Sailing on the Winds
"So," Jellal piped up as he hacked away at the low hanging vines, "remind me why you're in charge again?"
The female refused to grace him with an answer, knowing that he was fully aware of the answer.
The man was infuriating. He was so…chirpy, always making small talk about the most stupid and frivolous things such as the weather and the trees. He had dismissed them as friendly conversations – completely one-sided conversations in actuality – but it was obvious that he was doing it to rile her up. He knew exactly which buttons to press and her temper was reaching boiling point with each passing second that she had to spend with him.
For one who did not know the slightest thing about her, Jellal seemed to be doing a pretty good job at reading her like an open book. He didn't reveal much, but the teasing hints he dropped ever so subtly suggested that he knew much more than he let on.
And the way his eyes – a remarkable shade of hazel, possibly with a tint of gold and amber – would fixate upon her as if she was the only thing in the world that interested him; it unnerved her, how it seemed like he was staring into her soul.
He was perceptive, she would give him that, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose her temper. No, her pride wouldn't allow it, and so she swallowed her irritation and soldiered on through the forest, the tightening of her grip on her sword serving as the only indicator of her annoyance.
Jellal glanced at her, eyebrows raised, a broad grin on his lips.
This was too easy. And way too much fun considering how he had landed in his current situation.
A miscalculation on his part had led to his capture by the famed Fairy Hunter of His Majesty's Military Police, Erza Knightwalker. In a last ditch effort to save himself from execution, he had made a deal with her. Jellal, being one of the best navigators in Edolas, would accompany and aid Erza in navigating Neverland to capture the mages of the sole remaining Dark Guild, Fairy Tail, in exchange for keeping his head.
It was a fairly good deal considering all things. He got to live another day and to work with a beautiful, if deadly, woman. His smirk grew more prominent as his eyes roamed over her body appreciatively. Fun stuff, he mused to himself, and a good deal, but it was a deal that Erza was not going to keep, and he knew it.
Still, he could at least enjoy himself and savour his freedom while it lasted, right?
"Seriously, Knightwalker. What's…"
The redhead whipped around, sword extended and Jellal stopped abruptly before the weapon could impale him. He swallowed nervously as the metal tip rested lightly against his throat.
"Ah. Good form." His amused expression coupled with the sensual lilt in his Earthland accent made her grit her teeth. The innuendo didn't escape her notice.
"Shut up and just lead me to the Den," she hissed venomously, all of the pent up frustration shining through in her tone of voice clearly.
If looks could kill, Jellal would already have died ten times over.
The crooked smile slid back into place easily. "Just what do you think I'm doing right now, love?"
Her eyes grew darker at the term of endearment and she sheathed her sword with a flourish, silently praying to whatever higher power there was that she wouldn't murder him in cold blood.
Apart from her exceptional skills in combat and being a master tactician, Captain Erza Knightwalker was also famous for her cool headedness and tight rein on her emotions; qualities that ensured she could always carry out her duties to the point of perfection.
But this time, she wasn't quite sure if she could refrain from stabbing the man before he could help her accomplish her mission. Because on the one hand, he was the most vexatious man she had ever had the displeasure of meeting. He was an arrogant, flamboyant womaniser with an ego the size of Jupiter. And of course, he was a pirate. But on the other hand, he was charming and witty, with self-confidence oozing from every single pore of his handsome being.
She could feel the heat creeping up her face at such thoughts and she mentally cursed herself for reacting in such a manner. She needed to control her emotions and he was making it impossible for her to do so. And so she responded in the safest way possible – by allowing the anger bubbling in her chest to consume her.
Her hands shot out to fist in his cloak. She jerked him towards her and pulled him down to her level so that they were looking into each other's eyes.
"Enough of your incessant chattering and get on with it," she growled. "Unless you want me to kill you right here and now."
He arched an elegant eyebrow, eyes sparkling with mischievous mirth. "Well Knightwalker, if you wanted to play rough, you could have just asked."
Erza scoffed and shoved him backwards. "You wish. You're nothing but a filthy pirate."
He shook his head, an exaggerated expression of hurt on his face. "I was under the impression that we were both Captains and therefore equals. I'm absolutely gutted that you'd think otherwise." He clutched at his chest dramatically.
"Move!"
He laughed and bowed mockingly, arms spread wide open.
"As the lady wishes."
Jellal was almost certain that he heard Erza let out a feral snarl but by the time he looked up, eyes twinkling with unconcealed merriment and a roguish charm, she had already stormed off, muttering foul obscenities under her breath.
Erza liked to think of herself as being one of the best when it came to navigating complex terrain but even she could not wrap her head around their current location. Everywhere she looked seemed the same to her. There were only bushes, shrubs, trees and more trees. She was utterly lost and the feeling did not sit well with the female.
On the other hand, Jellal was completely comfortable with his surroundings, having spent most of his childhood in Neverland as a Fairy.
Slashing away at the dense vegetation with her spear, Erza stopped at a clearing. Jellal knelt down and inspected the mud, his fingers ghosting over it. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary but he rubbed his fingers thoughtfully, expression shifting quickly from cheerful to wary to guarded.
"What is it, Mystogan?"
Her sudden question must have startled him as he looked up in alarm before letting out a small laugh.
"As much as I love the sound of my moniker rolling across your tongue so easily," Jellal shot her a small grin over his shoulder, "you can just call me Jellal, Erza."
His tone was light hearted but the slightest of worry flashed across his face before he smoothed out his features and straightened up. Hazel eyes flickered around, memorising every single detail. His face had grown serious, eyes melting into a darker shade of brown, and she didn't miss the way his entire body tensed up, shoulders squaring, jaw muscle ticking. A dangerous, brooding aura flared out around him and it was then that Erza finally saw the man beneath all of the playful, boyish façade. This was no longer the egoistical womaniser she had spent the last 2 days with. This was the fearsome pirate of Edolas; cool, calm and collected. She nearly cracked a smile at the cold steel in his eyes. Yes, this man was lethal and she would be lying if she said that that wasn't a bit of a turn on.
"I'd rather not," she replied frostily, aware of the slight heat on her cheeks. She stormed over to the edge of the clearing, furious with her reaction to his teasing. "And you will address me as…"
"Captain Knightwalker!"
His bellow stopped Erza in her tracks, one hand still raised to push away the plants blocking her path. She turned around to face the man.
"What is it now?" She snapped irritably.
"Don't touch that," Jellal hissed urgently, one hand pointing at the plant frantically. "Step away from that. That's Dreamshade. One drop of its poison could kill you."
Erza swallowed and retracted her hand gingerly. Her heart was pounding, the blood rushing in her ears. It had been a close call; her hand had only been centimeters away from the Dreamshade and if Jellal had been a second slower, she would have touched the deadly plant already.
The adrenaline was still coursing through her veins and she found that she was shaking slightly. Turning to face her companion, she steeled herself for a snarky comment from the man, but to her surprise, all she could see on his face was pure, undiluted fear.
The blood had drained from Jellal's face and his entire body had grown rigid, jaw locked, neck muscles working furiously as his Adam's apple bobbed up and down with each furious swallow. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and small gasps permeated the still air as his mouth formed soundless words of worry.
He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling the unruly locks with more force than necessary, and let out a loud sigh of relief.
"Aye Knightwalker, it's best if you let me go first next time. We wouldn't want you to die a horrible, tragic death now, would we?"
It was said in a joking manner, a lazy smirk curling at the corner of his lips, but try as he may to render his face unreadable, even she could tell he was angry. She could see the coals of fire burning in his eyes.
Erza shook her head in disbelief as the shock started to wear off.
"I'm your enemy. You could have let the poison kill me and then escaped. Why did you save me?"
He looked at her incredulously, the flames dimming in his eyes.
"That doesn't mean I'll leave you to perish on this island." His look of surprise slowly melted into a cheeky grin and he took a step towards her, a finger resting on his lower lip playfully. "Perhaps… gratitude is in order now."
"Not killing you right now is gratitude, I'd say," Erza snorted.
"Is that all your life is worth to you?"
He took a step closer and Erza could see the muscles taut under his shirt.
She licked her lips and swallowed.
"Please," she breathed out, "you couldn't handle it."
Jellal grinned. "Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it."
They stared at each other wordlessly and he could almost see the gears working furiously in her mind. There were the most subtle twitches and facial expressions as she fought against her pride and – of course he could be completely wrong – desire, (or was it lust?) when she suddenly jerked him towards her for the second time today and kissed him. Hard.
It all happened so quickly, so briefly, that he didn't have time to process what was happening before Erza had released him. But his reflexes took over and he leaned in to capture her lips once more only to find an excruciating pain course through the lower half of his body and stars explode in his eyes like the most colourful fireworks as Erza brought her knee up.
Jellal slumped to the ground with a cry, clutching at his groin.
"Ok," he wheezed, "I probably shouldn't have done that, argh bloody hell."
Erza made some sort of strangled noise at the back of her throat and marched off, leaving Jellal kneeling face down on the ground.
Gasping for air, he managed to grunt out before Erza could run off too far away. "We're heading towards the East, love. You're going the wrong way."
And despite the amount of pain he was in, he couldn't help but laugh openly as her loud swearing reached his ears.
Jellal stopped at the crossroads. To their right was a dark cave and the path on the left led further into the jungle. He hesitated, weighing up the options.
"What is it?" Erza asked tersely. "Is there a problem?"
He twisted the small, blackened twig in his hands. The charred odor was familiar to him and giving it one last sniff, he flicked it to the side casually, watching as ashy flakes were swept up by the gentle breeze.
Good timing, my friend.
"Not at all."
His voice was jovial and his smile unwavering, but the joy did not reach his eyes. With a sigh, Jellal straightened up.
"Just debating whether to take a shortcut or not," he stated.
Erza's gaze flickered around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary but something seemed to be distracting the man.
"How long will it take us?"
"If we take the road through the jungle, it's going to take 4 days. If we take the shortcut," he pointed at the cave, "then it's going to take 1 day."
A hand rested on her hip. "And what's the catch then?"
The laughter rumbled in his chest, slowly growing in volume.
"Let me show you."
They stopped at the edge of a cliff, staring out into the vast darkness of the cave.
Jellal raised his torch, allowing the light to illuminate the area, and Erza's eyes widened as she took in the sight of the large cavern. There was nothing in the cave, nothing but a single pillar of rock in the middle of the cave surrounded by a circular abyss. It was a long drop down and they were standing on the edge. In the far distance, she could see sunlight filter in through the small hole in the back of the cave.
"Unless you think we can fly across, I don't see how this is a shortcut." Erza growled.
"You know, you should really learn to give me a little credit, Knightwalker." He chided gently. "This is Echo Cave, love. The only way to pass through this cave is to reveal a secret."
She shot him a skeptical look. "A secret, that's all?"
"Your darkest secret. Echo Cave derives its name from an old saying – the deeper the lie, the more truth in its echo. The cave demands that you reveal a truth about yourself, a secret you would never admit to anyone."
The female threw up her hands in exasperation. "This is ridiculous!"
Jellal surveyed the cave distractedly before he turned back towards Erza.
"Don't kill the messenger, love." He muttered with a wry grin.
"I don't believe this," she dragged a hand across her face wearily. "This is so stupid."
He scuffed the ground with the tip of his boots and said brightly. "Can't be helped, Knightwalker. Who wants to go first?"
She crossed her arms under her breasts, face flushing a brilliant red as he wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.
"No? Come on, I'd love to hear your darkest secret, Captain Knightwalker."
Her leg twitched in a jerking motion and Jellal shied away instinctively, raising both hands as he backed away from her.
"Alright, alright. I'll go first."
He rocked on his heels, hands stuffed deep in his pockets and eyes downcast. Biting his lip nervously, Jellal looked nothing more than a little boy being forced to confess to a naughty deed.
"My secret is," he paused, glanced at her and then turned away, head tilting upwards as he gave a small laugh. "My secret is that…given a bit more time, it's possible that I could…you know, fall for you."
"You have got to be kidding me…"
He rubbed his jaw sheepishly. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Erza looked like she wasn't quite sure whether he was joking or not but then a loud rumble echoed around the cave and the two of them whipped around in time to see a long stone bridge extend out from the cliff they were standing on and connect with the stone pillar in the center of the cave.
"There we go." Jellal gestured wildly, face brightening up with childish glee, "it works!"
And with a dramatic sweep of his arm, he stepped aside to allow her to proceed, his voice growing deeper and more serious once more. "Ladies first."
Infuriating, definitely.
She strode across the bridge, grasping at the remnants of her dignity. How was she supposed to know that something so stupid would actually work?
She was so focused on the task at hand that she failed to notice that Jellal wasn't following her and only at the sudden commotion behind her did she turn around, eyes wide.
A blond had crashed down in front of the bridge, bright yellow sparks flickering around his fist, the surrounding air crackling wickedly.
"No!"
She lunged towards the two men but it was too late.
And she could only watch as the bridge cracked and crumbled into falling rubble, the powerful magic infused punch having destroyed it in its entirety, leaving the Captain stranded on the stone pillar.
"I should have known." Her whisper was soft but it echoed around the cave nonetheless. "You were working with Laxus all along."
She really ought to have known. There was no way an ex-Fairy could return to Neverland without the Master of Fairy Tail knowing. It had been a huge oversight on her part.
Jellal looked up from where he was leaning back against the wall, arms folded, and exchanged knowing looks with the other man. The blond shrugged in response.
The pirate jerked his head towards the necklace around Laxus' neck. A small vial hung from the end of the chain, the green dust within it sparkling under the light of the torch.
"It was obvious why you guys were so desperate to find Fairy Tail. You wanted the Fairy Glitter for magic." He paused, lost in his thoughts momentarily. "Understandable. But not something we could let happen."
Jellal waited till the sound of Laxus' departing footsteps had faded away before shuffling over to the entrance. He placed the torch on the ground, careful not to snuff out the flames.
"You know how to get out, Knightwalker."
The utterance of her name caused Erza to snap and she exploded.
"You bastard!" She roared in fury, "I'll kill you the next time we meet! That's a promise!"
He smiled sadly at her enraged howls and something akin to regret flickered in his eyes but he did not spare the female a backward glance.
"My dear," the flickering shadows danced across his face wistfully, "I'm a pirate, remember?"
Author's note:
So I made an exception to write another Mystwalker thing because it was my friend's birthday and being my Mystwalker/Captain Swan buddy, I knew it had to be done. Could have been better but still, I'm impressed that I managed to write this on such short notice –dances-. Got a bit lazy with the kiss and I had no idea what everyone's darkest secrets were so yeah, but hey thanks to AL for bouncing ideas with me.
And happy birthday, Ree :3