Slayers REVOLT: The Calm Before

By Elderdrake

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just a couple of quick points! First, the only arguably non-canon element of my greater tale is that ALL Gold Dragons, not just Cepheed-worshiping ones, bought it at the Temple of the Ancient Dragons. It makes Filia's affinity for Val more understandable, and is rather more dramatic. Secondly, I have presumed to shorten the Dragon-God names (call it the dialect of Silvers, if you like). Cepheed is still Cepheed; Orpheed is the Dragon God for the element Earth, and Aelpheed the new name for the Dragon God of Air. The Water Dragon King (Aqualord Ragradia) isn't used as much and will still go by those names. The others' full names, if written three or four times a paragraph, would take over the text. Lastly, I use 'Saillune' for the city and nation, 'Seyruun' for the Royal Family's name. Thanks, and enjoy!

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CHAPTER ONE

North Wind Brewing

It was the night of the new moon, a little less than a week after Miss Gleyzia caught up with Luna in Zefeeria City. The skies over the Valley of Dragons and Dragon's Peak were as cloudy and drizzling as most everywhere else in that corner of the world. The Valley had become a much-changed place since the last visit by humans, more than three years past.

The most obvious change was that any new visitor would have wondered why it was ever called the Valley of Dragons. There had been a time not that long before, when it almost would have been possible to walk across the valley from dragonback to dragonback. The valley had long been home to one of the larger tribes of Golden Dragons – most, in fact, of that race that had lived inside the now collapsed Monster Races' Barrier. Living with them had been many rather less civilized Black Dragons, which might best be compared to peasants living in the demesne of their Gold Dragon overlords. To humans, the Valley had earned its name because of the multitude of the great beasts that lived there, and nothing more.

To Dragons, the meaning went a lot deeper. For millennia, dragons had been the most prominent race living in the world. The humans had been just another of the innumerable short-lived races crawling about, eking out a living under the watchful and protective eye of the Dragon Races: fodder for the unending battle between the Mazoku and Ryozoku, the Dragon's name for themselves. The Ryozoku came in three types. At the top were the civilized' races, like Golds and Ancients, who built cities and temples, developed complex cultures and hierarchies, and sought ever newer and greater skills and knowledge. Then there were the Thinking Dragons', like the Blacks who had shared Dragon Valley, who had language and organization but never bothered to advance themselves beyond that. Lastly were the many Beast Dragons', little more than smart animals, such as the Lake and Stone varieties, who could follow commands and fight, but not do much else beyond normal day-to-day animal activities.

The Valley, and Dragon's Peak at its heart, had been the neutral meeting place for the varied, and often rival, civilized and thinking Ryozoku tribes. It had, in a sense, been the United Tribes headquarters. To the Dragons, it had been their Parliament. There any Dragon could go and be heard by all that cared to listen. Councils were offered, ideas were discussed, alliances forged and broken, decisions made. After the War of the Monster's Resurrection it had also become the logical place for the grave of the Water Dragon King, and that which remained of him, the Claire Bible. Even with the Monster Races' Barrier blocking off the Valley to any Dragons in the outer world, it had been a political and spiritual heart for all Dragons.

Now, a first time visitor would have scratched their head and wondered if the past clouds of dragons' were just fanciful tales. The silent sky was empty. To Dragons' minds, their sacrosanct valley had been hopelessly defiled when, three years before, Gaav had attacked a party of human adventurers. The Claire Bible, the priceless and holy remnant of the Water Dragon King, had been destroyed. Dragon's Peak was now the gravestone of a Mazoku Dark Lord, not a Holy Ryozoku God. Most of the valley's inhabitants had left soon after. The Golds of the Valley had all died a year later, in some futile, suicidal battle in the Outer World. The few Blacks who had lingered had left shortly after that, and only the eldest visited now and then, remembering past glories. One such patrolled even now, drifting lazily through the falling mists, lost in thought. None of the ancient civilized Dragon races were left, and it was humans who were inheriting their mantle. It was powerful humans whom thinking Ryozoku must respect, and fear, now. The shame was almost too hard to bear. The Black let out a melancholy sort of sigh as he banked for a final pass along the length of the Valley.

Suddenly, near the Peak, clouds roiled, bulged downward, and finally tore. There was an impression of a stretching bubble, refracting the image of stars above. It changed abruptly, darkening, and the stars it showed now were not of this world. The old Black crash-dived, wondering what this could mean. In a final flash of brilliance, the bubble burst down and outward as Something came through

The Black Dragon gulped. He was well over a thousand years old, and knew whom – what, rather – had just appeared in the air above him. Not a high-ranking Mazoku Lord, it was to a Black, something both infinitely worse and better. And if one were openly back, the other four would be along soon. The world had just become a much more dangerously unpredictable place. Before It could notice him, the Black teleported himself as far as he could, some twenty miles north and then winged hard for the Outer World. He did not want to get caught up in whatever They would do. Not, at least, until he had no choice in the matter. And, to think that only a few moments before, he had been musing there weren't any civilized Dragons left

If you could call what had just reappeared civilized

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Twenty miles away, the newcomer chuckled at the retreating Black Dragon. Firestar the Silver Dragon folded his gleaming wings and dived, which he followed with several jubilant loop-the-loops. It was so good to be back in his native world! His thousand-year voluntary' exile was over. That thought brought his joy to a quick end. There was only one way the barrier seals that had kept him locked out could have disappeared and though he cordially loathed Gold Dragons, their death was an affront to the Ryozoku Race that must be avenged

You are absolutely right, dear comrade . The mind-speech was a light touch on his mind, a renewal of a link he had missed for a millenium.

Firestar crowed a little, and replied both in mind and aloud. "Coldwind! Tis good to hear your voice again! Where are you?"

On the ledge of Dragon's Peak. Do come down and switch form before someone detects you, and then we can talk . Coldwind's rich voice held an edge of amusement, softening her rebuke.

Firestar dived again, then backwinged, settling into the notched ledge that surrounded Dragon's Peak. There was a flash and swirling of light as his form condensed down from that of a rather large Dragon to that of a rather large human. Coldwind stepped out from the shadows. The two of them clasped forearms, in the time-honored and ancient greeting of comrades-in-arms

"You look well, Lord Firestar. I hope your exuberant display hasn't warned anyone more than that stupid Black that you're back."

"I do doubt me of it. Dost think he will spread the news?"

"No. He obviously wants as little to do with us as possible, and if he told others we are back, he could very well have the opposite effect: to convince all his kind, especially the young hotbloods, to rally to us."

"Indeed? How so, Lady?"

"The Dragons are now leaderless, Lord Firestar. More on that later: it is too long and involved a story to want to tell more than once. I shall present it once we are all gathered in Council. Simply put, though, it is truly up to us now to save this world for the Dragons and to protect the humans from their own follies."

"And what of the others? What passed after I chose mine own exile from this world, rather than face the drumhead trial the other Ryozoku had prepared for us?"

"Our Lord Orihalcos was left unsentenced. Since he carries the Will of Orpheed around with him, they couldn't come up with a way to punish him and keep It around. He voluntarily withdrew from the affairs of this world and has spent the last thousand years puttering around in a pocket dimension of his own devising. He's the one who summoned me here to greet everyone and reopen the Argent Council. He has to be careful not to tip off Cepheed and Aelpheed too soon. Master Graystone chose self-exile, like you. He decided to offer his services in the world of DeathFog, and left but two days after you. I think he hoped to find you there, since we didn't know where you went that was unkindly done, by the way."

"My apologies. Warmaking is mine chiefest talent, chosen as I was to be Gaav's nemesis. I departed for DarkStar's universe. She had already devoured Volfeed by then, and I felt mine skills would best serve those who still lived to fight against Her. In truth, I had little expectation – or hope – of long surviving against such a terrible foe. So I spoke not of my plans to anyone and departed forthwith. I rather disapprove, in hindsight, though I was despondent at the time and not thinking clearly. Mayhap that is the reason, but it is admittedly no excuse. What of yourself?"

Coldwind looked ready to spit, but settled on a sneer instead "Faugh! I chose to face the trial and defend our actions. I thought I could convince enough Ryozoku that we were in the right so that we would be acquitted by a narrow margin. Of course, since they formalized your exile by imposing barrier seals against you, you must know I underestimated their spite. We were all found guilty, by a nearly unanimous decision."

Firestar shook his head in disapproval. "You had too great a faith in those fools. And what was your sentence?"

"That was where their true venom showed. I should have gone into exile like you and Graystone. It would have served them right, to lose their Warden of the Veils. At least it would have been interesting. My sentence was to sit eternal vigil over our dear, mostly ineffectual acquaintance Lei Magnus in his private icecube at the North Pole. Like he could do anything! So, I have sat in a snowbank for a good thousand years splitting my time between watching over a prisoner who can't escape and certainly doesn't need anything, and keeping tabs on the Veils that separate our world from the others."

Firestar had to restrain a chuckle "Lady, it sounds as if Cepheed, Aelpheed, and that faithless bastard Supreme Elder sought your death through boredom"

Coldwind actually did snicker a little "Oh I kept myself amused. Her Ladyship the Greater Beast had set a very minor Mazoku named Chirk, to watch over me watching over her Dark Lord-Popsicle. Whenever I got too bored, I tried to catch the little bugger and wring his neck. Not too hard, though he was company of a sort. And then, at the end, the Veils actually got exciting. First several Outworlders began crossing back and forth about twenty years ago"

"Ah, Almayce and his band?"

"You knew them?"

"Nay, not well. I accompanied one of the other bands trying to hold off DarkStar. Though once I did meet Almayce's comrade Erulogos, and found him to be a likeable fellow"

"Hmmmph! Well, If I had known what they were planning, I would have broken my sentence for longer and hunted them down. By the time I had finally worked out what it was they were building at the Forbidden Islands, it was too late to do anything. I could only hope they somehow succeeded. And while I was off chasing Outworlders, the idiot young King of Dilss attacked Magnus' prison with his whole army! The outcome, of course, was a forgone conclusion. The army was lost, and Dilss now seems to be under a curse and in the Mazoku pocket."

"What else?"

Coldwind became all at once elated, angry, avid and worried "Well, three times in the last five years, the Veil was not breached. It was just shoved aside. I picked up the wrinkles around the holes, but could not sense what was in the holes or what came through. The last, and strongest, time was just before I felt the recoil of DarkStar's destruction."

Firestar gasped, his face reflecting both revulsion and excitement. "But that can only mean"

She just nodded. "Yes. Our worst fear. It seems a meddling human Nexus has finally achieved its potential and found a means of drawing Chaos into our world. It's a miracle we haven't already fallen back into the Void. The risk if we allow it to continue is formidable. We must put it to an end."

He turned thoughtful. "But, if we can find that human turn it to our way of thinking our mandate from Orpheed could at last be accomplished! The dark side of the plaguey humans could be purged. They could no longer disrupt the proper ordering of this world and the Mazoku could be finally be destroyed right down to the last, least, most insignificant little worm of their number!"

Her eyes narrowed "And if this Nexus isn't amenable to our offer? Or revolts and joins with the Mazoku like that miserable priest a thousand years ago?"

Firestar looked off into the cloudy sky. "Then we must force it by whatever means necessary. If that should also fail well such power in the hands of an irresponsible human, or in Mazoku employ, simply cannot be allowed. As you said, such must be put to an end."

Coldwind's smile turned vicious. "Then we are agreed. Orihalcos feels similarly. All that awaits now is Graystone's approval, and he certainly won't disagree."

He stared at her curiously "Are we not forgetting someone? What of Frostrime?"

She actually did spit this time "The traitorous, insolent halfbreed cannot be found, despite every effort Orihalcos has made. She dropped off the face of the Earth just before my sentence was handed down."

Firestar was surprised by the open hatred in Coldwind's voice "Traitorous? How so? She was Ordained to our Council as an external brake, it is true, maybe even originally as a spy for those who opposed Orpheed's vision, but she always served loyally."

"Bah! You left before she was overcome by what we had brought to pass. As only a half-breed Silver Dragon who had once served the Water Dragon King, the passing of that God almost unhinged her. She felt she could have prevented it if she had taken a harder stance in our Council, or spilled the beans before things went as far as they did. She pleaded guilty at our arraignment, then copped some sort of deal with Cepheed, Aelpheed, and that Aqua character that manifested from the Claire Bible. She never faced the rest of the trial, and disappeared. No one knows what happened to her, except that she seemed to get off easy. Most of the Ryozoku, including the Supreme Elder, clamored against the backroom deal Faugh! Hopefully, she's long dead."

Coldwind stalked off to sulk. Firestar shook his head, and squatted down to toss a few pebbles off the ledge. He had never actually liked Frostrime, as she was not a full-blooded Silver Dragon and had never committed herself to Orpheed's vision as fully as rest of the Argent Council. But he never hated her, not the way Coldwind did – the way she always had, in fact, even before they had been Ordained into the light of Orpheed's Grace.

It was too bad things had turned out the way they had a thousand years ago. It had never been the Council's intention to start the War of the Monster's Resurrection, but to all the other Ryozoku, horrified by the carnage that had resulted as well as the loss of the Water Dragon King, it had seemed that way. The five Argent Councilors were too powerful to deal with by direct means. So the Ryozoku, the Claire Bible's sentient manifestation Aqua, and the two remaining Gods had ordered the disbanding of the Council, and the arrest and trial of its members for War Crimes'. It was the only term they could come up with. Gross Negligence' and Criminal Endangerment', while closer to the truth (in Firestar's mind, at least), just couldn't convey what the Ryozoku wanted to convey in their outrage. So, they had pulled War Crimes' out of their ahem, out of the air. That was when Firestar had decided a fair trial was impossible, and left. Now it was a thousand years later. A new human Nexus had manifested. Perhaps the Argent Council's vindication and ultimate victory over the forces of Chaos represented by the Mazoku was finally at hand

A flicker in the clouds cut Firestar's thoughts short. As before, the clouds tore, a dimensional rift opened, a flash and a Silver Dragon, radiant with the Inner Light their Ordainment had granted, was suddenly soaring in the sky. Firestar jumped up and waved to his old, old friend. They had been comrades since the original war of Gods and Monsters, many thousands of years past, when the world had formed.

"Graystone! Welcome home!"

Graystone banked down, landed, and transformed.

"Well met, dear comrade." Forearms clasped, followed by a backslapping hug.

Coldwind, apparently having gotten over her earlier snit, sauntered over and greeted Graystone as well. Then she settled into the lighthearted manner she had when formal doings of the Council were underway. Firestar could only shake his head. Coldwind could slip from killing rage to bantering light humour at the drop of a hat. It was a trait that had always made him nervous.

"Come. I've already called Orihalcos, that we're all here. He'll be along in a few hours. The Council Chamber below Dragon's Peak is still sealed and fully warded. We can retire there, and exchange histories. The three of us are a quorum, so I can officially reconvene the Council" she smiled "IF, of course, you gentlemen agree?"

"Of course, Lady. Lead on."

All three winked out.

Far down in the valley, a tiny little manifestation also winked out. If any had seen it, it would have looked like a small, wretched and deformed little goblin. None had seen it, but it had seen everything.

The Valley of Dragons was once again empty and silent, except for the gently sifting sound of drizzle on bare rock.

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Lying just west of the Cattato Mountains is the northernmost human Kingdom, known as Dilss. It was relatively large – about the same size as Zefeeria, in fact, which meant only Saillune and Elmikia are larger – and prosperous. It had a reasonably sized army, wonderful weather except in winter, and earned considerable wealth from a multitude of mines in the Cattato foothills. The harsh winters meant it was not too heavily populated, and as a result much of the wealthy nation's common folk were considerably better off than in most other lands. All in all, its citizens should be happy and carefree except during the worst January weather.

Unfortunately that was not the case. The King of Dilss had been an ambitious, arrogant, bold – most would say reckless – youth. Some twenty-five years earlier, he had decided it was within his power to heroically rid the world of a terrible threat. So, he had gathered his army, hired dozens of sorcerers, bought the best armaments in huge numbers, and marched northward. There, he had planned to smash open the icy prison of Lei Magnus and destroy the supposedly helpless dark sorcerer, who held the piece of Shabranuigdo that had been resurrected a thousand years earlier. Victorious, he would then have marched home triumphant, the slayer of a seventh of the Dark Lord, a Hero for all time.

Of course, no one just marches in and kills a piece of Shabranuigdo. And Lei Magnus might be imprisoned, but he was conscious and had possession of all his powers. The King did eventually come back, but defeated and bloodied, his glorious army destroyed, himself placed under a terrible curse that grew to overtake his whole land. No one, except perhaps the King himself, knew what the curse was. But there was ample evidence for it. And the most obvious was the Black Hall. The huge domed building had been constructed almost overnight, and lay at the heart of the Royal Palace. No one ever seemed to enter it or leave. No one even went close to it, since anyone who did was overcome with mad terror. It was a dark stain at the heart of a once proud kingdom, a source of forbidding and grim, dark power.

Tain vakh Uriel was quite unimpressed by all this. He crept through the shadows of the palace grounds in Dilss City, one eye on the Black Hall, the other scanning for any guards. His black robes blended into the dark of the moonless night. A few hundred leagues to the east, it was drizzling in an abandoned valley and a Black Dragon was just about to get the fright of his life. In Dilss, however, the skies were clear. Tain looked up at the uncaring stars coldly flickering, and silently mouthed an oath. The northern lights were starting to build. Tain chose to dash across the final courtyard before the flaring airborne curtains could turn the night sky bright with pink and green, and barely made it. He eased into the shadowed nook between a half-pillar and the Black Hall wall. All of a sudden, he felt the horror that everyone talked about. It washed over him in waves of fear, loathing and despair. Tain, however, was not a normal person. He really rather enjoyed the sensations, and leaned into the building so he could feel them more strongly. Silently he searched the grounds for any sign he had been spotted.

Having assured himself he was still undetected, he looked upward. The arched window he was interested in loomed fifty feet above. Tain decided he could afford to wait a while and see if the northern lights would die down. This late in the year, they shouldn't last for long. Curling himself into as small a package as he could, he hunkered down to the ground and wedged himself carefully between a black basalt pediment and the black marble wall. He angled his head to carefully study his climb in the unexpected light, and smiled. Whoever had built this place depended on the dark magic it emanated to defeat any aspiring intruders. The wall would be an easy climb no challenge at all.

He waited almost a quarter of an hour before things darkened enough for him to proceed. Reaching up to his first handhold, he began his ascent. Now, it only remained to find a good hiding place inside

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The Black Hall was almost entirely occupied by a single vast room. The décor leaned heavily in the direction of black, but was tastefully offset with gilt gold trim, gold curtains, and gold cressets. The furniture was exclusively constructed of fine ebony and mahogany, trimmed and inlaid with a selection of rich yellow and golden woods. This would all have been very elegant, in a dark gothic sort of way, if not for the lingering sense of oppression. That, and the wildly squirming shadows.

A young man walked in from the main palace, quietly shutting and locking the Hall doors once he was inside. He was fine-boned, with the bearing of a High King, and was the obvious proprietor of the hall: his robes were black with gold trim. He was not, however, related in any way to the blood of the Royal Family of Dilss. He just owned them, body and soul.

He waved his arm in a wide arc, and the huge central chandelier, along with dozens of torches and braziers, and hundreds of candleholders flared into life. The hall became a flickering display of shadows, golden firelight, and cold white twinkling from the innumerable small crystals in the stonework. The young man smiled quite contentedly, enjoying the effect and the opulence.

He clapped his hands several times.

"Come, come! Out with you all, unless you have critical messages! I am expecting an important visitor shortly, and if she finds you lingering here, I won't be responsible for what happens. Or rather, I will, and you won't like it" His voice was perhaps just a notch higher than would have been expected in a male of his build.

The squirming shadows disappeared, but not before one skittered forward to materialize into the form of a horned and scarred little goblin.

"High Lord? You wished to know immediately they came through just after midnight this very evening."

The Lord raised an eyebrow. "Did they, now? Well, it will take them a few months to catch up on things Well done, Drizzolt. Now begone before my guest shows up."

The little goblin bowed deeply, then winked out with a hissing pop. The Lord strode over to his vast desk and sat down in a deep leather chair. He idly flipped through the mountains of paperwork, waiting. Something nagged at the corner of his attention and then he had it. Up near the ceiling. A very nasty, very cold smile inched into existence on his face. Oh, very good, he's done it, and even I didn't notice right away

He decided to let it slide. Shifting position, he assumed a regal pose and, with a finger twitch, lowered the light level in the room from blazing to merely adequate.

A moment later there was another hiss-pop. A very attractive woman with blue hair had materialized on the other side of the desk. The Lord gestured at one of the chairs opposite.

"Dolfie, dear. So good to see you again!"

She nodded perfunctorily "Dynast."

"Please, Lord of the Deeps, have a seat. To what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting?"

Deep Sea Dolphin sat down and glanced around. "The pleasure is all yours, I'm sure. Are we secure? I don't want the Greater Beast, and especially her infuriating sidekick, to hear what we needed to discuss."

Dynast Grawshellar cocked his head a little. "Dolfie, you have my assurances that nothing we say will reach Zelas' or Xelloss' ears. Sherra may be listening in, but she's loyal. Now, what is so urgent that you actually left your ocean bottom to come to my humble northern abode?"

Dolphin looked around and gestured broadly "Humble? Are you joking? Even Hellmaster never went this far in self-aggrandizing, ridiculous display. Though his temple' and that giant soul crystal at Sairaag certainly came close."

"You saw it?"

"Yes. He invited me over to show it off. Not you? What a surprise! Ha! He hated your guts. And I'm here to discuss Lina Inverse. What else?"

"What about her?"

"What are we going to do about her? She's killing us off one by one."

"She's hardly going out of her way to do it. Don't bother her, and she will ignore you. Go after her, and odds are things will turn out differently – like they did for Gaav and Phibrizzo"

Dolphin frowned "There's truth in what you say, of course but" She got up and began pacing. "Damn! It's the principle of the thing! A scrawny little human sorceress getting away with what she has! It's intolerable. Humans must be kept in their place, but at the rate she's going, OUR place is going to become theirs!"

Dynast just smiled in that little way he had again. "Dolfie, Dolfie, Dolfie calm down. Inverse is just a freak of nature. Lay low for sixty years and she'll be dead of old age. Then we can go back to business as usual." He got up to head to his little bar. "Care for a drink? I've got a vintage Zefeerian White"

Dolphin whirled on Dynast "Don't get patronizing with me, Grawshellar" She paused thoughtfully "Though I will take your offer of a drink." She gathered her thoughts "It isn't that simple, and you know it. Will Lina only live a normal span? How can we know? No human has ever been so linked to Mother before. What effect will that have? And Zelas and her Lieutenant have been actively helping that redheaded wench for five years now. What is Greater Beast's game? I worry she knows something and is making a power play and that she may be able to manipulate Lina against us"

Dynast poured out the drinks. "Hmmm, you may be right Lina Inverse, the Hound for the Huntress?" He walked over and handed a glass to Dolphin.

"Thanks. And, yes, that is precisely my concern that she'll use Lina to do the hard work and then move in for the kill."

"I see, Dolphin. Well, seeing as you are already grumpy, do let me add to your worries! Graystone and Firestar are back. Just this evening, in fact." His tone was unconcerned.

Dolphin dropped her glass. It shattered on the stone floor. "You can toss off news like THAT with a smile? Are you mad, Grawshellar?" Then she thought about it for a moment, and sighed "I suppose it was really only a matter of time, once the Golds were gone and the Barrier Seals crumbled." Her tone sharpened again. "But that means all five of them are at large, and there's only three of us now! And what does it have to do with Lina?"

Dynast raised both eyebrows in sardonic humour "Tsk, tsk, Dolfie. Surely they don't worry you that much? For one thing, as far as I can tell, they're only four, now. Frostrime has been missing for a thousand years, and has probably renounced her membership in the Argent Council after its last debacle. She may even be dead, though I doubt it. And the others may be our matches in power, but they are so predictable! They won't be hunting us down directly. After all, there is a major Catalyst on the loose. They'll want her."

Dolphin suddenly smiled "Oh, that's too rich!" She chuckled evilly "And they don't know what they're getting into do they? Lina Inverse is NOT the sort to join with their ilk. But they don't know that, yet, do they?"

Dynast strode back around his desk and seated himself, once again gesturing to a chair for Dolphin. "Precisely. They'll take some time to feel out the ground, then try to coerce her. If we play our cards right, she may be forced to come to us for protection, just like the last Catalyst they tried to manhandle. At the very least, she may do us the favour of killing one or two Silvers out of sheer self-preservation if she can. I certainly can't imagine a better use for Chaos than killing Champions of Order."

Dolphin seated herself again, all business. "Wouldn't that be a shame." Then she gave Dynast Grawshellar a hard look. "So"

"Yes?"

"Who gets her? If she does come to us, that is?"

Dynast looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hmmm that is a problem, isn't it? Whoever gets her is going to be a serious problem for the other two of us who don't. And Zelas already has a handle on her through Xelloss more wine?"

"Yes please With both of them, she'd be troublesome for even a wholly resurrected Shabranuigdo. Maybe that is what she's trying for by helping Lina so much?"

Grawshellar poured out a fresh glass and handed it to her. "Oh well, there's not much we can do either way. Why don't we just let things play out? For a while at least. It could be fun to see what happens when Coldwind runs into Lina for the first time"

Dolphin took a long sip, thinking hard. "You like watching half a continent smashed to rubble? Well, OK, that might be fun. But I'm not convinced. Lina is clearly a threat to us. I don't even want to think what could happen if the Silvers coerce her. Failing that, she would most likely hook up with Zelas Metallium, which could be even worse. She may even manage to avoid both fates, but then she'd be a Void-summoning loose cannon roaming the world, which would be a flaming nuisance for the next sixty years, at least. Maybe a lot more. Unless Mother gets bored with being summoned every couple of years and just swallows the world whole. I, for one, don't want to lose my playground yet. Do you? Isn't that why we opposed DarkStar's attempt to End things here? Thanks, but I'd still rather Lina had a fatal accident, and soon. We can deal with the Silvers later."

Dynast sighed. "I'll not persuade you otherwise, will I?"

Dolphin tossed back the last of her glass and got up. "Nope. But don't worry, I don't plan on facing her down myself. I don't want to be on the receiving end of Mother's wrath like Phibby was."

Dynast got up as well "Just so long as that is understood. Luck be with you." He offered his hand.

Dolphin took it and shook gravely. "Just don't you be getting in my way. Zelas' meddling will be enough. Please don't forget that, unlike you, she and I have most of our minions left."

Dynast smiled again, dryly. "Of course. The last thing I'd want is you getting peeved enough with me to throw in with Metallium. Ugh. Don't worry Dolfie. I've got my own fish to fry."

"Care to tell me what? And I don't particularly care for that last metaphor."

"I'm hurt but I will tell you: it's the Seyruuns."

"You worry about the strangest things, Dynast." Dolphin winked out.

Dynast Grawshellar sat back down then called in his General. Sherra had been waiting in an anteroom. As soon as she came in, she glanced about, seeming to look for something.

"Sherra, you heard everything?"

She focused on her Dark Lord.

"Yes. My Lord, I'm inclined to agree with Deep Sea Dolphin though. Lina is a problem Are we really going to let her persist in meddling? And what if she does end up living as long as the likes of Rezo and Magnus?"

Dynast sighed and rubbed at an eyebrow. "Sherra, please. Lina has done us more favours than harm. She stopped DarkStar and triggered the deaths of that traitor Gaav and that arrogant, autocratic twerp Phibrizzo, freeing MY hand. She's going to thoroughly occupy Orpheed's council of mutant Dragons, KEEPING my hands free. She is a wonderful tool. Zelas no doubt understands that, too, though Dolphin clearly doesn't. I prefer Lina alive, until she becomes a direct personal threat. Which, I expect, will not happen before she grows old and disappears. Especially with both Dolphin and the Silvers out for her soul, or her blood." He gave her a penetrating look. "Yes, she messes with our plans, but not in any way that can't be overcome with a little planning and patience. Understood?"

Sherra swallowed softly before answering "Yes, My Lord"

"Good." Dynast was all smiles again "Now, Seyruuns. You already have your orders, but let's recap a little:.Prince Philionel is some sort of genius. He seems to be going about in the right way what the Gold Dragons always did wrong." His tone turned sarcastic. "He's setting a shining example of peace, love and prosperity through armed goodwill, forthright diplomacy, and open, honest but firm policy." Shaking his head, he continued in a more serious vein. "Gah. It sounds ridiculous and hopelessly cliché, but it's true, nonetheless. And, since we Mazoku are sustained by violence, hatred, despair and ill-will, I'm sure you can see the problem. Especially if it spreads to other human lands"

Sherra, who had resumed her uneasy searching of the room as Dynast spoke, suddenly stood up, long blade drawn. "Excuse me my Lord, I may be wrong but I could swear there is some sort of intruder in the room." She was staring hard up into the nooks of the vaulted ceiling

Dynast laughed heartily and waved off her interruption. "Put that away, Sherra. Nicely done! Not even Dolphin noticed"

She was incredulous "You knew there was a spy in here? And let it listen in on everything? What if it's working for the Greater Beast?"

Dynast raised both eyebrows. "He's not. He's working for me, unless I am sadly mistaken." He turned and raised his head toward the ceiling. "I daresay you have impressed me! Even I took a few moments to notice your presence when I first arrived! Do come down so I can see you and introduce you to my Lieutenant!"

There was a brief pause, and then a flicker of motion. With a twirl and a flourish, Tain Uriel jumped down from where he had been hiding among the ceiling vaults. He landed into a deep genuflection and bowed his head in respect.

"My Lord, may I assume I've passed the test?"

Dynast nodded. "Sherra, please allow me to introduce Tain vakh Uriel. You'll be working with him. A human, admittedly, but an unusual one." He turned to Tain "How DO you do that? This place should have terrified you into fleeing, and even if you resisted it, you should have been found by my minions."

Tain glanced up and smiled grimly. His eyes were flat. "Easy, My Lords. As far as I can tell, the Gods forgot to give me a soul. Or, if I have one, it's broken." He chuckled. "I'm a true soulless bastard. It's hard for anything to detect my presence magically or astrally. The rest is just the skills of my profession. Even Mazoku aren't in the habit of looking upwards and as for the wards on this place, my job is death, terror, and despair. I LIKE those feelings."

Grawshellar looked back to Sherra, who relaxed and sheathed her weapon. "Do get up and take a seat Tain. Sherra, as I'm sure you recognize, this gentleman is an Assassin. Perhaps the very best."

Tain, seating himself, spoke up "Definitely the best now, My Lord"

Dynast lifted one of his expressive eyebrows "Whatever happened to your master? The one who recommended you in the first place?"

Tain smiled again, all teeth "As he was explaining this job to me, I was cleaning my nails. The nailfile slipped." He paused a moment, enjoying the joke.

Sherra obliged him "And?"

"Tragically, it flew right through his left eye and into his brain. I fear he died instantly." He seemed to think a moment, then feigned surprise "My goodness! Why, I do believe that would mean the only people who know I exist or what I'm doing are sitting at this table! How remarkably convenient for all concerned."

Sherra smiled a little "I think I actually like this human, My Lord Grawshellar. Impertinent, but his sense of humour is most refreshing."

"Now that introductions have been dispensed with, I'd like to get on with business before the sun comes up and I must resume my duties as Dilss Kingdom's Chief Advisor."

"Tain, as a human, especially one undetectable with magic, you will be able to operate easily and openly in places where a Mazoku cannot, like the capitals of Saillune and Elmikia. To start with I want you in Saillune. See if there are any factions amenable to an assisted change in government. If that unsubtle rutting bull Gaav managed to infiltrate the country, I'm sure we can do better." He paused in thought for a moment. "To ease communication, you will be joined by a minor servant of mine named Drizzolt. He is skilled enough at keeping a low profile that your unique talents will not be compromised."

Tain smiled. "And of course, he'll be ensuring my end of any bargain is kept. I agree to these terms. Now what is to be my reward?" His tone was an open suggestion that he had something already in mind.

Dynast smiled a little and indulged him. "What do you think would be fair?"

Tain barely hesitated. "My Lord, my education is hardly thorough, but unless the storytellers I've listened to are mistaken, you have had a couple of openings on your staff since the War of the Resurrection"

"Ambitious aren't you? Well, if that is what you truly wish and you succeed. A servant with your talents might prove useful. Won't granting you Mazoku power make your job somewhat harder, though? You'd become more detectable."

Tain spoke very quietly "My Lord, I am in this profession only because it is the best, and most enjoyably personal way for me to get what I like. As a Mazoku, what I like – death and terror – would be just as easily obtained and even become sustenance. And, just because I don't seem to have a soul doesn't mean I'm not curious what it would be like. A Mazoku one suits me fine." Then he broke into a sharklike smile. "Besides, holding out a reward like that quite guarantees my loyalty, does it not?"

Sherra spoke up again "I really like this fellow, My Lord. Why can't more humans be this agreeable?" She turned to Tain "Are you sure you're not a half-Mazoku? Or maybe some sort of Chimera?"

Tain thoughtfully tapped at his cheek "What an interesting idea... I've never considered that possibility before. But do you know it almost makes sense? Considering my past, that is."

Dynast just shook his head. "Tain, once you are done investigating Saillune, you will rejoin my General and assist her however she may require. Now go. The sun's almost up."

Sherra looked over at Tain. "I plan on porting into Saillune's neighborhood right away. Care to come along? It'll save you a couple month's journeying from here."

Tain nodded his acceptance of her offer, then stood up and bowed to Lord Dynast. "Thank you, My Lord. You will not be disappointed with my work." He turned to the General. "Shall we, then, Lady?"

Sherra concentrated a moment, then both she and the assassin disappeared with the familiar hiss-pop. Dynast stood up and straightened his robes, waved the lights out, and departed, chuckling quietly.

After the doors to the Black Hall were shut, the darkness soon resumed its swirlings and squirmings as the Demon King of the North's minions gathered to await his further pleasure.

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NEXT CHAPTER: Three of our heroes hook up again. Wait, Zel, how'd you get one of those?

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Slayers Characters © 1991-2002 Hajime Kanzaka, Rui Araizumi, a whole lot of other people and not a few multinational corporations. I'm not looking for a piece of their action, just paying homage to it. Story and all other content © 2002 D. Robbins

Special thanks to Debbie for editing and Sharlene, Diane and Kelly for their pre-reading and commentaries!