The clear blue sky was dotted with white fluffy clouds. In the forest, birds and animals went about their normal routines, chirping away or frolicking merely. Suddenly, the animals on the ground froze and the chirping of the birds ceased. The ground rumbled ominously. The birds took flight with a frightened squawk, the animals running as fast as they could. The ground rumbled again; though deep underground, the shaking seemed to emanate from an ancient ruin. The rumbles grew louder and more frequent as forces beyond the scope of nature fought.
Another explosion rocked the ground a few feat from Lina as she dove madly out of the way. She hit the ground rolling. When she came up to one knee she shouted, "ELMEKIA LANCE!" A beam of white light shot out from her hand and was aimed directly at her cloaked opponent. The Mazoku brought up a hand and released a small arrow of black energy that erased the sorceress's spell. The Mazoku turned its raised arm to Lina and fired another arrow of dark energy.
"Awww, CRAP!!" She yelled as she dove for cover. She got behind a stone and not a moment to soon. The dark beam struck the ground and exploded, sending dust and dirt into the air. "This is not good."
Meanwhile Gourry Gabriev was locked in a life or death struggle versus a surprisingly difficult foe. Then again, fighting a real Mazoku without the Sword of Light was going to be difficult. Glancing to his left, the blonde swordsman saw that Lina Inverse was not faring much better. Gourry jumped back as his momentary distraction nearly cost him his life. The Mazoku he was fighting was "armed", literally: both of his arms ended in sword blades.
The golden haired warrior traded blows with the Mazoku, neither gaining nor giving grown. Well this isn't gonna work.
Gourry knew they were close, too. So close to the treasure that Lina wanted…oh, and for a new sword that might be strong enough to fight the Mazoku. I guess something really good is down here if two Mazoku are here.
The swordsman grunted in reaction to a strong strike from the monster he was facing. Catching the attack with his blade did little and he found himself skidding backwards. He stood up and leapt back a few feet, panting slightly. He was unsurprised to feel a warm body in close proximity.
"This isn't going very well Lina," he said as he watched his opponent approach.
The sorceress nodded even though her partner couldn't see. "No it's not. This guy keeps blocking all of my spells."
"I can't get in past this guy's defenses either."
Suddenly Lina smiled. "Hey Gourry, let's switch!"
Stunned, the swordsman spun to look at the shorter redhead. "You can't be serious. That one'll tear me to pieces!"
Lina shook her head and ran behind Gourry so she could see the sword armed Mazoku. She looked at Gourry and said, "Just hold him off for a minute or two, then we'll both kick his ass." With that she planted a foot on the blonde's rear and kicked him toward the floating Mazoku.
Gourry landed in front of it with a startled grunt. I'm gonna get Lina for stuff like this one of these days. He scrambled to his feet as the robed Mazoku hovered nearby.
"Ummm….Hi?"
With a smirk, Geki unleashed a ball of flame at Gourry. The swordsman's eyes widened and he rolled out of the way, just barely getting caught by the blast.
He jumped up quickly and began swatting at his backside. "Owowowow….Hot, hot, hot!!" Patting himself off, Gourry looked up to see another ball of flame coming at him.
"Yikes!!"
Gourry drew his sword and dodged the next ball of flame thrown at him. "Can't we talk about this?!?!?!?" A black arrow of magic was the response from the Mazoku. "I guess not," he muttered as he dodged.
On the other side of the cavern, Lina watched as the grounded Mazoku eyed her warily. She grinned and released a spell. "ELMEKIA LANCE!!!!" She was moving even before the spell neared the creature. The sorceress was only mildly surprised when the creature defeated her attack. Her smile widened however, when the creature charged at her instead of launching an attack.
So he is into the physical stuff eh? Must be why these two are paired together. Lina let off a weak Burst Rondo to delay the Mazoku's charge while she thought. Well, I can't use the Dragon Slave in such close quarters. Besides, I don't think he'll give me enough time anyway. As if on cue, the sword armed creature leapt at the diminutive sorceress. Lina ducked and rolled, calling up a defensive wall while she thought as quickly as she could. If only I could slow him down...ah HAH! She cackled out loud when she had her answer. Summoning her magic, she cast a spell and aimed it at the monster before her.
Todra looked at the small slip of a girl in front of him warily as she grinned and laughed. Shrugging, the four armed monster moved to attack Lina. And started when it was unable to move. It looked at the sorceress with wide eyes; she had somehow immobilized him!
Lina finished laughing and pushed up a sleeve. Her grin widening, she began to cast a spell. "Lord of the Darkness and Four Worlds, I beseech thy fragments; by all of the power thou possesseth, grant the heavens' wrath to my hand; unleash the sword of dark, freezing nothingness; by our power, our combined might, let us walk as one along the path of destruction: RAGNA BLADE!"
A blade of utter darkness sprang up in Lina's hand. With a cry she rushed forward and plunged the blade into Todra. The Mazoku did itself a favor and did not scream as it shattered under the power of the spell.
Lina stood and dusted her hands off after finishing off the Mazoku. "Well, that's done," she muttered to her self, thoroughly satisfied. "Now where's the other one?" She asked as she looked around. Seeing and hearing an explosion, she headed in that direction.
"Get over here and die, human!"
An explosion of dark fire rocked the spot where Gourry had stood mere moments ago. The entire spot had been blasted smooth. The blonde looked over at the Mazoku he was fighting and shrugged. Gripping his sword tightly, he leapt and attempted to slash the robed monster. Before he made contact he was struck by a blast of force and sent hurtling through the air.
As he was flying, Gourry muttered to himself, "I really need to stop trying that." He landed with a thud, but managed to roll to his feet. "I shoulda known after the first three times that wouldn't work." With a grimace, he reached for his sword.
Only to find it missing. Panicked, Gourry ignored his opponent instead searching the ground for his blade. Hearing the roar of flames behind him, his instincts got him just to the edge of the blast. Luckily, he saw his blade in the trajectory he was flung and grabbed it. Gourry grunted with the force of the impact, and slowly got to his feet.
He spared a glance to his right and saw Lina handling her opponent. He smiled and returned to the cloaked Geki. Unfortunately the Mazoku had not spared any time as a pillar of black fire roared at him. Gourry crossed his arms in front of him and waited for the pain. He could feel the fires rushing around him, scorching and searing him. And then they were gone.
Blinking, Gourry looked over at his opponent, who was staring back at the beleaguered swordsman. Gourry felt a stinging in his hand and dropped his suddenly hot blade. Or rather what was left of it. The sword's blade had melted, and the cross guards were drooping from the heat that the sword had shunted aside.
"I don't know how you did it warrior, but you don't have your sword to protect you any longer," the enraged Geki spit out venomously. It raised a hand. "Now DIE!!!"
The next blast caught Gourry clean, sending him across the cavern and through a wall. When he landed, he found himself in a room filled with treasure. He struggled to his feet and looked around frantically for anything that would work for a weapon. He grinned when he saw a black and gold handle under some rubble.
Trudging over, Gourry noted that there appeared to be an ancient corpse near the blade. He nodded once at the fallen warrior then grabbed the blade. Just as he grasped the handle, Geki burst into the room. The Mazoku looked at him, roared, and leveled a blast at him. Gourry cringed and ducked, hoping to get the sword free and dodges some of the attack.
Geki watched stunned as his attack reached the blonde warrior and simply faded away. That wasn't supposed to happen. Then it saw what Gourry was pulling on and his eyes widened in fear. No!! He's found the sword! Glancing around frantically, it saw that the red-head was running towards him. With a desperate cry, Geki leveled a blast at the ceiling above Gourry, collapsing that part of the cavern. With a loud groan, the small room collapsed in on itself, burying the swordsman. Hearing a cry behind it, Geki turned to the sorceress.
Lina could only watch in horror as the Mazoku collapsed part of the cavern on Gourry. She cried out a warning, but the blonde looked up in just enough time to meet her eyes. She screamed, then muttered a Raywing and blasted over to the wreckage so fast that she left the floating monster spinning in her wake. She looked frantically, but didn't see the tell tale blue armor or golden locks of her traveling companion. Nothing.
"Gourry! Gourry! Dammit jellyfish, answer me…Gourry!" Her cries produced no response. Pushing aside a rock, she saw the remains of a shattered shoulder guard. "GOURRY!!!"
Geki watched her silently. The emotions rolling off of Lina were an absolute thrill to the Mazoku. Its revelry was broken when a flash of anger, hotter than the sun, seared its way into Geki's consciousness.
Lina stopped digging through the rubble. Her entire body trembled with her rage and sorrow. She turned to the Mazoku, her eyes darkened until they were nearly black.
The sorceress took a step forward as she opened her mouth to speak. "You hurt Gourry." It wasn't a question or an accusation. No, even Geki could tell that it was far more. Lina's declaration was a promise of retribution so terrible that anything Zelas could do would pale in comparison.
Still floating in the air, Geki, started to back away from the enraged Lina. Then it stopped itself. Why should I be afraid of one human? She may be strong, but she is to emotional right now to summon her truly powerful spells. Geki grinned.
"You have lost, Lina Inverse. Your friend lies buried underneath the rubble, and you shall join him soon."
"BLAST ASH!!!"
The Mazoku dodged the spell and launched an attack back towards Lina. Even as it aimed, the cloaked monster was shocked to see another spell coming at it. Holding up a hand, Geki dissipated the spell.
Grinning, Geki unleashed another attack at the sorceress. Now this is a battle, it thought as spells were hurled and countered at an incredible pace. I have not seen such power since the War. What stamina! What technique! No wonder she is so feared by we Mazoku. The Mazoku unleashed an attack that struck the rubble Gourry was buried under and Lina cried out before renewing her attacks. Her brief flare of anguish spurred Geki on, and the battle resumed.
Slowly swimming back to consciousness, Gourry was aware first of an incredible weight on his legs, and them of the limited air. Opening his eyes and flailing an arm, he realized that he was enclosed in rock. But how could that be? He had just been fighting a Mazoku, hadn't he?
The rock around him rumbled and an explosion could be heard just to his left. With a shudder, the enclosing earth fell away from his right side, revealing the cavern again. With the overhead gone, light spilled in and Gourry saw that he was partially buried in the rubble.
That's right, the floating guy dropped the roof on me, Gourry thought to himself even as he struggled to get his legs free. Well, I can still feel my legs so I guess I'm not too hurt. He looked around for something to pry the rocks free and saw the sheathed sword from earlier. With a grunt, he stretched as far as he possible, reaching for the blade. It was inches from his hand, but still he kept reaching.
A cry from Lina caught Gourry's attention. His eye's widened and he renewed his struggles. After what seemed an eternity, the swordsman's hand grasped the handle. It was then he heard a voice.
Why do ye search for me? The question was voiced from a rough voice; gravely, but still with an undertone of kindness.
"What? Who's there?" Gourry whispered; the voice had been quiet, so he felt it was only polite to respond in kind.
Gourry heard the voice again. Why do ye search for me, swordsman?
The blonde warrior looked around and tried to figure out what was going on. "We're not searching for anyone, we're searching for a new sword," he replied as he returned to freeing the blade.
A slight
chuckle wafted in Gourry's direction. Ye
search for me, because I am the sword. Why do ye search for me?
Another cry, this time of pain, reached Gourry's ears. Lina was in danger, and he couldn't move to protect her!
Lina. I must protect Lina, Gourry thought as he turned his attentions back to freeing the sword
The voice spoke again. So ye search for me to protect someone?
Gourry didn't answer immediately. Another cry had him desperately clawing at the rocks pinning his legs. He finally replied after a moment, "Uuh…What was the Question?"
…Quite. Do ye search for me to protect someone?
Gourry smiled. This was an easy question. "Yes I do. I need to be able to protect Lina everywhere, and from anyone."
The blonde could almost feel the voice smile at him. So ye think thineself strong enough to protect her?
"Well, yeah," Gourry replied as he shrugged his shoulders. "I'm the best swordsman ever." He laughed even as he returned to digging himself free, using the sword as a pry bar. "I hafta be to keep up with Lina."
Good. Gourry tensed as he felt the voice turn serious. So why do ye protect her?
This question stopped Gourry in his tracks. Gourry answered unsteadily, "Um, because I promised?"
……Is
that the only reason ye protect her? Surely the many perils ye have braved could not have been from just a
promise?
The swordsman looked over in Lina's direction as he thought about how to answer the voice. He couldn't hear her anymore and he panicked. With a surge of strength, Gourry pulled himself free. Instead of answering, Gourry took off running.
"Lina!!"
Meanwhile, Lina was still battling Geki. But she was tiring. She had thrown nearly every spell at him. She fell to one knee on the ground, panting heavily from her exertion. Seeing no other alternative, she began the incantation for the Dragon Slave. "Darkness from twilight, crimson from blood that flows; buried in the flow of time…"
Lina
Inverse looked up as the monster she had been fighting was finishing a
spell. So this is how it is gonna end,
she thought glumly. Well, at
least I'll be with Gourry soon…
"…in Thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness…"
The Mazoku finished the spell and a sword made of crackling red energy appeared in its hand. Geki grinned and floated over Lina. "What, the mighty Inverse has nothing else that she will throw at me? Very well, then I shall take great pleasure in destroying you." It raised a hand, and prepared to slay the girl before it.
Gourry saw the beam of red energy appear in the creatures hand and he ran faster. If only he could get there in time, he would be able to save her. He had to save her, he just had too.
Why do ye protect her? The voice demanded again. Instead of answering, Gourry removed the sheath from the weapon and charged the floating Mazoku.
He leapt at Geki with a cry as the creature raised the blade in its hand. The Mazoku turned and brought the sword down to bear on this new threat. The blade of energy connected with the sword in Gourry's hands and there was a large flash of light.
Lina's eyes widened when the Mazoku turned from her. Not questioning her luck, she finished the spell. "Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess!"
She was forced to close her eyes to shield against the flare of white light. Lina snapped open her eyes as soon as she heard someone land next to her. Looking up, she could see Geki staring next to her in shock. She also noticed that both the spell, and the creature's right arm, was gone. She seized the opportunity and thrust her hands forward. Lina closed her eyes and waited for oblivion, even as she finished the spell; she was too close to the Mazoku to escape the blast. The sorceress no longer cared.
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!!"
Gourry heard her shout, and all the blood left his face. He immediately jumped up and tackled her as the spell left her hands. Pinning her to the ground, he steeled himself for the pain. He only hoped she'd survive underneath him.
Geki looked from the swordsman to the sorceress when he heard her shout. Its three eyes widened as the ball of magical death flew towards it. The Mazoku closed its eyes and nodded to the pair. The spell connected and vaporized the monster instantly.
"I guess I really do love her," Gourry mumbled with a smile. Ah well, guess it's too late now…
Lina gasped. She didn't see who had tackled her. She started to struggle, and then she saw a cascade of blonde hair and smiled. Well, if this is the end, at least he's here. Then she heard Gourry mutter something and froze.
Light and energy enveloped both of them with a mighty roar. Lina and Gourry could feel the shockwaves from the spell as the Dragon Slave tore through the area they were in. And then it was over.
Gourry blinked down at Lina where he held her beneath him. His eyes clouded in confusion, and he looked around. His eyes widened and he leaned back, resting on his knees and lower legs. His head turned from side to side, shock etched on his face.
Lina winced against the sudden light. When her eyes adjusted, they widened in surprise. She looked around at what used to be the ruins of a keep. Now it was just a crater in the ground that opened to the sky.
"Guess I put more power into that than I thought," Lina said with a shrug. She looked over Gourry with a critical eye, noticing that one of his shoulder guards was indeed missing. Then she saw the sword in his hand.
The blade of the sword looked improbably fragile, like it was made of crystal. It glinted in the light of day.
While Lina stared at the sword, Gourry finished looking around and finally returned his gaze to the petite sorceress beneath him. He smiled in relief when he noticed she was fine. Then a thought struck him – How had they survived?
"Umm, Lina? How'd we survive a point blank Dragon Slave?"
Tearing her eyes from the sword, she looked back up at the confused swordsman. How had they survived anyway? If the spell had obliterated the ruins, why had they lived? Then she remembered the story Xelloss had told them. Her eyes widened and a manic grin formed on her face. With a small cry, she reached up and hugged Gourry.
While she was hugging him, she said, "Lucky! We found the treasure Gourry!"
Gourry returned the hug for a moment, and then paused in thought. "You mean this sword?"
Lina broke her stranglehold on his neck and smacked him on the head. "Of course I mean the sword! Don't you remember the story Xelloss told us?" Seeing his blank look, she deflated a bit and put a hand to her head. "Of course not, you slept through it.
"He said that the artifact leveled the playing field Gourry," she continued with a sigh. "If it could cancel out a Mazoku's power, it can probably shield against spells. I'm guessing that it protected you, and you protected me from the blast." She paused and looked at her guardian. Lina's eyes softened as she said, "Thanks Gourry." She hugged him again.
Still slightly confused by her explanation, Gourry latched on to the one thing that he did understand out of Lina's speech. As he wrapped his arms around her to return the hug, he replied, "You're welcome Lina. I'm your protector, right?"
The sorcery genius nodded and yawned as exhaustion finally overtook her. She leaned into his chest and mumbled, "You're more than my protector Gourry. I…"
Gourry froze when he heard her trail off. He waited to see if she would keep talking, but only soft snores echoed off of his armor. He smiled quickly and stood, cradling the flame-haired woman to him. Glancing around, he saw a good path out of the crater and started toward it.
He looked down at Lina as he walked and smiled softly. She's pretty when she's not blowing me up, he thought as he looked down at the slumbering sorceress. Maybe one of these days I'll tell her how I feel. But what if she doesn't feel the same? Gourry felt a pull at his heart when that thought crossed his mind. Better to let things go on as they are, then not being able to see her every day. That decided, he quickened his pace and left the crater behind.
A short time later, Gourry set the sleeping Lina down gently in the small hollow he had found. It was a short distance away from the blast. Not quite in the forest, it was really nothing more than a small outcropping of rock. But the location had only one entrance, and sufficient cover from any elements. He nodded and covered grabbed Lina's cloak and removed his pack. He then placed the cloak underneath her and gently laid her on it.
He smiled softly when she snuggled into the cloak, shivering only slightly. Shaking his head, Gourry turned back to his pack and got out the trail rations he had carefully packed away. He also grabbed his whetstone and an extra blanket, which he proceeded to cover Lina with. She stretched out from the compact ball she had curled into and smiled in her sleep. With another nod, Gourry left the hollow and headed back into the blast zone.
Covered in a layer of dust, Gourry trudged back into the little cave with his new sword's sheath, a small bag of gold, and the hilt from his old sword. Taking a drink from his canteen, the swordsman sat down and looked at the remains of his old weapon. The entire blade had melted and run down the hilt. With a sigh, he placed the handle into his pack.
I better get another sword from that Gerry guy when we go back through, the blond thought as he dusted himself off and leaned back. He reached over and grabbed his new sword. He looked at closely for the first time, surprised anew at it.
Though the center of the blade looked dense enough to be metal, the edges were made of blue crystal. The hilt was made of intertwining black and gold materials, with the gold forming one cross guard and the black the other. There was a large red gem in the center of the hilt, just above the grip. It felt good in his hands, but wrong at the same time. How could that be though?
It is because of the darkness left behind by the sword of light. The voice Gourry had heard before answered his unspoken question quietly. He looked around again, and saw no one but Lina.
He turned his gaze back to the sword. "This thing's talking to me?!" He said incredulously. He regarded the sword anew. "How'd you know I used to wield the sword of light?"
The voice replied, I can feel its presence in ye, Warrior. Its dark taint has not completely left ye yet. Soon though.
"Oh." Gourry yawned mightily, and leaned his head back against the stone. He closed his eyes and slept.
A being dressed in the robes of a priest appeared out of the air in the throne room of a large castle. The guards immediately drew their weapons. A grin appeared on a face mostly obscured by dark purple bangs.
"You should have your soldiers put away their toys before I'm forced to break them, my dear," Xelloss said with a sneer towards one of the two people at the throne.
A woman with dark hair and dressed in dark armor raised a hand. The soldiers sheathed their weapons and returned to their posts. Lowering a gloved hand, the woman stepped of the dais and approached the smiling Xelloss.
"This is most improper of you, Xelloss. You should know better than to appear here. If I wasn't sure of these guards loyalty, your appearance could have caused problems." Crossing armored arms, the woman continued, "What are you doing here? Is your master planning on interfering in my Lord's business?"
Xelloss bowed with a flourish to the woman before it. "Of course not, my dear General. However," the Mazoku continued after righting itself, "It seems that forces are at work to stop your endeavors."
"And those would be?"
Xelloss wagged a finger and said, "That, my dear, is a secret!" Receiving a glare from the general before him, Xelloss continued, "I am just here to tell you that a certain sword has just been recently unearthed…literally, I might add." The trickster smiled at the joke.
The general's eyes widened. "The Sword of Ragnos has been released?!? By whom?"
"Why, by the Slayers of course," Xelloss saw the general's eyes narrow. "Yes, those Slayers. Including the young Gabriev that prevented you from claiming the Goru Nova." The General-Priest grinned like a cat. "The sword which, as you and I both know, no longer exists on this world."
Turning from the Mazoku, the general began barking out orders. "Lieutenant, gather up a force of berserkers and prepare them for travel. Get the war-wizards ready to transport them!"
The lieutenant snapped a salute, but paused and asked, "But why, General?"
"Because we are going to collect a weapon that will ensure our victory against all of our enemies. Now move!!"
The soldier scurried off with his orders. The female warrior turned back to Xelloss. "So why are you telling me this Xelloss?"
The trickster priest smiled and leaned on its staff. "Someone has to go and get it, my dear. And since you would get so much enjoyment out of taking it from the blonde swordsman, who better than you."
Xelloss opened a single lavender eye. "Besides, General Shera, it betters all of us when the weapon is found, not just my mistress. Now shall we go?"
Shera looked at Xelloss for a moment before smiling thinly. "Of course." With a nod, both disappeared from the room.
Sitting in
an
"Oi, Lina! That's my Fish!"
Lina smiled through a mouthful of grilled fish. "You snooze, you lose Gourry!" Seeing the hurt in his face, her normally predatory look softened and she tossed him a fish off of her plate. "There ya go jellyfish."
Gourry caught the proffered fish and nodded at her. "Thanks Lina." The two continued gorging until a mound of plates easily taller than the sorceress was stacked on the table.
With a small belch and a grin, Lina turned to the swordsman and said, "You wanna go to the beach for a little bit and catch some sun Gourry? We still have a few hours before we need to meet with everyone."
Gourry stood and stretched. With a smile, he kissed the top of her head and said, "Sure thing hon. I'll go settle the tab." He turned to leave but felt a tug on one his hands. Looking at his right hand, he saw small hand holding his. The glint of gold reflected off of the ring finger.
"Gourry, now what did I tell you about calling me anything but Lina?" The blonde's face clouded in confusion. "Gourry? Gourry…"
…Gourry. Young swordsman. AWAKE!! A voice shouted in his mind. With a start, the blonde's eyes snapped open and revealed the small nook he and Lina were resting in. He looked down at the blade across his lap.
"What'd you want? I was having a good dream," Gourry muttered quietly.
The voice sounded edgy as it replied, I suggest ye look outside, swordsman.
Gourry stood and looked outside, sensing the urgency in the disembodied voice. He cursed a moment later and dropped into a ready stance. He glanced back at Lina and noticed she was still sleeping deeply. With a grunt he turned his attention back to outside the hollow.
Standing there was a force of twenty or so berserkers as well as a few human soldiers. Gourry's eyes narrowed when he recognized the symbols on the armor. He stepped outside to meet them.
As soon as he was out in the sunlight, the berserkers attacked. Thankfully, due to the rocky outcropping, they couldn't come at him from behind. Gripping his sword, the blonde swordsman met them as they charged.
Gourry's blade flashed in the light as he blocked attacks thrown at him and curt down monster after monster. One came at him from the right. Instead of stopping the sword, he spun away and grabbed the handle of the attacking blade as he cut deeply into the opponent with the sword in his right hand. Now armed with two blades, he pressed the attack.
One of the creatures tried to get behind him and into the cave. With a cry, he leapt back and cut off its entrance. He grimaced when it left him exposed for a fraction of a second and one of his other opponents cut into him. Rolling with the attack, he finished off that wave and looked out. The rest of the berserkers and warriors were forming a half ring, blocking him from getting away from the cave.
Not that he would try. Gourry glanced back once and noticed that Lina still hadn't woken up yet. He returned his attention to the opponents arrayed before him when he saw movement from them.
Shera and Xelloss had been watching the display from far above the battlefield. Xelloss was grinning, and the General was frowning. The trickster looked over at its comrade.
"Not finding it as simple as you thought to defeat a single warrior, my dear Shera?"
A snort followed the question. "It seems he is as strong as the stories have made this new 'swordsman of light'. I wonder why the sorceress hasn't helped him yet. With the amount of forces arrayed against him, even he will fall eventually."
Xelloss rubbed its chin thoughtfully. "I don't know about that my dear. I've seen that man do unbelievable things, both with and without the Sword of Light. But look, the next wave is attacking." Xelloss pointed back to the field of battle.
Indeed, the fighting had started anew. Much like the previous wave, one by one they fell to the swordsman standing at the mouth of the cave. Xelloss continued to smile, and Shera's mood continued to darken.
"I told you we should have brought more of your soldiers."
Gripping a sword at its side, Shera grinned maliciously. "Well then, I shall just go and take care of this myself."
Zelas's general-priest feigned shock. "Would you like me to help?"
"No, just observe. Then we shall see who truly was worthy of the sword of light." With a nod, Shera disappeared, only to reappear behind the soldiers fighting Gourry.
Xelloss was about to join the general, when it felt a presence coming toward the battlefield. It grinned, "Well, this will make things very interesting now." And Xelloss was gone.
A quartet ran through the forest in the direction of the light they had seen only a few hours ago. Their progress was made faster as the one in the lead tore through objects and obstructions. Leaving a clearer path for his allies.
Zelgadiss grunted as he stood at the top of a rise and waited for his companions to get near him. Amelia was trudging along as fast as her legs would take her, and Zangulus was helping Martina through the worst patches. They finally met up with him after a minute or so
"How much farther do we have to go, Mister Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked from where she stood panting slightly.
Zangulus and the chimera were the least tired of the four. But Zelgadiss noted that there was indeed sweat on the swordsman's brow, even as he fanned his wife. Zelgadiss smiled softly. Though she had complained a bit at the pace the chimera had set, Martina had determinedly followed along. He turned to answer Amelia. Someone beat him to it.
"Your almost to the edge of the forest, little princess," a soft voice answered.
All four whirled to see Xelloss standing there, and amused grin on its face. Zelgadiss and Zangulus reached for their swords as Amelia prepared a spell and Martina jumped behind her husband. Xelloss held up a hand.
"Relax my friends; I am not here to fight." They all looked at each other. "Are you sure you want to go through with this? My offer still stands."
The Mazoku looked at the chimera and said, "You get your precious cure." It turned its gaze to encompass the rest. "And all of you get peace for your kingdoms for your lifetimes."
Xelloss's closed eyes arched as it continued, "This is your last chance to back out."
Seeing the determination on their faces Xelloss shrugged. "No? Very well. If you want to save your friends, then do not attack until I raise my hand, understand? Any sooner, or later, and your friends will probably die in a most excruciating way." It turned to leave.
Martina found her voice first. "Why are you helping us, Mister Xelloss?" The Mazoku paused, and turned back enough to hold up a hand.
It wagged a finger and said, "That, my dear little queen is a secret." And Xelloss was gone.
The four looked at each other. Zelgadiss was frowning, and Amelia looked worried. Zangulus sheathed his sword and looked back at his wife to reassure himself she was fine. Martina smiled back and gripped his hand.
"Should we trust him, Mister Zelgadiss?" Amelia asked.
Zelgadiss nodded slowly. "As much as I hate him, and as much as I don't want to trust him, we really have no choice." He sighed, then continued, "Remember what we planned everyone.
"Zangulus, you and I will charge out there, Amelia following behind. Zangulus will handle whoever attacks Gourry," Zelgadiss looked at the swordsman and he nodded. "I'll attack Xelloss; I am sure he will still attack Lina and Gourry." He clenched a fist, his face contorting in anger.
"Besides, my fight is with him." He calmed himself and continued. "'Melia will throw the protection spell around Lina, hopefully before Xelloss throws his own spell." He looked over at everyone and saw Amelia's blush.
I just called her 'Melia, didn't I? Zelgadiss flinched inwardly. I'll handle that later.
"Anyway," he said with a cough, "Martina will stay in the trees until the fighting is over. Only after you are sure that the fighting is over do you come out, understand?"
Martina nodded. "I know, I know. Silly Stony, do you honestly think I'd take the chance of harming my baby?"
The chimera narrowed her eyes at the nickname she gave him, but merely nodded tersely. "Well, if no one has any questions, let's go." Nodding, all four took off running.
Meanwhile, Gourry had finished off the second wave of berserkers. This time they had not scratched him, but they had forced him further into the cave. He looked back again and was surprised that Lina was still asleep. That last fight must have taken a lot out of her. Gourry saw the ring of enemies split and grimaced. What now?
Standing in the field of battle was a woman with dark blue hair, cut short. The dark blue armor did not disguise the warrioress's essential femininity. Piercing blue eyes, nearly black, carried an air of authority with its gaze. Gourry gulped when he saw the insignia on the armor.
"What's the general of the Elmekian Armies doing here?" He mumbled to himself.
"You there, warrior," Shera called out. "Come out and face me."
Gourry exited the cave enough to get a clear view. "What are you doing here? We're no where near Elmekian territory."
The general grinned maliciously. "We are here for the sword young man. Give it to me and I may spare your life."
Gourry grinned, despite the seriousness of the situation. "I've got a better idea."
"Oh, and what is that?"
Gourry walked out further. "How about that I fight you. You win, you get the sword. I win, you leave. Either way, you leave Lina alone."
Shera crossed armored arms and said, "And why should I consent to this?"
"'Cause if you don't, I'll wake Lina up right now." He glanced up for a moment, and then turned back to the general. "Then she'll Dragon Slave you and Xelloss back to wherever you come from. Agree, and I'll make sure she won't fight. Deal?"
The Elmekian general narrowed dark blue eyes. Whatever had happened since the boy had taken the sword, he obviously had some skill if he could know that Xelloss was floating in the sky. Shera smiled. "Very well, human. I'll give you enough time to wake your woman and say your goodbyes."
Gourry blushed, but nodded. He went back into the cave, and knelt beside the slumbering sorceress. He shook her gently.
"Lina." No response, she continued to snore softly. "Lina, wake up." The sorceress swatted at his hand.
"What d'you want Gourry, I'm tryin' to sleep here," Lina replied groggily.
The swordsman smiled and said, "We've got some trouble outside Lina." He watched as she snapped awake.
"Well why didn't you say so, jellyfish?" She jumped up and fastened her cloak before looking around. "So what's going on?"
Scratching the back of his head, Gourry replied, "Well, I'm gonna fight this general lady outside for the sword we found."
"WHAT?!?!?!"
Gourry flinched when her shout shook the stone around them. "Well, it was either that or I wake you up so we could fight her and Xelloss."
Mentioning the trickster brought Lina up short on her tirade. "Wait a minute. Xelloss is here?" Gourry nodded. Lina thought for a moment before slowly nodding.
"Well, I don't like it Gourry. You sure you can beat her?" At his nod, she continued, "Well, I guess. But if it looks like you are gonna lose, or if anyone intervenes, I'm jumping in."
It was Gourry's turn to frown. "That's not a good idea Lina. This' like when I had to fight that weird swordsman, Zanga-what's his name."
Lina grimaced and corrected, "That's Zangulus." She nodded tersely.
"Well buddy, you'd better not get yourself killed." She grinned softly at him, and with genuine warmth in her voice added, "I don't want to train a replacement." Lina and Gourry grinned and headed outside.
Shera was waiting impatiently and smirked thinly when both exited the small cave. "It's about time. I thought you two might be having one last fling before I killed lover-boy over here." The general's smirk increased when it felt the rage rolling off of the red head.
Gourry restrained Lina as the sorceress started to cast a spell. "Don't do it Lina. She's just trying to get under our skin. Don't worry. I'll beat her and we can go find a buffet or something." Lina nodded but glared at the female warrior.
"Are you finally ready boy? I'd like to get this over with before the end of the world you know."
The blonde Swordsman swung his sword back and forth a few times to loosen up. Keeping a relaxed grip on his sword, he said casually, "Whenever you're ready."
The quartet of slayers reached the edge of the forest. Looking out, they were about fifty feet or so from a small rock outcropping. Zelgadiss started when he recognized it from his vision. His hand tightened on his sword hilt as he looked up to see Xelloss floating in the air, observing. One of the Mazoku's hands rested at its hip, the other gripped the ruby tipped staff.
From the other side of the rocks, the chimera's enhanced hearing caught the sounds of battle. Two warriors were fighting, he could tell. Zelgadiss glanced to his right and saw Zangulus cursing.
"What's wrong Zangulus?"
The swordsman turned king pointed to just to the left of the rocks. "That looks like the body of an Elmekian soldier." Zelgadiss' eyes followed Zangulus's hand and widened when he realized Zangulus was right.
Amelia looked between the two men. "What are the Elmekians doing so far from their kingdom?"
The black haired swordsman looked at the princess. "I don't know, Amelia. More importantly, why would they attack Gourry of all people?"
"What do you mean, darling?" Martina asked from the line of trees.
Zelgadiss looked back. "The Gabriev's are supposed to be one of the more famous names that have come out of Elmekia, Martina," he explained quickly. "Normally, I don't think anyone from Elmekia would attack Gourry, if they recognized him."
"Ooh."
Amelia cried out, "Look!" as she pointed at the sky.
Everyone looked skyward to see that Xelloss had shifted its pose. It looked as though Zelas's general priest was watching the fight with more interest.
"Alright everyone, get ready. Amelia, start your spell. You can hit Lina from here, right?"
Amelia looked hard at the rocks for a minute, and then smiled. "Yes I can, Mister Zelgadiss. I can feel Lina on the other side of the rocks."
The chimera nodded. "Good. Stay sharp, we've only got one shot at this." He began preparing his spell. Martina cried out and pointed.
"He's raising his hand!!"
Zelgadiss looked on in grim determination. This will not be like my vision. We will save them, and then I'll get my cure back from that damned Mazoku. He looked briefly at Amelia and she smiled at him. He smiled back and started running.
There was a mighty crash when the two swords came together. Both Gourry and Shera strained against each other, trying to force the other back. Gourry's face was set in the serious look he always held when in battle. There was no trace of doubt, just a determination to see this fight through.
Shera was fuming as the warriors pressed against each other. How is he this strong?!? I am using most of my strength, and he is matching me. The general grinned ferally. Finally, a challenge. It has been too long.
Both combatants leapt back at the same time, only to charge at each other again. Gourry swung first, trying to push the General's sword far to the left. Shera countered with a swift parry and spun to counter his momentum. Gourry spun at the same time and brought his blade up to stop the overhead swing leveled at him. The two separated again for but a moment before bringing their swords to bear.
The swordsman and the general ranged across the impromptu battleground, their blades meeting again and again in a macabre dance that entranced all those watching. Lina cheered Gourry on, shouting encouragements as he dueled with the General.
She had never seen her partner fighting like he was today, except when he had fought Zangulus. Much like then, this was coming down to a battle of skill, and it seemed this time that both combatants were evenly matched.
Gourry was taller and had a longer reach. The female General, on the other hand, was just a touch faster than the blonde. As the battle raged on, neither combatant had even been scratched. Until Gourry did something not even Lina expected.
The blonde warrior caught Shera's sword with his and spun into the blue-haired general. He used his greater height and momentum to shove his opponent off stride. Instead of waiting for the general's recovery, Gourry struck out with his knee and brought it up into Shera's stomach.
With a gasp, the general found itself flung across the battlefield. Had it needed to breath, Shera was sure that the swordsman would have a great advantage. Growling, Shera leapt at Gourry. It noticed the blonde was shocked for a split second then reacted quickly enough to stop the sword strike aimed at his belly. The two began trading blows again in rapid succession as the general tried to find a weakness in Gourry's defenses.
Shera had slowly run out of patience with the swordsman. Determined to end it, the General led Gourry through a pattern that only a handful of warrior's in the entire known world could know. A technique that had not been defeated in all the years it had been used. Shera got a grim bit of satisfaction at watching Gourry's eyes widen in recognition. The sense of triumph faded when the general didn't feel any fear radiate from the swordsman.
With its smaller, lighter weapon, Shera lead Gourry's sword in a string of attacks that slowly moved the swordswoman under his guard. Batting the crystal blade far to the right, Shera went in for the kill. The General heard Lina scream and smiled. Victory was in its grasp.
The blue haired warrior was shocked when the blade that was aimed at Gourry's heart was slapped down and away by Gourry's open hand. Shera looked up in shock and was forced to leap away when Gourry's sword lunged in towards the general's heart. Luckily, Shera got mostly out of the way, with the sword merely grazing its rib cage.
Shera howled in pain, as the sword cut shallowly but reverberated even in the General's very blood. How?!?! Her mind screamed in outrage. How has a simple human managed to injure me?
Shera brought a gloved hand over to the wound. Bringing it for ward, black blood covered it. The general growled low in its throat and prepared to end the fight. It didn't see Xelloss raise a hand. Instead, Shera prepared to unleash an attack it was sure the Swordsman was not ready to deflect.
The sorceress shouted out, and Gourry turned from the General. Shera smiled. Wrong thing to do, boy. Dropping the prepared attack, it instead charged and swung at Gourry. Shera smiled when the sword connected with his back and bit deep and well.
The smile faded when the swordswoman detected the dark energy Xelloss had unleashed. Shera cursed and threw up its hands just before the ball exploded outward in an orgy of destruction.
Gourry smiled when he cut into his opponent. He knew that the general had not been expecting him to know the technique that would have killed a lesser warrior, but he had learned it years ago on a chance meeting with another mercenary. He could hear Lina cheering, but then he saw the blood from his opponent.
Black blood. Where had he seen black blood before? It dawned on him. When Xelloss had been hurt by Gob, Gab, or whoever that guy in the trench coat was. Xelloss had bled the same color. Wait a minute…
"You're a Mazoku?!?"
Lina heard Gourry's shout and started. If his opponent was a Mazoku, then it wasn't going to take getting hurt very lightly. Regardless if he wanted it or not, Lina knew she'd have to intervene. As she prepared a spell, she felt the hair on the back of her neck raise. She looked up and screamed, "GOURRY!!!"
Gourry looked over and saw the orb of darkness descending on Lina. He screamed out at her and took off, forgetting his opponent. He gasped when he felt something cleave into his back but he ignored it and continued running. He was only feet from her when there was a flash of light.
Just before Gourry could reach her, Lina found herself covered in an envelope of white light. Then the black energy touched ground near her and the explosion clouded her vision. She was thrown aside by the sheer force of the blast.
Zelgadiss, Zangulus, and Amelia ran as hard as they could as Xelloss lazily aimed a gloved hand toward Gourry and Lina. A bead of dark energy formed in the outstretched hand, growing into the size of a large melon. The Mazoku casually flicked it towards its targets.
Amelia stretched out her hands with a cry, even as Zelgadiss launched the Ra Tilt he had prepared. Zangulus launched a blast from the howling sword at the gathered berserkers and tried to clear the rocks from the left. The chimera watched in satisfaction as his spell hit Xelloss, then turned his gaze on the rocks. The explosion of dark energy was enough knock all three of the charging combatants off of their feet.
Scrambling to his feet, Zelgadiss helped Amelia up even as Zangulus jumped to his feet. "Are you alright Amelia?" He asked worriedly.
She nodded shakily but smiled faintly. "Yes I am, Mister Zelgadiss. And I even got the spell around Miss Lina in time." All three smiled and took off running.
It was sheer chaos on the other side of the rocks. The battlefield was strangely unharmed, save that there were no bodies anywhere. From the looks of it, the attack had wiped out nearly everything living. Amelia gasped and pointed.
All three saw Gourry standing over a bleeding Lina, a crystalline sword held before him to block the attack of a warrior in blue armor. Gourry was fending off his opponents attacks, though he was bleeding profusely. All three took off running.
Gourry's vision cleared to reveal Lina on the ground. She had a nasty gash on her leg and some minor cuts, but overall she looked fine, even if she was down. He noticed that most of his armor had been blasted away, but paid it no heed. The swordsman looked around for Xelloss, but didn't see the Mazoku trickster anywhere.
Hearing the tell tale whistle of a weapon through the air, Gourry leapt forward and rolled towards Lina. He grimaced when the wound in his back made itself apparent, but struggled to his feet and looked in the direction the attack had come from.
He was unsurprised to see Shera standing there, bleeding from many minor cuts. Like his armor, parts of the metal shell the Mazoku wore had been blasted away. The General came forward menacingly. Realizing Lina lay behind him, Gourry resolved to hold the ground as long as he could. Once the sorceress woke up, everything would be fine.
Holding his ground would be the problem. Shera was a good opponent, possibly as good as he was. If the blonde didn't have the full range of mobility like last time, he wondered how long he'd last before she cut him down. He hoped it would be enough.
The two combatants came together again, their swords ringing out in the fading light of day. The attacks came fast and furious. Gourry stopped trying to attack and concentrated solely on defense. It did not take the Mazoku long to figure out his tactics.
The General grinned. "Why don't you stop worrying about that girl and fight me, warrior? Are you afraid?" Gourry grimaced in pain as his defense faltered and he received another small wound. "You won't last long at this rate."
The swordsman fended off the Mazoku's next few attacks and muttered, "What do you know?"
"I know that you could live through this if you just left her. Or is her life so important to you that you would sacrifice your own?"
With a burst of energy, Gourry pressed Shera back on the defensive for a moment. The general smiled grimly. Time to end this. With a few well placed attacks, Gourry was bleeding from yet another wound.
"That's it, isn't it?" Shera began conversationally as it circled Gourry. "Why is she so important, human?" Shera's eyes widened. "Is this what you humans call love?"
Gourry started for a moment and Shera drew another line of blood on him. Seeing an opening when the Mazoku slipped on some loose stone work, Gourry struck, scouring a deep gash across the General's face. Shera howled in outrage and pain.
"How dare you?!?!? Die!!" Shera unleashed a blast of dark energy. Gourry brought the sword up.
The sword flared, absorbing most of the attack, however, a little bit escaped and struck him. He was battered from head to toe with dark energy. He fell to one knee as he cried out in pain. Then he saw Lina beneath him. He stood and forced the attack away with the sword.
"So still you stand, mortal. You probably could have beaten me had you ignored the girl." Shera smiled evilly from its vantage point a few feet from the wounded warrior. "Now, you forfeit your life for the likes of her?" Gourry merely nodded.
He watched the blue haired swordswoman raise a hand to slay him. Then Gourry heard two very welcome words from familiar voices off to the right.
"RA TILT!!"
Shera threw up a shield and leapt back as the doubled spell flew at her. Looking to the left, its eyes widened when three new opponents joined the fray. It did not recognize the black haired male, but Shera did know the Zelgadiss and Amelia. The general cursed its luck, when a hand was pressed to its shoulder. Looking up, Shera was relieved to see Xelloss standing there.
"Maybe we should leave, Shera," the purple haired Mazoku began conversationally. "We're both hurt, and they have reinforcements. This may not be a winnable battle."
The general cursed but nodded in agreement. It called out, "I will see you again, Gabriev. And when I do, we will finish what has been started." With a hiss of dark flames, Shera was gone.
Xelloss clapped a few times before smiling. "Bravo! This will be even more interesting once Gourry learns how to use that blade." The trickster turned to leave.
Zelgadiss yelled out, "What about my cure, you damned Mazoku?!?"
Pausing, Xelloss turned enough to reply, "All in due time, my dear Chimera, all in Due time. Toodles!" With a wave, Xelloss was gone.
Zelgadiss turned away from where Xelloss had vanished when Amelia cried out. He hurried over to where she was tending to Lina. Gourry just looked on in silence. He didn't move except to breath as he watched over Lina. Finally Amelia leaned back with a sigh.
"That's the most I can do until I rest. I'm sorry, Mister Gourry, but I used up a lot of energy getting us here and protecting Lina earlier." Amelia looked up at the injured warrior apologetically, but the blonde only smiled softly down at her.
Gourry silently picked up Lina. He then looked at Amelia and said, "That's ok, Amelia. You did your best. I'll just carry her 'till we get to a town." He started off.
Zangulus looked over at Zelgadiss as the chimera walked up. "You think Gourry will be ok?"
Zelgadiss shrugged. "Well, he was beat up almost this bad when we fought Shabranigdo, and he carried Lina back to the inn then. As I recall, that was a ten mile trip. Not once did he complain or falter."
The princess walked up then and looked over at Gourry as she and the two other slayers moved to follow the swordsman. She noticed that both the king of Zoana and the stoic chimera were watching Gourry closely. Amelia felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over at Zelgadiss, a questioning look on her face.
"Amelia, do you think you could cast that spell again tomorrow morning? Gourry is going to collapse eventually and after that we'll have two people to carry." Zelgadiss relaxed when the raven haired princess nodded.
Amelia said in reply, "I think I could get us back to Master Gerald's tomorrow. We could probably carry them from there to the town."
The shaman nodded. "Sounds good. Oh and you did great pack there, princess." He squeezed her shoulder in thanks and moved faster to walk by the side of Gourry. Amelia watched him, her mouth curved into a very wide smile.
Zangulus grinned at coughed discreetly, snapping the princess from her trance. He walked on as she recovered from her embarrassment. He waved to Martina as the group neared the forest and she came forward cautiously.
"There aren't any more foul creatures out there, are there darling?"
The King smiled, "No there isn't Martina. C'mon, let's catch up to the others."
Martina gasped when she saw the condition that Lina and Gourry were in. She ran up and stood in front of the blonde swordsman. "Stop this instant, Mister Gabriev!"
Gourry looked at her with cloud eyes. "Uh, who are you again?"
She stomped a foot in anger. "I know you remember me, Mister Gourry. Now, put Lina down so we can tend to your wounds." When he looked ready to protest, she shouted, "NOW, Gourry. You're no good to Lina if you drop dead on her."
The queen of Zoana smiled when that brought Gourry up short. "Now let Zangulus hold Lina while Zel and I tend to those dreadful wounds."
The swordsman looked ready to argue, but then he nodded tersely. He handed Lina gently to Zangulus, and looked the black haired swordsman dead in the eye. He opened his mouth to speak when the other man stopped him.
"She'll be fine Gourry. I'd trust you to take care of Martina; do me the same courtesy now." Zangulus smiled when Gourry nodded. "There's a stream nearby, I'll head that way with Amelia and pitch camp."
Gourry turned to Martina. She said, "Ok, Gourry. Where'd you get hurt the worst so we can have Zel take care of it?"
"My back. That girl in blue got me when I was running to Lina before the explosion." He silently removed what was left of his breastplate and shirt.
Martina gasped, and Zelgadiss shuddered. While there were a good many small cuts all over Gourry's back, there was a single gash deep enough to show where it had glanced off of his ribs. It went down the entire side of the tall warrior's right side. Zelgadiss shook his head and cast a healing spell. With a lot of effort and concentration, the chimera managed to seal up the wound enough that it wasn't actively bleeding. He motioned Martina to take over.
Zelgadiss grimaced. "I did what I could Gourry, but I'm not that good at healing magic. I think I stopped the bleeding, but Amelia is going to have to handle that one as well."
"Thanks for trying," Gourry said as he nodded to the chimera. When Martina had finished binding his wounds, he said, "Can we go now?"
Martina and Zelgadiss nodded, and the three walked off to catch up with the rest of their group. It was a long walk for the queen and the chimera as they watched their friend with worried eyes. Zelgadiss' eyes narrowed a moment, but then he forced himself to relax. After all, they were all together again, so there was nothing to fear.
He looked up at his blonde friend when Gourry stumbled. The tall swordsman merely grunted and righted himself. Well, at least they are both alive. Rolling his neck to relive the tense muscles, Zelgadiss sighed. Why do I get the feeling that we've just jumped head first into a raging inferno?
The trio continued on in silence as the sun began to set over the mountains, tinting the fading light of day in pastel hues. The light of a campfire and the comfort of friends was foremost on their minds as they left the battlefield; A battlefield whose fate had been changed for the better.
END, Chapter the Sixth - Reunions, Meetings, and Complications
Huzzah, I finally have another chapter up!! ^__^ Did you all miss me? Never fear, the next chapter is coming along really well (It's amazing what will happen when ye churn out 25 pages of text in a single day!!!) Well, I'll see ye next chapter, as I can't think of anything else to add. Well, I'd like to thank my proofreader, Fritha, and for everyone who has reviewed and asked me to hurry up. Sadly, I can't hurry or the quality will deteriorate. Never fear, I have more than half of chapter seven done and I am working on it right now, along with the beginnings of chapters eight and nine. The story will continue, never fear.
Iffin ye could, review for me and let me know what I could do better, what I did well, etc. I can't improve without feedback. And for those of ye that are wondering when this will have any serious romantic stuff, keep those eyes peeled for next couple of chapters. I promise it's on the way. ^__^
-DREZ