In what served as the stands, Tabby sat between Gourry and Zelgadis and to the left of Zelgadis sat Amelia. They cheered for Lina as her name was announced as one of those who could move on to the next challenge. Out of fifteen entries, seven (including Lina) moved on from the fireball test. Next was a sort of lifting competition, though the gathering of sorcerors and sorceresses would most definitely not be lifting with their hands. Instead the Ray-Wing (a simple levitation spell) would be used to see how much one could lift. If their spell was powerful enough the Ray-Wing could easily lift the largest of the five boulders, each consecutively larger than the last, that were left in front of the contestants.
As the spectators watched, each person lifted one of the rocks at a time and only four managed to lift the last rock. In a spectacular flash of white a little old man, whom no one really knew, lifted the largest boulder and the smallest one with seemingly no effort. Of course, that was until a few seconds later he dropped them on his head. With him out of the way, Lina finally took her turn and lifted four of the five boulders after murmuring the few lines needed to activate it. Again, Tabby and the others cheered for their favorite sorceress, who had let the rocks drop again, unfortunately right back onto the little old man. This finally put him out of the running.
"The last part of this contest is not really a set spell!" shouted the man from beside the judges' table. He had cupped his hands around his mouth so as to amplify it for the crowd to hear. The judges were nodding along with his speech. Shouting even louder, the man went on to explain that the last contest was really the participants choice. The two people left, Lina and another sorceress with wild blue hair, were able to decide what they wanted to do. Even from where she was sitting, Tabby could see the look on Lina's face.
"Oh no," Amelia must have caught it too. "What if she does what I think she's going to do?"
"Then we may have to run for it," Zelgadis answered, his hand twitching over the hilt of the small sword he carried. A worried glance was all that Tabby and Gourry could manage. Both already understood what Zelgadis and Amelia were anxious about.
That worry was centered around one of the most powerful and dangerous spells Lina knew, the Dragon Slave, which took it's power from the great Mazoku lord, Shabranigdo. Whenever Lina cast it, one could be sure that much destruction would ensue. She'd once leveled half a large city with it. The determined look on the red-headed sorceress's face let Tabby know she was going to do just that. Unfortunately enough, Lina was allowed to go first.
Instinctively, Tabby grabbed onto Gourry's arm, even though the usually clueless swordsman wouldn't have been much better protection against the Dragon Slave than a really good shieliding spell. Still, she took a deep breath and waited as Lina began to speak in a sing song voice.
Crimson beyond blood that flows
Buried in the stream of time
Is where your power grows
In thy great name..."
Already the stands were clearing out, as those watching took heed of what exactly Lina was doing. Some ran screaming, but most just got out of there as fast as they could. Even the blue haired woman that had to compete against Lina had disappeared. Funny how she didn't even seem to notice all of this and simply continued chanting.
Let those who stand before us be destroyed
By the power you and I possess!
Dragon Slave!"
And from Lina's outstretched hands a great ball of light issued forth, growing to immense proportions and covering everything in its way. The sounds of mass explosions could be heard. At that moment, Lina seemed to realize just what she'd done. "Oh my," she said snapping out her trance as most of the scenery in front of her burned from the explosion of the spell. She laughed sheepishly and reached behind her head.
"Lina!" Zelgadis shouted from the stands, "We better get out of here now before they come back!" He urged Amelia up beside him along with Tabby and Gourry.
Thankfully Lina realized what a problem it would be when the townsfolk came back and discovered a major portion of the town in ruins. So she sprinted towards the others and together they made for the outskirts of Atlas City.
