I do not own Fairy Tail.
Chapter 4:
Makarov Dreyar met Talia when she was only a girl. He was visiting Warrod about matters having to do with the Wizard Saints. This was soon after the girl's parents had been killed.
She was always quiet and had never gotten along with children her own age, her antisocial behavior only growing after their death. The only interaction she kept was with Warrod, who took over her care when she was left an orphan. Makarov still remembered how apprehensive she was to his company the first few times he came around. Eventually he grew on her and she began anticipating his visits, always running to hug him as he arrived.
Looking at her now, he couldn't believe how far she had come. A soon-to-be Wizard Saint, ready to join the ranks of her uncle and one day, Makarov predicted, take his place. He felt the pressure of her magic the moment she entered the guild, as did everyone else. He had no doubt, she could best everyone in his own guild. He knew she was deserving of the title she had been working towards. He remembered the first time she told him and Warrod about her dream of becoming a Wizard Saint like them, he knew she could do it and she was.
She was walking towards him, a smile on her face. It made him happy to see her smile and interact with others much friendlier than when she was small. But then again, she's had a long time to work on her social skills.
"Have you made your decision, Talia?" Makarov asked her as she took a seat beside him. Her moving away from the group of mages allowed them all to take a breath finally and discuss between themselves. Talia's ears were trained on their conversations.
Natsu being sure he was going to be chosen, others being completely clueless as to whether they would be, and then there was Lisanna who was positive she wouldn't be chosen.
"I have indeed" Talia spoke in low tones, aware the slayers could hear her. Makarov already had an idea who would not be chosen, as well as who may be.
At the admission of having made a decision, the three in the room that could hear her turned up their heads. The others also looked up. They moved as a group towards where Makarov sat and waited.
"Well," She began "I must admit that it was a bit of a decision for me. I wasn't expecting mages such as yourselves, but in the end I have a specific task that I need a specific skillset for."
The eight mages were getting restless, wanting her to just get to the point and tell them. "I chose three of you to accompany me" She spoke, before making eye contact with the three she had chosen.
"Wendy Marvell, Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox, we will be leaving in a half hour. Please gather your things and meet me at the city limits to the north. I will see you then" And without further word, turned her back to converse with Makarov. Gajeel and Wendy turned and hurriedly left the guild to head to the dorms and retrieve their things.
Natsu, on the other hand, remained. "What about Lucy?" He asked indignantly. Lucy stood beside him trying to calm him, insisting it was fine. He, on the other hand, insisted it was not because they were a team.
"I have made my decision" Talia spoke evenly, not sparing a glance towards him.
Natsu, ignoring his instinct to drop it, stepped forward while yelling complains about her choice. When she didn't even turn to look at him, he reached out a hand to grab her shoulder.
The guild went silent again as she whirled around and snatched his wrist before it could make contact. It was then, as her cloak was blown back by her movements that they noticed runes written around her wrists glowing. Then they disappeared as she willed her limiters to be removed, a technique powerful mages use to disguise themselves in day to day situations but still be able to harness their full power when needed.
"I said I have made my decision, child of Igneel" She spoke, her eyes seeming to flash with the limiters removed. Many in the guild braced themselves as her full magic power was felt, even Makarov having to get ahold of himself to not fall out of his seat. Natsu was knocked on his backside, Talia still gripping his wrist. At his continuous nodding, she released him and just like that, the pressure of her magic disappeared as her limiters returned to flowing around her wrist.
"I suggest you gather your things" She spoke calmly, taking her place standing next to a surprised Makarov once again.
Natsu scrambled off the floor and took off at a sprinting pace out of the guild hall doors.
Talia looked to Makarov and said her goodbyes, giving him no time to question her about her magic. She assured she'd seem him again when the job was over and took her leave. She made it to the city limits quickly and took to waiting for the three she had chosen for the job. She knew choosing Natsu would be a hassle, but she believed it to be worth it.
In the time she waited, she found herself sitting in the high limbs of a tree meditating. She figured speaking to her teacher would give her some well-needed advice, but she found the slayers showing up too early for her to empty her mind completely.
As Gajeel and Wendy stood below her, trying to figure out where she was, she dropped between the, surprising the slayers for once since no one else could do it easily.
She noticed two Exceeds joining the slayers, but waited until Natsu arrived until she addressed it. She let them chat idly, and when Natsu finally showed, his own Exceed following him, she spoke.
"The cats may not join us" She spoke, holding an authoritative tone. She was met by complaints from Exceeds and slayers alike.
"Why not?!" Natsu yelled, the words being mirrored by his cat.
"They are weak and hold no purpose," She spoke, readying herself to leave, "They will get in the way."
"Lily wouldn't" Gajeel protested, knowing his cat could hold his own in battle unlike the other two.
"No exceptions. You will be fine without them, I promise" She told them before starting into the woods to the north of Magnolia. She heard the slayers behind her apologizing to their cats and promising they'd be alright without them, telling them to take of things while they were gone. Finally, the three ran to catch up with her, purposely, slow pace.
"Umm, ma'am where are we going?" Wendy asked, moving next to her. Talia smiled before stopping and turning to face them.
"Now that you are my partners, you must not be so formal. I am Talia, call me as such" She explained, "And we are traveling to the country of Seven to the north. We will be moving at a fast pace, I hope you can keep up. Each day at nightfall we will stop and make camp, and at sunrise we will leave and continue. Eating and other things will be reserved for when we stop and make camp, if you must stop for any reason..I hope you can catch up because I will not be stopping."
She watched their faces change, Natsu and Wendy looking worried, Gajeel hiding his worry a little better than them.
"Please hand me your bags" Talia spoke, waiting until they all put their bags into her hand. She reached into the cloak, the three finally getting a glimpse of what had under it. Expecting grand clothing, they were let down. She wore nothing more than loose shorts, a skin tight black top and vest, her black boots reaching all the way to her thighs. She reached to the belt on her hips and pulled a lacrima out from one side. They watched as it glowed with her magic being pushed into it and their bags disappeared.
"It is a storage lacrima" She explained shortly. They had been wondering where her staff had disappeared to, and they figured that lacrima was responsible for it as well.
The woman secured her cloak back into place before giving her three companions a nod. The slayers were a little dumbfounded, of course they could keep up with her, their surprise had mostly been to the fact that she expected herself to continue until dusk. Of course slayers could probably keep up a decent pace that long but how she expected she wouldn't get tired of hungry, they didn't understand.
"Are you three ready?" She asked. Before waiting for an answer, she turned from them and leaped into the trees, taking off at an inhuman speed. The slayers watched after her, wondering how she did that, and why. Then they realized she was getting a full head start and the three of them leapt into the trees, hopping from limb to limb after her.
I'm catching up to where I currently am writing, but I'm keeping a good distance ahead. It's a huge struggle for me to keep interest in a story and keep writing, but I'm trying.
I also regularly struggle with writing about a love interest because this isn't about my most favorite character and the more I see of him, the more I wish I would've changed it but I won't because I need to do this.
Anyway, please enjoy. The next chapter is super long (as far as my chapters go, at least) so look forward to that. It'll be maybe the chapter after that they get to their destination. Maybe one more after that depending on what I feel like.
Review please? It would be great.
