Disclaimer: Yadda, yadda, yadda, Slayers copyright of Kadokawa Shoten and TV
Tokyo, blah, blah, blah, send comments to bkuhn@ucsd.edu yackity shmackity...
you get the drift
Wow. I can't believe it took me two years between chapters. That's what happens when real life attacks. Oh well, better late than never.
Special thanks go out to my pre-readers: Masa, Sethra, and NJSilver
Lina: (growls) That's it, I'm going to kill the author! What was up with that last chapter!
Gourry: What was wrong with last chapter?
Lina: All the fanservice! Making me and Ketra trudge through the woods naked, Amelia changing in front of Xellos...
Amelia (bursts into tears) THIS SUCKS!!!
Lina: Quiet! Princesses aren't supposed to say things like that. Anyway, given the title of this chapter, it looks like there's going to be even more of this stuff.
Amelia: (drying her eyes) At least the author was fair about it and put in some scenes of the guys. Like at the onsen. (giggles) The Gabrievs sure are muscular, aren't they?
Lina: (giggles) Tell me abo- wait, that's not the point!
Zelgadis: Considering this is all text without image, who really cares? Let's just do the recap.
Lina: All right.
Amelia: Um... how should we do this? Now that Gourry and Delvier are back in the story, we've got three groups.
Lina: Simple, I'll recap the Gabrievs, you do my group, and Gourry can go over what's happening at the Tella's house. I'll start. (clears her throat) Very little information has been given about Delvier's plans. All we know is it involves an unknown woman that Delvier has tricked into meeting them at Seyruun. In order to avoid a bloody death when she finds out, Delvier and Gourry make a quick side trip to an odd dukedom called Trebec to get something to buy her forgiveness with. However, late in the night, a clerk arrives to bring Gourry to some mysterious event. Amelia, your turn.
Amelia: Right! After meeting up with the Half-elven spellsmith, Ketra, the entire party is put under a sleep spell. It seems the strange mist in the cave kills fairies, and Princess Maia thinks Lina's responsible.
Lina: Why does everyone always assume the worst of me? Just because I've blown up a town or two.
Zelgadis: Five at last count.
Amelia: (stepping between the two) Anyway, after convincing Maia of their innocence, she releases them, but destroys their clothing in the process, (giggles) so now they're walking around in their pajamas, when this strange metal monster comes at them, and... and that's where we left off. Gourry?
Gourry: (puzzled) What?
Lina: (gritting teeth) It's your turn to tell the readers what happened with Amelia's group.
Gourry: Oh, okay. Um... let's see... Amelia forced Zelgadis to come back and have dinner with his mother, then Amelia and Xellos have an argument and Amelia went to bed. How was that?
Lina: A bit concise.
Gourry: Sorry.
Lina: (sighs) Let's just get on with the fic.
***
Slayers: GO!
Chapter 5: Pajama Party! Part 2
*TAP*
Amelia stirred at the sound, rolling over in the bed.
*TAP*
Amelia began to wake, sitting up and looking for the source of the noise. Xellos wasn't around - a fact that Amelia was immensely grateful for; she was beginning to understand why Zelgadis disliked him so much.
*TAP*
The noise was coming from the window. The young princess climbed out of bed. She opened the window and stuck her head out.
*WHAP*
"Ouch!" Amelia exclaimed. A small rock had hit her in the head.
"Sorry," came a whispered reply. On the ground below the window stood Frenlea, a handful of pebbles in one hand.
"Miss Frenlea?" Amelia whispered back, puzzledly, "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might need some cheering up," the elf replied, "Whenever my daughter was sad, I'd come by and we'd dance. It always cheered her up."
"Thanks, Miss Frenlea," Amelia said, "but... why come in the middle of the night? Wouldn't it be better to dance when it's bright and sunny outside?"
Frenlea shook her head. "Nope, has to be at night."
"But why?" Amelia pressed.
Frenlea paused. "It's an elf thing," she said, finally.
"What does being an elf have to do with it?" Amelia asked.
"You know," Frenlea said, just a bit crossly, "Ketra was never this troublesome."
Amelia frowned. "Sorry."
"Just kidding," Frenlea smiled up at her, "She was twice as bad. Now are you coming or not?"
Amelia sighed. She really didn't feel like dancing, but she realized that Frenlea probably wasn't going to take no for an answer.
A small glow emanated from her hands as she whispered "Levitation" and jumped out the window. Frenlea smiled as the princess slowly floated to the ground beside her. Without another word, she grabbed Amelia's hand and dragged her off into the woods.
***
There was a crash, as Kenno, the Bandit Prince, threw his wineglass against the wall. Jenso remained kneeling in front of him.
"I'm sorry my lord," the giant said.
Kenno snatched another wineglass from the shelf, and poured a new glass. "To be honest, I had hoped this was one of Fisk's jokes."
"Again, I apologize."
"Forget it," Kenno told him, "What's done is done. At least you have brought useful information. We won't be caught off guard by that wolf again." It was this calm, logical approach that had allowed Kenno to rise to become the Bandit Prince. He was tough, yet fair-handed, and thieves all across the world dreamt of serving in his band.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. The prince nodded at Jenso, who opened the door to see a nervous looking young bandit, barely more than a child.
"Your Highness," he bandit said, bowing low, "I was sent to tell you that Serilda and Nigel have returned. Everyone's waiting for you."
Kenno turned his dark eyes to the boy. One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk as he watched the boy freeze under his glare. The Bandit Prince's colorless eyes had an almost hypnotic effect, much like a snake's or a cat's.
"Thank you," he said, standing up, "You may go now." The messenger ran off down the hall as quickly as he could.
"You haven't lost your touch," Jenso observed with a grin.
"Of course I haven't," Kenno replied, as he pulled on his coat, "I rule an army of brigands, lawbreakers by nature. The moment I show any weakness is the moment I've signed my death warrant."
The pair of them left the fortress and headed through the woods. It wasn't far before they reached a clearing, where long rows of carnival tents had been set up. They walked down an aisle, and entered a tent that appeared to be used for storage. When they entered, however, they encountered an unusual sight. A woman, dressed in skin-tight black leather was holding Fisk by the collar.
"Ah," Fisk said, smiling, as he spotted the pair of them, "Your Majesty! Perhaps you can help me clear things up. You see, I was just coming to make sure everyone was comfortable, when-"
"You were spying on us," the woman said.
"Well, of course," Fisk admitted.
"Fisk, get out of here," Kenno told him.
"Of course, Your Greatness," Fisk said, "But be careful of that one." He pointed to a tall figure, completely hidden underneath a heavy cloak. "I think the Iron Dagger's here trying to trick us by bringing a coat rack as her second. I swear, he hasn't moved an inch since I got here!" He laughed, and, oddly enough, a woman's musical laughter joined him. Everyone present turned to the woman. She was dressed in long white robes with gold trim. Her features were sharp, and very, very beautiful.
"Ah, Dabria," Kenno said, bowing, "It is good to see you again."
Dabria returned the bow. "And you as well, young lord. Tell me, what is the name of this whimsical man?"
"You mean Fisk?" Kenno asked.
Dabria nodded. "Is he a trustworthy person?"
"You can trust him to annoy you to no end," Jenso told her.
Kenno glared at his lieutenant, before turning back to Dabria. "He may be rather... eccentric, but he has never betrayed me."
The beautiful woman paused in thought. "I don't suppose you would be willing to give him to me," she asked, "I haven't found my second yet, and he reminds me, in a fashion, of an old friend of mine."
Kenno blinked in surprise. "Certainly, my lady. If Fisk is willing, of course."
Fisk grinned madly. "I would be delighted to serve you, oh lovely one." He turned to Kenno. "It's been a pleasure to serve you, Your Grandness, but, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, she's cuter than you." He winked at his former employer, bowed dramatically, and took his new place at Dabria's side.
"Shall we get to business?" said a stern voice. The owner was Serilda Vendel, leader of the Mechanists, and every bit as stern as her voice suggested. Her eyes peering from behind spectacles took in everything that fell under her scrutinizing gaze. Her clothes were plain, but functional, and her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She was a woman who took everything with a deadly seriousness.
"Yes, Miss Vendel," Kenno said, "We're all here. Let's begin the meeting."
***
The young clerk led Gourry and Delvier into a dark area, telling them only to wait there.
"What do you think's going on?" Gourry nervously asked his brother.
"I don't know," Delvier whispered back, "Just be prepared for anything. There are people out there who don't want us to arrive in Seyruun."
Gourry was about to ask who these people might be, when bright lights suddenly filled the area, and a booming voice cried out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our special 'Surprise Midnight Games!'" At this, there was a tremendous surge of applause from all around them.
When their eyes had finally adjusted to the bright light, the two warriors were amazed at what they saw. They appeared to be in a colosseum of sorts, with a huge audience filling the stands. In front of them where several large steps, each one carrying several treasure chests.
Next to them were two other people, similarly dressed in sleepwear. A well-dressed man with salt-and-pepper hair came down towards them. He held a strange object in his hand which appeared to make his voice louder.
"Now, let's meet our contestants!" he said, as he approached a young man with black hair, "First, we have Kintaro Oe! Mr. Oe, why don't you tell us about yourself? Mr. Oe?"
The young man wrenched his gaze away from the beautiful woman that was gesturing to the treasure chests. "What? Oh, hi. My name is Kintaro Oe, and I was studying to be a lawyer, but now I'm traveling the world, and studying life."
"Let's hear it for Kintaro!" the man said, as the crowd applauded. He approached Gourry, looking at a small card. "Our next contestant is Gourry Gabriev. Gourry is the direct descendant of the legendary Swordsman of Light, and is credited for helping save the world four times!" The crowd applauded again. "So, how does it feel to be here, Mr. Gabriev?"
Gourry stared in confusion at everything around him. "Um... what's going on?"
The man laughed. "We'll get to that in a second. Finally, we have our returning champion, Mr. Keitaro Urashima!" The crowd burst into even louder applause than before. "Keitaro, if you win this round, you'll have earned over one million gold coins. What do you plan to do with all this money?"
The young man looked embarrassed. "Well, Lord Trebec, I was thinking I'd use it to fix up Hinata Inn, and maybe hire a tutor to help me with the entrance exams."
"That's great!" Trebec said, turning back to the audience, "And now our contestants will risk life and limb for thousands of gold coins in cash and prizes as we play..." At this point the entire crowd joined in with him. "DON'T... FIND... THE MIMIC!!!"
***
"Move!" Lina yelled, throwing herself to the side. Her companions did the same as the steel dragon raced passed them. Maia squeaked as she was tossed around in the slipstream, but the sound was lost in the heavy pounding of machinery.
"Everyone all right?" Ketra called out.
"I've been better," Lina muttered as she climbed out of a bush.
"Are you okay, Maia?" Tensado asked, lifting the fairy up in gentle hands. She looked very pale, and her long dragonfly wings drooped behind her.
"I... I'm okay," she said, "Just... so much iron."
"Maybe this will help," Tensado said, "RECOVERY!" Maia was engulfed in the glow of the spell, and when it died down, she looked more like her energetic self.
"Just what the hell was that thing?!" Lina yelled.
"I think it's called a train," Ketra said, brushing twigs and bits of dirt from her nightgown, "I heard the Mechanists were building one to go from Seyruun to Bezeld. I didn't think they had finished it, though."
"Who are the Mechanists?" Maia asked, flying out of Tensado's hands to hover in front of Ketra.
"They showed up after the barrier came down," Ketra explained, "They're a group of scholars trying to help people with advanced machines. Some of the things they can do are amazing, and there's absolutely no magic involved."
"They didn't have a lot of magic outside the barrier," Lina said, thinking about some of the things she had seen there. "They used other things to make up for it. Some of it's downright dangerous."
"I don't like them," Maia declared.
"I don't care," Lina snapped back. "They might have some clothing they can lend us. I do NOT want to enter town like this."
"Well, these tracks have to lead somewhere," Tensado said, with his usual cheery optimism. "Who knows? Maybe we can use their train to get to Seyruun. We could even beat your friend there."
Lina smiled. "I like the sound of that!" she said, running down the tracks. "Let's go!"
***
"Wow!" Amelia exclaimed, looking at the massive oak tree Frenlea had brought her to. It towered above the rest of the forest, and there was a wide clearing around it, as if the rest of the trees wanted to give it space.
"This is the mother of the forest," Frenlea told the princess, "The oldest, tallest tree here."
"It's so beautiful," Amelia said, running a hand across the tree's trunk.
"There's one in every forest," the elf went on, "Even in the smallest groves. You just need to know how to look for them."
Amelia leaned back, gazing up into the trees branches. She stood there for some time, until the sound of bells distracted her. She turned to see Frenlea had removed her dress and was putting on a pair of golden bracelets that tinkled beautifully as they moved. She knelt to attach a similar pair of anklets, then she started walking towards Amelia.
"Now to take care of you," Frenlea smiled. Before Amelia realized what was going on, Frenlea had covered the distance between them, and quickly stripped Amelia of her clothing.
Amelia blushed and covered herself with her hands. "Wh-What are you doing?" she asked.
"You can't dance with all that clothing on," Frenlea told her as she neatly folded Amelia's pajamas, "It just gets in the way." She placed the clothing in a hollow at the base of the tree and pulled out a fancy wooden box. "Here," she said, tossing the box to Amelia, "Put these on."
Amelia opened the box to see a pair of golden bracelets and anklets like the ones Frenlea wore. They had acorns on them that chimed at the slightest movement.
"They're beautiful!" Amelia said, as she put them on.
"They were my daughter's," Frenlea said, "Now, follow me."
She began to dance around the clearing, the bells on her ankles and wrists playing as she spun and clapped. Amelia tried her best to copy Frenlea's movements. At first, she felt awkward and clumsy next to the gracefulness of the wild elf. But then, she was caught up in the dance, and it no longer mattered.
***
Lina blinked in amazement.
"What the hell is this doing in the middle of the woods?!" she exclaimed.
'This' turned out to be a large carnival, erected in the middle of a clearing. It was empty at the moment, but it had obviously contained a lot of people earlier in the day. A large flag with an iron gear on it flew above the main tent.
"That's the Mechanists' symbol," Ketra said, looking at the flag.
"And there's their train," Tensado added. Sure enough, the large machine was off to one side.
Maia zipped around from tent to tent. "It doesn't look like anyone's here," she reported. "It's creepy.
The entire thing was creepy, Lina thought. The moon was almost full, which gave them plenty of light, but this only seemed to make it worse. The brightly colored fabrics of the tents seemed somehow mocking in the still of the night.
"Let's take a look around," she decided. Maia frowned at this. "I think it's creepy, too, but I'm not going to pass up a chance to get some real clothing, just because of that."
They spread out and began checking the tents and booths. Every one they looked in was empty, but they kept going, searching them systematically as they made their way down the makeshift street towards the main tent.
Every minute seemed to make the carnival more and more spooky. So when someone started whistling, they all jumped. Maia let out a squeak, and hid behind Tensado. They waited, perfectly still, as the tuneless whistling got louder and louder. After what seemed like ages, the whistler emerged from the fog.
"Hey!" the young man said, noticing Tensado. "What are you doing here? I thought the rules were quite clear. Only leaders and their seconds are allowed. Your mistress isn't planning a double-cross, is she?" He wasn't exactly an intimidating figure. He looked to be a couple years younger than Lina, caught in the awkwardness of early adolescence. Although he was rather tall, he was incredibly skinny, suggesting he had gained a lot of height recently, and the rest of his body still had to catch up.
"Why don't you let us ask the questions?" Lina said, grimly. He blinked in surprise as he noticed Ketra and Lina for the first time. Both had their swords drawn. He swallowed nervously, and took a hesitant step backwards.
"That's far enough," Tensado said. A hand emerged from under his cloak, holding a throwing dagger that glimmered in the moonlight. "Why don't we take this conversation somewhere a little more... private?" Lina nodded, and gestured towards one of the empty tents with her sword.
Inside, Lina turned over one of the barrels contained there, and motioned for the young man to sit. She grabbed another improvised seat for herself. Tensado and Ketra remained standing. Ketra was leaning against one of the tent poles, while Tensado stood directly behind the newcomer.
"Let's start with your name," Lina said.
"Nigel," he said, surprisingly calm. "Nigel Vendel. Say, you're Lina Inverse, aren't you?"
His casual tone caught her off guard. "Y-yes. I am. Wait a minute! Don't turn this around. I'M the one asking questions."
"Tell you what," Nigel said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I'll tell you everything you want to know on one condition."
"You're not exactly in a good position to be giving demands," Tensado reminded him.
Nigel turned to look at the former assassin. "You won't get anything out of me if you kill me. My position's not nearly as bad as it looks. I have information you need. Trust me, this is stuff you'll want to know. I just want one thing in return."
Lina stared at him, trying to determine whether he was being clever, or being stupid. Possibly both. "What's your price?" she finally asked.
"Kidnap me."
"What?" the others all said in unison.
He glanced around, as if making sure no one else was around. "Look," he said, lowering his voice. "My mother is Serilda Vendel, the leader of the Mechanists. There's this... conspiracy. That's why this carnival is here. We're saying it's to celebrate getting halfway to Seyruun, but it's just a cover for them to meet. They don't tell us seconds very much, or at least, mother doesn't tell ME much, but I've heard enough to know I don't like it. I want out, but if I run for it, they'll kill me."
"If we kidnap you, won't that get them after us?" Lina asked.
"They're already after you," Nigel pointed out.
"The shaman in the cave?" Tensado asked.
"He's the second for the Bandit Prince."
Ketra whistled. "So there really IS a Bandit Prince? I thought those were just rumors."
Lina turned back to Nigel. "Who else is involved?" she asked.
"The Assassin Guild, and some woman named Dabria." He looked around nervously. "Can we discuss this, you know, on the road? They're going to wonder where I went pretty soon, and I'd like to be out of here before they do."
"One thing, first," Lina said. She blushed slightly. "Do you have any clothes we can borrow?"
***
They stopped dancing as the moon began to set. The eastern sky was touched with the faintest purples, hinting at the sunrise that was yet to come. Amelia's breath was heavy from the exertion, but she was smiling.
"Thanks, Miss Frenlea," she said, "I feel a lot better now." The dance had distracted her from everything else, if only for a short while. The troubles of the past day came back to her, but now she saw that they were little things. In a day or two, they would be all but forgotten.
Frenlea smiled. "Works every time." She glanced at the setting moon and sighed. "Two more nights, and the moon will be at its fullest. I'll probably be dancing alone again." Amelia thought she looked very lonely.
"I don't know how long we'll be staying," Amelia told her, "But if I'm still here in two days, I'll come dance with you again. I promise!"
The smile returned to the elf's face. "Thank you, Amelia," she said, "But I think you've got more important things ahead of you. You'd better head back now and try to catch some sleep before morning." Amelia, reminded of how late it was, suddenly yawned. She nodded sleepily at Frenlea, and had started back towards the Tella's house when Frenlea called out.
"I think you're forgetting something!" Amelia turned around to see Frenlea holding up Amelia's pajamas.
A short while later, Amelia headed out of the forest, fully dressed, and slightly flushed. Dew had formed on the grass, and by the time she reached the house, the cuffs of her pants were soaked. Looking east, she told herself she'd be changing out of them in a short while anyway. She also made a mental note to make sure Xellos was facing a wall this time.
Making as little noise as possible, she snuck into the house.
"It's Amelia, right?"
Amelia turned to see Zahara, sitting in a rocking chair, staring out the window into the forest.
"Yes," Amelia said, "That's me."
"A little late to be up, isn't it?" Zahara asked, still looking out the window. Then she laughed. "Dear me, I haven't said that since I used to catch Zelgadis sneaking out to watch Ketra and her mother dance. Oh, I'd punish him whenever it happened, but it wouldn't stop him the next time, no matter what I did." She smiled. "Boys will be boys."
Amelia laughed, awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, I guess." A sudden thought dawned on her, and she glanced out at the woods.
"Don't worry," Zahara said, "He wasn't watching you, tonight."
Amelia let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried that..." She trailed off as she realized the implications of what Zahara had just said. "But... I... He..." she stammered, looking for something to say. Finally she blurted out "You knew!" in a faintly accusatory tone.
She turned to look at Amelia and smiled. "Yes, I know that Abram's patient is my son, Zelgadis. And I think I'd remember if I had a daughter, so I'm fairly sure you're not his sister."
"How... How did you know?" Amelia asked.
Zahara chuckled lightly. "Zelgadis is a fool to think a mother wouldn't recognize her own son, regardless of his appearance. That aside, of the three of you, only that Xellos fellow is a decent actor. Brothers and sisters don't cast glances at each other like that, when they think no one's looking. And a couple off to be married tend to not see anything but their partner's eyes, whereas you can't seem to quite meet Xellos's."
Amelia felt a combination of embarrassment, relief, and even a little bit of betrayal. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"If he wants to try to hide who he is, that's his decision. I'm just grateful for the chance to see my son again, to know that he's all right... disfiguring curses aside, of course." She took Amelia's hands in her own. "I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, woman to woman."
Amelia blinked, her cheeks going red. "Thank me for what?"
"For looking after my son," Zahara replied. "He can be... stubborn, at times. Like with this whole curse, thing. Silly, when you get down to it. Anyway, I'm just glad he has someone to help him along." She looked out the window again. "It's getting early. I think I'll get breakfast started. You go get some sleep, I'll wake you when it's ready."
Amelia nodded, and started up the stairs. As she reached for the door to her room, she stopped, and let out a heavy sigh. Everyone was being so nice to her. Frenlea had taken her out to dance, and Zahara had told her things that she couldn't tell Zelgadis. Maybe she was being silly, but she thought that tonight, she had felt what it must be like to have a mother.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked fiercely to fight them back. She felt very alone just then. She remembered seeing children walking down the street, holding their mother's hand, feeling safe and secure, knowing that nothing bad could happen as long as the woman next to them remained. Images came to her of children crying with skinned knees or bruised elbows, running to that one woman who could magically make everything all right again. She thought of a child, asleep in its mothers arms, surrounded by peace and love. Her hand trembled on the knob, and she sank to her knees, overwhelmed with sadness. She felt alone, so very alone, robbed of that great treasure that everyone in the world shared.
She was so overcome by her grief, that when a pair of hands tenderly lifted her to her feet, she didn't resist. Someone led her to her bed, and laid her down. She was too numb with sadness to care. The tears in her eyes prevented her from seeing the worried expression on the man who watched her cry herself to sleep.
Xellos watched to make sure she was asleep. Part of him wondered if there was anything else he could have done for the princess, while another part wondered why he cared in the first place. He shrugged, and headed downstairs to tell Zahara not to wake Amelia. Breakfast could wait, and she needed her sleep.
***
Lina stepped out thankful to be wearing real clothing again. Fortunately, the circus had a very large set of costumes, and apparently had some actors around Lina's height. She even managed to find a sorceress outfit that fit her pretty well. It didn't suit her tastes as well as her regular traveling clothes did, but it was a definite improvement over walking into town in pajamas.
"I see you did better than I did," Ketra said, emerging from one of the small curtained-off sections of the tent that served as changing rooms. The weren't many people as tall and as thin as the half-elf, and the clothing she found was ill-fitting. She wore a white shirt that was obviously made for someone of a much heavier build. Her armor kept it in place, but the sleeves hung loosely around her arms. The white pants had to be belted, and stopped around mid-calf.
"It's only temporary," Lina reminded her as they headed out to meet up with Tensado and Nigel. "You seem to have an awful fondness for white. Any particular reason?"
Ketra blushed. "There's an... image. It's a bit silly, but I'm trying to fit it as best as I can. I had to make a few adjustments when I became a spellsmith, though. The original didn't wear armor or carry a sword."
"If you don't mind me asking," Lina said, raising an eyebrow, "Why did you become a spellsmith, if it doesn't fit this image?"
"There was this... boy..." Ketra said, blushing further. Lina let out a laugh.
"Shoulda known," she said with a sly smile. "There always is, isn't there?"
The blush faded from her cheeks as her jaw tightened. "If you're going to make fun of me," she said tersely, "then forget I said – What the !@#$%happened!?" They had exited the tent, only to find Nigel writhing on the ground. Tensado was kneeling beside him, while Maia hovered nervously above.
"I don't know!" Tensado said. "We were talking, and he just suddenly collapsed like this."
Lina and Ketra ran to their side, both kneeling to inspect Nigel. Ketra began to swear in both human and elvish. He looked horrible. Sweat covered his brow, and his teeth were clenched in pain. He jerked from side to side as spasms racked his body. Lina was impressed that he hadn't screamed. "Have you tried any healing magic on him?" Lina asked.
"I cast recovery," Tensado said, "but it just seemed to make it worse."
"Dammit," Lina swore. "Maybe it's a poison or something. Dicleary might be more effective."
"No!" Nigel said suddenly, then he rasped out, "No magic." With a trembling hand, he reached for his pack, but his body spasmed violently.
"What are you looking for?" Ketra asked, "I can get it for you."
"Wooden... box..." Nigel grunted through clenched teeth. Ketra rummaged through the pack, until she found the box. Inside where various vials containing strange liquids, pouches with odd labels, and tools that Ketra didn't begin to understand. She looked back at Nigel.
"Glass... vial..." he hissed. "Dark... red... liquid... Needle..."
Most of the vials were being used to hold the dark red liquid in them. Ketra pulled one out, and almost dropped it. It felt... odd. Despite the fact that it was just glass, it made her skin crawl, as if she were touching something unpleasant. Forcing herself to ignore the sensation, she searched through the tools for a needle. Finding one, she carefully extracted the strange liquid into the needle. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew she didn't want to get any on her.
"Okay," she said, turning to Nigel, "I've got it ready." Nigel grunted, and thrust out his arm, but it was shaking too much for her to apply the needle. Finally, Tensado had to kneel on his arm before Ketra could inject the liquid into him.
The spasms stopped almost immediately, but Nigel lay there breathing heavily for a few moments before he could speak.
"I'm okay," he panted. "Sorry about that."
"But what happened?" Maia asked.
"Quiet!" Lina whispered, sharply. Everyone was still. Barely perceptible over Nigel's breathing, was the sound of footsteps.
Nigel tried to struggle on to his feet. "We should go," he said quietly. "I'm fine, but I won't be if we get caught here."
Tensado lifted Nigel and helped him on to Safiya. Carefully, but quickly, they crept across the grass at the side of the road. None of them spoke until they were a good distance into the forest and away from the carnival.
"So what was that all about?" Lina asked.
"Old family curse," Nigel replied. He climbed off of Safiya, but stumbled. Ketra caught him and helped him stand up again.
"Don't push yourself," she told him. "Is this curse something we're going to have to worry about?"
Nigel leaned against a tree for support. "In the short run? No. The attacks aren't very frequent, unless a lot of magic is cast. Normally I can recover enough to administer the antidote after half a minute or so. They're not normally that bad, either. The curse feeds off of magical energy, so spells like Recovery won't help."
"Sorry about that," Tensado said, rubbing the back of his head, nervously. He, too, had managed to find clothing. Fittingly, the clothing he now wore was an assassin's costume. It was a bit big for his slender frame, but it would suffice. "If I had known..."
"How did this happen?" Ketra asked.
Nigel chuckled. "Let's just say my grandfather had a relationship with a sea witch that ended kinda poorly. She cursed him and every male descendant of his for seven generations. Both my grandfather and my father died working on a cure. My father came up with that formula, but it's less effective every time you use it."
"Come on," Lina said, "We'd better get moving before they realize you're missing."
Nigel nodded, and the party started moving into the woods.
Ketra, leading her mount, fell in pace beside the young Mechanist. "Are you sure you don't want to continue riding?"
Nigel smiled nervously. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I don't do well with horses. Besides, I'm fine now."
Ketra wasn't fully convinced, but she didn't press the issue. "It must be worse here. I mean, there isn't much magic where you're from, is there?"
"The attacks got a lot worse," Nigel conceded. "But soon it won't matter. I've finally finished what my grandfather started. The Zero Essence Mist is a complete success."
Everybody stopped.
"And exactly what," Maia said, her voice uncharacteristically calm, "is the Zero Essence Mist?"
"It's an incredible thing," Nigel said, completely oblivious to the sudden change in the party's demeanor. "The mist polarizes any energy fields in the area, making them static. It effectively creates an area where magic simply... ceases... to..." He trailed off as he realized that all four of his companions were staring at him. "Is something wrong?"
Maia again spoke with a deadly calm. "I, Princess Maia, daughter of Queen Maab, ruler of the Fey Kingdom, hereby charge you, Nigel Vendel, with the crime of murdering eleven Royal Explorers." As she finished her charge, vines leapt from the nearby trees, binding the young man's hands and feet. "You will come with me," she said, her voice dripping with venom, "to stand trial at the Fey Kingdom."
To be continued...
Please read and review
Tokyo, blah, blah, blah, send comments to bkuhn@ucsd.edu yackity shmackity...
you get the drift
Wow. I can't believe it took me two years between chapters. That's what happens when real life attacks. Oh well, better late than never.
Special thanks go out to my pre-readers: Masa, Sethra, and NJSilver
Lina: (growls) That's it, I'm going to kill the author! What was up with that last chapter!
Gourry: What was wrong with last chapter?
Lina: All the fanservice! Making me and Ketra trudge through the woods naked, Amelia changing in front of Xellos...
Amelia (bursts into tears) THIS SUCKS!!!
Lina: Quiet! Princesses aren't supposed to say things like that. Anyway, given the title of this chapter, it looks like there's going to be even more of this stuff.
Amelia: (drying her eyes) At least the author was fair about it and put in some scenes of the guys. Like at the onsen. (giggles) The Gabrievs sure are muscular, aren't they?
Lina: (giggles) Tell me abo- wait, that's not the point!
Zelgadis: Considering this is all text without image, who really cares? Let's just do the recap.
Lina: All right.
Amelia: Um... how should we do this? Now that Gourry and Delvier are back in the story, we've got three groups.
Lina: Simple, I'll recap the Gabrievs, you do my group, and Gourry can go over what's happening at the Tella's house. I'll start. (clears her throat) Very little information has been given about Delvier's plans. All we know is it involves an unknown woman that Delvier has tricked into meeting them at Seyruun. In order to avoid a bloody death when she finds out, Delvier and Gourry make a quick side trip to an odd dukedom called Trebec to get something to buy her forgiveness with. However, late in the night, a clerk arrives to bring Gourry to some mysterious event. Amelia, your turn.
Amelia: Right! After meeting up with the Half-elven spellsmith, Ketra, the entire party is put under a sleep spell. It seems the strange mist in the cave kills fairies, and Princess Maia thinks Lina's responsible.
Lina: Why does everyone always assume the worst of me? Just because I've blown up a town or two.
Zelgadis: Five at last count.
Amelia: (stepping between the two) Anyway, after convincing Maia of their innocence, she releases them, but destroys their clothing in the process, (giggles) so now they're walking around in their pajamas, when this strange metal monster comes at them, and... and that's where we left off. Gourry?
Gourry: (puzzled) What?
Lina: (gritting teeth) It's your turn to tell the readers what happened with Amelia's group.
Gourry: Oh, okay. Um... let's see... Amelia forced Zelgadis to come back and have dinner with his mother, then Amelia and Xellos have an argument and Amelia went to bed. How was that?
Lina: A bit concise.
Gourry: Sorry.
Lina: (sighs) Let's just get on with the fic.
***
Slayers: GO!
Chapter 5: Pajama Party! Part 2
*TAP*
Amelia stirred at the sound, rolling over in the bed.
*TAP*
Amelia began to wake, sitting up and looking for the source of the noise. Xellos wasn't around - a fact that Amelia was immensely grateful for; she was beginning to understand why Zelgadis disliked him so much.
*TAP*
The noise was coming from the window. The young princess climbed out of bed. She opened the window and stuck her head out.
*WHAP*
"Ouch!" Amelia exclaimed. A small rock had hit her in the head.
"Sorry," came a whispered reply. On the ground below the window stood Frenlea, a handful of pebbles in one hand.
"Miss Frenlea?" Amelia whispered back, puzzledly, "What are you doing here?"
"I thought you might need some cheering up," the elf replied, "Whenever my daughter was sad, I'd come by and we'd dance. It always cheered her up."
"Thanks, Miss Frenlea," Amelia said, "but... why come in the middle of the night? Wouldn't it be better to dance when it's bright and sunny outside?"
Frenlea shook her head. "Nope, has to be at night."
"But why?" Amelia pressed.
Frenlea paused. "It's an elf thing," she said, finally.
"What does being an elf have to do with it?" Amelia asked.
"You know," Frenlea said, just a bit crossly, "Ketra was never this troublesome."
Amelia frowned. "Sorry."
"Just kidding," Frenlea smiled up at her, "She was twice as bad. Now are you coming or not?"
Amelia sighed. She really didn't feel like dancing, but she realized that Frenlea probably wasn't going to take no for an answer.
A small glow emanated from her hands as she whispered "Levitation" and jumped out the window. Frenlea smiled as the princess slowly floated to the ground beside her. Without another word, she grabbed Amelia's hand and dragged her off into the woods.
***
There was a crash, as Kenno, the Bandit Prince, threw his wineglass against the wall. Jenso remained kneeling in front of him.
"I'm sorry my lord," the giant said.
Kenno snatched another wineglass from the shelf, and poured a new glass. "To be honest, I had hoped this was one of Fisk's jokes."
"Again, I apologize."
"Forget it," Kenno told him, "What's done is done. At least you have brought useful information. We won't be caught off guard by that wolf again." It was this calm, logical approach that had allowed Kenno to rise to become the Bandit Prince. He was tough, yet fair-handed, and thieves all across the world dreamt of serving in his band.
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. The prince nodded at Jenso, who opened the door to see a nervous looking young bandit, barely more than a child.
"Your Highness," he bandit said, bowing low, "I was sent to tell you that Serilda and Nigel have returned. Everyone's waiting for you."
Kenno turned his dark eyes to the boy. One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk as he watched the boy freeze under his glare. The Bandit Prince's colorless eyes had an almost hypnotic effect, much like a snake's or a cat's.
"Thank you," he said, standing up, "You may go now." The messenger ran off down the hall as quickly as he could.
"You haven't lost your touch," Jenso observed with a grin.
"Of course I haven't," Kenno replied, as he pulled on his coat, "I rule an army of brigands, lawbreakers by nature. The moment I show any weakness is the moment I've signed my death warrant."
The pair of them left the fortress and headed through the woods. It wasn't far before they reached a clearing, where long rows of carnival tents had been set up. They walked down an aisle, and entered a tent that appeared to be used for storage. When they entered, however, they encountered an unusual sight. A woman, dressed in skin-tight black leather was holding Fisk by the collar.
"Ah," Fisk said, smiling, as he spotted the pair of them, "Your Majesty! Perhaps you can help me clear things up. You see, I was just coming to make sure everyone was comfortable, when-"
"You were spying on us," the woman said.
"Well, of course," Fisk admitted.
"Fisk, get out of here," Kenno told him.
"Of course, Your Greatness," Fisk said, "But be careful of that one." He pointed to a tall figure, completely hidden underneath a heavy cloak. "I think the Iron Dagger's here trying to trick us by bringing a coat rack as her second. I swear, he hasn't moved an inch since I got here!" He laughed, and, oddly enough, a woman's musical laughter joined him. Everyone present turned to the woman. She was dressed in long white robes with gold trim. Her features were sharp, and very, very beautiful.
"Ah, Dabria," Kenno said, bowing, "It is good to see you again."
Dabria returned the bow. "And you as well, young lord. Tell me, what is the name of this whimsical man?"
"You mean Fisk?" Kenno asked.
Dabria nodded. "Is he a trustworthy person?"
"You can trust him to annoy you to no end," Jenso told her.
Kenno glared at his lieutenant, before turning back to Dabria. "He may be rather... eccentric, but he has never betrayed me."
The beautiful woman paused in thought. "I don't suppose you would be willing to give him to me," she asked, "I haven't found my second yet, and he reminds me, in a fashion, of an old friend of mine."
Kenno blinked in surprise. "Certainly, my lady. If Fisk is willing, of course."
Fisk grinned madly. "I would be delighted to serve you, oh lovely one." He turned to Kenno. "It's been a pleasure to serve you, Your Grandness, but, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way, she's cuter than you." He winked at his former employer, bowed dramatically, and took his new place at Dabria's side.
"Shall we get to business?" said a stern voice. The owner was Serilda Vendel, leader of the Mechanists, and every bit as stern as her voice suggested. Her eyes peering from behind spectacles took in everything that fell under her scrutinizing gaze. Her clothes were plain, but functional, and her hair pulled back into a tight bun. She was a woman who took everything with a deadly seriousness.
"Yes, Miss Vendel," Kenno said, "We're all here. Let's begin the meeting."
***
The young clerk led Gourry and Delvier into a dark area, telling them only to wait there.
"What do you think's going on?" Gourry nervously asked his brother.
"I don't know," Delvier whispered back, "Just be prepared for anything. There are people out there who don't want us to arrive in Seyruun."
Gourry was about to ask who these people might be, when bright lights suddenly filled the area, and a booming voice cried out.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our special 'Surprise Midnight Games!'" At this, there was a tremendous surge of applause from all around them.
When their eyes had finally adjusted to the bright light, the two warriors were amazed at what they saw. They appeared to be in a colosseum of sorts, with a huge audience filling the stands. In front of them where several large steps, each one carrying several treasure chests.
Next to them were two other people, similarly dressed in sleepwear. A well-dressed man with salt-and-pepper hair came down towards them. He held a strange object in his hand which appeared to make his voice louder.
"Now, let's meet our contestants!" he said, as he approached a young man with black hair, "First, we have Kintaro Oe! Mr. Oe, why don't you tell us about yourself? Mr. Oe?"
The young man wrenched his gaze away from the beautiful woman that was gesturing to the treasure chests. "What? Oh, hi. My name is Kintaro Oe, and I was studying to be a lawyer, but now I'm traveling the world, and studying life."
"Let's hear it for Kintaro!" the man said, as the crowd applauded. He approached Gourry, looking at a small card. "Our next contestant is Gourry Gabriev. Gourry is the direct descendant of the legendary Swordsman of Light, and is credited for helping save the world four times!" The crowd applauded again. "So, how does it feel to be here, Mr. Gabriev?"
Gourry stared in confusion at everything around him. "Um... what's going on?"
The man laughed. "We'll get to that in a second. Finally, we have our returning champion, Mr. Keitaro Urashima!" The crowd burst into even louder applause than before. "Keitaro, if you win this round, you'll have earned over one million gold coins. What do you plan to do with all this money?"
The young man looked embarrassed. "Well, Lord Trebec, I was thinking I'd use it to fix up Hinata Inn, and maybe hire a tutor to help me with the entrance exams."
"That's great!" Trebec said, turning back to the audience, "And now our contestants will risk life and limb for thousands of gold coins in cash and prizes as we play..." At this point the entire crowd joined in with him. "DON'T... FIND... THE MIMIC!!!"
***
"Move!" Lina yelled, throwing herself to the side. Her companions did the same as the steel dragon raced passed them. Maia squeaked as she was tossed around in the slipstream, but the sound was lost in the heavy pounding of machinery.
"Everyone all right?" Ketra called out.
"I've been better," Lina muttered as she climbed out of a bush.
"Are you okay, Maia?" Tensado asked, lifting the fairy up in gentle hands. She looked very pale, and her long dragonfly wings drooped behind her.
"I... I'm okay," she said, "Just... so much iron."
"Maybe this will help," Tensado said, "RECOVERY!" Maia was engulfed in the glow of the spell, and when it died down, she looked more like her energetic self.
"Just what the hell was that thing?!" Lina yelled.
"I think it's called a train," Ketra said, brushing twigs and bits of dirt from her nightgown, "I heard the Mechanists were building one to go from Seyruun to Bezeld. I didn't think they had finished it, though."
"Who are the Mechanists?" Maia asked, flying out of Tensado's hands to hover in front of Ketra.
"They showed up after the barrier came down," Ketra explained, "They're a group of scholars trying to help people with advanced machines. Some of the things they can do are amazing, and there's absolutely no magic involved."
"They didn't have a lot of magic outside the barrier," Lina said, thinking about some of the things she had seen there. "They used other things to make up for it. Some of it's downright dangerous."
"I don't like them," Maia declared.
"I don't care," Lina snapped back. "They might have some clothing they can lend us. I do NOT want to enter town like this."
"Well, these tracks have to lead somewhere," Tensado said, with his usual cheery optimism. "Who knows? Maybe we can use their train to get to Seyruun. We could even beat your friend there."
Lina smiled. "I like the sound of that!" she said, running down the tracks. "Let's go!"
***
"Wow!" Amelia exclaimed, looking at the massive oak tree Frenlea had brought her to. It towered above the rest of the forest, and there was a wide clearing around it, as if the rest of the trees wanted to give it space.
"This is the mother of the forest," Frenlea told the princess, "The oldest, tallest tree here."
"It's so beautiful," Amelia said, running a hand across the tree's trunk.
"There's one in every forest," the elf went on, "Even in the smallest groves. You just need to know how to look for them."
Amelia leaned back, gazing up into the trees branches. She stood there for some time, until the sound of bells distracted her. She turned to see Frenlea had removed her dress and was putting on a pair of golden bracelets that tinkled beautifully as they moved. She knelt to attach a similar pair of anklets, then she started walking towards Amelia.
"Now to take care of you," Frenlea smiled. Before Amelia realized what was going on, Frenlea had covered the distance between them, and quickly stripped Amelia of her clothing.
Amelia blushed and covered herself with her hands. "Wh-What are you doing?" she asked.
"You can't dance with all that clothing on," Frenlea told her as she neatly folded Amelia's pajamas, "It just gets in the way." She placed the clothing in a hollow at the base of the tree and pulled out a fancy wooden box. "Here," she said, tossing the box to Amelia, "Put these on."
Amelia opened the box to see a pair of golden bracelets and anklets like the ones Frenlea wore. They had acorns on them that chimed at the slightest movement.
"They're beautiful!" Amelia said, as she put them on.
"They were my daughter's," Frenlea said, "Now, follow me."
She began to dance around the clearing, the bells on her ankles and wrists playing as she spun and clapped. Amelia tried her best to copy Frenlea's movements. At first, she felt awkward and clumsy next to the gracefulness of the wild elf. But then, she was caught up in the dance, and it no longer mattered.
***
Lina blinked in amazement.
"What the hell is this doing in the middle of the woods?!" she exclaimed.
'This' turned out to be a large carnival, erected in the middle of a clearing. It was empty at the moment, but it had obviously contained a lot of people earlier in the day. A large flag with an iron gear on it flew above the main tent.
"That's the Mechanists' symbol," Ketra said, looking at the flag.
"And there's their train," Tensado added. Sure enough, the large machine was off to one side.
Maia zipped around from tent to tent. "It doesn't look like anyone's here," she reported. "It's creepy.
The entire thing was creepy, Lina thought. The moon was almost full, which gave them plenty of light, but this only seemed to make it worse. The brightly colored fabrics of the tents seemed somehow mocking in the still of the night.
"Let's take a look around," she decided. Maia frowned at this. "I think it's creepy, too, but I'm not going to pass up a chance to get some real clothing, just because of that."
They spread out and began checking the tents and booths. Every one they looked in was empty, but they kept going, searching them systematically as they made their way down the makeshift street towards the main tent.
Every minute seemed to make the carnival more and more spooky. So when someone started whistling, they all jumped. Maia let out a squeak, and hid behind Tensado. They waited, perfectly still, as the tuneless whistling got louder and louder. After what seemed like ages, the whistler emerged from the fog.
"Hey!" the young man said, noticing Tensado. "What are you doing here? I thought the rules were quite clear. Only leaders and their seconds are allowed. Your mistress isn't planning a double-cross, is she?" He wasn't exactly an intimidating figure. He looked to be a couple years younger than Lina, caught in the awkwardness of early adolescence. Although he was rather tall, he was incredibly skinny, suggesting he had gained a lot of height recently, and the rest of his body still had to catch up.
"Why don't you let us ask the questions?" Lina said, grimly. He blinked in surprise as he noticed Ketra and Lina for the first time. Both had their swords drawn. He swallowed nervously, and took a hesitant step backwards.
"That's far enough," Tensado said. A hand emerged from under his cloak, holding a throwing dagger that glimmered in the moonlight. "Why don't we take this conversation somewhere a little more... private?" Lina nodded, and gestured towards one of the empty tents with her sword.
Inside, Lina turned over one of the barrels contained there, and motioned for the young man to sit. She grabbed another improvised seat for herself. Tensado and Ketra remained standing. Ketra was leaning against one of the tent poles, while Tensado stood directly behind the newcomer.
"Let's start with your name," Lina said.
"Nigel," he said, surprisingly calm. "Nigel Vendel. Say, you're Lina Inverse, aren't you?"
His casual tone caught her off guard. "Y-yes. I am. Wait a minute! Don't turn this around. I'M the one asking questions."
"Tell you what," Nigel said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I'll tell you everything you want to know on one condition."
"You're not exactly in a good position to be giving demands," Tensado reminded him.
Nigel turned to look at the former assassin. "You won't get anything out of me if you kill me. My position's not nearly as bad as it looks. I have information you need. Trust me, this is stuff you'll want to know. I just want one thing in return."
Lina stared at him, trying to determine whether he was being clever, or being stupid. Possibly both. "What's your price?" she finally asked.
"Kidnap me."
"What?" the others all said in unison.
He glanced around, as if making sure no one else was around. "Look," he said, lowering his voice. "My mother is Serilda Vendel, the leader of the Mechanists. There's this... conspiracy. That's why this carnival is here. We're saying it's to celebrate getting halfway to Seyruun, but it's just a cover for them to meet. They don't tell us seconds very much, or at least, mother doesn't tell ME much, but I've heard enough to know I don't like it. I want out, but if I run for it, they'll kill me."
"If we kidnap you, won't that get them after us?" Lina asked.
"They're already after you," Nigel pointed out.
"The shaman in the cave?" Tensado asked.
"He's the second for the Bandit Prince."
Ketra whistled. "So there really IS a Bandit Prince? I thought those were just rumors."
Lina turned back to Nigel. "Who else is involved?" she asked.
"The Assassin Guild, and some woman named Dabria." He looked around nervously. "Can we discuss this, you know, on the road? They're going to wonder where I went pretty soon, and I'd like to be out of here before they do."
"One thing, first," Lina said. She blushed slightly. "Do you have any clothes we can borrow?"
***
They stopped dancing as the moon began to set. The eastern sky was touched with the faintest purples, hinting at the sunrise that was yet to come. Amelia's breath was heavy from the exertion, but she was smiling.
"Thanks, Miss Frenlea," she said, "I feel a lot better now." The dance had distracted her from everything else, if only for a short while. The troubles of the past day came back to her, but now she saw that they were little things. In a day or two, they would be all but forgotten.
Frenlea smiled. "Works every time." She glanced at the setting moon and sighed. "Two more nights, and the moon will be at its fullest. I'll probably be dancing alone again." Amelia thought she looked very lonely.
"I don't know how long we'll be staying," Amelia told her, "But if I'm still here in two days, I'll come dance with you again. I promise!"
The smile returned to the elf's face. "Thank you, Amelia," she said, "But I think you've got more important things ahead of you. You'd better head back now and try to catch some sleep before morning." Amelia, reminded of how late it was, suddenly yawned. She nodded sleepily at Frenlea, and had started back towards the Tella's house when Frenlea called out.
"I think you're forgetting something!" Amelia turned around to see Frenlea holding up Amelia's pajamas.
A short while later, Amelia headed out of the forest, fully dressed, and slightly flushed. Dew had formed on the grass, and by the time she reached the house, the cuffs of her pants were soaked. Looking east, she told herself she'd be changing out of them in a short while anyway. She also made a mental note to make sure Xellos was facing a wall this time.
Making as little noise as possible, she snuck into the house.
"It's Amelia, right?"
Amelia turned to see Zahara, sitting in a rocking chair, staring out the window into the forest.
"Yes," Amelia said, "That's me."
"A little late to be up, isn't it?" Zahara asked, still looking out the window. Then she laughed. "Dear me, I haven't said that since I used to catch Zelgadis sneaking out to watch Ketra and her mother dance. Oh, I'd punish him whenever it happened, but it wouldn't stop him the next time, no matter what I did." She smiled. "Boys will be boys."
Amelia laughed, awkwardly. "Uh, yeah, I guess." A sudden thought dawned on her, and she glanced out at the woods.
"Don't worry," Zahara said, "He wasn't watching you, tonight."
Amelia let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried that..." She trailed off as she realized the implications of what Zahara had just said. "But... I... He..." she stammered, looking for something to say. Finally she blurted out "You knew!" in a faintly accusatory tone.
She turned to look at Amelia and smiled. "Yes, I know that Abram's patient is my son, Zelgadis. And I think I'd remember if I had a daughter, so I'm fairly sure you're not his sister."
"How... How did you know?" Amelia asked.
Zahara chuckled lightly. "Zelgadis is a fool to think a mother wouldn't recognize her own son, regardless of his appearance. That aside, of the three of you, only that Xellos fellow is a decent actor. Brothers and sisters don't cast glances at each other like that, when they think no one's looking. And a couple off to be married tend to not see anything but their partner's eyes, whereas you can't seem to quite meet Xellos's."
Amelia felt a combination of embarrassment, relief, and even a little bit of betrayal. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"If he wants to try to hide who he is, that's his decision. I'm just grateful for the chance to see my son again, to know that he's all right... disfiguring curses aside, of course." She took Amelia's hands in her own. "I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you, woman to woman."
Amelia blinked, her cheeks going red. "Thank me for what?"
"For looking after my son," Zahara replied. "He can be... stubborn, at times. Like with this whole curse, thing. Silly, when you get down to it. Anyway, I'm just glad he has someone to help him along." She looked out the window again. "It's getting early. I think I'll get breakfast started. You go get some sleep, I'll wake you when it's ready."
Amelia nodded, and started up the stairs. As she reached for the door to her room, she stopped, and let out a heavy sigh. Everyone was being so nice to her. Frenlea had taken her out to dance, and Zahara had told her things that she couldn't tell Zelgadis. Maybe she was being silly, but she thought that tonight, she had felt what it must be like to have a mother.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked fiercely to fight them back. She felt very alone just then. She remembered seeing children walking down the street, holding their mother's hand, feeling safe and secure, knowing that nothing bad could happen as long as the woman next to them remained. Images came to her of children crying with skinned knees or bruised elbows, running to that one woman who could magically make everything all right again. She thought of a child, asleep in its mothers arms, surrounded by peace and love. Her hand trembled on the knob, and she sank to her knees, overwhelmed with sadness. She felt alone, so very alone, robbed of that great treasure that everyone in the world shared.
She was so overcome by her grief, that when a pair of hands tenderly lifted her to her feet, she didn't resist. Someone led her to her bed, and laid her down. She was too numb with sadness to care. The tears in her eyes prevented her from seeing the worried expression on the man who watched her cry herself to sleep.
Xellos watched to make sure she was asleep. Part of him wondered if there was anything else he could have done for the princess, while another part wondered why he cared in the first place. He shrugged, and headed downstairs to tell Zahara not to wake Amelia. Breakfast could wait, and she needed her sleep.
***
Lina stepped out thankful to be wearing real clothing again. Fortunately, the circus had a very large set of costumes, and apparently had some actors around Lina's height. She even managed to find a sorceress outfit that fit her pretty well. It didn't suit her tastes as well as her regular traveling clothes did, but it was a definite improvement over walking into town in pajamas.
"I see you did better than I did," Ketra said, emerging from one of the small curtained-off sections of the tent that served as changing rooms. The weren't many people as tall and as thin as the half-elf, and the clothing she found was ill-fitting. She wore a white shirt that was obviously made for someone of a much heavier build. Her armor kept it in place, but the sleeves hung loosely around her arms. The white pants had to be belted, and stopped around mid-calf.
"It's only temporary," Lina reminded her as they headed out to meet up with Tensado and Nigel. "You seem to have an awful fondness for white. Any particular reason?"
Ketra blushed. "There's an... image. It's a bit silly, but I'm trying to fit it as best as I can. I had to make a few adjustments when I became a spellsmith, though. The original didn't wear armor or carry a sword."
"If you don't mind me asking," Lina said, raising an eyebrow, "Why did you become a spellsmith, if it doesn't fit this image?"
"There was this... boy..." Ketra said, blushing further. Lina let out a laugh.
"Shoulda known," she said with a sly smile. "There always is, isn't there?"
The blush faded from her cheeks as her jaw tightened. "If you're going to make fun of me," she said tersely, "then forget I said – What the !@#$%happened!?" They had exited the tent, only to find Nigel writhing on the ground. Tensado was kneeling beside him, while Maia hovered nervously above.
"I don't know!" Tensado said. "We were talking, and he just suddenly collapsed like this."
Lina and Ketra ran to their side, both kneeling to inspect Nigel. Ketra began to swear in both human and elvish. He looked horrible. Sweat covered his brow, and his teeth were clenched in pain. He jerked from side to side as spasms racked his body. Lina was impressed that he hadn't screamed. "Have you tried any healing magic on him?" Lina asked.
"I cast recovery," Tensado said, "but it just seemed to make it worse."
"Dammit," Lina swore. "Maybe it's a poison or something. Dicleary might be more effective."
"No!" Nigel said suddenly, then he rasped out, "No magic." With a trembling hand, he reached for his pack, but his body spasmed violently.
"What are you looking for?" Ketra asked, "I can get it for you."
"Wooden... box..." Nigel grunted through clenched teeth. Ketra rummaged through the pack, until she found the box. Inside where various vials containing strange liquids, pouches with odd labels, and tools that Ketra didn't begin to understand. She looked back at Nigel.
"Glass... vial..." he hissed. "Dark... red... liquid... Needle..."
Most of the vials were being used to hold the dark red liquid in them. Ketra pulled one out, and almost dropped it. It felt... odd. Despite the fact that it was just glass, it made her skin crawl, as if she were touching something unpleasant. Forcing herself to ignore the sensation, she searched through the tools for a needle. Finding one, she carefully extracted the strange liquid into the needle. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew she didn't want to get any on her.
"Okay," she said, turning to Nigel, "I've got it ready." Nigel grunted, and thrust out his arm, but it was shaking too much for her to apply the needle. Finally, Tensado had to kneel on his arm before Ketra could inject the liquid into him.
The spasms stopped almost immediately, but Nigel lay there breathing heavily for a few moments before he could speak.
"I'm okay," he panted. "Sorry about that."
"But what happened?" Maia asked.
"Quiet!" Lina whispered, sharply. Everyone was still. Barely perceptible over Nigel's breathing, was the sound of footsteps.
Nigel tried to struggle on to his feet. "We should go," he said quietly. "I'm fine, but I won't be if we get caught here."
Tensado lifted Nigel and helped him on to Safiya. Carefully, but quickly, they crept across the grass at the side of the road. None of them spoke until they were a good distance into the forest and away from the carnival.
"So what was that all about?" Lina asked.
"Old family curse," Nigel replied. He climbed off of Safiya, but stumbled. Ketra caught him and helped him stand up again.
"Don't push yourself," she told him. "Is this curse something we're going to have to worry about?"
Nigel leaned against a tree for support. "In the short run? No. The attacks aren't very frequent, unless a lot of magic is cast. Normally I can recover enough to administer the antidote after half a minute or so. They're not normally that bad, either. The curse feeds off of magical energy, so spells like Recovery won't help."
"Sorry about that," Tensado said, rubbing the back of his head, nervously. He, too, had managed to find clothing. Fittingly, the clothing he now wore was an assassin's costume. It was a bit big for his slender frame, but it would suffice. "If I had known..."
"How did this happen?" Ketra asked.
Nigel chuckled. "Let's just say my grandfather had a relationship with a sea witch that ended kinda poorly. She cursed him and every male descendant of his for seven generations. Both my grandfather and my father died working on a cure. My father came up with that formula, but it's less effective every time you use it."
"Come on," Lina said, "We'd better get moving before they realize you're missing."
Nigel nodded, and the party started moving into the woods.
Ketra, leading her mount, fell in pace beside the young Mechanist. "Are you sure you don't want to continue riding?"
Nigel smiled nervously. "Thanks, but I'll pass. I don't do well with horses. Besides, I'm fine now."
Ketra wasn't fully convinced, but she didn't press the issue. "It must be worse here. I mean, there isn't much magic where you're from, is there?"
"The attacks got a lot worse," Nigel conceded. "But soon it won't matter. I've finally finished what my grandfather started. The Zero Essence Mist is a complete success."
Everybody stopped.
"And exactly what," Maia said, her voice uncharacteristically calm, "is the Zero Essence Mist?"
"It's an incredible thing," Nigel said, completely oblivious to the sudden change in the party's demeanor. "The mist polarizes any energy fields in the area, making them static. It effectively creates an area where magic simply... ceases... to..." He trailed off as he realized that all four of his companions were staring at him. "Is something wrong?"
Maia again spoke with a deadly calm. "I, Princess Maia, daughter of Queen Maab, ruler of the Fey Kingdom, hereby charge you, Nigel Vendel, with the crime of murdering eleven Royal Explorers." As she finished her charge, vines leapt from the nearby trees, binding the young man's hands and feet. "You will come with me," she said, her voice dripping with venom, "to stand trial at the Fey Kingdom."
To be continued...
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