Xina looked back through the forest to where the tower had stood. Where, for all she knew Val and everyone else were buried under tons of stone. She hadn't thought about that particular result. She'd had too things on her mind, getting Janus away from everybody, and going after Zangulus. So of course now she was on her own with someone she had every reason to believe was out to kill her.
The sorcerer hadn't made a move yet, hadn't even tried to capture her. He still wanted something from her that he wouldn't get if she knew he was an enemy. It was probably the staff, after all he did need her to track the hunter now that they'd found the trail again. Xina's mother and brother may have been much better hunters than her, but this noseless human was completely incompetent.
"We're getting close," Xina said tightly. "I think we might catch up to him within the hour." At least they had left behind the really bizarre terrain a day or two ago.
"Do you think that you could get the staff from him on your own?" Xina looked at him and thought here we go.
"I probably could," Xina asserted, lying through her teeth. "And I could move faster without you, that's for sure. Can't track in that raywing of yours." Janus's expression didn't appear to change on first glance, but Xina saw his eyes narrow at the implication that he was a burden.
"Then why don't get the staff and come back here," Janus suggested. "If you get any trouble just drop it and run."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," she said playfully.
"You are perfectly capable of defending yourself, whatever your brother says." The sorcerer tried to sound comforting, but his eyes were calculating. "Still perhaps I can give you a little aid." He took hold of her sword, mumbled something and then shouted "Astral Vine!" Suddenly the sword was glowing, temporarily enchanted.
"Thanks," Xina said softly, hiding the predatorial smile in her head. He was making his move. The kage-kitsune rushed off into the forest.
"Those monsters are going to be here any day now," Xalan argued. "We don't really have time to go looking for something on a rumor that she may have heard."
"We'll be just fine," Amethyst assured him. "All we have to do is tell someone in Zephilia that an army of undead is coming and we'll have plenty of help."
This gets Tinuviel out of danger Xalan turned to look at Jolrael. The swordsman didn't appear to even be paying attention to him. And if you find something you'll be able to do more than push people out of the way of attacks.
"Oh, I wish Val-kun had stayed," I'll bet he could have gotten us there faster than walking." This didn't rub off well on either Jol or Xal. Soon after landing, Val had taken off again to go back for Xina. The fact that had left behind Xalan had him more than just annoyed. Jolrael's reasons for being annoyed with the dragon were even more obvious.
"You're sure this Celina person knows where to find a weapon of light?"
"Well she and her friend certainly seem to know a lot about magic and stuff, had a nice long conversation with them one day."
"When was this?" Tinuviel rolled her eyes up and began mumbling to herself.
"Twelve years ago," she said finally. "I think."
"Great," Xalan muttered. "I'm following a lead that's more than half as old as I am. Be careful," he said to Amethyst.
"I've been trained by one of the best swordsmen and shamans in the world," she said proudly. "I'll be fine."
"Now what was I talking about when I left last time," Tinuviel asked herself as she followed Xalan walking east and south. "Mirrors, some sort of relic."
"I think we'll find a town off this way," Jol pointed. "But what's to guarantee that they don't just attack us on sight?"
"Why would they attack a Princess of Sailoon?"
"I don't know, because Zephilia is an isolationist country with a reputation for swallowing elite assassins and warriors?"
"I'm sure they'll recognize that we're here to help them."
"If not, do you have a raywing ready?"
Zangulus looked back, he thought he had heard something behind him.
"Martina?" he called out. Then there was a flash of glowing enchanted steel, it came in fast but he was still able to block it easily.
"I know that name," he looked and saw the girl from the tombs. "Mom complains about someone with that name all the time." Zangulus stood up and faced her.
"Little girl, you're in over your head," he smiled as he drew his sword. "But I can't say I haven't looked forward to this." He slashed forward and she blocked with her blade, riposting a return strike.
"You're just a dirty old man," Xina spat. "A grave robber."
"You've gotten better," Zangulus complimented her. He stepped up his attacks, not going full out, but making it just hard enough to be entertaining. She stopped attacking and concentrated fully on defense, but that didn't last long either. The astral vine had strengthened her blade, but not well enough. Zangulus black blade shattered the weapon forcing Xina down to the ground.
"No great hero is coming to your rescue now," he said standing over her.
"Turn over the staff and the girl to me!" Zangulus whirled around to see a fifteen year old girl holding a sword. The bounty hunter narrowed his eyes and recognized her as a mazoku.
"My mistress wants them, and no demon is going to stand in my way."
"You think you can stand against the General of Dynast Grausherra!" The eternal teenager launched blast at the mortal swordsman, and saw it deflected off by his enchanted blade. They circled each other cautiously and then started slashing at each other with their blades, neither noticing that the items they were fighting over had left the area.
After several minutes a shockwave knocked down both opponents.
"Get away from my minion, you vile little brat," Sherra looked up from where she had been thrown and saw green haired woman standing between her and Zangulus.
"I don't know," Sherra said. "So you can't have been mazoku long."
"Where's that girl!" the bounty hunter yelled. Sherra scanned about and noticed that both girl and staff had left. Sherra cursed herself for underestimating the girl, especially considering her now confirmed heritage. Her agent had played out that little seed soon after joining the girl's party.
"I'll get you two later!" she shouted as she teleported away.
Janus was surprised when Xina appeared out of the forest carrying the staff.
"You..." before he could finish saying anything she had knocked him backwards and was holding him down.
"Don't try to cast anything," she ordered. "You killed Val didn't you?"
"How could you..."
"Save it!" Xina snapped. "I've known you were after me since you mentioned my mother's name." The sorcerer smiled.
"The dragon brought the ceiling down on himself," he told her. "But I would have killed him eventually anyway." Xina restrained herself from tearing him to pieces then and there.
"And who is Dynast Grausherra?" she asked tightly.
"One of the Dark Lords," he answered. "So don't think that you'll be able to win, even if you beat me."
"What do you mean by if I..."
"DILL BRAND!!" Both were blown into the air and landed roughly on their backs. Xina was standing on her feet as Janus cast from where he fell.
"DISFANG!!" The shadow dragon formed and reached out toward a smiling Xina.
"That was very stupid," she told him. As the dragon passed by seeking her own shadow, she stepped into it. The shadow dragon was momentarily confused by its inability to find a target. Then, to Janus's horror, it turned on itself and began ripping into his shadow, and consequently, him.
As the sorcerer's torn body fell to the ground Xina leaped out of the shadow and rolled to her feet.
"That'll teach you to try and scam a Metallium," Xina spat as she started walking away from the traitor's dead body.
"You're not nearly as good as you think you are," Xina turned to face the teenaged mazoku she had seen earlier. "Too bad Xellos wasn't around to teach you better." Xina hefted her staff nervously.