Chapter 1
Ambush! - Yet another Bandit Attack!
It all started with an ambush.
But then again, such things are hardly surprising when one is a wanted criminal and a bandit killer.
Lina Inverse sighed. Well, here we go again - being threatened at knife-point by some hot-headed lunatic whose dreams of ambition is greater than his common sense.
It seems she can't go anywhere without some nutters pursuing her - like moths to a flame. There she was, making her way through the forest, minding her own business - when she and her five travelling companions, found themselves being circled by a bunch of bandits.
The thief grinned from the other end of the knife's blade. The red-head however, looked completely bored. Dammit, what's with this nutter? Doesn't he know who she is? Has he any idea on how much danger he is in? Hasn't he heard the many stories told over many a bandit's evening campfire? Hasn't he heard the name that strikes fear into the heart of the biggest, hardest, cruellest, black-hearted bandit from here to Atlus city?!?!
The red-head struck a brief, but bored, glance over to her companions. To her left, stood Gourry Gabriev. He too had his hands raised but he didn't look too perturbed.
"Ha, Ha!" sneered the head bandit. "You have all certainly made a huge mistake by heading into our territory! We own this part of the forest!"
Lina groaned.
"Hey Gourry?" she said. "Can you believe this guy?"
"They own this part of the forest?" the swordsman replied. "I wonder who sold it to them?"
The sorceress groaned a second time. Well, once again, Gourry has missed the blindingly obvious.
"Forget it, Gourry" Lina snapped. "We don't have time for this."
Even as dim-witted as the swordsman was, it didn't take him long to hit upon what Lina was implying.
"Now you're talking" he grinned.
"Do you think you can take these losers out?"
In spite of his slow wits, Gourry could see that these bandits were, in essence, a bunch of wimps. And a bunch of wimp each unshaven in appearance, dressed in a ragged black cloak and holding a pair of small knives. Of course, the swordsman didn't look worried - he could already tell that these hapless fools and their knives were no match for his sword skills.
"Yeah, I think I can" Gourry beamed - he seemed quite eager on the prospects of a fight.
"Good" Lina said. "Just don't do anything yet. Wait for my signal."
The sorceress returned her gaze to the bandit whom was threatening her. Bearing an expression of (deluded) triumph, the bandit's mouth continued moving - he seemed oblivious to Lina and Gourry's little exchange. But, as she was too wrapped up in her thoughts, Lina couldn't hear what he was saying.
Not that she cared anyway.
However, out of the six adventurers, there was one whom really saw the danger of the current situation. Sylphiel Nels Rahda, stood next to Gourry with her arms raised and her expression radiating with utter apprehension.
"Well, well, well!" leered the bandit nearest to Syl. "You're a pretty one aren't ya?"
"Please!" the Shrine Maiden protested. "Don't hurt me! I'll give you anything!"
Lina sighed. Well once again, Syl has proven herself incapable of handling a situation such as this.
"Really?' replied the bandit. "You know, now that you mention it, you could provide some sport for us!"
And with the that, the bandit let out a cruel laugh - much to Syl's astonishment.
Indeed, it was Syl that the sorceress was most concerned about: The shrine maiden wasn't exactly adept to an adventurous lifestyle. She didn't have enough experience to take control of this drastic situation. She hadn't trashed the same of amount of bandit gangs that Lina had. Consequently, she had little choice but to abide to the bandit's wishes.
Seeing her friend in a position of helplessness only added to Lina's resolution that if something was to be done, it should be soon....
No matter how pointless the danger the situation offered.
Casting a bored glance to her left, she saw that she wasn't the only one whom saw that the situation called for action. Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune was throwing tense glances left and right.
"This is truly unjust" she was muttering under her breath.
"So tell me!" said the bandit nearest to her. "Are you heading to Saillune?"
"We were until you attacked us!" the princess retorted.
"Don't worry we won't keep you here." the bandit sneered. "It all just depends on how fast you hand over your gold!"
"What?" Amelia snapped. "How dare you! I'll have you know, I'm a member of the Saillune ruling family and....."
"Really?" the bandit said, a glint of greed sparkling within his eye. "You don't say?"
"Hey guys!" he then called out. "We've got ourselves a princess here!"
Immediately, Amelia slapped her forehead at her ill-chosen words.
Lina smiled. Okay, so maybe that wasn't the most ideal thing to say in a situation such as this but knowing the princess, it wouldn't be long now before a speech dictating the violations of the Code of Justice escaped her lips.
Sticking close to the princess was the chimera Zelgadis Greywars. He too was bearing signs of an eagerness for action - Yet this eagerness was tainted with a ferocious scowl - Indeed, the bandits whom were closest to him, looked perturbed and uncertain as to how to deal with him.
And it didn't take a genius to work out why.
Zelgadis was being held in check by two of the gang - But both looked apprehensive about the creature they were trying to contain.
"I'm not liking the looks of this guy!" The first bandit said. "He looks freaky!"
"He certainly looks dangerous!" the second agreed.
"I say we kill him and quick!"
"I don't know about that" the second bandit said. "His skin looks deformed! There's no telling what this monster can do!"
"Maybe we'd be better off driving a stake through his heart......" The first one mused.
"Are you crazy? He doesn't look like a vampire!"
"Who cares? He looks as dangerous enough as it is!"
From the look of it, Zel understood all too well what the bandits were getting at. Again, the constant frustration that was his deformed body weighed heavily on his mind.
But what concerned Lina was that the chimera had a sinister facial expression. It was the type that would belong more to that of a serial killer - The type of serial killer that could crack a head open like an egg and break bones without any hesitation or a single morsel of regret.
Thus, if Lina was to act it would have to be soon - before Zel takes control of the situation and starts taking matters into his own hands.
The sixth and final member of Lina's travelling party however, didn't seem too bothered with what was happening around.....
"OH-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO!!!!!!!!!!"
And as the ghastly laugh escaped the lips of Naga the Serpent, the entire scene was brought to a standstill. All the bandits turned their startled gaze towards the raven-haired sorceress. And they weren't alone: Zelgadis cringed, Amelia's eyes widened, Sylphiel blinked in disbelief and Gourry's jaw dropped.
Lina, however, just slapped her hand onto her forehead and shook the rest of her cranium in utter exasperation.
Some things just never change.
"You are all fools!" Naga proclaimed. "You dare challenge the might of Naga the Serpent?!"
The bandit's reply came in facial expressions and noises of complete confusion. But this reaction wasn't what the Raven-haired sorceress was expecting.
"What?!" she shrilled angrily. "Haven't you heard of the name of Naga the Serpent?!?!"
Lina blinked. Man, how amateurish can these robbers get?!?
"Err.....Gracia?" Amelia murmured. "I hope you know what you're doing!"
"Of course I do" Naga grinned.
Just then, the bandit leader spoke: "Will SOMEONE shut that blasted woman UP?!?!?"
"Allow me" Lina said - much to her attacker's astonishment. "EXPLOSION ARRAY!"
"WHAT?!"
But it was too late. There was no use in Naga screaming any sort of protest. Nor was there any use in diving out of the way. Nothing could stop several tons of dirt erupting from underneath the feet of the raven-haired sorceress. And then, much to the astonishment of the bewildered onlookers, Naga flew up into the sky with a terrible wail.
And at that height, the Raven-haired sorceress had no chance of seeing the expressions of both the bandits and her travelling companions.
Amelia was the first to break the silence:
"LINA!" she yelled, her expression an amalgamation of hurt and outrage. "What on earth possessed you to do that?!?!"
"Hey don't look at me" the redhead smirked. "He wanted her to shut up"
And with that, she jerked her thumb in the direction of the startled bandit leader.
"What the?!" the man snarled. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
But if the bandit leader was expecting an answer, none came - for Amelia wasn't going to let Lina get out of this, Scot-free!
"That's beside the point!" Amelia snapped. "Gracia is family!"
"So?" Lina retorted. "I've travelled with Naga before! I know she can take stuff like that!"
"That doesn't change the fact that Gracia is MY SISTER!!!!!!"
And as Amelia and Lina dove deeper and deeper into their argument, they both seemed to lose concept that they were still in a position of danger.
Yes, in spite of the redhead's recently cast spell, the bandits still circled the adventurers. But now they weren't in any rush to attack. They were perplexed by the people they were threatening. They seemed more content to fight with each other than surrendering their treasure!
But the bandits weren't the only one's concerned with the current situation. Sylphiel and Zel both exchanged glances of extreme tension. Neither enjoyed being in such a dangerous position and the sooner the danger is overcome, the better.
"We don't have time for this" Zel growled.
"Uhh....Lina?" Syl inquired softly, trying to bring an end to the argument. "Amelia? Have you forgotten that....."
"AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN NAGA?!?!?!" Lina shouted, completely oblivious as to what was happening around her.
"I have known GRACIA for only several days, but...."
"Ha!" Lina grinned, cutting the princess off. "I've known her longer! So, you can't complain! I already know she can handle an explosion such as that!"
"SO?" Amelia shouted. "THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU'VE JUST INJURED MY LONG LOST SISTER!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Uh Lina?" Gourry interrupted.
"WHAT?!?!" the red-head snarled, turning towards the swordsman.
"Those bandits are still here, you know"
Lina threw up her arms in frustration.
"All right! All right!" she said, irritably. "FLARE ARROW!"
Immediately, a jet of flame burst from Lina's fingertips and launched into the air. The Flare Arrow then cruised on it's destructive flight path into the nearest bandit. The hapless robber was instantaneously knocked off his feet and swept up into flame.
It was then and there that Gourry, in a rare moment of revelation, took this as a sign for a fight. Drawing his sword in one quick movement, the swordsman grinned.
"All right!" Gourry said, his eyes glinting with battle fervour. "Now for some action!"
And with that he charged into the nearest bandit. The robber, now looking like he had just sensed impending doom, raised both his knives above his head to defend himself. But to what avail? The swordsman merely smashed the knives from the bandit's hands, in one swish of his blade.
Sensing danger, several of the bandits charged at Zel. But the chimera had sensed such a move and gripped the hilt of his sword. The bandit's knives drew closer and closer towards the chimera...
But what good are knives against one with a flesh of stone? None of the blades ever penetrated Zel's flesh. The chimera gave his attackers a split second to contemplate the situation.....before knocking them all aside with one fell swoop with his blade!
Meanwhile, Sylphiel found herself being beset by the bandit whom was threatening her before. He could already tell that she wasn't the warrior type and, as a consequence, an easy target.
He advanced on the Shrine Maiden with his knives at the ready.....
....And he would've had his way with her had it not been for that foot which struck him from behind.
Amelia leapt down to deliver a lethal flying kick to the bandit's head! Naturally, the bandit went down, face first, into the dirt.
"Ha!" the princess grinned. "Feel righteousness of the Hammer of Justice!"
"Amelia!" Sylphiel exclaimed, looking shocked but relieved. "Thank you!"
"Hey, it's all for the cause of Justice!" Amelia beamed.
Only Lina stood alone. To be honest, she didn't see the point. These guys were a waste of time. All these bandits gangs are all alike.....
Eventually, the remaining bandits lost their nerve. With panic urged their legs onward, the remnants of the bandit gang fled the battle.
Lina watched them go with a bored gaze. Good Riddance.
Dammit, can't she face a real challenge for once?!
Just then, she noticed Gourry making his way over to her with his blade raised upon his shoulders.
The swordsman grinned at the sorceress. "Crisis over eh, Lina?"
The sorceress sighed. She wish she could agree - This whole week hasn't been running smoothly.....
It was all Amelia's idea really.
Having survived the horrors in the village of Dakeyras and with their wounds now healed, Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, Sylphiel Nels Rahda, Zelgadis Greywars, Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune and Naga were all set to leave this part of the world behind. The nightmares that had transpired in this area were best left forgotten. The villagers had all recovered from the devastation to their village and were safe in rebuilding Dakeyras to it's former glory. There was nothing more the six adventurers could do. But there remained the problem of what to do next. They were still on the run from the law and it was best to keep a low profile. Furthermore, their long-time associate Xelloss Metallium had disappeared - most likely that he had returned to attend to the whims of his master Zelas....
.....not that anyone really missed him at all.
Then Amelia hit upon the idea of returning to Saillune. It seemed the right idea: Her long lost sister Gracia Saillune had been rediscovered and Amelia wanted to make a triumphant return to her home city. Plus, there was still the issue of the bounty that Martina Xoana Mel Navratilova had placed on their heads and, according to Sylphiel, Phil would be delighted to see his daughter returned alive and unharmed.
But such a journey was not achieved without problems. Firstly, there was Sylphiel. The Shrine maiden was only accompanying them on their journey purely on the fact that she had nothing better to do. Her home town was completely blown off the face of the earth, both her parents were dead and she had abandoned the lost cause that was her fixation on Gourry. But, this only left her with nothing else. She had no place to call home, she had no-one to provide any pillars of support and she had nowhere to go. She was only journeying to Saillune because that's where the people she regarded as her only friends were heading. But once she gets there, the question remains of what she will do next. She wasn't quite suited to an adventurous life - But she didn't seem quite keen on turning her back on her only friends either.
And then there was Zelgadis. He seemed to be on a road to ruin. Day's ago, back at Dakeyras, the chimera managed to get his hands on a chimera cure. After all this time, and after all this searching, his quest was finally at an end. But he didn't take it. instead, he gave to Amelia - whom was also infected with the same curse. And so, Amelia returned to her human form whilst Zel continued to be crippled with his chimera curse. And since then, Zel's mood changed for the worse. He became inconsolable and more depressed. Amelia did her best to try to cheer him up with her affection but the chimera had no time for her. He seemed too distraught in the fact that his dream was in his grasp.......but it fell away. After coming so far, he was now back to square one.
Finally, there was Naga. Lina's former travelling companion and the last person she'd ever hoped to see again. But such is fate. Naga had returned and was here to stay. What's more, she had proven to be just as useless as ever. Ever since she'd come on this journey, all she had done was make life difficult - much to the bewilderment of Gourry, Zel and Sylphiel, all of whom were still coming to terms that Lina and Naga were old 'friends'. Worse still, her ghastly laugh had hardly changed at all either.
And what made the situation even more bitter was that, in cruelest trick of fate, she had been revealed to be Amelia's long lost sister Gracia. Such a monumental event was worthy of celebration but Lina couldn't see anything in that case to cheer about: For now it seemed unlikely that Naga will ever leave - For wherever Naga goes, Amelia would be sure to follow - and vice versa!
Fate can certainly deal a mean hand.....
Yet whilst Lina reflected on the journey to Saillune, and the cruel tricks from that nasty thing called fate, little did she know that said nasty thing was about to hatch another plan on the hapless sorceress.
Lurking in the trees nearby, was a man, whom watched the fight with an intrigued eye.
The man certainly was of handsome features. He had a well-trimmed goatee, a close-clipped haircut and a devilish grin. Dressed in a bronze breastplate with black leggings, a black shirt, and a distinctive red sash across his chest, the man also showed signs of being in possession of a magnificent sum of money. Yet, whilst he may appear as being rich, at the same time he had a wicked sword at his side - This, along with the various battle scars etched across his breastplate, betrayed his true occupation as a mercenary.
Yes, the man was a mercenary and one of the successful kind at that. In his time, he had faced many dangers and killed many men - all in the name of money. This certainly was a dangerous lifestyle but such a lifestyle produced exceptional results. He got excitement, he got to see the world, he made many enemies and he made more cash than anyone would in a single lifetime.
What more could a mercenary ask for?
With such a lifestyle, however, it was only a matter of time before he attracted the attention of the outside world. Thus, as the man's reputation grew many people came seeking his skills. These men were of various motives and various goals. But, in the mercenary's case what mattered not were the reasons for his employers to hire him but how much money they were prepared to hand over. Henceforth, the mercenary couldn't care less what his employers had hired him for.
The mercenary's name was Aldebrand. And he wasn't liking what he was seeing.
His latest employer had dispatched him on a mission of reconnaissance. Aldebrand was to scour the lands that surrounded his master's secret base and to deal with any intruders.
So far, the mission proved quite fruitful - A bunch of bandits had already made their way into the forbidden zone. Furthermore, they've already set up camp and began to rob any one foolish enough to come close.
Sure, such a bandit gang does have it's uses and potential exploitation - They certainly keep the inquisitive types away and enable his employer's plans to continue uninterrupted. But ultimately, these bandits are intruders. And they must be dealt with accordingly.
Aldebrand was about to confront them - Why should the odds of one against many bother him? He's faced odds like this before and they were more against warriors whom showed more signs of experience.
And he would've beaten off the bandits.
Had it not been for a group of more interlopers who marched onto the scene.
These newcomers certainly were an unusual bunch. Unfortunately, the bandits began circling these interlopers - thus blocking any good chances of a good look. But what Aldebrand could see of these newcomers yielded much to the fact that they were a peculiar bunch.
Numbered six, these newcomers consisted of four women and two men. One of the former was short and had fiery red hair. Another, had straight hair and a unusually frail composure. The third was, obviously the youngest of the group and had short black hair. This young woman was sticking close to an oddly tall woman - she too had black hair and, unlike the rest, a...erm.....rather appalling dress sense.
The fifth member of the party was also of tall stature. He was a man with a shock of blond hair and a face that revealed very little in the way of intelligence.
The sixth and final of these interlopers was perhaps the one Aldebrand was most suspicious of. He was humanoid in shape but his skin was anything but natural: It was coloured blue and was dotted with darker speckles. No doubt, this ....thing.....wasn't human but a monster.
And all the more reason why the mercenary should have his suspicions.
All of a sudden, things began to happen. The tall woman opened her mouth and unleashed the most ghastly sound the mercenary had ever heard in his life. It was more horrendous than a dragon's furious scream, more terrible than a demon's death wail and carried all the dread of a thousand blood-thirsty warriors encased in plate armour and armed to the teeth!
And, much to Aldebrand's astonishment, the red-head fixed her companion with a murderous gaze and cast a spell. A spell which sent the tall woman off into the air. And then, whilst still being held in check by the bandits, the young black-haired girl started a rather intense argument with the red-head!
This, naturally, left the mercenary astounded by these interlopers. What type of people were they? What type of people allow a monster in their company? What type of people possess such a ghastly laugh? What type of people attack their own companions? And what type of people start arguing whilst oblivious to the danger they were still in?!
Needless to say, it certainly took these interlopers some time before they decided to attack the bandits whom were still holding them in check.
And such a task was done with in a minimal space of time and little effort.
Unsurprisingly, the mercenary was bewildered by the events unfolding before him. These people were nothing like he had seen before. They were capable of such commendable fighting prowess but at the same time, they seem prone to infighting - even in times of great urgency.
Either way, these people could prove to be a possible obstacle to the mercenary's employer.
Ironic where one problem was solved and eventually replaced with another....
Nevertheless, he would have to report this.....
Amelia calmly polished off her hands and grinned. Yes, this battle had been won. Another triumph had been achieved in the name of justice!
It was a shame that Lina toasted Gracia at the beginning....
What Amelia couldn't understand is why the two sorceress' couldn't get along too well. Firstly, Lina referred to Amelia's sister as Naga. The princess was indeed kept in the dark on the origins of this name - But whilst Amelia referred to her sister by her proper name, Lina kept using the 'Naga' pseudonym. Amelia tried to set an example by using the Gracia name but to little effect. Okay, so maybe Sylphiel, Zelgadis and Gourry used both names, but Lina used the Naga name exclusively.
It didn't, however, take long for the princess to reach the conclusion that the redhead was using that name out of contempt.
Secondly Amelia had heard numerous times previously that the two sorceress' had travelled together long before Amelia met Lina. But the arrangement wasn't a satisfactory one - or at least that's what the redhead told her.
But the princess was baffled as to why Lina would be so horrible to Gracia. In the time travelling together Amelia had come to know her long lost sister - Thankfully, Gracia turned out to quite a nice person. She turned out to be of a humorous and resourceful nature, and she seemed eager to help her younger sister whenever possible.
Gracia even had a laugh which the princess found amusing!
Oddly enough, neither Zel, Lina, Syl or Gourry shared the same opinions.....
Just then, Amelia looked up to see the remnants of the battle before her.
Lina was busy chatting away to Gourry. The latter looking vacant as ever and the former looking absolutely bored. Nearby, Syl was making herself busy with a healing spell and over there Zel was.....
....stalking over the dazed bandits with his sword drawn.
Amelia frowned. Even though she couldn't see his face, she already knew that was twisted into a horrific expression of rage.
The princess blinked at the chimera. What was going on here? This was most unusual: She hadn't seen him behave like this before.....
However it didn't take her long to hit upon what he was thinking. A strong sense of alarm ignited within her brain, urging her to make her way towards him.....
Zel couldn't hear the princess approach. Instead his mind was, as ever, a world apart.
He looked at his hands - in one time in a million over. Yes, his curse was still there. It hadn't gone - and, from the looks of it, it was here to stay.
It was ironic that, mere days ago, he had the cure in his grasp. After all this time, after so much searching and countless months of travelling, he had finally found exactly what had been driving him onward. He had the one thing that occupied his mind from dawn to dusk in his fingers at long last.
But as it turned out, he wasn't the only one whom was stricken with a chimera curse.
No, Amelia, through circumstances most peculiar, had too been turned into a chimera herself.
And so when Zel managed to find a cure of his curse....
....he didn't wind up using it for his benefit.
Thus, ever since that fateful day, Zelgadis has been consumed further by his inner demons. Punishing himself, cursing himself, deeming himself a fool for not taking the opportunity when he saw it.
And, in punishment for his actions, the chimera......was still a chimera.
Consequently, he felt a rage lurking within the depths of his soul. A rage that had been waiting patiently to be released. A rage that fed on the chimera's newly discovered frustration. A rage that grew all the more larger with each passing day. A rage that was slowly reaping control over unwitting Zelgadis.
Just then, the chimera's ears pricked up. He could have sworn he heard a soft moan.....
The chimera flicked his head around, in the general direction of this new sound.
It didn't take him long to identify the source.
There, bloodied and muddied but still quite alive, one of the bandits struggled up on his elbows. He seemed unable to move his legs.
Zel's eyes hardened. He recognised this man. He was one of the few whom called him a monster and seemed eager to send him back to hell from whence he came.
The chimera could feel his grip tighten around his sword hilt. The time has come for revenge. Whilst Zelgadis may have escaped the gates of Hell today, that's not saying that the bandit was equally fortunate.....
And if said bandit is having trouble getting up, the least the chimera could do was put him out of his misery.....
And in a flash of movement, Zelgadis rode on the desire of vengeance and sped towards the hapless bandit.
The bandit didn't see the chimera approach. Instead, he continued to fight the pain in his injured legs and to get up off the ground.
However this struggle came to an abrupt end. It wasn't long before the bandit found himself staring down the blade of a well-used sword. A well used sword that was gripped by that....monster. Only now the monster was looking quite furious.
Confronted with a frighteningly-sharp end of a blade and a facial expression of pure rage, there was little the bandit could do but grin a foolish grin.
"Ah, heh, heh." The bandit blurted out. "No hard feelings right pal?"
Zel didn't answer. Instead he grabbed the bandit by the scruff of his collar and hurled him upwards. Then, the chimera stuck his foot out onto one of the bandit's injured legs.
And applied pressure.
The bandit yelped with pain - But there was no use in screaming. Particularly when one is faced with a such a wicked blade along with an expression of such homicidal intent.
"Don't kill me!" the bandit stammered.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't" growled the chimera in a voice that was as sharp and dangerous as a razor blade.
"Come on!" came the, rather desperate, reply. "My legs are finished! You wouldn't kill a wounded man would you?"
"No I wouldn't" Zel snarled. "I will just make sure he suffers first!"
"You...you.....monster!"
Upon hearing this, something inside Zel snapped. Immediately, his eyes ignited with red fervour. A call for blood was stirring in his veins...
..... and he was all too willing to surrender to it.
"You" Zelgadis growled, in voice that seemed to reveal a faltering sense of self-control, "You are going to be the last man to call me that."
And the bandit would have been cut down there and then.....
..... had it not been for a sudden intervention.
"Wait!" came a shout.
Zel looked up to see Amelia come hurrying over to his side, her face a mix of horror, desperation and disbelief. And hot on her heels came Lina, Gourry and Sylphiel.
The princess had seen everything - and she wasn't liking it at all.
For the past few weeks, Amelia had worked hard to break down the borders that walled herself from the chimera. And in that time, her patience paid off and Zelgadis revealed the humanity hidden underneath the rocky surface.
But what she had witnessed was not the actions of the man she had come to love.
Indeed Zelgadis' behaviour had changed dramatically over the past few days. He became more moody and distant then ever before. He became even more solitary and more withdrawn towards Lina, Gourry, Sylphiel and even Amelia.
And the reasons for this change in behaviour shouldn't come as a surprise. It was fairly obvious that Zel was struck down with bitterness ever since the events in Dakeyras. And his consistent search for a cure had now catapulted into an obsession....
"STOP!" Amelia exclaimed.
"No!" Zelgadis shouted back. "I'm going to make this bastard pay!"
"Forget him Zel!" Lina said. "He's not worth it!"
"Maybe not to you, but he is to me!" retorted the chimera, his voice rich in rage.
Just then, Amelia reached out and touched the chimera gently on his sword hand.
"Don't kill him" she said softly. "Please don't...."
Zel was taken aback by the softness of Amelia's hand. It felt so gentle and so intimate.
And it was in that moment that he could feel the blood-lust inside him slowly evaporate.....
Eventually, the chimera relented. He lowered his sword and dropped the injured bandit - who made a thud as his head hit the ground.
"Zelgadis?" Amelia asked. "Are you all right?"
Zel didn't answer. Instead, he bowed his head.
Suddenly Gourry shouted.
Immediately all eyes turned over to see a man stumbling into the battlefield. Unfortunately for this newcomer, he had underestimated an escape route from his hiding place. And as his flight was blocked with bushes and undergrowth, the man's escape was hardly silent.
Or successful.
Suddenly the man caught his foot on a nearby shrub, sending him crashing down to the grassy floor.
Grimacing with pain, the man looked up.....
.....to see five pairs of eyes staring at him quizzically.
The five adventurers blinked as Aldebrand grinned at his idiocy.
"Who's that guy?" Gourry inquired.
"And why was he hiding in those bushes?" Amelia added.
"I can tell you, I'm not liking the looks of him" Lina growled.
"No Lina!" Sylphiel interjected. "You should be rational about this! Aren't you jumping to conclusions here?"
"Oh come on Syl!" the red-head retorted. "Look at him! He's got a sword and armour!"
"So?" the shrine maiden argued. "And you think he's a warrior from that conclusion?"
"Hrmmmmmm......yes?"
"But why was he hiding in those bushes?" Gourry asked. "You don't suppose that he's been spying on us?"
Immediately, the swordsman found himself at the receiving end of four startled stares.
"W-W-W-What?"
"You know something Gourry?" Lina grinned. "You've given me a good excuse to toast this guy!"
"No!" Syl exclaimed - but it was too late.
"FIREBALL!"
Immediately a ball of flame burst out from in front of the sorceress and cruised through the air towards it's hapless target. Aldebrand let out a scream of alarm before struggling onto his feet. Panic gave him the strength to get up off the ground and run. It was then that urgency of the situation that the mercenary found the wings to flee the scene.
With the fireball in hot pursuit.
"After him!" Lina yelled, taking up the chase.
Gourry shrugged and took after the sorceress. Syl, looking rather anxious, followed.
This left Amelia with Zelgadis. The princess turned to the chimera.
"You coming?" she said.
Zel sighed before nodding his consent.
And they sped off together.
Seconds later, Naga the Serpent plummeted in from the heavens, making contact with the ground with an enormous crash.
"You're a meanie Lina......" she mumbled.
Aldebrand could feel the blood flowing through his veins at an astonishing rate. He could feel the sense of urgency and alarm driving him onward. His expression had moulded into one of absolute fear.
Hell, if anyone else were in his shoes, they would probably be as panicked as he was now.
But then again, what normal person would find themselves being pursued by a large fireball?!
Running as fast as his legs would carry him, the mercenary continued to evade his unusual pursuer. Suddenly, desperation formed a plan within his mind. A plan that was so simple, yet so effective. A plan that required the right amount of guts, determination and timing.
A plan that was so simple.....
Taking his chances, Aldebrand bowed his head and leapt straight for the ground. He landed on his stomach with a soft thump.
He didn't dare to look up. But his ears caught the sound of the fireball burning it's way through the air above his head.
Eventually, the fireball travelled away from the scene, growing ever the more distant from the prostrate mercenary.
According to the Aldebrand's ears, the fireball was gone. But the mercenary didn't raise his head straight away. Instead he paused, contemplating how safe the current situation was. Had the fireball really gone for good? Was he out of danger entirely? And what about those interlopers? He knew they were on his tail as well - so how far away were they? Had he managed to lose them?
Why should he care? He's faced many adversaries before. And he slaughtered them all - even when they ganged up on him and the odds weren't in his favour. Why should these newcomers provide much of a threat? As far as he was concerned, they were just another bunch of obstacles - hardly a threat at all.
But they can cast spells - And Aldebrand's experiences with facing enemy magic has led him to the conclusion that the craft of magic is one of most unpredictable nature.
But then again, why should that be a bother?
Eventually the mercenary got up off the ground and raised his head.
A mistake.
Immediately, Lina's fireball burst out from nowhere and engulfed the hapless mercenary!
The mercenary fell back onto the floor, flames dancing up and down his flesh.
How is that possible? He thought he evaded the fireball! He was certain of it! How the hell did it come back?!!??
But should he complain? He, after all, could've heeded the doubts that ran inside his head.
Okay so maybe that's how much of a threat a spell-caster can be.....
By the time Lina and Gourry came across the scene, they found a fairly sorry sight. There was the mercenary, fried to a crisp. His hair had been singed, his flesh had turned to charcoal and he was, completely, utterly incinerated.
Lina chuckled at the pathetic sight before her.
"Well that's what you get for spying on us!" she grinned.
"Hey Lina" Gourry said. "I wonder who this guy is? He looks like he's seen a few battles......"
"Well I can tell you one thing" the red-head replied, cracking her knuckles. "He's not going to see any more!"
And with that she grabbed Aldebrand by the scruff of his collar. But even though, the mercenary sensed certain doom, he didn't show it.
"Do your worst!" he snarled at the sorceress.
"Very well then" Lina replied with a shrug.
And with that she hurled the mercenary with all her might! The hapless Aldebrand flew through the air with a scream of utter terror.
Fortunately, for the mercenary, his flight path was short lived.
Unfortunately for the mercenary, his flight path ended abruptly - with a tree.
Aldebrand hit the tree with a tremendous crash. He groaned with pain as the full impact of the crash, reverberated through his body. Then, with a sound that revealed the utter agony that was cursing through the mercenary's system, Aldebrand's injured form came down to the trunk of the tree.
But the mercenary's troubles were far from over yet! He wasn't the only one in that part of the forest at the time: Amelia, who was still running after Lina, entered the scene. She had been several feet away from the tree when Aldebrand crashed into it.
Needless to say, the princess got the shock of her life upon seeing something huge and black suddenly come thundering through the sky, out of nowhere, only to hit a nearby tree with such incredible force!
But it didn't take her long to draw to the conclusion that this sudden event bore all the signs of the handiwork of Lina Inverse.
Grinning an amused grin, the princess strode over to the hapless mercenary and grabbed him by the collar. Slowly Aldebrand, opened his eyes.....
......only to be confronted with a pair of enormous blue eyes. But when confronted with such a sight of beauty, there was little he could do but quiver with panic. He recognised this girl all right.....
Oh no. he thought. Will this ever end? Who the hell are these people?!?!
"Did you know that spying is a violation of the Code of Justice?" Amelia smiled, sweetly.
Code of Justice?!?! The mercenary thought. What the hell is she going on about?!?
Oh, what does it matter? I gotta get outta here!
Riding upon the desperation of the situation, Aldebrand's mind quickly began formulating a plot. A plot that may not benefit his employer's plans but it may save his own skin.....
"You're intruders here!" the mercenary snapped. "You are trespassing!"
Just then, Amelia caught the sound of running feet. Looking she saw Lina and Gourry run up, whilst Zel hurried onto the scene from the opposite direction.
"Amelia!" Lina beamed.
Then she noticed her prisoner. "Ah, I see you've found him as well"
The princess giggled.
"I say we kill him" Zel growled.
"You do that and my secrets die with me!" the mercenary retorted.
"Secrets eh?" Lina murmured, grinning a malevolent grin. "Now, I'm curious....."
"I'll take it from here" she said to Amelia.
The princess nodded, and released her grip on Aldebrand's collar.
The mercenary blinked - before Lina's arm quickly pulled him into a choke hold!
"Now then" Lina purred. "What were you saying about secrets?"
"There's a gold mine not far from here! I don't want scum like you finding it!"
It wasn't so much that he wanted to give away the secrets of his employer but all the mercenary wanted was to escape these lunatics!
Upon hearing Aldebrand's words, Lina looked up with an expression of pure astonishment. She didn't even feel her grip loosening on the mercenary nor the sound of him falling to the ground of a huge thud.
What mattered was one thing: GOLD!
Immediately, her eyes began blazing with greedy fervour and her mouth morphed into a twisted grin.
"There's a gold mine around eh?" she murmured.
And she would've sprinted off - had not Zelgadis shot out his hand to grab her by the wrist.
The sorceress, her expression now sour, turned to see the chimera looking rather concerned.
"Outta my way Zel!" the red-head said. "I gonna find that gold mine at any costs!"
"Do calm down Lina" the chimera replied sternly. "Shouldn't you be rational about this?"
"So what?" the redhead yelled. "There's a gold mine! That's all I need to know!"
"Yes but he gave his information away so willing!" Zel retorted.
"Yeah!" Amelia agreed. "It could be a trap!"
"Not when there's gold involved!" Lina retorted.
And with that, she burst from Zelgadis' grip and sprinted off in a cloud of dust. Gourry shrugged before taking off after her.
The chimera and the princess exchanged glances.
"Do you really think she cares?" Amelia asked.
"I seriously doubt whether she will ever learn" Zel replied. "She doesn't seem too concerned that she might be walking into a trap"
"I feel more sorry for the people who are waiting for her!" the princess chuckled.
The gold mine wasn't a cheerful sight. It was a compound made up out of shabby buildings centred around a steep mountainside. Slaves toiled under the warm sun and in sweat as they delved deep into the earth to mine gold to satisfy the demands of their master. Cruel overseers each worked with a whip and a vigilant eye to make sure the slaves did their job without complaining or any type of protest.
As the slaves had been working from dawn to dusk for so many days, they lost all concept of time. And being secluded in a deep part of the forest, in such a position of isolation, their work went on without any type of interference.
But all this was about to change.
Already the day was looking out to be another day of hard work.
That was until the compound was rocked by a huge explosion on the edge of the forest.
Such was the force of the explosion that all the occupants of the mine, overseer and worker alike, all looked up. All onlookers wondered what on earth would've caused such an explosion.
They didn't have long before they got their answer.
Suddenly from the trees, came a red-headed sorceress, running at top speed. Her eyes were blazing with gold lust and she was rambling on to herself whilst counting off on her fingers:
".....And when I get my huge palace, I'll will get a thousand servants and then my own personalised restaurant and then......"
And hot on the sorceress' heels came a tall blond swordsman.
All in the mining compound stared in astonishment. All but one overseer. He was a huge, muscular brute with a massive scar on his left cheek and cruel face.
"Get back to work!" he bellowed, taking control of the situation. "I'll deal with this!"
Immediately, the workers all returned to their respective tasks - Whilst the brute advanced towards the gates of the compound and towards the newcomers.
As Lina and Gourry charged at full speed towards the mine, the brute stood firm right in their path. He confronted these approaching intruders with a ferocious snarl.
He shouldn't have bothered.
No force on earth can ever stop Lina Inverse when she is possessed by gold lust. Consequently, the sorceress charged right up to the brute and pushed him aside - as if he were a little child! The brute came crashing down to the floor, whilst Lina and Gourry charged into the compound.
The redhead ran up to the nearest miner and grabbed him by the collar.
"WHERE'S THE GOLD?!?!?!?" She shouted, with a huge grin. Fortunately for the sorceress, this miner wasn't the type to provide any sort of confrontation. Well, anyone in his position wouldn't have stood in Lina Inverse's way!
"Over there!" the miner blurted out, pointing out the hole in the mountainside.
Satisfied with her answer, the sorceress sprinted over the hole, knocking all the miners and overseers who stood in her way. Needless to say, such obstacles proved to be of little threat - Indeed, they were too startled by this sudden intrusion then to even deal with it.
Eventually, Lina made it to the entrance of the mine and charged inside.
Two miners who happened to be lurking near the entrance, exchanged bewildered glances.
"Who on earth was that?" one of them asked.
The answer to that question came from Gourry's lips as he raced past: "Lina Inverse!"
The miners exchanged horrified glances: "Lina Inverse?!?!?"
Immediately, the two miners sprinted back through the compound yelling out that the intruder was none other then the famed bandit killer and property destroyer.
It was only a matter of seconds before the compound was swept up in a tsunami of mass panic. All the miners immediately forget all about breaking rock by command of their malevolent master. And all the overseers lost all concept of restoring order.
All that mattered was that Lina Inverse was in the compound. And now was not the time to hang around.
At the gates, the brute of the overseer, got up off the ground. He didn't who was that lousy bitch who knocked him over but one's thing for sure: She won't be alive long enough to regret it! He's going to find that woman and teach her a lesson through the business end of his trusty blade!
As feelings of vengeance flowed through his veins, the brute stood up.
Only to be knocked off his feet again by a crowd of fleeing miners and overseers, all keen to flee the compound.
Lina charged into the mine. And as all the miners had already fled, she met no challenges in her path. But what did it matter? She was gonna be rich!
The sorceress ran down a seemingly endless passageway cut into rock, driven on by her greed. But had she stopped to notice, she would've noticed that the rock that made up the walls of the passageway bore signs of being picked bare.....
Eventually, Lina reached the end of the passageway - only to be confronted with another overseer. This one was too of muscular stature and cruel features. He also had a eye patch covering his left eye.
He was also wondering where all his miners had got to.
Thus, he was not expecting to see the sorceress show up.
The overseer fixed the red-head with his one cruel eye.
"Who are you?" he snarled. What are you doing here?"
Lina didn't answer. Instead she jumped onto him and grabbed him by the collar, her eyes glittering more feverishly then before.
"Where's the gold?" she demanded with a twisted grin.
"Gold?" retorted the overseer. "Ha! There is no gold!"
And in an instant, the greed that drove Lina onward lost it's sparkle.
"No gold?" she exclaimed. Her grip on the overseer loosened and her facial expression paled - it was as if this sudden piece of news was too much to handle. She was so taken aback by this revelation, that she didn't notice Gourry march onto the scene.
"Yeah that's right" the overseer snapped. "There's no gold. We've already taken out all the gold that was here and dispatched it to our master. We were only minutes away from abandoning this site and......."
But Lina wasn't listening. Now that she had been confronted with the fact that the mine had been drained of all it's gold, the greedy fervour in Lina's eyes died away completely - only to be replaced seconds later by fervour of the furious kind!
"YOU'VE TAKEN ALL THE GOLD?!??!?" she roared at the overseer, now returning to a firm grip on the overseer's collar and looking seconds away from throttling him.
It was there and then that the swordsman decided to intervene. He reached out and grabbed the redhead in his arms.
"Hey!" she shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Forget it Lina!" Gourry said. "There's nothing for us here! You heard him! There's no gold left!"
"But......"
"LEAVE HIM LINA!" the swordsman shouted. "There's nothing left."
Lina squirmed in Gourry's arms, but eventually, as she contemplated his words, her struggling ceased and she nodded her consent.
Satisfied that a conclusion had been reached, Gourry set the sorceress down and headed back through the passageway and out of the mountain. Lina, now looking rather forlorn, followed.
"No gold...." She was muttering. "There was no gold.....someone's gonna pay....."
And when Lina's pissed off, no force on earth can withstand her wrath.
And if Gourry had been more perceptive, he would've noticed the sorceress mouthing silent words.
Eventually, after spending so much time walking, the swordsman saw sunlight up ahead. Grinning, he turned to th redhead.....
.....only to see her turn around and utter two words of doom.
"DRAGON SLAVE!"
"No!" Gourry shouted.
But it was too late - within seconds, the passageway was engulfed in blinding white light.
Back at the entrance of the mining compound, the brute struggled to his feet. He already knew that the crowd who overcame him were the workers he was charged with. But what had made them flee like that? Was this their idea of a revolt? Or was it out of mass panic?
No matter, he is going to get to the bottom of this and find those responsible.
And make them pay.
Suddenly, the brute found himself being shoved out of the way by a pair of strong hands. The overseer went down, again, with another great crash.
Zelgadis and Amelia charged into the compound, looking for Gourry and Lina.
"Curious" Zel said. "What is this place? It looks abandoned."
"Do you suppose this is where Lina and Gourry went?" the princess asked.
"Could be" the chimera replied. "This place bears signs of recent use."
Amelia opened her mouth to speak.
But no sound came as the mountain suddenly exploded! The ground shook with the force of a tremendous roar! Great amounts of rock came tumbling in from the heavens!
The chimera and the princess exchanged astonished glances.
"What the....." Amelia started.
"GET DOWN!" Zel shouted. And with that he, using his body as a human shield, grabbed the princess and dived into cover, as the entire compound shook from the explosion. The pair had dived behind a house and waited....
The rumbling echoed throughout the compound for several minutes. Rocks of all sizes came plummeting down and hit the ground with incredible force. Various sounds of destruction echoed throughout the buildings, but Zel and Amelia never looked up once.
Eventually, the rumbling slowly died away - to reveal a deathly silence.
And it was in this stillness that Zel slowly looked up. Was it over? Has the danger passed....?
Suddenly he felt Amelia's soft hand on his chin. He looked down to see that, in providing himself as a human shield, he had now pinned her to the floor.
The princess smiled warmly as a soft blush made it's way across Zelgadis' face.
"Are.....are you all right?" Zel inquired.
"Of course" Amelia smiled. "Thanks to you"
It was there and then that Zelgadis' blush grew even redder - much to the princess' amusement
"That's another time you saved my life" she said softly.
And with that she raised her head and planted a small kiss on his cheek.....
Zel sighed softly. Eventually, his lips formed into a grin.
"Come on" he said, reaching out his hand. "Lets get out of here"
And with that, he helped the princess to her feet.
The two friends then stepped out from behind the house. All around was utter devastation: The entire compound had been engulfed in a huge cloud of dust, the mountain had been obliterated - leaving nothing but a smouldering crater. Some of the buildings in the compound had either collapsed from the force of the explosion or had been crushed by the rocks which used to be part of the mountain itself. And small fires were burning all around.
"What on earth happened here?" Zel demanded.
"You don't suppose this is Lina's work do you?" the princess inquired.
"That's a fairly obvious question" the chimera chuckled. "How else could that mountain exploded?
Suddenly, it was there and then that the conversation was interrupted - When a scream echoed out from up above. A scream that sounded distinctively familiar....
This scream was soon followed by human-shaped object. An human-shaped object that came plummeting in from up above - before striking the ground with such a force and eventually skidding it's way up to the feet of the two startled onlookers.
Although dazed and bruised, Gourry Gabriev looked up - to see Zelgadis and Amelia gaping in disbelief.
"Hi guys" the swordsman managed to mumble. "What's up?"
"Amelia?" Zel said. "Does that answer your question?"
The princess didn't answer. Instead she knelt down beside Gourry, to cast a healing spell.
The chimera also knelt down - but he was more interested in finding out how the mountain was obliterated.
"Gourry" Zelgadis said, urgently. "What happened to the mountain?"
Although still dazed, Gourry still managed speech:
"Lina.....went to....find gold....But found it empty......Wooohooooo!"
Upon hearing this assessment of events, the princess and the chimera exchanged bewildered glances.
"If Lina didn't find any gold then she would've been furious....." Amelia said.
".....Furious enough to cast the Dragon Slave spell" Zel finished.
Silence followed
.....only to be broken by the distant sound of approaching footsteps.
The chimera and the princess both got to their feet.....
.....to see Lina Inverse emerge from the dust cloud. She looked grubby, battered and bore signs of once being controlled by her fury. But at the same time, she looked vindicated.
Upon seeing Amelia and Zel, the red-head's face lit up.
"Hey guys!" she grinned.
"Are you feeling better now?" Zel said, his voice showing signs of apprehension.
"You could say that" the sorceress replied with a wink.
Meanwhile back the entrance, the brute, once again, got to his feet. At this point in time, he was extremely furious. He had been shoved out of the way by intruders to the mine and he had crushed by a panic drawn from his underlings!
And as the brute looked around, he had further reason to get infuriated. He saw that the entire mine had been obliterated! The buildings had collapsed and there was a huge dust cloud all around! What the hell had just happened here?!
No matter - now was the time for a change.....
He was now being urged on by a blood-lust. He was going to find the bastards who caused this little uproar and send them to Hell as painfully as possible.
He looked up, through the dust cloud, to see four strangers all gathered in a group.
The brute grinned. So, these are the troublemakers are they? Not for much longer....
Suddenly, two words rang out, as clear as a bell:
"DEMONIC CRYSTAL!"
Instantaneously, the brute found himself engulfed in a strange crystal formation. A formation that rendered his limbs immobile and his joints paralysed. He couldn't move, he couldn't speak, he couldn't do anything.
So much for vengeance...
Just then, Naga, with Sylphiel following close behind, came running over to the little group.
"Aha Lina!" the raven-haired sorceress grinned. "There you are!"
"Ah, ha, ha, ha" the redhead stammered. "Naga.....you're still alive....."
"Of course!" Naga retorted. "Nothing can ever defeat Naga the serpent!"
Lina quickly saw where this was heading and interjected:
"But you haven't done anything!" she protested. "All you've done is get in my way!"
Upon hearing this, Syl spoke up: "But that doesn't give you a good reason to blast your former friend with an Explosion Array spell!"
"Syl" the red-head replied. "Naga is NOT my friend."
"That's right!" the raven-haired sorceress yelled. "I am Lina's most powerful rival!"
The shrine maiden blinked. "But....you were just....."
"Don't worry Sylphiel!" Naga went on. "If I get in Lina's way, then I am stopping her to becoming more powerful than I am!!!!"
And then......came the laugh:
"OH-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO-HO!!!!!!!!!!"
This was soon followed by Lina twitching with rage, Syl looking utterly bewildered by the events transpiring before her and Gourry groaning with derision from the floor.
Amelia. however chuckled to herself - until she felt Zel's hand on her shoulder.
"So let me get this straight" he asked, nodding towards the cackling Naga with a concerned expression. "She is your sister, right?"
Onto Chapter 2!
Contents