Here is the first real chapter of this fic. Expect the next part within the next few days... tomorrow, actually, maybe. I've got the idea and everything all ready already. So it should be done soon. Anyway, read this and enjoy.
The Galloping Stallion Inn was much less crowded than usual. Normally, on a dark, starless night such as that, people would be crowding the tables and the chairs near the fire, and the rooms would all be occupied. But due to the presence of a certain woman, almost no one was there.
That woman was sitting in a large arm chair in front of a glowing hearth. Her hair was as red as the flames, and her eyes were just as bright. She wore such an outrageous costume that there was no doubt she was a sorceress. She was, in fact, the infamous Lina Inverse, sorceress supreme in her own eyes only. It was due to rumors of her and her deeds that the inn was nearly unoccupied.
The only other person in the lounge aside from the innkeeper was a young man with long blond hair. He wore armor and a sword, so it was evident that he was a traveling mercenary and swordsman. His blue eyes sparkled with a smile when he looked upon Lina. He was, of course, Gourry Gabriev, Lina's self-proclaimed protector and bodyguard. According to the rumors, they were also lovers, but that wasn't true.
"I'm going out tonight," Lina said, sipping a mug of coffee.
Gourry sat up sharply. "Why?" he asked, worried for Lina. "Alone?"
Nodding, Lina said, "Yeah, I've heard there's a bandit gang just outside the city. I'll attack them tonight to take them by surprise." She grinned in anticipation, and stood up. "I'll be back in a few hours, okay?"
"Lina, wait!" Gourry said, standing as well. "Don't you want me to come with you?"
"No, I can take care of a few bandits on my own," Lina said, thinking Gourry was treating her like a child again.
Gourry watched Lina take a few steps towards the door, but he called out, "Lina, stop!" When Lina turned around questioningly, he said, "I have a really bad feeling about this. Don't go out tonight, okay?"
"Stop worrying, Gourry," Lina said impatiently. "It's no big deal. Just a few hundred bandits!" With that she headed for the door, and left the inn.
Gourry stood dejectedly in the center of the lounge. He just stared at the door for a moment as if expecting Lina to come back in any second, but she didn't. Resignedly, he sat back down in an arm chair. "I'll wait here for her until she gets back," Gourry told himself.
Normally, Gourry wouldn't have any problem with Lina going to after a bandit gang, but he just had a gut instinct that something bad would happen. He wasn't sure what, but he had a strange feeling that he wouldn't see Lina again for a long time.
Lina closed the door behind her, and walked out into the pitch black night. It had rained all night, and the clouds still hung low in the sky, obscuring both the moon and the stars. There weren't any lights burning in any of the houses on the street, and the lamps were still wet from the afternoon's shower. Before she went anywhere, Lina cast a light spell, illuminating the road for her. She then followed the road towards the forest outside the town.
"I don't know why Gourry's so upset," Lina said to herself as she walked. "It's not like I haven't done this before. But... then again, maybe I should have listened to him? He's not big on brains, but when it comes to instinct, he's usually right on the money." Lina sighed, and said, "Oh, well. I'll just take out these bandits and go straight back."
Lina quickened her pace at the thought of fireballing every one of those thieves, and snatching all their loot. The idea of gold jingling in her pockets lifted her spirits, and dashed away any unpleasant or foreboding thoughts. Tonight was about her and the bandits. Her and the fire. Her and the gold.
Gourry woke up with a start, looking around him anxiously. He was still in the arm chair in front of the fire in the lounge. Looking out the window, Gourry saw that it was light outside. He must have fallen asleep. Yawning and stretching, Gourry got out of the chair, and looked about again. He didn't see Lina anywhere. Maybe when she got back she went up to her room.
Thinking such, Gourry went up to where he knew Lina's room to be, and knocked on the door. There was no answer. Again, Gourry knocked, and waited. When Lina didn't answer, Gourry opened the door a crack, and looked in.
Lina wasn't there, and the bed looked as if it hadn't been used yet. So she hadn't been there. And if she wasn't downstairs, that meant that she didn't come back last night. Why hadn't Lina returned? Surely she would have finished blowing up bandits by now.
More than a little worried, Gourry hurried back down the stairs, and dashed out of the inn, following the road. Where had Lina said the bandits were? Just outside the city, right? Gourry ran through the town, making towards the forest at the limits. Perhaps the bandits had been there. Lina would still be there, he hoped, counting money or searching tents.
Gourry's heart pounded in anticipation as he neared the camp site. He somehow felt that he wouldn't find Lina there. She wouldn't be there. he hoped and prayed she would be, but he knew she wouldn't. When he reached the stakeout, he found the ruins of bandits and tents, charred remains of a watchtower littering the forest floor.
Urgently, Gourry searched through all the tents. When he found chests and cases still full of glittering gold, he panicked. No way would Lina have left gold there. Something happened to her, he knew it.
After his cursory check around the site, Gourry went back to where he had started from. He looked around wildly, his eyes darting to and fro, looking for any sign of Lina or what had happened to her. His intense searching found results eventually in the form of a letter stuck to a tree by an arrow.
Gourry was over there in an instant, and pulled the arrow from the tree. He slipped the note off, and quickly read it. When he got further along in the letter, his eyes widened, his mouth opened, and the arrow fell out of his limp hand. The only muscles that seemed to be working were the ones holding the letter. He read it over again, not believing what it read.
Gourry Gabriev,
I assume you are the one reqading this, and you have noticed that your precious sorceress is missing. That is because she is now in my custody. If she remains here for too long, I'm afraid I will kill her. Her life lies in your hands, Gourry. If you can follow my clues and get here before I decide time is up, she will live. If not, she will die, and I will send you visual proof of it. Remember, Gourry-- her life is in your hands. Do not waste time, or she will die. I swear to that.
"Lina..." Gourry managed to say. Below the letter was another note. It looked like a riddle or something. Gourry read it aloud, wondering if that was one of the clues the letter had spoken of. "What never gets any wetter no matter how much it rains?" he read.
What was that supposed to mean? If he figured out the answer, would that lead him to another clue? Most likely. But what was the answer to the question? What never got any wtter no matter how much it rained? Everything got wet if it rained, right?
Gourry frowned, and reread the riddle. "What never gets any wetter no matter how much it rains?" he repeated. Contemplating this, he headed back to the inn.
Now was not the first time Gourry regretted not being smarter like Zelgadis or Lina. He never was much for brains, going more towards brawn. But now Lina's life depended on him being smarter than he was used to being. He had to figure out that question or Lina would die.
Eventually, Gourry found himself back at the inn, still pondering the clue. He wandered over to the fire, and sat down in an armchair. "What never gets any wetter no matter how much it rains?" he muttered to himself. A fish? No, they weren't always wet, unless they were always in water. Rain? Rain wouldn't get wet if it rained. But rain wasn't a reference point for another clue. Water didn't get wet in rain, though. Would it have something to do with water?
That was it! A lake! A lake was full of water! And there was a lake nearby. He'd find his next clue at the lake somewhere.
"I got it!" Gourry shouted, standing up. The innkeeper stared at him with wide eyes. "Don't worry, Lina," Gourry said as if Lina were right there with him. "I'm coming for you!" With that, Gourry charged out of the inn, intent only on getting to the lake. He had barely left the inn, however, when his stomach growled, and Gourry stopped.
"Food," he said. "I need food. I have to eat. Then I can go to the lake." With that idea, Gourry went into the nearest restaurant. "I'll have everything on the first page," he told the waitress who came to serve him. "Double portions, please." He handed her the menu, smiling widely.
The waitress stared, and nodded slowly. She took the menu in limp hands, before turning around and heading towards the kitchen. She'd been in shock. No one could possibly eat that much... could they?
Gourry could. He could actually eat a lot more than that, but he decided to go light so he could hurry and get to the lake. When Gourry's food came, he lifted his fork in one hand, and his knife in the other. "All right!" he shouted. "Remember, Lina, I get the... the..." Gourry trailed off when he looked across the table and remembered that Lina wasn't with him. Slowly, Gourry's arms dropped, and his hands rested on the table.
Usually, he and Lina would be fighting and arguing over who got to eat what. He'd no doubt get fireballed a few times, and whacked with a fork. Despite that, however, Gourry found himself wishing Lina were there, fighting with him over food, instead of not there at all.
"Lina," Gourry said quietly, staring at his food. "Where are you?" Gourry was so used to Lina being with him everywhere they went, that he felt strangely alone without her. He clenched his fist, and said, "I will get her back." His voice was harsh with determination. Then, ready to go, Gourry dug into his food, wolfing it down as fast as he could. A few minutes later, he walked out of the restaurant, leaving behind a good tip, empty plates, and staring customers.
Over the course of several hours, Gourry walked along dirt trails and cobbled streets to get to the lake. He knew, deep inside, that once he got to the lake, he would most definitely find another clue as to where Lina was. He would find her eventually, he knew it.
It was nearing dusk when Gourry reached the lake. It had been farther from the town than he'd first thought, and had taken longer to get there. All the same, Gourry looked around the immediate area desperately for another clue. At first, he didn't find anything. He searched to no avail for several minutes. It was just as he was about to give up that he saw a tree with a hollow in it, right next to the water's edge. In fact, half of the tree's roots were growing into the lake.
Gourry went over there quickly, and reached for the hollow. He didn't want to lean on the tree, because it looked as if it were ready to fall over into the lake at any minute. But his arm didn't stretch far enough. Carefully, Gourry placed one hand on the trunk of the wide tree, and leaned around it. He felt the tree give a little under his weight, but he kept reaching for the hollow. Just as his hand groped in there, and had grabbed a piece of paper, the tree fell over from the pressure. Gourry danced backwards to keep from falling into the lake after the tree.
For a second, Gourry just watched the tree as it half-floated across the lake. He then realized he had the clue in his hand, and quickly looked down at it.
You've made it through the first riddle. You have determination. But remember, time is running out. If you must know, the girl is well and safe... for the time being. Here is the question to get you to the next clue: Why did the boy throw the glass of water out his window?
Gourry looked at the question. Why did the boy throw the glass of water out his window? Gourry didn't have a clue. Who'd want to throw out a glass of water? All it'd do was fall to the ground and break, right?
Sighing, Gourry tried to read the letter again, but it was getting too dark. Reluctantly, Gourry folded up the letter and stuffed it in his pocket. He lay down on the ground, staring up at the sky. The dark clouds had cleared away, and the stars shone. The moon wasn't there, though. It was the new moon, the time where the moon was gone for a whole night.
While he tried to sleep, Gourry kept thinking about that question. Why did the boy throw the glass of water out his window? Gourry tried to think of what would happen if you threw a glass of water out a window. It'd fall. The water would fall. A waterfall! That was it! The next place was a waterfall!
Gourry sat up sharply, but forced himself to lay back down again. It was too late to try to go anywhere. He had to get some sleep so he could help Lina. He'd follow the river tomorrow until he got to a waterfall. Tomorrow. He needed his rest.
Slowly, reluctantly, Gourry fell into an uneasy sleep.