Sorry for the wait!
Please make sure to read the authors note at the end of this chapter
Laxus P.O.V
"Kitsya" I look down at Lucy who nods her head slightly.
While we were training last night we had bumped into some people. They didn't look to well and seemed to need help. When we spoke to them they told us their town had been over run by mercenaries. They had barely escaped from the town and everyone who remained was either dead or enslaved.
Lucy demanded we help free their town and as soon as she had the name and directions she set off to find it.
"You sure you're up for this blondie?"
I look down at the girl next to me, she seems exhausted, I'm not sure why though seeing as she usually sleeps more than I do. There's still a small cut on her knee from a couple days ago when she scared the loving hell out of me with her training. Luckily though her ankle is fine and she can walk without a limp.
"I'm fine, why?"
She half glares at me as she asks this, and not wanting her to think I'm implying she's weak lest she whoop my ass in training, I simply say.
"No reason really, you've just been training alot, I figured you might have wanted a little break."
She seems to accept this as a reason and simply nods saying a quick "I'm fine don't worry." Then walks away toward the village.
It's like the villagers said. The town is a wreck and the only people in sight are those who the mercenaries have killed.
"Careful blondie, don't go running ahead, got it?"
She looks at me with that 'no shit Sherlock' Look and starts walking, drawing her sword as she does.
We slowly make our way house to house, carefully searching through them before moving on to the next. It doesn't take long before we've finished looking through the small houses surrounding the one large house at the edge of town. Its likely the mayors home.
"That's probably where they've made their base." Lucy's voice cuts through my thoughts, as we stalk around the large home, peaking into Windows.
"They're probably on the second floor, or maybe the basement, trying to stay out of sight, but if that's the case they likely already know we're here."
Lucy nods in response, shes clearly trying to think of a plan. I know the second she comes up with one as her face lights up.
"You may not like this but I think I have an idea."
She relays her plan to me and I have only one response.
"No way in hell." It was bad enough that she had made up her mind to save this town even though she was obviously exhausted. But her plan wasn't something I wanted to even consider.
"Laxus please, you know chameleon can camouflage me long enough to find where they are in there, and he can't camouflage you, plus I need you to make sure no one runs out."
"Look blondie, I said no, I'm not changing my mind. It's way too dangerous for you to go in there alone." I grab her shoulders trying to make her look at me as if trying to forcefully change her mind.
A look of anger crosses her features as she stares at me. "I'm not weak Laxus, don't you dare think I am for a second."
She pushes me away, more forcefully than I thought possible from her delicate form, and she walks towards the door, quietly summoning her spirit as she goes. I follow trying to convince her to stop.
"This is not up for discussion anymore, I'm going in alone and that's that."
I try to follow her as she walks into the house but the door closes behind her, effectively locking me out. I almost yell her name but know I can't, it will only alert the men inside. I can only watch from a window, as her spirit turns her invisible.
Lucy P.O.V
I walk through the house unseen, careful not to step in the wrong place on the floor so it won't creak. Luckily I had been training with chameleon since we fought that dark guild back in Emelle.
'He just thinks I'm weak . . . like everyone.'
My heart sinks as tears prickle at the corners of my eyes. It's true, I have been exhausted lately, I've had that same nightmare every night and although I continue to sleep, I don't rest. Still I can handle myself he should know that by now. I'm not sure what upsets me more, that my scar burns as I defend my strength to myself, or the fact that it's Laxus doubting me, that one person who has become so important to me.
I stop walking shaking the thoughts away, 'I will address this later, I need to focus now.'
Creeping through the house I decide to check the basement first. I hear a few voices down there but not many. 'Good, and the door is open so no need to worry about that.'
I creep down the stairs pressed against a wall despite being camouflaged. When I round a corner I see, first, the remaining villagers piled in one corner. Whimpering lightly most of them are children splattered with the blood of likely their own parents. My heart drops and cold rage rushes through me as I see the source of the voices. There are only three of them, each wearing black pants and leather vests, no shirts underneath I notice. As for weapons they have simple daggers at their belts with bows and arrows strung over their shoulders. But it isn't the weapons that have me silently drawing my sword. It is the young girl roughly my age that they are holding between them. Their intentions are clear.
"C'mon slut, you know you want us."
"I bet the boss would like her, she's a pretty little thing."
"Screw that, I'm not handing her over to that prick."
"Careful what you say, he might just kill ya for that."
They all laugh and throw the girl into a corner. She thrashes against them fighting with all she has, screaming and pleading for them to stop. I debate slaughtering them all right here but decide they will face judgement.
I make swift work of knocking each one out, chameleon takes a break from camouflaging me once the last one goes down, and I swiftly use magic rope to tie them all up, this rope will make it so they can never get out of it unless I want them to.
I walk up to the girl slowly, and calm her as best I can before examining her, making sure she isn't hurt too badly. I don't say much knowing she needs comfort now more than anything. I summon Virgo who already knows what I want from her, she goes through all the survivors helping with any wounds, cleaning blood off some and giving them new clothes. I pull aside a man who looks to be in his thirties, he is the only one his age in the group but looks to have been beaten badly.
I waste no time questioning him as kindly as possible.
"Are there any other survivors of your town?"
"Yes, they take the other men up two at a time and have been for weeks, only one ever returns, and the women."
He takes a deep breath tears forming in his eyes.
"They have taken them one at a time, so slowly as offerings to their leader. I don't know what that sick bastard does with them, but none have returned. My . . . My wife was the last one to go."
I put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him. "I will find her," I turn to Virgo quickly and say "take them through the cellar door over there, Laxus should be waiting on the other side, he will protect them." I look back to the man now one more question in mind. "How many more are there?"
He stares into my eyes now and I realize his eyes have a defeated look about them, his eyes hold no hope, he's seen so much death.
"At least twenty, but their leader, hes the worst of them, he . . . He killed our strongest men alone, he's a powerful mage. There's no hope in facing him."
I tap his shoulder once and say, "I'm a mage as well, I'll be fine." Then push him towards the others.
Virgo has almost gotten everyone out and now stands at the stairs ready to follow the man up the stairs to guide them to Laxus.
"Virgo." I stop, trying to find the words. Although I don't want to seem weak. I know that there are alot of men up there so I face Virgo who is now looking intently at me.
"If I'm not out there in ten minutes, send Laxus in."
Virgo nods and with a quick, "Yes Princess," she's up the stairs of the cellar, the door silently closing behind her.
Chameleon has me camouflaged before I'm fully up the stairs, it's funny how I don't have to tell him when the camouflage is needed. He appears as a small chameleon that sits on my shoulder however has a secondary form of a Young's man with green hair, who always seems to be dressed to match his surroundings. He doesn't speak much and when he does he's very quiet.
We make our way through the house once more, this time heading for the stairs at the front of the house. I look toward the window Laxus and I had been crouching at when I'd stormed into the house and see Virgo speaking with him. He looks so worried, I almost want to go out there and bring him with me to fight but I'm still feeling stubborn, and want to prove I'm no weakling to him.
I start up the stairs one step at a time as quietly as possible. I hear voices growing louder, and see one man heading for the stairs. He's pushing what looks to be another beaten villager with him. I make quick work of knocking the mercenary out and briefly question the villager before telling him to go outside where the rest of the villagers are.
The villager had informed me that each bedroom door was closed, when opened there we two mercenaries per bedroom, With 6 bedrooms. The remaining 8 men including the leader were in a closed office at the end of the hall. Luckily the man was not only observant but had worked in this home in the past. He revealed there was a secret entrance leading from the bedroom just right of the office, that lead to a curtained off area which, miraculously, the mercenaries had yet to discover.
Each bedroom is simple, with large beds, a big window opposite the bed, a table, two chairs and a large closet. Most of the men are either asleep or at their table discussing which town they would take next, or who they'd sell those kids to. With them distracted none of the men notice the door open and close silently, and by the time they realize something is wrong it's too late.
I make my way through each room, painfully aware I'm approaching that ten minute mark, and summon Virgo to the last room. I tell her I'll be ten more minutes and send her to tell Laxus. It's been through pure luck I haven't been discovered yet, and even more luck that the only place the windows of the second floor don't face, are where the cellar door is, and where Laxus is waiting with the villagers.
Before taking the secret passage, I survey the door to the office. Through it I hear the laughter of the remaining men, along with the sobs of a woman. Again that rage creeps through me and I make my way through the passage.
Laxus P.O.V
"Ten more minutes? No, no I'm going in there."
The pink haired spirit, Virgo tries to reason with me. I understand she's obeying her master but still she clearly doesn't understand how worried I am.
"Please, princess just needs a little more time. She doesn't want you to see her as weak."
The words come out in monotone and she is completely poker faced. Yet I still year it, the pleading voice that doesn't seem to even exist. So I stop and look to Virgo.
"I know you're worried about her too, but you won't disobey her. I'll wait ten more minutes and no more, no matter what you say. She . . . Lucy is not weak, she never has or ever will be. I will never see such an amazing woman as weak."
Virgo smiles mischievously, even more eerie as her eyes are always the same poker face eyes. "You like princess don't you?"
I'm about to deny it but figure she probably already knows, and likely will tell Lucy either way.
"So what if I do? She's amazing and beautiful, can you blame me?"
I swear I see Virgo's eyes light up for the briefest moment before she wanders off to treat the injuries of the last man who'd arrived.
I look up to the windows high above. None of them over look the area we're in and I know I can't move unless I want to alert the men inside to our presence. So I keep watch and remain alert, listening for any sign of trouble. 'this is going to be the longest ten minutes of my life.'
Lucy P.O.V
The first thing I see when I peak around the tiny space in the curtain is a giant man sitting at the mayors desk, he wears the same clothes as the rest of the men, although he wears a red cloak along with them. His face set in a sneer as he laughs at the woman crying quietly as he holds her to sit on his lap. She looks away from him and is trying to push away but his muscles are huge and he hold her there effortlessly.
The rest of the men in the room are the same as the men shed seen in the basement. They however had only daggers no bows or arrows, the leader however has a large sword strapped across his back.
The woman gives another push and he throws her across the room, she hits the ground letting out a pained moan before two more women run to her side and help her up, dragging her to a corner of the room I can't see.
"Damn bitch, you're all starting to bore me, bring the last two men."
Two of the mercenaries leave the room laughing I hear one say, "looks like this is the last fight for a while," and then they're gone. I rush through the passage and dispatch the two men then tie them up and hide them in one of the bedrooms.
Luckily the leader is impatient and sends two more men out, then two more, like clock work every two minutes before finally he's alone. Although now I'm very close to the time limit. I decide to end this quickly, using the passage to my advantage I'm able to sneak up on the leader. At least I thought I could.
"Well then we're alone now, are you going to face me?"
He is looking out the large window behind the desk, the curtain being on the opposite side of the room. The women are all in the corner sobbing quietly. Clearly he knows I'm here but he doesn't know where I am. So I make my way closer, silently passing by the sobbing women towards the man at the desk.
"I guess I could make you."
I don't have time to register the words before I'm thrown against a wall with such force it knocks the wind out of me, and sends chameleon back to the celestial realm.
He looks over at me finally and a brief look of shock crosses his face before a sick smile replaces it.
"Well I didn't realize the one attacking my men was such a well endowed, pretty little thing. If you say sorry I may forgive you and bring you with me as my personal little . . . Doll."
"Dream on asshole." I snarl at him as his disgusting face twists in amusement. "I could always make you do what I want."
He lunges towards me, sword drawn and I jump away just as the long sword slashes the wall where I'd just been. He laughs and keeps lunging as I parry each strike he sends my way, I'm on the defense however and he's backing me into a wall. Finally I see an opening and swifly strike, landing a shallow cut to his side. He curses and keeps attacking, now however I know where and when to strike. I lash out, pushing him back however it's clear neither of us are winning.
He laughs suddenly dodging behind me and swipes his sword down my back. He only hits fabric however and rips open my shirt revealing the large scar. My anger flares and in a not well thought out move I swiftly turn, swipe away his sword with my own and lunge towards him. He uses that same magic as earlier though and sends me flying back. My sword drops from my hand as he does.
"That's a nasty scar you've got," he approaches slowly and kicks my sword away as I reach for it. "Don't worry, I can look past that. Maybe I'll give you a few more." He smiles more as he hoists me up and bends me over the desk, pinning me down with a single hand. He reaches down and gropes my ass, causing me to throw out a leg landing a hard kick to his shin. He falters briefly then picks me up a little before slamming my upper body into the desk, hard enough to leave a crack.
"That hurt, you Bitch. I'll have to be extra rough with you."
He twists my arm painfully and I let out a pained gasp. "You prick!" I growl out.
"Hmm creative, but I prefer you call me. Daveth while I do what I please with you. Oh and if you so much as kick me one more time, I'll have to crush the lovely ladies that have been keeping me company."
I look up towards the women who appear to be pressed between the wall and an unseen force. 'this magic, does it let him project barriers?'
"I see you've figured out my magic. You'd better be good now. Maybe I'll even reward you later." He starts to grope my ass again and I know I can't fight, I can only hope Laxus will be here soon.
Laxus P.O.V
The second the ten minutes are up I storm into the building as quietly as my large frame will allow. I immediately head upstairs checking the bedrooms as I go. Each one contains knocked out mercenaries tied up. 'guess I shouldn't have worried so much.' part of me thinks she let the time run out so I would walk in here worried only to find her relaxing with a tied up leader knocked out next to her. With that thought in mind I open the doors to the office.
At first it's shock that I feel. The first thing I see once I open the door is a large man, in a stupid red cloak, who's about my size, holding down Lucy who has tears at the corners of her eyes. His hand is on her ass and her shirt is ripped down the back revealing a scar I didn't know existed. She looks away, ashamed to be seen in such a position, she looks scared and at the same time angry.
Pure rage seeps through me. 'that bastard hurt Lucy, he was going to force her to . . .I will kill him.'
I'm not quite sure how it happened but with a flash she is at my side and I hold her protectively next to me as that bastard shoots across the room and into a wall. I take off my jacket and put it around her before stalking towards the bastard wordlessly.
Everytime he moves I send a jolt of electricity through him, he seems to be scared now . . . Good.
"L. . . Let me go or I'll kill the women."
He stutters out and points over to a corner of the room. I glance over and seeing the situation, I realize what his magic is. Swiftly I shatter the barrier holding them, and they run out of the house.
I zap him again before the beating starts.
"How dare you touch her. You're not worthy of even hearing her name you sack of shit."
I know it's wrong but I can't stop myself from beating this man. He hurt her, no one hurts Lucy, not anymore. I don't realize how bad it's getting until I feel a tug on my arm.
I look up at Lucy who has tears streaming down her face, she looks scared. I look at the man who has been unconscious for some time and is now bleeding quite a bit. "Please Laxus, that's enough."
I pull her down and hold her tightly, burying my face in her hair. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let you go alone, I should have been there sooner, I'm sorry." My eyes are wet and I hide my face from her, trying not to show them, but she pulls away from me and wipes the tears away, her soft fingers so ridiculously soothing I could fall asleep.
"I know you're strong Lucy, I really do, I just can't help but worry." She smiles lightly at me and kisses me on the cheek, so lightly I can barely believe it happened. Lucy then takes my hand and pulls me to the office door, I glance back and see Virgo tying up the leader before disappearing.
Lucy P.O.V
After Laxus completely destroyed Daveth we contacted the magic council who took care of the rest, there was no reward for the job but I didn't care, those people remaining are safe. That's all that matters.
I think back to what Laxus had said before.
~Flashback~
"I know you're strong Lucy, I really do, I just can't help but worry."
~Flashback end~
It still makes my heart beat a little faster, thinking about what he said. I look ahead of me and see Laxus carefully moving branches out of my path, making it easy to move through the thick forest.
'He's a tease but he's sweet, he worries about me but still believes in me. My heart beats so fast when he looks at me. I've liked him for a while now, I'm just so stubborn sometimes, I wouldn't admit it until now.'
A light blush creeps across my face as he takes my hand to help me down from a large ledge. As we continue anxiety courses through me. 'Laxus will never feel this way about me, and even if there was a chance how would I ever tell him?'
There done another chapter sorry again that it takes me so long to update. Fun fact Kitsya is the name of my boyfriends first cat, I included the name since he has been very supportive and always urges me to write new chapters. Now SURVEY TIME. My boyfriend seems to thank I should include a lemon in this story, but I want you're opinions. Please let me know either through review. Thank you so much and have an awesome day.
~ShirakaneChan~