The marketplace in Seyruun is busy from before the sun is turning the eastern sky pearly grey to well after nightfall, especially during the summer months. Just about anything you want you can get in the marketplace in the White Magic Capital.
It was nearly dusk when Amelia and Zelgadis walked through the marketplace back towards the Palace after a long day of meandering around the city, the diminutive Princess and her stern, ever-present escort. They were walking close enough that people had no doubts that the Princes had finally found a suitor even though it had not been officially announced yet. Aside from the fact that the two were seen everywhere together, they had that certain air about them. The way the Princess smiled at him and the way he would grin back at her, a grin that was meant for her and only her.
They passed a small knot of people gathered around a man dressed in black with a black hat on the ground in front of him. He held a guitar across his lap and was lightly strumming the strings and singing something low and mournful. Zelgadis gave him only a quick glance as they passed, more intent on getting back to the Palace and out of the crowd. So it wasn't until he'd passed the busker that he caught the faint tune that Coyote had sung to him in the desert.
His head snapped around as if he'd struck. He searched the crowd for the busker, backtracking to search for him. He was nowhere to be found, though; it was as if he'd simply vanished into the air. Even the small knot of people around him had thinned so there was nothing to prove that he'd ever been anything but figment of Zelgadis' imagination. And yet he'd heard the tune ...
"Zelgadis-san?" Amelia called from down the street. She turned to come back towards him when he held up his hand and started towards her. "Is something wrong?"
Shaking his head, he gestured to indicate they should head on back. "No. Just thought I heard something. It turned out to be my imagination."
Amelia looked up at him curiously but didn't say anything else. With one more glance backwards, Zelgadis followed along after her.
From the shadows of the alley nearby, a man with black hair worn in long braids worked with blue and red beads turned his golden eyes to follow Zelgadis and Amelia as they walked back towards the Palace. He grinned to himself and pushed against the wall. Stepping out of the shadows, he put his hat on, slung his guitar over his shoulder, and strode through the crowds towards the city gates. His work here was done; he'd learned both the Chimera's and the young Princess' songs. Amazingly enough, the Chimera had learned from his song. Not many people had the courage or strength to turn their lives around like that; then again, there were not many people like this Chimera.
Now, however, there were more songs for him to learn. Many more songs. Maybe he would catch up these friends of Zelgadis' that had been in his dream. What were their names? Oh, yes. Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev.
Whistling softly to himself, Coyote passed silently underneath the gates and disappeared into the thickening darkness. The only thing left to signify that he had ever been there was the scent of sweet herbs, cedar and sage, a flash of golden eyes, and a whispered word: Desperado ...