Warnings/Tags: AU, non-magic users, magic user dragonslayers,
A/N: This story just popped into my head yesterday and I just wanted to write it? I do know that I should be finishing fics but Shia - the big enabler that she is - kind of made me write this.
Well, I don't have a clue if this hasn't been already written lots of times and totally cliché but, the bunny wants what it wants.
Hope this is a good read though.
Thanks for reading.
The Land of the Dragons
Chapter One
It was the same place where Gray had been many times before.
The veranda, surrounded by greenery, water flowing down into the main fountain in the square on the ground floor. He was sitting on a stone bench, carved into the wall, made comfortable by plush and colourful pillows. He was looking out, to the setting sun over the mountains, the orange battling the pink and in turn becoming purple then blue. There were grey clouds that seemed to be wanting to cover the sky, which might be a harbinger to the rain that was supposed to fall – they had been told that, at least.
Someone flopped onto the cushions beside him, emitting a tired grunt.
Gray turned his head and looked at his companion.
The pink haired male was looking up into the sky, pouting.
"What happened now?" Gray asked.
"They didn't let me go with the others." The pink haired one said. "I can't be admitted in that level yet."
"So?" Gray said easily, the conversation flowing easy and comfortable between them. "It's not like it's the first time this happens."
"Aww, but this time I knew I deserved it!" The other said in a shout, throwing his arms up.
"Tough luck." Gray said in his know-it-all voice, sure that he would annoy the other. He felt the burning glare, as if it had been searing his skin for real. "Hey, I'm not the one to blame. Be more careful, next time."
"Like you're one to speak!" The other said in outrage, kicking at Gray's ankle.
"I'm better than you!" Gray said, putting the other's head in a headlock.
"Oi! Let go of meee!" The other said as he tried to get out of the headlock, making them fall onto the polished stone underneath.
"Ya wish!" Gray said with a laugh as they struggled, trying to win the momentary struggle.
"Graaaaaay!" He heard the other saying menacingly.
"-ay? Gray?"
"Huh?" Gray mumbled, opening his eyes, blinking a few times and becoming aware of his surroundings. "Sorry, what did you say?"
The blonde haired scholar looked at him with a long-suffering look. She placed one hand on her hip, while swaying lightly on her cheval. Exchanging a look with her boyfriend, she shook her head and looked back at Gray.
"I was saying that, according to this map we might be getting close to the border with the Land. What do you think?" She waved the piece of parchment in her left hand distractedly.
"Ah, right." Gray muttered. "Yeah, we're probably getting very close. Just look at the vegetation, how scarce it's getting." Gray pointed to the side.
"Why yes, that's what Erza had already told us." Levy pointed out helpfully. She laughed at the pointed look threw at her.
"See, you've been distracted for the past few days. Is everything alright?" Lucy asked, placing a comforting hand on Gray's leg. From behind, a squeak was heard but Gray didn't pay it much mind.
"I'm fine. I guess that I just fell asleep? You know how long it's been." Gray lied poorly. He knew that no-one would believe his words, they all knew each other too well.
It wasn't unexpected, after all they'd been a team for too long already - and friends for an even longer time. It was strange how they'd stuck together despite everything.
Gray was travelling with his friends and colleagues – the usual gang – and they were on their way to their latest expedition; they were going to explore some of the ruins and symbols in the forgotten land of the Dragons. It was slightly different from their previous adventures but it was an honour to have been allowed to do so.
In the last five years the team had contributed to the discovery of a number of unknown – and very interesting – findings that had helped scholars around the realm to become more aware and discover more and newer things about the past and the past civilizations.
Their findings also contributed to the understanding and learning about the lost art of magic. Too few people knew how to access it nowadays, and, even less people knew how to wield it.
Their team consisted of an eclectic bunch of adventurers and scholars that, somehow, worked.
There was Lucy and Levy, the scholars, who between them knew about ancient history, mythology, linguistics, symbolism and had a mean aim. Then the rest of them were adventurers, which meant that they knew about combat. Erza was the specialist in all sorts of combat and weapons, Loke had close range combat sorted out and was Lucy's boyfriend and Juvia knew a lot about traps and had a knack for long range combat. Finally, Gray also knew how to kick ass and he had a strange taste for history, sometimes bringing insight, in a general way, when the girls' focus narrowed too much.
They had been fortunate to get this opportunity, Gray thought so, at least, because it was something that would make their names have much more credibility, help the scientific community to learn more and Gray had, strangely, been feeling the urge to head to that strange place. So, not only were they allowed to enter the Land of the Dragons but they also had permission to explore the famed three altars – the only thing that had escaped to the so called civilized world due to its exotic difference – but they also had to understand their importance and, if there were any, find their secrets.
As Gray mused, and the party quieted, the dried grass underfoot their cheval's hooves becoming scarcer, the small dark-green and mostly dried bushes withering to dried brown skeletons before disappearing, making it so that there was only sand, golden sand, and large yellow and grey stones protruding from the ground.
"And now, how do we know we're heading in the right direction?" Erza asked, her pragmatic self shining through as always.
As soon as the red-head asked that, the team noticed three figures, undistinctive due to the distance, that seemed to be waiting for them.
"If you'd said that earlier, they would have found us earlier." Levy teased.
"There's nothing like a new expedition to have Levy in such a happy mood." Loke commented dryly. Lucy laughed.
"Let's just meet them." The blonde said, putting her cheval into a slight gallop.
"Do you think that they'll be, you know, dragonslayers?" Levy asked, to the team in general.
"I think that's our only choice?" Gray quipped. "Unless they were bandits – and I don't see those being all that welcoming."
"Juvia think that it could be a trap." The blue haired woman commented, from somewhere behind Gray, that made Gray turn to her, catching her line of vision and giving a small smile.
"I guess that Juvia says that we should be careful." Gray said.
They reached the trio who had stopped as the team got closer. They were a… strange bunch, Gray couldn't help but notice.
The first thing that he noticed was the heights. The shortest one was to Gray's left, followed by a taller one and the tallest – and quite bulky – figure was to the right. Their features weren't noticeable for the moment as they were being covered by dark sand coloured cloaks, hoods pulled over their heads.
"Stop!" The tallest said imposingly, raising his hand to halt them.
The team came to a stop, creating a half circle around the trio.
"Are you the team of adventurers from the Royal House of Sciences of Magnolia?" The one in the middle said.
"That would be us." Lucy said with a slightly nervous smile.
"Good." Someone said before the three strangers pulled down the hoods. "We welcome you to the Land of the Dragons." Said the shorter one, who turned out to be a girl with long blue eyes and a cheerful air about her.
Gray only heard the welcoming words distantly as he was frozen in place.
The person in the middle, the one with average-looking height… Gray knew him.
It was the person from his dream, pink hair, cheeky attitude and a grin that caught on.
It was a close thing but Gray managed to keep his shock hidden, even though he just wanted to dismount and go poke at the other, check the air and… see if he was really the person he'd been seeing for the longest time.
"We're here to lead you to our village and to serve as a guard of sorts." The tallest said. "I'm Gajeel, by the way. And these are Natsu and Wendy." He pointed accordingly.
"Nice meeting you. We're…" Lucy looked around. "We're a small bunch, haha…"
"We can do that later." Natsu said suddenly, his nostrils were flaring, and so were the other dragonslayers'. "We need to take you to safety."
"Come on then." Wendy said, motioning with her hand.
"Why?" Erza asked.
"Things are kind of complicated here at the moment." Wendy said. "It's better for us not to dally too much."
"Do you think they're close?" Gajeel asked Natsu.
"I'm not sure, but I don't like this." Natsu answered, glancing from side to side.
"Okay, you better explain us what the hell's going on." Loke started saying but in that precise moment a whip-like strike made the sand to their left fly up in a blast.
"They're here!" Natsu bellowed, his body turning into a different stance, he took out the cloak, showing the weird clothing filled with golden embroidery that he was wearing. "Let's go!"
Gray and his friends also went for their weapons but Wendy stopped them, coming into a defensive stance in front of them, a wall of wind stopping what looked like a cloud of arrows thrown at them.
"Your weapons might not do much against this! Let us take care of it." She said, arms moving fluidly in a songless dance.
The team stood behind, half heeding her order and half in amazement. They were seeing magic. And it was great.
Gray's attention caught on the pink-haired one, who was in the middle of a circle of foes, flames dancing around him, contorting in a difficult pattern, easily melting the weapons, even going to the exaggeration of becoming bigger as it was dosed with water. A fiery punch took out half of the foes and then Natsu went to stand beside Gajeel and the two delivered a combo that pulverized the rest of the foes.
"Okay. What the hell was that?" Erza asked in her no-nonsense tone. Somehow it worked because Wendy stood to attention and the other two – who were slightly distant, surveying the wreck they'd made and checking if there were no more enemies – did the same.
"The thing is, there are bandits roaming the land." Gajeel said in a bored voice.
"They want to steal our land's secrets." Wendy added sadly.
"And they're under the law of one called Zeref. Apparently he came across magic and, stupidly, wants more." Natsu concluded, crossing his arms and saying with some bitterness.
"Okay, now that we've cleared that up…" Lucy started saying in her very polite way that showed that she was very excited – only to those who knew her. "Is it true that you guys are dragonslayers? The sole inhabitants and guardians of the land of the Dragons?"
"What else do you think we're doing here?" Gajeel said in disbelief.
Gray snorted.
"I didn't mean to… no, I..." Lucy started babbling, flustered.
"Gajeel!" Wendy chided, slapping the tall man on his leg. "Don't mind him. But yes, that would be us?" she said with a pleasant smile.
"Sorry, we're just too excited." Levy chimed in, sharing a smile with Lucy. The rest of the team rolled their eyes at their friends' antics. "Is it true that you're descendants of the dragons?"
"Yes! Legend says that the dragonslayers are the tribe that descends from the dragons and are the only ones who manage to survive in this deadly land, while guarding its secrets and dangers." Lucy said her whole tirade in one go, Loke softly rubbing her back as she gasped for breath.
"Huh, in some way that's true?" Wendy said, slightly uncomfortable.
"Leave all that for when we get to the village, will you?" Gajeel cut in, annoyed.
"Yeah, it's better if we head home soon." Natsu cut in, grabbing his cloak. "There'll be people who can explain those things better than us." He grinned.
And Gray felt a shiver going down his spine because of a strange sense of déjà vu.
And longing.
It was pretty confusing.