"Ms. Lina was that really necessary", Amelia asked as the gang road down a dusty trail.
"Yes,...yes it was.". Lina replied.
"Did you really have to blow everyone up"??
"Hey those bastards deserved it! I'm not flat chested! I'm just petite for my age!!".
Zel looked at her. "Jeez someone forgot to take her midol this morning". Thwap.
"Ow my hand!". Lina rubbed her sore hand. "I hit your stupid hair beads."
"Serves you right", Zel replied. Lina just glared.
The four travelers continued in silence for several minutes.
"So Lina we're giving the money to the poor right?" Lina almost fell off her horse.
"What?!!"
Amelia continued, oblivious to Lina. "All those orphans will finally get new shoes. They can spend a night without hunger in their little starving bellies." Amelia's eyes turned into stars and glistened. "We can't fix the problem but if we can make their lives better for just a little while it will all be worth it."
"Um...er...", Lina didn't have anything to say to that.
A giant dust ball on wheels thundered down the path.
"Lina look out!" Goury yelled. Lina tryed to rein her horse off the path. Her horse reared and threw her off. She landed on the ground and the wind was knocked out of her. The carriage continued to clatter down the path. Lina pulled her head out of the dirt and caught a glimpse of the writing on the carriage. "MARTINA'S MAGICAL ZOMAGUSTAR CURES".
"Ms. Lina are you ok"?, Amelia asked concern in her voice. Lina pulled pulled herself up and brushed off. Goury came back from the underbrush leading Lina's horse.
"I'm ok". Lina rubbed a bump on her head. It would look like hell tomorrow.
"If you say so", Amelia replied. Lina mounted her horse and they continued the journey for a few miles more.
The trail they had been traveling on opened up to a wide plateau. The sun was beginning to set casting a orange red glow across the horizon. The travelers were all weary. Dust caked the outside of their cloths. Amelia could feel the dust between her toes. This was different than traveling with father. She slowed her horse down at the end of the slope. Her hand went back to rub her sore shoulder muscles.
"Isn't it beautiful guys?". Amelia gazed at the horizon. "Its the most beautiful blend of colors. It's like watching the last sunset of the world". Amelia sighed. She looked around and realized she was alone.
"Um...guys?". A tumbleweed passed by. Amelia sweatdropped.
"Hurry up Amelia!!", Goury replied from the bottom of the slope. Lina and Goury raced for the nearby inn. Massive dust clouds were forming behind them. Far behind them Zelgadiss rode calmly to the inn.
Amelia signaled her horse and hurried to catch up with the others. She was hungry and heck, if she didn't hurry there wouldn't be any food left.
Cole slowly made his way through the mansion. He was covered head to toe in bandages. His left arm was in a sling. Sweat hung to his brow. He wrung his hands. "I might as well be dead. The boss is going to kill me. Why couldn't I have been a dentist like mother wanted me to, but nooo", Cole stopped his ranting as he came to huge double doors. He took a deep breath and pushed them open.
The room he entered was dark and lit only with a few candles. The room was made out of a black stone substance that seemed to make the lilght dance on the walls. A solitary man sat at a table his eyes glazed over in thought. The candlelight cast an eerie glow to his face. To say that Cole was about to piss his pants would have been an understatement.
"Boss..I've..
"Let her escape.. I know"......
"I'm so sorry boss! I wasn't my fault! She never would have escaped if Gabriev hadn't turned traitor." Cole looked down at the ground.
"Gabriev let her escape? Such shame, he was a promising boy." The man looked coldly at Cole. Cole felt his blood freeze in his veins.
"I'm giving you one more chance."
Cole looked at his boss with hope. "Your giving my another chance?"
"Yes. Your foothold is valuable to my plans." A pouch of money was tossed to the crooked sheriff. "You have one more chance to kill her. Do not fail me again".
"I won't fail you Rezo, I swear with my life", Cole bowed and hurried out of the room before he changed his mind.
Rezo's face distorted into a cruel smile. "I just might hold you to that promise", he said softly.
A massive battle raged. Casualties were heavy. The sky was black, ominous and blood stained the ground. Death, violence, and pain filled the air. The survivors wondered if they would ever see peace again. The battle to end all battles... or better known as dinner time with Lina and Goury.
"Hey Lina give it back!"
"That's my roll Goury!"
"Lina your going to get fat." ...
"Oww! Let go! Let go!"
Amelia and Zelgadiss stared in shocked horror at the carnage before them. They saw what Lina and Goury did to cans of beans and traveling food but this was an entirely different story. It was like letting a tiger out of a cage. A tiger that hadn't been fed for weeks.
"Hey why aren't you guys eating", Lina asked in between mouthfuls of food.
"Were afraid we might loose a finger," Zel thought but instead said, "My coffee will be enough for me".
"How about you Amelia?" Lina asked.
Amelia looked around nervously and reached for a roll. The battle raged on for many years. Each side had high casualties. The land was forever scared with war. The souls of the dead cried out for vengeance. After years of pain and torment the battle was finally over. The land had peace once again. Translation: Lina and Goury were done eating.
"Wow I think I'm going to burst". Lina patted her stomach and leaned back in her chair.
"OOh that would be cool!"
"I didn't mean literally Goury."
".....oh"
"So where are we going next"? Zel sipped his coffee and ate his small sandwich that he had ordered after the feeding frenzy was over.
"Well I figured we could take a river boat down the Mississippi.", Lina told the group.
"How far are we"?, Amelia asked.
"Well I'd say just about 2 days journey".
A young women with peppermint green hair laughed to herself. "Suckers. Theirs one born every minute." She counted her money happily then stored it in a tin box. The haul had been great at the last town. The people had lined up to by her "instant cures" and "soothing potions". People are so gullible. Their so eager to beleive what they want to hear.
Jars made clanging sounds as they bumped together. "What a great life", the women thought. She leaned back and smiled. "Nothing could go wrong now......."
"Isn't it such a beautiful day"?? Amelia smiled and practiclly radiated morning person hyperness.
Everyone else grumbled and made their way slowly through town.
Suffice to say they were not morning people.
"Isn't life wonderful!", Amelia said with a twinkle in her eye.
Lina had some colorful things to say on that subject.
"Ms Lina!" Amelia blushed.
"Wow Lina"! Goury looked at Lina in surprise. "I know sailors with cleaner mouths than yours!"
The corener overheard the situation. Having a keen eye for these sort of things he went inside to work on another tombstone.
Lina's eyes glowed with fire. "Excuse me? Did you just insult my maiden honor"?
Even Zel snorted at that.
"Maiden honor? Err.. .ummm"
The corener happily chipped away at his stone.
"COME ONE! COME ALL! I Martina introduce to you ZOMAGUSTAR'S MAGICAL CURES! Cures all your aches and pains!"
"Zomagustar... wait a minute", Lina walked in the direction of the voice. The corerner reluctantley put his tombstone away.
A huge crowd had gathered around a homemade platform. There were excited murmers all around. A young women with curly peppermint green hair stood on the platform.
"The amazing Zomagustar potions! They cure all aches, pains, and ailments! You too , for just $.50 cents get a bottle that can releive of all your aches and pains!"
Lina marched up to the platform intent on giving the girl a peice of her mind. She got up to the stage ready to fight her way up. Instead the girl grabbed Lina and pulled her on stage.
"Let's all have a round of appaulse for our volunteer!", the women said and made grand sweeping motions with her hands. The crowd clapped enthusiasticly.
Wait.. volunteer? Lina thought. "Listen lady", Lina turn around, "I've....
Martina swirled Lina around to face the crowd. "Take this subject for instance! She's skinny, rough around the edges, has no chest to speak of"..
Lina's face blushed blood red and her blood boiled. Hey!!!
"But with Zomagustars magic growing cream she can be a robust and sturdy women!"
"She makes me sound like the families old pack mule!", Lina though angrily.
"All it takes is just one application a day". Martina brought out a jar and demonstrated on Lina's arm. "See its that easy!" Lina look at the goo rubbed on her arm.
"Thanks for "volunteering"! Here!", Martina handed Lina the bottle still smiling away. "Its your free sample for being such wonderful volunteer." Lina's ears perked up at the word "free".
"Well... ok,", Martina said and pushed Lina off stage. The crowd milled in to fill the space after Lina left. Martina drolled on about the magical capilbilites of Zomagustar as the group moved on through the town. Her voice fadded off into the background. Lina scaratched her hand iritably.
"Wow Miss Lina a free sample!," Amelia piped up as Lina rejoined their group.
"whoo hoo....", Lina replied without much enthusiasm.
The group made their way their way through the town. They obtained their horses back from the stable and got ready to set off again. They rode until sundown and then setup camp. Around midnight Lina woke up from her sleep.
"Ah.... ", Lina said to herself. She scracthed her hand iritably. It itched like hell! Lina pulled her hand out of her bed roll.
"What the hell??!" Lina said softly. Her hand where Martina had smeared the cream on it was black, purple, and green. A rash had spread over her entire arm. That wasn't the worst of it though. Lina had spread the cream other places..... places you can't exactlly scratch.
"MARTINA.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh that girl will pay. She's sooooooooo going to pay.