Ok, I've finished my first draft of chapter 1 of my Slayers fic. It need
some work, and probably some expansion on the closing of it, but I'll
fix that in the second draft. Right now I'm working on my Slayers/FY
fusion for all of you who are patiently awaiting it. I'll download IRC
again and pop on the Round Table sometime if I don't get a job first.

***************************************************************
Slayers: Children of Darkness
Chapter 1: Awaken! The Chlorin Demon.
By: Wesley Bridges
Fic Archive Page: http://members.xoom.com/Reiryuu/Slayers/COD.htm

Disclaimer: Slayers and all the characters within it are not my
creation. All rights and properties belong to their respective owners
and Software Sculptures, and are used here without permission. Don't sue
me, I have no money and no life so it would do absolutely no good.

 The small town of Chlorin sat nestled in a green valley where a large
peak stood as a solitary island in a sea of green rolling hills. The
town itself was within a cluster of larger hills where mines were dug
deep into the earth to bring precious metals, minerals and gems, which
were one of the only sources of the town's income.

 Deep within the mine, two workers smashed their picks wearily upon the
hard stone extending one of the mine's many tunnels. Light from an old
lantern cast deep shadows along the floor in the pitiful sphere of light
it produced, barely enough to throw away the darkness.

 "Hey.... Jerroc...." One miner said between heavy breaths. "What'd...
we do... to get sent... here to extend the... tunnel?"

 "I've told you before, Keril," Jerroc answered wistfully. "The boss has
something against us. I don't know what, but it must be big."

 "Do... you really think... we'll find something... this far?"

 "Nah, there's nothing here but granite."

 Just after he spoke, Jerroc's pick crashed into a translucent-white
material, as rocks fell away revealing a whole wall of it.

  "Ice." Jerroc said examining it.

  "I didn't think it was that cold down here." Keril responded
nervously.

 "Neither did I, now come on and lets pick it away. It looks like
there's some sort of cavern behind it."

 The two picked away at the thick ice for nearly an hour before it
finally surrendered to them and crumbled down into small chunks at their
feet. Jerroc walked through the icy archway and into the revealed
cavern, followed closely by Keril with the old lantern. The lantern
provided no where near enough light to reveal the cavern, so the two
went back and picked up some torches from their bags, and some standing
torch holders to place them in.

 Once lit, the torches revealed the rest of the room, which was quite
large. A small lake had formed in the center, and the whole cavern was
encased in ice from all sides. The two men walked around the perimeter
setting torches and looking through the ice trying to spot any metal
veins or other precious materials.

 "Jerroc... over here!" Keril called excitedly, to which Jerroc walked
over to him. "Do you think it could be a silver vein?"

 Jerroc inspected the ice carefully, and through one clear portion, saw
a silver glint from far beyond it. The rest of the wall behind it seemed
very odd, definitely stone bricks with strange symbols neither one of
them could understand.

 "I don't know." Jerroc said after a while. "The markings seem a little
strange to be here... but I'm not sure if they could be good or bad."

 As he went to inspect the markings again, a huge crack formed in the
ice followed by a loud sound to accompany it. The two men shook it off
momentarily, thinking it was the heat from the torches, when another one
formed, followed quickly by another.  Soon, a 12 foot section of the
wall was filled with cracks as they began to spread from floor to
ceiling.

 "What... what's going on, Jerroc...?" Keril asked timidly.

  "It... It can't be...." Jerroc said in a state of panic and awe.

 "What? What can't it be?! Is it... Is it the DEMON?!"

 "I... I think so... I can't be sure."

 "But the demon is supposed to be sealed in the mountain. We're a long
ways from the mountain, it can't be the demon!"

 The ice finally shattered and cascaded down in a soft snowfall. The two
men stood paralyzed as the snow drifted down revealing a female figure
with light blue hair, and two huge silver wings. Her lower body was
scaled lightly in the same silver as her wings, and a tail drooped
downward from its position frozen within the ice. A few moments later,
the figure's eyes opened, and she took a few groggy steps forward.

 "Oh.... Hello there." She said brightly to the two men.

 The two men exchanged frightened glances, then ran away screaming.

 "Hey... hey wait, don't go!" The figure said saddened, as she watched
them run out.

 The figure walked to the pool and looked deeply into it, trying to see
her reflection, but the shadows over the water were far to deep.

 "Source of all power, flames which burn bright, let thy power gather in
my hands, LIGHT!" the figure spoke and released a small orb of light
which almost totally negated the darkness of the cavern. She looked down
on her reflection upon the water, then smiled as she stretched her wings
and swung her tail.

 "Lord Ceiphied granted me a form better than I could have imagined...
Thank you, Lord Ceiphied. I, Celise Ginhane, shall serve you as best as
I can... but I wonder. Why did those men run away? Perhaps they were
just startled. I guess I should go apologize."

 Celise walked to the passage that the men ran through leading to the
surface. She stopped looked up into the darkness, then thought a moment.

 "Holy winds from the Gods' Sea, Let your divine breath caress me, and
take me to where I wish to be... TELEPORT!" Celise chanted, and soon
after she winked out of existance.


 Jerroc and Keril rushed out of the mine entrance gasping for breath. As
they began to rush to the city to seek shelter, they noticed a little
girl playing amongst the rocks.

 "Hey, Marlina!" Jerroc called to the girl. "Come with us, we need to
take you home. A monster is coming from the mine!"

 "A... A Monster?!" Marlina replied timidly.

 "Yeah, and a big one too. You better hurry with us so you don't get
hurt."

 "O..Ok." Marlina said and ran to the two men. As she approached,
however, the ground gave out and her leg sank into a hole causing her to
fall and further injure her leg.

 Jerroc and Keril rushed to her side and vigorously tried to free the
leg to no avail. Marlina cried in pain with each failed attempt. Soon,
Celise appeared at the entrance to the mines. Seeing her, Jerroc and
Keril instantly panicked.

 "Marlina... Stay here. We'll be back with your daddy and the others.
Don't worry, we won't let anything bad happen to you, ok?"

 "But... I'm scared...."

 "There's no need to be scared. We'll be back with the whole town soon."

 Celise watched as the two men ran off, and was about to follow them
when she saw Marlina caught in the ground, tears streaming down her
face. Celise stepped forward as a breeze stirred catching her waist long
sky-blue hair and almost wrapping it around her.

 "Don't be scared little girl." Celise said gently. "I'm not going to
hurt you."

 "But... they said you're a monster."

 "I'm not a monster.... But... I'm not human, fully. I won't hurt you, I
promise."

 "No! You probably want to eat me like all demons do!"

 "But I'm not a demon. I'm... part dragon..." Celise knew she might be
in a worse predicament, admitting that, but she inched to the girl's leg
and gently began trying to get it unstuck. "You see... I was half demon,
I won't lie to you. But that's changed now. I changed... My name is
Celise, what's yours?"

 "M... Marlina."

 "That's a pretty name. Do you know who those men were?"

 "They're friends of my daddy. He's the mayor of our town."

 "That's nice. Now, this is going to hurt a little, but once I get your
leg out I'll make it feel much better ok?"

 Marlina nodded quietly and winced in pain as her leg was freed from the
ground's grasp. By this time, the villages had gathered around the mine
hill with makeshift weapons waiting for the chance to strike. Celise
took the badly wounded leg and placed it gently on the ground.

 "Wind and water, the essence of nature, gather in my hands and let your
power heal all that is wounded." Celise said as a ball of white energy
formed in her hands, then streaked to the wounded leg healing it
completely.

 "Look!" one of the villagers shouted.

 "It cast some sort of spell on her!" another shouted.

 "Probably something to control her!"

 "Foul Demon!" The mayor shouted. "Release my daughter at once!"

 "But daddy...." Marlina protested.

 "Enough, Marlina, you come here this instant before that creature harms
you!"

 "But... Celise... Celise didn't..."

 "Right now!"

 "Yes daddy." Marlina said after seeing Celise will her forward. "Are
they going to hurt you Celise?" she asked as she walked away.

 "We'll see, Marlina, but don't worry about me, or about them. If they
do attack me, I will not harm them much, okay?"

 "O... Okay."

 As soon as Marlina had gone back inside the village, the stress
intensified between Celise and the villagers.

 "I assure you, I bring you no harm.  Can't you just listen to me?"
Celise pleaded.

 "Never, do you take us for fools? We know of the ancient prophecy of a
demon promising no harm, but bringing total destruction with it!"

 "Prophecy? What prophecy? I've been sealed for the past 1000 years!"

 "Ha! That proves that you are the demon!"

 "But... I'm not a demon anymore!"

 "You expect us to believe that?! Attack her!"

 The villagers began their charge. Celise thought hard as they
approached trying to think of a way to push them back without hurting
them.

 "Gentle winds which blow across the land, answer my call and gather
around me," Celise began chanting.

 "She's working some kind of magic!" A villager shouted.

 "Let's hurry and get to her before she can cast it!" Another yelled.

 "Let thy strength flow forward and send those around me away.... DIEM
WIND!"



 Lina and Gourry walked... almost side by side in front of Amelia,
wearing her princessly attire sat mounted on a horse, riding slowly
behind them.

 "I sure am glad Daddy decided to let you two go with me to Chlorin for
the opening of the Magic Festival." Amelia said happily.

 "What's so special about this Magic Festival anyway?" Gourry asked
curiously.

 "Don't you listen to ANYTHING we tell you?" Lina growled. "Chlorin is
only hosting the Magic Festival this year because of all the artifacts
that have been coming out of their mines lately. One of these artifacts
is almost a thousand years old, and believed to be the Book of Tysral, a
book that is said to have done extensive research on some of the Clair
Bible manuscripts, understand?"

 "Um... Nope!" Gourry said blankly. "But if this thing is so
important... why didn't Zelgadis go with us?"

 "Knowing Zel, he'll probably meet us there." Lina said confidently.

 "Hey, you're right Miss Lina." Amelia said a sudden burst of
excitement. "Mr. Zelgadis will be looking for the book too."


 As they followed the road up a hill, they saw their destination ahead.
The quaint village was nearly a ghost town, few people walked the
streets, most looking at the newcomers from the windows of their homes.

 "I wonder what's going on here." Lina said suspiciously as she looked
about.

 "It sure doesn't look as if there's going to be a festival here....
Maybe we should ask around?" Amelia suggested.

 Lina was about to agree until she saw the swinging sign of the local
restaurant famous for its large portions and good meals.

 "Of course we should, but first we should at least get a decent meal!"
Lina said running up to the restaurant.

 Opening the doors, they found the restaurant much like the outside.
Very few customers had ventured into the restaurant. The tables were
slightly larger than the average table and rectangular in shape with
several chairs around them. Lina and Gourry sat at a table and flipped
through the menus already provided upon them. Amelia entered a few
minutes later in her travelling clothes.

 "All right, let's get this show on the road." Lina said standing up.

 Before she could get her glorious order out, however, a waiter walked
up to the table prepared to take the order in a more descreet manner.

 "Hello there. We haven't had many travelling customers in a while....
But, enough talk, what can I get for you?"

 "I'd like 2 of your number 3 dinners, 4 of the number 5 and 3 of the
number 7, triple portioned, please." Lina said.

 "And I'll have this one, this one, and this one, triple portions also."
Gourry added.

 "I'll have these three." Amelia said pointing to three selections

 "Alright, then. Your orders will be ready shortly." The waiter said
non-chalant.

 "Wow... usually the waited bulge their eyes when they take our order."
Amelia said softly.

 "Well, this place is known for its large portions, maybe they figure
people will always order too much." Lina suggested.

 Several minutes later, the first batch of food came rolling out to
their table. At first, the meals looked relatively normal, until they
were right in front of their face. Everything was nearly two to three
times bigger than they had seen before.

 "THIS came from a CHICKEN?!" Lina said holding a gigantic chicken
breast.

 "Woah, I don't think I'd want to mess with the cow this came from."
Gourry added cutting into a giant sized roast.

 Lina bit cautiously into the chicken, expecting it to be some other
type of meat, but sure enough it was chicken, and their fears settled,
they devulged and fought over the remaining pieces, as the second wave
came out.

 As they began into their second part, a strange man entered the
restaurant and headed to their table.

 "Pardon me for interrupting your meal," The man said solemnly.

 "Eh?" Lina said, her mouth full of food.

 "What is it?" Amelia asked after washing down her food.

 "As you can see, the people of our town are fearful of venturing out."
The man began. "Five days ago, a horrible monster was released from the
mines. With this monster, is said to come total destruction and chaos.
With the magic festival beginning soon, many of the participants are
staying in neighboring towns and villages, staying away from this place
because of the monster. Some have come to vanquish the monster, but none
have returned yet."

 "So, you want us to try and slay this thing?" Lina asked

 "Yes. There will of course be a reward."

 "A reward?!" Lina said her eyes lit up with excitement.

 "Yes, as you probably know, our town is quite famous for the artifacts
we have found in our mines. Should you slay this beast, we will gladly
give you each, an item of your choosing."

 "Anything?! Anything at all?!" Lina asked, excited, but skeptical.

 "Yes, anything." The man said.

 "Alright, let's do it!" Lina said. "But after we finish our meal!"

 The man fell flat on his face, but recovered as Lina, Amelia and Gourry
gobbled down the rest of their meal. As they got up and prepared to
leave, the waiter brought out their check.

 "I'll take care of the bill." The man said holding his hand out to
receive the check.

 "But... Mr. Mayor..." the waiter protested.

 "It's alright. It is the least I can do for them, for they may not
return."

 "Well, don't worry about us." Lina said, with a hint of nervousness.
"We'll be back ready to hold your promise to that reward!"

 "For our sake, I hope so."

 The mayor led Lina, Gourry and Amelia to the western edge of the town
where a giant wall of ice sat with a hole eaten away allowing passage.

 "The creature erected this wall to keep out those who would interfere
with her dark prayers," the mayor explained. "The first group of
adventurers melted this hole in the wall with several magic spells. They
have not returned, nor have the others."

 "Just how many groups came through this way?" Lina asked

 "Oh, not many. You needn't worry about that." The mayor replied
nervously. "The monster dwells just beyond the hill in the lower part of
the valley."

 The mayor walked away leaving them to contemplate their actions.

 "Do you think it's really a monster Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.

 "I'm not sure. People from small towns such as these tend to
over-exaggerate." Lina thought aloud.

 "Well, whatever it is we cannot let its crimes against justice go
unpunished! We must free this town from the monster's wickedness!"

 "No, you mustn't." Marlina said coming from behind a house and tugging
on Amelia's cape.

 "Oh. Hello, little girl," Gourry said. "What's your name?"

 "Marlina," she replied timidly.

 "Why don't you want us to kill this monster, Marlina?" Lina asked.

 "She's NOT a monster!" Marlina exclaimed angrily. "Celise is kind...
she healed my leg so I could get home.... Then all the villagers thought
she put me under some spell."

 "But if she's not a monster, why do people think she is?" Amelia asked.

 "Daddy says she's part of the prophecy. A demon was supposed to be
sealed here a thousand years ago. When she came out of the mine, the
people thought she was the demon... but they're wrong!"

 Marlina looked over her shoulder, then fearing she was seen talking
with Lina, Amelia and Gourry, she quickly ran off down the streets
without saying another word.

 "Hey! Where's she running off to?" Gourry asked looking off after her.

 "Nevermind that, Gourry," Lina said seriously. "We need to meet this
alleged monster and judge for ourselves."

 Lina walked through the wall of ice followed by Amelia then Gourry. The
three walked behind the mine where a path led downwards into a low
section of the valley where a forest began. The hill upon which they
stood seemed almost like a mountain in to this lower land, and looking
out over it, they could see a lake and a river which flowed along the
valley near the town providing them with easy water. Towards the center
of the forest, they noted a small clearing-like area, then continued
down the hill and into the forest.

 They journeyed into the forest looking cautiously for any signs of the
so-called monster that they were sent to kill.

 "Its awefuly quiet here, Miss Lina." Amelia said nervously.

 "You're right, but if whatever this thing is was as malicious as the
mayor of that town made it seem, it would have attacked us by now." Lina
said continuing on.

 They passed out of the forest and into the clearing to a rather unusual
site. The whole clearing was covered with ice.

 "Woah, it's like a skating rink!" Gourry said going out and skating
clumsily on the ice.

 "Mr. Gourry, are you sure you should go out there?" Amelia asked
stepping on the ice very carefully.

 Gourry was about to say something, when he smashed into a column of ice
that looked like it was carved to the likeness of a swordsman.

 "Hey Lina, look at this! They even have ice sculptures here!"

 Lina and Amelia made their way to the ice seeing many more of the
sculptures rising up from the ice. There seemed to be at least twenty of
them. Lina wiped away the frosted surface of the sculpture revealing the
face of a person trapped inside.

 "These aren't sculptures, Gourry. These are people frozen within the
ice!"

 "Can't we do anything to get them out?" Amelia asked determined.

 "Well... only one thing to try...." Lina said preparing a spell.
"FIRE..."

 "STOP!" a feminine voice cried interrupting Lina's casting.

 Celise landed on the ground, a safe distance from the party with a
concerned look on her face.

 "If you cast that spell, you will kill them all!" she continued to
explain.

 "Who are you?" Lina asked.

 "My name is Celise. I..."

 "You're the one the townspeople are after!" Amelia shouted. "How could
you put these people in ice?!"

 "They attacked me... I had no choice." Celise answered slowly. "I
assure you, they are alive, and will be once the ice melts in a couple
of days."

 "What did you do to the townspeople to make them come after you?" Lina
asked.

 "Nothing. It seems I am the subject of some exaggerated prophecy of
theirs." Celise explained. "You see, I have not always been the dragon
hybrid you see before you. I was the child of a Makuzo and a mortal
woman. My mother was also a half-breed, according to my father, but I do
not know what she was a half-breed with. I tried to get away from the
Makuzo, I wanted to help Lord Ceiphied protect this world, but I was
sealed here instead 1000 years ago. You see, I was never a full demon,
the townsfolk think I am, but Lord Ceiphied released his seal upon me,
and cleansed my blood of the Makuzo, and gave me the blood of his kind
instead. I owe Lord Ceiphied my life, and I will do anything to help his
cause... but I fear I cannot with the townspeople trying to kill me."

 "Ceiphied? You mean the Dragon God?!" Lina asked surprised.

 "The same." Celise answered. "My black arts are purged from me, and now
I study only White and Shamanist magics. Lord Ceiphied asked me to help
him stop the Demon Race from achieving their latest goal, a goal I do
not know of yet, but it has to do with unsealing the forbidden magic of
long ago. I must find the sorceress Lina Inverse, and those who slayed
the Demon Dark Star."

 "Woah, that's like when Philia came to seek you out, Lina." Gourry
said.

 "Lina?" Celise said surprised. "Are you truly Lina Inverse?"

 "That's me." Lina replied.

 "Then please, accept my services as a humble priest to my Lord
Ceiphied. I shall help you in any way I can." Celise said bowing.

 "How can we tell your story is true?" Lina asked.

 Celise took a blue book from the white robes she wore around her.

 "This," she said gesturing to the book, "is the Book of Kimol, one of
three that are known together as the Book of Tysral. This book can be
touched only by those who do not use the black arts, and are proficient
in the white arts. If you are Lina Inverse, then you study the black
arts, and your travelling companions must be Gourry Gabriev and Princess
Amelia of Seyruun. I invite you both to attempt to read this book, Lina
to show that if I were of the Demon race, this book could not be in my
possession, Amelia to show I have no spells on this book."

 Lina and Amelia exchanged surprised glances, then Amelia reached for
the book, took it, and flipped through the pages. When Lina tried to do
the same, a blast of blue energy shocked her.

 "The book of Kapplak, the part of the Book of Tysral that is opposite
to this one, was also sealed with me. I overheard some of these warriors
sent after me that the town's mayor was holding it for a powerful
wizard, for a large sum of money, but would give it to another if they
could slay me. Go back to the town and claim victory, Lina, and take the
book for yourself. I am its protector, and I would trust no one else
with the book's contents."

 "But the mayor will want proof of us killing you!" Amelia said

 "I think I have an idea." Lina said. "Let's head back towards town,
when we get to the ice wall, Celise you stay there until we get back."

 "Alright." Celise replied with a smile.


*********
End Chapter 1

Any C&C is welcome, but please don't flame me.

SoulDrake
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