Zel frowned, brushing away whatever it was that lightly trailed its way down his cheek. Gods, if Lin didn't train that gray ball of fur to stay off the bed soon, he would...he would...well, he'd do something desperate. Why did he have to have a soft spot for wolves and picked-on kids?
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
Lin blearily rubbed his eyes and looked over at Nii-chan on the other bed. Sitting in a pair of completely drenched pajamas and equally drenched bedsheets was a very irritated Zelgadiss wearing the wash basin as a hat. Slowly and deliberately, Zel took off the basin.
"What happened?!" Gourry burst through the door in his pajamas and sword, nearly running over Furball who was curled up on the floor. Hopping clumsily over the pup, he then tripped on some clothes Lin left and fell. "I recall you keeping a cleaner room than this, Zelgadiss," he muttered from the floor.
"Is someone hurt?" Sylphiel appeared in the doorway but kept the presence of mind to not enter the already haphazard room.
"Someone dumped the contents of the wash basin and the basin itself on me while I was sleeping," Zel answered calmly despite his simmering temper.
"No need to scream for that," Gourry grumbled, sitting up. "The water isn't that cold."
"It felt ice cold to me," flatly replied the chimera. Which was actually very strange since he couldn't sense temperature changes that well through his stone skin. He knew the wet clothes were clinging to him, a bit too closely in some places, but they themselves didn't feel cold. Then where did the shivering, bone-chilling cold come from?
And of course then there was the other question of who dumped the water on him in the first place. As it was, the original two prime candidates for interrupting his sleep had been asleep themselves during the time of the crime. Besides, there was no way the puppy could even lift the basin in order to dump it.
Being his ever suspicious self, Zelgadiss was reasonably sure that the light touch he had felt came from the water basin prankster. Even in that region between the conscious and unconscious, he should have felt a hostile presence or even heard the approach. The fact that he felt neither was slightly disturbing. There were only three other people in the house, two of which had come barging in right after his unpleasant awakening. And if it wasn't them then...
"Lina," he growled. It would be like her to something this childish, especially if she was still annoyed by last night. And she could have floated above the ground to keep from making the floorboards creak. But he still could have heard her breathing and of course, if she was in the room where did she go?
"Is she still asleep after that?" Gourry rubbed his head as he nudged Sylphiel outside. "I'm sure she would have come in screaming by now. Come on, Sylphiel, Zel probably wants to get changed."
The door shut behind the considerate swordsman. Getting up, Zel peeled off the wet shirt and proceeded to dry the remaining moisture on his skin. Damp stone was a great place of moss and lichen to grow and he didn't want to find out whether nature would work even on his magical stone skin. Stripping off the last of the wet clothes, he dressed in his usual beige set of clothes.
Clipping on the second of his dark brown belts, Zel walked over to Lin's bed. The little boy was sleeping again after deciding that all of the commotion wasn't worth waking up. With a hint of annoyance, Zel gave Lin a shake.
"It's morning."
Lin pulled the sheets over his head. Zelgadiss pulled off the sheets. Lin buried his head under the pillow. Zel threw away the pillow. Lin curled up in a credible imitation of Furball as a ball. Rolling his eyes, Zelgadiss poked the boy. Lin giggled. Zel poked him again. The boy swatted away Zel's hand, muffling his giggles.
"If you don't get up right now..." Zel warned. Lin refused to oblige. "Alright then." Zel flexed his fingers, a mischievous idea taking hold in his mind. "I'll make you get up." He began tickling his ward in earnest.
Lin shrieked and tried to get away but was too paralyzed by laughing to succeed. Furball, awakened by the noise, joined the fun, licking whoever he could in the mess. That was the tangled mess Sylphiel found when she opened the door.
"Zelgadiss-san?" The priestess watched in half-wonder, half-amusement at the unguarded cheerfulness in the chimera's face as he turned to look at her. She almost didn't want to tell him. "I'm sorry for intruding but it didn't seem like you could hear my knocking."
"Um, no, it's alright." Embarrassed at being caught with his mask down, Zel quickly stood up, straightening out his clothes that had been disheveled by the impromptu tickle fight. "Did you need something?"
The carefully constructed mask to keep everyone out was back, Sylphiel noted. "It's probably nothing but when I went to check on Lina-san, her room was empty."
"Lin, get dressed," Zel ordered before turning back to Sylphiel. "So she got up early."
"Perhaps," Sylphiel frowned, thinking about something.
"Was there something else?"
"Probably not but..." Sylphiel debated telling Zelgadiss of her uneasiness. "It's probably just a whim, I'm not sure."
"Just say it," Zel said flatly, covering his own growing unease at Sylphiel's hesitation. "Has something happened to Lina?"
"It's just that her clothes are still in her room," Sylphiel finally admitted. Zelgadiss looked at her oddly so she explained herself. "I mean, the clothes she usually wears are there. She could have a different set I suppose."
"Probably." Zel kept the irritation from his voice. Leave it to Sylphiel to get him all worked up over a change in wardrobe. There was also a sense of relief, probably from the avoidance of any trouble.
"And Lina-san's bed wasn't slept in last night."
"What?" His remarks about her investigation must have hit deep. Would she go out, on her own and without telling anyone, to investigate on her own at night? This was Lina Inverse he was talking about. "She can take care of herself," Zel reassured Sylphiel, suddenly noticing the hollowness of his own words.
"Not interrupting anything important I hope."
Zel and Sylphiel looked up at Gourry who looked down at their little tete-a-tete with his usual cheerful expression. His usual expression that is except for a slight tightness in the eyes that Zel noticed were focusing on how close he and Sylphiel had gotten during their conversation. That tightness vanished after Zel took a step back.
"Nothing at all," Zel reassured, moving back to give Gourry and Sylphiel more room.
"You're probably hungry, aren't you Gourry-sama," Sylphiel said cheerfully, apparently not noticing that little thing that passed between Gourry and Zel. "I'll go finish breakfast."
"It should be a small one." He held up a folded piece of paper in answer to the two surprise looks he received. "Someone delivered this just now. Looks like Lina got in over her head in trouble again."
Sylphiel looked over the message and then handed it to Zelgadiss with a puzzled look. "It seems to ask specifically for you, Zelgadiss-san."
Curious himself, he read the note.
"If you wish to discuss the whereabouts of your red-haired friend, come to the tent of Madame Xerra before the carnival's opening. There is additional information that may be of interest to the cloaked one of unusual complexion. Calling on the watch will not aid you."
The tense silence was broken by Lin.
"What is that?" he asked, pulling on Zel's sleeve so he could catch a glimpse.
"Nothing," Zel said automatically, folding the message. There was something disturbing about the note but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. "Who delivered this?"
"Only a kid. There's many of them running around," Gourry shrugged. "Do you think we should go?"
"Lina's not here, that's a fact. Whether or not she's in trouble is another question. This note implies that she *is* in some sort of mess."
"So we go." Gourry began to leave.
"No."
Zel's firm tone made Gourry pause but the stiffness in Gourry's back indicated that he was resentful of being made to stop.
"I think it would be safe to presume that whomever is behind the disappearances knows that you and Lina are after him. He would also know where you two were staying and anyone associated with you two are suspect as well. This could be only a trap to lure us out."
"But it's asking us to meet this Madame Xerra at the carnival," Sylphiel pointed out. "Perhaps Lina-san was caught trying to get a better look at the magical wonders they have there."
"Exactly," Zel agreed. "This may have nothing to do with the kidnappings. However, this second line is baiting me. With Lina's whereabouts unknown, and if we all went to this meeting, the investigation would ground to a halt."
"It's all very interesting but I don't see how this is helping anything," Gourry interrupted, waving his arms. "We don't know where Lina is. We don't know where all of the missing people are. And - "
"And this Madame Xerra may know something," finished Zelgadiss. "I just wanted to make sure we had everything straight. I'll go see this person. Alone. Gourry, you stay here with Sylphiel and Lin."
"Shouldn't I - "
Zel's glare ordered him to shut up. Gourry ignored it.
"Shouldn't I be looking for those missing people?"
"We don't know if Lina is off on a fun trip or missing for the same reason that she was hired. And we don't know if she just happened to be another victim of this kidnapper or a target. Until I get back from this meeting, I don't want anyone wandering around alone."
"And if someone decides to target you?" challenged the swordsman.
Zelgadiss smiled coldly. "I'll be ready for them."
"I want to go with Nii-chan!" Lin shattered the deadly serious atmosphere with his demand. Grabbing tightly onto Zel's arm, he turned his puppy-dog, violet eyes on his guardian. "And Furball wants to come too!"
Zelgadiss, chimera, great-grandson of the Red Priest Rezo, master Shaman and swordsman, covered his eyes and quietly groaned. It was going to take more than a colder-than-a-glacier act to get Lin to stay. Note to self, figure out a way to continue searching for a cure and not get Lin killed in the process.
"Now look Lin." Zel knelt down and looked his ward eye-to-eye, steeling himself against Lin's pleading puppy-dog eyes. "I'm only going out for a little bit to look for Lina."
"You mean the older lady?"
Zel fought back a smile. "Yes. But you shouldn't call her that to her face. It isn't polite."
"Okay."
"As I was saying, when she gets back, she's likely to be very hungry."
"I'll help Sylphiel-san make lots and LOTS of food!!" Lin cheered. "Because I saw how they ate last night."
Everyone sweatdropped. Zelgadiss supposed there could be worse fates than dying from bad cooking. At least with Lin's cooking, you weren't even able to swallow it so you didn't need to worry about food poisoning.
It was not yet mid-morning when Zelgadiss finally arrived at the carnival. The various workers were making the final checks to the attractions and though a few looked at him, no one tried to stop him. Without the wide-eyed customers, the place seemed very dead. Zel shook himself to get out of that dismal train of thought. The dead was the last thing he wanted to think about at a carnival.
He probably needed to ask someone about the whereabouts of this Madame Xerra person. Or the street urchin walking importantly up to him was going to be his guide.
"You're the one Madame Xerra is waiting for."
Zel nodded.
"She's been waiting."
Following the dirty homeless boy, which was likely what would have become of Lin if Zel wasn't taking care of him, Zel arrived before a deep blue tent with plenty of gold fringe and fake crystal decorating it. By the dark entrance was a sign in overly fancy script that said 'Welcome to Madame Xerra, Diviner of Destiny.'
Zel looked to the boy but he was already gone.
"Come in please," whispered a soft, lisping voice. "There may or may not be much to discuss."
Well, he already had come this far. Zel stepped into the darkness, letting his vision adjust to the lack of light. As the interior slowly became clear, he could see that someone was seated far back in the tent, away from the light. The Madame Xerra sat behind a round table covered with a thick cloth, a shawl covering her hair, a veil covering the lower half of her face.
"Close the flap and have a seat. I assure you that I bring you no harm."
Still alert for any danger, Zel did as she requested and realized something that was bothering him. There were no lights in the tent and with the tent drape closed, it was now completely dark. Did she know he could see in the dark?
"You said you had information on my red-haired friend. What is it?"
"Straight to the point," observed the woman, her voice no longer low and inviting. "Not even an introduction?"
"Are you going to give a name other than Madame Xerra?" Zel countered.
She shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. However, I already know your name and that of your companions. No need to beat around the bush, Zelgadiss Graywords."
He frowned. "My name isn't why I'm here. If this is a trick - "
"No trick. But I do have a question I would like answered before we discuss your friend."
"It depends on the question."
Madame Xerra nodded slightly. "You do not like the carnival." One of her hands slipped away from the tabletop. Zel stiffened, reaching for a sword that wasn't there. "No need for alarm. I am simply bringing my crystal ball to the table."
She moved as easily as if she could see, Zel noted. Of course, it was probably the result of accustomed habit. However, she did notice his movement. Could she actually see him in this darkness? Moving her hands over the ball, she continued, her voice dropping back into what must be her stage voice.
"You do not just like this carnival, but any carnival. And I sense something else. Would that be...fear?"
"If that's your question then - "
"It was rhetorical," she snapped, breaking character briefly. "I'll tell you what my question is." The ball began to glow softly, enough for Zelgadiss to see that Madame Xerra was probably tanned and had blue eyes. Those eyes were adjusting to the added light just as he expected his to be. "Give me your hands."
Zel looked at her. Those blue eyes looked back at him in a mixture of annoyance and something else.
"Just play along, Zel."
He could imagine a playful and exasperated smirk behind that veil. This seemed familiar somehow. Reluctantly, he placed his hands over the fortune-teller's outstretched ones. Clasping them firmly, she went on, not noticing the odd texture of the hands in her own.
"Coming to the carnival brings back memories you wish remain buried." Mist began to rise from the crystal ball, ghostly images forming and reforming in a haunting mirror to the past. Zelgadiss swallowed, telling himself that this was at most only an illusion. If someone really had the power to see the past or future, they wouldn't be a sideshow attraction in a traveling carnival. But as her words gave form to the faint shadows, Zelgadiss wasn't as sure anymore.
"Let's see, you were around five, no six years of age. Your parents took your younger sister and yourself to a carnival."
Involuntarily, Zelgadiss's hands tightened but no sign of pain crossed Madame Xerra's eyes which watched him closely.
"After your sister teased you about being scared of the clowns, you pulled her away to the funhouse, determined to prove that you weren't a scaredy-cat as she claimed. Your parents warned you to stray but you didn't listen."
He pulled his hands away but neither the mist-formed vision nor the voice stopped.
"Suddenly, fire seemed to erupt everywhere. Your father tried to get to you but he was consumed as was everything and everyone else. Everyone that is, but you and your sister."
The fire's heat burned across his skin even though stone couldn't feel it as well as flesh. He had this nightmare two nights ago. Over and over in his mind, he told himself it was only an illusion. The red tongues of fire dissolved into the cold gray of the orphanage.
"With your parents dead, you both were given to an orphanage. The other children picked on you and you often got in trouble. But your sister didn't, and then a family adopted her."
"How do you know this?" Zel asked harshly. The death of his parents and then the separation from his sister were two of the most devastating memories that he kept locked away. They were also some of the oldest being about eighteen years old.
Madame Xerra ignored his question, simply looking at him with those eyes. Her chin rested on her interwoven fingers. "Why didn't you look for your sister?"
"Where did you learn all of this?!"
"The same way I learned of your friend Lina Inverse. Answer my question. That is the fee for my information."
Zelgadiss considered using a scare tactic to make this far too informed fortune-teller to tell him what he wanted to know. However, as she likely knew he was a chimera and wasn't scared of that, that approach wouldn't work. Plus, she was far too calm, making him suspicious of what card may still be up her sleeve.
"What does it matter to you?" Zel asked sullenly.
"I wish to know. So, Zelgadiss Graywords, why didn't you ever search for your younger sister?"
"I..." Zel swallowed and tried again. "I did search for her, after I left the orphanage. But when I found the family she was supposed to be with, I heard that she had disappeared."
"And?"
"And what?" he asked crossly.
"After that? Did you keep searching for her? Or did you give up?"
Zel felt a pain somewhere in what he assumed must be what remained of his heart. Yes, he had just given up searching for her. There were reasons, like survival. But even years later when he could take care of himself, he still hadn't tried to find some information. He told himself it was because he didn't want to see her again as a chimera.
"I'll take your silence as a no. I always thought you were a wimp."
"What?!" sputtered the chimera, glaring at Madame Xerra.
"Now I can add self-centered to the list."
"Who are you!" Zel growled, suddenly reaching out to grab the fortune-teller. Amazingly, she was able to twist away and he only caught a part of the shawl. The mist exploded in bright lights, forcing Zel to turn away. There were still sparks in his eyes when the tent was flooded with the light from a Lighting spell.
"You can never take a joke can you," sighed the fortune-teller, waving away the smoke with one hand. Removing the veil as well, she squarely faced Zelgadiss and glared at him. "*Now* do you get it, slowpoke?"
He stared, her blue eyes suddenly becoming very familiar. And the hair that had been covered by the shawl, long and blond with a streak of violet along her left temple. And her resemblance to his, no their mother in her proud stance. Zelgadiss's mouth worked silently.
One tanned finger firmly closed his mouth. "You can stop your imitation of a fish out of water now."
"Terisa???" Zel finally managed to gasp, his brain even barely grasping the concept that his younger sister was actually here in front of him.
"Yeah, long time no see to you too," she snorted, wiping the crystal ball off of the table. "Nice to know I was missed."
"What are you doing here??"
"A little louder please," she said dryly. "I'm not sure Kelvan heard that."
"Kelvan? You know where Kelvan is?"
"Unlike someone I know, I tried to at least keep track of where everyone was. He's down south in Avalon at the Academy of Magic."
"Why didn't you just tell me who you were?" Zel crossed his arms and looked sternly at his sister.
"You were the dunce that couldn't figure it out. I'll let your hurt ego have time to heal. You wanted to know about that Lina Inverse girl right?"
Zel rolled his eyes. "Yes."
"What is it to you?"
"Terisa," Zel groaned, pulling his hood farther down. "This is not the time. Just tell me where she is alright?"
"Humph. I'm only telling you because I want your friends getting off of the carnival's case about it. We aren't to blame for the kidnappings." Terisa looked to her left. "This one told me that your friend was sneaking around the grounds after hours before she was hit with a mallet." She frowned. "Twice it seems."
Zel looked at his sister oddly. "What do you mean 'this one'?"
"This spirit," she gestured to the empty air.
"You're talking to a spirit." There was a distinct ring of skepticism in Zel's voice. She used to claim she could see spirits when they were kids but he had never believed her. On the other hand, he could see Death so who was he to judge?
"Spirits," Terisa correctly absently as if listening to something. "Her attacker appeared to be someone dressed like a ringmaster, top hat and all, wearing a white mask with a red smile, and...was floating above the ground."
"Where is she now then?" Zel decided the best way was to just play along. If she really was talking to spirits, then she probably knew if they were telling her the truth. If she was losing her mind, it was better to humor her.
"Hmmm, that's funny. No, I'm not saying you're funny, just what this kidnapper is doing. Yes, I believe you. Oh stop you're sobbing already."
Zel sighed. "Terisa..."
"Well, he said that ringmaster person opened up a book and then pulled Lina Inverse in with him. You don't believe me do you."
"..."
"How nice. My own brother doesn't believe I can talk to spirits. Isn't family great?" Terisa asked the surroundings.
"Look Terisa, it isn't like that..."
"Of course not. You give up searching for me after one set-up back. Then you just forget I ever existed."
"That isn't it!" Zelgadiss protested. "It's just..." He paused, looking at Terisa's smug smile, and then scowled. "You just love getting me riled up."
"Of course. My duty as your younger sister." Terisa lightly punched Zel in the shoulder as she grabbed one arm and led him outside. "Ouch. You're going to have to tell me exactly how you ended up like that and I'm not going to believe long hours of working out."
"Uh, Terisa, where are you going?" Zel looked around uncomfortably but all of the workers found their work much more interesting than the strange fortune-teller dragging some cloaked man by the arm out of the grounds.
"We. Where are we going. To where the rest of your friends are. Once that Baron learns Lina Inverse is gone, he'll probably have the whole carnival torn apart. I owe it to them to make sure this business gets wrapped as soon as possible."
Zel was about to say something when Terisa whipped her head around.
"And don't give me any crap about this isn't any of my business. If you want a better reason than helping the carnival, then how about I'm the only one who can talk to the only witness you have to this mess."
She continued pulling Zel after her, unerring making her way to Sylphiel's home. "Besides, knowing what a wimp you are, you'll probably run away the minute this is done and then how I am I going to get my questions answered?"
"Would you stop calling me that!"