Chapter 5

Mistaken Identity

"I can't believe you dolts lost her!" Luke roared as they entered their camp.

"But Boss..." Frank said rather nervously. "You were in the lead..."

"Be quiet before I shoot you!" Luke fumed while kicking the grass.

"What do we do now boss?" Charlie asked.

Luke was still tense, but slowly regained control. "I don't know. We won't get our money unless we kill her."

Damn! This was frustrating! Since when did murder become so complicated?

"Let me have a drink then I'll think of a new plan..."

A whip sprung out from behind!

It tackled and tied around Luke's neck like a cobra. It was pulled and Luke fell flat on his back. His eyes swirled as his brain took in what had just happened.

In an eye blink, a gun was staring him in the face. Holding the gun was a Lina, grinning like a maniac. "Welcome home!" she sang.

During this, Gourry pulled his gun on the other two. "Throw down your guns!"

Spellbound by the sudden attack, they threw away their weapons.

Luke was shocked. They had been ambushed by a girl!

"Who are you!"

"Calamity Lina!" she stated proudly.

"...The coyote spooker?"

Luke gained another bump on his skull. "Don't make me shoot you!" Lina hissed. "Where's your hostage!"

Beads of sweat streamed down Luke's brow. "No idea what you mean."

Lina drew in closer. "Don't play dumb! You guys abducted Amelia Wil Tesla Seyrune! So where is she!"

Luke squirmed like a worm in a hawk's claw. Damn! Now what was he supposed to do? She wasn't going to believe anything he told her...unless. Yes! That would work! It was time to get a little payback.

"We don't have her anymore. Some other guy took her."

Lina frowned. "Other guy?"

"Yeah! He took her from right under our noses! He's planning a big ransom."

"But boss, that's not..." One sharp look from Luke shut Charlie up.

Gourry raised an eyebrow, but Lina's gaze never wavered. "Are you telling me that Amelia was kidnapped AGAIN from you guys!

"Uh...yup..."

Lina resisted from clobbering him. "What kind of kidnappers let their hostage be taken by another guy!"

"Apparently lousy ones." Gourry muttered.

Lina sighed. "Alright, where did THIS GUY take her?"

"To the next town...I think.."

"Tell me what he looks like and I want a full description!"

In a normal situation, Luke would have asked for money in exchange for this kind of information, but he wasn't willing to taunt the crazy whip-using female.

Once she had the information, Lina was satisfied. She allowed Luke to sit up, after she snatched his gun away.

"Gourry, tie those guys up. I'll tie up this one."

"Sure, but what do we do after that Lina?"

"Simple, we go into town and find that guy who took Amelia. We won't get the rest of our money if we don't!"

Gourry nodded as he tied their captives hands together. As he finished, Gourry made sure to search their pockets, in case they had any hidden knives they could use to cut themselves free.

He didn't find any weapons or anything, but he found a scrap of paper.

Curious, Gourry took it and his eyes narrowed seeing it was a letter.

"What's this?"

"Uh...Nothing! Really!" Frank replied.

Gourry wasn't convinced.

The letter didn't contain that much. Just a train schedule and a few directions on where to go. The handwriting was what bugged him the most though. The style looked familiar, but where had he seen it before?

It was written in a fancy manner, too fancy for Gourry's tastes. Most crooks didn't bother with neat and clean penmanship skills. So who wrote this?

Gourry pocketed it. No time to dwell on it now. He would just show it to Lina later when he thought of it. Maybe she could identify it.

He and Lina then quickly got on their horses with the tied men in tow. They would have to hurry if they wanted to save Amelia soon.


Amelia and Zelgadis felt more at ease once the kidnappers were no longer in sight.

Rocky had also unwound and slowed down into a trot, like he was taking a stroll in the park.

Amelia admired the wild surrounding.

A jack rabbit popped its head from a hole. It stared at Amelia and she giggled as the creature quickly retreated back into it's burrow. "This is nice." she thought. "I've always wanted to see more of the wild and not just through a train window."

"Enjoying the scenery?" Zelgadis asked suddenly.

"Oh yes!" Amelia replied. "I don't get to ride a horse often like this. I usually travel by carriage or train. So this is a big treat for me!"

"I see." replied Zelgadis.

"I wish my father was here. He loved to study wild life too."

"Then perhaps once you get home you and your father can..."

There was an uneasy silence. "...He died a few months ago."

The hermit tensed, regretting ever having brought it up. "I'm sorry to hear that. You must miss him."

"I do." Amelia said, solemnly. "Actually, you probably heard of him He was a little famous."

"Oh? Who was he."

"Philionel Seyrune."

Zelgadis almost fell off of Rocky. "Philionel Seyrune! The politician!"

"That's right."

Zelgadis racked his brain to remember. He had indeed heard about him. The man was known for his ideals regarding justice and the law. He had also heard the many rumors of his daughter who was supposed to inherit the Seyrune estate and fortune.

He whirled his head around. "You're his daughter!" Zelgadis wanted to confirm this fact before he fainted from sheer shock.

Amelia was puzzled by the sudden odd mood. "Yes..."

"Why didn't you mention that before!"

"It never came up until now and you never asked!"

Zelgadis sweat-dropped. "Didn't it occur to you that you getting your inheritance is the prime reason those men were after you!"

Amelia sheepishly blushed. "It did cross my mind, but I couldn't think of who would want to kill me!"

"What about your other relatives?"

"There aren't many left. My mother died when I was a child and my older sister left a little later. The only living relative I have left now is my cousin Alfred, but I know he wouldn't want to kill me."

Zelgadis wasn't convinced.

"What about you Mr. Zelgadis? Do you have any family?"

The hermit frowned. "No. My parents died years ago. I used to have a grandfather, but he died a few years ago."

Amelia suddenly wished she hadn't asked. It was painful to talk about her father's death, so she imagined is must just be hard for Zelgadis as well.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up."

"No need to apologize. It's not a big deal."

Amelia gaped. "But it is! Aren't you lonely without a family?"

"I get by fine." he replied ruefully.

Amelia sighed. "I doubt 'fine' means to live in a shack in the middle of nowhere alone as a hermit." she thought.


Zelgadis stiffened and his grip tightened on the reins. They were approaching the town.

There was going to be more gossip about him. He just knew it!

The moment Rocky went past the welcome sign, Zelgadis could swear he could hear the hushed whispers. It occurred to him that wearing a disguise might have been a good plan, but there were people in this town that loved to gossip on strangers even more then their neighbours.

Either way, Zelgadis was doomed and would not be able to get away scot-free without anyone seeing him.

"If we don't stay long, there will be less to talk about!" Zelgadis thought. He hated coming to town!

However, it appeared that someone up there decided to give him a break and the streets were not busy for the time being. Less chance of him being seen by prying eyes.

Zelgadis eased Rocky to a halt. He jumped off the saddle and helped Amelia down as well.

"This looks like a nice town." Amelia commented.

"We won't be here for long." Zelgadis replied. "I just need to gather some supplies and new horse shoes for Rocky."

The horse snorted.

"Don't glare at me like that! You're getting new shoes whether you want to or not!"

Rocky snorted of what seemed to be a grunt.

"Mr. Zelgadis, could you tell me where the nearest tailor shop is?"

"Why?"

Amelia slightly blushed. "Well, the dress I'm wearing is too dirty to clean and I need something more appropriate for our trip."

The hermit couldn't argue against that logic. Amelia's once sunny dress was covered in grass stains and dry mud, not to mention that have the lace on the hemline was gone as well.

"I see." Zelgadis pointed behind him. "Mr. Jones's shop is across the street. He can get you new clothes. Do you need money?"

Amelia shook her head. "I still have plenty of my own left. I won't be long."

"In that case, I'll go get the supplies while you're gone and meet you back here."

Amelia nodded and dashed off to the tailor's.

Rocky snorted again.

Zelgadis gave a tired sigh and glared. "Would you quit grumbling already!"


"So what kind of clothes do you need Missy?" asked Mr. Jones.

"Hmm...I'm going to be riding on horse back for a while, so I'm not quite sure.."

Mr. Jones stroked his beard. "May I recommend pants and perhaps a shirt and vest. It's not it's probably not the most proper thing for a young lady to wear, but I think it would be the most sensible for your situation."

Amelia nodded. "That sounds perfect."

Mr. Jones ventured into the back room and returned with Amelia's new clothes.

"These should fit you. You seem to be the same height as my daughter, so I make sure to have clothes in small sizes."

"May I change into them now?"

"Certainly!" Mr. Jones handed the clothes over to Amelia. The girl grinned and went into the small changing stall.

As she began to unbutton her dress, Mr. Jones suddenly said "I must say I was surprise to see you ride in with Zelgadis."

Amelia pulled her new shirt over her head. "You know him?"

Amelia heard a chuckle. "Oh yes! I've known him since he was a little boy."

She tightened the belt around her waist. "But why were you surprised to see me with him?"

There was a brief pause. "Let's just say he hasn't had the greatest experience with women." Amelia's ear caught a small sigh. "I wonder if his broken heart will ever mend."

That threw Amelia off. Broken heart? What did he mean by that? Was Zelgadis in love with a girl that didn't feel the same way? That would explain his behavior somewhat.

Amelia slipped on the vest. "Too bad it's too personal to ask." Amelia mumbled to herself. There was no way she could ask him about his love life. It wasn't really her business and she didn't want to make him angry again like when she read his novel. Amelia frowned as she finished changing. Was there anyway she could get closer to him?


Meanwhile, Zelgadis was going over his list of supplies. "I wish Amelia would hurry up. I want to get out of this town as soon as possible."

"Mr. Zelgadis!"

"Speak of the devil." He glanced up, then choked. Amelia had look attractive before, but now she was even more lovely in her clean new blouse and pants. He fought against an oncoming blush on his cheeks and adverted his gaze to Rocky. The horse seemed to be snickering.

Amelia twirled around to show off her new outfit. "How do I look?"

"Very...nice." Zelgadis muttered.

"Were you able to get the supplies?"

"Yes, but I still have to get Rocky's new horse shoes."

Rocky snorted unhappily.

Amelia giggled. "In that case, I'll take a look around town if you don't mind."

"Alright." Zelgadis replied. This was actually a better plan. It would be better if the town didn't see them walking around together. There was less chance of them gossiping about what he was up to that way.

Amelia smiled, unaware of Zelgadis's hidden motive. "Great I'll meet you in a an hour?"

"Make that 2 hours. Rocky's in a stubborn mood today." He looked to Rocky. The horse glare. "This is going to be a long trip."

Elsewhere in town, Lina was currently grumbling to Gourry. "I can't believe that sheriff didn't give us more money for those guys! What a cheapskate!"

Gourry shrugged as they strolled down the street. "Well at least we found out more about this Zelogdis guy."

"It's Zelgadis, but it was only SOME information. The only thing we learned is that the only guy who goes by that name around here is the town's local hermit." She kicked the dirt road. "And we're not even sure if the guy who took Amelia and this Zelgadis are the same person."

"But the kidnappers said that the man who took her lived in a canyon, and the sheriff said that the only person who lives there is this Zelgodis."

"It's Zelgadis!"

"Whatever. Anyway, we don't have anything else to go on."

Lina sighed. "You're right, although I can't believe I said that." She threw a fist in the air. "If we want any chance of getting paid, we have no choice but to find Zelgadis, in order to rescue Amelia!" She pulled her hat over her eyes. "Problem is he could be anywhere by now, who knows how far he's gotten. It's going to take forever to..."

Gourry suddenly shoved Lina into a narrow alley.

Gourry quickly dove in after her, and peeked around the corner, oblivious to the glare Lina was giving. "Gourry!..."

"Quiet!" he hissed. "I think I just found Zelgadis."

Lina's glare dropped along with her jaw. "Where! And how do you even know it's him! We've never even seen the guy before."

"See those two men in front of the blacksmith's shop? I just heard the older man call the younger one Zelgadis."

Lina couldn't believe it. She peeked around. The man did seem to fit the description the kidnapper gave, but she still couldn't believe how covenient this was. Either they were very lucky, or Zelgadis was very stupid to be caught this easily. She wasn't complaining either way, mind you.

"Should we grab him now?" Gourry asked.

"No. Wait until he moves away from the blacksmith, then we'll grab him."

"And then?"

Lina smirked. "Remember that old mine we passed on our way into town? It's the perfect place for an interrogation."

"Is that some kind of dance?"

"Gourry!"

"It's just a joke! You need to learn to relax."

Meanwhile...

"When will the horse shoes be ready? I'm in a hurry." Zelgadis asked.

The blacksmith, Mr. Stone, wiped the grease from his hands. "Hmmm..come by in...oh, about 2 hours. Rocky should be ready around then."

"Then I'll leave Rocky to you."

"Certainly, but is it too much trouble to ask that he behaves himself this time? Last time it took me a whole day to clean up the mess he made."

Zelgadis sighed and looked to Rocky who was acting innocently like while tied to the post. "Be good or no carrots for a week."

The horse's ears flipped back.

"Yeah, I'm that serious. I'll came back later, Mr. Stone."

Rocky huffed at his owner as he left, or as he liked to call him, his "benefactor." It just sounded better than saying owner. No one could own him! It was unthinkable!

Rocky continued to watch Zelgadis head down the street as Mr. Stone went back into his shop. There was a sudden sound of fast paced feet that came from behind the horse. Rocky's ears twitched as a man and a girl almost went running past him.

Humans! They're always in such a hurry! He didn't pay much attention to the pair, until he clued in that they were gaining on his benefactor. Still, it wasn't anything to holler about.

The pair were right behind Zelgadis. Now Rocky was a bit more concerned. Then the pair jumped onto Zelgadis.

Rocky's ear went straight up in the air. His benefactor struggled, but the pair managed to force him into a nearby alley. Rocky leapt to aid him, but his rope held him back.

Rocky pulled and tugged, anything to break free!

"Rocky! Calm down!" Mr. Stone yelled as he stepped outside.

Calm down! Zelgadis was just snatched by a couple of crooks and he was supposed to be calm and quiet about it! And why wasn't anyone else helping! The entire town couldn't be blind!

Rocky tugged at the rope. He had to go now!

Mr. Stone cursed. "Honestly! I don't know what spooked you, but if you don't relax I'll have nothing to do with you! I have no time for this!"

If Rocky was a dog, he would've growled. Fine then! He would just rescue his benefactor himself! Who else would feed him!

Rocky pretended to act like nothing happened, and stopped rearing like a mad horse.

"That's better." Mr. Stone started to untie the rope. "I'll just take you in then...HEY!"

As soon as the knot was undone, Rocky bolted and ran, shoving Mr. Stone into a water stall in the process.

The man yelled unspeakable curses at Rocky, but the horse just ran into the alley.

Rocky slowed to a trot. There was no one there, but he picked up Zelgadis's scent. The horse crept and peeked around the next corner.

He spotted the pair again, but this time the man had thrown an unconscious Zelgadis over his shoulder. The girl brought out a couple of horses, most likely theirs. The man placed Zelgadis over one of the horses and climbed into the saddle. The girl climbed into her saddle and they both took off.

Rocky wasted no time and followed them. The strangers traveled to the outskirts of town and didn't stop until they reached a mine shaft. Broken boards of wood were scattered everywhere. A beat up old mine car stood a few feet away on a track that led into the mine. Rocky kept his distance, but never lost sight of Zelgadis.

The girl and man got off their horses. The man carried Zelgadis into the mine, while the girl followed carrying what looked like a whip. Rocky hoofed the ground. It would be impossible to rescue his benefactor by himself. He needed an extra pair of hands.

Amelia! That's who he needed! He let loose a loud whiney, turned, and galloped back to town. It was time for reinforcements!


Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy with school work. I know I'm evil for leaving it at a cliff hanger, but I'm going to try not to leave you readers waiting so long this time.

I'm really enjoy writing Rocky. I think he's the most fun original character I've ever created.