"That's me!" Lina replied eagerly.
The young man handed a sealed envelope to Lina before turning around and disappearing from view.
Gourry blinked at the envelope as Lina tore it open.
"What's this Lina?"
Lina reached into the envelope and pulled out a piece of paper. A piece of paper containing a bunch of hand-written words.
"A letter?" Gourry inquired.
Lina nodded, before leaning back in her chair and studying this piece of correspondence.
Gourry watched the sorceress, gazing into her face, waiting for a sign of reaction.....
He didn't have long to wait.
Lina's eyes widened and her face lit up with delight.
Upon seeing this development, Gourry relaxed. It must be good news.
"Gourry!" Lina grinned. "It's from Martina!"
Immediately Gourry's happy expression disintegrated. That letter was from Martina?! Call that good news?!
But if Lina noticed this change in Gourry. She certainly didn't show it. Instead she continued to read the letter. "It's an invitation!" she said excitedly. "For the both of us! To a party to celebrate her wedding anniversary!"
Then she noticed Gourry's extremely under-joyed expression.
"Gourry? What's the matter?"
Gourry grimaced. He certainly wasn't in a rush to see that spoilt brat of princess again. Sure he hadn't seen Martina in a while.....
....But the absence was certainly a relief!
Lina caught Gourry's expression. She then must of understood what he was thinking because her smile fell.
"I get it." She snapped, accusingly. "You don't want to go to Martina's party."
Gourry nodded. He could still recall, quite vividly, the countless times he found Martina drooling over him like he was a slab of meat. It was for this, he kept the lunatic princess at an arm's length. Her husband Zangulus was no better. This peculiar obsession he had for challenging Gourry at every opportunity was at once both annoying and embarrassing.
No, there was no way in hell he was going to see Martina and Zangulus again.
Gourry shook his head at Lina's question.
"Aw, come on!" Lina said in voice that was both teasing and coaxing.
"No!" Gourry said firmly.
Suddenly an all too rare thought struck him.
"Hey, Lina" Gourry inquired accusingly "Why are you so keen to go to this party?"
Suddenly Lina stopped dead, caught off - guard. To be honest, she too wasn't keen on seeing that troublesome Martina again. In fact, when they had parted ways at Martina's wedding, Lina was relieved at the fact of never seeing that clumsy, whining, useless, spoilt brat again.
But Lina had one and only one reason to go to this wedding anniversary.
Lina leaned across the table, with her hands under her chin and the most sly of smiles.
Gourry blinked in astonishment.
"Why Gourry" Lina said. "It's a party right?"
"Yeah, but it's with Martina!" the swordsmen argued.
Lina raised an eyebrow.
"You mean you don't want to go?"
"No!" Gourry said firmly.
Lina's eyes turned evil. He had walked straight into her trap.....
"All right then!" Lina proclaimed, leaning back off the table. "It's your decision, but it would be me eating all that delectable, yummy, succulent, delicious, scrumptious, lovely party food!"
Gourry blinked, as Lina gave her speech, drawing emphasis upon the last eight words.....
....before bringing his head down on the table!
The swordsmen was defeated. Lina had brought down his stubborn defences with ease. Dammit, why does she have to play so mean?!
Gourry looked up at the sorceress to see her grinning in triumph.
"So" she said smugly. "I take it you have changed your mind?"
Gourry nodded, before he returned to his sitting position. Then he cleared his throat.
"Are Amelia and Zel invited too?'
Lina nodded.
"It has their names on this invitation. I guess Martina must've worked it out that they were travelling with us."
Then she smiled. "Why don't we go and tell them?'
"Hang on." Gourry said. "Didn't you just say, that we should leave them alone?"
"Yes" Lina replied as she got to her feet. "But I doubt they sleep through something like this!"
And with that she turned around and headed out of the dining room and up the stairs, towards the guest chambers. Gourry watched her go before shrugging and following. Lina, after all, always knew best.
In no time at all, Lina found the room that Amelia shared with Zel. Immediately she threw the door open with a typically loud greeting.
"Amelia! Zel! You'll never guess what....."
But Lina never got to finish her greeting. Instead she was greeted with a sight. A sight that so unsettling, it was enough to bring her loud shout to an abrupt halt. A sight that was enough to leave the sorceress with her mouth hanging open, gaping in disbelief.
Gourry ran up along the hallway towards Lina. Seeing her standing in the doorway with a shocked expression, he skidded to a halt alongside the sorceress.
"Lina!" he cried. "Is something wrong?"
"Gourry......They're not here!"
The swordsmen blinked. "Not here?"
"Amelia. Zelgadis. They've both gone...."
It was true. Amelia certainly wasn't in her room with Zelgadis. Instead she was still fast asleep, as she was being transported in someone's arms.
Someone who was most definitely not Zelgadis.
No, it was someone clad entirely in black. Someone who was moving away from Dakeyras at a hurried rate. Someone who was carrying not only the princess as a prisoner but an enormous sense of determination. Someone of a twisted intent.....
The intruder hurried on until he reached his final destination: It was a small tower, situated many miles from the village, in the middle of a densely populated woodland, away from prying eyes and nosy folk.
The intruder approached the front door of the tower and rapped on it three times.
And for a while nothing happened.
Then, from the other side, came footsteps accompanied by a voice issuing the most vile grumbling and cursing.
The door was then flung open by an old man in a black robe and sporting the most enormous grey beard.
"WHAT?!" bellowed the old man.
As he noticed his visitor, the old man's anger subsided.
"Oh it's you." he growled.
"Yes" the intruder said. "And I have Lina like you asked."
And with that the intruder brought the sleeping Amelia forth. But the old man wasn't pleased by this at all.
"YOU MORON!" the old man bellowed. "That's not Lina!"
Upon hearing these words, the intruder blinked from underneath his black mask. He looked down at his abducted....
....Before being struck by the genius of revelation.
"Oh?"
The old slapped his forehead at the intruder's stupidity. Eventually he sighed.
"What do you mean, oh?" the old man growled. "I don't know who this is that you've brought me, but it certainly isn't Lina."
"Damn." The intruder muttered. "I knew this wasn't Lina. This one's too well-endowed to be....."
"OH SHUT UP!" The old man bellowed.
"Okay! Okay!" the intruder yelled in exasperation. "If this isn't Lina, then who is it?!"
"Knowing Lina" the old man mused "She hardly ever travels alone. So most likely you've just brought me one of her travelling companions."
The intruder blinked.
"Wait!" he yelled. "If this girl is a friend of Lina then wouldn't she come after us?"
The old man nodded, whilst mentally cursing his accomplice. Things already weren't looking good. Curse his blundering!
"So what do we do now?" the accomplice asked.
"That's a very good question." the old man replied.
With a sigh, the old man turned around and headed back into the tower. His accomplice, still holding the sleeping Amelia, followed.
But little did they know, they were being watched.....
Chapter 2
Contents