Note: So before I even get started, I want to formally apologize for my absence on fanfic. I have not yet finished Nether although the Promise is ready to be submitted. This of course will be done as Nether is submitted seeing as the two stories sort of coincide. In the time that I have been gone, I have successfully finished my first year of college and recently started my second. I still aim to have a creative writing minor. I have gained a boyfriend whom I absolutely adore. I have lost my best friend since middle school. I am now a godmother to a chunky little brat named Oliver and have adopted a miniature horse from a local rescue. To those who are still awaiting my stories after all this time, thank you. I appreciate it! Here is part IV of Nether: Bramosia. I hope it fulfills everything you have been waiting for!
PART IV
Grandene's cottage
The door slammed behind the travelers as soon as Gray had shuffled into the comfortingly crowded space of a cottage. No doubt they never would have come upon it if it had not been for the still nameless woman who had revealed less about herself than she knew about Gray, Mavis and Moh. While she drifted across the wooden floor, scratched and scarred from years of things being brought in that had sharp edges or even just the shuffling of shoes, Gray took the time to peek at his surroundings. There were pots the size of well fed pigs along every wall, and above them, hammered into the wall by nails were shelves that kept everything from tied together wheat bundles to vials of cloudy liquids. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling, which was a mix of stone and wood.
Well this is… homely. Gray exhaled through dry lips, noting the presence of broken glass all over the place, only visible because of the light coming in through the two windows. The elderly woman with salmon colored hair moved back into the main room and settled herself onto a chair that had obviously been stitched quite carefully by clever hands. The design was of a dragon, but it was hid as soon as she lowered herself into the seat. Crooked fingers cleared a wooden coffee table of bags with strong smelling poultice and plates that had not yet been washed. But as soon as her movements began, they seemed to suddenly stop. Gray felt his muscles start to go rigid and he lifted his eyes, catching the gaze of the woman. Silence ensued. And then…
"Well?" Gray's brows betrayed his confusion and she grumbled something to herself before gesturing to a tattered couch opposite of her chair. "Sit DOWN." Gray tucked his head, unbuckled his weapon and set it down on the table as he was seating himself. Again an echo of silence fell through the old cottage. She raised a chipped teacup to her wrinkled lips and after blowing on the liquid, she took a sip and settled the ware back down onto a small little plate. "So. Why is a faerie of your standing roaming around like one without a home?" Gray looked to where Mavis was on his shoulder. She did not return his gaze. It took a little while, which was starting to become nothing of surprise to Gray now (though it did amuse him that Moh was keeping her mouth shut). Before Mavis answered, a white cat padded into the room, creeping up to Gray with a strange look in it's eyes. Gray shifted uncomfortably under her stare but decided to try to ignore it.
"Boredom." Mavis shrugged, pushing her long blonder hair behind her shoulders. Her tail moved flippantly. "Why are you interested in my whereabouts, Grandene?" Okay well there was the name he was wondering about. Grandene. Was that someone he had heard about before? Said woman's lips raised in a grim smile.
"There are many who wish to know a royal's whereabouts." Gray raised his eyebrows, looking to Mavis, who, once again, didn't even acknowledge his gaze. Seems like there was a lot he was not in the loop with… A weight stepped onto his leg and the sailor jumped, looking down and finding that the white cat who had been staring at him before was finding a comfortable place to lay down on his lap. He looked up at Grandene, wondering if he should do something about the fact that her cat had just settled itself on him or… the expression he was met with made his curiosity grow even more than it already had. "Carla?"
Strange name for a cat. This muse was quiet and thoughtful coming from Moh, who seemed to have a bit of a tendency to be sarcastic. The cat licked its shoulder, then rubbed up against Gray. Grandene raised her eyebrows, pursing those weathered lips of hers. Though Carla was a frequent visitor to Grandene's home, she never truly showed herself to strangers.
"How long have you had her?" The question came from Gray, who had given in to the temptation of petting the animal. A hand with many rings and bracelets waved dismissively.
"Carla is a partner of one of the Counsel members. She is not mine, though she comes to visit whenever it suits to her liking." Gray's jaw went slack and he looked down at the animal, stunned. A Counsel member's? He pulled his hand back when the cat jumped down from his lap and padded across the floor, skillfully avoiding every piece of broken glass. She jumped up to the open window and then something really mind screwing happened. Wings. Wings unfolded from her back and the feline proceeded to take off into the forest. Gray swiftly returned his attention to Grandene, eyes wide with disbelief, his mouth open and moving as if he were trying to find a way to explain what he had just seen. Grandene smirked and took another sip of tea. "There are many mysteries of this world, Gray. You are only just now becoming aware of them."
Dyvyne
Ys strode through the marble halls, his robe brushing the ground behind his heels as he walked with a purpose. His attendants followed a few steps behind him, exchanging wary glances with one another. Ys was not in a good mood. Not at all. He took a turn and traveled down the steps that would lead him to a carriage that was waiting for him. He stepped into the velvet covered room from the stone road and slammed the door shut behind him without waiting for his attendants to speak their farewell's and their hope for a safe return. He didn't need that right now. No. Right now, Ys needed to enroll the help of a hunter or huntress who could find the whereabouts of whoever had gotten his Nether. They would be required to report back to him every few days—and from there he would be able to catch the idiot who had woken his rage. The carriage started rolling and Ys breathed a sigh of exhaustion. It was hard trying to become a rich man. Even more so when one was trying to make the world his own.
He reached his destination an hour later. It was a grim place—and he frankly did not want to be seen anywhere around here. However the person his sources had most recommended had required that he meet with them here. Of all the places they could have had a discussion, it had to be within a tavern with a brothel connected to it. Ys lifted the hood of his cloak and drew the cloth close to him, covering his fine garments and rendering him a regular man. Or at least one who did not want to be messed with. The man exited the carriage and pushed past the large wooden doors, finding himself exactly where he had expected. Fights, smoke, the smell of boos, women laughing and draping themselves over men who dangled money in front of their faces. Ys strode purposefully into a hall, where he was met with a man large enough to be considered a troll.
"Your business?"
"Titania."
The man looked behind Ys, and finding no one following behind him, stepped out of the way and unlocked the door, revealing a room filled with many treasures. The finest silk curtains draped across the ceiling, gold glittering from every viewpoint. And, laid out like a living portrait was a woman on a couch. Glasses of wine were everywhere. Spilled on the floor, littering the couch, and one, once filled to the brim, was being drained by the red headed beauty. She took her time, waiting many moments after the door had slammed shut before she set the glass down and swept her lips across the palm of her hand. She looked up and Ys found in her gaze the cue to reveal himself. He did just that, loosening the string on his cloak and dropping his hood. A bag of gold was hooked to his waist—and he didn't miss her looking down at it. The man unhooked it and tossed it on the table, knocking over the glass she had just set down. The woman looked up, her torso was completely exposed, though a loosely fitted skirt was cleverly fitted to hide her gender lower down. A crooked smile bit her lips and Ys settled himself into a chair across from her.
"And what can I do for you, Counsel member?" He waved his hand, shunning the way she had spoken to him. He returned her words as she sat up, finding a piece of torn cloth and tying it over her breasts.
"This is Bramosia business." Her eyes flickered, lashes hiding the surprised interest. Ys leaned forward, lacing his fingers around the bottle of wine on the table and pouring a glass. "You are to follow someone."
Coos came back to him, "and do we know who this certain someone is?"
"I'm told he's with a fairy." The woman known as Titania paused, her hands holding up her long hair, caught in the act of putting it up into a ponytail. Ys caught her look and nodded, leaning back after pouring the glass. "Heading towards Ignelle—which means I assume he is either seeking Counsel protection or is doing something we do not want him to do."
"And what would that be?"
"Meeting with a dragon." Erza stopped moving altogether. A…
"Dragon?" Ys nodded, then sighed and gestured towards the bag of coins he had deposited onto her table.
"You will be paid five times that amount for finding them and keeping in contact with us. And then we will double the total if you successfully bring him and his little creature to us." He thought for a second, and then added, "alive."
Erza licked her lips, stood up and began dressing in travelling clothes. "And if they somehow manage to stop breathing?" She was halfway through buckling her pants when she heard Ys's reply.
"You will suddenly go missing." Erza continued, putting armor over her tunic and buckling on arm braces. Two swords hit their hilts and she turned around, girlishly swaying her hips as she approached Ys. He raised a brow and she offered him the glass he had just poured for her. He took the offered drink and watched as she snatched up the bottle, still very much full, and brought it to her lips. When she took a breath, she smiled and raised the container to his glass. She clinked the two together.
"Better get that gold ready."
Grandene's Cottage
"You will take a route that is no longer on the maps. Lest you find yourselves awarded with attention you would rather not be the subject of." This was spoken by Grandene as she watched, with mild amusement, Gray shove his fourth sandwich down his throat. Mavis was content with helping to pack food and then find herbs and salves that she was interested in. These were given with Grandene's blessing, free of charge. Which was good, because Gray didn't feel like paying up for a few yellow leaves. He'd sharpened his dull weapon on a whetstone that was presented to him by the woman, and was given another set of clothes. "There is a group of bandits around this area, however," she said, placing a crinkled finger on the crumpled map that had been laid out on the table just minutes before hand. "Offer them the bag I will give to you, and you should be able to pass through their territory with guides and helpers." She seemed to think for a second, and she got up, striding over to one of her shelves, which she sorted through and came back with a rock from. "If they feel the… slight desire to kill you after you get through their territory, give this to them. But ONLY if they raise their weapons or appear to be thinking a little too hard." Gray took the rock and looked at it from all sides.
"And why the hell would they want a rock for?" Mavis was the one who answered.
"That is no mere rock. It's a bone from one of their deities."
"A deity." The little fairy nodded, her human form tying a small bag of nuts and then tossing it into the bigger pack. O-kay. So the rock was a bone. And not just that, it was from one of their gods.
"After that, you'll need to be very careful. They will give away your position if someone bribes them." Gray took three more bites out of his fifth sandwich and rolled his eyes. Great. "From there you must run. If you can find a horse, buy it. And do not stop at any towns or homes. Sleep outside." Her eyes searched Gray's. "The last part is going to be the hardest. Especially since you'll get there around spring time if you are travelling at the pace I believe you will be. Use that horse to carry as many supplies as you can get your hands on. Climb the mountain." She sat back and closed her eyes.
So all he has to do is climb.
"Yes. It is told in old tales that the Master of the mountain will greet you if you are worthy. Many men have gotten to the top without ever seeing him. And it has been presumed that he is dead."
Gray flexed his jaw. "Dead." Grandene glared back at him.
"Dead. Or waiting for one he deems worthy to come."
"I'm done!" This cheerful voice was that of Mavis's. She held up a large pack and Gray rested his forehead on his palm. How in the world was he going to carry all of that? Grandene stood up and Gray followed suit.
"You must go now."
Talk about cold. Grandene narrowed her eyes as she shoved a bag into Gray's grip after Mavis had helped him put on both the pack and his gear.
"There are those who already know of you and your… condition." She looked the boy up and down. "If you want to get to know about yourself before someone dissects you, I would get going."
And so they did.
In the Forest
Stepping on land was something Lyon had not done in a while. At least not for an extended period of time. It was uncomfortable to have to stop and rest due to the weakness of his human legs every hour or so. Earlier in the day he had made his appearance in Port Rile, visiting every tavern that he could find. Asking for a man he was on the hunt for was something that had to be done very carefully. But that wasn't the easiest thing to do. Some people didn't tell him anything when he could not prove that he was either a relative or an officer of the law. It made the half-man SO mad. Mad enough to want to kill some of those idiot humans just for looking at him warily. He'd gotten enough information to know where the man named Gray had gone though. And as he moved in that direction, he was directed even more so to the right area by passerby's who claimed they had seen a young man with black hair travelling in a part of the forest that wasn't usually used except for those who were seeking out a famed healer. A witch, they said with low voices. Apparently she was some kind of demon in their views. But she was also a myth. Someone who had only been seen by few. And even those who had seen her were very touchy about speaking about their encounter. The best information had come from a weapon shop. And when he was seen as dusk fell, a couple stopped him, offering a place to stay for the night.
"It's dangerous to go into the forest at night…" said the elderly woman who was so frail that she looked as if she could be broken at any point in time. Lyon raised a brow to her husband, a crouched old man with glasses. They were farmers.
"The nature of that place is… evil." Lyon smiled as warmly as he could, which was a strange feeling to him, and acknowledged their concern, stating that he was heading to a friends place but a few miles down the road. He would be sure to stay there for the remainder of the night. They smiled in a comforting way that only the elderly know how to do and continued on their way home, opposite the direction of which Lyon was heading.
Hours later he came across a trail just recently travelled. It led off of the main road and he followed it, his white hair bristling in the fall air. He was many minutes in when he got the sense that he was being watched. The soon to be husband of Juvia Lockser drew two small daggers, looking around carefully. But he didn't catch anything. At least not at first. When he continued moving forward, however, he stumbled back a few steps, stopping dead in his tracks. A woman in a dark maroon cloak was looking straight at him from the path he had been following. She stared at him for a while and then took off into the night. She did not run, but when Lyon attempted to follow her, he was met with disappointment. Whoever she was, she wasn't a normal human. She had disappeared without leaving tracks.
From a distance, Grandene continued to watch the half-man. His white hair, pale skin and weak legs were enough to show her that he was someone who was not used to the rules of the earth's land. And his smell was pungent, filled with traces of blood, sea water and sand. After a while of following him she touched a tree close to her. Kindly requesting the help of the forest to make it difficult for the intruder to pass through. After thanking them for their assistance in something greater than themselves and herself, she made her way back to her cottage. Such a place could not be found by people she did not want it to be found by. And the sound of shifting trees made her smile as she raised a cup of hot tea to her lips.
Whatever the hell had happened, it wasn't by chance. Lyon was lost. And it wasn't that he didn't know where he was going. But every time he found tracks, he seemed to be in a different area than before. It didn't add up. That and he had the sinking feeling that he was going around in circles. When he dropped something inconspicuously and found it an hour later, his hunch was found to be true. Whatever was up, it wasn't by mistake. And he bet it had something to do with the woman he had seen earlier. The half-man clicked his tongue in frustration. These suspicions were given ever the more energy to them when he looked up into the trees and found a white cat glaring down at him from the branches. He blinked a few times, and it simply vanished. Lyon growled and stamped his foot down into the leaves on the ground.
On Back Road
Gray shifted his weight, tilting his head and getting a pop of his neck.
That was disgusting.
Gray smirked. "Wanna hear it again?"
Absolutely not.
"While we're on the vague topic of feeling uncomfortable," he began, directing his voice to the little fairy sitting on his shoulder though he did not look at her, "Ever seen a flying cat before?" He looked over from the corner of his eye at her and saw a smile touch her lips, her fingers still threading a braid through her hair.
