Slayers Gears Chapter 2
Apr. 11th, 2012 02:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
eastofthemoonAlright, there is chapter 2 of Slayers Gears. The good news is that I'm only a couple of chapters away from finishing the rough draft, so hopefully it won't be a long wait between chapters soon.
Title: Slayers Gears
Series: Slayers
Rating: PG
Summary: A steampunk AU setting. Bad enough that world class sorceress and inventor, Lina Inverse, gets black mailed into accepting a job, and has a jellyfish mechanic working for her, but she soon finds herself in a situation that could destroy the world. Will her inventions and magic be enough to save it?
Chapter 2
Fix A Broken Heart?
“Lina, what was that about?”
Lina marched to the backroom. “Nothing you have to worry about.”
Gourry grabbed her by the shoulder. “Don’t give me that! That guy was threatening you, and I want to know why!”
“It’s none of your business,” Lina snapped, brushing his hand away. “It’s safer for you if you don’t know.”
“Lina, I’m working for you, I have the right to know.” He folded his arms. “Besides, what kind of man would I be if I ignored a lady who’s obviously in trouble?”
“I’m a big girl, Gourry, I can take care of myself.”
The mechanic frowned and gently placed both hands on her shoulders. “Lina, please, I want to help. Tell me what’s going on. They say two heads are better than three.”
Lina sighed. “That’s ‘better than one’, Gourry.” She tapped her foot, staring at the floor. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to know. If she found out her boss was hiding something she’d want to know too. Still, she didn’t like the idea of telling someone her secrets, but on the other hand, it was pointless to pretend at this stage of the game.
She glanced back. “Make some tea and grab some cookies. If I’m telling a story, I want refreshments.”
Gourry nodded and went into the small kitchen. Lina sat at the table, tugging at her goggles as the tea kettle boiled. Shortly, Gourry placed a plate of cookies near her. She waited until the tea was ready and she had a fresh cup in her hand before she started her tale.
“It was around half a year now I think, when I got into a bit of trouble. As I told you, I study both magic and technology, and I’m rather a genius at it.” She smiled smugly. “In fact the sorcerer’s and the scientist’s guilds were fighting over me to join them. Anyway, everything was fine and dandy until the sorcerer’s guild found something.”
Gourry nibbled at his cookie. “What? Some kind of treasure?”
“Not just any treasure,” Lina kept her lips in a firm line. “In an ancient ruin, they found copies of the pages from the Claire Bible manuscript.”
Gourry blinked. “The Claire what?”
Lina spat out her mouthful of tea. “What do you mean ‘what’?! You’ve never heard of the Claire Bible?!”
“I don’t study magic,” Gourry replied simply.
“So? Even a 3 year old has heard of it!” She sighed. How could anyone be this dense? “The Claire Bible is the left over memories and power of the Water Dragon King after he died battling Gaav the Demon Dragon King.” Lina dunked her cookie into her tea. “Over the centuries, scholars have doubted that the Claire Bible actually exists, mainly because each time a copy of the manuscript was found it was mysteriously burned or went missing soon after its discovery.” She bit into her cookie. “In fact, the pages that were found in Zephilia were also mysteriously destroyed in a fire a month later. There were rumours the Revolutionaries were behind that particular incident, but there was no clear evidence.”
Gourry frowned. “So, what does this have to do with you?”
Lina smirked. “Before the pages were destroyed, I managed to snag a peek at them and memorized two passages out of it.” Slothfully, she traced her finger over the rim of her teacup. “I told my sister about it and we decided to try it out. So, we went to the old lake nobody visited, except for maybe the odd fishermen. I combined the incantations and tried out the spell.” The chills came back as the memories resurfaced. “Sis and I never would have tried it out if we knew what kind of power it produced.”
Gourry sweated. “Did it really destroy the lake?”
“Not just the lake, the whole land around the lake was devastated. The grass and trees were turned to ash.” The smell of the place still haunted her. It was a weird combination of brimstone and cinders. “Nothing will be able to live in that place for one thousand years at least. I named the spell the Giga Slave, because although it’s similar to the Dragon Slave it has a more gigantic effect.”
The mechanic frowned and leaned on his elbows. “And that’s why you left home?”
Lina rested her cheek on her palm. “I didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t going to take long for the Revolutionaries to figure out who cast the spell and I refused to put my family in danger because of it. Mom and Dad were reluctant, but after Sis talked to them, they agreed I should lay low until the heat died down.” She grimaced. “And that plan was working just fine until today.”
Gourry patted her shoulder. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me blabbing. My grandma told me it’s not honourable to tell a person’s secrets, but what about this Zelgadis?” He drummed his fingers. “He might still turn you in even if you complete his job to the letter.”
Lina massaged her temples. “Believe me, I am fully aware of that, but right now, he’s got me between a rock and a hard place. I’ll have to do what he says, until I can think of a way out of this mess.”
Gourry stroked his chin. “I would’ve suggested seducing him with your sexual wiles but I highly doubt that will have any affect with your body.”
Lina twitched. “Gourry, be careful with your words, I have no problem adding ‘murder’ to my list of crimes.”
“Oh come on, can’t you take a joke?”
The red head simply glared as she gulped her tea.
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It didn’t take too long to locate the Skylark Inn, although its location surprised Lina. It was in the shadier area of downtown Seyrune where a lot of the city’s lowlifes tended to hang out. It wasn’t exactly a common first choice on the Noble’s list of “Areas we need to visit”. This only tripled Lina’s suspicions about the man. “If a nobleman like him is forcing himself to stay near the bottom of the social ladder, it must be because he’s hiding.”
The innkeeper told them where they could find Zelgadis’ room. As she and Gourry were stared at by the other residents, Lina couldn’t help but grip the small dagger she kept in her pocket. A girl couldn’t be too careless when hanging out with lowlifes. She was glad she had Gourry as backup. It wasn’t that Lina couldn’t take care of herself, but it made her feel more at ease having someone able to watch her back.
Lina spotted the door and knocked. The door opened with a small crack, revealing one eye. Once Zelgadis saw who knocked, he fully opened the door and gestured for them to come in.
“I had thought you were going to come alone?” Zelgadis asked, as he looked to Gourry.
“He’s my assistant; if I’m taking your job I’m going to need his help.” Lina folded her arms. “I can vouch for him if you’re worried about Gourry keeping his mouth shut. Besides,” Lina raised an eyebrow “Can you blame me for wanting backup, especially for meeting you in this part of town? It wouldn’t do you much good if I got stabbed and robbed.”
Zelgadis eyes momentarily narrowed, but then shrugged. “I guess I can’t blame you. Very well. I’ll let him stay.”
Lina rolled her eyes and took a moment to glance around. The room was average at best, but Lina was just content to see the small area was clean. She had pictured there being a few rats hiding under the bed when they first found the inn.
“I can order us some drinks if you like,” Zelgadis offered, “But, I’ve seen the cellar and I honestly think you have a better chance of not getting sick by drinking bathwater.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Lina commented as she and Gourry each pulled up a chair. “Let’s get down to business.”
The nobleman nodded and sat at the other end of the table. “You’ll be happy to know that the job I want to hire you for is simple. I need you to fix something.”
Lina scoffed, tipping back in her chair. “What did you do? Break the family’s grandfather clock?”
Zelgadis removed his jacket. “Not exactly,” and then began to unbutton his shirt.
Gourry’s eyes widened and he stood up. “Hey, what are you-“
“I’m not doing anything indecent, I assure you,” Zelgadis replied as he finished with the last button. He took a deep breath and gradually, removed his shirt.
Lina leaned forward, biting her lower lip. A million birds were flapping in her stomach. A long thick scar was diagonally carved into the nobleman’s skin. It went from Zelgadis’s right shoulder and all the way down to his waist. She said nothing, but the birds in her stomach were flapping and honking like wild geese.
Zelgadis placed his left hand over his chest. “What I need you to fix is my heart.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to go to a doctor then?” Gourry asked confused, but he too seemed concerned by the scar.
Lina uncomfortably drummed her fingers on the table. “I bet he would if it was a regular heart, but I’m guessing you have something special.”
Zelgadis nodded. “A few months ago, I was…in an accident and my heart was stabbed. I was at death’s door, but my life was spared.” His fingers traced the faded scar. “I was saved by having a mechanical heart put in its place.”
Lina stared dumbfounded at the spot where Zelgadis’ heart lay. “How? There have been theories on mechanical hearts, but nobody has been able to perfect it. They keep rusting and stopping a few days after being inserted, and that’s if a person is able to hook up the nerves and the veins properly. Who was your inventor that did this?”
Zelgadis’ fists tightened. “I’m afraid that information I’ll keep to myself and this heart isn’t just made out of gears and metal.” He paused. “It’s also powered by magic.”
Lina leaped out of her chair. “Are you serious?!”
Zelgadis nodded as he redid the buttons on his shirt. “The inventor who made this cast spells on it to keep it from rusting and to ensure it keeps running. He also used a couple of white magic spells to reconnect the heart to the blood veins.”
Lina was still speechless. For somebody to successfully create a mechanical heart that was powered by magic, they had to be both an expert in technology and magic. Even if some regular mechanic did swallow enough of his pride to learn a couple of spells, the kind of magic this would required was high level magic that would take years to master. She was starting to understand why Zelgadis needed her specifically, but there was still one question.
“Your heart is still functioning properly?”
“I’m still walking, talking and breathing,” Zelgadis replied, slipping his jacket back on. “In fact, my body has appeared to have gotten stronger because of it.”
“Then, I don’t get it,” Gourry replied. “If your heart is working fine, why do you need Lina?”
Zelgadis flinched. “It has one unexpected side effect.” He appeared hesitant, but he removed his gloves and laid his blue hands on the table.
Lina stared shocked and reached out to touch his hand. Quickly, he drew his hand back, but then Zelgadis stretched it out again. “Sorry, I’m still not comfortable with people seeing this.”
Lina nodded and gently touched his skin. She gulped. “It’s made of stone.”
“It began 3 months ago and it’s no longer just my hand.” Zelgadis closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. “It’s now up to my shoulders. My body is slowly turning to stone.”
Lina frowned. “Okay, I can understand why you need my help. This isn’t something you want just any person knowing about. I’m sure there are a couple of mad scientists out there who would love to turn you into their next science experiment.” She leaned on her hand. “But why don’t you go to the inventor that created your heart in the first place?”
Zelgadis’ eyes narrowed. “I don’t trust him and that’s all I’ll say on the matter.” He looked up. “So, will you help me?”
Lina coughed. As if she had a choice. “I can try, but I have to be honest, I haven’t done much research in this field. It will take me awhile to figure it out.”
“That’s fine with me,” Zelgadis replied, appearing more relaxed. “I just want to have somebody to be able to cure me. Besides my inventor, you’re the only other person who I could find to have enough knowledge to fix this.”
Lina folded her arms. “You said you were going to pay me? Mind telling me how? Since you’re staying here, you can’t have that much money.”
Zelgadis smirked. “You need to be a bit more faithful.” He reached into his pocket and brought out a small pouch. The contents of the bags were dumped onto the table.
The dollar signs lit up in Lina’s eyes. There were diamonds, rubies, an emerald, pieces of jewelry, and even a small orihalcon statue. All together, these items could pay for her meals for at least a couple of months.
“I made sure to snag a few items before I left home.” Zelgadis picked up the orihalcon statue. “I’m sure this alone will fetch a hefty price. I’ll give you all of these as my payment.”
“Deal!” Lina said, shaking his head and not taking her eyes off the glittering gems.
Gourry sighed. “So much for resisting temptation.”
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Lina and Zelgadis worked out the final details of the agreement and made plans for Zelgadis to come to the shop the next morning. Lina was still suspicious of him, since he was clearly not telling her everything. For now, however, she was getting paid, so she was happy. There was no immediate demand for getting Zelgadis to tell her everything. Lina would just wait. Unfortunately, the need seemed to come much quicker than she had planned.
Zelgadis followed Lina and Gourry down the stairs and had intended to escort them to the door. He was in a calm mood, until a voice yelled “Master Zelgadis!” He froze in mid-step.
Lina ended up running into his back. “Zelgadis! What’s the idea?”
He answered with a curse as he glanced to the left of the stairs. Near the inn door stood an older man carrying a long sword at his hip. As soon as Zelgadis spotted him, the man raced to the bottom of the stairs.
“Rodimus,” Zelgadis muttered.
“Friend of yours?” Gourry asked.
The nobleman whirled around, panic visible in his face. “I have to go. I’ll meet you at your shop later.”
Lina frowned. “Zelgadis, what-“
Zelgadis shoved her aside as he ran up the stairs. “Wait! Master Zelgadis!” Rodimus bellowed as he ran up the stairs, but he was forced to stop as Gourry blocked him. The old man glared, bringing out his sword. “Get out of my way, boy.”
Gourry’s eyes narrowed, reaching for his own sword. “Lina, go after Zel. I’ll take care of this guy, but watch your back.”
Lina nodded as she ran off.
Rodimus glared. “You’re the one who should watch your back, boy.”
Gourry smirked, gripping his sword tightly. “We’ll see about that.”
Zelgadis frantically kicked the door to his room open and grabbed his pouch. Swiftly, he hitched his sword to his belt. In truth, he wasn’t shocked that Rodimus had managed to find him. The old knight had probably vowed he wouldn’t rest until he did.
That was precisely the reason why Zelgadis made certain to never stay in one town for more than a few days. His hope had been that he had travelled far enough from home that Rodimus wouldn’t be able track him to Seyrune for months. Zelgadis never anticipated that Rodimus would find him so quickly.
“I’ll have to hide out in Lina’s shop” Zelgadis thought, as he ran to the window, “Until I can find a more suitable hiding place.” The nobleman threw open the shutters and jumped out of the window. He cast Levitation as his body started to fall. His descent slowed down as the spell took over and Zelgadis gently landed in the alley.
Zelgadis smirked. “Now I can-“
A loud clang from behind echoed in the air. Zelgadis body was paralyzed. He could barely turn his neck as he spotted a dagger pinning his shadow.
“A shadow snap?” Zelgadis choked out.
“Sorry, Master Zelgadis, but you left me no choice.” A figure appeared from the dark end of the alley.
“Zolf?!”
Zelgadis watched helplessly, as his former magic tutor walked around in front of him. “I told Rodimus you would jump out of the window, but he never listens to me.”
“Let me go!” Zelgadis ordered. He glared fiercely at Zolf.
Zolf shook his head. “Can’t do that. It’s time for you to be a good boy and come home.”
“You can’t make me,” Zelgadis growled.
Zolf sighed in the same manners he did when he had caught Zelgadis playing hooky on his lessons as a child. “I’m afraid you misunderstood, Master Zelgadis. It wasn’t a request.”
Zelgadis willed for his hands to move, but he couldn’t even get his pinky to budge. Suddenly a voice yelled.
“Zelgadis! Hold your breath!”
A large round ball dropped from the window. Obeying, Zelgadis took a deep breath. The ball crashed. Thick smoke smothered the alley.
Zolf collapsed wheezing and coughing. “A…smoke bomb…?”
Zelgadis heard someone landing and felt a hand on his shoulder as Lina came in view. “Hang on, Zelgadis, I’ll spring you loose.”
The nobleman was never so happy in his life to see a lighting spell being cast. His shadow was freed and he bolted, grabbing Lina’s arm.
He momentarily looked back at Zolf, feeling a small pang of guilt. “Sorry, Zolf,’ He muttered. The pair ran out of the alley and into the street.
“Where’s Gourry?” Zelgadis asked.
Lina went to open her mouth, when the inn’s door burst open and Gourry came flying through and slammed against the pavement.
“Does that answer your question?” Lina asked as they rushed over.
Gourry clutched his sword and wipe a trickle of blood off his lip. “I have to admit, you’re not bad old man!”
Rodimus rushed onto the street. “Neither are you!” he replied, going into battle stance. He then spotted Zelgadis, but he didn’t break his posture. “Master Zelgadis, I beseech you, please come back with us.”
“I can’t do that Rodimus!” Zelgadis replied, reaching for his own sword.
Rodimus shook his head. “Then we’ll have to use force-“
“Freeze arrow!” Zolf yelled from the alleyway.
Lina whirled around. “Flare arrow!”
The spells clashed. The bright flash stunned everyone’s eyes as they tumbled back.
“Zolf! Watch it!” Rodimus hollered.
“Hey! It’s not my fault she cast a flare arrow!”
Lina grinned as an idea entered her genius brain. She slipped her goggles over her eyes and dug into her pocket. “This is getting us nowhere. Guys get ready to run and shield your eyes!” She brought out a flash bomb and tossed it.
A bright flash engulfed the street. A series of yells and cries of pain from Zolf and Rodimus soon followed. With the goggles protecting her sight, Lina grabbed Gourry and Zelgadis’s arms and pulled them away from the light. She forced them to keep running as she heard the city’s guardsmen arriving to investigate the disturbance, but it wasn’t going to be fast enough.
“Zelgadis, cast Levitation. We have to get out of here.”
“Understood,” Zelgadis said as he muttered an incantation.
“Huh,” Gourry replied. “I don’t know any spells. You guys are just going to ditch me?”
“No,” Lina replied as she floated in the air. “We’re carrying you. Zelgadis take his right arm, I’ll grab the other one.”
“WAIT!” the mechanic protested as the pair took hold. “I’m afraid of heights!” Gourry let out a terrified scream as he was carried up in the air.
“If you don’t shut up, we could just drop you,” Lina snapped.
Taking a look at the ground far below his feet, Gourry decided it would be better to stay quiet and suffered in silence as they made their way back to the shop.
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“Okay Zelgadis, spill.”
The nobleman barely glanced up from his seat. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Lina’s eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. “Look, I know you didn’t tell us the whole story about your ‘predicament’ and I can appreciate that a guy like you needs to keep his secrets.” She leaned over the table. “However, that was before Gourry and I had to risk our necks to save your butt. So, you owe it to us to tell us the WHOLE story.”
Zelgadis made no expression as he looked to Lina and the shaking Gourry who was still trying to recover from his flight across the city. He placed his elbows on the table and shook his head.
“I guess I have no choice at this point.” He rubbed his glove hands together. “Those men you encountered earlier were Rodimus and Zolf. They’re servants who work for my family and they also used to be my tutors.” He leaned his chin on his hands. “I’m assuming they came to fetch me and force me to go back home, which I can’t afford to do.”
Lina raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you a little old to be running away from home?”
“It’s not that simple!” Zelgadis snapped. “The reason I’m in this mess is because of my grandfather.”
Lina clicked her tongue. “Was he the one who created your heart?”
Zelgadis grimly nodded.
“I have to say I’m surprised. It’s one thing for a nobleman to study magic, but to also study technology? That’s a big taboo for a noble isn’t it?”
Gourry blinked. “Why would he want a tattoo?”
Lina whacked the mechanic with his slipper. “Not tattoo! Taboo! It’s a common trait for people in the high class to look down on anyone who works with machines or technology.”
“Most noble families support the royal governments and oppose the Revolutionaries” Zelgadis continued. “And since the Revolutionaries support technology, the noble class will cling to magic out of spite.”
Gourry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know that much. I just didn’t know what taboo meant.”
Lina sighed. “Anyway, it’s rather surprising to hear a nobleman studying both fields.”
Zelgadis bit his tongue. “My grandfather originally studied only magic, but within the last 20 years he started to study technology as well. He was hoping to cure his blindness.”
The last line stopped Lina cold. “Blindness?” Her eyes widened. There was only one nobleman she could think of who was blind and had the mastery of magic required to create Zelgadis’s heart. She gulped. “Your grandfather isn’t Rezo the Red Priest is he?”
Zelgadis grimaced, but nodded.
“Who?” Gourry asked.
Lina and Zelgadis almost fell out of their chairs. “You never heard of Rezo the Red Priest?!” She threw her hands up in the air. “He’s one of the legendary five great sages.” She slapped her forehead. “Wait, why am I surprised? If you have never heard of the Claire Bible, it’s obvious you wouldn’t have heard of Rezo.”
Zelgadis’ jaw dropped. “He’s never heard of the Claire Bible?!”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Gourry grumbled.
Lina sat down. “Rezo the Red Priest is a world renowned healer, who’s healed millions of people. However, there’s a bit of irony in his case.”
“Yes,” Zelgadis agreed. “Rezo has been blind since birth, which is why he started studying magic in the first place; despite his best efforts he has found no cure. So, while he’s been able to heal other people, he’s never been able to heal his own eyes.”
“But now this is even more confusing,” Lina replied, turning back to Zelgadis. “If Rezo of all people was the one that created your heart, why don’t you have him fix it?”
“Because I don’t trust him.” Zelgadis’ fists tightened. “The reason this contraption was put in me was because of an accident I had, but now I’m wondering if he was somehow behind it and planned it.”
Lina frowned. “Start at the beginning.”
Zelgadis ran his hand through his hair. “It actually started before the accident. For the last year or so, Rezo has been acting oddly. He would spend weeks on end down in his lab, but that didn’t concern me. He’d always spend a lot of time in his lab. It was his violent mood swings that concerned me.”
He frowned. “He would have sudden outbursts and started smashing everything in his lab. He’s even attacked our maid Ozel a few times.” Zelgadis shook his head. “Rezo would always apologize soon afterward, but it still felt wrong to me. I’ve never seen him act like that and Rodimus was concerned as well, but Zolf just thought he was stressed by his research.”
Zelgadis closed his eyes as he remembered. “But then, he spent a whole month down in his lab and one night I heard this loud noise, like a rumble. It sounded like an earthquake. I decided to investigate to see if Rezo was alright.”
He cringed at the next part of his story. “The last thing I remember was climbing down the stairs and seeing Rezo working on this robot model. The floor was covered in magic wards and there was a large machine. Before I could ask Rezo what he was doing, there was an explosion and a steel beam flew towards me.”
He shuddered. “All I remember was intense pain before I blacked out. It was a week later before I woke up with Rezo hovering over me. He told me the steel beam went straight through my heart and I was dying. Having no other choice, he implanted the mechanical heart he had been working on.”
“So, he saved your life,” Gourry mentioned.
“Yes, and I was grateful and assumed that was the end of it.” He stared at his hands as he folded them. “But when my hands started to turn to stone, I began to wonder if this whole thing was truly an accident. I especially got suspicious when I snuck to this lab and found his notes.
“Everything was about curing his eyesight and there were so many…disturbing experiments. He was so obsessed with it. This mechanical heart he created was originally a theory about how to cure his eyesight and when I thought about his violent behaviour…”
Lina drummed her fingers. “You’re wondering if maybe you were a guinea pig?”
Zelgadis grimly nodded. “I decided I couldn’t fully trust Rezo. I didn’t want to risk him experimenting on me for Ceipheed knows what else. So, I began to see if I could find someone else to help me.”
“Which led you to me.” Lina sighed. “Wonderful.”
“Will you still help me?” Zelgadis asked.
“Do you still plan to blackmail me?”
“Yes.”
“Then that answers that question doesn’t it.” Lina shook her head. “For the time being, it’s probably better if you stay here. Zolf and Rodimus will no doubt be hunting you down in every inn in the city.”
Gourry folded his arms. “But won’t they just track him down to your shop?”
“Yeah, but they don’t know who I am and there are a ton of inns in this city for them to check out first.” Lina winked. “It’s going to take them a while to figure out where I am. So, we’re safe.”
“For the time being at least,” Zelgadis replied as he stood. “If you don’t mind I would like to go to bed. It’s been an exhausting day.”
Lina pointed upward. “Take the third room on the right, but don’t you dare think you can sneak into my room in the middle of the night.”
Zelgadis sighed, sounding very tired. “Like that will ever happen. Believe me, I have no intention of disturbing you and Gourry.”
Lina choked. “What? G-Gourry and I aren’t together!”
The mechanic stared, not sure what to think.
Zelgadis blinked. “Really? You two acted so much like a married couple I had assumed you were-“
“WE’RE NOT!” Lina growled.
The nobleman stared at her and nodded. “Ah, I see now. It’s that kind of relationship.”
Lina twitched. “What exactly do you mean ‘that kind’?”
Zelgadis yawned. “I’m sorry, but I’ll bid you good night. I’m going to bed,” and he proceeded off to bed.
Lina glared at his back, but decided to drop the topic. She could just kill him in his sleep later.
Meanwhile, just outside the shop a dark figure grinned wolfishly. “Well, at least we found him.” He rubbed the hilt of his sword and walked away down the alley. For the moment, he’d leave them alone. He had to make his report first, but once he was done with that and he could gather up some backup, then the fun would begin.
Title: Slayers Gears
Series: Slayers
Rating: PG
Summary: A steampunk AU setting. Bad enough that world class sorceress and inventor, Lina Inverse, gets black mailed into accepting a job, and has a jellyfish mechanic working for her, but she soon finds herself in a situation that could destroy the world. Will her inventions and magic be enough to save it?
Chapter 2
Fix A Broken Heart?
“Lina, what was that about?”
Lina marched to the backroom. “Nothing you have to worry about.”
Gourry grabbed her by the shoulder. “Don’t give me that! That guy was threatening you, and I want to know why!”
“It’s none of your business,” Lina snapped, brushing his hand away. “It’s safer for you if you don’t know.”
“Lina, I’m working for you, I have the right to know.” He folded his arms. “Besides, what kind of man would I be if I ignored a lady who’s obviously in trouble?”
“I’m a big girl, Gourry, I can take care of myself.”
The mechanic frowned and gently placed both hands on her shoulders. “Lina, please, I want to help. Tell me what’s going on. They say two heads are better than three.”
Lina sighed. “That’s ‘better than one’, Gourry.” She tapped her foot, staring at the floor. She couldn’t blame him for wanting to know. If she found out her boss was hiding something she’d want to know too. Still, she didn’t like the idea of telling someone her secrets, but on the other hand, it was pointless to pretend at this stage of the game.
She glanced back. “Make some tea and grab some cookies. If I’m telling a story, I want refreshments.”
Gourry nodded and went into the small kitchen. Lina sat at the table, tugging at her goggles as the tea kettle boiled. Shortly, Gourry placed a plate of cookies near her. She waited until the tea was ready and she had a fresh cup in her hand before she started her tale.
“It was around half a year now I think, when I got into a bit of trouble. As I told you, I study both magic and technology, and I’m rather a genius at it.” She smiled smugly. “In fact the sorcerer’s and the scientist’s guilds were fighting over me to join them. Anyway, everything was fine and dandy until the sorcerer’s guild found something.”
Gourry nibbled at his cookie. “What? Some kind of treasure?”
“Not just any treasure,” Lina kept her lips in a firm line. “In an ancient ruin, they found copies of the pages from the Claire Bible manuscript.”
Gourry blinked. “The Claire what?”
Lina spat out her mouthful of tea. “What do you mean ‘what’?! You’ve never heard of the Claire Bible?!”
“I don’t study magic,” Gourry replied simply.
“So? Even a 3 year old has heard of it!” She sighed. How could anyone be this dense? “The Claire Bible is the left over memories and power of the Water Dragon King after he died battling Gaav the Demon Dragon King.” Lina dunked her cookie into her tea. “Over the centuries, scholars have doubted that the Claire Bible actually exists, mainly because each time a copy of the manuscript was found it was mysteriously burned or went missing soon after its discovery.” She bit into her cookie. “In fact, the pages that were found in Zephilia were also mysteriously destroyed in a fire a month later. There were rumours the Revolutionaries were behind that particular incident, but there was no clear evidence.”
Gourry frowned. “So, what does this have to do with you?”
Lina smirked. “Before the pages were destroyed, I managed to snag a peek at them and memorized two passages out of it.” Slothfully, she traced her finger over the rim of her teacup. “I told my sister about it and we decided to try it out. So, we went to the old lake nobody visited, except for maybe the odd fishermen. I combined the incantations and tried out the spell.” The chills came back as the memories resurfaced. “Sis and I never would have tried it out if we knew what kind of power it produced.”
Gourry sweated. “Did it really destroy the lake?”
“Not just the lake, the whole land around the lake was devastated. The grass and trees were turned to ash.” The smell of the place still haunted her. It was a weird combination of brimstone and cinders. “Nothing will be able to live in that place for one thousand years at least. I named the spell the Giga Slave, because although it’s similar to the Dragon Slave it has a more gigantic effect.”
The mechanic frowned and leaned on his elbows. “And that’s why you left home?”
Lina rested her cheek on her palm. “I didn’t have a choice. It wasn’t going to take long for the Revolutionaries to figure out who cast the spell and I refused to put my family in danger because of it. Mom and Dad were reluctant, but after Sis talked to them, they agreed I should lay low until the heat died down.” She grimaced. “And that plan was working just fine until today.”
Gourry patted her shoulder. “Well, you don’t have to worry about me blabbing. My grandma told me it’s not honourable to tell a person’s secrets, but what about this Zelgadis?” He drummed his fingers. “He might still turn you in even if you complete his job to the letter.”
Lina massaged her temples. “Believe me, I am fully aware of that, but right now, he’s got me between a rock and a hard place. I’ll have to do what he says, until I can think of a way out of this mess.”
Gourry stroked his chin. “I would’ve suggested seducing him with your sexual wiles but I highly doubt that will have any affect with your body.”
Lina twitched. “Gourry, be careful with your words, I have no problem adding ‘murder’ to my list of crimes.”
“Oh come on, can’t you take a joke?”
The red head simply glared as she gulped her tea.
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It didn’t take too long to locate the Skylark Inn, although its location surprised Lina. It was in the shadier area of downtown Seyrune where a lot of the city’s lowlifes tended to hang out. It wasn’t exactly a common first choice on the Noble’s list of “Areas we need to visit”. This only tripled Lina’s suspicions about the man. “If a nobleman like him is forcing himself to stay near the bottom of the social ladder, it must be because he’s hiding.”
The innkeeper told them where they could find Zelgadis’ room. As she and Gourry were stared at by the other residents, Lina couldn’t help but grip the small dagger she kept in her pocket. A girl couldn’t be too careless when hanging out with lowlifes. She was glad she had Gourry as backup. It wasn’t that Lina couldn’t take care of herself, but it made her feel more at ease having someone able to watch her back.
Lina spotted the door and knocked. The door opened with a small crack, revealing one eye. Once Zelgadis saw who knocked, he fully opened the door and gestured for them to come in.
“I had thought you were going to come alone?” Zelgadis asked, as he looked to Gourry.
“He’s my assistant; if I’m taking your job I’m going to need his help.” Lina folded her arms. “I can vouch for him if you’re worried about Gourry keeping his mouth shut. Besides,” Lina raised an eyebrow “Can you blame me for wanting backup, especially for meeting you in this part of town? It wouldn’t do you much good if I got stabbed and robbed.”
Zelgadis eyes momentarily narrowed, but then shrugged. “I guess I can’t blame you. Very well. I’ll let him stay.”
Lina rolled her eyes and took a moment to glance around. The room was average at best, but Lina was just content to see the small area was clean. She had pictured there being a few rats hiding under the bed when they first found the inn.
“I can order us some drinks if you like,” Zelgadis offered, “But, I’ve seen the cellar and I honestly think you have a better chance of not getting sick by drinking bathwater.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” Lina commented as she and Gourry each pulled up a chair. “Let’s get down to business.”
The nobleman nodded and sat at the other end of the table. “You’ll be happy to know that the job I want to hire you for is simple. I need you to fix something.”
Lina scoffed, tipping back in her chair. “What did you do? Break the family’s grandfather clock?”
Zelgadis removed his jacket. “Not exactly,” and then began to unbutton his shirt.
Gourry’s eyes widened and he stood up. “Hey, what are you-“
“I’m not doing anything indecent, I assure you,” Zelgadis replied as he finished with the last button. He took a deep breath and gradually, removed his shirt.
Lina leaned forward, biting her lower lip. A million birds were flapping in her stomach. A long thick scar was diagonally carved into the nobleman’s skin. It went from Zelgadis’s right shoulder and all the way down to his waist. She said nothing, but the birds in her stomach were flapping and honking like wild geese.
Zelgadis placed his left hand over his chest. “What I need you to fix is my heart.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to go to a doctor then?” Gourry asked confused, but he too seemed concerned by the scar.
Lina uncomfortably drummed her fingers on the table. “I bet he would if it was a regular heart, but I’m guessing you have something special.”
Zelgadis nodded. “A few months ago, I was…in an accident and my heart was stabbed. I was at death’s door, but my life was spared.” His fingers traced the faded scar. “I was saved by having a mechanical heart put in its place.”
Lina stared dumbfounded at the spot where Zelgadis’ heart lay. “How? There have been theories on mechanical hearts, but nobody has been able to perfect it. They keep rusting and stopping a few days after being inserted, and that’s if a person is able to hook up the nerves and the veins properly. Who was your inventor that did this?”
Zelgadis’ fists tightened. “I’m afraid that information I’ll keep to myself and this heart isn’t just made out of gears and metal.” He paused. “It’s also powered by magic.”
Lina leaped out of her chair. “Are you serious?!”
Zelgadis nodded as he redid the buttons on his shirt. “The inventor who made this cast spells on it to keep it from rusting and to ensure it keeps running. He also used a couple of white magic spells to reconnect the heart to the blood veins.”
Lina was still speechless. For somebody to successfully create a mechanical heart that was powered by magic, they had to be both an expert in technology and magic. Even if some regular mechanic did swallow enough of his pride to learn a couple of spells, the kind of magic this would required was high level magic that would take years to master. She was starting to understand why Zelgadis needed her specifically, but there was still one question.
“Your heart is still functioning properly?”
“I’m still walking, talking and breathing,” Zelgadis replied, slipping his jacket back on. “In fact, my body has appeared to have gotten stronger because of it.”
“Then, I don’t get it,” Gourry replied. “If your heart is working fine, why do you need Lina?”
Zelgadis flinched. “It has one unexpected side effect.” He appeared hesitant, but he removed his gloves and laid his blue hands on the table.
Lina stared shocked and reached out to touch his hand. Quickly, he drew his hand back, but then Zelgadis stretched it out again. “Sorry, I’m still not comfortable with people seeing this.”
Lina nodded and gently touched his skin. She gulped. “It’s made of stone.”
“It began 3 months ago and it’s no longer just my hand.” Zelgadis closed his eyes and ran his hand through his hair. “It’s now up to my shoulders. My body is slowly turning to stone.”
Lina frowned. “Okay, I can understand why you need my help. This isn’t something you want just any person knowing about. I’m sure there are a couple of mad scientists out there who would love to turn you into their next science experiment.” She leaned on her hand. “But why don’t you go to the inventor that created your heart in the first place?”
Zelgadis’ eyes narrowed. “I don’t trust him and that’s all I’ll say on the matter.” He looked up. “So, will you help me?”
Lina coughed. As if she had a choice. “I can try, but I have to be honest, I haven’t done much research in this field. It will take me awhile to figure it out.”
“That’s fine with me,” Zelgadis replied, appearing more relaxed. “I just want to have somebody to be able to cure me. Besides my inventor, you’re the only other person who I could find to have enough knowledge to fix this.”
Lina folded her arms. “You said you were going to pay me? Mind telling me how? Since you’re staying here, you can’t have that much money.”
Zelgadis smirked. “You need to be a bit more faithful.” He reached into his pocket and brought out a small pouch. The contents of the bags were dumped onto the table.
The dollar signs lit up in Lina’s eyes. There were diamonds, rubies, an emerald, pieces of jewelry, and even a small orihalcon statue. All together, these items could pay for her meals for at least a couple of months.
“I made sure to snag a few items before I left home.” Zelgadis picked up the orihalcon statue. “I’m sure this alone will fetch a hefty price. I’ll give you all of these as my payment.”
“Deal!” Lina said, shaking his head and not taking her eyes off the glittering gems.
Gourry sighed. “So much for resisting temptation.”
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Lina and Zelgadis worked out the final details of the agreement and made plans for Zelgadis to come to the shop the next morning. Lina was still suspicious of him, since he was clearly not telling her everything. For now, however, she was getting paid, so she was happy. There was no immediate demand for getting Zelgadis to tell her everything. Lina would just wait. Unfortunately, the need seemed to come much quicker than she had planned.
Zelgadis followed Lina and Gourry down the stairs and had intended to escort them to the door. He was in a calm mood, until a voice yelled “Master Zelgadis!” He froze in mid-step.
Lina ended up running into his back. “Zelgadis! What’s the idea?”
He answered with a curse as he glanced to the left of the stairs. Near the inn door stood an older man carrying a long sword at his hip. As soon as Zelgadis spotted him, the man raced to the bottom of the stairs.
“Rodimus,” Zelgadis muttered.
“Friend of yours?” Gourry asked.
The nobleman whirled around, panic visible in his face. “I have to go. I’ll meet you at your shop later.”
Lina frowned. “Zelgadis, what-“
Zelgadis shoved her aside as he ran up the stairs. “Wait! Master Zelgadis!” Rodimus bellowed as he ran up the stairs, but he was forced to stop as Gourry blocked him. The old man glared, bringing out his sword. “Get out of my way, boy.”
Gourry’s eyes narrowed, reaching for his own sword. “Lina, go after Zel. I’ll take care of this guy, but watch your back.”
Lina nodded as she ran off.
Rodimus glared. “You’re the one who should watch your back, boy.”
Gourry smirked, gripping his sword tightly. “We’ll see about that.”
Zelgadis frantically kicked the door to his room open and grabbed his pouch. Swiftly, he hitched his sword to his belt. In truth, he wasn’t shocked that Rodimus had managed to find him. The old knight had probably vowed he wouldn’t rest until he did.
That was precisely the reason why Zelgadis made certain to never stay in one town for more than a few days. His hope had been that he had travelled far enough from home that Rodimus wouldn’t be able track him to Seyrune for months. Zelgadis never anticipated that Rodimus would find him so quickly.
“I’ll have to hide out in Lina’s shop” Zelgadis thought, as he ran to the window, “Until I can find a more suitable hiding place.” The nobleman threw open the shutters and jumped out of the window. He cast Levitation as his body started to fall. His descent slowed down as the spell took over and Zelgadis gently landed in the alley.
Zelgadis smirked. “Now I can-“
A loud clang from behind echoed in the air. Zelgadis body was paralyzed. He could barely turn his neck as he spotted a dagger pinning his shadow.
“A shadow snap?” Zelgadis choked out.
“Sorry, Master Zelgadis, but you left me no choice.” A figure appeared from the dark end of the alley.
“Zolf?!”
Zelgadis watched helplessly, as his former magic tutor walked around in front of him. “I told Rodimus you would jump out of the window, but he never listens to me.”
“Let me go!” Zelgadis ordered. He glared fiercely at Zolf.
Zolf shook his head. “Can’t do that. It’s time for you to be a good boy and come home.”
“You can’t make me,” Zelgadis growled.
Zolf sighed in the same manners he did when he had caught Zelgadis playing hooky on his lessons as a child. “I’m afraid you misunderstood, Master Zelgadis. It wasn’t a request.”
Zelgadis willed for his hands to move, but he couldn’t even get his pinky to budge. Suddenly a voice yelled.
“Zelgadis! Hold your breath!”
A large round ball dropped from the window. Obeying, Zelgadis took a deep breath. The ball crashed. Thick smoke smothered the alley.
Zolf collapsed wheezing and coughing. “A…smoke bomb…?”
Zelgadis heard someone landing and felt a hand on his shoulder as Lina came in view. “Hang on, Zelgadis, I’ll spring you loose.”
The nobleman was never so happy in his life to see a lighting spell being cast. His shadow was freed and he bolted, grabbing Lina’s arm.
He momentarily looked back at Zolf, feeling a small pang of guilt. “Sorry, Zolf,’ He muttered. The pair ran out of the alley and into the street.
“Where’s Gourry?” Zelgadis asked.
Lina went to open her mouth, when the inn’s door burst open and Gourry came flying through and slammed against the pavement.
“Does that answer your question?” Lina asked as they rushed over.
Gourry clutched his sword and wipe a trickle of blood off his lip. “I have to admit, you’re not bad old man!”
Rodimus rushed onto the street. “Neither are you!” he replied, going into battle stance. He then spotted Zelgadis, but he didn’t break his posture. “Master Zelgadis, I beseech you, please come back with us.”
“I can’t do that Rodimus!” Zelgadis replied, reaching for his own sword.
Rodimus shook his head. “Then we’ll have to use force-“
“Freeze arrow!” Zolf yelled from the alleyway.
Lina whirled around. “Flare arrow!”
The spells clashed. The bright flash stunned everyone’s eyes as they tumbled back.
“Zolf! Watch it!” Rodimus hollered.
“Hey! It’s not my fault she cast a flare arrow!”
Lina grinned as an idea entered her genius brain. She slipped her goggles over her eyes and dug into her pocket. “This is getting us nowhere. Guys get ready to run and shield your eyes!” She brought out a flash bomb and tossed it.
A bright flash engulfed the street. A series of yells and cries of pain from Zolf and Rodimus soon followed. With the goggles protecting her sight, Lina grabbed Gourry and Zelgadis’s arms and pulled them away from the light. She forced them to keep running as she heard the city’s guardsmen arriving to investigate the disturbance, but it wasn’t going to be fast enough.
“Zelgadis, cast Levitation. We have to get out of here.”
“Understood,” Zelgadis said as he muttered an incantation.
“Huh,” Gourry replied. “I don’t know any spells. You guys are just going to ditch me?”
“No,” Lina replied as she floated in the air. “We’re carrying you. Zelgadis take his right arm, I’ll grab the other one.”
“WAIT!” the mechanic protested as the pair took hold. “I’m afraid of heights!” Gourry let out a terrified scream as he was carried up in the air.
“If you don’t shut up, we could just drop you,” Lina snapped.
Taking a look at the ground far below his feet, Gourry decided it would be better to stay quiet and suffered in silence as they made their way back to the shop.
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“Okay Zelgadis, spill.”
The nobleman barely glanced up from his seat. “I don’t know what you mean.”
Lina’s eyes narrowed as she folded her arms. “Look, I know you didn’t tell us the whole story about your ‘predicament’ and I can appreciate that a guy like you needs to keep his secrets.” She leaned over the table. “However, that was before Gourry and I had to risk our necks to save your butt. So, you owe it to us to tell us the WHOLE story.”
Zelgadis made no expression as he looked to Lina and the shaking Gourry who was still trying to recover from his flight across the city. He placed his elbows on the table and shook his head.
“I guess I have no choice at this point.” He rubbed his glove hands together. “Those men you encountered earlier were Rodimus and Zolf. They’re servants who work for my family and they also used to be my tutors.” He leaned his chin on his hands. “I’m assuming they came to fetch me and force me to go back home, which I can’t afford to do.”
Lina raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you a little old to be running away from home?”
“It’s not that simple!” Zelgadis snapped. “The reason I’m in this mess is because of my grandfather.”
Lina clicked her tongue. “Was he the one who created your heart?”
Zelgadis grimly nodded.
“I have to say I’m surprised. It’s one thing for a nobleman to study magic, but to also study technology? That’s a big taboo for a noble isn’t it?”
Gourry blinked. “Why would he want a tattoo?”
Lina whacked the mechanic with his slipper. “Not tattoo! Taboo! It’s a common trait for people in the high class to look down on anyone who works with machines or technology.”
“Most noble families support the royal governments and oppose the Revolutionaries” Zelgadis continued. “And since the Revolutionaries support technology, the noble class will cling to magic out of spite.”
Gourry rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know that much. I just didn’t know what taboo meant.”
Lina sighed. “Anyway, it’s rather surprising to hear a nobleman studying both fields.”
Zelgadis bit his tongue. “My grandfather originally studied only magic, but within the last 20 years he started to study technology as well. He was hoping to cure his blindness.”
The last line stopped Lina cold. “Blindness?” Her eyes widened. There was only one nobleman she could think of who was blind and had the mastery of magic required to create Zelgadis’s heart. She gulped. “Your grandfather isn’t Rezo the Red Priest is he?”
Zelgadis grimaced, but nodded.
“Who?” Gourry asked.
Lina and Zelgadis almost fell out of their chairs. “You never heard of Rezo the Red Priest?!” She threw her hands up in the air. “He’s one of the legendary five great sages.” She slapped her forehead. “Wait, why am I surprised? If you have never heard of the Claire Bible, it’s obvious you wouldn’t have heard of Rezo.”
Zelgadis’ jaw dropped. “He’s never heard of the Claire Bible?!”
“It’s not that big of a deal,” Gourry grumbled.
Lina sat down. “Rezo the Red Priest is a world renowned healer, who’s healed millions of people. However, there’s a bit of irony in his case.”
“Yes,” Zelgadis agreed. “Rezo has been blind since birth, which is why he started studying magic in the first place; despite his best efforts he has found no cure. So, while he’s been able to heal other people, he’s never been able to heal his own eyes.”
“But now this is even more confusing,” Lina replied, turning back to Zelgadis. “If Rezo of all people was the one that created your heart, why don’t you have him fix it?”
“Because I don’t trust him.” Zelgadis’ fists tightened. “The reason this contraption was put in me was because of an accident I had, but now I’m wondering if he was somehow behind it and planned it.”
Lina frowned. “Start at the beginning.”
Zelgadis ran his hand through his hair. “It actually started before the accident. For the last year or so, Rezo has been acting oddly. He would spend weeks on end down in his lab, but that didn’t concern me. He’d always spend a lot of time in his lab. It was his violent mood swings that concerned me.”
He frowned. “He would have sudden outbursts and started smashing everything in his lab. He’s even attacked our maid Ozel a few times.” Zelgadis shook his head. “Rezo would always apologize soon afterward, but it still felt wrong to me. I’ve never seen him act like that and Rodimus was concerned as well, but Zolf just thought he was stressed by his research.”
Zelgadis closed his eyes as he remembered. “But then, he spent a whole month down in his lab and one night I heard this loud noise, like a rumble. It sounded like an earthquake. I decided to investigate to see if Rezo was alright.”
He cringed at the next part of his story. “The last thing I remember was climbing down the stairs and seeing Rezo working on this robot model. The floor was covered in magic wards and there was a large machine. Before I could ask Rezo what he was doing, there was an explosion and a steel beam flew towards me.”
He shuddered. “All I remember was intense pain before I blacked out. It was a week later before I woke up with Rezo hovering over me. He told me the steel beam went straight through my heart and I was dying. Having no other choice, he implanted the mechanical heart he had been working on.”
“So, he saved your life,” Gourry mentioned.
“Yes, and I was grateful and assumed that was the end of it.” He stared at his hands as he folded them. “But when my hands started to turn to stone, I began to wonder if this whole thing was truly an accident. I especially got suspicious when I snuck to this lab and found his notes.
“Everything was about curing his eyesight and there were so many…disturbing experiments. He was so obsessed with it. This mechanical heart he created was originally a theory about how to cure his eyesight and when I thought about his violent behaviour…”
Lina drummed her fingers. “You’re wondering if maybe you were a guinea pig?”
Zelgadis grimly nodded. “I decided I couldn’t fully trust Rezo. I didn’t want to risk him experimenting on me for Ceipheed knows what else. So, I began to see if I could find someone else to help me.”
“Which led you to me.” Lina sighed. “Wonderful.”
“Will you still help me?” Zelgadis asked.
“Do you still plan to blackmail me?”
“Yes.”
“Then that answers that question doesn’t it.” Lina shook her head. “For the time being, it’s probably better if you stay here. Zolf and Rodimus will no doubt be hunting you down in every inn in the city.”
Gourry folded his arms. “But won’t they just track him down to your shop?”
“Yeah, but they don’t know who I am and there are a ton of inns in this city for them to check out first.” Lina winked. “It’s going to take them a while to figure out where I am. So, we’re safe.”
“For the time being at least,” Zelgadis replied as he stood. “If you don’t mind I would like to go to bed. It’s been an exhausting day.”
Lina pointed upward. “Take the third room on the right, but don’t you dare think you can sneak into my room in the middle of the night.”
Zelgadis sighed, sounding very tired. “Like that will ever happen. Believe me, I have no intention of disturbing you and Gourry.”
Lina choked. “What? G-Gourry and I aren’t together!”
The mechanic stared, not sure what to think.
Zelgadis blinked. “Really? You two acted so much like a married couple I had assumed you were-“
“WE’RE NOT!” Lina growled.
The nobleman stared at her and nodded. “Ah, I see now. It’s that kind of relationship.”
Lina twitched. “What exactly do you mean ‘that kind’?”
Zelgadis yawned. “I’m sorry, but I’ll bid you good night. I’m going to bed,” and he proceeded off to bed.
Lina glared at his back, but decided to drop the topic. She could just kill him in his sleep later.
Meanwhile, just outside the shop a dark figure grinned wolfishly. “Well, at least we found him.” He rubbed the hilt of his sword and walked away down the alley. For the moment, he’d leave them alone. He had to make his report first, but once he was done with that and he could gather up some backup, then the fun would begin.
