Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ Shadow Magic - Zelgadis and Lina ❯ Chapter Three - Tonight ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter Three

Tonight

 

By Sixpence None the Richer

 

 

Violet - Lyrics

Black - Any Narrative

 

 

“Okay Zel,” Lina said between bites. “Where do we go from here?”

 

Tonight it's time
Choose a direction
If you fail
You can make a correction

 

“It shouldn't be hard to make it there if we make our way straight north from here, but it will be a long trip. I expect it to take us several weeks. It's very far north. It snows almost all year there,” he said briefly.

 

Lina shivered. “Do you really think that mansion houses something that important?”

 

“Would you rather not go?”

Somewhere now
Make life faster
Make your mind
Up for once this time

 

“No nothing like that. I was just wondering what exactly you were trying to find,” she said, having polished off her plate, and now holding the last drumstick in her hand.

 

 

It's hard
To know
Where I'm
Supposed to go

“Yes Lina, I believe there is some vital information stored there on how he generated the mazoku element of my body, possibly in a Claire Bible manuscript. If I found out how the magic was performed . . .”

 

“Then you could find out if it is possible to undo it,” she finished for him, throwing the stripped bone over her shoulder.

 

“Exactly,” he said. “But all mazoku power comes from Ruby Eye Shabranidgo himself, so I imagine whatever I discover will lead me back to him.”

 

It's hard
So hard to know
To know
Where I'm supposed to go

“That makes sense,” she said, emptying what was left in her mug, and looking across the table at Zel. This was their first night out of Xoanan. She had never traveled with Zelgadis like this before. It was strange. His chair was pulled up as close to the table as it could be and he seemed almost excited about the journey they were about to discuss. She had never seen Zel express those kinds of positive emotions before. Maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

 

Tonight
Tonight
Tonight it's time
Choose a direction
If you fail
You can make a correction

She thought about where they were going. It sounded like he was going to take her to the North Pole. The idea didn't appeal to her, but she was extremely interested in Rezo's artifacts. Any item one of the wisest men of all time kept in his mansion had to be intriguing. So, she made up her mind that she would bear the cold in order to get the treasure, and Lina loved treasure.

 

It was good to have Zel by her side though. His every step seemed to calm her, and tonight he pulled her chair out for her when they went to sit down. It seemed that he did so to acknowledge her, but acknowledge her as what? He listened to what she had to say very carefully when they were on the road too. She was meeting him for the first time without revenge on his mind. He seemed different.

 

 

Somewhere now
Make life faster
Make your mind
And for once this time
It's like
To know
Where I'm
Supposed to go

Zel had been sitting across the table from her, but when the waitress took her hoard of serving platters away, he moved into the chair beside her and took out a map, laying it out on the table in front of her.

 

“It's about time we made our plans,” he said.

 

It's hard
So hard to know
To know
Where I'm supposed to go

Lina listened to him as he pointed out routes, and mentioned specific landmarks they ought to see along the way. She had never seen such a well-defined map. It explained everything, and lost in the marked rivers and mountain ridges, she forgot about everything that had been bothering her.

 

Tonight
Tonight
Tonight I'm going let it go
And try to let it be
Because I know you see
That it's hard
To know
Where I'm supposed to go

She had been thinking about so many things - about Gourry, but that was beginning to hurt less. He was just a guy she knew after all. It wasn't like she was alone either. Zel was here with her; a man she knew would not disappoint her either in a battle or in the strategy session before. It wasn't that she needed someone, but more resources were better, so it was good to have him with her.

 

But there is
A way
And tomorrow is a brand new day
And it's hard
So hard to know
Where I'm supposed to be

Lina didn't go up to the counter with Zel to book their rooms at the inn. He said he would pay for both of their rooms, and she didn't really want to go up to the counter with him. It was going to be enough of a struggle to make it up to her room, considering how full her stomach was, but there seemed to be a bit of a problem.

 

“I'll need two rooms,” Lina heard Zel say.

 

“Why?” the man at the counter asked. “Isn't she your woman?”

 

He looked over his shoulder right at her. “Maybe,” he said, holding her gaze, “if she wasn't so innocent.”

 

Lina's temper flared. “Why you!” She pulled her slipper out of her pocket and nailed him in the head with it. It took him by surprise and got him right between the eyes.

 

As he bent down to pick up her slipper, he was laughing, almost like he enjoyed the display.

 

“You've got a wild one Mister,” the innkeeper said to Zel. “Don't forget to buy her something beautiful in the gift shop.”

 

He laughed again. “I'll be sure to follow your advice and be more respectful to my companion in the future. I doubt she will even speak to me again tonight. Yare yare - I'll have to start fresh in the morning.”

 

Lina watched with interest.

 

He paid the man, and dropped Lina's key and slipper on the table in front of her before bidding her goodnight and leaving her in the dinning room.

 

What did that mean?

 

But there is a way
And tomorrow is a brand new day
Tonight
Tonight