"Ack! Zel, beating me into the ground isn't gonna teach me anything!" 'Dancer yelped, dodging a sword swing. "How do you expect to learn if you don't really fight?" Zelgadis brought his sword down on 'Dancer. She parried with an overhand block with her quarterstaff. "Grr-" 'Dancer pushed the sword away. Zelgadis conceded, stepping back and 'Dancer used the opportunity to dash into the woods.
"And exactly what do you intend to do in here?" Zelgadis paced along side of her, readying for another attack. "Evening the playing field." 'Dancer panted, darting behind a tree. Zelgadis's swing knocked a chunk of bark off the tree. "If there's one thing I can do, it's close quarter fighting." 'Dancer stepped out directly in front of him. "You shouldn't have told me that." He chided softly. 'Dancer just thrust the bo staff into his gut. Zelgadis leap to one side. "Good move, but you've sacrificed you maneuverability." 'Dancer glanced to either side of her. She stood between two towering pines. "Whadda ya mean?" she asked, lowering her weight a little.
"Only that I can go through those trees." Even as he spoke he attacked. "Gahh!" 'Dancer lept out of sword range only to land in the path of the falling tree. 'Dancer stepped to one side then the other as the trees crashed around her. "Heads up!" Attacking with the sun behind him Zelgadis lept into the V made by the fallen trees. The forest rang with the sound of 'Dancer's parry. While the two weapons were fouled, 'Dancer kicked Zelgadis in the stomach, hard.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Leapping back, she balanced on her left leg as her right throbbed. Zelgadis looked nonchalantly as he watched her. I must have hurt him a little, otherwise he'd still be attacking me. Sweat rolled off her face, as they watched each other carefully for a moment. "Another good move, but now that I know that you can do that I'll be on my guard." His voice was slightly strained. Bingo! 'Dancer smiled mentally.
"And how are you going to counter it if you need both hands to hold the sword?" 'Dancer asked belligerantly, trying to buy a little more time. Her foot stung.
"With one hand, like this." Zelgadis charged her and 'Dancer gulped as she saw a second flash of steel, a dagger in his left hand. 'Dancer wanted to protest, call it unfair, but she was a little busy blocking the combined blows of the dagger and sword. Ducking under one swing she noticed Zelgadis was maneuvering her back to the path. So... Her eyes narrowed as she spied an opening. Whacking the side of his knee with all her might, she lept back, waiting for him to drop.
Instead, her bo shattered.
'Dancer blinked, then stared at the broken end of her staff.
"Pay attention" Zelgadis scolded bonking her on the head with the pommel of his sword. " THAT HURT! " 'Dancer howled swinging the remainder of the bo at his head. Zelgadis parried easily, and stepped away. 'Dancer glanced at her shattered staff. What a pain. She drew herself up into a defensive stance. I hate short staff fighting...
The duo attacked and countered, and as the morning progressed Zelgadis pointed out some of the hidden flaws in 'Dancer's moves, as well as show her some new tricks. 'Dancer finally called a halt to the workout near noon. Standing on a rock pile she tossed the remainder of her staff down. "That's it Zel, I'm beat." Zelgadis picked up the bo and tossed it back up to her. "You really need the practice." 'Dancer ignored the sly taunt, catching the stick, and sat down. "Zel, you may have the stamina of a mountain, but I don't, and I'm not budging."
Zelgadis shrugged and put his weapons away. "Not even for some lunch?" He asked. 'Dancer lept down. "Food! Where?" Zelgadis looked over at the edge of the meadow. Standing near at small stream that ran through the middle of it was a fruit tree.
"Yea! Plums!" 'Dancer was climbing the tree before Zelgadis had a chance to blink.
"You know if you were half that fast in combat you'd be unbeatable." He said coolly, staring up at her.
"Thut up." 'Dancer mumbled through a mouthful of plum, tossing him a couple. "Are going to stay up there?" He asked, munching on the purple-red fruit. 'Dancer, greedily stuffing her face, just nodded. She had just snagged another plum when she looked up. The plum fell from nerveless fingers and hit Zelgadis on the head.
"Watch what you're doing!"
"Z-z-Zel, do goldfish normally fly in this world?" 'Dancer asked with a slightly strained voice. Zelgadis turned as 'Dancer jumped down, and saw a school (flock?) of golden red carp lazily floating into view. Gracefully bobbing along like meter-long blimps they swirled closer, flashing brilliant reds and golds in the noonday sun. The sight was strangely soothing, and slightly euphoric. 'Dancer shook her head suddenly, trying to throw off the effects of unexpected drowsiness.
"Oh-oye," She griped Zelgadis's arm for balance as she touched her forehead.
"I-I- AAAYYYYYYY!" With a scream she fell backwards as the closest fish opened it's mouth and revealed piranha like teeth. When in the nine hells did it get so close? The fish floated (swam?) towards her. With a fluid movement, Zelgadis drew his sword and sliced the carp in it's side as it went by. 'Dancer, laying on the flat of her back, missed the opportunity to kick the mortally wounded goldfish as it sail past, but noticed the hissing noise issuing from the wound. Rolling over onto her belly, she watched as it seemed to deflate and finally collapse on the ground, looking remarkably like a popped party balloon. 'Dancer squinted, there was something else about that fish that didn't sit right in her mind.
"FLARE..." 'Dancer looked up at Zelgadis who was facing the slow moving charge of the remainder of the school (flock?). "NO! DON'T!" She cried, kicking his legs out from under him. Zelgadis hit the ground with a hard thump, his spell dispersing like confetti thrown into the wind.
"What you'd do that for?" he screamed as she screamed. "Don't use a fire spell! We'll be torched!"
Zelgadis sat up. "What do you mean?" he demanded calmly, casting a spell. The carp swarmed around them, and repeatedly rammed their heads into the unseen shield. 'Dancer propped herself up onto her elbows and looked at him sideways. "They're filled with hydrogen." Zelgadis looked mildly disinterested. "What's hi-dragon?" 'Dancer gave him an incredulous look "Hydrogen, a highly volatile gas. If you use a fire ball th - " "Flare Arrow." " - is close, we'll be crispy critters." 'Dancer didn't miss a beat, ignoring his correction. Zelgadis glanced at her.
"I see. So, how do you propose to handle this situation?" She gave him a sour look.
" I don't know , they didn't teach us how to handle hydrogen filled fish in Chemistry."
Zelgadis surveyed the situation.
"When I drop the shield, run." 'Dancer glared at him. "Why? That's the only thing keeping them from eating us." Zelgadis smiled faintly. "Trust me." 'Dancer pulled her feet under her, crouching low into a sprinter's starting position. I'm gonna die.
Zelgadis timed the removal of the shield when the fish had backed up a bit for ramming purposes. 'Dancer ducked under one fish, racing along side the stream as she put as much distance between herself and the piranha-carp as she could. She'd almost reached the forest when she hazarded a glance over her shoulder.
Following her at a sluggish pace was the school (flock?). Standing, apparently unharmed, where she'd left him, was Zelgadis. The closest carp was about 10 meters away, but, even as 'Dancer sought the safety of the forest, she recognized Zelgadis's voice chanting. Not even checking to see what sort of spell Zelgadis was casting she threw herself into the stream and covered her head.
"BURST ROND!"
The water, just barely covering her, evaporated in the fireball that washed over her. Her eyes, shut tightly against the light that enveloped the forest, did not entirely filter out the glare from the hydrogen fueled explosion.
Once the smoke cleared and the dust settled, 'Dancer sat up and coughed. The smoke burned her throat as her mind roasted Zelgadis over an open pit fire. I don't care if it takes a jackhammer, I'm gonna kill him!
" 'Dancer! 'Dancer where are- are you alrigh-erk!?" 'Dancer grabbed his leg, trying unsuccessfully to trip him. Instead she just hauled herself out of the baked mud. "What under the moon were you thinking?!" She snarled, standing. "Were you trying to kill me?"
"Of course not," Zelgadis answered her crossly. "I knew you'd be fine." 'Dancer took a deep breath, to snap back at him, when she felt the last of the adrenaline exit her system. Along with the nervous energy went her anger. Instead of the verbal barrage that she'd planned, she hung her head and regarded the state of her clothes absently. Diosa, I'm a mess.
"Are you sure you're all right?" Tired as she was 'Dancer didn't miss the faintest hint of worry in his voice.
"I'm fine." She rubbed her face on her sleeve. "But I'm tired. Can we just wait here a second?" Zelgadis nodded and leaned against the gutted hull of a tree. 'Dancer made herself comfortable by stretching out on the scorched earth and placing her hands behind her head. In seconds she was asleep.
The sun continued it's path across the sky and Zelgadis walked the perimeter of the battle field as 'Dancer caught up on some much needed rest. Watching the sunset he was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice when 'Dancer stirred.
"Oye, Zel, are you in some sort of trouble?"
Zelgadis came back to reality with a blink. "Pardon, what?" 'Dancer started to repeat herself when he shook his head. "Always. But nothing specific." 'Dancer looked quizzly. "What do ya mean?" Zelgadis smiled a self-depreciating smile. "I'm obviously not human. That tends to prejudges people against me."
"What are you, if you're not human?" 'Dancer asked as the shadows deepened. Zelgadis looked at her sharply. "I keep forgetting, you're not from this world. I'm a chimera, a man-made monster." 'Dancer arched an eyebrow. "I thought a chimera was a monster that was part goat, part lion, and part serpent." Zelgadis looked quizzly. "I thought there wasn't magic in your world." "There isn't." 'Dancer concurred. "Then how would you know what a chimera is, or isn't?" "Every culture has it's legends." 'Dancer dismissed the coincidence of names with the wave of her hand. " So what's a chimera in this world?" "A monster made up of three different creatures, like your chimera." 'Dancer smiled slyly. "Only, you're no goat." Zelgadis's muffled cough sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Then he turned serious again."Not a goat. Human, demon, golem." 'Dancer blinked. "Golem, like a earth Elemental type-thing?" Zelgadis nodded, staring moodily into the twilight. 'Dancer mentally reviewed her knowledge of him. "So, that's why kicking you hurt." She smiled cheerfully, hoping he'd return the tentative smile. He wasn't even looking at her. Great, I made him depressed. She sighed and scratched her head.
Zelgadis turned and regarded her. "Why'd you help me, back in your world?" 'Dancer smiled and yawned. "Why not? You needed help and I was there." Zelgadis looked at the ground for a moment. "Didn't my appearance scare you?" 'Dancer shook her head as she stretched. "Nope, nope. I lived in San Francisco for a couple years." She answered, as if that explained everything. She stood. "Do you think we should maybe find some shelter?" she asked, noticing that her coat was nothing more that sleeves.
"There's a town just over the next ridge." Zelgadis said as he stood. 'Dancer gave him a surprised look. "Why didn't you say so earlier? I'm starved."