!!!HOLA MINNA!!! I'm finally typing Chptr 8 today...sorry for the late update. First of all...I want to thank everyone for their encouragement!! I also want to apologize to everybody who had a hard time reading the last chapters...it came out differently in how I really typed it out, so I'm going to try what two terrific fanfic writers suggested I should do (many thanks to Ms.Akai-chan and Ms. EarthDragon!!!) I hope it turns out fine and comprehensible. I'm still not good in grammer and typing. Disclaimers: Slayers don't belong to me..though I wish I did...::shrugs shoulders:: Oh well... Enjoy and on with the fanfic!!! Adios....
~~Miss "L"
I almost got it....almost there......finally!
Zelgadiss was able to release himself from her spell with much concentration and will power he could grasped.
"Lina....don't go...please....don't leave us....don't leave me!"
He tries to shout but could only send out a hoarse and drowsy tone in his monotone voice. He held on the tree and raised himself up slowly, once he was able to stand, he shook his head furiously to shake off the excess sleep while an arm hugs the tree and his hand steadies his head. The two mazukos and the sorceress-in-distress turned around to look at the lightheaded, weakened Zelgadiss.
"ZEL!!!!"
Her eyes were threatening to water but she won't allow to let a drop fall from her eyes in the 'tied-up' situation she's in, she refuse to give her captor the satisfaction.
Xellos took advantage of the distraction and rammed his staff against Hallis' back. Dynast's minion let out a scream. A little after that moment Lina felt her chains loosened and found out she was able to move. She quickly retreated herself away from them and ran to her love who is still grasping his crutch preventing him from falling to the ground.
"Zelgadiss!"
He heard her cry out his name. Zel lifts his head to blurringly see Lina running towards him. But he felt dizzy and ready to pass out, he calls for her.
"LLL..Linaa..."
The chimera stumbled forward. Lina quickly caught him just before he fell face forward. She tries to give him as much support she can but he was too heavy.
"Hang on Zel...please hang on." a tear drop shimmered from the corner of her eye as she had him leaned on the tree.
"Lina! Help is on the way!" Xellos couldn't see what's happening to them, he was too busy fighting off Hallis.
"LINA!!!!!....ZELGADISS!!!!!" The rest of the Slayers crew showed up.
"Sylphiel! Please help me!!"
Sylphiel ran towards an upset Lina and a barely conscious Zel. Val, Aez, and Gourry went behind Xellos, covering him if he needs help. Amelia and Filia put up a protection barrier closely around themselves once they joined Lina and the others, just in case anything could go wrong. The raven-long hair shrine maiden gave the mystical swordsman a quick healing spell after she casted a Disenchant on Lina's Sleep spell.
"How is he Sylphiel?" the fiery hair one asked while suppressing a sob. The dark hair one gave her a smile, a good sign.
"He's okay now, Lina. It seems that it took all of his strength to awaken himself from your strong Sleep spell you gave him."
"How did you...?"
"I found some traces of it still lingering around." still smiling.
"Actually...that was supposed to be my light ones Syl." smiling back at her softly to hide her fear.
"A..A..A... a light one?" stammered the shocked Sairagg priestess, looking at Lina disbelievingly. The black magic sorceress expert nodded yes.
"Umm.. so he'll wake up any moment now, right?." Lina trying to switch topics before her future sister-in-law will ask her how and why.
Sylphiel nodded yes and the nervous maiden, Lina, the worried little sister, Amelia, and the ex-Flare Dragon priestess, Filia, let out sighs of relief. Zel's light sky blue eyes starts to flutter, he opens them, and the first person he saw was his beloved Lina.
"Lina,...you're still here." he sat up quickly, he can feel his strength returning back to him, and saw Hallis and Xellos in combat as his other male friends put up guard as a precaution.
"Xellos...you should know better that it's not fair to have four against one, even though I could destroy you all. ::smirk:: Now, it's only fair for me to even the odds a bit. Hope you and the rest of your fellow human friends don't mind that I brought some....employees to assist me in this odd number equation."
With that, he gave the off-guard prankster, a surprise uppercut, practically flew a bit then finally touched ground. Hallis laughed and with a snap of his fingers, a horde of ten to twenty demons popped up. Xellos sat up, grinned, and opened with one of his slitted eyes.
"You sure packed a mean punch Hallis." he got up, dusted himself off, and noticed the demons, then his grin turned into one of his genuine smiles.
"Let me guess...you want me to fight you while you sent those high-class demons to try to kill the rest of my friends, correct?"
Hallis laughed again.
"Since when do you do deductions, Fruitcake? You usually have to be the one to leave riddles and pranks for someone else to deduce, otherwise it's a secret. But you do have it somewhat, on the right path."
"Hmpf...Oh please...I can beat all of your pitiful demons with one stroke."
With both of his now opened purple eyes and still smiling, he glance towards his targets. Xellos raised his right hand while his left hand held his glowing red orbed staff. Then motioned his outstretched, gloved index finger and made a smooth, gleaming straight line across the empty space between him and the demons (a/n: just imagine how he did it when he killed the dragons during the Kouma War). There was an explosion along with the burst of flames where the demons once stood. Little did Xellos know, that it was a setup. Hallis pulled out a cursed dagger and stabbed the distracted mazuko's chest from behind. He screamed out in pain.
"Shouldn't put your guard down, Xellos." He gave him an evil grin, twisted the dagger, and the purple-hair priest gave out another painful yelp. He fell to the floor, squirming as blackish blood was oozing out of his chest.
"XELLOS!!!!" The entire group yelled out in unison after they saw their fallen mazuko buddy.
Gourry, Val, and Aez went to attack the green cladded mazuko. Hallis still grinning, and with a flick of his wrist, a fierce wind blown them away that was something similar to the Dimilar Wind spell. One hit against a nearby boulder while the other two slammed against a far off tree.
"OH NO GUYSS!!!!" Lina panickly screamed as Zelgadiss contained himself from letting out a small gasp.
"VALTIERRAA!!!!"
"GOURRRRYYYY!!!"
"AEZORLLLL!!!!!!
Each of the three horrified girls shrieked in union, as they ran towards their injured men. Sylphiel got to Gourry first.
"Sylphiel...wait...." he grimaced as he can feel the pain from the broken bones in his ribs.
"Don't worry Gourry-dear, I'll heal you." she starts to cast her healing spell...
"Awww... what a touching scene."
Everybody shot the direction where the braggart voice came from. The crew didn't like his predatory smile as he walked up to the Sairagg maiden and the blonde mercenary. Zel, Lina, Amelia, and Aez rapidly stood up and ran to go save the unprotected couple, while Filia hurriedly help Val to heal himself.
"Once I give the word, I need you, Zel, to Raywing them out of the harm's way, Aez and Amelia...cast a protection spell on Zel's spell just in case, I'll distract him. Got it?" They nodded and split, leaving Lina to do her part.
"Hey Hallis! FIREBALL!!" she hurled it to his back. He yelped and turns around.
"Did you forget about me?" Lina gave him a 'you're-dead' look.
"Why no my dear....I just want to get rid of your friends so that I can have you all to my self."
"Oh my....::tilts head to the left as crossing arms across chest:: selfish, aren't we? ....NOW!!!!!"
".....?"
"RAYWING!!"
Once Zel's spell encased Sylphiel and a badly injured Gourry and Aez and Amelia casted protection on it, Zel maneuvered the bubble back to camp.
"What the.....?"
Hallis turns back around to find the gentle couple gone and replaced by an angry Amelia, a really pissed off Zelgadis, a furious Aez, and recently joined in, a blackish-grey-horn-sticking-out Val and a yellow-tail-with-a-pink-bow-tie-popped-out Filia. He observed what he thought to be humans' abnormalities, he sneered at the dragon couple.
"FLARE ARROW!!"
Lina casted another spell at Hallis' turned back. Again he turns around and decided to walk towards the flaming redhead instead. Amelia and Aez quickly ran to Lina's side.
"You know what, my dear. That actually tickled me a bit."
"Well....allow us to give you something that will give you a laughter frenzy. Amelia...Aez." she gave them her cue.
"RA TILT!!"
Both teenagers hurled their strongest spirit attack spell. He put up his protection barrier shield, he then chuckles.
"Ha! What makes you think tha..." he was shortly interrupted by......
"RA TILT!!" .... Zelgadiss.
"AAAAHHHHH!!" he was hit soon after the bluish-white flames die down, he vanished.
Lina noticed the priest stop squirming. He is now rolled up into a fetal position, shaking a bit. The four walked by their dragon friends.
"Filia and Val...go check on Xellos."
When Filia was ready to protest, the sorceress gave her a sharp glance.
"I said go check on him, Filia."
The blonde priestess held her words, Val gently grabbed her hand, and both went to check on the injured mazuko.
"Aez... Amelia ::turn to face them:: I need you two to do an Elmekia Flame, once that's done, Zel ::turn to face his visible diamond blue eye:: cast your Ra Tilt, I'll feed your powers with some of mine. Then I'll do my Dragon Slave." They nodded.
"Guys, be careful and be alert...I'm surprised he was caught off guard by Zel's spell. Hey you two, how's Xellos?" All four walked towards Val, Filia and the Trickster Priest.
"It doesn't look to good. He's actually feeling his own pain doubled.. The knife has some kind of curse on it that could kill him. Luckily for him, it didn't go in too deep." Filia answered Lina's question after she sense the curse spreading in his astral and physical sides.
"Namagomi...what do we do? Val asked sympathetically.
Xellos could barely move the corner of his lips to grin, the pain was too much.
"I....I'm not quite certain....is ::wince:: is there any runes, pictographs, or any kind ::small sharp gasp:: of etched symbols or writing on it Filia-chan?" he gritted his teeth.
Filia didn't notice it before, the runes were thin and small, she narrowed her eyes as she inspected it closer, just as she was ready to touch it....
"Don't touch it! Unless you want to die a terrible death yourself, Filia." he winced again when he practically yelled at her.
"Hmpf....Well.... if that's how you feel about it Nama...."
"I'm sorry Lizard-Lips....if this dagger can kill a powerful mazuko,.... imagined how it can draw a quicker,.... more angonizing death unto a golden..::wince:: ryzuko." his slow quivering voice let out another gasp as he felt the searing pain again.
Filia gasped as the others just stared worriedly at the slightly outstretched Xellos.
"I'm...I'm sorry ..." she whispered out.
"Well...how about an ancient ryzuko?" Val asked again.
"I'm...not sure....but I wouldn't risk it." Xellos groaned out loud in pain.
The two dragons took another observation at the dagger's hilt and a visible part of the blade more closely (without touching it). Val's golden eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and horror as Filia let out another gasp.
"I...it..can't...be..."
"What is it?" Zel inquired while he, Lina, Aez, and Amelia felt the frighten shock in Filia's voice.
"This dagger have runes...old runes that were possibly dated back before the Kouma War." Val replied when Filia shuddered a bit.
".......?" were the two couples' responses.
"That's what I was afraid of." Xellos whispered, beads of sweat dampened his hair and face.
"Wait......don't give up hope. Justice shall prevail from this... horrendous... act...and...and....and... ::pause,dropped hand back down:: Oh... just forget it. I don't feel like spreading justice anymore....." she glumly droop her head as her inspiration faltered.
"Amelia...are you okay?" Aez asked worriedly.
She only nodded no. Aez gave her a hug.
"Don't worry love...everything will be fine....just wait and see." giving her a reassuring smile. The lovely princess gently shook her head yes and smiled softly back at her prince.
Everybody went silent after her change of mood. Amelia didn't proceed her speech when she usually would have continue to preach even after a certain vertically challenged flame-hair sorceress would threaten her to stop. A groan of anguish pain was heard in the silence. Their thoughts have now converted into aiding Xellos' predicament.
"Perhaps if we...." the mystical shamanist stood there pondering.
"What is it Zel?"
"Maybe if Sylphiel could cast a Recovery on the dagger while you and me can destroy it together as Filia and Val link some of their powers to ours while at the same time cast any holy spells that would protect or get all of us outta here from any backfires, and Amelia and Aez can heal him...."
"Could that possibly work? I mean... casting Recovery while the dagger still attached in Xellos... and him still being around....it's kinda risky don't you think.. " Lina asked again.
"I don't know. Syphiel can probably and carefully just direct the powerful energy unto the dagger alone, it may work...as for Xellos..." both intelligent sorceress and sorcerer looked at the ill-fated mazuko.
"Go ahead...it's worth a try....don't worry about me..." Xellos said it faintly as he's slipping into unconsciousness. Lina and Zel looked at each then nodded to do it.
"But isn't Sylphiel with Gourry back at ca..."
When the sudden realization hit them and before Filia could even finish her sentence, Lina and Zelgadiss casted Raywing after they hastily picked up Xellos. Amelia, Aez, and Val grabbed Filia, Raywinged themselves and flew behind the couple towards the cave. They seen Sylphiel try to help Gourry up. Once they landed, they went back into the cave, it was already a late afternoon. They proceeded with Zelgadiss' plan, the Slayers crew were surprised and some skeptical that it actually work pretty well, with some minor changes and adjustments. Xellos was slowly recovering but conscious and well alerted enough to converse with his human buddies.
"What do we do now? It seems he got more power than Kanzel and Mazenda combined!"
The original four Slayers plus one mazuko remembered the unfortunate tragedy back with Amelia's family, well better make that just three plus one due to the fact that a certain blonde man couldn't even remember who Demon Dragon King, Gaav was. But some miracles do happen from time to time.....
"Hey Lina, do you know that guy? He looks kinda familiar?" ...well sorta anyways.
"Gourry's right, Lina. He kind of looks like Mr. Hallis from...um...about three or four years ago." Amelia's pained expression changed to a befuddle one as shifted her memory back when her friends were being hunted.
"That's because he is Hallis." Lina face soured.
Amelia went dumbfounded, Gourry was thinking (a/n: and no...steam is not coming out of his ears...yet), and both Zel's and Xellos' faces are stoic.
Val, Filia, Sylphiel, and Aez are confused but choose to remain silent and just listen knowing their questions will be answered, providing Gourry will be his usual self. They didn't have to wait long as they saw his face brighten and he slammed his right fisted hand into his left palm.
"Oh...you mean the guy who wanted to marry to you legitimately and if I rememebered correctly, he also wanted to kiss you, pretty badly too. But since you didn't want to...he practically forced you to kiss him by reminding you about the 5,000 gold pieces, right Lina?!"
Everybody's eyes bugged out and sounds of flabberghasted gasps at Gourry's sentence.
"Since when did you know what legitimate mean???!!!!" some were surprised that he knows his big word....
"Forget that! I want to know since when he could even remember that incident??!!!"....some were shocked that his memory is not always about food.....
"Someone wanted to marry Lina? Right then and there?...Properly??!!!" and some were just astounded that a stranger who would want marry her without even knowing her for a day.
"WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSE TO MEAN????!!!" (obviously Lina...)
"He....wanted to marry her legitimately...and he tries to .....force upon himself... unto Lina to have her.... ....KISS HIM?" ....except a certain angry, jealous mystical, supposedly heartless swordsman, who's tenor voice was dragging out his words slowly but with precise venom in certain words.
"It seems that she forgot to mentioned those parts of the story, ne Zel-kun?" Xellos is having a flavorful emotions off the chimera for chicken soup. Best way to have a full recovery.
"Yes....she really didn't mentioned ANY of those two." he turned to face Lina.
Lina blinked.
"Well....I didn't think it was imp..."
"What do you mean you 'didn't think it was important??!!" Zelgadiss practically snapped at her but still maintain his cool.
Lina blinked again and just stood there confused at her true love's reaction.
I have never seen this side of Zel before....and I hope it's the last time too...he's actually feeling like I'd betrayed him and....I almost feel like I actually did it too.....almost. thought the great Lina Inverse as she looked away, somewhat guiltily from his face.
The crew looked at Zelgadiss with certain amazement that he's showing his envious side from one of their odd and erratic adventures without him.
"Ano...Zel....are you okay? You're giving off your anger emotional side." Gourry asked, pointing out the obvious as he thought he was saving his little sister.
"But Zelgadiss, it only happened a couple of years ago and she actually didn't go thru with it, thanks to her stubborness on continuing being an innocent young lady." Amelia tries to soothe her brother.
"Um....can we get back to the serious situation that we are currently in...oh such as.. A powerful mazuko is still out there, on the loose." Val decided to change topics before anything bad could happen.
Everyone, well except Zelgadiss and Xellos, were thankful that Val had brought up a serious situation that they are still currently involved.
"No way!! That guy back there is a mazuko and Mr. Hallis wouldn't turn himself into the arms of evil dark forces!!" Amelia, feeling her ol' justice self again, almost continue her justice speech, a sweatdrop on each crew, and just when Lina was going to make a reply to the princess' statement, Xellos intervened....
"Technically speaking, that mazuko you have seen back there is Hallis. And he did 'turn himself into the arms of evil' that happens to belong to Dark Lord, Dynast. He became his Second-in-Command-General, about two years ago...he moved up pretty quickly in the world after only one year and a half of being a slightly high class mazuko." saying a matter-of-factly.
The whole crew just stared at him, appalled that he had said that much information on Hallis without saying it's a secret. Wow....two major surprises today. He continues....
"When he was still human, it seems he or more likely, his hired sorcerer, summoned a demon to get rid of Kali and her daughter before he met the three of you. Apparently, it didn't work. He found out that you were in town, hired you, and needless to say, you completed the job...somewhat. He was totally infatuated with Lina-chan. However, he was heartbroken when Lina left. So, he decided to find a mazuko to put you in some kind of spell to have you come back to him. That's when Tendron appeared and made a lovely offer to him....he can become a powerful mazuko if he could make Lina-chan one of Dynast's best and loyal servants."
They blinked.
"WHAT?????!!!!!!!"
"It seems when he was human, he had a quite an obsession for you, Lina-chan. So....." he looked at Lina's direction.
"So that's when he decided to take the offer." she finished his sentence.
"Yes. He was still a 'newbie' when you and your crew were fighting against Gaav and Phibrizzo. Thus, he could only carefully spy on you instead."
Lina placed her hand on the mazuko's forehead.
".....?"
"What was that for, Lina-chan?" he questioned.
"Just making sure you're not having a fever." she took her hand back.
"Why makes you think I'm having a fever?"
"Cuz your telling us this much info without saying 'Sore wa himitsu desu' crap and we didn't even threatened you with 'Life is Wonderful' song." she answered.
"Hmpf.... I only follow orders and I can give you as much information if I wanted to, granted with my Master's permission, of course.." trying to look offended.
The group smiled at Lina's antics. After that, they were letting Xellos' info sink in...some more slowly than others.
Silence.
"I don't like this....it's too... quiet." Zel broke the silence.
"He's up to something. He couldn't be injured that badly."
At first, there was a vibration and a low rumble, then it gets stronger and stronger by the second. Debris starts to fall from the cave's ceiling.
".......???"
"GUYS...GET OUT NOW!!!!"
The Slayers got out just before the cave's entrance collapses.
"Hmmm....Did I interrupt your little meeting? Perhaps I should apologize." Hallis gave a short pause, he grinned.
"Naww...." his violet-blue mazuko eyes narrowed at the crew.
"Took you long enough for you to show up." Lina implying her impatience.
"You need not to worry about me, my dear.....I wasn't really injured by that stupid chimera."
Zelgadiss gritted his teeth and shot a murderous glance at the windbag of a mazuko.
"Why you.....!!!!" he was ready to lunge at him, only to be held back by Lina.
Everyone's faces expressed their hatred as well...well except for the ever smiling purple priest.
"WHATEVER GAVE YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT I EVEN CARE 'BOUT YOU, YOU JERK!!!!!" the madder than hell sorceress yelled at him.
"But my dear lovely Lina....."
The tone of his voice was too calm for comfort, alerting her friends that they should gather closely together and put up a defense.
"....I was just waiting for you to say you're farewell to your friends here."
"Don't. Call. Me. Dear.,My. Dear. Lovely.,Lina. My. Lina., Or. ANYTHING. That Relates. To. It. ::stressmark, eyebrow twitching:: I. Was. NEVER. Yours. NOT. NOW. AND. DEFINITELY NOT EVER WILL BE!!!" she couldn't withheld her anger. She gave him a hateful glare at the medium length brown haired monster.
"FLARE ARROW!"
She hurled her fire spell just to make sure he gets the point. He raised his hand and put up a shield, absorbing the arrow, smirking the whole while. The still-obsessed Hallis sighed.
"Oh, my dear Lina. Why don't you just give up and give yourself to me." he glance back ..actually it was more like he was scanning her up and down, pervertedly.
The girls of the group shuddered with both fear and loath. Just when Lina was going to insult him, her shaman expert sorcerer interrupted...
"Lina Inverse never gives up and she's definitely not giving herself to anyone, especially to you!!!" Zelgadiss spat the you part out with venom.
"This does not concern you, stone boy!" Hallis also spatted out, the stone boy part with equal poison.
"So mind your own business, freak. ::smugly look back at Lina:: Now, come along my dear, that is, if you want your friends to live."
"Hmpf...back to threatening lives again, well....NEVER!!!"
He frowned a bit while her friends enclosed her, he gave her a smile like a cat that had just swallow a canary.
"Then, I guess...I should leave your friends be....."