Chapter 3
Lina ground to a halt about a mile and a half away from the castle. Gourry flopped on the ground where she dropped him and just lay there knowing that his friend would tell him what was up when she felt like it.
"Well, here's the place. Don't just lay there jellyfish-brains, lets go inside!"
"But, why Lina?" Gourry heaved himself upright and straitened his sword. "It's a church, and I already went to mass this week."
"Moron! Does this look like your average church?" Lina gestured tword the building. The sunlight caught the soaring gables, the majestic windows, the...
"Gee that's creepy." Gourry shuddered as some menacing organ music in a minor key drifted out of the chapel as Gourry noticed the hideous gargoyles leering at them from every ledge. As the two tuned to the doors one gargoyle shifted slightly.
Lina threw open the doors and entered the main chapel. Two rows of pews, each ten long, were occupied by four nuns, each praying silently. "Hey, has anyone seen the Queen lately?" Lina loudly asked the nearest nun, who shushed her. "Geez, fine than, I'll look around myself. Gourry, you take the left side of the building, I'll take the.. What are you doing?" Gourry was nursing his foot, sitting right in front of the alter.
" I stepped in something. Look it went right through my shoe." He held up his discarded footwear, complete with a diamond capped hairpin through the sole.
"Let me see that." Lina huffed. "What the?! That's Seiruun's royal crest!" Lina spun around to see the nuns spreading out behind them. "What's going on here? Who are you?" All four nuns were suddenly engulfed in blue flame, their faces melting and their bodies becoming sinuous. The four now snake women slithered at the companions fangs bared and claws ready to swipe.
"Ewwww, thats disgusting!" One of the snakes had winked at Gourry in a clearly lavacious fashion. Gourry was hard pressed not to retch. As the monsters crowded around, Lina yelled "Now Gourry!" and cast her fireball on his drawn sword. Gourry spun and cut down the beasts with his flaming, superheated sword. "Hah! Piece of cake!" Lina smiled broadly as Gourry yelped. The yelp was partly because a fifth monster had srung tward Lina from under the alter cloth, and partially from the molten metal dripping on to his bare foot. As Lina turned to face the new enemy, a grey-white blur dropped between the two, and the snake fell in two pieces.
"Gotta watch yourself, those suckers are tricky" said the masked man. There was something odd about him, maybe the stiff purple hair peeking out from under his cowl, or the strange glint from under his eye.
"And just who the hell are you?" Asked Lina belligerently. "I could have gotten it! Think I'm impressed by the way you just stole my kill? Well are you?" The cloaked man sweat dropped.
"Uh, well, anyway. So, why are you here? Did you come to rescue the Queen?"
"And if we did? Do you think you can stop us mystery man?" Lina's hands were starting to glow, and there was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds.
"If you were here to save the Queen, I would in fact ask for your assistance. I've been trying for days to figure out how to get into the main building, but those snake-women never let me get close enough without being seen. So, how about it?" he slid the mask down and pushed the hood back, revealing the odd hued and textured skin and hair. "My name is Zelgadiss Greywords."
"Wow, do you have some kind of disease Zageldos? Is it OW!" Lina had just clouted Gourry on the side of the head, knocking him out for the moment.
"I'm sorry for my friend, he's an idiot. I would love to work with an expert swordsman and, if I'm not mistaken, sorcerer as you. You said you name was Zelgadiss?"
"My. Name. Is. Zelgadiss! And no," he shot a glare at Gourry, who was blinking in (what else?) confusion. "I was a normal man until I was cursed by the evil Mystic Lord. Now I serve the Queen as I did before my, unfortunate encounter. Now, every time the watch changes, I hear some menacing organ music in a minor key. Perhaps the organ?" Zel led the other two over to the organ. "I can't play, can you?" he asked.
"Well.." Lina was about to add 'I can try', but Gourry sat at the keys first. "You can play Gourry?" Lina asked in astonishment
"Nope." came the blonde's reply as he peeled the once molten sword off his sock, and put his shoe on. Lina and Zel face faulted. By some sheer coincidence, the chunk of metal landed on a key and stayed on. Lina landed on another key, adding a second tone. Zelgadiss landed on a third key, dislodging the previous two before sliding off himself. A grinding noise filled the air as a hidden panel in the wall to the other side of the alter swung open. "Gee, that's creepy." said Gourry.
Lina looked at Gourry. "Gourry, if you say, 'Gee that's creepy' one more time I'm gonna hurt you!" She marched through the door, with Zelgadiss and Gourry in tow.
"So now what Lina?" asked Zel, "Up these stairs, the stairs over there, or down the center hall?"
"I don't feel like walking that far right now, so let's just go up the stairs here." The trio climbed the stairs, knocking out a couple of snakes on the way. "Hey, I smell food!" Lina ran to the door a t the top of the landing and wrenched it open. "Uhhhh…"
"Hey, what's with the costume? Ya don't need it here. ::BELCH::" Standing around a table were three monsters. "::URP!:: Well, I think I'll look in on Lord Xelloss' statue before my shift. And don't forget to save some of those two soldiers in the other room for me, they look tasty!" One of the beasts squeezed past the trio as they looked on in horror at the grotesque feast in the room in front of them.
"::URRGGH!::" Lina clapped both her hands over her mouth as the men looked on in shock. "F-fire BALL!!!" the room was in shambles, both the remaining monsters nothing but piles of greasy ash, and their "dinner" vaporized. "That's it. I'm pissed." Lina turned on her heel and marched out of the room.
Venturing along the corridor they reached another room, from inside a faint chanting could be heard. Lina growled and kicked open the door. Inside were
"Queen Leene? Your Majesty? Is it really you?" Zelgadiss gasped in astonishment. "You and you guards are safe?"
"Of course we are. Please, rest here. This room is safe from the monsters. Than you may escort me back to my husband."
"Very well, my Lady, but first we should check this other room. It might hold enemies." Zel gestured to a door on the side wall. The chanting sounds were coming from the other side. As he put his hand on the knob, the queens features melted, as did those of her guards, becoming reptilian. The three imposters were quickly dispatched.
"Did you know that wasn't the queen?" asked Gourry.
"Yes. My queen would never refer to the king as 'my husband'. She calls him by his name, Christopher. Lets see what's behind door number two, shall we?" Zel opened the door, and the three crept into a large hall dominated by a statue of a man. The statue was surrounded by six gargoyles, dancing and chanting. When they spied the adventurers the called out the name, "Xelloss!" and attacked. After about twenty seconds they were in pieces on the floor. Gourry's blade dripped some more metal on the carpet.
"Lina, you're ruining my sword"
"Oh, quit whining Gourry." Lina plucked the treasure heaped around the statue's base, and filled some sacks from nowhere, and shoved them under her cape.
"Isn't that going to slow you down?" asked Zel.
"Nope." Lina grinned and spread her cape. Nothing
"How'd you do that?" Gourry gaped
"Magic jellyfish-brains. Well we've seen what this wing had to offer, lets go to the other side." The party backtracked and climbed the other set of stairs. Inside the door at the top, there was a neat study, with three chests. Lina and Zel ransacked the rest of the room, while Gourry looted the boxes.
"Hey, a new sword!" Gourry quickly replaced the old, misshapen lump of metal with the new strait razor edged one. "I hope this one can stand the heat." Gourry muttered. "Oh, Lina? What's this?" Gourry held out a large sheet of paper with a picture of one of the snake ladies on it. Suddenly, three goons burst in.
"They've got the Bromide! Get 'em!" Sure enough, Gourry's new sword held up to the heat, and was only cherry red by the time they were finished.
"Well, I guess we can keep it, if it's that important." Lina stuck the bromide under her cape and started up the hall. They were stopped by a barrier of spikes around the other door, until Zel noticed a switch.
"You won't take us alive, you cannibals!" A clay pitcher smashed down on Gourry's head as he entered.
"Ow." Gourry dusted the shards of pottery off his shoulder plates. "We're here to rescue you and the queen, not eat you." He whined. "You didn't have to hit me. If you want to stay, than just say so." The blonde turned to leave.
"Oh, my apologies sir! You see we've been in here for days and yesterday they took our third man, and, and ate him! I'm so sorry, but we weren't going down easily." Zelgadiss stepped into the doorway.
"Well, you're free now. We'll rescue the queen. I'm sure you did all you could. I couldn't have gotten this far without these two myself."
"Oh, thank you, Sir Greywords! We shall go directly to the castle, and bring back the army to raze this foul structure to the ground!" the soldier ran out the door past Lina. The second soldier rose and turned to Zel.
"I have failed in my duties. I shall request punishment from the captain of the guard. But here, take this as a small thanks from me." He pressed a small box into Zel's hands and followed his compatriot out.
"Ooohh! Pocky! Can I have some Zel? Huh? Can I?" Gourry snatched the box from the chimera's hands barely after the nod had begun. The treat was gone in a trice.
"Well," said Lina, "It looks like its up to us to rescue the Queen. Damnit Zel, I'd better get paid for this!"
The compatriots left the room and headed up the hall to the double doors at the end. On the other side was a grand staircase.
"Well, which way?" inquired Lina, gesturing to the stairs on the left and right after testing the door at the top, only to find it locked.
"One's as good as the other, I guess." Zelgadiss turned to the right. As he put his foot on the step, the entire staircase folded in on itself, turning slippery. The three slid down to a hard landing.
"Well, I guess we're not getting back up that way" said Lina at the top of the pile. All she got for a response was a muffled groan from Zel at the bottom. The companions picked themselves up and continued through the only door.
"Hey, what's this button do?" asked Gourry, flipping a switch similar to the one holding the soldiers. Lina and Zelgadiss braced for a trap, but nothing happened. "Well that's disappointing. OW!"
"Jellyfish brain! Don't go flipping every switch you see!"
"We seem to be safe for now, so let's continue." Zel continued through the door. Turning a corner, he ran smack into a pair of goons. Quickly dead goons. "Hmmm, what's this?" Zel peered at a piece of paper tacked to the wall of an alcove. 'To pass you must tune the key' "Must be a misspell" the chimera shrugged and followed Lina, who was now in the lead.
"Hey, what does this switch….OW!"
"I told you not to try and flip every switch we come across." The companions climbed the stairs and found themselves back where they started. "Damnit!" Lina slammed her fist into the door, which swung open on silent hinges.
"Gee that's…OW!" Lina stomped into the room, followed by Gourry, rubbing his new bump, and finally Zel. The room was dimly lit, and occupied by a dusty alter, and another organ.
"Ah! The key!" Zel rushed over to the organ and began pushing keys until he found the ones he wanted.
"So now what?" asked Lina when the strains died away.
"We, Um, I don't know! What are you asking me for? I've never been here!"
"Why not try going backwards?" Suggested Gourry
"Well it was a big circle." Said Zel, "and something we did along the way opened this door, so perhaps this opened something else." Lina sighed and nodded her assent. Sure enough, where the piece of paper with the clue was, there was now a door.
Through the door there was a balcony, about two stories above the floor. The trio crossed the narrow gallery and peeked around the edge of the doorway.
"Now Queen Leene, it is time for you to die!" came a voice from the room.
"Chancellor! How could you!" Zel leapt into the room, sword drawn. At the alter at the far end of the room, a small man jumped up and down in fury.
"Zelgadiss, run away! He's not the chancellor! He's a Monster!" A woman, dressed in a regal dress called to the Chimera.
Lina and Gourry followed into the room drawing weapons and preparing spells, taking a flanking position to Zel.
"Well, it's a good thing he's not alone than, isn't it?" Lina sneered at the fake chancellor.
"Foolish golem! It's about time you fell from this mortal coil! TRUE FORM CHANGE!" The small man shimmered and his body was swathed in bright blue bolts of energy. When the turbulence died down in the human's place stood a Monster, a full blooded Mazoku.
"Time to die, ugly." Was all Lina said as she launched a fireball. Zelgadiss and Gourry rushed the smoldering beast from each side, and hit it simultaneously. After a few minutes of this and a couple of well placed Elmekia Lances the Mazoku crumpled into a heap of ash.
"Zelgadiss, you came to rescue me!" cried the queen, who had untied the real chancellor during the fight.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Now, quickly, let's get you back to the castle." The hero's met the soldiery of the castle as they exited, taking most of them back as an honor guards, and with orders to the rest to burn the defiled building to the ground.
At the castle happiness reigned supreme at the safe return of the queen. Gourry led Lina to the last place he saw Amelia. As they approached the spot, Amelia appeared out of thin air and collapsed on the floor.
"Princess! Are you all right?" an anxious Lina asked the younger girl, helping her to stand.
"I was in a place that was all dark and lonely. Is that what it's like…to die? Er, Princess? Well I guess my secret is out. Yes I am Princess Amelia Will Tesla Seiruun. But Gourry, if you had known my true identity you wouldn't have led me around the fair, would you." Amelia looked sad.
"Of course I would have!" Gourry exclaimed. "You're a great person Amelia, and I'm glad to have you as a friend." Tears glistened in Amelia's eyes.
"Well that's great. We have the princess back, so let's go home." Lina turned and hid a tear that was creeping out of her own eye.
As they passed the throne room the three heard the real chancellor saying "We really must have a criminal system to deal with rogues like that, don't you agree, Your Majesty?"
"Absolutely! From this day forth, myself and all my descendents shall be dedicated to JUSTICE!" Gourry and Lina sweat-dropped, while Amelia had stars in her eyes.
At the main gate, Gourry, Lina and Amelia met Zelgadiss, who was looking like he was getting ready for an extensive trip. "Ah, I'm glad to see you again Lina, Gourry." He looked at Amelia. "And you too, Your Highness. You look just like Her majesty." Turning back to the pair he traveled with he said, "I failed to protect Her Majesty Queen Leene. I depart forthwith. Farewell." With that the strange man turned and walked into the forest.
"Zel's a little strange looking, but he's a good guy." Said Lina, looking after his departing form.
"So how do we get home, Lina?" Asked Gourry.
"The same way we got here jellyfish brain. Lets go back to the mountains."
In the clearing where Gourry had first appeared Lina pulled a rod from her cape. "Even you can use this Gourry. When it glows you say 'Open wide the Gates of Time' or in your case, 'Go' and the gate will take you to its other end." Lina held the rod out and intoned, "Open wide the Gates of Time!" Suddenly, the three felt a pull as a gravity well appeared in front of them.
"Ms. Lina, you're a genius!"
"Yeah, I know. Thanks Princess."
"Please, just call me Amelia."
"Lina, HELP!" Gourry had just been sucked into the gate, and the two girls leapt after him.