"Lina, I wished you'd stop being mad at me. Considering you're making me pay the enormous bill you're making here."
The small inn's restaurant they'd run into on the road to Saillune was now out of stock. Lina finally gulped down a glass of water before letting out a content sigh. "Sure, I forgive you now," she shrugged obligingly.
"Your forgiveness is expensive," he sighed, pulling out a pouch and emptying it onto a table. Although all those lead to cures for his chimera curse weren't ever successful, they did pay off sometimes.
"You know, Zel," Lina said thoughtfully, "even though I don't like you in that way, I think you're probably a better companion than Gourry is."
"Are you confessing that you like Gourry in 'that way'?" He asked unresponsively. Strange how he could look so moody and yet make such agitating comments sometimes.
"That's it, you're paying for both our rooms. And dinner too. Oh, and each time you say Gourry's name, you'll be my slave for an hour. Which thus far, makes two hours, I suppose."
"And since when did I have to obey your every whim?" Zel retorted.
"Since I learnt the dragon slave," she replied nonchalantly.
"Zel, I'm sure you'd be a millionaire by now if you had spend the last three years as a masseuse instead of looking for your cure. Yup!! Right there, perfect, don't move from that position."
"Just wait till I learn the Giga Slave, Lina."
"Hey, you're the one getting into massaging my back. It's already been about three hours. You could've stopped an hour ago, and I wouldn't have done a thing about it!! I'm quite a reasonable person, as you know of course."
"Sure I do," he returned, quite annoyed at his unpaid overtime. He stretched and got up. "Good night."
"I shouldn't have told you!! Oh well, good night."
Lina jumped beneath the covers as he closed the door. He's easier to manipulate than Gourry, she thought to herself.
"Zel, let's not fly and walk instead, alright?"
"I don't think you'd take no for an answer."
"What are you talking about?!" Lina fumed. They had only just left the inn and she was already agitated. "That is not true!! Stop moving and listen to me."
Zel halted his steps and turned exasperatedly back at her. "Look, we can just walk if you want. It's all the same to me, aside from the three day difference."
She placed her hands on her hips as if she were talking to Gourry. "Alright then, let's discuss this like civilized people. Okay, this is my view. Amelia's wedding isn't for 5 days. If we get to Sailune today, then what are we going to do until then?! Philolel is a huge disappointment to me as a prince, and I don't want to stay in that palace longer than necessary!! And I'd rather much be walking than flying anyway!! Okay?! There!! Discussion over!!"
Lina was sometimes quite unbearable, Zel thought to himself as he watched her walk past him. If she was just going through "that time of the month", why didn't she just admit it? Some explanation.
She turned her head back and shot a glare at him. "Are you coming or not?!"
He sighed and followed, not quite anticipating this should-have-been-peaceful-and-maybe-even-pleasant trip.
A few, silent miles later, it began to pour.
"Oh this is great, Lina," Zel muttered under his breath as the rain drenched their clothes.
"I heard that, Zelgadiss. The rain may be loud, but you're not the only one who's got excessively good hearing around here. Besides," she continued irritably as she began to search inside her cape, "it's not my fault it started raining!!"
"Lin -- . Look, there isn't going to be another town for another few miles. Maybe we could just create an oxygen bubble and get by in that."
"I've already thought about that, but it would work because the rain would pierce the bubb -- Oh!! I've found it!!"
Zel watched as she struggled to pull something long and thin out of her dripping cloak. "What is that??"
"Something from the old world that I managed to buy in an antique shop," Lina said. "Where is the goddam button?!"
Phwip!!
"There!"
"Damn, Lina," Zel said, rubbing his sore arm where the 'thing' had burst into somewhat of a tree look alike. "What the hell is that thing supposed to do?!"
"An 'umbrella', or so they call it," she said flipping it so that the cover was facing up. "Get under here, Zel and hold this hook."
He took the 'umbrella' in hand, surprised at its light weight. "This is. quite clever, actually."
"I wonder why it went out of fashion? This thing is actually really useful!!. Loud, though."
"I think the sound is soothing," Zel replied honestly.
".Sure, I guess."
Chapter 3 | Fanfiction