Lina attacked the roast chicken with the ferocity of a wild animal, until she finally noticed the stares from the other patrons of the inn and she slowed down. After all, it wasn't as if she was fighting with anybody for the food.
Just several days of traveling with that brainless blond and she had picked up such bad table manners. Lina shuddered at what might have happened if she had been with him any much longer.
Of course, you don't have to worry about that anymore since you left him back at that town. piped up chibi-Lina, a manifestation of Lina's inner voice.
True, she had left him behind to deal with the irate villagers but they HAD asked her to deal with the dragon and she did. Damn it all, she didn't even get paid and Lina hated working for free. Her merchant self just wouldn't allow it.
But you did save some money when you left the bills on him.
Lina nodded. Inns were a necessity any traveler paid but her food tabs did get rather high. But still she lost THIRTY-FIVE GOLD PIECES! Chibi-Lina tried to console herself and Lina dug into her seventh chicken.
Looks like we have company, Chibi-Lina chirped before popping out of existence.
Lina wasn't very surprised when the door of the inn was kicked open to reveal a group of trolls being lead by some black caped man. She was busy getting the last scraps of meat from a leg bone.
"I've come for you Lina Inverse!" the caped man shouted over the din of the eating room, pointing directly at her.
Lina went to cute mood. "Who me? I'm sorry, you've mistaken me for someone else. My name is Sophia."
"I don't give a damn about your name. You're the carrot-head, saucer-eyed brat I'm looking for!"
Lina threw the leg bone square into the man's head. "Lay off! Like you're one to talk Mummy Man!!"
Everyone in the inn looked at the bandages wrapping the man's entire body.
"Mu-mummy man!! Why if I didn't-" Mummy Man growled. "You're the one who stole the bandits' treasure! Now hand it over!"
Lina thought about this and was about to ask him exactly which bandit treasure he wanted. In the past several days she had gathered several. But he wasn't going to get any of HER treasure without a fight.
"Alright then!" Lina stood up in her chair and planted one foot on the table. "Let's take this outside!!"
"...no."
Lina facefaulted.
"Why don't you just give me the treasure."
Lina pulled her hair. "Aaaahhh, you sound like such a wimp!"
"WHAT?!? First mummy man and now wimp. Listen you knock-kneed flat-chested runt. If you don't hand over the treasure, I'll turn all these trolls on you." He waved an arm to the trolls behind him. "What do you think about that?" he jeered.
Lina smirked. "Then let's do it."
She leaped over her table and dashed toward the trolls.
"Why that crazy-Get her!" Mummy Man ordered.
The trolls rushed forward but Lina nimbly dodged them, tapping each one while humming to herself.
"One, two, three ugly trolls, four, five, six fall into a hole."
Lina flipped away from the tall trolls to land next to a dart board.
Mummy Man looked at the trolls. The trolls looked at each other. Then Mummy Man laughed. "Just dodging them won't save you."
Lina grinned as she pulled the stuck darts off of the board. "Watch and learn."
"Like those will do anything," Mummy Man snorted. "Get her!"
The trolls rushed forward again but Lina was ready. She quickly threw the darts into each of the trolls she had tagged. It wasn't that hard, she had pretty good aim and the trolls were rather hard to miss. She only had to hit them for the spell to work.
The trolls stopped again to pull out the darts, looking at the small feathered things oddly.
Lina snapped her fingers. "Break."
The trolls screamed in agony as their bodies ripped apart from where the darts struck.
Mummy Man backed away. "What...what..."
"Just a special spell of mine," Lina winked and then cupped her hands to gather in a familiar gesture. "Now for one of my favorites..." Lina pulled back her arm to through the growing red sphere in her hand.
"Fi-Fireball? Retreat, retreat!" Mummy Man shrieked as he burned boot leather out the door with the remaining trolls close behind.
Lina sighed and juggled the spell in one hand.
"WAAAAHHH!!!" everyone in the tavern screamed.
Lina winked at them as she tossed the spell into the air. The people were in a mad scramble to get out of the door.
"What are you so scared about? It's only a Lighting," Lina laughed, pointing at the floating sphere of light. The people looked at it and collapsed in relief. Then they all looked at the floor, at the mess of troll gore.
Everyone, Lina included, lost their dinner.
Somewhere else, a lone man was wandering in the wilderness.
"Now where did that little girl get off to?" Gourry wondered, peering into the darkness. "It's not safe for kids to be out alone at night."
A soft footstep fell behind him.
"Little girl?" Gourry asked, whirling around. He looked at the person. "No, you're not her. The red matches but not much else."
The stranger smiled. "Are you looking for someone?"
"Oh yeah. She looks like this," Gourry picked up a stick and drew a remarkable likeness of Lina, fangs and all, on the dirt ground.
The stranger chuckled. "I'm sorry but I'm blind. Perhaps if you described her? What is her name?"
"Name?" Gourry crossed his arms and thought. The stranger politely ignored the smell of something burning coming from Gourry.
"It's Lina," Gourry finally said proudly. "She's about this high, messy long hair, no chest to speak of..."
"Hmmm, I believe I know who she is. If you wish, I can take you to her."
"Really? That would be great. There's no telling what could happen to a little kid like her," Gourry said happily falling in step with the tall man. "Hey, my name is Gourry. What's yours?"
The rings on the staff in the blind man's hand chimed. "My name? I am called Rezo."
Lina tossed her bags onto the table of her room. The innkeeper had not been happy about the mess downstairs or the loss of customers. It pained her to hand over one of her rubies but she was responsible and as a fellow merchant-of-sorts she could understand his demand for recompense. Besides, it left the inn empty of all customers but her so she would have a nice quiet night.
There was only a candle for illumination so Lina tossed up a Lighting. No need to ruin her eyes.
Lina pulled out her ledger where she recorded the treasure she collected, the distinguishing features, and relative value. Let's see, the last three hauls had been from the Dragon Fang Bandit Brothers. That must have been what the Mummy Man was after. After all, it would be rather silly to chase after someone who had taken your treasure a month ago.
There were the usual assortment of coinage, a pile of ancient coins from the kingdom of Letidius, a lot of large gems, quite a bit of not so fine gems that she had converted the night before into magic receptacles, a weird looking cursed dagger with a minor enchantment on it, and a statue of a praying woman. All other magical items she had already sold.
Lina pulled out the statue. It was made of Orihalcon, a very rare metal that was famous for its strength and anti-magic properties. Lina hadn't seen very many before so she couldn't be sure about its appearance. She tossed the statue up and down a few times. That was odd, it wasn't weighted down on the bottom like most statues. Its center of mass seemed to be...around the middle?
She tapped the statue and shook it a few times. There was a very faint sound of something moving. Lina put the statue down and stared at it.
"Damn," she grumbled to herself. "I'll need either another piece of Orihalcon to cut it or a very powerful magical weapon like the Sword of Light."
"You might be what that weirdo was after but you may not be. Wearing a cape like that means he's a mage too. He could have tracked me by following you or one of the other items." Lina tapped the statue with a finger. "I just wish I knew," Lina muttered to herself. "It's not worth it to cast Protect on everything."
Someone knocked on her door.
Lina immediately sweeped the ledger and statue back into her travel sack and tossed it on her bed.
The knock came again.
"Who is it?" Lina asked, holding several Flare Arrows ready. With the brightness contrast between her room and the hallway, trouble would be blindly, albeit briefly, if it barged in.
"Just someone who would like to deal with you," answered a low velvety male voice. She wondered if he had the looks to match...
Lina shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Now was not the time to be thinking about something like that. "Then you've got the wrong building. The brothel, if I remember correctly, is two more buildings down the street."
There was some sputtering behind the door. Well, no matter what the stranger was after she had thrown him off guard.
He cleared his throat. "Actually, I wanted to purchase some things that are currently in your possession."
Hmmmm. Not the Mummy Man with that kind of voice. Lina tried to picture that and doubled over, muffling her laughter.
"Ummm...hello?"
Oh yeah, the person outside.
"You seem rather suspicious, coming to make a transaction with me at night."
"I would think the same - "
"So you'll understand if I don't let you in."
"Wait, I know I am suspicious but I won't try anything when I'm inside. And neither will my servant."
Lina raised an eyebrow. Great, there were two of them? They probably knew she was here alone. "Two of you? Makes me even more suspicious."
She was actually pretty good in a fight, and her magic was even better. Still, she had already gotten the innkeeper angry for one night. And Lina didn't always go looking for trouble.
"You displayed quite a show of magic earlier. I doubt you would consider the two of us a threat."
Did that mean he was in the inn when Mummy Man and the trolls appeared? No, he sounded sincere and not disgusted at all. So he hadn't gotten a good look like Lina did at the results of her spell.
It was an original spell of hers that she hadn't tested before. The design was basically a reversal of the white magic spell Recovery. Recovery took the target person's own life energy to do the healing. So Lina's spell took the troll's own regenerative ability and reversed it to destroy the troll. Not that Lina was ever planning on using it again. Lina didn't want to cast a spell that gave her nightmares and made her lose her dinner.
"Well, then, I guess you can come in when I say so. And since you have such a healthy respect for my magic, you know that I'll hit you with everything if you try anything stupid."
Lina silently cast the small White magic spell to Unlock her door. It was really a trivial spell, something apprentices would first learn. However, Lina didn't want to be standing behind the door if the strangers decided to let their swords go in first, point first that is.
"Okay, you may enter," Lina said, her foot ready to kick the table at the door or the strangers.
The door opened slowly as the strangers found it unlocked. It opened to reveal a man who couldn't be more suspicious if he had written it all over himself in bright glaring pink. He was dressed from head to toe in white, cape and all, and his face was hidden in a deep white hood.
You know villians never wear white, snickered Chibi-Lina sarcastically.
Lina smiled a little. Sure, and Ruby-Eye was a little white bunny. She looked over the second person who came in.
"Well, well. So the Mummy returns," Lina remarked dryly. The Mummy Man was this man's servant. So that's how he knew about the dinner display.
"Why you little - "
"Zolf!" the man in white cut off the Mummy with a wave of his arm. "Though he acted on his own, I apologize for his earlier disruption of your meal."
That was a rather simple way of putting it.
"He has a high sense of responsiblity and loyalty to me."
Lina shrugged. "Whatever. I'll just charge it against you. You came here to make a purchase?"
The man nodded, the hood slightly shifting with the movement. Lina's eyes narrowed slightly. She had been thinking that he was human but in that brief moment, she had seen part of his face. The lower half was covered by a mask but what she could see of the upper half was stone-like skin and fierce passionate eyes. Now a really good magic user could make a stone golem that appeared exactly like a human but it would still be an emotionless soulless vessel. This man wasn't that.
"And what is it that you wanted to buy?"
"Something you took from the bandits yesterday."
Lina blinked. Let's see, yesterday, yesterday. But all she did yesterday was blowing up the dragon... no that was today. So yesterday must have been when she met the third brother in the forest. That would be a bag of 75 gold coins, 34 silver coins, the cursed knife, several gems, and the statue.
"Hmmm...I'm having a hard time remembering exactly what it was you said you wanted..." Lina dragged out, keeping a disinterested look.
"I didn't tell you."
Lina wondered if he just smiled under that mask of his. "Why don't you?"
"I can't."
Okay, this was getting nowhere fast. He certainly seemed a person of few words.
"Then I don't see how we can make a deal," Lina shrugged. "The door is right behind you."
"Wait," he said, holding up his hand. Lina could see from the fingerless gloves that his skin was blue and seemed to have the same texture as his face. "If I told you what I wanted, you may overcharge me, or want to keep the item for yourself. Instead, why don't you name a price for what you have."
Lina smiled. He was pretty shrewd. Quite a difference from Gourry. And yes he was probably right on both counts.
"Alright then. You said it was something I got from bandits? Did they steal it from you?" Lina asked, hoping to get him to tell her some more about this "thing" he wanted.
"Would you have returned it to me if I said it was?" he asked, sounding amused.
Lina just grinned.
"No, Zolf had found it in the possession of the bandits and had arranged to procure it from them."
So that must have been why Bandit Boss #3 was carrying it around. If the stone man knew about that little meeting, no wonder he thought she could deal with just him and Zolf.
"But then they met me," Lina couldn't help crowing. She shook a finger at them. "Dealing with bandits is pretty low."
The stone man quirked an eyebrow. "Lower than stealing from them?"
Lina shrugged, acknowledging the hit. "Well then, since it was something from those bandits' treasure you were wanting I can narrow down the number of wares. There were some coins and gems but since they're completely normal I'll leave them out."
Lina turned to the side pretending to think but really just gauging the man in white's reaction. He only nodded. Like she figured, it was either the knife or the statue.
"So let's say the knife I got..." Lina acted like she was thinking hard. "10..."
"That's not so - "
"...million gold," Lina finished. And boy did she get a reaction.
Zolf crashed to the floor, which must have been very painful since he was already probably hurting from whatever was under those bandages. The stone man's eyes bulged and he froze like a statue.
"Oh give me break, you said I can name the price," Lina slapped a hand on the table. "What a bunch of wimps. Pay up already!"
"I thought she would just ask several times above the street price," the stone man muttered, unfreezing.
"And then for the statue..." Lina held up three fingers. "30 million gold."
Zolf hit his head against the wall. The stone man smacked a hand against his forehead as a particularly long sweatdrop formed.
"With that much money, you could buy a castle with an ocean view from a king with servants and the kingdom included!"
"My own kingdom?" Lina let her imagination take over for awhile before returning to reality. "Well now that you mention it, it is a bit high for just a statue," Lina laughed.
"A bit?" Zolf mouthed.
"So I'll cut you a break and let you have it for half that."
"That's a break you little runt?!" Zolf screeched. "Don't treat my master like a fool!"
"Well if he isn't you're surely one! You third rate mage!"
"Thi-third rate! I'm twice the mage you'll ever be."
Lina sniffed. "I'm being nice calling you third rate. Even a novice can tell the difference between a Lighting and Fireball."
"Light...that was a Lighting spell?!"
"Zolf!" the white man called. "Enough. That has nothing to do with this. Back to our discussion, you do realize that there is no way I, much less anyone else, would be carrying that much money on them."
Actually...Lina was carrying about maybe 6.5 million worth in items and gems on her...
"So? I've named my prices."
Lina wondered if he was actually seriously considering her ridiculous prices.
"You won't extend credit I assume?"
Lina snorted. "Not likely."
He coughed. "Well then, will you swear to hand over the item when I pay you tomorrow?" Lina blinked. "Without changing the prices you just named." Lina swore he was smirking at her.
He's honestly going to pay for it?!?! Chibi-Lina shrieked.
Obviously Lina wasn't the only one shocked. Zolf was just opening and closing his mouth like a fish out of water.
"Bargain met, bargain sealed," Lina quoted her father's maxim. She hoped her surprise was very well hidden. "If you meet me with the money."
The stone man nodded. "Then we'll meet in the center of the public marketplace at midmorn next to the fountain. You will bring both items and I will bring the money. No changes in price and no returns. Agreed?"
Lina managed a nod. This guy must be REALLY desperate or REALLY rich.
The man in white turned around, his cape whirling around him. "Come Zolf."
"Bu-but..." Zolf stammered, finally getting his voice back.
"Good night," Lina muttered out of habit as she cast a Diem Wing to close the door behind her guests.
"And one more thing," the man in white turned around to say. "I am Zel - "
The door slammed in his face.
Zolf stood silently looking at his master. He stood some more. And a bit more.
"Er, Master Zelgadiss...?"
Zelgadiss was still standing facing the door.
"...I'm stuck."
Inside her room and oblivious to the new door ornament outside her room, Lina dropped into bed and pulled off her boots.
Now that was NOT what she had been expecting. Lina had asked for such high impossible prices because she didn't want to sell the knife or statue. Talk about poker faces. He hadn't revealed to her which item he wanted.
Still, Lina's intuition told her that the statue was a good possibility. But just to be sure, Lina pulled out the two items in question. A quick divination spell would tell her a little about each.
The dagger was cursed to make whoever unsheathed it go into a berserker rage. And the minor enchantment was just to make the blade a bit sharper.
The statue as expected absorbed the spell. So she was still on square one with that. But there was something inside of it. And it must be something important if they had to encase it in Orihalcon. At least Lina hoped it was something important. For all she knew it could be some eccentric magic user's way of sending a message.
Lina flexed her fingers. Should she cast a Protect on it now? If she did, and Zolf and his master tried to search for it sometime tonight they wouldn't be able to find it and think she ran off with it. But then she didn't think they'd try to come and steal it again, well Zolf might have but the stone man seemed to follow some sort of honor code.
"I'm overanalyzing things. Sure sign it's time to sleep!"
She stuffed the the knife and statue back in the bag and pushed the bag under the bed. And she couldn't just forget about the deal either. She'd still be at full strength for several more days. So if they tried to double cross her, they'll be paying for it, and not just in coin. But which item did he want and why?
Oh come on. Who cares? You're going to get 10 to 15 million gold tomorrow! Chibi-Lina jumped up and down excitedly.
If the guy holds up his end of the deal. Lina took off her cape and sword belt, throwing them onto the table.
But he did seem rather desperate. He insisted on all of this being above the counter. In a roundabout way.
True, he could have just tried to take whatever it was he wanted by force. Actually, Mummy Man already tried that and failed rather miserably.
Imagine what we could do with 10 million gold!
But why is he so desperate? What is it that he wants so badly?
10 million, 10 million. chanted Chibi-Lina.
Lina sighed as she slid under the covers. Well, maybe things will become clearer in the morning. With a snap, she extinguished the Lighting spell, blew out the candle, rolled over, and was fast asleep.
Outside of the room, Zelgadiss saw the light go out under the door's edge. Sighing, he pushed against the door again, trying to free his wire-like hair from the wood. He couldn't use his full strength else he'd break the door and this was a very embarrassing situation to be caught in.
It seemed like it was going to give. Zel pulled back farther. And was snapped back toward the door like a spring, causing a light thud.
Lina sat up in her bed and then noticed that her sword belt had fallen from the table. She went back to sleep.
Zel sighed again. This was going to be a long night.
Zolf tiptoed up to his master as the sun's rays just peeked through the windows carrying a tray of coffee. There was also a straw in the coffee mug. He handed the mug to Zelgadiss.
"Any luck master?" Zolf whispered.
Zelgadiss shook his head slightly, sipping the coffee throught the straw. It wasn't how he usually had it but there wasn't much room between the door and him to allow him to drink from the mug. He thanked Zolf for the coffee and sent him away. Zel looked at the door which he had been staring at all night.
"Actually, the carving on the door is very well done," Zel muttered to himself. "A good grain of wood as well."
Lina didn't get up until a bit later. Stretching, Lina opened the window to get a deep breath of fresh air. Then she looked down at the morning bustle of the town below.
That's right. She was going to meet the masked man in white at midmorn. And she still hadn't eaten breakfast yet. As Lina dressed, her curiosity and her merchant kept arguing over what to do. The items or the 10 million gold, she thought absently, slipping said items into her hidden pockets sewn onto the cape's inner lining. Oh well, Lina would do it like she did most things, one step at a time.
Reaching for the door, Lina froze as her keen ears caught the sound of breathing from the other side. Must be some pervert.
Lina smiled evilly, taking several steps back. There was a ceiling beam conveniently located just before the door. Lina jumped up and grabbed it with her hands, letting the forward momentum add to her kick.
"Inverse Jump Kick!" she shouted as her feet connected with the door, sending it flying across the hall through the opposite wall.
Zel didn't really know what hit him. He had been trying to figure out what kind of excuse to use when the girl opened the door that the kick came as a surprise. When the door hit the wall though it stuck. Zel didn't.
He continued flying into a water fountain in the street below.
Lina hummed happily as thoughts of breakfast skipped through her head on the way down to the eating room.
"Master Zelgadiss!" Zolf cried, running up to his drenched master.
Zel muttered darkly as he climbed out of the water. He had hit his head on the fountain's centerpiece and was developing a killer headache. "I'm going to change," he said, storming off and leaving a trail of water behind him.
Lina was sitting on the bench that surrounded the town's main water fountain. She looked up at the sun that was midway to noon. Her mysterious nighttime visitor should be arriving anytime now.
"Ya-ho! Hey over here!!" Lina yelled, waving her arms to get the attention of the white cloaked man quietly making his way through the people. Her smile only grew wider as she how discomforted the attention made him. Good, that meant he'd be less likely to pull an obvious trick in broad daylight. Now as for a subtle trick, he was going against the brilliant, not to mention beautiful, Lina Inverse!
Zel scowled when she yelled at him. He didn't want the whole world to know about this! Zolf wanted to come along but Zelgadiss knew that in his current condition, Zolf would be even more conspicuous than himself. The girl wasn't too far off the mark calling Zolf a mummy.
"Hello! How are you doing?" Lina said more brightly than the sun.
Zel grumbled something undecipherable.
Lina looked up under his hood before he could take a step back. "Hmmmm."
"What?" Zel asked gruffly, his head throbbing.
"You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night. Afraid I wouldn't show?" Lina grinned. Well, she had been considering that.
Well, she didn't know he had spent the entire night stuck to her door. Zel scowled under his mask and took out the bag of gems from under his cloak. "Let's just get this done with."
"Not a morning person," Lina shrugged. "Which is it you want?"
"The worth of these gems will cover both," Zel said shortly, loosening the tie strings to let the girl see the contents. It was alright, so what if he was giving away enough money to pay a king's ransom for each member of the Saillune Royal Family that was still alive. He didn't really need money, certainly not this much money. It would be all worth it, once he got his hands on the -
"King's Tears!!!!" Lina squealed.
Everyone in the marketplace stopped what they were doing and stared at the two.
Lina took a jaunt into la la land. 25 million in King's Tears! She could just turn around and go home...no then she'd meet with Nee-chan...she'll go buy her own tower, all the food she could eat until she died and beyond, all magical tomes and scrolls in existence, and pay off of the Sorcerer Guild's to change their records about her.
"Givemegivemegivemegiveme!" Lina jabbered grabbing the bag of precious gems.
"The items," Zel said impatiently. He was getting edgy with all the stares.
"Sure fine whatever," Lina replied hastily, fixing the bag of gems to her belt and removing the two items from the pocket in her cape. In each of her extended hands was one of the items.
Still, why was he so desperate to get one of these two items? Lina wondered.
Zel's hands was just above the items. Finally, I've got it. I've got the -
"Yo! Little girl!" said a very familiar voice as a heavy hand clamped down on her shoulder.
Instinctively, Lina's hands closed around the knife and statue as she turned to look at what must be the result of all the bad things she's ever done.
"So here you are," Gourry continued blithely. "I was afraid you'd gotten lost or something. But that nice man with the ringing staff lead me here."
Ringing staff?
"Damn!" Zelgadiss swore, grabbing for the item in Lina's hands.
"Look out!" Gourry shouted, pushing Lina out of the way. And right into the water fountain.
"Wha - " Lina gasped as she fell into the water. She jammed the knife and statue into her pockets as she sat dripping wet in the fountain. "Gourry! Just what do you think - "
Lina stopped her rant as a tall man in red robes and a priest's staff walked through the parted crowd. He positively glowed with power.
"I'm so glad I arrived in time," said the red priest.
Lina noticed that his eyes were closed.
"Young girl," the priest turned toward Lina. "You must not deal with this monster." He pointed his staff at Zelgadiss. "Do not be fooled by his appearance or mannerisms. His heart is as black as a demon's and colder than stone. Only anger and destruction rule his actions. Even now his horde of trolls are surrounding us waiting for his order to attack!"
The wind blew hollowly through the quiet marketplace.
Zelgadiss glared at the red priest. Damn! He was so close!
Lina looked between the man in white and the red priest. Waves of energy were rolling off both of them and she could cut the tension with Gourry's dull wit.
"Achoo!" Lina sneezed.
Gourry looked down at her. "What are you doing in the fountain?"
Lina punched him. "Because you threw me in here!!" She climbed out of the water. "Why'd you do that anyway?"
Gourry sat up with a black eye. "Well, that guy in white was going to take something from you and Grandma always said stealing isn't good and - "
"I'm only collecting what is mine," Zel hissed in a low voice. "Bargain met is bargain sealed. I paid, so hand it over."
Lina did not miss the use of the singular. He was right that since she accepted the payment she had to hand over the items. That is IF he was clean.
"This priest has made some pretty big accusations. If you're a bad guy, then I don't have to complete this. After all, villians have no rights," Lina summed up with her motto.
"I'm not the bad guy here," Zel growled.
Suddenly, trolls exploded from the market stalls. The townspeople screamed. Fruits and wares went flying. Livestock were stampeding. The trolls tore up the stands and buildings. The marketplace was reduced to chaos.
"You were saying?" Lina drawled, powering up a Fireball. She let it fly and incinerate a group of trolls rushing towards her. "Deal's off."
"I'm getting it no matter what!" Zel yelled, suddenly appearing right before her.
What? Chibi-Lina screamed. How can he move so fast?!
Lina didn't have time for a spell.
KLANG!
Lina blinked. When a sword, even the flat of the blade, hits someone on the head, it does not make the sound 'klang'. He must really be made of stone, Lina thought as she watched him stagger and tip into the water fountain.
"Oops, I didn't mean to do that," Gourry apologized, scratching his head.
Lina sweatdropped. "What do you mean you didn't mean that?" She rolled away as a troll tried to smash her into the ground. She whipped out her short sword, stabbing it into the troll's leg, and cast her spell. "Diggu Volt!"
The electrocuted troll fell limply and Lina removed her sword.
"It's just that," Gourry paused to cut a troll in two. "I didn't mean to hit him over the head like that."
"Blast Ash!" Lina fired the small black globes of annihilation at the trolls. Odd. That red priest wasn't doing anything, defending or otherwise. The trolls weren't attacking him. "What were you trying to do? Run him through?"
"Well I - Lina look out!"
Gourry pushed Lina out of the way again as an enraged Zelgadiss burst out of the fountain. Lina went skidding across the cobbled stone street.
Zelgadiss had spent months searching it. Just when he was about to get it, it was stolen. When he finally arranged to pay a world's ransom for it, he gets stuck to a door for an entire night, knocked into a water fountain the following morning, run into THAT person, get hit over the head which did nothing to help his already throbbing head, and fall into ANOTHER water fountain. To say that he was in a bad mood was like saying Gourry was dumb.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," Lina grumbled as she slide to a stop on the stone street. "I'm going to blow that idiot to - "
Lina felt rather than saw the big shadow fall on her. She looked over her shoulder to see the troll towering over her.
"Damn! Diem - " Lina stammered.
"Burst Flare."
A column of fire erupted underneath the troll. When it was gone, there were only ashes left.
Lina looked back at the red priest standing next to her now. Burst Flare was the most powerful Fire Shaman spell castable by humans. There was another more powerful one actually but only its creator was capable of casting it and surviving. Still, for this red priest to be able to cast such a powerful spell in such a controlled manner. He must be...
"Your companion seems to be holding his own against Zelgadiss," the red priest commented.
Lina looked over to the water fountain where Gourry was fighting the man in white. So his name was Zelgadiss? Whatever he was called, he was good. All she could see of the fight were the flashes from whenever the swords crossed.
"But it won't be good enough."
"What do you mean by that?" Lina asked, just as Zelgadiss dashed in with an overhead swing. "He just left himself wide open! But then...he is made of stone it seems."
The red priest seemed to look down at Lina. "So you noticed."
Gourry slashed at the white man's opening. "Nothing personal."
"No harm done," smirked Zelgadiss, letting the blond swordsman see the wound, or lack of a wound. "You can't cut me with any normal weapon."
"However, if one possessed the legendary Sword of Light," the red priest added. "It would be possible."
Zelgadiss spared the red priest a death glare.
"Oh why didn't you say so earlier?" Gourry asked, sheathing his sword and fiddling with it. He pulled out the sword again.
"Gourry you idiot! What happened to your blade?" Lina yelled, pointing at Gourry's now bladeless sword.
"Alright then," Gourry faced Zelgadiss. "Let's have another go at it."
Zelgadiss sweatdropped. "Do you have a death wish or something?"
Gourry just stood at ready.
Zel shrugged. "If you wish. Nothing personal of course." He charged toward Gourry. "But I won't let anyone get in my way."
"Gourry!" Even if he drove her crazy and multiplied her stress by a hundredfold, Lina couldn't just stand by and watch someone get killed because of her. "Fire - "
The red priest's staff swung in front of her.
"What are you doing?" Lina snapped.
The red priest had a smug expression. "Just watch."
"Light!" Gourry yelled.
Lina stared agape as a beam of light shot forth from the hilt. Zel was equally stunned. Red burst onto white as the blade of light cut deeply through his shoulder. Zel fell to his knees, the pain screaming through every part of his body. He hadn't felt this much pain since...
Gourry looked back at his fallen opponent, holding the light blade ready but not moving to finish off Zelgdadiss.
"Why don't you finish him off?" asked the red priest.
Lina looked narrowly at him. Perhaps it was her imagination but did he seem angry that Gourry wasn't rushing in for the kill?
"Dark Mist!"
Everything was blanketed by a deep dark mist. Lina couldn't see her hand in front of her face. She pulled her cape tightly around her, trying to hear any sound that would tell her if something was near.
Rings chimed.
The mist around Lina was clearing. She could make out the outline of the red priest. He shook his staff again, the rings hitting against each other and the staff, chiming, as his power caused the mist to vanish. Even in the dimness, she could see the angry look on his face.
That look was gone and replaced by a very concerned and worried one by the time the mist cleared.
"Is everyone alright?" he asked.
Lina looked around. The marketplace was a disaster. People were peeking out from closed doors and windows. Gourry was still standing at ready with his Sword of Light near the fountain but Zelgadiss was gone.
"He's gone," the red priest muttered under his breath. Lina wondered if he knew she heard him.
"Eh? Where did he go?" Gourry looked around confused.
Lina stormed over to him and kicked him into the fountain.
"Hey!" Gourry protested, spitting out water. "What was that for?"
"For when you pushed me in there!" Lina fumed and then made a swipe for the bladeless hilt in Gourry's hand. "And that will cover for the second time!"
"What?! No way! You can't have it!" Gourry yelled, entering a tug-of-war with Lina over the hilt.
"Come on! Don't be so selfish!"
"Like you're one to talk!"
"Okay, I'll pay you for it. 50 gold!"
"50?! You think I'm some sort of idiot? You can't even buy a sword for 50 gold, much less the Sword of Light!"
"60 then!"
"I'm NOT selling this. It's a family heirloom!"
"Then give it to me and I'll make it MY family heirloom. Give me give me!"
"NO!"
"How about a King's Tear?" Lina didn't really want to give up one of those precious gems but this was the SWORD OF LIGHT.
"I don't care if you offer me a kingdom. I AM NOT GIVING YOU THIS SWORD!!"
"Umm...excuse me?" the red priest asked. He sweatdropped as the two continued fighting.
A bit later in a restaurant, Lina and Gourry were pigging out at the red priest's expense.
Gourry stopped chewing on a leg of roast lamb. "Hey little girl. What's a King's Tear? Is it something to eat? Is it sweet? Sour? Bitter?"
Lina slammed Gourry's head into the table and stealing his plate of pasta. "It's a gem you fruit for brains! Just about one of the most precious gems in existence. Not only are they rare rare RARE, legend has it that they are formed from tears and encase an important memory of whomever the tear came from!"
"Sorry! If they're so rare then why are you giving one away?" Gourry cried, shielding himself from another assault with a metal plate.
"Because I have a whole bag of them...a whole bag..." Lina stopped. Gourry, noticing the absence of whacks, cautiously looked up. Seeing Lina distracted, he snatched back his pasta and devoured it before Lina snapped out of whatever distracted her.
Lina looked at the bag still tied to her belt. The statue and knife were still in the hidden pocket in her cape. And Zelgadiss was gone. All that was left was a pool of red blood where he fell.
"He escaped but with that deep of a wound, he must have had help," Lina murmured.
"I believe so as well."
Lina nearly jumped out of chair. She had forgotten the red priest was sitting with them.
"I am sorry you have become involved in this messy affair," he apologized. "You have made a very powerful enemy."
Gourry was too busy eating to listen.
"Ne, I've been meaning to ask you," Lina said, throwing her fork to keep Gourry's grasping hand from her plate of beef steak. Lina looked over the priest's red robes, highly unusual in itself, and his closed eyes. "Are you the Red Priest Rezo?"
Rezo looked suitably humble. "That is not a name I have used for some time."
"Then if you're going to all this trouble after that Zelgadiss guy he must be up to something really bad."
Rezo nodded. "As you noticed earlier, Zelgadiss is not human. He is a monster, utterly ruthless and willing to do anything to get what he wants."
Lina touched the bag of King's Tears. Willing to do anything?
"And I had something he wanted. What is he after?"
Rezo paused. He signaled for Lina and Gourry to lean closer. "He seeks to resurrect the Ruby Eye Lord."
"What?" Lina's jaw nearly dropped. "Why would he want to do that? Does he want the world to be destroyed?"
"I can not say for sure. I only know that he seeks the two keys needed to release the seal."
Lina frowned, thinking. "Two keys? What exactly are these two keys?"
"You possess one. As long as you have it, you will be a target of him. I do not wish to further involve you in this. If you will give me the item he was after, I will make sure that Zelgadiss's scheme does not succeed."
"Please Honored Priest let us assist you. This concerns the fate of the entire world. I cannot in right conscience let you bear the danger and responsibility of this all on yourself."
Rezo hesitated. "I am afraid you do not understand..."
"Yes I do understand. Zelgadiss will assume that since we've met, Gourry and I will have learned of his plans from you. Even if we didn't have the key, he could still come after us to keep us from talking. Let us keep the first key and seek out the second. That way, while most of his focus is on us, you can find him and take care of him when he isn't expecting it."
"That is too dangerous," Rezo protested.
"Honored Priest, it is the best way."
Rezo sat and thought it over as Lina ordered four more super deluxe plates. He sat quietly as the two practically inhaled the new plates.
"I'm afraid your suggestion is the best," Rezo admitted. "Your courage and selflessness is inspiring."
Lina smiled gracefully.
"The second item is a magic compass. It will lead to the place where Ruby Eye is sealed. I am afraid that is all I know about it."
"That's enough for me to begin looking. Thank you for allowing us to help you. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to leave. Zelgadiss would expect us to get out of town as soon as we can and I'd like to reach another town before sundown."
"I understand. There is also some other business I must attend to."
Lina stood up, grabbing her travel pack in one hand and a handful of Gourry's hair with the other. "Until we meet again. Hopefully under better circumstances."
"Until we meet again," Rezo repeated to the quickly retreating backs of the two as he opened one eye. "And we will meet. X-Mozilla-Status: 0009"
Rezo quickly closed the eye and turned toward the speaker.
"The bill, sir."
The total the waitress read was enough to feed a town for a month.