Capriones 7/26/2006 10:25 /

Capriones (ca-pree-OWN-ees): A roaming people of the Seyruun City-State region comprised of mixed race and heritage sharing common facilities and traditions. Said to have their own culture and to live outside the laws of any land they move through, they fight mostly amongst themselves in order to improve individual ranking in their encampments.

At times, their warring spills over into the outside world when they capture slaves or take hostages. Only then do the state authorities enter their camps, usually with disappointing results. Although their numbers are dwindling, they continue to exist and fight against the co-mingling with 'outsiders'.

Disclaimer: We shall make use of several of the characters from The Slayers, none of whom belongs to us.

Chapter One – The Meeting

"I hate waiting for others," Lina declared. She had just reached the crossroads designated for their appointment, and no one was there. "I gotta do something."

"They're coming in one of their covered wagon things, but I don't see anything," Filia said. "We are on time and they aren't. I'm not surprised, the bone-idle layabouts."

Instructions were for the palace carriage to go no further than the end of paved road, leaving the three women no choice but to continue on foot the last two miles to the appointed destination. Lina figured her pretty, blond-haired comrade was tired as well as anxious. Lina elbowed the other young lady standing between Filia and her.

"Come on, Sylphiel. Let's go up that way further. Maybe we'll run into them along the way. Filia, you staying or coming?"

"Coming, of course! Just hold on; I'm tripping on my laces," Filia said more irritably now.

Sylphiel waited politely for Filia to toss her long blond mane to the side, tug it free from her headpiece, and give the shoelaces on her ankle-high boots another jerk, and then together they hauled the heavy trunk off the ground.

"Oh, and Miss Lina? They call those 'things' they ride in 'caravans'," Sylphiel clarified.

Lina flung up an arm as if to say, "Who cares?", which was how she felt. She wanted to get this job for Prince Philionel over and done with so she could collect her reward and take a vacation while the weather was still good. She had never associated with the traveling Capriones folk, and although she didn't fear dealing with them, she knew better than to trust them. She had her own plans.

"Do you think any of them will be attractive young men?" Sylphiel asked with growing excitement.

"Unlikely," Filia huffed. "There will be nothing to tempt us there. I hear the boys there are wild and kinda dirty."

Lina stopped on the packed-dirt roadway and turned to her friends.

"Wild sounds good to me," she grinned. "I'm tired of the pretty palace set and the downtrodden poor; that is, as long as one of them is a prince."

"Prince?" Filia asked. "That's ridiculous! Cut as deep as you like, you won't find a drop of royal blood in a single one of those loathsome Capriones."

"Didn't you read that brochure Prince Philionel's representative gave you?" Sylphiel gasped.

"That boring thing? Hell, no," Lina answered for both of them.

"Leadership is passed maternally," Sylphiel went on. "Because, well, they always know who their mother is, I suppose. In the leading family, the mother is called the queen and the eldest son is their prince. I hear they can charm the fairies."

Lina looked back at her dreamy-eyed friend and said, "Uh, that's the elves, I think, Sylphiel. The folk tales are about Capriones stealing the elves' magic sword making secrets with charms."

"Immoral heathens all!" Filia said with a shake of her head. "It hardly matters how charming they're reputed to be; there's nothing they have or can do which can entice me. Anyway, we're trying to rescue a real princess."

"It shouldn't take long, should it Lina?" Sylphiel asked.

Lina waved her hand disinterestedly and sprinted past the intersection of the next road, putting a little distance between herself and her companions before they could press her for the details of her schemes. She knew everything Prince Philionel of Seyruun knew about the Capriones. They had captured Princess Amelia and were holding her for ransom. Phil wanted his daughter returned safely and had hired Lina to deliver the chest of gold in payment. It was not, however, Lina's plan to give the Capriones what they had demanded in trade for Amelia's safe return. Instead of a chest of gold delivered by three demure shrine maidens of the land, Lina had employed two resourceful, and well armed, shrine maidens, Sylphiel and Filia. The three women had banded together off and on over the past years, always led by the skilled bandit hunter and swordsperson, Lina Inverse.

Lina smiled thoughtfully. The prince was paying her well to get his daughter back, but what good would money be if she screwed this up and ended up trading one hostage for three? Well, that was what Lina was good for-- outsmarting the lunatics of the world.

"No one can get the better of me!" Lina shouted confidently.

"Lina, slow down!" Filia shouted. "I don't want to get all sweaty and look untidy in front of them."

"Oh!"

Both Filia and Sylphiel halted abruptly to stare, dropping both ends of the treasure chest. Dry dirt sailed up from the heavy trunk, settling on the hem of Filia's long skirt. Sylphiel's leggings were filthy to the knees.

"It's them!" Sylphiel's voice rose to a high-pitched squeal of delight.

A horse-drawn wagon covered with a brightly painted, wooden structure, akin to a house on wheels, appeared out of the dust cloud it was making. It came to a creaking halt a few paces from Lina's feet.

"Hey!" Lina shouted up at the driver, while pushing the horse's nose out of her face, and stepping to the side to get a better look at the wagon's occupants when they disembarked.

When the air cleared, the driver pulled the dust-scarf down over his chin, exposing a sun beaten face and a wide grin. "Good day to yer, missies."

"Yeah, hi," Lina replied. "Say, is anybody coming out or do I have ta go in after them?"

"Just waitin' for the dust to settle, missy. Won't be but another moment."

The wagon rocked slightly, and then the door at the back flew open with a crash, sending the mustard-colored, wooden shutters to clattering. Out hopped a young man of average height and slender build, cloaked head to toe in pale beige clothes. Lina couldn't make out much more. He appeared to be wearing a scarf and hood to conceal his face. She watched as he held out a gloved hand to assist a small, raven-haired girl out of the horse-drawn caravan.

"Well, he's a prince of manners," Lina muttered mostly to Filia, who was now at her side, "even if he's got something to hide."

"That's her with him," Sylphiel whispered loudly. "The prin..."

Lina and Filia both slammed hands over her mouth. "Shhhhhhhhh "

"Look at that man!" Filia gasped in a whisper. "Is he tall "

Indeed, the next young man stepping out from the caravan was more than six feet tall, well-muscled, and handsome with a long sweep of straw-blond hair. With hair past his ass, Lina thought, and then gasped, blushing furiously as she realized where her mind had drifted and how close she had come to blurting it out. He smiled and waved shyly their way, and then moved to the side as another tall but lanky, young man emerged. This one was not smiling. He pushed a lock of long green hair from his eyes and glared at them.

"My, he's a dangerous looking one, isn't he? Wonder why he's angry at us already?" Sylphiel asked.

"I'm sure he'll be letting us know in no time." Lina continued to size up her opponents and prepare to make her move. "How many guys they got stuffed into that thing?" she muttered.

"Well, at least one more," Filia said, straining to get a look at him first and lowering her voice to a whisper. "I see another guy; at least I think it's a 'he'."

"It's a man, Filia," Lina said, determining his sex from the width of his shoulders. "He's going around the other side to talk to the driver, I guess."

"There's your prince, Lina," Sylphiel said with a nudge. "Look at the way he deports himself, so self-assured and how the others give him space."

"Eh, just a pretty-boy. That big blond dude looks like he could make mincemeat out of him," Lina said, smiling.

"Hmmm," Sylphiel agreed appreciatively.

"Let's go meet the negotiators," she said sounding self-assured. These men were well-armed and poised, not the coarse ruffians she had been expecting. If they were intelligent to boot, then this job would prove to be a greater challenge than she had wanted. Under her breath Lina added, "At least I hope they're willing to see it my way."

(O)

After helping Princess Amelia to the ground, Zelgadiss looked askance at her, wondering what she was thinking. He had strong doubts about his leader's plans, but more distressing to him was the growing attraction he had for the young princess. He wanted to keep her near, but shouldn't her safe return to her father override his wants and Xelloss' needs? Out of respect for her feelings, he bent toward her ear, all the time keeping his features concealed beneath his hood and masking scarf the entire time, and in a voice so low only she could hear said, "If you want to leave with them, I'll understand."

She brushed his hand with her fingertips, smiled, then whispered back, "No, I know what I want, and this may be my best chance to teach the Capriones about self-determination and our form of justice."

He nodded. It was a risky plan that Xelloss had masterminded, but if it succeeded, it would mean the start of a new life for the roving people, currently his people. Not to mention his freedom. Xelloss would certainly grant him his freedom, which could also bring about an all-out religious war, possibly a bloody one. Zelgadiss clenched his jaw. He was prepared for the worst and if it meant revolution, then he would see to it that the man who had cursed him would pay dearly. Nearby, he watched Gourry tuck a few sweaty strands of straw-blond hair behind an ear and smile at the girls.

The tall man leaned over and said to him, "They sure are the prettiest things I've seen in a long time. There's a blonde, a brunette, and a red head. See? One girlfriend for each of the rest of us."

"If Xelloss wins here," Zelgadiss reminded him, ignoring Gourry's inference that he was attracted to the princess. "He's taking a big gamble."

"Oh, I'm not worried," Gourry said. "Because Xelloss always gets his way. No, from how I see it, the biggest problem might be sorting out which girl is for which guy."

Zelgadiss smiled and shrugged, secretly wishing that he could be so lucky as to see only that one problem. "So, I guess all there's left for you to do is to decide which one you like the best."

"Yeah, guess so!" Gourry chuckled.

After instructing the driver of the caravan to wait, Xelloss joined the other young men. To Gourry's left stood an insolent-looking Valgaav, darting his narrowed eyes from girl to girl. He wore a black scarf tied around his head to hold back his mint-green bangs from his eyes, but today, Xelloss noted, he allowed a few clumps to pour over, shielding his eyes from view. Even so, from Valgaav's pursed lips Xelloss guessed he was concerned by how this turn of events could interfere with his own ambitious plans– and Valgaav had big plans for himself. Valgaav shifted his eyes to stare defiantly into his own, raising his chin a little, Xelloss guessed the younger man's pride knew no bounds. Valgaav had the daring to court Zelas, their queen, in order to wrest control of the clan from him. Not that Xelloss felt Valgaav had a chance in hell of winning Zelas. It was a perilous scheme. The woman had her own ideas and they would necessarily take precedence. Valgaav, however, could make trouble for him by just trying.

But then, Zelas was opposed to Xelloss' own desire to change his people's way of life, forcing him to develop ever more circuitous plans of action. Xelloss eyed the trunk, assessing its contents. The gold contained in that chest and holding a princess of Seyruun as leverage would make a good start. Of course, in the end, both men's expectations involved risks.

Xelloss smiled and once again glanced at Valgaav to assess his mood. He was tempted to laugh aloud at the man's sullen expression, thinking how Valgaav must be regretting his decision to come along this day, since it might associate him with a plot doomed to failure. He was tempted-- it would be cruel to test the man's allegiance— but he hid a chuckle in a cough and fanned away a few stray dust particles instead.

So, Xelloss wondered, why had Valgaav agreed to come along? Probably the man was spreading himself strategically. He was mostly a problem for Xelloss because he added to his aggravations. Xelloss was afraid Valgaav would be equally bothersome after Zelas tossed him aside, like a big spoiled brat. Yes, it would be better for them all if Valgaav was on the winning side. If only he could find him a great crusade, a distraction . . . Xelloss traced Valgaav's glance, flickering repeatedly over the three "maidens."

"Lov-leeeee," Valgaav whispered under his breath.

Xelloss smiled with satisfaction as a solution to his problem formulated in his mind. Two of the well-armed young ladies were strangers to him, although one was wearing a Cepheid tribe headdress. She would do, maybe. He would make certain that Valgaav would not betray him or limit his success. He thought he recognized the tough little redhead, Lina Inverse, even though he had never met her before. He heard that Lina Inverse was no pushover and greedy, which implied that she wouldn't simply hand over her weight in gold. He pasted on a bemused smile while he considered what her ulterior motives might be, and how to verify her identity. Of course, this meant an alteration to his original plans to accommodate a girl of her talents– he was compelled by his own secrets as well.

"Hello, ladies," he said.

Xelloss' cape flapped around his legs so as he walked he appeared to float above the ground and he carried a long staff much like the common priest's, however in place of the usual crest denoting a particular shrine there shone a ruby-red, ornamental globe. The other men moved aside to allow him the privilege of being in front. He stood waiting for a greeting in return. Lina, hand on sword-hilt, marched two steps closer to the delicate, dark-haired man.

"Yeah, hi," she said. "Listen, it's hot and I'm pretty tired from carrying that thing."

Xelloss smiled widely as he watched Sylphiel and Filia exchange glances. He couldn't imagine that little girl standing defiantly before him had carried that weighty-looking chest of gold one inch of the journey from Seyruun. All together, she did act and sound as he had expected Lina Inverse to behave.

"So, let's get down to business," Lina continued. "Just hand over the princess, and then we'll talk."

Xelloss held back a laugh as Lina attempted to stare him down; at least he was nearly certain this was Lina. He had to admit that she had a lot of nerve.

"My, my, just like that?" Xelloss chuckled. He looked over his shoulder at Gourry and tapped at the trunk with his long staff. "I can't let you get away with stealing what is rightfully mine."

Gourry smiled as he pointed to the wooden strongbox at Lina's feet. "Yeah, how do we know that chest has anything in it? Yours is pretty flat."

Lina's face flushed red and her hands rolled into hard spiteful fists. Where did that big oaf, as handsome as he looked, get off insulting her? She had found him attractive and was warming up to his smile, but, now, what a disappointment! She whipped out her sword and aimed it at Gourry's throat.

"Apologize, or die!"

Blades flashed, cutting the air in precise paths, as the tall blond man knocked her sword to the side and held her at swords point. The angry green-haired man beat back Filia's mace in one move, leaving the blade of his sword hovering inches from her neck. Shoving the princess safely behind him first, the secretive, hooded man drew his sword and thrust it at Sylphiel's chest. A word from their leader, who hadn't moved, and the girls would be shish-ka-bob. Lina considered casting a spell, when that least intimidating man of the bunch held out his free hand in a placating gesture of good will.

"Please forgive my indelicate, but good hearted, brother," Xelloss said, moving for the first time. He pushed Gourry's blade away with the end of his staff. "May I introduce myself? My name is Xelloss, the Mysterious Prince. You are Lina Inverse, right? I wasn't certain, at least not until we tested your temper."

End Capriones, Chapter One

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