The Search for Freedom CH7 The Unexpected End
by Zachary Dovel

LAST EDIT: 6/08/00
C&C appreciated to pzach@mac.com or Yahoo Messenger username pzach816!

“Wait!” commanded Spyn. “Listen for a second.” Gourry paused motionless, holding a rock from the rubble that had caved in. They had been caught inside for a few hours so far. There was no escape except how they came in. They could just hope that the obra were more amicable beings now that they had been reunited. Strange how they could form a bond to such a thing, really.

“I think I do hear something!” Gourry responded as he turned his head to Spyn. “They’re digging on the other side!” Spyn fell to his feet. He gave a slight mean of weakness. “You okay?”

“Yes, I think so. I’m just am starting to feel so week.” It hadn’t been a large surprise to Gourry. The fighter had started to look really pale and gaunt as time wore on. It was like seeing someone dying in front of you. He knew he would have to do something. The rustling at the rubble was getting louder and louder by the minute. Leaning over spin his arms reached slowly for the hilt of his sword.

Dashing through the forest Lina prodded on as quickly as she could. Already she had witness some attacks, yet survived unscathed. They were mostly just wandering Trolls in search of something to attack or steal. It was a bit of a pity that they were moving into the obra country.

She shook her head, remembering meeting the old lady. What a worthless trip that was. Though she had learned a bit from it. She dropped the thought from her head though, galloping on her horse, shadow.

As the forest continued growing thicker, her speed kept being forced to be decreased. It was painful to think that she couldn’t get there quicker. Eventually the density forced her to retreat to foot . “Damn guys,” she complained. “The things I do to save them.” She stopped dead, peering down into a deep chasm a few steps ahead of her. “Just my luck! I couldn’t take the easy way in.” She took the reins of her horse, tieing them to a nearby tree. “Don’t you go anywhere, Shadow.” She secured the bottle to her belt. Once snug, it was time to concentrate on crossing. “I swear this wasn’t here before.” With a majestic calmness she stepped out over off the ground, as if it was still there to hold her. Gaining speed much like a train she zoomed through the air at her intended target, just half a mile across. Reaching the other side of the chasm she lightly tapped down on the ground. “That was easy.”

Within sight now were the first buildings of the wolf empire, joined by a stone wall 8 feet high. It looked to be like a moziac of stones creating different pictures with the numerous colors of red, white, gray, and black.

All seemed clear though. Nothing seemed to be moving. With a sneaky agility, she ran for the wall. Looking in the windows and doors. Except for the dead bodies of various obra and a few trolls, nothing that was or is alive seemed to be around the inner city walls. Memories lurked of her previous visit. It was messy.

Hearing a few howls, she jerked her head. Up her eyes scaled to the highest point at the center of the city. The temple of the Aegis Cup. Sliding down the halls she made her way through the buildings, reaching close by to the area of activity. Using a bit of her levitation power, she floated to just be able to see what was going on.
Down the long, raised corridor were about twenty obra, digging as it seemed. “What are they doing?” Lina asked herself. “Well, they aren't trying to kill each other, They must have made it. But...what’s with the boulders? They couldn’t be...There was a hole already...maybe I’m too late.” She dropped herself back to the ground. Her thoughts were worrying her. “Where are they!? I suppose there is only one way to find out.” Peering to her left way down the hall, she flashed a fireball. An immediate commotion came up from the digging party. Nodding to each other, saying unhearable words, split up. Concealing herself behind the wall, she stayed, waiting for them to pass. Fidgeting, she could smell the fury hide of an obra coming close. It slowly walked, peering in around, then continuing forward. It gave a sniff in the air. Pausing it almost looked in Lina’s direction, but stopped, then continuing forward at the call of one of it’s comrades farther down the hall.

Lina breathed a sigh of relief. Climbing back up to the temple, she crawled across the floor to be unseen. She knew she’d have to be quick. Everything seemed to be getting brighter as she continued onward. Everything had a eerie type glow. It seemed to be emitting from the pile of rocks. No. It was from inside where the hole was. She poked her head in, giving off a streak at being hit with one hard blow, to her behind, sticking her halfway in the hole. Then a second blow was taken in the form of being chained. She felt herself being almost drained. She attempted to fight back, but her magic was gone. She shrieked.

Being dragged by the cuffs on her wrists, they entered a building. It looked like a her eyes to peer around she caught sight of around 50 obra huddled and watching.
A grand obra, appearing of a higher demeanor towered over the others on a throne like chair. Though plain like the other of his kind, you could just still tell in his demeanor. “It’s her. She was the one who had destroyed the Aegis.”
“Yes, my liege.” the captor holder said, “I found her sneaking around the shrine.”
Noticing, she spotted a puff of yellow hair outside the obra masses. That had to be Gourry. “Wait! She’s with us!”

Yup that was Gourry, Lina thought wryly.

“Is this true?” asked the great obra.

“Yes, we were trying to help fix things. She is the only one who can help Spyn, too. He’s dying.”

“I suppose...allow her next to the man.” The great obra shifted his head, fidgeting uncomfortable giving in.

“Great King Milton III,” Lina said innocently, “I must ask that you remove these barrier chain, because to help him it requires me to use my magic.”
There was a bit of an uproar among the masses. She couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable. Apparently they still remembered her from the previous visit as she did them.

“Take them off, guard. Let’s just get this over with quickly.”

Gourry signaled Lina, and she followed. They had a few of the guardsmen follow them, though that was to be expected. Gourry led them down a corroder to a room that was mostly plain. A few torch lights lit the area enough for visibility. There right in the middle was a bed with a number of blankets covering Spyn.

He was looking extremely pale now, look he could almost already be dead. His skin turning slowly a sickening pail blue, most noticeably around the lips of his mouth. She took the bottle, uncorking the medicine. Slowly she administered it, trying the hardest she could not to drown him as he drank it. Focusing she brought a glow about Spyn, a bit artistic in effect to make it look like she was doing more than she was, and also to help warm his chilled body temperature. His eyes seemed so cloudy, so close to gone. Lina did her best to avoid them. Finishing her job, she ordered the few obra caretakers to keep him warm and in bed.

“Is he going to get better?” Gourry asked.

“I don’t know,” she responded worriedly. “He seems pretty far gone.”

An obra then approached Lina from behind. It put it’s furry hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “I’m sorry, Ma’am, but we’re going to have to make you pay for your punishments. You’re going to have to come with me.”

Gourry nodded to her, telling her to go wordlessly. He then said, “They’ll let Spyn stay here until he is well. But we hill have to pay a small fine for causing a civil war and craziness among all of the obra’s and destroying their whole society. At least that’s what they said.”

“What’s the punishment?” Lina inquired.

Gourry blushed somewhat thinking about it. He pushed her onward to follow the obra guard. “Well, they did say they’d reduce the punishment since we did restore order.”
Lina lowered the tone of her voice. “What is the punishment, Gourry??”

Lina and Gourry left the obra city. Both walked funny now with a very stiff gait. “How degrading. I suppose it works though.”

“Well,” Spyn answered Lina, “at least we won’t have to go through that again.”
“Ouch! Ouch! That hurts!”

They slowly made their way to Lina’s horses. It was a new morning, and not a minute to lose getting back to save the other two. It had been a long journey already. Lina floated them back across the chasm. It took most of her energy, but they had made it.
Spyn when they had left was still asleep, but he was looking much better. Though, they had no time to stay and wait for his total recovery. His color was back, and he was breathing normally again. They had left giving specific directions to not let him leave until he was fully recovered.

Gourry took Lina’s horse, as she decidedly flew. Inside she laughed every time she cringed on the saddle, but then she’d remember herself quickly forgetting what she was laughing about. It was a few miles out before Gourry had rediscovered the Chimera. They had been waiting, as it seemed, for their return. It was a quick change before they were off again, leaving shadow behind once again, though free.
As Lina few she took some idle time to think. These weren’t actually Chimera, they were actually a bit like griffins in their own way. Could a chimera and a griffin interbreed? She then closed her mind at that thought.

It had only taken half the day to arrive back at the city of Miadan. There that evil spirit held their friends. They could only hope that their plan would work. They entered the palace, Amilia was just inside.

“Is he okay?” Lina asked.

“He actually seems pretty good right now as possible. The problem is I think the thing left his body and is wandering the halls.”

Spyn asked, “What do you mean?”

“Well things have been..appearing all over now.” Something then started to materialize behind Lina and Gourry, Amilia screamed at the apparition. “That!” Lina and Gourry jumped too opposite sides. Then looking back, it disappeared from whence it came.

“I think I get it now.”

“Well, lets go down and check on Zel.”

They went down do the prison at the basement of the building. It was filled with a strong musty smell , and had a long string of heavy wooden doors down the dreary gray stoned wall. They stopped about halfway down the hall. “Hey Zel, are ya in there?”

“Are you going to let me out?”

“No.”

“No he isn’t then! Have any of my buddies started showing up yet?”

“Yeah, just saw one a minute ago.”

“Good. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!”

Lina gave a look back at Amilia and Gourry. “Yup, I think he’s lost it.” She then turned back to the cell that Zelgadis was held in, yelling, “Now evil spirit, you will have to leave Zel’s body! We have the Aegis cup! If you don’t, we’ll force you to enter it!”
“You would never do that! You would lose your friend and wouldn’t be able to get him back!”

“Well, I suppose that would be better than having you running around causing trouble. Do you know how much more uncomfortable the Aegis relics are to be trapped in than the stone you were in? They hold you in a MUCH tighter space.”

There was quiet for a moment as they waited for an answer. “Okay...I give.”

“Good. We have the statue right here.“ Amilia turned around, with a pair of plastic gloves on, a mask, and holding the statue in a pair of tongs.

“Move!” Zelgadis shouted, throwing them off guard. Amilia was tripped, sending the statue flying in the air.

Without thinking, Gourry went for catching it, yelling, “I’ve got it!” Within seconds of catching it he threw it up again, phased it seemed.

“No!” Lina then caught it, throwing it up in the air again. Finally Amilia caught it. And kept a hold of it in her containment suit.

Zelgadis then ran out of the open room down the hall into unseen corridors.
“Oh great,” Gourry said. His intonation and form of speech sounded off. “we switched bodies.”

“I’m a girl!!!! This isn’t right!” Lina shouted.

“This can’t be too hard to fix,” Amilia said, “Who is who?”

Gourry raised his hand. “I’m Zelgadis.”

Lina then raised hers in turn. “Gourry.”

Amila thought for a moment. She then said, “That must mean Lina is in the statue......!” A skeleton ghost appeared from the wall behind them. “Run!” Everyone then shifted toward the door of the prison cell. There was so little room, and the ghost’s sword was so long.

Lina took a determined face saying, “Hey..maybe I can use a fireball on it!” She looked to be concentrating really hard. Migraine hard. Behind them elipsed a bright light with an explosion blowing the wall out.

“Don’t try that again Lina, er Gourry.” Zel-Gourry said.
As they evacuated the room, Amila shouted to Gourry, “Catch!” She lofted the statue to him lightly as he scrambled to catch it lightly. “That’s better...” Lina said more of in her own character. She then turned around to see the ghost egressing slowly, looking both ways down the corroder. “Time for a healing spell...” She set the stature down, pointing her arms at the monster. Before it could realize what was going on, a thin ray of light blasted at it. Screaming frantically, disintegrating in a way, It became nothing with the air. “The undead hat being healed.” Amilia and Zel-Gourry nodded wide eyed.
Amilia then said, “Lina, give the statue to Zel.” She nodded, following her command.
With a finch Gourry seemed back to normal. He then commented, “I don’t think I could ever get use to that.” He gave the statue back to Amilia. All they had to do now was find out where Zelgadis’s body had went. Covering the exit though appeared to be some figures.

Lina sighed, “Looks like we’re going to have to use the Aegis pearl we got a little early. Maybe can absorb the evil of the ghosts like everything else, making them vanish. Worth a try.”

Zelgadis looked to be fleeing the building when he was stopped dead. His path was obstructed by a man by the name of Spyn. “Where are you off to in such a hurry, golem?”

“Move mercenary. Or you will regret it.” Zelgadis gave off a growl, the iris of his eyes glew for half a second.

Spyn drew his sword. “I’m afraid I can’t let you leave until I find my friends. I can feel something is wrong here...”

“Fine then, face my wrath!” Zelgadis unsheathed his weapon. Within seconds they were clashing swords.

Lina, Gourry and Amilia split up three ways. Gourry started looking in the back of the mansion, Amilia the left side and Lina the right. They would all meet in the front. Lina ran along the halls, quickly eying all of the rooms as she passed. Clutched in her hand was the Aegis pearl that they had received as a gift from the Obra to help them. She didn’t know if she could get Zelgadis’ soul to rejoin his body if the demon was sucked from it. She didn’t eve know if his body would still be alive if there was no soul.
She stopped at the main entrance, seeing Spyn in his fight with Zelgadis. Behind she could see a few Zombie like gouls coming up on behind Spyn. “You will die now...” Zelgdis said.

Lina shouted, “Watch out Spyn!” He wasn’t suppose to be there. He was too weak still. He couldn’t have healed that quickly. Yet, he had somehow followed them. Her mind raced. Spyn had turned around to look at Lina, then in turn at the sneak attack. “Why you dirty cheating bastard. Well, if I’m going down, you are too!” Spyn Jumped back from Zelgadis, spinning his sword to hit the undead men. Zelgadis closed in on him, slashing his sword down on Spyn, and at the same time, Spyn tried to block, and still keep his sword moving to hit Zel’s body.

Lina threw the pearl shouting, “No!”

The sword entered through Spyn’s chest. He fell to the ground. Zelgadis with a slight stab to his arm fell too.

Gourry and Amilia had just arrived from their respective corners to reach the main entrance too. Amilia ran up to Zelgadis and examined him. He was alive, but his expression was blank. There was actually nothing there. “What happened?!” Amilia demanded. “Who’s this other guy?”

“I ran down here as soon as you screamed ‘no,’” Gourry said. “Looks like I was too late.”

“It happened so fast.” Lina couldn’t think. She was hurting inside so much. But she couldn't point out why.

Amilia then pondered. “I’m going to try and see if I touch the statue to Zel, if it’ll bring him back.” She set it next to his course skin. He then shook awake. The statue itself crumbled into gray ash with nothing to hold anymore.

Zelgadis then said, “I was starting to get cramped in there.”

“How do we know it’s the real Zelgadis?” Gourry asked.

Amilia responded, “Well, he doesn’t have the old English accent. Why don’t we check by having him tell some deep secrets about himself and see if he slips in his English?”
“I am not going to tell you my deep secrets. Maybe something you would actually know!” Zelgadis sat up, then babying his arm when he noticed it’s wound. he Then looked to the dead man next to him. His blood was slowly spreading a dark stain into the white carpet. “Who was this man? What happened?”

Lina had a tear drop from her eye. “Well,” she said as she sniffled, “He was the one who had probably saved your body from being stolen and never found. He just gave up his life instead of taking yours though. He didn’t know. He just should have just stayed where we left him.” Lina was breaking down now. “What an idiot.”

Gourry patted Lina on the shoulder. “Well, he got his wish. He got to die without the curse. It’s a rule of the field of being a mercenary.” Gourry turned his back to Spyn’s dead body. He lowered his head. “Well Lina, someone has to guard his broad sword. Do you want it?”

Lina lifted her head from sobbing. He was right. Someone had to take the weapon. She felt a guilt about taking it though. But he would have left it to her anyway, right? “I’ll do it for him.” Lina took the sword from the floor. Using all of her energy she tried to lift it. “God he has a heavy sword.” Lina complained.

“Let me help you,” Gourry offered. He picked up the weapon, and took it’s sheath, putting it on Lina. With effort, he took the sword and attacked it to her back holster. She almost lost her balance in the weight.

Zelgadis gave a little laugh. “I don’t think that sword was made for a little sorcerer. Perhaps you’ll grow into it.”

“I think It kinda looks cute in a macho type way. You and Gourry make a pair.”
“Amilia.....” Lina said, her mind was actually starting to ask if she could actually get Gourry to trade. Though, she saw an image in her head. It made her stop. It was of Spyn.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t stay in life. It looks like it’s my turn to stay and train the barer of the sword. I’ll stay with you as long as you need Lina. I now do remember you from childhood. The thoughts do seems so clear now it seems funny. Don’t give up, you will become accustomed to the blade’s weight and strength. You will become the master of it if you keep trying. As well as it works as a great conductor for magic too.”

Lina listened intently. The weight on her back didn’t seem so heavy anymore. Perhaps this was for the best. Spyn would always be there now for as long as she needed him.
Gourry picked up the Aegis pearl. It had turned from it’s white to a shiny black. With a toss he threw it into the garbage to hopefully never have to see it again.


The End