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Kitsune Lina
The Funeral Lina was moderately happy that she could walk around in the second
aspect, virtually had to. If she were to walk around in human form then
people would look at her kids and might figure out that she was a shape
changer. It would be easy to figure out she was a werecreature from that.
She prefered this form anyway, the speed, strength and enhanced senses
gave her a sense of security that made up for the loss of her magic. Today,
however, she half wished she couldn't hear most of the conversations.
"The princess has...interesting taste in friends."
"That swordsman is the most normal of them."
"If you call some one with that little intellect, normal, I was thinking
about her..." Lina could hear the pause as the man sneered in distaste. She
privately wondered hhow they would compete with Gourry on the road.
"...fiancee." Lina agreed with them on that. Zelgadis was too single
minded, it was creepy, and she was certain that was the trait that had gotten
Xellos killed.
"There's the priestess and that blonde woman."
"Priestess is okay," the man admitted. "But that blonde, there's
something, different, about how she acts."
"She used to travel with Lina Inverse, by L-sama."
"That's not as bad as this...Xellos Metallium, and that harlot fox-girl
mooning over his unholy corpse." Lina snarled quietly.
"On top of everything else, this...this indignity."
"A mazoku in the Tomb of Heros."
"A higher mazoku, a dark lord's general no less."
"He was probably helping those Temple maniacs."
"This is a hideous miscarriage off justice."
"Oh what does it matter, the royalty just for show anyway."
"This is hardly what we wish to show the other kingdoms." Lina tried to
ignore the conversation as the funeral continued. It was just part of
civilization. She had never liked gossip, the road had ALWAYS been her home,
since she was old enough to walk it. You didn't have to worry about
small-minded envious little jerks like the fops behind her, not when you were
in the wilds.
Lina was having enough problems takinng care of her children without the
extra bother of worrying what a pair of pointless nobles thought about her.
She was lucky that they hadn't asked to be fed yet, but just the awkwardness
of trying to carry them both around was a challenge. Fortunately, Filia was
willing to help, especially with advice, even if said advice was more fitting
for dragon infants than true humanoids.
Lina remained sitting in the great hall of the Tomb long after the
ceeremony had ended. Her friends and Zelgadis were gathered about the
entrance, giving her a respectful space. The chimera was trying to avoid
looking at Lina, it seemed that Zelgadis agreed with her assessment of his
responsibility in Xellos's death. About ten minutes after the ceremonial
hall was emptied, Zelgadis broke away from the other slayers.
"That's not a good idea," Amelia warned him.
"There are things she has to know."
"I can tell her about the note," Amelia pleaded. "She really does blame
you."
"I know," Zelgadis didn't deny the responsibility at all. "But she won't
do anything to me, definitely not with her children around."
"What are you talking about?" Gourry asked.
"Lina blames Zelgadis for Xellos's death," Sylphiel explained.
"Oh, how did he die anyway?"
"We're not really sure," Zelgadis muttered, though in his mind he
repeated the name of the spell. 'Ra Tilt.' He continued walking away under
Amelia's wary eyes. The chimeraa heard a low growling as he neared Lina, her
ears laid back flat against his head, and his eyes could almost see every
strand of fur along the exposed section of her spine rising on end.
"Go away," Lina growled.
"I have to warn you."
"Someone should warn Amelia."
"You're wrong about this being over."
"Regin's dead, Martina won't be a real threat for years yet," Lina picked
up her twins and started walking away.
"Regin was summoning the old ones, Lina." The were-fox stopped and
turned to face him.
"You expect me to believe he was dealing with creatures that are supposed
to predate our world?" Lina asked angrily. "Xellos said this guy had some
crackpot prophecies, but seriously."
"I don't think Xellos believed it was possible until just before
he...made his plan."
"What does it matter either way, we stopped them." She started walking
again
"I was directed to the Necronomican by a black-furred raven."
"So?" Zelgadis followed silently a few feet behind her.
"There was a note, 'stall them now, their end will come with the next
generation,' do you get it, Lina. The next generation, like your kids,
maybe." Lina had reached the gathering of Slayers and turned to face
Zelgadis again.
"Stay away from me and my children," she repeated, her deadly tone
warning him that she was serious. "Filia, I'm ready to go now."
"I want to go home to, mommy," Val Garv insisted.
"We're going now," Filia assured him, taking Xina off Lina's hands for a
moment.
"You're not staying for the wedding?" Amelia sounded dismayed.
"I'm not welcome here," Lina said glancing at the stragglers from the
ceremony working their way across the courtyard outside. "I might bring the
twins to see their father one day, but I can't stay any longer right now."
"These humans are...tiresome," Filia agreed.
"Take care," Amelia hugged her friend, being careful about the infant in
her arm.
"Gourry, Sylphiel," Lina nodded to them.
"We'll see you later then, I guess," Gourry said.
"Hopefully not too much later," Sylphiel added.
"Hey, you never know," Lina declared softly. "Farewell until then." She
nodded to Filia and the two walked through the courtyard to an isolated spot.
Then Lina, Val Garv and the twins were riding the gold dragon's great
reptillian back into the sky.
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