Capriones 8/1/2006
Disclaimer: We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.
Chapter Nine -- A Claire Bible
Lina listened carefully as Xelloss recited the incantation required to activate the amulets. His hands were on her arms, moving them in the manner required to complete the casting. She could feel his strength through the gloves.
"I think if you concentrate on executing all of the movements this time and not just the ones requiring the least effort, you'll have better luck. And, since you know the fireball spell well enough to minimize the use of spell words, why not tag that onto the end and see how much the amulets enhance that spell; that is, if you're serious about becoming a better sorceress."
She hungered for the knowledge she knew he had, but discovered that she delighted in the feeling of his gentle touch on her arm and the sound of his voice just as much. Her self-confidence was fickle, choosing to leave her at that moment. When she considered how unfeminine she was, how small and skinny she was,how unlike the bosomy, red-lipped, flirtatious girls who had accosted Xelloss at every turn she was,Lina came to the unfortunate conclusion that she was a really undesirable catch.
There was one particularly annoying girl who wore her long green hair in tight coils by her ears and who twittered suggestively in his ear when Lina was sure to notice. What made it worse, he didn't tell her to shove off, not that girl. He just laughed! If that was the kind of girl he liked, then how unattractive she must be to him! Her attention wavered and her self doubt crushed her will-power to carry off the spell. The casting withered to a breath of smoke on her fingertips, to be carried aloft by the passing breeze.
"Argh!" she screamed in frustration and embarrassment.
"Hmmm, it shouldn't be so hard for you to use these spell enhancing amulets," Xelloss said softly.
His eyes traveled over her lithe form, lingering on parts having nothing to do with casting spells, and landing on her lips. His fingers fluttered over the gemstones, as if adjusting the fit, straying over the edges slightly. Slowly, he met her eyes and smiled.
"You look plenty healthy. I daresay you are the most beautiful, talented young sorceress I've ever seen. So, what's the problem?"
Lina nearly melted in his hot gaze, then remembered that this was an engaged young man, a prince, and not hers. He shouldn't be giving her tantalizing looks, the teaser! Maybe it was that sudden burst of anger or his compliments giving a boost to her confidence; in any case, she pushed him aside, ready to prove herself.
"Damned straight, I am! No problem here at all," she snapped, and then ran through her windup without error, finishing with the shout, "Fireball!"
The resulting explosion took out the nearby cliff, causing an avalanche. She was so proud. Xelloss gained his footing, as he watched the cascading rocks. He dusted off his pants, dazed by Lina's display of power.
"That was . . . spectacular, Miss Lina."
"I think so... pretty much. Now teach me that Dragon Slave spell. You promised."
"Yes, I did. Okay, I can see you want to learn, but we must find you a safe target."
"That one!" Lina pointed vaguely into the distance.
This time Lina required only two trials before executing her first Dragon Slave, leveling a hill in the process.
"Shall I find you another mountain to level?" he asked, walking up to her, waving away an imaginary the dust cloud as he did.
"Naw, I'm gonna save up for Rezo and his cronies. Do you think I could take you on?"
Gently, he rested his gloved hands on her shoulders, and leaned closer.
"Do you want to?" he asked, kissing her cheek and her throat.
Her skin was soft and warm in the sunlight and when she sighed, he didn't want to stop, but he did. He felt her struggle in his arms, just a little, so he released her and stepped back.
"Prince!"
In the distance a boy's shout could be heard as he ran toward them. Xelloss turned around to observe his messenger boy approaching.
"Ah, he's got a letter. Let's hope it's good news from Prince Philionel."
"What do you consider to be good news?" Lina asked grumpily.
He couldn't possibly want to go through with his marriage to Amelia, could he, she wondered? Xelloss was walking to meet the boy, so Lina followed.
"Nothing else? Just this?" Xelloss asked the boy, holding up the sealed letter.
"That's all he gave me. I waited, just as you commanded."
"I must return to my tent now," Xelloss said to Lina.
"Lessons over?" Lina asked.
"Yes," Xelloss said in a clipped fashion.
Lina trotted behind him, wondering what he was thinking. She was dying to get a peek at that letter, too. She had her chance once they were inside, hidden from curious eyes. Xelloss had opened the message from Prince Philionel, Amelia's father, along the way, but after staring at the paper a minute, he frowned and gave up trying to decipher its meaning.
Crushing it in his hand with frustration and blurted out, "I don't understand this. What does he mean? He'll greet me with his 'Pa-something'? And do I really deserve what he calls his 'Good Will To War Men... something else?' The leader of the Kingdom of Seyruun is insane!"
"Gimme that!" Lina yanked the note out of his hands and read it quickly, then laughed. "Oh that's 'Pacifist's Crush' and his 'Good Will Toward Men Crush.' Those are his...ah...power words, I guess you'd call them. Okay, so he's a bit odd. Phil talks that way. Those are his attacks, which sound pretty lame, but he delivers a mighty punch."
"Oh, well, terrific. What else does he say? He didn't return the necklace for Amelia to wear at the ceremony. I know the note you wrote him said to do that. Why didn't he do that?"
"Don't get so bent out of shape," Lina said dismissively. "Okay, he says pretty much 'Thanks for necklace. Thought it a bit garish at first, but I'm having a new uniform fashioned to go with it. Nice wine. Holding off, but only days, then sending troops if daughter is not...' Aaaaahhh . . . He is not pleased with my progress, it seems. I don't think he gets the wedding thing."
Xelloss spat out a few expletives, losing his composure. Lina however laughed nervously.
"Well, I guess I'll have to go in person and set the man straight, heh, heh . . . "
"Well, for the loving fists of justice, how can I allow that?"
"You can come along."
Xelloss flung his arms around in exasperation. "I can't just up and go. I'm getting married!"
"How about after?"
He looked down at her, perturbed. "Naturally I should leave my new princess bride and go traveling with you." He raised his voice to a falsetto and added in an affected tone, "Ah, my dear, I vow to be true to you on my journey, so don't mind the lovely lady inside the caravan with me." His voice returned to normal and he finished, "No, Miss Lina Inverse, that's not going to fly."
"Don't be an ass. How about one of your trusted brethren? Send one of them along with me!"
Xelloss' irritation vanished as his attention swung to the figure shadowing his doorway.
"Aaah!" Lina screamed in surprise and shock as the letter in her hand burst into flames and Zelas entered the tent.
"Mother," Xelloss said, with complete composure and respect, despite his veiled contempt for her inopportune arrival.
"I understand a messenger arrived. Was that it?" Zelas watched Lina fan her scorched fingers as the letter fragments floated, charred in the air.
"Yes on both accounts. I had to destroy it before it got into the wrong hands."
Lina knew he meant his mother, but his careful wording let Zelas assume he meant her.
"It was already in the wrong hands. Lina shouldn't have had the opportunity to get her hands on it in the first place. In fact, the young lady shouldn't be in your private tent at all. Where is the necklace dowery?"
"I have taken care of it," he replied.
Again, Lina understood Zelas to mean 'was it returned?' and Xelloss hadn't exactly lied, but he hadn't told her what she really wanted to know. He was being elusive, sneaky, and ambiguous– qualities which improved his 'mama's-boy' image in her mind. What baffled her was that his mother didn't question or even take notice of his evasiveness. She trusted her son explicitly, Lina guessed.
Some tension left Zelas' body with a sigh, but her face barely showed it and it relaxed into a tight smile.
"Splendid! So the engagement was accepted," Zelas said. "The wedding will be conducted next evening. There will be a dance tonight, which means I have some preparations to attend to."
Lina's surprise caught in her throat, drawing unwanted attention her way. Zelas' icy glare swept over her, sending a chill throughout her body.
"I thought I told you to go, Miss Inverse," Zelas said dismissively. "Xelloss, you have your own duties waiting for you as well."
"Yes, I do. I'll notify our guests of the plans immediately," he said with a small bow, the smile returning to his face as he winked at Lina.
"Congratulations, Xelloss. Later, then," Lina said, chin held high, and then she strutted grandly out of his tent.
"She'll need all that bravado when she faces Rezo," Zelas said when Lina was gone.
"So you believe it will come to that very soon?" Xelloss asked.
"Yes. Rezo continues to build evermore powerful forces. He is already in Seyruun, poisoning the minds of the leadership there, no doubt. Uniting with the royal house will be a masterful move on our part. It may be our only hope. However, I never rely on hope. Lina Inverse must be trained completely before he arrives. Armed with the most deadly spells her power can control she has a chance. Take this."
Zelas handed over a leather-bound tome, thick, and well-worn. The air smelled of ozone, crackling with magic as it changed hands.
"Train her harder today. You may never get another chance after that."
Xelloss took the rare manuscript containing dark magic incantations, bowing lower. "Thank you. I will."
"Do not disappoint me, Xelloss. I need not remind you that Valgaav is hungry for your position."
She ran her fingernails over his smooth cheek, turned, and left him to ruminate on her threat.
"He hasn't the stomach for what you have to offer," Xelloss said in a voice too low to be heard, "even if he thinks he has."
After leaving Xelloss' tent, Lina hung around outside eavesdropping. She learned that Xelloss had a magic book and had orders to teach her more. That wasn't so bad, she thought, but Rezo was closer than she had suspected, not to mention that it looked like Princess Amelia and Zelgadiss were about to have their short-lived romance snuffed. Lina rushed to find Zelgadiss and inform him of what she heard. After all, it affected his future.
Zelgadiss took the news badly, pushing Lina aside, and ripping past her. He dashed to Xelloss' tent to confront him immediately.
"Xelloss," he growled. "She gave you the Claire Bible, didn't she? Don't lie. Lina overheard Zelas tell you about it. You know I've been wanting a look at that. Xelloss, damn it! It might have my cure! Yes, that's it!"
Zelgadiss lurched forward, grabbing Xelloss' shirt, nearly strangling him in his effort to reach the book. Xelloss held the Claire Bible out of Zel's reach, but since they were nearly the same size, Zelgadiss had only to outmaneuver him to pinch it. Xelloss gasped for air, trying to squirm free without resorting to magic. He could not let the other boy see the contents, but neither did he want to pass out nor hurt his friend's pride by challenging his manhood in a fight.
He had no choice; in a snap, he made the book disappear.
"I'm sorry, Zel. I can't let you have it."
Zelgadiss pushed away and stood panting, anger painting his expression.
"I can tell you that there's no cure for your condition in that book. No healing spells, only destructive ones."
"Maybe that's the problem. To undo this may take a dis-creation spell of some kind, can't you see that?"
Xelloss shook his head. "That would surely kill you. You know that. I'm sorry. I would do anything I could to help you, but don't ask me for this again."
An empty feeling of hopelessness combined with defeat filled Zelgadiss with despair. He turned away, hiding his face and emotions. All his attempts at undoing the terrible spell his grandfather had placed on him had failed. Nothing altered his appearance, ever. He would be like a rock, cold, hard, untouchable, unworthy of love, especially of a princess. It was good that Xelloss was the one to marry her, putting her out of his own realm of possibilities forever. Sadness descended upon him like a smothering cloud of wood smoke.
"If I could return to normal, I know I could accrue more followers to foment a rebellion. And with Amelia by my side, I'd have the army of Seyruun." Zelgadiss raised his eyes to meet Xelloss'. "But that's not going to happen now, is it? Zelas will see you marry her." He sighed and let his shoulders sag, giving up more pride. "You should have killed me on capture, rather than shelter a worthless freak. My failures will be added to your burden as well."
Xelloss did not want for his friend to suffer. He did not want to take away the best thing that had ever happened to him, the love and support of the princess, and Amelia was so very good for Zel.
He put a hand on his shoulder turning him back to face him, and whispered, "Don't go adding to my problems, friend. I didn't save you for the joy of tormenting. Those men you freed have been hard at work in your support, defying Rezo's orders to locate you and the Orihalcon statuette."
Zel's eyes brightened.
"Is that true? How do you know that without communicating with the outside world?"
"We have no formal links, that's true, but we know how to keep in touch. There are various cafes, bars and grocery stores with folks friendly to us where we receive mail and, naturally, we have many spies and runners and messengers spread all over the country linking the various Caprione settlements," Xelloss said.
"Ialways suspected thatthe Capriones had an uncanny and amazing ability to find one another," Zelgadiss said.
"Yes we do, and we uncover plenty of information, when we need to, and we have these last few years just to keep one step ahead of the Red Guard. Believe me when I tell you that both Zolf and Rodimus have been stalwart men, true to you and ready to fight by your side when the time comes, and in spite of your appearance, I might add. They will gather and protect many more, I don't doubt."
"And you just bothered to inform me of this now? How long have you been keeping this a secret from me?"
"I only just learned of it, believe me! A messenger gave his life for that information, and now I am beholden to take care of his family."
Zelgadiss placed his hand on his arm, saying, "No, I am. I'll do that, even if I must marry the woman to do repay the debt."
Xelloss smiled, shaking his head.
"Giving up on your little princess already? No, that won't be necessary, kind and thoughtful of you, but I require your services still. Listen, Zel, I take no pleasure in these upcoming nuptials, but I cannot defy my mother outright, understand? So, to that effect, I have a plan. It is very dangerous and will require your cooperation."
Zelgadiss' eyes glittered with excitement. "With you, what plan isn't risky? Just tell me what I have to do."
"Okay. . ."
End Capriones, Chapter Nine.