~~I do not own Slayers~~
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Chapter One~ Xellos and Lina
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Captain Xellos smiled as the "Mazoku" neared the fleeing state ship. This was truly his favorite part of the chase. He loved the sudden moment when the victims felt their final seconds of freedom were chased away as he crushed them beneath his heel. He stood easily beside the helm, his hands folded behind his back, and watched as they came within twenty feet of the doomed vessel.
"Fireball!" someone suddenly screamed.
Xellos blinked, trying to make sense of yell, and was suddenly thrown against the side railing as the ship lurched to the left. The crew crumbled, running for the sides of the ship and readying the longboats. They were all screaming about gods and redemption. Xellos scrambled to his feet and dashed to the bow of the ship, yelling orders as he ran. "It's only a spell, you idiots! All hands aloft! Secure your riggings, and put out those damned fires before they hit the gunpowder!"
His men nearly fell over themselves in their haste to obey their captain's orders. They were often fond of saying that they were the "steel against steel" and that their captain was the "magic against magic". If Captain Xellos said there was nothing to fear, then there was nothing to fear. His word was law.
Xellos leaned out onto the bowsprit, watching the fleeing ship. Strangely, there was a figure standing on the aft railing, hands outstretched towards his ship. The figure was too far away to distinguish an identity, and his clothing was covered by a black cloak. His face and head, too, were covered in a think black cowl. "Fireball!" the figure shouted, and an orb of flame erupted from his fingers and slammed into the pirate ship.
The pirate captain snarled at the figure, who continued to blast fireballs at his ship, and stood on the edge of the bowsprit, lifting one hand and pointing at the figure in black. "Black Fireball!" he yelled, and felt the rush of power leave his body as a huge ball of black flame barreled into the ship.
The spell was a most powerful spell that focused on his anger. He used his emotions to channel extra control and energy over the spells he used. Due to this close connection, he could practically feel the ball hit the side of the ship. He actually felt the flames licking quickly though the wooden frames, crippling the ship and sealing its fate. He could hear the moans of the wood and the screams of the crew as both endeavored to stay afloat, ultimately failing. The figure on the railing had disappeared as soon as the fireball hit, and now, as the ship began to slowly sink into the sea, Xellos smiled to himself in triumph.
However, he could softly hear a voice on the wind, whispering as if it were part of the breeze itself. A cold voice, echoing across the water, yet not from the sinking vessel. Xellos's eyes went wide and threw his eyes upwards. There, they settled on the figure in black. The man had flown into the sky, probably using a Ray Wing or Levitation spell. The man stood in midair, and the cloak fell open to reveal a female form!
Xellos stared at the woman above him in total shock as the words finally became clear to him. The woman had raised her arms above her head, her face thrown back and her voice resounding across the blue water.
"Darkness beyond twilight
Crimson beyond blood that flows
Buried in the stream of time
Is where your power grows.
I pledge myself to conquer
All the foes who stand
Before the mighty gift bestowed
In my unworthy hand. . ."
"The most powerful spell in black magic! How is that possible? Abandon ship!" Xellos cried to his men, who immediately began to leap over the sides of the ship.
He stared at the woman, transfixed by her knowledge and power of magic. He whispered, his words barely audible over the screaming winds. "Who are you?"
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!!!" the woman shrieked, throwing her hands down towards the ship and loosing the fatal spell.
Xellos was paralyzed with fear, a new emotion that had been born in his brain. He smiled softly, opening his arms as if to embrace the huge ball of red and orange fire that was crashing towards his ship.
He blinked in astonishment, however, when he perceived the woman flying down towards him. Her black cloak billowed out behind her, revealing the red gown that she wore. Her hair was the color of the fire racing behind her, and it seemed to swirl around her face like liquid flame. She swooped down and grabbed him by the back of the collar, lifting him away from his ship and into the air. He went limp, simply staring down as his ship was shattered into a million shards of wood by the Dragon Slave.
Steam and water billowed up from the explosion, enveloping Xellos and the woman. He stared up at her, watching her fiery hair move in and out of the shadowy mists that surrounded them. She glanced down at him, and Xellos's mouth dropped open in awe. Her eyes were the color of the finest rubies, each with a fleck of orange flame in the irises. He was immediately enraptured, and stammered, "Who are you?"
The woman pulled him up level with her eyes, which bored into his very soul, which he was sure had long ago vanished. "I won't be so forgiving the next time you try to sink one of my father's ships," she said softly. "The Inverse family is not one to be trifled with."
With those words, she let go of the back of his collar. He plummeted downwards, watching her as the sun shimmered through the haze. The light enveloped him, and sent him smiling into the icy blue water, where he promptly blacked out. He awoke sometime later, beside a crackling fire. He groaned and opened his eyes, surprised to hind himself in warm, dry blankets. His first mate, Phibrizzo, was sitting beside him, munching on a leg of mutton. He smiled at the captain, swallowing quickly. "It's about time, sir," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "We were getting worried about you."
"What happened?" Xellos asked, sitting up and glancing around. "Where are we?"
"On the mainland," the mate answered. "We weren't too far from shore, and most of the men washed up soon after I did. You washed up here just yesterday, and have been asleep ever since."
Xellos stood, quickly taking a head count and was surprised to see that everyone in his crew was accounted for. His men looked up expectantly.
"Your orders, Captain Xellos?" Phibrizzo asked, coming up beside him.
"We hunt down the person who sank my ship and make her pay," he answered. "She is the daughter of the head of the Inverse family. He has only one daughter, and she captains her father's ships on occasion."
"How do you know all this, captain?" the helmsman, Valgaav, asked, enthralled.
"I know my treasure," Xellos replied with a grin. He threw his fist into the air. "Think of it men! The Inverse family is the most powerful trading family in the mainland! We will sink every Inverse ship until we find her! We shall have our revenge!"
The men all cheered wildly at the thought of so much booty, and Xellos sat back down, a strange little smile on his face. 'And once I find her,' he thought to himself, 'she shall be mine forever!'
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~~Heeheehee.. Sorry about the delay, folks. Special thanks to Nova-chan, Raziel the Damned, Kaeru Shisho, Ladyknightchaos, Akako, Silver Shark, Rina Metallium, Vywien, Miyki, Vy, Clow Angel, Crimson Fyrelite, Midnight Yume, and anonymous parties for you wonderful reviews!! WOW! 14 reviews for one chapter!!!!!!! I want more people!
~~Next time on "Love on the High Seas", Zelgadis meets his match on the chessboard and in magic! You won't want to miss it!
~*********************~
Chapter One~ Xellos and Lina
~*********************~
Captain Xellos smiled as the "Mazoku" neared the fleeing state ship. This was truly his favorite part of the chase. He loved the sudden moment when the victims felt their final seconds of freedom were chased away as he crushed them beneath his heel. He stood easily beside the helm, his hands folded behind his back, and watched as they came within twenty feet of the doomed vessel.
"Fireball!" someone suddenly screamed.
Xellos blinked, trying to make sense of yell, and was suddenly thrown against the side railing as the ship lurched to the left. The crew crumbled, running for the sides of the ship and readying the longboats. They were all screaming about gods and redemption. Xellos scrambled to his feet and dashed to the bow of the ship, yelling orders as he ran. "It's only a spell, you idiots! All hands aloft! Secure your riggings, and put out those damned fires before they hit the gunpowder!"
His men nearly fell over themselves in their haste to obey their captain's orders. They were often fond of saying that they were the "steel against steel" and that their captain was the "magic against magic". If Captain Xellos said there was nothing to fear, then there was nothing to fear. His word was law.
Xellos leaned out onto the bowsprit, watching the fleeing ship. Strangely, there was a figure standing on the aft railing, hands outstretched towards his ship. The figure was too far away to distinguish an identity, and his clothing was covered by a black cloak. His face and head, too, were covered in a think black cowl. "Fireball!" the figure shouted, and an orb of flame erupted from his fingers and slammed into the pirate ship.
The pirate captain snarled at the figure, who continued to blast fireballs at his ship, and stood on the edge of the bowsprit, lifting one hand and pointing at the figure in black. "Black Fireball!" he yelled, and felt the rush of power leave his body as a huge ball of black flame barreled into the ship.
The spell was a most powerful spell that focused on his anger. He used his emotions to channel extra control and energy over the spells he used. Due to this close connection, he could practically feel the ball hit the side of the ship. He actually felt the flames licking quickly though the wooden frames, crippling the ship and sealing its fate. He could hear the moans of the wood and the screams of the crew as both endeavored to stay afloat, ultimately failing. The figure on the railing had disappeared as soon as the fireball hit, and now, as the ship began to slowly sink into the sea, Xellos smiled to himself in triumph.
However, he could softly hear a voice on the wind, whispering as if it were part of the breeze itself. A cold voice, echoing across the water, yet not from the sinking vessel. Xellos's eyes went wide and threw his eyes upwards. There, they settled on the figure in black. The man had flown into the sky, probably using a Ray Wing or Levitation spell. The man stood in midair, and the cloak fell open to reveal a female form!
Xellos stared at the woman above him in total shock as the words finally became clear to him. The woman had raised her arms above her head, her face thrown back and her voice resounding across the blue water.
"Darkness beyond twilight
Crimson beyond blood that flows
Buried in the stream of time
Is where your power grows.
I pledge myself to conquer
All the foes who stand
Before the mighty gift bestowed
In my unworthy hand. . ."
"The most powerful spell in black magic! How is that possible? Abandon ship!" Xellos cried to his men, who immediately began to leap over the sides of the ship.
He stared at the woman, transfixed by her knowledge and power of magic. He whispered, his words barely audible over the screaming winds. "Who are you?"
"DRAGON SLAVE!!!!!" the woman shrieked, throwing her hands down towards the ship and loosing the fatal spell.
Xellos was paralyzed with fear, a new emotion that had been born in his brain. He smiled softly, opening his arms as if to embrace the huge ball of red and orange fire that was crashing towards his ship.
He blinked in astonishment, however, when he perceived the woman flying down towards him. Her black cloak billowed out behind her, revealing the red gown that she wore. Her hair was the color of the fire racing behind her, and it seemed to swirl around her face like liquid flame. She swooped down and grabbed him by the back of the collar, lifting him away from his ship and into the air. He went limp, simply staring down as his ship was shattered into a million shards of wood by the Dragon Slave.
Steam and water billowed up from the explosion, enveloping Xellos and the woman. He stared up at her, watching her fiery hair move in and out of the shadowy mists that surrounded them. She glanced down at him, and Xellos's mouth dropped open in awe. Her eyes were the color of the finest rubies, each with a fleck of orange flame in the irises. He was immediately enraptured, and stammered, "Who are you?"
The woman pulled him up level with her eyes, which bored into his very soul, which he was sure had long ago vanished. "I won't be so forgiving the next time you try to sink one of my father's ships," she said softly. "The Inverse family is not one to be trifled with."
With those words, she let go of the back of his collar. He plummeted downwards, watching her as the sun shimmered through the haze. The light enveloped him, and sent him smiling into the icy blue water, where he promptly blacked out. He awoke sometime later, beside a crackling fire. He groaned and opened his eyes, surprised to hind himself in warm, dry blankets. His first mate, Phibrizzo, was sitting beside him, munching on a leg of mutton. He smiled at the captain, swallowing quickly. "It's about time, sir," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "We were getting worried about you."
"What happened?" Xellos asked, sitting up and glancing around. "Where are we?"
"On the mainland," the mate answered. "We weren't too far from shore, and most of the men washed up soon after I did. You washed up here just yesterday, and have been asleep ever since."
Xellos stood, quickly taking a head count and was surprised to see that everyone in his crew was accounted for. His men looked up expectantly.
"Your orders, Captain Xellos?" Phibrizzo asked, coming up beside him.
"We hunt down the person who sank my ship and make her pay," he answered. "She is the daughter of the head of the Inverse family. He has only one daughter, and she captains her father's ships on occasion."
"How do you know all this, captain?" the helmsman, Valgaav, asked, enthralled.
"I know my treasure," Xellos replied with a grin. He threw his fist into the air. "Think of it men! The Inverse family is the most powerful trading family in the mainland! We will sink every Inverse ship until we find her! We shall have our revenge!"
The men all cheered wildly at the thought of so much booty, and Xellos sat back down, a strange little smile on his face. 'And once I find her,' he thought to himself, 'she shall be mine forever!'
~*********************~
~~Heeheehee.. Sorry about the delay, folks. Special thanks to Nova-chan, Raziel the Damned, Kaeru Shisho, Ladyknightchaos, Akako, Silver Shark, Rina Metallium, Vywien, Miyki, Vy, Clow Angel, Crimson Fyrelite, Midnight Yume, and anonymous parties for you wonderful reviews!! WOW! 14 reviews for one chapter!!!!!!! I want more people!
~~Next time on "Love on the High Seas", Zelgadis meets his match on the chessboard and in magic! You won't want to miss it!