Chaos Ascendant

Chapter 6

Lina glared at the Knight of Shabranigdo, worried that she might have to call to her command some more serious show of defensive power, but the silver-white figure stepped up beside her, placing a hand on her arm.

A voice, without truly being a voice spoke words that Lina had a suspicion that only she and the Knight of Shabranigdo could hear. “Leave this place. You will be dealt with later.”

The Knight of Shabranigdo’s eyes blazed at the mysterious woman, the identity of whom Lina was just beginning to suspect. “You are weak. The reckoning will come. And yet, I am not without honor, for where is the challenge when you are so pathetically outclassed? I’ll give you some time to prepare for your death.” Only when the red-clad woman vanished did the silver figure move her hand and smile faintly to Lina before dissolving before the surprised sorceress’s eyes.

Lina blinked, and then noticed that Amelia had gently taken the stone and wand from Sylphiel, so that Zelgadis could carry the unconscious Cleric into her house. Silently mulling over what had just transpired, Lina followed Zelgadis as he carried Sylphiel into the house, Amelia following close behind, holding the stone and want gingerly, as if either one of them might suddenly burst into magical flames. Gourry held the door, and entered last, casting a glare about the yard, as if daring Kira Inverse to return, missing the shadowed figure drifting next to the edge of the woods.

Inside an all-too fluffy bedroom, the chimera did his best to rest Sylphiel gently on the bed, but he rather doubted the softness of his touch. Afraid that he’d bruised her, he cast a light healing spell on her, and looked to see if she had awakened. Her eyes were still closed, and so he turned to look at Amelia. “I’ve done what I can. She probably needs to sleep out the shock. It’s rather disconcerting to have a bunch of people appear around you without warning.”

Amelia nodded, biting her lip. “I just hope that she’s going to be okay… but Zelgadis… I’ve never seen Sylphiel cast a spell that powerfully before.” She looked at the wand and the stone still in her hands. “Do you think that maybe one of these had something to do with it?”

Lina’s voice came from behind the princess. “I’m pretty certain that it did Amelia. I sent the stone somewhere that it would be safe… and it came here, to Sylphiel. The woman in silver who stood at my side looked an awful lot like Sylphiel does, and at the time, Sylphiel was holding the stone. Doesn’t that tell you anything?”

Zelgadis put it together first. “Sylphiel is a piece of our puzzle?”

“Sylphiel’s not a puzzle! She’s a… a…” Gourry struggled to come up with the word. “She’s a Cleric!” He beamed at the group, obviously pleased that he’d recalled the correct title.

Lina sighed and shook her head. “The very fact that the SunStone came here to Sylphiel says that her alignment is truly to Cepheid. But more important is the fact that the stone itself reacts to her.”

Zelgadis looked to Lina and Amelia with sudden startlement, Lina’s point coming to a sudden and very brilliant point in his thoughts. “Are you saying that she’s…?!”

The redheaded sorceress nodded slowly. “I think she may be. But we have to wait until she wakes up. And I know, for now, we should let her rest. I’m sure that she needs it. If what we suspect is the truth, she’s going to need every chance to prepare that we can give her.”

Lina turned, dragging Gourry down the hall with her, allowing Amelia to leave the room, wand and stone still in hand. Zelgadis quietly closed the door behind him as he left, mulling over what Lina had and had not said. He wasn’t sure that he believed it.

Sylphiel opened her eyes to see the ceiling of her own room. She blinked once, then twice, and sat up with a sudden start as she recalled the earlier events. Had she dreamt it all? Did she really get hit on the head by a strange gemstone that an almost mirror image of Lina had wanted? And had Lina and some strangely familiar woman come to her defense? She shook her head and slipped out of the bed. Detachedly, she looked at her feet. She was fully dressed… so she had to have been awake. Which meant…

Sylphiel opened the door to her room and walked down the hall. A chill settled over her as she saw everyone sitting quietly in her living room. It hadn’t been a dream. She blinked again, and then looked to her visitors. “Would someone care to explain to me what happened?”

Lina looked over and stood, smiling disarmingly at Sylphiel. “Oh, you’re awake! How are you feeling?”

Sylphiel, fully aware of Lina’s tricks, folded her arms and looked at the redhead. “Lina, what are you involved in this time? I get hit on the head with a strange gemstone, and suddenly someone who looks almost exactly like you is threatening my life if I don’t give it to her. Do you care to explain what that was all about?”

Lina reached out and took the SunStone and the wand from Amelia, offering them to Sylphiel. “Maybe you should find out for yourself, Sylphiel.”

Gentle blue eyes narrowing, the Cleric reached out and took both the items from Lina’s hands. No sooner had Lina let go of them, than the stone burst into a brilliant life and Sylphiel stared at it. “Miss Lina… this is the SunStone… this is the gemstone that was chipped from the frozen form of Cepheid during the Time of Sealing! The legend…”

“Legend?” Zelgadis looked over to the surprised Cleric. “What legend, Sylphiel?”

“The legend says that at a time most desperate, the SunStone will return to the world and shine, calling forth the Protector of Cepheid…” her voice trailed off and suddenly it dawned on her and almost all of the others. “Protector of Cepheid…”

Gourry blinked, frowning. “But I thought you were a Cleric, Sylphiel…?”

A wash of brilliance announced the arrival of the Knight of Cepheid, and silvery-lavender eyes regarded the even more startled Cleric coolly. “Then it is true. The Protector has been found.” Silently, Luna saluted Sylphiel, and watched as Sylphiel automatically returned the hail. Someone had taught the Cleric the correct response. Had they known all along?

And then Gourry figured out that Sylphiel was named the Protector of Cepheid. He looked to Luna and frowned. “So what does that mean? Sylphiel’s like you?”

When she replied, Luna’s voice was quiet. “Sylphiel is quite possibly one of the most powerful Clerics in the world.”

Zelgadis kept his mouth shut; for fear that he might bury himself deeper than necessary. But the thought of Sylphiel being powerful just somehow didn’t compute. After all, he’d seen her Flare Carrots. Come to think about it, he’d seen her Dragon Slave, too. A strange light lit in his cerulean eyes as he considered the implications. He was beginning to get the feeling that all literal Holy Hell was going to break loose… and he was willing to bet he’d be at Ground Zero for it when it did.