[PSL] Got a dragon on my back

[conglomeration]

The crunch of leaves and sticks beneath his boots is echoed by Lina's steps just behind, the two forming a cadence that never quite matches up. Unbalanced to match the strange seed of anxiety Zelgadis has about this whole thing.

It's not that he's in any position to turn down the help, but this is -- unusual. After he, Gourry and Amelia help Lina defeat whatever horrible Monster has it in for her this time, Zelgadis goes off alone. To look for his cure, of course. He never asked any of the others to go with him, and they'd never offered. That was how it went.

Now, the speeding set of footfalls behind him are systematically ending years of routine with each twig-snap. (And why does she sound impatient even when she's just walking?)

The difference is obvious, of course. This time he's setting out knowing that there's nothing to find, if Rezo was to be believed. Zelgadis' quest should be over, but -- no. Too many years and miles have been invested to give up that easily, and Zelgadis is far too stubborn to just accept this, no matter what Rezo said. He couldn't possibly know that there wasn't some dusty scroll in a long-forgotten cavern somewhere... even if he was probably the most knowledgeable source on Chimera short of perhaps the Clair Bible and had no reason to lie...

As his thoughts turn darker, he ignores Lina and just presses forward. But he doesn't, for one instant, forget she's there. Nor does he expect the respite of silence to continue for long.


((OOC: I was going for post Evo-R but if you want another canon point I can adjust! I will try to remember to prose but forgive me if I forget here and there ^^;;))

Comments

[conglomeration]

His shoulders droop very slightly at the response. He'd been secretly hoping to hear about some amazing collection of ancient scrolls he'd never heard of, of course containing the perfect step-by-step instructions for how to reverse a chimeric merge.

The mention of Seiyruun doesn't do a ton for his disposition either. Amelia had been on his case to go back with her again before he left.

"Most royal libraries are more about pretension than information." Which is, of course, why he'd refused to go back. Or at least a reason. It factored in. He's not mildly embarrassed, shut up.

[blowstuffup]

Lina is still deep in thought, not taking (much) notice to Zelgadis's characteristic sulking. "...hm...if I had to go for sheer volume of texts, though..."

He didn't know about...that place, right?

"...Zelfielia probably has the biggest collection I've ever seen." Which could explain her prolific knowledge of spells and all things magic. If she bothered to ever detail the process of her tutelage. "It'd probably take something around ten years or so to get through everything there."

[conglomeration]

Said sulking is neatly interrupted by this extremely interesting information!

"Really? I didn't know that." Instantly, he's thinking about how far they are from there, the best and quickest route...

"That's East of here, isn't it?" He stops his Southward walk and glances East. It can't be more than a handful of days away, even with Lina "Master of Delays" Inverse tagging along.

Why didn't she mention this ever before?

[blowstuffup]

Whoa, there, Bessie! Lina's pacing screeched to a sudden halt at Zelgadis's sudden latching onto the topic. What's the big deal?! Rarely did Zelgadis take such staunch interest in much of anything--

--it just had to be there, didn't it? Of all places..."...you don't...seriously wanna go there, do you?"

She understood the need to leave no stone un-turned, but really? Did he actually want to start there? She knew he was desperate but...

[conglomeration]

A blink as he gives Lina as incredulous a look as someone emotionally muted can give. "Why not? If it would take ten years to get through, there has to be a lot of obscure knowledge buried there."

It's not like he had any better leads. Besides, while there were rumors of Zelfielian heroes bringing a quick end to assassins and dangerous types who tried to make mischief there, he'd talked his way into more fragile situations in spite of his appearance.

[blowstuffup]

Quick! Abort! Abort!! Lina had to give a reason, come up with something to sway him...

"B-but it's so old and run-down..! N-nobody really uses it anymore, everything's so out-dated..!" No, she isn't flailing. There's a gnat she's trying swipe away, honest.

"Wouldn't it make sense to...I dunno...try..." Quick, Lina! "Somewhere else?!"

Mental facepalm.

[conglomeration]

Her extremely weird -- and to him, inexplicable -- reaction is making him stare. What could possibly be the problem?

Whatever it is, he'll have to find a way around it. Because now he's determined to go.

"Why? I don't have any better places to start." He's not so much actually asking for a reason as defending his choice, so he crosses his arms as if daring her to come up with something that could possibly deter him.

[blowstuffup]

He was wrong. So, so wrong. Anywhere was better than there!! What if someone recognized her?! Not that anyone could possibly remember her...after all, she wasn't Luna, but...

...but when did anything ever work out her way? When did it really? Besides, if they were headed to the library, she would surely be spotted! It was one of the few places where she was known!

...m...maybe if they just avoid the restaurant...

Lina let out a long, drawn-out, grumbly sigh. "Fine." They had a good several hours before they'd get there, anyway. Surely she'd devise a plan before then.

[conglomeration]

She -- agreed? He's not used to that, but then again why was she arguing in the first place?

Now that his head's all full of hope and possibilities of being completely human again before the week is out, he couldn't care less about the why. He's going straight there, and if Lina doesn't like it, well. It's not like she has to come along. He'd be fine going alone, really. Absolutely fine.

He turns and starts heading East. They'll find a road eventually.

"I would think you'd be happy to be headed to civilization. There's probably tons of inns and places to eat." Him? He'll be in the library.

[blowstuffup]

Ugh. Every dry word out of that man's mouth was tinged with irony that he was all too blissfully ignorant of. She begrudgingly kicked at the ground with the heel of her boot.

"There aren't that many places to eat...that're that good..." And the good one was simply out of the question. Besides! If she went to her family's competitors and they found out..! They'd put her on a spit and roast her!

But here she is, following him for a change. How backwards is this?! Xelloss The gods must be yucking it up real good right about now...

[conglomeration]

Geez, what's her problem? You'd think they were walking toward her grizzly death. No, not even that, because then she'd just be all determined and superior and "HA! Let that thing TRY and defeat Lina Inverse!" This is more like she's...

Wait.

"What happened the last time you were there?" Just a hunch he has, but given his own experiences with Lina it's not impossible to think that she'd blown something up there in a fit of Lina and was currently wanted dead or alive.

Not to say that would necessarily deter him from going there with her, but he'd prefer to know if there's a frothing, pitchfork-wielding mob in their future.

[blowstuffup]

"Oh my gooooods, nothing happened!" Lina scoffed with haughty indignation. "It's just a really crappy place to be in, ok?! The inns have bed-bugs, the water's always served luke-warm, the men are smelly and the girls are noisy!"

...it...wasn't a lie, considering...

It's just..! Lina was coming along to help Zelgadis out, like a favor or something like that. (She honestly hadn't quite figured out what she'd call it, really.) So! Why were they having to go back to that wretched place?! She's trying to be nice, powers that be! Doesn't that earn her something of a break?!

[conglomeration]

He's heard this tale too much to be taken aback by it -- or believe it, if he's honest -- but something tells him this is different. He can't quite put his finger on it, but at least he can take comfort knowing it's not something dangerous. She wouldn't keep that from him.

Probably.

So, he shrugs. "Fine. I'm not planning on spending much time with other people, anyway. I'm looking for a way to turn back to normal, not for a good time." Not that he'd know a good time if it hit him in the face.

[blowstuffup]

Erk. Backfire.

Lina shoved a giant sigh out of her lungs, making quite the scene over her objection. "FINE. But we're only spending a day there, you got it? No spending the night or any of that crap!"

Grumbling, Lina paced ahead of him. "...no way in hell am I subjecting myself to those flea-bitten, dirty, lumpy pillows..."

[conglomeration]

As much as he'd rather not get into a fight with Lina (bad for the health even with her powers not exactly full-scale), her attitude is definitely the last straw in a long series if very frustrating events.

"I'm going to stay as long as it takes to either find a way to turn myself back to normal, or until I'm satisfied the answer isn't there.

"No one asked you to come along." That last, okay, is a little low, but she knows what this means to him, and he never made a great secret of that being his first goal. If it were a matter of Lina's life of course that would be a different matter, but really? Pillows and luke-warm water? Her slight, temporary and entirely voluntary discomfort isn't exactly a great reason for him to give up on his years-old goal.

...Still, he regrets it as soon as he said it.