Missing Blacksmith
After Lina had packed herself a nice fat lunch, she told Jared, "Well, let's get going now. I'm sure this trip'll be loads of fun."
"Yeah," he agreed.
With that, they went outside and teleported themselves to the mines. Once there, they began to look for the shop of Watts the Blacksmith. Sure enough, once they arrived, they saw a birdman with a hat pulled over his eyes.
"I'm Jared," he began, "I came to listen to the Wisdoms to become a great wizard."
Pokiehl replied, "The Goddess is always watching over us. She wants us to do our best. But to achieve that, you must first learn to love another. Whether it be a parent, sibling, friend or lover. If love is in your heart, you can do anything."
'Goddess?' thought Lina, 'He must be talking about L-Sama.'
"Master Watts is out now. He's probably out there in the mines gathering raw materials. When he comes back, I'll tell you about his heroic exploits," promised Pokiehl.
Now Lina decided then and there to go look for Watts. Not for the stories mind you, but if she helped out, he may give her some precious metals or jewels. Then she could sell them and make a bundle of Lucre. So she and Jared set off.
A little while later, they ran into Duelle, who was himself looking for Watts. "I swear," the onion muttered, "You'd think his shop carried a plague the amount of time he spends away from it." Lina decided it was best just to avoid him, just in case he was still mad about her spell knocking him down earlier that day.
After they'd traveled for awhile, they finally found Watts in a large circular chamber. But he kept yelling at them to leave him alone. Finally, he yelled, "It's dangerous here for the untrained warrior. You should leave now."
As if on cue, a pair of long thick vines with monster flowers came down from the ceiling. It was, in fact, a massive plant demon called Labane, and it looked mad. If Lina or Jared cut one of the flowers off the vine, it would just attack with spells much more powerful than when it was still attached. And if one of the flowers was killed, the vine just regenerated itself.
"It looks like we'll need some serious magic here," Lina told Jared, "You keep it distracted while I charge up my Demon's Blood Talisman. We'll burn this sucker to death." With that, she began to chant as Jared ran back and forth, just trying not to get hit.
Finally, Lina was ready. By increasing the volume of her voice, she signaled Jared to clear out before he was incinerated too. Then, she screamed out, "Blast Bomb." With that, the whole plant was destroyed, leaving no way to regenerate.
Lina ran to Jared to make sure he was all right. When she was certain that he was uninjured, she looked at the blacksmith. He wasn't even scratched. "You should go home," he pleaded, "A terrible monster lives here."
"You should have said that earlier. We've already killed it," Lina replied.
That shocked Watts. For a little boy and young girl to kill such a deadly demon was nearly impossible. But he just hid his emotions, and walked back to the shop.
* * *
Some time later, Lina and Jared returned to his shop. Watts was glad to see them. "You're the ones I saw back in the mines. Thanks, the monster had me too scared to move. I feared that if I tried to get home, he'd see me and I'd be his lunch. Let me give you something in return for defeating that awful beast." With that, he produced a golden necklace that Lina gladly accepted.
Pokiehl then spoke up, "Now, let me tell you about Watts's bravery." He took out a music box and laid it on the floor nearby. "Watts. . .a small body under a great helm. He strikes with his hammer, um.and his great helm. Watts, our Watts, your soul is your great helm. Watts, Watts, our Watts. . .you really haven't done very much. The end." He began to laugh like a maniac over his joke, until the Fireball made contact.
"Why'd you fry the Wisdom?" Jared asked.
Lina replied, "He was getting on my nerves. And that's my third lesson. If anyone is just bugging the heck out of you, just hit them the same way I described in my other two lessons."
Jared wrote that down in his notebook. Then he and Lina left the mines. On the way out, they saw a sign that said "Dudbear Express". It was definitely something to look at next time.
* * *
When they arrived home, Gourry was waiting. He and Lina went into the orchard to pick some fruit - - and get a snack in the meantime. Then he asked her, "Hey Lina, would you mind going out on a date with me sometime? There must be a place around here we can go to."
"Sure," Lina replied, "And as for a place to go, how about we consult the map?"
So that's what they did. After careful consideration, they decided on Polpota Harbor. It might offer some nice seafood - - prepared differently than just being roasted on a spit over a fire. Besides, maybe they could go swimming.
The date was set for the next day. Lina was wondering exactly what her feelings for her old friend were. Lately, she seemed to feel like they were meant to be - - something she'd never felt before about anyone in her life.
She also questioned why she was still with him if that wasn't the case. Certainly after The Sword of Light was gone she had no reason to stick around with him. But could her original reason just be an excuse so not to show her true feelings?
But now none of that mattered. Lina had plenty of time to sort out these emotions. After all, it couldn't hurt to just take a chance. Who knew, maybe this was what she wanted all along.
- - - -
This next chapter will be the next of what I call "Disaster Dates". Meaning that something is going to go wrong in either the planning or with the area they're in. Just because nothing ever goes right when Lina tries to get some peace and quiet.
After Lina had packed herself a nice fat lunch, she told Jared, "Well, let's get going now. I'm sure this trip'll be loads of fun."
"Yeah," he agreed.
With that, they went outside and teleported themselves to the mines. Once there, they began to look for the shop of Watts the Blacksmith. Sure enough, once they arrived, they saw a birdman with a hat pulled over his eyes.
"I'm Jared," he began, "I came to listen to the Wisdoms to become a great wizard."
Pokiehl replied, "The Goddess is always watching over us. She wants us to do our best. But to achieve that, you must first learn to love another. Whether it be a parent, sibling, friend or lover. If love is in your heart, you can do anything."
'Goddess?' thought Lina, 'He must be talking about L-Sama.'
"Master Watts is out now. He's probably out there in the mines gathering raw materials. When he comes back, I'll tell you about his heroic exploits," promised Pokiehl.
Now Lina decided then and there to go look for Watts. Not for the stories mind you, but if she helped out, he may give her some precious metals or jewels. Then she could sell them and make a bundle of Lucre. So she and Jared set off.
A little while later, they ran into Duelle, who was himself looking for Watts. "I swear," the onion muttered, "You'd think his shop carried a plague the amount of time he spends away from it." Lina decided it was best just to avoid him, just in case he was still mad about her spell knocking him down earlier that day.
After they'd traveled for awhile, they finally found Watts in a large circular chamber. But he kept yelling at them to leave him alone. Finally, he yelled, "It's dangerous here for the untrained warrior. You should leave now."
As if on cue, a pair of long thick vines with monster flowers came down from the ceiling. It was, in fact, a massive plant demon called Labane, and it looked mad. If Lina or Jared cut one of the flowers off the vine, it would just attack with spells much more powerful than when it was still attached. And if one of the flowers was killed, the vine just regenerated itself.
"It looks like we'll need some serious magic here," Lina told Jared, "You keep it distracted while I charge up my Demon's Blood Talisman. We'll burn this sucker to death." With that, she began to chant as Jared ran back and forth, just trying not to get hit.
Finally, Lina was ready. By increasing the volume of her voice, she signaled Jared to clear out before he was incinerated too. Then, she screamed out, "Blast Bomb." With that, the whole plant was destroyed, leaving no way to regenerate.
Lina ran to Jared to make sure he was all right. When she was certain that he was uninjured, she looked at the blacksmith. He wasn't even scratched. "You should go home," he pleaded, "A terrible monster lives here."
"You should have said that earlier. We've already killed it," Lina replied.
That shocked Watts. For a little boy and young girl to kill such a deadly demon was nearly impossible. But he just hid his emotions, and walked back to the shop.
* * *
Some time later, Lina and Jared returned to his shop. Watts was glad to see them. "You're the ones I saw back in the mines. Thanks, the monster had me too scared to move. I feared that if I tried to get home, he'd see me and I'd be his lunch. Let me give you something in return for defeating that awful beast." With that, he produced a golden necklace that Lina gladly accepted.
Pokiehl then spoke up, "Now, let me tell you about Watts's bravery." He took out a music box and laid it on the floor nearby. "Watts. . .a small body under a great helm. He strikes with his hammer, um.and his great helm. Watts, our Watts, your soul is your great helm. Watts, Watts, our Watts. . .you really haven't done very much. The end." He began to laugh like a maniac over his joke, until the Fireball made contact.
"Why'd you fry the Wisdom?" Jared asked.
Lina replied, "He was getting on my nerves. And that's my third lesson. If anyone is just bugging the heck out of you, just hit them the same way I described in my other two lessons."
Jared wrote that down in his notebook. Then he and Lina left the mines. On the way out, they saw a sign that said "Dudbear Express". It was definitely something to look at next time.
* * *
When they arrived home, Gourry was waiting. He and Lina went into the orchard to pick some fruit - - and get a snack in the meantime. Then he asked her, "Hey Lina, would you mind going out on a date with me sometime? There must be a place around here we can go to."
"Sure," Lina replied, "And as for a place to go, how about we consult the map?"
So that's what they did. After careful consideration, they decided on Polpota Harbor. It might offer some nice seafood - - prepared differently than just being roasted on a spit over a fire. Besides, maybe they could go swimming.
The date was set for the next day. Lina was wondering exactly what her feelings for her old friend were. Lately, she seemed to feel like they were meant to be - - something she'd never felt before about anyone in her life.
She also questioned why she was still with him if that wasn't the case. Certainly after The Sword of Light was gone she had no reason to stick around with him. But could her original reason just be an excuse so not to show her true feelings?
But now none of that mattered. Lina had plenty of time to sort out these emotions. After all, it couldn't hurt to just take a chance. Who knew, maybe this was what she wanted all along.
- - - -
This next chapter will be the next of what I call "Disaster Dates". Meaning that something is going to go wrong in either the planning or with the area they're in. Just because nothing ever goes right when Lina tries to get some peace and quiet.