Disclaimer: Did I mention yet that all original characters are mine? I
can't remember. Anyway Xellos and the others still elude my grasp.
Emily and Lina had traveled for most of the day without incident. Coincidently or perhaps not, they had also traveled most of the day in silence. Both were lost in their own thoughts as they continued on their way to see Ruun the sorcery doctor.
Emily mind was cluttered with thoughts. It was impossible to sort them out. She was thinking about Phil. She was surprised to note that she missed him. The more she thought about it the more she was sure that it was the blue eyes she had fallen for. Or his smile. Or was it his good nature? Or maybe it was his voice. Or everything. Maybe she didn't know why she had fallen for him after all.
On top of that, Emily was also struggling with Lina's words from the night before. Lina was putting her life in Emily's hands. What if she screwed up again? What if she got them both killed? How could she face her dad in the afterlife? All these thoughts were making her somewhat sick to her stomach.
For her part, Lina was feeling fairly sick as well. She had been reading the book that Emily had given her and it only served to reinforce the suspicions that she had about herself. Now she was dreading every step that brought her closer to the sorcery doctor. Closer to the truth.
"Mom, is that it?" Emily pointed at something.
Lina shook herself out of her thoughts and looked. A chill ran up her spine. There was the cottage. Almost as if it hadn't been destroyed all those years ago. She stood there staring at it for a long moment.
"Are we going?" Emily had a terrible fear that Lina was going to back out now that they were this close. How could she get help if she was afraid to find out what was wrong with her?
Lina let out a shaky sigh and quietly spoke. "Yeah, we're going." Despite her words her body refused to move and she stood immobile until Emily took her hand.
Emily squeezed her mom's hand reassuringly. "It's okay. I'm with you, remember?"
Lina nodded, her eyes full of fear. "I know. That's why I've come this far."
Emily gently pulled Lina forward. "It's alright mom. This doctor's one of the best, right?"
Lina nodded. "I recall that she was pretty good."
Emily smiled. "See? She's going to find out what's wrong with you and fix you right?"
Lina moaned in fear. "I changed my mind! I don't want to do this! Let's go back Emily!" She struggled to free herself from Emily's grasp. "I don't want to go!"
Emily tried to keep a calm face but she was about to break down into tears. "No mom! Please don't do this now! Why won't you let anyone help you? Please? Do this for me."
Lina looked at Emily hopelessly. "If what I suspect turns out to be true. . .there's nothing in this world that can help me."
That did it. Emily slapped Lina as hard as she could. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Don't you dare say that! You're going to get help and you're going to be okay! Stop scaring me! You're not dead or anything! You're right here and you're going to be fine!"
Lina reached up and touched her reddening cheek. That slap had really hurt. She sighed. "Alright. Let's go."
Emily wrapped her arms around Lina in a desperate hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She released her mother and smiled while wiping away her tears. "I know that you're going to be alright. Right?" She shook Lina. "Right?!"
Lina forced herself to smile. She even managed a wink. "Right." She knew that it wouldn't be though. Nothing had been right for a long time and she was just beginning to understand why.
"I think that this should prove to be most interesting for you. I have several fascinating pieces in my collection."
Edward opened the door to reveal his gallery. Display cases containing all kinds of talismans, amulets, and other trinkets lined the walls. Above them, numerous weapons were displayed.
Zelgadis nodded. "Most impressive."
As they stepped into the room Zelgadis was examining everything with a practiced eye. There was no Soul Render fragment on display, but that didn't necessarily mean that Edward didn't have one.
"Ah! This is one of my favorite items." Edward carefully removed a sword from the wall and handed it to Zelgadis for inspection.
Zelgadis examined the blade as Edward explained its history. It was a finely crafted blade with an elaborate hilt inlaid with gems. Golden runes were etched along the length of the blade.
"That sword dates back to the War of the Monsters Fall. It's enchanted with a spell that makes it impossible to break. Truly an amazing weapon if I do say so myself. It cost me a small fortune."
Zelgadis swung the sword a few times and nodded. It couldn't have been over two centuries old. The language of the runes was in an almost contemporary dialect. He also noted that the enchantment on the blade was a simple thing to keep it from rusting. Edward was obviously more of an idiot than he had first thought. He chuckled as he handed the blade back to the prince.
"Something amusing?"
"Not at all. It's just that I've never seen that blade's equal. Truly an amazing weapon. You have an excellent eye for quality."
Edward grinned as he carefully replaced the sword on the wall. "I only collect the very best."
Zelgadis almost laughed out loud. "I can believe it. I have a piece that I would like your expert opinion on."
"Of course." Edward cleared some papers off a table.
Zelgadis pulled the Soul Render fragment out of his cloak and laid it on the table. He carefully watched Edward's face for any sign of recognition.
Edward's face remained neutral as he examined the stone. "This looks similar to a stone that I had bought from a traveling merchant." He shook his head. "Sadly, it was stolen from the merchant less than a day's travel out of the capital."
Zelgadis shook his head. "To think that such a thing could happen in Seyruun."
"Where did you acquire this item if you don't mind me asking?"
Zelgadis shook his head and smiled. Time to see if Richard had been telling the truth. "Not at all. I acquired this from a gang of bandits in Zoana."
Edward's twitch was barely perceptible, but Zelgadis had seen it.
Edward cleared his throat. "Well, it's nice to see that some people still care about justice. I suppose you dealt with these bandits?"
Zelgadis nodded. "I did. It was rather strange though. One of the thieves said something to me that I found quite interesting."
"Oh?" Edward was slowly backing away from Zelgadis towards the door. "And what might that be?"
Zelgadis took a step towards Edward smiling. "It really was the strangest thing. He said that a member of the royal family of Seyruun had paid him to steal the artifact. I dismissed it as lies of course."
Edward relaxed a little. "Of course."
"After all, I'm sure that King Phil and Amelia would never stoop to actions like stealing. What about you Edward? I don't know you quite so well. You wouldn't do anything like that would you?"
Edward tried to sound offended. "Of course not! My fragment was stolen as well. Why would I steal from myself?"
Zelgadis advanced on Edward. "That's strange Edward. I don't recall saying that this was a fragment of anything. I think you've been withholding a little bit of information."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Why are you getting so defensive?" Zelgadis backed Edward into a corner. "I thought we were talking about our mutual interest here." Zelgadis laughed. "I mean, it's not like you had that bounty hunter steal your fragment to throw any suspicion off you."
Edward glared at him. "I suggest you watch your tongue."
Zelgadis ignored him and continued. "And that same bounty hunter appeared last night in the castle gardens. Right under the nose of Seyruun security. If I didn't know better, I would think that Vance had help from inside the castle." He shrugged. "But that's not really my concern is it? All I want is the fragment that he brought you."
"Assuming I had it, what would you do if I gave you such a powerful weapon?"
"Weapon? Who said anything about a weapon?"
Edward snorted. "You're trying to assemble the Soul Render and you don't even know what it does? Pathetic."
"Enlighten me."
"I suppose that since you'll be dead before you leave the castle there is no harm in telling you. The Soul Render has the ability to. . ."
Zelgadis cut him off. "Separate the soul into good and evil. Yes I know its function. How is it a weapon?"
"The old priests could only use it to separate one person at a time. With one fragment and limited magical ability that was the extent of the power of the Soul Render."
Zelgadis nodded impatiently. "I know all that."
"The fully assembled Soul Render would theoretically be far more powerful. And when you combine that with a far more powerful sorcerer, the effects would be increased dramatically." Edward grinned.
"How dramatically?"
"Enough to reduce an entire kingdom to utter chaos."
"Seyruun? But why?"
Edward sighed. "Did I say Seyruun? The weapon would be used against other kingdoms."
"To what end?"
"Simple. Power. Power enough to rule the world."
Zelgadis growled. "Power? You would ruin the world to realize your own ambitions?"
Edward smiled at him. "Of course! Human life means nothing in the face of absolute power."
Zelgadis lowered his head. "You never loved Amelia did you?"
"She was a stepping-stone to gain control of Seyruun. A useful tool and nothing more."
Zelgadis glared at Edward. "Amelia was just a tool to you? Good hearted Amelia?"
Edward stepped past Zelgadis and chuckled. "Don't act so angry! I was told about you. We're more alike than you want to admit. Our only difference is that you gave up your humanity for power. I'm only willing to sacrifice others for mine."
Zelgadis stared at Edward. "How do you know what I did?"
Xellos appeared behind Zelgadis. "Well that's obvious isn't it? I told him."
Zelgadis felt a sharp pain in his back and looked down to see the end of Xellos's staff protruding from his stomach. He looked back up to see the priest grinning at him. "You?!"
Kira had grown from the little girl that Lina remembered into a capable healer. She watched as the woman moved quickly around the room mixing ingredients like a true professional.
Kira smiled at Lina. "I remember you."
Lina returned her smile. "Of course you do. It's not every day that you get to meet the infamous Lina Inverse."
Kira laughed. "Yeah. It's not every day that my home gets blown to pieces either. I think that might have a little to do with my remembering you."
"Oh yeah. You do know that wasn't my fault right?"
Sitting in the corner of the room, Emily sighed. She muttered, "Oh mom. What did you do this time?"
Kira shook her head. "It doesn't really matter. Everything worked out in the end right? That's all that really counts. The villagers helped me rebuild after you left." She added a pinch of sulfur to her concoction. "That should do it. Drink this." She offered Lina a vial containing a pitch-black substance with the consistency of tar.
Lina made a face and took the flask. "What's it going to do?"
"You'll sleep for a while. While that's happening, you'll tell me what you see in your dreams."
Lina almost dropped the flask. She looked over to see Emily smiling at her reassuringly. She tried to smile back. "Oh well. Here it goes." She quickly drank the contents and made a face. It actually tasted like tar. She thought for a moment. "Wait a second. Why do I know what tar tastes like?"
Then blackness overtook Lina and she knew no more.
Next Chapter: Lina's discovery and a final showdown.
Notes: Trying to keep my notes a little shorter. They'll end up being half of each chapter otherwise.
Not really sure how I feel about this chapter. I like the L/E parts, but the Z/Ed stuff felt kind of off. Maybe it's just me though? Please tell me what you think.
Stara, thanks for the kind word about the young love. As I said earlier, that was kind of nerve wracking to write.
Jazzy, thanks for the review. I hope you stick with the story until the bitter end. It's probably going to get more expansive before it gets any more concise. I sometimes wonder if I put too many plots & subplots into the story.
Thanks for reading!
Emily and Lina had traveled for most of the day without incident. Coincidently or perhaps not, they had also traveled most of the day in silence. Both were lost in their own thoughts as they continued on their way to see Ruun the sorcery doctor.
Emily mind was cluttered with thoughts. It was impossible to sort them out. She was thinking about Phil. She was surprised to note that she missed him. The more she thought about it the more she was sure that it was the blue eyes she had fallen for. Or his smile. Or was it his good nature? Or maybe it was his voice. Or everything. Maybe she didn't know why she had fallen for him after all.
On top of that, Emily was also struggling with Lina's words from the night before. Lina was putting her life in Emily's hands. What if she screwed up again? What if she got them both killed? How could she face her dad in the afterlife? All these thoughts were making her somewhat sick to her stomach.
For her part, Lina was feeling fairly sick as well. She had been reading the book that Emily had given her and it only served to reinforce the suspicions that she had about herself. Now she was dreading every step that brought her closer to the sorcery doctor. Closer to the truth.
"Mom, is that it?" Emily pointed at something.
Lina shook herself out of her thoughts and looked. A chill ran up her spine. There was the cottage. Almost as if it hadn't been destroyed all those years ago. She stood there staring at it for a long moment.
"Are we going?" Emily had a terrible fear that Lina was going to back out now that they were this close. How could she get help if she was afraid to find out what was wrong with her?
Lina let out a shaky sigh and quietly spoke. "Yeah, we're going." Despite her words her body refused to move and she stood immobile until Emily took her hand.
Emily squeezed her mom's hand reassuringly. "It's okay. I'm with you, remember?"
Lina nodded, her eyes full of fear. "I know. That's why I've come this far."
Emily gently pulled Lina forward. "It's alright mom. This doctor's one of the best, right?"
Lina nodded. "I recall that she was pretty good."
Emily smiled. "See? She's going to find out what's wrong with you and fix you right?"
Lina moaned in fear. "I changed my mind! I don't want to do this! Let's go back Emily!" She struggled to free herself from Emily's grasp. "I don't want to go!"
Emily tried to keep a calm face but she was about to break down into tears. "No mom! Please don't do this now! Why won't you let anyone help you? Please? Do this for me."
Lina looked at Emily hopelessly. "If what I suspect turns out to be true. . .there's nothing in this world that can help me."
That did it. Emily slapped Lina as hard as she could. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Don't you dare say that! You're going to get help and you're going to be okay! Stop scaring me! You're not dead or anything! You're right here and you're going to be fine!"
Lina reached up and touched her reddening cheek. That slap had really hurt. She sighed. "Alright. Let's go."
Emily wrapped her arms around Lina in a desperate hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She released her mother and smiled while wiping away her tears. "I know that you're going to be alright. Right?" She shook Lina. "Right?!"
Lina forced herself to smile. She even managed a wink. "Right." She knew that it wouldn't be though. Nothing had been right for a long time and she was just beginning to understand why.
"I think that this should prove to be most interesting for you. I have several fascinating pieces in my collection."
Edward opened the door to reveal his gallery. Display cases containing all kinds of talismans, amulets, and other trinkets lined the walls. Above them, numerous weapons were displayed.
Zelgadis nodded. "Most impressive."
As they stepped into the room Zelgadis was examining everything with a practiced eye. There was no Soul Render fragment on display, but that didn't necessarily mean that Edward didn't have one.
"Ah! This is one of my favorite items." Edward carefully removed a sword from the wall and handed it to Zelgadis for inspection.
Zelgadis examined the blade as Edward explained its history. It was a finely crafted blade with an elaborate hilt inlaid with gems. Golden runes were etched along the length of the blade.
"That sword dates back to the War of the Monsters Fall. It's enchanted with a spell that makes it impossible to break. Truly an amazing weapon if I do say so myself. It cost me a small fortune."
Zelgadis swung the sword a few times and nodded. It couldn't have been over two centuries old. The language of the runes was in an almost contemporary dialect. He also noted that the enchantment on the blade was a simple thing to keep it from rusting. Edward was obviously more of an idiot than he had first thought. He chuckled as he handed the blade back to the prince.
"Something amusing?"
"Not at all. It's just that I've never seen that blade's equal. Truly an amazing weapon. You have an excellent eye for quality."
Edward grinned as he carefully replaced the sword on the wall. "I only collect the very best."
Zelgadis almost laughed out loud. "I can believe it. I have a piece that I would like your expert opinion on."
"Of course." Edward cleared some papers off a table.
Zelgadis pulled the Soul Render fragment out of his cloak and laid it on the table. He carefully watched Edward's face for any sign of recognition.
Edward's face remained neutral as he examined the stone. "This looks similar to a stone that I had bought from a traveling merchant." He shook his head. "Sadly, it was stolen from the merchant less than a day's travel out of the capital."
Zelgadis shook his head. "To think that such a thing could happen in Seyruun."
"Where did you acquire this item if you don't mind me asking?"
Zelgadis shook his head and smiled. Time to see if Richard had been telling the truth. "Not at all. I acquired this from a gang of bandits in Zoana."
Edward's twitch was barely perceptible, but Zelgadis had seen it.
Edward cleared his throat. "Well, it's nice to see that some people still care about justice. I suppose you dealt with these bandits?"
Zelgadis nodded. "I did. It was rather strange though. One of the thieves said something to me that I found quite interesting."
"Oh?" Edward was slowly backing away from Zelgadis towards the door. "And what might that be?"
Zelgadis took a step towards Edward smiling. "It really was the strangest thing. He said that a member of the royal family of Seyruun had paid him to steal the artifact. I dismissed it as lies of course."
Edward relaxed a little. "Of course."
"After all, I'm sure that King Phil and Amelia would never stoop to actions like stealing. What about you Edward? I don't know you quite so well. You wouldn't do anything like that would you?"
Edward tried to sound offended. "Of course not! My fragment was stolen as well. Why would I steal from myself?"
Zelgadis advanced on Edward. "That's strange Edward. I don't recall saying that this was a fragment of anything. I think you've been withholding a little bit of information."
"Are you threatening me?"
"Why are you getting so defensive?" Zelgadis backed Edward into a corner. "I thought we were talking about our mutual interest here." Zelgadis laughed. "I mean, it's not like you had that bounty hunter steal your fragment to throw any suspicion off you."
Edward glared at him. "I suggest you watch your tongue."
Zelgadis ignored him and continued. "And that same bounty hunter appeared last night in the castle gardens. Right under the nose of Seyruun security. If I didn't know better, I would think that Vance had help from inside the castle." He shrugged. "But that's not really my concern is it? All I want is the fragment that he brought you."
"Assuming I had it, what would you do if I gave you such a powerful weapon?"
"Weapon? Who said anything about a weapon?"
Edward snorted. "You're trying to assemble the Soul Render and you don't even know what it does? Pathetic."
"Enlighten me."
"I suppose that since you'll be dead before you leave the castle there is no harm in telling you. The Soul Render has the ability to. . ."
Zelgadis cut him off. "Separate the soul into good and evil. Yes I know its function. How is it a weapon?"
"The old priests could only use it to separate one person at a time. With one fragment and limited magical ability that was the extent of the power of the Soul Render."
Zelgadis nodded impatiently. "I know all that."
"The fully assembled Soul Render would theoretically be far more powerful. And when you combine that with a far more powerful sorcerer, the effects would be increased dramatically." Edward grinned.
"How dramatically?"
"Enough to reduce an entire kingdom to utter chaos."
"Seyruun? But why?"
Edward sighed. "Did I say Seyruun? The weapon would be used against other kingdoms."
"To what end?"
"Simple. Power. Power enough to rule the world."
Zelgadis growled. "Power? You would ruin the world to realize your own ambitions?"
Edward smiled at him. "Of course! Human life means nothing in the face of absolute power."
Zelgadis lowered his head. "You never loved Amelia did you?"
"She was a stepping-stone to gain control of Seyruun. A useful tool and nothing more."
Zelgadis glared at Edward. "Amelia was just a tool to you? Good hearted Amelia?"
Edward stepped past Zelgadis and chuckled. "Don't act so angry! I was told about you. We're more alike than you want to admit. Our only difference is that you gave up your humanity for power. I'm only willing to sacrifice others for mine."
Zelgadis stared at Edward. "How do you know what I did?"
Xellos appeared behind Zelgadis. "Well that's obvious isn't it? I told him."
Zelgadis felt a sharp pain in his back and looked down to see the end of Xellos's staff protruding from his stomach. He looked back up to see the priest grinning at him. "You?!"
Kira had grown from the little girl that Lina remembered into a capable healer. She watched as the woman moved quickly around the room mixing ingredients like a true professional.
Kira smiled at Lina. "I remember you."
Lina returned her smile. "Of course you do. It's not every day that you get to meet the infamous Lina Inverse."
Kira laughed. "Yeah. It's not every day that my home gets blown to pieces either. I think that might have a little to do with my remembering you."
"Oh yeah. You do know that wasn't my fault right?"
Sitting in the corner of the room, Emily sighed. She muttered, "Oh mom. What did you do this time?"
Kira shook her head. "It doesn't really matter. Everything worked out in the end right? That's all that really counts. The villagers helped me rebuild after you left." She added a pinch of sulfur to her concoction. "That should do it. Drink this." She offered Lina a vial containing a pitch-black substance with the consistency of tar.
Lina made a face and took the flask. "What's it going to do?"
"You'll sleep for a while. While that's happening, you'll tell me what you see in your dreams."
Lina almost dropped the flask. She looked over to see Emily smiling at her reassuringly. She tried to smile back. "Oh well. Here it goes." She quickly drank the contents and made a face. It actually tasted like tar. She thought for a moment. "Wait a second. Why do I know what tar tastes like?"
Then blackness overtook Lina and she knew no more.
Next Chapter: Lina's discovery and a final showdown.
Notes: Trying to keep my notes a little shorter. They'll end up being half of each chapter otherwise.
Not really sure how I feel about this chapter. I like the L/E parts, but the Z/Ed stuff felt kind of off. Maybe it's just me though? Please tell me what you think.
Stara, thanks for the kind word about the young love. As I said earlier, that was kind of nerve wracking to write.
Jazzy, thanks for the review. I hope you stick with the story until the bitter end. It's probably going to get more expansive before it gets any more concise. I sometimes wonder if I put too many plots & subplots into the story.
Thanks for reading!
