Sara's Scar

This is the story of Sara's scar that Zelgadis was going to tell, but Amelia stopped him (Chapter 45). Rather than let it remain a noodle incident and since I'm working on rewriting key events anyway (since that computer fire last year) I figured I may as well share this part of their story.
This is written from Lina Inverse's perspective as that's how the Slayers books are written (And I thought writing it from this perspective would be more interesting. This has no ponies as it takes place before James met them. Also as to why it's here in the blog and not it's own story.
This is a long one, so be forewarned. This is also a more ruthless James than you see in The Line Between Fire and Light. It's still the same James, just more of who he's trying to stop being.

“Why are we here again?” Came the question of my ever clueless traveling companion, Gourry. You couldn't find a better swordsman, but I long suspected he had warm bean paste where his bran was supposed to be.

“Because I want to try out these fancy restaurants while James is picking up the tab.” Hey, a girl's gotta eat, you know. Even one with a lovely slender figure such as mine … Don't you dare make any flat jokes!

“How many times do I have to explain this, Gourry?” Both Zelgadis and I had explained the situation to him before. Like I said, warm bean paste. “James hired us to make sure Lucca and Sara are safe while he and Phil hash out some kind of deal.”

“I remember that. But why?” He asked, idly munching on a turnip. “It's not like Lucca isn't a decent sorceress herself.”

I nearly face-planted in my salad. Did … Did he really forget the most important part?

“She's pregnant!” Grrr! What kind of idiot forgets something like that! “They're being careful with her because of how many problems they've had with pregnancies before. Sara herself was a lot of work for them.” I explained as calmly as I could, hopefully for the last time.

Let's be realistic, he's going to forget again.

“Oh, yeah. She can't be that far along, though.”

Okay, I guess I can forgive some of it. Most women put on weight when they're pregnant, but with her severe sickness she seemed to actually be losing weight. If I ever got pregnant like that I'd never want a second one, but Lucca was talking about how happy she was that this one had made it four months. Yeah it was kind of girl talk, so Gourry probably just tuned it out.

James, of course, seemed to be in constant panic mode and would do anything he could for Lucca during this time and we had to keep up. Honestly if Amelia hadn't insisted on watching Sara, and Zelgadis agreeing to keep an eye on Lucca there's no way Gourry and I would have been able to get away for any kind of meal, let alone a fancy one like this.

You see, while we may be in Seyruun it's hardly a promise of safety. Gourry any I had managed to sneak past the palace guards before (On the request of the First Royal Successor, we weren't going to rob the place. We're the good guys after all.) Not to mention the unusually regular intervals when assassins would get in. Even some thugs had managed to kidnap one of Phil's aides once.

The more I think about it the more I realize that James was paying us so much because he trusted us rather than trying to ensure we did a good job. The locals just couldn't cut it.

If I'd have known what was waiting for us back at the palace, I'd have ordered a few more courses and stayed at the restaurant as long as possible.

---

The place was complete chaos. Guards running right and left, Zelgadis sat with Lucca who's face was buried in a bucket as James and Phil were pouring over a letter. I felt my face freeze as the blood rushed from it, while I vainly hoped that Amelia was just keeping Sara safe elsewhere.

James was stone-faced as Phil appeared to trying to comfort him. An odd sight in and of itself.

“What's happened?” Gourry asked, he may not be that smart but even he can pick up on a few things.

James looked to him, speaking with a flat, even voice. “Amelia and Sara have been kidnapped.” He answered simply.

“Those knaves have stepped beyond reason. Abhorrent as kidnapping is, at least Amelia is a grown woman, but to take a babe and hold them for ransom. It's despicable!” Phil had a flare for the dramatic, but I think he may have actually been playing it down a bit, flaring nostrils and all.

I carefully took the ransom note, it's was very by the numbers. They didn't play anything up, but they did threaten Sara specifically if the payment wasn't made on time. Not much originality, but they knew how to leverage a child. The depravity of it turned my stomach. If I hadn't seen as much as I have in life I'd be right by Lucca heaving into a bucket.

“We can't take in a full guard.” James suddenly said.

“Why not?” Phil demanded. “We need to show these villains that their evil will not be tolerated.”

“Because they'll scatter like rats the moment they get wind of any force coming from the castle. They planned on kidnapping our daughters specifically. They wouldn't be stupid enough to not have an escape plan ready, even using our girls as shields.”

Of course they would, but how was he thinking so clearly during this disaster? Phil was much more understandable: outrage and desperation, but James seemed to be calculating. Let me tell you now, when someone calmly calculates like that during an emergency like this, and in his position, that is not a good thing.

“Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, I need you with me. Prince Philionel, will you please care for Lucca while I'm gone. I promise, I'll handle the situation.”

“I'll have my guards take positions around the perimeter of the block, that way they cannot escape.”

… “No.” I had to let him know about the problem. “James has it right, even placing your guards around the block will be enough to tip them off and they can escape before we even get there. Our only choice may be to pay the ransom.” I don't like the thought of just rolling over like this, but with the situation as it was already it did seem to be the only real option.

Phil looked pained, his yearning for justice had to be tempered by his desire for the safety of his and James' daughters.

James still looked cold, it was getting a little unnerving.

“I'll go and do what I can, and negotiate.”

Did he really think he could talk them into giving up? Okay, maybe James had lost it.

“You're hardly in a position to negotiate.” I insisted, he had to understand this.

“I believe I have something they might value. Besides, Lina, your reputation could be of use by itself.”

He wasn't wrong, I've built up quite the name as a bandit killer. If the kidnappers had any respect for that maybe we could get them back without having to pay.

---

Dirty, frowning tenements lined the streets of the slums. Taverns and brothels playing host to the jobless that somehow kept the businesses floating. The streets weren't empty, but most people were busy with one thing or another. It was actually a good cover for our approach, except that James is a giant at a solid two meters tall.

Crowds split ahead of us as we walked. Don't be fooled, just because James is fat doesn't mean he isn't hiding some strength. I've personally seen him take out trees with his fists. And with that bloodlust coming off him he can be genuinely intimidating.

Block 15, Sayruun City

Really, this place again? What, did these scumbags all pitch in to buy this crappy place and just share it between each other?

Years back Gourry and I had saved another hostage from this very place: Clawfell, aide to the First Royal Successor.

At least we knew our way around if it came down to it.

Gourry walked alongside us with his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. It may not be the Sword of Light he carried anymore, but any blade was dangerous in his hands. Zelgadis appeared to almost be hiding behind his cloak and cowl but he too was no slouch in a fight.

And let's not forget me, I may be a powerful sorceress, but I can hold my own in a sword fight.

I think James was planning on a fight breaking out.

Of course we walked right up to their hideout, under the cover of daylight, so we were spotted right away. The thug that approached us seemed like your run of the mill bar tough. Broken teeth, tattoos, and probably a week of sweat since his last bath. He was a guard and nothing more.

“Oi, where you think yer goin.” He managed to grunt. Yeah, this guy was no mastermind.

James walked forward and looked down at the man. “I want to negotiate for the release of the girls.”

“You got the money?”

“I need to speak to your boss.”

I think I could actually see the gears turning in the goons head as he thought about it. Clearly the guy in charge wanted as much money as possible if he was hiring the dumbest guards he could find.

After far too long the guy looked back to the building and then us. “Stay 'ere, I'll get the boss.”

“What are you planning?” Zelgadis asked once we were alone again.

“I'm going to make my offer, and they had better accept.”

It didn't take a genius to understand the implied threat.

It wasn't long before someone appeared on the balcony of a nearby building. They gestured clearly to us to get closer. “Just stay down there.” He insisted, not a bad idea to keep us at a distance. Not that we couldn't clear the distance with a quick Ray Wing spell. “You got my money?”

“I've got something more valuable to you than that:” James called back. I knew what was coming, as surely as Philionel was to go for the peaceful option, James was as sure to start a fight. Now both sides have their merit, but I'm a girl of action. “Your life. Surrender now, and give the girls back, and I'll let you go peacefully.”

“I'm afraid you don't take me seriously enough.” The mastermind said. “I have the girls here, you would still have to get to me. And I fear that you may not be fast enough.”

As I suspected, the war of threats was on. Either we'd come to an agreement, of there would be a fight.

“In fact …” I immediately wished the war of threats would continue as opposed to this. The mastermind looked back into the building and nodded. Shortly afterword a horrible shrieking came out. The shrieking of a young child in extreme pain. I couldn't make out Amelia's protests over the din of the cries, but I think she was being as vulgar as she could bare to be. Nobody could hear that and not be upset.

Well, nobody but the kidnapper. He smiled as he tossed down a bloody knife. I watched as the color drained from James' face, his eyes lighting up in fury. Adventurers and trained fighters like Gourry, Zelgadis and myself can sense hostile intent and blood-lust as a feeling. But what James displayed was a physical force.

I still don't know what exactly happened to him, but his hair was standing on end and the air around him appeared to burn. With an explosion of some magic I didn't recognize, James shot up from the ground and through the balcony.

“Wha …” Was the last thing ever uttered by the kidnapper talking to us. Not eloquent, but certainly appropriate.

I'll be the first to admit, I've seen far worse done to people. But that was on battle fields and often perpetrated by mazoku. The sights don't move me quite like they used to, but the one thing I'll never get used to is the smell. That heavy copper smell with such putrid undertones.

I suddenly remembered Atlas city, and the home of Tarim the Violet ,where Gourry and myself had been hired along with a bunch of other mercenaries. While we had gone to investigate Daymia the Blue one of Tarim's mercenaries had turned on the rest, resulting in one of the most vile buildings I've ever had the misfortune to walk into.

But Rod had used a sword, James was accomplishing this barehanded.

I didn't get any closer, I'm not squeamish, but I couldn't bring myself to see anymore of what was going on. I remember James walking out of that building, his blue clothes a putrid shade of black/brown. Amelia, her skin a deathly white, casually tossed over his shoulder as he cradled Sara in the crook of his arm, his free hand emanating the white light of a low level healing spell over her arm.

The one mercy of the day was the fire magic James used to immolate the building before we left.

We returned the next day to the slum, only the one building had been burned, and the flames had been hot enough to melt the stone foundation it had sat on.

Sara was in the temple for days, every available priest fighting off a magical poison that had been on the dagger. I'm not saying the guy deserved what James did to him, but I can't feel to sorry for him either.

Amelia had joined the priests in their frantic battle to save James' daughter's life the moment she herself was strong enough. I don't know if it was a feeling of guilt because this happened while she was caring for her, or if she was just afraid of James.

James and Lucca never left Sara alone while she was there. It was a difference of night and day, seeing the terrified father doing everything possible for his daughter, and comparing him to the brutal killing machine he had been to save her. And their quiet insistence that we hadn't failed them certainly didn't help that disparity.