The end was drawing near. Mayarenna knew it for a long time but it wasn't until the last few years that the realization began to sink in - along with despair and fear. She was Mayarenna, the Protector of the Beloved, Guardian of the Eternal Trees, and Queen of the Elves. She scoffed at the title. They were so far from their eternal trees and she felt like they were the outcast rather than a beloved people. And, finally, she failed in her role as protector.
She had been Queen for only a few years since her own mother passed down the responsibility. Mayarenna was by far the youngest Elf- queen but there was little choice. Queen Elseranie's powers were almost burnt out by the time the transferral took place. Her resolve was strong but mismatched by her physical limitations. Had she not transferred when she did, she would have surely died without a successor. Yet a week after the transferral to Mayarenna, she fell ill and passed away.
That was seven years ago but Mayarenna still wept at night over her mother's death. She remembered her as a vibrant, strong woman. Seeing her so weak and frail the very last days of her lifespan was too much for the young Queen to bear.
And now she was Queen. Yet the legacy of her mother and her mother before her would soon be upon Mayarenna. She knew this for certain. She was to have passed the powers onto her own daughter so that she would take up the position of protecting their people. It was to have been an endless cycle. But the cycle was broken now and with it loomed the possibility of destruction. Mayarenna pondered this while she waited for the others to arrive in the large council room.
The sound of soft footsteps drew her attention. It was Tempero, her old tutor. His hair was silver white and he had a long beard. He was wise beyond his years and always willing to lend a compassionate ear. Although Mayarenna enjoyed his presence, her brooding mind could not even bring her to smile.
"What troubles you today, child?" he asked in gentle, inquisitive tone.
"Tempero-sama, you ask me that every time," she did manage to answer with a smile. Her face became sombre again as he seated himself to her right. "The past, the future. The fate of my people."
Tempero put an assuring hand over hers. "It's okay, child," he always said, "The way of things is, well, the way of things. You must learn to accept whatever happens."
"As you tell me many times, Tempero-sama. But I can't help feeling responsible for whatever happens. If we should not make it... I... I... I can't face the reality of it!"
"You must have faith in what is yet to come," Tempero responded cryptically. "Remember what I taught you? From wisdom, comes courage."
"And from love, comes strength," Mayarenna finished. "I remember."
"Then remember that the elves love you, as their Queen. Use that love as your strength."
There was a pause. "Will she save us?" Mayarenna ask. "What if she isn't willing to accept the price she must pay? What will happen to us?"
He sighed. He was past euphemistic responses at this stage and she deserved to hear him speak honestly. "Then we will be lost and the darkness that strikes against the light will have the advantage." He raised a finger in protest. "But you must trust in her ability to choose what is the right thing to do. She is strong and she has a good heart. I'm sure she will make the right choice."
The sounds of deeper footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. "The others are arriving," he said. "Be strong, as you always are. Besides, it's just an administrative meeting."
Mayarenna looked away. She didn't know if her own heart was strong anymore. She had to be, for her people's sake. But over the years her belief had eroded away little by little until an unshakeable despair rooted itself in her soul. Sometimes she wished she had never been given this responsibility. The time was drawing near for either their existence to end or for someone to save them. She, who Mayarenna had seen in dreams many times before, was young, powerful with an aura of magic and destiny surrounded her. She placed the image firmly in her mind alongside the image of her once strong mother. They were her only anchors.
Ilario stopped short of the great doors that led to the council chambers. His fellow brethren walked past him and into the large room where they and the Queen would discuss matters again. It was a weekly meeting but one that Ilario did not wish to attend. He stood tentatively.
He didn't want to see her, Mayarenna. She was his age, young for an Elf-Queen. He was to have been married to her once they were old enough and the time was right. Ilario wasn't what many would consider in a high position. He came from a good family but not one of royal heritage or even skirting with royalty. He had been chosen because he exhibited the characteristics that were desirable for a mate.
But that didn't matter now. After the announcement was made about Mayarenna, the arranged marriage plans were cancelled. There was no need anymore.
A hand on his shoulder jolted him. He turned around and found Calundo. The tall, handsome elf brushed back his long, light brown hair. He had a dashing smile too. Ilario wondered why they did not choose him to be betrothed to the Queen earlier.
"I'm sorry, Ilario-kun," Calundo apologised. "Did I frighten you? Are you not going into the chambers for the meeting? We'll be late and I'm sure Queen Mayarenna would like to begin."
"No, I mean yes," stammered Ilario.
"Something's on your mind, ne?"
"It's just being here for all this time," he started.
Calundo smiled. "I understand. It's a bleakness I suppose." He turned around with hands clasped behind his back like he was lecturing. "Stuck here in what feels like an eternity. I feel it too, you know."
"You do?"
"Oh yes, indeed. Many do." He put a comforting hand on Ilario's shoulder. "Tell me, do you ever wonder if it was a mistake?"
"A mistake?"
"Yes, a mistake for coming here. Tell me, do you?" A glint sparkled in Calundo's eye but Ilario didn't see it. Or maybe he didn't want to acknowledge it.
"I don't know, they weren't my decisions to make."
"They were the Queen's decision," answered Calundo. "Well, I suppose we must all have faith in her. She's responsible for us though. You know that? Responsible for whatever happens to each and every one of us. I hope, for her sake, she's strong enough to realise that responsibility."
Ilario didn't like his tone.
The older elf headed towards the council chamber where the rest were already seated. "Come along now, Ilario-kun. As I said, let's not keep our Queen waiting."
The first rule to successful haggling is to never let them know how much you want it. Lina Inverse, genius sorceress, among other names, really wanted the cloak that hung in the merchant's stall. It was black, like her own, but had a nicer design on the shoulder guards. The emblem was a bronze-like outline of a horned beast. At least that was what Lina thought it was. But the fact that it looked nice wasn't the only reason why she wanted it. It had more pockets inside the lining and several secret pockets that were well hidden yet easily accessible. She was very impressed with the tailoring.
"Sixty-five gold pieces," the merchant had first offered. He was a skinny man with a dishonest look on his face. It wasn't completely dishonest. In fact, he looked quite honest but Lina could tell the difference right away.
"I'll give you twenty for it," Lina stated a counter-offer. It was exceedingly low but even sixty-five was too high. Lina knew that the midpoint the merchant was aiming for was about fifty gold pieces. That was still way too expensive.
"Twenty gold pieces?!" the merchant repeated incredulously. "You'll be robbing me at that price!"
Almost instinctively, she would have revealed her identity as the greatest (and most destructive) magic practitioner around but she kept quiet.
The second rule is to postpone any bargaining and move onto another item that you have no intention of buying. Lina picked up a gleaming short sword. It was well crafted, had good balance, and fairly nondescript. Although she had no use for another sword, she made a casual offer for it. The haggling over the sword became quite intense until Lina struck an "Oh, I'm not so sure," look on her face. She placed the sword back on its rack.
The final rule to a good haggle is to know when to walk away. Lina looked around the rest of the merchant's small stall and, seeing nothing of interest except the cloak she really wanted, began to leave. If she had played all her cards right, her departure might--
"Wait, I'll give you the cloak and sword for seventy gold pieces," the merchant desperately offered.
Lina didn't want the sword but now she knew how badly the little man wanted to get her money. Business must not have been too good lately. She smiled inwardly. It was time to play her trump card. Reaching into the pocket of her own cloak, she pulled out a brilliant red ruby, almost as large as her petite hand.
"I'll give you thirty gold pieces, plus this ruby, for just the cloak. What do you say?"
The merchant couldn't refuse. His eyes were glued tightly to the ruby. Gotcha, Lina secretly declared victory. He agreed and they exchanged goods. Lina Inverse skipped away happy to walk out of another successful bargaining. She was used to getting her way with people by blasting their butts into next week but there was something to be said about getting what she wanted without any violence and a lot of skilful manipulation. Creating the big ruby from a bunch of little ones helped too.
The cloak was a perfect fit for her and she twirled around trying to catch as many angles of herself as possible.
"Wow, that looks good on you Lina," a tall, lanky blond complimented her.
"Thanks Gourry!" Gourry had been with Lina since the beginning and he was her trusted ally. It was an odd meeting at first. He originally thought she was a beautiful woman in distress from bandits but, as it turned out, she was quite capable of handling them. Then Gourry, dense as he was, thought she was a little girl and insisted on protecting her until they reached Atlas City. Ever since their (mis)adventures with the philosopher’s stone and Zelgadis and Amelia and Rezo and everything else that had happened a few weeks ago, Gourry had always been there with her. Lina enjoyed his company, most of the time, and he was an extremely good swordsman. Not to mention he possessed the Legendary Sword of Light which Lina would do anything to have. Almost anything.
"So, are we done shopping yet?" Gourry asked.
"Did you get the supplies like I asked you to?"
"Supplies?" A familiar, blank expression began to creep onto his face.
Lina smacked her face in retort. "What were you doing all this time?"
"I thought you said to look around the market and buy whatever I thought we might need," Gourry answered.
"Yeah! So how come you didn't buy anything?"
"I dunno, I didn't see anything we would need."
She was preparing to bonk some sense into him when the cry of a child's voice shattered the air of the open market. Lina turned around to see what was wrong. A wooden cart raced by erratically as people jumped out of its way. Lina searched for the driver but instead found a boy sitting at the front of the wagon. The reins were nowhere in his hands as the horse sped on, uncontrolled.
The unfortunate destination of the cart was a group of merchant's booths. Whether or not the spooked horse would stop in time was not the issue. If someone didn't do something fast, the boy would either crash into the booths or fly off when the horse came to an abrupt stop.
Lina decided she was going to be that someone. "Gourry!" she called. "Get the wagon, I'll grab the kid!"
Gourry nodded and immediately began chasing after the cart. Lina cast Raywing and took off in the air. The spell gave her more freedom and speed and she had no problem catching up. The boy was frozen with fear. Lina grabbed him by the arms. The coalescence of the Raywing spell encompassed his small body. They lift off and landed safely on the ground.
Meanwhile, Gourry had managed to catch up to the cart and hopped on. He grabbed the slack reins and pulled back hard. The frantic horse dug its hooves into the ground quickly. The cart stopped violently but safely just a foot away from crashing into the stalls.
Lina regarded the boy who was now clutching her waist tightly. She mussed his hair and put on a warm smile. "It's okay, you're safe now."
A middle-aged man broke free from the crowd of spectators and grabbed the boy. "Gerand! Thank god you're safe!" He hugged the boy tightly before setting him down. "Thank you!" he said to Lina. "Thank you for saving my boy!"
"Well, it was nothing," Lina said somewhat modestly, feeling Gourry stride up to her side.
"It's lucky that the cart wasn't destroyed either," Gourry noted.
"Gerand is more important," the father replied, "I'm glad he didn't get hurt. We were fine until some cat jumped in front of the horses and I was flung off the wagon. I'm Tomil. Please, what is your name?"
"Lina Inverse," she acknowledged. "This is Gourry Gabriev," she nodded towards the blond swordsman.
"Lina Inverse... ahh! That Lina!?" He pointed at her with widened eyes. Then he calmed down. "I don't what it is people say about 'Lina Inverse' but I don't think there's any truth to it. I'm a simple farmer. I hear things. I don't have any money but I'd give almost everything for what you did. Here, take this instead." He set down his sack and pulled out a small wooden chest. "I found it in my field the other day, buried deep in the ground, it was. I was going to take it to the smithy today. See what's inside. Must be important since I can't get it open. Whatever's in there, it's yours. It's all I can give you for saving my boy."
It was Lina's turn to be amazed. She took the box immediately. "This is wonderful, thank you!" She turned to leave without so much as another word. Gourry remained still, not sure what had happened. She came back and pulled him along as well.
"Bye-bye Lina-onee-san!" Gerand waved.
"Whoa, Lina, wait up!" Gourry yelled as the small sorceress led him along. Lina was in a hurry to go somewhere safe and secluded. "What's going on?"
She stepped into an alley and looked around carefully, and even upwards, for anyone who might overhear. "Gourry, do you know what this is?"
"No. You ran off with it in such a hurry that I didn't even get a good look."
"I doubt you'd know anyway," Lina muttered. "The lock on this chest is made of orihalcon. Do you know what this means?"
"No."
Lina's annoyance was beginning to rise. "Orihalcon's one of the most precious metals in the world! It's worth tons more than gold and much easier to shape. Look at the craftsmanship on this lock. It's flawless! Whatever's in here, it sure looks worth lots. I'm betting it's some kind of treasure." She pulled out a little pick from inside her cloak and began fiddling with the keyhole. She spent a good five minutes trying to pick the lock with no avail. After another three minutes, she was ready to throw it on the ground and jump on it repeatedly if that would open the chest.
"ARGH!!" she screamed in frustration. "What's with this thing?! It feels like it's moving itself every time!" She spied through the dark keyhole vainly. "I wonder if it's an enchanted lock."
Lina put the small chest on the ground. Concentrating, she recalled the words and waved her hands over the box, reciting the mantra for detecting magic. Once the spell was complete, she opened her eyes. The chest had a bluish nimbus around it.
"Does that mean it's magical?" Gourry asked.
"Yep. Whoever made this lock didn't want just anyone cracking it open." She grinned. "That must mean whatever's in there is worth a lot." She emphasised 'a lot' to mean enough to buy a small castle.
"Uh, what if the lock was meant to prevent what's inside from coming out?"
"What are you talking about?" asked Lina with a sheepish glance.
"I mean, look at those funny symbols on the side. What if it means, 'Don't open this box or we'll all suffer a horrible and painful death. Have a nice day.'?"
"That's absurd!"
"Okay, maybe it says, 'Have a nice death' instead."
"No! That's not what I meant!" She looked at the symbols. "I have no idea what they say but they seem familiar. It's like I've seen something similar before. But anyway, the box is definitely not imprisoning anything. First of all, there'd be major enchantments over it. The only on this box is just the spell preventing me from picking it!" There was a slight edge on her voice.
"Are you sure?" Gourry asked with a little doubt.
"Yes I'm sure!" Lina gritted through her teeth. "Now, if I can only GET IT OPEN!!"
Gourry blinked. Then, with a smile, he offered his hand. "Let me try," he said.
"This should be fun." Lina grinned. If she couldn't open it, she didn't think Gourry could either.
Gourry smiled back, not sensing Lina's sarcasm. He balanced the box firmly on his palm and then he tossed it on the air. At the same instant, he reached for his sword. With amazing speed, he sliced through the air as the box was on its way down. Gourry put his sword back just as quickly too. The little chest landed solidly on its bottom.
Lina blinked. The entire front face of the chest fell flat out. Gourry had managed to slice it off with the lock still intact. "How did you do that?" Lina asked with sincere amazement. "Did someone teach you that?"
Now Gourry was absolute beaming. "Nope, I read it in a book called '101 Little Known Sword Tricks.'"
The Flaming Ox was one of the many inns nestled in the centre of Grandervil. The name was one of the oddest ones Lina had ever seen. She wasn't sure if it was a joke or if it had a story behind it. She briefly wondered what could possess someone to name their inn after burning cattle. In any case, the inn wasn't very large but affordable and that was what Lina liked the most. In addition to the fact that they offered room service. The innkeeper was a stout man, as were most, with a jovial smile and a friendly face.
After Gourry had de-faced (so to speak) the small treasure box, Lina was quite ecstatic over the contents. She then realised how awkward it would feel carrying a chest without a front so she quickly dumped the contents into one of the pockets in her new cloak. She grabbed the front side with the still intact lock (she was somewhat interested in studying the lock a little more) and dumped the remaining chest.
"Is that really necessary?" Gourry asked as Lina began casting a silence spell on their room.
She finished the spell. Nothing seemed to happen, not anything that Gourry could discern, but Lina seemed satisfied. "Just to be safe."
"Why?"
Lina unhooked the clasp to her cloak and set it on the table. "I'll show you." She began pulling out the treasure. Golden coins glittered brightly along with purple and red gems of various shapes and sizes.
There was a shiny bracelet that caught Gourry's eye and he picked it up immediately. He offered it to Lina. "Here, try it on."
Lina nearly jumped. "Ahh! Don't touch that!"
"Huh? What's wrong?"
"Sorry, nervous reaction." The bracelet looked a lot like the one Naga had put on. Lina recalled that horrible past experience. The bracelet was really a homing mechanism for a magical beast that was built by the elves. She remembered it chased them to some poor city where it was finally destroyed. Along with half the city too.
Wait, she thought. Lina grabbed the faceplate of the chest and looked at the symbols carefully again. She had seen these symbols before and now she was certain. They were the same symbols engraved on the egg of the monster they fought. It was a high-elven script, one that Lina couldn't read.
"This chest was created by the elves," Lina whispered with awe. "Look at all this treasure Gourry! It was all once part of the elves! It makes sense. Only the elves have the particular skill to craft this orihalcon lock."
"Maybe we should give it back to them," suggested Gourry.
"Don't you know anything Gourry?" Lina asked. "The elves aren't around anymore. They disappeared a few decades back. No one's seen them since."
"Where did they go? And why?"
"That's what I'd love to know," she responded. She ruffled through the coins and gems. A twinkle sparkled in her eye. "We're gonna be rich selling this stuff! Rich! Rich!" She thought of all the things she could buy. First off, she wanted a big meal. Not the meals she usually ate at taverns but really expensive, stuffed 'til you can't eat anymore, stomach bulging sort of meal. And then she'd by her own personal coach and driver. No more walking from place to place. No more sore feet at night and sleeping on the ground. She could picture how great everything was going to be now.
"I wonder what this is?" Gourry burst Lina's little dream-world bubble. He was holding a small rock with a blue stone set crudely in the middle. The blue stone was smooth but dull.
"I dunno," Lina waved it off as it didn't seem particularly interesting. "Keep it if you want Gourry. I'm taking all this!" She put her arms over the small pile of coins and gems selfishly. "Mine! Mine, mine, mine!"
"Hey thanks Lina," Gourry replied and put the little stone in his pocket. "Let's get some dinner. I'm hungry!"
"Now that's the smartest thing you've said all day!"
The sun was beginning to sink over the horizon by the time Tomil and Gerand made it home to their little farm on the borders of the city. Tomil pulled the wagon near the shed and Gerand hopped off.
"Gerand, take these into the house," he said to his son, "and start up a fire. I'll finish chopping up that firewood and we'll make some dinner."
"Okay father!" Gerand responded and took the two baskets of fruits into the house. Meanwhile, Tomil unhooked their horse and led her to a small shelter by the shed that served as a stable. He put a blanket over her and let her feast happily on a plate of oats hanging by the wall. Grabbing the axe, he walked over to the small pile of wood and began finishing the task he had started earlier.
Tomil split five blocks of wood when he heard two people approach. He put the axe on the ground and leaned on the handle. Sweat dripped down his forehead and he mopped it with a cloth. He never usually got visitors and certainly not at this hour. It was already becoming dark.
"Hello neighbour," he greeted them with a smile. It was a simple enough opening. He avoided saying 'friend' because sometimes he couldn't be sure of people. Everybody was a neighbour in some respects. As they got closer, Tomil felt nervousness in the air. Indeed, they certainly did not look friendly.
"Good evening," the woman said. She wasn't short but she wasn't tall either. Her companion was, however. He must have stood over six and a half feet. A hooded cloak covered his head and hid most of his face. Yet Tomil swore he could make out his eyes and they cast a cold glare on him. The man had a very large frame. Tomil also noticed the large sword hilt sticking out from his back.
"Ah yes, we're looking for something," the woman started not bothering with any pleasantries. "I believe you found it a few days ago."
"I'm sorry, could you be more specific? I don't recall anything."
She seemed vexed with his reply. She sighed. "A small box, a little chest with a lock on it." She motioned with her hands. "Does that sound familiar?"
"Oh, that little chest? I'm sorry, but I don't have it anymore."
The woman sniffed audibly. "I see," she said with a tinge of disappointment. She turned to her big companion who didn't say anything. She shrugged. "LEVITATION!"
Suddenly Tomil found himself floating in the air. The woman raised her black gloved hands and his body rose higher. She lowered them quickly. Tomil came crashing painfully to the ground.
"Listen you peasant," she sneered, "I want that box. I was going to let you keep the gold and whatever else was in there except for what I wanted. Now, I'm thinking if I should even let you live or not. So what do you think?" She raised her arms up again.
"Please! I don't have it! I swear! I gave it to someone!"
She cocked an eyebrow. "And who did you give it to?"
"A girl! Lina Inverse, that's her name! I gave it to her as a gift! Please I swear."
The woman cursed. "Lina Inverse! That brat for a sorceress! Where is she?" Tomil told her they were last seen inside the city. The woman nodded satisfactorily. She dropped her hands and Tomil came down hard again.
"Hey, stop that hurting my dad!"
Tomil saw Gerand standing by the doorway. "Gerand, run!" he yelled. The boy was frozen with fear when the large man stood over him. The woman strode by his side and patted Gerand's head roughly. She turned back to Tomil who was still sprawled on the ground. "Cute kid," she said a little too nonchalantly, "got a brave head on his shoulders."
"Please, don't hurt my boy!" Tomil pleaded. "I swear, Lina Inverse has the box, I swear I gave it to her. Please..." he began sobbing.
"Oh stop crying!" she admonished. "You're making me sick. Pathetic! Come on Terwindis."
Tomil scrambled to his son as the two left their farmhouse. His chest ached with pain and he was shaking. "Lina Inverse..." he whispered, "whatever is in there, I hope it protects you."
Bertine strode casually away from the farmer's little house. She was going to be sick after seeing him sobbing on the ground like that. People like him made her sick. She had been taught a very simple philosophy, one that she lived by. The weak were only to be used and pushed around. That's why they were weak and helpless. Bertine would have killed him but she admitted she had a soft spot for children and she didn't particularly want them seeing people die. Not like the way she had - no, stop it, she told herself. She had to be strong. She didn't want to be weak. What was that old saying that she had been told a million times? 'What doesn't kill you only makes your tougher.'
Lina Inverse. The image of her popped into her mind, replacing old memories she had fought so hard to bury. That insufferable wench. They told her not to underestimate her but she couldn't see how one little girl was able to defeat the reincarnation of their lord Shaburangido. It was unthinkable. Bertine wanted so much to prove herself to the Mazoku and here was her chance; get rid of Lina Inverse.
The night air was chilly with a slight evening breeze. Crickets began chirping their nocturnal tunes. She and Terwindis, her large companion, made their way to a small patch of grass off the side of the road. There was a signpost, one arrow directing them to the city-state Sailoon and the other to Grandervil. They waited underneath the signpost.
"Ah, the night is so concealing, it is a mask that blankets those who would find security in it."
Bertine turned around quickly and there was a short little emerging from the bushes. He had a patch over his right eye and wore a wide-brimmed hat over his head. He stooped more than standing up which made him appear shorter than he really was.
"Good evening, mistress," he acknowledged with a flourished bow. "I'm here as you've so requested from me." Dirgen Skullcap had a way with words. Bertine supposed it was part of being a thief. Sometimes you had to know the social graces so you could get close to your target.
"Master Dirgen," Bertine greeted him politely but not warmly. "It seems I will require your services."
"The thieves' guild is always at the service of anyone who has the right price. And especially to one as ravishing as yourself."
She folded her arms over her chest. She paid little heed to flowery complements. "Quit the nonsense, Dirgen. You'll get paid. In fact, the payment is with the target. I want you to find Lina Inverse. She's a short girl, brown-red hair, annoyingly cute. I’m betting she'll be hard to miss."
"Ye want me to kill 'em?" he said, reverting back to his more colloquial speech.
"Hold on," she raised her hands outwardly, "I'm not done yet so don't interrupt! They're carrying something very important to me. It's a small rock, about the size of your palm. I want that rock. They should also be carrying a lot of gold and gems. That will be your payment. There's a lot there so I suggest you get some men together."
He bowed again, this time flourishing with his hat. "It shall be as you ask, beautiful mistress. I shall endeavour not to disappoint you." With a step back, he disappeared behind the bushes and was gone.
"Can he be trusted?" Terwindis asked. He spoke very little but when he did, his deep voice boomed.
"He's part of a thieves' guild. There's a saying, 'Honour amoung thieves'. He'll do as he's told as long as he gets his money."
"Curious," Terwindis responded to her answer, "the way humans work." Bertine had no good reply to that. Nor did she care to.
The small band of thieves that Dirgen got together was an unsavoury bunch. They were nothing more than pickpockets, cutthroats and back-stabbers. He wouldn't have it any other way.
The thieves' guild had a code of conduct, as hard to believe as it was. The Thiefmaster directed everything that happened and the day-to- day operations went as smoothly as they could. It was much like running a business. Their accounts had to be looked after; profit raked in. It was just their methods that were questionable.
Tonight, the Thiefmaster had allowed Dirgen to take three men with him. He was to give five percent of any earnings back to the guild as payment for the guild's services. That included things such as protection and security when need be or a shady witness to bail out any unfortunate member to be caught by the guard.
Dirgen and his three men crept quickly along the hallway. They found Lina's room and checked the door. It was locked but easily picked with no noise at all. Dirgen cracked the door a hair to peek inside the room. The hall candles had been doused to prevent any light from entering through the doorway. He spied Lina's small body under the covers of the inn bed.
He turned back to his men. He used one finger to indicate she was the only one in the room. He pointed to the first man and indicated that he sweep to the right and the other to sweep left as they entered. The last man was to wait outside. Dirgen would take point.
He counted to three before opening the door slowly again, careful not to make any sounds. Once it was wide enough, he and the two men entered in silent formation. Lina's body didn't stir. Dirgen pulled out two throwing knives and let them fly at her body. They hit dead on.
Something wasn't right however. The sound of the knives weren't quite exact. He pulled back the covers. There was nothing underneath but rolled up sheets and pillows.
"That was my favourite pillow you know," Lina said as she emerged from behind the dresser.
"How did you know?!" Dirgen asked. Did someone betray him?
"You guys set off my magic wards. Not very smart for thieves' guild members. I assume you're from some guild. Trying to look professional." She smirked.
"My client would like that little treasure chest you've got. By my count, four on one is going to be a short fight."
Lina turned visibly to each of the men before her. "I only count three of you."
Dirgen Skullcap grinned when the door opened and the fourth thief entered the room.
Or rather, he was carried into the room by Gourry who had knocked him unconscious. "Make that three on two," he said, dropping the limp man. He pulled out his sword.
Dirgen gulped. Where did he come from and why didn't Bertine tell him she had a companion? Now he was feeling really stupid. He had just pulled a rookie mistake.
Lina shook her head disapprovingly. "Now this is where I came in with a witty line to - " Her brain momentarily lapsed. She put a finger to her lip. "Actually, I really don't know what to say this time. I can never think of a good line nowadays. Oh well. Here's one. FIREBALL!"
Somewhere, in the centre of Grandervil, in the middle of the night, a building exploded. And somewhere else, mere minutes after the explosion, two figures were making their way out of the city as fast as possible.
"Don't you think we should pay for the damages?" Gourry asked.
"What?! No way! It's not my fault those goons wanted to get toasted."
"Where are we going to go now?"
Lina shrugged. "I don't know but anywhere that's not here. Once the guild finds out I toasted four of their members, we're going to be on their number one most hated list. And although I can take them all on," she give him a sidelong glance, "with your help, of course, there's things I rather be doing."
"Such as?"
"Such as spending my money! Keep moving Gourry!"
Atop a small building, Bertine watched the only gate out of the walled city. Behind her, smoke from a large explosion billowed through the night air. People were stirring and madly ran about trying to douse the fire that Lina had caused.
"You should not have sent them to do your work," Terwindis observed. His voice was emotionless as usual. "I do not understand."
She noticed he was talking more than usual. Funny, she thought. "Quiet, I know what I'm doing."
Terwindis almost grinned. Almost. "Mistress Zelas-Metallum would not have you addressing me so unkindly."
"You want to understand? Fine, I'll tell you. I'm snuffing out my prey. Before, she was hiding in this city. Now she's running like a dog with its tail between its legs. I can track her so easily now."
Her cloak flapped gently in the wind as she stood with one foot on the railing, one hand rested on her knee. She could smell the smoke of the magical destruction. Lina Inverse, she swore silently. You are the prey and I am the hunter. "Let the hunt begin."
Lina didn't exactly like the idea of walking through the woods in the middle of the night. Not that it was dangerous. She'd rather be sleeping in her blankets. Unfortunately, the little fireworks display she pulled off in Grandervil meant a lot of attention and some of it was unwanted, especially from the thieves' guild.
They held a brisk pace. She didn't want to exhaust herself by running. Besides, nobody would be able to catch up to her with the lead she had. By the time they got a group together -
A dozen orcs popped out of the trees. Darn, that was fast, she cursed.
They wore the familiar orcish armour, which was basically studded leather with a spiked helmet. They carried razor-edged short swords and had earrings attached to the strangest places on their face. Their skin was slightly pale green and their eyes were blood red. They had an ugly set of sharp teeth.
The orcs parted down the middle to reveal two people silhouetted by the moonlight. The shorter woman stepped forward. She had dark skin and hazel hair that was tied in a long braid and hung over her shoulder. Her eyes were deep blue and they seemed like ice. She glared coldly at Lina. She couldn't make out the man except he was very tall and built.
"That was fast," Lina repeated aloud this time. She folded her arms over her chest.
"Lina Inverse," the woman said. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Bertine. And now that we both know each other, I'd like to get down to things."
"That's hardly fair," Lina countered, "You seem to know me but I hardly know you."
Bertine smiled smugly. "I like it that way. Now, I'm here to get what I want."
"Funny, I've got the same sort of philosophy about things. Maybe not as extreme as you might take things. First of all, summoning orcs? Hmm, that's quite an interesting choice. Any third-bit magic user would have naturally chosen ogres. Big and highly resistant to magic but dumb as," she fought the urge to glance at Gourry who was watching Bertine like a hawk, "a rock. On the other hand, orcs have some magical resistance, are easy to order around and pretty tough as well."
"So, you're impressed then?" asked Bertine proudly.
"Not really." Bertine glowered at Lina's insolent reply. Lina continued, "Oh, and the answer is no."
"What? I haven't even told you what I wanted!"
Lina shrugged. "I already know. You can't have my money! It's mine! Someone gave it to me and if you thieves are thinking of robbing me, boy do you have mould in your head. After all, I'm Lina Inverse, bandit-basher extraordinaire."
Bertine asked, "Are you done yet?" Lina blinked. "Good... because you talk too much!" Bertine yelled at her. Calming herself down, she continued. "Keep the money, I want the rock," she said simply.
"Rock? What rock?"
Bertine put a hand over her tired eyes. "The rock with the blue gem inside it. Don't start these little games with me. I know you know what it is."
"But how do I know that you know that I know what it is?"
Gourry's eyes started spinning.
"Cut that out!" Bertine yelled again. "They were wrong! 'Don't underestimate Lina Inverse'. If anything, I've overestimated you, you annoying little rodent." She pointed to Lina. "Orcs, get her!"
"Wait!" Lina cried. "You want this rock?" She held up the stone. "Here, catch." She tossed it over.
Bertine caught the rock. "So you've come to your senses -- Wait a minute, this is just a stone!" She looked up and the two were already running away. She threw the rock aside. "Get them!"
Lina looked back. The orcs were already in full pursuit. Gourry checked back as well. "How come we're running, Lina?"
"Because I'm too tired to fight!"
"And you're not too tired to run?" Gourry asked honestly. He looked back. "Uh, they're gaining on us."
"Oh damn it all," Lina swore. She stopped and turned around. "FIREBALL!" She cast the spell at the first three orcs in her sight. The magical spell flew through the air and exploded at their feet. It was enough only to knock them over but not take them out.
From the corner of her eye, three ice arrows flew at them. They jumped back narrowly missing them. Bertine landed before them allowing the orcs to catch up.
"Hey, you're supposed to stand around and let me finish your goons before attacking me!" Lina protested.
"So I'm not much for the typical villain traits," answered Bertine. She started calling up a spell. "FREEZE ARROW"
Lina thought quickly. The best counter a freeze arrow was any sort of fire magic. Flare arrow usually worked. She pulled back the motions and launched one at Bertine. Instead of impacting with the white arrow that Lina was expecting, a fire red spell lanced from Bertine's hands.
The resulting explosion knocked Lina and Gourry back. Bertine jumped clear in anticipation. Lina stared at her. How was she able to say the words to one spell and cast another? Bertine grinned smugly. Lina gritted her teeth. She wasn't going to fall for that mistake again.
She felt Gourry help her up but all her attention was on Bertine. She wasn't a third-rate sorceress like Lina thought. She really needed to treat her seriously.
The orcs were closing in again. Gourry decided it was time he did something. He pulled out his sword. "I'll take care of the orcs," he told Lina. "You handle her." Somehow he had read her mind.
One detail was missing. "Where's that other guy that was with her?"
"I dunno," Gourry said as he began running towards the orcs, sword held back. He screamed a primal battle cry and attacked. One thing about orcs that made them inferior to ogres was the lack of healing. Gourry slashed at the first two before they could react and they fell over permanently.
He was like lightning. He weaved between them, thrusting and slicing at every step. He was too fast for the orcs to even touch and soon more than half of them were on the ground.
Lina, satisfied Gourry was taking care of things, turned back to Bertine. They began a slow circle. It was a duel of minds rather than brute force. Whoever could outsmart the other would be the only one left standing.
Lina never did like waiting for the first move so she initiated with Gaav flare, a powerful black magic spell. Fortunately there was no counter to it. Unfortunately, Bertine was quick enough to avoid the attack and the spell engulfed some trees with negative energy.
As Bertine was jumping clear she cast her own spell. Lina had mere moments to react to the Blast Ash. A rain of fireballs came at her before she could even get another spell off. Without needing to call out the mantras, Bertine was able to cast them at a faster pace.
Lina raced into the trees and hid momentarily, catching her breath. She was beginning to feel outclassed.
Gourry ducked as the last two orcs swung at his head. He sliced the midsection of one, turned on his heel and hit the last one with the hilt of his sword. He stood up and admired the mess he left behind. "Lina!" he realised. He had to get back to her.
Just as he was turning away, a man emerged from the shadows. "I was wondering where you went," Gourry said, raising his sword up again. The man was wearing a hooded cloak and Gourry couldn't make out his face.
The man pulled the hood back. Blue hair and grey skin. He could have passed for Zelgadis, Gourry thought. But he knew it wasn't Zel. He would never agree to fight against Lina. At least, he didn't think so. If this man was a chim-whatever like Zel, he knew his steel blade wasn't going to be effective. Sheathing it into the dirt, he pressed the secret latch on the hilt to release the blade. He reared back the bladeless hilt.
"LIGHT! Come forth!" A blinding energy of light shot forth from the top of the hilt. It elongated until it roughly formed a new blade, a blade of pure light. It was the legendary Sword of Light. Gourry steeled himself. Now he was ready to take on whatever it was he was fighting.
The light didn't seem to phase the man. Slowly, he reached behind his back for the hilt that was sticking out. Gourry's eyes sharpened. The man pulled the sword free. There was no blade either. Gourry gasped as the man spoke the words. His voice was a deep rumble. "DARKNESS! Come forth."
Just as Gourry's sword emitted brilliant light, darkness emerged from the man's sword. However, it seemed to suck in all the light around it. Even the Sword of Light in Gourry's hand didn't shine so brightly. The dark blade formed by his opponent's sword didn't seem to solidify, however. Instead it crackled with dark, pulsating energy.
Gourry gulped. This was not good, was it? he asked himself. With a bit of senseless heroism, he launched himself into combat.
"Elemekia lance!" Lina cast. She was getting tired from all the spells she was tossing around. Bertine, on the other hand, did not show signs of letting up.
"You can't keep this up all night, Lina Inverse," Bertine observed, blocking the attack with a magical shield before it dissipated. "I just want that rock."
Lina hoped Gourry still had that rock she was talking about. Why on earth would she want it though? She decided it was time for a little regrouping. She hoped Gourry had finished off those orcs.
She raced back to his last position to see if the two of them could tackle the sorceress. Instead she found Gourry engaging a swordfight with a large man. The Sword of Light was flashing brightly. It was the other sword that caught her eye. Its blade was black as midnight and looked equally as powerful.
Gourry glimpsed Lina from the corner of his eye. "Lina! Look out!" That distraction cost him. The large man dodged Gourry's weak swing and punched him in the face. The blow sent the blond swordsman flying. For Gourry, it was like running into a stone wall. It almost knocked him unconscious.
Lina tried to dodge whatever it was Gourry was warning her about. It was too late though. Her sluggish movements caught the edge of a fireball blast aimed at her. She felt herself flying through the air and landing harshly on the ground beside Gourry. The Sword of light, still in his grip, was wavering.
Bertine stood beside her golem/chimera companion. "I see you've met Terwindis and his favourite little toy. Kage no Ken, Sword of Shadow. Did you think the Mazoku would allow the legendary Sword of Light to exist unrivalled?"
Lina bit back from the pain. "Mazoku? So you're not thieves."
"Now that rock," she held out her hand. "Give it to me and I promise Terwindis will finish you two off painlessly."
Lina got up slowly. She didn't know what that rock was but she wasn't going to let them have it. And they were from the Mazoku, the race of monsters. There was only one spell she needed to take care of these two - Dragu-slave.
Suddenly, a wave of fire energy shot outwards from the trees. Bertine reacted just enough to raise a shield but it was not strong enough. The blast impacted against her and Terwindis. Their bodies were flung several meters. Before Bertine could get up, a figure swooped into the clearing, encased the weakened Gourry and Lina in a bubble of Raywing and flew away from sight.
Lina felt her body rise above the forest in the familiar Raywing spell. She checked on Gourry who was completely out now. She looked to the mysterious person who had rescued them. She gasped. It was like staring at a mirror. Her mind decided things were getting too weird and, sensing the need to rest, shut down her body.
Lina's eyes fluttered open. Once again, the mirror image kneeled before her. Lina decided maybe she should go back to sleep and her eyelids started to close. The girl shook her awake.
Lina felt alert but still weak from the battle. Now that she was up, she got a good look at her rescuer. To Lina's relief, it wasn't a mirror image of her but the girl looked fairly similar. It was sort of creepy, Lina thought.
The girl had the same hairstyle as Lina, except her hair was redder and she had sparse locks of blonde. She wore a cloak similar to her own. It had big shoulder guards as well but the emblem on hers was a bronze flame. The girl looked a little older and taller too.
"I'm glad you're awake," she said to Lina, supporting her back with a slender hand.
"Who are you?"
"My name is, Lyta. Lyta Fireheart."
"Strange name," Lina responded without thinking.
Gourry was beginning to stir. Lyta immediately raced to his side, dropping Lina in the process. "Oh, lie still," she said soothingly to him.
Lina rubbed her head and glowered.
Gourry's eyes opened. "Lina?" he asked. He blinked a few times. "Oh, you're not Lina. You look a little like her. Are you a fan of her or something? I like the hair, it really works for you."
Lyta blushed and helped him sit up and passed them some water from a leather canteen. They were inside a cave. A small fire filled it with some light and heat. Lina warmed herself by it. "I don't know who you are but thanks," Lina admitted. Something else was on her mind. "Gourry, pass me that rock I gave you."
"Sure thing, Lina." He fished in his pockets. Lina didn't even want to know where the half-eaten candy or deck of cards came from. He found the small rock and handed it to her. It had a dull blue gem set in the middle. Lina couldn't see anything special about it.
"Try a dispell on it," Lyta suggested. Lina gave her a look and she shrugged.
Lina cast dispell and the blue gem began pulsing slowly. Lina shot her a glance and Lyta shrugged again. The pulsing grew faster and faster until it emitted a soft light. A beam materialised into the air. In a blink a small thing replaced it.
It wasn't a thing; it was a fairy.
The fairy stretched her little arms. "Oh, it's about time," she said in a squeaky voice. She fluttered about the cave, testing out her wings for the first time in a while, it seemed. "Stuck in that rock for decades, not a very fun prospect."
"Who are you?" Lina asked. She felt stupid having asked that question already.
The fairy flew over to her face. She was barely the size of Gourry's hand. Her wings flapped rapidly like a hummingbird’s wings. She had long, wavy, green hair and wore a brown outfit that barely covered her slim legs.
"I'm Pixie-chan."
"That's an odd name," Gourry said. "Aren't you a pixie?"
Pixie-chan flapped her wings in front of his face annoyingly. He was tempted to bat her away with his hand. She had her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. "I'm not a pixie! I'm Pixie!" She looked offended. "Pixie-chan, got it?"
"What were you doing inside that rock?" he asked instead.
"Having tea and crumpets!" she snapped back. "I was sleeping! I've been sleeping there for decades but now you've wakened me up so forgive me if I'm bit cranky. I'm not a morning person y'know."
"It's the middle of the night," Lyta pointed out.
"Whatever. Fact is, I've been in that rock for several decades and my awakening means destiny is in motion."
"Destiny?" repeated Lina. "What destiny?"
"What? Is there an echo in here?" She flew back to Lina. "Yes, destiny. You're the one. You're the one who will find the lost elves."
Queen Mayarenna awoke with a jolt. The round crystal sitting on the silver pedestal throbbed gently. She pulled the covers back, got up, and walked towards the window. She stared up at the starless night sky. "It's begun," she whispered. "For the love of the Light, it's begun."