Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Search for the Darkstar ❯ A Breakdown in Negotiations ( Chapter 21 )

Disclaimer:"Slayers" isn't mine, but belongs to Kanzaka Hajime, Araizumi Rui and those who represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while and will return them intact. Except for Gourry. He might be squished just a little. This story is set after the manga arc "Knight of Aqualord" and is an alternate take on the TRY season of the anime.

-----

Search for the DarkstarChapter 18: A Breakdown in Negotiations

Six days after their trip began, Lina opened her eyes and saw grey skies through the small gap in the tent flap. She turned onto her back and pushed her hair out of her face. This trip had been absolutely miserable, with the group waylaid by thunderstorms for a good bit of it. Filia kept having to stop and she didn't want to fly so high that they would risk passing out due to the high altitude.

The pillar of light was getting closer and Filia estimated that they would reach the island that Milgazia had indicated on their map later in the day if the weather didn't stop them. That cheered her enough to where she sat up and started to shake Gourry awake.

Then she suddenly clutched her lower abdomen and curled into a ball.

She didn't hear him call out her name and barely noticed when he left the tent. When she looked up, she saw him and Amelia staring down at her, both of their faces lined with worry. “Geez, Gourry, you didn't have to drag Amelia in here.”

“Gourry-san said you looked like you're sick.” Amelia scanned her friend and noticed where her hands were. “But it looks like you have cramps instead.”

“Yeah. Wasn't prepared for them. I swear, whoever came up with those is going to get fireballed if I ever see him.”

Amelia nodded. That was a sentiment she could agree with completely. She handed the mug of herbal tea she brought with her to Lina. “Do you want me to cast Recovery on you?”

“Nah, I'll live.” Lina pulled herself into a sitting position and managed a wan smile for Gourry, whose face had gone pale. “Don't look like I'm about to keel over. It takes more than that time of month to do in Lina Inverse!”

“That time of month? Is it suppose to hurt that much?”

“Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn't. It depends on how much my body hates me this month.” Lina sipped at the tea, relieved that Gourry wasn't asking her the specifics. Then again, he had had the pleasure of traveling with a group of women for a good four years. He had quickly learned that “that time of month” didn't just involve losing magic. Of course, he shouldn't had been eavesdropping on a conversation during their first round of travels when Lina, Amelia and Sylphiel had gathered in a small cluster and vented about that particular aspect of their lives. Gourry had heard enough to where he had begun asking questions and, in a fit of anger, Lina had bluntly told him exactly what “that time of month” entailed for women. For the next three days, Gourry could barely look any of them in the eye and when he did, his face had turned a distinctive shade of green.

“How come I hadn't noticed before?” he asked.

Lina started to reply, remembered that Amelia was there and clamped her mouth shut. She quickly turned her attention to getting her clothes out of her bags.

Amelia grinned when she noticed her friend's red cheeks. “I believe that what Lina-san is too embarrassed to say is that she wasn't sharing a bed with you last month, Gourry-san. Therefore, you wouldn't notice.”

“Yeah, but Lina complains an awful lot.”

“Even so, not even Lina-san really complains about this.”

“Hello, I'm in the same vicinity, people!” Lina glared at Amelia and Gourry. “Would you kindly stop the character assassination until I'm out of earshot?” She sat back on her heels. “In any case, what about you? We've been consistent the past few months.”

Amelia nodded. “I noticed the signs when I got up this morning as well. I think I've got two days before it begins.”

“Yeah, the same,” Lina sighed. “We're going to be sidelined for several days until we get our magic back. I hope we can reach that island today as Filia predicted. If not, we're going to be in trouble. Gourry, Zel and Lyos shouldn't have any problems protecting us and I don't think that Filia has the same problems we do regarding that time of month. Shizuri's illusions don't seem to be affected by it.”

Amelia bit her lip. She knew what Lina was saying in a roundabout way. If they went up against Valgaav and was forced to rely on the Ragna Blade or Airlord's power, they wouldn't be able to do so until Lina got her magic back. If any of them got seriously injured, only Amelia knew how to cast Resurrection in their group. She grinned at Lina. “Well, we're just going to have to do our best and get to the island today. Justice is on our side, Lina-san!”

-----

The island they saw the pillar of light coming from was very pretty. A gorgeous white-sand beach ringed the small amount of land and a lush forest extended toward a very small mountain chain. At the top was a tower consisting of a straight column of rock jutting into the sky. The pillar of light extended from the top of the tower. The bad weather had broken up, leaving a clear sky that stretched into the horizon. Lina took it as a sign of luck as they flew up to the base of the tower and started to look for access into it.

“There has to be something in there producing that light,” she told Zelgadiss as they explored. “I don't think it's the result of a naturally occurring phenomena.”

“When the pillar first appeared, I did some research into some of the ways that it could happen naturally,” he replied. “But I'm of the same mind as you with this. The timing is too coincidental to when the Mazoku barrier fell. Granted, it didn't happen until after you went to Kunan, but...”

“But it fits in with the story of Almayce looking for the weapons.” Lina started to say something else, but stopped when she heard a shout from Lyos. She glanced over and saw him waving Banisher in the air, trying to get their attention. She and Zelgadiss sprinted over the rocks to his side and noticed that he had found a deep cave that extended into the tower. The rest of the group quickly gathered. Lina produced a ball of mage light and led the way into the cave.

"Is this it?" Amelia whispered as they emerged from the cave into a huge chamber. Strange carvings patterned the walls and huge chunks of stalactite dangled above their heads. Statues jutted from the stone walls, carved into faces that Lina didn't recognize. A ladder carved into the stone stretched to the top of the chamber, where a circular glass dome capped the building. Light shone through the glass and Lina guessed that a hole was cut into the glass.

Zelgadiss approached the stone and ran his hand down it. "It doesn't appear to be that old."

Lyos approached the pillar of light and closed his eyes. He stretched his hand toward the light and on his back, Banisher vibrated. He turned back to Lina. "You feel it?"

"Some sort of strong energy," Lina acknowledged and pulled off her right glove. The Airlord emblem on the back of her hand glowed slightly. She held it up for the rest of the group to see. “It's connected to the gods in a way. I'm wondering if we found Almayce's base. Zel and I were talking about the timing of when the pillar of light appeared and if Almayce's story he told us awhile back is all true, it coincides with his search for the weapons.”

“It seems that your observations, as they so often are, are correct, Lina-san.”

Lina placed a hand on her hip as Xelloss faded into view between herself and Amelia. “Xelloss! Just where have you been for the past couple of months?”

He flashed her a winning smile. “You've missed me! I'm very touched, Lina-san, very touched indeed. I had some tedious tasks to perform and simply couldn't get away from them, not to mention that I took a brief respite after my last engaging conversation with Amelia-san.”

Lina caught Zelgadiss's eye and the corner of his mouth quirked slightly. Amelia had filled the chimera in on the justice speech she'd given Xelloss after their battle at the Flarelord temple.

Filia let out an unladylike snort and in response, Xelloss made a courtly bow. “Filia-san, isn't it? It's wonderful to see you again. Tell me, how was Milgazia-san?”

Filia growled and stalked over to him, hands clenched into fists. “I see that your so-called work includes spying on me! Tell me, are you ever actually useful?”

Xelloss tapped a finger to his chin. “And who was it who got you out of your temple alive when your own elder wanted to kill you? I figured you would be a bit more grateful about that.”

“I could never be grateful to a Mazoku, especially you!”

“In any case,” Xelloss said, turning his attention back to Lina, “if this is Almayce's base, we'd better hurry and find him or Valgaav. They might have reformed their alliance in the time you've been gone.”

Shizuri mimicked Lina's earlier pose. “So, you've apparently spent the last couple of months tracking our movements, but haven't seen it fit to investigate this location for yourself? It seems that the Mazoku race is dreadfully inefficient.”

“I only follow orders, Shizuri-san.”

“Okay, we can ream Xelloss out about this as we're investigating this tower,” Lina ordered. She motioned to an opening on the other side of the main room. “Let's start there.”

-----

Valgaav cried out in pain as the partially-formed dragon limb throbbed beneath his hand. The medicines he'd been using to block out the pain had run out and Gravos had disappeared after he'd rescued Jillas. There was no one able to help him and he had to rely on Jillas to continue the weapon search in his name after being sidelined.

Only one thing helped with the immense pain. He reached out and willed his claw to wrap around the twisted wood that made up the staff of Razud Mezegis. He picked it up, the light blades automatically emerging as the weapon channeled his willpower. He closed his eyes and felt the power flow through him, much like it had felt when Gaav had taken him in long ago and had given his powers so he could survive. A look of bliss passed over Valgaav's face as the almost unbearable pleasure dulled the pain.

Just you wait... I'll end everything here. Lina Inverse. Almayce. Whoever stands in my way. What Gaav-sama has started won't be left unfinished! Valgaav threw back his head, giving an orgasmic scream as wings ripped from his back and spread through the room.

-----

“Well, here's a cliche,” Lyos proclaimed as the group reached an intersection in the maze of chambers. Three different hallways split off from the main one. “We're gonna need to split up.”

Lina surveyed the group. There was definitely enough to where they could split up. “Shizuri and Lyos, take the left. Zel and Amelia, keep going straight. Gourry, Filia, Xelloss and I will go right. If any of you find something, signal immediately.”

Everyone nodded and immediately split off. Lina, Gourry, Filia and Xelloss ran down the middle hallway until they reached a second split. Lina hesitated and looked at Filia and Xelloss. Sending them off together as a group would be a disaster waiting to happen and would most likely involve a fight that would eat up valuable time.

“Which way do we go?” Gourry asked.

Filia smirked, then yanked her mace out from beneath her skirts. She slammed it into the ground and hunched over it, moving her hands in an intricate motion. Lina rolled her eyes. She had little use for that so-called prediction method that she'd seen Sylphiel use as well.

“Do all the priestesses in this world use that prediction method?” Xelloss asked.

“Shut up,” Filia snarled, then with a grunt, pressed her hands out flat.

The mace didn't budge.

Gourry rubbed his chin and stared at it, fascinated. “Wow, it didn't fall. It's suppose to fall, I think.”

“Gourry-san has a point. Maybe Filia-san should knock it over,” Xelloss suggested.

Filia leaped to her feet and gave the mace a swift, hard kick, imagining that it was Xelloss' annoying face that she was attacking. The mace wobbled, then fell to the ground indicating the left tunnel.

“The prophecy has been made!” Filia declared, pointing toward the left tunnel. “The Sword of Light is this way!”

“It is?” Lina asked in a dubious voice.

“It's that way! The gods have said so!” Filia grabbed Lina's arm and proceeded to pull her down the hallway. Gourry shrugged and started to follow.

They never noticed that Xelloss wasn't with them.

-----

“Hang on a minute, Shizuri,” Lyos called out as they reached a series of intricate chambers. He swung Banisher off his back and used the sword to carve an X into one of the walls. “We're gonna keep doubling back if we don't use some sort of marker.”

“Good idea,” Shizuri said with approval. “Though I hope the walls hold up if we keep marking them this way.”

“Well, you don't have any sort of spell that could mark these walls, do you?”

Shizuri shook her head. “My speciality is illusional magic. I know enough of the basic spells, but nothing to make a marker. It's a start.” She ruffled Lyos' hair and he rolled his eyes at her. She laughed. “Being around boys your age is so much fun. They hate attention.”

“It's not like you're that much older than me!” Lyos retorted as they started running through the tunnels. “You're what, 20?”

“Try 26.” Shizuri flashed a grin at him. “You're 17 now, right? Hard to believe we've been around each other for a year.”

“It really doesn't seem that long,” Lyos admitted as he thought back to when he first discovered Lina Inverse washed up onto a beach in Kunan. He shrugged. “Suppose it has been.”

They reached a dead end and stopped. Shizuri raised an eyebrow. “You seem kind of agitated lately.”

“I dunno.” Lyos stared at the wall. “Sometimes, I wonder why I agreed to come here with Lina. Exploring her continent's been pretty cool, but I was kind of hoping to talk to that Milgazia guy. You know, learn more about Aqualord and all. I know I've been around it all my life, but I've never seen dragons worship it. But he was more focused on Filia and we were in and out of there so fast, there wasn't a chance.”

Shizuri laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. “You know what might be good?”

“What's that?”

“Lina said her sister's the Knight of Ceiphied. That means that apparently she's got the same sort of power in her that you do as Knight of Aqualord. Maybe when we're done with this, we can talk Lina into going back to Zefielia and we can go talk to her. If anyone would know how to grow as a Knight, it'd be her.”

Lyos's eyes lit up. “I didn't think of that!”

“Didn't think you would. Your mind's been too full of a certain priestess,” Shizuri said teasingly and grinned at the resulting blush from the young swordsman. “It's good for you to think of girls in that manner. I like Sylphiel. It wouldn't hurt you to go spend a little more time with her as well. You may not think you came here for a reason, but they're developing as they go along. Once we're done helping Lina, she'll help you to realize your goals. She hasn't forgotten you.”

Lyos didn't say anything for a few moments. But he knew that Shizuri was right. He admired Lina and Gourry both, though he sometimes wanted to throttle both of them. Back in their home among their friends, it almost felt like he was being left behind. He sighed and heaved Banisher off his shoulder. “Let's keep going.”

He cleaved his sword into the wall and the bricks fell away, revealing a post with an X carved into it. Shizuri and Lyos exchanged tired looks. “Well, this is where we were before,” she said. “It only means one thing.”

Lyos pressed a hand to his forehead. “We're completely lost. So, what now?”

Shizuri shrugged. “Who knows? Going back the way we came is our best bet. We can take the straight tunnel and catch up to Zelgadiss and Amelia.”

The sound of moving stone quickly caught their attention and they whirled around to see a slab being pushed up and aside. Moments later, a fox's head emerged from the newly made hole and Shizuri and Lyos gaped as Jillas climbed into the room, Sword of Light in hand.

He didn't see them at first, not until he turned around. He let out a squeak and scurried away from them.

“Oh no you don't! Golem Illuminus!” Shizuri extended her hand and a beam of white light shot down the tunnel. Jillas ducked under the ray of light, then screamed as the spell hit the wall and turned two more posts into equally huge golems. He landed on his rear, crawling backwards as fast as he could until he bumped into Lyos.

Lyos hauled Jillas to his feet. “Looks like we got ourselves a prize, Shizuri!”

“Perfect! Hang on, I believe I remember how to cast this spell. Rafahs Seed!” She held up the index finger of one hand, placed the index finger of the other hand on top of it and drew it away from the first finger. Magical ropes appeared around Jillas's body and tightened, preventing the fox from moving.

Shizuri picked up the Sword of Light. “We've got a certain swordsman who'll be pretty happy to see this.”

Jillas glared at them. “Don't assume you've won. I never forget a grudge. You will pay for this one day.”

“That's what they all say,” Lyos said and let Jillas unceremoniously drop to the ground. He grabbed one end of the rope. “Let's go find Lina and the others.”

-----

Zelgadiss and Amelia's path took them down a straight tunnel. But instead of it splitting off, it grew narrower with a light emitting from one end of it. They stopped a few feet away from the light and glanced at each other. Zelgadiss drew his sword and moved to guard Amelia. They reached the end of the tunnel and stepped through a doorway into a much larger chamber, close to the size of the original room they had discovered when first entering the tower.

The floor was a bronze color with shapes and words in a strange alphabet carved into the stone. Across the room stood a large chair that was empty. Large gears were suspended from the walls and ticked off the seconds.

Zelgadiss walked over to the wall and ran his hand down it. He closed his eyes and tried to mentally chart where they were in his head. They weren't in the chamber directly beneath the main one, they had come too far for it. A separate base of operations, he wondered. Maybe some sort of war room. Perhaps”¦

“Zelgadiss-san!”

He whirled around and saw the edge of Amelia's cape through a second doorway. “Amelia!” he called out, racing across the room at the fear in her voice. He skidded to a stop when he saw what she did - a gigantic glass dome filled with liquid with a huge being suspended in the middle.

“Who is that?” Zelgadiss wondered.

“He's called Almayce. He's the guy from the Overworld that we fought at Flarelord temple.” Amelia motioned to the right side of his body and Zelgadiss noticed that the being lacked an arm. “That's where Lina-san hacked off his arm with the Ragna Blade after he nearly killed Gourry-san.” She crept closer to the dome. “Is he dead?”

“Don't know. Probably not if someone's gone to the trouble of preserving him like this.” Zelgadiss turned his back on Almayce. “We're wasting time by lingering here. Let's keep looking for Valgaav. From what you were saying, their alliance was pretty shattered anyhow.”

“Perhaps,” Amelia said and considered what Almayce had told Valgaav. He had mentioned that he was finishing the work that Valgaav was unable to do, but never said they were parting ways. Then again, Almayce had eagerly offered Valgaav in exchange for one of the Darkstar weapons. She joined Zelgadiss. “I suppose you're right. If they're no longer allies, then I wouldn't expect Valgaav to be here anymore.”

“Hopefully we can track down where the Sword of Light is soon,” Zelgadiss replied.

“Gorun Nova has been stolen?”

Zelgadiss and Amelia whirled around and discovered that the being in the dome had his eye open. He stared down at the two of them, remembering Amelia from the Flarelord temple battle.

Zelgadiss moved to shield Amelia once more. “What's it to you?”

Almayce closed his eye slowly, then reopened it. “If Valgaav gets his hands on Gorun Nova, he will summon Darkstar to this place.”

-----

Valgaav hunched over Razud Mezegis. The pain was growing worse, much worse. It was getting hard to breathe, to even think about that basic act. But his senses were still sharp and his eyes immediately shifted when he detected the new prescence in his chambers. A grimace not brought on by internal agony crossed his face. “Xelloss,” he bit out.

Xelloss gave Valgaav a long, considering look. “It would seem that your dragon powers are causing you a great deal of pain.”

“That's stating the obvious,” Valgaav grumbled. He tightened his hold on Razud Mezegis and started to get up, but Xelloss quickly held up a hand.

“My, my, you are spoiling to get into a battle today, aren't you? Unfortunately, I haven't come to fight you. I'm here to make a deal with you, to finish what Gaav started a long time ago.” Xelloss's eyes narrowed into slits. “I've been ordered to bring you fully onto the Mazoku's side.”

Valgaav gave Xelloss an incredious look. He threw back and laughed long and hard. When he was able to speak, he pressed his good hand to his stomach. “Why the hell would you even want me?”

Xelloss lifted a hand and shrugged. “It seems like we're having a bit of a talent shortage lately. One of the pieces of Shabranigdu, Gaav, Phibrizzo, Rikufalso and Hureika... We've seem to have lost quite a few people in the last couple of years due to extenuating circumstances.”

“And how many of those extenuating circumstances happen to be named Lina Inverse?”

Xelloss inclined his head. “Point made. Thanks to Lina-san's most efficient”¦work, you shall say, the Overworld's battle against Darkstar has become a very important matter to the Mazoku. For what purposes I can't say at this time. I'm here to offer you a full pardon for the crimes you've committed in the past and compensation for your services.”

Valgaav narrowed his eyes. “And that would be?”

“Your greatest wish fulfilled. You wish the death of the person who caused Gaav's death. I shall carry that out for you. I will kill Lina Inverse personally.”

-----

“Say, Lina?”

“What, Gourry?”

“Xelloss is gone.”

Lina skidded to a stop and Gourry plowed into her. They landed in a tangle of limbs on the ground just behind Filia, who had whirled around to confirm Gourry's statement. Her eyes lit up with anger. “That no-good, filthy piece of Mazoku trash! How dare he just leave like that?” She glanced down and sighed. “Lina-san! Gourry-san! This is no time for fooling around!”

“We're not fooling around!” The couple yelled together as they managed to get up without tripping over each other again. The trio stared back down the hall. Lina sighed, but wasn't really surprised that Xelloss had decided to go his own way. His own alliance with them was loose at best, his appearances only coming when they seemed to serve him. “Let's keep going,” she said to Filia and Gourry. “We can worry about Xelloss later.”

“Are you kidding me?”

At first, Lina wondered if Gourry had yelled that, but his lips hadn't moved. She didn't think that ventriloquism had suddenly become part of the swordman's arsenal and was about to ask when the voice echoed down the hall again.

“You do not understand this, not one bit! Xelloss, my rage doesn't extend just to Lina Inverse, but to everyone that had the audacity to stand against Gaav-sama! That includes you!”

“Valgaav,” Filia gasped.

“It's echoing down the corridor,” Lina said and started running.

“Well, that's most unpleasant to hear,” Xelloss replied and Lina could hear the lethal edge to it. “Then, I must reveal the other part of my orders. Should you reject our most generous offer, I have orders to immediately dispose of you.”

If Valgaav responded, it had been so low that Lina wouldn't had heard what he said. A scream of rage echoed down the tunnel and suddenly she could see a burst of light at the other end of the tunnel. They're fighting now. Xelloss, what the hell have you done?

In the chamber, Xelloss neatly evaded Valgaav's first, desperate lunge. Valgaav slid across the room, his control over his body's movements shaky at best. He clutched Razud Mezegis tightly and glared at the smirk on the Mazoku's face. Xelloss knew that Valgaav was having problems. I won't let him finish me off, not like this! He brought up the weapon, making an overhead slash that would bisect an enemy in two if they weren't quick enough.

Xelloss was more than quick enough. He merely held up his staff horizontally and the light blade clashed into it. Valgaav gritted his teeth. The staff had to be part of Xelloss' energy or else it would had snapped in two. He leaped away, held up his dragon arm and released several balls of energy at Xelloss. They swirled around the room before slamming into the opposing wall. Valgaav backed away, breathing heavily. It had taken more out of him than he had planned. Before he realized what was happening, Xelloss shot across the room.

They were nose to nose now, with Xelloss smirking. “It doesn't matter how much you swing that weapon around or what you fire at me. It only counts if you actually land the hit. There's something else about the nature of battles that Gaav should had told you.”

Ow? Valgaav winced as he felt a small, stabbing pain in his chest, then looked down to see a small cone of energy stabbing at him. The cones multiplied so rapidly that he couldn't see them anymore. The pain they caused was incredible, causing him to jerk his arms and legs out and scream in agony.

Xelloss' disembodied voice echoed through the room. “Didn't you know, Valgaav? What a poor, poor teacher Gaav was to you. You see, small wounds cause a great deal of damage if you make enough of them.”

Valgaav hit the ground, coughing blood. He held out his dragon arm and willed a ball of energy into it.

“You don't get it yet?” Xelloss appeared beside Valgaav and drove his staff into Valgaav's dragon arm. He shrieked from the pain, as the Mazoku's energy spread through his body and the bones were crushed beneath Xelloss's staff. He gave the staff a malicious twist, forcing Valgaav to control over the attack. The energy ball burst into pieces and shot into the walls. Rocks rained down around them.

Xelloss quickly lifted off the ground and waited for Valgaav to rise. “Why don't we end this?”

“That's suppose to be my line,” Valgaav retorted as he shakily got to his feet.

In the corridor, the sounds of battle grew closer as Lina, Gourry and Filia raced toward it. They heard Valgaav scream out the words to activate Razud Mezegis. He rushed forward, bringing down his light blade in a slash just as they ran into the chamber. Lina skidded to a stop, Gourry and Filia nearly running into her.

"What is he...," Filia started to question, just as the space in front of them sizzled and cracked open revealing Xelloss with a wound that sliced down his body from shoulder to ankle.

"Xelloss!" Lina cried as the Mazoku fell to the ground. She, Filia and Gourry rushed to his side. Her mind reeled as she grabbed Xelloss and pulled him into a sitting position. The weapon that Valgaav used, even though it was just like the Sword of Light on the surface, it seemed to be much more powerful. It cut through the Astral plane, much like her Ragna Blade did. Lina stared at the weapon in Valgaav's hands and knew that if they didn't get it away from him that they were in big trouble.

"Why were you fighting him?" Filia yelled at Xelloss.

He cracked open an eye, managing a weak grin. "Looks like I've botched this job, haven't I?"

"Job?" Filia gave him a little shake. "What sort of job?"

"Well, I offered him Lina-san in exchange for becoming aligned with the Mazoku."

Lina gritted her teeth and jerked her hands away from Xelloss. He fell to the ground with a crash. She loomed over him. "You did what?"

Xelloss managed a true grin. "He got mad and thought I was trying to trick him. I wondered for a moment how you would react if you found out. I figured it would be something similar to this," he added as Lina growled and a ball of magic started to form in her hands. She infused her hands with the magic before proceeding to knock Xelloss several times in the head.

"Hey!" Gourry grabbed Lina's arm. "He's hurt!"

"What?" Lina whirled around. "He was trying to gift wrap and offer me up to Valgaav! Do you really want Xelloss to give me over to Valgaav so I can be killed?"

The compassion on Gourry's face fled. Instead, he shot Xelloss a dark glare and relaxed his hold on Lina, nudging her forward slightly.

"Wait a minute!" Filia grabbed Lina's other arm. "Is knocking him around all you're going to do to him? Xelloss just tried to sell your life to Valgaav!"

Lina looked up at the angry look on Gourry's face and the indignant one on Filia's. She sighed, jerked her arms away from them and pressed her hand to her temple, where she could already feel the headache growing. "Xelloss is a Mazoku, so I expect him to pull something like that. Despite knowing that, we still work together. But, in exchange, I get to use Xelloss as a little tool of convenience when I need to."

Xelloss raised an eyebrow at Lina. "This is news to me. Even so, if you're planning to fight Valgaav, be careful. His power has stabilized to the point where he's quite formidable."

He was right. For the first time since they entered the room, Lina took in Valgaav's appearance. The last time she had seen him had been at the Flarelord temple, struggling to maintain control over his body. He now stood before them, seemingly in complete control of the dual energies that were inside his body. She could also see the strain his body was under and wondered if his battle with Xelloss had forced that mastery. Lina gritted her teeth. It was something else to be mad at Xelloss about later.

Gourry moved in front of the girls and Xelloss, drawing his sword as he did so. Valgaav stared at him for a moment, threw back his head and started to laugh. "So, the only way you could have gotten here is through Almayce. I knew that contract between us didn't mean a damn thing."

“Almayce?” Lina's eyes widened. “So he is still alive!”

“Don't play games with me, Lina Inverse!”

"Lina! Gourry!"

They whipped around just as Shizuri and Lyos ran into the chamber, the Sword of Light in Shizuri's hands. She tossed the hilt to Gourry. In a single movement, he had his other sword sheathed and the Sword of Light in hand. He activated the light blade and resumed his stance.

Lina glanced across the chamber and quickly sized up what power they had. "Shizuri! Lyos! Get Xelloss out of here!"

"What?" Shizuri saw Xelloss for the first time, her jaw falling when she took in the extent of his injuries. She raced to Filia's side and grabbed Xelloss under one shoulder and Filia supported him from the other side. Lyos drew Banisher and moved to cover the women as they started to lead Xelloss from the chamber.

"I'd never imagined you'd be helping me like this," Xelloss managed as they took slow, measured steps.

"I'll yell at you about it later," Filia promised.

A large ball of green energy formed in Valgaav's claw and with a yell, he released it toward Filia, Shizuri, Lyos and Xelloss. Lina jumped in front of it, casting a Balus Wall as she did so. The attack richoeted off the shield and landed on the walls, causing them to cave in. Filia and Shizuri immediately froze and Lyos threw the blade up over them, protecting them from most of the debris. When the dust faded, the entrance that Lina, Gourry and Filia had come in through minutes earlier had been caved in.

"Damn it!" Gourry started to spring forward, then froze, remembering what happened the last time he advanced someone with one of the light weapons. He started to deactivate the sword when Valgaav let loose with another energy burst, this one directed at Lina. Gourry leaped in front of her, yanking out the his spare sword from its sheath with his left hand as he did so. He slammed the flat of the sword at the energy ball, breaking it into pieces.

"Gourry!" Lina coughed through the dust and was about to chew him out when she saw the sword that he was holding. It was the one from Kunan, the one he said he grabbed from Oren's temple. It can't be an ordinary magical sword, she realized. If it'd been, the energy ball from the light weapon would had disintegrated the sword and he would had... Valgaav's insane laughter interuppted her thought process and she forced her attention back to the battle.

It might be worthless, but... Lina threw herself to the ground behind Gourry and started to chant the Dragon Slave.

"It's useless, Lina Inverse!" Valgaav sprang into the air and launched another attack at her.

"Lina!" Gourry leaped in front of her once more, holding up the magical sword. The attack hit the blade, but this time there was more power on Valgaav's end. "Light, come forth!" Gourry yelled, then pressed the blade of the Sword of Light against the second metal blade just as Valgaav launched a third attack at him.

The two blades touched each other, making an audible ringing sound through the chamber. Moments later, a shield blossomed from Gourry's joined hands, surrounding himself and Lina and she scrambled to her feet. The Sword of Light formed a shield? No, that can't be right. It's a weapon, it can't do something like that. The other weapon? It deflected the energy ball, but.. Instinctively, Lina slammed her hand against Gourry's back and opened her magical senses. Her eyes widened in shock as raw magic poured from his body into hers. No way! Gourry is capable of doing magic?A quick glance at his hands made her realize that the shield was coming from him and not the swords. What the hell?

The shield gave way as Valgaav launched a series of energy balls from his dragon arm, catching both Lina and Gourry in the backlash. She automatically wrapped her arms around him to cushion the fall. Both swords were ripped from Gourry's hands. Valgaav leaped and caught the Sword of Light in one hand. The magical sword from Kunan slammed point first into the ground next to Lina and Gourry. The blade shuddered, then a series of cracks shimmered over it before the metal disintegrated into dust, leaving behind a second blade.

"What the hell...," Lyos stammered.

Lina pushed Gourry aside and crawled to the sword. A series of ornate designs decorated the blade. She grabbed the hilt and gawked at it, recognizing it from the sketches she had seen in numerous magical books. "The Blast Sword!"

"The what?" Gourry peered over Lina's shoulder.

"I'll explain later." Lina pressed the sword into his hands. "I don't know how you did it, but you just gave us a fighting chance. Use this and get those weapons away from Valgaav!"

Valgaav smirked. "Did you know that only two of the weapons are required to open the gateway? Even if you flee and go find your friends, I will have summoned Darkstar and he will consume everything in this world!"

Zel! Amelia! Lina scanned the room and wished fervently that they had come along with Shizuri and Lyos. Gourry started to run for Valgaav, but he simply smirked at the swordsman and disappeared from view. Gourry skidded to a stop and swore.

Lina jabbed her finger at Lyos. "Lyos! Find Zel and Amelia, now! Meet us in the room where the pillar of light is! Hurry!"

"Right!" Lyos sped down the hall.

"Filia! Can you teleport Shizuri and Xelloss?"

"I can handle myself," Xelloss managed.

Filia wrapped an arm around Shizuri's waist and Xelloss managed a grin. "I didn't expect to see any girl on girl action in this adventure."

"Stuff it," Filia snarled before disappearing with Shizuri. Xelloss chuckled and followed.

"Damu Brass!" Lina shot the spell at the ceiling, creating a hole just big enough for herself and Gourry. "Hold on tight," she ordered and he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. She shot into the air, through the hole and into the main chamber. She could see a platform shimmering high in the air and aimed for it. Several feet away, she saw Shizuri, Filia and Xelloss appear on a ledge.

Valgaav had both weapons in hand, the light blades crossed. A large sphere of energy formed above him. He turned, a twisted look on his face as Lina and Gourry joined the others.

"Now, this is more like it," he mummered. "What fun is there in destroying the world if you don't have an audience for it?"

"Look up there!" Shizuri pointed to the designs on the wall that now appeared to be moving. "Are those gears?"

"Some form of Overworld machine is my guess." Lina shot a glance at the sky and had a better view of the hole cut into the glass dome. It was formed in an eight-sided star. Before she could study it much further, Valgaav released the energy and a huge ray of light shot through the hole. Lina threw up her arm to block the light. When it faded, she saw Valgaav suspended in mid-air, surrounded by a white glow.

"This is the gateway to hell," Valgaav intoned, his eyes boring into Lina's. "This is where you'll die and I'll have my revenge, Lina Inverse!”

-----

Author's Notes a.k.a. What on Earth is going on here?:There's a couple of what appears to be plot inconsistencies going on here, but it's all due to the fact that Valgaav thinks that Lina knows more than she actually does. In the original TRY, the groups were different. Zel and Amelia found the Sword of LIght and Lina and Gourry discovered Almayce. The subsequent information from Almayce that backs up Valgaav's rantings is revealed at the very beginning of chapter 19. Pretty much, Zelgadiss and Amelia are talking to Almayce at the same time that the fighting is going on in other parts of the tower.

Gourry's magic and the Blast Sword: As I've mentioned before, Hajime Kanzaka has mentioned in an interview that Gourry has a magical capacity one step short of being able to perform a Dragon Slave. That makes him pretty powerful. Harry Potter fans are pretty familiar with what Gourry actually did here - he performed accidental magic. It doesn't mean that he'll become a magic user. It just means that for one desperate moment in time, aided by an object that channels his will, he was able to use it. Lina's going to explain everything.

As for the Blast Sword, it's been a theory of mine ever since reading the Knight of Aqualord manga. There's several hints that it could be the Blast Sword dropped, including an emphasis placed on Gourry's sword breaking and his snatching a new one off the wall of Oren's temple. I think that Kanzaka could had easily let that whole plot go and not have Gourry's sword break. At the time, it appears to have been the catalyst for Lina to use the Dragon Slave against Rikufalso, but she was pretty close to doing that on her own anyhow. Because of the emphasis placed on it, it made me wonder if that sword was the Blast Sword. Lina's going to explain about that as well for those who are wondering just what the heck this weapon is.