The Slayers: Lina Zelgadiss Xelloss Gourry Amelia Val Filia Sylphiel

~*~ Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special! ~*~

Part Ten

"I think we should hurry, Lina," Zelgadiss recommended. "The map shows a room off over this way by that wall."

"But it's just a wall," Amelia said as she knocked on the solid-looking wall.

Gourry kicked at it a few times. "It's not like that other one. Ah, Zel? Look at this." He pointed out a small metal plate with faint engravings a foot above Gourry's head.

"Yes! Markings like we've found on the handles of the sword. Good, Gourry. So now, how do we turn this into a room?" Zel asked.

With a lunge and a swipe, Lina sent her massive axe blasting through the wall, exposing the hidden room on the other side.

"Shit!" Zel yelled nearly jumping out of his skin. "Lina! What are you thinking!"

"She's very…" Gourry began.

"Destructive!" Zel gasped.

"Noisy!" Filia cried out.

"Clever and resourceful!" Amelia chirped.

Lina glared at Gourry, "And you were going to say?"

"Um…you're very strong…to break through that wall…and all," Gourry added warily.

"Damned straight!" she grinned and slapped him cordially on the back. "Wanna crack at it?"

She stepped back gallantly to allow Gourry room to swing his huge sword.

Thwack! Crash!

His sword split through the plasterboard, slicing the two-by-fours, and bringing down most of the temporary wall.

"Didn't leave much for you to finish up," Zel smirked at Lina as he stepped over a hunk of wall and into the small chamber. "Lina, it-it's here!"

Everyone squeezed into the small chamber to look. There was a sealed case on a slightly raised platform in the center on the room. In it lay a huge wooden hunting bow decorated with ancient script and symbols.

"WOW…."

"Wow, indeed," Zelgadiss smiled. He attempted to open the lid, but it was sealed with a magnetically- encoded lock.

"Ah, this has got to be at least twenty years old. It shouldn't be any trouble at all for me to figure out," he said in response to Lina' digs. "Now, stop poking me."

But it wasn't Lina doing the poking. The Cephied Supreme Clan Elder stood in the doorway.

"Um, I think ya need at come out and talk to this guy, Zel," Gourry said in a low voice. Beside him, Lina and Amelia were silent in their disbelief that anyone could have found them here. Filia appeared on the verge of tears or hysteria or fainting or all three.

"I see you have brought the Ancient weapons with you, children…and found the hidden one. Very well, I'll take those now…" he said forebodingly.

"That is unlikely, Sir," said a singsong voice familiar to the kids. "The 'children', as you call them, out-number you, and I can out-fight you!"

~*~

After making sure his friends had made it past the immediate subterranean passageways, Xelloss climbed back out into the sun. Val was moving slightly so he took the opportunity to check his temperature, help him to down some liquids.

"Any chance I might get some food?" Val gasped, trying to smirk at the same time. His hand moved to brush away soft locks of green hair from his face, and passed across his forehead. "What's this? Ouch!"

"That is the nastiest cut I've seen in awhile. I bandaged it okay, but it's swollen," Xelloss answered. "Here, take this. It's more antibiotics. I can't get your temperature to stay down so you might have some other wound that's infected. Any pain?"

"Ya gotta be kiddin'… Everythin' hurts! I know what yer getting' at though. Yeah, this arm that's not movin' and the shoulder…that's the worst. And, well, it's hot out here, even in the shade."

"Hot, but relatively clean. Those caves and tunnels are damp and dirty," Xelloss muttered. "You were given some heavy duty drugs before, but I can tell your metabolism is working through those some. You are…coherent now."

"Oh yeah? What's that smile about? I talk in my sleep or something'?"

Xelloss shook his head, "Not really."

"So, where're my clothes? What are these awful things I have on?"

"Your clothes were damaged. Those are the best Gravos and Jillas could come up with, I'm afraid. Tighten the rope if you need to for the pants and the…shirt…I don't know what to say," Xelloss smiled.

"Gravos…Jillas… I kinda remember hearin' their voices but I keep getting' stuff mixed with my dreams. Ya know, I gotta get my hair outta my face! Why's it not spiked up?" Val asked tugging at the wayward locks again.

"Here use this strip of black cloth and tie it like a head band. Here, I'll do it. I did this to my hair for Karate all the time," Xelloss offered.

"You did it, right?"

"Hmmm? There, better? You can see anyway…" Xelloss smiled.

"Yer e-va-ding my questions, Xelloss," Val growled. "I hope it was you and not one of those creeps with their hands all over me."

"Ah, well, in that case…yes. Guilty as charged. You needed first aid and there was no one else and…" Xelloss began nervously.

"Yer always was kinda fin-i-kee, Xelloss…but it's okay, man. If it wasn't fer you I'd be dead. And it kinda explains one of those dreams," Val closed his eyes in a grimace of pain. "Ugh! Got anything in there ta knock me out again?"

Happy to change topics, Xelloss pawed through his shoulder knapsack, "Yes, in a way. Mild painkillers, but with that fever, you'll be back to sleeping in a few minutes. You can swallow these with…"

Val silenced him with a grab to his throat, "What's with this thing? Syndicate pendant? That how you got fixed up with all this medical crap and all? You with them again? Ha! And here I though you were one of the smart ones! Why the f~$#^%* did you go and get in with those thugs again?"

"Ha, ha! I guess I'm not so smart, Val. After I was thrown in jail for being 'different' and about to be charged with attacking Milgasia…Oh, that, well, I'd managed to get him down the hill…in your car. Yes, it's okay, or was… I'm getting to that! I drove somehow to the hospital and the emergency personnel accepted him but chased me off, cut, bruised and irrational enough to keep several doctors busy! I didn't get much further than to a phone booth and I left a few messages, which must have gotten through to someone because Lina and Gourry and Amelia and Zelgadiss and Filia…" he paused, breathless.

"Filia? She's HERE?" Val gasped.

"Yes, she found us up here and knows you're…alive, anyway. So the police or whoever they were cuffed me and threw me in a cell. That, by the way, was the last time I saw your Suburban. Ah… oh, yes, I was rotting away in the cell. I had managed to pass out at the sight of my own blood, but eventually I recovered and I demanded a telephone call to the shrine. You know, or may not, that the White Shrine priests have that agreement with the clan, but…I chose a different approach which I will pay for but got me to this point."

"So you called someone in the syndicate, and they picked you up, fixed you up, and now…you're under new orders, I figure, huh?" Val asked.

"Yes."

"Like, from who…and what?"

"Oh, Val…you know that that's a secret, right?" Xelloss said, but didn't smile.

"So yer not helping' Lina? What about Zel? Ain't he yer best friend? Didn't you make him some promises not far back? I remember, if yer havin' memory problems," Val said in a low voice.

"Val, I hope you sleep through the rest of this fiasco. I wish I could change so many things. You and I may be opposing forces soon, and I'd hate that. I promise, Val, that no matter what I do or say, I'll not hurt any of you, my friends, okay?" Xelloss whispered and eyes open wide looking frantic for acceptance from this friend.

"Okay? I got no idea what yer talkin' bout now, so I can't agree at nothing'. Ahhhhh, I think that pain stuff's kickin' in now. Gotta rest…Oh and yer got the scariest eyes. No wonder ya close'em most of the time…" Val murmured as he fell back into a stupor.

"Me scary? You should talk," Xelloss smiled and pulled the quilt over Val's chest. "Now, I wonder what kind of trouble Lina's gotten the rest of them into by now?"

~*~

Xelloss heard the approach of another helicopter as he left Val's side, "That can't be good…" he said under his breath. "Just what I need, more powerful people happy to murder me. Better see who this one is and where he's going."

He was surprised to find the Supreme Clan Elder emerging from the helicopter and trotting, bent in half beneath the rotating blades, to a well hidden cave entrance not far from the temple. "Interesting…" Xelloss thought, "Interesting that he should know his way around here."

Xelloss followed clandestinely, slipping into shadows and escaping notice until they entered the Ancient clan library and hall of records. "Ah, so Lina's been here," Xelloss mused as he noticed the hacked up wall, then heard the familiar voices of his friends. "Oh, so he thinks he can just waltz in and take the relics, eh? Well now…"

"… Very well, I'll take those now…" the Supreme Elder said forebodingly.

"That is unlikely, Sir," Xelloss said in his peculiar lilt. "The 'children', as you call them, out-number you and I can out-fight you!"

"YOU?!"

"Yes, may I introduce myself…"

"I know you, Xelloss Metallium, son of syndicate filth…"

"Actually, my mother was very hygienic, but I won't argue the point about my birth father, since I didn't know him that well…" Xelloss smiled teasingly.

"Shut up! Now tell me, how is it that you are here, and Milgasia and that young…Val was it? Where are they? Milgasia was supposed to report in days ago!" the Supreme Elder grumbled.

"Milgasia was reporting to you?" Zelgadiss interrupted. "Did you know anything about that, Xelloss?"

"Of course he wouldn't!" the Supreme Elder in turn interrupted. "Even Milgasia knew nothing of my plans."

Xelloss twirled his staff like a baton then chuckled. "I'm curious. Why is it that you knew where to come, to find this place, but didn't bother to tell Milgasia? Come to think about it… How is it you know so much about the Ancient's secrets, their temple, it's tunnels…hidden relics…hmmm?"

"I am here to stop you, all of you! I have kept many secrets from the young clan leader, Milgasia, and others--including my knowledge of the hiding place of the Ancient's treasured relic. I didn't even tell Almayce about it…in order to stop his advance." The Supreme Elder collected his thoughts a moment.

"Almayce? What's all this about? Why would you keep secrets from your leadership?" Filia spoke up.

"Almayce is my…is in an equivalent position to mine in a European offshoot called the Overworlders. They follow the teachings of Volphied, brother to Cephied. I do not want Almayce's people to get inroads into the Ancient clan area here," the Supreme Elder said. He stood proud and ready to defend his position at any time.

"…and it will be the Cephied Golden clan who will take the heat of pushing Almayce out," Xelloss added smugly. He applied emphasis to the word 'Golden'.

"That's a rather nasty way of going about your business, letting one branch of your organization do the dirty work, while you appear uninvolved," Lina spoke up. "Reminds me of that obnoxious little syndicate kid, Phibrizzo, until he went nuts and got personally involved. Like you are. Yeah, you're making the same mistake as that little nutcase. You're here and getting in MY way and messing with MY friends!"

"GoldenGolds…Lina, that journal you were reading!" Zelgadiss suddenly blurted out.

"Oh, My! Lina! That's right! The Ancients were afraid of attack by people they called the 'Golds'!" Amelia cried out.

"Oh, no… those are MY people!" Filia protested. "We are a peaceful clan! We'd NEVER attack another clan…anyone like that!"

Supreme elder drew himself to his fullest height.

"I bet that there's a story just dying to come out!" Xelloss chuckled.

"Oh…" Filia continued to moan. Xelloss moved to her side to support her as she swayed from the blow.

"The Goal is to preserve the peace. We must pull together to keep the syndicate out…and other clans from encroaching on our clans' fortune, like this Almayce character who is demanding we turn over the weapons to his organization!" The Supreme Elder roared, ignoring the fact that Filia was in shock, reeling from the sudden impact of his words, and of what her friends were insinuating.

"This is getting us no where!" Xelloss pronounced. "I want that weapon and I bet that YOU know the code to remove the locking device, right?"

"Not on your worthless life," the tall serious man boomed.

Without warning, Xelloss whipped his staff across Filia's neck, and held it firmly in both hands. She flung up her arms and tried shoving the choking staff away, but to no avail. He was far stronger than her. "Now, Supreme Elder, how do you treasure your people, hmmm? How about I kill this clan girl, an Ul Copt family member of high rank? Is her life so worthless to you? How about I release her in return for access to that last relic, okay?"

"Xelloss!" shouted his friends in horror.

The Supreme Elder shouted, "Go ahead! No one person is of more value than that which is for the good of the whole! NO! Only the Golds may have the power!"

"Well then, I guess I have no choice! Xelloss smiled. "I'll just have to…"

~*~

Almayce knew that the problem at hand was getting increasingly complex every minute. "Sirius and Erulogos, that company of young clansmen you spotted in the ruins below. Get rid of them, now!"

Erulogos scratched his head, ran his fingers through his spiky blue hair, and grinned, "On it, Sir! With pleasure!"

Sirius bowed and followed in silence. He wasn't the bloodthirsty killer his older brother was, but he knew that he couldn't fail his master again. No, Almayce had his limits as well. He'd better do his job, follow orders, and hope that Almayce would keep him and his brother in his employment. Just get this over with, distasteful as it was…

Almayce's two thugs ran through the subterranean tunnels to a hidden exit, which opened very near the man they believed to be in charge of the search party. As soon as Julian appeared, Erulogos dove out of the shadows and slammed the end of his gun at the young man's temple.

"Say your prayers to Cephied. You're gonna die!" Erulogos hissed in his ear.

Julian froze.

"I dunna think yer outta pull that trigger," said a voice with an Irish accent from a little to the left and behind him, Detective McGywn.

"Yer the law? I know you won't just shoot me in cold blood," the blue-haired man uttered through gritted teeth.

"Well, that may or may not be so, but ya see, that young woman holding the gun to yer head is a Knight of Cephied and she's notoriously trigger-happy."

Luna gave the man a leering grin and cocked the gun in her hand. "That's right…and right now, I'm feeling mighty happy that I found you again!"

Sirius stepped back into the gloom. He had been a few lengths behind his brother in the tunnel and was obscured by the dark and the turn in the path. He had to think. He didn't know who the adversary was, but his brother's life was in their hands at the moment. One false move would end more than their short careers this time. The rock overhang was aged with loose stones tumbling and bouncing down the mountain. He aimed his gun, catching just the right angle would be critical, if he was to bring down a sizable enough rockslide to stop the men scaling the cliffs and rugged trail. He held his breath, reached out to grab hold of Erulogos, aimed, and fired in rapid succession.

The mountain rumbled, crumbled, and slid…

~*~

"Mr. Xelloss! No! You can't! She's your friend! Don't hurt her!" Amelia cried.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to…" Xelloss smiled. "…try torture!"

Gasps!

He knew that he must think of some way to break that encoded lock and free the sealed weapon. If he could just buy Zelgadiss some time or annoy everyone and trick them into attacking the lock together.

"Ah, Xelloss? Ya better not hurt her," Gourry said in a low voice. "She's never done anythin' to ya." He raised his mammoth sword deliberately.

Filia had been unable to speak, with Xelloss' staff jammed up against her windpipe. As he released some of the pressure, she gasped for breath and snapped, "Get your disgusting, loathsome hands off of me you creep!"

"Well, at least MY family didn't murder thousands of innocent Ancient clansmen down to the last man, woman, and child... well, all but ONE child. Will you be telling Val or shall I, Fil-i-a?" Xelloss smiled evilly. "Oh, you have put it all together now haven't you? You know now that all the Cephied Golden clans killed the Ancients out of greed. Somehow, these relics have clues to the Ancient Clan's treasures and directions or maps of the oil and mineral reserves beneath Dragon Valley. Those were supposed to be resources shared by ALL the clans, but when the Ancient's broke off from the rest, they took their wealth and their secrets and hid them carefully."

"Ooooo, stop being so cruel! How do you KNOW all of that? How do you know that it's the truth?!" cried Amelia.

"That's ENOUGH!" Lina yelled in a shrill voice.

Zelgadiss meanwhile noticed that all the attention was drawn to Xelloss, and so focused on breaking the code on the lock. He knew that Xelloss had the story right, that Zelas must have filled him in on the nasty details, as the syndicate knew them anyway. He concentrated on the task at hand, blocking out the altercation around him.

Further conversation, however, was stifled by the sounds of footsteps thundering up the tunnel to the record room.

Having freed Erulogos, Sirius knew that he must report back immediately to Almayce. "Sir!" he shouted breathlessly, then stood at attention alongside his brother at the entrance to the records room.

Almayce turned toward the tall pink and blue haired men, "Problem solved?"

Erulogos nodded, "Golden party trapped in a landslide along with their knight and some police dude."

"Luna!" Lina gasped.

"Julian!" Filia wailed at the same time. In her frenzy, she struggled free of Xelloss' clench.

"I'll make a deal with you, " Almayce said to Lina.

"Deal?! DEAL?! I don't do deals with murderers! These are OUR weapons, got that? We found this one, too. We're taking them, our friends, and everything that's owed them and leaving!" Lina hollered.

The Supreme Elder noticed Zel hard at work on the lock. That wouldn't do. He hauled back his staff and brought it down hard. Lina caught his first movements out of the corner of her eye and whirled her axe aimed to chop off his blow.

"Zel-gaaaaaa-dissssss!" Amelia screamed and leaped at his hunched form, knocking him out of the way seconds before the axe would have chopped off his right hand.

Gourry caught Lina, who was way off-balance from the heavy axe. "Here, Lina, I'll take that…" He yanked at the axe. Its blade was embedded in the lid of the box so that when he pulled it free, the broken lock beneath was revealed.

"AH, HA!" Lina exclaimed and grasped the ancient bow by its center. "Mine too!"

"Ah…or mine?" Xelloss smiled with a hand on the bow as well.

"I don't know what's got into you, Mr. Xelloss, but you have no right to treat Miss Filia so mean or lay claim to this!" Amelia cried out.

Gourry and Xelloss faced off with the much taller young man shoving the shorter one away from Lina. "It belongs to Val, if anyone. Now, keep your hands off Lina," Gourry growled menacingly.

"I don't think I'm your biggest concern," Xelloss whispered his voice raspy.

It was Almayce's turn to grab the bow and attempt to twist it out of Lina's tight grasp. The Supreme Elder stopped him with a blow from a 2x4 broken loose from the breached wall.

"Argh!" Almayce moaned, blood seeping from the head wound.

"Sir!" Sirius shouted and caught the collapsing man. "Erulogos, help me get him to safety. Forget these people. We still have one of the weapons so they can't do anything without our cooperation!"

"I won't bargain with these…kids!" growled Erulogos. He kicked his boss hard to make his point. "Die, old man. I will gather the weapons of the ancients and solve the mystery of the lost treasures, alone if I must. Anything to trap DARKSTAR here and be done with it…"

Lina was about to clobber him in the face, when Xelloss slipped up behind her, grabbed hold of the tall, sleek bow, and knocked her senseless with a well-placed karate-chop. "Forgive me, dearest Lina," he whispered, then ran like hell out of the room.

"After him!"

Sirius thought of Xelloss as a possible ally, and so, placed himself and the unconscious Almayce in the passageway, blocking the way. Erulogos drew his gun. "Get moving!" he shouted to his brother over a shoulder. "Follow him!"

"You…you are an evil, ruthless man," the Supreme Elder snarled. "I never should have allowed your people into this territory. If it is true…if you have brought DARKSTAR to this place as well, then I hope you all rot in the seven hells of…"

Blam!

"You are a hypocrite and deserve death!" Erulogos shouted in defense then fired his gun; the bullet smashed into the Supreme Elder's upper chest.

"OH! My GODS!" Filia wailed. "Help him somebody, help him!" She knelt over the bleeding body protectively, while Zelgadiss ripped at the fallen man's clothes.

"Filia, take this wad of shirt and press, press HARD there …stop the bleeding," Zel instructed.

"They're getting away!" Amelia cried out as if coming out of a dream.

"Yeah, well they can't go far, dragging that Almayce character around…" Lina spat. She was angry. "What is Xelloss up to anyway? He was like some weird stranger wearing his skin. Think he's finally gone bonkers?"

Gourry stood partially in shock. The summer had begun so well. Camping, swimming, music… All friends having fun, being screwy teenagers for a change, normal. Now what? What had happened to Val, to Xelloss? Two men were dying, right in front of his eyes! And Luna! That was Lina's big sister! And Julian, Filia's cousin, and all the others! What had happened to them? Surely not buried under tons of rock?! Well, one thing was for certain, he was going to protect his Lina, and his remaining friends, no matter what.

Gourry looked down and into Lina's ruby eyes. She'd just asked him a question, but he hadn't heard. He pulled her close, held her tightly, and felt her trembling. "Lina…" was all he could say.

Filia was near to hysteria. "We have to find Julia! He can't have been k-killed! I just know he's safe somewhere! We have to go look for him NOW! Luna…the Knight of Cephied…she's with him. She'll save them…all of us! Come on!"

Groans…

The Supreme Elder of all the clans under Cephied turned his glazed eyes toward the beautiful, weeping girl. "Foolish girl…I would have killed them all too…just for those Ancient's weapons…for the bow alone…"

In a single violent act, Filia tore the pendant, her symbolic link with her clan, from her neck and flung it at the old man's feet. "I reject you! I reject the clan…everything! EVERYTHING!" she screamed and cried and cried.

To Gourry, it was one of the most terrible moments he had witnessed to date. Amelia wrapped her arms around Filia's neck and cried along with her, her words of comfort muffled by the soft folds of her light cotton blouse. Lina met Zel's eyes in tortured anguish, "What are we gonna do?"

~*~

Xelloss ran until nearly breathless, he climbed out into the late afternoon sun. Sun. It was still day? The same day? You could lose all track of time down there in the tunnels…

"Val! Val!"

"Huh? Oh…you, yeah…Jillas brought me some water and a shirt. Look at this stupid thing. Looks like he ripped it off some kid in marchin' band, and about two sizes too small!" Val said spreading out his arms to show off the too-short sleeves.

"Just stay put. You shouldn't have moved that arm either, idiot! Where'd Beavis and Butt-head go to?" Xelloss asked as he set down both his staff and the large bow.

"Lookin' fer you, they said. There was another earthquake, er somethin' and they went out on search. Hey, where d'ya get that awesome bow?"

"Stole it from Lina."

"Oooo, that's gonna come back at yer, ya know," Val grinned and winced in pain soon after.

"Oh, I know it! Say, you haven't noticed another helicopter buzzing around, have you?" Xelloss asked.

"Yeah, came over real high and left not long ago. Circlin' maybe. Who's next?" Val's expression turning serious as he recognized fear in the eyes of his friend.

"Could be good or bad. Help or a delegation from the syndicate's competition from overseas. Looks like you're Mr. Popularity. Everyone want's a part of you!" Xelloss smiled briefly. "…or me…I'll try and stop him, if it's him…DARKSTAR."

"DARKSTAR? Sounds like STARWARS movie crap, Xelloss. This for real, dude?"

"He is. I don't know who he is, but mother does and she was spooked…Oh…" Xelloss gasped.

"Mother? Zelas? You mean to tell me that witch isn't dead…yet? And you've seen her and…" Val's face colored with anger.

"Yes…" Xelloss whispered. "Now you're as good as dead…no one should know… I must be slipping, to have let that get through."

"Maybe yer imperfect and need some help," Val said gravely.

They were interrupted by the intrusive presence of Sirius and Erulogos dragging Almayce into the light. Across Almayce's torso, was the staff of the Red Priest.

"He's dead," Sirius said simply. He carefully arranged the Volphied leader's limbs and covered his face with the hood of his cloak.

Ignoring his brother, Erulogos launched into Xelloss immediately. Stabbing a finger into his face he sneered aggressively, "You. Tell me why I shouldn't just let DARKSTAR come and take over this place! We'll get clear of here, keep the weapons and figure out what the big mystery is 'bout them. Let him conquer this wasteland and leave us in Europe alone for awhile! Doesn't his being here help your cause? Aren't you all about corruptin' the clan?"

Xelloss stepped back and pushed the offending digit away. "The Syndicate wants to destroy DARKSTAR, too. If he comes, he will not stop here, but will encroach on all our territories as well, MY territories. That makes it personal. I can help you stop DARKSTAR."

Sirius lurched forward. "I think Volphied was nearly absorbed by the DARKSTAR organization. There's no reason to believe that he won't return and finish the job someday and so we must destroy DARKSTAR here and now! He's too dangerous to the entire world! I accept his help, Erulogos. I think you should too."

Sirius lifted the beautiful Red Priest's staff from the stiffening body of his passing leader.

Val looked at his friend and saw only death.

"Here," Xelloss said, his voice husky with tension. "Val, this one's yours." He gently scooted the bow within Val's long reach.

Sirius solemnly handed over the Red priest's staff to Xelloss, "You say you're a priest? Then this must be yours."

~*~

"I said that we shoulda stayed and waited for the boss, that's all," Gravos groaned.

"Yeah? And maybe we are the one's who'll find him buried under rock like our other boss? This mountain's about to come down on all of us, I bet," Jillas added to cover the fear creeping into his voice.

Groans…

"Maybe yer right! I hear voices down that way," Gravos shouted and they changed directions again.

"Yeah, a bunch of folks…should we help 'em?" Jillas asked.

"Hey, its that cop that's friends with da boss!" Gravos shouted.

Of course, he had arrested both these kids before, but what was past was past. "Hey!" McGywn shouted. "Help me with the little lady here. I think Everyone else is gonna be okay too. Gravos? Is that you? I dunna wanna think what yer doin' here, but if yer help us here, it'll look good for ye in the future."

"Ah…I think I hear that Lina chick around the corner," Jillas chirped excitedly. "I'll see if they wanna help too!" He spun on one heal and took off like lightening.

Gravos chuckled, "I think he's still afraid yer gonna lock 'em up every chance ya git!"

"Who says I'm not!" McGywn chuckled back.

~*~

"We're going to find Val," Lina said with determination seeping from her pores. "Then Xelloss."

"Right!" Gourry agreed.

"Okay…" Amelia said hesitantly. She looked askance at Zelgadiss.

"Fine." That was it. "There's nothing more I can do for this man. Unless we can get a helicopter to haul him out soon, he's gone. Let's go and see if we can end this now," Zel muttered and helped Filia out the door behind Lina and Gourry.

"Come on, Amelia," he said in a near whisper. "We can't save him staying here any longer."

Amelia nodded and followed obediently, if not finally disheartened.

The somber group followed a trail Gourry and Zel had marked earlier that day hoping it would take them eventually upwards to where Val had last been seen. Filia kept lagging behind, and so Lina decided to give her a little pep talk.

"Filia, can I pass along a little advice from my big sis?" Lina ventured.

Filia looked down at Lina. Oh, she'd forgotten how deeply worried Lina must be over her sister's…disappearance! "What? Oh, yes, please, Lina."

Lina grabbed her arm and started to pull her along at a faster pace to join up with the others. "Sis always told me that girls must be cheerful and not dwell on past… so smile and be hopeful!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAH, HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Jillas shouted. "Stop! You may go no further!"

"AAAAAAAH!" Amelia and Filia screamed in surprise.

"You know where Val is?" Filia cried out. "Take us there now! You've been so kind to him. I'll be forever in your debt!"

"Ah, Filia," Lina said making a face. "He's just a stupid little troublemaker…"

"Well I was going to take you to a bunch of dudes that were lookin' fer you!" Jillas said becoming surly.

"Oh, please?" Filia sidled up to him and poured on the charm.

Zel swallowed hard and looked at Gourry. Gourry communicated with his eyes, sending those messages, "He's sunk."

Zel nodded, "He never had a chance," in silent agreement.

"Yup, he's lost."

"All over for that poor sucker," Zel nodded the corner of his mouth curling up faintly.

"Yup," Gourry shook his head.

Jillas melted under Filia's warm smile and sank beneath her arm draped easily over his shoulder. "Yeah, they're all over here. That police dude, a woman with dark hair and a really loud voice, and a bunch of big blonde dudes that just missed getting' brained by a load'a rocks! Come on, I'll show ya! Oh, and Val's not far off either. I can take you to him and the other boss dudes," Jillas added dutifully.

Lina 'Nahga laughed', "Oh! Ho ho ho ho ho ho hoooooooo!"

"Miss Lina! No! Stop that, I just HATE that noise!" Amelia yelled. "I think he means he found your sister!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know…" Lina smiled, relief flooding her features.

~*~

"Now, you say that young Val Gaav lad is okay and here?" McGywn asked. He was not afraid to lean on Gravos a bit for cooperation at this point.

"Ah, er…um…Well, since you're the friend of da boss, I guess it's okay to take ya that way. Not far, just take the path that goes up there. Ah, you okay, lady? Wanna arm up?" Gravos asked Luna.

"Thanks, kid, but I'm just bruised. You know where Lina Inverse is?" Luna asked.

"I've seen her here. Jillas, he'll bring her an' her friends along," Gravos said between pants. He'd been doing more running in the tunnels than in the entire course of his sorry previous year.

"And Xelloss?" she pressed.

"Oh, um…he's got himself fixed up pretty good and is in charge of things from the syndicate end…or…um, I don't know that yer supposed ta know that or nothin'…" Gravos clamped up and shared no more information with anyone. Having either Xelloss or Val on his bad side could not be good. Withholding information from the police was a serious misdemeanor as well, but not life threatening. Decision made, he said no more for the time being.

He continued to lead the group of Milgasia's clansmen, Luna and McGywn slowly toward the temple above ground. The party was in various states of injury, but having declared that they must stick together for safety sake, they staggered and limped along.

Lina's crew reached the temple first, after convincing Jillas to take them there directly and not detour to reunite with Gravos.

"Okay, now that I AM HERE I want you to listen up!" Lina shouted to the amazement of the two Overworlders standing alongside Xelloss.

Val was off to the side nearest to the back cave entrance, from which Almayce had once entered alive, hearty and hale. Now, Almayce lay covered in the shade, while the semi-erect Val sat stiffly poised. Holding the Ancient bow for which at least one life had been paid, Val gazed malevolently at Erulogos. When Lina and company appeared his jaw dropped. Shit! Did she have nerves of steel or what?

The rest of her announcement was cut short by a deafening roar and the blasts of clouds of dust and rocks as the reverberation of helicopter rotaries fanned the air. Everyone scurried to the innermost edges of the temple to escape the concussive forces at work as the helicopter landed in the central open court. It hovered momentarily like an oversized insect with reflective, mirrored eyes, hiding the riders inside, then finding the location suitable, settled down at last to rest. One look at the temple area now, and it was clear that this spot had always been intended as landing pad. As the rotors slowed to a steady thuwmp, thwump, a door opened.

Everyone squinted and shielded their eyes from looking directly into the setting sun, but even so, the dust was too thick to make out who had climbed out of the contrivance. The figure stepped nimbly out into the open, then intentionally moved toward Val Gaav.

"DARKSTAR…" gasped Sirius. "We must all work together now."

"Not to my liking, but…I can see no way around it now that he has arrived," grumbled Erulogos.

Materializing out of the billowing haze came a man more menacing than his modest appearance forebode. He was a lean man of average height, Asian features-- not European, amazingly—wearing an expensive black suit. His gray hair cut short in front, just grazing the crisp, white shirt collar in back. DARKSTAR looked serious, and deadly. The Overworlders' words had barely escaped their lips before he made his move on Val. Clearly, he had found the person of interest! In a blur, he yanked Val off his feet and held a slim, black gun nozzle to his jaw.

"Give me the weapons and this man shall live," he demanded. Tinted lenses shaded his eyes, but from Lina's angle, the setting sun reflected eerily of them, giving him a preternatural appearance.

Erulogos raised his gun and aimed, but Xelloss knocked his gun off target with his staff. "Stupid shithead! He's using Val as a shield! We work together, or not at all!" Xelloss hissed in a low voice.

Sirius used their activity to hammer the man on the head using Xelloss' neglected staff. DARKSTAR deflected the blow with a combination of Val's damaged shoulder and quick reaction time.

"UGH!" Val groaned in agony. The giant bow clattered heavily to the hard slate-covered temple floor.

Xelloss was beyond fed up with his two 'comrades'. He wrenched his ruby-topped staff from Sirius with a sneering, "Give me that!" Now he had two staves; one too many for his karate fighting technique.

He wanted to give the staff to Zelgadiss, but the other's hands were full drawing his sword at that moment. Amelia was aware of his dilemma immediately, and so, stepped briskly into Xelloss' view. One hasty nod and Xelloss sent the invaluable Red Priest's staff sailing through the air into her fair clutches.

"All right!" she shouted amid the staff's jingling rings.

While all eyes were on the flying staff, Xelloss hooked the bow with his pole and snagged it. In an instant, he whipped the bow to Filia's feet. "Take care of this for Val, would you?" he smiled at her astonished face.

DARKSTAR was not amused. He was impressed though, slightly. "Nicely done…" He leveled his unreadable gaze upon Xelloss and his staff. "Syndicate? That's the Metallium staff. I haven't seen that in a long time. Who are you?"

Xelloss smiled serenely and answered, as you would expect in his familiar cheeky style, "That, Sir, is a secret!"

"Maybe you'd like to tell us who YOU are?! I don't remember inviting YOU on this adventure!" Lina yelled. Nothing got her goat faster than some adult caught up in his or her own self-importance.

Then he noticed her. Lina, with her axe resting on one shoulder, stunting her already diminutive stature in comparison. His eyes roved over Zelgadiss and Gourry standing close beside her, swords drawn, anticipative of his next move. He noticed Filia and Amelia, effectively useless with their ancient weapons.

"Well, it seems you have saved me much time accumulating the five artifacts I need to complete my mission here."

"Oh, yeah? And what would that be?" Lina asked.

"I suppose I could take the time to explain my motivations to you. I want to purify the world. Simple as that. It's time to stop the competition between the clan and syndicate, worldwide. Eliminate the opposing factions, once and for all and rebuild the political system of the world under DARKSTAR… my way."

Bravely, Amelia shouted, fist upraised, "How unjust! The White Shrine will stop you at all costs, if we fail here today!"

"The White Shrine is unimportant in my current scheme, but if they choose to bother me or get in my way then I shall destroy them. " DARKSTAR said with a voice devoid of any feeling whatsoever.

Val gasped and groaned a little as the man shifted his weight, wrenching his shoulder around.

"OH, PLEASE let him go!!!!!! Take me, a symbol of the new clan of Cephied!" Filia cried out to the consternation of her friends.

"Filia, shuddup and get out of his line of fire," Val managed to gasp out before his assailant twisted his body again sending shooting pain throughout his frame. "Gahh!"

"Leave him alone! He's the last, the last of his clan. That can't mean anything to you! Take me in his place! My people will bargain for my life, give you what you want in return!" she wailed.

"What's she blabbering about?" Lina whispered to Zelgadiss. "We've got the weapons, if we just knew what the hell good they are!"

"I'm not interested in your sacrifice, young follower of Cephied. I am here for those treasures you hold in your hands." DARKSTAR turned his malevolent countenance toward Lina, then each of the kids in turn, ending with Xelloss. "You don't even know what their use is, do you? Ha, ha, ha, ha, haaaa!"

"Ah, actually…no. I thought we might use the wooden parts, you know, the bow and staff and handles as firewood in a few minutes…if it gets cold," Xelloss replied playfully.

That drew an unexpected response of fury directed fully at the daring young man. "DON'T YOU DARE DEBASE THESE TREASURES!" DARKSTAR bellowed. "Don't you see, that's the important part? The designs on the handles fit together… to reveal the Ancient clan's code. The code to unlock their database identifying all the clans' holdings and wealth. ALL the clans, here and overseas! One side of the handle reveals clues to the Cephied and Ancient codes here…other side for the codes for the Volphied databases overseas."

"Thank you. We were curious about that," Xelloss smiled. His eyes sought out Zelgadiss and for a second communicated silently, "This is your chance…figure out the code!"

Zel nodded and nudged, pulled, and urged his friends toward a passage opening. "He's buying us time. Duck in here and lets solve the puzzle!"

Sirius and Erulogos held their guns on target, but made no move to fire. Val was breathing heavily, gathering both the strength and the courage to sacrifice himself so that the others could kill his assailant. Xelloss remained fixed in place, immobile, waiting…

~*~ End, Seyruun Summer High Jinx Special, Part Ten. ~*~