Disclaimer - I don't own Slayers or any other stuff. I'm just a poor story teller ^_^.
Welcome again good and kind masters! I believe that you would want to here another part of my story, wouldn't you? Take a seat by the fire and listen to the old story teller as he spins his tale. If I won't be able to amuse you please don't harm me because I am only a poor beggar and a poor soul tormented by the gods' caprices. But if you will like my story please give a good word for me t the other people and review^_^.
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There was a 'wanted' poster nailed to a tree. The grey rider neared to read what it said. He frowned. It had a badly drawn picture on it and some words:
'Wantened
Lyna Ynevrse
Died or alife
1000 gold peaces'
He shook his head. "Is it really so hard to learn to write properly? I can write in five languages and three alphabets, and some people sign their names with symbols or even X's. Well it's not strange when you talk about peasants but it had to be a baron for heavens sake!"
The horse spluttered as if it was a commentary. Dilgya remained silent.
"Why do I care anyway" he asked no one in particular. "I'm not bounty hunter so it's not my job to seek the girl. I wonder what she did to piss that baron off. If that was Lina than it could even be destruction of his castle. What do you think Dilgya?"
The wolf gave him a funny glare. As if he was saying: You're getting old. You started talking to us.'
"Yeah I guess you're right..."
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"Lina Inverse? So you're that renegade priestess? The one that was kicked out from the seminary for learning black magic?" asked the vagabond singer, sipping his beer.
"You sure know much about me my friend," she smiled, placing her hand on the hilt of her sword. "So I'm famous?"
"Something like that." smiled the man. Actually he was smiling the whole time with no particular reason. "Not everybody destroys a half of the Lunar Seminary and lives to tell the story. Of course it all happened six years ago but in some circles that sill makes you well known."
"And you want to hear the story? To make me famous all over the World?" she said with starry eyes.
"No." Lina facefaulted. He sweatdropped. "I would want to hire you. My regular employee pretends that he doesn't know who I am so I have to find a replacement."
"To do what?" she groaned disappointed. "I hope I don't have to be a strip dancer or something."
She didn't add that after four days in the cold with no food strip dancing wasn't a job she wouldn't take. He didn't need to know that. Besides the fact that she would take ANY job was written in her face.
"No not at all!" he assured her. "I will need your magic skills. By the way, why is there a bounty put on your lovely little head?"
"It's that jughead baron Adalbert. He was stalking at me."
"Adalbert? I thought he was interested only in little boys?" as every single one of them, this bard was very well informed.
"Exactly. That's why I've charred his face. Fucking ignorant!" she exclaimed pounding on the table. "But that's irrelevant. What do I have to do?"
The bard was reasonable. That's why he knew that asking a certain question would cause him losing his face as well. That question was: would the girl sleep with the baron, if he was interested in her sex.
"OK. There is a Hamadryad living in a nearby forest. I need her dead. No questions."
"You aren't a regular bard are you mister...?"
"Xellos. Please to meet you. About the Hamadryad...?"
"She's as good as dead."
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"Well well. If it isn't the famous Grey Wolf, monster killer for hire. It's an honor to meet you." said the tawny mercenary in a sardonically.
"Why is your face all covered?" asked the other one with long blond hair. "Are you cold?"
"Stuff it Gourry I'm the one asking questions! You're supposed to look threatening."
"Look what?"
"Forget it..."
"Will you two get out of my way or do I have to make you to?" Zelgadis asked in a voice you wouldn't call nice. "I'm on my way."
"And where is your 'way' leading to?" asked the tawny one, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Not your business. And I haven't seen the girl you probably seek either." he forced his horse to trot forward and to force both warriors the road.
"Hey! We're not done yet!" yelled the vicious one unsheathing his sword.
The rider gave a quiet whistle and didn't even bother to turn around. A white missile launched from the direction he came from and had pinned the grumpy mercenary to ground. Dilgya barred his teeth few inches from the guys face and breathed a stinking gust of air right to his nose. The guy started to sweat though it was extremely cold.
"That's enough, Dilgya. Come along." Again a quiet order but executed immediately. The wolf ran after his master as if nothing happened. The other guy helped the tawny one to get up.
"That should be a lesson for you, Zangulus." he said smiling stupid. "You should bother common wanderers."
"Screw you Gourry! He's not a common wanderer! That's Zelgadis of Ossorya! Also called Grey Wolf or the Butcher of Trogir! Do you know how many were killed by his hand?!"
"No." Gourry said simply, grinning at his own stupidity.
"Why do I even bother?"
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"Now that's what I call a life!" she exclaimed happily, swinging her bag of gold. "Good eatin' good job and good money for it. Now I only have to watch for the bounty hunters. Easy!!!"
Not really since one of them had cut her badly few days ago. He attacked from an ambush and there was no time for spell casting so she used her sword. That was not a good idea; the guy was far better than she and would win if not for her light spell blinding him when he was distracted. But he still was able to almost slay her, because she had almost bled to death.
But that was history! Now she was making her way to the Hamadryad grove. It was still twenty miles away and she had enough money to sleep in an inn and eat three meals a day for a week. And that was just the advance!
"I'm rich!!!"
"More like 'was rich' dorlin'. Now gimme yer gold. And don't think anythin' funny or you'll en' up wit' a bolt in yer throat."
She swore silently. How could she put her guard down? She must be getting old. Of course this wasn't the end. If the guy knew she was a witch not to say a exiled priestess he wouldn't bother her or simply begin the conversation with launching the bolt. This guy didn't know that though and had let her hide her hands in her holdall. So he was as good as dead. And she could use a good crossbow actually, since she was the best shooter in the craftsman's guild before she became a priestess.
However the gods had another idea.
"Vile criminal! Attacking an innocent little girl from behind! And using a no chivalric weapon*! How unjust! I, Alfred the champion of justice, shall claim your sinful life! Charge!!!"
It was then when Lina a knight in shining armor and on a white horse come galloping out of
the near by woods. But he didn't have any majesty at all because he had no control over his horse and he's been breaking all of the branches on his way**. His lance was probably stuck in the bushes because he had free hands and his sword was in its sheath.
The bad guy didn't just stare but targeted the rider. He forgot about something though.
Lina namely. She called forth a spell that allowed her to jump fifteen yards long and landed right behind the bandit and then used a garrote. It was more dirty way than simply singing him but she really wanted that crossbow. He had managed to fire before he started struggling and wheezing. After a while he finally went limp. She let him fall to the ground.
"Good job fair... lady." said the knight weakly finally stopping his wild horse. It was then when she noticed a bolt in his arm. He was leaning strangely from the horse's back. "He... deserves... it..."
He fell to ground with a thud. Although Lina was acting as if she was coldhearted most of the times she wasn't going to leave her 'savior' for the wolves. she turned him on the back and found out that he had fainted. She succeeded in pulling his helmet off and was shocked with what she saw.
"You dare calling me a little girl you brat?! How many years have you got, twelve!?!"
She discovered that the boy had a beautiful cherub-like face. It was even quite feminine.
And very very young. Then she cut the leather straps holding the breast plate. And guess what?
"Oh shit! No wonder you look feminine! You're a girl!!!"
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The wolf and the horse both pricked their ears. They looked nervous.
"Yeah I know." said Zelgadis. "Blizzard is coming. We better find a shelter. It will come before the night. How about we visit the village of Sulima guys? It's not far and we weren't there for ages."
The wolf barked happily and the horse neighed. They both liked the small hamlet and its peaceful inhabitants. Specially one of them. There was something like a faint smile behind the scarf. He knew his best and only friends all too well.
"It's settled then I believe. Let's go."
And they went. In these short periods when the three of them visited the little village they acted as if they were a normal man with his pets. It was one of the last remnants of humanity the Grey Wolf had. He didn't want to lose them so he tried to visit the village as rare as he could not to invite trouble. But even with his iron will he'd sometimes let the Sulima magnet pull him close. It was one of those times.
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* - In Middle Ages crossbow was considered an impure weapon because it killed from the distance. Charging with giants swords and dressed in full armor on peasants clad in leather armor was however considered very honorable:P.
** - Knights had something like a backrest on their saddles so it was hard to throw them off the horse with an impact from the front. You know: tournaments and all of that shit.
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Now that you've heard the next part of the story I beg for charity: review please^_~.