Hello all!
This is my first attempt at Slayers fanfiction. Of course, C&C is always
welcome, as long it's constructive and not horribly inflammitory.
Find my other fics here:
www.geocities.com/kaiphantom2000
E-mail and send C&C here:
oddball22@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: These characters aren't mine. They belong to someone else and
I'm only borrowing them to have a little fun!
Slayers Beyond
Chapter 1
"What is this place, Lina?" Gourry Gabriev asked, taking in the view of the
dank, damp, and dark underground library/laboratory. Several scattered
bookshelves were half-filled with ancient tomes, the other half having been
tossed to the floor by Lina and Zelgadis.
The orange-haired sorceress spun on her heel and yelled at him. "I've told
you twenty times already, yogurt-for-brains!" Lina huffed once, then
promptly deflated. "Forget it, I don't want to waste time explaining this
when I could be looking for that spellbook that's supposed to be down here.
She turned her back to her dense, self-proclaimed protector. "Zel, Sylphiel,
you tell him."
"Count me out," the half-human, half-chimera swordsman/sorcerer declared,
tossing another book away, then mumbled, "There has got to be at least a
hint of a cure in here somwhere..."
Amelia Wil-Tesla Seyruun took another look around the increasingly untidy
room, as her two traveling companions tore it up, and fretted. "Oh Miss
Lina, Mister Zelgadis, I don't think we should be making such a mess. None
of this stuff belongs to us!"
"Calm down, Amelia," Lina told her, not pausing in her search. "The owner
is obviously not returning. After all, what self-respecting magus would
leave their laboratory in such a run-down condition? If he's not gonna take
care of it, it's fair game to whoever comes along. Can't let all this
precious knowledge go to waste!" That statement was accompanied by the
*thump* of yet another dusty, leather-bound, book hitting the floor,
carelessly tossed over the shoulder of the greed-driven sorceress.
"I still don't it," Gourry uttered, scratching his head in confusion.
"What's so special about this place?"
"It's a wizard's laboratory, Gourry-dear," Sylphiel told him, placing a
hand on his shoulder. "They build them underground so any spells they are
working on don't cause too much damage if they get out of control."
"Don't you remember Rezo's place underneath Sairagg?" Lina asked him,
flipping through another spellbook. "It's just like that, only smaller and
not as deep."
Gourry thought about that.
And thought.
And thought about it some more.
And just so he was absolutely sure, he thought again.
Curious about the silence from the blond-haired swordsman, Lina turned
around to look at him just in time for him to answer, "Can't remember it at
all!"
"Oh, Miss Lina, are you alright?" Sylphiel asked,.
"Just fine," she mumbled from the ground.
[I'm back?]
Amelia collapsed onto a chair, resigning herself to the fate of waiting
for Lina and Zelgadis to finish their pillaging. Sylphiel pulled up a chair
next to her and the two clerics began a game of Junken-Pow to pass the time.
"Why don't you look around, Gourry-dear," Sylphiel suggested, beating
Amelia's paper with her scissors. "Maybe you can find another magical sword
to replace the Sword of Light?"
The swordsman brightened. "Good idea, Sylphiel! Thanks!" He spared a
glance at the standard long sword in the scabbard attached to his waist,
where the the weapon he inherited from his father once hung. He knew giving
it up was the right thing to do, but he still felt like he had lost
something vital.
Looking around the room that was 15, maybe 20 meters across, something
sparkled and got his attention. Curious, he began to walk in that direction,
picking a torch off the wall to shine in that darkened corner.
[No, not again...]
As the flickering torch light illuminated the musty corner, the sparkle
revealed itself. A large maroon cloth covered something hanging from the
wall. The bottom was two meters above the floor and extended for 10 meters,
almost touching the ceiling. A piece of the cloth had fallen off the upper
left corner revealing part of a gold frame, which was where the sparkle had
come from.
Interest piquing, Gourry grabbed ahold of one corner of the cloth and
pulled, reveavling a giant mirror underneath.
[Stay away!]
Across the room, Lina felt something akin to a cold breeze give her small
goosbumps, but when she looked up, she could detect no wind. <Odd, what was
that? It almost felt... familiar.>
She backed up from the bookshelf and took a look around the room. Zelgadis
was deeply involved in reading a particularly large tome, Amelia and
Sylphiel had resorted to a thumb war, and Gourry was farther away, looking
up into a giant mirror adorning the south wall.
For reasons she couldn't determine, Lina took one step in that direction,
and then another.
[You stupid fool! Leave it alone!]
Gourry was making faces into the mirror, amused by how it distorted his
face. Long faces, skinny faces, wide faces, were all equally displayed as he
moved his head around. Even that reptillian face looked pretty funny.
Wait a minute... reptillian?
[I didn't mean to! I didn't know!]
Lina saw the green, scaley face appear in the mirror as well, just as a
minor tremor struck. She braced herself, then noticed the hook holding the
mirror to the wall give out. She broke into a sprint.
"Gourry! Look out!"
[No, Lina! Don't!]
"Huh?" was the eloquent response, as the blond-haired warrior turned to see
Lina sprinting toward him, her arm out-stretched as if to grab him.
[Not again!]
To Lina, everything appeared to go in slow motion. Gourry was gradually
turning to face her, puzzlement written across his face. The mirror wobbled
and inched foreward, pulling the hook out of the rotted wood that it was
attached to by sheer weight alone... and maybe something else.
With a last burst of speed, Lina collided with Gourry, knocking him out of
the way.
The mirror finally lost it's attachment to the wall, and fell foreward
just as Lina looked up into her growing reflection.
[Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!]
Gourry sat up in bed, sweat glistening down his bare chest. For a moment,
he swore he was back in that room. His breath came in short, shallow gasps,
as his eyes adjusted to the darkness and darted around the room.
Then he felt the other body in the bed beside him stir and he remembered
exactly where and when he was. His hand went to his sweaty forehead, as the
remnants of the nightmare faded from his mind.
Only he knew it wasn't just a nightmare.
He felt a hand go to his shoulder, then move down to rub his back.
"Gourry-dear, are you alright?"
"I'm... I'm fine, Sylphiel," Gourry replied. "Sorry if I woke you, but you
should go back to sleep."
She could see right through him though, and could tell he was not alright
by the amount of moisture on his back. "You had that dream again, didn't
you?"
"I..." He hung his head. "Yes, I did."
Sylphiel sighed. "You have to stop beating yourself up over that! It was
almost 20 years ago and it wasn't your fault!"
"But I should've done something!" he protested, knowing it was fruitless
even as the words left his mouth. But his guilt was still there, diminished
maybe, but not gone. "I should have been more careful! If I had, the Lina
would still be..."
Slyphiel wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his shoulder.
"Hush, husband. We've been through this. She knew what she was doing."
In both of their minds, they could see the mirror come crashing down, Lina
disappearing beneath it. When it finally hit the floor, the glass shattered
into a million pieces. But the worst part, was when they lifted the heavy
object up.
There was no sign of the girl that was standing under it a second before.
The mirror, and all it's pieces, now rested in a secured room in Seyruun.
Each of the party split apart to search for information about the mirror and
a way to bring Lina back, but in the end nobody succeeded, and in time, each
was forced to give up.
"But I... I..."
His wife sighed, then placed a hand upon his brow and mumbled a few words,
the sleep spell having an instant effect as she pulled him back to rest on
the bed. She layed a kiss upon his brow, then curled up next to him.
Sylphiel supposed she should feel a little jealous, knowing that Gourry
did care about Lina and viceversa, but she wasn't that kind of girl. She did
love Gourry, she just wished she hadn't gotten married to him under such
circumstances.
Her eyes fluttered closed, and soon Slyphiel Gabriev was fast asleep once
more.
The teenaged boy studied his opponent, raising his sword slightly. He knew
his chances weren't good, since all his attacks so far had been parried or
dodged, but he also knew that his skilled advesary's luck couldn't hold out
forever. There would be an opening.
The youth adjusted his stance as the wind whipped his short black hair
around, his medium-sized frame shifting ever so slightly. Then without
warning, he charged, yelling a mighty battle cry. Steel met steel, as the
boy clashed with the older man, the metal clang of the impacts echoing
around the small grassy clearing.
The boy felt the adrenaline flowing though his body as he matched his foe
move for move. <I can win!> the jubilant thought repeated itself in his
brain. However, the outcome of this match would forever be undecided, thanks
to the parabolic arc of an airborne brick traveling from the upper window of
the nearby log cabin to land squarely on the boy's head.
"OW!" exclaimed the boy from the ground. "SARA!"
"Do you have to do that so early in the morning!?" came the female cry from
the 2nd story window.
The youth looked up to his opponent chuckling at him, then offering his
hand. The boy reluctantly took it. "Thanks, dad." Then he turned to the
house. "I'm gonna get you for that, sis!"
Running into the house, he nearly ran over his mom on the way. "Oh, be
careful Gowren," she called to him as he headed up the stairs. "Remember,
you promised to go pick up some items in town for me today!"
"Yes, moooooom!" came the receeding call.
Sylphiel smiled to herself, then stepped outside. "Gourry-dear, how went
this morning's practice?"
"Just great!" Gourry replied, setting the swords back up on the rack.
"Gowren's swordsmanship is really improving."
Slyphiel couldn't help but smile at this. She knew the effect of having a
son first had turned Gourry's disposition around and it was times like this,
when he was passing his techniques on, that really brought out the old
happy-go-lucky Gourry. The she had known before Lina's... disappearence.
"...just wish Sara showed as much enthusiasm for this," Gourry was saying.
"She's some potential, but doesn't seem very willing to work with it."
Slyphiel placed a hand on Gourry's arm. "To each their own, and Sara's
been a great help to me at the clinic." <When she shows up,> she didn't add.
In her eyes, Sara's main problem was that she was flighty, as if she didn't
really know or care what to do with her life. In that way she was more like
her father.
"GOWREN!"
*BANG* *BOOM* *CRASH*
Sylphiel sighed, as her daughter's other problem manifested itself in the
form of Gowren's flight out the second story window, and idiotic grin on his
face. Both parents sighed as their son hit the ground, coming to stop
several from their location in a crumpled heap.
"Gourry-dear, why don't you go inside and see what kind of damage Sara has
inflicted on the house, while I go heal Gowren," Slyphiel calmly suggested.
Gourry nodded, then grinned sheepishly and planted a kiss on his wife's
cheek before heading inside. Slyphiel placed a hand on her cheek, somewhat
surprised by the move. It had taken awhile before Gourry had outright
initiated shows of affection like that, but the moments when he had were
that much more special.
She brought her thoughts back to the present, and went to addess her son
who was attempting to pull himself together. She sighed and placed her hands
on him, letting the healing magic work it's restorative effects.
Sighing, she asked, "Gowren, why do you insist on teasing your sister like
that?"
"Awww, mom," he complained when he got his voice back, then winced. He
placed both his hands on the source of the pain, his other leg, and
attempted to heal it. The white glow from his hands was weaker than his
mother's however, and tended to blink in and out intermittently, as opposed
to his mother's steady pulse. "I was just havin' fun."
"And your healing spells need work, too," his mother noted as Gowren gave
up and collapsed, letting her take over. She sighed once more, and wondered
how long it would be before his adventurous spirit would take him away. He
had certainly grown more restless these past few months.
In short order, she finished the job and handed him some money. "Now, can
you run into town and get those groceries I need for tonight's dinner."
Gowren stood up and brushd the dirt off his dark blue pants and brown
tunic, then accepted the gold coins. "Alright. Be back later!" he called as
he sprinted away, eager to be off.
Slyphiel Gabriev sighed once more at the sight of her son's retreating
back, then turned and headed back into the house.
It did take very long to reach the small vilalge of Runzen, so named for
the town's founder. Like most small country towns, it was a center for all
the people in the area to gather, buy and sell goods, exchange gossip, and
have the occasional festival. Very few people actually lived in the town,
most residing in the farms and small houses that dotted the valley.
Gowren slowed to a walk as he entered, noting the lack of activity. A few
pedestrians lingered here and there among the wooden houses and stalls, but
he knew it wouldn't start getting busy until later in the day, the main
reason why his mother wanted him to go in the morning.
He always like going into town, never knowing what he would find there, as
opposed to the boring life he had at home. Also, it was just something about
the trip into town that got his spirits up. Frequently, there wasn't much
that had changed in the village, but he could never be sure.
Little did he know, that the events that he would experience this day,
would change his life forever.
It started while he was paying Mr. Calrez for a selection of fruits and
vegetables at his stall. He had finished coutning the coins out, and was
surprised when he had a few left over. His mom had made enough trips into
town to know the prices, so the the little bit left over must have been his
mom's way of leaving something for him.
Shouldering the sack of produce, he was just beginning to wonder how to
spend it, when he caught the gist of conversation on the breeze.
"Come on, you're new in town, right? Me an' the boys can show ya around!"
Gowren sighed. That sounded like the voice of Muntz, the local bully
leader. His `gang' tended to scare the children into doing his bidding, as
well as picking the pockets of innocent travelers, and in general, getting
up to no good.
Curious, the young Gabriev traveled the short distance to the small alley
between two buildings and found the gang clustered around someone backed
against a wall.
"I told you, I'm not interested," came a steady, but threatening female
voice.
"Aw, you don't mean that!" another one of the boys countered, which was
meant with chuckling from the other four.
"I believe the lady has stated her desires clear enough," Gowren announced,
gaining the attention of the pack.
"Get lost, Gabriev," Muntz sneered. "This doesn't concern you."
The pack of poys seperated somewhat, and Gowren could see the girl for the
first time. A length reddish-orange hair topped her head, partially held
back by a black headband. Her clothes were a set above mundane, with black
tights and a white and orange colored shirt covered with ornate designs.
It was her face that really caught his attention, though. She appeared
young, about his age maybe, but her face was rounded and full of expression.
Her deep brown eyes reflected equal parts curiousity, annoyance, disbelief,
and... something else.
Gowren let a confident smirk appear on his face. "I'll be more than happy
to leave you to your dirty affairs, as soon as this young woman is allowed
to continue on her business." Truth be told, he was a little nervous. While
he could probably take Muntz, he didn't know if he could handle all five at
once. It was the fact that he was one of the few who could stand up to
Muntz, that made the other boy leave him mostly alone.
Muntz stepped foreward, his ruffled and scruffy features cracking into a
hungry grin, even while cracked his knuckles. "Well, if you won't leave
voluntarily, me an' the boys will just have to escort you."
The annoyance in the girl's eyes compounded ten-fold. "Excuse me! I'm not
a prize to be fought over!" She leveled a gaze at Gowren. "And I don't need
your help!"
However, her outburst went unnoticed as Gowren dropped the sack of produce
and took up a ready stance. As Muntz's group advanced, he suddenly wished
for a weapon, any weapon at all. A quick scan of the area didn't reveal
anything he could use, and he gulped when he realized this may not have been
such a good idea after all.
"Get him!"
Three of the teen boys shot forward, and Gowren ducked under the first
punch to reach him, delivering a blow to the boy's gut in response. As his
opponent stumbled backwards, Gowren prepared for his next target, and barely
dodged the fist that clipped his side. He struck out blindly with his own
fist, and thought he felt something connect, but then stars exploded in his
vision as he felt his body spin around. The he was grabbed and tossed down
the alleyway.
As he flew backwards, he caught the sight of the girl still rooted to her
spot, she was looking at him with the same annoyance, but he thought he
could see worry there was well, and it confused him.
Those feelings lasted all of a second or two, before he crashed into a
pile of stacked crates, turning them into broken pieces of wood. He shook
his head to clear the cobwebs, knowing he had to get to his feet soon,
though the reason currently escaped him for the moment.
"So much for wonder boy," Muntz sneered, earning a round of laughter from
his pack.
As Gowren regained his feet, his hand closed around a broom handle, and he
brought the weapon up, smiling. "I'm not done yet, runt!"
"The name is Muntz!" the other boy growled, then rushed forward to attack
while the gang flanked him.
The girl stomped her foot in frustration and brought her hands up. "Enough
of this! Flare Arrow!" A streak a reddish flame impacted the backside of the
trailing boy, setting him on fire. He promptly streaked out of the alley,
arms flailing, and ending his trip in the town fountain.
Meanwhile, Gowren twirled the broom like a battle staff, driving the butt
end into Muntz's stomach as he charged. The bully let loose an "oomph" and
doubled over as Gowren brouth the broom end around to strike the boy's face,
sending him spinning sideways into the ground.
"Mono Volt!" The girl loosed a jagged bolt of lightning that arced to a
second boy. He vibrated for a second as the electricity traveled through
him, then stumbled and crashed into a wall, falling unconsciousness.
Gowren took advantage of the pause and the sudden empty space to jump
forward, bringing the improvised staff down on the third boy's head. With a
*crack!*, the wooden weapon broke in half, but the target went down anyway.
Adenaline shooting through his veins, Gowren absorbed a punch to his
stomach. Then he turned toward the last boy, weapon flashing out and
smacking aside the wrist from a second incoming punch, and striking his
attacker's face on the return swing.
Silence reigned in the small battleground as the last boy dropped, and
Gowren finally allowed himself to calm down, his ragged breathing slowly
returning to normal.
Only then did he notice the girl scowling at him. "I could have handled
them all by myself!"
Gowren chuckled, once. The previous strike to his ribs made that simple
act hurt. "Well, excuse me. But Muntz and his boys had that coming." He
dropped the stick and lurched passed the girl to where he dropped his sack.
A hand on his arm stopped him, and he turned to see a hard, yet tender look
being directed at him.
"But, thank you, anyway." She retrieved her hand and began to walk out of
the alley, leaving the young Gabriev staring after her.
As she walked around the corner, he blurted out a, "Wait!" then sprinted
forward, grabbed his sack, and caught up to her. "I didn't find out what
you're doing here!" She stopped and eyed him. "I mean, this is a small
village. I could, sorta be your guide, or something?"
She shook her head and continued on. "That's what they offered."
"Don't compare me to those guys!" Gowren said, somewhat indignant. "I just
thought if I knew what your business here was, I could help."
The girl grimaced. "I don't need your help."
The young warrior sighed. "Fine then. Can I at least ask your name? Mine
is Gowren Gabriev."
She stopped again and regarded him evenly. If he didn't know any better,
he thought she almost recognized the name. "Gabriev?" He nodded, and she
tapped her chin. "Well, I do plan on staying for the night. Perhaps you
could find me a good inn?"
"Uh, sure!" He replied, grinning like a madman. "How about staying with my
family?"
"No!" she practically shouted, clearly not liking that idea. "I mean, I
can't possibly accept. Just find me a nice inn, preferably with a
restaurant."
"Will do!" Gowren was estatic. This was what he had always wanted;
something different, something new and exciting! And a cute sorceress to
boot! "This way!"
He led her off the village's only inn for travelers. Sure she would have
found it eventually, but it was much more fun to guide her there. A short
walk later brought them to the doors of Olen's restaurant and inn.
"Well, here we are!" Gowren offered cheerfully.
"Um, thank you again, Mr. Gabriev," the girl offered, then turned and
headed for the doors to have some lunch and arrange a room.
Mister Gabriev made a face. "Hey! Don't call me `Mister'. That makes me
sound old! Just call me Gowren."
She paused halfway in the doorway and smiled, though he couldn't see that
particular feature. "Very well... Gowren. And... my name is Lana."
And to Gowren Gabriev's surprised face, the girl named Lana vanished
inside.
--------------------
Author's notes:
Well, what do ya think? I haven't read a whole lot of Slayers Fanfiction as
of yet (Slayers Trilogy mainly and a few shorts), but I really liked the
anime. I think the second half of this is lacking somewhat, but thought I'd
put it up and see what kind of reaction I get. Let me know!
Brad the Kaiphantom
"It's a thinly-veiled attempt at a character bash" - Anonymous quote
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