Disclaimer: I own all I see. Well, except Slayers and a bunch of other
stuff.
"Flare Arrow!"
Another explosion rocked the bandit gang's hideout. Amid all the carnage, bandits were running to and fro trying to escape the burning death that surrounded them.
A rather large bandit called out to his comrades. "Run for your lives men! It's Lina Inverse!" He looked over at the sorceress to see a redheaded swordswoman standing next to her. "Ye gods! We're all doomed! There's two Lina Inverses!"
Emily frowned. "Now just hold on one second. . ."
Lina laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it!" She threw a fireball scattering a pack of fleeing bandits. "It's not that big a deal you know."
"That's easy for you to say mom!" Emily cut down three bandits in just as many seconds. "You've got a reputation. None of these guys even know who I am! Watch!"
Emily grabbed one terrified bandit and shook him until his teeth rattled. She snarled at him, "Hey scumbag! What's my name?!
The terrified bandit struggled to speak. "You. . .you're the demon spawn of Lina Inverse!"
Emily sighed and brought her elbow down on the man's head rendering him unconscious. "You see? This is what I get everywhere I go!"
"Look can we talk about this later?" Lina was fighting off five particularly brave bandits with her bare hands. "Besides, my reputation isn't that good!"
Emily ducked a sword swing and stared at Lina. "What are you talking about? You're 'The sworn enemy of all living things'. That's so cool! All I get is 'Demon spawn."
"Cool?! Emily, you think it's fun having a bad reputation?" Lina ducked behind a bandit as arrows flew at her. Her human shield became a pincushion in seconds.
"It's got to be better than no reputation at all!" Emily sliced several incoming arrows in midair.
Lina glanced around. Most of the bandits appeared to have either fled or been killed. She nodded satisfied with her handiwork. "You see what I go through for people? And they still call me a walking disaster. I tell you it's not fair!"
"Mom! When'd you get 'walking disaster?" Emily grinned as she finished off the last of the fleeing bandits.
Lina thought for a minute. "It was after that thing. You know the thing with the monks a couple weeks ago."
Emily frowned. "I was there too. How come they don't mention me?"
Lina winked at Emily. "I know you're not saying that you want credit for terrorizing a bunch of monks. Besides the guy who called me a walking disaster did mention you."
"Yeah?" Emily sounded hopeful.
"He called you my junior sidekick."
Emily collapsed in a heap. "What?!"
Lina smiled. "Never mind that! We've got loot to. . .well loot I guess." She turned toward the bandit leader's room and blew the door off its hinges. "Bingo! Here we go Emily!" She waved Emily over.
Minutes later, they were loading large sacks with gold and valuables. The bandit lair was burning around them and the last of the thieves had fled.
"Mom?"
"Yeah? Oh, this one's nice!" Lina stuffed a particularly large ruby into her sack.
"You ever think that maybe we should return this money to the people it was stolen from?"
Lina shook her head. "Nah. If they want their loot back let them get it themselves. They're not the ones risking their butts to wipe out evil wherever it lurks. Oh, pretty!" She grabbed a particularly elaborate scepter and stashed it in the sack.
Emily shook her head. "You ever think maybe that's why you have such a bad reputation?"
Lina stuck out her tongue at Emily. "You ever think that you're too much of a goody goody?"
Emily sighed. "Real mature mom. Anyway, you don't look nearly as stressed as before."
"Yeah. Bandit slaying's just the thing for stress you know. You enjoy it too don't you?"
Emily nodded. "That's true. I've been doing it since I was about twelve."
Lina grinned as she closed up her sack. "And wasn't that so much more fun than playing with dolls?"
Emily returned Lina's grin. "I wouldn't know. I never had a doll. Never really had any friends either. Just you and dad."
Lina slung her sack onto her shoulder. "Oh boy. That's heavy." She turned back to Emily. "Are you saying that you regret your childhood?"
Emily shook her head and stood, easily hefting a much larger sack of loot. "Not really. Every day brought new places and new people. I just wonder sometimes what a normal childhood would have been like."
Lina and Emily walked out of the bandit leader's room, oblivious to the destruction around them.
Lina thought back to her life in Zefielia with Luna and shivered. "Believe me, you didn't miss anything." She muttered under her breath, "Except maybe some irreversible mental trauma."
Emily saw Lina shiver and grinned. "You're thinking of Aunt Luna again aren't you? Did I tell you that I visited her in my travels?"
Lina looked scared. "You didn't tell her where I lived did you?!"
Emily shook her head. "I don't see what your problem is with her. She seems very nice. I stayed with her for a few weeks."
Lina threw up her arms in frustration. "Everyone says that about her! 'Oh, she's so sweet!' It's all an act I tell you!" She sighed and looked at Emily. "All the way to Zefielia huh?"
Emily nodded happily as the bandit camp collapsed behind them. "Uh huh! Well it has been three years you know. I got around. I saw grandma and grandpa too. They were nice. They said that they'd like you to visit sometime." She frowned. "They really miss you mom. Maybe we can go see them when this is all over?"
Lina frowned. "I don't think so Emily."
"Come on mom! They're your family!"
"It's not that. It's just that. . .I don't think I'll be doing any traveling after this is over."
Emily sighed. "You're going to settle down somewhere and mope. Is that it?"
Lina thought back to her dream. She shook her head. "Not really. I just don't think that I'll be coming back from this one." She nodded. "In fact, I'm almost positive that I won't."
Emily sounded angry. "Mom, don't say that. You know you scare me when you talk like that. With dad gone, you're all I have left."
"Sorry."
"So, after we finish our business in Sairaag, we're going to visit Zefielia right?"
Lina smiled sadly. "Right."
Emily elbowed Lina in the ribs. "Promise?"
Lina hesitated for a moment. "I promise." She immediately hated herself for lying to Emily.
They walked in silence for a moment.
Emily cleared her throat. "I still don't see why we couldn't go back to Seyruun. You know, before we left for Sairaag."
Lina laughed. "Ah ha! I wondered how long it would take you to mention him."
Emily blushed. "Well, it's not like we're on any schedule or anything." She sounded a little sad. "I just would have like to see him again. That's all. I mean, I said that I'd be back in a few days. I just hate to disappoint him like that."
Lina sighed. "Emily, we are on a schedule. I know you don't want to hear it, but I really don't know how much time I have to finish this." She held up a finger when Emily started to protest. "No complaining!" She smiled. "Besides, I'll bet he'll wait for you forever if he has to."
"Really?"
Lina put an arm around Emily's shoulders as they walked. "Sure! For one thing, he's a really nice guy from what I've seen. And I'm a good judge of character you know."
Emily nodded.
"Secondly, I can tell by the way he looks at you that he's got it bad."
Emily sounded excited. "Really?"
Lina nodded. "Yep. Emily, you've got the guy hooked. All you have to do is reel him in. I mean, look at you. Being my little girl, how could any guy resist you? That cute face, those big eyes, and that great hair. Not to mention that ultra petite. . ."
"Don't go there, mom."
"Oh. Right. Anyway, you don't have anything to worry about."
"Thanks. What about Zelgadis and the others?"
Lina smiled. "If I know Zelgadis, he's already leveled the castle and taken any fragments that scumbag has."
"You think so?"
"Sure. Zel might seem like the quiet type, but when he decides that he wants something it's best not to get in his way." Lina thought back to the tragedy at Cruso. It seemed so very long ago.
"So, you think Edward tried to 'get in his way?"
Lina smiled evilly. "I really, really hope so. Someone needs to take him down a couple notches and I'd rather not sully my already damaged reputation by wiping out even more Seyruun royalty."
"Would you really kill him?"
Lina considered for a moment. "Let's just say, I won't be sending flowers to the funeral if Zel realizes how Edward used Amelia. Any guy that bans me from his kingdom for saving the life of his wife is worthless in my book."
"Yeah, that's right. You never told me that story."
Lina looked at Emily surprised. "You don't remember? You were there you know."
Emily rolled her eyes. "I was three. My memory is a little hazy on something as old as that."
"Oh, that's true I guess. Anyways, We were visiting Amelia and her oh so charming husband Edward. While we were riding through the city, we were attacked by a group of sorcerer swordsmen."
"Sorcerer swordsmen huh?" An image of Vance flashed through Emily's mind. "Kind of like Vance?"
Lina looked at Emily surprised. "Yeah. A lot like Vance actually."
"You think there's any connection?"
Lina shrugged. "Who knows? We can't ask Vance can we?"
"No, I guess not." Emily nodded at Lina. "Go on with the story."
"Oh, right. They were good. They were able to overpower Amelia almost immediately." Lina sounded angry. "Strangely enough, they didn't go after Edward. Now isn't that a weird coincidence?"
Emily frowned. "Mom, are you implying. . ."
"I'm implying nothing. I'm just saying that they were ignoring Edward. Take it however you will. Anyway, it got rough and I eventually had to use a Dragon Slave to end the battle."
Emily's eyes widened in shock. "In the city?"
Lina nodded. "You remember that Edward was complaining about the property damage at dinner the other night? He neglected to mention the deaths I caused saving Amelia. That's the type of loving guy he is."
"I see. . ."
"I remember that you were terrified after I cast the Dragon Slave. You cried for hours. I guess might be part of the reason you dislike magic."
Emily was lost in thought. "Maybe. . ." She looked up. "Where was dad during all this?"
"In the castle. Some of soldiers wanted to spar with him." Lina smiled. "He followed me for all those years and one of the few times we were apart something like this had to happen. When he found out what happened, he took it personally. As if he were the one who had failed or something. He couldn't understand that it was my fault."
Emily shook her head. "That's not true! You did what you had to do to survive."
"I guess so. Three lives, yours, mine, and Amelia's in exchange for a couple hundred. I hated myself for it. I was sure that Edward had something to do with it. If I didn't like him before, I absolutely loathed him after that."
"That's terrible. No one should have to make a choice like that."
Lina nodded. "Yeah. No one said being a hero was easy though."
Mother and daughter continued on in silence as darkness fell across the land.
Next Chapter: Zelgadis and Amelia sort out some issues. Emily tries to get the truth from Lina. Oh, and the entire Seyruun army is on the march.
Notes: Fun chapter to write. Writing the interaction between Lina and Emily has probably been one of my favorite parts of the fic.
Totally unrelated to this chapter, but I have an idea for a spin off of this story starring Vance. If anyone is interested in reading a Slayers story that involves the Slayers in a very minimal way let me know.
Wow! So many reviews! Where to begin?
LiltingTune, thanks a bunch for taking the time to review! That wasn't so hard was it? ;) I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story.
CT, I'm guessing that you must be a big Amelia fan. You'll be happy to know that she has a significant part to play in the climax of the story.
Larnec thanks a bunch! That's pretty high praise for a lowly fanfic. I'm just trying to stay close to the Slayers feel. I'm really flattered that you think the story is that good.
Hikari, thanks for reviewing! So, you think the plot is thick? Thank goodness. I was really worried that the story was straying into the realm of convoluted.
Until next time, keep reading. Wait a second. If I haven't posted another chapter then you can't keep reading can you? Okay! Until next time, reread the previous chapters!
"Flare Arrow!"
Another explosion rocked the bandit gang's hideout. Amid all the carnage, bandits were running to and fro trying to escape the burning death that surrounded them.
A rather large bandit called out to his comrades. "Run for your lives men! It's Lina Inverse!" He looked over at the sorceress to see a redheaded swordswoman standing next to her. "Ye gods! We're all doomed! There's two Lina Inverses!"
Emily frowned. "Now just hold on one second. . ."
Lina laughed. "Oh, don't worry about it!" She threw a fireball scattering a pack of fleeing bandits. "It's not that big a deal you know."
"That's easy for you to say mom!" Emily cut down three bandits in just as many seconds. "You've got a reputation. None of these guys even know who I am! Watch!"
Emily grabbed one terrified bandit and shook him until his teeth rattled. She snarled at him, "Hey scumbag! What's my name?!
The terrified bandit struggled to speak. "You. . .you're the demon spawn of Lina Inverse!"
Emily sighed and brought her elbow down on the man's head rendering him unconscious. "You see? This is what I get everywhere I go!"
"Look can we talk about this later?" Lina was fighting off five particularly brave bandits with her bare hands. "Besides, my reputation isn't that good!"
Emily ducked a sword swing and stared at Lina. "What are you talking about? You're 'The sworn enemy of all living things'. That's so cool! All I get is 'Demon spawn."
"Cool?! Emily, you think it's fun having a bad reputation?" Lina ducked behind a bandit as arrows flew at her. Her human shield became a pincushion in seconds.
"It's got to be better than no reputation at all!" Emily sliced several incoming arrows in midair.
Lina glanced around. Most of the bandits appeared to have either fled or been killed. She nodded satisfied with her handiwork. "You see what I go through for people? And they still call me a walking disaster. I tell you it's not fair!"
"Mom! When'd you get 'walking disaster?" Emily grinned as she finished off the last of the fleeing bandits.
Lina thought for a minute. "It was after that thing. You know the thing with the monks a couple weeks ago."
Emily frowned. "I was there too. How come they don't mention me?"
Lina winked at Emily. "I know you're not saying that you want credit for terrorizing a bunch of monks. Besides the guy who called me a walking disaster did mention you."
"Yeah?" Emily sounded hopeful.
"He called you my junior sidekick."
Emily collapsed in a heap. "What?!"
Lina smiled. "Never mind that! We've got loot to. . .well loot I guess." She turned toward the bandit leader's room and blew the door off its hinges. "Bingo! Here we go Emily!" She waved Emily over.
Minutes later, they were loading large sacks with gold and valuables. The bandit lair was burning around them and the last of the thieves had fled.
"Mom?"
"Yeah? Oh, this one's nice!" Lina stuffed a particularly large ruby into her sack.
"You ever think that maybe we should return this money to the people it was stolen from?"
Lina shook her head. "Nah. If they want their loot back let them get it themselves. They're not the ones risking their butts to wipe out evil wherever it lurks. Oh, pretty!" She grabbed a particularly elaborate scepter and stashed it in the sack.
Emily shook her head. "You ever think maybe that's why you have such a bad reputation?"
Lina stuck out her tongue at Emily. "You ever think that you're too much of a goody goody?"
Emily sighed. "Real mature mom. Anyway, you don't look nearly as stressed as before."
"Yeah. Bandit slaying's just the thing for stress you know. You enjoy it too don't you?"
Emily nodded. "That's true. I've been doing it since I was about twelve."
Lina grinned as she closed up her sack. "And wasn't that so much more fun than playing with dolls?"
Emily returned Lina's grin. "I wouldn't know. I never had a doll. Never really had any friends either. Just you and dad."
Lina slung her sack onto her shoulder. "Oh boy. That's heavy." She turned back to Emily. "Are you saying that you regret your childhood?"
Emily shook her head and stood, easily hefting a much larger sack of loot. "Not really. Every day brought new places and new people. I just wonder sometimes what a normal childhood would have been like."
Lina and Emily walked out of the bandit leader's room, oblivious to the destruction around them.
Lina thought back to her life in Zefielia with Luna and shivered. "Believe me, you didn't miss anything." She muttered under her breath, "Except maybe some irreversible mental trauma."
Emily saw Lina shiver and grinned. "You're thinking of Aunt Luna again aren't you? Did I tell you that I visited her in my travels?"
Lina looked scared. "You didn't tell her where I lived did you?!"
Emily shook her head. "I don't see what your problem is with her. She seems very nice. I stayed with her for a few weeks."
Lina threw up her arms in frustration. "Everyone says that about her! 'Oh, she's so sweet!' It's all an act I tell you!" She sighed and looked at Emily. "All the way to Zefielia huh?"
Emily nodded happily as the bandit camp collapsed behind them. "Uh huh! Well it has been three years you know. I got around. I saw grandma and grandpa too. They were nice. They said that they'd like you to visit sometime." She frowned. "They really miss you mom. Maybe we can go see them when this is all over?"
Lina frowned. "I don't think so Emily."
"Come on mom! They're your family!"
"It's not that. It's just that. . .I don't think I'll be doing any traveling after this is over."
Emily sighed. "You're going to settle down somewhere and mope. Is that it?"
Lina thought back to her dream. She shook her head. "Not really. I just don't think that I'll be coming back from this one." She nodded. "In fact, I'm almost positive that I won't."
Emily sounded angry. "Mom, don't say that. You know you scare me when you talk like that. With dad gone, you're all I have left."
"Sorry."
"So, after we finish our business in Sairaag, we're going to visit Zefielia right?"
Lina smiled sadly. "Right."
Emily elbowed Lina in the ribs. "Promise?"
Lina hesitated for a moment. "I promise." She immediately hated herself for lying to Emily.
They walked in silence for a moment.
Emily cleared her throat. "I still don't see why we couldn't go back to Seyruun. You know, before we left for Sairaag."
Lina laughed. "Ah ha! I wondered how long it would take you to mention him."
Emily blushed. "Well, it's not like we're on any schedule or anything." She sounded a little sad. "I just would have like to see him again. That's all. I mean, I said that I'd be back in a few days. I just hate to disappoint him like that."
Lina sighed. "Emily, we are on a schedule. I know you don't want to hear it, but I really don't know how much time I have to finish this." She held up a finger when Emily started to protest. "No complaining!" She smiled. "Besides, I'll bet he'll wait for you forever if he has to."
"Really?"
Lina put an arm around Emily's shoulders as they walked. "Sure! For one thing, he's a really nice guy from what I've seen. And I'm a good judge of character you know."
Emily nodded.
"Secondly, I can tell by the way he looks at you that he's got it bad."
Emily sounded excited. "Really?"
Lina nodded. "Yep. Emily, you've got the guy hooked. All you have to do is reel him in. I mean, look at you. Being my little girl, how could any guy resist you? That cute face, those big eyes, and that great hair. Not to mention that ultra petite. . ."
"Don't go there, mom."
"Oh. Right. Anyway, you don't have anything to worry about."
"Thanks. What about Zelgadis and the others?"
Lina smiled. "If I know Zelgadis, he's already leveled the castle and taken any fragments that scumbag has."
"You think so?"
"Sure. Zel might seem like the quiet type, but when he decides that he wants something it's best not to get in his way." Lina thought back to the tragedy at Cruso. It seemed so very long ago.
"So, you think Edward tried to 'get in his way?"
Lina smiled evilly. "I really, really hope so. Someone needs to take him down a couple notches and I'd rather not sully my already damaged reputation by wiping out even more Seyruun royalty."
"Would you really kill him?"
Lina considered for a moment. "Let's just say, I won't be sending flowers to the funeral if Zel realizes how Edward used Amelia. Any guy that bans me from his kingdom for saving the life of his wife is worthless in my book."
"Yeah, that's right. You never told me that story."
Lina looked at Emily surprised. "You don't remember? You were there you know."
Emily rolled her eyes. "I was three. My memory is a little hazy on something as old as that."
"Oh, that's true I guess. Anyways, We were visiting Amelia and her oh so charming husband Edward. While we were riding through the city, we were attacked by a group of sorcerer swordsmen."
"Sorcerer swordsmen huh?" An image of Vance flashed through Emily's mind. "Kind of like Vance?"
Lina looked at Emily surprised. "Yeah. A lot like Vance actually."
"You think there's any connection?"
Lina shrugged. "Who knows? We can't ask Vance can we?"
"No, I guess not." Emily nodded at Lina. "Go on with the story."
"Oh, right. They were good. They were able to overpower Amelia almost immediately." Lina sounded angry. "Strangely enough, they didn't go after Edward. Now isn't that a weird coincidence?"
Emily frowned. "Mom, are you implying. . ."
"I'm implying nothing. I'm just saying that they were ignoring Edward. Take it however you will. Anyway, it got rough and I eventually had to use a Dragon Slave to end the battle."
Emily's eyes widened in shock. "In the city?"
Lina nodded. "You remember that Edward was complaining about the property damage at dinner the other night? He neglected to mention the deaths I caused saving Amelia. That's the type of loving guy he is."
"I see. . ."
"I remember that you were terrified after I cast the Dragon Slave. You cried for hours. I guess might be part of the reason you dislike magic."
Emily was lost in thought. "Maybe. . ." She looked up. "Where was dad during all this?"
"In the castle. Some of soldiers wanted to spar with him." Lina smiled. "He followed me for all those years and one of the few times we were apart something like this had to happen. When he found out what happened, he took it personally. As if he were the one who had failed or something. He couldn't understand that it was my fault."
Emily shook her head. "That's not true! You did what you had to do to survive."
"I guess so. Three lives, yours, mine, and Amelia's in exchange for a couple hundred. I hated myself for it. I was sure that Edward had something to do with it. If I didn't like him before, I absolutely loathed him after that."
"That's terrible. No one should have to make a choice like that."
Lina nodded. "Yeah. No one said being a hero was easy though."
Mother and daughter continued on in silence as darkness fell across the land.
Next Chapter: Zelgadis and Amelia sort out some issues. Emily tries to get the truth from Lina. Oh, and the entire Seyruun army is on the march.
Notes: Fun chapter to write. Writing the interaction between Lina and Emily has probably been one of my favorite parts of the fic.
Totally unrelated to this chapter, but I have an idea for a spin off of this story starring Vance. If anyone is interested in reading a Slayers story that involves the Slayers in a very minimal way let me know.
Wow! So many reviews! Where to begin?
LiltingTune, thanks a bunch for taking the time to review! That wasn't so hard was it? ;) I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story.
CT, I'm guessing that you must be a big Amelia fan. You'll be happy to know that she has a significant part to play in the climax of the story.
Larnec thanks a bunch! That's pretty high praise for a lowly fanfic. I'm just trying to stay close to the Slayers feel. I'm really flattered that you think the story is that good.
Hikari, thanks for reviewing! So, you think the plot is thick? Thank goodness. I was really worried that the story was straying into the realm of convoluted.
Until next time, keep reading. Wait a second. If I haven't posted another chapter then you can't keep reading can you? Okay! Until next time, reread the previous chapters!
