Protector

Chapter: 19

An Unexpected Welcoming


Another chapter up and the next will be out soon hopefully. Protector's back and it's rolling on. Sorry to keep you all waiting.


As soon as Lina regained her sense of direction she found her and Luna in the middle of a giant ruin. As she looked off to one side she heard, in almost a growl, a female voice say, "Xellos! How many people are you going to bring home!"

All heads turned to see a she-wolf that was as much human as wolf. She stood upon human legs as she viewed the new visitors to her domain. Her bare arms where covered in a lavender fur and her fingers ended in claws. Her head was that of a wolf as she turned her predatory gaze right at Xellos. The final pieces were the solid black bat wings that came from her shoulders and wrapped around her body like a cloak. She took a few steps forward before asking, "Well, who are these two Xellos?"

Xellos bowed and spoke lowly, "Master these are the Inverse sisters Lina, and Luna."

At the mention of the names the creatures eyes widened and in second she changed to a human form. Her lavender hair cascaded down to the middle of her back and her skin was a pure white. Her blue eyes gazed at the sisters as she walked closer and said, "So these are the Inverse sisters. I have wanted to meet the both of you for quite some time."

Lina blinked a few times before asking, "That's it! No attacking us, no torturing us! Just a hello?"

Zelas chuckled as she produced her cigarette holder, and lit the cigarette, before taking a drag and exhaling. She then looked at Lina before saying, "Well, that is what I had in mind, but if you want the others I could oblige."

Lina sweatdropped and then asked, "So you don't really care that I helped kill two of your fellow lords, Darkstar, and Shabarnigdo himself!"

Zelas laughed as she came a little closer to Lina and said, "Not really. To tell you the truth I'm glad you came along. Thanks to you I no longer have to struggle with Hellmaster for power; I've become one of the strongest mazuko in the world."

Lina's mouth hung open as she tried to assimilate the idea that a mazuko lord might want to gain power. "Why don't you want to destroy the earth like the rest of your kind," Lina asked quite exasperated.

Luna laid a hand on Lina's shoulder and the younger sister clamed up. Luna walked forward and looked at Zelas for a moment before saying, "So it is true."

Lina looked at Luna and asked, "What is true?"

"The dragons had a theory that the dark lord used other creatures or elements in his lords to give them certain personalities. Gaav was made of a base of the hydra...an animal that always looks for a good fight. Hellmaster was made of pure negative energies so that he would wish for the death of all things. And, it seems since Zelas is made of part wolf she wishes to be the alpha of the mazuko hierarchy," Luna replied as she studied the mazuko lord.

Zelas smiled and replied, "Good observation knight. Yes, that is a bit of my instinct is that of a wolf and so I do wish for dominance over destruction. And, since your little sister destroyed two of the most powerful mazuko lords I can quickly fill the void with my own growth of power."

Lina started to catch on and then added, "Until the knight of Shabarnigdo started to move that is."

Zelas sighed as she returned to her throne and replied, "Yes, he is a bit of a pain in the side but I feel siding with him for now is the best option. And, I'm not the only one that has her reasons for working with him."

Luna looked at Zelas and asked lowly, "What is that supposed to mean?"

Zelas took another drag from the cigarette before replying, "Your sister has Zelgadis' scent all over her. Seems you two have been busy haven't you."

Lina turned red and turned away before shouting, "Just lay off! What I do is none of your business."

Zelas laughed before replying, "Oh, but it is my business. Mating is always left up to the alpha of the pack."

Lina spun around as she heard Zelas reference the idea of Zelgadis begin one of her servants. She looked at the lord before saying, "What do you mean...Zel isn't part of your servant pack he was a human he isn't like Xellos."

Zelas took a slow drag of her cigarette before saying, "No, Xellos was Zelgadis' replacement. He couldn't be by my side so one of my best agents was to fill the void."

Both Lina and Luna looked at Zelas before Lina asked the question, "What do you mean by Zel not being at your side?"

Zelas chuckled as she walked up and sat down in her throne. She smiled at the sisters before saying, "So he hasn't told you yet. Zelgadis can be so secretive about his past can't he?"

Lina stared right at the mazuko lord before shouting, "Just say it already. I don't care who you are I will not let you play these games when it concerns my child's father."

Both Xellos and Zelas stared at Lina as she blushed and covered her mouth because she had let that slip. Before anything else could happen Zelas' eyes flashed red and then went back to normal. "So it is true. I'm to be a grandmother."

Lina and Luna eyes bugged out as they both asked, in raised voices, "What!"

Zelas took another drag of her cigarette before replying, "Zelgadis is my son. He was a half-mazuko boy that I had given birth to years ago. This was back when I was in the middle of the power struggles with Hellmaster. So I felt it was better that I left the boy with his human father than keep him with me."

Lina's mouth was agape and she could think of nothing to say towards Zelas' story. Lina then just sat on the floor and said, "Well, there's another bit of information to come out of nowhere this week."

Luna walked up and laid a hand on her sister's shoulder before looking up at Zelas. She then said with a small smile on her face, "You child will be protected quite well Lina. At least you have that assurance."

Lina looked up at Luna and asked, "What are you talking about. Now all any mazuko needs to know is my child is one with beastmasters' bloodline and there will be no stop to the attacks."

Zelas put her cigarette and stood before replying, "They'll wish they were never born if they even try to touch my grandchildren. Mazuko I may be but your children are a part of my pack. And, I must take care of all the members of my pack."

Lina felt uncomfortable about all the attention being on her so she decided to change the subject. "So where does the knight play in all of this? So far he's pretty much used us as pawns so what is he really after?"

Zelas sighed and replied, "Not even I can answer that question. Just be glad he is on our side for now...many have met their end at his hand."

Luna quirked an eye and asked, "Like who? He is never mentioned anywhere in history yet he is know enough to make a Mazuko lord tremble."

Xellos smirked at the jab before opening his eyes and looking at Luna with his own sight. His slitted pupils focused on her before he replied, "Because the dragons kept him out of history. To the winners go the spoils and the ability to write history. And, since we were not successful in the war of the monster's fall it was the dragons that wrote the histories. There was another race of dragons known as silvers. They corresponded to the color of the metal and were the greatest of allies for the golds. Once the war began the knight was dispatched to stop the silver dragons from interfering with our plans. He did his job well; when we were forced to retreat the found the knight in the middle of a battlefield of blood and dragon bodies. He had destroyed all of the silver dragons and walked away."

Lina glared at Xellos seeing one problem with his story, "From what the knight told us he isn't that old. It much be another person your thinking of."

Xellos laughed before replying, "No he is one in the same. I recognize that aura of his anywhere. It seems you have forgotten about the magics you encountered on Miprose Island."

Lina gulped at the memory of the island and of Naga the White Serpent. "Let's not go into Miprose itself but you are saying that he knows time magic?"

Xellos shook his head, "Rowdy Gabrieve might have been an old sage, but he is still a Gabrieve. He forgot to finish the ritual he started and left an open lay line of energy. With the right knowledge of magic you can open a gate in time and that's what the knight did. And, thus why he isn't that old but is accredited for being so powerful and ancient...much like your travels did for you."

Lina jumped up and ran towards Xellos at full speed. She caught the Mazuko by surprise and grabbed him before she began shaking him. "Don't remind me about that! It's hard enough being me without people saying I'm over hundreds of years old!"

After a moment Xellos phased away from Lina and replied, "Sorry, Lina-chan but I must return to play my part," before phasing away from the island.

Both sisters looked at the beastmaster before she spoke, "Let me show you two to your room."


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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