Sketch of a Monster, Chapter 1
Summary: unexpectedly and accidently, Lina Inverse finds out an astonishing secret about Xelloss, and being the redhead demon she is, she decides to help. All the chapters will be from different POVs.
The beautiful autumn, golden leaves rustling underfoot, it brought the author into a state of romantic dreaming, so WARNING: this story contains some ideas more romantic in nature than original anime or manga could have. Or maybe not, who knows why and what for had L-sama created mazoku. Also will be slash (yaoi, shonen-ai). Not β-d, so the text has grammar mistakes, I'm so sorry!
Setting: somewhere after "Try", disregarding "Revolution" and "Evolution-R", so a bit AU-ish. All the characters are a little older.
Pairing: hinted at, one-sided (for now) Xelloss/Zelgadiss
Disclaimer: I own naught.
About this chapter: written in 3rd person from Lina's point of view, text in italic represents her thoughts. There's a flashback in the middle.
----------------------------------
Sketch of a Monster
- Chapter One. Unbelievable -
Damn it all, pull yourself together, Lina Inverse! There must be a way out of here. "Down this passage!" the redhead yelled, while running and turning left in a narrow dark corridor.
Unfortunately she was followed not only by her friends but also by the bastards pursuing them. Even more unfortunate was the fact the aforementioned bastards were so annoyingly strong.
Usually the infamous sorceress wasn't a person to easily regret something - her life was so full of events and fights that there just was no time to figure out what particular decision led to the particular tight spot she was in. But right now Lina was beginning to regret their idea to come to this place.
Gritting her teeth, the redhead paused to send a "Flare arrow!" but, as expected, the spell was absorbed by a strange light shield appearing around their enemy, causing their persecutors no harm.
Damn it! All their attacks were useless. And the knowledge how to cast such magical barrier probably was in an ancient manuscript hidden in this castle, the manuscript that was the very reason they came here in the first place. And now, Lina thought gloomily, the dwellers of the castle were after them, though it was a predictable reaction. Unlike their frigging invulnerability!
"Miss Lina," was Amelia's high with alarm voice, "what if there's a dead end..."
"If there's a dead end," the redhead interrupted, "I'll just make us an exit."
Yet they were able to get out of the corridor, ending up in a large bright lit hall with numerous guards already awaiting them.
Just great, now we are surrounded!
The soldiers stepped aside, letting an elderly looking man, probably their Leader, face the intruders.
He was just about to say something, when was interrupted by the princess of Seyruun:
"Step aside you people!" she pointed a finger. "How dare you stand in the way of Justice?"
"Maa, Amelia-san, but it was you who invaded the castle," - Xelloss, appearing in thin air.
Zelgadiss, quite predictably, cursed darkly, so delighted to see their monstrous priest. And Lina was and wasn't expecting him to show up, after all they were after a magical manuscript, yet it wasn't rumored to be even closely as powerful as the Clair Bible. All they knew, it could have information on some sort of weapon - an enchanted sword, or a golem.
Oh well, maybe Xelloss would help them, if he suddenly wouldn't decide to be their enemy.
Her attention switched to the Leader.
"You enter my castle like thieves," the man said. "You will be treated like ones. Kill them!"
Should we retreat? was flickering in Lina's mind while she dodged attacks. The guards were surrounded by that strange barriers, her spells were useless. Could we retreat even if we tried to?
Such frantic thoughts were interrupted by tired of only defensive moves Gourry. With the sword tightly gripped in both hands, he charged right at the Leader.
Yet the man was surrounded by a semitransparent wall of light, which bounced off the attack as well as the swordsman. Gourry, falling beck, was quickly caught by Zelgadiss and Amelia briefly checked if he was unharmed.
"That's enough," the Leader commanded. "All men retreat! I'll put an end to this myself."
He held up a hand and chanted words of a strange spell. A wall of light, to bright to see through, encircled him and for a moment all went still, but then the wall expanded. Lina remembered to quickly cast a shield and then the light engulfed them.
She couldn't breathe and could see nothing but light. And it was painful, so painful that her legs started to give out and she sled to her knees. Slowly the ringing in her ears stopped and the vision cleared. But, What the hell?! - she couldn't move!
"Resisting is useless," was oh so helpful remark of the smart-ass Leader.
The redhead glanced around - wonderful, they were all trapped!
It appeared the spelled barrier stopped moving, solidified and immobilized every one of them. Even Xelloss was motionless, and the light of the spell surrounding him was different.
The Leader panted and laughed, "The victory is mine. You cannot move."
He took several long breaths and looked closely at them, his gaze stopped on Xelloss.
"And it appears one of you is a monster. But you too can do nothing against my spell," - the expression on his face was far too smug for Lina's liking. - "You see, the spell, it works with powers that access your very nature, so even a mazoku would be vanquished by it."
The motionless priest's expression suddenly changed from annoyed to surprised, his eyes widening.
"You see, don't you?" the Leader asked gleefully. "You are blocked from going back to the Astral Plane. You. Are. Trapped."
Why, that bastard will sure as hell get his ass Dragon Slaved, "Just let me out!" the redhead demanded. The man just scrutinized her.
"Lina Inverse, the infamous bandit killer, you have the gall to go after my possessions. You will pay! It would be only Just." he held up his hand towards Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss, trapped together in the barrier.
Dammit, no, stop! Lina tried to struggle against the hold, but all in vain.
"No," she cried. "Stop!"
"Silence!" the Leader barked. "Your punishment - you will watch your friends' death before you join them."
His fingers flexed in a grip that made the spell around the three people trapped in it tighten. Amelia whimpered.
Lina, now in almost panicked state, her mind screaming No! It cannot end like this! But her body wasn't responding. She heard Gourry gasp and Zelgadiss snarl. Stop it!
And then the glow surrounding Xelloss flickered once, twice and was gone, freeing the mazoku who immediately appeared right before the Leader, inhuman eyes blazing, and struck.
Too relieved to see her friends were alright, Lina haven't noticed her own bonds were gone.
The Leader, now on his knees, clutching to his side, whispered to the priest, "But how could you get free? I'm certain the spell must work against your monster nature."
Xelloss smiled cheerfully at him, "It did work, but" - he opened his eyes - "you know nothing of monsters."
Lina, still listening intently, gasped - the words! You know nothing of monsters - ringing in her mind, they triggered a memory of days long since past.
"You know nothing of monsters, you punk!" an old man cries, shaking a fist.
A battle cry drew her scattered attention to the present, and the redhead quickly switched her mood from dazed to the polar opposite - she was pissed like all the monsters on the Astral Plane, now even more so than before someone threatened her friends. They. Would. Pay.
"I'll get read of you all!" And it seemed the shield spell was not protecting their enemy now. Good! "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..."
One Dragon Slave later a group of four people and a monster were standing all alone in the bottom of a little crater.
"And now, that manuscript..." Zelgadiss abruptly trailed off.
The sorceress turned her attention to the scene: Xelloss, standing still, the manuscript in his hands, was silently facing the chimera.
"I'm sorry, Zelgadiss-san, but this must be destroyed."
Zelgadiss glared at the mazoku for a long moment saying nothing, then gritted teeth closing his eyes. He turned around, stalking away, "Whatever..."
The priest watched him go, the manuscript still unharmed in his hands, "But they have no information about your cure."
No reaction. Lina could understand this bitter feeling of helplessness, especially right after she nearly watched her friends die. But now the redhead was just so glad they were all alive and unharmed, besides there was one more thing she needed to confirm later.
She decided to interject: "Yeah, Zel! They are probably just about the barrier spell."
Strangely quietly Xelloss added, "You know I can't disobey my orders."
This provoked a reaction out of the chimera. He turned and snapped,
"Just don't pretend to be apologetic!" then went away, followed by troubled looking Amelia and Gourry.
Lina approached the mazoku, who was silently staring at the papers in his hands.
"Tough luck, Xelloss," she slapped the priest on the back. "But it is mostly your own fault, had you acted more nicely before..."
The monster regarded her with a smile, "What do you mean, Lina-san?"
The sorceress smirked, "Oh, the ability within your nature to break a barrier against your nature? What could it be, I wonder? Perhaps in order to protect someone?" - her smirk turned into a gentle smile. - "I know a lot about monsters."
Xelloss looked alarmed, and the redhead tried to reassure him, "Don't worry, I won't tell your secret."
The mazoku, still looking worried but now slightly pained, warned: "If you do, it would be very dangerous for everyone in your group, but mostly for..."
The sorceress solemnly nodded, "I won't allow my friends to get harmed."
She looked gently at him, "But you surprised me, Xelloss. I haven't expected something like this from you."
Xelloss incinerated the papers, his head turned down, face hidden by hair: "Me neither."
Giving her a nod of goodbye the mazoku disappeared.
Lina stayed there for a long while, staring at the ashes of the ancient manuscript, not seeing them. She remembered an old man, who, having been thought of as a crazy and avoided by local folks, told remarkable and unbelievable stories about monsters. At that time Lina dismissed them as nonsense, but as years passed by and she got more acquainted whit mazoku than she really wanted to, one by one the stories told by the insane geezer turned out to be true.
And now this one as well, the sorceress chuckled as a memory of a senile high voice replayed inside her mind.
---
A grey-haired man, having not lost his posture even in old age, was slowly pacing in a dark lit kitchen.
Younger Lina was sitting at the table, surprisingly patient in her wait for the meal, and listening what the geezer was telling. She had come to this outcast hut in search of some books of spells, but had also found a lonely almost blind by now man. Being shunned by inhabitants of near villages, he was starving for some company just as much as Lina was starving for food and knowledge.
"The dark magic spells you learn, miss," he croaked, "you should also learn about the very sources of power they use."
And he told her a lot, some of the stories about the Dark Lord Shabranigdu, some about monsters, most of his tales were hard, no, nearly impossible to believe in, but still Lina was captivated.
One of them was even more incredible than the rest.
"It's true, you know, I saw it with my very eyes," his voice rang.
"But you're almost blind, old man," the girl muttered. And yet the fact, the very idea he was trying to perorate - about a monster who fell in love! It was just absurd, impossible! Monsters did not feel, could not feel such emotions as love!
"It's against their nature," she said.
"Silence! You know nothing of monsters, you punk," he shook a fist.
"They were created by L-sama, just as dragons and humans where. And every race can love, mazoku are just less easy to feel like that about everyone. No, they can love one, someone, and that someone is very special to a monster."
"But mazoku feed off negative emotions, they like when people around them are unhappy!" Lina protested. "Even if a monster can love, it would still try to make even the one it loves unhappy."
The old man shook his head, "No, child, you don't understand one thing. What is the point of love, if we don't want to see our loved ones happy? No, even the monsters are just like every other beings."
He sat down heavily and continued, "It is true the mazoku feed from negative emotions, but only that special someone, they are not the source of power, they are the loved one! The rules are different for them, reversed. A monster doesn't feel good if the loved one is unhappy, on the contrary." He smiled, "You see, love is like that - strange. It both captures and frees a monster, giving him more power to protect that someone."
The man sighed, "And I knew a girl who was loved by a mazoku."
Lina shook her head, the idea just couldn't fit in, it was too altering and world-shaking. She wasn't even paying attention to the man, who kept on with the story.
Just no way!
---
"Hey, Lina, are you going? I'm hungry!" Gourry's voice snapped the redhead out of her reminiscence.
"Of course!" she ran after her friends out of the ruins of the castle.
Looking at her most important people, the sorceress thought this new information was dangerous. It was a perfect blackmail material, a weak spot of the priest. If his enemies found out... They all would be in big trouble.
And yet, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the mazoku - to be hated so much by the one you love. Ironic. Maybe she would help him somehow, at least with the hating with passion part.
But still, Lina chuckled.
Xelloss is in love. Unbelievable!
- TBC -
------
AN: the author hopes all the characters were not OOC. Maybe Lina was behaving a little un-Lina-like, but she was surprised (and a bit grown up) in here. Hope you enjoyed.
Next chapter will probably be from our dear chimera's point of view.
---------------------
Link to: Chapter Two: Unexpected.
The beautiful autumn, golden leaves rustling underfoot, it brought the author into a state of romantic dreaming, so WARNING: this story contains some ideas more romantic in nature than original anime or manga could have. Or maybe not, who knows why and what for had L-sama created mazoku. Also will be slash (yaoi, shonen-ai). Not β-d, so the text has grammar mistakes, I'm so sorry!
Setting: somewhere after "Try", disregarding "Revolution" and "Evolution-R", so a bit AU-ish. All the characters are a little older.
Pairing: hinted at, one-sided (for now) Xelloss/Zelgadiss
Disclaimer: I own naught.
About this chapter: written in 3rd person from Lina's point of view, text in italic represents her thoughts. There's a flashback in the middle.
----------------------------------
Sketch of a Monster
- Chapter One. Unbelievable -
Damn it all, pull yourself together, Lina Inverse! There must be a way out of here. "Down this passage!" the redhead yelled, while running and turning left in a narrow dark corridor.
Unfortunately she was followed not only by her friends but also by the bastards pursuing them. Even more unfortunate was the fact the aforementioned bastards were so annoyingly strong.
Usually the infamous sorceress wasn't a person to easily regret something - her life was so full of events and fights that there just was no time to figure out what particular decision led to the particular tight spot she was in. But right now Lina was beginning to regret their idea to come to this place.
Gritting her teeth, the redhead paused to send a "Flare arrow!" but, as expected, the spell was absorbed by a strange light shield appearing around their enemy, causing their persecutors no harm.
Damn it! All their attacks were useless. And the knowledge how to cast such magical barrier probably was in an ancient manuscript hidden in this castle, the manuscript that was the very reason they came here in the first place. And now, Lina thought gloomily, the dwellers of the castle were after them, though it was a predictable reaction. Unlike their frigging invulnerability!
"Miss Lina," was Amelia's high with alarm voice, "what if there's a dead end..."
"If there's a dead end," the redhead interrupted, "I'll just make us an exit."
Yet they were able to get out of the corridor, ending up in a large bright lit hall with numerous guards already awaiting them.
Just great, now we are surrounded!
The soldiers stepped aside, letting an elderly looking man, probably their Leader, face the intruders.
He was just about to say something, when was interrupted by the princess of Seyruun:
"Step aside you people!" she pointed a finger. "How dare you stand in the way of Justice?"
"Maa, Amelia-san, but it was you who invaded the castle," - Xelloss, appearing in thin air.
Zelgadiss, quite predictably, cursed darkly, so delighted to see their monstrous priest. And Lina was and wasn't expecting him to show up, after all they were after a magical manuscript, yet it wasn't rumored to be even closely as powerful as the Clair Bible. All they knew, it could have information on some sort of weapon - an enchanted sword, or a golem.
Oh well, maybe Xelloss would help them, if he suddenly wouldn't decide to be their enemy.
Her attention switched to the Leader.
"You enter my castle like thieves," the man said. "You will be treated like ones. Kill them!"
Should we retreat? was flickering in Lina's mind while she dodged attacks. The guards were surrounded by that strange barriers, her spells were useless. Could we retreat even if we tried to?
Such frantic thoughts were interrupted by tired of only defensive moves Gourry. With the sword tightly gripped in both hands, he charged right at the Leader.
Yet the man was surrounded by a semitransparent wall of light, which bounced off the attack as well as the swordsman. Gourry, falling beck, was quickly caught by Zelgadiss and Amelia briefly checked if he was unharmed.
"That's enough," the Leader commanded. "All men retreat! I'll put an end to this myself."
He held up a hand and chanted words of a strange spell. A wall of light, to bright to see through, encircled him and for a moment all went still, but then the wall expanded. Lina remembered to quickly cast a shield and then the light engulfed them.
She couldn't breathe and could see nothing but light. And it was painful, so painful that her legs started to give out and she sled to her knees. Slowly the ringing in her ears stopped and the vision cleared. But, What the hell?! - she couldn't move!
"Resisting is useless," was oh so helpful remark of the smart-ass Leader.
The redhead glanced around - wonderful, they were all trapped!
It appeared the spelled barrier stopped moving, solidified and immobilized every one of them. Even Xelloss was motionless, and the light of the spell surrounding him was different.
The Leader panted and laughed, "The victory is mine. You cannot move."
He took several long breaths and looked closely at them, his gaze stopped on Xelloss.
"And it appears one of you is a monster. But you too can do nothing against my spell," - the expression on his face was far too smug for Lina's liking. - "You see, the spell, it works with powers that access your very nature, so even a mazoku would be vanquished by it."
The motionless priest's expression suddenly changed from annoyed to surprised, his eyes widening.
"You see, don't you?" the Leader asked gleefully. "You are blocked from going back to the Astral Plane. You. Are. Trapped."
Why, that bastard will sure as hell get his ass Dragon Slaved, "Just let me out!" the redhead demanded. The man just scrutinized her.
"Lina Inverse, the infamous bandit killer, you have the gall to go after my possessions. You will pay! It would be only Just." he held up his hand towards Gourry, Amelia and Zelgadiss, trapped together in the barrier.
Dammit, no, stop! Lina tried to struggle against the hold, but all in vain.
"No," she cried. "Stop!"
"Silence!" the Leader barked. "Your punishment - you will watch your friends' death before you join them."
His fingers flexed in a grip that made the spell around the three people trapped in it tighten. Amelia whimpered.
Lina, now in almost panicked state, her mind screaming No! It cannot end like this! But her body wasn't responding. She heard Gourry gasp and Zelgadiss snarl. Stop it!
And then the glow surrounding Xelloss flickered once, twice and was gone, freeing the mazoku who immediately appeared right before the Leader, inhuman eyes blazing, and struck.
Too relieved to see her friends were alright, Lina haven't noticed her own bonds were gone.
The Leader, now on his knees, clutching to his side, whispered to the priest, "But how could you get free? I'm certain the spell must work against your monster nature."
Xelloss smiled cheerfully at him, "It did work, but" - he opened his eyes - "you know nothing of monsters."
Lina, still listening intently, gasped - the words! You know nothing of monsters - ringing in her mind, they triggered a memory of days long since past.
"You know nothing of monsters, you punk!" an old man cries, shaking a fist.
A battle cry drew her scattered attention to the present, and the redhead quickly switched her mood from dazed to the polar opposite - she was pissed like all the monsters on the Astral Plane, now even more so than before someone threatened her friends. They. Would. Pay.
"I'll get read of you all!" And it seemed the shield spell was not protecting their enemy now. Good! "Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows..."
One Dragon Slave later a group of four people and a monster were standing all alone in the bottom of a little crater.
"And now, that manuscript..." Zelgadiss abruptly trailed off.
The sorceress turned her attention to the scene: Xelloss, standing still, the manuscript in his hands, was silently facing the chimera.
"I'm sorry, Zelgadiss-san, but this must be destroyed."
Zelgadiss glared at the mazoku for a long moment saying nothing, then gritted teeth closing his eyes. He turned around, stalking away, "Whatever..."
The priest watched him go, the manuscript still unharmed in his hands, "But they have no information about your cure."
No reaction. Lina could understand this bitter feeling of helplessness, especially right after she nearly watched her friends die. But now the redhead was just so glad they were all alive and unharmed, besides there was one more thing she needed to confirm later.
She decided to interject: "Yeah, Zel! They are probably just about the barrier spell."
Strangely quietly Xelloss added, "You know I can't disobey my orders."
This provoked a reaction out of the chimera. He turned and snapped,
"Just don't pretend to be apologetic!" then went away, followed by troubled looking Amelia and Gourry.
Lina approached the mazoku, who was silently staring at the papers in his hands.
"Tough luck, Xelloss," she slapped the priest on the back. "But it is mostly your own fault, had you acted more nicely before..."
The monster regarded her with a smile, "What do you mean, Lina-san?"
The sorceress smirked, "Oh, the ability within your nature to break a barrier against your nature? What could it be, I wonder? Perhaps in order to protect someone?" - her smirk turned into a gentle smile. - "I know a lot about monsters."
Xelloss looked alarmed, and the redhead tried to reassure him, "Don't worry, I won't tell your secret."
The mazoku, still looking worried but now slightly pained, warned: "If you do, it would be very dangerous for everyone in your group, but mostly for..."
The sorceress solemnly nodded, "I won't allow my friends to get harmed."
She looked gently at him, "But you surprised me, Xelloss. I haven't expected something like this from you."
Xelloss incinerated the papers, his head turned down, face hidden by hair: "Me neither."
Giving her a nod of goodbye the mazoku disappeared.
Lina stayed there for a long while, staring at the ashes of the ancient manuscript, not seeing them. She remembered an old man, who, having been thought of as a crazy and avoided by local folks, told remarkable and unbelievable stories about monsters. At that time Lina dismissed them as nonsense, but as years passed by and she got more acquainted whit mazoku than she really wanted to, one by one the stories told by the insane geezer turned out to be true.
And now this one as well, the sorceress chuckled as a memory of a senile high voice replayed inside her mind.
---
A grey-haired man, having not lost his posture even in old age, was slowly pacing in a dark lit kitchen.
Younger Lina was sitting at the table, surprisingly patient in her wait for the meal, and listening what the geezer was telling. She had come to this outcast hut in search of some books of spells, but had also found a lonely almost blind by now man. Being shunned by inhabitants of near villages, he was starving for some company just as much as Lina was starving for food and knowledge.
"The dark magic spells you learn, miss," he croaked, "you should also learn about the very sources of power they use."
And he told her a lot, some of the stories about the Dark Lord Shabranigdu, some about monsters, most of his tales were hard, no, nearly impossible to believe in, but still Lina was captivated.
One of them was even more incredible than the rest.
"It's true, you know, I saw it with my very eyes," his voice rang.
"But you're almost blind, old man," the girl muttered. And yet the fact, the very idea he was trying to perorate - about a monster who fell in love! It was just absurd, impossible! Monsters did not feel, could not feel such emotions as love!
"It's against their nature," she said.
"Silence! You know nothing of monsters, you punk," he shook a fist.
"They were created by L-sama, just as dragons and humans where. And every race can love, mazoku are just less easy to feel like that about everyone. No, they can love one, someone, and that someone is very special to a monster."
"But mazoku feed off negative emotions, they like when people around them are unhappy!" Lina protested. "Even if a monster can love, it would still try to make even the one it loves unhappy."
The old man shook his head, "No, child, you don't understand one thing. What is the point of love, if we don't want to see our loved ones happy? No, even the monsters are just like every other beings."
He sat down heavily and continued, "It is true the mazoku feed from negative emotions, but only that special someone, they are not the source of power, they are the loved one! The rules are different for them, reversed. A monster doesn't feel good if the loved one is unhappy, on the contrary." He smiled, "You see, love is like that - strange. It both captures and frees a monster, giving him more power to protect that someone."
The man sighed, "And I knew a girl who was loved by a mazoku."
Lina shook her head, the idea just couldn't fit in, it was too altering and world-shaking. She wasn't even paying attention to the man, who kept on with the story.
Just no way!
---
"Hey, Lina, are you going? I'm hungry!" Gourry's voice snapped the redhead out of her reminiscence.
"Of course!" she ran after her friends out of the ruins of the castle.
Looking at her most important people, the sorceress thought this new information was dangerous. It was a perfect blackmail material, a weak spot of the priest. If his enemies found out... They all would be in big trouble.
And yet, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the mazoku - to be hated so much by the one you love. Ironic. Maybe she would help him somehow, at least with the hating with passion part.
But still, Lina chuckled.
Xelloss is in love. Unbelievable!
- TBC -
------
AN: the author hopes all the characters were not OOC. Maybe Lina was behaving a little un-Lina-like, but she was surprised (and a bit grown up) in here. Hope you enjoyed.
Next chapter will probably be from our dear chimera's point of view.
---------------------
Link to: Chapter Two: Unexpected.