"So, how are we going to get in?" Gourry asked the all important question as the three of them, him, Lina, and Eris, crouched behind a large bush within view of the gate to Sairaag.
Lina, who had been watching the passage of people for some time, smirked. "How do you think we're going to get in?"
"Ummm."
Lina sighed and turned to Eris. "You?"
Along the way, Eris had learned about the wanted posters but since evil people wouldn't have saved Sanboa from a sea monster, she continued to travel with the two. Besides, they did get to meet interesting people and if you needed bodyguards for a journey what better protection could you ask for? As long as you stayed out of the way during the fights.
"Well...you could fly us over."
"I can't carry both of you."
"Make a bat-shaped hang-glider and slip over the walls at night?"
"Dig a tunnel under the wall?"
"Sneak in via the sewer system?"
Lina sweatdropped. "How about through the front gates?"
"What?!" Eris and Gourry both yelled before clamping their mouths shut.
"Are you crazy?" Gourry whispered aghast.
"Why don't you turn yourself in right now!" Eris added.
Lina shook a finger at them. "Come on, who would expect it? We're wanted so the guards will be waiting for us to break in somehow. They've probably got all the good people keeping watch at all the places you just named. That would leave the barely competent ones checking the travelers at the gates right?"
"I guess..." Eris admitted.
"Since we're all agreed, let's go," Lina announced, conveniently ignoring the fact that Gourry hadn't agreed. But he didn't disagree either.
They casually walked up to the front gates, mingling with the other travelers coming and leaving Sairaag. Lina was the only one who was outwardly calm. Gourry was...well, he was Gourry. Eris was becoming very jittery as they reached the guards.
"Reason for entering Sairaag?"
Lina smiled cutely. "The cheese."
The old guard sighed. "Everyone seems to come here for the cheese. Alright, you may pass."
A collective sigh of relief could be heard as they passed through the gates to the city.
"Wait a minute!"
They froze in various positions. Eris was praying. Lina was keeping a spell charged in her hand. Gourry's hand was on his sword.
"What are you doing now?" asked one of the two guards, the much older one of the two.
"I think I've seen those people before," reported the younger rookie.
Right on the wall near the older guard were the trio of wanted posters.
"Yeah. And you also saw a guy with blue skin and gray hair dressed all in ivory. Not to mention the day before why you said you saw a Mazoku walk through here. I know you see things. Stop harassing the poor travelers."
"But they look like those people on the wanted posters!!"
That's it. The bluff fell through. Lina's Fireball grew to the size of her head.
"Everyone looks like the people on the wanted posters. You've been staring at them too long. Now get back to your post! Sorry about that. Carry on."
Lina decided not to tempt fate anymore. Letting the Fireball dissipate, she grabbed Eris and Gourry and ran into the city.
Zel resisted the urge to sneeze. Every step brought clouds of dust and dirt into the stale air. Did Rezo abandon this place right after he escaped two years ago? Just standing in the study where chairs were overturned, books were scattered, and tapestry was moth-ridden, he was inclined to think just that. Of course, he never did have the time to explore the place but he was pretty sure of where he wanted to go.
Anything important that Rezo had, if it wasn't already taken away, had to be below in the laboratory.
The hidden door to the lab was still open. Zelgadiss slowly eased his way in, alert for any traps, magical or otherwise, and for any other unpleasant surprises. He clung to the shadows, letting his eyes adjust to the gloom. For now, that would do. When he actually found something that needed closer scrutiny, he'd use light.
Step by step Zelgadiss descended into the damp, oppressive air that hung in the spiraling staircase. The walls, the stairs, everything was steeped in magic. And it wasn't just a lingering essence from too much spell working. No, this magic was laid into each stone that was part of this lab. Rezo must have been planning something big down here if he had this many wards and other protections up.
Zel couldn't help wondering how Rodimus and Zolf ever found him. With all of Rezo's safeguards, there was no way Zolf could have scryed for this place.
The great-grandson of Red Priest Rezo slowed as the stairs ended in a large circular room. There didn't appear to be anything there. Still, Zelgadiss kept one hand on his sword as he stepped in. A slight tingle passed through him as he crossed the archway between the stairs and the room. What was that?
There was someone here. A small scratching sound like chickens clawing the ground for food. A monster who wandered in here? No, more likely something Rezo left behind to guard his precious lab. If that was the case, a sword alone may be useless. Without moving, Zel scanned the part of the room he could see. There it was, a slight bulge in the shadow of one of the columns along the walls.
If it was acclimated to darkness then a Lighting would blind it temporarily. Unfortunately that would blind him as well. Was he feeling lucky enough today? Ah, perhaps he should just blast it. Zel began to chant the spell for a Fireball.
"Wait! Please don't kill me!!" cried the creature.
So, it could talk.
"Pleasedon'tkillmepleasedon'tkillmepleasedon'tkillme!!"
And quite a coward as well. He could use that.
"Who are you?" Zel demanded coldly.
"Eh? Oh, um, well, I'm Tiiba."
"What are you?"
"...can we skip that question?"
Zelgadiss raised the Fireball in his hand and very nearly dropped it. The chicken squawked and hit the floor, covering its head with its white wings. Yes, that's right. It was a chicken though it had to be the biggest four foot tall chicken he had ever seen.
"You're a chicken." Zel succeeded in keeping the amusement out of his voice.
"I am not a chicken!" Tiiba retorted. "I am Tiiba of the Mazoku!!"
Zelgadiss raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I am."
"That sounded really convincing," Zelgadiss snorted. "Are you one of Rezo's lackeys?"
Tiiba grimaced at the term 'lackey'. "I prefer to call myself his research assistant."
"Research assistant? What kind of research?"
"I have no reason to tell you," Tiiba smirked.
"Oh?" Zel tossed the Fireball at the chicken.
"WARK!!"
"Is that a good reason?" Zelgadiss asked, poking the burnt Tiiba with a toe.
Tiiba coughed out some smoke. "...no."
"You're pretty arrogant for a chicken."
"Mazoku!"
"Then why were you affected by my Fireball? Furthermore, why are you still here?"
"..."
"What was that?"
"I...can't leave..."
"Elaborate."
"Rezo-sama put a ward on that archway you came through. No one but who he's programed into the ward can pass through it."
Zel kept his surprise hidden. He had passed through it with no problem. Why would Rezo allow him free passage through here? One in a million questions to be answered. The chimera held up the chicken by the scruff of the mismatched vest it was wearing.
"You are going to take me down to Rezo's main laboratory."
"Why would I want to do that?"
"Or I will blast your astral self out of existence," Zel said pleasantly, though his eyes and smile were anything but pleasant.
"Uhhh okay."
"And don't even think about tricking me."
Tiiba managed to nod. Rezo-sama and his descendent were so alike it was scary.
The cape crusader surveyed the quiet city from its perch on one of the tallest buildings there. Its sworn duty was to protect everyone from the dangers that struck from the shadows. Or in this case, dangers that dared to show their heads during the day. Once again, it was time to make its presence known, to scare the cowardly criminals into repentance and redemption.
"Amelia go!"
The self-proclaimed Hammer of Justice leaped from her perch to descend unsuspected before the two evil-doers who have escaped her justice so many times before. This time, they will not trick her! Yes, this time she would do it right! They were nearing as she dropped down. She was going to land on her feet this time and...
"I'm hungry!" Lina groaned.
"You're always hungry."
"Maybe if someone didn't keep stealing my food..."
"What do you mean steal your food? You're always stealing mine!"
Eris just walked quietly behind them with a growing collection of sweatdrops.
"...itai..."
"Something wrong, Eris?" Lina asked, turning around to look.
Eris blinked and then shook her head. "That wasn't me."
"Well, it was too feminine to be Gourry," Lina thought. "Oh, it's her again."
Standing right behind Eris was Amelia with her back towards them. She did land on her feet though a miscalculation caused her to land after they passed. Plus landing on your feet from such a high drop really hurts. Amelia was feeling the pain ripping up both of her legs. She could barely move them.
"Hey, you okay?" Gourry asked, poking her.
"Please don't poke me," Amelia whined, tears of pain streaming down her face. "Could you be so kind as to turn me around?"
"Oh. Alright." Gourry lifted Amelia up and turned her so she could face them.
"Thank you. Lina Inverse. Gourry Gabriev. I, Amelia, have descended from the heavens to smite you for all of the injustices you have committed!"
Lina smacked a hand to her forehead. "Look. I don't know what anyone has been telling you but this whole 'wanted' thing is bogus! Someone is trying to set us up for revenge or other."
"How black are your hearts that they do not bleed when justice isn't served? When true love is lost? When the innocent are devoured by darkness?"
"Are you listening to me?"
"Honeyed may be your words but a heart dedicated to justice will never be seduced by your oily lies. I only see truth and the truth tells me what pains my heart. That there are fellow humans who are unrepentant and continue to do evil in this peaceful world."
"Try listening to someone else for a change!!"
"I have no need of your false pleas for mercy. Ones such as you deserve no such thing. I have been informed by a Great Sage himself of your crimes to humanity. That is enough."
"What kind of servant of justice listens to only one side?" demanded a young man in black armor.
Lina wondered if she was suffering heat stroke. This had to be a hallucination. Or maybe all of Amelia's rambling induced a bad memory.
"Who are you, citizen?"
"I am Migel, a champion of justice who will not stand to see such goodness be sullied by the blind actions of a fanatic."
"Don't lie. Everyone can clearly see you are not champion of justice!" Amelia smiled triumphantly and pointed a finger at Migel. "Good people don't wear black!!"
For some unexplained reason, Migel's armor became quite noticeable.
"Judging people just by what they wear or how they look is a good thing to do?" Migel snorted. "And don't point at people. It's rude."
Amelia's mouth open and shut like a fish out of water. "How...how dare you criticize me, you lowly peasant!"
"Ah ah," Migel waved a finger. "Pulling rank isn't a very just thing either. Exactly what is rank? Just because you're a lord or king doesn't mean that you get to have your way in everything or that the people should obey you. If anything, you should obey the people."
"You...you're just trying to play with my mind! I will vanquish such deceit from this world! Blast Ash!!"
Amelia fired the red spheres at Migel but his holy sword negated all of the attacks.
"No way! That sword creates a magic resistance field?" Lina shrieked. "Let me have it!"
"But Lina-san, it only works for holy knights."
Lina swore colorfully.
"What kind of spell did that Amelia cast?" Eris asked. "I don't recognize that as any White or Shaman spell."
"That's because it isn't," Lina replied shortly. "It's Black. Just why is a Shrine Maiden using Black magic?!"
"The ends justify the means," Amelia lectured.
"That sounds like a tyrant," Lina snorted.
"Actually, doesn't that fit you as well?" Gourry asked before Lina stepped down hard on his foot.
"Halt and desist all violent actions!" declared the city guard as they rushed to the scene of the crime.
"There you are!" Amelia leaped over to and in front of the assembled city guards of Sairaag. "Now, all together we will capture these criminals!"
"We'll capture the criminal alright. Men, arrest her!"
"What?!" Amelia squeaked as she found herself in chains.
"You are under arrest for disturbing the peace, harassing travelers, standing on rooftops, using offensive magic in the city limits, and pointing at people."
"What? Don't you know who I am?" Amelia demanded.
"I neither know nor care," responded the captain of the guards harshly. "No one is above the law."
"The laws here are pretty strict aren't they?" Migel noted, putting away his sword.
Lina nodded and the pulled the young paladin down by the ear. "How the hell did you get here!"
"Itai...Lina-san, that isn't very nice."
Lina tugged his ear again.
"At least please let go of me?"
"Humph."
Migel winced and rubbed the abused ear. "Actually, I heard from one of the sailors on the ship that there were suddenly many wanted posters everywhere. There were even some on board. When I saw the pictures, I knew immediately that someone was trying to discredit all of you so I made all haste to return and undue this injustice."
"You must have been at least a day out into sea by then!"
Migel nodded. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to swim in full plate mail armor?"
"I didn't think that was possible," Gourry muttered.
"Anyway, I'm glad I found you two. Now we can all go together to this Rezo person and clear up the misunderstanding."
Lina sighed. "It's...a bit more than a misunderstanding I think."
"An argument then?"
"How about the person putting up the bounty is supposed to be dead."
A sharp intake of breath.
"Eris?"
The young lady was very pale, her eyes mirroring her surprise and shock. "Rezo...sama is...dead?"
"You know Rezo?!"
"Wait a minute."
Tiiba stopped and looked back at Zelgadiss who was looking at a door off of the main corridor they were traveling through.
"What is that over there?"
Tiiba hopped back several steps to take a look. "That? Just an old lab of Rezo-sama. It wasn't his main one by any means."
The chimera frowned. "I want to see what's in there."
"But you wanted to go to Rezo-sama's main lab - urk!"
Zelgadiss grabbed the chicken with one hand and flung it against the door. "I want to go in there."
Tiiba gulped as he pressed the panels in the correct order to unlock the door. There was a loud click as the heavy unseen magical locks pulled back to release the stone door. Slowly, the heavy stone slab rose, grinding against the stone frame. Zel could see that at least a foot of the door had been buried beneath the floor. If this was a minor lab, then what kind of security did the main lab have?
For that matter, why was he so interested in this one? Zelgadiss wasn't sure but he had a feeling that something very important was in this room. A chilling sense of deja vu passed through him as he entered the dark dusty lab. Like the rest of the place, no one had been in here for a very long time.
He let the light spell float up to the ceiling, illuminating the ruined lab beneath. Several glass tubes lined one wall, only one of them broken. Each was large enough to house a human. Zelgadiss looked over the desk and the shelves but someone had taken the journals and papers a long time ago.
"What was the purpose of this room?"
Tiiba jumped at the coldness in his voice. "Eh? Oh, just a run-of-the-mill lab."
"What was being done in this room?"
The chicken swallowed hard. "Just some...research."
"What. Kind."
"...chi...mera..."
"Where are the notes on that research?" Zel hissed.
Tiiba's beak moved soundlessly. Was it just his imagination or was this chimera gathering dark energy around him? Must be his imagination. Still, he kept a wide berth of the glowering chimera as he sidled to the empty desk. Appearances, as Tiiba well knew, were often deceiving.
With a flick of his wing, everything disappeared. That is, all of the dirt and dust disappeared, the empty bookshelves became full again, and the desk was covered with a mess of scattered notes on loose scrolls. Everything looked like a perfectly normal lab. Except that broken glass tube was still broken.
"An illusion."
Tiiba scratched the floor nervously with his clawed feet. "A precaution."
"Stay where I can keep an eye on you."
With those death glares he was getting, Tiiba didn't dare turn his back on Rezo-sama's descendent. Of course, death might be an all too familiar reality to him once the chimera went through the research notes and learned what Rezo-sama had really been planning.
"I...see." Eris's head hung, hiding the tears streaming down her face.
Lina fidgeted, completely uncomfortable with this situation. They were sitting in an alley and Lina had just finished explaining about what had happened to Rezo. Eris seemed to have sort of past connection to the dubious Red Priest.
"Well, Eris. Why did you really come to Sairaag?"
Eris took a deep breath to steady herself. "I came to find Rezo-sama. There were some rumors and..."
"So you were planning on turning us in."
"Oh no. At least, that idea did cross my mind at first but I...was unsure of Rezo-sama's motives though I assumed you must have angered him in some way to cause him to go to such lengths."
"Well killing someone could make them angry," Lina muttered. "And now?"
"Though you aren't...very good people..."
"What?"
"You aren't evil people either. So I was just going to separate from you two and try to find Rezo-sama on my own and perhaps learn why he wanted the both of you."
"A little hard to do since he's dead."
"That's rather harsh, Lina." Gourry gave Eris a comforting smile. "So how did you know Rezo anyway?"
"Was he always evil like this?" Migel added.
"He was...driven. There was nothing he wanted more than to be able to see. Even though he was a White magic master, even though he mastered the other two branches, even though he could create new spells, he could not open his eyes. Perhaps if his eyes did open, he wouldn't have become like that," Eris said sadly. "For a while, I assisted him in his research. My specialty was in cloning."
"And Rezo hoped that maybe a clone would be able to see," Lina finished. Eris nodded before continuing.
"However, even the clones I did manage to create were blind. He became...very frustrated. The last I saw of him, he had taken my...finest creations and simply disappeared." Eris closed her eyes. "Ever since, I've been following rumors of him. The latest being...well, given what you've told me I suppose it might be true."
"What rumor is that?"
"That Rezo-sama was working with Mazoku."
"I'm sure Zel if he was here would whole-heartedly support that."
"This is so romantic."
"Eh?" Everyone looked at Migel.
"She's followed him for all of this time, hoping to convince that he can still turn back to the path of good. She must be in love with him."
Lina whacked Migel over the head. "Don't go around spouting nonsense!"
"Hey, Eris? You got a sunburn?" Gourry asked.
Eris was bright red. She shook her head quickly to clear it away. "Well, I was hoping to stop him if he had resorted to consorting with Mazoku but..."
"That will not be necessary."
The four looked up at the floating speaker, one who was very familiar to Lina and Gourry. Well, at least Lina remembered him. Who knew about Gourry.
"Vrumugun!" Lina spat in a disgusted tone. "How many lives do you have?"
Eris frowned, studying the floating and undying mage. "You..."
"Perhaps you should rephrase your question," Vrumugun said quietly. "Not how many lives do I have but how many of I there are."
Six more Vrumuguns came into existence around the four. The alley was becoming quite crowded.
"Whoa, big family," Gourry commented.
"Idiot!" Lina hissed. "They're clones!"
"They are my clones!" Eris added, glaring up at the floating Vrumugun. "I order you to desist this action immediately!"
The floating Vrumugun looked dispassionately down at them. "Destroy them."
Immediately, the six began to simultaneously cast a spell.
"Oh hell," Lina swore, summing up everyone's thoughts at the moment.
Zelgadiss slammed his hands against the table as if the force could cause the inked letters on the scrolls to change. This couldn't be true. Even Rezo couldn't have been capable of this. Could he?
Oh, Tiiba wanted out of here right now. This was not the way he wanted to go. Locked underground with a very angry chimera with the power to rip him apart in his unpowered chicken form. Damn Rezo-sama and his binding magic.
One of Zelgadiss's colder than gem eyes caught Tiiba and held the Mazoku tight in its gaze.
"Is any of this true?"
Tiiba briefly considered playing dumb but what little there was of his common sense prevailed and he answered truthfully. "All of it."
He would not let it show. Internalize it, put it in a box and bury it deep in the darkness that always existed within him. Zel took a deep breath.
"So. The great holy Red Priest Rezo was more than willing to turn his own descendent into a ruthless killing monster," Zelgadiss chuckled darkly. He raised one hand before his face, the stone skin catching the light. "Who would have known that the Demon Beast Zanaffar that razed Sairaag over a century ago was actually just a magical armor gone out of control."
One of his hands lay near the notes detailing the history and creation of the Zanaffar from bits of knowledge disclosed in a copy of the Clair Bible. More properly known as the Silver Magic Beast, Zanaffar was the name given to a set of armor that was resistant to all forms of known magic. However, if its bearer was too weak of will, the armor would consume him, in the process gaining its own intelligence and becoming the dreaded beast. "An altered version of techniques that created the Zanaffar Armor. Not just forming a magical armor for someone to wear but turning the person himself into a type of armor. That was only the first step. Wasn't it!"
Zel's hand closed tightly into a fist and it plunged through the thick wooden desk like nothing. Scrolls went scattered to the ground.
"So what else was he planning to do? Implant control commands to force the mindless beast to obey him? To control the power of a creature like Zanaffar. To induce the change to create a truly horrendous beast? I guess I got out before those steps was reached. What did he need the power for?!"
Tiiba tried to push himself into the wall as far as he could.
"Answer me!!" Zel demanded, grabbing the chicken by its throat and lifting it into the air.
"I...I don't know!" squawked the chicken, wings flapping frantically.
"You're lying."
Well, that was true. But unfortunately, Tiiba couldn't tell the truth either. The straight truth that is. Now what could he say that would distract this premature form for the next Zanaffar-type beast from killing him?
"Rezo-sama was also busy on another type of research! Something to do with cloning himself!"
Zelgadiss' dark eyes narrowed. "Tell me more."
Six Freeze Arrows came into being. Six spells aimed at the people trapped in the narrow circle.
"What are we going to do now?" Gourry asked intelligently.
"Migel! Use your sword to raise a shield!" Lina snapped.
The holy knight drew Calibur out from its sheath, its innate magic awakening with his touch and the field of magic resistance rippled away from him like ripples in a disturbed pool.
"Freeze Arrow!"
The arrows of ice flew from their casters, striking and melting away against the magic resistance shield. Two from above however continued through untouched.
"Damn it. Flare Arrow!"
But the magical fire poofed out into a little smoke in Lina's hands.
"What?"
"Duck!" Eris pushed Lina out of the way as the two Freeze Arrows flew into the ground and began to freeze it in a thick layer of ice.
"Lina-san, the field negates all magic in its reach. Not just those from outside in," Migel reminded.
"It was a reflex," snapped the embarrassed sorceress. "But why didn't your magic field negate those two!"
"I can't protect against everything. It depends on the caster's level as well."
"Eris, can't you do anything about them?" Lina asked.
Eris shook her head. "Somehow, Rezo-sama has changed the controls! They should only have obeyed me."
"Why don't we fight them?" Migel asked huffily.
"Because Vrumugun has died at least twice already," Lina snapped. "And if they're all clones then no matter how many we destroy, more will keep popping up to take their place until they run out of clones."
"I'm a bit lost. What are clones?" Gourry predictably asked.
"Eris, you answer," Lina groaned.
"Clones are like copies of other living things. However, in the case of my creation, they are a bit better than normal copies. Usually, you can only duplicate physical attributes; memory, knowledge, experience, and so forth can't be. However, my Vrumuguns have a limited intelligence along with a reasonable array of castable spells as well. They were also keyed to obey only to me. At least, that was before Rezo-sama took them from me."
Gourry sat on the ground thinking, arms crossed. "I think I understand. So they're Copy Men!"
Eris and Lina sweatdropped.
"Can't exactly say he's wrong..."
"It isn't exactly right either..."
"So if they were women would they then be Copy Women?"
Lina punched Gourry on the head. "Just forget about it."
"Are we going to do something?" Migel pleaded. "I may be able to defend against the spells from these guys on the ground but the one floating above seems to be more of a problem."
"It's not as simple saying 'oh let's kill them'! For one thing, they're probably being controlled by whomever is running around calling himself Rezo. This is a perfect way for him to wear us down and then strike when we're too powerless to fight back. Eris, is there any way for us to completely destroy your clones?"
The magic researcher ran a hand through her short black hair. "They still need to be controlled by someone. If we take out the controller, then I can probably take control again. And even if I can't, the clones will at least be unable to function."
Lina clapped her hands together. "Right, sounds like a plan."
Gourry raised his hand.
"Yes?"
"How do we know who is the one controlling all of them?"
Everyone deflated.
"That will be quite enough discussion," intoned the monotonous Vrumuguns.
"I agree."
Lina suddenly dashed out of the protective circle right toward a Vrumugun. Caught by surprise it was unable to attack or defend as Lina slashed it across its neck with her short sword. Even before the Copy Man hit the ground, Lina had spun around, her spell already dancing on her fingertips.
"Fireball!!"
The large ball of fire flew into the alley's narrow confines and exploded. Now, one of the first rules every apprentice learns when they first learn Fireball is to never cast it in a narrow area. The Fireball was a wide area effect spell and doing it in close quarters could potentially cause part of the spell to rebound on yourself. Which is why Lina immediately shielded herself after casting Fireball.
As she had hoped, the Vrumuguns were quite thoroughly toasted. So were Migel, Eris, and Gourry.
"Lina-san!"
"Didn't you have any consideration for us!"
"At least it wasn't a Dragu Slave," Gourry sighed.
"Useless."
"No way!" Lina gasped. There was still one Vrumugun, the one that had been floating, surviving and he was completely unharmed. Did he cast a Shield? But none of the others did. Only one way to check. "Flare Lance!"
A red spear of magic appeared in Lina's two hands and she threw it at the floating target. Vrumugun simply held out one hand and the spell struck it and dissipated. Okay, that was not good.
"Flare Bit!" She fired several dozen orbs of light around Vrumugun, each exploding into a thick dark smoke.
"What are you going to do now, Lina?" Gourry asked.
"We're going to...run away!"
Lina lead the retreat with the three stragglers. It was all they could do to keep up with her frenzied pace, to say nothing of the random turns. They must have crossed half of the city before Lina ducked through a door. Her breathless followers didn't fall out of step.
And they were struck by the old, heavy smell of cheese.
"What...is this...place?" Eris panted.
"Smells like...cheese..." Migel wheezed.
"Mmmmm. I'm hungry." Gourry of course.
"Excuse me, but I was running town and began to feel a bit hungry so I decided to drop by and see if I can have some of the cheese that the Cheese Emporium is famous for," Lina smiled cutely. She wasn't a bit winded.
"Certainly, miss, what would you like?"
"Blue cheese."
"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm afraid we're all out."
"Swiss?"
"We never have that at the end of the week."
"What about some Elmekian?"
"Nope."
"Cheddar?"
"Sorry."
"Do you have any cheese?"
"Let me take a look."
Lina tapped her foot impatiently as the store clerk went digging into the storerooms.
"You dragged us here because you were hungry?!" Gourry yelled.
"What? You can't expect me to fight on an empty stomach do you?" Lina pouted.
"Shouldn't you be a bit more serious about this situation?" Eris asked.
"I'm hungry!"
"You're always hungry!" Gourry and Migel retorted together.
"We should be looking to find who is impersonating Rezo-sama!"
"Must you all be so..." Lina frowned. "Oh shi - Everyone get out now!!"
The cheese shop blew up.
Vrumugun floated easily in the air, watching the burning building, waiting for something to come out. In the midst of the burning building, he could make out the dark figures of one, two, three, four people. Good. An uncharacteristically smug smile spread across Vrumugun's face as he vanished.
"What was that?"
"Probably Vrumugun," Lina muttered, concentrating on keeping up the shield of air around them.
"Will he be waiting outside?"
"Maybe."
"So what should we do?"
"If you see him, kill him," Lina snapped, reaching the end of her patience. "I'm trying to keep up this shield to keep the fire and the collapsing building from killing us so will you shut up already!"
Gourry clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Mos Varim."
Lina blinked but kept her wind barrier standing. Someone had just used a higher level White spell to draw away and extinguish the fires. Great, the authorities were already here.
The fire was drawn away from the blackened remains of the cheese shop, leaving the four people standing amidst the charred wood quite visible. It was already early twilight, making it difficult to see who had doused the fire.
"Who are you?" Gourry demanded. Both him and Migel kept a tight hand on their blades as they warily eyed the person in a hooded cloak standing beyond the burned shop.
"The city guards will be here soon," the person said softly. It sounded like a girl. "Please follow me. We can discuss matters more openly elsewhere."
"So what do we do?" Migel asked quietly.
Lina glared at him. "What do you think? Even if it is a trap, we'll be further along than if we just stayed here to get arrested."
"Come quickly." Their hooded savior ran lightly ahead of them and the hunted group followed.