Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers Parody ❯ Meeting the enemy ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers…if I did…well, never mind that!

A/N: Thanks to all the reviews in the previous chapter! Now onto the next!

Chapter 2: Meeting the Enemy

To be a dragon is a curse at times, especially for Crystal Ryu. Once every two months, the dragon blood in them demands a fresh kill. The women have a time limit however, whereas the men just get weaker and weaker until it kicks in, their need to hunt. They know when they need to feed from desire in their blood that overcomes even the need to eat normally as they should. The women have it worse, they must feed before their second time of the month begins or else…or else… death shall follow them. The same exists for men. To be honest, there is a cure, or rather a better option. At least for the females…once they bear children, their need for a fresh kill occurs only once a year starting from the time they give birth. It doesn't matter how many children are born, the time remains the same. Crystal Ryu accepted her fate and counted it as a blessing of sorts. Always trying to remain cheerful when in truth she had nothing to be cheerful about… There are other things that hum and lay dormant in Crystal Ryu's blood, but the dragon is the worst of them all.

"Wow, that's some statue!" Crystal said, taking it from Lina's hands to examine it, "Are you sure you want to sell it?"

"Yep," Lina said, "I can turn it into money along with a few other things…" They had finished dinner and were now just having tea as they talked and had light conversation.

"So, you've gotten better at your spells as well?" Crystal asked, "I mean, I have improved with mine…"

"I can tell," Lina said, "It's in your eyes! You have suffered and you have gotten stronger…"

"Only you could read my eyes like that Lina-kun," Crystal said with a sigh, "God how I've missed your company…"

"Why, is it because I always used to protect you?" Lina asked with a grin, "Or are you going to give me that big speech about having me be like a sister to you…"

"Don't those two go together?" Crystal asked, "Ah, never mind…I'm tired…I think I'll turn in for the night!"

"Don't be stupid," Lina said and barely managed to catch her own yawn in time, "Alright, fine, I'm tired too…"

"Yeah…a good night's sleep in a warm bed is just what we need!" Crystal said and stood, heading towards the stairs up to the rooms.

"Gonna get your 4 hours of rest and then go for a run?" Lina asked and Crystal managed a smile.

"Something that is like that…" Crystal said.

"By the way Crystal, are you okay?" Lina asked.

"What do you mean?" Crystal asked.

"I mean…are you good to go or is your blood humming?" she asked, "I know you well enough to know that Crystal…"

"Well…" Crystal began, "I'm okay for now…" Lina looked at her oddly.

"Crystal, you should go tonight then…" Lina began.

"No, I don't have to yet!" Crystal said, "No, I mean it…you don't have to worry Lina-kun…"

"Alright then…" Lina said and opened the door to her room, "Sleep well then tonight…and tomorrow we head off!"

"Aye Lina-kun," Crystal replied and made her way to her room which was down the hall, "Sleep well…"

That night Crystal went out onto the roof of the inn. It was something she did often, just because. The moon was bright tonight, and Crystal liked the glimmer of the moon.

"Dragon…" she murmured from where she had sat down on the roof. She brought out her dearest treasure, her pendant, called the Dragon's Pendant. She was a dragon, not gold, black or anything like that…but a different dragon, a clanswomen dragon, if that made any sense at all.

"…" Crystal just stared at the pendant for the longest time, letting it reflect the moonlight, its multicolored hues glimmering silently. It was connected to her and she was connected to it. She had this pendant for as long as she could remember, and she was cursed to never forget anything, so she'd had this pendant since birth. She sighed, not many knew of its existence, save for legends and myths that circulated the general people.

"I think I should go to bed now…" she whispered and then added as a half joke, "If I don't get my 4 hours of sleep I can be quite moody…"

At the edge of town

"Is that it?" a cloaked figure asked, "I could've sworn I saw it glint in the moonlight!"

"It is!" the bandaged figure replied, "Oh, and she's traveling with that other girl! If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be in this condition!"

"Two of the relics we seek on the person of these two girls…we shall have to deal with them…" the cloaked figure said, and then looked to see his companion was still complaining.

"OH, I'm going to make her regret messing with me!" he cried and the cloaked figure sighed, "She's going to catch it once we get her!"

"Calm down," the cloaked figure replied, "In due time…we'll get what we want, both the items shall be ours…"

Morning… (Back to Lina and Crystal)

"Ah, it's such a nice day!" Lina said, "We're on the open road, nothing to bother us at all!" Crystal let out a giggle and ran ahead of Lina for a few steps. She was in quite the good mood, she couldn't explain why but she was.

"I concur!" Crystal said and giggled again, "I mean, it seems that the bandits that you told me you attacked haven't come after you at all!"

"Actually they did yesterday," she replied, "I had gotten rid of them moments before I met you!"

"Oh…that's something!" Crystal said, "They didn't call you bad names, did they?"

"Don't go starting that!" Lina said, "You know I'll fireball you for any mentioning of some of my `nicknames'."

"Yes Lina-kun, now come on! We have to hurry if we want to make it to the next town before nightfall!" Crystal exclaimed and ran ahead. Lina laughed slightly and ran to catch up to Crystal.

"I don't believe you sometimes Crystal!" she sighed, "You act like such a child!"
"And you don't?" Crystal asked, "At least we can both play the part…"

"Yeah…whatever…" Lina said disapprovingly, "There are times I wish I still wasn't so short…"

"Good things come in small packages!" Crystal said, "Trust me, I should know!"

Later that Night

"This is what life is all about," Lina said, "GOOD FOOD!" The plates piled high with food sat on the table between the two girls. They both dug in and downed plate after plate of food.

"So, Lina-kun," Crystal said after a while, "Did you learn any new spells other than the Dragon Slave?"

"What do you mean by that?" Lina asked while downing some soup.

"I mean have you learned some new spells, some of the smaller spells? I remember offering to teach you some minor elemental magics a while back," Crystal said, "But you rejected my offer…"

"Of course I know more of the minor spells! I even have some of my own," she said, "But what bring that up?"

"Well, it's because there are a few bandit looking people in the doorway, go ahead, show me your magic!" Crystal said with a bright smile on her face. Lina glared at her.

"You, it's you!" one man said. Crystal and Lina looked over to see a bandaged up man surrounded by a small group of trolls.

"Oh my, what's going on here?" Lina asked, "My name is Sophie and the girl you're looking for isn't here!"

"I don't care what your name is! You stole some treasure and now I want it!" he said, "So hand it over!"

"Wanting to take something that isn't yours? Then you're a thief!" Lina said, "And that's bad…"

"You stole it yourself you know!" Crystal said, "Isn't that…?"
"I stole it from the bad guys so that makes it alright!" she said, "Alright then…"

"What is it?" the man asked.

"If you want it so badly let's take this outside!" she cried and Crystal sighed, "What?"

"I don't want to take this outside, just give use the treasure!" he said and Crystal looked at him, as if searching him for something.

"Crystal?" Lina asked, "What's up?"

"He wants something more than just what you have…and I have it, don't I?" Crystal asked, "Very well, I will fight you as well…" Lina stared at her and noted Crystal's change. When she went into her sort of trance, she was sort of scary.

"Fine then, get her!" the man shouted and Lina dodged the troll's clubs, activating a spell and tapping on some of the trolls, eventually coming to rest at Crystal's side.

"Hi, I'm home!" she said and Crystal stared at her with a cocked eyebrow.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Just wound those trolls coming at us, okay?" Lina asked.

"Why?" Crystal asked, "Trolls heal!"

"Just any little wound will do!" she said and Crystal sighed, what harm could it do? Then again, she had no reason not to trust her friend. Crystal pulled out her set of minor daggers and let them fly, one of her hidden tricks. She poked each troll and drew her daggers back into her cloak.

"That was some trick but it won't work!" the man said but before he could continue the trolls seemed to be absorbed into themselves and little bits of troll scattered everywhere!

"Oh, you reversed their healing abilities?" Crystal asked Lina.

"You take all the fun out of this!" Lina whined.

"I apologize; I shall try to remain more ignorant from now on!" Crystal replied coolly, "Okay?"

"You make me so mad sometimes!" Lina said.

"What're friends for?" Crystal asked with a grin.

"Now, back to you," Lina said, turning towards the man, "I do better spells than you so prepare yourself…" Crystal smiled inwardly; she knew this trick better than anyone else, so she decided to play along.

"Don't burn up everything!" she said and Lina grinned.

"Don't worry I won't!" Lina said, and began to cast, making the movements that were ever popular and recognized as her fireball attack, "Light which burns beyond crimson flame, let thy power gather in my hand…"

"A fireball?" the man asked, "Get out of here everyone!" He dashed out the door and the trolls were quick to follow. Lina let out a sigh of relief.

"Light, makes everything turn out alright!" she said and then noticed the owner staring at her.

"What am I supposed to do about all these damages?" he asked her angrily and Crystal took a step back and sat down on an unbroken bench. She knew Lina would take care of things alright. Crystal hardly paid attention though as Lina did her little spiel about how she was sorry and handed the man a ruby. Like Crystal had thought, the man accepted it and the apology as well.

"Lucky me!" she said happily and then grabbed Crystal's hand, "C'mon, we should get to our inn now…"

"…" Crystal just remained silent and trailed behind Lina, listening to her talk about meaningless things. The bandaged up man had wanted two things, one Lina had and one that she had, right? She assumed that the man was looking for her pendant, but what could Lina have that someone would want? Was it that statue she had been showed her? This wasn't about to end just because Lina had tricked the man into running away. He'd be back, wouldn't he…?

"Crystal, are you listening to a word I'm saying?" Lina asked and snapped Crystal out of her trance, "Geeze, you are so distant when you begin to act like you did in the restaurant. Don't tell me you'll continue to act like that from now on…"

"They'll come and see us tonight, those that want what we have," she said softly, "I'll remain like this until they leave…"

"How do you know these things?" Lina asked with a sigh, "Oh well…you have changed a lot in the years we've been apart. Have your abilities evolved so that your `visions of the future' are more certain?"

"We shall see I guess," Crystal replied, "We shall see…"

"You're too powerful for your own good sometimes, do you know that?" Lina asked and Crystal let out a nervous laugh.

"Just sometimes…" Crystal replied and moved a little faster to join up with Lina as they headed towards the inn for the night.

"So anyways…" Lina said, "That's what happened with the bandits, see?"

"Yeah, but some of them are still after you Lina-kun by the looks of it!" Crystal said and half smiled.

"I know…" Lina said, "I could've sworn I took care of the last of them the other day… but oh well!" She smiled brightly at Crystal and Crystal sighed. After a pregnant pause, there was a knocking at the door.

"Who is it?" Lina asked and Crystal went to sit down on the bed.

"I am a traveler. You have an item in your possession and I wish to purchase it," a voice replied.

TBC

A/N: I'm gonna leave it there for now… Getting any better? I sure hope it isn't getting worse…that'd be funny and kind of sad. You know the drill, read and review and all flames roast marshmallows!