Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ An Oath to Oblivion ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

An Oath to Oblivion - Chapter One

 

She was being held in one of the lowest chambers, deep within the Noonbaga prison known for its unshakable security. Anyone who was sent there failed to return--that is, anyone human.

I must be completely out of my mind to be meddling in human affairs, he thought, but regardless he continued to sneak through the levels of the prison, taking advantage of every shadowed corner and veiled wall. The entire place was built to be sturdy; each wall could withstand a couple of Dragon Slaves. Furthermore, a magic absorbing idol was present to prevent infiltration by those who possessed magical abilities. Even a mazoku of his status was having difficulty keeping concealed as he worked his way down, deprived of his repertoire of abilities.

But finally he found her. She was chained cruelly to a wall. A metal suppressor plate completely covered her face, subduing her mental functioning. Her head hung wearily from her shoulders; she appeared to be on her last reserve of energy, but it was still enough to raise her attention to his presence.

Sensing her will to speak, he quickly hushed her and worked efficiently to free her from her bonds. Her body fell onto him for support as the iron released its hold on her. He wrapped an arm around her, gently raised her head back, and crushed the faceplate that subdued her conscious.

“Wake up, Lina-san.”

She groaned and dropped her head onto his shoulder. Though she lacked the energy to speak, he could understand her thoughts. “I apologize for being so late,” he said, and shifted her weight into a more accommodating position. “My duties kept me back,” he explained.

“…Just get me out,” she muttered with her eyes still closed. Her head was reeling in pain from the recovery shock, and she desperately needed to breathe some fresh air.

He grinned ever so slightly. “Of course.”

.

When they arrived at a safe distance from the prison at a small cavern on the desert island, he set her down on the ground to rest. She dully watched him as he looked over her injuries, proclaiming each one less than severe. He then sat down next to her and heaved a sigh of relief.

“I guess I owe you one,” she said, then with a small smile she added, “Thank you.” She wasn't quite fond of the idea of being indebted to a mazoku; a case like that would never end well. She did feel fine being indebted to a friend, though. Or at least, he was as much of a friend as a mazoku could ever be to her--she didn't make it a habit to work with mazoku.

Lina rubbed the sore areas of her body that had been tied down with chains. She winced at a couple of harsh bruises on her legs, but nothing was particularly damaging to her body. For the most part, she was just stiff from hanging against the wall for so long.

“So what are your plans now?” Xelloss asked. “To find Gourry-san?”

“No,” she promptly replied, and pulled her hair back. As she let it fall, she explained, “He's safer away from me for now.”

Xelloss raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“I've had a tracking spell cast on me,” she explained. “Of course, I slapped a protection spell on myself to counter the effect, but it's not entirely leak-proof. They will still be able to pick up a few hints on my location.”

“You plan to travel alone then?” Xelloss inquired.

She nodded. “At least until I find out who's behind this chase. Gourry has no magical abilities so he would be hard to track down on his own.” She crossed her arms and legs, taking her favorite thinking position. “Zel has me a little worried, though…”

Xelloss suddenly stood up. “Lina-san, it looks like we have visitors.”

“Seems that way,” she said without moving from her position. “How many are there?”

He smiled. “Isn't it more fun not to know?”

“I hate the way you think,” she said, scoffing at his idea of amusement. She began to cast a spell.

Xelloss turned around. “Behind!”

“Got it!” Lina threw a Flare Arrow in that direction but missed her target. She prepared for defense and looked around for the attacker, but it had vanished.

Then Xelloss disappeared. Lina panicked at first, not feeling particularly safe without his help to back her up, but her insecurities dispelled when he reappeared again a minute later.

“They're gone,” he said, and reached out a hand to help her up. “But it's not safe here anymore. We should move.”

She nodded and took his hand. He pulled her to her feet and steadied her balance. “Follow me,” he said, and led her into the cavern.

.

After they had been traveling for a while, Lina initiated some conversation.

“Hey, Xelloss.”

“Yes, Lina-san?”

She paused to rethink her question. After a second of contemplation, she continued, “What made you come get me?”

He turned his head and smiled at her. “That's a secret, of course.”

Lina pulled her hand away and placed it against her hip. “Seriously, now. This is far too strange for you to be helping me out of the blue,” she said and wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion.

Xelloss stopped walking. If I'm right, it should be near here…

Lina watched him curiously as he glanced around the area, guided by the light emanating from the orb on his staff. He didn't seem to have heard her question, but she didn't quite feel it in herself to ask it again. She saw that he was eyeing a specific wall, and walked over to find out what he was so interested in. “Xelloss?”

He reached out and pressed his palm against the stone wall. It rippled at his touch, and his hand easily passed through the surface. Lina watched in wonder as he extended his other hand to her. “Come, Lina-san,” he said, reassuring her with a friendly smile.

She took his hand without hesitation and allowed him to guide her through the wall to the astral plane. It was like a labyrinth of swirls and mirages that faded in and out, oscillating like the tides. Lina was fully absorbed in the scenery as she and Xelloss floated amidst it, admiring the images of consciousness that floated across her eyes.

Xelloss squeezed her hand. “Lina-san, it's best not to get too caught up in the memories of others. You may lose yourself before long,” he said. She nodded her understanding, and he continued, “Let's go.”

Before long, Xelloss added a question: “How many years has it been?”

She paused to count. “Three, I think?”

“Has it really only been so long?” Xelloss wondered, knowing that three years was only a tiny fragment of his existence. His experiences with the young sorceress were somehow the most entertaining moments of the last century, so it wouldn't seem too odd that he had become somewhat attached to her company. He wondered what made her such an interesting person to be around; what was this power of hers that attracted those around her? Had he fallen to her spell, too?
Lina's thoughts were elsewhere. She was not particularly concerned about Gourry's safety, for he was carefully hidden in a quiet little town--or at least, that was the last she had heard from him. Zelgadiss, on the other hand, was like a walking beacon. Had he been able to dodge the pursuers, or had he fallen victim to a worse fate?

It wasn't too much longer before Xelloss navigated the way to the end of the labyrinth. They exited through a small haze of light and reappeared in the physical world. Lina looked around, trying to see if she could identify the place. She could, but she was not pleased with the location.

“You brought me to Zefielia?” she asked. Dissatisfaction was written all over her face. She had never wanted to return to the town where she had grown up, and right then was not a particularly good time to bring her there. She had already turned to leave when a familiar voice shouted out after her.

“Lina!”

Lina froze in midstep. “It couldn't be…”

She turned around to see a head full of blonde curls rushing in her direction. Though the expression on her face was still wrought with disbelief, her body unconsciously opened her arms to accept the embrace of her friend.

“Lina! It's been so long!” her friend exclaimed, hugging Lina tightly.

Lina pat her friend's head gently. “Mariebell…” she said.

Xelloss hesitated a bit longer before cutting in on the reunion. “Lina-san,” he whispered, trying to get the sorceress's attention.

Lina snapped out of her daze. She pried her friend's hands from her and apologized. “I'm sorry Mariebell. I really can't stay for long.”

Mariebell gazed at her with worried eyes. “Are you being chased?”

“I…” Lina began. Mariebell hadn't said the word “again,” but Lina could hear that it was intended to be there. The girl always had sharp intuition. With a sigh, Lina looked the other way and began to walk. “It's best if you don't get involved.”

“Wait!”

Lina was startled to see the girl at her arm. “Wait,” she said. “You should come to my place to rest up.”

Lina immediately protested, “Don't joke around! This is dangerous!”

“Lina,” Mariebell said, emphasizing her sternness. With all seriousness she said, “You know that you won't get another chance like this.”

Lina wavered as she looked at the girl's firm expression. She didn't quite feel comfortable including her in this, but at the same time, she knew that the chance was hard to pass up. Chances to rest up would be few and far in-between. “Alright,” Lina agreed, conceding defeat. “I'm counting on you.”

.

Xelloss accompanied Lina to Mariebell's house up on the hill, a bit distanced from the rest of the town. He observed the wall décor with a curious eye, trying to discern what it was about this girl that miraculously earned Lina's trust. Something about the house made him feel a bit uncomfortable, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Lina turned to face him. “Oh, Xelloss—“

“It's okay,” Mariebell said, interrupting her. “Xelloss-san--if I may call you that--your kind sometimes find it particularly unbearable inside of my house because I have charms set up all around the perimeter that absorb astral energy.” She paused. “But you hardly look like you feel the effect at all.”

He raised an eyebrow. She knew he was a mazoku? He glanced at Lina for an answer, to which she raised her hand and explained, “Mariebell is a specialist of white magic. She would know immediately if anything--any mazoku--breached her barrier.”

“I see…” he noted, and rolled the stiffness out of his shoulder. It wasn't that the spell had any particular effect on him, but he did feel a bit heavier under its influence. He did understand the strength of the girl though--Lina would be safe in this haven for a while. It made her both hard to track as well as hard to reach through this barrier. He would just put up with the stress for the moment.

Lina followed Mariebell to the adjacent room. There she joined her on the floor and began to pull off her cape, gloves, and shoes. Then she stepped to the center of magic circle drawn on the carpet and closed her eyes.

“Oh gentle breath; wind that heals. I humbly seek your aid,” she murmured. Energy gathered around her in the circle and concentrated to a point above her head, then showered her in a glow that repaired her bodily wounds. Mariebell watched until the process ended, then stepped forward with a change of clothes in her hands. “Here. Rest tonight and resume your journey tomorrow,” she said.

Lina looked at her with worried eyes. “Mariebell…”

Mariebell shook her head. “I won't listen. Everything will be fine; you'll see!” she said, then stood up and stepped outside. Lina contemplated the idea for a moment--it seemed so tempting--but made up her mind quickly.

“No. I can't,” she told herself, and went back to where Xelloss was waiting.

He cast a questioning look at her. “Not going to stay?”

“We need to leave,” she declared resolutely, refitting herself with the rest of her accessories. “I'm not going to sit around in hiding.”

 

Xelloss silently followed behind her on the road. It was evening, and Lina aimed to get as far away from the town as she could before camping for the night. It was unlikely that any pursuers would have been able to track them down so quickly, but it was always wise to stay wary.

“So…” she began. “How far do you plan to follow me?”

“I don't know?” he replied. He sincerely didn't know--he was following her because he there was no where else he needed to be at the moment. It was a whimsical decision. Did he need a better reason to do what he wanted to do? “Does it bother you?” he asked.

“Not really,” she answered. Though she would have preferred someone else, she had to admit she was slightly pleased to have his company. Loneliness wasn't exactly a companion she was fond of, and even Xelloss could serve the purpose of keeping it at a distance. She then turned on her heel and walked off to the side of the road. She plopped herself down in a patch of soft grass and rested her head, stretching her body to encompass the broadest amount of area possible.

Xelloss looked confused, but he sat down near her anyway. He saw that her eyes were closed and assumed that he should stay quiet.

After a moment of silence, Lina asked, “What took you so long? If you were planning on saving me, why wait so long? I was in there for a while.” She didn't harbor bad feelings against him; on the contrary, she was grateful that he had freed her, but she couldn't shake the question from her mind.

“I had been meaning to do so,” he explained, “but I couldn't act right away.” When she gave him the look, he added, “Juu-ou-sama would be angry with me if I unnecessarily meddled in other affairs. I needed an excuse to do so.”

“An excuse?” Lina asked.

“Yes. I couldn't interfere until circumstances were more dire.”

Lina paused before responding. For some reason she got the feeling that Xelloss was being sincere for once, but if that was the case she couldn't help but pity him. “Then…doesn't that mean you don't have the freedom to do what you want?”

“I suppose,” he answered, unsure of the reasons behind her sudden melancholy tone.

“And that doesn't bother you? You never once wanted to have the freedom to do whatever you wanted to?”

“No…” he replied slowly. It's not like obeying Beastmaster's every call ever bothered him. He was just serving his purpose. But when he saw the sad look in Lina's eyes, he began to question the right of authority his master had over his existence. It's true that sometimes he wished he could interfere--that he could start or prevent things from happening, but he never dared to entertain the thought for too long. Perhaps the girl had a point--perhaps it was this free will that attracted him to her.

“Lie down with me,” she suddenly said, bringing him back out of his thoughts. He glanced in her direction to find her patting the ground next to her, waiting to see his reaction, then yielded to her command and rested on his back as well.

She contentedly sighed and commented, “Isn't it great to be alive…?” She caught the glare he gave her and quickly added, “Ah, sorry about that,” along with a small laugh, remembering that he didn't respond well to positive life feelings. It was a very calm, clear night, and everything was illuminated by an endless blanket of stars covering the sky. It was so beautiful it almost brought tears to her eyes--an unspeakable brilliance.

“When was the last time you did something like this?” Lina asked.

Xelloss was silent for a moment. “Long, long ago,” he finally answered, recalling old memories that had long been buried deep in his mind.

Lina paused before continuing. “You sound like some kind of old geezer.”

“That's because I am one.”

“That was the point.”

He chuckled and turned his face away from her. “The lives of humans are so short,” he stated in a casual tone.

“And?”
“And…” he began, searching for words. “I wanted to tell you that these seconds of my life are some of the best I've had in a while,” he added with a large, emphasized smile.

“…Don't say something like that so easily,” she said, and shot him a dirty look.

He laughed. “Embarrassed?”

“Leave me alone,” she spat and rolled the other direction, but he could easily see the redness in the tips of her ears.

He chuckled again. “Sleep well,” he said, to which there was no response. He knew he would.

.

“I see the target.”

“Good. You have permission to engage.”

“Yes sir. Commencing…”

Xelloss could sense the presence of a pursuer as it approached their location. It was a particularly fast creature with four long, nimble legs. He glanced over at Lina's dormant figure and decided not to wake her up, figuring there would be severe repercussions if he attempted to do so.

He waited silently for the creature's approach and intercepted it--using his staff for defense--as it as it leapt at Lina. He noticed it had particularly sharp and pointy legs for stabbing victims and a strong beak for crushing bones--nothing he needed to be worried about. They were just creatures used to pursue convicts anyway; there was no need for extravagance.

It bounded back from him. He assumed a casual, defenseless position and taunted it with his hand. It snorted and leapt forward to attack him again, but he was one step ahead of the game.

He opened his eyes to savor the moment in which he destroyed the creature, turning it into a pile of black, shimmery dust.

“I hope that didn't wake you,” he said.

“It did,” Lina muttered. She sat up and looked at him. She was thankful for his help, but his apathy was a bit cruel; it left a bitter taste in her mouth. “What was that thing anyway?” she asked.

“Just some type of pursuer,” he replied, and he didn't care to know either. They were simple enough to dispose of, so there was no need to research more deeply into the topic.

Lina didn't feel comfortable about going back to sleep. The night sky that had seemed so open and beautiful just moments before suddenly seemed unbearably suffocating. Xelloss noticed her unease and sat down next to her, placing his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. “Get some rest, Lina-san.”

She hesitated for a moment, deliberating the advantages and disadvantages of what she was trying to do, then eased into a comfortable position leaning against him. Fortunately, he was still warm despite not being human. Even though depending on others for feelings of safety was a bit out of character, it alleviated the anxiety she was feeling at that moment. She figured she could let it go for once.

He didn't really think anything of it at the time, but later he would realize that the feeling was something he would come to miss. She seemed quite comfortable leaning up against him, so he shifted to accommodate her weight and continued to observe the stars above him until the night was over. There were no more interruptions.