Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Slayers-Quest ❯ Finally - In the Dragon's Den ( Chapter 4 )

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Chapter 4



Chapter 4

Finally -
In the Dragon's Den.

Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadis entered the cave after glancing one last time at the campsite.

"I hope we're doing the right thing leaving Lina behind." Amelia nattered on. " I don't think she has enough patience to take care of a sick Xellos. I don't think she has enough patience to put up with a healthy Xellos for to long."

"Don't worry too much, Lina is a lot tougher than you give her credit for." Zelgadis answered. "Gourry, If you were fighting a retreating defensive battle against a overwhelming foe which way would you go?"

"High and narrow would give the best advantage in a running fight. Are we assuming a running battle. If it was a panicked retreat, he would follow smooth paths and tend to move down ward." Gourry scratched his chin. "Now why was this guy here again."

"Gourry! A dragon was fighting monsters here, overwhelming numbers, a magic sword." Zelgadis explained tersely. "Let's try panicked flight."

"Okay" Gourry agree and took the path sloping down. "Do you know if he was right or left handed?"

"How would we know that?" Amelia interjected.

"It's just that if he was right handed he would take the right path if the choices were similar. The left side for the reverse" Gourry explained. "If we don't know then, we'll assume left as dragons tend be left sided."

Amelia and Zel just looked at Gourry for a second, looked at each other, started to talk, then shook their heads. It didn't matter, Gourry was just Gourry. There were no explanations for him.

Following Gourry the group made their way down the tunnels, as each tunnel branched out Gourry would stop check out both sides and then confidently choose one. After a few hours of travelling Amelia suggested that they break for lunch. Setting down the light ball she had purchased at a local magic shop before they left, she handed out the sandwiches.

"Are we going the right way or are we completely lost" she asked in a tired voice.

"I don't have the slightest" Zelgadis answered, "I've been marking our path so at least we can get back but I don't know if we are on the right path."

"Don't worry." Gourry interjected in a cheerful voice. "From the claw marks on the floor there has been an injured dragon here, from the weathering of the marks I would say that it was quite some time ago. He was hurt pretty bad so it shouldn't be much further."

"Why didn't you say something before?" Amelia inquired finally understanding why Lina punched Gourry so often.

"I was hungry." Gourry answered as if that was a reason for anything or everything then again knowing Gourry it probably was.

After a calm lunch, (remember no Lina) the group discussed hiding places that an injured dragon would use to hide a sword and manuscripts. Finally deciding on the one cavern that could accommodate an untransformed Dragon they set off again, Amelia and Zel flying to check out the walls and ceilings and Gourry pathfinding below.

"What is the trail showing now? Zel shouted at Gourry.

"The dragon can't have got much further, there seems to be a widening further, that probably is it." Gourry replied.

As they entered the larger area the three travellers each took a sharp breath. The cavern had turned into a wonderland, the light talisman lit up the mica imbedded in the stone making it look as if it was built out of gold. Amelia chanted a dimmer command as her eyes began to hurt.

"Fools gold for a fool." Zel stated harshly pointing to a corner. there curled in the corner were the remains of a dragon curled around a sword and a satchel. "There's your new sword Gourry."

As Gourry walked towards the sword a figure materialised in front of him.

"It is time for you to die" The newly arrived monster declaimed.

"Oh damn, just when things were going right" Zel complained looking at Amelia. then in a perfectly timed shout they screamed together "RAW TILT"

Taking advantage of the cast spell Gourry dived for the sword grasping it tightly in his hand as he rolled to his feet. "Light come forth"

Amelia and Zel sweatdropped.

The monster laughed at the swordsman, "You don't have the sword of light anymore just a mundane piece of tin. Without Lina Inverse you are not strong enough to defeat me."

Gourry considered quickly, he had no idea how to activate the sword, as he saw his partners preparing another astral attack he shrugged and attacked "Die monster"

The monsters eyes opened in surprise as the sword started radiating magical power and sliced part of his astral form away. Calculating the odds with the two magic users he decided that it wasn't worth the fight. "You may have over powered me but are you going to be surprised when you see our new allies, that sword won't help against them" with his last taunt given the monster disappeared.

"More complications we don't need." Zelgadis whined "Enough is enough."

Walking over to the ancient corpse Zel grabbed the satchel. "I think we better get back to camp and see what other games are afoot.


Mean while back at the camp Lina was getting very frustrated with the new Xellos.

"It's like dealing with a selfish two year old" she complained to Melee "he's starting to care all right but the only thing he cares about is himself."

"Emotionally he is a child. You got a chance to learn empathy as you grew, he has to learn it all at once. Remember this is the first time he has felt happiness, Do you blame him for not wanting to let it go. Sadness is next while he has fed on those emotions, he has never experienced it from the inside." Melee looked at Lina and considered, "He will be acting less out of character by the time your friends arrive, by tomorrow all the changes will be internal." Melee grinned and looked at Xellos who was rolling around the ground laughing at one of his own jokes. "We have at least given him the chance to embarrass himself without the others present."

"His balancing is coming along much better than I had hoped, Thank you dear." Melee added before floating over to Xellos and making him laugh even harder by telling him a joke which made Lina's ears burn.