Dark clouds moved in front of the sun, creating dark shadows across the land. The winds grew cold and started to pick up. Happy glanced up when he felt what seemed to be a drop of water. Soon more droplets fell from the sky turning into a storm.
Placing their hands in front of their faces to protect them from the oncoming rain, the group trudged their way forward, hoping to find some sort of shelter for them to stay during the storm.
Natsu sniffed the air and shouted some words in the air, but his voice was lost in the storm. He then made his way quickly as he can to Laxus and pointed out a direction, north east. Laxus led the group slowly in the same direction Natsu had pointed out. In moments, a large mouth of a cave appeared and the group rushed in.
The cave was dry and musty smell wafted in from the outside. Water dripped from 7 bodies, mixing with the dirt on the ground. It was rounded room that looked like it has been used before from other travelers that came before them. Ashes and burned sticks could be seen in a small pile in the middle of the cave, a sign that someone was their not too long ago.
Levy trudged forward before collapsing to the ground. The mud that was on the ground caked their clothes as the rest sat down. Natsu was able to find some kindle and created a small fire. Little warmth came from the small fire, so everyone huddled closer. Laxus was shivering the most as he came on full force with the rain.
Levy glanced back and forth between the members of Fairy Tail, "Soo….how close to Sycca are we?"
Gray opened his soaking pack and found a dripping map. Sighing to himself, he laid it on his lap. Most of the ink was still intact except for some water marks, "Guessing that we are here…" he pointed to a certain in the map, "Sycca is probably a four day walk from here….if the weather clears up…" he said as he glance to the mouth of the cave.
Lighting struck outside, giving bright flashes of light. The fire grew smaller and bigger as gust of winds blew in. Pantherlily and Happy was the closet to the fire, so they got dried quicker than the others. Levy glanced out towards the opening of the cave. Another bolt of lightning hit somewhere close, causing bright light. Levy gasped as a dark shadow loomed in front of the cave as the lightning struck, but disappeared as it went away.
Levy stared at the cave entrance and shook her head. I must be sleep deprived or something, she thought to herself as she moved closer to the fire. Soon enough, everyone fell asleep as they warmed up and the storm still rages on...
Early morning when the sun hasn't risen….
Obra walked silently into the cave, only causing slight footprints into the muddy ground that was slowly drying. The creature rode untop of the top hat, glancing at the sleeping forms before him. He eyed the blue hair princess and began to move. He hopped off the tall man and unto the ground. He scurried across the floor till he reached the princess.
"Kekekeke," he chuckled to himself. Suddenly, his grin turned to a grimace. He glanced back up and recounted the sleeping bodies. Including the princess and the two exceeds, there was only three others. Someone was missing.
Obra turned back to his puppet, only to see him down, attack from behind. The missing man had it pinned down. Obra's smiling grin completely disappeared from his face. He scampered away, hiding away in the bag that was nearest to him.
Laxus stirred when he heard someone scuffling about. He pried his eyes open to see Gajeel pinning someone down with his iron cuffs. Quickly getting up, he noticed that the man's skin was blue and had a large nose.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Well, earlier, I noticed something standing during a flash of lighting, but he quickly disappear so I thought it was part of my imagination…then I realized that the shrimp princess gasped during the same time and was looking outside…," Gajeel explained, "as the rain died down, I was able to smell him and ambush him,"
"I see," Laxus replied, nudging the body, "do you kill him?" when the body gave no response.
"No!" Gajeel said a bit too loudly, causing Natsu to stir. Natsu rubbed his eyes and got up. He blinked a few before realizing there was an enemy in the cave.
"Whats going on? Who's that?" Natsu asked and he got up and walked over. He sniffed the air, he smelt something like cotton, "…why is there a doll here?"
"A doll?" Gajeel and Laxus said in unison.
"Yeah…" Natsu walked around the doll and punched it in the stomach; he was able to punch through and pulled up what seemed to be stuffing. There was silence in the cave besides Grays light snoring. Laxus looked down on the puppet.
"If this is the puppet, then where is its master?" Laxus asked. The three looked at each other and back at the puppet. Suspicion gnawed at their cores. Could the puppet master be watching them, from inside the cave or outside? And who sent them was the real question. Were they after them themselves? Or does someone know about the princess.
Keeping quiet, Gajeel pinned the lifeless doll to the wall of the cave and returned to his spot on the floor, followed by Natsu and Laxus. Even as they fell back to sleep, they were still alert to their surroundings, wondering what and who else is making their move that night.
Two white eyes watched them from within the confinements of a small bag. Its grin glistened in the moonlight that streamed in from the outside; the storm had subsided for now.