Broken Nightmares
Act 5: Shipwreck! Battle at Sea
By: Sora Kazeno
As always feedback is welcome.
Lina felt her knees give as she collapsed to the ground. Amelia rushed to her side to check on her. "Lina-san!" Amelia exclaimed as she placed her hands on Lina's shoulders. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
Lina's complexion was pale. Whatever Xellos had told her had her scared. She seemed frozen in place. 'She knows.' Lina had hoped she had the element of surprise. If the Lord of Nightmares knew where they were headed it meant Kakken knew as well. Her plan had to continue. They didn't have much time left. She didn't have much time left.
Lina stood up abruptly and attempted to push her thoughts to the side. "We need to get going."
Hours had past. The group was still silent as they thought about the morning events. Atlas City was less than a mile away. The thought of food began to perk the group up.
"Last time we were here we ate at this one place and they had a lot of food," Gourry said out loud. "I want to go there again but I don't remember where it is."
"I'm sure we'll find it," Sylphiel reassured him. She couldn't stand the silence any more. She needed to talk to someone about something, anything. "What did the place look like?"
Lina's mind focused on the past few days and what she planned to accomplish in the future. She had to make it to Mipross. She was afraid the Lord of Nightmares might appear herself to stop Lina if it came to that. However, if the Lord of Nightmares believed Kakken could defeat Lina the Lord of Nightmares would stay back and watch. What role did Xellos play in all of this? The mazoku wanted to keep her alive… but how could that be if Xellos serves under the Lord of Nightmares? Kakken wants to be freed from the Lord of Nightmares and can be free if she defeats her. But Xellos has stopped Kakken from killing her! All of these thoughts became too much for Lina.
"AGHH! THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!" Lina yelled out as her hands shot up and she held her head. Lina thought she had it all planned out it. Everything was so simple. She was going to seal the spell or die trying. Sealing the spell would grant her temporary power and hopefully enough to seal it… in theory. No one has ever tried this.
"Oi, Lina?" Gourry said, "where did we eat last time?" Gourry asked completed oblivious to Lina's outcry.
A teardrop appeared on the side of everyone's face.
The sight of Atlas City made Amelia sigh. Naaga had gone ahead since she refused to camp out. She was hopping she could avoid her. Atlas City was pretty big and if they weren't going to be there too long… she smiled. She cringed. The two already began to run into the town looking for food. Lina and Gourry usually drew attention this way. Amelia sighed, It never took long before Lina joined Gourry. Amelia hung her head.
"Ah!" Lina said happily as she patted her full stomach. "Everything is much better after a meal." She sat there quietly for a few moments before she stood up. "Ne, Amelia we need to secure passage to Mipross."
Amelia was surprised Lina asked her to go with her. "But Lina-san…"
Lina turned around to face her, "Seyruun can afford to send us!" Lina exclaimed as she held up two fingers to form a victory sign.
Amelia tear dropped at the gesture.
There was nothing but darkness. Yet through the darkness everything could still be seen. Phibrizzo stared in shock at the scene before him. His attack was absorbed by the Giga Slave. The darkness began to vanish back into light.
The Lord of Nightmares stood there unharmed in Lina's form. "Only my mind exists in this place." She raised her hand to point at him, "you, who so desperately seeks destruction, as you wish, you shall be destroyed." The black ball of energy disappeared from her hand.
With a flick of her hand Phibrizzo felt unbelievable pain. He screamed at the pain continued to increase. He felt to the ground writhing in pain. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. He had planned everything so perfectly. We wanted to destroy the world yet he was the one about to be destroyed.
The Lord of Nightmares raised her hand in Phibrizzo's direction and the left side of his body was destroyed in the blink of an eye.
'No…' Phibrizzo thought to himself and he felt his life force leaving him. 'This isn't what I wanted…'
The city of Sairaag began to vanish and the souls within could finally be at peace. Phibrizzo no longer had hold over them. Sylphiel father looked up before he vanished with the rest.
Lina's heart hammered in her chest. She wanted to know when the visions would stop. Each vision revealed more and more of that day. The images of Phibrizzo's face would not leave her mind's eye. Her gut told her it was important but she could not figure out why. She glanced at her possession and thought back to the last time she was on Mipross. She wasn't even sure where the book was, all she knew the book was on the island and she had to find it.
Amelia had booked passage for everyone on a tourist boat to help them "blend in". Mipross was a day and a half journey. During those two days Zel needed to learn as much as he could about spell sealing from Sylphiel or Lina. His understanding of this magic was powerful and dangerous, similar to the type of magic Rezo experimented with. Zelgadis gathered his belonging and headed downstairs.
Zelgadis didn't have to wait long until the rest of the group to join him.
Amelia continued to look around the inn frantically for Naaga. She sighed in relief at her absence. "The ship will be leaving soon, we have to hurry."
The open sea felt calming to Lina. She felt calmer but she still did not have any answers. She was missing a key piece. A noise behind her made her turn pale. Only 1 person laughed like that. She didn't have to turn around to know Naaga was behind her.
"I see you have your back to me again," Naaga said as she gloated behind her being her greatest rival. "Did you think I wouldn't know what ship you were on!" Naaga continued to talk but Lina didn't pay attention. After a few more minutes Naaga finally realized she was being ignored. "Hey! You can't just ignore me!"
Lina did what came natural to her. She raised her finger and haphazardly threw a fireball at her. It was a low level spell since they were on a wooden ship after all. Lina walked away leaving Naaga twitching on the ground.
Mipross was a popular tourist attraction due to the world class resort springs. Lina was betting on being able to blend in with the crowd to some degree. It wasn't her style but she needed to try her best to not draw attention to herself.
"Lina, we need to talk," Zelgadis said as he approached her.
Lina felt a lump form in her throat. She knew this would happen sooner or later. Zel was the best strategist in the group and the most knowledgeable when it came to dangerous magic. He had too much personal experience in the matter.
"What do you want?" Lina asked trying to not sound anxious. She was going to try her best to brush it off as if sealing a spell was no big deal.
"I spoke with Sylphiel about what you are planning to do and it is very dangerous. No one has ever been able to seal a spell before. Those that have tried have died," Zel said as he continued to walk forward until he stood next to her.
"There is always a first for everything!" Lina said with a smile. The look on Zelgadis' face told her he wasn't buying her act. "That is why we have to find the book. The book holds the key to the magic. No one has found the book yet and that it why they weren't successful."
"And what if we don't find the book?" asked Zelgadis.
"We will find the book," Lina assured him. "I know a few people on Mipross that owe me. I'm sure they will be glad to repay the favor." Lina smiled, "We seal the spell, no problem."
"What are you going to do differently than the others that had tried and failed? There are no second chances," said Zelgadis. Lina always attempted to be confident in everything she had done; however, she sometimes bites off more than she can handle.
"I'll have the book. That will be the difference. Besides they don't make anyone a colored sorceress," said Lina with a wink. "You worry about Kakken finding us and I'll worry about the rest, okay?" Lina left the deck and Zelgadis to his thoughts.
Zelgadis knew he received all the information he could from Lina. He had to find out the rest by himself. He would talk to Sylphiel again.
It didn't take Zel long to find her. "I was wondering if I could continue the conversation we had the other day," Zelgadis said as he approached her.
"I don't know how much help I can be," Sylphiel said. Her voice was low. It was apparent she wasn't too comfortable discussing this topic.
"What is the process of sealing a spell? My understanding is that a spell would be cast to seal another spell. But that seems too simple. Anyone could seal a spell for basic magic."
"That is not correct," Sylphiel stated. "Basic spells as you call them can not be sealed."
Zel gave her a questioning look signifying he did not understand the difference between the two.
"A basic spell such as "lighting" or "raywing" do not draw power from a higher being." Sylphiel explained. "When magic is summoned from a higher being a small fraction of that person is brought to this world. Power from the Lord of Nightmares was drawn by means of the Giga Slave. Miscasting the spell led to the Lord of Nightmares taking a physical form though temporarily. When Gaav was defeated by Hellmaster, what happened to the spell Gaav Flare?"
"It could never be summoned again since Gaav ceased to be," Zelgadis explained as he began to understand where Sylphiel was heading with the discussion.
"If a spell is like the Giga Slave, the Lord of Nightmares will not be able to be summoned to this world," explained Sylphiel.
"Somehow I don't think the Lord of Nightmares is going to sit by and let that happen," Zelgadis said as his gaze turned to the other passengers. "We have to keep an eye on out for Kakken."
"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me," a hooded figure said as Lina sat down across the table from him. "You've been searching this entire time and finally found me less than 2 hour before we reach Mipross. To what honor do I have the pleasure of talking to Lina Inverse about?" He smiled and his eyes seemed to gleam.
"You're familiar with this island and it's magic," Lina said as she lowered her voice. "I need to talk to you about black magic and how to seal a spell."
"It is no coincidence we are on the same ship. Sealing a spell is theoretical in practice only but it can not be done," He looked at her and stated, "you'd be a fool to try."
"But I have no other choice."
"What makes you believe this? Just what kind of trouble are you in?"
"… the Lord of Nightmares is after me."
"So it is true what they say. You are the new Lord of Nightmare's mark. I understand why you would wish to seal her magic but it will not solve anything. Sealing her magic is the one thing you must not do." Before the old man could say anything else he slumped down onto the table. Another figure stood above him. It didn't take long for Lina to determine who it was.
"Kakken. I was starting to wonder what took you so long to show up," Lina said as her eye shifted from the table to the woman before her.
"Did you really think could make it to Mipross without any incidents?" asked Kakken as she sneered at Lina.
"The thought crossed my mind," Lina said as hundreds of thoughts ran though her mind. She needed to from a plan quickly before the other passengers became at risk.
"Land ahead!" A sailor yelled to those on the deck. "Please gather all your belongings we will at land within the hour."
'Within the hour?' Lina thought to herself. She knew she didn't have much time. This was the distraction she needed to find the others. It took her seconds to find Gourry and Sylphiel.
"Lina-san, we're almost there; I'm really excited," Sylphiel said as Lina approached the duo.
"Kakken is here," Lina said to Gourry. "We don't have much time until she blows up the ship!" Her eyes quickly darted around in search of the others.
A high pitched scream caught Zel's attention. A woman stood staring at a hunched over hooded figure. Based on how the figure was sprawled on the table it was apparent they were no longer in this world. His eyes quickly searched for the one who could have cause it. Zelgadis took a deep breath as he realized Kakken was on the ship. His thought shifted as he formulated a plan to quickly have passengers exit the ship.
Crewman were assisting a few panicked passengers. Amelia realized what had happened and needed to expedite the process, she yelled at the top of her lungs. "WE'RE GOING TO DIE, THERE'S AN EVIL SORCERESS HERE!"
An elder man turned to face her, "what evil sorceress? No one can possibly be that bad."
Amelia hoped to avoid this but she yelled, "LINA INVERSE!"
The passenger yelled and screamed. Their mad dash to leave the ship created utter chaos. They mobbed the boats. A teardrop appeared next to Zelgadis' head. Not exactly the plan he had in mind, but it was effective.
Naaga laughed. "Yes run away from Lina's rival." Everyone continued to run past her. No one paid any attention to her as she continued to laugh.
Within minutes everyone had cleared the ship which left Kakken and the group. Kakken smiled she had them where she wanted them. "You have nowhere to run to Lina," Kakken raised her hand as a blue ball of energy formed. "It is time we finally end this game. DOLPH STRASH!"
Lina easily dodged the attack, the ship however, was not so fortunate. The energy created a hole in the deck. A rumble was heard from below. It could be assumed the attack made a hole in the ship and water was entering. "Is that the best you got?" Lina taunted as she casted a lighting spell to blind Kakken. "Now!"
Gourry sprung forward with the Sword of Light only to be blocked by Kakken.
"Did you really think I wouldn't see such a basic attack coming?" Kakken spat at them. "How naïve do you think I am?"
"Pretty naïve," Lina antagonized Kakken. Her plan was to frustrate the opponent to make defeat easier.
"This ends today! FIRESTORM!" Fireballs seemed to appear out of nowhere. Everyone did their best to dodge them, however, they were on a wooden ship, a sinking wooden ship now on fire.
Lina knew she had to end it quickly. "Everyone get out of here!" The orbs on her talismans lit up. "Lord of darkness of the four worlds, grant me all the power that you posses."
The others hesitated for a moment until they saw the look. It was a glimmer in her eye that caught their attention. She only had that look when she was about to cast Dragon Slave.
Amelia started to push Sylphiel and Gourry to the edge of the boat. "We have to leaver now."
"But Lina!" Gourry started to protest not fully comprehending what was going on.
"She's about to cast Dragon Slave," Amelia quietly explained to him. Without another word he jumped off the boat. He had too many close calls with the spell in the past.
Kakken observed the events before her. She wasn't about to sit back and let them carry out their plan. She quickly summed a fireball spell and directed it at Lina.
However, the attack was intercepted by Zelgadis. He had cast Astral Vine on his sword and used it to deflect the magic.
"Zel get out of here!" Lina yelled to him as the ball of fire energy continued to grow larger. "Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!"
The sound of the explosion was deafening. Wood and other debris flew through the air. Gourry stared at the scene for a moment his thoughts focused on Lina. He had to find her. "LINA!" He heard nothing. Amelia and Sylphiel where to his side as they grabbed on to debris to help keep them afloat.
"ZELGADIS-SAN! LINA-SAN!" Amelia yelled as she began to swim toward the remnants.
Kakken was nowhere to be found. Unfortunately 10 minutes had past and there was still no sign of Lina or Zelgadis either. Kakken must have escaped in the blast. The group was safe from her for the time being.
Lina pushed herself up onto a wooden plank. She let out a sign of relief; she could relax for a moment. Kakken had vanished in the middle of the explosion. Lina figured she had a little time before Kakken would try to attack the group again. During that time she needed to find the others and make it to Mipross.
Lina looked around at her surroundings and noticed Zelgadis was the only one that was close by. She wasn't surprised since Zelgadis was the last one on the ship with her.
Zel was relieved to see Lina. In the distance he could see land. He quickly swam over to her. "We need to get moving before she finds us."
"We don't have to worry about Kakken for now. She disappeared in the explosion. We aren't too far from Mipross. We can probably fly there. Only problem is I don't know which part of the island we will be on," Lina said as she glanced over at the lifeboats. "I want to get to Mipross before they do!"
A man yelled curses at the duo about his possession destroyed.
Everyone regrouped and quickly arrived on the island. They were surrounded by trees and too tired to fly anymore. All they needed was a guide.
Lina assumed it would be a lost cause but was willing to take a gamble. "Which way do we go to find Rowdy, Gourry?"
"Oi Lina, I have no idea where we are," Gourry said as he looked around at his surroundings.
"Your great plan was to ask him?" Zel asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"Gourry-sama grew up here," Sylphiel stated as she came to his defense. "Gourry-sama hasn't been here for years."
"Jellyfish brains," Lina mumbled under her breath. "We might as well start moving,"
It did not take long for the group to realize they were not in an ordinary forest. A group of bandits saw the small group. They figured they would be an easy target. They quickly closed in and surrounded them.
"Give us everything you have!" The leader directed them. He had his sword raised ready to strike.
Gourry raised a hand to his head. He scratched the back of his head as he said, "there was something special about this forest, but I can't remember what it was."
"Now is not the time for that," Lina mumbled under her breath. She quickly sized them up with her eyes. A few spells and they would go running, no problem. "FIREBALL!"
Nothing happened. The others started at Lina.
The dark haired bandit leader laughed at her. "Did you really thing you could cast magic in this forest?"
"Oh yeah! This is the forest that magic doesn't work in!" Gourry said as he tapped his closed fist on his open hand.
Lina's eye twitched. She turned in his direction and stomped over to him. She hit him in the head as hard as she could. "HOW COULD YOU FORGET THAT?"
"Not using magic is not going to stop us!" Amelia said gleefully, "not with justice on our side!"
Sylphiel took a step back. She knew she was powerless against them.
"Let's get 'em!" One of the bandits yelled to the leader.
Lina pulled out her dagger. It wasn't much but she needed something to defend herself with against the bandits. Gourry worked furiously to attach the blade to the hilt. Lina looked around at her companions and noticed one was missing again, Naaga. However, this was typical behavior for her. She pushed her thoughts to the side and focused on the task at hand.
Zel drew his sword as two bandits ran at him Zelgadis quickly blocked the first attack and turned to his right the other bandit attempted to strike him. The first bandit struck again and hit Zelgadis' side. His rock hard skin chipped the edges of the blade. The bandit took a few steps back as he stared at his sword.
Lina was holding up on her own. She was up against three bandits. They began to close in on her. She had to act quickly.
Gourry finally attached his sword into one piece. He was by Amelia and Sylphiel. Sylphiel kept her distance as much as she could. She knew she would only be in their way without her magic. She felt helpless.
Lina focused on the two bandits who struck at her first, she ignored the third, big mistake. Lina defended herself from the attack of the other two. She didn't see the punch to her stomach until it was too late. She doubled over as the wind was knocked out of her. She raised her head in time to the see the other bandit with his sword raised ready to strike her.
All of the sudden the bandit seemed to be thrown to the side by a blue haired swordsman. Lina blinked. He looked familiar to her even though she knew had never met him before. In the distance Gourry and Zelgadis finished the remaining bandits. The blue haired swordsman walked over to Lina to help her back up to her feet. She felt awkward by his actions.
"Thanks," Lina mumbled. She wasn't used to anyone helping her to her feet.
"No problem, Miss …?" His sentence trailed off.
"Lina."
"Lina? As in the Lina Inverse who saved the island from Joyrock?" The swordsman looked at her surprised.
"Umm, yeah," Lina said. She was surprised that anyone would actually be excited to meet her.
"I expected someone older," he stated. "My name is Drake," his facial expression quickly changed when he noticed something or rather someone behind her. He headed directly for them.
"What are you doing back here?" Drake asked Gourry and came up next to him.
"Hey!" Gourry said with a smile. "We're helping Lina find something since someone is after her."
By this time Lina had walked over to two. She was starting to make the connection just how similar the two looked in appearance.
"Gourry, that's enough. We need to get going. Which way do we go?" Lina asked him as she looked around at her surroundings. There were trees everywhere.
Gourry glanced to the right and rested his chin on his right knuckle. He appeared to be in deep thought. He continued to stare into the forest. The others waited and watched. Gourry moved his hand from under his chin to behind his head as he turned around to face Lina. "I have no idea."
A vain twitched in Lina's head as her hand clenched. Her temper matched her fiery hair. She slugged Gourry in the face. The others watched on hopelessly. They weren't surprised Gourry didn't know where he was going. He usually didn't.
Drake stared at the scene before him. He wasn't sure what he more confused by Gourry not remembering where he lived for the sight of a four foot petite girl beating Gourry up. The confused passed and became anger. His thoughts focused on one thing. "Grandfather never should have given you the Sword of Light."
Zelgadis smirked. No wonder the two looked similar.
".. wait you guys are brothers?" Lina asked once she stopped beating up Gourry. She turned to look at Drake and it clicked. He looked like a younger version of Rowdy.
The next act will be out later this year. Act 6: Keep Going! Journey Threw Mipross.