~*~ Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special! ~*~
The Slayers: Lina Zelgadiss Xelloss Gourry Amelia Val Filia Sylphiel
Part Eight
Rezo was comfortable. He had his place and someone to take care of him, but not fuss about or expect anything from him in return. He missed his 'boys' at times, but not that much; he did like solitude. His favorite midday task was to write. He had an article for he Chemistry Proceedings to complete, and the paper for the Scientific Seyruun required one more edit, he thought.
His work was progressing as expected, until he noticed the sound of swift footfalls pass by the front window. A moment later he heard scrabbling noises at a back window and then a faint rattle at the back door.
Not easily panicked, the blind man rose from his chair and quietly tip-toed to his bedroom, where he removed a long staff.
Crash!
Well, there went a window. He sighed and pulled out his cellphone (purple, with an inscription from Xelloss that read: 'Fourth time's a charm!'). With a single tap, he placed a call to the police. "Yes, this is Professor Rezo Greywords. Someone is breaking into my house currently. No, I didn't, you see, I'm blind… Thank you very much. That's a relief. I'll stay in my room until they come."
He punched another button, muttering under his breath, "McGywn? Rezo, here. Yes there's trouble! Someone's broken a window and is now getting into my house… NOW! You bet! Not if I get to him first! Well, all right, better hurry, then!"
Ring, ring…
No sooner had he disconnected from one call on his cellphone, than his bedside telephone rang.
"For the love of the gods… Hello? Who is this? I'm in the middle of a robbery here! Who? Vurumagen?" Rezo said exasperatedly.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the house, Sirius caught his foot in the drapery at the window, causing him to trip over the armchair, and settled, finally, on the floor with a thump. "These fancy Seyruunians with all their decorations…" he grumbled to himself.
"What's that noise? The telephone…someone picked up the call… Someone is at home? The woman left… A car's pulling up out front…" Sirius used the torn cloth to shield his arm as he chipped away at the glass shards, enlarging the hole he'd made on his entrance. He heard a knock at the door and a voice of someone entering the house. Climbing out the window, the tall man leaped the bushes and fence to the neighboring yard and safety.
~*~
Beep!
"Yeah? Luna here, make it quick, I'm on my way out. Unless you're one of my baby sissy's friends, then hang up and go to hell!" the phone answering message screeched in the clan leader's ear.
"Ah, Luna… this is Milgasia. If you are at home please, for Cephied's sake, please pickup…It's an emergency of the highest order!"
Luna put down her MARS shoujomanga and picked up the phone, "Milgasia? You sound like you're callin' from a tin can at the bottom of Seyruun Lake. Tell me about the problem."
Milgasia shuddered as the tension and worry fled his body, "I am in the hospital and the two youngsters I was travelling with are in grave danger, Val and Xelloss…" He continued to sketch out the accident as he remembered.
"…So, a search party for Val must begin at once, by members of OUR clan. You have the authority to command the clan guardians as our Knight, correct? Good. Then you'll need to begin that at once. I will be incapacitated here for sometime. Next, Xelloss. I have no idea what has happened to him, but he may try to contact his friends," Milgasia suggested.
"Yeah? Well, Xelloss…I don't need to worry about him. But…Val? I'll start with your clan then sissy and her mostly-male entourage. Rest and give me your number there…Yeah, I'm on it!" Luna said a few more words of encouragement then hung up.
She called the Ul Copts and reached Julian, "To whom am I speaking? Julian? Who the hell are you? Oh, never mind--is Mr. Ul Copt there? Do you know what a code orange alert is? Good, kid, then I can use you, huh? Who am I? I'm Luna, the Knight of Cephied and I'm calling a code orange alert. I need a search party prepared to enter the Ancient Clan territories by… ASAP! I'll be back on the details. Got that, Captain? Pass on the message then soldier!"
Next, she dialed Lina's cellphone, "Of course you won't be answering…Lina, pick up!"
Ring, ring!
"Hey! Lina here… I'm getting mostly static…ya gotta yell louder! Amelia here, you take it, probably Zel with some lame excuse…" Lina handed off her cellphone to her friend.
"Ah, hello?" Amelia whispered, then listened to the cellphone call just in time to catch the last few words.
Click!
"Oh, Miss Lina! It's wasn't Mr. Zelgadiss AT ALL! It was your big sister, Miss Luna!"
"B-B-Bi sssssister? What did she want?"
"That's just it! I couldn't understand much. It's this train. If I had the political clout, you can be sure that there would be cell phone towers EVERYWHERE with no interference! Yes, this will be my new CAUSE!" Amelia cried.
"Ah, that's just great, Amelia…but what was the message?" Lina pressed.
"Oh, she said 'JUST DO IT! …uh… BIG SISTER!' …Um…that was it…" Amelia smiled meekly.
Miles away…Luna rubbed the stress points at her eyebrow ridge. She hoped her wild sister would do the right thing and stay out of trouble this time. If Lina would simply stay at Amelia's for a few days and stay out of this clan trouble. Yes, if she would just do it this time.
Her attention was snagged by the appearance of a lone, tall dude with gelled blue hair strutting down the middle of her street like he owned the place. "Who is that creepy lookin' guy? For Cephied's sake, the neighborhood's going down fast if punks like that are moving in. Whoa, another one and that one has pink hair. All right, guys, now you've got Luna interested and on your tail!
Luna covertly tailed both Erulogos and Sirius as she surreptitiously hid behind hedges, trashcans and parked cars, until the odd pair separated at Gourry's family home.
She stuck with the 'pink' one and caught him breaking into a basement window. "Ahem, unless you've got their permission to do that, I think you'd better clear out!"
Sirius froze. He turned slowly toward the young woman standing a few feet away and stared. What had caught his eye was not her beauty, or lack of it, but the pendant dangling from her neck; it just screamed 'KNIGHT OF CEPHIED' in twelve of the most popular languages.
Sirius muttered something low, which might have sounded something like, "For the love of Volphied…" then, ran for his life, alerting his comrade at the front of the house on the way.
Luna flipped open her cellphone (purple with an inscription which said: "Mine…or yours? – Xelloss). "Is this the Seyruun police station? Yeah, I'd like to report an attempted break in…"
~*~
"Hello, this is Priest Nels Lahda speaking. How can I help you?" the man asked. He was hoping for a call from his wife or daughter from Tokyo. He missed them both each evening at dinner.
"This is the Sheriff of Clan County. Do you have a young priest appointed to your shrine by the name of Xelloss Metallium?"
The priest suddenly felt ten years older. These were the kinds of calls he always dreaded. Milgasia and Val were with Xelloss, weren't they? What could have gone wrong, for cryin' out loud?
"Yes. He is a priest in our shrine. Why? He did WHAT? I don't believe you! What was he doing there, and where are his two companions? Vagrancy? I don't understand this at all… No, I'm not honoring any clan-shrine agreements over liabilities without a third party report. Now, first off, I'd like to speak to the young man…
"He's gone? Where? You don't know!? Someone reported seeing a helicopter? Listen, this is beginning to sound like a crank call or a hoax. Give me your number…where you can personally be reached later today and I will get back to you. Yes, I'll be looking into this immediately. Good bye, Sheriff."
Visibly shaken by the outrageous call, the head priest reached for his cup of tea. Empty. He picked up his telephone and punched intercom. "Becky? Please connect me with the police… no, with Detective McGywn directly, and… I really need a fresh pot of tea to go with that. Thank you, dear. No, I'm not all right, but it seems that I am sharing that uneasy state with several other people currently. Well, it seems Xelloss is being accused of blowing up a police station in some obscure town on the edge of the Ancient Clan Settlement. True? The Gods only know…"
Becky gave her kind boss a hard look, "I think I'll put some of that Jack Daniel's in that tea for you…"
Detective McGywn had had a busy morning. His afternoon was getting busier, and now his evening was looking to be a hornet's nest of activity from the city-state of Seyruun to the farthest reaches of the Clan County. He was at Rezo's place when he finally hung up with Nels Lahda.
"Rezo, you won't believe the call I just received. It was from Nels Lahda…"
~*~
"Ah…um…Zel? I gotta go back home and drop off this truck. Dad needs it. Wanna come along? Yeah, why doncha. We'll figure out how ta get to the train station and pick up the Lina and Amelia," Gourry suggested.
"Fine. We might want to pick up lunch too," Zel suggested.
Gourry raised an eyebrow, "Food? You're thinkin' 'bout food? Ah… my mom's cookin' IS real good, isn't it? I'm sure she'll have somethin' for us ta eat."
"Look! That's Filia out front!" Gourry pointed out as he parked the car in his driveway.
She looked frantic. Her usually carefully coifed and dressed state was now a disheveled mess.
"If you say so…" Zel answered, shaking his head at the apparition flying towards them.
"WHERE'S Lina?!" Filia wailed.
"Arriving at the train station in about twenty minutes. How did you get here?" Zel asked dryly.
Her expression said 'Who the hell cares?!'. "I got a ride from the settlement. Val is in BIG trouble…lost in…in… a … r-rock slide!"
Gourry caught her as she wilted into a sobbing, limp, mass of hair and limbs.
"Filia? Once you told me that the train runs through the county and connects the clan settlements. Is that true, even the Ancient's?" Zel asked in a low voice.
"I-I think so," she gasped between hiccups.
Zel flipped open his cellphone and dialed a number. "Zangulus? I need a favor. Can you drive me and and couple friends to the train station to meet Lina and Amelia? Filia and Gourry. We're at his place; know where that is? Right, then… Thanks."
"Gourry, grab the…things in the back of your truck. Have anything to wrap them in? Yes, the canvas tarps will do," Zel said. "I'll be right back."
Zel found Mrs. Gabriev in the kitchen making sandwiches.
"Hi, Zel. I knew Gourry and you'd be coming by so I've packed you some food…" she said softly.
Zel stood wide-eyed, gazing at the cooler and crate of sacks on the floor.
"Luna called. I guess some very creepy individuals have been casing the neighborhood looking for something," she stared at Zel momentarily.
"Oh. I didn't know. The family heirlooms, I think, are in danger. The Red Priest's staff was stolen and…" he wasn't certain what to tell her. He'd never had a real mother to open up to and share his concerns and triumphs.
"Zelgadiss. It's all right, dear. I know that you and my son will do the right thing. Take the remaining treasures and hide them well. Are you meeting Lina too?"
"Yes. Filia wants us to go to find Val. Something has happened to him, them, Val, Milgasia and Xelloss. I think we'll take the train there. We… we'll be gone a day or two at least. Um… phones won't work out there, cellphones need transmission towers which were never installed in the outer counties, so if you don't hear anything, it doesn't mean bad news," Zel said in a measured tone.
"I see. Well, all of you should have enough to eat for a couple meals anyway. Don't worry, I'll let your father know what's going on, now scoot if you're going to make the train to outer county sector," she said smiling and closing the lid on the cooler.
"Thanks, Mrs. Gabriev," Zel muttered and hauled the cooler outside. "Gourry! There's a crate to haul inside, all right?"
"Yeah!" he said. He unwrapped Filia from around his waist and loped into the house and back out in a minute. "Ready!"
Zangulus pulled up at that moment and helped load up the trunk. "You expecting Lina and Amelia to be awfully hungry when you pick them up, huh?"
"Yep!" Gourry smiled as if nothing was out of the ordinary. He pulled the red-eyed girl into the backseat beside him, allowing Zel to handle the conversation from there on out.
Once they unloaded the car and hauled the crate, cooler and wrapped 'things' to the coffee shop, Gourry left Zel to watch over Filia while he went in search of Lina and Amelia.
Gourry, being over six feet tall with blond hair past his thighs, was easy for Lina to spot in the crowd.
"Gourry!" she cried.
He'd already seen her flashing red hair and petite frame pushing through the throng. "Lina!"
They met in a heated rush, arms wrapping around one another, at least for a second or two until it registered with Lina just what she was doing.
While they blushed and blustered around, Amelia wandered on ahead. When she spied whom she was looking for, she cried out, "Miss Lina! There's Mr. Zelgadiss over there!"
"Well why shouldn't he be?" Lina grumbled irritably still embarrassed by her recent show of affection toward Gourry in public.
Zangulus had gone by the time Lina, Amelia, and Gourry met Zelgadiss and Filia back at the coffee shop. Filia was nearly hysterical at first, explaining her worries over Val and Julian's 'Call to Arms!' to gather a search party.
"I-I was hoping to get Luna to help, but she's busy…" Filia said wistfully.
"Miss Lina will help! Miss Luna sent her a message that said 'Just do it!' So, Miss Luna means for Miss Lina to go in her stead, I just KNOW IT!" Amelia cried out.
Zel was reading a timetable. "IF we take the one after 909…we can switch at… Yes, it's the only way. We'll be in near to Val's homeland by sundown, if we go right now."
"Yes! We will find the lost travelers and unravel the mystery of…" Amelia began.
"Not, 'we', Amelia. In order to get the telephone number where you and Lina could be reached today, I had to promise your father that you'd be home this afternoon. No adventures, no…" but he left off. Amelia was no longer paying him any heed.
"Come on, everyone," Lina called out. "We've got a train to catch to the hinterlands!"
"And beyond!" Amelia cried out running to catch up.
"You comin', Zel?" Gourry asked as he helped Filia to her feet and hefting both the 'things' and the cooler.
He sighed in answer and bent to lift the crate. Oh, joy…
~*~
"Rezo, you won't believe the call I just received. It was from Nels Lahda…" McGywn said with a shake of his head.
Knock, knock!
The professor's remarks were cut short by the knock at the door.
"Hey, Prof! You all right in there?" Luna's voice soared past three closed doors to his room.
After a minute or two, all three were setting in the front room discussing the morning's events. "Mrs. Gabriev's a bit concerned about the intruders I chased away, but she's more worried about the kids. Apparently, Zelgadiss and Gourry and possibly Filia were planning to run off to the train station to look for Val and Xelloss."
Ring, ring
The detective excused himself and took the call, "McGywn here, yes? Oh, Mayor… what's the problem? Oh. Tell you what, can you come around to the professor's house? I think we all need to compare notes. Yes, Nels Lahda too, if he's available, thank you Sir."
Twenty minutes later, Luna had reiterated the sequence of events leading up to her call to Lina. "…And Lina, although I expressly called her and told her to go home and stay home and out of trouble, must be with the boys!"
"All we know is that they were going to meet the girls at the train station. Now, I had a little talk with your son, Rezo, and he promised me that he'd see to it that my little girl made it back home."
"Did he know you meant today?" Luna chuckled. "Sorry…"
"So how did they get to the train station without a car?" Rezo asked.
"I can answer that, but first, Detective? When was the last time you had something to eat? That's what I thought, how about we order some Chinese take-out and I'll go pick it up?" Luna suggested.
"Good idea. I'll call it in and have my son do delivery. Zangulus…he's a good kid but aside from fencing and saxophone, he doesn't do much," McGywn said as he started phoning orders for food and home.
While they were waiting for the food to arrive, Luna put on a pot of tea and answered the door. Nels Lahda arrived looking the worse for wear.
"You've got good timing. Food is on the way. Why don't we all move to the dining table?" the mayor said.
"Food? Ah, without my wife and daughter around to see that I eat, I think that I have missed a meal or two today. Ah, tea, thank you, Luna. I haven't seen you since the funeral. How have you been, dear?" the head priest asked kindly.
"Last year of school coming up, then I take the bar. Can't wait to drop the waitressing job, since with the financial assistance from Zel and Xelloss I won't have to worry about expenses or Lina's college. Maybe we can borrow Zel for cooking classes," she smiled. "And Xelloss to clean up…"
When Zangulus dropped off the food, Luna asked him to sit a minute and answer a few questions. "So, Mrs. Gabriev said you came by her place to drive Gourry and Zel to the train station today?"
"That's right, and Filia too. She was upset about something, though I don't think she wanted me to know. They had a huge heavy bundle, a crate of what looked like food, and a cooler. I helped them get it into the station, then had to leave 'cause I was parked in a loading zone. Zel had said that they were meeting Amelia and Lina. That's all I know. They didn't say they were going any place and they didn't have baggage like for clothes." He looked nervously at the assorted adults. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, you did fine, son. We're just trying to find out where all the other kids are now. You hungry?" McGywn asked.
"Ah, no…I mean, yes, but I'm taking Martina out tonight, in just a few minutes, in fact," Zangulus shot a look at his watch and his dad.
"Then you'd better git! Don't stay out too late, there are some hoodlums hanging around town and I want to go to sleep knowing you kids are safe at home," McGywn advised.
His son nodded and scrambled for the door, closing it behind him.
Hearing all this, Mayor Phil had pulled out his cellphone and placed a call of his own, "Amelia? Why don't you answer? Hmmm…try this number…"
"Ah, well…I can't seem to reach my darling daughter," the man sighed and glanced Rezo's way as if he half expected him to take responsibility for his wayward son.
"I bet she and Lina have joined Zel and Gourry and Filia, now that I know Filia was present…it makes sense. I received a very troubling call from Milgasia from some remote hospital this morning…"
Both McGywn and Nels Lahda interrupted her with questions.
"Yes, I remember now. Zelgadiss' call when he was asking for the number where Amelia could be reached," the mayor was louder than everyone else. "He mentioned being with Gourry and that McGywn had informed them, just then I suppose, that the Red priest's staff has been stolen and that Filia had not heard from Milgasia, Val, and Xelloss."
"Let me speak!" Luna bellowed above the din. Seconds later they quieted down and let her tell her story her way.
"That's better. Now, that call from Zelgadiss must have come before Filia had heard the news from me. Anyway, here's what Milgasia had to say…Apparently, there was an accident. He and the two kids were climbing down a rocky slope from the Ancient Clan's mountaintop temple, when the whole mountainside gave way nearly burying them in debris. Milgasia's legs were broken, Xelloss was hurt, but managed to get them both to the hospital, where Xelloss was refused treatment and turned away."
"What about Val?" Rezo croaked.
"They couldn't find him. Xelloss searched but had to leave while Milgasia was still conscious and there was light to see by. Cellphones do not work out there and he has very limited access to a telephone. His call to me was to get a search party ready from his clan, among other duties…" Luna's voice trailed off.
"And you haven't heard from him since? Well, let me know if he calls. At least we know something, although it's not the kind of news we wanted to hear…" McGywn sighed.
"Yes, so what I was getting at was that Filia obviously had heard the news after I call her home to convey his message. She found Gourry and Zelgadiss and I'm certain it wouldn't have taken much to get them to take off in search of their friends. A call to the train station and I'm sure a good detective could discover if five kids got on the train to the outer clan territory this afternoon," Luna nodded McGywn's direction.
He was already on it.
Nels Lahda shook his head. "I've already shared my news with the detective. At first, I thought it must be a hoax of some sort, but now…" He continued to tell the others about the phone call from the temporary Sheriff's office, the previous one being destroyed earlier and Xelloss being accused of the crime.
"They said he made a phone call and minutes later, the place blew. He escaped, they believe in a helicopter, but they have very little actual confirmation of the details from reliable people, form what I could gather. When I asked why they were holding the boy, they said pretty much that a 'Mazouku' of his renown could be picked up for vagrancy or trespassing at any time. Well, at that point I could see the kind of bigots I was dealing with and so the conversation ended with me getting his number."
The priest stopped as McGywn folded up his cellphone and rejoined the group, then added, "I tried to think of whom he might have called with a helicopter and hoped you, Phil, had been the man he reached."
The mayor shook his head, sadness filling his face, "He did try to call me. He left a message, which was accidentally misplaced until just before I came over here and collected my stack from earlier. Here it is…oh poor kid… he said that he was in trouble and I'll just read what's written: ' Milgasia's in the hospital in the town nearest the clan's land but they think I'm evil incarnate and won't let me stay in town and Val's gone, missing in a rock slide" and then he asks me to send a helicopter. Oh, dear… the airlift did not come from my office. Whoever rescued him, it was no one from Seyruun. Rezo?"
"Xelloss received a letter several weeks ago that disturbed him, but I don't know anything else about it. As far as I know, he hadn't been contacted directly by any members of the syndicate. That is who you think rescued him, correct? I'd like to think that after having his house burned to the ground, they'd have left him alone," Rezo said resolutely.
"Well, he was keeping something from his good friend Zelgadiss, maybe it had to do with that. It was bad enough for them to get in a fist fight. So, things do not look good for the kids, but we know…yes, they all got on the train… we know where some of them are. So, Luna, tell me about the clan's search party and how we can be a part of it," McGywn demanded.
Yes, it was going to be a long night… while the kids were sleeping on the train…
~*~
Deep in an underground cavern…Val crazy with fever knew he was beginning to hallucinate when he saw two familiar figures hobbling over rough ground to his side.
"Boss? Hey! It's Gravos! You awake?"
"Yeah, it's me here too, Jillas! You look beat up real bad there. I got ya some water, here take a drink while I take a look at that there head bump."
"Jillas and Gravos?" Val croaked after a sip of water. "Where'd you come from? How did ya find me down here? Where's everyone else?"
"Now there, boss. You juss swallow these aspirins, then lie down on this blanket and git yer some rest. It's juss us now, yer friends, like before. We'll take care of ya," Gravos assured him.
"My friends, yes… I'll lie down now," Val gasped, then sank back into oblivion.
When next he awoke, Val had a whopping headache and was unable to concentrate well.
"Hey, boss. I made ya some soup from a can, but here try eatin' this. It'll make ya feel better," Jillas said in a coaxing manner.
After a bit, Val sank wearily back onto the hard mattress of old blanket. "Thanks… So, where'd yer all come from, or is this just another of my dreams?"
"We was juss in the area," Gravos attempted lamely.
"WE stole the Red Priest's staff and were bringin' here. Some weird dudes promised us a lota hard cash for it. We tried ta get those other swords but… anyway once we get paid we don't need ta do anythin' all year!" Jillas snorted.
"Weird dudes?"
"Yeah, real tall, taller than you and one with blue hair and another with pink. Talked funny too, clan-dudes from Europe, they said. They was snoopin' fer shrine relics and I guess we's famous or somethin' 'cause they found us right away ta do the job," Gravos said with pride.
"Or somethin',' Val mused darkly. He wasn't sure if he was dreaming or not. The whole situation had a supernatural aura about it; the nightmares, trauma, missing comrades, and old ones from the past materializing in the bowels of the mountain.
"So can ya move the arm? No? Here, I've made ya a sling that'll haveta do fer now. Probably need stitches fer the cut on yer head," Jillas commented as he tied the cloth sling around Val's neck.
"So we took the train to some dingus town and bused to the next where we met up with oof!" Gravos choked as Jillas' punch knocked the air out of him.
Jillas did not want Val to know about Xelloss and any possibility of rescue from his current gang. No, he needed this semi-conscious Val to be dependent upon him and help them pull off this caper. They had all worked together well in the pass and this could make their future.
"What he meant was that we hoped at meet up with our foreign dude contacts to conclude this transaction. We have a camp in the mouth of this cave. Who'da thought you'd be trapped down here?" Jillas grinned.
Val shook his head, "So… there's a way out?"
"Yeah, but not in the shape you're in! It's night now and yer not in good shape, boss-dude," Jillas said.
"So's we set up camp closer to ya here and it's only a little ways with a fire and more blankets…" Gravos said. "Want me to help ya move there?"
Val nodded silently and the slow walk to the camp got under way. He ate more and slept all night. It was not the kind of slumber that refreshed or healed, instead, he slept poorly, with feverish dreams that slipped away with the dawn.
At least, he was told it was morning since the gloomy cave remained locked in timeless night.
Outside, a car rattled up the far side of the mountain overlooking the Ancient Clan lands. It was a secret road not marked on the maps and, thankfully for the rider within, perfectly intact.
"This is as far as the road goes, Sir. Are you sure this is where you want me to drop you off?" the chauffeur asked. He didn't often question his fares, but he had formed affection for the tired old gentleman he'd been ferrying all over the country for the past weeks. All he could see was a neglected temple and piles of rock.
"Yes…though, it doesn't appear promising, this is the place," Almayce sighed, squinting around in the early morning sun. He hoped that that Mr. Milgasia fellow hadn't misled him about leaving with the clan kid the other day. They ought to have reached here by now; of course, they hadn't been given the same map. The Clan elder had faxed this one to him specially.
"Would you like me stay…I could accompany you part way… to ensure your safety?" Vurumagen offered.
"Would you? I should like that, young man. I am looking for a cave entrance…should be near here."
"I see it! Here, let me take your arm, there has been an earthquake or something and the path is treacherous!"
"Thank you…" Almayce said, taking the offered arm gratefully. Then the two men plunged into the darkness.
"I hear someone in the tunnel, boss! I'll check it out!" Jillas said. He yanked on Gravos' arm and pushed him on ahead of him. "Could be trouble or…one of them foreign dudes."
Vurumagen and Almayce met the two punks halfway down the tunnel. After a few minutes, Almayce realized that he was dealing with fools and marched past them to find the boy, Val Gaav.
Vurumagen was a chemistry graduate student of Professor Greywords, currently moonlighting as a driver for a summer job. He recalled his mentor telling several funny stories concerning the antics of the 'boys' living under his roof. Yes indeed, Vurumagen had heard of the Val kid before. What was he doing in a place like this? Oh… the guy's hurt. That head injury looks serious and his arm's in a sling and… his eyes are glazed over—drugged maybe?
His thoughts were interrupted by Almayce, "Well, looks like I've come to the right place after all, my good man. I'll be staying here indefinitely so you can go on back to that larger city we passed an hour ago or so and secure us both rooms for the next couple of nights. I may need to do more travelling later."
"Yes, Sir. I'll await your call in the hotel," Vurumagen acknowledged. He turned and retraced his path back to the car.
As soon as he was out of sight, he started to shake. He had seen a tall staff with three loose rings at the point, which was resting against one of the cave walls. That, he was sure, was the Great Red Priest's Staff he'd seen on display in the downtown White Shrine building. Again, Rezo had told him about it and it's origins. He had found the story so intriguing that he'd made several trips to the shrine to view it. So, what was it doing here, hundreds of miles away? Val had been a troubled kid, he knew, and those worthless punks he'd seen in the cave appeared to be up to no good out here. Had Val stolen it? Rezo should be told!
Once he'd driven safely back to an open road, Vurumagen pulled out his cellphone. Dead. Crap. He had to wait until he reached an area with cell towers, at least an hour or two away.
~*~
After stashing the empty cooler and crate in a storage locker at the Outer Clan County train station, Zel and Gourry returned to the all-vegetarian lunch bar. Amelia, Lina, and Filia were hiding the wrapped heirloom weapons under a table and sipping milkshakes.
"Fries are on the way," Lina informed the two boys.
Gourry's hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail in an attempt to contain it the night before on the train ride. Next to him, Filia was nearly unrecognizable without makeup, fresh clothes, or neatly brushed hair.
"I have a tiny brush, Miss Filia. Let me do up your hair," Amelia said cheerfully.
She and Lina appeared a bit wrinkled, but otherwise normal, considering that they had spent the past 20 hours or so on trains from one end of the country to the other.
Zelgadiss was in an optimistic mood. He'd used his credit card for the first time last night to purchase the train tickets for the entire group. Power at his fingertips! The train had been over half empty, so each of them had been able to stretch out on a benchseat and sleep. Well, he had slept. No Zangulus sax blowing in his ear, just the soothing hums and lulling of that repetitive 'thumpety-thump' of the train over the tracks all night.
"So, what's next? Stroll the town askin' for news about some strangers?" Gourry asked.
"We should spread out…" Lina began.
"Check the police station and the hospital," Zel added. "Xelloss and Val usually end up in one of those two places."
Lina gave him a dirty look, "We can't very well carry concealed weapons around town, now can we? Zel, you rent a car. Gourry, go with him and stow the stuff. Filia, this is clan country so you should be able to ask around and see what's up. Amelia, you and I will check the hospital. With your White Shrine Priestess credentials, we should get in. What, Zel?"
"We should stick together this time. It's too hot for me to cover up and the looks I'm getting in here alone… I don't think they'll let me get too far. Gourry could pass for clan, but what if they discover what's in the tarps he's carrying? And we can't keep in touch with the cellphones, remember that. I think it's too risky to be separated," Zel whispered.
"Makes sense. We do stand out around here, don't we? Well, if anyone asks, we're a rock band scouting for a site to film a music video, okay? It's not a complete lie. Then let's go," Lina said.
Gourry and Filia rented a car using Gourry's driver's license and all the cash the kids could come up with. With the relics hidden in the trunk, the kids felt much less conspicuous. As they cruised the main drags, the blackened scar of the blown out police station struck them as first odd, then ominous.
Zel drew as near to the yellow caution tape as possible, then got out and sniffed at some tar-like substance on a crumbled cement block. "Syndicate plastic explosives and ignition fluid, like the stuff used to take down our house. This does not bode well. However, I expect that the hospital should be our next stop, right Lina?"
"Explosions equal damage implies hospital, yeah, Zel," Lina smirked his way.
Again, Filia and Gourry were chosen to make the first contact with the hospital staff. "Milgasia's in there and we can go up and visit!" Filia said breathlessly as she ran out to the car where Lina, Amelia, and Zel were waiting.
"'Bout time we got a break," Lina growled.
Filia stepped in beside Zelgadiss, "Um, sorry, just him. No word about Val or… Xelloss."
"Let's take that as good news, all right?" Zel said in a low voice to mask his rising concern. Something felt very wrong.
Milgasia was beside himself with relief when the kids waltzed in, "Well, you're here so you've found everyone?"
Lina's blank stare and Filia's red eyes told him no. Lina was the first to speak, "Ah, Filia came crying from the settlement about Val getting' lost. Seems Julian's workin' on a search party but we couldn't wait. We also have no idea where to get started either. Gods, what happened to YOU?!"
As Milgasia started sketching out a simple map on the back of his hospital menu, he told them the story of the accident. "… and so, the last I saw of Xelloss, they were sending him off at the emergency door before the sheriff or police could lock him up."
"Well, that's a problem…" Zel sighed as he explained the state in which they found the station headquarters.
"Although… he might have gotten away. Xelloss had Val's car," Milgasia pointed out.
"Or the police may have impounded it…" Zel mused.
"You'll need a tough vehicle like that to cover the rough terrain up toward the temple," Milgasia suggested. "There's another problem we need to discuss quickly. I believe that the Clan Elder knows something about those family heirlooms of yours, boys."
His voice dropped so that even Zel could barely hear him. "Just before coming here, I met with… an operative, named Almayce. The clan Elder called me… He virtually ordered me to aid and abet this Almayce character. He had a strange accent, European of some sort. Anyway, back to the point, this Almayce character was looking for relics, HIS, he called them. Five articles: two swords, one staff, an axe, and a bow, all with clan markings. I think we all know the whereabouts of some of those items."
"You'd be surprised," Zel smirked.
"The Red…staff thingy was stolen," Gourry said.
"Well, I think this Almayce may be responsible," Milgasia said.
"B-but the Clan Elder wouldn't sanction the stealing of these things…would he?" Filia said shakily.
Zel gasped, "Oh, he might…I hadn't thought of this since it happened before the house burned down. Gods…"
"What is it Zel?" Lina shook him a little.
"Val, Xelloss, and I had a meeting with our lawyer, Fribrizzo. He was having a hell of a time clearing Val's inheritance from the Ancient clan through the clan elders. Apparently, he felt that the clan elders were hiding something big and were unwilling to part with any of the wealth, or whatever it might end up being in the end," Zel sputtered out.
"So what has all that got to do with my axe?" asked Lina warily.
"Axe?" Milgasia asked.
"Yeah, Gourry found it in a wood pile when he was fixin' to paint my house…" Lina began.
"And me and Zel checked. The axe, the swords… they all got those funny symbols that kinda match but look different," Gourry finished for her.
"Symbols? If I could have had a look at those, maybe I'd have recognized them," Milgasia said.
"I got better'n that!" Gourry smiled. He pulled out a bundle of carefully folded papers and handed them over to Filia's clan leader. "I did rubbings so we could compare 'em without havin' to carry them around. It's a good thing cause my shoulder's hurtin' from carryin' them soooo…ooooh, shit…" He blushed as he realized everyone was looking at him.
"Oh, please tell me you kids have brought them from Seyruun and have them well hidden,' Milgasia said beseechingly.
Lina nodded.
"Say no more… Gourry, you're a smart kid, making these. Yes, I can see what you were referring to-- similar but different, and definitely part of a set. Now if we only had the staff and bow. This Almayce is looking for these also. He may already have stolen the staff, but the bow… I have no idea about that one." Milgasia leaned into his pillow, eyes closed. "I'm stuck here with two legs in casts…"
Zel turned at a faint sound at the room's door. He hurried to see who it was. He certainly knew how important it was for them to keep their true purpose a secret.
"Don't worry, Mr. Milgasia!" Amelia chirped up. "We'll find Mr. Val and Mr. Xelloss and solve the mystery of the lost relics as well! Because, when you choose the path of righteousness, truth, and justice you will prevail!"
"Ahem, lovely sentiments, Amelia, but would you please get off of the man's bed now? His nurse is here," Zel said in a loud voice to stall further conversation.
A willowy blond nurse smiled and announced 'bath and rest time' for the patient. "You can return between 3 and 8 o'clock tonight."
"Okay, Zel, spit it out. What's with the sly smile?" Lina asked from the crowded back seat.
"There! Can you make out the Suburban, Gourry?" Zel pointed to a cyclone fenced lot, ignoring Lina's question for a second.
"Yep, Val's Suburban. But how're we gonna get it?" Gourry asked.
"I's gots me a plan," Zel grinned. "Lina--which one of you girls weighs the least, you or Amelia?"
After an expected amount of grumbling, mostly from Filia, Amelia won.
"Good, you'll be with me. Now here's what you others do…"
~*~
Xelloss listened purposefully to the plans, his orders, shaking his head. "You MUST be kidding! You expect me to take on the Cephied Clan elder and who the… Volphied's Clan elder as well? I hadn't even heard of the Volphied Clan before! You must have me confused with some other superhero!"
"That's what you're getting paid to do, and you know, darling… I don't kid around with business," the beautiful woman crooned in a low voice.
"And I HAVE told you about all the clan organization in Europe, you just forgot. I am given to understand that a competitive Cephied organization in Europe, under Volphied, is launching an attack on the Ancient clan territories. Apparently, they must think the land's being neglected…The keyword here is -- are you listening, dear? They are operating under the codename OVERWORLDERS. This clan elder, who is known by the name Almayce, is not alone. There are others here besides him…we just don't know who or how many."
"How can that be?" Xelloss smirked. "How can one of your people come up with such worthless information as their F~*&%^$-ing stupid codename and yet… AND YET not manage to know how many F~^(*&%*&-ing criminals are F~(*&^)*&%-ing hanging around?"
Zelas frowned, "Don't you use that foul language around me. Save it for you punk friends. My people gave their lives for that wretched information, so listen up—it's all you'll have to stay alive with out there."
She had him silenced.
"They have already reached Seyruun where they are currently treasure hunting." She smiled.
"Now who's being funny?" he smiled in return, humorlessly.
"As far as I know, they are looking for five ancient relics from the clans. Very old and which when all five are together, have some collective power or…"
"You have been watching The Lord of the Rings, haven't you? You have it all mixed up. The relics are the weapons you use to fight the goblins and the five… you must be referring to the rings of power, though actually it ought to be…" Xelloss said chattily.
"For the love of Shabrinigdo! SHUT UP! This is serious! You know about some of those relics… the Red Priest's Staff is one… Zelgadiss' sword and that Gourry kid's family sword is as well. There is also an axe and a bow…"
Xelloss smiled and mimed tying a large bow tie at his throat.
"…as in bow and arrows. You must gather all the relics in the Ancient Clan settlement," she continued.
"Yes, and defeat numerous clan leaders, outwit my friends, turn Val to the dark side and what else while I'm at it would you like me to do, mother-dear? Get married and provide you with many grandchildren to despoil, I mean, spoil?" he hissed.
He was incensed with the whole thing. He resented having to owe his own mother a 'job' and felt that he'd simply be throwing his life away again on a half-baked plan with scant intelligence and faulty expectations.
"If you'd rather, I could send you packing to your crazy aunt's hideaway. I'm told the Dauphin D.S keeps a stunning stable of young eunuchs. And she's always looking for a new one," she snapped.
Xelloss blanched.
Zelas returned to her briefing. "The syndicate in Europe has an upstart competitor which has taken an interest in these Volphied people. They are funded by Shabrinigdo's bastard brother…known only by the codename… DARKSTAR."
She took a drag on her smoldering cigarette, then snuffed it out on the bottom of her hip boot. "All right, the codenames are crap, I'll give you that, but hear me out. WE must get the relics first, before we attract that organization to Seyruun as well."
"So, armed with all this terribly fascinating information, which simply by being acquired brought death to the agents, I am supposed to do what exactly? Oh, and am I expected to survive? Really, so how do you propose I go about pulling off this caper and living to tell you about it later, hmmm?" Xelloss smirked. "Or are you going to keep that all a secret?"
Zelas contemplated her son for a moment. When had he developed into such an independent, outspoken, and disrespectful young man? Lina and those other kids were to blame, obviously, although, she admired his boldness and daring as well. And not so young anymore… his shoulders were wide and hard muscles moved beneath his shirt. His eyes had lost that furtiveness. He was a man finally and with some work, he'd take his place in the syndicate soon. The openings were there.
~*~
Lina, Gourry, and Filia were affecting a rock band persona testing out the local police car impound lot for a video recording. There were only two attendants, both young men and both very bored, until now. Lina put on a 'cute' act that entranced one of the men who'd never seen a tiny redhead like her before. The other young officer couldn't keep his eyes off Filia, truly a long-legged clan-girl from the city. Gourry kept up the charade as best he could, sneaking a peek at Zel's progress from time-to-time.
Earlier, Zelgadiss had whipped out a pair of wire clippers from the back of the rental car, and now was clipping the fencing from the ground to a few inches of the top, avoiding a security wire running the circumference of the lot. Amelia watched his back for trouble. She could hear Lina and Filia break into a song, but from their crouched position, her friends weren't visible.
"Amelia," Zel whispered. "Now, I'm going to bend this back a little and crawl under and over to the car. I won't have any problem breaking into the car, but getting it started might set off an alarm. Whether or not it does, by the time I've run through the fence, I'll have set off at least one security notification. I want you out of here and far away by then. Remember where we parked the rental? You're to meet the other's there. "
"So why did it matter how much I weighed?" Amelia asked.
"It didn't. I just used that as an excuse to have you over here," he answered.
Hers eyes went wide. He wanted me by his side?
"Listen, take this," he said as he handed her an envelope from the train station. "It's a ticket back to Seyruun, some cash, my lawyer's number, and a quick sketch of the way back from here to the station, in case you weren't paying attention."
She refused to touch it, and looked at him hard, "I'm not abandoning our friends, or you."
Zel sighed, "Amelia, I made a promise to your father not to let you get into trouble. He trusts me to keep my word. You know what that means to him, don't you? By now, he may have discovered that you're not with Nahga and that Lina has taken off with Gourry and me. He'll be worried to death. You know that, Amelia. He won't let us…do things together any more. Maybe not let you stay with the band. Understand?"
"B-but the others? What about them?"
"I can't do this alone. Gourry's an adult and must make his own decisions now. Filia is clan and will be safe around here, most likely. Lina, well, she has only her sister's wrath to face, and that's her business. Besides, Gourry won't let her get hurt. But you…the mayor of Seyruun has no jurisdiction here, you know. Amelia… look at me. You know I'm right about all this. If there's trouble, we'll need help and knowing you are safe and on the way to bring us that help will be the only hope I'll have, understand? Please? I'm so worried about Val and Xelloss, I don't want your name added to that list…" his voice cracked.
Amelia was floored. "Okay…"
Zelgadiss was amazed. She's going to agree?
"It will cost you, " Amelia smiled.
Oh joy… She's learning from Lina. Zel sighed.
Swiftly, she fell onto him, one hand intertwining into his hair, the other slithering around his neck holding him in place, then kissed him.
"Huh?" Zel thought. Suddenly he found his arms full of soft little Amelia and his lips in firm contact with hers. Whoa… he relaxed a bit, his lips softening, and felt her body fill in the gaps some more.
What's that pounding sound? Oh? It's dark! No, my eyes are shut. When did they do that? Good thing time's stopped for everyone…
"Mr. Zelgadiss?"
That pounding's coming from me? Am I dying? No, I heard my name, didn't I?
"Zelgadiss?"
No definitely NOT dying. Eyes. Open. Now!
"Zel, breathe!"
His eyelids fluttered open… and he drew a deep breath.
"Go on. I know you can do it! But, just in case, I'll be ready to run, like you said," Amelia smiled and backed away.
"Ah, yes, well, um…" Zel nodded, clearing his head slightly. Stealing the car, idiot, that's what's going on here. He would have chastised himself further, but time was of the essence. "All right, here goes…"
As he slithered through the small opening and parted the fence slightly up to the security wire, Amelia scampered out of sight and waited. He crawled along the ground to the car, then withdrew his lock-pick set and fiddled a moment or two. With a sigh of relief, he silently opened the car door and sneaked into the driver's seat. A quick glance to the side and he spotted Amelia. She gave him a thumbs up sign, turned and ran off.
Good girl.
He used his last trick and gave the car a start. The engine purred to liveliness—no alarm. He threw it into reverse and yanked the steering wheel hard to the right. The tires squealed and threw up dust as the car whipped around. He kicked in the clutch, put it into first gear, and stepped on the gas. Roaring with power, the car tore through the loosened fencing, over the curb and down the street before the officers had time to realize a crime was being committed right under their noses.
Filia and Lina screamed, pretending to be shocked by the noises. Gourry yelled at them to 'get away from that manic before he runs us over!' and led them out of sight toward their rendezvous spot at the rental car. Zelgadiss swung the Suburban alongside the rental, popped the trunk and loaded the tarp-wrapped weapons into the back of the Suburban. Amelia sprang from the sidewalk and hurled herself into the backseat just as Gourry literally tossed Filia and Lina in through the other door. He flew into the passenger's seat beside Zel as the car swung out onto the highway.
The officers at the impoundment lot were trying to figure out what car was missing. Someone must have neglected to enter the identification number of that vehicle correctly on the inventory sheet, or the sheet was an old one. Damn, someday they could sure use one of those automatic computer-updating databases, huh?
~*~ End, Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special, Part Eight. ~*~
