Chapter 16 xxxxxxxxxx

Lina awoke. She had dozed off in the chair she had snuggled into the night before during the talking. Seeing the others were there dozing too she realised it was getting towards morning. She got up and quietly went out to get ready. She knew she would need to travel lightly, so she made her way to her room and grabbed her prepacked bag. She dug some little things out of her closet and had a quick wash in her bathroom. That's when she realised it was happening again. That time of the month. "Not now!" she screamed! After a minute or two of silent cursing it occured to her that it was better now than if it had been a few days from now, she would be done with it and just about back to her usuall strength when they were going into battle.

She grabbed a few more necessities for the road and went back to the sitting room. As she walked in the room a sleepy Naga asked "Was that you?" Lina gave a nervous giggle and said "Err me? Who? What?" "I'm halfway through mine." mumbled a sleepy Amilia. "I just got over it, it's the stress, it can throw your timing off..." yawned Sylphiel looking for all the world like she was talking in her sleep. "I have yet to restart" mused Naga groggily as she struggled to her feet. She looked sad. Lina looked blank and blushed at the fact that everyone had guessed what was happening, then asked "Um, why did you sleep here Naga? I know we all fell asleep in our chairs, but didn't you want to go to bed with the King or anything? Being it's the last night and all?"

Naga cocked a bleary, questioning eye at Lina and said "He never came for me. That means he's still in the great hall. By the nine hells, he's probably been awake all night! I'm going to see." She walked off. Lina looked around and said "Well, I wonder when we start?" "Sylphiel replied, dreamily "I was up a bit earlier, it's the dark before the dawn, if you try you might get another hour and a half or so of sleep Miss Lina." "No, you've been dozing since then, Miss Sylphiel, we have maybe half an hour." muttered Amilia trying to wake up. "Pardon me, I have to go get ready." She struggled up and went out. Sylphiel startled Lina by using a word that was something like manure and opened an eye. Lina chuckled and said "Sylphiel, you're going to lose your reputatuion if you keep that up!" "You think so?" said the shrine maiden. "Oh my..." She sat up and opened her eyes. "I haven't had to get up this early since those silly sunrise rituals at midsummer we used to have to do in training." she said. "I must be getting old or something..." "No, but you are being silly." said Lina with a laugh. Sylphiel smiled one of her warm rich smiles and got up. "I better get ready too." she said as she left the room.

Lina mused to herself "Would Gourry be better with her? She's so kind and gentle." Her thoughts were interupted as Queen Gracia returned with a pot of coffee and some cups. "Where did they go?" she asked of the other two. "Getting ready." was Lina's reply. "Ah." was the reply back. "Well, Alfred is awake, he and daddy and a few others are arguing about some plan or other. Some of the other nobles are asleep in their chairs. I don't think they rested well. Well, we have to go soon. Are you hungry?" "No" said Lina. "I'm too tired." "Me too." said Naga. "Well, I better go feed Arthur one last time. Damn it all, I hate that some other woman will have to feed him while I'm away. But for once I can't take him." She sniffled slightly as she went off to see her baby. "No, it isn't fair." thought Lina. Your little man needs his mommy, Naga. Damn this war!" She grabbed a cup of coffee as Amilia returned and did likewise. Soon Sylphiel rejoined them too. "Well, here's to us!" said Lina raising a cup of coffee in a toast.

The others joined in with a sleepy "Cheers" and downed the drinks. They made small talk as they waited for Naga, who eventually appeared with the head maid, Cymbelene, behind her, holding Arthur. The baby was sleeping contentedly. "Are we ready?" asked Naga, sounding hollow. "Yes!" the crew replied. They shuffled out. There were horses ready, one for each, and a pack horse with extra supplies. Naga looked at her sleeping baby once more and then mounted her horse. The others did likewise and then they were off. Once they passed the gates Naga suddenly started weeping. She had held it in while the baby was around lest she awaken him, but now she could no longer hold back the tears. Lina rode over and put a hand on her shoulder, it was as close as she could get to a hug while on horse back.

Naga pulled herself together and they rode on, to the east, past the rows of tents and the quarter of a million men camped within them. After a bit they noticed King Alfred was mustering some of the troops of Westhold off to their left. Someone must have pointed out the Queen's party because he suddenly spun his horse around and galloped over to the party of the Sorceresses. He rode straight to Naga and half pulled her from the saddle as he planted a last, fierce kiss on her lips. One she returned with equal passion. "Remember!" he said. "In life or death, the King of Westhold loves his Queen more than anything!" "And the Queen equally loves her King!" replied Naga just as passionately. "May all the gods and the Golden Lord herself bless you ladies with luck!" said the King to the group. "You likewise! replied Naga. "And the Unknown God too!" piped up Lina. The King raised his eyebrows and laughed. "Yes Lady Lina, him too! Thank you! Until we return in triumph, then." he said resting his hand on Naga's shoulder for a second. Then he spurred his horse and galloped back to where he was before.

Naga watched him for a moment then gave a sigh and spurred her horse forward. The group moved again. She turned to Lina with a smile and said "The unknown god? You taking to the theology of Westhold are you Lina?" "Well, he's important to the Westholders, and I can't shake the idea that maybe, just maybe, he exists. So, why not?" Naga laughed. "Yes," she said, "why not? And you are right, who knows? Well, we better make miles ladies, that rock wall needs defending too." With that the group finally started out in earnest.

They rode on in silence for awhile taking in the rare beauty of the earth in the predawn light. The stars were just about faded from the sky, only the brightest ones were still alight. In the east the sun was about to make an appearance by the look of the red glow on the horizon and the intensity of the red on the few small clouds that were scattered in the eastern sky. Very soon now there would be a golden glow and the ball of the sun itself would pop above the horizon. Lina found herself remembering the words of the old poem Zel had quoted the morning he and she had flown Queen Grace to Seirune. "Awake! For the Hunter in the bowl of night, hath loosed the stone that puts the stars to flight." Lina found herself wishing she knew the rest of the poem. Well, one more reason to win the war! There was still knowlege to be learned! She smiled to herself at her plan.

They continued to ride through a glorious morning that made one glad to be alive, and so on till the heat of the day made them stop for a bit of lunch in a shady grove. "Gee, we are a talkative lot today..." ventured Lina. "Yeah, I know what you mean." replied Amilia. Then there was more quite except for the small, "please pass the..."sort of thing you get at a meal. Finally Sylphiel spoke up. "Nuts on this! If we keep brooding in silence we are going to be in great form by the time we get there. Come on ladies, if we can't talk then lets sing or something!" Lina chuckled. "I don't know if you want to hear me singing, but I agree we need more talking, does anyone know any stories?" "Yes!" said Amilia. "You do!" "Hey?" asked Lina. "You and Gracia. I want to hear what it was like when you two were together as partners! I want to know more about the golem fight, Mispros island, and all the other stuff you've alluded to and started totell about, since you two got back together. And I want ALL the details!"

Lina looked at Naga who looked back. They started to giggle, and with that the gloom of the morning was blown away as the group broke into a full blown laugh. Soon they were on their way again, and Lina and Naga started reliving some of their old tales, and loved every minute of it, as well as every argument, no, fight, over some of the details, not the least of which was who really was the hero in which situation. Doing so they passed the time till evening when dark was settling and they finally settled down for a camp. They had a more lively supper, and even persuaded Sylphiel to sing some of the songs she knew. Not just the popular ditties and love songs, but even a few of the great epic songs where long heroic tales were put to song and verse to make them more memorizable. There were tales of love lost, and found. There were tales of heros of old, of gods and demons and even of the making of the world. Not that she sang them all in one night, but over the course of the trip she sang nightly. It made the time pass more pleasantly, despite what they were going to. Still, it wasn't easy. The girls didn't forget to set a guard and took it in turns to watch during the night. The fear of patrols was real, even shadow warriors or mazoku allied with the east. But, nothing happened. Perhaps the enemy was over confident?

Finally came the day of the arrival. Lina expressed a hope nothing was going on. Five days had passed, and that time of the month had finally ended, just, and her power was returning, but it was not up to absolute full. "Don't worry Lina." said an optimistic Amilia, "I don't think there's any army that could beat you, even if they jumped on you when you were at your weakest!" "Thanks for the vote of confidence." said Lina with a smile. Then she added, more seriously, "I'm not invincible though, don't forget that." "Don't worry Miss Lina." said Sylphiel. "You have two powerful white sorceresses, Miss Amilia, and me, to back you up. You are very strong in your own right, and despite the merry war that goes on between you two it is obvious that Her Majesty and you are very able planners, and that between the two of you is a great amount of wisdom, and experience, plus the ability to think on your feet. I know you'll be fine." "Thanks Sylphiel." said Lina with a smile. Then she added "I don't know if that bucks up my courage or makes me feel more pressure because you are all relying on me." "Alas, it's probably both." sighed Sylphiel. "Ahh, don't worry about it." said Lina. "I'm going to win and that's that!" she added, ending on an upbeat note. There were three cheers for Lina from the others then they were off.

They were tired, their horses were tired, they had pushed themselves as fast as they could to get there quickly. Even so they were some dozen miles from the cliffs proper when they set out in the morning. It was a clear morning, they all had been in fact, yet to the east where they were riding it soon became apparent there was some sort of a mist or haze in the distance. At first they were speculating about whether there was an updraft bringing up sand from the plains below, but as they came closer it began to become apparent there was no such wind. They became more silent as the they got closer. Finally they were a league off the mark, a mere three miles from their destination. Lina put what they had all feared into words. "Face it gang. That's dust from work. They are here already, digging at the cliff. By the looks of things they only need to make a ramp from the lower plains to here, and when they get up here they are away. Not a complcated task, it just takes a lot of digging." The others nodded silently. "What's the plan?" one of them asked. "Ride up and Dragon Slave them." was Lina's response. "Well, we better do it then..." said a subdued Amilia. "Watch for guards" added Naga as she rode forward.

The little group followed, feeling inadequate somehow. "Maybe we should have brought more sorcerers." said Amilia. "No." said Naga, quietly. "They are just as needed where they are going too. No, if we can't do it, it can't be done. So, let's do it." There was a general nodding of heads and the group moved forward at a steady pace. Finally, they were there. "Hey Naga, didn't it occur to them there might be resistance? No guards?" said a worried Lina. "Watch for magic then." said Sylphiel. "Do you sense something then?" asked Lina, thinking that she could. "Yes," Sylphiel replied, "there is a stirring in the earth and the sky, they are tapping into the Ley lines of the heavens and the Dragon lines of the earth. Powerful magic, they maybe didn't think they needed a guard." "Well, we shall see." said Lina.

They stopped maybe a hundred yards from the face of the cliff and dismounted. Walking to the edge they peered down. Far below there was a bustle as of many ants scurrying around in an amazingly organised way, digging away at the soft rock. Still, for all that they hadn't made that much progress, which prompted Lina to remark "Hey, they can't have been here long." Naga nodded. "Good." she said, "The less they have done the easier it should be to stop them. How do you want to do this?" Lina thought a moment then looked at Naga. She nodded. It was like the old days.

"What's the plan you two?" interjected Amilia. "A few big fire balls should scatter the workers, but the real trick is to make them run into a group so they can be Dragon Slaved." replied Lina. "We should start by driving them back from the cliff face." said Naga. Then with some well placed fireballs we can drive them into a group in the plain." Sylphiel looked over the plain, shielding her eyes with her hand. "They have a camp maybe two miles out." she said. "Make them run and they will likely run for that, then spring the trap." She slumped. Lina patted her shoulder. "Planning to hurt, possibly kill, people is not easy, and never fun Sylphiel. Still, unless you have a last minute bright idea, we have no choice. Sylphiel nodded, her eyes wet with a tear or two. She had come to help and help she would, but this was not what she had learned to do, nor did it sit well on her gentle soul.

"I have an idea, Lina." said Amilia. "What's that?" the redhaird mage asked. "It's dangerous but it might work. You know what happens when two fireballs intercept?" "Yea, a really big bang, and, I mean... big..., Oh I get it. Throw some together at the base of the cliff and hope we don't bring the mountain down with the explosions." "Yup." said Amilia. "You and I can do it while Levitating, and Gracia and Miss Sylphiel can get away to safety. Then hopefully we can use fireballs to start the stampede. Then, while those down below are doing that you get ready and go Dragon Slave them!" "Would work." said Naga. "Good idea." said Lina. "Let's do it." "Take care you two." said Naga. She and Sylphiel took the horses and rode back maybe a quarter of a mile. Lina and Amilia looked at each other as they settled their minds for the task. When they were ready a simple nod from each of them was all the signal they needed. They both chanted silently then simultaneously called out "Levitation!"

Rising into the air they flew off the cliff top, taking positions that would let each of them hear the other so they could co-ordinate the firing of the fireballs, and so they could both aim at the same point. It was a well known fact that the one thing you never did was block a fireball with a fireball, they joined up and released an explosion many times more powerful than either fireball alone could have produced. The girls exchanged a few words and some finger points and quickly agreed upon six targets. The fireball had one draw back, it was slow in flight, so the sorceresses planned to take advantage of that fact by sending a spread of fireballs flying while they could see the targets. Finally they were ready. They chanted and then began launching the angry fire red spheres at the base of the cliff. "Fire Ball!" the screamed in unison, six times, and six times the magical spells were concentrated in their hands then cast forth. They watched for a few seconds as the flaming spheres sped on their way.

The first two just missed each other and exploded with normal force, but even so, they scattered the workers and brought work to a halt instantly. The next two met and a hugh explosion send men and dirt flying. So did the third pair, and the fourth, the fifth pair were near misses, and the sixth pair gave one more massive blast. When the dust settled it was evident that many men had been injured or killed, and some of the digging was undone. The workers were confusedly running around but it was clear from the air that the officers were quickly restoring order. "Lina!" said Amilia. "Fire balls will be too slow, let's go to Flare Arrows!" "Yes." agreed Lina. The two girls dove down and began targeting what ever they could with the more accurate, and much faster Flare Arrow spell. The only problem with the spell was that the explosion was, compared to the fireball, much weaker. Still, this didn't mean you wanted to get hit by one. Like avenging harpies the two mages swooped back and forth sending blast after multiple blast of arrow shaped fire energy into the scurrying ranks below. Where they could they targeted officers or any one who seemed in control. In a few minutes they had the mass of men scattered. Then the enemy started returning fire.

A squadron of magical soldiers formed ranks and started hurtling Flare Arrows back at the two girls in massed volleys. Soon the two friends were twisting and turning and yelling as they tried to avoid the fate they had just been trying to inflict on their adversaries. "Where the hell did they come from?" yelled Lina to Amilia. "We were sloppy Lina, we forgot they might have the way to fight back! We have to get out of here!" Yes!" shouted Lina. The girls began to rise. Suddenly there was a bang, followed by a scream as Amilia became the victim of a direct hit! "AMILIA!" screamed Lina as she swooped back down. She managed to catch her friend just in time, but it was obvious she was hurt. Lina cast every protective spell she could think of as she rose up the cliff face holding the smaller girl in her arms. And good thing too, being a slower target now she started to get many more accurate hits rattling off of her shields. She did't want to think of what would happen if the sheilds failed now that they were some three or four hundred feet up. After an eternity, with accurate Flare Arrows hitting her all the way up, she finally reached the crest.

Naga and Sylphiel were there to help. They had come back forward when the explosions were over to see how things went, and had seen the near victory get turned into a rout. Lina landed, exhausted, and gently laid the stunned Amilia down for Sylphiel to work on. Unfortunately, seeing her sister look like she was dead was too much for Naga, and just when she should have stayed calm she had a flash back to her mother's death, and, in simple terms, she freaked out. "NO, NO! NOT HER! NOT MY SISTER!" she shrieked to the heavens. Lina tried to calm her down as Sylphiel cast her healing magic on Amilia, but Naga ran off. Lina tried to follow, but she was too tired to run as fast as she usually could. Naga reached the cliff face and started hurtling curses down at the men below. "Naga! Get away before they..." Lina started to yell when a sudden explosion cut her off and rocked her off her feet.

A large blast had hit the cliff face, aimed at Naga. It had fallen short, which was fortunate, and somehow Naga had stayed on her feet. But she was laughing now, not her usual signature laugh, but a truly insane laugh that froze Lina to her marrow and made her wish deperately to hear her friend laugh her usual laugh, at least then she'd know everything was alright. "Naga!" she yelled. "Amilia's okay! Stop this!" But the wild Queen didn't hear her. Lina ran up to try and pull her friend back from the cliff. She seemed to be muttering under her breath. Just as Lina got to her Naga yelled in a commanding voice "MEGA VU VRAIMER!" "Naga! You can't use magic yet! It's too soon..." Lina started to argue, when a large "CRACK" startled her. Looking down, her ruby eyes as big as saucers, she saw the biggest golem she had ever seen in her life suddenly break free from the cliff!

Ignoring Lina, Naga laughed insanely again and shouted "You murderers! We did nothing to you and yet you have come to kill and enslave us! To take our lands and our peace! You have almost killed my sister! You have separated me from my baby and my people! My husband and my father are in mortal danger trying to stop you. And so are many other brave men! You won't succeed! DO YOU HEAR ME! MY GOLEM! KILL!" The stone monster suddenly came to life and started tearing hugh blocks of rock from the cliff face as if it were ripping fresh bread apart. Lina was speechless in amazement as the golem tossed massive blocks of stone at the men before it, crushing many. The archers tried throwing volleys of Flare Arrows and some fireballs at the golem but it was impervious to attack. Naga screamed out a crazy laugh and yelled down "Yes my creation! That's it! Kill them all!"

Lina grabbed at Naga, calling on her to stop, but Naga, in a burst of insane strength picked Lina up with one arm and tossed her friend away from her. Lina hit the ground hard and had to catch her breath. As soon as she got it back she screamed for Sylphiel to come and help her. Sylphiel had just finished healing Amilia when Lina's scream for aid hit her ears. She looked up, startled, then took off in a rapid sprint. Naga gave a yell of triumph and turned to Lina, yelling happily "I've done it Lina! I drove them off. I did it!" She laughed some more. Then, as she did so, even as Sylphiel was arriving, it happened.

No one understands what the link is, but all female magic users know it exists. There is something about a womans womb that has control over her magical abilities. That's why she can't use magic very well during "that time of the month". And that's why she loses it altogether for anywhere from six months to a year after giving birth. But the problem is, if a woman is under such emotional stress, as Naga was, that she in effect becomes insane, temporarily or otherwise, it is sometimes possible to overcome the blocking effect of the womb and tap into magic when the body isn't ready. Naga was doing this now. And it is the law of nature that when you do things wrongly, there is always a price to pay.

Deep in her body, Naga's womb burst from the strain. One minute she was laughing at Lina insanely, then suddenly a glazed look came over her, just for a second, then pain, pain like a red hot iron poker being thrust into her body seared through the Queen. She gave a sceam like she had been mortally wounded. In fact, she was. There was an unbelievable gush of blood from between her legs, and she collapsed, unconcious, and very, very pale, struggling to breath as the life's blood gushed out of her. Lina and Sylphiel screamed in shock. "NAGA!" screamed Lina, trying to will her friend back from the brink. Then she yelled in desperation "SYLPHIEL!"

A shaken Sylphiel responded "Let me concentrate Lina, she needs the healing of the Resurection spell, NOW!" Lina clamped her jaw shut, tears blinding her. Then, after a few seconds that seemed an eternity long, Sylphiel began to chant the spell. Lina couldn't take it and got up, and walked over to the cliff and looked out. She turned back after a few seconds, and saw the welcome sight of her beloved friend bathed in a soft, holy white light. Her breathing was easier, and her colour was improving. "Thank you, Miss Sylphiel..." said Lina gently, tears of gratitude in her eyes.

Sylphiel was a bit startled to hear Lina use the term Miss, but realised quickly that the redheaded girl was trying to thank her. She smiled and said "It was her emotional state you see, she got so worked up she somehow jumped over the normal healing process that happens after a baby and started drawing magic whan she wasn't ready. But it's okay now, I was here in time, heck, she's healing so well she will even have more children. As long as she doesn't do it again."

"She did some good." said Lina softly. "Even though the golem is now a pile of rubble it managed to drive off the workers before it collapsed. It did what Amilia and I couldn't do, they are now running to the camp. Sylphiel, look out for these women, I have to go Dragon Slave an army." "Wait Lina." said Sylphiel softly, rising to her feet. Lina looked up at her taller friend, puzzled. "I can help you too." the shrine maiden said. "I know a little used spell, a secret spell, one we don't talk about. It transferes power from one magic user to another. I will give you what I can now. It will help you cast a bigger Dragon Slave." she said quietly. "Hey?" said Lina, wonderingly.

"Listen," said Sylphiel a little hesitantly. "There are two things you need to know. First, to do the transfer we have to hold hands and kiss." "Huh, well, as long as you don't get the wrong idea..." said Lina, now a bit nervous herself. Sylphiel went on "When we kiss, the power will flow from me to you. While this happens our spirits will merge into one for a brief time. Everything I know you will know, and everything you know I will know. Most of it will get pulled back inside it's rightful owner when we stop, but some memories usually remain. Just be prepared, you may know things about me you never knew before, and I, you. Now you know why it's a secret."

Lina looked startled, then said "Somehow that figures. Okay, I will do this, there are a lot of men down there, and I need to make a big impression on them, and their magicians. I will hold your memories as sacred trusts. Let us begin, I don't have much time." Under Sylphiel's guidance they interlocked fingers and held their hands out like they were imitating crosses. Then Sylphiel silently muttered the spell, and, leaning forward, gently kissed Lina. There was a shock, then a floating sensation, then, for a few seconds there was, in a sense, only one person on the edge of the cliff as the two became as one and the power flowed. Then it was over, and the girls stopped the kiss.

Lina staggered back, she felt almost ready to burst from the energy. Sylphiel sank to her knees, exhausted and weeping. "What's wrong?" asked Lina. Sylphiel reaised her eyes to Lina, the pain in them evident. "I knew you loved him Lina, I just didn't realise how much. But now I've felt it. I am shattered." Lina shook her head and said "Rest now Sylphiel. You are tired. I've got to go, or what ever I feel will matter to no one." She turned to go, then turned back and said "I'm sorry Sylphiel, but I need him too..." With that the petitie fireball of a sorceress gathered herself for the task at hand. With a Ray-Wing, she was off!

Lina wasn't sure what to do at first, but as she flew a desperate plan formed in her mind. As she looked down she could see how large the engineering core really was. She roughly estimated the camp below her was about half the size of the one she saw at Westhold five mornings ago, and might hold as much as one hundred thousand men. Probably warrior engineers. She finally decided on her plan, and went for altitude. She climbed and climbed. She needed to get high up so she would have time to do what she had to.

She finally stopped at about two miles high. It was getting a little hard to breath and Lina had never been so high in her life except the time they had chased Darkstar on Filia's golden back. The world was unbelieveably different up here. And cold too, colder than Lina had expected. Still, she wouldn't be long. She turned off her magic, one by one. She wanted all her power free to go into the Dragon Slave. She even turned off magical wards that had been protecting her from childhood. She had had them on so long that she felt naked without them, but they took power, and she wanted all she could get. Finally, she turned off the Ray-Wing itself. And began to fall.

It took a few precious seconds to learn how to be stable in free fall, but she managed it. And the feeling of weightlessness was strange too, but not altogether unpleasant. Now she was falling straight down and in control. Time to start. First thing, the power amplifiers she had bought from the Trickster Priest of the Mazoku, none other than Xellos.

"Lord of Darkness of the four worlds, grant me all the power that you posess!"

she chanted. The familiar tingle told her the magical jewels had re energised and she felt a sudden rush as the power of magic flowed through her, energizing her. Now for the big one.

She reached way down deep inside herself and grabbed all the power she had, including the power Sylphiel had just filled her with. Bringing it to the fore she added all her emotional energy too, her hatred and her fear, and even her love. Nothing was left back. When it was ready she closed her eyes and began channeling it into her spell, and as she did so, she chanted her trademark chant.

"Thou who art darker than Twilight!
Thou who art more Crimson than flowing blood!
Thou who art buried in passing time itself!
In thy name, Oh great one, I pledge myself to darkness!
Grant into my unworthy hand thy great power,
So that together, Thou and I may destroy the fools that stand before us."

Her eyes snapped open. The ground was getting very close now, it was now or never. Holding her hands back, the palms facing each other about a foot apart, she screamed out the name of her dread spell, letting the energy form into a castable ball between her hands. As she screamed all her energy, all her hate, her fear, her hopes, her love, everything, was channeled into the sphere. She had cast this spell many times before, but never had she cast one with so much power. She had only cast a spell twice before that had surpassed this one in power, and that was now safely sealed, she hoped.

"DRAGON..."

The sphere became a painful white glare, and her hands burned from the heat of the energy between them, a testament to how much power she had poured into this particular casting.

"SLAVE!"

Lina screamed the last word out as she threw the ball with all her might straight for the center of the encampment. A strange peace suddenly filled her as the ball flew off taking her emotional energy with it. She felt light headed, and began to tumble. Fortunately, that brought her out of the little faint and she snapped awake. "Not yet, Lina!" she said to herself. "First get to safety!" With that she snapped the Ray-Wing back on and with a roll halted her vertical plummet by turning it into a horizontal rush for the cliff face.

She had only seconds now she knew, to put as much distance between her and the decending spell, before it exploded. Timing it right, she looked back, and saw the sky suddenly flash a pinky white and watched as a large ball of pink energy suddenly grew into the sky above the plain. She gulped. Down below many thousands of men had just perished. She looked forward again and snapped a Balus Wall behind herself as a protection from the oncoming blast wave. Still she hoped to be at the cliff before it hit. And the cliff was rapidly approaching. A few seconds later Lina braked hard and slowed to a bit of a forced landing in front of the three girls. "VICTORY!" she wheezed. The girls just stared. "Huh?" she asked, not sure what was going on. "Is something wrong guys?" she asked, panting and breathless after expending a lot of energy. Amilia just pointed back at where Lina had come from. "Yeah, well, that was the biggest Dragon Slave I ever cast in my life..." That was as far as she got when Sylphiel reached out, grabbed her head, and turned her around to see...

Some sort of a magical black field, looking for all the world like a bag, was working it's way around the magical fireball. As Lina watched in stunned silence, it climbed to the top, and sealed the Dragon Slave inside. "That's impossible!" panted Lina in horrified awe. "It's happening..." said Naga, no less horrified than Lina was. As they watched the bag collapsed into a tiny dot, then rapidly lengthened into a long tube. It hesitated a few seconds, then rotated until...

IT POINTED STRAIGHT AT THEM!

"NO!" screamed Lina despite her shortness of breath. "They've collapsed the Dragon Slave, and now they're going to shoot it at us!" "What do we do?" asked Naga, sounding helpless. Amilia suddenly showed her quality to be a leader in a pinch. "Grab the horses so they don't run." she commanded her sister. Naga didn't even hesitate, she took the reins and held the horses close. Of course it helped that she had a way with animals... "Miss Sylphiel, I know you gave most of your power to Lina, but I could use any boost you have left." Amilia went on. Sylphiel nodded and cast the spell "Recovery" on the Princess. She then went back to help with the horses, looking, and feeling tired. "Lina, brace me. I know you are tired and your pink hair reveals you used a lot of power in that shot, so don't worry about the magic, just brace me." Lina did so. "My hair is pink?" she said, a bit puzzled.

That was all the time she had to wonder for suddenly there was a white flash in the sky, and the black tube vanished, revealing a rapidly expanding pink dot rushing up to the girls. Amilia held her hands up and raised a Balus Wall to protect the group. "Lina, if you believe in that unknown god, this would be a real good time to pray..." she said, sounding scared. A second later, her fears were realised as the Dragon Slave hit them and blasted the cliff top.

Lina screamed. So did everyone else, including the horses. Amilia screamed too, but she still kept the wall up, pouring every last ounce of energy she had into the shield. Many seconds later the blast settled down, having scoured the top of the cliff clean for many hundreds of feet, except for a small patch that had been under the shield Amilia had raised. "No crater?" she said in an exhausted voice, then fainted into Lina's arms. Lina let her down gently, then collapsed on the ground beside her. She noticed Amilia's hair was more grey than black. She took a lock of her own hair, sure enough, it was pink. She lay there for several seconds just resting, then looked over to Naga who sat there, a picture of total misery and abject failure. "We've lost..." she whispered to Lina.

Lina sat up and looked at her friend. "We have, haven't we?" She was quiet for a minute. "Well, I guess we better go and think up what to do next." "It's too late." said Naga again, still gloomy. "They are doing something out on the plain. I can see magical sparks and lights swirling around and concentrating. We can leave, but I doubt we'll get far enough away. Besides, the horses ran off after the Balus Wall came down and I couldn't hold them. Sylphiel ran after them, but I'm too sore, owing to the fact I'm still healing after my stupidity of a few minutes ago, to be able to move fast. We won't outwalk what ever they are up to, it looks big.

Lina turned around. Sure enough, something magical was stirring out there. "Their wizards have different spells than we are used to, I think..." she said. Amilia sat up. "I can do another wall I think, if I can get a few minutes to recover." "I don't think we have that long." said Lina sadly. Amilia just hung her head, and Lina hugged her. Naga shuffled over and hugged them both. They reached back and soon a group hug was in progress. On the plain the magic was building, it would be over very soon. "Gourry..." whispered Lina. "Zelgadiss..." replied Amilia. "Arthur and Alfred." put in Naga. If they were about to die, their last words were going to be the people they loved the most.

A lone figure stood on a rocky outcrop a little higher on the mountain. She had run after the horses, like Naga said, only to realise something big was happening. She had precious little energy left, but used some of it to fly onto a rock ledge a quarter mile away. Sylphiel could see the swirling magic in the air. If it was collected and fired, it would be all over. Her heart trembled inside of her. Lina was out of the fight, she had used all her strength in a one shot effort that failed, even with Sylphiel's help. Amilia had used most of her energy fighting the Dragon Slave when it was shot back at them. Naga had no power, and was weak from her emotional outburst with it's aftermath. And Sylphiel had weakened herself giving power up to Lina after having to heal the Queen. The situation seemed hopless.

But that is not why Syphiel trembled and quailed with black fear. No, she was afraid, because she knew she had in her grasp one last spell. If she could fire it perfectly, they would win, if she failed, they would be utterly ruined. Of course, it did not help that Lina thought she had sealed the spell away a few years ago, as if any human could seal something so perfectly that no other human could unseal it if they were strong enough. Or desperate enough. But she was no Lina and she knew it. "How? How do I do it?" she wailed to the wind. It was time, she had to act now or it was too late. "Help me somebody! Anybody! I'll give you anything I have to give, do whatever you want if it is in my power to do it! I don't mind dieing myself, but I don't want us all to die!" With that she broke into loud, wild, sobs of anguish. Her own life, she didn't care about it, but the life of all she loved, all the innocent, no, this had to stop now. But how? Then, in the midst of her weeping came a voice, gentle and soothing, friendly and warm. "Dear lady, I will help you..." Sylphiel's tears froze within her as she went from the blackness of despair to the void of hopelessness. For she had caught the thin undertone of menace in the sweet voice. Whatever was behind her, and she had not the courage to turn and look at it, was evil...

She said in a small, still voice "I will give you anything I can, do anything you want, if you will save us." she offered in desperation. "Yes, you will." said the voice in a soothing tone, as if simply repeating a fact. Suddenly a red crystal floated in the air infront of the white sorceress. "Take the stone, fair lady." said the voice. Sylphiel did so and looked at it. It was a ruby. "This stone will serve as the focus for your spell." the creature said. "Using it will break Lina's seal and let you cast the spell. Now, don't be afraid of what will happen next. I will reach inside and still your fearful heart, by which I mean the emotional one that is the source of your feelings, not the physical one that provides life to your body. When that happens you will have the utter calmness and stillness needed to cast the spell."

"You can only have me if it works." said Sylphiel, feeling strangely calmer already. "I will do my part, said the voice, "and if you do yours it will work. If you don't, well, I won't need you." "I want to know it has worked before you take over." she said again, in a calm, quiet voice. "Of course, that is only fair that you know the bargain has been fulfilled." said the voice. "So, let us begin, you only have seconds to go." With that, Sylphiel had a sudden sickening hot/cold, undescribable shock as the being slipped some sort of power into her, maybe it was a hand of some sort. It surrounded her emotional heart, and suddenly it closed. Sylphiel gave a little gasp, and then, dead calm. No emotion. All she had to do was concentrate. Afterwards, a lifetime, eternity perhaps, of fear and possibly pain, but what of it, the world would live. She took a deep breath and brought her hands up. The ruby crystal, as if it had a mind of its own, suspended itself between her palms, which were facing each other. One second to pull herself together and fully focus. Then, like Lina before her, she began to chant.

"Thou who art darkness beyond blackness itself.
Thou who art deeper than the void.
Lord of all darkness, thou shinest like gold upon the sea of Chaos!
Dread Soverign, I call upon thee and pledge myself to thee.
I pray you, grant that the fools who stand before us be destroyed,
By the power that thou and I possess."

As she finished the chant the crystal suddenly burst into dust and a point of energy, glowing brilliant white, was floating in it's place. It was too bright to look at. Sylphiel cocked her hand back ready to throw. It was now or never, do or die. Bur having started on this course she had already made up her mind. Without hesitation, pausing only long enough to be sure of her aim, she screamed the last words of the spell and hurtled the dread energy at the spike of power growing rapidly on the plain below.

"GIGA SLAVE!"

As she hurtled the spell, a tremendous surge of energy coursed through her. She had drained herself of her very life essence with that spell. Indeed, she felt some power leave from the evil spirit and join hers, which perhaps was good, she was so weak she might have died from the energy drain otherwise. As her own energy slipped away, the monster slipped in. Soon she was totally emeshed in his evil, fully posessed, except for her eyes. True to his word, the horror was going to let her see the result of her effort. But she no longer had her mouth, and she needed to scream.

The white dot glowed so brilliantly that it could be tracked far out into the plain as it sped towards the target. Lina didn't know why, but she felt she had to look up as it passed. She saw the spike of energy which was about to destroy them, and despaired. Then a movement caught her eye and she turnesd to see what looked like a glowing star rush with fantastic speed, TOWARDS THE ENEMY! "What?" she said standing up. "Someone else is using magic too?" "So they are..." replied Amilia as she and Naga also stood.

Suddenly the resignation of death was replaced by hope in the breasts of the three women, and with that adrenaline suddenly coursed through their veins, releaseing the last dregs of their energy reserves. Amilia and Lina stepped between Naga and the enemy. They clasped each others shoulders and somehow energy flowed between them. Raising their free hands they chanted and once more raised a Balus wall. And just in time too. Lina had know the Balus wall was designed to protect against fire attacks. She thought of it in terms of heat and perhaps the blast wave of a Dragon Slave. Now she learned that it would protect against even the light if it got too bright. Because it did. Just as the magical shield came up it turned black. Lina had at most a half second to wonder about that when the glowing star touched the top of the spike, now easily a quarter mile into the sky. Sylphiel too had her vision grow dark as the unwelcome being made sure she would see everything that happened as many thousands of men suddenly passed into eternity. By her hand.

The star touched the spike. In one second it expanded from a star to a sphere many hundred feet across. All who saw it realised that without their shields they would have been blinded for life, as the sheer intensity of the light would have melted their eyes in their sockets. They realised too, that where the camp was, down on the plain below the glowing sphere, the temperature had to be so great that what ever was there was instantly vapourised. Indeed, as they would learn later, the rocks and sand had fused to glass. All this in one second, and of course, a shock wave without equal spread out from the blast in all directions.

The part of it that went down hit the earth, crushed and flattened anything not melted or vapourised already and bounced back. In another half second it had returned and crushed the bottom of the glowing ball of energy, bouncing it up into the air, where it rose like an evil thing into the heights, well passed even the two miles Lina had made with her Ray-Wing. As it did so it sucked debris and dust from the ground and in a matter of a few more seconds a hot, glowing cloud rose up to meet the sphere. Mercifully, after about five seconds the energy began to dissipate enough that things could cool. The bright cloud turned gold, then red, and finally black, and the whole effect was one of anger and death. The Balus wall cleared as the girls struggled to hold it, and their hearts quailed in fear as they beheld a mighty, and absolutely evil cloud rise up before them.

By now seven seconds had passed. The shockwave, coming in like a stampeding herd of, of, well, death perhaps, was now about two seconds away. Naga suddenly braced the two smaller women, and they all instinctively reached into their spirits to scream out a shout designed to bring their last reserves to the front, to strengthen the wall. Then it hit. It was like being slammed into a mountain at full speed, only more so. A vast moving wall of compressed air hit the sorceresses full on, knocking them back many feet, but miraculously, they stayed standing, while all around them the few trees, bushes, and even rocks, that had survived the Dragon Slave a few minutes ago were knocked over, up rooted, and tossed with deadly energy. Then, the shock wave was passed, leaving a partial vacume in it's wake. For half a second. Air rushed back in through rents and tears in the shock wave and a second, only slightly less powerful shock hit the women from behind shoving them forward again. It almost looked like they might fall off the cliff face, but luckily they stopped with a fair amount of room to spare. It was over. Except for the screams of terror, and the persistent, low, evil rumble of death from the plain where a vast mushroom shaped cloud now reached high into the air. The three friends turned and ran from the horror, gasping and panting for air. Soon of course, they had to slow down and walk but they could not look back, and they wished they could shut their ears against the rumble. Lina turned her head suddenly as they passed a rocky out crop.

"Sylphiel!" she called as she rushed to where the dark haired girl was lying face down on the ground. The other two joined her and soon had her sitting up, resting on the rock. Lina was amazed at how her eyes looked so, well, dead, but assumed she had been caught altogether by surprise by the explosion and had had no protection, except the rock wall, with which to shelter from the blast. "Sylphiel?" Lina asked. "Are you alright? Do you know who tossed that spell at the enemy? Was it you?" The taller girl just looked at Lina with her dead eyes, her face a horror of blankness.

"What was the spell?" asked Naga in wonder. "Can you see, Miss Sylphiel?" asked Amilia. Sylphiel finally responded by turning her eyes on Amilia and seeming to focus. "Not well" she whispered. "Oh gods and mazoku you are hurt!" said Lina. "I can't give you back the healing you gave me," said a concerned Naga, "but I can carry you away from here to some place more comfortable." It took a bit, but Sylphiel was finally loaded on Naga's back, and, with Lina and Amilia helping, they made slow but steady progress away from the cliff. After a bit they were out of the range of the total destruction of the shockwave, and they actually found a green space beside a stream to set down and rest. They drank water, thankful that it was there and cried for joy when a bird began to sing again, after so much fear and death, life again.

Sylphiel had settled into a restless sleep, as if she suffered an agony of the soul. The others, exhausted, also slept. In the middle of the night Naga awoke, startled by a sound. She got up and her motion awoke Lina who was finding herself tuning in to her old friend again. It was almost like old times in fact. "What's up?" she asked, worried that in their sleep an enemy had found them. "Shh, it's okay." relied Naga quietly. She dissappeared into the night, only to return a half a minute later, leading the horses! "The poor things, it is in their nature to flee from terror, they couldn't help themselves. But look, they came back to us! And they have their packs and saddles! We will live my dears! Ha, ha, ha, oh yes, we will live!" Amilia was awake now too and the girls praised and petted the horses, then quickly staked them out and removed their packs. It took a bit in the dark, but soon enough firewood was found, lit, and a late supper was cooked under the stars and the girls began to cheer up again after the death of a few hours ago. Even Sylphiel was persuaded to take some tea and seemed a bit more at ease afterwards as she settled back to sleep. Tucked under blankets, and with the horses to stand watch, the four women settled in and slept like there was no tommorrow.