Chapter 16: Reality Strike
The rattling engine of the Diol's old truck made conversation almost impossible. With another gut-wrenching pop, black smoke began to pour out from under the hood. Gracia, however, didn't notice. She was much too busy watching the asphalt road pass beneath her feet, due to the fact that rust had eaten a rather large hole in the corroded metal floorboard of the car. Grimacing, she leaned over towards Luna and shouted into her ear. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
Luna shrugged, keeping her iron grip on the dashboard as the car hit another bump and jumped once more. "Well, I don't have a car, and Diol offered," she shouted back. "Just hang on, we'll be at the police station soon," she added.
After witnessing the unusual conversation Luna held with Lina, the old caretaker Diol had volunteered to help the girls out in their own quest. Though he knew very little about the book, his offer to drive them to their next destination was one that Luna couldn't refuse. And so, they currently found themselves on the way to the police station to try and unearth more of the mystery surrounding the Einberg family deaths.
Luna leaned over, poking Gracia in the stomach with her elbow. "Something's bothering me," she said loudly. "I've been following the story, and I've gathered that the Priestess of Dark Star came to the world after the Priestess of Vorfeed."
"But you didn't find any other reports of a murder while you were looking," Gracia pointed out.
The car shuddered to a stop, and both girls rubbed their ears with relief. "Here we are," Diol coughed, pulling in front of the station. "So what are you girls planning to do here?" he asked them.
"I was getting to that," Luna said curtly. "If there's been another girl who got sucked into this book, we have to find out what happened to her, too. I didn't find any reports about young girls in the area being murdered in the last twenty years. Still, whoever the second Priestess was, she had to have gotten access to this book somehow. Maybe there'll be something in the crime reports around Garia and Laia's deaths."
"Eh, missy," began Diol uncertainly. "It's a good theory, but how're you goin' to get the police to just cough up a report like that, lickity-split?"
Luna scowled, and Diol drew away from her nervously. "I haven't found a solution to that problem yet," she admitted reluctantly.
Gracia's howling laugh made both Luna and the old man wince. Turning, they saw that she had already stepped out of the car, slamming the door behind her. "Let Naga the Great handle this," she said, narrowing her eyes confidently. "I'm known for my charm and good looks. Getting that report will be a piece of cake," she added, sauntering towards the entrance of the building with her head held high.
Luna groaned. "Keep the engine running, Diol," she warned.
True to form, moments later Gracia came running out of the building with a panicked expression, waving her arms wildly. "Go! Get moving!" she screamed as she vaulted into the back of the pickup truck. A loud groan was heard as she crashed into the various rakes and other yard keeping tools stored there.
Luna grit her teeth. "Do I really want to know?" she mumbled as Diol pulled out of the station with screeching tires. She sweatdropped as she saw a few of the uniformed police officers spill out onto the street behind them, waving their fists and shouting at the back of the truck towards Gracia's upturned legs. With a long-suffering sigh, she slid the tiny window behind her open and called out through the opening. "Naga. What sort of idiocy did you manage to create this time?"
The other girl sat up slowly, picking the leaves and dirt out of her hair as she glared at Luna. "For your information, my 'idiocy' managed to get you a copy of the crime report," she huffed with an insulted look. "See?" She held up the manila folder, sealed with a rubber band and labeled "PRIVATE – FOR OFFICE DISTRIBUTION ONLY" in large red letters across the front.
Luna grimaced. "You know, that's probably a felony," she said to the other girl dryly as she reached through the window and grabbed the report.
Gracia shrugged. "I don't care. I want my sister back," she said, crossing her arms. They hit another bump in the road and Gracia fell over once more, tumbling to the edge of the truck. "Ouch… could we stop soon?" came her muffled cry as Luna rolled her eyes and snapped the window shut.
"So what's it say?" Diol asked her gruffly as he turned off of the main road and slowed the rattling truck down to a reasonable speed.
Luna had already opened the folder and was scanning through its contents quickly. "Nothing we don't already know…" Coming across a few photos, she grimaced and quickly passed them over. "Or want to know," she added. Then she stopped and ran her finger over a section of the typewritten report once more. "Wait a moment. Here's something. List of possessions. I think the book is mentioned," she added. "It says it was taken by a colleague of his, a professor at the University. One Charles Thomson," she noted. "Well, that explains how it got back into the University Special Collections," she mused. "Thomson… I think one of the lecture halls is named after him," she added, tapping her chin thoughtfully.
Diol raised one bushy white eyebrow at the girl sitting next to him. "So where to next?" he asked her. "My house," Luna said without hesitation, pointing him towards another road. "I need access to the University database." There was another thump and muffled cry from behind them as Diol shifted gears, and Luna felt her eyebrow twitch slightly. "And Naga's going to need a shower," she added.
- x – x – x -
"So have you figured anything out yet?" Gracia emerged from Luna's bathroom, dressed in her skimpy clothes and toweling her long hair dry.
"No, Naga," Luna snapped from her seat in front of the computer. "How to Keep Siblings from Becoming Sacrifices to Mythological Beast Gods 101 wasn't on my curriculum this semester."
"Well you don't have to be so defensive about it," Naga huffed.
"Quiet down over there, I'm tryin' to read!" Diol called out from the couch in annoyance. He returned to scanning the pages of the book with a few impolite utterances under his breath about the younger generations.
"Hey, watch it old man!" Gracia replied angrily. "That's not some 5-penny romance novel you're reading!" The old man ignored her, and she rolled her eyes and focused her attention on Luna once more. "Well, what have you managed to find?"
"Thomson, Charles A." the other girl read. "Professor of Chemistry. Alumni, regular contributor to the University. Ah-hah, so that's where he got all his money from," she added, clicking the mouse a few times. "Charles Thomson, as in Thomson & Thomson Industries." Luna smirked, highlighting a small section of the page and pointing to it. "Married, one daughter. Died twenty-three years ago. It's the daughter who returned the book to the Special Collections branch of the library. On her eighteenth birthday," she added. She leaned forward in the chair, her lip curling into a smile. "She's still alive! Leila Thomson, married, retired from the University's Board of Administrators three years ago." She opened a new window on the computer and typed rapidly into it, pulling up an address. "Naga, this is it!" she exclaimed.
"What is it?" asked Gracia, scratching her head.
Luna stood up and grabbed the towel from Gracia's hands, then snapped the other girl painfully with it. "Leila Thomson must be the Priestess of Dark Star. And she's still alive!"
This caught Gracia's attention immediately, and she ran to the couch and grabbed Diol by the ear. "Get up, we need your car!" she yelled at him.
"But it was just getting good," the old man grumbled as he shuffled to his feet. "That Zelgadis feller and Eris were about to get some lovin'," he said wistfully.
This caused both girls to facefault. "WHAT?" they cried out in unison.
"I'm going to kill him," said Luna in a deadly voice, snatching the book away as a dark aura of flames burst around her head.
"I thought you were going to kill him anyway," Gracia pointed out helpfully as Luna paged through the book with a vicious expression.
"No one messes with my little sister except me," she growled.
"No wonder Lina's scared of you," Gracia mumbled as she pulled both Diol and Luna out through the front door.
- x – x – x -
"No!" Valgarv glared at Lina and Xellos, slamming his hands on the table.
"Listen, this is the only way," Lina argued, returning the angry young man's stare. "Zelgadis doesn't know where to find this temple. Neither do you or me, for that matter. And it's not exactly like I can opt out of this little journey, you know!"
"I'm afraid Lina is correct, Valgarv. Someone has to wait for Zelgadis, you are our only option," Xellos told him with a smile.
Valgarv growled and sat back, narrowing his eyes at them. "You two just don't want to deal with the innkeeper when he sees that room," he mumbled.
Both Lina and Xellos sweatdropped and remained suspiciously silent.
The bandit closed his eyes as a vein popped up on his forehead. "Fine, fine. Hurry up and get the last artifact. You better hope you get back here before Zelgadis does, or he's a dead man," he said.
Lina grinned and grabbed Xellos' arm. "Thanks a lot, Val! I owe you one," she told him.
"More than one!" he shouted after her as she dragged Xellos out into the night.
- x – x – x -
"Desert, desert, and more desert," Lina moaned as they rode on towards their goal. She pulled her cloak more tightly around herself and shivered. "Who knew the desert would be so freakin' cold?" she exclaimed, her teeth chattering.
"My dear Lina, if you wish, I could always warm you up!" Xellos offered, spreading his arms wide. Perhaps out of politeness, or perhaps just to annoy her, Xellos had chosen to ride behind her rather take his own horse, or even float through the air as he usually preferred.
"Get real, pervert!" Lina grumbled irately. "Why can't you just teleport us there anyway?"
Xellos sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I could try to get us there a little faster, but I really can only teleport safely to places I've actually seen," he told her. "Besides, it takes quite a lot of energy."
Lina groaned and squinted, trying to make out more of the landscape that stretched endlessly towards the horizon. "This isn't getting us anywhere except lost, though! Think about it. Rezo might have been put out of commission by Zelgadis, but he still sent Phibrizo after us. What about the others? Eris and Martina? I bet they haven't been sitting around either, you know," she said.
Xellos hummed to himself thoughtfully. "You do have a good point, Lina. Perhaps expediting our journey would be a worthwhile effort after all. So, do you have everything you need?"
Lina half turned in the saddle and stared back at him. "What kind of a question is that?" she asked in exasperation.
"Yes, it looks like it," he noted, giving her what might have been a quick glance, if he had bothered to open his eyes.
"Hey, what—ARG!" Lina didn't manage to get any more questions out, because Xellos grabbed her and pitched her off of the horse unexpectedly. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" she screamed as they hit the desert sand, rolling about a few times.
"Why Lina!" Xellos said, standing up and dusting himself off while putting on a face of mock indignation. "You're the one who wanted to get there faster."
She stood up and slammed a fist over Xellos' head, then looked around. "It still looks like miles of nothing but desert to me, you jerk. Except now we lost the horse!"
Xellos stood up once more, rubbing his head. "Lina, you wound me! Why do you always underestimate my abilities?" he said, leaning on his staff.
"Not your abilities, just your intentions," she said, shaking some sand out of her hair. "Why not just say 'Hey, Lina, I'm going to teleport us now. Maybe you should get ready?' Why do you have to DO things like throw me off the horse, huh? And where did you bring us?"
Xellos shrugged lightly. "I can teleport us to places I can see, and I can see as far as you can," he said, counting off the facts on his fingers. "I can also feel the power from the temple. So, I looked in that direction and took us there. Simple, isn't it?" he said with a grin.
"It would be simpler if you could've told me first," she grumbled. "Well, just don't do that again. So what's nex—ARG!" Before she knew it, Lina found herself falling face-first into the desert once more.
"I'm going to teleport us now, maybe you should get ready!"
Lina lifted her face out of the sand and glared at the smiling magician above her once more. "BEFORE WE TELEPORT!" she screamed at him.
Xellos rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Strange, but if you insist," he told her. Then, hoisting her up, he yelled into her ear. "BEFORE WE TELEPORT!"
"XELLOS!"
- x – x – x -
By the time the two reached the temple, Lina was sorely regretting her decision to speed up their pace. "If the Warriors of Shabranigdu aren't here already, the can track us by the skid marks!" she hissed at Xellos when the finally arrived at the great stone structure. They both peeked around the cluster of rock he had deposited them behind and regarded the majestic temple before them.
Xellos paid her no attention, the smile dropping from his face as he studied the building intently. "There's no doubt about it, the last artifact is here," he told her.
"Great, so let's go in and get it!" Lina said. Xellos' staff shot out and prevented her from moving towards the building. "What is it?" she asked him.
"The artifact is protected by a guardian, just as the other was," he noted.
"And I'll beat this guardian just like I did the others," Lina answered, starting forward once again. Xellos pulled her back to his side with an unusually strong jerk.
"It's not quite that simple, Lina. That's not the only thing inside this temple."
Lina bit her lip. "Warriors of Shabranigdu?"
Xellos nodded slightly. "More than one," he noted suspiciously. "It's too dangerous to go in alone," he told her.
Lina quirked an eyebrow at the unusually serious magician. "When did you get so spineless? This might be our only chance!"
Xellos frowned at Lina disapprovingly. "Why Lina, I'm not spineless! Quite the contrary, I would prefer that my spine remain right where it is. That is why we shouldn't try to enter this building," he said.
Lina sighed. "Fine, fine. Why don't you go back and pick up Valgarv? Maybe Zelgadis has returned by now," she said.
"It would be highly irresponsible of me to leave you here by yourself," Xellos answered her promptly.
"Your point?" she asked him dryly. "Listen, have you got a better idea? You said we need back-up. So, get back-up! What, do you think I'm going to charge in there all by myself?" she asked him incredulously.
"Well, knowing your tendencies…" Xellos began. Lina knocked him over the head before he could start listing facts on his fingers.
"Just hurry up. You've seen the inn, you've seen the temple, so it should be a cinch, right? The longer you wait, the more chance Rezo has to get his hands on the second artifact. Get a move on!" She crossed her arms and glared at Xellos expectantly.
"I can see we're running out of options," Xellos said. "Very well. Do try to stay out of trouble. This should only take a few moments." With a swish of his staff, he was gone.
Lina let her mouth turn downwards into a worried frown. "I hope Zelgadis is okay," she murmured. Turning around, she peered at the massive building once more, uncrossing her fingers. "Sorry, Xellos, but I listen to other peoples' suggestions about as much as you do," she noted, unhitching the hilt of Gourry's sword from her belt. "I'm coming for you, Amelia, and I'm going to make sure no one else dies this time." With that, she moved out towards the ornate temple doors.
- x – x – x -
Chains rattled, and a dry cough sounded. "Why…" whispered the figure softly as he struggled to his feet.
Martina covered her mouth with one hand and belted out loud laughter. "Do you really have to ask that?" she said amusedly. Stretching her hand out towards the man, she let another curse fall, watching the destructive magic wrap around him like gossamer threads of spider's web. Slowly, they seeped into his skin, wracking his body with another shudder of pain. "Well, now you've got rheumatism, bronchitis, bad blood circulation, athlete's foot and hangnails. How much more do you think you can take?" she asked him tartly.
The man only shuddered and coughed once more.
"Miss Martina, are you sure this is the only way to get the artifact?" came Amelia's uncertain question as she watched the man, her eyes filled with pity. She sucked in her breath as he raised his head and stared at her with a look of sadness. "He doesn't seem that dangerous, maybe you could ease up on him a little?" she pleaded with the impatient woman next to her.
"You must be joking. Rezo would cut off my fingers if he knew I was 'going easy' on this guy." She cracked her knuckles loudly. "Besides, I'm not killing him, am I? That should be enough."
"That doesn't make torturing him any better!" Amelia burst out. "It just goes against the principals of justice and righteousness! You're not supposed to torture other people!"
Martina rolled her eyes and waved her hand at the man again. "Now you have cold sores and no lip balm!" she said carelessly, then turned back towards Amelia. "Listen, little Miss Naïve, do you want to get your hands on this artifact or not? You saw what happened to Rezo. That's your fault, you know. Do you want me to tell him you've lost your nerve now?" She smirked as the younger girl quieted down in shame. "I didn't think so. So just shut up and let me do my work. I know I can break him. No one can withstand the force of Martina Zoana Mel Navratilova's curses!" She began to laugh again, and Amelia winced.
Geez, she sounds like my sister, Amelia thought to herself. "Umm, listen Miss Martina. Why don't you let me try? It can't hurt, can it?"
Martina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Fine, if you insist. You'll only find out that I'm right," she said confidently, stepping away from the man.
Amelia gave a sigh of relief and approached the prisoner carefully, kneeling by his side. "I'm so sorry about all of this," she whispered to him regretfully. "I wish I could make it stop," she told him.
"You can make it stop," the man told her, holding her own gaze with his dark blue eyes. "You've been hurt. I can see it in your eyes. But you also have the strength to overcome your pain. We all carry our own burdens, but it's our duty to move on and not dwell in our sorrows."
Amelia frowned at him, her pity dropping away with his lecture. "What do you know?" she said to him angrily. "You're hardly older than me anyway!"
The man coughed and shook his sandy hair away from his youthful face. "I'm older than you think. And if you truly want to become the Priestess of Shabranigdu, then you should start acting like one."
Amelia stood up abruptly and stepped away from him. "How do you know that? I am the Priestess of Shabranigdu!" She drew the rough stone from her pocket and shoved it out towards him, clenching it tightly. "How do you think I got this?"
The young man smiled and shook his head sadly. "You didn't earn that artifact yourself." He regarded her with a serious gaze once more, and with a cold shiver, Amelia realized that he was the one who was looking at her with pity. "If you had tried to win that artifact personally as you are now, you would have failed."
Amelia stepped away from him quickly, her face clouding with anger. "You don't know anything!" she yelled at him, wishing he would stop looking at her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and spun around quickly.
"I told you so," Martina said crisply, pushing Amelia back. "Don't be fooled by appearances, Amelia. This man is more than he seems."
The prisoner laughed, another wracking cough coming from his throat. "You should listen to your guardian," he rasped.
Amelia glared at both of them, and then addressed Martina. "We have to get the last artifact before Lina does."
Martina smiled slightly, raising a fine eyebrow. "So you've finally come around?" she said mockingly.
Amelia frowned. "I think what you're doing is disgusting!" she answered hotly. "But if there's no other way, then do it. Don't expect me to be happy about it, though!" She stomped out of the chamber angrily, slamming the door behind her.
"Sensitive little girl, isn't she?" Martina mused, before turning her attention back to the young man with a cruel smirk. "Now, where were we?"
- x – x – x -
Lina snuck through the silent, dusty halls of the temple. For all intents and purposes, it looked as though the building had been abandoned for quite some time. Still, she remained cautious, keeping to the shadows and holding the sword at the ready. "Ugh," she whispered to herself as she made her way up yet another set of stairs in the maze-like temple. "How am I supposed to find anything in here?" she mumbled. Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and Lina quickly pressed herself against a wall, holding her breath. The footsteps came closer, slowed and gradually stopped. Lina's heart did its best to identify, and she gripped the sword tightly and held her breath.
"Your fear is almost tangible, Priestess. Come out."
Lina groaned inwardly. Just about the last voice in the entire world I wanted to hear right now, she thought to herself. She gripped the hilt tightly, and then swung around the corner with a cry, the sword blazing to life in her hands once more. To her shock, the magic blade bounced harmlessly and flew out of her hands, spinning her off balance.
"That is certainly no way to greet an old acquaintance," Rezo said with a slight smile, lowering his staff.
Lina regained her composure and whirled around to face Rezo. She eyed the hilt on the floor and made a dive for it, but he made a quick motion and the handle of the blade skittered away from her desperate grab.
"This is hardly a fitting toy for a young lady like yourself," Rezo chided her, looking at the hilt with bored interest. "I do thank you for bringing me such an elegant gift. Rest assured, I will take good care of it." He smirked as Lina clenched her fists.
"You're like an infected wound, you just spread your poison everywhere!" she answered, her temper flaring. "I know about Amelia. You lied to her! How could you do that to her? She's your own priestess!"
Rezo frowned slightly. "Phibrizo was overconfident once again, I see. No matter, that knowledge won't help you now." With a flick of his wrist, Lina was trapped in the lightning binds, grimacing in pain.
"You bastard," she grit out. "I'm going to make you pay for this!"
"Your foul vocabulary is unsuited for a lady. I know just the person to assist you with that problem." Rezo tilted his head towards the shadows slightly, and a moment later a small figure stumbled out of them.
"Why did you call me here, Rezo?" snarled Phibrizo. He noticed Lina and his angry scowl turned into a sneer. "You really are an imbecile, aren't you?" he said to her.
Lina felt her own scowl forming, and answered quickly. "I'm not the one who looks like the mummy-man!" she told him, referring to the many bandages that were wrapped around Phibrizo's swollen, reddened skin. "Looks like you got to meet the business end of Vessegace," she smirked as the boy's expression grew dark.
"What do you want with me? Just kill her already!" Phibrizo growled, noting Rezo's amusement.
"Oh, but she is much more useful to us alive. If the Priestess of Cephied is here, the Warriors of Cephied won't be far behind." Rezo pointed at Lina. "Take her voice."
"What?" Lina shouted, fighting against the bonds holding her in place.
Phibrizo just smiled and nodded. "I see," he said, holding out his hand. A golden marble appeared and began to pulse softly. "Quite clever indeed," he smirked as dark mist encircled Lina.
"Stop it, you little fr…!" Lina tried to finish her sentence, but no sound came out. She opened and closed her mouth a few times in indignation.
Phibrizo laughed at her, throwing the marble up into the air, where it began to circle lazily around his head. "You were saying?" he said, his voice a perfect facsimile of Lina's own.
Rezo nodded slightly. "Prepare for the arrival of the others," he commanded. He gave a small grin to the now-silent Lina. "I will deal with our guest personally." With a wave of his hand, he and Lina faded from view.
- x – x – x -
Lina blinked and looked around slowly, rubbing her head. Boy, if I thought Xellos' teleportation stunts were painful, Rezo's take the cake, she thought sourly. She gasped suddenly and clutched at her throat. To her chagrin, she couldn't make a sound. Not just her voice was gone, no groan, gurgle, inarticulate murmur or scream would come forth.
"Please calm down," came a soft voice behind her.
Lina whirled around, her eyes wide and her fists ready. She lowered them slightly when she saw the man who addressed her was chained to the wall, much like herself.
"Yes, I am a prisoner of these people as well," he said with an understanding nod. He let out a dry cough, and shook his head as she struggled to move over to him. "Please, I am fine. You may call me Karel, guardian of this temple." He frowned as she gave him a disbelieving smirk. "No, I am, really," he said as she blew out through her nostrils loudly. "Just as you are the Priestess of Cephied," he added.
Lina eyed Karel curiously. She lifted an eyebrow at him and did her best impression of Gourry.
"Ah… well you see, I can sense your life force," he said, resting his head against the wall tiredly. "I, too, am a Warrior. I serve the beast god Dark Star," he explained.
Lina crashed to the floor.
"Miss? Is something wrong?" Karel asked her worriedly.
Lina sat up slowly and pointed at Karel. Seeing his confused look, she rattled her chains. When he still didn't understand, she rolled her eyes and reached over and pinched him forcefully.
"OUCH! No, I'm not a ghost!" he yelled at her, batting her hand away and rubbing his sore arm. "The magic in this temple prevents my body from aging, so I might fulfill my final duty to my Priestess," he said.
Lina's eyes brightened and she gave Karel a hopeful but wary gaze. To her great relief, he seemed to understand and nodded at her comfortingly.
"No, they haven't managed to find the artifact yet. They can torture me, but I will protect my Lady's treasure with my life," he said determinedly.
Lina sat back, understanding dawning at the vehemence of his words. She suddenly wished her voice was back, wishing she could ask Karel about the priestess that he so obviously still loved.
Karel noticed her scrutiny, and gave her a knowing smile. "I see you also have fallen in love," he noted sadly. "Your journey will be very difficult." Seeing the panic in her eyes, he shook his head at her slightly. "No… I'm sorry, but there is no way for the Priestess to remain in this illusory world." He smiled as he noticed Lina's startled expression. "Yes, I know of the book. My Priestess loved me too much to keep it from me," he added. "I couldn't come to her world, either, knowing that I wouldn't really exist there. A Priestess and her Guardian can never be together after the Summoning." He saw Lina's face fall, and gave her a comforting smile. "But you have to decide for yourself whether or not it is worthwhile to love an illusion." He leaned his head back against the wall and looked at the ceiling wistfully. "As for myself, I can tell you that I have no regrets," he added with a small smile. "Even now."
Lina sat back, confused. He seems so happy. She must have loved him back, I know it. So why didn't he go back with her? Couldn't they have found a way? The sound of a key turning in the lock stilled her thoughts and raised her guard. Her eyes widened as Amelia slipped into the room, closing the door behind her.
"I heard you were here," Amelia said after a moment of silence. "Rezo told me."
Lina sprang forward, jerking against the chains at the mention of the red sage's name. She hopped angrily in impotent fury, her mouth opening and closing rapidly.
Amelia giggled despite herself. "You really do look ridiculous, Lina. It's too bad our teachers can't be here, they'd probably pay to see you like this."
Lina glared at her friend, crossing her arms with an inaudible huff. Her expression softened as she peered at Amelia from the corner of her eye. This is almost like before… when we were still friends. It feels like a lifetime ago, she thought sadly. To her surprise, Amelia also looked sad.
"Lina… I-I don't know what to say. You really hurt me," she stuttered, finally meeting Lina's own gaze. "I thought you forgot about me. I was so angry… I just wanted to hurt you." She shuffled her feet nervously. "But now everything is going out of control. I can't stop it anymore. I don't know how!" She sniffled and wiped at her eyes.
Lina looked at Amelia helplessly, her arms hanging limply by her side. There's so much I want to say, she thought desperately. I didn't forget about you! Idiot… you're my best friend! My only friend, she thought. With surprise, she noticed that her own eyes were watering, and angrily blinked her tears away.
"Can't you see that your friend still cares about you?" interrupted Karel gently, motioning towards Lina. "She might have lost her voice, but the heart will always speak louder than words."
Amelia looked surprised. "Really?" She approached Lina carefully. "Is it true? You don't hate me? Not even after all the things I've done to you?"
Lina's eyebrow twitched, and quickly, she reached over and knocked Amelia over the head.
"OWW! What was that for?" cried Amelia as she bowled over, holding her head. She looked up and saw Lina staring furiously at her. The redhead jabbed an angry finger at Amelia. Then she pointed her thumb at herself. Finally she clasped both of her hands and squeezed them together tightly.
Amelia stared back, her blue eyes wide. "You really mean it?" she said cautiously.
Lina rolled her eyes and threw her arms up into the air. Then she leaned over and grabbed Amelia's own hand, holding it up between them and squeezing it. Her gaze locked onto Amelia's own, and she tightened her grip. Mom's gone, dad's never home, and Luna… she's more like a drill sergeant than a sister. You're been my family for years. Can't you understand that yet? she thought, wishing desperately for her voice once more. She almost collapsed in relief when Amelia hesitantly returned the squeeze, her blue eyes warming.
"I shouldn't have doubted you, Lina," the younger girl answered, tears spilling from her watery eyes. She threw herself at Lina, hugging the redhead tightly, and after an awkward moment, Lina hugged her back gently. "I know," Amelia sniffled, finally letting the other girl go. "Stop being a crybaby. I can't help it," she added, drying her eyes.
Lina shrugged slightly, smiling warmly at Amelia. A worried look crossed her face, and she thumbed over her shoulder at Karel, who had watched the whole exchange quietly.
"Oh… oh right! Well…" Amelia drew a set of keys from her pocket and carefully began to work at the manacles around Lina's arms. When she was finished, she moved to Karel and carefully undid his chains. "I'm so sorry about this, Mr. Karel. I wish I could have stopped Martina sooner," she mumbled.
"Let us just leave this place," he said, rising to his feet unsteadily. Lina was at his side instantly, propping his weak frame up over her shoulders. She gestured at Amelia worriedly.
"A way out? I don't know, Lina… we can try, but everyone's here," she said nervously. "And Rezo just sort of appears out of nowhere."
Lina stomped her foot and began dragging Karel to the door.
"Wait! Lina, there's one other thing!" Amelia called after her. As Lina turned, Amelia drew the small stone out of her pocket once more. "I still have this," she said quietly.
The artifact stone! Lina thought, her eyes widening in recognition. That means there's still a chance to summon Cephied! But my voice… She gnashed her teeth in frustration.
Amelia seemed to understand, and grabbed Karel's arm. "Listen… maybe I should go ahead and summon Shabranigdu," she said. "One of us has to do it, and you don't have your voice right now. But if Mr. Karel gives me the last artifact, then I can wish us back home!" she said.
Lina stiffened. Zelgadis, she thought, feeling a familiar ache in her heart.
Karel noticed her hesitation and smiled at Lina sadly. "A Priestess and her Guardian can never be together," he said softly.
Amelia fidgeted nervously, avoiding Lina's gaze. "I'm sorry, Lina, but if I summon Shabranigdu, I won't have enough wishes to bring Zelgadis with us. I'd wish for peace in Elmekia, peace in Sairoon and for us to come home. That's all I can do," she said quietly.
Lina closed her eyes, and then gave Amelia a weak smile. This has to end, she thought sadly. People have to stop dying. She looked at Karel and gave him a determined nod.
Karel sighed and sank to the ground. "You are sure?" he said, looking at Lina uncertainly. When she gave him a vigorous nod, he sighed slightly and carefully removed a small chain around his neck.
"What's that?" Amelia asked, looking on curiously.
"It's the object I've used to seal away the artifact," he said quietly, breaking the pendant off of the chain and dropping it onto the floor.
"It looks like a seed," Amelia noted dubiously.
"That's because it is," Karel smiled back, moving his hand lightly over the tiny seed. There was a faint green glow, and the seed twisted and cracked open, growing into a beautiful rose.
Both of the girls gasped, their eyes locked on the tiny, delicate flower.
"I-is that it?" Amelia murmured in awe.
Karel opened his eyes and regarded the flower. A small sweatdrop formed on his head. "I guess I got a little distracted," he said sheepishly. Closing his eyes once more, he concentrated and the small flower grew bigger. And bigger. And bigger. When it was the roughly the size of a large purse, Amelia interrupted him.
"What is this thing anyway?" she said incredulously. Lina stared at the monstrous rose nervously.
Karel finally opened his eyes and smiled, seeing it. "That's better," he said with relief, waving his hand at the rose. One by one, the petals fell off, until finally their secret was revealed.
"A golden ping-pong racquet?" Amelia said in disbelief. Lina could only nod in mute agreement, a sweatdrop forming on her head.
"My Lady did always enjoy more refined pastimes," Karel said, looking at the racquet fondly. "Please, take it. It's yours now," he told them.
With a large sweatdrop, Amelia picked up the racquet and carefully pocketed the stone once more. She nodded at Lina as the redhead gestured towards the door and began to stand up. "Yes, let's get moving," she said, opening the door and peering around the hallway cautiously.
There was a moan, and she turned around to see a worried Lina supporting Karel as a pale sheen of sweat formed across the man's forehead.
"S-sorry," he mumbled, stumbling backwards once more as Lina caught him. "Using my magic… weakened me…" he added. "My life will end soon. You should go."
Lina narrowed her eyes and shook her head vigorously.
"It's okay, Lina!" Amelia said suddenly. "I'll bring him some water, maybe that will help," she added, backing towards the door.
Lina only nodded distractedly, observing Karel's rapidly encroaching weakness with concern. Her head swung around when the door clicked shut, the key turning in the lock once more. Amelia? Dread filled her as she heard the patter of footsteps running away from the room.
Karel sighed heavily. "I feared as much. Her mind is still clouded, and her heart confused." He didn't flinch away from Lina's angry glare. "You must forgive her," he said. "She's in great danger right now. More than us," he added, even as she gestured towards the door angrily. "Bring me closer… I will free us."
Nodding compliantly, Lina half-dragged Karel towards the door. He held his hand out towards it, and with a pop, writhing vines sprung out from the mold surrounding the door's frame. Lina watched in amazement as the vines solidified into thick, powerful tentacles that pulled at the entire stonework surrounding the door's frame. There was a crack and a shudder, and then the entire wall was torn away. The door fell with a loud crash into the hallway. Well that's one way to open it, she thought as she felt Karel collapse into her once more. We better move before the fantastic four come to check out this mess, she grumbled mentally, dragging him out into the hallway.
- x – x – x -
"This is it?" Gracia peered out through the dirty window shield of Diol's truck with trepidation. "They'll never let us in here!"
Luna clenched her fist. "We drove all the way out here, we're not going to give up now," she said.
The two girls let out a simultaneous sigh as they regarded the huge, bronzed gates before them. The mansion beyond the gates was equally stunning, surrounded by carefully manicured lawns and a huge, ornate fountain.
"Thomson & Thomson, huh?" Gracia gulped as Diol leaned out of the window and pushed the buzzer by the gate. The intercom crackled to life, and everyone leaned forward eagerly.
"Yes? May I help you?" The voice over the intercom sounded young, female, and slightly irritated.
"Well, now, see here, these two young lady friends o' mine…" began Diol.
"Shut up!" Luna said, lunging over him. "Sorry, don't listen to him. My name's Luna Inverse, and I'm working on a research paper concerning Thomson & Thomson Industries. I was wondering if we might have a moment of your time?" she said in a polite and professional voice.
"Wow," mumbled Gracia, staring at Luna with respect. "You'd make a fortune in Vegas with a poker face like that," she added.
The intercom crackled to life once more. "I'm sorry, but it's a little late to be giving interviews right now. And we don't appreciate house calls. I'm going to have to ask you to leav—what?" There was some indistinguishable garble, and everyone in the truck held their breath. Finally, the voice from the intercom spoke out once more. "Fine, fine, come in." There was a loud buzz, and the huge gates slowly swung inwards.
"She bought it?" Gracia said. "Hmpf, maybe I should consider going to college too," she mused. "It really does get you places."
"Wrong, it gets me places. You'd probably just tag along like toilet paper stuck to the bottom of my shoes," Luna corrected none-too-gently.
"Now now, you girls don't want to be havin' a catfight. Leastwise not without a mud pit and a camera around," Diol told them with a grumpy look. He felt a sweatdrop forming as both of the girls regarded him with deadly stares. "Err, let's get a move on," he said, abruptly shifting gears and flooring the accelerator.
- x – x – x -
The young girl who opened the door to the palace-like mansion had a shock of blue hair and an annoyed expression on her face. "I'm Sarina, and you're full of crap," she said in greeting as Diol, Luna and Gracia approached the door.
"Well, that was direct," Luna said, putting her hands on her hips. "So why'd you let us in?"
"My Grandma told me to do it. She's a little loopy sometimes, but she's been feeling sick lately and it's best to humor her." She scowled again deeply as she took in the sight of the unlikely group. "But I swear, if you do something stupid while you're here, I'll have my lawyers all over you faster than you can say litigation," she warned.
"Litiwha—" Gracia started, but was quickly silenced by Luna's swift stomp on her foot. "OWW! Luna, these are open-toed sandals!" she whined.
Luna ignored the chesty girl and nodded at Sarina curtly. "It's a fair trade. Just remember, if those two do something stupid, sue them, not me." The two girls glared at each other for a moment, and then with a slight nod, Sarina stepped away from the door and allowed them to enter.
"Your grandma is Leila Thomson?" Luna said as they stepped into the hallway.
"Yeah, guess she's sort of famous," Sarina said as she led them up the circular stairway. "But why do you want to see her? And why on earth does she want to see you?"
"You probably don't want to know," Luna said as Sarina led them to a door.
The blue-haired girl opened the door carefully and looked into the room. "Grandma," she said quietly. "They're here."
"Good… bring them in," came a quavering voice. As Luna, Gracia and Diol stepped into the room, their faces fell. Lying on the bed was the woman known as Leila Thomson. Her hair was white, her face lined with age and her breathing labored. It looked like she was fading in and out of sleep and barely coherent.
"Luna…" Gracia whispered nervously.
"I know," Luna answered, grabbing the book out of Gracia's hands. She approached the bed carefully, under the watchful eyes of Sarina. "Ma'am," Luna began, holding the book out. "I have something of yours… and it has something of mine."
"Is that The Universe of the Four Gods?" Sarina cut in, looking at the tattered book curiously. "Grandma was always harping on about that thing…"
The old woman spoke up with surprising clarity from the bed. "Don't you take that thing near my granddaughter!" she said sharply.
Luna glanced down at the old woman in surprise. "Don't worry. That's part of our problem…" She gestured towards Gracia, who joined Luna at the bedside. "There's already two Priestesses. Both of our sisters…"
The old woman cracked her eyes open and looked at the two girls curiously. "So…" she wheezed. "That's why it felt so strange. Oh, you poor things… I'm so sorry," she mumbled absently. Luna wasn't even sure if Leila was referring to her, the girls in the book or a figment of her imagination.
"How did you get out of the book?" Gracia bit her lip as the question popped out. "I mean, how come you didn't… the other girl… how can we stop…"
The old woman coughed and shook her head. "You can't stop it," she muttered. "They both have to fill their roles."
"They have to summon those things? What will happen to them afterwards?" Luna said, her lip turning down with worry.
"If she is strong… she'll return to this world and live," Leila breathed softly. "If she is weak, the beast will consume her."
"So it's just a matter of willpower then?" Luna said with a note of relief.
Leila sighed wistfully. "You might be surprised at the strength knowing that you are loved can provide."
Luna frowned. "Acting like a love-blinded fool with a fictitious character will give Lina strength? I hardly think so," she grumbled. "And how do you know all of this anyway?"
"The book… and the Priestesses, they become one. I can feel him even now," Leila mumbled faintly.
"What? Feel who?" Luna asked, confused. She was shoved out of the way by Gracia, who knelt by the old woman's bed with a look of panic on her face.
"Consumed?" Gracia whimpered. "Amelia will be consumed?"
Leila sighed painfully, settling her head back into the pillows. "I can't wait any longer… I'm sorry, my dears."
Sarina regarded her grandmother worriedly. "Grandma? What are you talking about? Are these people bothering you? Grandma?" She let out a gasp as Leila's labored breathing came to a halt. Her eyes clouding over, Sarina's gaze settled onto the three visitors. "I think it's time for you to leave."
"But our questions-" Gracia began worriedly, still gazing at the old woman with a mixture of panic and horror.
"The girly's right, we should be let the dead rest," Diol told her gently.
Luna awkwardly placed her hand on Gracia's shoulder. "There's nothing else we can do here, Naga. Let's go."
