Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ To Be Human ❯ Prologue

Author's Note

One of the first true romances I've written -- a little sappy, but I don't think it's that OOC. At least I hope not -- I did have to rewrite the Epilogue because Zel changes a little too dramatically.

I'm telling this story in alternatign first-person POV's. I do indicate who's POV it is in the chapter title. Mostly this was an experiment in voice -- could I keep Zel and Amelia sounding different well enough to not confuse my readers? Feel free to tell me if I suceeded or not.

I suppose you want a disclaimer. Slayers belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and associated animation studios, distribuotrs, and so on. Read: Not Me. There, happy?

Prologue

Today was not a good day at the Seven Standing Rocks Temple. First, the head priest had come down with the flu, leaving the assistant priest (who had nearly conquered that stuttering problem... really... next month, at the latest) to lead the rituals. Then, a skunk had wandered in and sprayed half the shrine maidens. Finally, a stranger had come to the temple. He had asked to visit the Inner Shrine. The assistant priest tried to explain how the doors to the Shrine weren't to be opened, save every 100 years, and now was not the time. The stranger had not liked that at all, and... well, things kinda degenerated to the stranger trying to open the doors with a fireball.

Well, the fireball took down the doors... it also took out one of the support beams of the temple's roof. "Eh-eh-everybody, out!" the assistant priest yelled, running to the door to see that the other occupants made it through. He started counting heads... everyone made it out... but one.

"Help me!" The priest saw one of the shrine maidens trapped beneath debris at the far end of the temple. He turned to go assist her.

Crash! Another support beam fell down, blocking the priest's path. He tried to climb over it, struggling in his cumbersome robes and coughing from the dust and smoke.

A draft from a hole in the roof cleared the air in front of him. The priest saw the stranger who had caused this catastrophe standing before the shrine maiden. "Help me... please?" the shrine maiden looked up at him.

The stranger regarded her as if she had suddenly sprouted horns and declared herself a holder of a piece of Shabranigdo. He seemed to mentally shift gears before moving over to the debris that trapped her. He knelt down and lifted them away -- a task that would have taken at least two normal men. He then walked over towards the debris blocking the priest and cleared them in the same effortless way.

"Th-thanks," the priest said. He refrained from adding, since this was all your fault, anyway.

The stranger seemed to sense the unsaid addition. "You better hurry and see to her. She was hurt badly." He turned to leave.

"Wait! Wh-who are you? Where are you going?"

The stranger didn't answer. He just walked off into the distance.