Hello, everybody! It's been about a month since I put out the last chapter and I hope you guys enjoy this one! This story will probably be a monthly release until Spring Break rolls around in about 2 weeks. As soon as this story is over, I will begin thinking of a new big project.

This story has at least 4 more chapters to go and I wanted to thank everybody who reviewed the first chapter for giving me the confidence to go ahead with this story. Here's the new chapter!

…

"I am very disappointed in you both."

The king's words were like daggers through Rogue's heart, but the dragon slayer knew that his blonde partner was feeling worse. Fiore's king sat in his throne, frowning at them. They were the only ones in the room besides a pair of heavily armed guards sitting next to the golden throne, eyeing the two dragon slayers suspiciously.

"I'm sorry for the disappointment, your majesty…" mumbled Rogue as the king shook his head.

For some strange reason, every dragon slayer in the city was suddenly called up and ordered to meet in the king's palace. Sting and Rogue had come to the palace, but they were quickly pulled aside and thrust into the throne room to meet with the king. Rogue and Sting knelt in front of the king and the Shadow Dragon Slayer sighed quietly and cursed under his breath.

The defeat had been humiliating. The fans who had once crowded Saber Tooth's stands and guild building now jeered and harassed the guild members. Nobody respected Saber Tooth anymore. Rogue grimaced and closed his eyes as he remembered Gemma's wrath after the humiliating match. The twin dragon slayers were dismissed as scum and they disappeared to their rooms as Gemma continued on his rampage, destroying furniture and shattering glassware.

Sting didn't say a word during the entire rant and he continued to be silent, even now. Rogue opened his eyes and glanced over at Sting. The Light Dragon Slayer was just staring down at the lavish, red velvet carpet. He was completely out of it. An audience with the king still didn't answer Rogue's questions. Why had they been called? Was there a problem with the matches? He doubted that all the dragon slayers had been called just to meet with the king. The king's words were heard, but Rogue pushed them to the back of his mind.

"I ordered that you fight last because I thought you could have put on a spectacular show! I was so excited when you were about to fight and imagine my disappointment when both of you were defeated by somebody from the worst guild in the world." said the king as he shook his head. "Leave the room, both of you. My daughter has something to say to you as well."

The two dragon slayers from Saber Tooth stood, bowed, and left the throne room quickly. Rogue was glad to leave. He didn't want to waste time being scolded by some silly old man who thought himself as god because he wore a crown of gold.

…

Rogue and Sting entered the princess's room quietly. It was a simple room, but it was located in a high tower. The princess was sitting in a chair, facing the door. A man in war armor was standing next to her, a serious look on his face. Rogue scanned the room quickly and bowed, Sting following suit. The princess looked relieved when she saw them come in.

"Ah, Sting and Rogue! I'm glad you could make it in time," she said, a smile coming to her face.

"Thank you for this invitation, your grace. However, I must ask why we have been called," said Rogue coolly as Sting nodded his head slightly.

The knight answered this question. Rogue realized that the knight standing next to her was Colonel Arcadios, a man that often advised the king. Rogue had seen them often, conversing with each other.

"Your guild has answered the call to defend the castle and protect the princess herself from any harm that may come to her."

"What do you mean? Are we under attack? If so, who are we being attacked by?" asked Rogue, narrowing his eyes at Arcadios.

"We are not under attack…yet. The enemy we soon face is a master of evil and many consider him the God of Magic. The enemy we face is Zeref himself." said Hisui gravely as Sting and Rogue looked at her incredulously.

Rogue had been caught off guard. The enemy was Zeref?! The Shadow Dragon Slayer was about to say something when suddenly bells started to go off in the courtyard of the castle. Several shouts and screams could be heard and Arcadios immediately ran over to the window and looked outside. He looked over at the princess and nodded, the princess sighing and closing her eyes.

"We have managed to block off several entrances to the castle. Your guild will hold the remaining entrances while we rush to completely seal the enemy off. The other dragon slayers have been ordered to stay with me. Now go! The soldiers shall direct you to where you need to go!" she shouted as Rogue and Sting took off running, Rogue grunting as he processed all the information he had received.

Nobody had even told them who was attacking the castle. Zeref couldn't just attack the castle by himself. He would need an army. So just who was attacking the most heavily guarded castle in the kingdom?! Rogue growled with frustration as the two dragon slayers ran through the hallways, directed by passing soldiers. A series of explosions rocked the castle and Sting was eventually separated from him. Rogue found himself standing in an abandoned tunnel that had collapsed, completely submerging a large part of the floor. A single light shone from the wall and Rogue folded his arms. There was nothing he could do. He just had to wait.

…

"Hey! Who are you?!" demanded a soldier as he slowly approached, spear in hand.

The soldier let out a grunt and then fell backwards, clutching his shoulder, a metal spear point embedded in his shoulder. A man wearing armor, a helmet covering his entire face came forth from the shadows, a sword in hand. With a single stroke he silenced the guard.

"Everything is going as planned, sir." said the armored man as Armanis stepped out of the shadows, sword in hand.

The rogue mage gave the soldier a curt nod as the illusion quickly faded away. He had not taken a well-known route, so he was surprised when he saw a guard patrolling the area. Armanis brushed the dust off his coat and grinned as he stepped into the light, looking up. A steel grate had been placed above, a lantern shining light down below.

"So, this path leads to a dungeon? Unexpected, but alright." murmured Armanis as he moved quickly, heading towards a steel door that had a small window, a staircase seen behind it.

The door opened easily and the stairs were clear of guards. At the top of the stairs there was a short hallway leading directly into the palace. Armanis grinned. This was the perfect path. He was almost out of the hallway when the wall to his left burst open, sending the rogue mage flying against the other side.

"What the hell?!" shouted Armanis as the dust settled, looking up at the broken wall.

His eyes widened when he saw who was standing there. He had fierce eyes that seemed to burn into all they gazed upon and Armanis slowly stood up, an uneasy grin on his face.

"I knew this would happen eventually. Well, better now than never! I'll defeat you know, Sting!"

…

I don't think this is my best chapter, but I hope you guys like it. I just really wanted to write something. Thanks for reading and please drop a review! FF