Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers Inheritance ❯ A Prince of Stone! Cardanis Arrives! ( Chapter 8 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

SLAYERS INHERITANCE

"A Prince of Stone! Cardanis Arrives!"

by Michael Hopcroft

"Anya Inverse again! We're off the Seyruun to get Titania's Mazoku power
sealed away fro good! I'd be happier about this trip if my parents were
coming along, but my mother, the sorcery genius Lina Inverse, got
herself pregnant with twins so we're on our own. But it's not just me
and Titania -- Valgaav is coming along too. I swear I'm old enough not to
need a chaperone on a trip like this! But I can't help but wonder if I
really might before this is -- STOP IT! I ma NOT interested in Valgaav!
Really! I think..."

"How far away are we from the next town?" Anya asked as the trio of her,
Valgaav and Titania continued to walk down the road.

Valgaav took out his map. "According to my map, another two hours.
You'll have to suck it up."

Anya huffed. "I'm doing fine, but I'm worried that Titania might start
to lag soon."

"I'll be all right," Titania said, "we're keeping a nice, slow pace and
I'm not winded."

Anya's eyes narrowed and her voice turned suspicious. "Wait a minute.
You're a dragon, aren't you? Then why can't we ride to Seyruun on your
back? We can get there in a matter of...."

"We'd still be several days away, and I can't fly that far in one go.
Dragons gotta eat too, you know. Walking is good enough for us."

Anya began to sulk. "I don't want to walk all the way to Seyruun. Not
that I can't, but I don't want to."

In the distance they heard footsteps. "Watch yourself," Valgaav said.
Someone's approaching.

"Don't a lot of travelers use this road?' Asked Titania. "We can't go
around assuming everybody we meet is a Mazoku in disguise. We'd get
paranoid that way."

A few minutes later a voice emerged in front of the on the path. "Ahoy,
pretty ladies!"

Valgaav frowned. "Yep, definitely a Mazoku."

Any shook her head. I don't think so -- I recognize the voice. Let me go
on ahead. You hold back!" Anya started to run down the path.

"She'd better know what she's doing." Valgaav said.

"Let's catch up to her," said Titania. "She's a target too, and we can't
let her out of our sight!"

Anya ran forward until she saw a man in white with gold braid in the
distance. There was something distinctive about him. "Hey there! I
thought I knew that voice!"

The man stopped. "Anya? Anya Inverse?" He then started to run towards
her and met her in the middle of the road. "I haven't seen you in four
years! How are you doing?" The man was tall, with steel-wire hair and
skin of blue-gray stone.

"Prince Cardanis! It's been so long! Are you surprised at how I've grown
out?"

Behind Anya two voices were heard in the distance. "Anya! Are you all
right?" cried Valgaav as he approached. "Is this man...?"

Anya smiled and turned aside so her companions could see her friend.
"Allow me to introduce Prince Cardanis in Greywards el Seyruun, second
son of the Queen and fourth in line to the throne of Seyruun."

Titania reflexively got on her knees. "Your highness." She said. "This
is indeed a great honor."

"Wait a minute?" asked Valgaav. "Aren't you a chimera?"

Anya dug an elbow into Valgaav's ribs. "You really don't get out much,
do you? All of Queen Amelia's children are chimeras. Just like their
father, Prince Consort Zelgadis. How's the royal family doing, by the way?"

Cardanis smiled cheerfully. "Spectacularly well. It's been a good year
in Seyruun. Even father is cheerful, which is difficult to accomplish."
He then noticed Titania was still on her knees. "You can get up now,
young lady. People bowing to me and treating me with extreme deference
makes me uncomfortable. Do you know how hard it is to get battle
training from teachers who refuse to lay a hand on you?"

Titania got up. "Sorry, your highness."

"Call me Cardanis, please. You must be Titania. You're the very people
I've been looking for!"

Valgaav looked at the prince suspiciously. "Really?"

"Two weeks ago one of our mages got a magical signal message from Lina
Inverse explaining the situation you were in. It was greed that those
members of the royal family who were able would search for you and bring
you safely to Seyruun. The Queen stayed behind, of course, as did
father, and Felianis stayed behind because we didn't want to risk the
direct heir on what was obviously going to be a dangerous quest. I guess
I was the lucky one to find you."

Titania blanched. "I'm really causing that much trouble?"

"Since news of your existence came out, there's been talk of it all over
the world. News travels faster than you think in this world, what with
the various magical means of news-spreading. Several kingdoms have
placed a price on your head, in the belief that killing you would
destroy the Mazoku."

Anya blanched at the thought. "Are we going to be passing through any of
those kingdoms?"

"A couple, but don't worry. I'll just say you're in my custody and I'm
taking you to Seyruun for the administration of justice. This in a sense
is true, since we are taking you to Seyruun to see if we can seal off
your Mazoku side."

Titania shook a little bit. "Why thank you, your -- thank you, Cardanis."

"Besides, killing a lovely girl like you would be such a waste of
potential." The prince added. "Not to mention a grave injustice."

Valgaav was fuming. "Jealous?" Anya chided. "Jealous that someone is
smoother than you are?"

"I am NOT jealous." Valgaav said. "I just think this guy thinks entirely
too much of ---" Valgaav suddenly stopped and raised his hand. "Listen!"
he whispered.

Anya listened and heard rushing in the underbrush. "Cardanis, were you
followed?"

"I didn't notice anybody, but that doesn't mean there wasn't anybody. I
am pretty conspicuous."

Anya drew her sword. "Be ready for anything." She said softly, and then
she shouted. "Whoever you are, come on out!"

Ten men leapt into the road from the brush. "The bounty is ours!" one of
the men said. "Let's take her head right now!"

"No!" cried Titania.

"Keep calm," said Anya, "whatever you do. We'll handle this. Ahem. If
you creeps know who this girl is than obviously you know who's
protecting her. If you go back now and report that you've failed in your
mission, you'll leave this scene with you lives. But if I get an idea
that any survivors from your band plan to report our whereabouts, then
no mercy!"

The man drew his sword and approached Anya. "If you were Lina Inverse
that would be impressive. But as it is, I have no intention of letting
any of you live. My name's Teldarian, and I am a first-rate sorcerer
myself."

"Really?" Anya pointed her sword at the man. "Let's see how well you
hold up to a MONO VOLT!" Lightning shot through Anya's sword and struck
the man square in the chest. He shook for a few moments then fell to the
ground, scorched." Anya saw the other men draw swords and get ready to
charge. "Circle round Titania!" Anya cried. "Everybody protect her!"

"Right!" said the prince. The travelers formed a circle with Titania at
the center. Titania prepared to draw her sword.

The charge stuck in an instant. Anya ducked under a sword and struck its
wilder through the chest, pulling it out and clipping the man beside him
in the neck. She looked to either side and saw that Cardanis had his
sword out and was holding his own, striking down bounty hunters as fast
as they had come at him. Valgaav was relying on his fists, throwing
bounty hunters right and left. Soon all the bounty hunters were down.

Cardanis began to wander around the bodies checking pulses. "I think we
got them all. What you were saying about leaving no survivors...."

"I meant it. We can't allow anyone to spread our whereabouts to other
bounty hunters."

Cardanis stood up. "Well, you got your wish. I wish I'd known who sent
them, though. Attacking a member of the Royal family is very serious
business." Cardanis put up his sword, and Anya did the same. He then
noticed Titania was still standing there in shock. "It's all over,
Titania. You can put away your sword now."

Titania nodded and sheathed her sword. She then turned to Anya. "I'm
sorry I didn't do much."

Anya smiled and clapped Titania on the shoulder. "Next time, don't even
draw the sword until you know how to use it. Your job is to get to
Seyruun in one piece."

Titania turned to Prince Cardanis. "I'm sorry I put you to all this
trouble."

"It's really no trouble at all, young lady." He then leaned down and
kissed her on the lips. Anya and Valgaav both face-faulted.

"Ca -- Ca -- Cardanis! Do you always kiss girls the first time you meet
them?" Anya asked in shock. "What would your parents say?"

"My parents aren't here," he answered. "Besides, it calmed her down,
didn't it? It looks like she rather enjoyed it."

That night Cardanis had gotten them two rooms at a local inn. They were
each double-rooms, one for Cardanis and Valgaav and one for Anya and
Titania. After Anya had devoured the buffet, they settled into their rooms.

"That was a very charming prince" Titania said as they entered the room.
"I wonder if he really did kiss me just to cool me off."

Anya looked at her. 'You're blushing still, so it had the opposite effect."

"Really? I've never had anyone kiss me before that meant it. I hope
nothing happens to him because he's dealing with me."

"You really enjoyed that, didn't you?"

"Honest?" Titania asked, and Anya nodded. "Yes, I did. I enjoyed it a
lot. It was like tasting soft, warm stone. I could get to like it if he
did it more often."

"Well we're not here on a matchmaking trip. Remember, anyone who gets
close to you is a target for the Mazoku, and the closer you are the
bigger the target they are."

"You seem willing to take that risk." Titania. Drifted off into a state
of bliss. "God he's gorgeous!"

Well, at least it's a positive emotion. That's a good sign. thought Anya
as she prepared for bed.

Valgaav and Cardanis got ready for bed almost silently. Only when they
got into their beds did Cardanis start to speak. "That is one
fine-looking young lady." He said.

"Yes, Anya is very attractive." Valgaav replied. "I don't know if she
knows just how attractive she is."

"I was talking about Titania. There's something truly special about her,
ad not the Mazoku taint. You know how sometimes you can look in
someone's eyes and see into their heart?"

"Who told you that?"

"My mother. She uses the metaphor all the time to explain how she fell
in love with father. And the same thing may be happening here."

Valgaav shot up. "You're not serious? Are you trying to tell me you're
falling in love with TITANIA?"

"I don't know for sure yet, but that girl may be the best thing that's
ever happened to me. I just don't know if she could accept me."

"You're a PRINCE, for crying out loud! There are so many women b\vying
for your hand that you're going to have a very hard \time choosing!"

"I don't know. All I know s that I've got to spend more time with that
girl get to know her. I'll never forgive myself if I don't."

Gorian twisted in agony as Beastmaster Xellas manipulated an object in
one hand that looked like a puppet's controls. With each movement of her
hand, Gorian's body stretched in a new and painful direction.

Xellos chose that particular moment to walk into the throne room. "Are
you quite enjoying yourself, Mistress?"

"Why yes, I am. I'm hoping you don't forget this lesson, Gorian, when I
give you an order, I want you to remember it." She let go of the control
and Gorian slumped to the floor. "Have you been following developments,
General?"

"Indeed I have. The Chimera Prince of Seyruun -- well one of them,
anyway, has joined their little party." Xellos frowned. "Mistress, it is
vital that they not reach Seyruun. Putting up those bounties was an
excellent idea, but finding a bounty hunter that will be a match for
those three will be quite a challenge. If the humans just continue to
harass them, that will only strengthen their determination."

"Then you have my permission to unleash the Terian Hounds. Kill the
boys, but bring the girls to me."

"As you wish. I can see what you want with my daughter, but why Anya
Inverse?"

"She amuses me. That's enough."

Xellos smiled. "Yes. She is very amusing, just like her mother. I share
your fascination."

TO BE CONTINUED...