Hello! I hope that everyone had a lovely November, and I'm excited to resume updating my story. As per usual, I don't own anything, I'm just a fan writing some fiction. Please enjoy.
As an extra note, I have researched the Claire Bible, but I'm still human, and if I accidentally make a mistake with any of the information, please let me know so that I can correct it. Thank you!
20- An Unwelcome Invitation
"Hey, Lina? Have you seen that feather duster I was using earlier? There's a crazy amount of dust on this bookshelf."
"What? I thought you dusted that bookshelf already."
"I dusted the other one."
"Aren't you getting tired of this?"
"Just hand me the duster."
Lina sighed and slapped down the handle of the cleaning utensil in his hand. "You do know that those feather dusters are about the least manly tool ever invented, right Gourry?"
"Y'know what's really not manly? All of this dust."
She laughed to herself as she watched Gourry's frenzied attack on the dusty trinkets that covered the bookshelf. "Don't knock anything off. Pestis'll get so mad at you-"
"Professor 'actually-5-years-old' Nisery will just have to deal with it." Zelgadis grumbled. "This is absurd."
"What? You mean the cleaning?" Amelia asked as she stumbled through the room with an armful of boxes. "We can't get any work done here if we don't. The house is a mess."
"It just bothers me that we're all hard at work while he sits around and does nothing." Zelgadis seethed. "The only person who should be excused from the housework is Lina, and she's helping out anyway."
"He's making coffee." Lina replied. "And I'm just supervising. It's not like I'm doing anything important."
Gourry chuckled. "That's a line I never thought I'd hear from a woman."
"Oh, you be quiet!" Lina hit Gourry's legs several times with the broom.
"It really is a nice house under all this filth." Amelia continued as she returned a handful of books to a shelf across the room. "The carpet is a lovely colour… once you can find it, that is."
"Speaking of carpets-" Shizuri, who was scrubbing the floor in another room, seemed to have overheard their conversation. "this stain better not be what I think it is, because I am not qualified to clean up blood-"
"Oh, don't worry. That's a coffee stain." Pestis' voice interrupted her.
"Then why is it purple?"
There was a pause and Lina and her friends exchanged a glance, waiting for a response from the professor.
"Well… is it a coffee stain?" he finally replied.
"That's what I need you to tell me!"
The four in the other room groaned as they continued their own cleaning work. "Miss Shizuri seems awfully upset…" Amelia sighed.
"I think we're all upset." Lina carefully sat down in one of the armchairs. "We didn't trek all the way up to the Kataart Mountains through twenty feet of snow just to end up cleaning up after a sloppy old man."
"Hey, look on the bright side-" Gourry turned from the bookshelf, finally satisfied that all the dust had been taken care of. "at least, with seven people working, it shouldn't take too long to finish."
"I think you need to count again." Zelgadis handed Gourry another stack of books to be put away. "One of those seven people is completely useless."
"Hey! Don't get mad at me just because I-"
"I wasn't talking about you, Lina!"
The conversation was cut off as Professor Nisery poked his head through the door just long enough to say, "Coffee's on in the kitchen- come and get it whenever you're ready!" before diving back out of the room.
"…"
"That's who I was talking about."
The kitchen table- once the group had managed to find it under a pile of books and papers- was obviously not built for large groups. Shizuri had to pull a couple of chairs she'd found in another room, Amelia decided to sit on a large stack of books, and Gourry was tall enough that he could sit on the floor and still be able to see over the top of the table. Meanwhile, Pestis poured mugs of coffee for everyone, blissfully unaware that they were all staring daggers at him.
"I've never seen anyone clean so fast!" the professor took a swig of his own drink and set the mug back down on the table. "This house looks better than it has in years, and you've only been working on it for three hours!"
"You say 'three hours' like it's nothing." Lina rested her head on the table. "I'm already exhausted, and I hardly did anything."
"I think the amount of dust in this house is triggering my allergies." Gourry sniffled. "Which is odd, because I don't have allergies."
"The air was so hard to breathe in that hall bedroom; I actually opened a window." Shizuri complained.
Lyos jerked his head around in surprise. "Is that why I was freezing my butt off? I thought it was just because I got stuck cleaning the bath!"
"Can we please stop bickering?" Zelgadis had already grabbed the coffeepot to pour himself a second cup. "While I want to thank Professor Nisery for offering to house us in his own home, I assumed… well… that it would at least be in a more liveable condition."
"It was liveable!" Pestis argued.
"It took us half an hour find the floor, Pestis. The floor."
"There was a pile of stuffed toys and pillows in the living room- I actually lost Amelia in it for a second." Gourry added. "I was scared that I'd never find her."
"We've filled up an entire room with junk that we can't find a place for." Shizuri nodded in agreement. "That is- as much as we could fit in there with the junk that was already taking up half the room."
"The sunroom was full of dead plants." Lina didn't even lift her head from the table in order to comment. "Judging by the smell, I'd guess that there must be some dead animals in there somewhere too."
"I cleaned what looked like rust off the bathtub." Lyos grumbled. "But since I'm pretty sure that tub is porcelain, I have no clue what it was."
"…Are… you guys… upset…?" Pestis ventured tremulously.
No one spoke up right away; they all seemed to be trying to find a way to voice just how upset they really were.
A much gentler version of their unhappiness was eventually voiced- by Zelgadis, surprisingly enough.
"Yes, we're upset. When we made plans to visit the Kataart mountains, we wanted to make sure that we spent as few resources as possible, not knowing where the information we gathered there would eventually lead us. We're used to frugality from our travel experiences in the past, so staying at a house that our friend owned sounded wonderful at first, but…" He sighed and paused for a moment before continuing. "…we're not… exactly… financially unstable. You understand that, right?"
Pestis frowned and glanced around nervously in response. "…."
"What I'm trying to say is… spending all of this time and energy cleaning up this place enough to make it liveable spends more resources than we would if we had paid to stay at a lodge, even with a group as large as this one. While money is an object to some extent, our time and energy are so much more important to our mission right now. Wasting them just to save money is counterproductive. Do you understand now?"
Pestis hung his head sadly. "Yes, Zelgadis…"
The whole group was quiet for a moment. A couple of people cleared their throats awkwardly, as they all made an effort not to look directly at Pestis. Even Lyos wouldn't deny that the professor's despondent expression was very puppy-like.
"I… uh…" Shizuri began finally. "…really did enjoy seeing all of your work, though. Your artwork, I mean- it was all together in the room I was cleaning. You're very talented, you know. I sorted through all of it, and I was meaning to ask about your model."
"Model?" Pestis questioned.
"The blonde girl that you painted. She was the only human subject you'd painted besides yourself, and so I-"
"Oh, I never painted any self-portraits. Those were her paintings- I painted her and she painted me."
Shizuri blinked in surprise. "She was an artist too? She was just so beautiful; I was sure she must have been a model-"
"She was my wife."
"WHAT?!" Several people all yelled at once.
Pestis flinched and began making abstract hand gestures in an attempt to explain the situation. "Well… uh, it means that we got married… we lived together as a couple… we did married-people things… you know… like reading books together… and taking turns cooking meals… and stargazing on the roof… and cuddling next to a warm fireplace… and-"
"Why don't we stop right there?" Lina cut him off. "I think we understand how marriage works; you don't have to explain it to us."
"He kinda skipped the food battles and the pillow fights." Gourry offered.
Lina ignored him and continued speaking to Pestis. "I wasn't upset, I was just surprised. You hadn't mentioned her, so I didn't know… what are you so mad about, Lyos?"
"It makes no sense." Lyos fumed. "How'd a weirdo like him end up with a hot chick like that?
"Don't be so shallow." Zelgadis hit Lyos in the back of the head with his coffee mug before Amelia could do it.
"Shizuri? What about you?" Pestis asked.
"Oh, me? I… er… uh… well…" She scratched her cheek in embarrassment. "Truth be told, I was just surprised because I didn't think you were… interested in women."
"How could you say that?" Pestis jumped out of his seat. "I'm hurt that you'd think that. I don't discriminate- I'm just as interested in women as I am in men!"
There was a short period of silence.
"Um… Pestis…" Lina began. "I don't think you fully understood what she meant by that-"
"Oh, I know what she meant by that."
There was another period of silence, even longer and more awkward than the first.
"…that explains a lot…" Gourry finally murmured.
There was a sudden loud noise accompanied by the rattling of cups falling over, as Lyos pounded a fist onto the table.
"I've had it with all of this stalling! We're here for one reason and one reason only- have you guys forgotten that?"
"Calm down." Lina had seen the outburst coming and was holding her mug carefully to make sure that it didn't spill along with the others on the table. "We haven't forgotten."
"Well then, what? You spout some nonsense about a never-ending fountain of wisdom and then never mention it again? What are you playing at?!"
"It's not a fountain." Lina stated calmly. "It's called the Claire Bible."
"I remember that name from when we were making plans in Seyruun- but you never really explained what it was. So it's a book, then?" Shizuri asked, grabbing a dishtowel to wipe up the spilled coffee.
"Well… yes and no." Lina shrugged. "It's more like… infinite caches of knowledge… Pestis could explain it better, I think."
"The Claire Bible is less of a physical object and more of an astral entity." Pestis nodded as he spoke. "It exists in a dimension completely separate from our own; one that allows for an infinite amount of space and time. This dimension, created by Aqualord Ragradia after the War of the Monsters' Fall, houses every piece of knowledge, every memory, and every bit of wisdom that has ever existed in our world- and, as more people are born and more experiences are had, the Claire Bible constantly updates itself. It is infinite wisdom and is ever-expanding."
"If that contains all the information in the world, then why didn't we consult it to start with?" Lyos demanded. "Why did Shizuri and I hafta tramp all over the damn continent for two weeks, visiting every temple around and still finding nothing? Why did we spend two weeks going through all the archives in the Seyruun library just to come up short? Why, when we could've just consulted this Claire Bible for everything we need to know?!"
Everyone was quiet. They were all thinking the same thing, yet no one seemed able to put it into words. It was an unspoken realization that this was their last resort, and no one wanted to admit that.
"Because it means that we're running out of time." Zelgadis finally spoke.
"I'm running out of time." Lina murmured.
"And Zara is too." Gourry added quietly.
The group fell silent again, but everyone was looking at Lina and Gourry this time.
Lina cleared her throat and began once again. "There are no guarantees that we'll even be able to get to the Claire Bible. And even if we do, there's no guarantee that we'll be allowed to view the information we're looking for. It's kind of sensitive stuff; considering that it could release the Demon King and all…"
"Why would we have to be allowed to view it?" Lyos asked. "It's unlimited information, right?"
Zelgadis gave a frustrated groan. "The Claire Bible is not an all-you-can-eat information buffet!"
"Think about it, Mister Lyos." Amelia put one hand on his shoulder. "It's all the information ever. How would you find what you were looking for?"
"Well… I don't… I guess… isn't there a table of contents, or something…?"
"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." Zelgadis spat.
"I don't know! Maybe you should explain, then!" Lyos snarled.
"We're trying! You're the one who keeps interrupting!"
"I wouldn't interrupt if you'd actually get to the point!"
"We would already be at the point, if you'd just listen!"
"I'd be listening if maybe you talked faster and made more sense-"
"EVERYONE, BE QUIET!"
All noise immediately stopped. Several mouths hung open in shock at the unexpected outburst. It was so sudden, so unexpected, so… not like Gourry.
"…please…" he breathed softly. "…be quiet."
Lina, who was sitting across the table from him, set her cup down and stood up, walking around to the other side of the room. She knelt down beside him, putting her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. Amelia, sitting beside him, took one of his hands in hers with a pained smile.
"…thank you…" Gourry murmured, though it wasn't apparent whether it was for the silence or for the girls' comfort.
"I'm so sorry, Gourry." Zelgadis sighed. "Please-"
"Don't." Gourry interrupted. "Don't apologize. Just focus."
"Lina's original point was valid. We can't be sure that we'll be allowed in, or that we'll be allowed to access that particular information." Pestis began again. "But one of the entrances of the Claire Bible is near here... But, in the meantime, convincing Auntie Aqua to guide us to the information we're looking for is-"
"Who's Auntie Aqua?" Lyos interrupted.
"She's part of the consciousness of Aqualord Ragradia- the god whose power you wield!" Lina jerked a finger in his direction. "So pay attention!"
"I was, I just-"
Shizuri elbowed Lyos' arm, which quieted him down rather quickly.
"Auntie Aqua and I aren't exactly on the best terms…" Professor Nisery continued. "The last time we met was about two-hundred years ago, at which time I was aiding in a Mazoku project which she disapproved of… I don't know if she'll be happy to see me…"
"I'm on good terms with her, as far as I know." Lina offered. "If anyone could convince her to allow us access to the information, it's probably me."
"I agree; Lina should be the one to ask permission." Zelgadis nodded. "Who wouldn't want to help her at this point?"
"Don't ask rhetorical questions like that." Lina scowled. "I don't really want to answer that one."
"So, when are we leaving to find this fancy dimension?" Lyos asked. "Tomorrow?"
"As soon as possible." Lina replied. "Which… yes, is basically tomorrow. There's not enough time left this afternoon for us to get very far."
Shizuri sighed. "And we need the rest anyway- all that cleaning takes a lot of effort."
"But it pays off in the end!" Amelia gave her most sincere smile. "Watching the true beauty of this house emerge from all of the clutter is a truly magnificent thing indeed! Don't you agree?"
As she was talking, the doorbell rang loudly, and Professor Nisery jumped up to answer it while the rest of the group seemed content to ignore it- it wasn't their house, after all.
"I agree." Gourry smiled in response to Amelia. "Everything looks a lot better when you get all the dust off of it."
"You're a bit of a clean freak, aren't you, Gourry?" Shizuri laughed.
"His vendetta against the evil clan of dust bunnies has run in his family for generations." Lina answered. "As our eldest son, it will be Zara's duty to face off against them when he finally comes of age."
Lyos was unamused. "You're not funny, Lina."
"Who said I was joking? Maybe I was being serious."
"Evil dust bunnies, though? That's a bedtime story gone horribly awry."
"How would you know? Have you ever fought a dust bunny? Those things are pretty terrifyi-"
"OH MY WORD!"
The professor's outburst cut off the conversation, and everyone stopped to look over at the doorway.
"I-I can't believe you remember me after all this time! It's been over a hundred years, hasn't it? And yet… you even remembered the special handshake…"
"Come now, Professor- have some faith in me! I told you, I never forget a handshake!"
Pestis escorted his guest into the kitchen with a big smile on his face. "Guys, guys! Look- I have another friend! I didn't even know he remembered me!"
Lina groaned. "Pestis… don't tell me… you're actually friends with Xellos…?"
"Huh?" Pestis gasped. "Lina, do you mean to say that you guys are pals of Xellos too?"
A chorus of "no's" drowned out the one lone "yes" that came from Xellos himself. He looked around in feigned shock.
"Not friends? How could you say that? I thought we were one big happy family!"
"Get over yourself." Zelgadis spat. "You've always been nothing but trouble."
"Surely you're bringing some sort of message from Azarel, right?" Lina added.
"Huh?" Pestis looked around in confusion. "Azarel?"
"She's right, you know. My business here was delegated to me by Azarel." Xellos nodded.
"You mean… you didn't come just to see me…?" Pestis sniffled.
"I apologize, Professor, but I'm a busy Mazoku. I did, however, request to be the one to send the message, as it actually pertains to you in particular."
"…me?"
Xellos grinned.
"Azarel wishes to speak to you, professor… alone."
(A/N: Thank you everyone for your patience as I conquered the beast that is NaNoWriMo. I'll be resuming weekly updates now, just like before. -And thank you guys so much again for reading! It means a lot to me!)