AN: Ohhh, look, a chapter that ISN'T chapter 3! Sorry about the numbering issue, I'm not sure how that happened....and frankly I'm just too dern lazy to fix it. Anyhoo, ummm...
Ok, be warned, violence and insanity ensues within. (And there was much rejoicing; yea.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers, yada yada yada.
* Chapter * 4 *
The friends were stunned. They had all been wondering who could possibly have been kidnapped, but none of them had dreamed that it would be the Ryuuzoku priestess.
Faith asked in a small, surprised voice, Wasn't she the golden dragon who helped you all to defeat Darkstar? Everyone except Xellos shot her a surprised glance, and she flushed slightly under their stares. I've heard about the battle, she muttered, glancing at the floor.
But why would anyone want to kidnap Filia-san? Amelia asked. Xellos shook his head.
I don't really know, he said.
But you must have some theories, Lina said, watching the Mazoku through slitted eyes. This situation kept getting more and more confusing.
I have, the priest said, nodding slightly. But now is not the best time to share them. Right now, our priority is getting back that dragon girl. His teeth were gritted slightly, and Lina figured that this must be why he was so grumpy lately. The purple haired Mazoku and the golden blonde Ryuuzoku did not get along at all.
Wait a minute, Gourry said, looking thoughtful. Lina braced herself for a moment of stupidity. You and Filia don't like each other. So why are you trying to save her?
Wow,' Lina thought, An actual intelligent question, there may be hope for him yet. But he has a good point...' Xellos smirked almost reflexively as he held up his finger and winked at the swordsman.
Sore wa himitsu desu, he said. Now, can we get on with this? he asked, his regular mask of cheerfulness back in place. Only Faith noticed the slight tension in his smile. Slowly, Amelia nodded.
If Filia-san is in trouble, we should help her, even if we don't know Xellos-san's reasons, the princess said, For the sake of Justice and Friendship! Zelgadis sighed and shook his head slightly. He ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, then he spoke.
I guess Amelia is right. I don't trust Xellos, but if Filia is in trouble, we should probably try and help her. Besides, he added with a shrug, We're already here. Gourry nodded his agreement and turned to look at Lina. The flame-haired sorceress sighed and shrugged.
Ok, let's get going, she said. But let me remind you, Xellos, she added, getting close to the Mazoku priest, almost nose to nose with him, If this is a trick, you are gonna be on the wrong end of a Dragon Slave. Xellos held up his hands and grinned his cocky little half smile.
Ne, come on now Lina, let's just get on with this, shall we? the trickster said. Lina backed away and nodded slightly.
Faith, are you coming, or do you want to stay behind? This could get pretty dangerous, Lina said, turning to the taller woman. Faith shook her head.
I'm coming, she said quickly. I'll just stick close to Xellos and try to keep out of the way, she added. Lina nodded.
Ok, Xellos, how do we get there? Lina asked the smiling Mazoku.
And what do we do once we're in? Zelgadis asked, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. At the moment, he was very much grateful that recovering his human body hadn't affected his ability to cast spells, and had not reduced his skill with his sword, even if his sheer strength and speed had been diminished.
I can get us there through this gateway. Once inside, we have to make our way to the dungeons, get Filia, then get back to the point at which we enter his realm. Then I can get us back, Xellos said. Lina twitched slightly in irritation.
Oh, is that all, she muttered, Just waltz in, grab Filia and go? Xellos chuckled.
Well, I'm sure it won't be quite as simple as that, he admitted, scratching the back of his head, But that's the basic extent of it! Everyone suddenly felt a whole lot more worried about this mission.
* * *
Led by the dim glow of Xellos' staff, the friends wound their way across the room until they reached what they figured must be the back wall. Xellos reached out with his staff and touched the glowing gem against the panel. A low whooshing sound filled the air, and by the red light of the staff, they saw what looked like a doorway opening. Xellos had donned a serious expression when he turned around to look at them all.
Through here, he said, motioning for Lina to go in, And don't use a Light spell. Just walk forward and keep walking. Lina shrugged mentally.
Why not,' she thought, Might as well just rush in headfirst. Hasn't gotten me killed yet.' The red-head walked forward and passed through the dark opening. Gourry followed Lina in, drawing his sword as he stepped into the doorway. Amelia followed after Gourry, looking nervous; and Zelgadis followed her, glaring at Xellos and drawing his sword as he passed the Mazoku. Faith followed close on Zelgadis' heels, her arms crossed tightly across her chest in a closed, defensive posture. After the young woman entered the dark doorway, Xellos followed her in, turning back only for a moment to shut the portal behind him. Facing back into the black passageway, he followed the comparatively bright blotch that was the white-clad figure of Faith, illuminated by the glow of his staff. The six travelers pushed their way through the thick blackness until finally they spied a dim light ahead. Lina picked up her pace, and the rest of them followed suit, jogging through the blackness until they came out into the source of the dim light.
Lina found herself in a large, stone room with a high, cathedral-like ceiling. Stone pillars stretched up to the heights of the room, and a number of candles and torches lined the walls, providing the only light for the huge room.
Where are we? Amelia asked, looking around in wonder.
This is Sankuro's realm, said Xellos as he stepped out of the gateway, the portal closing behind him.
So now where do we go? Faith asked, looking around and trying to figure out which way the dungeons might be.
This way, Xellos said, walking off towards the far right wall. He led them through a doorway and into a long, winding passageway, twisting and turning and branching off in various places. They walked for about fifteen minutes before Lina turned to ask Xellos something.
Ne, Xellos, are you sure this is the way to the dungeon? she asked. The corridors all looked the same to her, and she was starting to get worried about finding their way back.
Nope, not really, replied the Mazoku cheerfully, receiving a loud complaint from everyone, But standing around in that chamber all day waiting for Sankuro's minions to come and give us trouble wouldn't be very productive, now would it?
Not really, Lina grumbled in response, It would just be good to know that we're going in the right direction, that's all.
I think we are, Faith said quietly. Everyone turned to stare at her, and she blushed slightly. Just a gut feeling, that's all, she muttered, staring at the ground.
Trust in woman's intuition, Lina said, winking at the older woman, causing Faith to break out into a dazzling grin.
the strawberry-blonde said, still grinning. They continued on through the labyrinth of corridors, until they came to a door at which they all paused. It was different from the other doors they had passed, large and heavy looking with a number of locks on it.
Well this looks promising, Lina said, investigating the door closely and beginning to chant a fireball spell.
Lina-san, don't fireball it, Amelia said nervously.
Why not? the sorceress demanded.
Well, it's just that I think it might draw attention to us, and since we're in the middle of unfriendly territory, I don't think it'd be a good idea, that's all, she replied. Lina sighed and nodded, admitting that Amelia was probably right.
In that case, Zel, you think you can pick these locks? Lina asked the brown-haired man. Zel nodded slowly.
I think so, he said, approaching the door carefully. He knelt, took out some tools he'd stashed in his cloak, and set to work. A few minutes later, he sat back on his heels, looking very satisfied as he surveyed the open locks. He then stood and backed away to stand with the others.
Who's going to open it? Faith asked, edging behind Xellos. Everyone looked around at each other.
Lina said, pushing the blonde towards the door, You can do it.
Why me!? he asked, looking at the door uneasily.
Because you're the best person for the job! Lina retorted, pushing him towards the door again. The swordsman looked nervous, but he sighed and reached out a hand to pull the door open anyway. He tugged on the door, but it didn't want to open. Zelgadis moved to help his friend, but even the added strength of the shaman wasn't enough. For a moment, Zel found himself wishing for his Chimera strength. Lina and Amelia and Faith finally joined in helping the boys, and lastly, even Xellos helped. With the combined strength of all of them, the door finally creaked open. When they stepped back in front of the now open doorway, though, they froze in terror. Even Xellos dropped his smile mask in shock.
They had apparently chosen the correct door, since in the background, they could make out a small cell that held a white and pink clad blonde figure that could only be Filia Ul Copt, lying apparently unconscious on the floor. Her cloak and dress were dirty and torn, her hair was matted, and she didn't hold the same aura of proud confidence she usually carried; but it was Filia. However, it was not the terrible sight of what had happened to their Ryuuzoku friend which froze the travelers in their tracks. It was the huge man who loomed right in front of them, just inside the doorway.
He had deep green hair, so dark it was almost black, that flowed down to his shoulder blades. With his smooth features, pale skin, and black eyes that burned and smoldered as he looked over the intruders, the man was strikingly handsome, yet had a feel about him that made almost everyone's stomachs twist in terrified knots.
L-sama!' Lina thought, staring at the man, He's almost as big as Gaav!' Truly, the man was almost as tall as the now-dead Demon Dragon King; but he was not as bulky, he was built thinner, his movements seemed more graceful. All in all, a rather deadly seeming man.
Xellos. I didn't expect to see you here, the green haired man said, his voice sweeping around the hall like a velvet curtain.
I had hoped you wouldn't see me here either, Sankuro. But here we are anyway, Xellos replied, his smooth tenor voice holding a dangerously icy edge.
So it seems, Sankuro nodded. Very well, the tall Mazoku sighed, clapping his hands. Suddenly, a group of about fifteen Mazoku phased in, surrounding the party.
This cannot be good, Faith murmured, doing her best to hide in the middle of her friends. These Mazoku were not as powerful as Sankuro, but they were no weak opponents either. As the Mazoku began to close ranks on the friends, Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis let loose a barrage of spells.
Elemekia Lance!
Blam Blazer!
Goz Vu Rou! They cast the spells in succession, each hitting one of the attacking Mazoku, but not killing them. The wounded Mazoku stumbled, but roared and charged again. Zelgadis growled. Gourry! Give me your sword! The blonde handed over the steel blade right away. Zelgadis chanted something under his breath. Astral Vine! he cried, and the blade glowed red. It will work against the Mazoku now! the shaman said, tossing the sword back to Gourry, who smiled in thanks.
Meanwhile, Lina and Amelia were fighting off four of the Mazoku. Amelia wished she had time to cast Rah Tilt, but the monsters weren't letting up, and it was all she could do to throw Elemekia Lances and some smaller spells at them. Gourry and Zelgadis now battled against four Mazoku of their own. The shaman was throwing every spell he could think of at the creatures, while Gourry fought viciously with his now-enchanted blade. Right now, he was wishing more than ever for his Sword of Light.
Faith was doing her best to help and to stay alive. Every now and then, she'd cast a shielding spell, protecting either herself or one of her comrades. Only one Mazoku seemed interested in keeping her occupied. Apparently she wasn't viewed as much of a threat. She wished she could perform an attack spell, but the few she knew would be too dangerous to use indoors, fighting in such close quarters. So she silently cursed to herself, dodging another attack and throwing up another protective shield.
Xellos was apparently seen as a much greater threat, though, since six of the attacking Mazoku had circled him and broken him away from the rest of his companions. The purple-haired priest dropped into a fighting stance and opened his amethyst eyes to glare at his opponents, a smirk still planted on his face. He gave a small laugh at the creatures circling him.
What's wrong? he asked them, eyes flashing dangerously and smirk widening, Are you afraid of little ol' me? With that, one of the monsters roared and charged the priest. Xellos swung his staff around, charging it with powerful dark lightning. When the wood impacted the creature's head, a wet sounding crack echoed around the hall, and the Mazoku fell to the ground, completely still. Xellos returned to his fighting stance and looked around at the remaining five Mazoku. Who's next? he asked cheerily.
Unfortunately, no one else was doing quite as well as Xellos. Faith had been knocked out when she hadn't been able to cast a protective wall fast enough; and without the added protection from the strawberry-blonde, the others found themselves with an even tougher battle on their hands. Lina and Amelia had been able to dispatch two of their attackers, as had Zelgadis and Gourry; but they were all getting very tired, and their spells just didn't seem to be having any effect anymore. The enchantment on Gourry's blade had worn off as well. A few well-timed attacks from the Mazoku had knocked Amelia and Gourry into the wall, knocking them both out cold. Lina and Zel tried to keep fighting, but fatigue was taking its toll and their reflexes were getting dull. Soon, they too had been blasted back against the hard stone wall and landed in a heap with their friends.
Now only Xellos remained to fight the eight remaining Mazoku, not including Sankuro, and he weighed his options. The priest knew that he was stronger than Sankuro, but Xellos was unsure if he'd be able to defeat the green-haired Mazoku here in Sankuro's own realm. The energy of the realm itself amplified Sankuro's powers, while limiting the powers of everyone else within the realm, save his own minions. Xellos could phase out and escape, either abandoning Lina and the rest, or coming back for them later. However, he didn't know how much the energy of this realm would affect his ability and accuracy in phasing, and phasing into a solid wall was both unpleasant and troublesome. He could allow himself to be captured, since it seemed as though Sankuro was more interested in taking prisoners at the moment, considering that the rest of his companions were still alive. Xellos also knew that Sankuro was arrogant to a fault, and would probably keep them all alive for the sheer purpose of gloating to them. Idly, the priest mused that the reason Sankuro had survived as long as he had was simply due to his hiding in his realm all the time.
He decided to let himself be taken prisoner, since he was here to rescue that damned Ryuuzoku. If need be, he could always risk phasing out later. His mind made up, the priest allowed one of the lesser Mazoku to land a hit on him. Stumbling forward with the impact, another of the Mazoku took advantage of his being off balance and hit him hard in the chest, sending him slamming into the far wall. Xellos stood and fought again, but continued to allow a hit in every now and then.
Finally, after being knocked around quite a bit and enjoying himself thoroughly being the masochist he is, one of the Mazoku cracked him hard across the back of his skull with a club charged with some strange energy. White pain blossomed in Xellos' head, and he fell to his knees. Another Mazoku slammed it's weapon, charged with the same energy, down on the priest's spine and Xellos collapsed to the stone floor, gasping. Dimly, Xellos was aware of Sankuro walking over and looking down at him. Amethyst eyes glared upward, the ever-present smirk apparent to the coal-black eyes that stared back down at him. Xellos wanted to make a smart ass remark about the green-haired Mazoku letting his minions do all the hard work for him; but before he could voice the thought, Sankuro gathered a ball of energy in his hands and shot it into the purple-haired Mazoku. And Xellos joined his companions in blackness.
End Notes: Ok, I know Xellos doesn't usually help them fight the smaller battles, but it's rationalizable (hells, almost any action Xellos can take is rationalizable, somehow). I dunno if Mazoku pass out, but...well, now they can, so neener. *bops self on head* Okay, anyway... Read an review, as always....muahahaaa, I might have to wait longer between posting chapters (since I'm slowly running out of completed chapters to post, lol), unless I get enough reviews and such! *goes back to her little hidey-hole known as a dorm room and begins to write more*