Chapter Eighteen: Bandits! It's Deja Vu All Over Again!

It was a crisp autumn day, almost a week since the party had left the beach behind. It had been an almost enjoyable journey so far; peaceful, almost restful in fact. The injuries sustained in the last fight had had ample time to heal fully.

They had made excellent time too. Arcius estimated that they had less than a week to go before they arrived at their next goal. In fact, it had been almost too peaceful. Travelling on roads such as these was risky, as bandits were altogether too common. Yet they had encounted no one on the road, save for a few travellers or farmers. This sustained peace only served to reinforce the paranoia certain people had.

The group stopped for their midday meal. The area was wooded, but the bard noticed a rather large clearing off the road where the warm sun shone pleasantly through the verdant cover. It was a rather large picnic, considering the appetites present. It was all going so very well, too, right up to the point an arrow thudded into the picnic blanket, inches shy of the last chicken leg.

A gravelly voice rang across the clearing, echoing from concealment. "NOBODY MOVE! We outnumber yer three t' one, so as long as yer do exactly what I say, no one'll get hurt! Just throw all of yer valubles in dat basket yer got an' toss it in da direction away from da road, yer hear?"

Eric looked around for the source of the voice. "Great, why can't they ever wait until AFTER dessert," he grumbled, standing up and listening carefully.

Ninoa stifled a laugh. Here were some of the most powerful fighters and sorcerors in recent history, all traveling TOGETHER, and there's a bandit troop thinking they could actually win? Well, might as well have a little fun....

"If yer don't do as I say, we're gonna hafta get violent!" growled the bandit leader's voice. No one moved. "Roight, then, boys! Let's get 'em!"

As the bandits stepped out of hiding, Ninoa was shocked at what she saw. So shocked that she almost facefaulted. They were bandits alright... bandits dressed in pig costumes from head to toe. They still held rusty swords, and most weren't handsome in that crusty bandit-y sort of way... but how could anyone take them seriously in get-up like that? Ninoa started to laugh uncontrollably, clutching her stomach as her sides started to hurt. This was too much!

Lina sweatdropped, looking at Ninoa with one brow raised. "We're not fighting THAT, are we?" she asked. "Hell, the Dragon Fangs looked better than THAT! Well... not much, but...." She couldn't stop herself from laughing, either.

As Ninoa almost collapsed with laughter, a scream ripped from the back of the group. A resounding "BAAACONNN!" could be heard for miles as Ren leapt at the bandits, ripping and tearing in a desperate gambit for some of that other white meat.

Sai looked down at Ninoa in concern. She was laughing so hard, she was on the verge of passing out. He tried to help her up, to get her breathing properly again, but it became clear she wasn't going to stop anytime soon. So he picked her up, carrying her on his back to get her out of the way of the coming fight. "You know, sometimes I wonder why people don't just give up the bandit business. It is not a stable career... I mean, look at that." He watched Ren's desperate attack. "Oh man... they are going to have to come up with a new word for that."

Eric, in the meantime, watched Ren at work. "Now THERE is someone who takes entirely too much pleasure in his work," he said with a low chuckle. However, just to be on the safe side, he had his crossbow ready, should Ren need any assistance.

The figure walked down the path. It stood about six feet tall and was covered almost entirely by a black cloak, hiding its form. The path was a simple one with trees on both sides, the sounds of animals heard all around.

The figure stopped suddenly. There were no more animal sounds, only a deathly silence. Instantly sensing something wrong, the figure walked off the path and jumped into the trees. The being's low voice spoke in a whisper to itself. "More bandits? Hmm... I could use some more money in my pouch...."

"BOSS!" a bandit cried.

"How dare they!" another voice rang out. "They don't know the true terror of the Doom Oinkers!"

"Let's get 'em!" howled yet another. With a long, drawn-out battle oink, the entire bandit group charged our heroes.

Copy-Lina grinned savagely. This was going to be fun! She hadn't had a good workout in a while now, and she was still buzzed about getting her magic back. With a dangerous glint in her eye, she yelled, "Leave 'em to me!" Holding out her hands, she concentrated, chanted some words under her breath, and began gathering a ball of fiery energy. As she raised her hands up high, finishing the chant, the globe of fire held between them swelled and grew brighter. In one sweeping motion, she flung her hands forward and yelled "FIRE BALL!" Then the sphere of energy blew up in her face.

Completely charred, with her eyes all swirly, she toppled over backwards and landed with a thud.

She scrabbled to her feet mere moments later, coughing, and began dusting the soot off her clothes... before she remembered that there were a few dozen bandits currently rushing towards her. "Yikes! Bandits!" Not wanting to meet them in her current condition, she dashed over towards the trees that surrounded the clearing, and began shinnying up one of them.

With all the skill, speed, and accuracy he could muster, which for him is a great deal, Eric quickly fired several of his crossbow quarrels into the bandits, hitting the hands which carried weapons.

The Doom Oinkers cried out in rage and humiliation, as bandit after bandit lost their weapon and their ability to fight. One even ended up running in circles with a quarrel stuck in the seat of his costume... how he managed THAT, no one knows.

"Now... what was this about 'getting' us?" Eric asked, as he prepared another quarrel.

The Oinkers' captain stared at the quarrel which seemed poised to end his miserable existence, and sweated profusely. "Well, when I said 'get', it wasn't so much a statement of intent as an indication of our... uh.... Oh, forget it. HELP!" he cried out. "REINFORCEMENTS!"

At this point another group of bandits, covered in feathers, dropped onto the party from all sides. "CLUCK!" yelled the leader, as he rallied his allies to the Oinkers' aid.

The new bandits clucked and strutted, bobbing their heads in eerie unison. A faint red glow appeared around the beaks of their outfits, growing brighter and brighter as time went on. Their leader, wearing a rooster outfit, stood in the back, directing their movements. "Let them face the deadly sharp pecks of the Terror Chickens!" he proclaimed. With their beaks still glowing with that strange red light, the newcomers charged in pecking.

Lina only smirked evilly as she began chanting the Flare Arrow spell. "I won't use big magic on you bums; you don't deserve it!" she yelled at them, shooting her spell into the seat of one of their costumes. "Haha! Serves you right!"

And she quickly discovered that, whatever material the bandits' costumes were made of, it burned surprisingly well. One of the Terror Chickens, his feathery costume flaming merrily, broke ranks and dashed off, yelping, to find the nearest stream. The other Chickens, eerily, didn't even acknowledge him. They just kept advancing, their beaks still glowing red as they pecked menacingly.

Arcius surreptitiously moved to the center of the clearing, placing the rest of the party between himself and the bandits. He made a mental note to get himself a new rapier.

Ninoa recovered from her laughing fit and looked toward the bandits, who were getting decimated. She joined the fun and played with them a little bit, casting a few spells here and there, causing some mindless explosions over there, biting the chicken bandits over here. It all melded together into one big bashfest.

As Ninoa paused for a moment, a feather fell from the fray and landed on the ground beside her. She smiled, before spitting out a piece of one of the chicken bandits' costumes. "Tastes like chicken."

One of the Terror Chickens then pecked the ground right next to Ninoa.

BLAM!

What had once been a smooth stretch of ground was now a smoking crater about three feet across. It seems that our friends the Chickens use magic to enhance their fighting abilities.... Good thing Ninoa was good at avoiding their glowing beaks.

"BRAM FANG!" Geltro's voice cried out from concealment, and invisible arrows of air began to cut the beaks off Chicken costumes. The Terror Chickens were rapidly becoming harmless and stupid looking, instead of just stupid looking.

Sai just stared and sweatdropped. "Dear Lord... these guys are dropping like flies. Makes you wonder why bandits even try," he said as a bandit flew over his head. Then he shook his head and looked at Ninoa. "What do you think?"

"I think their costumes are made from real chickens," Ninoa said to Sai. "But that's just me." She then pulled some treats out from her pocket and started nibbling on them. Looking over the battlefield, she'd realized that these bandits were incredibly pathetic, and didn't warrant her time and effort at all. Plus, she didn't need to work off that much stress at the moment, unlike a specific redheaded sorceress. She continued to nibble on the chocolate covered breadsticks as she looked on at the carnage, then offered Sai some to pass the time. "So, where do you come from again?" she asked him.

"Why thank you." Smiling lightly, he accepted the treat, and inspected it for a few seconds. "Hum... I wonder what they will think of next."

Sai then took a deep breath, and started answering Ninoa's question. "Well, I come from a valley hidden well within the land of the mountain of Tears." Sai stared at the ground for a while, before continuing in a very faint voice. "Even though outside the valley the land is cold and dark, inside it is beautiful. Flowers bloom, and trees are very healthy. Some would call it the perfect land... that is where my Clan is located."

He then turned to face Ninoa again, shivering. "I'm sorry; this is somthing I am not used to talking about." Then he started eating the tasty treat she'd given him. "This is really good," he said, trying to change the subject.

Copy-Lina scrambled onto a tree branch, high above the action. She was perfectly safe up there... at least, unless one of the Terror Chickens pecked the tree down.

Watching Eric humiliate the bandits, and Lina and Ninoa wreak all kinds of magical havoc on them, she sighed. If only she hadn't miscalculated that Fireball.... Well, now that she was feeling better, she might as well join in. She drew one arm back, as if preparing to shoot an arrow, and a sliver of flame materialized, ready to be shot towards an unsuspecting bandit from above.

Before she could release the spell, however, Copy-Lina heard a rustling sound behind her. She turned abruptly, still maintaining the Flare Arrow spell, ready to be released at a moment's notice.

A dark-cloaked figure was perched on a nearby branch. Her first thought was that it was Geltro... he seemed to like sneaking off in the midst of battle. But this figure was far, far too big to be the sneaky little thief. Maybe this guy is another one of those bandits! But... why isn't he attacking anyone? she thought briefly. Maybe he's a forest ranger or something! No, that's silly. Wouldn't a forest ranger be trying to get rid of bandits too, instead of just sitting there watching? Or trying to prevent forest fires or something? Unless he's depending on US to get rid of the bandits for him. I wonder why he's wearing such a thick cloak; I can't even see his face. It certainly doesn't look like a forest ranger's uniform. Not that I've ever come across a forest ranger in person before....

Then, clearing her throat to get the newcomer's attention, she loudly said, "Who're you? What're you doing here?"

The figure turned towards the voice addressing him. "Who am I?" he asked. "That matters little right now. As to what I'm doing...." The figure lifted a hand, two fingers raised, and shouted "WEB!" A spiderweb-like substance shot from his fingers, and ensnared a group of bandits below. "That stuff is extremely flammable, if you'd like to know...."

Copy-Lina watched as the web tangled up a bunch of the Terror Chickens (and even a few of the remaining Doom Oinkers) in a big sticky mess. In an instant, her Flare Arrow was dissipated, and the mysterious cloaked stranger found himself the focus of sheer bright-eyed, bushy-tailed eagerness. "Wow! That's so neat! Can you teach me to do that?"

The stranger chuckled. "Maybe, maybe."

Alexander slowly walked along, kicking at the ground as he went. He looked up at the sky and sighed just once.

"Damn... of all jobs to mess up, I had to pick this one. I will never, EVER see money like that again in my entire life. Argghh... watch, now something will come along and make this horrible day even worse."

Alex looked down from the sky, his gaze falling upon a large group of bandits and the band of fighters that was tearing them apart.

"DAMN! Why am I always right about this sort of thing? Oh well, it is kinda funny... they look like escapees from a rotisserie somewhere. This answers the eternal question. The chicken crossed the road to become a bandit and rob people! Heh heh... heh... wasn't half as funny as I thought it would be."

He unsheathed his sword and sat down, plopping the blade onto the ground next to himself. "I'll wait here till they're done... unless of course one of those bandits feels like becoming barbecued."

"Whose job was it to hire the helping hands again?" growled Oni, he eyes seeming to pop from their sockets as he glared at the others.

Thorn stayed calm and cool, one finger pointing from her crossed arms at Froard, who looked like death himself was breathing down his neck.

Oni's full attention shifted to the Changeling, his eyes now glowing full red like a fire. "This was the best you could do?" the hell lizard growled, scooping Froard up by the back of his neck and pointing him at the one-sided battle below them. "I send you to bring help, and you hire them?"

"To tell you the truth, I only hired the Doom Oinkers. The Terror Chickens came free," said Froard weakly.

Oni lifted Froard up and slammed him to the ground face first, then turned to Thorn. "It's time to wake sleeping stupidity. Is the spell finished?"

Thorn nodded. "He doesn't remember any of them, not even the redhead. But any little thing could disrupt the spell, returning him to his old self again."

"Then we'll just pull him out before anyone can restart his memory. Let's wake him up."

Oni and Thorn then began to chant, and a doorway to the astral plain opened, revealing a large, armored man in a deep sleep. Oni snapped his fingers, and the man's eyes opened. He stepped through the doorway, and knelt before Oni and Thorn. "What is your command, my lords?" he asked.

"Kill them," ordered Oni, pointing down at the group below. "Kill them all!" The armored warrior rose to his feet, and nodded. "Send him down," Oni said to Thorn. She lifted the warrior on a pocket of air, and sent him down to the battle.

Oni smiled at his vile plan to destroy Lina's will. To think, she would have to either fight or die at the hands of Gourry Gabriev himself!

Alexander looked at the new warrior striding onto the battlefield, and took a moment to examine him. He seemed a lot more competent than any of the bandits. "This could get rough... guess now I'd better help."

He grabbed his sword and stood, walking over the group that had so recently been annihilating the bandits. His half-human, half-golem face was quite apparent, as he'd never remembered to get a hood for his cloak. Pointing towards the new warrior who had just entered the fray, Alex addressed the others. "That one may be a bit more difficult than the wanna-be poultry. Would you like the assistance of a master Shamanist?"

Alex prided himself in the last remark, as he truly was a master in his chosen field of Shamanism. Everything from a fireball to the Ra-Tilt, he could cast.

The cloaked stranger up in the tree heard the voice of the newcomer. "Well, he's sure got some modesty."

Lina's eyes grew big, as she watched the big knight approaching. This looked vaguely... no, extremely familiar. No... no, not again! she thought, clenching her gloved hands. She had to be strong, strong enough for all of them... and strong enough for herself.

It was like no one else was even there... like her and that knight were the only two people in the entire world. Then she shook her head. Swiftly rising to her full height, she looked to the others to make sure where they were, and began. "I'm sorry..." she whispered quietly, only hoping not to hurt him too badly. She would pound him for it later.... Yeah.

Holding her hands out in front of her, she began to chant slowly, then paused and said, "Anyone who would like to help is welcome to. Um... just don't go too hard, that's my job!" she told them, winking, even though she felt a tear welling in her eye.

It was quite clear to Sai what was going on in Lina's mind. He slowly walked to her right side, his eyes tracking the progress of the big blond knight that was walking towards them, sword drawn. It's about to get rough, just like in the stories, he thought. For some reason, he felt himself turning his head and looking at Ninoa, as if he wanted to tell her something. But before his mouth could open, he quickly turned back towards the knight, sadness in his eyes. "Right... let's go," he said, positioning his hand, ready to cast a spell at a moment's notice.

Where Geltro was concealed, the small thief frowned. The bandits he could understand, but what was this? Didn't look like a bandit leader, and Red was acting weird. Something was afoot. Best to go scouting. With that decided, Geltro tried to find the origin of the strange mystery warrior.

Alex turned towards the attacking warrior and smiled. "Well now, it's time to reveal what I'm capable of! Just tell me when to throw." He reached back behind himself, hand open. "Flare..." The Flare Arrow spell began, energy gathering into his hand in the form of a ball. Alex gripped the ball, turning it into an arrow. However, he waited for the redhead behind him to give him the OK before throwing the spell. For some reason, he got the impression that she was the leader, and it might not be wise to cross her in any way.

The remaining Oinkers and Chickens, thoroughly humiliated and feeling utterly miserable, all did their level best to vacate the region, no matter whether they were tangled up by sticky webs or covered in soot or grimly clutching the shredded remnants of their once-proudly worn costumes. This was the worst defeat they'd suffered in... oh, days.

Copy-Lina leaned forward, watching them go, inspecting the impressively sticky results of the cloaked stranger's web spell. She'd never seen anything like it before; in fact, she'd never heard of anything like it before. True, she hadn't been specifically LOOKING for anything like it, but still. Thinking of all the fun things she could do with a spell like that, her lip twitched upwards in a smirk.

In her eagerness, she found herself leaning just a little bit TOO far forward. Desperately, with her arms flailing, she tried to regain her balance, but ended up pitching sideways. "Waaugh!" She caught a handhold, and dangled from the branch for a few moments before losing her grip and thudding to the ground.

The breath knocked out of her as she landed. It was a few seconds before she was back to normal, at which point she noticed the tall blond warrior, standing in front of her with his sword drawn, looking ready to charge any minute now. And she was sitting squarely in the middle of the battlefield. Okay, time to move.

Quickly she got to her feet and scurried over to stand next to Eric, who still had his crossbow drawn and ready. For some reason, she felt safer by his side.

It was funny; there was something awfully familiar about that evil knight. Maybe it was the way he held his sword or something; but she got the distinct impression that she'd met him before. The fact that she couldn't put a name to the helmeted face bothered her.

Then she noticed yet ANOTHER stranger, standing close to Lina and Sai, all ready to toss a Flare Arrow at the knight. And there was something familiar about HIS face, too... only this one was much easier to recognize. "...Zelgadis?" she said, incredulously.

Alex briefly looked at Copy-Lina and then turned back towards the warrior. That was a name that no one had ever called him before, so he assumed she'd made a mistake. How many people could possibly be partially golem in this world? "I'm sorry, but you've got me confused with someone else! My name is Alexander, and I'm afraid we've never met before. But... does this 'Zelgadis' also have a golem influence?"

Alex's face was clearly visible to most of the people there, with stone skin covering a good half of his body. He was half golem after all, thanks to that haywire spell. But right now he was supposed to be concentrating on the warrior, and not on a simple identity slip.

Copy-Lina stared openly at the half-golem stranger. Mostly out of sheer confusion. Who'd a thought that there'd be TWO guys out there with rocks all over their faces? Now that she was looking a bit closer, it was easy to see that this guy in fact wasn't Zelgadis; their faces were subtly different. Then there was the whole matter of eye colour and hairstyle. Still, she'd only known Zel for a day or so, and he'd disappeared a week ago, so her initial reaction wasn't all that surprising. "You bet he does," she answered. Then she continued with, "Uh, maybe you should start doing something about that big blond swordsman who's getting ready to charge you."

Eric, for his part, watched the new entry into the battlefield with a wary eye. "Great, and just when I had hoped we could continue to town so I could buy he---" He quickly stopped his muttering, remembering the object of his muttering was standing right next to him, though she seemed completely oblivious to whatever he was muttering about. Phew. "Alright, you with the sword, drop it immediately and I won't fire!" he shouted at the blond warrior.

"I don't think he's listening," whispered Copy-Lina. It was unfortunately true; the tall blond knight was brandishing that massive sword quite menacingly, and going into attack mode. She decided she might as well do something, now that she was down here in the thick of things. And since Flare Arrow seemed to be such a popular spell these days.... Quickly she tossed off an arrow of flame, which exploded at the feet of the blond warrior, making him stumble and slightly lose his balance.

But only for a second.

"Gahh?!" the real Lina cried. "Good shot!" she called to her copy, winking. She could've done that...

"Thanks!" said Lina's clone, with a bright smile, one hand rubbing the back of her head. She'd been aiming for his sword hand....

Above the group, a shadowy figure stood watch. It smirked at the situation, however chaotic it was, and thought that it might be wise to pay them a visit. Metcliff drew his blade, the blade that shimmered darkness, and started his descent... aiming right at Ninoa's head.

Everyone's attention was on the big blond knight. Copy-Lina noticed the barest hint of movement out of the corner of her eye; turning quickly, she realized that another danger was springing out from behind. "Ninoa, look out!" she yelled. Without bothering to check whether her warning had been heard in time, she cried out the words, "Balus Rod!"

A whip of light materialized in her hand. She snapped it towards the eerily familiar wielder of that dark blade. As he soared through the air, the very tip of the light whip cracked into his leg. Roaring in pain, he was caught off guard, and ended up off balance. His blade ended up tearing into the ground, just inches away from where Ninoa was standing.

The words 'Ninoa, look out!' rang through Sai's head over and over. He turned around, and saw a figure he was quite familiar with. "Metcliff..." he said, his voice very cold as he saw that dark sword far too close to Ninoa's form.

Sai's eyes were bursting with fire as he walked towards Metcliff, completely forgetting about the blond warrior. He turned briefly to Copy-Lina and smirked, saying, "Thank you." Then he turned and faced Metcliff. Raising one finger, he pointed at the attacker. "YOU. I am sick of you bothering Ninoa. There is NO excuse for that." Sai drew his sword. "You and me... RIGHT NOW! I will rid Ninoa of you, once and for all!" The ninja's attention was focused completely on Metcliff. Win or lose, I am taking him on.

Arcius walked over and casually patted the oblivious Sai on the shoulder. "You can do it. I have a feeling luck is with you." The bard stepped back, smiling and looking Metcliff over. "I had hoped you had survived. I was afraid our foe had done you in that night."

"I can't be defeated yet; I still have matters left unresolved," Metcliff said, and smiled at the bard. He then turned to face Sai. "I admire your little show of courage, boy, but the fact of the matter is, you're no match for me. But if you wish to die so badly, then so be it. I will show you Hell through the Blade of Night, and despair will be your only friend as your torture begins...."

The dark knight looked down at Ninoa. "You will stay out of this, I know you well enough. We'll have our own battle yet, just you wait; I'll send you to oblivion like the demon that you are!" With that, Metcliff charged toward Sai, his blade drawn and soaked in darkness. Ninoa could only watch as the two went to exchange blows.

Phew, looks like Sai is taking care of that particular attacker, Copy-Lina thought, dissolving the light whip and getting right back to Eric's side. That's one less danger to worry about. So she turned her attention back to the big blond knight. Why isn't Lina attacking him? she wondered, now slightly annoyed. Sure, it was just one swordsman, hardly worth the bother. But in any other case, the legendary sorceress would probably have already creamed the guy. Probably wouldn't even have needed to use magic to do it.

I mean, sure he was tall and blond, just like that Gourry guy who'd disappeared....

Hold it....

Peering at the helmeted warrior in confusion, she slowly said, "Is that... Gourry?" Everyone sweatdropped as she stated the completely obvious. What no one noticed, however, is that at the mention of that particular name, the warrior's advance halted... just for a fraction of a second, before continuing. "It's Gourry, isn't it! NOW I get it! Well, I don't really, but it kinda makes sense now." To think, Lina's longtime companion being so forgetful that he forgot he was her ally! What a tragedy!

Eric was still a little surprised that Copy-Lina hadn't heard his muttering (we all KNOW how good Lina's hearing is when it comes to the words buy, sell, food, money, and treasure... one would think a clone would have the same trait), but he brushed his surprise aside and fired his crossbow, using his superior marksmanship to attempt to hit the sword hand of the tall blond warrior.

Lina watched as his arrow went flying, and gulped, continuing to chant quietly. Gourry... I don't know what else to do.... She looked determined, and started gathering power into her hands. Whoever had done this to her Gourry would pay!

Alex looked at the incoming warrior and noticed that he had almost forgotten about the Flare Arrow he was holding. "Uh... guess it's about time I threw this thing, eh?" Reaching back as far as he could to give the arrow some force to it, Alex completed the spell. "...Arrow!" The brand of flame streaked towards the upper torso of the blond warrior, as Alex was careful not to accidentally incinerate Eric's crossbow bolt.

The quarrel shot towards its target with flawless aim. Until the flat of a sword blade whipped out of nowhere and slapped the quarrel to the ground. The same sword blade intercepted the Flare Arrow; to everyone's surprise, the fire spell was swallowed up and dissolved into nothingness.

Eric could feel the gaze of the warrior burning into him... now he'd been marked as a threat. He swallowed a bit, but didn't shirk away. Instead, he said, "This isn't going to work," as he put his crossbow away. Then, looking the warrior straight in the eyes, he began to walk forward at a slow, even pace.

Briar sat comfortably in a tree, layered under illusions of nothingness, watching what was promising to be a very interesting fight. She hadn't expected Metcliff to show yet, but that was okay. Metcliff had 'killed' her already. Unless she did something to give any indication she was still alive, as far as Metcliff was concerned, Briar didn't exist. She had no intention of changing that at the moment.

One advantage of playing both sides is a little advance warning. Hence, she had just placed an illusion of herself at the picnic spot. Not as powerful as the illusion spell that had created Thorn, but since Briar was directly controlling it, it didn't have to be.

In the camp, the illusionary Briar stood, watching the brainwashed Gourry and coiling her noose with a shrug. "Wire's useless against someone that good. Not in these conditions." She smirked. "No point in holding back, either." The illusion took a place in the middle of the camp, with plenty of cannon fodder in front of her and plenty behind her. Softly she began to speak. "Darkness from twilight..." Power began to gather in her hands. "Crimson from blood that flows; buried in the flow of time..."

Cunning and well-honed sneaking and tracking skills eventually led Geltro to the hill that Oni and co. were using as a base of operations. This, thought the thief to himself, isn't good. He was no match for them himself, but it was obvious that whatever they were up to was already in motion. The way they watched the events below and muttered to each other showed that.

Sneaking back and alerting the others would take a long time. Whatever Oni's plan was, it might be too late to stop it if Geltro took the time to return to the gang. But if they were busy dealing with Oni's nastyness, they might not notice any message Geltro might send.

Geltro thought about this for a few moments, but finally shrugged. He'd come up with a plan. It was risky, but fairly likely to work. Plus, it would let him deal with that annoying Froard character who was inconsiderate enough to have survived Geltro's last attack.

Peering through the trees, Geltro took aim at the shapeshifter in question, who had his back to the thief. "BLAST ASH!" Oni and Thorn were both alert enough to leap out of the way of the devastating spell. Geltro was counting on Froard's proven lack of combat reflexes for the attack to strike.

Once the spell was cast, Geltro used every skill he'd learned to disappear into the woods around the hill, and get as far away from his original location as possible while still remaining hidden.

"Froard!" yelled Oni as the dust cleared. "You little dung sack! Where are you?"

Aaryess walked away from the small town, stretching from the good night's sleep she'd had. Wonder where I'll go now... maybe towards that field over there, she thought.

The hills were flourishing with green grass, and a pleasant breeze waved through the leaves of nearby trees. As she walked, a small hollow, leading away from the road, caught her attention. From there, she could hear... the sounds of battle.

Feathers and pigtails were strewn around everywhere. Umm... Aaryess thought, I think I will, ummm, be the 'janitor' for this area, she decided, and started jogging towards the decidedly messy clearing. There must have been a farm-related accident here-

Her thoughts were cut off as a huge chicken jumped out of the bushes, landing in front of her. "Oooh, a straggler! Well, well, I guess I can do away with you!" the chicken shrieked.

"G-group? There's a group?" Aaryess wondered out loud. The chicken... well, actually it was a guy in a chicken costume... tried to peck her arm. She shrugged, and yelled, "Demona Crystal!", summoning a stream of pale blue ice that froze the ground as well as the bird.

Grinning, Aaryess wiped her hands and murmured, "Ray Wing." Encased in a shield of air, she quickly glided through the air towards the sounds of battle.

Looking up, Lina realized something, dropping the spell a moment before it was cast. Hell, she'd picked him over the world; she wouldn't let him go so easily now! "Gourry!" she cried, trying to sound as angry as she could, the cracks in her voice betraying her emotions. "You idiot! You're the only person I know that would let this happen to him TWICE! Come on, jellyfish-for-brains!" Her voice got louder and louder as she walked up to him, fighting back her harsh tears. She could not look weak! She could not lose her pride! "How dare you leave us? And how dare you... how dare you leave me?!" So much for that idea... well, at least she looked pissed....

Alex looked at the blond warrior in amazement; he'd swatted away a crossbow bolt, as well as a Flare Arrow, as if they were nothing. And some small part of Alex was thinking that the other red-haired sorceress was extremely stupid. There must be something about that sword... it has an aura. Damn, I didn't think it would be able to block my magic! Alright, now I'll knock this guy for a loop. "Elmekia Lan..." He was about to cast the Elmekia Lance and knock the warrior out cold, but Lina was in the way. "Excuse me? Would you like to move so I can knock out our swordsman friend here? I'd rather not knock you out too when I cast this spell."

"Shit!" replied Lina, quickly getting out of the way. She fell back to give Alex some room, falling on her ass in the process. Then, as she looked at Gourry, the expression on her face turned to well-hidden concern. "Gourry...."

"Good! Hate to do this to ya, but it's time to fall asleep, buddy! Elmekia Lance!" Alex released the spell, sending a green lance of spiritual energy towards the warrior.

Lina watched, biting her lip. "Hit, damnit!" she cried. Then, getting into things a little too much, she picked up and threw a rock at the swordsman. The stone whacked him squarely in the head. "Oops...." He staggered, almost falling backwards. The brilliant green lance soared through the air, right where his head was just a second ago. Just a few inches to the left, and it would have hit.

Strange; he should have been on his guard. He should have been able to deal with that stone the same way he did with the arrows. But for some reason... it got past his guard.

It hadn't been thrown hard enough, however, to knock him out, or to do any real damage. He recovered quickly, and once again stood with his sword at the ready.

Sai summoned the power of his headband, casting the Astral Vine spell on his sword. That was the only way to make it able to stand up to Metcliff's BanSai. Smirking lightly, he said, "Hell... torment... heh. Those are only words. The reality is much worse." With that, both blades collided in a great shockwave.

Both men struggled to gain the upper hand. Sai somehow found enough breath to continue speaking as they fought. "Is this the only thing that goes through your mind? You are a fool. You can't see anything beyond your goals." Somewhere along the way, the young ninja lost control of his emotions. "I will not let you... torment... the woman... I... LOVE!"

With that, Sai shoved Metcliff away. It was as if an entirely new person had stepped into the ninja's body. He held the sword up; it glowed a sinister red. In a low, dark tone, he said, "If you truly think you can beat me... then come get me."

Lina blushed as she heard Sai's words. He was being so... truthful. And the truth scared her... because... because the feeling was so familiar.

As Aaryess floated closer and closer to the sounds of battle, she started to be able to hear people yelling. Soon, she heard the loudest yell of them all: "I will not let you... torment... the woman... I... LOVE!" She was shocked by the clarity of the words.

She decided to see what was going on over there, her Raywing spell floating her up into the air to get a better view. There were two men having a swordfight, and several people stood in a group fighting a blond-haired knight. She slid slowly over towards the fight, examining the characters. The 'victim' seemed to have a glowing sword.

To get a closer look, she lowered herself closer to the battlefield. A most amazing sight it was. She wanted to get a better look at that sword. By now she was right above the battlers, a good 50 feet in the air. None of them noticed her, even as she exclaimed, "I-it's the Sword of Light! Aaiee-!" But they DID notice her when she lost control of the spell and fell to the ground.

Now that she was in the middle of the action, she could get a better look at the people involved. A few humans, one of them all muddy, and a pair of red-haired twins. That's all she could reckon about these people. But about that soldier guy, all she could take in was that he wielded the Sword of Light! "Ooowww, that really hurt! Heck, who are you guys?!" she yelled. Everyone stared at her for a moment, then went right back to what they were doing before.

A girl with a stuffed tiger called out to her, "Come over here!" Aaryess did as she was told and leapt over to her, getting away from the fighting.

The cloaked figure, the same one who'd been talking to Copy-Lina in the tree, walked out into the field and studied both conflicts. He looked back and forth, then walked calmly across the field as if nothing was out of place.

Meanwhile, right in the middle of everything, Briar still stood there chanting. "In Thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness!" She continued the spell, as the blond knight avoided Alex's Elmekia Lance. "Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I possess!" The energy gathering around Briar coalesced into a sphere. "DRAGON SLAVE!!"

A red bolt of energy blazed from Briar's hands, streaking brightly past the people in front of her, aimed unerringly at the knight. There was a brilliant flash of light and a great rush of wind...

...but no explosion. Instead, the knight stood there, braced to to resist the force of the spell. His blade, held in front of him, was now glowing a bright red.

"Oops!" said Briar, one hand behind her head, laughing nervously. "That wasn't supposed to happen."

The blond knight smiled, an unpleasant smile. He drew back his sword and swung it, releasing the stored energy within.

"Crap!" In her tree, the real Briar cursed. "Guumueon!" she said swiftly, as she dropped to the ground. The protective field sprang into existance as she ducked for cover.

Briar's illusionary counterpart in the field behaved much like the real Briar. "Eeep!" she squealed, then immediately bolted as the knight hurled her spell back at her.

Most of the party obviously just thought of Briar as a simple illusionist, incapable of doing anything other than pretty parlor tricks. Hence, they most likely dismissed her casting a Dragon Slave, at short range, no less, as something that was, at best, a distraction incapable of doing anything.

Which is why everyone was caught off-guard as a massive, very real explosion ripped through the area. The group of heroes had been in two groups, more or less: those confronting the knight-who-probably-was-Gourry, and those facing off against Metcliff. Both groups had their backs to the middle, where Briar's spell had hit. As a result, both parties were sent hurtling through the sky in separate directions by the blast.

The foes fared better, being able to see the spell coming. Both threw up their swords to block; as a result, they merely skidded back with the force of the explosion, leaving long grooves where their feet had been on the ground.

Much to everyone's surprise, they all landed relatively safely.

To be certain, more than one person ended up on their face or bouncing on their rump. It was embarassing, yes, but all in all, no one was really hurt. Given the odds of ending up in an okay condition after a Dragon Slave, much less everybody ending up in okay conditions... it was an incredible stroke of luck.

Well, almost everyone. Arcius looked as if he had taken the blast head-on, and rather badly at that. His blackend form hit the ground with a rather graceless *thud*. After he finished skidding, he just lay there in a crumpled heap. It was an odd sight to behold - the gaudy clothing was a uniform shade of black. It made the bard look almost... normal.

As the deafening explosion rang out and debris flew overhead, Geltro cursed silently. There was no way his sad little Blast Ash would draw their attention so he could point out Oni, not while that sort of nonsense was going on. Crawling out of the scum-covered sinkhole he'd been hiding in, the little thief made his way back the the now larger clearing.

The mysterious cloaked stranger had managed to be outside the direction of the blast, sitting on a rock next to some burning twigs with a small kettle over them. He looked around as if only now noticing something had happened and spoke in a calm tone, "Interesting weather we're having," then pulled out a mug and some tea leaves.

Copy-Lina yelped and tried to duck as the massive explosion slammed into the ground. Not that it would help much. Her eyes were shut tightly as she was tossed through the air for a few seconds, so she was firmly convinced that it was all over. Then she felt herself landing face-first on the ground... even bounced a couple of times before coming to a halt.

For a moment she was confused. It certainly doesn't FEEL like I've been blown to bits. Then again, I've never died before, so I wouldn't really know, now would I? Finally she was able to convince herself to open one eye. Won't know for sure 'till I check.... So she got an eyeful of dirt.

Next, she tried lifting her head from the ground first, and looking around. This revealed a blasted, tortured landscape; the charred remains of trees leaning at sharp angles; the glassy crater where the rocky ground itself had been liquified by the force of the spell; the extensive devastation that had, in one terrifying instant, deprived hordes of cute furry creatures of their woodland homes.

As well as a random assortment of traveling companions, enemies, and complete strangers, all looking somewhat startled that they'd just survived that.

Staggering to her feet, Copy-Lina tried to make sense of things. We all practically got hit by a Dragon Slave... and survived. Wow. That's not something that happens every day.

Well, almost all of them had survived; the bard, she almost didn't recognize him. He was looking quite savaged, and nowhere near as colourful as usual. In fact, he looked like he'd really appreciate some medical attention. Fast.

In the aftermath of the explosion, Eric seemed to go unnoticed as he steadily got closer to the blond warrior. "Alright, almost there... just a little bit more and he'll be out like a light," he said quietly, his hand raising up in what had become quite the familiar pose. Yup, everyone who could see knew what was coming up, IF Eric could remain unnoticed by the warrior long enough.

Alas, it wasn't to be. The warrior turned around and spotted him. Eric gulped, but stood his ground. The warrior raised his sword high, intending to cleave the black-cloaked man in two...

Suddenly, Copy-Lina noticed Eric in danger. The helmeted warrior... she still wasn't used to thinking of him as Gourry. Plus, she found it hard to believe that the Gourry she knew (well, barely met) would turn evil. But how else could you explain that deliberate returning of that Dragon Slave? And the whole attacking-people-with-swords thing. Kinda hard to overlook.

Anyway, seeing him attacking Eric really caught her attention. Hang on, Arcius, she thought, and dashed into action. "Balus Rod!" The whip of light materialized in her hands once more, and its tip snaked out towards the swordsman.

Flying through the air is NOT a happy experience when your body is half stone. Especially not when you hit the ground like one too. Alex, now slightly charred, slowly got up from his impact spot. He'd landed flat on his back, and the ground beneath him was slightly smashed. But that was nothing compared to the crater made by the Dragon Slave. Beginning a new spell, Alex looked at the blond warrior with anger in his eyes. "Let's see your sword stop this one! Demonic Crystal!" Alex cast the spell just underneath the swordsman. A freezing mist spat upward from the ground, threatening to freeze the helmet-clad warrior in mere moments.

Alex was starting to get slightly annoyed. That warrior was good... VERY good. So far he'd been able to dodge and/or reflect every spell that was thrown at him. Now he was starting to wonder if it was even worth the time to fight this guy.

"Oh dear. Who's supposed to be the bad guy in this situation?" Aaryess said to herself. Where she was crouching was at the edge of a crater, and the people nearby seemed to be all dusty and slightly hurt by the blast. What was really strange was that the knight with the sword of light had taken hardly any damage whatsoever. With all these dangerous-looking characters fighting him, he still managed to stay in pretty good condition. Crawling back out of sight from the knight-like character, she was sure she should help these guys.

She quickly decided she should have a little fun. Murmuring in her Elven language, she cast a spell that created a large cow. The big bovine was hopping on its back legs, singing a bouncy song as it pleaded with the blond knight to eat her. Well it went a little wrong, since it was supposed to be steak, but I've had my fun, Aaryess thought. The knight seemed confused, but tried to slash the cow in two. As the tip of the shining blade reached the cow, it vanished, leaving only smoke. Well, Aaryess had had her fun with illusions for today.

The air shimmered near the injured bard, and a semi-transparant image of Geltro appeared. Looking down, the quasi-thief frowned. "Well YOU'RE not going to be much help." Looking around, Geltro quickly assessed the situation. The image flickered and disappeared, only to re-appear beside Lina. "Oni and his goons were on top of that hill," the image said, pointing. "He's probably the one doing this. I don't know if he's there now, he might be chasing me. I'm trying to reach the clearing." That said, the image winked out.

"Well if this day wasn't freakin' weird enough already!" shouted Lina, her eyes narrowing on that hill. Grumbling, she wondered how she could get past Gourry... she really didn't want to hurt him... THAT much. DAMN! Stomping her foot, she looked to the others. "Alright... here's the plan. We need diversions, while we have a small group go up that hill," she whispered, hands on her hips, pointing with her crimson eyes, "to kick the major guy's ass. Understand?" Her voice was serious.

"I think they're wise to us!" coughed Froard, pointing down at the huddled group that had gathered as he crawled up the rock face. If Geltro's spell had been an inch closer, he would have been newly-made ash.

Oni grunted at these words, but it wasn't a grunt of anger, more like slight joy. This was what he had been waiting for. "Let's go and say hello," said Oni as he drew his weapon and spread his giant wings. He lifted Froard up by the back of his robe, and tossed him into the air. "Become threatening, damn it!" he yelled as he took to the air. "Coming, my dear?" he yelled back at Thorn.

Froard flew into the air, busted into a ball of light, and emerged as a very scary looking Griffin, which decided to dive straight at the one he had been trying to get to all this time: Lina Inverse. "YOUR ASS IS MINE!" he yelled as he pounced on her. She struggled to produce some spell to send the monster away, but he lifted both of his massive paws, and slammed them on her hands. "Now to do what I came here to do!"

Lina fell back, pulling out her sword and blocking him with it as she fell. She coughed roughly as the massive paws landed on her arms, pushing the sword down to her chest. "BASTARD!" she screamed, trying to kick up.

The cloaked stranger stood up at the sight of the griffin and raised a hand as it attacked Lina. "ENERGY MISSILE!" he shouted, and a burst of energy shot from his hand and hit the griffin right between the eyes, stunning it for the moment.

Lina's eyes widened as she quickly moved it off of her and rolled away. Then, shakily standing, she got into a defensive stance, eyes narrowing. "That was dirty, buddy, I'd like to see you do that again!" she screamed at the griffin, holding her sword/dagger out in front of her.

Froard shook his head to get the flashing light out from his eyes. When he could see again, he rushed at Lina. He was within several steps of her when he busted into a ball light once again. Lina shielded her eyes, and suddenly felt octopus-like tentacles wrap and lift her up by her midsection. Froard was now an Octola, a half-man, half-octopus monster from the deep. A tentacle wrapped around Lina's hand, trying to force her to drop her weapon.

"Ack! No! Anything but THAT!" Lina cried, sudden horrifying images of Naga poping up everywhere. She swung her sword everywhere, trying to cut herself free. Then she began to cast Fire Ball. "Baaakaaaa! Somebody get this main course off me!" the sorceress whined.

"Arcius, old man," said Oni, descending on top of the bard. "We meet again."

Arcius got to his feet, wobbling slightly. "Indeed we do, Hell Lizard, Lord Oni." The bard's eyes were narrowed, giving his face an almost sinister cast. "I presume that you still vainly seek the Saber?" His stance was hard to read; it was hard to say if the bard was intending to fight, to flee, or simply did not care. "Or is there some other reason for you calling?"

Elsewhere in the melee, odd, peculiar things began to happen. It was not anything truly significant, but odd nonetheless. People began to slip or stumble slightly in their fights; such a happening might have been deadly, except whatever it was, both sides were affected equally. Even those not directly involved in the melee were affected; for instance, Geltro made the slightest noise as he circled (not that it was noticeable with the chaos of the melee).

Whatever was happening affected Copy-Lina's Balus Rod, and so it missed its target by an inch. Fortunately, it also affected the blond warrior preparing to slice Eric neatly in half; his sword merely embedded itself in the black-cloaked man's shoulder. Nearly passing out from the pain, Eric placed his hand on the man's neck. "Hurt!" he said in a pained voice. The spell surged through his body and into the tall blond warrior's body, causing intense pain, knocking the man unconscious. Then Eric, too, fell unconscious, with the sword still stuck in his shoulder.

Eric, being totally ignored, groaned weakly and tried to stop the blood pouring out of his shoulder.

Wondering who to fight, Ren happened to NOT ignore Eric. He trotted between several pairs locked in mortal combat to stand beside the perpetually wounded archer. "You really gotta stop doing that," the dragon mumbled, hefting the now familiar weight over his shoulder. He stepped several feet into the woods and set Eric down next to a trunk. Applying what he knew of non-magical healing, Ren set a bandage over the wound as best he could.

That much accomplished, Ren stood, turning back towards the battle. "Don't die now. Not here. Our work isn't done." With that said, he banked off a tree and dropped in sideways, planting a steel boot into octo-skull.

Geltro noticed himself making the slightest of sounds as he moved. He wasn't happy about it. "That was sloppy," he berated himself. "If Oni was chasing you, you'd be dead now." The whole situation was getting to him. The need to stay with this bunch of yahoos. The persistently NOT-DEAD Froard, who seemed to have Arcius' luck at escaping Geltro's spells. "I'm getting personal about this, that's not good," he cautioned himself. And the continual threat of the lethal Oni.

Shaking his head at his own foolishness, Geltro tried to help the situation as best he could. Taking aim at the blond 'mystery swordsman,' who was even now beginning to get up, having partially recovered from Eric's Hurt spell, Geltro tried to immobilize him. "DYNAST BREATH." A blue-black shaft of demonic freezing energy shot downwards out of the tree, straight towards the enspelled Gourry.

It was only a matter of seconds before Gourry was encased in a giant crystal of ice.

At that moment, Alex noted one of the twin red-haired sorceresses yelling her head off as a giant Octo-thingy tried to pry away her weapon. "Now, how should I make kalamari out of this guy? A Digu Volt might work, but it also might hit the girl. Fireball has too large a blast radius... got it, a Rune Flare!"

Alex began preparing the spell, being off and to the side of Lina and the eight-armed terror. He wasted little time getting set, and soon had the spell ready to fry. "Rune Flare!" A lance of flame flew towards the creature's body. Hopefully it would strike dead-on and not hit the arms, or in the worst case, Lina.

Lina's eyes went wide before she shut them tightly. "Shit shit shit!" Where was Amelia when you needed her?

The cloaked stranger started to run over to where Lina and the Octola were struggling with each other. Unfortunately, he slipped slightly and his foot hit a rock that happened to to be sticking out of the ground. He was sent flying forward headfirst like a projectile, and crashed into them.

This was TOO much for Aaryess; not only had the warrior been "iced" as it were, but a new octopus-thingy seemed to be the target now. By now, whichever side she took, she would be confused. "Heck! Why not help the group! It shouldn't hurt, and they seem more likely to win," she said to herself. She stood up, dusting off her short sleeves. "I'll stop playing games with you guys!" she yelled to the octopus-thingy. "Scatter-Bleed!" she called out, with a large grin. Spheres scattered around the octopus, attacking with electricity.

The old woman Thorn watched as poor Froard was forced to choose between Lina and his ass. The changeling made what she considered to be the wrong decision, letting go of Lina and diving away, multiple limbs protectively covering his head.

The bespelled Gourry was down, encased in a chunk of ice. His sword clattered to the ground at his side, the light blade flickering out. Metcliff was still slugging it out with Sai. The ninja was somehow holding his own... probably inspired by the 'power of love'. Metcliff was good, but foolish if he thought he would be able to take on the little mazoku after finishing Sai.

There were entirely too many people interfering with this simple opperation; the matter was confounded by Froard's incompetence with his own natural ablility. It was time to step in and settle the matter.

"DIGGER VOLT!" cried Thorn. Lightning arced from her outstretched hands, gouging furrows into the ground as it narrowly missed the casters assisting Lina. The old woman dropped out of invisibility when the spell went off. With speed and agility belying her age, she sprang out from cover, her knobby staff twirling. She spoke the word "Haze" as she did, causing her edges to become blurry. "Now then, foolish children," she said, in a voice like parchment tearing. "Playtime is over."

Alex grabbed the hilt of his sword and quickly drew it out. The blade seemed thin compared to other swords, but he liked it this way. It was harder to detect and avoid, and it cut just as well as any other blade. "What do you want, hag? I don't have time to mess around with the elderly on this battlefield! Why don't you go home and knit a sweater or something?"

Now that the octopus had let go of her, Lina fell on her ass, her fiery hair falling into her eyes. That's when she saw him fall... "Gourry!" she cried, running up to him and falling on her knees in front of the ice crystal in which he was encased. She reached up, and would have touched his face, if it weren't for the ice between it and her fingers. Then she gently slapped the icy surface. "You're gonna get it when you wake up," she told him in a soft voice, her lips slightly pouting.

Now to take care of the old hag. Standing in front of Gourry protectively, she held out her hands, glaring. "Oh, you don't even know, I'm only getting started." With that, she smirked.

Aaryess was really confused now. Wh-what is that girl doing?! She's blocking the knight who wielded the sword of light! Which side is good? She finally decided that her first hunch had been correct; it would be better to help the group. "I must try to stop this madness. And that will only be accomplished by adding more," she said, grinning wildly.

That meant she should try to attack the old lady. She looks very strange; I think she might be an undead creature. Well, it's worth a try. "Assha dist!" Aaryess yelled at the now blurry woman, casting the spell. She wasn't sure if she had hit her or not.

A choking sound was followed by Thorn's voice saying, "You can not beat me with such a small spell, little elf. You don't even know if I'm undead or not...." The voice trailed off, and fog spread out, leaving everyone blinded. To all comers, the old woman laughed. "Empty insults and hollow threats," she said, as the mist began to dissipate. She placed herself in the open, directly in the middle of the group. She faced Lina, and to a lesser extent, Aaryess and the cloaked stranger. She paid no mind to anyone standing behind her. "You think too highly of your own worth."

Directly behind the old woman, Briar suddenly appeared, hand glowing with mystical energy. "Gotcha!" she said, striking at Thorn.

The blow never landed. Almost too fast to see, Thorn's staff struck Briar in the stomach. There was a flash of reddish light and a crack of thunder, and with a shriek of pain, Briar was flung - no, hurled - away from the old woman.

Thorn's only response to Briar's attack was a slight smile. Her eyes never left those she was watching; it was as if the staff had moved on its own. "Beware, children. Your time may be closer than you think...."

Edging back, Lina kicked with her foot, bringing up the sword Gourry had been using. She caught it neatly. She would be angry right now, if it wasn't that she had too much else to think about. Good thing... because right now that curse would certainly get in the way. "I dunno 'bout you, lady, but if you've heard anythin' bout me, you'd know I'm a national hero! Therefore!" She waved the sword as though it were nothing, then winked. "I'm sure I will defeat you!" Sweat gently streamed down the back of her neck. Bluffing would only last so long... the old lady was good.

"He's only unconscious? He should be a big blue crystal right now. Now even my magic is slipping up." Geltro swore at himself. "If I go down there, I'll get gooned. What to do, what to do...."

Alex gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and his palms started to get sweaty. Situations like this are never good... the red-head's bluff might work, but backing it up with a real threat couldn't hurt, right? "Listen, lady, I'm giving you a warning and a count. Once I reach three, I'll cast Astral Vine on this sword and cleave you in half. Now, either back off or get struck down. One... two... two and a half...."

Hearing the plans of their attacks, Aaryess decided to make a diversion. This lady is far too powerful to let herself be tricked. From behind the red-headed sorceress, she began to chant the elven words for a particular spell. Each word was soft and almost unnoticeable; only the final words were distinct: "Bram blazer!" As she said these words, a column of red energy seemed to hit the old woman.

Thorn seemed completely undamaged. "Can't you tell that your efforts are futile?" She responded by hitting Aaryess with the great force of an unrecognizable spell. Aaryess collapsed, shaking and tired. She gathered her strength to stand, and the old woman said, "Do not believe you can get out of this alive, elf."

Aaryess started staggering away from the heat of battle. She found herself coming closer to the injured archer. She smiled at him, unsteadily yet still comfortingly.

Lina glannced behind her, but didn't dare turn back. Too many people were getting hurt! It wasn't suppose to work like this!

"Don't worry, *huff*, I'm alright," Aaryess said to the red-headed girl, who seemed concerned. "I can do more, I just need to rest..." Aaryess's voice trailed off. She began to breathe slowly, in a tired way. "I-I'll protect you. Just do your *huff* stunt."

Lina smirked. "Alright! Best words I've heard all day!" she replied, flipping up the magical sword and holding it tightly by the hilt. "So... old goat, you still wanna mess with me?" she asked as the light of the saber began to glow. "I won't take any more trouble." She glanced at Gourry, if only for a second. "I can't forgive you for this."

Ninoa watched on as the battle between Metcliff and Sai became more and more furious. So far, she had done nothing but watch; she was honor-bound to not get involved in the match.

She then noticed Eric in the forest to the side. He looked injured. "Don't worry!" Ninoa called out as she went towards him. "Help is on the way!"

She readied whatever healing spells she could muster so that she could sooner aid her wounded ally. Looking back, she quietly whispered, "Please make it out alive, Sai-sama."

Metcliff smiled as he faded backwards during his bout with Sai. "I so enjoy a good sword fight. In fact, I think I'm going to make sure we finish this here, once and for all." He raised a hand, which lit up with energy. He channeled it all into the ground; multiple runes appeared as a large magic circle appeared around them. The circle enclosed a space approximately thirty meters in diameter; it glowed eerily.

"Now, let's finish this," Metcliff laughed as his blade grew with darkness, "with no further interruptions."

Sai glanced to the side, noticing the magical barrier Metcliff had just created. He really is serious. Sai wanted nothing more than to rid Ninoa of her suffering. Undoing his cape, he threw it to the ground. He knew he would have to use every swordfighting trick he'd been taught, every spell he knew, against Metcliff.

With his sword, still powered by the Astral Vine spell, at the ready, Sai said, "You are going down." He ran towards Metcliff, and their blades clashed against each other.

"Everyone! Cast spirit spells on the Sword of Light! That'll -*huff* - that'll pump it up, or so I've heard," Aaryess yelled out, beginning to realize the effects of the spell that had hit her. "Kid! I'm gonna put an Elmekia Flame on that sword - if it's *huff* OK with you, of course," Aaryess yelled out to Lina.

Then she felt as if she was going to choke. She could stand it at first, but then it became worse and worse. She burst into a coughing fit, for something was lodged in her throat.

Worried faces looked down at her. Finally, the last wicked cough knocked the obstruction out: a toothpick that used to be in the deluxe sandwich she'd had for lunch. "Sorry...." Aaryess blushed and continued. "As I was saying, I'll help you guys kill this old nitwit."

Lina sweatdropped. "Yeah, well, gonna gimme that spell or what?" She held up the sword for the others. Could she handle that much power? She honestly didn't know, but by all means she'd try! She held herself staight and proud, her smirk spread across her face.

"Oh, alright, here you go. Elmekia Flame!" Aaryess yelled out, and a streak of green fire bolted out, hitting the sword of light. "Use that; I hope it'll help."

"Alright!" cried Lina, as she tried to keep her balance. It was hard to control the sword like this; how did Gourry do it? Her reddish hair whipped around her, and she thrust the blade towards the old woman. "Don't underestimate Lina Inverse!" she yelled, her voice high and hoarse with effort.

Just as Lina was about to strike out with her sword, Alex cast Astral Vine on his own. As quickly as possible, he charged the old woman and slashed. With any luck at all, the two attacks would land at the same time.

While the others had turned their attention to the old woman, the cloaked stranger had not taken his attention away from the Octola. He was chasing it, while swinging a black-bladed short sword and uttering a wide variety of curses about the Octola's fortitude, origin of birth, and about how much a coward it was for running from a fight.

Meanwhile Ren stood around, bored again. He sighed. "Oh come on... it's either magical battle, chase scene, or grudge-match. Is there ANY fight I can get into here?" Sniffing sadly, Ren tilted his head back to stare at the night sky. Condemning himself to fate, he wandered forward and began taking random swings at the Octola with his giant sword as it made laps around his position, the cloaked newcomer on its heel. Ren also took note of the way plants and animals turned red and/or withered at the stranger's choice of words, and decided that... this was a person he liked.