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Kitsune Lina
Lina Found "It seems clear to me, your highness," Reginald began. "Your daughter and her friends disappeared at the same time Lady R'Lyeh and another member of the temple were abducted."
"You're not implying that my daughter had anything to do with this act of injustice," Philoniel demanded angrily.
"Perhaps not your daughter, but Gourry Gabriev and Zelgadis Greywyrds do not have the best of reputations, and there was another man I saw. A priest, he seemed, with purple hair."
"Xellos!!" Philoniel shouted in realization.
"Do you know of this man?"
"He isn't a man, he's a mazoku."
"Mazoku? Then perhaps this is all his doing, such an evil being as a mazoku would not appreciate our temple, but I would not yet discount the part your daughter's companions have in this."
"Look for them then, but I would speak to them before you decide anything," Philoniel agreed.
"Yes, your highness," Reginald bowed and walked out of the small study. Philoniel watched him go and called over his captain of the guard near the door.
"Take measures to investigate this seperately," Philoniel commanded. He then turned to face the window and contemplate recent happenings.
"Yes, your highness." They were relaxing their guard, Martina could see that. Reaching the Sailloon border had taken a lot longer considering they were dragging her around and avoiding prying eyes. Martina had recently been causing very little trouble, just enough so that they wouldn't suspect her of planning something. Pretty soon they would give her the opportunity she needed.
"Can we move more openly now that we're outside of Sailoon," Sylphiel asked.
"I hate this sneaking about my own land," Amelia whined.
"They haven't declared us outlaws," Gourry noted. "Why are we hiding?"
"Because Reginald's people wouldn't let us get anywhere if they could help it," Zelgadis reminded him. "Fortunately for us, Phil is almost rock headed in his beliefs about people. It will take a lot for him to believe that we're outlaws."
"Like what, pray tell," Sylphiel asked nervously.
"I'd say it would take either Martina's or Amelia's ravaged corpse," Zelgadis answered without turning to face the priestess. "Which is one of the reasons that Martina is still alive "
"What's the other reason, stone boy?"
"Miss Martina, such behavior is not very lady-like."
"And why should I bother to listen to you, pray tell?" Sylphiel hmphed and let her horse catch up to Gourry's at the head of the group. "Now what were those other reasons."
"Well, Lina deserves a chance to talk to you," Zelgadis started.
"My father seems intent on marrying you for another," Amelia grumbled. "Though I hope that doesn't last long. And you don't seem to understand what your involved in."
"I'm involved in conquering the world in the name of the monster Zomalgustar! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!"
"Sounds to me like she knows exactly what she's involved with," Gourry commented.
"That is a disturbing thought," Zelgadis said to himself from behind their captive where he and Amelia had some how ended up taking the rear. He didn't think Martina would be interested in being a sacrifice. Amelia pulled up short for a moment and looked quickly from behind them to somewhere ahead, she trotted her horse forward and stopped at the front of the halted party.
"What is it?" Zelgadis asked as he moved forward to join her.
"The armor just moved, a lot."
"That behir hide? Where is it?"
"How can armor move?" Gourry asked.
"Just what are you talking about?"
"That way," she pointed towards the horizon. It was a slight deviation from their current path, at least here it was. "Not very far from us, half a day maybe."
"Not to agree with the psychopath, no offense." Sylphiel turned her head toward Martina for a moment. The princess didn't answer. "But what are you talking about?"
"There was this suit of armor being made, we think it was for Lina."
"So I put a trace spell on it," Amelia finished. "Its not that far from where we were going, but how did it..."
"Xellos," Amelia and Zelgadis said at once. The chimera turned to face the rest of the party and immediately noticed an absence.
"Where's Martina?" he snapped, indicating the riderless horse. "Damn it!"
"She was just here a minute ago," Gourry noted. The chimera dismounted and started looking back over the way they had come. Unfortunately there wasn't much horizon, but rather lots of woods and small hills, they had come this way to more easily avoid being seen. It was working in Martina's favor now.
"We should catch up with Lina before she moves again," Amelia suggested. "If it is Lina."
"I can't see her anywhere," he scanned the ground, looking for tracks in ground already hard packed with their previous passage.
"She went that way," Gourry told the chimera, pointing down a game trail.
"There aren't any tracks there, dear," Sylphiel said. "Even I can see that."
"There should be a lot," the blonde explained. "She must have dragged her cloak behind her."
"Gourry, Sylphiel, you two find Martina, we'll meet up with you later," Zelgadis ndded in agreement as Amelia dismounted and picked up a rock. After a few moments of her mumbling to herself she handed it to the priestess. "Keep that with you, it has a trace spell on it."
"But why do you two go on ahead?"
"Because we owe Lina some apologies," Zelgadis said. "And I might kill Martina if I found her right now."
"Good luck," Amelia offered as Gourry turned his horse down the game trail.
"I hope you find some luck as well," Sylphiel returned cheerfully. "Oo its beautiful," Lina crooned as she looked over a behir scale greave. "Its so beautiful, sniff and I won't be able to wear it for more than a month yet. WAA!!" Her ears drooped as she cried, cradling the greave like some kind of security blanket. The rest of the armor lay draped about a chair across from her.
"But you won't be needing it either," Xellos suggested quickly.
"That's not the point, I look like I've been eating almost non-stop all this time," Lina sniffed. Filia passing by arched an eyebrow as she heard "Rannaur", said nothing, but mentally ran a list of food items that just about proved Lina's statement.
"You look wonderful," Xellos assured her.
"sniff Really?" her ears perked up.
"Really."
"Are you just saying this to make me feel better?"
"Sore wa himitsu desu." She hit his smiling face with a pillow and gave an exasperated sigh.
"Xellos, do you know what ice cream is?" she asked suddenly.
"I don't know, first I've heard of it, why do you ask."
"Just something that's been bugging me," Lina explained. "I keep having this urge to ask you to get me ice cream and pickles." She shrugged.
"Val, dear, its not polite to play with other people's things," Filia appeared in the room and collected Val Garv from where he was playing with the other greave from Lina's armor. Then all three of the adults froze as they registered the muffled sound of hoof beats.
"In there?" someone asked faintly, though it was clear to the hyper advanced senses of the house's inhabitants.
"It's there," a girl's voice confirmed. "Whether she is, I don't know."
"It can't be," she whispered and exchanged a worried glance with Xellos. Then somebody knocked on the door.
"Stay here," Filia said. "I'll handle this." She walked into the next room, leaving a confused Val behind, and opened the door smiling.
"Filia?" Amelia asked. "This must be the right place."
"Oh I didn't know it was you," Filia gasped surprised. "Its all right Xellos! Its just Zelgadis and Amelia!"
"Then Xellos is here?" Zelgadis asked.
"Yes, he's here with his mate," she stepped to the side and waved them in. "Don't just stand there come in! Were you looking for Xellos?" Amelia entered first with Zelgadis following.
"Actually we were looking for.."
"Miss Lina!" Amelia gasped as the were-fox sheepishly entered the room, Xellos was standing protectively behind her. Zelgadis narrowed his eyes dangerously as he recognized Lina's condition.
"Lina?" Filia repeated then she looked at the embarrassed were-fox as well. "It is you!"
"What did you do to her, bastard?" Zelgadis demanded of Xellos dangerously.
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