Safe, Home Sweet Home Again

After the encounter in the woods, the three friends continued to try to find their way out. It wasn't long after that they found something familiar; well, to Mina at least. "This is the spot from my dream, the one where Zelgadis finds me in the clearing and takes me back to Seyruun. From here we can find the way back. Let's see, Zel was traveling north in the dream, the sun rose only a few hours ago in the east, so it must be this way." She began running down the path and the others followed her. They were almost home.

Shortly after leaving the woods, they beheld the city of Seyruun spreading out before them. A tear came to Mina's eye as she saw the place she was raised in. Noel kissed the ground in joy and began to run for the gates. On the way, he crashed into a group of soldiers on patrol. It appeared as if Amelia and Zel had returned home to get help in finding the two missing children. Luck had it that they found the help.

"Your parents are in the forest searching for you," one informed him, "Master Noel, would you like me to take any message to them when I tell them that you two are ok. But who is your new friend there?"

"Her name is Sandi, and she helped Mina and I when we were lost. We would have starved had it not been for her knowledge of survival. Although, Mina blew up most of the trouble we encountered, she also did some fighting when the brigands were around. Sandi needs a new swordsmaster, so we decided to take her here to find one," Noel said. Relief permeated his voice, it was good to simply be back home.

The guards ran to find Amelia and Zelgadis. It wasn't long before the two came running out of the woods with relief; well, Amelia did the running and cheering while Zel simply sighed in relief. Happy to have her son and foster daughter home, Amelia proposed a great feast for that night. There would be singing and dancing and all sorts of food. Sandi was invited as well; she did have a hand in helping them get home.

. . .

Zelgadis stated, "So, you're looking for a swordsmaster. Well, I would be willing to give you some pointers. After all, it appears as if you are a natural at it. Besides, at this point, Mina is less willing to learn from us and more inclined to go and try to figure out new spells in books. So, I've got a little more free time. Think of this as a reward for helping the two of them when they were lost out there." He ate a bite of beef.

Sandi smiled. "Thank you Master Zelgadis. I will learn whatever you have to teach, and become the best swordswoman I can be. My Master told me when he took me on that he saw the potential to be a match for some of the most famous swordsmen in history, and I believed him. He was a kindly man, and a great believer in the potential each of us has. Precisely why he rescued me in the first place." She then put her hand over her mouth; those words had just slipped out. It wasn't something she liked to talk about.

"What happened Sandi?" asked Mina, "Are you ok? I knew there was sorrow in your past, but never got around to asking about it. If there's anything I can do for you, as a friend, then you can ask it of me."

"Thanks, nothing really can be done. My family was poor and had too many kids. I was the only girl as well as being the youngest. So, my dad decided to sell me into slavery. I was afraid of the men at the market; they seemed to want something else I didn't know about. After all, I was only seven so I had no idea about suggestive things. But then Master Ian came along. He saw my fear and the potential I had all mixed into one. So he used his own money to buy my freedom and took me on as an apprentice. If my own family couldn't see my worth, then he would have to do it for them," she told them, tears in her eyes.

Mina whispered, "I can sympathize with you since I was also abandoned. But let's take the good with the bad. You got swordsmanship training instead of being starved in a house with not enough food. I was taken in by a pair of sorcery masters, and given training in that art. Both of us had someone we could look up to as a parent and a friend. So even though horrible things have happened, we got through them."

Sandi dried her eyes. "You're right. No matter how dark the situation, we should always look on the bright side of things. Humans, unlike Gods and Mazoku, posses the power to chose between right and wrong. Our own choices can give us the power to free ourselves from the sorrows of the past. I'll become someone that will make my parents regret ever selling me for cash. That is the sweetest revenge of all."

"Justice is with the two of you," Amelia added, "Keep fighting for what you believe in, and make sure to never let the sorrows engulf the happiness. That is the way to live life to the fullest. Now then, a toast to Justice!" She raised her glass upwards, and the other two did the same. Noel and Zel followed reluctantly.

'The two of you are hopelessly optimistic. Good may help at times, but there are still many sorrows in this world to fight through. Your parents should have been good to their children instead of getting rid of them. Showing them up wont change anything, they don't have a real consciousness inside,' Zel thought.

. . .

The party went on until late in the night. Finally, it was over only because Mina, Noel, and Sandi had to go to bed. As the child sorceress let out a yawn, she drifted off to dreamland. This time, she could see shadowed figures guarding her instead of throwing her away. A distorted woman's voice told her lover, "Keep them distracted while I find a place to hide Mina. We'll come back for her once the enemy is gone. No one is going to hurt my child while I live. Now go on, get out of here and smash some Demon hide!"

The male shadow ran off towards a hoard of Demons that were coming at them. At the same time, the woman searched for a place to hide her baby. Finally, she settled on a tree stump hidden in the tall grass. Placing the cooing infant inside, a tear fell down her face. "Don't worry; I'll come back for you when the fighting is over. This hurts me as much as it hurts you. When the enemy is killed, we'll take you to town and get you a nice toy to make up for what we put you through." Kissing the child's cheek, she turned back towards the battle. A ball of energy began to form in her hands; she was ready to cast a Fireball.

. . .

'Were those, my birth parents?' wondered Mina, 'They really did love me then. But who was the shadow in my other dream then? The one who took me away to Seyruun's forest. One of these days I'll find my answer. I owe it to the people who loved and protected me to return to tell them that I'm alive.'

- - - -

Teefa's Last Words…

Volume one of three is over. The next volume features three new friends, new enemies, the plot thickening somewhat, and the arrival of more charas from Slayers. I know it isn't a real long one but a person can only stretch the concept of three kids lost in the woods for so long. The next one is a little longer, and the third is the longest of them all.