Protector
Chapter: 5
Of Tricksters and Hermits
The morning in the town started as usual. People up early to begin working and trading, but it was a bit different. The carpenter had never been this busy before. Because of the attack last night the carpenter and his team had multiple houses to repair and one dock to fix. It was all in a days work, but a days work they would never wish for because of the destruction that took place to make the work. As the town began its normal routine a stranger walked into town. At first the new formed volunteer guard thought to question him. But, quickly dismissed it as he was identified to be one of the robes of the priesthood. After identifying him the stranger was allowed to go on without further harassment. The priest smiled to himself as he assessed the town. 'Hmm...defiantly a mazuko attack,' he thought as he continued to walk, 'Oh, I can sense Lina-chan, what fun this will be...Wait, I can sense another aura...one I have never before, this could be interesting,' the purple haired priest thought as he walked towards the inn.
Lina awoke the next morning feeling a bit better than when she went to bed. She was still a bit ticked at Durzan though and she continued to think ill of the bounty hunter as she dressed. 'Miser mightier than thou, doesn't need anyone's help. What a pompous, arrogant son of a bitch that man is, when I get the chance I'm going to ring his neck.' She continued to fume as she made her way downstairs. She sat down at a table and didn't even notice the smirking face across from her until it said, "Bad day Lina-chan?"
"Yeah kinda...Xellos," Lina shouted as she looked up at the smirking trickster priest. "What are you here for?!"
"Oh I'm here to check up on you and this attack by the mazuko," Xellos actually didn't attempt to cover it up in his trademark saying.
Lina glared at him, "How do I know you aren't here to finish what they started," and asked dangerously.
"Aww, what's the matter Lina-chan, don't you trust me," Xellos mock whined as he snuggled close to Lina.
Before Lina could do anything she heard his voice from behind saying, "Interesting form of stress relief you have there Lina," as Durzan sat down at the table with a wide smirk on his face.
Lina turned red with anger as she slammed Xellos' head through the floor board. She then turned to Durzan and said, "You're going to be next if you keep it up!"
"Hey not too bad a wine cellar they got here," Xellos said as he tired to dislodge his head from the floor.
Lina just rolled her eyes as Durzan looked at the man and then made a remark, "Oh...It's a mazuko...how wonderful," as he thought, 'What is that damned fruitcake doing here!?'
"Well at least you aren't a total idiot," Lina remark with a small smirk.
Xellos phased out and back into his seat to be meet with Durzan's face. He then looked at Lina while teasingly asking, "So got tired of Gourry and decided for something new Lina-chan?"
Xellos soon found himself looking at the same wine cellar as before with Lina yelling above him, "Don't you even suggest that I enjoy traveling around with this asshole. And, for your information, Gourry is still asleep and so is Amelia."
Xellos again phased into his chair and smiled at Lina. "My, has he pissed you off that much," Xellos teased, "I must get to know him then."
Durzan glared at Xellos as he relied, "I'd rather you didn't."
"What's the matter? Has Lina been filling your head with false tales of me," Xellos continued with his mock feelings.
"No, Lina and I rarely speak so I haven't heard anything about you from her," Durzan replied uninterested.
Xellos opened one eye and looked at the man, "Well what have you done to incur her wrath?"
"He's a bounty hunter and he is hunting Zelgadis," Lina huffed while looking away.
Xellos smirked, one because of this interesting bit of news, and two because he knew the bounty hunters secret. 'Only a mazuko can carry such an aura. So are you here to protect or hurt Lina-chan,' Xellos thought as he turned to Lina and said, "Ohh, did he hit a soft spot by hunting your little chimera," before Lina sent him into the roof.
Durzan sweatdropped at the mazuko priest now hanging from the ceiling with a fuming Lina Inverse looking at the mazuko. "Zel is a friend and I won't let this guy have him, but don't insinuate things about us," Lina yelled.
"He's a mazuko...you're not really hurting him and besides he is enjoying it," Durzan said nonchalantly as he sipped his morning coffee.
Lina glared daggers at Durzan for pointing out the obvious, "Don't start with me. You're not a mazuko so if I do that to you it will hurt."
Durzan shrugged but then looked at Xellos when he heard a scream from above. It was soon followed by Xellos' voice, "And, a very good morning to you to, Amelia-chan," before he was slammed to the floor.
Xellos phased back into his chair for the third time in about a half hour. He then looked at Durzan and saw something that he though he wouldn't ever see again...Mortis the sword of blood. 'Hmm...either he killed the knight of shabarnigdo, which I doubt, or he is working for him. If that is so then he is here to protect Lina-chan,' Xellos thought as he moved towards Durzan. He then laid his hands on the sword and said, "A nice sword you have here...I wonder how many people you had to kill to get a hold of this...," Xellos was soon sent flying into a wall.
Lina eyes grew wide, but her mouth was in a smirk, as she saw someone actually get a rise out of Durzan. She watched amused as he walked over to Xellos and picked him up by the collar. "This sword has been past down in my family for ages and I will not have you disgrace it by saying I stole it!"
After he finished he dropped the mazuko and sat down again and mumbled, "Fruitcake," before looking at Lina.
"And what's so amusing," he asked when he saw the smirk on her face.
"It's just that's the first time I have ever seen you lose your cool," she commented coyly while thinking, 'Talk about being like your victim. This guy and Zel share enough in common. They both are anti-social, prideful, have an extreme hatred of Xellos, and don't eat that much.'
"Though a bounty hunter I may be I am not a thief. And, I don't count the retort of I steal life so don't dare try it," Durzan warned after explaining his actions.
"I'm not going to argue it with you because you will not add Zel's to your list of victims," Lina huffed as she turned her noise up at him.
Durzan just rolled his eyes and went back to his coffee as Xellos phased back into the chair. Xellos faced forward but in his mind sent a message to the sword at Durzan's side. 'So we meet again. I thought I would never see you again in my life.'
'And hello to you to Xellos. Yes, it has been quite some time. I believe the war of the monster's fall was the last time we met. What is it you, or should I say Beastmaster, want,' Mortis replied to Xellos.
'Just wondering who the knight has sent to protect Lina-chan,' Xellos sent back.
'I can't tell you that. Strict orders from Lord Vladimir, but I can tell you that he is closer to Lina than she knows. This Durzan bit is just an act to stay with the group without letting the renegades know what is going on,' Mortis replied
'Well then I guess I will just sit back and watch the fun,' Xellos replied as he took a sip of tea.
'As you wish...just don't get in his way,' Mortis warned as he went back to his sleep state.
'I won't, but I am interested in who he is. But, I am also here for Lina-chan's protection, if he can't do his job then I will," thought Xellos as he looked at this Durzan.
On a cliff overlooking the decent sized port town sat an old man with a following of some younger men and women. He stroked his beard as he sat and thought. "Let's see...Lina Inverse is in the inn and she has some visitors," he stated in general.
"If we do this right we can set up the perfect trap for them," he continued speaking to himself.
"And what do we need to do Ristos," asked a young silver haired mazuko.
"We need to position a team of three there, there, there, there, and there," Ristos pointed to areas in the town that formed a pentagram.
"What are you planning in that head of yours," a young female mazuko asked.
"To seal them within that area of the town and continue to assault them with lesser demons until their ready for the kill," Ristos answered while still rubbing his beard.
"I see," continued the female, "and the other two are to protect the one helping with the barrier."
"Correct," Ristos replied, "they would be sitting ducks as soon as they figured it out."
"So when shall we strike," asked the man.
"Tonight...when they least expect it," Ristos commented with a dark smirk.
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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