The Slayers: Reward
Chapter 10: Question? Answers.
By: Lord Archive
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX,
Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only
borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and
Gourry are eating away bank account.
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in
this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them.
If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read
this.
Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in
this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but no sexual
acts directly described.
-------------------*
Without any other point of direction to go. The group decided that they
should head to Beast Island, if for no other reason than to find Xellos.
Amelia bounced down the stairs of the inn that they were staying at.
Lina smirked. "Any luck?"
"Sort of." Amelia blushed.
Lina's eyes widened. "Oh? Details!"
Amelia fidgeted. "Mrs. Lina! I can't tell you about that!"
Lina pouted. "Why not? I told you about Gourry and me."
Gourry blushed.
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow as he had followed behind Amelia.
"Now, now, Lina. You know very well ladies should keep some things a
secret."
Every turned and saw a man eating a pastry, wearing white and black
clothes, and holding up two fingers which were covered in the pastry's
white cream filling. He then licked the cream off his fingers. He then
stuck his tongue into the pastry and moaned in delight.
Zelgadis was the first to speak. "D-did you spy on us?"
The man smirked. "Why would you ask that... Rock-chan?"
"Xellos, you son of a.... I'm going to kill you!" Zelgadis went to punch
the mazuko, but his target teleported away.
Xellos laughed until he felt someone punch him hard on the head. "Why
did you hit me?" he asked from the floor.
Lina crossed her arms. "In case you spied on me."
Xellos grinned. "The thought never cross my mind."
Lina scowled. "Make sure it never does." She picked the mazoku up by the
collar. "Now I have a bunch of questions I want answered."
"Now, now Lina. You know I can't just give out information." Xellos
smiled cheerfully.
Ravven stood off to the side of the room, examining his sword. "Wonder
how this would look shoved up your ass?"
"I'd prefer it if it was the sword of light," Zelgadis growled.
"My, how painful that sounds." Xellos sweat-dropped. "Do you really need
to do this?"
"Elmira Lance!" Lina fired the bolt of spirit magic into the mazoku's
head. "Yes, we do."
Xellos gripped his head. "Here I thought you getting laid would've
decreased your temper."
"No such luck," Gourry commented.
Lina scowled at her husband, then turned her glare back at the mazoku.
"Now, Xellos, I have some questions that I want answered."
"Fine, fine. I'll play your game of twenty stupid questions." Xellos sat
in a chair. "But that's all you get, twenty."
"Fine. Explain, in as much detail you can, just how Rei Magnus had a
Claire Bible Manuscript," Lina commanded.
"Stupid question one," Xellos chirped. "There were originally nine
shards of Shabranigdo. The second ruined shard created the first tomes
of Black Magic, which were named after the Ceiphied Knight that killed
him, Claire."
"There were nine shards?" Lina blinked.
"Yes." Xellos smirked. "Question number three?"
"What are you talking about? I only asked one questioned."
"You asked me if there were nine shards and I answered you. That's what
I'm talking about. Question four?" Xellos smiled cheerfully.
Lina growled. "Okay, fine. Now where do the mazoku keep Claire Bible
Manuscripts?"
Xellos's eyes flattened. "That's supposed to be a secret, you know."
"Duh. But we want the answer. And if you don't tell us, I'll shove
Laguna Blade up your ass," Lina threatened.
"Assuming you could hit me." Xellos sweated nervously. "Fine, though
this might get me into trouble. At least I wasn't ordered not to tell
you." He sighed. "While some manuscripts are held in various places, the
majority of the ones obtained by the mazoku are located at Zander's
Library."
"Zander?" Lina blinked. "Annoying stoic fellow, black hair, green eyes,
about as tall as you."
"You've met him?" Xellos questioned with a surprised look.
Lina sighed. "Yeah. I met him. We were both after a Claire Bible
Manuscript. I succeeded in getting it with some rather unwanted help.
Damn, I knew that creep was a mazoku. Where is his library?"
"The Mountain of Tears," Xellos replied.
Lina scowled. "Where exactly on that mountain?"
"Not on, IN. The mountain itself is the library," Xellos answered.
"Tell us everything you can about Zander," Lina ordered.
Xellos nodded. "Zander was created by all five of the mazoku lords after
the destruction of the second shard to find and safe guard the
manuscripts. His job was expanded when the Water Dragon King stored his
knowledge as well. What makes him truly dangerous was that he was made
with the ability to cast spells and with Fibrizo's death he doesn't
answer to any one of the mazoku lords."
A shiver ran up Zelgadis's spine. "But he's been put in charge of an
entire library of nearly every spell in existence. How can we possibly
fight him?"
"The same way you fight any other opponent, with determination, skill
and dumb luck," Xellos chirped.
"Wonderful. A mazoku of your caliber and he already wants me dead," Lina
groaned. "This is what I live for?"
Xellos smiled. "No. You live for bandit slaying. Mazoku slaying is a
side-effect of Fibrizo's meddling."
"That doesn't count. It was a rhetorical question." Lina glared.
"What's a rectal question?" Gourry questioned.
"Rectal is a term for the inside of a butt hole. Rhetorical question,
which is what Lina said, is a question that an answer is not necessary
for. Next question," Xellos chirped.
Lina slammed Gourry's head through a table. "Don't waste questions."
"Do you know of any means to cure myself of being a chimera?" Zelgadis
questioned.
"Yes," Xellos replied.
"What are they?" Zelgadis demanded.
"The Claire Bible Manuscripts, of course," Xellos replied.
"Do you know where those specific manuscripts are?" Zelgadis asked.
"Yes." Xellos didn't say any more.
"Where?!" Zelgadis growled.
Xellos grinned. "Zander's library."
"Learn to phrase your questions better," Lina barked.
"Do you know how I can delay getting married and yet keep the throne?"
Amelia questioned.
"What? I'd have thought you were already probing deeply into the idea of
wedded bliss," Xellos chirped.
Amelia blushed the color a ripe cherry. "Elmekia Flame!"
Xellos's head shot back from the blow to his head. His hair swept back
and remained stiffly in the air. "Owe. That hurt."
Ravven's mouth hung open. "What kind of mazoku are you?"
Xellos flattened his eyes, his was back to normal. "Priest and general
to Zelas Metallium."
"Priest AND general?!" the group chorused except Gourry.
"Yes." Xellos sighed. "Do keep that a secret. I don't want it getting
around."
"What's the big deal?" Gourry asked.
Xellos smirked. "With most of the mazoku lords, they made only one
priest and one general. Fibrizo stupidly made too many. And Zelas
invested both positions to me."
"Would Ra Tilt or Dragon Slave even be able to stop him?" Amelia
questioned.
"Very doubtful. You'd have to catch me by surprise," Xellos replied.
Lina glared at the wayward princess.
Amelia gulped. She decided to change topics. "Mr. Xellos, my question."
"Oh, right. Just don't get married until you're ready and then take the
throne by force." Xellos grinned. "There's too much bureaucratic red
tape in your country anyway."
"But, wouldn't that start a civil war?" Amelia questioned nervously.
"Of course. But I'm sure you'd win with Lina's help," Xellos assured
her.
"Tell me about the Amulet Towermere has," Lina demanded.
"That's stupid question twenty-one," Xellos chirped before disappearing.
His voice trailed behind, "But I'll tell... later. See you at the
mountain."
Lina stomped over to a window. "THAT JERK!" She flung a huge fireball
outside and expanded the back yard of the inn.
"We know where to go now at least." Zelgadis sighed.
"Yeah, with several days of back tracking. We could've been there
already if he told us after we left Magnus's mansion." Lina plopped down
at a table. "Waitress! I want five of everything on the menu."
Zelgadis looked over at the frightened girl. "I'd go with ten of
everything to be safe."
-------------------*
"Time to go!" Lina stepped out of the inn.
"Finally," breathed the waitress.
The group followed Lina out of the inn.
"Finally going to do what is right?" Towermere asked.
Lina slouched. "Not you again. Gourry, your turn."
"My turn for what?" Gourry asked.
"Garbage disposal." Lina pointed at Towermere.
"Ms. Inverse, you must learn respect," Towermere growled.
"Oh, and would you be the one to teach me?" Lina questioned.
"Yes. Elmekia lance." Towermere sent off a beam of spirit energy.
Gourry slice through the beam with his sword, somehow disrupting the
spell. "You'll have to get through me first."
"Stand aside." Towermere demanded. "Laphas Seed."
Gourry jumped out of the way, and energy bands wrapped around Amelia,
who was standing behind him.
Towermere looked up in time to see the sword pummel strike him in the
forehead. He fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Come on. Let's go." Lina turned and walked away.
Ravven scratched the back of his head. "The last group I was in would've
looted him."
"We loot bandits, not priests," Gourry commented.
Lina shook her head. "Yeah. He's just being anal."
"Um, Lina. Isn't that a word for ass?" Gourry asked.
"Yes." Lina groaned. "It can also mean someone being way to strict in
their views."
Gourry blinked. "Oh."
Zelgadis picked up and carried Amelia in his arms. "Let's just get out
of here before he wakes up."
Ravven chuckled. "Bet she fakes being bound longer than she really will
be."
"No takers," Lina comments.
-------------------*
"Can we NOT go through Hiden?" Ravven asked.
Amelia blinked. "Why? It would take us longer if we avoided that town."
Ravven scratched the back of his head. "It's just the mayor of the town
wants me dead."
Lina folded her arms. "Why?"
Ravven chuckled nervously. "I sort of slept with his daughter."
"How do you 'sort of' sleep with someone?" Zelgadis growled.
Ravven smirked. "Like how you 'sort of' slept with Amelia. He
interrupted before we got too far. He thinks I took her virginity."
"Did you?" Zelgadis questioned harshly.
Ravven shook his head. "Never got that far."
Amelia hummed to herself. "That would be Alicia, right?"
"That's her," Ravven confirmed.
Amelia shook her head. "She's not a virgin."
"How would you know?" Zelgadis asked.
"About a month before I ran away there was a general meeting of the
leaders of Sailoon's towns and cities. I was put in charge of keeping an
eye on the leaders' daughters. Alicia had quite an eye for the boys."
Amelia blushed. "And she didn't mind telling us all about being with a
boy later."
"So, we should go through Hiden then," Zelgadis concluded.
"No." Amelia sighed. "If Mr. Roseward sees either Ravven or me, we'll
end up having to deal with Hiden's troops. Being so close to a border,
we have quite a few there."
"We'll just have to take this path." Ravven pointed. "However, there's a
rumor that the Golden Crest Bandits have their hide out along that
path."
"Bandits?" Lina chirped. "Then we have to take that route."
"Mrs. Lina, we have to hurry. We have a month and a half until my
birthday," Amelia pointed out.
"I know. But we could use some traveling money." Lina grinned. "Besides,
they'll be a good warm up for when I have to deal with Zander."
-------------------*
Xellos's notes:
I'm finally in a part, and I get one lousy scene. I'm going to have to
talk to my agent.
Anyway, Archive apologizes for the delay in writing this part. Many
things factored in, but mostly was trying to figure out how to write the
twenty stupid questions. He also apologizes for length, but it doesn't
look like that could be helped much.
I'm sure you have many questions as to some of what's going on, but
things will be made clearer as the story progresses.
Amazingly it looks like Archive will actually finish this series in
three more episodes. Since those were among the most plotted out of the
series, they shouldn't take as long as this part to write.
In the next part Lina travels to the Mountain of Tears, and does some
bandit cleaning along the way.