Chapter twenty-three: First thing in the morning
Lina sat up from bed stretched her arms out in front of her. She sat there for a while and then suddenly remembered something. "Today's the day I become filthy rich," said Lina full of delight. She sprang out of bed, grabbed her toothbrush and a towel and left the room. Now, she thought, which way was the bath?
Lina walked down the hallway, opening up several doors as she went by. For several minutes she opened doors, but to no avail. Where is that damn bath? she thought. "Having trouble, Lina," said a voice from behind. Lina turned around and found Xellos. "Xellos," she said, "I'm having a bit of trouble finding the bath. Could you point me in the right direction?" Xellos smiled and pointed at a huge door at the end of the hallway. Lina looked at the door and nearly collapsed. On the door, in big bold letters, were the word "GIRL'S BATH."
Inside the "hidden" bathroom, Amelia and Naga were getting ready to soak in the bath. "Our adventure is coming to an end," said Amelia. "I guess so," said Naga. Amelia began to scrub her arms. "Um…Gracia," said Amelia, "where will you go after this whole thing is over?" Naga sat there and thought about it for a while. "Y'know," she said, "I'm not quite sure. I'll probably go back to Sandoria. I've had my eye on this small place right by the beach. Why do you ask?" "Well," said Amelia, "I was hoping that you might want to come back to Seyruun with me." "Forget it, kid," replied Naga, "I'm never going back." "I see," said Amelia who began to scrub even slower.
The doors to the washroom opened and in walked Lina. Lina avoided eye contact because she was too busy thinking about the mountains of gold she'd have at the end of the day. She took off her pajamas and washed up quickly so she could get into the bath. Not a word was spoken by her, or the two sisters who were already washed up and in the steaming hot bath.
Amelia and Naga soaked for a while before they spoke again. "A-Are you sure you won't even come to Seyruun," asked Amelia, "even for a visit?" "The answer is no, kiddo," replied Naga. "Seyruun is were all my troubles started and I don't want to set a foot anywhere near it. Now, could you please drop it?" Amelia sad nothing and lowered her body into the water until it was almost touching her lips.
In the other bath, Gourry and Zelgadis were relaxing and enjoying some complementary tea that was served to them by chambermaids who helped wash them before they got into the bath. "Boy, this place sure is nice," said Gourry. "If our bath is this nice I wonder what the girl's bath it like." "It must be ten times as fancy as this," said Zelgadis as he sipped his tea.
Lina stepped into the bath and sat down, letting her body soak in the clean, warm waters. "Y'know," she said, "for a dark lord, Zelas has a very poorly made women's bath. We get no complementary drinks, not attendants, we have to do everything ourselves." "I agree," said Naga. "I've seen better baths in my days. Just image what the men's bath is like. Probably dirty and smelly with rats and cockroaches." "Yuck!" yelled Amelia, "don't talk like that." "She's right, Naga," said Lina. "What we should be talking about is gold. The first thing I'll do with my share is buy a ticket to the outer world. Last time, I didn't get to enjoy myself as much as had hoped."
The doors opened and in walked Alexandria wearing a ridiculously oversized T-shirt. "Good morning," she said with a smile on her face as she removed her clothes and began to wash up. "You certainly seem happy," said Lina. "We're going to be rich," said Alexandria, "why wouldn't I be happy?" "Good point," said Lina, and got back to soaking. Alexandria splashed a bucket of water on herself and then began to clean her body. As she scrubbed her legs, an image of fire and destruction appeared in her mind and vanished. She remained motionless for a while, then continued to clean herself.
Deep in the halls of Lord Beastmaster's lair, Xellos and Zelas were having a conversation that worried them both deeply. "Are you sure of this?" asked Xellos. "You may be mistaken." "I'm not mistaken," replied Zelas as she sipped a bottle of saké. "When a monster and a human fall in love, their souls form a bond that cannot be broken." "But you do not know if they have really fallen in love," urged Xellos. "They have," said Zelas, "I can feel it. Alexandria has already become aware of the event that happened in Andrast last night, although she doesn't know what to make of it. Pretty soon, her visions will be more frequent to the point where she'll know exactly were Chris is and what he's doing. And if that happens, Chris will be able to find her no matter where she is." "Can't you put a spell on her?" asked Xellos. "No," answered Zelas, "their love is too strong. There is no power that I, nor even the Lord of Nightmares possess, that can challenge true love." Lord Beastmaster sighed. "I guess we'll have to think of a way to use this to our advantage," said Xellos. "I guess so," agreed Zelas.
Lina sat up from bed stretched her arms out in front of her. She sat there for a while and then suddenly remembered something. "Today's the day I become filthy rich," said Lina full of delight. She sprang out of bed, grabbed her toothbrush and a towel and left the room. Now, she thought, which way was the bath?
Lina walked down the hallway, opening up several doors as she went by. For several minutes she opened doors, but to no avail. Where is that damn bath? she thought. "Having trouble, Lina," said a voice from behind. Lina turned around and found Xellos. "Xellos," she said, "I'm having a bit of trouble finding the bath. Could you point me in the right direction?" Xellos smiled and pointed at a huge door at the end of the hallway. Lina looked at the door and nearly collapsed. On the door, in big bold letters, were the word "GIRL'S BATH."
Inside the "hidden" bathroom, Amelia and Naga were getting ready to soak in the bath. "Our adventure is coming to an end," said Amelia. "I guess so," said Naga. Amelia began to scrub her arms. "Um…Gracia," said Amelia, "where will you go after this whole thing is over?" Naga sat there and thought about it for a while. "Y'know," she said, "I'm not quite sure. I'll probably go back to Sandoria. I've had my eye on this small place right by the beach. Why do you ask?" "Well," said Amelia, "I was hoping that you might want to come back to Seyruun with me." "Forget it, kid," replied Naga, "I'm never going back." "I see," said Amelia who began to scrub even slower.
The doors to the washroom opened and in walked Lina. Lina avoided eye contact because she was too busy thinking about the mountains of gold she'd have at the end of the day. She took off her pajamas and washed up quickly so she could get into the bath. Not a word was spoken by her, or the two sisters who were already washed up and in the steaming hot bath.
Amelia and Naga soaked for a while before they spoke again. "A-Are you sure you won't even come to Seyruun," asked Amelia, "even for a visit?" "The answer is no, kiddo," replied Naga. "Seyruun is were all my troubles started and I don't want to set a foot anywhere near it. Now, could you please drop it?" Amelia sad nothing and lowered her body into the water until it was almost touching her lips.
In the other bath, Gourry and Zelgadis were relaxing and enjoying some complementary tea that was served to them by chambermaids who helped wash them before they got into the bath. "Boy, this place sure is nice," said Gourry. "If our bath is this nice I wonder what the girl's bath it like." "It must be ten times as fancy as this," said Zelgadis as he sipped his tea.
Lina stepped into the bath and sat down, letting her body soak in the clean, warm waters. "Y'know," she said, "for a dark lord, Zelas has a very poorly made women's bath. We get no complementary drinks, not attendants, we have to do everything ourselves." "I agree," said Naga. "I've seen better baths in my days. Just image what the men's bath is like. Probably dirty and smelly with rats and cockroaches." "Yuck!" yelled Amelia, "don't talk like that." "She's right, Naga," said Lina. "What we should be talking about is gold. The first thing I'll do with my share is buy a ticket to the outer world. Last time, I didn't get to enjoy myself as much as had hoped."
The doors opened and in walked Alexandria wearing a ridiculously oversized T-shirt. "Good morning," she said with a smile on her face as she removed her clothes and began to wash up. "You certainly seem happy," said Lina. "We're going to be rich," said Alexandria, "why wouldn't I be happy?" "Good point," said Lina, and got back to soaking. Alexandria splashed a bucket of water on herself and then began to clean her body. As she scrubbed her legs, an image of fire and destruction appeared in her mind and vanished. She remained motionless for a while, then continued to clean herself.
Deep in the halls of Lord Beastmaster's lair, Xellos and Zelas were having a conversation that worried them both deeply. "Are you sure of this?" asked Xellos. "You may be mistaken." "I'm not mistaken," replied Zelas as she sipped a bottle of saké. "When a monster and a human fall in love, their souls form a bond that cannot be broken." "But you do not know if they have really fallen in love," urged Xellos. "They have," said Zelas, "I can feel it. Alexandria has already become aware of the event that happened in Andrast last night, although she doesn't know what to make of it. Pretty soon, her visions will be more frequent to the point where she'll know exactly were Chris is and what he's doing. And if that happens, Chris will be able to find her no matter where she is." "Can't you put a spell on her?" asked Xellos. "No," answered Zelas, "their love is too strong. There is no power that I, nor even the Lord of Nightmares possess, that can challenge true love." Lord Beastmaster sighed. "I guess we'll have to think of a way to use this to our advantage," said Xellos. "I guess so," agreed Zelas.