Chpater Two

Lina woke up...and found herself sick. Nothing really life-threatening, but enough to be annoying. Particularly when she realised she had no voice. Aching and pretty much miserable, Lina cast a healing spell.
And nothing happened.
The string of curses Lina screamed mentally would've made an ogre blush (no mean feat, considering ogres' IQs, or lack thereof). Lina's thrashing around was loud enough to wake her roommate.
"What's wrong, Lina-san?" Amelia inquired sleepily.
Lina, being unable to speak, pointed at her throat then shook her head.
"You don't want to get up?" Amelia guessed.
Lina shook her head no.
"I shouldn't talk?"
Lina paused for a moment, then shook her head no again.
"You can't talk?"
Lina nodded.
"Should I cast a healing spell?"
Lina cocked her head to the side, then again nodded.
Amelia cast a healing spell, with the same non-results Lina's spell had had.
"That's strange," Amelia commented.
Lina, feeling poorly, thwacked Amelia for saying something so obvious in the hopes that it would cheer her. It did.
"Um...I'll go...tell Zelgadiss-san and Gourry-san that you're ill," Amelia said in a rush before getting the hell away from Lina.
Lina folded her arms and thought some very unkind things about the Princess of Sailloon.

Meanwhile, Amelia was seriously considering hiding somewhere until Lina was well again. She knocked on the door of the room Zel and Gourry were sharing.
"What is it?" Zel inquired tersely.
"I...it's me, Amelia. Something's happened to Lina-san and--"
The door suddenly swung open, and a very worried-looking Zel stood before her...shirtless.
At that point, Amelia's brain overloaded and she was unable to do much more than stare and mumble something that sounded akin to "wow."
"Amelia, what's wrong with Lina?" Zel demanded impatiently.
"....." was Amelia's witty reply.
"AMELIA!" Zel snapped, bringing Amelia back to herself.
"Gomen, gomen...Lina-san is ill, and a healing spell didn't help."
"How bad is it?"
"For Lina-san? Moderately. For us? Very."
Zel nodded. "All right. You wake Gourry, and I'll go see to Lina."
Amelia smiled, grateful she wouldn't have to be alone with the grumpy sorceress even for a few minutes. "Hai!"
Amelia walked into the boys' room and kneeled down next to where Gourry was sprawled on the floor, snoring.
"Wake up, Gourry-san!"
"...huh?"
"Wake up! Lina-san is ill. She can't even speak!"
Gourry sat up. "Lina can't talk?"
Amelia nodded solemnly.
"So she can't yell at me today?"
"Uh..."
"Wow, that's great news, Amelia!"
"....."
"Since Lina can't yell at me, I'm going to sleep in!"
"But..."
SNORE.
Amelia rose and decided it was just as well; given Lina's temper, Gourry would probably end up dead before lunch. Possibly even as lunch.

_________
ZA: Don't say it.

XELLOSS: Spoilsport.

--Elizabeth, Trickster Priestess ~_~