Some time later, Tabby was finally able to break away from the group. They confided in her that they'd be in Atlas for another couple of days and that she should think about traveling with them sometime. Tabby didn't bother to tell them that she'd be leaving as soon as she got the proper rest she needed. Bidding them farewell, she climbed the rough, wood stairs to her room. It was the last one on the thin corridor and it's door stood partially open. Tabby sighed, so much for the key.


She slipped inside and found it was a bit nicer than she had expected. In the farthest corner there was a bed and a small endtable. Another table with a mirror on it sat off to the left and was occupied by a small washbasin and cloth. None of the items were of very good quality, but Tabby thought it was nice that they were in there. And later if she needed to bathe, there were a couple of hot springs behind the inn. Of course, the first thing she went to was the bed, after tucking her pack beneath the table. She slid underneath the blanket and sighed in satisfaction. Soon after she drifted to sleep.


~*~


Tabby found herself awakening just as the sun set. Through her small window, lanced rays of darkening yellow and outside she could see the sky in its menagerie of violets, pinks and oranges. She yawned slowly and pulled herself into a sitting position against the headboard of the bed. She was grateful for the rest and felt unusually refreshed. Sliding out of bed she went to her pack and drew out the little sack she kept her money in. She would be paying for her own meal this time and most likely eating it alone. So with that thought, she struck out of her room and headed downstairs. Once again she found her cousin and company at the table.


This time Lina and Gourry were too busy stuffing their faces to notice her, but Zelgadis did look up and wave shortly, while Amelia smiled. Tabby waved to the two of them before finding her own table a little ways away. When a waitress waltzed over a few minutes later, she ordered two house specials, three plates of meatballs, two side salads and an entire loaf of bread. She then assured the waitress she'd be ordering more once she finished. Eyeing the redhaired relative of Lina Inverse, the waitress bit her lip, nodded, then headed to the kitchen to fill the orders.


"Enormous apetites must be in the Inverse bloodline, eh, Tabby?" Zelgadis had ventured over from Lina's table, having gotten bored of watching the sorceress eat.


Tabby laughed sheepishly, and scratched her head. "Eh, Zelgadis?"


He simply smiled, then asked if he might take a seat at her table. After Tabby nodded her approval, Zelgadis pulled out the chair across from her.


"So," he began, "still looking for the Sword of Ruin?" This was however a rhetoric question. For as long as anyone could remember, Tabby had been searching for said Sword. Most everyone thought she would never find it because it was more legend than fact. The Sword of Ruin was fabled to posses the very essence of the Lord of Nightmares. In the right hands, its power could be weilded, but if it fell into the wrong hands... One can imagine the chaos and devestation that would ensue.


Tabby smiled, a little chagrinly, and bit her lip. "Well, yeah, but I'm always looking for that. I've actually gotten a new lead on it." She pulled her long red hair behind her shoulders and cast a glance in the direction of her cousin. "Why are y'all in Atlas, Zel?"


Zelgadis sighed and rolled his pale blue eyes. "Because Lina has to prove that she's the greatest sorceress in the world."


Raising one eyebrow, Tabby leaned back in her chair. For a few moments she looked again at her cousin, though wearily this time. "How's that?" she asked, but she feared the answer.


"Contest," Zel stated rather blandly. Then from his shirt, he pulled a flier and slid it across the rough hewn wooden table to Tabby.


She carefully unfolded the paper and read over it. A contest was to be held on the next day in Atlas's center. All the best sorcerors and sorceresses were harkened to come take place in it and the first place prize was one thousand gold pieces. There was no information on what would happen in the contest, but Tabby knew that wasn't what was important to Lina. To Lina, all she wanted was to impress the crowd with her stunning use of magic and plus she wanted that money for herself. Lina's greed was not a secret to anyone.


"Interesting," Tabby said. She smiled half-heartedly at Zelgadis. "You'd think she'd get tired of it after a while."


In a rare show of amusement, Zelgadis chuckled, "Lina never gets tired of it. Otherwise we wouldn't be here. Maybe you should come too? You seem to be as gifted as she is. You could give her a run for her money."


This time Tabby laughed, "And face her wrath once I beat her... nah. She might be greedy, but her temper's worse and I'd rather not get fireballed."


Again Zelgadis chuckled. "Very true. But it'd be interesting, don't you think?"


"Me entering the contest and beating her, or me getting fireballed?"


"Would it be bad if I said both?"


Grinning, Tabby shook her head slowly. "I might. We'll just have to see."


"So, tell me about this lead of yours?" Zelgadis finally piped up on the subject Tabby actually felt like talking about.


"Oh, it's great!" she said, a sparkle beginning in her eyes. "I found this transcript in an old cave about a month ago, around the outskirts of the Kataart Mountains. I haven't been able to translate it all, but so far I know I'm looking for someone called the Lady of Faith and a little village in Ralteague."


Zelgadis nodded, seemingly interested in her little piece of information. "I could look at the transcript for you. Mind, I'm no linguist, but I know a bit."


"Would you? Zel, that would be awesome." Tabby was grinning ear to ear now. "It's in my bag in my room, maybe after I eat, we can go up and you can look at it?"


Smiling, Zelgadis again nodded. "That'd be good, unless of course Lina decides there's somewhere she needs to go. She'll be dragging me along no matter what I say."


"I may just follow you all around, give me something to do before I go to bed this evening." Tabby smiled, and once again her eyes lit up as the waitress stumbled out of the kitchen under the weight of Tabby's tray.