Kin & Kind, Part 4
After a brief sojourn in Seyruun to be comforted in her mourning by people and things familiar, Lina decided that Gourry's family had to know his fate and that she should leave. She could take only so much of Phil's sympathetic tears and hugs for "the poor, young, defenseless widow", never mind said "poor, young, defenseless widow" could destroy all of Seyruun with a single spell. Zelgadis decided to forgo his quest for 'normalcy' long enough to accompany her now morning-sickened, puking self to the Gabriev stronghold. Amelia persuaded her father that she should accompany the two as a diplomat to offer official Seyruun condolences to an important Elmekian family. She also wanted to make sure Lina took care of herself for the baby's sake.
Various bandit, troll, and lesser mazoku attacks along the way confirmed yet again the capriciousness of Lina's black magic. But the strengthening of her ability to cast white and shamanistic magic, especially that for earth and water, compensated for it. Her Ra Tilt seemed stronger than even Zelgadis'. A little study in the royal palace's library revealed that the strengthening remained after each successive birth a sorceress had. "Now I know why Carrie had all those daughters," Lina said to Amelia.
From their past travels in the Empire, she had discovered knowledge of the common trade tongue was limited there. Going through Gourry's meager possessions after his death, Lina found an Elmekian/common trade tongue dictionary. She belatedly realized that despite having no accent and having a seemingly good idiomatic command of the CTT, perhaps some of his perceived stupidity was a well-masked lack of understanding of a language that was secondary to him. She was glad she had picked up quite a bit of Elmekian in their previous traveling, as it relieved some of the tension and distrust from the long-haired check-point guards she came across as she, Amelia, and Zelgadis made their journey through the Empire.
The reception at the Gabriev manor was very disturbing. As they entered the main hall of the castle, they noticed tapestries depicting the various exploits of the Gabrievs. The servant leading them in explained that one of the newest looking tapestries was of Gourry's father and family. On one side of the tall, red-haired man was a medium sized brunette accompanied by two young men, one with brown hair and one with red hair. A young, dark-haired woman also stood with them. On the other side of the former Swordsman of Light stood a tall, blonde woman. Next to her was a patch where the tapestry was woven over but failed to conceal completely the fact another figure had once stood next to her.
Yourry, the last direct male heir remaining in the Gabriev line, sat on a dais at the end of the hall. Gourry had always dressed simply. His long, golden tresses made up his only adornment. His half-brother, however, was quite the opposite. His outer robe was dark red and gold brocade and lined with honey-colored mink. It was opened to reveal a gold brocade vest underneath, the edges of which were also fur-lined. The floor length gown under that was a heavy green silk richly and intricately embroidered. Every finger had a ring, and a heavy gold chain hung around his neck. On the chain was a medallion with a blazing Sword of Light pictured on it. His black leather boots were embossed with golden, jewel-eyed dragons fighting golden monsters. To make sure no one mistook his rank, he had a gold coronet resting over his long brown hair. The beard lining his jaw line and chin and his mustache were immaculately trimmed and brushed.
When her tale of Gourry's death had been told and Amelia had expressed her kingdom's gratitude for Gourry's services to it along with sincere condolences for his loss, Yourry, lounging across his throne, just snorted and sneered, "Idiot had it coming. He stole my Sword of Light! Now I am supposing as his widow, Lina, you want from me support." The unmarried baron cast an appreciative glance at Amelia's figure, and in an oily tone added, "Your Highness, most welcome are you to stay as long as you wish. I would learn more of your Seyruun."
Lina replied frostily, "We'll be leaving in the morning." Thinking how much better Gourry's command had been of the CTT, she turned to stomp out of the hall, barely controlling an impulse to cast a nasty shamanistic spell at him.
"Humpf! At least join us at dinner," Yourry grumpily offered and stood up to leave as well. Amelia and Lina noticed he was shorter than Gourry. Much, much shorter. Amelia had to pinch Lina to keep the older sorceress from giggling. The artists of the tapestry had taken considerable artistic license.
Food, as always, made up for lack of civility with Lina, although whether it would stay down later on was in question at that point in her pregnancy. It was fortunate that she hadn't much appetite to begin with, although she was beginning to have a craving for prunes.
When she and Amelia joined the family and baronial household at dinner, she was also somewhat mollified to see most were in some form of mourning dress. However, death in the family didn't prevent a couple young boys from having a merry belching contest after dinner. It almost made her burst into tears as she remembered one she had had with Gourry.
They had happened upon a spring of naturally carbonated water and had drunk from it copiously. She had started the contest by assuming a prissy look, hands clasped in front of her, pursing her lips cutely and blinking her eyes innocently before letting out an eruption so horrendous it almost knocked her companion over. Gourry had responded in kind, and so it escalated. They had laughed so hard at one point, she had thought her stomach would go through her backbone from lack of air in her body.
Now here in the stronghold of the Gabrievs Lina sadly reflected on how barriers of good breeding could be dropped and absurd fun could be had with the intimacy born of close friendship or love. Oh, how she missed the intimacy of truly being herself with Gourry, who had loved her no matter how she acted! She excused herself from the table to find a quiet spot to gather herself together again. She stood in an alcove nearby, but out of sight of everyone, and took a few deep breaths. At that moment, she suddenly had the feeling of being watched, but it wasn't hostile. It almost seemed like a caress. Her eyes searched but saw no peepholes or portraits that could hide peepholes. To her surprise, she didn't feel worried, but almost cheerful. In a better frame of mind she returned to the dining hall.
After dinner, Gourry's half-sister, Magda, invited Lina and Amelia to her bower for tea. She was, indeed, the dark-haired daughter in the tapestry, which had not done her cold, chiseled beauty justice. After the pouring and diluting of strong tea with the hot water from an ornate samovar and engaging in small talk, Magda proceeded to grill Lina further on the details of her half-brother's demise. Lina found it very painful but was curious that the woman insisted on knowing whether there was the possibility of an assassin's involvement. A strange light was in Magda's green eyes. Seemingly satisfied, she then insisted that the two women stay in her wing of the manor. "Lina, my dolt of a brother should have offered more hospitality than just a meal. The idea of your having to find a room in an inn tonight when you're family! And to neglect a royal princess on a mission of compassion as well!"
"I'm sure deep-seated sorrow caused him to be unjust to us," Amelia answered.
"Unjust? Humph! No hidden sorrow about him! I suspect he even sent an assassin after Gourry to make sure he didn't return to claim the barony," scoffed Magda.
"Yes, I've wondered about that myself," Lina declared, "But we need evidence or an admission from him."
"There have also been some suspicious deaths of other male relatives. If both of you stay here longer at my invitation, perhaps we can finally discover the truth," Magda mused and continued, "This is the first time I have been home since Father died and I married. My husband, too, died a short while ago. I had to get away from painful memories of him for a while and returned here. Would you believe even I had to beg my brother to allow me to have rooms of my own while I recover from my grief? And as you can see, they are not in the best of condition."
It was true. The walls were cracked and the door to the room hung from the frame a little crookedly. The furniture was rickety and scratched, except for a large gilt mirror with a golden swan at the top. Even Lina had the diplomatic sense not to comment on the discrepancy, but murmured, "Oh, I'm truly sorry you have equal sorrow to bear." She reached for the other woman's hand as Amelia also said "Oh how unfair that your poor family should have two such horrible blows at the same time!"
The woman appeared not to notice Lina's sympathetic gesture, but just folded her hands in her lap and looked down.
"Thank you, your Highness and dear Lina. Enough of my complaining. You must be tired after so long a journey and so emotional a trial." She turned to an elderly woman who had sat quietly embroidering by the fire. "Auntie Olga, could you please show Lina and the Princess to their room?" Magda requested.
"I'd be delighted to," replied the thin, eloquent woman as she laid aside her embroidery and stood.
At introductions during dinner Lina had learned Auntie Olga was a sister of Gourry's father. In conversation with the woman, while getting settled in her and Amelia's room, Lina soon found out Olga wasn't terribly fond of her brother's first wife or her children, but was making due with the situation of living under the same roof as they.
"The first wife was cruel, frivolous, and vain. She fell asleep after drinking too much brandy and drowned in a milk bath. In contrast, Gourry's own mother was a lovely woman, something more than human, I think. A vila from our mountain forests, we suspect. She was tall, and Gourry inherited her gorgeous blonde hair. She did what she could to help those in need in the barony, whether with gold or her own two hands. Be that as it may, whatever she was, she produced a sweet, handsome son."
Lina kept her mouth shut about the vili and gave Amelia a surreptitious warning tap on the princess' foot with her own. She then asked, "What happened to her?"
"After Kiril, Gourry's father, died, Ivana disappeared at the same time Gourry did with the Sword of Light."
"Please tell me, why did he leave here with the Sword of Light?" Lina knew, but wanted to hear the family's take on it, especially after seeing the defaced tapestry.
Olga sighed and went on, "When Gourry was sixteen, his father died. Knowing the boy, I believe he was fearful of what his half-brothers or some of his uncles would do with the power of the Sword of Light. He had a deep love of family, no matter the flaws of the individuals in it, but he wasn't blind to the trouble they could cause both within and without the family. After a knife fight between his stepbrothers over the Sword in which one of his uncles was seriously injured, he just disappeared with it. A vengeful Yourry ordered all mention and depiction of Gourry removed. You are the first to give us news first-hand of him since then."
Closing her eyes, Olga put her pale, long-fingered hand on Lina's belly and said "Gourry still lives in you. But you had better leave as soon as possible. When his brother learns you are pregnant, you and the child may 'meet with a sad accident', if you remain at his court." Seeing Lina's look of amazement that she had divined Lina's condition, although it wasn't visually apparent yet, she smiled, "I am a white magic sorceress, dear girl. True Gabriev women usually are." She paused and added, "Although Magda also should be, there's something strange about her now. I can't divine what. It's as if a sort of curtain is about her...Ah, probably just an old woman's powers diminishing. Sleep well, my dears." She smiled at them and left.
The two friends looked at each other.
"Wow, Ms. Lina, this all pretty weird."
"Yeah, something's not right here, but let's get some sleep so we can think clearer in the morning."
They got ready for bed and snuggled down in the comforters to sleep.
Later that night, when most were deep asleep, Yourry found a sword at his throat as he was roughly awakened. The holder of the sword was hooded and his face was masked. Moonlight reflected off the swordsman's glittering eyes.
"Don't yell or our friend here will make things unpleasant," warned a female voice.
"Yes, Lord Yourry," enjoined another voice more softly and sweetly, "No harm will come to you if you will just come with us. My word as a princess of Seyruun."
"You!" he vehemently whispered. "How did you get past my guards and the magical locks and traps my sister set?"
"Piece o' cake to three high ranking sorcerers," Lina grinned. "Now Zel here is a cold-hearted, mystical swordsman and not a softy like we two delicate girls. [Here Zel gave a growl, whether to indicate displeasure at Lina's pun at his expense or to intimidate Yourry wasn't discernable.] So if you would...?"
Shaking with anger and a touch of fear, the Gabriev lord put on his dressing gown and gingerly felt for his slippers with his feet, since the sword at his throat prevented him from looking down. Lina also had her sword drawn at the ready. Amelia kept her hands ready for spell formation as the four of them passed through the more luxurious section of the castle and avoided stepping on unconscious guards.
To Yourry's surprise, instead of leaving into the night, they quietly sneaked into the more dilapidated section containing Magda's apartments. They stopped at the hinge side of her bedroom door. Lina motioned Yourry to flatten himself against the wall and placed the Blast Blade to his throat as she and Amelia also hid along the side with him.
Zel's ears twitched and he nodded to Lina. He was about to zoom away, when Lina reached out to grab his cloak and stopped him.
"Zel, a destructive spell might make too much noise. Give me your sword and take the Blast Blade, just in case..." she demanded very quietly.
"Are you sure, Lina?" Zel softly questioned.
"Yes, you were his best male friend, and you may require it. Hey, don't take this too seriously. It's just a loan for now, you understand. The kid and I may need it later, so don't get attached to it!"
He reverently strapped it on and suddenly shot down the hallway as deadly silent as an owl on the hunt. The three left behind watched as he did a Ray Wing out an open window. A few tense minutes later, the three lurkers heard a muffled shriek of defeat. Zel came rushing back. Lina looked askance at him. The chimera nodded and gave a thumbs up before straightening his cape, hood, and mask. He then gently tapped at the door before him.
"At last you are here, Mutallos!" Magda breathed as she opened the door. As Zel mutely nodded and stepped into the room, she added, "There's been a change of plans that makes things easier. My half-brother's widow has arrived as well as that little justice freak of a Seyruun princess."
After the door closed behind the chimera, Lina shoved Yourry to the door, and Amelia produced three glass tumblers from pockets in her cape. The search for Yourry's chambers had taken the trio past the kitchen, where Lina had grabbed a turkey leg and a handful of prunes and Amelia the tumblers. She handed one to Lina and the other to the very puzzled Yourry. She placed the open end of the third to the door and put her ear on the other end. As Amelia motioned the other two to follow her example, Lina hissed in Yourry's ear, "Listen!" and jabbed him in the side with the fingers of her sword-free hand before popping a prune in her mouth. He complied, and, as he looked down at her, he randomly thought, "The bossy little witch really doesn't have breasts." It was a good thing he didn't say it out loud. Expensive real estate would have rapidly lost its market value.
What brought about this turn of events? It had transpired before all this, while Lina and Amelia were enduring the brother's court, Zelgadis had kept himself hidden. What he heard skulking around the village and manor did not cheer him, and he readily decided that Lina, Amelia, and he should leave before light the next day. Hiding near the kitchen, he overheard that Lina and Amelia were in Magda's wing and set off to find them.
As he was slipping quietly down the corridor of Magda's section, he noticed a light and a female voice coming from one of the rooms. His sharp chimeric ears overheard the words "that little red-haired bitch, Lina" and decided some eavesdropping was called for. He quietly chanted, "Levitation" to rise to the shadows of the ceiling. With his body parallel to ceiling and floor, he peered in through the wide end of the crack between the door's top and door frame.
Magda sat in the one marginally comfortable and intact chair of the room. She was brushing her long, dark brown hair in front of her mirror. A large raven perched on the seat of another chair next to the mirror. It became apparent Magda was talking to it.
"Tomorrow that miserable brother of mine will pay for all the humiliation he has given me. First, inheriting this fiefdom all because he is male, although I am the elder! Then tricking me into marrying a husband with poor, backward holdings and no 'courage' in him." She gave a few hard, angry strokes of the brush to her hair.
The bird croaked, "No courage?"
She slammed the brush down on the floor. "Ah, yes, he was handsome and talented, but he could not 'rise to the occasion' for me. I fed him oysters, rhubarb and learned more powerful potions and spells, but on the day he died, I still got up with my maidenhead. And this despite the years I had lain in his bed, trying all sorts of tricks to turn him on," she complained.
"Ah, that 'courage'!" rasped the raven.
She arose and stroked the birds wings and back. "Actually, dear feathered friend, he did have 'courage', but for a little, whey-faced page boy. It got them both killed in that tragic banya (steam bath) fire. The examiners said the poor things, ahem, 'dallied' too long and were overcome by heat. The fools deduced the fire creating the steam somehow intensified and caused the structure to burst into flame while my dear husband and his love were unconscious. The two must have angered the Bannik (bath-house spirit), eh?" Her laughter could have given Naga a headache. "Ah, yes, locking spells and spells of silence do come in handy."
"Now, thanks to our visitors, my plans for eliminating Yourry and inheriting what is rightfully mine can be advanced. Miss Fireball's literally explosive temper is legendary. People have seen she's been slighted by my brother, and, of course, they'll think she's punished him. "Too bad," they'll say, "she also accidently hit the Princess as well." Yourry seems a little too interested in Amelia, and I can't have him marrying and producing heirs."
"Fireball! Nevermore!" quoth the raven.
"One good thing about that sham marriage is I learned I am better suited to black magic. Thanks be to that ancient court sorcerer of my dearly departed husband and the old man's secret library. But because I still need some help to carry my plan out and now to put the blame on the Dragon Spooker, we're going to have a most unusual visitor tonight."
"Visitor?"
"You'll see. Now let's pay our nightly visit to a certain swan, shall we?" As she spoke, she reached up and patted the golden swan on her mirror. After a brief recitation of a spell, the mirror became cloudy, and suddenly in it appeared a beautiful woman with long, blonde hair. She was clad in white and her hands, feet, neck and waist were shackled by crystal to crystal.
"Rejoice, my dear Step-mother! There's news of your boy!" Magda chuckled in evil glee.
The woman in the mirror raised pained eyes.
"Yes, yes, he married, and I think his little wife is expecting a brat. Which is all she may do. Expect."
The captured woman stared impassively.
"Of course, if you tell me where the Belt is, the itty-bitty worm may survive." She watched in delight as the imprisoned woman started to shake violently.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot. More news. Your sweet, darling boy is dead. His little stump of a widow came here to tell us herself."
The vila opened her mouth in an agonized silent scream, and tears started to race down her cheeks as she bowed her head. Her golden hair appeared to draw a curtain on her sorrow.
"Come, come now, After all these years you know what I want. Give me the Belt of Fertility. The impotent emperor needs it to get an heir, and I'm hoping if I make a gift of it to him, he'll marry me in gratitude. Before it was just to gain his favor to have him depose my brother. Now that my husband is no more, I aim higher. Just think, he's worn out four wives with no result, but I'll be the one finally to grant his and the empire's greatest wish! Don't you want a happy emperor? Where's your patriotism? You could be free ofyour confinement, too. You have only to indicate you are willing to talk and not spew insults like you've done several times before, and I'll release you fully."
The vila only lifted her head and stared defiantly at her stepdaughter.
"After all these years, you think help will still come? Not from your dead, idiot son. And I'm going to take care of that bitch of a widow and her overly perky, royal friend. Well, enough for now. I have to plan for mourning my brothers and executing the murderess of my dear brother, Yourry." She waved a hand and murmured a couple magical words. The glass cleared, but on the golden swan a golden tear now appeared on its golden cheek.
Magda yawned and stretched. "Oh, my. I hope that monster shape-shifter shows up on time. I'm going to be losing beauty sleep."
Zelgadis quietly lowered himself from his listening position and sought out Lina and Amelia's room. It was surprisingly easy. He smiled to hear a sleepy Amelia complain, "Lina, you're sleeping like a cat in a fishpond again." He softly knocked on the door in the code they had agreed upon earlier. He heard the rustle of a dressing gown being hastily put on and quiet footsteps quickly approach the door. The door swiftly opened, and Zel ducked in and gave the tired looking Amelia a quick, one armed hug across her shoulders.
Lina was sprawled at an odd angle on the bed. The bed covers were twisted every which way. Her face was wrinkled in a frown.
"Ms. Lina," Amelia quietly tried to rouse the sorceress. No response.
Zel leaned over the red-head and whispered in her ear, "All you can eat buffet for free." Lina sat up and would have shouted "Where?Where?" but for both Amelia's and Zel's clapping their hands over Lina's mouth and holding her arms down.
After getting Lina's wide-awake attention, Zelgadis told them what he had overheard and seen in Magda's room. Both women were flabbergasted and were all for charging down the hall to take care of Magda right away.
"Wait, wait!" Zelgadis counseled. "It'll be your word against hers to everyone or worse for you, if she's killed without her brother's or some other reliable relative knowing her plot."
"All righty then, let's wake up and grab that tight-assed runt, Yourry!" Lina cackled. After commanding Zel to turn around and stare at the wall, she tossed on her clothes, and Amelia did the same. As she buckled on the Blast Blade, Lina more demanded than asked, "Zel, think you can act like a monster assassin and draw a confession out of Magda while we listen at her door?"
"And just hope the real one doesn't show up while we're at it?" Zel quirked an eyebrow as he asked this.
"Hey, adventurers are gamblers, aren't they? We gotta take our chances if justice is to be served," Amelia chimed in.
"It's the best we can do so quickly, I guess," Zelgadis agreed. "Well, let's go!" And the three silently left the room to find and capture Yourry for his own good.
Back to the current situation: Through their "listening" devices, the trio outside Magda's door heard Zelgadis query, "Oh, and how have the plans changed?"
"Ah, I'm forgetting my manners. Please sit. Do monsters ever eat or drink real food?" Magda asked.
"As a shape-shifter I often have to in order to maintain the illusion. I have found I can enjoy a glass of good wine every now and then," replied Zelgadis. "However, I'd rather discuss your matter with no distractions. Thank you, though."
"Well, it's good I'm dealing with an entity with some manners and brains."
Outside the door, Lina finished munching on her prune. There was nothing left but the pit. She rolled it around in her mouth and, pursing her lips, made ready to spit it out.
"Ms. Lina, don't you dare spit that out on the floor! It's so uncouth!" hissed Amelia.
"My hands are full, Amelia. I can't just put it in my pocket," the sorceress retorted as quietly as she could.
"Then just keep it in your mouth and suck on it!" Amelia shot back.
In Magda's room, the conversation became more serious.
"Well, Mr. Shape-shifter, I hope you'll be more successful than that assassin I sent to find and eliminate my half-brother. Although it turned out, the hired killer wasn't needed. The half-breed fool managed to get himself killed without any outside assistance."
"Once I hear your new plan, I'm sure I shall be successful," Zel icily assured her.
"First, I'll lure the widow to my room without her royal friend. A sleep spell and chains should keep Lina out of action for a while. This should enable you to study and duplicate her features. You and I will then gather up the princess. We'll tell her we have evidence to connect Yourry with the assassin sent to kill my wretched half-brother. From what I've seen of her, she'll want to confront Yourry immediately. All three of us will face him in his treasure room, where he always goes alone. We'll let the princess approach him first, and then I'll blast them both to the Sea of Chaos. You will run out in Lina's form. By crying out that Lina Inverse has murdered Yourry and the princess, I'll raise higher the alarm caused by the blast. In the meantime, you should take on the guise of one of the guards and return to my rooms. Call the guards and wake the witch. Say it looked like she was going to assassinate me. "
"And what will be your excuse for being out of your rooms?"
"I learned the sorceress was going to harm Yourry and came too late to warn him."
Yourry became angrier and angrier as he listened to his traitorous sister describe her plan. He must have inherited at least some of the Gabriev famous reflexes, because suddenly he knocked Lina's sword arm up and away and, shoving Amelia aside, threw open the door. "My own dear Sister...How dare you!" he roared as he rushed towards her, his hands raised in fists, but without the benefit of a spell like Amelia would cast. At the moment his deck didn't have all the aces.
Zelgadis grabbed the man by the shoulder with one hand and wrapped his arm around Yourry's neck as Lina and Amelia rushed in.
Magda laughed, "Looks like we'll have to modify our plan a little, Mutallos! Kill him while I take care of these two." She cast a Fireball at the two women, but Amelia and Lina immediately responded just in time with a magical shield.
In a low voice, Zelgadis scolded Yourry, "You fool! What made you think you could burst in here without a weapon?" He thunked the man on the head just enough to knock him out.
Without thinking, Amelia called out, "Will he be ok, Mr. Zelgadis?"
Lina, Zel, and Magda face-faulted.
"So, let's see you change shape, Mutallos or Zelgadis, is it?" Magda commanded stiffly, her eyes dangerously narrowed.
"Sorry, not in the mood," Zel countered and threw a Freeze Arrow at her. She cancelled it with a Flare Arrow and called the raven to her. She muttered a quick spell, and the raven grew to an enormous size with red eyes and razor sharp teeth. It was in actuality a lessor demon of not much intelligence.
Amelia and Lina dropped the shield, and as the raven flew at the women, Lina spat the prune pit in its right eye. Amelia and Lina next shot "Elmekia Lance!" at it as it squawked in pain and surprise in mid-air. Everyone ducked as black feathers and demon blood splattered everywhere before dissipating.
"Gods, Ms. Lina, that pit spitting was so gross and unlady-like," Amelia remonstrated her friend as they crouched on the floor.
"But it worked, didn't it?" Lina responded.
As she stood up, Magda drew a sword hidden under her dressing gown and charged at the women, only to be blocked by Zelgadis' sword. "So it's swords, is it?" she chuckled while jumping back. "You forget I'm a Gabriev." Her attack was very fast and well timed, but Zelgadis' parry was even quicker and more well timed. Her blade was shattered by the Blast Blade, and only her reflexes with what was left in the hilt of her sword saved her from a mortal slash.
"Whoops, I guess you didn't notice I'm part golem, did you?" With a dangerous sparkle in his eyes he further taunted her, "Isn't ironic that the sword I wield is the Blast Blade of your dead brother?"
Magda crouched against the side of the bed in horror for just a few seconds before thrusting out her hands and crying "Gaav Flare!" Of course, nothing happened since Gaav was gone. She stared at her hands and cried, "But it's not that time of the month!"
Zelgadis smirked and responded in an almost bored tone, "Guess you either forgot or didn't know, you can't draw power from a destroyed Dark Lord. It happens. [Yawn] Dug Haut!" Spikes rose from the floor and impaled the woman through the heart. She gave a screech of pain and rage and expired.
As Lina and Amelia went to check on Yourry, the golden framed mirror began to shake. The swan on the mirror frame's top began grow and change to white. It spread its wings and floated gracefully down to the floor. As it raised its lowered head, the feathers there turned to lustrous golden hair and a human-like face appeared. The lowering wings became arms, and the body straightened to reveal a tall, female figure.
"Thank you for freeing me at last!" she rejoiced and then declared, "I'm so going to need a long soak in a good, hot bubble bath!"
"Sounds like a great plan to me," Lina agreed. "By the way, I'm Lina, Gourry's wife, this is Amelia, Princess of Seyruun, and Zelgadis Greywards. We're all top rank sorcerers," she added proudly. Then her face saddened considerably, "But G-Gourry is..."
"I know. SHE told me." Ivana reached out to Lina and the two hugged each other. Ivana added quietly, "But gold can turn up in unexpected places." She smiled mysteriously.
Zelgadis and Amelia let them be for a few minutes before the princess piped up, "There is some good news..."
"Yes, I'm carrying Gourry's child," Lina finished for her.
Ivana face gently smiled as she commented, "Again, THAT woman told me."
"Now what?" Zelgadis asked. "Even though we saved Yourry's life, I still don't trust him."
"And I'd like to leave for my mother's as soon as possible, even before Yourry there wakes up," answered Ivana.
"We'll leave as soon as I find out what has happened to the Fertility Belt," was Lina's stubborn answer to Zel.
Ivana noticed the arm Zel had unconsciously put around Amelia's shoulders. She gave a musical laugh. "I know where it is. After my husband and I decided we didn't want any more children, I gave the Belt to a guardian to hide it for me. Follow me to the kitchen." The three sorcerers looked at each other and shrugged. After putting the now sleep-spelled Yourry on the bed, they followed the vila.
They were mystified as she searched for a clean bowl, found one, and filled it with milk. Near the huge fireplace there was a small cabinet on raised feet. Ivana placed the bowl of milk next to it and called softly, "You may return now, my domovoi friend."
A large black snake emerged, and in it's mouth was something rolled up. Amelia gave a little shriek and grabbed Zelgadis' arm. Ivana gently reassured her, "Have no fear. A snake is the form the protective spirits of the home often take." She reached down and took up the object the snake had dropped at her feet. It was a belt woven of silver cloth with wheat sheaves entwined with flowers embroidered on it. She handed it to Lina. "This is what you seek," she said simply, "Although you obviously don't need it."
"Oh, I can think of some people who might," grinned Lina wickedly, and with a wink she handed it to Amelia, who blushed fiercely, as did Zel. "Why, Amelia, I'm just giving it to you for safe keeping," she teased.
"Uh, ok, Ms Lina."
"I have but one other thing to do before I leave," said the vila. They followed her to a rose garden. Ivana stopped under a trellised rose bower and, lifting up a large stone, pulled out a bundle. Lina recognized it as a vila's robe.
"My husband told me where it was before he died, but Magda captured me before I could retrieve it and leave," she explained as she slipped on the robe. "When my grandchild is about to be born, please let me know, Lina. I shall come to help. Good-bye and thank you again!" With that, she changed into a large swan and flew off to the south to her mother's forest.
"Let's gather our things, take leave of Yourry, and head back," Lina commanded. "Mysteries have been solved, and there are miraculous flowers yet to gather."
And so they quickly left the Empire for Seyruun.
To be continued...
To imagine this fic's vision of Elmekian costumes, think of the Russian lacquer boxes with fairy tales depicted on 'em or nesting dolls that seem to be cropping up in gift shops lately.
I've been shocked when some foreign friends I thought were very comfortable in English, because they used appropriate grammatical structure and idioms and had little accent, admitted they didn't always understand what was being spoken. Also,when he first knew my foreign born father, my American maternal grandfather thought my dad was stupid because Dad didn't always understand what was spoken.
Prune cravings? Ah, yes, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I have to admit I had a thing for 'em.
Gourry died too quickly in the previous part? I wanted it to be a shock and ironic, rather than the heroic, drawn out, bloody, romantic thing the like situation often is in fanfics. There are many cases where healthy seeming atheletes have just dropped dead; two of them were in my daughter's high school several years ago, one of them expired in his parents' driveway after just attending the funeral of the other! Then there's the very sad case of the gold medal winning Russian pairs ice skater who just up and died on the ice, practicing with his wife, leaving her and their young child. I think in most cases, death was attributed to hidden heart defects.