---o--o--o---
[Filia] {Next to a projector, dressed in cloths from the 1920's} Hey everyone, its time for a bit of a recap. {Rolls film} So far, Lina's damages have take out the chaos power of Monte Darlo and the Bridge of the Ancients. Not bad for our chaos sorcerer so far.
[Lina] {offstage} Filia, if you don't cut this out!
[Filia] So, that's Lina 2, Ancient Wonders 0
[Lina] Filia!
[Filia] {looks back from offstage} Ehm, well, never mind our friend there. She's just a tad upset at the moment. But I'm sure her anger will be returning to normal sometime soon.
[Lina] [charges onto the stage} I heard that! *FIREBALL*!
[Filia] Eeeep! {Runs offstage in fright}
[Lina] {Laughs!} Who is the foolish one now?
---o--o--o---
Slayers: Clouds!
Chapter 6:
Warning! Beware of Priests who have Information!
---o--o--o---
"Filia!" Lina was painting as she raced up the hill after the shrine dragon. "Don't you think you could wait up for us?"
"Come one, slowpoke..."
The redheaded sorcerer turned back to look for their third member of their small party, Sylphiel. Low fichus shrubs and other boulders and rocks blocked most of the view. But a few seconds later, the figure of the purple-dressed maiden popped up from behind the rocks. "Nice of you to catch up to us, Sylphiel."
The shrine maiden took a few more steps before taking refuge by leaning on a nearby rock. "I'm coming, Lina." Sylphiel suddenly got a nice jolt of steps, as she recharged herself with a quick healing spell.
"Where's Filia?" she asked, now leaning right next to Lina.
"Up there!" Lina pointed up more of the mountain path. "Tell you what-" she said, quickly grabbing onto Syphiel's hand.
"Lina! What are you-"
"LEVIVATION!"
They were up in the air in a flash. They looked at each other, and after a quick nod of confirmation, another spell.
"RAYWING!"
In a few seconds, they landed next to the stopped Filia. The dragon lady was intensely staring at the open map in front of her, with the most puzzled of faces. "Now I was sure that we should have taken a right at that inn back there, then a left at the abandoned castle, but then we should be at a lake then..."
"Filia...do you know where we are? Zel got the information from Thoth - that we were only a couple of days away from the Sheik's city." Lina was angrily tapping her foot, rather impatiently.
The shrine maiden watched the little verbal disagreement with her usual easy-going self. Ignoring them, Sylphiel took to drinking some water. There, she thought, no use in getting involved in such a matter, so let's wander around a bit.
"So why aren't we there, Filia?" tapped Lina.
"Well! I'm sure if we didn't have to stick around all morning having breakfast. We could have made it there by now." Filia was at best, trying to use the unfolded map as a shield against Lina's growing wrath. But the sorcerer's reactions were temporally tamed as best, for Lina was not buying it.
Oh well, thought Filia. Excuse number one was definitely not working. She again pointed to her map. "Look here -- its got these symbols all wrong. How am I suppose to get around on a useless map, for crying out loud."
"Filia, we bought that map three days ago!" Lina was in full rage now, the sudden sign of a lighted fireball in the sorcerer's hand spelled trouble. "Damn it, where are you taking us?"
"Umm....I don't..."
"Filia! Where in the world are we!"
"We...are..." The dragon lady looked up again, this time right behind Lina. "Right next to a temple!"
"Huh?" She stepped backwards another couple of feet, before just noticing a shadow. Over a gap in the trees, was the very top of a circular white dome of a temple, the shape clearly the sign of white magic.
"A temple to Cepheid! Oh Lina-san! How perfect!" squealed Sylphiel, as she hugged Lina in a state of happiness. Lina's angry fireball disappeared right away from the shrine maiden's glomp.
Filia added her point in. "Yea, there we go!"
The sorcerer just ducked her head in shame. "Sheech, you two see a temple to the gods and go all gooey on me. How come we can't stay at a chaos castle or-" Lina could not even finish her sentence, for the two shrine ladies had already grabbed her by each arm. They hauled the poor read-head away, feet-dragging and screaming all the way.
"I'm not going!" Lina screamed.
"But Lina," said Sylphiel, in a rather softer voice than usual. "You promised at Monte Darlo."
"Sylphiel..." Lina groaned. "Its just that Temples...well, you know I get along with white magic..." She sweated a bit, trying to give the shrine maiden a good answer.
The dragon stared back, pointing rudely with her finger. "Oh, stop being such a whiny one?" scolded Filia. The dragon lady had much preferred to do the grilling. "After all, you had better behave, otherwise I won't-"
"I'M NOT GOING!" rebuked the redhead.
"...pay for dinner." Filia shut her mouth quietly, hoping Lina had not heard her words over the sorcerer's statements.
Lina's eyes just glazed over, as she clasped her hands together above her chest. "Oh Filia! You're such a nice dragon!"
"Oh brother."
The three of them dashed up the last bit of mountain. They approached a clearing almost immediately and then a iron-clad gate. The entrance was well-manned with a couple of guards, dressed head-to-toe in light blue cloaks. The guard's overdeveloped clothing hid all of their features expect for hands and faces, yet all the fabric looked light and comfortable for the changing weather.
The group eyed the guards carefully. There wasn't much to distinguish them from any other cloaked stranger, except that each guard had an identical broach on the center-left of their chest, in the shape of a small blue-shaped tear.
Behind the black iron gates, Lina could see rose bushes flowering that lined each side of their passage. The main temple spire peeked most over the shoulder high bushes, as well as a few other scattered buildings. Lush gardens and fields surrounded the temple areas, for the sorcerer could see the countless walkways and benches surrounding the beautiful landmarks.
"So pretty!" commented Sylphiel.
The ladies immediately flagged the attention of the guards.
"Halt, strangers!" The two guards had pikes of 12 feet or more in their hands; they crossed their pikes in a cross over the front of the gate. "Please state your business at the Temple of the Water Dragon King."
"Ahh...so!" Sylphiel smiled, and said words as if they were pre-recorded. "I'm a shrine maiden the area of formally known as Sailroog. I ask for the entrance for myself and my friends."
The guards overlooked the three ladies in the party. "The blond is ok, she passes as a fellow shrine lady."
Lina was getting the attention of the other guard. "However, we will need to 'inquire' some more information from the chaos sorcerer."
"Inquire more?" Lina was a dumbfounded a bit. "What do you mean by that!? And quit looking at my body, damn it!"
"Lina! That is no way to talk to the guards of a Water Dragon's temple!" reprimanded Filia. "Shame on you!"
Sylphiel reacted quietly, her face squinting with anger as her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
The sorcerer blushed as she turned back to the guards. "Oh well, blue boy. How about if we could see the man of the house?"
"We don't get too many visitors to our temple, ever with the symposium and all." He scratched at his wrist, where his cloak edge was. He was about to reject the little redheaded sorcerer when he saw the nodding purple-haired shrine maiden just nod in the background, calming his nerves. "OK, give me a second. I will find the high priest. Watch them while I go."
"OK, you do that."
The second one opened the gate a smidgen for the first guard to get into the grounds.
The ladies sat down in the grass, dejected, as they waited for their fate.
*growl*
"Lina? Can't you control that stomach of yours?" asked Filia.
"Geez, if you didn't mention buying my dinner back there, then I wouldn't be so hungry and upset, would I."
*growl*
"Oh! Excuse me! Lina, Filia." exclaimed Sylphiel, as she covered her mouth with embarrassment.
Filia just chuckled. "Oh well, I guess we're all hungry."
Lina was exhausted. Filia had put them on strict traveling pace for the day. They were finally relaxing, as Lina leaned back into the sunny grass, depressing her body. Ah, she thought; it was time to wait and look up at the sky.
---o--o--o---
Lina looked around at her surroundings. A sunset. The valley in front of her was rather familiar. Yes! She knew it now; it was the valley from her dreams. But why was she back here?
Damn, stupidly fallen asleep waiting at the front gate. Well, serves me right. If she wasn't eating, moving, or fighting, she'd be sleeping. Funny, for Lina knew she was rarely a lazy person, but alas, she never wanted to sleep for days on end. Oh well. Fighting it was useless...or was it?
"Where is everyone this time!" she grumbled. The rest of the company was usually there with her, but this time Lina was alone, with the sun behind her, the clouds-"
A shadow crept over her position. At first, Lina thought the low cloud had already passed over her position. She felt the sting of moisture on her sitting backside, wiping it away with her hand. The wind whipped up like of an approaching storm, as she turned around to her distraction.
Eyes raced upwards. In the sky, she saw the massive base of clouds, billowing out in all directions. They didn't just move along with the air currents, but they dominated in her sight of view. The effect slowed down time as they came closer and closer.
On the very tops of the clouds were the motions of very earthly objects - water, greenery, trees and shrubs. Then, buildings rose from the mix of clouds and land, adorned with white lofty towers and overhangs.
She heard the squeal in the distance. Dragons, she heard. Lina turned around towards the other way, facing away from the City of the Clouds. She saw the flying of countless dragons as they waved around in shifting circles and groups. Their course she could see was a beeline for the City of the Clouds.
Those must be Cloudminders, thought Lina. How else could explain for the sheer Dragon-like girth of the ancient bridge? She had once seen golden dragons build such massive structures with ease. Now only if-
Her thoughts were interrupted as a bolt of blackness struck through the air. It ripped across the sky, thundering a second later. Images came into view, as Lina thought of them to be humans floating in the air - but a second later she identified them clearly.
Mazoku.
She could faintly identify the outline of a very familiar purple shape. Beastmaster Xellos. He was almost smiling in on the approaching dragons, waiting, turning. He stretched out his arms in exhilaration, cape extended and flapping in the wind.
"No!" whispered Lina, "I'm seeing Xellos..." She swallowed the rest of her words, as her eyes glazed back to the floating city.
Xellos eyes glazed over as he began to let his staff take on a ruby-red glow. Lina looked up in awe, dumbfounded by the sheer energy Xellos had at his fingertips. "No!" But her shouts were too late as Xellos fired his shot at the Dragons...
---o--o--o---
"...No! can't stop...history..."
Lina Inverse, one of the greatest sorcerers that the world has seen, the one who could scare humans and dragons alike, loved by few yet feared by bandits leaders everywhere, was curled up on the sunny hill, asleep, sucking on her thumb.
*poke* *poke*
The guards were not stupid. Touching a lady or the appearance of a kawaii little girl would be entirely forbidden by such priest-guards. Instead, they were using the opposite ends of their pikes to wake the red-headed one.
"...five more minutes...Gourry, don't do that!..."
The sorcerer's eyes flickered open gently, they then fluttered angrily. A second later, her hands were in motion, spell casting.
*EXPLOSION ARRAY!*
"EEEEK!" The two blue-robed guards went flying in opposite directions.
"Don't wake me like that!" yelled Lina. "Don't you have any respect for a sleeping beauty? Come on! I'm not some piece of meat you can poke endlessly with the back of your brooms!"
Filia and Sylphiel just stared for a second, flabbergasted. It was Sylphiel that had her open hand over her mouth, whimpering - then cracking up. Filia followed soon into hysterics.
"Lina! ...oh, you do think so highly of yourself!" The dragon maiden snickered at her own words.
"FILIA!!" But Lina's anger softened a bit as she blushed in embarrassment. "Heh..."
"Lina? Is that of Lina Inverse one must presume?" said the scratchy voice from the crowd.
"Hai! And who might you be?" Her eyes turned to the blue guards, who had split the path from the gate to the traveling companions' position. And between them was an older man, dressed in an identical colored blue cape with white trim. His short cropped hair was has white as snow, which conveniently matched his beard. "It is always a pleasure to meet the one who has saved our world, countless times." He let his voice scratch again.
Lina looked at the gentleman. "Tell me, old man. Did you have to leave us out here all day? You know, it's a big hassle-"
"Ahhh, I do apologize, Lina Inverse. But this is the week of the festivals, and we have been running an event for the last couple of days. Please accept my humble regret."
Lina was about the interrupt when the older man continued. "Perhaps...we can make up for it by providing you lodging tonight."
Lina relaxed as she her stance softened. "Very well. I guess I can accept your apology. However, we will need some first-class accommodations."
"Of course. There are lovely suite rooms on the grounds here. And the inn just outside can serve you a variety of meals."
"Well...I guess that sounds OK," said Sylphiel.
"OK? That sounds GREAT!" answered Lina.
"Oh, how rude not to introduced myself." And he bowed. "My name is Jocko Thorton, the leader of the Temple to the Water Dragon." He smiled as he lead the three ladies past the compound entrance. "I welcome you to our residence. Would you first join us in the main Temple?"
"Why sure! We've love to-" answered Lina.
"Ahhh, Lina..." Filia politely tugged over the petite sorcerer to her side. "Umm...if you don't mind - I'll stay around the grounds and meet you out here. Going to another temple of a dragon, well..."
"What?" the sorcerer asked. "What did I do this time?"
Filia blushed. "Actually, you did nothing. It's me." She pointed to herself, just above where the human heart would be. "Its just hard...you know, once being a part of a group of dragons that-"
"But you're not part of that group anymore! Why would you?"
"Lina! Trust me on this. Please?"
Lina patted her dragon friend on the back. "I totally understand. We'll meet you for dinner, ok?"
The dragon nodded in agreement.
---o--o--o---
"Ahhh, the Cloudminders." Jocko the old one leaned back in his chair, relaxing with his feet up on the desk. "I only run this temple here, Lina. Usually bedtime stories are not something I keep up with these days. I am far too busy with priestly matters."
Lina pounded her open palms onto the table. "Come on, Jocko! I know you can do better than that." She stormed away from Jocko's desk, circling around the room like a vulture. "Give me something concrete I can use!"
After a quick tour of the Temple of the Water Dragon, Lina and Sylphiel had found themselves in the lap of luxury in Jocko's private office. It was a marvelous room, with its high-domed ceiling, countless torches, comfortable seating chairs, and ancient bookshelves. The place was very classical, brightly lit with its fresco walls and countless painted images of the blue dragon.
Sylphiel was bewildered by the extravagance. "How do you have such a lovely...temple?" "Ahh, it's the Sheik in the City of the Gold Waves. At least that's what he calls it."
The shrine maiden smiled.
Jocko leaned a bit farther back into his easy desk chair. "I can see you've heard of him. Well, the sheik gave us a 'little' donation when we were starting out. And we've been happy ever since."
Lina refused to sit down and get comfortable. "Come on Jocko, please try to get back to talking about the Cloudminders."
"Hmmm..." The head priest walked over to a nearby bookshelf. "I will tell you, then. Your friend's bedtime story is very much my own life's story. When I was a kid, my brother and I saw the City of the Clouds."
The girl's eyes widened. "I was naïve little kid, barely nine years old. I had always thought it as a legend, and being raised in the strictest care at that not, was never interested in such fairy tales."
"There we were, the two of us hanging out in the fields after a long hard day. We had spent the entire day in school, being tortured by teachers with schoolwork and stuff. How I never really enjoyed school."
"Anyway, as we walked home along the dusty path, a sudden gust of wind came. We were overwhelmed by the gust as we fell flat on our faces. Twisting around, we could only look up and see the City of the Clouds floating over our heads."
Lina sat down on the couch next to Sylphiel, relaxing.
"We couldn't believe it, us normal little kids seeing something that we could have never imagined in our lifetimes. We stared at it forever, remembering it, until the floating city disappeared over the horizon. When we got home, my brother and I told our parents, we told our friends, we even walked up to strangers and told them. We even told the family goat. We told the story so many times..."
A sniffle came out of Jocko's nose as he continued. "Our folks thought we were crazy. I mean, magic is rare in these areas outside where the barrier was once. I immediately forgot the whole thing, but my brother could not. But our folks thought we were nuts, so they sent us both to seminary." Sylphiel was tearing. "That is...so sad!"
Lina just sighed. "Geez, some parents are just mean!"
"Years afterwards, I built this place on the reputation for working so long in the priesthood. The sheik helped, but this place was built by my blood, sweat, and tears. And its accomplishments are for the gods." He looked up at the ceiling. "Its now fifty years later, give a month or so. And I can tell that fairy tale that I never believed like it was yesterday."
"So, you and your brother built this place," answered Lina. "Good for you."
Jocko coughed. "No, the baka is useless, and hasn't been active in the priesthood in forty years. I support his ass a lot, but other than that..."
"OK, enough fairy tales." Lina reached into of her pocket, pulling out a piece of the chaos box, sliding it across the desk. "Tell me what you think of this."
"What is this?" He reach for the corner box artifact, squinting with his old eyes. Jocko's jaw dropped at the outline sketched in the inside of the artifact. "Oh my Cepheid. Aermark was right."
Lina looked up. "Where is he?"
"Who?" asked Sylphiel. "I dunno..."
Jocko just ran to the door. "You mean my brother. The baka genius."
---o--o--o---
"Halt, stranger!" The two gate guards had their pikes crossed in a familiar pattern. "Please state your business at the Temple of the Water Dragon King."
"I am here for the symposium," retorted the white cloaked man, "I pledge myself to the Water Dragon King." The guards could see the blue tear pinned to his chest.
"Very well, invitee. Do go in." The not-so friendly guards opened the gate for the stranger, grinning like ghosts.
"By the way," asked the visitor, "I'm looking for information on the Cloudminders. Can either of you help me to find out when that lecture is going on?"
The guards broke out into a fit of laughter. "I see, another visitor for the baka."
The other guard was almost in stitches. "Aermark is not speaking this time. His brother has banned him from the show."
"Is that so? Can you tell me why?"
The guard chuckled. "Aermark said he had visited the world inside the magical barrier even before it fell sometime last year. Nobody believed him.
"The guy is a real loon, imagine that!"
The stranger rubbed his handsome chin. "Is that so...he must have a secret, then."
"Yea, right! No one talks to the baka anymore. Poor guy, sprouting stories out of his ass."
The stranger waved. "Ah, is that so. Well, my appointment awaits."
The guards continued to snicker well after the stranger disappeared up the pathways. "Heh, nothing like another moron."
"You're telling me."
---o--o--o---
Jocko lead them down a set of worn down steps into the lower areas of the temple.
"Its like a sorcery laboratory down here," said Sylphiel.
"Yea, you're brother must be working on some important stuff."
The old man coughed. "Yea, you could say that. But of few of the younger clerics live down here as well. It gives them incentive to stay here, to learn from the wizard, they call him. My brother has barely supported himself in his time."
"Well, did you ever listen to your brother, Jocko?" asked Lina. "I mean, after all, he could have been right."
"No. I never forgave him. He just kept telling the story of seeing that blasted floating city - in sermons, to strangers, to family. No one believed him anymore." Jocko sighed. "So, I haven't believed in him for ages as well. He's part of my shame but he is family. And that's why I support his hide."
"Whatever information he shows you, well, I don't want to know." He pointed to a large wooden door at the end of the passageway. "This is where I leave you. Good luck." Ducking away like a scared cat, he old man slipped right by the two ladies back to his office.
"Lina?" Sylphiel waited until Jocko was out of range until she answered.
"Come on," she answered, dragging the shrine maiden with her. "Let's be polite visitors, shall we?"
Sylphiel nodded.
They walked up to the heavy oak door. "Well, I think we have the right place," pointed Lina. For engraved right in the center door panel was a large cloud.
*Knock* *Knock*
"...keep your shirt on, I'm coming..." The door creaked up a crack, and a very familiar face popped through the crack.
"Jocko!" said Sylphiel, surprised by the identical looking man to Jocko.
"That stick-in-the-mud brother sent you down here to harass me. Man, and what a couple of crazy get-ups you're wearing. You-" as he pointed to Lina, "almost look like a chaos sorcerer. Those jewels of yours on your shoulders are fakes."
Lina growled. "Why you...I ought to-"
"Well, how nice. Tell Jocko to leave me alone!" he squealed.
*SLAM!*
"I'm not going to be ignored that easily!" hissed Lina, pushing her partner Sylphiel away from the door.
"Lina! What are you doing!" exclaimed the shrine maiden.
"FLARE ARROW!"
The ball of fire lit out of her hand, arcing across the hallway, smacking into the wooden door and blowing it to piece. At least that's what Lina thought.
It hit the door squarely in the middle. Instead of shattering, the door absorbed the fireball almost immediately. Like when one throws a stone into a lake, it 'plinks' in before disappearing. The door reacted, slightly shuddering at the absorption of the spell, before returning to normal.
Lina shook her head at a frightening rate. "What the hell?" It didn't take long for a realization to hit her. "Damn it, I can't happen again! I can't deal with losing my chaos."
"Lina? Is something wrong?"
" FIREBALL!"
Same results.
The redhead with the fury to match ran up to Jocko's door. "LET ME IN! Damn you and that door of yours!"
"...Aaah, So you're annoyed are my brother's little minions. Don't come and make fun of me."
"AAAGGH!" Lina pounded at the door a couple of more times in fruitless abandonment. "I give up. This has been such a waste." And she leaned down next to the door via the wall sulking in disgust. "This so sucks."
Sylphiel took a few steps forward and leaned on the oaken door. "Excuse me, Aermark, is there anyway we can talk to you? We mean you no harm. Honestly." Her voice was simple and polite, full of spirit and chagrin. "Please, Aermark."
The ladies heard the click of the latch as the heavy oak door swung open. "Come in," creaked the old man, "I cannot refuse such a humble offer. But beware, you only have five minutes in interrupting my work."
Sylphiel motioned for the sorcerer to follow her into the underground room. Lina grumbled a bit, but they really didn't have much of a choice as they both came in.
"Wow..." A large fireplace took up the left wall, with a huge tapestry overhung the mantle. The rest of the room was lined with book, books, and more books. A large shagged rugged covered the middle of the room, with several high-brow chairs facing around like tall statues.
"You and that your brother really have expensive décor taste."
"Heh, I don't know if that was a compliment or a slap in the face." Aermark was standing in the middle of the room. "Now, I like to know your names, my young lady friends. I believe you already know me." Instead of the simple ornate blue tunics his fellowship brother was wearing, Aermark's outfit was brilliantly wind and outstanding. He ware a brightly red tunic, folded in with gold threads of leaves and other vines.
"You're not in...priest robes?" asked Sylphiel, almost pointing at Aermark.
"Ahh, how very perceptive of you." Aermark seemed the chuckle then laugh from the shrine maiden's question. "Even though I do not do the priestly duties that my twin brother does, I keep up by restoring and repairing magic items. Jocko doesn't really like my career choices, but he provides me with this fine underground laboratory for experiments."
Lina listened while eying the beautiful tapestry on the wall, full of all sorts of dragons - gold ones, black ones, and blue ones. "I see..."
"Now what shall he talk about, Lina Inverse?" Aermark was holding a tray in sugar cookies in front of the petite sorcerer, motioning for her to try a couple of the treats.
Lina's was a bit chocked up by Aermark's correct guess. "I see you're very observant among the inner area that was once sealed by Philbrizzo." She lifted a sugar cookie from the tray, finding it to be in the shape of a dragon. She took a bite. "Umm...at lesst theeze..ood cookies!"
"Oh, and I'm Sylphiel Nels Lahda." She giggled a bit after nibbling a bit of her own cookie. "So good!"
"Heh...I know. I'm glad you're enjoying them." Aermark turned around and placed the cookies down on the table behind him. "So, I see Jocko has hired you, for I never thought he would be so clever."
"Now wat jizt a minete!" Lina chewed her sugar cookie quickly to dust, swallowing the whole bit in one bite. "I didn't take the job! We're...errr...on another job! "
"Lina! Do you mean that we are down here for just for the money!" asked Sylphiel.
"Well...no, Sylphiel." Lina leaned a bit closer to the shrine maiden, whispering. "We're down here to get to the bottom of this - you know, Zelgadis is..." and she shut her mouth when Aermark came over and interrupted their little discussion.
The old man was tapping away with his foot, awaiting a reply. "You have one second to tell me why you're here, Lina. I tire of this and I have a lot of work to do tonight." Aermark crossed his arms, determined to hear a good answer.
Lina did not like taking orders. "You have got to be kidding! I don't take-"
"Lina!"
The sorcerer and Aermark looked over at the once quiet shrine maiden. "I'm sorry, but Lina, you're not being very polite about the whole thing here." The purple maiden's voice was more upset than anyone had ever noticed. "I don't believe you, coming in here and upsetting this kind old man. He even offered you cookies."
Lina blushed from pink to red. "Ummm..."
"Now," asked Sylphiel, "give him the piece we found on Turnip's tower." Lina grumbled a bit as she fished out the corner of chaos box from her pocket. Sneering, she handed it to Aermark.
"Hmmm..." The old man held the broken corner up into the light. "I don't think its that's special-" His words stopped as he turned the broken corner over. "An artifact!" Aermark turned around at Lina again. "Where did you get this?" he asked.
"We got it from a 'chaos' box, as one of our friends referred to it as." Lina circled around a bit around Aermark, reaching into her bag. "As I suspected. You don't know about the City of the Clouds, do you?"
"On the contrary. I know an extraordinary amount of information. I can imagine you have in your possession a small, clear quartz-like stone. It admits no magic whatsoever. And it came from this chaos box, a piece of that exact box which I'm holding in my hand."
Lina held out her over prize. "You mean, this lovely?" The clear crystal shined in the candlelight of Aermark's room. "I do imagine you've been looking for one like this."
"I can more than imagine." Aermark reached into his own pocket and removed a chaos stone of his own, seemingly identical in size and shape to the Lina's own find. "I see we both have artifacts from the City of the Clouds."
"You are very right, my friend," answered Lina.
Lina and Aermark were still wary of their information exchange. But the two finally warmed up into a peaceful conversation, with a bit more ribbing from Sylphiel at some of the finer points. It was an hour later when the three of them were finally seated around fireplace, free-floating their discussion across no boundaries.
Lina didn't tell Aermark, everything, however. She left out the finer points of Zel's transformation, while Sylphiel filled in a couple of pieces where Lina was brief.
"So, I blew up Turnip's little box, and that's why we're here to find the answers." Lina took another bite of a sugar cookie before finishing. "So, what else can you tell me about the City of the Clouds. I know you're letting me talk more."
"Ah, you are very perspective, Lina. Very well." He sighed, turning his face away for a second.
"It started a long time ago, much before you and any other humans were ever born. From the history texts, not much is known about the City of the Clouds." Lina frowned almost immediately, hoping for more exacting information.
"However, the City of the Clouds, and the Cloudminders do, in fact, date from times shortly before the War of the Monster's Fall. Most certainly."
Lina and Sylphiel each turned stark white. "You're tell me that city has been floating around for over 1,000 years! Impossible to believe!"
"Hai," said Sylphiel, "I'd have to agree with Lina on this one."
"Yes, the city is somewhere in the south Icehills, about 4 days journey from here. Its not far inland from the coast, either. There are too many artifacts and markers that point to this place, especially close to the site. However, if you go there now, the City of the Clouds will not be there.
"WHAT!" Lina's eyed flamed red. "How can that be?"
"Again, I have worked years on this. In charting journals of history, the City of the Clouds has appeared at various times in the past. And there are fake sightings by the usual wacko groups as well." Aermark pulled at a small logbook at the end of the shelf. "However, based on my research into history, I believe the city will appear over the Ice Hills in ten days."
"TEN DAYS!"
Aermark snapped his log book shut and returned it to the shelf. "Yes. You see, I first saw the City of the Clouds when I was nine years old. My brother Jocko was at my side. In return for my gift, I've dedicated my life to return to the city, to see it again with my own eyes. My brother and his kinds have made me part of their laughing stock."
"I know Aermark, but..."
"This the journey has been long and difficult. I need to prove them wrong. Even if I'm not able to fly up to it in my elder condition, my own debt to say...shall be repaid."
The girls were just silent.
"The journey...yes, the journey has been very exciting indeed..." Aermark's words seem to trail off. "You know...I've spent an eternity..." He gently coughed as he walked around the room. "I am tired, Lina Inverse. Sylphiel Nels Lahda. I shall like to retire for the night."
"But Aermark!"
Sylphiel just nodded her head. "He does sounds tired, Lina. Maybe we should come back."
"You're right, Sylphiel."
"Awe, why the long faces! I want you two ladies to please back tomorrow," said Aermark, holding the front door open. "I do have much more to tell you. Much more."
"You can count on it, Aermark." said Lina, closing the way behind her.
---o--o--o---
Filia waited outside the Temple to the Water Dragon King. Hmph, she really couldn't think of a good reason for not going in. What she had told Lina had been something of a farce, that she was a Dragon that still pledged to the her own Fire Dragon king. Although she had never thought that visiting the temple of another god...well, what's wrong with that?...she swore never to be loyal to her sect again. Maybe nothing, Filia thought, but not she was determined not let it bother her.
So, she lounged outside in the gardens. They were immaculately kept, the perfectly groomed shrubs and grass were all tended by the grounds crew of humans. They also wore the same boring light blue outfits, hiding most of their faces, arms, and expressions to Filia.
Oh well, she thought, as the dragon lady walked down the path. No one was going to be social to her, to possibly take her to dinner, or maybe put her up in their home for the night. Bleh, she already had free housing. She doubted that those gardeners really earned that much coin.
Depressed as hell with no manly dragon boyfriend, Filia sat down on a nearby bench sulking.
"Hello, my dear..." The voice next to her was older, with a wiser touch.
The dragon maiden turned to her right and found the bench was already occupied by one of the water shrine gardeners. His face was well hidden by his cloak, but she could see his older hand on a cane. Old, Filia thought, but then...
"Hello, sir..." She was intrigued, nevertheless. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Care to walk around instead? Perhaps with some company?"
The gentleman next to her turned to toward Filia, uncovering his cloak. "My...my...so forward, Filia-chan!"
"XELLOS!" she yelled. In one fluid motion, she flicked out her spiked mace in one hand, and shot it out at the Mazoku.
The purple priest quickly disappeared from his bench spot. Where his tush had been, Filia smashed her mace right through the thin wooden bench. Pieces went flying, splintering everywhere into small pieces all over the splendid gardens.
"For Cepheid's sake, I can't believe you would take advantage of me like that, you piece of garbage. I always suspected you would just sneak up on me to take advantage of my poor helpless yet stunning dragon body."
Xellos popped back into existence, close to the shattered bench Filia had destroyed. "Such fiery anger, Filia. Yet, with such tenderness. There is a reason I do like hanging out with you. But take advantage of you? Surely you don't think of me that low."
"Shut-up, Xellos. I wonder how you can stand such a place!"
"Yea, you would think that the water dragon priests would protect this place a bit better with spells. But alas, I can always find a way around most defensive Mazoku barriers. This place is rather enjoyable to say at least."
She let the obvious self-hating comment drop. "I'm sure you're a very resourceful one," nodded Filia. "You've got a real way with others, especially in that getup of yours"
The purple priest nodded. "In fact, I walked up right to the front door and asked for a look around the gardens. I knew they would let me in, me being a kind old man in their robes."
"Kind. Well, there's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. It figures." Filia continued to spat her words with distaste. "And what reason do I owe the displeasure of your company. Is it that your curious?"
"Ahhh, but not just curious. After all, I've been busy talking to Lina, so I thought a quick chat with you might be fruitful as well." His listener just glared up at him. "But, alas, the real reason that I'm down here."
"Yes??" Filia nodded up with her eyelids, expecting a good answer.
"That...is a secret." And Xellos just remotely smirked.
"Aaaaagh!!" She swung the mace again at the priest, missing him again as he disappeared and reappeared a couple of feet away.
Xellos pointed to where he once stood. "I do believe your aim is off, little dragon lady." He tuned and half-smiled at Filia. "Perhaps you are distracted?"
"I AM NOT DISTRACTED!" But the words rang rather hollow, for poor Filia was in a dizzy spell. She collapsed onto the grassy ground in a heap of her own dress, half hazardly placing the spiked mallet on the nearby soil. "I'm just tired of traveling, that's all. I wish I was home at my inn, with Valgaav. Even Juras, I can't believe I miss the baka. I wish I didn't..."
The Mazoku sat down right next to Filia on the grass. "You mean, you having to come down here?" Xellos placed his hands folded under his chin. "Oh, I must hear this! Please do tell me why you're here with Lina."
Damn, cursed Filia. I can't keep anything to myself. Now I'll have this piece of garbage following me all throughout my trip, just making my life miserable. She shuddered at the thought. Oh well, there's always...
She turned back to Xellos. "I'm here going the sheik's city, to sell my vases. I heard they could fetch a hefty overcharge down on the lower coast, now that the barrier has been broken. And I heard the sheik would pay a lot for exclusive artwork."
"Ahhh, so." The purple priest nodded to the answer. "But I'm afraid that's not the real reason that why you're down here."
Filia was in disbelief. "Shame on you to think I was 'up to' something, Mazoku. I'm not usually that honest." But her words were rather quiet and self-spoken, almost to herself.
"I don't believe you. In my existence...well, I've perhaps exaggerated a bit, stretched the truth, and have kept quiet." Xellos paused for a second, picking out his words carefully to Filia. "But, alas...I've never lied."
The dragon's flush went from rose to deep red. Her throat was suddenly very dry, for she could barely utter a single word.
Xellos stuck his head a bit closer, grinning like a ghost. "My, my...my little dragon. I never thought you would be more intriguing to me...after all, you've become...cunning."
"AAAGH!! I don't have to answer to you, Xellos!" She pushed him back with the palm of her hand, right back into the opposite corner of the bench.
He stumbled off the bench, tumbling on the grass in a bit of sarcasm. After a pop in and out of the Astral plane, Xellos was on other side of the bench, right behind Filia's opposite side.
"The City of the Clouds," he whispered in her other ear. "I will tell you a little secret, however. I was there. I was there on the orders from my master."
Filia's jaw dropped.
"And what a wonderful battle it was, for I had taken out a squadron of them with one shot. They had such incredible power, for taking out so many of my brethren."
Xellos undoubtedly clashed his words together in statements. "Those miserable Cloudminders, always thinking for themselves. It amazing that they have survived for as long as they have."
She just stared away, dumbfounded by Xellos' news.
"But then, little Filia, why are you down here. Ahh, perhaps to help Lina on her mission of mercy." Xellos switched around as whispered into Filia's other ear. "I think not."
Filia suddenly turned bright red. "...How...could..." She turned around in the direction of Xellos. "But! You can't-" But Xellos was already a fart in the wind, gone from sight.
The dragon lady shook herself. No way, she thought, could that sneaky bastard know the truth. But he was there. He knew it all. If he was there, then what did he know now?
"Filia!"
"Lina! Sylphiel! Where have you two been?" she asked.
"Ahh, talking a lot and trying to figure out all this mess," answered Lina. "By the way, aren't you going to buy us two dinner?"
---o--o--o---
Xellos flashed himself quietly into the Aermark's room, right behind a dusty set of shelves. It was late into the night, very close to the upcoming sunrise. He petered around the bookcase corner, looking for an excuse to maybe get rid of a guard or two. Stretch and feed off of some anguish. Alas, Aermark left his quarters bare of any assistants, helpers, or even other golems to help him complete his tasks. He had already guessed that Aermark was not very much of the trusting type, but more of the fruitcake type than anything.
He peeked out from around the corner of the bookshelf. There was Aermark, his back to Xellos, standing up and working on a current lab project. The heavy wooden table was endlessly lined with experiments, some in clear cylinders and jars, others with chemicals floating in liquids other than water. Aermark's attention was on a series of experiments, for Xellos could see he was busy scribbling away notes in his small log journal.
"Hmmm..." whispered the mysterious priest, "I would thought after Lina's visit, he might have rested. I guess not."
Aermark had finished his mix of ingredients in a small wooden bowl. He gently poured the contents over a crystal that was on his wooden counter.
Xellos watched as the white liquid from the bowl slowly drip onto the clear sliver of crystal. After a few drops, Aermark set the bowl down and held his open-faced hands over the crystal.
The wizard-priest spoke a few words that Xellos could barely pickup with his ears. Chaos words! And they were in dragon tongue! Xellos immediately smiled a bit, not recognizing the spell but nevertheless understand the complexity of the spell.
The drops on the crystal glowed lovely white for a couple of seconds. Then, as soon as it had began, the drops disappeared as they seeped into the crystal.
"Yes!" cried Aermark, "It is...possible!" He stared at the sitting crystal on the table, congratulating himself for a second, unable to do much else.
Xellos came out from behind the bookshelf, his staff ready and high into the air. He smirked a bit, thinking how he would tear into the poor man, after a good scare or two. Whatever projects he was working on, those secrets that Aermark only knew would soon be his to command.
*Knock!* *Knock*
"Coming! Keep your shirt on!" shouted Aermark, annoyed by the latest disturbance. "You had better have a good reason for visiting so late at night!" The wizard-priest was quick on his feet, he had already shuffled out of the room leaving Xellos alone, sweatdrop and all.
Damn it, thought Xellos, I was just about to scare the living daylights out of him and he gets a visitor. Oh well, at least he could hear the conversation at the door.
"...Aermark Thorton the wizard-priest?"
"...yes? Can I help you?"
"Forgive me, kind sir," gruffed his visitor. "I have traveled for endless days and nights. My quest is of a humble one, for I am in need of information on the City of the Clouds."
"Ah, another one. Well, you might as well come in, I'm sure you'll like my sugar cookies just like my other earlier visitors."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you kind sir." Xellos could hear the door close as the Aermark and the stranger settled in the foyer.
"Guess I'll just have to wait it out," murmured Xellos. He looked on the wooden counter and saw the clear quartz-like crystal shine in the candlelight. The sucker practically had on a 'steal me' sign, so Xellos scooped up the prize and placed it in his satchel.
"...so, you believe the City of the Clouds will be here. I heard you are leaving soon."
"You've been asking around the Temple, I see. How very intuitive of you." answered Aermark. "In less than two weeks, to the far south. It shall be there. I'm first going to see the sheik, however..."
"...I see, and you're sure about that."
"Uh-huh. Quite sure about it. I even told those ladies - that brunette shine maiden was so nice to me, I shall really try to have her here for a fellowship." A plate or two shifted around. "Sugar Cookie?"
The stranger coughed. "No, thank you. Now, perhaps you could give me the chaos stone in your possession? I believe its back in your lab."
In utter shock, Aermark dropped his plate of cookies onto the wooden floor. The poor ceramic dish shattered loudly into hundreds of pieces. "How...did you know! I've only showed it to a handful of people!"
Xellos was curious, for the stranger's questions had suddenly grown from tiresome to a very interesting line of information, indeed the stranger's voice went from innocent to interrogation mode all on the flip of a coin.
"Oh, I've been watching for this for a long, long, time. It's my job, as you know," answered the stranger, coming up to his feet.
"You're not getting the stone." The wizard-priest struggled to his feat as well, with the help of his cane. The man was obliviously in pain. "What do you want, stranger? I'm old and feeble beyond my years."
"I want the chaos stone."
Aermark tapped the end of the cane on the carpet. "You're not human, are you?"
"No, I'm not."
"Well, its nice of you to drop by and insult me. Now leave!"
"No, Aermark. Its only now that I've had to become involved." said the stranger, pacing around the room. "Its unfortunate that is has come to this....now." Xellos still couldn't see all of the action, but only the illumination of transformation magic in the other room.
"Now, WHERE IS IT!"
Xellos' eyes finally managed to peek around the corner. He saw Aermark's face horrifyingly glazed over by the stranger. The mysterious visitor's back was still to Xellos, his body soaked in a bath a red magical chaos. "How interesting..." he murmured.
"I will not give such a device to you!" shot back the old man.
"You have no choice, old man! See into me and know who I am. If you do so-"
"Who are you!" screamed Aermark.
"You know, don't you." deadpanned the stranger.
"The Mazoku's have no right! You-" Aermark's speech was suddenly cut off, as Xellos heard what was like very heavy sandbag hitting the floor. It was the stranger, swinging his own body into Aermark, knocking him to the ground.
"Baka. I have all the right," said the stranger. "I have every intention of keeping the secrets to the City of the Clouds forever sealed. No one is to go. No one."
Aermark groaned in pain on the ground, for Xellos could hear him dragging his own staff around the rock floor.
"And now that you know my identity, my friend, you shall die."
*CRUNCH*
It sounded like the crunch of dried sticks. Aermark was in too much pain to say anything else, but Xellos could hear his body gasps his last breaths of air. If he had been human, Xellos would have been sick to his stomach, indeed. But the Mazoku had enjoyed the interrogation immensely, even if he wasn't feeding on Aermark's own fears. For Xellos was quite sure that Aermark had never been so scared in his entire life.
Xellos leaned up from his hidden position, almost smiling. "Oooh, look at the time, I must be going." And in hearing himself, the purple priest disappeared from reality.
---o--o--o---
"Lina! Lina! Wake up!" Sylphiel shook at the sorcerer, who was still sleeping in her own bed well past breakfast time.
"...wha...Gourry...cut it out..." Lina slapped the maiden priest away for a second before gaining consciousness. "...What's going on, Sylphiel. Can't I get more shuteye?"
"You've got to get up. Something is terribly wrong at the temple. Jocko has already sent a messenger for us to come. As quickly as possible, Lina."
"...OK." The little redhead crawled out of bed and went over the dresser the comb her lengthy hair. "I guess breakfast is out. I'll be downstairs in one minute."
"Hai!"
---o--o--o---
They followed the messenger, a younger member of the robed priests down the stairways to the tunnel by Aermark's chambers. There were too many guards in the passage, making their second basement trip difficult.
The three ladies, this time Filia tagged along as well, found themselves just outside of Aermark's foyer door when they met Jocko. The high priest looked clearly shaken up, his cloak was dirty and his unrobed head hair was a mess.
"Lina! Thank Cepheid you made it here right away." said Jocko, clearly distracted. "I just..." Jocko's face was all red, eyes swollen so shut they could no longer shed tears. "Its my brother..."
The shock was behind Jocko, past the open oaken door. On the floor, was the sprawled body of Aermark. It had the look of being attacked by wild animals, with an extreme prejudge of anger. The force of nature had ripped apart Aermark not with a sliced weapon but with something utterly inhuman, accomplishing their dreaded tasks by ripping, shearing or tearing apart Aermark into pieces. One of his hands was partly holding onto one of his dragon cookies, clearly crunched and stained with blood.
But the most frightening part of all was Aermark's face. It was not the expected expression of pain and suffering, but the face of utter and desolate fear.
"How..." Lina fell to the ground. "...inhuman."
Sylphiel saw the sight right behind Lina. She could only prevent herself from gagging right there by turning away as quickly as possible, burying her crying head right into Filia's chest.
"There...there..." Filia patted the other shine maiden on the back, hoping to relieve her pain.
Lina turned her attention back to Jocko. "You don't think we did this to him, do you?"
"No, of course not. But the body is still strangely warm to the touch. The blood on the wall is dry, however - so whoever did this was here a few hours ago and not before."
The sorcerer turned back to room, taking a couple of steps in with Jocko quietly following her. "Only a man-beast or a Mazoku could do such a thing. Whoever did this, is hot on our trail as well."
Jocko sorely nodded his head.
Lina attention flashed for a second as she scanned the bookshelves. "Jocko, please don't mind me, but I need to take something of your brother's. If you don't mind."
"No, please, go ahead."
Lina moved her fingers along unlit she got to a very small book. She tugged it out with her index finger, opening up the small volume. "Yes, its here." And the sorcerer started reading...
"Anything, Lina. I'll do anything to get to the bottom of this." Jocko coughed as his voice trailed off. "But I think you should also see the lab."
"Huh? Oh yeah..." Jocko led Lina down a passage beyond the foyer into a much larger room. "There used to be a lot of junk in these lab rooms. Most of it Aermark was repairing for nearly towns and cities."
"What a mess." said Lina.
The laboratory had been trashed. The floor was littered with broken glass beakers and countless experiments. The beaker liquids all conversed, looking like a pool of dried mud. Shredded papers were everywhere.
"What in Cepheid's name was he looking for?"
"This." Lina fished around in her pocket and showed Jocko the quartz object she had obtained from her adventures in Monte Darlo.
"No..." Jocko stared at Lina's crystal for a bit. "I know that my brother had one, he even showed it to me one time, but I dismissed his findings as childish fanfare." Jocko looked even more puzzled now. "We've already done a search, but didn't find another key, Lina. I don't know where it is."
"Key?" she asked.
"Yes, I believe my brother mentioned them as chaos stones. But he also called them clouds keys. Mind you, we all thought his names for these inanimate objects was just nuts."
"Heh, I can understand." She took her treasure back and hid it again among her own self.
"Sir!" It was one of the many guards from the temple. "The elders are calling for an emergency council meeting. They are asking for your attendance."
"I will be there shortly." Jocko turned back to Lina. "Please excuse me, but I've got business to attend to. I will help if I can."
"You got that right," answered the sorcerer, as Jocko left Lina to her thoughts.
Many of things were becoming afoot, thought Lina. The Mazoku were surely behind this entire mess, the loss of Aermark only confirmed the doubts she had once had. Xellos had almost been avoiding her, she knew the purple priest was up to his neck in his mess.
No matter. Whatever trouble they were in was getting more dangerous. Lives were now being sacrificed in exchange for information. Someone clearly was trying to keep a lid on everything...from what Aermark knew, to the Cloudminders and the City of the Clouds.
"Lina!" It was Sylphiel, in slightly better spirits, with Filia in tow. "Are you OK?"
"Yea, I'm fine." Lina wiped away another tear from her cheek. "Let's go soon, we haven't got much time."
"Hai."
For Lina was now on a mission. It wasn't just for Zel, and for Aermark and herself as well. She was sure that whatever was happening, would very much decide the fate of a whole lot of people. And, she thought, maybe she could pick up a couple of treasures along the way. That was almost certainly a possible, nay?
---o--o--o---
Author's Notes:
Ahh, the adventure continues...and continues...
- Incantrix
Home of the Slayers Fan Fiction Archive
http://www.slayersff.com
---o--o--o---
[Filia] {Next to a projector, dressed in cloths from the 1920's} Hey everyone, its time for a bit of a recap. {Rolls film} So far, Lina's damages have take out the chaos power of Monte Darlo and the Bridge of the Ancients. Not bad for our chaos sorcerer so far.
[Lina] {offstage} Filia, if you don't cut this out!
[Filia] So, that's Lina 2, Ancient Wonders 0
[Lina] Filia!
[Filia] {looks back from offstage} Ehm, well, never mind our friend there. She's just a tad upset at the moment. But I'm sure her anger will be returning to normal sometime soon.
[Lina] [charges onto the stage} I heard that! *FIREBALL*!
[Filia] Eeeep! {Runs offstage in fright}
[Lina] {Laughs!} Who is the foolish one now?
---o--o--o---
Slayers: Clouds!
Chapter 6:
Warning! Beware of Priests who have Information!
---o--o--o---
"Filia!" Lina was painting as she raced up the hill after the shrine dragon. "Don't you think you could wait up for us?"
"Come one, slowpoke..."
The redheaded sorcerer turned back to look for their third member of their small party, Sylphiel. Low fichus shrubs and other boulders and rocks blocked most of the view. But a few seconds later, the figure of the purple-dressed maiden popped up from behind the rocks. "Nice of you to catch up to us, Sylphiel."
The shrine maiden took a few more steps before taking refuge by leaning on a nearby rock. "I'm coming, Lina." Sylphiel suddenly got a nice jolt of steps, as she recharged herself with a quick healing spell.
"Where's Filia?" she asked, now leaning right next to Lina.
"Up there!" Lina pointed up more of the mountain path. "Tell you what-" she said, quickly grabbing onto Syphiel's hand.
"Lina! What are you-"
"LEVIVATION!"
They were up in the air in a flash. They looked at each other, and after a quick nod of confirmation, another spell.
"RAYWING!"
In a few seconds, they landed next to the stopped Filia. The dragon lady was intensely staring at the open map in front of her, with the most puzzled of faces. "Now I was sure that we should have taken a right at that inn back there, then a left at the abandoned castle, but then we should be at a lake then..."
"Filia...do you know where we are? Zel got the information from Thoth - that we were only a couple of days away from the Sheik's city." Lina was angrily tapping her foot, rather impatiently.
The shrine maiden watched the little verbal disagreement with her usual easy-going self. Ignoring them, Sylphiel took to drinking some water. There, she thought, no use in getting involved in such a matter, so let's wander around a bit.
"So why aren't we there, Filia?" tapped Lina.
"Well! I'm sure if we didn't have to stick around all morning having breakfast. We could have made it there by now." Filia was at best, trying to use the unfolded map as a shield against Lina's growing wrath. But the sorcerer's reactions were temporally tamed as best, for Lina was not buying it.
Oh well, thought Filia. Excuse number one was definitely not working. She again pointed to her map. "Look here -- its got these symbols all wrong. How am I suppose to get around on a useless map, for crying out loud."
"Filia, we bought that map three days ago!" Lina was in full rage now, the sudden sign of a lighted fireball in the sorcerer's hand spelled trouble. "Damn it, where are you taking us?"
"Umm....I don't..."
"Filia! Where in the world are we!"
"We...are..." The dragon lady looked up again, this time right behind Lina. "Right next to a temple!"
"Huh?" She stepped backwards another couple of feet, before just noticing a shadow. Over a gap in the trees, was the very top of a circular white dome of a temple, the shape clearly the sign of white magic.
"A temple to Cepheid! Oh Lina-san! How perfect!" squealed Sylphiel, as she hugged Lina in a state of happiness. Lina's angry fireball disappeared right away from the shrine maiden's glomp.
Filia added her point in. "Yea, there we go!"
The sorcerer just ducked her head in shame. "Sheech, you two see a temple to the gods and go all gooey on me. How come we can't stay at a chaos castle or-" Lina could not even finish her sentence, for the two shrine ladies had already grabbed her by each arm. They hauled the poor read-head away, feet-dragging and screaming all the way.
"I'm not going!" Lina screamed.
"But Lina," said Sylphiel, in a rather softer voice than usual. "You promised at Monte Darlo."
"Sylphiel..." Lina groaned. "Its just that Temples...well, you know I get along with white magic..." She sweated a bit, trying to give the shrine maiden a good answer.
The dragon stared back, pointing rudely with her finger. "Oh, stop being such a whiny one?" scolded Filia. The dragon lady had much preferred to do the grilling. "After all, you had better behave, otherwise I won't-"
"I'M NOT GOING!" rebuked the redhead.
"...pay for dinner." Filia shut her mouth quietly, hoping Lina had not heard her words over the sorcerer's statements.
Lina's eyes just glazed over, as she clasped her hands together above her chest. "Oh Filia! You're such a nice dragon!"
"Oh brother."
The three of them dashed up the last bit of mountain. They approached a clearing almost immediately and then a iron-clad gate. The entrance was well-manned with a couple of guards, dressed head-to-toe in light blue cloaks. The guard's overdeveloped clothing hid all of their features expect for hands and faces, yet all the fabric looked light and comfortable for the changing weather.
The group eyed the guards carefully. There wasn't much to distinguish them from any other cloaked stranger, except that each guard had an identical broach on the center-left of their chest, in the shape of a small blue-shaped tear.
Behind the black iron gates, Lina could see rose bushes flowering that lined each side of their passage. The main temple spire peeked most over the shoulder high bushes, as well as a few other scattered buildings. Lush gardens and fields surrounded the temple areas, for the sorcerer could see the countless walkways and benches surrounding the beautiful landmarks.
"So pretty!" commented Sylphiel.
The ladies immediately flagged the attention of the guards.
"Halt, strangers!" The two guards had pikes of 12 feet or more in their hands; they crossed their pikes in a cross over the front of the gate. "Please state your business at the Temple of the Water Dragon King."
"Ahh...so!" Sylphiel smiled, and said words as if they were pre-recorded. "I'm a shrine maiden the area of formally known as Sailroog. I ask for the entrance for myself and my friends."
The guards overlooked the three ladies in the party. "The blond is ok, she passes as a fellow shrine lady."
Lina was getting the attention of the other guard. "However, we will need to 'inquire' some more information from the chaos sorcerer."
"Inquire more?" Lina was a dumbfounded a bit. "What do you mean by that!? And quit looking at my body, damn it!"
"Lina! That is no way to talk to the guards of a Water Dragon's temple!" reprimanded Filia. "Shame on you!"
Sylphiel reacted quietly, her face squinting with anger as her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
The sorcerer blushed as she turned back to the guards. "Oh well, blue boy. How about if we could see the man of the house?"
"We don't get too many visitors to our temple, ever with the symposium and all." He scratched at his wrist, where his cloak edge was. He was about to reject the little redheaded sorcerer when he saw the nodding purple-haired shrine maiden just nod in the background, calming his nerves. "OK, give me a second. I will find the high priest. Watch them while I go."
"OK, you do that."
The second one opened the gate a smidgen for the first guard to get into the grounds.
The ladies sat down in the grass, dejected, as they waited for their fate.
*growl*
"Lina? Can't you control that stomach of yours?" asked Filia.
"Geez, if you didn't mention buying my dinner back there, then I wouldn't be so hungry and upset, would I."
*growl*
"Oh! Excuse me! Lina, Filia." exclaimed Sylphiel, as she covered her mouth with embarrassment.
Filia just chuckled. "Oh well, I guess we're all hungry."
Lina was exhausted. Filia had put them on strict traveling pace for the day. They were finally relaxing, as Lina leaned back into the sunny grass, depressing her body. Ah, she thought; it was time to wait and look up at the sky.
---o--o--o---
Lina looked around at her surroundings. A sunset. The valley in front of her was rather familiar. Yes! She knew it now; it was the valley from her dreams. But why was she back here?
Damn, stupidly fallen asleep waiting at the front gate. Well, serves me right. If she wasn't eating, moving, or fighting, she'd be sleeping. Funny, for Lina knew she was rarely a lazy person, but alas, she never wanted to sleep for days on end. Oh well. Fighting it was useless...or was it?
"Where is everyone this time!" she grumbled. The rest of the company was usually there with her, but this time Lina was alone, with the sun behind her, the clouds-"
A shadow crept over her position. At first, Lina thought the low cloud had already passed over her position. She felt the sting of moisture on her sitting backside, wiping it away with her hand. The wind whipped up like of an approaching storm, as she turned around to her distraction.
Eyes raced upwards. In the sky, she saw the massive base of clouds, billowing out in all directions. They didn't just move along with the air currents, but they dominated in her sight of view. The effect slowed down time as they came closer and closer.
On the very tops of the clouds were the motions of very earthly objects - water, greenery, trees and shrubs. Then, buildings rose from the mix of clouds and land, adorned with white lofty towers and overhangs.
She heard the squeal in the distance. Dragons, she heard. Lina turned around towards the other way, facing away from the City of the Clouds. She saw the flying of countless dragons as they waved around in shifting circles and groups. Their course she could see was a beeline for the City of the Clouds.
Those must be Cloudminders, thought Lina. How else could explain for the sheer Dragon-like girth of the ancient bridge? She had once seen golden dragons build such massive structures with ease. Now only if-
Her thoughts were interrupted as a bolt of blackness struck through the air. It ripped across the sky, thundering a second later. Images came into view, as Lina thought of them to be humans floating in the air - but a second later she identified them clearly.
Mazoku.
She could faintly identify the outline of a very familiar purple shape. Beastmaster Xellos. He was almost smiling in on the approaching dragons, waiting, turning. He stretched out his arms in exhilaration, cape extended and flapping in the wind.
"No!" whispered Lina, "I'm seeing Xellos..." She swallowed the rest of her words, as her eyes glazed back to the floating city.
Xellos eyes glazed over as he began to let his staff take on a ruby-red glow. Lina looked up in awe, dumbfounded by the sheer energy Xellos had at his fingertips. "No!" But her shouts were too late as Xellos fired his shot at the Dragons...
---o--o--o---
"...No! can't stop...history..."
Lina Inverse, one of the greatest sorcerers that the world has seen, the one who could scare humans and dragons alike, loved by few yet feared by bandits leaders everywhere, was curled up on the sunny hill, asleep, sucking on her thumb.
*poke* *poke*
The guards were not stupid. Touching a lady or the appearance of a kawaii little girl would be entirely forbidden by such priest-guards. Instead, they were using the opposite ends of their pikes to wake the red-headed one.
"...five more minutes...Gourry, don't do that!..."
The sorcerer's eyes flickered open gently, they then fluttered angrily. A second later, her hands were in motion, spell casting.
*EXPLOSION ARRAY!*
"EEEEK!" The two blue-robed guards went flying in opposite directions.
"Don't wake me like that!" yelled Lina. "Don't you have any respect for a sleeping beauty? Come on! I'm not some piece of meat you can poke endlessly with the back of your brooms!"
Filia and Sylphiel just stared for a second, flabbergasted. It was Sylphiel that had her open hand over her mouth, whimpering - then cracking up. Filia followed soon into hysterics.
"Lina! ...oh, you do think so highly of yourself!" The dragon maiden snickered at her own words.
"FILIA!!" But Lina's anger softened a bit as she blushed in embarrassment. "Heh..."
"Lina? Is that of Lina Inverse one must presume?" said the scratchy voice from the crowd.
"Hai! And who might you be?" Her eyes turned to the blue guards, who had split the path from the gate to the traveling companions' position. And between them was an older man, dressed in an identical colored blue cape with white trim. His short cropped hair was has white as snow, which conveniently matched his beard. "It is always a pleasure to meet the one who has saved our world, countless times." He let his voice scratch again.
Lina looked at the gentleman. "Tell me, old man. Did you have to leave us out here all day? You know, it's a big hassle-"
"Ahhh, I do apologize, Lina Inverse. But this is the week of the festivals, and we have been running an event for the last couple of days. Please accept my humble regret."
Lina was about the interrupt when the older man continued. "Perhaps...we can make up for it by providing you lodging tonight."
Lina relaxed as she her stance softened. "Very well. I guess I can accept your apology. However, we will need some first-class accommodations."
"Of course. There are lovely suite rooms on the grounds here. And the inn just outside can serve you a variety of meals."
"Well...I guess that sounds OK," said Sylphiel.
"OK? That sounds GREAT!" answered Lina.
"Oh, how rude not to introduced myself." And he bowed. "My name is Jocko Thorton, the leader of the Temple to the Water Dragon." He smiled as he lead the three ladies past the compound entrance. "I welcome you to our residence. Would you first join us in the main Temple?"
"Why sure! We've love to-" answered Lina.
"Ahhh, Lina..." Filia politely tugged over the petite sorcerer to her side. "Umm...if you don't mind - I'll stay around the grounds and meet you out here. Going to another temple of a dragon, well..."
"What?" the sorcerer asked. "What did I do this time?"
Filia blushed. "Actually, you did nothing. It's me." She pointed to herself, just above where the human heart would be. "Its just hard...you know, once being a part of a group of dragons that-"
"But you're not part of that group anymore! Why would you?"
"Lina! Trust me on this. Please?"
Lina patted her dragon friend on the back. "I totally understand. We'll meet you for dinner, ok?"
The dragon nodded in agreement.
---o--o--o---
"Ahhh, the Cloudminders." Jocko the old one leaned back in his chair, relaxing with his feet up on the desk. "I only run this temple here, Lina. Usually bedtime stories are not something I keep up with these days. I am far too busy with priestly matters."
Lina pounded her open palms onto the table. "Come on, Jocko! I know you can do better than that." She stormed away from Jocko's desk, circling around the room like a vulture. "Give me something concrete I can use!"
After a quick tour of the Temple of the Water Dragon, Lina and Sylphiel had found themselves in the lap of luxury in Jocko's private office. It was a marvelous room, with its high-domed ceiling, countless torches, comfortable seating chairs, and ancient bookshelves. The place was very classical, brightly lit with its fresco walls and countless painted images of the blue dragon.
Sylphiel was bewildered by the extravagance. "How do you have such a lovely...temple?" "Ahh, it's the Sheik in the City of the Gold Waves. At least that's what he calls it."
The shrine maiden smiled.
Jocko leaned a bit farther back into his easy desk chair. "I can see you've heard of him. Well, the sheik gave us a 'little' donation when we were starting out. And we've been happy ever since."
Lina refused to sit down and get comfortable. "Come on Jocko, please try to get back to talking about the Cloudminders."
"Hmmm..." The head priest walked over to a nearby bookshelf. "I will tell you, then. Your friend's bedtime story is very much my own life's story. When I was a kid, my brother and I saw the City of the Clouds."
The girl's eyes widened. "I was naïve little kid, barely nine years old. I had always thought it as a legend, and being raised in the strictest care at that not, was never interested in such fairy tales."
"There we were, the two of us hanging out in the fields after a long hard day. We had spent the entire day in school, being tortured by teachers with schoolwork and stuff. How I never really enjoyed school."
"Anyway, as we walked home along the dusty path, a sudden gust of wind came. We were overwhelmed by the gust as we fell flat on our faces. Twisting around, we could only look up and see the City of the Clouds floating over our heads."
Lina sat down on the couch next to Sylphiel, relaxing.
"We couldn't believe it, us normal little kids seeing something that we could have never imagined in our lifetimes. We stared at it forever, remembering it, until the floating city disappeared over the horizon. When we got home, my brother and I told our parents, we told our friends, we even walked up to strangers and told them. We even told the family goat. We told the story so many times..."
A sniffle came out of Jocko's nose as he continued. "Our folks thought we were crazy. I mean, magic is rare in these areas outside where the barrier was once. I immediately forgot the whole thing, but my brother could not. But our folks thought we were nuts, so they sent us both to seminary." Sylphiel was tearing. "That is...so sad!"
Lina just sighed. "Geez, some parents are just mean!"
"Years afterwards, I built this place on the reputation for working so long in the priesthood. The sheik helped, but this place was built by my blood, sweat, and tears. And its accomplishments are for the gods." He looked up at the ceiling. "Its now fifty years later, give a month or so. And I can tell that fairy tale that I never believed like it was yesterday."
"So, you and your brother built this place," answered Lina. "Good for you."
Jocko coughed. "No, the baka is useless, and hasn't been active in the priesthood in forty years. I support his ass a lot, but other than that..."
"OK, enough fairy tales." Lina reached into of her pocket, pulling out a piece of the chaos box, sliding it across the desk. "Tell me what you think of this."
"What is this?" He reach for the corner box artifact, squinting with his old eyes. Jocko's jaw dropped at the outline sketched in the inside of the artifact. "Oh my Cepheid. Aermark was right."
Lina looked up. "Where is he?"
"Who?" asked Sylphiel. "I dunno..."
Jocko just ran to the door. "You mean my brother. The baka genius."
---o--o--o---
"Halt, stranger!" The two gate guards had their pikes crossed in a familiar pattern. "Please state your business at the Temple of the Water Dragon King."
"I am here for the symposium," retorted the white cloaked man, "I pledge myself to the Water Dragon King." The guards could see the blue tear pinned to his chest.
"Very well, invitee. Do go in." The not-so friendly guards opened the gate for the stranger, grinning like ghosts.
"By the way," asked the visitor, "I'm looking for information on the Cloudminders. Can either of you help me to find out when that lecture is going on?"
The guards broke out into a fit of laughter. "I see, another visitor for the baka."
The other guard was almost in stitches. "Aermark is not speaking this time. His brother has banned him from the show."
"Is that so? Can you tell me why?"
The guard chuckled. "Aermark said he had visited the world inside the magical barrier even before it fell sometime last year. Nobody believed him.
"The guy is a real loon, imagine that!"
The stranger rubbed his handsome chin. "Is that so...he must have a secret, then."
"Yea, right! No one talks to the baka anymore. Poor guy, sprouting stories out of his ass."
The stranger waved. "Ah, is that so. Well, my appointment awaits."
The guards continued to snicker well after the stranger disappeared up the pathways. "Heh, nothing like another moron."
"You're telling me."
---o--o--o---
Jocko lead them down a set of worn down steps into the lower areas of the temple.
"Its like a sorcery laboratory down here," said Sylphiel.
"Yea, you're brother must be working on some important stuff."
The old man coughed. "Yea, you could say that. But of few of the younger clerics live down here as well. It gives them incentive to stay here, to learn from the wizard, they call him. My brother has barely supported himself in his time."
"Well, did you ever listen to your brother, Jocko?" asked Lina. "I mean, after all, he could have been right."
"No. I never forgave him. He just kept telling the story of seeing that blasted floating city - in sermons, to strangers, to family. No one believed him anymore." Jocko sighed. "So, I haven't believed in him for ages as well. He's part of my shame but he is family. And that's why I support his hide."
"Whatever information he shows you, well, I don't want to know." He pointed to a large wooden door at the end of the passageway. "This is where I leave you. Good luck." Ducking away like a scared cat, he old man slipped right by the two ladies back to his office.
"Lina?" Sylphiel waited until Jocko was out of range until she answered.
"Come on," she answered, dragging the shrine maiden with her. "Let's be polite visitors, shall we?"
Sylphiel nodded.
They walked up to the heavy oak door. "Well, I think we have the right place," pointed Lina. For engraved right in the center door panel was a large cloud.
*Knock* *Knock*
"...keep your shirt on, I'm coming..." The door creaked up a crack, and a very familiar face popped through the crack.
"Jocko!" said Sylphiel, surprised by the identical looking man to Jocko.
"That stick-in-the-mud brother sent you down here to harass me. Man, and what a couple of crazy get-ups you're wearing. You-" as he pointed to Lina, "almost look like a chaos sorcerer. Those jewels of yours on your shoulders are fakes."
Lina growled. "Why you...I ought to-"
"Well, how nice. Tell Jocko to leave me alone!" he squealed.
*SLAM!*
"I'm not going to be ignored that easily!" hissed Lina, pushing her partner Sylphiel away from the door.
"Lina! What are you doing!" exclaimed the shrine maiden.
"FLARE ARROW!"
The ball of fire lit out of her hand, arcing across the hallway, smacking into the wooden door and blowing it to piece. At least that's what Lina thought.
It hit the door squarely in the middle. Instead of shattering, the door absorbed the fireball almost immediately. Like when one throws a stone into a lake, it 'plinks' in before disappearing. The door reacted, slightly shuddering at the absorption of the spell, before returning to normal.
Lina shook her head at a frightening rate. "What the hell?" It didn't take long for a realization to hit her. "Damn it, I can't happen again! I can't deal with losing my chaos."
"Lina? Is something wrong?"
" FIREBALL!"
Same results.
The redhead with the fury to match ran up to Jocko's door. "LET ME IN! Damn you and that door of yours!"
"...Aaah, So you're annoyed are my brother's little minions. Don't come and make fun of me."
"AAAGGH!" Lina pounded at the door a couple of more times in fruitless abandonment. "I give up. This has been such a waste." And she leaned down next to the door via the wall sulking in disgust. "This so sucks."
Sylphiel took a few steps forward and leaned on the oaken door. "Excuse me, Aermark, is there anyway we can talk to you? We mean you no harm. Honestly." Her voice was simple and polite, full of spirit and chagrin. "Please, Aermark."
The ladies heard the click of the latch as the heavy oak door swung open. "Come in," creaked the old man, "I cannot refuse such a humble offer. But beware, you only have five minutes in interrupting my work."
Sylphiel motioned for the sorcerer to follow her into the underground room. Lina grumbled a bit, but they really didn't have much of a choice as they both came in.
"Wow..." A large fireplace took up the left wall, with a huge tapestry overhung the mantle. The rest of the room was lined with book, books, and more books. A large shagged rugged covered the middle of the room, with several high-brow chairs facing around like tall statues.
"You and that your brother really have expensive décor taste."
"Heh, I don't know if that was a compliment or a slap in the face." Aermark was standing in the middle of the room. "Now, I like to know your names, my young lady friends. I believe you already know me." Instead of the simple ornate blue tunics his fellowship brother was wearing, Aermark's outfit was brilliantly wind and outstanding. He ware a brightly red tunic, folded in with gold threads of leaves and other vines.
"You're not in...priest robes?" asked Sylphiel, almost pointing at Aermark.
"Ahh, how very perceptive of you." Aermark seemed the chuckle then laugh from the shrine maiden's question. "Even though I do not do the priestly duties that my twin brother does, I keep up by restoring and repairing magic items. Jocko doesn't really like my career choices, but he provides me with this fine underground laboratory for experiments."
Lina listened while eying the beautiful tapestry on the wall, full of all sorts of dragons - gold ones, black ones, and blue ones. "I see..."
"Now what shall he talk about, Lina Inverse?" Aermark was holding a tray in sugar cookies in front of the petite sorcerer, motioning for her to try a couple of the treats.
Lina's was a bit chocked up by Aermark's correct guess. "I see you're very observant among the inner area that was once sealed by Philbrizzo." She lifted a sugar cookie from the tray, finding it to be in the shape of a dragon. She took a bite. "Umm...at lesst theeze..ood cookies!"
"Oh, and I'm Sylphiel Nels Lahda." She giggled a bit after nibbling a bit of her own cookie. "So good!"
"Heh...I know. I'm glad you're enjoying them." Aermark turned around and placed the cookies down on the table behind him. "So, I see Jocko has hired you, for I never thought he would be so clever."
"Now wat jizt a minete!" Lina chewed her sugar cookie quickly to dust, swallowing the whole bit in one bite. "I didn't take the job! We're...errr...on another job! "
"Lina! Do you mean that we are down here for just for the money!" asked Sylphiel.
"Well...no, Sylphiel." Lina leaned a bit closer to the shrine maiden, whispering. "We're down here to get to the bottom of this - you know, Zelgadis is..." and she shut her mouth when Aermark came over and interrupted their little discussion.
The old man was tapping away with his foot, awaiting a reply. "You have one second to tell me why you're here, Lina. I tire of this and I have a lot of work to do tonight." Aermark crossed his arms, determined to hear a good answer.
Lina did not like taking orders. "You have got to be kidding! I don't take-"
"Lina!"
The sorcerer and Aermark looked over at the once quiet shrine maiden. "I'm sorry, but Lina, you're not being very polite about the whole thing here." The purple maiden's voice was more upset than anyone had ever noticed. "I don't believe you, coming in here and upsetting this kind old man. He even offered you cookies."
Lina blushed from pink to red. "Ummm..."
"Now," asked Sylphiel, "give him the piece we found on Turnip's tower." Lina grumbled a bit as she fished out the corner of chaos box from her pocket. Sneering, she handed it to Aermark.
"Hmmm..." The old man held the broken corner up into the light. "I don't think its that's special-" His words stopped as he turned the broken corner over. "An artifact!" Aermark turned around at Lina again. "Where did you get this?" he asked.
"We got it from a 'chaos' box, as one of our friends referred to it as." Lina circled around a bit around Aermark, reaching into her bag. "As I suspected. You don't know about the City of the Clouds, do you?"
"On the contrary. I know an extraordinary amount of information. I can imagine you have in your possession a small, clear quartz-like stone. It admits no magic whatsoever. And it came from this chaos box, a piece of that exact box which I'm holding in my hand."
Lina held out her over prize. "You mean, this lovely?" The clear crystal shined in the candlelight of Aermark's room. "I do imagine you've been looking for one like this."
"I can more than imagine." Aermark reached into his own pocket and removed a chaos stone of his own, seemingly identical in size and shape to the Lina's own find. "I see we both have artifacts from the City of the Clouds."
"You are very right, my friend," answered Lina.
Lina and Aermark were still wary of their information exchange. But the two finally warmed up into a peaceful conversation, with a bit more ribbing from Sylphiel at some of the finer points. It was an hour later when the three of them were finally seated around fireplace, free-floating their discussion across no boundaries.
Lina didn't tell Aermark, everything, however. She left out the finer points of Zel's transformation, while Sylphiel filled in a couple of pieces where Lina was brief.
"So, I blew up Turnip's little box, and that's why we're here to find the answers." Lina took another bite of a sugar cookie before finishing. "So, what else can you tell me about the City of the Clouds. I know you're letting me talk more."
"Ah, you are very perspective, Lina. Very well." He sighed, turning his face away for a second.
"It started a long time ago, much before you and any other humans were ever born. From the history texts, not much is known about the City of the Clouds." Lina frowned almost immediately, hoping for more exacting information.
"However, the City of the Clouds, and the Cloudminders do, in fact, date from times shortly before the War of the Monster's Fall. Most certainly."
Lina and Sylphiel each turned stark white. "You're tell me that city has been floating around for over 1,000 years! Impossible to believe!"
"Hai," said Sylphiel, "I'd have to agree with Lina on this one."
"Yes, the city is somewhere in the south Icehills, about 4 days journey from here. Its not far inland from the coast, either. There are too many artifacts and markers that point to this place, especially close to the site. However, if you go there now, the City of the Clouds will not be there.
"WHAT!" Lina's eyed flamed red. "How can that be?"
"Again, I have worked years on this. In charting journals of history, the City of the Clouds has appeared at various times in the past. And there are fake sightings by the usual wacko groups as well." Aermark pulled at a small logbook at the end of the shelf. "However, based on my research into history, I believe the city will appear over the Ice Hills in ten days."
"TEN DAYS!"
Aermark snapped his log book shut and returned it to the shelf. "Yes. You see, I first saw the City of the Clouds when I was nine years old. My brother Jocko was at my side. In return for my gift, I've dedicated my life to return to the city, to see it again with my own eyes. My brother and his kinds have made me part of their laughing stock."
"I know Aermark, but..."
"This the journey has been long and difficult. I need to prove them wrong. Even if I'm not able to fly up to it in my elder condition, my own debt to say...shall be repaid."
The girls were just silent.
"The journey...yes, the journey has been very exciting indeed..." Aermark's words seem to trail off. "You know...I've spent an eternity..." He gently coughed as he walked around the room. "I am tired, Lina Inverse. Sylphiel Nels Lahda. I shall like to retire for the night."
"But Aermark!"
Sylphiel just nodded her head. "He does sounds tired, Lina. Maybe we should come back."
"You're right, Sylphiel."
"Awe, why the long faces! I want you two ladies to please back tomorrow," said Aermark, holding the front door open. "I do have much more to tell you. Much more."
"You can count on it, Aermark." said Lina, closing the way behind her.
---o--o--o---
Filia waited outside the Temple to the Water Dragon King. Hmph, she really couldn't think of a good reason for not going in. What she had told Lina had been something of a farce, that she was a Dragon that still pledged to the her own Fire Dragon king. Although she had never thought that visiting the temple of another god...well, what's wrong with that?...she swore never to be loyal to her sect again. Maybe nothing, Filia thought, but not she was determined not let it bother her.
So, she lounged outside in the gardens. They were immaculately kept, the perfectly groomed shrubs and grass were all tended by the grounds crew of humans. They also wore the same boring light blue outfits, hiding most of their faces, arms, and expressions to Filia.
Oh well, she thought, as the dragon lady walked down the path. No one was going to be social to her, to possibly take her to dinner, or maybe put her up in their home for the night. Bleh, she already had free housing. She doubted that those gardeners really earned that much coin.
Depressed as hell with no manly dragon boyfriend, Filia sat down on a nearby bench sulking.
"Hello, my dear..." The voice next to her was older, with a wiser touch.
The dragon maiden turned to her right and found the bench was already occupied by one of the water shrine gardeners. His face was well hidden by his cloak, but she could see his older hand on a cane. Old, Filia thought, but then...
"Hello, sir..." She was intrigued, nevertheless. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it? Care to walk around instead? Perhaps with some company?"
The gentleman next to her turned to toward Filia, uncovering his cloak. "My...my...so forward, Filia-chan!"
"XELLOS!" she yelled. In one fluid motion, she flicked out her spiked mace in one hand, and shot it out at the Mazoku.
The purple priest quickly disappeared from his bench spot. Where his tush had been, Filia smashed her mace right through the thin wooden bench. Pieces went flying, splintering everywhere into small pieces all over the splendid gardens.
"For Cepheid's sake, I can't believe you would take advantage of me like that, you piece of garbage. I always suspected you would just sneak up on me to take advantage of my poor helpless yet stunning dragon body."
Xellos popped back into existence, close to the shattered bench Filia had destroyed. "Such fiery anger, Filia. Yet, with such tenderness. There is a reason I do like hanging out with you. But take advantage of you? Surely you don't think of me that low."
"Shut-up, Xellos. I wonder how you can stand such a place!"
"Yea, you would think that the water dragon priests would protect this place a bit better with spells. But alas, I can always find a way around most defensive Mazoku barriers. This place is rather enjoyable to say at least."
She let the obvious self-hating comment drop. "I'm sure you're a very resourceful one," nodded Filia. "You've got a real way with others, especially in that getup of yours"
The purple priest nodded. "In fact, I walked up right to the front door and asked for a look around the gardens. I knew they would let me in, me being a kind old man in their robes."
"Kind. Well, there's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. It figures." Filia continued to spat her words with distaste. "And what reason do I owe the displeasure of your company. Is it that your curious?"
"Ahhh, but not just curious. After all, I've been busy talking to Lina, so I thought a quick chat with you might be fruitful as well." His listener just glared up at him. "But, alas, the real reason that I'm down here."
"Yes??" Filia nodded up with her eyelids, expecting a good answer.
"That...is a secret." And Xellos just remotely smirked.
"Aaaaagh!!" She swung the mace again at the priest, missing him again as he disappeared and reappeared a couple of feet away.
Xellos pointed to where he once stood. "I do believe your aim is off, little dragon lady." He tuned and half-smiled at Filia. "Perhaps you are distracted?"
"I AM NOT DISTRACTED!" But the words rang rather hollow, for poor Filia was in a dizzy spell. She collapsed onto the grassy ground in a heap of her own dress, half hazardly placing the spiked mallet on the nearby soil. "I'm just tired of traveling, that's all. I wish I was home at my inn, with Valgaav. Even Juras, I can't believe I miss the baka. I wish I didn't..."
The Mazoku sat down right next to Filia on the grass. "You mean, you having to come down here?" Xellos placed his hands folded under his chin. "Oh, I must hear this! Please do tell me why you're here with Lina."
Damn, cursed Filia. I can't keep anything to myself. Now I'll have this piece of garbage following me all throughout my trip, just making my life miserable. She shuddered at the thought. Oh well, there's always...
She turned back to Xellos. "I'm here going the sheik's city, to sell my vases. I heard they could fetch a hefty overcharge down on the lower coast, now that the barrier has been broken. And I heard the sheik would pay a lot for exclusive artwork."
"Ahhh, so." The purple priest nodded to the answer. "But I'm afraid that's not the real reason that why you're down here."
Filia was in disbelief. "Shame on you to think I was 'up to' something, Mazoku. I'm not usually that honest." But her words were rather quiet and self-spoken, almost to herself.
"I don't believe you. In my existence...well, I've perhaps exaggerated a bit, stretched the truth, and have kept quiet." Xellos paused for a second, picking out his words carefully to Filia. "But, alas...I've never lied."
The dragon's flush went from rose to deep red. Her throat was suddenly very dry, for she could barely utter a single word.
Xellos stuck his head a bit closer, grinning like a ghost. "My, my...my little dragon. I never thought you would be more intriguing to me...after all, you've become...cunning."
"AAAGH!! I don't have to answer to you, Xellos!" She pushed him back with the palm of her hand, right back into the opposite corner of the bench.
He stumbled off the bench, tumbling on the grass in a bit of sarcasm. After a pop in and out of the Astral plane, Xellos was on other side of the bench, right behind Filia's opposite side.
"The City of the Clouds," he whispered in her other ear. "I will tell you a little secret, however. I was there. I was there on the orders from my master."
Filia's jaw dropped.
"And what a wonderful battle it was, for I had taken out a squadron of them with one shot. They had such incredible power, for taking out so many of my brethren."
Xellos undoubtedly clashed his words together in statements. "Those miserable Cloudminders, always thinking for themselves. It amazing that they have survived for as long as they have."
She just stared away, dumbfounded by Xellos' news.
"But then, little Filia, why are you down here. Ahh, perhaps to help Lina on her mission of mercy." Xellos switched around as whispered into Filia's other ear. "I think not."
Filia suddenly turned bright red. "...How...could..." She turned around in the direction of Xellos. "But! You can't-" But Xellos was already a fart in the wind, gone from sight.
The dragon lady shook herself. No way, she thought, could that sneaky bastard know the truth. But he was there. He knew it all. If he was there, then what did he know now?
"Filia!"
"Lina! Sylphiel! Where have you two been?" she asked.
"Ahh, talking a lot and trying to figure out all this mess," answered Lina. "By the way, aren't you going to buy us two dinner?"
---o--o--o---
Xellos flashed himself quietly into the Aermark's room, right behind a dusty set of shelves. It was late into the night, very close to the upcoming sunrise. He petered around the bookcase corner, looking for an excuse to maybe get rid of a guard or two. Stretch and feed off of some anguish. Alas, Aermark left his quarters bare of any assistants, helpers, or even other golems to help him complete his tasks. He had already guessed that Aermark was not very much of the trusting type, but more of the fruitcake type than anything.
He peeked out from around the corner of the bookshelf. There was Aermark, his back to Xellos, standing up and working on a current lab project. The heavy wooden table was endlessly lined with experiments, some in clear cylinders and jars, others with chemicals floating in liquids other than water. Aermark's attention was on a series of experiments, for Xellos could see he was busy scribbling away notes in his small log journal.
"Hmmm..." whispered the mysterious priest, "I would thought after Lina's visit, he might have rested. I guess not."
Aermark had finished his mix of ingredients in a small wooden bowl. He gently poured the contents over a crystal that was on his wooden counter.
Xellos watched as the white liquid from the bowl slowly drip onto the clear sliver of crystal. After a few drops, Aermark set the bowl down and held his open-faced hands over the crystal.
The wizard-priest spoke a few words that Xellos could barely pickup with his ears. Chaos words! And they were in dragon tongue! Xellos immediately smiled a bit, not recognizing the spell but nevertheless understand the complexity of the spell.
The drops on the crystal glowed lovely white for a couple of seconds. Then, as soon as it had began, the drops disappeared as they seeped into the crystal.
"Yes!" cried Aermark, "It is...possible!" He stared at the sitting crystal on the table, congratulating himself for a second, unable to do much else.
Xellos came out from behind the bookshelf, his staff ready and high into the air. He smirked a bit, thinking how he would tear into the poor man, after a good scare or two. Whatever projects he was working on, those secrets that Aermark only knew would soon be his to command.
*Knock!* *Knock*
"Coming! Keep your shirt on!" shouted Aermark, annoyed by the latest disturbance. "You had better have a good reason for visiting so late at night!" The wizard-priest was quick on his feet, he had already shuffled out of the room leaving Xellos alone, sweatdrop and all.
Damn it, thought Xellos, I was just about to scare the living daylights out of him and he gets a visitor. Oh well, at least he could hear the conversation at the door.
"...Aermark Thorton the wizard-priest?"
"...yes? Can I help you?"
"Forgive me, kind sir," gruffed his visitor. "I have traveled for endless days and nights. My quest is of a humble one, for I am in need of information on the City of the Clouds."
"Ah, another one. Well, you might as well come in, I'm sure you'll like my sugar cookies just like my other earlier visitors."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you kind sir." Xellos could hear the door close as the Aermark and the stranger settled in the foyer.
"Guess I'll just have to wait it out," murmured Xellos. He looked on the wooden counter and saw the clear quartz-like crystal shine in the candlelight. The sucker practically had on a 'steal me' sign, so Xellos scooped up the prize and placed it in his satchel.
"...so, you believe the City of the Clouds will be here. I heard you are leaving soon."
"You've been asking around the Temple, I see. How very intuitive of you." answered Aermark. "In less than two weeks, to the far south. It shall be there. I'm first going to see the sheik, however..."
"...I see, and you're sure about that."
"Uh-huh. Quite sure about it. I even told those ladies - that brunette shine maiden was so nice to me, I shall really try to have her here for a fellowship." A plate or two shifted around. "Sugar Cookie?"
The stranger coughed. "No, thank you. Now, perhaps you could give me the chaos stone in your possession? I believe its back in your lab."
In utter shock, Aermark dropped his plate of cookies onto the wooden floor. The poor ceramic dish shattered loudly into hundreds of pieces. "How...did you know! I've only showed it to a handful of people!"
Xellos was curious, for the stranger's questions had suddenly grown from tiresome to a very interesting line of information, indeed the stranger's voice went from innocent to interrogation mode all on the flip of a coin.
"Oh, I've been watching for this for a long, long, time. It's my job, as you know," answered the stranger, coming up to his feet.
"You're not getting the stone." The wizard-priest struggled to his feat as well, with the help of his cane. The man was obliviously in pain. "What do you want, stranger? I'm old and feeble beyond my years."
"I want the chaos stone."
Aermark tapped the end of the cane on the carpet. "You're not human, are you?"
"No, I'm not."
"Well, its nice of you to drop by and insult me. Now leave!"
"No, Aermark. Its only now that I've had to become involved." said the stranger, pacing around the room. "Its unfortunate that is has come to this....now." Xellos still couldn't see all of the action, but only the illumination of transformation magic in the other room.
"Now, WHERE IS IT!"
Xellos' eyes finally managed to peek around the corner. He saw Aermark's face horrifyingly glazed over by the stranger. The mysterious visitor's back was still to Xellos, his body soaked in a bath a red magical chaos. "How interesting..." he murmured.
"I will not give such a device to you!" shot back the old man.
"You have no choice, old man! See into me and know who I am. If you do so-"
"Who are you!" screamed Aermark.
"You know, don't you." deadpanned the stranger.
"The Mazoku's have no right! You-" Aermark's speech was suddenly cut off, as Xellos heard what was like very heavy sandbag hitting the floor. It was the stranger, swinging his own body into Aermark, knocking him to the ground.
"Baka. I have all the right," said the stranger. "I have every intention of keeping the secrets to the City of the Clouds forever sealed. No one is to go. No one."
Aermark groaned in pain on the ground, for Xellos could hear him dragging his own staff around the rock floor.
"And now that you know my identity, my friend, you shall die."
*CRUNCH*
It sounded like the crunch of dried sticks. Aermark was in too much pain to say anything else, but Xellos could hear his body gasps his last breaths of air. If he had been human, Xellos would have been sick to his stomach, indeed. But the Mazoku had enjoyed the interrogation immensely, even if he wasn't feeding on Aermark's own fears. For Xellos was quite sure that Aermark had never been so scared in his entire life.
Xellos leaned up from his hidden position, almost smiling. "Oooh, look at the time, I must be going." And in hearing himself, the purple priest disappeared from reality.
---o--o--o---
"Lina! Lina! Wake up!" Sylphiel shook at the sorcerer, who was still sleeping in her own bed well past breakfast time.
"...wha...Gourry...cut it out..." Lina slapped the maiden priest away for a second before gaining consciousness. "...What's going on, Sylphiel. Can't I get more shuteye?"
"You've got to get up. Something is terribly wrong at the temple. Jocko has already sent a messenger for us to come. As quickly as possible, Lina."
"...OK." The little redhead crawled out of bed and went over the dresser the comb her lengthy hair. "I guess breakfast is out. I'll be downstairs in one minute."
"Hai!"
---o--o--o---
They followed the messenger, a younger member of the robed priests down the stairways to the tunnel by Aermark's chambers. There were too many guards in the passage, making their second basement trip difficult.
The three ladies, this time Filia tagged along as well, found themselves just outside of Aermark's foyer door when they met Jocko. The high priest looked clearly shaken up, his cloak was dirty and his unrobed head hair was a mess.
"Lina! Thank Cepheid you made it here right away." said Jocko, clearly distracted. "I just..." Jocko's face was all red, eyes swollen so shut they could no longer shed tears. "Its my brother..."
The shock was behind Jocko, past the open oaken door. On the floor, was the sprawled body of Aermark. It had the look of being attacked by wild animals, with an extreme prejudge of anger. The force of nature had ripped apart Aermark not with a sliced weapon but with something utterly inhuman, accomplishing their dreaded tasks by ripping, shearing or tearing apart Aermark into pieces. One of his hands was partly holding onto one of his dragon cookies, clearly crunched and stained with blood.
But the most frightening part of all was Aermark's face. It was not the expected expression of pain and suffering, but the face of utter and desolate fear.
"How..." Lina fell to the ground. "...inhuman."
Sylphiel saw the sight right behind Lina. She could only prevent herself from gagging right there by turning away as quickly as possible, burying her crying head right into Filia's chest.
"There...there..." Filia patted the other shine maiden on the back, hoping to relieve her pain.
Lina turned her attention back to Jocko. "You don't think we did this to him, do you?"
"No, of course not. But the body is still strangely warm to the touch. The blood on the wall is dry, however - so whoever did this was here a few hours ago and not before."
The sorcerer turned back to room, taking a couple of steps in with Jocko quietly following her. "Only a man-beast or a Mazoku could do such a thing. Whoever did this, is hot on our trail as well."
Jocko sorely nodded his head.
Lina attention flashed for a second as she scanned the bookshelves. "Jocko, please don't mind me, but I need to take something of your brother's. If you don't mind."
"No, please, go ahead."
Lina moved her fingers along unlit she got to a very small book. She tugged it out with her index finger, opening up the small volume. "Yes, its here." And the sorcerer started reading...
"Anything, Lina. I'll do anything to get to the bottom of this." Jocko coughed as his voice trailed off. "But I think you should also see the lab."
"Huh? Oh yeah..." Jocko led Lina down a passage beyond the foyer into a much larger room. "There used to be a lot of junk in these lab rooms. Most of it Aermark was repairing for nearly towns and cities."
"What a mess." said Lina.
The laboratory had been trashed. The floor was littered with broken glass beakers and countless experiments. The beaker liquids all conversed, looking like a pool of dried mud. Shredded papers were everywhere.
"What in Cepheid's name was he looking for?"
"This." Lina fished around in her pocket and showed Jocko the quartz object she had obtained from her adventures in Monte Darlo.
"No..." Jocko stared at Lina's crystal for a bit. "I know that my brother had one, he even showed it to me one time, but I dismissed his findings as childish fanfare." Jocko looked even more puzzled now. "We've already done a search, but didn't find another key, Lina. I don't know where it is."
"Key?" she asked.
"Yes, I believe my brother mentioned them as chaos stones. But he also called them clouds keys. Mind you, we all thought his names for these inanimate objects was just nuts."
"Heh, I can understand." She took her treasure back and hid it again among her own self.
"Sir!" It was one of the many guards from the temple. "The elders are calling for an emergency council meeting. They are asking for your attendance."
"I will be there shortly." Jocko turned back to Lina. "Please excuse me, but I've got business to attend to. I will help if I can."
"You got that right," answered the sorcerer, as Jocko left Lina to her thoughts.
Many of things were becoming afoot, thought Lina. The Mazoku were surely behind this entire mess, the loss of Aermark only confirmed the doubts she had once had. Xellos had almost been avoiding her, she knew the purple priest was up to his neck in his mess.
No matter. Whatever trouble they were in was getting more dangerous. Lives were now being sacrificed in exchange for information. Someone clearly was trying to keep a lid on everything...from what Aermark knew, to the Cloudminders and the City of the Clouds.
"Lina!" It was Sylphiel, in slightly better spirits, with Filia in tow. "Are you OK?"
"Yea, I'm fine." Lina wiped away another tear from her cheek. "Let's go soon, we haven't got much time."
"Hai."
For Lina was now on a mission. It wasn't just for Zel, and for Aermark and herself as well. She was sure that whatever was happening, would very much decide the fate of a whole lot of people. And, she thought, maybe she could pick up a couple of treasures along the way. That was almost certainly a possible, nay?
---o--o--o---
Author's Notes:
Ahh, the adventure continues...and continues...
- Incantrix
Home of the Slayers Fan Fiction Archive
http://www.slayersff.com
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