Lina and Gourry finally arrived in Chorion City a few days later. It was a typical city, crammed with tiny brown or gray houses and equally brown or gray people going about their daily chores. Children raced around the streets, screaming in delight and trying to avoid the stern looks of street vendors who didn't want their carts knocked over. Fishmongers were everywhere, selling almost every kind of seafood imaginable, caught fresh from the sea nearby. After winding their way through the city, the pair found the wide, cobblestoned street that led up to the castle gate.

As he walked, Gourry gazed up at the outline of Castle Ori against the backdrop of the gray clouds that had formed in the sky above. "It's pretty big, ne, Lina?" he observed.

Lina nodded, studying the architecture of the castle. "Not nearly as big as the palace in Saillune, but it's about as majestic, I'd say."

They walked on a little ways until they stopped before a two-story gate guarded by several men in soldiers' uniforms. "We're here to see the king," Lina said to one of them.

"And who would you be?"

"Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev. King Rolard summoned us here for some important business."

The guard consulted his coworkers. Finally they pulled open one of the heavy doors to admit them.

Gourry glanced around as they passed through. "Why are we here again?" he asked insightfully.

Lina sweatdropped. "King Rolard asked us to come. He has some royal stuff for us to take care of."

"What, exactly?" he asked as they passed through another gate as tall as the first.

"For once, your guess is as good as mine," Lina replied with a smirk.

After another fifteen minutes of walking, they finally reached the doors to the castle proper. As they entered, a guard instructed them to follow him to the throne room. They fell into step behind him, climbing staircase after staircase silently until they reached a set of tall, gilded double doors. More guards pulled the doors open, and, as they strode in, an announcer tapped his long staff against the black marble floor. "Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev," he called out.

The throne room, a high-ceilinged, majestic affair, was lined on all sides with a full honor guard, dressed in brown tunics and carrying ceremonial swords. Lina and Gourry strode down the burgundy-carpeted aisle until they reached the bottom step of a half-staircase, which led up to a small platform. The throne was positioned in the center, and sitting upon that throne was a middle-aged, bony man Lina guessed to be King Rolard. He was dressed in a maroon, embroidered robe with wide sleeves. A gold crown rested on his head.

"Welcome, welcome. We have been eagerly awaiting both of you. I am Rolard Chakar, king of Chorion," the king said warmly, with a thick Chorioni accent.

The pair both bowed. "Sorry it took so long, your majesty. We were pretty far away from here when we got your message," Lina said.

"And we had bandits to deal with along the way," Gourry added.

"Ah, yes, well, no matter," the king said, smiling broadly. "I am exceptionally grateful to both of you for even making the trip. Now then, let's get down to business, shall we?"

"Ready when you are," Lina nodded.

King Rolard picked up an envelope off of a dark, wooden table next to the throne. He walked down several steps and handed it to Gourry, who took it and opened it while the king spoke and Lina listened intently. "One of the many lesser-known legends of this part of the world holds that there is a stone pillar that stretches to the heavens. That legendary pillar is known as Achek’s Tower, although we have very few clues as to who, exactly, this Achek was. Within an old section of the palace library, my scholars stumbled upon a book of Chorioni legends which, within its pages, purports to tell the secrets of this Tower. The envelope I just gave you contains the map from the book that indicates its location, in the western part of Chorion."

Lina leaned over a little and perused the piece of parchment in Gourry's hands. "This paper doesn't look very old," she observed.

"Ah, yes, well, this is because it was copied out of the book," the king explained. "The book is so old that my scholars feared that it would not survive the trip, were you to take it with you. To solve this, we had our best artist copy the map exactly."

Gourry folded up the parchment, handed it to Lina, and asked, "What’s so important about this Tower, anyway?"

The king climbed back up the steps and had a seat on his throne. He gave a short laugh at Gourry’s question. "The legends themselves never indicated what made Achek’s Tower so important, and it has never been explored before. It is in an out-of-the-way place, so travellers never took an interest in it. Our book is so faded in parts that we can hardly read it, but, from what we can tell, there is some kind of treasure located in a hollowed-out room in the base of the Tower."

Lina's eyes glinted. "Treasure? What kind of treasure?" Images of heaps of gold pieces filled her head.

King Rolard shook his head. "All we can tell from the text of the book is that there is one item at this location, and that it is some kind of ancient artifact."

Lina paused, forgetting about those greedy visions. "But there's some kind of problem," she said matter-of-factly.

King Rolard leaned forward, a look of concern crossing his thin, bony face. "You are very insightful, Inverse-san. We have encountered some problems in retrieving the artifact, yes." He leaned back in his seat and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "It seems as if the person who created this artifact placed a curse around the whole area, and this curse has been responsible for the deaths of many of the soldiers I have sent there. As you know, most of the people in this part of the world have little knowledge of magic. Because of this, I have been unable to find anyone capable of breaking the curse."

"So you called us in," Lina finished.

"Exactly."

Gourry glanced at Lina. "Must be a big deal, if its creator protected it like that."

She nodded. "There must be a magical system still in place to support the curse, if it even is a curse in the first place. I would be interested in finding out how someone accomplished this."

"If there is anything you can learn from this expedition, it is all for the better," the king replied. "This artifact, if it exists, belongs in a museum, at the very least. That is why I would like you both to bring it back here, to Chorion City."

"Very well," Lina grinned. She stuck the parchment back inside its envelope. "How much are you willing to pay?"

Gourry smirked. Watching her negotiate for her compensation was usually interesting, to say the least. The king didn’t know what he was getting himself into.

"Seventy-five hundred gold pieces or the equivalent in precious stones now, and another ten thousand gold pieces when you come back," the king replied.

Lina lifted an eyebrow. "Pretty good," she admitted, surprised. This was a lot more money than she was hoping for. Regardless, she couldn't accept the deal right away. It would hurt her reputation. She would have to negotiate for something else, as well. "What about travel expenses?"

It was the king's turn to raise an eyebrow. "I had counted on that seventy-five hundred to cover your food and lodging."

"Oh, no, your majesty, not the way she eats," Gourry declared, shaking his head solemnly.

"What was that?!" Lina half-shouted, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Well, it's true!"

King Rolard chuckled. "Very well, then. I shall give you a talisman with my royal crest engraved on it. Show it to any innkeeper in the country and your bills will be sent here."

Gourry looked at the king, amazed. He was either very rich or very ignorant of his new employees’ eating habits. Before he could say anything, however, Lina elbowed him again.

"That'll do fine," she agreed quickly. "So, when do you want us to leave?"

"Ah, well, there is one more thing that I haven't yet mentioned," King Rolard said.

"Eh? What's that?" Lina asked.

The king paused. "I would like you to bring my niece along with you on your journey."

"Your niece?" Gourry repeated.

"Yes." The king beckoned his manservant, who was standing off to the side, unnoticed. "Summon the princess," he ordered.

"Yes sir," the man replied. He turned sharply and marched through a side door.

While the king wasn’t looking, Lina pulled Gourry's ear down to her level. "Let me do the talking. I don't want any princess tagging along with us if I can avoid it. She'll just slow us down."

"But Lina, what if she--"

Lina pulled harder on his ear. "Gourry, don't argue with me! You remember the last time we were stuck with a princess!"

"Oh, fine," he sighed, vaguely remembering Martina, the annoying, aqua-haired girl who had traveled with them briefly.

"Listen, your majesty, that really isn't necessary," Lina said. "Gourry and I are used to working alone. We travel fast and light, so I don't think your niece would--"

"I will be the judge of that," King Rolard interrupted sternly. "She is young and frail, but she must learn the ways of her country. This will be good experience for her."

"But--"

The king sighed. "I suppose I could find another sorcerer, if you feel you are not up to the task."

"Don't insult me, your majesty," Lina said hotly. "I'm just trying to say that we're not exactly the best company for a princess to keep."

Gourry nodded. "Trouble tends to follow us wherever we go."

"You WILL bring my niece with you on your journey. THAT is an order," the king said harshly. "I trust that you can protect her from danger accordingly. Now, do not argue with me, especially in front of the princess. That is an order as well."

Lina shook her head and shrugged hopelessly. Seventeen thousand, five hundred gold was just too much money to pass up. "Fine," she sighed.

Just then, a side door off to Lina's right opened, and a girl stepped inside the room. King Rolard rose from his seat. The announcer called out, "Her Royal Highness, Princess Erika Chakar."

Lina and Gourry looked over at the side door, and their eyes widened. If Lina hadn't known any better, she would have sworn that a fairy had just walked in. Gourry's jaw dropped and hung open until he remembered that it was not polite to gawk at ladies.

Princess Erika was gorgeous. Her wavy, golden blond hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, framing her oval-shaped face. Her wide, green-blue eyes were lined with long, curled lashes. She smiled courteously at them as she walked in, revealing straight, white teeth. She was dressed in an elegant, pastel pink, floor-length gown. It set off her porcelain skin and exquisite, slender figure marvelously. In all, she seemed to radiate an ethereal beauty. Lina guessed that she was about sixteen years old, and that, given her complexion, that she hadn't been outside much.

"May I present my niece, Princess Erika," the king said. "This is Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, world-famous warriors from beyond the Barrier."

Princess Erika dipped a curtsey and said in a soft, accented voice, "How do you do?"

Lina nodded in acknowledgement, then glanced over at the king. "Well, your majesty, if that's everything, we can leave right now, if you want."

"Excellent." Turning to the princess, King Rolard placed a bony hand on her shoulder and said, "Do not be afraid, my dear. These people will protect you. Be a good girl, and try to learn as much as you can." She nodded obediently, never taking her eyes off the floor. "Very well, then, you are all dismissed. Good luck."

"This way, please," the king's manservant directed, gesturing to the side door from which the princess had come. "I will take care of your payment, then give you directions and show you out a side door."

Lina and Gourry bowed to the king. "Thanks," Lina said.

"We'll be back soon," Gourry added.

They followed Princess Erika out of the throne room and down a long corridor. As they walked, Lina fell into step next to her, leaving Gourry to walk behind them. "Uh, I'm Lina. Hi."

"How do you do?" the princess replied softly.

"Uh, OK, I guess. Listen," Lina said, getting right to the point, "I don't suppose you could talk your uncle out of letting you make the trip, could you? I mean," Lina added quickly as she noted her surprised reaction, "travel is rough. Especially with us. It could be dangerous, and you look like too nice a girl to see all that."

The princess blinked, then replied, "I must see my country and learn the ways of my people. I understand the potential danger. I trust that you and Gabriev-san can protect me appropriately."

Lina sighed in disgust. "Yeah, sure. Just don't faint the first time you see blood, OK?" she snapped. She slowed down until she was walking with Gourry. She hissed, "Listen, you've got to protect her if we get attacked, got it? I'll handle the bandits and trolls and whatever else we'll probably run into along the way. If anything happens to her, I don't care what the king says, he'll probably try to have us killed. You remember what happened last time we had a price on our heads, right? That sucked. So don't let her get hurt."

"Got it," Gourry agreed. "Say, Lina, where do we have to go now?"

Lina sweatdropped. "Didn't you hear him? We've got to find this place on the map he gave us. When we find it, we undo a curse or two, find the artifact, and head back."

Gourry shrugged. "Whatever you say."

Lina rolled her eyes. It wasn't like he would remember all that, anyway. At any rate, while it was good that she and Gourry wouldn't have to worry about money for quite some time after this job was finished, she didn't like having such a fragile-looking girl tagging along. And she didn't much like King Rolard either, now that she thought of it. It wasn't anything she could put her finger on, but the king was definitely someone she didn't want to have anything to do with after their job was finished. He gave her the creeps. For now, though, she would just put up with it. After this task was over, she would never have to deal with Chorioni royalty again. That thought made Lina smile.

"Naku...What was that, again?" Zelgadiss asked.

The mage sitting across from him smiled slightly. "Na-ku-cho-ni," he pronounced. "It's a strange name, I agree."

"Nakuchoni...and this is a Chorioni border town?"

"Yes. There are people there who specialize in rare historical books and artifacts. You may find something helpful there," he answered.

Zelgadiss sat back and took a sip of his tea. He had met up with a traveling mage, who called himself Willard, at the inn in which he was currently staying, in a small town not far from Chorion. He had been surprisingly sympathetic to Zel's cause, and, over dinner, the two discussed curses, cures, and magic in general. "I'll have to check this out," he said. "Where is it located?"

Willard traced the outline of Chorion's border on the table with his finger. "Here's the sea, and here's the mountains," he explained, pointing out two spots on his phantom map. "It's in the southwest part of the country, right where the border curves northward." He looked up at Zel and shrugged. "I haven't been there in awhile, but the last time I visited, I picked up some interesting stuff. Of course, there isn't much in the way of magical items, but there's some rare books and maps."

"Hmmm..." Zel sipped his tea again. "I'm basically out of clues, for now, so this is very helpful. I owe you my thanks."

"It's nothing, really," Willard replied. He stretched and finished off his beer. "It's getting late. I should get some sleep, since I'll be heading out early tomorrow."

Zel nodded. "If I don't see you tomorrow, thank you for your information, and good luck in your travels." He stood up as Willard did, and shook his hand.

"Thank you. I hope you find your cure in Nakuchoni," Willard said, smiling. He turned, and, after placing some money on the table, walked toward the stairs.

Zel sat down and watched him leave. He finished his tea, then signaled the waitress for his check. He paid her, then went upstairs himself to his room. Once inside, he lit an oil lamp resting on the night table. "Nakuchoni..." he murmured as he took a long look at himself in the mirror. "Well, at least it's something." He got ready for bed, for once hopeful. As long as there were leads, he would follow them. He just hoped that this one would turn out for the better.

Ameria gazed over the blue sea from where she stood in the crow's nest of the Gloria. The huge cargo ship below her was the only vessel going to the New World that day, so she had had to persuade the ship's captain to allow a passenger along for the ride. He finally relented, and she promptly announced that, in return for his kindness, she would help the short-handed crew in any way she could. It had meant that she got very little sleep, but she was still happy, since she was on her way to complete her mission for her father. The captain was less enthused, but eventually he realized that it was pointless to argue with the perky princess, even when she did more harm than good to his ship and crew.

She gazed toward the Chorioni shoreline, far in the distance, and sighed. "It's so beautiful up here!"

"Princess!" yelled the first mate from the deck, far below. "Th’ rope up thar's tangled!"

Ameria snapped out of her reverie and looked around, searching for the tangled rope, muttering "No time to admire the scenery. I've got work to do!" She called, "Raywing!" and leaped out of the crow's nest. She hovered for a few minutes, scanning the area for the tangled cord, but finally swooped down low and hovered right above the sailor's head. "I can't find it!" she called down to him.

The first mate, a rough, impatient man with a sailor’s accent, threw up his hands in disgust and pointed up. "Thar! Thar's th’ bloody rope! Be ya blind?!"

"Sorry!" she wailed in response. She soared upwards in the general direction of where he was pointing, her eyes darting around, until she found the rope in question. "Got it!" she yelled as she grabbed a hold of it. Sticking her tongue out in concentration, she began twisting and turning the cords. It was so thick she could barely wrap one of her small hands around it.

"’urry up! Th’ wind's a-changin’, an’ we gotta change that sail's position!" the first mate yelled from below.

"Yes, sir!" she shouted back. She stuck her hand through the loop and grabbed another part of the rope. She pulled it through, then stuck her other arm through the loop she just created to prevent the rope from slipping back through. Finally, she threaded the end through the two loops, untangling them. "Done!" she called out.

"Good lass! Now, ‘elp them thar men ajus’ th’ sails!" The first mate pointed to a section of the mast, where sailors scrambled from the rigging to the masts and back, tying and pulling more ropes.

Ameria yelled a quick "Yes, sir" and flew off. She grabbed a hold of the rigging near a sailor. "What can I do?" she asked.

He gestured to one of the long beams criss-crossing the mast. "Cut tha’ rope over yonder," he ordered. She nodded. He quickly climbed up and away.

Ameria recast her Raywing and flew off. She floated above the thick, wooden beam, looked down at the tangled mess of ropes tied to it, and gulped. No one told her which one to cut!

"’urry up over thar!" someone shouted from above.

"Yes, sir!" she called back. She tried to follow with her eyes where each rope led off to, but quickly became confused. "Which one...which one?" she muttered under her breath. Finally, she reached out and cast a small, concentrated freezing spell. That made the rope brittle enough to break. She pulled it apart.

The first mate standing below watched as the scene above him turned into pure chaos. A corner of one of the main sails snapped outward, knocking sailors off the rigging. Most were able to grab onto another rope or a fellow crew member, but one man was thrown into the churning water. "Man ov’rboar’!" he yelled, and two men rushed to the side and threw down a life preserver. As the sailors above got control of the flailing sail, and the two men saved their crewmate, the first mate looked up angrily, hoping to see who was at fault for this.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I won't do it again! I didn't mean to! He said to cut the rope, and I did! I'm sorry!" Ameria wailed as she darted to and fro, helping to tie down the sail.

The first mate clenched his fist in anger. He knew they never should have allowed her on board, princess or not. At least they wouldn’t have to put up with her much longer. They would be arriving in Chorion any day now. He barked some orders to his men and glared back up at Ameria. This journey couldn’t be over too soon.

Owls hooted and crickets chirped as the blazing sun finally began its descent. Lina sighed as dusk started to creep over the trees. They had been traveling for two days, yet they had barely covered the distance Lina and Gourry would have covered in one, had they been traveling alone. Princess Erika was fragile and not used to being on the road. They had to stop to rest every hour because she seemed to get so tired.

Lina glanced around her and swore under her breath, her annoyance growing by the minute. They had been fortunate enough to find an inn the night before, but it didn’t look like they would be so lucky this time. They were in the middle of a large forest, and there was no sign of civilization anywhere she could see.

"There’s a clearing up ahead," Gourry announced.

"I think we’ll camp there for the night," Lina said. She glanced over at the princess, who was busy picking her way delicately through the debris on the forest floor.

She looked up at Lina. "Are there no inns nearby?"

Gourry, who was trudging along behind the princess, spoke up. "There aren’t usually a lot of towns to stay in when we travel. We end up roughing it a lot."

"Oh. I understand," she replied in her soft, accented voice.

Lina was sure she didn’t have a clue as to what Gourry meant by the term "roughing it", but she kept her mouth shut nonetheless. She would find out soon enough exactly why she shouldn’t have come on this trip in the first place.

The entered the small clearing and stopped. Lina whispered "Lightning," and a small ball of light winked into existence. It floated up a few feet, brightly illuminating more and more of the clearing as it rose. She looked around. Fallen logs ringed the oval-shaped clearing on one side, while small shrubs dotted the edge on the other side. The ground was scattered with blades of grass, struggling to push up out of the brown dirt. "This’ll do," Lina announced.

Gourry pulled out his sword and walked over to the fallen, dead trees. "I’ll get the firewood, but what’ll we have for dinner?"

Lina groaned. "Doesn’t look like we’ll have dinner." She ran over to Gourry and started pounding on his shoulder guard with her fists. "I’m so hungry!" she wailed. "Gourry, I’m sooooooo hunnnnnnngry! What’ll I do without food?!"

"Gahh!" Gourry exclaimed, brushing her off. "What do you want me to do about it?!"

Lina stepped back and pouted. "I hate being hungry."

"So go find a stream," he replied as he hacked a dead branch off the log in front of him.

Lina stuck her tongue out at him, then turned to Princess Erika, who had been standing in the middle of the clearing all the while. "C’mon. You can help me." She turned and trudged into the woods, her lightening ball floating in front of her, a few feet above her head.

"What are we doing, Inverse-san?"

"We’re going to try to find a stream," Lina answered curtly.

"Forgive me for asking," Princess Erika said hesitantly, "but why must we find a stream?"

Lina whirled around, her eye twitching in irritation. The princess stopped in her tracks as she yelled, "Because where there’s a stream, there’s fish, and fish are good to eat!!"

Her eyes as wide as saucers, the princess replied meekly, "I--I’m sorry f-for troubling you!"

Lina snorted, turned around, and resumed tramping through the foliage on the forest floor. "Troubling me? You’ve troubled me since you joined us." She glanced back, and, seeing the hurt look on the other girl’s face, said quickly, "Hey, hey, don’t take it personally." She sighed and continued, "Nothing against you. It’s just that we’re used to traveling with people who are used to it, themselves. No offense, princess," Lina turned and saw that she was starting to lag behind a little, "but you slow us down."

"I apologize for the inconvenience I have caused," Princess Erika replied as she picked her way carefully between the trees. She paused. "If I may say so, however, I am not quite used to being around people who talk and act as flamboyantly as you do," she added softly, with a hint of a smile crossing her lips.

Lina was about to yell a retort when she noted the other girl’s amused expression. Maybe she has a little spunk, after all, she thought. She slowed down a little to let her catch up. "Well, by the end of this trip, we’ll whip you into shape."

Princess Erika smiled. "I’m sure it will be interesting."

"Jan, ken, po!" Lina called, and stuck out her fist. "Ha ha, I won!" she exclaimed, bring her fist down on Gourry’s fingers, which were shaped like scissors.

"Awwwww," Gourry groaned. "Fine, I’ll take the first watch. But I’m waking you up during the night so I can get some sleep."

"That’s fine," Lina nodded. "But I’m not responsible for anything violent I may do to you! Besides, I got dinner for us, so don’t wake me up too soon."

"Fine. Wow, Lina," he said with admiration in his voice, "you really know how to fish! I haven’t seen that many trout in a long time!"

"Yes, it was simply amazing. The fish just seemed to be begging to be caught!" the princess added, impressed. She had never seen anyone actually catch fish in a stream before and had found it to be quite fascinating.

Lina stood up and bowed to each of them triumphantly, saying, "Thank you, thank you!"

After a few minutes, Lina pulled off her cloak and lay it on the ground. She was about to lay down on top of it when Princess Erika cleared her throat. "Is this what I must do, also?" she asked, gesturing to the cloak.

Lina blinked. "Yeah, you curl up in your cape. We’ll keep the fire going all night, so it shouldn’t be too cold."

"Oh," she murmured. She turned and faced the dark forest, her hands fumbling with the clasps on her left shoulder which held her black cape in place around her shoulders.

Lina lay down, folded her cloak around her, and closed her eyes, muttering, "Good night, everyone."

"Good night," Gourry replied as he threw a handful of sticks on the fire.

Princess Erika whispered, "Good night."

Gourry unbuckled his sword and had a seat on one of the fallen logs. He lay his sword on the ground and looked up. The princess was still standing on the other side of the fire, her back turned to him. He wondered what she was doing.

Princess Erika exhaled in frustration. The clasp of her black velvet cloak was somehow stuck. She glanced down at Lina, who turned in her sleep but didn’t open her eyes. She was debating whether or not to wake the sleeping sorceress when Gourry cleared his throat loudly.

"Um, excuse me," he began.

The princess turned. "Yes?"

"Do you need help? What’s wrong?"

"Oh! This clasp--it’s caught somehow," she explained, gesturing to her left shoulder.

Gourry’s natural chivalry kicked in. He stood up and said, "I’ll help you."

The princess flushed slightly and stammered. "Oh, I--I’m sure that won’t be necessary."

He walked over to her. "No, really," he said, with genuine concern. "My mother told me to always help girls. It’s only polite."

She considered that. "Well," she said slowly, "I’m not one to stand in the way of what your mother told you. Thank you." She gestured to her shoulder again. "The chain hooks around, then snaps into place. But I think it’s stuck."

"Got it." Gourry nodded and reached for the silver circle.

She stiffened a bit as he tugged on the chain across her collarbone. This was improper, but, she reasoned, it was better than waking Lina up after she had been cranky almost all day.

Sticking his tongue out in concentration, Gourry twisted the clasp and finally pulled the chain loose. "There," he muttered, and took a step back. He nodded when she thanked him again as she swept the cloak off her shoulders. He caught a glimpse of her bare arms as she moved. To his surprise, they were well-toned, as if she had had some exercise. He was about to say something when he heard Lina clear her throat.

Lina was laying on her side, propped up with one arm, with a deadly look in her eyes.

Princess Erika blushed deeply. "Ah...Gabriev-san graciously offered to help me undo the clasp of my cloak," she explained hastily. "It was stuck."

Lina lifted an eyebrow and said coolly, "Yes, Gabriev-san is certainly helpful, isn’t he?"

Gourry, meanwhile, was nervous. She was mad at him again, and he didn’t quite know why. "What’s wrong, Lina?" he asked innocently.

"Fireball!" she replied.

A few moments later, having punished Gourry sufficiently and scared all the wildlife within a ten mile radius away, Lina settled back down to sleep. She cracked one eye open and saw the princess settling down herself, her face still flushed with embarrassment. Turning over, she saw Gourry bandaging his arm by the fire.

"What’d I do?" he asked incredulously once he saw she was looking at him.

She narrowed her eyes. "Don’t stare at girls like that."

"Yes ma’am," he answered, cowed.

Princess Erika looked from one to the other from where she lay curled up in her cloak. "I apologize, Inverse-san. I meant no harm. I did not realize you and Gabriev-san were close like th-"

"Shhhhhh, Princess!" Gourry whispered frantically as a glowing ball of power rose up into the air from Lina’s cloak.

"FIREBALL!!"

The next day, Lina, Gourry, and Princess Erika woke up early and, after a quick breakfast that consisted of all the fish Lina could catch, they started walking. They laboriously pushed their way through the thick woods for hours until they found another stream.

"Ahhhh!" Lina exclaimed. She bent down, cupped her hands, and started gulping down water.

"I could use a drink, too," Gourry said, and knelt down next to Lina.

Lina picked her head up and sighed. "It’s so clean!"

"This is really good!" Gourry exclaimed.

"Really hits the spot," Lina agreed.

Gourry turned and saw the princess watching them, unsure of what to do. "Princess, come on and drink," he suggested.

"Yeah, it’ll be a while till we find an inn," Lina added.

"I--I do not really know how to drink in that...manner," she replied, embarrassed.

"Oh, it’s easy! Here, let me show you," Gourry offered. She carefully knelt down in front of the stream. "Now, cup your hands underwater, like this," he directed.

"Like this?" she asked, holding her hands just under the surface of the babbling brook.

"Uh...not quite. Here," Gourry said. He took one of her arms in hand and reached around her back to take hold of her other hand with his. "Now bring them up and put your face in the water, and drink."

She sipped for a second, the coughed. Gourry patted her back as she tried to breathe. "Went down the wrong pipe, ne?"

"I..." she coughed again, "I think so." She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you."

"Oh, you’re welcome. Just doing what my mother always told me," he replied.

"Yes, I think you mentioned that."

Gourry scratched his head. "I did? Oh well, it’s the truth, ne, Lina?" He turned to face her and stopped. She was turning red, and her eyes were narrowed. "Uh oh," he muttered. "Not again."

A magical ball formed over Lina’s hand. She called, "Fire-" but stopped. Whirling around, she yelled "Ball!" and sent the magic into the thick foliage behind her.

Everyone heard a ferocious roar as the plants nearby burned. From behind them emerged several huge, ugly green trolls. The princess gave a short scream as they charged forward, angry that they had been spotted.

"Gourry!" Lina shouted.

"Right here, Lina!" he called back, his sword already drawn.

"Guard the princess," she ordered.

"Got it," he answered, and stepped protectively in front of her.

Lina snapped into action. There were five trolls in all, and she leapt toward them as they charged. She nimbly dodged their claws, running from troll to troll and touching them. They ignored her and ran toward Gourry, who slashed each of them as soon as they were within reach.

The princess shrieked again in surprise as the trolls’ bodies began to condense around their wounds. They shrank until they winked out of existence with one final, horrible roar.

"Heh. That’s what they get for messing with Lina Inverse." She smirked smugly, her hands on her slim hips.

Gourry smirked, too. "Great trick, Lina."

Princess Erika peeked out from behind Gourry as he sheathed his sword. "Wh-what h-happened?" she asked. "What did you do to them?"

Lina grinned savagely. "They're natural healers, so they’re hard to kill by conventional methods. But," she winked at her and Gourry," that doesn’t stop a sorcery genius like me. I can cast a spell on them, reversing their power."

"All I have to do is nick them, and boom!" Gourry finished.

"I see, I guess," the princess replied. She shook her head and laughed uncomfortably. "I don’t understand much about magic."

Lina jumped across the stream. "Don’t worry," she said patronizingly," all you need to know is that I’m the best."

Gourry jumped across, then held Princess Erika’s hand as she stepped onto some stones to get across. Lina, feeling impatient, skipped ahead a little, to see what was on the other side. Gourry had just turned around to follow her when he heard a scream.

"Inverse-san!" the princess shrieked.

"Lina! What’s wrong?!" Gourry yelled. He plunged into the woods and saw Lina leaning against a tree, with a semi-circle of trolls cutting off her escape. She was holding her arm and her sword lay on the ground next to her. "Lina, Lina!" Gourry yelled, panicked, as he tried to run to her.

"No time, Gourry," she choked out. "Get the trolls!"

The ugly beasts, meanwhile, had begun to attack Gourry. While they were distracted, Princess Erika ran to Lina as Gourry hacked and slashed through the throng of trolls. "Are you hurt?" she asked, obviously scared.

Lina winced. "Yeah, a little. They--" her breath caught for a second as blood trickled down her arm from between the fingers of her other hand, "they caught me off guard."

"What can I do?" she asked.

Lina’s eyes widened. "Duck!" she shouted.

Both girls ducked low, barely missing a troll’s claw. Lina rolled forward and touched the monster on his foot. She looked around desperately for her sword as the thing thrashed around, bellowing with rage. "Princess! Find my sword!" she yelled.

Princess Erika picked up the short, sharp weapon from where it lay on the ground by her side. "Uh, I have it...right here--aah!" she exclaimed, barely missing one of the troll’s flailing arms. It was bent over, trying to stab Lina with one of its claws. "All-all I have to do...is injure it--aah!" she yelled, dodging and jumping. "Right?"

"Yeah!" Lina shouted back.

The princess ducked, and, as the troll brought his arm up for another blow, closed her eyes and thrust upward as hard as she could with Lina’s sword. She felt it break the beast’s skin, then, a second later, she heard a roar. She pulled the sword back.

"You got him, Princess!" Lina cheered, scrambling to her feet.

Princess Erika opened one eye, then the other, and looked around cautiously. "I--I did?" she said, amazed.

Just then, Gourry ran over to them, wiping a few beads of sweat off his brow. "That’s the last of them. I don’t see any more in the bushes. Are you all right?" he demanded, looking from one to the other.

Lina winced. "Yeah, I think so."

Gourry ran over to her and began examining her arm. "You’re hurt!"

"It’s OK, really," Lina protested.

"No, it’s not." With that, the strong swordsman picked her up.

"Hey, hey! What are you doing? Put me down! Put me down!" she shrieked, kicking her legs.

"Taking care of you. You got hurt and you need a place to lay down and heal yourself," he answered.

Princess Erika spoke up. "Gabriev-san is correct." She looked up at Gourry’s worried face and suggested, "Why don’t we go back to that stream we just passed?"

"Good idea," said Gourry as he turned around.

"I can walk! Put me down, Gourry," Lina screeched.

"Just calm down!" Gourry directed. "You’re bleeding on me!"

Finally, they got back to the stream. Gourry gently set Lina down on the soft grass. Begrudgingly, she thanked him. "This’ll take awhile," she said quietly as a weak white light appeared over her palm. She put her glowing left hand up to the gash on her right arm.

"Why will it take so long?" Princess Erika inquired.

Lina blushed and sweatdropped. "Ah, I’d rather not go into it," she said quickly.

Gourry had been standing over her the whole time, concerned. At her reply, he stroked his chin thoughtfully. After a few minutes, his eyes lit up in understanding and he pounded one fist into his palm. "Oh, I know! It’s that time of the month again, right?"

For a second, the light from Lina’s hand went out. She growled, "I said, I don’t want to talk about it!"

"That’s why you didn’t blast that troll away!" Gourry exclaimed.

Princess Erika sweatdropped and looked at Lina quizzically. "You lose your power at...that time?" she asked uncomfortably.

"I said I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!!" Lina hollered in reply. "I’m using the last of my magic to do this now, and I DON’T need you talking about things I don’t want to talk about!!"

"Um, Gabriev-san," said Princess Erika quickly, "how exactly did you dispatch those other trolls, if they can heal so quickly?" she asked, hoping to distract Gourry from the current topic of discussion.

Gourry looked at her blankly for a second, then said, "Oh, you mean how did I kill them?"

Lina growled, "That’s what she meant by ‘dispatch’, stupid."

"Simple," Gourry answered, grinning. "If you slash them in half quickly, they can’t regenerate fast enough before they die."

"Or, you can use my method, with which you did very well, Princess," Lina acknowledged without looking up. "I was really in a bind. Thanks for the help."

"I--I am surprised I even knew what to do," the princess admitted quietly. "I’ve never handled a sword before."

Gourry blinked. "Never?"

She shook her head.

"Well, regardless," Lina said, while Gourry tried (and failed) to imagine life without ever using a sword, "thank you."

Princess Erika smiled. "You are most welcome."

"Gourry?" said Lina, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes?"

"You’ll have to be extra careful for a few days. I won’t be able to cover you."

"Got it."

Lina stood and moved her arm around, testing it. Satisfied, she stuck her hand out and asked, "Can I have my sword back?"

The princess looked at the weapon in her hand. "I forgot I even had it. Yes, of course," she replied, holding it gingerly by the hilt.

"Thanks," said Lina as she replaced it in her scabbard. She turned to Gourry. "Ready?"

"Ready," he echoed.

"Then let’s get out of here," Lina said.

They marched off into the woods, with Lina leading and Gourry bringing up the rear.

Princess Erika looked around the woods suspiciously. Those trolls had been sent by someone, and she had a feeling she knew just who was responsible. She shook her head, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach that indicated they were being watched. She followed Lina silently, resolving to deal with it later. Now was certainly not the right time.