The Love Line on my Palm is Split into a Fork
The Longer wrinkle is Steep and Curving,
But the Straight one is so Short.
I know that my True Love will Come with a Price.
-- Chorus to [Love Line] (canto pop)
It was such a queer feeling he had. A feeling so... empty. A deep intake of air only seemed to make it worse. Why did he feel this way? Was it a bad omen? Zelgadiss had woken up this morning with a terrific headache. It eventually died down to nothing, but it had left him in this strange mood. With a feeling that he couldn't recognize.
Knock knock knock.
Still pondering, Zelgadiss put down the string bound diary, and walked over to slide open the door.
"Zelgadiss Graywords?"
The chimera blinked twice before responding. It was his informer. "Rodimus. What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be hiding out in that rundown motel on the outskirts of this city?"
Rodimus looked cautiously behind him, as if to make sure no one was watching them. "I have found out something," he whispered. He smiled in an odd manner that sent shivers up Zel's spine.
"Come... in then."
"thank you sir."
Zelgadiss seated himself back on the chair as his informer proceeded to tell him his discoveries. The chimera's eyes grew wider with each sentence.
"Are you sure?!" he asked, trying hard to hide his excitement.
"My magic is quite capable, if I do say so myself, sir."
This is my chance to revenge....but... "... But it seems strange that they would do it again after being caught such a short while ago ... and much less in the same place."
"I'm quite certain that I'm accurate, though."
Yes, he was seldom -- if ever, wrong. "Yes... so at midnight...."
Rodimus gave that strange smile again. "Then I'll be leaving then."
"Yes, yes. Thank you. If you make any further progress in the research, please inform me as soon as possible."
"I understand," Rodimus said as he closed the door to the room behind him.
Zelgadiss turned back to the booklet with a sudden sort of excitement. I will find them and destroy them all single-handedly, he laughed to himself. All 600 hundred of them will suffer. I will have my revenge. I will show shabranigdo that --
His thoughts broke off for a moment.
that...
that...
that I am the best...
But...
What would that mean to me?
...What would having that knowledge mean to me if I don't have what I want?
Or... who I want?
Zelgadiss suddenly realized that the sour feeling was still eating away at his insides.
Xellos laughed, and threw his mask elsewhere.
"Graywords will suffer tonight," he told Rodimus' corpse.
Zelgadiss walked through the market where he'd bumped into Lina. It'd only been one month or so since the incident. The same people were still selling the same goods; the fish, the meat, the fruits...
The chimera sighed, and stopped by a vendor to pick up a red stick of candy. It was a red, sweet substance that nicely coated 5 cherry apples. The red syrup glistened in the light, and for a moment he remembered Lina's warm eyes....
He walked on.
If he went tonight, he would never see those eyes again.
Zelgadiss Graywords would have to defeat the rebels, report back to Shabranigdo in Zephilia, and return to the life that he'd lived before.
The hard life in which the militia lived.
He had all afternoon to ponder. He had come to a conclusion.
And his answer was...
"You've come later than you usually might've have, Zel!! You should try to be consistent," mock scolded a feminine voice.
"Oh, not that much later, Lina," he returned after a moment, shutting the door behind him. He'd barely noticed where he'd been going, and was surprised to see himself at Lina's place. He nodded in greeting to a group of customers who were busily eating noodles. A young female in the group blushed.
She was wiping her hands on her small apron. "Are you hungry?"
"Not really. Do you have soup though?"
She shrugged and smiled, "I could get started on one."
Lina returned to the kitchen and Zel followed her in. "I brought you this," he said referring to the stick of apples. "I thought you might like it."
"Thank you!! I love eating them. Stick it in there for now," she pointed with a pair of wooden chopsticks.
Zel did as she asked, placing it in a tall, wooden cup. He suddenly felt overcome by the empty feeling again. He stared as Lina zipped to and fro over the clay stove. She looked so eagar and yet so innocent...
"I have to close up early tonight, so you can't stay too late tonight, Zel."
He shook his head. "Really," he said feigning disappointment. "How come?"
"I've... got to help out at a friend at a friend's place ...Sylphiel. You don't know her, so don't worry about it," she said quickly.
"Oh," he replied, only half listening.
For a minute or two, only the sound of the fire crackling beneath the stove could be heard.
"Do you need help?" Zelgadiss asked suddenly. "Cutting vegetables? Running errands? Burning the trash?"
"Hmm? Oh no, nothing at all. My ...neighbor Gourry was here earlier."
"Nothing at all?"
She laughed. "Why do you sound so disappointed? Usually you would complain if I asked you to help."
He walked over to her, and made an unsuccessful attempt to take away the chopsticks she was using to stir the pot. "You're too much for me, Lina."
"No I'm not. Besides, isn't cooking a woman's job?"
"No."
"Okay, okay. If you want to help me out, take this bowl and try some for taste, alright?" she sighed, spooning some into the dish.
He looked at her hard, and taking the bowl from her, swallowed the burning liquid in one gulp.
"Wait!!" she cried. "Isn't it too hot to drin -- "
He pulled Lina into his arms, and the bowl clattered to the floor. His embrace was tight, and her breath quickened despite the fact she couldn't move from her position.
"...Z-Zel...?" she stammered. She felt a slight guilt in allowing him to do this. What would Filia say?
"...Last time..." he mumbled into her hair. "This is the last time..."
"What?" she asked gently. She could barely hear his low, muffled voice. But it seemed tinged with sadness. Perhaps he needed someone to talk to.
His grip on her suddenly loosened slightly, and she could move again. She tilted her head to look upwards. His features were blank, and his eyes were gazing at nothing in particular.
"What's wrong, Zel?" she tried again.
An uncomfortable moment passed.
He finally shook his head and looked down at her. "Nothing. Nothing at all..." he said with a slight upturn of his lips. "But..."
He lowered his head down, and moved his hands to her shoulders. She knew what was coming, and her heart was beating rapidly as he put his mouth to hers. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough to make her knees weak.
A simple touching of the lips, nothing more. He released her finally, leaving her nothing to support her, she stumbled back to the wall.
He took a few steps back and looked embarresedly at her, before turning quickly away; leaving her to recover alone.