Slowly, a light faded into view. Blurry at first, but gradually clearing, her vision revealed the canvassed roof of a four-poster bed.
Lina Inverse stretched out and yawned.
Suddenly she stopped, as something occurred to her. Moving her hand in front of her face, she flexed her fingers.
“I can move…” She murmured, “I’m free…”
With a whoop of joy, the redheaded bolted straight up. In the process, she flung the blanket off of herself.
An unfamiliar jiggling sensation caught her attention. Taking a reflexive glance down, she was greeted by the sight of two somewhat over-sized breasts. Taking one in each hand, she gave them a tentative bounce, before her face broke into a large grin.
“That old man really came through for me,” Said Lina, “These look like their bigger than Naga’s.” She giggled. “I can’t wait to see her face the next time we meet! She is gonna be sooo jealous!"
Shelving the thought of her rival’s reaction, Lina glanced around the room. The décor was rather plain; the only items of interest were a full-length mirror opposite the door, a dresser on the opposite side of the room, a curtained window above the dresser, a bell-rope next to the door, and night stand next to her bed with a note on it.
Lina picked up the note and read it silently.
Dear Ms. Inverse,
Right now, you probably think that you are in the mansion of the sculptor that originally petrified you. I regret to inform you that, as of the time you read this letter, this is not the case. You are currently in my mansion in Seyruun.
“How’d I get to Seyruun?" wondered Lina, "Did Gourry bring me here?”
I must also inform you that Mr. Gourry Gabriev is not present either, nor did he bring you to my mansion.
Lina’s face fell.
Much has changed, Ms. Inverse, since you were turned to stone; much, much more than can be written in a simple letter. For that reason, I would ask that you meet with me in person. In the dresser, you will find some clothing. It’s not much – just a shirt, a pair of pant’s, and some undergarments – but it has been custom fitted to match your size. Consider them a gift. Once you’re dressed, pull the bell-rope, and a servant will lead you to my study. There, will discuss the changes that have occurred and what you’ll do now that you’re flesh and blood again.
Your host, Salton Raso Kathaug
“Strange name,” muttered Lina. She stood up and walked over to the dresser.
“At least I won’t have to wait long for answers.”
Twenty-five minutes later…
'Where is he? '
Leaning back in the plush armchair located in the study, Lina growled as she waited for her mysterious host.
After getting dressed (and admiring herself in the mirror), Lina had pulled the bell-rope to summon one of the servants. Imagine her surprise when the maid who entered turned out to be a chimera.
The maid, a young woman named Marcie, had a rocky skin texture, similar to her friend, Zelgadis. However, whereas he was a dull blue, she was a shiny, emerald green. Marcie was dressed in an elaborate, two-piece outfit that was functional, yet in a style that Lina thought only Naga would wear.
The polite, yet somewhat prim and proper a young woman had taken Lina out the room, down a large hallway, and through a door that led to the top floor of a three-story front foyer.
As they descended to the first floor, Lina wondered about the decor of the place. This mansion was undoubtedly one of the fanciest buildings she'd ever encountered; massive paintings, gold statues, and a large fountain in the center of the ground floor. Above her, a massive glass dome arched over the entirety of the room, and below that, suspended by a series of chains, was a huge chandelier. Lina was sure the guy had gold pouring out of his ears if he could afford all this.
After reaching the bottom floor, the two young women entered a side room, which turned out to be the study. After promising to return with her master, Marcie exited the room, leaving Lina to her thoughts.
And here she was, nearly a half hour after arriving, and completely bored out of her skull.
'What's taking him so long? ' thought Lina. Her thoughts turned to what this 'Salton' was like. 'Probably an old man. It must take him hours to get anyw-'
The sound of the door opening interrupted her train of thought. Looking behind the chair, she spotted Marcie as well as... Gourry?
Lina shook her head and looked again. The man could be mistaken for Gourry at a distance; his hair was identical, if a bit tamer, and his face had a similar appearance.
There were, however, three things that separated this man from the dim-witted warrior she knew. The first was his age; this man looked to be in his late thirties, at least. Unless it had been more than a decade since she was turned to stone, he looked far to old to be mistaken for her friend.
The second was his clothing, which was entirely too neat and expensive looking for life on the road. Unless he really struck it rich, Lina doubted Gourry would ever be able to afford the pants, much less the entire suit.
The last and most telling hint was the way he acted. Everything, from the stiff posture, to the folded hands, to the snooty expression on his face, spoke of someone raised in nobility.
All in all, he looked like an older Gourry, but didn't act very Gourry-ish.
The two figures moved to stand in front of Lina. "Presenting," said Marcie, "the master of this house and grounds, the esteemed Lord, Salton Raso Kathaug."
Salton scowled at the maid. "Was that really necesarry?" He drawled.
Marcie didn't waver. "It is an appropriate introduction, my Lord."
"Perhaps, but it is still very annoying. Not to mention the fact that it doesn't make me sound any less arrogant."
"As you say, my Lord." Though Marcie's posture remained the same, Lina noted a small smirk on her face.
Salton gave an exasperated sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Go," he said, "and fetch some refreshments for my guest and I."
Marcie nodded, and without a word, left the room. Moment's after her departure, a look of dawning horror appeared on Salton's face. He strode over to the door, wrenched it open and stuck his head out. "And tell Lorna that I don't want any of her strange concoctions this time!" He called.
Lina couldn't make out the maids reply, but immediately afterwards, Salton slammed the door and stomped over to another chair in the room, muttering to himself the whole time. Lina managed to make out some words like 'insolent' and such. Plopping into the seat, he leaned back and rubbed his forehead.
"Why," he mumbled, "why, oh why, oh why, in the name of Cephied, do I keep that girl around?" He sighed.
After a moment of tense silence, Salton glanced at Lina.
"I must apologize for that scene, Miss Lina." He said, "I hope you understand that the pressures of being a Lord weigh heavily."
"Yeah, I suppose it can be a bit of a pain."
Salton nodded. "Indeed. Now, to business. I suppose you're wondering how long it has been since you wee petrified?" At Lina's nod, he continued. "Miss Lina, what I'm about to say is not easy, so I will try to be as gentle as I can." He took a big breath. "Miss Lina, you have been petrified for a little over a millenium."
"Huh?" Said Lina, raising an eyebrow.
Somewhat put out by her reaction, Salton cleared his throat. "Allow me to rephrase that. You have been a statue for over a thousand years."
As his words sank in, comprehension dawned on Lina. "A th-thou-thous-"
"One. Thousand. Years, Miss Lina." Repeated the man slowly.
Lina fainted.
Salton blinked at his unconscious guest. "At least she took it well." He murmured.
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:39)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.