Chapter 7: Frantic Search!
Filia had finally spotted a town that they could land at and recharge their bodies. "Great, I can practically taste the food already!" Lina said while Filia started to land. The town looked fairly big from the sky as they approached and it got bigger.
"Well I have to go for now… bye!" Xellos said as he disappeared again.
"Whatever see ya later Xellos." Lina said.
"This must be a town we haven't heard of yet. Since the barrier recently broke over our part of the continent, the leaders haven't fully explored the outside." Amelia said as they continued to land.
"Yeah, I'd imagine there being lot's of towns we haven't seen yet." Lina replied as they touched down to the ground next to the town's gates.
"Ok everyone off." Filia said as she panted while everyone got off her back and she transformed into her human form. Filia walked up to Lina after she was fully in her human form. "Lina, may I study the piece of the manuscript while I head off to find a library in this place?" Filia asked politely.
"I guess… here ya go." Lina said as she handed the manuscript piece to Filia.
"Thank you!" Filia said as she walked into the town.
"Well, we may as well head off to look for some food while she studies the piece a little more." Lina said as everyone else followed her into the large town.
"This town although good sized, doesn't seem to have many people walking around miss Lina." Amelia said with a concerned look.
"I agree this is very odd indeed." Zelgadis said while watching the empty streets.
"Now that you mention it… oh well who cares look there's a restaurant!" Lina said as Gourry and Nahga ran for the tavern. "Hey you two wait up!" Lina screamed as Amelia and Zelgadis struggled to keep up with her. Lina entered the tavern to find food nicely prepared with no one around but herself, Gourry, Nahga, Amelia, Zelgadis, and Nahga.
"Now be careful Lina, remember what happened last time…" Zelgadis said.
"Hmmm, I should de-enchant the food I guess just incase." Lina said. Nahga sunk her teeth into the food not realizing what they were talking about.
"Taste fine to me!" Nahga said biting down on some roast beef.
"Damnit Nahga you should really listen some times!" Lina screamed.
"What's the matter?" Nahga said with a confused look in her eye.
"Oh nothing, the food is fine lets dig in I suppose." Lina said while Gourry joined Lina and Nahga as Amelia and Zelgadis sat down at the bar area eating some seafood that had been left out.
"Man this place is a ghost town!" Gourry said with his mouth full. Nahga swallowed her food.
"Yeah, but its nice of them to leave a meal out just for us!" Nahga said.
"Plus, with no one around we don't have to pay for it. Good news for you Amelia!" Lina said.
"Humph!" Amelia said aggravated as she turned toward Zelgadis. "What do you think about all of this Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.
"Well its nothing like any town I've ever seen before. I mean the town is big but no one seems to be in it I hope Filia doesn't run into trouble." Zelgadis said.
"Me too…" Amelia said as they watched the other three rip apart the other table for food. Amelia looked down at Zelgadis's canteen and saw the bracelet she gave him as she blushed. "I see you still have my arm band." Amelia said as she smiled at Zelgadis.
"Huh? I thought that I uh…" Zelgadis tried to think of something to say but his face just turned red again.
"Hehehe, its ok Mr. Zelgadis." Amelia said as she held his hand. At this point Zelgadis's body turned red as he smiled back at Amelia, when there was a voice outside.
"Somebody help!" A woman's voice called out as everyone stopped eating and ran outside.
"What?" Lina said as she saw somebody with a hood being threatened by a gang of men. "Hey get away from her!" she yelled as she rushed up in front of the now plain to see women in a robe. "What's going on here!" Lina demanded.
"Huh? Who are you?" One of the men asked.
"I'm notorious bandit killer Lina Inverse!" She yelled.
"Ha, Nothing compared to me her rival, Nahga the serpent! Hahaha…" Nahga yelled stepping in front of Lina.
"What the hell… someone must have added something new." A man said.
"What are you talking about, get away from this lady you vile fiends!" Amelia screamed while extending her arm to the sky.
"Err… You'll never get in our way!" Another man said.
"Fine, Fire Ball!" Amelia said as the blast hit one of the men, bouncing him off a couple buildings.
"What the… Lets get out of here!" The other man said as they ran.
"Well, your safe now lady!" Lina said trying to shake the hand of the person they just saved.
"Ahhhh!" The lady screamed as she ran off into the distance.
"Well, no wonder people don't come here, the town is weird!" Amelia said.
"I bet no one has seen that kind of magic around here." Zelgadis said as Amelia looked at her hand and scratched her head.
"That's a possibility." Lina said as they started to walk into the town a little more.
"Okay lets try not to use any more magic here. Lets just look for Filia and get out of here." Zelgadis said as the others agreed.
"What the heck… take a look at that!" Gourry said as he saw a group of armed people running toward them with more food. The people got closer and appeared to be guards.
"Please take our food!" A guard said.
"Gladly!" Gourry said as he stuffed some in his bag for later.
"Wait a minute Gourry!" Lina said giving him an odd look. "How do we know this isn't poisoned or enchanted in some way!" Lina asked.
"Please except it as a token of friendship." The guards said as they ran off and left the food on the ground on silver plates.
"Why do I get the feeling we ran into another one of those towns?" Lina said.
"What towns?" Gourry said.
"You know, the ones that have all of the outcast nut-jobs." Lina explained.
"Yeah, this is kind of weird… lets hurry up and find Filia." Gourry said.
"Yeah!" Amelia said looking scared. Lina took some of the food and stored it in her backpack like Gourry as they now frantically searched for Filia.
"She said she went to look for a library, so lets start looking in every building." Nahga said.
"Well, it may take awhile but… we have no other choice!" Lina said agreeing with Nahga.
"Lets split into groups, me and Gourry will search while you three split up and search." Lina proposed.
"No way, I'm not letting you out of my sight Lina Inverse. I can't let you find anything without me!" Nahga exclaimed.
"Its ok, me and Amelia will search alone, we can handle it." Zelgadis said. Lina sighed.
"We sure can!" Amelia said hugging Zelgadis.
"Fine lets meet up here in about two hours, now lets get moving." Lina said as they split up to find Filia.
"Zelgadis what are you doing?" Amelia asked as he walked toward the entrance of the town and sat down.
"There is only one way into this town, if Filia comes looking for us outside we will see her." Zelgadis explained. "Besides, I'm sure Lina, Gourry, and Nahga will find her."
"I guess so." Amelia said as Zelgadis pulled out his old guitar and started to play it. Lina, Gourry, and Nahga were looking tirelessly in every building.
"We've searched over a fourth of the town, where the hell is she?" Nahga said.
"Nahga!" Lina yelled.
"Nahga, where are you?" Gourry yelled as it echoed into the streets. They stopped yelling because they heard more footsteps.
"You!" You're the ones that ate the food, you've ruined it!" A villager said as he and a mob of other villagers came running to them with pitchforks.
"Huh? Hey what did we do… you're the ones that are crazy!" Nahga yelled.
"Wrong again, you have disturbed our sacred ritual!" A soldier said as he appeared from the angry crowd.
"Ritual?" Lina screamed as Gourry grabbed the handle of his sword.
"That's right legend tells of terrible tyrants coming to town and the people were powerless to stop these mad men. But a lone cook offered some food to these tyrants and decided that the town should be spared. This is a sacred act that the villagers pay homage to, the cook in the legend!" A villager explained.
"Uh… so that lady and those bandits were actors?" Lina asked.
"Yes, we thought everyone knew this!" A soldier said. Nahga fainted and hit the ground.
"This is like one big play!" Nahga exclaimed.
"Yes, and now because of you people its ruined!" An angry villager said while sticking his pitchfork out.
"Uh, let's not be too hasty now, say have you guys seen a blonde with long hair and strange cloths walk by?" Gourry said, as the villagers got closer.
"Heh, not now Gourry!" Nahga said.
Zelgadis was still playing his guitar, as Amelia was blushing watching him play. "My you sure are good Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia said as Zelgadis smiled. He stopped playing for a moment.
"Thank you, I really had nothing to do traveling alone and decided to take up a hobby before I went crazy." Zelgadis said.
"Oh, I see." Amelia said looking at the stars as the sun started to set and Zelgadis started to play again.
Lina looked at Gourry and Nahga. "Great what now, we can't just attack them." Lina whispered to Gourry and Nahga.
"Why not, they seem threatening enough." Nahga said.
"No, if we do we might give away our position to the monsters." Lina said making up excuses to Nahga not to hurt them.
"Hmmm, I suppose your right, I bet they wouldn't even be much of a challenge however they do have that power in numbers thing." Nahga explained.
"How about we just run for it?" Gourry said.
"Great idea Gourry now lets go!" Lina said as Gourry and Nahga took off running.
"Get them!" The soldier said as the village chased them.
"Gees, we'll never find Filia this way!" Lina said chasing after Gourry and Nahga. Amelia heard something in the town and saw a glowing light as shadows were running through the streets.
"Zelgadis, I think Ms. Lina and the others are in trouble." Amelia said watching them run around in the town. Zelgadis stopped playing his Guitar.
"Your right something is not right, lets go check it out." Zelgadis said as they ran to the people chasing Lina, Gourry, and Nahga.
"Lets aim for the entrance!" Lina said as herself, Nahga, and Gourry ran to the entrance with the villagers still following. Zelgadis saw the three running toward them.
"Guys, hurry this way!" Zelgadis said as Lina and the others followed him out of the town as they lost the villagers around a turn. The group hid around the outskirts as Lina saw someone reading something under a tree and approached the person.
"Filia!" Lina said as she saw Filia looking at the manuscript under a tree.
"Oh, hello Lina." Filia said.
"Filia, I thought you were going to find a library." Zelgadis said.
"Yes, well the villagers were acting weird. But I did have time to look at the piece more." Filia said.
"Find anything?" Lina asked disgruntled from the chase.
"Yes, actually… huh?" Filia said as she saw the villagers running out of the town toward them.
"There they are, capture them!" A villager said from a distance as they charged the group.
"Lina what have you done?" Filia said.
"Its always my fault isn't it?" Lina screamed. "Oh well hurry up and turn into a dragon lets get out of here!" Lina yelled.
"Yes, please hurry." Amelia pleaded.
"Well… turn around." Filia said as they all turned around. Filia transformed and Lina caught their piece of the manuscript that went floating to the ground and jammed it in her pocket.
"Ok, get on!" Filia said as everyone got onto her back and she took off.
"Whew, glad that's over!" Lina said.
"So, what did you find out Filia?" Nahga asked.
"Well… That piece is like a puzzle piece you know this however, it seems to have another inscription within the manuscript in small letters. But without the other pieces I can only make out the word, blue."
"Blue huh? So, it's like a puzzle inside a puzzle. Where is Xellos when you need him?" Lina complained.
"This story is becoming more filled with holes every day!" Zelgadis said.
"Well, I have a good idea how to get to the third scroll so, I'm setting a course." Filia said as they flew off into the night.