~~I do not own Slayers~
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"Captain Zelgadis!" someone from the crow's nest screamed. "Ship ahoy!"
"Where away?" Zelgadis yelled back, racing for the upper deck. He skidded to a stop beside the helm, already raising his spy glass to his eye.
"Due south of us, Captain!" the crewman yelled back. "It's the "Mazoku! And she's running a white flag! They're signaling for a parlay!"
Zelgadis growled under his breath and barked orders to the startled crew. "All hands on deck! Weapons stored, we don't want a bloodbath, people! The "Mazoku" is mooring alongside us, so be on your guard, but don't get hasty! Crow! Permission granted for the representative to come aboard for the parlay!"
"Aye, Captain!" the men all chirruped as they ran to and fro stowing away their various swords, daggers, and bows.
The crewman in the crow's nest was signaling furiously to the approaching ship, informing them of the terms of their landings and dockings next to his ship. He leaned over the railing and yelled down to the captain again.
"Sir!" he cried. "Captain Xellos himself is asking permission to come aboard to instigate the parlay!"
Zelgadis now frowned visibly. 'What is that monster up to now?' he wondered, stroking his chin. He thought about it for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. There was no way around it; he had to allow the captain on the ship.
He yelled the affirmative to his crewman and headed into his stateroom to hide everything valuable. His first mate, Dilgear, followed him to assist in the larger pieces of treasure, and to be briefed on how to proceed in this situation.
"Is this wise, Captain?" he asked softly, helping Zelgadis cover a huge oaken chest with a tablecloth.
Zelgadis sighed and concentrated on his work. "You know as well as I do that nothing can be done about it. The "Mazoku" hasn't fired on us, and Xellos is playing by the rules for once. He wants something very, very badly."
"And what does he want, sir?"
"My guess would be our hot-headed little charge," he replied, scooping handfuls of coins into a pouch and hiding it under the desk. "No doubt he heard of the shipwreck, and of who was missing from the Inverse family. He wants our ransom money."
"And are we going to give it to him, Captain?"
"Of course not, Dilgear."
The half troll nodded and stepped towards the large oaken door, his task complete. "I will see the Captain safely inside this room, sir," he said as he touched the door. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then turned and looked back at Zelgadis with a strangely compelling look. Zelgadis met his eyes levelly, awaiting his words.
"You can't give her to him, Captain."
Zelgadis stared at his mate's back in shock as he exited the cabin. Dilgear never showed concern for captives. Most of the time he just ran the ship and kept his mouth shut. However, the little firebrand in Zelgadis's cabin seemed to have struck a soft spot in his huge heart. Zelgadis smiled softly and settled into his chair behind the oaken desk. He donned his mask quickly, allowing his lavender hair to remain loose and free.
Xellos stepped onto the "Amelia" humming. He seemed to almost skip off the longboat onto the rope ladder that was thrown down to him. The crew of the "Amelia" was all present and at attention, each one fingering a dagger or blade in his pocket. The Monster Captain was not called a monster for nothing, after all, and he was a powerful sorcerer. He brought along with him four burly crewmen, all armed to the teeth, but their hands were nowhere near their weapons.
Xellos paid the crew of the "Amelia" no mind, his eyes going directly to Dilgear. He smiled annoyingly at the huge man, his voice mocking. "Still hanging around these losers, Dilgear? I would have hoped that you had graduated from all this and would come work for me."
If the words stung Dilgear, he made no sign of it. True enough, the "Amelia" had much smaller payoffs than the "Mazoku", but the Monster Captain would never see things as Dilgear saw them. He would be stuck as a crewman forever, and never move up on the ladder. Moreover, Xellos killed for pleasure, and Dilgear was a passivist at heart. He raised a hand and motioned the captain and his men forward, leading them towards the stateroom. He knocked softly on the door, and Zelgadis called from the inside, "Enter."
Dilgear pushed the door open politely for the captain, but sent a glare at the four crewmen that had accompanied him. "You will wait outside until the captains are finished with their parlay," he growled, taking a menacing step forward.
The crewman, being large men, were still dwarfed by the high of the half- troll, and nodded fearfully before stepping to one side to let him pass. Dilgear strode into the throng of his crew and said in hushed tones, "All hands look busy. Keep alert, but no need to worry yet. Off you go, now."
The crew hurried to do his bidding, and he smiled softly as he mounted the dais to the upper deck. He stood beside the helm, each hand on a different rung, and surveyed the crew scurrying about. Xellos, meanwhile, was leaning against Zelgadis's desk, watching him write out a chart of the Northern Sea. He sighed impatiently and cleared his throat, at which Zelgadis finally looked up. The Chimera's eyes were hard, but he nodded politely at the other captain.
"Welcome aboard, Captain," Zelgadis said formally, standing from behind his desk.
Xellos nodded and stood back from the desk. "You're looking well, Zelgadis," he commented, a wicked glint in his eye. "How is that rash of yours?"
Zelgadis bit his tongue to keep from snarling at the smiling nuisance, and forced a smile. "Oh, I expect it to be gone any day now," he replied. "In fact, I was just mapping out a route to the nearest doctor. Shall I make you a copy?"
"A doctor?" Xellos replied, smiling. "Whatever would I need one of those for?"
"Why, to fix that large hole in your face that resembles an arse-hole. . . oh, excuse me, that's your mouth!"
Xellos's annoying smile dropped from his face faster than an anchor. He frowned at Zelgadis, and then smirked. "Oh, yes, I must get that fixed. By the way, how's your love life? Is there a Lady Freak in your life?"
Zelgadis's face went slightly red, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. His fingernails bit into his palms as he clenched his hands tighter and tighter to stay civil. "No, but at least I stick to high born ladies. You, on the other hand, seem to prefer your mother's type of people. How is your mother, anyway?"
Xellos's face lost all traces of humor. No one talked about his mother and lived. It was common knowledge that Xellos hated his mother, because she had tried to use him to get monies out of his father. He never acknowledged her to anyone, and was careful to steer clear of the port town she resided in. He stepped back up against the desk, laying his palms flat.
"At least I can get a woman," he growled, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You, on the other hand, are a monster through and through. You have to resort to kidnapping innocent girls to get your kicks."
Zelgadis opened his mouth for a sharp reply, but Xellos held up his hand for silence. "That brings me to the reason I came here."
Xellos sat in a hard-backed chair in front of the large desk, resting his elbows on the arms. He steepled his fingers in front of his chest and smiled at Zelgadis. "You have something of great importance to me, Captain Zelgadis."
Zelgadis remained standing behind his desk, but he leaned back now, a guarded expression on his face. "Do I now?" he replied. "And what thing is that?"
"Lina Inverse," Xellos said without further preamble, "is a guest on your ship, is she not?"
Zelgadis's face revealed nothing. "We pulled her from the sea, yes. What does she have to do with you?"
"That is none of your concern," Xellos said, gazing at the captain over his fingertips. "I am willing to trade highly for her."
"Indeed? I assume you want her ransom price, just as we do. Well, you can forget it. My crew has suffered because of that little spitfire, and I intend to make her father pay for the damages."
"She sunk the "Mazoku"."
Zelgadis stared at him, shocked. He sank into his chair, plainly flabbergasted. "Sunk it?" he repeated. "That little slip of a girl sunk your ship?"
"True, I sunk hers first, but payback is expensive."
Zelgadis's eyes went hard again. "You're lying. The "Mazoku" is moored next to us!"
"No, my dear Zelgadis, she is not. That is a new vessel, which I have blessed with the same name as my dear former vessel. I intend to take my revenge on the little brat, and then my crew's revenge. Only then will I sell her back to her father."
Zelgadis could feel his face go red with anger. "I will not trade an innocent girl into your keeping just to lie awake and dream of her tortures. Get off of my ship, Captain, for you have nothing at all that I value more than that."
Xellos looked at him for a heartbeat, then stood and reached into his pocket. Zelgadis's hand went to his sword, ready to draw at the first sound of steel being freed from a scabbard, but Xellos surprised him yet again. He withdrew his hand from his pocket and set a small, green orb on the table.
The clouds inside the orb swirled in a never-ending tornado, and Zelgadis's eyes went wide. "The Orb of Glenkirk. . ." he whispered reverently.
He stared up at the Monster Captain. "You're not serious."
"The girl for the Orb," Xellos replied. "Take it or leave it, but rest assured, my dear Zelgadis, I will have her. I am giving you this chance to win. If you refuse me, I and my entire crew will never rest until your ship is down in the deep with mine!" Zelgadis looked up at him, then back at the orb. He swallowed hard. That orb was everything he ever wanted. Everything he ever dreamed. Was one slip of a girl worth his entire life, and the lives of his crew?
Was she?
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~~Heh heh heh. I seem to have a love for cliffhangers recently. Did you enjoy it? I will update again soon, and hopefully this LONG chapter will keep you busy until I can decide what to do next. Should Zelgadis take the offer? Review!
~~Also, if any of you have noticed or cared, I have taken down my other Slayers story, "Rescuing the Damsel." I apologize if it was a favorite of yours, but rest assured that it will be back as soon as I can finish rewriting it away from all the problems of Fanfiction.net. Until then, enjoy this continuing story, and my ongoing Inu Yasha story, "Save the Last Dance."
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"Captain Zelgadis!" someone from the crow's nest screamed. "Ship ahoy!"
"Where away?" Zelgadis yelled back, racing for the upper deck. He skidded to a stop beside the helm, already raising his spy glass to his eye.
"Due south of us, Captain!" the crewman yelled back. "It's the "Mazoku! And she's running a white flag! They're signaling for a parlay!"
Zelgadis growled under his breath and barked orders to the startled crew. "All hands on deck! Weapons stored, we don't want a bloodbath, people! The "Mazoku" is mooring alongside us, so be on your guard, but don't get hasty! Crow! Permission granted for the representative to come aboard for the parlay!"
"Aye, Captain!" the men all chirruped as they ran to and fro stowing away their various swords, daggers, and bows.
The crewman in the crow's nest was signaling furiously to the approaching ship, informing them of the terms of their landings and dockings next to his ship. He leaned over the railing and yelled down to the captain again.
"Sir!" he cried. "Captain Xellos himself is asking permission to come aboard to instigate the parlay!"
Zelgadis now frowned visibly. 'What is that monster up to now?' he wondered, stroking his chin. He thought about it for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. There was no way around it; he had to allow the captain on the ship.
He yelled the affirmative to his crewman and headed into his stateroom to hide everything valuable. His first mate, Dilgear, followed him to assist in the larger pieces of treasure, and to be briefed on how to proceed in this situation.
"Is this wise, Captain?" he asked softly, helping Zelgadis cover a huge oaken chest with a tablecloth.
Zelgadis sighed and concentrated on his work. "You know as well as I do that nothing can be done about it. The "Mazoku" hasn't fired on us, and Xellos is playing by the rules for once. He wants something very, very badly."
"And what does he want, sir?"
"My guess would be our hot-headed little charge," he replied, scooping handfuls of coins into a pouch and hiding it under the desk. "No doubt he heard of the shipwreck, and of who was missing from the Inverse family. He wants our ransom money."
"And are we going to give it to him, Captain?"
"Of course not, Dilgear."
The half troll nodded and stepped towards the large oaken door, his task complete. "I will see the Captain safely inside this room, sir," he said as he touched the door. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, then turned and looked back at Zelgadis with a strangely compelling look. Zelgadis met his eyes levelly, awaiting his words.
"You can't give her to him, Captain."
Zelgadis stared at his mate's back in shock as he exited the cabin. Dilgear never showed concern for captives. Most of the time he just ran the ship and kept his mouth shut. However, the little firebrand in Zelgadis's cabin seemed to have struck a soft spot in his huge heart. Zelgadis smiled softly and settled into his chair behind the oaken desk. He donned his mask quickly, allowing his lavender hair to remain loose and free.
Xellos stepped onto the "Amelia" humming. He seemed to almost skip off the longboat onto the rope ladder that was thrown down to him. The crew of the "Amelia" was all present and at attention, each one fingering a dagger or blade in his pocket. The Monster Captain was not called a monster for nothing, after all, and he was a powerful sorcerer. He brought along with him four burly crewmen, all armed to the teeth, but their hands were nowhere near their weapons.
Xellos paid the crew of the "Amelia" no mind, his eyes going directly to Dilgear. He smiled annoyingly at the huge man, his voice mocking. "Still hanging around these losers, Dilgear? I would have hoped that you had graduated from all this and would come work for me."
If the words stung Dilgear, he made no sign of it. True enough, the "Amelia" had much smaller payoffs than the "Mazoku", but the Monster Captain would never see things as Dilgear saw them. He would be stuck as a crewman forever, and never move up on the ladder. Moreover, Xellos killed for pleasure, and Dilgear was a passivist at heart. He raised a hand and motioned the captain and his men forward, leading them towards the stateroom. He knocked softly on the door, and Zelgadis called from the inside, "Enter."
Dilgear pushed the door open politely for the captain, but sent a glare at the four crewmen that had accompanied him. "You will wait outside until the captains are finished with their parlay," he growled, taking a menacing step forward.
The crewman, being large men, were still dwarfed by the high of the half- troll, and nodded fearfully before stepping to one side to let him pass. Dilgear strode into the throng of his crew and said in hushed tones, "All hands look busy. Keep alert, but no need to worry yet. Off you go, now."
The crew hurried to do his bidding, and he smiled softly as he mounted the dais to the upper deck. He stood beside the helm, each hand on a different rung, and surveyed the crew scurrying about. Xellos, meanwhile, was leaning against Zelgadis's desk, watching him write out a chart of the Northern Sea. He sighed impatiently and cleared his throat, at which Zelgadis finally looked up. The Chimera's eyes were hard, but he nodded politely at the other captain.
"Welcome aboard, Captain," Zelgadis said formally, standing from behind his desk.
Xellos nodded and stood back from the desk. "You're looking well, Zelgadis," he commented, a wicked glint in his eye. "How is that rash of yours?"
Zelgadis bit his tongue to keep from snarling at the smiling nuisance, and forced a smile. "Oh, I expect it to be gone any day now," he replied. "In fact, I was just mapping out a route to the nearest doctor. Shall I make you a copy?"
"A doctor?" Xellos replied, smiling. "Whatever would I need one of those for?"
"Why, to fix that large hole in your face that resembles an arse-hole. . . oh, excuse me, that's your mouth!"
Xellos's annoying smile dropped from his face faster than an anchor. He frowned at Zelgadis, and then smirked. "Oh, yes, I must get that fixed. By the way, how's your love life? Is there a Lady Freak in your life?"
Zelgadis's face went slightly red, and his hands curled into fists at his sides. His fingernails bit into his palms as he clenched his hands tighter and tighter to stay civil. "No, but at least I stick to high born ladies. You, on the other hand, seem to prefer your mother's type of people. How is your mother, anyway?"
Xellos's face lost all traces of humor. No one talked about his mother and lived. It was common knowledge that Xellos hated his mother, because she had tried to use him to get monies out of his father. He never acknowledged her to anyone, and was careful to steer clear of the port town she resided in. He stepped back up against the desk, laying his palms flat.
"At least I can get a woman," he growled, his eyes narrowing to slits. "You, on the other hand, are a monster through and through. You have to resort to kidnapping innocent girls to get your kicks."
Zelgadis opened his mouth for a sharp reply, but Xellos held up his hand for silence. "That brings me to the reason I came here."
Xellos sat in a hard-backed chair in front of the large desk, resting his elbows on the arms. He steepled his fingers in front of his chest and smiled at Zelgadis. "You have something of great importance to me, Captain Zelgadis."
Zelgadis remained standing behind his desk, but he leaned back now, a guarded expression on his face. "Do I now?" he replied. "And what thing is that?"
"Lina Inverse," Xellos said without further preamble, "is a guest on your ship, is she not?"
Zelgadis's face revealed nothing. "We pulled her from the sea, yes. What does she have to do with you?"
"That is none of your concern," Xellos said, gazing at the captain over his fingertips. "I am willing to trade highly for her."
"Indeed? I assume you want her ransom price, just as we do. Well, you can forget it. My crew has suffered because of that little spitfire, and I intend to make her father pay for the damages."
"She sunk the "Mazoku"."
Zelgadis stared at him, shocked. He sank into his chair, plainly flabbergasted. "Sunk it?" he repeated. "That little slip of a girl sunk your ship?"
"True, I sunk hers first, but payback is expensive."
Zelgadis's eyes went hard again. "You're lying. The "Mazoku" is moored next to us!"
"No, my dear Zelgadis, she is not. That is a new vessel, which I have blessed with the same name as my dear former vessel. I intend to take my revenge on the little brat, and then my crew's revenge. Only then will I sell her back to her father."
Zelgadis could feel his face go red with anger. "I will not trade an innocent girl into your keeping just to lie awake and dream of her tortures. Get off of my ship, Captain, for you have nothing at all that I value more than that."
Xellos looked at him for a heartbeat, then stood and reached into his pocket. Zelgadis's hand went to his sword, ready to draw at the first sound of steel being freed from a scabbard, but Xellos surprised him yet again. He withdrew his hand from his pocket and set a small, green orb on the table.
The clouds inside the orb swirled in a never-ending tornado, and Zelgadis's eyes went wide. "The Orb of Glenkirk. . ." he whispered reverently.
He stared up at the Monster Captain. "You're not serious."
"The girl for the Orb," Xellos replied. "Take it or leave it, but rest assured, my dear Zelgadis, I will have her. I am giving you this chance to win. If you refuse me, I and my entire crew will never rest until your ship is down in the deep with mine!" Zelgadis looked up at him, then back at the orb. He swallowed hard. That orb was everything he ever wanted. Everything he ever dreamed. Was one slip of a girl worth his entire life, and the lives of his crew?
Was she?
~*********************~
~~Heh heh heh. I seem to have a love for cliffhangers recently. Did you enjoy it? I will update again soon, and hopefully this LONG chapter will keep you busy until I can decide what to do next. Should Zelgadis take the offer? Review!
~~Also, if any of you have noticed or cared, I have taken down my other Slayers story, "Rescuing the Damsel." I apologize if it was a favorite of yours, but rest assured that it will be back as soon as I can finish rewriting it away from all the problems of Fanfiction.net. Until then, enjoy this continuing story, and my ongoing Inu Yasha story, "Save the Last Dance."