eastofthemoon

I finally got around to writing another drabble for my Slayers Parenthood series. I figured it was about time I wrote more about Nama the dog. With that said, I am slowly writing more drabbles for the Zelgadis Inverse series. I'm just figuring out when to have Gourry pop in.

Title: Instincts
Series: Slayers
Characters: Gourry and Zelgadis
Rating: G
Summary: Zelgadis enlist Gourry's help for some dog training.

Gourry awoke to a loud knock at the door. He yawned as he made his way towards the door and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Coming, coming," he grumbled. He was having such a nice nap, and it was this first real nap in ages. The kids were out of the house with Lina shopping and he was left home alone. No one was left to bug him, or so he had thought.

As he scratched his head, he opened the door and wondered if he was still asleep. Zelgadis stood at the doorstep appearing very disgruntled. A leash was tightly held in his grip with an energetic Nama at the other end.

The giant puppy happily wagged her tail at the sight of Gourry and then turned her attention to chewing the bottom of Zelgadis's pant leg.

Zelgadis sighed, not even bothering to look down. "Hey, Gourry."

"Um...hey," Gourry replied, not sure what this was about. "What's up?"

Nama continued to happily chew on Zelgadis's pant leg until he shook himself free. Zelgadis grumbled and rubbed his tired eyes. "You once told me you trained dogs."

Gourry scratched his head. "Yeah, with my dad when I was a kid, but that was a long time ago."

"Good enough," Zelgadis mumbled as Nama began to chew on his shoelace. "I need someone to help me train this mutt."

Nama barked and then rolled to her back asking for a belly rub. When it appeared Zelgadis was not going to comply, Gourry knelt and began to scratch. "I thought you guys had royal animal trainers or something, didn't ya?"

"We did," Zelgadis replied sharply through his teeth. "They've been trying to train her for the last month , but she hasn't learned a darn thing. They declared her a lost cause this morning."

Nama stared innocently as she wrapped her front paws around Gourry's hand to ensure he kept scratching.

"She's just a puppy, how bad could she be?"

"My theory is that she is either so brilliant she doesn't feel the need to learn or she's just a jellyfish brain dog that can't."

"Aw, I don't believe that," Gourry replied with a grin. "There's no dog that can't be trained, at least that's what my dad always said."

"I would like to believe that, I'm tired of having my best shoes stolen every morning to be made into a chew toy."

Nama tilted her head at Zelgadis who glared back. "Yes, I'm talking about you, you little thief." He sighed and turned back to Gourry. "Frankly, you're my only hope at the moment. Please, help me train her?"

Gourry shrugged and his hand on Nama's belly paused. "Sure, how hard can it be?"

Nama barked, scolding Gourry for stopping.

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"Sit," Gourry commanded for the twentieth time. Nama panted and continued to stare at the small biscuit in Gourry's hand. Keeping a tight grip on the dog treat, he pushed down on Nama's rump. "See," Gourry replied, trying to hold his temper. "Sit."

Nama instantly leaped to her feet and pawed Gourry's leg for the treat. He sighed as he pocketed the treat and sat himself on the grass. "Come on, Nama, it's not that hard."

Zelgadis shook his head as Nama sniffed Gourry's pocket that contained the dog treat. "I shouldn't be surprised. So far, she ran off with the stick when she was supposed to fetch, begged when she was to lay down and then rolled over when she was suppose to beg."

Gourry sighed as he patted Nama's head. "I wonder if this is how if feels like to be Lina?"

Suddenly, Nama's ears stood straight up in the air, along with her tail. She ran past Gourry and stood in front of Zelgadis. She lowered her front and growled loudly.

Zelgadis stared in puzzlement. Nama was normally a gentle puppy, in fact this was the first time he seen her growl and directly at Zelgadis no less. "What's gotten into you?"

"My, my, what a smart creature."

Zelgadis jumped and spun around as Xellos gave a small wave. Nama never left her spot and bared her teeth directly at the sudden intruder.

Xellos laughed. "My, my what an interesting dog you have here."

He lowered his hand to pet her, but Nama refused to have none of it and snapped at it. Xellos whisked it back before he lost a finger. "My, she's a brave one isn't she?"

Zelgadis blinked and shared a surprised expression with Gourry. Not only had Nama sensed Xellos, she was strangly aggressive which was odd for her.

"I didn't think she'd be capable of that," Zelgadis whispered to Gourry.

"Must be instinct," Gourry whispered back. "Besides, isn't she supposed to be part dragon? Fillia could sense Xellos's presence right?"

"That's true," Zelgadis muttered. Might also explain why she doesn't like him.

He narrowed his eyes at Xellos. "What are you doing here?"

Nama circled Xellos and continued to growl at him, but he seemed to pay her no mind. "I just thought I'd drop by for a visit, but I didn't expect to see you two training. Who is this creature's owner?"

"She's a dog," Gourry corrected. "And she's Zel's...well technically she belongs to Zack but-"

Zelgadis raised his hand. "He doesn't need to know that, Gourry and I really don't think it's any of your business."

Xellos grinned. "There's no need to be so cold Mister Zelgadis and I would argue differently since she's clearly a chimera. I can sense the dragon in her as clear as day."

He laughed not bothering to pay attention as Nama stopped growling and sniffed his shoe. "I must say I've been having a marvelous time watching you two trying to train her."

Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. Just what they needed. "Oh, really."

"Yes, I've never seen an animal so slow in training," Xellos sighed. "But it's probably the dragon in her."

Gourry stared at Nama and raised his hand. "Uh, Xellos."

"It's natural, they are quite dim witted creatures. I couldn't help but make a suggestion of getting a whip-"

His shoe suddenly felt damp. Xellos stared at his shoe that was now in a large puddle with Nama staring back up at him with a very doggy grin.

Xellos's eyes twitched. "She...peed on me."

Gourry sighed. "I tried to warn you."

Zelgadis surpressed a chuckle. "You were saying?"

Xellos coughed into his hand. "As I was saying I must be heading off now. Sorry to cut this so short." He glared at Nama and suddenly vanished.

Gourry blinked. "Geez, I think that was the shortest visit we ever had with Xellos."

Without saying a word, Zelgadis reached into his pocket for a dog biscuit. Nama stared at the treat drooling.

"Good girl, Nama." Zelgadis tossed the treat and Nama snatched it in mid air. She happily chewed the treat as Zelgadis patted her head.

"Why are you rewarding her?" Gourry replied. "She didn't do anything."

Zelgadis smirked "If she can make Xellos go away that fast every time, I don't care how often she steals my shoes."

Nama wagged her tail and ate the rest of her treat.