Slayers: Twenty-Five Percent
Chapter One
by Alina
alinasan@yahoo.com
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/2924/slayers.html
Note: This is, for better or worse, what may be the *first* Ameria and
Zel romance/adventure fic.
It’s not just mushy...in fact, my original inspiration was highly comic.
But, I put that disclaimer because some people get hives at the mere
mention of those two together.
And others like it. A possible Zel/Ameria romance reminds me of
people’s attitude toward country music...every once in awhile, a country
song gets pop play, but the rest of the time....well...those who like
it, love it and those who hate it, abhor it.
I kind of like it every once in awhile. And that’s how I feel about a
possible Zel/Ameria romance.
Another thing: I use Ameria rather than Amelia, b/c in Japanese R & L
are interchangeable, and frankly, the American voice of Amelia is
annoying. The Japanese one is cuter, less irritating, and sweeter,
more the way the character should be.
Even if you don’t like Ameria/Zel, I think you may like this story. I
don’t concentrate on them as a couple, but rather on the wacky
adventures I’ve got planned and a Ranma-inspired cure for Zel (but I
won’t spoil it...no he doesn’t turn into a girl...although that was one
twist I’ve thought of)...There is a reason for the title though.
Anyway, I’ve got lots planned, monsters and mayhem, mixing with a minimum
of mush (for me anyway). Enough! On with the story:
*******************************--A :January 1999************************
**********************CHAPTER ONE: Friends in Low Places****************
From this high up, the kingdom looked cleaner and more peaceful than it
actually was. Of course, Sairune was not exactly unclean or lacking
peace, but distance improves even perfection. Ameria sighed, allowing
the thin cool silk of the morning air to slide into her. She could
taste the slight saltiness that signaled the sea bordering her kingdom.
She could taste the wind’s that waved in from the mountains. Most of
all, she could taste the adventure either one promised if she could just
get to them. No, not just adventure, but freedom, something more
precious to her than even the chance to fight for justice as she was
meant to do.
One might wonder why a princess as pampered and beloved as Ameria might
want to contemplate running away from her royal duties. After all,
Ameria took duty very seriously, and loved her status as a princess,
and her royal father. Yet her father had finally proposed one mission
for her that she found she could not complete.
To no one in particular she complained. “Marry? How am I supposed to
get married?! I barely know this Prince Sawpht and am certainly not in
love with him…” At one point, when she was younger, she might have
secretly enjoyed the drama of the fact that she was now promised to
marry a man she didn’t even know. There was a certain romance to
it—pledging her happiness for the good of the kingdom, suffering to find
love in an arranged marriage to a Prince. She could see that.
She just didn’t believe it. Her heart didn’t thrill to it. Instead,
she just kept feeling as if she had to escape. What other choice did
she have? She couldn’t possibly get married like this…not yet, at least
not without knowing…her thoughts trailed off. Her mind wandered back
five years, back to when she’d traveled with the slightly strange crew
of the sorceress Lina Inverse. Those times felt like a dream now, and
the best part of the dream had been him. “ Zelgadis” She sighed the
name, allowing the syllables to travel into the wind. Where was he
wandering now? Had he found a cure for his chimeric condition—the curse
that turned his skin into stone and rocks, his hair into needles, and
made him afraid to join in normal human interactions? When the four had
parted ways, Lina and Gourry to travel for treasure, Zelgadis had gone
off on his own to hunt.
Ameria scanned the scenery as she thought about him. She had asked him
to come here. She had kept thinking that one day, well, one day he
would just show up, perhaps cured, perhaps not. She’d even told her
father about him, and asked for his permission to marry Zelgadis when he
came. Phillonel, her father, had been stunned, but had humored her
request, as after all, she was his beloved baby daughter. And perhaps
he had guessed what Ameria had not. Zelgadis was not going to come to
ask for her hand, so Phillonel lost nothing by agreeing. Instead,
Phillonel had just asked her to remember that she did have a duty to
marry by the age of 20.
Five years faded away, but her memory of Zelgadis remained as clear
as ever in her mind. So she had refused any suitors that had
approached, and as fate would have it, that had been quite a few. After
all, no matter what she was like as a person, there were still the
greedy ambitious men who saw her only as the key to a kingdom.
Her father hadn’t been concerned with her rejection of those men. Yet
he hadn’t liked her reasoning. Her father thought that now, perhaps her
“youthful crush” (he would never dare call it silly) had faded and she
would be ready to face her duty as a princess. She was nineteen now,
after all. She could no longer continue to be in love with some cursed
stranger, who obviously didn’t care about her.
So her father recently started pushing her to make a choice, and when
she’d refused so steadfastly to even dance with any of the princes of
the neighboring kingdoms, her father had arranged this marriage.
Perhaps her father had the right of it. “Maybe he’s forgotten all about
me.” She said, her lips turning into a slight pout. “So I should forget
about him.” That didn’t seem an answer though. Even if she could get
over Zelgadis, could she really just fall in love with this prince? She
didn’t feel as if she could. She wanted to choose her own husband. She
wanted that chance to go out on a big adventure, and to just experience
life as she had five years ago. Maybe if she did that, the memories of
that adventure with Zelgadis would not overpower her daily existence so
much. There would be other memories, fresher ones to inspire her in her
daily existence.
She stood up, her fist into the clouds surrounding her. She’d stopped
climbing the spires of the castle two years ago when she’d first begun
to grow. Her new longer limbs had made climbing awkward (though they
made her normal movements more graceful. Since she was so tall, she no
longer felt the need to ascend to high places to make announcements.
Half the time she was already taller than those around her.
A strong wind pushed against her, causing her to lose her balance. She
resisted the urge to curse, and instead cast a gentle ray-wing allowing
herself to float to the lower parapet of the castle. She hadn’t used
magic in so long, she thought. The feeling charged her. She knew what
she needed to do.
She ran to her chamber, and dove under her bed. Frantically she began
to search under the bed. Somewhere, here, no, further, there—She smiled
as she slid back holding a rather tattered looking garment. Tenderly,
she stroked the smooth white silk blended with wool. Faded pink trim
lined the edges along with the remains of scorches and dust that even
the most experienced servant had not been able to remove with hours of
scrubbing.
“Perfect” She said as she slipped out of her gown and struggled into
the pants and shirt. She hopped, wiggled and eventually ended up on the
bed with her feet straight up into the air. “COME ON!!” She shouted.
The pants slid up, close to her skin and tight, and not like the loose
garments she’d remembered. They were also far too short, only coming to
her knees. The top itself felt way too restricting. She frowned as she
tugged it down. Rather than covering her knees, the top now came to her
lower hips, and stopped. The cape, rather than swinging down to her
calves also only reached her hips.
If she had time, she would tell the royal seamstress to sew her another
sorceress costume. However, that would take a few days at the least,
not to mention the time necessary to enchant the garment. If her newly
formed plan would work, she couldn’t do that. She needed to get moving
right away. She’d just have to get used to this garment fitting this
way, she decided. She tugged on a pair of long socks, and then knee
high riding boots. Luckily, she found her magic bracelet. She
strapped the star with the pink strap onto her wrist, and smiled. Her
scheduled engagement meeting with Prince Sawpht was that afternoon—two
hours.
She looked down at the puddle of blue silk her dress had formed. She
had to admit, she did like the gown he’d sent. She bent and gathered
the garment to her, and then folded it neatly into a bag along with the
few other things in her room she thought she might need. Mostly, money,
a map, and a few other assorted things.
On the bedside, she left a small note.
“Dear Father:
I regret that I will be unable to attend my engagement and birthday party this evening.
I know you may be disappointed in me for not having told you sooner.
I didn’t know sooner that I would need more time. I realized that
today. In one year, before my twentieth birthday, I will return and
marry whoever you select.
I just cannot do so today. Please forgive me.
I am off to find Gracia, adventure, and myself.
--Ameria
Leaving a heavy gold ornament on the piece of paper, she crawled to the
window. With a dramatic twirl to survey the room, she climbed
Was this how Gracia had run off ten years ago? Surely her father could
not fault Ameria for trying to find her long lost sister now. The cause
seemed appropriate and noble. After all, how could she get married
without her sister attending, or at least, without trying to have at
least found her sister?
Who knew, maybe Gracia would agree to return to the castle, and then
Ameria wouldn’t need to get married…Gracia was older after all.
Shouldn’t she be the one to carry on the royal line? Ameria nodded
satisfied with her own logic.
She dove into the air and fell into the sheer exhilaration of the spell
sweeping her up into the air.
She was on her way.
**
The first night of sleeping under the stars alone passed by
uneventfully, and Ameria woke to a beautiful rosy day still full of the
growing happiness that starting a new adventure brings. She hoped it
would bring some adventure for things had been decidedly boring so far.
Not a bandit, or a thief or even a muddled headed lower-Mazokou to make
things interesting. Lina once complained that Ameria attracted
disaster, and Ameria now wondered if Lina had been telling the truth.
So far everything seemed so quiet and peaceful that one would wonder
where all the terrors had gone recently.
With somewhat less spring in her step than usual, she marched into the
Forrest ignoring the song of the birds. Small animals scurried out of
the way of her stomps, which became heavier with every mile she passed.
As she reached a clearing, her mood had definitely curdled. Perhaps
adventuring was not the same thing she remembered. All this walking
grew irritating when you were walking alone, so peacefully with nary a
bad guy in sight. What happened to all the daring fights in the name of
justice? Or at least, in the name of Lina’s hunger? Surely some bad
sorts were about that she could vanquish. She’d even settle for some
good folks in need of help from her, however small. Something.
Anything. Just so she didn’t have to be alone by herself.
Just as this thought sprung into her headd, she saw a figure up ahead
desperately struggling with his shoe. He leaned over a fall tree trunk,
his hands locked around a boot that would not budge. As she walked
closer, she observed more details of his plight. His boot, a nice rich
red leather, seemed to be stuck inside a knot of the tree.
She didn’t stop to wonder, as anyone more practical might, why this
young man’s boot had lodged itself inside the knot of the fallen tree.
She didn’t care. Here was (finally) someone she could SAVE!! A chance
to be the heroine, to do some GOOD, and not be cooped in the castle
useless and listless. She smiled wide as she approached him.
“Do you need some help?” She inquired sweetly, striking a slight pose as
she leaned one knee on top of the log.
“OH yes..” He grovelled, as his dewy eyes looked at her. He wasn’t
crying, but the look of anguish and frustration on his face hinted that
he held back tears. Very calmly, he explained his situation. “I
stopped to admire the view, and to my dismay my foot caught in this
knot....and I’ve been stuck for some time...and I’m afraid I need
to...” He blushed. “I had a lot of water before, so...”
Ameria blushed and nodded, her face a picture of polite understanding.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll get you out!”
His smile beamed brighter than a flare bit as he gushed “Thank you! You
are a savior, Miss...as kind as you are beautiful!”
Ameria’s blush deepened, but a certain self-satisfaction grew stronger
and she linked her arms around his waist and tugged. While ordinarily
she may have been more reserved about such a familiar hold of another
person, the situation called her to forget the normal rules of personal space.
She tugged, and he didn’t seem to move. Muttering a spell under her
breath, she flew back a little, dislodging his foot from the boot.
They ended up sprawled on the ground.
His endless green-eyes held hers for the longest heart-beat Ameria had
experienced since she’d said goodbye to Zelgadis.
“You saved me.” He breathed against her face, the words turning into a
caress.
“It was nothing.” She said blinking. The setting sun turned his red-gold
hair intesnely coppery. A perfect romantic moment, she thought, her
heart still racing from the exertion.
“To you.” he replied. “How can I repay you?” He said, his eyes lowering
themselves to her lips.
His hands moved along her sides to her waist. “For you I would do
anything.”
She felt a sudden surge of panic, and certainty that the mood had
suddenly grown uncomfortably seductive. With a quick twist she rolled
away and stood up. “Oh, no reward is necessary, Good man.” She said
lightly and avoiding eye contact. “I was just doing what justice
required...well, now that you’re fine, I’ll just be on my way.”
“Farewell then fair maiden. Your memory will shine in my heart.” The
red-golden-haired stranger said in a now calm and melodic voice. He picked
up his boot, and replaced his foot in it. “I dream we shall meet
again.” With a confident stride, all trace of the exasperated, pained
man banished, he approached and took her hand in his. He lowered his
lips and kissed her fingertips.
Ameria blushed, and found herself exiting so quickly she was almost
running away. She wasn’t sure why, but her stomach felt as if she’d
eaten stones. As soon as she was reasonably far from the clearing she
sunk to the ground, her back against a tree. Why had that man’s kiss
and flattery make her feel like screaming? He looked like a poet and
not a pirate. She couldn’t deny he was extremely good looking
either, not with those luminous green eyes, the red-gold hair, and skin as
smooth as her own. She was a princess after all, and not everyone could
claim that. Besides, he didn’t seem an unsavory sort either, but gentle
and romantic. His appearance announced a poet and not a pirate, but
somehow, his manner had unnerved her. She just wasn’t used to being
romanced, she thought thinking of the kiss.
She could still feel the touch of his arms around her, and his lips
pressing against her fingers, with his hand holding her wrist. Wasn’t
that a bit too forward for such a simple rescue? That was what bothered
her. Yet why did it bother her so much she felt almost sick? And not
for what he did, but because, well, she’d enjoyed that, though it had
surprised her.
Did she owe something to her memory of Zelgadis? Could she not
appreciate a beautiful man appreciating her without thinking of that
long held fantasy? While anything happening between her and the blonde
man would have been ridiculous given their short acquaintance (Ameria
toopractical to believe in acting on love at first sight), why had she
felt as if she were betraying Zelgadis to even allow another to court
her? In all the years, that had been her father’s biggest complaint.
So what was the answer, Ameria thought. Out of long habit she began to
twist her royal ring, but noticed she must not have worn it when setting
out on her journey. She sighed. Another old habit she would have to
give up, she thought, just like her feeling for Zelgadis. If she saw
this new man again...well, who knew what she would do. Ameria vowed
though, that she knew what she wouldn’t do. She wouldn’t run away quite
that fast.
**********
Ameria sprinted out of the Inn she’d chosen to stop at. Only luck saved
her from being taken out by the frying pan the cook hurled at her
retreating form. His apron showed the picture of a scowling, skinny
short red-haired girl, over which a circle with a line through had been
drawn.
“AND DON’T COME BACK..EVEN IF YOU HAVE GOLD NEXT TIME! “ The pot banged
into a wall with a spectacular crash. “YOU ARE JUST LIKE THE EVIL
ONE!!!”
Ameria sighed. She never would have ordered so much if she’d even
dreamed she’d lost her gold pouch of newly minted coins. How could this
have happened? She wasn’t really forgetful, despite her ability to be
distracted easily. Without gold, how could she travel, or accomplish
any of her tasks? And the worst part was, she hadn’t even been allowed
to eat dinner.
“HA...that’s why you pay before you get food!” The cook laughed like a
maniac “And if you order and can’t pay in gold, I will make you pay
another way!”
A knife lodged very close to her ear as she turned a corner.
Unlike Lina, Ameria did not feel she could survive off of robbing
bandits. If she did conquer any bandits, Ameria knew she would take the
coins back to those who had been robbed or give it to a local poor
house.
She paused her thoughts, but continued to dodge the kitchen projectiles
hurled after her. She was a good person. So eventually her luck would
turn. It had to. That was a rule of life, wasn’t it?
She looked up as the higher rise of a building blocked the moon light.
“This sure is creepy.” She muttered as she looked down a dark alley.
She’d finally lost the kitchen maniac, and unfortunately, herself as
well. Cats-eyes reflected back at her through the darkness, and she
heard the distinct sound of saliva dripping as a rather huge set of
cat-eyes trained on her.
She took a slow step back. She wanted to find dinner, not be dinner.
So when was her luck going to turn? Trying to stay calm, she bolted to
her left.
Up ahead she spied a saloon’s weak light in the grimy corridors of the
city.
Without any thought of whether she would be safe inside the “Dragon’s
Jack-Ass” (Complete with a sign shaped like a braying donkey perched on
a dragon), she stumbled inside.
The room, luckily seemed completely empty. Except for one figure at the
end--no, two, for the one standing held the other upside down. The tall,
cloaked figure nonchalantly shook the other with strong purposeful
movements.
“Unhand that man!” Ameria interfered. This was a bar in the suspect
areas of town, she guessed, and surely this was a brawl in progress.
Just the kind of thing a true mistress of Justice needed to stop. Even
if she hadn’t had dinner.
“Sure.” The voice said dryly, as he lifted the man higher into the air
and dropped him onto his head. The stone comprising the floor could not
have felt that good coming into the man’s head at that speed.
Yet the man’s face turned toward Ameria with genuine relief.
“It stopped.” He sighed in a voice so resonant it sounded like a song.
With a gasp, Ameria realized she recognized the victim. It was the man she’d met earlier in the woods. He didn’t look quite so beautiful at
the moment, his face rather bashed in, with drool dripping as
ungracefully as a broken tap. “Help me.” He gurgled around the blood.
Ameria pointed a finger at the man’s assailant.”How dare you beat people
up like this? The bartender may forgive you, but I, and those of good
manners, will not!”
She couldn’t see the attacker’s reaction. He’d stepped back into the
shadows the minute she began her speech. Yet she could see his bare
outline. His posture told her he found her speech both amusing and
irrelevant.
“Villains like you--”
“Who is the villain? He attempted to steal from me.” The attacker said
quietly. “And succeeded with others.”
Before Ameria could say anything, she saw a small sack tossed her way.
She caught it, and with a gasp realized it was her bag of newly minted
gold coins.
“This gold!” She said surprised. She frowned and looked down at where
the “victim” lay slowly starting to become aware of his situation. “How
did you get this!?”
“How do you think?.” The stranger said, allowing the barest hint of
emotion to reach into his voice. “Your “victim” here had it on him, but
you can keep the gold. I have no need of it. I’m after other things.”
“But ...” She pointed down. “I helped him earlier! He can’t be a
robber!”
The man shrugged. “Possibly he is worse. Look at that gold carefully.”
Ameria frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Perhaps this might help.” He tossed her a bracelet. In the dim light
she could barely make out the star pattern and the pink gold strap.
It looked surprisingly like her own bracelet. She looked at wrist to
compare, but found hers was gone. She looked at the one she held.
In the center were a pair of balanced scales, like the one she’d lost.
“It’s inscribed with the royal pattern of Sairune!” She said surprised.
One hand stole up to her ears. Her earrings appeared to be gone too.
“He may have kidnapped or robbed the princess of Sairune.” The stranger
said. “I was merely inquiring where she might be when you stopped me.”
“Bounty?” She said horrified.
“He hasn’t seen her though. Are you done wasting my time?”
“Yes...I mean no! What do you mean bounty?”
“The Prince of Sawpht placed one on her. When I realized this was
her bracelet, I thought...” He trailed off. “I should not
get distracted. I’m sure she’ll be fine.” He said this more to himself
than to her for he looked down at the ground. “You can keep the
bracelet.”
“I am.” She said indignantly, and a bit proudly. Even though he was
barely an inch taller, she managed to look down her nose at him. “
It belongs to me.”
He looked up swiftly. “*You’re* Ameria Will Tesla Sairune?” His voice
indicated he did not believe her.
She nodded. “So, who are you?” She said haughtily.
Zelgadis stepped into the light, lowering his hood. “You know who I
am.” A faint smile vanished from his lips. “What are you doing here
Ameria?” He asked with some concern.
“I should ask that of you!” She said excitedly. “ I haven’t seen you in
so long! Zelgadis, I can’t believe this! Its so wonderful.”
She ran forward as if to hug him, but he held out one hand to stop her.
“Not really. There is a bounty on you, and I’m afraid those men behind
you have come to collect.” He said as calmly as he might have pointed
out that she was letting the rain in rather than a few dangerously
deranged bounty hunters. “I suggest you get down.”
*********************************************************
Next part: “On the Road Again!”
In which Ameria meets a Mudd-Man, ten copies of her sister, a
calculating Gourry-look alike, and a master designer of Monsters.
Can she escape from the House of Diol?
(
geocities.com/tokyo/island) (
geocities.com/tokyo)