Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers Inheritance ❯ We�re Going Alone? Mom�s Surprising Announcement! ( Chapter 7 )

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SLAYERS INHERITANCE

�We�re Going Alone? Mom�s Surprising Announcement!�

by Michael Hopcroft

�Anya Inverse here! Boy, did we have a hard day! Titania went Mazoku on
us and almost killed everybody. Luckily I was able to cool her off and
get her back to herself. Meanwhile, Valgaav took on the Mazoku Gorvald
by himself and thinks he won. Anyway, it�s now been decided that we�re
going to Seyruun after all and that Valgaav is coming with us. I don�t
know what�ll be harder � keeping Valgaav�s paws off me or Titania�s paws
off Valgaav! Doesn�t anybody keep their paws to themselves?�

In their double-bedded room, Titania and Anya couldn�t sleep. They knew
they were leaving for Seyruun in the morning, but Filia had decided that
everybody should spend the night in the inn. Then she and Milgasia had
gone off for a midnight flight � Valgaav had described it as �Mom�s idea
of a night out�.

�I wonder what Filia and Milgasia are doing out there?� Titania asked.

�You have to ask? They�re probably rutting like rabbits in some
clearing.� Anya frowned. �Speaking of which, I don�t hear anything from
Mom and Dad�s room.�

�Should you?�

�This early in the evening? You don�t really know how loud they get when
they think nobody�s listening. They must be really deep in thought if
they�re forgoing sex.�

Filia and Milgasia returned to the inn and shifted back to human form.
Filia smiled at her mate with a mischievous expression of the kind she
showed only to him. �So which do you like better � human Filia or dragon
Filia?�

Milgasia answered her gleam with a wink. �Filia is Filia. I like her
both ways.�

�Then are you up for another bout � in human form?�

�Why no � Lina?�

Filia looked into the common room and was surprised to see Lina and
Gourry sitting there. �Lina? What are you doing here?�

Lina blushed slightly. �Filia, you still have your priestly skills, right?�

�Yes, although I haven�t really used them in years. Why do you ask?�

�I seem to be gaining a little bit of weight, and I don�t normally gain
weight given how much I�ve been easting. It�s been a long time since my
body has reacted the way it�s reacting.�

Filia�s eyes narrowed. �How long, exactly?�

�Sixteen years.�

Filia walked over to Lina, laid a hand on her belly, and closed her
eyes. She was rewarded with a slight golden glow. Filia opened her eyes
and smiled benevolently. �The reason is the same.� She said. �Are you
happy or worried?�

�Both, actually. What is this going to mean for the trip? We can�t pout
it off � we�re a target as long as Xellos knows where we are.�

Milgasia frowned. �You�re right � but there�s one way out of your
dilemma. Are you prepared?�

�No. Anya wouldn�t have survived that last battle without me. She�d have
no chance on her own if Titania goes out of control again.�

�Are you sure about that?� Milgasia asked.

Gourry sat down in front of Lina. �Anya has become quite a capable
sorceress,� he said. �And it�s not like you�ll never see her again �

�That�s just what I�m afraid of. I can�t send my daughter on what might
be a suicide mission!�

�Lina, darling, listen. If you didn�t want Anya to face danger, we would
have settled down in Seyruun and you would have become the court
sorcerer. Danger isn�t suicide, otherwise we�d both be dead. And Anya
WANTS to do this. She�s befriended Titania and Valgaav, and she won�t
let her friends down. She�s not that kind of girl.�

Lina gave Gourry a slight smile, then broadened it and finally grabbed
him around the neck. �Nothing worries you, does it, you darling jellyfish?�

�Only the fact that I may have to be smelling dirty diapers again.�

Titania and Anya walked into the common room in the morning to see a
sumptuous breakfast laid out of the table. Filia brought in a huge pot
of tea. �Well, girls, it�s about time you woke up. We�ve got sausages,
eggs, hotcakes, bacon, ham � just about anything you could possibly want
in a breakfast. And strong breakfast blend tea to wash it all down.�

�Mother went a little bit overboard this morning,� Valgaav said, �So you
girls had better enjoy it.� Lina and Gourry were keeping their distance,
not wanting to begin the breakfast struggled until everyone got to the
table.

�What�s the occasion � aside from us leaving in the morning, that is?�

Lina frowned. �It�s for your graduation. Anya, you�re going to be
leading this expedition.�

�Why? Aren�t you going?�

�No, I�m not. You see, I just found out that Gourry and I are having
another baby, and I can�t aff0ord to risk the baby.�

Anya stared at her mother wide-eyed. �Really? I�m going to have a
brother or sister?�

�Both, actually.� Said Filia. �Lina�s pregnant with twins -- one male,
one female. So you�ll have a little brother and a little sister.�

�Congratulations, Lina!� cried Titania. �That�s wonderful news!�

�Thanks. Anyway, I expect this to be a difficult pregnancy, so if I went
with you I�d be in the way.� Lina said. �I�m going to stay here.�

�But Mom, who�s going to protect you from Xellos?�

�You worry about Xellos from now on, Anya. I�ll be fine. Now, let�s
gobble up that delicious-looking breakfast and they you guys can be
going. Oh, and Valgaav?�

Valgaav gulped. �Yes, Ms. Inverse?�

�You are going to be on your best behavior � or else!�

After breakfast, Anya quickly packed her bags and headed towards the
wagon. Valgaav stopper her at the door and shook his head. �No wagon.
We�ll be too conspicuous, and we may want to keep off the main roads.�

�You mean we�re going to have to WALK to Seyruun? That�s not fair! I�m
in charge, and I say we take the wagon!�

�The wagon is a target. One fire spell and we�ll have to walk anyway �
only without all our weapons and provisions. We take money, whatever
provisions we can carry on our backs, and weapons.�

Anya raised her finger to scold Valgaav, but then relaxed it and
shrugged her shoulders. �Oh well. Now that I think about it, what you�re
saying makes sense. It�ll take us longer to get to Seyruun, but we will
be a less obvious target.�

�Glad to be of help.�

�Oh, and Valgaav, you�re not going to be making any moves on Titania,
are you?�

Valgaav stood aghast. �Titania? What makes you think that?�

�She did kiss you.�

�On the cheek! It was just a friendly peck!� Anya smiled wickedly.
Valgaav didn�t like the look of that smile. �What are you up to?�

Anya suddenly leaned over and kissed Valgaav on the cheek. �Now we�re
even.� She said. �And if you try that yourself, I�ll give you a fireball
you never forget!�

�You know, it might be worth it.� That remark caused Anya to blush
furiously.

�Wha� wha� What�s THAT supposed to mean?�

�I think I�ll just let you stew about that for a while. Now let�s get
our packs together and head out. And get a pair of pants for Titania.
They�re better for long-distance travel than a skirt.� Valgaav smiled
enigmatically and went back into the inn.

Anya stood alone in the hall, still blushing. What is this guy doing to
me? she thought.

A few hours later, everyone was assembled. Titania had changed into a
traveling outfit with trousers, comfortable shoes, a red top and a
hooded cloak. Valgaav handed her a sword. �Know how to use one of
these?� he asked.

�No.�

Anya frowned. �They I�ll have to teach you. We can�t have you going
Mazoku every time somebody attacks us. I�ll try to teach you some basic
defensive spells too. That way you won�t feel so helpless.�

Lina walked up to say goodbye to her daughter. �Take care of yourself,
darling � she said. �I want your brother and sister to know their big
sister.�

�You take care of yourself too, Mom. I�m gonna miss you so much!�

�I�ll miss you too, Anya. But this is your chance to prove what you can
do on your own. Make me proud, OK?�

�I will.�

Then Lina turned a menacing glare to Valgaav. �And, Valgaav, if you lay
a finger on my daughter�.�

Valgaav smiled. �I promise I�ll uphold the honor of the Ancient Dragons
in spite of all temptation.�

The farewells lasted for several more minutes before the three teenagers
left for the trip.

That evening, Lina sat in the common room, reading a book, when Filia
walked up to her.�

�It�s OK, Lina. The two of you can stay here until the babies come. You
don�t even have to pay me.�

Lina shook her head. �I can pay, and I will. I�ll even pay in advance.
You know how high-maintenance I am.

Suddenly a man in priestly robes appears before them. Lina hissed. �Xellos!�

�Don�t I get to say goodbye to my daughter?� Xellos said.

�She�s already left.� Lina replied. �No now what are you going to do �
take it out on me?�

�You wound me, Lina. We�re old friends. I could never hurt you. Or
you.my delightful little dragoness.�

�Does that apply to my daughter?� Lina asked. �Because I don�t care what
kind of past we have together � if you harm one hair on Anya�s head, I
will hunt you down to the Sea of Chaos and personally destroy you in
ways that only a Mazoku would appreciate.�

�That won�t happen in Anya sees reason. Titania belong with me, Lina.
Her place is at my side. In Anya realizes this, everything will be fine.�

Lina smiled a smile that would chill the blood of anyone who saw it..
�You�re wrong, Trickster. You may have infused her with your power, but
Titania is human and that�s how she�s going to live out her life.�

Xellos frowned. �We�ll see about that.� And with that he vanished.

�Is this going to happen every bloody night?� Lina asked Filia. The
dragon could only shrug.

TO BE CONTINUIED�