Chapter 17: Attack
"Here is the place the Knight says we should attack." Agaroth said to his three companions. They were floating in the air near the ground.
"It looks like a regular plain to me." said Genvan, looking down at the landscape.
"But if the Knight said..." said Kolary.
"Let me try an experiment." said Agaroth as he charged a ball of black energy in his hand before throwing it to the ground. It was one of his favorite spells, he had invented it himself, the Sea Tear, one of the few spells he could use without the need of water.
The dark energy ball exploded upon touching the surface, the shock wave penetrated and the Mazoku could easily see the manmade tunnels underneath.
"Tunnels! How fantastic, I just have the perfect creatures- I mean creations for this job." Kolary clapped her hands together and started to open a portal to the private dimension her lab was in. A small circle of darkness appeared near the spot Agaroth had blasted the tunnel open rapidly expanding as Kolary chanted some words.
Their fourth companion floated next to them. She looked around 18 but that didn't actually say much since Mazoku aged differently. She looked at the others smiling with amethyst eyes that showed excitement. Her long spiky hair was held back with a small blue ribbon.
Genvan whispered to Agaroth: "So strange that Val and Sherra didn't show up for this party."
"I heard they're busy." said Agaroth.
"Oh..." was all Genvan managed.
It had been no surprise to them that Xellos and Kaana hadn't appeared, they hardly ever came and Garv had sent Mia to Dolphin's sea to give her a love letter, no wonder Val and Sherra were enjoying their privacy.
The Mazoku turned to look at the portal. Scary wolf like creatures with huge fangs and claws started erupting from it and immediately charged into the tunnels.
"I knew they would be perfect, they're my newest creations." said Kolary.
"They remind me of Xellos' mistress..." said Genvan.
The young woman next to him giggled amused.
Agaroth and Kolary chuckled; he
would not live more than a few moments if Xellas-sama found out.
"Well I'll be returning to my lab, I got hold of one of Val's hairs and am
working on a birthday present for Mia."
Genvan and Agaroth shuddered, but Kolary didn't notice, she was already disappearing. "I think I'll go down to the tunnels a little further to that side" Genvan pointed to his right. "Far away from Kolary's friends. It's much more fun to crush the mortals face to face." said Genvan, "Are you coming with me?" he asked the brown haired woman.
"Of course, I wouldn't miss this battle for anything." she said smiling at him.
Both phased out.
"Down there? With all that dust? They must be mad..." Agaroth considered this, "well, he's Genvan and she... well she to much like him." Agaroth started throwing energy balls at the ground bellow and enjoyed the dark human emotions as the tunnels collapsed.
~~~~~~~~~~
Liah came running towards Ayla, Kazen crying in her arms.
"Ayla take Kazen, go towards the east exit." Liah fuzzed Ayla's and Kazen's hair before turning and start running.
"Where are 'you' going?" cried Ayla after her.
"North, got to help the people out! Go east, it's safer there!" screamed Liah over her shoulder.
Liah ran through the corridors, already she could hear the sound of battle in the front.
She turned at a corner, the tunnels had become increasingly filled with smoke and dust, but she could see Meelia and Birls retreating. Birls was bleeding, crimson blood damping her.... hair. Meelia was supporting her.
"What's going on?!" Liah screamed through the noise.
"It's creatures,... I've never seen anything like that before. They have claws and fangs ... and magic doesn't affect them! Rosten is still back there!"
"You two get out of here, the east exit is free and I think the south-west gate is not yet blocked, go wherever you choose, but hurry!" said Liah before she ran into the smoke.
Meelia and Birls nodded and continued walking out.
Liah ran forward through the curtain of smoke. Letting the noise of the battle guide her.
She saw Rosten, he was in his dragon form, a beautiful blue dragon keeping the horrible wolf like creatures away from a fallen body near his feet by force alone.
The tunnel had been narrow that morning, but now the walls on the sides had collapsed and the dragon had some room to maneuver.
"Rosten!" Liah screamed but the dragon didn't hear her, he sliced one of the creatures with his dragon fangs.
Liah fought her way towards him, most of the creatures were at his other side but one on his back jumped at her.
Liah crunched and delivered a well-placed blow to its ribs while keeping the animal's teeth away from her throat with the other. Liah felt the monsters ribs break under the pressure of her blow. The animal made a gurgling sound before collapsing on her. She crawled from under the monster's dead weight and placed herself behind Rosten.
"Liah!" he said his voice loud and deep through the noise.
"At your service! What are these things?!"
"No idea, but watch..." Rosten changed a fireball and threw it at a nearby monster. Liah saw the fireball approach the animal, but just before it reached the creature it disappeared, the monster unharmed.
"They are immune to magic." said Rosten. "Alas was the one to realize, unfortunately, too late." Rosten pointed at the limp body on the ground between them.
"Is she...?" Asked Liah.
"No, just unconscious." Rosten strangled a creature that had dared come too close with his claw like dragon hands.
"It's just so bad I can't just use magic against them." said Rosten.
"Good thing I don't use magic then." said Liah kicking another of the creatures into the wall.
"Look Liah, this is going nowhere, they just keep coming and I don't know how badly Alas is hurt. You get the hell out of here."
Liah nodded, she didn't want to leave him, but she knew she had no choice. Why do this Mazoku always put us in this no win situations???
Liah kicked another would-be attacker away before pulling the limp Alas over her shoulder, the ancient dragon weighted almost nothing in her human form. It was strange, all the times she had had to lift one of the other dragons in their human forms she had been pressed to the floor from their weight. Liah started running towards the southeast exit, it was the closest, she just hoped it wasn't blocked yet.
"Good luck!" she said to Rosten who kept the animals at by while she fled. The creatures were not very strong, but they were many, maybe too many. Liah didn't know if he had heard her. Alas whimpered a little in her unconsciousness and Liah hurried.
~~~~~~~~~~
Zelgadis ran down the corridor, the sound of thunder sounding above him. Zel saw a blond girl, walking towards him, three or four children behind her, a baby in her arms.
"Ayla, where is Lina?" he asked.
"Don't know, last I saw her she was going to look for her sister." she answered, a little girl grabbed her hand, "Zelgadis I can't find Edele anywhere..." Zelgadis heard despair in her voice and saw determination in her eyes.
"Look Ayla, get all these kids to the east exit. Lucas is there and will show you the escape ways. Somebody else must have taken Edele, you know that Yalemar is very attached to her. and since Aishan didn't return, Alas is the one to take care of her."
Ayla looked up. Zelgadis was right, she had to help those she could help, not those she couldn't.
"Good luck." she said before she hurried away towards the east exit followed by the other children.
Zelgadis continued down the corridor, there were not a lot of people around anymore. Then Zel saw what he had been looking for. Even though her hair was white with dust, he would recognize her anywhere. A few fast strides and he was beside her. He held her by the shoulders.
"Lina! Are you hurt? What happened?"
Lina looked up into his eyes and it took a moment for them to focus and recognize him, "I'm fine but the tunnel collapsed, I cannot get to Luna."
Zelgadis smiled relieved and then fussed her hair to get the dust off.
"Stop that!" she hit his hand of, "Gourry and Gracia went up, they're going to try to stop the attack or at least slow them down." her last words were almost inaudible, "I'm going up, we have a better chance if I help them."
Lina turned around and started to run towards the stairs.
"Lina wait! I'm coming with you." Zelgadis grabbed her hand and forced her to turn around.
"Come on! We have to go there is not much time!" Lina wanted to free herself from his grip.
"Wait. There's something I have to tell you first." Zelgadis looked into her eyes, "I... I love you Lina Inverse."
Lina blinked once, blinked twice.
"DID YOU HAVE TO TELL ME THAT NOW? Now I'll be unconcentrated through the whole battle!" she wanted to scream at him some more, but couldn't because he suddenly kissed her.
Lina put her arms around his neck and kissed him back passionately. The sound of an explosion brought them back to reality. They waited for a moment smiling at each other before they ran upstairs.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lina and Zelgadis reached the surface. Gourry was on the ground, Gracia was kneeling between him and the Mazoku all her energy focused on keeping up a barrier.
Zelgadis and Lina ran forward. Zelgadis helped Gracia support the shield while Lina tried a healing spell on the almost unconscious Gourry.
Agaroth smiled, two more humans to toy with. He threw a Rune Flare at them making the shield blink, it wasn't strong enough to break it since the male newcomer had joined the woman and helped her maintain the shield, but he didn't want his amusement to end too soon anyway.
"Gracia, are you ok?" Zelgadis asked her.
"I'm fine, the problem is Gourry, that bastard Mazoku materialized a staff of darkness, I have never seen anything like it, I don't even known how such a spell is called. It cut right through Gourry's sword before he had time do anything else."
"This is bad..." said Lina.
Zelgadis turned a little, "What?"
"My spell aren't working! It must be some kind of course magic... I can't stop the bleeding... Maybe Sylpheel could... she's a priestess..."
"Then it wasn't only me." murmured Gracia.
"What?" asked Zel and Lina in unison.
"I tried to cast some recovery on him myself, my family is skilled in White Magic, but my spells weren't working either." she with clenched teeth as another attack hit the shield.
Zelgadis cursed. The Mazoku was smiling he could see it through the barrier.
"Ok. This isn't going anywhere, we are going to have to fight him..."
Lina stood up, " ok, if we get his attention he will not be able to attack Gourry. Zelgadis you go, we'll cover you."
Gracia nodded.
Lina started counting "On the count of three... one... two...."
The shield disappeared.
"FREEZE RAIN!!" Gracia attacked the Mazoku
"VAL-FLARE!!" Lina let the power of the shamanism spell fly towards the long-blue haired Mazoku.
The Mazoku blocked their attacks with a Dolph Strash.
In the meantime Zelgadis ran behind the Mazoku and chanted: "Earth below me, submit to my will! DUG HAUT!!" while slamming his hand on the ground. The ground around him started to rise. Numerous of large stone spears rushed out of the ground.
Lina and Gracia had casted Ray Wings, but not before making sure Gourry wouldn't be harmed by any attacks they might use.
"Is that all you can do?" asked the Mazoku who had his back to Gourry and was facing his attackers who had regrouped on the other side.
At least they had gotten the Mazoku away from their wounded friend. Zelgadis had his sword in his hand at the same time casting a Bram Blaze, Lina was casting a Dug Wave and Gracia a Demona Crystal.
All three of them attacked the Mazoku at the same time. But the Mazoku teleported out of the way and appeared a few meters from them smiling maliciously.
The three of the immediately casted a protection shield around them.
"DIGU VOLT!!" the blue haired Mazoku extended his arm shooting out a blast of lightning and thunder.
"Lina, I can't hold this much longer." commented Gracia, she didn't like showing her weakness, but she was exhausted.
"We need something strong enough to defeat him, any ideas?" Lina looked at Zelgadis and smiled as their eyes met.
Agaroth decided to finish this little game, he was getting bored he had thought these humans would be a greater challenge since he had felt the strong energy inside them. He charged a Ruby-Eye Blade, he wanted his final shot to be spectacular. But then he heard a noise behind his back. He turned around in time to see the blond swordsman who he had believed to be already dead approaching, sword hilt in his hand... but no blade? That fool, what does he hope to accomplish?
"LIGHT COME FORTH!!" screamed the swordsman as he charged, his left hand holding the bleeding wound on his chest.
"It cannot be!" were Agaroth last words as the glowing blade descended on him
Lina looked towards the Mazoku, expecting to see and approaching energy blast, but instead she saw the Mazoku on the ground, his body in awkward position and Gourry stood shaking over him, the Sword of Light in his hand smiling for a moment before he collapsed himself.
"GOURRY!!" Gracia started to run towards him, Lina and Zel followed.
"We have to get him to help!" said Zelgadis, but they weren't listening to him.
Gracia laid Gourry's head on her lap, Lina kneeled next to her. Gracia smiled at him and he smiled back, though his breath came spasmodically. Gracia caressed his hair, Gourry extended his shaking hand and put the sword hilt in Gracia's hand.
"Please... give... give this.... to Ayla..."
Gracia smiled through tear-filled eyes, "I will... I love you."
"I... I love you...." Gourry took a deep breath and his eyes became unfocused.
Gracia closed his eyes with her hand. That last attack had drained what had been left of his energy and had made his wounds fatal. Zelgadis put his rams around Lina, she cried on his shoulder. Zelgadis closed his eyes, he felt so helpless, one of his best friends had died and he hadn't been able to do anything against it. He looked up and saw Gracia holding Gourry's limp body close to her, crying silently.
~~~~~~~~~~
"Come this way!" Lucas said running down the corridors.
Ayla had Kazen in her arms, the boy was pressed against her body, she could feel him shudder each time they heard explosion. But they were almost outside on their way to Elwingil.
~~~~~~~~~
Sylpheel felt more tired than she had felt in her whole life, she looked down at the limp body of Alas that lay in the corridor where Liah had dropped it beside her kneeling form. Liah had run back, muttering something about Rosten and big dragons in small spaces. Sylpheel smiled, the more things change, the more they stay the same. And now she had a dying woman beside her and she was too tired to do anything but watch her die. Liah hadn't known how drained she was, she had given Alas to her expecting her to heal her. Sylpheel sighed, people always expected her to heal their loved ones, expected her to create miracles...
Sylpheel looked at her surroundings, listening to the sound of war. After so many years of fighting for their freedom and peace, after having build a city for the people to find hope in, after having worked so hard to stay alive, the only thing she could do know was to watch everything she and the others had achieved in their fight against the Mazoku be destroyed by their enemies.
Maybe humans and dragons weren't meant to coexist with the Mazoku in the same world. But L-sama couldn't possibly have created them just for the fun of those demons or had she only searched with their creation for an answer...
Why was it, that the only thing she could do, was watch? Why wasn't there a person with the power to end all this misery they were living in? Why had they lost the war in the first place? Why hadn't L-sama mercy with them? Did she enjoy seeing her people suffer? Why was this happening? Why?... WHY?... "WHY?!"
Sylpheel shocked her head, this was no time to start to philosophy about the world and everything else. She had a friend to save.
Well after this, they might promote me to saint! She took all her last resources knowing she would not survive the experience and still doing it. Maybe it was because she couldn't bare to be idle while another being died beside her, or maybe it was because Alas was the last of her kind and had suffered enough already or maybe it was that she had nothing to live for herself, no family, no love, no children and Alas was all little Yalemar had in this world. And in the end her motivations didn't matter as she collapsed lifeless besides Alas’ body, which was breathing evenly now, not the ragged breaths of the agonizing, but the long breaths of restful sleep.
The figure who had watched her from the shadows came closer. She knelt down next to Sylpheel lifeless body and caressed her hair.
"You did a good work Sylpheel. A good work." The amethyst-eyed woman kissed the dead priestess on the forehead before turning her attention to the Ancient Dragon.
"You are the last pure one of your kind, you shall not die here in this dusted place. I shall keep you safe... sooner or later he will come for you and then..." her thought drifted away as she picked Alas up. Then she started to walk away from the dead body on the ground, her eyes flashed red for a moment and as she disappeared in the shadows, the tunnel collapsed creating a grave for the priestess and probably many others.