Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers: Knightfall ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: tom the mighty 
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.18.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 237 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Slayers Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Horror / Fantasy / Adventure | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 04.18.2008 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.4K | Visits: 237 | Status: Work In Progress
Slayers: Knightfall
Assassins and Shadows
Chapter Four
With Amelia right behind me, I ran down the steps of my former home, now just a blood-soaked shadow of its former self, following the sounds of fighting into the kitchen. There, Gourry and Zelgadis were holding their own against a lithe woman dressed in a tight-fitting, dark purple robe.
Lohi.
She wielded two swords, one longer than the other, both held in a reverse grip. And somehow she was holding off both Zel and Gourry, two master swordsmen if there ever were any. Her eyes held the same murderous gleam I’d seen in the eyes of another assassin in the not so distant past. In fact, if I hadn’t known better, I would’ve gone so far as to say that Lohi could be Zumma’s sister.
Hopefully that isn’t the case. Because if it’s so, then we’re screwed. I only barely defeated Zumma, and he’s nearly killed me who knows how many times?
Zelgadis feinted left and Gourry dashed right, swinging for the kill, but Lohi simply jumped straight up and with both her legs launched a kick at their heads, causing them both to halt their advance in order to defend themselves.
She then momentarily shifted her gaze into my eyes, revealing to me the intense hatred buried in their depths. I wanted to pluck them out and make her eat them.
An idea popped into my head just then and I began to chant softly under my breath.
Amelia joined the fray and now it was three on one with Lohi still fending them off. Gourry slashed at her ankles but she merely hopped and Gourry’s blast blade sliced easily through the stone oven behind her.
Zelgadis launched a freeze arrow but the assassin bent low like she was playing limbo and snap kicked her right foot, almost catching Amelia in the chin. But Amelia back-flipped out of the way and launched a counterspell.
"Diem Wind!" A gust of wind hit the bitch full on but all it did was knock her slightly off balance.
Perfect.
I launched my spell, two small balls of pure nothingness at Lohi’s face, but again she bent backwards just in time.
Almost.
Instead of holing her head as I’d intended, the spheres carved two cheek-to-brow grooves in her face, destroying her flesh, including her eyes, an inch and a half deep.
I wasn’t satisfied in the least. While she was still shrieking in agony I used the opportunity to kick her in the gut. She doubled over and I grabbed her hair and slammed her face repeatedly against the stone oven, leaving her missing more pieces of her face.
I grinned at her tormented screams.
The golden glow that pervaded everything I saw grew stronger. Soon I could see everything in its most basic components, how they worked, what would happen if I altered just one molecule, how I could change the entire makeup of the whole house if I wanted to. But most importantly I realized something.
I realized then that the essence of chaos isn’t entirely random destruction and recreation. No, that is merely a tool for my revenge; a weapon to be used when and where I see fit. Nobody else has this power, so nobody has the moral authority to tell me how to use it! This was the power that created the universe, and I could easily destroy it on a whim!
I focused my gaze on the stone oven upon which Lohi was resting her dear little blood-caked head and went deeper, probing with my mind into the stratum. A second later I had found all that I had been looking for. I showed this to Lohi in the form of hundreds of little iron ore spike I had drug out from within the stone and reinserted into her flesh. She squirmed and groaned in delicious agony.
I was just beginning to enjoy myself when something completely unexpected happened. No, Zelgadis didn’t suddenly break out into tap, but it was something almost as strange.
Shades appeared. Half a dozen of them materialized around the barely conscious Lohi, and as impossible as it seemed, they gently grabbed her, lifting her into a gurney of shade arms as if they had suddenly gained substantiality.
That’s impossible, I thought, they belong to me!
How could she control them!?
I noticed for the first time that Lohi had a peculiar necklace. Normally, assassins don’t wear loose items like necklaces because they are too noisy and can get caught on something at a critical moment. This particular piece of hardware wasn’t special in any way except for its pendant. It looked to be made of black quartz and it glowed faintly gold.
That explained it.
I made a move to snatch the pendant but the shades proved faster than I had anticipated. Whereas before their movements had been slow and ungainly, they now whisked away my family’s murderer at an impossible speed, breaking right through the window and into the night sky.
I looked out through the shattered glass, but they were already out of sight. But that was OK. I had bigger fish to scale, gut and then fry.
"L-lina. . . ?" The voice was Gourry’s, and he sounded shaken. In the very back of my mind I knew that I should calm down.
"Not now, Gourry." I looked out the window and found the castle. It would’ve been so easy to just erase the foundations of the multi-spired fortress with my new powers, toppling the castle to the ground, but I wanted King Bob to suffer.
I flew out the window without so much as a word to the others, the castle glowing fiercely gold in my sight. It was more difficult than normal to fly, but I didn’t think about it. I could see the inhabitants of the castle moving within its stone walls, subtly altering it as all life does to its environment, only it seemed so obvious as it was laid bare to my eyes.
For instance: I saw a man walking down a hall on the third level. Walking seems innocent enough, but the weight of his foot actually compressed the stone on microscopic levels. That granite floor had borne millions of such steps, and over time the stone had become compact in some areas but fractured in others. In one particular step the man I was observing (as I was watching everybody) compressed just enough rock to cause the displacement of part of the fractured stratum. A single pebble fell from the ceiling in the floor below. The pebble landed onto a poisonous insect, killing it. A moment later the king’s pet cat, Shoes as he likes to call him, decided that the insect was worth trying out as a snack. Soon the cat would be dead and the King would grieve for his loss, all because someone took a single step.
At least he’ll grieve until I teach him that he could soon me missing things for which he’ll grieve a lot more than his kitty. And he’ll grieve in soprano, if you know what I mean.
The constant stream of information began to take its toll, and I began to waver a little in my flight. But I was within the castle walls and had evaded the guard. After all I knew where every single one of them was and what they had for lunch.
After checking to make sure it was abandoned, I landed in the third tower’s turretand took a breather, forcing myself to relax out of this. . .Knightmare mode so I could collect my thoughts without everyone and everything that happened to be in the area joining in.
But I quickly found out that in order revert to normal, I had to let go of my anger. And that meant that other, more undesirable feelings would come through.
Like sorrow.
Like despair.
I growled, and jamming those emotions down into the hormonal safe deposit box buried deep within my chest, I called back the anger and rage. Once again my mind was flooded with information on everything around me, people’s thoughts, animals’ urges, the very composition of everything in sight. Immediately I felt fatigue creeping up on me again. I shook it off and resigned myself to finishing Bob off quickly instead of picking him apart meticulously. It sucked that he wouldn’t suffer. . .much. But I wasn’t sure how much longer I would last, so I set about my business without another moment of hesitation.
I saw the second tower through the wall (yup, my vision is THAT bitchin’ right now) and the king’s chamber. He was resting his dear, soon-to-be-mine little head next to his wife, Queen Emeraldas. I made a circular section of the wall disappear in both towers and I landed, a little wobbly but unimpeded, in the king’s room.
Immediately the king awoke and looked at me without even the slightest twinge of surprise on his hatchet-like face. Instead he just grinned as if he’d just gotten a surprise birthday present.
Well, that was weird.
"Lina Inverse," the king said, "I expected you would come soon."
"You murdered my family you BASTARD!" My voiced cracked and my all-encompassing vision began to waver back to normal so I knew I had to be quick.
I launched a rapidfire burst of blackness, little tiny voids leaching more and more strength out of me, aimed at the dick-faced king’s heart.
The orbs found only his overstuffed pillow, erasing neat little holes all the way through to the night and beyond, as the king had simply vanished. On top of that the golden haze allowing me to see everything and everywhere winked out, leaving me temporarily disoriented.
Well, that was even weirder.
"I’m right behind you," a voice whispered in my ear, well right behind me, and I involuntarily whimpered.
Ohhhh, this is bad!
Before I had a chance to react I felt powerful hands grab and nearly crush each of my wrists. I was then introduced to the king’s ceiling, which left a big impression. . . on my face. I nearly swooned, and all my strength left me.
I felt myself get tossed into another hard, unyielding surface, probably a wall, and a few of my ribs gave in. I gagged on some blood that was creeping its way up my throat.
Dimly I was aware that there was no way Bob could be doing this. He wasn’t exactly known for being a great warrior like his father, King Ferk. In fact he’d always been downright scrawny! And still was as far as I could tell with my blurred vision.
I weakly lifted my head up, "H-how. . .?"
"How could this be?" the jerk-ass mocked in a high-pitched girly voice. "I am the great Lina Inverse! Destroyer of all who live! The Bandit Killer and Dragon Spooker. The one who boils cauldrons of blood and human flesh to make her meals and all that rot."
He smiled creepily and crouched down before me. "But you know, this was a little too easy. I thought that YOU of all people could provide a little more sport."
He bent down low and whispered into my ear as if confiding a secret. "Maybe I became a little too powerful after I became half demon."
You did what?
The king stood back up and began to pace. "It was easy, you know. I wanted to become the consummate warrior-king like my ancestors but my body was much too weak. I nearly gave up hope until a being called Dolphin came to me and offered her services."
Dolphin as in DEEP SEA?!
The freak must’ve noticed my shock and he smiled even wider than before. "Yes! You guessed it! None other than one of the five ranking Demon Lords came to none other than myself! Offering their services to me, calling me Ard Ri Robert! All I had to do was eliminate a certain family and the power was mine!!"
Ard Ri? High King? You’ve got to be joking! And what does Dolphin want with me?
Ard Ri was a title used long ago during the days of the Demon Beast Resurrection. It was bestowed upon the kings of this land when they fought side by side with the gods against the forces of Shabranigdo. No one was allowed to assume that title unless divinely appointed.
"To hire Lohi was easy enough. She already wanted revenge on you for killing her brother..."
Woohoo! At least I’ll know I was right before I die in such a stupid manner. . .sorry Sis.
"...the unknown was when you would show up. I am not a patient man, so I was thrilled to find you not so subtly blasting holes in my palace."
Well, at least I made my family’s killer happy.
"Perhaps I should eat you? Like I did my wife?" I craned my neck and noticed for the first time that the woman in the bed was only half there. The other half. . .well. . .I prefer not to think about it.
"No, I think I’ll just crush your skull," He moved to do just that. I desperately began to shoulder-crawl away, but a heavy foot suddenly kept me from going anywhere.
"Bye-bye, Ms. Inverse!" He raised his fist and I began to pray seriously for the first time in my life.
SPULCH!
Spulch? Was that the sound of my head exploding? I wondered. If that was the case then why could I hear my own death, much less reflect on it? I quickly realized that the sickening sound hadn’t come from me but instead from above me. I looked up and saw King Bob oozing black miasma from a gaping wound where his right arm should be.
"Gourry?!" I asked, looking around frantically. Had he pulled though again with another ridiculously late rescue?
I didn’t sense any familiar presences in the room but one. And I suppose I should’ve been happy that he came to rescue me. But then again, being in that chirpy bastard’s debt made me almost want to die.
Another piece of Bob exploded into black mist. "Xellos! You. . .but I-"
Then Bob’s head popped off his shoulder like a cork, pretty much confirming Xellos’ involvement.
The head bounced off the ceiling and landed right in front of me, its eyes still wide with disbelief.
Xellos was probably laughing right about then.
Xellos’ aura suddenly vanished and the door to the outside stairs burst open. Gourry came tumbling through, followed by Amelia and Zel.
"Lina!" Gourry scrambled over to me and grabbed my hands. "Lina, are you all right?"
"Been better, jackass," I weakly teased. "Where were you? I could’ve used your help when I was getting the shit kicked out of me."
"Well," Zel said, sounding a little angry, "you just kind of took off without so much as leaving us an address to reach you. What were you thinking, Lina?"
"Sorry, I guess I wasn’t." Nope, just pure rage and impulse. Wait a minute: why is Zel of all people chastising me about impulsiveness?
"You really shouldn’t have done that, Ms. Lina," Amelia said while preparing a healing spell. "We had no idea what to think after your eyes turned gold the way they did. They reminded us of the time when the Lord of Nightmares possessed you."
"King Bob had to pay," I growled, now breathing a little easier as Amelia’s spell had my ribs on the mend. "I couldn’t wait for him to send more assassins after me and whatever is left of my. . . my… " I couldn’t restrain myself this time. The waterworks let loose like a busted dam in a flood, embarrassing me and getting Gourry’s tunic all wet.
But it actually felt good. Somehow I knew that these three people, whom I have called friends for years, wouldn’t belittle me for openly sobbing, unlike many other so called "companions" I had traveled with in the past.
Gourry held me in a tight hug, not that I would’ve let go under any circumstance anyway. Amelia joined us, giving me reassurances that didn’t sound hollow in the least. I remembered that she also had lost a mother and a sister, so I knew then that I could at least count on her for advice on how to deal with it.
Zelgadis seemed at a loss for what to do, not that I really could blame him. He’s never been comfortable in emotional situations like this. But I could see the sympathy in his eyes, and that was enough for me right then.
I never really knew how precious my family was until I lost them that day. All the things I should’ve done and said to them, all the letters I should’ve written home, all the times I could’ve visited raged through my head like a torrent. I don’t believe I’ll ever forgive myself for those things anymore than not being there to rescue them.
But that day was also the day I realized that I had another family as well … in Zel, Amelia and especially Gourry.
If anyone even thinks of taking them away from me, imminent death would be the least of his troubles.
Chapter Four End.
Tom the Mighty’s Mighty Notes!
To FireStorm - Thanks for the always enthusiastic reviews!
To Dar Se’La - In all of my stories I try to be as different as possible as I am pretty sick of the generic and uninspired fics flooding this site. I mean how does Lina being a Knight of Ruby Eyes make any sense, regardless of what Milgasia thinks? She kills him twice! I am glad you like it, though!
To Neo Crystal Serenity - Waa! Luna IS dead! But her sacrifice was not in vain! It was for the sake of plot and character development! Let’s see what other cruelties I can lay upon Lina’s lap?
Whoa, that was heavy. This chapter needs some major revisions here and there, but overall I am pretty happy with it.
Now that Lina has had her revenge (sort of), the real quest can begin. Lohi is still out there and will probably be back with a vengeance. Xellos finally makes his appearance (sort of). I wonder what part he has yet to play?
The Knights are now on the move, Lina has yet to truly confront her destiny, and now Deep Sea Dolphin is shown to have had a hand in the Inverse clan’s death.
Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of Slayers: Knightfall!
Assassins and Shadows
Chapter Four
With Amelia right behind me, I ran down the steps of my former home, now just a blood-soaked shadow of its former self, following the sounds of fighting into the kitchen. There, Gourry and Zelgadis were holding their own against a lithe woman dressed in a tight-fitting, dark purple robe.
Lohi.
She wielded two swords, one longer than the other, both held in a reverse grip. And somehow she was holding off both Zel and Gourry, two master swordsmen if there ever were any. Her eyes held the same murderous gleam I’d seen in the eyes of another assassin in the not so distant past. In fact, if I hadn’t known better, I would’ve gone so far as to say that Lohi could be Zumma’s sister.
Hopefully that isn’t the case. Because if it’s so, then we’re screwed. I only barely defeated Zumma, and he’s nearly killed me who knows how many times?
Zelgadis feinted left and Gourry dashed right, swinging for the kill, but Lohi simply jumped straight up and with both her legs launched a kick at their heads, causing them both to halt their advance in order to defend themselves.
She then momentarily shifted her gaze into my eyes, revealing to me the intense hatred buried in their depths. I wanted to pluck them out and make her eat them.
An idea popped into my head just then and I began to chant softly under my breath.
Amelia joined the fray and now it was three on one with Lohi still fending them off. Gourry slashed at her ankles but she merely hopped and Gourry’s blast blade sliced easily through the stone oven behind her.
Zelgadis launched a freeze arrow but the assassin bent low like she was playing limbo and snap kicked her right foot, almost catching Amelia in the chin. But Amelia back-flipped out of the way and launched a counterspell.
"Diem Wind!" A gust of wind hit the bitch full on but all it did was knock her slightly off balance.
Perfect.
I launched my spell, two small balls of pure nothingness at Lohi’s face, but again she bent backwards just in time.
Almost.
Instead of holing her head as I’d intended, the spheres carved two cheek-to-brow grooves in her face, destroying her flesh, including her eyes, an inch and a half deep.
I wasn’t satisfied in the least. While she was still shrieking in agony I used the opportunity to kick her in the gut. She doubled over and I grabbed her hair and slammed her face repeatedly against the stone oven, leaving her missing more pieces of her face.
I grinned at her tormented screams.
The golden glow that pervaded everything I saw grew stronger. Soon I could see everything in its most basic components, how they worked, what would happen if I altered just one molecule, how I could change the entire makeup of the whole house if I wanted to. But most importantly I realized something.
I realized then that the essence of chaos isn’t entirely random destruction and recreation. No, that is merely a tool for my revenge; a weapon to be used when and where I see fit. Nobody else has this power, so nobody has the moral authority to tell me how to use it! This was the power that created the universe, and I could easily destroy it on a whim!
I focused my gaze on the stone oven upon which Lohi was resting her dear little blood-caked head and went deeper, probing with my mind into the stratum. A second later I had found all that I had been looking for. I showed this to Lohi in the form of hundreds of little iron ore spike I had drug out from within the stone and reinserted into her flesh. She squirmed and groaned in delicious agony.
I was just beginning to enjoy myself when something completely unexpected happened. No, Zelgadis didn’t suddenly break out into tap, but it was something almost as strange.
Shades appeared. Half a dozen of them materialized around the barely conscious Lohi, and as impossible as it seemed, they gently grabbed her, lifting her into a gurney of shade arms as if they had suddenly gained substantiality.
That’s impossible, I thought, they belong to me!
How could she control them!?
I noticed for the first time that Lohi had a peculiar necklace. Normally, assassins don’t wear loose items like necklaces because they are too noisy and can get caught on something at a critical moment. This particular piece of hardware wasn’t special in any way except for its pendant. It looked to be made of black quartz and it glowed faintly gold.
That explained it.
I made a move to snatch the pendant but the shades proved faster than I had anticipated. Whereas before their movements had been slow and ungainly, they now whisked away my family’s murderer at an impossible speed, breaking right through the window and into the night sky.
I looked out through the shattered glass, but they were already out of sight. But that was OK. I had bigger fish to scale, gut and then fry.
"L-lina. . . ?" The voice was Gourry’s, and he sounded shaken. In the very back of my mind I knew that I should calm down.
"Not now, Gourry." I looked out the window and found the castle. It would’ve been so easy to just erase the foundations of the multi-spired fortress with my new powers, toppling the castle to the ground, but I wanted King Bob to suffer.
I flew out the window without so much as a word to the others, the castle glowing fiercely gold in my sight. It was more difficult than normal to fly, but I didn’t think about it. I could see the inhabitants of the castle moving within its stone walls, subtly altering it as all life does to its environment, only it seemed so obvious as it was laid bare to my eyes.
For instance: I saw a man walking down a hall on the third level. Walking seems innocent enough, but the weight of his foot actually compressed the stone on microscopic levels. That granite floor had borne millions of such steps, and over time the stone had become compact in some areas but fractured in others. In one particular step the man I was observing (as I was watching everybody) compressed just enough rock to cause the displacement of part of the fractured stratum. A single pebble fell from the ceiling in the floor below. The pebble landed onto a poisonous insect, killing it. A moment later the king’s pet cat, Shoes as he likes to call him, decided that the insect was worth trying out as a snack. Soon the cat would be dead and the King would grieve for his loss, all because someone took a single step.
At least he’ll grieve until I teach him that he could soon me missing things for which he’ll grieve a lot more than his kitty. And he’ll grieve in soprano, if you know what I mean.
The constant stream of information began to take its toll, and I began to waver a little in my flight. But I was within the castle walls and had evaded the guard. After all I knew where every single one of them was and what they had for lunch.
After checking to make sure it was abandoned, I landed in the third tower’s turretand took a breather, forcing myself to relax out of this. . .Knightmare mode so I could collect my thoughts without everyone and everything that happened to be in the area joining in.
But I quickly found out that in order revert to normal, I had to let go of my anger. And that meant that other, more undesirable feelings would come through.
Like sorrow.
Like despair.
I growled, and jamming those emotions down into the hormonal safe deposit box buried deep within my chest, I called back the anger and rage. Once again my mind was flooded with information on everything around me, people’s thoughts, animals’ urges, the very composition of everything in sight. Immediately I felt fatigue creeping up on me again. I shook it off and resigned myself to finishing Bob off quickly instead of picking him apart meticulously. It sucked that he wouldn’t suffer. . .much. But I wasn’t sure how much longer I would last, so I set about my business without another moment of hesitation.
I saw the second tower through the wall (yup, my vision is THAT bitchin’ right now) and the king’s chamber. He was resting his dear, soon-to-be-mine little head next to his wife, Queen Emeraldas. I made a circular section of the wall disappear in both towers and I landed, a little wobbly but unimpeded, in the king’s room.
Immediately the king awoke and looked at me without even the slightest twinge of surprise on his hatchet-like face. Instead he just grinned as if he’d just gotten a surprise birthday present.
Well, that was weird.
"Lina Inverse," the king said, "I expected you would come soon."
"You murdered my family you BASTARD!" My voiced cracked and my all-encompassing vision began to waver back to normal so I knew I had to be quick.
I launched a rapidfire burst of blackness, little tiny voids leaching more and more strength out of me, aimed at the dick-faced king’s heart.
The orbs found only his overstuffed pillow, erasing neat little holes all the way through to the night and beyond, as the king had simply vanished. On top of that the golden haze allowing me to see everything and everywhere winked out, leaving me temporarily disoriented.
Well, that was even weirder.
"I’m right behind you," a voice whispered in my ear, well right behind me, and I involuntarily whimpered.
Ohhhh, this is bad!
Before I had a chance to react I felt powerful hands grab and nearly crush each of my wrists. I was then introduced to the king’s ceiling, which left a big impression. . . on my face. I nearly swooned, and all my strength left me.
I felt myself get tossed into another hard, unyielding surface, probably a wall, and a few of my ribs gave in. I gagged on some blood that was creeping its way up my throat.
Dimly I was aware that there was no way Bob could be doing this. He wasn’t exactly known for being a great warrior like his father, King Ferk. In fact he’d always been downright scrawny! And still was as far as I could tell with my blurred vision.
I weakly lifted my head up, "H-how. . .?"
"How could this be?" the jerk-ass mocked in a high-pitched girly voice. "I am the great Lina Inverse! Destroyer of all who live! The Bandit Killer and Dragon Spooker. The one who boils cauldrons of blood and human flesh to make her meals and all that rot."
He smiled creepily and crouched down before me. "But you know, this was a little too easy. I thought that YOU of all people could provide a little more sport."
He bent down low and whispered into my ear as if confiding a secret. "Maybe I became a little too powerful after I became half demon."
You did what?
The king stood back up and began to pace. "It was easy, you know. I wanted to become the consummate warrior-king like my ancestors but my body was much too weak. I nearly gave up hope until a being called Dolphin came to me and offered her services."
Dolphin as in DEEP SEA?!
The freak must’ve noticed my shock and he smiled even wider than before. "Yes! You guessed it! None other than one of the five ranking Demon Lords came to none other than myself! Offering their services to me, calling me Ard Ri Robert! All I had to do was eliminate a certain family and the power was mine!!"
Ard Ri? High King? You’ve got to be joking! And what does Dolphin want with me?
Ard Ri was a title used long ago during the days of the Demon Beast Resurrection. It was bestowed upon the kings of this land when they fought side by side with the gods against the forces of Shabranigdo. No one was allowed to assume that title unless divinely appointed.
"To hire Lohi was easy enough. She already wanted revenge on you for killing her brother..."
Woohoo! At least I’ll know I was right before I die in such a stupid manner. . .sorry Sis.
"...the unknown was when you would show up. I am not a patient man, so I was thrilled to find you not so subtly blasting holes in my palace."
Well, at least I made my family’s killer happy.
"Perhaps I should eat you? Like I did my wife?" I craned my neck and noticed for the first time that the woman in the bed was only half there. The other half. . .well. . .I prefer not to think about it.
"No, I think I’ll just crush your skull," He moved to do just that. I desperately began to shoulder-crawl away, but a heavy foot suddenly kept me from going anywhere.
"Bye-bye, Ms. Inverse!" He raised his fist and I began to pray seriously for the first time in my life.
SPULCH!
Spulch? Was that the sound of my head exploding? I wondered. If that was the case then why could I hear my own death, much less reflect on it? I quickly realized that the sickening sound hadn’t come from me but instead from above me. I looked up and saw King Bob oozing black miasma from a gaping wound where his right arm should be.
"Gourry?!" I asked, looking around frantically. Had he pulled though again with another ridiculously late rescue?
I didn’t sense any familiar presences in the room but one. And I suppose I should’ve been happy that he came to rescue me. But then again, being in that chirpy bastard’s debt made me almost want to die.
Another piece of Bob exploded into black mist. "Xellos! You. . .but I-"
Then Bob’s head popped off his shoulder like a cork, pretty much confirming Xellos’ involvement.
The head bounced off the ceiling and landed right in front of me, its eyes still wide with disbelief.
Xellos was probably laughing right about then.
Xellos’ aura suddenly vanished and the door to the outside stairs burst open. Gourry came tumbling through, followed by Amelia and Zel.
"Lina!" Gourry scrambled over to me and grabbed my hands. "Lina, are you all right?"
"Been better, jackass," I weakly teased. "Where were you? I could’ve used your help when I was getting the shit kicked out of me."
"Well," Zel said, sounding a little angry, "you just kind of took off without so much as leaving us an address to reach you. What were you thinking, Lina?"
"Sorry, I guess I wasn’t." Nope, just pure rage and impulse. Wait a minute: why is Zel of all people chastising me about impulsiveness?
"You really shouldn’t have done that, Ms. Lina," Amelia said while preparing a healing spell. "We had no idea what to think after your eyes turned gold the way they did. They reminded us of the time when the Lord of Nightmares possessed you."
"King Bob had to pay," I growled, now breathing a little easier as Amelia’s spell had my ribs on the mend. "I couldn’t wait for him to send more assassins after me and whatever is left of my. . . my… " I couldn’t restrain myself this time. The waterworks let loose like a busted dam in a flood, embarrassing me and getting Gourry’s tunic all wet.
But it actually felt good. Somehow I knew that these three people, whom I have called friends for years, wouldn’t belittle me for openly sobbing, unlike many other so called "companions" I had traveled with in the past.
Gourry held me in a tight hug, not that I would’ve let go under any circumstance anyway. Amelia joined us, giving me reassurances that didn’t sound hollow in the least. I remembered that she also had lost a mother and a sister, so I knew then that I could at least count on her for advice on how to deal with it.
Zelgadis seemed at a loss for what to do, not that I really could blame him. He’s never been comfortable in emotional situations like this. But I could see the sympathy in his eyes, and that was enough for me right then.
I never really knew how precious my family was until I lost them that day. All the things I should’ve done and said to them, all the letters I should’ve written home, all the times I could’ve visited raged through my head like a torrent. I don’t believe I’ll ever forgive myself for those things anymore than not being there to rescue them.
But that day was also the day I realized that I had another family as well … in Zel, Amelia and especially Gourry.
If anyone even thinks of taking them away from me, imminent death would be the least of his troubles.
Chapter Four End.
Tom the Mighty’s Mighty Notes!
To FireStorm - Thanks for the always enthusiastic reviews!
To Dar Se’La - In all of my stories I try to be as different as possible as I am pretty sick of the generic and uninspired fics flooding this site. I mean how does Lina being a Knight of Ruby Eyes make any sense, regardless of what Milgasia thinks? She kills him twice! I am glad you like it, though!
To Neo Crystal Serenity - Waa! Luna IS dead! But her sacrifice was not in vain! It was for the sake of plot and character development! Let’s see what other cruelties I can lay upon Lina’s lap?
Whoa, that was heavy. This chapter needs some major revisions here and there, but overall I am pretty happy with it.
Now that Lina has had her revenge (sort of), the real quest can begin. Lohi is still out there and will probably be back with a vengeance. Xellos finally makes his appearance (sort of). I wonder what part he has yet to play?
The Knights are now on the move, Lina has yet to truly confront her destiny, and now Deep Sea Dolphin is shown to have had a hand in the Inverse clan’s death.
Stay tuned for the next exciting chapter of Slayers: Knightfall!