10
The entire battle field froze after the humanoid creature had landed in the middle of the field. Everyone took cautious steps away from it. Even the enemy forces realized that the situation was too dangerous.
-That's one of the things you told us?- Laxus asked quietly and Amelia frowned.
-Kinda, but there's something off about it. While it definitely is a gol, it doesn't look like one. It's supposed to be feral but not to this extent.-
-Any ideas of what could cause this?- Bicklsow whispered. The Seith had his visor off, his eyes examining the soul of the creature.
-How does it's soul look from your view?- Amelia asked. She had a good idea of what had happened but she wanted to confirm her suspicions.
-It looks like it had been shredded to pieces and than some. The things gone completely dark.- the Seith replied with a shudder. He had seen possessed souls, cursed souls, dark souls, but he had never seen a soul looking so dead. Bickslow wasn't even sure if he could it a soul.
-I'm going. Keep clear from the fight, it's gonna attack me and you saw what happened to those, who were close to it.-Amelia replied as she took a step forward.
-Oi, you sure about that?- Laxus asked.
-Keep it in ya' pants and give some trust! She's the only one, who can kill that thing now.-Marco answered as the Soul mage stepped out the circle of people and stepped in front of the Gol, the creature focusing on her right away. It had been idle all this time, just looking around and occasionally growling but otherwise hadn't shown any interest of attacking.
-Easy there! I know you hear me and I know what you are trying to do!- Amelia cooed and Bickslow frowned. It was slight but there was definitely a string of white moving in the creatures soul, between the chaos of black. As the Soul mage continued speaking, the string got a little thicker, a little more active, trying to shed the darkness.
-What the hell is happening?- Bicklsow whispered and Freed looked at him confused. It was than when the blood froze in their veins. It sounded more like a growl but it was certainly there.
-...Kill...me...-
-Did it just speak?- Evergreen asked shocked.
-They are supposed to speak actually. This Gol is an anomaly and I think I know the reason.- Nicole answered, her eyes never leaving her sister.
-What's that?-someone asked from behind her.
-It was created artificially. This person was forced to turn into a Gol. I have heard about experiments but always thought that those are just rumors.-
Amelia smiled as gentle as she could towards the young soul, which was crippled so badly. She could sense the tiny shred that had escaped it's torment by clinging to it's happy memories, but even this shred had already begun to taint by the darkness around and it wouldn't be long for it to loose the small string of humanity there was. It had been once a young girl, not older than fourteen, the Soul mage sensed. She had been very happy with many bright memories and strong dreams to whom the girl had clung for her own safety. However, her soul had still been shredded and turned into a nightmare. It was yet another victim of the system they had come to break, yet another innocent person, with whose blood they washed their filthy hands.
-I'm so sorry. Evanesco.- Amelia all but whispered the spell, which would free and destroy the girls soul.
As soon as the purely white magic circle appeared, the Gol started screeching, growling and staggering around the bright light. It tried to escape the light burning it's flesh and bones, black tears rolling from it's blooded eyes. Bickslow was the only one, who dared to approach Amelia as she held her hands wide and cast the spell, tears flowing freely down her face. He placed his hand on her shoulder and stood there as the magic slowly vanished along the Gol's body. A deep silence held the field frozen in space. The enemy forces were shocked that someone was able to stop the Gol, the allies were horrified at the cruelty exposed.
-Hey...-Bickslow nudged the woman gently but was met with a pained pair of eyes.
-There are two more. They are trying to stay away and control themselves. They have more left than she did, but they won't last long. I have to find them.-she answered and the Seith glanced at Laxus, who grimly nodded. Without a word his lightning stroke several enemy mages around them and the battle swung to it's fullest while Amelia and Bickslow made their way towards the East, where the two remaining Gol's were hiding.
-I can see them. Damn, they are nearing their limit!- Bickslow said as he noticed two souls behind a large rock. They had traveled the distance in a few minutes on the Seith mages totems and now Amelia almost broke into a sprint as soon as they were lowered to the ground. As they rounded the edge of the rock, they were met with a horrid screech.
-Oh my God.- Amelia breathed at the sight of the two Gol's or, rather, one alive Gol, who stood above the second one with a large rock in it's hands.
-Evanesco!- the Soul mage called and Bickslow took a step back. He had stepped into the circle accidentally the last time and it had started to burn even him. If not for the Seith magic, he was pretty sure, the magic would take a chomp from his soul as well.
Only moments after a soft "thank you" lingered in the air as the last remains of the Gol's body was scattered by a gentle breeze.
-Let's go back to the field. This needs to end. All of this.- Amelia said calmly yet her eyes betrayed the raw anger she felt. It made the hair stand up on his neck. He'd always hated the silent anger type of people, they just gave him the creeps.
Just, when they prepared to depart via Bickslows totems, loud cheers erupted from the battlefield side with a red, flaming flare, saying that they had won.
-Looks like it's over.-
-Not yet. We still have to take the city and the King. Also, with the main forces gone , I don't think that there will much resistance. By the way, Bickslow, than you for helping me there.- Amelia said as she wrapped her hands around the tall man and his totems started moving towards the deafening cheers.
-What are you talking about? I didn't do anything.- the Seith grinned.
-Right.- was her only reply, also she knew very well that the Seith had kept the shreds of the dark souls at bay while she had done the deed. He understood that it had been very hard to erase these souls from existence, yet by keeping away the dark parts from the light, that there still was, they had saved the sanity of those remains of the, once living people, they had belonged to, thus simply purifying them instead of erasing their very existence.
As they entered the battle field, the two Soul mages were greeted by hundreds of criminals tied in small groups with the Allied forces standing around them. Nicole ran up to them as soon as they touched ground and tightly hugged her sister.
-We did it!- the fire mage breathed and Amelia smiled, yet looking at her sister, her smile faltered.
-Not yet.- the soul mage replied glancing at the Kings castle.
-Bicklsow, Amelia, Nicole, come with me for a second.- the General called them as he stood with Laxus, Freed, Ever, Marco and Teb.
As the three mages joined the group, the General glanced around before taking a deep breath.
-I won't beat around a bush and just tell you that we have a problem. Some of our enemies have been willing to talk, hoping that it would help their case in court and some of them have told us rather concerning things. First of all, the King of Desierto has been dead for years now, killed by the King of Pregrande, who has been the one to make the country a slave trading joint. Second, the castle is pretty much turned into a research facility, where he has been trying to create stronger Bersekers and other things, which you already saw earlier, so expect to see some very ugly things there. Third, there is a rumor that the King has been behaving strange since this battle started. One of the man with who we spoke was a guard at the tower and witnessed how the King changed. The man said that he had seen similar behavior in the labs during the Gol experiment. Do you think he could've turned into one himself?-
-Anyone can turn into a Gol. However, it only is possible if the person invites the darkness, invites it to take over and allows it to consume the soul. Although, judging from what you told us, this man has been hand in hand with darkness to it's highest. I wouldn't be surprised if he indeed had allowed himself to turn into a Gol.- Amelia replied ad glanced at Bicklsow.
-I will need your help for his one. I haven't dealt with someone, who has turned into a Gol intentionally, so I'm not sure what will happen when I purge him.- the soul mage said and Bicklsow nodded. He already had a good idea of how her power worked and had a plan of hos to deal with the King.
-With all that said, we should probably keep moving. Better to get this done and over. I really want to get back to Magnolia before Christmas.-Laxus said with a frown. He already knew that the last push will be something between a horror movie and simple pain in the rear.
-Don't be so dramatic, Naughty Dragon.- Nicole teased and was amused when her sister glanced at the huge Dragon Slayer with a raised eyebrow. Teb and Marco grinned when the blond flinched.
-I already told you that was an accident.-
-Sure it was. All of the thirty two seconds.-Nicole just couldn't help herself. Even when the electricity started crackling around her feet.
-Something you wanna share, Dreyar?-Amelia asked feeling the protect-younger-sister-from-evil side of hers stir.
-It was an accident! Laxus only protected her from an attack and, with time running short, he pushed her aside and protected Nicole with his body.-Freed jumped to protect his idol the moment his antennas sensed the possible danger of oldest-sister mode being unleashed.
-And while doing so you got a good grope on my sisters chest, didn't you?- Amelia asked knowing all well that it was the most common reason men got beaten up, even when they really only had tried to help.
-Yeah, that kinda happened.-Laxus replied rubbing the back of his neck. He couldn't answer for the love of his life why he felt so small in front of the much petite woman in front of him. It might have been due to the monsters of females from Fairy Tail with whom he'd grown up. Yeah, it definitely was due to them.
-Right, so nothing to worry about. Nicole, stop it! You have to stop messing with situations like this and endanger an innocent mans life! I thought you learned your lesson from the last time? Do you have any idea how much time and money I spent on the healer so that the poor thing can have children again? And it was all because you told me he did something inappropriate.-
-Well, I wasn't lying! He did something inappropriate!- the fire mage tried to defend herself.
-Yes, Nicole he did. The man farted in public! Do you have any idea how it felt explaining to the Magic Council why I almost castrated a man because he farted?-
Silent snickers were the first, followed by several choked laughs and ending by a eruption of howling laughter. Amelia looked confused at the young man with dark hair and tanned skin, laughing so hard, she actually got worried about him choking.
-For the love of big racked females, what are you doing here, Vander?- Bickslow asked with a mock horror.
-Nice to see that Fiore hasn't put a virginity belt on you.- the young man smirked.
-You know better than anyone that I left my virginity in Bosco with a hot young thing.-the Seith answered pulling the other in a huge hug.
-As much as I like this conversation, can someone explain whats going on here?-Amelia asked confused with Nicole nodding.
-This here, ladies, is my younger brother, Bosco's finest spy, Vander Pradesh!-the Seith answered hitting Vander on the back with way too much force, until the younger man grabbed his arm and turned Bicklsow on his back before anyone could even blink.
-His gonna come with us?- Marco asked the General, who seemed rather calm despite the stranger showing up suddenly.
-I contacted Master Kaleb on our way here. I though his magic will come in handy when we will storm the castle and, after hearing what those walls are hiding, I am even more sure that we will need him.- the General replied.
-Yeah, I already took a small tour around and that place is trapped on every rock, not to mention the Berserkers and other stuff that's crawling around the halls.-
-Charming.-Nicole groaned.
-Well, now that we have a guide, how about we stop wasting time and go a bit sightseeing? After all, Desiertos castle is a real historic place, built more than three hundred years back.- Amelia said as the General addressed the forces.
It was about time to finish this and return home. Amelia really missed Fairy Tail, she had many things to tell Lucy and her own bed.