Broken Nightmares
Act 6: Keep Going! Journey Through Mipross
By: Sora Kazeno
Lina seemed dumbfound by the revelation. The difference between Gourry and Drake were night and day. What amazed her even more was the idea that Gourry was trusted with the Sword of Light, a very powerful and rare weapon. Though Gourry was an excellent swordsman bright he was not.
The forest was dim and offered little light. A spell would easily offset the darkness. "Lighting." Nothing happen. Lina raised an eyebrow in confusion before she remembered magic didn't work in the forest. She balled up her fists in frustration. "We need to get out of here." Lina stated flatly as she turned her attention to Drake. "Which way do we go to get out of here?"
Drake smiled, "It's not that far. We can get there in a matter of hours. I know the shortest path there."
Although he knew the shortest path to take, the journey seemed to take forever to Lina. She continued to be amazed by Gourry's memory. Gourry is not the sharpest canyon in the box but he should at least remember where he lived!
Gourry glanced wide eyed at the forest around him as if he had never been here before. The group stopped at a small pond to rest and drink water. Gourry surveyed his surroundings. He seemed to be in deep concentration as he started at an opening across the pond. He continued to stare at the path.
"Gourry, do you know where that leads?" Lina asked as stood next to him.
Gourry didn't respond at first. He continued to stare straight ahead. Lina waited another moment. He stood there like a statue. "Gourry…" Lina said as she poked his arm. Still nothing. She took a few steps forward to face him. An air bubble was expanding and deflating from his nose. He felt asleep standing up. Lina felt her anger rise. She did what comes natural to her. She punched him in the face. "DON'T FALL ASLEEP STANDING UP!"
Amelia and Zelgadis tear dropped at the display. Thought this was nothing new for them seeing the same thing happen over and over during the journey it grew tiresome.
"Poor Gourry-san," Amelia quietly said.
"Gourry-sama!" Sylphiel exclaimed as she rushed over to his side. She quickly checked him over for any injuries. "Are you hurt?"
Lina mumbled something incoherent under her breath.
Drake turned his attention to the path Gourry had fallen asleep as he stared at the winding path. He realized why Gourry originally looked the muddied path. It led home. "We're almost there," said Drake and as he extended his right arm in their next direction. "Gourry actually remembered something. We don't have much farther to go once we cross the pond."
Lina ignored everything around her. Her thoughts focused on what she was going to say to Rowdy. Last time she saw him he vanished in front of her near a swamp that aged other life forces. She started to have second thoughts as she remembered what happened to the frog which had entered the swamp a few years before. The last thing she wanted was to fight Kakken as an old lady. She might as well not fight her if that happened. A slow moving lime green object caught her eye. She cringed for a moment and then ran screaming from the swamp.
The group stopped frozen for a moment as they attempted to determine the cause of Lina's sudden outburst. Then they saw the slimy bugs. Slugs. They had to cross around the swamp to continue forward. There was no other route; which meant finding Lina and hoping she wouldn't see any more slugs in the process.
An explosion sounded in the background their attention was no longer on the slugs. Amelia and Zelgadis quickly used Raywing and flew into the forest to find Lina. Gourry pulled out the Sword of Light and quickly followed suit. His thoughts focused on Lina. The others remained where they were and watched their surroundings.
For the next few minutes everything was silent. The rustle of leaves turned their attention to the right. The rustling sound increased and a bush moved from side to side. The team prepared themselves to fight a rabbit that jumped out of the bush. Drake let out a sigh; he should have realized it was a small object based on the movement.
Drake immediately raised his guard when he heard more rustling. He listened for a moment. It was something large that was in a hurry. His eyebrow raised when he heard yelling, the voices of Lina and Gourry. They were yelling something he could not understand.
A loud blast erupted behind them. Within seconds they emerged. A tree was blasted from its roots followed by laugher of a woman. Kakken came into view. Zelgadis and Amelia landed next to Lina and Gourry.
Drake noticed the tension among the group and wondered who this woman was and why she was after them. Based on their posture she was someone to take seriously.
The woman smiled as she continued to walk forward. "Run and hide as much as you want Lina Inverse but sooner or later I will find you. It is only a matter of time until this cat and mouse game ends," Kakken said with a smirk on her face.
"Any ideas Lina?" Zelgadis asked her, his sword rose prepared to strike.
"I'm working on it," said Lina. "Buy me some time for right now. I'm probably going to have to case something big."
"You mean.." His voice trailed off.
"Not that one. There are other spells that also draws power from the Lord of Nightmares," Lina explained. "I have to cast an amplifier spell."
"We'll give you as much time as we can," Gourry said as he raised his sword. He looked over at Zelgadis and Amelia, they nodded their head. Gourry raced forward with Zelgadis behind him, his own sword raised.
"Do you really think a swordsman and 2 white magic users can stop me? A servant of the Lord of Nightmares? You are delusional!" She laughed and made a gesture with her hand to form a golden sword of energy. She ran forward and met Gourry head on. Clashes of golden and white energy created sparks.
"Astral Vine!" Zelgadis cast onto his sword. Zelgadis quickly moved to the side and planned to attack her from behind. Kakken didn't miss a beat. A bolt of energy was thrown at him which knocked him back 20 feet into a tree. The tree took more damage than Zelgadis. The wind was knocked out him. It would take him a few moments to recover.
Lina raised her hand in front her chest. "Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess!" The talisman grew crimson as power gathered in them.
Drake realized they needed more time. He was hoping to help resolve the issue along with Amelia. Drake dodged to the right avoiding blast from Kakken.
Amelia used the opportunity to a cast a spell, "FLARE ARROW!" Kakken moved her head to the side as the fiery arrow flew past. She gave the impression the spell was beneath her.
Kakken glared at Amelia. "Do you call that a fire spell?" Kakken laughed as she prepared her own fire spell. "FIRESTORM!"
The group had given Lina just enough time to cast the next spell. "Lord of the Darkness and Four Worlds, I beseech thy fragments; by all of the power thou possesses, grant heaven's wrath to my hand." Black energy cackled as it formed in her hands.
The incantation caught Kakken attention. "No so fast Lina!" Kakken charged at her.
Gourry stood in front of Lina. "Keep going! Don't stop!" He shouted her, using his body to give her cover.
Lina nodded her hand and turned her attention to completing the spell incantation. "Unleash the sword of dark, freezing nothingness. By our power, our combined might, let us walk as one along the path of destruction." The black energy took on a new form in her hands. One of a sword. "RAGUNA BLADE!" Lina raced forward with the sword as Gourry moved out of the way. She knew she could only control the sword for so long before the power would disperse. Every second counted. She sprinted forward toward Kakken.
Kakken glanced up from her battle with Gourry as she sensed the dark energy approaching her. She quickly maneuvered herself to place Gourry off guard. Unfortunately by the time she was able to best him Lina was in front her. Kakken used her sword an effort to block the attack. She screamed as the energy surged into her.
Lina felt her energy drain within seconds the dark energy would vanish. She mustered her remaining strength and put everything she could into one last blow. Something went wrong.
Lina was hurled back into the air out of breath. The others scrammed to catch her. Drake happened to be in the right place at the right time. Lina slowly opened her eyes and saw him looking down at her.
"Are you okay?" Drake asked her. She didn't seem to have marks that indicated a wound but she was pale in color. Strains for her hair had turned white.
"Kakken? … did we stop her?" Lina murmured as she fought to keep her eyes open.
Drake looked in the direction of Kakken and could only see parts of trees and smoke. "I don't know yet. There is still too much smoke in the way."
The others ran to Lina and Drake and stood around them. "I think you finally got her." Zelgadis said to Lina. Lina smiled.
The celebration was short lived as a laugh caught their attention. The smoke had clear and a figure began to remerge.
"Did you really think that would work Lina?" Kakken taunted as she slowly stood up. Her left arm clutched her right shoulder. Her hair was disheveled and sections of her tonic where missing. It was clear she was in pain and would be unable to continue the battle in her current state. "You're going to need a more powerful spell than that if you want to stop me." She smiled as she noticed the hint of fear in Lina's facial expression. "This is far from over," stated Kaken as she disappeared in a flash of gold and black light.
"At least we'll have time to rest and figure out our next move," Zelgadis said.
"We have to keep moving," said Lina as she bit her lip. "Nothing changes, more than ever we have to get there soon."
Kakken immediately collapsed to her knees. The battle had taken a lot out of her but she wasn't going to let them know. She had to keep pushing herself toward the Lord of Nightmare's ultimate goal. A blinding light appeared behind her. Before she turned around she knew it was Her.
"You did well today. They are becoming desperate. I need you continue to push them to the temple. They should be there within four days time. Rest today and plan how you will push her over the edge. Report to me tomorrow what you plan to do. Without another word she vanished.
Her master had high demands of her but the reward for completing this task is worth the beating she had just received. Her freedom meant everything to her. She had dreamed about the day for years.
Kakken thought back to Lina's battle against Phibrizzo. He had done something or said something which shook her to her very core. She had until tomorrow to determine what it was.
"Getting a bit reckless are we?" Xellos stated as he floated above the group. "I didn't think you would use that spell yet."
"You always seem to show up right after the battle you know that?" Zel snarled at the mazoku hovered above them.
"Well it is not my battle against the Lord of Nightmares. I am merely an observer of the events," said Xel as he waived his finger at them. "My, my, you are running out of options aren't you?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Amelia questioned.
"Precisely what I said, your magic doesn't seem to be powerful enough to stop Her as is," Xel said as he opened an eye to look at Lina. "I hope you have something up your shelve. Otherwise it is only a matter of time until Kakken will win."
"We won't let that happen!" shouted Gourry as his protective instincts began to take over.
"Aren't you getting worked up over one simple statement," challenged Xellos as he turned his gazed to Gourry. "And here I was going to give you advice. Perhaps another time when I'm more… welcomed." Xellos said as he vanished from sight.
"He always talks in riddles and I'm getting sick of it," said Zelgadis as he turned to look at the others. "Sylphiel-san, can you cast a recovery spell on Lina so we can keep moving?
Sylphiel nodded her head as she made her way to Lina's side. "This will take me a few minutes," Sylphiel said as she raised her hands. A soft white glow emitted from her raised hands.
A sense of warmth came over Lina as she felt the energy pass threw her. She could slowly feel her energy returning to her. It would be a while before she could cast powerful magic. She would only be able to use mid-range magic for a while. Kakken would also need time to recover from the injuries she sustained. The only question was how injured Kakken was. The feeling of warmth began to end. Sylphiel had lowered her arms to the ground and was breathing deeply.
"Sylphiel-san are you okay?" Amelia asked as she noticed her change in posture.
"I'll be okay in a minute. Recovery spells transfer magical power from the spell caster to the receiving person. It will take a while until I regain the rest," Sylphiel explained to him.
"We'll have to walk slowly for both our sakes," Lina said with a smile. She looked over at Sylphiel and winked. Lina quickly stood up and nearly fell over from all the blood rushing to her head. Gourry caught her and helped her steady herself. Lina's cheeks flushed. "I'm okay," Lina stammered as she tried to cover her moment of weakness.
Lina took a deep breath to clear her mind. "We don't have much time until she comes back. We have to find that book to stop her." Lina became silent and as turned to face Drake. "Which way do we go next?" She knew it would be pointless to ask Gourry due to his memory issues.
Drake seemed taken aback for a moment by Lina's resolve. Despite everything that just happened she wanted to keep moving forward. She wasn't giving herself a moment to rest and rather chose to push herself to reach her goal. Drake took a deep breath and surveyed his surroundings. It did not take him long to determine which way the group needed to go. "We have to head northwest to reach the midpoint of the island. We walk a decent pace we should be there in a few hours. There will be fresh water locations along route to rest."
"Let's get going then," Zelgadis said as he stood up.
The group rested by a lake en route to Gourry and Drake's home. The group took the opportunity to rest and refill their canteens with water. A bolt of thunder sounded in the distance.
"It's about to rain," Amelia said as she looked up to the sky. "I didn't realize how dark it had gotten since we were under the trees the whole time."
"We're going to come across a patch of open fields ahead and unless we want to get stuck in a downpour we need to get moving," Drake stated as he stood up. Light lit up the sky.
Everyone looked up trying to assess whether the light source was due to the weather or a magic spell. Seconds later drops of rain began to fall upon them. "I guess we didn't have as long as he we thought," said Zelgadis as he covered his head with his cloak.
"Since we are out of the forest area magic can be used. However, he still have about another 10 miles to go. Do you think you can make it that far?" Drake asked as he looked up at the darkening clouds.
"Between the four of us we can make it. It's that or be stuck in a downpour," stated Lina and she glanced at the others.
Gourry seemed to be more lost in his own world than he usually is as he stared at the house in front of him. He ignored the remaining drops of rain and the gust of wind.
Lina's attention was drawn to statue of a young girl and a small boy with a sword. Her jaw dropped. She felt her cheeks begin to flush and turned away from the statue quickly. She hoped no one else saw it.
"Hey Lina-san," Amelia said as she walked toward the statue. "This looks just like you! The clothing is different but it is either you or your twin."
Gourry attention was redirected to Amelia's comments. He walked over to the statue and stared at the face. He then looked over at Lina's face for a moment and then looked at the statue. Gourry raised his hand and placed it under his chin at he stared at the statue. His gaze turned from the face of the statue to the bust line. Gourry looked over at Lina again. Gourry then walked up to the statue and stared at the bust line again. Gourry looked at Lina one more time. "It is you in the statue! Everything is really small!"
Lina's eyebrow twitched at Gourry's comment. She could use magic and pound him that way but there was a statue built in her honor. Why potentially ruin a monument built about her. Beating Gourry to a pulp with her fists was just as effective. Lina quickly raised her hand and the next thing Gourry saw was stars. The others watched on in amazement.
The commotion drew attention from an old man that walked out of his house. He squinted his eyes at the events before him and scratched his beard. "I was wondering how long it was going to take for you to show up!" He exclaimed as he waved his arm in Drake's direction. "I see you found them."
Lina stopped beating up Gourry to turn her attention to the old man. He hadn't changed much since the last time she saw him. She was confused by his last words. Had he sent Drake to find them and how did he know they were in Mipross?
The old man turned his attention to Lina. "Lina Inverse, what brings you back here? Your friend said you needed help."
"Friend…?" Lina asked with a raised eyebrow. An ear piercing laugh erupted behind the old man. The sound made her skin crawl. She had hoped they had lost her when they reached land. Naaga seemed to be able to disappear for a while when there are problems and then reappear when things seems more normal. Deep down Lina knew it was in her best interest to have Naaga along for the ride. Another powerful sorceress could make all the difference against Kakken.
"It's just like old times Lina!" exclaimed Naaga. "Here we are in the same place with some of the same people." Naaga smiled as she waved her hand. "What took you so long? I've been waiting for hours!"
Lina muttered some colorful wording choices under her breath.
"Come inside and we'll talk," Rowdy said as he looked over the travelers in front of him. Rowdy looked at the faces of those before him and squinted his eyes to focus. It was then he noticed Gourry among them. "Gourry… and Lina traveling together? I never would have thought... Well come on in." The old man turned around and walked inside.
The fire burned bright as the group crowded around it for warmth. They had towels to wipe off the excess water and blankets to keep them warm.
"I understand you're in some trouble," Rowdy said as he kept his eyes on everyone. "But in order to help you I need to understand what has happened."
Everyone remained silent not sure what to say.
Lina broke the silence. "The Lord of Nightmares is after me."
"You've angered the Dark Lord?" Exclaimed Rowdy eyes wide open.
"I wouldn't say angered per say. I miscast a spell and was given a second chance but I have to defeat one of her minions," Lina said as she shifted her eyes to the painting on the wall of Rowdy and the elf she had saved decades ago.
"I am no match for the Lord of Nightmares so I'm not sure how I can help you," Rowdy said. He rubbed his beard as if in deep thought.
"There's a temple on this island," Zelgadis said as he carefully eyed Rowdy. "We need to find the temple and you know where it is."
"You can't be serious!" Rowdy exclaimed as he stood up. "What you are after is a myth! You must find a different approach to solve your problem."
"Father, the woman after them is very powerful. She will stop at nothing to kill anyone in her way. Father you above all know Lina would be the only one capable of defeating the Lord of Nightmares if she had the book," Drake said as he looked at Rowdy in the eye. "She saved your life and mothers you can at least tell her where the temple is. You owe her that much."
Rowdy slowly walked over to the window and stood there without a word for a few moments. He slowly turned from the window and focused attention on his elder son. "Very well but I wish to talk to Lina Inverse alone."
Lina bit her lip. She knew where there was conversation was leading. He wanted to know why the Lord of Nightmares was after her because of a miscast spell. "Fine with me."
"Follow me," Rowdy said as he led Lina to a back room. "I will answer your questions about the object you seek."
The others sat quietly in the room. The silence was broken by Gourry. "If Lina saved my mom and dad… that must mean Lina is really old!" Gourry said as he hit his hand against his open palm.
"Before I disclose the location of the temple to you I need to know why the Lord of Nightmares has chosen you as her mark," Rowdy said as he sat down in an armchair.
"I miscast the Giga Slave and I'm fighting for my freedom. If I lose I'll be killed by her servant Kakken," Lina explained as she looked down at her hands.
"You miscast a spell?" Rowdy questioned as he raised an eyebrow at her. "A colored sorceress that has mastered the dark arts miscast a spell?"
"I was…distracted," Lina murmured as she tried to find the right words.
"My dear girl what could be more important than absolute concentration a spell that can destroy the world?"
"I learned from the Claire Bible what would happen if I were to miscast the spell and resolved to not cast it again. But I went against Hellmaster and I had no choice."
"There is always a choice."
"Not this time."
"What did he do to change your mind?"
Lina stood up and walked over to a small bookcase to avoid looking at him directly. This was the one thing she never wanted to talk about with anyone. Lina thought carefully as she chose her words. "He was about to kill someone…" Lina said as her voice trailed off.
"Who could have been more important the spell?" Rowdy asked as he started at Lina's back. She was silent but her body language gave it away.
"Very well. What happened after you miscast the spell?"
"… I remember being surrounded by blackness…" Lina said she turned to face him. "I… I guess I defeated Hellmaster. He wasn't there when I came to. I was surrounded by the others."
"Why do you seek the book?"
"It's the only way to stop Kakken."
"The servant that was sent after you?"
"Yes. I have used the most powerful spell I can against her short of using the Giga Slave."
"Which spell is this?"
"Raguna Blade."
"I see you have mastered new spells. What spell do you wish to learn from the book?"
"Why is that important? I just need it to end this!" Lina exclaimed as she walked over to the other end of room, irritation written on her face. "Why should it matter so much to you?"
"For centuries my family has guarded the Necronomicon due to the level of magic. The book is supposed to remain hidden to keep out of the hands of others. What if this Kakken person that has been chasing you is able to learn the location of book and take it for herself?"
Lina sighed. What he said made sense. "I wish to seal the spell so no one else can cast it."
Rowdy sat in the chair stunned. He slowly rose and walked over to a bookcase. His eyes seemed to search for something. "You are aware that no one has ever been able to successfully cast sealing magic."
"Yes. But if I fail I will not endanger anyone else like I would if I were to cast the Giga Slave again."
"I see you have given much thought to this." Rowdy sighed and he removed a large black book from the bookcase. "Very well," he said as he opened the book and retrieved a piece of parchment. The paper appeared old and worn. "What I am about to give must never leave your sight. It is a map of the location that you seek. Once you arrive at the temple there will be guardians and challenges you must face and their sole purpose to defend the secrets within. They can not be reason with. This map is your key. Without it will near impossible to find. I wish you luck Lina Inverse."
"Lina-san has been in there for a while," said Amelia as she stared at the door Lina had disappeared behind.
"Rowdy-san is the only one that can help Lina-san with the information she seeks," said Sylphiel as she looked down at her hands in her lap. "Though I don't know how much the book will be able to help her."
"What do you expect her to do? Cast the Giga Slave again?" Asked Naaga as she eyed Sylphiel as she spoke. "Lina can handle herself. You seem to believe she is weaker than she actually is."
The door opened and Lina walked out. She took a deep breath and attempted to put on a cheerily expression. "We leave tomorrow morning. We will be able to spend the night here. Expect to leave early." Lina walked out of the room without another word. She headed outside and continued to walk toward the lake they passed when they arrived.
The group was confused by Lina's behavior. But then again she has seemed different ever since Kakken began to chase her.
Hours had pasted since their initial arrival. The group sat down to a feast before them. Lina didn't attack the food as she normal would have. "Before we eat, we need to go over the plan for tomorrow."
Her actions shocked her companions. Lina would normally be attacking Gourry for food by now and food bits would be flying everywhere.
"Tomorrow we will leave around first light. If all goes well it will take us about a day and a half to get there. My understanding is that we will encounter some obstacles as we get closer to the temple as well as danger once we get to the temple. Without the book the only way I can defeat Kakken will be to cast the Giga Slave," Lina said as she cast her eyes down.
"But Lina-san you can't cast that spell again," Sylphiel said.
"Then I have to seal the magic," finished Lina as she looked at Sylphiel.
"That is very dangerous! Surely there must be another way!" Exclaimed Sylphiel as she stood up. "There has to be another way to stop her."
"I am out of ideas and this is the only way," Lina stated. "At least if I were to miscast the selling spell it wouldn't risk the existence of the world."
"When you put it that way I guess that is our option at the moment," Zelgadis stated matter of fact.
Amelia's jaw dropped at his words. "Zelgadis-san! That is really mean! Don't you care about what happens to Lina-san!"
"Of course, but for now that is our best option unless we can come up with another alternative."
Lina stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was closer to her destination and it frightened her. Kakken was on her trail and she was to going to attempt something that has never been done. She wanted to know what happened when she was possessed by the Lord of Nightmares. She knew it was late. She sighed and went to bed.
Her eyes did not look up from the meal before her. "It took you a long time to report in. Why the delay?" She asked as she sipped from a goblet of wine.
"They are getting suspicious but seem to be heading to the temple."
Her eyes narrowed, "so she is getting desperate." She placed the goblet on the table. "She must be allowed to find the book. Of all the magic users that exist she might actually succeed, but then again she is merely mortal."
"As you wish," Xellos stated as he bowed down on one knee. Without another sound he vanished from her sight.
"You are playing a very dangerous game Lina Inverse. Though I would like to see you "seal" my magic and fulfill your role," the Lord of Nightmares smiled as she raised her glass.
She raised her hand and a section of Phibrizzo's chest was destroyed.
The image shifted to her friends as they slowly rose from the floor.
Zelgadis looked around at his surroundings. "What… what's going on?" His eyes focused on the blonde man standing before him no longer incased in crystal. "Gourry!"
Gourry stood there silently staring up at a figure in gold.
"Gourry-sama!" Sylphiel exclaimed as she stared at his back happy to see him free once more.
Gourry began to take a few steps forward but was stopped by Zelgadis and Amelia.
Phibrizzo emerged from a ball of golden light. Within a matter of seconds his body was engulfed by golden light. His body vanished from sight.
"Phibrizzo…" Zelgadis murmured.
The light seemed to expand for a few minutes before it shrank into the form of a young girl. The figure was unmistakable. It was Lina Inverse possessed by the Lord of Nightmares. Her entire being had a golden aura surrounding her.
"Lina-san…?" Amelia said as she looked at the person before.
"No. That is not Lina," said Xellos as he appeared before the group. He paused a moment before he continued. "I saw all that occurred. That person is the source of all chaos. The Golden Lord."
"You mean, the Lord…?" Zelgadis exclaimed in disbelief.
"The Lord of Nightmares!" Shouted Sylphiel, "then Lina-san cast the Giga Slave?"
Xellos remained silent for a moment before he kneeled before her. "She said it herself. "My power is my mind"."
Zelgadis took a step forward, "meaning the Giga Slave is the Lord of Nightmares herself?" His voice began to raise. "What about Lina? Where is she now!" Zelgadis shouted searching for an answer. Deep down he was afraid of the response he would receive.
"That's right! Where's Lina-san!" Amelia chimed in.
Xellos remained slight and shook his head no.
Sylphiel gasped and fell to her knees.
She sat up abruptly as sweat poured down her small frame. The image of Hellmaster burned in her memory. The image of herself surrounded in a golden aura sent a shiver down her spin. She slowly rose from the bed untangling the sheets as she went. It was still dark outside. Her focus on the horizon for any trace of light.
The next act will be out in late spring. Act 7: Take Off! Separated on the Way.