Abyss of the Heart

Chapter 3

"It's not far from here, just past the clearing up ahead!" Zelgadis yelled over his shoulder. Moments ago the band of five had put together a locator spell of their bounty, but it was interfered with by something near by. They guessed that the spell was stopped by the sorcerer so off they went. Not long into the investigation did they come across a large horde of assorted monsters. Though vastly out numbered, their combined efforts were enough to clear a path to the small meadow ahead.

Half way across the opening in the woodland did Lina noticed something odd.

"Hey, what's going on? They're just standing there." Sure enough, the army of monsters had not dared to enter the clearing. The puzzle made the whole team stop and look back. The creatures of evil were staring them down, but holding their positions as if ordered to.

"What ever called them here made them a lot nastier than they normally are." Gourry stated, picking that the claw mark in his armor. The gang deiced to rest for a bit, but fate seemed to have other plans. Something eviler had entered the clearing and wasn't shy about letting its presents be known. Everyone was on their feet, shoulder to shoulder, watching the tree line for the intruder.

"Who's there, show your self in the name of justice, cowered!" Amelia ordered from her safe place behind Filia. The blond dragoness herself was the calmest among them for she knew what was just out of site. With a hawk's eye and an Olympian's through, the priestess nailed the source which was in a tree top to her right. None other than Xelloss fell from the tree, followed by the iron weapon. He wasn't moving. Filia had that annoyed look in her eyes as she walked over to retrieve her beloved mace. With two hands, for good measure, she picked the heavy instrument of doom up then brought it back down on the already beaten demon.

"Namagomi." she snorted, then rejoined her friends as they began to press on.

Xelloss popped his head up in time to not only get a good peek up Filia's skirt, but also to see where everyone was headed.

"Oh, crap! The void! What to do, what to do!" Acting quickly he phased in front of the adventures, waving his arms wildly.

"Hold it right there folks! No need to go any further. Let Xelloss take care of that mean old sorcerer!" he said, then disappeared. He knew the risk was big, but he just repeated to himself it was for Filia's sake that he went and she stayed.

"Did that just happen?" Lina asked, stunned to the point where not even food could bring her back.

"If you mean Xelloss offering to get the sorcerer for free then yeah, that just happened." Zelgadis answered, equally shocked at the demon's actions. Gourry couldn't even speak; all that just happened was a bit much for his simple way of thinking.

Filia, on the other hand, was far from surprised. She was sure beyond anything that this was just another trick by Xelloss and she for one was not going to be caught in it.

"I'm not falling for that baka's tricks this time." she said, then charged off after him.

"Wait for me Miss. Filia! It would be injustice of me to sit by as you venture off into danger!" Amelia pled, following the older woman closely, but not close enough to be accidentally hit by the dragoness' mace.

"Hey, should we go after them incase something bad happens?" Zelgadis asked the remaining two. However, as he turned to face them, he saw that Lina had already set out to take the wild boar one of the goblins had killed for her late late lunch. Gourry was close behind for a piece of the hog. Zelgadis sighed then sat himself down.

"I guess not. After all, a dragon and a demon can take care of them selves and Amelia."