Hooray! Chapter 8! (hands out Paradise-ade to reviewers) And now, on we go!
Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers.
Chapter 8: The Final Threshold
Zelgadis stretched his arms and legs with a yawn. "Ahhh, the sea!" he sighed with pleasure. Xellos was eating lobster with glee beside him. "And with the sea comes SEAFOOD!" the Mazoku shouted. Amelia and Naga were tanning on the other side of the ship. Life was going good. However, they still had a mission to complete. "How much longer until we get to the North Mountains?" Zelgadis asked a nearby sailor. "Oh, about a day or two. That's if the weather stays good." The man replied, and continued on his way. Xellos ate the last shrimp on his plate, and headed over to the kitchen to get a refill. "You know, we really should train a bit before we hit land. After all, Phibrizzo may want to fight." He called to Zelgadis, who nodded. "Yeah, let's do that!" the Chimera called back. He began eagerly stretching again. One never knew what sort of attacks Naga, Amelia and Xellos could use or create.
"FREEZE ARROW!" Naga yelled as Amelia leaped in front of her, preparing a fireball. Her sister's attack was frozen solid. "AAH! Flare Arrow!" Amelia screamed, and fired her spell. Naga went flying into the sky, her body slightly burnt. Up above, Xellos and Zelgadis were in a stalemate: They were both two close together to use and melee attacks or spells. Several sailors were watching the fight with interest, some even cheering the duo on. Zelgadis suddenly kneed Xellos in the chest, knocking the Mazoku's air out of him. "O-oh yeah?" he yelled, and calmly cast a Dark Claw at the Chimera. Zelgadis quickly dodged it, but not before it singed his shirt. "Ouch." He muttered, and cast a Gob Flare in the Mazoku's direction. However, it missed, and instead knocked a rather large chunk of the captain's cabin away. "Ohhh boy…" the Chimera groaned. Xellos teleported beside him, and calmly made the chunk go back to it's proper place. "No need to worry. These sailors won't think anything of it." He chirped. "Why?" Zelgadis asked, looking down at the sailors. "Because I just erased their memories of this incident." Replied Xellos, whose head was beaded in sweat. "You okay?" the Chimera asked, shocked, as his friend slowly slumped down to the boat. "Yeah, I'm just…tired, that's all. I need to rest."
A few hours later…
Naga had eventually returned, though she was still a bit singed. She brought with her a map for the North Mountains. "See, there's a hot spring in the south, and a village to the east. The west is dominated by a harbor, and in the north is Phibrizzo's Temple. At the rate we're going, we'll be at the Mountains by nightfall." she instructed. Xellos rubbed his hands in anticipation. "I can't wait to get there!" he grinned. Nodding, Zelgadis pocketed the map, barely perceptively jerking his head towards the captain. The foursome made a big show of acting like delinquents: joking, eating, talking about their schoolwork and how tough it was, and flirting with each other. They had often did this for the past few weeks on this ship, as they wanted their mission to be kept secret. As the captain waddled past, they went back to their original talk. "I gathered a bit of information about this Lina girl as well. You know, the fiancé of Phibrizzo? Well, as it happens, her father was a great merchant, and was known by all as a seller of the best of everything. Then, several years ago, he stopped making his rounds. People who passed by his house found it empty. There was a Death Orb on the doorstep. We all know what that means.
Anyway, apparently he had two daughters: Luna and Lina. Luna is currently working in Phibrizzo's kitchens, and Lina…well, we know her 'duties'. She's about your age, Zel. And Phibrizzo's even got a wedding dress picked out for her. The wedding date is in a few days now. I think he plans on us being the witnesses." Naga whispered, chugging down another pint of ale. "How on Earth do you know these things, Naga?" Amelia gasped in awe of her sister. The elder Seiruun princess grinned and said "You learn many things from perverts, if you say the right things, and warn them that you'll blast them into the sun if they don't tell you what you need to know."
That night…
Xellos and Zelgadis stared gravely at the map that Naga obtained. "It's gonna be rough, pal." Xellos warned the Chimera. "Do you think you're ready for it?" Zelgadis grinned at his friend. "Hell, yeah. After all…this Lina…she seems interesting. When we beat Phibrizzo, I'm going to bring her back to Sairaag to live with us." Xellos smiled back and nodded. Soon they were fast asleep, the map tucked into Zelgadis' pocket once more.
Amelia and Naga sat watching their two friends. "Hah! Have ANOTHER girl live with us? Preposterous!" Naga said with a huff. Amelia shrugged. "Well, either way I couldn't care less." She said. "WHAT! And have your man stolen from you!" Naga raged. Amelia blushed. "Zel is NOT my man!" she raged. Naga ignored her. Amelia blushed even deeper. "O-oh, shut up…"
The next day passed without much excitement. When the Jolly Penguin finally landed at the "Black Harbor", Zelgadis and co. were ready for anything that might come their way. "Thank you very much, sir." Xellos said, and gave the captain 12 gold pieces for his trouble. Shouldering their packs, the foursome headed up the silent streets towards their destination, only a few miles away…
Hours later…
Zelgadis, Xellos, Amelia and Naga were panting in front of a black gate. "We'd better…rest up before we enter…" the Chimera gasped. The others nodded, and flopped onto the ground. "How much food do we have left?" Xellos asked. Amelia uphended her bag of provisions. "Nothing." She gave a dry smile. Naga and Zelgadis had likewise. Xellos pulled out two stale oatmeal cookies and sighed. "These aren't much good. They'd make good slingstones, though." He chuckled wryly. "No food at all…not a bit…" Zelgadis wheezed. Naga suddenly fell over, trying to laugh. "OHO…oh, I can't do it. I'm too tired…" she gasped. Lying down, the foursome stared upward at the black gates. Their destinies lied beyond it, if they still had the strength to walk. They were just about to lose conciousness when the gate opened, and an unseen force whisked them all inside…
Is it good? R&R! I'll give you Naga's map if you do!