Disclaimer: The Slayers characters aren't mine. Any dead bandits probably
are though. I'll clean them up when you're done reading. Enjoy!
************************************************************************
Zelgadis stood in the road a few hundred feet away from the entrance to the city of Zoana. Rising high above him, a steel gate barred his path into the city. Over the gate was a large relief of the monster Zomel Gustar. Zelgadis snorted. Apparently that psycho Martina was still the queen of the kingdom.
Zelgadis had a problem. How could he possibly get into Zoana? Several men guarded the gate leading into the city. The kingdom used to welcome visitors, but ever since a Dragon Slave had obliterated most of the city all those years ago, the government was wary of letting strangers in.
Zelgadis thought this was a prudent decision, but it didn't change the fact that he had to get in and find the Soul Render. Pulling his hood over his face, he decided to try the direct way first. He slipped into a crowd of people heading towards the gate.
Most of the visitors made it through with only a cursory glance from the guards. Zelgadis's hopes rose.
"I'm going to make it!" he thought. "Just don't look suspicious Zel." Zelgadis put his head down and tried to avoid being noticed.
"Hey you!" The gruff voice of a guard called out behind Zelgadis. "You! The suspicious looking guy!"
Zelgadis sighed. This must be fate. He drew his sword and turned to face the first of the charging guards. Behind him, the thief that the guards had been trying to catch ran through the gate and into the city.
************************************************************************
Emily shifted uncomfortably in her hiding place. A Dragon Talon bush wouldn't have been her first choice for cover. These leaves were sharp. She looked over at Lina and swallowed nervously. Her mother had "that look" on her face.
Lina leaned over and whispered to Emily. "I know these guys are bandits. Just look at all that loot!" She pointed at a cart sitting by the side of the road with a large sack of gold on it.
Emily shook her head. "I don't know about this mom."
Emily observed one of the bandits walking by. He was kind of short, bald, and wore a brown robe. As a matter of fact, they were all bald with brown robes.
Emily scratched her head. "Something just doesn't seem right here. Why are they all dressed like that?"
Lina rolled her eyes. "Listen and learn kid. I've been doing this 'bandit killer' thing a lot longer than you have. Bandit gangs always have some sort of theme."
Emily looked at her skeptically. "Such as?"
Lina started to list off names of gangs that she had wiped out. "The Dragon Fangs, The Dragon's Blood Macho Men. . ." Lina continued until Emily interrupted.
"Oh yeah? Well what's their theme?" Emily pointed at two of the men that were sitting by a fire sharing a loaf of bread. "The Share and Share Alikes? I don't think that these people are bandits."
"Well, uh, they're obviously," Lina had a flash of inspiration. "The bathrobe bandits!"
"What?! Of all the stupid. . ."
"Never mind. Look!" Lina pointed to a traveler that was coming up the road to the bandit camp.
One rather large and muscular bandit stepped in front of the traveler and said something to him. The traveler reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins. He handed them to the large man and continued on his way.
Lina grabbed Emily by the neck and whispered to her excitedly. "You see that? These guys are obviously extorting money from innocent travelers! Let's go!" She released Emily and jumped out of the bush.
"But mom. . ."
"No buts! Fireball!" Lina charged the terrified bandits. They had already begun to scatter. This would be even easier than she had expected.
Shaking her head, Emily unsheathed her sword and followed Lina.
************************************************************************
Minutes later, they were riding in the bandits' cart. Lina whipped the old horse to speed him up.
"Victory is mine!" Lina flashed the V for victory to the men that were pursuing them. She noticed that Emily wasn't quite as enthusiastic about their good fortune. "Are you crying?"
Emily sat next to Lina with her face buried in her hands. "I'm going to hell for this."
Lina shot Emily a nasty look. "Oh, grow up! How the hell was I supposed to know that they were traveling monks? You saw them. They took that guy's money."
"He was making a donation!" Emily shrieked. "They were collecting money to feed orphans!"
"Yeah, well we've got some orphans to feed don't we?" Lina turned and waved to the men chasing the cart. "And why are they so mad? I said I was sorry."
"I don't know mom! Do you think it's because we stole their cart?" She pointed to the back of the cart where the money was sitting. "Or maybe it's because we robbed them to boot?!"
Lina laughed. "Look on the bright side! We'll be in Seyruun in a couple days now!" She jerked her thumb towards the back of the cart. "Why can't you be more like them? They're having a great time!"
Emily looked back and saw the kids laughing and waving to the monks. She sighed. "Well, I'm glad someone is enjoying this."
************************************************************************
Zelgadis surveyed the scene. Twenty guards lay unconscious on the cobblestone road. The remains of the steel gate groaned before collapsing under their own weight. Above him the relief of Zomel Gustar cracked in half and fell to the street. He grimaced. It hadn't exactly been subtle, but he was in Zoana right? Sheathing his sword, he turned his back on the carnage and walked into town. Now he just had to figure out where they were keeping the Soul Render.
Zelgadis looked up and down the street. As usual, Zoana was a hotbed of activity. Merchants were selling their wares to the midday shoppers. Jugglers and acrobats performed in hopes of earning a little money from tourists. The city guards were at the end of the street asking questions about the destruction at the gate.
This could be a problem. Zelgadis looked around for a moment before ducking into a seedy looking tavern. The place was dimly lit and he almost tripped over a heavyset man who had obviously had too much to drink.
The man grabbed Zelgadis and was about to say something when he saw the chimera's stony face. His eyes widened and he released Zel. He quickly mumbled an apology before leaving the tavern.
Zelgadis shook his head in disgust. Why did they always stare? He pulled his hood a little closer to his face and made his way to the bar. He took a seat between two shady looking individuals and signaled for the bartender.
"What can I get for you sir?"
That voice sounded familiar. Zelgadis looked up into the grinning face of Xellos. Zel stared at him dumbfounded.
Xellos smiled and tugged on a stupidly large, purple, handlebar moustache. Instead of his usual garb, he was wearing rough looking clothes and a grease-stained apron. "Sir, I have a lot of customers and precious little time. Can I get you anything?"
"Tea." Zelgadis continued to stare at Xellos. "What are you doing here?" He gestured to Xellos's moustache. "And what the hell is that?"
"Oh, do you like it? I thought that if I were going to do this I should at least look the part." Xellos reached under the bar and brought out a teacup and a pot of tea. He placed them in front of Zelgadis.
"A bartender?" Zelgadis poured some tea and took a cautious sip. It didn't seem like the priest had poisoned it.
Xellos shrugged. "What can I say? Being a high ranking demon doesn't pay as well as you'd expect."
"What are you talking about?" Zelgadis took another sip of tea.
Xellos grinned. "Just a little humor Zelgadis. Actually, I'm here to help you find the Soul Render." He gestured to his clothes. "I just prefer to keep a low profile while doing so."
"Well?"
Xellos pulled out a map of Zoana and spread it on the bar. He pointed to something on it. "You see? This is where we are." He pointed at another spot. "This building is where the mining company stores its valuables. It's safe to assume that the Soul Render they dug up would be there."
Zelgadis smiled. "You've been remarkably helpful today Xellos." He tossed a couple coins on the counter and turned to leave.
"Good luck Zelgadis. I'm sure you'll beat those other gentlemen to the Soul Render."
Zelgadis stopped and slowly turned back to Xellos. "Other gentlemen?"
"Oh? Didn't I mention it? About a half hour before you came in, some other fellows came in asking about the Soul Render."
"And you told them?!" Zelgadis reached across the bar to grab the front of the priest's apron.
Xellos shrugged and smiled. "What can I say? They gave me an excellent tip!" He glanced down at the measly pile of coins by Zelgadis's cup. "Better than some others anyway."
Zelgadis shoved Xellos and turned towards the exit. There wasn't much time.
"Please come again!" Xellos waved cheerfully to Zelgadis as he left the tavern. He looked under the bar where the terrified tavern owner was bound and gagged. Xellos winked at him. "That went well, don't you think?"
************************************************************************
Darkness was falling over the city when Zelgadis reached the warehouse indicated on Xellos's map. He hid in an alley across the street from it and looked the area over.
The large building was dark and there was no sign of activity within. The employees must have already quit for the day. Good. That would make this a lot easier. He prepared to move across the road to the door when something caught his eye. There were five men at the side of the building going in through a window.
"Damn that Xellos!" Zelgadis crushed the map in his fist. These must be the other men that Xellos had given the information to. Why couldn't things be simple for once? Muttering curses under his breath, Zelgadis cautiously moved across the street to the warehouse.
The first thing he noticed when he reached the building was that security was tight. In addition to complicated mechanical locks, the windows and doors were reinforced by spells as well.
Zelgadis moved around the building trying to keep to the shadows. He might as well use the same entrance that the other men had. He reached the window and examined it. These guys had to be professionals. The locking spell had been broken with ease, and there was no obvious damage to the padlock itself.
Zel sighed. This was probably going to get really complicated. He cautiously stuck his head in the window and took a quick look around. This appeared to be some sort of record storage room. Apparently, the thieves had already sacked the files. Scrolls littered the floor.
Zelgadis climbed in the window and moved to the door that led further into the building. The thieves must already have the location of the Soul Render. The easiest thing for him to do would be to follow them and let them do the work. He moved swiftly and quietly through the main storage area of the warehouse constantly on the lookout for the other intruders.
Rounding a corner, he saw them a few feet away. They were standing next to a large safe and apparently they were having trouble figuring out one of the defense mechanisms. He was pretty sure he would be able to open the safe as soon as he took out the four men.
"Wait a second." Zel thought out loud. "I thought there were five of them before?"
As if in answer to his question, a small spidery man dove at Zelgadis from the shadows. He swiped at Zel with a pair of jagged daggers.
If Zelgadis had been any slower, he might have been injured, but his super human reflexes allowed him to avoid the man's blow by inches. He took a step back and reached for his sword, but before he could draw it, the man leapt at him again.
Zelgadis abandoned the idea of drawing his sword for the moment. Instead, he warded off the man's strikes with his bare hands. Luckily the man's weapons weren't able to do much more than nick him, but Zelgadis didn't want to give him the opportunity to hit anything soft. A knife to the eye would end this fight quick. Even with his enhanced speed, he struggled to keep up with his assailant.
Zelgadis noted that he was being forced back into a corner. This could be bad. If he wasn't able to maneuver, this man could pick him apart.
The next time the attacker swung his dagger, Zelgadis stepped forward into the blow. The dagger slid painfully across his ribs but did no real damage.
The other man apparently wasn't ready for this and Zelgadis caught his arm. Grinning wickedly he broke it eliciting a scream of pain.
The thief tried to swing at Zelgadis's throat with his good arm, but Zelgadis caught that as well.
Before the man could do anything else Zelgadis slammed his stony forehead into the thief's face. The man crumpled to the ground and Zelgadis turned to face the rest of the thieves.
Zelgadis was surprised to note that he was breathing heavily. It had been a while since he had been pushed that hard. He smiled. "Oh, you people are good. I don't suppose you'd be willing to walk away from this huh?" He drew his sword and sized up his opponents.
There was a large muscular man with an even larger axe standing to his left. He wouldn't be too much trouble, Zelgadis thought. He looked rather slow.
To his right, stood two tall, slender men. They appeared to be twins. One wore black robes and the other white. Zelgadis assumed that these were the sorcerers of the group. Thinking back to the window and how easily the magical seals had been broken, Zelgadis decided that they might be a threat.
Standing behind them was a short muscular man about Zelgadis's height. He appeared to be unarmed, instead holding the contents of the safe. It was a glass box containing a dark green stone.
The Soul Render.
************************************************************************
Next Chapter: Zelgadis takes on the thieves. But it's four highly trained fighters versus one angry chimera! Can he get the Soul Render and escape Zoana with his life? Elsewhere, Lina's having problems coping with something.
Notes: This was a fun chapter to write. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it.
The story's coming a little easier now, as I am pretty much two chapters ahead of what gets posted. I got hung up for a couple days trying to incorporate a new idea into the overall story. Chapters should come faster now though.
I think that we're about a third of the way through the story now. Maybe a little less. After it's finished, you might see a rewrite to clean some stuff up. That's a ways away though.
Thanks for reading. As always, reviews are welcome. I thrive on constructive criticism so if you see a problem, tell me! Thanks a bunch!
************************************************************************
Zelgadis stood in the road a few hundred feet away from the entrance to the city of Zoana. Rising high above him, a steel gate barred his path into the city. Over the gate was a large relief of the monster Zomel Gustar. Zelgadis snorted. Apparently that psycho Martina was still the queen of the kingdom.
Zelgadis had a problem. How could he possibly get into Zoana? Several men guarded the gate leading into the city. The kingdom used to welcome visitors, but ever since a Dragon Slave had obliterated most of the city all those years ago, the government was wary of letting strangers in.
Zelgadis thought this was a prudent decision, but it didn't change the fact that he had to get in and find the Soul Render. Pulling his hood over his face, he decided to try the direct way first. He slipped into a crowd of people heading towards the gate.
Most of the visitors made it through with only a cursory glance from the guards. Zelgadis's hopes rose.
"I'm going to make it!" he thought. "Just don't look suspicious Zel." Zelgadis put his head down and tried to avoid being noticed.
"Hey you!" The gruff voice of a guard called out behind Zelgadis. "You! The suspicious looking guy!"
Zelgadis sighed. This must be fate. He drew his sword and turned to face the first of the charging guards. Behind him, the thief that the guards had been trying to catch ran through the gate and into the city.
************************************************************************
Emily shifted uncomfortably in her hiding place. A Dragon Talon bush wouldn't have been her first choice for cover. These leaves were sharp. She looked over at Lina and swallowed nervously. Her mother had "that look" on her face.
Lina leaned over and whispered to Emily. "I know these guys are bandits. Just look at all that loot!" She pointed at a cart sitting by the side of the road with a large sack of gold on it.
Emily shook her head. "I don't know about this mom."
Emily observed one of the bandits walking by. He was kind of short, bald, and wore a brown robe. As a matter of fact, they were all bald with brown robes.
Emily scratched her head. "Something just doesn't seem right here. Why are they all dressed like that?"
Lina rolled her eyes. "Listen and learn kid. I've been doing this 'bandit killer' thing a lot longer than you have. Bandit gangs always have some sort of theme."
Emily looked at her skeptically. "Such as?"
Lina started to list off names of gangs that she had wiped out. "The Dragon Fangs, The Dragon's Blood Macho Men. . ." Lina continued until Emily interrupted.
"Oh yeah? Well what's their theme?" Emily pointed at two of the men that were sitting by a fire sharing a loaf of bread. "The Share and Share Alikes? I don't think that these people are bandits."
"Well, uh, they're obviously," Lina had a flash of inspiration. "The bathrobe bandits!"
"What?! Of all the stupid. . ."
"Never mind. Look!" Lina pointed to a traveler that was coming up the road to the bandit camp.
One rather large and muscular bandit stepped in front of the traveler and said something to him. The traveler reached into his pocket and pulled out some coins. He handed them to the large man and continued on his way.
Lina grabbed Emily by the neck and whispered to her excitedly. "You see that? These guys are obviously extorting money from innocent travelers! Let's go!" She released Emily and jumped out of the bush.
"But mom. . ."
"No buts! Fireball!" Lina charged the terrified bandits. They had already begun to scatter. This would be even easier than she had expected.
Shaking her head, Emily unsheathed her sword and followed Lina.
************************************************************************
Minutes later, they were riding in the bandits' cart. Lina whipped the old horse to speed him up.
"Victory is mine!" Lina flashed the V for victory to the men that were pursuing them. She noticed that Emily wasn't quite as enthusiastic about their good fortune. "Are you crying?"
Emily sat next to Lina with her face buried in her hands. "I'm going to hell for this."
Lina shot Emily a nasty look. "Oh, grow up! How the hell was I supposed to know that they were traveling monks? You saw them. They took that guy's money."
"He was making a donation!" Emily shrieked. "They were collecting money to feed orphans!"
"Yeah, well we've got some orphans to feed don't we?" Lina turned and waved to the men chasing the cart. "And why are they so mad? I said I was sorry."
"I don't know mom! Do you think it's because we stole their cart?" She pointed to the back of the cart where the money was sitting. "Or maybe it's because we robbed them to boot?!"
Lina laughed. "Look on the bright side! We'll be in Seyruun in a couple days now!" She jerked her thumb towards the back of the cart. "Why can't you be more like them? They're having a great time!"
Emily looked back and saw the kids laughing and waving to the monks. She sighed. "Well, I'm glad someone is enjoying this."
************************************************************************
Zelgadis surveyed the scene. Twenty guards lay unconscious on the cobblestone road. The remains of the steel gate groaned before collapsing under their own weight. Above him the relief of Zomel Gustar cracked in half and fell to the street. He grimaced. It hadn't exactly been subtle, but he was in Zoana right? Sheathing his sword, he turned his back on the carnage and walked into town. Now he just had to figure out where they were keeping the Soul Render.
Zelgadis looked up and down the street. As usual, Zoana was a hotbed of activity. Merchants were selling their wares to the midday shoppers. Jugglers and acrobats performed in hopes of earning a little money from tourists. The city guards were at the end of the street asking questions about the destruction at the gate.
This could be a problem. Zelgadis looked around for a moment before ducking into a seedy looking tavern. The place was dimly lit and he almost tripped over a heavyset man who had obviously had too much to drink.
The man grabbed Zelgadis and was about to say something when he saw the chimera's stony face. His eyes widened and he released Zel. He quickly mumbled an apology before leaving the tavern.
Zelgadis shook his head in disgust. Why did they always stare? He pulled his hood a little closer to his face and made his way to the bar. He took a seat between two shady looking individuals and signaled for the bartender.
"What can I get for you sir?"
That voice sounded familiar. Zelgadis looked up into the grinning face of Xellos. Zel stared at him dumbfounded.
Xellos smiled and tugged on a stupidly large, purple, handlebar moustache. Instead of his usual garb, he was wearing rough looking clothes and a grease-stained apron. "Sir, I have a lot of customers and precious little time. Can I get you anything?"
"Tea." Zelgadis continued to stare at Xellos. "What are you doing here?" He gestured to Xellos's moustache. "And what the hell is that?"
"Oh, do you like it? I thought that if I were going to do this I should at least look the part." Xellos reached under the bar and brought out a teacup and a pot of tea. He placed them in front of Zelgadis.
"A bartender?" Zelgadis poured some tea and took a cautious sip. It didn't seem like the priest had poisoned it.
Xellos shrugged. "What can I say? Being a high ranking demon doesn't pay as well as you'd expect."
"What are you talking about?" Zelgadis took another sip of tea.
Xellos grinned. "Just a little humor Zelgadis. Actually, I'm here to help you find the Soul Render." He gestured to his clothes. "I just prefer to keep a low profile while doing so."
"Well?"
Xellos pulled out a map of Zoana and spread it on the bar. He pointed to something on it. "You see? This is where we are." He pointed at another spot. "This building is where the mining company stores its valuables. It's safe to assume that the Soul Render they dug up would be there."
Zelgadis smiled. "You've been remarkably helpful today Xellos." He tossed a couple coins on the counter and turned to leave.
"Good luck Zelgadis. I'm sure you'll beat those other gentlemen to the Soul Render."
Zelgadis stopped and slowly turned back to Xellos. "Other gentlemen?"
"Oh? Didn't I mention it? About a half hour before you came in, some other fellows came in asking about the Soul Render."
"And you told them?!" Zelgadis reached across the bar to grab the front of the priest's apron.
Xellos shrugged and smiled. "What can I say? They gave me an excellent tip!" He glanced down at the measly pile of coins by Zelgadis's cup. "Better than some others anyway."
Zelgadis shoved Xellos and turned towards the exit. There wasn't much time.
"Please come again!" Xellos waved cheerfully to Zelgadis as he left the tavern. He looked under the bar where the terrified tavern owner was bound and gagged. Xellos winked at him. "That went well, don't you think?"
************************************************************************
Darkness was falling over the city when Zelgadis reached the warehouse indicated on Xellos's map. He hid in an alley across the street from it and looked the area over.
The large building was dark and there was no sign of activity within. The employees must have already quit for the day. Good. That would make this a lot easier. He prepared to move across the road to the door when something caught his eye. There were five men at the side of the building going in through a window.
"Damn that Xellos!" Zelgadis crushed the map in his fist. These must be the other men that Xellos had given the information to. Why couldn't things be simple for once? Muttering curses under his breath, Zelgadis cautiously moved across the street to the warehouse.
The first thing he noticed when he reached the building was that security was tight. In addition to complicated mechanical locks, the windows and doors were reinforced by spells as well.
Zelgadis moved around the building trying to keep to the shadows. He might as well use the same entrance that the other men had. He reached the window and examined it. These guys had to be professionals. The locking spell had been broken with ease, and there was no obvious damage to the padlock itself.
Zel sighed. This was probably going to get really complicated. He cautiously stuck his head in the window and took a quick look around. This appeared to be some sort of record storage room. Apparently, the thieves had already sacked the files. Scrolls littered the floor.
Zelgadis climbed in the window and moved to the door that led further into the building. The thieves must already have the location of the Soul Render. The easiest thing for him to do would be to follow them and let them do the work. He moved swiftly and quietly through the main storage area of the warehouse constantly on the lookout for the other intruders.
Rounding a corner, he saw them a few feet away. They were standing next to a large safe and apparently they were having trouble figuring out one of the defense mechanisms. He was pretty sure he would be able to open the safe as soon as he took out the four men.
"Wait a second." Zel thought out loud. "I thought there were five of them before?"
As if in answer to his question, a small spidery man dove at Zelgadis from the shadows. He swiped at Zel with a pair of jagged daggers.
If Zelgadis had been any slower, he might have been injured, but his super human reflexes allowed him to avoid the man's blow by inches. He took a step back and reached for his sword, but before he could draw it, the man leapt at him again.
Zelgadis abandoned the idea of drawing his sword for the moment. Instead, he warded off the man's strikes with his bare hands. Luckily the man's weapons weren't able to do much more than nick him, but Zelgadis didn't want to give him the opportunity to hit anything soft. A knife to the eye would end this fight quick. Even with his enhanced speed, he struggled to keep up with his assailant.
Zelgadis noted that he was being forced back into a corner. This could be bad. If he wasn't able to maneuver, this man could pick him apart.
The next time the attacker swung his dagger, Zelgadis stepped forward into the blow. The dagger slid painfully across his ribs but did no real damage.
The other man apparently wasn't ready for this and Zelgadis caught his arm. Grinning wickedly he broke it eliciting a scream of pain.
The thief tried to swing at Zelgadis's throat with his good arm, but Zelgadis caught that as well.
Before the man could do anything else Zelgadis slammed his stony forehead into the thief's face. The man crumpled to the ground and Zelgadis turned to face the rest of the thieves.
Zelgadis was surprised to note that he was breathing heavily. It had been a while since he had been pushed that hard. He smiled. "Oh, you people are good. I don't suppose you'd be willing to walk away from this huh?" He drew his sword and sized up his opponents.
There was a large muscular man with an even larger axe standing to his left. He wouldn't be too much trouble, Zelgadis thought. He looked rather slow.
To his right, stood two tall, slender men. They appeared to be twins. One wore black robes and the other white. Zelgadis assumed that these were the sorcerers of the group. Thinking back to the window and how easily the magical seals had been broken, Zelgadis decided that they might be a threat.
Standing behind them was a short muscular man about Zelgadis's height. He appeared to be unarmed, instead holding the contents of the safe. It was a glass box containing a dark green stone.
The Soul Render.
************************************************************************
Next Chapter: Zelgadis takes on the thieves. But it's four highly trained fighters versus one angry chimera! Can he get the Soul Render and escape Zoana with his life? Elsewhere, Lina's having problems coping with something.
Notes: This was a fun chapter to write. I hope everyone enjoyed reading it.
The story's coming a little easier now, as I am pretty much two chapters ahead of what gets posted. I got hung up for a couple days trying to incorporate a new idea into the overall story. Chapters should come faster now though.
I think that we're about a third of the way through the story now. Maybe a little less. After it's finished, you might see a rewrite to clean some stuff up. That's a ways away though.
Thanks for reading. As always, reviews are welcome. I thrive on constructive criticism so if you see a problem, tell me! Thanks a bunch!
