Disclaimer: I own Slayers as much as there are no ants on my laptop. Ants are on my laptop.
Super late update. Something to do with sudden commitments, illnesses, and then more illnesses such as running to the toilet (whether to excrete from one opening to the other) every half an hour and tossing around in bed with fever.
I don't want to talk about it. Illness is expected to last another week.
Sorry!
Anyway, some REALLY belated replies...
cyberimp6: Too bad that plot device wasn't really described in detail... Sorry. I kinda figured that this kind of thing is a cinch for Xellos.xD Thanks for following the story!
OBSERVER01: Thanks! Hope you'll enjoy the unfolding plots coming soon!
Taka: Ah, so Angel is an elemental like us.
Ral: But much weaker, no?
Anne: Wonder what RainWitch can do.
AC: Gee, maybe something to do with the rain?
Anne: Very funny, AC.
"All right Mr.Angel, spit it out! What do you want from us?" Lina grimaced, clutching her stomach and using a relatively weak recovery spell.
Angel and RainWitch looked at each other.
"What do WE want? What do YOU want? You've been doing nothing but divising plans to kill us and following our trail, and you've been collaborating with the real monsters of this stupid place."
"You kidnapped Amelia before we even met!" Filia retorted.
"Then were we to be killed before we took action?" the white figure replied.
Amelia sweatdropped and rubbed her index fingers. "She has a point, Lina..."
"Why don't you begin? Tell us why you're after us in the first place."
"It's a long story," Zelgadis began.
Angel and RainWitch looked at each other again. "We've got plenty of time."
"Well... Well."
"Well?"
"We get a lot of good things, like food..and well food, and..." Gourry said.
"You're after us for food?" Angel and RainWitch said incredulously.
"Angel-san, I think we've completely misunderstood the food chain of the Inner Barrier,"RainWitch said, her hood managing to sweatdrop even without her face.
"Indeed. It seems that those in the Inner Barrier have completely deteriorated to a state of barbarism. It seems they will attack visitors with no reason other than to sate their natural hunger."
"Hey! That's not true!" Amelia contradicted. "We are civilised Warriors of Justice! We promote peace and rights!"
Angel and RainWitch looked around at the irreplaceable damage of the one failed Dragon Slaveas Angel spat out a broken tooth. "'Warriors', that princess said."
"From what we've seen, you're no more than young hooligans that don't know how to control their emotions and power."
"Well what about you guys?" Lina shot back. "You must've done something to capture the attention of the Mazoku lords. What are you doing here in the 'Inner Barrier' anyway? It's not like you two are ambassadors or anything."
"True. We're here to conquer the Inner Barrier for the country of Miral."
"See, that's what I was talking about!" Lina stood up and prepared to cast a spell, only to double over and wince in pain. The other Slayers readied their weapons (if they still had them).
RainWitch looked up at the sky. It was almost pitch-dark - night was setting in rapidly, and what was on fire in the remains was beginning to burn out. Spiralling smoke matched the clouds that had turned grey. By morning they would have a dark tint, and then in late afternoon...
RainWitch smirked at the thought.
"Neither party seems particularly prepared for battle," she reasoned out in her passive voice. "We shall meet again, and conquer the strongest of the Inner Barrier before Miral will proceed to war. That is our duty here."
"So what, you want us to run all the way to Seiruun City for you and tell them you're going to engage war with them?"
"..Not necessarily, that little girl over there's the princess of Seiruun, is she not? We would have held her hostage longer, but..."
Amelia chewed her lip.
"..at any rate you friends of the royal blood of Seiruun seem good enough to represent the fighters of the Inner Barrier."
"I see."
Just as RainWitch was about to leave, Angel tugged her hood and paused to say something.
"One last thing.."
The Slayer's heads perked upwards.
"You'll find that Mirans have a similar..attitude to that of the Mazoku. We're not so very different in origins. Please do not presume that only two have come from Miral. Reinforcements will arrive should we not accomplish our task in the given time frame."
And the two phased away, leaving the dark sky empty except for stars. Stars that weaved in and out of clouds, their brilliance a veil of hope among the black pitch of night. The Slayers stood there in silence.
"Uh, can we go now? I'm kinda hungry." Gourry said.
"And this dress is really itchy." Lina clawed at her outfit.
"You guys..."
"What do you mean we can't stay in the inn?!" Zelgadis demanded, his fist slamming the wooden counter to pieces.
"Well.."The innkeeper raised his hands in an attempt to calm him down. But Lina furthered the argument.
"Is there something wrong with that stupid couple thing again? Because we already - "
"No no, it's just..."
"Just?" Filia encouraged. The man seemed really nervous. It was late in the night and the Slayers were lucky to catch him before the inn closed.
"W-well...Your..cockade flowers..."
"What about th - what the?!"
The flowers had all but turned a nasty shade of black, drooping sadly. Even Filia, who took care of her possessions well (when they weren't being stolen by Xellos) had the former white flower now nothing but a pathetic thing of black pieces jammed together at the dried and cracking sepals.
"And Amelia doesn't even have the cockade, does she?" Zelgadis noted, brushing the cockade flower off his shirt while glancing at Amelia. The innkeeper nodded.
"Well..that's true...Angel-san said I wouldn't need it, because I am the pri-"
Lina laughed awkwardly as her gloved fingers pinched hard on Amelia's cheek. "Now now, Priscilla, don't talk to people when they don't talk to you..."
"Hang on there miss. You look awfully familiar..."
"We - we're actors! From land afar. We're a really nice and peaceful travelling troupe..."
Somewhere outside, the faint growing sound of footsteps could be heard, along with a commanding voice yelling about. The Innkeeper turned pale.
"Now please hurry and go. If the guards see unfamiliar faces such as yourselves on the streets without cockade flowers...please leave now!"
The Slayers nodded and exitted from the inn, where the lights turned off immediately. The Slayers moved past a few blocks to hide behind a wall which was still undergoing construction.
"Damn that Angel. I should've seen this coming.. anyone got anything else from those two?"
There was a murmur of "no"'s as everyone checked their pockets.
Suddenly, dazzling beams of light shone hardly on the Slayers, causing them to wince even under the veil of their hand. It was a man in officer garb holding a bright lantern.
"They're here! Quick!"
"RUN!" Lina yelled.
"Not Mazoku? Explain." Zelas' eyebrows narrowed ever so slightly and she uncrossed her legs, only to cross them again, this time with the other leg on top. At the same time, she leaned forward to observe the report. This one was critical, and she expected no waffle from Xellos.
Xellos stood up and let his arms fall from each other in an open gesture. "By judging from a brief encounter, indeed it can be assumed that our invaders are no different from mazoku, but not only do these Mirans have a hierarchy system extremely similar to that of the humans, some of their powers date back to the olden folklores of humans who shared affinity with the advanced elements."
Xellos finished everything in one breath easily and proceeded to observe his Mistress' reaction. She propped her head on her hand on the armrest as though she was considering something.
"Advanced elements meaning..?"
"Earth and Water bringing forth Plants, Sky and Water bringing forth Weather, and other combinations which lead to other practises such as Lightning and Poison," Xellos answered swiftly.
Zelas frowned a little at this. There were countless illogical components as to this study of old, but people used to claim elements were dependent on individual influence rather than a steady flow of logic and and practise. The study was said to be nothing more than rough guidelines.
"Anything else?"
"Yes, Mistress. It seems that the Outsiders seem to have a Cloaking effect on them - they simply become almost impossible to find when they do not wish to be. It seems that their interest and challenge with Lina and her group benefits us more than we expected."
Zelas became positively displeased at this. As of mazoku, she did not enjoy having to rely on others, much less humans.
These days, there were not much of good news for Beastmaster Zelas, and while Xellos would never lie or conceal any vital information big or small, it was becoming incessantly worrying, the reports. And yet, the mazoku had never had more fun.
So he smiled as always, and this rare time Zelas returned it. Xellos lifted the mace from where it was last left and placed it on the bottom of the steps up to Zelas' throne.
"Today would be a good day, my Lady."
Zelgadis sat down beside Amelia under a fruit wagon while Lina and Gourry slept hugging their legs under a wooden stall. Filia, who was nothing short of miserable and volunteered to keep watch.
They had, many times, attempted to leave Upper Amorteria only to find that some odd force field was cast alongside with the high walls. After hours of battering away at the walls (as well as the force field), everyone gave up and retreated to a market district. Sooner rather than later, the alarms of the town guards faded away and didn't bother them again in the night.
"Can't sleep?" Zelgadis asked, fingering a small pebble on the floor for no particular reason.
Amelia didn't answer. She too crouched in a sitting position, staring at the pebble on the floor for no particular reason.
"We wondered where you'd gone, you know." Zelgadis pressed on. "Filia was really worried about you. Lina got angry at herself and thought she let you get kidnapped. Gourry was confused as always and Xellos...well I don't think that idiot cares anyway. And I..."
Zelgadis' voice faltered as he realised that he was really listing all his own feelings through his companions.
"Did I cause a lot of trouble?" Amelia asked, still not looking at him.
"I'd be lying if I said you didn't. Why were you late?"
"I asked Angel-san to forward a letter to everyone. Let them know I was going to be late.." Amelia mumbled and yawned. Her eyelids showed her fatigue. Zelgadis stopped fingering the pebble and watched Amelia as she drooped closer towards the ground, in danger of brushing her nose against it.
"Why don't you have a good night's rest. I'll take over Filia." Zelgadis got up and walked towards a beaten Filia.
Amelia smiled and cuddled into the side of the wagon wheel, and smiled contentedly.
"Thanks for caring about me, Mr.Zelgadis."
Zelgaid paused. "I -"
Then he smiled.
"Good night, Amelia."
Ral: Since Filia got on this trip, she's become unnoticeable and gloomy...
Taka: Well what do you expect, she lost Val and Mace-sama.
AC: -nodding- And Mace-sama.
Ral&Taka: You bloodthirsty dragon...