literature

Slayers Gears Chapter 1

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Why Did I Hire You?

3 Months Later

Lina climbed the basement stairs, wiping the dirt off her overalls.  "The pipes are fixed Mrs. Jenkins.  They should work fine now."

The plump woman poked her head out of the kitchen.  "Oh, thank you, dear."  She handed Lina a clean towel as she wiped her own hands on her apron.  "The pipe just burst this morning and with Henry gone for the weekend I had no clue what to do."  Mrs. Jenkins smiled.  "Thank heavens, we have such a reliable plumber."

Lina twitched, but she collected her tools and attempted a fake smile.  "Mrs. Jenkins, we've been through this.  I do repairs, but I'm not a plumber OR a handyman, I'm an inventor-"

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Jenkins said, fetching her purse, which told Lina she wasn't paying attention.  "Here's your payment, dear."

As soon as the coins touched her fingers, her irritation vanished.  Lina felt ten times better.  Money was the best medicine.  It could make anything better.  "Well, in that case, I'll be going."

Mrs. Jenkins frowned.  "Actually, Miss Lina, Mrs. Greenwood told me she wanted you to take a look a her carriage-"

"Oh, my!  Look at the time!" Lina exclaimed, quickly grabbing her tool box.  "There's not enough time in the day.  I'm late for a...dentist appointment!"

"But-"

Lina headed for the door faster than any athlete in a marathon.  "I'll-see-you-later-Mrs. Jenkins-BYE!"  Lina bolted and didn't stop until she reached the safety of a street corner and slumped against the lamppost.

"That was close," Lina muttered.  Normally, Lina wouldn't escape job offers.  Money was money.  However, the last time she had worked for Mrs. Greenwood, she ended up working her butt off for two days straight and Lina had needed to drag her rightful payment out of her.  Plus, Lina was dead tired.  She'd been doing house calls since sunrise.

Grimly, Lina tucked her hands behind her head as she started to hike home.  "Lina Inverse, genius sorceress and inventor now reduce to a simple handyman."  She cringed.  If Sis saw me like this, she'd be laughing her ass off.

However, Lina had only herself to blame.  She did figure she would be reduced to this role once she came to Seyrune.  It was one of the countries that hadn't been conquered by the revolutionaries.  At least, not yet.  The royal government and nobles here proudly supported the use of magic and turned up their noses at the very notion of steam powered engines.

Lina figured opening a repair shop was the route to take.  With the lack of repair shops and mechanics in Seyrune, there would be less competition and she would make more money.  She was soon proven to have been correct with her assumption.  The locals were always asking her to make repairs from their pluming to their toaster.  Lina just didn't forsee what a blow it would be to her pride and ego.

It occurred to Lina she could have opened the shop as a sorceress and sold magical items instead, but she specialized in black magic. It could raise unnecessary questions as to why she came to work in a city that dedicated itself to the study of white magic.  

I should just go to a revolutionary town, like Atlas City, she thought.  I may not get as much money, but at least I would get more respect.  As soon as this thought passed, Lina's common sense came barging in.  Oh sure!  When I'm trying to keep a low profile from the Revolutionaries, I should go to a place that's just boiling over with them?!  Great idea, Lina!

She shook her head.  Not much I can do about it now.  I just need to lay low until I don't have to worry about attracting attention back home.  Then, I'm out of here, and people can once again see me as the superior genius I am.

"Hey, Lina!"

She cringed as her name was called.  Damn!  It's Winston.  The shaggy brown haired boy smiled at her as he raced across the street.  Lina had nothing against the guy.  Truthfully, he could be rather pleasant.  Winston's only major flaw was his urge to flirt with and date every single girl on the planet and Lina was 'lucky' enough to be next in his target range.

"You look like you've been busy," Winston said.

Lina kept walking and staring straight ahead.  "Yup.  So, I really don't have time to deal with you."  Winston didn't realize she was refusing to stop for his own safety.  She was not in the mood to reject him with a "No" again.  If he kept persisting, Winston would soon have solid evidence of why having a hammer inserted into your skull was considered painful.

Since Winston didn't sense this danger, he raced ahead and forced Lina to halt in her tracks.  "Aw, come on! Don't be like that. Let's go for that drink we've been talking about.  You did say 'Yes'."

Lina rolled her eyes.  Why did he have to be so stubborn?  "No, I said I would think about it."  And that was just to shut you up.

Winston grinned and leaned in.  "Come on!  You can't tell me you're not looking for some action?  You've got to be lonely being in that shop all day!  Why don't we-"

A fist flew between them and punched the wall.  Caught off guard, Lina jumped.  Winston stumbled backwards, white as a sheet.  Lina's eyes followed the fist up the arm, up the chest, past the neck and up to the face of the man it was attached to.

He was young and blond, Lina guessed he was around the age of Winston, but the man was twice the creep's size.  The man took back his fist, staring sternly at Winston with the glare of a growling doberman.  "Are you deaf?  The kid doesn't want to go with you."

Who are you calling a 'kid?!  Lina wanted to yell, but put a lid on it.  This guy could be saving her a potential headache.

Winston held his hands up, afraid he was going to be hit.  "O-okay, sure no problem.  S-see you around!"  In her entire life, Lina had never seen a man run so fast.

Her supposed 'savior' finally relaxed.  "Hope he wasn't bugging you too much."

Lina recovered from the shock and realized he was talking to her.  "Oh? Him?  He does that all the time."

The man's eyes widened.  "Really?  Out in public?  That's bold."

Lina raised an eyebrow.  Had this guy never seen someone trying to flirt before?  Sure, Winston was exasperating, but it wasn't like the guy was taking his clothes off while doing it.

"Look, thanks for the help, but I've got to go home."

The man seemed to awaken from his thoughts.  "Oh sure, but still, doesn't he worry what people will say if they saw that?"

Lina sighed.  "Look pal, I don't know what rock you've been living under, but out here in the real world, things like this are common."

The man blinked.  "Seriously?"

"YES!" Lina snapped.  Sure, he helped her out, but she was not in the mood for this.  Lina started walking again.  She would leave this jellyfish brain guy behind and have a nice deserving bath when she got home.

The man scratched his head.  "It's just that, where I grew up, if people saw a guying hitting on another guy they would think it's weird."

Lina halted.  All of her plans evaporated as her blood boiled.  Little by little, she turned her head.  "What do you mean 'on another guy'?!"

The man seemed puzzled.  "Well, you and that-"  The man had a moment of insight.  He slammed his fist into his hand.  "Oh!  I get it!  You're a girl!"  He laughed.  "Now, it makes sense.  See, I thought you were a guy-"

The man's face was promptly greeted by the side of Lina's toolbox.  

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Lina felt slightly refreshed when she was able to get home and change into a clean dress, but she still grumbled as she brushed her hair.  

How could he think I was a guy?!  Is he blind?  Lina found her goggles, slipped them over her forehead and admired her reflection in her mirror.  How could anyone possibly mistake this gorgeous body for that of a guy?!  Lina climbed down the stairs.  She was desperate for a distraction and working on her inventions would provide that just fine.  She refused to think about the incident any further.

Besides, it's not like I'll ever see that moron again.  No point in getting myself any more angry over it.

Lina turned her shop's sign to open and went to her backroom.  She grabbed her wrench and screwdriver and sat at her work table.  Gleefully, she grinned at her latest creation, the automatic teapot.  

Many would mistake this for a normal teapot, if not for the wheels and gears sticking out of it near the bottom.  In theory, this gadget should be able to boil, brew and pour cups of tea by itself.  If only Lina could get the gears to work properly, then she could make millions with this baby.  

Lina picked up her invention and spun the wheels near the bottom.  "Tightening the screws might work-"

DING!

The shop's tiny bell rang.

Lina grumbled.  Why do costumers only choose to show up when I'm trying to work?  Still clutching her wrench, Lina walked to the front.

"Hi, how can I-"

Lina forgot what her formal shop greeting was.  Some unknown great divine being must have been tempted to play a practical joke on her for kicks.  Either that, or Lina had the lousiest luck in the world.  How else could she be staring at the guy she had been trying to erase from her mind in her own shop?

The source of her current frustration, stared back equally as surprised.  "Hey! Aren't you that girl from earlier?"

Keeping her lips in a firm line, Lina stomped around the counter and shoved him towards the door.  "Sorry Sir, we're closing."

"But it's the middle of the afternoon."

"Well, I have a large headache from dealing with jellyfish-brain idiots, so I'm closing."

The man dug his feet in and held his hands on the doorframe.  "You're not still mad are you?"

"Oh, no!" Lina cried, putting her full strength into shoving him out.  "I love it when strangers out right tell me they mistake me for a man.  It's every girl's dream!"

The man remained where he stood, refusing to budge.  "Look, I'm sorry, but can you blame me?  You were wearing overalls, covered in dirt and you have a flat-"

"Say 'flat chest', and I'll be shoving this wrench into your skull!" Lina cried, waving her weapon in the air.  "And never mind those details, wasn't my long hair a big enough clue for you?!"

"Not really," the man turned around.  "I've seen lots of guys with long hair, including me."  He paused. "Actually, my hair used to be a little longer than yours."

Lina scowled, but kept her mouth shut.  He did have a point.  Impatiently, Lina tapped her foot.  "Fine, so why are you here?  I'm going to warn you, I have a long list of things I need to fix before I can get to your request."

The man scratched his head.  "Actually, I came to ask if you would hire me."

Lina stared skeptically. It was only then she noticed the sword strapped to his side.  Her eyes widened.  How could she not notice that earlier?  She was usually so observant.  Then again, she was distracted by Winston at the time.  The blame would fall on him.

She crossed her arms.  "Sorry, I don't have any jobs for a swordsman."

The man glanced down and touched his sword hilt.  "Oh, this is a side profession for me."  He grinned.  "My main trade is being a mechanic."

"That doesn't change anything," Lina went back around her counter.  "I don't need a mechanic."

The man rested his arms on the counter.  "You can't be telling me you don't need an extra mechanic.  I heard you're the only person working here and I'll bet you're having a hard time keeping up with the work orders."

How can a jellyfish brain be so perceptive?  Lina thought bitterly.  It had been a challenge to finish her orders on time.  She lost count of how much sleep she'd lost trying to finish repairs.  

"Give me a chance," he continued.  "I don't like to brag, but I can fix anything thrown at me."

Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder.  He wasn't a bad looking guy.  In reality, he was rather attractive and he did seem to be a decent guy, even if he wasn't too bright.  Still, she refused to hire him on the spot.  She did have strict principles for her shop and she had to have payback for the 'guy' comment.

Smiling smugly, Lina opened her drawer and placed an old rusty alarm clock on the counter.   "Okay, big shot, see if you can fix this clock.  If you can, then I'll hire you."

The man frowned as he picked up the clock.  He repeatedly turned the small clock from front to back in his hands.

Lina chuckled to herself.  She had been working on that clock for weeks, but in her opinion, it was beyond hope.  If she couldn't fix it, there was no way this jellyfish brain could.

RRIINNGG!!

Lina jumped ten feet in the air.  The man turned the dial and placed it on the counter.  "It was a loose screw. Except for a few drops of oil, it should work just fine."

Lina's jaw dropped. "H-how?"

The man extended his hand.  "It will be nice working with you, Boss.  By the way, my name is Gourry Gabriev."

Dumbfounded, Lina shook his hand.  "I don't believe this."

Ignoring her shocked state, Gourry went into the back and climbed up the stairs.  "So, which room should I take?  The small one at the end of the hall?"

That broke Lina from her shock.  "Hold it!  Why do you want a room?  Don't you need to go home?"

"Nope," Gourry called out.  "I just arrived in this city this morning and I can't afford another night at the inn.  Besides, since I'm working here, it makes more sense to live at the shop."

"NO, IT DOESN'T!!" Lina yelled, causing the small alarm clock to topple over.  "You can work here, but you're not living here!  UNDERSTAND!  This is a man free zone!"

"I'm taking a bath!  Hope you don't mind!" Gourry yelled, followed by the sound of a closing door.

Lina was dying to scream; instead she banged her forehead on her counter trying to comprehend on how exactly she ended up with a new roommate.

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No matter how much Lina protested or threatened, Gourry ignored her and stayed in the shop.  Eventually, Lina decided it would cost her less damage to her shop if she just let him stay.  During the upcoming weeks, as much as Lina wanted to deny it, Gourry was true to his word and proved to be a good mechanic. For once, Lina was getting work orders done on time, sometimes even ahead of schedule.  Hiring Gourry might have been one of the smartest moves she could have made, not that she would ever tell him that.

So far, she had no problems with the man, until one fateful morning.   She heard Gourry grunting as he passed by.  She glanced up from the magnifying glass she was using to fix the music box in time to witness Gourry carrying a large pile of books in his arms.  She immediately recognized the pile as her collection of spell books.

"Gourry, what are you doing?"

"I found these in the storage room.  I was going to throw them out."

Lina had a heart attack.  "Are you nuts?!" She seized the pile back from him, glaring at him like he had suggested burning a kitten alive.  "These are my spell books!  I've spent years collecting these."

Gourry frowned, confused.  "Why?  You're not a sorceress."

The books gave a loud thud as she dropped them on her table.  "As a matter of fact jellyfish-brain, I happen to be a genius at sorcery."

Gourry appeared to be even more baffled.  "But, I thought you were an inventor."

"I am!" she snapped, getting back to her task at hand.  

"So, wait," Gourry replied, slowly.  "You mean, you're both?"

Lina rolled her eyes.  "Isn't that what I'm saying or is your small brain unable to understand the concept?"

The blond mechanic scratched his head. "But, why?  Don't most people just pick one or the other?  I've never heard of a person studying both."

Lina couldn't argue that it was rare to find a person who studies both magic and machinery.  For the last 100 years, since the invention of the first steam engine, the fierce bickering between the Revolutionaries who supported the progress of technology and the Traditionalists and Royalists who supported the use of magic had grown into a massive conflict.  Lina remembered once reading about some heads that had been literally chopped off as part of one of the debates.  

Due to this, people had either picked to study solely magic or technology, almost no one would study both.  Some would have even argued it was suicide to try mastering both fields.  

However, truth be told, Lina could see the advantages to both sides.  Magic was useful and powerful.  There were times magic could almost seem limitless, but only a select few could master it and it could take a lot of energy out of a person.

Technology, while not nearly as convenient as magic, could be used by anyone.  That was probably why so many of the working class supported it, since it theoretically put everyone on the same level.  At least, that's what the Revolutionaries argued.  

Frankly, Lina had found both sides to be fascinating.  She'd made that choice as a child, and she refused to change her opinion.

"I'm not like most people," Lina replied, as she adjusted and twisted the wire.  "I honestly love both magic and machines.  For me, trying to stick to one is like a mother having to choose between her children."  She turned in her seat.  "So, I do both."

Gourry folded his arms.  "Okay, I get that, but I can't help but think that you can run into a lot of trouble by doing that.

"You don't know the half of it," Lina muttered.

DING!  The shop bell rang.

Lina set aside her tools and adjusted her goggles.  "Let's deal with this customer and then I want you to put my spell books back."  She glared.  "In alphabetical order."  Ha!  That will teach him to touch other people's property!

She grinned self-righteously to herself as she went to the front of the store.  The customer that had entered was not what she had expected.  

He was a young man, with expensive clothing that loudly proclaimed his wealth.  Taken aback, Lina slowly approached him.  She had had nobles as costumers before, but it was rare for one to come to her shop personally.  Normally, they would send a servant to do the job.

"Can I help you?" Lina asked, as Gourry followed.

The man didn't smile.  His eyes narrowed and he stared at her with a stern look.      

"I'm looking for a Lina Inverse."

Lina frowned, as she gained a closer look at the nobleman's outfit.  He wore gloves, which was peculiar.  It had been a hot summer in Seyrune.  Wouldn't his hands get sweaty?  Then, there was another small details that bothered her.  Patches of dry mud clung to the bottom of his pants.  

Lina could care less about another person's sense of hygiene, but most of the nobles she encountered would insist on changing their wardrobe if they got even a tiny stain.  Yet, this guy was walking around with dirt on his pants?  

Oh well, maybe he's just one of those eccentric rich people.

She folded her arms.  "That would be me.  What can I do for you?"

The man seemed to ease up slightly.  "My name is Zelgadis Greywords and I have a job for you."

Gourry shrugged.  "Sure, that's no problem.  What do you want us to fix?"

Zelgadis paused, shoving his hands into his pocket.

"What's wrong?" Gourry asked, tilting his head.  "Did you forget it?"

"No…it's complicated."

Lina's inner alert system for trouble rang. He was acting for too agitated for a simple repair job.

Zelgadis stared directly at Lina.  "I've heard you're an inventor?  You have a lot of experience working with machines?"

"That would be why I have this shop?"

"But you're also a sorceress, correct?"

The inner alarm bells rang louder.  Lina had made sure to hide her sorcery skills when she came to Seyrune.  She refused to take any chances of the Revolutionaries back home tracking her. This was getting more suspicious by the minute.

"How did you hear about that?"

Zelgadis gave a half smile.  "I did some research.  The job I want to hire you for requires understanding of both magic and machinery."

"So, what is the job exactly?" Gourry asked, who also sounded suspicious.

Good, he's not a total jellyfish brain, Lina thought.

Zelgadis bit his lip.  "I can't tell you here, but I swear to you, I'll give you a proper payment for it."

Lina swiftly turned on her heels.  "Sorry, but no."  She didn't bother to look back as she returned to the backroom.  "I've got a good sixth sense about these kind of things and your job is just reeking of trouble."

Zelgadis's eyes narrowed.  "So, you won't take it."

"You deaf?  That's what I said."  Lina proceeded to walk away.

"That's too bad."   Zelgadis turned his attention to a shelf of spare parts for sale.  "Perhaps the Revolutionaries can help me after I give them some interesting information about you."

Lina froze.

Zelgadis glanced out of the corner of his eye.  "I travelled through Zephilia recently.  While I was there, I heard some interesting rumours about a lake.  Apparently, it used to be a prime spot for fishing, but last year locals heard a loud explosion coming from it."  He turned to Lina.  "They ran and found the lake to be completely destroyed.  The fish, the plants, everything was dead.  I think it's called the sea of death now."

Giant butterflies fluttered in Lina's stomach.

Zelgadis approached her as he continued.  "The sorcerers had theorized the damage was caused by powerful magic, but they had never seen or heard of a spell that could cause such damage.   The Revolutionaries were very concerned, from what I hear.  They even began to keep a tighter grip on the sorcery schools there."  He sighed.  "It's unfortunate, since the magic schools were finally getting used to having more freedom since the Revolutionaries took over."

"What does this have to do with Lina?" Gourry asked as he moved closer to her.

Zelgadis shrugged.  "Oh nothing, except around the same time the investigation began, the well known inventor and sorceress Lina Inverse disappeared."  He leaned in close.  "The Revolutionaries have been trying to find whoever cast the spell and I can't blame them.  That would be a dangerous spell for anyone to have.  Just think about how much damage this person could do to them.  He or SHE could easily wipe out an entire army of Revolutionaries with that kind of spell."

He stopped in front of Lina.  "But the timing of it is funny.  Don't you agree, Lina?"

Lina bit her tongue and scowled.  

"Think about it.  You leave home at the same time the lake is destroyed?  I asked your family where you went and they told me you went off to see relatives, but here you are."

Lina fumed.  The guy had her cornered and he knew it.  She craved to wipe that confident smirk off his face.  She was trapped.  With nothing else to lose, she grabbed him by the collar.  "What do you want?"

"A trade," Zelgadis replied, unfazed.  "You help me with my problem and I don't blab this tidbit of information to the Revolutionaries."

"But that's blackmail!"

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to resort to this, but you left me no choice.  So, will you take the job now?"

Lina snarled, as she let go.  "Let's see, work for you or have you turn me in?  What do you think?!"

Zelgadis straightened his jacket.  "Excellent.  I'm staying at the Skylark Inn.  I'll see you this evening."

Violent thoughts ran through Lina's mind as Zelgadis tipped his hat and left with the smirk of a fox escaping with a chicken in his mouth.
Here is chapter 1 to my Slayers Gears fanfic. I hope you guys are enjoying this.

Summary: Bad enough that world class sorceress and inventor, Lina Inverse, gets black mailed into accepting a job, and has a jellyfish mechanic working for her, but she soon finds herself in a situation that could destroy the world. Will her inventions and magic be enough to save it?
© 2012 - 2024 earthstar
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ineedname's avatar
Can't wait for the next chapter. Great start!