"If it's so popular, then why haven't we found any clue as to where the main cell is?!"
Amelia and Sylphiel tried to calm down the irate sorceress.
"Sell? What are you trying to sell?"
Before either could stop her, Lina grabbed Gourry and yelled in his face.
"Not the verb sell but the noun cell! As in the main part of this crazy cult of Saint Ajura!!"
"Why are we looking for whatever that is?"
"Because if we strike at the heart, all of the other cells will feel the effects! Like a spider web!"
"That's pretty."
"What is?"
"Spider webs."
Lina groaned, dropped him, and then her head on the table.
"Gourry-san, we must destroy the leaders of this false religion before they spread evil across the lands with their seductive preaching," Amelia lectured. "Such bad faith results in the break down of society and family values. As such, I stand by Lina-san in her unending endeavor to crush evil wherever she finds it."
"I don't think that's exactly why Lina is doing it..."
"She's probably just after all of Clair Bibles that the main sect is most likely hoarding," Zel commented quietly.
"You make me sound like some sort of greedy dragon."
"No you can't be a dragon," Gourry shook his head. "Or you would scare yourself away."
Several lumps on the head later, Gourry was laying on the floor with Sylphiel easing the pain from Lina's beating. Amelia just shook her head and reminded Gourry about possibly trying not to continually provoke Lina. Then Sylphiel, Gourry, Lina, and Amelia would all turn in for the night. All in all, it followed the same outline of every night during the last week as they fruitlessly searched for leads toward the central branch of the Western Church.
"Spending another night with the bottle?"
"That is none of your business." He poured out a glass. "So it's your turn again tonight?"
Ever since Lina learned that he had been doing this every night, one of the others took a turn trying to dissuade him or at least trying to get him to talk. So far, no one had been succeeding as Zelgadiss was keeping strictly whatever problems he had to himself.
"What does drinking solve?" Lina asked harshly, taking away the glass. "You're hiding something, running away from some problem. Why?"
"What makes you think I'm hiding something?"
"This isn't like you."
"Isn't like me? Since when did you ever know me?"
"You aren't like the Zel I knew."
"The chimera?" he asked bitterly.
"No, I'm talking about Zel. The one who knew himself, knew what he wanted, knew when he was overmatched but didn't hide in fear. He didn't run from his problems to escape them, he ran until he could have chance to defeat them."
"You know nothing," Zel said flatly, taking back the wine glass and taking down its contents in one swallow.
"Then why don't you talk to us?" Lina demanded. "Friends are there to help one another. Besides, there's no problem that the great Lina Inverse can't solve!"
"Leave me alone."
"Unlikely. This drinking isn't helping anyone, especially not you. How long have you been doing this? What's bothering you?"
Zelgadiss only poured himself another glass and drank it.
"What's scaring you?"
The wine glass shattered in his hand.
"Zel, your hand!"
He looked at it dispassionately as he opened it. Pieces of glass stuck in the bleeding flesh. "It's nothing. Go away."
"What do you mean nothing! Let me heal that."
"Don't touch me!!" Zel backhanded the sorceress, his hand striking her face as well.
Lina staggered backwards, one hand on her cheek. Had Zel just hit her? Why? She had only wanted to help him. Her cheek stung. The hand Lina pulled away was streaked with blood. Her eyes looked up at Zel but he was busy with the bottle, again having found another glass.
"Why..."
"Don't bother pretending you care. You're just worried that this may effect my performance during the day. It doesn't. So why don't you just go back to burning wax like you do every other night on that stone tablet you found?"
Pretend that she cared?
"Fine, you self-centered cold-hearted bastard! Why would anyone care about you! You can rot in hell until it freezes over!!"
He only heard her steps running up the stairs and then the door to her room slamming. They didn't hurt. Her words. They were only truth. Zelgadiss discarded the glass and took to the bottle.
It was probably past the midnight hour. Lina wasn't sure. How long had she stared blankly at the stone tablet and her notes on the table before her? Ever since she escaped upstairs before the tears of hurt could start to fall. Lina Inverse didn't cry.
One or two tears didn't count. That was all that fell before she threw herself whole-heartedly into her research. The one that Zelgadiss had said kept her up most of the past nights. How did he know anyway? Being more plastered than dried gum on the floor.
But she couldn't concentrate. Not on the complicated code that the stone tablet's inscription was written in. Not on the stone carvings that could help place the stone's age. Not on the thrilling prospect that this might hold a lost spell from before the Kouma War.
Her finger kept running over the slight red line that cross her cheek. It wasn't anything serious, taking maybe a week to heal completely without any scars. But if she left it, everyone else would ask where it came from. An answer Lina didn't want to give. Perhaps she should heal it magically.
A knock sounded on Lina's door.
"Who is it?" she asked dully.
"It is Amelia."
Why was the princess still up?
"Come in, it's open."
Amelia slipped into the room. She, Sylphiel, and Gourry had listened to the argument but quickly hidden in their rooms when Lina stormed upstairs. Giving Lina several hours to calm down, Amelia had been selected to see how she was doing.
"Lina-san?"
"What is it?" The sorceress never turned around. She was startled as Amelia's arms wrapped around her neck. "Amelia?"
"It's alright, Lina-san. Zelgadiss-san didn't mean what he said," murmured the younger girl.
"You were listening."
"You already knew that."
"You never thought this was a good idea to begin with."
"Everyone has something to hide. Something they don't want anyone else to see or know because it could destroy them. So they have to cover it up."
"But why does he need to hide from us? We're his friends."
"Lina-san. Even friends have secrets," Amelia said softly. "Some things are too close to the heart to be shared. Some things are too close to the heart that if they were told, the heart would shatter."
"So instead he spends his nights with the bottle's numbing embrace?"
Amelia giggled a bit. Lina seemed to be cheering up again. That was good. She couldn't stand other people being sad. It only made it harder for her. Yes, it was a selfish thing, wanting other people to not be sad so she wouldn't become sad and...remember.
"Everyone has to believe in something, Lina-san. Everyone has their own way with dealing with their secrets."
"Zel believes he needs another bottle."
"So, do you feel up to apologizing now?"
"Apologizing? Apologizing for what?" Lina asked indignantly.
Amelia smiled. "You didn't mean what you said to Zelgadiss-san either."
"Humph, like he cares."
"I think he does, even if he won't show it. Besides, it'll probably make you feel better."
Lina snorted. "You've been up too long, young lady. It's past your bedtime."
"Hai hai." Amelia was letting go when Lina's hands grabbed her arms. "Lina-san?"
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Amelia was just about to leave when Lina spoke up again.
"Amelia. If you ever want to talk..." Lina didn't need to say about what. "I'll always be here to listen."
The young princess blinked back a tear. "Arigatou."
Lina waited a while before getting up. When she stepped into the hallway, all she heard were snores and soft breathing. Gourry had been right, Amelia was hiding a very deep and old pain under her jubilant, justice-loving exterior. Someday perhaps, the princess would tell her. But now, Lina had someone else to go to.
By now, downstairs was silent as well. And Zelgadiss was once again sprawled on the bar countertop. One lone candle still burned on its wick down to only a finger length. She shook out the blanket she had brought down with her and wrapped it around him.
"You could at least have the sense to bring the last bottle up to your room and drink it," she sighed.
The hand that had shattered the wine glass was covered with dried blood and shards of glass. Calling a Lighting spell for better illumination, Lina proceeded with the slow task of removing each piece, with tweezers if necessary. Perhaps it was because of the alcohol induced stupor, Zelgadiss never stirred during her ministrations.
"Recovery."
Scarred flesh healed and lightened.
"Zel...I'm sorry for what I said. I know you can't hear me right now. But, I hope you understand when you wake up. It'd be too embarrassing to say to your face."
Lina extinguished her spell and stumbled drowsily up the stairs. She was not going to be the first one up tomorrow. Oh well. Everyone had a late night.
In the common room, the last candle died out, plunging the last occupant into darkness.
"Good morning, everyone!"
Xelloss received five death glares, four more than usual.
"Did I do something?"
Lina tackled the so-called mysterious priest and began to twist his appendages into unnatural positions.
"Just where the hell have you been?" roared Lina the Demon. "And where is that manuscript you took with you?!"
"Ano, Lina-san. Could I get up first?"
"No!"
"Can a leg be bent in that position?" Gourry wondered.
"But, I found information on where all of the other Clair Bible manuscripts must be..."
Lina stopped dislocating and rearranging Xelloss's arms and legs and moved on to shaking the priest silly.
"Wherewherewherewherewherewherewherewhere!!"
"Xelloss-san. You were gone all this time finding the root of evil for us?"
"See, Zelgadiss-san? He wasn't just using us."
Zelgadiss didn't dignify Sylphiel's words with a response.
"I don't think he can do anything if Lina doesn't stop shaking him before his head falls off," Gourry noted, devouring Lina's breakfast.
Lina stopped shaking him and looked at the dizzy priest with the swirling eyes. That was easy to fix with a big iron fan applied to the head. So she borrowed Amelia's.
Whack!
"Umm, thank you Lina-san. I think." Xelloss tried to pull the two worlds he was seeing into one.
"Where is it?!"
"That is a secret."
Lina smashed the fan over his head.
"Spill it."
"Well, the road to the heart of darkness is fraught with peril..."
"Get to the point!"
"That is, first we have to get through this forest to the northwest which I don't think is a very good idea."
"Forest? What's so scary about a forest?"
"Lina-san, this forest is scary!"
"Amelia," Lina sighed. "There is nothing wrong with this forest."
"But I'm getting goosebumps!"
"I don't like how this forest feels either," Sylphiel added, hugging herself.
"What is wrong with you two?" Lina asked disgusted. "Have your sixth senses gone haywire? Xelloss, do you feel anything?"
"Feel anything?" Xelloss looked around the damp, thickly wooded forest with scattering patches of sunlight. "It is a bit chilly if that's what you mean."
"See? Nothing but the weather."
"Xelloss-san, what is the name of this forest?"
"I believe it was the Darken Woods."
"Eh?!?"
"What? What?" Lina quickly looked around for the threat.
"The Darken Woods? But that's supposed to be haunted with ghosts and restless spirits! People who have entered have never been seen from again! At night there are sounds of horrible screams that would turn your hair white! What are we doing here?!" Amelia cried.
"Darken Woods? I didn't think it was this close," Lina mused.
"This isn't the time for that, Lina-san! We can't stay here."
"But Xelloss said this was the way to that baby horse," Gourry pointed out.
"Cult, not colt!" Lina corrected. "And Gourry's right, Amelia. Just keep your chin up. Nothing has happened to us so far."
"Perhaps you shouldn't have said that, Lina-san" Xelloss murmured. "We have company."
"Halt by command of the Master of the Darken Woods!"
Before them rose a towering creature of vines and dead leaves whose face was hidden by a cylindrical helmet with antlers and glowing red eyes in a black eye slit. All light seemed to be drawn into it and absorbed. The air distinctively felt cooler. This threatening image was completely at odds with the high squeaky voice in which it spoke.
"We bid you greeting, oh Master of the Darken Woods," Xelloss greeted. "We are but humble travelers on a pilgrimage to the Western Church of Saint Ajura that lies beyond your vast kingdom."
"I can just blow him up," Lina grumbled in a low voice.
"Do so and you will never leave this place," squeaked the Master of the Darken Woods.
"Then I'll just destroy the entire forest."
"Lina-san, please. Forgive her, oh great one. Her impatience overrules what little good sense she possesses."
"What was that Xelloss?!"
"Your humility does much to soothe me. As such, I will offer you a challenge. Should you pass it, you will be free to leave the forest by the path that will open. Should you fail, you will forever haunt this place as ghosts."
"Your challenge is to bring it down the mightiest tree of these woods."
"That's easy," Lina shrugged with a smirk. "Gourry, use your Sword of Light."
"No! Such novice weapons cannot be used for this illustrious deed."
"Novice weapon?" Lina asked in disbelief.
"Many great warriors lay dead in the feeble attempt to accomplish this great task. So you must do this, stepping forward with all of your courage and might."
"How do people die by cutting down a tree?" Amelia wondered.
"Perhaps a branch fell on them," Sylphiel suggested.
"Anyway. There is but one tool for this task. One tool refined over centuries upon centuries of furious upstream battles. Many of the masters have fallen to allow it, this mightiest of tools to be given to you."
Everyone was tense with anticipation.
"Behold now, avert your eyes from its glories, this be it!!"
And he held up...
...a herring.
Everyone crashed but the sound was muffled by the thick fall of pine needles.
"That's a herring," Gourry muttered.
"It be no ordinary herring," cried the Master of the Darken Woods. "It be a red herring."
"Do say," Zelgadiss snorted.
"It's very easy to get red herrings!" Lina yelled at the towering pile of leaves.
"But have you ever seen a herring so smooth, with scales that shine in such light, have you? Have you?!"
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Several times."
"Yes."
"Most definitely yes."
"...yes."
"It doesn't matter." It handed each of them a red herring. "Now, go forth and see your puny frail fishy figure sticks - "
"That made absolutely no sense," Sylphiel murmured.
"Just go and strike down the tree," it said, pointing to the mighty tree of the forest. For those who have seen Charley Brown's Christmas, it is exactly like the tree that he chose for the Christmas play. A sapling with the barest of pine needles that looked as if the next decent breeze would tip it over.
"Give me a break," Lina muttered. "As if this wasn't the simplest thing in the world."
Grasping the fish by its tail, Lina whacked the 'tree'. It bent over with the fish's weight, the sapling's tip almost touching the ground, before it sprung back and sent the fish into Lina's face.
"Simplest thing in the world?" smirked the Master of the Darken Woods. He got a limp fish in the face.
"Gourry! You do it!"
Gourry looked at her with a fish tail sticking out of his mouth.
"Never mind," Lina sighed. "Sylphiel?"
"It's cruel to strike that struggling sapling with this heavy fish."
"Amelia?"
"For the Comrades of Justice, I will strike with the Fish of Justice!" Amelia threw the red herring at the sapling with the same unfortunate catapult result, fish in face and all.
"That just leaves Zel and Xelloss."
"If you don't mind, I'd like to go first," Xelloss smiled.
Zel ignored him.
The mysterious priest walked up to the 'mightiest tree in the forest'. He looked at it from one way, and then the other. Taking the fish by the tail, he gave the sapling a quick snap near its base. It fell over.
"All in the wrist."
Everyone except Zelgadiss just gaped.
"By your word, you will now open the path through the Darken Woods for us," Xelloss reminded.
The Master of the Darken Woods appeared to glower at Xelloss, rather hard to tell when all you could see were lights that could be its eyes. Abruptly, it sank into the ground.
"Hey! Come back here!" Lina yelled, running up to where it disappeared.
There was something akin to a groan and then the vegetation began to separate to reveal the previously covered path through the forest.
"You may have passed this test," hissed the Master as leaves rustled. "But you will not fare as well on the next one."
"Next one? What do you mean next one?!"
"Lina-san, perhaps we should hurry." The priest caught one of Lina's arms and was leading her along, much to her annoyance. "We don't want to be caught in here after dark do we?"
"After dark? Let's hurry, Lina-san!" Amelia grabbed Lina's other arm and raced down the road.
"Should we go?"
"Was that ever a question?"
"Gourry-sama, Zelgadiss-san," Sylphiel called. "It seems that Lina-san and the others have found the next test."
The Ogre looked down on the six human travelers with an arrogant smirk that sat at odds with its ugly features. Planting his hands on his waist, he puffed out his chest.
"This test is one that demands the utmost wit and intelligence!"
"Neither of which ogres are noted for," Zel muttered.
"I'll ignore that. In order to continue down this road, you must first past my test. Be warned that many have tried, and many more have failed."
"That doesn't add up."
"Will you let me get through my speech uninterrupted?"
"Now that you ask, no."
The Ogre leaned over to Lina. "Is he always like this?"
"No, sometimes he can be even worse."
"Anyway, will you take this great challenge?"
"Do we all get a separate chance?"
"Only one chance."
"Do we get to discuss it then?"
The Ogre thought about it. It reminded Lina of Gourry when he tried to think. Of course, Gourry was beyond the shadow of a doubt much easier on the eyes.
"I guess that's only fair. But then there will be a time limit."
"How long?"
"Two minutes."
"That sounds reasonable but what is the challenge?"
"Once I tell you, the rules can not be changed."
"Stop wasting our time and get on with it!"
"This is the great challenge that boggles the mind, the Coconut in the Basket!" From nowhere the Ogre produced three large baskets and one brown coconut. "You must tell me under which basket this coconut is under!"
"That's the great challenge?!"
"Behold!"
The Ogre put the coconut under the middle basket. Then he quickly began to mix up the three, randomly changing their positions countless times. Of course, the road being a dirt one, all of this movement brought up quite a dust cloud that sent most of the people and the Ogre sneezing.
"Achoo! Alright. You now have two minutes to figure out which one holds the coconut."
They collected in a huddle. Lina noticed that again, Zel was as far away as possible from Xelloss. In this case, since Xelloss was next to her, Zel was on the opposite side of the small ring.
"I think it is the middle one," Amelia suggested. "All of the movement was just to make us think he actually changed its position."
"I was watching him the best that I could and I think it is actually the one on the left," Xelloss said.
"But what if it's neither and is actually the one on the right?"
"Doesn't anyone know exactly which one it is?" Lina moaned. "Why don't I just Dragu Slave our way out of this place?"
"You will disturb all of the spirits residing here," Xelloss reminded.
Lina swore several curses on the cult of Saint Ajura.
"Lina."
"What? Zel."
Zel gestured for her to come closer. Curious, she did and he whispered something into her ear. Lina blinked and then a wicked idea crossed her mind.
"I believe Amelia has the right idea."
"Have you decided?"
"Absolutely." Lina stepped up to face the Ogre. "If the basket on the left is empty..."
Gourry lifted up the left basket and found nothing beneath it.
"And the the basket on the right is empty..."
Xelloss revealed nothing was under the right basket.
"Then the coconut must be under the middle one," Lina patted a hand on it. "Unless of course, you were cheating."
The Ogre whistled innocently, quickly stomping the coconut behind his foot into the ground. "Me? Cheat? How under-handed. Wouldn't dream of it."
"So step aside you waste of space and let us through."
"Another challenge?!"
"It doesn't look so bad, Lina-san," Amelia noted, flipping through the book titled 'The Final Challenge'.
"Neither did the last two. So what do we have to do now?"
"Please wait a moment." Amelia perused the book and began to sweatdrop.
"What?" Those sweatdrops couldn't be good.
"Perhaps you should read it, Lina-san."
Lina grabbed the book away. "What is it, Amelia?"
Gourry and Sylphiel were exploring the rest of the chest located on the stone platform where the final challenge was supposed to take place. Xelloss was sitting on a branch relaxing. Zelgadiss was leaning against a tree across from the platform from Xelloss, being the opposite of relaxed.
"EH?!?"
Lina's shriek startled birds from their nests. She threw the book to the ground.
"There is no way I'm ever going to do that...that..." Lina was speechless with rage.
"Do what?" Gourry asked, pausing in his rummaging.
"The final challenge," Amelia sighed. "Is to sing and dance a certain song while dressed up in a...costume of sorts."
"What is that supposed to serve?"
"Probably a means of soothing restless spirits," Xelloss noted brightly, hopping down from his seat. "We do seem to have quite a collection here."
All around, spirits were drifting forth from the ground, the trees, the stone, the sky. Their despair was transmuted into haunting moans. The collection of living people, of rich life energy, had drawn them here.
"There is no telling how many spirits are housed in these woods."
"Don't be so cheerful about it!" Lina snapped. "Amelia. Sylphiel. Get changed and sing that song!"
"Eh? Why do Sylphiel-san and I have to do it? What about you Lina-san?"
"What are you talking about? You two are both priestesses right? If these songs have some sort of holy power, it would be stronger if the two of you did it, wouldn't it?"
"You just don't want to be put in such an embarrassing situation," Amelia accused.
"Is this what you're supposed to wear?" Gourry held up a skimpy white costume with a ruffled skirt. Sylphiel took one look at it and fainted.
"Hey, Sylphiel!" Lina yelled, trying to awaken the priestess. "This isn't any time to faint! You need to sing that stupid song!"
"I think you had better get it ready soon," Xelloss suggested. "The spirits are getting restless."
"There is no way I'm going to dress up and sing and dance like an objectified image of cuteness to satisfy some perverse desire of older people for - " Lina ducked as a spirit dove through. "Damn it all to hell!"
"Here, Lina-san," Amelia handed Lina one of the costumes with a grin.
"Don't 'here' me. You're getting dressed as well," Lina growled. "But just where are we going to change?"
That was settled with a makeshift tent of capes. Of course, there was some screaming from the girls when one spirit decided to take a peek. A bit later, the two embarrassed girls stepped forth onto the stone platform.
"Don't look at me!!" Lina screamed at the rest of the party.
"But Lina-san, you look so adorable."
"Xelloss, one more word out of you and I'll impale you on your own staff."
"Lina-san, let's get started. It's cold."
Of course it was cold. Standing bare-legged and bare-armed in a damp, dark forest would do that to you.
"Just focus on your fires of justice."
"Hai!"
Lina would focus on pleasing images of burning up bandit camps.
"You have the words memorized?"
"I think so."
"Fine let's get started."
Lina had never heard this song before, 'A Maiden's Prayer'. But the lyrics and choreography were downright stupid, sappy, and sugary cute! Yuck! And to think she was singing and dancing to this for a bunch of stupid spirits in front of people who knew her! Lina nearly broke the microphone in her hand.
"Lina-san," Amelia whispered. "I think it's working."
Well, the spirits weren't flying around anymore. What they were doing was much worse in Lina's opinion. They were sitting like an audience before the stone platform, with these very obvious leering drooling expressions. Don't ask how, they just were.
"They're just a bunch of lecherous spirits," Lina hissed.
"That would explain why one snuck in while we were changing."
"So what are we supposed to do now?"
"It appears that you have to sing another song," Xelloss answered helpfully, reading the book. "The next one is titled The House of Love. Then there's the Loveshack, What is Love, Get It On, I'm Too Sexy..."
"That. Is. Enough!!" Lina screamed, throwing her mike at Xelloss. "Darkness beyond twilight, Crimson beyond blood that flows, you already know the rest so Dragu Slave!!"
"Perhaps the Darken Woods should change its name."
"Like what, Gourry-sama?"
"I don't know. But there really aren't many trees left."
"Lina-san, the druids are going to be angry about that."
"Well, they can go and dress up and sing those ridiculous songs," Lina snapped.
"But I thought you looked cute."
"Shut up, Xelloss!"
"Lina-san, perhaps you shouldn't be too mean to Xelloss-san."
"And why not Amelia?"
"Because he's the only one that knows the way?"
"..."
"It's alright, Lina-san. That show in the forest was quite entertaining."
"Stop reminding me!"
"Then why are you blushing?"
"Not you too, Zel!" Lina stormed on ahead, blushing furiously.
"Guess you're glad you didn't have to do it," Gourry commented as he brought up the rear of the party with the priestess. Sylphiel shyly kneaded her cape in her hands. "But you really can faint on command can't you?"
"Ah. So you knew that..."
"Yes. But don't let Lina know. If you thought she was angry before, it'll be nothing compared to what she'll do if she found out you tricked her into doing it."
"Gourry-san, Sylphiel-san!" Amelia waved. "Looks like we hit a dead end."
The two stragglers cut up with the rest of the group who were looking down the edge of a very deep and very wide precipice. It was so deep that the stone Zel had dropped never made a sound. And the only reason they couldn't just fly across it was...
"Magic isn't working," Lina said sourly. "One of those dead magic zones. Perhaps even linked to the creation of this gorge."
"So you can't fly because it's that time of month?"
"What made you think it was that time of month?!"
"But that's the only time you can't use magic." Gourry seemed proud that he could remember something.
"Idiot! Zel can't cast spells either and men certainly don't suffer from that time of month!"
"They don't? How come?"
"Forget it, you jellyfish!"
"Lina-san! I think there is a bridge over there!" Amelia, from her perch on a high rock, could see the bridge much more clearly from her vantage point.
"Good. There had to be a way across this."
"I wonder if there is going to be any challenges in order to cross the bridge."
"Don't say that, Xelloss! You'll jinx us!"
"You must answer three questions."
Lina shrieked as a creepy old man suddenly loomed in her face.
"It seems like there is a challenge," Xelloss sighed.
"Whose fault do you think that is?"
"What...is your name?" The creeppy old man popped up in front of Gourry.
Gourry blinked. "Gourry Gabriev...I guess."
"That will do. What...is the color of your hair?"
Gourry pulled out a strand and looked at it. "Yellow?"
"What...is your favorite color?"
Gourry looked at himself. "Looks like it's blue."
The old man waved him toward the bridge. "You may pass."
"That's all? I'm next!" Lina declared.
"What...is your name?"
"Lina Inverse, genius sorceress extraordinaire and - "
"What...is the color of your hair?"
"Red."
"What...are your three sizes?"
"Dill Brando!"
The creepy old man went flying into the gorge.
"Lina-san, why did you just blast that poor old man?"
"That was a perverted old man," Lina retorted. "What would you have done if he asked for your three sizes?!"
"But he didn't."
"Three sizes? What are three sizes?"
"Just cross the bridge, Gourry!"
"Xelloss," Lina growled in a barely civil tone. "Are you sure this is the right way?"
"Certainly. In fact, the Western Church's compound should be just across this river."
"This path seems to be just loaded with traps."
"I did say it was fraught with peril, did I not?"
"Stop smirking."
"I'm not."
Lina snorted and looked across the opaque milky-white churning liquid that was the water. It wasn't normal water. Normal water didn't rise up in tentacles to try and drag you down when you flew across it. Her leg was slightly numb from her encounter.
"So is there another bridge with a nosy tollman to let us cross?"
Xelloss shook his head. "See this post?"
"Yes."
"You just rap it once like so..."
A deep vibrating tone echoed across the river's surface.
"Who calls?" asked a disembodied voice.
"Travelers who wish to cross the river."
"Be there in a minute."
A cloaked ferryman on a long narrow skiff pushed his way toward shore.
"Are you the ones who summoned me?"
"Damn right! We want to cross this river!" Lina demanded, stepping up onto the dock.
The ferryman stepping up, looked at her. Then he looked closely at her. Then he was looking at her right in her face.
"Wha - "
The ferryman stepped away. "All who can pay the fee may ride. All that is, except for her." One bony finger pointed at Lina.
"Me? And why not?"
"I don't need to give you my reasons. I'm the ferryman, I make the rules. Whoever wants a ride needs to pay me 35 gold pieces each up front and then additional for crossing time."
"What do you mean you won't take me!"
"Lina-san's reputation must have proceeded her," Amelia noted, sipping a cup of tea.
"I always told her to be so uninhibited," Sylphiel sighed, pouring tea for Zelgadiss.
"I suppose then that there is no other choice than to leave her here."
"How can you take this so calmly!" Lina yelled at Zelgadiss. "This is discrimination! This is unethical! This is - "
"Perfectly legal under my employment contract and guild rules."
"Guild? There is a guild for ferrymen?" Xelloss asked interested.
"Of course. Here's my card."
"A member of the Charon Ferrymen Guild assigned on part-time status to service the Lemures River. Reilin Larns."
"Reilin Larns?!"
"You know him, Lina-san?"
"...nope. Never say him before in my life."
If they could see Reilin's face, they would have seen an expression of pure irritation. Stiffly, he turned back to his boat and got in.
"Well. If that's how you feel, then I'll take my leave. There are plenty of other people willing to pay the fee to cross."
"Oh no you don't!" Lina leaped onto the narrow boat, causing it to wobble precariously.
"You idiot! Are you trying to throw both of us into the Lemures?!"
"No, just you!"
Splash!
Everyone on the dock looked at the spot where Lina had thrown Reilin into the water. There were no bubbles.
"Lina-san, was that necessary?"
"We got the boat didn't we? So let's go."
"I don't think so," Reilin said primly, pulling himself back on board with a bunch of unraveled bandages. His hood had also fallen back to reveal a skull with faded ivory skin stretched tightly across it and only several wisps of silver hair dotting it.
"Why weren't you affected by the river?" Lina demanded.
"No thanks to you."
"It's an evil, life-draining undead creature!" Amelia cried.
"I'm not dead, young girl. Though if I was, it would makes things considerably much easier."
"But being dead is horrible!"
"And living like this is better?"
"Reilin-san," Xelloss interrupted. "Is there any way we could pay you to take all of us over?"
"Any way or any thing?"
"You need only to say it."
Reilin gave Lina a measuring look and if he had enough facial muscles to pull it off, he would have been smirking with a superior look.
"Perhaps if you gave me the Philosopher Stone..."
Zelgadiss choked.
"...or the Sword of Light..."
"That's mine!" Gourry protested, clutching the precious family heirloom.
"...or those talismans you're wearing."
Everyone looked at Xelloss and noted the matching set of talismans set at his neck, belt, and wrists. Zelgadiss remembered them quite clearly, a morbid thing of remembering clearly what nearly caused his death.
"Magic amplification talismans."
Xelloss nodded his head. "You are correct. These are called the Demonblood Talismans because - "
"They're made from the blood of the Demon Lords!" Lina blurted out. Just how the hell did one of Lei Magnus's prize creations end up in the hand of a priest?! "Or...so I've heard rumors of."
"Lina-san, you never cease to surprise me. Yes, that is the legend behind them but the truth?" Xelloss shrugged. "Who knows?"
"If you give them to me, I'll let everyone ride. But Lina."
"Who cares about that! Xelloss, sell them to me! I'll pay you 40 gold!"
"I don't have any intention of selling them."
"40? You're always tight with your money. I'll pay 45 gold in addition to letting you cross."
"Are either of you listening to me?"
"You only upped my bid by 5. 50!"
"This is really pointless since I don't want to sell."
"Perhaps you've forgotten that you still need to get across here. And the Lemures River only lets those on the ferryboats cross," smirked Reilin. "55!"
Xelloss sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Well, if you perhaps paid me 55 million gold then - "
"Sold!"
"Foul!" Reilin called, holding an abacus. "I haven't had time to calculate my total savings yet!"
"Too bad. You snooze, you lose."
"Lina-san. You couldn't possible have 55 million gold on you."
"You're going to eat those words Xelloss," Lina grinned as she began to pull out rare items from her cape's dimensional pockets. "Let's see. Powdered hen's teeth. 1000 year old ginseng root. Tiger eye gems. Horn of a minotaur. Three hairs of a goldfish. Toenails of a dragon, don't ask. Underdark screeching mushrooms, now those are really hard to find. A bottle of Zefilian wine that was from the...286th pressing. A matching set of a dozen Star Rubies, oh I really hate to part with those. I think that's a bit over but oh well."
Xelloss sweatdropped.
Reilin fumed.
Zelgadiss glared. "That was where you hid those two items wasn't it."
Lina laughed nervously.
"I can hardly believe this," Xelloss sighed as he removed the talismans. "But bargain met..."
"Is bargain sealed!" Lina said gleefully as she snatched up the talismans. And just to spite Reilin, she didn't put them on but dropped them into her cape's pocket.
"You missed your calling, Lina," grumbled Reilin. "You should have become a merchant."
"Why do you keep talking like you know me?"
"No, the question is why do you keep talking like you don't know me?"
"Why would Lina-san know you?" Amelia asked.
"Because it's her doing that I'm like this."
"A ferryman?"
"No! Stuck in this immortal body that looks like a decrepit corpse!"
"Lina-san, that's terrible! Why did you do that?"
"Do what?!"
"You cursed me because you're stuck in the body of a sixteen year old until the world slips off the Staff of Worlds and into the Sea of Chaos!!"
"What the...How the hell did you know that? Oh gods, you...Reilin Larns, this time I won't just stop with cursing your damn hide!! You don't have any magical armor to hide behind now!!"
"So Lina-san really does know Reilin-san," Sylphiel noted as the petite sorceress and the skeletal ferryman entered a rough and tumble dust cloud fight. "Perhaps we should separate them?"
"Are you sure it is in our own best interests to do so?" Xelloss asked. "We might get pulled in."
"You just need to know how to go about it."
"Would you please enlighten us?"
Zelgadiss turned his back on the 'priest'. Stepping up to the cloud, he waited for a few minutes, dodging several random attempts by flailing arms to grab any nearby item as a weapon. Finally, he stuck in his arm and pulled out a screaming, thrashing hellcat with blood-red eyes.
Gourry and Amelia jumped behind Sylphiel to hide themselves from its furious gaze. Xelloss walked up to the battered form of Reilin and nudged the pile of cloth and bones with his staff.
"Are you still with us?"
"I'm immortal," muttered something in there. "How can I not be?"
Lina, who was swearing in such a harsh language that even Gourry covered his ears, found herself abruptly silenced by a gag. Then she was bound with all of the available rope everyone could find. In the end, all she could do was make muffled noises that everyone took to be curses on their forefathers and ineffectively tried to inch her way over to Reilin to whack him with her tied legs.
"So what exactly did Lina-san do to you?" Amelia asked, handing Reilin a cup of tea.
"Well, she cast maybe thirty or so curses on me and then threw in a handful of Black magic spells to boot which caused the whole thing to mess up and leave me with a non-standard but high level curse on me."
"How long have you been like this?"
"Hmmm. How long do you think Lina?"
Lina only glared daggers at him and tried to inch her way closer. She couldn't because Zelgadiss had staked her down a safe distance away.
"Seven years since we parted? Yeah, about that long I guess."
"That's a very long time," Gourry nodded. "Seven years ago...you mean Lina was traveling around since she was eight or so?"
"How old do you think she is?"
Lina screamed something garbled.
"It isn't polite to inquire about a girl's age," Amelia frowned.
"Perhaps instead of jumping around, you should start with the why she cursed you," Zelgadiss commented.
"Oh, now that was easy. You see, our other party member and I were arguing over something, I don't remember what now, and Lina tried to break us up. But neither of us were paying attention so we both knocked her into a fountain of water."
"Lina-san cursed you and your friend just for that?!" Amelia gasped horrified.
"I knew she was mean-tempered but I didn't think she was that bad." Gourry scouted several more feet away from Lina.
"Well...she probably would have given us a hot foot or turned our baths freezing cold in revenge but she didn't curse me just for that. You see..."
Lina pulled herself out of the fountain, coughing out the water that invaded her lungs. Great, she was completely wet and there was water in her boots. She was going to make their lives hell.
Odd, her boots seemed rather loose.
Reilin and his best friend stared at their friend the sorceress. Then they looked at each other, each wearing an equal mixed expressions of amazement, amusement, and fear.
"You two," Lina said firmly. "Are you going to wish you never left home." She blinked. Did they appear...taller? Must be a trick of the light.
"You tell her."
"No, you tell her."
"No, you tell her."
"I insist. You."
"Oh no, you."
"Brawn before brain."
"Hey!"
Lina glowered at the priest and fighter nudging each other and trying to prod the other to do something that she had absolutely know idea what. And she hated being kept of things.
"Just what the hell are you two playing hot potato for?!"
The priest pushed Reilin forward. "Go on."
"Why me?!"
"Because," the priest said matter-of-factly. "I can heal you afterwards."
"Point."
Reilin cautiously approached Lina. "Hey, Lina. Feeling alright? No broken bones? No concussions? You wouldn't be by some lucky twist of fate on that time of month would you?"
Lina crossed her arms and looked up at him. She didn't remember him being a whole head taller than her. Perhaps he had grown. "Get. To. The. Point."
Reilin coughed and muttered something.
"What was that?"
He cleared his throat and mumbled.
"Speak up, Reilin."
"Lina, you um...not sure how to say this but well...you kind of de-aged."
Lina blinked.
"You're younger. Maybe the same age as my kid sister."
She didn't even blink which Reilin took to mean she was in major shock. Now would be a very good time to escape to perhaps the next continent. Unfortunately for Reilin, he didn't get very far in his plan.
"Dill Brando!"
The priest studied a book about the legendary fountain of youth amidst the noisy exploding background. From the sounds of it, Reilin was going to need not only a very intensive healing session but a good curse removal specialist when this was all over.
The battered, spell-burned fighter landed with a crash by the priest. That which was once human raised an arm covered by a partially melted metal gauntlet.
"You...owe me...another set...of magic armor."
"And that bastard Quar never did get me another one," Reilin grumbled.
"Quar?" Pieces were falling into place in Zelgadiss's head.
"You know that good for nothing priest?"
"Passing acquaintance."
"So Lina-san got turned into a child back then?" Amelia asked.
"Not exactly. You see - Itai!"
Reilin looked sourly up at Lina who had whacked him in the back of the head. She in turned was quietly simmering at him. So he shut his mouth and sulked.
"How did you get out?"
"You did a sloppy job of tying me up this time, Zel," Lina snapped. "Now that you've heard the story of my life told without permission by the only living skeleton in the world can we get back to business?"
"That's right. So will you take us across the river, Reilin-san?" Xelloss asked.
Reilin shook his head. "As I said before, I'll take everyone but her."
"Humph!"
"I guess there is no choice but to take the other path then," Xelloss sighed.
"Other path? Why didn't you say so earlier, Xelloss!" Lina grabbed Xelloss by the ear and began hauling him away. "Take us to it right now!"
"But Lina-san, it's the Corridor of Mirrors and I really don't think - "
"What's so scary about mirrors?!"
"Perhaps your reflection?"
"Fireball!"
Reilin's robes were reduced to black tatters.
"Lina-san is really sensitive about that isn't she?"
Reilin patted Amelia on the head. "It can't be help. Now hurry along before she starts throwing the really big spells."
Everyone but Zel hurried after Lina's screaming figure.
"Did you need something?"
Zel tilted his head. "When you said she was 'stuck in the body of a sixteen year old' until basically the end of the world...did you mean?"
Reilin shrugged, shuffling into his skiff. "Why else do you think she's still so angry about it?"
"How old is she really?"
"I'll put it this way. I've known her my entire life and until she fell into that fountain, she never changed. Now I've got work to do so you youngsters go off and play."
Zel bristled. "I am not youngster."
"I'm at least ten years older than you. In my book, you're a youngster. Now shoo."
Reilin pushed his boat into the currents of the Lemures River, formed of many captured and tortured souls that strove to attack anything living. Anything that is except the ferryman's boat, the ferryman, and any of his passengers.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The fighter-turned-ferryman looked down. Why was his time counter going off? It should only have activated when a passenger stepped aboard. Oh hell, Lina had stepped into the boat! And the counter had been running ever since.
"Damn."
And Lina and her new troop of unfortunate followers were nowhere in sight. With a sigh, Reilin began to pole the boat toward the side entrance of the Corridor of Mirrors. Just like Lina to run out on the bill.
"Hellooooooooooo?"
"Hellooooooooooo?"
"Hellooooooooooo?"
Gourry sighed at the echoes of his voice coming back to him. This had to be a record, the shortest amount of time it took an entire group to become separated and lost. And just to prove it, he hadn't been the first to stray from the group. In fact, everyone else strayed from him.
"Not that Lina is going to admit to that," he shrugged, looking at his reflection.
Yes, the mirrors were going to be the problem. Contrary to Lina's popular opinion, he wasn't quite as dumb as he usually acted. In fact, he was completely normal. But this place would tax a genius's mind.
Gourry ran a hand along the mirror surfaces. There were so many that it was hard to tell where the apparent 'wall' actually ended to reveal another path lined with just as many mirrors. And then there were mirrors reflected in mirrors reflected in mirrors reflected in mirrors reflected in...
His mind stopped before he gave himself a headache. He stopped because he ran into a transparent pane of glass. As if mirrors weren't bad enough...
"All I need now are that some of these mirrors turn out to be magical."
"Surely you know better than that. Why, by just saying it, you've jinxed yourself."
Gourry looked around but as far as he could tell, there wasn't anyone else here. He scratched his head.
"That's odd. And that voice sounded like me..."
"You mean you sound like me."
"Where are you!"
"Right here."
From one of the mirrors, Gourry's reflection stepped out. Nearly everything was the same from the hair to the eyes to the clothes to the nicks on the sword's sheath. The most obvious difference to Gourry and probably none of his current traveling companions lay in the eyes. Not in the color but in the expression and the thoughts that lay behind them.
"Are you my missing twin brother? I didn't even know I had a twin brother. Or maybe you're - "
"Let's not insult my, I mean, our intelligence and just drop this charade."
"Other than looks we don't seem to share much," Gourry said flatly. Could this thing...
"Read your thoughts? I don't need to. I am you," smirked the Mirror Gourry. "The you that is always hidden deep below. Probably a good thing too since that idiotic act you always put on would make me sick."
"You're me? You act more like my older brother."
"Ah yes. Our dear older brother. Wonder if he's still alive? You did cut him pretty deep with that family heirloom of ours. Maybe Dad finished the job you started. Don't you just love the nice happy family that takes care of each other?"
"Some family."
"What's this? Bitterness? Remorse? Guilt? Self-loathing? Why, I didn't think we harbored such emotions."
"Just because I act like nothing fazes me doesn't mean nothing doesn't."
"Of course, of course." Mirror Gourry drifted over to Gourry, draping one arm on the real one's shoulder as it leaned forward. "After all, you did feel something when you took the Sword of Light for yourself. When you - "
"Enough!" Gourry slashed at his dark reflection.
"What's wrong? Can't face what you did?" taunted the mirror self. "You killed to get that sword, just as countless generations of Gabrievs have done. It's just tradition."
"I am not like them!"
"Right," snorted the reflection. "What was it you did for a living those years you wandered? Mercenary right? A hired sword. Hired to kill. No questions asked. What makes you any different?"
"I am...different."
"At least your family is honest about what it does. Why don't you do yourself a favor and just admit that you enjoy killing for its own sake?"
"I do...not."
"Was that a slight hesitation I heard?"
"Go to hell."
"Only with you. You can never escape, Gourry Gabriev. The chains of your family still lay heavy on you. There is no way out."
"You're wrong. They still haven't found me."
"No? That's what you think. And it doesn't have to be one of them to be the one to root you out. Rezo recognized you. As did Zoom. How long do you think you can go?"
"Those were just coincidences. Nothing else," Gourry said shakily.
Mirror Gourry studied Gourry with a calculating grin. "How about I let you in on a secret?"
"You know only what I know."
"True. But I have so much more access to your inner demons. And I'm not afraid to play with them. So, do you want to hear?"
"Would you leave?"
"Perhaps. I'll tell you anyway. You want to know why you still travel with that sorceress who beats you up almost as much as your family does?" Mirror Gourry didn't bother to wait for an answer as he drifted close to Gourry's ear to whisper. "You stay with her...because you know that when your family finds you, she may be the only one powerful enough to save you from them."
You are...
Zel turned his head toward the voice but there was no one there. Perhaps he was hearing things? It was too quiet here. At the very least, he would have expected to hear yelling from any of the three most likely candidates, Lina, Amelia, or Gourry. The worst possible case would be Lina using a Dragu Slave to clear the place.
He picked up his pace.
...not...
This was getting ridiculous. Even placing a hand on one wall and following it was getting him nowhere. These damn optical illusions. Whoever designed the place must have had a ball.
...mistake...
Zelgadiss glowered at the dead end of mirrors as if that would somehow convince the panels to move aside and let him through. All it did accomplish was give himself a very good look at himself. When was the last time he looked in a mirror?
In his mind's eye, the broken reflection of what Rezo had done to him burned brightly. Nearly two years worth of self-hate were hard to break. Especially since he had to depend on his father to return to how he was now.
And what was he now? Barely a young man with light violet hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, dressed in the more practical version of his light blue and ivory prince garments.
"Prince? Don't make me laugh."
Zelgadiss didn't even blink as his reflection stepped forth from the mirror before him. This was the kind of thing you had to expect when walking through a maze of mirrors. His other self was much more openly arrogant, confident. And had one thing that distinctively marked him as not the Zel that everyone else knew.
His blue eyes were slitted.
"You're never going to be able to trick the others."
"I'm not here to trick anyone. I'm just here to help you find yourself."
"I know that you know that I don't believe or trust you."
"You can't even trust yourself? Then who do you trust? No one? That's good. That's very good," laughed the reflection.
...trust...no one...good.
"Tell me the way out of this place."
"Awww, poor Zelly can't figure it out on his own? But then, you always were quite worthless."
...worthless...
"Please don't put up some pathetic defense like 'You don't know me' or 'You're just playing with my mind'. You beat yourself down every night."
...beat...down...
"After all, only a complete loser would devote his life to trying to outdo the just about most perfect person in existence. Even if that person is your father."
...complete...loser...
"And how did you go about it? Joining a thieves' guild, running away from your grandmother's, joining a mercenary troop, accepting that stupid offer from Rezo..."
"Are you quite through yet?"
"Nope," grinned the reflection. "Can't forget that the cure to what Rezo inflicted on you was in your father's hands all along. But you were too much of an idiot to ask for his help. More of that, 'I can do everything better than you' kick you were on."
"But that's gone now isn't it? Your father has forged an empire and made you the heir. How can you beat him when he's set everything up for you? You've lost it. You've lost your reason, you've lost your defense, you've lost everything that has ever defined who you were."
...lost everything...
"So now it has come all crashing down hasn't it. You don't know what to do. So you mope around and drink yourself to the floor every night to keep the pain away. You don't want to face the truth. But guess what? I'm going to give it to you."
"There isn't anyone who cares for you. Your mother abandoned your family when you were six. Your father abandoned you and your brother at your grandmother's. Your own great-grandfather wanted to turn you into a living weapon. The people you travel with? You're a useful tool to be used when convenient. No one cares."
Nobody cares.
"You aren't human. But you've realized that for some time now haven't you."
Not human.
"You were a mistake. You should never have been born. There is nothing for you."
A mistake.
Never should have been born.
No reason to be.
No worth in being.
There is nothing for you.
You are nothing.
"Shut up!!"
"The spell might reflect and - "
"Dam Brass!!"
Mirrors shattered as the spell struck. But Lina wasn't through.
"Dam Brass! Dam Brass! Dam Brass! Dam Brass!"
"Lina-san is really angry isn't she," Amelia sighed as she and Sylphiel shielded themselves and Reilin from the flying shards of glass.
"Oh she isn't that angry," Sylphiel corrected. "Or she would have cast a Dragu Slave."
"She wouldn't do that down here!"
"Oh yes she would," Reilin and Sylphiel both replied.
"But that isn't the way of justice...Ne, Reilin-san, I forgot to thank you earlier for rescuing me."
Reilin shrugged. "I wasn't planning on doing it but it seemed like the quickest way to get to Lina."
"Why were you looking for Lina? Don't tell me you've harbored a secret crush for her for years and are now going to confess?"
The ferryman sweatdropped. "Does this look like some cheesy romance novel?"
Amelia crossed her arms with a huff. "Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I can't read copper-piece novels."
"So then, why were you looking for Lina-san?"
"She owes me money." Reilin showed the priestess the bill. "Once you step into the boat, the counter begins to run and I have to collect the fee no matter what."
"But we didn't ride."
"It doesn't matter. Guild rules."
"Those rules aren't very just," Amelia frowned.
"Put in a complaint. If you're lucky, those bureaucrats running the place may get to it by next year."
"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..."
"Don't!"
Lina was hit by a three person tackle.
"So everyone was confronted by a mirror self that dug out the deepest, darkest secrets of the soul?"
"That is why most people just bit the bullet and pay to cross the river."
"You wouldn't let me on!"
"Perhaps if you took this curse off of me."
"I'm not a priestess!"
"Come now, must we argue?" Xelloss interrupted.
"Yes!" Lina and Reilin shouted.
"I suppose it can't be helped. Lina doesn't seem too disturbed by her experience."
Sylphiel and Amelia exchanged looks. Lina had completely destroyed the Corridor of Mirrors. So much for not being disturbed.
"But Gourry-san and Zelgadiss-san seem very quiet."
"They are always quiet."
"I know Zelgadiss-san won't say a word to me if he can manage but I think they're both very gloomy."
Gourry and Zelgadiss were lagging behind the other five. Each were so lost in their own contemplations that they didn't notice the presence of the other. Nor did they notice Xelloss sticking out his staff and tripping them.
"Itai!"
"What the hell was that!"
"Overgrown root," Xelloss lied. "Perhaps you two should watch where you're going."
Zelgadiss looked suspiciously at Xelloss before continuing. Gourry simply nodded. If these two remained depressed like this for long, things wouldn't go according to plan. And that was something Xelloss didn't like.
"Alright everyone. From here on up to the break in the foliage, we'll need to go on hands and feet," Xelloss said cheerfully.
"Hands and feet? Xelloss, what are you doing?"
Lina's question fell on deaf ears as Xelloss had already disappeared into the bushes. Shrugging, she knelt down and was just about to crawl in after him when Xelloss stuck his head right back out.
"That...is a secret."
Lina punched him between the eyes. "Don't do that again."
"We're going to see the main compound of the cult of course."
"That's better. Now go."
One by one, they crawled up to the ridge of the cliff that stood high above part of the cult's enclave. Right then, it seemed that they were having some sort of outdoor ceremony.
"Who has my telescope?"
Amelia handed the forgotten item to Lina. Pulling it out to its full length, Lina peered down into the crowds below. There were a lot of riff-raff and the generic hired muscle. Quite a few bandits and maybe a smattering of amoral and immoral mercenaries she had met before.
"Have you found the leader?"
"Wait a bit, Xelloss."
Lina moved the scope toward the front of the crowd and up to the stage. Someone was at the podium with more people behind him. Removing the telescope, they all looked like black figures. After giving her eyes a rest, Lina went back to observing the people on the podium.
"What do you see?"
"A black banner with some sort of figure that is covered in flames. A beastman of...white tiger stock. Don't remember ever seeing one of those before. And...oh no, it can't be."
"Lina-san? What's wrong?" asked Amelia who lay along the ridge on one side of Lina.
Lina rubbed her eyes and looked again. No, she hadn't made a mistake the first time. Even though all she could see was the body covered completely by a deep cloak and the head, the head was all she needed to recognize who it was.
"Gilga's back."
Several exclamations of disbelief erupted from her companions. Amelia grabbed the telescope and took a look for herself.
"Lina-san was right."
"Of course I'm right! This time, that Gilga is going to go out in pieces!"