Protector
Chapter: 4
As Darkness Descends
The group was on the road again, but this time with some extra baggage, and Durzan the bounty hunter was leading the way. The slayers crew had somewhat unwillingly allowed him to come with them on their search for Zelgadis. Mainly it was because they didn't want him getting to Zel without them there. As they marched on Lina silently ruminated on the situation, 'I don't trust this guy as far as I can throw him. But, if he can lead us to Zel then we'll keep him around until that time then get rid of him. I mean come on he's just a bounty hunter how hard can it be to get rid of him.'
At the same time Durzan seemed to be sorting through something in his mind as well. Little did the group know he was carrying on a secret conversation with his sword. 'Mortis, just why was I sent to protect Lina Inverse. Isn't she the enemy of the mazuko race,' Durzan mentally asked his sword.
'Not even I can answer that one master Zelgadis. Lord Vladimir has his reasons and that is all I need to know,' Mortis answered Durzan's question to the best of his ability.
'Ok, well maybe you can tell me what I am capable of in this new body, well other than the form changing and the teleportation,' Durzan changed subjects.
'Ah, now that I can answer in detail. Now that you are a mazuko you can tap the darker energies of this world. You can harness pure energy to your will, but you being a sorcerer before means that you can now do black magic. You have lost all of what white and healing magic you know, but your shaman magic has also received a boost because of your strong connection with the astral plane,' Mortis answered sagely.
'So I could cast a dragon slave if I wished,' Durzan thought.
'Yes master Zelgadis you could. I just suggest you don't go waving your new found power around to much or our cover will be blown,' Mortis warned.
'I know...I know Mortis its just having this much ability is a bit overwhelming. And the ability to look how I want as well,' Durzan thought as he looked at his flesh hands.
He was soon knocked out of his conversation when Lina yelled, "Hey, Mister won't talk, I asked you a question."
Durzan turned and looked at her for a second before asking with a bit of annoyance in his voice, "What is it?"
"I asked if we are stopping in that town just up ahead for the night or not," Lina asked somewhat enraged at the tone of voice he was taking with her.
"If that's what you wish then fine," Durzan said as he turned and began walking again.
'Why that little...,' Lina fumed as she followed him towards the town.
The gang soon found themselves in a nice sized port town that they had seen earlier that day. As they found an inn in the town they all purchased rooms and then came down for food. As Lina and company finished ordering their huge meal, they were soon joined by Durzan. The waiter slowly walked towards the bounty hunter and asked nervously, "Um...Sir what do you want to eat?"
"I'll take this and a cup of tea," Durzan answered to the waiter's relief.
As the waiter left Durzan was meet by two glaring sets of eyes, and one pair of eyes that probably couldn't show anger if they wanted. He smirked slightly as he asked sarcastically, "It seems your angered."
Lina fumed and then shouted, "Damn straight I'm angry! First, you show up hunting our friend and expect our help in your search. Then you start with this high and mighty attitude with us. So of course I'm angry!"
Durzan shrugged and then answered, "Or, maybe it could be that I just don't roll over and do what you want just because you Lina Inverse."
'How dare he,' Lina thought enraged at the answer Durzan had given her, "Now listen here buddy if you think you can just come in here and run the show then you...," Lina was soon cut off by an explosion outside.
As the group raced outside they saw a group of people walking down the street. The leader soon let off a bolt of energy and it told them that these were Mazuko. Lina was about to fire off a spell when she heard Durzan whispered to her, "You shouldn't do that. People could get hurt. We need to draw them away."
"Well who do we do that," Lina asked as she looked at Durzan.
"There she is," one of the Mazuko said as he pointed and continued, "There's Lina Inverse."
"Like that," Durzan answered as he picked Lina up and ran with her towards the docks.
As he ran he battled with a kicking screaming Lina. "What do you think your doing. How dare you..."
"Be silent. I'm trying to help you here so quit struggling," Durzan answered as he dropped her on one of the docks as the Mazuko closed.
"What can you do," Lina scoffed as she readied a spell.
"Shut up and watch," Durzan answered as he drew his sword.
Lina looked to see a blood red sword that was serrated all the way down the blade. As he walked forward Lina huffed and thought, 'Let's see how good you are mister hot stuff.'
The mazuko stopped and said, "Move out of the way. All we want is the girl. But, if you wish to die then that is your choice."
"Come and get me then," Durzan taunted as he leveled his sword.
"As you wish," said the mazuko as the leader shot of a blast of energy.
"Mortis awaken," Durzan shouted as the blade came alive, glowing with a blood red light.
Just as the bolt made its way towards Durzan he lifted the blade and parried the shot into the air. Continuing with the momentum he had built Durzan brought the blade up into a forward thrusting stance as he moved towards the mazuko. "Was that just all talk or are you having second thoughts," Durzan continued to taunt the mazuko.
"Now you die," yelled a mazuko as he teleported and appeared behind Durzan in a blink of an eye.
"Look out," Lina yelled but it was too late the bolt of dark energy hit the bounty hunter in the back and sent him sprawling to the ground.
The other two moved towards Durzan while the main attacker turned towards Lina with a smug grin on his face. "Some protector the great Lina Inverse has," he mocked before hearing a scream from behind him.
He turned to see the human with his sword planted in one of his comrades chest. As he was standing the human shot of a blast ash and totally destroyed the second. The attacker backed away slightly, losing some of that confidence, and charged shouting, "Die!"
Before he could close on the man he heard Lina yell, "Fireball," and then was hit with the spell.
The last mazuko was knocked off course by Lina's spell and she quickly followed up with her own blast ash. The creature never knew what hit it as it crumbled into dust in front of her. Lina turned to see Durzan standing up with a bit of trouble. She walked over and offered a hand that he graciously accepted. "So you do know what your doing," she remarked teasingly.
"Not know what your doing is a quick way to get yourself killed," Durzan answered in his calm voice seemingly unaffected by Lina's verbal jab.
Lina looked to Durzan's back to see it was bruised and slightly bleeding. "Hey, your injured, let me take a look at that," she demanded.
"I'm fine," Durzan replied as he brushed her away, "It was just a lower rank mazuko. I'll be fine."
"You can stop the tough act I can see how your having trouble walking," Lina retorted.
"It's nothing if I let every little bump and scratch take me out then I would never get out," he scoffed as he walked towards the inn.
'That arrogant sonofa....,' Lina thought as she followed him to the inn.
Durzan sat on his bed at the inn in a bit of a meditative state. He had removed his shirt and was allowing his mazuko body to heal. 'Lina thinks that I am acting arrogant. Well, I am alright, the main reason I couldn't walk straight was because of how odd my natural healing ability feels,' Durzan thought as he sat there staring into nothing. 'I know Vladimir sent me to protect her form rouge mazuko, but why would he care. Wouldn't it be better for him if the rogues killed Lina then he could pretty much kill two birds with one stone....I don't know,' Durzan dropped his head in frustration. As his healing was finishing up he heard a whisper in his mind saying, "Zelgadis, come to the docks."
He quickly put on his shirt and pictured the dock in his mind. He soon teleported to the dock he had battled on earlier that evening. He looked around but saw no one. He soon felt a very familiar power source and turned towards an alley saying, "I know its you Vladimir so you can come out."
"Very impressive, Zelgadis," Vladimir commented as he stepped out into the moonlight, "Not many newborn mazuko could detect and tell a power aura that well."
"It just kinda happened," Zelgadis admitted as he changed to his normal human visage.
"It's because you have always had a piece of mazuko in you since you were born," Vladimir answered.
"What do you mean since I was born," Zelgadis asked, quite confused by what Vladimir said.
"Your birth mother was mazuko," Vladimir answered nonchalantly.
"What!," Zel almost screamed, having never known his parents.
"That's not important," Vladimir interrupted, "What is important is to tell you that your job has became a bit harder."
"Who's that," Zel asked becoming slightly impatient at Vladimir's words.
"Lina has acquired an item that I was after. If the rogues find out about it they will try to get to Lina even more than we thought. So be prepared for increasing attacks," Vladimir warned.
"Nothing I can't take care of," Zel answered.
"Rather sure of yourself. Don't become too smug like most of our race. That is our downside, we become too arrogant and don't realize when we are outmatched," Vladimir again warned.
"I'm alright," Zel began, "But, that energy bolt was stronger than I thought it would be."
Vladimir chuckled slightly and said, "The lower ranks will sometimes surprise you with their ability. But, its getting late and you'd better get back to your post."
Zel nodded as his form melted back into the visage of Durzan and he reply in his now deep, bass voice, "Not to worry."
Vladimir nodded as he phased out leaving Durzan on the docks.
'Well the show must go on,' Durzan thought as he teleported back into his room and got ready to act like he was sleeping. 'Nothing to worry I can sense a mazuko coming from a mile away, and I don't need sleep,' he continued to muse as he closed his eyes and slowed his breathing to look as of sleep. "Two days and she has tried to blow me up yet," he joked out loud, "I think that's some kind of record for someone who has gotten on his nerves like I have the last two days."
Durzan went into a meditative state while keeping his guard on the same inn that the slayer gang was staying for the night. Nothing could come close without him sensing it, everything gave off some kind of energy aura, and he could distinguish between them all. "No one is getting past me," he vowed as he continued on into the night.
In a dark hall a figure sat on a throne of stone waiting for news of his minions mission. He was soon brought out of his thinking by one of the messengers running in screaming, "Master...Master they have been defeated!"
"What," the figure asked with an enraged tone while he rose form the throne.
"Some...some guy helped Lina Inverse defeat them master," the messenger replied while kneeling before the master.
"What did this man look like," the master asked with intrigue.
"I don't know master, but he carried a sword of blood red and called it Mortis," the messenger again replied.
"I see," the master said as he sat down to think, "Only one being owns that sword. But, I wouldn't think he would directly intervene like that. Did the man wear a half black and half white mask," asked the master.
"No master," answered the messenger.
'I see. Vladimir has sent a minion of his own, but I thought the only mazuko that followed him was Illianna. This is interesting,' the master thought as he looked at the messenger, "Summon old Ristos, he has dealings with the knight. He will help us to destroy this obstacle!"
"Yes, Master," the messenger yelled as he phased out to summon Ristos.
"You made the first move Vladimir, but now its my turn," the master chuckled darkly as he waited for the arrival of Ristos.
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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