Chapter Two: Journey Call

One day, a young man was walking down a dirt path through a forest. He was wearing a red shirt, slightly baggy blue pants, a dark brown belt, brown gloves and boots, a blue cape with a red cut off that went down to his ankles, and a red headband. He had dark brown hair that was almost black that went over his headband. He had brown eyes and a slash-like scar on his right cheek. He had a long wooden staff that was up to his shoulders in height. He continued walking when 5 or 6 bandits walked out of the forest surrounded him. He stopped and calmly stood there.

"What do you want?" he calmly said.

"I think you can figure that out�. Now give us your money or else�." one of the bandits said, closing in on him.

"Or else what? You�ll kill me? You�re lucky I�m in a good mood right now, or you would have all been fried by now�."

"Well well, it�s seems we got a little wannabe sorcerer here�. If you�re not going to give us your money, we�ll just take it off your dead carcass! Let�s get �em boys!" The bandits rushed in. The boy just yawned, then jumped out of the circle of bandits as they crashed into each other.

"These guys aren�t even a challenge, after all the other bandits I fought�." He held out his staff and it flashed in a bright light. When the light faded, it was a double-edged sword. He tossed it up into the air, and it when it fell, it stabbed into the ground in the group of bandits. He held his hands up and his hands started sparking with electricity. "Spire!!" The lighting shot out of his hands and hit the sword. Then the sword shot out the electric energy, and electrocuted the bandits. They all fell over, black and smoke coming from their clothes. "You guys shouldn�t even call yourselves bandits�."

"Who�.who are you?" one of the fallen bandits said.

"I�m Jin Tekken, and don�t you forget it!" Jin then calmly walked by, grabbed his sword out of the ground and continued on his way. The bandits quickly got up and started running in the opposite direction.

"We�ll get you for this!!" one of the bandits yelled as he ran off.

"Yeah, that�s what they all say�. Hmmm, I�m a little hungry�. Think I�ll rest here for a bit�." His sword flashed and turned back into a staff. Jin stopped and sat down under a nearby tree. He took a brown bag that he was carrying over his shoulder and opened it. He took out a sandwich and some blueberries. He quickly ate the sandwich, then started eating the blueberries. He tossed one in the air, then caught it in his mouth. As he was eating, he didn�t notice that one of the bandits that he just shocked, was slowly walking toward the tree from behind him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Bandit." A female voice came from behind Jin

Jin and the bandit turned almost simultaneously to see a girl with long blue hair, and two rather large wings, hovering in place just within arm's reach of the bandit's shoulders. Her wings beat steady and rhythmically to keep her position while a long scaled tail drooped downward curling and relaxing every now and then. The girl's big blue eyes stared at the bandit with an air of naive innocence to them.

"I was wondering if you had seen Lina Inverse around these parts. I heard she was somewhere nearby, and I am looking for her. Have you by any chance seen her?" she asked brightly.

"Ha!" The bandit jeered, knowing his attempt on Jin wasn't going to work out. "You can't fool me with a story like that. Now give me all your money!"

"Money?" the girl asked with a confused expression on her face. "I'm not sure if I'm carrying any of that with me... hold on let me look something up."

A large book appeared in her hand, and she rifled through it while the bandit and Jin watched with large sweatdrops rolling down the sides of their heads.

"She obviously doesn�t get out much�." Jin then finally realized that there was a bandit right next to him. He jumped up and landed on a tree branch. He took off his headband, then snapped it forward. It became stiff and rigid. "Shadow Snap!!" He threw the headband at the bandit�s shadow and it stabbed into the ground. The bandit looked behind him, then tried to get up, but couldn�t. Jin jumped down, then tapped the bandit on the shoulder. The bandit turned his head back, to meet with Jin�s fist. The bandit�s head went back slightly, and he remained still. Jin reached down and took his headband out of the ground. The bandit then fell over. Jin wrapped his headband around his head and started retying it. He looked over to the winged girl. "You should be more careful. Never come up behind a bandit if you don�t want to get hurt."

"Bravo! Brava!" The sound of vigorous clapping echoed across the clearing. "Splendid, simply splendid!"

Jin and the girl turned to face the sound. The first thought that ran though both of their heads was How did I miss him? The object of their attention was a man seated on a stump several yards away. At least, they thought it was a man. He was wearing the most garish outfit they had ever seen. A light, sky blue tri-cornered hat with long, multi-colored feathers crowned his head, with his long, curly pink hair cascading down past his shoulders. A bright, blindingly yellow shirt he wore, with a fuschia vest over it. His shorts had a pattern of alternating purple and lavender stripes, under that, running down to his boots was pair of charteuse leggings. The handle of a lute could be seen over one of his shoulders.

He was so incredibly visible in the light of the forest, the two of them rubbed their eyes, looked at him, rubbed them again, looked at each other, and pointed at the man. They both nodded at each other, indicating they had seen the same thing.

The man continued talking, oblivious to the stares. "Such teamwork! The fair lady distracting the foul bandit while our strapping hero seized the opportunity to show him that 'Bad guys never win.'" He grinned. It seemed as his teeth sucked the twinkling of the sun, as light played across them, finishing in a dazzling gleam from the corner of his smile.

"Who are you?" they asked simultaneously.

He paused, looking rather startled. "Why, I," he bowed, flourishing his hat. "I am Arcius Le'Donal, bard of the western lands." He held out his hand, studying them for a moment. An apple fell from a tree and landed in his open palm. He shrugged, polished the apple on his vest, then took a bite of it. "And who might you noble champions be, that I may sing of your greatness later?"

"My name is Celise," the girl said as she landed and folded her wings behind her back. She looked at the two men with the same air of innocence and tranquillity as she did the bandit, but her eyes seemed to glow with much more intelligence than the childish innocence led on to.

"The name�s Jin Tekken," Jin said while he finished retying his headband.

"It is my great pleasure to meet you, Lord and Lady." He bowed his head again. "I did not mean to eavesdrop, Lady Celise, but did I overhear the name Lina Inverse tumble from your fair lips?"

She nodded.

"Ah, well. I have a passing interest in her as well." He slid his lute around to his front and began to pluck softly at the strings. The melody was cheery and soothing. "On both a personal and professional level. Heroine or villianess, there should be more songs of her great deeds." He smiled again. "The other reason has to do with the inability of my poor self to be able to perform great and heroic deeds."

He stood, changing the tune he was playing, becoming more brisk and lively. "My Lord Tekken, would it inconvenience you too terribly to assist a poor minstrel and a fair Lady find the esteemed sorceress Lina Inverse?" He winked. "If you need a better reason, then do it for Lady Celise here. After all, is it not the duty of all true men to put smiles on the faces of the fairer sex?

"Well, I was going to Purey to get some more supplies. I�m running a little short on food. But after I get my things, sure, I�d be glad to help you two find Lina Inverse. Maybe she can teach me a thing or two on how to improve my magic. I need a little help on my earth spells�.but maybe I can show her a thing or two about my own made lightning spells. After all, I�m probably one the best lightning sorcerers in the world." Jin replied.

"Marvelous." Arcius frowned and turned to Celise. "Forgive me, my Lady." He bowed low. "How rude of me for not asking. Would it be a problem if Lord Tekken and myself were to assist you in your search for the Lady Inverse?"

"I guess it would be all right." Celise said in a voice which suggested slight confusion. "But please, there is really no need to call me by such formalities. Celise will do just fine."

"Certainly, my La- Celise." He straightened. "Shall we be off, then? Purey awaits!" As they began to walk, he struck a brisk melody on his lute, a cheery tune that lightened their feet and made the afternoon sun shine brighter.

The sun was dipping below the far horizon as the trio spotted Purey in the distance.

"If I may be so bold, Celise," Arcius asked as they neared the town. "What might you be seeking Lina Inverse for?"

A girl with long brown hair sighed heavily as she walked along. "I don't get it, Allen. We were supposed to find this 'nearby' town about a day ago. Where the heck could it be?" The girl looked completely insane, talking to herself. Or, at least it only appears that way to everyone else, because they can't see the girl's spirit guide walking beside her....

The spirit guide, who the girl was referring to as Allen, decided to answer her. "Well Constance, that depends. Did you follow the directions that the old man back there gave you?" The invisible young man gave the girl a smug look as she grew more indignant by the second.

"Quit giving me that look! Don't you think I know where I'm going? No, forget it, I don't even want to hear your answer..." Constance quickened her pace to try to get away from Allen, even though she knew she couldn't escape him. He was her spirit guide, after all...okay, that's enough, you already know all that.

Constance's long white robes with silver trim made her look as if she was gliding instead of walking, since they reached all the way to the ground and concealed her feet. Her green eyes, which were glowing with anger earlier, had now taken on a more subtle shade. She slowed her pace as she started to calm down. "Allen, what was the name of that town again?"

Allen's face lit up a bit. "Ah, this is interesting...first you tell me NOT to speak, and now you're asking me for help..."

"Yes, I'm asking you for help, okay?" Constance shot back. Then she just sighed and replied, "Could you just tell me what the town's name was, PLEASE?"

"It's Purey. But since you obviously don't know how to get there, you might want to ask those people ahead of us..."

Three people were walking up ahead of them. Or, to be more exact, a guy with a staff, a blue haired girl with wings, and another guy with very...bright clothing. Constance shouted to them, then ran to catch up with them.

"I'm sorry to trouble you like this," Constance said through gasped breaths, "But would you happen to know where I can find a town called Purey?"

Jin looked at the girl in long white robes.

"It�s just over there�." He pointed at the city in the distance. "We were just heading there ourselves. Would you like to join us?"

Mor'Dia came out of her trance with a start. She'd spent the whole day meditating in the woods near Purey, letting her mind wander in search for traces of elfin magic. She'd found nothing so far. But there was strong magic in this forest with it's very old trees, wild untamed magic... A good place for a wood elf to live... "I don't even know if that's what I am- a wood elf..." Mor'Dia murmured to herself. She twitched her long, pointed ears unconsciously. Looking up, the girl realized that it was getting dark already. Time had flown by without her noticing it. Now, what had disturbed her concentration? She stood up and rubbed her legs that had gone numb. Then she stepped out of the magic circle she'd drawn on the ground. There were noises nearby , sounds of voices talking quietly. Mor'Dia strained her hearing. Yes- the sound of a fire crackling, too. She hesitated for a few seconds, then her curiosity won out.

There were 5 bandits sitting around a small campfire. All of them looking thoroughly burned, Mor'Dia noticed. Strange... They were talking too quietly for her to overhear, so she cast a spell to improve her hearing. *Fox spirit* "....Inverse. Let's lie low for a while. I don't want to get grilled again." That from a rather young bandit. "Coward. She's just one girl and I hear she doesn't even have her dumb sword swinger anymore... How bad can Lina Inverse be against the five of us?" Lina Inverse! Mor'Dia shifted on her branch and leaned forward eagerly. Big mistake. She lost her balance and fell, right into the clearing.

"Now, what have we got here?" The bandit grinned. He mustered the girl that had just fallen from the sky. She was so small that at first he'd thought it was a child. She looked to be around fifteen, though, and had very dark skin, huge blue-green eyes and snow-white, shoulder-length hair. She was dressed in a moss-green tunic and trousers of the same color. No weapons as far as he could see. Easy prey. "Now, give us your money, little girl..." He drew a knife.

Uh Oh. The situation didn't look that good. Time to try out one of her attack spells... "Which one, which one..." Mor'Dia thought frantically... She closed her eyes and concentrated, whispering a spell softly. "Wild Summon!!!!!" Nothing happened. Nothing continued to happen for a while.

The bandits regarded Mor'Dia with blank looks.

Damn. The spell was SUPPOSED to summon any forest animal in the vicinity to her help...Just when Mor'Dia was about to give up and try another spell, the cavalry rushed in to her rescue. Mor'Dia watched with wide eyes as a bunch of squirrels attacked with a vengeance. The bandits never even knew what hit them. "Well... that kind of worked.... I think..." Then she heard voices again, this time apparently coming from the nearby road to Purey. "Other travelers? I wonder... HEY! Uh, guys?" With happy squeaks the squirrels ran off to defeat their next enemy. "Oh no."

"Oh, that would be great! Thank you." Constance managed to compose herself in time, before she embarrassed herself too much. "By the way, I'm Constance. Nice to meet you, um..."

"Jin Tekken. It�s nice to meet you too." Jin replied.

The man in the garish garb stepped forward and bowed low. "I am Arcius Le'Donal, my Lady." He straightened. "And this is Celise," he said, indicating her. Celise did a small curtsy.

"So, what do you seek in Pur...." His voice stopped abruptly. First, his gaze swept the area, traveling from one corner of his eyes to the other. Then his head followed the motion. The road was ominously silent. Arcius slid his lute around to his front. His fingers danced on the strings and a low creepy dirge-like melody issued forth, starting softly and slowly increasing in volume. His head was lowered, the hat covering his eyes.

"Looks like you've really met up with the nutcases this time," Allen said to Constance, elbowing her in the side, lightly.

"Yeah," she whispered back. Raising her voice, "W-what's going on here?" she asked in a cautious voice.

The bard ignored the question, paid no attention to the looks he was receiving from Celise or Jin. He just played until suddenly he hit one loud note which echoed eerily though the wood. "The-y�re he-re," he said, in a deep voice. Then his head snapped up and he grinned. The expression caught the last remaining bit of daylight and glinted brightly off the edge of the smile. That light, in turn, was caught by other things. In the gloaming of the twilight, a hundred pairs of eyes around them gleamed momentarily with a feral mavolence And the party realized they were no longer alone on the road. As if the squirrels had been waiting for that signal, they swarmed down at the group.

Jin jumped back.

"Whoa! What�s wrong with them?!" Then one bit his leg. "OW!" He shook the squirrel off of his leg. "Something is seriously wrong with them, but I don�t want to hurt them� This ought to do it�." He held out his staff. "Diem Wind!!" Then a blast of air shot out of the staff and blew the squirrels away.

"I wonder what's with the ravenous squirrels," Constance whispered to Allen.

Allen shrugged. "Beats me..."

Checking to see one last time to see if all the squirrels were gone, Constance then turned her attention to Jin. "Are you okay? Do you need me to cast a healing spell on your leg?"

"No, it�s all right. It�s just a small bite. It should be fine. I just wonder why the squirrels went nuts�."

"I believe they were under an enchantment of some sort." Celise answered in the same calm and innocent style she spoke before. "The look in their eyes.... it wasn't natural even for a rabid beast. But whoever cast the spell must have either targeted us, or lost control of them, and in either case, we should be careful...."

"That won't be necessary." Mor'Dia stepped out of her hiding-place and dropped her illusion spell at the same time. "It wasn't my intention to harm any of you. I cast that spell to protect myself against some bandits, but I lost control... I'm sorry.� The girl turned to look up at Jin. "Please believe me that I didn't do this on purpose..."

Arcius stepped forward and knelt, so he was eye level with Mor'Dia. "Kawaii." He smiled gently. "It is all right, small one. There is much afoot near Purey, though no fault of yours." He stood and looked at her. "Are you a forest spirit, my Lady? If you are not, then would you care to join our gathering? There is an inn within the town that has excellent service. Not to mention, there are dangers abroad in the gloomy night wood that should not be faced alone. Be welcome and join us." He extended a hand to her.

"I am no forest spirit... I think." Mor'Dia looked unsurely at the offered hand. She wasn't afraid of the dangers that might befall her in the wood- she'd spent many a night outdoors... Furthermore she wasn't one to trust any stranger she met on her travels. But even so, the prospect of a hot meal- her first in a couple of days- was tempting and so was the prospect of a real bed. And the bard at least seemed nice enough. (Though his taste in clothes seemed to be... unconventional.) She took Arcius' hand and smiled up at him. "I'm Mor'Dia Mohil'Ion. Nice to meet you." Then she bowed to the rest of the group, the sorcerer, the dragon girl and the other girl in the long white robes. When she looked away from the latter she thought for a moment she could see a fourth person beside her- but then decided it must've been her imagination.

"Ah you are too kind." He smiled. "I am Arcius Le'Donal." He turned to everyone. "Shall we continue to town? I have a room reserved and a table as well for anyone who would like to accept my hospitality."

"You are kind to offer, Mr. Arcius.... however, I must decline it." Celise said somberly. "The populous of Purey, like some of the neighboring towns, believe me to be some kind of demon sent here to destroy them. I was first 'found' in a cave near here, along with an item I am to use to aid the sorceress called Lina Inverse. The mayor of Purey currently has this item in his possession, and once I find Miss Lina Inverse, I hope to have her help me reaquire it. My Lords have given me very vague instructions, but I will follow them as best I can. I will wait for you near the south gates when you are ready to leave. Should you find Lina, please have her visit the south gate, I will watch it for your appearance."

He frowned regretfully. "Hmmm... That's too bad. I suppose the reaction would go even worse if I offered to serve as your pet during your stay in town." He shrugged, oblivious to the various sweatdrops as they pictured that.. "Although that would be pleasantly keen." Glancing back to the others, "Shall we go?" To Celise, "We hopefully shall not be too long if all goes well." As an afterthought, he added, "Oh. And if you call me Mr. again," with a humorous grin, "I shall find something even more annoying and proper than Lady to call you."

The common room of the inn was not particularly crowded. There were a few assorted townsfolk talking quietly. Occasionally they would look out the window fearfully and make warding gestures. The word 'demon' could be heard every so often. The innkeeper, upon seeing Arcius, waved cheerily and gestured to a room off to the side. Arcius chatted with him for a moment.

"Has anyone come yet?"

"No. Not yet. But it is early still."

The adjacent room contained a large fireplace at one end and a massive table in the center. Upon the table were numerous platters piled high with steaming, delicious-smelling food. "You are my first guests tonight," he said to the group. "Be welcome and help yourselves. There's plenty!" He took a seat near the hearth and struck up a cheery melody on his lute.

Constance seated herself at the massive table as everyone else did the same. She picked up a plate and started to eat, when she saw a certain dish at the center of the table that startled her. It was a platter with a large fish on it. It was beautifully prepared, with a sweet smelling sauce for dipping and a sprig of parsley for garnish. All at once, childhood memories consumed Constance. Her face filled with fear as she recalled being kidnapped by a tribe of fish people when she was a young girl of four. She could feel the cold dampness of the cave where they kept her, the loneliness she felt because she was away form her parents...She knew she had to get away from that fish fast, before she started crying.

Mor'Dia, who was sitting across from Constance, noticed the girl's quick change in mood and asked her what was wrong. Just as Mor'Dia asked this, a single tear slid down Constance's cheek, which she quickly swatted away. "Oh, I-I'm okay," Constance stammered, "I just need some air, that's all. Excuse me..." Then she quickly made her way out of the room and the inn.

Jin looked over to where Constance made her exit.

"Can you excuse me for a sec? I�ll be right back." Jin stood up and walked out of the room and the inn. He spotted Constance not too far away and went over to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now, thanks." She used her sleeve as a makeshift handkerchief, then continued. "It's nothing, really, I don't know why I started crying like that..." Her eyes fell to the ground, studying it closely. "Well, I might as well tell you why I acted this way. It wouldn't be right to keep you wondering, and besides, maybe if I told someone, it would make me feel a little better..."

They had been walking slowly as they talked, and now they were walking toward a bar. Constance would have continued the conversation from there, but something caught her eye. She pointed to a flyer that was posted near the entrance. "What's that? I wonder what it says..."

Jin looked puzzled. "I don't know. Let's go see..." The pair walked up to the flyer and started reading it. It said the following:

HEROES WANTED!!!
Looking for excitement?
Treasure? Fame?
Well, come to the town of Purey
On this night!
HEROES WANTED!!!
Room and meal provided!

"Only apply if the thought of living the rest of your life without an arm or a leg somehow appeals to you."

"I wonder if Constance is all right?" Mor'Dia picked at her food thoughtfully. Arcius didn't seem to have heard as he kept playing on his lute. Though the melody was really lovely and cheerful, it started to get on Mor'Dia's nerves. She didn't know why, but she was feeling a bit edgy all of a sudden, now that Jin and Constance had left her all alone with Arcius... The music broke off. "Something wrong with the food, my lady?" The bard looked at her with an expression of concern on his face. "No, no..." the girl hastened to assure him, "It's delicious." Perhaps that was the problem. It was all too perfect to be true... The food, the nice room, his friendliness... "Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly.

"I don't understand...?" he began, looking puzzled.

"I mean, why are you inviting total strangers to this nice inn, treating them to no doubt expensive meals... Surely you're not doing this out of the kindness of your heart!"

He looked at her and smiled gently. "I suppose you are right. Only in song and legend and maybe the gods does goodness such as that exist. And I, alas, am but mortal." He plucked random strings on his lute. "I suppose I do have some ulterior motives. The meal and room, for yes, I have reserved the entire third floor for the night, are an enticement." He watched her expression go from startled to cautious. He held up a hand and laughed merrily. "Fear not, my Lady. The gift that is accepted honors the giver." He began to play a soft, relaxing melody. "I am in need of some help for... something. I am hoping for some people more to arrive here shortly. Would it trouble you if I asked if you save your questions for just a bit? I hope to explain myself to everyone once." He leaned back some and smiled again. "Besides. I am but a lowly bard, unable to perform the weakest of spells. My skills with a weapon are... well... lacking. My only virtue in a dangerous situation is that I can run very fast. You've nothing to fear from me. Unless you consider flattery a sword."

Mor'Dia twitched her ears in confusion as she tried to make meaning of the bard's words. She wasn't used to such formal and... poetical language since she'd grown up in a small town whose population mainly consisted of woodcutters ... Her eyes changed their color from amber to gray to green and finally back to amber. That Arcius hadn't told them that he had "ulterior motives" for his invitation bothered her a bit, but she was willing to trust him that he meant them no harm. (Which didn't mean she wouldn't watch him very carefully from now on, though.) It occurred to her that Jin and Constance might want to know about this, too, and so she stood up and pulled the hood of her tunic over her hair and ears. She smiled reassuringly at Arcius. "I need fresh air. Most of the time I'm living out in the woods, and being inside makes me feel a bit claustrophobic. Don't worry, I'll be back in time to hear your explanation." With that she made for the door.

The door to the inn slammed open. Framed by the light, two figures appraised the common room of the inn. One of the two was a young red-haired girl, dressed in a red and yellow outfit with black trim and a black cape. The other was a blond warrior in blue armor. They studied the room with menacing gazes.

"I don't know, Gourry," the red-head said. "It doesn't look that promising...."

"But the sign said free food at the inn in Purey," Gourry said. "And this is the only inn in Purey, Lina."

Arcius poked his head out of the side room. "Pardon me, Lord and Lady, but might you be Heroes answering the call of destiny?"

"Heroes?" Lina and Gourry said with confused expressions on their faces. "Nahh," Lina said. "We just want free food."

Arcius blinked twice, then beamed. "Then you've found the right place. Come. The table is set." He gestured behind him.

A slight wind whistled down the streets of one little village. Saddled with the rather unfortunate name of Bury St. Edmund, it was located just a stone's throw away from Saillune's capital city. However, it would be hard to imagine two towns more different from each other; one, a glittering metropolis, the ancestral home of royalty; the other, little more than a handful of houses surrounding an inn and a marketplace.

Bury St. Edmund's only claim to fame was its annual Cheese Festival, which drew its fair share of tourists from the surrounding towns and cities. Two such ardent gastronomes were walking down a street, intending to join the dairy-product festivities; it was obvious, from the fine cut of their clothes and their cultivated mannerisms, that they were from out of town.

The couple's progress was halted abruptly by a hulking form stumbling out from an alley. This intruder, a tall, broad man in a ragged brown robe, simply hadn't noticed the tourists... he hadn't noticed much of anything, really, beyond his own hunger.

"Oh my!" huffed one of the out-of-towners, a matronly lady with a sour expression.

"Would you mind watching where you're going?" her companion snapped.

The words swirled over the rough-looking man's head like summer winds, elusive, lost within a moment. He blinked, and, seeing an audience before him, grinned widely. "They speak to me, you know!"

"I beg your pardon...?"

"The gods!" He raised his arms to the sky, throwing his head back, and wildly yelled, "I hear the words of the GODS!" Lost in laughter, he didn't notice the two out-of-towners backing away slowly. Soon his attention was snagged by the smell of food, wafting out from another alley. He gleefully scampered towards the source of the smell, a turned-over garbage can, and clawed out his prize: a half-eaten chicken leg, remnants of someone's dinner from many days ago. After he scraped off the greenest bits, he gobbled it down, paying no heed to the sharp words that swirled through the air around him.

"Well! I never..!"

"The SMELL of him!"

"I simply CAN not believe... Hey! Excuse me, little peasant boy! What is this... loathsome creature doing here?"

"Eh? Y'mean Rufus? 'Round here, we call's 'im Rufus the Unkempt... Aw, don't pay no mind to 'im. 'E's a mite unpleasant, true, but 'e ain't never hurt no one. C'mon, ye'r prob'ly 'ere for the cheese festival, right? 'S this way...."

The strangers left, and the man known as Rufus the Unkempt remained alone. Having finished his meal, the demons of hunger let him be for the moment, so he had nothing to do but wait. Wait... for a blessed sign from those who commanded him.... He listened hard, but heard nothing, even after he stood once again and begged long and loud for guidance.

In frustration, he spun and dashed around. One gnarled hand dragged itself across a wall, coming away with a scrap of paper. Halted momentarily, he stood gazing at the leaflet he'd torn away, at the picture of a girl which he now held. The face seemed as though it should have been familiar.... As he stared at it, something deep within him seemed to stir. He grasped at these threads of consciousness, desperate for reassurance, confirmation, anything; but the feeling of recognition subsided as swiftly as it had come.

Then, Rufus the Unkempt flung the paper away, and delightedly watched it swirl down the street, caught up by the gentle winds. With a mad cackle, he flung himself after it.

And the good people of Bury St. Edmund, as they watched him pass by, sighed and shook their heads.

Celise found a small, but pleasant group of rocks with the southern gates of Purey easily in sight. She sat and waited patiently for a while, until she heard the rustling of bushes and branches from the wooded area behind her. She looked to the source of the sound, her blue eyes transfixed on a faded path leading out of the undergrowth.

About a minute later, four men emerged from the bushes, one trailing the others by a small distance. Three of the men turned quickly at the sight of her and drew their weapons. One of the men, an archer, nocked his bow and shot an arrow by Celise's foot with one quick and smooth motion, apparently in warning.

"At last!" Shouted one of the men pointing a sword to Celise, whose wings fanned out, and tail curled in surprise. "We, the Holy Brothers United, have come by the order of the most honorable mayor of Purey to cleanse this land of your foul demeanor..."

The man continued on, but Celise didn't listen. It was very similar to the speeches made by heroes of neighboring villages, and Purey who were sent to kill her by overreactions from the city populous. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head.

"But I have repent!" She said triumphantly interrupting the speech. "I have seen the true light of Justice and now serve it most utterly."

The "Holy Brothers United," minus the man behind them, looked to each other utterly confused.

"Do not play with our mind!" One of them shouted. "For making a mockery of us, you shall die in the name of justice and righteousness!"

The archer nocked another arrow, the swordsmen charged, and the man in the back observed. Before the archer could fire and the warriors reach her, however, Celise cast a spell.

"FREEZE BALL!"

The ground below her, and in a good area around her, including 3 of the 4 men became encased in ice which went right to the feet of the fourth man who stood silently.

The fourth man, who was dressed in gray robes with blue "V"'s looked at his now frozen companions with an arched eyebrow. He was never really that close to them as he was just a tag along who got drawn into this when one of them noticed his "sword of light." Despite his protests that it was just a cheap trinket he got at the Purey Market, he was dragged into the demon hunt as his "sworn duty."

"Okay, Tim" he said "let's see what you got yourself into."

After studying the would be heroes, he turned to Celise. "Freeze ball? Now there's a surprise. You realize that the odds of surviving that is pretty high, provided that the boys go to the hospice and get treated for hypothermia. Personally, I would've thought you would have gone for a higher caliber spell. Either way, I did warn them to buy magical protection so it's their own fault."

Still keeping a close eye on the "demon", Tim began to cast a spell. Once the spell was cast, the frozen heroes were sent to the hospice in Purey. Celise may no attempt to block the spell. "Odd." Tim thought "There's more than meets the eye. Perhaps she's telling the truth, especially since she looks more like a dragon than one of the monster race."

Tim turned once more to Celise. "You say that you have repented. I'll believe you if you answer the next question right: Shall we settle this calm and peacefully, or do we settle this in a free-for all wizard's duel?"

"I..." she began timidly, wondering what he intended her to say. "I'd much rather settle things peacefully.... I don't like to fight unless I have to." She continued in her tranquil, innocent tone, flying just a little bit higher in case peace was not an option.

Tim smiled wide. "Well that's a relief. I really didn't want to take on a demon today, if that's what you really are. You can come down now, you answered the question the way I hoped you would. By the way, my name's Timothy Gray, but you can call me Tim. What's yours and just what have you done to make someone sic the hounds on you.?"

"My name is Celise, Celise Ginhane." Celise replied landing cautiously on the ground. "I was... released from an imprisonment of 1000 years....1000 years for a misunderstanding. I am looking for the one called Lina Inverse. It is the will of my Lords, that I aid her in any way that I can.... but from the moment I stepped out of the cave in which I was sealed, all the villages around here believed I was some demon from a prophecy sent to destroy and kill.... I... In truth, I... I'm just the opposite."

Tim's eyes lit up when he heard the word prophesy. He picked up a black leather bound book and began looking through it. "Prophecy, huh? I think I remember hearing something about it. Let me see....here it is. Spiker Mountain. It's essentially a huge stone spike made around 800 years ago. It houses one angry demon. The demon was placed there after it double-crossed a powerful wizard. But that doesn't make sense. The wizard put lots of warnings after he imprisoned the demon. Any city seer could tell you that. So if the city knows, why is there a bounty. Something more sinister than mere misguided villagers are afoot here, I think."

Tim turned to Celise. "My guess is that you were imprisoned in Harker's Mountain during the big battle between Cephied and Shabranigdo. Since you are now calm and lawful, my guess is your master is Cephied. How right am I?"

"Anyway, These idiots who have put a price on your head may have done you a favor. I'm on extremely good terms with a group of bandits nearby here who have had a run-in with Miss Lina Inverse and her traveling swordsman. As the survivors licked their wounds, they noticed that she was going into Purey."

Tim takes out a gold piece than flips it in the air. "If I were you right now, I wouldn't worry about finding Lina Inverse. I'd worry about Lina Inverse finding you."

"I see." Celise said, somewhat confused on the matter. "As for your earlier question, yes. Cephied is one of my lords, he released my from my prison, and showed me salvation when no other would. He purged me of the darkness within myself, and cleansed it with the holiness of himself."

Tim nodded. This was turning out to be an interesting day. To have an eyewitness account at the big battle between Cephied and Shabranigdo, well, this is why he was a collector in the first place. It was definitely in his best interest to keep Celise alive. It was a shame that this was going to probably get him in a major fight with someone like Inverse. Damn. Oh well. After a pause, Tim replied with the following.

"I've been thinking about this. You're gonna need help in order to get to Lina Inverse before she does something crazy like a Dragon Slave to you. So here's my offer. In exchange for your telling of your escapades over the last thousand years or more, AND an item of your choosing, I will do everything I can to help you find Lina and bring this to a successful conclusion. The item in question doesn't need to be important to you. A lock of hair or a dragon scale will work just as well as any coins or magic items you have on you. I just want something to prove we had this conversation is all, it's for my employers.

What I can offer is some spells and some swordplay, if need be. However, what I think you will be interested in is that I know what Lina looks like and can give you an item that looks just like her. So what do say, do we have a deal, Celise?"

Lina? Gourry? Mor'Dia stopped, her hand already on the doorknob. Could that be... Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev? She glanced over her shoulder, but the two travelers had already followed Arcius into the side room- in fact they had nearly run him over in their haste to get to the food. The girl considered. Celise had said to tell Lina to come to the south gate, hadn't she? But the sorceress would probably not be in the mood to follow that suggestion right now... Not as long as there was still food sitting on the table, if the rumors were true. As there was lots of food, Mor'Dia decided that she had enough time to go collect Jin and Constance meanwhile. Or... "Hey, girl. In or out, what's it going to be? Either way, close the door." Mor'Dia slammed the door shut behind her. "Now, where did they go?" She choose a random direction and went off.

"Hmm�." Jin stuck out his arms and began moving them up and down like a scale. "Treasure, fame, excitement�. Chance of losing and arm or leg�." Then he reached out like he was grabbing something. "Being able to cast magic�." Then pretended to drop it in his left hand. Then his left hand went all the way down and his right went all the way up. "Heh, no contest�."

Constance skimmed through the flier one more time. "It says that whoever's interested should go to a meeting at the Inn in Purey, which is where we just were...doesn't it seem strange to you? Do you think that smooth-talking bard is in on this?"

Mor�Dia shook her head. She looked around and spotted Jin and Constance. �There you guys are. Are you all right?�

Constance nodded. �I was just -� Her explanation was cut off by twin howls of fury from inside the inn.

Jin reacted first, dashing through the door; the other two quickly followed him. Arriving in the side room, he came to an abrupt stop and stared at the room. So suddenly did he stop that the two behind him plowed him down. Inside, the room was a picture of quiet shock. Arcius bore a wide-eyed stunned expression. Constance and Mor�Dia looked on in silent bewilderment.

The uncomfortable silence was broken as Jin picked himself up. �I�m okay, I�m okay.� At this point, Lina and Gourry resumed their fight for the last drumstick.

Arcius played a soft, calm melody for a while as the group finished the meal, which, to everyone�s surprise, took longer than expected, especially at the rate Lina, Gourry, were eating. When it was finished, and everyone had kicked back, picking their teeth or rubbing their bellies contentedly, Arcius stood up.

�Lords and Ladies, I�m sure all of you have the notices posted in the area calling for a meeting of heroes in the quaint town of Purey. I thank you all for making the journey and I sincerely hope you suffered little inconvenience on your trip.� He bowed deeply. �I was aware of the bandit problem and I took advantage of it, for bandits are a convenient way to separate wanna-be�s from the real heroes.� He looked around, noting the unfavorable reactions in the group, particularly with Constance and Mor�Dia. He sighed. �Perhaps that was not the most ethical screening process, but I�m placing it up front. That way, you know I am not joking about the risks of this venture.� The group relaxed just a bit. �For a long time, I have had possession of an old map covered in unintelligible writing.� He pulled out a scroll tube from his vest. Very gingerly he removed a yellowed, crinkly sheet of parchment and even more cautiously unrolled it. He held it up; it was as he described it. �Some time ago, I chanced upon an old scholar who could translate it for me.� He rolled it up and placed in back in the tube and back into his vest. �It seems that this map contains direction to a legendary magic known as �The Power of Command.�

The group gave him a blank stare.

�I too knew nothing of this �legendary� magic. I then spent some time seeking out knowledge of it. After much long and tedious searching, I have managed to piece together just what this magic was. My conclusions terrified me. If half of the rumors and tales I heard are true, then this is a source of power that must be destroyed. What does it do?� he said, looking around, an extremely serious look upon his face. �With this power, a person can command anything on this realm of existence to do whatever that person wants. You could command a mountain to turn to gold. Or to vanish. Or to sprout wings and fly around the world. It supposedly even grants power over the earthly manifestations of gods and mazoku.�

Silence.

�I have called you here to form a quest to make certain that this magic is truly lost from this world, or to destroy it if it is not. I lack the strengths and the skills required for such a task, and I suspect that we will be facing an level or order of magic that has not seen the light of day in a millennia. I can not guarantee any treasure, although I do suspect we may encounter ancient treasure hoards along our way.�

�If you need some time to think it over, or have questions, or wish to agree, let me know. I will be around for the remainder of the night and will be glad to help you in whatever way I can.� He bowed and sat down.

"I haven't heard anything about this kind of magic before", Mor'Dia said slowly, "and I've done a lot of research on magic..." She looked at Arcius, trying to decide whether to believe him or not. "And even if it exists-I'm not too sure about your motives in this! Furthermore, if this can effect even gods and mazoku, how are we supposed to destroy it?" She looked around to see if anyone else had doubts.

Her words had struck a chord within the assembled. If they had not considered that concern, they now were. Arcius looked on neutrally for a minute, as everyone studied him and deliberated. Then a delighted grin lit up his face (and the room for a brief second). He clapped his hands happily. "Perfect! You, my Lady, are just what I had hoped to join this quest."

Mor'Dia looked puzzled. So did everyone else.

"I shall explain. I have been with adventuring groups, and a principle fault among many of them is that they lack any sort of 'voice of reason.' My impulsive nature does not lend itself well to such a position. I feel so much better since we have someone willing to step back and study a situation before heedlessly charging in." He stood back up. "Now, to answer your question. First, as to the object of our quest. I have told you the fragments of legend I was able to unearth. And to be honest, I freely admit that I embellished it just a wee bit."

He chuckled. "After all, that is how my profession makes a living. So forgive that one stretch. As to my motives, they are selfish, I am afraid. I seek to write a great epic to carry my name through the ages. I need subject material. Other considerations aside, I imagine that the spell to Command has been lost in part because of its extreme difficulty to cast. I would venture to say that Ra Tilt and the Dragon Slave are far easier to cast than it."

"As to proof, I offer this." He picked up his lute and strummed it lightly. "Being in a brazen frame of mind after unraveling the secret of this mysterious map, I foolishly sought out the first location alone. Deep beneath the grand city of Kytares lie a series of catacombs and ruins. I penetrated deeply within by some miracle of luck. Imagine my surprise when, close to the heart of the ruins, I came upon an area of perfectly maintained buildings. Sensing great magic at work, I cautiously ventured into one of the houses and explored it. In the study of the house, I found what appeared to be a diary of some sort, lying open with the ink appearing fresh. Curiosity got the better of me, and I flipped through it. It was written in the same language as the map. Not understanding, I copied the open page and left the dwelling. However, it appeared that in disturbing the book, my luck had run out. I fled the ruins being pursued by several ghastly apparitions."

"While I was recovering, I deliberated my next move. I sought and acquired an item to help me decipher the text I had copied. It read: "...casualties. However, with our allies, we have managed seal and destroy the evil Algernorna. I pray that with his passing, his grim and destructive magics, such as the Power of Command and the Dragon Slayer pass with him. His final retaliation shall destroy us soon. If this manuscript should survive, remember the glory that was Hallowweir. Elsthr--"

"Waitaminit," Lina muttered, thinking hard. "Algernorna... where have I heard that name before... I know! Wasn't he one of the first great wizards that appeared after the battle between Cephied and Shabranigdo?" She nodded sagely. "Yeah. According to legend, he got in a fight with some other wizards and they all destroyed each other."

Arcius nodded. "I assume you are right. All I learned was that he was an ancient wizard." He turned back to the group. "Does that help answer any questions or quell the rest of your doubts about our quest?"

"Not really," Constance answered, "but if you are being straight up with us and no one looks into this, the consequences could be very bad for the rest of the population...so I guess I'll join you in this quest. It's the only way we'll find out if you're lying or not. Unless...you have the map with you and you could show it to us..."

Arcius smiled. "Of course, Lady Constance. Gladly will I show it to you." He reached into his vest and pulled out the scroll tube from earlier. "Although your unjust accusations wound me." He carefully removed the rolled up, crinkly parchment from it and gingerly unrolled it. He shifted so that the light from the hearth illuminated it brightly. It showed a map of the continent. There were four areas marked with a few lines of faint, spidery writing that resembled a cross between Arabic and Chinese. The fourth location was a large peninsula.

Constance studied it noting that the fourth location was on a peninsula that she did not recall being on a modern map. She reached for it, but Arcius pulled it back. "You have to forgive my lack of trust, my Lady, but I have seen a number of variations on teleportation. This way, at least, there is a chance if you were to try such a low stunt, I would end up with half the map still."

She drew her hand back, with a highly insulted look on her face. "How co--"

He cut her off. "My Lady, I have done nothing deserving of such hostilities as you have evinced towards me. It has been my experience, as a member of a profession where insight to the workings of men and women makes one successful, that those who make such unfounded accusations are merely trying to take attention away from their own shortcomings."

Color flushed her cheeks. "How dare you!?" she said indignantly.

"Lady Constance. I do not accuse you of anything. I only state what I have seen. You make me out to be some sort of charlatan. And I do not like unjust insults. I find them annoying and belittling, especially when I am trying to be serious."

Constance backed off. She had never liked confrontations, and she didn't intend to deal with one now. "You're right, I have accused you unjustly, and I apologize for my rude behavior. It's just that, well...there's been too many instances in my life where I have found out that I trusted others too much for my own good. It doesn't completely excuse my behavior toward you, I know..." She then looked away, unable to meet Arcius' gaze.

Allen seemed amused by all this. In fact, he had been waiting for a confrontation. "Way to go Constance, backing down like that is SO intimidating..."

"Leave me be, this is not the time!" Constance hissed under her breath. No one else seemed to notice her mumbling, so she just continued to stare at the table in front of her.

Arcius smiled gently. "Apology accepted, my Lady. And please forgive me if I responded with unjust harshness." He looked over the rest of the group. "Anyone else?"

Zelgadis let out a low sigh. He had been listening from a darker corner of the room - well, all right, he had been spying - and this whole deal sounded like one big farce. 'I really should say hi to Lina,' he thought and sighed again. Zel stepped out of his corner, saying "You're looking well, Lina." and shaking hands with Gourry. He turned to Arcius, saying "How can you even prove this 'Power of Command' really exists? I'll go with you, but I have a very definite use for it before I'd let it be destroyed. If you can't accept that, I'm leaving."

Arcius studied Zelgadis for a moment. "I was wondering when you would you would step out." He smiled kind of mirthlessly. "Of course, Zelgadis Greywers. I suppose that if this 'Power of Command' exists, it could be used to turn you to normal. And if it has half of the substance as the other rumors that you have followed, that will be twice as much as you have accomplished in your quest thus far." Noting Zelgadis' scowl deepen, Arcius smiled cheerfully. Do not take offense, my Lord. You are one of the Heroes of this Age. There are a number of excellent songs involving the adventures you have had on your journey."

He smiled brightly again. "Once again, Lords and Ladies, I have no solid evidence that this Power exists. All I have is a map depicting the supposed location of the Power and the supposed location of the seals that hold the master seal. What I do know is that under the city of Kytares is an unknown ruin with powerful magics therein. If some as unskilled as myself was able to penetrate as far into the ruins, and it does happen to contain one of the seals, I think that might be a sign that the seal is weakening. It is now only a matter of time before someone finds and undoes it." His eyes narrowed and he looked around. "If such a thing is beyond those present, then by all means, begone. I have no powers beyond persuasion to bind you to this quest of ours. If you choose not to then I am sorry for taking up your time."

The wall behind Arcius exploded inward with a dull explosion. A huge hand reached through the dust and falling debris and grabbed the bard. He vanished into the cloud dust. Seconds later, the inn exploded.

Arcius struggled for breath in the hand of the giant. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the burning inn. He hoped that the group was okay; the giant squeezed tighter and his attention returned to the scene in front of him. Seven giants stood before him, each fifteen to seventeen foot tall, dressed in rough chain mail. They brandished assorted pointy weapons menacingly. Their leader stood before him. She was an attractive blond woman dressed in dark leather pants, a matching vest, with a frilly, long-sleeved white undershirt under that. A sword hung at her side.

"Well now, bard," she said with a cruel smile.

Arcius smiled brightly. "Lady Ysmaren. You are as beautiful as I remember." He did his best to bow in the position he was in.

"Charming as always, eh, Arcius? I understand you have something interesting that I want." Her eyes narrowed. "You have a reputation for smoothness and practicality. Why don't you demonstrate those admirable traits and hand that map of yours over?"

Tim frowned. "I don't like this, Celise, something's up. I'm sure somebody else who have tried to pick a fight with you by now. But we haven't ran into a group of "heroes" for sometime now. I think it's time one or both of us go back into town and see what's going on for ourselves. What do you say?"

Celise was about to answer "No" to Tim's question when they both heard the giants attacking the Purey Tavern.

"Nuts. I was afraid of this. We need to go now. No telling what kind of trouble these "heroes" have gotten themselves into. Probably just angered Lina. Did I mention she has a temper?"

Celise nodded "No" but offered to help Tim face whatever was happening in the town. Soon they came upon the taverns...and the giants.

"Put him down!" Celise demanded.

Arcius and the giantess looked over to the new arrival. Celise hovered a couple feet above the ground, the flames from the tavern and surrounding buildings flickering on her face. She wore the innocent face she always had, but something seemed different, her eyes seemed to glow from within.

"Hmph! Annoying little fly." The giantess spat. "You think you can stop me from finding the 'Power of Command'?"

Celise's eyes popped open with an expression somewhere between shocked and horrified. She then looked to the town, people running from burning buildings, and giants stepping on a select group as if they were mere ants. Celise seemed to wince in pain at each step, the glow in her eyes burning brighter each time.

Inside the inn, Zelgadis and the others scrambled, jumped, and dodged aside as parts of the walls and roof collapsed. Lina yelled over the interior noise, "We have to get out of here!" and with a nod, Zel cast a spell, holding out his hands toward the wall "Damu Bras!" Another hole appeared in the already shaky wall, and grabbing the person nearest to him - which turned out to be Constance - Zel made for the hole. Dragging Gourry behind her, Lina was outside first with Zel close behind, and others pouring out of the collapsing building before the inferno caught them up. With a groan and a thud, the inn fell in on itself as Zel threw up an arm to shield his face from the heat and flames.

Lowering his arm, Zelgadis realized that he had run up toe to toe, or rather head to toe, with a massive giant. His eyes widened at the size of this foe, and could barely manage to leap aside as the giant brought a boot down to squash him. Rolling to his feet, Zel called on his magic powers again. Chanting "Flare Arrow," he threw a handful of fiery bolts at the giant's head and upper chest, which was consequently covered with explosions and smoke and caused the giant to stumble back.

Tim looked upon the scene with Zelgadis and the giant and came upon a wicked idea.

"Not bad for an opening gambit, golem, but you need a coup de grace to finish things up. try this: STONE SPIKE!!!!!!" Tim said as he cast the spell right underneath the falling brute. The giant fell right on top of it, and the spike severed the body into two.

Tim stared right at the giantess as he pulled his sword. "If it's the Power of Command you seek, lay down on the ground and I'll hasten your fate."

Setting himself and extending his hands, Zelgadis focused on the giant holding Arcius before he could be used as a hostage against them. Casting his spell with the words "Elmekia Lance!" Zel fired his spiritual energies into the shoulder of the beast holding the bard. Convulsively, first he squeezed, then dropped, his prisoner and fell to the ground grasping his wounded shoulder in pain.

Enacting a spell of Rey Wing, Zel flashed past the brutes between himself and Arcius, then grabbed him and continued on past for a short distance, until he landed (dropping the battered Arcius inelegantly on his face) on the opposite side of the giants from the rest of the group. The giant Zel had hit, however, was far from out of the fight, and was coming up fast behind him...

At that point, things just went wrong.

Mor'Dia scrambled out of the blazing wreckage of the inn, dragging an unconscious Jin (who had knocked her out of the way when one of the ceiling beams had given, taking a hard blow to the head in the process). She lugged him off to one side and turned in time to see the first giant die on the stone spike. Unfortunately, she had placed herself over the cellar, which gave way, sending both her and Jin into the pit.

Lina and Gourry had extricated themselves from the ruin with a speed born of experience and had pounced one of the giants. "FIREBALL!" echoed across the fight as one of Lina's trademarks knocked a giant off of its feet. Gourry was waiting for that and had it cleft in twain before it hit the ground. As Lina glanced around to see who was next, a rare thing occurred. She missed the haft of the mace that the giant had been wielding. Knocked skyward by Gourry's strike, it fell spinning and cracked her sharply across her temple. She went down hard.

Tim grinned smugly to himself. The giant had turned its back on him, choosing to go after Zelgadis. That's the last time it will make that mistake, he thought and leapt after it, a spell forming on his lips. "DUG WAVE!"

Zelgadis smiled grimly at the approaching giant. He held out a hand and spoke a spell. "BRAM BLAZER!" he yelled and pointed at it.

The giant, however, tripped and fell flat on its face. Zelgadis tried a last second aim adjustment to hit the prone giant. Unfortunately, Tim was directly behind the giant, and the adjustment sent the beam into Tim. He rolled with the beam as it slammed him into and through a wall. Tim had managed to get his spell off. Even as Zelgadis realized his mistake, the ground directly under the head of the giant exploded. However, the giant was so big that in falling, it had put Zelgadis in the area of the spell. Zelgadis was thrown skyward, crashing through a room on his landing. The giant just lay there, finding it rather difficult to continue the fight without its head.

The giantess smiled cruelly at Celise. "Or you'll do what, little pest?" She drew her sword and flung it at Celise. The throw was obvious and Celise dodged it easily. The giantess had begun chanting as soon as she had released the blade. Celise's eyes flared even brighter. "I will not forgive you!"

The crystal at the end of the giantess' sword glowed for an instance and from it, a large, glowing net exploded out. The attack caught Celise by surprise, coming from an such an unexpected direction. As soon as it draped over her, yellowish electricity sparked over it. Celise screamed in pain and dropped out of the sky.

Arcius dove behind a building and hid.

Mor�Dia regained consciousness. It was pitch black around her, and she found she couldn't move. For a moment she panicked until she realized that it was Jin's weight that was holding her down. He still was out cold. "Jin!" She pushed him gently. No response. She pushed a little harder. "Jin!!!" Nothing. At last she managed to roll him off. "Fox spirit!" With her nightsight Mor'Dia looked around. They were in a sort of cellar- or what was left of it. Then she looked at Jin. Hm... he didn't seem to be really injured- although a pretty large bump was forming on his forehead. She dragged him to a corner were the walls seemed to be stable enough, then she climbed over the rubble to see how the rest of the group was doing.

Things didn't look good. Mor'Dia heard a cry of pain and looked skywards. Celise, covered by some sort of sparkling net, came crashing down at a neckbreaking speed. No time to think. Out of the corner of her eye Mor'Dia noticed vines on the nearest house and willed them to grow as fast as she could make them. Within seconds they formed a thick cushion where the dragon girl was about to hit the ground. Just in time. Still, the impact was terrible, and Mor'Dia held her breath till Celise stirred and let out a slight moan. She had no time to worry over Celise, though, as one of the remaining giants started to run in her direction. What now? My attack spells are no good so far from the forest... Unless... She took a look at the sky. Was there a storm coming? But still I need someone to shield me while I recite the spell... Mor'Dia looked around for help.

Constance had been disoriented for a while, being deposited so harshly on the ground in the beginning of the fray. She came to just as Celise fell to the ground with a thud. Constance quickly went to her aid, readying a healing spell, as she approached Celise.

"Are you okay? Here, let me heal you..."

Celise winced a bit, but she gently pushed Constance's hand away. "I didn't get hurt too badly, so don't worry about me. The others need your help more than I do." Celise then got up and faced her adversary once more.

Arcius poked his head out of his hiding place in time to see most of the group get clobbered. Celise and Constance had their attention on the giantess, while the little elf maiden was looking desperately for some cover as a giant charged her. Unfortunately if she moved, then Constance and Celise would be exposed to the attack. "This isn't good," he frowned. Besides. It was too soon for that. So he did the best thing he could. Leaping out, he charged the giantess. Two of the giants spotted him and leapt for him. One of them had the misfortune to catch his foot on a fallen beam and fell flat on its face. The other stopped abruptly as both of its legs chose that moment to develop Charlie horses. "Celise!" he shouted and flung a scrolltube with all of his might. It arced between the giantess' legs and landed neatly in Celise's hand.

"Fool bard!" the giantess growled. "EXPLOSIVE ARRAY!" The spot where the bard stood erupted in a pillar of flame. "Now, little fly, are you going to be more reasonable than your friend?" she said to Celise.

Zelgadis shook his head, trying to clear it from the dazzling impact of crashing through a roof. As his sight cleared he realized that a terrified housewife was starting unblinkingly at the chimera who had literally fallen out of the sky. Sighing, Zel sarcastically said, "Pardon me, mind if I play through?" At the sound of his voice, the poor woman fainted dead away. A large bead of sweat formed on Zel's head as he muttered, "Well, excuse me!" and ran downstairs.

Bursting out of the front door of the small house and back into the action, Zel got into range just in time to see Arcius disappear in a column of smoke and flames. Anger welled up inside him and he decided that enough was enough. Unfortunately, Lina, Gourry, and some flying creature were far too close to the body of his victims-to-be for Zel to use his powerful shamanist area attacks. His eyes narrowed as he considered his options.

Lina was down and she wasn't moving - not a good sign, Zel wouldn't be able to count on her help even as a distraction. Gourry was fighting hard to keep any giants from finishing Lina off, and paying little attention to anything else. Someone was trying to face down the giantess who seemed to be in charge, while the giantess was focused on some flying thing. Unsure which of those three were friendly and which weren't, Zel sprinted to Gourry's side with blade drawn, intercepting a strike from one of his assailants and countering with an Elemekia Lance from his open hand, up close and personal to the giant's chest. It fell to the ground with a thud, quite dead. Gourry shot him a smile, but then had to whirl to parry a strike from another giant who was trying to hit the prone Lina.

Tim got up and looked straight at the giantess. "Not bad. That blow came from the golem, not you. So that really doesn't count. You'll have to face armies of clerics to get the Power and from what I can see...You don't even have a prayer to defeat us. I don't know many of these people, but you've pissed off a dragon and Lina Inverse. To say your death is imminent is REALLY understating things."

"I have no intentions of doing so." Celise said unfazed by the giantess. "My Lord and Master would be most displeased if I allowed the Power of Command to fall into the hands of evil."

"Then," The giantess said grimly. "You and your friends will perish."

*Oh Lords who rule both wind and ice,* Celise thought as the giantess powered up the staff again. Ice cold winds drove in from all directions surrounding Celise as she chanted.

* Benevolent fathers hear my call,
Let thy ice come once, and thy wind twice.*
"Come forth from divine breath," Celise spoke aloud, a blue shield forming around her.
"From heaven to earth,
Wind freeze all who stand in my path."

The wind rushed into a climax, swirling around the blue shield, then rushed forth in a freezing rush of cold wind.

"EITHER STORM!" Celise called releasing the stored energy. The giantess's staff quickly produced a shield, blue lightning rained from the skies. Three giants not within the shield were struck, turned to columns of ice, then shattered by the force of the lightning. The wind blew through the giantess's shield as the lightning crashed into it, causing thin layers of ice to form on the giants inside, then all went calm.

The shield flickered out and the giantess looked around, shaking the rime off of her clothes. Spotting none of her comrades, "Not bad," she said, sheathing her sword. "It would seem that that fool has managed to find better help than anticipated. He always has been a lucky bastard." Her form began to fade as the rest of the group looked her way. "I have gauged your strengths and next time... there will be a reckoning." Her voice lingered ominously in the silent ruin of the town.

"Never was particularly subtle, that one," Arcius said. He hopped lightly over the ring left by the spell cast at him. "Nor does she seem to be particularly skilled. I do not think I have ever seen that spell miscast. By all rights, I should be dead now." He dusted off his singed clothes as he walked up to Celise. He extended his hand for the scroll tube. "May I?"

As the giantess fled with her followers beaten, Zelgadis resheathed his sword, not really having the stomach to slaughter the wounded. Before a background of burning fires, Gourry bent to see how badly Lina had been hit, while Zel looked on over his shoulder (keeping enough of a distance, of course, to maintain his reputation as a heartless swordsman.) Seeing that Lina wasn't really hurt, only stunned, Gourry yelled, "Oi! Lina! Wake up!" while he shook Lina violently by the shoulders. Zel hurriedly backed away, as when she came around, Lina responded with her usual instincts for violence, leaving Gourry shell-shocked and covered with char from her Dill Brand spell.

Sighing and shaking his head with a small smile he hoped nobody noticed, Zel looked over toward Arcius and said, "So, just what is really going on here?" He then focused on the flying Celise.

"And if I may be so bold as to ask, just who or what are you?"

Arcius deftly slipped the tube from Celise hand and twirled it baton-like in his fingers. He looked at Zelgadis, with a small bit of confusion on his face. "I am as I said. Arcius Le'Donal. Bard of the Western Lands. A mere teller of tales, whose only virtues are skill with a lute and being able to run fast. A human, my Lord. And not a particularly fortunate one either." He sighed ruefully, looking at his smoking clothes.

"Now, my compatriots," he said, looking over the somewhat battered party. "I must set off on this quest of mine. My enemies have found me, it appears, and for me to remain here is asking for death." He gave a wry grin. "I have this selfish liking for my neck the way it is- attached to my head and body." He brushed off his singed clothes some more. "As for the lot of you, what becomes of you is your choice. Accompany me or not. Either take the chance that I am lying to you and am setting up this quest because it amuses me to see you dance like misbegotten puppets or take the chance that I might be telling the truth. Heaven knows giants are not that common around here."

With that, Arcius slung his lute to his front and began to strum the strings. The melody was purposeful, yet jubilant. It sounded peculiar in the hazy ruin of the town. He turned and gave a deep bow to the group. "Lords and Ladies, we go to the grand city of Kytares. May our travel be light and our songs be merry." He pivoted and began walking down the road.

While Zelgadis was asking Celise questions, Tim noticed the short redheaded sorceress supreme known as Lina Inverse. Tim walked over to her, bowed politely and spoke. "Excuse me, Miss Inverse. My name's Timothy Gray and my traveling companion, the dragon over there by the name of Celise has something she wanted to give you. I have no idea what that is, but the name Cephied was mentioned a lot when she was talking to me. Please follow me."

Lina's eyes glittered. "Oh! That sounds good. lead the way, Timmy."

Tim's eyes narrowed. "Don't call me that. Tim will be fine, thank you."

Tim and Lina walked over to Celise and Zelgaldis who were talking. Tim looked at the Golem. "Pardon me for just a second, Zelgadis." Then looked at Celise. "Celise, this is the famous Lina Inverse. Lina Inverse, this is Celise."

Once the bard was out of earshot, Celise began to speak.

"My name is Celise Ginhane." she said softly. "Who I am... is a loyal servant, and humble priestess to my Lords. I have been sent by my Lords to find the one named Lina Inverse, and her companions who slew the evil Dark Star. Only then, and only to her, may I reveal my true identity and powers. If what that bard seeks truly exists, my Lords will ask me to destroy it with her help. I must find that information out. And to Lina Inverse and her companions, I am to be of any help I can so long as my power and knowledge allows."

Celise bit her lip as she went quiet. The hints that the Power of Command still existed frightened her. A power only capable of being used by a mortal being, yet capable of conjuring, summoning, and controlling powerful monsters or gods. Thought to have been destroyed with the tower that sealed its power so many years ago....