Chapter 2 - Bandits and Mercenaries of Hundreds!

Lina dusted off her hands as the group went onwards, leaving behind the mess of burnt and charred thieves.

"That is the seventh time in one week already! These bandits are starting to get on my nerves..."

"Do you think this could have anything to do with us looking for that temple?"

Lina thought about Gourry's suggestion.

"Maybe. Well, we'll find out sooner or later. So let's just keep going for now."

A couple hours later...

"Geez! That's the third time today!"

"Demo, Lina-san, atleast we made it to the fork."

Sighing, she replied, "Yeah, whatever. Aleinas, where do we go from here?" She looked towards their guide, whom was reading the sign in the middle of the fork. At hearing Lina's voice, he got up and pointed to the right.

"We go through the forest."

Xelloss perked an eyebrow. "The Woods of Eternity?"

"..." Xelloss wondered at the momentary silence. Maybe this man knew the forest's old title? It was only a hundred years ago after all, and this person definitely wasn't human...not fully anyways. "Hai. Any objections?"

"Yes, actually. These woo-"

"Lina-san!" Everybody looked back the way they came to see a blonde- haired woman coming up the road. She carried an aqua-haired baby on her back.

"Filia! What are you doing here? And with Val, too!"

Filia ran up to Lina, smiling brightly.

"I came to keep an eye on you, of course."

"Eh?"

"You never know what kind of trouble you could get in, especially with that namagomi, Xelloss."

Xelloss's eyebrow twitched. That ex-priestess still had to call him that... Zelgadiss and Amelia went over to the two women. Gourry made faces at the baby, making him laugh. Xelloss collected his composure and made his way over to Aleinas.

"As I was saying, these woods are very dangerous, which I'm sure you'd know if you've been this way before. Wouldn't the other way be shorter?"

"And stop at every single town we run into? Follow the road that goes all the way around this huge forest? By the time we reached the lake, it would be past full moon and we would have to wait as long as a month there. In a place where there are hundreds of Mazoku. And then Lina and the others wouldn't stand a chance against whatever's at that temple, -if- they get through that whole month alive. Going through the woods would be more dangerous, but more quick, and there would be enough time to heal up before full moon rises. So don't argue with me, Xelloss. This is the best way."

"I see..."

"Hey, Aleinas, come over here!"

"Please excuse me." Xelloss nodded and stepped aside as Aleinas went to stand next to Lina. That man...that person...he was starting to worry...but he shook his head and just kept on grinning. No matter how powerful, he couldn't be as powerful as himself, nor as clever. If ever anything came up...all he would have to do, was step in, and...kill... He mentally smirked. What a delightful word, kill. But torture was always above...torture was entertainment, food, kill, was just a sport. But on to other things..

"Aleinas, this is Filia, Filia, this is our guid to the temple, Aleinas."

"Hello, pleased to meet you."

"Truly a pleasure." Xelloss watched from his spot by the sign at the fork in the road. He thought he could sense a frown on Aleinas...but the sense left him almost before it even came...truly...strange... "May we get a move on?"

"Hai, hai." Lina left the group over to the right side of the fork when someone suddenly appeared. a mercenary. Then ten bandits. Another five mercenaries. Twenty-five more thieves. The numbers just kept growing 'til it seemed like they were all surrounded by a number of five hundred. The first mercenary stepped up to Lina.

"Hmm... Red hair. Red eyes. Young. Lina Inverse, I presume?"

"Hai, and who are you?"

Xelloss secretly chuckled in his head as he felt annoyance from Lina at how the mercenary walked away from her just as soon as he closed his mouth, before Lina even said anything. He stopped at Amelia.

"Amelia-hime. Of Saillune. Nice to finally get to meet you."

"Huh?" She blinked in confusion at the man, whom walked over to Zelgadiss. The chimera kept his hand on his sword hilt.

"Ah. The sorcerer with the beige clothing and hidden face. Zelgadiss Graywords. I'm sure it's a pleasure...to be your will-be killer." Xelloss mentally chuckled some more as his favorite little toy glared at the mercenary from behind his hood, and then mercenary walked over to Gourry, whom also seemed to be gripping his sword and glaring at the stranger. "The famous Gourry Gabriev, best swordsman in all the world, carrier of the Hikari no Ken. I'll be glad to take that after I finish you off."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't carry it anymore."

"Oh, I see. What a pity." He saw Filia and Xelloss. "The purple-haired priest, Xelloss. My orders were to let you be, so no need to worry, you'll be safe. The blonde and the baby get to go. However... I don't see the last member of your group."

"And normally you wouldn't ever even have the chance to." The mercenary spun around to find Aleinas behind him. "Who sent you?"

"Not really sure. Although, she did tell me to tell you that she has a certain problem, and that she is free. She also told me to give you this." The mercenary took something out of his pocket and dropped it into Aleinas's hand. "Said you'd understand."

Whatever it was, nobody knew except for Aleinas. He seemed to take a moment to think as he stared at the small object in his hand, then it was instantly crushed in his palm. As the dust fell, he spoke to the mercenary, cold and silent, but threatening, anger pouring from his voice like huge waterfalls.

"When this is over, your life, and your life only, shall be spared. But make sure to pass on this message. I do not care about her problem, I do not know what she means by free, and I do not wonder why she is trying to either kill, wound, or weaken me and my new "clients", but I challenge her to a one-on-one fight to the end. While I'm alone...away from the others." The mercenary smirked in a kindly fashion, hiding the evil glint in his eye.

"I'd be glad to. However, I must apologize as...you won't have time for that one-on-one. You're as good as dead right now, and definitely will be by the time this fight is through."

And so it began. The mercenary unsheathed his broadsword quickly and slashed at Aleinas. He was able to dodge while unsheathing his own longsword. As they fought, they conversed, waiting for the other to make a mistake.

"Heard my boss destroyed your town." CLASH "Hope your parents hand't been screaming while they were burning to death." Slash "But they probably were. Bet you, my boss loved hearing their sreams." Swing, duck.

"Who are you to talk of my past that way?" Sidestep.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself." Forward "My name is Tirrem," Break away "A mercenary famous among mercenaries. Not the most famous but still a very much respected person." Sidestep.

~~~

As soon as the mercenary made his first move, the rest had started to attack the Slayers cast. Lina was holding well, using spells when she could, but most of the time she had to use her sword, kicking and punching here and there. Gourry was doing basically the same, but better. Amelia was using her Vis Farank to knock out as many bandits as possible, while at the same time trying to get close to Lina and the others so that she'd be able to cast Sleeping without affecting her companions. Zelgadiss, on the other hand, was having an easier time. Stone skin, a longsword, and magic, he was knocking out more villains than everybody else. Then he noticed Aleinas fighting one-on-one with Tirrem. Aleinas was fighting hard, Zel thought he wouldn't last long, probably from anger. That's when he saw it...noticed...Aleinas wasn't panting. Instead, he was breathing very easily, as if he hadn't exerted any energy at all... He was acting... He was playing down to a low skill of fighting when he could probably defeat Tirrem easily. Why? What was he trying to do?

"Aleinas, behind you!"

Aleinas spun around with his leg out, resulting in kicking the mercenary behind him to the right. Then he resumed his fight with Tirrem. Zel would have to remind Aleinas to thank him later, he mentally scoffed. A growl could be heard from Tirrem, as he wasn't all that far away. He noticed the deep gash in the mercenary's right leg and a scratch on his cheek.

"Not bad..." Tirrem smirked and stepped closer so that Aleinas would be able to hear his low whisper...whatever it was, Zelgadiss couldn't hear it. The two spoke silently that way before going at it again. What could the two of them have talked about? Then he heard Lina's frustrated voice somewhere.

"There's too many! Grrr... Levitation!" Lina quickly floated up. "Zel, get up here!"

"Levitation!" Zel flew up to her. "What-"

"Hold me up!" Zel blinked for a couple of moments before he complied.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the flow of time, in thy great name I pledge myself to darkness, all the fools who oppose us will be destroyed by the power you and I possess." Zelgadiss wondered what Lina was mumbling as he dodged some fireballs. Then he realized how much pain the group of bandits and mercenaries down below were in for.

"Amelia! Get up here with Gourry and Filia!"

"DRAGON"

"Ahh!! Ray Wing!" Amelia grabbed Gourry's arm and then flew towards Filia, grabbing her arm and pulling the both of them up into the air then behind Zel and Lina, with much effort.

Both Aleinas and Tirrem sensed the power coming from Lina's hands. Both casting Ray Wing simultaneously, they flew above range. And Xelloss was somewhere between the two, also hovering above range.

"SLAVE!!!"

Red, firey power came down on the bandits and mercenaries that were either too dumb, or too fear-struck to run...and that was all they saw before leaving this world...

"Well, until another time then." Tirrem flew off somewhere. Aleinas just stared after him for awhile, then flew back down to where the others were waiting.