----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______"Oh..." Peisha reined her horse to a stop just outside the gate to Seyruun. "It's so beautiful..."
______Jason stopped his horse next to hers and looked up at the wall that formed part of the protections around the city. He smiled and nodded in agreement with his sister, then directed his horse towards the main gate of Seyruun.
______"Come on Peisha," Gourry called over his shoulder. "It's much nicer inside the gates."
______"And they have the best soft serve ice cream anywhere!" Lina said happily.
______Jason looked over at his Mom and wondered for the billionth time about her sanity. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the reins on Peisha's horse and led both his and her horse through the gate.
______As they entered Seyruun, the first thing they came across was a life-sized statue of all the Slayers. Lina and Gourry looked nervously at each other, and kept the horses moving past it.
______Jason stopped both his and Peisha's horse to look at the statue, and Peisha dismounted quickly to run forward and read the inscription. Lina and Gourry exchanged glances and rode back to where their son had stopped the horses. Jason slipped of his horse, never taking his eyes off the statue.
______"I wonder when this was put in?" Lina asked no one inparticular.
______"Just five years ago." Peisha answered looking back at her parents. "They don't really look like the sketches in all the history books. They look younger. More like they should have, according to the descriptions..."
______Jason looked at his sister and said quietly, "But, this makes them look younger than me..."
______"They were, for the most part." Peisha said with a smile. "Through the big adventures with the Dark Lords and such, Lina Inverse was 16, Gourry Gabriev was 17, Ameila Wil Tesla Saillune was 14, Zelgadis Graywords was 18, and Xellos Metalium and Filia Ul Copt were of the dragons and mazoku, so their ages didn't really matter."
______Lina nodded. "Yes, that's about right."
______"Oh, did you ever meet any of the Slayers Mom?" Peisha looked at Lina hopefully.
______"Huh?" Lina laughed nervously. "Well, you couldn't help but hear about them back then!"
______"That must've been so cool!" Peisha said excitedly.
______"Ok, come on." Gourry interrupted. "If we want a room at the inn, we had better get going that way now."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______Outside the inn, Lina and Gourry stood, hand in hand, talking to Jason and Peisha.
______"Now Jase," Gourry said sternly. "Your Mom and I are going to visit old friends; we'll probably be out late. I want
you to be mature and take care of yourself and Peisha this evening."
______"No problem." Jason said as he carefully pocketed the money his father had given him.
______"Be careful okay?" Lina said in a concerned voice. "Keep a sharp eye on Peisha. I can just see her getting lost here."
______"Don't worry. I'll take care of her." Jason added reassuringly, "Have fun Mom."
______"Come on," Gourry prodded. "I sent a messenger earlier. She's expecting us."
______"Right." Lina nodded, and she and Gourry started walking down the street.
______"Who do you think they're visiting Jase?" Peisha chimed in behind him.
______"I don't know, but it's not our buisness." Jason turned and smiled, "How about we hit some shops, then tour a couple of
the temples? Sound good?"
______"Yeah!"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
______"Mmm. This ice-cream really is good!" Peisha said happily.
______"Glad you like it." Jason said. "Ready to visit some temples?"
______"Always." Peisha said throwing the half-eaten ice-cream cone behind her.
______"Oh." Jason scolded, "Careful! You could've hit someone Peisha!"
______"You did hit someone!" Growled a vaguely feminine voice behind them.
______Jason and Peisha turned around quickly to see a young man with long black hair and delicate features standing behind
them, the ice-cream cone firmly squashed on one shoulder of his red silk shirt. He would've made quite an impressive figure,
if not for the ice cream, tall and thin, with pale skin, blue eyes, and long flowing, black hair, dressed in black pants and boots
with a half-open red silk shirt and a longsword hung on his left hip.
______"Ah!" Jason gasped then bowed several times to the young man in red. "Gomenasai! Gomenasai!"
______"I didn't realize you were," Peisha began.
______"Behind you perhaps?" He retorted rudely.
______"I realize you are angry," Jason chose his words slowly and carefully. "But I would appreciate you watching how you speak
to my sister."
______"Is that a challege?" The boy in red sneered.
______"Oh, get over yourself!" Peisha piped in.
______"I'll make you a deal," the boy continued, ignoring Peisha's comment. "If you will give me a decent swordfight, I won't hold any hard feelings about my shirt. If not, well, i'm afraid i'll have to ask you to replace it, and i'm sure you couldn't afford
the later... Commoner."
______"Listen," Jason said as politely as he could manage. "I--"
______"Oh, I'm sorry," the boy cut him off. "Is the blade you wear just for show?"
______"No." Jason growled. "I never fight anyone without a proper introduction first."
______"Jase..." Peisha began nervously as she saw her brother's temper reaching the edge.
______"I am Jason Gabriev of Zefielia." Jason continued, ignoring Peisha's concern. "Trained by Garrett Gabriev. Draw your blade
only if you mean it."
______"Now this sounds much better!" The boy in red smiled as he drew his blade. "I am Valon Mel Navratilova of Zoana, trained
by the master of the Howling Sword and rival of Slayer Gourry Gabriev, none other than the great Zangalus."
______"Wha--" Peisha started. "But that means he's the prince of Zoana and son of King Zangalus and Queen Martina Mel
Navratilova... They actually travelled with the Slayers sometimes... A-a-and... He's a prince... Why did he have to be such
a jerk!?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
