Thanks for all the reviews! Here's the next chapter. The OCs that I have chosen will be appearing from here on out, some sooner than others. There were a lot of creative OCs that I had to choose from. I can definitely feel inspiration for this story. It's a great feeling when you get inspiration after many weeks of nothing. Anyways, here is the chapter. Enjoy and review.
Running was difficult. Running made him feel like a coward. He didn't want to feel like a coward. But that was the only solution to a problem such as this. He was travelling with a man who had murdered thousands and their destination was unknown. Was Amose Keel now a fugitive? He sure didn't think so. As angry as he was, Amose kept calm. He couldn't let his anger take control of him ever again. People die when others are pushed to the edge. Natsu didn't say much as the pair ran through the woods, Amose struggling to keep up. Despite being strong in the upper body, Amose was at best average when it came to running.
They had been running for an untold number of hours, stopping only twice to rest. They had even run in the dark. However, Amose did sort of know what was going on. They were moving out of the forest. When Amose had first started running, the trees were thick and dark, surrounding him on all sides. Now, trees were still common, but bushes and shrubs were even more common than when they were in the deep woods. In the deep woods, nothing made sounds, but now the sounds of birds could be heard coming from the leafy green tree tops. His heart was pounding and his head was spinning, but Amose kept running. He thought in his head that there were people waiting for him. He thought that people were counting on him. Maybe that was the truth, maybe not.
"Stop, get down."
Amose was still running when he smacked into the muscular serial killer, falling back down with a cry. Natsu quickly covered his mouth and made a motion to be quiet. Natsu helped Amose stand and the two slowly lay down on the forest floor, watching carefully from a parted bush. They had discovered a log cabin. Even more of the cabins could be seen in the background. Natsu smiled as he saw the door open and someone exit, carrying a woodcutting axe in their hand. The man had been dressed in a white t-shirt and blue overalls. He quickly turned the corner and walked off into the forest.
Amose had difficulty seeing because it was very early morning, but every cabin had a lantern on the side so it was easy to see everything. It looked like a nice place. The cabins were arranged a bit hastily, but they seemed cozy. People were already outside in the early morning and many of them were sitting around stumps of wood, smoking. Natsu turned to Amose who was watching the scene with fascination.
"Try not to make any noise. These people are friends, but they're jumpy from that massacre back at your settlement." explained Natsu as the two slowly stood, most likely impossible to see because of the darkness.
Amose was surprised by Natsu's statement. These were tribal people? Why hadn't they evacuated yet? They should have left long ago if they truly knew anything about the massacre!
"B-but, how do they know about the massacre and why haven't they left already?" asked Amose as the two moved silently towards the cabin where the man with the axe had come out of.
"News travels fast in the tribal areas. Maybe some of your friends managed to escape. Don't worry about these guys. They're a tough bunch, always fighting with wild animals and stuff. They have a strong leader too. I'll introduce you to him some time," Natsu explained as the two made absolutely sure they were not being followed and quickly knocked on the door of the cabin, looking around to make sure nobody was coming.
It seemed like an eternity but the door was finally opened by a boy younger than Amose himself. He was wearing a crumpled red shirt and he had messy dark velvet hair. His dark blue cat-like eyes were dull from sleep until they saw Natsu standing in the doorway. The boy's eyes shot open and they were filled with alarm.
"Natsu, what are you doing here? I told you it wasn't safe to let you in here anymore, especially with that massacre at the Ostian settlement!" the boy hissed quietly as Natsu held up his hand, trying to calm the boy down.
"Ren, I know and I'm sorry. But you have to make an exception for this special case. Come on, I'll introduce you to my friend."
The boy frowned but nevertheless opened the door wider so that Natsu and Amose could enter. The two sat in chairs that faced a bed where the boy named Ren sat, looking at the two. Amose was busy looking around the cabin, taking note of how cozy it was. It was simple, but it was comfortable with a small kitchen, bed, wooden table, and two wooden chairs. Something that looked like a bookcase lay to the side of the bed, half finished. Natsu leaned back in his chair, happy to find a place to lay low for a while. He turned to Amose and then to Ren.
"Ren, this is Amose, an Ostian survivor." explained Natsu as Ren nodded.
Amose was surprised that Natsu knew his name. Had Natsu visited the settlement before? Ren smiled when he saw Amose's bewilderment.
"Natsu is sheltered by all the tribes, Amose. Don't look so confused," Ren explained as he turned to Natsu, a concerned look on his face. "What's going on at the Ostian settlement, Natsu? I heard there were no survivors, well, besides Amose of course."
Amose sucked in a breath at that. No survivors. Amose felt tears well up once again. Anger flared within him. He was the last Ostian to walk the earth. Even with all these emotions, Amose stayed quiet, wanting to learn more about what Ren and Natsu knew. Natsu patted Amose on the back and looked at Ren, a serious look on his face.
"You guys should have gotten out of here a long time ago. You don't know what might happen." said Natsu, concerned.
Ren just laughed and brushed away Natsu's words like they were nothing. Amose was jealous of Ren's confidence.
"Don't worry about it, Natsu. Our leader is stronger than any general I have ever seen. He'll take care of those snobs easily!" laughed Ren as Natsu grunted.
Amose had calmed down a bit and settled in to watch Natsu close his eyes and sigh. Ren gave him a weird look. The cabin's light wasn't very high so shadows covered much of the room besides the bed so half of Natsu's face looked like it had disappeared. After a few moments of silence, Natsu opened his eyes.
"Ren, what if they do get past your leader? What then?" asked Natsu, Ren nodding his head.
"I have friends in other tribes. I could always join them if we get wiped out. But, we could always-" suddenly, Ren stopped.
He seemed to be listening to something. Ren stood up from his bed and walked over to his door and opened it. He looked around the corner at the various cabins and saw other people coming out with various weapons in their hands. Ren frowned darkly and went back into the cabin. Natsu and Amose were already standing and Ren quickly motioned for them to sit down.
"Just sit tight! Something is happening down by the entrance. I'll be right back so just sight tight, alright?" Ren said as he grabbed his sword from under his bed, drawing it and nodding at the shiny blade.
Natsu was about to protest when Ren blew past him, already outside by the time Natsu tried to open the door. Amose stood with Natsu as the fire dragon slayer opened the door and Amose followed.
"Looks like we're going to go against Ren's orders?" Amose asked as Natsu gave him a huge grin.
"Naturally."
Trail to the Tulgian settlement
The sounds of hundreds of soldiers marching along the dirt trail that led to the Tulgian settlement made a lot of noise, but Gildartz didn't care. He was too busy in his own thoughts. The last few days had been troubling for him. Julius had changed rapidly over the course of only a few days and that worried Gildartz greatly. His elite guard would not let anyone see him besides a few select individuals. What was even more troubling was the conversation he had overheard in the hallway the night before…
-last night, Wizard's Palace-
Gildartz was not one to walk the palace at night, but today he felt like he would take a walk. The general appreciated the beauty of the palace and he admired the paintings as he passed through the torch lit hallways and past the massive floor-to-ceilings windows. However, on his way past the throne room, he heard someone speaking. The side door into the throne room was rather thin and Gildartz was curious as to who was in the throne room so late at night. He stopped outside the door and opened it a crack to see what was going on. He was surprised to see a young woman with middle length blue hair kneeling on the ground in front of the throne. Gildartz could make out the form of Erza Scarlet, one of the king's personal guards next to the throne. However, the conversation was what alarmed Gildartz.
"Colonel Wendy, this is may be a surprise to you, being called to the king so late at night, but I have a job for you."
The young woman looked up at the throne, slightly shaking. Gildartz narrowed his eyes and wondered what was going on. Why a council with Wendy so late at night? His questions were answered as the king continued to talk.
"You were recently promoted and I congratulate you. Now, I have a special assignment for you. Yes, just for you. Think of it as the perfect opportunity to prove your loyalty to me. Michelle, please read the assignment to Colonel Wendy, please." said Julius coolly.
Gildartz was trying to process everything that he had heard. A special assignment that only Wendy could carry out? Gildartz was not one to question the king's orders, but due to current events, he had to question this "special assignment".
"Colonel Wendy, you are to track down the Ostian refugee Amose Keel. The king believes he is connected with the fugitive Natsu Dragneel. His majesty wants him alive and unharmed."
Gildartz backed away from the door, mind reeling. Track down an Ostian refugee? What purpose would an Ostian refugee serve? Gildartz was about to leave when he heard Wendy stand up. Gildartz closed his eyes in sadness when he heard Wendy say the words that would doom the Ostian tribe.
"Yes, your majesty!"
…
"Gildartz, are you all right?"
Gildartz's eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. He was riding on a horse through the forest with several hundreds of soldiers behind him. To his right was a figure wearing a light brown military pea coat. He was also riding a horse and he had a cocky smile on his face. Gildartz grunted. He had forgotten that he had a side mission which was to escort Chief Agent Eucliffe to the Tulgian settlement. Gildartz didn't like the cocky smile that Sting always had on his face. He was leader of the Watchful, Julius' secret police.
"It was nothing, just a little tired." replied Gildartz as Sting nodded his head and the small army of soldiers continued marching.
Eventually, Sting raised his hand and Gildartz brought the march to a halt. Sting nodded to the general.
"Thank you, general, for the escort. I shall be going alone at this point." thanked Sting as Gildartz nodded as Sting quickly disappeared from view on his horse.
The army was nearly in front of the Tulgian settlement. Gildartz watched the cocky agent disappear and scoffed.
"Good riddance."
…
It had been a very short ride to the Tulgian settlement. Sting had arrived there within a minute and the gates were wide open. A few people were walking around near the entrance and his arrival through the gates startled them. Sting rode his horse through the entrance and brought his horse to a stop at the area where all the log cabins were. He looked around the settlement and quickly dismounted, walk towards the closest person.
"Where is your leader? I believe he has business with the Watchful." said Sting confidently to the tribesman.
The tribesman frowned and shouted something to a few other people. Sting chuckled a little bit. How cute, they have their own language. Sting waited patiently and it wasn't long before many people showed up, surrounding Sting. The Chief Agent had been in tight spots such as this but there was something about these people that made Sting uneasy. They seemed to have a murderous fury in their eyes as they started to get closer to Sting. Some carried clubs, others spears.
"How dare you threaten me! I am the Chief Agent of the Watchful! You shall bring your leader to me in chains at once!" shouted Sting as the group of people suddenly backed off, giving Sting some breathing room.
Sting thought he had won, but a voice made Sting's blood run cold. The crowd slowly parted to reveal a man a little bit taller than Sting. His face was covered by a black cloth and the man wore a hood. He was dressed in a cloak and carried a staff.
"Stop announcing yourself like that. It's annoying. You might have thought that I was too badly hurt to fight you, that I would simply surrender myself, but you were wrong, Sting. I accept my death, but that doesn't mean I will die in chains! I will die fighting you!" roared the man as he pointed the staff at Sting, the Watchful leader giving a cocky smirk.
"You wouldn't dare touch me! It would bring a massacre to your tribe!" Sting shouted as the man chuckled.
"Look at the people around you Sting. Do you think they care about death anymore? We will all sacrifice our lives to stay free! I'll be damned if you think you can simply take away my freedom by waving your title around! Die like the dog you are! Staff Magic: Crushing Blow!" the hooded man shouted as the staff glowed red and a single circle appeared underneath Sting.
Sting panicked, trying to get out of the circle, but failed to do so, screaming at the man who had cast the spell.
"You'll pay for this, Mystogan! Your tribe will be wiped out! This is the last mistake you will ma-"
There was a deafening boom like thunder and Sting's body fell to the ground, blood staining the brown pea coat. The crowd of tribes people cheered as Sting fell to the ground, his blood soaking the grass. Mystogan closed his eyes.
"He deserved what he got. Now turn and face the gates my friends! We fight for our freedom! Dethrone tyranny!"
At the back of the crowd…
All hell broke loose at the chants and cheers of tribes people as they suddenly charged forward. Natsu and Amose were at the very back of the crowd when they started to charge forward, waving their weapons in the air.
"Natsu, what's going on!" shouted Amose as Natsu looked around for Ren.
"Looks like another massacre! Damn it! Help me find Ren and then we get out of this massacre!" Natsu shouted back as the two plunged into the thick crowd of shouting tribes people.
The shouts of the tribes people were deafening as Amose moved through the battlefield, avoiding possible death. The soldiers were being called in! Amose moved quickly, trying to find Ren. However, it was Ren that found Amose. The boy was attacking a soldier with his sword and Amose called out to him, pushing the soldier over as he grabbed Ren. Amose's face was one of pure terror as he pulled Ren out of the battle.
"We're getting out of here! This is suicide!" Amose screamed as Natsu emerged from the battle, joining the group.
Ren fought Amose's grip, but the blacksmith's apprentice was too strong. Natsu pointed towards the woods at the other side of the settlement.
"Ren, you know the way to the Mage's Retreat, right?" Natsu asked as Ren nodded.
"Yeah, my friend Aerin trains there with the mage teacher, but I'm not leaving! I can't leave my tribe behind!" Ren shouted as Natsu grabbed him and pulled him in close, Natsu's face one of anger.
"You are coming with me, you hear? I have let too many people die already, and you are not going to be one of them! You stay, and your tribe will be completely wiped out! Don't you want revenge for what they did in the first place? Don't throw your life away, now let's go!" Natsu screamed as Ren grit his teeth and looked away.
The group fled into the woods as the Tulgi tribe fought a hopeless battle against the Fairy Tail Battalion's Concrete Squadron. However, as the group ran, they did not notice a person in a glossy black cloak watching them, his eyes narrowed. He smiled darkly as he watched Natsu run into the forest. He had excellent hearing and he had heard everything Natsu had said. His shouting made it easy to hear as well.
"So you're heading into the woods again, huh? Well, Natsu Dragneel, I think this game has ended in my victory. You'll have nowhere to run, and in the end, I will be the one to punish you for your criminal actions! Just you wait, Natsu."
So, there is the third chapter! I hope you guys liked it! It's a bit long but I thought it was a good follow up for the second chapter. I introduced some OCs in this chapter. I mentioned Michelle who is White Snowy Princess' character. I mentioned Aerin, who is Schwan's character. Ren is the only OC to fully appear in this chapter and that character belongs to LunarBlaze.
I really hope you guys like how the story is turning out with the AU characters and the plot as well. I certainly do like it. I also hope you guys like the long chapters because I like to write long chapters. Anyways, if you liked it, review it please! You don't know how much that motivates me. Anyways, thanks for reading and I will see you in the next (very) action packed chapter! FF