Hey everyone! I'm soooo sorry for the long wait. I had some stuff to do, I got writer's block, and a bunch of plot bunnies kept coming but I promised myself I wouldn't start another story before finishing this one. Don't worry the next chapter will come soon.
Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers. It belongs to its orginal creator. I do own James and Lucas though.
"Naga the White Serpent?" I mumbled to myself. Aaron spun around to face the barely clothed sorceress. He shot a flare arrow at her. Naga easily dodged and threw out another freeze arrow. Aaron threw up a ballus wall.
"I don't have time to play with you," he told her darkly; his back was still facing me.
"Play? You obviously didn't hear me," Naga broke out into a loud voice again. "I am Lina Inverse's greatest and most powerful rival!"
"Lina Inverse? You better leave then before you really get on my nerves because there's no--"
"Naga wait!"
I don't know why I shouted out. For some reason I didn't want her to know who I was just yet. Then it hit me. I smiled as the plan began forming in my head. I stared at Naga.
"About that whole rival thing," I tried to make my voice as high as Lina's. "I'm not so sure anymore. I mean Aaron here has amazing power. He's much more powerful than your third-rate sorcery."
I could see Naga actually snap. She stared at me angrily then turned her gaze to Aaron. A spell began forming in her right hand.
"I'll show you third-rate," Naga lifted her hand in the air and threw out another ice-type spell. The spell was seemed stronger than the freeze arrow and Aaron took a direct hit. I quickly got myself up and moved out of their way. I then remembered James. I ran over to him and removed the boulder that was trapping him.
"You okay James?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's just my leg that's hurt," he replied. He smiled to try reassuring me but it wasn't working.
"Look out!" Naga's voice yelled out. I automatically grabbed James and leaped to the right. The powerful blast of magic blew the ground I was previously standing at into pieces. Both James and I turned toward the monster that sent the attack.
"Don't forget me," she said raising her arm for another attack. Naga began chanting another spell but Aaron threw a fireball at her. It hit by Naga's feet causing her to jump and stop chanting. The monster caught my attention again when she shot another beam. I quickly ducked low enough for the attack to miss.
"I won't miss this time,"
The monster prepared another attack. I tried to reach for my sword but it was difficult while holding James. Then I heard the monster scream. I snapped my head up to see Lucas, his hands like paws of a bear and teeth as sharp as a shark's. I noticed that he looked younger than when I was him in the basement. I guess that when I killed Ami I gave some of his youth and power back. I smiled.
"Lucas!" I shouted. He looked over at us.
"What happened to you? I thought you were stronger than this."
"I have some extra luggage with me," I nodded my head to James. "What happened to the monster?"
Lucas shrugged his shoulders.
"I attacked her and she just disappeared. By the way, who'd she?"
One of Lucas's hands turned back into a human hand and he pointed to Naga who was still fighting Aaron.
"A friend of my sister,"
It was then that I felt the ground below begin to shake, it was faint but I could feel it. It came too fast. Before I could move the earth under my feet blew apart causing James and I to fly through the air. We both landed hard. James screamed in pain when his injured leg hit the ground. I got up as quickly as I could and stood over James.
"Hey are you all right?" I asked. His face was scrunched up in pain. When he spoke his voice was hoarse.
"Stop worrying about me," James sounded almost angry. "Just beat them, damn it!"
Without another word I nodded, took my sword, and went to face Aaron and the monster. I noticed that both were winning against Naga and Lucas. Lucas had turned into a hawk and took to the skies unfortunately though the monster could stay in the air as well. Aaron had gotten a few good hits on Naga and she seemed to get more tired every minute.
"Ah!" I cried as I charged toward Aaron with my sword ready to strike. He turned his gaze away from Naga to look at me.
"It's pointless!" He yelled when I brought my sword down. I only got a slash on his arm but it quickly healed itself. I continued to attack but Aaron moved fast enough so I couldn't land a serious blow and whenever I did get him the wounds healed themselves.
"I'm immortal remember?" He shot a fireball at me and I let my sword absorb the spell. Being the Knight of Ceiphied meant I had to be prepared for these kinds of attacks. I brought my sword up for another attack and brought it down quickly enough to get a good hit on his arm. Aaron's smile was quickly replaced with a frown. He screamed in pain as he clutched the arm I injured.
"What is this?" he seemed to be asking himself. "Why is it not healing?"
I didn't hesitate. I took another strike but Aaron had more energy than me and was able to move out of my way. He ran toward the monster that was still fighting Lucas. Her face was scratched.
"What happened?" he yelled to the monster. "How could you let this happen?"
"Lina," I recognized Naga's voice so I turned to her at the sound of my sister's name. "I have a plan. When I say go attack that annoying immortal brat."
I nodded my head. Lucas, who was still a hawk, swooped down to land another attack on the monster. She smacked Lucas away from as if he was a fly. I turned to see Naga was no longer next to me but in fact walking toward the monster.
"I've had enough of you two!" Naga threw a freeze arrow. I noticed that she attack low. The monster took the bait and defended her against the low aimed attack. Naga turned to me. "Lina now!"
I ran as fast as I could to Aaron. He didn't notice me until I was right behind him, my sword ready to strike him with all my strength. I only stopped when I heard a scream of pain. It wasn't the monster's, it was a male's voice. The voice was too high pitched to be James's so my attention went straight to Lucas. He was lying on the ground, unconscious and no longer a hawk. I suddenly felt a powerful blow to my gut. I looked down to see Aaron's fist connected with my stomach. I coughed up some spit before falling to the ground.
I didn't wait for Aaron to attack me again; I rolled across the ground to get as far away as possible from him. As soon as I got a good enough distance between us I grabbed my sword and got up. I stumbled a bit but managed to get on my feet. Spells being fired off could be heard so I guess Naga was fighting the monster. Aaron was running towards me at a pretty fast speed. I stood my ground.
"Naga!" I shouted. "Try your plan one more time!"
"All right!" I heard her shout to me.
Aaron came closer and I clenched my right hand (the one that wasn't holding my sword) into a fist. I brought back and then swung it forward, slugging him hard right on the face. I must have used more strength then I realized because Aaron fell back about two yards.
When I turned to Naga I saw her send her low aimed ice attack. I was amazed the monster took the bait again and blocked the attack. As the monster threw up a ballus wall to defend her I threw my sword into the air and toward the monster. A smiled came on my face when the sword got closer to my target but that smile soon faded when the monster made a sharp turn and swatted off my sword. My sword fell to the ground with a thud.
"The same plan twice?" the monster seemed to be smirking. "You humans are truly pathetic."
What happened next took us all by surprise. A sword (definitely not mine) seemed to come out of no where and strike the monster right in the face. The monster screamed before throwing the sword to the ground. Her face began cracking and falling apart.
She was wearing a mask this whole time? I asked myself. Could that have been the pledge of immortality?
My answer came when I heard Aaron scream in agony. He clutched his face as if someone had cut is open. He began clawing at his face as the screams got louder. I looked away before it got any worse. I only looked back when the screaming stopped and I was Aaron lying on the floor dead. I looked at the sky, the monster was gone too. Naga walked to my side.
"Whose sword was that?" she asked. I smiled and turned my head to James. He was smiling in triumph and then gave me thumbs up.
I looked to see Lucas. He was still unconscious but a green aura surrounded him. Within moments Lucas was back to his young self. I felt relived and completely tired.
"Hey Naga?" I asked, turning my head back to her. "Do you know healing spells?"
"Of course,"
"Good,"
I closed my eyes and lied on the ground. I let my tiredness overcome me and soon my world went black.
I deserved a good rest.