It was indeed Martina, her blue ringlets dangling limply against her pale
face. "Lina.?" she whispered, looking up at her visitors. Lina saw that she
clung to her husband who lay face down on the rug.
"Martina!" Lina cried worriedly, and was prepared to rush over when she nearly put her foot down in a patch of suspicious darkness and her pace slowed, and halted.
"Thank goodness you're here," Martina said, unusually placid and gentle, especially considering she was not particularly fond of either Lina or her mazoku companion. "Everything will be ok, now, won't it, Zangulus, darling?" Zangulus made no response. He appeared to be unconscious. Seeing Lina's curiosity, Martina made an attempt at movement. "No, don't come nearer! It'll drain you as it did me. It saps all of your life away, your energy. Empties you. You mustn't come near it. And keep Marzipan far away too, won't you?" Martina indicated the child. "You will keep her safe? Zangulus and I won't be much help, I'm afraid. We just need some rest." Martina smiled weakly. "Right, Zangaulus?" Zangulus still made no reply.
"Of course, Martina," Lina had been nodding anxiously during this speech and now waved her hand at the blue-haired princess, "Alright, stop talking, Martina. Conserve your energy," she muttered a hasty healing spell and sent it to the two, but though the magic certainly channeled through her body and into the royal couple, it seemed to simply be swallowed up by something in Martina without producing any effect.
"Tell me one thing," Lina prompted hurridly. "What happened? And how long ago?" she glanced at the floor and then at her former traveling companions, wondering if she could reach them without falling prey to the strange void, or if they themselves might not be a danger to her now. Xelloss moved towards the child and picked it up, cradling it in his arms and looking it over curiously. It had black hair, intensely curly, and a cute, heart- shaped face.
"Oh, Lina! I don't know what happened . . . " Martina made some gesture, the meaning of which was not clear to Lina. "Oh, Zangulus, perhaps it was the curse of Zoamelgustar! Perhaps he's come at last to reclaim the world!" She laughed, but the effort seemed to overcome her and she was soon silenced. However this time, her urging of Zangulus was enough to make him turn over and face Lina at last. What met Lina's eye made her start back in horror. Zangulus was not asleep at all. His eyes were wide open.but they did not see. His limp limbs were draped over Martina in a semblance of life, but Lina could see that he no longer breathed or moved. Zangalus was dead.
Lina stumbled clumsily backwards without thinking, one hand half-raised to her mouth. As she did, she brushed against a patch of shadow along her path. Both surprised, and suddenly pained, Lina slipped to her knees and pressed a hand to her chest to catch her breath. She heard a startled exclamation come from Xelloss and in a moment he was by her side. Though only for a moment, before it had become inactive, the residue had begun to slowly process the energy from her with startling efficiency. Pulling herself to her feet, Lina hurried to regain the space she had lost, wary of her way this time, but found herself breathing doubly hard for the next few minutes.
"M-a-rtina," she groaned wearily, "Are you still being drained? Can I get close to you or anything - anything at all I can do to help..."
"I.I don't think it's got me anymore. It's just that I'm...so weak. I ... It just appeared in our castle....came right through the walls! We didn't know what it was until people started dropping down dead...Zangulus...he tried to rescue the people...tried to attack. And then I saw him...get hit by it and he was falling...so I ran to catch him and drag him away...It got me then, when I caught him, but I managed to drag him here, away from it...So now he'll be safe!"
"Hmmm," said Xelloss, shifting the child's weight in his arms. "It would appear to have drained her of so much energy that she is close to death. She's no longer in its range, so it can't harm her further, but the damage is already done. Unfortunately, the stuff apparently infects the vicitm's body. Thus, when you cast a healing spell, it is merely eaten up by the Shadow, much as you saw with my Lightning Attack earlier. Only the strongest are able to force the Shadow out of their bodies." He arched an eyebrow and looked back to Lina. "Speaking of which, you'd best try to expel yours. We haven't noticed that it causes any further damage after contact is broken, but then again, most people don't live past a few minutes, so we've never really had a chance to experiment."
"Later," Lina waved her hand impatiently and knelt beside Martina, "I'll do... whatever I can, anything you ask."
In Xelloss' arms, Marzipan stirred in her sleep. "Lina...Xelloss..." Martina started again, ignoring the pain. "Will you take our daughter with you? Get her out of here?" She paused for a breath. "You've got to save the kingdom, Lina. Don't let this thing kill anyone else. Don't let it win. Promise me you'll avenge my people. I'm not up to it myself right now. I...I'm just so tired. I need to rest...Oh, Zangulus, darling, don't worry. I'll never leave your side..." Martina's voice trailed off and her eyes fluttered closed with exhaustion. In a few moments, her whole body relaxed.
"I... promise..." Lina responded slowly, pulling herself resignedly to her feet. She was drained physically, and mentally, and it just gave her the overall impression of being very tired.
"I do believe she's dead," Xelloss pronounced, using a toe to cautiously prod the body. The pageboy, who had been watching the entire exchange from the doorway, now stepped forward, trembling.
"Xelloss, is it?" He asked in a shaking voice. "I know who you are...You're the monster general! The Lesser Beastmaster!"
"Oh gods..." Lina sighed, her palm braced against her forehead.
"Oh, my! Pleased to make your acquaintance." Xelloss would have scratched the back of his head nervously if he hadn't been holding Marzipan. The pageboy looked furious and before Lina could do anything, he yelled, "MONSTER!" at the top of his lungs. The three heard noise further down the corridor and suddenly the telltale sound of many footsteps clattering against stone. Xelloss carefully set Marzipan down, anticipating that he might have to move quickly. From various other rooms in the castle a large group of peasants, handmaids, servants, and merchants appeared, armed with various weapons from pitchforks to magical instruments, and all storming towards Xelloss.
"Oh, dear! Now looks like a good time for me to be on my way!" Xelloss said, smiling brightly at the rabble and taking a step backwards. Just as the group reached where he was standing, he vanished. Lina stepped forward cautiously, apparently being ignored, and slipped her hand into Marzipan's and drew the child slowly backward - watching out for dark patches as she went. "Stay here," she whispered, "Right here, okay? Don't move." She hoped the child knew what she was saying.
"That's what you think!" a bearded man said to the air where Xelloss had been. He was dressed in the robes of a royal sorcerer. Completely ignoring Lina, he reached into his gown and pulled out an amulet which Lina instantly recognized. It was a strong L-magic amulet. Lina remembered presenting it to Martina as a gift when she and Zangulus had been given this province. She had wanted it to protect the distant city from monsters' attacks. Ironic that it had been unable to protect them, in the end.
The sorcerer held out the amulet to the place where Xelloss had vanished and muttered the words of the L-magic spell. No one other than Lina had proven strong enough to cast the magic unaided, but thanks to several amulets Lina had made, sorcerers around the outer territories were able to use the spell against attacking monsters by calling on the power enchanted in the stone. Now, the stone glowed and suddenly sent long tendrils of magic reaching out. The same magic that had prevented Xelloss from teleporting in Amelia's palace, now surrounded his spirit and forced it back out of the Astral Plane.
The moment Xelloss' body reappeared, it was enveloped in the sparkling aura of L-magic. He cried out in agony as the magic coursed through his body, mercilessly stealing his black magic energy. Lina had rarely seen a monster powerful enough to break free from the L-magic's hold, but Xelloss, with a loud cry, raised his hands and blew the sorcerer back with a blast of magic. Giving the child a last glance, Lina stood rather slowly, as she caught her breath, and maneuvered her way towards the mob, "Wait, wait a second," she called, though obviously they paid her no mind at the moment.
Unfazed, the man ran up to Xelloss before the mazoku had a chance to regain his strength, holding the amulet in front of him. Driven back by the amulet, much as he had been by Lina's bracelets, Xelloss stumbled step after step away from the sorcerer, paying no heed to where his feet landed. Still adamantly ignoring Lina, the sorcerer suddenly lunged forward, causing Xelloss to leap back...right into a patch of darkness.
"Martina!" Lina cried worriedly, and was prepared to rush over when she nearly put her foot down in a patch of suspicious darkness and her pace slowed, and halted.
"Thank goodness you're here," Martina said, unusually placid and gentle, especially considering she was not particularly fond of either Lina or her mazoku companion. "Everything will be ok, now, won't it, Zangulus, darling?" Zangulus made no response. He appeared to be unconscious. Seeing Lina's curiosity, Martina made an attempt at movement. "No, don't come nearer! It'll drain you as it did me. It saps all of your life away, your energy. Empties you. You mustn't come near it. And keep Marzipan far away too, won't you?" Martina indicated the child. "You will keep her safe? Zangulus and I won't be much help, I'm afraid. We just need some rest." Martina smiled weakly. "Right, Zangaulus?" Zangulus still made no reply.
"Of course, Martina," Lina had been nodding anxiously during this speech and now waved her hand at the blue-haired princess, "Alright, stop talking, Martina. Conserve your energy," she muttered a hasty healing spell and sent it to the two, but though the magic certainly channeled through her body and into the royal couple, it seemed to simply be swallowed up by something in Martina without producing any effect.
"Tell me one thing," Lina prompted hurridly. "What happened? And how long ago?" she glanced at the floor and then at her former traveling companions, wondering if she could reach them without falling prey to the strange void, or if they themselves might not be a danger to her now. Xelloss moved towards the child and picked it up, cradling it in his arms and looking it over curiously. It had black hair, intensely curly, and a cute, heart- shaped face.
"Oh, Lina! I don't know what happened . . . " Martina made some gesture, the meaning of which was not clear to Lina. "Oh, Zangulus, perhaps it was the curse of Zoamelgustar! Perhaps he's come at last to reclaim the world!" She laughed, but the effort seemed to overcome her and she was soon silenced. However this time, her urging of Zangulus was enough to make him turn over and face Lina at last. What met Lina's eye made her start back in horror. Zangulus was not asleep at all. His eyes were wide open.but they did not see. His limp limbs were draped over Martina in a semblance of life, but Lina could see that he no longer breathed or moved. Zangalus was dead.
Lina stumbled clumsily backwards without thinking, one hand half-raised to her mouth. As she did, she brushed against a patch of shadow along her path. Both surprised, and suddenly pained, Lina slipped to her knees and pressed a hand to her chest to catch her breath. She heard a startled exclamation come from Xelloss and in a moment he was by her side. Though only for a moment, before it had become inactive, the residue had begun to slowly process the energy from her with startling efficiency. Pulling herself to her feet, Lina hurried to regain the space she had lost, wary of her way this time, but found herself breathing doubly hard for the next few minutes.
"M-a-rtina," she groaned wearily, "Are you still being drained? Can I get close to you or anything - anything at all I can do to help..."
"I.I don't think it's got me anymore. It's just that I'm...so weak. I ... It just appeared in our castle....came right through the walls! We didn't know what it was until people started dropping down dead...Zangulus...he tried to rescue the people...tried to attack. And then I saw him...get hit by it and he was falling...so I ran to catch him and drag him away...It got me then, when I caught him, but I managed to drag him here, away from it...So now he'll be safe!"
"Hmmm," said Xelloss, shifting the child's weight in his arms. "It would appear to have drained her of so much energy that she is close to death. She's no longer in its range, so it can't harm her further, but the damage is already done. Unfortunately, the stuff apparently infects the vicitm's body. Thus, when you cast a healing spell, it is merely eaten up by the Shadow, much as you saw with my Lightning Attack earlier. Only the strongest are able to force the Shadow out of their bodies." He arched an eyebrow and looked back to Lina. "Speaking of which, you'd best try to expel yours. We haven't noticed that it causes any further damage after contact is broken, but then again, most people don't live past a few minutes, so we've never really had a chance to experiment."
"Later," Lina waved her hand impatiently and knelt beside Martina, "I'll do... whatever I can, anything you ask."
In Xelloss' arms, Marzipan stirred in her sleep. "Lina...Xelloss..." Martina started again, ignoring the pain. "Will you take our daughter with you? Get her out of here?" She paused for a breath. "You've got to save the kingdom, Lina. Don't let this thing kill anyone else. Don't let it win. Promise me you'll avenge my people. I'm not up to it myself right now. I...I'm just so tired. I need to rest...Oh, Zangulus, darling, don't worry. I'll never leave your side..." Martina's voice trailed off and her eyes fluttered closed with exhaustion. In a few moments, her whole body relaxed.
"I... promise..." Lina responded slowly, pulling herself resignedly to her feet. She was drained physically, and mentally, and it just gave her the overall impression of being very tired.
"I do believe she's dead," Xelloss pronounced, using a toe to cautiously prod the body. The pageboy, who had been watching the entire exchange from the doorway, now stepped forward, trembling.
"Xelloss, is it?" He asked in a shaking voice. "I know who you are...You're the monster general! The Lesser Beastmaster!"
"Oh gods..." Lina sighed, her palm braced against her forehead.
"Oh, my! Pleased to make your acquaintance." Xelloss would have scratched the back of his head nervously if he hadn't been holding Marzipan. The pageboy looked furious and before Lina could do anything, he yelled, "MONSTER!" at the top of his lungs. The three heard noise further down the corridor and suddenly the telltale sound of many footsteps clattering against stone. Xelloss carefully set Marzipan down, anticipating that he might have to move quickly. From various other rooms in the castle a large group of peasants, handmaids, servants, and merchants appeared, armed with various weapons from pitchforks to magical instruments, and all storming towards Xelloss.
"Oh, dear! Now looks like a good time for me to be on my way!" Xelloss said, smiling brightly at the rabble and taking a step backwards. Just as the group reached where he was standing, he vanished. Lina stepped forward cautiously, apparently being ignored, and slipped her hand into Marzipan's and drew the child slowly backward - watching out for dark patches as she went. "Stay here," she whispered, "Right here, okay? Don't move." She hoped the child knew what she was saying.
"That's what you think!" a bearded man said to the air where Xelloss had been. He was dressed in the robes of a royal sorcerer. Completely ignoring Lina, he reached into his gown and pulled out an amulet which Lina instantly recognized. It was a strong L-magic amulet. Lina remembered presenting it to Martina as a gift when she and Zangulus had been given this province. She had wanted it to protect the distant city from monsters' attacks. Ironic that it had been unable to protect them, in the end.
The sorcerer held out the amulet to the place where Xelloss had vanished and muttered the words of the L-magic spell. No one other than Lina had proven strong enough to cast the magic unaided, but thanks to several amulets Lina had made, sorcerers around the outer territories were able to use the spell against attacking monsters by calling on the power enchanted in the stone. Now, the stone glowed and suddenly sent long tendrils of magic reaching out. The same magic that had prevented Xelloss from teleporting in Amelia's palace, now surrounded his spirit and forced it back out of the Astral Plane.
The moment Xelloss' body reappeared, it was enveloped in the sparkling aura of L-magic. He cried out in agony as the magic coursed through his body, mercilessly stealing his black magic energy. Lina had rarely seen a monster powerful enough to break free from the L-magic's hold, but Xelloss, with a loud cry, raised his hands and blew the sorcerer back with a blast of magic. Giving the child a last glance, Lina stood rather slowly, as she caught her breath, and maneuvered her way towards the mob, "Wait, wait a second," she called, though obviously they paid her no mind at the moment.
Unfazed, the man ran up to Xelloss before the mazoku had a chance to regain his strength, holding the amulet in front of him. Driven back by the amulet, much as he had been by Lina's bracelets, Xelloss stumbled step after step away from the sorcerer, paying no heed to where his feet landed. Still adamantly ignoring Lina, the sorcerer suddenly lunged forward, causing Xelloss to leap back...right into a patch of darkness.