Seven - Far Away
In another town not too far from Lina's current one, Zel sat in a tavern casually. His hood and mask covered his face. Only a few rebellious lavender strands peeked out. And no one would notice his blue skin or rocky complexion as long as they didn't look straight at him. He doubted that would happen.
It was getting dark now. He hadn't been there long but he was on his third round already. Zelgadiss turned the bottom up and sipped the last of the beer. He let out a sigh and declined as a waitress came to offer him more beer.
He was getting absolutely nowhere. He frowned. Was he going to run from this too? Another milestone in his past. Another horrible memory he'd try to bury. But that hadn't helped before. He still had this hideous form and Amelia would still be dead tomorrow.
Zelgadiss rested his chin on his hand as he picked at the food on his plate. He wasn't hungry in the least but had ordered food just for the sake of seeming normal. His thoughts drifted to Lina and Gourry. 'They know by now I'm not coming back. I know Lina won't give up until she finds the one responsible for Amelia's death. I wonder what her first step is. I'm sure Gourry will stick by her and follow her wherever she goes, unlike myself. I wonder what she thinks of me now.'
He pushed around a hunk of meat on his plate with his fork. He grunted at his childish activity, standing and pushing his chair aside. A few people looked up at him but averted their gaze when they saw a hint of blue or purple or rock. Zelgadiss dropped a tip on the table and walked out into the night.
He continued down the streets. He wasn't walking to anywhere in particular. He just felt like walking. He wasn't sure what he was going to do next. As usual, his heart was at war with his mind. But also as usual, his mind was winning. A strong wind rushed by, billowing out his cape and blowing off his hood.
"Zel!" A female voice cried from behind. "Zel!!" His eyes widened and he turned around slowly. He knew who it was, but he was still shocked that she'd found him so soon. That'd she'd even made such effort in looking for him. He'd underestimated her again.
Lina wasn't just walking casually, but running. She'd been running most of the way. She shoved people out of her way, desperation overwhelming her beautiful face. As she reached Zel, she buried herself in his arms. He almost backed away in alarm. Lina just didn't act like this. But instead, he wrapped his arms around her. 'Amelia...' Her name ran across his brain as he held Lina in the middle of that crowded street.
----
Lina blamed her sudden emotion on his sudden disappearance. Zel blamed it on Gourry's lack of attention towards her. She'd kicked him in the shin at that. The two were now sitting away from the crowds in a bakery shop. It was late so not many people were there. Lina ordered a strawberry shake and banana split while Zel just settled on coffee as usual.
Lina took a swig of her shake, eyeing Zel. "So, Zelly-boy. Why'd you run off on us?" She got right to the point.
He frowned, setting down his coffee to respond. "That's obvious, isn't it?"
She pointed her fork at him after removing a delightful bite of banana split from it. "That's no excuse, Zel. You're not alone in this."
"Hm." He took another sip of coffee.
Lina growled. "You're always like this, Zel!"
He looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "And you're always like this, Lina."
She blinked. "Huh?"
"You hunt me down, accuse me of whatever, then when I don't defend myself, you yell at me some more." He stood abruptly. "I'll tell you again, Lina. Don't follow me." And with that, Zelgadiss turned and stalked out of the bakery.
Lina stood, staring after him in disbelief. "Zel!" She started walking after him then stopped. She reached back and grabbed her shake then hurried after him. "Zel! Wait up!!"
Lina stepped out of the Tavern and into the dark street. Zel was already gone. "Zel!!" Lina called. A few late shoppers turned their heads but Zel was nowhere around. Lina growled, clenching the fist not occupied by her shake. "Darn it, Zel!" She sighed and started walking back down the way she'd come.
Lina glanced up at the sky and her eyebrows creased. It was getting dark fast. She'd have to Ray Wing it back to the Inn. As soon as she reached the towns limits, she dropped her empty shake container and activated the spell.
The wind was cooling and refreshing to her after the hot day's journey. Storm clouds were brewing in the sky still. Probably the same ones Zel had seen at the lake in the woods. Lina exhaled, loving the way the wind blew through her hair and caressed her face as she flew over the earth. Her attempt to get Zel back had failed. She wondered what Gourry had done the remainder of the day...
"Gourry!!" Her eyes widened at the thought of him and she nearly lost her concentration on the spell. "Crap! I was supposed to meet him for dinner!" Lina groaned. Then decided on a different outcome. "Ah well. It is Gourry after all. I bet HE forgot too." She sighed, focusing once again on the spell and her destination.
In another town not too far from Lina's current one, Zel sat in a tavern casually. His hood and mask covered his face. Only a few rebellious lavender strands peeked out. And no one would notice his blue skin or rocky complexion as long as they didn't look straight at him. He doubted that would happen.
It was getting dark now. He hadn't been there long but he was on his third round already. Zelgadiss turned the bottom up and sipped the last of the beer. He let out a sigh and declined as a waitress came to offer him more beer.
He was getting absolutely nowhere. He frowned. Was he going to run from this too? Another milestone in his past. Another horrible memory he'd try to bury. But that hadn't helped before. He still had this hideous form and Amelia would still be dead tomorrow.
Zelgadiss rested his chin on his hand as he picked at the food on his plate. He wasn't hungry in the least but had ordered food just for the sake of seeming normal. His thoughts drifted to Lina and Gourry. 'They know by now I'm not coming back. I know Lina won't give up until she finds the one responsible for Amelia's death. I wonder what her first step is. I'm sure Gourry will stick by her and follow her wherever she goes, unlike myself. I wonder what she thinks of me now.'
He pushed around a hunk of meat on his plate with his fork. He grunted at his childish activity, standing and pushing his chair aside. A few people looked up at him but averted their gaze when they saw a hint of blue or purple or rock. Zelgadiss dropped a tip on the table and walked out into the night.
He continued down the streets. He wasn't walking to anywhere in particular. He just felt like walking. He wasn't sure what he was going to do next. As usual, his heart was at war with his mind. But also as usual, his mind was winning. A strong wind rushed by, billowing out his cape and blowing off his hood.
"Zel!" A female voice cried from behind. "Zel!!" His eyes widened and he turned around slowly. He knew who it was, but he was still shocked that she'd found him so soon. That'd she'd even made such effort in looking for him. He'd underestimated her again.
Lina wasn't just walking casually, but running. She'd been running most of the way. She shoved people out of her way, desperation overwhelming her beautiful face. As she reached Zel, she buried herself in his arms. He almost backed away in alarm. Lina just didn't act like this. But instead, he wrapped his arms around her. 'Amelia...' Her name ran across his brain as he held Lina in the middle of that crowded street.
----
Lina blamed her sudden emotion on his sudden disappearance. Zel blamed it on Gourry's lack of attention towards her. She'd kicked him in the shin at that. The two were now sitting away from the crowds in a bakery shop. It was late so not many people were there. Lina ordered a strawberry shake and banana split while Zel just settled on coffee as usual.
Lina took a swig of her shake, eyeing Zel. "So, Zelly-boy. Why'd you run off on us?" She got right to the point.
He frowned, setting down his coffee to respond. "That's obvious, isn't it?"
She pointed her fork at him after removing a delightful bite of banana split from it. "That's no excuse, Zel. You're not alone in this."
"Hm." He took another sip of coffee.
Lina growled. "You're always like this, Zel!"
He looked down at her, his expression unreadable. "And you're always like this, Lina."
She blinked. "Huh?"
"You hunt me down, accuse me of whatever, then when I don't defend myself, you yell at me some more." He stood abruptly. "I'll tell you again, Lina. Don't follow me." And with that, Zelgadiss turned and stalked out of the bakery.
Lina stood, staring after him in disbelief. "Zel!" She started walking after him then stopped. She reached back and grabbed her shake then hurried after him. "Zel! Wait up!!"
Lina stepped out of the Tavern and into the dark street. Zel was already gone. "Zel!!" Lina called. A few late shoppers turned their heads but Zel was nowhere around. Lina growled, clenching the fist not occupied by her shake. "Darn it, Zel!" She sighed and started walking back down the way she'd come.
Lina glanced up at the sky and her eyebrows creased. It was getting dark fast. She'd have to Ray Wing it back to the Inn. As soon as she reached the towns limits, she dropped her empty shake container and activated the spell.
The wind was cooling and refreshing to her after the hot day's journey. Storm clouds were brewing in the sky still. Probably the same ones Zel had seen at the lake in the woods. Lina exhaled, loving the way the wind blew through her hair and caressed her face as she flew over the earth. Her attempt to get Zel back had failed. She wondered what Gourry had done the remainder of the day...
"Gourry!!" Her eyes widened at the thought of him and she nearly lost her concentration on the spell. "Crap! I was supposed to meet him for dinner!" Lina groaned. Then decided on a different outcome. "Ah well. It is Gourry after all. I bet HE forgot too." She sighed, focusing once again on the spell and her destination.