Chapter eleven: The Blonde haired Blunder
Early the next morning, Lina woke everyone up and told them about what had happened last night and what Xellos told her to do. "Wolfpac Island!?" shouted Naga. "Are you nuts? Do you even know what lurk around the waters of Wolfpac Island?" "Don't worry," said Lina, "we're being expected. I hardly think that any of the monsters would harm the guests of Lord Beastmaster." "What do you mean by 'guests,' Lina?" asked Naga.
"This was all her idea. That's what Xellos said, and he's never lied to us. He's neglected to tell us things from time to time, but the things he has told us were always true. Isn't that right, Amelia?"
Amelia nodded and continued to pack things into the bag that she'd be carrying. Gourry tried to pack up his bag, but soon fell fast asleep. "I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Naga. "But if anything goes wrong we're following this map." Naga reached into a little fanny pack that she'd been carrying around for a while. "It's gone!" yelled Naga. "I guess we'll just have to take the secondary path," said Amelia. I know I didn't lose it, thought Naga. It must've been stolen, but by who?
No more than fifteen minutes they were on the road again. They backtracked along the Great West Road for five miles and cut through the Meadow Forlond. Soon, they found themselves wondering through Durthang Mash for what seemed like forever. During their hike, Gourry collapsed six times. He stopped when Lina threatened to blast him with a fireball. They spent four days traveling through the Durthang Marsh, and their food was running low. Which was good news and bad news for Gourry. If they'd gone on their original course they could've stocked up at the town of Lamendon days ago. On the fourth day of traveling through the marsh they came upon Wine Water Creek, on the other side of it was the town of Linhir.
The sun was still high in the noon sky when the gang checked into a cheap inn. They were covered in mud, animal feces, and other, more foul smelling things. "Before I allow you to go inside your rooms," said the innkeeper, holding his nose tight, "I must ask you to bathe in the public bathhouse a few blocks down." At the mention of the word bathhouse, they were already on their way out.
They all had a long, soothing bath in clean, hot, steaming water, but it was not cheap. They had to use some of Amelia's money to pay for Gourry (who was in the next room) and to get towels. "This feel soooo good," said Lina as she splashed some water on her face. "I'll say," said Naga as she drank some of the bath's complementary saké. "So, Lina," said Naga, wiping her mouth, "how do we get a boat to Wolfpac Island from here?" Lina suddenly realized something. She was going to ask Xellos the same question, but he left so suddenly and the coldness of the water made the thought leave her mind, so she never actually knew how they'd get to Wolfpac from Linhir.
In the men's bath, Gourry was soaking quietly when a young traveler decided to soak next to him. He had dark hair and really dark eyes. He was not as tall as Gourry, but he looked just as strong. "Geez," said the man, "you look like you've been through hell." "Nah," replied Gourry, " just the Durthang Marsh." The traveler's eyes grew wider. "You actually went through the Durthang Marsh?" he asked. "Well, yeah," said Gourry. "It's supposed to be a short-cut." The traveler was in awe of Gourry. "I heard the road that goes through the Durthang Marsh was very dangerous and was swarming with bandits," he said. "How did you manage to get through without a scar or something? Anyway, my name is uh… Dias, pleased to meet you." Now it was Gourry's turn to have his eyes grow wide. "There's a road?" he asked in a surprised tone.
"Lina," said Naga, "are you okay? You just stared off into space for like three minutes." Lina slowly turned her head toward Naga. "Of course I'm okay," she said in a shaky voice. "Then how do we get to Wolfpac from here?" asked Naga. Lina didn't say anything. "Lina?" said Naga. "Not again."
"So you actually had the sword of light?" asked Dias. "Yeah," said Gourry, "I gave it to this guy called Sirius, or something. The sword I have now was given to me by a bunch of crazy, warriors of justice." "And that was also in the outer world?" asked Dias. "Yeah," replied Gourry. "So," said Dias, his face looked like it was full of questions, "what brings you all the way here to Linhir?" Gourry rubbed his right shoulder. "I'm traveling with some friends to find the Galleon of Gold." Dias's eyes suddenly shrank into a leer, but Gourry didn't notice. "The Galleon of Gold, eh?" said Dias. "How do you expect to get there from here?" "We're going to take a boat to Wolfpac Island. We're supposed to be expected there by someone known as Lord Beastmasker." Dias crossed his arms, his eyes were fixed on Gourry. "You don't say," he said. "It was all my friend, Lina Inverse's idea," said Gourry. Dias's eyes grew big again. Lina Inverse? he thought. "Actually it was Xellos's plan," corrected Gourry.
Dias's eyes grew even bigger. Dammit, thought Dias, this will more difficult than expected. "I think I should be going now," said Dias. "I have something important to take care of, so I'll just dry off" Dias got out of the bath and grabbed a towel on a nearby bench. "Nice talking to you," said Gourry, waving his hand. Gourry moved his arms around in the bath water. When he touched the water were Dias had sat he was shocked. It's ice cold, thought Gourry, and it's getting colder? He quickly turned in the direction where Dias was drying off and found that he had left.
Gourry got out of the bath and walked over to the place where Dias was. All that was left was the towel he used and it was on the ground. Gourry bent over and picked it up. The towel had frost all over it. Behind, he heard a cracking sound. Gourry turned around and was not expecting what he saw. The entire bath was frozen solid. Gourry looked at the towel, then back at the bath, then to the exit door. What the hell just happened, he thought and gripping the towel tighter.
Early the next morning, Lina woke everyone up and told them about what had happened last night and what Xellos told her to do. "Wolfpac Island!?" shouted Naga. "Are you nuts? Do you even know what lurk around the waters of Wolfpac Island?" "Don't worry," said Lina, "we're being expected. I hardly think that any of the monsters would harm the guests of Lord Beastmaster." "What do you mean by 'guests,' Lina?" asked Naga.
"This was all her idea. That's what Xellos said, and he's never lied to us. He's neglected to tell us things from time to time, but the things he has told us were always true. Isn't that right, Amelia?"
Amelia nodded and continued to pack things into the bag that she'd be carrying. Gourry tried to pack up his bag, but soon fell fast asleep. "I guess it wouldn't hurt," said Naga. "But if anything goes wrong we're following this map." Naga reached into a little fanny pack that she'd been carrying around for a while. "It's gone!" yelled Naga. "I guess we'll just have to take the secondary path," said Amelia. I know I didn't lose it, thought Naga. It must've been stolen, but by who?
No more than fifteen minutes they were on the road again. They backtracked along the Great West Road for five miles and cut through the Meadow Forlond. Soon, they found themselves wondering through Durthang Mash for what seemed like forever. During their hike, Gourry collapsed six times. He stopped when Lina threatened to blast him with a fireball. They spent four days traveling through the Durthang Marsh, and their food was running low. Which was good news and bad news for Gourry. If they'd gone on their original course they could've stocked up at the town of Lamendon days ago. On the fourth day of traveling through the marsh they came upon Wine Water Creek, on the other side of it was the town of Linhir.
The sun was still high in the noon sky when the gang checked into a cheap inn. They were covered in mud, animal feces, and other, more foul smelling things. "Before I allow you to go inside your rooms," said the innkeeper, holding his nose tight, "I must ask you to bathe in the public bathhouse a few blocks down." At the mention of the word bathhouse, they were already on their way out.
They all had a long, soothing bath in clean, hot, steaming water, but it was not cheap. They had to use some of Amelia's money to pay for Gourry (who was in the next room) and to get towels. "This feel soooo good," said Lina as she splashed some water on her face. "I'll say," said Naga as she drank some of the bath's complementary saké. "So, Lina," said Naga, wiping her mouth, "how do we get a boat to Wolfpac Island from here?" Lina suddenly realized something. She was going to ask Xellos the same question, but he left so suddenly and the coldness of the water made the thought leave her mind, so she never actually knew how they'd get to Wolfpac from Linhir.
In the men's bath, Gourry was soaking quietly when a young traveler decided to soak next to him. He had dark hair and really dark eyes. He was not as tall as Gourry, but he looked just as strong. "Geez," said the man, "you look like you've been through hell." "Nah," replied Gourry, " just the Durthang Marsh." The traveler's eyes grew wider. "You actually went through the Durthang Marsh?" he asked. "Well, yeah," said Gourry. "It's supposed to be a short-cut." The traveler was in awe of Gourry. "I heard the road that goes through the Durthang Marsh was very dangerous and was swarming with bandits," he said. "How did you manage to get through without a scar or something? Anyway, my name is uh… Dias, pleased to meet you." Now it was Gourry's turn to have his eyes grow wide. "There's a road?" he asked in a surprised tone.
"Lina," said Naga, "are you okay? You just stared off into space for like three minutes." Lina slowly turned her head toward Naga. "Of course I'm okay," she said in a shaky voice. "Then how do we get to Wolfpac from here?" asked Naga. Lina didn't say anything. "Lina?" said Naga. "Not again."
"So you actually had the sword of light?" asked Dias. "Yeah," said Gourry, "I gave it to this guy called Sirius, or something. The sword I have now was given to me by a bunch of crazy, warriors of justice." "And that was also in the outer world?" asked Dias. "Yeah," replied Gourry. "So," said Dias, his face looked like it was full of questions, "what brings you all the way here to Linhir?" Gourry rubbed his right shoulder. "I'm traveling with some friends to find the Galleon of Gold." Dias's eyes suddenly shrank into a leer, but Gourry didn't notice. "The Galleon of Gold, eh?" said Dias. "How do you expect to get there from here?" "We're going to take a boat to Wolfpac Island. We're supposed to be expected there by someone known as Lord Beastmasker." Dias crossed his arms, his eyes were fixed on Gourry. "You don't say," he said. "It was all my friend, Lina Inverse's idea," said Gourry. Dias's eyes grew big again. Lina Inverse? he thought. "Actually it was Xellos's plan," corrected Gourry.
Dias's eyes grew even bigger. Dammit, thought Dias, this will more difficult than expected. "I think I should be going now," said Dias. "I have something important to take care of, so I'll just dry off" Dias got out of the bath and grabbed a towel on a nearby bench. "Nice talking to you," said Gourry, waving his hand. Gourry moved his arms around in the bath water. When he touched the water were Dias had sat he was shocked. It's ice cold, thought Gourry, and it's getting colder? He quickly turned in the direction where Dias was drying off and found that he had left.
Gourry got out of the bath and walked over to the place where Dias was. All that was left was the towel he used and it was on the ground. Gourry bent over and picked it up. The towel had frost all over it. Behind, he heard a cracking sound. Gourry turned around and was not expecting what he saw. The entire bath was frozen solid. Gourry looked at the towel, then back at the bath, then to the exit door. What the hell just happened, he thought and gripping the towel tighter.