Chasing Dreams
Chapter 2
Magic Shouldn't be like Molasses
"Faster!"
Akira grunted and threw her arms up in another defensive block. With a yell she flipped back and barley dodged another well aimed strike at her head.
Diving to the side, she shot up, throwing punches left and right. Her opponent moved to the side with ease. With inhuman speed, the enemy lunged forward and kicked the back of her legs out. Scrambling for footing, Akira stumbled back out of reach. There was a flash of silver and she felt something whizz by her head. Akira glanced behind and her mouth gaped open as she stared in shock at the blades embedded in the bark of the tree.
"What is wrong with you!" Akira cried in disbelief. She gingerly felt her bleeding ear, "That could of killed me!" Her opponent grinned and twirled a set of dangerous looking daggers. Akira's eyes widened, she threw herself down to the as another set the sharp blades went flying over head. A string of hard thuds hit the trees causing the branches to shake.
A multitude of beautiful reds and oranges drifted down into her line of sight. It was autumn now and the trees were beginning to change. It was almost surprising when she really began to be able to physically note how much time has passed. It really had seemed like it but the summer had already come and gone.
"You'd better be paying attention!"
Akira's eyes shifted up and she barely was able to scramble out of the way of another set of knives. Jumping to her feet, she turned sharply on her heel and swung her leg wildly around for a sloppily executes roundhouse. Her opponent blocked her attack, her muscles flexed underneath Akira's leg and the girl was sent spinning back.
Akira wasted no time and once again lunged forward, this time circling around the back. She jumped high and angled herself high. Her opponent grabbed her foot and threw her back out the air. Akira slammed into the ground and skidded to a halt a few feet away, the wind knocked completely out of her.
Akira panted and her head softly slumped back against the tree against her back. She held her hand to her chest and with her other she wiped the sheen of sweat from her neck. Leaves crutched underneath her, shredding to pieces. They had barely begun to fall and already their beauty was wasted.
There was a distinct set of footsteps on the crunchy forest floor. Through the shadow of the trees, a figure stood there. Akira looked up with a looked of barely restrained annoyance. In front of her was an impassable and yet ever patient force of nature. Akira know she wouldn't be able to come even close to beating her opponent unless she tried something new.
Akira pushed herself to her feet and shakily moved into a new stance. She concentrated, a shudder ran through her at the feeling of magic rushing through her veins. A golden light shimmered into existence, causing light to flood up from the skin of her power began to grow causing Akira's body to take on a faint ethereal glow. Her hair swayed in the streams of magic swirling lazily around her. This was something she had been trying for months and yet could never get right.
She didn't really know what it was but she could feel it. It always pulsed through her like another set of veins. Akira loved the feeling. It was indescribable. When she did this, it felt like nothing could hurt her ever again.
A sense of calmness slowly washed over her. She stared down at her bright hand, she could trace the veins and feel the steady drumming of her heart. The world faded away until all that was left was a single minded focus. Stepping forward, she stood in front of her enemy. Her eyes blazed and she knew that this time, she was going to win. She could see that her enemy was saying something, stepping forward to meet her each step. But Akira didn't bother to listen, victory was going to be her's.
In that single moment everything went wrong. Magic flooded her veins, pouring out in every soft golden light sputtered out and a deep crimson hue took its place.
Akira sucked in a breath and she stared down in dread and watched the power began to quickly fill her body. It was uncontrollable and she couldn't help but cry out in pain as she desperately tried to m reign it in. She couldn't stop. Magic saturated the air, spinning faster and faster around her, causing the space around her shimmer a blood red. Akira choked, a strange tingly sensation numbed her fingers and her strength began to fade.
"Snap out of it!"
The feeling was gone and in its place was pain. Akira flew back into something hard. She cried out, her right side ached from the impact and her lungs burned from lack of oxygen. Akira watched the magic around her slowly dissipate until it finally disappeared.
Akira laid there for a moment before easing up into a sitting position. Her body ached all over and she suppressed a groan. She stared down at her trembling hand, willing it to stop moving. Akira grit her teeth and clenched her fists.
A dark shadow loomed, her teacher stood over her. She wasn't even breaking a sweat. Her brown hair was perfectly in place and there wasn't a hair out of line. Her loose fitting shirt didn't even look wrinkled let alone dirty.
"What did I say about magic?!" She roared dragging Akira up to her feet by the scruff of her neck.
Akira stared down at the ground and rubbed at the grass stain on her pants. Not that it would do much good. She'd been knocked to the ground so many times that day it probably wasn't even worth the effort. Akira was covered head to toe with grass and dirt.
"Well?!"
Akira winced at the hard tone and grumbled out an apology.
"What was that kiddo? I didn't quite catch it."
Akira groaned and kicked at the ground, "Fine, I'm sorry."
Her teacher frowned and eyed her up and down. "You okay? The backlash didn't injure you did it?"
Akira rubbed her eyes and slumped her shoulders, "No, I'm okay, just a little tired. I can keep going."
She hummed in acknowledgment, but kept an eye trained on her, "Good." Akira didn't have a chance to blink before a hand darted out and pummeled the back of her head. The blow jarred her skull and she yelped at the searing pain..
"What was that for?!" Akira whined, tenderly rubbing the back of her head, "I said I was sorry!"
Akira's teacher crossed her arms and glared down at her student, "Sorry?! Sorry doesn't cut it this time. You're lucky that I'm not kicking your ass right now, brat! I'm not going to say it again! Your magic is too unstable! Even trying to channel it is completely reckless! You could've gotten seriously hurt if I hadn't stopped that spell! You can't substitute skill with power, especially one that is unstable. You know better! You have to have-"
"A solid foundation and beginner stances down before any sort of advanced moves. I know, I know, basics first." Akira interrupted, rolling her eyes. She scowled up at her teacher, "I know I'm supposed to build up my 'muscle memory' and let 'my magic grow naturally' but I just can't wait any longer!" Akira grounded out through clenched teeth. "I have potential! You said so yourself!"
Her teacher raised a brow, unimpressed, "Potential doesn't mean a thing when you don't have control nor the-"
Akira cut her off, "But what if I-"
"No."
Akira's protesting died at the resounding no. Her teacher vehemently shook her head, "I refuse to let what happened last time happen again. No 'ifs', 'ands' or 'buts' kid." She poked her student's chest, the force caused Akira to stumble back. "My training, my rules." She stated firmly, "I don't care if you scream your bloody head off, it's not happening."
Akira furrowed her brows, her fists shaking with anger. She opened her mouth as if to say something in response but turned away at the last moment.
She leaned her back against the tree behind her and crossed her arms over her chest in a sullen, brooding anger. Her teacher stared at her for a long moment. The shadow cast from the tree hid her student's face but it did nothing to hide the quivering of her lips and the soft shaking of her shoulders. Realization dawning upon her. "This is about what happened with your folks isn't it."
Akira deflated at those words, she slid down to the ground. "Kira-chan..." Her teacher squatted down in front of her, meeting her at eye level. She could see the right grip the girl had on her wrists. "I know how frustrating it is, I really do... but you have got to be a little patient. These things take time."
The only acknowledgement Akira made to her teacher's words was a non communal noise of agreement. Her eyes narrowed at the blatant lack of an answer. She didn't like it when Akira got like this. She pursed her lips and reached out to grab her hands in a hard grip. Pulling Akira's arms out into the light, her rough fingers thumbed over the mesh angry red scars that should've never been seen on the wrists of a girl so young.
"Kira-chan look at me." Akira felt a warm hand under her chin, gently forcing her head up. "Those monsters will never be able to hurt you again, I promise." She smiled softly down at her small student, rubbing the dirt off cheek. " I'll protect you as long as you need me, so no need to cry eh?"
Akira quickly wiped away the tears trailing down her face, her cheeks burned in embarrassment. She hadn't even realized she had been tearing up. "I don't need your protection!" She snapped, roughly pushing her teacher's hands away. She scrambled up to her feet and gave a fierce scowl. "And I don't know what you saw but I definitely wasn't crying!"
A booming laugh echoed through the clearing. "You got what it takes to get strong brat?" The older woman grinned, bearing pointed teeth at the younger's enthusiastic nod, "Then show me! Show me your resolve!"
Hai Sora-sensei!" Akira chirped, wiping away the last of her tears. She slid into her starting position, ready to block.
Akira peeled herself off the vinyl seats and sat up, rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes. She glanced out the window and could already see the sun had already peaked and was slowly moving down the horizon. She really hadn't meant to sleep so long but it couldn't be helped. The seats were pretty comfortable.
Akira blindly reached for the crumpled map and brought it up to her face. Carefully, she traced the route and glanced back at the sun. Judging by the time, they should've already been at their first stop and should be arriving at the second in a few hours. After that, it would be a few hours before they made it near the mountains. It was a little surprising that she had managed to sleep through the first stop.
'Must've needed to sleep...'
She stifled another yawn and leaned back against the window, closing her eyes. It wasn't like there was anything else to do. Stretching her hands above her head, Akira took a deep breath and promptly choked into a coughing fit. Akira could barely contain a gag before covering her nose and mouth with the edge of her shirt. Magic saturated their air, smothering her in a thick cloud of dust.
Any sleepiness was gone and she held her chest and took a few careful breaths in an attempt to get her breathing under control. Her hands gripped into the fabric and she clawed at the pile of weights that seemed to be pressing against her chest. Shakily standing up, Akira tried to tap into her magic but she could barely get more than a small drizzle to pool into her system. She was pretty much cut off.
Tightening her jaw, she carefully brought her nose up above the edge of her shirt and took a careful whiff. Her nose wrinkled at the sour yet distinct smell.
Magic inhibitors were clearly the culprit. There were many different kind of magic inhibitors and this one was from a large set of lacrimas, specifically ones that were mined from lapis lazuli. They were very effective, but the rancid smell was enough to put anyone off. Akira took a small breath and quietly leaned against her compartment door in an attempt to get a clear look out.
It was also a well known fact that the only place to get magic inhibitors that were mined from lapis lazuli was from the black market.
Leaving her bag behind, Akira slid the door open and stepped out of her compartment and into the aisle to investigate. Each compartment that she passed was completely quiet. The few that were open were completely empty besides the few strewn suitcases that had been left behind.
Akira frowned and looked around, peering up and down the aisles, 'Where is everyone?'
She sighed and ran her hands through her hair, smoothing out her tangled bangs. Whatever had happened here already took place and she was looking at the aftermath. Akira passed into second set of coach compartments. She spotted an orderly walking down the aisles, peering into each compartment.
"Oi!" Akira called out, running down the aisle toward the worker, "Where did everyone go? Do you know what's going on?"
He glanced up and he was almost surprised to see her. "Excuse me, miss- you can't be here."
Akira glanced past him down the rest of the compartment, "Does this have anything to do with the magic inhibitors? Is something going on?"
Another two orderly's came down the aisle and stood behind him. She was surprised to see that they were each holding a dangerous looking staff. Akira's eyes raked down and focused on the strange set of symbols that were glowing on the edge of the tip. 'What kind of train has their employees equipped with staffs?'
"There is no need to worry," The man broke her gaze and he clasped his hands in front of him. "Everyone has been moved to the front of the train… For safety purposes of course."
"What kind of safety purpose?" Akira questioned she edged back just slightly and her gaze flickered between the three men. She didn't like the look in the third man's eyes. Her warning bells were going crazy.
His right hand reached out and he gripped her shoulder in a way that might've been friendly if it weren't for the painfully hard hold behind it. "You need to come too, it shouldn't take to long but we gotta clear out the rest of the train."
"Thanks," Akira attempted to shrug off the hard grip. Her disarming smile was ruined by the nervous twitch of her hands. "But I think I'll just get off the train here. It's getting late and so I'll just be on my way-" The man lunged forward and painfully pulled her wrist, causing her to stumble back. "Get off!" She yelped, shoving him back. Akira bared her teeth,"I don't know who you guys think you are but you'd better back off!"
"I'm tired of playing games," The second man spoke, he pulled his mask down that had been over his mouth and Akira's eyes widened at the dark tattoos that snaked down from the top of his head and disappeared beneath the collar of his shirt. "Just knock her out. We're wasting time."
The man who was holding her arm gave a snarl, "Fine but I'm not going to be the one carrying her. I had enough trouble dragging that stupid Fairy." Akira threw her fist out at the man holding her but he snatched her other hand out of the air and held it painfully.
The third man gave a laugh and raised his staff above Akira's struggling form, "At least this one isn't wearing armor." The top of the staff glowed a blue and there was a bright flash of light as electricity filled the air. Akira's mouth went dry and she stared in horror in realization of what they were about to do.
The staff whipped through the air and she did the only thing she could think of. Akira relaxed her grip for a second and then yanked with all her might, pushing the little bit of magic she had through her limbs. Her muscles bulged every so slightly and the man was clearly unprepared for the sudden force as he came toppling forward with her. Akira landed hard against the floor but it was nothing in comparison to the sharp thwack that struck against the man. Her would be kidnapper had stumbled into the path of the staff that had been meant for her.
Akira rubbed at her brushing wrists and stared wide eyed at the writhing man on the floor. Electricity ravaged his body, causing muscle spasms all long his limbs and torso.
Akira scrambled back away at the two men who were staring at the downed man like he was an idiot. The man with the staff took another test swing and his eyes held her with a bored contempt. "Thanks for that, now we'll have to drag this moron back too." There was another flash of blue and a distinct and dreaded sound of electricity filled the air. Jerking his head in her direction, he turned his gaze towards the other man, "Well get to it! Make sure you hold her still or I'll make you drag them both back yourself."
Akira didn't wait long enough for the other man to respond before she booked it back down the aisle away from the two men. She tried to push through her magic reserves but nothing more than a trickle came through. Running through to the set of compartments, she slammed the door shut and shoved a few open suitcases in front of the door. A piece of bright red cloth caught her eyes and she carefully tied the handkerchief around her mouth and nose in an attempt to curb the horrible smell.
There were a couple of bangs against the door, "Come on, little lady! I really don't have time for this-"
Akira ignored his words and instead looked all around for something, anything that could help her. The windows had no latches and even if she could break it open, Akira wasn't sure if she could risk jumping out of a moving train. Glancing at the compartment door, Akira bit her lip. It was only a matter of time before they got in. She really only had one option. Swallowing, Akira began to focus on the small dribble of magic she was receiving. Every grain of magic was shot through her system, up through her veins and into her limbs.
Stepping back, she took a running start and kicked as hard as she could against the metal raining. The pipes slowly began to loosen and finally after the fifth kick, the flimsy railing clattered to the floor. The sound of ringing metal echoed and Akira hastily snatched one up from the ground. Giving it a few test swings, Akira held it in front of her and barely held back a gasp as the door splintered open.
Akira instinctively ducked as a pulse of electricity was shot in her direction. The air was burning and one look at the two men had her with no doubts that they meant business.
Akira didn't waste any time going for the first strike. Her metal pipe came swinging down and struck hard against the man's staff. It struck painfully and Akira's went numb as pins and needles raced up her arms.
She ducked under the staff that was leveled at her and closed the distance between her and the second man. He was clearly underestimating her. She easily slipped by his guard and one hard punch to his face sent him stumbling back a few steps. Akira watched as blood dripped down the man's nose. The other one laughed and shoved past his friend. "You got some fight, little lady. Don't tell me we got another fairy on board? The boss will be mighty pleased with that."
His staff glowed and Akira scowled. Backing up, she held the metal rod in front, "I have no idea what you're talking about but if you're looking for a fight you're gonna get it."
Erza's head was pounding, it felt like the time Gray had accidentally bludgeoned her with his ice mallet. Erza let out a small breath, hopefully she didn't have a concussion. She went to check her head but found that her hands were tightly fastened behind her back. Erza squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember what happened. The train had made it to their first stop. She went to go talk to the conductor and then... someone had attacked her from behind, the coward. Erza slumped down against the restraints, this was the worst week ever. First the job, then her seat and now she was stuck who knows where, caught by a bunch of amateur thieves playing around with magic inhibitors... how embarrassing. No one was ever going to know of this day. She'd have to kill them all to make sure that Gray or Natsu didn't find out or worse... Mira. Nope, Erza was willing to commit mass murder to make sure Mira didn't get a word of this.
She opened her eyes, there were ten men around, standing above her. Five in front, five in back, each of them holding what seemed to be wooden staffs. Erza eyed them suspiciously. Out of her experiences, wooden staffs were almost always more than what they seemed. They were probably lacrima infused if she had to guess. It fit the type and lacrima was easy to buy in mass quantities on the black market, the rates weren't too bad either of she was remembering right. She blew out a breath and her nose wrinkled at the smell. Glancing down at the chains she glared; magic inhibitors... And expensive ones at that. Erza slowly began to pull at the knots and loosened the bonds. If she got her hands free, she could grab the knife that she had hidden in her boot. The chains were a different matter though. Maybe she could-
"Don't even think about trying to escape, Titania." An icy voice abruptly announced from behind. "If you even sneeze at one of my men I'll have all the hostages killed."
Erza pursued her lips but kept silent. She quickly counted up the number of hostages. In all there were roughly thirty five, about six or seven were under twelve years old and those were just the ones that she could see from her angle of the other room, there were most likely more.
"Only a coward would hide behind hostages!" She spat, "Show yourself! Or do you not have enough spine to even look me in the eye?" Erza taunted, turning her head around.
She watched as a man stepped out from behind a wall of guards. Her jaw almost dropped when she saw his hair, it was a giant cube. Perfectly shaped, it bobbled up and down with every movement, swaying back and forth precariously like a block of jello. Erza had only heard of one man with such a ridiculous haircut...
"Alcott Sly." Erza dead panned, her eyes narrowing at the man in question, "I knew you were a coward but to stoop so low as to threaten children, have you no shame?"
"You say that I'm a coward but really the only people who are cowards are the ones who refuse to grasp the finer things in life." He replied, looking at her with distaste, "You guild mages think that you have the moral high ground but the ideals of chivalry and nobility are meaningless. Being nice doesn't get you anywhere in life. The end always justifies the means." Alcott remarked, smoothing the sides of his hair to be a perfect ninety degree angle.
Erza shook her head, "You're a fool. The only thing you're going to end up with is a pair of cuffs and a jail cell.
"Such bold talk from someone in your position."Alcott smirked, "I'm about to be one of the richest men alive after tonight. Not only with the cargo but I'm sure that many people will be willing to pay a hefty price for a chance to get a swing at Fairy Tail's Titania"
He crouched down in front of her and chuckled, "Though with a beauty like you, I might want to keep you for myself. I wonder how long it'll take before you're begging me to-"
Ezra snarled and head butted him in the face. With a cry, he stumbled back and tripped over the tail end of his cloak, falling flat on his back. While he was distracted she swiped the keys off the nearest guard, sliding them under the cuff on her right wrist.
"Boss, are you alright?!"
"Sly-sama!"
Ezra eyed his predicament in amusement. His hair was bouncing up and down like a bouncy ball causing his face to repeatedly smash into the floorboards. He tried to pull himself up but the weight of his hair was too much.
"Help!"
THWACK
"Me!"
THWACK
"You!"
THWACK
"Idiots!"
A few of the men rushed forward and grabbed his arms. It took two mages to stop his hair and another to pull him up to his feet. Erza felt a flicker of satisfaction when she saw his face. The middle of the mask was wet with blood, making the thin material press up against his skin. She could see the crooked outline of his nose, it was definitely broken.
The door slammed open, startling everyone. Another guard ran in, "Boss! Boss! We have a situation! Someone is... Boss, what happened to your nose?"
"Shut up! I don't pay you to ask questions! What's the problem?!" He growled. He pulled his mask down and wiped blood off his face.
The guard nervously shuffled, eyeing the scarlet haired mage, before whispering into his boss's ear. Ezra tried to listen in but she could only catch a few snippets.
"...someone, that is. The lacrima was fried, she..."
"...completely crushed boss!"
"...Its completely gone! I have no idea where to..."
Alcott shook his head a few times and scowled, "You six!" He cried pointing to a few of the men near the door. "Get rid of the problem, now!"
A few of the men frowned, "But Sly-sama, what about Titania?"
He sneered, "I put a lightning runes directly on the chains and around her. She can't move, let alone escape without the lacrima key."
The six men and the messenger ran out of the room. The boss huffed, "Pack it up boys! We're moving out in twenty!"
Ezra snuck the key into the lock and began to fiddle with it, "I hope you all have realized by now," she announced to the rest of the room, Alcott turned at the sound of her voice. "The moment that you-"
"Oomph!"
Something, no someone came tumbling out of the air duct and landed right in the middle of the room. A low groan sounded out. The figure laid there for a long moment before finally moving into a position where Erza could get a good look. She was surprised, it was a girl. She couldn't of been older than fourteen at the most, probably around Wendy's age. She was covered head to toe with soot, Erza watched as she slowly stood up and began to dust herself off. The girl sucked in a breath and froze at the sight of the guards surrounding the room. She glanced around before setting her sights on Erza.
The door slammed open and guards poured in the room. "Get her! That's the one the boss wants dead!" Dozens of staffs began to glow green, the air screamed as lighting filled the air. The girl dodged one bolt after another in vain attempt as more mages poured into the room.
Slamming against the wall, the girl looked into the group with terror before slowly raising her hands in the air, "Please don't hurt me!" She cried, her voice quivering, "I-I j-just got l-lost and then some s-scary m-men were c-chasing me! Really, I didn't do anything! I swear you got the wrong person!" She buried her face into her hands and began to sob, "P-Please d-dont hurt me!"
Erza's heart broke for the girl, she looked so scared. Everyone stood there, not sure what to do with the scene. Whispering broke out between the men.
"What should we do Sly-sama? I know you said kill her but..."
"She's just a kid, sure I like the money but even I got standards...
"...Nah, she ain't a threat. Just tie her up with the other passengers, I don't see what the big-"
"I say we should get rid of her boss!" One of the big men stated, sneering down at the shaking girl, "The less witnesses the better!"
Wide-eyed, Erza slammed against the restraints, making the runes flash blue. How could they sit there and debate the life of a girl like the weather! Erza growled and violently pulled at the constraints. She needed to get out of these chains!
A few of the men lowered their weapons and started to walk up to her, "Well," one of the men sighed, "What do you think Sly-sama?"
The sleazy man in question stared down at the girl with a look of disgust, "Is this the problem all of you have been complaining about?!" He scoffed and let out a barking laugh, "A ten year old little girl!"
He smirked and shoved through the crowd of mages purposefully towards the young girl, his hand sparking with electricity, "I show you how to deal with little runts, it'll only take like two seconds tops-"
Slam!
Erza's eyes widened as the young girl jumped the man. Her kick swept through his legs and sent him stumbling back into the crowd of guards. Alcott took out two more men in the process and continued to break through his own ranks. The girl stepped over the fallen guard. Her previous expression of fear was gone and in its place was aggression. Scooping up a metal pipe, one that Erza hadn't noticed, the girl flipped it up in her grip and struck at another unsuspecting guard before stealing his staff right from his hands.
Striking the butt of the stolen weapon against the ground a few times, the edge brightened to a blue. Erza was reminded of Laxus a little as she watched the girl haphazardly swing the electric staff around. She didn't have the power he had but certainly she had aggression.
"You bitch! What did you do to the Sly-sama!" One of the men roared, "I'll crush you!"
Bolt began to fire from all directions, ricocheting off walls and other mages. The girl threw herself at the mages with a reckless abandon. Erza began to fiddle with the lock, she grew more and more frustrated with every blue flash of the runes. She slammed her fists against the floor.
Erza ducked her head as a staff went flying over head, it slammed into the wall, shattered pieces of lacrima went flying. Her teeth grit in concentration and Erza finally fit the key into the lock. Fiddling with it, she turned the thin piece of metal clockwise. But instead of freedom, she was once again disappointed with a blue glow that signaled failure.
Confused, she wretched the key out from under her cuff and twisted around to look at it. The lacrima crystal that should of been in the middle was cracked and practically missing. "Of course I had to steal the one key that was broken." She snarled, letting the useless piece of metal clatter to the ground. Erza closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. She began to review her options. The only way to break out would be by brute force but not even she had the ability without any access to her magic. She tried to move again but the runes placed around her glowed blue. She surveyed the rest of the room, 'There has to be some way out.' The red haired mage glared down at her restraints, her muscles strained against them. Movement caught her eye, a guard was sneaking up on the younger girl from behind. Brandishing a long dagger, he lunged. "Watch out!' Erza yelled in warning.
Swoosh!
The younger girl did a full backbend, the whistling blade just missing the skin of her nose by inches. Striking blue eyes met her own and Erza was startled by the carefree look in the girl's eyes. Giving her a wink, the girl leveled her weapon up threw herself into her assailant, twisting her body in time to catch the edge of his spinning blade. Sparks edged along the edge of the pipe and she knocked him to the ground. She didn't stop for a moment and launched herself at her next opponent. Ezra watched the onslaught with calculated eyes, questions raced through her mind.
"Stop her!" Alcott cried from somewhere in the crowd, lighting arched and cracked. The air oozed with the burning smell of metal. The girl yelled something back that Erza couldn't make out over all the noise.
The girl blocked a blow from the left but it was a feint. A fist collided with her temple and knocked her to the ground. Men barred down from above, "Get her while she's down! Don't let her escape again!"
Ezra watched as the brown haired girl threw the pipe above her in a desperate attempt to block another strike. The two mages locked weapons, Alcott was slowly gaining ground as she was pressed into the floor. She cried out and gave way. The pipe slipped from her hands and clattered across the floor, the strain finally breaking the thing. Two dented pieces of pipe rolled across the ground before stopping against the body of another fallen guard.
Again and again, Erza cringed as the sharp whistles of wood whipped through the air and struck the figure that was buried under the multitudes of mages. She swore and began to repeatedly slam her chains into the floor, trying to break them apart. The girl was getting pummeled into the ground.
'If I don't get out of here, they'll kill her!' Erza clenched her teeth and punched the lock again. The floor board gave way with a snap. Erza cursed and lifted her hands off the floor. Broken pieces of lacrima were embedded in the side of hand. Runes began to flash a light green, flickering on and off. With a clang the left cuff fell off of her wrist. Eyes wide, Erza wanted to slap herself, 'Of course!'
With her free hand she swept up more lacrima shards off the surrounding floor and shoved them into the lock. After a moment, the runes glowed green and melted off of her. Revitalized at the feeling of her magic gushing through her core, Erza snapped the chains in half. She charged into the fray and let her magic pour into a familiar spell.
"Fire!"
The room glowed green then everything was blinded with white.
Author's Note
Updated: 5/24/18
