The Banquet went off without a hitch as least for now, the guests were all assembled and seated with the host on one end and Princess Amelia on the other. Lina and Gourry who were still dressed in their everyday outfits were seated by Amelia. Along the table were other members of the staff of the Baron and many nobles that had decided to attend for the night. The atmosphere was that of calm and elegance which fit quite nicely with the decor and servants that handed out the food.
Lining the table were numerous exotic foods from numerous regions of the world with an unhealthy assortment of wine. From coconuts to dates, there were also such rare treats as exported caviar from the Alliance of Coastal States. Pork and quail were the main treats with a healthy batch of stew filled with many vegetables and meats were set around the table.
As always, or even expected, Lina and Gourry were pigging out, snatching up as much food as they could and devouring it to their heart's content. Amelia was highly embarrassed as the spectacle brought quite a few stares from some of the nobles.
This entire trip had been a fiasco so far, everything that could possibly go wrong had and now this was happening. She would be lucky if she could ever show her face in public once news about all this came out.
"You know, too bad Zel isn't here," Gourry said between bites. "He's really missing out on all of this great food,"
"Zel said he didn't feel interested in it," Amelia muttered as she noticed that Baron was looking at them. "Oh Lina-san, Baron is winking at you."
"Who cares," Lina remarked as she swallowed a piece of quail down.
"Isn't that the most delicate of manners?" Baron questioned out loud as some of the guest slipped out of their chairs.
"What grace and finesse."
Lina tore a piece of pork with her bare teeth.
"Elegance that you've never seen before."
Lina downed an entire bottle in one gulp.
"She is certainly a diva."
Lina spat out the content of the bottle she had just drunk. Before anyone could say anything, Baron stood up as he started a toast.
"A toast to the Crown Princess! Let justice lead her on her way. Amen."
"Amen," everyone responded.
"And also to her enchantress of a friend, Lina Inverse!" Baron added raising his glass even higher.
Silence touched down.
"I've seen a lot of girls come through my barony of Louve, but Lina has that something special that makes me feel...I don't know, HOT!"
Silence was still there for a long moment.
"Uh Lina-san, have you ever been here before?" Amelia whispered.
"No," Lina hissed back.
"Well he acts like he knows you..." Amelia muttered as Baron Louve Dokter continued.
"I brought a present for you," he stated as he signaled for the servant to give it to her.
A servant walked in with his head down to hide his face as he placed a nice box in front of Lina before he beat a hasty retreat. Lina looked at the box with a mixed expression on what could be in it and whether she wanted to find out.
"Open it," Baron urged as Lina finally did so. "I hope you like it."
Pulling out what was in the box, Lina found herself completely speechless with what she was holding in her hand. Many of the nobles turned their head as many turned a deep crimson shade. Amelia was praying to whatever god would listen to spare her from what was about to happen. Baron had a weird smile plastered on his face as he looked ahead at what he gave her.
"It's a very sheer underwear," Gourry remarked at what Lina was holding.
Several nobles fell out of their chairs with noses bleeding.
Ignoring what else was happening, Baron ushered, "Read the card."
Noticing that Lina was still in shock over the 'gift', Gourry picked up the card as he read, "Won't you be an old man's love toy. We can go up to my room and - "
Lina snatched the card out of Gourry's hand as fire started to crackle around her and her eyes turn red in anger. Gourry and Amelia decided to scoot back in preparation for what was about to happen.
Totally oblivious to what will happen, Baron remarked, "I would come to my bedroom after a long day of work and you would be lying in my bed in lingerie. Long backrubs would dissolve into rough housing and giggles and then - "
Lina had enough, "Die you pig! Flare Lance!"
Zel stood outside of the doors to the dining hall as a massive shockwave blew them off their hinges. Smoke spilled out of the new opening as guests came running frantically out. Eventually Lina and Amelia came stumbling out, looking slightly singed.
"That was why I didn't go," Zel remarked crossing his arms. Looking at the destruction inside, Zel asked, "So what ticked you off?"
"Lina you forgot these?" Gourry said stumbling out of the room holding a slightly burned pair of panties.
Lina promptly throttled him.
The bell rung twelve times as it signaled that it was midnight, the guards around the castle were all those that got the graveyard shift. Most of them were following asleep at their post, while others were patrolling with sleepy eyes. One particular guard was strolling down the castle guard as he held a lantern to light his way while using his spear for support as he went through there.
He paused as he heard sounds of several faint voices that were coming rapidly closer. Shining his light in the direction he heard it from, the guard was shocked as he saw a region of upturned soil proceeding straight toward him. Then it stopped as it ran into his feet with the sounds of several voices cursing about hitting each others.
"Hey buddy," the mound called as a bony hand sprouted up.
"Me?" the guard muttered as he put down his lantern and looked at the mound with the skeleton hand protruding from it.
"Yep, come closer," the voice ushered as it gestured to him.
"Like this?" the guard asked almost leaning over the mound.
"Great," the hand stated as it returned back into the dirt. "Alright boys, let's do it!" the voice cheered as several skeletal hands reared out of the mound and dragged the guard down into the ground.
Sounds of struggling and shaking could be heard from beneath the surface. Finally, everything was silent as nothing happened for a few moments. Then all of a sudden, the ground parted as a group of skeletons came climbing up from the little hole they made. Each of them was slightly covered in dirt and were wearing a single article of clothing over their bony forms.
"Does this shirt make me look fat?" Al asked gesturing to the shirt taken from the guard.
"Nope, but I'm having trouble keeping these pants on," Rick muttered as he held the pants up from slipping off his bony legs and hip.
Shaking his head as he made sure the helmet was on right, Max groaned, "You guys can be so pathetic some times."
"Well now that we have our disguises we can enter the castle right?" Al asked picking up the discarded spear and lantern.
"Are you mad?" Sam muttered holding the belt he had. "Anyone can tell that we're a bunch of skeletons even without these confounded disguises."
"Oh, you're just jealous that you got the belt and we got the cool stuff," Jack said fixing the gloves he had.
If he had eyes, Max would have rolled them, "Listen all of you. We are suppose to break into the castle to steal some people or Master Dread is going to feet our bones to dogs!"
The whole company of skeletons shuddered at the thought.
"So let's get going," Max stated as everyone started to leave. Pausing for a moment after they all took a few noisy steps, "Quietly."
"We're a bunch of bones. We can't walk quietly," Al muttered as Max shook his head. "Oh yeah, what about that thing?" he added gesturing to the tail that was lazily sticking out of the hole.
"Blasted Summoned Monster Lackey," Max muttered as he stormed up to the hole and grab the tail. "Come on let's go, we need you to kill that sorceress in there."
The tail paused for a bit as it slipped out of Max's grasp and returned back into the hole. A few moments later, a crocodilian head came up followed by a snake-like reptilian body with dozens of legs. Its body was covered with band-like scales of great hardness as it had an ultramarine like tone along its body. Two large horns curving back from its head as it opened its maw in a yawn.
"So we are going to sic that Behir on the sorceress that is supposed to be here?" Sam muttered looking the creature over.
"The goal is to create a big enough commotion here so that Master Dread's army can ransack this city. All we have to do is draw everyone's attention here," Max explained as Behir hissed.
"What's wrong with him? Jack muttered as the Behir turned its gaze upward.
The sound of clapping could be heard as Xelloss perched on the wall nearby remarked, "I must say that is an excellent plan. I can see that Dread still hasn't lost it in all of these years of slumber."
"Who the hell are you??" Max growled glaring at the Mazoku.
"Who I am is no matter, but you may call me Xelloss. And don't worry about me screwing up your plans, I have no interest in them," Xelloss stated.
"Too bad, you had to interfere. Kill Him!" Max ordered as the Behir obeyed.
The Behir opened its mouth, electricity starting to dance all around its mouth, before a large stroke of lightning came flying out toward the region where Xelloss sat. The lightning shattered the area to pieces as smoke and rubble collapsed from the ruined section. Sounds of alarm came up as lights started to flicker all over the place as the sound of guards running could be made out.
"Look like you achieved the first step," Xelloss smiled behind them.
"What the?" Jack muttered twisting around to face the priest. "Are you a Mazoku?" he gasped as Xelloss just smiled and vanished.
Glaring as several guards came into view, Max muttered, "We'll let Master Dread deal with him. Our goal is simple enough."
"Who the hell are you?" the guard screamed as they flashed their lantern at the skeletons.
"What is happening?" Amelia cried as she ran into Zel and Gourry in the hallway.
Zel apparently was fully awake, but Gourry on the otherhand had been dragged out of bed as he was still wearing his pajamas. He even had a nightcap on as he gripped his sword with sleepy eyes. Amelia had quickly changed into her adventuring get-up as soon as she heard the alarm. Zel apparently slept in his outfit, if he even slept.
"Apparently some undeads have breached the perimeter of the castle and are starting to some sort of ruckus," Zel muttered as the castle shook violently. "Apparently they also brought a Behir from what I've heard to deal some real damage."
"Has anyone seen Lina?" Amelia asked noticing the absent sorceress.
"I think that's her coming with the Baron right now?" Gourry commented as Lina and the Baron came running up.
Lina was looking slightly flustered and enraged as Baron had a huge slap across his face. The three paused as they noticed that as silence touched down.
"I got this for sneaking into Lina's bed while she was asleep," Baron smiled pointing to the slap.
Zel, Amelia, and Gourry went crashing to the ground. That Baron was simply incorrigible, to do something like that was like asking for death.
Lina however socked him a good one screaming, "I told you never to speak of that!"
"One more," Gourry marked.
The little conversation was silenced as one of the walls blew down and a Behir came slithering out of the rubble. Followed behind it were five skeletons with numerous objects and holding spears. The two groups faced off as the skeletons smiled, because that's all that they could do.
"At last the sorceress," Max laughed pointing his spear at Lina.
"What do you want?" Amelia demanded.
Shrugging as his bones rattled a bit, Max stated, "We are to ensure that the sorceress Lina Inverse is dealt with so Master Dread can sack this city without any problems."
"Fat chance," Lina huffed prepping up a spell. "No one is going to take me down."
"Then I'm afraid you're in for disappointment," Baron smiled as he seized Lina by the back of her neck. "Too bad, you had to be here. Lina. Inverse." Baron smiled as he shoved her into the nearby wall causing cracks to appear.
"Lina!" Gourry cried as he lunged toward Baron, who easily flicked the swordsman aside.
"Why are you doing this?" Amelia asked as she leaned down toward Lina.
"Because I'm not your Baron Louve Dokter. He's been dead for over a week now," the person they called 'Baron' smiled. "Now I'll allow you to see my true visage." He smiled as his form started to shift.
The form began to darken as it convulsed and grew, nearly doubling its size as thick sinew muscles bulged. Large sharp teeth elongated from its mouth as the face portions became white contrasting the black body. Fingers stretched as they became long talons and the eyes turned red. Hair became tangled as it stuck out like a mane around the head.
"Master Dread," Max gasped as he and the rest of the skeletons fell to their knees.
"Yes, that is who I am," Dread remarked crossing his arms as he towered over the two. "Now that I have you all here, there's nothing to stop my army from over running this city."
"We'll see," Zel muttered as he pulled out his sword.
"Don't underestimate us so easily," Gourry cursed as he flanked Dread's back.
"You actually think you can fight me? I can take out half of you where you stand right now," Dread remarked sounding astonished.
"Should we?" Max asked as Dread held his hand up.
"Leave them to me, ensure that the gates will be defenseless for the army," Dread ordered as the skeletons retreated.
"Amelia," Zel muttered as stood by the Saillune Princess. "Rally your troops to fight."
"But I want to help - "
"Do it! We'll take care of this," Lina snapped as she struggled on her knees to get up.
"Okay," Amelia submitted as she paid one last look at Lina before she ran off.
"Alright now," Dread asked as lightning danced off his fingertip. "Which one of you want to be the first to die?"