Enter the House of Bats!
"Ok, this is what we're going to do," the young sorceress said once there had been a lengthy pause. She turned to the dark-haired villager. "I'm going to teach you a handy little spell Alyssa, and you and your sister are going to help us track the person behind this."
Alyssa blinked in surprise but nodded in agreement. "But, is he not the one responsible…"
Lina cut her off with a wave of her hand. "Gourry's too stupid to try anything on his own, let alone stay hidden from me."
"Ok, but then who…" the young villagers said but went unheard as the impatient red-head began instructing her on how to cast a Ray Wing.
When the transformed swordsman awoke, he was alone. For a brief moment the blonde man sat in his consciousness, wondering what new horror he had committed. He screamed and Zelgadis's stone grip on Lina was all that kept her from revealing their hiding spot.
Return to me. Gourry held his head in pain. His eyes glowed red when he opened them and all but the voice that commanded him was ignored.
Zelgadis released Lina and the three companions gave each other a silent nod of understanding before taking off into the night air. Alyssa watched them fly up several feet before holding on to her little sister and casting the new spell. Amelia turned back and watched the two while keeping an eye on the direction the others were going. She gave the girls thumbs up (swirl included) and stayed between the two groups as they followed their turned friend back to the source of their adventure.
Alyssa dipped and wobbled in the air but the gesture of encouragement from the princess helped her to focus on keeping up. When Lina and Zelgadis dove Amelia disappeared as well. Alyssa continued to follow where they had gone, wondering what had happened. Kassandra whined and held on to Alyssa's neck tightly.
"Alyssa!" Amelia shouted from up ahead. "Keep following. I think Mr. Gourry is trying to lose us!"
"That's comforting," Alyssa said to herself as she recast the Ray Wing. Patting her sister's back and whispering soothing words, the two slowly followed behind, keeping Amelia in sight.
Twice the group landed to cast Recovering spells on each other before continuing their search before Zelgadis pointed out a castle built into the stone face of a mountain. They were further north and the air grew chilly. Lina shivered on the inside. It wasn't the cold that bothered her but the familiar feeling of a mazuko in the area.
"Do you get the feeling I'm getting?" the chimera asked as they hovered in the air.
Lina nodded. "Yeah. We're going to have to think of a way to get the two girls in there without giving up the only lead we have." Her eyes narrowed with seriousness. "We still don't have all of the puzzle pieces but I'm not about to loose the most important piece." She flew down to the foot of the castle with Zelgadis coming after her. A minute later, Amelia in tow with Alyssa and Kassandra landed next to them.
Lina turned to the group, standing as tall as she could. "Alright, Amelia take Kassandra and go with Zelgadis. Alyssa, you're with me. We're going to find Gourry and finally see what this is all about."
"Behave and do as Amelia and Mr. Zelgadis say, ok Kas?" Alyssa kissed her sister's head and smiled before following Lina through the entrance and the left wing. Zelgadis glanced down at the child, feeling a tug on his cape and found her holding on to it like a security blanket.
Amelia smiled. "Aw, she likes you Mr. Zelgadis! Isn't that sweet?"
Zelgadis turned the opposite direction from Lina, saying nothing but unable to hold off a the tinge of pink that rose on the tips of his cheeks.
"Well, it looks like they've finally come," said a silky voice. A dark figure released a bat into the shadow-encompassed room. A few well-used candles flickered, the only light among several, small glowing eyes.
"Why don't you show them the way my pets?" the woman commanded. The room echoed with squeaks and dozens of flying rats exited the room, the sweeping of their wings extinguishing the candles. She turned on her heels, faint moonlight filtered from the crevices of the roof allowing the two people in the room to see each other. A turned up nose, pale skin, and ruby lips all frowned at the still lump in the corner. "You will give our guests a proper greeting this time and I will be watching."
A growl came from the corner.
The woman smiled coldly. "Yes, yes, you still want to resist. But the blood that now flows through your veins won't let you resist my orders any longer. Hahahahahahaa!!!!"