This is a story based on the popular Manga and Anime "Slayers" written by Hajime Kanzaka with illustrations done by Rui Araizumi. (anime by Software Sculpture) I do not own them or the copyright. This is purely a work of Fan Fiction and I make no money or profit of any kind by my writings.

Nuki Mouse.

The End of Lina Inverse.

Prologue: In The Beginning....

The old man stood in the highest room of the highest tower, gazing out the window, master of all he surveyed. His 'empire" lay before him, well actually more of a "kingdom" urr.. realm? ...duchy, fiefdom, protectorate, holding?

"Fifty years an Adept level sorcerer, ya think I'd have some great city to rule or wealth beyond countin', but NO..., I'd had to be a teacher!" he mumbled to himself. "At least I'm 'The Master', da big cheese, head honcho, top dog...!

SHWAPP! The over ripe piece of fruit smacked into the window's combing, splattering him with a sickly sweet spray of juice and pulp.

Looking down at the count yard of the ramshackle MagicGuild of Zefielia, he spied the red hair youth in the gray apprentice's robes, hiding behind the makeshift "fortress." the young'ns had built out of old crates. Small and whipcord thin, it looked like a young boy, but recently a faint hint of bust and (slightly) wider hips made it clear she just "decided" to be a girl instead. Her pixie-like face was turned upward, framed by her long thick red hair (it reached well down her back and was her secret pride and joy), and her blue eyes went round with shock as she spied were her errant throw had landed. All others, the initiates, apprentices, and novices, scattered like the four winds in all directions, abandoning their "leader" to her fate.

Griped in the Master's right hand was a thick bundle of parchment, dozens of them, almost all bills, demands for payment from the local villagers or for supplies from the city. The Master flung them towards the apprentice, a white cloud of flittering papers rain down from the tower only to be caught up by the wind and blown to hell.

"S@#&! Lina, get y'er scrawny butt up here, NOW!" he yelled down to the negligent trainee.

Of all the damn luck" Lina though, as she stomped up the spiral stairs of the Master's Tower. "I finally take an afternoon off from studin', the first time in a week and I hit Durian with a damn melon!"

Lina was both the newest and oldest junior apprentice presently in the guildhall. Admittedly she had gotten a late start, being then already ten when the norm for initiates was 8, Lina also took two years to master the simple entrance test that others pass in a few months. By her present age of twelve, by rights and normal progression, Lina would have been, should have been at least a full apprentice, if not a senior. So what if I'm a little slow at black magic, there's other compensations, Luna can't reach or get me while I'm here!

As she reached the great oak door to the Master's study, festooned with various arcane symbols and dire warnings to all who enter uninvited or with malice in their hearts, Lina lifted her hand to knock and like always the Master spoke before her fist could even touched the door.

"Enter!" came the command, a deep and harmonious voice sounded, unlike the shrill one that had yelled from the window and the door opened by itself with a squeak of rusting hinges.

She stepped into the room, a disorganized array of work tables and bookcases, scrolls and tomes piled high and empty dishes and wine bottles stacked on top. This was the Master's domain, and NO ONE touched it or cleaned it save his aide Which would be ME Lina subconsciously acknowledged, looking at the mess built up during the last three days of seclusion.

Still standing next to the window, Durian, the leader of the guildhall and her mentor, waited for his errant pupil to approach. Tall and thin, his shoulders stooped with age, yet his back still arrow straight, he was dressed in his black robes and cape of a full fledged Adept, a rank few masters ever reached. About his neck a gold chain hung adorned with a large medallion, also of gold, engraved with words in a strange language and a large red power gem in its center. His face was creased and furrowed like a gnarled piece of driftwood and his hair, or what was left of it, was greasy gray and unkempt. It was also flecked with yellow bits of honey-melon, along with his robe and hat.

The odor of sour wine was on his breath and he swayed side to side like a ship at sea. Lina could see that his normally piercing steel blue eyes were bloodshot red and her nose told her he hadn't washed in the last day or two (or three or four!), even though the study had a private bath.

"Lina, what in da Lord's name were ya doin' down there?" He demanded "if ya can't control ya'self, how canna ya control spells?" as he grasp onto a near by table to support him.

He's slurring his speech, and... Yeww... the smell! Drunk as a skunk already and it ain't two hours past mid-day Lina thought, dejectedly. When he's been a'drinkin, he always thinks of some stupid errands for me.

"Master Durian, please forgive me. I'd found some rotting melons in the cellar and was having the some sport with the young'ns, a mock war with the fruit as weapons. I never meant to include you in the battle." Lina spoke in a slow calm voice, dropping to her knees, hands clasped before her in penitence and extra large "puppy dog" eyes that sparkled like blue sapphires as she dialed her 'innocent petite little cutie' factor up to its highest level, hoping to minimize the Master's wrath.

"Ten punushment marks!" Durian flatly stated, unmoved by her antics. "After I release you..." he followed it up, "Ya can stand da evening duty in da shrine by yerself."

The harshness of the punishment caused Lina to miss the last part of the statement ten marks? TEN! I'll be three weeks working that off! Lina suddenly started, as the last part of her "punishment" sunk in Evening duty by myself? That means no one to watch me? she realized, her bright blue eyes aglow with anticipation. Alone in the shrine library...!

The Sorcerer's Guildhall of Zefielia had at its heart a small shrine to the Demon "god" king of black magic, Ruby-Eye Shabranigdo. The fact that he was an evil demon king and "dead" (or sealed, to be more correct) didn't matter, it was to his POWER that the shrine served. That power was that of chaos, destruction and death, and was considered evil by most. But Master Durian felt differently, the Guildhall taught it was your actions that made you good or evil, not where you drew your magic from.

The Shrine was old, dating from the war between Shabranigdo and Ceiphied the Dragon-god, when Ruby-Eye was thrown down and his body was split into 7 pieces. Rumor had it one of the pieces was hidden deep in the shrine, guarded by magic seals, along with many other treasures and artifacts amassed over many thousands of years. Guarded by both arcane and physical means, traps abounded and only a master amulet disarmed them all.

Master Durian saw his young assistant's eyes light up at the thought of 6 hours in the shrine's "secret" library. It was "secret" only because it was a test, the goal of every student to "sneak" in and read them, thus learning their craft faster along with sorting the sheep from the shepherds.

Not that Lina needs to read 'em again Durian knew. Lina was one of his favorites, though she had not a lick of talent for black magic. Every spell she tried, every one she memorized, almost always failed. Even those as simple as a light spell. Durian thought.

He tried to get 'er in to Ceiphied's shrine or a shamanist guild, being what skills she had were in white and astral magics. For some reason da Knight of Ciephied all but demanded her transfer, but the mere suggestion drove the girl to hysterics! I willn't send da girl against her will, not even for da Knight, though he tried to change her mind. He even told Lina it might be her only hope to use advanced magic.

But that didn't stop Lina, she just redoubled her efforts to learn. There was not a book or tome in the guild she hadn't read, nor a spell un-memorized. Even the dreaded "dragon slave." Durian thought. But learnin' and usin' are to different breeds of cats.

But Lina never gave up, and by sheer force of will had won a place in the guild, even if she'll never advance another rank or level in it. But she maybe da next lore master Durian knew, a job that require no magic skill or abilities, just a thirst for knowledge and the ability to remember what was learned, talents Lina did have in abundance.

Durian never met a person more willful and obstinate. If will power alone determined magic ability, Lina world be a force ta be reckoned with, Durian felt. He suddenly became aware that the young girl was still waiting upon his pleasure.

Slipping the heavy medallion and chain from his neck, he thrust them at Lina. "Here" He ordered, "Put this away in da shrine when ya go there, I willn't need it tonight." Durian knew he shouldn't let a apprentice, even a trusted one, run around with a master's amulet, but he was too tired to trudge down to the shine himself. 'side, Lina doesn't have da power ta use it

Durian wasn't drunk, contrary to Lina's belief otherwise, he was actually just dead tired and bone weary. Oh he drinks, even Durian would admit that, but the wine he had over the past few nights was just enough to wash down his meals. It was that cursed tome, the translation of a translation, a prophecy about "Two Sisters" and the death of one of the five Mazoku lords and the (possible) re-birth of Shabranigdo.

It told of a great Black Sorceress, perhaps the strongest ever, who would gain entry to the very shrine located below and that a tremendous power in her would awake and she'll emerge clothed in garments made ages ago by a great mages who foresaw her need.

It had kept him awake and engrossed for days, it was fascinating as well as frightening. The Black Sorceress foretold will be so powerful that she'll merge with the Lord of Nightmares herself, among other great deeds, but then will either become the re-born Ruby-Eye, or a Mazoku will marry her, or she'll die to save the world.

It also told of her sister, an eccentric Knight Paladin of Ceiphied, also perhaps the most powerful ever, who would choose to live a humble life earning her own keep rather than one of leisure at Ceiphied's temple. It said she would force her sister to marry, but it was unclear to whom. It might be the "son" or "disciple" of the Knight's best friend, but it also said it was a Mazoku who would wed the sister, and there was reference to a third suitor, the sorceress's "protector?", but which she will marry was unclear.

The rest of the tome was lost or un-decipherable, though hints of some great destiny or conflict did remain, enough to frighten the 90 year old sorcerer. It's a good thing that it's justa tale, some drunkin seer's dream more likely inspired by da bottom of a wine bottle than da Lord of Nightmares Durian mused. Such wild things just didna happen, imagine a powerful sorceress needin a "protector" or da Knight of Ceiphied workin' as a WAITRESS!

With that, Durian retired to his private chambers, for a long and well deserved sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * * *