A/N: I do not own any part of The Slayers TV series except for those elements that I have created. The rest belong to those who created them.
**This story takes place two years following the events in Slayers TRY**
Slayers FIGHT
By Nezuban
---
The sun hung high overhead, its light washing the land in its warmth and beauty. The land seemed to sparkle; the lakes appeared clear and cool, the trees blew in the soft breeze, even the people seemed brightened by the remarkably clear day.
The city of Tadaar, one of the cities located in the Outer World, was alive in its daily routine. Everywhere across the city the people were in a cheery mood, going about their business with smiles on their faces. That is, except for the people inside the small tavern located in the center of the city.
Only two people seemed alive in that tavern. One of them was a maybe-slightly-younger-than-twenty red-haired young woman, and the other was a long haired blond swordsman. The two of them shared a table that was quickly growing cluttered with empty plates and bowls as they ate with tremendous fervor and seemingly bottomless stomachs.
The other patrons in the tavern barely touched what food was on their plates, looking disgusted and some of them even amazed at the display in front of them. A few of them even left the tavern having eaten nothing and with a sudden loss of appetite. Even when the pair sat back from their mess, the patrons could not get back to their meals.
Lina Inverse, the Sorceress Supreme, plucked a toothpick from nearby and began picking the leftover food from between her teeth. Her friend, Gourry Gabriev, the Swordsman of Light, pats his belly with a satisfied grunt.
"Ahh..." Lina says with a smile. "Now THAT was a good meal!" Gourry only nodded in agreement, a smile splitting his face. "Waiter!" Lina called, raising an arm. "Bring us the check please!"
A collective sigh of relief escaped the patrons inside the tavern when the pair walked out of the tavern; it was a sigh loud enough that both Lina and Gourry heard it through the walls.
"You don't suppose we made too big a scene in there," Lina asked, looking up at Gourry, "do you?"
"I hope not," replied Gourry. They both glanced back at the tavern, which suddenly seemed to cheer in celebration. The two of them shrugged, and moved on.
Tadaar was a modest city, with stone streets winding this way and that, and gray stone buildings of various size lining each street. Some alleys between buildings in the housing areas had lines going between them, and each line held a number of different styles of clothes hanging out to dry. Lina and Gourry continued to walk down one of the main streets, not going anywhere in particular, and soon found themselves in the marketplace.
The market was bustling, with people bargaining for better prices on a number of items, from food to clothing to jewelry, even weapons. Any given stand had about ten people standing around it, with the merchants quickly becoming frustrated at how cheap people really were.
Lina and Gourry walked through the market eying each stand curiously, not looking for anything in particular. They walked past a stand that sold magical artifacts. Lina stopped and began looking at what the merchant had to sell. When she looked up, she noticed that Gourry was gone.
"Huh? Where'd he go?" She looked around the area, but could not see any trace of the blond-haired swordsman. Scratching her head, she said, "Damn! I swear, I need to put that jelly-head on a leash!" She left the stand and began to look for her companion. She looked around for nearly ten minutes before becoming truly angry. She decided to look for five more minutes before levitating to find him from the air. Suddenly, she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. She turned, ready to punch the person who touched her, but stopped when she saw Gourry.
"There you are!" he exclaimed, wearing a face of annoyance. "I've been looking all over for you. Where did you go? You really shouldn't leave my side in such a big city. I was getting worried about..." he continued to blather on, and only stopped when Lina's right hook had left a large purple bruise on his cheek.
"Shut up! You were the one who got lost! I stopped to look at something, and you kept going! I need to keep you on a leash, for cryin' out loud!" She continued her verbal abuse on Gourry for a short time longer. When she stopped, a crowd had gathered around the two, each person staring wide-eyed with very large sweat drops hanging from their heads. Lina looked around the crowd, and said, "Looks like I got a little carried away." She chuckled nervously.
"No kidding," Gourry said. He appeared angry, and looked at her as if it were all her fault again.
Lina sighed. It was pointless trying to talk some sense into Gourry. A jelly-head would always be a jelly-head.
She and Gourry began again to walk through the market, walking through the wide path the other people were making for them as they went by. Before long, they had reached the center of the marketplace, where a tall stone block stood with pieces of paper tacked to it.
Lina and Gourry both began to read the various signs on the message board. Most of the messages were common notices: people selling something, people hiring for jobs, things found on basically every message board. Except for one rather large one, with bold letters across the top.
The sign read: CAPABLE FIGHTERS AND MAGES NEEDED--BIG REWARD OFFERED. INQUIRE AT CITY HALL.
"I wonder what this is about," Gourry said after reading it.
"Yeah, me too," replied Lina. At the moment, a middle-aged bearded man was walking by and overheard the two.
"You two haven't heard?" he asked in a throaty voice. When Lina and Gourry shook their heads, he went on. "Well, news has leaked out from the lands to the north that some evil force is attacking cities and kingdoms. Several large cities have been destroyed, and many of the kingdoms are at war with each other, each blaming the others for the attacks. It's total chaos. So the kings here have decided to recruit as many fighters and mages as they can get to help defend us from this evil. You two had best find someplace to bunker down for a while. Good luck to you." With that, he walked on.
Lina was frowning, as was Gourry. An evil force? Kingdoms at war? Lina could only think of one word that could describe the instigators of the wars.
Mazoku.
Gourry now wore an expression of concern. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the message board. Lina stared at him for a moment before speaking.
"Dare I ask? What are you doing, Gourry? Are you actually THINKING?"
He opened one eye and looked at her.
"It seems to me that the Mazoku are back at work. And they're probably seeking some sort of revenge for the deaths of Gaav and Phibrizzo." There was a pause, in which he stood up and rolled his eyes. "Again."
Lina just stared at Gourry, her expression total surprise. He had actually said something that most people wouldn't think of.
"I was just about to say the same thing. HOW COULD A JELLYFISH-BRAIN LIKE YOU FIGURE THAT OUT?!" Gourry only shrugged.
"It just seemed like the sort of plot line we've come to expect." Lina fell to the ground. Hard. When she stood up, she looked concerned.
"Anyway, we can't just ignore this. Even I'm so tired of these Mazoku stirring up so much trouble that I'm feeling a little righteous. Gourry! Tomorrow, we leave for home!"
**This story takes place two years following the events in Slayers TRY**
Slayers FIGHT
By Nezuban
---
The sun hung high overhead, its light washing the land in its warmth and beauty. The land seemed to sparkle; the lakes appeared clear and cool, the trees blew in the soft breeze, even the people seemed brightened by the remarkably clear day.
The city of Tadaar, one of the cities located in the Outer World, was alive in its daily routine. Everywhere across the city the people were in a cheery mood, going about their business with smiles on their faces. That is, except for the people inside the small tavern located in the center of the city.
Only two people seemed alive in that tavern. One of them was a maybe-slightly-younger-than-twenty red-haired young woman, and the other was a long haired blond swordsman. The two of them shared a table that was quickly growing cluttered with empty plates and bowls as they ate with tremendous fervor and seemingly bottomless stomachs.
The other patrons in the tavern barely touched what food was on their plates, looking disgusted and some of them even amazed at the display in front of them. A few of them even left the tavern having eaten nothing and with a sudden loss of appetite. Even when the pair sat back from their mess, the patrons could not get back to their meals.
Lina Inverse, the Sorceress Supreme, plucked a toothpick from nearby and began picking the leftover food from between her teeth. Her friend, Gourry Gabriev, the Swordsman of Light, pats his belly with a satisfied grunt.
"Ahh..." Lina says with a smile. "Now THAT was a good meal!" Gourry only nodded in agreement, a smile splitting his face. "Waiter!" Lina called, raising an arm. "Bring us the check please!"
A collective sigh of relief escaped the patrons inside the tavern when the pair walked out of the tavern; it was a sigh loud enough that both Lina and Gourry heard it through the walls.
"You don't suppose we made too big a scene in there," Lina asked, looking up at Gourry, "do you?"
"I hope not," replied Gourry. They both glanced back at the tavern, which suddenly seemed to cheer in celebration. The two of them shrugged, and moved on.
Tadaar was a modest city, with stone streets winding this way and that, and gray stone buildings of various size lining each street. Some alleys between buildings in the housing areas had lines going between them, and each line held a number of different styles of clothes hanging out to dry. Lina and Gourry continued to walk down one of the main streets, not going anywhere in particular, and soon found themselves in the marketplace.
The market was bustling, with people bargaining for better prices on a number of items, from food to clothing to jewelry, even weapons. Any given stand had about ten people standing around it, with the merchants quickly becoming frustrated at how cheap people really were.
Lina and Gourry walked through the market eying each stand curiously, not looking for anything in particular. They walked past a stand that sold magical artifacts. Lina stopped and began looking at what the merchant had to sell. When she looked up, she noticed that Gourry was gone.
"Huh? Where'd he go?" She looked around the area, but could not see any trace of the blond-haired swordsman. Scratching her head, she said, "Damn! I swear, I need to put that jelly-head on a leash!" She left the stand and began to look for her companion. She looked around for nearly ten minutes before becoming truly angry. She decided to look for five more minutes before levitating to find him from the air. Suddenly, she felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. She turned, ready to punch the person who touched her, but stopped when she saw Gourry.
"There you are!" he exclaimed, wearing a face of annoyance. "I've been looking all over for you. Where did you go? You really shouldn't leave my side in such a big city. I was getting worried about..." he continued to blather on, and only stopped when Lina's right hook had left a large purple bruise on his cheek.
"Shut up! You were the one who got lost! I stopped to look at something, and you kept going! I need to keep you on a leash, for cryin' out loud!" She continued her verbal abuse on Gourry for a short time longer. When she stopped, a crowd had gathered around the two, each person staring wide-eyed with very large sweat drops hanging from their heads. Lina looked around the crowd, and said, "Looks like I got a little carried away." She chuckled nervously.
"No kidding," Gourry said. He appeared angry, and looked at her as if it were all her fault again.
Lina sighed. It was pointless trying to talk some sense into Gourry. A jelly-head would always be a jelly-head.
She and Gourry began again to walk through the market, walking through the wide path the other people were making for them as they went by. Before long, they had reached the center of the marketplace, where a tall stone block stood with pieces of paper tacked to it.
Lina and Gourry both began to read the various signs on the message board. Most of the messages were common notices: people selling something, people hiring for jobs, things found on basically every message board. Except for one rather large one, with bold letters across the top.
The sign read: CAPABLE FIGHTERS AND MAGES NEEDED--BIG REWARD OFFERED. INQUIRE AT CITY HALL.
"I wonder what this is about," Gourry said after reading it.
"Yeah, me too," replied Lina. At the moment, a middle-aged bearded man was walking by and overheard the two.
"You two haven't heard?" he asked in a throaty voice. When Lina and Gourry shook their heads, he went on. "Well, news has leaked out from the lands to the north that some evil force is attacking cities and kingdoms. Several large cities have been destroyed, and many of the kingdoms are at war with each other, each blaming the others for the attacks. It's total chaos. So the kings here have decided to recruit as many fighters and mages as they can get to help defend us from this evil. You two had best find someplace to bunker down for a while. Good luck to you." With that, he walked on.
Lina was frowning, as was Gourry. An evil force? Kingdoms at war? Lina could only think of one word that could describe the instigators of the wars.
Mazoku.
Gourry now wore an expression of concern. He folded his arms across his chest and leaned back against the message board. Lina stared at him for a moment before speaking.
"Dare I ask? What are you doing, Gourry? Are you actually THINKING?"
He opened one eye and looked at her.
"It seems to me that the Mazoku are back at work. And they're probably seeking some sort of revenge for the deaths of Gaav and Phibrizzo." There was a pause, in which he stood up and rolled his eyes. "Again."
Lina just stared at Gourry, her expression total surprise. He had actually said something that most people wouldn't think of.
"I was just about to say the same thing. HOW COULD A JELLYFISH-BRAIN LIKE YOU FIGURE THAT OUT?!" Gourry only shrugged.
"It just seemed like the sort of plot line we've come to expect." Lina fell to the ground. Hard. When she stood up, she looked concerned.
"Anyway, we can't just ignore this. Even I'm so tired of these Mazoku stirring up so much trouble that I'm feeling a little righteous. Gourry! Tomorrow, we leave for home!"