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Starting a new journey

Invitation

Sylphiel woke at the sound of someone knocking on the door. She looked around in confusion, she had fallen asleep on the couch in the living room again. Recently she had spent so much time reading, that she quite often just read until she fell asleep. She rubbed her tired eyes "Be right there!" she called.

The knocking subsided.

She slipped her boots on, there was no need to worry about her clothes, seeing as she hadn't undressed the evening before. She made her way to the door. "Yes?" she peeked outside.

"Are you miss Sylphiel Nels Rahda?" a young man asked. She nodded. "I have a letter for you then" the man held out an envelope "have a nice day". He turned around and left.

"A letter? For me?" she wondered, while examining the envelope. It wasn't very often she got mail, and when she did it was usually her uncle writing when he was of training new recruits. But he had never written after being gone only a few days like this time, and he would NEVER use a pink envelope like this one.

She closed the door behind her as she went back inside.

She sat down by the small table in the kitchen and read the letter. Her eyes went wide with shock. The news inside was the last she had expected, and now of all times. She collapsed on the table in a fit of laughter.

"What's so funny?" Anna peeked into the room. Actually she had been awake for a while, but she had decided not to disturb the sleeping shrinemaiden.

Sylphiel looked up from the table "Oh Anna" she giggled "I didn't mean to wake you up". Anna shook her head "actually I was already awake. Now what were you laughing at?".

Sylphiel tried to explain, but couldn't. She was still laughing too hard. Instead she handed over the letter. Anna looked at the piece of paper for a while. "Ummm I can't read" she finally admitted.

She gave the letter back to Sylphiel. She had gotten over the worst of her outburst. "Don't worry, I'll just have to read it for you then". She cleared her troath and started reading.

To miss Sylphiel Nels Rahda

Hi there Sylphiel. Lina Inverse here!

I can't believe that I'm writing this, but it has happened. I know it sound weird, but Gourry and I finally decided to get married! I can't believe it! Anyway, I want you to be my maid of honor, along with Amelia. The date is set to be two weeks from now.

Prince Phill has promised that we can use the palace for the banquet, so we are naturally having the ceremony in Seyruun. I really hope that you'll accept the honor.

Just between the two of us, I also want you to keep an eye on Gourry for me. Otherwise I might end up hurting him, because I just know he'll end up forgetting something! Please Sylphiel!!! Please? Pretty please????

You know I won't take No as an answer

Lina Inverse

P.s. Feel free to bring a partner if you wish.

Despite her mixed feeling about Gourry getting married, there was no way she were going to miss this. "Does that mean that you are going to Seyruun?" Anna asked. Sylphiel nodded, but hesitated a bit by the sad look in the girls eyes. "How would you like to come with me Anna?" she finally asked. The girls face brightened "you mean, you'll take me along?" she asked, almost unable to believe what was happening. Until a few days ago, she had been sleeping on the streets, and now it looked like she were going to a wedding in the royal city of Seyruun.

The next few days were spent preparing for the trip. For once Sylphiel were really happy. The only thing that bothered her a little bit was that it was Gourry getting married. She had never gotten over her crush on the blonde swordsman. She sighed. At least he were going to be happy with Lina, that was all that mattered to her anyway. She was also happy that Anna wanted to come along, maybe Amelia would be able to give her a place to stay.

The only thing that really bothered her was the last few words in the letter about bringing a partner. It was quite obvious who Lina was referring to. Obviously she didn't know that he had been missing since he just vanished into the night. She didn't blame Lina however, even though they didn't keep close contact, there had always been a close bond between the two girls. To outsiders it might seem strange that they got along that well, seeing that they were different like night and day. They had started out as rivals of a sort, competing for the same man. But as time passed Sylphiel had realized that she never even had a chance with Gourry. She stepped a bit down and gave Lina and Gourry the room they had needed.

"Well, Anna" Sylphiel asked as she turned the key in the lock "Are you ready to go?". Anna nodded in excitement "I sure am!". With those words the two girls were on their way to Seyruun.

They walked through the snow covered streets of New Sairaag. Anna barely noticed how several of the boys that used to pick on her, as they sent her questioning looks.

"Hey Sis, can I ask you something?" Anna asked. She had started referring to the shrinemaiden as an older sister. Sylphiel didn't really mind, she had always wanted a younger sister.

"Yes? What is it Anna?" she turned her attention to the girl. "Well…" Anna blushed a little bit "I've been wondering for a while now, just who is this Lina inverse?".

Sylphiel Stopped walking "you don't know?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise. How anyone could not have heard of the infamous Lina Inverse was beyond her. "Looks like this trip wont be boring at all" She giggled "Even I don't know of all the stories that are being told of her, but I can tell you some pretty exciting things".

"Wow" Anna looked at Sylphiel with big eyes "You mean it was because of miss Lina that we can go to the outer world now?". Sylphiel nodded.

They were sitting at a small table at a small inn. For most of the day they had been walking towards Seyruun. Sylphiel had been a bit worried that the trip was a bit to long for Anna to handle, but she had kept up just fine. In fact, it was Sylphiel who had gotten tired first, and had insisted that they took a rest.

Fortunately the area inside the barrier lands were pretty heavy populated. As a result, there were countless minor villages where travelers could spend the night and get a meal.

The town Sylphiel and Anna had arrived in was one of those. Actually it was more of a trading post. Not many seemed to live there, but a lot of people seemed to travel through it.

In the beginning Sylphiel had hesitated to spend the night in a town like this. For some reason, she just had a bad feeling about this, but seeing how Anna slumped down in the chair made her stand by her first decision. Apparently the girl had been a bit more tired than first assumed.

She looked around. The inn wasn't really her kind of place. There was a lot of rowdy people there, mostly men, and that really bothered her. She wouldn't go as far as saying she hated that kind, but they definitely made her uncomfortable. The fact that she was all alone with a little girl, didn't make it any better. She had already seen several of the other guests sending her strange looks.

"Anna, we better go up to our rooms now" Sylphiel whispered as two of the other patrons started fighting. In the beginning she wondered why nobody tried to stop the fight, but she figured it was pretty normal in this place.

"Excuse me sir?" Sylphiel tried to get the innkeepers attention. Suddenly she felt someone put an arm around her. She slowly turned around. Behind her were a pretty large man

"Hi there pretty lady" he hiccuped "you working here?". At first she didn't understand what he was talking about, but from the way he looked her over she caught his meaning. She took a step back "Excuse me? Sir, you must be mistaken. I'm NOT that kind of girl!". Anna could only watch as the man continued to hug Sylphiel.

"Sir, I must insist that you let go of her, right now!" A man dressed in a beige clothes stepped up and pushed the drunkard away from Sylphiel. Anna hurried over and hid behind the shrinemaiden. The older girl kept staring at her helper, he was familiar to her.

"Mr. Zelgadis?" she asked.

The man looked back at her over his shoulder. Even though he was wearing his usual hood and mask, there was no mistaken that it was the gloomy chimera.

"You seem to have a special ability to get into trouble, don't you Sylphiel?" he smirked. Sylphiel lowered he eyes. She didn't like to admit it, but Zelgadis had a point.

"Hey mister, why don't you get out of here?" the drunkard growled.

"Have you gotten a room yet?" Zelgadis asked, ignoring the other patron completely. Sylphiel shook her head, but said nothing. Without a word Zelgadis tossed her a key.

Sylphiel picked it up and pulled Anna with her towards the stairs.

They had barely gotten upstairs before an explosion rocked the small inn. Sylphiel calmly placed the key in the lock to Zelgadis' room and turned it. She knew that Zelgadis would rather solve his problems fast. And just this once, she didn't mind.

They stepped inside. From the looks of it, she figured that Zel had been living here for a little time. Books were spread all over the room. It clearly indicated that he still were trying to find his cure. Not surprising though, it had been his entire reason for living for as long as she had known him.

She couldn't help but wonder what the chimera would do if he ever found out that no such thing as a cure existed for him. She doubted that though, it was a big world, and with new possibilities of it being hidden somewhere in the outer world, it would take more than his lifetime to look through all of it.

"Who was that man?" Anna asked, as she sat down on the bed. Sylphiel sat down next to her "he's an old friend of mine" she told her. Suddenly a thought occurred to her "Listen Anna" she started "This may be a little difficult to understand, but…".

Before she could say anymore, Zelgadis walked through the door. He had already removed his hood and mask. Sylphiel already knew how he looked, so he hadn't thought there was any use for it.

For a few seconds he and Anna stared at each other in deep silence. Sylphiel swallowed hard as the silence was broken by an ear piercing scream from Anna. "It's a monster!" She shouted and tried to hide behind Sylphiel. Zelgadis quickly turned around and pulled his hood and mask pack in place. "That's why I don't like little kids" he muttered before he turned around. "Sylphiel I'm ok with you, but who's the kid?" he asked. Sylphiel flinched a little from his rather harsh tone. He always talked that way, but it always took some adjustment on her part to get used to it.

"Anna, it's ok you can come out" Sylphiel giggled. The girl had crept behind her and was currently hiding under her cape. "But it's scary!" she whined and pointed at Zelgadis. "No, he's not" Sylphiel tried to save the situation. "Why don't you just say it as it really is Sylphiel?" Zelgadis muttered as he sat down on a chair "I'm a freak". Sylphiel took a deep breath, this was going to be a lot harder than she had expected. It didn't help her much that Anna already was scared out of her mind, and Zelgadis didn't seem interested in solving anything at all.

Authors notes:

So nice to see that most of my loyal readers are back :-)

Why is it that I always end up with Sylphiel and Zelgadis together? I wish I knew, but for some strange reason, the two of them compliment each other nicely.

And speaking of Zelgadis, I don't think I have ever seen anyone be afraid of him because of his… little skin problem… So I thought it would be right for Anna to be scared out of her mind when she saw his face.

Or am I mistaken?