I'm still new at this, and I need a lot of encouragement. So far, I've gotten only 3 reviews for ANYTHING I've written. Actually, those three reviews convinced me to write 5 chapters. Remember: a little bit of feedback gets me to write a whole bunch.
I'm probably putting this story on hold until I get some feedback. If you read it, let me know, even if you don't really like it.
I do not own Lina, Zelgaddis, Gourry, Amelia, Rezo, or any other "Slayers" characters. To the best of my knowledge, they belong to Hajime Kanzaka.
Zel had been pacing for three hours when Lina finally exploded. "Just sit down and stay still, damn it! You're making me nervous.
"You should be nervous," Zelgaddis retorted, "we'll face an army in less than three hours, you have no magical powers whatsoever, and none of the city guards will believe a word we say. Especially because they're more likely to try to kill me than to listen to me." He sat down angrily and began drumming his fingers on the desk. This new habit did nothing to soothe Lina's frayed nerves.
"Listen," Lina began, "she probably just said that stuff about an army to scare us.
"It worked.
"Well, why don't we wake up Gourry and Amelia and go talk to the temple priests? If the dark sorcerer is really trying to steal the pendant, the temple should be warned.
"You're forgetting something. The pendant creates some kind of barrier that doesn't let monsters enter the temple." Zel glared at the wall.
"Fine!" Lina snapped, "You can just stay here and sulk." There was a long, awkward silence. "Actually," Lina decided, "you're coming with us. I'm not letting you spend another minute in these rooms. C'mon, coward, we're going.
"WHAT did you call me?" Zelgaddis yelled.
"A coward.
Zel grabbed his cloak and pulled up a scarf to cover the bottom half of his face. "Let's go.
Lina, smiling triumphantly, followed him out the door.
"This is really big," Gourry commented. "Really, really, really, REALLY big.
"It's even bigger than my palace, Miss Lina," admitted Amelia.
"It's the largest temple in the world," Lina noted.
"Hmph," said Zel, acting unimpressed.
The four were standing in the entrance of the Great Temple, staring up at the huge columns that supported the ceiling, several hundred feet above their heads. A thousand windows let in natural light, making the entire white marble structure so bright it was difficult to look at.
A man dressed in the deep blue of an acolyte's robes approached them. "Maternessa's blessing on you, travelers. I am afraid that the ceremonies are finished for today. However, if you wish to meditate, the Temple is always open for the pure of heart." The man smiled and bowed. Zel snorted, an unpleasant sound that unnerved the acolyte. "Sir, it is customary to uncover your head when standing in the presence of the Mother Goddess.
"Don't mind him," Lina interrupted, "he'll wait for us here. I was hoping we could speak to one of the high priests.
"Impossible. They are in deep meditation and cannot be disturbed.
"Wait a minute," said Gourry, annoyed at the acolyte's high-handed manner. "We've come to warn the high priests that some winged monster is coming to steal Maternessa's pendant.
"Sir, that is foolishness. No monster can even enter the sanctuary's grounds.
"Hunh?" interrupted Amelia, "But then how come Ze--
Zelgaddis quickly cut her off, "--there are so many guards? Surely the pendant can protect the entire city.
The acolyte became flustered. "Certainly, the infinite power of the mother goddess could protect the city, but in her divine wisdom she has, uh, chosen to entrust the safety of the people to, uh, people.
The acolyte's explanation was entirely ignored by the heroes, who were watching Zelgaddis. He took two slow, cautious steps . . . and passed through the entrance to the temple. The four exchanged confused glances. Didn't the power of the pendant stop monsters from entering the temple?
"Now, sir, I really must protest." The acolyte's voice rose as his nervousness increased. "I insist that you remove your hood and your sword immediately, or I will be forced to summon one of the high priests!
Zel took a threatening step toward the man; he squealed and ran to find a superior.
"That was not very nice, Zel," scolded Lina, who was trying to suppress her giggles.
Gourry guffawed, "But did you see that guy's face? His eyes were about to pop out!
Zel was scowling. "What's the point of waiting here?
"We have to warn the high priest--
"No one's will steal a fake artifact!" There was dead silence, and everyone stared at Zel.
"Fake?" Amelia asked.
"Of course it's fake," Zel stated. "If it was real, then it should have kept me out." The companions exchanged glances. Could Zelgaddis be right? Could the most famous magical artifact in the world be a fake?
"Interesting deduction," rumbled a deep voice. The group turned quickly to find a stooped old man dressed in the elegant white robes of a high priest. "However, you are wrong. The goddess' pendant is very real, and very powerful." The old man approached Zel and squinted at him myopically. "A chimera, hmm?
Before anyone else could react, Zelgaddis' sword was halfway out of its sheath. All of his bottled-up fears of discovery and persecutions exploded into violence. Sudden blue electricity crackled about his body, and Zel froze like a statue. His blue eyes were wide in surprise.
The old man nodded as if this were to be expected. "You feel that, boy? That's the power of the Ôfake' pendant." Lina realized that Zel was visibly straining to draw his sword, or to move any part of his body. "Maternessa doesn't allow violence in her sanctuaries. You'd best relax and sheathe your weapon; resisting the will of the goddess can be quite painful." As he spoke, more electricity crackled around Zel, who winced in pain and finally, reluctantly, sheathed his sword. As soon as he did, the tension in the air disappeared; Zel opened and closed his right hand to be sure he could move freely again.
"Wow," Amelia murmured. "Remind me never to fight the gods." She had seen her mentor utterly defeated without any sign of a struggle.
The high priest grinned at her in a grandfatherly manner. "That may be the best idea I've heard all day, little girl. Now, where were we? That acolyte--what was the arrogant prick's name? I never can remember it-- said something about a monster stealing the pendant. Any idea what he was shrieking about?
Lina blushed, "Yes, your holiness--
"Oh, bosh, call me ÔDad'. Or was it supposed to be ÔFather'? Ah, forget it, just call me Hiko-chan.
"Oh. Hiko . . . -chan." Lina didn't feel quite comfortable calling one of the most powerful men in the world "Hiko-chan," but she plowed forward. "We learned that a powerful sorcerer with an army of monsters will attack the city tonight, Âand we think the temple and the pendant may be in danger.
"Bosh," the priest said, "no monster can enter this temple. Nor can anyone who desires to steal--
"But, Grandfather," Amelia interrupted, "if no monsters can come in, how come Zel could?
"Simple. Your friend is not a monster." He held up his hand to stop them when they would have interrupted. "His body may have been altered to resemble that of a monster, but his human soul remains unchanged. The Goddess cares little for appearances, but she knows an uncorrupted human soul from one that has be tainted by ambition. The pendant will not allow any to approach who wish to steal it. So, you see, there was no need to worry.
"I see," said Zel. "I apologize for my earlier rudeness, and I and my companions will leave you to your meditation.
"Wait, boy. Won't you show an old man your face?" Reluctantly, Zel removed the cloth covering his face and lowered his hood. "Ah, it is a beautiful face .
Zelgaddis recoiled. "WHAT?
"I said, it is a beautiful face. Surely the face of one loved by the mother goddess must be beautiful, hmm? Well, off you go now. Leave with Maternessa's blessing." He pressed two fingers to the center of the foreheads of each of the travelers, bowed, and waved to them as they left.
Walking down the temple's steps, Gourry shook his head. "Strange old man.
"Maybe," Lina agreed, looking at Zel's pensive expression that was once again mostly hidden by the scarf and hood. "Still, he made sense, in a weird way."
I'm probably putting this story on hold until I get some feedback. If you read it, let me know, even if you don't really like it.
I do not own Lina, Zelgaddis, Gourry, Amelia, Rezo, or any other "Slayers" characters. To the best of my knowledge, they belong to Hajime Kanzaka.
Zel had been pacing for three hours when Lina finally exploded. "Just sit down and stay still, damn it! You're making me nervous.
"You should be nervous," Zelgaddis retorted, "we'll face an army in less than three hours, you have no magical powers whatsoever, and none of the city guards will believe a word we say. Especially because they're more likely to try to kill me than to listen to me." He sat down angrily and began drumming his fingers on the desk. This new habit did nothing to soothe Lina's frayed nerves.
"Listen," Lina began, "she probably just said that stuff about an army to scare us.
"It worked.
"Well, why don't we wake up Gourry and Amelia and go talk to the temple priests? If the dark sorcerer is really trying to steal the pendant, the temple should be warned.
"You're forgetting something. The pendant creates some kind of barrier that doesn't let monsters enter the temple." Zel glared at the wall.
"Fine!" Lina snapped, "You can just stay here and sulk." There was a long, awkward silence. "Actually," Lina decided, "you're coming with us. I'm not letting you spend another minute in these rooms. C'mon, coward, we're going.
"WHAT did you call me?" Zelgaddis yelled.
"A coward.
Zel grabbed his cloak and pulled up a scarf to cover the bottom half of his face. "Let's go.
Lina, smiling triumphantly, followed him out the door.
"This is really big," Gourry commented. "Really, really, really, REALLY big.
"It's even bigger than my palace, Miss Lina," admitted Amelia.
"It's the largest temple in the world," Lina noted.
"Hmph," said Zel, acting unimpressed.
The four were standing in the entrance of the Great Temple, staring up at the huge columns that supported the ceiling, several hundred feet above their heads. A thousand windows let in natural light, making the entire white marble structure so bright it was difficult to look at.
A man dressed in the deep blue of an acolyte's robes approached them. "Maternessa's blessing on you, travelers. I am afraid that the ceremonies are finished for today. However, if you wish to meditate, the Temple is always open for the pure of heart." The man smiled and bowed. Zel snorted, an unpleasant sound that unnerved the acolyte. "Sir, it is customary to uncover your head when standing in the presence of the Mother Goddess.
"Don't mind him," Lina interrupted, "he'll wait for us here. I was hoping we could speak to one of the high priests.
"Impossible. They are in deep meditation and cannot be disturbed.
"Wait a minute," said Gourry, annoyed at the acolyte's high-handed manner. "We've come to warn the high priests that some winged monster is coming to steal Maternessa's pendant.
"Sir, that is foolishness. No monster can even enter the sanctuary's grounds.
"Hunh?" interrupted Amelia, "But then how come Ze--
Zelgaddis quickly cut her off, "--there are so many guards? Surely the pendant can protect the entire city.
The acolyte became flustered. "Certainly, the infinite power of the mother goddess could protect the city, but in her divine wisdom she has, uh, chosen to entrust the safety of the people to, uh, people.
The acolyte's explanation was entirely ignored by the heroes, who were watching Zelgaddis. He took two slow, cautious steps . . . and passed through the entrance to the temple. The four exchanged confused glances. Didn't the power of the pendant stop monsters from entering the temple?
"Now, sir, I really must protest." The acolyte's voice rose as his nervousness increased. "I insist that you remove your hood and your sword immediately, or I will be forced to summon one of the high priests!
Zel took a threatening step toward the man; he squealed and ran to find a superior.
"That was not very nice, Zel," scolded Lina, who was trying to suppress her giggles.
Gourry guffawed, "But did you see that guy's face? His eyes were about to pop out!
Zel was scowling. "What's the point of waiting here?
"We have to warn the high priest--
"No one's will steal a fake artifact!" There was dead silence, and everyone stared at Zel.
"Fake?" Amelia asked.
"Of course it's fake," Zel stated. "If it was real, then it should have kept me out." The companions exchanged glances. Could Zelgaddis be right? Could the most famous magical artifact in the world be a fake?
"Interesting deduction," rumbled a deep voice. The group turned quickly to find a stooped old man dressed in the elegant white robes of a high priest. "However, you are wrong. The goddess' pendant is very real, and very powerful." The old man approached Zel and squinted at him myopically. "A chimera, hmm?
Before anyone else could react, Zelgaddis' sword was halfway out of its sheath. All of his bottled-up fears of discovery and persecutions exploded into violence. Sudden blue electricity crackled about his body, and Zel froze like a statue. His blue eyes were wide in surprise.
The old man nodded as if this were to be expected. "You feel that, boy? That's the power of the Ôfake' pendant." Lina realized that Zel was visibly straining to draw his sword, or to move any part of his body. "Maternessa doesn't allow violence in her sanctuaries. You'd best relax and sheathe your weapon; resisting the will of the goddess can be quite painful." As he spoke, more electricity crackled around Zel, who winced in pain and finally, reluctantly, sheathed his sword. As soon as he did, the tension in the air disappeared; Zel opened and closed his right hand to be sure he could move freely again.
"Wow," Amelia murmured. "Remind me never to fight the gods." She had seen her mentor utterly defeated without any sign of a struggle.
The high priest grinned at her in a grandfatherly manner. "That may be the best idea I've heard all day, little girl. Now, where were we? That acolyte--what was the arrogant prick's name? I never can remember it-- said something about a monster stealing the pendant. Any idea what he was shrieking about?
Lina blushed, "Yes, your holiness--
"Oh, bosh, call me ÔDad'. Or was it supposed to be ÔFather'? Ah, forget it, just call me Hiko-chan.
"Oh. Hiko . . . -chan." Lina didn't feel quite comfortable calling one of the most powerful men in the world "Hiko-chan," but she plowed forward. "We learned that a powerful sorcerer with an army of monsters will attack the city tonight, Âand we think the temple and the pendant may be in danger.
"Bosh," the priest said, "no monster can enter this temple. Nor can anyone who desires to steal--
"But, Grandfather," Amelia interrupted, "if no monsters can come in, how come Zel could?
"Simple. Your friend is not a monster." He held up his hand to stop them when they would have interrupted. "His body may have been altered to resemble that of a monster, but his human soul remains unchanged. The Goddess cares little for appearances, but she knows an uncorrupted human soul from one that has be tainted by ambition. The pendant will not allow any to approach who wish to steal it. So, you see, there was no need to worry.
"I see," said Zel. "I apologize for my earlier rudeness, and I and my companions will leave you to your meditation.
"Wait, boy. Won't you show an old man your face?" Reluctantly, Zel removed the cloth covering his face and lowered his hood. "Ah, it is a beautiful face .
Zelgaddis recoiled. "WHAT?
"I said, it is a beautiful face. Surely the face of one loved by the mother goddess must be beautiful, hmm? Well, off you go now. Leave with Maternessa's blessing." He pressed two fingers to the center of the foreheads of each of the travelers, bowed, and waved to them as they left.
Walking down the temple's steps, Gourry shook his head. "Strange old man.
"Maybe," Lina agreed, looking at Zel's pensive expression that was once again mostly hidden by the scarf and hood. "Still, he made sense, in a weird way."