Slayers Labyrinth
By Miss Moony
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers (I'm too lazy to be original. So sue me.)
Note: I decided I didn't want this to be as long as I'd originally intended it to be, so I'm sorry if things seem a little rushed. Also, I'm REALLY sorry for not updating in so long. I have four academics this semester, but I'm putting effort into this because I might be able to score some marks for my English Honours class. And sorry, hard-core Labyrinth fans. . . No Jarreth and Sarah pairing in this story. **dodges flying maces, fireballs, and other Slayers-oriented attacks** As a note, because Labyrinth fans LOVE their Jarreth and Sarah: I'm not saying I don't SUPPORT that pairing. I'm just saying that for the purposes of my story, it's a Sarah-Hoggle story. Okay? And no Bog of Eternal Stench! I'm SORRY!!!
Chapter Four
The trio continued on through the Labyrinth, struggling to put up with the massive blond rug that kept commenting on the scenery whenever he felt inspired to say something idiotic. Zel had taken to walking between the fiery sorceress and the blond beast, as she kept trying to steal Gourry's sword, though Zel still found himself trying to figure out where he kept the thing, and she kept trying to beat him whenever he said something stupid. Which was quite often. Though he himself could understand the temptation, he had a bit more self-control from than the short red-head, and appointed himself 'Protector of the Great Dumb One.'
So they wandered around the Labyrinth, seemingly getting nowhere, and Zel found his mind shifting from where Gourry kept the Sword of Light to whether or not Lina knew where she was going. Although she radiated an aura of confidence, the scenery around them never changed, and he was beginning to believe that they were just going around in circles. Knowing Lina, though, he didn't dare question her, for fear of flying fireballs.
Lina watched her blue-skinned companion as they made their way through a wild forest that had somehow grown in the Labyrinth's walls. Thick, maroon trunks acted as walls, twisting and turning so that they would face dead ends, turn around, then find another one. Their wide blue leaves blocked out the sunlight, making it difficult to see where they were going, and she herself was having trouble remembering the route. She noticed Zel's aggravation, but silently scolded him for expecting to get through the Labyrinth in the time limit that he'd given her. She had no idea why he was in such a hurry, but it was impossible to do it in 12 hours, so he would simply have to be a little late. She studied him out of the corner of her eye, noticing his intense expressions of concern, and wondered what he was thinking about. He'd eventually removed his face from cover, stripping himself of his cloak in the humidity of the jungle, and she hoped that he didn't notice her gaze and replace his mask. He was really quite intriguing. His eyes sparkled like brilliant sapphires and his smooth, rock skin seemed to be a polished marble, except for the shining pebbles that were sprinkled across his face. An unavoidable thought popped into Lina's head, and she considered it before her natural defenses could push it aside as ridiculous. She felt herself wondering what Zel's skin felt like, and she laughed nervously, causing him to look her way. It seemed he HAD noticed her stare and he moved to replace his hood, frowning slightly.
"No, Zel, stop!" She said, sternly.
"It's really hot, Zel. Why do you want your cape on?" Gourry asked, uncomfortably scratching his shaggy mane of blond hair. Zel glared at Lina, whose hand was grabbing the cape draped over his arm.
"I'll make that sacrifice so that others feel more comfortable." He said, his eyes cold with depression more than loathing. Lina frowned at him, unable to believe that he could think he looked so horrible.
"For your information, I was admiring your fine physique." She said, smugly. Zel raised an eyebrow, studying her as her expression slowly changed when what she'd said finally sunk in. A faint rose tinge graced her cheeks, and her brow furrowed.
"I meant it looks cool." She blurted, turning abruptly and pointing towards a cluster of purple-leaved bushes. "I believe we go this way, now. Follow me." She headed away from them, disappearing among the foliage. Zel and Gourry stared after her.
"Lina think you're pretty." Gourry said, smiling. "But you gotta tell her you're too old for her." Her scratched his fur again, then his massive legs moved towards the bushes, following Lina.
"She's 16." Zel wasn't even listening to Gourry shocked replies as he followed the sorceress, coming upon the remains of an old stone path, the blond beast blundering along behind him.
Note: Alliteration is fun ^_^
Zel studied the path, noting it to be vacant, and frowned. Where had she gone?
"Lina?" Zel called, peering around the bend in the trees.
"Liiiiinaaaa!!!" Gourry joined in, shouting at the top of his lungs. When they received no reply, he turned to Zel and shrugged. "I think she left us."
Zel felt his stomach droop as he realized that Gourry might be right. After all, he wasn't paying her anything to be their guide, she'd just come along for free. He'd been starting to enjoy her company, and now that she'd left him alone with the God of Stupidity, he was realizing how useful she'd actually been. He sighed, shaking his head as he beckoned for Gourry to follow. They trudged down the path, but had hardly gone three steps before Zel stopped in his tracks, his demon ears prickling at noises Gourry couldn't hear.
"Zel! Gourry! ANYBODY!" Lina's voice was faint and distant, but it seemed to be coming from Zel's right. He turned without a second thought, bolting through the trees.
"Lina?!" He cried, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Nothing but the maroon trunks of the trees found his gaze, and he cursed. He kept running, his legs pumping as fast as they could until he came upon a clearing. Although it appeared vacant at first, his eyes feel upon a granite staircase, hardly visible in the shadows of the foliage. He headed for it, pounding up the steps as he heard Gourry following close behind, calling his name.
"Quiet!" Zel hissed, straining his ears to hear above his pants as he climbed the stairway.. Its top had been cut off from view by the canopy of the trees, but as he ascended, it seemed to be much taller then he'd originally believed.
'How could Lina have gotten this far?' He asked himself, but did not consider turning around. Her pleas for help still managed to reach his ears, and they told him he was going in the right direction. They grew steadily louder, before they stopped, abruptly, and Zel panicked, his hear thumping in his chest. He used any demon strength that Rezo had granted him and flew up the stairs like a lightning bolt.
As he finally reached the top of the stairs, the vision that met him was so utterly confusing that he cursed, exhausted from his flight. Rezo stood there, robed in his scarlet hues, towering over Lina, who was tied to a pillar. A giant, grotesque slug was slowly making its way towards her, but Zel could see no reason for her desperate cries. He was unable to ask her what caused her plight, for her head was drooped across her chest, her eyes closed. He only prayed that she was just unconscious.
"Lina!" Gourry arrived soon after Zel, out of breath but equally shocked by the scene. Rezo slowly turned towards them, a small smirk on his face as he seemed to study the newcomers, though his eyes were closed.
"My dear Zel," He started, his arms stretching out as if he intended to embrace the younger man. Zel shot him a disgusted glance and the priest backed off, realizing it would not be a good idea. "You've been very clever in hiring Lina to be your guide, but she's been working for me. You're farther from my kingdom then you were when you started." He teased, hi soft voice infuriatingly amused. Zel turned his eyes away from Lina, content that she wasn't dead. He directed his stony – both figuratively and literally – gaze towards the red priest, studying his expression.
"Liar." He said, finally. Rezo shrugged.
"Yes, well, I imagine it must be hard to believe when I have her tied up and in apparent turmoil, so I'll admit that she's helping you, and I'm not influencing her in the least. But it was an appropriate distraction, don't you think? You are now. . . perhaps. . . half an hour behind schedule." He mused, his fingers playing with his chin in a mock of contemplation.
"That's not FAIR!" Zel cried, his fists clenching at his sides.
"No it isn't." Rezo admitted. "But what can you do about it?" Zel decided that charging madly in Rezo's direction would do SOMETHING about it, but when the priest disappeared, reappearing, in the next moment, by Zel's side, he was stunned into silence.
"If she kisses you," The Red Priest whispered into his ear, "I'll turn your soul into a demon's, too." Zel almost laughed.
"You don't have to worry about THAT happening." He replied, bitterly. Rezo pulled away, smiling at the chimera.
"You sound like you wish it would." He smirked, before vanishing into thin air. Zel felt the heat rise up his neck towards his face, and he blamed it on his anger. However, as he quickly rushed over to Lina, untying her and kneeling, resting her on his knee, he reconsidered. It was possible that he was just embarrassed because he knew Rezo was right.
'Well, it wouldn't be that bad. . .' He thought, angrily, but he was interrupted by Gourry's clueless voice.
"Is she dead?" He asked, concern on his large face.
"No, just unconscious." Zel replied, giving Gourry what he thought was an assuring glance. He managed to catch the vacant expression on Gourry's face and sighed.
"She's asleep." He explained, and Gourry nodded, understanding finally appearing in his eyes.
"That's kind of silly. LINA, WAKE UP!!!"
Zel winced and stepped back, not wanting to be in her line of fire when she graced them with her conscious presence, but he didn't stop the waking red-head from casting a nasty spell on the mass of shaggy blond hair, as he felt Gourry would learn a valuable lesson that way:
"Don't wake Lina when the slug is still there."
Zel's earlier question about the inspiration for Lina's screams was answered as she grabbed him and held him before her like a shield, whimpering and cowering behind him as sobs overcame her. He felt her heaving form huddled against his back and a mix between amused and disbelieving emotions overcame him as he studied the knee-high, sliming creature. He chuckled, turning to grasp one of her arms, and lead her down the stair case, taking one last glance at the sky before descending below the forest canopy. He caught the position of the sun, and subconsciously tried to time its position, nearly screaming as the result popped into his head. Dread filled his heart as he rushed Gourry and Lina down the granite stair case, begging them to hurry.
They had six hours left.
By Miss Moony
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers (I'm too lazy to be original. So sue me.)
Note: I decided I didn't want this to be as long as I'd originally intended it to be, so I'm sorry if things seem a little rushed. Also, I'm REALLY sorry for not updating in so long. I have four academics this semester, but I'm putting effort into this because I might be able to score some marks for my English Honours class. And sorry, hard-core Labyrinth fans. . . No Jarreth and Sarah pairing in this story. **dodges flying maces, fireballs, and other Slayers-oriented attacks** As a note, because Labyrinth fans LOVE their Jarreth and Sarah: I'm not saying I don't SUPPORT that pairing. I'm just saying that for the purposes of my story, it's a Sarah-Hoggle story. Okay? And no Bog of Eternal Stench! I'm SORRY!!!
Chapter Four
The trio continued on through the Labyrinth, struggling to put up with the massive blond rug that kept commenting on the scenery whenever he felt inspired to say something idiotic. Zel had taken to walking between the fiery sorceress and the blond beast, as she kept trying to steal Gourry's sword, though Zel still found himself trying to figure out where he kept the thing, and she kept trying to beat him whenever he said something stupid. Which was quite often. Though he himself could understand the temptation, he had a bit more self-control from than the short red-head, and appointed himself 'Protector of the Great Dumb One.'
So they wandered around the Labyrinth, seemingly getting nowhere, and Zel found his mind shifting from where Gourry kept the Sword of Light to whether or not Lina knew where she was going. Although she radiated an aura of confidence, the scenery around them never changed, and he was beginning to believe that they were just going around in circles. Knowing Lina, though, he didn't dare question her, for fear of flying fireballs.
Lina watched her blue-skinned companion as they made their way through a wild forest that had somehow grown in the Labyrinth's walls. Thick, maroon trunks acted as walls, twisting and turning so that they would face dead ends, turn around, then find another one. Their wide blue leaves blocked out the sunlight, making it difficult to see where they were going, and she herself was having trouble remembering the route. She noticed Zel's aggravation, but silently scolded him for expecting to get through the Labyrinth in the time limit that he'd given her. She had no idea why he was in such a hurry, but it was impossible to do it in 12 hours, so he would simply have to be a little late. She studied him out of the corner of her eye, noticing his intense expressions of concern, and wondered what he was thinking about. He'd eventually removed his face from cover, stripping himself of his cloak in the humidity of the jungle, and she hoped that he didn't notice her gaze and replace his mask. He was really quite intriguing. His eyes sparkled like brilliant sapphires and his smooth, rock skin seemed to be a polished marble, except for the shining pebbles that were sprinkled across his face. An unavoidable thought popped into Lina's head, and she considered it before her natural defenses could push it aside as ridiculous. She felt herself wondering what Zel's skin felt like, and she laughed nervously, causing him to look her way. It seemed he HAD noticed her stare and he moved to replace his hood, frowning slightly.
"No, Zel, stop!" She said, sternly.
"It's really hot, Zel. Why do you want your cape on?" Gourry asked, uncomfortably scratching his shaggy mane of blond hair. Zel glared at Lina, whose hand was grabbing the cape draped over his arm.
"I'll make that sacrifice so that others feel more comfortable." He said, his eyes cold with depression more than loathing. Lina frowned at him, unable to believe that he could think he looked so horrible.
"For your information, I was admiring your fine physique." She said, smugly. Zel raised an eyebrow, studying her as her expression slowly changed when what she'd said finally sunk in. A faint rose tinge graced her cheeks, and her brow furrowed.
"I meant it looks cool." She blurted, turning abruptly and pointing towards a cluster of purple-leaved bushes. "I believe we go this way, now. Follow me." She headed away from them, disappearing among the foliage. Zel and Gourry stared after her.
"Lina think you're pretty." Gourry said, smiling. "But you gotta tell her you're too old for her." Her scratched his fur again, then his massive legs moved towards the bushes, following Lina.
"She's 16." Zel wasn't even listening to Gourry shocked replies as he followed the sorceress, coming upon the remains of an old stone path, the blond beast blundering along behind him.
Note: Alliteration is fun ^_^
Zel studied the path, noting it to be vacant, and frowned. Where had she gone?
"Lina?" Zel called, peering around the bend in the trees.
"Liiiiinaaaa!!!" Gourry joined in, shouting at the top of his lungs. When they received no reply, he turned to Zel and shrugged. "I think she left us."
Zel felt his stomach droop as he realized that Gourry might be right. After all, he wasn't paying her anything to be their guide, she'd just come along for free. He'd been starting to enjoy her company, and now that she'd left him alone with the God of Stupidity, he was realizing how useful she'd actually been. He sighed, shaking his head as he beckoned for Gourry to follow. They trudged down the path, but had hardly gone three steps before Zel stopped in his tracks, his demon ears prickling at noises Gourry couldn't hear.
"Zel! Gourry! ANYBODY!" Lina's voice was faint and distant, but it seemed to be coming from Zel's right. He turned without a second thought, bolting through the trees.
"Lina?!" He cried, his eyes scanning his surroundings. Nothing but the maroon trunks of the trees found his gaze, and he cursed. He kept running, his legs pumping as fast as they could until he came upon a clearing. Although it appeared vacant at first, his eyes feel upon a granite staircase, hardly visible in the shadows of the foliage. He headed for it, pounding up the steps as he heard Gourry following close behind, calling his name.
"Quiet!" Zel hissed, straining his ears to hear above his pants as he climbed the stairway.. Its top had been cut off from view by the canopy of the trees, but as he ascended, it seemed to be much taller then he'd originally believed.
'How could Lina have gotten this far?' He asked himself, but did not consider turning around. Her pleas for help still managed to reach his ears, and they told him he was going in the right direction. They grew steadily louder, before they stopped, abruptly, and Zel panicked, his hear thumping in his chest. He used any demon strength that Rezo had granted him and flew up the stairs like a lightning bolt.
As he finally reached the top of the stairs, the vision that met him was so utterly confusing that he cursed, exhausted from his flight. Rezo stood there, robed in his scarlet hues, towering over Lina, who was tied to a pillar. A giant, grotesque slug was slowly making its way towards her, but Zel could see no reason for her desperate cries. He was unable to ask her what caused her plight, for her head was drooped across her chest, her eyes closed. He only prayed that she was just unconscious.
"Lina!" Gourry arrived soon after Zel, out of breath but equally shocked by the scene. Rezo slowly turned towards them, a small smirk on his face as he seemed to study the newcomers, though his eyes were closed.
"My dear Zel," He started, his arms stretching out as if he intended to embrace the younger man. Zel shot him a disgusted glance and the priest backed off, realizing it would not be a good idea. "You've been very clever in hiring Lina to be your guide, but she's been working for me. You're farther from my kingdom then you were when you started." He teased, hi soft voice infuriatingly amused. Zel turned his eyes away from Lina, content that she wasn't dead. He directed his stony – both figuratively and literally – gaze towards the red priest, studying his expression.
"Liar." He said, finally. Rezo shrugged.
"Yes, well, I imagine it must be hard to believe when I have her tied up and in apparent turmoil, so I'll admit that she's helping you, and I'm not influencing her in the least. But it was an appropriate distraction, don't you think? You are now. . . perhaps. . . half an hour behind schedule." He mused, his fingers playing with his chin in a mock of contemplation.
"That's not FAIR!" Zel cried, his fists clenching at his sides.
"No it isn't." Rezo admitted. "But what can you do about it?" Zel decided that charging madly in Rezo's direction would do SOMETHING about it, but when the priest disappeared, reappearing, in the next moment, by Zel's side, he was stunned into silence.
"If she kisses you," The Red Priest whispered into his ear, "I'll turn your soul into a demon's, too." Zel almost laughed.
"You don't have to worry about THAT happening." He replied, bitterly. Rezo pulled away, smiling at the chimera.
"You sound like you wish it would." He smirked, before vanishing into thin air. Zel felt the heat rise up his neck towards his face, and he blamed it on his anger. However, as he quickly rushed over to Lina, untying her and kneeling, resting her on his knee, he reconsidered. It was possible that he was just embarrassed because he knew Rezo was right.
'Well, it wouldn't be that bad. . .' He thought, angrily, but he was interrupted by Gourry's clueless voice.
"Is she dead?" He asked, concern on his large face.
"No, just unconscious." Zel replied, giving Gourry what he thought was an assuring glance. He managed to catch the vacant expression on Gourry's face and sighed.
"She's asleep." He explained, and Gourry nodded, understanding finally appearing in his eyes.
"That's kind of silly. LINA, WAKE UP!!!"
Zel winced and stepped back, not wanting to be in her line of fire when she graced them with her conscious presence, but he didn't stop the waking red-head from casting a nasty spell on the mass of shaggy blond hair, as he felt Gourry would learn a valuable lesson that way:
"Don't wake Lina when the slug is still there."
Zel's earlier question about the inspiration for Lina's screams was answered as she grabbed him and held him before her like a shield, whimpering and cowering behind him as sobs overcame her. He felt her heaving form huddled against his back and a mix between amused and disbelieving emotions overcame him as he studied the knee-high, sliming creature. He chuckled, turning to grasp one of her arms, and lead her down the stair case, taking one last glance at the sky before descending below the forest canopy. He caught the position of the sun, and subconsciously tried to time its position, nearly screaming as the result popped into his head. Dread filled his heart as he rushed Gourry and Lina down the granite stair case, begging them to hurry.
They had six hours left.