"My funds should stretch for about another month or so." Lina said as she stretched her arms up as she gazed at the clouds above.
Any fears he'd had that once they left the big city things would be dull and boring were quickly put to rest. In addition to the security that came with having someone to watch his back as they traveled through rural and rugged paths she livened up the trip with her banter and humor. Neither of them was in a hurry and since both of them had a bit of money saved they took a leisurely pace and often spent afternoons gazing at the clouds.
She was lying so close to him that her body heat tickled the right side of his body, and he yearned to wrap an arm around her and draw her close and feel her pressed against him. The memory of how she felt in Halciform's mansion teased him delectably and the fantasies of her climbing on top of him were so distracting that it took a moment for him to register that she had said something, "What? Sorry, I wasn't listening."
Lina closed her eyes in annoyance, "Yeah, that does seem to be a pattern with you. Anyway, I was talking about my funds. I likely have a month left before I need to get a job."
"I'm about the same. What do you usually do for jobs?"
"Oh, the usual bodyguarding stuff. I try to avoid the guild assignments when I can because they pay like crap."
"Can they force you to work?" he asked.
"Well, I can always turn down an assignment, but it doesn't look good for one's reputation." She said as she got up, "Anyway, I guess we should get going if we want to hit a town before dark."
But they didn't make it to the next town before dark. But while sleeping under the stars was risky when you were alone, when you had a partner you were able to sleep in shifts and had the assurance of an extra pair of ears. They made dinner over the fire and then sat around it and ate and played war games over food. Since she had cooked he offered to clean up the dishes.
"Thanks." She said as she reached into her bags and got out some mending, "Now I can get this out of the way with and have a bit of time to read before bed."
"I usually like a bit of mending before bed." Gourry said, "It's calming."
"Oh, I don't mind it, I'd just much rather read. But if I try to walk around in a shirt with a rip like this I'd be indecent."
I wouldn't mind. He thought as he dried the dishes and put them in the sack, Well at least not where anyone else could see.
His mind was veering into dangerous territory again as he packed the supplies up and drew close to the fire and started to tend it. Lina finished with her sewing as the sun went down and looked at him, "I'm going to stay up for a bit if you want to get some sleep."
"Perhaps in a little bit. I'm still a bit wired." He said.
"Suit yourself." She said, and then she chanted a light spell and got out her book.
She'd not been reading long when he heard music. Somewhere close someone had gotten out a fiddle and was playing a jaunty jig. Someone joined in on the flute, and as he heard the sounds of clapping Lina looked at him, "What the…?"
"I guess we weren't as far from town as we thought." He said.
She set the book down and got up. "Come on, if it's a bandit camp we need to know."
She had a point, so he got up and they quietly followed the sounds of the music. But when they came onto the clearing they found that rather than a group of bandits it was just a bunch of young folks gathered by the ruins of a temple for a dance. "Guess it is a full moon." Lina commented.
"Huh?" he asked.
She looked at him strangely, "Back home at a full moon the younger adults would throw a dance. It's a fairly common practice. How have you not stumbled upon it?"
He shrugged. How do you explain what it is like to be surrounded by happy people when you are miserable? He'd avoided gatherings such as this after he left home. "I guess I just never noticed the connection with the moon."
"They didn't do this where you're from?" she asked, once again prodding him to talk about it. Somehow he'd always managed to dodge the question.
He scratched the back of his head, "Well, we had dances like this, but not because the moon was full or anything like that."
"So you know how to dance?" she asked.
He smiled a little as he thought of some pleasant memories from home for once. He had always enjoyed dancing, but it had been so long since he had felt like he deserved to do it, "Don't all swordsmen?"
They stopped talking and looked behind them as a small group came to the dance. "Travelers?" one of the woman asked as she eyed him appraisingly.
"Yes." Gourry said.
"You're welcome to join."
"Think we should join?" he asked as he turned to Lina, and then he panicked.
But she pushed him playfully towards the festivities, "You're on."
His heart started pounding as they reached the dance floor. But then managing one's anxieties on the battlefield gave him a lot of practice doing it here, and he somehow managed to remain cool as they stood before each other in two parallel lines. The dance was similar enough to something he had learned in Elmekia that he was able to follow along. And once the music started he found that once he broke through the anxiety he was enjoying himself. It allowed him to be close to her in a way that was protected. They would switch partners often for one thing, giving each of them an out to deny any feelings that were budding. And there were clear rules as to where he could put his hands and where he couldn't so that he could touch her without pushing things too far when it was his turn to dance with her. The feel of her pressed against him was electrifying when it happened, but all too quickly she would leave to dance with someone else, yet she would always return to him.
When the tempo of the music started to slow they both looked at each other. And while he couldn't say for sure in the moonlight, it seemed like she was blushing. If this was anything like the dances back home it was the time when people would start to pair off for the night for slower dances that would eventually turn intimate.
"It's getting pretty late." She noted.
"Yeah, we should get back to the campsite." He agreed as his heart sank a little.
"Right," she said as she turned and walked away from the festivities and he walked beside her. "It was fun."
"It was, wasn't it." He said with a smile.
"I'm surprised that you haven't done this often, with footwork like that. Though I guess it comes with the territory when you're a swordsman."
"I should get back in the habit." He said.
She looked up at the sky and smiled as she commented, "Well, the full moon will be back."
It would be a long time before they would be able to dance again. Unbeknownst to them both their involvement in the defeat of Shabranigdu had drawn their existence to the attention of some powerful enemies, one of whom was about to catch up with them. Meanwhile, they were merely wanting to enjoy their dinner in peace.
And when Gourry woke up, his hands bound behind his back and his surroundings unfamiliar, his first thoughts were of confusion over why someone would want to tie them up and abduct them. And he quickly put the questions out of his mind as he focused on where they were and how well guarded they were. He took a deep breath and focused on detecting any movement he could along with anything that could give him a clue as to where they were. And it was easy to conclude that they were in some sort of warehouse. As for people, the only presence that he could determine other than Lina (who was asleep) was of the two men in the room guarding them.
One of the guards was noticeably anxious. The other…Gourry didn't like the way he was looking at Lina. Still, they were obviously civilians with no training. Gourry wasn't quite sure how they'd been captured. One moment they'd been enjoying a meal in a restaurant, the next he had woken up here. But he would have to worry about that later. Because if he weren't tied up it would be easy to get out of there. And he had been tied up well, likely because the men knew that if he weren't they would be in serious trouble. But because he was he would have to think of something and…
Lina started to stir and tried to talk, her voice muffled by a gag. "You awake, Lina?" he asked.
"Looks like the girl's awake." The lecherous guard said.
"Yeah…" the nervous one said, "But she doesn't look dangerous."
"That's what makes her scary! So you will let your guard down!" the lecherous one said.
The nervous one nodded, and Gourry decided it was time to try to figure out what happened, "Hey guys, would you mind telling us what's going on here?"
The guards were obviously shaken by how casually he had asked the question, and Gourry wasn't sure what to make of it. Other than that if they were so easily rattled then perhaps he could turn that into some advantage somehow?
"Don't play dumb with us!" the lecherous one flared defensively.
"Don't waste your time with them." The anxious one said.
"As for the girl, it would be a shame to just hand her to the authorities." The lecherous one said.
Authorities? Gourry looked at Lina and he couldn't ignore the fact that they hadn't been traveling together long and that she did like to find trouble. "What did you do?" he asked.
But she looked at him with the same question in her eyes. And before he could think too much on it the lecherous guard said, "They're just gonna hang her or something. Who's gonna care if we have a little fun with her first?"
I would, Gourry thought as his stomach twisted. Lina seemed just as clueless as him about why they were here, but even if she had done some reprehensible she didn't deserve that. He quickly thought through his options as the lecherous guard worked the anxious guard up to it. These men were not confident. They didn't even seem to know why the authorities wanted them. He could try to ram them while tied up. If there was one of them he would be more confident. But if he could find a way to rattle them a little he was fairly sure it would be enough to stop them.
"Stop!" Gourry said as they moved towards her. It was easy to flood and channel all of his anger into his voice in moments like this.
"Or what?" the lecherous guard tried to sound confident but he couldn't hide the tremble in his voice.
Stall for time. Until he could think of something! "I will say it again! Do not touch her! Or…"
"If I do?"
"You'll catch what she's got." Gourry said, finally thinking of something.
The men went pale, and Gourry relaxed a bit as they moved away from Lina. Would it really be that easy? But it turned out to be so as they made their excuses and left the room and even closed the door behind them!
"Looks like they're gone now Lina," he said, relief flooding through him. And for once even he'd shown he could do something to protect her! Maybe she would start to return his feelings a little or at least see that he was worth more to her than the Sword of Light and…
...She kicked him in the face.
It was easy enough to get out of the ropes once the guards had left. But despite the physicality of taking her gag out with his teeth, he was too annoyed and suspicious to be worked up by it. And Lina was trembling, obviously rattled by what had nearly taken place.
"Time to find our swords." He said once he was freed. His shoulder hurt but it wouldn't be enough to hinder him with untrained opponents.
"And an explanation." Lina said.
Gourry looked at her, "So you really have no idea why the authorities want us?"
A look of hurt crossed her eyes, "Just what do you think of me? And what about you? You never talk about yourself! You won't even say where you're from."
That much was true. And it was also true that this was not the time to have this conversation. "Let's get out of here." He said.
It was easy enough to subdue the guards. Learning that there was a bounty on both of them was as befuddling as it was illuminating. It cleared Lina of wrong doing before he'd met her and meant it would have had to have been something that happened after they had met. When they went to the mayor to get their swords it was even more confusing when they saw the amount of the bounty and the wanted poster for Zelgadis along with the even more startling news that the person who put the bounty on them was Rezo the Red Priest.
They left the town and did not say much to each other as they got a safe distance away and then set up camp. By then they were both so tired that it was easy to sleep. And when they woke the next morning all of their problems and hard feelings were there, waiting for them.
After the bounty had been put on their heads they could barely walk two miles without being attacked by some do-gooders. They were pompous and full of self-righteousness and eager to condemn them without a shred of evidence of guilt on their part. And he and Lina were both tired and exhausted. That was all true. But still…Still…
Gourry cringed as Lina cried, "Burst Rondo!"
Then she glared as she noticed his disapproving look, "I don't want to hear it! It's not like it'll hurt them! Well, not too much anyway."
He signed as he sheathed his sword, "This is no way to prove that we're the good guys."
"With the circular logic that they use it's not as if there was much hope for that." Lina said. "Besides, they attacked us first."
He didn't want to argue. What was the point? For now they had to stick with each other as they got to the bottom of this business with the bounty and Rezo, but after that they could dissolve it at any point. And the longer he traveled with her, the more attractive dissolving the partnership appeared.
I'm being too harsh, he thought to himself. Was he truly mad at Lina or just mad at the situation? And it wasn't as if he couldn't expect life to always be a picnic. And it wasn't fair of him to want to bail out the moment things got hard. But the fact of the matter was that her methods made him uncomfortable at times. She simply got too rough and he didn't like it.
But was this enough to be a dealbreaker?
When they got to an inn they ended up taking dinner in her room to minimize the chance of being recognized. He was tired and grumpy when the meal started but by the end was laughing. Even with everything going on she still managed to find a way to make him laugh and forget all of his troubles. And as he wandered over to his room he was wondering how he could have even thought of dissolving the partnership. Hard times were going to befall everyone and it helped to have someone you could laugh through them with. Even if she did go overboard at times.
And hey, didn't we all go overboard at times?
His head hit the pillow and he expected to be out quickly. He was exhausted! But it was strangely hard to sleep. And then he had to use the latrine. As he was walking back he was surprised to hear sounds from Lina's room. I guess she's still up.
He walked into his room and heard the sound of a window opening from her room. He glanced out of his own window and saw her Levitating out of her room and down to the ground below. He shook his head in disbelief as he wondered what reason would she have to leave the inn, especially now that they couldn't go too far without being accosted by bounty hunters!? What was she thinking? Was she even thinking?
It wasn't too difficult to track her down to a bandit camp and to find her in the thick of the chaos looting through the treasure. "What in the world are you doing here?" he said, not even bothering to hide the fact that he was angry.
"Hey Gourry, fancy meeting you here?" she said in that cutesy manner she had when someone, especially a man, was mad.
"There's nothing fancy about it. What are you doing here?"
"Teehee, not telling!"
"Don't bother joking!" he bristled.
"I'm huntin' bandits."
"Don't try to justify it." He said, so mad he could barely stand to listen anymore as he grabbed her, "Come on, we're getting out of here."
"M-my treasure!" she yelled as she tried to pull away, but he ended up dragging her away like a child. And while he was decidedly stronger than her he knew good and well that should she decide to hit him with a spell it would be game over for him.
But she did not resort to magic. Thankfully she gave up and started walking sullenly beside him. He was so furious he couldn't stand to look at her. "You're making a big deal over nothing." She said.
"'Nothing?'" he repeated as he continued to stare at the ground. Her words hit a nerve. All his life people had accused him of that when he'd called them out. Master Janawes was the first to suggest that he was right. And he wasn't going to let Lina deny it! "Slipping out of the inn in the middle of the night with all these people after us? How is that nothing?"
"I'm just planning for my future!" she said as he wondered what that had to do with anything. He listened half heartedly as she justified beating up bandits and taking their loot.
"You're a real spin doctor, aren't you?" he asked as he wondered yet again about the feasibility of this arraignment. Sure, it wasn't as if he was going to get righteous about beating up bandits, but her lack of concern for her own safety, and therefore their safety, bothered him. Not to mention the games she played once caught. If she had just been straight with him he'd feel a bit better at least. But he'd had enough mind games with his family to last a lifetime!
"Shouldn't you be in bed?"
He knew she was distracting him from the issue. But what was the point? Especially as separating was once again looking like a viable option. "I had to hit the latrine and on the way back I heard noises from your room and saw you leave."
But as he gave his explanation he realized something wasn't right. Lina noticed as well as she focused on the bushes ahead and called them out while he put his hand on his sword. But then from behind them a voice said, "You really don't do subtle, do you?"
As Gourry turned around two things struck him as impossible. The first being that someone had been there a moment before. For someone to have masked their presence so thoroughly from him, why, that was practically unheard of! The other thing was that Rezo the Red Priest was behind them.
A ghost? He thought wildly. But then he would sense a presence with a ghost. There was nothing emanating from Rezo.
"The wanted posters are my invitation. I'm currently staying with the High Priest of Sairaag."
Gourry's curiosity about how this was happening crumbled under the mention of the High Priest of Sairaag and the mention of an invitation. Did that mean that they would have to go to Sairaag? And if he was staying with Uruk then would that mean he'd run into Sylphiel again?
A rock formed in his stomach, "So you want us to come to Sairaag?" he asked.
"Only if you care to." Rezo replied, "But if you don't you'll live as fugitives for the rest of your days."
"That's all." Lina said, "Gourry might not mind but I'm not eager for the experience."
"C'mon, I don't want that either…" Gourry said, but he also couldn't hide that he wasn't too happy about their new destination.
"Then I shall await your arrival." Rezo said, "Trite as it may sound I do desire a reckoning."
And then he vanished. But before Gourry could process it or ask a question, they were attacked by the person who had been hiding out in the bushes. Some generic sorcerer with a ruby in his forehead who went by the name of Vrumugun. He and Lina were able to subdue him and leave him tied to a tree. And as if to drive home the point that while Lina may push the limit with the amount of force she used, killing a man in cold blood was a firm no for her. Unlike Rod or Gunther she had a good moral compass.
They did not say much as they walked back to the inn, though unlike before it was no longer because he was angry with her. They were too tired, and in Gourry's case, dispirited about going to Sairaag. It was strange. Part of him felt as though he should be happy at the prospect of seeing Sylphiel again. But he wasn't. All he felt was dread. And he could not understand why.
They didn't have much time to sleep when they got back to the inn. Both of them were anxious to get an early start and Gourry felt as though as soon as he'd fallen asleep it was time to wake up. He pushed through the fatigue and felt a bit better out in the sunlight. And a bit worse when he thought of going to Sairaag.
Sure. Someone like Gunther would have liked the thought of two women fighting over him. And Gourry did have to admit part of him liked the idea as well. But he also didn't like conflict and drama and hurting people. Sylphiel was a nice woman. She just wasn't the woman he needed. But unlike Lina, she seemed capable of returning his affections at least. And because of that there was something enticing about her.
But then he looked beside him as Lina wiped the sleep from her eyes and the desire to grab her and hold on tight rose. No, he realized. He wasn't scared that they would fight over him. He was scared that they would get there and Lina would realize how Sylphiel felt about him and want to leave him there with Sylphiel and take the Sword of Light. He was terrified at the prospect of going there and learning that she truly was only traveling with him for the sword and nothing more. That he was otherwise worthless to her.
Because despite her limit pushing, despite her manipulations and despite her bandit hunting, he cared for her deeply. Perhaps he even loved her. It had been why he was so angry when she snuck out to hunt bandits. How could she have been so careless with her own life?
He didn't have much time to worry about it though. In addition to the attacks from bounty hunters Vrumugum had (or someone who claimed to be him) had returned, along with a posse that included Dilgear and a fishman named Rahannim, that ended with him rather pathetically clinging to Lina's waist as they got away using a Lei Wing spell.
After that they decided to break out the costumes. Even if Gourry thought Lina made a rather unconvincing priestess and him an even more unconvincing sorcerer. Any warrior worth their salt would see right through them. It didn't fool Lantz for one second!
Heck, the beard Lantz had grown since he left Atlas City had done a better job of disguising him from Lina than the costumes had done of disguising them from him!
Still, despite the ridiculousness of the costumes, between that and Lantz joining their party they experienced no further trouble on their way to Sairaag. And while it was good to not have to constantly fight it also meant that there was less to distract him from his anxieties over what would happen when they reached Sairaag.
And that was getting closer. As they approached the Miasma Forest Gourry felt his anxiety grow. First it was a vulnerable spot where they would likely be attacked. But second, he knew Sylphiel liked to hang out there. Though if they were going to have to return to Uruk's place, then perhaps it would be better if he ran into her out here.
In the end it was not Sylphiel they ran into, but a rather petulant bounty hunter named Eris, who claimed she had been attacked by Zelgadis. Meaning that soon they would have more allies at least if they could track Zel down. But before they could meet up with him they were attacked again by a seemingly resurrected Vrumugun along with a giant arachnid and a demon named Vizea, as well as Rahannim and a few other beasts.
And if Gourry was honest it was shaping up to be a tough fight. Fortunately Zelgadis found them. And fortunately as well given the powerful exorcism spell that she cast that really ended up savings their butts, Sylphiel was with him as well.
But before they could finish off their attackers and get caught up, Rezo the Red Priest appeared. "Rezo!" Sylphiel spat as she stepped forward, and Gourry felt his stomach flip at the anger radiating off of her. He had never seen Sylphiel so furious! And it unnerved him a bit to see such anger from someone who had been so sweet as she screamed at the man claiming to be Rezo, "How dare you! You poisoned my father!"
Gourry's stomach knotted a bit as he wondered how Uruk was doing. And while Rezo denied her accusations, Gourry had no trouble believing them. People like Sylphiel didn't get that mad without a having a good reason. And he suddenly felt terrible for her. Sylphiel and her family had been kind to him and they deserved better than this. And suddenly being there with Lina felt like rubbing salt on an open wound.
They ended up having to retreat, and Sylphiel lead them into the tree, Flagoon. And once they were there safely Sylphiel turned to him and bowed deeply. "It has been quite some time, Sir Gourry. Pardon me for not greeting you properly sooner…"
"Hey, it's no big deal…" Gourry said as embarrassment coursed through him. But it was more than embarrassment. At the sound of her stilted, formal speech he felt the familiar sense of chains wrap around him.
Lina had her faults. Just like he did. And a life with Lina would have its challenges and adversities, just like it would regardless of who he ended up with. But when compared to the challenges that a life with Sylphiel would pose, the challenges he would experience with Lina did not seem bad at all. Sure, Lina pushed the limits, but Sylphiel enforced them. To be with Lina was to embrace a freedom he would never have with Sylphiel.
At the same time, even as she greeted him, she continued to tremble with anger over Rezo. And side by side with the clarity that there was no future with her was guilt over how that fact would be kicking her when she was already down.
"You two know each other?" Lina asked.
"Sort of." He said as his anxiety bubbled as he struggled with what to do. But one thing he did know was that he did not want Sylphiel and Lina asking questions about each other, "It seems as though you've fallen on hard times. How's your dad?"
"Her dad, wait, do you mean?" Lina began.
But Sylphiel continued as though Lina was not there, "Not well I'm afraid."
"You said something about poison?"
"I believe it was the dried bark of the vidis tree."
"Hello, Gourry!"
She sounded annoyed! But he wanted to keep the focus on the mission so he continued to ask Sylphiel, "But why target your dad?"
"How does everyone here know each other already?" Lantz exclaimed, giving notice to the fact that Lina was not the only one feeling left out. "Don't you think you oughta get the rest of us up to speed?"
"He's probably right." Lina said, her voice strangely soft. And a flicker of hope lit within Gourry that, perhaps, she cared more than she let on. Even if he hated the fact that he had likely hurt her. A sense of helpless arose over the fact that this was a no-win situation.
Sylphiel briefly explained about how he'd helped Uruk when he visited the city in the past. Gourry kept his head lowered but still watched Lina who kept her face carefully impassive as she watched Sylphiel, who then launched into an explanation of what had happened since Rezo had come to Sairaag a month ago and deceived Uruk.
Sylphiel talked about how they had been surprised to see that Gourry was tangled up in this but Rezo had said that Lina had put him under a spell and spread some other rumors about her, such as that she was really an old woman who pretended to be young. And this seemed to be the final straw for Lina who snapped, "That's not true! I'm sixteen!"
"I thought you said you were fifteen." Gourry said.
"And then I had a birthday, am I not allowed to have those?" She said as she folded her arms, anger radiating off of her in waves.
"Huh," Gourry said. He never knew the exact date of his birth but he knew more educated people did. He wondered that Lina didn't make more of a fuss over it.
Gourry wanted to say that given their current mess he could easily see how someone like Lina would be slandered, but Sylphiel quickly moved on to how her father had started to act strange and that she had reason to believe that Rezo was poisoning him, but when she brought the matter to the other priests they were thoroughly under Rezo's sway and didn't believe her. Even when he started bringing strange people and demons to the city.
Gourry's guilt returned as he understood how lonely and isolated she must have felt. It was so hard to be the only one who saw the harm someone was causing and to be unable to stop it. He knew all too well what it was like to watch a charismatic but malicious person tear your family and town apart. Could he have made this easier if he had stayed in Sairaag?
Sometimes you have to do what is best for you, even if that is bad for someone else. Yet that truth never sat well with him. It could easily be used to justify hurting people for selfish reasons.
Fortunately the discussion about how to handle the man claiming to be Rezo was enough to distract him from his guilt. Even if the outcome was settling on gathering and then cooking mushrooms. Gourry moved to sit beside Lina as they ate, trying to give her some sort of assurance on where his loyalties lay in a manner that wouldn't fan any flames. Sylphiel seemed to be keeping a close eye on Lina as she and Zel talked about the mystery of Vrumugun, who never seemed to die and also never seemed to be the same person and Lina's speculation about the control ruby on his forehead.
Which somehow lead to Lina explaining how you can hurt a demon by channeling your spiritual power into a weapon and how some things, like silver, are a more effective conduit than others. Gourry would have been skeptical, if not for the man with the long, black hair.
But Sylphiel also had an idea as she explained about a sword that had just happened to be hidden in the Flagoon that could amplify a person's will. And then to his surprise she looked at him and stated, "Sir Gourry, would you accompany me? The rest of you can remain here of course."
"Me!?" he exclaimed as he looked at Lina and felt a sense of foreboding. He did not like the idea of leaving her there when they were in such a precarious situation. But he also worried that, if she was a bit jealous, then this would make it worse.
"We really should be going. As soon as possible." Sylphiel said.
He slowly stood up and put a hand on Lina's shoulder, compelled by an urge to give her some sort of reassurance and really not liking the idea of leaving her. Or did he not like the idea of what Sylphiel would ask him when Lina wasn't around? "Don't do anything crazy while I'm gone, okay?"
"I'll be fine. Trust me."
"I can't remember the last time that worked well for me." He said, "We're heading out now. We'll be back as soon as we can."
He winked at her, awkwardly. He wanted to give her some assurance that he was on her side and that he did not care for Sylphiel the way that he did for her, but somehow he didn't pull it off right. It was not often he admired Gunther, but Gunther was so much better at this than he was.
"How have you been since you left?" Sylphiel asked once they had gotten away from the group.
Gourry shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "Well enough."
"I am glad to hear it. Master Zelgadis told me a bit about your previous adventure with Rezo the Red Priest. Have you been working with Mistress Lina for long?"
"We met a few months back, right before the incident with Rezo really." He explained.
"And she's a good person?" Sylphiel asked sharply.
Gourry cringed as he thought of the foul mood Lina had been in while they were picking mushrooms. "Well, she doesn't tolerate fools like Lantz and Eris, or even me at times! But she does the right thing, even when it's hard and dangerous."
"Oh," Sylphiel said softly as she looked down, and Gourry wondered if something in his voice betrayed him. He flailed awkwardly for something to say, some safe place to steer the conversation, when she changed the topic, "Watch your step here. It gets rather narrow I'm afraid and you have to be careful with your footing."
Indeed, the path ahead was so narrow they could no longer walk side by side so he let her go on ahead, and then it was blissfully difficult to talk between the awkward way their voices carried and the fact that he was having to pay attention to his footing. It wasn't too much longer that they came upon the sword, and as they paused so she could retrieve it he found that he was hit with a wave of anxiety. Something felt wrong and he felt a strong compulsion to be back with Lina. Sweat formed on his brow as he tried to rationalize it away. They were in a dangerous situation and it was natural to be nervous. And having to face the embodiment of his guilt in a lovely young woman did help anything. Lina was fine. His demons were just getting the better of him.
Still, there was a small amount of relief when she turned around with the sword and indicated that she was ready to go back. Yet the relief was short lived. The foreboding returned, and Gourry found himself taking a fast pace despite the risk of tripping over the roots. If Sylphiel noticed anything odd she kept it to herself as she quietly kept up with him. Once the path widened again she said, "I thought you might want to know, they have started some reforms in Sairaag and several members of the Gabriev family have been arrested for financial misdeeds."
"Well, I'm glad the city is cleaning up its act." He said softly even as he cringed internally.
"Would it have changed anything?" she asked.
"No." he said, and then he kicked himself for his brutal honesty. In his fit of anxiety he had forgotten to cushion the blow.
"I don't understand."
Gourry ran a hand through his hair as gooseflesh started to form on his arms, "That's a sign that you are a genuinely good person if you don't understand. My whole life I've seen how this sword reveals a lot about someone's true nature. And no matter how many bad people you lock up, more will be there to take their place. So the best thing I can do is make sure that this sword is never in the same place for long."
A bitter look briefly flashed across her face and then her voice wavered as she spoke, her true feelings slipping through the veneer of demure politeness she had perfected at awkward points, "I guess it's good you found someone to share a life on the road with."
"It's not like that," he said softly. And it was true. Even though he wanted it to be different, and even though he had hope that it would be in the future. But he did not want to hurt Sylphiel more than she was already hurting. "I know she's rough around the edges but she's really good at what she does and…I smell blood."
"What?" Sylphiel breathed as his stomach twisted.
Why had he left? What had he been thinking? He'd been so preoccupied with not doing anything to hurt Sylphiel that he had forgotten who he had pledged to protect! "Please not Lina…"
Had he said it out loud, or in his head? He ran as fast as he dared on such uneven ground as his unease grew as he heard the sounds of a scuffle. Time seemed to elongate cruelly as he traversed the distance to the place where the tunnel opened up. His heart lurched as he saw Lina lying on ground that was saturated red with blood! Zel was kneeling beside her trying to put pressure on the wound and for some reason Lantz and Eris were tied up.
"No!" he croaked as the air seemed to have left his lungs as he ran over to them, "No! Please tell me she's alive!"
"She's holding on," Zelgadis said as he looked at Sylphiel as Gourry knelt beside Lina and touched her shoulder and felt a tsunami of emotions crush him as he saw just how bad her stomach wound was, "Can you do a Resurrection spell?"
Sylphiel was already kneeling beside Lina and assessing the situation, "Yes. Don't worry, I will be able to heal her."
"What happened? We weren't gone for that long!" Gourry said as he grabbed her hand as a sense of helplessness overtook him. How could he have left her alone? He knew they were in dangerous territory yet he had done it! He was doing horrible with this guardian thing. It was a wonder that Lina continued to travel with him!
Sylphiel started chanting a spell as Zelgadis explained, "Somehow Lantz and Eris were caught. They have control rubies on their forehead, just like Vrumugun, and they attacked her. I managed to knock them out and tie them up but they could awaken at any moment."
Lantz… Gourry thought as a wave of anger rushed through him. At some level he realized that it wasn't fair of him but as he looked at Lina, looking so pale and frail, he couldn't help it. And while Sylphiel's assurances that she would be okay did provide some relief, it didn't change the fact that she would have been alone, terrified and in terrible pain and he wasn't there to help! After a few moments Eris started moaning as she stirred and Sylphiel stopped chanting. "She should be fine if I stop now. I am going to remove the rubies now. That way we don't have to worry about any further attacks."
Gourry bit his lip as he stayed by Lina and held her hand as Zelgadis got up to help Sylphiel. He knew it was the right thing to do but part of him thought that he would like the excuse to knock Lantz and Eris out himself just so he could say that he had done something. But he sat quietly with Lina as Sylphiel chanted a spell and freed Eris and then Lantz, "What happened?" Lantz asked.
"You attacked her! Damn near killed her!" Gourry said.
"What?" Lantz said as he stood up and then his eyes widened as he saw Lina on the ground.
"Whoever is controlling Vrumugun got you as well." Zelgadis explained. "And forced you to stab Lina."
A look of genuine horror and guilt crossed Lantz's face and Gourry found that it was hard to stay angry at him. "Oh no, I-I remember getting sleepy, I don't remember, I couldn't have…" and then he looked down at his hands, which were stained in blood and then he groaned, "Oh…no! Oh Bro' I didn't…Please tell me she'll be alright!"
"I will finish healing her now." Sylphiel said calmly as she looked at Gourry with an indecipherable expression on her face before she got beside Lina once again and started chanting.
"Do you remember anything about how whoever this puppet master is got to you?" Zelgadis asked Lantz.
He shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair as he answered in a panicked manner, "No, nothing! I wish I could."
Zel started asking him questions about what he remembered as Gourry watched Lina and tried to focus on how she would be okay. Sylphiel would heal her. She would not die. But given how cursed his life had been it was hard to truly believe that she would pull through. And then he looked down at the wound, and even though it was healing it was still awful to look at. She must have been in such pain, and nothing would change that he had failed to stop it.
Eventually Lina coughed and Gourry couldn't hold back, "Are you awake Lina? Are you okay? It doesn't hurt too much, does it?"
She nodded! It was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in a long time and for a moment he couldn't talk because he was struggling to hold back tears. Zelgadis brought her up to what had happened since she was injured as Gourry took some deep breaths to regain control of himself.
"I was worried…" he said softly once he felt as though he could say it in a steady voice. He wanted her to know that he cared.
She smiled at him. And as Lantz butted in to apologize all he could think about was how he would do everything in his power to never let her down again. And that included being present in the moment. Because they were still very much in danger. And thus assured that Lina would be okay he returned to scanning his surroundings, waiting for anything that signaled the arrival of impending danger.
When the next attack happened, Gourry was ready. He called a warning to the others as their hiding place was invaded. He and Zel would need to draw them away to give Sylphiel more time to fully heal Lina. He could do that. He grabbed the sword Sylphiel had recovered, the Blessed Blade, and gave it to Lantz. "We're going up. Keep Lina safe."
Lantz looked at him and they locked eyes. Gourry worked to communicate that he was giving him another chance with the person most precious to him and to not mess this up! After a moment Lantz nodded, "I will."
And then he followed Zel down the pathway that had been cleared and started to fight his way through the villains that were crowding it. He'd just failed Lina. He wasn't about to do it twice!
It was after Zel had taken down Rahannim that Gourry turned around to see Lina restored back to health. And learned that Lantz of all people had taken down Vizea! But Gourry didn't have time to process his shock at the news that Lantz had slain a demon because Rezo had appeared.
But Lina had figured out who the puppet master was and was quick to call out Eris Vrumugun as Rezo's puppet master. Eris, amazingly, did not bother trying to deny it and was all too eager to spill her plans. And for a moment, as Lina explained how she had figured Eris out, Gourry let his guard down, believing that things were wrapping up.
But then the puppet Rezo shot Eris through the stomach. And that was when all hell broke loose.
Gourry felt his sympathy flow for Copy Rezo build as he described being experimented on by Eris and the real Rezo. Gourry knew the rage that came with being toyed with, the sense of powerlessness that came from feeling so helpless, and the desire to lash out. He always had a fear of succumbing to it for fear of becoming like Gunther: callous and indifferent to the harm he caused to others. But it seemed as though Copy Rezo had different motivations, and that troubled Gourry. Especially as Gourry saw where that rage and helplessness could have led him as Copy Rezo brutally handled Eris as the life flowed out of her.
But then, she had nearly killed Lina. And while Gourry wouldn't cry any tears for Eris because of that, he also couldn't justify Copy Rezo's brutal treatment of a dying woman
"Are you listening, Erisiel?" Copy Rezo asked as he shook her. She flopped in his arms like a limp doll and he tossed her aside like one, "She's gone."
"Then this is over," Gourry said evenly as he worked to manage his own conflicting emotions, "Just rescind the bounty and we're done."
"Now why should I do that?" Copy Rezo asked. "My revenge against Rezo is incomplete."
Gourry understood. In so many ways he had wanted to get back at Gunther. But he had been killed in his sleep. Gourry didn't want to explain about where he was coming from but he wanted to get through to Copy Rezo that he got it. He really got it! "And it never will be. The real Rezo is dead."
"Yes, I know," Copy Rezo said, and Gourry felt a sinking feeling in his stomach develop, "But there is still a way I can prove myself his superior."
"By fighting and beating the people who killed him."
Gourry's heart truly was not in the battle. Thoughts kept rising through his mind about what if he had gone down a similar path. What would have happened if he'd not had men like Master Janawes and the man with the long, black hair who intervened in his life and showed him a better way. Or even the love and care of Grandmother to fortify him through the brutality that he experienced in life. Copy Rezo had none of those advantages! And he wondered what they would do in this situation, how they would reached Copy Rezo and help him see…
What if Gourry could pay some of the advantages he had been given forward in some way?
But Copy Rezo proved to be a very formidable opponent, and fighting him was taking so much attention that he really couldn't focus on how to reach him emotionally. Beside him he could sense Zel's frustration with the situation as he chanted a spell.
"Have you lost your mind Zel!?" Lina yelled, "Don't you know what that'll do to the city?"
Gourry didn't understand what spell Zel was planning to use, but the fact that Lina was right was indicated by how he stopped chanting. "How troublesome," Copy Rezo said, "I really need you to hit me with everything you have or there'll be no point in defeating you."
Gourry was focused on finding an opening and not paying too much attention but dimly aware of the rising panic in the group. As Copy Rezo stuck his staff in the ground and started chanting Lina started pleading with him to stop and Gourry's concentration was broken under the wave of panic and anxiety that rose in response to the charge of powerful magic filling the air. But how to defend against it? Lantz started shouting something he could not pick up on as a barrier surrounded them and then a bright light from outside the barrier blinded him.
And as the light receded, Sylphiel started screaming. Gut wrenching, primal screams that caused the gooseflesh to form on his arms as he saw a wave of light tear through the city and leave behind a pile of rubble and ash in its path. A city full of people, average, ordinary people who were simply living their lives and…there was no way they would survive that! He looked at Copy Rezo in horror. He could never have been capable of doing something so cold blooded! He was different. Even if he could understand the anger he could never hurt people like that!
Sylphiel collapsed to the ground as Lantz ran to her. And Gourry was reminded of the fact that he had hurt people. He could say he had good reasons, but Copy Rezo likely thought the same. Still, as the dust settled, revealing a barren landscape where once there had been a thriving city, a pained silence fell among the group. "That was a bit excessive, but now you can fight me without restraint." Copy Rezo said.
Gourry was stunned. No, he wasn't capable of that. He thought of the pain and fear all of the people in the city must have felt in their final moments, of families clutching each other in terror, and he could never be that dismissive. Sure, he'd hurt people, but it didn't compare!
"Do you realize what you just did?" Lina asked, her voice unusually choked.
"Of course I do, but I don't care."
Gourry cared! So much it cut. But if he ever thought of it as a burden he would always remember the consequences of not caring and think of the smoldering remains of Sairaag.
Lina started chanting. What else could you say to someone so cruel? Gourry could see she was no longer playing. And fortunately Copy Rezo was so focused on her that he had forgotten that he and Zel were still there. He was quiet and didn't like to draw attention to himself. And he played to that fully as he slowly moved to a prime attack position while Lina had Copy Rezo's attention. She could be the flame that burned so bright that it blinded their opponent to certain dangers.
Gourry attacked and Zelgadis joined him from behind. Part of Gourry bristled at taking one man two on one. Yes, Copy Rezo was strong enough to cancel Lina's Dragon Slave and then some, but he also knew what it was like to stand alone against a group. And unbidden that empathy started to flow again, even for someone who proved they had no sense of morality.
Nothing stopped the empathy. Not even seeing his life flash before his eyes as giant fire spell came hurling towards him and Zel. His grip on the sword tightened as he thought of Lina as the flames reached him when, suddenly, a barrier was thrown around them, stopping the momentum of the spell.
"Sir Gourry! Master Zelgadis! Avenge Sairaag…and my father! Now before he breaks through the barrier!" Sylphiel, who had apparently recovered, yelled.
"Right," he said as it fully sank in that he'd earned a reprieve. And then he charged at Rezo. But revenge never sat well with him. As a boy he'd grown up watching his family fight over the sword. Someone would die and someone else would promise vengeance and kill in return. And then another person would promise vengeance. It was a neverending cycle!
He and Zel attacked, and Gourry managed to pin Copy Rezo, straddling him so his legs were on his arms pinning him down and holding the Sword of Light so if Copy Rezo tried to move he would be impaled. And he had to try! He had to show him there was a different way to go.
"Do you swear to rescind the bounty and never come after us again?"
"What the hell are you doing, Gourry?" Zelgadis yelled.
"You were very strong. But now you're helpless, and I don't like fighting helpless men and I don't want to kill unless I have to!"
"Naïve fool!" Zelgadis said contemptuously, "You have to!"
"I am stronger than you think." Copy Rezo said as his voice echoed strangely and then to Gourry's disbelief his eyes turned into whip like tentacles! But before he could process what he was seeing pain lanced through him as Copy Rezo struck him. He cried out as he fell backwards, the blood pouring from him, the tentacles slicing straight through his armor and cutting the skin beneath.
The pain stung so bad that all he could do was retreat as Copy Rezo showed them what the real Rezo had done to him. Merged him with a demon? Gourry couldn't really focus. He was getting woozy with the blood loss.
"Lantz," Lina said, "Take care of Gourry. Those wounds shouldn't be fatal."
I am a naïve fool, Gourry thought contemptuously. Once again he'd let his idealism run away with him, He could have finished Copy Rezo then and there. But once again he was sitting out the final stretch of the fight, injured, leaving Lina to do the heavy work. She'd done it with Shabranigdu. She'd done it with Halciform. And now she would do it with Copy Rezo. Some guardian he was. How would he ever prove to her that he was worth more than the Sword of Light?
Still, he had to do something. And since he couldn't stand beside her there was one last thing he could offer, "Lina, don't you need this?" he asked as he held the Sword of Light.
"Give it to Zelgadis." She said.
At least he could do something. He tossed the sword to Zel and then watched with Lantz as Lina and Zel took on Copy Rezo and distracted him as Sylphiel seemed to be staking Flagoon for a good position. Gourry watched, feeling helpless and useless as Lina and Zel took him on. His anxiety rose for a moment as it appeared that Copy Rezo had gotten them, but Lina waved to let them know that they were okay.
Finally, Lina pierced him through the heart with the Blessed Blade and Sylphiel cast a Resurrection spell. And a tormented man was at peace.
A silence fell over the group for a moment as if everyone was scared to truly believe that it was over. And then Lina silently walked over to him and started chanting a Recovery spell. Gourry looked at her and wondered how much he should read into it as Sylphiel asked, "Do you need me to look at that, Mistress Lina?"
But Lina did not look up as she said, "Thanks, but I've got it."
"Sylphiel's sleeping." Lina said as she joined him at the pub downstairs.
"She must be exhausted, doing all that work to lift the bounty after losing her entire home." Gourry said as he stared at his ale and tried to not feel guilty. But then even if he was with Sylphiel it wouldn't bring her family or Sairaag back. And if he settled down with her he would just bring her further heartache because of the Sword of Light. It would hurt Sylphiel in the short term, but this allowed her to start fresh and hopefully find someone who deserved her.
"It's lifted though. So now we can take her to Saillune." Lina said without enthusiasm.
Gourry understood. Sylphiel was a reminder of the guilt and how they hadn't been able to stop Copy Rezo before he had done so much damage. It certainly wasn't her fault but it would be easier to move forward once she was safely in Saillune. Gourry finished his ale, "I guess we should get some rest."
"Yeah," she said as she stood up, "Early start tomorrow."
He walked beside her to their adjoining rooms. If returning to Sairaag had clarified anything it was where his affections lied. And he was even more determined to be a better guardian, to really show Lina that he was worth something, perhaps, one day, her love.
"Night Gourry." She said as she went to her room.
"Night Lina." He replied as he went to his room.
But he couldn't sleep. He kept going over his failures and everything he had done wrong in the fight. How once again he tried to reach someone and couldn't. Sleep was futile. He got up and went downstairs to clear his mind. Lantz and Zelgadis were there, talking. "How are you holding up?" Gourry asked Zel.
"Well," Zelgadis said coldly.
"Right."
"Anyway, I must get some rest. Don't wait up for me in the morning."
Zelgadis left, and Lantz let out a low whistle, "I think he's still upset about you giving Copy Rezo a chance."
Indeed, Zel had given him a tongue lashing and only stopped when Lina butted in to point out that it's not like the Sword of Light alone would have been able to slay Copy Rezo anyway. And while Gourry was relieved that she had defended him, he also still felt foolish. "Well, I am a bit of an idiot like that."
"All the better for me." Lantz said.
"What do you mean?" Gourry asked.
"Well, I never would have believed I could take someone like Vizea down if you and Lina hadn't shown such confidence in me. So you being foolish idealistic nudged me in the right direction at least!"
"Really?" Gourry asked.
"I'm not going to hang around. Quit while you're ahead. But I can rest easy now, knowing my potential." Lantz said as he took a sip of ale.
Gourry smiled a little. There were some people who he couldn't help. But it also didn't mean that he would fail everyone he tried to reach. "Thank you for letting me know."
AN: Yikes, this was long. I added about 10,000 words to this fic with this one chapter. Um, I hope it was worth the time...and that this was worth sticking with for so long! Anyway, I have a sweet oneshot coming up titled Lessons in Healing. I had thought I would get that one done before this but I got hooked on this chapter and it wouldn't let go. I've also got a mother's day and father's day fics in the works. Neverending is on hiatus until I finish Gunginiel Knight, because damn this is an intensive work. Anyway, hardbacks of 4 through 6 are coming out this week and will hopefully provide fuel as I figure out how to tackle the 4th novel!