AN: Finally got some ideas for this story. Wheee!
CH2
**
Lina sighed.
Beside her, Zelgadis thumped along, looking wretched. Despite his using a Detoxify spell, he still didn't feel too well. Naga had usually been the same way after doing something like that. But Lina had never cared about Naga. Zelgadis, on the other hand WAS her friend, so his pain bothered her.
"Think you're going to make it?" she asked his hooded and slightly slumped figure.
A slight nod was her answer.
Turning her red eyes back toward the road, she trudged along beside a farmer's field that was just beginning to bud for the spring. "You know," she said rather suddenly, "It's kind of nice to travel without Gourry or Amelia for once. A lot quieter, that's for sure." She smiled to herself, half-lidded eyes watching the ground she walked on for the moment. "It feels like I've got space to breathe again." Turning her head towards her companion again, her smile widened. "Ever get that feeling?"
Another slight nod. Zelgadis lifted his hand and pulled his hood back a bit to peer at her for a moment with bloodshot eyes, then let the fabric fall back into place and protect those same eyes from the mid-afternoon sun. Lina looked up at the sky, finding it almost cloudless, except for those puffy pure white clouds that heralded good weather.
"It is nice to travel without them," he spoke finally. "Almost like when we first met.. except, no one's chasing us."
Lina laughed at that. So Zel could still make a joke even hung over. That was a good sign. She hoped. It bothered her how he'd been acting lately, but she didn't want to put his mind back on whatever was making him act that way, so she searched for something else to talk about. "So what were your parents like? You've never talked about your past, so sorry if it's something you don't want to talk about."
He was silent for a moment, "No, it's alright... Actually, I don't remember them."
"That's rather funny. I don't remember my parents either. All I really had was Luna." Lina shook her head, giving a bit of a sigh. "She was a devil to live with, that's for sure."
Zelgadis pursed his lips slightly, "Was she really all that bad?" he asked as they passed a farmer with an old draft horse plowing part of his field. Lina glanced toward the rather handsome young man, who in turn looked there way, lifting an arm to wipe sweat from his brow and readjust his straw hat.
"What about your siblings?" she asked her companion.
A sigh escaped Zelgadis's lips, "I didn't have any. The only family I knew was Eris and Rezo," he lifted a hand to rub at his face some. Zel frowned slowly, brow furrowing. "Now.. that I come to think of it.. I can't really remember much before being turned into a Chimera." He shook his head. "Maybe it will come back one I'm cured."
Lina laughed once more, swinging her hand out to slap him on the back. "THAT'S the spirit!" she proclaimed, then realized she probably just broke her hand and clutched it to her chest in pain.
In return, Zelgadis slowly began to laugh as well, his back stinging from the blow. "Your hand alright?"
"Of course it is," Lina stated haughtily, tipping her nose up somewhat, covertly casting a healing spell on her hand. Thankfully, her time of month was a day ago.
The sun was briefly covered by a cloud, but that did nothing to Lina's mood. Zelgadis was simply glad for the slight shade, it dulled down the bright glare that he was currently seeing. His eyes lowered to the ground for a moment after glancing ahead to see the fork in the road and the distant town. He took the plunge. "I've been having dreams lately... not my normal Rezo dreams, but.. these are worse."
Lina stopped humming and watched him as she walked. This was serious, it deserved her full attention- and no rude comments. Though inwardly, she was pleased that he trusted her enough to speak of such things to her. She said nothing and after another ten feet or so of walking, Zelgadis dared to peek at her. He seemed rather surprised that she was apparently listening.
"I'm not going to laugh at you Zel," she stated firmly, "You're my friend, and I can tell that it's been bothering you. You're worth listening to."
Zelgadis turned his face away, biting his lip a moment before continuing. "I keep dreaming about Amelia.. Last night.." he dared look up at the sky and squinted as the cloud that had been covering the sun moved on finally. "It started out fine, I was standing in an expanse of black, but then I started moving. There was a light ahead and when it got close enough, I could see a figure floating in it."
Lina almost giggled. Poor Zelgadis, having love-dreams of Amelia.
"I came closer and reached out to touch the figure- to find it was Amelia.. she was hanging from a rope around her neck and quite dead."
Lina stopped in her tracks, all amusement- and blood- drained from her body. "I-" she blinked a few times, forcing herself to breathe. Zelgadis stopped as well, turning to look back at her. "It's just a dream, Zel. We're going to Seyruun, and you'll see her, and she'll be alright. I promise." Lina smiled, the light returning to her eyes. "I promise."
Zel shook his head slightly, "What if she's not?"
Immediately, Lina clenched her fists, and grinned maniacally, "Then we'll blast whoever's responsible!"
"That would hardly fix the problem." Zelgadis turned his back toward Lina and started walking once more.
Hurrying to catch up, Lina grabbed hold of her friend's arm and looped hers in it, walking beside him once more, "Zel, you know her, she's more capable of taking care of herself than you know. I'm sure she's fine, and if she's not, then we'll get there in time to fix the problem. No one messes with MY friends and gets away with it."
Beneath his hood, Zelgadis couldn't help but smile.
***
The castle was dark, it was midnight after all. But a lone figure walked the halls, clad only in a white silk night gown that hung rather shapelessly from a well formed body.
"I will get them..." a voice echoed though the hall as bare feet padded down the cold marble floors. "They'll pay for ruining it." The voice was soft, but filled with hatred and the lust for revenge. "They'll pay with their lives. By my hand they will die."
Light from the moon glowed though a window as the figure passed like a ghost. Messy dark hair caught the light and soaked it in, reflecting some back almost as brightly as metal would. Bloodshot eyes glittered in the darkness briefly, then the figure passed by the window.
***
CH2
**
Lina sighed.
Beside her, Zelgadis thumped along, looking wretched. Despite his using a Detoxify spell, he still didn't feel too well. Naga had usually been the same way after doing something like that. But Lina had never cared about Naga. Zelgadis, on the other hand WAS her friend, so his pain bothered her.
"Think you're going to make it?" she asked his hooded and slightly slumped figure.
A slight nod was her answer.
Turning her red eyes back toward the road, she trudged along beside a farmer's field that was just beginning to bud for the spring. "You know," she said rather suddenly, "It's kind of nice to travel without Gourry or Amelia for once. A lot quieter, that's for sure." She smiled to herself, half-lidded eyes watching the ground she walked on for the moment. "It feels like I've got space to breathe again." Turning her head towards her companion again, her smile widened. "Ever get that feeling?"
Another slight nod. Zelgadis lifted his hand and pulled his hood back a bit to peer at her for a moment with bloodshot eyes, then let the fabric fall back into place and protect those same eyes from the mid-afternoon sun. Lina looked up at the sky, finding it almost cloudless, except for those puffy pure white clouds that heralded good weather.
"It is nice to travel without them," he spoke finally. "Almost like when we first met.. except, no one's chasing us."
Lina laughed at that. So Zel could still make a joke even hung over. That was a good sign. She hoped. It bothered her how he'd been acting lately, but she didn't want to put his mind back on whatever was making him act that way, so she searched for something else to talk about. "So what were your parents like? You've never talked about your past, so sorry if it's something you don't want to talk about."
He was silent for a moment, "No, it's alright... Actually, I don't remember them."
"That's rather funny. I don't remember my parents either. All I really had was Luna." Lina shook her head, giving a bit of a sigh. "She was a devil to live with, that's for sure."
Zelgadis pursed his lips slightly, "Was she really all that bad?" he asked as they passed a farmer with an old draft horse plowing part of his field. Lina glanced toward the rather handsome young man, who in turn looked there way, lifting an arm to wipe sweat from his brow and readjust his straw hat.
"What about your siblings?" she asked her companion.
A sigh escaped Zelgadis's lips, "I didn't have any. The only family I knew was Eris and Rezo," he lifted a hand to rub at his face some. Zel frowned slowly, brow furrowing. "Now.. that I come to think of it.. I can't really remember much before being turned into a Chimera." He shook his head. "Maybe it will come back one I'm cured."
Lina laughed once more, swinging her hand out to slap him on the back. "THAT'S the spirit!" she proclaimed, then realized she probably just broke her hand and clutched it to her chest in pain.
In return, Zelgadis slowly began to laugh as well, his back stinging from the blow. "Your hand alright?"
"Of course it is," Lina stated haughtily, tipping her nose up somewhat, covertly casting a healing spell on her hand. Thankfully, her time of month was a day ago.
The sun was briefly covered by a cloud, but that did nothing to Lina's mood. Zelgadis was simply glad for the slight shade, it dulled down the bright glare that he was currently seeing. His eyes lowered to the ground for a moment after glancing ahead to see the fork in the road and the distant town. He took the plunge. "I've been having dreams lately... not my normal Rezo dreams, but.. these are worse."
Lina stopped humming and watched him as she walked. This was serious, it deserved her full attention- and no rude comments. Though inwardly, she was pleased that he trusted her enough to speak of such things to her. She said nothing and after another ten feet or so of walking, Zelgadis dared to peek at her. He seemed rather surprised that she was apparently listening.
"I'm not going to laugh at you Zel," she stated firmly, "You're my friend, and I can tell that it's been bothering you. You're worth listening to."
Zelgadis turned his face away, biting his lip a moment before continuing. "I keep dreaming about Amelia.. Last night.." he dared look up at the sky and squinted as the cloud that had been covering the sun moved on finally. "It started out fine, I was standing in an expanse of black, but then I started moving. There was a light ahead and when it got close enough, I could see a figure floating in it."
Lina almost giggled. Poor Zelgadis, having love-dreams of Amelia.
"I came closer and reached out to touch the figure- to find it was Amelia.. she was hanging from a rope around her neck and quite dead."
Lina stopped in her tracks, all amusement- and blood- drained from her body. "I-" she blinked a few times, forcing herself to breathe. Zelgadis stopped as well, turning to look back at her. "It's just a dream, Zel. We're going to Seyruun, and you'll see her, and she'll be alright. I promise." Lina smiled, the light returning to her eyes. "I promise."
Zel shook his head slightly, "What if she's not?"
Immediately, Lina clenched her fists, and grinned maniacally, "Then we'll blast whoever's responsible!"
"That would hardly fix the problem." Zelgadis turned his back toward Lina and started walking once more.
Hurrying to catch up, Lina grabbed hold of her friend's arm and looped hers in it, walking beside him once more, "Zel, you know her, she's more capable of taking care of herself than you know. I'm sure she's fine, and if she's not, then we'll get there in time to fix the problem. No one messes with MY friends and gets away with it."
Beneath his hood, Zelgadis couldn't help but smile.
***
The castle was dark, it was midnight after all. But a lone figure walked the halls, clad only in a white silk night gown that hung rather shapelessly from a well formed body.
"I will get them..." a voice echoed though the hall as bare feet padded down the cold marble floors. "They'll pay for ruining it." The voice was soft, but filled with hatred and the lust for revenge. "They'll pay with their lives. By my hand they will die."
Light from the moon glowed though a window as the figure passed like a ghost. Messy dark hair caught the light and soaked it in, reflecting some back almost as brightly as metal would. Bloodshot eyes glittered in the darkness briefly, then the figure passed by the window.
***