The Slayers: Lina Zelgadiss Xelloss Gourry Amelia Val Filia Sylphiel
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~*~ Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special! ~*~
Part Six
"Dry. Hot AND dry. How come we're doing this in summer, tell me again? You're sure we couldn't just put this off until, say… next winter break? I'm kinda thirsty back here… He-ey! I'm hee-re! Dying of thirst…"
"Shit, Xelloss. Die already and shuddup!" Val growled. "How the crap did Zel put up with you for so long? Heh, heh… maybe HE burned down the house just to be freed from the curse of…"
"Ze curse of Xzzzzzzellosssssss!" Xelloss howled from the back seat of Val's Suburban.
Milgasia took off his headphones and flicked off the CD player, which had brought him a kind of peace for the last several hundred miles. "We should be seeing signs for a town. A railway once connected various mining towns throughout this area, from one mountain range to the other across the desert. This town survived as the mining panned out, turning most the others into ghost towns. What's so funny, Xelloss?"
"'Panned out'? As in 'panning for gold'? Very funny, for an old-as-the-hills clan-guy," Xelloss smiled and looked out the window. Boring…
Milgasia shook his head and pointed out the upcoming turn-off, "We can get lunch and fill the tank. How's the mileage on this baby?"
Xelloss giggled. He found the term 'baby' associated with a big, macho car/truck to be hilarious, especially when coming from the older Milgasia.
"Uh, not great in town, but better on the open road. Burger place. What'll you eat?" Val asked the vegetarian.
"They will have a meatless menu, this close to the Ancient Clan lands," Milgasia said confidently.
He was right. They all ordered burgers, his with a soy-substitute, fries, and chocolate shakes. The few patrons of the restaurant stared openly at the startling trio. Milgasia was tall and handsome with shoulder length golden hair. He looked like clan, including caramel-colored eyes that matched Val's. Val, with his green hair and punk get-up, looked like Milgasia's younger brother gone bad. Still, even though the Ancient's were long gone, the pair appeared…as if they belonged, as if they were a part of the land.
Xelloss, on the other hand, stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb, and it didn't take someone with Zel's super-hearing to notice the sounds of disgruntled patrons. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat and focused on his hands, avoiding meeting anyone's eyes. He hadn't felt so intimidated since he had entered Lina's circle of friends.
The waitress returned, setting three heavy bags on the table. "Sorry, 'bout this, it's not my idea of hospitality, but the owner wants no trouble." She fumbled awkwardly with a pencil in her hands. "You two are welcome ta stay, but he oughta go, while he's got the choice."
Xelloss blanched with humiliation. "I'll wait out in the car…" he muttered and walked briskly to the door.
Val loped out after his friend, while Milgasia asked to be introduced to the restaurant owner. "You do know that I am the Cephied Clan Leader and that those boys are traveling under clan protection?" he said in a low voice to the timid man.
"I didn't know that, Sir, but everyone in this place and for miles around recognizes that syndicate filth in your company. He's not welcome, I'm sorry, Sir."
"Well, it's also untrue! He's a priest with the Seyruun White Shrine with no ties to the syndicate. He's also done nothing but good for anybody, clan in particular," Milgasia said to the startled man loudly enough for the other patrons to overhear.
"See this?" he shouted while raising aloft an ornamented pendant hanging from a heavy chain. "You DO recognize the authority of the Supreme Elder out here don't you? I thought so… Well, he accepts the young man and shall hear of your rude behavior." Milgasia turned from the shocked man, grabbed the sacks of food, and strode out of the building with power and pride emanating from his tall frame.
"Here," he said shoving the sacks into the car. "Let's get the hell out of this hick town."
Val nodded and started for the driver's set, then paused, "Xelloss? Wanna give me a break here and drive a bit?"
Xelloss met his eyes with a cautious glance, "Sure you trust me?"
"Drivin' sure, just not 'round Filia!" Val chuckled and tossed his friend the keys.
Xelloss' eyes sparkled with excitement, "Whoa… I get to drive the new baby. Val, you have got to know that this is better than any girl."
"Yeah, sure. Yer just sayin' that 'cause there ain't no girls out here!"
"Well, certainly none that will have YOU!" Xelloss smirked as he sped off down the road. "That was all about you and your avant-garde appearance, you realize. You get us gorgeous guys thrown out of all the nicest places."
Milgasia stretched out along the back seat and chuckled softly at the kids' teasing banter. "There's a park up the road a ways. Look for that exit and we can eat."
Settling at a hidden picnic table in an empty park, the men dove into their sacks. Val distributed the drinks, while Milgasia and Xelloss interpreted the packaging for food contents.
"You don't suppose they'd try and poison us, do you?" Xelloss asked after Val had swallowed his first bite.
"Better wipe off that smirk with the catsup, Xell-bob. It's not me they'd like to murder." More gently, Val added, "Sucks ta be you, doesn't it?"
"Sometimes, well… up until about October last year, I wished every night that I'd die in my sleep. Just not have to wake up and face the next day. Zelgadiss convinced me that if he had some reason to struggle through, that I had to too. So I decided that I had a reason for living. Wanna hear it?"
"I hope it's not something new…" Val muttered.
"Nope! I'm here to keep you all, my friends, happy and healthy!'
"By bein' an asshole and makin' us all glad we're not you?" Val grinned.
"No, stupid! I shall die, so that you may live, but first I have to make the world safe by…"
Milgasia cut him off with a hand on his arm, in warning, "This is a vacation. I do not want you worrying about saving the world or risking your life. Try to relax and enjoy it." He stared at Xelloss, trying to read his expression.
"Your Clan-mind-reading tricks will not work on me!' Xelloss smiled. "I'm nearly immune from Zel's Jedi mind reading skills as well, and when I am completely immune, then, and ONLY then, will I be master of the universe!'
Val sighed, "Yer been watchin' that anime crap with Lina, haven't ya?"
"Yes, lots! That's why we're all going to Japan after you and Gourry graduate next year. Lina thinks I made her a promise, so I guess it's true. She says, 'Xelloss, make it so!' and I do. I am trained to carry out orders very well. Speak, master, and I shall obey!"
"Xelloss? You're actin' weirder than usual, you okay? Somethin' buggin' ya?" Val asked.
Milgasia's eyes scanned them both. He also felt an undercurrent of tension.
"Yes… and no. I guess the way those people treated us… me, bothered me more than I'd like to admit. They actually wanted to kill me. I felt their rage, like a giant evil beast poised to attack me. I thought for a moment about how I could kill each and everyone of them. Slamming a chair into one guy's gut, breaking it over another's scull…cracking it… I could have killed that skinny creep in the back with my hands…" Xelloss demonstrated with a stick, squeezing and twisting until he snapped it in two. "That's why I ran out. Not to avoid them, but to avoid going ballistic in there."
Val had dropped his fries on the table, "Dude, when ya goin' ta see that shrink again?"
"You think I need to?" Xelloss smiled and giggled. "He says I'm okay now, for the most part. I mean, I AM under control. I won't let on about what's going on in my head, if it bothers you."
"You bother me. I look at ya and wonder why I'm not as messed up as you. My life with Gaav sucked. I coulda been a piece of garbage or worse…" Val said.
Xelloss riveted his purple eyes on Val and held him trance-like, "I was, for a few moments, the most powerful member of the syndicate… on two continents, maybe three… and… and I gave it up to be a priest in the shrine and a drummer in a band and a friend… to you and the others. I am not actually crazy either, so…" he smiled charmingly and cocked his head. "If you're done, can we go? And… I wanna drive again, pleeeease?"
Milgasia started breathing again. Val's heart rate returned to normal. "Yeah, I'm done and yeah, yer on fer drivin' just…put on some music so I don't have'ta hear yer yappin'."
"Yap-ping! Val, when are you going to start those elocution lessons? I mean, isn't it about time you learned to speak like a normal human being, or at least one with a fifth grade education?" He dove out of range of a passing jab from Val, then cried out, "That's it!"
"What NOW?" Val sighed as he battled with Milgasia for the rights to the back seat.
"Come sit up front and I'll tell you," Xelloss smiled.
Milgasia smirked and mouthed 'I won!' then climbed into the back to sleep.
"Okay, we're on the road. What's 'it'?" Val asked, regretting it instantly.
"E-nun-see-ay-shun. I can teach you how to speak like the intelligent man-about-town that you are so that you can get that job you've always dreamed about…"
"I don't need no new job…" Val insisted.
"AND, the girl I KNOW you've been dreaming about," Xelloss smiled.
"What do you know 'bout my dreams?"
"I have dreams too," Xelloss smiled. "Now, first lesson. All words ending in the letters 'ing' are pronounced 'ING', not 'IN', got that? Try saying, 'the rain is raining all about…'"
"Knock it off, Xelloss. I ain't interested in soundin' smart. I'll just look good and you can sound smart," Val smirked.
"Julian can look AND sound good," Xelloss smiled.
"I can speak as well as any of you, if I try," Val said, speaking slowly and carefully. "It just does not fit into the personal mannerisms that I wish to portray as me, Val. Got it? Satisfied?"
"Ooooo, you can talk intelligently. Nice job, and you can run multi-syllabic words together smoothly too. You win, then. Put in the music and we can sing…" Xelloss smiled.
"Cephied… noooo," Milgasia moaned.
"Did you hear something from the back? Someone objecting perhaps?" Xelloss smiled evilly at Val.
"Nah, he's asleep. Yeah, let's put in this and sing. What have we got? Best of Queen again?" Val chuckled.
"Ughhhhh…" came a groan.
The two guys serenaded one another the rest of the way to the Ancient Clan ruins.
~*~
Zelgadiss had decided that having a car had spoiled him, and so, was riding his bike to sword training and then over to Gourry's for lunch, instead of shopping for a new car.
"My, dear, I don't think I have ever seen you eat before, " Gourry's mother remarked.
"Ah, it's really good, Mrs. Gabriev. I had been used to doing most of the cooking before, but at Detective McGywn's they aren't accustomed to my style, I guess, because lately, he's been ordering out."
"You must miss having your own place," she said sympathetically.
"Yeah, that and my computer, and my dog, and my… ah, other friends around to talk to. Zangulus is all right, but…I'm glad Gourry has stayed around too."
Gourry smiled. He knew Zel missed Xelloss and Lina for conversation. "I gotta call from the contractors doin' the guttin'. They're all done, if ya wanna come give me a hand and walk through the place."
Zel stared at his friend blankly.
"Ah, the house is clean. I can take ya over in the truck, if yer interested," Gourry repeated.
"Oh, yes. That would be great. I…um…I was stuck on this really strange vision of some men gutting fish or animals or something much, much worse," Zel met Gourry's eyes and blushed, feeling rather foolish.
"Good thing you're getting' away from Xelloss and Val for awhile, huh?" Gourry asked, then smiled with good humor.
"Yeah, I suppose returning to the wholesomeness of a real normal family environment is good for my soul," Zel remarked, then noticed four curious sets of blue eyes, watching him. "Ah, hello girls, Joey, Chuckie…"
"Hi-ii, Zelgadiss," Joey greeted him with a hug and a strangely familiar sing-song voice.
Zel and Gourry did one of their mind-link conversations, "Shit, he's got the mannerisms down and he even sounds like Xelloss, Gourry. He's scary…"
"I know, it's like an alien's taken over my little brother…Mom won't let him dye his hair purple or he would."
"I am so sorry…"
"Nothin' you did…"
"But I feel somehow responsible, introducing them and all…"
"Nah, woulda happened sooner or later…"
"Inevitable then, you think?"
Actually, Zel was thinking how Joey looked like a cross between Filia and Xelloss then slapped himself mentally for the horrid image THAT conjured up.
Gourry continued aloud, "Yeah…Watch out, sister attack…"
But Gourry's warning came a few seconds too late to save Zelgadiss from the curious fingers of the not-so-timid girls.
"Oooooo," Shari squealed. "You've got earrings! Wow, that makes you, like, so cool, Zel!"
Zel jumped out of chair, or would have if Joey hadn't a hold on him.
"Fe-el his hair!" the other sister, Keri, cooed.
"Gah! You guys! I babysat for you for years and my hair's the same as it was…" Zel retorted, brushing off unwelcome hands.
"Oh, Ze-el, that was like, ages ago. You were all normal and all back then. Now you are soooo hot, especially when you turn all pink and cute and stuff. Don't you think he's hot?" the first girl, Shari, asked the other.
"Yeah!"
"Not you Joey!" she slapped her idiot brother.
Zelgadiss gave Gourry a REALLY pitiful look. "Come on, I gotta lot of work ta do," Gourry said to Zel.
Giving his tall friend a grateful nod, Zel leaped over the table and flew out the door to freedom.
"Thanks, Gourry. What was that all about? It's like they'd never seen me before," Zel said in amusement while bouncing along the road to Val's.
"Ah, you're a smart guy, Zel. You figure it out," Gourry said a bit sharply, for him.
"Um, they're all picking on the freaky guy who they're fast dwarfing as they try and out grow one another?"
"Zel, they're all teenagers… my sisters and Joey… you know, that hormone thing and all…" Gourry frowned at the bewildered look on Zel's face.
"All right. If you say so. But it was ME! Your sisters and, Gods forbid, your brother are attracted to ME? That's pretty weird, if you think about it…" Zel said.
"Tell me about it. I can't invite Xelloss over or they get even weirder. Val… well, he still scares them. Joey, well he's kinda nutty but he notices that Amelia's pretty well built at least. You know what that was like…"
"What?" Zel asked not knowing what Gourry was referring to.
Gourry reappraised his friend for a moment. "Maybe you aren't so smart after all," he chuckled.
"What ARE you getting at? I'm confused here…"
"You remember when you first started noticin' girls and talkin' to friends about it, right?" Gourry sighed.
"Oh…ah, no. I missed most of that time. About the time when I was entering adolescence, my father's chemistry lab exploded in my face. After that, girls have been the least of my concerns, seeing as they mostly prefer to ignore me," Zel reminded his friend quietly.
Gourry groaned, "I keep forgettin' all that. I'm so used to yer face the way it is I don't think nothin' of it. No… that's it… the scars don't show up like they once did. I think they're fading away… and the redness is mostly gone, too. I hadn't thought 'bout it until we started talking here. Anyway, you seem to have plenty of girl trouble these days."
"I do? Oh, yes…Amelia. Well, I think I took care of that. I THINK! She said so much crap to me I'm not sure where things stand, but we're still friends."
Gourry chuckled and shook his head. "She had a crush on you and you were not very helpful, ya know. Then you kinda woke up, then 'Blam!' ya went back into your shell. Now you just seem ta send out mixed signals. You don't seem interested in anyone."
"That's right. Lately I've had my hands full trying to stay alive, sane, and currently under a roof!" Zel growled.
"Hey, man! I understand! Just makin' conversation, Zel."
"Sorry, Gourry. It's a sensitive issue, I guess. Xelloss and Val spoke of nearly nothing else around the house but girls, like a competition or something. I really have NO interest in having a…girlfriend and can't fathom why it's so damned important to them," Zel said in an exasperated tone.
"Yeah, well you and Lina have that in common. It's okay. We're all different that way, I guess. So, ah… how're you and Zangy getting along?"
"Fine. Except…he practices that damned sax at night! I'm more of a morning person and after one of his loooooong practice sessions I'm dragging the next day. Plus he isn't very interesting to talk to. Hell, even Van's got more personality in his nose…well, that wasn't a very good example, but…
"He should wash his hair more often and DO something with that hunk that hangs down in his face or I might just whack it off at night… sometime… with that stupid 'Howling Sword' of his.
"And, his house is a mess with takeout food all over the place. MY cooking is too SPICY and upsets his sensitive stomach. Shit, he's got to have a steel-lined one to handle all the crap he eats.
"And I haven't seen my dog in so long… 'cause Zangy has an allergy to dog hair…bird feathers…pollen…spores…milk…how about DUST?" Zel ranted, becoming a bit wild-eyed.
"I'm stoppin' by yer Dad's place now so you can see Beast," Gourry said as he slowed to a stop in front of Zel's childhood home.
Zel didn't know what to say, so he simply nodded and tore out of the truck and flew up the steps. There he fell onto the big wolf-dog sleeping in front of the door.
Gourry could tell by the way that Zel's back was shaking, that he was probably crying, so he remained in the truck, waiting patiently. He didn't know what he could do for all Zel's problems, but this was one he could do for his mournful friend. After a few minutes Zel stood and talked to the dog.
"Zel? Bring him along to Val's place. He can sniff around and get used to the smells so he'll know the place when he goes to live there in a few weeks."
That was a great idea. Zel looked happier than he'd been in a week and Beast was almost as happy himself.
"Thanks Gourry, for listening to my complaining and coming to get Beast for me. You're really a great guy and a terrific friend," Zel gushed, but he didn't blush. He'd really meant it and was surprised at how easy it was to open up and tell him how he felt.
Gourry smiled, "Thanks, so are you, Zel…the best, but… can you keep him off me while I'm drivin'? That dog sure is big up close and all, isn't he?"
And in no time, Gourry got Zel's mind off his troubles and listened to him tell all about Beast's idiosyncrasies, which was better than hearing about Zangulus'. Gourry smiled as he thought to himself about how satisfying it would be to cut off that lock of Zangulus' hair. Yes…so gratifying…
Shortly after collecting Beast, they arrived at Val's old place.
"So, you don't think it will take much time to add a couple bathrooms and re-plumb the others?" Zel asked Gourry as they walked through the gutted house that had once housed Val, Gaav, and numerous thugs and petty thieves.
"It would if I had ta do it all, but I decided to contract it out to some guys I can trust. As Val put it, money's not the object, time is. See, each of the three bedrooms will be about the same size with a bath in between. One small guest room and bath out closer to the front of the house will be added here and the kitchen… I had my mom draw up a plan since she knows more about cookin' than anyone I know, 'cept you. The layout's in here. Ever read a blueprint? I'll show you how…"
Gourry showed Zel the ins and outs of the kitchen, making a few changes and adjusting the counter heights and cabinets for Zel and Xelloss. Val would never know the difference, but the primary cooks would!
"Electrical checked out real good, so aside from setting up Internet cabling to each room and lights for the additions, that's not an issue."
"I've got to hand it to you, Gourry. You really know your stuff when it comes to construction. If you can handle a crew a well as everything else in your life, you're going to run a hell of a business someday," Zel remarked.
Gourry smiled and thanked him with a blush. Suddenly they both felt like adults. Before either could say anything else to embarrass one another, Zel's cellphone buzzed.
"Yes? Ah, yes, this is Zelgadiss. What can I do for you Mr. Nels Lahda? Check my…why my sword? What?! Have you called Detective McGywn about this yet? All right… No, all my stuff's at his place, the sword too, but… Gourry's right here. We're at Val's old place. No, tell McGywn we'll go to Gourry's first, then his house. Yeah, thanks… Yes, he took his staff with him, I saw Xelloss put it in Val's car myself. Let's not call them until we've looked into the other heirlooms whereabouts, all right? Yeah, I know… that's my life… bye."
Disconnecting the call, Zel then turned to Gourry and filled him in on the news, "Well, Gourry, the Red Priest's staff is gone. Stolen. Removed from the shrine without approval or notification of the staff. The cloak was untouched, so it wasn't a simple burglary. Come on, we have to check your father's heirloom and then mine," Zel sighed. "Beast? Wake up! Time to move on!"
"Um, we need ta check Lina's place too, I think. Just a feeling…" Gourry cautioned him.
~*~
Nothing whatsoever could have prepared the trio for the horrible scene of mass destruction that lay before their eyes. The homeland of the Ancient clan was a wasteland. No building was unmarred. Portions of neighborhoods were recognizable as such only by the work of an overactive imagination that could reassemble buildings and roads from piles of rubble. Here and there, sooty reminders of a fire, which had raged through the center of town, were evident.
Val stopped the car in the middle of a road made impassable by huge limestone blocks, once forming supporting columns for a tall building now a heap of rocks.
Standing beside one of those blocks, he spoke for the first time since entering the compound. "Where do ya think the temple was?"
Milgasia cleared his throat, which was dry and sore, "Up there. On the side of the mountains, so that it could look out over the valley of believers. Dear gods… what happened here?"
"This was no natural disaster, if that's what you were wondering," Xelloss said seriously. He stepped gingerly around a snag of rusting steel rebar, stooping occasionally to examine a piece of rock or scrape off a sample of black soot.
Milgasia agreed, but was curious as to why Xelloss should think so.
Val, however, spoke next. "Is it possible that the syndicate could have done something like this?"
Milgasia waited for Xelloss to answer, "Yes. Possibly, but…unlikely." He looked up at Milgasia. "Can you take us up to the temple? If it still stands it might tell us something."
"Yeah, go back out to the main road and we'll look for a road in good enough condition to drive on. It will be a bear of a hike if we have to hoof it most the way," Milgasia warned them. "Here, let me drive and you help scout for axle-breakers."
Val traded places with Milgasia and the drive began. It was rough going, but he forged a path three-quarters of the way up. Alas, a damaged bridge halted their car's progress, and forced them to climb and scrabble through unfriendly terrain in the late afternoon sun.
"(*&)*&%&^$*%& !!!!" Val complained abusively. His shoulder scraped against a rocky ledge surfaced like sandpaper when he lost his footing.
"Whose *&^&^% idea was it to go here? HUH? YOU, Xelloss, YOU get your ass in front and lead the way."
"Oooo, you just can't get enough of me, huh?" Xelloss teased unmercifully. He hadn't hurt himself yet and decided that his smaller stature and karate training had afforded him greater agility, which was to his advantage. He hobbled over some rocks and skipped in front of Val, wiggling his hips and giggling. "Come and get it!"
Val muttered another string of profanity and struggled forward. "Yuh better hope I don't ketch (catch) up with ya, fruitcake!"
"I am SOOOO afraid, Vally-boy! Hey, you're making me hungry… Ketch-up with fruitcake, yummmmm!" Xelloss giggled more and disappeared ahead.
A few minutes later… "Yoooo-del-ay-eee-whoooooooooo…."
"Gods, he's yodeling now…" muttered Milgasia.
"Just a few more squat thrusts and leg stretches and you'll be here!" Xelloss chortled from a short distance ahead and above.
"Whoa…what a view," gasped Val as he swept the sweat off his brow with a swipe of his arm. He collapsed in a spot of shade from a natural overhang.
"Smart people, those Ancients," Xelloss smiled from a little ways off.
They all drank gratefully from the goatskin water bag Milgasia had remembered to bring (and fill ahead of time!), while gazing out over the panorama of the clan lands.
"Magnificent!" they all agreed.
"So, why did we come up here?" Xelloss asked in a wry tone.
Val gave him a deadly glare, "You thought we'd learn somethin'."
"Ah…" Xelloss smiled. "Then I suppose I shall look around a bit. You can follow, when you can get up," he added, all chipper himself.
Milgasia stopped Val's next outburst with a hand, "Why do you let him get to you like that? Just let him go and be alone for awhile."
"We're always competin', him an' me. Without Zel here to temper him, he's just havin' too much fun. I'm okay…though maybe I outta take up that karate and get in shape," Val smiled a tiny bit and shook his head. He thought about Filia and knew he had a chance, even if it was a slim one, even with that cousin JULIAN hanging around all cultured and smooth and…
"Careful there Val, that's marble you're trying to crush in your fist, not Xelloss' neck," Milgasia said in attempt to add some humor to the occasion.
"Huh? Oh, not Xelloss… I was thinkin' of someone else. Which reminds me, better go look for the nutcase before he tumbles down a rabbit-hole and disappears…"
After a turn or two about the perimeter of the temple, they found Xelloss perched cross-legged, precariously on the slate roof.
"So? What do ya think?" Val called up to him.
Xelloss smiled and gracefully leaped down to join the other two. "I think that the temple was left unharmed. I see no signs of blasts, just disrepair from standing untended for so many years. Also… I think we could use Zelgadiss and his skills at breaking and entry. This door has a digital locking devise similar to the shrine near Ridkou Village."
"Is that weird? That shrine wasn't clan," Val wondered.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. Could be the same security salesman calls at all the best shrines and temples, no?" Xelloss smiled goofily.
Meanwhile, Milgasia was trying his hand at getting past the security device. "It seems that none of my clan's codes are accepted here, not that thought they would, but it would have been advantageous."
"Barring the possibility that there is evidence to the contrary inside," Xelloss continued. "I don't think this was a syndicate job."
"Huh? Whaddya mean? Who else woulda blasted the entire valley like that, and WHY? What was to be gained by all that?" Val cried out in exasperation.
"Someone who wanted the powerful Ancient clan wiped off the face of the planet. Someone who wanted something they couldn't get or find or steal any other way. Someone who knew about the meeting of the clans that day, when the valley would be most vulnerable with most of the population on… Wait…how big a plane could that have been? It couldn't have carried more than a few hundred people! How many do you think lived in this valley?"
"I dunno. We could find out, right?" Val turned to Milgasia who nodded.
"Thousands, I would guess by the size of it and the number of buildings. So with the leadership and most privileged and healthiest of the clan on that plane, the remaining populous would be easy to catch unawares and… The plane was probably rigged to blow up or lose control, whatever." Xelloss' voice faded away as he began his descent back down to the car.
Milgasia agreed that there was nothing to be gained by staying any longer and began his climb down as well.
"Was he sayin' that this was an inside job? That the Ancients destroyed themselves? That's a loada crap!" Val loped quickly after Milgasia and Xelloss, "I said…'That's a loada crap, Xelloss!' It was the syndicate! Hell, it coulda been Gaav! He mighta known! He mighta known lots… he latched onto my mom fast…and me. He musta known…Xelloss! You listenin'?! Hey! Are ya…."
But the thunder from a barrage of falling rocks pounding the ground over and around him, cut off his words. He lost his footing as the mountain started to crumble and the entire side began to slide.
Cries from his friends were barely discernable above the deafening roar. A huge cloud of dust encompassed his vision as the avalanche propelled him chaotically into the ravine where the bridge had already fallen.
It had only lasted a few seconds. In that short amount of time, everything changed.
"Val! Val! Milgasia? ANYONE!"
"Xelloss? Over here, that is, if you can move!" Milgasia shouted.
"Yes, I'm fine, a little scratched but… Oh, my…" Xelloss covered his eyes, but it was too late. His bloodied arm was all he saw before the darkness overtook his senses.
"He really does faint at the sight of his own blood. Great. Great, bloody, fine, great!" moaned Milgasia trapped to the waist in loose shale. "Val? Val! Val! Can you hear me? Where are you?!"
~*~
Gourry's smile shown with relief when he found his father's heirloom sword still hiding in its box beneath his bed.
"Better take it with us," Zel advised. "I don't really know why, but I have this feeling that it's not safe here."
Beast had a sniff-fest over both the case and the sword. He even growled slightly when Gourry lowered the sword back into its slot, snapped the case closed and swung it up out of his reach.
"That's enough, buddy," Zel smoothed the dogs hackles somewhat.
Gourry nodded. He had come to trust Zelgadiss' instincts when it came to anything unrelated to interpersonal relationships.
"I don't know if I mentioned this to ya, but the other day when I was finishing up work at Lina's…I found this really tight axe in a woodpile. Not too weird, huh? But wait till ya see the marks on it…" Gourry alerted him.
"Lead on…"
Indeed, the moment Zel jimmied the lock and opened Lina's back door, Beast howled and bounded into the house intent on a mission of his own.
Gourry shouted, "Look under her bed!"
Zel flew down the hall, to Lina's room, to find Beast already snuffling and clawing at a towel-wrapped bundle beneath her bed.
"Well, maybe we can use you to help sniff out heirlooms… Hey, don't you growl at ME! We can check this out together. Yes, you do the smelling and I'll do the visual examination.
"Hey, Gourry! Your eyes were right on target. Look how these markings match your sword here and here. They're reminiscent of those on the pendants Xelloss and Fila carried, but…definitely NOT the same…that's for sure. All right, now let's go get my sword and do some more comparisons. If I could get up…crap, it's heavy! Probably weighs a ton…"
Gourry nodded and grasped Lina's 'axe' and lifted it from Zel's lap effortlessly. "Okay, now ya can move, right?"
Zel smiled and shook his head, "You do that just to show off, don't you? Yeah, don't go all innocent on me. You are the strongest guy I know. I can barely lift that thing and there you just go and swing it around like a baseball bat!"
Gourry grinned and blushed slightly. "On to Zangulus' house then?"
"Yeah, let's go," Zel agreed and led the way back to Gourry's company truck. "You know, I feel a bit like Hercules' side kick! See, you carry this humongous sword and an axe that together weigh twice as much as I do, while I run along beside you, trying to keep up and jabbering to a dog. When did I become so ridiculous? Stop laughing at me! You can't laugh at me and be the leading man! You're supposed to tell me about all my strong points and make me feel worthwhile! Gourry!"
Gourry was chuckling, then laughing aloud as Zelgadiss became more animated than usual. Either he was a manic-depressive or the act of sharing his life with Xelloss and Val had lightened him up significantly. This must have been the Zel Lina had known as a kid.
Detective McGywn had parked outside his home moments before Gourry pulled up with Zelgadiss and Beast.
Zel pointed to the house, and together with Beast, stormed inside.
"He's awfully lively…" the man remarked to Gourry.
"We found my…thing and another, that you don't know about and…" Gourry's summary of the events leading up to the moment was interrupted by Beast's howl reverberating off the interior walls of the house. "Ah…um…I think he's found his…thing too…"
The detective gave him a blank look, then said, "Would you like to come inside, son?"
Gourry found Zel and Beast fighting for the right to be first to open and get a good look at his sword. Zel, having fingers, won the contest, mostly…Beast took the first sniff and growled.
"Now we need to compare all these markings…" Zel insisted. He loved to solve puzzles and riddles and was certain that there was some information contained in the markings, if he could figure out the code.
"On it…" Gourry said. "Uh…I need a piece of plain paper and a pencil. Thanks." He rubbed the pencil over the paper pressed upon the finely etched lines on each of the artifacts. One at a time, the rubbings appeared on the paper, light lines on the dark carbon background. When he was done, all three engravings were copied one above the other on the single paper, easy to compare.
"Gourry, this really helps. Where did you come up with this idea?" Zel asked with appreciation.
"Boy scouts," he smiled. "Good way to compare different tree bark, ya know?"
"Yes, clever… All right, now…" Zel murmured as he concentrated on the markings.
"So, all your heirlooms are intact?" McGywn asked. "What's that?"
"Found it at Lina's place when I was doing some work there," Gourry answered. "The marks on it made me think of my sword, so Zel's checking them against his too."
"Too bad we didn't think to do this when we had that staff around as well," Zel observed.
"Think Xelloss' staff is related, too?" McGywn asked.
"Possibly. I'll give him a call. Funny, I haven't heard from Val or him, not that I expected too, but you would have thought one of them would have called someone by now," Zel noted. He punched #1 and waited. After a few rings, he tried Val's, then –on a remote chance—Milgasia. No answer.
"Nothing. They must be out of range. I'll try again later."
"How about Filia? They'd have called her fer sure," Gourry suggested.
"Right…I'll try…Filia? Hey, Zel here. Yes, fine, um have you heard from…No? I can't reach them. What? Listen, McGywn's here, would you tell him all that? Hold on…" Zel passed the phone to the detective, saying, "They haven't checked in for days…"
Gourry's eyes met Zel's, "We better call the mayor and get that address in Utah. Lina and Amelia…they're gonna need ta know if there's trouble.'
Zel nodded. Dread filled his heart once again.
~*~ End, Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special, Part Six. ~*~
