Capriones 7/26/2006 10:35

Capriones (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

At times, their warring spills over into the outside world when they capture slaves or take hostages. Only then do the state authorities enter their camps, usually with disappointing results. Although their numbers are dwindling, they continue to exist and fight against the co-mingling with 'outsiders'.

Disclaimer: We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

Chapter Two – A Change of Plans

Lina gritted her teeth and frowned to hold back any further caustic remarks. There was no hiding her identity now and it wouldn't do to get her friends killed right off. What's more, he showed no fear of her; in fact, he had the nerve to toy with her. She hated being underestimated. This had been a gamble, but it wasn't over yet and she could play a good game, too.

"That's right." The corners of her mouth curled into a cute smile, "Couldn't fool a smart guy like you, huh? Heh, heh…"

"Not so easily, at any rate. However, I requested three shrine maidens, and what did Prince Philionel send? Well, you may-- or may not-- be a maiden." Xelloss' smile widened as if he sensed Lina's self-consciousness, discomforting her more. "But you are certainly no priestess. And here I thought the Prince of Seyruun was all about Justice and following the rule of Law. Tsk, tsk. What a pity."

"B-but…"Amelia gasped.

Princess Amelia was about to come to her father's defense, when the hooded man tightened his grip on her hand, warning her to remain silent. All the while he kept his sword tip directed at Sylphiel.

"However," Xelloss continued, "my people practice a fairly reasonable kind of law."

Lina rolled her eyes. "Oh, brother!"

"Your lack of respect will get you killed!" the angry young man growled at her, tossing his fall of stiff green hair out of his eyes. "Is the sword the only point you value in a parley?"

Xelloss raised a hand, a gold bracelet heavily ornamented with rubies glittering at his wrist, catching all Lina's attention. There was a matching clasp on his cloak and a jeweled belt decoration barely visible from beneath the folds of his tunic. The gesture also served to stifle further discussion from the other Capriones. He cleared his throat and motioned widely, inviting Lina to join them.

"Miss Lina, I'd like you to see for yourself how fair our justice system can be."

Lina felt a trickle of sweat run down her neck. This was not going the way she'd planned. The prince guy was cool as a clam and his sidekicks were skilled swordsmen.

"Heh, heh, well, maybe I do and maybe I don't, eh? How about you call off your goons there and I'll think about putting away my sword?"

Xelloss' smile left his face. "I am no fool, Miss Lina. I'll take your sword."

He moved like lightening, a flash of ruby-red crossed Lina's chest, and instantly Xelloss had her wrist in a viselike grip before she could rotate her sword to cut off his hand.

"Hey! Watch it!" she shouted. "You don't have to bruise the flesh, you know!"

"Gourry, get that one's mace and, Valgaav, take away the other one's sword," Xelloss ordered, using his staff to indicate which girl he meant and ignoring Lina's request, tightening his grip on her even more.

Lina's released her grip on her sword and it dropped heavily to the ground.

"Rather heavily armed for shrine maidens," Xelloss said, smiling at Sylphiel first, then Filia. "But I suppose that's one way to retain your purity."

He rested his staff on his chest a moment, freeing his hand. He reached out and fingered Filia's long hair. "Golden…"

"Get your dirty, stinking hands of me, you, you monster!" Filia snarled and batted him away.

Lina heard a gasp from the tallest man and watched his eyes go wide in alarm as he muttered a warning. "Um . . . Miss, better watch your mouth. He really is the Prince of the Capriones and is a lot more powerful than you think."

Zelgadiss bent forward and picked up Lina's sword without his eyes ever leaving Sylphiel. Everyone one else was watching what would transpire next, so Lina used the diversion to repeat the words of one of her most successful spells to date, and one she could perform without both hands free.

This oughta surprise them, she thought. Lina shouted aloud, "Fireball!"

But nothing happened, much. A small ball of energy glowed weakly as it left her one free outstretched hand, and then fizzled ineffectively as it popped out of existence.

Why didn't that work? Lina wondered. She hadn't heard anyone utter a counter spell. She twisted around in an attempt to free herself, when she heard Xelloss chuckle quietly.

"Miss Lina, open the coffer please," he said politely. "Let's all get a look at what a princess from Seyruun goes for these days."

He released her arm, but Lina didn't budge. She folded her arms over her chest and with all the conceit she could muster said, "Don't trust ole Phil? It's all there. I counted it myself."

Xelloss sighed. "This is getting tiring. All the posturing you are doing won't change a thing. Prince Philionel didn't trust you with the key, am I right? And if you opened it with magic, I would be able to tell. Zel, would you mind?"

Lina snorted and was ready to argue, but was distracted by the movements of the hooded man, whom Mr. Mysterious Prince Xelloss had just called Zel. First, he handed over Lina' sword to Xelloss. Lina spied long, thin fingers bearing ragged scars showed through the ends of his fingerless gloves. She shivered, wondering if he covered worse beneath his clothes. Zel jammed his own sword into its leather scabbard at his side and pulled out a set of fine metal lock-picks from beneath his cloak. With deft, sure movements, he had the chest unlocked and open in seconds.

Lina decided that Zel would be a handy guy to get to know. Her eyes caught Amelia's momentarily as Xelloss moved to keep himself between the two girls. Lina gave her a wink for support, and then the sparkle of gold drew her attention downward.

Zel began counting the gold bullion while kneeling by the open strongbox. Valgaav and Gourry were still holding the girls at sword's point. Xelloss, while retaining both his and Lina's swords, appeared unconcerned.

"It's all there," Zel announced as stood up, and then kicked the lid shut.

"Like I said," Lina muttered.

No use expending any more energy on a lost cause, she decided. Best to just cut her losses and git. She turned to look Xelloss in the eye and explain.

"So, the way it goes is: you hand over the princess and take the gold and we call it a done deal, all right?"

Zel, the hooded one, took up his position at Amelia's side, re-drew his sword and pointed it at Lina. "There's been a change of plans."

His hood slipped back a few inches and Lina caught sight of his frosty glare over his face mask—only one blue-green eye was visible from where she stood, like an egg under a tuft of silvery, gray grass. Could that be his hair? Lina wondered. She covered her shock well, though; she didn't even blink.

"What kind of change?"

She wasn't expecting the abductors to be so capable no was she expecting any of them to be a sorcerer powerful enough to counter her spells. By now she had hoped to be halfway back to the Seyruun capital with the princess, her friends, and even the gold chest wrested from the men she had planned to have knocked out cold. And now this odd character had an agenda?

The slender man with the gaudy jewelry, whose dark hair shone with purple highlights as the sun continued to bare down upon them, the man these Capriones called their prince, replied, "It's getting warm and I, for one, would like a drink. Why don't you ladies accompany us to our encampment?"

Filia snapped first. "What? With you? That would be improper if not downright nauseating."

"And that's not what you said you'd do!" Sylphiel pointed out.

"Well, Sylph," Filia said. "I told you that they were dirty and wild. Just make that dirty, wild, lying, and conniving practitioners of skullduggery."

"With swords," Lina muttered hoping to silence her friends with a fiery red glare. "And, currently, the upper hand."

Xelloss cleared his throat and stared unblinking at Filia. "You think I'm deceitful? Let me point out that Prince Philionel sent you with Miss Inverse, which can only mean one thing. He wasn't planning to give in to our demands from the start. Lina," he paused and bowed slightly to her, "is not known for her evenhanded practices. If she could have, I'm certain she would have slit all our throats for the gold when she had the opportunity. A good thing we were prepared for such duplicity."

"Yeah, isn't it," Lina said sulkily. Why bother refuting the truth?

"Besides, you can trust me," Xelloss spread his arms in supplication, Lina's sword in one hand and his staff in the other. "Right? I've never done you any harm."

That was true. He had a point. The Capriones had given Lina a wide berth over the years.

"But what about those guys?" Lina pointed vaguely toward Gourry and Valgaav, while her eyes remained fixed on her dangling sword.

"Aw, we wouldn't really hurt ya," Gourry smiled vacantly. "I think you'll like the visit. Nice place."

Okay, that one was a hunk and a sweetie pie, if a dullard, Lina decided and aloud said, "If you say so." She also returned Gourry's smile, then dead-eyed Valgaav with, "But you'd just as soon kill us and take the money, wouldn't cha?"

Valgaav grinned lecherously. "Right after I had some fun--"

With a quick gesture, Xelloss stopped him mid-sentence.

"I don't want to go off with three strange men to some…some…camp!" Sylphiel cried.

"Strange men? Oh my, we haven't all been properly introduced!" Xelloss said with surprise. "I'll start. Me you know; just call me Xelloss. This is my brother, Gourry Gabriev and my other brother, Valgaav Agares. And here is my brother of sorts and comrade, Zelgadiss Graywords. Princess Amelia, well, I'm sure you know who she is."

"'Sort of brothers,' indeed!" Filia huffed. "You look totally unrelated to one another."

Xelloss sighed dramatically. "Yes, well, like an adopted brother then. Satisfied, Miss…?"

Lina looked them over before starting the introductions. "This is Filia, a priestess of Cepheid and that's Sylphiel, a priestess of the White Shrine of Sairaag."

"A survivor?" Zelgadiss gasped.

Sylphiel turned to him. "Both my parents were killed by . . . in the . . . explosion of . . ."

"Cardinal Rezo and his Red Guard in one of his 'cleansing' campaigns," Zel growled. "A madman in a long line of them."

"However, we're getting off onto tangents," Xelloss said. "As you can tell, the Capriones are no friends to the ministry, as I see you are not either, since you practice sorcery. Please accept my invitation."

"Tell me, if we take you up on your invitation, what's in it for me? Why should I make this easy for you?"

"Well, you could start a fight here and someone could get hurt. I have your sword so it would be four highly skilled swordsmen against two priestesses and you. You and your friends would lose; I'd still have the hostage, the gold, and the upper hand."

He had the decency not look too smug or to mention her failed use of magic, Lina thought.

"In any case, I'm still thirsty and hot and there are no refreshments here, and if we go to Seyruun, then I lose my control over the situation."

He winked at Lina before giving her a little bow and waving her toward the caravan. "Understand?"

"An overwhelming thirst," Lina said with a little smirk. "So, you have three hostages…"

"Four, counting the princess," Xelloss corrected her.

"Three, and me. I'm going willingly. I'm no captive here."

"I see," Xelloss smiled and straightened his back. "I'm glad that's all settled. So, shall we go? Ladies first."

The ride to the Capriones' encampment was completed while the sun was at its zenith. They sat four to a side, boys facing girls, on hard, wooden benches that ran the length of the caravan. Bumping over the uneven road caused the riders to jostle uncomfortably into one another's shoulders and legs. More than once Filia complained about the "apparent lack of washing facilities," as she sniffed the "'ripe" air of densely packed bodies in the warm, airless, covered wagons.

"Just open the windows!" Lina shouted.

"No!" Valgaav slapped Filia's hands away. "It will fill with dust then. Just shut yer yap up and sit still."

"Pleasant fellow," she grumbled, rubbing her smarting hand.

"Aw, don't be too hard on the poor lad," Xelloss grinned. He leaned over, rested his head on Valgaav's shoulder, and looked through a tangle of mint-green hair to gaze up at Valgaav's frowning face. "He's trying hard, and he has to put up with soooooo much."

If looks could kill, Lina thought to herself, then Prince Xelloss would be fried under that scorching glare. There's no love lost between those two. Lina tore her eyes away from Valgaav's tortured expression, muttering beneath her breath, "What a head case," as she bent forward and looked toward Amelia seated furthest away from her.

"So, Princess, how're they treating ya? You okay and everything?"

"Oh, yes. I'm really well taken care of. Thank you for asking. Um, are you the real Lina Inverse, infamous bandit hunter and dragon killer?" Amelia asked with the exuberance of youth.

"Yep, that's me," Lina said. She placed a hand to the side of her mouth, shielding some of the sound from the men across from her, and whispered conspiratorially, "I'll getcha outta this, you'll see."

She said this with more confidence than she currently felt, though. Her eyes traveled up and over to Sylphiel, who was sitting bravely, eyes lowered, and doing everything she could not to let them see her shaking hands. Sylphiel, who wouldn't harm a soul, who didn't draw first, had always been Lina's steadfast friend. Sylphiel had trusted her on this errand, and now she was in trouble because of it. Lina would not let her down. No, not her or Amelia either. Lina would fight to the death to protect her after Sylphiel had saved her life in the past.

Then there was Filia. She had hired Lina on advisement from Lina's frightening sister for a dangerous inside job. They hit it off so well that they often called upon one another for other jobs until one day they discovered that they had become great friends. Right! Lina owed it to Miss Filia as well, to see to it that she got out of this unscathed.

Lina sank back into her lumpy, upholstered seat. She had to close her eyes to escape those frosty blue stares from the stranger called, Zel, the accusing slant-eyed glares from Valgaav, and even to avoid Gourry kindly glances. Only Xelloss' were not observing her, possibly. She noticed he had the affectation of averting his eyes, covering them with his bangs, losing them in a smile, or keeping them downcast in order to mask them. What secrets was he hiding? Lina wondered.

"What's to become of us?" Sylphiel whispered with a long tremulous sigh, no longer able to hold in her apprehension.

"They'll turn us into slaves," Filia snapped. "You had no plans to free Princess Amelia, did you?" She kicked at Xelloss' foot to get his attention.

"What? Oh, free her? Well, actually, I plan to, just not right away."

"Oh? And why's that?" Lina asked.

"I'm sorry, but that's a secret." He smiled and pushed her head back with a forefinger to her forehead.

"Oh, yeah? Well, what is it you have in mind for us, then?" Lina prodded his knee with her own finger.

"Well, I can't really tell you that yet. It would spoil the whole thing."

Lina hated him, well, not him exactly, but his teasing manner. "It wouldn't spoil it for me."

"I warn you!" Filia started up, fearlessly jamming her finger in his face. "If you or one of your goons touches me, I'll kill you…or them! I mean it."

"Oh dear gods," Lina moaned and covered her face with her hands. She could see how this would play out.

"Is that so?" Xelloss sat forward and raised his head.

This time Lina saw his eyes, narrow, purple, and dark, and for a split-second, wholly unnatural, and then he reached out and tapped Filia on the arm.

"Touched you!" he chortled.

Filia's face darkened as she struck out with both hands flailing. Lina, on one side of Filia, grabbed the arm nearest her and Sylphiel on the other side snatched Filia's other arm before she could land a punch to his nose. She could feel Filia shaking with pent up fury. Lina understood how aggravating he was, but she thought Filia was over-reacting.

"Hold on! We're still his guests," Lina hissed at her friends, and then turned to face Xelloss. "And you," she practically growled, "be sure to treat us like guests and we'll behave like guests. But try anything, and the gloves come off."

Xelloss looked at Lina's white, fur-trimmed gloves and then to his own blue-toned ones. "I think it's the other way around."

"Huh?"

"First, I take off my gloves, then I try something, don't you think?" His smile widened as hers diminished.

The blood rushed to her face, and without further warning she slapped Xelloss' face with a loud smack. "Why, you pervert!"

While he sat there astonished by her flash of anger and quick temper, Valgaav grabbed both her tiny wrists in one hand and growled, "You need a lesson in manners, little girl."

"Oh my," Xelloss gasped, but did nothing to stop Lina from landing a few kicks to Valgaav's gut with her feet.

There was a little scuffle before Zelgadiss produced a rope from under his cape and tied Lina's legs together. It took Gourry, Amelia, and Sylphiel to calm everyone down and reassert rationality and respectability to the group. The ride was quiet for the rest of the journey: bound like that, Lina was as good as gagged by her anger and embarrassment.

End Chapter Two.