Mazuko Seduction
The Tale of Illianna and Vladimir
Chapter 1: In the Shadow of Darkness
Illianna looked at the horizon of the mountains in front of the small valley that Chelta was nestled in. She sighed as she walked along the edge of town with her spear in hand. Yes, it was another day of guard duty for her, and how she hated it. Her she was a sixteen year old girl being forced to take up a man's position in the city guard because no one else had enough of a spine to take the job. 'Well that's not totally right,' she reminded herself. She hadn't had to take this position until they came. Those creatures that seemed to keep attacking the village for no reason. All they did was cause destruction and despair as they attacked. At first the populous thought they were just dumb beast, but then they started showing a cunning unfit for something called a beast. Indeed they would have overran the town on their first attack had Illianna not intervened and drove them back. Of course this meant that half the village saw how powerful she was and that meant only one thing, instant hero and captain of the guard position. "Heh, I wish they would have kept their stinking position, I hate this its so boring," Illianna said spitefully towards the town.
She walked past the main street and saw the village working as usual. Shops were open, the crowds were moving here and there, repairs were being made to buildings, and all other things that is usual for a small village. She stopped and watched for a second, especially the other young girls as they shopped and went about their daily routine. She was brought back to reality when she heard one of the girls say mockingly, "Oh, look out, the tomboy is staring at us."
"Look out she might hear you and decide to impale you or just fry you," another girl joined in take the others lead.
"Heh, I not surprised she hasn't already. Oh wait, I forgot she acting good to try and attract a man," the third girl supplied and continued, "Well, I feel sorry for her, not even a total loser would think of going out with a thing like that," with that the girl left laughing at their taunting.
Illianna's grasp on her spear became tighter as she restrain herself from blowing them all to kingdom come right there. As her anger subsided she began to walk back to her post when she heard, "Illianna, wait for me."
She turned to see a young man running towards her with a spear in hand and dressed in the uniform of the village guard. He was about the same height as her, if not a bit taller, with short brown hair and brown eyes. He stopped in front of her, smiled and asked, "Would you care for some company on patrol?"
Illianna smiled trying to hide the blush she knew was forming on her face. That's right, the tough girl of the guard didn't get that much attention from boys and when she did it cause some slight embarrassment. She turned and said, "Sure, it's not like you'll go away even if I say no, so come on Gabriel."
Gabriel smiled and replied, "Why do you always try to hide what you feel," as he walked next to her.
"I don't," Illianna protested, "I just don't need help with this job. I'm fine, I have it covered."
"Yes, but watch can get really boring at times and it helps to have someone to talk to," Gabriel added.
Illianna just looked straight ahead and answered, "You know you annoy me at times," after a few moments of silence.
"Well someone has to. No one else will so it's my job to keep you in check," Gabriel chuckled as they continued walking.
Illianna just sighed and shook her head. 'Why do I put up with this,' she asked mentally just to have her brain argue back, 'Because you like him,' and thus the mental debate began as they walked the patrol route.
In the forest across from the village sat a pack of what appeared to be humans, but upon listing to their conversation one would understand. "How shall we attack them today," asked a teenaged looking boy with mid-length blue hair.
"Maybe a two pronged attack from the flanks of the village," supplied and older looking man, "The protector won't be able to protect both sides of the village and will be overrun."
"HAHA, you think that will actually work, Ristos you are getting old if you think an outdated trick like that will work," mocked a slim woman with long blonde hair and red eyes.
The older man known as Ristos turned toward the woman and glared with his now silted green eyes. "Well, if it is so outdated, do you have a better plan Kershe," he asked with a spiteful tone.
"We need to break her will not her body. She will continue to defeat us if we just try and focus on purely injuring her," Kershe supplied to Ristos with that 'You know I'm right,' look plastered on her face.
"Well how do you plan on this Kershe, so far as we have seen Illianna isn't close to anyone. It's not the easiest thing to toy with someone mind when they don't have any weakness to toy with," Ristos challenged.
"Who do you think will win this time," the blue haired boy asked the guy next to him.
The man looked at the arguing pair, his spiky green hair swaying in the wind, and replied, "I believe Kershe will win this one."
"I agree, Ristos maybe older but Kershe has the cunning of a dark lord," the blue haired man supplied.
"I just wonder if we are going to infiltrate the village in our human visages," said the green haired being.
"You will do no such thing," came a soft tenor from behind the two younger men.
All present in the clearing turned quickly, ready to attack the intruder that they just heard, only to be meet by a man in a black trench coat wearing a ceremonial mask. Ristos, being the oldest and wisest of the group, automatically drop to one knee and kept quiet. Kershe saw Ristos drop and asked, "Ristos? What are you doing?"
"Don't you know who this is standing before us," Ristos said with what actually sounded like fear in his voice.
"No I don't. It seems only you do so are you going to tell or not," Kershe fumed slightly.
"My lord please forgive the actions of my companions they know not of you," Ristos spoke towards the man.
Kershe and the other two shifted their gaze hastily towards the man. It seemed like he chuckled, even if it wasn't heard, and stepped forward towards Ristos. "Has it been that long since I have made an appearance? The younger of the Mazuko don't even know who I am."
"It's not just that my lord. The younger of our people have become ignorant towards who their leaders are," Ristos gazed at Kershe then said, "I would bow before the Knight of Shabranigdo if I where you."
Automatically the three took to one knee said, "Forgive us my lord."
"Rise, I am not here for this, I have another reason to be here," he announced as the came to their feet.
"What reason would that be my lord, or is that not to be heard by those of our station," Ristos asked as he approached the now confirmed knight.
"If it is to be known my master wants the protector of this village, and so he has sent me to bring her to him," he replied as he sat down on a rock.
"The dark lord himself wants this girl," the three younger mazuko asked in a bit of shock.
"Yes, you didn't know that, why do you think we've been attacking this small village for so long? For the fun of it," Ristos asked his companions.
"I knew it had to do with us getting the protector of the village but I didn't know that Shabranigdo was the one who ordered this. And how did he if all his parts are still sealed," Kershe asked while looking towards the knight.
"Well not all his parts are sealed like the Ryuzuko would like to think. There is one piece that is awake, but this piece isn't totally bent on destruction."
"Well what are we going to do about the protector," asked the blue haired young man.
"Go along with the two pronged attack that Ristos suggested. I will be watching and I will see if I can pick up on any weaknesses," the knight said as he stood.
"Yes my lord," and all the mazuko made way towards the village, "Kershe wait," the knight called as the young mazuko turned to leave.
Kershe turned around with a slightly confused look on her face and then asked, "Yes, my lord?"
"Stay here, you will be watching with me," the knight said as he lead her to an area in the forest that could be used as a perch.
"But why, I need to help my comrades," Kershe slightly protested before the knight silenced her.
"I want you to watch because you don't think like the other mazuko. You acknowledge the need to use their weaknesses against them. Older ones like Ristos still hang on to the idea that the mazuko race can't be defeated by humans, but that is no longer true. The humans now have a select few among them with power that can destroy us if they like. The mazuko need to learn that we aren't as powerful as we once were."
"Why are you an advocate for the use of human weakness in their emotions my lord," Kershe asked curiously to the knight.
"Reach out with your senses child and tell me what you feel," the knight said as he looked towards the village.
Kershe closed her eyes and concentrated. A few moments later she gasped and looked at the knight saying, "You...you have emotions. How can this be?"
"Because I'm not full mazuko. Shabranigdo wanted someone what could fit in anywhere so he put a piece of his soul within me when I was born a human. Now I still act like a human yet have the power of the dark lord himself."
"But didn't your emotions make you weaker," Kershe asked in somewhat of awestruck at the knight and how someone with emotions stayed alive that long.
"At first I was like any normal human. Caring and open. But, as I grew and the powers within began to emerge, I learned to dampen down and block off the emotions. Soon I became like all mazuko, cold and uncaring to a fault."
"Hmm...interesting," Kershe mumbled as she turned to look back toward the village.
"He we go, lets see what weakness the protector displays in this battle, and hopefully be able to turn it against her," the knight said as Illianna came into view.
Illianna walked on the patrol with Gabriel right beside her the whole time. 'Why is he always around me? Ever since we were kids he was always near, but why does he still hang around especially after the rest of the town began to fear me? Does he like me or something,' Illianna was asking herself as they continued to patrol. Soon there was a rustling in the bushes and both of them went on full alert of the impending attack. "Gabriel keep you eye open, who know how many there are this time."
Gabriel nodded as her brought his spear to the ready facing the noise. As soon as they were set the monsters burst through a side of the forest a proceeded to attack the guards left flank. Both guards turned and began the melee with the two attack them. About five minutes into the skirmish another group of two broke through the forest and attacked their rear. Illianna wheeled around to face the other two while shouting, "Gabriel take those two, but if it gets too much then get out of here."
"I won't do that. I won't abandon you," Gabriel replied as he continued to battle with the two in front of him.
"I can take care of myself, it's you I'm worried about now do as I ask," Illianna said as she swung at one of the monsters.
About five minutes later one of the creatures struck a blow that toppled Gabriel causing him to lose his weapon. As it was about to advance and maul the poor boy Illianna step in-between and booted the monster away. The battle continued for a while then all of a sudden the monster that had the upper hand turned and retreated back into the forest and out of sight. Illianna looked down at Gabriel who was still on the ground slightly dazed. She gave him a hand while saying, "See what I'm talking about. I don't want you to get hurt, I will be fine on my own."
"That was just a lucky shot. It won't happen again, and I am not leaving you if I'm with you on patrol," Gabriel smiled at Illianna as he stood up with her help.
"Fine you knucklehead. It's not my fault if you get hurt on of these days," Illianna remarked as she began to walk back towards the village.
Up in the perch the knight was smiling as a plan came into his head. 'Yes this is perfect. She has a weakness for that boy and how traumatic it would be it something happened to him,' the knight thought while a smiled graced his face.
Kershe turned as the others came back into the clearing and Ristos asked in mild confusion, "My lord why did you call off the attack? We had the upper hand on them."
The knight turned towards Ristos and answered, "Because I got what I was looking for out of that skirmish and now have a better plan to get the protector."
Kershe and the others looked at the knight as he began to explain, "The protector has a weakness for that young man that was with her. She cares for him and wouldn't want to see him harmed in anyway. Now if we used him as a bargaining chip we have a chance to take her."
"Indeed, I felt the emotions towards him as well. That is a great plan my lord," Kershe commented while kneeling in front of the knight while also the look of disgust in Ristos' eyes.
The knight reached down and cupped Kershe chin, bringing her gaze up to his face, "Yes, and you will be the one to lead the attack Kershe," the knight announced.
"Yes, my lord," Kershe replied.
"But for now we bide our time," the knight said as he phase out leaving nothing there but the four mazuko who looked slightly confused.
Disclaimer: Any characters or ideas from The Slayers do not belong to me. I am not selling this material, just writing for the heck of it as I go.
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