Mirror (part 18 of 28)
Back to Part 17Naga frowned, her short wave of black hair flowing
over the warrior's shoulders as she dodged an attack.
She hefted her long sword, the leather armored woman's
eyes narrowed as she asked, "Do you think this is
something like Joyrock?"
"Joyrock?" both Zelgadiss and Amelia blinked.
"A demon we fought once," Lina answered, the red
haired sorceress leaping to avoid another servant
monster.
The forests beyond Saillune's territory burned as the
creatures spread from the demon lord's portal,
sweeping out to rampage freely. The civil guard and
border patrol were holding the creatures back, barely,
but it was clear they would soon be overwhelmed. To
make matters worse the master of the monsters hadn't
even shown his true power yet.
Amelia struck, her pure magic dispelling another
monster as they raced through the rubble of a small
castle, the walls fallen and moat filled with debris.
Zelgadiss was always at her side, the greenish
skinned, rocky young man striking out with immense
strength.
"We have to break through to the demon lord," Amelia
said seriously as they met another charge, "this will
never end otherwise."
"How, though?" Lina asked, throwing a Dil Brand and
blasting them back.
"There's only one way," Zelgadiss said grimly, his
cloak swirling around his body, "Amelia and I will
delay them, you two go for the demon."
"Will you be all right?" Naga asked softly.
"We will rejoin you," Amelia vowed, "I promise."
"All right then," Lina grabbed hold of Naga's hand and
cried, "Ray Wing!" In a burst of mystic power they
soared skyward, even as Amelia, Zel and the remaining
guards fought against the monsters with even greater
fury.
"Got a plan, love?" Naga asked automatically.
"Love?" Lina nearly dropped her in surprise.
"Sorry," a faint blush colored Naga's cheeks as she
continued, "I forgot myself, Lina."
"Actually, I think I kind of like it," Lina quietly
admitted as they soared on towards their goal, the
fiery gate and it's master.
The demon lord gazed up at them in slight surprise as
they neared, casually leaning against a burning tree.
Reaching up he snapped a branch off and lit a cigar,
studying them carefully. "So you're Inverse and Naga
huh?" he drawled.
"He knows us?" Naga blinked as they dropped not far
from the demon and the spatial gate he was guarding.
"Of course, we're famous," Lina said dryly.
"Maybe," Naga said as they warily walked towards their
foe, "or it could be he was hired to go after us, just
like several other of our recent foes."
Casting the flaming brand aside the muscular, blue
skinned man looked at them thoughtfully, amusement in
his eyes. "You can call me Arberath, girls," he said
pleasantly.
"Call, not his real name," Lina muttered. She met his
orange eyes and boldly asked, "What do you want,
Arberath?"
Arberath drew on his cigar, "Absolutely nothing,
kids."
"Huh?" Lina blinked.
Naga studied him warily and asked, "You were sent here
by someone else?"
Arberath smirked, "The Witch never said I couldn't
tell... yes, I was."
"Who was it?!" Lina pounced.
"That," Arberath smiled, "on the other hand, I can't
tell."
Both Lina and Naga face-planted at that. Recovering
after a moment Naga asked, "So why are you here,
demon?"
"I'm a distraction," Arberath shrugged, "a big problem
for you to solve so you're aren't looking for
you-know-who."
"Naga the White Serpent," Lina breathed out.
"I can't confirm that due to the geas I'm under,"
Arberath smiled. He tossed the burned down stub of his
cigar aside, "Now I'm sorry to say I've got to get to
work." With a gesture the ground detonated beneath
Lina and Naga, a act that should have sent them
flying.
Both, however, had expected just such a move and had
leapt clear, dodging to either side of the large
clearing. Naga raced forward to attack first, sword
drawn but with surprising ease he grabbed her blade in
midair, the bulky muscles of his arm barely straining.
Surprisingly Naga smiled, then shouted, "Freeze
Arrow!"
"Wha..." Arberath barely got out as the spell struck,
channeled through the sword itself. In seconds he was
sealed in a icy tomb, utterly frozen still as a
statue.
"Nice one," Lina grinned up at Naga, "do you think
it'll hold him?"
CRASH! In a flash the ice shattered, Arberath shaking
his head to get some ice flakes out of his ebony hair.
"Glad I finished my smoke," he growled, "that'd be a
waste of a good stogie."
Naga stood in guard position in front of Lina, "Any
ideas?"
"One or two," Lina answered, whispering to her softly
a moment. Then with a burst of magic she raced in,
"Fire Ball!"
"Oh come on," Arberath batted the sphere of light
aside only to blink as it split, smaller balls
converging to detonate around him distractedly.
Naga chanted softly, the earth heaving and bucking
around her, then the stone golem rose, a massive
figure that loomed over Arberath. Then she shattered
it with a gesture, sending boulders thumping to the
ground and rolling right at him.
Arberath gestured, grabbing the air then tore,
creating a kind of rift. He slid through the hole and
was gone, reappearing clear from the falling rock and
deadly stones.
"....come judgment from the grave, Dragon Slave!" Lina
cried as he reappeared, finishing her spell casting
and so unleashing one of her most powerful spells as
he was still slightly disoriented from the transition.
BOOM!
In a castle far from the battlefield and nearly a day
later two beautiful women looked at each other in
shock even as the third laughed heartily. "I told you
your puny demon would be no match for my diminutive
assistant," Naga laughed, her long mane of black hair
flowing over her scantily clad body as she raised a
mug in toast.
"Oh shut up," Gwenyth glared at her then the pink
haired girl looked over to her leader, "Mistress
Hectate, did they really destroy Arberath?"
Hectate shook her head, the lovely blonde reclining in
a chair on one side of the room. "No, he isn't dead,"
she said with a faint smile, "but they hurt him... so
much that he needed to flee to his home realm to
heal."
"But how?" Gwenyth blurted.
Naga smiled, her cheeks faintly red from the drink.
"Foolish girl," she purred, "Lina and I fought such a
demon before, you know. Don't you think we would have
made plans in case we met one in battle again?"
"It doesn't matter," Hectate shook her head, "I used
the delay to strengthen the castle wards and shields
against detection. We should be safe from the spells
searching for Naga."
"True," Gwenyth murmured. She got up from the couch
and retrieved the jug of wine, refilling their mugs
then reluctantly doing Naga's too. The opulent chamber
was lovely, decorated with the finest tapestries and
furniture, sunlight streaming in. The only off bit was
the leather color that bound Naga, looking so rough
and crude in such lovely surroundings.
"So," Naga gave Hectate a look, "are you willing to
pay your bet?"
"Bet?" Gwenyth squeaked.
"We wagered on Arberath's success," Hectate admitted,
"if he won Naga agreed to be more... compliant, if
Lina won I agreed to give her the freedom of the
castle."
"And Lina won," Naga smirked.
"You can't!" Gwenyth blurted.
"Can't?" Hectate raised a dangerous eyebrow at her
servant and Gwenyth paled. Hectate chanted softly and
Naga's collar glowed softly. "You may travel in the
castle," Hectate told Naga, "no farther, or the
consequences will be most unpleasant."
Without a trace of irony Naga smiled, "Thank you."
Onwards to Part 19
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