The Price of Self
Chapter: 1
The Curse of the Beast
Next Chapter is up and now the true story begins. Please review I want to know what you guys think and I can't do that with just the hit counter in the stats menu
Lina yawned as she stretched in the early afternoon sun. Gourry and her had stopped off at a stream to catch a late lunch. They had gulped down the large amount of fish before relaxing for a moment to rest their legs from the day's walk. After a few minutes of looking at the clouds Lina sat up and said, "Okay, let's get moving so we can get to the next town before nightfall. I've heard this area has been having a rash of troll attacks and I really don't want to fight them right now."
Gourry nodded as he sat up from his spot just a little bit away from Lina. He stood up and walked over to Lina before smiling at her and offering her a hand up. "Yeah, trolls wouldn't be a good thing to fight seeing as how it's that..."
The swordsman never got to finish his sentence before Lina had used his offered hand to slam him into the hard ground. The angered sorceress glared at the grounded swordsman before shouting, "Gourry if I have told you once I've told you a thousand times to not remark about this! Just leave it be and don't think about it...I'm going on to the next town!"
After Lina began to stomp off Gourry pulled himself from the ground and began to chase after the petite sorceress while calling, "Hey, Lina wait up!"
Lina stopped and waited for Gourry as she still huffed at the incident while thinking, 'Surely he can remember...he remembers how to use a sword and the wrong things to say but he can never remember not to say them...I think he has lizards nesting in that skull of his.'
Gourry caught up and they began to wake once again. As the two walked down the road the silence continued between them because one could not remember what he had done and the other was waiting for another slip. After about thirty minutes Gourry spoke up, "Lina?"
"What Gourry," Lina asked as she kept walking and not looking at the blonde swordsman.
"Why are we being so quiet," Gourry asked rather confused and obviously forgotten about the argument that had just taken place about a half hour ago.
"Gourry...just forget it," Lina said slightly exasperated and knowing that the blonde fool would not remember what she said.
"Okay," came Gourry's reply as they continued to walk on.
About an hour later they crested a hill and saw the small town in front of them. Lina smiled and clapped her hands together before shouting, "Yes, good food and a bed," and running towards the town.
Gourry took off after Lina and headed into the town just as happy about the prospects of food and shelter.
"Ahh, that was a great meal," Lina announced as she pushed back from the table and kicked her legs up. She patted her stomach as she lounged in the tavern of the inn that she and Gourry were staying at. As she continued to lounged Lina looked over to the corner of the tavern were a bunch of the locals had gathered and were talking in hushed voices. 'This is can either be good or bad. Either they know of me and have a job for me or they know of me and are trying to get someone to kick me out of town,' Lina thought as she averted her eyes because the locals had looked her way.
For another half hour the game of watching the locals and then averting her eyes when they looked at her; which was every couple of minutes, before one of the townsfolk started to walk over to her. It was about this time that Gourry finally noticed something was going on and asked, "What's going on Lina?"
"Either they are going to offer us a job or try to kick us out. Just let me do the talking," Lina replied as she waited for the sheepish local to come over.
After a few minutes the older man finally made it over to Lina. He was a small man with bushy eyebrows and a long, gray bread. He leaned most of his weight on his walking stick as he stopped in front of Lina's table. "Excuse me Miss but you wouldn't happen to be the Lina Inverse would you?"
Lina ran a hand through her hair before smiling mischievously and while replying, "I am...who wants to know?"
The old man bowed before saying, "Sorry for disturbing your meal Miss Inverse be we of the town would like to offer a proposition if your care to listen to me."
"I'm listening...this better be worth my while," Lina replied with a bit of a threat to keep up her image.
"Yes, well for the past couple of months the areas around this town have been under attack by a terrible monster and we would like to hire you to rid us of this threat please," the old man begged as he bowed slightly to Lina.
"What can you tell me about this beast? I'm not going to take this job without some information...going in there without some idea would be a bad idea," Lina replied feigning that she was not interested.
"Michael, help in that merchant that we found the other day," the old man motioned for a younger man.
The man named Michael got up and walked out the tavern. The old man turned and explained, "We found a beaten merchant down the road a few days ago. He was almost dead and his cart was ripped to pieces and scattered to the winds. But, this merchant saw the creature and can tell us what he knows."
After a few minutes Michael returned helping the merchant into the room. Lina's eyes opened wide as she saw the terrible shape the traveling merchant was in. He was bandaged from head to toe with blood stains up and down his dressed wounds. As he was sat down in front of Lina he breathed deep before saying in a raspy voice, "My lady Inverse look what that creature did to me. All I did was travel and that beast attacks me without provocation...please kill him for me."
Lina frowned at the man before replying, "At least tell me what you saw...I can't tell what I'm dealing with unless you describe the creature."
The merchant coughed heavily as Michael helped to steady the man. "It was the closest thing to a demon that I have ever seen. It looked like a human almost as tall as your friend over there, but it was anything but human. It's skin was blue with what looked like it had rocks imbedded in it. It's hair didn't move as it attack and gleamed like it was made of metal. The thing moved faster than I could perceive and before I knew it my wagon had been smashed into pieces. As I looked up for my horse I found myself face to face with it...and those eyes those red eyes gleaming back at me with hate."
Lina's eyes widened as she heard the description and all she could think was, 'This can't be true...he wouldn't do a thing like this.'
Lina then looked at the merchant and then asked, "Did the creature carry a sword at it's side with a large gold hand guard with a ruby in the middle?"
"Yes, it did...have you encountered this creature before," the merchant asked with a bit of surprise in his voice.
"I think we have though I can't remember when," Gourry piped in before getting hit upside the head by Lina.
"Gourry, you idiot! What he just described is Zelgadis not some random creature...," Lina then clamed up because she had said too much.
"Zelgadis," asked all three men, "That thing has a name?"
Lina nodded before slowly explaining, "Believe it or not he was at one time human. But, even as he is now Zelgadis would never attack anyone like that if he was of his own free will."
The merchant looked at Lina before saying, "I may not know the full situation but there was no one around that could've been controlling him. He must have gone mad or deceived you."
"NO!" Lina shouted as she slammed her fist onto the table, "I know Zelgadis and this isn't him...something has gone wrong with his body and I need to find out. I'll take your job but I'm not going to kill him. I promise I will stop these attacks one way or another."
"That's good Miss Inverse," replied the old man before saying, "You and your companion have a long day ahead of you tomorrow so why don't you get your rest."
"Thanks," Lina replied a little subdued before heading up to her room for the night.
Lina sat on the edge of her bed as she looked out the window in her room. She thought back to the merchant's description of her old friend. 'Those eyes...those red eyes,' she thought as she looked out at the stars.
'Something has taken control of you I know it. I don't know what's going on but I will bring you back Zel. You've helped me so much that I just can't stand around while you suffer,' Lina thought as she sighed.
"I will find out what is wrong and then everything will go back to normal," Lina announced to herself before laying down.
'Zel don't worry I'll rescue you...even if you never want to admit that you needed someone's help,' Lina thought as she drifted off to sleep.
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.
Feedback is requested, please send all comments to size1 width100 noshade>