Chapter, the Fifth – Searching for Friends
With the smoke clearing, I was so happy too see that my friends Lina and Gourry were indeed alright. They were holding each other tightly after Mr. Zelgadiss, Misses Martina, Mister Zangulus and I helped them beat up the Mazoku that were attacking them. It was a good feeling to know that my friends had finally admitted that they cared about each other.
The sun was shining out through the scattered clouds, a light breeze clearing the remaining smoke from the battlefield. I stood next to Mister Zelgadiss. He was smiling at the red and blonde couple before us, but I knew it wasn't meeting his eyes.
"Are you all right with this, Mister Zelgadiss?" I asked him. "Xelloss won't give you your cure now, right?"
He smiled sadly down at me. "No he won't, Amelia. But I guess I can live with that."
Mister Zelgadiss put an arm around me. I wrapped an arm around his torso and snuggled closer. "I'm glad."
"It's too bad, Princess, that you won't have that long to enjoy it."
Zel and I spun around to see the crumpled bodies of Martina and Zangulus lying at the feet of Xelloss. Even as we watched, he raised a hand and fired some sort of attack at Lina and Gourry. Caught unprepared, both of them were consumed by his dark power.
I was thrown aside by Mister Zelgadiss as he drew his sword and charged Xelloss. There was nothing I could do except watch in horror as Xelloss touched Zel on the forehead. With a scream, his body slowly dissolved: first the stone melted away, and then the blue boiled off of him in a putrid smoke. All that was left was the smooth pink skin of a human.
Wasting no time, Xelloss brought his staff up and swung it down at Mister Zelgadiss. It struck him in the head and blood sprayed everywhere. I was running to him even as he crumpled to the ground. Before I could reach my beloved, Xelloss opened both of his violet eyes and I froze.
"You could have avoided all of this if you had just turned back, princess," he said in his soft, sinister voice. "Your precious Stony…ah ex-Stony companion would be alive, as would everyone but Lina and Gourry. But now none of you live. So sad."
Even through my tears I struggled to form a spell, any spell. Xelloss just smiled and aimed his staff at me. The blackness came for me and I screamed…
A scream tore from the princess's throat as she jerked upwards to a sitting position. Her blue eyes, wild with fright, looked around the fire that she was laying next to. Across from her, she could see a worn guitar leaning against a stone. She turned to her right as a weight settled on her shoulder. Amelia gasped when she saw the blue and gray hand belonging to her fellow Slayer Zelgadiss.
"Amelia, what's the matter?" he asked in his subdued tones, his voice a calming anodyne to the horrible images of her gruesome vision. In desperation, the frightened sorceress clung to the chimera as if her life depended on it.
"Oh Mister Zelgadiss, it was horrible! We saved Lina and Gourry, and then…then…Waaaaaah!" She sobbed into his shoulder.
Unused to the position of consoler, Zelgadiss awkwardly put his arms around the sobbing princess. He held her stiffly until the worst had passed, then gently pushed her up to looked her in the eyes.
"What happened, Amelia?"
"I guess I had a nightmare, Mister Zelgadiss," Amelia began as she wiped tears from her eyes. She leaned back from the chimera suddenly, blushing as she realized how intimate she was being toward Zelgadiss.
A similar rosy tint to his cheeks, Zelgadiss said, "Why don't you tell me what it was about?"
"Well, I remember looking around and being at the scene of a battle. We were all there, and Lina and Gourry were just fine! They were, um, kinda close," she stammered out awkwardly. "We were watching them and smiling; only you weren't really.
Then I asked you if you were going to be okay since Mister Xelloss wouldn't give you your cure." Amelia flinched as she said it, but the chimera's expression didn't change. So she continued, saying, "We were still talking when Mister Xelloss showed up. He killed all of us, Mister Zelgadiss," she finished with a sob, hot tears pouring down her face. "He laughed and said that we would have lived if we had let Lina and Gourry die!"
Zelgadiss shook his head and said, "Nothing like that is going to happen, Amelia. If – no, when – we get there, I don't think that Xelloss would be willing to challenge all of us." The chimera smirked. "That's suicide, even for him."
Amelia's tears stopped as her face hardened and she clutched her hands to her chest. "You're right Mister Zelgadiss! With the righteousness of Justice in our hearts, then no one, not even Mister Xelloss, can defeat us!" When she finished, her hands were out in a pose from her signature Handbook of Justice™.
"Amelia."
"Yes, Mister Zelgadiss?"
"You're pointing again," he said with a sigh as he reached over and grabbed his guitar.
Amelia blushed slightly and sat down near the fire again. "Sorry, Mister Zelgadiss." There was no response initially from the chimera as he lightly strummed the old guitar he carried with him.
"It's alright, Amelia," He eventually responded as he began a tune. It was a simple melody; it was only a few cords played lightly and at a smooth pace. He quietly muttered out the lyrics to the first verse, too quietly for the raven-haired princess to hear. Or so he thought.
"Everywhere people stare, each and every day. I can see them laugh at me, and I hear them say…"
"Mister Zelgadiss…"Amelia said softly when she caught the ending of the verse the chimera had sung.
Zelgadiss blushed slightly and let the tune trail away. With a sigh, he turned to the fire and began plucking out another tune. This one was soft and sad; it was as if the song were weaving quiet loss and longing into itself. And so it went, Zelgadiss playing the unnamed song, until Amelia quietly began to sing along.
"Would you hold my hand, would you help me stand?" She sang out into the night. "I'll find my way, through night and day…"
Both continued the soft duet, with the chimera plucking away at his guitar and Amelia adding quiet vocals to the ensemble. Finally the song was done, and Zelgadiss looked up from his playing to find the azure eyes of the princess upon him.
"That was pretty good, Amelia," he said with a nod. "Care to do another?"
Amelia smiled. Her smile faded after a moment and she asked, "Do you know anything that's not quite so sad, Mister Zelgadiss?"
One side of his mouth turned upward in a grin. "Sure, Princess." So he began another song. Nearly as fast as the first song, the new melody was much more upbeat. He saw Amelia grin when she recognized it.
Zelgadiss began, "We call them cool, those hearts that have no scars to show. The ones that never do let go, and risk the tables being turned."
"We call them fools," Amelia continued, her smile never fading. "Who have to dance within the flame, who chance the sorrow and the shame that always comes with getting burned."
The chimera could only smile. In a strange way, the song was fitting. He opened his mouth to continue, and was unsurprised to hear the Princess join him.
"But you've got to be tough when consumed by desire, 'Cause it's not enough to just be standing outside the fire!"
Validating the song, a wordless moan carried itself on the wind and to the two singers. Zelgadiss looked over at Amelia and shrugged, continuing to play the song. Before he could start the next verse, a sharp, slightly nasal voice cried out into the night: "Oh, ZANGULUS!!"
**TWANG**
The jarring sound resonated from the guitar strings that snapped under too much force from the shocked chimera. Wide blue eyes met steely gray orbs. The faces containing both gazes were beet red. Zelgadiss was the first to recover.
"I think I'm going to walk around the perimeter for a while. Good night, Amelia." The stony sorcerer stood up quickly and grabbed his sword before heading out into the darkness.
Amelia could only nod. "Good night, Mister Zelgadiss!" When another moan soared out of the occupied tent, the mortified heir to Saillune quickly entered her tent. Putting her pillow over her head, she tried to drown out the enthusiastic couple, to no avail. As a last desperation, she muttered, "Sleeping," and knocked herself out until morning.
The light of day shed its brilliance on a quartet of travelers. The early morning found Zelgadiss preparing an early breakfast. The next to join him was the white clad princess, Amelia. Both sat around the small fire, waiting for the porridge to heat. Just as the chimera had ladled out portions for both himself and his female companion, the final tent opened majestically.
Like a bolt fired from a crossbow, a green, black, and yellow blur screamed out of the camp and headed towards the nearby stream. A slightly rumpled Zangulus exited the tent afterward. He spared a glance in the direction his wife had bolted, and then joined the shaman and the princess near the fire. After spooning out a small portion for himself, then a larger portion for Martina, Zangulus sat down Indian style and nodded towards his companions.
"Morning, all."
"Um, Mister Zangulus, where'd Queen Martina go?" Amelia asked of the swordsman.
Zangulus smiled at her, before grimacing slightly. "She was going to go take a bath. She muttered something about dinner not sitting well with her and ran from the tent."
"Do you think I should go check on her?"
"That might be a good idea…or not," he replied to Amelia's question. While Zangulus was speaking, the wife in question had finally appeared from her morning ablutions.
With a rather disturbing rumble, Martina sat with her king and wolfed down her bowl of breakfast. Barely blinking, she started in on the food in the cooking pot. Zelgadiss, Amelia, and Zangulus merely watched while trying to hide amused expressions.
"I swear, if its not one over-acting bottomless pit, it's another," Zelgadiss muttered to no one in particular as he drank his morning cup of coffee.
The Queen of Zoana had heard him, and was none too pleased. She stood up and shook her spoon at him indignantly. "How dare you compare me to that commoner! I am nothing like that loud, brash, obstinate, walking natural disaster!" She shouted at the chimera. She crossed her arms and looked at him coolly. "I should call down the wrath of Zoamel Gustav on you!" With a sniff, she sat back down.
Zelgadiss wiped the few specs of porridge off of his cloak that had clung to it during her mini-tirade. "Right," he grumbled after cleaning himself off. "Speaking of loud, I know you're married and everything, but couldn't you wait until you were in an inn?"
Underneath a swath of black hair, Zangulus's face turned a deep red. He nodded and started, to apologize, but was stopped by his wife. Though no less red faced than her husband, Martina looked over at the rocky sorcerer defiantly.
"Two people in love can express that love however they want, Mister Zelgadiss." Her blush fading, she smirked over at the chimera. "It's not our fault you weren't too occupied to hear us."
Amelia froze from where she was busy packing. She looked over at the green haired Queen. "Mis…Misses Martina!"
For his part, Zangulus felt the coming storm and turned his wife away from the group. "Come on Martina, let's get everything packed up." She smiled over at her husband before sauntering away from the fire to their tent. He sighed and turned to Zelgadiss and the princess.
"I'm sorry about that. You know how she can be."
Zelgadiss merely looked impassively at the swordsman. He nodded once before replying, "She hasn't changed much from when she traveled with us, has she?"
The swordsman shook his head. "She has changed a lot, Zelgadiss. But traveling with all of you, I guess it brings out that competitive streak in her."
With a smirk, the chimera nodded again. He distinctly remembered a lot of the trouble the green haired girl had gotten them into, especially with her rivalry with Lina. Comparing her to the fiery sorceress was probably what set her off anyway. Silently, he stood and turned to the task of breaking down camp.
Amelia, on the other hand, was sitting looking from Zelgadiss to Martina's tent, shock on her features. She had been expecting more from the fight, and her mind was slow to realize that the fight was over. With a start, she jumped up and quickly packed her belongings. She would just have to talk to Martina the next time she got a chance.
The four travelers reached the town of Blasnos by nightfall. From what Zelgadiss had gathered, this town was most likely a stop for Lina and Gourry. Further evidence to support this theory was found in the form of a broken and charred battlefield a few hours from town. Everyone was glad that they would be staying at an inn tonight.
The "incident" that had sparked an argument between the chimera and the Queen had not been repeated the next evening. Zangulus had taken first watch. With only two watches, there had been no time when the event could have been repeated. None gave thanks more than the chimera and the raven-haired princess.
After acquiring rooms in the inn, the quartet had gathered around a single table in the common room for dinner. As was usual of late, Queen Martina emulated Lina's eating habits and ate enough food to feed all the patrons of the inn. Twice over.
The common room itself was not terribly different from any other inn. Zelgadiss had noted that a table near the bar appeared to be hosting a card game. He was tempted to join, but glanced over at his companions and figured that Amelia would probably frown on it. That and he did have more than enough money to cover any expenses he might run into. Instead he ordered a glass of warmed brandy.
Once the massacre, er…dinner, was finished, the royal couple had excused themselves and retreated to their suite. Both blushing, Amelia and Zelgadiss let them go.
"You'd think they'd be more discreet," Zelgadiss muttered as he sipped his brandy. He smiled at the taste; blackberry brandy was a nice change.
"Maybe, but they are at least honest and open about how much they care about each other," Amelia countered. Her face blushed a light pink and quickly drank from her tea to hide her embarrassment.
If the chimera had noticed, he said nothing. His thoughts had been running down the same trail. With a cough, he turned to the spellbook open on the table. Flipping through the ancient text, Zelgadiss finally stopped on a page.
"Amelia, I think that this is the spell you should focus on." He tapped the page to get the princess's attention. As Amelia looked over the spell, he continued, "I think this will allow you to counteract anything that Xelloss will throw at Lina and Gourry."
She nodded, and then frowned. "But I don't know if I can make it affect more than one person." She looked up at Zelgadiss and saw his hard stare boring into her.
"True. But my vision didn't show Gourry getting hurt, just Lina," he replied. The chimera grimaced. "But whatever happens, Lina cannot die. We can't stop Xelloss without her."
Amelia could only nod sadly. Deciding to change the subject, she turned the book to another spell. Pointing, she said, "I'm trying to learn this one too. If I can, we might be able to catch them before they get into the ruins."
Zelgadiss looked over the pages curiously. He looked up at her and nodded. "Good idea. That might make things even easier."
The white-clad princess basked in the sorcerer's praise; he gave it out so rarely. So instead of replying initially, Amelia closed the book and stood, trying valiantly to stifle a yawn.
"Good night Mister Zelgadiss."
"G'night, Amelia," he replied with a wave.
After watching the princess retreat up the stairs to slumber, Zelgadiss turned his gaze to the fire, lost deep in thought. When the waitress walked up to him some time later and informed him that the common room was closing, he asked for the bottle of brandy he had started earlier. The bottle was brought to the chimera, the fire was stoked, and Zelgadiss was left to his thoughts.
He mulled over many things as he sat and stared into the fire. Zelgadiss thought about the search for his cure, his journeys with his friends, and what he had done in his life. Mostly, the chimera thought about the choices he had made.
The Witching Hour scuttled past, and still Zelgadiss sat and ruminated. He blinked once when he detected a presence near him; there was only one person left awake in the common room; only a balding elderly man who happened to be seated at the same table near the fire as the chimera. When had that happened?
Zelgadiss adroitly looked over the gentleman seated next to him. The old man was dressed in a well worn suit that was slightly dusty from travel on the road, evident in the jacket's green contours. In fact, the sorcerer noted that all of the man's details were green: Green jack, green shirt, green tie; even the eyes peering out from underneath bushy eyebrows were green. If he remembered correctly, this man was one of the gamblers from earlier.
Another long stretch of time was passed in silence before Zelgadiss's companion coughed to get the chimera's attention. Once Zelgadiss looked over, the old man said, "Sonny, I've always made my way be reading peoples eyes." Emerald eyes locked on slate gray orbs. "And iffin ye don't mind me saying, the look in yer eyes says that yer plum out of Aces."
The stony young man merely grunted in reply. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the green-clad old man. Zelgadiss listened as the old man continued, "If ye give me a taste of yer brandy, I'll give ye some advice."
Now normally Zelgadiss would have minded such a statement. This time, the sorcerer was deep enough in his cups that he decided to listen. With a shrug, he handed over the bottle. The old man took the bottle and drank deeply.
"Ah…"With a smile, all of the brandy was gone. "Ye don't happen to have any pipe-weed, do ye? No? Ah well, 'tis for the best. Not good for ye and all that."
The old card-player sat back, and his expression turned blank and cold. "Iffin yer going to play the game me boy, ye've got to play it right.
It's not about knowing when to hold yer hand or when to fold; anyone can do that. The secret to survival is knowing what to throw away, and what to keep." The old man smiled thinly for a brief second, and then it was gone.
"Ye see young man; everyone's hand is both a winner and a loser. Regardless of how it plays out, eventually it's over. The best any one person can hope for is to break even in the end."
Animation finally returned to the old man's face, and traces of light shone in half close eyes. Smiling, the he looked Zelgadiss up and down once before saying, "Ye haven't done to bad, but careful ye don't hold on to the wrong cards lad."
The chimera was convinced now, beyond a shadow of a doubt that the gambler in front of him was speaking of more than cards. He had a sneaking suspicion that this strange old man knew more than he let on as well.
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Ye do that, Sonny. And don't ye pass on the queen ye need to complete your strait, either."
Zelgadiss's eyes widened, but the old man turned back to the fire before the stunned sorcerer could reply. He waited to see if anything else was forthcoming from the card-player; soft snores eventually rose from the slumping form nearby. So much for answers.
Zelgadiss stood, glancing down at the green clad old man. As strange as it was, there was probably some good advice in his words. But the Queen…? Even under the effects of alcohol, the chimera's mind shied away from such thoughts. That was just an educated guess if he had seen Zelgadiss's companions earlier.
With a nod to the old man, he said, "Thanks for the advice old man," before turning and heading to his room for some necessary rest. From what the people of the village had said, Lina and Gourry had headed just outside of town to a weapon smith's. That was the next stop, and hopefully it garnered results. Come morning, as the group made to leave, Zelgadiss looked around and was surprised to see the old man still sitting in the same place. Meeting his eyes, the chimera nodded and left the inn with his companions. The old man's eyes glittered once before he smiled and returned to his card game. The rest of the gamblers groaned when the old man put down a royal flush.
Following the direction's of the townsfolk, Zelgadiss, Amelia, Martina and Zangulus headed towards the smith's home. They arrived at the hillock before noon, and proceeded to knock. The chimera was taken aback to find a young girl answering the door.
"Yes? How may I help you?" She asked while looking up at the four adults gathered near the door.
Amelia smiled and hunched down a bit to look the girl in the eyes. "We heard that a weapon smith lived here. We were wondering if he had seen some of our friends recently. May we talk to him?" The young girl nodded her head and pulled back from the door slightly.
"Grandfather! You have guests!"
The girl disappeared from the doorway and was replaced with an older gentleman. He looked the group over and said, "And what brings travelers like yourselves out this far? Surely you can't be in need of weapons?"
The princess nodded her head. "Actually, we're looking for information on two of our friends that just recently came by here. Their names are Lina and Gourry."
"Yes, I've seen both of them. Quite the couple of adventurers, aren't they?"
Zelgadiss nodded his head and said, "Yes they are. Right now, though, we need to find them or they will be in a lot of trouble. Can you help us?"
Gerald nodded his head and opened the door. "Come in, come in. I'll make us some tea and tell you what I know." With a plethora of grateful nods, the group of travelers entered the home. He turned to them after they had entered.
"What are your names, if I might ask?"
Martina took a deep breath and sauntered forward. "My name is Queen Martina Zoana Me Navratilova. To my right is my husband Zangulus. The young lady traveling with me is Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, and the fetchingly cloaked young man here is Zelgadiss Graywords."
The old man's eyes widened and he looked from one party member to the next. Zangulus stood next to his wife, calm and collected. The chimera was glaring daggers at the hyperactive queen from within the folds of his cloak; the raven haired young girl just looked on, slightly embarrassed.
"W…well then, I shall see if we have anything suitable for such guests."
While he waited for the tea to brew, Zelgadiss looked around at the room he was seated in. Comfortably furnished, the furniture and other items looked to have been acquired with comfort and versatility in mind, not high fashion. From his seat in a worn but amazingly comfortable chair, the chimera studied the shelves lined with rows and rows of books and knick-knacks.
Most of the books seemed to be about geology and mineralogy, judging from the names on the spines. A few caught Zelgadiss's interest; they looked newer than the rest and he guessed they had come from the outer world. Next time he was in Saillune, he'd have to see if any Outer World books had made it into the library.
The old smith entered the room, his granddaughter in tow. He set down a tray that sported both tea and – much to Zelgadiss's fervent thanks – coffee. Kyra's tray was laden with many different snacks. She set the tray down on the small table and was rewarded by a kind smile from Amelia. The green haired queen mumbled her thanks as she immediately attacked the foodstuffs. The chimera could only roll his eyes.
Sipping on his tea, Gerald turned to the group and asked, "Now why are you looking for Lina and Gourry?"
Amelia answered, "Our friend here, Mister Zelgadiss, discovered that they are going to be in a lot of trouble if we don't get to them in time."
"Well, they were here just a few days ago. They asked a couple of questions, and headed off in search of some ruins I told them about."
Before he could continue, he was interrupted by a loud shout from outside. Gerald looked nervously at his guests before standing quickly and shuffling to the door. Zelgadiss and Amelia stood, but Zangulus waived them down.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this. I'll send the smith back in just a moment."
Amelia looked unconvinced. "Are you sure?"
The swordsman nodded his head. "Nothing I can't handle. It's not like Gourry is out there, after all."
Zangulus smiled thinly before squeezing Martina's shoulder and following after Gerald. When he reached the front door, he saw the smith looking outside worriedly. Glancing out the window, he saw over a dozen ruffians standing outside. The leader, made obvious by his improved armor and posture, was shouting at the smith.
He looked over at Gerald and nodded towards the foyer. "Go on back and talk with everyone else. I'll handle this."
"Are you sure?" Gerald asked.
The swordsman turned king nodded. "Yes. Now go, this won't take long." A voice was raised again from outside as Gerald retreated back to the rest of his guests.
"C'mon out old man. We told you we'd come back for some of your weapons and we meant it." He waited a moment before continuing, "If you don't get out here now, both you and that little girl with you are gonna die." The leader watched the door open and watched a dark haired man dressed in tan and a ridiculously large hat exit the smith's home.
"You think that threatening to harm a child is any way to do business? I pity you," Zangulus said as he walked out to meet the bandits. He heard movement behind him and the swish of familiar clothing. He stopped.
"Martina, what are you doing?"
From her vantage point just outside the door, the green haired royal answered, "Just watching, Darling. I haven't seen a good fight in a long time."
Zangulus just sighed and turned back to the bandit leader. He noticed that his opponents had recovered by this time and were slowly spreading out to cover as much ground as possible. However, they still clumped together in groups of three or more. Works for me, he thought with a smirk.
The bandit leader grinned and waved at his men. "This doesn't concern you, stranger. You and your little trollop should leave before you get hurt."
Reacting quickly, Zangulus reached out and grabbed his wife as she attempted to run by him and attack the bandit. He shot her a look before turning to the brigand.
"I was going to give you a chance to leave, but not now. It's one thing to insult me, but another entirely to insult my wife."
None of the bandits saw Zangulus's first move; they all heard it. A blast of roaring force lanced out from the Howling Sword and struck the largest group of bandits, knocking them all back more than twenty feet. His next swing blasted another group even farther. In the short length of time it took the king of Zoana to complete half a dozen sword swings, all the bandits found themselves either injured on the ground or flying through the air.
The swordsman turned his attention to the leader. He brought his sword up and met the bandit's blade, easily parrying the attack. With a grunt, Zangulus pushed the bandit back. Two quick attacks later, and the bandit leader was bleeding from a nasty wound and was lying weaponless on the ground. By this time, the remaining bandits had already turned tail and fled. All but one.
Zangulus spun around when he heard a startled exclamation from Martina. A bandit wearing a tattered cloak was holding a knife to the green haired queen's throat. Raising a hand, the bandit muttered a spell and Zangulus had to dive aside to avoid a quartet of fiery arrows. Completing his roll, Zangulus brought his sword up warily to see what the cloaked bandit would do.
With a smile, he said, "I think I'll hold on to this one for a little while." And with that the bandit muttered a spell and flew off. Zangulus screamed after them.
His anguished shout brought Zelgadiss, Amelia, and Gerald running out of the home. Much to their collective shock, they only saw Zangulus standing there, his hands held in balled fists. The chimera and the princess quietly walked over to the swordsman.
"They've taken Martina."
Amelia brought a hand to her mouth in shock. "Oh no…" She watched Zelgadiss walk forward
"We'll get her back Zangulus. Which way did they go?" He watched the distraught husband point. "Fine, let's go then."
Without another word, Zelgadiss, Zangulus, and Amelia headed off in the direction that Martina and her captor had fled. The path led them towards a set of hills that were partially covered by trees and shrubbery. In between two of the hills was a small fort made of wood.
The trio of adventurers paused at the edge of the forest line as soon as the fort came into view. Zelgadiss pulled out a spyglass and looked for a moment before handing the looking glass to Zangulus. After a few seconds, the swordsman turned king handed the apparatus to Amelia before turning to the chimera.
"Defenses look pretty good, Zangulus. How do you want to handle this?" Zelgadiss asked him. The sorcerer nodded at the princess as she handed back the spyglass.
The swordsman snorted. "It might look defensible, but buildings like that can only hold about twenty people comfortably at a time. I took out over a dozen when I fought them at the smith's; the ones on the walls are probably all that's left other than that cloaked one." As he talked, Zangulus shrugged back his cloak and undid the clasps tying his sword to its scabbard. With a nod to Zelgadiss, he started out of the overhanging branches.
"Wait! What are you doing Zangulus?" Zel cried as he grabbed the swordsman's shoulder to prevent him from leaving cover. "We haven't even made a plan yet! What are you going to do?"
The black haired warrior shrugged off the chimera's hand. He looked back at Zelgadiss and Amelia with hard eyes. The young princess shuddered at the frostiness in his gaze.
"I'm going to run in and react appropriately."
Both Sorceress and Shaman could only look at each other in shock as Zangulus charged the gate of the castle. Recovering quickly, the chimera sped after him while starting a spell. Amelia ran after both of them.
As she neared Zelgadiss, she thought she heard the chimera mutter, "Why is it that no one I travel with bothers to come up with a plan? It's always 'Show ourselves and blow stuff up' or 'Run in and react appropriately'. And Lina wonders why we are always accused of excessive force. Sheesh."
Eriks had been a bandit for nearly three years now. The pay was pretty good, and he got a lot of time to practice the kinds of unnecessary violence that had gotten him kicked out of his native Elmekia.
In that time, he had seen more than his share of bravado. But he couldn't believe that a single man, and one not even in any armor, would be foolish enough to storm the walls of the fort. With his and six other crossbows aimed at the lone figure, he prepared to warn the would-be hero of his impending demise.
Eriks never got the chance. With a vicious swing, Zangulus let out a shrieking blast from his Howling Sword. It slammed into the outer wall. The wall held for a moment before the might of the swords magic blasted the timber to pieces.
The remaining guars looked on in shock for a moment before they let loose with a volley from their crossbows. The bolts flew towards Zangulus, but stopped a few feet from him as a barrier of swirling breezes sprang up and deflected the incoming missiles.
A ball of red flames exploded on the other side of the gate. The screams of bandits could be heard as the ball of fire increased in size and tore another hole in the once sturdy wooden walls. Zangulus looked back to see Zelgadiss and Amelia not far from him. He nodded once before running through a breach in the wall.
He was not expecting to encounter trolls on the other side. The black haired swordsman cursed as he dove to the side to avoid the large club of one of the green skinned monstrosities. Zangulus held off the tide of trolls for a moment, when arrows of flame leapt from behind him to strike the creatures.
Zelgadiss ran into Zangulus's view, his sword drawn. "Go on, we'll take care of these and be right behind you," he shouted to the swordsman as he prepared to meet the oncoming horde.
Zangulus could hear Amelia chanting a spell behind him. He smiled and said, "Thanks, both of you," before running directly at the trolls.
The King of Zoana slashed at the monsters before him. Wisely fearing his blade, the faster trolls got out of his way. Those that didn't, found themselves either injured or dead, depending on how slow they were. As a final troll jumped away, Zangulus saw that he was now clear to enter the main building of the fort. He reached the door, and spared a single glance back at his companions. Satisfied that they didn't need his help, Zangulus entered the fort to find his wife.
Zelgadiss looked around at the trolls that were gathering to assault him and grinned. With as few trolls as this, there really isn't even a challenge. Then he heard a feminine cough behind him and sweat-dropped.
Standing on the stone gatehouse was Amelia. Her hands were on her hips as she stared down into the yard. "You there, villainous trolls. How dare you try and come between true love and Justice! I, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune, shall bring the hammer of justice to you."
At the end of her speech, she leapt from the gatehouse into the courtyard. She misjudged the distance and ended up face first on the ground less than a meter from Zelgadiss.
The chimera let out a long suffering sigh and shook his head before grabbing the princess by the cape and righting her. Amelia immediately jumped up and the two faced back to back as the trolls surrounded them.
"You ready, Amelia?"
The raven haired sorceress smiled and said, "You bet, Mister Zelgadiss."
With a barely perceptible nod, Amelia and Zelgadiss both launched spells to begin taking out the trolls. The initial fireball took out the ones that immediately challenged them, giving the two Slayers a chance to work still more magic.
In less time than it took for Amelia to make her speech, the trolls were dead or gone. The princess and the chimera were just preparing to enter the fort when they heard an explosion from within.
Inside, the warrior turned king quickly scanned the room he found himself in. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all made of wood. There were two statues in opposite corners, both made from wood; one was the image of a mounted knight pierced by arrows, the other a sinister looking bowman. The only other features of the room were a corridor to his left, an open door to his right, a closed door straight a head of him and a stairway leading to the second floor just left of the center door.
Zangulus listened closely, trying to hear both his enemies and Martina. A muffled exclamation and a string of curses came from somewhere beyond the center doorway, so he made his way there. Not hearing anything directly on the other side, he opened the door.
The room inside was some sort of lounge or sitting room, apparently. It held only one other door, directly across from the door Zangulus had just entered. He carefully moved through the room, pausing to listen against the door. The voice of his beloved wife was louder now, and he could just barely make out what she was saying.
"…Hah! You hear that, you flea-bitten mongrel? When my darling Zangulus gets here, along with our friends, you will beg for Zoamel Gustav's mercy!"
A smile lit up Zangulus's face. Only my wife would berate a captor like that. Still smiling, he opened the door and entered the room beyond.
Only to stare in shock as a door inside the newest room opened and the cloaked figure walked in. A gravely voice came from the folds of the cloak, muttering, "Doesn't that wench ever shut up?!?"
The cloaked bandit looked up in time to meet the shocked gaze of the swordsman. Both stood there dumbly for a moment before reacting. Zangulus brought his sword around in an arc and unleashed a whirlwind as the cloaked figure cast a spell.
Zangulus grunted in pain as a lance of ice grazed his shoulder. The bandit was not nearly so fortunate. He took the full brunt of Zangulus's attack, blowing him back into the room he had entered from. Zangulus immediately followed.
Inside, the swordsman quickly found his wife chained to a wall, but otherwise unharmed. Zangulus ran over to her and cut her from the wall. She let out a cry of happiness and hugged him for all he was worth. He returned the hug fiercely before gently separating from her.
"Are you all right, Martina?"
The green haired queen nodded with a smile. "Yes I am, darling."
"Are you ready to get out of here?" Zangulus asked her.
"Yep. Let's go."
Zangulus let out a sigh of relief, but immediately tensed when he heard movement on the other side of the room. He turned to see what this new threat was.
"Ouch, that hurt human," a gravely voice said as the cloaked bandit picked himself up out of the broken furniture he had been thrown into.
Standing there in the tatters of a brown cloak was something less than human. Mostly humanoid in shape, the bandit's skin was a smoky black, but striped with a brassy color. Zangulus thought the markings were very much like an Elmekian panther. The eyes were what disturbed him. They were no pupils, just glowing purple where eyes should have been. The creatures tensed to move, and Zangulus prepared for an attack.
The swordsman had just enough time to push Martina out of the way before the creature launched a wave of force at him that threw him through the wall. He hit hard into another wall, and saw that the hellish monstrosity was charging straight at him. So Zangulus dove to his right and landed back in the entryway of the fort.
Not a moment to soon, as the Bandit's claws sunk into the wall that Zangulus had been leaning on. They were torn from the wood, splintering the material in the process. When it charged again, Zangulus leapt to his left while slashing with his sword to deflect a razor sharp claw swung at him. Then the creature smiled and raised a hand.
A ball of magical energy formed in its outstretched hand, before flying at the beleaguered king and exploding. The fiery blast blew Zangulus through the doors of the keep and out into the courtyard. He tumbled a few feet before finally coming to a stop.
Zangulus hadn't been in this much pain since he had fought against Duke Firanor's incursion more than a year and a half ago. He struggled to his feet only to see the transformed bandit already in front of him. He had enough time to brace himself before he was struck and flung across the yard.
Zelgadiss saw the person coming out of the fort after Zangulus and gasped. Another Chimera? But how? Then the chimeric bandit struck Zangulus and knocked the swordsman across the clearing. Zelgadiss saw Amelia heading over there and stopped her.
"Better let me handle this Amelia", he said softly as he drew his sword.
Eyes wide, she asked, "But why? I thought we were a team Mister Zelgadiss?"
"We are," he began as he saw the bandit heading towards Zangulus again, "but I'm going to need you to tend to Zangulus while I take care of our new friend. Ok, Amelia?" She nodded and Zelgadiss ran to join the battle.
The chimeric bandit stood over the prone Zangulus and laughed. "If this is all the challenge I was going to be met with, I'd have killed you over at the old man's." He stretched out a hand and formed a ball of crimson energy.
Before he could release the spell, a stony fist connected with his face and sent him flying into a wall. When the bandit cleared himself out of the rubble, he was face to face with an uncloaked Zelgadiss. The shaman had his sword in his left hand and a globe of silvery energy in the right. The unnamed chimera wiped blood from his mouth and stood.
"You are much stronger than that other warrior." He watched as Zelgadiss merely nodded. "I am called Jainax."
Jainax looked over Zelgadiss and his eyes widened slightly. "I see that you are also a chimera. We should not be fighting; I had little quarrel with any of you."
"Then why kidnap Martina?"
"It was purely for my own amusement." Jainax smirked. "I haven't been significantly challenged in a long time; I felt the swordsman would be interesting to meet in battle."
The black and metallic chimera extended a hand out to Zelgadiss. "Come my fellow; we should not be fighting. Our power can be used in so many better ways."
The shaman frowned. "The only thing I want to know is if you know how to reverse this chimeric process."
"Reverse the process?" Jainax asked in a mocking tone. "Why would I want to reverse what makes me better than any mere mortal?" He dropped his hand and looked at Zelgadiss with scorn in his purple eyes. "You cannot tell me that you actually want to be human again?"
"Of course. Unlike you, I don't want to be separated from humanity; I want to be normal, to be able to touch." Zelgadiss glanced over at Amelia and quietly added, "To feel." He looked sharply over at Jainax as the other chimera laughed.
"Wha Ha Ha Ha!! Listen to you. You're pathetic!" Jainax yelled as he began to gather power. "You aren't even worthy of your gifts. First, I shall remove your disgrace from my presence, and then I shall finish what I started with the swordsman."
Zelgadiss shrugged. "Are you done talking now?" Jainax growled and charged the chimera.
The two chimeras met as Jainax clawed at Zelgadiss and the shaman parried. He raised his right hand. "ELMEKIA LANCE!!" A beam of white light shot out at the bandit.
Jainax rolled out of the way and hurled a spell back at Zelgadiss. "FLARE LANCE!!" But the stony chimera had already thrown up a Windy Shield to protect himself. Quick on the heels of his spell, the catlike chimera charged and tore viciously at Zelgadiss. One of his claws got through Zelgadiss's defenses and grazed his arm. The attack elicited a howl from Jainax instead of from the shaman.
Zelgadiss grinned and pressed his advantage. Using his chimeric speed he rushed Jainax and slugged him in the stomach. He slowly removed his arm and stepped back. With a grunt of pain, Jainax fell to his knees and coughed up a glob of blood.
"H…How?" The bandit asked.
"It looks like I got a better 'mix' of donors, Jainax," Zelgadiss said. "I don't know how powerful your magic is, but between Amelia and me, you're outclassed." The shaman sheathed his sword and regarded the other chimera.
"I suggest you leave now before she's done healing Zangulus. He will kill you if given the chance."
Jainax growled and got to his feet. "We shall meet again. What is your name, so that I can remember the one that defeated me."
Zelgadiss inclined his head slightly as he answered, "My name is Zelgadiss."
"Very well Zelgadiss, we shall meet again." And so saying, Jainax cast a spell and ray winged off.
The stony chimera turned away and looked back at his friends. Amelia was nearly done healing Zangulus, and the green haired queen had come out of the fort and was sitting with her husband. Zelgadiss sighed and cupped his hands.
"Oh, source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy power gather in my hand. FIREBALL!!"
He launched the spell at the wooden fortress and blew the entire thing sky high. Dusting off his hands, he rejoined his friends. Zangulus spoke up as soon as he reached them.
"Why'd you let that bastard get away, Zelgadiss?"
"Really Zelgadiss, how is he supposed to get Zoamel Gustav's vengeance if he isn't here to receive it?" Martina asked from her husband's side.
Zelgadiss shrugged. "He would have been more trouble than he was worth to try and defeat. He couldn't win against all of us, so I let him go. This way, we don't use as many resources and we don't have to worry about anyone getting hurt."
"We especially wouldn't want our favorite green haired royal to get injured, now would we, hmmm?"
Everyone turned around when they heard the familiar soft and sinister voice of the trickster priest. The Mazoku sat on the top of the stone gatehouse, feet kicking idly over the edge, the familiar ruby tipped staff held in gloved hands.
"What do you mean by that, Xelloss?" Zangulus asked as he stood and positioned himself in front of his wife as a shield.
The Mazoku grinned before answering, "In such a delicate condition we wouldn't want her hurt."
"What do you mean by that, Xelloss? Are you trying to say I'm weak? If you are, I'll call down the wrath of Zoamel Gustav and you'll see how powerful I am."
Xelloss smiled and pushed off of the gatehouse to land near the party. The general priest held out a gloved hand and said, "But I only wanted to convey my congratulations."
Everyone looked at the Mazoku as if the fruity mystery man had finally lost it. Zelgadiss was the first to speak up. "You're making less sense than usual, Xelloss. Congratulate who? For what?"
"It's unjust to make such vague statements Mister Xelloss.," Amelia added.
Closed eyes arched in amusement. "Is it now?" Xelloss laughed. "Well I guess I can tell you. I just wanted to be the first to congratulate you. After all it isn't often an heir to a kingdom comes about, now is it?"
All four of the travelers froze. One by one, the two men and the princess turned to look at Martina. In her turn, her gray eyes were wide with shock as her hands slowly crept around her stomach. Zangulus whirled on Xelloss suddenly and drew his sword.
"I'll have none of your games, trickster."
Xelloss held up a hand. "No games, I assure you. As I said before, I don't lie." The Mazoku smiled and wagged a finger at Zelgadiss and Amelia. "I'm surprised neither of them noticed. Especially you Amelia; aren't you trained as a priestess to notice things like this?"
Amelia blushed and looked down. "I never got that far in my training as a priestess; I learned a little bit of shamanism, then I met Miss Lina."
Zelgadiss, meanwhile, was studying Martina closely. He had read up on this sort of detection before, but since he had never been concerned with it he had never tried. Stretching out with his magical senses, Zelgadiss's his awareness passed over Martina's body. The first time, he noticed nothing odd. The second pass, however, picked up the variation in her astral pattern. His eyes widened.
"Xelloss is right."
Martina gasped when the words slipped out from the stunned chimera's mouth. "P..p..Pregnant? I'm gonna have a baby?!?" She watched Zelgadiss nod slowly.
Almost faster than any gathered could see, the queen of Zoana glomped on to Zangulus. "Oh darling, Zoamel Gustav has blessed us! We're going to have a baby!!"
The swordsman turned king swung her around in stunned silence for a moment before he broke out in a grin and held her closely. Zelgadiss, Amelia, and Xelloss sweat-dropped as the trio watched the spectacle.
Zelgadiss recovered first and turned to the Mazoku. "Unless you're giving me my cure Xelloss, leave."
Xelloss smiled. "Are you reconsidering my offer?" Seeing the glare that earned the trickster, it continued, "I hope you get there in time to see the fireworks." Xelloss pulled out a pocket watch and flipped it open. "Oh dear me, but this is so far out of the way that I fear you'll be about a day late for your rendezvous. But I'll be nice and see if I can talk them into leaving the bodies for you. Ta-Ta!" With a wave, Xelloss was gone.
Zelgadiss looked over at Amelia. "Do you think you'll be able to cast that second spell you showed me? If not, I don't think we can get there in time."
"I can try, Mister Zelgadiss. Never fear, with the power of Love and Justice on our side, we can't go wrong!!"
Zangulus and Martina walked up, and Zangulus said, "So what's the plan Zelgadiss?"
The chimera frowned and looked over the group. "Let's rest up in the gate house and wait for Amelia to try the new spell in the morning. We all need the break anyway." Everyone nodded and headed inside the small stone building.
Zangulus stopped before entering and went about gathering enough wood for a fire before returning to the make shift camp. After a few minutes, both a fire and dinner were going nicely. Everyone made his or her self comfortable.
Martina was just sitting by the fire, a beaming smile on her face. She would glance down occasionally, and she was constantly touching her stomach gently. While Zelgadiss tended to the food, she felt the strong arms of her husband wrap around her. She snuggled into his warmth and sighed with contentment.
"It's so wonderful, Zangulus darling."
The swordsman turned king smiled and hugged Martina closer. "Yes it is."
Meanwhile, Amelia was reading from the book that Zelgadiss had given her. She looked up long enough to glance at the happy royals and sigh wistfully. That's so romantic. It is just and good that Martina and Zangulus are going to have a baby. She giggled as she turned her attention back to the book. I wonder how the baby will turn out.
Zelgadiss's ears perked when he heard the soft laughter coming from the princess. He guessed she had been looking over at Zangulus and Martina. He smiled as he finished up the preparations for the meal. It's not often we have something so positive with our group of friends. He shook his head and grabbed a bowl.
"Alright everyone, let's eat."
The four adventurers dug into the meal, and ate quietly, absorbed into his or her own world. Amelia was slowly chipping away at her food while she studied and prepared for the new spells she would need to cast tomorrow. Martina was eating her meal with vigor. After all, she was eating for two, now wasn't she?
The dark haired swordsman sat after quickly downing his meal. He was content to observe his wife, and the others. Zelgadiss sat Indian style near the fire drinking his coffee, outwardly the calmest of the four. Inside, he was in an uproar.
Okay, let's review the facts, Zelgadiss thought to himself as he sat. Fact – Xelloss had a hand in making me like this. Fact – Something that Lina and Gourry are going to find is going to get us all in a lot of trouble. Fact – even if we are all together, I don't know if we can beat Xelloss. The chimera grimaced. Damn him. If it weren't for this curse, then none of my friends would be in danger.
Zelgadiss looked at all of the people gathered around the fire. I don't know why they've put up with me for all these years. I certainly don't deserve it. With a soft sight, the shamanic master sank further into himself. He looked down into his cup of coffee and stared at the reflection within.
He was startled when he felt soft arms slide around his torso from behind. He caught the scent of lavender and vanilla as he felt something rest on his shoulder. Glancing to his left, he met the gaze of a crystal blue eye framed by soft pink skin and lustrous black hair. He immediately blushed.
As soon as she saw his rising blush, Amelia let go of Zelgadiss and knelt next to him. She took his hand and said, "You looked like you needed a hug, Mister Zelgadiss. Don't worry, we'll get back Miss Lina and Mister Gourry." She smiled. "Daddy always says that anyone that always thinks bad things is going to be doomed to fail."
She let go of his hand and stood. With a final nod of her head at the chimera, Amelia went back to the spot she had been resting in and returned to her book. Zelgadiss sat there for a moment as his blush receded and stared at the princess. With a shake of his head, he glanced over at Zangulus and Martina.
Both rulers of Zoana were looking over at him. Zangulus wore a soft smile, its meaning hidden in his eyes. Martina, however, was wearing a grin that looked just a little too smug. Neither said anything, but Zelgadiss blushed faintly again in embarrassment. The green haired queen's grin widened, but she merely looked up at her husband. He turned his gaze down to her and gently kissed her before standing and holding out his hand to her. She accepted and stood with him.
Zangulus turned to the Chimera and said, "Goodnight. Wake me for my turn at guard detail okay?"
"Goodnight Amelia. Don't stay up to long, you need your rest," Martina said with an accompanying yawn. She waved at both and retreated to the tent that Zangulus had set up for the two of them, her husband following shortly after.
When the king and queen were gone, a comfortable silence fell over the camp. Zelgadiss sat there and meditated, the princess studied. After nearly an hour of this, Zelgadiss opened his eyes when he saw that the princess had fallen asleep. She was shivering due to the chill night air.
The chimera stood and walked over to her. Since she looked so peaceful, he merely muttered a spell and pointed at the fire. A small tongue of flame slithered from his fingertip and crawled into the fire. An instant later, the flames burned more mutely but gave of much more heat. Zelgadiss then unclasped his cloak and covered Amelia with it.
He started to stand, but was stopped when a hand snaked out from underneath the cloak and grasped his own. Zelgadiss looked over at the princess, but she was still fast asleep. He listened intently to her breathing, but it was the simple and steady rhythm of slumber. Great, she doesn't even know she's done this. Seeing no way out of this, the chimera sat down and picked up the book Amelia had been reading when she fell asleep.
"This is a funny predicament, isn't it?" Zangulus asked as he sat across the fire from Zelgadiss and the sleeping Amelia. He chuckled when Zelgadiss froze. "Don't worry, Martina is very much asleep. She won't be giving you any trouble about this, and neither will I."
"It's not what it looks like," Zelgadiss stammered as he blushed.
Zangulus nodded. "I never said it was. It's obvious she likes you Zel," the swordsman continued in a soft voice. "I could tell back when I traveled with all of you during the Phibrizzo incident."
The chimera's gray eyes widened. "Even back then?"
"Yep." The swordsman nodded his head. "It's not quite as obvious as Lina and Gourry, but I noticed all the same. The two of you worked far too well together for just a coincident." He left the sentence hanging. With a shrug he stood.
"Take the time you can my friend. Who knows when you'll have this semblance of peace again?" Zangulus walked off and took up watch just outside the gatehouse.
Zelgadiss looked after the swordsman for another moment before returning his gaze to the young girl that held his hand. "When indeed," he muttered softly as he grabbed the book with his other hand and began to read.
Morning found the four travelers preparing for departure. After a simple breakfast, the camp was packed quickly. Zelgadiss retreated outside to meditate. Zangulus was also outside, but he was running through his practice routines in preparation for a fight. Amelia found Martina leaning against one of the walls, watching her husband. She had her arms wrapped around her and a smile on her face. Amelia walked up and stood beside the green haired queen.
"What a week, eh Amelia?" Martina began as she watched Zangulus practicing in the early morning light. "First we find out that ol' Stony might have a cure, then we end up on a trip to save that annoying sorceress."
Amelia looked at Martina reproachfully, but nodded. "And now we find out your going to have a baby." The queen's slight smile widened noticeably. "Congratulations."
Martina turned to look at the raven-haired princess. She said softly, "Thanks. We've been hoping for a while now." She shook her head, her light green curls shaking. "You know what's funny. Even after I married him, I was worried about what kind of king and husband he'd make."
Amelia's eyes widened. Martina had acted so confidently after the Phibrizzo incident. The young princess never expected to hear that kind of confession from the outspoken and self assured queen. Martina merely nodded.
"I married him because it felt right; it felt good. But, despite the way I've always acted around Lina and the rest of you, even I admit that I didn't make a lot of good decisions."
The mother-to-be leaned back against the wall and looked toward the sky. "I've always believed that with faith and determination you can do anything. So I prayed to Zoamel Gustav that I had made the right decision." She looked down at Amelia. "And do you know what his answer was?
As soon as we got back to the castle we found out about Duke Firanor's attempt to take the land of Zoana for his self." Amelia looked at her sympathetically.
Martina smiled and said, "Zangulus was magnificent. If it weren't for him, I think I would have lost the throne for sure." She nodded at Amelia's shocked look. "It was during the war that we realized how much we were meant for each other."
She looked out and waved as Zangulus began walking toward her. She looked back at Amelia and said, "I don't know what I'd do without him now."
Amelia wiped a tear from her eye and clasped her hands under her chin. With starry eyes trained on the green haired queen, she said, "That was so beautiful." She sighed. "I hope something happens like that for me eventually."
Martina grinned as she hugged her husband. She smirked and said, "Well, you could always pick up where you left off last night with Zelgadiss."
The Saillunian princess turned red all the way to her arms. She waved her hands emphatically up and down and said, "It's not like that, Martina! It's not very nice to say something like that!"
Zelgadiss had walked up by this point and shook his head. He was up before the princess, and had seen the amused look on Martina's face. Instead of adding fuel to the fire, Zelgadiss walked up and said, "Amelia, if your ready, we should probably get started."
Calming down, Amelia nodded. She pulled out the book and looked the spell over one last time. Nodding she walked out into the courtyard and quickly drew a circle on the ground.
"All right, everybody needs to stand in the Circle for this to work."
After everyone had gathered in the circle, she began the incantation. Moving her arms around in a circle, the three adventurers watched as specks of blue energy began to float up from the edges of the circle like a curtain. The light also swirled around the princess.
"Master of the Golden Sun, grand keeper of the Light. Let my unworthy hand gather you comforting warmth. Send us to those that need help in their hour of need!"
The light grew and the veil rose to form a cylinder of light surrounding the four. Martina gasped and held her husband as Zangulus looked around worriedly. Zelgadiss covered his head with his arms but attempted to keep his eyes on Amelia. She was floating nearly a foot off of the ground as power coursed through her.
"SETTEKIIDOU MOURYOKOUTEN!!!!!"
There was a flash, and then Zangulus, Zelgadiss, Martina, and Amelia were lurched skyward. The four of them were floating far into the sky, and then they were seemed to fade away. A moment later, the world returned, and they were lurched again and set down in a forest. Everyone collapsed to the ground.
Zelgadiss recovered first. He rolled over on to his back and looked up at the sky, fighting a wave of dizziness. He heard a faint moan to his left and snapped up. Looking around frantically, he saw Martina and Zangulus lying together, seemingly fine. Past them, he saw Amelia trying to sit up. Exhaling a held breath, he stood and walked over to the raven haired princess. Wordlessly, he held out his hand.
Amelia saw a gray and blue hand enter her line of sight, so she looked up. Her crystal blue eyes met the chimera's gray orbs. She stared a moment, before shaking herself and accepting the offered hand up. Once righted, she looked around.
The king and queen of Zoana joined them as she asked, "I wonder where we are. I hope I sent us far enough."
Before anyone else could answer, the sky darkened to red. The earth began to shake, when an explosion could be heard a ways away. Everyone looked at each other.
"That would probably be Lina and Gourry making the crater I saw in my vision," Zelgadiss muttered. "Judging by the sound of the blast, I'd have to say we are no more than a few miles away." No one argued. He turned to Zangulus and Martina.
"Once we get to the clearing they just made, I want you two to stay back initially. After Amelia and I start casting our spells, I want you," and he pointed to Zangulus, "to provide cover to Lina and Gourry from anything that you see near them."
Martina crossed her arms and harrumphed. "And what, exactly, am I supposed to do?"
The chimera reached into his pack and pulled out a large bundle. He handed it to her and said, "I want you to stay in the trees. Do not come out and help us. You'll be more help afterward."
"So what's this for?"
He turned back to her as he began walking in the direction of the blast. "That, hopefully, is enough medical supplies for five people. With any luck, we won't need it." He paused, expecting an argument.
He was shocked when Martina merely nodded and adjusted the pack, trudging along beside Amelia. Zelgadiss stared in shock until Zangulus walked up and put his hand on the chimera's shoulder.
"I told you she's changed a lot since the last time you saw her," he said with a proud grin. "She doesn't want to admit it, but she worries about all of you. She'll do her part if needed; let's go make sure she doesn't have to.
Zelgadiss nodded and jogged up to lead the group of Slayers as they hurried to save two of their own.