Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers: Knightfall ❯ Chapter 19 ( Chapter 20 )
[ 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: 3.3K | Visits: 243 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.18.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 243 | Status: Work In Progress
Slayers: Knightfall
Chapter Nineteen
Its been three weeks since Mil left us on our way to the Vale of Shadows. Three weeks of wonderfully uneventful trekking west then north (Then south when Gourry held the map upside down) and now east through Seyruun (Almost into the Kingdom of Dilse when the not so delightfully insane Naga switched maps for some reason) into Zephillia.
In fact, its been so quiet and peaceful I actually recovered much of my lost strength! On top of that, my moods been lifted considerably as well due to Mil’s gracious decision to not eliminate me as a “threat”, whatever than meant. Well, whatever, I’m just glad he’s back on my side again, sort of. At least he hasn’t sent Mr. Overcompensating Cleaver Boy Stridus after me. I’m sure he wouldn’t do that unless I did something unforgivably stupid, like say, void the existence of a country or two.
Oh hush, I’d only do that under EXTREME circumstances. Like if the countries in question decided to stop exporting my favorite food or something.
But, (I emphasize the sarcasm in “But”) that is what Zel and Amelia are for. Every once in a while Milgasia displays how big of a heart he really does have. This time he showed it in the incredible amount of trust he placed in Amelia and Zel. He didn’t feel the need to place one of his own followers to keep an eye out me but instead chose two of most trusted (one of them being morally uncompromising) companions that were already traveling with me anyways.
I’m still worried about whatever the demons have planned, as it is sure to be unquestionably suspect in intention as demons are not the most pleasant of folk and are incredibly boorish at garden parties. Their Zanassfar Armor is especially terrifying in its many potential uses.
For one: Everyone knows it shields the wearer against every form of magic except for Nightmare magic. The however few demons that are left have already been known to be wearing it, making the ridiculously tough ne’er do wells even more difficult to defeat in battle. Now, imagine that they get the idea to equip your everyday monster with it. Berserkers, Trolls, Goblins, Chimeras, all the humanoid nasties in the world would be nearly invincible to your common soldier or even your typical sorcerer.
Or, even worse a possible eventuality; The demons underestimate the power of the parasitic armor and every demon wearing it is consumed and we have a whole army of Zanassfar Beasts on their way to meet the great wide world. . .with laser spewing tentacles and big sharp nasty teeth!
And its possible too! I’ve been theorizing ever since I meet those demons with the armor in Zephyr City. Generally, if the armor is improperly made, the Zanassfar’s natural parasitic tendencies will overcome the wearer, eventually devouring him completely. Now, a demon doesn’t have a physical body per se. So what does the Zanassfar feed off of? My best guess is the miasma that demons give off. Much like the Flagohn tree in Sairaag, the Zanassfar must be subsisting off of the copious amount of negative energy that mazoku radiate. Elves can safely wear the armor because they fashioned their armor so that it feeds off of the positive energy they give off.
But enough theorizing, its time for a break!
“Hey Zel!” I called out to our stony companion which turn it was to happily lead us for so long that everyone’s feet was wearing down to bloody stumps. “Don’t you think its time for lunch yet?”
“No, not really, but I don’t suppose that’s going to stop you,” he replied sounding a tad bit resigned. He shot me a resigned look to confirm the fact that he was, in fact, resigned as I had suspected. I’m a sleuth you know, solving all those mysteries about fat people with missing heads, a case or two when the Butler did actually do it, and cases of mistaken identity with murderers and other fun things I never get paid to solve. Ever.
“Damn straight it isn’t.” With that I threw my blanket onto the soft grass at the side of the little used road we were traveling on and rested my sore feet. I didn’t have time to worry about the things that may happen. I’ll just take them as they come. It’s worked so far, hasn’t it?
In the distance I heard Amelia shout to Naga, “No Gracia! You can’t shove bee hives in your belly button! Ouch! Oh no! Run!” Ah, I wonder if this is a sign of things to be when I have to take care of Gourry when he’s old and senile.
Speaking of, Gourry, dragging a decent sized hand cart filled with nearly a months worth of supplies we picked up in a town about a week ago, billed to the Royal house of Seyruun, came to a stop right next to me and gave me a long and weary look.
“You know?” Gourry began. “Why is it I always have to haul the heavy stuff?”
“Think of it as physical therapy, you still aren’t completely recovered from our tussle with the Cu Sith yet you know.” I scooched over a bit when Gourry lowered himself and about ten good sized bento lunches onto my blanket. Me and Gourry each shared 3 of the lunches and left the others to the side in case we were still hungry or whether Zel, Amelia and Naga decided to come join us. Which ever came first.
“No Gracia! Let me take care of those bee stings before you decide to use me as a spring board!” Amelia complained in the lovely midday sun distracting me a bit from my meal.
“Whatever, it just means I’m going to have to eat a but more to keep up my strength!” Gourry seized the opportunity and ungraciously helped himself to three, count them, three of my egg rolls!
“Gourry! That’s not fair!” I bitched as I squirmed around his arms to steal a couple of his fried sweet potatoes. And yes they do taste better hard won. I retrieved a fork and went for some of his smoked fish.
“Oh no you don’t!” Gourry parried with a spoon of his own and used his other hand, with fork bared, to take a jab at my octopus rice balls. Metal screamed and bones groaned as I deflected his attempt at my glorious food and simultaneously slipped under his reach to lick his smoked fish. I was sure to properly season it with plenty of Lina drool.
“Ha!” I triumphantly smirked whilst wiping away the extra saliva from my chin. “How do you like that!?”
“You think that’ll stop me!?” Gourry powered me out of the way and in a move that almost made me vomit, consumed his ENTIRE tray of food in only a few gulps, marinated fish and all. Then he did the same thing to the next of his bento boxes.
This isn’t going to end well.
“Uh, Gourry? You’re going to make yourself sick!” I cautioned. I grabbed Gourry’s third bento box just before he could grab it and started to scarf it down myself in spite of what I just told him.
The sudden gleam in Gourry’s eye scared me just enough to jerk out of his way as he tackled one of my lunches.
“MY FOOD!” I cried as I cracked an empty wooden tray over Gourry’s thick skull, making him fall face first into MY fish balls, which he quickly sucked into his mouth!
“NO! Spit them out!” I jumped onto his back and with a pained “Oomph!” the slightly masticated fish and rice came spewing out of his mouth and onto the already very soiled blanket.
“Don’t think that will stop me either!” I warned, scrambling off Gourry and shoving MY FOOD that Gourry half chewed into my mouth. Vaguely, I was aware that this was supposed to be pretty disgusting but I was honestly having fun in a more intimate way with Gourry if you can wrap your head around that bit of insanity. I wasn’t about to gobble down food that’s been in the mouth of ANY other member of our party, especially Naga.
She’s been putting. . .disturbing things in there as of late. . . .very disturbing things.
We went on like that for several more minutes, not realizing that we’ve been providing a show for Amelia , Naga and Zel while they ate their own food. Well, Zel ate while Amelia attempted to make Naga eat. But Naga seemed only interested in wearing the food rather than ingesting it.
Pretty soon Amelia will be more than prepared to raise a kid of her own. And its all thanks to Naga’s lunacy.
“You know, “ Zel ventured. “You’d think that they would find another, more traditional, outlet for their barely contained passions.”
“True, it almost makes me want to never look at food the same way again.” Amelia seconded.
“Shut it, pancake girl!” I shrieked, throwing some of my half chewed food like a chimp at the impudent and pinking princess
“Well, we’re creative.” Zel unnecessarily explained. “Trying new things is an important part of any-.”
“Enough! If I wanted to know anything about your freakish bedtime romps I would’ve asked!” That was one of the reasons I was annoyed with Zel and Amelia antics. Not only were they in a physical relationship, they were completely unembarrassed about it! Well, Amelia is only embarrassed about the food thing but that wasn’t the only reason they were getting on my nerves.
I still hadn’t told Gourry about my premonition I had when we first flew full speed away from Mil and his Merry Would Be Murderers. While never far from the front of my mind, I stuck it on the back burner until I could figure out a way to explain to Gourry that the main reason of late I’ve been acting really strange is because I sensed that our future kid would be instrumental in the fate of the world. But how could I tell him that without embarrassing the hell out of me!?
I had feeling that the child would be arriving sooner than I had originally thought- and no! We haven’t done it yet!- So being in the know that it would happen soon didn’t help matters because if I don’t say anything until after it happen it would make me sound crazy. If I say something now it would seem to me like I was pushing for something I wasn’t ready for yet.
AAAARGH! Damn prophesies and the headaches arbitrarily packaged with them!
“Something wrong, Lina?” Gourry asked, picking some food out of hair and popping it into his mouth.
But then again, maybe I am substituting “something” else for our epic food battles. . .this one in particular. Great, I guess food fighting is now an allegory on the scale of Zel and Amelia’s breakfast items.
“Oh, nothing,” I grumped, my good mood spoilt by Z and A’s interruption.
“Hey, what’s that?” Gourry suddenly stood up and scanned the eastern horizon.
I squinted and held a hand above my eyes and could finally make out some dust clouds forming on the road a long ways ahead of us.
“It looks like a huge caravan or something,” Gourry speculated.
“From Zephillia?” Amelia stood up and cast a levitation spell to get a better look.
“We need to hide in case they aren’t friendly.” Zel warned.
“Quick, help me clean this mess up!” I told Gourry. I was already bundling up my blanket without bothering to brush off any of the food or trays still on it. No need to leave any clues that we were here I reckon.
Zel and Amelia already cleaned their mess up by the time Gourry and I moved the hand wagon behind some thick shrubs. The caravan was still a ways off but close enough for Gourry to tell that they weren’t a beast man army or worse.
In fact, as far as he could tell, they just seemed to be ordinary travelers. Ordinary, but a large number of them nonetheless.
Zel brought a hand to his chin, “Do you suppose they are refugees?”
“I don’t know,” Amelia answered. “We haven’t heard anything from Zephillia for some time. Even before we knew the throne was being manipulated by demons the Zephillian Ambassador left without saying a word so we have no real way of knowing what’s going on in that country.”
“I’m betting they are refugees,” I said. “We are a proud, stubborn people, but we know when fighting is useless. My bet is that they are headed to Seyruun and that a good chunk of them will want to join the army for a chance to kick the demons out of Zephillia should that ever come to be.”
“Oh, no.” Amelia muttered. With Seyruun under siege, the refugees will be facing an even longer trip than what they had prepared for.
We didn’t have to wait long for the refugees to arrive, and that is what they turned out to be. In fact, they seemed to be on the way to Seyruun and unluckily for Amelia, somebody recognized her from one of her more recent public appearances and called her out.
Frankly, I was surprised no one had spotted me! Zephillia’s most well known daughter! I did have a price on my head for supposedly killing the king you know.
“Princess!” An old man appeared from the throng of travelers. “Princess, we beseech you! Grant us refuge in your great city!” A crowd had started to gather around us, looking up at our perturbed princess with pleading eyes. Some looked ready for vengeance, others looked sick at the thought of leaving their homeland.
“Everyone,” Amelia loudly spoke, everyone in earshot now paying attention. “While Seyruun feels for your pain and sorrow at being forced from your kingdom, sadly, she cannot help. For the Holy City itself is under siege by an unprecedented number of monsters and demons.”
An extremely uncomfortable silence followed that unhappy announcement. The old man that first spotted Amelia softly said, “What do we do know? That even the Holy City of Seyruun is unable to help us. . .these are dark times indeed.”
“I can help you, my friend.” A young but fierce sounding voice rang in the crisp late autumn air.
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, not more than ten meters away, on top a large boulder, a young man stood. He looked to be about as tall as Gourry, but lankier in frame. He wore white pants and an open blue vest. He wasn’t human, that fact made obvious by the black horn poking out of his unkempt light blue hair.
Gourry and I simultaneously gasped at what he was holding in his right hand.
It couldn’t be!?
It wasn’t exactly the same, it was longer, more irregular than the weapon Gourry had once wielded.
“Lina,” Gourry started.
“I know, I see it.” I dimly spoke.
Zel was understandably incredulous. “That’s the Sword of Light!?”
“Impossible?!” Amelia shouted.
“It’s not the same though.” I said, studying the weapon and its two glowing blades of light. One blade was larger than the other, my guess is that it could be used as either a javelin or a bow staff up close.
“You are correct in your assumption, Lina Inverse.” The stranger practically spat the name. Why do people I’ve never even met hate me?
“But,” he continued. “Back to the matter at hand.” He looked upon the still gathering throng. “Yes I can help you! You won’t find any shelter in Seyruun, or any major kingdom. The enemy is already that entrenched. But, come with me and join my army! We can rise and crush those who usurped your rightful leaders thrones, despoiled your farmlands and let your families die!”
“Who is this guy?” I asked no one in particular. Sure his speech was a bit on the Ameli’ish side, but his inflection and proper use of volume made him much more charismatic than poor Amelia could ever be.
“I’ve never seen him before, but there is something off about him.” Amelia said, looking at the mystery orator with more than a little suspicion. “He almost gives me the same feeling a demon would, but something’s different.”
“A demon? Well that explains the horn” Oh, boy. I get the feeling him meeting us here isn’t a coincidence.
The presumed demon continued his speech.
“Yes, you can live within my kingdom in safety, with ample food and water. All I ask is that you join my army!”
Then, almost as a completely UNNECESSARY afterthought he added. “Oh, and one more thing, kill Lina Inverse!”
“WHAT!” Everyone in my party didn’t see that one coming.
The helpless refugees all of the sudden looked as dangerous as dragons to me then. Weapons of all types appeared in many hands. Sudden bloodlust was thick in the air.
“Yes,” The demon grinned. “Join me, join Valgaav!”
Tom the Mighty’s Mighty Notes.
Hmm. . . .bet ya didn’t see that one coming? No this isn’t going to turn into another version of Slayers: Try, an already excellent version of that has been done by DQBuuny.
No, Valgaav’s attitude and goal of killing Lina and all Golden Dragons will stay the same, but let’s just say that there are going to be more than a few MAJOR plot twists to keep you guessing.
As some of you may have noticed, I deleted most of the later chapters of this story. The decision to do so wasn’t easy. But I felt that it had to be done. The whole Lina getting tested subplot was getting way out of hand and detracting from the main story. So what I did was sit down and rewrite the entire plot from chapter 17 until the end of this book, and worked quite a bit on the plot details and the sequel.
If I follow the plot outlines I have, things should run a lot more smoothly, with less side quests and mini games so to speak.
Tell me what you think!
Chapter Nineteen
Its been three weeks since Mil left us on our way to the Vale of Shadows. Three weeks of wonderfully uneventful trekking west then north (Then south when Gourry held the map upside down) and now east through Seyruun (Almost into the Kingdom of Dilse when the not so delightfully insane Naga switched maps for some reason) into Zephillia.
In fact, its been so quiet and peaceful I actually recovered much of my lost strength! On top of that, my moods been lifted considerably as well due to Mil’s gracious decision to not eliminate me as a “threat”, whatever than meant. Well, whatever, I’m just glad he’s back on my side again, sort of. At least he hasn’t sent Mr. Overcompensating Cleaver Boy Stridus after me. I’m sure he wouldn’t do that unless I did something unforgivably stupid, like say, void the existence of a country or two.
Oh hush, I’d only do that under EXTREME circumstances. Like if the countries in question decided to stop exporting my favorite food or something.
But, (I emphasize the sarcasm in “But”) that is what Zel and Amelia are for. Every once in a while Milgasia displays how big of a heart he really does have. This time he showed it in the incredible amount of trust he placed in Amelia and Zel. He didn’t feel the need to place one of his own followers to keep an eye out me but instead chose two of most trusted (one of them being morally uncompromising) companions that were already traveling with me anyways.
I’m still worried about whatever the demons have planned, as it is sure to be unquestionably suspect in intention as demons are not the most pleasant of folk and are incredibly boorish at garden parties. Their Zanassfar Armor is especially terrifying in its many potential uses.
For one: Everyone knows it shields the wearer against every form of magic except for Nightmare magic. The however few demons that are left have already been known to be wearing it, making the ridiculously tough ne’er do wells even more difficult to defeat in battle. Now, imagine that they get the idea to equip your everyday monster with it. Berserkers, Trolls, Goblins, Chimeras, all the humanoid nasties in the world would be nearly invincible to your common soldier or even your typical sorcerer.
Or, even worse a possible eventuality; The demons underestimate the power of the parasitic armor and every demon wearing it is consumed and we have a whole army of Zanassfar Beasts on their way to meet the great wide world. . .with laser spewing tentacles and big sharp nasty teeth!
And its possible too! I’ve been theorizing ever since I meet those demons with the armor in Zephyr City. Generally, if the armor is improperly made, the Zanassfar’s natural parasitic tendencies will overcome the wearer, eventually devouring him completely. Now, a demon doesn’t have a physical body per se. So what does the Zanassfar feed off of? My best guess is the miasma that demons give off. Much like the Flagohn tree in Sairaag, the Zanassfar must be subsisting off of the copious amount of negative energy that mazoku radiate. Elves can safely wear the armor because they fashioned their armor so that it feeds off of the positive energy they give off.
But enough theorizing, its time for a break!
“Hey Zel!” I called out to our stony companion which turn it was to happily lead us for so long that everyone’s feet was wearing down to bloody stumps. “Don’t you think its time for lunch yet?”
“No, not really, but I don’t suppose that’s going to stop you,” he replied sounding a tad bit resigned. He shot me a resigned look to confirm the fact that he was, in fact, resigned as I had suspected. I’m a sleuth you know, solving all those mysteries about fat people with missing heads, a case or two when the Butler did actually do it, and cases of mistaken identity with murderers and other fun things I never get paid to solve. Ever.
“Damn straight it isn’t.” With that I threw my blanket onto the soft grass at the side of the little used road we were traveling on and rested my sore feet. I didn’t have time to worry about the things that may happen. I’ll just take them as they come. It’s worked so far, hasn’t it?
In the distance I heard Amelia shout to Naga, “No Gracia! You can’t shove bee hives in your belly button! Ouch! Oh no! Run!” Ah, I wonder if this is a sign of things to be when I have to take care of Gourry when he’s old and senile.
Speaking of, Gourry, dragging a decent sized hand cart filled with nearly a months worth of supplies we picked up in a town about a week ago, billed to the Royal house of Seyruun, came to a stop right next to me and gave me a long and weary look.
“You know?” Gourry began. “Why is it I always have to haul the heavy stuff?”
“Think of it as physical therapy, you still aren’t completely recovered from our tussle with the Cu Sith yet you know.” I scooched over a bit when Gourry lowered himself and about ten good sized bento lunches onto my blanket. Me and Gourry each shared 3 of the lunches and left the others to the side in case we were still hungry or whether Zel, Amelia and Naga decided to come join us. Which ever came first.
“No Gracia! Let me take care of those bee stings before you decide to use me as a spring board!” Amelia complained in the lovely midday sun distracting me a bit from my meal.
“Whatever, it just means I’m going to have to eat a but more to keep up my strength!” Gourry seized the opportunity and ungraciously helped himself to three, count them, three of my egg rolls!
“Gourry! That’s not fair!” I bitched as I squirmed around his arms to steal a couple of his fried sweet potatoes. And yes they do taste better hard won. I retrieved a fork and went for some of his smoked fish.
“Oh no you don’t!” Gourry parried with a spoon of his own and used his other hand, with fork bared, to take a jab at my octopus rice balls. Metal screamed and bones groaned as I deflected his attempt at my glorious food and simultaneously slipped under his reach to lick his smoked fish. I was sure to properly season it with plenty of Lina drool.
“Ha!” I triumphantly smirked whilst wiping away the extra saliva from my chin. “How do you like that!?”
“You think that’ll stop me!?” Gourry powered me out of the way and in a move that almost made me vomit, consumed his ENTIRE tray of food in only a few gulps, marinated fish and all. Then he did the same thing to the next of his bento boxes.
This isn’t going to end well.
“Uh, Gourry? You’re going to make yourself sick!” I cautioned. I grabbed Gourry’s third bento box just before he could grab it and started to scarf it down myself in spite of what I just told him.
The sudden gleam in Gourry’s eye scared me just enough to jerk out of his way as he tackled one of my lunches.
“MY FOOD!” I cried as I cracked an empty wooden tray over Gourry’s thick skull, making him fall face first into MY fish balls, which he quickly sucked into his mouth!
“NO! Spit them out!” I jumped onto his back and with a pained “Oomph!” the slightly masticated fish and rice came spewing out of his mouth and onto the already very soiled blanket.
“Don’t think that will stop me either!” I warned, scrambling off Gourry and shoving MY FOOD that Gourry half chewed into my mouth. Vaguely, I was aware that this was supposed to be pretty disgusting but I was honestly having fun in a more intimate way with Gourry if you can wrap your head around that bit of insanity. I wasn’t about to gobble down food that’s been in the mouth of ANY other member of our party, especially Naga.
She’s been putting. . .disturbing things in there as of late. . . .very disturbing things.
We went on like that for several more minutes, not realizing that we’ve been providing a show for Amelia , Naga and Zel while they ate their own food. Well, Zel ate while Amelia attempted to make Naga eat. But Naga seemed only interested in wearing the food rather than ingesting it.
Pretty soon Amelia will be more than prepared to raise a kid of her own. And its all thanks to Naga’s lunacy.
“You know, “ Zel ventured. “You’d think that they would find another, more traditional, outlet for their barely contained passions.”
“True, it almost makes me want to never look at food the same way again.” Amelia seconded.
“Shut it, pancake girl!” I shrieked, throwing some of my half chewed food like a chimp at the impudent and pinking princess
“Well, we’re creative.” Zel unnecessarily explained. “Trying new things is an important part of any-.”
“Enough! If I wanted to know anything about your freakish bedtime romps I would’ve asked!” That was one of the reasons I was annoyed with Zel and Amelia antics. Not only were they in a physical relationship, they were completely unembarrassed about it! Well, Amelia is only embarrassed about the food thing but that wasn’t the only reason they were getting on my nerves.
I still hadn’t told Gourry about my premonition I had when we first flew full speed away from Mil and his Merry Would Be Murderers. While never far from the front of my mind, I stuck it on the back burner until I could figure out a way to explain to Gourry that the main reason of late I’ve been acting really strange is because I sensed that our future kid would be instrumental in the fate of the world. But how could I tell him that without embarrassing the hell out of me!?
I had feeling that the child would be arriving sooner than I had originally thought- and no! We haven’t done it yet!- So being in the know that it would happen soon didn’t help matters because if I don’t say anything until after it happen it would make me sound crazy. If I say something now it would seem to me like I was pushing for something I wasn’t ready for yet.
AAAARGH! Damn prophesies and the headaches arbitrarily packaged with them!
“Something wrong, Lina?” Gourry asked, picking some food out of hair and popping it into his mouth.
But then again, maybe I am substituting “something” else for our epic food battles. . .this one in particular. Great, I guess food fighting is now an allegory on the scale of Zel and Amelia’s breakfast items.
“Oh, nothing,” I grumped, my good mood spoilt by Z and A’s interruption.
“Hey, what’s that?” Gourry suddenly stood up and scanned the eastern horizon.
I squinted and held a hand above my eyes and could finally make out some dust clouds forming on the road a long ways ahead of us.
“It looks like a huge caravan or something,” Gourry speculated.
“From Zephillia?” Amelia stood up and cast a levitation spell to get a better look.
“We need to hide in case they aren’t friendly.” Zel warned.
“Quick, help me clean this mess up!” I told Gourry. I was already bundling up my blanket without bothering to brush off any of the food or trays still on it. No need to leave any clues that we were here I reckon.
Zel and Amelia already cleaned their mess up by the time Gourry and I moved the hand wagon behind some thick shrubs. The caravan was still a ways off but close enough for Gourry to tell that they weren’t a beast man army or worse.
In fact, as far as he could tell, they just seemed to be ordinary travelers. Ordinary, but a large number of them nonetheless.
Zel brought a hand to his chin, “Do you suppose they are refugees?”
“I don’t know,” Amelia answered. “We haven’t heard anything from Zephillia for some time. Even before we knew the throne was being manipulated by demons the Zephillian Ambassador left without saying a word so we have no real way of knowing what’s going on in that country.”
“I’m betting they are refugees,” I said. “We are a proud, stubborn people, but we know when fighting is useless. My bet is that they are headed to Seyruun and that a good chunk of them will want to join the army for a chance to kick the demons out of Zephillia should that ever come to be.”
“Oh, no.” Amelia muttered. With Seyruun under siege, the refugees will be facing an even longer trip than what they had prepared for.
We didn’t have to wait long for the refugees to arrive, and that is what they turned out to be. In fact, they seemed to be on the way to Seyruun and unluckily for Amelia, somebody recognized her from one of her more recent public appearances and called her out.
Frankly, I was surprised no one had spotted me! Zephillia’s most well known daughter! I did have a price on my head for supposedly killing the king you know.
“Princess!” An old man appeared from the throng of travelers. “Princess, we beseech you! Grant us refuge in your great city!” A crowd had started to gather around us, looking up at our perturbed princess with pleading eyes. Some looked ready for vengeance, others looked sick at the thought of leaving their homeland.
“Everyone,” Amelia loudly spoke, everyone in earshot now paying attention. “While Seyruun feels for your pain and sorrow at being forced from your kingdom, sadly, she cannot help. For the Holy City itself is under siege by an unprecedented number of monsters and demons.”
An extremely uncomfortable silence followed that unhappy announcement. The old man that first spotted Amelia softly said, “What do we do know? That even the Holy City of Seyruun is unable to help us. . .these are dark times indeed.”
“I can help you, my friend.” A young but fierce sounding voice rang in the crisp late autumn air.
Everyone turned to the source of the voice, not more than ten meters away, on top a large boulder, a young man stood. He looked to be about as tall as Gourry, but lankier in frame. He wore white pants and an open blue vest. He wasn’t human, that fact made obvious by the black horn poking out of his unkempt light blue hair.
Gourry and I simultaneously gasped at what he was holding in his right hand.
It couldn’t be!?
It wasn’t exactly the same, it was longer, more irregular than the weapon Gourry had once wielded.
“Lina,” Gourry started.
“I know, I see it.” I dimly spoke.
Zel was understandably incredulous. “That’s the Sword of Light!?”
“Impossible?!” Amelia shouted.
“It’s not the same though.” I said, studying the weapon and its two glowing blades of light. One blade was larger than the other, my guess is that it could be used as either a javelin or a bow staff up close.
“You are correct in your assumption, Lina Inverse.” The stranger practically spat the name. Why do people I’ve never even met hate me?
“But,” he continued. “Back to the matter at hand.” He looked upon the still gathering throng. “Yes I can help you! You won’t find any shelter in Seyruun, or any major kingdom. The enemy is already that entrenched. But, come with me and join my army! We can rise and crush those who usurped your rightful leaders thrones, despoiled your farmlands and let your families die!”
“Who is this guy?” I asked no one in particular. Sure his speech was a bit on the Ameli’ish side, but his inflection and proper use of volume made him much more charismatic than poor Amelia could ever be.
“I’ve never seen him before, but there is something off about him.” Amelia said, looking at the mystery orator with more than a little suspicion. “He almost gives me the same feeling a demon would, but something’s different.”
“A demon? Well that explains the horn” Oh, boy. I get the feeling him meeting us here isn’t a coincidence.
The presumed demon continued his speech.
“Yes, you can live within my kingdom in safety, with ample food and water. All I ask is that you join my army!”
Then, almost as a completely UNNECESSARY afterthought he added. “Oh, and one more thing, kill Lina Inverse!”
“WHAT!” Everyone in my party didn’t see that one coming.
The helpless refugees all of the sudden looked as dangerous as dragons to me then. Weapons of all types appeared in many hands. Sudden bloodlust was thick in the air.
“Yes,” The demon grinned. “Join me, join Valgaav!”
Tom the Mighty’s Mighty Notes.
Hmm. . . .bet ya didn’t see that one coming? No this isn’t going to turn into another version of Slayers: Try, an already excellent version of that has been done by DQBuuny.
No, Valgaav’s attitude and goal of killing Lina and all Golden Dragons will stay the same, but let’s just say that there are going to be more than a few MAJOR plot twists to keep you guessing.
As some of you may have noticed, I deleted most of the later chapters of this story. The decision to do so wasn’t easy. But I felt that it had to be done. The whole Lina getting tested subplot was getting way out of hand and detracting from the main story. So what I did was sit down and rewrite the entire plot from chapter 17 until the end of this book, and worked quite a bit on the plot details and the sequel.
If I follow the plot outlines I have, things should run a lot more smoothly, with less side quests and mini games so to speak.
Tell me what you think!