The day begun normally. Zelgadis got up early, drank his morning coffee, and proceeded to curse Lina for not being there.
"Where is that damned girl?! It's been a week. A WEEK!" Zelgadis thought angrily. "She must have gotten my letter by now. She knows I need her help with the ancient language."
"Just like her, though. She's probably off messing around with that priest," Zelgadis huffed. "Well, they deserve each other. He's probably the only 'man' who'd want her. Even Gourry didn't..." Zelgadis sighed as he left the inn.
Outside, the birds where chirping happily as they built their nests for the chicks soon to come. The children where playing merrily in the streets and local merchants sold their wares with good graces.
Zelgadis wished they would all drop dead. "How can anything be this cheerful at this early hour," Zelgadis mumbled to himself before stalking across the street to catch the newspaper boy who had been trying to hid behind a barrel.
"Anything of interest in that paper to a wanderer like me?" Zelgadis asked sweeping his dark gaze across the terrified boy, daring him to lie.
The boy swallowed hard. "Umm... it says here that Lina Inverse died last week."
Zelgadis narrowed his gaze on the boy. "What did you say?" he whispered threatenly.
The boy pushed a newspaper in Zelgadis's direction. "Here, read it for yourself. It's on the house!" the boy cried as he ran down the street.
Zelgadis snatched the paper. "Lina? Dead? Now way. Not Lina. Suicide?"
He didn't believe in but it was right there. Plain as day.
"A memorial will be held for Lina Inverse, age 20, who died last Tuesday for what investigators have ruled a suicide..." Zelgadis crinkled the paper and threw it aside.
He couldn't believe it. Suicide? Not Lina! She was the last person who would ever commit such an act. This had to be a joke. A weird, sick joke probably put on by the infamous trickster priest himself. "Well, I'm going to be the one to debunk it," he thought to himself, "then I'm going to find Lina and put her somewhere safe. I knew all along that Xellos was bad news. If only she'd listened to me."
Zelgadis sighed momentarily then went into action. He had a 'funeral' to attend and it would be rude to be late.
It took him a week to get to the service. But there he was, staring at the door. It seemed as if an invincible force was keeping him from entering the small building. Keeping him from the truth.
The thought of Lina's death was crippling to him but he didn't understand why. It seemed so "child-like" for him to just stare at the door as if he were a statue. "I can do this," he whispered as he tried to take a step forward.
"I have to do this. I have to know the truth! So why am I hesitating?" he asked his tormented mind. He felt as if he stood on the edge of vast wasteland. A wasteland that encroached upon his very soul. But what if she was dead? What if she really did kill herself for that Xellos? the back of his mind screamed.
Zelgadis stumbled to the ground Stop it! Stop IT! he cried to his mind. She's not dead! I WON'T let her be dead!
Zelgadis's mind quieted as he took a deep breath and focused his mind. He wasn't going to let his take him down too. If she was dead...
If Lina was dead...
Zelgadis walked through the door and down the isle. He focused all his energy on staying composed. With slow, deliberate steps, he reached the waiting coffin. Drawing a deep breath, he proceded to gaze on its contents.
Lina. She is so beautiful, Zelgadis thought briefly. There she was. So life-like. It was more then he could handle. More then he ever wanted to imagine.
Slowly he found himself turning and walking back down the isle.
Lina is dead.
Lina is dead.
The fresh air of the outside uplifted him. How long had he stared at Lina?
But she's dead. Lina's dead.
He walked to a tree for some shade. "Lina is dead," he stated once more to himself. Suddenly, for no reason, he burst out laughing. This all seemed so funny now. "Lina. Sorceress extraordinaire. Who'd have thought anything could kill her."
He laughed and laughed about the idiocy of it all. He laughed for what seemed like hours until he realized it was getting dark. Not that the dark scared him, but he did feel a bit tired.
"Lina is dead," he stated one last time. "I have to put this behind me.. I have to..." With that, Zelgadis pulled himself up and walked to the inn.
6 MONTHS LATER
The town of Lirael was a quiet little town that sat on the edge of a vast desert. There was a legend that a travel could get one wish of his choice fulfilled. As far-fetched as that seemed, Zelgadis was will to take that chance.
Anything to get out of this body of stone, he thought as he traversed through the town.
This town seemed a bit too quiet for Zelgadis. None of the local merchants were out. It seemed like a ghost town. Creepy, he thought.
"Hey, what can I do for a stranger like yourself?" A jolly voice behind him asked.
Zelgadis turned around slowly. That's strange, I didn't hear anyone come up behind me.. he thought before answering, "I'm trying to investigate a local legend. About the shrine.."
The man smiled and laughed. "That draws a crowd in every year. What do you wish to know?"
"Everything," Zelgadis stated.
The man laughed once more. Zelgadis swore he had heard that laugh before.
"Why, it's a three days journey from the start of the Desert of Destruction," the man answered. "A true cave of wonders. I brought my Rosa back. Maybe you'll find your cure there too."
Zelgadis smiled. This was the information he needed.
"Thanks!" Zelgadis cried as he ran into the other direction.
"You be careful now!" the man called back.
The Desert of Destruction. What a name. Zelgadis shook his head. Nothing is going to stand between my cure and I. Not even a formidable sounding desert.
But still... Zelgadis shook his head once more to clear his mind. He had been through worse. Shabrinigdo. Dark Star. Eating dinner with Lina.
Lina. Now that was a sore subject for him.
What a irresponsible girl, he thought angrily. What an idiotic person she is...
...Was, Zelgadis corrected himself.
How could she have trusted that Mazoku over him? Over him! And he had killed her, that damned priest.
Lina's death had been ruled a suicide. But he knew better. She was a threat to them. Zelgadis had figured that was why the priests interest in Lina had grown seemingly over night.
It was so obvious. Why hadn't she been able to see it? He had.
But she just laughed at him. Called him jealous.
Jealous? Of a flat chested little girl?
But still he missed her when she left him for that priest. Even though he didn't want to admit it, he missed the days when it was just he and Lina... and occasionally Xellos.
After Amelia had left to attend some duties in her kingdom, she had left him her bracelet. He only carried it so she would stop bothering him. But he had noticed something strange whenever Lina saw it. Like she was jealous...
Lina? Jealous? She had Gourry to attend her. But Gourry had left her. Heartbroken at that. Saying that he was now a hindrance to Lina since he had lost the sword of light. So he left on a journey to find another magical sword. Zelgadis didn't think he'd ever see him again.
But Lina had taken it personally. Probably had thought he left because of her. He could still hear her heart broken sobs. How he had wanted to hold her then.
But with Gourry and Amelia gone, he had Lina all to himself... With him. Where she be -
Stop it! Zelgadis cried angrily. That was the past. This was for his future. His cure was within a days walk from where he was currently.
Three days journey from the start of the Desert of Destruction, the man had said. A true cave of wonders. I brought my Liana back. Maybe you'll find your cure there too.
My cure, Zelgadis thought, is my main concern. Not some stupid pre-teen girl.
My cure... my cure... Why wasn't he more thrilled? What was this ache?
He missed... something.
What was it? He raked his mind. What?
But there was an ache. It was constant and intense. And it wouldn't left him forget about it.
I'm just excited about my cure. Its been so long since I was human, Zelgadis rationalized. Why else would he feel this way?
But...
But it didn't feel right. He missed something else. But what?
Lina. You miss Lina, don't you? the back of his mind asked.
Lina? Why would I miss such a girl?
You miss her spunk. Her life. How she accepted you when no others did. Admit it.
No, Zelgadis protested weakly. How could I...
You miss all those times alone with her. How she looked up to you. How she was never afraid of you, no matter what mood you were in.
No, how could I miss her?
Its easy. You love her. Your just too stubborn to admit it.
Love... love Lina. Zelgadis stopped. But the ache seemed to ease when he said that. I love... Lina... Again the ache seemed to ratify itself. As if saying that eased his mind. As if a great weight was lifted off his shoulders.
But she's dead, Zelgadis thought after a moment. I'll become human and live my life in peace... Even if I...
The shrine, the back of his mind reminded him. The shrine grants wishes. Lina could possibly...
Come back. Oh, how happy he would be. How happy to see her. To hold her. To talk to her. To tell her he...
Suddenly his cure ment nothing. All that mattered was Lina and the possibility that she could be brought back to him.
When he came out of his thoughts, he found himself in front of an entrance to what he hoped was the shrine.