Guess who's back... back again... it's me! Did you miss me? So I finally have a new story! This time, it's a JeRza fic and if you've read my profile, you know that they are my OTP. So to those of you who are new, Welcome! And those of you who are here from Trust Me, Welcome Back! I hope you all enjoy this new installment! Should be a blast!
The Kingdom of Edolas is on the brink of annihilation. With the growing tension of war on the horizon and the dampening economy due to drought, invasion seems imminent. Prince Jellal must travel to the nearby kingdom of Fiore to wed its next queen in hopes of preventing the invasion his country cannot withstand. Matters are complicated when the prince is kidnapped and held for a ransom his country cannot afford to pay. Now, his only hopes lie in a band of misfit volunteers with a mission to extract and return the prince to his fiancée alive in seven days, failure resulting in the destruction of their entire country.
What he doesn't know is that one among the misfits might be the answer to his prayer. One among them might have the power to stop the invasion and restore peace to the lands. Sometimes, fate has a cruel sense of humor. JeRza AU.
Chapter 1: Caelum's Massacre
Erza
The screech of stone against metal squealed in my eardrums as I pushed the smooth rock across the edge of the beautiful longsword I'd just dipped in water to cool off. It was shiny and beautiful, as they all were when I first created them, but it was still blunt. It could do little to no damage at all if I didn't sharpen it all the way. I continued the routine until the edge was sharp enough to cut through my skin if I just grazed it subtly. Grabbing the leather sheath, I slipped the sword into it and propped it up against the others that I'd made recently.
I sighed and tried to work out of the soreness in my neck and shoulders from working nonstop. In the past several days, I'd already completed a dozen brand new longswords ready to be used. I hadn't showered in days and my hands were covered in blisters, cuts, and callouses. As the only trained blacksmith in the village, it was a wonder I didn't hire any more hands to help me with my business. I'd always thought about it, but I could never seem to follow through.
"Excuse me?" I looked up from my work table as the door to my little shop opened, revealing a tall young man in full armor. For a split-second, my hand jerked to one of the swords ready to attack, when I realized that his armor was not black, but silver. This was not a Caelum knight. And he didn't look hostile.
"I'm sorry, we're closed." I said, pulling my hand away from the sword. The soldier pulled his helmet off to reveal a young face with bushy black hair and eyebrows to match.
"I know it's late, and I'm sorry to bother you. I'm looking for Erza Scarlet, the blacksmith?" He tucked his helmet under his arm and gave me a salute, fist over his heart. I sighed and slumped back.
"You're looking at her. How may I help you?" The soldier blinked, then tilted his head.
"You're Erza? The blacksmith?" He asked. I shrugged, used to this kind of reaction. Most people never expected a teenage girl to be a hardcore blacksmith who could make weapons in her sleep. "I'm sorry, I've heard many great things about you, and I was just expecting an old man or something." I shrugged again, glancing at the clock on one of my shelves. The soldier needed to hurry up or I'd be late.
"Well, I'm sorry to bother you, but I've just arrived from the citadel. Prince Jellal has sent reinforcements to protect this village from Caelum knights and my troops and I are in need of new equipment. Could we count on you to have twenty longswords ready by the end of the week?" I lifted my head and narrowed my eyes.
"So the prince has finally gotten off his ass and sent some people to protect us? How noble." I spat. The soldier blinked at my response. "I have forty longswords ready now, and fifteen of them are fresh. I've been making new weapons for weeks now to give to the villagers and the soldiers already posted here. You can help yourself, but I just thought that soldiers from the citadel would have the decency to bring their own weapons."
He blinked again and I sighed in frustration.
"You can pick them up tomorrow. As I said before, we are closed. Thank you for your business." With that, I pulled my brown apron over my head and tossed it in a pile on my desk. The soldier bowed his head awkwardly and walked out of my shop, still bewildered at the response I gave him.
Rolling my eyes, I quickly moved to the black of my shop to rinse my hands, then I pulled my shawl over my shoulders and crept out the back door into the chilly evening air.
Walking through the village always gave me goosebumps, and as I made my way through the small streets, I couldn't help but think about the soldier in my shop. He'd seemed so surprised when I expressed disdain for the prince. Maybe I was thinking too much into it, but it seemed to me like the prince was seen as some sort of god in the citadel. No one seemed to think he was capable of doing any wrong.
Finally, I reached my destination, a small house that broke off from the main road. I quickly rapped on the door and waited, breathing into my gloves. The door opened a crack and I saw the distinct sight of onyx eyes peering through the door. I smiled as the door swung open to reveal a girl of fourteen with long straight black hair and cat like eyes.
"Erza!" She squealed, pulling me into a tight hug. "We were afraid you weren't coming!" I smiled and followed her inside, pulling my shawl off my shoulders. I hung it up on the rack of jackets and kicked off my boots before fully entering the house.
Stepping into the kitchen, I smiled to see a tall, muscular young man bent over the stove. He had jet black hair and deep tanned skin that accentuated every muscle on his body. Today, he was wearing a simple black t-shirt that was obviously one size too small to show off his huge biceps and abdominals.
"Simon! Erza's here!" The girl called, causing the young man to jump, banging his head on the top of the shelves. I stifled a giggle as he turned around in both frustration and amusement.
His scowl morphed into a loving smile almost immediately. The warmth in his eyes immediately made me want to reach for him and snuggle up against him.
"Thanks for that, Kagura." He scolded with a smile. "Now I look like a fool."
"She doesn't have to help with that." I said, placing my hands on my hips. Simon laughed and turned back to the stove to move the pot to let it cool down. Then he turned back to me and walked across the kitchen to give me a hug. I smiled as I was pulled into his warm chest.
We pulled back slightly and I lifted my head to up his as he bent his head closer to mine. When our lips were about to touch, Kagura groaned and covered her face in irritation.
"Can you two please keep the PDA to a minimum while I'm around?" She complained, kicking the chair. I laughed as Simon turned to give his little sister a glare.
"Come on, I haven't seen Erza all day. We have precious time to make up for." Kagura mumbled under her breath as Simon turned back to me. I grinned and cupped his cheeks, pressing my lips to his, much to the chagrin of his sister.
After a good ten seconds of solid kissing, Kagura cleared her throat loudly. I gently pushed Simon away and gave him a look. He sighed and reluctantly pulled himself out of my grasp.
"Okay, okay, we get the message." He said, walking back to the stove.
I joined Kagura at the table and made kissing noises toward her, causing her to angrily throw a napkin at me. I laughed as Simon walked toward us with a steaming pot of something delicious. He began to serve each of us and I breathed in a long waft of the delicious soup before digging right in.
"So guess what happened right before I left the shop today?" I said, slurping up another spoonful of soup. "A soldier from the citadel showed up, asking if I could spare twenty of my longswords for his troops. I guess Prince Jellal finally decided to start caring about us and spared some troops from his personal army."
"Prince Jellal…" Kagura swooned and slurped at her soup with glassy eyes. "He's so dreamy."
"Oh God," I said, slapping my forehead. "I forgot I was in the presence of the president of his fan club." Kagura glared at me as I grinned back, causing Simon to choke on his soup in laughter.
"Every girl in existence is a part of his fan club, except for you obviously. How can you not find him attractive?"
"I'd find him more attractive if he ran his country the way he's supposed to." I muttered, pulling at a piece of bread with my teeth.
"Come on, Erza, cut the boy some slack. His father is ill and he is barely a man. You can't expect much from him. He's still very young. He'll figure it out eventually." Simon said softly, sipping his soup quietly. I rolled my eyes and leaned back.
"Leave it to you to defend him. Why has it taken him so long for him to send troops? We've been anticipating an attack for weeks now. You know the black knights just attacked the village not two miles from here. We're next and it's taken him a hell of a lot longer than it should to do something about this."
Suddenly, a loud shriek from outside shattered the cozy silence in the house. Almost immediately, Simon and I sprang to our feet. I bolted to the door and flung it open, looking around for the source of the scream. The sight that greeted me was not what I was expecting.
The village was in chaos. People were running in all different directions, some with weapons and others with bundles of clothes and food. What was going on?
I yelped as one of the men running dropped to the ground and was unmoving. I realized that he'd been shot with an arrow. I jerked my head to the direction of the arrow and saw dozens of black knights riding through the village, shooting arrows and swinging swords.
Caelum was here. They were here to destroy us.
"Kagura, stay here. Go to your room and stay hidden. Do not come out. We'll be back for you in a few minutes." I heard Simon order as I turned around. Kagura nodded in obedience and quickly gave her brother a tight hug before scampering away.
"We have to go to the shop. There are weapons there. My stuff is there. We have to get out of here." I said in a rush. Simon said nothing and grabbed my hand, pulling me out into the chaos.
We dipped and turned, maneuvering through the fierce battle. I recognized villagers and soldiers alike fighting the black knights with everything they could. The man who'd bought a dagger from me not three months ago chucked a sack of flour at one of the knights before he was brutally skewered by one of their spears. I wanted to scream and go to him, but Simon's hand was tight around my wrist. His calm demeanor kept me from losing my mind. We couldn't worry about everyone in the village. We had to get out while we had the chance.
Finally, we reached the shop. I all but kicked the back door open, scurrying inside. I grabbed three swords and a few daggers, tossing the weapons to Simon who easily caught them and tucked them away. I pushed into my workshop at the back and grabbed my pack that was always prepared, just in case. Then I grabbed the metal box on one of the shelves and opened it to reveal all of my money. I grabbed all the cash and stuffed it into my pack before tossing the box away and throwing the bag over my shoulder.
"Let's go." I said as I came back into the main room. Simon nodded at me and tossed me my sword, which I wrapped around my waist and secured on my belt. I grabbed one of the daggers from him and tucked it in my boot as Simon peered through the back.
"We need to get Kagura and get out before this gets too chaotic." Simon said, taking my wrist again.
I almost shouted at the intensity of the fight. Not only were the black knights killing everyone and everything in their path, but they were ransacking homes, destroying houses and setting fire to the wood. I gasped as a fire arrow landed on the building next to us and set the roof on fire. Simon pulled me along, almost too harshly so I ended up stumbling along.
As we neared Simon's house, I noticed a group of black knights turn toward us and dismount their horses. I pulled on Simon's arm, but he yanked me forward.
"No!" His shrill cry filled my ears and I whipped my head around to see what he was yelling about.
I clamped a hand over my mouth as the bright flames and heat suddenly struck me like a sack of bricks. Simon's house was burning brilliantly with flames so large, it was hard to look at it without feeling my eyes burn. He released my hand and started barreling through the crowd toward his house. I screamed after him, yelling that it was unsafe, that he was going to get himself killed.
I was about to run after him, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw a sword slice toward me. On complete instinct, I grabbed my sword and pulled it out swiftly, blocking the sword that threatened to slice me in two. I looked up into the ferocious eyes of a knight in clad black armor. He had a fire glinting in his eyes and a cool grin on his face. He must have lost his helmet somewhere, but I couldn't worry about that. With one swing of my sword, I pushed him back far enough to regain my balance.
"Who knew Edolas had such pretty flowers in their midst." The man taunted, waving his sword around nonchalantly. "I may just have to keep you." he crooned, running his tongue over his lips. I shuddered.
"Not if I kill you first." I snarled, swinging my sword. He blocked it and laughed loudly.
"She has thorns! Don't worry, we'll clean that right up."
Suddenly, I was surrounded by at least five black nights. I gulped, feeling the panic swell in my chest. One I could take. Two was possible. Three was a reach. But five? I was as good as dead.
They all attacked at once. I yelped, managing to block two swords and dodge the other three. I immediately knew that defense was not going to help me in this situation so I attacked hard. I struck at the one without a helmet and he laughed madly as he parried my strike. I kept attacking swiftly, trying not to let his laughter get to me, when I finally felt my sword connect.
He gasped and stumbled backward, pressing his palm to his cheek where I'd sliced him. The cool amusement was gone, replaced with barely restrained fury. I gulped again as he lunged at me along with the four others who I'd almost forgotten about. I yelped as two of them managed to cut my arms as I was blocking the one without a helmet. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins and was responsible for the lack of pain felt when another sword came out of nowhere and sliced at my chest.
I fell backwards, falling on my butt. I looked up in fear as the five men surrounded me, the one without a helmet grinning evilly. He raised his word and I braced myself for the blow that would ultimately end my life. I squeezed my eyes shut.
The blow never came.
I slowly opened my eyes and gasped as the man without a helmet was launched backward into a pile of rocks, hitting his head and passing out cold. My chest swelled as I saw Simon turn to the other four with nothing but his dagger and attack ferociously. The four tried to stab at him, but even if they did land a strike, he brushed it off like it was nothing. One by one, he sent them flying. One by one, he sent them to their deaths. And all I could do was watch in both awe and horror.
Finally, the knights were defeated and Simon turned to face me. His body was stained with ash and dust and there was a large gash on his chest that was bleeding profusely. I clamped a hand over my mouth at the look on his face. There were wet streaks down his cheeks, telling me he'd been crying, but other than that, there wasn't a hint of sadness in his cold obsidian eyes. His eyes were bright with rage and yet there was a coolness to them that meant he was completely under control, even at that moment.
He walked toward me and kneeled in front of me, gripping my shoulder to examine me.
"You're okay." He whispered gruffly. I gulped, feeling the adrenaline start to fade and the pain start to kick in.
"K-kagura?" I croaked. Simon refused to meet my eyes. The hand over my mouth tightened and I felt the tears well up uncontrollably. "Oh no…" I whispered.
Suddenly, I heard a strange sound, like a muffled thud, and Simon went rigid. His eyes went wide and his eyebrows shot to the top of his head. He started to tremble as he looked right at me.
"S-simon?" I whispered. He didn't answer and fell forward, collapsing on top of me. "Simon!" I grabbed his body to keep him from crushing me and looked over his shoulder. I gasped and almost shrieked in agony, not from what was behind him, but from what was on him.
A huge metal arrow was protruding from his back, embedded in the flesh at near perfect accuracy. The arrow was angled so that there was no doubt about it. It had struck his heart.
"No, no!" I pushed him up and rolled him over so he was on the ground on his back. I pushed myself up and hovered over him. "Simon? Simon, please, don't leave me!"
His eyes had gone glassy, the expression of shock still written on his face. I started to sob as I bent over his body and hugged him tight. He didn't respond, he didn't move, he didn't do anything. There was no pulse, no heartbeat. Simon was dead. The only man I knew I could ever love, and the family I always wished I had were dead.
There were dead and I could do nothing but weep at his side, cursing every god in existence for having the audacity to take them away from me.
Hella dark for the first chapter, so sorry.
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It's great to back ladies and gentlemen!