Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers: Knightfall ❯ chapter 28 ( Chapter 29 )

Slayers: Knightfall

 

Chapter Twenty-Eight

 

“Oh, . . . this can't be happening!” I groaned having realized that prick Stridus had really, and I do mean really, ruined my day. And I don't mean by pissing in my cornflakes, which would had been much more preferable to the situation I had found myself in.

 

I looked about my new environs of puffy white clouds, pure, gently flowing streams and grove-lined meadows of soft grass. People of all races and walks of life were everywhere in a similar state of wonder. It really was beautiful beyond all measure, even more so than the Vale of Shadows. Which is why words escape me when trying to describe it.

 

Now that I think about it; the Vale was just pretty from far away, once you actually got into the place did one realize that it was just a tangled shit-hole that retard-psycho knights like to hide in waiting to kill beautiful sorcery genius's like me.

 

“So I'm really dead?” I asked, feeling terrified, furious, sad, a little hungry and apprehensive all at the same time. I don't think that it truly dawned on me what kind of situation I had gotten myself into; it all was just so incredibly surreal. I stared at my sister, who without saying a word was very and perhaps unnecessarily confirming my fears. You know: with her grand spanking wings sprouting out the shoulder blades and golden halo to accessorize them with.

 

“I'm afraid so, little Sis,” Luna replied, confirming her confirmation that I had already confirmed for myself. “For more proof just look over your shoulder.”

 

I complied and found myself staring at a mass of pure white feathers . . .attached to my shoulder blades.

 

Well, shit. There goes my weekend.

 

“Well, at least I made it to up here, right?” I weakly laughed, though on the insides I was sobbing, freaking out and spewing profanities and in general wishing I could kick the universe in the squish. As well as a little hungry.

 

What about my premonition!? The child that I was so sure of to be in my immediate future? The one that I believed would be key to saving the world? What about King Phil and Seyruun and the rest of the kingdoms? Valgaav? Zel, Amelia, Regald and Naga?

 

What about Gourry? How is he coping right now? At least I knew that he survived or else we'd be freaking out together right about now. But now he is alone, probably going through the worst kind of hell I could imagine. I nearly retched at the very thought of it.

 

Spirits have gag reflexes?

 

“Welcome to Anwynn. Realm of the Dead,” Luna decided to put her waitressing skills to use. “May I offer you something to drink?” Was her expertly timed comeback to my unspoken remark.

 

“Smartass,” I grinned. A thought occurred to me. “Can you read my thoughts now?”

 

“No, but I know you well enough to figure what you were thinking.”

 

Anwynn, eh? The realm of the dead. Legends of its entrance being at Loch Anwyneith just south of Zephyr City have been told in Zephillia for generations. Sylpheed knows the place was filthy and rank enough that even if it weren't the true entrance it sure would make you think it was.

 

“I had always thought that the legends painted this place a bit more grim than this . . ..” I thought it was more like demons and devils everywhere trying to tear your eternal soul into little pieces and throw them into a river of unspeakable filth. Which was then lit on fire.

 

“Then again, nobody who ever comes here comes back to set the record straight,” Luna explained.

 

“Point.”

 

“Everyone who dies comes here first, Lina. Imagine this particular piece of Heaven as a giant reception area for the recently deceased. Here, souls are judged and sent to wherever they end up being deserving of going to.”

 

“You mean the wait is this long?! It's been months since you died!”

 

“No, it's actually pretty instantaneous. I just came back down here to meet with you as it was becoming obvious to me that your battle was not going to end well.”

 

“Gee, thanks. But, you know, you, uh, think you could've helped me out a little? Given me a pep talk like you did when I fought against Lohi?”

 

“Did you forget, silly girl? Gods and Demons are forbidden in the Vale of Shadows. As a servant of a god I wouldn't have been able to help you even if I was permitted.”

 

“Permitted? You mean somebody had reason to prevent you from helping me, if you were able/?”

 

“There is a reason why you were allowed to die this day, sister. I promise you it will be a good one. I wouldn't had been able to face you if it wasn't.”

 

“It had damn well better be! I was so tantalizingly close to getting the Shard! Gourry's probably freaking out and Zel and Amelia are in even more danger now that Stridus and Aiden had eliminated their main target! This was one hell of a time for somebody to go and off me!”

 

“It could be worse.”

 

“How?”

 

“You could've been sent straight to hell, which was a very real possibility for you. Or not had been killed but gravely injured enough to be left a brain-dead vegetable. Gourry could've been killed in your place. And by he way, I'm happy that you two finally got over our hang-ups and officially got together.”

 

“I suppose you do have a point,” I conceded, not feeling like arguing anymore at the mention of even a hypothetical death of Gourry. “I suppose we did wait a little longer than necessary but, hey! At least we admitted it before I died. Something I didn't think would happen. Oh! How's mom and pops?”

 

“They are just fine. In fact they started up a shop not too long ago and are making a nice little afterlife for themselves.”

 

“They set up a store in Heaven?” I was emphasizing a lot of words today with no plans on stopping anytime soon. Being dead was a situation that I had deemed needing the constant use of emphasis.

 

“Alive or dead, human nature doesn't change,” Luna explained. “Any sentient being's soul is, in reality, the culmination of his or her experiences and decisions in life: In short; one's consciousness, which is why you can't remember anything when you are a toddler. Your soul hadn't developed enough at that point. Anyways, people aren't just gonna change all of the sudden just because they are dead.”

 

She paused a second and grinned. “Well, except for the atheists. They tend to change pretty darn quickly once they realize where they are. Not that it does them much good, unless they had otherwise led a pretty spotless life. They tend to end up doing the angelic grunt work once they get sorted out.”

 

“Glad I wasn't a nonbeliever then, I guess.”

 

“No, you just hold the gods in utter disdain, tis all,” Luna lightly laughed and gestured to the throng of dead guys. “Most of the people you see here will be made into mid level angels, serving the Archs and Devas who in turn answer directly to Sylpheed. And only those who were like saints on earth can become Archangels and Devas.”

 

“Super, I suppose that there is a reason you are telling me all of this theological nonsense?”

 

“Truth. Not nonsense, dear sister,” She shut me up in her typical way by having rapped me upside the head. “I'm just trying to acquaint you with a few of the beings that you will be working with in the not so distant future.”

 

Working with?

 

Before I could give voice to my question Luna started walking away in a purposeful manner towards a grove of silver-hued trees with spear-point shaped leaves that I couldn't name. I, of course, followed having nothing better to do and, even in death, still fear my sister's punishments.

 

She stopped in the center of the grove and lightly dropped herself to the ground sitting cross-legged. I caught up a second later. We sat down on the soft golden, but not dead, grass, taking in the sweet, fragrant air. Luna's gold, silver and white wings enveloped us both and I felt the most at peace with my circumstances and myself than I did in a very great while. I was left to my own thoughts as Luna seemed to be waiting for someone and seemed done with speaking for now.

 

At peace or no, my mind kept wondering back to the land of the living. Or, more precisely, Gourry, Amelia, Zel, Regald, Valgaav, Zellas and Naga. I hoped that they were ok, and that they wouldn't run into any serious trouble while I was away. Mil was probably dancing on my grave after patiently waiting his turn in line along with Shabranigdo, Xellos, Stridus, Dolphin, Aiden, Riksfalto, the remaining Bandit population and whoever the hell else I managed to piss off in my just shy of twenty years of life.

 

Yeah, that's right. I said, “while I was away”. Did you really think I was going to let a little thing like death stop me for long? There is a way out of everything and everywhere. I just have to keep ears and eyes open for every clue and opportunity, even the seemingly pointless ones. But don't get me wrong; I don't entertain the illusion that it was going to be easy. In fact I think it'll be the hardest thing I'll ever end up doing.

 

“Don't think of doing anything stupid, Lina,” I didn't even see Luna's mouth move which scared all notions of trying to escape . . . for now.

 

“Stubborn. Why don't you just wait for your audience with the Boss before you get any ideas? You won't be waiting long.”

 

My face must be giving me away or something.

 

“Fine. Whatever . . .” I grumbled. “For whom are we waiting for, by the way?”

 

“Nehel,” She replied. “He is an Archangel, one of the few who serve Sylpheed Himself.”

 

“I suppose I should be impressed,” I flatly stated.

 

“Most are, but then again, there aren't many like you, Lina Inverse.” An unfamiliar voice (per usual) greeted. I turned my head to see another putz with wings and a halo. He was very plain looking with shaggy brown hair and a nose that was maybe a tad too big for his face. He did have a distinguishing feature, though: His wings were much bigger than everyone else's and, like Luna, the feathers were tipped with silver and gold, which matched the predominant color scheme in this place.

 

“Nehel, I presume,” I said without getting up. I think I deserved a rest after DYING. Etiquette be damned.

 

“High Deva Luna,” Nehel summoned. “Your sister is every bit as rude and unmannered as you claimed she would be.”

 

High Deva? Sounds important, though I guess I shouldn't be surprised as she was the Knight of Sylpheed in life.

 

“Is that halo circling your puny head sucking your brains out? Just because you are some big-shot Archangel doesn't mean you have the right to insult people as soon as you meet them!”

 

“So says someone who died while kneeling and holding their sword above their head like a fool.”

 

“Y-you! I'm going to hit you with a thousand-sesquipedalian-combo-insult!”

 

“I'm waiting.”

 

“I'm only up to four hundred thirty three in twenty syllable words I can use against you.”

 

“Name some.”

 

“Fuck you,” So I didn't have anything. Sue me.

 

“Thought so,” Nehel looked vaguely smug with himself. “Anyways, I was instructed by the Big Guy to bring you to his most High and Holy Office.”

 

I looked to Luna, who has said nothing thus so far but looked amused nonetheless. “Is he allowed to be that sarcastic about his own god?”

 

“Eh, Sylph's cool with it,” was her simple reply.

 

“Come along,” The Archangel commanded and, with a not so subtle prompt from Luna, I followed.

 

We passed throngs of dead, more popping from out of nowhere by the second. Though I was very new here, even I could tell that something was wrong about the furious influx of recently deceased. Angels, Archs and Devas stood watching the increasing crowd, arms crossed, faces shadowed with concern, amazement and dourness. Powers and Cherubim (as I found that's what they were called) worked frantically to contain the ever-increasing mass of people, trying to maintain some semblance of order. The demon horde must be having a field day back on earth.

 

“It's been like this ever since you died.” Nehel suddenly said.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Once word got round that Lina the Demon Slayer was dead, it was like a burst rondo signaling the start of a race. Only instead of seeing who gets to a finish line first, the goal is to see who can kill the most humans. After all, without the big bad Lina Inverse around, who would be there to stop them?”

 

“I think I'm going to be sick . . .,” All these people dead because of me?

 

“Nehel . . .,” Luna warned.

 

“Sorry, sorry.” The angelic prick apologized. “It's just that we are all a little stressed out.”

 

“Tell me about it!” I fumed. As if his problems could be any worse than mine.

 

“Oh, you'll hear all about it momentarily, trust me.”

 

We soon passed through a portal in the trees, shining warmly and inviting. We were immediately in another realm, I could feel it, the sheer . . .holiness of the place. I made me feel happy but tempered with trepidation at the same time.

 

Suddenly, in the silvery distance, I could see a far away castle made of multicolored crystal. Its facets reflected the entire spectrum of colors known and unknown, painting the surrounding landscape an ever shifting but ever stunning hue. Above the castle, the sky was aglow with the entire expanse of the cosmos in plain view. It was a difficult thing to describe; it was only in the small patch of sky directly above the crystal castle, but I could see every star and every planet in this universe. Spheres of flame of nearly every hue, planets of rock, water, gas and every mix you could possibly think of was there. Yet it was not overwhelming to behold. Everything fell into place like the material world that I had left did when I drew upon my Knightmare abilities. In short, it was the most mind-blowing thing I had ever seen, before or since. Nothing has ever come even close.

 

“Oh, crap. I want that,” I said before I could shut myself up.

 

“Yeah, good luck with that.” Luna laughed.

 

“Sylpheed's abode, I reckon?” I drawled, refusing to look impressed in front of Nehel.

 

“How'd you guess?” Nehel's sarcasm was grating on my nerves exponentially. “Was it the mail box with his name painted on His holy mailbox?”

 

I ignored the sarcasm from the joker. “So, am I really gonna meet Sylpheed?” The thought of meeting a god, even one I had precious little respect for, was an exciting prospect.

 

“No,” Luna said as Nehel snickered. “We are going to meet the Earth Lord, Langort. He is equal in power and influence with the Fire Lord and Wind Lord, as well as wishing to talk to you on a personal basis about what you had been experiencing due to his former Knight.'

 

“Damn well better be a very good apology, then,” I grumped.

 

Nehel rolled his eyes at that statement but refrained from making anymore rude comments as he led us on to meet a part of the Trinity we call Sylpheed. Or rather, what remained of Sylpheed as he divided himself into four different beings after dividing Shabranigdo into seven pieces all those many thousands of years ago.

 

The closer we got to the castle, the more magnificent it seemed. The twinkling of the planets and stars above reflected a thousand fold against the tens of thousands of planes that made up each and every crystal. I could see balconies and verandas that seemed like they were not carved nor built but instead somehow molded into the castle walls. Angels of all types floated with reverence over bridges between towers, themselves also alight with strange but wonderful colors. It was all in all the most beautifully arrogant palace I had ever seen. It was like Sylpheed was screaming, “Look at my house! I'm a badass god so I get to make my palace out of crystal! Pretty cool, huh?” What did he ever do, in recent memory, to deserve that kind of pad?

 

Yes, I was bitter. Deal with it.

 

We walked inside and were led through a twisting maze of translucent stairways and reflective halls. Despite my previous exalting of castle, all the bright colors and lights were starting to give me a migraine, which incidentally, was something else I did not realize souls could get.

 

I looked at my hands, trying to focus on something over than the fast becoming wretched palace and found that they weren't my own. I mean, they were the same size as my hands, definitely female hands, and the right shade of skin. But they weren't my own. Not a single scar, mole or wrinkle could be found on these hands, it was as if someone found a way to keep a newborn's perfect skin from aging.

 

Not that I think of it, every angel I've passed by seemed extraordinarily perfect, unlike the recently deceased souls who still bore the marks of age and mistreatment. What made me different?

 

I was interrupted from my musings when Nehel announced that we had arrived. We stood in front of a needlessly enormous door made of the same nauseating crystal that everything else was. In fact, since everything in this place was made of the same friggin thing, I'm simply going to stop describing the place in detail from this point on.

 

Quickly, two honor guards, in full angelic battle armor (made me wonder what they thought they would be fighting) opened the huge double doors, allowing us entry. Smoke billowed from the entrance, reeking of . . . cannabis!? Inside was what I could only describe as a gigantic theological let down.

 

“Heya,” was the greetings we received from the embodiment of a full quarter of the being known and worshipped as Sylpheed. He was in the form of a man, a rather short and somewhat stocky man with a well-trimmed goatee and mustache. Almost dwarf-like but nowhere near as ugly. He was plain of features but had gorgeous wavy brown hair tied in a loose knot in the back. He wore earth brown slacks and a forest green tunic with golden Zephillian knot embroidery. All in all, he looked like a dude you'd meet anywhere at practically anyplace.

 

At a hippy convention . . .

 

And here I was expecting a gigantic, all-powerful dragon.

 

“Wassup?” Nehel greeted back.

 

“Word,” Luna greeted as well, completely and utterly confounding me. Sense when does Luna talk like that and since when does a god allow such . . .disrespect?

 

“It ain't dissing if I'm cool with it? I'm not one for formalities anyways; no need for everyone to get all stiff necked bowing their heads at me all the time. Nice to finally meet you, Lina Inverse. I'm Langort.” The god offered his hand and I shook it, knowing full well the absurdity of the current situation all too well.

 

“Let me begin first by saying how much I am sorry for my servant's behavior towards you. It was a horrible thing to be put through, I'm sure.”

 

Oh, this is rich!

 

“How can you say that?” I practically yelled, not really caring that this guy helped run the universe. “He was your knight! Chosen by you to caring out your will!! And you are telling me that you are sorry and that you had nothing to do with it?”

 

“Blunt, isn't she?” Nehel commented.

 

“Do you feel better now?” Luna asked, exasperation all over her features.

 

“Not by a long shot, but it's a start.”

 

“Wow. You are a testy one,” Langort paced a bit, looking a tad perturbed. “It's true that I chose Stridus to be my Knight the moment he was born, and while he did turn out to be a bad seed, after all, he is only human, I do not regret my decision to make him my knight.”

 

“You'd better explain that,” I threatened. No, I don't know how I would back up a threat to a god. Luna and Nehel looked like they were about to have an aneurism at my complete and total lack of respect for the Earth Lord.

 

Too bad. He hasn't earned my respect yet.

 

“Stridus was a good knight not so long ago, if you can believe that.” Langort started.

 

“I don't, but please continue.” I was enjoying my little power trip. Pushing around a god and all.

 

“ Yes . . ., well he was a good knight, the only bad thing you could really say about him was that he was a tad overzealous. He was pretty disgusted by the lack of respect for the gods these recent times, even going as far as executing heretics himself, a task far beneath his status. Eventually, I withdrew from him as punishment, and not long afterwards, heard about you and your various . . . exploits. Needless to say, he wasn't impressed and considered you just barely a step above a heretic in his book, the only thing saving you was your relationship with Luna. Eventually, perhaps seeking someone who still had a connection to the gods, he fell in with Milgasia and become his tagalong. After your sister's death, Stridus felt it his personal duty to either kill you or bring you to the god's side, but he was a little more keen on the killing part.”

 

I stole a look at my wings, “So it would seem, but couldn't you had stopped him or something? I rather liked being alive.”

 

“Now here is where things may seem a little dicey to you but please bear with me. Stridus' hatred and self-importance was regrettable but it did serve to bring you here to me. While I know the method wasn't the greatest, the result couldn't have been better.”

 

I was literally on the verge of falling over, or walking out or gaining the distinction of the first human to kill a god. Whichever came first.

 

“You already took care of Stridus' connection to me and now that you're here, I can finally give you a gift to make it all worthwhile!”

 

“It had better be something pretty damned amazing in order to make up what was taken away from me.” I unconsciously caressed my belly, right where my womb would be though, I had no idea why at the time. If I had, I probably wouldn't have shown as much restraint as I did when questioning Langort.

 

“Oh, trust me, it'll make your life a lot easier once you learn how to use it.” The Earth Lord busied himself by shuffling through a pile of disorganized baubles and papers; leading me to wonder if anyone one in Heaven knew what they were doing at any given time. When he replaced a small plant with six jagged shaped leaves from his desk to a small table, I more than likely guessed the reason for the Earth Dragon's slightly lad back attitude.

 

“Dang, man. Where did I put that thing?” Langort dawdled.

 

“This is really the Earth Lord?” I had to ask.

 

“Yeah,” Nehel responded as if the answer were obvious.

 

“Here it is!” Langort happily announced, holding aloft what appeared to a torc.

 

The god offered the torc to me and upon closer inspection I could discern that the thing was enchanted. Powerfully enchanted. It wasn't bad looking either: it was made of the purest gold with masterfully etched visages of boars, dogs and cows. The stylized visage of crows glowered with inset ruby eyes at either end of the jewelry.

 

“It's an Astral Scryer,” Langort explained. “When you pinch the beaks of those crows shut you can see into the astral plane. Kinda like a bad trip, but its better than letting those demon's getting the drop on you all the time.”

 

“Oh, holy crap this thing is gonna be useful,” I said, eying the torc with more than a little bit of awe. Nobody in the history of magic has been actually able to view the astral plane. Sure, one could hide object on the material plane from the astral plane but little else.

 

A sudden knock on my head reminded me of my manners. “T-thank you, sir.” Darn Luna.

“Eh, least I could do,” the Earth Lord started to puff away at a cigarette of suspect contents.

 

“If you don't mind me saying, sir,” Yes I was going to refer to him as “sir” form then on. He just gave to me probably the most useful magical item I have ever had the privilege of getting my mitts on. “By my reasoning, you giving me this means that I am obviously going to find some use for this. Now, being dead and all and already in a part of the Astral Plane, I can't imagine this torc being of much use besides looking good around my neck.”

 

“Sharp as a tack, you are. All the sudden well mannered too,” Langort appraised. “You guessed it, Lina Inverse, the torc is as useless as a toothbrush to a fish.”

 

“Then why give me this?” I really shouldn't get my hopes up. They tend to crash and burn, causing multiple casualties once reality strikes.

 

“Well, Miss Inverse,” Langort grinned widely and I could sense my sister doing the same from behind me. “You are about to receive the rarest gift Heaven has to offer. In the really, really long time this existence began, it has only been given but once before.”

 

“You mean!?” I couldn't keep my voice from cracking.

 

“Yep, you guessed it,” the Earth Lord said, taking a long drag from his smoke. “You are getting another go at the game we like to call “Life”.

 

 

 

 

Tom the Mighty's Mighty Notes.

 

Not a bad chapter, especially for one a literally dug out of my bum. I can defenently make this better but I'd better get cracking on the next chapter first.

 

So, Lina has gotten a hold of a new lease on life. Why? Wait til next chapter. What is she going to do with it? Wait til next chapter. From here on out, things are gonna be a lot more interesting folks.