Ruins Raiders: Book Two

Chapter Nine, Camels

By Relm

When the travelers had decided to head to the big pyramid of Velnqxbos that was looming over the trees it looked like it would be a short trek. The pyramid was so large after all and they could see it so clearly. But as they started traveling they realized the temple was much farther away than they thought.

Even with camels to ride the jungle was very dense. It was difficult for the camels to go quickly plus there was far more distractions than they were used to. Between large flying bugs and large exotic plants the camels would constantly stop to investigate these new mysteries. It was frustrating but what could they do? Camels were used to traveling in the desert and the desert wasn't a buffet for the senses. This jungle was bar far the most interesting thing they had ever seen.

Lina was grinding her teeth and mentally cursing as Petunia once again stopped to smell a pretty flower. She wanted to hit her camel but she knew first hand that was never a good idea when riding one. Being thrown off a horse hurts but in the case of that one ill tempered camel Lina suffered a little more being thrown off that one.

As frustrating as it was dealing with Petunia that wasn't the main problem plaguing Lina's brain. She was trying to make Petunia her main focus as it was easier to be frustrated with the camel than the mass behind her.

Val, Filia, Naga and Xellos had all been traveling the desert with their camels just as Lina had. Zelgadis on the other hand had riding his jeep. And unlike the camels the jeep hadn't traveled back in time. Given how fast they were actually traveling riding by camel it wouldn't have been so bad if Zelgadis was walking along side of them but they hadn't thought about that when they started out.

Naturally with five camels and six people there was going to have to be one camel with two people. Logic dictated that either at least one or both of the pair riding the one camel be female. Naga had been quick to offer to Zelgadis the opportunity to ride with her. Right away there was more than one protest to that idea. The most vocal of the protests (beside Zelgadis himself) was actually Val. This was spurred by jealousy. The aqua haired man disliked the idea of Zelgadis being so special to get offers to share a camel with. According to Val Naga should have asked to share his camel and offers hers to Zelgadis to use instead. This idea delighted Naga into a lengthy triad about how Val had only known her for a few moments and was already hoping jealous of the idea of her with another man. Filia had been the one to end that one. She herself didn't know Naga that well but already she greatly protested the notion of Naga having anything to do with her step-brother.

Val had been disgruntled with the idea of his step-sister 'choosing' who he is involved with spurred him to make the suggestion of Filia riding with Xellos and offering her camel to Zelgadis. Xellos was quick to agree with this suggestion as it sure to add to Filia's aggravation. However Naga quickly turned this one around and started hassling Xellos on his deep seeded hidden love for Filia.

By this time everyone had been arguing for at least fifteen minutes and both Lina and Zelgadis were getting tired of it. Being stuck in an uncertain and unpredictable past should have had a sense of urgency firmly ingrained in each of them to get back to their own timeline as quickly as they could. Instead they were all bickering about who would be riding what camel with or without whom. Lina was sick of it so she ended once and for all. She had shouted very forcibly that Zelgadis would be riding with her and told everyone to shut up and get a move on.

Lina had been proud of the way she had handled the situation before but now she was regretting it. Since it had been her camel Lina naturally was one that was riding in front with Zelgadis riding behind her. To keep himself steady on the camel Zelgadis had wrapped his arms around Lina's waist. It had him just a little too close to be considered comfortable.

If this hadn't been a big group and just the two of them Lina would have been enjoying their little camel ride. Who wouldn't want to ride a camel being held by a drop dead gorgeous man? She was hyper aware of each muscle her body came into contact with. There was several layers of clothing in between but still Lina could feel them. Had Zelgadis been working out more since she last saw him? Memories of their temporary cohabitation forced their way into Lina's head frustrating her more.

Lina was trying to keep her mind on her unfocused camel and not on her hansom passenger but it was very hard. It wouldn't have been so bad if they hadn't been interrupted earlier. The fact that they didn't get to have that kiss created more sexual tension then there should have been. Riding so close made things far too uncomfortable for the both of them.

For Zelgadis he was trying to think about everything but the woman he was holding onto. He tried to have as little body contact with the petite red head as he could be Petunia didn't help matters. The camel kept stopping and starting cause both Lina and Zelgadis to fall forward and backwards on the saddle. Every time had Zelgadis holding onto Lina for dear life as their bodies collided into each other. He didn't want to relish in the contact but he couldn't help it. The fiery woman in his arms was one that he had wasted many hours thinking about.

There had been times since their last adventure that Zelgadis had thought about calling Lina. He had been very busy and so had she but that didn't mean he couldn't carve out a few minutes to say hello to her on the phone. The looming promise of a future date put too much pressure on what should have been a simple phone call. If he called and didn't make date plans it might have seemed that he wasn't interested. And if he had called and did ask her out for that date she might have seen him as overeager. She could have had second thoughts and rejected him. Not calling could have also been a sign of rejection on Zelgadis' part but he knew she wouldn't see it that way. Doing nothing still kept their little thing what it was, a promise of things to come. It had no pressure or scheduled expectations it was just what it was.

This sort of free thinking wasn't easily embraced by Zelgadis. He was used to schedules and order. Chaos wasn't something he enjoyed. He liked to know what was going to happen when it was going to happen. Leaving things to chance or fate and just going with the flow really made him anxious. But every time he was about to grab his phone to call Lina he heard this little voice inside his head poking fun at Zelgadis and his supposed obsessive compulsive disorder. She had a great deal of fun mocking him for his OCD like behavior during that time they were co-habiting together.

Living with Lina for the brief amount of time changed how Zelgadis saw his home. It wasn't the most decorated place (it was sparse even) but it was Zelgadis' sanctuary the only place he ever felt at peace or relaxed. This changed when he finally got back to his home. The place had become too quiet, too empty, too impersonal... He had tried to buy things to fill up his place and give it more a homey feel but that didn't work. A quick taste of living with someone else really brought out the lonely in Zelgadis.

"Grrr... Petunia it's a damned flower not a famous work of art get a move on!" Lina growled at her camel.

Petunia looked back at Lina and grunted. But still the camel chose to pay attention to the flower rather do as told.

"This makes the argument about who would ride which camel with who kinda silly." Zelgadis commented with a smirk.

"Yeah at this rate we would have been faster walking." Lina agreed while trying to nudge Petunia forward with her heels.

Petunia ignored Lina and took a big bite out of a nearby bug that had been flying around the flower.

"Val had wondered if camels are indigenous to this area and they aren't for the most part but wasn't there a discovery of old camel bones in this area years ago?" Zelgadis wondered.

"Yeah why?"

"Well Petunia is eating an old large mysterious bug that may or may not be poisonous." Zelgadis suggested.

Lina darkly chuckled. "Oh so you're implying that the camel skeleton could be Petunia and he's going to die because he's eating a poisonous bug?"

Even though Petunia had no idea what Lina and Zelgadis were saying he still for some strange reason decided to spit out the bug.

"If Petunia is a he why is he named Petunia? Isn't that a bit girly?"

"Well it's better than calling him Eyelashes."

Zelgadis frowned in confusion. "Who would call a camel Eyelashes?" (Hee hee One Piece...)

"Lots of people and it's stupid." Lina brushed it off like it was the most common thing.

Zelgadis shook his head at Lina's silliness while smiling. His eyes grew contemplative as he leaned in to whisper, "Say Lina... I was wondering..."

"What?"

"The way we left things off before... I mean we were going to go out... I had thought about calling you right many times... If I had called you like let's say a couple days or weeks after everything to make date plans would you have thought I was desperate or pathetic?"

"Of course. I would have ribbed you good and point out just how OCD you are. Which you still are and I really wonder how you managed to hold out for so long. It must have been killing you." Lina chuckled.

"So then you would have turned me down there?"

"Yes I would have." Lina admitted quite proudly. "I would have turned you down flat, hung up the phone and wait a few hours. Then I would have used my mad skills to find out exactly where you were and show up and demand you take me out to dinner."

"Why would you put me through that?"

"Because you like structure and order. Doing that would screw with your head giving me a great deal of satisfaction."

"In a nut shell you're evil." Zelgadis surmised.

"Exactly."

Zelgadis let out a low throaty chuckle. "So if we can out of this new adventure alive and in our own timeline can I ask you out to dinner?"

"You can but I won't say yes."

"And I'll just have to expect you'll show up randomly and kidnap me for dinner?"

"Yes. As long as you're buying. And we go back to that restaurant you took me too." Back when Lina and Zelgadis were dealing with their last adventure Zelgadis took Lina to a little family restaurant he knew off. His family had known the Kalpathas for years and as such they acted like Zelgadis was one of their family.

Right away Zelgadis shook his head. "Oh no not there!"

"Why not? I liked that place. The food was great and you're like family to the staff." Lina protested.

"And that is exactly why I'm not taking you there! You don't know how much flack I got after we went there. Mrs. Kalpatha told my whole family about you and all I got for weeks was 'when we going to meet your girlfriend' 'why are you hiding this woman from us Zelly?' and my favorite one, 'are you keeping this girl from us because you're too ashamed to have us a family?' It took a long time to get it through everyone's head that you were not my girlfriend. If I show up there again with you I'll really get grilled."

"Oh so then you don't want them to think I'm your girlfriend?"

"Exactly."

"Why is there something wrong with having me as your girlfriend?!" Lina snapped while turning around to glare at Zelgadis.

"Wha- ah that's not what I mean!" Zelgadis exclaimed.

"Oh really? Then what did you mean?" Lina raised an eyebrow at Zelgadis.

Zelgadis nervously fidgeted under Lina's stare. He didn't know what to say to her in his defense. Luckily Petunia saved the day by suddenly going into a galloping trot with the other camels following closely behind. This sudden motion almost made both Lina and Zelgadis fall off the camel. They both grabbed on to each other tightly to steady themselves.

"What the hell has gotten into them?!" Val exclaimed angrily.

"Wait... I smell... food!" Lina's eyes lit up. "Faster Petunia! Get us to the food!"

"Lina we can't go barging into the city and steal from whoever is cooking!"

"But I'm hungry!" Lina protested.

Zelgadis just shook his head. The way things were going for them Lina and the camels were going to get them captured and camels eaten. 'Maybe that's how the old camel skeleton came to be...'