It was one of those days that he could feel that trouble was brewing... Albeit, it wasn't a life-threatening trouble; it was more like the trouble of mischevious antics. Zelgadis knew that he shouldn't be going to where he was going because he'd run into that trouble. And Zelgadis never liked brash, risky, wild trouble, either. Because when this kind of trouble gave him -that- feeling, it was usually Lina. And he regretted meeting her every day...
Or did he? He had made a few friends... A few friends that he cared for deeply. Of course, minus Xellos and Ertai. Yet, he still felt they were a crutch...
'Nevermind that,' he told himself. All his friends knew he denied any feeling because it made him feel better, more secure, so they never tried to pry it out of him any further. Except Amelia... In any case, if they weren't going to stop him from what he was doing, he'd stay for the ride. At least, that's what he told himself every time he met up with them.
Currently, Zelgadis was on his way to Kinnat, Zephyre's hometown. When on his search for his cure, he'd run into numerous inns, bars, pubs, and they all had one thing in common; they were all talking about this one rumor. However, it seemed suspicious because he'd hear different odds and ends about it everywhere he went. Yet, the most general part always stayed intact. The bit that was true was that there was to be a Sorcerer's Guild meeting in Kinnat, well, the Kinnat part was still questionable, but people seemed to be pretty sure that it was there. The most surprising thing about this meeting was that it would be the first one ever since Zanaffar was defeated in Old Sairaag.
The name Sairaag brought back some old memories for Zelgadis. Some that he liked and some that he didn't. Of course, getting into that would be a long story... He shook his head free of those past memories and kept moving on toward Kinnat. How long had it been since he last saw Zephyre? He had stayed with Lina and the others a couple months after the Dynast incident...so he guessed about a year.
But this meeting, it gave Zelgadis a bad feeling; like it was prelude to something else. Or it could be that he had grown more paranoid with everyday of being in his chimeric body. Either way, the outcome wasn't good for him.
Finally noticing Zelgadis had almost reached the main entrance of Kinnat, he sighed greatfully but then stiffled it. Since when did Kinnat -not- have their gates closed, AND no guards on duty? It was odd, because the last time he came, the Kinnatians were quite hostile of foreigners. In any case, he made his way through the gates, cautiously, and decided to head toward the Ancient Library of Kinnat; that's were Aldous usually hailed, and with any luck, he'd know where Zephyre was at if she wasn't already there.
Reaching the front doors of the library minutes later, Zelgadis paused a moment at the unpleasant memory it brought him; where Ertai Bomb Di Wind-ed them into these exact front doors. He sweatdropped at the latter...
Opening the doors and walking in nonchalantly, Zelgadis ran into the rear-end of an organized queue of people. “Oh, pardon me...,” he managed quickly.
Dusting himself off, Zelgadis noticed that he had to wait in a line if he wanted to receive any attention. “Hm. I don't have time for this.” Thus, Zelgadis took the liberty of making the line move quicker for him, and just marched right up to the desk in the back of the room. However, as fate would be to Zelgadis, he was stopped by the usual, annoying, lanky, and mangey-haired guy.
“Ex-CUSE me, my barbaric fellow, but WHAT makes you think you can ditch all of these people?!” This guy had a very annoying habit of talking with what seemed like someone cutting off some of his air supply and pinching his nose. Zelgadis rolled his eyes, and cursed whatever storm cloud reigned over his life. Begrudgingly, he tried the line, “Look, I'm a friend of Zephyre Ravenel's. I need to speak with her on urgent terms.” He knew such a line would never work with this per-snippetty piece of cardboard.
“Well, you're not the FIRST one to use THAT on me, and I CAN tell you that I'm not born from the yester year,” he enticed by putting his face closer than it should be for ANY living being with Zelgadis'. “With that said, I encourage you to LEAVE, sir. Your rudeness to our villagers has bought you a one-way ticket to the town gate, you primevial cretin!”
Almost choking on getting his pride down his throat, Zelgadis calmly but with a passion-filled rage, looked the man straight in the eye, and it made him cringe back in instinct. Zelgadis was not someone to mess with when angered. “I only ask to speak with her-”
“That cannot be granted anyway, cretin. Ms. Ravenel has asked not to be disturbed this day, for she is quite busy,” the man mocked as if he had won over some non-existant competition. “Now, cretin, be gone from here with your accursed agenda!”
“I don't have time for this...,” Zelgadis pushed him out of the way, quite roughly, and made his way to a closed door in the back; it was Aldous' office.
The lankey man on the ground shot up like someone had burned him, when he saw Zelgadis go for the room in the back. He lunged at Zelgadis, latching on to his leg. “You CAN'T go in there! Ms. Ravenel doesn't have time for YOU! She is VERY BUSY!!!” He paused for a second in his fit. “STOP! Stop! I say! Don't bother her!”
Zelgadis only grunted in displeasure. As he reached the door of Aldous' room, he opened it, maybe a bit too harshly, and saw none other than...
“Zephyre...?”
“...Zelgadis...?”
“I'M SO SORRY, MS. RAVENEL!!! I COULDN'T STOP HIM!!! THE BEAST!!” Zelgadis fixated a glare towards the annoying, little man, daring him to say anything else; it at least shut him up.
Zephyre was, conceptually, shocked. She couldn't believe that one of her friends were at her door, let alone in her hometown. She wasn't really expecting to see ANY of them after what had happened almost a year ago... Actually, she didn't really WANT to see any of them because of what happened a year ago...
Her senses finally kicking back in, she almost jumped from her seat in a nervous excitement. “Um, Zelgadis... It's been a while,” she was at a loss for what to say.
“Yes,” Zelgadis answered, while finally kicking off the lankey man from earlier. He scurried out of the door. “I came here, somewhat on business,” he proceeded cautiously as if, afraid he'd hurt her feelings by only being here on business.
“Okay,” she continued nonchalantly, while seating herself back down in her chair, and rustling through papers. “What can I do for you?” Zephyre wasn't looking up, like she was afraid of facing him.
“Well, I've been hearing these rumors about the Sorcerer's Guild having a meeting,” he paused for a moment. “I think I heard it was today.”
“Yes; that's true.”
“I also heard it was here,” his eyes tried prying into her, but it was useless when she wouldn't face him directly.
“That's also correct,” Zephyre smiled a little. “Where DO you get your info from, anyway?” It was an invitation to sit down, which Zelgadis gladly accepted one of her visitor office chairs in front of her desk.
“Well, I do travel a lot. I hear a lot of things.”
“Oh.”
Silence. More papers rustling.
Zelgadis couldn't quite place it, or even know of a reason why, but Zephyre's disposition seemed off. She was being too nonchalant, and too avoidable...
He took some time to try and read her, maybe to find out what could have happened, but it all seemed locked away in her head. Her hair was the same, maybe a little longer, but it still held that spiky animosity it always had. And it looked like her eyes had failed her some; she was wearing bi-focals. Casually, he asked, “So where's Aldous?”
She answered all-too quickly. “He died. About six months ago.” Zephyre still hadn't looked up since he greeted her. She seemed to be writing only to be busy...
“Oh. Hey, I'm sorry-”
“It's no problem. I didn't even know him very well, anyway.” He couldn't tell if she really DIDN'T seem bothered by it, or if she was faking.
Zelgadis really wanted to pry, to ask her if she was okay. It was weird; it was like he actually cared. He meant, Zephyre was his friend and he should care, but it never affected him like this before. It was like he knew something was up with her, but it was aggravating because he couldn't place it! 'Don't pry; it's not your business. No reason to ask if it doesn't involve you...' But he couldn't help it! It was eating him alive! He KNEW something deeper was going on... “Zephyre-”
“Ms. Ravenel!” a call from down the hall. “MS. RAVENEL! YOUR COACH IS HERE FOR THE MEETING!!” It was old, lankey. The gangly guy that had a problem with Zelgadis, and vice versa.
“Thank you, Cyrus,” Zephyre greeted him. “I'll be out in a minute. I just have to get some things in my case...”
“Oh! Let me help you!” Cyrus scurried over, quite clumsily, falling over chairs and the whole nine yards.
Zelgadis and Zephyre sweatdropped. “Um, no thanks. I'm sure I can manage... You comin', Zel?”
“Sure.”
<<<<<<<<<<
Ashi: Well, let's see... Zephyre seems to have a problem with, SOMETHING. And Zelgadis is still fighting his terms of openly showing his caring side for his friends...
In the next chapter, Lina, Gourry, Amelia, and Prince Phil make the scene! But what's with this new Sorcerer's Guild meeting that has everyone wanting to get in? Is it because only certain people CAN get in, or is it because of what the meeting's about?
