SLAYERS INHERIRTANCE

"Unwanted Battle! The Demon Within!"

by Michael Hopcroft

"I'm Anya Inverse, and I'm a bit busy right now.  Mazoku have invaded the inn where Titania and my family are staying, and Titania has just used her powers to slay one of them. But she's out of control! The second Mazoku, posing as a Ranger is encouraging to kill more people – starting with me! If I'm going to save Titania and the world, I'm going to first have to find a way to save myself!"

***

Anya raised a protective shield just as the blast from Titania was about to strike her. The blast struck the barrier, shattered it, and hurled Anya into the wall. For all that, Anya felt lucky – the barrier had absorbed most of a blow that should have utterly destroyed her.

At that moment Lina, Filia and Gourry ran into the room alerted by the blast that had obliterated Kuria. Filia ran over to the stricken Anya. "I'll heal your injuries." She said.

"Don't bother with me," Anya said, "Get the egg out of here. I'm not hurt that badly."

Lina placed her hand on Anya. "She's right – she' just had the wind knocked out of her. Get your son and the egg out of here. This isn't your fight."

Valgaav interrupted. "I'm not going, Mother. This is my fight too." He suddenly turned and leapt upon Gorvald, who leapt out of the way. The two faced each other and Valgaav raised his fists in a defensive posture. "I am your opponent, Mazoku.  Strike me down if you can."

Gorvald smiled and drew his sword. "You may be the last of the Ancient Dragons, but you are a fool to go at me unarmed – and I know you don't dare use your breath weapon ion here."

In answer, Valgaav grabbed Gorvald's sword arm and shouted "DISPLACEMENT!" In an instant, both were gone from the room.

"VALGAAV!" cried Filia. "What does he think he's doing?"

Anya stood, her wind restored. "Actually, Filia, that was smart tactics. He knew he'd have to hold back in the house, so he's used a teleportation spell to move the fight outside. I wish we had that option with Titania. I'll distract her while you evacuate the egg!" Anya shifted into an archer's stance. "FREEZE ARROW!" she cried, casting an ice spell at Titania. The Mazoku girl was instantly encased in ice. "Now, Filia! Get that egg out of here!"

Filia grabbed the egg and its holder and teleported away.

"Did that do it?" asked Anya. "Will Titania cool off now, Mom?"

"Not a chance. And we don't dare provoke her into a full battle – who knows what she could do with her uncontrolled power?"

Gourry had his hand on the hilt of the Blast Blade. "I think I can deflect her blows if she comes after me," he said, "but I don't want to hurt her – and if I used the Blast Blade I certainly would."

Lina frowned. "And if I used the Dragon Slave I'd blow up Filia's house, and all I'd succeed in doing is destroy Titania's human body. No, we have to calm her down."

Anya noticed the ice surrounding Titania begin to crack. "Cast a protection spell, Mom. It's up to me."

Lina nodded and cast the spell.

***

Gorvald looked around at his new surroundings. He and Valgaav, still touching, were on top out a mountain peak. The wind whipped around them, its chill cutting to the bone. "Neat trick, boy, but that won't save you. What did you hope to accomplish by dying at a distance rather than on the spot?"

Valgaav smiled. "I can accomplish nothing by dying. But I can get you pout of the way." At that instant Valgaav transformed into a dragon.

Gorvald looked up in surprised awe. "An Ancient Dragon…."

Valgaav lifted a foot, which Gorvald took for a martial maneuver. He soon found out how mistaken he was, as the foot landed squarely on his head and drove him deep into the ground.

Satisfied the Mazoku would give him no more trouble for the time being, Valgaav resumed human form. "I'm told being stepped on by a dragon is a very unpleasant experience. Next time we meet, you'll have to tell me if they were right." He smiled as he saw Gorvald slowly rise out of the ground. As soon as he had reached his full height, Valgaav punched the Mazoku three times, twice in the head and once in the stomach. He followed through with a roundhouse kick to the temple. Gorvald fell to the ground again, and got up slowly.

"I thought a Mazoku with as much bluster as you would be tougher." Valgaav saw a ball of black flame form in Gorvald's hand in time to dodge it. "You've still got some fight in you" he said. "Try a taste of mine!" Valgaav opened his mouth and unleashed a breath-weapon attack that cut down the Mazoku's side. Gorvald reeled, and was not ready when Valgaav landed a hard foot to his jaw.

Gorvald began to raise his hand again when suddenly a third person appeared on the peak. Valgaav did not recognize him, but Gorvald did. "Lord Xellos…." Gorvald said, "Save me!"

"Xellos looked at the sight before him. "Oh dear, this won't do. Gorian, you've forgotten the mission our mistress gave you. You were sent to turn Anya Inverse, not flirt with my daughter. She will not be pleased."

"I'll take her punishment," Gorian said, "just save me from this dragon! He's merciless!"

Xellos looked Valgaav up and down. "So, you've grown up again. I don't think you recognize how easily I could obliterate you for what you've done."

"All I did was buy some time for Anya." said Valgaav. "If you're going to kill me for it, at least I did something worth dying for in my life."

"Not yet, dear boy. I have plans for you now. You are very interesting to me now. You say you want to protect Anya. To do that will take more power than you possess. I could give you that power, on the spot, right now." Xellos smiled enigmatically. "What say we let bygones be bygones?"

"I was told the dragon whose name I bear took power from a Mazoku, and it drove him mad. No thank you. Power for sanity is a poor trade. Sorry, trickster, but you can't have me. Not this time."

"Another time, then? I'll leave you to your grief then."

Valgaav stood stunned. "What do you mean by that?" Xellos merely smiled. "Answer me, Mazoku! What did you mean by that?"

"I meant," said Xellos as he and Gorvald faded away like the Cheshire Cat, "is that in the time it took you to fight my servant, Anya Inverse is almost certainly dead. Chew on that for a moment." And at the last word they were gone.

Valgaav screamed and teleported back to the inn.

***

Meanwhile Anya inverse walked deliberately towards Titania. Her body was surrounded by the golden glow on Lina's protection spell.

Titania was surrounded by black flame, which shot out in random directions. Occasionally a spark would strike Anya's barrier and dissipate. "Don't come any closer!" Titania cried in that dark-toned voice her new form took. "There's nothing you can do for me anymore."

"You can be human again." Anya said. "You can take joy in simple pleasures like cooking a well-prepared meal."

"Just give up on me! I'm a Mazoku! A monster! The enemy of all who live!"

"Funny, I thought my mother was the Mortal Enemy of All Who Live." Anya ignored the glare she got from Lina. "Titania, I'm not going to give up on you as long as I live."

The black flame grew more intense. "If you come any closer you'll die, Anya!" cried Titania. "The power is beyond human control."

"I don't know about that. You've controlled it before. You can control it again."

Lina got an idea. "Positive emotion, Anya! That's what she needs to get back under control!"

"Positive emotion, eh? Keep that shield up, Mom!" Anya took two more steps towards Titania until she was almost in range to touch her. The heat of the flames threatened to penetrate the barrier.

"What are you doing?" Titania said. "You can't be thinking to grapple me!"

What followed was not a grapple.

It was a hug.

"Titania," Anya said, "You're my friend.  You'll always be my friend. I want you to feel and absorb the power of my friendship. Titania, come back to us. We miss you. Besides, I want you to teach me how to make those noodles!" the heat threatened to break through and burn her alive, but Anya held tight.

At that moment, Titania's eyes opened. They were not the eyes of a ravening monster – they were human eyes. The flames died down until they were extinguished. Tears filled Titania's eyes and she began to weep into Anya's shoulder.

"Shh, shh, it's all right," whispered Anya. "It's over now. The Mazoku are gone, and you're back to yourself."

Through sobs, Titania whispered "I'm so sorry I hurt you, Anya."

"Hurt me? Titania, you saved me. Remember what set you off? It was my life in danger that set you off on the rampage. I told you you were one of the good monsters."

Valgaav appeared at that instant. "Anya! Are you…."

Lina took Valgaav aside. "Don't interrupt a moment of girlhood bonding." She said. "As you can see, we won. That was a brilliant move, getting Gorvald out of the way."

"I saw an old friend of yours." Said Valgaav. "He wanted to give me power, but I turned him down."

"Yes, I can tell you turned him down. That was very wise."

At that moment a tall man with blond hair in ornate golden robes walked into the inn. What's going on here?" he said. "Where's my Filia? Where's the egg? And what is Lina Inverse doing here."

Lina stammered. "This – this isn't what it looks like…." She then heaved an outward sigh. "Oh, to hell with it. I might as well tell you from the beginning…."

***

Within the hour Filia had returned to the inn with the egg, everything that had been knocked down in the battle was back in place, and everyone was sitting down to tea while Lina explained what had happened. It had taken a long time, especially once Valgaav had described his battle with Gorvald. Milgasia, the Golden Dragon who had come in for his scheduled meeting with Filia took it all in patiently before speaking.

"There is only one solution to this problem, and I think you know what it is. Titania's power must be sealed away permanently." Milgasia said. "Unfortunately, we at Dragon peak do not have that power. Only in the Holy Kingdom of Seyruun do they possess that knowledge."

Lina smiled. "We were heading for Seyruun anyway. "I just wish we could get there faster."

"It will be a very hazardous journey. Xellos and his agents will be hounding you every step of the way. Valgaav, Xellos now recognizes you as a threat. You are no longer safe here."

Valgaav set down his teacup. "Then where will I go, Father?"

"The same place they're going – Seyruun. They will need a bodyguard with your unique talents."

Lina frowned. "Valgaav, you're a nice boy and all that – but if you lay one finger on my daughter or Titania, I'll fry you extra-crispy! And don't think I won't be checking on you every single night!"

Anya bristled at the thought. "Mother! IS that really how little you think of me, that I would lose my innocence to a jerk like him!"

"Jerk?" Valgaav shot back. "I have been a perfect gentleman all this time! I risked my life for you! And this is the thanks I get? Don't worry; your virtue is going to be safe for at least a hundred years."

"Are you saying I'm unattractive?!?"

"Of course not. But who'd risk courting the daughter of Lina Inverse? No man who doesn't meet her standards has a hope of survival, and no man can hope to meet her standards!"

Lina slammed her hand on the table. "Now wait just a minute! Are you saying I'd want my daughter to live out her entire life an old maid?"

"I'm saying you'd lock her away in a nunnery if any nunnery in the Realms would take her."

"That does it!" cried Lina. "You are NOT coming with us, and that's final!"

Anya took Lina's arm, gently but firmly. "Mom, it's OK. I want him to come with us. Milgasia is right, we need him. And I actually kind of like having him around."

Lina looked at her in shock. Gourry chose this moment to step behind his wife and give her a big hug.

"It'll be OK. ' Gourry said. "Remember what you were like when you were her age? If your parents had been with you and taken that attitude while you were on your quests, where would we be now?"

Anya looked at her parents, and then at Valgaav. "That's not what I meant!" she said. "Just because I like having him around doesn't mean I'm going to go all gaga over him!  Besides, dragons live for hundreds of years!"

"Thousands," Valgaav corrected her.

"That's still an awful long time compared to me! No way would I sign up for a deal like that! Never! Not even if I lived a million years!"

Titania sipped her tea, a blend Filia had given her for its tranquilizing qualities. "The more you protest, Anya, the less I believe you." Anya blushed furiously and resumed her seat. "Besides, I think Valgaav's cute," She leaned over and planted a kiss on Valgaav's cheek. All three of them blushed a deep crimson, although Anya's blush could easily have been mistaken for fury.

Gourry stroked his wife's hair. "This should be an exciting trip," he said. "I bet people would pay to watch these fireworks."

TO BE CONTINUED….