Chapter seven: On the road again
It was a beautiful day. A rainbow streaked across the morning sky, the reward for a night of rain. A single ray of sunshine made it through the curtains and landed on Lina's right eye. Lina tossed and turned, trying to get the sun off her face. More sunlight was coming through the curtains. Pretty soon, Lina's whole body was covered in sunlight. "RRGH!!!" Lina put her pillow over her face. Much better, she thought. Knock! Knock! Knock! "Lina," Gourry was at the door, "get up Lina." Lina was getting very angry right about now. "Just leave me alone, Gourry," she said, "I'm trying to sleep."
"But they have an All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet at this inn."
Gourry had just said the magic word. Before Gourry could knock on the door again, Lina opened it and ran to the dining room. "C'mon, slowpoke," she said as she made it to the stairs, "I'm not going to wait all day." Gourry closed Lina's door and ran with great speed to try and get to the buffet before Lina.
Lina and Gourry made it there at the same time. There was a fierce battle who'd get to eat first. Gourry pushed Lina down, but Lina grabbed his hair All the people at their tables stared at Lina and Gourry. They didn't know what to make of them. Suddenly, Gourry broke free and grabbed a plate. Lina didn't waste any time. She just grabbed a tray full of sausage, and brought it to a table. Gourry arrived soon after with a plate that had a huge pile of pancakes.
Lina and Gourry stared at each other. They were liked that for minutes, not blinking, until something triggered them to start eating like there was no tomorrow. Lina grabbed handfuls of sausages and shoved them into her mouth. Gourry had five pancakes on one fork at a time and appeared to be inhaling them because every time he put the pancakes in his mouth he'd get another five on his fork and put them in his mouth again. All of the other guests were dumbfounded. How could anyone eat so much? and Are they even human? was what most of them were thinking. Within no time at all, Lina and Gourry were halfway done with.
It was around that time that Naga and Amelia arrived. Naga saw Lina and Gourry stuffing their faces with food. How on earth are they going to pay for all of that food? thought Naga. Lina spent practically all of her money last night. Lina finished her sausages and began to lick the tray. "Looks like Lina and Gourry are taking advantage of the All-You-Can-Eat buffet," said Amelia. Her face was beaming with happiness. "Would you like any breakfast, Gracia?" asked Amelia. Silence. Amelia looked to her right and saw that Gracia wasn't there. Then she looked at the buffet and saw her sister removing a tray full of sliced up ham. "C'mon, Amelia," said Naga, "It's all you can eat."
Their stomachs full of food and their minds thinking nothing of riches, Lina and Naga set out on the biggest adventure in their lives. Gourry and Amelia tagged along as well. After all, somebody had to carry the food. They hiked twenty-five miles that day, along the Great West Road and deep into Firian Wood. They camped out next to Mering Stream and had a long awaited dinner. Lina and Naga sat down on a fallen tree trunk while Amelia and Gourry were trying desperately to catch up.
"I…I think we're almost there," wheezed Gourry. His back was already messed up from carrying the bag for twenty-five miles, but now his shoulders were slowly moving out of their sockets. "Hang in there, Mr. Gourry," said Amelia, "carrying a bag is not that bad."
"Hey. You're used to carrying bags full of food for countless miles, but this is the first time I've had to do this."
"That's because we have my big sister traveling with us. We'd naturally need another bag carrier."
"How do you even…ERR…there goes my right shoulder….how do you even put up with the weight for so long?"
"Once you carry these kind of bags long enough, your bones start to bend and form little pockets where the straps are supposed to go. That reduces the strain a bit."
"But it must hurt to get those pockets, right?"
"Like hell."
The dense vegetation of shrubs and bushes were beginning to spread out. Through the needles of nearby furs, Gourry and Amelia saw Naga and Lina arguing of something that seemed important by their body language. "I'm gonna tell you this for the last time, Naga," said Lina, "the meat will taste better if we roast it first then dip it in the sauce." Naga laughed. "Oh Lina, you really are stupid, aren't you?" said Naga. "We should marinate the meat in the sauce for an hour so it will soak up the flavor, then you roast it." Out of the corner of her eye, Lina saw Amelia and Gourry enter the campsite. "Let's ask them what they think," said Lina. "Agreed," replied Naga.
Gourry was relieved to get the bag off. "Ohhh….that feels much better than when me and Lina have sex," said Gourry, rubbing his right shoulder. Lina's face became red. "S-SHUT UP, GOURRY!!" shouted Lina as she threw a rock at Gourry's head. Naga had a big grin on her face. "Ooooo…Lina's all grown-up after all," said Naga. "Don't make me grab another rock, Naga!" said Lina. "I'm so proud of you Miss Lina," said Amelia as she put her bag down. "I just hope you used a protection spell." Lina had never been more embarrassed in her life. "Can we just drop the subject?" asked Lina. "We're supposed to be talking about how to prepare the meat for our dinner." "Personally," said Gourry, "I think that the meat would taste much better if it's marinated for a while before we cooked it." One point for Naga. "I think we should just roast the meat first, then dip it in some sauce," said Amelia. "That way, we can eat it much sooner." One point for Lina. "Then there's only one way to settle this," said Naga. Lina nodded her head.
It was a beautiful day. A rainbow streaked across the morning sky, the reward for a night of rain. A single ray of sunshine made it through the curtains and landed on Lina's right eye. Lina tossed and turned, trying to get the sun off her face. More sunlight was coming through the curtains. Pretty soon, Lina's whole body was covered in sunlight. "RRGH!!!" Lina put her pillow over her face. Much better, she thought. Knock! Knock! Knock! "Lina," Gourry was at the door, "get up Lina." Lina was getting very angry right about now. "Just leave me alone, Gourry," she said, "I'm trying to sleep."
"But they have an All-You-Can-Eat breakfast buffet at this inn."
Gourry had just said the magic word. Before Gourry could knock on the door again, Lina opened it and ran to the dining room. "C'mon, slowpoke," she said as she made it to the stairs, "I'm not going to wait all day." Gourry closed Lina's door and ran with great speed to try and get to the buffet before Lina.
Lina and Gourry made it there at the same time. There was a fierce battle who'd get to eat first. Gourry pushed Lina down, but Lina grabbed his hair All the people at their tables stared at Lina and Gourry. They didn't know what to make of them. Suddenly, Gourry broke free and grabbed a plate. Lina didn't waste any time. She just grabbed a tray full of sausage, and brought it to a table. Gourry arrived soon after with a plate that had a huge pile of pancakes.
Lina and Gourry stared at each other. They were liked that for minutes, not blinking, until something triggered them to start eating like there was no tomorrow. Lina grabbed handfuls of sausages and shoved them into her mouth. Gourry had five pancakes on one fork at a time and appeared to be inhaling them because every time he put the pancakes in his mouth he'd get another five on his fork and put them in his mouth again. All of the other guests were dumbfounded. How could anyone eat so much? and Are they even human? was what most of them were thinking. Within no time at all, Lina and Gourry were halfway done with.
It was around that time that Naga and Amelia arrived. Naga saw Lina and Gourry stuffing their faces with food. How on earth are they going to pay for all of that food? thought Naga. Lina spent practically all of her money last night. Lina finished her sausages and began to lick the tray. "Looks like Lina and Gourry are taking advantage of the All-You-Can-Eat buffet," said Amelia. Her face was beaming with happiness. "Would you like any breakfast, Gracia?" asked Amelia. Silence. Amelia looked to her right and saw that Gracia wasn't there. Then she looked at the buffet and saw her sister removing a tray full of sliced up ham. "C'mon, Amelia," said Naga, "It's all you can eat."
Their stomachs full of food and their minds thinking nothing of riches, Lina and Naga set out on the biggest adventure in their lives. Gourry and Amelia tagged along as well. After all, somebody had to carry the food. They hiked twenty-five miles that day, along the Great West Road and deep into Firian Wood. They camped out next to Mering Stream and had a long awaited dinner. Lina and Naga sat down on a fallen tree trunk while Amelia and Gourry were trying desperately to catch up.
"I…I think we're almost there," wheezed Gourry. His back was already messed up from carrying the bag for twenty-five miles, but now his shoulders were slowly moving out of their sockets. "Hang in there, Mr. Gourry," said Amelia, "carrying a bag is not that bad."
"Hey. You're used to carrying bags full of food for countless miles, but this is the first time I've had to do this."
"That's because we have my big sister traveling with us. We'd naturally need another bag carrier."
"How do you even…ERR…there goes my right shoulder….how do you even put up with the weight for so long?"
"Once you carry these kind of bags long enough, your bones start to bend and form little pockets where the straps are supposed to go. That reduces the strain a bit."
"But it must hurt to get those pockets, right?"
"Like hell."
The dense vegetation of shrubs and bushes were beginning to spread out. Through the needles of nearby furs, Gourry and Amelia saw Naga and Lina arguing of something that seemed important by their body language. "I'm gonna tell you this for the last time, Naga," said Lina, "the meat will taste better if we roast it first then dip it in the sauce." Naga laughed. "Oh Lina, you really are stupid, aren't you?" said Naga. "We should marinate the meat in the sauce for an hour so it will soak up the flavor, then you roast it." Out of the corner of her eye, Lina saw Amelia and Gourry enter the campsite. "Let's ask them what they think," said Lina. "Agreed," replied Naga.
Gourry was relieved to get the bag off. "Ohhh….that feels much better than when me and Lina have sex," said Gourry, rubbing his right shoulder. Lina's face became red. "S-SHUT UP, GOURRY!!" shouted Lina as she threw a rock at Gourry's head. Naga had a big grin on her face. "Ooooo…Lina's all grown-up after all," said Naga. "Don't make me grab another rock, Naga!" said Lina. "I'm so proud of you Miss Lina," said Amelia as she put her bag down. "I just hope you used a protection spell." Lina had never been more embarrassed in her life. "Can we just drop the subject?" asked Lina. "We're supposed to be talking about how to prepare the meat for our dinner." "Personally," said Gourry, "I think that the meat would taste much better if it's marinated for a while before we cooked it." One point for Naga. "I think we should just roast the meat first, then dip it in some sauce," said Amelia. "That way, we can eat it much sooner." One point for Lina. "Then there's only one way to settle this," said Naga. Lina nodded her head.