Chapter One
It was meant to be a normal mission, like all of their missions. Go in, wipe out the dark guild and get the reward. This one was different. This one changed everything.
"Laxus-sama, we have arrived" Freed stated as he went to pick up his luggage from the overhead compartment. The only response that he got was a grunt and Laxus stood to grab his own gear.
How he hated trains. Lucky he didn't have it as bad as the other Slayers but he still got pretty sick but never wanted to show it, that just wasn't who he was.
'Just a simple mission, I'll wipe them all out then go have a beer, or many beers... yeah many, many beers' Laxus thought to himself.
Laxus and his team headed out toward the warehouse, which was meant to be the dark guild's hideout.
"Let's get this over with." Laxus grunted.
"Yes Laxus!" his team said, united.
Freed had well and truly gone over the plan, like he always did, but some things you can't prepare for and this mission was something that Laxus couldn't prepare for.
"So far so good!" Bickslow yelled, with his babies chanting after him "Good! Good!"
Dark mages were falling left, right and center. They had nothing on Laxus and his team, and some were too scared to even try.
After the dark mages had either been knocked out or had just surrendered, the Raijinshu tied them up. Still, the team needed to have a good look around for any that had gotten away.
"Laxus-sama, I've found something," Freed yelled from the top floor.
The whole day Laxus had been having this feeling. The feeling that he had to take this mission, and the whole time he had been fighting it, just wanting it to be over.
"What's this?" Laxus said as he comes up behind Freed.
There was a big wooden door, beautifully carved into the shape of a dragon. Laxus went to reach for the door.
"NO!" Freed yelled, too late. The door sent out a shock wave knocking Laxus back into the wall and almost going completely though it.
"WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!?" He was pissed. It wasn't every day that Laxus Drayer could get knocked on his arse like that.
"Sorry Laxus-sama, I should have said something earlier, there is a very strong rune barrier on this door..." Freed turned from Laxus to the door "I should be able to get thought it, but it will take some time"
"GOOD! Be on it quickly then, Freed. I want to know that the hell is in there for them to put such a powerful barrier on it." Laxus grunted dusting the dirt off his coat.
"Well... Laxus-sama, you might be able to enter before I break the runes..." Freed looked at his very confused leader "There is a message 'those who desire what is inside may always enter'... you seem to want to know what inside Laxus-sama, you might be able to enter this time."
"And if I get my arse fried again Freed?!" he raised an eyebrow at the Rune Mage.
"Then we shall have to wait till I can break the runes." Freed shrugged.
"Fine! Worth a shot." Laxus replied "better not get my arse fried again."
"You need to desire what is inside Laxus-sama," Freed reminded him.
Laxus stopped just short of the door handle, and the feeling that he had been having all day got stronger. He really desired what was inside but he had no idea why. He wanted to know what had been pulling him here and why it was so important that it was locked up in this room with such a strong barrier. Was it to keep people away or to keep something in?
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the handle.
No shock.
Sighing, he slowly turned the handle and started to open the heavy wooden door.
Looking inside, everything was dark, but he could see some candles. Moving further inside he lit some of the candle that he could find, lighting up some of the room.
Finally he could see that the room had no windows or any other doors except the one that he came in from. Nothing but candles and a large four poster bed in the middle of the room.
The bed had dark black curtains flowing over the top and all around, so he couldn't see inside.
"Hello...is anyone in here?" Laxus said moving closer towards the bed. He could hear breathing. He could also smell blood, but there was something else that smelled strangely right to him.
With no response, he reached the bed and moved the curtains aside. Then stopped. He was wide eyed in horror.
On the bed was a girl. He thought her hair was brown but it could have just been all the dirt and blood that made it look that way.
She was chained to the top posts of the bed by her left wrist and right ankle. Completely naked and covered from head to toe in dirt and blood and other things that made Laxus' blood boil.
She appeared to be sleeping, but jolted awake and looked Laxus right in his blue gray eyes. Her bright yellow eyes didn't look like she was broken.
Deep inside Laxus felt like he needed to protect her, get her out of here, clean her up, then kill everyone one of the bastards that did this to her.
Moving closer to undo the chains, her left foot lashed out and kicked him right in the face.
"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" her voice was dry, like she hadn't had a drink in weeks.
"Fuck" he hissed rubbing his nose "I'm not going to hurt you, ok? I'm here to get you out! Now don't kick me again. Please. I'm trying to get the chains undone!"
Slowly he moved closer to the chains, looking her in the eyes the whole time, just to make sure she wasn't going to try kicking him again.
Getting her right leg unchained first, he moved around to the other side of the bed. This girl, this woman, was so interesting to Laxus. He could see, and smell, what she had been through, but she still had fight in her. Enough to kick him in the face. A weird sense of pride hit him. Even though he had no idea why he would be proud of a woman he just met.
"Why?" Barely a whisper, but to him it was crystal clear.
"Why, what?" he looked down that her golden yellow orbs 'they look like mine when I'm in dragon force'
"Why are you letting me go? Why are you helping me?" Tears began to form in her eyes. "I've been here for so long, why now?" The tears begin to run down her face as she quietly sobbed.
"I'm sorry, how long have you been here?" Slowly reaching the chain on her left wrist, breaking it, but not letting go of her wrist.
She moved to sit up.
"I'm not sure. I have no light, so I don't know when it's night or day. But they bring me food once a day and water once a week." She moved to the edge of the bed, placing her feet on the ground. "I've had water about 30 times, so about 30 weeks… I think. But there have been times when they haven't brought water to me... so I'm not sure…" She stopped and looked up at Laxus. "Um, sorry, I'm ranting. I haven't talked to anyone since I was put in here."
Laxus slowly took off his coat and covered the women in it. "Here, take this till we get you cleaned up. Then we can answer all the question that you have, ok?"
She nodded and began to stand up. Then she started to fall. Moving quickly, Laxus wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Shit! You ok?"
Nodding again "Sorry, I'm just…"
Laxus moved one of his arms to wrap around under her knees, picking her up and carrying her bridal style. "Don't worry about it, I got yah, just relax till we get out of here."
When she only nodded again, Laxus began to walk to the door. The woman slowly moved her head to rest on his chest and he felt it tighten. His heart began to beat harder and louder then ever before.
Why was this woman, who he knew nothing about, making him feel like this!
"Freed!" Laxus called out as he reached the door the women had fallen asleep in his arms.
'How is she comfortable enough to sleep around a complete stranger.'
Looking down at her completely amazed, then looking back thought the door to Freed.
"Laxus-sama, I'm sorry I still haven't been able to break the runes yet." He said concerned.
"Then how the hell am I going to get out of here!?" Rage began to swell in the center of his belly. He could only think that was why she was chained. Because she kept trying to get out and kept failing. Kept getting shocked back from the runes.
"Well...um...you...y-you s-see...um…" Freed was never one to be lost for words, but he was having a hard time saying this.
"Out with it!" He wanted to yell, but didn't want to wake her.
Sighing, Freed looked his leader right in the eye.
"'You have to claim what is desired to leave this room.' That is what it says" Freed lowered his head when he realised what must have happened to the women in his leaders arms.
Looking down at the women, his rage grew stronger.
"Fucking bastards!" he swore again under this breath. He bent down and kissed the top of her head and wiped a few almost dried tears from her face. Then slowly walked through the door.
In Laxus' heart and mind, she was going to be his. No one would ever touch her again, no one would ever make her cry, and he would always protect her. 'She's mine' his inner dragon roared.