Bertine strode into the inner most chamber of Wolf Pack Island. Her head was raised and she walked with confidence but the little fear that was inside her heart grew more with each step. There were really only two reasons why anyone would be summoned by Zelas-Metallum. It was either to receive orders from her or it was to die. They said even Mazoku underlings died at her whim if she so wished it. Bertine shuddered. She didn't think she was being summoned for that but the uncertainty only added to her fear. She mustn't show fear she told herself. It was the first step to becoming weak.
The inner sanctum was a large, cavernous room. Torches atop tall stands lit the carpeted path down the middle towards the iron throne. Bertine stopped at the edge of the room, just before the carpet. She knelt on one knee and bowed her head.
"Come forth," a voice echoed.
Bertine got up and walked briskly to the throne. She knew not to keep her Mistress waiting. As she neared, she spotted two large wolves at either side of the oversized seat. They were big and gray with glowing red eyes. They sat on their haunches and gave a toothy grin.
Bertine knelt as she presented herself before Zelas-Metallum. She bowed her head again, not that it mattered. She couldn't see the Mazoku overlord anyway, her figure was always shrouded by a dark shadow.
"I have come as you requested, Mistress," Bertine acknowledged.
"Rise," the voice said. Bertine stood up and stared at the shadowy face on the iron throne. "Bertine, it has been many years now since your arrival."
Bertine's stomach wrenched. She didn't like how this conversation was starting, but she answered anyway. "Nearly all my life."
"I remember when you came here. You were just a little girl. You were crying for your parents but they had been killed in a bandit raid. Such a cruel fate that was thrusted upon you."
"Yes, Mistress," replied Bertine.
"Do you know why your parents died?"
Bertine nodded slowly. "Because they were weak."
"Correct," Zelas-Metallum said, "and so they deserved to die. Humans are weak too. Except a few. You are one of the few to rise so high amoung the Mazoku. We have some human spies scattered throughout the world, hiding in secrecy and reporting what they see from cowardly eyes. They have their uses but they are weak too. In the end, when they are no longer required, they will die."
"Why have you summoned me?" Bertine asked without thinking. She berated herself silently. She should not have spoke out of line. She steeled herself for whatever punishment Zelas-Metallum might give.
Instead she laughed shrilly. "You are impertinent Bertine," she reminded, "but you have a point. I have summoned you because it's time you proved your worth to us." She raised a slender, pale hand and a misty screen formed in the air before them. A brown-red haired girl with big eyes appeared on the screen. "Do you know who she is?"
"No, Mistress."
"Her name is Lina Inverse. She was responsible for the destruction of one of the Fragments." The Fragments she referred to was one of the seven pieces of the Mazoku king, Ruby-Eye Shaburanigdo.
"No!" Bertine cried with disbelief. "How is that possible? She's... she's just a girl!"
"She's more than a girl," Zelas-Metallum corrected, "she's a threat."
Fire flashed in Bertine's eyes. How dare this brat destroy their lord Shaburanigdo? The Mazoku would rule the world, she would see that happen one day. "I'll kill her," promised Bertine.
"That is only secondary to your task, Bertine. Listen carefully now. The elves are growing weak. The defenses protecting them are wavering. It is time to strike. They were powerful during the first Mazoku war and if we wish to claim victory in the next, they must be eliminated."
Realization dawned on Bertine. "Are we planning to attack the Dragons once again, soon?"
"Perhaps," the Greater-Beast admitted. "But ours plans will not succeed as long as the elves exist. Your task is to find the locator stone. The whereabouts of the elves is unknown, even to us. With the stone, you will be able to find them. I will provide you with the last known location of the stone."
The information flowed into Bertine's mind. She was to find a little farm just outside of the city Grandervil. From there, she was on her own. But another issue was on her mind. "What do I do when I find them?" asked Bertine.
She thought Zelas-Metallum smiled but she wasn't sure under the cloak of shadows. "You'll see. Take Terwindis with you. He will be helpful and will obey your commands. Go now. Prove yourself to us."
Bertine knelt once more with a lowered head. "Yes, Mistress, I will not fail." In her heart, she knew she must succeed, would succeed. This was everything she had wished for. A chance to prove herself worthy and to be a key to the Mazoku's success over the Dragons. Indeed, they would rule.
As Bertine left her inner sanctum, Greater-Beast Zelas-Metallum summoned another of her underlings. Meanwhile, her stomach sickened at the thought of humans amoung the Mazoku. They were like an infestation. They had to be destroyed. But on occasion they proved useful.
A swirl of purlplish energy appeared and formed itself into a man. Long, straight black hair, priest's robes, a staff and a mischevious smile was all he wore.
"Xelloss," Zelas-Metallum greeted. He was her general and priest, an unlikely combination given that the two tasks were normally split amoung the other Mazoku subordinates. However, she knew that the nature of beasts was to fight and she didn't want that amoung her own. That was partially why Xelloss had been allowed to keep both titles.
"Xelloss, do you have faith in your pupil?"
"She's a smart kid with a heart fueled by hatred. You've seen to that, Zelas-chan." The priest floated in the air with one leg propped over the other as if he were sitting on an invisible seat.
"You should be the one going, not that untested pup."
"Ah, but if the pup is never tested, how will she ever grow up?"
Zelas-Metallum gripped the throne tightly. "Don't mock me, Xelloss. This matter you convinced me to entrust upon her is an important one." She paused. "Tell me why you haven't killed Lina Inverse? I put her into your care yet you haven't even confronted her. Why?"
The priest smiled and waggled a finger. "Ah, that is a secret."
Instead of becoming enraged, she laughed once more. Not a shrill laugh but a deep rumble. "You're a like beast playing with its prey. Don't play too long or she might turn into the hunter."
Xelloss winked. "Depending on how my pupil performs, I'll see about Miss Inverse." Without another word, he disappeared in another swirl of smoke and energy.
Greater-Beast Zelas-Metallum watched him leave. Humans, she thought, infestation indeed.
The amazing thing was there happened to be a tavern that was still serving food late in the night. Lina Inverse dug into a hearty and long-anticipated meal after a troublesome day. She and Gourry had left Grandevil after she had clobbered some thieves who broke into her room. In doing so, she met up with a powerful sorceress Bertine who claimed she worked for the Mazoku. The thing that scared her more was the midnight sword her lackey carried. Sword of Shadow, the opposite to the Sword of Light.
The two little duels that inevitably started were not going well with Lina and Gourry. At last count, the score was 'Them 1, Us 0.' In fact, had it not been for Lyta Fireheart showing up, they would have been toast. Lina had a hard time believing that. After all, she had defeated Shaburanigdo, the Mazoku Demon King himself! How could she suffer a loss to a mortal person after that? Something about desparate measures crept into her mind.
The other thing she thought about was Lyta Fireheart, the strange girl who bore a little resemblence to herself. Lyta admitted she was a big fan of Lina Inverse but Lina thought that was a little scary. Having admirers was one thing but when someone starts dressing up like you too, it was time to check out, so to speak.
And then there was Pixie-chan, the little fairy who was trapped inside the magical little rock Bertine was fighting so hard to take. Besides being asleep for decades inside a cramped stone and having a morning attitude the size of Atlas City, she had the crazy notion that Lina Inverse would be the one to find the lost elves. That was too much for her. Lina just wanted to lie down, close her eyes and forget about everything. She hoped when she woke up things would just fade into a dream and life would be normal. For her, normal meant being constantly fed, getting rich and thumping thick-headed bandits.
"Anoo.. I didn't think a bear was living in the cave," Lyta apologized with downcast eyes. It was the reason for their hasty departure from an otherwise acceptable resting spot.
Lina was too busy to comment. She was occupied with putting food into her mouth as quickly as possible. Sometimes she had to actually remind herself to chew. She didn't want to choke, after all. Gourry was thinking roughly the same thing.
Pixie-chan sat on Lyta's shoulder with arms folded over her chest. "Mou, they eat like pigs. Look at me, do you see me stuffing myself like that? That's why I've got this great little body." She put a hand on her hip to emphasize it.
Lyta giggled. "I think it's amusing." Her expression completely changed abruptly.
"What's wrong Lyta-san?" Pixie-chan noticed. "You're crying."
Lyta looked away. "Oh, it's just something in my eye." She rubbed it persistently.
"AHHHHH!" Lina exclaimed after finishing her meal. She sat back with a satisfied smile, patting her stomach. "Nothing like good food to get your energy back." Her eyes turned dangerous. "Now, that Bertine. I want a rematch with her!"
Pixie-chan fluttered into the air. "There's no time for that! Destiny is awaiting for you!"
Lina held up her hands right away. "Nope! No way in hell. I don't do destiny. That's one of my policies. When you start getting involved with all that fate and nonsense, things just spiral completely out of control. I don't like things going out of control."
Gourry still had a bowl to his face. "But Lina, things are always out of control. Since when did you have any say about that Shaburana- whatever guy getting reborn and stuff?"
"That's different Gourry! It doesn't say in some book that 'One Lina Inverse and one Red Priest Rezo AKA Shaburanigdo-reborn will have a match on so and so date'."
"Well, maybe because we didn't check the book first," Gourry responded, putting down his bowl.
She gave him a sidelong glance. "It's just a figure of speech."
"Your friend has a point," Pixie-chan interrupted.
"That'll be a first," Lina muttered.
"Whether or not you're aware of these things doesn't mean they won't happen. Whether or not you consciously know is entirely independent of what will occur."
"Do you realize how nonsensical that sounds?" Lina countered. "I'm sorry, but when people start saying I'm going to do things, I don't buy that. I do whatever I want because I want to. Not because someone says I will." She looked adamant on that.
Gourry's hand rose up like he was sitting in a classroom. "I have a question! What's the big deal with the elves anyway?"
"Oh, let me tell you Gourry-sama!" Lyta responded almost too eagerly. "I remember Sylphiel-sensei telling me this story many times."
"You know Sylphiel?" Gourry asked with genuine surprise.
From her expression, Gourry's question seemed to have caught Lyta Fireheart off guard. She brushed back some bangs of red hair behind her ear. "Well, that is.. yes I do know her. She taught me some things about history."
"You're from Sairaag then!" Gourry concluded. He cocked his head slightly. "That's funny, I don't remember you though. I think you know what happened to Sairaag don't you?"
Her face was downcast. "Yes, it's been destroyed. Sylphiel-san is helping to restore the city. I heard the famous Lina Inverse defeated a great demon there. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be around." She gave Lina a thankful look.
"Did you have any family in Sairaag?" Lina asked curiously but not wanting to seem nosy.
Lyta wiped her cheek. "I had a family..." she sniffed, "but they're gone..."
"I'm sorry Lyta-san," said Gourry.
"It's okay," the firehaired sorceress replied with another sniff, "I've accepted their loss. Now, you wanted to know about the elves, right Gourry-sama?"
"The elves played a major role in the Mazoku war a few hundred years back. The Dragons enlisted their help as soldiers and sorcerors for the side of Light. During that war they developed a lot of magical weapons and were instrumental for the Dragon's victory over the monster race. Since then they've always been a respected society. They were skilled in the arts and were knowledgeable about all sorts of things especially magic.
"Why did they suddenly disappear?" Gourry asked having amazingly understood Lyta's story. Lina was even impressed Gourry remembered her telling him the elves had vanished the other day.
Lyta shook her head. "I don't know why."
Suddenly all eyes turned to Pixie-chan. She was warming herself by the candle in the middle of the table. Feeling their gaze on her, she nearly jumped. "What?" she flustered. Her wings stretched open and she floated upwards. "Why did the elves leave? Don't ask me, I don't know either! All I know is that they did and I was put inside that rock so I could help guide the Destined One back to them."
Lina shouted, "Hey I am not the 'Destined One!'"
"Whatever," Pixie-chan continued, "but the fact is, only the rock knows exactly where the elves are."
Lina leaned back on her chair's back legs. "That's why Bertine must have wanted it so badly. The Mazoku want to find the elves."
"But I thought the elves were powerful enough to stop them," Gourry asked. "You said they had lots of magic and weapons."
Pixie-chan flew over to Gourry's face. "Weren't you paying attention? The elves helped the Dragons beat the Mazoku. They weren't the sole reason for the victory. If the Mazoku were to find the elves, they wouldn't stand a chance of defending themselves. And with the elves gone, the Mazoku would have an advantage should another war start. That's why you need to find them, Lina!"
"How come the Dragons aren't doing anything then? And what can I do if I find them?!" Lina had her arms folded across her chest.
Pixie-chan ignored the first question and answered the second. "We'll have to deal with that when we get to that point," she said.
Lina pulled out the small rock. The blue gem was now pulsing slowly, about once every five seconds. This little rock had been placed inside a chest and buried on someone's land, Lina noted mentally. She thought it strange for something so important to be casually dumped like it was. But she had to agree, reluctantly, with the fairy. She couldn't let the Mazoku have it.
"I want to think about this on my own," she whispered. Without another word she got up and went to her room.
Lina didn't bother changing out of her clothes. She wanted to make sure that if they needed another quick exit it would be possible. Lina fell back onto the bed. Propping one leg over her knee, she took out the rock again and studied it. It was black granite and bumpy. The middle blue gem throbbed its constant rhythm. She assumed the closer they got to its source, the faster it would pulse.
Destiny, she thought. She didn't like that word. She had read stories about destiny. They were fictional, of coruse, but they always had a common theme. Once you were caught up in it, there was no getting free until you did what it wanted you to do. In this case, it wanted Lina Inverse to find the elves.
What could it hurt? she wondered to herself. She was just fighting herself on this because she didn't feel in control. She supposed it was a matter of pride. The elves were known for their talents, knowledge and power. Surely she would be rewarded handsomely for finding them. She thought she could get away with some interesting tomes, maybe learn some new spells that were lost in the centuries that passed.
A knock interrupted her thoughts, and Gourry poked his head in. Seeing that Lina wasn't going to object to his being there, he stepped into the room and closed the door. "I took Lyta-san to her room. Pixie-chan is going to stay with her."
"She's a strange girl," Lina remarked about Lyta. There was something about how she looked at Gourry that irked her. She wasn't jealous, far be it from that, she told herself quickly. Yet Lyta and Sylphiel both had that little quirk. And coincidence or not, those two knew eachother.
"She saved us," Gourry painfully reminded her. "So what do you think? Are you going to find the elves?"
Lina Inverse sighed, and put the rock back into her cloak's hidden pocket. "Much as I hate to admit it, that little fairy is right. We can't let the Mazoku locate them. Not without a fight anyway."
Gourry grinned boyishly. "So I guess it's another quest for us, huh Lina? It'll be different this time without Zelgadis or Amelia."
"I really could use Zel right about now," Lina admitted. "Hell, even having Amelia wouldn't be too bad. Aside from tripping over herself, she's got some pretty good magic. I hope Lyta Fireheart doesn't take after her mentor in terms of offense."
She yawned. "Well I guess it's settled then."
"I knew you would agree," Pixie-chan said as she fluttered in from the window. She flew over to Lina's pillow and set down on it. "Now there are some instructions that I can tell you. First of all, the elves have moved themselves to some island in the ocean. I don't know where, that's what the rock is for."
"So we need a ship," Gourry observed.
"Bingo," Pixie-chan said. "Is he always this sharp?" Lina passed up the opportunity so the fairy continued. "I suggest we head to some port city. What's the closest one?"
Gourry's gears started turning. "From here, the closest one would be Marinaul. It's a fairly big city if I remember. We should be able to get a ship."
"All right then!" Lina exclaimed. "We're heading to Marinaul." Gourry and Pixie-chan nodded their agreement. "--as soon as I get some sleep!" Pixie-chan fell over.
"Don't you have any sense of what's at stake here?"
Lina grinned. "Sure I do but there's two things I give priority to, even over destiny."
"And what's that, Lina Inverse?"
"Sleep and food."
Pixie-chan turned to Gourry. "Trust me on that one, Pixie-chan," he told her. The little fairy hung her head in disbelief but seeing nothing would be done if they were all tired, she flew back out the window. Gourry followed suit by leaving through the door.
Noticing that everyone had finally left, she said to the room and everything around her, "And no weird destiny dreams either!" She blew out the candle.
Unfortunately, the dreams were inevitable. Whether or not they had anything to do with her quest was entirely open to debate. However, Lina was sure of one thing. They were weird.
Lina dreamt she was a princess of small but wealthy country. Her father, the King, provided her with everything she wanted. Clothes, riches, studly servers to feed her. She had everything she needed except one little detail: a suitor. Princess Lina didn't care for it but she played along anyway.
They gathered in the throne room the morning her suitors would be presented to her. Princess Lina sat behind a curtained box while her would-be fiancés gathered. A trumpeting fanfare announced they were ready and the curtains were drawn back to display her immense beauty.
Lina's mouth nearly fell to the ground. Six men stood before her. They were all blond. They all had dashing smiles and familiar blue armor. They all looked like Gourry.
Princess Lina felt the world spin around her, and she fainted (if that was possible in a dream). When she awoke (from her unconscious state), she found herself in a dark room bound to a chair.
"Hey! What's going on here!" Nobody answered her. She struggled against the ropes but they were tied too tightly. Fortunately she was able to wiggle her fingers. "FLARE ARROW!" she summoned forth and a spark of fire lit her fingertips. The ropes burnt up in a flash.
She realized she was in one of the castle's dungeons. Busting through the door with a mighty Dil Brand spell, she raced up the stairs to the throne room. Heads were going to roll for this, she swore. Princess' privilege.
To her amazement, a crowd of people had gathered in the throne room. She pushed and squeezed her way to the front. "All right, what's going on here?" she growled.
A couple was standing before the King. One of them was Gourry, or at least one of the Gourry look-alikes from earlier. The girl's face, however, was hidden by a white veil. Lina recognized the dress as one of her royal gowns.
"By the power invested in me by the people, I, the King declare this wedding to be complete." A loud cheer went up. "Hurry for Princess Lina!" they shouted.
"What?! What?" Lina was thoroughly confused. The couple turned her way and 'Gourry' lifted up the girl's veil. It was Lyta. She gave Lina a wink and turned to kiss her newly acquired husband.
Lina was fuming now. "Wait a minute, I'm Princess Lina! I'm supposed to be up there!" She quickly put a hand over her mouth. Why did she just say that?
A finger tapped on shoulder. "Fear not, Princess," a man said, sounding vaguely familiar, "for I, Crown Prince of Sailoon shall take your hand in marriage. And together we shall uphold justice for all!"
Lina turned around slowly. A moustached Amelia beamed proudly at her. Lina screamed and screamed and screamed.
There were only a few things worse than the famous bandit-killer and sorceress extraordinaire Lina Inverse: a hungry Lina Inverse and a grouchy Lina Inverse. The former was not so bad. People were generally advised to stay out of her way as she took the direct route from A to B where B is the nearest restaurant. The latter, however, was something entirely different.
The weird dreams haunted Lina that night, and so she hadn't got much sleep. And a sleep-deprived Lina meant a grouchy Lina. And a grouchy Lina meant the possiblities for mass destruction had just doubled in probability.
The trio of adventurers, along with Pixie-chan who was perched on Lyta's shoulder, were making good time towards their destination of the port city Marinaul. Lina led the group, fists clenched tightly by her sides and a crossed expression etched on her face. Despite having had very little refreshing sleep, she was determined to make it to the next village as soon as possible.
"Does she always look like that?" Pixie-chan asked as the three hung back, slightly behind Lina. Even Gourry did not try to engage her in his usual, cheery conversation. Lyta picked up the scenario quickly as well and said nothing.
"It could be worse," supposed Gourry.
Pixie-chan sniffed. "And I thought I was bad after waking up inside that rock."
Lina Inverse turned around and marched up to the them. "Lunch. Here. Now."
Gourry held his hands up, surrendering. "Okay Lina-san, no problem."
Lina's eyebrow twitched a little before she sat down, cross legged with arms folded across her chest. She was not a happy camper.
"How far away are we from Marinaul?" Lyta asked as she brought out the rations.
Gourry looked up at the clear blue sky. Thought the skyline was partially blocked by the trees, he could still make out the sun's position. "I'd say we've got another five or six days before we reach there."
"Mou, don't we have any horses or something?" Pixie-chan complained. "I don't think we can last that long."
"What are you complaining about?" Lyta said, "you sit on my shoulder half the time!"
"I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about her!" She pointed at Lina who was seemed to be staring blankly into space.
"I heard that," Lina said, however. Then, her instincts kicked in unexpectedly. She jumped up and turned about frantically.
"What's wrong?" Gourry asked. He got his sword out just in case. Pixie-chan lifted her wings and floated into the air hoping to get a better glimpse of whatever it was Lina was sensing.
Suddenly, they appeared from out of the trees - orcs, dozens of them. Lina cursed herself mentally. She had been so angry at herself for the lack of sleep that she hadn't noticed the perfect spot for an ambush. Now she was very mad.
"BERTINE!" she roared, "where are you? Come out so I can kick your ass!"
The orcs gave eachother disconcerted looks but continued to advance on Lina and company.
"BERTINE! Argh, that's it!" She raised her hands into the air. "FIREB - "
"FORWARD THE SPEARS!" a distant voice shouted. "ATTACK!"
That stopped Lina's chant for the fireball spell. The ball of energy shrunk into nothingness while her arms remained in the air. "Huh?"
The orcs turned around and Lina saw what was coming. A company of men on foot backed with a few calvary soldiers were attacking them. The orcs decided to meet their new foe and charged head on. They were no match however. The armed soldiers expertly, if a bit loudly, repelled the attack and cut down their disorganized enemy within minutes.
The leader, a man in gray chainmail and a plumed-topped helmet trotted over to where Lina was standing. "Whoa there, lassie," he greeted her with an odd accent, "are ye okay?"
"Uh, I guess we are?" Lina answered, stunned.
"Aye, orc bandits, they be a meddlesome bunch," he remarked, "harassing travellers on the highway they be. Lucky for ye that we were sent by King Fyrius to rout them out of our forests."
"Orc bandits?" Lina repeated. She was sure that these orcs were more of the same Bertine had unleashed upon them the first time.
"Aye, not very bright individually, but fierce as a group." He watched as his small troop of men were cleaning their spears and checking the bodies for whatever gold they could find. "Who might ye be, if ye don't mind me askin'?"
"Lina Inverse," she replied.
"Ach, ye be the infamous Lina Inverse?" he responded with almost a curse in his speech. "Well, if me own mother weren't stirring in her grave at this very moment. Lina Inverse."
Lina beamed proudly. "I take it you've heard of me."
"What fool hasn't? Ye be the famous bandit-killer, dragon-slayer Lina Inverse, thunder be coming from ye eyeballs, fire shooting from your hair and a chest so flat even farmland would be so lucky!"
Lina smile faded into a violent eye-twitch. Gourry had to keep her restrained when the soldier turned his back away. "Whoa, Lina-san, easy!"
"I'LL KILL HIM!!"
"Me be MacDarph, captain of this ragtag band of soldiers. We be heading back to the castle and I do believe me own liege, King Fyrius, would most welcome your company tonight."
"Well, I'm not sure if we have the time," said Lyta in response.
"How could ye refuse an invitation from the King himself?" MacDarph asked, "besides, he'd most certainly welcome you to his dinner table."
"'Dinner'?" Lina repeated, little sparkles replacing her eyes. "Royal feasting? More food than you can imagine?" The corners of her mouth turned up in a ravenous grin, a little saliva dripping out. She rubbed her hands gleefully. "And finally a good night's sleep!"
"Aye, the lass has got the idea!"
"Lead on MacDuff!"
"That's MacDarph."
"Whatever."
The towering spires of Dunford Castle in the heart of the small kingdom of Dunford seemed to reach up into the sky. The castle was built atop a steep cliff. On the south side, below the castle, nestled the city where the common citizens lived and worked. The north side overlooked a gleaming lake. To either side was a flat valley walled in by mountains. Strategically, Dunford Castle was nearly impossible to assault. And despite its constant fighting with neighbors, it had never fallen.
Gourry was once again amazed at the sight before him as they strode through the front gates of the castle. It turned out that they were less than a day's ride from the castle. MacDarph had offered them a seat on the back of the supply wagon that trailed behind the footsoldiers. It definitely did wonders for Lina's mood. She was able to take a refreshing nap. Her hunger, however, had taken over at that point.
Lina's sensitive stomach rumbled noticeably. She rubbed it as if that would do anything to settle it, but she knew the only way was with food.
"I could hear your stomach half way across the ocean," grumped Pixie-chan, who was seated on Lyta's shoulder again.
"Hey, I work hard and my stomach reminds me. When was the last time you had to face Shaburanigdo?"
MacDarph's horse was trotting beside the supply wagon. "Ye fought the dreaded Shaburaniga-Shabaro-Shabbi-ach! The dreaded Demon King?"
"Shaburangido?" Lina corrected for him. "Yep."
"Wait until me liege King Fyrius hears of that! It'll astound his own eyes, if I do say. A short, underdeveloped girl like you disposing the Demon King!"
This time, it took both Lyta and Gourry to restrain the furious sorceress. "Lina!" Gourry warned in a hurried whisper, "I don't think it's good to start attacking the King's men, especially when we're right in the palace grounds!"
"I don't see why we bothered coming here," Pixie-chan said, flying into the air as Lyta held onto Lina's leg. "We should be heading to Marinaul!"
"Lina's not one to pass up free meals," responded Gourry over his shoulder while he restrained Lina's arm.
The word 'free meal' appeared to calm the fire-tempered girl a little. "Hey, when do we get to eat?" she asked MacDarph, who was rather oblivious to her previous murderous intentions.
"Aye lass, I'll be presenting ye and ye friends to the King first."
"We can just do that over dinner," Lina pointed out.
"Aye but tis ain't proper protocol," MacDarph replied. The wagons stopped inside the cobblestoned inner courtyard of the castle. "Come off from there now, I'll be showing ye the way."
The throne room, as Lina expected, was beautifully decorated. Banners hung proudly on the walls, bearing the symbol of Dunford's standard. Two large, plush chairs graced the end of a long carpet where King Fyrius and a young woman sat waiting. Yet, Lina wasn't very impressed. It was pretty much the standard set up. She really wanted to see the dining room.
King Fyrius was a lean man with gray hair, a short beard, and strong eyes. The young woman beside him had blonde hair, curled in ringlets that settled gracefully across her shoulders.
"Greetings, Lina Inverse," Fyrius said in an accented speech similar to MacDarph. "My man tells me of your exploits. He also tells me you were beset upon those pestersome orc bandits."
"Well, we could have handled them," Lina said without an ounce of modesty, "but I wasn't feeling that awake and your soldiers did show up. Might as well put them to some use."
Fyrius laughed heartily. "I do like your candor, Lina Inverse! Allow me to introduce my daughter, Princess Gertrude."
Lina tried not to snicker. She thought that for such a pretty girl like the princess, she had such an awful name. Unfortunately, Gertrude must have noticed, for she frowned at her and asked, "Is there something amusing, Lina Inverse?"
"No, your highness!" responded Gourry in Lina's stead.
Her eyes turned into diamonds when she examined Gourry. Little red hearts were literally about to float from her chest. "Oh," she said wistfully, "who might you be?"
Lina coughed. "That's Gourry," and motioning to Lyta she said, "and Lyta, my sister." She thought that was the best way to keep strangers from asking unnecessary questions about their similiarities. Besides, she looked enough like her to be a sister. The thought of siblings brought back immediate memories of Luna, and she shivered at them.
Lina noticed that Pixie-chan had conveniently slipped out of sight. Whether she was hiding in Lyta's cloak or not, she couldn't tell.
"Father," Gertrude spoke up, "won't you allow Gourry and his friends to stay for dinner tonight?" Lina didn't like the way she phrased that. She noticed Lyta didn't like it either. She thought she saw Lyta inch a little closer towards Gourry.
"Yes," agreed Fyrius, "I'd love to hear more of your adventures, Lina Inverse. My servants will show you to your rooms. They'll get you when dinner is ready."
"And he said to me, 'Fyrius, that's not a mule, it's your horse!' Bwahahahahaa!" The King slapped his hand on the table while caught in his fit of laughter.
"Hehehe," Lina grinned weakly. She held a drumstick in one hand while the other supported her chin. She was definitely not enjoying this. Fyrius had so much to talk about and it drove her insane with boredom. She looked across the table where Gertrude was busily enticing Gourry with conversation. On his other side sat Lyta, who was speaking heatedly on Gourry's behalf. Or perhaps in his defense. Lina blinked. That girl liked Gourry. She was sure of it.
Why do you care? Lina asked herself as Fyrius was beginning another boring tale. It's not like she had a leash on Gourry. She thought she almost felt the same with Sylphiel too. Lina shook her head visibly mostly to forget about her train of thought. A little bit of it was to wake herself up as well.
A young servant girl approached King Fyrius. She dipped low in a respectful curtsy. She whispered something softly that Lina couldn't hear. Fyrius nodded, and she left quickly. But before she did, she gave Lina a quick glance. Lina noticed this from the corner of her eye and it felt unsettling.
"Might I ask you your journey through Dunford," Fyrius asked.
"Well, uh.." Lina's mind raced to think of a good excuse.
Lyta spoke up instead. "We're on our way to visit Gourry's mother. She's quite ill."
Lina thanked the girl silently. It conveyed urgency but it didn't reveal their plans.
Fyrius pondered. "Hmmm... where is your mother now?" he asked Gourry.
"Uh, in Marinaul," he answered quickly with the first city that came to his mind.
"Oh! If you were to go around the mountains it would take at least a week. I could save you several days if I gave you permission to enter through the copper mines. But there's a slight problem. The mines have been closed because something is causing the miners to disappear. We've sent several groups of soldiers to investigate as well, but they never returned. I would allow you to go through the mines if you would look into whatever is happening down there. I'm sure you'd find out sooner or later as the exit on the other side closest to Marinaul. That's where we think the problem is."
"I don't think we have time for that," Lina started.
Fyrius turned serious. "Might I remind you that it was my soldiers who rescued your group from the orc bandits earlier. I do think it would be appropriate if you paid back that gesture by helping us. Surely a powerful sorceress like yourself has no trouble with monsters."
Fortunately, flattery didn't work well on Lina when she knew there was an ulterior motive behind it. "Umm.. let's discuss this tomorrow morning, ne?"
Fyrius reluctantly nodded and decided it was time they turn in. Lina agreed, but she thought they had overstayed their welcome. They would catch a few hours of sleep at most, and then leave in the middle of the night. She could understand Fyrius' persistance for her help, but she couldn't be bothered and there was definitely not much reward in it for her. They weren't in any rush to get to Marinaul. An extra few days shouldn't matter.
With a plan already formulating, Lina smiled.
"Who is it?" Fyrius demanded. He was alone in the dining room that had been cleared after dinner. The servant girl from earlier walked into the room. But instead of curtsying politely, she stood with arms folded across her chest.
"Well?" she demanded in return.
"I don't know if I persuaded her," Fyrius answered in a definite reversal of roles. "She seemed reluctant."
"You worthless old fool!" she berated him. "Lina Inverse is already planning to escape in the night, I suspect."
"Forgive me, Mistress Bertine."
"We have no choice. Bring the rada'hamane. Quickly now!"
Fyrius nodded mechanically. "Yes Mistress Bertine."
Lina didn't notice a thing when several soldiers had quietly entered her room. But she did awake when she felt something snap tightly around her neck.
"What's going on?!" She sat up quickly and noticed a smooth collar around her neck. Then she saw the men and the servant girl from earlier.
"It's a big mistake to mess with me!" Lina Inverse snarled angrily. Mentally her mind raced, wondering why none of her wards had waken her earlier.
The servant girl laughed. Her visage and clothes shimmered and instantly Bertine stood before her. "Lina Inverse, you're so easy to defeat. Did you think I didn't notice your silly wards?"
"BERTINE!" Lina snapped. "I've been meaning to meet up with you again!" She attempted to gather her magical energies. "FIRE--"
Bertine held up a glove finger. "I wouldn't if I were you. Those are rada'hamane from the far eastern lands of Ky. They tap into your magic and restrain it. If you try to call any magic while wearing one, you'll find the outcome most disatisfying."
"I've been in something similar before and I got through it!" Lina answered back.
Bertine nodded to one of the guards, and he opened the door. They carried Gourry and Lyta in, bounded with ropes and similar collars around their necks.
"Let them go!" yelled Lina. She was getting extremely angry.
"Or what? Just try to use your magic." Bertine was taunting her, daring her.
"FIRE - AAAAGH!" Lina writhed in pain as she tried to complete the spell. She clutched her sides and squeezed her body tightly, trying not to pass out from the excruciating surge of pain. Through tear-soaked eyes she saw Lyta and Gourry on the floor doing the same. They screamed loudly.
Bertine laughed again. "I know you can take the pain, Lina Inverse. I know you can easily escape the rada'hamane if you wanted to. But are you willing to have your friends suffer as well? They could possibly die before you got free."
"Don't worry about us," urged Gourry in a hoarse voice, "just get free and beat her!"
Lina braced herself as she tried again. "FIREBA - AAAAIEEEEGH!!" She wailed even louder, the collar more punishing. Her body was flung back onto the bed. She clenched her eyes tightly. Gourry and Lyta howled terribly as well. Lyta was already slumped lifeless on the floor. Lina prayed she was still alive.
"I can't," Lina sobbed. "I can't do it!" It hurt just to talk, or even breath.
The Mazoku sorceress stood over her small figure, arms folded across her chest and a triumphant mocking smile spread on her lips. "That's because you're weak and pathetic, Lina Inverse."
"Damn you," Lina swore through her teeth. She felt Bertine's hand slap across her soaked face. Her vision blurred and darkened. The blow knocked her out.
A world of real, sharp pain came flooding back into Lyta's senses as her eyes opened. She strained to gain some focus and determine where she was. At first everything was dark. She feared she had lost her eyesight, but as outlines came into view, she realized that it was just dark.
She found herself on a rocky dirt floor. The air was thick and hot. She craned her head slightly to see if Gourry and Lina were still unconscious. Then she saw two boots move in front of her view and she looked up. Bertine stood frowning over her.
"You certainly picked the wrong person to idolize," Bertine said flatly, "dressing up like Lina Inverse. If I weren't so disgusted by it, I might even think it was cute. But, nonetheless, you're going to die with them." She spoke as if they were merely offhand remarks.
"Mazoku.." Lyta whispered. She coughed and pain seared across her chest.
"What?"
"I despise you," answered Lyta in a firm voice, though weak. "I swore an oath to myself that I wouldn't let the Mazoku win again. I'll never let you win again."
A puzzled look crept across Bertine's eyes. "What are you blathering about?"
"I'll never let the Mazoku win again. I'll never let the Mazoku win again." She repeated it over and over, for the words seemed to give her a little more strength.
"You're crazy! Your brain must be completely messed up!"
When Lina Inverse had regained consciousness was unknown, but at that point she decided to make her presence known. "I'm going to mess you up, Bertine!"
Lina struggled to sit up as did Gourry. His hair was matted with blood and there was gash across his cheek. It was the first time Lina noticed. "Gourry! What happened to you?"
"Your companion got a little rowdy after you passsed out," Bertine said. "I had to... discipline him."
"Where the hell have you taken us?"
Bertine smiled. "Where in hell, indeed. Remember that old bag Fyrius mentioning some mines? This is exactly where you are. I was hoping you'd come here on your own to investigate his claim of monsters, but it seemed you weren't going to. So, I took the liberty of bringing you here instead."
A flood of realization struck Lyta. "You were behind everything."
"How perceptive of you," mocked Bertine. "Yes, I had the royal family under my control all this time."
"I don't understand why I didn't spot any spells on anyone," Lina asked herself out loud.
"That's because you're not the world-class magic user you think you are!" Then there was a noticeable edge to Bertine's voice. "How you ever defeated our Lord Shaburanigdo is beyond me, but I intend to see that you pay for that, with your life!"
"I'll never let the Mazoku win again," Lyta began repeating once more.
"Stop saying that!" Bertine yelled.
Lina gave her a concerned look. "Lyta, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" Lyta didn't respond but kept a constant, cold glare set on Bertine's face.
"Enough of this!" Bertine barked. "The rumors of monsters in the mines aren't merely rumors. They're true." Then she yelled, "Come forth!"
The ground shook quietly at first, but violently. Lyta, Gourry and Lina moved their gaze to the source of the thundering. In the coal black darkness beyond their vision, two tiny flames appeared. As they drew closer to them, they realized they weren't flames but crimson red eyes. It had a long snout, fang filled maw and two long horns. Lyta didn't have to see the smoke rising wistfully from its nostrils to know it was a dragon.
The dragon reared open its maw and fire spewed forth, lighting the room. It was a huge, rocky cavern. The dragon lumbered forward and stopped short of where they were lying. The fire had added to the cavern's heat and sweat was dripping down their faces. The sulphuric smell was almost sickening.
Bertine's body began to float upwards, encased in the glow of a levitation spell. To the dragon she spoke, "Try to leave their bodies somewhat intact. We have to search them later." If the dragon understood, it didn't acknowledge. Its crimson eyes watched her intently leave the cavern before returning their steady gaze back on Lina.
"I'm going to kill her!" Lina swore an oath. "As soon as we get out of here."
"What about him?" Gourry asked pointing to the dragon.
Lina tried reaching for the rada'hamane around her neck but sharp pain returned before she could even touch it. She clutched her chest vainly to stop the pain. "Gourry, get this thing off me," she choked.
Gourry crawled over to her and placed his hands on the collar. The instant he did, the two collars activated simultaneously. The pain coursed through both Lina and Gourry, and they screamed.
Lyta felt something moving inside her clothing. When she looked down, a lump was crawling inside her shirt. She leapt up frantically, shaking her shirt loosely.
Pixie-chan fell out and landed on the ground. "Itai.."
"What were you doing in there?!" gasped Lyta.
"I was hiding!" Pixie-chan said.
"Did you have to hide inside my shirt?!"
Pixie-chan didn't answer to that, but her wings opened and she flew into the air. She buzzed annoying around Lyta's face. "Oh dear, that's a rada'hamane."
"You know what this is?" Lina asked groggily.
Pixie-chan nodded. "Unfortunately. It was a device made by the elves to keep captured Mazoku under control."
Lina's eyes went wide. "The elves made this thing? What the hell is Bertine doing with it?!"
"That's a good question," Pixie-chan remarked, "one of which the answer might not be so good. As I recall, these things are tricky - "
Lyta's face turned to instant fear. Pixie-chan spun around in midair. They had forgotten about the dragon that was about to set them ablaze.
"RUN!!" Lina screamed. They fought hard to ignore the pain they had suffered and scrambled as best they could. Lyta tried moving to where Lina and Gourry was, but the closer she got, the more pain she experienced from the collar.
"Everyone! Disperse! The collars will prevent you from grouping together!"
Lina and Gourry separated as well, feeling the agony subside slightly. They positioned themselves behind as much cover as they could find. The dragon was slowly trying to turn itself around.
"How are we going to get out of these things?!" Lyta cried. She ducked as a wave of sulphuric flames exploded over her head. She scampered from her spot and leapt behind another outcropping of rocks. The dragon ignored her for the moment and began hunting for the other two.
"You guys can't use your magic," Gourry said, "and my sword alone isn't going to stop that dragon!"
"The collars prevent you from interacting with anyone else wearing a collar too," Pixie-chan informed them. "That's why none of you can remove eachother's collars. But I can. I'm not wearing one."
"Are you sure you're strong enough to unclasp it?" Lyta asked. Pixie-chan was just a few inches tall. To her, the collar was a large metal ring.
"There's no other choice is there?" She floated behind Lyta's neck and began tugging at the rada'hamane. "How does this stupid thing come off?!"
The dragon gave up looking for Lina and Gourry and turned back towards Lyta. She had to run as a large fireball of flames came hurtling at her. Pixie-chan fluttered madly so she wasn't consumed by the flames either.
"Pixie-chan isn't going to get that collar off if the dragon keeps bothering her," Gourry observed. "Hey, I have an idea!" He jumped out from his hiding spot. "HEY DRAGON! YEAH OVER HERE! YOU STUPID DRAGON!"
Lina followed suit. She stuck out her tongue and pulled down her eye lid. "LOOK OVER HERE YOU DUMB BLIND REPTILE!" she yelled. The silly movements they made caught the dragon's eye and he twisted his neck around.
"Uh oh," Lina said as smoke was flaring from its nostrils. "DUCK!!"
Gourry jumped as scorching flames came his way. He sighed when the dragon stopped breathing fire. But he noticed something was still smoking. He looked behind and saw his pants were on fire. "Ahh!! I'm on fire!!" He began running in frenzied circles. "Put it out, Lina! Put it out!"
"Stop running around you idiot!" Lina screamed. For it had defintely attracted the dragon's attention and began attacking them again.
Meanwhile, Lyta had found another spot where Pixie-chan could work on getting her rada'hamane off. The collar was smooth metal all around and seemingly without a clasp. "I just have to find the right spot to probe with a bit of magical energy..." She concentrated and tried.
Lyta screamed, pain returning once more. "Shh.." Pixie-chan shushed her. "I'm sorry, let me try again."
"Don't do that again!" Lyta whimpered.
"Wait, I think I got it." She probed once more with her magic. The collar unhooked, and fell onto the ground in two separate pieces. "Yes!"
Lyta and Pixie-chan made a beeline to where Lina was crouching behind some rocks. "Get this thing off me too so I can Dragu-slave that repitle!"
Lyta looked up. The entire cavern was enclosed. If Lina set off a powerful Dragu-slave, she knew the whole place would cave in on them. "I've got another idea," she said, turning to Pixie-chan. "Can you heal me?"
"Yes."
"Good, and then free Gourry-sama and Lina."
"What are you doing?" Lina asked.
Lyta winked. "Trust me Lina-san. I'll get us out of this!"
Pixie-chan floated over Lyta's head and closing her eyes, her tiny body began to glow. A nimbus of blue light surrounded herself and she began to spin in the air. And just as suddenly she stopped. Beads of light showered Lyta like water droplets. Instantly, Lyta felt the pain subside. She smiled warmly, happy to be feeling healthy again. Her smile faded away as she recalled the task ahead of her.
"I've only healed you temporarily," Pixie-chan cautioned, "you still need to rest and recover properly!"
Lyta tossed back a response and she began running. "Thank you, Doctor!"
Pixie-chan grumped at that answer, and began to probe the clasps on the Lina's collar.
Lyta Fireheart ran straight for the dragon, head on. It opened its jaw and snapped at her, attempting to rip her apart with its huge fangs. Lyta jumped sideways and rolled under the dragon's long, scaly neck. She scrambled to her feet and kept running. It knew she was under its body and began shifting its weight, hoping to smash her with its short feet. Lyta weaved around them and avoiding a swinging, spiked tail, she emerged the other side unscathed.
The clasps fell free on Lina's collar. Rubbing her neck thankfully, Lina waited as Pixie-chan started the semi-healing spell on her too. Once that was done, the little fairy moved over to Gourry.
Lina stood up quickly. Lyta was behind the dragon and it was trying to turn itself around to catch her. Whatever plan Lyta had in mind, she and Lina appeared to share the wavelength on Dragu-slave. It would be suicide if she cast it in the large, cavernous chamber.
Instead, she called up some offensive spells to distract the dragon. "ELEMEKIA LANCE!" she shouted, and magical energy conformed into the shape of a spear. She threw it out at the dragon's neck, but its scaly hide absorbed most of the blast.
But, it certainly got its attention.
The dragon swung its neck and faced Lina. It blew some fire at her. Lina wanted to move but she felt her legs weren't responding fast enough. Her heart raced as the flames drew dangerously near.
Suddenly, her body lifted into the air just before it was engulfed by the blazing firebreath. Lina looked up and saw it was Gourry carrying her.
"I've got an idea!" Lina told him.
"What?"
"Boost me onto your shoulders!" He complied without much effort, lifting her smaller frame onto his. "Don't let me fall!" she warned.
"What are we doing?!" Gourry asked, unsure what the point of the maneuver was.
"I'll cast the magic, you run," explained Lina simply. "Now go left!"
"Okay, Lina-san!"
"No, your other left!"
"Sorry!"
"FIREBALL!" Lina threw the spell at the dragon. It did little effect but it shifted its body around and tried to track her. Gourry ran fast with Lina sitting on his shoulders.
"Whooaa!" she yelled, grabbing Gourry's head to keep from falling off, "keep it steady!"
"Hey, don't cover my eyes!" Gourry yelled back, running wildly. Once Lina had removed her arms, he yelled to Lyta, "Whatever it is you're supposed to do, now would be a nice time!"
"Yes, Gourry-sama!" Lyta responded. She was still positioned behind the dragon, but it was beginning to turn around to follow Gourry and Lina. She had just enough time to complete her attack.
Reaching behind her back, she pulled out her own short sword. It was plain, but had a slight curving arc to it. She held it horizontally before her, and then released her fingers. The sword did not drop. It remained motionless in the air.
Closing her eyes, Lyta gathered forth her will and let magical energy flow into her body. Some spells drew power from the Astral plane, such as Ra Tilt. Others spells like Giga-Slave gained power from the Lord of Nightmares. But Lyta always believed the strongest power came from nature and oneself. So she recalled the mantra clearly in her mind and spoke the words.
"Spirits of magic, elements of fire, heed my call;
With your eternal power, bind thyself to my blade;
Together, smite down those who would stand in my path;
And burn them in a fiery inferno ...
FLAME SLAVE!"
She felt the torrent of magic escape her body and encapsulate her silver blade. It began to dip, but she caught it quickly by the hilt. Her entire body was now embued with a red hue, fire magic coursing through her hair. The dragon had finally swung itself around, and her bright red glow drew its eyes towards herself. Stepping back, she raised the sword high over her head. With a quick downstroke, she swung powerful fire magic at the dragon. There was a wide, arcing beam of energy that flew straight at the dragon's head, impacting with deadly accuracy. The wave of magic cut sharply like a sword and exploded violently. The dragon roared in pain, flailing its injured head wildly. Fire shot out from its mouth and struck the ceiling causing rocks to fall overhead.
Lyta felt all her energy drain from her body. The attack had completely exhausted her and despite Pixie-chan's healing powers, she could not even stand anymore.
Lina spotted a new passage to a smaller cavern open up near the ceiling. "Hang on Gourry, I'll get us out! RAYWING!!"
The bubble of the Raywing spell enclosed both Lina and Gourry. She floated quickly to where Lyta was struggling, at the same time avoiding rocks as they began falling from the ceiling. The dragon was still shrieking in anguish.
Lyta looked up weakly, and saw a large rock falling towards her. She couldn't move. Then her world went black.
Lina's face was the first thing Lyta saw when her eyes opened. She tried to sit up but Lina forced her to remain lying down on her back.
"What's going on? Where are we?"
Lina smiled. "We made it out. We bought a horse and wagon from a village not too far from the mines and Gourry's taking us to Marinaul. We should get there within two days."
"That's good to hear," she answered softly.
"Well, it turns out you come through for us a second time," Lina continued. "I want to ask you something though. What was the spell you used? I've never seen it before!"
"Flame Slave? It draws on the fire elements and transfers it to a sword's blade. Then, it can be fired at your target by just swinging it. The effect is quite intense. Unfortunately, I don't have enough power to even stand after casting it."
"How come I've never heard of this spell?" Lina asked.
"Well, that's because I made it up myself."
Lina Inverse nearly fell on her face. "You made up your own spell?! How did you do that?! Who taught you to cast magic?"
"Some very good teachers," she replied in a distant voice. "I bet you want me to teach it to you, right?"
Lina shook her head surprisingly. "What good is magic if you faint right after casting it? The worst I could do with Giga Slave is be really tired and have my hair turn white!" She turned to Gourry. "Can't you go any faster? I'm starving! I want food!"
"This is the best I can do, Lina-san!" Gourry yelled back as he held the reins smartly.
"You tell that horse if it doesn't move any faster, I'm going to fireball it and have it for dinner! Got it, Gourry?!"
Whether or not the wagon moved any faster was unknown, but the small group of adventurers knew, somehow, that they would make it to Marinaul safely.
Bertine coughed and waved the smoky dirt from in front of her face. The entire mountain had shaken from Lina's attack. When things had calmed down, she had gone back to check on what happened. Lina and the others had escaped, for their bodies were nowhere to be found. The dragon had been defeated.
From the dark shadows, a tall figure stood silently yet ominously. "Terwindis?" Bertine called out.
"You should have finished them right away," he said. "You should not have wasted time toying with them. You should die for this failure alone."
She shot him an expression of outrage. "I will do as I see fit! Beastmaster Zelas-Metallum gave you to me, so obey my wishes! Lina Inverse will pay dearly for what she did to the Mazoku and Lord Shaburanigdo! I won't forgive her! Ever! I swear it!"
Terwindis stepped out from the darkness and Bertine gasped. His right eye was missing, and rock-hard skin covered over the socket. There was facial scarring all over, if that was possible for a Mazoku. Black liquid was still dripping slowly down his face.
"What happened to you?!"
He didn't answer her question, but he spoke with a deep, burning voice. "And I will never forgive what that human bitch did to me. I shall see her die painfully. As will all humans in this world."
A warm breeze blew in as Calundo gazed out the window of his study. His mind was not thinking of anything at the moment. His plans were slowly forming, and he knew what actions he had to take. So, he simply looked out. For decades, they had been stuck on this blasted island, he noted, and they all began to suffer a bleakness from being away from their true homeland. If something were not done about it soon, the elves could face a tragic outcome. He knew this for certain.
There was a faint knock on his door. "Come in, Ilario-kun," he greeted the younger elf without even knowing it was him. He was expecting him.
"You wanted to see me, Calundo-san?" Ilario asked shakily. Calundo noted how he never seemed quite confident around him. Did he scare the boy that easily? he wondered. He supposed it would only benefit him. Ilario was hardly a boy. He had the appearance of a young man, but in terms of elf years, he was considered young and naive.
"Yes, Ilario-kun. Did you attend the council meeting today?"
"Yes, I did."
"And did you see our Queen? My, how she is looking weaker these days. I hope she's feeling all right."
Ilario swallowed. "I've heard the destined one is coming to rescue us. I'm sure news of that is weighing on Queen Mayarenna's mind."
"Ilario-kun, what do you think would happen if the Queen suddenly fell ill? So badly that she couldn't even get up from her bed?"
"What are you saying?" cried Ilario. "Is the Queen going to become ill? Will she die?"
Calundo shook his head. "I hope not. But there's always that possibility. Now, don't you think it would cause utter chaos amoung the elves if something like that happened? Especially considering that she has no daughter to pass on the throne to?"
"Of course!" Ilario answered quickly.
"I think it's our duty to look out for the Queen, but if something should happen, I think it's our duty to make sure things remain calm. We have to keep the throne occupied so that order can be maintained, and once things have settled down, we can establish the next ruling line." There was an edge to Calundo's voice but Ilario did not notice it.
"Have you already thought that far ahead, Calundo-san? Let's hope we don't have to get to that point!"
"But, of course I hope we don't! But we need to plan, just in case. Now, can I depend on your support? You'd be helping a great deal if such circumstances were to occur."
"I-I guess so," Ilario stammered. He was unsure and Calundo knew it. But Calundo also knew a verbal agreement was the first step to drawing the young elf near to him.
"Good. That's all then." Ilario turned to leave. "Oh, Ilario- kun? Please don't let anyone know about this? It's best if we kept this quiet, just in case I'm being paranoid. I don't want to look like a fool, ne?"
"Uh, sure thing! Good night!" He waved and left quickly.
Calundo's thoughts returned to the one destined to come and rescue the elves, for she was on her way. The girl, who was to set them free and release them from their prison. And when she did arrive, Calundo swore he would greet her, as King of the Elves.