The next three towns he found were not as accepting of his unusual appearance, so he traveled at a strenuous pace to try and catch Lina and Gourry. Gangs of thieves had grown more cautious since the red-head had passed through, and stayed away from the lone wanderer. Never the less, several robbers' dens were attacked and scavenged during his passage.
Having added a black cloak to his ensemble, thanks to an outlaw that wouldn't be needing it anymore, Zelgadis entered the city with his cool mask of indifference firmly in place. Said mask cracked and fell apart as he walked into a restaurant and found Lina and Gourry fighting over a meatball. He walked up to their table, and when they took no notice of him, snagged the morsel for himself.
"Hey!" Both the sorceress and the swordsman yelled at the disappearance of their food. Zelgadis smirked as they gave him a good once-over, absorbing the dramatic change in his outfit.
"Nice threads, Zel." Lina nodded, then held up her fork like a deadly weapon. "Care to explain how you're going to make up for my food?"
"You never change." He smiled fondly, digging around in his sub-dimensional pocket for a moment before tossing her one of the recipe scrolls. She caught it with a look of surprise, glancing over the tome with wide eyes.
"This... this... this is..." She stuttered as he plucked it from her grasp. "Dragon Cuisine!"
"If you want this, you're going to have to trade for it." The smug look on his face countered her salivating expressing. "You know what I'm after, Lina... or should I say Lily?"
"Not the Bible!" She hissed. "Anything but that!"
Why so quiet?" He whispered. "Doesn't the fruitcake already know?" There was a harsh glint in his frigid eyes.
"No!" She shook her head violently. "You can read it after me."
"No way." He scowled. "He always burns them as soon as you've read it."
"He doesn't know about this one."
"Yet."
"Zel..."
"You know, id you had that recipe, you could probably send it to Seyroon and have it prepared by the time we reach it."
"'We'?"
"Yes. Looks yummy."
"Zel!"
"Well, if you really don't want it, I could always sell it to someone..."
"Fine." Lina's stomach got the best of her. The thought of being able to finally taste the legendary dragon cuisine overruled her lust for power. "We read it together." Well, not quite.
"When, and where?" He smirked again, inwardly rejoicing at his first personal victory in years.
"Your room." She murmured. "Tonight, when the moon is at its highest."
"You'll get the scrolls when we're through reading." He stood and left to get a room, paying no attention to the daggers she glared into his back.
That guy can be such a jerk. she thought, standing and leaving a confused by happy Gourry to the rest of the food.
Which room is his, damn it?! She wondered as she stalked down the halls. I want those recipes! A quick scan for the trace she had placed on the red gem that he never seemed to be without lead her to the last door on the right. She peeked in the door, face faulting when she found the chimera asleep with the covers tucked up to his chin.. He looked so peaceful that she almost didn't have the heart to wake him up.
"YO! ZEL!"
Almost.
Her shout caused him to leap out of bed, tightly clutching the hilt of his sword. And he was nude. The weapon was, thankfully, posed in the way of a certain view, but was just barely able to hide the target. Frozen by shock, neither one moved while their faces turned bright red.
At last, Zelgadis recovered enough to dive back under the covers, his hand darting out to grab the black briefs and pants folded neatly on a chair.
"Oi, Zel, don't you have any decency?!" She demanded, facing the opposite wall.
"Me?!" He yelled. "You're the one who came busting into my room without any warning!" He threw aside the blanket at last, standing up half dressed.
"How was I supposed to know you were going to going to sleep in the buff?" She snarled. "And right through the meeting, too."
"You could have knocked." He grumbled bitterly, pulling on his tunic and fastening his belt.
"Do you want the Claire Bible or not?!" She fumed.
"Fine." He tied the last knot on his bracers. "You can turn around now." With a final click and the rustling of cloth, Zelgadis pulled hooking his cloak.
"You know, in that outfit, you look kind of scary." Lina commented as she studied him. "You should smile more, you're too intimidating."
"Thanks." He deadpanned. "Are we going to get down to business?"
"And blunt." She sat down on the bed, which was ensorcelled to make itself every time the occupant got up. He sat beside her, arms crossed as he awaited the information that the book held.
"Just get on with it."
"Fine."
Outside, the moon shone down on the shadow-cloaked figures who stared down at the sleeping town with cold, crimson eyes.
"They're here," one said to another.
Do we attack tonight? a third asked.
"No, the second confirmed. "Let us see just how well they guard their secrets."
"Tomorrow, then?" The first questioned.
Tomorrow. The last grinned. Tomorrow...