Slayers:
ETERNAL BLACK
Part 1: A New Journey! And the mysterious warrior!
(This story comes after TRY, obviously, but there are some differences to the ending. This is kind of before the ending animation when the Slayers split up again, but Gourry still has the Sword of Light, and other stuff...just read.)
In a country in the Outer World, the rest of the world that was once cut off from the world we know, there is a little town. This town is nothing special - it's just your average little place: nice people, well-built houses, and good food. There is nothing special about the place, but it is where everything begins...in a way.
In an inn at this little town, a group of travelers are eating. They are definitely not nondescript - even the most normal of them would cause a stare at any town. There are four of them, two men and two women. Three of these people are eating ravenously - the fourth sits just off to the side of them, calmly eating like a civilized person, though his presence is enough to cause a stare. This man, clothed in slightly tanned clothes with a cloak, is not normal - his skin is grayish, his light purple hair like needles.
His companions are no better: The other man, a tall, well-built man with a sword at his side, dressed in blue under his armor, with long blond hair, is eating like a horse, fighting for every scrap he can get. He attacks his food with the skill of a trained warrior, striking and parrying with unmatched skill.
One of the girls, a short little girl, dressed in white, and rather well endowed for her age, with short purplish-black hair, also fights for the food, but has not the skill of the man, nor size to help her - she can only fight with the Justice and Truth in her heart, which is enough to overcome almost any obstacle.
The last girl, also fairly short, with long red-orange hair and the strangest costume one could ever think of, fights the hardest, never allowing a chance for food to pass by her. She doesn't look intimidating, being small (in more ways than one), but she is top among the three for food. Three judges sit off to the side, all nodding and conferring among themselves, jotting down notes as the battle ensues.
Zelgadis gives the three judges an odd look. "I wonder why they're here, and what the author was on when he introduced them..." he muttered to himself as the author continues to paint a picture through words in the best way. Simply, he rants.
After the last plate is cleared and the dishes removed, the judges hold up their votes: Amelia: 7.7, 7.4, 7.8. Gourry: 8.7, 8.6, 9.0, Lina: 9.9, 9.9, 10. With that finished, the three of them stood, brushed off their robes, and walked out, all talking with each other. Lina punched the air in victory. "Hah ha! That just goes to show you that I am the world champion!" She sat back in her chair, gloating. Gourry and Amelia both looked disappointed at losing the competition, but it was hard for those two to stay sad for more than five seconds. Even before Zelgadis had finished saying four, Amelia was already cheerful and Gourry had forgotten what had just transpired.
With the food all finished, the group sat at their table and began to converse. Not on anything specific - just random topics that came to mind. No one wanted to bring up the topic that all of them had in mind, of the recent events they had just been through with Dark Star and Valgaav.
"Well," Lina finally said, "after all this time we've spent in the Outer World, I'm staring to get used to it. Of course, it will probably be centuries before magic spreads across the world, and is accepted, but I think that everything will work out okay, don't you guys?" Gourry nodded in whole-hearted agreement.
"Not only that, but the food is great, too!" Lina gave a grin to that.
"Yosha! Now we're starting to think back along the same tracks, Gourry! I say, tomorrow we set out!" She took a dramatic pose, Gourry right behind her. "In search of the ultimate glory!" Another pose, this one with a flash of light, provided by Amelia, who was glad to help increase the drama. "In the quest to find the best food in the world!" She stood on Gourry's shoulders, pointing off to the horizon. More flashes, and an unwilling Zelgadis threw a small handful of confetti.
"Yay," was all he said. Amelia was almost in tears from the drama. The patrons at the inn all gave a huge round of applause.
"Ano, Lina," Zel started as she hopped off Gourry's shoulders. "I thought your quest was to eat a dragon's cuisine?"
Lina dusted off her hands, nodding. "Yeah, that does sound good."
"If that's so, then why are we eating at every inn and bar we come to?"
Lina laughed. "Ah, Zel, you just don't understand how to appreciate a meal like I do! The flavor, to inner taste, the spices and added flavorings, and how it should leave the most delightful aftertaste in ones mouth...and, as a merchants daughter, I can't help but love a low price!"
"Don't you remember the last time we tried to get dragon's cuisine?" Zel asked.
Lina was brought up short, but thought up a ready reply. "Well, this time, I'll have him start making it, then come back six months later! It's not like I have anything to do for the next year or so..." Lina pulled out a small pocket calendar and started flipping through it. "...or next several decades..." Lina shrugged and put it away. "But that's not what's important! Gourry!" She turned to her guardian. "Tomorrow we set off for more food!" Gourry held out a fork and knife in response, already ready to eat. Amelia pumped her fist into the air.
"Yay! You're the greatest, Lina-san!" Lina reveled in the praise. Zel just sat, still looking like he was thinking of saying something, but decided against it.
* * *
Night fell, went on by with a trumpet fanfare, and the dawn kicked it out of the way. Dawn was immediately stabbed to death by morning, and the eternal feud between the times of daylight continued. Meanwhile, life went on as Lina and the others all set out to the next town, in search of better food.
As they were walking, nothing out of the normal happened. When that is said, one generally means that absolutely nothing happened. But when speaking of Lina Inverse and her friends, the most abnormal situations can be normal. For instance, being set upon by a bandit gang is a perfectly normal thing to happen. So they weren't all that surprised when a large group of mean-looking bandits, complete with scars and fake eye patches, burst out of the bushes to surround them.
"You're surrounded!" Their apparent leader bellowed. "Give us all your valuables and we'll let you live!"
"You were right, Lina," Gourry said, a smile on his face. "It is just like home."
Lina smiled. "Now, this is just what I needed: someone to vent my anger on." Amelia took a fighting stance, preparing to fight. Zel just looked bored.
"All right, then! GET 'EM, BOYS!" The bandits all charged, intending to use sheer numbers to win.
"BURST RONDO!"
The bandit gang was thrown away from the blast of weak fire. The spell barely caused any damage - it was used more like a warning spell. Unfazed, the bandits stood up again and charged.
"Well, it doesn't look like they'll leave us alone..." Lina said, an evil smile on her face. "Fireball!" she shouted. A fireball was gathered into her hand, and she threw it with pinpoint accuracy. A number of bandits were blasted away. A few leapt at her, but Gourry's sword flashed, easily dispatching of them.
"Halt, you doers of evil!"
The bandits looked up in surprise. Amelia had managed to climb the nearest tree, and was dramatically posing, pointing at them with an angry finger. "I cannot stand those of you who break the laws of Order and Truth! In the name of Justice, I will defeat you! Prepare yourselves!" With that, she leapt into the air, wind blowing dramatically, and came down to land.
She landed normally on her feet.
No headfirst crash-landing. No slipping or tripping over a rock. No accidentally hitting the innocent person under attack.
It was a new day for the cause of Justice.
Amelia pumped her hands into the air, also breaking the jaws of two of the bandits that had surrounded her. "YES! I have finally mastered the art of the final test of Justice! Oh, Tousan will be so happy and proud!" That was when she realized that she was surrounded. Not much of a problem.
"Bram Blazer!" she cried, blowing away the bandits.
Another group rushed Zelgadis, who was ignoring everything. As they attempted to hack through his skin, he decided to go to sleep while standing. However, before he could, Amelia took action. "Fireball!" While the spell did take care of the bandits, it also torched Zel. Amelia landed next to him and shouted, "Victory!" as Zel smoked.
"Oi, Amelia..."
"Hai?" she asked, looking at him, not noticing his burned clothes.
"Mega Brando!" Lina shouted, sending the last of the bandits flying off into the sky. She brushed off her hands, quite pleased with herself. "Well, that was fun. Any left?" She looked around expectantly. Gourry was strolling away from a huge pile of bodies, and Amelia was waving happily. Zel still stood, smoking from the fireball.
With business taken care of, the four of them set off once again, continuing on Lina's quest for food. The next town they came to was a rather large town, filled with people from all over. Of course, the first place they found was the inn, complete with food. As they sat and ate, while Lina and Amelia were fighting for a large piece of steak, Zel happened to glance out the window. A few shadowy figures were peering in the window, but they darted away as soon as he saw them. Zel, not one to dismiss anything as coincidence, made a mental note of them, but was quickly distracted by a bowl of soup hitting him right in the face as soon as he turned around.
* * *
A man cloaked in black, sitting halfway in the shadows, regarded the battered men in front of him. He held a glass of wine in his hand, swirling the wine thoughtfully. "So...you're sure that the one who destroyed your gang was the real Lina Inverse?" The leader, covered in bandages, nodded.
"There was no way it could have been anyone else. The way she acted, fought, and blew everything up...it HAD it be her!" The man was silent for a moment. Then, through the shadows, the beaten bandits could see a hideous smile appear.
"At last...Lina Inverse has come to this part of the world...now we shall see who is really more powerful." He stood and tossed a bag of coins on the table. "Thanks for the info. I'll take care of her." The bandits greedily grabbed the bag and began dividing the coins among themselves as the man walked out. Before he left, he paused at the doorway. "One last question."
They all stopped and looked at him. "What?"
A strange look came over the man. "Was she...really as small as they say?"
The bandits looked at each other, then nodded. "As flat as a little girl."
The man sighed. "Figures." With that, he vanished into the night.
* * *
Another night passed uneventfully for Lina Inverse. Meaning nothing blew up. However, time flows unnaturally, and one never knows when a problem may arise. One should always be ready. However, someone like Lina, who stays positive and never thinks past the present, the flow of time is always the most obscure.
After they ate, they strolled down the street. Lina stretched. "Ah, what a nice day! And it all started out with a good meal! Today should be good." As they continued down the street, a shadowy figure tailed their steps.
Amelia started window-shopping. She paused at a jewelry store and was in awe at all the shiny jewelry. "Ne, Lina-san! Come look at these!" Lina curiously came over to join her, and her reaction was just the same. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the contents of the store.
"Ah, sugoi! This is so pretty! Ne, Amelia what do you think of that one?"
"Ooo, that one's nice! What about that?"
"Iie, too showy for me." The two girls continued to banter cheerfully on as they overlooked every bit of jewelry there. Gourry and Zel were left standing off to the side, watching. Gourry had a grin on his face, while Zel was moody, as always.
"Those two..." Zelgadis started, then shook his head. "Ne, Lina is, what, seventeen? And she's acting like this?"
"Aw, c'mon, Zelgadis, mellow out. Lina's always been like this. Let her have some fun for a while." Gourry glanced at the chimera with a grin. "Don't you ever like to just unwind and act like a kid again?"
"Gourry," Zelgadis said, giving him a look, "when I was a child, I wasn't a chimera. I've been trying to cure myself for years now."
"You have?"
Zel fell on his face. "Of course I have! How small is your attention span, anyway?"
Gourry shrugged. "I dunno. Oi, something shiny!"
Zel sighed. It was inevitable for Gourry to be dumb. But he would never get used to it - not with the way he showed occasional bits of intelligence the way he did. Zel glanced over and saw the shadowy figure hiding in an alley, and was reminded of last night. "Ne, Gourry, we have a bit of unwanted company."
"You mean the guy following us, or the ones from last night?" Zel blinked in surprise.
"You saw them, too?" Gourry nodded. He hadn't even turned around.
"They didn't do so well a job concealing themselves. There were three of them, all part of the bandit gang we destroyed," he said calmly.
Zel was impressed. He did have exceptional hearing and eyesight, but Gourry was so well trained that he didn't even show it.
"Oi, Zelgadis," Gourry started, still not looking at him.
"Yes?"
Gourry turned around, holding two shirts, one sepia, one moss green. "Which do you think looks better? The sepia? Or the moss green?"
Zel started to have second thought about his travelling companion.
* * *
After Lina and Amelia had finally finished looking over every item in the store, they admitted they really didn't need anything, which made the owner of the store even more agitated than before.
"You know, I hope that he was joking about calling the city guard on us," Amelia said, a little worried.
"And he was just faking when he started foaming at the mouth, right?" Gourry asked, barely concerned but a little worried. "I mean, he may have some sort of medical condition."
"Ah, he seemed okay when we left," Lina said, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand. "What's more important is that, somewhere in this world, a good meal awaits us! But first we have to take care of these stupid bandits again."
There was a momentary pause as the bandits realized that their cue to enter had been given, and they were supposed to appear dramatically. However, drama is hard to pull off when one is bandaged and wounded. So instead they just kind of limped out in a very un-dramatic way.
"Lina Inverse!" Their leader bellowed again, but it was a much weaker bellow. "You may have destroyed our group, but we have returned for revenge!"
Lina nodded. "Right, whatever. What do you guys think you can do to me?"
The leader got an evil glint in his eyes. "Oh, I won't be fighting you."
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"The one who will fight you...is him!" With that, he pointed to a nearby group of trees, shadowed in a most unnatural way. But it wasn't just that - there was a strange feeling in the air, like of something that wasn't right. Then there was movement from these shadows, and Lina's world was forever changed.
From the shadows stepped a man. He was short, barely taller than Lina, with a slim build to him. His body seemed to flow rather than move, each step a graceful glide, his feet seeming to barely touching the ground. He wore a tattered black trench coat over a black shirt and pants, which seemed like a part of him as well, flowing with his body. His black boots made no sound as they took each step, his movements a whisper of sound. A black scarf lined in silver, his eyes barely visible, shrouded the lower half of his face. He raised a hand to shake loose the scarf, and one could see he wore finger-less black gloves. On each hand he wore a silver ring with a dark jewel impressed into it, which changed along with the light. As the scarf fell down to settle on his shoulders, the rest of his face became visible. It was thin, his jaw well set, a short nose, his gray eyes staring dimly, barely reflecting the light. His mass of wild white hair ruffled as the breeze took it, a black streak going straight through the middle of it. He regarded them coldly, his eyes staring like two dim lights, boring deeper into your soul with each second they lay on you.
This was only the first impression.
With each step he took closer to them, you could tell a little bit more about him, just by his bearing. He was not of this area. He was a trained warrior. And he was paying very close attention to everything that was happening; meaning Lina couldn't pull something off sneakily.
He stopped several feet from her, regarding her coldly. His eyes, which had seemed dead, now seemed to have the barest spark of like in them.
"Lina Inverse."
Even his voice was black. It seemed fitting of him. His eyes were focused on only her.
Lina stepped foreword. "That would be me. What do you want?"
A dead smile lit his face. "I'm here to kill you."
There was a deathly silence. The wind blew coldly, whipping at her cape. Lina unconsciously shivered, but made sure not to show it. This wasn't new to her - she had had death threats more than once before in her life. But there had never been one that was so purely...black. That was the only way to describe it. She hadn't even felt this kind of inner fear when she fought Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo.
She managed to calm herself and responded. "That's it? Just going to kill me, and leave? I don't even know you."
"My name...is Heaosaru. I am the Bringer of Death to everyone. And you, who claims to be so powerful...I will prove that there is always someone stronger." Lina noticed that he was concentrating very hard whenever he spoke, and it was an unnatural concentration. Not like he was preparing a spell, but more like he was forming the correct words slowly. "Now draw your sword, and fight me."
That took Lina aback. "Eh? Why would I fight you with a sword? I specialize in magic, not swordplay. If that's what you want, Gourry's right over here." She turned to point, only to find that Gourry and Amelia had taken cover behind a fallen log, and they had dragged Zel with them. Amelia waved at her.
"Don't you worry, Lina-san! We'll just be right here, cheering you on! Remember that Justice is on your side!" Lina sweat-dropped. She then turned to face her opponent again. Heaosaru was still standing where he had been, not a muscle moving.
"Ikuzo."
With that, he took off, running to the side. Lina ran parallel along him, both keeping their eyes on the other. Heaosaru reached into his coat and leapt towards her, a wakizashi in his hands. He swung a massive overhead stroke, which Lina caught on her short sword.
The two locked in that position for a moment, and Lina quickly realized that there was no way she could beat him with her sword - he was far too strong, and he obviously possessed a great deal of skill. Heaosaru suddenly ducked under her sword and shouldered her, knocking her back. His blade flashed like a scythe in the fields, cutting quickly and efficiently. Lina had to move as fast as she could to keep up, but that still wasn't enough. Heaosaru's wakizashi caught her just above her knee, knocking her off balance. He swung again, and would have put out her right eye had she not thrown her head back. The blade caught just below it, starting a trickle of blood down her face.
Lina swung her short sword quickly. Heaosaru was forced to jump back, and Lina used this moment to strike. She punched her hand against the ground and shouted, "Bephis Bring!" A small fissure opened up in the ground, meant to put him off balance, but Heaosaru jumped into the air again.
"Flare Bit!" he shouted, and a series of small balls of light shot out, kicking up a great deal of smoke. Lina was unable to see where Heaosaru went to, but she could guess. She quickly judged where he had been and estimated where he would land.
"Flare Lance!" she cried, unleashing a full power spell. The explosion rocked the area and forced Gourry, Amelia and Zel to duck down. When they looked up, Lina was standing alone. Amelia pumped her hands into the air.
"Yay! Go Lina-san! I knew you could do it!" Gourry and Amelia did a little victory dance for Lina. But Zel was keeping his eyes alert, and he saw the pinpoints of light appear.
"Lina! Look out!" he shouted. Lina looked to the side to see it as well and dove to the side to avoid a high-power fire spell. She got up, only to see Heaosaru dart off to the side, just out of her vision. She tried to follow him, but he kept staying one step ahead of her. He was fast. That was for sure.
"Earth below me, submit to my will..." She managed to catch him just in time to see him slam his hand to the ground. "Dug Haut!" Lina lost her balance due to the shaking earth, and knew if she didn't do something, she would be impaled on one of the many spikes of earth shooting up. "Levitation!" she cried, rising as quickly as she could into the air, out of danger. But Heaosaru wasn't done yet.
"Icicle Lance!" he shouted, throwing a thick spear of ice at her. Lina had to drop the Levitation to avoid it, but that was what Heaosaru had wanted her to do. She hit the ground and looked up, only to see him running towards her, wakizashi ready to strike. With no other options, Lina took hold of her sword, stepped foreword and thrust.
There was a sickening crunch and a sliding sound. Lina opened her eyes to find her blade imbedded in Heaosaru's chest, his eyes wide with amazement. His wakizashi lay a few feet behind her.
"Oi...that's not...very nice..." he muttered, and the way he spoke sounded so childish, you never would have expected it. "Well..." he brought his hand back, his fingers splayed like claws, preparing to attack her physically. Lina, left with no choice, thrust her hands against his stomach and screamed the spell out.
"VAL-FLARE!"
The enormous flames tore through his torso, ripping a huge whole in him. He was carried several feet along with the spell before Lina released it. He fell with a slimy sounding thump, his blood starting to flow down the hill. The Val-Flare had already exploded, causing a huge fire in the distance. But Lina still stared at the man she had just killed.
Her hands were shaking. She had never been so cruel to someone before. If she ever killed someone, which she tried to avoid, she tried to make it painless and fast. But this...she knew that Heaosaru was still alive. He would remain so for almost an hour, maybe more, if he were that strong, unable to move...
Lina's heart raced. She slowly brought up her hands; there was no blood on them, but Lina could feel it, running down her hands, soaking through her gloves. Her hands shook, her eyes staring blankly as her thoughts ran like wildfire. I just killed someone in one of the worst ways...I barely even know him! Why did I do that? Oh, my god...She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Gourry, a sympathetic look on his face. Amelia and Zel stood just behind him.
"Lina," Gourry said, "It's okay. I know how you must feel, but you didn't have any other choice."
Lina looked back at body of the dead man. "That may be so...but...why did I use such a spell at close range...? He must be suffering horribly."
"Eh?" Gourry asked, confused. "I was talking about the town. You blew most of it up, so we won't be able to eat tonight."
"NANDATO?" Lina looked where the Val-Flare had exploded, and saw that she had destroyed a huge portion of the town they were just in.
"Oh my god! I can't believe I did that! Oh, whatever will I eat today...? I'll starve to death...woe is me..." Lina fell to her knees and put her head in her hands. Gourry patted her on the back sympathetically.
"At any rate, might as well put this one out of his misery," Zel said coldly. He advanced towards the fallen man, his steps heavy.
Lina only heard his sudden intake of breath, so she didn't what was happening right away. But when she heard his sword fly from its sheath, she began to feel a strange aura in the air, of something that didn't feel right. She looked at Zel and almost stopped breathing.
Heaosaru was getting back up.
Lina knew that this had to be a nightmare or a bad dream, or something, but it was too real. There was no way he could move - his spine was almost completely gone. And yet, there he was, standing back on his feet, trying to clutch the gaping wound with one free hand. Blood was dripping from the hole in him, and Lina knew that this couldn't be a dream.
Heaosaru spat, a mixture of blood and saliva. Then a weak smile came across his face. "That was nice, Lina Inverse. You hurt me...this is gonna suck to deal with before it heals. I'll go away for now and give you the win, but you can bet I'll see you soon." With a lurch, he turned and started slowly stumping away, his feet dragging on the ground. He paused and gave a little wave. "Ja..."
And then he walked off.
No one tried to stop him - they were all too much in shock.
The day closed on an ominous tone. There was something that was no longer right once again...
But just why did it have to involve her?
To be continued...
ETERNAL BLACK
Part 1: A New Journey! And the mysterious warrior!
(This story comes after TRY, obviously, but there are some differences to the ending. This is kind of before the ending animation when the Slayers split up again, but Gourry still has the Sword of Light, and other stuff...just read.)
In a country in the Outer World, the rest of the world that was once cut off from the world we know, there is a little town. This town is nothing special - it's just your average little place: nice people, well-built houses, and good food. There is nothing special about the place, but it is where everything begins...in a way.
In an inn at this little town, a group of travelers are eating. They are definitely not nondescript - even the most normal of them would cause a stare at any town. There are four of them, two men and two women. Three of these people are eating ravenously - the fourth sits just off to the side of them, calmly eating like a civilized person, though his presence is enough to cause a stare. This man, clothed in slightly tanned clothes with a cloak, is not normal - his skin is grayish, his light purple hair like needles.
His companions are no better: The other man, a tall, well-built man with a sword at his side, dressed in blue under his armor, with long blond hair, is eating like a horse, fighting for every scrap he can get. He attacks his food with the skill of a trained warrior, striking and parrying with unmatched skill.
One of the girls, a short little girl, dressed in white, and rather well endowed for her age, with short purplish-black hair, also fights for the food, but has not the skill of the man, nor size to help her - she can only fight with the Justice and Truth in her heart, which is enough to overcome almost any obstacle.
The last girl, also fairly short, with long red-orange hair and the strangest costume one could ever think of, fights the hardest, never allowing a chance for food to pass by her. She doesn't look intimidating, being small (in more ways than one), but she is top among the three for food. Three judges sit off to the side, all nodding and conferring among themselves, jotting down notes as the battle ensues.
Zelgadis gives the three judges an odd look. "I wonder why they're here, and what the author was on when he introduced them..." he muttered to himself as the author continues to paint a picture through words in the best way. Simply, he rants.
After the last plate is cleared and the dishes removed, the judges hold up their votes: Amelia: 7.7, 7.4, 7.8. Gourry: 8.7, 8.6, 9.0, Lina: 9.9, 9.9, 10. With that finished, the three of them stood, brushed off their robes, and walked out, all talking with each other. Lina punched the air in victory. "Hah ha! That just goes to show you that I am the world champion!" She sat back in her chair, gloating. Gourry and Amelia both looked disappointed at losing the competition, but it was hard for those two to stay sad for more than five seconds. Even before Zelgadis had finished saying four, Amelia was already cheerful and Gourry had forgotten what had just transpired.
With the food all finished, the group sat at their table and began to converse. Not on anything specific - just random topics that came to mind. No one wanted to bring up the topic that all of them had in mind, of the recent events they had just been through with Dark Star and Valgaav.
"Well," Lina finally said, "after all this time we've spent in the Outer World, I'm staring to get used to it. Of course, it will probably be centuries before magic spreads across the world, and is accepted, but I think that everything will work out okay, don't you guys?" Gourry nodded in whole-hearted agreement.
"Not only that, but the food is great, too!" Lina gave a grin to that.
"Yosha! Now we're starting to think back along the same tracks, Gourry! I say, tomorrow we set out!" She took a dramatic pose, Gourry right behind her. "In search of the ultimate glory!" Another pose, this one with a flash of light, provided by Amelia, who was glad to help increase the drama. "In the quest to find the best food in the world!" She stood on Gourry's shoulders, pointing off to the horizon. More flashes, and an unwilling Zelgadis threw a small handful of confetti.
"Yay," was all he said. Amelia was almost in tears from the drama. The patrons at the inn all gave a huge round of applause.
"Ano, Lina," Zel started as she hopped off Gourry's shoulders. "I thought your quest was to eat a dragon's cuisine?"
Lina dusted off her hands, nodding. "Yeah, that does sound good."
"If that's so, then why are we eating at every inn and bar we come to?"
Lina laughed. "Ah, Zel, you just don't understand how to appreciate a meal like I do! The flavor, to inner taste, the spices and added flavorings, and how it should leave the most delightful aftertaste in ones mouth...and, as a merchants daughter, I can't help but love a low price!"
"Don't you remember the last time we tried to get dragon's cuisine?" Zel asked.
Lina was brought up short, but thought up a ready reply. "Well, this time, I'll have him start making it, then come back six months later! It's not like I have anything to do for the next year or so..." Lina pulled out a small pocket calendar and started flipping through it. "...or next several decades..." Lina shrugged and put it away. "But that's not what's important! Gourry!" She turned to her guardian. "Tomorrow we set off for more food!" Gourry held out a fork and knife in response, already ready to eat. Amelia pumped her fist into the air.
"Yay! You're the greatest, Lina-san!" Lina reveled in the praise. Zel just sat, still looking like he was thinking of saying something, but decided against it.
* * *
Night fell, went on by with a trumpet fanfare, and the dawn kicked it out of the way. Dawn was immediately stabbed to death by morning, and the eternal feud between the times of daylight continued. Meanwhile, life went on as Lina and the others all set out to the next town, in search of better food.
As they were walking, nothing out of the normal happened. When that is said, one generally means that absolutely nothing happened. But when speaking of Lina Inverse and her friends, the most abnormal situations can be normal. For instance, being set upon by a bandit gang is a perfectly normal thing to happen. So they weren't all that surprised when a large group of mean-looking bandits, complete with scars and fake eye patches, burst out of the bushes to surround them.
"You're surrounded!" Their apparent leader bellowed. "Give us all your valuables and we'll let you live!"
"You were right, Lina," Gourry said, a smile on his face. "It is just like home."
Lina smiled. "Now, this is just what I needed: someone to vent my anger on." Amelia took a fighting stance, preparing to fight. Zel just looked bored.
"All right, then! GET 'EM, BOYS!" The bandits all charged, intending to use sheer numbers to win.
"BURST RONDO!"
The bandit gang was thrown away from the blast of weak fire. The spell barely caused any damage - it was used more like a warning spell. Unfazed, the bandits stood up again and charged.
"Well, it doesn't look like they'll leave us alone..." Lina said, an evil smile on her face. "Fireball!" she shouted. A fireball was gathered into her hand, and she threw it with pinpoint accuracy. A number of bandits were blasted away. A few leapt at her, but Gourry's sword flashed, easily dispatching of them.
"Halt, you doers of evil!"
The bandits looked up in surprise. Amelia had managed to climb the nearest tree, and was dramatically posing, pointing at them with an angry finger. "I cannot stand those of you who break the laws of Order and Truth! In the name of Justice, I will defeat you! Prepare yourselves!" With that, she leapt into the air, wind blowing dramatically, and came down to land.
She landed normally on her feet.
No headfirst crash-landing. No slipping or tripping over a rock. No accidentally hitting the innocent person under attack.
It was a new day for the cause of Justice.
Amelia pumped her hands into the air, also breaking the jaws of two of the bandits that had surrounded her. "YES! I have finally mastered the art of the final test of Justice! Oh, Tousan will be so happy and proud!" That was when she realized that she was surrounded. Not much of a problem.
"Bram Blazer!" she cried, blowing away the bandits.
Another group rushed Zelgadis, who was ignoring everything. As they attempted to hack through his skin, he decided to go to sleep while standing. However, before he could, Amelia took action. "Fireball!" While the spell did take care of the bandits, it also torched Zel. Amelia landed next to him and shouted, "Victory!" as Zel smoked.
"Oi, Amelia..."
"Hai?" she asked, looking at him, not noticing his burned clothes.
"Mega Brando!" Lina shouted, sending the last of the bandits flying off into the sky. She brushed off her hands, quite pleased with herself. "Well, that was fun. Any left?" She looked around expectantly. Gourry was strolling away from a huge pile of bodies, and Amelia was waving happily. Zel still stood, smoking from the fireball.
With business taken care of, the four of them set off once again, continuing on Lina's quest for food. The next town they came to was a rather large town, filled with people from all over. Of course, the first place they found was the inn, complete with food. As they sat and ate, while Lina and Amelia were fighting for a large piece of steak, Zel happened to glance out the window. A few shadowy figures were peering in the window, but they darted away as soon as he saw them. Zel, not one to dismiss anything as coincidence, made a mental note of them, but was quickly distracted by a bowl of soup hitting him right in the face as soon as he turned around.
* * *
A man cloaked in black, sitting halfway in the shadows, regarded the battered men in front of him. He held a glass of wine in his hand, swirling the wine thoughtfully. "So...you're sure that the one who destroyed your gang was the real Lina Inverse?" The leader, covered in bandages, nodded.
"There was no way it could have been anyone else. The way she acted, fought, and blew everything up...it HAD it be her!" The man was silent for a moment. Then, through the shadows, the beaten bandits could see a hideous smile appear.
"At last...Lina Inverse has come to this part of the world...now we shall see who is really more powerful." He stood and tossed a bag of coins on the table. "Thanks for the info. I'll take care of her." The bandits greedily grabbed the bag and began dividing the coins among themselves as the man walked out. Before he left, he paused at the doorway. "One last question."
They all stopped and looked at him. "What?"
A strange look came over the man. "Was she...really as small as they say?"
The bandits looked at each other, then nodded. "As flat as a little girl."
The man sighed. "Figures." With that, he vanished into the night.
* * *
Another night passed uneventfully for Lina Inverse. Meaning nothing blew up. However, time flows unnaturally, and one never knows when a problem may arise. One should always be ready. However, someone like Lina, who stays positive and never thinks past the present, the flow of time is always the most obscure.
After they ate, they strolled down the street. Lina stretched. "Ah, what a nice day! And it all started out with a good meal! Today should be good." As they continued down the street, a shadowy figure tailed their steps.
Amelia started window-shopping. She paused at a jewelry store and was in awe at all the shiny jewelry. "Ne, Lina-san! Come look at these!" Lina curiously came over to join her, and her reaction was just the same. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the contents of the store.
"Ah, sugoi! This is so pretty! Ne, Amelia what do you think of that one?"
"Ooo, that one's nice! What about that?"
"Iie, too showy for me." The two girls continued to banter cheerfully on as they overlooked every bit of jewelry there. Gourry and Zel were left standing off to the side, watching. Gourry had a grin on his face, while Zel was moody, as always.
"Those two..." Zelgadis started, then shook his head. "Ne, Lina is, what, seventeen? And she's acting like this?"
"Aw, c'mon, Zelgadis, mellow out. Lina's always been like this. Let her have some fun for a while." Gourry glanced at the chimera with a grin. "Don't you ever like to just unwind and act like a kid again?"
"Gourry," Zelgadis said, giving him a look, "when I was a child, I wasn't a chimera. I've been trying to cure myself for years now."
"You have?"
Zel fell on his face. "Of course I have! How small is your attention span, anyway?"
Gourry shrugged. "I dunno. Oi, something shiny!"
Zel sighed. It was inevitable for Gourry to be dumb. But he would never get used to it - not with the way he showed occasional bits of intelligence the way he did. Zel glanced over and saw the shadowy figure hiding in an alley, and was reminded of last night. "Ne, Gourry, we have a bit of unwanted company."
"You mean the guy following us, or the ones from last night?" Zel blinked in surprise.
"You saw them, too?" Gourry nodded. He hadn't even turned around.
"They didn't do so well a job concealing themselves. There were three of them, all part of the bandit gang we destroyed," he said calmly.
Zel was impressed. He did have exceptional hearing and eyesight, but Gourry was so well trained that he didn't even show it.
"Oi, Zelgadis," Gourry started, still not looking at him.
"Yes?"
Gourry turned around, holding two shirts, one sepia, one moss green. "Which do you think looks better? The sepia? Or the moss green?"
Zel started to have second thought about his travelling companion.
* * *
After Lina and Amelia had finally finished looking over every item in the store, they admitted they really didn't need anything, which made the owner of the store even more agitated than before.
"You know, I hope that he was joking about calling the city guard on us," Amelia said, a little worried.
"And he was just faking when he started foaming at the mouth, right?" Gourry asked, barely concerned but a little worried. "I mean, he may have some sort of medical condition."
"Ah, he seemed okay when we left," Lina said, dismissing the subject with a wave of her hand. "What's more important is that, somewhere in this world, a good meal awaits us! But first we have to take care of these stupid bandits again."
There was a momentary pause as the bandits realized that their cue to enter had been given, and they were supposed to appear dramatically. However, drama is hard to pull off when one is bandaged and wounded. So instead they just kind of limped out in a very un-dramatic way.
"Lina Inverse!" Their leader bellowed again, but it was a much weaker bellow. "You may have destroyed our group, but we have returned for revenge!"
Lina nodded. "Right, whatever. What do you guys think you can do to me?"
The leader got an evil glint in his eyes. "Oh, I won't be fighting you."
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"The one who will fight you...is him!" With that, he pointed to a nearby group of trees, shadowed in a most unnatural way. But it wasn't just that - there was a strange feeling in the air, like of something that wasn't right. Then there was movement from these shadows, and Lina's world was forever changed.
From the shadows stepped a man. He was short, barely taller than Lina, with a slim build to him. His body seemed to flow rather than move, each step a graceful glide, his feet seeming to barely touching the ground. He wore a tattered black trench coat over a black shirt and pants, which seemed like a part of him as well, flowing with his body. His black boots made no sound as they took each step, his movements a whisper of sound. A black scarf lined in silver, his eyes barely visible, shrouded the lower half of his face. He raised a hand to shake loose the scarf, and one could see he wore finger-less black gloves. On each hand he wore a silver ring with a dark jewel impressed into it, which changed along with the light. As the scarf fell down to settle on his shoulders, the rest of his face became visible. It was thin, his jaw well set, a short nose, his gray eyes staring dimly, barely reflecting the light. His mass of wild white hair ruffled as the breeze took it, a black streak going straight through the middle of it. He regarded them coldly, his eyes staring like two dim lights, boring deeper into your soul with each second they lay on you.
This was only the first impression.
With each step he took closer to them, you could tell a little bit more about him, just by his bearing. He was not of this area. He was a trained warrior. And he was paying very close attention to everything that was happening; meaning Lina couldn't pull something off sneakily.
He stopped several feet from her, regarding her coldly. His eyes, which had seemed dead, now seemed to have the barest spark of like in them.
"Lina Inverse."
Even his voice was black. It seemed fitting of him. His eyes were focused on only her.
Lina stepped foreword. "That would be me. What do you want?"
A dead smile lit his face. "I'm here to kill you."
There was a deathly silence. The wind blew coldly, whipping at her cape. Lina unconsciously shivered, but made sure not to show it. This wasn't new to her - she had had death threats more than once before in her life. But there had never been one that was so purely...black. That was the only way to describe it. She hadn't even felt this kind of inner fear when she fought Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo.
She managed to calm herself and responded. "That's it? Just going to kill me, and leave? I don't even know you."
"My name...is Heaosaru. I am the Bringer of Death to everyone. And you, who claims to be so powerful...I will prove that there is always someone stronger." Lina noticed that he was concentrating very hard whenever he spoke, and it was an unnatural concentration. Not like he was preparing a spell, but more like he was forming the correct words slowly. "Now draw your sword, and fight me."
That took Lina aback. "Eh? Why would I fight you with a sword? I specialize in magic, not swordplay. If that's what you want, Gourry's right over here." She turned to point, only to find that Gourry and Amelia had taken cover behind a fallen log, and they had dragged Zel with them. Amelia waved at her.
"Don't you worry, Lina-san! We'll just be right here, cheering you on! Remember that Justice is on your side!" Lina sweat-dropped. She then turned to face her opponent again. Heaosaru was still standing where he had been, not a muscle moving.
"Ikuzo."
With that, he took off, running to the side. Lina ran parallel along him, both keeping their eyes on the other. Heaosaru reached into his coat and leapt towards her, a wakizashi in his hands. He swung a massive overhead stroke, which Lina caught on her short sword.
The two locked in that position for a moment, and Lina quickly realized that there was no way she could beat him with her sword - he was far too strong, and he obviously possessed a great deal of skill. Heaosaru suddenly ducked under her sword and shouldered her, knocking her back. His blade flashed like a scythe in the fields, cutting quickly and efficiently. Lina had to move as fast as she could to keep up, but that still wasn't enough. Heaosaru's wakizashi caught her just above her knee, knocking her off balance. He swung again, and would have put out her right eye had she not thrown her head back. The blade caught just below it, starting a trickle of blood down her face.
Lina swung her short sword quickly. Heaosaru was forced to jump back, and Lina used this moment to strike. She punched her hand against the ground and shouted, "Bephis Bring!" A small fissure opened up in the ground, meant to put him off balance, but Heaosaru jumped into the air again.
"Flare Bit!" he shouted, and a series of small balls of light shot out, kicking up a great deal of smoke. Lina was unable to see where Heaosaru went to, but she could guess. She quickly judged where he had been and estimated where he would land.
"Flare Lance!" she cried, unleashing a full power spell. The explosion rocked the area and forced Gourry, Amelia and Zel to duck down. When they looked up, Lina was standing alone. Amelia pumped her hands into the air.
"Yay! Go Lina-san! I knew you could do it!" Gourry and Amelia did a little victory dance for Lina. But Zel was keeping his eyes alert, and he saw the pinpoints of light appear.
"Lina! Look out!" he shouted. Lina looked to the side to see it as well and dove to the side to avoid a high-power fire spell. She got up, only to see Heaosaru dart off to the side, just out of her vision. She tried to follow him, but he kept staying one step ahead of her. He was fast. That was for sure.
"Earth below me, submit to my will..." She managed to catch him just in time to see him slam his hand to the ground. "Dug Haut!" Lina lost her balance due to the shaking earth, and knew if she didn't do something, she would be impaled on one of the many spikes of earth shooting up. "Levitation!" she cried, rising as quickly as she could into the air, out of danger. But Heaosaru wasn't done yet.
"Icicle Lance!" he shouted, throwing a thick spear of ice at her. Lina had to drop the Levitation to avoid it, but that was what Heaosaru had wanted her to do. She hit the ground and looked up, only to see him running towards her, wakizashi ready to strike. With no other options, Lina took hold of her sword, stepped foreword and thrust.
There was a sickening crunch and a sliding sound. Lina opened her eyes to find her blade imbedded in Heaosaru's chest, his eyes wide with amazement. His wakizashi lay a few feet behind her.
"Oi...that's not...very nice..." he muttered, and the way he spoke sounded so childish, you never would have expected it. "Well..." he brought his hand back, his fingers splayed like claws, preparing to attack her physically. Lina, left with no choice, thrust her hands against his stomach and screamed the spell out.
"VAL-FLARE!"
The enormous flames tore through his torso, ripping a huge whole in him. He was carried several feet along with the spell before Lina released it. He fell with a slimy sounding thump, his blood starting to flow down the hill. The Val-Flare had already exploded, causing a huge fire in the distance. But Lina still stared at the man she had just killed.
Her hands were shaking. She had never been so cruel to someone before. If she ever killed someone, which she tried to avoid, she tried to make it painless and fast. But this...she knew that Heaosaru was still alive. He would remain so for almost an hour, maybe more, if he were that strong, unable to move...
Lina's heart raced. She slowly brought up her hands; there was no blood on them, but Lina could feel it, running down her hands, soaking through her gloves. Her hands shook, her eyes staring blankly as her thoughts ran like wildfire. I just killed someone in one of the worst ways...I barely even know him! Why did I do that? Oh, my god...She started when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Gourry, a sympathetic look on his face. Amelia and Zel stood just behind him.
"Lina," Gourry said, "It's okay. I know how you must feel, but you didn't have any other choice."
Lina looked back at body of the dead man. "That may be so...but...why did I use such a spell at close range...? He must be suffering horribly."
"Eh?" Gourry asked, confused. "I was talking about the town. You blew most of it up, so we won't be able to eat tonight."
"NANDATO?" Lina looked where the Val-Flare had exploded, and saw that she had destroyed a huge portion of the town they were just in.
"Oh my god! I can't believe I did that! Oh, whatever will I eat today...? I'll starve to death...woe is me..." Lina fell to her knees and put her head in her hands. Gourry patted her on the back sympathetically.
"At any rate, might as well put this one out of his misery," Zel said coldly. He advanced towards the fallen man, his steps heavy.
Lina only heard his sudden intake of breath, so she didn't what was happening right away. But when she heard his sword fly from its sheath, she began to feel a strange aura in the air, of something that didn't feel right. She looked at Zel and almost stopped breathing.
Heaosaru was getting back up.
Lina knew that this had to be a nightmare or a bad dream, or something, but it was too real. There was no way he could move - his spine was almost completely gone. And yet, there he was, standing back on his feet, trying to clutch the gaping wound with one free hand. Blood was dripping from the hole in him, and Lina knew that this couldn't be a dream.
Heaosaru spat, a mixture of blood and saliva. Then a weak smile came across his face. "That was nice, Lina Inverse. You hurt me...this is gonna suck to deal with before it heals. I'll go away for now and give you the win, but you can bet I'll see you soon." With a lurch, he turned and started slowly stumping away, his feet dragging on the ground. He paused and gave a little wave. "Ja..."
And then he walked off.
No one tried to stop him - they were all too much in shock.
The day closed on an ominous tone. There was something that was no longer right once again...
But just why did it have to involve her?
To be continued...