Lina pouted slightly, watching Elkin and Zel talk on the other side of the clearing. The two had made it quite clear that they wished to talk ... alone. Lina glanced around, watching her companions. Amelia was watching Elkin with rapt fascination, and was beginning to show signs of a crush on the young man. Sylpheel was trying to wake Firia, who was still out cold.
She had been fainting a lot, hadn't she? Lina wondered why, as she continued to look around. Gourry was playing with a bug and a small stick, while Xeros was playing gently with little Val. Now that was a sight that took some getting used to. Xeros playing silly little games with a baby, and the baby's enjoying it. Both Xeros and Firia had been acting a little oddly of late, not like their regular selves ... or at least the ones she saw the most often.
"Well, this is definitely more people than I was expecting ... and more than a little worrisome." Elkin's voice cut smoothly over Lina's thoughts. His human form was a little ... unusual. He still had his tail, albeit a smaller version to fit the smaller body which still had the same sort of long proportions as the dragon form. Taller than his brother, and appearing to be at least six foot eight inches in height. Both Zel's and Elkin's eyes were the same shade of blue, and almost identical shape. What really showed up as unusual were the pair of horns curving up from just above his temples.
"Why worrisome?" Lina couldn't hide her curiosity, as she gently removed Val's grip from her hair.
"The Null Zone has expanded,"
"Lina, within the Null Zone, magic just plain doesn't work." Zel's voice was filled with a quiet horror. "For you, Gourry, Sylpheel, and Amelia, it simply means that you're regular humans. For those whose existence depends on magic ... It is ... very painful."
"Well, I could use a bit of pain." Xeros grinned sadistically, ignoring Firia's gasp.
Elkin gently took Val, who promptly grabbed some of his hair and began sucking on it. "The one I'm truely worried about is this little fellow. He may not be mentally capable of dealing with the pain of a lengthy passage ... "
Elkin and Zel exchanged a glance. "Usagi."