"You know what?"
"What Gourry?"
"Aren't we missing someone?" Gourry looked down at his shorter traveling companion. Her hair still wasn't back to its natural color being several shades lighter. But there was only so long you could keep Lina Inverse cooped up in a room.
"And who would we be missing?" Lina asked testily. She still hadn't gotten over Gourry's and Migel's large donation to charity.
Gourry looked up at the bright blue sky with its occasional puffy white clouds. He looked around the green grasslands on both sides of the well-traveled road. He looked around himself and Lina.
"Whatever happened to that Michel guy?"
"That's Migel."
"Yeah, him."
"Gourry, lean over."
Obligingly, Gourry leaned over. Lina pulled at his ear and yelled.
"WE LEFT HIM ON THAT SHIP ON ITS WAY FOR A ONE YEAR TRADING JOURNEY TO THE ISLAND NATIONS!!"
Gourry's eardrums almost burst.
"Honestly," Lina grumbled as she kept walking.
Yes, she was definitely acting more like her volatile self. Gourry was somewhat relieved. That meant that soon she'd be fine as before and he could disappear into obscurity again. Of course, her getting better also meant he'd have to suffer some more physical and verbal abuse. Oh well, it was nothing like what he used to get at home anyway.
"Hey Gourry!" Lina snapped farther down the road. "We don't have all day you know!"
"Right. Coming."
"Halt!"
Gourry looked over his shoulder at the speaker. "Hey..."
Lina also looked and recognized the person. "Why you're..."
"Who are you?" Gourry asked, causing both Lina and the speaker to fall to the ground.
"How dare you forget who I am?" screamed the speaker, pushing his scarecrow hat up a little.
"What should I have expected if he couldn't even remember Migel's name?" Lina groaned to herself.
Drawing to his full height and tilting his hat at a roguish angle, the black haired stranger gave Gourry a glinting smile. "Now do you recognize me?"
Gourry looked this way and that. He thought. "I don't know any scarecrows."
"I am Zangulus, wielder of the Howling Sword!!"
Gourry blinked. "Eh? So you have a Howling Sword too? Did you know I met a guy who also has one?"
Predictably, Zangulus began to steam out of his ears. Actually, Gourry did remember him but it was always good to keep strangers and potential hired killers off guard.
"I'm the same guy!"
"So where is that spoiled princess of yours?" Lina interrupted, not liking being kept out of a conversation.
Zangulus scowled. "This is a conversation between men. Stay out of it little girl."
"Little girl?! I'll show you little!" Lina growled, pushing up imaginary sleeves.
"Lina, shouldn't you sit this one out?" Gourry asked, tugging on a strand of Lina's pale red hair.
Lina's mouth opened and then shut. Then she grudgingly took a step back. She was recovering spiritually and magically, the danger of burn out gone, but physically she was still weaker. Gods damn Shabrinigdo's eyes!
"So what do you want?" Gourry asked.
Zangulus smirked as he drew out his Howling Sword. "I have come to - "
The swordsman was trampled by a dust cloud kicked up by a group of shiny armored individuals all bearing a crest of a wave.
"We...huff huff...are the...Foaming Crest...of the... Relentless Waves..." panted what appeared to be the leader of the group.
Gourry and Lina exchanged glances.
"That's nice." Lina turned around to leave.
"Halt, evil enchantress!" challenged the leader of the Foaming Crests of the Relentless Waves. "We are here to bring in the nefarious Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev for their crimes!"
Again, Lina looked at Gourry and Gourry looked at Lina.
"What the hell did you do before I met you?!" they both yelled at each other. "Me? I didn't do anything!"
"We'll let Ceiphied sort it out. Men! Attack!"
"Dill Brando!"
The Foaming Crest of the Relentless Waves went flying in a pillar of dirt. Gourry was just pulling out his sword.
"Was that a wise thing to do?"
"Whatever. I want to get to the next town," Lina shrugged, hiding her frown because those whatever they were didn't fly as high up as they should of. Guess she still wasn't back to full strength yet.
Gourry jogged after Lina, both completely forgetting a certain swordsman who had also gone flying with the Foaming Crests of...ah, you know it by now.
Lina in her pajamas stretched out like a cat on the soft bed.
"That felt good. Haven't felt this tired in years. Must be feeling my age," Lina chuckled. But she was back to traveling on the open road again, nothing but her whim for the day deciding what she was going to do or where she was going to go.
"But I still have to figure out a way to get rid of Gourry after I've recovered. He's handy and all but he'll drive me insane. What am I saying, he already drives me insane."
If she was going to get another partner, it would at least have to be someone who didn't need an explanation for every other word she said. Someone who didn't treat her like a child just because she looked like one. Someone who could hold their own but still work well together.
"Someone who knows to knock and ask permission before entering a lady's room," Lina said softly, rolling to sit with her legs dangling over the side of the bed. Her eyes fixed on a shadow thrown by the large wardrobe in her inn room. "I know you're there."
Slipping from the shadow with no more than a whisper was a man garbed entirely in black. The lower half of his angular face was covered with a black mask and a black ribbon tied around his head and black pointy hair. Lina could tell immediately from this intruder's conservation of movement that he was a very good fighter, way above her.
"Let me guess, you're here to kill me."
The assassin only raised one hand and clicked two of the sharp fingers together. Then he leaped over the table between them, claws outstretched to slice her open. Lina dropped and rolled forward, catching her short sword in one hand as she got the table again between her and her assailant. Feathers floated in the room from the deep slashes in the mattress.
Taking the initiative, Lina grabbed the edge of the table and pushed the tabletop at him as both a shield and barrier before quickly retreating toward the door. But the assassin sliced the table in two with his fingers and was already leaping toward her. Her fingers reached toward and missed the doorknob.
Too late!
Lina's door broke open and a blade fell between Lina's throat and the claws seeking to dig themselves deep into there. Much too close to danger, Lina could only mutely look up at Gourry who was locked in a staring match with the assassin. The assassin's dark eyes narrowed before he broke away, leaping backwards and flipping out of the window.
Gourry frowned. What was he doing here? Did he know who Gourry was? Was that why he left? Or was it only because he hadn't expected an experienced fighter to be here and interfere with his mark?
"Gourry..."
"What?"
"What the hell are you doing in my room!"
Gourry ducked a punch and quickly skirted around the room. "Hey, I just heard some noise so I thought I'd check to see if you were okay!"
"Ever heard of knocking?"
"This is more serious than a lapse in manners! Do you have any idea who that was?"
Lina paused in her ranting. "Of course not. Just some hired killer. I've got plenty of enemies."
Gourry crossed his arms and looked at her. "And just how many enemies do you have that have the money and reputation to hire Zoom the Master Assassin?"
Lina's jaw dropped. "Zoom? That was ZOOM?!"
Gourry nodded.
"Then why aren't I dead?"
Gourry scratched his head. "Now that I don't know. Maybe he was just surprised to see someone else?"
Lina chewed on her lip. That sounded plausible. Assassins preferred to stack odds in their favor and tried to have as much control over where the killing was to occur as they could. Which hopefully meant, Zoom wouldn't be reappearing anytime tonight or anytime soon for that matter since the element of surprise was lost.
"Now how am I going to go to asleep after that?" Lina grumbled, running a hand through her bangs.
"Shouldn't you fight your own battles?"
"What are you complaining about? You're doing a great job."
"That isn't the point," Gourry groaned, dropping his head as he leaned on his sword. He backhanded some would-be hero who tried to sneak up behind him. "They're after you too."
Lina shrugged, resting on a tree branch. "Since they want you as well, I'll just let you deal with them." She flipped off of the branch. "That makes the what? Fifth group of people declaring themselves heroes who will 'rid this world of the tyranny' by defeating us. This is getting too big to be just coincidence."
"I wonder if Zoom is connected to any of this?" Gourry looked over the literal trail of defeated heroes.
"It is too convenient," Lina agreed. "But Zoom is a Master Assassin. I doubt he'd take too kindly to competition, especially of this low caliber. However - "
Lina's stomach growled.
"Thinking of food at a time like this - "
Gourry's stomach also voiced a complaint.
"Look who's talking," Lina smirked. "Last one to town has to treat!"
"Oi! No fair flying!" Gourry yelled, sprinting after the flying sorceress. A la dust cloud style, he barely kept up with the sorceress as they rocketed into town like the ravenous bottomless pits that they were.
"Halt, villainous Lina Inverse!"
Lina came to halt and settled to the ground. "Why now?"
"By the star of justice, I, Amelia, Hammer of Justice, will bring an end to your evil ways!"
"Look here," Lina snorted, looking up. But there was no one in front of her.
"Um, up here."
Lina looked up to the rooftops where a younger girl with short black hair and an off-white, pink trimmed ensemble was perched.
"Just what are you doing up there?" Gourry asked. "It's dangerous for kids to play in high places."
"One who serves justice has no fear of tremendous heights!" Amelia announced, leaping into the air and flipping to the ground.
Lina blinked, did some mental calculations, and decided not to move. Amelia crashed face first into the street. Gourry poked Amelia with a stick.
"Hey, you alright?"
One of her blue eyes snapped open and she pushed herself off of the ground, flipping away only to slip on a loose stone and crash to the ground again. Instantly, she was on her feet, a large red bump growing on her head.
"Such deceit I expected from villains such as you!" Amelia declared, pointing a finger at them. "For love and justice, I will defeat you with a holy blow of light!"
"Now who does she remind me of?" Gourry wondered.
"Migel of course," Lina muttered.
"Oh. Wasn't he a Toe or other of something with Diamond Eyes?"
"That's the Hand of Ruby Eye!" Lina hissed. "But if Migel acts like this and he used to be the Hand, then what does that make this girl?"
"The Mouth?"
Gourry and Lina suddenly leaped aside as a spear of ice parted them.
"I will freeze the evil fires burning in your hearts!" Amelia prepared another Freeze Arrow.
An arm wrapped itself around Lina's neck, catching her in a chokehold from behind.
"You will both come with us," said a young man, the one who had caught her. If he spoke any flatter, it would have been two-dimensional.
"That's what you think," Lina smirked. She grabbed a hold of his hand, twisting his arm and herself away and then threw him over her shoulder. And right into Amelia's Freeze Arrow.
Lina and Gourry watched with shocked faces as Amelia's frozen accomplice fell to the ground and shattered. Silence filled the town.
"Did she...just ice her own ally?" Gourry asked.
"That's impossible! Spells of justice won't harm allies of good!" Amelia began to go into a mental frenzy. "So if my spell hurt Vrumugun-san then does that mean he is evil? Or am I evil? That spell was supposed to be for Lina Inverse. That's it! Somehow that evil sorceress twisted my spell so it would attack Vrumugun-san instead of her! Of course! Now it all makes sense. Lina Inverse, I, Amelia, will not allow such a perversion of magic to go unchallenged. I will now use my super special spell to...to..."
Amelia looked around the square and at the two cardboard cut-outs of Lina and Gourry.
"Aahhh! They already ran away!"
Well...not exactly. By the time Amelia had noticed they were gone, they were done running and were trying to catch their breaths in an alley.
"Just what is this all about?" Lina growled, mentally reminding herself that if she screamed than more hero and justice freaks would come a running.
"Maybe it's this?" Gourry pointed to something plastered on the wall of the alley.
"What?" Lina's jaw dropped.
"When did you sit to have a portrait done?"
Lina tore the poster off of the wall, rolled it up, and then whacked Gourry over the head with it. "This isn't a portrait!" She unrolled the poster and pointed to the big black letters written across the top. "It's a wanted poster!"
Gourry blinked. "So it is."
"So it is, he says. Someone put a price on our heads!"
"Us?"
"Yes, us! You, me, Zel... Zel?!"
And on the alley wall were definitely wanted posters of Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadiss. Lina's sixth sense was ringing like crazy. So this wasn't just some enemy wanting to settle an old score. Someone wanted all three of them for something. But for what?
"Hey, Lina. Looks like the person who put up the bounty wants us brought to Sairaag alive."
Lina looked over the poster in her hand. "It does? Oh, there near the bottom. So who is this jerk who sent those heroes on my tail..."
"Lina? What's wrong?" Gourry asked as the sorceress's voice trailed off. Her face was pale. She licked her lips.
"Um, Gourry? What is the name of the person who put up the bounty?"
Gourry looked. "Rezo."
Lina closed her eyes. "I thought so."
"That name sounds familiar," Gourry said, for the sake of keeping his dumber than a rock facade. Oh he remembered Rezo alright. "Wait, wasn't that the guy with the fake eye?"
Of all things he would remember, that's how he remembered Rezo. Lina shook her head, leaning against the wall. "Yeah. The guy who we killed."
"So...what do we do now?"
Lina crumpled the poster in her hand. "What else? We go to Sairaag."
"What have you found out about these wanted posters?"
"They were put up only a day after the Red Priest's death."
Zelgadiss frowned as he listened to one of his scout's reports. "And anything about this 'Rezo' who is backing the bounty?"
The scout shook his head. Zel dismissed him with a wave of his hand as he went over all of the information he had received.
"Sir, isn't it possible that this may really be..."
"No," Zel said curtly. "Rezo is dead. There's no question about that. This may just be some old lackey of his trying to get revenge. I'll go to Sairaag to settle this."
Zelgadiss stood up and so did the men who had met him outside of the devastated ruins of Atlas City.
"Alone."
Zelgadiss walked through the parted men and opened the door. He didn't even turn his head to look as he said, "Without being followed."
Walking through the door, he went several yards before stopping and turning his head to glare. "In or out of seeing distance."
Several heads poked out of bushes.
Zelgadiss went several more steps before stopping yet again. This time he turned completely around to face the too loyal men. "So all of you stay here."
They all nodded their heads. But Zel also knew they were crossing their fingers behind their backs. Why did they have to be so loyal? At this rate he wouldn't be able to go anywhere. Time for an innocent white lie.
"But before I go to Sairaag, I need to go buy some cheese."
That had to be the lamest excuse ever. However, his men bought it.
"We'll wait for you right here then."
Finally. Zelgadiss began to leave again.
"Sir? Which cheese store are you going to?"
"...the Cheese Emporium."
"Isn't that in Sairaag?"
Gourry and Lina stood near the crest of land that overlooked the port town of Sanboa. As was becoming usual, a scattered trail of burnt bounty hunters marked their path.
"Hey, Lina."
"What?"
"Why didn't you marry that Hallas person?"
"..."
"I mean, he was rich and not that bad looking. Of course, I guess the fact that he black-mailed you into doing it didn't help matters."
"..."
"Still, I really thought you were going to go through with it. Right up to the kiss that is. How close did he get?"
Lina planted her foot in Gourry's face. "Shut. Up."
"You can never run from me!" Zangulus appeared before them. Again.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Lina snapped.
"My business is with Gourry! Now, I challenge y - "
"Watch out! Lemmings!!" someone screamed.
"What?"
A migration of lemmings suddenly appeared, running into and carrying away Zangulus over a cliff and into the ocean below.
Gourry scratched his head. "I thought he was a scarecrow, not a lemming."
Lina shrugged. "Whatever. Come on, let's go down."
"Down? As in let's go in there?" Gourry pointed at the port town. "But we're wanted!"
She glared at him. "It's either go through there and get to Sairaag by sea or cross the Valley of Tears which has treacherous steep mountains to say nothing of being freezing cold! And I hate being cold! So we're going by sea, got it?" Lina's demon head glowered over Gourry.
"Hai," he replied meekly.
"Then let's go."
The two made their way as quietly as possible into town. All of the usual sneaking stuff, creeping along walls, jumping from barrel to barrel, appearing out of shadows, the usual. However, as quiet as they were, the town was even quieter. Lina and Gourry poked their heads out above a large storage crate they were hiding behind.
"Where is everyone?"
Lina shrugged. She didn't know and actually, didn't care too much. This just made it easier to grab a boat.
"Everyone is afraid of the sea monster."
Lina and Gourry freaked out, hair on end, eyes wide, looking at the person who seemed to have suddenly appeared in between them. It was a girl with straight black hair wearing hot pants, a short sleeve shirt, and a vest.
"And who are you?" Lina demanded, not liking to be scared like that.
"Me? Oh, I'm Eris," the girl smiled. "Actually, I've been trying to get a ship for several days but no one will leave their homes much less port."
"So if we defeat the sea monster..." Gourry began.
"We can get a ship out of here to Sairaag!" Lina finished triumphantly. She grabbed Eris and Gourry and began dragging them toward the general direction of the docks. "Come on, we have a monster to roast and you Eris are going to show us where to find this sea monster!"
Eris sweatdropped but obligingly gave Lina the directions to a pier. It was a pier like any other except for the random broken weapons scattered or impaled in the wooden dock.
"Many warriors have failed," Eris warned. "This is a hideous monster, apparently nothing can cut through its skin. And furthermore..."
Eris sweatdropped as she turned around to see Lina and Gourry fishing off the edge of the pier. Having made a fishing line from their own hair, they were now arguing about the use of bait.
"How do you expect to catch anything without bait?" Lina demanded.
Gourry made a face. "But if you use bait then those things will end up in the gut! And then you're telling me you're going to still eat it? Yuck!"
Lina turned slightly green.
Gourry got a tug on his line. "I got something!"
"No way!"
"Looks like a big one."
"Gourry, don't let it get away!"
"Come on, come on."
"I'll roast it when it comes up."
Snap!
Gourry stumbled backwards as the fishing line broke.
"Gourry, you idiot! You just lost my food!"
"Your food? That was my fish!"
"Don't be so stingy!"
"Umm, guys?"
"What Eris?"
Eris pointed mutely at the edge of the pier. Standing there was a large fish with arms and legs holding a fishing line.
"Does this belong to someone?"
Gourry raised his hand. "Me."
"Noonsa?" Lina's jaw dropped.
"Noonsa? No, that looks like a fish with arms and legs," Gourry corrected.
"That's because it is a fish with arms and legs," Lina snapped.
"No, I am not Noonsa. I am Rahanimu."
"So it isn't a fish with arms and legs?"
"Rahanimu is his name!"
"Hmmm. Does this mean the sea monster is going to come soon?"
"I hope so. I want to get this down before dinner."
Eris cleared her throat. "This is the sea monster."
Lina stared incredulously at Rahanimu. Even with her traumatic encounter with Noonsa, she still couldn't classify fishmen as monsters. "It might as well have been a demonic mouse with magical powers or a fluffy white bunny that can bite people's heads off!"
"I will teach you...not to underestimate me!" Rahanimu warbled, suddenly lifting in the air and then rocketed toward them.
All three hit the deck.
"What the-YAA!" Lina ducked again as Rahanimu zipped by.
"Where is it-Duck!" Gourry fell to the wooden planks covering his head.
Lina quickly muttered a spell, pulling back an arm. "Fire-Bahh!" Rahanimu brushed by her, causing her to loose her balance and then the spell. "Aaaaah!"
"Will someone do something?" Eris cried, dodging the flying fishmen like the other two.
"I'll stop it!" Gourry pulled out his sword, ready to cut Rahanimu at the next pass.
"Watch out!"
Lina and Eris blinked as Rahanimu, who had been flying straight for Gourry, flew through where Gourry had been standing and implanted itself about two feet into a wall. Gourry on the other hand was not where he was supposed to be. A tall muscular man landed on the dock from his leap. In his arms was Gourry.
"Wha-wha-wha-wha - " Gourry stammered. He was saved by a GUY?!?
A guy who turned to Gourry with pink hearts for eyes. "Are you alright? Lala-san?"
Lina and Eris facefaulted. Gourry sprouted loose hairs and his eyes were reduced to dots.
"Are you hurt my dear? Let me check for any wounds."
"Keep away from me!" Gourry firmly pushed a boot in the guy's face. "Just who the hell are you? And why are you calling me Lala?!"
Tears streamed down the man's face. "But don't you recognize me? It's me, Volun, your fiancé. Lala-san."
Part of Gourry's face cracked. "Do I look like a girl to you?!"
Volun blinked, and then grabbed Gourry into a tight embrace. "I know you feel insecure about your looks but you are the epitome of beauty to me, Lala-san."
"I am not Lala!" Gourry screeched, frantically trying to pry Volun's arms off of him. "My name is Gourry! I. AM. A. GUY!!!"
Volun dropped Gourry. He looked closely at his 'fiancee'. "You are? Hey, you are a guy."
Gourry glared balefully at him as he stood up. "See? I don't know how you got me mixed up with a girl but I'm not this Lala person." He turned to leave when Volun's arms wrapped around him again. "Ack!"
"It doesn't matter. You look so much like Lala-san that I can't stand to be apart from you."
"WHAT?!?"
Lina would have been laughing if she hadn't thought this entire scenario wasn't a bit too strange. Eris pulled on Lina's cape.
"Shouldn't you do something about the monster?"
"Hm? Oh yeah. Fireball."
Rahanimu's well-done carcass fell off of the wall and filled the nearby area with a delicious smell.
"Come on, Eris." Lina pulled the other girl by the arm after her. "Let's go find a ship and leave those two lovebirds alone."
"LINA!! COME BACK HERE!!" Gourry screamed, caught in the embrace of a lovesick Volun.
"So why are you going to Sairaag?" Lina asked Eris as they leaned over the railing, looking at the rolling waves.
"I'm on a pilgrimage to visit the city's holy tree Flagoon."
The two girls, and most of the crew, were ignoring the constant cat and mouse game played by Volun and Gourry. That is, Volun was still chasing his 'Lala-san' and Gourry was just plain running.
"Is the ocean always this chilly?" Eris asked, shivering a bit.
Lina frowned. "No...not this cold..."
The ship suddenly lurched to a halt, sending nearly everyone who wasn't holding onto something, rolling toward the prow. Icebergs burst out of the deep ocean water and the railings and sides of the ship were coated with ice.
"Over land or sea, there is nowhere you can escape the all-knowing eyes of justice!"
Lina groaned.
Standing on one of the icebergs was Amelia and her partner-in-crime, er that is her ally in justice Vrumugun.
"First, Amelia!" The young justice-crazed girl jumped high into the air. "You cannot escape - "
Splash!
Her jump fell short and she landed in the cold sea water.
"Yeah yeah, whatever." Lina shrugged and tossed a Fireball into the iceberg holding the ship still. She also tossed one into the iceberg that Vrumugun was standing on as well for good measure.
"You...cough...can't escape!" Amelia sputtered, treading water and trying to keep her teeth from chattering. Vrumugun floated next to her belly up.
"That really hit the spot!" Lina cheered as the three left the tavern. After the iceberg incident, the rest of the trip had been quite uneventful. Something Lina didn't expect to last long since they were in the nearest town to Sairaag now.
"Just where do you two pack away all of that food?" Eris asked in amazement.
"What? It takes a lot of food to keep a genius beautiful sorceress like me going!"
"We meet again Gourry!"
"What are you some kind of stalker?" Lina grumbled. "You keep popping up everywhere. Not as bad as Volun I guess but still this is getting old."
"Be quiet! This time nothing will - "
"Runaway carriage!"
"Hah!" Zangulus stepped forward out of the direct path of the carriage. "Now, this time we will - urk!"
He was out of the path of the carriage but there was this hook that was sticking out and just happened to snag onto Zangulus' rug/cloak. Lina, Gourry, and Eris watched the screaming and swearing swordsman get dragged away.
"You two certainly meet many interesting people."
"I told you that you couldn't escape!"
This time, it was Amelia and Vrumugun, both dripping wet with seaweed draped on them.
"Don't you ever give up?" Lina sighed.
"Never!" Amelia countered and then began climbing up a nearby pole. "Wait a minute."
"What is she doing?" Eris asked.
"There. Now then." Amelia pointed a finger at Lina and Gourry. "Numerous times you have tricked the champion of justice, proving again and again the depth of your evil. Now, I, Amelia, Hammer of Justice, Shrine maiden of the City of White Magic, shall bring you to justice! Fireball!"
"Idiot!" Lina yelled as she, and everyone else in the street, leaped for cover. "Are you trying to kill everyone in town as well?"
"The magic of justice will never hurt those true of heart."
Where did she get that warped idea from?
"Good will always triumph!"
No, not really.
"Feel the purging fires of love and justice! Fireball!!"
Lina rolled away from this one as well but the person behind her wasn't as lucky.
"Ah! Vrumugun-san!"
Lina looked at the blackened corpse of Amelia's so called ally. "You killed him again?"
"What kind of shrine maiden are you? Killing your own ally?" Eris asked shocked.
"Waaaah! It wasn't me! The evil Lina Inverse twisted my spell again! Waaaah!" Amelia ran away crying and covering her ears.
"That girl needs to see a good psychiatrist," Lina muttered. Gourry and Eris nodded in agreement.
The Miasma Forest that bordered the edges of both Sairaag and the ruins of the former city to cover its name were considered off limits. It was an endless maze to those who weren't familiar with it. Plus, there was always the eerie sense that you were being watched by someone.
Zelgadiss was having that very feeling right now as he walked through the forest. However, it was an utterly ridiculous notion since no one had any business to be in here. It was probably just the highly magical nature of the forest wreaking havoc on magical sensitivity.
Rezo had used Sairaag as one of his larger bases of research. There was a manor in the city proper but Zelgadiss also knew there were several magical labs in the ruins and in this forest as well. Now would be as good a time as any to see if Rezo left any notes about how he created Zelgadiss's chimera form.
The lab where he had been 'created' should be near here. Zelgadiss remembered Zolf and Rodimus mentioning the Miasma Forest during those rare times they talked about rescuing him. They never spoke of it before him, but he was able to put things together.
Apparently, Zolf and Rodimus had gone to look for him when he hadn't checked back for his monthly meeting with his 'babysitters'. They had tracked him down to Rezo's lab in the Miasma Forest, breaking into the lab and freeing him. All Zel could remember during that hazy period was being suspended in something warm and then suddenly glass shattered and it was cold.
They had broken him out before Rezo's process was complete. Zelgadiss didn't even want to think what else his great-grandfather had planned for him. The breakout hadn't gone unnoticed. Rezo's minions were chasing them through the Forest. That had been the first time to Zelgadiss's knowledge that he had gone berserk. His most distinct memory after that was vomiting in disgust and fear of what he had done.
Since then, he had kept a tight rein on his emotions, not wanting to risk another explosion like that, until Dilgear pushed him over the edge again. Zelgadiss shook away the bad memories as the place of his 'birth' came into view.
Time to focus on the matter at hand. What was done was done.
"So, we're finally just outside of Sairaag, also known as the City of Ghosts for when it was destroyed 120 years ago by the Silver Magic Beast Zanaffar. Even from this hill, the most obvious feature of the city is the Holy Tree Flagoon that shelters the city beneath it. That is our final destination where we'll learn the truth about this bounty and the 'Rezo' who placed it."
"Um, Lina?"
"What?" Lina growled, irritated that her serious monologue was interrupted.
"Are we near Sairaag yet?"
Lina screamed in frustration as she punted the swordsman down the hill before storming after him. The last of the group, the young woman Eris, narrowly watched the two descend.