"Well. I think that's the last of them," Amethyst sighed as her Megido Flare destroyed another patch of the zombies that shade had left behind. She wiped her forehead and glanced at Xalan.
"All I can smell is what is left of these corpses," Xalan shrugged.
"It feels safe," Jol asserted, for good measure he cast about with more active senses. There was evil present, but it was fading away quickly, probably remnants of the shade's presence. Other than that, the only powers he felt where the five of them.
"So the only clue you're following is that some sorcerer messing with the undead has the staff," Val said coming around a corner in human form. Tinuviel glanced at him for a moment and then did a double take, blushing furiously. Jolrael narrowed his eyes as he noticed.
"Yes, that's about right," Amethyst nodded.
"How do we even know this has anything to do with this Roquen person?"
"That traveller said he was some where to the north, the probability is quite high that he is involved," Tinuviel said, starry-eyed.
"Yeah, but we didn't really learn anything from this little adventure though," Jolrael complained loudly.
"Well, Jolrael-san, that isn't QUITE true," Amethyst noted, embarrassed, pointing.
"Yeah, we did learn one thing," Xalan agreed looking where Amethyst pointed along with everybody else.
"Doesn't the sky look great, it's going to be a great sunrise, " Xina sighed sedately. "You know I really love being on the road with you guys. You're all so great. I love inns and nice soft beds and gullible townspeople," she giggled. "Oops, didn't mean to say that..." she continued babbling quietly while lying on her back staring up at the sky.
"What happened to her?" Val asked. Everybody pointed at Amethyst who flushed from embarrassment.
"I love you Xal, I love you Val," the dragon blushed furiously, and Tinuviel gasped. "I love you Jol, I love you Tinu, I love you Amethyst. I love mom and dad, whereever he is, and Filia and I kinda like Zelgadis." Everybody sweatdropped, even people that couldn't be seen by the rest of them.
"Megido Flare," Amethyst answered sheepishly.
"One spell did..." Val started then noticed Amethyst rolling her eyes up and biting her lip. "How many times did you hit her with it?"
"Five times." Xalan answered.
"This is going to be bad when she comes out of it."
"Xina-san," Amethyst called out. "Are you okay?" The kage-kitsune grabbed her head as the sound crashed into her ears and aggravated the headache that had grown as her mellow attitude moved to something more normal for her.
"No, I don't feel all right, my head hurts, I'm nauseous and I can barely walk straight!" The outburst didn't do her much good.
"That's funny, megido flare isn't supposed to have a negative effect on living people."
"I let Tinuviel get a 'sample' of my hair," Xina grumbled, indicating the now much shorter purple hair. "And you say it doesn't have negative effects."
"Hmm, I wonder if this is because you're half mazoku," Amethyst wondered. Then a cloaked form dropped into their midsts.
"I assume you're the...."
"I said my head hurts," Xina snapped as she smashed the man with the flat of her heavy practice blade. Then she dropped and grabbed her head again, grimacing.
"Like mother, like daughter," Val grumbled.
"Ouch," the man groaned. Then he saw the blade pointed at him, and Jolrael at the end of it.
"Who are you?"
"I was beginning to think that smell was following us," Xalan added, leaning on his new staff.
"I'm hunting the Necromancer just like you are," he stammered quickly. "I was thinking perhaps we should join forces in defeating this foul fiend." Jol narrowed his eyes and considered the statement. As far as it went, it seemed to be the truth, but there was something not quite right here. Xalan obviously had similar opinions, judging by the arched eyebrow.
"While I'd be happy to have another comrade in our battle against this foe," Amethyst started. Then she continued in a tone very like her father's "I have to ask, what use you would be?" The man loooked to be about Xalan's height, though it was hard to tell, him being still on the ground, with sun-darkened brown hair.
"Why, I am a sorcerer of some talent!" he declared. "And while your white magic is powerful, you must admit having a powerful caster of black magic would be useful."
"You don't seem that powerful to me," Xalan noted.
"And how do we know that you're not the 'fiend' we're looking for anyway?" Xina asked.
"Yeah, you could be trying to wheedle your way into our good graces so you can betray us later."
"No, he's telling the truth about wanting to join forces," Jol commented.
"Hmm, what's one more person," Val asked. "Besides, if he's actually got some power he could be a help in protecting the girls."
"Amethyst and I..."
"Oh sorry, I didn't mean to include Amethyst." Xina's eyes snapped wide, and Xalan sweatdropped.
"Oh, Val-san, you're worried about ME?" Tinuviel's comment caused Jol to narrow his eyes. Before anything else happened, Val saw a flash of movement, felt something strike his face, and then he hit the ground, moderately confused. He sat up in time to see Xina stumbling off down the road. "Val-san are you allright?"
"What did I do?"
"Are you guys coming or not!?!"