The darkness of night left none but the moon and stars to give off enough light as a guide. The trees were dripped in black, almost invisible, up against the late night sky. The moss was wet under foot, and midnight moisture was in the air. The winds swept by, blowing a magical essence within it. It came from not far. Enchanting, and unable to ignore.
Footsteps, running with wind could be heard in the silent night, making drops flow off the moss underfoot. The essence was stronger, more magical than ever. A light began to glow, faint but not far. Still the sound of the running against the wind could be heard.
There, on the ground, in a clearing of magical light. Shambles of rocks and stone covered the ground in pieces…destroyed ruins of legends no doubt. A warm feeling surrounded everything, almost like a barrier. There it lay; the treasure of all treasures.
Glowing in magical power…a book. Pages dirty, slightly ripped, but still intact. Trembling hands reached out to it, holding it close to them. More footsteps came from behind and stopped. Quiet voices could be heard.
"Is that it, Master? The thing we have been looking for after all these years?" A voice asked, sounding tired and gentle. The dark figure before them seemed to make the gesture of a nod, then stood and could be seen clearly. The eyes were still shaded black from long stringy bangs, the rest of the hair covered by a hood. It hooked onto a cape, both black, and what seemed to be a completely black outfit, covering the figure.
" Yes ... The Claire Bible, no doubt ... "
" I hate this! We've been traveling for months and still no Claire Bible!" Lina complained. She swallowed a large piece of meat, chewing hard in frustration. Gourry and Amelia did the same, eating fast and sloppy, still trying to complain with their mouths full. Zelgadis sat on the other side of the table in silence, not eating a thing as usual.
Lina gulped down the rest of drink and slammed it down on the table. "I think I'm full!" She said, happily patting her stomach. Gourry and Amelia nodded joyfully. The waiter comes and takes the many stacks of dishes away, looking annoyed. Zelgadis looks across at Lina.
"Can we work out a strategy now?" He asks. Lina blinks. " What do you mean?" She said looking at him curiously. Zelgadis falls over in frustration and gets one of those popped out eye faces we see so much in The Slayers. " We have to think of some way to get the Claire Bible! We're not getting anywhere right now. Surely you can see that!" He says in a louder tone than usual. Amelia looks at Zelgadis questioningly.
"Zelgadis-san, we've already done everything we can to find it. What else can we do?" She asked. Zelgadis looked down calmly. "I think we should take a look in the mountains up North. It's a long way away, but I've heard many treasures can be found there," He replied. Lina jumped to her feet. " Well, why didn't you say so?! We'll get a nice early start tomorrow after we sleep." She said happily. Zel shook his head.
"If we want to get there soon, we should leave tonight," He stated as Lina sighed. "Well, maybe there will be a town up ahead ... At least I hope so," She said listlessly. Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis stood from the table and turned to go.
Up the paths the evening grew hot and tiresome. Lina could be heard complaining all the way, saying that Zel had no idea where he was taking them, and Zel, as always, stayed quiet. Gourry was chatting with Lina most of the way, and Amelia would talk to Zelgadis who rarely replied.
About an hour later Lina jumped with joy as a village came into view. She said she would do anything to get a soft bed and take a bath. As they walked through the town they noticed it was unfamiliar. They searched but found nothing. There was a huge mansion in the distance that could barely be seen from the village, and it seemed to be the only major place in the small town.
Amelia tapped on a young teenage girl's shoulder and she turned around. "Excuse me, Miss. But where is the Inn?" She asked politely. The young girl jumped in surprise. "New comers, huh? Don't you know that we don't have Inns?" She said. Lina sank to the ground. "No Inns ... But I'll die out here! I have to sleep and rest, we've been traveling forever!!" She screamed. Amelia looked up at the houses and then saw the far away mansion. Amelia turns back to her.
"All the houses look to small to keep us. Is there any chance the people who live in that big mansion would let us stay? There must be plenty of room for us there," She said. Lina hit her head. "Amelia, don't be ridiculous. Only people in cartoons sleep in scary mansions!" She said hastily. Gourry turned and looked at her questioningly. "But Lina, this IS a cartoon," he said with a dumb and confused look on his face.
"That's not the point! If they were to give us food and shelter for the night, then they may join us on our quest for the Claire Bible," Amelia suggested. The girl laughed and they all turned to her. "Well, you could ask them, but I don't think they would be very keen. They've already got one, you see!" She said happily. They all fell over. "What?!" Gourry yelled. Lina got another one of those popped-out eye faces. "She says they've already got one!" She cried. They all looked at each other and nodded. They ran off in the distance leaving the girl and village behind.
At an open clearing not far from the village, the four all sat around a fire (That Lina made with a Fire Ball) and went on to discuss. " I'll do it! I'll rip them apart!" Lina yelled enthusiastically. Zelgadis stared at her. "Lina, you don't even know who they are," He pointed out. Lina clinched her teeth. "So what!! That's not the point!! Let's just kill them anyway!" She yelled. Amelia grabbed Lina's arms trying to calm her down.
"Now, Lina, don't you think it would be better to wait a few days and find out some more things first?" She asked. "No!! I don't!!" She screamed again, kicking her arms and legs up." I'll go right now! I'll burn them to shreds!" She went on. They all went over in order to calm her, when a sudden noise in the trees went by. They all froze a moment and then began tying Lina up in ropes.
" So, that's what they're up to. The Claire Bible has been found. Hell! I can't let them find it before me. I want it! Delay them ... I have to find some way to keep them away from that mansion ... But I don't want to hurt them ... " Zelos said. " Ah! That's it!"
"Alex, what are you thinking about?" Molly asked her cousin. A group of mercenary women were behind her, and Alex and Molly looked like a part of the group as well. "I'll tell you later ... Uh, we were headed for the next town before we shut down our travels, right?" She asked the group. Molly nodded.
"It should be up there toward the Northern Mountains. Let's go." She signaled the girls to follow her up the trail. The girls were all chatting happily, causing noise on the trail. Alex grabbed her cousin and pulled her up next to her.
"You see that mansion there?" She asked Molly. Molly nodded. "Yeah, so what?" she asked back staring at Alex strangely. "I hear there are tons of treasures in there ... Beyond imagination!" She cried happily. Molly still looked the same.
"And I suppose you expect me to break in there with you when everyone else is asleep and get in trouble ... " She said exhaustedly. "Of course I do!" She yelled. Then she pulled Molly closer. " Well, maybe you'll be interested when I tell you what's in there ... "
"A deal?" Martina asked Zelos. He nodded and went on, "Right, if you help me with my plan to delay them from that mansion then I will share half of the treasure found there with you," he replied. Martina smiled and blushed.
"To be with you my dear Zelos-sama I don't need paid," she said generously. Zelos winked. "Great. So, shall we start?" He asked his new partner. She nodded happily. "I must be dreaming. Zelos asking me to help him stop Lina! I'm so happy!" She thought to herself.
"Let's go!" Zelos said. Martina nodded. She removed a knife from her bags and held it in her right hand. Zelos looked confused. "I have no idea what you're doing, but I suppose that's why I asked for your help ... " He said. Martina laughed.
"Just put your right hand above mine," she instructed. Zelos did as told, then Martina placed her left hand above his right hand. He then did the same. "All right. Now use all your magical power concentration and follow my lead," She paused. Let us curse Lina Inverse, in the worst way we can. If we want to do so, we have to think the same curse together," She explained. Zelos thought a moment then snapped. He whispered something in her ear and she laughed.
"All right, I'm ready," She said joyfully. Zelos waited for her chant to follow with great excitement. Martina closed her eyes. "Oh, Gods, controllers, those who rule minds ... Hear my great name, thus curse Lina Inverse at my command!" She cried. Zelos closed his eyes. "Oh, Gods, controllers, those who rule minds ... Hear my great name, thus curse Lina Inverse at my command!" He cried. Then the two thought it and a last spark popped up from the team's fire as Lina drifted into a deep sleep.
Molly stumbled around in the darkness of the mansion, clumsily tripping over thing's and falling. "Shh ... You don't want us to get caught do you?" Alex asked in a light whisper. Molly looked around. "But we've been searching all night ... I bet you were lying to me. There really aren't any naked pictures of Zel in here are there?!" She yelled. Alex put a hand over her mouth.
"Be quiet. They have to be here somewhere. I heard that there is a priestess in this cult that has tons of them, and I'M going to find them," she said confidently. Molly sighed. "Yeah right ... " She laid back and fell again but was not seen on the ground. Alex was fumbling through secret files in the room, still finding nothing.
"Okay, Molly. I think they hid them in the main hall," she said. Silence. Alex looked around. "Molly?" A whip latched around her arms and legs, and she was tugged away. She closed her eyes and felt the wind push her as she was being thrown into a dungeon. She hit the ground hard and she screamed in pain. She looked up and saw a clan of at least 20 to 40 people. Cold eyes staring at her.
"All right, you had better talk. Who are you and why are you here?" A man asked harshly. She gasped. "Where's Molly?" She asked back. The man was impatient. "Oh, she's around. Now answer my question!" He yelled. She sighed. "Oh, I'm so scared! What are you going to do to me if I don't?" She asked in a sassy voice. The man clinched his teeth.
"Oh, a stubborn little smart ass, huh?" He paused. "Jesaul, I want you to deliver this young lady to our torture zone," he instructed to the priest. He nodded and grabbed her out of the dungeon cell. She struggled but more of the clan joined in to help. They carried her into a small closet shaped room with one chair facing a blank wall. They tied her down with rope to the chair. She struggled but the ropes were too tight.
"No use trying to struggle. Now prepare yourself!" He said evilly. They shut the light off and a projector glowed. A movie was being played on the screen. Alex clinched her teeth, as she began recognizing the movie. "Do you, by any chance be ... Do you, do you work in a pet shop?" A cute elf sounding voice said. Alex bit her lip then screamed. "No, anything but Amelia's dubbed voice!" The priest laughed.
"Now any time you're ready to talk, then we're ready to listen!" He yelled down to her. She dug her fingernails into the chair. "No ... I can't give in…" She said softly. "Oh, really ... On with the next slide!" He signaled.
"Miss Lina, I didn't realize how very famous you are and that you are a true warrior of justice!" The dubbed voice went on ringing in Alex's ears. " No, not the justice line ... " She said in a frightened voice. The priest laughed again. "Go on, go on!" He yelled. "I have made my decision. I have decided to dedicate my whole life to this struggle for justice, and I know I can win that struggle if you will just teach me the Dragon Slave," Amelia said from the projector.
Alex shrunk from the screen. "No more, please!" She yelled. The priest looked down at her. He just laughed and it went on. Alex then could not dig her fingernails into the chair any longer. "Fine. I'll talk, I'll talk!! Just stop the voice, please!" She screamed. The priest turned on the light and stopped the projector.
"Okay, now who are you?" He asked her. "I'm Alex, and I come from a group of female mercenaries," she said softly. The man still spoke harshly. "Who was the girl with you?" He asked. "My cousin, Molly," she answered. "Why weren't you with you're group?" "Because Molly and I came for something ourselves,"
"And what's that?" He leaned closer to her. She tightened her lips then began to cry. "Okay, I admit it. I came looking for those naked pictures of Zelgadis that I heard one of your priestess' had!" She cried. Their eyes all popped out, wide open as well. "You really don't expect us to believe that excuse, do you?" He asked in a cold voice. "But I'm telling the truth!" "Yeah right ... Those mercenaries must be after our Claire Bible, that's it, isn't it?!" He asked in a loud voice. She looked confused.
"What are you talking about?" She asked. He screamed in her ear. "Don't lie to us, we know what you're up to! No use denying it!" "I really don't-" She began, but the priest cut in. "Well, now we know what we need to do. We must prepare for anyone who comes. Take her back!" He commanded. The rest nodded and took her away.
Lina slowly opened her eyes. Her head ached and she moaned. She stood up and yawned. " I wonder why my head hurts so bad." She thought. She stretched and looked down at her sorceress outfit. She screamed and the rest of the team awoke.
"Lina, it's really early ... What's the problem now?" Gourry asked in a tired voice. Lina turned around and tugged on her shirt. "Just look at this outfit! I look like a guy in this getup! Sorceress outfits aren't my style!" She said in a whiny voice. Gourry looked confused. "But Lina you-" He began. Then she started to cry and she fell on the ground. "Come on, Gourry, admit it! I look awful and you know it!" She cried. Gourry looked even more confused.
"But-" "What if somebody sees me like this in public! I'd just die!" She began crying harder. Gourry scratched his head in confusion and Amelia and Zelgadis stayed behind with their popped out eyes. Up above in the nearby tree sat Zelos and Martina watching her cry. They looked at each other and began laughing one of those villainous laughs together ... And a tree branch fell down on Martina's head and broke the moment.