Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers For the Future: The Prophecy of Inverse ❯ Life’s Pleasures Stolen….Preparing to Reclaim ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not own anything of "The Slayers," or the song.

Chapter 9

Life's Pleasures Stolen….Preparing to Reclaim

(Note: This is a partial songfic, because it's just that "The World is Not Enough" -by Garbage- for Val without his friend. Its actually brotherly love I want this song to mean for them.)

~ 85 Years Later ~

"Take heed, Dark Priest Onyx approaches." The town crier was yelling, before the blunt end of an large silver and purple blade crashing onto his skull silenced him. The boy lay there in the morning air of the town of Krimzon while the dark robed figure walked past him. He was very familiar with this area, but its not where he wanted to be. The man decked up in black robes and a equally covering and dark hood shrugged off his attack on the boy, seeing him as a bother.

'Like I need this brat telling people I'm here. They'll all ask for things….all because I went to the Mt. Kataart and lived. Hmm….the Dimos Dragons tend to lose interest once they'd destroyed an intruder. They never stop to think he might come back, that was fortunate enough for me. Being vaporized twice would have made it a worse day that it had been with only having it done the one time. Winding up like King Dirrus II would have been worse.' he thought, smiling deep within his dark clothing.

I know how to hurt, I know how to heal.
I know what to show, and what to conceal.
I know when to talk, and I know when to touch,
The one that will die from one time too much…

Hiero Inverse had not thought about much but revenge and practice, practicing the spell to retrieve the pieces of the Ruby-Eyed Lord. Lei Magnus, the great mage of the Dragon Slave and Bomb Brand, encased in a gigantic icy prison. Hiero had heard his voice crystal clear and the conversation had been, on a telepathic level, quite enjoyable. He'd missed an actual presence other than the Ruby-Eyed Lord of Darkness to shoot the breeze. Hiero had spent well over 60 years learning how to pull the other pieces out of the five others that had the pieces of Shabranigdo in their bodies, all hindered from their true potential.

Lei was most certainly the only one who wasn't hindered by his piece. He had challenged the mighty Water Dragon Lord. He was the only one left intact from the battle, all be it frozen stiff in his prison for all times. Hiero was in awe of the story being replayed from Lei to himself, though made a sarcastic comment about how hideous the two great beasts were and how sloppy they all fought. Lei had taken offense and tried to be silent to Hiero, but in hearing he wanted to resurrect Shabranigdo made him very talkative.

'He lacked the ability to see through my mind, which was very good. He was so eager to resurrect Crabby, he didn't bother to ask why I was doing it. Those decades I listened to the Divine Hand spell were worth it, along with interesting secrets about the Mazuko. He was fooled….so fooled. I may only have his and Great Grandfather Rezo's piece, but they are enough. I know where the others are hiding and Lei can't warn them now because his piece is mine. He'll just be frozen in time forever….and I'll be the one with ultimate power….the power of revenge.' He thought.

He'd left the mountains decades ago, the 85th anniversary of his first death, but not his last death. Only five pieces of the Ruby-Eyed Lord remained, but he had enough time to find them all in due time. He was close to finding the last piece on his mother's home continent, a bandit leader that was rumored to be very muscular and frightening, but Lei had told him that he had a piece inside his soul. For all the leader's muscle, he was a giant wimp, the piece cutting his strength and energy off whenever he tried to use it.

'He will be easy to manipulate….his gang has been shaking down the local sect for healers to tend to their leader, but they wind up killing them before they get back to their base or if they are slightly lucky, the priests escape. Hah, I'll just have to find them….their rumored to live in the forests nearby….inbred idiots.' He thought, walking through town like Death himself.

He wasn't fond of this area, it was a little cold for his tastes, but Mt. Kataart was worse. Hiero hated the cold, really, really hated the cold. 'You're not Hiero yet….Hiero Inverse died. Hiero Greywords can't come back to replace him until you, Onyx, revive him.' He reminded himself, leaving the town and its people cowering behind him, huddled in their homes at the mere mention of his presence.

Onyx was just his favorite gemstone, what his circlet was made of. Black was his favorite color as well, so it fit him perfectly to dress up like a dark and foreboding priest to strike fear into anyone that got near him. He detested having people slow him down, men, women and children. The garb he wore over his clothing was enough to make him seem mysterious and dangerous, not one to attempt conversation with unless he started it.

He'd made quite a reputation in the inner continent Hellmaster Phibrizo sealed away from his birthplace, commonly referred to as the "holy demon" and the "dark priest." The names didn't impress him, but if they scared the more feeble minded folk, they would have to suffice.

He chuckled as he heard the names whispered, his eyes not able to see if they were following him as they did not work in the light of day. 'Its not nice to be surprised….the night comes quickly in colder climates though. I still don't like suddenly being able to see thing and the first thing I see is a fist or a knife. Face wounds hurt.' He thought, relying on his sense of touch more readily.

Hearing and smell were a good asset, but touch was getting to be even better when he was feeling for slight drops in temperature, for the time the sun was setting. It felt a little colder each minute of the day, only warming slightly when the sun was at high noon or just rising. He had to assume about now it was close to setting, he could feel his eyes getting frozen shut by the fluids upon them.

When the cold was nipping at his cheeks, he opened one eye and saw a forest. "Night time….at last, holding this damn roach all day was disgusting….Sorry squirt, time to die." He chuckled, dropping the roach in his left hand to the ground before stomping on it. He took put his sword away and started through the forest, rubbing his right hand against his chin. He looked at the Mazuko Demon's Blood bracelet for a moment, what he'd stolen long ago.

"This baby helped me more than it did that worthless fruitcake. I put its enhancing abilities to great use. That dumb Gabriev was so simple to trick into thinking I was his wife. Illusions are wonderful when you have back up, to read one's mind. It enhances all my powers, not that I need it, but that dope was annoying. How long can you ask the same question about dinner when you've already eaten? The guy was dumber than a sack of hammers…no that's insulting to the hammers. He insults one-celled animals with his lack of brain power." he chuckled, looking to his right where he had put the sword.

Then he looked at the one on his left, the Sword of Light he'd stolen from Gourry Gabriev and smiled. 'Sucker….he's long dead by now, and I have the sword my mother so richly desired. It will aid me in my quest even more than everything I've stolen to date.' He thought, a pain suddenly erupting in his shoulder.

When he inspected it, he found the source of pain was a dagger. He frowned as he yanked it out. He focused his mind on his surroundings, the bushes that were behind him, trees all around with birds and animals, and something else. He felt human presence all around him, maybe four or so people hiding in the brush.

'Perhaps the Dagger Guild is here….they don't feel intelligent….but I do feel their violent nature. Hey wait, those bushes were together, but now one of them has moved….imbeciles.' he mused, pretending to toss the dagger away, but was flipping it at the stray bush. The bush yelped and then blood leaking out of it. "Ow! You attacked an unarmed bush!" it whined.

"What am I, an idiot? I may be alone out here, but I'm not stupid or weak," he grumbled, making a face as he wiped at the blood on his shoulder," Now I have to fix this. Blessed, humble hand of God, Life and breath of Mother Earth; I pray thee, Come before me and show thy great compassion to deliver us! RECOVERY!"

Hiero's wound closed up after a few seconds, making the other bushes throw up the men that were hiding in them, or rather they stood up. The idiot in his bush was too stupid to realize this and fell out, the dagger one of his comrades had thrown stuck in his shoulder, upwards.

"This guy is a priest….Perfect. we need a one of those for the boss. Damn, Belard, you're bleeding all over the fucking place." The bald man uttered.

"Boss?" Hiero asked, trying to sound innocent about his presence there. The bald man just smirked and rubbed his chin, inspecting Hiero. "Pretty morbid attire for a priest….who are you, father? An outcast….they normally get black robes…or was it silver?" the bald man said, grinning rather stupidly.

Idiot.

It was the only word Hiero could think of to describe the group of poorly dressed and poorly hygiene oriented people, not to mention the vacant looks in their eyes were exactly like Gourry's.

"I am Onyx, the Dark Priest. I follow no sect, not anymore, so therefore I am not an outcast. We are allowed to leave of our own accord, you know. I just take what I want and give what I want….for a price. Now what the hell do you want?" Hiero said, making his voice sound bored.

"We've been trying to get a new priest for our guild. Our leader somehow manages to get ravaged by attacks almost constantly. He's hurt real badly right now. You can heal yourself pretty well, so we figure you'd be perfect for the job. You're either a priest or a very clumsy Mazuko, from the way I figure it." The bald man said.

Hiero just snorted at them, crossing his arms over his chest. "I am a priest. I suppose I get to live if I join your gang and help your boss, huh? Please….that's so passe. And overused." Hiero yawned, pretending to turn around and leave.

"You don't seem like a normal priest, Onyx, but you get more than just going in with your life. You'll be paid and fed." The bald man said, and Hiero grinned.

"FED!! Lead on, slap head, food and money are all I care about." Hiero chuckled, flashing a victory sign that would have done his mother proud. The men nodded and gestured for him to follow. He did so, but not before catching a stray thought in the bald man's head.

'He's the perfect sucker….this is too easy.' Was what he heard.

The world is not enough,
But, it is such a perfect place to start, my love.
And if you're strong enough,
Together we can take the world apart, my love.

Hiero just smiled, following them into the brush. 'They're perfect…the perfect suckers to lead me to a piece of the Dark Lord. Suckers. Let the world be red with blood, the world of Mazuko. I will exterminate them and Luna, forever!' he thought wickedly., the Demon's Blood bracelet on his wrist glowing gently.

~ The Grave of Hiero Inverse ~

Val Ul Copt knelt in the night at the edge of the forest near where he used to live with the Inverse family. Where he lived for a week out of every year to pay his respects to his best friend, a young man who would never see the light of day with his own eyes who'd been taken so suddenly by death.

He missed Hiero, he missed his laugh, he missed all the pranks they used to play and the dirty jokes he'd tell just to make Val and even the girls Val liked blush. Val missed everything about him. He still had the melted holy symbol his friend wore when he became a priest on his 18th birthday, all that remained of Hiero really.

He just stared at the marble grave that read:

In Loving Memory of our Only Son

Hiero Inverse, Who Had Just Begun to Live.

May Flights of Angels Sing Thee to Thy Rest.

Hiero had been no angel, but neither had Val. Yet to Hiero's parents, he would always be their little angel, their child, and their miracle. He would always be Val's friend, even in death. Val never cried after that day, he only wanted to hurt Luna for taking his best friend away for a stupid prophecy, a prophecy ordained by dragons. His mother cried for him endlessly to see him angry and the fact that Hiero's parents would weep openly for their son didn't help matters. It had been like that for decades, but things changed.

Zelgadis became cold again, never speaking unless it was important or he was asked something not personal. Lina, poor Aunt Lina, she was not cheerful, but she was pretty much how his mother described before she had given birth. Sarcastic, superior sounding, and her temper was in full blown overdrive, not to mention her stomach. They'd been to her hometown of Zefielia numerous times to try and locate Luna, hoping to find her in the depths of the kingdom, at her job, or at best the shrine of Cephied that she served as a knight. It was if she'd dropped off the face of the world.

'We'll find her, then my friend, you will be avenged.' He thought, the scratching slightly at the dark horn atop his head. He was always irritated because they hadn't found Luna yet in 85 long years, coming back every year or so to pay their respects to Hiero's grave, alone on the very spot that he died.

People they'll cut, know how to survive,
There's no point in living if you can't feel the life.
We know when to kiss, and we know when to kill.
If we can't have it all, then nobody will….

Val just sighed, biting back the pain in his heart as he stood up, tossing a rose at the grave with his other hand, gently. "Sleep well, my friend. We'll do our best. You must know that. You will be avenged for this injustice towards innocent life." He told the grave, not registering that he wasn't alone.

"Val….its time to go." Zelgadis said quietly, passing Val by a bit to put a bouquet of rose mixes with wild flowers upon the grave beside Val's rose. "I know….we were just talking. I miss him, you know….badly. He was my only friend….I was his only friend too. It's not fair, Uncle Zelgadis, why did she do it? He never hurt Cephied or any dragons. Why did it have to happen?" Val asked, his voice so thoughtful and frustrated, and he knew it too.

The world is not enough,
But, it is such a perfect place to start, my love.
And if you're strong enough,
Together we can take the world apart, my love.

Zel patted him on the shoulder, which made Val look at him, seeing his uncle was wearing his hood and mask, his eyes wracked with silent pain. "She was following pointless orders and hatred, I suppose. I don't know anymore….I don't care. I just want her dead. Same as you," Zel told him, then started to walk towards the forest," All we have left is revenge, young Val, now let's get moving….a storm is coming."

I feel safe, and I feel scared,
I feel ready, and yet unprepared.
The world is not enough,
But, it is such a perfect place to start, my love.
And if you're strong enough,
Together we can take the world apart, my love.
Val readily obeyed the chimera, casting one last pensive glance at Hiero's grave. "Friends forever, Hiero, no matter what! I will fight for you! On my honor, I will live to avenge you!" Val crowed, his lips set into a tight and malicious smile, then he sped into the forest as thunder clapped above.

The world is not enough….
The world is not enough….
No where near enough….
The world is not enough….

'Its just not enough….'Val thought, single tear stinging down his cheek as he ran back to the house,' I need more than my honor to kill her….I need Hiero. I need….my friend.'

To be Continued….