Hey guys! *waves timidly*
Don't worry, this story has not been abandoned or forgotten, nor have I perished in a tragic accident. I would never dream of Abandoning this story, it means so much to me, and so you, my faithful readers.
Before you get angry and rant in the comments, hear me out. I've had writer's block for a while, (Which sucks btw) and have been wracking my brain to continue. Then I was on a Church Youth Retreat where I was not allowed to take my beloved laptop or stories with me. Now I am back, and have gotten Inspiration by going back and rewatching some older Fairy Tail episodes. So here is your long awaited, and very much deserved brand new chapter of The Faerie's Dragon!
I hope it's up to standard, and I really hope I haven't discouraged you from this story by being away so long. Once again. I am so so so Sorry.—AMS
Laxus was nudged awake by a cautious hand. Lazily, he opened one eye to peer up at the gently smiling face of Mirajane Strauss, the siren. Unconsciously smiling at the sight of her pretty face, he opened both eyes and sat up from where he had been reclining. "Good to see you awake again, Laxus." Mira said in that lilting voice of hers. She stepped back and raised an arm to present the sight her body had been covering. "I present to you, the city of Freesia!"
Laxus, though he would never admit it, the city of Freesia was quite a sight. Nestled into a cliff wall, the city was protected, but beautiful. Vines covering the cliff created a serene backdrop to the city's skyline, a jumble of spires and towers rising above the streets. The river met the bank upon the city sat in such a way that the vastness of the river caused the city to almost look like it was overseeing the ocean, standing tall and majestic. The midday sun hit the white stones of the city and reflected off of them, giving the whole place an ethereal feel.
Lisanna noticed his openmouthed staring and laughed. "It's quite the sight isn't it?" She asked, leaning on the prow of the ship. Laxus nodded mutely, patting himself down to check if any of his stuff had fallen out of his pockets.
The ship glided smoothly towards the docks of Freesia, the city looming closer with each passing minute. Suddenly, anxiety hit Laxus like a hurricane, almost knocking him his feet as if the boat had rocked violently. He swallowed nervously, feeing a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face.
'This is what we're up against…' Laxus thought as the city drew nearer. 'Millions upon millions of them, and just thousands of us…' He scowled, hands clenching into fists. 'No! We can do this.' He reassured himself confidently. 'We're stronger. We're Dragons.'
The boat bumped up against the dock with a small jolt, breaking Laxus out of his superior thoughts. He looked down to see that they had indeed docked at the piers of Freesia. Elfman was kneeling on the dock, tying the boat up so it wouldn't drift away down river, while Mira helped Lisanna out of the boat and onto the pier.
Laxus took a moment to admire Mira's body, but looked away quickly as she and Lisanna looked over in his direction. He pretended to be looking over the rest of the ships and boats docked at Freesia to hide his gaze and his ever so slight blush.
"Laxus," Mira said gently, laying a hand on his shoulder, causing him to tense up. "You might want to get off to boat now." She giggled, causing him to flush even more in embarrassment. "Oh, r-right, of course!" He said, hauling himself out of the boat and onto the dock. Elfman gave him a look before finishing up with the boat.
"So, uh..." He coughed awkwardly. "Well, We'd best be on our way, and you on yours." Lisanna said, coming up and linking arms with her siblings. "But it was very nice meeting you." Mira said with a smile. "If you need a place for a meal, go to the Cuatro Puppy bar." Elfman suggested. "Puppy?" Laxus disbelievingly asked, not sure if he had heard correctly. The Strauss Siblings shared a look before bursting out laughing. After they had finally calmed down Mira answered, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Y-yeah, Elfman had a bet going on with one of their main Patrons and Owners when they were fighting at this one festival, and, and—" She collapsed into a fit of giggles again, so Elfman answered for her with a smirk and a small shrug of his shoulders. "Basically, I won the fight, and now they are honor bound to forever call the Bar 'Cuatro Puppy'."
"Oh." Was all Laxus could say as he pondered how such an arrangement could even have been conceived. "Before we go," Offered Lisanna. "Do you need to know where anything is? We can point you in the right direction if needed be. Laxus shook his head before he had a chance to think about it. A feeling of regret filled him as he realized he had just turned down the chance to continue talking to Mira, the beautiful Siren, and he face-palmed as he watched them walk away.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!" He chided himself under his breath, hitting himself on the forehead with each 'stupid'. 'How could I have turned down the chance to talk with Mira so more?!' he mentally berated himself, sighing. Squaring his shoulders he walked towards where the piers met with the edge of Freesia, determination in his eyes. He had a job to do, and he was the only one able to do it.
Again as he walked, he noted the sun had rose to its peak of the sky. He quickly concluded that he had half-of the day left to infiltrate the city of Freesia, home of the Fiore Council. Parliament of Fiore, and advisors to the Faerie King. Failure was not an option.
Exposed. Revealed. Out in the open. No escape. Trapped. Captured. Failure. Guilty. At Fault. Uncovered.
These words flashed in Wendy's mind as time seemed to slow around her, horrifying realization coursing through her, and her eyes widened as she lay on the icy ground. This was it. She would be seen for who she was, a Dragon, enemy of Fiore, and arrested, executed or locked up forever in this icy realm, never to see her homeland again; never to be reunited with her friends, Natsu and Gajeel and Lily and Charle, or her mother Grandene….. Inside Wendy's mind her thoughts were trapped in bottomless downward spiral.
Distantly, she could still hear Charle calling out her name, and her pale blue wings twitched in recognition, but she did not respond for fear of calling attention to the fact that she was a dragon. So she could do nothing but watch in confusion, and awed numbness as not one faerie, not one yeti or elf, not one of them even spared her a second glance. The looked once without interest, then turned and walked away, leaving her lying on the ice.
A breathless 'what?' left her mouth, disbelieving. She sat up, confusion etched into her expression. A sudden dark shape descended swiftly down on her, and she threw an arm up in attempt to ward it off, eyes squeezed shut, fear renewed that she was about to be capture. The dark form landed softly on her, heavily covering her lap and part of her chest. She looked down in surprise to see a dark blue woolen blanket draped over her body. "Huh?" She blinked at the pleasant—but still no less confusing—surprise.
"Oi." A voice snagged her attention, and she looked up to see a young male elf standing at the entrance to the alley. "Get up," He ordered. "You'll catch cold lying in that snow. Even through that dragon hide of yours."
Wendy did as he said, but kept her eyes on him curiously, even as she wrapped the warm blanket around her chilled body. He was rather tall—like most elves—and had close cropped black hair and cerulean eyes. He beckoned her to follow him; then turned and stepped behind a market stall nestled against the wall that lead into the alley.
Cautiously, Wendy followed him, tightening the blanket around herself. As she stepped behind the stall to join him, she noticed that all of the wares on the stall's table were woolen coverings and blankets much like the one she was currently warming herself with. Belatedly, she realized this elf was the one who had given her the blanket. The elf pulled out a small stool from somewhere underneath a few piles of his wares and gestured for her to sit on it. Though her head was still swimming with the revelation that none of the inhabitants of Vastia's Haven minded, or even cared that there was a literal dragon in their midst; even more gratitude filled Wendy towards this stranger who was showing her such kindness. The only question remaining about her immediate future was who was he and why?
The question must have been clear in her eyes, because the elf took one look at her and sighed, leaning against the wall at his back and crossing his arms. "Alright, little Dragon." He began. "I know you have a lot of questions, and yes I will answer the truthfully; but only if you answer one of my questions for every one of yours, and vice versa." He raised an eyebrow. "Got it?" He asked. "Yes." Wendy nodded, not meeting his eyes, but instead focusing on a rather large scar that ran down the left side of his face, going up into his hair. It was composed of one long vertical line with two diagonal lines passing through it above and below his left eye.
"Good," He nodded. "Let's start with names. I'm Doranbolt." "I'm Wendy, Wendy Marvel." "Nice to meet you Miss Wendy." "Likewise, Mr. Doranbolt." Wendy replied politely. "Now, Miss Wendy, you may ask me the first of your questions." He offered. Wendy thought for a moment on how to phrase it. "Why doesn't it matter to anyone around here that I'm a dragoness?" Doranbolt chuckled a little. "It's because Vastia's Haven, is exactly that. A safe Haven. We take in anyone, any creature who wants to live here in safety. All outcasts are welcome here. Vastia's Haven differs from the rest of Fiore. Up here, no one cares what you are, where you came from."
Wendy sat in silence for a minute or two, pondering the meaning of this. If what Doranblot said was really true, then she had need not lie on what she was when in Vastia's Haven, only her true intentions. After all, it still wouldn't be good if they learned she was here to prepare and plan for a full-scale invasion. But this city and its citizens had been kind to her, and even though she did not love the cold and ice, she did like this place, and did not want it or its inhabitants to be harmed in the coming war….. 'I place Vastia's Haven under my care.' She thought. 'Perhaps I can convince King Acnologia to leave this place alone, and under Grandene and I's jurisdiction…. That way I can make sure these people, Makao, Romeo, Gray, Juvia, Lyon, and Doranbolt, don't suffer from my actions leading to the war.'
"My question now." Doranbolt said. "Why did you risk crossing Fiore to com here?" Wendy's mind went blank for a moment before she was able to lie convincingly. "I came here wanting the peace that Fiore has. And this is a remote location, I thought I'd be safer here." Doranbolt looked warily at her for a few seconds before accepting her answer with a slight inclination of his head.
She then asked her next question. "Why did you help me? I'm a stranger." Doranbolt closed his eyes and huffed. "Cause you're just a kid—or rather a hatchling—aren't you Wendy?" he opened his eyes and she sheepishly nodded as he paused. "Plus I was never one to leave anyone, or anything out in the cold." Wendy smiled a little at his explanation.
"Now, Wendy," He said seriously. "Do you have a place to stay?" Wendy nodded. "That's good." Wendy's face fell a little. Doranbolt noticed and asked in concern. "What's wrong?" "I-I was walking with a friend through the market, but we got separated, and I don't know how to get back." Wendy explained, nervously hoping Charle wasn't completely freaking out.
"I could help you find her." Doranbolt offered. "Oh, no I don't want to bother you more than I already have, Mr. Doranbolt." Wendy protested. "It's no bother, really Wendy." He assured her with smile. "And please, just call me Mest. All my friends do." He smiled at her and Wendy couldn't help but smile back at the friendly gestures.
Hey, hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Sorry it wasn't as long as we all would have liked.
Hey guys look! I put Mest/Doranbolt in there! Just a shout out to all his fan girls (and once again boys).
PLOT TWIST! Am I right, I mean who saw that coming: that nothing would happen once Wendy was revealed, wow! Please, please, please, review and give me suggestions. I will be putting some more of Laxus and our Sabertooth Dragon Slayers in next chapter. (Hopefully if things go according to plan….) XOXOXO, much love and appreciation—AMS