Chapter 1

Naga looked at the foam sitting on her beer. The small bubbles died as the gas from the beer escaped.

The gas, the money… everything ends somehow, she thought. Like my fantasies. Like my stupid illusion with Lina.

The sorceress took another sip of her drink. The hostel was packed. At the bar, men and women played to see who could shout the loudest. The air stank of beer and the White Snake's head was crowded. A single thought filled everything: Stupid, stupid, she repeated. Stupid.

She still remembered the face she had put on seeing her. The morning was clear and there, in the distance, her red-haired head appeared. Lina walked down the path, her long hair blowing in the wind, her body five feet tall. Naga raised her smile first, then her hand.

She might wear other clothes, she thought, but she hasn't changed at all. Being just as tiny as before.

"Hey, dwarf! You're late!"

Lina returned the greeting. They had agreed to meet again in Zoana. And, after so many years, they finally saw each other again. Naga was excited. Her smile was already trickling down her face. Suddenly a blonde head poked up the path. What was that? Who was with her? The sorceress narrowed her eyes. She saw a body encased in a white coat. She saw a stiff, curveless silhouette, and her smile soured on the spot. It was a man.

A man? What the hell is a man doing accompanying Lina? But no, no. No. Lina is independent and she travels alone. After all, she was too surly to take shit from anyone else.

But, after a while, the couple reached her height and Lina took it upon herself to break her illusions. The first thing she did was introduce the boy:

"Hello, Naga! How long, huh? Look, this is Gourry, he's my… partner."

Partner…

Naga looked at the knothead. He had a goofy grin on his face and equally stupid blue eyes.

The rest didn't matter. What's more, she didn't even remember. The alcohol had taken care of blurring the morning. Naga must have introduced herself at some point and, then, they went to destroy the kingdom's storehouses. The meal dragged on and it almost joined with dinner. So, late at night, the three of them rolled together to a hostel to stay.

There she was now, at the bar of that seedy hostel, trying to get used to the idea that the love of her life had a 'partner'. The girl snorted again as she finished her beer.

Suddenly, a voice sounded behind her.

"Naga?"

The aforementioned turned and, of course, there he was. Lina's partner. That Geoffrey, Garfield… whatever his name was.

"Ah, it's you." The girl looked to her left and right, but no redhead was accompanying the blond giant. "Where have you left Lina?"

"Isn't she with you?"

"Do you see her here?" the other barked.

The boy shook his head. Naga could almost hear the grinding of gears inside his head. "Well, now that you mention it… no. Oh, well. She should be out hunting bandits then." he said as she turned her back on him. "I'll go looking for her."

The White Snake snorted and that held the mercenary in place. "Why?"

"Why? Why what?"

"Why are you going to go after her? She's already an adult, you know? She doesn't need any big guy to protect her."

"Oh, believe me, I know."

That answer puzzled her. It was not what she had expected. She had expected little macho speeches that began with 'Lina is a girl and that's why…' or even 'but hunting bandits is dangerous.' 'I know' was not in that repertoire.

"I know," repeated Gourry. "Sometimes I go to help the poor bandits and other times to bring her something to eat for later. I know she doesn't need me. But I like being there."

The sorceress raised an eyebrow, turned back to her beer, and barked "Uhm!" as a response. She refused to like that asshole now.

"You know? I think that today she can manage alone" then sentenced the knothead. Then he raised a smile and continued "Do you want company?"

No, she didn't. Not his.

"Do whatever you want," she answered.

Gourry went to the bar and ordered a beer. Then he stared at her.

Shit, shit. Now I'm going to have to talk to this one, right? Shit.

"Well, Garfield…"

"Gourry," he corrected.

"Yeah, that. How long have you been traveling with Lina?"

"Well I don't know. Quite some."

"And where did you two meet?"

"You know, around."

The girl's hands tightened around the beer. That guy was getting on her nerves. She now understood Lina's mentions of his 'jellyfish brain'.

"Ho Ho Ho. Tell me, boy, is there something you know?"

Well, I know you don't like me.

Her glass slipped from her hands and fell with a crash to the wooden floor.

"I'm sorry?"

Naga stared at him. His blue eyes were fixed on his and there was no longer a hint of a smile on her face.

"But I don't know exactly why. Although I have a slight idea…"

"No, you don't," she hastened to say.

"You like Lina."