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THE SLAVERS

Chapter One -

What's One More Mouth to Feed?

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The four friends clamored over the rocks, climbing to the outlook. Zelgadiss, in the lead, reached the top first and scanned the valley below.

"Get down!" he shouted to Gourry, whose head was rising above the crest of the rocky outcropping. Zel dropped to his belly and Gourry followed suit, hauling Amelia down as well.

Lina crawled alongside Zel. "What is it?" she whispered.

"More like who…traders or bandits…hard to tell from here, but before we expose ourselves to unnecessary violence, I thought we should…oh, well…" the chimera sighed. He stopped speaking knowing that any further words of caution were wasted on Lina.

Lina peered over the edge and, satisfied that the horses and wagons imposed no threat that she could not take on, scampered to her feet and over the edge. Gourry shrugged his shoulders and followed the petite redhead over the edge and down another rocky trail.

"Mr. Zelgadiss?" Amelia called to her shamanist mentor. "Are you coming too?"

"Yes," he replied curtly, then leaped with remarkable agility from rock to rock, considering he was encrusted in the stony surface of a golem.

This time is was Gourry who pulled Lina up short and leaped behind some scraggly bushes.

"Zel, Amelia!" the tall blond swordsman called out in a loud whisper. "Look there!"

Sure enough, things just got a lot more interesting…

The teams and wagons had stopped. A lone figure had materialized before the lead animal, stopping the horses. The driver jumped from his seat high above the road, marched up to the stranger, and planted himself between the intruder and the horses. From the man's expression, angry words were being exchanged. Only Zelgadiss with his demon-enhanced hearing could make out the words.

"What's he saying?" Lina nudged Zel.

"Shhh," Zel glared back and concentrated. "We were wrong. They're slavers. The man blocking their way… is Xelloss."

"What could Mr. Xelloss want with human slave traders anyway?" Amelia whispered.

"Mazouku keep slaves, though I didn't think this is how they obtained them," Zel answered succinctly. "Watch! He's ordered the traders to empty the wagons…"

"Time for action!" Lina shouted with a grin. "Where there's traders there's money…and where's there's money, I'm interested!"

"And we must stop the INJUSTICE of slavery!" cried Amelia by her side. She was small but resolute. Slavery was wrong and Amelia was out to rid the world of all evil, as she understood it.

Zelgadiss wanted to remind them that Xelloss surely could hear their shouts and that they had lost all their ability to take the group below unawares. "Oh, well…Come on Gourry, we might as well see that the slaves get away safely…"

The lead driver unhappily handed over two bags of gold to the smiling Mazouku then proceeded to unlock the slaves' ankle chains.

"Ah, Lina…just in time for the loot. As you can see, I've got everything…"

His sing-song voice was cut off by the powerful explosion emanating from Lina's "FIRE BALL!"

A sharp spear landed inches away from Xelloss' feet, and the charred body of its thrower fell in a heap from the back of a wagon.

"Yep! All under control, I see!" Lina grinned mischievously back at the taller man in the dark priest's raiment. The little sorceress shook her long red locks and laughed at the powerful Mazouku Lord.

Xelloss smiled in return and said, "Here, catch!" Then he tossed her one of the bags of gold.

The other bag he tossed to Zelgadiss without warning, while he turned his attention to the slaves. The part-demon chimera caught the heavy bag mid-air, back turned. Xelloss ambled casually down the line of ragged and worn men and women, pausing from time to time to speak to one or look another over closely. Then he halted. For some time, he remained in whispered conversation with what was a young woman or possibly a young man covered head to toe in a dirty cloak.

"I'll take this one!" he shouted carelessly to the lead trader, then led the cloaked figure to the side of the road.

Gourry stood with sword drawn herding the traders away from the wagons. Zelgadiss and Amelia proceeded to un-harness the horses and guided them toward Xelloss. Meanwhile, Lina was plundering the wagons for interesting provisions and treasures.

"Whatever your plans are here, we're freeing these people…the person you're holding as well," Zelgadiss glowered at the powerful demon and put his hand on his sword's hilt for emphasis.

"Do whatever you like, chimera…" Xelloss smiled and stood aside. He had emphasized the word 'chimera' simply to antagonize the man a bit. Not long ago, Xelloss had handed him a cure, after a fashion. Hanging from a cord around his neck was a vial, Xelloss was certain that Zel was wearing it, hidden beneath layers of protecting clothes. In the vial was a cure, ready for activation in a few more months, after Zelgadiss had a little more time to think it over. He might change his mind after all! In the meantime, as powerful a shaman as he was, Zelgadiss posed little threat to Xelloss, a fact both men were well aware of…

Zelgadiss and Amelia left the horses and approached the slaves, now all unchained. Amelia doled out the gold from Zel's bag to each of the poor souls and directed them to the next town, "…It's only a half mile walk or so, see? Yes, that's it! This is enough money to get you all started, just try and stay out of trouble!" She chided them.

Xelloss and the slave he had selected were watching Lina argue with the slave traders. Apparently, they were not happy, small wonder. Lina became unhappy too. Gourry recognized the signs and loped closer to Zelgadiss and Amelia. Xelloss and his charge joined the others behind the horses, moments before…

FIRE BALL! FIRE BALL! FIRE BALL! FIRE BALL!

Lina reduced the traders and their wagons to piles of ash.

"Okay! Now Zel, let's see how much loot you've got there!" Lina demanded and then smiled while brushing off the dust from her sleeves and pulling out her bag of gold for comparison.

Zelgadiss folded his arms protectively over his chest, and then focused his one eye unhidden by his bangs of wiry lavender hair onto her glittering red eyes. "Amelia and I … gave it to the freed slaves and sent them on their way. It's theirs not ours. It's gone. Forget about it. It was only a small amount of loose change anyway."

Gourry squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the inevitable pummeling. Nothing happened. He opened one eye. Lina was nodding acceptance and was now focusing her attention upon Xelloss and his captive.

"Whew…" escaped his lips.

"So? I thought ALL the slaves were sent away. What are you doing with this one, Xelloss?" Lina asked, approaching him with blatant curiosity. They had last parted on friendly terms…at Xelloss' funeral, unnecessary as it turned out.

"It's a secret!" the Mazouku winked. "However, I believe she needs medical care… I have a camp prepared by the river in that direction. You'll find young Valentine waiting with bated breath." Turning to Amelia he asked for her attention, "Amelia?"

She looked up the moment he grasped her arm and then…

SHIMMER

… Xelloss, the slaver girl and Amelia disappeared.

Zelgadiss jumped at their sudden departure. "What's he up too now?" The others shook their heads and shrugged unproductively. "Oh, well… We might as well fly over…"

"Um…what about the horses?" Gourry asked, bridles in hand.

"Oh yeah…they are probably worth somethin' in trade. We'll come back for them once we see what Xelloss is up to," Lina answered. She chanted a quick spell to erect a temporary barrier around the animals so that whey could not wander off then shouted:

"RAY WING!" "LEVITATION"

Gourry dangled between the two magic users high above the road, over the treetops, then back down to a cluster of tents in a clearing. It was not a trip he ever enjoyed; in fact, the big swordsman was terrified that he might be dropped. He hollered some, but no one dropped him. He mustered his courage to look down once, and nearly fainted. No, it was not a trip that he ever elected to take, and was thankful when it was over and his feet were firmly planted on the ground again.

"GOURRY! ZEL!" shouted a familiar gravelly voice.

"Val? VAL!" Gourry shouted in return. "You still hanging out with Xelloss, huh?"

"Yeah… He's been show'n me the world. You up for some sword play? He's cool for stories but he ain't much for combat…just demon magic crap," the big kid grinned. Val was now in his late teens, an age he would remain for years as he entered the slow aging process of the dragon race. Aside from his missing horn, he was indistinguishable from his former self, Valgaav.

"Sure," smiled Gourry, pleased to have something interesting to do.

Zelgadiss grinned and drew his sword, "How about two against one…Gourry being the one?"

Gourry smiled, "Ho…turning against me, eh? Then take…that…and this…"

The three young men worked out their excess energy slashing and crashing through the woods. In the meantime, Lina found Amelia seated in a tent with the slave girl and Xelloss standing nearby talking.

"She was injured, battered…and was raped. Do what you can for her," he said softly and started to walk away.

Lina blocked his way, "As I was saying, why the girl? Unless this is how you acquire a girlfriend…"

For an instant, Xelloss gave her a deadly glare, and then he frowned and hid his eyes beneath his bangs. Before he answered, Amelia called out to him.

He returned to the tent entrance and knelt down with Lina behind him, and peered in to see…the small form of a girl who appeared no older than Amelia or Lina. She held up a blanket to her front modestly, while her back was shrouded in filmy gauze.

"Xelloss? I've told her I will heal her now, but… I'm not sure I can. I will try, but… she's not human or…any race I'm familiar with…" Amelia touched the sheer material and stretched it to show a pattern of venation. "These are wings."

"WINGS?" repeated Lina. "Dragons have wings… What's your name?"

The girl looked to Xelloss first, and then dropped her eyes, "Whatever my… master calls me."

This irritated Lina to no end. "You're not a slave any more. We freed all of you! Forget him. He's Mazouku and has different ideas maybe, but since we out number him, we say you're a free person-- who has a name, which is...?"

"Maz-O-ku? What is that?" the girl asked, evading the question again.

"The demon race. You've heard of them…everyone has. We are all humans. Zel's a chimera but human at heart and, well… Val's a dragon. Xelloss?" Lina looked up at his smiling face. "Is she dragon? I don't sense any enchantment or spell about her."

"Ah…no. She's not. Holly. I shall call you Holly," he smiled placidly at the girl, who nodded and repeated, "Holly…"

"Amelia, do your best and heal her wounds. Then take her to the river and help her bathe. She stinks. Oh, and is she …" he began.

"No!" the little white magic healer and Princess of Seyruun shook her head, "She's not pregnant."

Xelloss nodded and closed the tent flap, leaving Holly in the hands of the healer.

"All right. So it was no accident that you stopped that particular slave train. You chose that particular girl because you were looking for her. You know something… You gave me that dream too, didn't you? The one that suggested great treasure beyond the rocky pass. And why? I'll tell you why… so that you could use Amelia's enhanced healing skills, right? Now… who is she? What is she, really!" Lina was poking her finger into his gut at this point. If she was intimidated by the demon, she was not about to let him know.

He dropped the smile and admitted seriously, "I don't know. Val and I have been traveling. He's learning the ropes of camping and I'm hardening him up a bit. Then I felt it."

"It. What 'it'?" Lina's eyes narrowed. Xelloss was the master of subterfuge, she knew, and slippery as an eel when it came to telling her the whole story.

"I don't know. No…I'm not being evasive," he flung up his hands defensively. "It was a … piercing of the astral plane…or something like that. Mazouku all over felt it. I have been tracing the wave percussions, like in water when you drop a pebble. I believe she's the pebble. That's all. Satisfied, Miss Lina?"

"I got answers from you, guess I ought to be, huh? Well, Holly…where did you come up with a name like that? Nevermind. Holly needs clothes for winter, shoes, and privacy. I'll take care of all that…you and Val…run along…go discover nature, whatever," she waved him off like a bothersome insect.

"Not today, Miss Lina. She's mine. I paid for her. She stays with me, although you are welcome to stay as well," he smiled pleasantly.

"Paid for her? Zel set the slaves free, Holly included. That…girl looked shell-shocked, frightened, and in pain, Xelloss. The last thing she wants is some strange man hovering around. She'll share a tent with me and that's that," Lina shouted, spun on a heel and stalked off.

"We'll see, Miss Lina, we shall see," he muttered.

Amelia helped the girl clean up in the cold river as best she could. Her clothes were far too tattered and dirty to put back on, so Amelia wrapped her up in her own soft cloak and together, returned to the tent.

"Miss Lina? Holly needs clean clothes, have you a blouse you can spare. I have a pair of pants," Amelia offered.

"No, but I know who does!" Lina shouted, and ran off to where Zel had tossed his bag. Zel was not around to ask, so she plundered his bag and found a tunic, clean and in fair condition. Tucking her find under an arm, she rushed back to the tent. "I got something we can tear holes with!"

Amelia pulled out a pair of scissors and, after measuring carefully, cut two slits in the tunic back. The two parallel slits began at the back neckline and continued one third of the way down, making a flap. "Okay, Miss Holly, slip this over your head and…right…then I'll tuck this flap between your…wings…good. Now I have two pins to attach the flap at the neckline…there! That looks very nice on you. I'm sure Mr. Zelgadiss will think so too. Next, your hair…"

"And food!" added Lina. "Val has to eat, even if Xelloss doesn't. I'm sure there's something around…I'll be back!"

"How do usually wear your hair? Loose or tied up…braided?" Amelia asked helpfully.

"I don't remember… but… whatever you think…" the frightened girl sighed.

"I'll tell you what, for travel, I think having all this hair tied up out of the way would be easier to take care of, so…I'll braid it and the pin it up. It will look nice too. You really have pretty hair," Amelia chattered on in a friendly manner, fixing the other girl's hair, until Lina returned.

"Food, such as it is, for the weary. I brought ya a bit of whatever I could find, since I don't know what it is you like, so you can just pick and choose, okay?" Lina grinned and set a cup of fresh water and platter of assorted meats, cheeses, bread, and fruit onto the tent floor.

"Thank you…you've been very kind…you hu-mans. I am sorry to be unable to tell you anything, but…my memory is so far…a blank."

"Well, what's the last thing you do remember?" Lina prompted.

Holly sighed, "I was…I can't remember…riding…running…whether I was chasing something, or being chased myself, is unclear. I was moving fast and then…I hit a barrier like…dry water…a gel…I woke up…to find myself face down in a road, cruel hands dragging me to…those caravans…I was to become a slave, I was told and was going to market to be sold, when…He came."

"You mean Xelloss? Lord Xelloss. He's about as powerful a Mazouku as there is. Remarkably adaptable to human culture too," Lina added nonchalantly, helping herself to a meat portion of unknown ancestry.

"Maz-O-ku…I do not remember that title…"

"Not a title. A race. Like Human, Dragon…you…whatever you are…" Lina hoped to find out.

Holly shook her head and swallowed her mouthful of food, "Blank…it's all blank…" Then she yawned and took another sip of water.

"You're tired, huh?" asked Lina. "We'll leave and give you some peace, okay? I won't go far and I'll be back and stay with you tonight…safety purposes. Oh, don't worry about these guys. You're safe from them…'course I don't know what Xelloss' intentions are…but I'll be close. Just set the food to the side, in case you get hungry later."

Gourry, Zel, and Val had returned from collecting the horses, and were just finishing up the dinner by the fire, when she and Amelia emerged from the tent.

"So, what's the story?" Zel asked. "How is she?"

Amelia shook her head, "I did what I could…I don't know if Sylphiel could do more. Holly doesn't respond to white magic any better than Xelloss…She's clean and fed and resting for now."

"Yeah, she doesn't remember much before the slavers found her. But it seems that she hit some kind of boundary, spell-barrier or something, then passed through and passed out. Not much to go on," Lina paused to grab a plateful for herself.

"She ain't a dragon or a demon, that's fer sure," noted Val. "I learned how to sense 'em. And human's ain't got no wings, right? So what does that leave?"

"Looks like a fairy from a picture book," Gourry said simply.

"A fairy? Gourry, those were wiped out ages ago. Probably before Xelloss' time. We should ask him about that though," Lina said thoughtfully.

"Maybe, maybe not," Gourry continued. "Elves are still around, just not where people can find 'em. Fairies might be hidden even better."

Lina gave him an exasperated look, and then turned her attention back to her food. "Val? How are you doing, hanging out with Xelloss?"

"Me? Man, he's so cool. Knows everything, 'course he's old as the hills…Noth'n scares him either. He just snaps his fingers and 'zap' some spell pops out. I'm learn'n a few…I can start fires and catch dinner and…sleep'n out under the stars is…special. I don't think I'm much of a help to him, but someday, maybe…" Val stirred the ashes with a stick.

"If I didn't think you had potential, I wouldn't be spending all my valuable time training you!" piped that familiar voice. "Ah, found the larder, Miss Lina?"

"What's with all the formality, Lord Xelloss?" Lina winked.

"Better to fault with formality than to insult with familiarity!" he winked back. "We last departed on…mostly friendly terms, but with you, my dear, I never know…"

"Lina will do. So tell me about Fairies," she asked while choosing a ripe apple from a basket and settling back on her log.

"Fairies? You think she's a fairy? How droll," Xelloss chuckled.

"Have you a better race to assign her to? We've eliminated Mazouku, Dragon, and Human," Zel repeated for him. "By the way…do you have any coffee?"

Xelloss smiled, produced a steaming cup out of thin air, and offered it to the chimera saying, "Sumatra blend, my personal favorite. Now then, about Holly…I'm surprised you didn't consider another obvious possibility…"

"And that is…" Zel prompted.

"Perhaps she is a chimera…so blended as to mask her astral signature entirely," he paused for the idea to take hold. "Just a thought…"

"Now why would someone do that?" Zel asked.

"Why Rezo did that to you, one could ask as well. What puzzles me more is the astral scar, like a puncture wound, resulting from her creation or appearance," Xelloss shared, hoping for a reaction.

"She said, and mind you her memory is fuzzy, that she was running and fell into a barrier, like gel, and pushed through. That could make a 'puncture'!" said Lina.

"You think?" Xelloss chuckled. "Well, this just gets better and better…"

"The barrier can't be far from where you stopped her, right, Xelloss? I'm talking time element now. How much time from when you felt that astral rip to when you located the slavers?" Lina prodded.

Zel was smoothing out his map of the area. "Here's the cliff we climbed over to… this road with the caravan about… here."

Xelloss was not paying attention, until Lina punched his shoulder, "Eh? Oh, Miss Lina, you were saying?"

"How long between you noticing the astral tear and finding Holly?" she repeated with more calm than usual.

"Hour? Time doesn't pass for me the same as for you mortals. I spent some time investigating on the astral plane where time is not an issue. Could have been longer," he said.

Zelgadiss was surprised. To know someone was over one thousand years old was one thing, but to consider them as an immortal being was another. Mazouku died, but not natural deaths then… Xelloss could live forever, if he was careful. He wondered about his own demon make-up; would he live a prolonged life because of that?

"Zelgadiss? Zel? You listening, buster?" Lina shouted, poking him this time. "What's with everyone tonight? I'm tak'n first watch, you guys sleep! But, first, Zel, where could the slavers have been one hour to two hours out from where we caught up to them?"

Zel withdrew a compass and siderule from his bag. After a few computations, he lightly drew three concentric circles on the map. "Assuming that she dropped near to the path and was quickly picked up…and that the caravan was moving slowly on the same path as we found them…here: the inner ring shows one hour, next two hours, and the outermost ring shows where she might have appeared three hours prior to Xelloss stopping the slavers."

"I can narrow that some more," Xelloss offered. "Val and I were coming from this direction. The astral damage came from the opposite…"

"Making this," Lina smudged the map with a greasy finger, "the most likely place for us to start looking for clues,"

"In the morning, right?" Amelia yawned.

"Right!" Lina grinned. "I'll take the first watch out here, you, Amelia, can stay with Holly in my tent and watch in there."

"Yes, Miss Lina!" Amelia cried and hurried off to rest and check on the mysterious girl.

"Gourry, did you feed the horses? Yeah? Good man!" Lina commended him. It was so rare that she did so, that he grinned broadly and shook his head in disbelief.

"What's your problem?" Lina asked, glaring at Xelloss who was wandering off behind Amelia.

"That's MY tent you're giving away," he smiled. He snapped his fingers and pointed a short distance away to a cluster of newly created tents. "Those are yours."

"Thanks for the tents, Xelloss, but I already have dibs on that one and Holly's there and you are going to leave her alone. Besides, why do you need a tent anyway?" Lina asked.

"Nosy little girl, Miss Lina Inverse. I'll temporarily let you use MY tent tonight, with Holly and Amelia, but… she is MY slave. Mazouku do keep slaves, Miss Lina. Like it, or not. Good night." Xelloss walked into the darkness and disappeared from the light of the fire.

Lina frowned and looked over at Val, the young dragon teenager. "In all the years he's traveled with us, he's never mentioned having slaves or girlfriends. What do you know, Val?"

Val did not like having the ruby gaze centered on himself. He looked down and muttered, "Not much. No slaves—but he's got servants, wolf-like ones that have come 'round and given him messages and fetched stuff for 'im-- but not slaves. And, no, um… girls…around me, but he's not with me all the time either. He spends time with…" but the kid blushed and turned away. "I don't know, he don't tell me, ya know?"

"Does he take you home for visits with Filia then?" Lina asked, figuring he might.

"Ah, yeah. He and Filia just talk though. I'm sure of it," he sputtered in embarrassment.

"I'm sure you're right about that," Zel glared at Lina, stopping the line of questioning that was surely making the kid uncomfortable. Zel did not think Val wanted to even begin to contemplate his foster-mother's love life, especially if it might include Xelloss; Zel did not either. "It doesn't matter tonight anyway. Lina, wake me next, then Gourry. Amelia looked tired after trying to use so much healing magic, so skip her."

"Sure…" Lina nodded and stood up to find a better lookout position.

#####

Gourry watched the sunrise, checked the horses, and then poked the glowing embers into a fire. That done, he strode over to 'Lina's' tent, "Um…ah…Lina? I'm go'n fish'n for breakfast, wanna come?"

"Inna minute…sure…hold up!" she grumbled. She checked the still slumbering girls in the tent, and, satisfied that all was well, crawled out to join her oldest buddy. "Ready."

Half an hour later, there were several dozen freshly cleaned fish frying on sticks near the fire. Gourry was carving sticks to points as fast as Lina could jam the fish onto them. The smell was wonderful and drew Zel, Val, Amelia, and Holly out to investigate.

"Umm, Miss Lina! That smells so good! I'll make coffee to go with it!" Amelia cried out. "Come on, Holly, we'll get washed up at the river at the same time."

Zel watched the two girls out of the corner of his eye, "They seem to be hitting it off well. Holly's top looks familiar, Lina."

"Uh, huh," Lina grinned. "I knew you wouldn't mind lending it to a pretty girl."

Zel blushed and looked away. He was a guy and girls did attract his notice, but why did Lina have to say things like that? He was a freaky looking guy surrounded by better-looking NORMAL ones—like Val and Gourry. Of course he'd notice a pretty girl like her, she was wearing his tunic, for gods'sakes! He just knew that nothing would come of it…never did.

By the time the food was eaten and coffee drunk, the group had their plans in order. They were to take the short trail back to the road and backtrack along it about five miles. Those folks with flying skills could fan out and cover more territory. The terrain was mostly flat so the ride would not be hard or taxing for the horses. They simply left the tents and camp as is, hoping to return to semi-comfort that evening.

As soon as they reached the main road, Xelloss joined them. "Good morning, everyone. Sleep well?" he smiled. He had materialized between Lina and Holly, floating in midair and nearly knocked both girls down off their mounts in the process.

"Ach! Shit, Xelloss! You scared the living daylights out of me! Do that someplace else… No, not scaring me, but reappearing like that," Lina snarled.

He simply fell in beside them. "Investigating the Slavers trail?" he asked Lina casually, although his eyes were on the other girl.

Amelia, who was walking in front of them stopped and turned around. Sticking her upraised finger in his face, she answered, "If you stuck around while we were planning things, you wouldn't have to ask." Turning toward Zel she continued, "Mr. Zelgadiss? When should we begin our aerial surveillance?"

Zelgadiss answered, "Anytime. I'll go left to the foothills, then circle back around. Amelia, you all right alone covering to the right? Ah…simple flare arrow or fireball can signal us if you spot something."

"I can fly, too!" argued the young dragon.

"Let's not advertise that out here, okay?" Lina winked. "You stick with Gourry and me and help guard Holly and check things out closer to the road. Maybe she'll see something that will spark her memories. Xelloss will stick to us like a cocklebur, right?"

Xelloss pretended to not hear, or maybe he was not listening. The latter was most likely since he suddenly froze in place. Gourry's horse plowed into him.

"Oof! Sorry…" Gourry mumbled. He leaned to the side, catching the smaller man by the nape of the neck and settling him back on his feet.

Xelloss straightened his cape and announced, "I'll scan the astral plane. Oh…and watch out for incoming Mazouku. Nothing you can't handle..." He winked at Gourry by way of a thank you.

SHIMMER

"That was nice of him to warn us…" Gourry said. He rested his hand on his sword hilt and carefully scanned the horizon.

"He should stick around and help defend us!" Amelia began.

Lina smiled, "I don't think a Mazouku Lord goes around killing his own kind because they're curious. It's okay. Lina Inverse and company will have no trouble with whatever attacks. Go on. If you hear explosions, then you know we've either found the rip or trouble."

"Right!" cried Amelia as she flew off on her mission. Zel darted off on his own course. Gourry, Val, Lina and the ex-slave girl rode on. Five minutes later, Xelloss returned.

SHIMMER

He appeared startled. He flew in toward Holly, grabbed her, and then transported away.

SHIMMER

"He didn't just do that!" Lina screamed.

Twenty or more Beastmen, led by a cluster of unattractive Demon-types, descended upon the trio from an astral opening overhead. "Gourry!"

He was on it, slashing through one creature on the upswing, and another on the down. Val snarled as a black-magic spell sizzled into his shoulder. In response, he brought down upon the Mazouku his sword and the ferocity of his Ancient Dragon heritage. To that, he added a Xelloss-taught blinding-light spell, which caught the demon off-guard long enough for Lina to complete a series of FIREBALL spells to clear them some working space.

"All right! Now We can REALLY let loose!" Lina yelled.

Val grinned and stood back to back with Gourry.

THE SLAVERS -- end chapter 1.