Slayers The New Generation
Once upon a time there was a sorceress, a swordsman, a chimera and a princess. They all lived on a world that was less real, but more interesting than most. They had lots of adventures there, occasionally saving it from destruction, but more usually causing massive property damage. And they all lived happily ever after. The end.
Well. not quite. You see the princess and the chimera got married (coincidentally he found a partial cure for his annoying skin condition). Likewise the swordsman and the sorceress got married. Exactly how this happened, and why, are interesting tales, but this is not their story. Oh, did I mention they had kids? This is their story.
(Disclaimer - All of the original characters and situations are the property of Japanese people and American people and not me. It's not worth suing me since they already have all my money. Anything after Try is the product of my own deranged brain as I use their playground.)
OVA 1: Lets Go ! - Four heroes no waiting!
The scene is purely pastoral. A verdant forest, with sunshine making shafts of light through the trees, and illuminating the well beaten trail. You can almost hear the mellow background music played on flute and lute.
Down the trail come three people on horseback, one leading a pair of remounts with saddle bags. Let's look at them for a moment. The first is a tall orange haired girl of about 17 with a large pigtail cascading down her back. Her magenta eyes look wide and guileless, but are constantly sweeping the forest despite it's aforementioned pastoral nature. Her dark blue jacket top and pants don't meet leaving her midriff exposed. This is odd, because she also wears navy shoulder plates and what can only be described as a chest plate. The armour, and the wide scabbard slung across her back suggests she's probably not a hair dresser. She seems to be enjoying herself, despite the fact that she's not taking part in the animated discussion behind her.
This is because it is in thaumobabble, that jargon beloved of mages everywhere, and as such is almost incomprehensible to mere muggles. The two participants are riding side by side, and because they are mages, the animated discussion really is animated as they scribble glowing symbols and diagrams in mid air between them. One is a bishonen guy, possibly 20 (but who can tell with bishonens?), with platinum shoulder length hair. He wears a dark long coat and trousers over a frock shirt, and a pair of black pincenez glasses. His face has a natural smile to it as if he's already seen the joke.
His compatriot would also rate a few glances from a casual observer, assuming there were any, which there weren't. She is fairly normal looking 20 year old. She wears a sleeveless t-shirt and denims, and a pair of oblong glasses. Her expression is more serious as she elucidates some obscure point. Her chest, as the aforementioned non-existant observer would note, is slightly more developed than the younger lady riding out front. The other thing that would gain attention is the fact that her skin is bluish green stone with darker pebbles sticking out. Her hair is strands of silvery metal, 'combed' back to shoulder length. Oddly, this makes her look exotic rather than ugly.
". you have a practical demonstration already?" she enquired of the guy. "When we camp for the night I'll show you. It's been a learning experience for me." he replied, holding up a pendant in the shape of a claw.
The fighter out front suddenly tensed. "Zara, Marlo, do you hear that?" she called, half turning her horse. They stopped their horses and listened.
"Hoofbeats, galloping?" returned Zara, the chimera, after a few seconds.
The other girl nodded. "I'm going to see what's up. See ya!" she turned her horse back down the trail and raced off.
Zara shook her head and a slight sweatdrop appeared, "She could have just asked for an astral scan." She sighed slightly.
"That's Penny for you, always going off at a gallop." Marlo replied grinning. "Little sister is very enthusiastic."
"Oh I know, L-sama knows I know." she nodded, but her expression briefly changed to a slight smile. "Shall we see what trouble she's found?"
At his assent, Zara pulled a mirror from... somewhere.
* You who sail the seas of the astral plane, reveal these shadows to me. Scry! *
A picture of Penny racing down the trail appeared. She met up with a lone horseman coming the other way and reigned in beside him. Her expression was hidden, but the two of them exchanged a high five slap before starting to race back towards the mages. The newcomer was maybe three inches shorter than Penny and wearing a light jacket with a prominent badge on. His boyish face had wide hazel eyes and his ears are slightly pointed. His navy black hair pointed out to each side and didn't seem to be affected by the wind as they travelled. Penny's pigtail by comparison streamed out behind her as she urged her steed on. As they approached two voices were heard over the hooves.
"Half pint!"
"Stingbean!"
"Bureaucrat!"
"Mercenary!"
"Pointy hair!"
"Carrot top!"
Their verbal sparring ended in a mutual stalemate and a mutual red-eye. They both held the pose as their horses came up alongside the two older, and presumably wiser members of the party. Then they both burst out laughing.
Marlo rolled his eyes. "Source of all souls help us. The prince of Sailoon and the Royal bodyguard. Both clearly out of their minds from the stress."
"The only person who's a sword short of an armoury is you, my dear big brother." Penny returned. "Wil and I were just having a little race. He had some feeble idea that he could outride me."
The younger guy, showed an evil grin worthy of Vegeta. "And I would have done it too. But my horse was tired from catching up with everyone."
Penny looked to be ready to disagree with that assessment but Zara spoke up. "It is good to see you again Wil, and even better that you could join us now."
"Same to you sis." He moved up his horse beside her and lent over to hug one arm around her. "So what's the situation?"
"You didn't know?" Penny asked, surprised.
"Not a clue. I was following up a case in Gerras when Mum sent a vision message to the local barracks. Next thing I know I'm on a teleport stage to Ralteague and get a remount and a finger pointed in your direction. Other then that my mind is a complete blank." "Nothing strange there then." Penny smirkd.
".but clearly my task here is to keep you from using your mouth too much, and to pull your rear out of the fire when you end up getting in over your pigtail."
"Oh! I am full sore wounded." Penny declaimed. "When you can finally defeat me in the pointy object quickstep, then we can talk about who's there to save who."
Marlo held up his hands in a time out signal. "While this half-witty banter is all very amusing, I believe Wil asked what was going on? Zara has the full details."
The chimera girl nodded her head to Marlo then turns in her saddle to face Wil. "Thank you Marlo. It's quite simple." Her voice takes on a lecturing tone." For the last few weeks the palace has been getting reports of people going missing out here in the district beyond Vantoon. We're here to discover the cause and stop it. The vanish silently and without trace. They all tend to be young and female."
Wil rubbed his chin. "That doesn't explain why they sent all of us, rather than a Sailoon SPLAT team or regular troops."(Special Power Levels and Tactics - think AD Police but with magic and lower body counts.)
"Several of the priests at the temple of Cephied had precient dreams that some sort of serious evil would appear here." Zara continued. "Mother wanted to send some of her best people" she smiled gently, "to deal with this. Father also believes that by being out here we can show the outlying provinces of Sailoon that it isn't just the heartland that gets attention."
"Besides" Penny interjected, "It's been months since we last got together. So Zara ported out to Dryden with me and picked up Marlo, and we ended up in Vantoom."
Zara nodded. "Indeed I did. We are currently heading to investigate a village that has borne the brunt of the disappearances."
"Which explains why you needed me too. Detective training may come in handy."
They rode on through the afternoon, and their talk turned to catching up on events in their somewhat unusual families.
". of course Marlo used some of his nature shamanist sparklies to ensure the crops didn't fail and the beastlanders were very grateful." Penny looked around for a second and came in close to the others. She continued in a quieter voice. "Anyone feel we're being watched?" She then continued to chat as before.
Zara reached behind her and the mirror appeared in her hand again. A surreptitious scry later and she nodded and replied in a low tone, "There are two of them, some way back in the trees, one either side."
Marlo followed with his own quiet observation "I don't sense any magical fields around so they're not mages." The group closed up, riding their horses almost flank to flank.
"Probably spotters for a group of bandits." Penny stated, a mildly feral grin appearing. Wilhelm replied with a matching smirk "In other words, light exercise."
Zara pursed her lips and appeared to listen. "Yes. they're estimating the value of our horses and trappings. But do we have time for such side trips? The description of the kidnappings doesn't suggest that bandits are the cause."
Penny looked less happy at this, "If it's just a group of bandits it won't take that long." Marlo also replied. "They may have information on who might be behind the kidnappings. But we need to take out those spotters either way."
Zara nodded, "A good point. Very well, I can believe I can deal with these unwanted observers. Ride out ahead and don't look back when it happens." She dropped back behind the others and started speaking softly. She reared her mount and as it reached it's greatest height cast * Morpheus Flash! *. She was enveloped in a flash of white light, which faded in a second, and there were two thuds as two bodies hit the forest floor.
The other three turned round and rode back. Marlo was first there. "A combat sleep spell? Without physical contact? That's remarkable!"
Zara had her horse back under control. "Just one of my little projects. I figured out a way to replace physical contact through touch or an enchanted substance with line of sight. Instead of a medium such as smoke or dust the light acts as a carrier. Simple really."
Marlo sighed. "Simple you say. Mom's gonna have to watch her tail feathers as resident genius sorceress."
Meanwhile Penny and Wil had dismounted and dragged the pair of miscreants out onto the path. They wore the scruffy clothing and tough visages of low level thugs. Penny quickly added 'tied up' to the description, then slapped them both awake. Wilhelm was the first thing they saw, haloed by the afternoon sunlight and pointing an accusing finger.
"So villains, you thought to ambush unwary travellers. The heavens themselves may forgive you but we shall not! Tell me where your base is or face the Hammer of Justice!"
The left-hand one, a big brute, sneered, "Big words shorty. Why should we listen to you?"
Wilhelm reached over and uprooted a sapling, three inches around the trunk, one handed, then snapped off the roots and branches with as much effort as most people would use separating chopsticks. "Because I can break your arm as easily as this stick." He hefted the cudgel he'd improvised. The bandit quailed.
"Don't listen Regas!" The other said, a skinnier, rat like fellow. "It's the old good cop, bad cop routine. Any second the scrawny girl is going to say how she can't control him. gurk!"
This last was added as a naginata appeared in Penny's hand without seeming to go through the formality of passing through the intervening space. She spun it in a blurring path which shredded most of the guys clothing and left shallow cuts all over him, ending up an inch from his left eyeball.
"That's where your wrong, bozo. This routine is bad cop, worse cop. If you don't tell us what we need to know I'll start chopping bits off, then put out your eyes. One of my companions is a skilled white mage and can keep you alive no matter how much damage you take. If you still don't talk, I'll reach down your throat and pull out your tongue at the roots, then leave you to drown in your own blood. All of which will get your companion to squeal like a pig at a slaughter house . hey. wake up!"
The bandit she was threatening had fainted. She crouched down beside him and started poking him with a stick. Wil looked over at her, sweatdropping, "I think he fainted at the drown in blood bit. Wasn't that a bit overdone?"
"I needed a strong finish. Besides it's not like I won't make good on it. I can de-bone him like a chicken if needs be." The burly bandit turned a bit pale. She continued, "Maybe I'll start on yours first. It's too easy if they can't wiggle. Hmm. where to start." The big guy went from pale to blanched in one easy lesson.
They shortly had the location of the bandit camp, the numbers therein and the location of the sentries. A short jaunt brought them to the encampment, a log palisade in a clearing in the woods. The foursome picketed their horses and took to the trees.
Wil used a short telescope to survey it. "Only ten apiece, like Scruffy said. No magic users so we could just wade in and stomp them, once we take out the archers on the watchtower."
He placed his hand over his badge and spoke the transformation phrase, " For great justice!" Half armour formed over his right shoulder and arm in a wave of light. His city watch issue rune weapon appeared in his hand.
Penny sighs. "That plan's just a tad short on the details. Zara stays here and provides covering fire and takes out the watchtower. Then you go over the wall at one point in your best avenging hero style. When you have their attention, me and Marlo will blast through the wall on the other side with him covering my back. We catch them in a cross fire and make the clean up job easier."
It was easy to reach the walls, since while the trees had been cleared away, the grass hadn't been cut for months. It could provide excellent cover for people far less skilled than them. Penny snickered as she and Marlo snuck around back. "Maybe next time they'll remember to pay their gardener."
"I don't think they're going to _have_ a next time." was his only answer.
Zara saw that Wilhelm had reached the near side of the 8 foot palisade and readied a spell, pulling in the energies tight to minimise the chance of it being seen, and cast * Source of all power, Crimson fire burning bright, Gather in my hands. Fire Ball! * The ball of flame shot forth and smashed into the base of the watchtower, making it explode and collapse on the encampment. She started to cast a second spell as Wilhelm jumped up onto the palisade, and struck a pose, lit by the fires inside the compound and the last of the days light.
"From a heart filled with justice, there is no escape. You are all under arrest. Lay down your weapons and surrender, or in the name of Sailoon I will punish you!" He held his Sailoon City Watch badge up, allowing the firelight to flicker off it dramatically as the first arrows shot towards him. They pinged off a Balus Wall his sister had thoughtfully cast in front of him. "Why do they always have to do it the hard way?" His happy tone of voice belied his words.
"Feel the power of my Zero Wing armour! ZIG missiles!" he yelled and a hundred marbles of white light formed an array in front of his forearm. They scattered off in many directions leaving many fading trails. They then all curved in on the nearest group of luckless bandits, targeting them from all directions and making escape almost impossible. They exploded in soundless blasts of energy and the bandits fell over in a state of critical bonk. He bounded down, holding his rune weapon and willing it to form an Elmekia Blade, a four foot line of white fire that extended above the grip.
"You fools, take him, it's only one man!" yelled a tough, wearing gold rings and fancier clothing. Then Penny and Marlo decided to make their somewhat cryotechnic entrance. A ten foot section of palisade was encased in ice crystals and shattered. Penny raced forward through the breach, holding a bladed pole that extended into a 6 foot naginata, curved blade at one end, metal point at the other, both made of a curious dull white metal. Marlo was holding a rather more conventional bastard sword one handed and a number of acorn like nuts in the other.
He threw these at a group of bandits, chanting * Powers of nature, weaken the foe who confronts me. Lephas seed! * Thin tendrils sprung forth from the nuts and started to enwrap the targets, glowing as they drew energy from them. The bandits collapsed in seconds. Then a wolf beastman jumped in with a nasty looking double sword and tried to decapitate him. He dropped under the swing and split the unfortunate anthromorphic up the middle before it could make a second stroke. His upwards stroke continued up and over into a diagonal strike that parried an axe blow from the side by a stunty little human with an eye-patch.
Penny meanwhile, waded into the nearest group as yet unoccupied, her naginata spinning in her hands like a big pointy polearm wielded by an expert in it's use. Three baddies jumped into the attack, but swords and maces alike bounced off the weaving wall of wood and metal. A fourth tried to sneak up behind her, two knives ready to seek the unarmoured small of her back. The polearm suddenly dropped to the horizontal and Penny turned on the balls of her feet in an instant, thrusting the pointed end into the sneakers stomach. He folded as she pulled it back, spearing the centre villain of the trio that had now closed to finish her. She jumped over the singletons crumpled form, giving her the fighting room to evade and parry the remaining two.
Zara had cast Ray Wing upon herself and hovered in the sky just beyond the walls, looking down on the encampment and occasionally throwing pinpoint spell attacks down into the fray. She covered the backs of her three comrades, ensuring they wouldn't meet with too many targets at one time, or inconvenient projectile weapons. Wilhelm was most in need of her protection. He was alone on his side of the battlefield, but that didn't stop him from advancing forward. Several times they attempted to rally or surround him and each time it was broken up by a Burst Rondo from above, or the armours ZIG Missiles. "You guys were born to be corn, and I am the reaper!"
Penny had been attacked by the leader. He had charged her when her blade had stuck for a moment in a prior luckless target. She'd had enough warning to turn and take the mighty blow on her armoured chest, but it bowled her over, making her loose her grip on the naginata. He stood over her grinning nastily, a massive curved sword raised over her prone form, and foot on her midriff.
"Not so tough now, are you girlie? I will teach you to mess with the Very Dangerous Gang."
Penny gasped out. "I already know how, and I know something you don't." She raised her hands, apparently to ward off the blow. She could see Zara overhead ready to take him out and shook her head slightly.
The bandit leader brought up his sword for a final strike. "What you know won't matter in a second." He struck down, only to have it rebound off the naginata that suddenly flew into her hands. The shock vibrated up his arms causing him to stagger back. Penny flipped up off her back, onto her feet. She started deliberately forwards, swinging her naginata in a blaze of strikes and cross cuts. "My." ".weapon." ".returns. " ". to my . " " .hand. " ". when. " " .summoned."
That took care of the fancily dressed dude with the attitude. The action ceased in a few minutes as the bad guys either fell, fled through the convenient new exit, or threw down their weapons in surrender. The dozen or so prisoners were hobbled and roped together. They were given the supplies and chests of loot to carry under the watchful eye of the quartet. Having ensured that the bodies of the fallen were placed in one area, Marlo finished off the messy business with a Bephis Bring that dropped them into a pit. A Vlave How ensured they were well and truly buried.
An enlarged group returned to the trail and headed to the village, Marlo leading the tied up crooks, Zara taking rear guard and the other two roving up and down, keeping a watch for any escapees that might come over with a case of the rescues.
"Well that was actually decent workout." Penny said to Wilhelm once they were underway. She stretched cat-like in her saddle.
The detective moved his hand in imitation of scales. "Hmmm. Maybe. At least it wasn't a total loss. We triumphed over evil, or at least moderate nastiness. However, I didn't see any sign of people having been held there. Whatever is kidnapping people, these bozos aren't part of it."
Penny's stomach growled. "Well I hope the village knows we're coming, because I'm starving, and intend to make whatever food they offer us a part of me."
Marlo grinned, "Not if I see it first, oh bottomless pit."
A handful of triangular shuriken appeared in Penny's hand and she let fly over Wilhelm's left shoulder. A bandit who'd escaped capture fell out of an overhanging bough.
"When will they ever learn?" Penny sighed rhetetorically.
Once upon a time there was a sorceress, a swordsman, a chimera and a princess. They all lived on a world that was less real, but more interesting than most. They had lots of adventures there, occasionally saving it from destruction, but more usually causing massive property damage. And they all lived happily ever after. The end.
Well. not quite. You see the princess and the chimera got married (coincidentally he found a partial cure for his annoying skin condition). Likewise the swordsman and the sorceress got married. Exactly how this happened, and why, are interesting tales, but this is not their story. Oh, did I mention they had kids? This is their story.
(Disclaimer - All of the original characters and situations are the property of Japanese people and American people and not me. It's not worth suing me since they already have all my money. Anything after Try is the product of my own deranged brain as I use their playground.)
OVA 1: Lets Go ! - Four heroes no waiting!
The scene is purely pastoral. A verdant forest, with sunshine making shafts of light through the trees, and illuminating the well beaten trail. You can almost hear the mellow background music played on flute and lute.
Down the trail come three people on horseback, one leading a pair of remounts with saddle bags. Let's look at them for a moment. The first is a tall orange haired girl of about 17 with a large pigtail cascading down her back. Her magenta eyes look wide and guileless, but are constantly sweeping the forest despite it's aforementioned pastoral nature. Her dark blue jacket top and pants don't meet leaving her midriff exposed. This is odd, because she also wears navy shoulder plates and what can only be described as a chest plate. The armour, and the wide scabbard slung across her back suggests she's probably not a hair dresser. She seems to be enjoying herself, despite the fact that she's not taking part in the animated discussion behind her.
This is because it is in thaumobabble, that jargon beloved of mages everywhere, and as such is almost incomprehensible to mere muggles. The two participants are riding side by side, and because they are mages, the animated discussion really is animated as they scribble glowing symbols and diagrams in mid air between them. One is a bishonen guy, possibly 20 (but who can tell with bishonens?), with platinum shoulder length hair. He wears a dark long coat and trousers over a frock shirt, and a pair of black pincenez glasses. His face has a natural smile to it as if he's already seen the joke.
His compatriot would also rate a few glances from a casual observer, assuming there were any, which there weren't. She is fairly normal looking 20 year old. She wears a sleeveless t-shirt and denims, and a pair of oblong glasses. Her expression is more serious as she elucidates some obscure point. Her chest, as the aforementioned non-existant observer would note, is slightly more developed than the younger lady riding out front. The other thing that would gain attention is the fact that her skin is bluish green stone with darker pebbles sticking out. Her hair is strands of silvery metal, 'combed' back to shoulder length. Oddly, this makes her look exotic rather than ugly.
". you have a practical demonstration already?" she enquired of the guy. "When we camp for the night I'll show you. It's been a learning experience for me." he replied, holding up a pendant in the shape of a claw.
The fighter out front suddenly tensed. "Zara, Marlo, do you hear that?" she called, half turning her horse. They stopped their horses and listened.
"Hoofbeats, galloping?" returned Zara, the chimera, after a few seconds.
The other girl nodded. "I'm going to see what's up. See ya!" she turned her horse back down the trail and raced off.
Zara shook her head and a slight sweatdrop appeared, "She could have just asked for an astral scan." She sighed slightly.
"That's Penny for you, always going off at a gallop." Marlo replied grinning. "Little sister is very enthusiastic."
"Oh I know, L-sama knows I know." she nodded, but her expression briefly changed to a slight smile. "Shall we see what trouble she's found?"
At his assent, Zara pulled a mirror from... somewhere.
* You who sail the seas of the astral plane, reveal these shadows to me. Scry! *
A picture of Penny racing down the trail appeared. She met up with a lone horseman coming the other way and reigned in beside him. Her expression was hidden, but the two of them exchanged a high five slap before starting to race back towards the mages. The newcomer was maybe three inches shorter than Penny and wearing a light jacket with a prominent badge on. His boyish face had wide hazel eyes and his ears are slightly pointed. His navy black hair pointed out to each side and didn't seem to be affected by the wind as they travelled. Penny's pigtail by comparison streamed out behind her as she urged her steed on. As they approached two voices were heard over the hooves.
"Half pint!"
"Stingbean!"
"Bureaucrat!"
"Mercenary!"
"Pointy hair!"
"Carrot top!"
Their verbal sparring ended in a mutual stalemate and a mutual red-eye. They both held the pose as their horses came up alongside the two older, and presumably wiser members of the party. Then they both burst out laughing.
Marlo rolled his eyes. "Source of all souls help us. The prince of Sailoon and the Royal bodyguard. Both clearly out of their minds from the stress."
"The only person who's a sword short of an armoury is you, my dear big brother." Penny returned. "Wil and I were just having a little race. He had some feeble idea that he could outride me."
The younger guy, showed an evil grin worthy of Vegeta. "And I would have done it too. But my horse was tired from catching up with everyone."
Penny looked to be ready to disagree with that assessment but Zara spoke up. "It is good to see you again Wil, and even better that you could join us now."
"Same to you sis." He moved up his horse beside her and lent over to hug one arm around her. "So what's the situation?"
"You didn't know?" Penny asked, surprised.
"Not a clue. I was following up a case in Gerras when Mum sent a vision message to the local barracks. Next thing I know I'm on a teleport stage to Ralteague and get a remount and a finger pointed in your direction. Other then that my mind is a complete blank." "Nothing strange there then." Penny smirkd.
".but clearly my task here is to keep you from using your mouth too much, and to pull your rear out of the fire when you end up getting in over your pigtail."
"Oh! I am full sore wounded." Penny declaimed. "When you can finally defeat me in the pointy object quickstep, then we can talk about who's there to save who."
Marlo held up his hands in a time out signal. "While this half-witty banter is all very amusing, I believe Wil asked what was going on? Zara has the full details."
The chimera girl nodded her head to Marlo then turns in her saddle to face Wil. "Thank you Marlo. It's quite simple." Her voice takes on a lecturing tone." For the last few weeks the palace has been getting reports of people going missing out here in the district beyond Vantoon. We're here to discover the cause and stop it. The vanish silently and without trace. They all tend to be young and female."
Wil rubbed his chin. "That doesn't explain why they sent all of us, rather than a Sailoon SPLAT team or regular troops."(Special Power Levels and Tactics - think AD Police but with magic and lower body counts.)
"Several of the priests at the temple of Cephied had precient dreams that some sort of serious evil would appear here." Zara continued. "Mother wanted to send some of her best people" she smiled gently, "to deal with this. Father also believes that by being out here we can show the outlying provinces of Sailoon that it isn't just the heartland that gets attention."
"Besides" Penny interjected, "It's been months since we last got together. So Zara ported out to Dryden with me and picked up Marlo, and we ended up in Vantoom."
Zara nodded. "Indeed I did. We are currently heading to investigate a village that has borne the brunt of the disappearances."
"Which explains why you needed me too. Detective training may come in handy."
They rode on through the afternoon, and their talk turned to catching up on events in their somewhat unusual families.
". of course Marlo used some of his nature shamanist sparklies to ensure the crops didn't fail and the beastlanders were very grateful." Penny looked around for a second and came in close to the others. She continued in a quieter voice. "Anyone feel we're being watched?" She then continued to chat as before.
Zara reached behind her and the mirror appeared in her hand again. A surreptitious scry later and she nodded and replied in a low tone, "There are two of them, some way back in the trees, one either side."
Marlo followed with his own quiet observation "I don't sense any magical fields around so they're not mages." The group closed up, riding their horses almost flank to flank.
"Probably spotters for a group of bandits." Penny stated, a mildly feral grin appearing. Wilhelm replied with a matching smirk "In other words, light exercise."
Zara pursed her lips and appeared to listen. "Yes. they're estimating the value of our horses and trappings. But do we have time for such side trips? The description of the kidnappings doesn't suggest that bandits are the cause."
Penny looked less happy at this, "If it's just a group of bandits it won't take that long." Marlo also replied. "They may have information on who might be behind the kidnappings. But we need to take out those spotters either way."
Zara nodded, "A good point. Very well, I can believe I can deal with these unwanted observers. Ride out ahead and don't look back when it happens." She dropped back behind the others and started speaking softly. She reared her mount and as it reached it's greatest height cast * Morpheus Flash! *. She was enveloped in a flash of white light, which faded in a second, and there were two thuds as two bodies hit the forest floor.
The other three turned round and rode back. Marlo was first there. "A combat sleep spell? Without physical contact? That's remarkable!"
Zara had her horse back under control. "Just one of my little projects. I figured out a way to replace physical contact through touch or an enchanted substance with line of sight. Instead of a medium such as smoke or dust the light acts as a carrier. Simple really."
Marlo sighed. "Simple you say. Mom's gonna have to watch her tail feathers as resident genius sorceress."
Meanwhile Penny and Wil had dismounted and dragged the pair of miscreants out onto the path. They wore the scruffy clothing and tough visages of low level thugs. Penny quickly added 'tied up' to the description, then slapped them both awake. Wilhelm was the first thing they saw, haloed by the afternoon sunlight and pointing an accusing finger.
"So villains, you thought to ambush unwary travellers. The heavens themselves may forgive you but we shall not! Tell me where your base is or face the Hammer of Justice!"
The left-hand one, a big brute, sneered, "Big words shorty. Why should we listen to you?"
Wilhelm reached over and uprooted a sapling, three inches around the trunk, one handed, then snapped off the roots and branches with as much effort as most people would use separating chopsticks. "Because I can break your arm as easily as this stick." He hefted the cudgel he'd improvised. The bandit quailed.
"Don't listen Regas!" The other said, a skinnier, rat like fellow. "It's the old good cop, bad cop routine. Any second the scrawny girl is going to say how she can't control him. gurk!"
This last was added as a naginata appeared in Penny's hand without seeming to go through the formality of passing through the intervening space. She spun it in a blurring path which shredded most of the guys clothing and left shallow cuts all over him, ending up an inch from his left eyeball.
"That's where your wrong, bozo. This routine is bad cop, worse cop. If you don't tell us what we need to know I'll start chopping bits off, then put out your eyes. One of my companions is a skilled white mage and can keep you alive no matter how much damage you take. If you still don't talk, I'll reach down your throat and pull out your tongue at the roots, then leave you to drown in your own blood. All of which will get your companion to squeal like a pig at a slaughter house . hey. wake up!"
The bandit she was threatening had fainted. She crouched down beside him and started poking him with a stick. Wil looked over at her, sweatdropping, "I think he fainted at the drown in blood bit. Wasn't that a bit overdone?"
"I needed a strong finish. Besides it's not like I won't make good on it. I can de-bone him like a chicken if needs be." The burly bandit turned a bit pale. She continued, "Maybe I'll start on yours first. It's too easy if they can't wiggle. Hmm. where to start." The big guy went from pale to blanched in one easy lesson.
They shortly had the location of the bandit camp, the numbers therein and the location of the sentries. A short jaunt brought them to the encampment, a log palisade in a clearing in the woods. The foursome picketed their horses and took to the trees.
Wil used a short telescope to survey it. "Only ten apiece, like Scruffy said. No magic users so we could just wade in and stomp them, once we take out the archers on the watchtower."
He placed his hand over his badge and spoke the transformation phrase, " For great justice!" Half armour formed over his right shoulder and arm in a wave of light. His city watch issue rune weapon appeared in his hand.
Penny sighs. "That plan's just a tad short on the details. Zara stays here and provides covering fire and takes out the watchtower. Then you go over the wall at one point in your best avenging hero style. When you have their attention, me and Marlo will blast through the wall on the other side with him covering my back. We catch them in a cross fire and make the clean up job easier."
It was easy to reach the walls, since while the trees had been cleared away, the grass hadn't been cut for months. It could provide excellent cover for people far less skilled than them. Penny snickered as she and Marlo snuck around back. "Maybe next time they'll remember to pay their gardener."
"I don't think they're going to _have_ a next time." was his only answer.
Zara saw that Wilhelm had reached the near side of the 8 foot palisade and readied a spell, pulling in the energies tight to minimise the chance of it being seen, and cast * Source of all power, Crimson fire burning bright, Gather in my hands. Fire Ball! * The ball of flame shot forth and smashed into the base of the watchtower, making it explode and collapse on the encampment. She started to cast a second spell as Wilhelm jumped up onto the palisade, and struck a pose, lit by the fires inside the compound and the last of the days light.
"From a heart filled with justice, there is no escape. You are all under arrest. Lay down your weapons and surrender, or in the name of Sailoon I will punish you!" He held his Sailoon City Watch badge up, allowing the firelight to flicker off it dramatically as the first arrows shot towards him. They pinged off a Balus Wall his sister had thoughtfully cast in front of him. "Why do they always have to do it the hard way?" His happy tone of voice belied his words.
"Feel the power of my Zero Wing armour! ZIG missiles!" he yelled and a hundred marbles of white light formed an array in front of his forearm. They scattered off in many directions leaving many fading trails. They then all curved in on the nearest group of luckless bandits, targeting them from all directions and making escape almost impossible. They exploded in soundless blasts of energy and the bandits fell over in a state of critical bonk. He bounded down, holding his rune weapon and willing it to form an Elmekia Blade, a four foot line of white fire that extended above the grip.
"You fools, take him, it's only one man!" yelled a tough, wearing gold rings and fancier clothing. Then Penny and Marlo decided to make their somewhat cryotechnic entrance. A ten foot section of palisade was encased in ice crystals and shattered. Penny raced forward through the breach, holding a bladed pole that extended into a 6 foot naginata, curved blade at one end, metal point at the other, both made of a curious dull white metal. Marlo was holding a rather more conventional bastard sword one handed and a number of acorn like nuts in the other.
He threw these at a group of bandits, chanting * Powers of nature, weaken the foe who confronts me. Lephas seed! * Thin tendrils sprung forth from the nuts and started to enwrap the targets, glowing as they drew energy from them. The bandits collapsed in seconds. Then a wolf beastman jumped in with a nasty looking double sword and tried to decapitate him. He dropped under the swing and split the unfortunate anthromorphic up the middle before it could make a second stroke. His upwards stroke continued up and over into a diagonal strike that parried an axe blow from the side by a stunty little human with an eye-patch.
Penny meanwhile, waded into the nearest group as yet unoccupied, her naginata spinning in her hands like a big pointy polearm wielded by an expert in it's use. Three baddies jumped into the attack, but swords and maces alike bounced off the weaving wall of wood and metal. A fourth tried to sneak up behind her, two knives ready to seek the unarmoured small of her back. The polearm suddenly dropped to the horizontal and Penny turned on the balls of her feet in an instant, thrusting the pointed end into the sneakers stomach. He folded as she pulled it back, spearing the centre villain of the trio that had now closed to finish her. She jumped over the singletons crumpled form, giving her the fighting room to evade and parry the remaining two.
Zara had cast Ray Wing upon herself and hovered in the sky just beyond the walls, looking down on the encampment and occasionally throwing pinpoint spell attacks down into the fray. She covered the backs of her three comrades, ensuring they wouldn't meet with too many targets at one time, or inconvenient projectile weapons. Wilhelm was most in need of her protection. He was alone on his side of the battlefield, but that didn't stop him from advancing forward. Several times they attempted to rally or surround him and each time it was broken up by a Burst Rondo from above, or the armours ZIG Missiles. "You guys were born to be corn, and I am the reaper!"
Penny had been attacked by the leader. He had charged her when her blade had stuck for a moment in a prior luckless target. She'd had enough warning to turn and take the mighty blow on her armoured chest, but it bowled her over, making her loose her grip on the naginata. He stood over her grinning nastily, a massive curved sword raised over her prone form, and foot on her midriff.
"Not so tough now, are you girlie? I will teach you to mess with the Very Dangerous Gang."
Penny gasped out. "I already know how, and I know something you don't." She raised her hands, apparently to ward off the blow. She could see Zara overhead ready to take him out and shook her head slightly.
The bandit leader brought up his sword for a final strike. "What you know won't matter in a second." He struck down, only to have it rebound off the naginata that suddenly flew into her hands. The shock vibrated up his arms causing him to stagger back. Penny flipped up off her back, onto her feet. She started deliberately forwards, swinging her naginata in a blaze of strikes and cross cuts. "My." ".weapon." ".returns. " ". to my . " " .hand. " ". when. " " .summoned."
That took care of the fancily dressed dude with the attitude. The action ceased in a few minutes as the bad guys either fell, fled through the convenient new exit, or threw down their weapons in surrender. The dozen or so prisoners were hobbled and roped together. They were given the supplies and chests of loot to carry under the watchful eye of the quartet. Having ensured that the bodies of the fallen were placed in one area, Marlo finished off the messy business with a Bephis Bring that dropped them into a pit. A Vlave How ensured they were well and truly buried.
An enlarged group returned to the trail and headed to the village, Marlo leading the tied up crooks, Zara taking rear guard and the other two roving up and down, keeping a watch for any escapees that might come over with a case of the rescues.
"Well that was actually decent workout." Penny said to Wilhelm once they were underway. She stretched cat-like in her saddle.
The detective moved his hand in imitation of scales. "Hmmm. Maybe. At least it wasn't a total loss. We triumphed over evil, or at least moderate nastiness. However, I didn't see any sign of people having been held there. Whatever is kidnapping people, these bozos aren't part of it."
Penny's stomach growled. "Well I hope the village knows we're coming, because I'm starving, and intend to make whatever food they offer us a part of me."
Marlo grinned, "Not if I see it first, oh bottomless pit."
A handful of triangular shuriken appeared in Penny's hand and she let fly over Wilhelm's left shoulder. A bandit who'd escaped capture fell out of an overhanging bough.
"When will they ever learn?" Penny sighed rhetetorically.