***

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-- Attached file included as plaintext by Ecartis --
-- File: tsw02.txt

The Slayers: Wild
By Troy Thomas

Ranma 1/2 and its characters are the creations and property 
of Rumiko Takahashi. Slayers and its characters are the 
creations and properties of Hajime Kanzaka and Rui Araizumi. 
Excepting flames, if you have any comments or criticisms, 
feel free to send them my way.

***

I can be found at the following addresses:
URL: http://ca.geocities.com/therealsilentnova/entrance.html
Email: Silentnova@go.com

***

Chapter Two

"Ranma, lets start from the beginning," Lina said, adjusting 
her cape, readying to leave the tower's bottom floor for the 
outside. "Because of that big mess, I don't think that there 
was any time to introduce ourselves."

"Alright," Ranma said, stretching his arms and back. "Who are 
you, then?"

"Lina Inverse," was the reply, which was happy and confident. 
Lina gestured to the blonde swordsman. "That's Gourry, and 
the quiet guy over there," she said, waving at Zelgadis, "is 
Zel."

"Hi," said Ranma, waving at the other two.

"You're from another world, called here by Golbez and Maria," 
Lina started to say, "But you're not the reason Golbez and 
Maria called you here, or else they would've taken you when 
they left. That means they're hiding something important."

"I don't want to get involved, but I have a feeling I'll only 
end in this mess, even if I try to go my own way," said 
Zelgadis, pushing open the tower exit door. "You might like 
to know why we're here, since I get the feeling you're coming 
with us."

"We were searching for a cure for Zelgadis' curse," Lina 
said, as she walked outside the tower. "We didn't have 
anything to do, so we came along with him. But we haven't 
found anything yet."

Zelgadis removed the cloth covering his face. "You should 
know now that I'm one third golem and one third mazoku, as 
well as human. That's what I'm searching for, something to 
make me completely human."

Ranma considered Zelgadis' face, which seemed to look as 
though it was stone. "Okay, I can understand that. Even 
though I don't know what you're talking about."

The four were outside of the tower, which was surrounded by a 
forest, thick with underbrush. The path they began walking 
along seemed to snake its way through the woods, hiding from 
sight everything before the four.

"How can you understand it?" Zelgadis asked, his voice 
curious.

Ranma slowly responded, "Where I came from, there was a place 
called Jusenkyo, where if you fell in the water, you became 
whatever last drowned in it. It was a pretty horrible thing. 
But you could turn back if you used hot water on yourself... 
Cold water would reactivate the curse."

"That sounds pretty bad," Lina said. "So, you were cursed?"

"Um, what makes you ask that?" Ranma nervously inquired.

"You know a lot about the curse, so that must mean you're 
cursed!" Lina shouted, curious.

"No, not really..." Ranma desperately responded. "I'm still 
human when splashed, so I'm not really cursed at all!"

"Not really cursed at all..." The knowing smile on Lina's 
face troubled Ranma's senses, but the sorceress didn't delve 
deeper into the conversation. "You know, guys, I've got a 
funny feeling that we're being watched."

"Bandits," Zelgadis said, watching the woods where tens of 
men seemed to be watching. "We were told of this group before 
we left that town."

"Yeah! I remember! The Woolley Kings!" Gourry shouted, 
joining the conversation.

"That's Wild Things, you idiot!" a bandit shouted.

Lina asked, looking at Zelgadis, "Is it just me, or are 
bandits really hurting for good names these days? They must 
just think of the first thing that comes to mind."

"I don't know anything about that. Bandits are your 
speciality," Zelgadis replied. "Lina the Bandit Killer," he 
shared with Ranma, gesturing to Lina.

"I don't get it," Ranma said.

"Maybe you should watch from a safe distance, Ranma," Gourry 
said. "If you don't want to get hurt, anyway. Lina tends to 
overreact to threats with overkill spells, and you don't want 
to get in her way."

"Spells? What are you talking about?" Ranma asked.

"Magic," Gourry answered. "It's to do with waving your arms 
around, and saying funny things, which makes explosions, 
somehow."

"Where I come from, we usually just fight with our hands," 
said Ranma. "How weird. Magic" He shrugged, feeling a bit 
curious.

Lina said, readying for the bandits to attack, "Here they 
come!"

"Argh!" shouted a brute, rushing toward Lina. However, before 
he made ten steps, he screamed in fear, since a fireball was 
thrown at him. Running away, he shouted, "Ahh!" 
Unfortunately, for the brute, the fireball was faster than 
him, and he fell over, singed black, eyes blinking in 
surprise.

"Just too slow. Too little pillaging and too much 
celebrating, me thinks?" Lina shouted, gleefully, tossing 
another fireball at an unsuspecting bandit, who was sneaking 
up behind her.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" a 
particularly nasty looking bandit asked, his voice gruff and 
oily.

"Oh, and that must be their boss!" Lina announced, crossing 
her arms, turning around to face the speaker.

"I am the leader of the Wild Things!" the boss announced. 
"You've made us look like fools, and for that, you'll die!"

"Wait, wait!" Gourry said, stepping between Lina and the 
boss. "Don't you even know who this is? You're supposed to 
know who she is! Your kind always does."

"My kind?" the boss asked.

"Forget it, Gourry. This bunch is stupider than usual," Lina 
said.

"But Lina..."

"Lina?" the boss asked, intently looking at the sorceress. 
"Short, skinny, uses fire more than an arsonist..."

"You forgot loud," Zelgadis added.

"Ahh, no! It can't be true! There is such a thing as her!"

"Wait one minute! What do you mean by thing?" Lina asked, 
grabbing the bandit by the collar, pulling the boss close to 
her face, her voice sounding ready to protest.

Gourry whispered in the bosses' ear, "It would easier on you 
if you just didn't answer."

The boss, taking Gourry's advice, fainted.

Dropping the bandit, Lina said, "I guess that's that. Maybe 
we should look for their hideout, now that the boss is out."

"Hey! Don't forget about us!" another gruff voice shouted.

"I forgot about them!" Gourry said. "Wow, is that all of 
them?" he asked, peering into the surrounding forest, seeing 
over twenty bandits in the immediate area.

"You'd all better run away!" warned Lina, as energy began to 
collect around her. "Because we were supposed to move on to 
the next plot!" She said, as a ball of energy hovered between 
her two hands, "And I hate delays!"

"What is that?" Ranma asked Zelgadis.

"It's trouble. It always seems like whenever Lina uses that 
spell, something really bad starts to happen. It's a 
foreboding, perhaps."

"Attack!" a bandit shouted.

"Okay! You asked for it!" Lina shouted, releasing the energy. 
"Dragon Slave!"

The ball of energy, which brimmed with a dark power, shot 
forth, towards the heart of the forest, where it seemed all 
the bandits had collected. When it arrived at its 
destination, it outwardly exploded into a huge sphere.

Covering his eyes from the dust and wind from the spell, 
Ranma shouted out a question, "That's magic?"

"Yes," Zelgadis answered.

***

"Mazoku? Golem?" Ranma asked. "And magic? I just don't get 
it. Can anyone use it here?"

"Yes, to that last question, but we'll get back to it later," 
answered Lina. "Anyway, a mazoku is a high level demon 
monster, and a golem is in a way a man-made machine, which is 
brought to life using magic."

"But magic, it's difficult to describe. When you've grown up 
with it, it's like a second nature." Lina placed her hands on 
her hips, stretching for a description. "Magic, it's a force 
that can be divided into three categories, white, black, and 
shamanism. White magic calls upon your own spirit, or other, 
powerful spirits. It is mostly used for healing and 
protection. Black magic calls upon the mazoku for power. 
Since the mazoku are forces of destruction, it is natural 
their powers when used as magic are destructive. The Dragon 
Slave is such a spell. Shamanism calls the forces of nature. 
There are many elements that can be used, like fire, wind, 
and water. It is usually used as a weapon, but it can be used 
for defence too. And, there is also a spirit element, which 
is strong against Mazoku."

Ranma, a confused expression covering his face, said in a 
defeated tone, "You talk a lot. I didn't catch half of what 
you said... But I think I can say this, at least. Magic isn't 
just point, boom." Slowly, looking to the sky, he suddenly 
asked, his voice faraway, "Am I all alone here?"

"What was that?" asked Lina.

"Nothing."

"Then whatever," said Lina. "But hey! We're at the bandit 
hideout now! And isn't it ever ugly?" she asked, staring at a 
greasy-wood looking building, which stood drunkenly leaning 
against the air, almost ready to collapse at the briefest 
hint of a wind.

"Would you just hurry up?" Zelgadis asked. "Those two, Maria 
and Golbez have probably already gotten too far ahead for us 
to catch up to!"

"Don't worry, Zel! Even if they have, I bet they've left a 
trail for us to follow," Lina responded. "And purposely too. 
They seem like that type." She looked at the bandit hideout, 
the rooftop seemingly falling off like a bad toupee. "And 
like all head bad guys, I bet they also sent their minions 
after us!"

"You mean in there?" Gourry asked Lina worriedly.

"Where else?"

"It figures! said Gourry. He ignored a quiet, almost 
indiscernible comment from Lina.

"Except you probably came up with two different answers..."

***

As the group entered what seemed to be the mess hall, a 
female voice, clear and in monotone, called out, "Lina 
Inverse, hand please over to me the boy, Ranma Saotome."

"Wow, she's polite!" Lina commented to Ranma. In response to 
the voice, she mischievously smiled. "He's not mine to give 
up, lady! If you want him, he's yours to take!"

"Um," Ranma intelligently said, a nervous bead of sweat 
running down his temple. "Maybe I don't want to know, but who 
are you?"

A lady appeared at the far end of the room. "You will come 
with me!"

"That's not going to happen," Ranma said. "But I still want 
to know who you are."

The lady, her hair especially long and shiningly brunnete, 
was strangely wearing a plain, wooden mask.

"I know that!" Ranma exclaimed. "Maria tried to put one of 
those on me, at the tower!"

"Ranma Saotome, either come of your own will, or submit to 
mine!"

"She's got you coming and going," commented Lina.

"But I don't want to go!" Ranma said, worried.

"Then it's up to you to rewrite this situation!" responded 
Lina, pushing Ranma out in front of the group. "And while 
you're here fighting off that woman who absolutely wants you, 
I'll just be off looking for the bandit loot. Just try not to 
get captured, okay?"

"You're just leaving, Lina?" Gourry asked.

"Well, it's not me she's after, Gourry. Besides, if Ranma 
couldn't handle himself, he'd be begging for us to save him." 
Lina answered, leaving the room, Gourry trailing behind.

"Is she right, Ranma?" Zelgadis asked, leaning against a 
wall, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, but unless who-ever-she-is starts using big magic 
spells, then I might be in trouble..." Walking towards the 
masked lady, defiantly staring at the eyes, he asked, his 
voice rock steady, "Who are you?"

"Servant of Maria," said the lady. "Now you will come, 
despite your unwillingness!"

"Nah, I'd rather find out on my own what that weirdo girl 
Maria wants, then go with you," Ranma replied, walking with 
confidence towards the masked lady. "You seem too out of it 
to actually be able to tell me what's happening. Why I'm 
here..."

Ranma suddenly looked at Maria's servant. "What would happen 
if I take off that mask?" He only appeared to move forward a 
step, but surprised all in the room when he arrived almost 
instantly in front of Maria's servant, reaching for the mask.

However, Maria's servant quickly grabbed Ranma's wrist, and 
shouted, "Digger Bolt!"

Screaming in pain, Ranma slowly pushed Maria's servant away, 
and then jumped backwards, placing the whole room between the 
servant and his self.

"Damn it! That hurt!" Ranma groaned, holding close to his 
body his arms.

"I don't really know who you are, honestly," Ranma started to 
say, as he loosely shook his arms. "Probably some poor girl 
that Maria tricked into putting on one of her weird masks."

Ranma cracked his knuckles, and then began shaking his whole 
body into a lax state. "And that's what the mask does, right? 
Makes you do whatever Maria wants you to do, right?"

A second later, Ranma fell to his knees. "Damn, didn't want 
to believe it, but that magic took it all out of me... Never 
felt anything like it before." He looked to Zelgadis. "Was 
that electricity that came out her hands? Feels like I'm 
burned all over..."

Standing from his relaxed leaning position, Zelgadis replied, 
"Yes, Digger Bolt is Shamanic spell, with electricity as its 
element."

Looking at the servant, Zelgdais slowly unsheathed his sword. 
"I guess even if he's a capable fighter, he still doesn't 
know what to expect in this world."

Zelgadis' hand burned with a fiery light, "Magic can't be 
beaten by your body alone. You also need to know magic, or 
else, you're useless against the wizards and sorcerers of the 
world."

Looking at the young pigtailed man, Zelgadis asked, "Ranma, 
can you run? I have a feeling we'll get left behind by Lina 
if we don't hurry and find her."

"She'd do that?" Ranma asked, standing, and then wobbling.

"You should start running now," Zelgadis suggested, before 
turning to the servant, who was warily watching him. "Flare 
Arrow!" he suddenly shouted, moving his body accordingly.

***

Doors outwardly bursting open quickly fell to the ground, and 
through the space they previously occupied two persons were 
running, followed by a volley of Ice Arrows.

"Lina! Who are these guys?" Gourry shouted, wondering of the 
tens of men who were currently piling out through the broken 
doorway.

"Evil bandits who stole from innocent people, of course!" 
Lina responded. "Who else could it be?"

"But I thought you took care of all of them?" Gourry said.

Shoving Gourry aside, Lina herself retreated from a small 
fiery explosion where she just been standing. "Not quite all 
of them."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lina Inverse, whose name sends 
fit of fear throughout the whole world," said the man who had 
been the one to cause the explosion. He appeared at a spot 
equal in distance from both Gourry and Lina. "My name is 
Derim, and I'll kindly take back my treasure, unless you 
prefer I take it back unkindly."

"Derim, huh?" Lina said, smirking. "You don't look like a 
bandit, but you don't look like a wizard either."

"You're right, but that doesn't matter, because at this 
moment you have my treasure, and I'm a greedy man who wants 
it back, now!" Derim replied.

The bandits quickly rushed from the surrounding forest to 
surround Gourry and Lina.

"I don't want to waste energy on you two," Derim said, 
cruelly smiling. "But if you give me no choice, then..." A 
fiery ball of light appeared in his hands.

"You're nuts!" Lina shouted. "You'll kill your own bandits if 
you use that here!"

"Who cares about some dirty bandits? You can find them in the 
crud of anyone's shoes," Derim said. "Besides, these fools 
won't care. They're already halfway in the grave!"

Looking at the eyes of the bandits, Lina quickly understood 
Derims words. "They're like zombies! You're no bandit! You're 
just an evil wizard, who steals from bandits!"

"Much like you, much like the infamous Bandit Killer Lina 
Inverse," Derim responded.

"Maybe, but I'm not evil," Lina said.

"One push, and you'd fall from the light, just like me." The 
fireball in Derim's hand grew. "But let's not pursue this 
discussion any longer. My greed's overcome my patience, and 
my fingers are itchy with the anticipation of holding cold 
gold."

"Lina! Get ready to run!" Zelgadis shouted.

Before he could turn about, Derim felt land somebody land 
atop his head, and then quickly bounce off. Unfortunately for 
him, due to the rapid abruptness of the action, he was unable 
to hold the fireball, and let it drop. "No!"  he shouted, 
watching the fireball touch the ground.

***

"Good timing, Zelgadis, Ranma," Lina said, following 
Zelgadis, who was running full tilt through the forest, 
unconcerned with branches and trees.

"There's big trouble back at the bandit hideout," Zelgadis 
mentioned. "We cannot wait around for it."

***

The fire light danced about, warming his face, as he 
defiantly stared into the fire's heart, deeply thinking, 
processing the whole day. A movement to his side, stirred him 
from though, and slowly, he asked, "Lina, can you teach me 
more about magic?"

"Hmm? You really want to learn?"

Ranma turned to the fire. "I'll be here forever, so I might 
as well learn about it. I can't be beaten again by that weird 
lady, or else something bad will happen."

"Something bad is happening. If you were captured, it would 
actually get worse," Lina replied. "But, yeah, I guess I'll 
teach you what I can. Zel might help you there too."

***

Opening his eyes, he wondered aloud, "I'm still alive?"

He heard footsteps beside him, so he looked and saw a young 
lady walking into the forest.

"I know her... He'll be delighted once he learns that I saw 
her!"

He coughed, and then laughed.

However, the laughing led to more coughing.

Once the coughing subsided, Derim muttered, "Damn that Lina 
Inverse!"

End Chapter Two

***



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