The Hunter Appears
Several days later, Lina arrived in Gato Grottoes. She saw a Sproutling that had fallen down on the ground and a nun from the temple trying to help. But when she tried bringing him to the store where he could relax, the Sproutling ran away to the north of the town.
"Strange, why would he run away?" wondered Lina. Suddenly, something bumped into her, knocking the sorceress flat on her face. "Whoever it was that knocked me down is going to be hurting real bad when I get through with them."
A voice told Lina, "Sorry, I was in a hurry to find the temple and figure out who the cook is. I hope that he or she has the same skill as my friend back home."
Lina turned around and saw Gourry standing there. Instantly, her eyes flared, and she Fireballed him. "If you ever knock me over again, you'll be Dragon Slaved so hard that you'll be feeling the hurt for about two years," she screamed.
"Sorry Lina," he apologized, "I just wanted to find the food here. This girl I met in Dominia told me about this temple, so I figured. . ."
"You figured that temple equals food since Syphiel lives in a temple. Sometimes I just can't believe the things you think of," Lina accused.
Gourry nodded his head. "Let's go to the temple. We can get a good meal." With that, he began to drag her. The only reason Lina didn't Fireball him was that she wanted food too. Liger 0 ran back to the house to deliver a letter to the kids, telling them where the duo would be.
* * *
They went to an outcropping near the temple. Around the area, they found a table and chairs, most likely for eating. That got the duo all excited at the prospect of food. There, they saw a nun trying to remove a Popo Bug that was hurting a Sproutling's stomach. But the second she tried to tear away a leaf, he freaked out and ran towards the temple.
Looking for some good food, they followed him. But when they caught up, he ran away again. At the outcropping, they saw a nun and another man with red hair and an elaborate red robe. She asked him, "Mr. Reubens, are you going to remove the Popo Bug from the Sproutling? You know it's the only cure for your petrified sweetheart in Geo."
"How do you know where she is?" inquired Reubens.
But the nun didn't answer. She just ran at him, knocked him down. "If you cry for me, I won't harm your Core. So show me some tears," she threatened.
Reubens began, "I can't cry. And you well know this."
"That's too bad," the woman sighed, "Goodbye, Ruby Knight." Then, she grabbed the jewel, and pulled it off him. "You're still alive?! Most Jumi just succumb to death right away. But no matter, for soon you will be gone." Then, she jumped off the ledge and ran away.
Suddenly, a little mouse man named Inspector Boyd came running in. "Zeril, where are you? Show yourself."
"If you mean that nun, she just ran away," Lina informed him.
"That was no nun," he told her, "That was Zeril, the Jewel Hunter. There isn't a person alive or dead that she can't impersonate. She goes around the world stealing the Cores of Jumi. Without their Cores, a Jumi dies."
At that instant, Reubens uttered the words, "Diana, I'm sorry." Then, he faded away. "So," Gourry said, "That's what a Core is." Lina and the Inspector both facefaulted. "Is something wrong guys?"
"Something tells me that she's still around. Probably hiding on the outskirts of the town. Let's go and find her," the inspector said.
* * *
They ran through the dungeon on the outskirts of the temple. Many monsters tried to end their journey, but Gourry and Lina managed to defeat each one. For a path, they simply followed the dropped Sproutling leaves that were found on the ground.
Eventually, they found the nun with the Sproutling. "I can get rid of your pain," she told him. With that, she subdued him, and stole the leaf with the Popo Bug.
At that moment, Inspector Boyd ran up to her. "Zeril," he screamed, "I've got you now. Finally, your reign of terror ends." The nun suddenly threw a smoke bomb to the ground. When it cleared, it revealed a young woman in a long green dress with a slit in it and leather boots. Her eyes were blue and her hair was a dirty blond color that flowed down to her neck. She had large flowery hairpins on either side of her head, as well as other pieces of jewelry.
"I won't be caught so easily Inspector. You haven't seen the last of me." Then she pulled out her grappling hook, threw it, and ran away.
Inspector Boyd began to fume. "That was the 994th Jumi that has been murdered by her in the past ten years. How can she be so heartless?"
"We'll keep our eyes open for her," Lina vowed, "She won't get away with killing innocent people, as long as Lina Inverse lives."
- - - -
Well, this was the abridged version of the story. The real quest was pretty long, so I shortened it. If you're wondering, Zeril was one of the villains who helped kidnap Princess Salah in Arcana. I still can't figure out if it was a man or a woman.
Several days later, Lina arrived in Gato Grottoes. She saw a Sproutling that had fallen down on the ground and a nun from the temple trying to help. But when she tried bringing him to the store where he could relax, the Sproutling ran away to the north of the town.
"Strange, why would he run away?" wondered Lina. Suddenly, something bumped into her, knocking the sorceress flat on her face. "Whoever it was that knocked me down is going to be hurting real bad when I get through with them."
A voice told Lina, "Sorry, I was in a hurry to find the temple and figure out who the cook is. I hope that he or she has the same skill as my friend back home."
Lina turned around and saw Gourry standing there. Instantly, her eyes flared, and she Fireballed him. "If you ever knock me over again, you'll be Dragon Slaved so hard that you'll be feeling the hurt for about two years," she screamed.
"Sorry Lina," he apologized, "I just wanted to find the food here. This girl I met in Dominia told me about this temple, so I figured. . ."
"You figured that temple equals food since Syphiel lives in a temple. Sometimes I just can't believe the things you think of," Lina accused.
Gourry nodded his head. "Let's go to the temple. We can get a good meal." With that, he began to drag her. The only reason Lina didn't Fireball him was that she wanted food too. Liger 0 ran back to the house to deliver a letter to the kids, telling them where the duo would be.
* * *
They went to an outcropping near the temple. Around the area, they found a table and chairs, most likely for eating. That got the duo all excited at the prospect of food. There, they saw a nun trying to remove a Popo Bug that was hurting a Sproutling's stomach. But the second she tried to tear away a leaf, he freaked out and ran towards the temple.
Looking for some good food, they followed him. But when they caught up, he ran away again. At the outcropping, they saw a nun and another man with red hair and an elaborate red robe. She asked him, "Mr. Reubens, are you going to remove the Popo Bug from the Sproutling? You know it's the only cure for your petrified sweetheart in Geo."
"How do you know where she is?" inquired Reubens.
But the nun didn't answer. She just ran at him, knocked him down. "If you cry for me, I won't harm your Core. So show me some tears," she threatened.
Reubens began, "I can't cry. And you well know this."
"That's too bad," the woman sighed, "Goodbye, Ruby Knight." Then, she grabbed the jewel, and pulled it off him. "You're still alive?! Most Jumi just succumb to death right away. But no matter, for soon you will be gone." Then, she jumped off the ledge and ran away.
Suddenly, a little mouse man named Inspector Boyd came running in. "Zeril, where are you? Show yourself."
"If you mean that nun, she just ran away," Lina informed him.
"That was no nun," he told her, "That was Zeril, the Jewel Hunter. There isn't a person alive or dead that she can't impersonate. She goes around the world stealing the Cores of Jumi. Without their Cores, a Jumi dies."
At that instant, Reubens uttered the words, "Diana, I'm sorry." Then, he faded away. "So," Gourry said, "That's what a Core is." Lina and the Inspector both facefaulted. "Is something wrong guys?"
"Something tells me that she's still around. Probably hiding on the outskirts of the town. Let's go and find her," the inspector said.
* * *
They ran through the dungeon on the outskirts of the temple. Many monsters tried to end their journey, but Gourry and Lina managed to defeat each one. For a path, they simply followed the dropped Sproutling leaves that were found on the ground.
Eventually, they found the nun with the Sproutling. "I can get rid of your pain," she told him. With that, she subdued him, and stole the leaf with the Popo Bug.
At that moment, Inspector Boyd ran up to her. "Zeril," he screamed, "I've got you now. Finally, your reign of terror ends." The nun suddenly threw a smoke bomb to the ground. When it cleared, it revealed a young woman in a long green dress with a slit in it and leather boots. Her eyes were blue and her hair was a dirty blond color that flowed down to her neck. She had large flowery hairpins on either side of her head, as well as other pieces of jewelry.
"I won't be caught so easily Inspector. You haven't seen the last of me." Then she pulled out her grappling hook, threw it, and ran away.
Inspector Boyd began to fume. "That was the 994th Jumi that has been murdered by her in the past ten years. How can she be so heartless?"
"We'll keep our eyes open for her," Lina vowed, "She won't get away with killing innocent people, as long as Lina Inverse lives."
- - - -
Well, this was the abridged version of the story. The real quest was pretty long, so I shortened it. If you're wondering, Zeril was one of the villains who helped kidnap Princess Salah in Arcana. I still can't figure out if it was a man or a woman.