To the end
Ramon: Another Lina and Gourry fic, which many will enjoy.
Sunny: The Slayers and all its characters don't belong to us, it belongs to Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Arazumi. Only Air Jay and Kiko belongs to us.
Alandra: we hope that you people can enjoy this fic.
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Chapter 3
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Right in the morning, Lina and Gourry left the city they were in and arrived to the same city where Air Jay made his attack, and they saw many medics and mane healers attending to the castle that was destroyed by Air Jay.
"What happen?" asked Lina to one of the town's people.
"Air Jay, he came to our town and killed the duke and his guards."
"What? Air Jay was here? And he killed every one?"
"Well for what I heard there was only one survivor, he's being taken care by the healers right now."
"Very well, lets go Gourry!" ordered Lina as she started to run in direction of the castle with Gourry following her.
Moments later Lina and Gourry arrived for what was left of the castle and saw that many people were still looking for survivors but it is pointless. Suddenly they notice one man who was being taking care of by a medic by putting some bandages on his head. "Hey look Gourry, isn't that Leon?"
"Why yes it is!"
They two of then went on to greet him but they became surprised to see how wounded Leon is and with bandages covering the left side of his face. "Gourry, Lina, how good to se you two quacks."
"Leon…..what happen to you?" Gourry managed to ask.
"I was hire to be one of Mr. Ortch body guards but we were attacked by Air Jay last night, he killed every one, even Mr. Ortch."
"Air Jay……" whispered Lina. " we are close to catch him.
"And he defeated you Leon?" asked Gourry a little amazed, Leon is a mercenary but he is just as good swordsman as Gourry, how can it be possible that he was defeated?
"Yes….it was a nightmare! I strike him down with a few attacks with my sword to his body but it did not even cut his flesh, in fact he just stood there like if he was hit by a spring breeze."
Now that information scared Lina, what kind of man is Air jay? "Well……look at the bright side, he at least let you live."
"Yes he let me live…….but for one purpose!" said Leon remembering the catastrophic events that happen last night.
Flashback
Leon stood there on the ground in fear, terrorized with what is happening right in front of him, wings of fire formed on Air Jay's back and with that the entire castle start to burn. Leon never saw anything like this, how can a human being ever do a thing like this?
Air Jay laughed as the entire house continues to burn, then he looks down at Leon and grabs him by the neck and lifts him up to the air.
Leon starts to believe that Air Jay is going to kill him now, but Air Jay's question surprised him. "You are probably wonder why I'm letting a piece of dirt like you live? This is all because I want you to do a little favor for me!"
"A……a favor?" Leon managed to ask.
"Yes. I want you to go to Seilune and tell Phill that I killed another one of his loyal supporters. And tell him to make the bounty on my head even higher, I need more victims!" said Air Jay in a despicable evil voice, then he throws Leon to the ground. "Now get out of my face! And you better hope that you never see me again, our I will kill you for real!"
After saying that Air Jay grabbed his dog Kiko, blasted the wall open and flew away.
End of Flashback
"I'm so ashamed to say that I've never been so afraid in my life, but after fighting a monster like Air Jay I'm glad to be left alive." Continued Leon, still shaking in fear when he remembers Air Jay.
Lina got stun when she heard Leon's story, Air Jay created wings of fire on his back? It is not a spell that Lina knows, and it is impossible for any human being to do such a thing. Lina starts to wonder if this Air Jay character is a Mazoku. "And where did he go?"
"Why do you want to know?" asked Leon, a little surprised by Lina's question.
"Where did he go?"
"You are not thinking of going after him are you? Are you crazy? Even after al that I told you, you still want to go after him? It is madness!"
"Where did he go?" asked Lina again, more impatience this time.
Leon stood in silence for a moment, but he ended up responding her. "He went to the north."
"Very well……" said Lina then turns to Gourry. "Lets go Gourry, if we hurry up we might end up catching him up."
"Alright……" said Gourry in a calm voice, but deep inside he's getting worry. This Air Jay character seems to be very troublesome, they will need very caution this time.
"WAIT!" called Leon when Lina and Gourry were about to leave. "Don't make the same mistake I did, don't underestimate Air Jay, or he will get you by surprise."
Lina and Gourry did not say anything, but they received important information about Air Jay, still not the enough about how to finish him.
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For the next couple of hours, Lina and Gourry have been walking down the road in the exact direction that Leon has indicated them.
But Lina's mind is not focus on the bandit she wants o catch, it is focus on what happen last night. She can not believe that she kissed Gourry, exactly when he was sleeping, Lina starts to wonder why she has done it, is it because she and Gourry are going to depart soon? Or because it is something she wanted to do for a very long time? But what ever the reason, Lina did not feel any better, in fact the weight in her heart just keeps getting bigger because that was a fake kiss, that was a kiss she had given, not a kiss that could be shared between her and Gourry, a kiss that could never happen because soon Lina and Gourry will no longer travel together.
"Hey Lina!" said Gourry, shaking Lina's shoulder.
"Huh? What Gourry?" said Lina, coming back to reality.
"Look!" Gourry pointed to the road in front of them which leaded them to two different trails.
"WHAT?" cried Lina. "This can not be! Now how are we going to find out where Air Jay went?"
"Can you try to use your magic Lina?" asked Gourry. "Like trying to sniff where he went to?"
Lina turns back at Gourry with an angry glare. "OF COURSE NOT! What do you think I am? A dog?"
"Maybe I can help!" said a voice behind Lina and Gourry, it is none other than Xellos.
Lina and Gourry got surprised to see the mysterious priest again.
"Xellos, what are you doing here?" asked Lina, demanding it to be more precise, she knows that every time that Xellos appears it can only means trouble.
"That is a secret!" responded Xellos with a giggle.
Black smoke started to come out of Lina's head, she is so tire of always hearing that phrase from this guy. "Ok then, then tell me what you meant that you could help us!"
"I believe that you are looking for the one called Air Jay, yes? Then all you have to do is follow that road, it will lead you to a city where Air Jay is." Said Xellos pointing to one of the trails.
"Hold on Xellos! How did you know that I was looking for Air Jay?"
"Why Lina, isn't it oblivious? The words are out that the famous Dra-mata, is looking for the famous bandit, Air Jay! You have been wandering from town to town getting information of his whereabouts."
"I see, but what do you know about this Air Jay character? Is he even human? I heard about the stuff he has made so I start to think that he's not even human."
"By the contrary Lina, he is just as human as you are. A little different, but human." After saying that Xellos despaired.
"Where did he go?" asked Gourry, looking around to see if he could find Xellos.
"No need to find him Gourry." Said Lina "Xellos is up to something."
"What makes you say that?"
"Xellos knows something more about Air Jay but he won't tell us, in fact he left before I could ask him anything else. His only purpose was to direct us right to him."
Lina's words did not calm Gourry one bit, he was already having a bad feeling when Lina wanted to hunt down this mysterious bandit, and now that Xellos appears things will probably get worst. "Lina, are you really sure you want to go after this guy?"
"What kind of question is that Gourry?" replied Lina. "I've already told you the big bounty there is on the head of this guy, that is not something I can ignore!"
"But why do you want the money Lina? Are you planning to retire so soon?"
"Of course not! No one will stop me! I have another use for the money!"
"What is it?"
"In the end you'll find out Gourry!" with this last one Lina turned her back at Gourry so that he could not see the tear that ran out of her eyes and started to walk to the road that Xellos pointed out.
Gourry just followed Lina, still worry, he really has a bad feeling about this, but no matter the odds he will continue to protect Lina, that is the soul promise that he has made to her, to protect her to the end of his days, and so he shall. No matter who Air Jay is, Gourry will protect Lina, and besides, there are a lot of things that Gourry wants to tell Lina, things that he won't tell her for fear that she might fireball him or worst, leave him.
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We find Air Jay and his dog Kiko in a restaurant which it is very popular for his dishes, that is the main reason why Air Jay wanted to eat there.
Once he reached the restaurant all the customers freaked out to see the evil outlaw in the restaurant, acting like he has done nothing considering the fact that he attacked a city just last night. Still no one wants to mess with him because they know that he's an evil killer.
"HEY YO! WAITER!" called Air Jay to one of the waiters. "Come here!"
The waiter walked to Air Jay, trembling in fear. "Y-y-y-yes?"
"Oh Palhaço! Why isn't any waitress serving me? A nice fine, hot, sexy waitress with big breasts serving me?" complained Air Jay.
"I…..I-I-I'm sorry sir." Apologized the waiter, but he was rewarded by a punch by Air Jay.
Air Jay laughed of what he has done, then turns to Kiko. "So Kiko, will it be the usual?"
"Auu, Au! (Yes, I want one of everything!)" responded Kiko.
"Ok." Air Jay then turns to the waiter who was still on the ground. "Alright jack, I want a stew, Portuguese stew, and bring me everything on the menu!"
The waiter got up and looked at Air jay with a shock "Everything?"
"Yes, are you deaf? I want everything on the menu! And make it triple portions!"
"TRIPLE PORTIONS? You eat that much?"
"It's not for me stupid! It's for my dog Kiko who has a big appetite, now move along or I will break your face off!"
After that the waiter left to the kitchen, running away from the rage of Air Jay.
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All the waiters and all the cooks started their work, preparing all the meals that Air Jay ordered.
In that moment the chef of the restaurant arrived, it is none other than Ashford, the same chef that Lina and the others helped in the past. He got curious to see that all his people are in a rush, preparing the meals like if they are preparing a meal for a king. "What is going on here?"
"Sir, Air Jay is here, and wants everything in our menus triple portions!"
"Air Jay? Who is Air Jay?" asked Ashford, wondering who this man that scared all the waiters is.
"Sir, don't you know him? He's a very dangerous outlaw."
"Outlaw huh? And how will he pay for all the meals he ask for?"
"Who cares? We have to do what he wants or else he will kill us!"
"STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING!" demanded Ashford and every looked back at him. "I will have a talk to this character myself!"
"What? No sir, are you insane? Air Jay is dangerous!"
Ashford ignored his employed and went to the dinning room to find Air Jay.
Once he got the he found Air Jay with his feet on the table. "Excuse me sir, but I must ask you to remove your feet's of the table."
Air Jay ignored Ashford's request, but he looked curiously at the chef dress out like a cowboy and having a chef's hat stuck on his cowboy hat. "Where is the meal I ordered old man?"
"And how will you pay for all the meals you have ordered?" demanded Ashford.
"Pay?" laughed Air Jay at his question. "I won't pay anything! I never paid for anything in my life and I won't start now!"
"Then I must ask you to leave!" demanded Ashford when he heard Air Jay arrogant response. "And most of all no dogs allow!"
Air Jay still remained in his place. "You must be the stupidest person around. But your in luck that I am in a good mood today, so shut up and prepare the meal I ordered!"
Ashford grunted at Air Jay's annoying arrogance. "Well I order you to leave! And take that lousy mutt with you!"
"Grrr? GRRR? AU AU! (Lousy mutt? LOUSY MUTT? KILL HIM AIR JAY!)" barked Kiko.
"With pleasure, this old man is getting on my nerves!" said Air Jay as he got up to his feet.
Ashford immediately picks up his knife. "Back off boy! And get out of my restaurant, immediately!"
With an amazing speed, Air Jay swigged his hand and took Ashford's necklace, the same necklace where he has a picture of his late family.
"Hey give it back!" demanded Ashford.
"You want it come and get it!" challenged Air Jay with Ashford's necklace on his hand, challenging him to get it.
Ashford slowly reach out his hand to get it, but using extreme caution. In the exact moment whne Ashford was about to get it, the necklace burns in Air Jay's hand. "No……NO! My family!" Ashford lands on the ground seeing the ashes of his necklace falling on the ground, the last memory of his wife, his daughter, his son in law, and his dear granddaughter is gone, gone forever.
"Oh…did I burn something you like?" taunted Air Jay very coldly, and laughing of what he has done.
Ashford's eyes burned in rage and picks up his knife "DAMN YOU!" cried Ashford then he jumped to the air. "Secret Strike! Shooting Star Cleaver Slash!" and he strike Air Jay right on his neck.
But that did not hurt Air Jay, in fact, the blade of the knife did not even penetrate Air Jay's skin.
Ashford could not believe, this attack never failed him before, it always worked against sea dragons, so why doesn't work against a human being? "It is not possible!"
"You expect to slash me with your weak strength?" mocked Air Jay, then he grabbed Ashford's knife with one hand and with the other hand he grabs his arm and twists it until it is broken.
"AAARGH!" cried Ashford in pain and land on the ground, holding his broken arm.
"See what you get when you mess with the big men here?" taunted Air Jay as he steps with one foot Ashford's head, then he looks to the crowd who has been watching the entire scene with fear in their eyes. "Let this be a lesson experience people. Don't ever disobey the Air Jay man! Class is dismiss! But this old man has to pay the price."
Air Jay was about to kill Ashford with his own knife when he got hit with a Elmikia Lance right on his face, making him back away from Ashford. "Who has done this?"
From the front door a sorceress and her protector appeared, running to Ashford to see if he was alright.
Ashford immediately recognized two of the youngsters that he had meet a long time ago. "Lina…..Gourry……"
Lina finally found Air Jay and pointed an angry glare at for hurting an old friend of hers. "You are going to pay for this Air Jay!"
To be continued……
Alandra: air Jay and Lina face to face by the first time.
Ramon: the big battle will begin soon.
Maliska: read and review
