The King in White
Chapter: 3
Games
Let's have some more fun with our story.
Lina walked behind the king in white as he lead the towards the tower that she could see in the distance. She smiled as she felt interested in something in quite a while. 'There is quite the potential for me to find something new about magic,' Lina thought as it had been a while since someone had to potential to teach her magic.
As they got closer to the tower Lina noticed that the king in white's tower was quite an impressive structure on the high raise over the town. The tower looked to be made of just basic stone that had been craved from the very mountain itself. Though the material looked plain the way the tower was built showed that the creator was more of a creative soul than one might think. Lina could see the gargoyles that were built on each balcony and terrace of the tower. "Golems," came the king in white's voice into Lina's ears.
Lina looked as it seemed as if the king in white could read what she had been thinking about before asking, "Excuse me?"
The king in white looked over his shoulder without stopping before saying, "You were wondering about the gargoyles. They are all golems designed to protect my tower."
Lina nodded as she understood but then thought of another question, "What if the town is under attack?"
"The town guard normally has things under control. I've made a stand that the town should not come to depend on me, but if it is over the town guard's head then I have a back up," the king in white replied as he continued to walk.
Lina was satisfied with the answer given. From what she had seen in the town the people looked up to this man as a father figure. It seemed that the man was a believer in tough love. He did not spoil the town that wanted him near but at the same time did not leave them to completely alone to fend for themselves. Lina was glad that the king in white did not turn out to be a crabby old hermit but at the same time could sense from his habit of distance that he had some want to just disappear. 'I could imagine not wanting to get too close. If you are as old as they say you've lived long enough to know the pain of watching those around wither away,' Lina thought as some memories came to her.
Shaya looked at Lina as she saw something in her eyes change. The young elf turned and asked, "Is there something wrong Lady Inverse?"
"No...just an odd thought," Lina replied while not wanting to worry anyone with an old memory.
Shaya looked at Lina and was about to ask another question when his voice answered, "She will tell us when she is ready...memories can hurt more than any physical wound."
Lina looked at the king in white before thinking, 'How did he know?'
After another ten minutes Lina was inside the tower of the king in white. The main room on the first floor was wide and spacious with an inviting feel. The room was a combined kitchen and lounge that seemed rather homely to Lina and somewhat opposite of the king in white. 'Something tells me Shaya is in charge of the feel of this room,' she thought with a smirk on her face.
"This is the main room where guest are entertained. I know it is rude of me but I must leave you in Shaya's hands as I go upgrade the defenses so that they will not attack you," the king in white replied as he began to head towards the stairs that where in the middle of the tower and spiraled up.
Lina gulped before replying, "No that's okay...I can take a little rudeness if it means I won't get blown up."
Shaya smiled before taking Lina by the hand and saying, "Don't worry Lady Inverse I'll give you a full tour."
Lina withdrew her hand before saying, "Look, I know I'm older than you but I've never been good with titles. Please, just call me Lina."
Shaya smiled before taking Lina's hand once again and saying, "Well shall we continue with that tour Lina?"
Lina smiled before saying, "Much better."
He had told a small lie. The truth was that he could have changed the magic that monitored the tower's defenses from anywhere in the tower. But, he could not help but move away from Lina for the moment. He had made his to his chambers before removing the mask from his face. Zelgadis' eyes were alive with with what could almost be described as an insane glee. Ever since he had approached Lina he could feel the boredom slip from his mind and the gears begin to turn. 'This is more entertaining than I thought. Maybe we should continue this little game,' he thought as a mischievous side of Zelgadis made an appearance.
At first he had wanted to hid his face to see how Lina had changed without hinting that he knew much about how she acted in the past. Now it was almost like a game of chess. He would begin to drop hints and see how long it would take Lina to figure out who he was. 'She'll probably be mad that I'm keeping this a secret but that could be fun as well,' he thought as he walked out to his balcony before leaning on the rail.
Maybe it had finally happened, maybe he had finally lived long enough, and been bored for so long that he had finally snapped. Zelgadis knew that he would normally not do something like this but for some reason this game he was playing amused him to the point were he did not want to stop until Lina had figured it out. He let out a low chuckle before it continued and grew into a laugh that sound a slightly insane. 'I'll do it...I'll see how long it takes Lina to figure me out and have my fun,' he thought before turning back towards his room to undress from his heavy robes for the night.
Lina yawned as she set her travel pack down in her room. Shaya had given her the grand tour of the tower and it was impressive. The first level was the kitchen and greeting room for guest. The second floor was a large dinning room. The third floor was divided into four nice sized guest rooms. The fourth floor was a floor wide bath. Shaya had explained that when the king in white had first come to the area there was a natural spring on the other side of the mountain. During the construction of the tower the king in white decided to move the spring into the tower as his own bath. The fifth floor was Shaya's domain. It was split between a bedroom and a herbalist lab. Shaya had been taught magic by the king in white but she preferred only to use healing magic and making potions to help health problems. The sixth, seventh, and eighth floors were taken up by the private library of the king in white. Lina could not help but smile while thinking, 'I'm going to be digging through there before I leave.'
There were two floors above the library but Shaya did not show them saying that it was the king in white's private space. Lina had gotten her to reveal that the ninth floor was a workshop where the king created many different things including the golems that were a part of the security of his tower. And, finally the tenth floor was the king's own bed chamber. 'Again, that says something about him,' Lina began, 'He is separated from the world by ten floors but at the same time the one person that he has let into his life is kept away by four floors as well.'
Lina could see all the earmarks of a man that was much older than anyone could guess. A man that knew he would continue to live on no matter what went on in the outside world. She knew the feeling seeing as how she had felt that way as well. After losing so many people she had had relationships with she had grown tired of her life. Lina sat down on the bed before sighing and thinking, 'Though if he has lived this long there might be a chance that he is looking for a companion that he is sure he will not out live.'
Lina knew she was a candidate for such a companion but did not know if she wanted to stay or continue on. She knew that nothing out there would stop her from traveling until she could not continue but she was not sure of the king either. 'I need to get to the man behind the mask. And, then I can judge if I will stay or continue on my way,' Lina thought as she laid down and just stared at the ceiling.
Lina smiled before saying, "I'll play the game," as she moved her hand out and shaped it like a gun, "I'll see your face one way or another," before faking like she pulled the trigger.
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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