AN: In exciting news the second chapter of the 15th novel has been officially translated into English! Truly, ya'll, I never thought I would see this happen and am so grateful that we're at this point. That said, the second chapter of the 15th novel is when the Gunginiel Knights are mentioned for the first time, and the official translation is Gungnir Knights.
So I am going to have to do a lot of editing to reflect this change! I am also going to be changing the title of this fic to Something Wild. I'd been thinking of doing it for awhile because I wasn't happy with the title and when I heard Lindsey Stirling's song it seemed to fit a lot better. And I'm going to use the translation thing as an excuse to change it.
Other chances, Zefilia is now Zephilia.
And more relevant for this chapter, Raddock's name is translated as Laddock in the novels.
"Time to get up and going!" Lina said as she knocked on his door in the morning. Gourry's eyes shot open in surprise as he saw the sunlight streaming in through the window.
From the hallway he heard Amelia comment, "The boys sure like their sleep."
"Leave it to us women to have to get the day started." Lina replied airily as their voices and footsteps retreated down the stairs.
"What's their rush anyway?" Zelgadis grumbled as he turned over in the other bed.
"Lina is just one of those people who has so much life to live she doesn't waste much on sleep I imagine." Gourry said with a smile as he pulled back the covers and got up, reflecting that he had slept better than he had since he had left Saillune.
Having to double up likely helped. He didn't have to worry so much about Lina knowing she was sharing a room with Amelia, and it had likely helped give her some assurance as well. Gourry was sure that he would have woken up if she had woken in the night. But Gourry was feeling the bliss that came with having slept very well. He'd almost forgotten how good it felt!
"Still," Gourry said as he got his bag out and started rifling through it, "I thought you would have been one of those early to rise people."
"Rezo wanted me to be." Zelgadis said, "So I sleep in to spite him."
Gourry got out his clothes and hairbrush, "I have family I try to not be like. Though I don't think spite plays into it. Though I guess they were spiteful so that means I try not to be like that!"
"I guess that explains your leniency with Copy Rezo." Zelgadis said as Gourry started changing out of his pajamas.
"Oh that," Gourry said sheepishly, "That didn't play into it so much. I just felt bad. He grew up and never had anyone on his side, no one who was truly watching out for him. I hoped if I could show him mercy, show him there was another path that it would have waken something within him."
"I knew the man he was a copy of well." Zelgadis said, "He didn't have a shred of compassion within him. I doubt it would form in anyone copied from him. It's just not in his nature."
Gourry started brushing his hair and thought of Gunther. Was he a horrible person because of how he'd been raised or because of a bad seed within him? Or some inexplicable alchemy of the two? If he had Gunther copied and raised in a loving manner, would he have been a kinder person?
And would Gourry find out if he ever had a son like Gunther?
"You would know better than me." Gourry said. "I should have heeded your warning."
Zelgadis sighed, "You were coming from a good place, a moral one. I can't fault you for that. But your naïve idealism could have gotten us all killed, including Lina."
Gourry's grasp on his brush faltered slightly as the chimera continued, "And given our current predicament you might want to keep that in mind."
A series of objections flared within Gourry only to die on his tongue. Gourry had heard these same sentiments before from Master Janawes. That Gunther wasn't going to ever treat him better and that he would have to learn to stand up against him. That some people are just beyond saving and you have to know when to give up. He knew not to even bother with Rod. But with Copy Rezo he had let his terrible life story blind him to the fact that someone who had been treated brutally had the humanity beaten out of him and was beyond saving. Gourry eventually nodded as he packed his stuff away, "You're right. And I will. Anyway, ready to get some breakfast?"
"Go on down." Zelgadis said, "I'll catch up."
Breathe. Gourry reminded himself as he got into the hallway. Lina was still going through a lot and he had to support her. She didn't need to worry about whether or not he would pull his weight. He knew well that he could not go back in time so all he could do was prepare for the future. And in the meantime do what he could to support Lina during her latest trial.
He was feeling a bit calmer as he reached the ground floor. He scanned the room for Lina and Amelia and was a bit surprised to see that they were seated with someone else, a young man dressed as a priest. Gourry stopped in his tracks as his jaw dropped and something seized in his heart as the fear rose that Lina had found a boyfriend. But then, neither Lina nor Amelia looked happy about the stranger being there. But if they weren't happy about it, why weren't they telling him to get lost?
What if they're worried about how I'll react? He wondered as he felt as though he would choke on his throat. Breathe. Observe.
Once he had calmed down a little he decided that it would be best if he just pretended not to notice anything and observe. "Morning everyone!" he said as he took a seat beside Lina, "Boy I slept like a log last night! What's for breakfast?"
A look that Gourry could not decipher crossed Lina's face, "Umm…"
"What's wrong, Lina?" he asked as he braced himself for whatever bombs she would drop on his lap.
"Come on!" Lina said as she pointed to the strange man, and Gourry felt his stomach twist. It was suddenly hard to be hungry. "Could you please use what passes for a brain to notice him?"
Something about the way that the man asked, "What passes for a brain?" irked Gourry. He was usually fine with people thinking of him as idiotic. But what if the reason that Lina was sitting at the table with that strange man was because she was drawn to his intelligence?
"At least give the obligatory, 'you! What are you doing here?' or 'how dare you show your face again!' or something! Anything!"
Gourry was really confused now. Was she wanting him to be jealous? But then why would she mention him showing his face again? As the priest commented that Lina was hurting his feelings, she rounded on the stranger and nearly yelled, "Listen, there are things in this world that…"
A twinge of relief ran through Gourry as he realized that she was mad at the priest for some reason. Thus fortified his curiosity propelled him to interject, "Now wait a minute, Lina. Before I can freak out to your standards there's something I need you to explain."
"Wait, don't tell me…!"
"Who is this guy?" he asked as he pointed at the priest.
The priest looked insulted as Amelia shook her head as Lina railed, "Come on Gourry! Don't tell me you forgot him!"
"Please, Master Gourry, remember when we fought that evil cult?" Amelia prompted.
"He's that guy who was with you." Gourry said as he clapped his hands together as he suddenly remembered that he had seen him before, if only briefly. And if he recalled correctly, the group had been rather pissed at him, though he'd never found out why, "What was your name again?"
"You don't remember him at all?" Lina asked.
"Well I don't think we were formally introduced." Gourry pointed out honestly. What he didn't add was that he was so relieved that he had found her safe and whole that he had not paid much attention to the priest.
Lina hummed in understanding as the priest said, "My name is Xellos then. A pleasure."
"Likewise. I'm Gourry." He said.
"You! What are you doing here?" Zelgadis declared as he entered the room, and once again both Lina and Amelia tensed. As Gourry wondered just what exactly Xellos had done Zelgadis walked up to the table. Lina and Amelia both started pleading with Zelgadis to calm down as Zelgadis glared at Xellos with loathing, "How dare you show your face again!?"
The tension hung in the air, thick for a moment, before Zelgadis sat down, removed his mask and asked what was for breakfast.
The tension dissipated as Zelgadis explained it was no use riling himself up to get an apology from Xellos and gradually Gourry was able to piece together the story that Xellos had destroyed papers that might have helped Zelgadis to find a cure. And if that was the case it was no wonder that Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis were unhappy to see him, and even less pleased with the news that he intended to travel with them.
So it troubled Gourry that Lina didn't give Xellos a hard no. Before he could think on it too much, though, Lina stated, her voice rather serious, "There's just one problem."
"Whazzat?" Gourry asked as he ate his breakfast.
Lina avoided his gaze as she said, "Well, I slipped out last night…"
Gourry nearly choked on his sandwich as he exclaimed, "More bandit bullying!?"
As Zelgadis asked her why she liked rolling in that pile of trash Gourry took some deep, grounding breaths. How had he slept through it? He usually knew when she woke up and slipped out. Something about it was troubling him. Had he really just been that exhausted? Had doubling up caused him to lower his guard that much?
"And we had a visit." Lina announced.
"From Xellos you mean." Gourry said.
"Xellos too, but also Zuma."
"Zuma!? That Zuma!?" Gourry asked.
"The very one." Lina said.
"But what about his arms?"
"All present and accounted for." Lina said.
"I see…he's got two arms." Gourry said as he ran a hand through his hair. Damn, Lina, this is why I don't like you going out at night.
But then he looked at Xellos. Lina had obviously survived the encounter unharmed. Did that mean that Xellos was as strong as, or possibly stronger than Zuma? As Lina explained how Zuma had told them to come to Vezendi or someone would die an uneasy feeling settled in Gourry's bones. He couldn't get a feel for Xellos's fighting style or abilities. But given the fact that Lina was both unhappy about traveling with him and allowing it, then she must have had a good reason to allow it.
Meaning Gourry would have bet money that Xellos was powerful. Whether or not it was a good thing that he was joining the party was less clear to him. And regardless, the fact that Zuma was back was not good news. Especially if he was sleeping through things like Lina sneaking out to hunt bandits.
Gourry sighed with relief as he closed the door behind him. And then the ambivalence set in. On the one hand it was nice to have some privacy after spending the day traveling in close quarters with four other people. On the other he no longer had the assurance that doubling up provided. Especially with Zuma back and with Xellos being an unknown quantity.
One who Gourry was getting the suspicion that Lina was terrified of. She'd been a lot more tense since he'd arrived. Granted, it could have been because Zuma was back on the scene or because she was worried about conflicts between Zelgadis and Xellos. But something was telling Gourry that it was a bit more. Especially since, if Xellos was a threat to Zuma, then the only conclusion Gourry kept coming to was that he couldn't be human.
That's a little drastic though, isn't it? He thought as he walked over to the window and stared out of it. Like Zelgadis said, though. I can't give the wrong people the benefit of the doubt.
Gourry sighed and grabbed his sword. He decided that it was worth it to go down the courtyard to get some drills in. While he was in top form, if Zuma had returned, he would have to be better. After some rigorous practice and a bath, he quietly returned to his room. He started fumbling in his pocket for the key when, from Lina's room, he heard her say, "Sleeping."
He froze, and just a moment later Lina stepped out of her room, dressed for bandit bullying action. She froze when she saw him and gave him a big, fake smile, "Oh hey Gourry, what are you doing here?"
"I was just turning in for the night." Gourry said, "What are you doing casting a sleep spell into my room?"
She reddened a bit and he pressed forward, "Really Lina! With Zuma back…"
"Come on in." she said with a huff as she turned and walked into her room.
He followed her and took a seat on a chair while she sat on the bed. "Did you cast a sleep spell on me last night?"
"I figured you needed the help getting a good night's sleep." She said.
"Lina…"
"Listen, this isn't just about beating up bandits! It's a financial necessity! We're nearly broke and if I could just get to a bandit camp I could probably get enough money to last us to Vezendi, hopefully get us to Dils even."
"But Lina, we got all that money from Prince Phil! How can we be broke?"
She slumped forward, "How did you not forget that?"
"Lina…"
She held up her wrist, adorned with the new amulets she had gotten while they had been separated, "I had to buy these! And they were very expensive."
"What are they?" Gourry asked.
"Demon's Blood Talisman." Lina said, "They amplify my magical power, make it stronger. And these things are rare! I'm serious when I say that they could be the only magical amplifiers in existence. Sorcerers have spent their lives researching how to make them fruitlessly. I've never heard of someone being successful. So back when Mazenda had sealed my magic I had to get them! They were my best chance of getting my powers restored! And even if she hadn't sealed them, with someone powerful wanting me dead…"
"It's still worth it." Gourry said softly.
"And it wiped out all the money we got in Saillune. I'm sorry Gourry, I know I told you I'd keep your share safe but…"
He reached a hand forward and paused as he looked at her, still leaning towards him. And then he gently put his hand on her knee, "Don't be. You had good reasons. If this keeps you alive then it's worth it."
She relaxed a little as she stared at his hand as she continued, "I've been trying to make up the money since, but pickings have been slim and…"
"Why didn't you say anything?" Gourry asked as he pulled away, worried that he had made her uncomfortable.
"I thought you'd be mad." She said.
"Not about you buying the talisman." He said, "We can find other ways to get money."
But you are irreplaceable, He thought as he took a moment to appreciate how pretty she looked as the light managed to hit the reddish hints of her hair. If he said it, would she let him kiss her? The desire to close the distance between them and tumble onto the bed together washed over him. No, he told himself. There were important matters to tend to, "I just wish you'd told me. I would have helped you make it up."
"Well how else are we going to raise the money other than by bandit hunting?" she asked. "It's not like there are a lot of jobs out here."
"Well how low are you on funds?" he asked, "I had enough for my share to Dils at least. And I guess we could always bunk up with Zel and Amelia again if things get real bad."
"I guess bunking up with Amelia would help to stretch things." Lina said hesitantly, "She can be so nosey though. But I can suck it up and I know she'd be fine with it. But I still have to make up for your half of what we earned in Saillune."
"Don't worry about that now with everything going on." He said. "Let's just get through this alive."
"I can't let you write it off like that." Lina said, "That was a lot of money and I'm not looking for a meal ticket."
"That's not what I'm wanting either," he said as he thought of how Gunther liked to help people in tight spots so they would be dependent on him, "I mean I just figured, with how you defeated that big Dark Lord awhile back, well you could say I'm in your debt for that."
"Hey, if you'd not given me the Sword of Light…" she said.
"I played a small role," he said even as the hope flickered within him that perhaps she didn't see him as useless. "But if you insist it's okay if you pay me back later, once this crisis is over. I'll even charge you interest if it puts your mind at ease."
She smiled a little as she leaned forward to punch him playfully on the shoulder as her breath caressed his face. "You don't have to go that far. If you really don't mind waiting I will make up your share though."
"It's not like I'm going to spend it on anything at the moment." He said, "After that business with the cult I had to freshen up my supplies so I'm good for a while. And we'd been planning it for a vacation anyway so don't worry so much about it. With Zuma back we have bigger things to worry about."
"Yeah, I guess we do." She said heavily as she took off her mantle.
"How are you holding up?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm fine." She said quickly.
"You don't think he's going to try to attack tonight…"
"He doesn't strike me as the type who'd invite me to a place and then try to attack me before I got there." She said. "Keep alert, just in case. But I wouldn't worry too much."
He looked at her for a moment and tried to find some way to ask to stay without sounding sleazy. Finally he settled for, "Let me know if there's anything I can do."
"Get some rest, big guy." She said as she pulled her boots off.
Reluctantly he stood up, "Night, Lina."
They didn't make houses like this in the Elmekian Empire. Not even the Emperor lived in such a grand house! While the Emperor made do with multiple shades of beige and painted ocher walls and a few rooms Laddock had space to accommodate his family, servants, and four additional guests (Zelgadis was staying at an inn on the outskirts of town). While it certainly was not the first mansion he'd stayed in since leaving the Elmekian Empire it was one of the nicer ones, with more thought given to comfort and practicality than showing off for the sake of it. And the simple truth was that even though it had been years since he left Elmekia he was still amazed at how differently people lived outside of it.
Gourry commented at how well laid out the house was to Lina as they scouted the house with Amelia and suddenly felt the urge to look up. When he did he saw Laddock's son, Abel, watching them from the landing. Gourry felt a shiver in his spine as he recognized something about the look in the boy's eyes. Before Gourry could get a second glance though Abel had turned and walked away, leaving Gourry to wonder if he had just imagined it or not.
"I think we've got the gist of this down," Lina said. "We should probably check in with Zel and see how he's settling in before dinner."
"Do you think it's a good idea to leave Mr. Laddock?" Amelia asked as Gourry looked at Lina in surprise. Granted, he knew she wasn't happy about the job and Laddock certainly was not an easy employer to get along with but it hardly seemed to be a great time to leave.
Lina shrugged, "When Zuma does arrive, he's going to target me first. And we'll just leave Xellos here with him just in case. In the meantime I have better things to do then kick my feet up here."
Gourry frowned but didn't say anything. In addition to the danger her life was in Laddock was turning out to be a difficult employer, and one that she couldn't really decline due to the circumstances. Still, his inclination was to not rock the boat. And while in the past Gourry had to agree that he saw a lot of merits to Lina's way of doing things, in this case keeping close to Laddock and keeping a low profile seemed the wiser course. Gourry knew what it was like to live with a human powder keg. Sadly it seemed living in nice houses didn't make people nicer.
By the time they returned to Laddock's after visiting Zelgadis, Lina's nerves were rather shot. And given that in addition to the pile of trouble that they were already in Seigram had returned and brought two Mazoku buddies with him, she wasn't the only one with frayed nerves. He puzzled over the mystery of why Seigram's attack patterns had changed to distract himself from his own anxiety as Lina found Xellos and berated him for playing chess with the butler, Raltark, while they had had their asses handed to them.
Which in turn led to a lecture from first Abel and then Laddock, and then to fights between Laddock and Abel. Which was the last thing Gourry wanted to contend with. Another unhappy family.
At least the food was good, but that was the only good thing he could say about the situation. Still, Gourry ate his dinner with gusto as Lina vented about Laddock and Abel. And while he had a wealth of experience dealing with challenging people, Lina was in no mood to listen. So his thoughts drifted as he wondered if it was possible to have a happy family, to raise children with kindness and for them to be good people. Were all parents just destined to mess up in some way? Or did some people find a way to get it right?
It was a good thing he was tied to the Sword of Light, he thought once again. And a companion who had no interest in settling down. But then he remembered Demetra and her boys. Were they some marvelous exception? Or was there some magic to getting it right? And if that was the case, could he learn it?
"Oh, that's right Gourry." Lina said, her voice unusually soft.
Still, he continued to slurp his spaghetti as he said, "Um, what?"
"I wanted to ask…Would you care to join me tonight?"
Gourry nearly choked on his food as he wondered if he had heard Lina correctly. Had Lina really asked him that!?
Amelia screamed, "Oh, Lina! So bold!"
She had! His body became light and tingly even as he turned beat red as Xellos added, "Oh my, it seems our girl is growing up."
But before Gourry could get his hopes up too much Lina interjected as she looked at him, her voice high with embarrassment, "I didn't mean it like that! Hey Gourry! Stop blushing!"
Gourry wished that Amelia and Xellos weren't there as he stuttered and tried to find something to say that wouldn't get him in trouble now and wouldn't blow his future chances, but all he could get out was, "Um, well, you know…"
"I did not mean that! I want you to help me with sword practice." Lina said.
"Oh, is that all?" Amelia said with an air of disappointment in her voice that mirrored his own, but none of the confusion.
"What a shame," Xellos echoed.
Breathe. He reminded himself. "Still, this isn't like you Lina. Why do you suddenly want sword training?" he asked.
When she explained that she wanted to be better prepared for Zuma he couldn't fault her logic. He wanted her to live more than he wanted the pride of being the one to rescue her, so if he could help her improve her skills to the point where she could handle Zuma on her own then he would gladly do it.
So after dinner they walked to the garden together. While he was happy to spend time together, if he was honest sparring did not hold the same appeal that other activities did though. "I think tonight we should just spar so I can get a good feel for where things are." He said as he found some tree branches to use for practice swords.
"You mean you haven't been paying attention already?" she asked, her arms folded across her chest and her smile a bit too forced. He wondered how comfortable she was with the idea of getting lessons. Was it her pride? Or was she scared that he would hurt her?
He handed a practice sword to her and lamented the fact that sparring usually resulted in some bruises. But while going easy on her would appear to be the kind thing, Zuma would show her no mercy. She would plateau when she needed to improve. Or are you just finding ways to justify being cruel?
"I'm usually too busy focusing on our enemies and their fighting style and where they are in proximity to you to pay attention to the details of your style. I know basically where you are but I need to get more specifics."
They moved a few paces from each other and assumed a defensive posture. And then lunged. Lina dodged to the left, unable to bring up her sword fast enough to block his blow. While she had some solid skills she was also unremarkable as far as her skills went. While it wouldn't be fair to say that it was like fighting a novice, the gap between their skills was severe enough that he felt guilty for using his full strength.
But since Zuma was roughly at his level, he couldn't afford not to. So he tested her skills as quickly as he could, but not soon enough. Once he stood down she was rubbing a spot on her arm where he'd whacked her and biting her lip.
Guilt wormed at him, "I think that's enough of a start."
"Yeah," she said as she dropped the stick and tried to keep her chin up as she managed to say, "Thanks for taking the time to do this."
"You weren't that bad," he said quickly as his heart sank. He hated to see her look so defeated! "With just a few…"
"Don't patronize me." She said as she kicked the stick aside. "I've got a steep learning curve ahead."
"Hey, at least you know how to wield a sword well. I can't even do a Light Spell!" He said as they started walking back to the mansion. "I don't know how you keep track of all of those spells! Or remember all the chants or…"
"You shouldn't sound so proud of it!" she snapped as he wondered if he was reaching her.
"And even with the sword skills you have you slew that Shab person, and that mad sorcerer. And a few others I'm sure I forgot." He said, and at that she smiled a little. He risked putting a hand on her head, "You never back away from a challenge, do you?"
"Damn right," she said with a chuckle as some of the spark returned to her eyes as they entered the mansion, "And who would have thought a jelly fished brained idiot would be such a genius with the sword?"
From the parlor they could hear Laddock and Abel arguing as they walked in and the camaraderie dampened a bit as they were quiet as they made their way to the staircase. "Tomorrow I need to go into town to get some supplies. We'll have to ask Laddock for permission I guess, I'd like you to accompany me."
"Sounds good." He said as they approached their rooms. As much as it displeased Laddock, the tension in the house was unpleasant enough that he was happy to get away. But as they went up the stairs his stomach tightened in anxiety at the thought of leaving her alone in her room. So far every time Zuma had attacked it had been at night. He desperately wanted to ask if she wanted him to stay with her tonight, but especially after their miscommunication at dinner he was worried about how he would come across. Especially since he did want it to be more than a security arrangement. "Are you going to be alright tonight?"
She looked around and then said quietly, "Amelia is staying in my room. Don't worry, we'll be fine."
He felt a bit relieved knowing that at least, even if he would feel better if he could do the job himself. "Good. I'll be right next door."
"Thanks for worrying about me. And for helping me with my swordskills." She said as she reached her door and he desperately wanted to grab her and hold on to her tight.
Instead he said, "Anytime." His hand ached to touch her hair again, but he kept it by his side as he said, "Night, Lina."
"Night, Gourry."
He watched as she disappeared behind the door and then he made the quick trip to his room. Lina's room was on his right, Xellos's on his left. He walked in and locked the door behind him and then took his boots off.
"So, did you and Master Gourry enjoy getting hot and sweaty with each other?" Amelia asked, and Gourry sat up straighter.
"For a royal princess your mind sure does rest a lot in the gutter." Lina snapped.
"Come on, Lina! Tell me how it went."
"I went head-to-head with the finest swordsman in the world and got my ass handed to me! It doesn't get much more romantic than that now does it?"
"Give it time." Amelia said knowingly.
"I'm too tired for this." Lina said, "Don't snore too loudly tonight."
"Same goes for you. Night, Lina."
"Night."
Gourry sighed as he prepared for bed and tried not to be too disappointed. How much should he read into her comment anyway? Just because she didn't find sparring romantic didn't mean she didn't see the attraction in having a romance with him under different circumstances, did it? Or was he just a fool to even entertain the idea that he had a chance with her?
He pulled back the covers and was assured by the sounds of the girls' even breathing from the right. And that was when it occurred to him that Xellos's room was entirely too quiet. Instead of getting into the bed he walked over to the wall that separated their rooms, put his ear to it and listened. Dead silent. Unnaturally silent. He should have heard the sounds of breathing or a bed settling and he should have been able to sense some sort of presence. But if he didn't know better he would have thought the room was empty!
Was Xellos there? After dinner Gourry had seen him head up to his room. Had he left at some point? He got into bed and tried to get comfortable as he puzzled over it for a moment. If Xellos was like Kanzel then…
But it almost seemed too incredible to be true! Surely there had to be another explanation. Xellos might have had to use the bathroom. Still, Gourry kept an ear out for a bit but aside from the sounds of Lina and Amelia's steady breathing there was nothing. Eventually Gourry turned on his back and tantalized himself with fantasies of how the evening could have been different if Lina had meant that when she'd asked to spend her evening with him.
The next morning Gourry kept an ear out for any sound of Xellos getting ready in the following room. But the silence was eerie. Gourry was fairly sure he'd not heard him come in or leave. Had he spent the night outside of the room?
He heard the girls as they prepared to leave. As always Lina knocked on his door and yelled, "Time to get up!"
"I'll be right down." He said as he pulled his boots on. He then waited for a moment as Lina and Amelia's footsteps retreated done the stairs. From the left he heard the sound of a doorknob being turned, and Gourry opened his door and looked beside him to see Xellos emerging from his room.
"Good morning, Gourry." He said.
Gourry smiled pleasantly and tried to keep his demeanor amiable. He did not want Xellos to know that he suspected him. "Morning! Did you sleep well?"
"I had a pleasant rest indeed. And yourself?"
"Likewise." Gourry said as he hoped that Xellos had taken Lina's comment about his lack of brains at face value, "I wonder what's for breakfast."
The time at Laddock's passed by torturously. Once more Gourry found himself walking on eggshells, and rather unsuccessfully at that, as Abel never lost the opportunity to spoil for a fight and Lina was not one to take it on the chin. And further, while Gourry very much agreed with the utility of helping Lina improve her swordskills, he also didn't want her to grow to hate him in the process. So he decided to wait and see if she would mention it again.
As they were walking back to Laddock's after spending the day shopping she did. And he had to admire her for it. A lot of people would let their insecurities drive them away, but Lina kept trying! So he pointed out one of the biggest weaknesses in her fighting style, her tendency to dodge to the left and after dinner they sparred once more.
This time went even more poorly than the previous night because he was trying to drill a bad habit out of her, and between the sheer amount of times he'd whacked her and the intensity of the drills, she had to have been hurting by the end of it. And frustratingly, she wasn't making much progress.
"I think that's enough for the day," he said as he saw the tears well in her eyes with the latest pass.
She took a deep breath and for a moment he thought she would protest. But then she lowered her practice sword, "I just thought I would have caught on more quickly than this."
"It takes time to learn to randomize your pattern." Gourry said, "It's not how we usually think."
"And swordsmen are born not made to a degree." She said, "Still my Sis is good with this. It must have missed me."
Gourry reflected that she seemed a bit more comfortable with him tonight then she had last night. Perhaps he had done something right if she wasn't ready to storm off into her room? "You have the elements. I figure that sorcery must have taken so much of your time that you didn't have much left over to devote to this. Can't say I blame you really."
"So I'm not helpless here is what you're saying?" she asked with a smile.
"Are you trying to get out of practicing?"
"I am sore!" she exclaimed, "But it's better than being dead. So if you think that something will come from this…"
"I think it's worth it." He said.
"Then let's do it. Though, you move so fast. I mean, I know Zuma moves just as fast, but perhaps slow down a little until I catch up a bit, and then increase your speed?"
"Oh," Gourry said as he scratched the back of his head, "I hadn't thought of that. I guess I was thinking that it would be a good way to get you up to speed fast."
"I know we don't have a lot of time," Lina said as she gazed up at the night sky, "But this is more about the skill of helping me with my dodge pattern then blocking fast blows, isn't it?"
"Right," he said with a smile as he reached out to pat her head, "I'll go a bit slower tomorrow."
"I guess we should go back in." she said as she looked at the mansion. Likely Laddock and Abel were fighting. And if they were lucky neither would spy them as they got in to reprimand them for something.
"Well, I guess we could always flee to that slum where Zel is staying." Gourry said.
Lina snorted, "The bedbugs would make a better roommate than those two."
"That's harsh but…"
Lina took a deep breath to fortify herself and then she patted him on the shoulder, "Hopefully this will all be over soon."
He wanted to grab her hand as they walked in but he resisted the impulse. As expected Laddock and Abel were fighting when they got in, and fortunately neither of them noticed them. As Gourry went into his room he saw Xellos on his way to his neighboring one and watched as the priest entered and closed the door behind him. And then he puzzled over the silence that followed.
He woke up later when he heard the window in Lina's room creak, followed by the sounds of an attack. By the time he had rushed over to Lina's room it was over, though. Lina and Amelia had scared Zuma away, though they hadn't captured or killed him. And they caused a lot of destruction in the process, which had angered Laddock and Abel.
But none of that was unexpected. No, what concerned Gourry was that Xellos had not left his room to check on the commotion. And neither had the butler, Raltark. Lina, Amelia and Zuma had woken the entire house and all of the other inhabitants were there to see what all of the noise was about. Except for Xellos and Raltark
He thought about asking Lina about it, but something told him it would be better to just keep quiet. Namely it was strange to him that she avoided talking about Xellos. So he decided to follow her lead and not ask questions. Whatever the reasons she had for keeping him around she wasn't ready to share them.
When they got back from visiting Zelgadis they were surprised to find Laddock packing up, having explained that he was traveling to manage his inventory and intended to take them with him. And to Gourry's astonishment, Lina didn't protest. Still, he waited until Laddock and Abel were gone before he asked her why.
And when Lina explained that Laddock was likely trying to draw Zuma out away from his house to get it over with and that he was willing to put them both at risk to get this finished, Gourry had to protest, "Hey Lina! Why'd you agree to this?"
"Because I want to settle this as soon as possible!" Lina shouted back, "I'm tired of looking over my shoulder all of the time! And the longer this drags on the longer we'll have to listen to Laddock's whining and fighting with his son."
Gourry's heart sank. Once more he couldn't argue with her logic. But…he still didn't want to lose her. Given how Mazoku free his life had been before he met her he certainly hadn't expected their lives to be this dangerous, and there was a part of him that wanted to clear the air. Tell her how much he loved her just in case one or both of them didn't make it.
But then, what if wrapping everything up would be the thing that killed them? Was he even thinking about this right? Did things really work that way? Still, it somehow felt that if he said anything about his feelings he would have wrapped up everything he wanted to do, setting the stage for one of them to die. He felt as though he would jinx them if he was honest! And he didn't want that.
So in the end he kept his feelings to himself as he agreed to support her. And while the next few days were challenging he made good on his promise to support her. And in the end they did defeat Zuma.
Still, the victory was hollow in every sense of the word. To say that things had gone spectacularly wrong after they left Vezendi was a grave understatement. They had all been thrown off by the fact that Laddock was Zuma and worse, Zuma fused with Seigram. In the end they were barely able to defeat him.
And while Abel had understood why they had had to do it, he also hadn't forgiven them. Abel was upstairs sleeping while Gourry sat in the dining area with Lina, Zelgadis, Amelia and Xellos. Escorting him home safely was the least they could do.
"But why would Laddock do that, become an assassin on the side?" Gourry wondered outloud.
"Maybe he was bored." Lina said.
"Or maybe he felt he had something to prove." Amelia said, "Given that he had inherited so much from his father."
"Why does it matter why people turn to such despicable work?" Zelgadis asked. "He's dead now. It's one less thing to worry about."
"For us." Gourry said, "For Abel, this is just beginning."
"The regrets." Amelia picked up knowingly, and Gourry wondered if she was thinking of Alfred, "Wondering what he could have done differently. How he could have saved him."
"Some people are beyond redemption." Zelgadis said. "The sooner you accept that the easier your life will become."
"How can you say that, when Rezo…" Lina said as she glanced at Xellos, "You know. He threw us a lifeline in the end."
"That's what you think happened, Lina. I refuse to believe he could be redeemed. And I know a bit more about the man than you."
"Daddy and I had been so sure that Uncle Christopher had been behind the assassination attempts and was unredeemable. After making that mistake with Uncle Randy he wasn't going to do it again. And we were wrong about Uncle Christopher." Amelia said, "But not about Alfred."
"Yeah but from what I understand Christopher wasn't the mastermind of that scheme." Zelgadis pointed out. "You can't let sentiment blind you to…"
"Without that sentiment then we lose a vital part of our humanity, Zel." Lina said as she glanced once again at Xellos, who continued to watch them with an enigmatic grin and Gourry felt the gooseflesh erupt on his arm. Did that mean that Lina suspected, or even knew, that he was a Mazoku?
"That's easy for those of you with pampered childhoods to say."
"What do you know about it?" Lina asked.
"Look, you can't live life arguing with your past self!" Zelgadis said, "If I could I would go back in a heartbeat and tell Rezo to fuck off when he approached me about becoming a chimera. But I can't so there's no use dwelling on it. All I can do now is focus on my cure. And nothing Abel can do will change the fact that he was unable to save his father. Especially once he merged with a demon."
"There was still enough sentiment left within Laddock to stop Seigram when confronted with his son." Lina said. "Anyway, Gourry, if you don't mind, I'd still like to get some practice in."
He looked up at her in surprise, "Well, I'm fine with that, but I'm surprised you would want to now that Zuma is gone."
"But there's plenty of other people who want me dead. I can't afford to sit on my laurels, and when I have such an expert I can't exactly pass up the opportunity." she asked as she patted his shoulder, and his heart swelled for a moment. "Especially since I get this training for free."
Gourry sighed in mock outrage as he kept his thoughts that her surviving this was all the payment that he would need.