Disclaimer: I dont own Slayers.. But I sure wish I did! Wait no, I dont. Who knows what monstrosity would surface...
I fell yesterday, and the bruise hurts! It seems I always have something bad to post here... ...On the other hand, the ants have vanished! I prefer a slight bruise to a rampage of ants, so I'd say this is an improvement. Let's hope there won't be any scars...
Even though my mother applied antiseptic cream which turned out to have expired for almost a year...
"My life stinks..!! "
cyberimp6 : Haha! So you realised... I just love it how every episode always furthers the plot a little, even if the Slayers really are just fooling around in a town. Thanks very much about the other comment, because..um... well it's very nice? lol!
Nivelia : Hmm...-suspicious- Haha sure, and thanks bunches!
Setfiregirl : No matter how long it is...? -evil mind plotting dastard plans in progress- xD
Ral: Are you ready, AC-san?
AC: Shut up Ral.
Taka: Well, since we couldn't prove that the latest reviews weren't all posted by the same person anyway, we're going to reveal AC's gender. Everyone, please put your hands together and welcome...AC.
-Opera style music fills the room, and AC appears at the top of the staircase behind everyone else. Slowly, AC steps into the light, and is ready to begin an arduously long journey down the arduously long staircase... In the dazzling bright light, we still cant tell the gender of AC. Ok just kidding, AC's wearing a ballgown and holding a bouquet of various flowers. Then, taking the first step towards accepting womanhood (as well as down the staircase)...
AC is kicked by Taka, and tumbles down the arduously long staircase in a heap-
Taka: AC's a guy.
The Slayers were back to where they separated from Amelia, which is a wide stretch of stone road.
"Well, Amelia went that way, so..." Lina consulted the mapboard, and read the most-likely destination Amelia went to.
"...What the.."
"What, Lina?"
"I think...she went to Amorteria..."
"For real?! Where Xellos told us to go??"
"We don't have much choice, Lina. Right now that's the only place we can be sure of finding something."
"Alright then. We'll reach Amorteria in just a few hours if we hurry. I'm not sure what could have happened to Amelia, but that white-cloaked witch was definitely suspicious."
"She was cloaked in white?"
"Yup. Probably why Amelia followed her. Anyone knows if Amorteria is a Seillune town? They didn't mark it very well here...Looks like they don't station border guards either."
"No idea," Filia said, never having made it a point to know any more than beyond the borders of the Dragon temples.
"I haven't been there myself, but sounds like a Seillune town to me," Zelgadis observed.
Lina didn't even bother to hear Gourry's opinion.
"Yes! Amorteria is a rapidly expanding town of Seillune, though it won't be much longer!"
Xellos appeared, and the Slayers were beginning to get used to this.
Which was why their surprise was mild when he materialised in front of them, and recovered quickly.
"Well then, Xellos, what do you know about Amorteria?"
"Not very much, Lina! But they do have a very...interesting method to expand themselves from what used to be a very small settlement!"
"What do you mean?" Zelgadis frowned. There was a great deal he would have to know about this town. Was the town rebelling and after Amelia? Or was the cloaked figure only an isolated case...?
"Very simple, Zelgadis-san! That town you all came from.. Vault, I think? The people weren't the happiest, were they?"
"The two towns are related?" Filia had never heard of such odd conditions.
"Amorteria is mainly consisting of the higher class - nobles and well-off families with administrative or management jobs - in other words, those wealthy enough to afford amiable accomodations and property. Vault, however, is filled with the lower classes, mainly consisting of poor farmers and sailors that hardly own more than their own jobs! They are really one town, only separated into two large areas, each with a different name!" Xellos marvelled at what hope did for the humans, not addressing Filia.
"Hmm..." Gourry said, either in an attempt to comprehend what was going on or at least to pretend to.
"At any rate, we should leave, the sooner the better. Something fishy is going on, and every minute of the hour we walk will be a minute wasted. Let's go." Zelgadis slung his sword, and began walking towards the horizon, and stopped when he realised no one was following.
"Actually, I have a better idea..." Lina glanced over at Filia, who immediately sprouted goosebumps.
"Oh Filia, how you really hurt me so..."
"Shut up! I'm not letting a pile of rotten trash ride on me."
"Ah, what a pity."
Xellos was flying beside Filia, who had closed her eyes, determined not to look him. She reluctantly agreed to transform after being..motivated.
"My, what a dignified dragon..."
It wasn't a few minutes before someone's stomach grumbled.
"Lina..How much further...?"
"I don't know, Gourry... It's not too far, is it Xellos...?"
"You two are hungry already? Seriously..."
"Don't worry, Lina! It's just about half an hour away!"said the ever-grinning, never-hungry smiling flying wonder.
"Half an hour..." groaned Lina.
"Half an hour..." echoed Gourry.
"Half an hour..." sighed Filia.
"Half an hour!" smiled Xellos.
"What a huge town..." Zelgadis said, observing the span of the settlement as they arrived. There were constructions going on here and there, but the future of the town seemed bordering towards a very small city.
"Well there's got to be some food here, if they've got the money to do all this.."
Sure enough, a group of workers were carrying an elaborate marble pillar towards the construction of what seemed to be a very expensive mansion.
"Hello there! You travellers seem to be quite new to these parts. What's the nature of your visit?" A young man dressed smartly in guard uniform approached the Slayers with a very friendly smile on his decidedly handsome face.
"We're trying to find our f- "
" - place in the world, but we're not sure if we should settle down here," Lina said through gritted teeth, having stomped hard on Gourry's foot.
"I mean, what a busy life these people lead!! Ahaha..ha.."
"Oh not at all, young miss. Those are workers from Vault - they don't talk much. Lord Emel's orders," he whispered conspirationally.
He straightened up and bowed, his gloved hand waving in a friendly gesture.
"Well, you may want to attend the Mother's Day Celebrations tomorrow night at Lord Emel's mansion.. That might change your mind about staying. Take care, now."
And the man left.
"We've got to be careful. This entire town could be run by whoever had tricked Amelia," Lina said, releasing Gourry's foot.
"But Lina, we've no proof that Amelia was even here.."
"I know. But there's something weird about the two towns, and if this isn't the place to solve a problem for Seillune I dont know where is. Besides, if that was a normal guard - " Lina watched with narrowed eyes as the guard appeared to be welcoming visitors. "Then I think he would've mentioned the princess of Seillune at least."
"As expected of Lina," Xellos said, smiling as usual.
"Xellos. Earlier you said something about Amorteria not expanding for very long. What did you mean?"
"Well, Zelgadis, if you will tear yourself away from the view of the middle-class districts and look over there..."
The Slayers followed his gaze to look at a grand gate that sealed off the majority of the colossal town.
"Then you will see that the higher classes' residential area has.. limitations as to its entry, which does not hold well with Philoniel-san. I expected actions to have been taken earlier, but if Amelia, a young lady with odd means of charisma, was to try to do something like this at a noble's cause of celebrations..."
Xellos wagged his finger and turned back towards the Slayers.
"...then she'd probably end up in trouble for impostering the princess and offending the nobles!"
"Oh, no.."
"Man, how troublesome."
"How're we going to find her before she tries anything weird?"
"We're going to this Lord Emel's..party thing. We'll get a chance to stop whoever's behind this."
"Well then, it seems I'm done here for today. I'll meet everyone at the gates tomorrow noon, okay?"
"But before you go..."
"Hm?"
"Xellos, I know you're up to something, and you probably know more about this than any of us here. I'm not sure how you knew Amelia was here or was going to make an appearance at a specific place but you'd better know that I'm going to stop it if I don't like it."
There was a slight pause as Xellos just continued smiling.
"Well then..."
And he disappeared, leaving no trace of his presence.
...
"Filia, how much do you have on you?" Zelgadis suddenly asked.
"Um.. Enough for a week's expenses. Why?"
Behind, Lina and Gourry were clutching their stomachs sheepishly.
"Oh..just curious."
Ral: Ah! It looks like a climax is finally coming!
Take: Indeed..
Ral: Eh? Where's Taka?
Taka: Here.
AC: Heyhey, I haven't repaid you for that kick yet.
Taka: Ehe...All in good time, all in good time...
AC: Taka. What did you tell them while I was unconscious...?
Taka: That you're a woman, of course.
Take: Liar.
AC: TAKA!!
Taka: Eheh, Take's little joke...
AC: I'm not buying it!!
Taka: Ah come on, as if anyone would believe me that you were a guy anyway, wearing a dress and all that...
AC: So you DID tell them I was a guy?!
Taka: Like I said...
-fighting scenes in the background-
Ral: Uhh...AC is really a woman. Really.
Take: You can always review to find out her name if you don't believe us.
Ral: That's cruel, Take!
Take: Such is the way of the world.
Ral: You don't have to follow the way of the world...-.-
Take: ...
Ral: See you next week! Meg is really supposed to be studying for her upcoming exams, but ... you know... a writer's fantasies and whatnot...(dedication!)
Meg: Yeah. Uh...wish me luck for the exams! See ya! And thanks for everyone's support! .