All right, Reiko5, I admit it, Xellos is following them. He's going to show up in due time, don't worry. :D I'm just busy planning what he's going to do when he shows himself. I don't even know what's going to happen until I sit down and type it. When that happens (Normally all of the time...) I have to go back and read it to know what I wrote.....heh, I know, I'm weird. :D ON WITH IT!

Dis.: don't own it!

CHAPTER NINE

"What is going on?" a low, female voice came from the girl with short brown hair and brown eyes. The girl was about half a head taller than Lindsey, but not too much taller then Lina.

"You were possessed by a demon." The girl nodded. "I found you, dying." The girl frowned, but nodded. "And then those two came up on us." Her eyebrow's rose, but she nodded, yet again. "Then I bargained with Lina and cast out the demon. Kevin and Lina destroyed the demon fairly easily, considering the premises." Lindsey paused, looking the girl over. Blue jeans and a blue shirt, she wore armor and a sword hung from her belt. "What is your name?"

"Lacey."

"Where are you from?"

"A little town called Hearn."

"Why are you here?"

"My village is gone; I am all that is left. I wandered, mostly trying to rid my body of the demon. Thanks, by the way, for getting rid of it." Lacey smiled. "My town is a town of blacksmiths and sword masters."

"Good."

"Why is that good?"

"Just making sure you could protect yourself." Lacey rolled her eyes and glared at the priestess.

"Do you really think that I'd be stupid enough to wander around without knowing how to fight at all?" she wrinkled her nose and glanced around, looking for some food.

"No, I was just making sure. There's some food in the pot over there." Lindsey's hand rose and pointed toward a black pot, held over a small fire. Lacey's eyes turned toward her gratefully, but Lindsey shook her head. "Don't worry about it." She conveniently forgot to mention the money she was going to pay Lina. 'Twenty gold coins, I don't know how I'm going to get that much...unless...' plans swirled through her head. "I'm Lindsey, by the way. I forgot to tell you."

"Lindsey..." the girl murmured, staring at the sky.

"What?"

"Oh, sorry. Just thought I'd met a person with that name before." Lacey shook her head and dived into the stew. "So what's your story?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you here? What do you do? Why did you bother saving me? You know, that kind of stuff."

"I'm here because you needed help, I am a priestess, and I saved you because you needed help." Lindsey nodded her head in a final gesture.

"Oh." Was all she said. Silence reigned in the clearing for a while. "Got any dirt on them?" Lacey asked suddenly, surprising Lindsey.

"They're really good sorcerers. The boy is mainly a magician, but Lina is both a swordswoman and a magic user. She seems selfish, but I think that there is a soft side to her."

"How long have you known her?"

"A couple of hours."

"And in a few hours, you've been able to assume that she has a soft side?"

"Yep!" Lacey rolled her eyes at the priestess and continued eating.

"So why are you traveling?" Lindsey gave her a sharp glance, and then smiled.

"I'm trying to find a master, of any magic, who will promote me from training to master status. It needs to be someone who is summarily unselfish."

"Why is that?" Lacey questioned her, getting another bowl of soup.

"Because it takes power from the master who promotes me. There's a ritual. It's not like the master won't get his or her power back, just that they won't be able to cast spells for a few days, while they regain their powers."

"But that's not so bad, is it?"

"No, Lacey it's not. Most masters, almost all in fact, live in their safe little temples with their safe little guarding spells and their safe little- "

"All right, all right, I got your point. They're safe little people. So that's why you were here?"

"Yeah, but I haven't found anyone who is a master, and willing. They're hard enough to find, but as I said before, they almost never travel. It's too 'dangerous!'" Lindsey shook her head and eyed Lacey's sword. "So how good are you with that thing?"

Lacey smiled mysteriously. "That is a secret." She drawled. Before she could blink, the red head that she THOUGHT was asleep was on her and had her in a headlock. "I...thought you...were...asleep!" she choked out.

"I can always here when someone uses THAT phrase. So tell me, have you ever met someone named Xellos?" Lina questioned sweetly. "And if so, do you know where I can find him? I have a few questions for him." She grinned; Lacey shuddered.

"N-no, I've never heard of him, who is he? And who are you?"

"Lina, Lina Inverse. He's Xellos, one of the top mazoku. I've got some questions for him to answer." Lina rubbed her hands together gleefully and started to plan his coming torture.

On the Greater Beast's island a certain purple haired friend, started to sneeze. Violently.

Meanwhile, Lacey eyed Lina speculatively. If she thought she could hurt Xellos, and if he was who she thought he was, this Lina must be a pretty powerful person. Hmmm. She glanced at Lindsey and smiled.

"Miss Lina?" Lacey gained the sorceresses attention. "You use black magic, correct?" Lina nodded. "How good are you?"

"Very." Lina answered warily. "Why do you want to know?"

"Are you a master?" Lacey continued, completely ignoring the redhead.

"Yeah, I guess so." Lina shrugged.

"REALLY?" This came not from Lacey, but from Lindsey, a shocked yet happy expression on her face. Lina rolled her eyes.

"Yes, really. I've been a master of black magic since I was..." she paused, trying to think back into her younger years.

"Eight years old." A light tenor echoed throughout the clearing.

"Zel!" Lina exclaimed, turning about until she spotted the voices owner. Smiling at the chimera she stood up from her crouch. "How are you? I hope nothing is wrong."

"No, no, nothing is wrong, I was just traveling and I decided to join you." He grinned. "I needed something strong to fight, and I'm not going to get it unless I hang out with you. Knowing you, we'll probably end up fighting Deep Sea Dolphin or something."

"No, no more Dark Lords for me," She grinned back at him. "I'm gaining myself a motley group again. I never can seem to stay out of them for long."

Lindsey and Lacey, neither having anything, looked at the blue man curiously. He wore all tan, or cream, and he had blue skin with pebbles embedded in it. Not to mention the lavender hair. Lindsey cleared her throat, bringing attention back to the two on the ground. They quickly stood up.

"Oh, this is Zelgadis Graywords. Zel, this is Lindsey and Lacey." She pointed to each in turn.

"It's nice to meet you." Zel spoke first.

"You, too." they responded.

"If you're traveling with Lina you two must be fairly strong. What do you specialize in?" Lina stared at him, shocked. "What?"

"I don't know if I've ever heard you say so much, or be so, so courteous. I know I didn't meet you under the best of terms, but this is a far cry from kneeing me in the stomach."

"It was your own fault for not giving me the statue." He grumbled.

"It's done and over with, forget it, but you certainly seem to be nice these days. Come to think of it, you've been like this for a while." She blinked, just realizing the truth of her statement.

"Yeah, I know. I just feel, I don't know, more free than I have in a long time. Since I was human."

"So you were a human once?" Lacey broke into the conversation.

"Yeah, but it's been awhile." He sighed. "I don't believe you two answered my question."

"Oh," Lindsey blinked, "I'm a priestess, searching to be a master."

"I'm a traveling swordswoman." Lacey proclaimed proudly. Zelgadis smiled and nodded.

"How long have you been traveling with Lina?"

"Since this afternoon. She's really nice." Lindsey answered. Zelgadis face- faulted.

"What's your problem?" Lina grumbled.

"Lina? Nice? Oh, my, the world is coming to an end. Are we talking about different people?" Lina jumped up and smashed a fist into his face.

"That wasn't the nicest thing to say, now was it?" she asked, wincing. 'Forgot he was stone. Again.'

"No, but it was worth it." He replied, laughing. "Little idiot."

"I am NOT an idiot!"

"You just hit solid rock."

"That doesn't make me an idiot."

"Not unless you've done it before and continue to do it. Which is the usual case, no?" He was having too much fun tormenting her, Lina decided.

"Freeze arrow!" she threw it at his feet and froze them to the ground. "Serves you right." She glared. Lindsey and Lacey watched the interchange with interest.

"So how long have you two known each other?" Lacey decided to venture a question.

Lina blinked and looked to Zel. "I don't remember, do you?"

"Yes, but I'll only tell if you unfreeze my feet." Lina wrinkled her nose, but did so. "A couple of years." He told them.

Lina glared. "I knew that much." He smiled.

"How did you meet?" This time it was the priestess. The four of them talked until morning, barely noticing the passing of time. When dawn hit they blinked and looked at each other.

"Oops." Lina said.

"Yeah." The other three responded.

"What say you that we stay another day? I know I'm tired." Zelgadis suggested.

"Great idea!" Lina responded. And so it was decided.

Ne, you guys? Please review. I know that sounds kinda wimpy, but I'd really appreciate it. Reviews inspire me. And they do so for other writers too! So, comments criticism, I don't care, as long as it's either nice, or useful! Or encouraging, come to think of it. Or....oh, just review! PLEASE!!!!!