"You know Xellos if you just ask me nicely I'll stop hurting you..." Gek cackled. He was enjoying himself too much. Meanwhile Zelgadis, Sylphiel, and Amelia were trying to hold up the barrier that was preventing them, Gourry and Phil from being killed. Though they were holding up they wouldn't last much longer, Xellos wanted to give in to the pain and let go but he knew if he did that he would die, and Zel, Amelia and Sylphiel's barrier was growing thin. The worst part about this was that Gek wasn't even working up a sweat. He could keep this up for hours without even getting tired.
"ELMEKIA LANCE!" A familiar female voice spoke from out of the shadows. Gek being tied up by the 'spells' he was using he couldn't block or defuse the oncoming light lance.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Gek screamed and was disappeared in a puff of smoke. With Gek dead the 'spells' he used disappeared with him.
"Are you all okay?" Lina asked emerging from the shadows.
"Miss Lina? Is that really you?!" Amelia screeched jumping into her idols arms.
"Um yeah Amelia it's me. Could you please get off me?" Amelia complied and got off. Everyone was a bit shocked to see Lina but glad.
"Lina how did you get here? And how were you able to kill Gek? Me and Amelia tried using a Ra Tilt and it didn't work. All you used was a Elmekia Lance..."
"I'll explain everything I know later. First let's get out of here. But how do we get out?"
"There...is a...(cough) portal...that way..." Xellos wearily pointed down a hall. He was weak and still in quite a bit of pain.
"Okay then Gourry, Phil help carry Xellos and let's get out of here."
Following Xellos' directions they found the portal that leaded them out and right at the borders of Sailune city.
"What are we going to do about Mister Xellos? I may be a shrine maiden but I have no idea how to heal a monster." Sylphiel looked a Xellos with concern. He was still in a lot of pain and couldn't move on his own but he did look a little bit better, but not much.
"Do not... worry about (cough)...me. I'll be...fine...(cough) just need...some...rest..."
"Well in any case we should head back to the castle and get some sleep. Except when we get to the castle I'm going to get myself a snack, I'm starving!"
"Well Miss Lina you are welcome to whatever food you want that we have in the castle." Phil said with a warm smile not realizing the full ramifications of his offer.
Lina's eyes brighten and mouth twisted to an evil grin. It was then that she sped off to the castle with demonic speed dragging everyone else with her.
Rather than watch Lina wolf down small village's worth of food everyone went to bed leaving Lina to her feeding frenzy. After she was finished Lina wandered around the castle because she wasn't the least bit sleepy. She passed by the balcony and would have kept walking if a familiar lavender gleam didn't catch her eye. Zelgadis was standing there leaning against the balcony ledge deep in thought.
"Hi Zel."
Zelgadis was a bit startled. He didn't realize that she was behind him.
"Um, hello Lina." He returned his gaze back towards the night sky.
"So Zelgadis how did you end up in Sailune?" She said joining him on the balcony.
"I bumped into Gourry. He was on his way to visit Sylphiel so I came with him. When we got to Sylphiel's she told us of Amelia's kidnapping and your disappearance."
"Um, Zel have you been having some weird things happening to you lately?"
"Like what?"
"Like the feeling that you are being watched and well odd dreams..." Lina trailed off.
"Yeah I have! You too?"
"It started when I got this letter from my grandmother. There was nothing special about the letter it was just one telling me about things at home. But then after I got the letter I started feeling like I was being watched, and it would happen anytime even when I knew I was alone."
Just like my bath. Zelgadis thought bitterly.
"At first I just shook it off but them I started having these weird dreams. I asked Gourry if he was having them too, but he told me that he wasn't. Just the same though, he has the brain of a jellyfish so it's not like he would be able to remember it anyway. When did you start having this happen to you?"
"Actually it was right after I bumped into Gourry..."
Lina looked at him curiously. Right after he met Gourry? They must have been following him. But who the hell are they?
Silence fell over them. Both lost in their own thoughts.
"Lina why did you separate from Gourry?"
"Two reasons, first I got a letter from my older sister. I needed to meet her and my grandmother alone. Second was that I was afraid that these shadow creatures were after me and they might hurt Gourry if I stayed with him."
"Shadow creatures? You saw them as well?"
"Yeah they attacked me. I didn't see much of it just a shadow disappearing into the air..."
"That happened to me when I was taking a bath. Whatever it was attacked me while I was taking a bath in the royal Sailune baths. When I killed it, it almost sounded - "
"Human? Doesn't it seem weird?"
"What do you think they want?"
"I really have no idea, but I know this much none of us are safe anywhere. This whole event at Sailune proved that."
"I still don't understand how that Ra Tilt that Amelia and I casted didn't do anything on Gek. We used Gourry's sword of light to amplify it and everything."
"Sword of light?! He has another one?!" Lina grabbed Zel by the collar.
"Um... yeah I thought it was strange too. How can he have another one? I thought there was only two of them."
"Did he say who gave him the sword?"
"Yeah his great uncle or something, Rowdy."
"Rowdy? He's related to Gourry?" Lina muttered more asking herself then Zelgadis.
"You know who Rowdy is?"
"Yeah met him some time back. But that would explain the whole light sword thing." Lina let go of Zel and stepped down. Zelgadis looked at her with curiosity.
(Relm: For those who are wondering in this story I have made Rowdy, Gourry's unknown number of greats, uncle. I know Rowdy is like his father, grandfather or something like that and that Rowdy's sword of light is the same one as Gourry's, but personally I think the two swords look different so therefore here they are different ones. Oh and I like the number 13.)
"Well aren't you going to explain what you mean by that?"
"Okay you know the two swords of light that Dark Star created right? After or before Dark Star made them another force made a set himself. It was a dying warrior from a race that is now dead and long forgotten. That warrior was one of the last of his kind after fighting in a war with another race. He didn't want his race's fight to be in vain so with the vestiges of his soul and his fallen comrades' he created 13 swords of light, each one having a special aspect to them and is identified with a different symbol." Lina thought back to Rowdy. His sword had the symbol of the frog (Relm: Don't even ask...) a symbol that she didn't understand, but then the meaning of the symbols had been long lost.
"And how do you about this Lina?"
"It was one of the things that my grandmother was telling me about. It was something that her mother had told her."
"But how does your grandmother know if her mother's story was true?" Zelgadis as always was being skeptical like usual.
"Well I do wonder if the legend behind the 13 swords is a bit off, but I can tell you that the swords are real."
"And how can you be sure about that?"
"Because my great-grandmother had one of them for a period of time, and I trust what my great-grandmother says. She doesn't tell tall tales. Anyway both of us need to go and get some sleep or we'll be dead tired in the morning."
"Yeah okay Lina. I'll see you in the morning."
"Good night."
Lina walked off to her room but Zelgadis stayed where he was. He still was trying to sort some things out in his head. Why didn't the Ra Tilt work? Who kidnapped Lina in the first place? How did she get out? And how did she kill Gek with such a small spell? Man too many questions... Zelgadis mentally smacked himself. Why didn't I just ask Lina why she was still here? I really must be tired...
The next morning everyone was up for breakfast. Well almost everyone. Lina hadn't come down yet she was still sleep, but then no one had gone and checked on her so no one really knew. But on the plus side Xellos was looking almost like his old self, he was right all he needed was some rest.
"How are you feeling today Mister Xellos?"
"Much better thank you very much Miss Sylphiel." Xellos said as he sipped his morning tea.
"Xellos have you been thinking about what happened last night?"
"You mean with the sudden reappearance of Miss Lina? Yeah I have. I have been wondering if that was really Miss Lina or not. None of it really seemed to be quite right. Someone kidnaps her only to let her go or have her escape. But I check her astral plane spirit. It's definitely Miss Lina though I can determine that."
"But that still doesn't make much sense!" Zelgadis said rubbing his head. He was giving himself a headache from thinking too hard.
"Well the only way we can find out anything is to ask Miss Lina."
"But she's sleeping! And if anyone goes and her wakes her they would be risking certain death!" Amelia over dramatically stated. But someone was going to have to wake her up. Zelgadis opened his eyes to have everyone staring at him.
"No you're not thinking that I - "
"Come on Mister Zelgadis! She'd have a lot more trouble hurting you and Mister Xellos still recovering from his injuries."
"Recovering my ass! He's absolutely fine!"
"Oh come now Zelgadis you can't expect me to do it. I feel so weak..." Xellos also showing off his cheesy acting skills. Zelgadis just shot him an evil glare.
"I don't care I'm not doing it!"
A few minutes later Zelgadis was right in front of Lina's room alone in the hallway. He was still a little grumpy that they were forcing him to do it. He cleared his throat and knock lightly. He got response. He knocked harder. Nothing. He pounded on her door and still he got nothing. Well that's not surprising considering that she sleeps like a rock. Man I'm going to have to go in there and wake her up.
He tried his luck on the door, and thankfully it was unlocked. Not very smart of her with all that's been happing lately.
Opening the door he was greeted with numerous pots and pans falling on his head.
"Ouch." Zelgadis muttered and Lina laughed. She was sitting on the edge on her bed awake and fully clothed.
"How long have you been up Lina?"
"Oh for about fifteen minutes."
"Why didn't you answer the door?!"
"You didn't even say hello or anything. I had no idea who it was. You weren't expecting little old me to answer the door when it could be some bad now do you?" She said acting all innocent bashing her eyelashes.
"Anyway, everyone is downstairs having breakfast they want you to - " Zelgadis stopped when he noticed that she was gone. At the sound of the word breakfast she already speeding downstairs.
In the Sailune dinning hall Lina, Gourry and Amelia were fighting over food while everyone was doing their best to ignore them and eat whatever was left.
"So Miss Lina what do you know about the whole kidnapping thing?" Xellos dared to ask Lina while she was still eating. She glared at him and continued eating not bothering to answer his question.
"Come on Lina! Can't you stop eating for a moment and talk to us?"
"Eating! Ask later!" Lina proceeded to wolf down a whole croissant in two bites.
(sweatdrop)
20 minutes later...
"Lina aren't you finished yet?!" Zelgadis' eye twitched. You could barely see Lina. She was surrounded by mountains of dishes.
"Well I could eat more... but I guess I'll just have a few snacks later..."
(sweatdrop.)
"What?!"
"Oh nevermind! Just talk to us!"
"Okay about what?"
(facefault)
"About Gek and the kidnapping!"
"Oh that. Well as you know I was asked to come here and help Phil find Amelia - "
"But it was Xellos who kidnapped her!"
"Oh I knew that before."
Everyone looked at her oddly.
"You mean you knew that Mister Xellos was the one who kidnapped my little Amelia?!"
"Yeah Phil and that's why I told you not to worry. I also knew that Xellos had put a disguise spell on me."
"Disguise spell? But you looked the same."
"Not that type of disguise. Off course I looked the same but to monsters I would look different. I still don't get how I was kidnapped in the first place. I was put to asleep and I woke up this weird dark room. I was wandering around when I heard screaming. That's when I saw Gek and you guys."
"But how you kill him with just an Elmekia Lance?"
"Well did the Ra Tilt you guys did head him straight on?"
"Yeah and he defused it."
"But he wasn't using any of his 'spells' when he defused it?"
"Well no..."
"You see? First of all I shot that spell from behind and he was using three of those things on you guys. Maybe Gek may have had extra powers, but his defense must have the same. He was putting in so much of his power into his attacks that he didn't have any power to defend himself from an attack from behind. But could someone please tell me who kidnapped me and for what reason?!"
"You mean you didn't see your kidnapper at all?"
"Nope. I wonder who he was..."
"Ahh-Choo!"
A kitten looked up at his master with concern. The kitten's master just shrugged at his cat and they continued on their way.