They never heard the words. Suddenly, the magic had gathered into the outstretched hand, and the undeniable flare-out of a Dragon Slave fired out, leveling the forest.
When the dust cleared, they
looked to see that the forest was indeed gone. But in the distance, in
what had been the heart of the forest… something glinted brightly like
a beacon.
“Are you just going to stand
there and stare?”
Blinking, the little group
turned to look at a fairly ragged-looking redhead holding the Blessed Blade.
Sylphiel coughed away some
of the dust. “Miss…”
“Lina,” she said. “I’m Lina.”
Zelgadis looked at her steadily, and she looked at him for a moment, and
then turned away to look at the forest. “Sylphiel, you have to come with
me.”
“Me? I don’t understand,
Miss… Lina…” Sylphiel said quietly.
“You will when we get there,”
Lina said cryptically, and Sylphiel only nodded and followed Lina.
Amelia and Zelgadis looked
at each other, shrugged, and followed.
Xellos was uttering his six
thousand five hundred and twenty second curse in a language that hadn’t
been heard on the planet since before the Golden Dragons got the bug up
their collective tails when he saw them head for the glimmer in the distance.
He knew what it was, what it could do, and what it would probably do to
him. And while he was interested in seeing the effect that this would have
on mortal minds, he was not too thrilled at the prospect of what effect
it would have on a Mazoku mind.
When this is over…
he wondered, what will I see?
The closer they got to the
glimmer, the more Sylphiel had a feeling. And when the cleric had a feeling,
she was usually right. She started to move faster, reaching to take the
Blessed Blade from Lina as they moved. Yes… this is a temple… this is an
old temple long lost to sleep. Sylphiel thought as they moved along. She
came to a stop before a large medallion in the ground, looking at the ancient
symbol. A symbol of Cepheid…
The Blessed Blade flared
brightly in her hands, and Sylphiel felt the request, rather than heard
it. With all her strength, the cleric brought the sword point-first into
the medallion.
“Sylphiel, no!” Zelgadis
shouted too late. But when Lina nodded to Sylphiel, Zelgadis paused. What
is it that they have done?
Magic unfolded along the
ground, opening like a brilliant starburst with them at the center. The
Blessed Blade vanished from sight, and a silver-haired girl-child sat in
its place, blinking brilliant blue eyes at them.
Xellos stiffened in preparation
for the ring of magic to hit him. Being at Ground Zero of a holy spell
was not what he had anticipated this morning. Damn Dynast for this treachery.
Well… Dynast was already gone. At least he’d gotten to do that. Maybe Zelas
would be so pleased with that fact that she’d bring him back…
But the magic parted around
him, and he saw the figure turn to look at him.
Before he could react, he
had been summoned, landing beside Zelgadis to look at the child before
them.
The child stood, and Xellos
sighed heavily, realizing who it was. She smiled as she walked towards
the Mazoku, and reluctantly, he kneeled to bring himself to eye-level with
her. “Hello, Mitsukai.”
As Lina and the others watched
in astonishment, the silver-haired girl simply patted Xellos on the head.
“Hello, Xellos. Have you been good while I was gone?”
Xellos smiled wryly at the
girl, eyes closed. “That depends on your definition of ‘good’, Mitsu.”
The child laughed, a silvery-bell
sound, then nodded to the Trickster Priest. “Indeed it does. Fine, fine,
Xellos. You may go now. I know my presence distresses you so.”
Zelgadis stared as Xellos
quickly faded from sight. Who was this girl? Her blue eyes fastened on
him, and he had a feeling that he was about to find out.
“I am, as you may have heard,
Mitsukai. I thank you for rescuing me from the prison that Dynast Grausherra
built around me as I slept.”
Lina shook her head. “I
don’t understand. Maybe I know your name…but I don’t know who you are.”
The girl laughed, lifting
into the air and floating over to Lina. Looking her straight in the eye,
she smiled. “You are Lina Inverse. And I am Mitsukai, perhaps better known
to you as one of the lost fragments of Cepheid.”
Lina blinked. A fragment
of Cepheid? Here? After all of this? After everything she had been through…
to come face-to-face with this child… She shook her head. “I don’t figure
it. Dynast’s a fairly weak lesser minion of Shabranigdo. How come you weren’t
able to free yourself?”
Amelia hung her head. That
was Lina, no doubt about it. Only Lina would look at a fragment of any
god and question them.
“I was captive before I
was here, Lina Inverse. I am the smallest fragment of Cepheid, and that
was my undoing. But now you have restored me. I know that it was not without
cost, for Dynast took great pains to show me what he had done. But Dynast
did not know that my long efforts to escape had finally worked.” The child
waved a hand, and Lina gasped in surprise.
A woman with long black
hair and black eyes wearing a white dress stepped up to the group, smiling
gently at Lina. “Hello, Lina. It’s been a year, hasn’t it?”
“This is Amy Sellmore. The
true Amy, daughter of Ian. She is a priestess of Cepheid, and assisted
me. Lina’s life was in grave danger, and Amy wove the spell that protected
Lina until the danger was past.” Mitsukai said, drifting down to land on
the dragon-slave scorched grass.
Lina shook her head. “A…
spell…? I… I don’t understand…”
Amy stepped forward, lifting
her hand. “Take my hand, Lina. Take my hand and remember.”
Lina reached out and touched
her fingers to Amy’s.
Lina had been awake when
the raven-haired woman had come into the room where she and Gourry lay.
The healers had done what they could, and it was up to Cepheid now, they
said. Indeed, they had left it to Cepheid, for Amy was a Priestess who
spoke with a fragment of Cepheid on a daily basis.
Amy's instructions had
been clear. She touched the blonde youth, sensing his injuries and knowing
what must be done. Borrowing powers far beyond her scope, she called forth
the Cepheid Knight, who returned the injured lad to his home for healing.
The Knight had expressed concern over the redhead, and Amy had said she
would be safe. And then, Amy had turned to the girl on the bed.
Lina had been too injured
to even cringe when her sister passed through the room, but for a moment,
she could have sworn that something had flickered in her sister’s eyes
that resembled worry. But it had faded, and the Knight moved on. Gentle
hands had been placed on her head and shoulder, words of healing giving
strength.
But she would have to
take a new role in life until the other was healed. It could be long before
he was, and yet… Cepheid had asked. Lina accepted, and Amy cast the spells.
Over time, the spell would unravel, the truth would be revealed, and Lina
could come forth to complete the task.
In exchange, Lina learned
spells. Spells that had been long lost to the world, spells that spoke
words of healing, words of soothing. And so Lina slept, living life as
Amy until Lina was ready.
Lina pulled her hand back,
looking to the black eyes of the real Amy Sellmore as the others watched
in curiosity. “Then… where…?”
“Hey guys! What’s going
on?”
The group spun at the voice,
eyes widening.
Gourry.
Gourry was walking up to
them; waving like nothing was wrong, and Lina could only grin. Sylphiel
burst into tears, running up to him, sobbing into his new armor.
Amelia sniffled, and Mitsukai
patted her knowingly on the hand. “Yes, Princess. It’s always good to have
a happy ending.”