Capriones 8/13/2006
Disclaimer: We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.
Chapter Twenty-Six -- Morning Mayhem
Lina and Gourry had slept soundly that night, but a noisy commotion of thundering feet and raised voices outside their door brought them to sudden wakefulness.
"What is it?" Lina asked. Her head jerked up from her downy pillow, her eyes blazing with reflected color. "Fire?"
"Can't tell," Gourry replied. He had chosen to sleep on the floor of Lina's room, rather than his own bed, in order to better protect Lina. He was already on his feet, hitching on his sword belt. "Sounds bad out there. I'm gonna look."
The walls by the windows were stained as if smeared with gore from a savage fight. Lina threw off the covers fully awake. She yanked on her boots and gloves, tossed the beautiful cloak that Xelloss had given her over her shoulders, and rushed to the window. The morning dawned ruddy, red fingers of light slicing through tattered black clouds as they raced across the sky. It was an ominous start to the day and a sign of war.
"No, it's just the sunrise, but looks like rain for the ride back."
"I'm still gonna take a look outside."
"Yeah, but I'm coming too. Where's my..? Oh, thanks," she said with an apologetic smile as he handed over her sword and parcel. "Good thing I thought of packing last night for a quick getaway."
"Yep." Gourry waited for Lina to "dis-spell" her security lock before opening the door.
The first palace servant rushed past them, too harried to stop and answer their questions, but not the second. "Prince...er...his lordship requires you in his private quarters immediately!"
"Yeah, sure," Lina said, falling in step beside him and Gourry trotting behind. "But while we're at it, fill me in on what you know's going on."
"The king died last night!" the young man said, breathing heavily. "We must pull the curtains and hang the black drapes, cover the mirrors, remove the flowers... endless jobs to put the palace into mourning."
"Oh, that's pretty terrible, and sudden," Lina said, not knowing what else she could convey honestly since his passing wasn't unexpected and he hadn't been a particularly effective king from her standpoint.
She didn't ask him for any details. The flustered servant was concerned with his duties and the confusion and uproar that was causing. Lina would have to wait to question Prince Philionel. The death of the king meant that Phil was now ruler of the kingdom. Lina was glad the man still remembered she was there and hoped he had decided to fight Rezo. It was Philionel himself who met them at the door to his private sitting room and ushered them to a table. His brother, Christopher, was the only other man present, and he looked terrible. He cradled a cup of tea in his hands, his face was ashen and he looked as if he might drop.
"Go ahead, Christopher, sit down, too. You all eat while I talk," Phil said. "It's all you'll be getting for some time, I daresay."
Lina and Gourry had no problem with that, and started shoveling in the food without remark. Christopher sat, but did not eat.
"Randy has left Seyruun by all accounts. He's gone and entangled himself, it appears, with that damnable Cardinal Rezo. I'm afraid Rezo duped him into conspiring against his own father, his country! I didn't keep a close enough eye on him as priest and advisor to our father, and now this happens."
"No, not ole Randy!" Lina exclaimed.
"I thought the king was sick," Gourry said.
"He was; although, it was unnatural. He died from ingesting some, as yet, unidentified poison," Christopher explained. "Randy was the only one attending him from the onset of our father's decline to his death. An unidentified potion bottle was discovered at the king's residence, and another one, it's twin, discarded in the back of a closet in Randy's room here. The evidence is damning."
"But not conclusive," Lina pointed out. "Have you asked him about it? It could have been planted to make him look guilty."
"I would like to think that was possible," Philionel said, striding across the room and back. "But his horse is missing from the stables and his groomsman said he was in the company of Red Guardsmen. Randy has left the palace, and, apparently, Seyruun."
"It gets worse." Philionel held up a hand, pausing to control his grief, his face drawn and haggard from worry. "It was just reported that Rezo's horse is also gone, and it's assumed he's following the others. Sentries reported troops riding out last night, I'm guessing led by Randy, and later a lone rider leaving Seyruun, oh...I'd say not even more than an hour ago, very likely Rezo. A few minutes later the city must have emptied of every Red Guard unit it had! They all took to the road that leads to the nearest Caprione settlement."
He pounded his fist into the palm of his hand. "I just don't understand Randy doing this-- a traitor to the throne! He must be insane, a puppet controlled by the cardinal! Unless, Rezo has gone to stop Randy...?"
"Not possible!" Lina shouted. "Why would Rezo stop him from rampaging through the settlement looking for me or Zelgadiss or whatever? Rezo means to wipe out the Capriones, not save them!"
Gourry shook Lina's shoulder, urging her out the door. "We gotta go then!"
"Absolutely!" Lina agreed. "Phil, you are sending your army, right? Remember, Amelia's there at that camp. We have no time to lose!"
"Amelia, yes!" Phil said. There was no time to ponder the politics. He must decide immediately his course of action. "Christopher, muster the palace guard and protect our city! Root out any of remaining Red Guard and lock 'em up! Lina, Gourry go ahead, I shall take command of my forces as a king must. I shall lead my army to the settlement where Rezo will meet The Gentle Fists of Justice!"
As Philionel called for his generals, Lina and Gourry dashed through the palace, hoping the prince and his army would arrive before the settlement was wiped out. Lina hoped that Zelas and Xelloss could hold off Randy, Rezo, and the Red Guard until she got there. Rezo was hers. Phil's army would do bang-up job of ridding the land of the Red Guard, but only if they were in time, and only if Rezo was out of the picture.
Xelloss' face floated to the top of the things on Lina's mind, but she pushed it down, loading immediate concerns on top to hold it in place. If she thought of Xelloss, she would cry. She could not bear to dream of returning to him-- his smile, his soft voice, the gentle pressure of his kiss on her lips-- because it created too sweet a distraction while there was so much to fight for standing between them. But she could not think of failure, his or hers, and never seeing him again, because it robbed her of hope. At some point he had become her reward. Not freeing Amelia, not saving the world from Rezo, just enveloping herself in his love.
Lina shoved Xelloss image away again. She couldn't wait to reach the settlement, and yet she would be leaving Seyruun with regret. Its beauty made it unlike any city she'd ever seen, but there was sadness there. It was a city on the precipice of decay, occupied by a foreign presence, a society looking to the past, disturbed and angry, fighting for the future. There were those who were crushed and resentful awaiting the moment to strike back; there were the Cardinal's people who knew they were away from home in a city which did not want them; and then there were the expatriates who belonged nowhere and lived on memories and dreams.
Lina mourned its passing for a moment, then tried to express this to Gourry as they collected their horse at the stables, but he was more concerned about the comfort of travel arrangements and returning home to his fiancé, and had no interest in Lina's reflections.
When offered her choice of horses from the King's best, Lina admitted that she couldn't ride, and then climbed onto the white horse with a hand up from Gourry. Together again, they trotted wordlessly toward the gates, the horse moving out of the freshly scrubbed courtyard in a clatter of slippery hooves and jingling accoutrements. She sighed, releasing some of her pent up frustration. What she needed was some action to blow off a little steam. She knew it would come soon enough; it was the waiting that she hated.
A flash of light was all the warning Lina had seconds before a devastating spell hit them. She threw up a massive magical barrier, shielding the horse and the two riders from the assault. The energy bounced off and Gourry had the horse reigned in and his sword drawn before the next spell hit.
"Glad your magic's back," Gourry shouted in her ear, wincing with the impact.
In the narrow confines of the tall, stone-walled buildings, the explosions ricocheted and echoed around them. Even shielded from the blast, the noise was deafening and the brilliant radiation of light near blinding.
"Where's it coming from?" Lina screamed.
Gourry pointed upwards with his sword. Sure enough, Lina could make out a robed figure mostly obscured behind a parapet. "A Red Guard sorcerer. A strong one. Damn! We don't need delays!"
She powered up her amulets. "Direct this spell at him using your sword," she shouted as she cast her fireball onto his blade.
Gourry had never done anything quite like this before, but he did as she said. With a powerful flick of his arm and wrist, Gourry sent the spell rocketing upwards, blasting away the low wall on contact. They heard a howl of dismay.
"Did we get him?" Gourry asked.
"No, whoever it was got away into the building, I'd guess," Lina said. "Let's get out of here."
The horse was frightened and hesitant to move, but Gourry was a sure rider, calming and steering the animal past the palace gates. Another explosion caught them off-guard, this time missing them, but causing the horse to bolt in terror. Gourry was fully consumed with controlling the horse, while Lina prepared another spell and attempted to locate the source of the attack. This time, the robed figure was closer. A red jewel glowed dimly from his forehead.
"Vurumagen!" Lina growled. "You will die!"
She finished her incantation and cast her spell. The sorcerer countered it with one of his own, which was weaker, but minimized the damage it otherwise would have done to him. Vurumagen swooned to the side, stunned and immobilized temporarily by Lina's attack. She knew she had only seconds to take him down before he could recover fully, so she triggered the amulets to full power and let loose a volley of offensive spells. A blast splattered at Vurumagen's feet, then traveled up his body, encasing it in a glowing white film. Lina looked around for the caster, and spotted Prince Christopher stepping out into the roadway.
"Go on!" the prince shouted. "I'll take care of this man. He shall face Seyruun justice under our law."
"Thanks!" Lina shouted and waved. "Okay, Gourry, let's go!"
"Ya know, Lina," Gourry said. "Traveling with you is like passing through a bad part of town."
"How's that?"
"Well, ya gotta go fast and don't look back."
Lina smiled and closed he eyes, felling the rush of wind on her face. Something niggled at the back of her mind. Something she forgot. As they sped past the outer wall of the city, Lina remembered all the belongings she had left back at the palace-- hers, Sylphiel's, and Filia's.
"Damn," she muttered. "Guess I'll have to go back." Then she smiled thinking, "After this is all over."
(O)
They took their breakfasts standing and facing the fire, teased from embers moments before by Milgasia. At their altitude, fall meant morning frosts, crisp days, and cold nights. Xelloss sipped his tea, warming his hands as he watched Milgasia's face intently, looking for a clue to his decision. He wanted to leave at once, beating Rezo to the settlement, but he knew it wouldn't do to push his host any further; Milgasia would become more stubborn. He'd have to curb his impatience a little longer. Now that the crisis with Zelgadiss was over, Xelloss' thoughts had returned to Lina. He needed to find out how Lina was. Was she safe from Rezo? Was he already at the settlement? Xelloss had to go, and go now, taking Zelgadiss with him. The thought of going home was sweet, like a burst of warmth inside him.
Zelgadiss, acutely aware of his changed appearance, kept fiddling with his hair and admiring its softness. As eager as he was to lead a revolt against Cardinal Rezo, he was satisfied for the moment with regaining his humanity and lingering near the fire to enjoy it. The cure and near-death experience had left him weak, which he hated to have to admit to Xelloss. He could use a day of inactivity and rest.
Valgaav was of a similar mind. Returning to the Caprione settlement, and to Zelas, even at the head of a fighting force from a related tribe of his people, could wait at least until he was awake, and better yet, after a leisurely walk out to the central lake. Filia was far less patient, but then she knew Milgasia best of all of them.
"I know it's right for our people to take the offensive against Rezo, and not pretend he will forget us or that we're invisible up here," she said.
Milgasia paused and smiled a half smile. "I know, dear, but broken clocks are right twice a day."
"Yes!" she snapped back. "And this is one of those times."
"Actually, I agree," Milgasia said with a chuckle.
"What does that mean?" Zelgadiss asked, shaken from his lethargy and now anxious to get back to the settlement, and Amelia. "You'll fight with us?"
"To speak frankly, yes," Milgasia answered. "Which is why, after you went to bed, I called for a mustering of men and circulated the rumor that they will be led by a warrior prince." He shot Valgaav a direct look. "That's you, by the way, so don't disappoint them. It would make me look bad." He smiled wryly.
Valgaav choked on the food in his mouth and was unable to add anything, so Milgasia continued.
"I should like to accompany you. I'm willing to take the rear guard position."
Valgaav wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and frowned as he regained control of his voice, while Xelloss slowly nodded his approval. "Yeah, sure. Ah, thanks, sir," Valgaav said, barely containing a tone of resentment from surfacing in his voice. He mumbled to himself, "That way you can stab me in the back."
The group quickly finished eating and then readied themselves for the descent back to Caprione land. Outside in the late morning haze, it was freezing. Torchlight glistened on the film of ice covering the path. Vapor clouded the horses' noses as they snorted, waiting impatiently to move and get warm.
"I was thinking that Zelgadiss should remain here and recuperate," Milgasia said so that only Xelloss could hear him. "It is a hard ride back to your settlement."
Xelloss hesitated in the road. The wind was knife-edged, and ice rimmed the cobbles, making them slippery. His breath was a plume of vapor in the air.
"No," Xelloss said at last. "Zel wouldn't never agree to stay behind. He must recover his strength on the ride home as best he can. He's needed for the battle to come."
"As you wish, but don't ask me again to bring him back from the brink of death if you're wrong," Milgasia said.
He lent Zelgadiss a horse, and climbed upon his own, one of a stable filled with other beautiful palominos.
"Not the most practical mount for the mountain roads, but I use them in the valley, and they are a lovely sight," Milgasia said.
"This way," he said to Valgaav, "and I'll introduce you to your people."
"If you don't mind," Xelloss said. "Zelgadiss and I will head back now."
"Good idea," Milgasia said, more than happy not to have to explain Xelloss' appearance.
"What about me?" Filia asked tartly. She wanted catch Valgaav's eye, but didn't want him to think she was begging for an invitation to remain with him, although she was.
"Do what you want," Xelloss replied.
Valgaav assumed Filia was coming with him. They had teamed up well– hadn't she understood that? He shouldn't have to remind her.
Zelgadiss shouted to her, "Aren't your friends back at the camp? Come on!"
Valgaav realized that it was possible he needed Filia more than she him, and if he was to count on her strength at his side, powering his spells, then he must speak up now.
"She's with me, us."
Filia dared to meet his golden gaze.
"You want to see how this plays out, don't you?" Valgaav asked.
She searched his face until his expression changed. He wasn't pleading, but he was close.
"Of course I do. Thanks, Zel," Filia shouted over her shoulder as she urged her horse toward the valley. "We'll all meet up in a few hours."
End Capriones, Chapter Twenty-Six.