Mirror (part 5 of 28)
Back to Part 4 "Fireball charge!" Lina cried, a single explosion throwing the
stunned guards backwards right through the splintered front door.
"What happened to sneaking in?" Naga asked, the black haired
warrior running in beside Lina, her sword drawn and ready.
"So I got a little carried away," Lina admitted with a grin. The
redhead looked around them curiously as they hurried down the badly
constructed hall, odd noises off in the distance. "Do you hear
fighting?" she asked.
The sounds of a battle were not that far off, and quickly
growing louder as they ran on. "Yes, I do," Naga smiled slightly, "what
say we help?"
"Sounds good to me," Lina grinned, "let's go!"
They ran down the hall and finally entered into a larger central
chamber where a pitched battle was going on. In the middle of a mob of
the bandits a short, black haired young woman fought on valiantly
against long odds! She was garbed all in white, shining with an odd sort
of purity even as she delivered punishing blows to her enemies.
"Amelia?" Lina blinked in surprise.
Amelia turned at the sound of a familiar voice in such a strange
place, her eyes lighting up as she saw Lina standing there. She turned
slightly to see Naga standing there beside her and her eyes widened, her
mouth dropping open. "You?" she murmured softly.
"There's time for reunions later," Naga growled. The tall
warrior scanned the mob, already badly disorganized by their battle with
the oddly familiar looking young woman. Without another word she raised
her sword and charged right at the larger group, sword gleaming even as
Lina moved over to back up Amelia.
"Who is that?" Amelia asked Lina weakly.
"She's right, introductions can wait," Lina said, casting a
hastily chanted spell into the band of bandits. "You still remember how
to fight, right?"
"Justice fist!" Amelia struck, sending criminals flying.
The men tried to simply overwhelm the silently fighting Naga,
but she simply burst free. The sword gleamed as she cut them down
smoothly, with such a graceful but dangerous skill. Occasionally she
would cast a 'Freeze Arrow' but mostly strength and sword won the
battle.
Alone each one of the three was a formidable opponent, and all
together the three were very nearly unstoppable. It wasn't long before
the bandits were unconscious in piles and they gathered together to
compare notes.
"How did you get here?" Lina asked curiously as she went around
looting the larger money pouches of the bandit leaders.
"I let myself get captured by some of the slavers," Amelia held
up wrists still held by shining manacles, the chain that should have
connected them dangling loose in two pieces, "it seemed the best way of
finding where they were based."
"Zelgadis must have loved that," Lina noted, thinking of the
enchanted young man who was known to have a fondness for Amelia.
"I didn't tell him what I planned to do," Amelia admitted just a
bit sheepishly. At Lina's look she added, "He would have tried to talk
me out of it."
"Better have a really good story for him when you get home,"
Lina advised.
"You may be right," Amelia nodded. She looked at the two of them
and tapped a manacle, "Could one of you ...?"
"Hold still," Naga commanded and swung her sword once, smoothly.
The manacles clinked slightly, then fell to the ground, cut free.
"Thank you," Amelia rubbed at her wrists as she looked up at
Naga, her expression oddly thoughtful. "Have we met?"
"Not that I know of," she answered, "I'm Naga."
"It's very nice to meet you," Amelia bowed slightly as she
introduced herself, adding, "I'm an old companion of Lina's." She looked
over at the sorceress in question, "So what do we do now?"
"These the leaders of the bandits?" Lina asked curiously.
"Yes," Amelia nodded. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked
the mob of fallen fighters over, "They were negotiating about whom to
sell me to."
"Whoever bought you would likely regret it," Lina smirked.
Before Amelia could shoot back a comment Naga broke in, "So if
we go out having defeated the bandit leader, the others will give up?"
"Or possibly flee," Amelia mused. "I'd prefer to bring them all
to justice now, but..."
Lina frowned watching both Naga and Amelia seriously considering
that idea. "Might be a bit more practical to deal with what we can," she
reminded them quickly.
"Lina has a point," Naga conceded. She smiled slightly, "And we
can take comfort in knowing that we've broken the back of this bandit
army." Naga suddenly frowned and asked, "Were there any other slaves?"
"Help me free them," Amelia walked to where a heavily barred
door stood. She tugged at the massive lock, "Could you?" The sword was
simply a flash of silver, and the lock dropped to the floor in pieces.
"Thank you," Amelia pulled the heavy doors open.
The ragged captives poured out, crying out their thanks as well
as rushing to the fallen enemy to deliver a few well placed kicks. "My
kind of people," Lina noted. She looked over at Amelia, "Did these guys
have much treasure accumulated?"
Amelia frowned, but said, "Not really, Lina. They seemed to ship
much of their profits away to a patron of some sort."
Lina sighed, bouncing a now much heavier money pouch, filled
with gold rifled from the villainous band. "Well, this isn't bad," she
shrugged.
Naga checked on their unconscious foes even as she slid her
sword away. "I think I have an idea on how to announce who won this
fight and strike terror in the hearts of our foes," she rubbed her hands
together with a dangerous smile.
"I don't think I like that look on her face," Lina noted, "Let's
get the captives out of here."
"Right," Amelia agreed as she helped herd the people up the
hallway. The floor shook under them as they ran outside to see the
bandit town in complete bedlam. They turned back to look at the building
and froze in surprise.
The statue towered over the rough city, it's subject caught
almost perfectly in the stone. Lina's cape flowed over her, the stance
and expression on her face clearly victorious. She was beautiful and
dangerous, almost like a goddess of magic.
"The stone elemental spell," Lina blinked as she gazed up at her
image in shock, "she's gotten a lot better at that over the years."
Amelia also gazed up in shock and awe. Quietly she asked, "How
long have you known this Naga, anyway?"
"This version, a few weeks," Lina said, completely ignoring the
fleeing bandits as she shook her head in admiration, "it's been a few
years since I saw the original."
"The original?" Amelia blinked.
"A while back I partnered with a sorceress named Naga the White
Serpent," Lina looked over at Amelia to explain, "and on one of our
adventures we were duplicated magically. Our duplicates wandered off,
and I thought they were probably killed." She shrugged, "No such luck.
My twin stuck me with Naga there, and we've been traveling together ever
since."
The smoke and rubble where the outer walls of the building once
stood shifted and Naga stride out, her leather shirt and pants dusty,
but she had a triumphant look on her face. "So," she said as she reached
them, "did I get your good side, Lina?"
"You realize what this is going to do to my reputation?" Lina
nodded to the massive statue that towered over the city. A dangerous
grin, "I love it."
"I thought you would," Naga nodded. She looked around them at
the now largely deserted city, "Looks like it did it's job."
"Lady Naga?" Amelia stepped forward to take her hand.
"Yes?" Naga blinked. She looked worried suddenly, "You aren't
going to say you love me or something, are you?"
Lina didn't muffle her laughter, ignoring the glare she got from
Amelia. "No, why do you ask?" she looked honestly confused.
"Never mind, long story," Naga blinked. She tilted her head,
"What did you want to ask?"
"What is your full name or lineage?" Amelia looked up to meet
her eyes, "I suspect that we may well be related."
There was a long beat of silence, then both Lina and Naga
blurted, "What?!"
Onwards to Part 6
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