Part 1: The War
Prologue
A Fragile Peace
For as long as anyone could remember, the Inner World had been separated from the rest of the continent by a magical barrier created when Maryu-ou [1] Gaav was sealed away. Inside the barrier, magic was powerful and strong, but no magic was strong enough to pass the barrier, and no one knew what it was like on the rest of the continent past it.
That was the way things were for over a thousand years. But one day, during Prince Philionel el de Seyruun's coronation ceremony, at which he was about to be crowned King Philionel, a bright light flashed across the entire Inner World for a split second. It only took them a few days to realize that the light had been the barrier vanishing, after having withstood everything for one thousand years.
Naturally, King Phil, the leader and representative of the Inner World, had some work to do. He had to find out how the barrier disappeared, and he had to meet with the leader of the Outer World and try to arrange a peace agreement.
Choosing peace over personal interest, Phil left Seyruun in one of his fastest ships, and headed towards the Outer World. Once there, he met with their leader, a king by the name of Feron, who ruled over the capital city, Kyre. Feron was very open to the idea of peace between them, and Phil was confused at first at Feron's quick acceptance.
When inquired, Feron explained that, while magic was common and strong within the barrier, outside the barrier, it was almost nonexistent. The people in the Outer World feared the magic of those of the Inner World, and thought that if they did not make peace, they would use their powerful magic against them.
So a peace treaty was reached, and Phil sailed back to Seyruun with the good graces of King Feron in the wind. He settled himself back into his palace and routine.
A knock sounded on the door to Philionel's study just as he was relaxing after a very tiring day. He sat up straight, and said, "You may enter."
A messenger dressed in Seyruunian colors opened the door, and bowed. "King Philionel," he began. "A few weeks ago, you requested that my men and I discover how the barrier had vanished."
Phil nodded. "Have you found the reason?" he asked, leaning forward in his seat eagerly.
"Yes, sir," the messenger replied. "A young sorceress by the name of Lina Inverse single-handedly defeated the Dark Lords Mei-ou [2] Phibrizzo and Maryu-ou Gaav. It was their destruction that caused the barrier to disappear."
"Single-handedly?" Phil asked incredulously. "Without any help at all?" [3] When the messenger nodded, Phil asked him, "What else do you know about this Lina Inverse?"
The messenger answered, "She's a young sorceress who comes from the small town of Zephilia. That's all that is known about her." He bowed his apologizes that he could not gather more information.
Philionel stared at the messenger in complete disbelief. A girl defeated two Dark Lords by herself? After a moment, Phil realized he was keeping the messenger. He sat back, and gave the young man his leave to go. After the door fell shut, Phil slumped in his seat and put his chin in his hand. "Lina Inverse...?"
...:~*~:...
The time of peace between the Inner and Outer Worlds did not last as long as anyone would have hoped. They held monthly meetings to discuss changes and advancements that were for the good of all people. It was during one such meeting that the alliance began to fall apart.
"A what??" Phil demanded, standing up in shock at Feron's request.
Feron's gaze held steady as he stood up as well. "I request a ban on magic throughout the continent," he repeated.
Philionel stared. "But... Why?" he asked bluntly.
"To be frank, my people are scared," Feron told him. "Even though we have a peace treaty, my people still fear your powerful magic. If we banned magic, there would be nothing to fear, and it would be one more step towards equality."
It was that meeting that put the first cracks into the alliance. Philionel argued that magic was for the good of the people. It could be used for healing and helping people. Feron retaliated, saying magic was destructive and dangerous. For his people, who had no powers of magic, the idea of those with magic was frightening. He had to do what his people wanted, or else what kind of king would he be?
They had several more meetings in which they discussed-- or, rather, argued about --the idea of a ban on magic. Every time, Philionel protested vehemently, and Feron supported it full-heartedly. There was no possible agreement between the two. In the end, it was Feron who declared that if Philionel would not support the magic ban, then their peace was ended. It was also Feron who first proclaimed the two nations in a state of war, and began to amass an army within the Outer World.
Philionel, who was a natural pacifist, couldn't believe that a war was unfolding right before his eyes. Since within the barrier, there had always been peace between the kingdoms, he had no large army. Reluctantly, Phil issued a draft, and gathered as many soldiers and sorcerers for his army that he could. Philionel did not attack, but he didn't need to. Feron made the first move. His forces attacked a small town just inside the barrier. They left almost no one alive.
It caused Philionel much pain to think of how many innocents would die in this war. But how could he just acquiesce to Feron's wishes? How would they live without the magic they'd come to rely on the past thousand years? Magic wasn't just something one could discard easily. It was a part of many people's lives.
The thought that he was fighting to protect what he believed in gave Phil courage and strength, and he retaliated, giving express orders not to harm any innocent civilians, only enemy soldiers.
For over a month, the war progressed, army fighting army. The army of Philionel and the Inner World became known as the Defendant Army, and Feron's soldiers were called the Reformist Army. It was also rumored there was a third, Independent Army, who would fight for neither side. Instead, they protected themselves and others from invasions and attacks by both sides.
But things took a turn for the worst when Feron began hiring assassins. He sent trained professionals to kill people of importance to the Inner World. King Galos [4], of Xoana, was assassinated, leaving his young son Moros to the throne. The general of one regiment of Philionel's army was killed in his sleep. Even Phil himself had a very close encounter with an assassin in his palace. He escaped with his life, but not unscathed. He had a deep wound in his shoulder, and had his arm in a sling for several days.
Regretfully, Philionel admitted that, if Feron kept assassinating the leaders of the Inner World, eventually Phil would have to surrender. Unless, that is, Phil hired his own assassins. But that would be using unfair tactics in the war. Of course, upon reflection, Philionel knew that Feron would not abide by the rules of warfare, and there was no other way to combat him other than by matching his forces.
Once he decided on that, Philionel had messages sent to powerful people he knew to be loyal to him. For a moment, he debated on whether or not to send a request to someone he didn't know. What if that person was already working for Feron? After deciding it wouldn't hurt to ask, Philionel sent a request to Lina Inverse.
Authoress Note
[1] - Maryu-ou = Demon Dragon King (Ma = Demon, Ryu = Dragon, Ou = King/Master)
[2] - Mei-ou = Hellmaster (Mei = Hell, Ou = King/Master)
[3] - For the sake of the story, Lina never teamed up with Gourry, Zel, Amelia, Sylphiel, Martina, or Xellos. She defeated the Dark Lords by herself by the age of fourteen.
[4] - There's no such guy as Galos in Slayers. I made him up. King Moros is a real person, though.
There you have it. That's the prologue. I came up with this idea on the trip from Texas to New York. We were staying at a Super 8, and my dad and brother were snoring so I couldn't sleep, and this idea slowly started forming in my warped and twisted mind. I stayed up for an hour writing down the details and the general plot and stuff of the story. I hope you like it ^^ I realize there wasn't much dialogue or detail-type stuff, but this is just the prologue. It's only supposed to introduce you to the beginning of the fic. After this, it'll get more into it, kay? But let me know what you think so far. Reviews make people happy ^_____^