Disclaimer: BADGER! BADGER! BADGER! BDAGER!
Side note: I did some tweeking to this chapter. I may do more
Enjoy amigos!
Chapter Fourteen: Stopping in Sairaag. Green lights usually mean go!
"Wait a Second." I said as I stopped dead in my tracks. A piece of battered parchment was tacked onto a tall lanky pine that sat at the trail ahead of us. The worn image of Proserpina was still legible and her bounty was that of a double amount.
"She's going for One hundred million gold pieces." Deep Sea must be loaded to risk putting an offer like that one paper, if it keeps increasing like this; pretty soon she's going to have kingdoms going at her at large!
"Whoever is doing this has no chill." Proserpina gravely comment as she torn off the poster and crumpled it up. "I want to bet it will triple the amount the next time we see these."
"I wouldn't put it pass it." Zel commented. "They will keep making it more until they have you."
"That's if they can even get me." She made it sound more of a challenge then the threat to her life. I'll run around this world, if I have to. "
"Wait wouldn't you fall off?" Gourry may have been the one to ask this, but the world is a disk from what we know. What exactly did she meant by going around it?
"Ugh." She pinched her nose. "I have to remember that this is a medieval like time, the world isn't as totally discovered like mines."
"What's a medieval?" Gourry asked as he placed his index on is chin. "Is that a boiled egg?"
"No." She said in a deadpanned tone. "It's not an egg at all. It's a time period."
"Oh!" He placed his hands on his face. "A period? It's that time of the month for you?"
"No Numb nuts!" She was a tad heated from Gourry ignorance as she balled her fist. "It's a form of an expression used to describe a time that being or has been lived in."
"So I take it that your society does not believe that the world is a flat disk?"Zel, on the other hand, was taking the more sensible approach in understand the settings of Proserpina's world.
"No." She said. "We long discover in one of our periods that the earth was round, like a sphere; not flat or a disk."
"So how did your people discover that?"
"Though space travel." Proserpina answers without skipping a beat. "We have been able to at least orbit our planet at least years before the Nightmare strain took its widespread attack." She shrugs. So her world manage to reach beyond the stars and see what they're world really look like. Though I don't think hers was as advanced as Armace's, but maybe just a bit more than ours. We went on getting her to go in depth with her world, to sum it up they're pretty similar to ours, yet technology was more common, while magic was sacred. Azazelus had stirred up multiple wars that caused many of the united peoples within the continent in conflict; some had civil wars that resulted in 'witch' hunts. This killed many of the people who knew the multitudes of magic they once knew. Pre days before the Nightmare Strain turned everyone into the undead, there were only a handful of select families who carried on these arts. To my understanding, Proserpina's family was one of the families that had this kind of knowledge, and one of the few that survive the attacks. The other two families were later either murdered or turned into zombies themselves. That left Proserpina and her brother the only people in that universe to know any form of magic. I took on a pity the more I empathize with her, realizing that she was indeed in a world doom for its inevitable end.
We gotten back on track as we began to incline towards the South, Sairaag and the regiments of the Holy Tree, Flagoon still stood to this day, though I don't think the city was as thriving as it was years ago when Hellmaster had his grasp on the inhabitants. If there were people there, then they had to be somewhere far enough o survive any of the events that token place there. That city in particular had at least receive what may seem like a wrath of a angry god, having that of the monstrous Zanaffar, and not to forget about both Rezo and his copy that occupied both research that inclined that of a personal library of books and manual scripts and a laboratory.
"I wonder if that place is still there…" I think Zelgadis was getting the spark to wonder into what is of Sairaag and see if anything of his late great grandfather was still around.
"What place?" I wanted to know what he was reminiscing of. He totally ignores me and went off muttering to himself. "Because if it's there, I wonder if it would even have any of the items she would need." Ugh. I have a hunch that she has already told him, and he's aware of what's in that laboratory. Now I got that feeling that is where he wants to go to.
Zelgadis ended up dragging us in that direction anyways, even after I protested of how it's so off course from the way we needed to be heading to next. He insisted that he checked to see if there was resources that were require for a 'future project.'
"Is this for your cure?" He snapped his head at me, eyes narrowing as he peers from over his shoulder.
"Or should I say Reversal?"
"Oh so you already know, huh?" Ha! I knew before we even ran into you on the ship! He stared at me with this disappointed look on his features. "I figured you of all people would ask before I could." He said dryly. "Rather typical of you to not mention anything about it either." Listen, it's more so because I wanted to see you ask and what your reaction would have been, but I missed that completely. Because the two of you decide to have those chits chat in the wee hours of the morning. See? I was on to him before we set off to the place where the egg was.
"So I'm guessing you're going along with it?" There is a part of me that is bit skeptical of how these reversals were supposed to work. From what Proserpina explain to him, it was a process where they replace the samples (or creatures) DNA with their own human sample. Now from the understanding in Chimerism, the organism can be reverted back without death. Meaning for the longest of times in the history of that particular science, it was a process that could not be returned from, until now.
"It's something I would consider taking the risk for." There was a part of me that felt like Zel was at the point where he was willing to be a guinea pig just so he can be fully human again. I don't blame him, but I hope it doesn't get him to the point where he starts to become pushy again. I couldn't dealing with when he did it with the Claire Bible (Though I was hilarious to see him go off and chase Xelloss around), and if he starts it again, I'm pretty sure Proserpina isn't going to take lightly to that either.
There were parts of the city of Sairaag that felt like it belongs in the pages of a ghost story. The street the quad of us trotted down was barren as not a single soul was in sight anywhere to be seen. Our eyes stayed peeled as Zelgadis lead the way though an alley. We passed by businesses, schools that offer courses in magic, and a scouting center for the Sorcerer's guild. He then halted in front of a circled shaped structure as his approach that archway. The doors were boarded up, as well as some of the windows.
"Looks like someone came by and try to close it up." I watched Zelgadis as he slips though the slide of the stairs. There was a gate off to the left, where he fumbled around with its lock, popping it loose.
"Come on." He motion as he sped off into the opening. It was a narrow passage that leads one way; I bumped into Gourry as we all stopped for Zel to pick at another lock. The door opens, and we enter the main lobby; a grand stair case lead up to a set of double doors. We scaled the steps and pushed though the heavy doors. Inside was want looked to be the remains of a Laboratory. Items were strewn about; debris littered the fancy marble floor, pages with bits of glass crunched under our boots as we searched around. I hate to be a hamper to Zel's newly found optimism, but it looks like there is nothing here. Even the chamber where the test subjects where being created no longer stood. Zelgadis continue to progress somewhere behind it, where there was a small book shelf. I was convince that there was a book that he was looking for, but instead he tugged at something, and it release a mechanism that swing open a small safe place. There were a couple of things there, which he bent over to examine. Proserpina shifted as she glances at his direction.
"Zel." He hummed and she smirked. "Something is missing. I think we need to call the police."
He looks at her in utter confusion. "What do you mean police and what is missing?"
"We need to call for law enforcement because someone stole your ass!" I snicker as Gourry contorted the best he could from not laughing out loud.
"Egads!" She laughed as Zelgadis rolled his eyes as he return back. "You know, instead of looking at my backside-." His face was a bit flushed. "You could help me find the items we may need so your friend can help me-"
"I doubt anything here is useful." She moved some of the paper to the side with her boot. "Everything is all trashed." She shot a look at what was left of the chamber. "Our best bet is just to wait for my brother to get here, and then I can get you to meet Vincent. Then we go from there."
There was deafening silence as the air hung heavy around Zel. His mouth open and shut as he glance at us, then Proserpina. "How am I supposed to get my DNA to be normal again?"
"Well," She began. "We need to acquire a sample from you. Blood works the best, but not as well as bone marrow. There are always other options, but I don't think you would consider those…"
"I want to know them?" Are you sure Gourry? I have a feeling the answer may be unsettling. Proserpina gave him a look as she smirked even more. "Do you really want to know?" He nodded enthusiastically as he lean in closer to hear.
"Think Biology my dude." Yeah good luck getting that though him! Gourry's noggin is crafted from the hardest of all bone, making it impossible for anything to sink in. Also his thick hair curls around his ears probably muffled any words that are even being said at this moment! I watched as he stared clueless at her as she tried her best to explain in the most kid friendly of terms.
"Half of our DNA is in our reproductive cells that our bodies produce. " Ah! I see where she is going at, so was Zel, as his face turn even more red as results of him following along.
"R-reproductive, you say?" His voice was trembling a bit from that brief news.
"Yep. I didn't stutter." He looks a tad faint as Gourry tap on his chin as he sat down to brain storm.
"What's a reproductive cell?" Zel and I nearly fell to the ground as Proserpina bit her finger to control herself from laughing. "Is that a type of bread?"
"No dude!" I think she was laughing more at the both of us as we slowly gathered ourselves up. "Though there are references to 'Buns' being in the 'Oven' when someone is expecting?"
"Well," Gourry, stop please! "What kind of bun are they expecting?"
"Gourry…" Zelgadis heaved a sigh as he rubbed his temples. "It's not bread…its babies."
"So it's a baby, not bread?" Ugh! This is a never-ending thing that I somehow manage to forget of just how exactly dense Gourry is.
"No. Where do you think Babies come from?" He stared blankly at her for a minute.
"I thought they came from strokes..." I knew he was going to say that… Now it was her turn to collapse to the ground.
"We come from our parents." She muttered from below. "A mom and a dad, you know! You have one of those, right?"
"Yeah…" He scratched his head. "I do have a mom and a dad. Well I did, until I ran away that is." This was starting to get personal. Gourry's eyes cast down as he sat in a momentary sadness, I wonder if he ever gets homesick, like I do. He gazes at me with those deep blue orbs, one of the misting up with a tear.
"Lina has parents too." Of course I do you moron! How do you think I got here? Do you think I was a clone? I don't think anyone told him about the birds and the bees properly, and whatever he knows in the bedroom is probably from the talk of when he was last in a war from his battle mates or the mercenaries he teamed up with in the past. Who knows what guys talk about, but none had both to correct him on how biology between two people works. Here he was thinking humongous birds just dropped us off at our front doors...
"Yes Gourry! We all had parents!" Zelgadis was getting annoying with the questioning the blond was throwing out. His attention went back to the other chimera. "Anyways, in consideration of things that were mentioned, but how are you be able to collect blood when my skin is hard as stone…?"
"The inside of your mouth is still pliable?" I could have sworn it looked like he checked before responding. "Yes, I see." He was in thought for a moment. "So you would have to collect blood from there?" She nodded.
"With a needle, they stick it under your tongue and it gets put in a series of a few test tubes. It's going to suck by the way. From what I heard it was painful and you can't talk for a few days." Zelgadis winced a bit. "I'm pretty certain it can't be as painful as the transformation process was." There as a dark glint in his eyes as he turn his head elsewhere. "With that answered, you mentioned something about a 'power source' to operate the machines?"
"Or something in that fashion." She glanced again at the surrounds. "The lab I was in was a bit more high tech then this one, but something like this could work." I can see how this would be a ray of hope hearing this, and nor do I think of it impossible. There is a feeling that this is a much more time consuming process to be restore to normal, then turning someone into a beast or mixture similar to Zel is easy done. Now that there is a culture that has figure out how to reintroduce the genetics of the person back to them, this may just give more then just a sense a hope to people who are in cases like Zelgadis.
"Is that why we are also here?' I asked. There is still a lot that I don't know about that happen before Zelgadis turn heel on the Red Priest. Was there a power source located here that was unknown about until now? I thought it was destroyed when Copy Rezo raided the place.
"Yes." He dusted off a container and slowly opened it. "I was also looking for some records Rezo hid here. There was some she had mentioned about that can help power the Reversal process."
"And what is that?" He shuffles though a series are rolled manual scribes until he rolled out one. "There was another place of a rumor second piece-"He stretched out the scroll, and grin flashed for a moment until he hurried to roll it back up. "-Of a Philosopher stone located in the Desert of Destruction. That was his backup plan in case the statue was an ersatz." I studied him; so this whole time, he knew where a second Stone hid this whole entire time. Why didn't you say anything?! There were plenty of times a thing like that would be some great help, but nope. You decided now was the proper time to remember that something like this still exists in this world? Aye Zelgadis, what am I going to do with you? He yanks out a large key, and stashes the container into his travel bag.
"I wonder what shape the library is in." We followed him back out into the lobby, and down a flight of steps. A huge door tower above us, Zel then used the key to unlock it. The library was huge! At least the same size, or bigger than the one at the Sorcerer's Guild! Even though the state of it was just as bad as the laboratory, the statue of Rezo still stood erect in the center of the area. That is one way to let people know that this is your place.
"Whoa." Proserpina trotted up to the statue, circling it as she got a view of it. "So this is the guy, huh?"
Zelgadis, who had a melancholy expression on his face, bobbed his head as he gaze at the statue. "Yes that's him."
"I can see some resemblance." She muttered and he torn his gaze off of his late grandfather's face and looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Why would you say that?" I think that might've struck a nerve with him, because knowing his relationship with the late priest ended out to be the worst. I don't know how much he has told her, but she still isn't aware of the full extent of the details. Though since that's been pointed out, I can see what she was talking about.
"I can see some of the traits that got passed on." She shrugged but remained calm. Again I don't think she was trying to offend, but Zel seemed to have worked up a bit of a sweat as she stared both him and the statue down. He panicked a bit more when she approached him with her hand reaching out.
"What are you doing?' His voice squeaked a bit as she pushed his hair back from his face.
"I can't see your face with all that hair in it." She peered at him for a moment, which caused him to glow pink. "You two have a comparable facial structure."
"He does have the same cow lick." I chimed in as I pointed out the curly flip the both of them sported at the ends of their hair.
"Well their eyes are different." We all glance at Gourry for his usual, making an ass out himself comments. It was obviously that Zel and Rezo have different eyes; One is blind and the other can see, you dumbass! I fought the urge to knock Gourry across his head, and Proserpina lowers her hands. Zel roughly pats his hair back in a somewhat presentable state. He bared a perplexity about him, as he started to make his way somewhere into the darker areas where the collect was. A ball of light burst from his palms as he picked at the corners of what appeared to be tomes. I don't think he was looking for a book, but something that opens what was a hidden door all along. He slips though the passage and the four of us enter an area roughly the size of a wine cellar, expect there wasn't any wine, but rows of books and manual scripts stashed amongst each other. It didn't seem that any of this carefully placed and organized at all, but rather someone, or Rezo himself, sat there any place they could find. At least Zel may have remembered something he may had stashed here as well, because he ran to a couple of piles, pulling out scrolls and stuffing them into his carrier as well. He gave a quick glance as his eyes darted around for anything else, before signaling us to take his heed. We exited swiftly as we passed though both the rooms and back outside. I was surprise of how fast the passing of time moved, for the sun was nearly across the sky as the late afternoon atmosphere settled in. A thought passed through my mind as I dreaded the idea of passing though the Miasma Forest at night; that neck of the woods is dangerous as is, being that the air is so dense with wicked energy that it is nearly impossible to sense anything that may approach you. It makes the place an idea hiding spot for assassins and a handful of experienced mercenaries. It's not like I'm doubting us and the our abilities to face that kind of conflict, it's more so that I'm tired, hungry and I'm done walking.
Zelgadis shook his head. "Lina, you are so demanding…" No I'm not. We have been moving for some time now, and just because I passed out back there in the ruin doesn't mean that I've recovered from our previous conflict!
"I'm just suggestion that maybe we can find a place nearby and stay for the night." I held my hands together as I soften my stare at Zel. "We can leave at sunrise." I fluttered my lashes, I don't like to beg, but sometimes you just gotta be cute to convince them. Come on. Just say yes and make life so much easier… He looked at me as a smirk form across his mouth.
"Here we go with the cute act again." He folded his arms as his gaze shifted from Proserpina then Gourry. "And she thinks that tactic can sway me." Seriously, if you don't let me rest and have a night off my fucking feet, I'm going to snap and find a way to destroy you… I think my once would have been picture perfect adorable pose changed into that of a murderous glare as the three of them winced as I continue to stare at Zelgadis as fiercely as I could. "Alright Lina!' He threw up his hand as surrender. I'm pretty sure that the last thing he wants is for me to cook up one of my famous Dragon Slaves and wipe this whole part of the town off the map! "We can scout the area for a safe location, though there is no telling what now lurks here when night falls. So we will have to alternate who stays awake to keep watch."
Somewhere within the depths of the Miasma Forest Thanatos awaited for Xelloss arrival, where he sat perch on a branch, silently observing his surrounds. Despite of the thickness of the duality of energies that entwine within these grounds, the assassin was able to pick up the influx as the monstrous priest approach the area. With a single leap, Thanatos landed in front of the man. Xelloss greeted him with a dark sneer.
"They've entered Sairaag, master." His dark eyes gleamed intensely. "What is your next order?"
The dark priest tilted his head as an idea occurred to him. "See if you can get one of them into them, preferably one of the two chimeras, near the copy cultivator we talked about." He clapped his hands together. "You may have better luck with the golem. As you claim the girl is rather fast, but I don't think the other is as quick as she is." Thanatos bobbed his head in response as he prepares himself to take off at full speed, leaving Xelloss behind in the dark woods.
With luck, we manage to encounter a vacant inn that was still left unlocked. The four of us moved silently as we threaded though the abandoned space. Gourry hopped over that banister of the inn host and started to hunt for any keys to the rooms above. He found a few that where attach to a huge loops and tosses them in my direction, which I manage to catch before it hit the ground. The group and I then stormed up the stairs, sorting though the keys as we agree on which room we were going to occupied for together.
"Would it be safer if we all stayed together?" There was a hint of nervousness as Proserpina gingerly took the last key from my grasp. I can see where she is coming from; after all she is being hunted. I wouldn't want to sleep by myself if I was at large with someone as serious as Deep Sea or Zelas. I quietly thought to myself, the girls could stay together while the guys take watch? Maybe that will work? After some time convincing the two, they finally agreed to let us girls sleep first.
"Hey! We're having our first sleep over!' Proserpina teased as she settled her night gown and other items onto the bed. She slipped off her shirt and I removed my mantle. More of our clothes where remove as we gotten ourselves comfortable, she began to slid her jeans off. She had another tattoo located on her left thigh; it was that of a white dragon looking creature, surrounded by what looked like crocuses of purples, blues and yellows. It began at the base of her hips, and stopped a bit before the upper area of the knee. It was pretty cool in my opinion, it's not every day you come across someone who is so detailed in ink that's embedded in the flesh.
"I forgot to mention Lina-!" Gourry strolled on in, but was caught in both mid sentence and stride as at the sight of both her and I in our under garments.
"AHA!" He howled as he went backwards, crashing into Zelgadis, who had came by to investigate the racket that the blond had made. At he too failed to notice at first.
"What's going on in here!-" His eyes flickered wide before he turned really red. "Shit, Gourry-"He tears his gaze away and looks at the floor, yanking Gourry by his long hair with him. "-I've should of known better then to follow you here!" The door slams as Proserpina and I exchange glances.
"Do people know how to fucking knock here?" She asked as she tugs her gown over her form. I think we forgot to lock it in the first place even though Zel would have had the common courtesy to do so, while Gourry does what Gourry wants to do. He might've not thought that we were undressing, and was doing his effort to not forget about what he wanted to say, which was all in vain. Poor guy got more then what he was intending on seeing, same with Zelgadis. His whole face went so red, though I think that was because mostly from the sight of what Proserpina was wearing. The both of us cursed Gourry as we seethed as we rushed to finish up. I gathered on my shorts and jumped on the comfy bed, snuggling up to the fluffy blankets that she folded out. This time, there was a knock on the door, we both sat up on the bed.
"We are decent, this time!' I yelled as I half way grinned at Proserpina, who had covered up her head with one of her covers. The door creaked as it was cracked first, then a brave Zel came in slowly as his eyes darted between the both of us.
"Sorry about earlier." He muttered, his eyes lower as they scan the floor before focusing on me. He blushed a bit when he looked briefly at Proserpina. "Gourry wanted to let you know that one of us will wake you in five hours, so that can give us time to rest up as well."
"Yeah. I'm cool with that." There wasn't the slightest of resentment in her tone. I think she was just as embarrassed as I was. I think he caught on as well; he sighed shortly in relief and closed his eyes. His cheeks still tinged with bits of rose. "I wish you both a pleasant night."
"Same to you Zel." At that, he bowed his head and quietly moved out, shutting the door behind him. We then laid back and gotten comfortable, my body heavy again as sleep took over.
"Lina!" A feminine voice rang out in the distance. I could feel a slight pressure on my shoulder as if someone was shaking me. "Lina!" She called out again. Wait, she sounds familiar.
"Lina. I think we got trouble." I felt a jolt in my body as I shoot up, the loud noise of a struggle went on about in the lower area. It sounded as if someone was being tossed around, but whom? The both of us hurried to gather on our boots and robes as we darted out of our room. Her and I raced down the hallway and zoomed down the stairs. Downstairs was trashed as wood and debris scatter across the fancy red rug. I saw Gourry pull himself up from the other side of that banister from earlier.
"Lina!" His eyes went large as he notices the both of us. "What are you two doing here? There is a assassin that is here!"
A WHAT? Did he just say what I thought he said? No lie, the moment I spun around to look ahead of us, Zel came crashing though the entrance, his body breaking the wall he is smack right into.
"Damn!' He groans as he struggles to his feet, glowing with energy as he gathered more for the next spell. A silhouette of a large man emerges from the dust and the light from the waxing moon glares on him as he stands in contrast. Grabbed in the darkest of robes, with his face wrapped, he gains in closer to Zelgadis with outstretched hands.
"I knew you were going to be quite the challenge." He leers as he grabbed on to the blue chimera's throat; I could see the two of them shake as one struggle against the other. "But you can't be that tough, now can you?" His position his footing as if he was going to take off in a sprint, but instead he used his weight to lounge forward, pushing Zelgadis more into the wall. I shrieked and the assassin twisted his head to me; eyes as black as the abyss stared right at Proserpina and me.
"It seems like the girls are here to join us." He dropped Zel within a heartbeat and in a blink was heading straight towards me. In another flash he was knocked off course, as Proserpina had intercepted his pursuit. He crashed into a large painting, breaking it into shards as it smack into the ground. He performs a back flip as he kicked off the wall where the picture once hung. He sped his way towards her, which she stood in a stance as she embraces for his impact. There was a huge smacking noise as she manage to blocked the charge assault and flings him off of her again. Fastening up her robe, she makes a dash out of the Inn, with the assassin at her feet.
Proserpina raced her way throughout the unknown city, doing her best to convey the assassin that stayed at her heels! She slid as she went around the corner, the man in black kicked off the ground as they both gain attitude, zooming up to the roof tops.
"So I heard you were new around here." He deride as he gain up on her. "Would you like for me to show you around?" He swings in mid air, knocking the girl off her course, sending her towards a darkly decorated building. She crashes though the glass roof, and lands on the floor with a bone cracking thump. Proserpina lies there for a moment, while the assassin silently comes towards her. She begins to stir as he leans over to her. "This place," he said softly as he grabs her chin, forcing her to look at his wrapped face. "Is known as the hall of dark arts. Have you heard of it?" She just stared at him, her mouth held tightly as the man closes in on her. There was a click that rings out in the silence as Proserpina held her pistol to the man's temple.
"Stopped right there!" Zelgadis bellow at the man while Proserpina held her gun at his head. A spell crackled in the blue chimera's hand as he near in on the two.
"Let her go." He growled, and the assassin chuckled.
"How adorable..." He jeered and Zel bear his teeth at him. "Are you here to save you little girlfriend, huh?" He roared as he unleashed bolts of electricity that hurl towards both Proserpina and the man. A shoot rang out as she fired her weapon, darting out of the way in time as the spell exploded within the area of where the target once stood. The man now floated above the two, airborne as his eyes focus in on her again.
This was my cue. "Fire ball!" the fiery projectile zoomed its way to the man, hitting him directly in the front. The place where he floated was filled with ashes and dust, and he was gone without a trace.
"I don't think that got him…" And Zel was right; first the man came charging after him, then me. He knocked the wind out of both of us as we flew in opposite directions. Gourry made a mad dash to catch me, skidding across the ground as he held me safely in his arms.
"Are you okay?" He asked me in a soft voice, and I whimpered as I nuzzled my head close to his chest. I could hear his heart raced as the assassin spoke again.
"You know." I hear his voice grown as he drawn in to Gourry and I. "I'm not after the two of you, just only the girl and the other specimen." I'm going to assume that he meant by he was more interested in Zel and Proserpina, while us two were consider to be collateral damage, by choice.
I gaze at Gourry; I mean we could just walk away, back to the room, and try not to let this hang heavy on our conscience, but as much as that sounded like a wonderful idea; it felt wrong for me to just turn my back on someone I agreed to help out with. Since when I've became so selfless? He helped me to my feet, and I gathered magical energy as the assassin came closer. Red balls began to grow around Gourry and I as the man cloaked in darkness stood in front of us.
"There is something about him!' I heard Proserpina shouted as the man glowed with a somewhat loathsome aura. She was right! This man wasn't your normal assassin, in fact, he reminded me of Zuuma, who had fused himself with the monster Seigram, very similar in every way. Except this guy wasn't Zuuma at all.
"I am known as Thanatos." He introduced himself as I ready for the spell to set off at any moment. I could feel the drops of sweat from across my forehead as I concentrate on both Thanatos and the spell. Gourry, who had Zelgadis's sword, readied himself in front of me. Thanatos laughed lowly as the energy around him grew even more sinister.
"Well,' He began. "I gave you the option to run.' At that I set off the Dam brass, red light burst in several areas, filling the air with heat as a series of explosions went off. Another burst of energy that came from the other side went off as well follow by a loud smacking noise as Proserpina's fist collided with the assassin's face. The wad of dark cloth partly slumped off, and some of the twisted features of Thanatos where expose, making him more malice in appearance than one assumed him to be. He charges after her, slamming her though the frail wooden door, and skimming across the ground as if she was just a stone.
"Ah." He places his hands together, as if he was a father pleased about something great. "We're now in the copy cultivator room! Care free to be a subject to see if this good old thing is still kicking?" He picks her up and tosses her against the machinery. An eerie green light emits in the room and the gears squeal as the machine begins to stir from its long slumber. A couple of long grasper emerges from within the cultivator as it snapped in the direction of where Proserpina stood. It was a few feet from snatching her hair before Zel came into the scene, tackling her out of the way. The claw dug into its own operation face, causing sparks to spew out of the opening it's created. The grasper hissed as they wind themselves around, searching for DNA to collect. I pushed Gourry close to the wall as we came closer to the hole that was created by the assassin. Both Zel and Proserpina were tucked in a corner, eyeing both the whereabouts of Thanatos and the claw. Their mouths moved as I guess they were discussing an escape plan, because Zelgadis's head pointed towards the direction of where we stood. I myself watched my surrounding for any sign of Thanatos, who had seem too vanished again from plan sight. Zelgadis was the first to begin to slowly advance out, sneaking pass the graspers they continue to scout for any organic material. Proserpina set out next, freezing in place as one coiled around where she had stepped at.
"Shit." I saw her mouthed as the thing withered away to search in a different place. She slowly proceed forward, holding her breathe as another passed her. It somehow sensed some moment, glowed green again, and charged after her. It darted after her with a snap, which she invaded as she dropped to the floor and rolled out of the way. She knelt as she reposed her robe, maintaining as much as her modesty she could. Zel had stopped in his tracks and froze in his place as one had crept up over his shoulder.
"Behind you!" She pointed as he slowly turns his head to look, and try to dodge it as it went after him as well. Proserpina bolted towards him, with the second one charging after her as well. Gourry and I winced from our spots as both pinchers manage to snag at the two chimeras.
"Ow!' Proserpina hissed as she rubbed her head. "That fucking hurt!" Both the claws had a strand of each one's hair in their hold as they carried it above to a collector. Proserpina made the attempt to stop it, but was too late. She watched intensely from her place in front of the machine as it changed from green to red. It roared as steam filled the room around us, the gears cranked even more as the machinery screamed as it finished its product. We all stood still as the smoke clear; the patter of tiny feet echo though the building as what appear to been a toddler size creature before us. I crept from my spot as I watched it come closer to Proserpina. It blinked at her with its mismatched eyes; one was yellow, which the one on the right was blue. It's flesh was a faint grayish tone, with both a complexion of that of tiny scales on the left, and even smaller, yet lesser gravel size rocks encircled around the blue eye, in a similar manner to how Zel's was. The hair was a dark silver tone, with streaks of lavender and black though it. It sported a tunic around it's torso of an ivory color.
'Well, just look at you." She cooed as she went to her knees, kneeling closer to the thing. "Aren't you the cutest little thing ever?" Her word pleased the creature, and it leapt forward, embracing her.
'What is that suppose to be?" Zelgadis inquired in a somewhat amused yet shocked expression. What do you think it is? I mean I guess you could consider it as some kind of sick, twisted version of a chimera love child if you really wanted to mess with people. I know I would, and there will be an opportunity of where I could, and get away with it. May make some people mad, but oh well.
The little hybrid of chimeras cuddled close to Proserpina as she carried it with her. It seem to take a rather fondness of her, which was really cute in its own way. It wasn't like it was ugly, but it definitely wasn't a human baby, that's for sure. It watched Proserpina's lips moved as she spoke to it in a hush tone.
"I'm guess you're taking that thing with us?" Zel walked to the creature, observing it with a stern expression. The thing acknowledges him, and returns a just as serious look back at him! I had to laugh, and Gourry did to. Whatever this little thing was, it certainly had a lot of spunk to it.
"What if it was?" She asked instead of answering him. The creature close its face towards Zelgadis's, before blowing a raspberry at him and turning back to Proserpina.
"Why would you?"
"Well," she started as she fixes the thing's hair, like it was her child. "It's half me, so I feel like I have some responsibility in this."
"Awe!' Gourry sang as he came up beside her, putting his arm around her and the creature. "It's like your little baby." She shrugged him off and held on to the creature tightly.
"Bay…be…" The creature muttered in a child like tone. "Baby…"
"Yeah." She smiled at it as it smiled back. "That's what you are. You're a baby."
A/N: Another chapter posted. I am on a ball, and there is no stopping me, other than when I need to nap, but then I wake up, drink some tea, and resume back to my daily ritual of writing for an X amount of time a day. This is my production, a representation of the things I manifest in my life. This story is about to take some crazy turns real soon, and that's all I'm going to say about that. The next few chapter's are going to have some crossing with some of the characters from Try and Next. I want to incorporate some of the anime (Which the timeline is based off of, that and the mange after Revolution.) And perhaps some from the novels (Though I need more research on those. I may wait for the next installment to play with those. I'm a bit behind on the novels due to the crazy life I had til now) There is so much in the Slayer's universe to play with, and I see this as my alternative reality that I'm about to dealt out some serious stuff into. BOOM! Hey that's one way to view it. This story is the reality created by the imagination I have.
I really hope you all are enjoying this as much as I am when it comes to writing this. It has gotten me to the point where story writing is flowing out more, and I'm less congested when it comes to telling it. In the beginning I had the hardest time, and I felt like I see it more, even though I personally felt like I still did my best. In the end we are our worst critic, but I've learnt to accept that part of myself. At least it keeps me in check, for the most part.
Sneak peak of Chapter Fifteen!
The winding path took us to where the encampments once thrive. The placed reeked of blood and death, and the grounds where littered with bodies of both deceased human and slain undead along with them that were smoldering in their ashes. I'm still awed that even in these sorts of odds; both Amelia and Phil manage to slip away. Though Thanks to the help of Pokota who showed up in time!
And that's all for now friends! Have a beautiful day (Or night) MUAH!