Everyone trudged up to the river boat. The breezy air brushed against their faces. It was packed wall to wall with people. People of every size trudged up the plank to the river boat elmekia. Lina, Amelia, Goury, and Zelgadiss brought up the rear of the line. Amelia twirled impulsively in a circle.
"It was so nice of the guys to carry our stuff," Amelia exclaimed happily. She took a deep breath and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face.
"Yes it was wasn't?" Lina replied as she nearly skipped up the plank.
Behind Lina and Amelia Goury and Zelgadiss struggled up the plank. They carried bags and bags of luggage. It was slung over their back, held in their arms, and even held in individual fingers. Their shoulders strained with each agonizing step. They didn't complain though. Tough guys don't complain.
"Lina this bag is heavy!!!" Goury called from underneath the mountain of luggage. Apparently Goury hadn't heard that rule.
Zel snorted, "It isn't THAT heavy." A small bag slid down Zel's hand. He reached out and caught it barely.
"Suuuuuuuuuuuuure," Lina said with a smirk on her face.
The boat was gigantic. It sparkled crystal white in the sunlight. It contained a large upper deck with what appeared to be a skylight. A white flag with the Elmekia company insignia flew at the top. It practically reeked with finery. The group boarded the boat.
"Isn't this wonderful? We finally get a chance to relax." Lina sighed happily. Goury looked at her in horror.
"Lina are you trying to jinx us?"
"Shut up Goury. Don't be so superstitious." Lina paused on the walkway as the rest of the group went ahead. The clear sky looked beautiful and the river looked blue and calm. This was a luxury river boat. It was built to entertain and please. What could really happen here?
"You doing it again Lina."
"Shut up Goury."
"Would you quit looking at me like that?"
Cole was not a happy man. He was as ruthless as they come. A grade A one hundred percent good-fer-nuffin-baddass. He beat up old men, he took candy from babies, etc etc. He wasn't used to someone being so ...nice to him.
*__*
"Stop it."
*__*
"Stop it!"
"Have I thanked you for saving me yet?" Martina leaned in close to him. The dishes on their table rattled slightly at the movement. Cole attempted to back away.
"Yes you have." Cole took a sip of his coffee and inched away from the peppermint freak.
"I thought I was surely going to die out in the wilderness! I don't even won't to imagine what would have become of me If you hadn't come when you did!"
"I can think of a couple of things -
"Now we can kill the Lina witch together! Its so romantic." Cole shuddered.
"Listen girl, just tell me the information you know about Lina Inverse.." Martina looked around the inn for a moment in thought.
"Buy me some dinner and I'll think about it."
"What?!" Martina kicked his foot underneath the table playfully and gazed up into his eyes. Cole's face grew blood red. "I don't like you. All I want from you is information." Martina looked shocked.
"Oh I never realized you were....THAT way." Cole spit out his coffee.
"What the hell are you talking-
"People are surely to think that if you continue to turn down such a beautiful women," Martina smiled conspiratorially, "Rumors do spread quite fast you know." Cole's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"You wouldn't dare.." Martina raised an eyebrow.
"Shouldn't you be ordering my dinner?" Cole opened in mouth in shock. He had been beaten by a little girl. He had been beaten by ANOTHER little girl. Life just sucked.
"Waiter bring us two of your specials." Martina smiled happily.
Firelight danced on dark skinned faces. They sharpened and loaded their instruments of death and thought nightmarish thoughts of revenge and glory. Their leader walked up to a raised position on the ground and held up his hand to speak.
"My people, we have been drivin from our land; forced to leave the sacred lands of our fathers." He paused taking time to gaze at each of his warriors in turn. "There is a white man's boat that coming down that river." He pointed to the nearby bubbling river whose constant rush of water drummed through the otherwise quiet forest. "There people wallow in luxury and finery, gorging their fat bellies while our children die hungry in the cold." His warroirs stood as the passion of years of hatred and rage filled his voice. "We must take revenge on the white man! We must repay them for the torment of our children!" He raised his rifle high above his head. "WE SHALL HAVE OUR REVENGE!" The chief roared a war cry that was joined by his warriors.
They would have their revenge.
Amelia and Lina had just finished packing. The room provided for them was spacious with soft quilted beds and warm fuzzy carpets. It took a great amount of prodding on Amelia's part to get Lina out of the room. They had both put on nice dresses which they had bought before they had left. Amelia had insisted on buying them. She thought it would help them blend in with the crowd. Lina had never really attended any fancy dinners so she took her word for it. Besides, Amelia had offered to pay.
The girls walked down a spacious paneled hallway to the boy's room. Lina stopped in front the dor and knocked.
"Are you guys ready yet?" There was a muffled scufling noise from the other side of the door.
"You can come in," Goury replied from the other side. Lina turned the knob and the girls walked in. Goury stood by the mirror fixing his hair and Zel sat on his bed.
"You guys look great," Amelia exclaimed after she had noticed Goury and Zel in their tuxes. Zel grumbled something under his breath and Goury nodded his thanks. Goury was about to turn back to the mirror when he noticed Lina.
"Whoa is that you Lina?" Lina swirled around and held up a V for victory sign.
"I look great don't I?" Goury blinked in shock.
"You actually look like a girl ..."
"Thanks - ...What's that supposed to mean?!" Lina got in Goury's face threatenly. Goury sweated nervously and put a hand behind his head.
"Its just that you know you act like a boy most of the time - " Goury immediately regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.
"ARE YOU SAYING I'M NOT FEMININE?!" Lina grabbed him in a headlock. His arms flayed around helplessly as the oxygen was thrust out of his lungs.
"NOIWASN'TSAYINGTHAT!" Goury started to turn blue from the lack of air. "I'MSORRYI'MSORRY!" Lina dropped him out of her headlock of death and brushed off her hands.
"Come on guys lets go to dinner." Lina turned to walk out the door. Goury twitched on the ground.
"Go ahead without me. I'm staying here," Zel told everyone solemly. Lina whirled around and her eyes narrowed. Another object had become between her and food. Would the fools ever learn?
"Your going Zel." Lina grabbed his arm and pulled.
"I just want to stay here. I don't fit in up there." Lina rolled her eyes and pulled harder. Zel resisted her grip and looked at her like she was crazy. "Hey what are you doing?" Lina dropped his hand.
"This will not do," Lina said thoughtfully. Zel sighed in releif. "Amelia grab his other arm."
"What?!"
Amelia compiled and reached for his arm. Zel grabbed the bed post before she reached him. Shrugging, she grabbed his leg instead. Zel held the bed post as tightly as he coud.
"What are you doing? Let me go."
Lina looked at Zel levely and said in a calm voice, "Zel I'm hungry. I want food and I want it now. We're not going to let you stay here and wallow in your own self pity." Zel wrenched his other arm free and grabbed the bed post with it. Lina grabbed his other leg and pulled.
"Zelgadiss arn't you supposed to be the mature on of the group?" Amelia asked while tugging on Zel's leg. The two girls had him suspended between them and the bed post.
"Goury help me!" Goury suddently seemed intent of a painting on the wall. "Traitor," Zel muttered under his breath. The girls started to pull harder. "Ow! Just leave me alone!"
"Your going to come with us and have fun even if it kills you," Lina replied trying to tug harder. Zel held of for dear life.
"Just leave me alone!"
A women walked past their room and froze infront of the open door. Her eyes froze in shock. The situation looked rather improper. She had heard about things like that happening in the big cities but to actually see it...
Lina, Amelia, and Zel looked up from their Zelgadiss tug of war to see a women looking up at them scandalized. Lina and Amelia blushed and dropped Zel unceriomonsly.
THUD
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" the women screamed and ran down the hall.
"Sorry about that Zel," Lina told Zelgadiss as he lay on the floor. Amelia bent down next to him. His face was indented into the ground.
"Zelgadiss are you ok?" she asked politley.
"Mff &^%@%#$#" Lina sweat dropped.
"Oh yeah he's ok ...
"Men you are about to enter the most dangerous battle of your lives," the head cook of the Elmekia told his troops while passing between his men. They were lined up on either side of him, holding their trusty weapons in salute.
"I can't guarantee you'll all come back alive. War is hard and unforgiving." The cook stopped a moment in front of his youngest recruit, little Timmy. The boy was so young. If he survived the upcoming trial he would come back a man.
"There are no winners in war, only someone who stops fighting first." The cook lifted his ladle in salute.
"We will not be beaten! Lina Inverse will not get the best of us!" A collective cheer rose from the lower ranking cooks. They were not going to be beaten! Besides, how much could a petite redhead eat anyway?
"Miss Lina do you hear cheering?" Amelia asked curiously. Lina looked over her shoulder at the vast dining area. The only sound she could hear was the wealthy patrons chattering mixed with the piano music.
"Nah I don't hear anything." Lina picked up a menu. "Oooo! Everything looks so good!
"I have to admit it is very high-class." Zelgadiss took a small sip of his water.
"Yeah this is exquisite cuisine!" Goury exclaimed happily. Everyone blinked.
"Goury," Lina asked shocked, "Where the hell did you learn a word like exquisite?"
"It was on the word search on the place mats." Zel rubbed his temples.
"Goury, this is a high-class luxury river boat. They do not put word searches on -
"Oh! Crossword puzzles!" Lina exclaimed happily and picked up a menu.
"I don't know these people." Zel hid his face with his menu and tried to melt into his seat.
A waiter walked up to their table. He tugged at the collar on his suit nervously. He looked like a man who had been sent out to a firing squads. Actually, a firing squad would have been more forgiving.
"Are ... are you ready to order Miss?" Lina set her menu down.
"Sure! I'd like one of these -
"And what would you like sir - Lina grabbed the waiter by the collar.
"Hey I wasn't done yet! I want everything else on the menu! Triple portions!" The waiter looked at the petite redhead mortified.
"Are you feeling ok Lina?" Concern lit up Goury's features.
"I have a bit of a stomach ache so I thought I'd hold back a little." Goury nodded sagely.
The waiter took the rest of their orders and hustled away. Lina and Goury filled out their crossword puzzles. After about ten minutes, Amelia leaned over and whispered in Lina's ear.
"Geez Amelia If ya have to pee don't tell me I don't know where the bathroom is," Lina said out loud to the whole table. Amelia blushed and tried to shush her.
"Heh its nothing to be ashamed of," Lina continued, "Everyone's got to go some -
Amelia clamped her hand around Lina's mouth.
"Heh ... heh I'll just find it myself." Amelia released Lina's mouth and exited the room off on a holy quest to find the bathroom.
"She really needs to loosen up." Lina stretched and leaned back in her seat.
The lights dimmed in the room and a spotlight appeared on a stage in the center of the room. A chubby man with a long beard and suit walked out.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! MAY I HAVE YOUR ATTENTION!" The crowed quieted down to let the mean speak. Lina, Goury, and Zelgadiss leaned forward in their chairs. They hadn't realized they're would be a show before dinner.
"WE HAVE A SPECIAL TREAT FOR YOU! TONIGHT, THE BEAUTIFUL NAGA THE SINGING NIGHTINGALE WILL GRACE YOU WITH A SONG!"
Lina turned deathly pale.
"PUT YOUR HAND TOGETHER FOR NAGA!"
Lina pushed her chair back and did the only thing she could do - she jumped under the table.
"Lina what are you doing?!" Zel whispered trying not to make a scene. Lina huddled under the table and tried her best to become one with the floor.
"You don't know me! You never met me!" Lina whispered from underneath the table.
A rather endowed young women walked onto the stage. She had long dark hair reached to the middle of her back. Her dark eyes darted about the room trying to take everything in. But most of the men in the room weren't looking at her eyes. She was practically spilling out of her dark red dress and it wasn't because she was fat.
The woman, Naga, gestured to the piano player to begin playing. She sang a local folk song. Her surprisingly clear voice echoed through the spacious dining hall, amplifying it. At the end of the song, the audience stood up and applauded. The roaring clapping lasted for several minutes until finally it faded away and the people went back to their food.
Naga stepped down from the stage. The manager walked up to greet her.
"You did a wonderful -
"OF COURSE I DID! NAGA THE BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED NIGHTINGALE ALWAYS PERFORMS EXQUISITELY!" (Naga had read the place mats too).
"Well, the game room is over to your left. Feel free to make yourself at home! All your food and drink is on the house!" Naga raised one eyebrow.
" ... Drinks too?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" The women smiled predatorialy.
"No, its not a problem."
"I'll leave you then." The manager turned and left, heading for the kitchen. There seemed to be a crisis there.
Naga walked away and coming toward Lina's table.
"Lina what are you doing under there?" Goury asked at the exact moment Naga passed them. She stopped and spun on her heel.
"LINA? WHERE?! WHERE?!"
"Lina's not here," Goury replied mechanically finally remembering what he was supposed to say. Zelgadiss rubbed his temples.
"Its a little too late now ..."
Naga's eyes darted down to the bottom on the table.
"LINA ITS REALLY YOU!"
" ....... "