Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Kenkanoshiri ❯ Chapter 1 (revised) ( Chapter 1 )

Kenkanoshiri

Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers of any of the Slayers characters. They are owned by those who own them. I do, however, own the original characters (if any) and the fic all of this is in. That is all.

Chapter 1

The day was calm, cool, and as peaceful as a day could get. The wind rustled in the leaves of the trees, animals coming out of whatever hiding place they were in to sniff the air that surrounding them. Some darted back into their homes and other places, possibly sensing that something had happened not too long ago. In fact, they were right. Something had happened that few knew about, save the ones that did know and those that could sense the events that lead up to this point.

The fight against Shabranigdo, the Dark Lord, had taken place in the wilderness that was well beyond the boundaries of Atlas City, however that fight had long since past. The threat that he had imposed was gone with the wind, coming and going like it had never been there. Never existed in any planes, Astral or not. Never been reborn by one man's desire to see the world that was shrouded in darkness. It had been a struggle that had been eventually conquered in the end.

Yet, Lina Inverse knew better then to brush off a battle such as the one she had just been through as she stood at the edge of where the Great Battle had taken place, her eyes roaming the site where she could still smell scorched remains of battle. It had only been a day since it happened, her hair halfway back to it's normal, reddish color that all knew too well. It had gone purely white during the battle since she had used all but a drop of her magic ability to defeat Shabranigdo and restore what was once a lost soul. A feat that was not easily done by any mortal hand; at least, at this time in the age of magic and whatnot. If he had been reborn at any other time, it was possible that he would have done more damage then what he did today.

The sorceress sighed, her cape flowing in the soft, gentle breeze as she placed her hands upon her hips and sighed. She figured it was about an hour and a half's walk back to Atlas City where she had left her 'jellyfish for brains' companion, Gourry Gabriev, to eat and drink his way through the city and right through the little gold they had left. Lina didn't care so much for what he was doing then she did him spending the last pieces of gold, since she had little use for him at this pint. That is, until after he gave her the famed Sword of Light that he claimed had been passed down in his family. After that little exchange, she would leave him alone for good.

Even though she felt a small hunger pain going through her stomach, she already had her fill of food for the moment, awaiting the next meal but decided to sneak out so that she could collect her thoughts. She knew that she could have done that in the City yet, for once, she preferred peace and quiet from her hectic, treasure hunting life and she deserved it too especially after the hell she had been through in the last couple of days.

Lina closed her eyes as she tilted her head towards the sky, allowing the sunlight to pour onto her face. With her eyes like such, the sorceress could almost see the fight she, Gourry, and Zelgadis Graywords had put up against Shabranigdo. All their magic had failed; even the swordsman's Sword of Light was no match for a being of such power. It took all of her effort to finally beat the Dark Lord, even if it nearly killed her in the process, with the Giga Slave. She figured if that didn't work, then nothing would. It almost didn't, but with the help of what was left of Rezo's spirit that Shabranigdo tired to push away, she managed to destroy the Lord once and for all.

She wondered where or what Zelgadis was doing as she stood there, remembering what had happened. He had walked off from the duo on the outskirts of Atlas City and into bigger things for himself. All three knew that their paths would cross again one day and perhaps sooner then any of them thought. That is, if they crossed again in the living plane.

The crossing of paths didn't matter at the moment. There was no threat to humanity, or to the planet, that needed her attention. At least, she hoped not. She didn't want to have to go through something like that again for a long while. It wasn't like she didn't want to be challenged or anything; she just plainly didn't feel like saving anything right now. Things had moved too fast for her and she wanted a break from it. Perhaps a little treasure seeking would be in order.

"Liiiinnnaaa...." The wind whispered hollowly, causing Lina to snap her eyes open and spin around as she placed the palms of her hands far enough apart for a small fireball to form in the middle of them. Her eyes darted around, looking for who, or what, had called her name. She listened, waiting for it to say her name again.

"Who's there? Gourry?" She hissed, her eye narrowing just a bit. "If that is you, you are going to get it. Ya hear me?"

"Linnnaaa......Innnnverrrrssseeee......" The wind hollowed again, this time louder. An eerie feeling through the sorceress's body at the moment, a feeling that made her shudder with coldness. She didn't like the way whatever was out there called her name, even if it was Gourry.

"Damn you, Gourry! Show yourself!" She shrieked into the wind, her eyes darting around again. "I know you are stupid, but you aren't this stupid to give me a scare like this. You know what I can do."

There was silence after that as the wind died down, fading away into the trees and grass for the time being. Lina kept her stance, her anger nearly reaching the boiling point as the ball of fire faded from her hands. The silence engulfed her, making her wonder what was out there, even if she didn't know who, or what, was there. Her heat went faster then before despite she had a feeling it was someone that she knew or someone who she had meet, and defeated, in the past. Someone that knew her name and wanted to scare her with it. But, who was it and what did that person want?

Lina shook her head, her body untensing from the slight scare that she just had. Why should I be scared of something that is in the wind? I've faced bigger challenges then that, She thought to herself as she flipped her red and white hair over her shoulder and started walking down the path that lead to Atlas City. It was time to go back to her normal life and normal duties that awaited her in the world around her.

Or, as normal as they would come.

****

A pair of crimson eyes watched the woman walk away from the clearing in which she and her companions had once defeated the Dark Lord Shabranigdo, the trees around it shivering in the coldness that it brought. Those eyes squinted in anger, a inhuman growl escaping from the darkness that covered it's face and body. It had been watching her since she had left Atlas City, moving silently in the shadows all the while keeping it's distance away from the sorceress. It wasn't something a creature would want to do, crossing paths with the woman named Lina Inverse, and this creature was one of them. At least, for now.

Suddenly, it darted from the coverings it had, bouncing from tree branch to tree branch until it was high above the rest of the world below. This being was a creature unknown to the human kind, with a tall, lanky body and scales covering every part of it's body. A robe clothed it's body, keeping it warm and cool in the seasons that changed from one into the other A tail whipped in the air and held onto a smaller branch above it as it's claws held onto the branch that was below it. It's head moved left to right, watching the path that had been trodden so many times by travelers.

From it's perch, the creature could see the distant Atlas City, a place where he knew the sorceress was heading to and was staying until the call of gold went out to her again. A place, he knew, that was protected more then just walls and he could not do anything to her whenever she was in there. This thing's lps curled up into a snarling smile, it's eyes moving from the outline of the City to the moving girl as she walked along without knowing something was watching her.

"Go ahhheaaad," The creature hissed out, it's lizard-like tongue lashing out. "Go and have your fun. It will be only a little while before I find you again. I know where you are headed. I know where you are staying. I know you better then you know yoursellllffff."

With that, the creature darted back down the tree trunk, rushing back into it's hiding spot until night came.

****

It was a day like this that made many people forget their worries and focus on the cherished things that were reserved for the warmness. However, Zelgadis Graywords couldn't forget them and had spent most of the last day traveling from the outskirts of Atlas City to wherever he had to go. It wasn't a long journey mostly because he had been going slower then he normally went. Slow enough to the point that it was driving him insane and his energy was being wasted doing nearly nothing. It just wasn't him to go slow at all, especially if his life was in danger, which it wasn't at the present moment. At least, not for long. He figured what was left of Rezo's minions, who were actually loyal to him and not to Zelgadis, would either come after him or fall apart because they had no master to obey.

This gave them the slight advantage, since they no longer had to wait to use their skills to hunt things down. Rezo knew when and where to use the men that were under his control, many of which were creatures of unspeakable power. At least, in their own minds they had unspeakable power. He knew better then to cross some of them while knowing which weaker ones he could practice his sword skills on. That was then and this was now as he walked on, his face half covered by the thin hood he wore over his head and the cloth that hid his face from the nose down.

There was no point in showing everyone what kind of face hid under that white cloth. Strangers would roll their nose's up in disgust, a horrified looking coming upon their faces as they backed up at the sight. The tiny babes that the women carried in their arms would be whisked away at the mere sight of the rocky face that he had for fear that they would be turned into the same thing. Not many welcomed the sight of a one-third demon, one-third human, and one-third golem Chimaera. It wasn't logical for anyone to do so.

However, it was just a curse that the Rest Priest, Rezo, had bestowed upon him many years ago in exchange for more power and there was no cure that he could find just yet. He heard of rumors that had been spread throughout the lands of books and spells that would help cure something like this, but all were not as they seemed. Maybe his travels would find one eventually or, perhaps, they never would. Whatever the case was, he would have to live with this plight longer then he wanted to.

Zelgadis sighed as his eyes fell upon a passing rock along the path. He smiled gently underneath the cloth around his mouth, taking the time to stop and jump upon it long enough so that his legs would feel rested enough for him to go on. Despite his body being primarily of stone, he still felt tired like any other person that walked along the plains, human or not. He guessed it was the human part of him that still made him weak and tired, since he had been basically human before all of this happened. Before he knew what he was getting himself into when Rezo helped him. Before he met Lina and Gourry. Before Shabranigdo.

He sighed again, laying upon his back on the rock, placing his hands behind his head as his eyes stared up at the blue sky. Zelgadis knew his life had changed indefinitely since he met the sorceress and her companion. Changed in a way that he would never comprehend at the moment or possibly will. It wasn't that he didn't know what changes had been made; it was just that he didn't understand them yet. He didn't understand why Lina had to help him go up against the Priest since it was none of her concern, but he felt like he had dragged her into it and there was nothing that he could do to take her out of it. The Chimaera figured it was half his fault and half her fault; her fault being that she had to take the Orilhalcon and keep it when she really didn't need to take or keep it, his fault being that he had to go after her for it so that Rezo would have to cure his blindness.

There had been other reasons why he wanted the damned statue in the first place, Rezo's being one of them. If Rezo hadn't ordered him to get the Orilhalcon for his own reason and had the means to keep his underlings in line, then Zelgadis would have gotten it on his own accord. That, of course, was before he knew what the Red Priest had given in exchange for it: his vision for Shabranigdo's rebirth.

That was then and this was now. He had more important things to worry about, the past he had lived wasn't one of them. There was no point in dwelling what had happened, but still. The reflections he made usually resulted in him losing sight of what was going on around him to notice such things, but it was the way he was, he supposed. That wasn't what was on his mind at the moment and he surely wanted to get on with his journey before the sun went down for the night.

Zelgadis sighed as he sat up, placing his hands at the sides of his legs to push himself off of the rock he had been perched upon. A little rest never hurt anyone, yet he knew he had rested longer then he should have rested. He would have to hurry up on his journey to regain what time he last while resting as he jumped off of the rock, landing on the grassy are next to it. He was ready to move on and ready to finish the quest he was currently on, whatever that was.

As the Chimaera began to walk once again, a light wind rushed by him, causing him to stop once more. He placed a stone hand upon the hilt of the sword that was sheathed at his side, his eyes move to the right side of his body. The wind continued to move harder, more swifter then it had before, which made him turned around quickly, the sword now in his hands. He felt something in the wind, but didn't know what it was. It was something that he had felt before when Rezo was keeping an eye on him, yet this had a bitter feeling in it. This was something that he didn't like.

"Show yourself. I know that someone is out there, so why bother hiding?" Zelgadis snapped into the wind, hoping for an answer. Just as soon as it had started, the wind abruptly stopped as it calmed down to what it once was. That didn't make him any less nervous then when the feeling of being watched had come over him, making his body tense up. Darting his eyes from side to side, the continued to stay in that stance for several minutes before he slowly lowered the sword, taking in several deep breaths.

"You're not worth it," He grumbled, turning around to go along the path that lead to who knows where as he sheathed his sword. He kept his gaze over his shoulder for a few moments more before turning his head back around. He knew that he would have to be on guard for the rest his journey or until he reached a township or city where no intelligent being would dare to fight someone. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was just being scared of the wind. It was nothing compared to what he had faced in the past and surely it wouldn't be something that he couldn't beat on his own.

Zelgadis didn't worry about it as he went on his way.

****

Gourry Gabriev sat inside one of Atlas City's many small taverns, already surrounded at least a table top and a half's worth of empty plates that were probably taller then him. It had grown in the time since Lina left him in the City and ventured out to wherever she was going. It didn't matter how many plates he had or where she had gone; he was still a little bit hungry after the meal he had and dessert was on his mind. Well, fifth helpings of dessert anyways, but something different.

"Let's see. Should I get the chocolate fish sticks of the mint flavored carp?" He wondered to himself, his eyes moving along the opened menu that he held in his hands. The waiter stood behind him, waiting paitently and with wide eyes of course. He had never seen someone eat as much as this one was and wouldn't be surprised at the tab he would run. Then, he smiled. "I'll take double portions of both!"

"D-double portions?" The waiter stammered, his eyes bugging out with surprise. Gourry didn't say anything to that, just nodding his head as he shut the menu close and handed towards the waiter. It took a moment for him to get over that surprise, although it shouldn't have come as a surprise to him. He snatched the menu away, turned on his heels, and rushed quickly towards the kitchen where several of the cooks were peering out of, waiting to see what this lone swordsman was going to order next.

While the waiter stalked away, Gourry leaned back in his chair ever so slightly, placing his hands behind his head. He smiled to himself, letting out a deep breath as his eyes moved along the other tables. It felt good just to sit back and not have anything to worry about, especially now with the threat of Shabranigdo gone. He didn't have much of a part in the battle; he managed to attempt to use the Sword of Light on the Dark Lord, but that didn't turn out the way he expected it to. In fact, he hadn't even expected to be caught up inside the whirlwind that still hadn't died down.

However, that battle was over and done now and it wasn't something that would stay on his mind for long. At least, most of the details of what happened and who did what. He'd remember most of it, yet everything else that he didn't would be at the back of his mind. Lina would probably smack him a few times or throw a fireball or two at him for not remembering, as it was typical of her to let her temper get the best of her. It was common for her to put all of her anger towards something, Gourry learning the hard way several times. He had to live with it since the sorceress wouldn't leave him alone until he gave her the Sword of Light. That wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen.

"Gourry Gabriev?" A voice asked from next to the swordsman. Gourry lazily turned his head to the side where he heard the voice, his eyes falling sleepily upon a middle aged man that leaned upon a long wooden cane with a small, glossy, ruby-red stone on top of it. His face was covered with a black hood, adjoined by a flowing cloak, also of the same color as his hood, that covered his body. Only his hands and brown boots were showing along with a white belt that went around his waist.

"That's me," He replied, not moving from his relaxed position. "Whatca need? A swordsman's service to rescue a damsel in distress? A dragon to slay? Bandits to run out of the City?"

"No, no, and no. I need you to give a message to the lady that you accompany. It is important that she receives it or all will be lost," He said in a grave voice. Gourry lowered his hands to his side, going back into a regular sitting position as he stared at the stranger with interest.

"Who, Lina?" He blinked his eyes at this request. "What do you want with her?"

"Tell her that Kiyoshi is looking for her near the magic shop in the middle of Atlas City. She may not know who I am or why she needs to meet me, but she needs to come as quickly as possible." The man bowed slightly, then turned around and began to walk towards the door without any more word. As he was opening the door, Gourry jumped up, his eyes ablaze.

"What do you want with her?" He shouted to the stranger, but got no answer as the man ignored him and moved out of the tavern's open door. Gourry looked after him as he disappeared into the crowded streets of Atlas City, a confused look on his face. As the door closed quietly, he sat back down upon his chair and placing his elbows on his knees. I wonder why he wants to meet Lina, He thought, placing his chin upon his open palms. It was bad enough that he had nearly spent all of gold on food and this strange request wasn't any better.

It looked like the beginning of yet another strange journey.