Chapter 3

Lucy, the more spatially reasonable of the pair, reacted first. Levy was violently jerked from her trance by the loud metallic warning bell. She slapped her hands over her ears to keep from going deaf as Lucy struck the bronze repeatedly. Judging by her agonized expression, it hurt her ears too. Leaving Lucy behind, Levy struggled with the trapdoor and clamored down the ladder to inform the Masters.

The adrenaline coursing through her system fueled her speed. Her bare feet slapped against sleek, marble stone as she ran down stairs, around corners, and through halls. The dorms were beginning to empty and people began gathering in the main hall of the cloister. The sound of the warning bell still echoed in Levy's head and in the halls, but she had to tell someone what was happening.

Her Master Makarov was coming down the flight of stairs leading to the male dormitories. He must have been asleep judging by lines under his tired eyes.

"Master! Master!" She screamed. She could not hear herself over the crowding people, let alone her own deaf ears. He seemed to have noticed her none the less and called for order.

"QUIET DOWN BRATS!" he barked. Despite his minuscule size, his voice carried a commanding tone. An immediate silence quickly followed suite.

Levy reached his side and fell to her knees, suddenly weak from her adrenaline rush.

"Master," she huffed, "there are travelers on the Southern cliffs. Our scouts have not returned..." she trailed off, knowing her next but of information was crucial, yet ludicrous, "There was a beast, Master..." she whispered, hoping he would believe her.

She watched his eyes widen with shock and search his mind for the right course of action, grumbling to himself. He had read the same reports as she. The reports of slaughtered towns, leaving nothing behind but scorch marks. He looked into her face and placed a paternal hand on her shoulder.

"Did you see it..?" he asked, equally as quiet, but no less urgent. He needed a visual confirmation which she granted with a shaky, yet deliberate nod of her head.

"Children!" He called, "Do not panic. We must inform the town immediately. Go into the village, take shelter in the cellars and crags! Leave no one behind," he made a sweeping gesture across the attentive crowd, "and defend yourselves."

An ominous sound of metal rubbing against metal responded. She looked around herself at her fellow members, realizing they already carried weapons from seemingly out of nowhere. Swords, spears, knives, and even bows with arrows were clutched in the hands of her beloved Order members. Their faces that always seemed so joyful and at peace, now held fear and seriousness in frowns and tense muscles. They were a peaceful village. Her mind could not comprehend what her eyes were seeing. They would fight?

"No, Master," she whispered desperately, "we will not survive. It means to kill us," she struggled to riffle through her mind for an alternative solution. Her master gave her his full attention.

"What if we moved the people!" she exclaimed, "To Old Town, from before construction. In the cliffs," she explained haltingly.

Her Master's eyes darkened with remembrance. It was a sketchy decision as it has been vacant for decades, save for Porlyusca. He had been apart of the first settlements, cast out of the country for his determined and voiced allegiance to the old King. She watched his face labor under the difficult memories until acceptance flashed.

"Then it is decided," he mumbled to her.

She vaguely remembered reading the documents about Fairy Tail's conception. Her beloved town was not always so. Before the previous king's death, the people had lived in clay hovels hidden in the cliff sides against the ocean, avoiding persecution. Many years later, they decided it was safe enough to emerge and build their own town, out of sight from the new King's gaze, literally. Levy remembered the day she arrived so many years ago. Her cloister was still being built. She could remember the way the dust on the air tasted with the salt of the ocean. It was the first place she truly felt at home. She would die to protect her home. Looking at her master, she came to the conclusion that even if the town were to be destroyed, they could rebuild it. But only if her people lived. If she could protect the people, she could protect her home.

He raised his hands high, calling the member's attention once more.

"Children! Sheath your weapons and evacuate the people!" Levy could here the whispers of distress at her master's command.

"You will lead the people to the North Western corner of town. Master Freed and Mistress Evergreen will accompany you from there. Now HURRY! The danger is upon us!"

Levy's stomach rolled as her family quickly dispersed into the night. She had fully regained her sense of hearing, but no longer heard the warning bell. Fearing for her friend, she scrambled back the way she had come from the watchtower. The halls were eerily empty as she passed, but she pressed on for her best friend. She paused at the bottom of the ladder, looking up at the open trapdoor. Did she already leave?

"Lucy!" She yelled. No response.

She climbed up the rungs and finally emerged onto the wooden floors of the tower. She looked to the bronze bell and found her dear friend crumpled in a fetal position on the floor, the mallet still in her limp hands. Levy scurried to her side, brushing Lucy's loose hair away from her face. There was a streak of drying blood across her face and neck, coming from her exposed ear. Levy placed two fingers at the pulse point in her unconscious friend's neck, satisfied with the strong heartbeat, and determined to carry her friend down with her. She untied one of the many cords from her friend's waist and positioned her atop Levy's back. Going down the ladder, Levy knew she would need both her hands. So she tied the cord around the unconscious girl's wrists to keep her from sliding off Levy's back. Stepping down the first step, Levy wavered at the amount of weight she was carrying. She gripped the steps tightly as the weight of her friend choked her. She was trying to hurry, but it truly was a tall ladder. Her oxygen supply was depleting, and she still had another half of the ladder to go. She maintained control of their descending bodies despite the encroaching black in her vision. She did not hear the male voice below her and only when she collapsed on the ground with her best friend on top did her vision somewhat clear. Lucy's deadweight pinned the little record's keeper to the marble floor, making oxygen consumption increasingly difficult. A head of pink hair illuminated by nearby torches filled her view. Then she heard him.

"Levy! What in hell were you thinking?!" He scolded. She gave a weak smile at the sound of concern in the pinkette's voice.

"Sorry, Natsu," she apologized. She felt him undo the knotted cord around her friend's wrists. Levy rolled onto her side when Lucy had been removed. She pushed herself into a sitting position and watched with a surprising ache in her heart as her best friend was cradled so lovingly in the man's arms.

"Lucy rang the bell," she stated, answering the question he had yet to ask.

"Thanks, Lev'," he responded. He shifted Lucy onto his back, bearing her weight with much more finesse. "Gramps and everyone are on their way to Old Town. You coming?" He was already walking away down the hall towards the exit.

Levy hesitantly stood on her bare feet, giving herself a chance to breath and her blood to reach her extremities.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I—" a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her and she leaned against the wall for support until it passed.

Levy opened her eyes and the pink haired man was gone. Slightly miffed, Levy started down the same passage; her bout of dizziness vanished. When the silence grew too loud, she picked up her pace, the sound of her feet and rustling of fabric helped to keep the oppressive demons of her mind at bay.

In a spur-of-the-moment, Levy dashed up the corridor towards her dorm. If she was never going to see any of her possessions again, she immediately knew what she would regret to leave behind. Landing in the hall, she raced to the end where her room was located. She threw the door wide, greeted by dust motes and an earthy scent, and instantly dove into her night-stand drawers. She retrieved two leather bound books and stuffed them into a canvas bag. With great care, she also retrieved an unusual jeweled necklace. Order members were not allowed to keep jewelry for fear of vanity, but her little keepsake was special. She clasped the long, liquid gold chain around her neck and spared an admiring glance to the heavy trinket on the other end. It was an amethyst in the shape of a knife. There was no handle, as it appeared to have been broken at some point in its life, but she still loved the rough, textured edges and rich color. She tucked the pendant into her robe, feeling it settle in the shallow valley of her cleavage.

One last item: a true knife that had been hidden beneath her mattress upon her acceptance into the cloister. She refused to initiate violence, but defending oneself was another matter. She believed it was necessary.

She peeked out her window curtains when she heard the sound of horses whinnying. Reeling back at the sudden crowd of strangers atop horses, she immediately went into panic mode and dashed out of her room with her things in-tow. Frustrated tears streamed down her face at her naivety. How could she have been so stupid to waste time?

She wove through the maze-like hallways towards the front exit with impressive speed. She leapt across ornate walkways and over railings until she reached the massive, dark wood doors. She paused with her hand on the handle, intently listening to the booming voice outside.

"Spread out! Search the town!"

Suddenly realizing her escape was cut off, Levy was going to have to slow the bandits down. Being as little as she was, there was no way she was going to be able to move the heavy beam to bolt the door. Eyeing the warrior statue nearby, it's spear would have to do. She jerked the long rod from its resting place and dropped it in the metallic sockets.

Levy gave a screech and jumped when the doors were fiercely shoved. The solid rod bent with the force and Levy was petrified with fear when the doors where shoved a second time, still not giving way to open. There was a a long pause after the second attempt and Levy could not make out what was being said. She crept closer to the door to hear better.

She heard heavy boots coming up the steps and a jingling of something she could not identify. Another pause followed that was filled with the sound of her heart threatening to burst out of her chest.

A series of light knocks struck the heavy door.