The light from the rising sun, beamed across Lina's face, the next morning. Her eyes fluttered opened as she awoke. Smiling, she turned away from the light and cuddled back into the blankets. Then she sat up. "Oh Gods! I'm still here." Lina whimpered, " I thought that this whole thing was a dream"
She dragged herself out of bed and slumped over to the closet. The closet doors were smaller then the ones that opened out to the hallway but had the same carvings, only smaller. Lina opened them to find a large walk in closet, with rows of shelves and places to hang clothes up. To her right was her own regular outfit. Her cape was hanging up and the shirt and pants were folded neatly on a shelf. Then, on the other side and towards the back of the closet were many different outfits. Dresses, (Yuck!) pants, shorts, shirts of all different colors, and all of which seemed to be in her size. There were also a couple pairs of shoes and boots on the floor, tucked under a lower shelf. Who ever had brought he here obviously was planning on keeping Lina her for some time.
Lina grabbed her own clothes, except her cape, and got dressed. While still buttoning the top few buttons of her shirt, she walked out of the closet and out through the same detailed carved doors. Valgarv told her to follow the main hallways and she should get down to the dining room. 'You'll find it' he said. How the hell could anybody find anything in this giant maze, Lina thought, remembering last night's adventures.
It took her only about twenty minutes before she heard familiar voices. Lina turned the corner and went through a large archway which led into a gigantic room. The ceiling arched up to a point in the middle, at least twenty feet high. Of course more statues against the wall. Every five feet or so there were large candles hanging off the wall. The floor had a beautiful floral pattern on it. In the center of the room was a long table that had triple candle holders placed along the middle of it. The familiar voices that had led her hear were coming from the very end of the table on the opposite side from where Lina was standing.
"Oh! Miss Lina! Over hear Lina!" Amelia yelled waving at Lina.
Lina walked over to were they were all sitting. There was Gourry, chowing down on all the delicious food that was spread across the table. Amelia had pulled out a chair for Lina, right between her and Gourry. Across the table, Valgarv sat side ways in his chair with his legs crossed. Reading a small newspaper and sipping on coffee. And to Lina's surprise, next to him was Fillia. She had on a pink bath robe on and a smiled gleamed from her face.
"Good morning Miss Lina. Did you sleep well?" Fillia asked as Lina sat down.
"Ummm..... not really. Especially when I woke up to find I was in a totally different place from when I went to bed!" She spatted out as she scooped herself some scrambled eggs.
"Oh, I'm deeply sorry about that Lina. But I had no choice. I had to bring you here while you were sleeping so there weren't any complications."
"Complications! What the hell are you talking about! You had no choice!? Why did you bring us here? I hope it - " Lina yelled at her.
"It was important!" Fillia screamed back at her.
Amelia put her hand on Lina's shoulder, "It's ok Lina, Miss Fillia has an explanation for all of this. Don't you Fillia?"
"We have a pretty damn good reason for bringing you here" Valgarv spoke from out of his coffee cup, "You don't have to get all pissy about it"
"Well what is it?" Lina asked a bit calmer then she was just a few minutes ago.
"Well it's a bit complicated, and we were hoping we could tell all of you at once. If we could just wait for Zelgadiss I could - " Fillia began to explain but was cut off by Valgarv.
"Don't bother waiting for Greywords. I saw him wandering around earlier this morning. Probably still." He took another sip of his coffee and turned the page of his newspaper.
"If you saw him why didn't you tell him what's going on? You should've told him to meet us here" Fillia grumbled.
"What? I didn't feel like talking to him. After the reaction I got from Miss Has-a-hissy-fit-when-someone-tries-to-help-her." he pointed to the scratch Lina had made and Lina blushed at bit.
Fillia didn't say anything but just stared at him. What? ....What? Don't look at me like that. He could be anywhere in the castle. But I don't want to. I'm tired God Dammit!" Valgarv whined but Filla just turned away and crossed her arms. "FINE!! I'll go find him!"
"Thank you Val" She gave Val a quick kiss on the cheek as he took the last gulp of his coffee and stomped out of the room.
"Anyway," Fillia turned back to Lina and Amelia who both were shocked and Gourry who was still eating. "Is it ok, if we wait for them to get back? I'd really like you all to be here. Even though it has to do mostly with you, Lina" She mumbled the last part.
"What?" Lina asked not sure if she had heard correctly.
"Oh nothing. Please help yourself to the food. It's all - "
Before she could finish Lina had began to shovel food onto her plate with one hand and the other shoved the food into her mouth. "Mmmmm... Thris irs derlicirous."
Elsewhere within the immense castle, Zelgadiss, like Val had said, was still roaming the halls. Examining all the different paintings and statues, and peeking into doors that were open but eventually got bored of always finding them locked and had started resorting to more violent ways of getting in. He woke up early that morning and just like Lina, and had found himself in a different room and went to go investigate. This giant castle, with all it's hallways, rooms and secret passage ways was a giant maze. Zelgadiss kept on going in circles, going past the same doors or paintings several times before realizing he was back where he started. There seemed to be no way out as well. Every time Zel went through a door that seemed to lead outside he just ended up in another room or hallway. Also, every window had an ocean view and looked down upon a large cliff with waves crashing against it. This enormous castle seemed to cover an entire island and had now way of getting off.
For like the tenth time, Zelgadiss came upon the doors that lead into the room he had woke up in. He decided that wandering around a castle and blowing up locked entrances wasn't the most constructive thing to do, so he opened the doors to his room and walked in.
The room looked exactly like he had left it. Window to the right, big and comfortable bed and bed stand a few feet from the window. A closet was in the other corner of the room.
Then he noticed something that was a bit out of place. Quickly, he swung his head back in the direction of his bed were a man reading a newspaper sat. The paper covered his face but Zelgadiss could clearly see his green hair sticking out in all directions.
"Valgarv? What are you doing here?" Zelgadiss questioned angrily, as he prepared a spell.
"I live here dumb ass!" Valgarv said, putting down his paper.
"But - but..." Zelgadiss stumbled with his thoughts but then finally got them back together, "Where are the others?"
"They're all eating breakfast downstairs, and we are going to go join them so I can finish my coffee." He stood up and straightened himself out. Then walking over to Zelgadiss who was still looking very puzzled he smiled, "Why Zelgadiss, it looks as though you've seen a ghost. What is troubling you?" Still smiling he put his arm around Zel and started moving him to the door. "Come on Greywords, I bet you're starving."
"Don't call me Greywords"
Val just ignored him, "I know Lina was after walking around the castle all night."