*Disclaimer* All Slayers Characters are property of Kanzaka Hajime, Araizumi Rui and T.V. Tokyo. Lin belongs to me.

Chapter 2: Lina

Lina sat at the table looking around the restaurant of the inn and grimaced. There were a lot of newly weds who came to this area on their honeymoons. Reason was that it had the best hot springs next to the Miplos Island(First Slayers Movie, where Naga and Lina go). But seeing so many people like this… it was disgusting. Lina had not grown up in the most ideal of families. Her sister was strict beyond comprehension, her father and mother were always running around the world and hardly ever home. To Lina, family meant someone who scared you to death.

Maybe that was why the closeness of Amelia and Prince Phil surprised her. She had seen a lot of royal families endure in bloody wars, all so they could gain the throne. Seyluun did have that but Amelia didn’t seem to hold any kind of feelings of unjustness towards her older sister being in line for the throne. But most surprisingly, Phil-san didn’t either.

Prince Phil of Seyluun has had his brother and nephew wish to assasinate him. But he did nothing to have them executed publicly. That was what surprised her. He didn’t hold grudges. And he was a man, and men always held grudges. Unless, they were directed towards ‘The Ultimate enemy of all that live, Lina Inverse’.

Lina smiled at that thought. Even though it wasn’t a compliment it was still nice to think that people thought she was strong. Though she would never admit to anyone that she liked being called all those terrible names. …Lina really didn’t know how she ended up with all those titles. All bad ones at least. If she was a warrior to a specific country though, she would be considered a hero, yet since she was a vagabond, she was a ‘monster’ by definition.

But that couldn’t be helped, as a kid she had seen the front and backs of humans. For a fact she had nearly been killed when she was only three by her baby-sitter, luckily her sister arrived home that exact minute and she was saved.

Her sisters behavior at that point had puzzled her but what got to her, and what had scared her, was that the only male role figure at her time in life then, had tried to kill her. It was her first bad incidents with men, and she never really completely trusted them after that. She can’t even recall fully trusting her own FATHER since that incident.

Men were all conceited, ignorant, arrogant, and most of all, perverted. Yes men were all perverted. She had seen so many ‘noble men’ lust over a whore in her life. But she was different. She was THE Lina Inverse, men feared her, they felt intimidated in her presence. Oh, sure she had received a few of her harsh *lessons*, but it had pulled through in the end. Oh, yeah there were a few men who didn’t completely make her grimace in their presence.

Gaury, Lina knew he had gone out and flirted with a bunch of women when he thought she was sound asleep or out beating robbers. She though, would sometimes watch from a tree and amuse herself by how he flirted. Boy, was he skilled at it. He had done everything right, and all girls fell to his feet with a snap of the finger. It was amusing to watch him though if he didn’t succeed. Of course, Gaury never suspected she knew a thing, which made it more amusing. Lina suddenly grimaced. She was picking up some bad habits from that priest and needed to stop herself.

She though didn’t grimace in Gaury’s presence itself. Sure, he was over-protective and sometimes extremely possessive, even though she had explained to him over and over again she belonged to nobody, and very, very dense. Still, he was nice and he made her laugh with his stupid comments. She possibly even considered of calling him ‘Oniichan’ since that was what he really seemed to be like, but decided not to. It would make her look dependent on him and she didn’t want that.

Zelgadiss, was almost the exact opposite of Gaury. She had never seen him flirt, although she was dying to since he could probably have a whole town full of women drop to their knees and pray to him. He was developing a slight interest for Amelia, but only so slight that if she made one wrong move he would turn away. Zelgadiss though, WAS over-protective with Amelia.

Lina tried to contain the laughter as she remembered the poor guy who had gotten beaten up by Zel, all because he offered to take Amelia out to someplace nice. Lina shook her head. Zelgadiss was a nice, fine, noble, down-to-earth man as long as something important to him wasn’t involved, if it was, he was irrational as Amelia and Gaury combined. He though, was always loyal to her and cared for her deeply as a friend, a noble man yes indeed. She just hope his desires didn’t take the better of one of the few precious noble men left.

She also reluctantly remembered that she never really grimaced in front of Xelloss because he was a guy, but rather because he was a mazoku. She didn’t know much of Xelloss’s personal life, he never really shared anything with her. And for some reason that thought was unpleasant. Why? She didn’t know.

Lina remembered the few details of Xelloss she knew. He was loyal to his master, even Gaury can probably tell that, he had never physically harmed her, he’s more than capable of it though, he has a sadistic side, which Lina had never really seen, he sold her his talisman, even though Lina later admitted she practically threatened him to do so, he was always cheerful, and last, he was secretive.

How was she suppose to draw up a man’s true personality with so little, mismatching information!! She wondered to herself. She was really good at drawing men’s personalities, but Xelloss would be a hard task. He was mazoku, he was an evil, one that lived on the dark. That was all she needed to know, added to the fact that she keep herself away from him.

Enough!! She grumbled and decided to attack her plate of food.

Lin looked at Lina Inverse wolf down her huge helping of food. Wow, she thought, her master wasn’t exaggerating when he said she ate more than a 250lb male. Lin couldn’t help but wonder where the human girl stored all that food, and kept so petite.

She was cute, Lin decided, or at least when she wasn’t screaming and yelling, or eating. She had long red hair with tints of maroon in it, big round ruby eyes, a petite body, and a cute smile. Lin sighed. She was exactly the way her master had described, right down to the very last detail. He was probably also correct on her personality.

Lin sighed and shook her head. She needed to get started, she couldn’t afford to waste any more time. If her master was looking for her, which he probably was, she had only a few days to get Lina Inverse to trust her. It was going to be hard.

"Excuse me, are you THE Lina Inverse?" Lin asked walking up to the petite sorceress. She had masked her face with a look of curiosity, or at least Lin hoped.

"Yeah, what?" Lina snapped at her, glaring at her.

"I….never met a sorceress, and since you are a famous one I was wondering if you can teach me a few easy spells?" Lin didn’t slow down at all. "Sorceress’s hardly ever cross this town, and I started working at the inn in hope to get to meet one. I met a lot of frauds instead though. If you are really the Lina Inverse, than I have heard a lot about your past stories, and I think they are fascinating. Please, teach me a few spells!!"

"how much?" Lina stared into her.

"Huh?" Lin couldn’t comprehend the question.

"I asked how much money you’re willing to pay?!!" Lina sounded frustrated. "And what’s your name?"

"My name is Lin Dist and I’ll be willing to pay 550gold coins per lesson. I am serious that I would only ask for a few basic skills such as ‘Levitation’, ‘Fire Ball’, ‘Aqua Create’ and Flare Arrow’." Even though Lin already knew how to use those spells, A little white lie shouldn’t hurt. Plus, being what she really was, a mazoku, she had no real use for the money.

"…That’s a lot of money you’re willing to put in just for a few basic spells." Lina figured. "Do you have another motive?"

Lin could easily tell she wasn’t going to be easy to side track.

"I am desperate in a way unimaginable to you Miss. Lina. I am hoping that by knowing these basic spells, I can get started on something higher" Lin carefully chose her words careful not to let the sorceress suspect her true motives.

"…Okay. Tomorrow morning, 8o’clock, there was a ruined temple right out of town, we’ll meet there and I’ll teach you the basics." Lina smiled as she eyed the girl. "You better be in good shape Lin, since I’m pretty strict when I teach spells!" Lina than stood up and extended her hand. "I’ll teach you sorcery until you’ve master ‘Levitation’, ‘Fire Ball’, ‘Aqua Create’ and ‘Flare Arrow’. No matter how many lessons it takes. And I expect my pay."

"Deal!" Lin took Lina’s hand and shook it. "I’ll show you that I have talent in sorcery!" Lin declared with an even wider smile. Lina smiled back.

Sheela took a sip of her tea in the coffee shop. "I really enjoy the tea here. It’s good and has a wide variety of selections and as well as a wide selection of snacks." Sheela smiled at her companion who was staring off in space. "…Xelloss-san did you hear me?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Sheela-san, what did you say?" He asked, turning his attention back to the girl sitting in front of him.

"Never mind" Sheela sighed and added a small amount of sugar to her tea. "…Where you still thinking where she may be?"

"…Half and half." Xelloss replied, smiling at her. Sheela moved her eyes away from his.

"The one with a chocolate cake?" A waitress came up and asked.

Sheela shot her hand up. "Here, I ordered it!!" She started to wave it. "Thank you." She said as the waitress left.

"The chocolate cake here is the best!" Sheela declared with a smile. "My Master once took me here when I was young and ever since then I’ve been in love with the cakes here."

"They have made the same cakes for over 1000 years?" Xelloss was surprised.

"Sure, of course, the recipe is framed in glass and kept up on the wall." Sheela said with pride. "It is known as the Millennium Cake."

"…I see." Xelloss really didn’t seem interested.

"The recipe is guarded fiercely. I once tried to steal it but the security system was too advanced even for me." She than noticed that Xelloss wasn’t paying any attention to her.

"Will you please pay attention to me?" Sheela asked in an exasperated voice. "She’s going to be okay so stop worrying."

Sheela felt as though she was on the verge of screaming. She had been trying to get Xelloss’s attention for a long time now, to get him interested in her. It never worked though. He was either too busy with his work, or that girl was clinging to him as if her life depended on it.

Sheela grimaced as she remembered about the human girl, the other girl she would love to rid of. Lina Inverse, all the mazoku knew about her, it was perfectly obvious who she was. ‘The human who defeated a part of Ruby Eye Shablaniguduu.’ It was famous. That, she had no problem with, it was with how Xelloss viewed the human that angered her. Special, that’s what it was, special interest, he was more interested in the human than he ever would be in her and that angered her.

Why can it not be her who he worries about when she disappears? Why can it not be her that he had treasured every memory of? What was so special about the others? Sheela sighed again. She did that a lot, even when she was on duty as a general she did it. Sheela was tired of waiting, she was tired of working like crazy and not even getting a pat on the back, she was tired of Xelloss being un-interested in her.

She deserved more than what she got!! She did so much work she deserved being the one that Dynast trusted the hardest tasks on. She deserved more power than what she had. And most of all, she deserved Xelloss’s attention.

She wanted Xelloss’s attention more than anything. The human and the other mazoku girl weren’t deserving of it, she was. She wanted it and deserved it.

Sheela grumbled again.

Lin walked into every store there was in town. In a sense, everything of the human world was new to her. Other than for when she was ordered to, she had never left the castle, and even when she left it was usually during the night. To be walking in broad day-light, in Lin’s eyes was a privilege. Everything to the last detail of the human world was exactly the way her master described it to her.

Lin than noticed the human figure in one of the stores.

"Zelgadiss-san." She called. Sure enough, there was the Chimera Zelgadiss, Lina Inverse’s traveling companion.

"That’s what I thought." Lin said with a laugh and walked up to him. She was half interested in the Chimera, who hated her master, and to Lin, that was even impossible to think of. For Lin, there was nothing she could hate about her master.

"You are……the waitress that asked Lina to teach you magic, right?" Lin nodded at his words and smiled one of her most believable smiles.

"Yes, I also have heard about you Zelgadiss-san." Lin said with a smile. "You were known as the ‘Evil Sorcerer/swordsman’ Am I…." She never finished her sentence since Zelgadiss suddenly grabbed her shoulders.

"Can you repeat that?!" He demanded.

"Ahhh, sure. ‘Evil Sorcerer/swordsman’."

A smile appeared on Zelgadiss’s face. "That has a great ring to it."

Lin wondered if this guy had some kind of connections with mazoku. Even though he is a chimera now, he originally was human and humans generally don’t want to be called an ‘Evil Sorcerer/swordsman.’

"And, your name was…?" Zelgadiss, still smiling, asked.

"Lin Dist." Lin replied putting on an innocent smile. "I have heard that you are looking for a cure to your chimera body."

Suddenly, a shadow casted over Zelgadiss’s smiling face. "How do you know that?" His voice was threatening, but to Lin, it was of no significance.

Even then, she pretended to act scared. Until her plan was completed she was a simple towns girl, and she wasn’t suppose to be accustomed to chimera’s threatening her.

"…This town, a lot of stories and rumors about people come here. The stories of Lina Inverse and her companions are very interesting so…. I made a habit out of finding out each of them. Naturally, you are also included in the tales." It wasn’t a lie, Lina Inverse and her companions stories were interesting, she did make a habit of finding them out, and the town did have a lot of stories and rumors about people. But Lin’s sources were not of the towns.

But Zelgadiss seemed to buy it. "I hate it when people I don’t know, know things about me." He muttered and started walking.

"You can’t help it." Lin said. "It’s not your fault that this town loves rumors." She put her hands behind her head and started walking after him. "Besides, living things are like that, especially if they are bored, they need some way to amuse themselves." Lin sighed inwardly. That was practically her life. She had never left the castle grounds unless she was ordered to, and she had amused herself by listening to the stories of her master.

"…You know a lot about psychology. Ever looked into being a psychiatrist?" Zelgadiss was eyeing the girl. She seemed no different than any other towns girl. The only thing out of ordinary would be her long ribbon. It was not the kind that most people would wear.

Why did Gaury think she was mazoku? To every last detail she seemed human. Zelgadiss shook his head of that thought. Mazoku were capable of acting as humans. Just because they seemed human didn’t automatically make her human. She was cute though.

What was he thinking?!? He was so outraged by that though. He didn’t know a thing about this girl. For all he knew she could be one of the Dark Lords. But her smile looked so innocent, it was hard to imagine that she would belong to the mazoku. That innocent smile would be impossible to fake.

"Psychology interest’s me in a way that it is a gate to others. I am not the helping kind. I’d go crazy listening to so many stories told to me by people I don’t know. If it was my…..family seeking for my help than I’d listen and give advice, but no one else." Lin replied as she walked in line with Zelgadiss.

"By the way, there’s an old temple not too far away from here." Lin quickly changed the subject. "It’s rumored to have a lot of ancient books on sorcery, but the place is off limits. They claim it’s dangerous, that it would collapse. It’s base though, is pretty strong and I doubt it would happen."

"…How do you know that?"

"I told you that I have listened to a lot of rumors in this town. That was one of the true ones though. I went to the temple myself."

"Why did you go?"

Lin scowled. He missed nothing. "I was looking for a book that the library didn’t have. It had to do with sorcery, and I just heard of the temple so I went in." Lin did a simple, and believable lie. But luckily, Zelgadiss took it.

"You really like sorcery don’t you." Zelgadiss smiled at her again.

"…I guess it’s the only way I’m allowed to express myself." Was all Lin said to his comment. "But also my….." She caught herself just in time. "nothing"

"…If you say so." Zelgadiss decided to leave it at that.

Lin sighed with relief that he didn’t ask her more and just looked up into the sky.