Title: Lina in Horrorland
Author: Yugure
Comments: So. Ahem. Yes. New chapter. Rejoice? Slayers and co. still not mine, bugger it all...
Chapter 6: ApathyLina shot a dark look in Zelgadis's direction, but he either didn't see it or ignored it completely. They were in the village marketplace, gathering the essentials they would need for their journey. If Lina hadn't fainted again, and Zelgadis hadn't insisted on another night's rest, they would have left yesterday. Lina was itching to leave and every second they dawdled she felt like screaming at the top of her lungs.
She was quite subdued, however, when they entered the main thoroughfare of the town. It was different from any marketplace she had ever seen. Normally there was hardly any room to move and hundreds upon hundreds of people crammed into every available spot. People shouting, laughing, shrieking, haggling for prices, bartering for junk, children zooming around the elders's legs as mothers shouted their names... the uproarious nature of marketplaces always drew Lina in like the delicious smell of freshly baked bread from bakeries. She loved the jubilance, the energy coursing through everyone. Even though she always complained about bad foot traffic and smelly animals and greedy booth owners, she loved everything about marketplaces.
This one was different.
It wasn't so much the merchandise of the booths, for they had many of those selling the same things found anywhere else, nor was it the variety of people, for they had that as well. It was the severe lack of energy and enthusiasm that most pricked Lina's curiosity. There were no shouts of joy or angry screams; no laughing children or braying mules. The only sounds Lina could discern was the soft clucking of some sickly looking chickens in the stall to her right and the low rumbling murmur of the people. People glanced up as she passed, peering at her with sunken eyes and sallow faces. There was a mix of curiosity, fear, and vague hostility in the air at her presence. Although her anger slowly boiled under the surface and she was not known for her patience or people skills, Lina felt it was somehow an inappropriate time to have a row with the locals. Something about them made Lina want to bury her face in her hands and cry, not throw boots and snap at them. Rolling her shoulders in an attempt to ease the feeling of eyes boring into the spot between her shoulder blades, Lina wrapped her arms around Zelgadis's left arm and pressed herself as close to his body as she would allow herself.
"Something the matter?" he asked, looking down into her nonplussed face as the merchant he had been talking to dropped a few coins into his outstretched right hand. He pocketed the money and moved down the road.
"Everyone's so... weird," Lina replied, keeping her voice low so that only Zelgadis would hear. "Where's all the noise and the music and the yelling? I mean, that lady at the both didn't even say hello or goodbye! She just sort of grunted and took your money. Where I come from, it's like... like a giant party all the time, or whatever..."
For a moment Zelgadis looked as confused as she felt.
"I don't know," he said, absentmindedly scratching the back of his head. "It's always been like this. People do their business here, there's really no reason to celebrate anything."
"But life's always something to celebrate about," Lina protested softly. Zelgadis shrugged, at a loss for words.
"Not here," he finally said.
"Doesn't anybody ever smile, even?"
"Sometimes... I suppose..."
"I can't wait to get out of here."
"Well, you're in luck. I have everything I need, and if you think you're up to it, we can leave right now."
"Please, let's."
The two were just getting their gear together when a figure came running at them full speed. Lina flinched as the short form of Amelia flung itself at Zelgadis, who stumbled at the unexpected weight and nearly collapsed.
"ZELGADIS-SAMA!!!" The ear-splitting shriek turned a few heads, but nobody paused to look for long.
"Amelia. To what do I owe this unpleasant... I mean, unexpected surprise?" Zelgadis asked, prying Amelia's hands off his neck.
"Where do you think you're going?! I heard from Sylphiel that you were leaving town today, she said you guys bought some herbs from her shop, and you KNOW I hate it when you don't tell me when you leave!" Amelia reluctantly released her grip but reattached herself to Zelgadis's arm. She beamed up at him. "I'm going with you!"
"What?!" chorused Zelgadis and Lina together. Lina took one look at Zelgadis's resigned face and knew he would allow it if she didn't step in.
"Now wait just one minute! Who says you get to come with?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips. She wasn't sure she liked this new Amelia, and knew without a doubt she would hate having her along on the trip. There was, Lina thought, no reason for it.
Amelia's eyes darkened. "I said so."
"Yeah but it's not up to you. This is my personal business, and I don't want you involved."
"Lina..." Zelgadis's warning tone barely registered on Lina's scale of Things to Pay Attention To. She focused on the brunette in front of her, feeling her ire rise.
"Zelgadis-sama is my business, and where he goes, I go." Amelia clung even more tightly to Zelgadis's arm. Zelgadis winced.
"Listen, sister, I'm not going to have a homicidal maniac watching my back! I'm trying to get home in one piece, not five thousand. If the other day was any indication, I can't trust you," Lina went on. She waggled a finger in Amelia's face. "You were going to kill me, and I don't want to have to kill you, and if we have another incident like that, I can't predict what I might do."
Lina should have seen it coming. Perhaps she was too used to Amelia she knew, who would never raise a finger against her. This Amelia, however, would. And with a sharp implement in her hand, nonetheless.
The knife came out of nowhere and Lina just managed to jerk her head back to avoid a fatal cut to the eye. Instead a thin slice appeared on her eyebrow. The pain was brief but sharp, and very annoying. Lina reached for Amelia's arm as Amelia brought it back around for another shot, and Zelgadis intervened by knocking the weapon loose.
"Zelgadis-sama!" Amelia protested, rounding on him. "How dare you let her say those things to me!"
"Amelia, this really isn't the best time to accompany me out of town. Lina really needs to get home and the best way to do that is be quick and discreet."
"Zelgadis-sama, I can be quick! I can be discreet!" Amelia pouted. Lina hated to admit it, but it was a pretty powerful pout. She could already see the resolve melting in Zelgadis's eyes. He turned to look at Lina imploringly. There were a few seconds of silence as Lina tried to think if there was actually a way she could prevent Amelia from coming along, or even following them, if it came to that. Finally she sighed loudly.
"Fine. Whatever. Just don't be surprised if next time one of us ends up dead, and it won't be me," she said. The threat didn't seem to register in Amelia, who was busy sighing and fawning over Zelgadis.
The trio almost made it out of town before they became a quartet, when Sylphiel approached them and also asked to join. Lina was much more obliged to allow her to join, since she greatly appreciated Sylphiel's healing skills.
Thus begins the adventure to return things to normal.
