Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers: Knightfall ❯ Chapter 12 ( Chapter 13 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: tom the mighty 
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.18.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 237 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.18.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.5K | Visits: 237 | Status: Work In Progress
Slayers: Knightfall
Chapter Twelve
We were standing in a charred plain that once was a forest surrounding a small section of the Katahto Mountains. Demonic flames had burned to the ground the elven city that had stood there. We arrived shortly after the fires had died, but the smell of charred wood and flesh was still strong in the air, making me want to gag. . . again.
Gourry stood gazing at the surroundings with a sort of shocked horror etched upon his face. Mil’s stern expression was unchanging as he took in the destruction.
"Master!" A shrill elven voice called out, and we all turned to see Memphis running toward us.
She stopped about a yard in front of Mil. "They are all gone, then?" Mil asked, sympathetic as usual.
Mephy looked at the ground, probably trying not to cry, not that I could blame her. "Yes. . .I saw Xellos."
"Xellos?" Mil growled, which was about as much emotion as you could get from the dragon.
"Wait a minute!? Xellos was here?" I asked and Mephy, ever observant, finally noticed that her master had brought company!
"Miss Lina and Master Gourry! What are you two doing here?"
Back story time! Memphis is an elf, as you may have guessed by the pointy ears, short stature and odd clothing (especially the pointy hat). She’s been Milgasia’s apprentice in the magical and logical arts for quite some time now and previously traveled with us here and there along with Luke and Millenia. Also noteworthy is the fact that she, along with some others of elven persuasion, wear Zanassfar armor. It’s not the crazy psycho variety that I’ve dealt with before, but still powerful nonetheless.
"Just hanging," I abbreviated. "Now what was this about a certain mysterious priest?" I pressed, trying to figure out what Xellos had to do with this fiasco.
"Well, I saw him snooping around when the fighting started. He seemed to be just watching the massacre, not helping or abating it in any way," she said, her voice a bit ragged and confused. Elves don’t have much concept of mortality, unlike humans and other shorter-lived species. She must be going through hell, Hades and Tartarus right about now. I envy the discipline Mil has instilled in her. She was a lot more composed than I’ve been in my darkest hour.
"Now that’s odd," I started. "But I guess a lot of things he’s been doing lately have been odd."
"What do you know?" Memphis said.
"I know that Xellos has been helping us here and there these past few weeks. Hell, he even saved my life. I doubt he has been doing so out of the goodness of his heart." Supposing he even has one.
"He obviously wants you alive, but the reason why is unclear," Mil said. "He once stated that he would gladly kill you himself but is compelled to do the exact opposite. What does this tell you?"
"Maybe he’s taken a liking to you?" Gourry mischievously grinned at me. Which may have been uncomfortably close to the truth in my earlier travels with Xellos.
"Yeah, he’s always grinning at me in that creepy way," I said, playing along. "But seriously," I said, “It means that someone really high up is looking out for my well being." Just like with Hellmaster, and we all know how well that turned out.
"So far so good," Mil said encouragingly, and I felt a small stirring of gratitude, like when you got a question right in class.
"But the questions are who and why?" I continued. "The demons we ran into in Zephyr pretty much said they want to eliminate me as a threat. I’ve dealt with that before but they seemed quite a bit more serious this time with them wearing Zanassfar armor and all." And trying to bring down the entire city on our heads. But not even that can defeat the powerful Lina the Great!
Shut up. I deserve a little self-congratulation every once in a while.
"They have Zanassfar!?" Mephy exclaimed, distressed for painfully plain reasons. Only the elven race has truly been able to safely create and control the sentient armor. Other races that have tried, humans for one, have always met with disaster. Case in point, the Demon Beast of Sairaag.
"Yeah, but I didn’t see them do anything with it besides the obvious protection factor." Zanassfar can also be manipulated for use as a weapon. "Wait a minute! Didn’t the demons that attacked here have the armor?"
"That’s what I’ve heard, but I’d hoped it was just a mistake. But with you and Gourry confirming it. . .Gods, I hope you’re right about the armor being purely defensive."
"Just because they didn’t doesn’t mean they can’t, though," Gourry sounded off. "I’ve had a few nasty experiences from the power of that armor." A nasty leg-puncturing experience, if I remember correctly.
"True, but that would be our worst-case scenario," Mil said. "Suppose instead, that the armor is just for that, armor?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, a little perplexed.
"He means," Mephy said, still staring at her feet, "that demons don’t need the offensive power the armor normally provides. They just need it to protect them from attacks from the astral plane."
"Essentially making them immune to black magic and shamanism," I deduced, my stomach tying itself into knots, in which it is becoming quite proficient, by the way.
"Excellent!" Mil said, in a congratulatory sort of way.
"WHAT’S SO EXCELLENT ABOUT IT!?" I screeched, stress levels CLEARLY exceeding recommended safety levels.
I sank to my knees and struggled very hard not to cry. Gourry got down on his knees and held my hand, so I grabbed his and nearly crushed it, which made me feel a little better.
"What’s wrong?" Mephy asked.
"I’ll tell you what’s wrong!" I snarled, not really caring about anyone but myself at the moment and absolutely LOVING it. "A big colossal evil has suddenly decided to show itself in the middle of what was to be my happy little family reunion which. . .which. . .let’s just say ended a tad short. And now we have you telling me all these little details I couldn’t give a damn about but the sad part is that I have to care or else I’ve failed my sister and my family will have died in vain so I HAVE to go and save the Gods-be-Damned world. . .AGAIN!"
I slammed my head onto the ground between my knees and just kinda lay like that. It’s all I felt like doing.
Forever, if at all possible.
"Don’t mind her, she’s had a rough week," Gourry said by way of explanation.
"I see," said Mil.
"She’s not the only one," Memphis grumbled, and I felt a slight pang of sympathy.
Never let it be said that Lina cared only for herself.
Please?
"Dammit," I mumbled from between my legs. "What the hell do you want from me?"
"Your life, if you don’t mind," a completely unfamiliar voiced zinged.
I shot to my feet, angst forgotten in a surge of adrenalin. Everyone turned to face the source of the mysterious voice.
He was. . .not much more than a boy. No more than a few years younger than I, which put him at around 15 or 16. He had platinum blonde hair, which he styled slick back, which gave an unsettling, menacing appearance to his face, which was otherwise very fair and handsome. His eyes had no color to them; they were just white. He wore blood-red leather armor (and not the cheap dorky kind, either) and he handled a similarly colored claymore.
"Aiden. . ." Mil named the boy.
"The Knight of Shabranigdo," Memphis finished, with barely contained fury. I’d never seen her like that before, she’s usually so well contained. Was that steam bursting through her pointy hat?
I stared at the boy, trying to frame him in a villainous light. . . .but he was too damned handsome.
So this was my sister’s alter-ego.
Aiden shot me an oddly arrogant sneer, obliterating whatever beauty he’d had a second before. "I knew you’d come running here once I and some friends destroyed your friend’s little village."
"You mean you killed all these people just to bait me?" I wearily asked. I heard Memphis gasp.
"Partially," answered Aiden. "The main reason we came was to eliminate a potential threat." He gestured toward the wasted forest. The threat could only have been an army of elves wearing Zanassfar armor like they’d done a thousand years ago in the War of the Demonic Resurrection.
"I figured if I came, you’d come to face me and save me the trouble of hunting you down," he continued.
He noticed my apparent indifference. "Surely your dear, departed sibling mentioned me?" Aiden oozed.
"Hey Gourry," I said, pretending to ignore the knight.
"Huh?" Gourry awoke from his stupor to regard me.
"You know, my sister told me all about this guy," I said, and Aiden smirked a bit.
"Oh yeah, I do remember you saying something about that." Gourry grinned and subtly nodded, guessing my plan.
"Yes, I am sure she painted a rather accurate picture of me," Aiden put in sarcastically, wise to my game and readying his ridiculously large sword.
Not yet, buddy. . .
"You do know what you are doing?" Milgasia whispered from behind into my ear.
"If it doesn’t work, use your back-up plan," I hurriedly replied.
"I don’t have one." Mil stated. "That’s what Memphis is for."
Mephy, with her sensitive elvish ears, must’ve heard because she suddenly blanched.
Ah so. . .
Now totally brimming with confidence in the home team, I continued my scheme.
Oh yeah, in case you’re wondering why I didn’t just bust on into Knightmare mode, keep in mind that it took me nearly a week to recover from that the last time. I haven’t even had a couple days yet, so even with the magic dragon candy I’m still only at half steam. Wit and skill are the order of the day this time.
"Yeah," I continued tensing up. "My sister said you were. . .NOW!"
Instead of finishing whatever demoralizing quip I may or may not have had in mind, Gourry and I sprang into action, taking Aiden (as well as Memphis and Mil) totally by surprise. I launched a quick Dam Brass to distract the Knight so Gourry could get in close enough to use that magnificent sword of his.
I don’t care if he is the Knight of Ruby Eyes, not many can withstand the superior edge of the Blast Blade. That sword can cut even through a high-level demon lord, as the late Dynast Grauscherra found out.
So imagine my surprise when the kid actually blocked the sword. Handily, and from a difficult angle.
Well, poop.
The knight wasn’t taken off guard nearly as much as I had hoped he would be. I resigned myself to a real fight. I wished Amelia, Zel, and hell, even Naga were there.
Mil and Mephy joined in by launching various attack spells, trying to distract Aiden enough for Gourry or me to nail him with a finishing shot. Problem was, he kept confounding our efforts by dodging and blocking when and where no human could. But then again, he wasn’t entirely human. Just the same as me.
Aiden’s eyes glowed red with rage. He was beginning to mount a counterattack and I knew it wouldn’t be pretty. Then Aiden abruptly stood still and his claymore began to glow crimson. Gourry took advantage of Aiden’s lack of movement and took an overhead swing at the knight from behind. The sword came down and Gourry went flying, bounced back by Aiden’s barrier.
He’s casting a spell? But he isn’t saying anything!
Then I remembered. I don’t have to use any chaos words to use my Knightmare magic; why should Aiden have to do so with his powers? This means he is capable of instantaneous attack spells like the ones I can when I am at 100 percent. And if everything is the same for him as it is for me, then he needed an amulet, like the one I still had to find, to control and moderate his power.
If I can find and destroy it, or at least get it away from him, we should stand a much better chance.
Mil and Mephy continued to launch spells at Aiden, but it was doing only stirring up dust, obscuring Aiden’s figure. Gourry moved about, probably looking for a prime attacking point as soon as Aiden’s barrier went down.
Assuming we all survive whatever’s following the barrier’s wake. . .
Aiden looked right at Memphis and his eyes glittered coldly. "I think it’s time to finish what I started here."
I scrambled for a counter spell, dimly aware that I wouldn’t be able to cast it in time to save Mephy. Aiden launched a crimson spear of light that zoomed in with no deviation to the elf.
I shut my eyes to the inevitable splatter, unable to bear witnessing yet another person vanishing from my life.
I heard the explosion and then something I didn’t expect: Memphis’s voice! She’d survived and was preparing a counter attack!
I dared a look, expecting her to be horribly maimed, but she was fine. She had somehow managed to manipulate her Zanassfar armor into a shield that covered her entire body. In fact only a small wristlet was still attached to her body.
Well, I’ve never seen anyone do THAT before. . .
Aiden was as shocked as everyone else, everyone except Mil, that is. While that piece of drama had been unfolding, Mil was calmly chanting a spell. And from the sound of it, a holy spell.
Bout time you brought out the big guns!
"Valwyn Gale!" Mil shouted the power words, sending a magically infused sheet of wind and lightning hurdling toward the very surprised (finally) Aiden. The knight only had a split second to react, but he somehow managed to deflect the brunt of Mil’s spell with a powerful upward sweep of his blade. His armor and sword came out smoking, though.
"Bastard," Aiden grumbled.
Gourry took advantage of Aiden’s distraction, attempting to run the knight through from behind. But Aiden sensed Gourry’s impending attack and easily swatted his blade away … and to my ultimate horror a bright line a crimson spilled from Gourry’s cleaved breast plate.
"Gourry!" I screamed as I ran to his aid. I was NOT going to lose another one!
Even if the entire universe is destroyed! I will NOT lose this one!
Even as those thoughts came to me they somehow felt familiar.
"You do not need to run, little Inverse!" that ruby-eyed prick mocked as he prepped another spell. "I can send you to him much faster!" I could feel the magical energy gushing from his general vicinity and I knew that if I didn’t set up some kind of defensive barrier that Aiden would annihilate me without a trace. But I didn’t care. All that mattered then was Gourry and how I needed to make sure he was all right.
I heard a rumble from behind and I didn’t even flinch. Aiden cursed and I assumed that meant either Mil or Memphis had started a counter attack. Good for them, they can distract him long enough for me to check out Gourry.
I dropped to my fallen knight’s side and quickly removed what remained of Gourry’s black serpent-scaled breast plate. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found his wound wasn’t as deep as I’d feared. Still I cast a recovery spell on him just to be on the safe side. He probably bumped his head on the way down but should be back up in a jif.
I stood up and turned to face the one who’d hurt my jellyfish. Dragon Slave was out of the question, along with Ruby-Eye Blade. While I doubt Mil or Mephy could be harmed by those spells, the freakish boy knight would probably be totally immune to them. I wasn’t recovered enough for Knightmare magic, so that left shamanistic or another demon lord’s spell.
I started chanting.
Mil and Mephy went flying.
Still I chanted, gathering enough power to kill the bastard.
Aiden raised his magically empowered fist in an obvious death blow.
Still I chanted, not ready yet, dimly aware that Mil and Mephy could die at any second.
Then Aiden’s hand fell off.
I stopped my spell, staring at the unexpectedly severed limb, wondering what the hell had just happened.
I glanced over to Gourry and saw that he was still there, dreaming this fight away.
I looked at Aiden, who was staring at another mysterious young man a few yards in front of him.
The stranger was holding a humongous and bloody cleaver.
Like Aiden, he was little more than a boy, maybe a little older than Aiden. He had black hair instead of platinum and his skin was a dark tan. His eyes were an earthy brown and sharply angled, giving him an exotic appearance. He wore steel-studded brown leather armor (also not of the dorky persuasion).
"Stridus. . .impudent little . . .!" Aiden grated. And then, all of the sudden, he disappeared.
"Typical!" spat the stranger, apparently named Stridus.
Milgasia and Memphis, now recovered from Aiden’s assault, approached the man.
"Well met, Earth Knight Stridus," Mil greeted him.
He’s the Earth Dragon Langort’s Knight!?
"And to you High Priest Milgasia and his apprentice Memphis." Stridus nodded in acknowledgment.
He then turned abruptly to face me, a cold expression in his eyes. "And to you, Knightmare Lina Inverse. Now tell me why I shouldn’t kill you."
Tom the Mighty’s Might Notes!
Uh oh! Another cliffhanger ending! Don’t you guys love me? Sorry for the late update. As I might have mentioned before, I decided to take some summer courses for some reason and I’ve been scrambling over term papers and finals. Yippee!
So we introduce yet another Knight! If you’re thinking this will become a trend, then you’re. . wrong! Stridus is the last Knight I intend to use. . .at least for a long while. The details of the last few chapters of the story are still up for grabs so who knows.
Thanks as usual for those who reviewed the last chapter and to those who review this one! Signed Reviews ONLY please! It’s easier to respond to you that way.
Til next time!
Chapter Twelve
We were standing in a charred plain that once was a forest surrounding a small section of the Katahto Mountains. Demonic flames had burned to the ground the elven city that had stood there. We arrived shortly after the fires had died, but the smell of charred wood and flesh was still strong in the air, making me want to gag. . . again.
Gourry stood gazing at the surroundings with a sort of shocked horror etched upon his face. Mil’s stern expression was unchanging as he took in the destruction.
"Master!" A shrill elven voice called out, and we all turned to see Memphis running toward us.
She stopped about a yard in front of Mil. "They are all gone, then?" Mil asked, sympathetic as usual.
Mephy looked at the ground, probably trying not to cry, not that I could blame her. "Yes. . .I saw Xellos."
"Xellos?" Mil growled, which was about as much emotion as you could get from the dragon.
"Wait a minute!? Xellos was here?" I asked and Mephy, ever observant, finally noticed that her master had brought company!
"Miss Lina and Master Gourry! What are you two doing here?"
Back story time! Memphis is an elf, as you may have guessed by the pointy ears, short stature and odd clothing (especially the pointy hat). She’s been Milgasia’s apprentice in the magical and logical arts for quite some time now and previously traveled with us here and there along with Luke and Millenia. Also noteworthy is the fact that she, along with some others of elven persuasion, wear Zanassfar armor. It’s not the crazy psycho variety that I’ve dealt with before, but still powerful nonetheless.
"Just hanging," I abbreviated. "Now what was this about a certain mysterious priest?" I pressed, trying to figure out what Xellos had to do with this fiasco.
"Well, I saw him snooping around when the fighting started. He seemed to be just watching the massacre, not helping or abating it in any way," she said, her voice a bit ragged and confused. Elves don’t have much concept of mortality, unlike humans and other shorter-lived species. She must be going through hell, Hades and Tartarus right about now. I envy the discipline Mil has instilled in her. She was a lot more composed than I’ve been in my darkest hour.
"Now that’s odd," I started. "But I guess a lot of things he’s been doing lately have been odd."
"What do you know?" Memphis said.
"I know that Xellos has been helping us here and there these past few weeks. Hell, he even saved my life. I doubt he has been doing so out of the goodness of his heart." Supposing he even has one.
"He obviously wants you alive, but the reason why is unclear," Mil said. "He once stated that he would gladly kill you himself but is compelled to do the exact opposite. What does this tell you?"
"Maybe he’s taken a liking to you?" Gourry mischievously grinned at me. Which may have been uncomfortably close to the truth in my earlier travels with Xellos.
"Yeah, he’s always grinning at me in that creepy way," I said, playing along. "But seriously," I said, “It means that someone really high up is looking out for my well being." Just like with Hellmaster, and we all know how well that turned out.
"So far so good," Mil said encouragingly, and I felt a small stirring of gratitude, like when you got a question right in class.
"But the questions are who and why?" I continued. "The demons we ran into in Zephyr pretty much said they want to eliminate me as a threat. I’ve dealt with that before but they seemed quite a bit more serious this time with them wearing Zanassfar armor and all." And trying to bring down the entire city on our heads. But not even that can defeat the powerful Lina the Great!
Shut up. I deserve a little self-congratulation every once in a while.
"They have Zanassfar!?" Mephy exclaimed, distressed for painfully plain reasons. Only the elven race has truly been able to safely create and control the sentient armor. Other races that have tried, humans for one, have always met with disaster. Case in point, the Demon Beast of Sairaag.
"Yeah, but I didn’t see them do anything with it besides the obvious protection factor." Zanassfar can also be manipulated for use as a weapon. "Wait a minute! Didn’t the demons that attacked here have the armor?"
"That’s what I’ve heard, but I’d hoped it was just a mistake. But with you and Gourry confirming it. . .Gods, I hope you’re right about the armor being purely defensive."
"Just because they didn’t doesn’t mean they can’t, though," Gourry sounded off. "I’ve had a few nasty experiences from the power of that armor." A nasty leg-puncturing experience, if I remember correctly.
"True, but that would be our worst-case scenario," Mil said. "Suppose instead, that the armor is just for that, armor?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, a little perplexed.
"He means," Mephy said, still staring at her feet, "that demons don’t need the offensive power the armor normally provides. They just need it to protect them from attacks from the astral plane."
"Essentially making them immune to black magic and shamanism," I deduced, my stomach tying itself into knots, in which it is becoming quite proficient, by the way.
"Excellent!" Mil said, in a congratulatory sort of way.
"WHAT’S SO EXCELLENT ABOUT IT!?" I screeched, stress levels CLEARLY exceeding recommended safety levels.
I sank to my knees and struggled very hard not to cry. Gourry got down on his knees and held my hand, so I grabbed his and nearly crushed it, which made me feel a little better.
"What’s wrong?" Mephy asked.
"I’ll tell you what’s wrong!" I snarled, not really caring about anyone but myself at the moment and absolutely LOVING it. "A big colossal evil has suddenly decided to show itself in the middle of what was to be my happy little family reunion which. . .which. . .let’s just say ended a tad short. And now we have you telling me all these little details I couldn’t give a damn about but the sad part is that I have to care or else I’ve failed my sister and my family will have died in vain so I HAVE to go and save the Gods-be-Damned world. . .AGAIN!"
I slammed my head onto the ground between my knees and just kinda lay like that. It’s all I felt like doing.
Forever, if at all possible.
"Don’t mind her, she’s had a rough week," Gourry said by way of explanation.
"I see," said Mil.
"She’s not the only one," Memphis grumbled, and I felt a slight pang of sympathy.
Never let it be said that Lina cared only for herself.
Please?
"Dammit," I mumbled from between my legs. "What the hell do you want from me?"
"Your life, if you don’t mind," a completely unfamiliar voiced zinged.
I shot to my feet, angst forgotten in a surge of adrenalin. Everyone turned to face the source of the mysterious voice.
He was. . .not much more than a boy. No more than a few years younger than I, which put him at around 15 or 16. He had platinum blonde hair, which he styled slick back, which gave an unsettling, menacing appearance to his face, which was otherwise very fair and handsome. His eyes had no color to them; they were just white. He wore blood-red leather armor (and not the cheap dorky kind, either) and he handled a similarly colored claymore.
"Aiden. . ." Mil named the boy.
"The Knight of Shabranigdo," Memphis finished, with barely contained fury. I’d never seen her like that before, she’s usually so well contained. Was that steam bursting through her pointy hat?
I stared at the boy, trying to frame him in a villainous light. . . .but he was too damned handsome.
So this was my sister’s alter-ego.
Aiden shot me an oddly arrogant sneer, obliterating whatever beauty he’d had a second before. "I knew you’d come running here once I and some friends destroyed your friend’s little village."
"You mean you killed all these people just to bait me?" I wearily asked. I heard Memphis gasp.
"Partially," answered Aiden. "The main reason we came was to eliminate a potential threat." He gestured toward the wasted forest. The threat could only have been an army of elves wearing Zanassfar armor like they’d done a thousand years ago in the War of the Demonic Resurrection.
"I figured if I came, you’d come to face me and save me the trouble of hunting you down," he continued.
He noticed my apparent indifference. "Surely your dear, departed sibling mentioned me?" Aiden oozed.
"Hey Gourry," I said, pretending to ignore the knight.
"Huh?" Gourry awoke from his stupor to regard me.
"You know, my sister told me all about this guy," I said, and Aiden smirked a bit.
"Oh yeah, I do remember you saying something about that." Gourry grinned and subtly nodded, guessing my plan.
"Yes, I am sure she painted a rather accurate picture of me," Aiden put in sarcastically, wise to my game and readying his ridiculously large sword.
Not yet, buddy. . .
"You do know what you are doing?" Milgasia whispered from behind into my ear.
"If it doesn’t work, use your back-up plan," I hurriedly replied.
"I don’t have one." Mil stated. "That’s what Memphis is for."
Mephy, with her sensitive elvish ears, must’ve heard because she suddenly blanched.
Ah so. . .
Now totally brimming with confidence in the home team, I continued my scheme.
Oh yeah, in case you’re wondering why I didn’t just bust on into Knightmare mode, keep in mind that it took me nearly a week to recover from that the last time. I haven’t even had a couple days yet, so even with the magic dragon candy I’m still only at half steam. Wit and skill are the order of the day this time.
"Yeah," I continued tensing up. "My sister said you were. . .NOW!"
Instead of finishing whatever demoralizing quip I may or may not have had in mind, Gourry and I sprang into action, taking Aiden (as well as Memphis and Mil) totally by surprise. I launched a quick Dam Brass to distract the Knight so Gourry could get in close enough to use that magnificent sword of his.
I don’t care if he is the Knight of Ruby Eyes, not many can withstand the superior edge of the Blast Blade. That sword can cut even through a high-level demon lord, as the late Dynast Grauscherra found out.
So imagine my surprise when the kid actually blocked the sword. Handily, and from a difficult angle.
Well, poop.
The knight wasn’t taken off guard nearly as much as I had hoped he would be. I resigned myself to a real fight. I wished Amelia, Zel, and hell, even Naga were there.
Mil and Mephy joined in by launching various attack spells, trying to distract Aiden enough for Gourry or me to nail him with a finishing shot. Problem was, he kept confounding our efforts by dodging and blocking when and where no human could. But then again, he wasn’t entirely human. Just the same as me.
Aiden’s eyes glowed red with rage. He was beginning to mount a counterattack and I knew it wouldn’t be pretty. Then Aiden abruptly stood still and his claymore began to glow crimson. Gourry took advantage of Aiden’s lack of movement and took an overhead swing at the knight from behind. The sword came down and Gourry went flying, bounced back by Aiden’s barrier.
He’s casting a spell? But he isn’t saying anything!
Then I remembered. I don’t have to use any chaos words to use my Knightmare magic; why should Aiden have to do so with his powers? This means he is capable of instantaneous attack spells like the ones I can when I am at 100 percent. And if everything is the same for him as it is for me, then he needed an amulet, like the one I still had to find, to control and moderate his power.
If I can find and destroy it, or at least get it away from him, we should stand a much better chance.
Mil and Mephy continued to launch spells at Aiden, but it was doing only stirring up dust, obscuring Aiden’s figure. Gourry moved about, probably looking for a prime attacking point as soon as Aiden’s barrier went down.
Assuming we all survive whatever’s following the barrier’s wake. . .
Aiden looked right at Memphis and his eyes glittered coldly. "I think it’s time to finish what I started here."
I scrambled for a counter spell, dimly aware that I wouldn’t be able to cast it in time to save Mephy. Aiden launched a crimson spear of light that zoomed in with no deviation to the elf.
I shut my eyes to the inevitable splatter, unable to bear witnessing yet another person vanishing from my life.
I heard the explosion and then something I didn’t expect: Memphis’s voice! She’d survived and was preparing a counter attack!
I dared a look, expecting her to be horribly maimed, but she was fine. She had somehow managed to manipulate her Zanassfar armor into a shield that covered her entire body. In fact only a small wristlet was still attached to her body.
Well, I’ve never seen anyone do THAT before. . .
Aiden was as shocked as everyone else, everyone except Mil, that is. While that piece of drama had been unfolding, Mil was calmly chanting a spell. And from the sound of it, a holy spell.
Bout time you brought out the big guns!
"Valwyn Gale!" Mil shouted the power words, sending a magically infused sheet of wind and lightning hurdling toward the very surprised (finally) Aiden. The knight only had a split second to react, but he somehow managed to deflect the brunt of Mil’s spell with a powerful upward sweep of his blade. His armor and sword came out smoking, though.
"Bastard," Aiden grumbled.
Gourry took advantage of Aiden’s distraction, attempting to run the knight through from behind. But Aiden sensed Gourry’s impending attack and easily swatted his blade away … and to my ultimate horror a bright line a crimson spilled from Gourry’s cleaved breast plate.
"Gourry!" I screamed as I ran to his aid. I was NOT going to lose another one!
Even if the entire universe is destroyed! I will NOT lose this one!
Even as those thoughts came to me they somehow felt familiar.
"You do not need to run, little Inverse!" that ruby-eyed prick mocked as he prepped another spell. "I can send you to him much faster!" I could feel the magical energy gushing from his general vicinity and I knew that if I didn’t set up some kind of defensive barrier that Aiden would annihilate me without a trace. But I didn’t care. All that mattered then was Gourry and how I needed to make sure he was all right.
I heard a rumble from behind and I didn’t even flinch. Aiden cursed and I assumed that meant either Mil or Memphis had started a counter attack. Good for them, they can distract him long enough for me to check out Gourry.
I dropped to my fallen knight’s side and quickly removed what remained of Gourry’s black serpent-scaled breast plate. I breathed a sigh of relief when I found his wound wasn’t as deep as I’d feared. Still I cast a recovery spell on him just to be on the safe side. He probably bumped his head on the way down but should be back up in a jif.
I stood up and turned to face the one who’d hurt my jellyfish. Dragon Slave was out of the question, along with Ruby-Eye Blade. While I doubt Mil or Mephy could be harmed by those spells, the freakish boy knight would probably be totally immune to them. I wasn’t recovered enough for Knightmare magic, so that left shamanistic or another demon lord’s spell.
I started chanting.
Mil and Mephy went flying.
Still I chanted, gathering enough power to kill the bastard.
Aiden raised his magically empowered fist in an obvious death blow.
Still I chanted, not ready yet, dimly aware that Mil and Mephy could die at any second.
Then Aiden’s hand fell off.
I stopped my spell, staring at the unexpectedly severed limb, wondering what the hell had just happened.
I glanced over to Gourry and saw that he was still there, dreaming this fight away.
I looked at Aiden, who was staring at another mysterious young man a few yards in front of him.
The stranger was holding a humongous and bloody cleaver.
Like Aiden, he was little more than a boy, maybe a little older than Aiden. He had black hair instead of platinum and his skin was a dark tan. His eyes were an earthy brown and sharply angled, giving him an exotic appearance. He wore steel-studded brown leather armor (also not of the dorky persuasion).
"Stridus. . .impudent little . . .!" Aiden grated. And then, all of the sudden, he disappeared.
"Typical!" spat the stranger, apparently named Stridus.
Milgasia and Memphis, now recovered from Aiden’s assault, approached the man.
"Well met, Earth Knight Stridus," Mil greeted him.
He’s the Earth Dragon Langort’s Knight!?
"And to you High Priest Milgasia and his apprentice Memphis." Stridus nodded in acknowledgment.
He then turned abruptly to face me, a cold expression in his eyes. "And to you, Knightmare Lina Inverse. Now tell me why I shouldn’t kill you."
Tom the Mighty’s Might Notes!
Uh oh! Another cliffhanger ending! Don’t you guys love me? Sorry for the late update. As I might have mentioned before, I decided to take some summer courses for some reason and I’ve been scrambling over term papers and finals. Yippee!
So we introduce yet another Knight! If you’re thinking this will become a trend, then you’re. . wrong! Stridus is the last Knight I intend to use. . .at least for a long while. The details of the last few chapters of the story are still up for grabs so who knows.
Thanks as usual for those who reviewed the last chapter and to those who review this one! Signed Reviews ONLY please! It’s easier to respond to you that way.
Til next time!