Chapter 11

The little group stood on the ledge, looking back up at the ‘hole’ that they had used to enter the ruins below the town. They were deep below the surface, and there was a stillness in the air that bespoke of ages untouched.

“Do you think it was okay to make that hole, Miss Lina? I mean, it’s pretty obvious that no-one’s been down here in a long time…” Amelia asked nervously, looking around the area.

“That just means that there’s a higher chance of actually finding something down here, Amelia,” Lina replied, walking up to a strangely shaped pillar.

“It sure is creepy down here,” Gourry said, backing into a pillar and looking around, one hand on the hilt of his sword.

“Yeah, it is…” Amelia whispered, blue eyes wide as she tried to make some sense of the area.

Zelgadis didn’t have a chance to make a comment, because Lina took three steps back from the pillar and ran into him with a gasp. Without thinking, he caught her. “What?”

Lina’s voice was a shocked whisper. “Shigai no Ishi… the City of Stone…”

“It can’t be, Miss Lina. The City of Stone is a myth… a story to keep children from playing with magic…” Amelia said nervously, looking around with wide eyes. She didn’t notice Zelgadis’ grip on Lina.

Lina pulled free of Zelgadis and held out a hand. “Source of all power, light which burns…” A ball of light formed in her outstretched hand, then lifted above their heads, gaining intensity as it rose to illuminate the area where they stood.

They were in what looked like a courtyard, the buildings stretching up into the rock and earth above them. But what was horrifying was the fact that the oddly shaped pillars weren’t pillars at all. Instead, they were once the city’s inhabitants. Every detail of every person had been turned to stone.

Gourry yelped as he jumped away from the ‘person’ that he was leaning on. “Okay, I take it back, Lina! It’s really creepy down here!”

“Gourry, stop being such a jellyfish. If the city really exists… if half of what they said is really true… there could be a lot of really old spells here…” Lina said, approaching the figure again.

“Miss Lina… I’m going to be sick…” Amelia whimpered. “Can we go back up…?”

Lina rolled her eyes and looked at Amelia, who did indeed look a bit… green. “Fine. Let’s go back up and work out a plan to investigate the city.”

On the surface, Amelia perked up considerably, but refused to approach the makeshift entrance to the City of Stone again. “I’m sorry, Miss Lina. I just can’t go back down there. If what they say is true… that those caught in the City… they get turned to stone…”

Lina put her hands on her hips and stared at the petite girl. “I can’t believe this! Let me get this straight. You’ll face down Ruby Eyed Shabranigdo, Hellmaster Phibrizo, DarkStar, and even look the Lord of Nightmares in the eyes, but you won’t go into a mythical city? Oh, for crying out loud, Amelia!”

Amelia’s eyes filled with tears. “But, Miss Lina! The Monster of Ishi…”

Lina glowered at Amelia. “Amelia, I don’t believe in that thing! It was a spell that went horribly wrong, not some stone Monster!”

“I’m not going, and that’s final, Miss Lina. The old tales say that the people aren’t dead and that they watch the town forever, stuck in their stone bodies,” Amelia said, folding her arms.

Lina threw her hands up in the air. “Fine! I’ll go by myself if I have to. If they made up all those stories, there has to be something worth protecting. Gourry, Zel, you stay here and wait for me with Amelia.”

That said, Lina turned and silently cast her levitation spell, vanishing back into the depths of the ruins.

An uncomfortable moment passed, the three staring at the hole into which Lina had gone. Then, “You two stay here. I’m going to make sure she stays out of as much trouble as possible.”

Amelia put out her hand to stay him. “But, Mister Zelgadis…”

Gemlike aquamarine eyes looked steadily at the Princess of Sailune. “I’ve already been turned into stone, Amelia.”

Amelia pulled her hand back and watched him follow Lina down the gaping hole. “Be careful, Mister Zelgadis…”

Once again within the ruined town, Lina landed by a water fountain, surprised to see that it was still functioning. The sounds of the water running in the fountain echoed like a lost soul within the stone-encased town. She looked to the building beside it, and realized with a start, that it was a church. Walking around and up to the door, she gave it an experimental tug. It opened easily, as if the hinges were regularly oiled, and she stepped inside, the sphere of light called into her hand with a moment’s thought as she crossed the church threshold.

He landed just in time to see the flare of light in the church door and nodded. Two best places to start, the church and the library. So she’d found the church first. He walked over, stepping through the door and looking around.

It was a plain church, wooden floor and seats, a crude altar at the end of the walk. But there was no sign of Lina within. Frowning slightly, Zelgadis entered the church proper and narrowed his eyes as he looked for her.

“Lina?” he called out, unable to suppress the worry that something had happened to her. There was a crash in the distance, and he took off towards the door on the side of the church.

He burst through the door as she turned to look at him with surprise in her eyes. “Zel…? What are you doing here? I thought I’d left everyone up there…”

He came to a halt, looking at her. “You… I… I wasn’t about to leave you down here alone.” He felt his cheeks turning red, and just knew that she could see it.

“Oh. Well, you really shouldn’t have come down here, Zel… I mean, what if Amelia’s right, and there is a monster down here that turns people to stone? I don’t think I could live with myself if you got turned into stone while trying to protect me,” Lina said, turning back to the books that she had found on the table.

Zelgadis sighed. “Lina… while I appreciate having to remind you of this… I am one third stone golem.”

Lina turned to look at him, eyes flashing brilliantly in the magical light. “Maybe you are, but you’re not solid stone, Zelgadis. You still breathe, and eat… and those villagers out there… this old priest-“ Lina pointed to a figure that Zelgadis hadn’t noticed. “They’re stone through and through. Like sculptures made out of living things. I couldn’t let that happen to you…”

Zelgadis looked at the stony visage of the old priest. The old man hadn’t even feared this fate. Instead, he seemed almost… pleased. Looking back at Lina, he sighed. “I’m not leaving you here alone.”

Lina looked at him for a long moment. What are you doing, Lina? Here he is… he’s trying… and you’re doing your best to push him away again… “Okay… if that’s what you want, Zel.”

Startled, he searched her face for some sign of a trick. Tilting his head with narrowed eyes, he looked at her silently.

She didn’t have a chance to answer, because right then, the room shook and both Lina and Zelgadis looked around the room in worry. “What was that!?” Lina asked, looking around the room.

Zelgadis narrowed his eyes and looked through the door. “I don’t know. You stay here. I’m going to have a look.”

He stepped outside into a bright and sunny day. Birds were chirping in the trees, and the sound of water running in the fountain was muffled by the sounds of a busy morning. He was so surprised that when a passing villager told him good-morning, he simply replied in kind.

Then it struck him.

Sun?

Day?

Moving people?

He turned and entered the church again, the room just the same as he’d just left it. The little room in the back was as dusty, and the still stone statue of the priest stood just as he remembered it.

But Lina was gone.