Chapter Selection

Chapter 46

The point between light and darkness shall be drawn to that which is either or, in a struggle against the light and darkness. During the ensuing battle, that which is either or shall embrace the darkness in order to liberate the point between light and darkness from the darkness and be lost, raining destruction down upon all… 

It is then that first, the point between light and darkness, and then the light must choose. 

 The Cepheid knight repeated to herself for what seemed like the 100^th or so time as she flew on her majestic dragon steed miles above the country side. 

“…That… that doesn’t make any sense at ALL!” She finally exploded with a stress mark on her forehead while making a fist and slamming an armored gauntlet down in frustration much to her dragon mount’s displeasure. “Why do people always come to me with these tedious cryptic prophesies??” “Urgh…!” She continued while running a gauntlet through her shoulder length purple hair in an attempt to rein in her legendary Inverse family temper. 

Alright, let’s try and go over it one more time… The point between light and darkness meant Lina in the last prophesy I had to decipher… but it may not mean that this time if it’s not referring to a representative of the human race. The holy warrior thought with a deep sigh. But even if it is referring to Lina, it still doesn’t make any sense because it also says that the point between light and darkness will engage in a struggle against the light and darkness, meaning the Monsters and the Gods… 

Sister has definitely had her moments, but I don’t see her suddenly just engaging in some battle with the Gods… she crazy, not stupid… 

And then there’s the question of just what ‘that which is either or’ is… I don’t even have a single idea on that one…I mean, either or what? That could mean anything…Good and evil, God and Monster… 

“Hown… this sucks.” The Cepheid knight groaned while lowering her forehead and placing it on the grip of the massive dragon saddle dejectedly. “On top of this, I still haven’t gotten anymore leads on the ancient relic sighting from The Resurrection War.” 

I’ve even gone to the former outer barrier myself and tried to trace the rumors back to the original source, but the woman that supposedly spotted the relic has been dead for several years now…The holy warrior continued to brood to herself.  

Apparently the rumor had been going around over there for years before even making it to this side of the former barrier, which means that it’s inevitably been changed, corrupted, and exaggerated over time. What I heard about there being some dangerous artifact around may not even be remotely close to what the old woman originally said that started all the rumors to begin with. 

But still…even with as little to go on as that, Lord Cepheid will not let me rest until I’ve gotten to the bottom of this… 

“Why can’t I just live my life?” I…never asked for any of this…She finished to herself with another sigh while signaling for her mount to touch down near a secluded little vase and mace shop in the mountains. 

(?) “Bwoss, bwoss!” A small fox man with an eye patch over one eye began shouting from the interior of the store. 

(?) “What is it Mr. Jillas?” A female voice called from further inside. 

(J) “A huge blue dragon jus landed in tha yard!” Jillias exclaimed while pressing his face against the screened door to the entrance of the shop. 

(?) “A blue dragon… what in the world…?” The blonde woman asked while looking up from the vase she was currently working on decorating before setting it down and heading for the door. 

(J) “It’s true, it’s true bwoss, jus look at it, it’s huge!” The little fox man continued to exclaim while pointing excitedly. 

(?) “Do calm down Mr. Jillas, I don’t doubt that you’re telling the truth.” The woman said while pulling aside a curtain and peering out the window next to the door. “And please go in the back and check on baby Val Gaav for me.” She added more quietly as a familiar figure made her way up to the entrance of the store. 

“Aye, aye Bwoss!” The fox man exclaimed before hurrying off. 

(Lu) “Miss Fillia Ul’Copt, it’s good to see that you’re well.” Luna said with a small smile. 

(F) “Miss Luna Inverse, to what do I owe the pleasure?” Fillia said cheerfully. “And I see you’ve brought Mr. Sea Flare with you as well this time.” 

The blue dragon growled and nodded in affirmation behind the holy knight at this before lying down and settling himself in the yard. 

“Actually… I’m kind of here on business this time.” The holy knight replied while rubbing the back of her neck with a gauntlet somewhat sheepishly. 

“Fillia closed her eyes and smiled at this. “I never would have guessed it with the ceremonial plate mail and holy blue dragon escort!” She teased. “Anyway, please do come in Miss Luna.” She added with a giggle. 

“Thanks…” Luna laughed quietly. 

“Would you care for some tea Miss Luna, I just went and picked up this new foreign stuff a few days ago and it’s absolutely, positively delicious!” Fillia called while heading to the kitchen. 

“Yes, please.” The Cepheid knight replied while settling herself on a couch. 

“Oh, you won’t regret it!” The priestess said while making her way over to the couch carrying a large tray of tea and cookies. “I’m actually thinking of switching over to this brand of tea exclusively!” She added while placing the tray on a coffee table nearby. 

“I’m sure I won’t, Fillia.” Luna chuckled while removing her gauntlets and putting them aside. 

“So is this visit about Miss Lina?” The blonde girl asked while sipping at her tea. 

“Well… I’m honestly not sure anymore, but why do you ask?” The holy warrior inquired. 

“Oh, it’s just that… I felt something…” Fillia trailed off with a slight blush a moment before continuing. “Well, let’s just call it ‘odd’.” “It was some type of… disturbance I sensed on the astral plane, and it felt like Miss Lina, but at the same time it didn’t and…” “Well, let’s just say that it certainly wasn’t like any other type of astral disturbance that I’ve ever felt before…” She finally managed. 

“You felt that too huh?” Luna asked wryly. “Yes she was definitely up to something, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious as to what exactly that ‘something’ was, but that’s not actually why I’m here.” 

“I see, what is it then?” Fillia asked with growing interest. 

“All of the priestess of Cepheid have been predicting this same prophesy one after the other and - -“ 

“Oh no Miss Luna, not another prophesy, I don’t think I’ll be able to handle it…!” Fillia said while placing the back of her hand on her forehead dramatically. 

“I know, and it’s a prediction directly from the temples of Cepheid which sticks me right in the thick of it, so how do you think I feel?” The holy warrior replied while leaning back on the couch with a sigh. 

(Lu) “You were the only person I could think to come to Fillia, being a former golden dragon priestess of The Fire Dragon King, you’ve got plenty of experience with deciphering and dealing with prophesies.” Luna continued. “I can’t talk to many people about it, and the people I’ve spoken to about it up until now have been completely useless…” 

“Do you have it written down?” The golden dragon finally asked quietly. 

“Yes, it’s right here.” The Cepheid Knight replied as she reached into her chest plate and produced a piece of parchment, handing it to Fillia. 

The former dragon priestess read the parchment a couple of times in complete silence for a long moment before looking up at Luna. 

“Oooooh, how do I always manage to get myself dragged into things like this??” She finally exclaimed with crocodile tears in her eyes. “Hold on, I’ll go get some more tea…” She added dejectedly. 

“You’re a saint, Fillia.” Luna said with a chuckle. 

“A sucker is more like it.” The former golden dragon priestess moped on her way to the kitchen.

 Chapter 47

(L) “Heya Captain!” Lina called with a cheerful wave as she and Katibree made their way toward the docks that shipped to the former inner barrier. 

“Ah, hello there gals, was wonderin’ when ye’d be turning up again!” The Skipper exclaimed boisterously from the top of the boarding ramp. “You two are just in time for the old gal’s first voyage since she’s been upgraded!” 

(L) “Is it just me, or is the ship like twice the size that it was before Kat…?” The redhead asked as the two made their way to the on ramp. 

“It looks like ol’ Greybeard’s been busy with his percentage of the bounty money.” The half drow replied wryly. 

“Yeah, well it better have only been his percentage, the ship was big before, but now it’s just huge!” Lina said as the vessel only seemed to grow larger the closer they got to it. 

(C) “So what do ye think of ol’ Bertha now?” The bearded man asked proudly as he made his way down the ramp to greet the girls. 

(L) “Well… the name’s certainly even more appropriate now…” The sorceress replied while rubbing the back of her neck with a sweat-drop. 

“Aye, and she’s not just bigger either, we’ve reinforced the ol’ gal’s hulls now so that she’s as sturdy as rock inside an out!” The Captain continued to boast. 

(L) “Heh, yeah well let’s just hope that she’s not so huge that she sinks like one now too…” Lina said under her breath to the ex-assassin as they all began to make their way up the ramp. 

Katibree could help but laugh quietly at this. 

(C) “What was that gal?” The man turned and asked cheerfully. 

“Oh… nothing!” Lina giggled while waving her hand in a don’t-worry-about-it gesture. 

“Ha, me ears must be going in me old age!” The Captain replied as they reach the top of the ramp. “Men, guess who’s back!!” He suddenly bellowed at the top of his lungs. 

Several sailors turned from what their tasks to look. “Hey guys, It’s the Hydra Slayer!” Someone shouted. 

At this, the seamen began to whoop and cheer while heading over to greet the girls. 

(K) “What in the world…?” The half drow began. 

(L) “Wow Kat… it looks like you’ve gained celebrity status here!” Lina said coyly. 

A random sailor piped up at this. “Yeah but not just here, the tale of The Blue Warrior that slayed the Legendary Sea Hydra with one stroke and then cut out it’s heart as it sank to it’s watery grave beneath the sea is becoming the talk of sea going men all over!” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Katibree whispered while pulling the hood on her head further forward to more fully conceal her face reflexively as the sailors surrounded them and began to clamor happily. 

(RS1) “I saw it with me own eyes I did, it was truly amazing!” One sailor said to another. 

(K) “It really wasn’t actually one stroke…” The ex-assassin said while placing a hand on her forehead with a small sigh. 

(RS2) “She’s so modest, that’s how all heroes are eh?” 

(K) “Heroes?” Katibree balked before sighing once more. I’m not being modest ok, I just didn’t kill it in one - -“ She tried to explain before being interrupted. 

(RS3) “Ye both should come and have an ale or two wits us, ya should!” 

(K) “You know, I believe I’ll pass on th- -“ 

(RS1) “Yeah, that’s a great idea!” “It’d be great to drink wit a legend, somethin’ I can tell me grand kids about one day!” 

(K) “A legend - -?” “Now look - -“ Katibree began before she was once again cut off, this time by an elbow in the ribs from Lina. 

“Oh come on Kat, why don’t you just humor them…?” Lina asked with a smirk. “What you did really was impressive, and you usually don’t get any recognition for what you do…” 

Warrior of blue, wit locks o’ plat an red, went an slayed the Sea Hydra dead…! The seamen began to sing. 

“T-this is preposterous.” The ex-assassin said in disbelief. 

(L) “You mine as well get used to this Kat, you’ll probably be known world wide pretty soon…” The redhead said with a laugh. “You are my girlfriend after all.” She added wryly while reaching up and pulling back the larger girl’s hood before slapping her on the shoulder cheerfully. 

“Oh Gods…” Katibree groaned at this. 

“Go have some fun, I’m gonna go talk some business with the Skipper.” The sorceress continued. 

“What, you’re not even coming along?” The half drow asked distressedly. 

Lina merely cupped her hands around her mouth in response to the older girl’s question. 

“Red… what are you - -?”  

“The ‘Legendary Blue Warrior’ with locks of plat and red accepts your request to toast her decisive victory over the tyrannical Sea Hydra of lore with her; she’d consider it an honor!” The sorcery genius announced to the expectant men at the top of her lungs, before nodding her head in approval at the deafening cheers of the sailors as they swept the startled mostly platinum haired warrior up and began pulling her in the direction of the ship’s new pub.

 “L-Lina…!” Katibree called indignantly, her voice cracking to a slightly higher pitch as she was carried away by the jovial crowd of deckhands.

 “G-bye hunny…” Lina called back coyly with a little wave before hefting their travel pack on her shoulder and turning her attention back to the Captain of the ship.

 “I suppose ye’ll be wantin’ yer money.” The Skipper laughed while rubbing the back of his neck as he watched the retreating spectacle.

 Lina merely giggle and nodded a this.

 “Alright then, let me show ya to the safe, tis in me office.” The man replied as he led the redhead to the Captain’s Quarters.

 “Man, you’ve sure done allot to the ship since the last time we were here.” The sorceress mused as she followed behind the bearded man.

 “Aye, and I’ve even had your honorary cabin expanded and renovated I did.” The Captain replied as her arrived at his quarters and let the sorceress inside.

 “Honorary cabin huh?” Lina replied with a strange smirk. 

“That’s right, it’s one of the largest rooms on Bertha, excluding areas like, storage, weapons, an the chow hall of course.” The man replied while unlocking the safe and beginning to place bag after bag of coin on the table near it. “It hasn’t exactly been fully furnished yet, but the room is strictly reserved for you and yer lady friend only, and ye can use it whenever ye need ta.” He explained somewhat sheepishly. 

“So what, it’s just big empty room right now basically?” The redhead asked. 

“Well, uh… it does have a bed right now, but not much else…” The Skipper replied with a sweat-drop. “I hope ye don’t mind, we just hadn’t gotten around to - -“ 

“Don’t worry about it; I’m sure it’ll be fine for now.” The sorceress replied as she began to go through the bags of coin. “And you did say that this entire ship is super reinforced… right?” She added as she began to count out the bounty before placing each bag in the spare pack, a deliciously devious plan beginning to develop in her mind. 

“That’s correct, inside an out gal!” The Skipper proclaimed proudly. “Why do ya ask…?” He added while closing and relocking the safe. 

“Well, it’s just that, I was thinking of possibly… testing the ‘structural integrity’ of your ship a little later…” Lina explained carefully as she placed the last of the bounty in the new pack. 

“It is a unique design and I can understand yer skepticism about it, but I can guarantee you that the design is as sound a design as you’ll ever find.” The Captain replied while stroking his beard thoughtfully. “Never the less, give her yer best shot, ye won’t be disappointed!” He added heartily while handing her the keys to the cabin. 

“Oh I will, and I’m sure I won’t.” The redhead replied while stifling a laugh before hefting the second pack on the other shoulder. “Good doing business with ya Capt’n!” She added on her way out the door. 

Minutes later, the sorcery genius had made her way to the ‘Honorary Cabin’, unlocking the door and taking a look inside. “Wow, this is big…” She said to herself approvingly as she set down the packs by the large bed. “Hardly any furniture other than the bed yet either, that’s perfect.” 

And speaking of beds, there’s only one. She mused to herself while beginning to remove her sorceress gear, replacing it with her mercenary gear. It’s almost like everyone but Kat and I thought we were going out before we even were… 

Was it really that obvious that we had a thing for each other…? Lina wondered to herself while sitting on the bed and trading out her white boots for her black leather ones. Everything that developed between us happened so subtlety that I didn’t even know what was going on until all of a sudden a ton of bricks hit me… And then of course…I had to have Kat explain to me what that ton of bricks actually was…She thought to herself with a laugh as she tightened first the straps on her forearm guards and then her thigh guards. 

Oh well, no point in dwelling on the past I guess… “Time to get these spells up and going!” She said to no one in particular after fastening her weapons to her belt and cracking her knuckles with a mischievous little smile. 

A couple of hours later, Katibree emerged from the boisterous miniature pub with a slight headache, and made her way to were the sailors said her quarters would be. Those guys are pretty fun, but Gods are they a loud bunch…Either way, it was nice of the Skipper to set us up with the same room again although the guys said that he’s made a few changes to it… The half drow mused to herself on her way to the room. 

When she got to the cabin she found the door cracked open slightly and heard no noise coming from inside, although lanterns were clearly lit within it. That’s… odd… The ex-assassin thought to herself, a suspicious expression passing over her half elven features. 

“Lina…?” She called quietly as she put her hand on the knob and began to ease the door the rest of the way open while peering in cautiously. 

Seeing that the room appeared to be empty, she stepped the rest of the way in, but left the door open. I can feel some sort of magic in here, but it’s not like the traces left over from a combat spell being fired off or anything…Katibree thought to herself while scanning the room with her lavender colored gaze. But what I don’t feel is even the slightest after traces of Lina’s magical energy at all, even though all of our stuff is right over there…or any other presence for that matter… She continued to herself while shutting the door behind her. Just what the hell is going on - - 

“Gettin’ soft Kat!” Lina said while swinging a crescent kick that the half drow ducked before rolling away from the younger girl in surprise. 

“H-how the hell…?” The ex-assassin began to stammer from her combat crouch on the deck. 

“Smoke and mirrors, cloaks and daggers right?” The redhead said while smirking and unsheathing her weapons. 

“Oh please, magic so doesn’t count as assassin tricks of the trade!” Katibree laughed while standing up. 

“A trick using magic is still a trick.” The sorceress replied as she advanced while giving her weapons a twirl. “Now put up or shut up, ‘cause ready or not, here I come!” She finished before running at the mostly platinum haired warrior, jumping up and spinning in the air before coming down with a backhand slash of her scimitar that the half drow rolled out of the way of, and continued the momentum of her spin to follow the attack up with a thrust of her short sword to where the larger girl had just dodged to, forcing her to jerk her head to the side to avoid the stab before rolling off to the side once more and jumping away with a back flip, landing near the bed. 

(K) “Well the room’s probably large enough if we don’t go all out, but don’t you think that the sound of a sparring session going on might alarm the crew just a little bit Red...?” Katibree asked while pushing a rogue crimson lock of hair behind a pointed ear with a smirk of her own. 

“That’s already taken care of, I put up a silence spell that activated the moment the door was closed…” Lina replied. And an Astral Damper for good measure too. She thought to herself wryly. “Now draw.” She added more quietly. 

“Jeez, what’s gotten into you all of the sudden anyway…?” Katibree chuckled. 

“I said draw.” Lina reiterated while hooking a weapon on her belt temporarily to free up a hand.

 “Flare Bit!” She shouted while trusting out an arm and sending countless sparks of fire shooting from her hands at the older girl. 

The ex-assassin flipped her blades out and deflected the sparks with a flurry of parries easily enough, but before the smoke from the miniature explosions had even cleared, Lina rushed her, propelling herself with a Ray Wing spell with surprising speed. 

“Whoa!” The ex-assassin exclaimed while bracing herself and throwing up her weapons at the last moment to block the attack of the redhead charging towards her. 

The two sets of weapons met with a resounding clash of steel, as sparks began to fly from the friction of them grinding together. 

(L) “I already told you… I’m not holding back!” The redhead growled as the sheer velocity of the rushing attack forced the larger girl back and across the room with her boots skidding along the deck until she was slammed roughly into the opposite wall with a grunt. 

As soon as the half drow hit the wall, the sorceress unlocked her weapons from the older girl’s and pushed off with a flip before crossing her blades once more, charging and expelling a Digger Bolt through them. 

The mostly platinum haired warrior dodged to the side of the chain of lightning so quickly that Lina could hardly follow the movement and skid to a halt, the lightning shooting past the her and charring the wall directly next to her as cool lavender eyes met and locked with blazing ruby ones. 

(L) “Do I have your attention now?” Lina asked with a flip of her crimson colored mane. 

Katibree wiped a trickle of blood from her mouth caused by biting her lip from the force of being slammed against the wall while sizing the younger girl up a moment.  

“Humph, alright...” She finally replied before seemingly blinking out and reappearing directly in front of the startled sorceress. “First blood goes to you then, let’s play.” She said while flashing a dangerous smile before assaulting the younger girl with a flurry of spinning and dexterous attacks. 

The redhead gasped and began staggering backwards, barely deflecting and dodging the barrage of attacks as she went. The constant flowing attacks and the wild but graceful movements of the half drow where quickly wearing on the sorceress and she was beginning to lose track of the seemingly endless hail of blades almost as if she were being hypnotized when suddenly she was kicked in the gut hard enough to send her flying backwards, first onto the bed before bouncing off it and onto the floor. 

“Ahhh… hawh…!” She gasped from the wind being knocked out of her as she hit the floor rolling, finally coming to a stop while clutching her stomach. “Nice… one…” She hissed while slowly getting back up. “You’re…even faster than the last time we sparred…” 

“Ready for round two, lover?” The ex-assassin asked while placing one foot in front of the other and readying her weapons before giving the redhead a little wink. 

“Oh yeah…” Lina replied while refocusing her fighting stance with a smirk. “Just getting started actually.” She added as her short sword and scimitar began to glow a bluish white color and crackle menacingly with jolts of electricity. 

“Tricky, tricky...” Katibree said with a click of her tongue as she sheathed her weapons with a fluid motion and assumed a hand to hand stance while advancing cautiously. 

“It’s your move babe...” The redhead with a grin as the two circled one another slowly, the bluish light of the swords illuminating the room with a strange glow, casting several shadows on the walls of the room. “You do know that I could just Shadow Snap you and end this right now, don’t you?” 

“You could try.” The half drow replied before seemingly blinking out and appearing behind her. 

“Wha - - she did it again - -!“ Was all the sorcery genius managed as she spun around in an attempt to defend herself before having her legs kicked out from under her. 

“Checkmate.” The ex-assassin said whipping a blade out as she came back around for another attack with the momentum of the sweep kick even as the redhead was still falling. 

“Don’t get so cocky!” Lina exclaimed as she discharged a blast of chain lightning from her swords as she hit the ground with her head wracking against it painfully, sending the blast directly into the metal bracers the larger girl reflexively blocked with, and propelling her across the room and into the opposite wall. 

“Uhnnn!” The older girl exclaimed as she was blasted by the lightning before hitting the opposing wall with another grunt before sliding down it hitting the ground.  

“Don’t tell me you already forgot about that. The redhead said as she stood somewhat shakily and took a fighting stance once more. “When I play, I play for keeps… you know that Kat.” 

“My… sentiments exactly…Red.” Katibree said while pulling herself up, breathing somewhat raggedly. “That was very impressive…but the last… best two out of three…” She continued while finally making it to her feet. “Is…mine.” She replied before flashing forward, dodging the arcs of lightning the sorceress shot at her as she advanced so quickly that she began to leave afterimages. 

Lina tried to counter the rush attack with her weapons at the last moment as the older girl closed in, but one arm was caught and wrenched behind her back causing her to drop her short sword as she was forced up against the wall trapping it there, and after a short power struggle between the two, the scimitar was disarmed as well, that arm yanked up and slammed against the wall above the sorcery genius’s head as a blade was pressed to her throat causing her to gasp quietly. 

Both girls merely stood that way locking eyes while breathing heavily with their faces mere inches away one another’s for a long moment before either one spoke. 

(K) “So… do you yield.” Katibree said gruffly. 

“And if I don’t…?” Lina challenged while moving her head forward, further pressing her neck against the tip of the ex-assassin’s blade and causing a thin trickle of blood to run down her neck as she stared back at the larger girl with unadulterated defiance blazing in her ruby colored eyes. 

The ex-assassin growled at this, moving her face forward so closely to the smaller girl’s that their noses were nearly touching and just stayed that way a moment before suddenly lowering her weapon and roughly kissing the sorceress who returned the kiss hungrily. 

The older girl gradually relinquished her grip on the redhead’s left arm letting it slide down the wall from above them while letting her blade drop to the floor as their kissing deepened and her hands began to tend to other pressing matters while the smaller girl reached under the ex-assassin’s cloak and unzipped her vest with her now free hand.  

Finally freeing her other arm that had been trapped between her and the wall, Lina slid the now open vest down and off of Katibree’s shoulders as their tongues continued to duel with one another with steadily increasing urgency. 

As their passion continued to crest, the ex-assassin kissed her way down to the sorceress’s neck, eliciting a moan of pleasure from the younger girl as she began to suck on the area that had been nicked by the tip of her blade while pulling her off of the wall and guiding her in the direction of the bed as they both hurriedly began stripping off their remaining gear as they went. 

By the time the two made it to the edge of the bed all articles of clothing had been removed minus one very stubborn set of chest wraps, after a short moment of necking while simultaneously working at loosening them, the redhead lost her patience and pulled back from the half drow slightly. 

“Hold still a sec.” She said huskily before raising a hand up as her pointer finger began to glow an orange color. 

Katibree raised a mostly platinum colored eyebrow and watched in bemusement as the sorcery genius placed her finger on the wraps and began to slowly sear the material open from top to bottom, kissing the smooth blue flesh that was bared as she went and causing the older girl to shudder slightly at the sensation of the redhead’s lips brushing against her skin coupled with the feeling of the heat and magic still tingling on the surface of it. 

Once the sorceress made it to the bottom of the wraps, she gave the half drow’s stomach one last lingering kiss before gripping the fabric between her teeth and pulling it from around the larger girl’s torso, flinging the wraps off to the side with a toss of her head. “Now, where were we…?” She said as she stood back up while sliding her hands from the ex-assassin’s lightly muscled stomach back up to her breasts. 

“Right about here I believe…” The half drow said with a sultry tone to her voice as she pushed the redhead backwards and onto the bed. 

The sorceress’s giggles soon turned to short gasps as the older girl’s playful nuzzling and kissing of various parts of her legs made their way toward her inner thighs before gradually beginning to wander to decidedly more sensitive areas. After a few more lavish kisses to the area, the ex-assassin closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling and savoring the younger girl’s scent before parting her love slightly with her fingers and beginning to tease the various delicate folds within with her deft tongue, causing Lina to squirm and arch her back instinctively. 

“Oh Gods…!” The redhead moaned as the mostly platinum haired warrior began to concentrate on the center area of her love, varying the speed and pressure of the movements of her tongue. “Unh, get up here a minute…” She suddenly breathed while partially sitting up and grabbing a handful of the half drow’s mostly platinum colored locks to bring her back up to eye level. 

“Déjà vu anyone?” Katibree asked in amusement.

 “Just come here…!” The sorcery genius giggled. 

“What’s wrong?” The larger girl inquired while sliding her lithe frame along Lina’s until they were once again face to face. 

“Nothing’s wrong…” Lina said with a smirk before reaching up and flipping the half drow over to the side and onto her back. “It’s just that at the rate that you were going, this whole thing would be over before it even really began.” She continued to explain while rolling over until her breasts partially rested on the older girl’s while looking down at her. 

“I already know that you can get me from start to finish in nearly no time flat…” The redhead continued as she began to trail a hand down the ex-assassin’s torso, lightly scratching with her nails as she went while moving her mouth up to a pointed ear. “But this time around, it’s my turn to find out what I can do to you.” She whispered directly into the mostly platinum haired warrior’s ear, causing her to shudder slightly at the feel of younger girl’s warm breath passing over the ultra sensitive nerve endings in the ridges and tip of her ear. 

Katibree took in a sharp shaky breath as the sorceress grazed the tip of one of her ears with her teeth experimentally and her still descending hand simultaneously reached it’s southward destination, beginning to explore there as well. 

“How’s that..?” The redhead inquired into the older girl’s neck as she first began to slowly rub the outer part of the larger girl’s womanhood before applying just enough pressure with a finger to part it slightly and begin exploring the slick sensitive folds within. 

“It’s…ah- -” Was all the larger girl could get out this time before gasping quietly as Lina’s exploration rewarded her with the discovery of an interesting feeling hard little nub in the middle of it all,  sending one wave of pleasure after another coursing through her as the younger girl began to move a finger in lazy circles around it. “Let’s just say that you’ve got… one hell of a learning curve…” She finally managed with a heady chuckle. 

The sorceress merely smiled at this before kissing her way down to a supple breast and began teasing the already erect nipple with her tongue before beginning to suck on it, causing it to harden further while she continued to vary the angle and increase the speed that she moved her fingers with her hand, the quiet but escalating moans of the older girl urging her on. 

As the mostly platinum haired warrior’s breathing began to deepen, she reached a hand of her own down and guided two of the redhead’s fingers inside of her.  

Lina froze a moment, surprised at the sudden feel of the wet heat surrounding her fingers, her ruby colored eyes widening as she comprehended where they’d just gone. Her confidence beginning to waver, she turned her head to look at Katibree only to be met with a deep kiss. 

Needing no further encouragement, the younger girl began to work her fingers in and out, first slowly and then more vigorously as she felt the ex-assassin’s love begin to contract around her and her back beginning to arch. 

After a moment of this the half drow’s breath began to come in short gasps and she suddenly reached down to restrain Lina’s eager fingers, momentarily removing them while forcing herself to break away from the kiss with a frustrated curse before dropping her head the rest of the way back to her pillow.  

“W-what…?” The sorceress asked with a comically forlorn expression on her face. 

“Just turn around that way some and put your left leg over here…” The older girl explained while stifling a laugh. 

Lina straddled the ex-assassin as instructed before looking back, flushing even more at the odd point of view that she was seeing the larger girl from. “Like this…?” She asked shyly. 

“Perfect.” Katibree replied huskily as she reached up and guided the smaller girl’s hips a little lower and further back with her hands before lifting her head up and beginning to once again lavish the sorceress’s now swollen petals with much needed attention, causing the sorceress’s breath to catch in her throat. 

Fighting off the urge to just give in and lose herself in the sensations intensifying within her, the redhead reached down with a hand and circled two fingers around the entrance the older girl’s love to pinpoint it before once again beginning to sliding them in and out smoothly, eliciting a throaty moan of pleasure from the larger girl. 

The mostly platinum warrior’s sounds of approval arousing her all the more, the sorceress increased her pace, pumping her fingers in and out more vigorously while adjusting the position of her arm so that she could use her mouth as well. When she began to meet resistance as the larger girl’s love started to tense up once more, she inserted a third finger and doubled her efforts while continuing to lick the ex-assassin’s exposed and elevated bud. 

“Shit Lina…!” Katibree moaned as her eyes began to roll into the back of her head. Doing her best to delay her curtain call just awhile longer, she went straight for the goal, rapidly feathering the tip of her tongue up and down on the tip of the younger girl’s hyper sensitive little nub and triggering an unexpectedly intense wave of pleasure to wash over the redhead, nudging her over the precarious line she’d been balancing and into ecstasy.  

As the force of the unexpected climax wracked Lina’s body, she tensed up in the middle of what she had been doing and unwittingly bit down on the half drow’s own most sensitive area, causing the larger girl to cry out, the mixture of pleasure and pain causing her world to return to white as well as the redhead collapsed on top of her. 

After a few moments of the only noise in the room being the sounds of the two girl’s slowing breathing, the redhead glanced down at her handy work with a smirk before slowly removing her fingers from Katibree with a wet sucking noise and sitting up while looking back at the older girl before falling backwards on her giggling.  

“…You planned this whole thing from start to finish didn’t you?” The half drow chuckled. 

“Most of it, yup!” The sorceress replied with a happy sigh while looking at her fingers before giving them a lick. 

“Don’t you think that was just a little elaborate there lover?”  The ex-assassin asked wryly. 

“How else was I supposed to try and get ya in the mood…?” Lina asked while rolling off to the side of her and onto her stomach. “It’s not like I’d get that response from you with flowers and a candle lit dinner.” She added with a mischievous smirk before giving her a peck on the cheek. 

“Touché Red, touché.” Katibree laughed while placing her hands behind her head. “Either way, it seems that the explosive event that happened last time was a one time deal.” 

“Yeah, which means I spent all that time on that stupid Astral Damper spell for nothing…” The redhead brooded. “Oh well, better safe than sorry right ‘V’?” 

“Astral Damper… jeez where you ever spoiling for this - - wait a sec…’V’?” The ex-assassin asked. “And just what’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Oh, I just noticed a little something is all.” The sorcery genius said with a cat-with-the-cream smile while pointing down at the larger girl’s nether regions. 

Katibree looked down and saw a twin pair of crimson colored streaks of hair in the midst of the fine platinum hairs that started on either side and ran at an angle toward the center of her womanhood before meeting near the bottom, clearly shaped in a V formation. 

“Huh, never noticed that before…” The mostly platinum warrior chuckled. “I guess you can get me back for the nickname I gave you now huh?”

 “You better believe it!” Lina said happily. 

“Guess it can’t be helped.” The half drow sighed. 

“Nope.” The redhead agreed with a laugh. “So, calling you that in public now.”  

“Well embarrassing nicknames aside, the room actually stood up to our little sparring session really well…” The ex-assassin mused while surveying the room. 

“It really did, ol’ Greybeard’s got some pretty impressive engineers…” The sorceress agreed while rolling back on top of Katibree and straddling her from the front this time. “So… you ready to go again yet?” She added while leaning forward with a seductive little smile. 

“I’m going to go ahead and assume that you’re not talking about sparring…” The mostly platinum haired warrior replied with a chuckle. 

“I guess that depends on your definition of ‘sparring’…” Lina said naughtily. 

“You’ll be the death of me yet…” Katibree laughed with an exaggerated sigh.

Chapter 48

(C) “Yer crazy gal!!” The Skipper shouted while holding onto a platform secured to Bertha for dear life as the vessel went hurtling violently toward the shore of the former inner barrier, being propelled by the aftermath of what was most likely one of the largest tidal waves ever.

Several deckhands yelled as they slid back and forth precariously on the deck of the ship, struggling to find a suitable hand or foothold while being battered with barrage after barrage of waves that the out of control vessel kicked up as it careened through the water rapidly closing in on land.

(C) “Till be… till be teh end o us all…!” The Captain sputtered after being pummeled with yet another surge of water. “Ye’ve put us in more danger now than the sea monster you slayed ever would have!” He continued to rant angrily.

(L) “Eh heh, yeah well... at least that’s one less monster in the sea to harass your fellow sea goers right…?” Lina shouted back before squealing as the vessel’s front end dipped sporadically, causing the aft end to jerk up out of the water, rudely dislodging and jettisoning her from the post that she’d been clinging to in the midst of the chaos.

“Arrrrghhhhhhhh - - hawh…!” The redhead shouted as she was thrown through the air before being caught by a certain half elf swinging around from a loose mooring line and preventing her from being completely dumped from the ship and into the churning sea at the last moment.

(K) “You know a Dragon Slave makes a big enough disturbance in the ocean regularly without you testing the new incantation you came up with for your talismans and amplifying one Red…” The ex-assassin said flusteredly as she kicked her legs out with the momentum of the swing, allowing it to launch them both up and over the guardrails of the vessel and back onto its' deck with the redhead under the crook of her arm.

“Well none of my other spells were working, and besides… the damn thing was mocking me…!” The sorceress complained through gritted teeth while hurriedly grabbing the end of the line the half elf was still holding and wrapping it around them before tying it to the first stationary thing she could find.

“What spells…?” “The only spell you even tried was a Fireball, and the moment the sea creature countered it with it’s water breath, you got pissed off and blasted it with a juiced up Dragon Slave directly afterwards!” Katibree shot back with her voice cracking to a slightly higher pitch as she extended a leg to an unfortunate sailor currently skidding by on his back across the deck of the ship, who grabbed it gratefully just before all three of them were drenched with yet another freezing torrent of water.

“Oh…I did do that didn’t I…?” Lina laughed while standing upright now that she had some added stability before nonchalantly Shadow Snapping a couple of toppling crewmen to the deck before they went careening over the railing of Bertha.

(L) “Well you know I don’t think straight when I’m that mad, why didn’t you just stop me, it’s not like you weren’t standing right next to me when I casted - -“ The sorcery genius cut off what she’d been saying suddenly. Wait a second…Kat finally told me why she was always so against me using magic on and around her when we first met…And she also told me about the affect it had on her when she was next to me while I casted a normal Dragon Slave that day with all those orcs…

And now… I just amplified one not even two feet from her…Heh… Whoops…?

Guess that explains why it took her so long to get in gear after the tsunami hit…She added to herself in embarrassment before looking over at the older girl. “Uhm, sorry about that Kat, I totally forgot…”

“…Just shut up and brace for shock…” The half drow replied with a quiet laugh as she struggled to reinforce the sorceress’s hurried attempt at battening down the hatches with a knot of her own.

“We’re already to the shore??” The redhead balked while spinning around to look and immediately turning back around to grip the handles on the mast they were now tied to after catching a glimpse of land bearing down on them much more quickly than it was the last time she’d looked. “I thought I’d at least have time to try and - -!” Was all she managed before the now airborne fortress / missile first impacted with, and then gouged the shore as it skid along the ground, leaving a huge trench in its wake as most of the crew that had managed to stay aboard it up to this point screamed in unison.

(L) “…Try and… slow it down...” The sorcery genius finished unsteadily as the vessel finally ground to a halt.

(K) “Urgh… well I guess the saying does go: “Whatever landing you can walk away from, is a good one.” Katibree said while freeing up the mooring line around the two of them with a slight grimace.

(C) “That is supposin’…” The Captain’s muffled voice began quietly from underneath a decidedly out of place life boat. “That me Bertha were meant tabloodyflytabeginwith!” He exploded as he jumped up, throwing the boat off of him while gesturing angrily.

(L) “Looks like ol’ Greybeard’s pretty steamed…” Lina said while rubbing the back of her neck and stifling a giggle.

“Can you blame him…?” The ex-assassin asked while ringing out one portion of her cloak after another as she surveyed their surroundings. “Now that I’m really taking a look at things, that tidal wave was even more massive than I thought.”

“And what do you mean by that exactly…?” The redhead asked while picking a bit of seaweed out of her hair and tossing it aside with a frown.

(C) “…Ruined!” Ruined I tell ye…!!” The Skipper ranted while jumping up and down in the background as the two girls conversed.

(K) “Just take a good look at the area.” The half drow replied while making her way over to the railing for a better look herself.

“It - - It can’t be…!” “We’re almost halfway to…to…!” Lina gaped in disbelief while taking in their surroundings.

“That’s right, which means that what we thought was the shore that we were just beginning to close in on before…” The larger girl said before trailing off with a resigned sigh.

“Was… actually just the tsunami having already washed us far enough inland… for the water to finally lose enough momentum to make it look like we were just then starting to close in on the shore…!” The sorceress finished for her with a strained groan.

(C) “…Father always told me woman’r bad luck on ships, but did I listen…?!” “Neh!” The Captain continued as he kicked a bucket in the direction of a waterlogged sailor, causing him to flinch.

(K) “Bingo, Red.” Katibree affirmed.

(L) Almost a third of the continent is probably flooded out, and that tidal wave had to have gone right over my hometown for us to be where we are right now… The sorcery genius thought to herself franticly. Oh Gods… Luna’s going to - - “… She’s gonna KILL me…!” She finally exclaimed out loud while covering her face with her hands and sinking to the deck of the ship in pure despair.

The mostly platinum haired warrior took this time to head to the ‘maybe not so honorary anymore cabin’ with a shrug and retrieved their travel packs. After she’d made her way back out to the outer decks she merely stopped and sweat-dropped at the scene before her. Apparently Lina and Greybeard had fallen even deeper into their depressions while she’d been gone...

Now both the Skipper as well as her ‘gallant and dashing’ lover were sitting back to back on the deck of Bertha, tear rivers streaming down their faces as they moped together in stereo sound.

“Ruined… absolutely ruined!” The Captain continued to groan.

“So dead…huphmmmphhhrrmphhh…” Lina chimed in haggardly.

“…Cursed by the Gods of the sea…”

“Just only begun to live…!”

(K) “Oh… jeez.” Katibree sighed with a roll of her lavender colored eyes. “Heads up Gramps.” She said before tossing an additional bag of bounty money into his lap.

“What good is this without me ship gal…?” Greybeard asked forlornly.

“Look, your ‘Bertha’ may be stranded on land right now… but she’s not really damaged at all.” The ex-assassin began to explain. “She’s still as sturdy as ever, and I’m sure there’s something else you can think to do with her.”

“It’s a kind gesture an all lass, but what am I supposed ta do with a warship in the middle o dry land countless miles away from teh ocean?”

“Well there may be no water to speak of, but Bertha does still have all of the accommodations that any business establishment would need to prosper on land…” The mostly platinum haired warrior offered while attempting to get the disintegrating, still groaning form that was Lina Inverse to her feet.

“A business establishment eh..? Greybeard mused to himself while stroking his beard thoughtfully.

“Oh and Captain…?” The half elf postponed her sorcery genius gathering to ask.

“What’s that gal?” The Skipper inquired.

(L) “She’ll find out for sure…!” The sorceress continued to herself brokenly.

“Considering that you and the crew where the only witnesses to what actually happened here, if anyone asks, would you mind just… passing this whole thing off as a natural disaster?” Katibree rose her voice slightly to ask over the still groaning redhead.

“A natural disaster?” The Captain balked.

“Well, the person responsible for causing this could technically count as a walking force of nature right…?” The half drow asked.

“…Aye I suppose she could.” Greybeard couldn’t help but agree.

“And on top of that, I honestly think that some flooding as collateral damage is a pretty small price to pay when you’ve got someone that’s powerful enough to save the world from The Dark Lord and his forces of evil whenever she’s needed just walking around on a daily basis.” The mostly platinum haired warrior continued.

“Sometimes she just doesn’t know her own strength, but as you can see, the poor girl is practically in tears of grief over what has happened…” If I lay it on any thicker, we’ll fall through this reinforced deck… he can’t actually be buying this…The larger girl thought to herself with a sweat-drop as she looked down at the still desolate sorceress as if in concern for her.

“Hum, tis a good point as well lass…” “I guess it really can’t be helped that someone as strong as she is overdoes it every once in a while, must be pretty hard to deal with catchin’ hell for every honest mistake…” The man finally said in a sympathetic tone. “Jus let me talk to the men a moment.”

Katibree blinked in disbelief as the Skipper turned away to call his deckhands to him for an impromptu meeting. Hook, line, and sinker… She thought to herself in bemusement before turning back to Lina and suddenly making a fist, wracking her over the top of the head with it.

“OW… hoown - - what’d ya go and do that for??” She hissed at while looking up at the grinning older girl and holding the growing welt on her head.

“I had to snap you out of your funk somehow.” The ex-assassin chuckled. “The least you could do is look all impressive and heroine like while I try and keep you out of hot water…” She added while nodding her head in the direction of the crew meeting with a smirk.

“What’s going on over there?” The redhead asked as she stood while rubbing her head absently.

“I’m assuming that Greybeard is going over your ‘alibi’ with the crew.” The half elf said with a nonchalant shrug.

“My alibi?” Lina asked while turning her head to the side and wringing out her crimson colored locks.

“Yeah, I basically convinced him to spread the word around that this whole tsunami deal was just a natural disaster instead of your doing.” The mostly platinum haired warrior explained.

“And… just how did you pull that one off when he was absolutely furious with me just a minute ago?” The sorcery genius inquired in disbelief before casting a modified version of the Levitation spell to begin drying her clothing as a posed to using the current of air to hover with.

“By making you out to be the tragic and misunderstood heroine of course.” Katibree replied with a coy little wink.

Just then the Captain and some of the crew turned from the others and made their way back over to the girls.

(C) “The men understand, and yer little ‘mishap’ is safe with us.” Greybeard began. “Just like your companion said, with someone as powerful as you are, sometimes ye just don’t know your own strength… but even with that being the case, ye definitely do more good than bad in the world!”

The sailors clamored in agreement at this statement as Lina smiled and sweat-dropped while Katibree looked on and nodded in feigned solemness behind her.

(C) “All we ask in return is that once yer current business is finished, ye both come back an help us find a way to get ol’ Bertha back to the sea where she belongs an toast yer latest victory wit us!” Greybeard added as the deckhands behind him began to cheer boisterously.

(L) “W-wouldn’t miss it for the world, eh, heh, heh…” The sorcery genius said while waving to them all with an even larger sweat-drop as she made her way to the lowering off ramp of the vessel with the ex-assassin following behind her and doing much of the same.

(L) “I don’t know my own strength.” The redhead finally deadpanned with lowered eyelids after the two of them had leapt from the off ramp and the rest of the way to the ground below.

“What, it’s not like they know you can be precise enough with your magic to light a candle from across the room if you want to!” The half drow laughed.

“Jeez, you could talk your way out of an iron safe Kat…” The sorceress said with a giggle.

“Humph, this coming from the con-artist that used to ‘conveniently’ save people’s lives for the sole purpose of guilt tripping them into providing you with free room and board for the night…” Katibree teased.

“Hah, and just who are you to preach about morals Miss I-used-to-whack-people-for-a-living?” Lina teased back.

“Hey, I’m reformed now aren’t I?” The mostly platinum haired warrior replied wryly while placing her hands behind her head as she walked.

“Pffft, yeah… thanks to me!” The redhead said while pointing to herself proudly.

The half drow stopped walking at this and merely stared up at the sky in thought a moment before replying. “…Yeah, I’m going to have to give you that one.” She finally agreed with a laugh.

“Lina: one, Katibree: zilch, zero, nada… oh yeah!” The smaller girl announced triumphantly to no one in particular.

“And what happened to yesterdays score?” The ex-assassin asked while giving the sorcery genius a playful shove.

Lina broke off her festivities momentarily at this. “That was yesterday.” She answered simply before beginning to make crowd cheering noises through her cupped hands once again much to the older girl’s exasperation.

“Anyway, do you know if there’s a suitable place around here to set up camp Lina..?” Katibree asked with a resigned sigh. “I’d like to keep moving but if we don’t treat our gear soon it’ll be ruined by the saltwater.”

The redhead sobered a bit at this and gave the area one last once over. “Yeah, there should be a decent clearing to camp in along side a lake in that direction.” She replied. “And on top of that, I’d really love a bath too… I think some of that seaweed actually made its way into my underwear somehow…” She added with a giggle.

“Well if that’s the case, make sure you tell it to behave itself.” The half elf laughed.

“And my, aren’t we sounding possessive today… If you’re so worried about the seaweed misbehaving, why don’t you come and help me get it out?” The sorceress replied with a naughty little wink.

The older girl looked up at the sky at this last comment. “L-sama, I think… I’ve created a monster.” She said wistfully.

Later on that night…

(L) Sylphiel’s house, how the heck did I get here…? Lina thought to herself in confusion as she made her way down a warmly colored hallway.

“Helloooo… anybody home…?” She called while studying the various pictures of Sylphiel, her belated father, and even some of the rest of the crew on the walls as she went.

(G) “Lina is that you?” Gourry called back from somewhere further inside the house. “Hey Sylphiel, Lina’s back!” “Come on over, we’re in the dining room area!” He added cheerfully.

“That figures…” The redhead said to herself while stopping to look at a group photo of the main gang minus Fillia, goofing off for the camera with a soft expression on her face as memories of the past began to flood back to her. “I’ll be right there Gourry!” She added more loudly.

Soon enough the sorcery genius made her way to the dining room. “Heya guys, long time no see!” She exclaimed happily.

(G) “Hey Lina, I was starting to think you’d never come back!” Gourry laughed while standing from the dinner table to greet her.

“Oh come on Gourry, you know me better than that!” Lina joked while giving him a bear hug, causing the swordsman savant to wheeze slightly.

(S) “I’m glad to see that you didn’t manage to get yourself into more trouble than you could handle, Miss Lina!” Sylphiel called from the kitchen as she washed dishes.

“Well what’d you expect; it is me after all, Sylphiel.” The sorceress boasted as she headed over to the table and made herself at home.

“Miss Lina, you never change.” The shrine maiden said with a giggle. “You’ve just missed dinner, but I can make you a little something if you’d like.” She added.

“Yeah I’d like that, you’re as great a hostess as ever Sylphiel, thanks!” Lina replied.

(G) “So what did you have to do in Zerphermia Lina…?” The swordsman savant asked eagerly while taking a seat of his own next to her.

The redhead could only sweat-drop at the master swordsman’s inevitable butcher of her homeland’s name with a small smile before simply sighing in resignation.

“Well, it was an investigation that the Queen originally appointed my sister to take care of; but since Luna was already busy, she dumped the whole deal off on me.” Lina began to explain.

(S) “Is this about the assassination attempt that was rumored to have taken place in the capital Miss Lina?” Sylphiel asked while peering at her through the door leading to the dining area.

Assassination attempt…? The redhead thought to herself in bemusement. “Well ah… something like that yeah…” She finally replied while rubbing the back of her neck.

(G) “A ‘would be’ assassin huh…?” The blond warrior mused. “So did you ever catch him?” He asked.

Lina began to turn an interesting shade of red at this. “Eh, heh, uhm… y-yeah I guess you could say I did…” She began to stammer. And speaking of that whole mess, where the heck is Kat…? Why should I have to be the only person answering all the questions - -

In the middle of her thoughts the ceiling above them suddenly ripped open and a massive black ball of energy tore through the new opening, exploding with blistering heat upon impact in with the dinning room table and sending both her and Gourry flying.

(G) “Aaaaarrrggh…!” The swordsman savant exclaimed as he was catapulted into an adjacent wall.

Lina hit the same wall with a grunt a few feet from Gourry before looking up at the hole in the ceiling with a grimace. “What in the hell…?” The redhead began as Sylphiel came running from the kitchen in alarm.

(?) “It seems I’ve missed you Gourry Gabriev…” A disembodied voice laughed. “How unfortunate.”

“A monster!” Both Lina and Sylphiel exclaimed.

(G) “Just who the hell are you and why are you attacking us?” The blonde swordsman shouted up angrily.

“My name is unimportant, but do know that Serpent-Master Soshurn sends his regards.” The red scaled demon replied as he materialized in the middle of the ruined dining area while lobbing another black ball of energy in the direction of Gourry and Lina.

The two scrambled to their feet and ran, jumping in opposite directions as the blast hit, sending them both flying even more forcefully this time.

(S) “Elmekia… Lance!” Sylphiel cried, a white blast of magic shooting from her hands at the hovering monster that turned to look at her before swatting it aside with a laugh.

“Now wasn’t that just precious?” The Mazoku crooned as he astral-warped from across the room to directly in front of her, his palm outstretched and charging a rapidly growing ball of energy mere inches from her face. “Sylphiel Nels Rada was it…?”

(L) “Sylphiel!” Lina exclaimed while pulling herself up from the ruble. “Don’t you touch her you creep, it’s me you want not her!” “Elmekia Flame!”

The Mazoku didn’t even bother to turn around as the searing lance of energy shot toward him and seemed to merely vanish just before it made it to him.

It’s like he didn’t even hear me… and that spell just - - what happened…? The redhead thought to herself while looking down at her hands in confusion.

(S) “I’m… I’m sorry I couldn’t be stronger Miss Lina…” The shrine maiden said quietly while looking past the Mazoku and at the redhead as Gourry regained consciousness from across the room.

(G) “Sylphiel…!” Gourry shouted as he staggered to his feet unsteadily while holding his head, a river of blood streaming down the left side of his face, partially blinding him.

The demon scoffed at the shrine maiden’s strange statement. “You speak as if the little witch where actually here, when the whole reason I’m even here to begin with is to bring her out of hiding under orders of Serpent-Master.” “Either way it appears Gabriev is up from his little nap now… Good that means he can watch your demise, now die.” He spat venomously before firing a blast of unholy energy at Sylphiel pointblank, incinerating her completely.

“SYLPHIEEEEELL…!!!!!” Lina and Gourry shouted in unison.

(L) This - - this can’t be happening; it doesn’t make any sense…! Lina thought to herself as tears began to well up in her ruby colored eyes. Th-that last spell should have - - Gods, Sylphiel can’t be gone, she jus can’t…!

Gourry bolted over to a stand, pulling a ceremonial sword from it with tears in his own eyes. “You’re - - you’re gonna pay… you’re gonna pay for that you son of a BITCH!” He roared before charging the laughing monster.

“Gourry don’t do it, you can’t do a damn thing to him with that sword!!” Lina shouted after him brokenly. “I’ve got to do something - - !” “Lord of dreams that terrify, sword of cold and darkness…!”

“Lina…?”

The redhead began chanting as she went tearing after the blonde warrior desperately with tears still streaming down her face. “Free yourself from the heavens bonds, become one with my power, one with my body, and let us walk the path of destruction together!”

“Lina…!”

“Power that can smash even the souls of the GODS…RAGNA…!”

“Gods Red, wake up!”

“- -Kat…?” The sorceress gasped as she was finally shaken awake, jerking up to a sitting position in panic and breathing raggedly, the beginnings of a Ragna Blade crackling and forming between her clenched fists.

“It’s ok, it’s ok it’s me, you were having a nightmare…” Katibree said quietly. “Watch the spell, babe… the spell…” She added with some alarm as the violently shaking redhead’s unconscious concentration on holding the spell began to waver and the unfinished Ragna Blade began to fluctuate dangerously.

The sorcery genius looked at the older girl with a mixture of fear, relief, confusion and a multitude of less easily described feelings before finally comprehending what the half drow was talking about and first stabilizing and then dispelling the Ragna Blade while letting out a slow uneven breath.

“Are you… alright now?” The mostly platinum haired warrior asked gently.

The redhead sat wordlessly a moment still in shock, before covering her face with a quiet sob. “Oh Gods Kat, that was awful…” She finally said brokenly. “It was so vivid… everything felt like it was actually happening, and Sylphiel…!”

“It all over now, it was just a dream…” The ex-assassin said quietly while sitting up herself and pulling the still trembling form of the smaller girl into a gentle embrace, wrapping the formerly dislodged blanket that they’d been using around the both of them once more.

“She… she was killed right in front of me, and I couldn’t do a thing about it…” “It was like I was there, but I wasn’t… but at the same time, it was all so real…” Lina barely managed in between strangled sobs while pressing her face to the older girl’s chest.

After giving the redhead a moment to get some of the tears out of her system, Katibree spoke once more. “Well stopping to think about this dream logically… have you ever been known to have premonitions or anything to that affect?” She asked quietly while freeing up an arm and leaning to the side slightly to rummage around in a nearby pack for a handkerchief or a suitable substitute for one.

The sorceress listened to the beat of the older girl’s heart, the steady rhythm of it seeming to somehow ground her more firmly in reality and calm her as she collected her thoughts a moment before finally answering. “No… I’m normally not even much of one for having nightmares period, let alone premonitions.”

“If that’s the case, then I’d say that nightmare just now was most likely the concern that you’ve have for your friends getting dragged into this before they even know what going on stewing in the back of your mind for months before finally manifesting itself in a very nasty way.” The ex-assassin mused while handing the sorcery genius a makeshift hanky.

“I guess that’s possible…” Lina began while scooting to a more upright position and beginning the task of drying her still slightly puffy eyes. “But I’m telling you, it’s like I was there… I could feel the heat from the explosions, smell the smell of… of charred flesh after it happened…” She tried to explain before trailing off, her voice wavering as a flashback of Sylphiel being incinerated and the memory of the smell assaulted her once more.

Katibree did her best to shake off the feel of the haunted look in the smaller girl’s ruby colored eyes taking root in her own soul while forcing her brain to work on a solution independently. She’d never seen the fiery redhead this shaken and it was beginning to take its toll on her emotionally as well.

“…Alright.” The half drow finally sighed after a moment more of thought. “Do you think you have enough components left over from that communication spell ritual you did in Gheyahsayl to perform another one?” She asked while running her fingers through her mostly platinum colored mane.

“Y-yeah… I think I just might actually…” The sorceress replied in surprise.

“Well why don’t we squash this whole ‘what if’ deal right now if we can, and I’ll get dinner reheated while you work on that.” The mostly platinum haired warrior said as she reached for some fresh timber to restart the camp fire.

“That sounds like a plan, Kat.” Lina replied, already in search of the spell components even as she spoke.

The ritual was ready in record time 10 minutes later and already in the process of being performed as Katibree looked on with a bowl of reheated stew in hand.

“Come on Sylphiel, get the link and answer already…” The sorcery genius whispered while furrowing her brow in concentration to put more insistence and force behind the spell incase the shrine maiden was sleeping and needed to be woken up.

Eventually the raven haired girl answered much to Lina’s relief. M-Miss Lina…? She asked telepathically in groggy bewilderment.

Yeah, it’s me Sylphiel… The redhead thought to the shrine maiden while glancing over and giving the ex-assassin a thumbs up sign with a tired but happy grin.

A communication spell… is something the matter Miss Lina? The shrine maiden asked with some alarm.

No Sylphiel… nothing’s wrong. The sorceress replied mentally while taking a bowl of stew from Katibree with a nod of thanks and beginning to sip from it as she conversed with the raven haired girl. But there are definitely some new developments that we need to all sit down and talk about.

New developments…? Sylphiel pondered before trailing off. Even with you masking your emotions, I know this tone of voice Lina, what’s happened? She finally thought back grimly.

Nothing’s happened yet, Sylphiel… you can trust me on that, but it’s inevitable that something will. Lina tried to explain with a frustrated sigh. Look, we’re already a few days away from Sairaag as it is, why don’t you and Gourry just meet us halfway at that inn that we used to always stay at in Stock Town whenever we were on the road together in that area.

Alright I’ll let Gourry dear know what you’ve said, but what do you mean by ‘we’, do you have someone with you already Miss Lina? The shrine maiden inquired.

Uh, yeah actually…I met her while I was dealing with the whole mess in Zephilia and we kinda got caught up in each other’s mess and… well, we’ve been traveling with each other ever since… The redhead thought back somewhat evasively, struggling with everything she had to not have any ‘unwanted’ thoughts or images projected to the at times uncannily shrewd shrine maiden. You’ll get a chance to meet her soon enough. She added hurriedly with a mental laugh that she hoped didn’t feel too nervous to close the subject to any further inquires at this point.

The raven haired girl hesitated a moment, catching an emotion from the sorceress that was too fleeting for her to quite put her finger on although it had felt somehow familiar to her, before answering back once more. …Alright Miss Lina, we’ll make preparations and head out to meet you straight away then…

Ok Sylphiel, we’ll see you and Gourry sometime tomorrow then.

Yes, if we leave within the hour, we should make it to Stock Town sometime just before the sun begins to set…

Sounds like we’ve got a date then!

And Lina…?

Yeah, Sylphiel?

…Just…just try and be careful until then ok?

…Yeah, and you two do the same.

Chapter 49

The sun had just begun to set, casting an orangish-gold hue on the surrounding landscape as the two girls walked in silence along a dirt path with Stock Town just recently becoming visible on the horizon.

Katibree reached into a travel pouch, producing a flask of wine, opening it and taking a pull from it before glancing over at the uncannily quiet redhead walking beside her.

“…Alright, so what do you want to do?” She finally asked while offering Lina a drink.

The sorceress blinked in surprise, having been snapped out of her thoughts before looking first over at the ex-assassin and then down to the flask being offered to her. “What do you mean?” She asked distractedly as she took the container from the older girl before taking a not so small pull of her own from it.

“Oh come on, Red.” The mostly platinum haired warrior replied.

“What..?” The sorcery genius reiterated before taking another not so small drink from the flask.

“You haven’t said a thing for like 45 minutes now, which is completely and totally unheard of… so the only plausible conclusion would be…” The half elf began while changing her facial expression to a dour, humorless one as she began to talk in a tone reserved for a professor dryly lecturing a class and causing Lina to lower her eyelids in anticipation of the punch line.

“That right now, in order for the subject known as Lina Inverse to figure out an especially complicated problem that she is pondering… her brain has temporarily tapped into the energy reserves normally used to keep her mouth running incessantly, thus preventing her from speaking.” She finished before dodging a half hearted kick aimed at her ass and breaking into a good-natured grin.

“Very funny, Kat.” The redhead said with a quiet laugh.

“Seriously, you even talk in your sleep… and the fact that you’re drinking, which you hardly ever do just further proves my point.” Katibree said more somberly.

“It’s… It’s not that big of a deal.” The sorceress replied while attempting to hand the larger girl back her flask.

The ex-assassin stopped walking all together at this before dropping the travel pack she’d been carrying to get the younger girl’s attention and folding her arms while standing in the middle of the path. “Look Red, I’m pretty sure that I already have a good idea about what it is that’s been bothering you; and as close as we are to town now, I sure you’ve already come up with some type of idea as to how you’d prefer to deal with this so - -“

“I already told you, it’s not that big of a…“ Lina began but trailed off with a conflicted sigh once she turned and saw the older girl’s expression. “…Honestly I’m still not sure how I want to handle this, ok babe?”

“Sure you are, you’re just worried about how I might take it right?” The mostly platinum haired warrior asked quietly. “I’d be fine regardless of the decision you came to Red; they’re your friends, not mine.”

The redhead looked up at the gradually darkening sky while rustling her mane in frustration at this. “It’s not that… well I guess that was some of it…” She finally admitted with some embarrassment.

The half drow couldn’t help but chuckle at this while picking the travel pack back up and hefting it over her shoulder as the two began to walk once more.

“But the main reason that I was really debating on whether or not to say anything about us is…” The sorcery genius continued before trailing off again as worry clouded over her ruby colored gaze once more.

“…Because you’re not sure how Gabriev will react to the news.” Katibree finished for her.

“Yeah, I mean it’s not like I’m ashamed of us or anything… It’s just that I’ve played out telling him in my head over and over again, and even as well as I know him… what his reaction would be to finding out that you and I are seeing each other is just one big blank…” Lina explained while still camping the flask of wine that the larger girl had refused to take back earlier.

“I was in no way suggesting that you were ashamed of our relationship… but you can’t stand there and tell me that you were exactly eager to deal with Nels Rada’s endless stream of questions about the subject either.” Katibree teased.

“…I really can’t refute you on that one, Kat.” The redhead finally agreed with a giggle.

“Well then, I suppose that brings my point total up to 4, which leaves your 2 points even further in the dust for today…” The ex-assassin sighed while shaking her head with feigned sorrow.

“Hey, you can’t use serious subjects like that to base ‘I wins’ off of..!” The sorceress complained as they made their way toward the outskirts of town.

“Please, you’re just mad you didn’t think of it yourself.” The half drow said with a laugh while flipping the hood to her black cloak up and over her head.

“Even if that were the case I wouldn’t admit it, you’re out for blood today...” Lina replied while tossing the larger girl her flask back with a smirk as they made it to the market place and headed into the steadily thickening crowd of shoppers.

“Yeah, well I’ve got to redeem myself somehow for all the wrestling matches I keep losing to you…” The mostly platinum haired warrior said wryly while recapping the mostly drained container of wine.

“It’s not my fault you suck at wrestling…” The redhead baited with a dismissive gesture.

“Sucking and playing fair are two completely different things, lover.” Katibree replied with a roll of her lavender colored eyes.

“Well now, I guess that makes us even in certain respects when it comes to doing what you have to do to win doesn’t it…?” The sorceress asked before giving the older girl her trademark Lina Inverse wink.

Ah…damn it… The ex-assassin swore to herself, smacking her forehead in disbelief at having given her such an easy ‘I win’ right back as the sorcery genius leaned toward her while cupping a hand around her ear expectantly.

“…Touché.” The half elf finally sighed in resignation.

“Oh… I’m sorry, did I just hear you say the score was actually 4 to 3..?” Lina asked coyly.

“Ever the tactician…” The mostly platinum haired warrior could help but chuckle.

“You’d better believe it - - Hey, I think I see them, come on Kat…!” The redhead blurted excitedly before breaking into a jog and ducking and weaving in between various wandering town folk as she went.

“…Platonic ‘friendship’… right.” Katibree said quietly to herself before sighing deeply and quickening her walking pace in the direction that Lina had just taken off in.

“Hey guys!” The redhead shouted while jumping up and down and waving animatedly as soon as she got a clear view of the two walking together up ahead.

Both Gourry and Sylphiel turned at the distinct sound of the sorcery genius’s voice, their faces brightening. “Linaaa!” / “Miss Lina!” They called back simultaneously while waving back happily.

“So, did ya miss me?” The redhead asked as she walked up to the two of them with a smile before jumping up to pull them down to roughly her height for a group hug once she got to them.

(G) “You bet!” the swordsman savant replied with a laugh.

The shrine maiden found herself at a momentary loss for words, taking a while to get over her shock that the smaller girl had just openly hugged her before finally returning the sorceresses heartfelt embrace with one of her own.

“M-Miss Lina, it certainly seems that you’ve gone through… some… changes since we’ve last seen you…” She said after breaking away from the hug to take a good look at the sorcery genius in bemusement. She looks the same basically but… there’s definitely something different about her…

Normally Miss Lina’s show of affection would involve sending Gourry dear sailing with a Dil Brand and giving me a stout slap on the back…

(L) “You really think so?” Lina asked while rubbing the back of her neck with a laugh.

(S) “Well yes actually… I’ve never once known you to - - Oh, is this person the new traveling companion that you were speaking of when we communicated before Miss Lina..?” The raven haired girl gratefully broke off her uneasy explanation to ask while gazing over the petite girl’s shoulder to get a better look at the cloaked figured now standing behind her.

Lina glanced over her shoulder at this, an expression washing over her face that Sylphiel didn’t quite recognize, before folding her arms and answering her question. “Yeah, that’s her alright… Sylphiel, Gourry… meet Katibree.”

(G) “Kati-bree huh…?” The swordsman savant mused while stepping forward and leaning toward her with a thoughtful hand placed on his chin.

(S) “It’s… nice to meet you Miss Katibree.” The shrine maiden said somewhat nervously while offering her hand in a gesture of greeting. There’s something about this woman that makes me uneasy…She began to herself while taking note of the gear that the ex-assassin was wearing before promptly reprimanding herself afterwards for thinking such unsavory thoughts about a friend of Lina’s.

(K) “It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance Miss Nels Rada.” Katibree said cordially while leaning forward slightly to return the raven haired girl’s gesture of greeting with a fluid handshake. “I’ve heard a great deal about you from Lina and an even greater deal about the Master Swordsman here...” She added pleasantly while turning her full attention to the swordsman savant.

(G) “Hi, good to meet ya!” Gourry said with his usual nonchalant enthusiasm while offering a hand of his own.

As the mostly platinum haired warrior took his hand and shook it, the swordsman savant’s expression broke into a grin that Lina knew all to well. It was the same look that he always got, be it Zangulas or any other master swordsman he’d ever come across…

An anticipatory grin fueled by the promise of great competition.

(L) Oh Gods…I’d bet my life savings that Kat’s got that same look on her face right now… The redhead thought to herself with a resigned sigh. Instant rivals no matter what the circumstances… Can’t say I didn’t see this one coming I guess… She added with a sweat-drop.

(S) “Gourry…dear…?” Sylphiel asked unsurely while looking first at one master swordsman and then the other.

(G) “I was pretty surprised that I didn’t sense you show up when you did at first, but now I get why…” Gourry said as they finished shaking hands. “Allow me to formerly introduce myself…”

(L) “Uhm… heh, I’m pretty sure the proper word is ‘formally’, Gourry…” The redhead said while scratching the back of her head with an added sweat-drop.

(G) “My name is Gourry Gabriev from the great Kingdom of Elmekia, former wielder of Gorunova, the Sword of Light.” The swordsman savant continued with a smirk while placing a hand on the hilt of his sword in a gesture of challenge.

The half elf flipped her hood back at this, flashing a grin of her own. “And I am Katibree Do’Urden of the former Ethereal Daggers; current wielder of the blades which dance as one, Chiba and Murakami… it’s a pleasure to finally cross your path Gourry Gabriev of Elmekia.” She replied while placing her own hands on the hilts of her weapons as well in acceptance of the challenge.

(S) “Oh my… Miss Lina…?” The shrine maiden asked while placing a hand over her heart in apprehension.

“I’ve got it Sylphiel…” Lina replied as she walked between the two of them, putting a hand on both of their chests and pushing in an attempt to force them apart while stifling a laugh as she felt the two battle auras began to radiate around her in a lightheartedly ‘rough-housing’ like test of strength.

“Ok boys, break it up!” She finally exclaimed after a moment more of neither of them giving an inch before punching both of them in the stomach simultaneously. “It’s time ta go!”

A set of baby blue eyes widened in sync with an equally wide pair of lavender ones as both warriors grunted and doubled over in pain on either side of the sorcery genius who took this time to grab both of them by an arm and forcefully turn them in the direction of the inn that they had all planned to meet at.

“H-hey… what’d… we do Lina - -?” / “It’s not like… we were going to spar right here or anything - -!” Both Gourry and Katibree began to complain as they gasped to get the wind back that had just been unceremoniously knocked out of them.

“I said lets go.” The redhead reiterated in that tone of voice of that both of them knew was just more trouble than it was worth to argue with as she basically dragged the two still wheezing swordsmen toward the inn with a decidedly lost Sylphiel blinked after them. “You coming or not Sylphiel…?” The sorcery genius teased with a glance over her shoulder at the dumbfounded shrine maiden. Yup, still got it!

Once the four of them entered the inn, the inevitable gravitation toward the eatery section of the establishment was made.

(S) “So what in the world was that all about back there…?” The raven haired girl couldn’t help but ask as they all took their seats at a wooden round table.

(L) “Oh, that was just Kat and Gourry getting carried away with their ‘warrior instincts’…” Lina replied while closing her eyes and waving her hand in a dismissive gesture.

(G) “Yeah, I guess I did kinda get carried away…!’ The swordsman savant laughed while rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “It’s always pretty exciting to come across a swordsman of your friend Katibree’s caliber just by chance…” He added more thoughtfully.

(L) “Give me a break Gourry, ‘kind of’ is the understatement of the century here...” The sorcery genius said while rolling her ruby colored eyes at him in exasperation before looking over at Katibree who was on the opposite side of her to finish what she was saying.

“It was blatantly obvious that you two were so wrapped up in the idea of finding out which one of you is more skilled with a blade right then an there, that there was no way that you were going to take the time to find somewhere else to fight.” She finished while giving the mostly platinum haired warrior a you-should-know-better look, causing the older girl to avert her lavender gaze and shift in her chair uncomfortably.

(G) “Speaking of skilled swordsmen Lina, you were really impressive back there…” The blonde warrior said while slapping the sorceress on the shoulder guard in congratulations.

(K) “Gabriev does have a good point…” The ex-assassin agreed with a smirk.

“What are you two… talking about…?” Lina asked after recovering from the unexpected assault on her shoulder. “I didn’t even fight.”

(G) “Well neither did we, but you could sense that we mine as well have been couldn’t you…?” Gourry asked. “And even with being able to feel our battle auras, you stepped in between the two of us with no effort at all.”

(K) “All the while interjecting with a pretty noticeable one of your own mind you…” The mostly platinum haired warrior added matter of factly while gesturing to a nearby waiter for menus.

(G) “Yeah, I can tell that you’ve done some serious training in the swordsmanship department since you’ve been gone just from that alone!” The swordsman savant agreed happily.

(S) “Speaking of your sudden leave of absence for all these months Miss Lina…” Sylphiel began quietly. “What happened after you made it to Zephilia and had the audience with The Eternal Queen and The Cepheid Knight?”

“That’s a really long story Sylphiel…” The redhead said before taking a sip of water.

(S) “I suppose it would be… there have been rumors floating around that there was an assassination or something of that nature that had taken place on the Zephilian castle grounds putting the entire kingdom in an uproar…” The raven haired girl leaned across the table and said in barely a whisper. “Is any of that true Miss Lina?”

“…Close enough yeah, and I was the one put in charge of the investigation.” The sorceress affirmed quietly after a moments hesitation.

“Oh dear, I was afraid that was the case and that you’d been thrown right in the middle of it all…” Sylphiel replied as the waiter came by and handed out menus to them all. “So if that’s the case… did you meet Miss Katibree because she was assigned to help you with the investigation?”

Lina spit out the water she’d just been drinking as Katibree sweat-dropped and gained an unprecedented interest in the menu that she’d just been handed at this question.

(G) “Not likely Sylphiel…” Gourry interjected lightly while browsing his own menu. “I recognized the place that Katibree said that she’s from, and it’s not a city or anything… it’s a famous guild that prided itself on the combat prowess of it’s members.” He continued almost absently. “It’d be my guess that it was actually something that Katibree had done that Lina was called to Zerphermia to investigate, but somehow they ended up joining forces instead…”

The half elf raised a quizzical mostly platinum colored eyebrow at this unusually brilliant deduction and then looked over at Lina in bemusement in the middle of giving the waiter her order. Maybe he’s not as dense as Red made him out to be.

“Hawh - -!” The redhead exclaimed in disbelief while jumping up from the table, causing it to jerk, knocking her glass of water to the floor which the waiter scrambled to clean up after his heart had returned to it’s proper place in his chest. “And just how in the hell does a jellyfish brains like you that can barely remember his own name, let alone properly pronounce the name of my home town on a regular basis goandfigureoutsomethinglikethat??!”

(G) “Relax Lina…!” The blonde warrior laughed. “I might not be the smartest guy in the world, but stuff like that has just always been easy for me to remember; so I guess I just put 2 and 2 together after hearing what was just said…”

The sorceress was sorely tempted to ask the swordsman savant if he even knew what 2 and 2 actually equaled but decided against it. There are definitely more important things that need to be discussed right now… “Anyway it’s just like you said Gourry, and that’s the reason that I needed to meet up with you and Sylphiel as soon as possible in order to discuss some things.” She began grimly as she sat back down.

(G) “Hum…?”

(S) This sounds serious…

“You remember the monster Soshurn don’t you Gourry…?” Lina inquired.

The swordsman savant thought long and hard for a good moment before finally setting his face with a serious expression and looked the redhead dead in the eyes before answering.

“…Not at all.” He finally answered to face-faults all around.

“We fought him right before I was summonsed to Zephilia you dolt, I thought you just said you’ve always been good at remembering things that involved combat…!” The redhead managed as she pulled herself back up to her chair from the floor of the restaurant.

(S) “Miss Lina please calm down, we all know that Gourry dear has a tendency to forget things…” The shrine maiden said from her new seating arrangements on the eatery floor while sweat-dropping.

(K) Maybe he’s even more dense than Red made him out to be… Katibree thought to herself in bemusement as she made her own way back to an upright position.

(G) “We fought with some guy named Soshurn…?” The blonde warrior mused more to himself than anyone else while scratching his head. “Was he a master swordsman or something too Lina?” Definitely would think I’d remember someone like that, it’s not like you come across those everyday - -

“NO you idiot I just said he’s a…!” Lina began in exasperation before catching an amused look from Katibree out of the corner of her eye followed by a shrug that basically said: Just let it go Red… “Ok, ok… never mind.” She finally said after sucking in and slowly letting out a deep breath.

“Soshurn is a fairly powerful Mazoku that we’ve fought in the past that has for some reason renewed his grudge against me with a vengeance.” The redhead tried to explain once more as the waiter made his way over to the table with a cart piled with a countless variety of foods on it. “He originally tried to hire Kat here to kill me, but when she refused she made an enemy of him as well…” She continued while eyeing the cart being wheeled over along with the no longer listening swordsman savant.

“Soshurn on his own is easy enough to take care of, but it seems that he’s part of some alliance of other higher end monsters that he has at his disposal to do his bidding now…” The sorceress continued as plate after plate of food was placed on the table before them.

(S) “Miss Lina, that’s horrible…” Sylphiel said attentively.

(G) “Oh boy, food!” Gourry exclaimed, tossing the apparently unneeded menu aside and replacing it with a fork and knife.

(K) “Would you mind bringing a few of tankards of mead over as well please…?” Katibree inquired of the waiter.

“So with all of that on our plates, we’ve been traveling as secretly as possible and just wanted to make sure that Soshurn and the others hadn’t decided to start attacking you guys or the rest of the gang in order to flush me out…” The sorcery genius explained as the last of the plates where piled on the table and Gourry began to dig in with gusto.

(S) “It sounds like you two are going to need some serious backup for this, Lina.” The shrine maiden said grimly.

“That’s the second reason that we wanted to meet with you two and talk.” Lina said pointedly before absently Mono Volting the swordsman savant reaching for the plate in front of her much to a certain half drow’s further amusement.

“Arrrrrrrrgghhhh!” he exclaimed before toppling backwards in his chair.

“You know that Gourry dear and I will always be happy to help in anyway that we can Miss Lina.” The raven haired girl pledged dutifully.

“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.” The redhead said quietly before picking up a fork and knife of her own.

Sylphiel balked at this as Gourry pulled himself up from the table blinking some of the soot off of his face at the sorcery genius in disbelief. “What did you just say…?” He asked in amazement.

(S) “Are you… are you feeling well Miss Lina…?” Sylphiel couldn’t help but ask.

“Yeah, I feel fine… why…?” Lina replied in confusion, completely missing the point.

“Well, you just said thank you and…” The shrine maiden began before trailing off.

(G) “That’s what I thought she said, when’d you learn manners Lina??” Gourry exclaimed before jumping to his feet and pointing dramatically. “I’ve figured it out Sylphiel…!” “This isn’t the real Lina Inverse… she’s an imposter!”

“Oh, that’s terrible…” Sylphiel couldn’t help but to play along. “I absolutely must insist that you tell us what you’ve done with the real Lina or you’ll be sorry…” She added while stifling a giggle.

Lina stress-marked and gritted her teeth as she replied to this. “Oh ha, ha, ha… very funny, and apparently you want some of this too Sylphiel…” She added menacingly while rolling up an imaginary sleeve on her sorceresses outfit.

“Miss Lina we were only having some fun really!” The shrine maiden said hurriedly while holding her hands out in a pleading gesture while beginning to look a bit blue in the face. Dear Cepheid what was I thinking…?

The redhead was already seething, but up until this point she’d managed to keep her temper far enough in check to keep from destroying a portion of the eatery.

But that was only until she’d heard one last thing. The quiet but unmistakable laughter of her girlfriend at her expense…

OH that’s IT…! The sorceress exclaimed to herself while flushing in ultimate embarrassment. “DIL…!”

(G) “Huh… maybe she really is the real Lina after all…” Gourry said with a smile.

(S) “Gourry dear, what are you saying…?” Sylphiel balked in horror. Isn’t she mad enough

“BRAAAAAND!!!”

… Several minutes later after the gang was not so politely asked to leave the eatery not to mention the rest of the inn after paying for damages, the 4 had made their way to Lina’s second pick of a place to stay the night in town.

(L) “Well here we are, it’s not as great of a deal to stay here… but what are ya gonna do…?” Lina said with a giggle as they stood outside of the place.

(S) “I suppose it is about time that we got some rooms for the night…” A still fairly soot covered Sylphiel mused. “It is getting pretty late…”

As the group began to walk in the direction to the entrance of the inn, Gourry suddenly spoke.

“Hey Katibree… would you mind if I talked to you alone a moment…?” He asked with a serious expression on his face.

(L) That doesn’t sound very good… The redhead thought to herself while glancing over at Katibree uneasily.

(S) “Is… something the matter Gourry dear..?” The shrine maiden asked worriedly.

(K) “I’m sure that everything’s fine, you guys go ahead and we’ll catch up with you in a bit.” Katibree reassured them with a nonchalant shrug.

(L) “…Alright… but remember no sparring…” The sorceress said after a moment of scrutinizing the expression of the swordsman savant face to no avail. “If you two take too long, expect to pay for your own rooms!” She added as an after thought before turning away once more and heading to the entrance of the inn with Sylphiel.

(S) “So what do you think they’re talking about out there…?” Sylphiel asked as they made their way to the check-in desk of the inn. “Dear Gourry looked unusually serious when he asked to talk to Miss Katibree in private just now…”

You think I didn’t notice that…? “How should I know what he wants to talk to her about…?” Lina replied with feigned disinterest while slapping some coin down on the counter. “Probably some secret musty ol’ swordsmanship technique or something…”

“I suppose you’re right…” The raven haired girl said quietly.

“I’m sure it’s something like that…” The redhead affirmed before turning her attention to the portly inn keeper. “I’d like 3 rooms please!”

“Uhm.. Miss Lina…?” The shrine maiden asked uncertainly.

“What is it Sylphiel…?” The sorceress inquired.

“Well… it’s just that there are 4 of us and you only asked for 3 rooms… If you’re low on coin then I don’t have a problem with - -“

Lina began turning an interesting shade of crimson at this before breaking into nervous laughter. “N-no Sylphiel I’ve got it, I’m not sure…I’m not sure what I was thinking…!” She stammered while rummaging in her coin purse unsteadily for the fee for the extra room unsteadily. Smooth move Lina…jeez!

Meanwhile outside of the inn…

(K) “So what’s up Gabriev…?” Katibree asked while folding her arms. “I’m all ears.”

Gourry looked up at the moon a moment as if in deep thought before finally speaking. “Well, I know that it isn’t any of my business…” He began while running his fingers through his blonde locks with a sigh.

“But it’s been kinda eating at me since I first met you and well… I’ve just gotta know…” He continued while finally turning his gaze away from the moon to look at her, blue eyes meeting and locking with lavender ones.

(K) “I’m… still listening Gabriev.” The mostly platinum haired warrior replied quietly but steadily, the expression on her face unreadable.

“I was just wondering if… well is it was possible that maybe…” He said before trailing off to steel himself before trying to ask the question once more.”

“I know that if it’s the case… it’s supposed to be a secret…” He finally managed to continue. “But I still have to at least ask… Is it possible that maybe…”

“Could you be… could you be Zelgadis’ sister…?” He finished sheepishly as Katibree face-faulted for the second time that evening.

“I mean, I know that Zelgadis has always claimed to have no siblings so it must be some really huge secret if you really are his sister, but I was really curious - -“

“G-Greyword’s sister??” The ex-assassin finally exclaimed in disbelief from her sudden position on the ground. “What in L-sama’s name would give you the idea that I’d be Greyword’s sister??!”

“W-well… I mean you’ve both got blue skin, and you’ve kind of got the same ears so…” The blond warrior laughed while rubbing the back of his neck.

“I believe that was the most ridiculously random shit that I have ever heard Gabriev…”

“Heh, heh… Oh, so you’re not Zel’s sister then?”

“Of course not…!” “Let’s just get inside already…”

Chapter 50

(Much later on that same night at the Inn)

Lina and Katibree awoke with a start as a massive explosion rocked the very foundations of the inn, causing one window after another down the line of the establishment to blow out in succession as the two girls leapt from the bed to see what was going on.

(L) “What in the four hells was that??” The redhead exclaimed while running to and peering out the now glassless window with the ex-assassin beside her as people began to scream and the sound of footsteps running to and fro could now be heard clearly throughout the building.

“From what I can tell from here, that was the sound of the room you were supposed to be staying in tonight going up in flames.” The half drow replied while hurriedly putting on her gear as smoke began to billow into the night and panicked people began streaming out of the inn.

“My room - - awww that’s just great, most of my stuff was in there!” The sorcery genius fumed.

“Check the pack in here, I’m pretty sure the merc outfit’s still in it…” The mostly platinum haired warrior replied while jumping onto the windowsill in a crouch and scanning the area for anyone that looked suspicious.

“That’s fine and dandy, but every other piece of my gear is in the room that’s currently on fire…” Lina replied while flinging off her nightgown before tearing into the travel sack that the half elf had indicated.

“The blades and your talismans should stand up to the heat just fine at least…” Katibree began before trailing off as she squinted through the smoke and caught a glimpse of a decidedly inhuman looking silhouette hovering about in the distance. “And it might be a good idea for you to cool that room off and go get them before you show up… She added while giving the redhead a meaningful look.

“Soshurn’s making his move huh?” The younger girl deducted while zipping up her leather vest.

“I think so yeah… I’m going on ahead.” The ex-assassin replied before jumping out the window and onto a nearby ledge.

“Fine, but try and leave some for me already!” The sorceress called after the larger girl before griping and tightening a forearm guard strap with her teeth.

(?) “That was a pretty nice shot there Zifolis!” A black wraith like Mazoku said to a much larger metallic looking one in glee as they made their way through the billowing black smoke and into what remained of Lina’s inn room.

“Keep your voice down Rahtarimu, we still haven’t found the body yet…” The metallic looking creature snapped while scanning the still smoldering debris suspiciously.

“There’s no way that little witch could have survived a surprise attack like that in her sleep, she still only human after all…” The wispy creature replied haughtily. “We should just go and deal with the half elf as well and kill two birds with one stone.”

“Serpent Master’s orders were to dispose of Lina Inverse and by any means necessary and then return to base!” Zifolis snarled in annoyance. “And incase you hadn’t noticed, two more of sorceress’s companions are staying here as well so we don’t have much time - -“

(G) “I’d say your time’s just about up!” Gourry interrupted while stepping into view through the smoky doorway leading to the hall before brandishing his sword and taking a combat stance with a confident smirk.

(Ra) “Gourry Gabriev… rumor has it you’ve lost your precious sword of light, so tell me…” The wispy creature taunted while floating closer to the swordsman savant. “Just how do you expect to defeat 2 honest to goodness Monsters with a worthless little trinket like that…?”

The blonde swordsman lowered his ‘trinket’ and began laughing at this. “Oh that’s easy!” He replied good-naturedly. “Like this…!” He said while taking a knee and revealing the shrine maiden standing behind him. “Go for it Sylphiel!”

(S) “Right… Ra… TILT!” She exclaimed sending a blast of white and blue energy directly into the creature’s face.

(Zi) “Rahtarimu you idiot…!” The metallic looking creature shouted as his wraith like partner howled miserably and faded from sight before turning and sending a volley of spikes at the offending shrine maiden.

(G) “Now that’s my cue.” Gourry said while standing to cover Sylphiel once more and easily deflecting the countless flying spikes bearing down on them with a blinding flurry of parries before charging the Mazoku.

“Ahhhhhhhh!” The swordsman savant shouted while jumping up in the air and coming down with a diagonal slash across the mazoku’s body…. with no affect. “Huh…?” “Oh yeah… I forgot…” He said sheepishly while rubbing the back of his neck as the metallic looking creature glowered at him. “Heh, eh… heh, heh… what do ya say we just call it even - -WHOA!” He exclaimed while barely dodging an angry bolt of energy before taking off running comedicly.

Katibree showed up just in time to see the blonde swordsman in the midst of his theatrics, evading volley after volley of energy blasts while running for his life in true Gourry fashion.

“You’re hopeless, Gabriev…” The mostly platinum haired warrior said under her breath while making a quick sweep of the area with her luminous gaze and spotting Sylphiel making her careful way out of the ruble of the ruined room, apparently out of harms way for the moment.

(K) But then again, appearances can always be deceiving. The half elf thought to herself as her hyper sensitive ears picked up the now all too familiar sound of tearing as a rip in mid air began opening behind an unaware Sylphiel.

(Ra) “You know, that little stunt you pulled on me back there really hurt…” Rahtarimu hissed as he stepped out of the astral plane, causing the shrine maiden to spin around at the sound of his voice with a gasp. “How a weak little white mage like you ever managed to learn a spell like that is beyond me…” He continued while a ball of green energy began to radiate from his mouth as he widened it in preparation to fire. “But that’s no matter, now do me a favor and - -“

(K) “Die.” Katibree completed for the creature while coming up behind him and severing his head with both blades, leaving a red crosshatch afterimage. “Cowardly little shit…” She added in disdain while turning to get another fix on Gourry’s current whereabouts.

(S) “Oh, you mustn’t use such language Miss Katibree…it’s just asking to be cursed by the Gods…” Sylphiel balked while covering a hand with her mouth in maidenly shock.

“Give it a rest Nels Rada, Red’s been barking up that tree since the day we met…” The half drow replied with a smirk. “How many more are there…?” She added as she finally spotted the swordsman savant still battling with his Mazoku adversary a few rooftops over through the smoke.

“Just the one that Gourry dear is fighting from what I’ve seen…” The raven haired girl replied. “And speaking of Gourry dear, he no longer has the sword of light - -“

“Yeah, I’ve got him covered there.” The half elf said before jettisoning herself off of a wall and up to the roof.

“Miss Katibree…?” The shrine maiden called after her.

“Nels Rada…?” The mostly platinum haired warrior glanced back to ask.

“Thanks for before.” She said with a smile. Regardless of her past, Miss Katibree really is a good person.

“Fight now, pleasantries later Nels Rada…!” The ex-assassin called back while already bounding to the next rooftop and sprinting in the direction of the ongoing skirmish.

Well… I suppose she does have some edges that could use smoothing… The raven haired girl added to herself with a small laugh and sweat-drop while Ray Winging from the ruined room.

As Katibree finally closed in on the fight from behind, Zifolis managed to hit Gourry with an energy blast to his chest plate with enough force to dislodge his sword from his grasp and send him flying backwards, toppling toward the edge of the rooftop end over end.

The half drow dove for the 2 handed sword, catching it hilt first just as it was about to go over the side of the roof and rolled to her feet while charging it, cracking a little smile as it began to glow an angry red. Looks like it’s holding the charge just fine, you are indeed a genius lover… She thought to herself wryly while giving the blade a quick once over.

The blonde swordsman slid to a stop at the edge of the roof just before going over himself with a grimace while Zifolis walked toward him deliberately with a viciously vindictive grin that sported several sharp metallic looking teeth. “You’re certainly good at running away Gourry Gabriev, but this is where it ends.” He taunted as he closed the distance between himself and the blonde swordsman.

(G) “I wouldn’t be so sure about that!” Gourry said with a smile of his own as he gestured for the metallic looking creature to look behind him.

(Zi) “What nonsense - -“ Zifolis began to sneer.

(K) “Hey ass-tral pirate, heads up!” The mostly platinum haired warrior called while flipping the now charged sword around to hold it like a javelin before chucking it blade first at the Mazoku as he spun around in dismay, barely phasing out and reappearing in time to avoid the attack.

(Zi) “It’s pretty moronic to warn your enemy before you attempt to strike the killing blow isn’t it?” Zifolis asked before beginning to laugh mockingly as Gourry reached up and caught the sword that the creature had just phased to avoid hilt first and flipped to his feet with a grin behind him.

(K) “Considering what I used to do for a living…I’ll give you that, but only if the attack was actually meant to be the killing blow.” Katibree replied coyly as the creature’s black eyes widened in realization of his error as he was split from head to toe by Gourry from behind.

(K) “That was… pretty unsportsmanlike like there, Gabriev.” The half elf teased.

(G) “Hey, he just said himself that it was stupid to warn someone before you strike the finishing blow didn’t he?” “And besides, the warning you gave him before had to have counted for something!” The swordsman savant joked back.

(Zi) “Jest while you can…” Zifolis growled while crumpling to his knees in agony. “But the Mazoku race… always has a backup plan!” “Do it Filzinia…burn this town to a crisp!!” He roared at the sky before his form lost all stability and he disintegrated into black fumes, laughing even as he died.

(G) “Filzininina… who’s that…?” Gourry asked.

“I’m assuming he means the monster way up there.” Katibree said while pointing at a barely visible growing orb in the sky directly above them.

“No way we can get to that…” The swordsman savant mused.

“Yeah, I’m thinking our star player’s pretty sick of watching from the sidelines by now anyway though…” The ex-assassin said wistfully.

“I’m betting you’re right!” The blonde warrior laughed.

Having been given the signal, Filzinia prepared to release the devastating blast of unholy energy that she’d been building to wipe the town from existence from hundreds of feet above the settlement.

However, just as she was about to expel the assault, an unexpected flash of red and while light from behind her caught her attention…

“What in the name of Ruby Eye…?” Was all that escaped her lips before she turned to look and found herself on the receiving end of her dear father’s own spell and met with oblivion as well.

Sylphiel, Gourry, and Katibree shielded their eyes and braced themselves as the night sky lit up and the aftermath of the Dragon Slaves aerial explosion sent a shockwave through the town as the residents now crowding the streets, watched the display with mixed reactions of horror and amazement.

As soon as the sky darkened once more, the 3 made their respective ways to the general area that the unofficial beacon had come from and found the owner of that signal lounging on the shoulder of a towering maiden sculpture pouring water into the middle of a fountain.

(G) “Hey, there’s our star player now!” Gourry said cheerfully as they all made it to the fountain.

(L) “You know it!” Lina said while flying down from the statue with a giggle.

“Thank goodness you’re alright Miss Lina, after we found out that the attack had been on your room we…” Sylphiel began before trailing off and merely staring at the redhead’s gear with an unreadable expression on her face.

(G) “What’s wrong Sylphiel…?” The swordsman savant asked before taking a double take at the sorceress and beginning to gape. “Lina… w-what kinda sorceress’s outfit is that??” He stammered.

The half elf merely took a seat at the edge of the fountain while doing her best to act ‘natural’… whatever the hell that meant. Beanpole… HA...! She couldn’t help but scoff mentally.

(L) “Actually… this is a disguise I bought while Kat and I were on the road.” The sorcery genius replied while taking her own seat on the edge of the fountain.

(S) “…Well it… it certainly makes you look very… mature Miss Lina…” The shrine maiden finally managed with a slight blush.

(G) “I can believe that you bought the disguise easily enough…” Gourry said while closing the distance between himself and the redhead. “But… did you buy those too…?” He added in disbelief while blatantly staring down her newly discovered cleavage.

(S) “Oh, Gourry dear…” The raven haired girl said with a wince in anticipation of one violent sort of explosion or another.

(L) “Nope Gourry, it took me a while to even realize it myself… but they’ve actually been there for quite some time.” Lina replied serenely while looking up at the sky with an odd expression on her face. “Anyway, if you two are done gawking… we’ve really got some more things to discuss after what just went on tonight.

(G) “Uh, right!” Gourry said distractedly while sitting down on the ground in front of the sorceress.

(S) She didn’t blow her top about what Gourry dear just said at all…? Sylphiel thought to herself in disbelief. Maybe that’s what’s different about Miss Lina, she certainly is allot mellower that usual… especially when it comes to subjects like that

(L) “You with me there Sylphiel…?” The sorcery genius asked, noticing the far off look in the shrine maiden’s eyes.

“Oh, r-right.” Sylphiel finally replied her voice echoing much of the same distractedness the blond warrior’s before her just had. And speaking of the attack tonight…Miss Lina couldn’t have been in her room and gotten out of that explosion completely unscathed could she have?

(L) “So first things first, it’s obvious that Soshurn and his crew are hot on our trail now…” The redhead began. “His lackeys even had enough information to not only find out what town we were headed to, but specifically which inn we stayed in and which room to ambush to try and get me out of the picture.”

(S) And even if she had managed that, other than her talismans and the weapons that she’s wearing… I don’t see a bit of fire damage…Sylphiel continued to muse perplexly.

(K) “Well, I can’t necessarily say that I’m impressed with Soshurn’s henchmen as far as information gathering goes…” Katibree began while lounging lengthwise on thefountain’s ledge, the still fairly unfamiliar sound of her velvety voice snapping both Gourry and Sylphiel out of their individual thoughts.

“You are famous Lina, and that makes Gabriev and Nels Rada here famous by association.” “That alone makes it easy enough to track our movements just by word of mouth on this side of the barrier as it is even without the lot of us moseying into town and taking out half a restaurant with a huge explosion not even 45 minutes later.

(L) “Eh heh… point taken…” Lina said somewhat sheepishly.

(S) “Well…then I take it that there is something that you were ‘impressed’ with about the henchmen Miss Katibree?” Sylphiel asked.

“I think the word ‘concerned’ would probably fit better.” The ex-assassin replied with a sigh. “Because I was certainly impressed with the quality of the lackeys that were sent to try and assassinate Lina.”

(L) “…That’s right, normally henchmen are sent out to do dangerous dirty work because whether they succeed or not, they’re easily replaceable...” The redhead mused.

(S) “And those three that we fought just now were all full fledged Mazoku, at least one of them strong enough to withstand a Ra Tilt and live…” The shine maiden continued for her.

(K) “Which means that although Soshurn will most likely be annoyed that he’s lost them; Filzinia and the other two were probably among the weakest that we’ll have to face from here on out.” The mostly platinum haired warrior finished for the raven haired girl matter of factly.

(G) “Yeah and on top of that, one of the monsters that blew up Lina’s room knew that I’d lost the sword of light before even fighting me. Gourry added somewhat dejectedly.

(S) “And he also knew that I specialize in primarily white magic, so this Soshurn has definitely done his homework on us.” Sylphiel tacked on quietly.

Lina got up and began pacing back and forth at this last comment. “And if he and his lackeys already know that much about you two, chances are research has been done on the rest of the gang as well…” Which gives him that many more targets to try and use as leverage against me should he choose to… She continued to herself in frustration.

(G) “So what do you want to do next Lina?” Gourry asked while resting his sword, sheath and all on his neck and hanging an arm over either side of it.

“Well, the only logical thing that I can really think for us to do is head to Seyruun…” The sorcery genius mused while scratching her head as she brainstormed. Amelia’s by far the easiest out of all of us to track down at any given time, although she’d also be the hardest for a Monster to get to at this point…

(S) “The Holy Kingdom?” The shrine maiden asked worriedly. “Should we really get Miss Amelia involved in this whole thing when she already has the weight of training to become the possible next successor to the throne of Seyruun on her shoulders?”

“I’d definitely rather not Sylphiel, but whether she gets involved in this or not really isn’t up to just me anymore…” Lina explained conflictedly. “Even if I decide to try and leave her out of it, Soshurn may have other ideas and she’ll just get dragged into this whole mess anyway.”

“The Holy Circle radiating from the capital does weaken Mazoku, but it doesn’t repel them completely… we know that from the assassination scare that we had with Phil a few years back.”

“And it’s not like I can just… send her a message that warns her to beef up security or something...” The redhead continued. “She’d just insist on leaving to find out what’s wrong in the name of ‘justice’ and Phil would just let her go on her merry way.” Although it’s not like he could actually stop her even if he tried… She added to herself wryly.

“Anyway, I honestly think that the best thing to do would be to go there and fill her and Phil in on the situation in person so we’ll have time to cover all of the bases.” The sorceress finally finished with a rustle of her crimson colored mane.

(K) “Well it sounds like it’s settled then; we head for The Holy Kingdom of Seyruun.” Katibree said while hopping up from the ledge of the fountain. “So now the only pending question is… what to do for the rest of the night?”

(S) “That’s right… I don’t think that any local Inn owners will exactly jump at the chance to rent more rooms out to us after what has already happened tonight and earlier today.” The raven haired girl agreed somewhat sheepishly.

(L) “All things considered, we’ve already stated that we’re concerned about the potential strength of the enemy…” Lina said quietly. “So going incognito again is probably going to be our best bet until we can work out some sounder battle tactics for fighting multiple monsters in close quarters, or at least until we can accumulate a few more allies to combat them more effectively.” She continued as she began walking back in the direction of the impromptu battle site. “Anyway, stealth and subtly really aren’t my strong points, Kat’s better at that sort of thing... so I’ll leave explaining that part of the plan to her.”

“Excuse me Miss Lina but, where are you going…?” The shrine maiden called after her.

“Oh, I was trying to remember the exact incantation for that Reverse Time spell that I saw Rezo cast all those years ago, and I think I’ve got it now…” Lina called back nonchalantly. “I should still be within the time limit to try and invoke it and salvage some of my stuff from the room those two monsters just totaled.”

(S) “I-I see…” Sylphiel stammered. Miss Lina’s powerful enough to invoke a spell like Reverse Time now? She thought to herself in amazement.

(G) “So you’re explaining the rest of the plan while Lina goes to take care of something then Katibree?” The swordsman savant asked with an expectant look on his face.

“Well, the basic concept is to reverse our schedule so that we’re traveling and completely on alert when we’d normally be most vulnerable to an enemy sneak attack and least expected to be traveling.” The half elf explained. “While on the other hand, we’d be sleeping while rotating watches during the hours that we’d normally be expected to travel while only going to towns when it’s absolutely unavoidable in the mean time.”

(G) “So… traveling at night, and setting up camp and sleeping with someone on watch during the day then…?” The swordsman savant asked while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“That’s the basic gist of it Gabriev, yes.” The mostly platinum haired warrior affirmed.

(S) “I could definitely see someone having difficulties staying on our trail with a routine like that…” The shrine maiden said with a giggle. “It’s a bit odd, but if you think it will help… then I don’t mind giving it a try.”

(G) “Yeah, that is a pretty crazy sounding schedule, but I think it might just work!” Gourry agreed with a laugh.

“You two sure are easy going, the first time I suggested this to Lina, she went on about me forcing a delicate maiden to disrupt her routine for hours…” The half elf said with a smirk.

Several minutes later, Lina made her way back to the trio with a travel sack slung over either shoulder. “So we all set then…?” She asked while shrugging the pack off of her right shoulder and tossing it to Katibree.

“I take it we’re all checked out?” The ex-assassin asked while catching the travel sack with a grunt.

(G) “…….Probably as checked out as we’re ever going to get…” The blonde warrior said while lowering his eyelids suspiciously at the now sweat-dropping sorcery genius.

“Miss Lina, how could you?” Sylphiel chided crossly.

“Hey, I paid for the collateral damage that I actually caused earlier today, and I did fix the room up some at least…” The redhead said while rubbing the back of her neck. Granted I only fixed the parts that I was trying to salvage my stuff from…She added to herself while stifling a giggle.

(K) “Why don’t we continue this little moral debate on the road?” The mostly platinum haired warrior suggested while already heading in the direction of the town gates. “The further we get away from Stock Town before they start looking for us again at this point, the better.”

(L) “Can’t argue with you on that one…” Lina said with a stretch as she and the others began to walk as well.

(K) “I win, that’s 6 to 5 Red.” Katibree called back matter of factly.

“Past midnight V, start of a new day.” The redhead called back coyly.

“Fine 1 to 0, I’m still ahead.” The half elf replied.

“Yeah, we’ll see how long that lead lasts…” The sorceress scoffed.

(S) “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about, Gourry dear?” Sylphiel asked the blonde warrior.

“Not a clue.” The swordsman savant answered with a chuckle as the two girls continued their verbal jousting back and forth.

As the lively crew first made it to the outskirts of town and then into the surrounding forest, a familiar figure sporting his trademark red gemmed staff phased into view, lounging on a distant clock tower as he watched them retreat into the brush.

Well, that little tip off that I gave Soshurn’s lackeys certainly proved to be entertaining! Unfortunately I’m still no closer to figuring out what exactly it is that they have in their possession that is keeping Lord Shabranigdo’s essence from influencing our favorite half breed…

Huuummmm… her shrewdness really is becoming bothersome, spying on and manipulating the group was enough of a chore with just Lina on watch before, but now it’s become nearly impossible to do. The priest mused to himself before phasing out once more.

Oh well, I suppose that I’ll just have to change tactics.