Search for the Darkstar - The Right People for the Right Job

Author: DQBunny Title: Search for the Darkstar - The Right People for the Right Job

Search for Darkstar
Chapter 8: To The South! We're Flying Dragon Express! ← Chapter 9: The Right People for the Right Job → Chapter 10: The Truth Behind the Quest

Chapter Index

Disclaimer: "Slayers" isn't mine, but belongs to Kanzaka Hajime, Araizumi Rui and those who represent them. I'm just borrowing the characters for a little while and will return them intact. Except for Gourry. He might be squished just a little. This story is set after the manga arc "Knight of Aqualord" and is an alternate take on the TRY season of the anime.
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Chapter 9: The Right People for the Right Job
There was never a question of whether or not any food would ever go to waste as long as Lina and her friends were around. One by one, platters were emptied, tureens drained dry and the once-bursting table was now nearly empty with the exception of five people lazily sprawled around it, kicked back in chairs allowing the food to settle.
The dragons that prepared the feast simply gawked at their guests.
"Did you see that?" one whispered.
"Nothing left!" another chimed in. "Look, their stomachs aren't even distended!"
"This must be the magical powers that humans have," a third added.
They hovered in the hallway connecting the kitchen to the dining room. They didn't want their human guests to see them. They might decide they were still hungry and would want to eat them instead.
Inside the hall, Lina collapsed onto a clear spot of the table and patted her well-fed stomach. Beside her, Amelia picked at her teeth with a long straw. Lina elbowed her. "Princesses aren't suppose to pick their teeth."
Amelia startled, stared at the straw as if seeing it for the first time and tossed it away. Instead, she folded her hands over her abdomen and looked at the mosaics that patterned the walls and ceiling. "I've never been in a place quite like this. I wonder what stories these talk about?"
Lina folded her hands behind her head. "Fables, from what I'm guessing. See that one?" She pointed to one set of pictures depicting a boy and a girl together, then the girl being hauled away by a woman. In the next panel, the boy was facing an attacking dragon. The next showed the boy praying to Ceiphied and then the boy watching the first dragon flying into the distance. "Did you ever hear of the story of Prince Wynd?"
"Oh!" Amelia's eyes widened. "I remember that story!"
Shizuri, Lyos and Gourry looked up at the ceiling as well. "Prince Wynd?" Shizuri asked.
"Right before the Mazoku barrier was formed, the king and queen of Dils had two children - a boy named Wynd and a girl named Margaret," Lina said. "Wynd began journeying the lands when he was around our age. Meanwhile, the queen of Dils died and the king fell in love with a mysterious woman. Princess Margaret was jealous of her new stepmother and vowed to put an end to her beauty."
"But the new queen, who was really an evil sorceress, heard her," Amelia continued. "So the new queen cursed Princess Margaret and turned her into a dragon. The dragon fled the palace and the people sought out Lei Magnus to defeat the dragon. However, Lei Magnus discovered that the dragon was really the princess and that she was so hungry that she had no choice but to perform unjust deeds in order to eat. He ordered that Wynd return to aid his sister."
"So, Wynd returned to Dils and gathered an army to strike against his stepmother," Lina said. "However, each time they tried to attack the castle, the dragon attacked them instead."
Lyos snorted. "Stupid dragon. Didn't she see that they were trying to help her?"
"That's because the queen had the dragon under her power," Lina explained. "The third time they tried, the queen's power had worn off. Wynd prepared to slay the dragon, but it began to speak in his sister's voice. The dragon told him about the curse and how the queen had power over her. Wynd then prayed to Ceiphied for the power to change his sister's fortunes."
"Aqualord heard the pleas of the young prince and came down to Wynd. He told the prince that in exchange for Margaret entering his service, he will break the hold that the queen had over her. Wynd thought this was a fair deal and agreed to it. Margaret helped Wynd defeat the queen and Wynd ascended to the throne after his father's death. Margaret was taken by Aqualord to the Kataart Mountains and is said to still be alive and is one of the dragons serving Aqualord."
"I've heard a version of this tale before," Shizuri smiled slightly. "In that one, the princess was turned back into a girl after her brother kissed the dragon three times."
"Sick," Lyos muttered with a wrinkle of his nose.
"So much history." Shizuri admired the artwork and wished that she had a way to document it so she could return to her lands with the knowledge. She frowned as her thoughts shifted and she began to think of the odd man who had fought with them in Sairaag. "Lina, do you think that Valgaav guy's going to follow us?"
"Who knows?" Lina yawned and closed her eyes, halfway tempted to take a nap. "It depends on how badly he wants to chase me down."
"But, he wants the Sword of Light as well." Amelia sat up and scooted to the edge of the table. "He had those two henchmen of his looking for it. Why would he want it?"
Lina shrugged. "Probably to help him increase his power. Probably because it's a symbol. The Sword of Light was one of the weapons that did damage to Gaav. What better than to steal it, then use it to get rid of me?"
"You're taking this all remarkably in stride."
Lina flashed a grin at Shizuri. "You sort of get used to this." Though, she admitted, being chased all the time like this was starting to grow pretty old.
Amelia glanced across the table at a now-dozing Gourry and saw the sword he'd picked up while in Kunan still strapped to his back. She frowned and laid a finger against her cheek. "I wonder why Gourry-san's still carrying that other sword?"
"Hmm?" Lina levered herself on her arms and noticed that Gourry had the one sword in the sheath across his back and the hilt of the Sword of Light tucked in his belt. She nudged his arm with her foot. "Hey! Wake up! Amelia's talking to you."
"I heard her," Gourry mumbled sleepily and opened his eyes. He didn't say anything for a moment, then got to his feet. He removed the Sword of Light and placed it on the table. Then he unsheathed the other sword and placed it above the first.
Lina got to her knees and studied the blade. She frowned as she inspected it closely for the first time. "The blade's rather big."
"Yeah, it is." Gourry bent over the blade as well until his and Lina's heads nearly touched. "I don't think this is the original blade. The metal's not as worn as the hilt is. See?" He pointed to where the leather and wood had aged. "I don't think the hilt will last much longer. The blade on the Sword of Light's not the original either and you could tell that before I lost that last blade."
Actually, she couldn't tell it. Lina sat back on her haunches and watched as Gourry pointed out specific flaws on the second blade. He was a complete idiot when it came to magic, but his knowledge regarding swords was one of the best that she'd ever encountered. Even Lyos seemed enthralled in the discussion and she knew that Lyos usually didn't give much credence to what Gourry said.
Lyos scoffed as Gourry picked up the second blade and sheathed it. "If it's such a dud of a sword, why'd you keep it?"
An odd look crossed Gourry's face. He didn't say anything for a moment and it seemed to Lina as if he was trying to remember something.
"Hey! Did you hear..."
"I heard you." Gourry cut off Lyos. "I'm just trying to remember."
"Why you kept the sword?"
"I know why I kept it." It was the exact circumstances around it that was foggy, but he remembered clearly what he'd been told. "A man once told me that you were a third-rate swordsman if you threw away a blade." Gourry shrugged and tucked the Sword of Light back at his waist. "It'll come in use someday."
-----
Filia never felt comfortable in the Elder's office. He always preferred to utilize it in his human form and so it was smaller than most of the other rooms in the temple. She always felt like she was doing something wrong whenever she was summoned there, and she especially didn't like that she was there now with the Elder and his council. Some of her fellow priestesses grumbled over the fact that there wasn't a woman on the council, and to Filia's knowledge, there had never been a woman on it. It surprised her as a result when the Elder had named her to go find Luna Inverse.
The Elder beckoned to a single hard chair that was in front of his desk and Filia automatically sat. She curled her hands into fists and tried to get her thoughts in order. She was simply giving a report. She had done the same thing dozens of times before. The Elder took his seat behind the desk and the council gathered around her. Filia's fists tightened as she forced herself to regulate her breathing. Why do I feel like I'm facing a tribunal?
"Filia. This woman is not Luna Inverse," The Elder stated.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No. She's not. As I mentioned in my last missive, Luna Inverse declined to take the job and referred me to her sister, Lina. Lina-san was overseas at the time and, as I mentioned, I had to wait for her to return."
"Yes, but I had hoped that you would follow my orders that followed your last missive and persuade Luna Inverse to come instead."
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Filia's lips. "Luna-san is... Well, let's say that both Inverses are very stubborn. Luna-san insisted that she would not go with me, despite numerous attempts and negotiations."
"The other woman is a walking disaster!" One of the council members spoke up and Filia felt her temper begin to flare. It was one of the members she particularly did not like, the dragon who had taught her a good bit of the magic she knew. "Even dragons avoid this woman out of fear. Stories about her have come here in the years since the barrier came down that say that Lina Inverse destroys everything that she touches!"
"Yes, I've heard those stories, Vrudi-sama," Filia replied. She'd definitely had heard those stories, which conflicted at times with the powerful young woman armed with very high powered spells and knew how to utilize them. "You have also heard rumors that Lina-san was instrumental in the death of Demon Dragon Gaav and Hellmaster Phibrizzo. I do not know the full story behind those, but I did verify that she was instrumental in bringing both of them down. I have not verified the rumor that Lina-san destroyed a piece of Shabranigdu a few years ago, but with what I've seen of her, I would definitely say that she is capable of doing so. When she was overseas, she was instrumental in destroying Deep Sea Dolphin's general and priest as well."
Vrudi opened his mouth, but the Elder held up a hand. "What is your impression of Lina-san and her friends, Filia? Be honest."
Be honest? Filia hesitated. What she had seen conflicted in part with what her gut told her. "They are rather unusual," she began. "They seem overly focused on food and they do not even begin to take the prophecy seriously. They caused a horrible delay because Lina-san insisted on us taking a detour to a place called Sairaag. Most of them are very rude and condescending and will look up a woman's skirts without permission."
She sifted through the rest of her memories. She remembered how Gourry had gone to comfort Lina after receiving the letter from her sister. How Lina insisted that they were going to Sairaag to rescue Gourry's sword because it was important to him. How Amelia had gone into the pool in Sairaag to save Lina and Gourry. How Lina had become a mother hen regarding Gourry's motion sickness on their way south. How that despite the constant bickering that erupted among them, they all looked out for each other.
"But," Filia continued, "I do feel that these are good people. They look out and have genuine affection for each other. They believe in each other and all of them believes in Lina-san. She's unusual, but an effective leader. They appear to have a healthy respect for our past and each have fought in battles to help protect our world. Lina-san is a very skilled sorceress, but so is Amelia-san. Gourry-san is a master swordsman and Lyos-san is suppose to be skilled as well. Shizuri-san is an illusionist. I've never seen skills like that before, but they will be useful."
Push it through to the end, Filia. "In addition," she hastily said when the Elder started to speak, "Luna-san told me something interesting about the prophecy."
Annoyance at being interrupted flickered over his face, but was quickly replaced with curiosity. "Yes?"
"When I visited Luna-san, I told her the prophecy, she asked me to come back the next day after she reviewed it. When I did so, Luna-san turned down the job and said that she wouldn't be the right one to fulfill the prophecy. She referred specifically to the statement about the power between light and darkness. She agreed with my assessment that it pertained to humans, but not to her. That's when she told me to go seek out Lina-san."
"So, are you saying that Lina Inverse is the right one for the job?" The Elder tapped his fingers together. "You're saying that the prophecy is referring specifically to her?"
Filia nodded and decided to go with her gut. "Yes, Elder. I do."
-----
Desert of Destruction
During the time of the feast at the Flarelord temple
The young man moved into the inn without bothering to push the hood back from his face. He headed straight to the bar and sat, signaling the bartender for an ale as he did so. When he received the cold, frothy glass, he took a deep pull from it. Thirst quenched for the moment, he started to think about the discovery he'd made that day.
Zelgadiss Greywords had been traveling for a number of years - since he'd broken free from his grandfather's control and had started to quest for a cure to his chimera curse. He'd come across some strange artifacts, books and other relics that piqued his interest. Unlike Lina, who seemed to focus first on the monetary value of such objects, he appreciated them for the history that they held and the knowledge they possessed. His lips curved into a half smile. His friend could appreciate that as well...once she got past the value of the object in gold.
Indeed, he had come upon a very strange object. Zelgadiss pulled the odd-looking weapon from his cloak and studied it. He'd come across it while in a destroyed temple earlier in the day, but it seemed to be in much better condition than the other artifacts surrounding it. It looked to him like someone had abandoned it.
It didn't look like much. Zelgadiss frowned. It appeared to him to be a twisted staff that was missing its top half, even though it seemed to be a completed piece. In fact, it reminded him a bit of Gourry's Sword of Light. That had been a hilt which held a normal blade, but when removed, appeared to be a dud until the light blade was activated.
It was silly, but... "Light, come forth," Zelgadiss muttered, fully expecting it not to work. That only made the shock worse when a spear of light shot out of the staff, extending so far that it slammed into the mirror behind the bar and it shattered into pieces.
Zelgadiss' jaw fell as the bartender's face went scarlet. "You!" The bartender yelled. "Look what you've done to my mirror! You heathen!"
"It was an accident," Zelgadiss insisted, holding up his hands.
"Seven years! Seven years of miserable luck! And it's all your fault!" The bartender lunged at Zelgadiss, knocking him backwards. The hood and mask fell, revealing the chimera's wire hair and stone face.
The bartender screamed and scrambled back over the bar. "Heathen! Monster! Help me, he's destroying my inn!"
Shit. Zelgadiss braced the weapon in both hands and quickly assessed the men that had risen from their tables and were now surrounding him. One of them picked up a bottle of alcohol and smashed it against the edge of a table. Zelgadiss rolled his eyes. We're full of cliches tonight, aren't we?
"You!" The bartender rounded on the man with the broken bottle. "That was my finest rum!"
Zelgadiss decided that it was a very good time to make his escape. He swung the weapon, light blade still extended, in an arc. The rest of the men jumped away from it. The bartender started to turn back and Zelgadiss used that chance to smash his elbow into the man's ribs. The bartender dropped to the floor and Zelgadiss leaped over him.
"If you'll excuse me. Levitation!" Zelgadiss darted out the door and shot into the air. He hovered in the air as the rest of the men tumbled out of the inn. He waited to see if any of them happened to be a sorcerer. But when they started pitching rocks at him instead of taking to the air, he decided that none of them were and flew a safe distance away.
He landed when his strength began to wane and he knew he wouldn't have the power to keep up the Levitation spell much longer. Zelgadiss glanced at the town, now in the distance, and sighed. He was just going to have to sleep in the desert tonight. Again.
"Ah, Zelgadiss-san! It's wonderful to see that you made it out of the inn in one piece. Though, I do believe that the town has started a manhunt looking for a demonic chimera who wants to eat small babies."
Zelgadiss nearly slapped his hand against his forehead. My night just can't get any worse, can it? "What do you want, Xelloss?"
Xelloss faded into view in front of Zelgadiss and smiled. "Now, Zelgadiss-san, that's not the way to great a longtime comrade now, is it?"
"I never considered you my comrade," Zelgadiss snarled and briefly considered thrusting the activated weapon in his hands at the Mazoku. "You never come around just for chitchat. Talk."
"It is a bit of business, yes. Just a minor piece, really annoying actually." Xelloss shrugged. "You know, I have my duties."
"I'm sure those include being a pain in the ass to everyone you meet."
Xelloss' smile grew wider. "No, that's Lina-san's job."
Zelgadiss nearly laughed and choked it back. For once, Xelloss had a valid point.
"My business actually concerns that weapon you're holding." Xelloss gestured at the staff and was pleased to see the sudden interest in Zelgadiss' eyes. He waited, knowing that the chimera's mind would be starting to theorize about why the Mazoku would need the weapon. "Surely, you've seen a weapon like that one before."
"The Sword of Light." Zelgadiss said this more to himself than to his companion. He glanced up at Xelloss. "I thought that there was just one weapon like this in the world."
"I had thought so as well. It seems, as we are both standing here looking at it, that there is more than one weapon like the one Gourry-san used to own." Xelloss smiled slightly. "I have a job proposal for you, Zelgadiss-san."
Zelgadiss shifted his hold on the weapon as Xelloss reached into his cloak and pulled out a thin book. "This," he said tapping the volume, "is a certain part of the Claire Bible. I took the liberty of extracting this information from the temple right before Gaav attacked. In it is everything you need to know to reverse the chimera process on your body."
Zelgadiss' eyes glittered greedily as he stared at the book. His instincts screamed to snatch the book from the Mazoku and run as fast as he could, but he knew he wouldn't make it far before Xelloss obilviated him. He did have this weapon and, if it was truly like Gourry's Sword of Light, it could do great damage to Xelloss.
He narrowed his eyes. The cure or my life? I'm not worth much either way. "State your conditions."
"There's a matching weapon to that one. I want you to find it. When you do, I'll give you the book."
"No catch?"
"Would I mislead you, Zelgadiss-san?"
All the damn time. Zelgadiss scowled. "I take it that you want this weapon as well."
"Of course. You give me two weapons and I'll give you your cure."
"What will you do with these?" Zelgadiss hefted the weapon.
Xelloss shook his head and waggled his index finger slightly. "Now, now. That's a secret."
Zelgadiss wanted the cure. He wanted it so badly that he could taste it, could feel what it would be like to be human once more. Still, this was Xelloss - the last person who would simply hand him his cure and send him off with a wave and a smile. The Mazoku wanted this weapon and there was more than one and who knows what they could do with these weapons. He was going with his gut on this one.
"No deal." He replied curtly, turned on his heel and strode into the dark.
"Suit yourself." Xelloss shrugged, then watched Zelgadiss walk away. His lips curled into a wicked grin, then he disappeared back to the Astral plane.
As he walked, Zelgadiss used his will to deactivate the weapon, then hooked it through his sword belt. He was going to get his hands on that other weapon before Xelloss could.
-----
Centre Island, Valgaav's Base
During the time of the feast at the Flarelord temple
Gravos peered nervously around the corner. His heart ached when he saw Valgaav slumped over in the large chair that was in the center of the room. He startled, then glanced over his shoulder at Jillas, who approached carrying a tray with a washbasin and bandages on it.
"I don't think that'll help the Boss," Gravos murmured.
"Nothing else we tried did. His wounds are healing, but I think it's more of his body makeup than anything."
Gravos gave Jillas a confused look. "Makeup? Since when did Valgaav-sama began wearing makeup?"
Valgaav braced his head in his hands and did his best to tune out Jillas and Gravos as they began bickering. Jillas had been right about one thing - his body was healing, more than likely due to his own natural blood fused with Gaav's than the inept attempt at healing that his henchmen had done. He slowly turned his palm face up and stared at it. That damn Xelloss. He did a number on me, even though you couldn't see it. Sneaky Mazoku tried to rip me apart from the Astral plane. No thanks to him, Lina Inverse managed to get away and with the Sword of Light.
"Valgaav."
Valgaav raised his head at the approach of a large being wearing spiked armor and a patched eye. "Almayce."
Almayce paused in front of Valgaav and lifted an eyebrow. With a scoff, Valgaav moved from the chair and waited for Almayce to settle. He paced the room, waited for the being to speak. Gaav never liked it when a mission did not come through and he knew that Almayce probably was not that much different.
"You did not find Gorun Nova," Almayce observed.
"That Mazoku. Xelloss. He stopped me just as I was about to get to Lina Inverse."
"But, your goal was to utilize Lina Inverse to get to Gorun Nova."
Valgaav glared at Almayce. "You promised me that I could have my revenge on her and that you would give me the means necessary to do so."
"The promise was given to you in exchange for your help in finding the weapons that I needed. I assume that this Lina Inverse now has possession of Gorun Nova."
"One of the members of her party, yes. It originally belonged to the blond swordsman." Valgaav approached Almayce. "If you will lend me the help needed to take her down..."
"You have not lived up to your word, Valgaav. It's been a year since we made our contract. So far, two weapons that we know of have gone missing." Almayce started at Valgaav, his voice growing cold. "So far, you have made a mockery out of yourself and those who you claim to serve."
Temper flashed in Valgaav's eyes and he clenched his hands into fists. "Are you accusing me of being unfaithful to Gaav-sama?"
"Your Gaav-sama would be disappointed at how poorly you have executed this task. Your primary goal is to find the five weapons. Your revenge comes after that."
That's where you're wrong. Valgaav shot Almayce a hard look, turned on his heel and strode out of the hall. My revenge always comes first.
-----
Temple to Flarelord
Three hours after the feast began
"So, it's come to this," Lyos muttered.
Shizuri waved a hand at him. "Sssh! You'll break their concentration! I'm not going to have you lose this bet for me!"
Amelia shook her head. "Trust me on this one, Shizuri-san. You're betting on the wrong person. I know that the odds seem to be against it, but I chose your side once and wound up losing to Zelgadiss-san. Fortunately, the bet isn't as high as it would had been had I wagered against Lina-san."
Shizuri frowned. "Even so..."
Lyos rolled his eyes. "Even I learned my lesson the last time I was in a competition. No matter what I did, I just couldn't win - and that was eating, strength and other things."
"But, this is completely different!" Shizuri gestured across the table. "This is a staring contest!"
Amelia scooped the small pile of coins that made up the pot into a neat stack in front of her. "It's not the first and Gourry-san has proven himself again and again in this."
Shizuri folded her arms over her chest. "Well, I have complete faith in Lina-san."
Across the table, Lina and Gourry sat facing each other, their eyes locked. Lina sat cross-legged on the table, her hands digging into her thighs as she fought not to blink. Just inches away, Gourry sat patiently, legs crossed and arms folded behind his head. He showed no sign that he was having any difficulties with keeping his eyes open for a particular length of time.
Lina gritted her teeth and took several deep breaths. "Do you yield?"
"No."
Lina's face screwed up and her nails bit through the thin cloth of her leggings into skin. Then, with a quick flutter of her eyelashes, she blinked.
"Damn it!" Shizuri shouted and Amelia happily scooped the pot into her money bag.
Lina rubbed at her eyes. Yes, they were that bored, having run out of fables to relate an hour earlier and food 30 minutes prior to that. None of them carried a deck of cards, so they had resorted to coming up with any game that they could - finally culminating in a staring contest.
"You make me sick," Lina muttered to Gourry and took a deep sip of water. "Sitting there like that and not being able to blink. It reminds me of Xelloss."
"Hmm..." Amelia laid her finger against her cheek thoughtfully. "That's an idea. Say, Lina-san, I wonder if..."
"Don't even think it, Amelia!" Lina hopped off the table, her temper rapidly escalating. "We've been waiting here for three hours. I'm exhausted and I'm hungry again and I need to..."
Before Lina could finish her sentence, a cloaked man appeared at the entrance to the hall. He bowed deeply to them. "I apologize for the wait. The Elder is ready to see you now. Filia-san also suggested that I show you and your company to the nearest facilities to freshen up before you do so."
"Finally. We're going to get somewhere." Lina followed the man out of the hall, Amelia and Lyos falling into step behind her.
Shizuri started out as well, glanced over her shoulder and saw Gourry staring up at one of the murals painted on the ceiling. "Gourry-san, are you coming?"
"Huh?" Gourry peered at the illusionist and laughed, a little embarrassed. "Oh, sorry. We're leaving?"
Shizuri gave him a half-smile. "Sometimes, I wonder about you. What're you looking at?"
"That." Gourry pointed directly above his head and Shizuri joined him. "What's that?"
She walked to his side and shielded her eyes with her hand to get a better look. "I didn't notice that one before. It's the four dark lords of our world and the others. Ruby Eye, Darkstar, Chaotic Blue and Death Fog. I'm willing to wager that Lina's told you about them before and you've forgotten. You'll just have to get her to do so again. Come on. Let's get going before Lina has a fit."
"Right." Gourry quickly followed Shizuri out of the room and made a mental note to ask Lina later about why there was an odd group of five blue dots around the dragon that Shizuri called Darkstar. Then again, he realized, it probably wasn't that important to begin with.
-----
Author's Note: A chapter in which at the same time nothing happens and something happens. Yes, Zelgadiss is finally in the story though it'll be awhile before he joins the main story. He actually showed up a lot earlier than I had planned. Originally, his appearance was suppose to be a complete surprise and would had marked the halfway point in the story and that is going to remain somewhat intact. Then hints of his eventual appearance started showing up in the outline and then he wound up in this chapter. A true testament of the characters acting independently of the author's outline!
The story of Wynd and Margaret was taken from an old English fable, "The Laidly Worm of Spindleston Heugh." The story can be found through a basic Google search.

Chapter 8: To The South! We're Flying Dragon Express! ← Chapter 9: The Right People for the Right Job → Chapter 10: The Truth Behind the Quest

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