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Lina stared down at where the spirit had incinerated in open-mouthed horror. His words had rang through her ears and chilled her bones. Her? The cause of humanity's extinction?

She shivered and glanced at Xelloss, who was no longer smiling. So it had effected him to an extent. He turned his head to Lina and glanced between her and the spear. "We can leave if that's what you'd prefer. You don't have to do this."

Lina bit her lip and considered this for a moment. If they left now and sought out a better way for Lina to defend herself then she wouldn't have to risk ever touching the spear, and if she let Xelloss take it with them she'd be risking the death of everyone around her. In a split second decision, she replied, "Thanks for the offer, but I have to go through with this. I don't know why but I need it."

Xelloss nodded, and stepped forward to take the spear off of the pedestal. He knew that if it was Lina holding it, then the effect would be completely different. But Xelloss was immune to whatever spells the Heiliege Lance held, no matter how powerful its influence was it could never effect a mazoku.

She had faith in herself and her ability to overcome whatever the spear held in store for her. She knew that she could do it, or at least she hoped she could.

--

After taking the lance from its perch, the mountain's barrier had been reversed and Xelloss could easily teleport them to the bottom of the mountain. They walked from there to the nearest village for a late lunch.

Lina didn't have much of an appetite as the old man's words had left a bitter taste in her mouth. It appalled her that there was any possibility that she could ever have any thoughts of destroying the world. She was supposed to be one of the few sorceresses left that actually wanted to protect the world, she wasn't supposed to bring harm to it.

Xelloss watched Lina absently chew on her biscuit, a faraway look in her amber eyes. She was sitting right in front of him and yet she was a million miles away, lost in her own world of thoughts.

He didn't even bother to attempt to wake her mind, she deserved the right to sit and think for awhile. Today had probably unsettled her a great deal, and it had even made Xelloss worry just a little as well.

His gaze was drawn to spear leaning onto his chair, sitting like it was only a useless ordinary object. But Xelloss knew of the agony it could bring to this world, to Lina herself. The over-whelming urge to set the spear on fire suddenly came to mind as he thought about the sorrow it was causing Lina, but the thought subsided as he dampened his temper with questions to himself. When had he felt a need this strong to protect Lina?

He sipped at his tea while watching Lina again, a load of questions came to mind, but he refrained from verbalizing them. He didn't need to upset her anymore that she already was.

"Ano...excuse me?" A small voice sounded from beside the table, and both Lina and Xelloss looked up. A girl stood shyly next to their table, and even to Xelloss she was surprisingly beautiful. She looked to be about 16 or 17, still only a maiden really, with her big blue eyes, and her long golden hair wrapped tightly into a braid that fell onto her shoulder. Her apparel's similarity to Lina's caught Xelloss's eye.

"Are you by any chance," She swallowed nervously and shifted her feet, "Lina Inverse?" Lina set down her glass and laid her elbow on the table, turning her body at an angle to face the girl in a dominating manner.

"Yeah, I'm Lina Inverse." The young girl sighed in obvious relief, and raised her hand to her chest. "My name is Hiyo Takahashi, and I am a sorceress just like you, Ms. Lina." Lina inwardly groaned, this was like another Amelia.

"I live here in this village, and there have been rumors of your appearance. Some say that you were seen heading for the mountains up north; where the old legend of The Spear of Destiny lies. Is it true? Did you really dare to go that far into the mountains and face the journey all by yourself?" The girl named Hiyo's eyes were dancing now, the childish excitement shone brightly in her pretty face.

"Actually, I had a little help." Lina smiled and jerked her finger in Xelloss's direction, who smiled politely at Hiyo. "Pleased to meet you, I am the humble priest Xelloss." He flashed her a smile and she blushed while bowing simultaneously. "Yes, pleased to meet you too...I apologize for not seeing you before, Mr. Xelloss."

Xelloss waved away her apology with a grin and extended out an arm, offering her the chair in front of her. Hiyo sat herself down into the chair and politely nodded at him. "Anyway, Ms. Lina, I am actually here for a more serious reason. It would seem that the barrier around the mountain has faltered, and if you could imagine what could happen if..." She trailed off, her eyes widening as her gaze slid down to the spear lying against Xelloss's chair legs.

"Oh dear kami...Ms. Lina you didn't." Lina smiled arrogantly and once again pointed at Xelloss. "I didn't, we did." Hiyo sighed and leaned back against her chair. "Ms. Lina you must know the consequences of using that spear, you could end up killing yourself as well as other people around you."

Lina rolled her eyes, growing tired of this argument coming up in her latest conversations. "Yes Hiyo, I am very aware of what could happen, but I have it under control."

"Oh Ms. Lina how could you have it under control? This spear will use your mind, it will affect your entire body with the influence of pure evil! How could you possibly keep something like that under control?"

"Let's just say that it is worth the risk."

"Oh kami no..."

Xelloss looked back and forth between the two sorceresses as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he raised his tea cup to his lips before breaking in, "Ms. Hiyo, don't worry about us. We'll find some way to keep the spear from causing anymore death." Hiyo looked up at him with tears now welling up in her blue eyes, and he noted the spark of anger that flashed inside them.

"No! I can't let you leave here with that spear!" She pointed down at the object in question. "Now Ms. Hiyo-" He tried again, thinking that he could charm her into dropping the subject, but he was interrupted when she suddenly stood up with a defiant tone to her voice.

"I've decided," She started, slamming her tiny hands onto the table, "I will follow you and your priest Ms. Lina so that I can do everything in my power to stop you from using the lance! I feel it is my duty as this town's protector to stay with you and prevent you from causing chaos in this world."

Lina rubbed her forehead between her thumb and index finger, sighing heavily. Did Amelia and Gourry have a child she didn't know about? "Listen you annoying little-"

"Why of course we'll allow you to follow us Ms. Hiyo, we'd be happy to have the pleasure of your company." Lina's head snapped to Xelloss, who ignored her and instead graced Hiyo with his best smile.

The whole rest of the lunch Lina hadn't said anything else, only glared at Xelloss who continued to feign obliviousness and engage in polite conversation with the newly recruited little sorceress.

OoO

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Lina hissed at the priest who was now floating in the air cross-legged, sipping his tea calmly. "I was only trying to calm her down, Lina-san. She could have started screaming at the top of her lungs what we now carry in our possession." He replied, not bothering to look down at her.

Lina ran a frustrated hand through her red locks and started pacing the room again. "But we can't just drag around a kid everywhere with us Xelloss, it could get dangerous. I don't want to have another innocent death over my head."

Xelloss raised an eyebrow at the pacing Lina. "You were younger then Ms. Hiyo when you defeated The Dark Lord Shabranigdo, and you embarked on many more dangerous quests after that too. Why, you were only 16 when you met me." The suggestiveness in his voice embarrassed her and a light blush rose on her cheeks.

"T-That's not the point."

"Then what is the point, Lina-san?"

"The point is that I was alot stronger then her, I could handle more then she can. She looks like she'd start crying if she broke a nail." Lina crossed her arms and turned her back to Xelloss, attempting to regain her composure.

Xelloss smirked and opened one eye at her. "I don't know Lina-san, she could prove to be stronger then she looks." She turned back to him, and her temper rose another notch at the teasing manner in his voice. "Keh, as if."

He descended down from his perch and strode to her, ignoring that she was seething with anger. With both eyes opened now, he cupped her cheek in his hand. "I'm sorry Lina-san, but it had to be done."

Her anger melted away as her eyes peered up into his, and she felt all her resentment leave her mind. Why had she been mad again? Xelloss smiled down at her, and pressed his lips to hers gently letting her sink into his embrace.

She unfolded her arms and reached her hands up to brace her palms onto his chest, leaning deeper into the kiss. It had felt like forever since they had shared a kiss, and she realized that she'd missed it. The feel of his lips over hers made her feel safe, and like nothing around them mattered anymore.

Her eyes fluttered open as Xelloss slipped his tongue between her parted lips. The feel of his tongue caressing the inside of her mouth was an oddly pleasant sensation, and she felt herself actually start to like it as her eyes closed again. She would have never imagined that a man's tongue in her mouth would please her this much.

It pleased her so much, in fact, that she moaned delicately into his mouth. Embarrassed, she pulled away and lowered her head, purposely avoiding his gaze. Xelloss chuckled and lifted her head up by her chin. "It's normal Lina-san, this is pleasure you're feeling."

Lina blushed shyly and bit her lip. "So that noise wasn't a bad thing?" Xelloss chuckled again at her naive question, and instead of answering slid his lips over hers again. This time she didn't hesitate to hold back the moans of pleasure as he deepened their kiss, melding their tongues together.

His hands roamed her tiny body, claiming every untouched piece of creamy skin as his fingers glided up and down. In an instant her cape had been untied and feel to the ground behind her, along with all of the rest of her protective gear. All that was left were her slacks and flimsy shirt.

She groaned again into his mouth as he backed her into the wall, letting his body pin her backwards. Her tongue flicked over his teeth in a sign of approval and his hands climbed under her shirt to reach upwards for her perky breasts.

He palmed them through the annoying fabric of her bra and massaged them gently, waiting for the sighs of pleasure that erupted from her mouth. He tore his lips from hers and kissed his way down her jaw to the sensitive skin on her neck, sucking at it tenderly. Lina moaned and clutched at his shirt, raising her leg to rest it against the wall.

Xelloss was the only person who had ever made her feel this way, the only person who had ever brought out the side to herself that she'd never imagined existed. But she still didn't know if she liked this passion-crazed Lina that he always seemed to evoke with his magical hands.

"Ms. Lina! Ms. Lina I have to-Oh dear kami..." The door to Lina's hotel room opened, and both heads turned to the intruder. Hiyo turned away from them, facing the open door. Xelloss could practically feel her blushing all the way across the room. "I-I'm sorry Ms. Lina, I just needed to ask you a question. I'm so stupid...I should have knocked first. But I just wasn't thinking and I didn't know that I'd be interrupting anything. I knew that this was a bad time but I just had to see you..."

By the time she had stopped her nervous babbling Xelloss had released Lina, and she had pulled down her shirt attempting to try and look decent. Hiyo turned back to them hesitantly, and Lina could just imagine that she was blushing just as strongly as the innocent maiden.

"It's ok, Hiyo. Just tell me what is so important." She was pleased to find that her voice wasn't shaking as much as she thought it'd be, and she'd managed to keep her voice as firm as she cold manage.

Hiyo dwindled her fingers and responded, "There is a man in a white hooded cloak downstairs in the waiting room; he asked for you in particular. And he specifically requested that you not bring down the," She swallowed and glanced nervously at Xelloss, "Idiot priest."

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I don't know why but I've suddenly gotten the nerve to start writing...alot. This is three chapters within 12 hours, without coffee either. lol. I guess I can't hold back my fingers when my mind needs to let it out;3 review please!