It wasn't until they passed through Sailoon's North Gate that Lina relaxed somewhat. There was no sign of pursuit though, and her instincts were screaming caution because of it.
"Where are we going?" Gourry called.
"We're going to catch up to Zelgadis." Ameila yelled. "From there, we're going to Daer, at which point, I intend to get my hands on a certain Mazoku and wring some answers from him!"
"What makes you so sure he knows?"
"Oh he knows." Ameila growled. "He knows." Lina gulped. Ameila's expression was one of pure fury and her dark blue eyes were dangerous.
It was midday when they caught up to Zelgadis near the village of Stone's Roost, three leagues north of Sailoon.
"Mount up!" Ameila called, reining in her lathered horse. "We're going to Daer!"
"But that's a weeks journey!" said one of the Knights.
"Then we'd better get started." said Zelgadis as he strode for his horse.
That night...
"Now. Zelgadis said, setting aside his bowl. "Why are we going to Daer?"
Ameila quickly sketched in the events of the morning.
"But why not go to the chapterhouse?" One of the knights asked, ladling some stew more into his bowl.
"Whatever's wrong in Sailoon, may have gotten to the chapterhouse. But Daer is the kingdom's district headqaurters for the PMS as well as the motherhouse for the Seyrun Knights." Ameila said, absently running her hands over her belly as someone might give a light backrub. "Whatever happened in Sailoon, answers, and a solution are in Daer."
They rode hard, changing horses frequently and as often as they could, covering up to thirty miles a day until one afternoon, they crested the hill leading down into Daer.
Daer was a city of stone and glass, with tall towers and graceful bridges between them. There was an almost ethereal qauilty to it and for the sorcerers, it fairly reeked of magic.
Grimfaced, Ameila reined her horse in at the gates of Seyrun Motherhouse and kicked at the heavy wood planks with one booted foot.
"Whaddya want?" Demanded the porter, an obvious novice for whom training had not quite polished off the rough edges.
"I'm Ameila, Queen of Sailoon, here to see the Preceptor."
"Yeah, and I'm Lina Inverse." The porter replied then ducked as a fireball impacted against the wood over his head.
"No, I'm Lina Inverse." Lina said softly. "And the Queen wants to see the preceptor." The novice swallowed hard and opened the gate wide.
"I'm sorry your highness." Said the preceptor, a solidly built white haired man in his seventies. "But no carrier pigeon has arrived from Sailoon."
"Which means it either got intercepted, or was never sent." Zelgadis said.
"Always with the optimisim, hey Zel?" Lina said.
"Its time for some answers." Ameila said, pulling out a heavy dagger and then ramming it into her thigh.