Gourry turned as Lina stopped, her eyes cast to one side. She knew she shouldn't stop, since they would only get to Sapstrath before night fell if they kept moving. But something just felt so off. Frowning, she wandered off the path, the very fine layer of snow under her feet crunching with each step. She could almost smell something wrong…

But as she walked towards a small cave, she couldn't see a single thing wrong. Yeah, there was a scorch mark in the cave, but that could have been made by someone not knowing how to light a fire effectively with magic. So nothing should have been off. But as she surveyed the surrounding area, Lina felt there was just something wrong. Carefully, she walked around, trying to figure it out. Absently, she lowered one hand, Chaos magic coming to her hand. It just felt… like she might have to do that.

"Hey, Lina?" Gourry's voice filtered from the road. "Can we get moving? It's looking like it wants to snow again."

She should have stayed at Lastalia. At least then she would have a kickass inn to stay at with fantastic food. But they would have kicked the two of them out quickly. While Lina would have holed up somewhere for the winter, the amount of energy they burned as a sorceress and swordsman would eat any place they stayed at out of all their food, unless they stayed at a city like Seyruun. Not to mention, she'd get bored after a few days and would want to travel again. She tried wintering at a large city shortly after she parted ways with Naga. It had lasted two days before she was on the road again.

But if looked like it wanted to snow, she would have to get moving. She shook her hand, letting the magic drain from her fingers, going back to the road.

Then paused.

She felt crazy in thinking this, but it almost felt like someone had cast a Dragon Slave. But that kind of feeling would only coming if she had watched someone cast it, or she was there in the direct aftermath. Not only that, but she wasn't aware of another living person that could cast the Dragon Slave other than herself, Sylphiel, and Pokota. And she was pretty certain Sylphiel and Pokota hadn't left Taforashia. There was still a lot to be done for a priestess, and Pokota wasn't leaving his kingdom unless it was absolutely necessary.

Plus, there was no destruction typical of the Dragon Slave anywhere around the area. There should have been a crater if that was the case. It was almost like the power of Shabranigdo had been cast here… but not the Dragon Slave.

Oh man, were people coming up with new spells that called on that jerk? That was asking for trouble.

She finally returned to the road, her arms crossed as she thought. What was going on?

The back of her neck prickled and she spun, Gourry's sword clearing the sheath as she did so. Which was a good thing, as what formed out of the snow was very obviously a Mazoku. It stared at the two of them - at least, Lina thought it stared. It didn't have eyes.

As sudden as it appeared, it dissolved into a mist of snow. Oh, she didn't like that. If they had just been spied on, everything about this situation would be taken back to the Mazoku's master, and they could have an even bigger fight on their hands than they wanted.

"Maybe we should find a place on the road to stop for the night, Gourry," Lina said quietly.

"Huh? Why?"

Gold and black flickered at her hand as an eyebrow twitched. "Because, you idiot, if that Mazoku shows back up with orders to kill us instead of spying, or the one the Mazoku answers to decides to stop by, we might be in a really bad place to fight in the middle of a town!"

"Oh." Gourry looked up at the sky. "I thought it was because we're about to get heavy snow fall and you didn't think we could make it to Sapstrath."

Lina looked up, and groaned. Yeah, it looked like some major snow was coming. "I saw a cave back this way. Come on."

Maybe she'd be able to investigate what she felt as they spent the night in the cave.

It almost felt like they were following that new Black magic as they travelled. Oh, how Lina did not like that. If it really was a sorcerer coming up with a new spell that called upon Shabranigdo, that had to be a very powerful sorcerer. Not just any third-rate sorcerer could use the Dragon Slave, and creating new spells like that meant this person was incredibly smart. Maybe as smart as she was.

A flash of something that didn't belong made her head turn-

"Fireball!"

Hey, she said she would Fireball Xellos when she saw him next.

Xellos sighed as it hit him, looking down at his fire ruined clothing. "Lina-san! That was rude!"

"You know why you deserve it." She crossed her arms. "So. What's up, Xellos?"

His eyes slit open, showing just the barest hint of purple iris. A shiver picked its way down her back as she stared at him, the ever present smile on his face turning sinister. Lina instantly dropped a hand, pulling Chaos magic to it. She didn't feel hostility or bloodlust, but she had a feeling that this might be the end of Xellos being friendly towards her and her friends. Something had changed, and now, he was their enemy. Had the Greater Beast finally asked Xellos to kill them? Or was he on loan again, and the person currently plucking his strings demanding their deaths?

His eyes dropped to the black and gold at her hand. "My, Lina-san," he nearly purred. "Calling upon the Golden Lord so quickly? Don't you fear what would happen if you called upon too much of Her?"

"This isn't the Giga Slave," she growled. "Your Mistress finally wanting us dead?"

"Oh no. I doubt my Master will ever request your deaths." Lina did not like the smile on Xellos's lips at the moment. "He's quite attached to all of you, after all."

"So you're on loan again. Great." Lina didn't relax. While it could be like how it was with Fibrizo, with Xellos, with the Mazoku Priest working behind Fibrizo's back to undermine him, she also knew Xellos would have to follow the commands of whoever he was working for. "Who're you working for this time?"

"Who you are following. The Blood of the Ruby Eye."

The Blood of… "WHO?!"

"Incidentally…" Xellos turned his head slightly to one side, then looked back at them, eyes fully open. "You could easily kill him and it is my job as the Priest to the Blood of the Ruby Eye to stop you before you do so."

"Or you could do what you always do and backstab everyone." She raised an eyebrow.

"My, my, Lina." His smile hardened, brittle. "It sounds like you don't want to die."

"And it sounds like you don't want to kill us."

Xellos only inclined his head slightly. So he didn't want to kill them, but the Mazoku he was currently working for (whoever the Blood of the Ruby Eye was. Had to be a title she hadn't known before for someone she already knew) wanted them dead.

Then he turned towards the south, clicking his tongue. "You get into so much trouble by yourself, my Master," he murmured just loud enough for her to hear, and disappeared.

Lina didn't let the Fien Shot at her hand dissipate for the entire day.