| Two companions missing, and Lina had shifted from 'grumpy' to 'seriously ticked off'. "Lina? Did you hear what I said?" "Huh? Sorry, Zel, what was that?" Sighing over the constant inattention he got, Zelgadis said, "I said, abduction is the only possible explanation." Lina nodded. "So, Mazoku or human?" Zel thought for a moment, then answered, "Mazoku. There's no other possibility when you consider the utter lack of tracks, no sigh of struggle, and the fact that we both managed to sleep through it. My question is, why Gourry and Amelia?" Lina began to grin toothily. "Why not? Whoever it is figured we'd some running into a trap to save them." Zelgadis gave her a blankly confused look. "That sounds like you don't want to save them." "Well, you gotta admit, it would be a nice break from Jellyfish and Princess Poseur. Plus, those two could probably drive a captor crazy enough that he'd let them go!" Zelgadis just shook his head. "We'll split up and search. You go west, I'll go east. If you find anything, send up a Burst Flare." Afternoon shadows grew ever longer, but they'd found no sign of their friends. Zelgadis headed back to camp as a Burst Flare suddenly went up. Turning on the speed, he rushed back to find Lina standing in the middle of what had been their campsite. One tent was missing, several packs were gone, and it looked like every spare item of clothing that had been packed was shredded. But rather than spazzing at the destruction, Lina stood quietly, staring at something on the ground. Zelgadis ran up, gasping, and asked, "What happened?" "I found it like this," Lina replied, then pointed to the things that held her attention. On the ground stood two small stick sculptures, tied together with scraps of fabric. One was made with white scraps, the other with blue. Both were covered in blood. Kneeling, Zelgadis examined the manikins. After a moment, he announced, "It's not their blood." "What?" "It's not theirs. I know what the blood of each of them smells like, and it's not theirs." Lina looked impressed. "Damn, Zel, you've got a hell of a nose!" "Gee, thanks," and Zel rolled his eyes, "but that means someone is trying to make us worry." Lina thought for a moment, the said, "If you would just move a bit, Zel?" "Huh?" "Dil Brando!" Zelgadis just managed to leap aside as Lina destroyed the manikins. And the remaining tent, which she realized after he pointed it out. Zelgadis eyed the stream. "I certainly hope that the stream loops around, and we just didn't notice. Where's the map?" Lina chuckled nervously. "Uh, the map?" At Zelgadis's glare, she blushed and rubbed the back of her head. "Well, I gave it to Amelia, heh heh. She was whining so much, I did it to shut her up. Haven't seen it since." Fed up, Zelgadis convinced Lina to just ditch the last of their supplies and take to the air. A Rey Wing later they spotted the cabin at the center of the Witch legend, and made straight for it. To Zelgadis's eye, the cabin looked remarkably dilapidated. Yet, the architechural style of it didn't look old enough, if that made any sense. He and Lina began to walk towards it, when they heard voices crying out to them. "That sounds like Gourry!" Lina exclaimed, and rushed to the door. She went inside before Zel could caution her. He followed quickly. Lina leapt up the stairs, convinced she could hear Gourry and Amelia calling from there. But when she reached the second level, she saw no signs of occupation. Just as Zelgadis caught up with her, Lina heard them again. This time, the voices came from below. "Arrrggh!" Lina groaned, exasperated, and bolted for the stairs. "Lina, be careful!" She found another stairwell leading down into deeper darkness. "Lighting!" She scrambled down the steps. Zelgadis chased Lina, following the light of her spell. Down in the underground room, he spotted her standing in a corner, facing into it. "Lina? Lina?" She turned, and evil look on her face, and held something out to him. The little black box hissed, then Zel heard the voices of Amelia and Gourry call out to him. "Are they trapped in there somehow?" He asked. Lina shook her head. "It's called a recorder. It's a New World thing. Filia showed me one once." She paused, and they heard Gourry calling out for Lina, his voice compressed by the little machine. "This means either someone has them, recorded them and played it here just to tick us off, or," Lina's fierce expressing deepended, "or they were in on it!" Zelgadis was taken aback by that shocking accusation, and just as he was about deny it, they both clearly heard Amelia's voice say, "Mister Xelloss, are you sure they'll think this is funny?" "XELLOSS!" Lina howled. She threw down the machine, and with a surge of energy, screamed, "MEGA BRANDO!" "Geez, Lina, relax." "I'm really sorry, Miss Lina! Mr. Xelloss said that it would be funny." "Humph. I can't believe she brought the whole damned cabin down on our heads!" Gourry, Amelia, and Zelgadis watched Lina beat up a cheerfully smiling Xelloss. "But Lina! I had help, you know. This is how the village makes its money, by disseminating the legend, then sending people into the woods to be scared. Some people find being scared lots of fun!" "I DON'T THINK KIDNAPPING IS FUNNY!" Lina yelled. "Well, isn't that odd! Say, would you like to meet the nice young men who helped destroy all your things?" Xelloss leaned close to Lina, smiling, anticipating another nice beating. Lina whispered something. "What was that, Lina dear?" Xelloss asked. Lina balled her fists. Accurately reading the signs, Zelgadis grabbed Amelia and Gourry. "Quick! Move it!" ".........by the power you and I possess! DRAGON SLAVE!!!!!" Years later, the legend of the Witch was replaced by the Legend of Lina Inverse, the girl who single-handedly destroyed Burkittsville. |
| The Blair Slayers Project : Page 2 |