Zel slowly stood, his eyes tracking the northern horizon. "There ..." His voice was softer than normal, and yet everyone could hear him clearly. An orb of clear white light appeared on the horizon, exactly where Zel had been looking.
Lina blinked in surprise. She knew her eyesight was above normal in it's clarity and distance, but she hadn't know Zel's was that much better than hers. She stood, her clothes still dripping river water, and walked to stand next to him.
"M-mr. Zelgadis, what is it?" Amelia seemed a little nervous, and jigged around like a flea on a hot frying pan.
"Amelia, stop bouncing around like that!" Lina snarled, glowering over her shoulder before turning back to look at Zel, who was still watching the rapidly approaching orb. "So Zel, what is it?"
"A message." Zel raised his hands, and the orb settled gently into them. It seemed to unfold, and a transparent image of a woman with red hair and blue eyes appeared above it. Lina looked from the image to Zel and back again. "Definitely can see the resemblence there."
"Shhhh, Lina." Xeros's voice came softly near her ear, and she whipped about to find him standing less than a foot behind her ... with a rather murderous-looking Firia steadily approaching him behind. "Xeros, don't include me in your suicide plans." Lina ducked away from Xeros and moved to stand on the other side of Zel with Amelia and Gourry. Amelia had the baby Valtiera cuddled in her arms now.
You're looking well, son. The image spoke, her voice soft, and unsurprisingly like Zel's. "Hello, Mother."
It's been six years.
"I've been rather busy."
Rezo died over three years ago, Zel. She seemed annoyed.
"But what he did remained."
I see ... well, it is high time you returned home. Some baby babble could be heard in the background of wherever she was. "So I see ... How many new siblings do I have?"
Teirys, she's now six, and Logan is two. And I'm pregnant again. She had a happy, if a tad smug, smile on her face. Zel's own smile was fond, as he looked at his mother's happiness. "You're not going to stop having kids until you're old and grey, Mother."
And that's a looong way off. I've grown in power again, and I think I might even rival my father now.
"That could be quite serious."
I know ... which is why I'm not going to learn any magic other than white and shamanism. I don't want to follow his bad example. She abruptly changed the subject. I've included a map in this message-spell, and it should show you the most direct route to Almhelm ... but first, could you make a side trip to Sairaag, there's a girl there who's been invited to stay here for a while. Here's her picture.
The image briefly change to ... "Sylpheel?"
You know her?
"She and I have met."
Hmm, well, you can bring your friends with you, and Elkin will meet you on the border of the Null Zone. See you soon, son.
"See you soon, Mother."
Sylpheel?
Who
was Sylpheel?
And why
did she make
the swordsman blush?