Special thanks to Flarn for beta reading this twice, and to Hyacynth for the suggestion!
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"You want us to do what?" Lina screeched.
"Well, it is sort of your fault that my horse spooked . . . so I thought maybe you could help me find him . . . maybe . . ." the messenger flushed and looked like he was seriously reconsidering the wisdom of his request.
Gourry thought he probably had a point, since it was Lina's spell that had caused the horse to run off. They kind of owed it to the guy to help him get his mount back. But, he knew how Lina liked to operate under these circumstances, so he just kept his mouth shut. He did hope that she wouldn't drag this out too long, though. If they hurried, they might actually reach Sairaag tonight.
"My fault?" Lina demanded.
"Um . . . well . . ." The messenger looked flustered. Then he straightened up. "As an imperial messenger of the emperor of Lyzeille, I am authorized to offer you a reward for your assistance," he said formally.
"Reward?" Lina suddenly looked starry-eyed. Gourry was amazed at how quickly she could shift from looking like a crazed monster to an innocent young girl.
"Of course," the messenger said smoothly. "I could offer you ten silver."
"We'll do it for five gold," Lina didn't bat an eyelash while naming a sum Gourry thought was rather high for such a simple task. He noticed a movement out of the corner of his eye and suppressed a groan. If Lina wanted her money, she'd better finish up with the negotiations soon.
"That's highway robbery," the messenger managed to look both indignant and slightly panicked at the same time. "How about one gold."
"Do I look like an idiot?" Somehow, in spite of being several inches shorter, Lina gave the impression that she was towering over him. "One gold is the same as ten silver!" She flicked a glance at Gourry, then sighed, her shoulders briefly drooping. "Never mind," she said curtly to the messenger, and then started walking again. "C'mon, Gourry, I really don't think he needs our help all that badly."
Gourry shrugged and started following her.
"Wait!" the messenger called out again.
Lina stopped and turned around. "As much as I'd love to take your money, like I said, you really don't need our help." She looked over his shoulder, while thrusting out her chin. The messenger followed her gaze. "See? Your horse is right behind you."
While the messenger stared at his horse, which was calmly grazing by the side of the road, Gourry clapped him on the shoulder. "Rough day, huh?" he said sympathetically. The messenger nodded dully, and Gourry caught up to Lina, who had started walking again.
As much as Gourry felt for the poor guy, Lina had actually gone easy on him, although he doubted the messenger would believe it. I never thought that if I actually tried to kiss her, she'd blow up someone else instead of me! The thought was quickly followed by the realization that he had tried to kiss Lina, but he hadn't actually succeeded. He hoped that once they were a safe distance away from the messenger, she would pause so they could pick up where they left off, but Lina showed no signs of stopping. "Why didn't you take his money?" he asked after a while.
"I wanted to, but he's an imperial messenger, which means he reports directly to the emperor. I don't mind having a reputation for driving a hard bargain when there is something of real value at stake, but not for something as ridiculous as that." Then she giggled. "Besides, the look on his face when he realized the horse was right behind him was worth more than five gold pieces!"
"Hmm." He wondered how he could get her to let him try to kiss her again.
"Gourry?" She sounded very serious, suddenly. Gourry's heart started thumping in his chest.
"Yeah?"
"Do we need to go the old part of Sairaag?"
"Oh." Sometimes it was really hard to keep up with her rapid mental shifts. "How'd you know we needed to go to the old city?"
Lina huffed in exasperation. She looked up to the heavens, and held her arms stiffly at her sides, her hand clenched into fists, while she stomped along. "Because, Jellyfish, you asked the messenger if the garrison at Sairaag was near the old part of the city!"
Oh. He had asked that, hadn't he? Probably not the smartest thing to do at that, since it had made the guy suspicious, or it would have, but Lina had quickly smoothed things over. It never ceased to amaze him how much she could get away with, just by acting like an innocent young girl. It was an act she used to her advantage often, ever since he had known her and probably even before that. She actually seemed to enjoy tricking people with her charm.
"What was that?" Lina was in full-danger mode.
"Huh?" Gourry was really having a hard time following the conversation right now. Maybe it was because the last thing he wanted to be doing was talking, or walking for that matter.
"It sounded like you said, 'Maybe you trick people with your charm.' You muttered it under your breath. What's that got to do with the old part of Sairaag?" Her expression, even more than her words, suggested that if he didn't have a good answer, he was going to end up just like the messenger.
"'Maybe you trick people with your charm'?" Oblivious to the signs of an imminent eruption, Gourry tried to figure out why the words sounded so familiar, like something he had said once . . . about Lina?
"Gourry! Pay attention! Oh, for crying out . . . Bomb Di Wind!"
Gourry's ears popped from the abrupt change in pressure, then he was flying through the air. A sudden crack to the head, and he found himself sprawled against a tree, legs akimbo. He probably would have gone even farther if it hadn't been for the tree. He sat there dazed. The back of his head was beginning to throb, and a thin stream of blood trickled from his nose. His eyes refused to focus: there seemed to be two Linas standing in front of him, each surrounded by a golden haze. He stared at the double-image in confusion. Lina was shining like gold . . . it reminded him of something that he had seen before, but he couldn't get his wits together to figure out what. He saw her lips move, but no words seemed to come out . . . or maybe it was just that he couldn't hear over the ringing in his ears. Her look of annoyance was shifting to concern. He started to tell her that he was fine, but then everything started to fade out. The last thing he heard was Lina calling his name from very far away . . . a sudden warmth spread through his head . . . and then nothing.
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"Gourry? Are you all right?" She hadn't meant for him to slam into the tree, but he had been wandering along beside her, muttering to himself and looking really confused. Usually, he just didn't pay attention, but this time, he had been focused on something else, instead of the conversation she was trying to have with him. She wanted to know why they were going to the old part of Sairaag, where they had fought both Copy Rezo and Hellmaster, but all he could do was stare off into space and mumble something about her tricking people. Her temper was already pretty frayed, and she had only wanted to get his attention, so he would actually look at her, instead of at nothing, even if it was only to yell at her for throwing a spell at him for no real reason.
But instead of landing on his backside a few feet (okay, several yards) away, his momentum had been halted by a very solid tree. The sickening "crack" of the impact reminded her of the sound Phibrizzo's crystal had made when he began to shatter it. Blood was coming out of Gourry's nose, and he wasn't answering her, although she was practically yelling in his ear. Once, she had joked that if Gourry injured his head, at least he wouldn't hurt anything important, but now she was really worried. One of his pupils was so large that she could barely see the blue ringing it, while the other was very small. Then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he stiffened. Carefully, she leaned his head forward, only to find that his blond hair was matted with thick sticky blood. After quickly ripping off her gloves, she worked her fingers into his hair, moving carefully along his scalp. When she got close to the wound, Gourry moaned and she felt a ridge under her fingers. She was pretty sure that it wasn't supposed to be there, and she felt along the back of her own head in approximately the same location, oblivious to the fact that she was smearing Gourry's blood all over her hair in the process. She cast a healing spell, keeping her fingers in direct contact with Gourry, and although the blood flow stemmed, it did not stop altogether and the ridge underneath his scalp hadn't changed at all.
Lina took a deep breath and pushed aside the panic that threatened to overwhelm her. Gourry was seriously injured, beyond her capacity to heal. He needed a Recovery from someone who specialized in White Magic. After a moment's hesitation, Lina cast Ray Wing around herself and Gourry, and, funneling all her energy into the spell, sped off in the direction of Sairaag, hoping that a certain Shrine Maiden was still there.
Time became Lina's enemy as she did her best to accomplish a journey that should have taken the better part of a day on foot in as little time as possible. When she finally arrived outside the small stone building constructed on the site of Sylphiel's former home, it took her a moment to release the concentration on her spell after spending so much effort maintaining it. Her legs tried to buckle underneath her, but she refused to let them, and began pounding on the door instead. "Sylphiel!" Please let her be here! Her fist didn't seem loud enough, so Lina pulled out her dagger and started banging on the door with the hilt, all the while shouting for Sylphiel. After what seemed an eternity, the door opened a crack. Using all her strength, Lina pushed the door open further, causing Sylphiel to stumble backwards and land hard on the floor. "Don't just sit there!" Lina grabbed the other girl by her arms, pulling her up and out the door. "You have to help Gourry!"
"Miss Lina?" Sylphiel was clearly startled and confused, but she quickly appraised the situation. "Help me get him inside," she said crisply as she placed her arms under Gourry's shoulders and cast levitation.
Lina quickly moved to Gourry's feet, helping Sylphiel guide him into the house and onto a bed. "It's his head." She clenched her hands around the bed frame, trying to remain upright as reaction and exhaustion began to kick in. "I think he cracked his skull."
Sylphiel nodded, and then held her hands over her head, closing her eyes in concentration. Lina watched Gourry's face closely, and eventually it relaxed, the lines of pain smoothing away. She hadn't noticed that his breathing was labored until it settled into a more normal rhythm. When Sylphiel let her hands fall, Lina looked at her questioningly.
"He needs to rest now," Sylphiel said quietly.
"Will he be okay?"
"I've healed the damage to his head, but we'll have to wait until he wakes up to know if his mind was injured as well."
Lina could only stare at Sylphiel.
"You don't look too good yourself." Sylphiel put her arm around Lina's shoulders and guided her out of the sleeping room, and over to a chair next to the fireplace. Lina sank gratefully into the chair, and Sylphiel poured hot water into a mug, scooping in herbs and a generous helping of sugar. "Here, drink this." She pressed the cup into Lina's hands.
Lina wrapped both hands around the mug, feeling the warmth seep into her hands, and she realized with a start that she had forgotten her gloves in her haste to get Gourry here. She stared into the liquid, and then lifted it to her face, taking a cautious sip. The tea was just on the verge of being too sweet, but after a couple of swallows, Lina felt better, and she lifted her head, meeting Sylphiel's gaze for the first time.
"So, Miss Lina," Sylphiel's face was serious, but there was a glint in her eye. "Did you decide to whack Dear Gourry on the head to take his Sword of Light?"
Lina knew Sylphiel was trying to lighten the mood, but her jest was too close to the truth. "That isn't funny."
Sylphiel flushed. "I'm sorry. What did happen?"
Lina looked down into her cup again, and saw her reflection looking back at her. "I didn't mean for him to get hurt," she said softly. "I just wanted to get his attention." Lina lifted her head then, and looked straight into Sylphiel's eyes, her gaze clear and unwavering. "He deserves better than me. He deserves someone like you."
Sylphiel returned her look for quite some time, neither of them speaking. Lina was not surprised by the pain she saw in the other girl's eyes, but she was startled to realize that the pain was tempered by relief. "But he doesn't want a girl like me," Sylphiel finally broke the silence, although she continued to look straight at Lina. "He wants you."
Lina broke the tableau, unable to endure the knowledge reflected in Sylphiel's deep green eyes any longer. "The gods only know why," she muttered under her breath.
Sylphiel stood up, and moved over to the window. She lifted a rose-colored curtain and stared outside. "The first time I saw Dear Gourry, he was unconscious, just as he was when you brought him here earlier. I healed him, and brought him home. My father . . ." she paused, swallowing convulsively. "My father recognized Dear Gourry's sword, which marked him as a descendent of the Swordsman of Light who slew the Demon-Beast Zannafar and planted the Holy Tree Flagoon." Sylphiel let the curtain fall, smoothing it out as she spoke. "I loved Flagoon. And I began to love Dear Gourry, too." She turned around, and her lips were curved in a small wistful smile. "He enjoyed my cooking, and he always treated me with great kindness." Her smile faded. "But when he left, I knew he didn't love me."
"Sylphiel . . ." Lina trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Miss Lina, when I first met you, I could see right away how you had captured my Dear Gourry's heart. And even though you denied it, I think I suspected then that he had captured yours as well."
Lina felt her cheeks grow hot. "So you knew, too. It seems like everybody knows how I felt about Gourry. Except me."
Sylphiel didn't answer right away. She cocked her head to the side, and then went to the door and opened it. A small gray cat was sitting on the door step, purring loudly. It regally entered the room, and then sat on its haunches next to the table across from the fire. Sylphiel placed a small dish filled with scraps in front of the cat, and scratched between its ears before standing up again. The cat sniffed at the offering before it, took a few dainty bites, and then leapt into Lina's lap. Lina was startled at first, but when the cat curled up and began to purr, she gently stroked its back, reveling in the soft silky feel of its fur against her hand. "When we first met you that time, when there was a price on our heads, I didn't want to like you." Lina continued petting the cat. "I think I felt threatened by you, but I don't think I knew exactly why. But that was only at the beginning. After Copy Rezo destroyed Sairaag, it just didn't bother me any more." Lina paused. "I never did thank you."
"For what?" Sylphiel looked startled.
"For coming with me to Hellmaster's temple."
Sylphiel didn't answer. She wandered over to the fireplace and began rearranging small objects on the mantel. Then she turned around. "Miss Lina?"
Lina looked up. Sylphiel was smiling, a true smile that reached her eyes. "My Dear Gourry does deserve someone like you."
Lina could only gape at her.
"You would move heaven and earth to save him. In fact, you have. But you demand nothing in return from him. I don't think anyone could resist such feelings."
Lina considered Sylphiel's words and wondered if they were true. Then she suddenly realized something. "Sylphiel, what really happened after I cast the Giga Slave?"
Sylphiel's expression turned grave. "You sacrificed all you were. You were consumed by the chaos that exists within the Lord of Nightmares. She destroyed Hellmaster because of the pure wish you sent her to save Gourry."
Lina's brow furrowed. "Then why am I here now?"
"I don't know."
Lina sighed.
"Does it really matter?" Sylphiel's question took Lina by surprise.
"Yes. No. . . . Oh, I don't know . . ." She lifted the cat off her lap and gently dropped it on the floor before standing up herself. "I'm gonna go sit with Gourry for a while, 'kay?" Without waiting for an answer, Lina turned and entered the sleeping room. She sank to her knees next to the bed and smoothed Gourry's hair away from his face, whispering, "You really are a jellyfish, you know?" She crossed her arms on the bed and rested her chin on them, hardly aware that her eyes were drifting shut.
Behind her, Sylphiel quietly closed the door on the sleeping sorceress and swordsman. Goodbye, my Dear Gourry.
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Oh. What was Hyacynth's suggestion? She said I should explore the Sylphiel factor more!