Seyruun High Jinx –NEXT!
Chapter 46
The Musical: Act Three and an Intermission
The worst solitude is to be destitute of sincere friendship. – Sir Francis Bacon
Act Three The first battles, the first victories
Scene One
On their way to a shrine high above Ridkou Village, the uneasy companions had to pass through some rocky badlands. The set was simple; lofty mountains painted in far-distant perspective and plain rock-strewn foreground. A couple of bright white and yellow spotlights gave a good impression of oppressive heat.
Here, they collected another tag-along, a shrine priestess named Sylphiel. Her story in song was a sad one. Without family or a shrine to call her own, the young lady was hoping to gain support from another more prosperous Shrine to re-build the one which had been destroyed. The tale of the terrible priest who's soul had been consumed by a monster and driven by the resulting madness to extinguish himself and her city, struck a hauntingly familiar cord.
At the close of the solo, Amelia asked in a slightly wavering voice, "You were born in Sairaag, Miss Sylphiel?"
Zel crossed his arms over his chest and looked dour, knowing the answer.
"Why yes? It's such a small town, do you know it?" Sylphiel asked.
"Of course! I'm the Princess of Seyruun and am well-versed in the history and geography of our continent. But that's not what I was thinking about just now. You see, Mr. Zelgadiss, here was telling us about his..."
Zelgadiss interrupted Amelia abruptly. "The Red Priest...did this to me. He was my grandfather." He revealed his scarred face to the shocked girl.
Of course, in reality Xelloss' father was the power behind Zel's accident, but Lina thought that would add too much complexity to the musical version at this point. Actually, she ran the first version of the script past Gourry figuring that if he could understand it, then she'd be in the clear. Since he got snagged by the forest of intertwined family trees, Lina had decided to do a bit of pruning. 'Artistic license', she called it.
"The one w-who killed my family...took away my home!" Sylphiel gasped.
"So it seems," Zel remarked coldly.
"We're going to a Ridkou Village Shrine to find his cure and deliver a government contact and strengthen Miss Lina's spells and...and...give Gourry a purpose. We can petition the priesthood for help for your cause as well!" Amelia announced joyfully.
"Just what we need, more little girls," Zelgadiss frowned. "I'm going alone. I'll have better luck finding what I want without an entourage."
The audience was chuckling at his long-familiar reticence to be a joiner. The chuckles grew louder as Lina played out another one of the behaviors she was famous for.
"Oh no you don't, buster!" Lina grappled him into submission with her well-known strangle-hold. "You are travelin' with us, like it or not. We're all in this together. Remember, that cure of yours is in the same book that I want."
All five kids ended up migrating from a tussle to a jovial musical number about mutual support to achieve goals, with Zel joining in, reluctantly, for the final verse.
"Ummmm...Hey, Lina! Isn't that some kindova shrine thingee up ahead?" Gourry asked shading his eyes with a hand and concentrating on an imaginary view off stage...
"Where? Whoa, you got some sharp eyes to see anything that far away," Lina remarked accompanied by a hard smack on Gourry's back. "Come on! I was thinkin' it was up in the mountains, but this is a lot more convenient. Maybe this is the place Xelloss meant after all!"
Not to let Lina get her hands on the prize book first, Zelgadiss sped off with the others.
Scene Two
"Well? So...which one do you think it is?" Lina looked at the mostly painted backdrop of tall stacks of endless-looking bookcases filled floor-to-ceiling with identical-looking books.
"There's so many," Sylphiel wailed. "We can't read them all!"
"We have to try!" Amelia told her, as if she were trying to convince herself it was true as well. "At least until Miss Lina or Mr. Zelgadiss think of a faster way." To set a good example, she pulled out a text from the only real case on stage and opened it. "I can't understand a word in this!"
Zel and Lina weren't having any better luck. "There must be a clue to unlocking this code. If we can figure that out we can translate these," Zel muttered as he started searching desperately for anything that looked different.
"You raise a valid point," came a disembodied voice. Xelloss stepped out from behind the real bookcase.
"Xelloss!" Lina shouted. She had him (a tad more roughly than necessary) by the collar in a spilt second. "'Bout time you showed up! This is the right place, RIGHT? Which one is the book we want?"
"Oooouch!" Xelloss moaned until she stopped shaking him, but she'd not freed him. "I came as soon as I could. And, yes, you found the place, but I am afraid that what you want could be in any one of them."
Before Lina could strangle the priest, Amelia stopped her. "Please! Maybe he knows how to read them. Maybe there's an index!"
Lina instantly relaxed her grip on Xelloss. "Oh yeah..."
Xelloss smiled and said, "You can't keep your hands off me, can you?"
Now, that wasn't in the script, but it could have been. A flutter of laughter circulated the playhouse as Lina blushed...right on cue, her look murderous. As was Gourry's expression as he stood flexing his fingers dangerously. He reckoned he was stationed close enough to crush Xelloss' skull with his hands... He had overheard Xelloss offer to take Lina someplace- him and his damn fortune! The thought of Lina traveling abroad and alone with the other guy made his blood boil.
That's when Zangalus made his entrance, costumed once again as the monster Lord Gaav, with another of Jillas' controlled explosions masking his arrival and bringing the audience to its feet yelping in surprise.
"Geesh!" Lina waved away some lingering smoke. Xelloss began to issue her a warning, but she continued on talking to Gaav as if he were just another bandit competing over treasure. "We found this place first, so unless ya wanna messy territorial fight with Lina Inverse, you'd better head back the way ya came.
Zangalus-as-Gaav looked astonished, then frowned. "I am the Demon Dragon Lord Gaav and this is my kingdom. It is you, Lina Inverse, who's leaving...but first..."
"A-a monster! He's a MONSTER!" Sylphiel interrupted him with her shrill cry. Her courage faltered momentarily.
"You bet he is..." Gourry mumbled in so low a voice only Zel heard him. "The both of 'em..."
Gaav whipped around and slapped Sylphiel to silence. "Tell me why you travel with him." He leveled a curious look down at Xelloss.
"Him? The priest-guy?" Lina shrugged her shoulders still unimpressed by the monster lord. "He's on his own. He's not important. It's me you gotta worry about!"
"And him...too..." Gourry grumbled more.
Zelgadiss elbowed him in the ribs and frowned slightly to shut him up. What was bugging Gourry anyway?
Gaav-Zangalus chuckled, "Then you do not know who he is? Ha! Xelloss is a very powerful, high level monster!" He thought this was terribly ironic– these humans being lead around by their noses... by a monster, unbeknownst to them!
The tense moment was interrupted when Martina arrived on the scene, tripping over a set piece, catching her foot in a loop of cable, and falling into the distracted Gourry, nearly taking him down with her. The audience roared at the slapstick routine, which appeared to be well scripted... only it hadn't been intentional.
It had drawn everyone's attention off Xelloss, everyone but Gaav-Zangalus. He appeared to pound Xelloss about the head and chest demanding that he disclose his superior's commands and his motives for following Lina. Xelloss was putting up no fight and returned his flippant, patented reply, "I was curious about the purpose behind those orders too, but you see... It's a secret!" He also warned Zangalus to curb his enthusiasm and lighten up a bit in a very low whisper, "That last hit connected..."
Having been tended to by Amelia, Sylphiel now checked on Martina. "Are you all right?" she asked, helping the flustered girl to her feet.
"What's important is that I found you at last, Lina Inverse, destroyer of dreams!" Martina screamed at Lina as she brushed off Sylphiel's kind overtures. "I've been chasing that flat-chested, little sorceress, Lina Inverse for weeks! It was she who destroyed my castle home, and now I'm going to get even!"
"Flat-chested...?" Lina growled. That...was not in the script either!
The music soared and Martina raised her voice in song...a song that told of her sad trials in life. How Martina loved the spotlight! Thankfully, hers was a nice singing voice to listen to, not like her nasal, obnoxious speaking tone.
When the final notes ended, Xelloss waited out the applause then said, "Miss Lina, I urge you to get out of here."
The recommendation had barely escaped his lips, before Gaav-Zangalus began pounding him senseless again.
"That's enough of that!" Lina shouted and countered with an attack on Gaav to free Xelloss. She chanted a spell and shouted, "Fireball!"
More smoke and sparks dazzled the audience as Xelloss made his escape from Gaav's grip. "Run for it!" he shouted as he led the way off stage.
Lina slumped after the expenditure of energy, but before she could pretend to shake it off and run off stage, Gourry swept her off her feet. Beaming with pride, he said, "We'll move faster this way until you're stronger!"
Lina, shocked to the core by his impromptu act, simply nodded as he carried her off. The audience cheered their approval, "Way ta go Gourry!"
The bookcase sets were whisked off and the earlier craggy rock sets were wheeled in to prepare for the next scene–- Gaav's territory.
Scene Three
"It's too bad that shrine with all the books got destroyed by Gaav before we had a chance to learn its secrets. Then the next was such a let-down," Amelia sighed.
"Okay, so that last little shrine wasn't the right place either. What can I say? They all look alike to me," Lina said.
"It's okay, Miss Lina. At least Sylphiel found someone to listen to her. Maybe she'll convince the high priest there to invest in Sairaag."
"I wouldn't count on it, Amelia," Zel said dryly. "In the end she'll find that if she wants the place restored, she'll have to do it herself and not expect assistance from the priesthood."
"More importantly, we lost Martina!" Well, it was more important to Lina. "That's two fewer mouths to feed."
"But we regained...him," Zel gave a nod Xelloss' way.
"Shoulda lost him too," Gourry muttered under his breath.
"Hey, Xelloss!" Lina called over to the smiling young priest. "You're sure this cave is the place?"
"Yes. I'm afraid I am prohibited from entering, but you can, if you're quick about it." Xelloss seemed preoccupied. "This opening is sealed against us monsters by a dragon spell. Hurry, our presence has been detected."
Sure enough, Martina had caught up to the group.
"Great. I thought I'd dodged her good back in the village," Lina growled.
"Now she's got some poor kid with her," Zel sighed.
Miwan stumbled on stage dragged along by a wild-eyed Martina. "Found you!" she shouted, panting to catch her breath. "Good thing for me that I found this kid who knew the way up here."
Except for the longer hair, Miwan was a dead ringer for Phibrizzo. It was uncanny how much he resembled him, dressed in a pair of two-toned blue bicycle shorts and a shirt similar to the real Phibrizzo boy.
"Who's the kid?" Lina asked.
But before she got her answer, two creatures appeared and attacked Amelia, who had been standing off alone. "Ahh!" She cried out a quick incantation and Jillas, dressed in a ghoulish mask, triggered a few sparks.
Gravos made horrible noises, which were somewhat muffled by his grotesque latex mask, and waddled around like a...lame duck. Above, lights flickered in a variable-speed strobe effect simulating more explosions from the monsters' spells.
"Amelia!" Zel shouted as he rushed to her side.
She had managed to lose her balance, but Zel, being fleet of foot, caught her in his arms. He shifted her to one arm and drew his sword. By this time Gravos skidded on the same wet spot that had caused Amelia's fall, and he reeled around.
From the audience's point of view, it appeared that Zelgadiss or Amelia had attacked him with a spell. "You're the man, Zel!" shouted a few in the crowd while others applauded.
Amelia and Zel exchanged bemused glances. It was all either of them could do not to burst out laughing.
"Better go now, Lina. We'll hold them off," Gourry assured her as he somehow remembered to say his lines and unsheathe his sword simultaneously.
Lina nodded, spun on a heel, and disappeared into the cave. Martina sneaked around the inattentive Gourry and the preoccupied Xelloss, dipped past the cave opening, and chased after Lina.
John- the lead monster, Seygram, this time- roared out an attack spell as he jumped out from behind a spray-painted Styrofoam rock. Xelloss countered by striking at him with his staff. The spell missed, apparently, as did Xelloss' blow, but not the next time. He lunged forward, seeming to drive the staff through John-Seygram, pinning him to the ground. Another explosion and Seygram was defeated.
By now, the audience was getting caught up in the action. They reacted mostly with cheers for the Slayers and jeers for the villains. It looked liked it might turn out to be an audience participation event one way or the other.
In the meantime, Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadiss had slain the Jillas and Gravos duo. Amelia was holding her left arm close to her chest and both Zel and Gourry were limping.
"Did we get them all?" Zel asked.
Gourry nodded, "All but Xelloss."
"But he's fighting on our side, isn't he?" Amelia reminded them both.
"So?" Gourry asked.
This was another departure from the script. It took both Amelia and Zel's quick wits to get the dialogue back on track.
"B-but it would be wrong...unjust of us to turn against a friend who's helping us!" she cried out.
"For now, but never forget that he is a monster too," Zel said, hoping Gourry would shut up now.
But he had one last word to get in. "Yeah, he can't be trusted," Gourry warned them, all the while glaring in Xelloss' direction.
Just then, Lina bounded out of the cave shouting, "I've got it!" But before anything more could be said about her acquisition, Gaav reappeared. "You again!" she shouted in disgust.
"Fireball!" Lina shot off a spell, which Jillas augmented with more smoke and flashes. Dismayed to find the man still standing, Lina shouted at Xelloss, "Don't just stand there!"
"I really shouldn't be doing this..." Xelloss began lamely. His eyes flitted back and forth between the younger boy Martina had brought with her and Lina. "Use those amplifiers with your strongest attack, Lina!"
"NO!" she shouted. Lina turned toward the audience and entered into a soliloquy. "In the cave I learned the final part of the most powerful spell there is, but I also learned that using it tags on a pretty steep price. Should it go out of control, it would destroy the world! I don't wanna do a thing like that, not only would it be the end of my beauteous self and my magnificent future, but it would augment the goals of the Monster race, which is to return the world to a state of chaos and total disorder. No, now that I know the spell, I must find another way to put an end the monster's that get in my way."
This turned into her solo number—full of determination and spirit to rally the troops.
"Rrrrah!" Gourry drove forward, sword-first at the monster lord. Zangalus-Gaav flung out an arm, sending him head-first into a rock wall set. Gourry remembered not to actually hit the set which would buckle under his weight, and instead, just shake, droop, and slide to the floor. He had practiced it enough to make it look convincing.
Zelgadiss and Amelia recited spells and shot off a barrage of light attacks, keeping the light-effects person and Jillas busy.
Xelloss launched a desperate attack of his own to protect Lina, taking Gaav's retaliation full-force. He collapsed to the floor left to creep off under a veil of artificial smoke.
"He killed Mr. Xelloss!" Amelia cried out moments before taking a hit herself. "Achhh..."
Zelgadiss flew to her aid again, but this time he was knocked flat by Gaav's attack before he reached her. "Oooof!"
"He's gonna kill us too, if I can't get these spells off in time!" Lina snapped.
Unfortunately, Gaav-Zangalus was on her before she could finish her incantation. All would soon be lost!
"Watch out Lina! " someone shouted from the audience as he noticed Gaav about to skewer her with his sword.
"That's right! You have fought your last battle!" Gaav roared.
"No! You have. You, the betrayer of the Monster race...defecting to create your own demon horde."
"Huh?" Gaav now noticed the boy who had been hiding behind a rock with Martina. "YOU!"
"Recognize me now? I'm Demon Lord Hellmaster Phibrizzo, and you, the renegade Gaav, are in the way and possibly ruining everything. So...you must die!" Then Miwan-as-Phibrizzo simply snapped his fingers and Gaav went up in a puff of smoke. Demon-monster death, Jillas style.
There was a momentary sigh of relief, but then the boy gazed down from atop his rock perch and grinned. "My work's not done, however!"
Amelia was still cradling Zel's limp form and Gourry was barely moving. Lina hadn't the energy to fend off another attack and Martina was frozen in horror. Doom was upon them!
"I can see you are in no shape to carry on, so we'll take this a bit further and finish it later. Let's see...how can I ensure we'll meet up?" Phibrizzo-Miwan's eyes settled on Gourry, where Lina was huddling near his battered body protectively. "He will have to do."
"Don't touch him!" Lina shouted.
The action slowed, a driving beat grew in volume and Lina and the Slayers launched into a motivational 'fight to the end' number, for a change of pace. But when the last of the harp and guitar cords faded away, the spot light was back on Phibrizzo and the captured Gourry.
"We will meet again, Lina Inverse...In Sairaag. Don't be too long in coming!" The boy cackled like a kid possessed, grabbed Gourry and, in another puff of smoke and a great deal of help from Gourry himself, disappeared off stage.
"Gourry!" Lina cried out. "Gooooooour-reeeeee! Don't go! COME BAAAAACK! Nooooo!"
And with that dramatic ending, the curtain fell. The crowd applauded energetically, while behind the scenes, Luke rolled in a fan to clear the air and Lee dragged sets around. This next scene, the last for Act 3, was more elaborate than the others. Val and Filia helped move the elevated dais and luminous blue-green backdrops into position. The set fit together carefully with interlocking parts so that it would be stable though all the upcoming activity. Jillas positioned his explosive special effects and Gourry checked them.
Miwan took his seat on up on the dais and gave the lighting expert a 'thumbs up' sign. Val hopped up to test the 'holding cells' and fit Gourry into one of them.
"Comfy?" he grinned.
"Yeah," he smiled in return. "But by the time I get outta this, my hands'll be numb."
Filia guided a foreground curtain which would hide this set from view at first. It was painted to look like a door in a stone-clad wall. She ran around front between it and the curtain to see that it was placed properly. Yes. Lastly, she dashed back to inquire of Val and Jillas if they were ready. All was A-okay. That done, Filia rushed to get into her costume. She loved her diaphanous golden dress and veil, and was thrilled when Zel told her she could keep it when the musical was over. They cleared the stage, signaled Bobby at the curtains 'Okay!', and the curtain rose on...
Scene Four
The scene opened with Zelgadiss and Lina studying the lock on the 'door'. Amelia and Gourry were greeting both Zangalus 'So we meet again...' and Sylphiel 'I'm sorry the Ridkou priests wouldn't help you.'
"I got past everything but the last code. Don't blast it with a spell, Lina, or we may never get past this enchanted door!" Zelgadiss warned her.
"I wasn't! Gimme some space here. I'm gonna try." She pushed him aside and chanted the magic spell, "Go to Hell!' " and the curtain-door lifted to reveal the cavernous room beyond.
Phibrizzo's lair was breathtaking. The audience gasped collectively at the shimmering grotto-like set. This was one of Xelloss' big song and dance numbers, although he was in disguise. He had been involved in choreographing the movements to the music background in order to make the entire scene as surreal as Lina had said it had been in reality. Lina's vision had been to demonstrate Xelloss' important 'behind the scenes' involvement, while at the same time telling the story of what, in essence, had happened to them.
So, as each of the companions defied Phibrizzo and attempted to free the magically restrained Gourry, Xelloss, in costume but masked and seemingly invisible to the others, transferred the living people to their limbo deaths, shrouding them in pale netting. Was he acting of his own volition or just following orders or was he entrapped by Phibrizzo as well? It was hard to say, but the audience was entranced by the singing and dance of death.
Lina was last. In her song she teetered back and forth, should she attempt the spell to free her friends or not? She had no choice; in the end she would succeed– she could not fail! Her song ended in an extended incantation calling on the power of the Lord of Nightmares, creator of all...dragons, monsters, and humankind.
Would she be successful? The music dove into the minor key signaling failure but...
A vision of beauty in shimmering gold appeared to float to Lina's side on a cloud. Yes, Lina did get one of her friends to fly, kinda. The tiny platform, disguised with globs of polyester pillow stuffing and glitter, had just enough room for Filia to stand, holding onto the fine cables for support for dear life.
"The Creator! The Lord of Nightmares!" Phibrizzo cried out.
"Yes, and you Hellmaster will not take her or these others."
"B-But I must...I shall!" He screamed, his insanity completely taking over his mind.
"No. You must return to the void from which you are all brought into existence."
"No...NO!" he screamed again, over and over...but in a burst of light, he was destroyed.
Xelloss, his mask removed, knelt at her feet, "My Lord and Mistress of all..."
"Free them all, then leave. Go back where you belong," Filia-as-the LofN commanded him.
"As you wish. But what of Lina Inverse? What will you have me do with her?"
"Nothing. Her life is mine. Now go..."
Xelloss nodded and regained his feet. In a graceful dance, he visited each of the company in turn, removing their enchanted containments. He paused by Lina last. His eyes traveled over her lithe form, hesitating on her lips. He raised a hand and smoothed a few red curls around a finger.
"Ooooooh, go for it!" cried out a few kids from the peanut gallery, which set off a plethora of wolf-whistles and 'whoops'.
Xelloss smiled. He picked up her hand and stroked it gently, enticing it to curl against his cheek. "You...had so much promise," he said, and then kissed her lightly on the back of her hand and left the stage before Lina could wallop him for yet another digression.
The moment he left, Lina's comrades all awoke and started shouting in joy at their restoration.
"What's wrong with Lina? And who is that lady?" Gourry asked, pointing to the LofN. "Hey! Where are ya goin'? Stop! Hey! You can't take her!"
Zelgadiss and Amelia jumped up. "That's right! Stop! Lina stays here!"
The LofN shook her head and lead the silent, dazed Lina to her platform. "The power of the spell consumed her. Now she is a part of me and must depart."
"No...NO! COME BACK! LIIIIIINA!" Gourry fought through a shower of falling golden streamers to get at Lina.
"Where did he go? I can't see Lina or Gourry!" Amelia cried out.
"The Lord of Nightmares has taken them both. Lina died saving him and now he will die to save her," Zel explained dramatically.
"But that's just so...unfair and horrible!" Amelia shouted and stamped her foot.
"Well, maybe he will save her and they will both return. Never know," Zel said and with the others, backed off stage.
The lights concentrated on Gourry as he reached his goal and swept Lina into his arms. "She's mine and I'm taking her back!" he declared to the golden goddess. He looked down deeply into Lina's closed eyes, and said, "Lina...it's me Gourry...wake up...wake up...Ya gotta be okay. Ya just gotta. You see, I love you."
And if that admission hadn't caused a gasp of consternation throughout the hall, his next action did. Lina's eyes flew open. Did he just say what I think he said?
And much to everyone's amazement, Gourry leaned over and kissed her tenderly. Then, unable to contain himself, he poured all his passion into the deepening kiss.
Filia tugged on the cable, 'get me out of here!', and rose away and out of sight, leaving the embracing couple alone on stage. Then the lighting changed the music became joyous. Sylphiel, Amelia and Zelgadiss reappeared on stage walking slowly and talking together. "Look! It's Miss Lina and Mr. Gourry...I think..."
Lina immediately pushed apart from Gourry's hug and punched him hard, "What do you think you were doing!" she yelled.
"Yes...yes it is," Zel returned with a smirk.
"I was just...makin' sure you were all right," Gourry was trying to say.
"I'm fine, can't you see that!" Lina regaled him to some more punishment as she vented her anger and embarrassment.
"Oh! Then everything turned out okay!" Amelia exclaimed.
"Hey...what are you guys gaping at?" Lina turned her ire onto the other three voyeurs.
"I think we'd better go and leave them alone," Amelia advised.
"What did you say? What was that?" Lina hollered.
"Run!" Zel squeaked and took off with everyone at his heels.
The curtain lowered and the audience clapped, cheered, and whistled noisily. Then the curtain parted a ways and Val passed through, carrying a large sign. This he flipped around and then placed in a holder to the side of the stage. The sign read: I N T E R M I S S I O N, in glowing spray paint. He gave a little bow and stalked back stage.
Now, Lina's musical had its humor, gore, action, and suspense, but romance was at a bare minimum, or less. The audience, as they often do when something they desire is missing, filled in-between the lines. Every companionable moment, eye-to-eye or flesh-to-flesh or glove-to-sleeve contact, was construed to imply some form of love interest. Reality confused with fantasy. Or...was it the other way around?
Intermission
Next time, we begin at the intermission...
From the Authors:
New illustrations for the High Jinx Stories!
Seyruun High Jinx has a home. Please go to the author profile for Kaeru Shisho and choose the link. You will find the pictures under Seyruun High Jinx, Summer Special, and NEXT. Pictures for other stories are associated with their links.
KS
End Seyruun High Jinx –NEXT! Chapter 46.