Caldina did some stretches and stifled a yawn. The gentle breeze was making her sleepy, but she had to keep awake for the interferers' arrival. It wasn't a job she paticularly favoured, but it was what she was being paid for.

WE HAVE COMPANY, MAJESTY. The jade green bird stopped fanning, the note of fear still strong in its contemptuous sarcasm. MAY I DEPART NOW?

The woman smiled coyly. For a moment Windam thought she might consent. "No. Not until I say so."

The Mashin swore silently out of fustration. WELL, It thought. AT LEAST THAT LINA CHARACTER WON'T BE GETTING HER HAND'S ON ME WHILE CALDINA'S HERE. Little did Windam realise the extent of its mistake.

Three travellers were on their way up to the Temple of Winds. A beautiful magician of the Dragonkyn, a master swordsman of Cephiro and the OtherWorlder of which the secret Ballad sang. Four, if you would count the creamy hyperbolic cross between a rabbit and a gummy-bear hopping just out of the OtherWorlder's hungry grasp.

"This is terrible! I'm disfigured for life!" The mage whined in a little boy's voice, thumbing the ill-fated tresses. Where blue taints had appeared after his succession as the Guardian Mashin of the Temple of Waters now sport green splotches the colour of polluted equatorial seas. "Oh, I knew I shouldn't have tried to dye it back!"

"It's okay, 'heart, Scotty dear, I love you anyway." The blonde swordsman known as Ferrio fingered a lock of the hair in a lover-like fashion.

"GYYAAAAAAA!!!!!!" Ascot screamed. "Take your paws off me, you pervert!" He screeched, outline blurring into that of a formidably sized dragon and blasted the armoured man with a burst of dragonfyre. The Messiah was absorbed with stalking the fourth member of their company all throughout the exchange and pounced on the creature during the distraction.

Zagato sighed and turned away from the DarkAqua Mirror. Things were nowhere as desirable as planned, which was bad; Ascot became the Mashin Guardian of the Temple of Waters then turned traitor in the face of the redheaded witch's magic, which was worse. The situation, not her magic. Since her defeat of Clef the Royal Mage, he had started developing a grudging respect for the spirited young sorceress. Were she not the enemy he would have loved to meet her personally!

The Princess Emeraulde stirred in her sleep in the magical bubble he had created. It was better for her this way. Much, much more secure and guardable. Zagato looked down at her sweet features with an expression that was almost regretful. He didn't like keepimg her prisoner any more than Clef did. For one thing, she was always telling visitors embarassing stories about his youth.

"Stop right there! You shall taste the bitter fruits of your actions!" Zagato turned and left his dark-haired Princess to her glorious dreams. An overblown sense of Justice was fine enough on its own, but some people just weren't cut out for it.

I only wish I had the heart to tell her that.

"Can't this thing go any faster?"
"I'm sorry, Clef, this is the best I can manage on such short notice." Presia did seem extremely apologetic, although that was lost on Clef.

Why couldn't they have taken a sprite, you ask. The reason was simple: they refuse to answer another call from Clef after Lina ate his last pair and Presia was no conjuror. It was natural insticnt, really, you can't blame any living-thing for being self-preserving, least of all Lina. Jaku niki kyou shoku. The strong devouring the weak, such is the way of Natural Selection.

"Well? Why have we stopped? You know the urgency of our business!" He exploded yet again. He threw his weight about a lot over the past few days, as Presia noted and attributed to caffine withdrawal.

"We're here, Clef." She sighed patiently. He mumbled something under his breath and pushed past her.

"Cursed! We're too late!" He cried, inspecting the vacant wall that had up to recently housed the Guardian Mashin of the Temple. "The Temple of Winds, then. That's where she'll strike next."

"May I venture a suggestion?" He glared at her, but listened. "We'll probably be too late since they've gained a headstart. Why don't we intercept them at the Temple of Fires, instead?"

The sounds of squabbling alerted Caldina long before their actual arrival. She couldn't resist a laugh as she pieced together the source of their arguement. That same howling laugh greeted the trio as they entered the chamber, sending a familiar chill up Lina's spine. Naga! She'd know that laugh anywhere. Except maybe here. So she studied the woman and waited.

It sure looked like Naga, alright. As usual, it was more interesting to note what she didn't have on than what she actually did. Tall, buxom, with sexy legs to die for, she was her typical picture of a demon temptress. The only thing Lina didn't remember was the dark healthy tan.

"Who are you?" Ferrio asked, not bothering to hide his hostility as Ascot jumped into her embrace.

"Ascot! Hey kid, what happened to your hair?" She ignored him, much to the swordsman's annoyance. Lina was busy investigating the large avian shadow hiding behind a pillar. Ascot whined about how he tried to dye the blue in his hair back to blonde but ended up with teal instead, earning a word of sympathy from his friend.

"Look, I don't care who you are, but we're here to claim Windam the Mashin so if you'll excuse us." He glowered a challenge and started to haul his love away with him. Caldina accepted the challenge and parried his sword with, of all things, a dance.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Ferrio." She laughed triumphantly as Ascot cheered her on. "You see, Windam is my slave; as will you be."

"Ascot will never permit that!" He cried indignantly. "Smite her down, love, give her a taste of your dragonfyre!"

"Are you kidding?" Ascot peered down at his admirer, then back at his friend. "I don't know what you see in him, Cal, but if you want him, he's yours!"

An undignified squawk was all the warning before the six-winged Mashin called Windam broke out from the back, flattening Ferrio and cowered behind Caldina, followed close by Lina. It quivered.

SAVE ME, CALDINA, ASCOT!

Ascot blinked in response to the words that have appeared in his mind out of nowhere. "How did you know my name?"

YOU ARE THE NEW MASHIN IN PLACE OF CELES. WE ALL KNEW THE MOMENT YOU WERE NAMED. NOW, PROTECT ME FROM THIS WOMAN!

"Lina?" Ascot asked in mild confusion. "But Windam, she is the Saviour. She can't possibly want to hurt you!"

THE MESSIAH? HER?! THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT! SHE'S A FIEND! A DEMON! EQUAL TO CALDINA HERSELF!

The thoughtful look on Caldina's face said "I think I'm starting to like her already". Ascot hoped so. He would love to have Caldina join them on this expedition. "Don't be stupid," He spoke to the Mashin as an equal. "What could she have possibly done to you?" Lina played an almost perfect picture of innoncence. What could she have possibly done to the shaking Guardian?

DEMONFIRE, ASCOT, SHE TRIED TO EAT ME!!!

"Oh." He managed to sound somewhat embarassed, remembering how she tried to barbeque Mokona just a while ago.

"Quiet, you old bird. She's got the right idea there. I like it." Caldina twirled a simple introductory dance with a sparkle of witchlights. "I am Caldina the White Serpent, Dancer, Charmer and a Mage of some power."

"Glad to meet you," Lina took the offered hand. She was skeptical about Caldina as she was of the twin in her own homeworld, but in either place it was unwise to be enemies with her. "Lina Inverse, genius sorceress for hire, currently the Legendary figure of some sort around here."

"In celebration of our friendship, I offer you a trade."

Lina gave the bird another hungry look. "Personally, I'd rather eat that." She grinned good naturedly. "What kind of trade?"

"You wanted Windam, right? I offer him in return for Ferrio." She snapped a leash to the ebony collar around Windam's slendar neck and held the other end up to Lina.

Lina prodded the man into semi-consciousness. "I really don't see what you might want with him," The redhead frowned. "I mean, he's vain and self-important, gluttony and likes young boys," Ascot reddened at this referance, much to the two women's amusement, "And all, but yeah, you can keep him."

"And I'd like to join you."

Ascot nodded enthusiasticly. She thought it over quickly. She's been on the road with Naga before, it can't be too bad, she decided. "The more the merrier!" She declared, taking the leash.

Ferrio had, by this time, gathered enough of his wits to register what was being said in horror. A cry rose in his throat but Windam beat him to it.

NOOOO!!! HOW CAN YOU DO THIS, CALDINA? I'D RATHER BE YOUR SLAVE! OHPLEASEOHPLEASEOHPLEASE YOU CAN'T TRADE ME OFF TO HER!

"I am a MAN! You can't trade me off like so many dumb sheep!"

"Just watch me." Lina and Caldina said in unison, then looked wonderingly at each other. Well, what do you know! Lina thought as a wide grin broke over her face mirroring Caldina's. She had never expected to find a sisterly spirit in Naga, much less in her Cephiro twin!

Things just get stranger and stranger.

Two down, one to go. Any special requests?
Deadline for this series is set on X'mas '98,
So mail them soon!
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