Mugs clanged, people chatted and drinks were poured. The bar was crowded with lots of people drinking. Some were passed out, some drank with smiles on their faces, and some had tempers that were flaring while others drank silently with sadden expressions on their faces.
Today was the day of a celebration that naturally ended up the people's large consumption of alcoholic beverages. But then what real good can come out of alcohol? Not much really...
The day before
Lina, Zelgadis, Amelia, Gourry and Sylphiel were out adventuring searching for treasure and frying bandits. Xellos had been with them just a few days prior but he disappeared right after the group followed up and yet another false chimera cure lead. He left right before they realized the cure was bogus. Zelgadis figured that the trickster priest knew all along that the cure wasn't going to work.
Lina and the others didn't let it hinder their spirits but naturally Zel's wasn't too high. It was the same thing every time. He got himself all worked up, and for what? Nothing. Then he'd be depressed and mope until either many days later or until he found a new cure lead to look up.
So that left our chimera depressed and very withdrawn. They all tried their best to cheer Zelgadis up but they ended up making him cross instead.
"Miss Lina is there a town nearby?" Amelia said in a somewhat of a whiny voice. She was tired, hungry and her feet hurt from walking. They had been walking in the forest all day and as night neared most weren't too thrilled of the idea of camping out again.
"Not sure. I think Desrig is just a little ways from here. If I remember correctly then it should be just down this trail."
"Miss Lina what's in Desrig? I've never heard of that town before."
"Nothing much really. Or at least when I went there wasn't much. But then that was a long time ago and I can't really remember the town that well." There was something gnawing at the back of her mind. There was some special thing about the town but she just couldn't remember what. Oh well probably nothing too important. Lina looked over to Zelgadis. His expression was cold and hard as we walked pretty much behind the group. He'd been quiet for most of the past few days. The only timed he talked was when he was chewing Lina or Amelia's head off for bugging him. Not that being quiet and cranky wasn't normal for Zelgadis, it was just a lot more then usual. Lina sighed and returned her eyes to the trail in front of her. He's really got to learn to lighten up. Geesh!
Moments later they reached Desrog. (So Lina forgot the name slightly it was still there now wasn't it?) It wasn't a large town but then it wasn't a small town either. The townspeople smiled as the weary travelers walked into town.
"Good day to you! Welcome to Desrog! I hope ye gonna stay for the festival!" One of the townspeople called at to them as they walked by. That's when Lina mentally smacked herself. She remembered what was that thing she couldn't remember about this town. Years ago when Naga and Lina were traveling together Naga had dragged Lina to Desrog on this exact time of the year. It was the towns annual drinking festival. Lina wasn't sure why they had this drinking festival or what was the purpose of it. All that she knew from what she found out last time she was there was that it was a day of celebration to celebrate the years good fortune and for good fortune from years to come. They drank in honor of someone but Lina wasn't sure of whom. She suspected that not even the townspeople themselves could remember the original meaning of the festival.
"Oh there's a festival! How fun! I wonder what type of a festival it is?" Amelia smiled with delight.
"A drinking festival."
Amelia frowned and scrunched her nose. She very rarely indulged herself in alcohol. She thought of it as a person injustice if she ever allowed herself to get drunk or even get close. She frowned upon drinking.
Zelgadis looked around the town and sighed. All the people looked happy and content and he just shook his head.
"Well I'm hungry! Let's go and get some food!" Lina declared while Gourry and Amelia seconded it. Zelgadis and Sylphiel just quietly followed behind.
After dragging everyone through town Lina and company finally decided on where to eat. The place was crowded and everyone sat chatting away with their friends with big cheery smiles. Both Lina and Zelgadis unconsciously shuddered. Everyone in this town was far too happy and friendly for their tastes.
After being seated and with their food ordered the group was surprised when 5 mugs of some strange green liquid where placed on their table by their waitress.
"Um excuse me, we didn't order these."
"Oh I know, it's on the house! Go on drink, be merry!" The waitresses smile was far too large as she skipped off back to the kitchen.
The five of them just sat there staring at their free drinks. Amelia, Gourry, Sylphiel and Zelgadis looked the drinks suspiciously while Lina just shrugged and took a swig of hers. They all looked at her funny.
"What? It's Desrog's specialty. I'm not sure what goes in it or why it's green but it's a pretty good drink."
They all looked back their drinks and shrugged as well before taking a gulp of theirs. Sylphiel and Amelia coughed loudly, Gourry's eyes bugged out and Zelgadis just raised his eyebrow at them.
"Didn't you expect it to be strong alcohol?" Zelgadis asked dryly. The three of them shook their heads.
Both Lina and Zelgadis rolled their eyes.
Their food came and they dug in.
The next morning Lina woke up with a bit of a headache. Even though she didn't get herself drunk the night before Desrog's special green drink was still pretty powerful stuff. She chuckled softly. She remembered when Naga went on a drinking binge during Desrog's drinking festival. Naga had got so drunk that night that she didn't wake up for two full days. Lina had been quite content to not have to hear Naga's annoying laugh while having her hangover that next morning.
Lina stretched and got ready to go downstairs to meet everyone for breakfast.
Lina was the last one down. Amelia, Sylphiel and Gourry were already eating while Zelgadis was just sitting there drinking his morning coffee. By the slight pained expression on his face, Lina figured that she wasn't the only one with a headache.
"Headache Zel?"
Zelgadis just grumbled with a cross look.
Lina ordered her food and like everyone else Lina was brought another mug of green alcohol.
"How can they give you drinks right in the morning like that?" Amelia comment in disgust.
"Amelia today's their drinking festival. There will be drinking all day. And the drinks are free too." Lina said matter-of-factly while taking a sip with her drink.
"Miss Lina!"
"What?! You think I'm going to waste this?! It's a free drink and this town takes pride in their drinks! It's an insult to turn down their drinks!"
Amelia frowned at her.
Lina insisted that they stay for the festival and leave the day after it. So they went off in their separate directions doing their own things till they meet up later at night.
Amelia whom had gone off by herself was getting quite frustrated. She couldn't find much to do. Practically everything was closed due to the festival. She kinda wished that she was with Zelgadis, but he made it quite clear that he didn't want to do anything with anyone. She just sighed and continued walking around aimlessly curious to what everyone else was doing.
Zelgadis just sat in his room in the inn staring at nothing. That's what he had been doing for the past half an hour. He didn't know why he made such a big fuss about not wanting to do anything with anyone. He wasn't doing a single think other then torturing himself with thoughts of being stuck a chimera forever. But he didn't want to do anything with them. In real fact they were annoying him. He was so completely bitter that anyone happy was driving him up the wall.
So he sat sulking, drowning himself in self pity and anger towards Rezo.
Gourry was seeing the sights around the town with Sylphiel latched to his arm. Gourry should have picked up that Sylphiel liked him from this act. But Gourry being Gourry didn't realize that Sylphiel was latched to his arm because she liked him. Who knows what he thought was the reason, or if he was even thinking about it at all.
Currently they were walking around the nearby lake. It was a pleasant setting, trees, flowers, birds and it was all calm and peaceful.
"Oh Gourry-dear don't you think this place is lovely?" Sylphiel asked as she sniffed a flower while placing her basket down.
"Yeah it's real nice. Hope Lina doesn't blow her temper and destroys it with magic. Say Sylphiel..." Gourry faced her and looked her straight in the eye with a hungry, demanding look.
Sylphiel blinked a few times and felt her checks go red. "Um, yes Gourry-dear?"
"Don't you think this a good place to have our picnic and eat? I'm starving!" Well this is Gourry we're talking about.
Even though Sylphiel was a bit disappointed she weakly smiled. "Okay, let's eat."
Lina herself was sitting in her room at the inn. She was pouring over a few books that she had acquired during the last chimera cure lead that they had gone on. She was hoping that she could find information on magic, power and treasure. Oh and also something that might be helpful to Zelgadis. Though naturally she was thinking more about what she could gain then Zel.
The books were interesting but they weren't anything that useful. It was all folklore stuff. Stuff about ancient curses and mythical creatures. She didn't think much of what she read. That sort of stuff wasn't something that she took that seriously. But perhaps she should have.
It was nighttime and like most of Desrog's drinking festivals everyone ended up at the local bar.
Sylphiel, Gourry, Zelgadis and Lina sat at a table waiting for their drinks to come. Amelia couldn't even stand the thought of going into the bar decided she was better off going back to the inn. She was sick and tired of all the drinking and didn't want to have any part in it.
So that left the four of them to take part in a Desrog tradition, a toast to the whole town and the people there for good luck and fortune.
With a drink in everyone's hand the toast was made and they drank. Unknown to the four of them someone had tampered with their green drinks.
Zelgadis was the first one to notice that there was something wrong about him. He felt lightheaded and suddenly everything seemed so much lighter and bright around him. He felt himself smile and for some weird reason he felt uncharacteristically happy.
Lina on the other hand had an opposite reaction. Her mood darkened just like her perception of everything. Suddenly she was depressive and withdrawn and not really wanting to be at the bar at that moment.
Sylphiel who only moments earlier had been thinking about Gourry in a loving manner felt a strange sensation. She looked over to Gourry and to her surprise she didn't feel the usual happy, fluttery feeling that she normally felt when she looked at him. He was even smiling at her and she didn't feel anything towards him at all. Now in a normal state of mind Sylphiel would have been distressed at this happening. Only for some weird reason she just didn't seem to care.
And Gourry normally dumb and unperceptive was seeing Sylphiel in a whole new light. He couldn't stop staring at her. She was beautiful and enchanting to his eyes. He felt this strange warm feeling that was directed at her and he couldn't help but smile.
Ten minutes later...
"Lina are you sure you're alright? You don't seem to happy." Zelgadis asked her again for the third time.
"Yes I'm fine, now would you leave me alone?!?!" Lina growled at him very much wanting to fireball him.
"Sylphiel-dear would like me to get you anything?" Gourry gushed out.
"No thanks Gourry I'm fine."
This is what was going on. Lina was angry, depressive and withdrawn. Zelgadis was overly happy, joyful and overly concerned about Lina and paid far too much attention to her then friends would normally do. Sylphiel was feeling normal despite the fact that didn't have her normal feelings for Gourry. Gourry on the other hand has developed feelings for the shrine maiden. So how did that leave things? Chaotic, and just plain wrong.
Lina sighed as she took another sip of her drink. She didn't know why all of a sudden why everything became so bleak to her. But she was getting really annoyed with Zelgadis. What the hell is up with him?! He's acting so damned weird! She gave him a suspicious look and he just smiled warmly in return. Then she turned her attention to the scene of Gourry and Sylphiel. Sylphiel had Gourry wrapped around her little finger only she wasn't doing anything about it. Sylphiel didn't seem to care whether or not Gourry was there. But she did look tired.
"Um, I think I'm going to head back over to the inn now." Sylphiel declared, stretching as she got up.
Immediately Gourry got up with her. "I'll go with you Sylphiel-dear. Wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you during your walk back to the inn at this time of the night."
"Okay. Miss Lina, Mister Zelgadis, I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Sylphiel."
Sylphiel left with Gourry following close behind. He gave dirty looks to anyone that was looking at Sylphiel.
After they were gone Zelgadis turned his attention to Lina. "Okay they are gone now. You can tell me what's wrong."
Lina wanted to hit the chimera. He was pissing her off! But naturally she refrained from hitting him. Hitting a chimera who was 1/3 stone golem wasn't always the smartest thing to do.
"There is nothing wrong with me, SO GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEAD!!!!" She fumed.
"Well there is something bugging you whether you like it or not." Lina was very tempted to tell him that that something was him but her thoughts where cut short when he put his arm around her shoulder pulling her close to him. First Lina turned red from blushing, then she turned red from anger, then Zelgadis was sent flying to the other side of the bar room. Content with that Lina got up and left the bar only to find Zelgadis following close behind.
Gourry after walking Sylphiel back to her room smiled shyly at her. She gave him a small smile to.
"Thanks for walking me back to my room Gourry."
"The pleasure was all mine." He flashed her a large smiled. He started to blush when she inched towards him. Is she...? His mind went blank and he closed his eyes. Sylphiel went on her tippy toes to peck out a little piece of fluff that was in Gourry's hair.
"Sorry that was just bugging me. Anyway thanks again Gourry. Goodnight." With that Sylphiel closed the door leaving a very bewildered Gourry.
"It's funny that a small person like you could be so strong..." Zelgadis' voice came from behind Lina. She was half way back to the inn.
Lina spun around preparing to use a fireball.
"Or so pretty..."
Lina's spell casting faltered. What did he say?!?!
Shocked at what he just said Lina didn't move, she just stared at him blankly. He pulled her into a hug.
"You know I've always thought you were pretty. Maybe that's your problem your just lonely." Zelgadis tilted her face up and inched in closer to her. He was so close that his lips almost touching when...
"FIREBALL!!!!"
A fried Zelgadis went flying through the air.
"Honestly the nerve of some people." Lina stormed off grumbling.
A little green and blue creature that was invisible to everyone around it laughed hysterically. Oh what fun this was! So much better then playing around with the locals! The creature smiled looking down at his little bags of powder. I love this festival! The creature grinned evilly. I wonder other little fun I could have? That's right there's still that short little black haired girl that was traveling with them. Now what could I do to her? It's evil grin broadened as it went off in search of the little Sailune princess.