Capriones 8/21/2006
Disclaimer: We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.
Chapter Thirty-One – Lina's Proposal
"Eh, don't bother turning down my first offers. I want you listen to this next one. It's going to be my best and last. Got that?" Lina said.
Lina paraded around him, drenched and nearly overwhelmed by the power emanating from Xelloss. He was saturated with it. His intelligence and the violence held in check only by the force of his will and, she hoped, his admiration for her. She was alternating between heat and chills, her palms damp. In a way she wished she were in his place, all powerful, but also doubted that she could have controlled the stone as well. He looked unworldly-attractive and untamable, a challenge for her to accept and beat. She smiled widely, hoping he would like it, and was rewarded with an answering gleam in his eyes.
Xelloss nodded slowly.
"Okay, but first, if you accept, it's a done deal and if you say no, well, there's no second chances."
Lina stood still and waited for him to nod again.
"Okay, so here it is, the best offer I can make. Me. You can have me, heart and soul. I mean, I'm a pretty special catch, ya gotta admit that. Unique, I'd go as far to say. Yeah, I'm a one-of-a-kind girl. The most outstanding girl you'll ever get, am I right?"
"You offer me your heart?" Xelloss asked, his eyes narrow slits, glowing white hot.
"That's what I said. I could love you, well not you, but that other guy that nice prince of the Capriones guy, not this aspiring-god-almighty guy, if you get my meaning."
"You love me?" his flat-toned voice asked her.
"Yeah, I didn't I just say that? Problem with your super-duper hearing? Geez, you never had problem in that department before."
Xelloss eyes opened further, returning to a more natural violet color, more humanlike, although he was still floating several feet off the ground.
"You promise me your soul?"
"More or less. I mean, I'm not saying I'm letting you just kill me, but I'd remain with you until I die naturally. Like... together forever, through thick and thin. That kind of thing."
"You love me and would be mine forever, then. You are proposing marriage?"
"Got that right. That's my offer. You just have to give up the power of that Philosopher's stone to claim your prize. What do you say?"
Xelloss' expressionless face worried everyone. How does a man step down from God-hood? The tension drew taut like a clothesline with everyone pinned to Xelloss' next move, his next words.
"I'd like to choose the keeper of the stone," he said at last.
"That depends," Lina said firmly. She was relieved that he didn't think it would have to be destroyed. "We gotta both agree. Who do you have in mind?"
"Gourry," Xelloss said without hesitation. "He isn't a natural magic user. He can't activate it and it can't corrupt him."
That came as a surprise to everyone at first, but it made sense. Lina had no better idea. The over-charged air crackled around them, the air heavy, threatening rain.
Lina flashed him a bright smile, and said, "Fine."
"Fine," Xelloss agreed in the same manner.
A calm spread across his face, returning to him his delicate, masculine beauty, and a smile touched his lips, growing upward to include his eyes.
"You know, Lina, the love of friends is different, and so much safer than that of a lover."
With a single powerful thrust, Xelloss drove the end of his staff into the ground, directing vast amounts of energy to discharge harmlessly into the earth. Overhead, the clouds rushed into rippling formations like curly-maple wood grain. High winds tore them apart, sweeping the moisture-laden storm far east, over the Desert of Desolation. There, the rain would be sucked from the clouds before the falling droplets touched the blistering sand. Capes and cloaks snapped in the wind one last time as Xelloss fluttered to the valley floor. When his feet touched the firm ground again, he pulled the magic stone from beneath his shirt and yanked the fine chain over his head, mussing his hair.
"With you there's this ... heat that burns my heart, but, luckily, it also lights the fires dispelling all darkness."
He held out the stone, arm's length.
"I feel I'm about to discover the kind of happiness that requires all the strength and commitment there is to give."
Xelloss looked over at Gourry.
"Take it, quickly." he ordered, his arm shaking slightly from the terrible hold the magical stone still had over him.
Gourry strode forward, snatched away the chain, and drew it over his own head. As he pulled his hair free, he backed away, uncertain what Xelloss might do next.
"Gourry, hide that terrible thing!" Sylphiel told him, and stuffed the pendant down the front of his tunic.
Xelloss cocked his head to the side and smiled at Lina. It was deliberate and devastatingly charming. She returned his stare with one of utter frankness, friendship warm in her eyes, and suddenly he was short of breath, his heart pounded, and he broke out in a sweat. He stepped toward her, steadying himself with his staff.
"Xelloss?" she began, but he spoke first.
"I love you Lina. I hope you meant what you said, but a promise like that, well, I wouldn't be much of a man if I held you to it. I'd rather have conquered you by virtue of my own merits."
"Oh, Xelloss!" Lina rushed to his arms, embedding her face in his chest. "You did, you nutcase. I'm yours."
"Lina, Lina...Lina," he muttered into the top of her head.
"You're shaking," she said, her own voice muffled and trembling with excitement.
He was free to love her, to want her, and his impulse was to whisk her away, far, far away from the tumult around them. But he couldn't do that, so instead, they shared an embrace. He let her squeeze the air from his lungs until he nearly toppled over, and then he re-arranged his arms, freed her grip, and lifted her off her feet. When she raised her face, he crushed his lips onto hers, never wishing to relinquish his hold again. Lina returned his passionate kiss, dropping her personal barriers, and ignoring the maelstrom around them.
Behind them in the distance, the battle had resumed. Once Philionel determined Lina Inverse had survived the explosive attack, he directed his forces to engage the Red Guard. From where Xelloss and his friends stood, they could hear the Philionel bellowing orders to his men for the assault on the Red Guard.
"Looks like the guard's not giving up," Gourry said to Zelgadiss.
"They probably believe Rezo will rise up from he dead," Zel replied wryly.
"Then it's up to us to change their mind."
"Yes. Yes, I've waited too long as it is."
"Yeah," Gourry growled, teeth gritted into a smiling grimace. "Let's do this!"
Gourry's sword sprang to life as he shouted, "Light Come Forth!"
Sylphiel chased after him chanting an attack spell, ready to apply it to her sword, as she'd been taught, and preparing to watch his back. The last few days of practice and instruction would all come into play for the young people to beat the Red Guard.
Zelgadiss drew his sword. "Amelia, are you well enough– have you recovered enough of your strength to fight again?"
"Have you?" she asked with a determination equaling his.
"Only one way to find out."
He leaned over, his eyes glittering with excitement, and kissed her firmly before he grabbed her hand, leaving Xelloss and Lina, and charged into the depths of the fighting. Zel lunged into the oncoming guardsmen, screaming "Astral vine!"
His sword ablaze with magic penetrated first man, blowing him apart and clearing a path ahead of them. He and Amelia regrouped standing back to back while both chanting the next spell. Amelia raised her sword in answer to his and together they shouted the power words setting off the spell.
"Ra Tilt!"
Dozens of Red Guardsmen were cut down where they stood, unable to move, while others twitched and fell gagging from the loss of breath as their lungs froze. The pair dashed over the fallen, heading up the steep grade to join her father.
From an outlook above the settlement and east of the road from Seyruun, Zelgadiss' two lieutenants called for a rest stop.
"Now, would ya look at that. Never seen storm clouds like those," Rodimus shouted over the howling wind.
"Not a drop of rain," Zolf said. They watched the storm race across the sky. "The air's filled with magic."
"Why, now... there! Troops flying Seyruun colors, and they're fighting the Red guard."
"Philionel, you think?"
"Zel's got Philionel fighting with him! We can win this yet!" Rodimus roared triumphantly. He may have jumped to conclusions, but they were the right conclusions.
"Men! We have Seyruun fighting the war against Rezo!"
The fighting men from Atlas City took heart and cheered for the joy of their good fortune and for the pride in having a resourceful and clever man like Zelgadiss at the helm. They rode hard down the valley en route to join arms with the leadership of the Kingdom of Seyruun, who were currently gathering in one place, at last.
"Daddy!"
"My darling Amelia!"
The father and daughter met with shouts of joy and passionate hugs. Zelgadiss remained off to the side, watching the affectionate display. He had never had the devotion of a parent before, and found pleasure in Amelia's happiness.
"And you have to meet Zelgadiss, daddy."
"Ah so this is the young man you married, eh? Wasn't your face on one of my wanted posters? Doesn't look familiar, though. Different man. Odd, wouldn't think the name was so common."
Zelgadiss opened his mouth to speak, but Amelia was faster.
"He's the leader of Atlas City now, Cardinal Rezo's grandson and heir. Now he's forced to become a rebel. You see, that other was all a misunderstanding. Rezo trying to hurt his own flesh and blood. A terrible injustice!" Amelia said, not bothering to correct his confusion of facts.
"Rebel?" Philionel turned to address Zelgadiss, conviction blazing in his eyes. "You still plan to uphold the rights of the White Shrine?"
Zelgadiss swallowed hard. "Yes, of course! Ah... separate church and state, actually, to limit the power of the cardinal over the government. That way," he said with growing confidence as Philionel's eyes lit with admiration, "there will never be another Rezo."
"Whose evil we have met with the Gentle Force of Clashing Swords!" Philionel bawled dramatically, tears flooding his eyes. "We shall unite our new leadership to remove the threat to our laws and our way of life!"
"Uh, yes," Zelgadiss agreed uncertainly.
He was too reserved begin a debate with Amelia's eccentric father, but he did share their enthusiasm. Phil wiped his eyes, then noticed Amelia's striking necklace.
"Ha, ha! You have the real necklace, I see. Ho, ho... I outsmarted that sharp little Lina Inverse. I thought her note sounded suspicious, asking me to return the one some zealot was trying to get back for his own use."
He patted the cruder version draped across his deep chest and laughed, deep and loud.
"And I'm sure you won't mind my organizing your upcoming nuptials at the palace? A formal state wedding according to the laws of Seyruun."
"Ah, no. I'd be honored," Zelgadiss murmured, not knowing how else to reply but to fall back on his childhood lessons on courtesy.
Phil examined his daughter's face a moment, and then asked, "What's happened? I can tell something's troubling you."
Zelgadiss put his hand on her arm, protectively. Her eyes were hollowed and her face shadowed with fatigue from battling inner shock and grief.
"Oh, Daddy," she sniffed. "Uncle Randy was like a man possessed. I had to kill him to stop him from leading the Red Guard on a rampage through the settlement. I didn't want to, but with all those innocent people..."
"I'm sure you had no choice," her father said, his face falling into sorrowful furrows. He tenderly patted her back, but it was Zelgadiss who enclosed her in a warm, protective embrace.
"We will win this battle today and morn our losses tomorrow. Yes, we will be victorious!" Phil exclaimed with restored vigor.
"Master Zelgadiss! Is that really you sir?"
They all turned toward the newcomers riding into the crowd and carrying the flag of Atlas City, the old one, the one before the cardinal's rise to power. Philionel's guard circled them, alert to trouble, waiting for his command. Philionel gestured for them to stand down when it was clear they were men loyal to Zelgadiss.
"Rodimus! Zolf!" Zelgadiss cried out in surprise, and joy.
"I can't believe it, but if any people could cure you, it was these Capriones," Rodimus said, slapping the younger man on the back with familiarity.
"Well, actually, it was a couple of priestesses and the leader of a Cepheid tribe..." Zelgadiss began to explain.
"We are pleased to have your help." Amelia said diplomatically.
"My wife, the... ah... Princess Amelia of Seyruun," Zelgadiss said, beginning the introductions. "These are my lieutenants from Atlas City."
They were only allowed the short break before they were required to fend off a new assault. The battle was not over.
End Capriones, Chapter Thirty- One