Chapter Twelve – The Jewel of Pergrande
Several weeks had passed since Shisui left Fiore with Akane, and both had now crossed the border into the Pergrande Kingdom. Shisui, erring on the side of caution, decided it would be best to avoid busy areas and public places.
Akane assumed this was due to the fact that Pergrande was home to the people responsible for starting the war that took her family from her, and Shisui had made it perfectly clear to her that she would more than likely be a target, being the last surviving member of the Hiyama Clan, the Protectors of Fiore.
Obviously, Shisui hadn't told Akane the real reason they were trying to remain anonymous. Regicide wasn't the sort of crime one would get a slap on the wrist for, and since Queen Caterina had been like a mother to Akane since she lost her family, telling her that he killed the Queen of Fiore by ripping her soul from her body and sending it to the afterlife wouldn't be the best thing to do.
Due to these reasons, it had taken them far longer to reach Pergrande than it would have if they travelled directly from Crocus, which would have likely taken a couple days at most, if urgency was needed.
"Hold on, wait…" Akane sighed as she looked out at the view in front of her. "You're telling me we have to cross this?"
"Well, yeah… The Pergrande Kingdom is surrounded by desert terrain, it's harsh environment is what makes their soldiers so formidable in battle. If we want to make it to Halicarnassus, then we have to cross this barren wasteland," Shisui responded as he started walking across the sands of the Pergrande Kingdom.
Several hours had passed as Shisui and Akane traversed the desert towards Halicarnassus; the Capital City of Pergrande. Shisui knew that if the organisation that Shahkulu had been a part of were in Pergrande, then there was a good chance their main locale would be within the Capital.
"Shisui, look!" Akane gasped as she pointed out in front of her.
Shisui followed Akane's finger in the direction it was pointing, and slowly he began to see it. Off in the distance, behind a sandstorm was the faint outline of a giant walled city. The longer he looked, the more he could make out, one of the most notable features being dozens of tall towers and spires, all rising above the city's skyline.
"Ok, great. I assume that's Halicarnassus. Now, how do you propose we get through the sandstorm?" Shisui asked, looking at Akane.
"Beats me. I guess we could just wait for it to die down," Akane shrugged.
"DAMN FOOL! THAT IS NO ORDINARY SANDSTORM!" Sithis snapped.
"Oh, look. He's awake. Did you enjoy your nap, Mr. Grumpy?" Shisui muttered.
"DO NOT TALK TO ME AS IF I AM SOME CHILD! I AM THE LORD OF THE VOID!" Sithis roared.
"Yes, yes, so you keep reminding me. Can your Void swallow up this sandstorm for us?" Shisui asked, but receiving no response from the Devil Dragon. "Yeah, didn't think so…"
"I don't think this is a normal sandstorm," Shisui began, inwardly smiling as he heard the sound of Sithis growling at him.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, I don't think it's normal either. You think this is some kind of Magic Barrier?" Akane asked.
"I think so. Probably to keep unwanted guests out, or to stop others from fleeing the city," Shisui responded, thinking that the sandstorm barrier was put in place after Shahkulu killed the last King and fled to Fiore.
"So, what do we do?" Akane asked.
"Hell if I know… Amaterasu, maybe?" Shisui shrugged.
"Is there an Amaterasu Spell to dispel magical barriers?" Akane responded.
"Not to dispel, but I can think of one that can disrupt spells," Shisui muttered as he walked up to the barrier and put a hand out in front of it.
"Hold! Do not make another move!" A voice shouted.
"Who said that?" Shisui looked around and tried to discern where the voice had come from.
"What business do you have in Halicarnassus? Speak!" The voice commanded.
'Fuck. It seems this voice belongs to the person in charge of maintaining this barrier. If we want in we'll need to come up with something, quick,' Shisui sighed.
"My husband and I are travellers, who are on a journey to the Temple of the Two Great Kings. We have travelled all over, and would like to pay respects to your Gods," Akane shouted, surprising Shisui with how quick she came up with that.
"Very well, Halicarnassus is home to those who would pay respects to its Kingdom's Gods. You may pass," The guardsman declared.
After a few seconds, the sandstorm began to split in two, leaving a narrow gap that would allow people to pass through, prompting Shisui and Akane to quickly enter. The guardsman said nothing as the two passed, he just simply nodded as they passed him, before he waved a hand, causing the gap to seal and the barrier became whole once more.
"You know about the Temple of the Two Great Kings?" Shisui asked as soon as they were out of earshot of the guardsman.
"Yeah, I've been doing some research into Pergrande and its culture. The Temple of the Two Great Kings is one of its biggest places for worshipping the Pergrandian Gods," Akane responded.
"You keep that quick thinking up, and I'll start worshipping you," Shisui replied with a small laugh.
"Oh, come now, husband. I am your wife; you already worship me," Akane giggled as Shisui put an arm around her waist, pulled her in close to him and kissed her cheek.
"That was quick thinking too. No-one's going to suspect a husband and wife on a holy pilgrimage," Shisui added.
"Eh, I kinda just said that because I wanted to see how you'd react to me calling you 'my husband'. You handled it very well," Akane smiled.
"I think you'll find there's a lot of you I can handle very well," Shisui muttered, getting a small gasp from Akane.
"Oh, I don't doubt it… I'm beginning to wonder if I'd be able to handle you," Akane teased, causing Shisui to simply roll his eyes and keep on walking; his arm still wrapped around her waist.
To say Halicarnassus was a large city was an understatement. It was at least three times the size of Crocus, and had at least ten times as many citizens. The streets were absolutely packed with people; all milling about, going on with their lives as if nothing else was a problem. Merchants out on the streets were pushing their wares, and trying their best to compete with their rivals to make more coin than them.
"This place is incredible!" Akane gasped as she walked through the streets of the city, looking around in wonder.
"Yes, but it's also very dangerous. We're in the lion's den now. Keep close to me, and don't move out of my sight," Shisui muttered as he grabbed Akane's hand and began to lead her through the streets.
"Where exactly are we going?" Akane asked.
"Well, we'll need somewhere to stay, won't we? I figured the first thing we should do is find some sort of accommodation," Shisui responded.
"Right, and how are we going to pay for said accommodation? Fiore's currency isn't the same as Pergrande's," Akane stated, causing Shisui to stop dead in his tracks.
"Fuck… I didn't take that into consideration. Why didn't I take that into consideration?" Shisui groaned, causing Akane to laugh.
"It's fine… I think I know a way on how to make us some Pergrandian money…" Akane muttered as she pulled Shisui's arm and began to direct him through the throng on people on the streets.
"Why do I have the feeling I'm not going to like this?" Shisui asked.
"You might, just depends on your temperament," Akane responded.
"What aren't you telling me?" Shisui stopped, which caused Akane to turn and look at him.
"Alright, I kinda did some digging on the Pergrandian Underworld while you were gone after your argument with His Majesty. It turns out they have these… Fight Clubs, which people can either participate in, or gamble on, in a way to make money," Akane explained.
"I'm sorry, 'Fight Clubs'?" Shisui looked at Akane with a raised eyebrow. "You mean to tell me that you want us to gamble?"
"Well, yes and no… I figured what we could do to maximise our chances, would be for you to fight to earn money, then I use said money to bet on you to win," Akane replied with a sheepish smile.
Shisui couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew that Akane wasn't some precious, innocent little girl. He knew she was raised to kill, and she had done so before, but this was different. It was almost as if she had planned this from the beginning.
"You still haven't told me everything," Shisui stated after a moment of silence.
"Alright, fine. If the people we're looking for are controlling Pergrande, and Halicarnassus, then it's not unreasonable to think that they're the ones in control of the criminal underworld. I figured if we were to delve into that world, we could get to the source of the organisation that killed my mother and sister," Akane sighed.
"That's not a bad idea, but how do you know they're controlling the criminal underworld? The person who kidnapped Hisui and practically started the war between the two nations was related to the King at the time. It's more than likely that the Royal Court is where we'll find our enemies," Shisui responded.
"What, and you just think we can waltz up to the front door and ask to be let in? Come on, even you must know that wouldn't work," Akane retorted.
"No, but what's the one thing a governmental power can't stand? Criminal activity," Shisui replied. He could see Akane was now connecting the dots.
"Wait, so you're suggesting we approach the Royal Court with an offer of hunting down criminals and bringing them to justice?" Akane asked.
"That's exactly what I'm suggesting. That way, we'll manage to keep an eye on the court, as well as hunt down anyone from this secret organisation who has ties to the criminal activity in this city," Shisui clarified.
"That… That's actually not a bad idea," Akane smirked.
"Yeah, I have the occasional good idea every now and again," Shisui shrugged, returning the smirk.
Shisui and Akane's conversation was interrupted when they heard the sounds of shouting coming from up the street.
"Help! Someone stop that man, he stole my money!" A man shouted.
Turning to look at the commotion, Shisui saw a figure wearing a dark green cloak charging through the crowd towards him. As the cloaked man reached Shisui, Akane took a step forward, and was shoved over by the man as he tried to flee.
"Akane!" Shisui shouted as he watched her tumble to the ground and hit her head. He could see she was bleeding.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO STAND HERE AND LET THAT PISS-ANT HARM YOUR WOMAN, ARE YOU?!" Sithis roared.
Feeling the Devil Dragon's anger well up inside him, Shisui took off in a run to chase down the thief who hurt Akane. He heard someone shouting, but couldn't make out who it was, or what they were saying.
Shisui knew he was at a disadvantage as he had no idea of the layout of Halicarnassus' streets, whereas the thief probably knew them better than the back of his hand. That wasn't going to stop Shisui, as he was an excellent hunter/tracker. He rarely let his prey get away.
This time, however, it was far more difficult for Shisui, as he had to force his way through a large crowd of people, and try and keep an eye on where the thief was. As he forced his way down the street, Shisui found an opportunity to hunt for the thief unhindered by a crowd of civilians.
Off to his right, a building was being repaired or renovated. It was a multi-storey building, and as such, had a rudimentary wooden pulley style crane that allowed the workers to send bricks and other heavy objects directly up to the floors that needed them.
Shisui, on the other hand, decided to use this crane to give himself the tactical advantage of hunting the thief from above, which would prove to be much easier, due to no-one being up on the rooftops. Turning to the nearby crane, Shisui grabbed a hold of the rope that was tied to the pulley system and kicked the latch off the crane, which caused the heavy load of bricks that were suspended above to fall back down to earth.
Using the gravitational force on the cargo, Shisui was pulled up into the air as the rope he was holding on to was being pulled through the pulleys and back down to the ground. As he reached the top of the crane, Shisui let go and landed safely on the rooftop, where he continued in his pursuit of the thief.
The thief obviously had no idea that he was being followed, as he had now stopped running and began to wander down the street, before ducking off into a narrow alleyway. Shisui watched from the rooftops above, before he jumped off, aiming to take the thief down.
In a few seconds, the thief went from casually walking down the alleyway to having his face slammed into the dirt as he felt a heavy object land on him. He tried to struggle free, but felt a hand clamp around the back of his neck to pin him in place, which only caused him to struggle harder, until…
Snick.
"Hey, whoa! C-Come on! This wasn't part of the deal!" The thief cried, thrashing about in an attempt to escape. Based on his voice, he sounded like a child.
"YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO DO THIS? KILL SOME PATHETIC URCHIN FOR STEALING AND KNOCKING OVER THE GIRL?!" Exspiravit growled. Shisui wasn't sure if he was disappointed, or testing his resolve.
Clamping down on the thief's neck harder, Shisui raised the point of his wrist blade up for a few seconds, before allowing it to retract back into the bracer it was attached to. The thief let out a sigh of relief, but Shisui wasn't about to let him go unpunished.
Holding on to the thief's neck, he lifted the person's head up and slammed it into the dirt, knocking him out. With an exasperated sigh, Shisui picked up the unconscious thief and began his journey back to find Akane.
It didn't take long for Shisui to find Akane. Not because he recognised her scent, but there were several soldiers standing in a semi-circular formation at the end of the street, and as he approached the soldiers, he saw Akane talking to a man dressed in a white and gold robe. He looked to be in his late fifties, and has short hair that was starting to grey. Just based on his attire, Shisui assumed the soldiers were there because this man was very important, very powerful, or both.
"Hold there!" One of the soldiers shouted, raising his spear as he watched Shisui approach with a body on his back.
"Shisui! You're back!" Akane called out, happily waiving to Shisui as he approached.
"Apologies, you know this man?" The white robed man asked Akane.
"Yeah! And it looks like he's found your thief," Akane responded as she watched Shisui dump the body on the ground in front of the soldiers.
"Most impressive. The Gods have truly blessed me this day," The man responded.
"I take it you're the man this person stole from?" Shisui asked, looking at the robed man.
"Indeed, but I fear your attempts to recover what was mine were pointless," The man responded.
"How so? He stole from you, and I have brought him back," Shisui replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Your friend here; she managed to rob the thief as he tried to escape with my coin, but received a nasty knock in the process," The man explained.
Now it had become clear to Shisui as to why Akane stepped out towards the thief as he ran away. She wasn't being carless; she was trying to pick his pocket.
"I called out to you as you took off after him, but I don't think you heard me," Akane chuckled, as she saw the look of realisation cross over Shisui's face.
"I know that look. You might not have recovered my coin, but you recovered the thief, a gesture that is well received," The man responded, as he held out a hand to Shisui. "Senator Flavius Metellus."
"Senator?" Shisui raised an eyebrow as he shook the man's hand. "I thought Pergrande had a Royal Family?"
"It does, but the law of succession has left us without a rightful King. We have a Queen Regent, but most governing decisions are left to myself and the rest of the Senate," Metellus explained.
"A Queen Regent? I assume you mean the wife of the last King?" Shisui asked.
"Rightly so. Queen Aya was the wife of our late King, before he was killed by that fucking dog, Shahkulu," Metellus scowled upon the mention of the renegade Shahkulu.
"Aya? Where have I heard that name before…?" Shisui muttered. "Senator, did the last King have any private residences in the Kingdom of Fiore?"
"Yes, he did… How did you know about that? The place has been abandoned since he was killed," Metellus looked at Shisui curiously.
"I think I've been there before…" Shisui responded as he held his arms out and released both wrist blades.
"Those are… No, those aren't of Pergrandian craftsmanship. Where did you get those?" Metellus asked, looking at the black blades.
"I found some schematics for these wrist-mounted blades in an abandoned villa by the southern coast of Fiore. I decided to take them and have someone make them for me," Shisui shrugged.
"Ah, yes… So you're the one who took the contract from Lady Aya?" Metellus smirked. "Tell me, what are you doing so far from your home, Monster Hunter?"
"After I found these weapon schematics, I got curious as to what kind of land Pergrande was, so I decided to come and see what this place has to offer," Shisui shrugged, not giving anything away.
"Well, as someone who has helped both the Queen Regent, and now a Senator, Halicarnassus welcomes you as one of its own, a courtesy that extends to your lady-friend here too," Metellus stated, looking at Akane.
"You honour us, Senator," Shisui bowed his head.
"The honour is mine. Come, let us retire to the Royal Palace, I'm sure the Queen Regent would be eager to break words with you both," Metellus turned and began to walk away, beckoning Shisui and Akane to follow.
"Well, that was easy…" Akane muttered as she began to walk beside Shisui.
"Yeah, a little too easy… I'd take care, who knows who's working for the enemy in the Royal Palace," Shisui replied as he and Akane began to follow the Senator to the Royal Palace.
"I'm confident you'll find Halicarnassus to your liking. There's something for everyone here," Metellus explained as they walked through one of the many markets in the capital city.
"Really, do tell," Akane said as she looked around.
"Well, we Pergrandians are a proud race. Our Military's might is unmatched anywhere on the continent, a fact I'm sure you're both well aware of, being from Fiore. Apologies, I meant no insult. The heart swells at the thought we are no longer enemies and such a dark time has passed us, like storm clouds after a downpour," Metellus stated, noticing a thin scowl on Akane's face as he mentioned how strong the Pergrandian Army was.
"What's going on over there?" Shisui asked, as he saw a bunch of people walking up onto a raised platform, which looked a lot like gallows.
"Ah, a new batch of slaves, ready to be sold at market. Would you like to take a look?" Metellus asked, seeming completely unperturbed by the event.
"Slaves?! Are you joking?" Akane growled, getting an odd look from Metellus.
"Calm down," Shisui whispered in her ear, with his back to the Senator. "It's not pleasant, but we can't alienate ourselves by spitting on Pergrandian customs, no matter how abhorrent they may be."
"Apologies, Senator. Slavery isn't something you see in Fiore, as a result, we are unfamiliar with such a thing," Shisui explained, doing his best to stop the Senator from growing suspicious.
"Of course. I meant no offence, but this is just the way we do things in the Kingdom. Instead of jail time, criminals can choose to be sold into slavery as a form of repayment to society. From there, the men usually are bought to be trained as gladiators, and the women are usually sold to assist in the daily running of noble houses," Metellus shrugged.
"Has it always been like this?" Akane asked, doing her best to mask her anger and disgust.
"Well, we had a slave uprising a few years ago, but our army managed to crush the rebellion, but not without significant damage to other city-states within the land. Were it not for Senator Crassus and his vast wealth, I dare say the rebels might have taken even Halicarnassus, and put every one of us to death," Metellus replied. "Come, let us watch the proceedings."
Shisui simply stood there in disbelief. Here he was, standing in the middle of the biggest city in the Pergrande Kingdom, listening to a Senator talk about slavery as if it were no big deal. Was this the extent of the control this secret organisation held? To have the ability to influence both the Senate, and the Royal Court to allow such a depraved act like slavery to continue? Is this why Shahkulu assassinated King Bayek? Was he going to undo the work they had fought so hard to complete?
"Masters and Mistresses, gather 'round! The Gods have seen fit to bless me with a mighty stock of slaves, who could be yours by the end of this auction!" The slave-owner shouted as a group of nobles and other rich people gathered around to watch and bid in the auction.
"I know this isn't pretty, but keep your cool. The last thing we want is to draw unwanted attention," Shisui whispered in Akane's ear, in an attempt to calm her down.
"Tch, so much for the 'Jewel of Pergrande'. This place sickens me," Akane spat as she looked at the people who were about to have their lives ripped away from them.
"The first item I have for you all today is a fearsome warrior. A savage from Azgeda, he would make a fine addition to any gladiatorial roster!" The slave-owner smirked as he saw several pairs of eyes light up in delight.
The man in question was tall and muscular, with long hair and a scruffy beard, which was likely a result of being made into a slave. Looking into his eyes, Shisui could tell this man was veteran warrior, one who had likely killed hundreds of enemies.
"He's Ice Nation… What's he doing so far from home?" Shisui muttered.
Ice Nation Warriors were renowned for their strength and brutal savagery in battle, almost driving themselves into a frenzy as they took damage. Ice Nation borders ended at the Northern Continent, several hundred miles from Pergrande. This warrior should not have been anywhere near the Kingdom.
"Ice Nation? How do you know that?" Akane whispered.
"People from the Northern Continent refer to their lands as 'Azgeda'. If you're not Ice Nation, then you wouldn't know that, yet this man did, meaning one of two things. One; he told the slaver where he came from, which is unlikely. The second possibility is that Pergrande have been capturing people from other lands to use as slaves here," Shisui explained.
"Wait, what? You mean someone has been sending hunting parties out to other lands to bring back captives to sell as slaves?" Akane gasped, struggling to hide the look of horror on her face. "But how do you know he's Ice Nation? You said it yourself, if you're not from there, you wouldn't know that they call their lands 'Azgeda'."
"I know a kid from the Northern Continent. He'd occasionally refer to his home as Azgeda. Not very often, but enough for me to connect the dots," Shisui muttered.
"Shall we start the bidding at five Drachma?" The slaver asked, clapping his hands together and rubbing them.
"Six Drachma for the savage," One man called out.
"Seven," A woman responded.
"I'll give you ten Drachma," Another man spoke.
The bidding war continued for another minute, and the price had nearly tripled before a woman approached the crowd and spoke up.
"I grow tired of these games. One hundred Drachma; for the lot," The woman sighed, waving a dismissive hand at the slaves, earning several shocked gasps from the other bidders.
"Apologies, good lady, but the rest of these slaves aren't worth the shit that comes out their ass. You would pay such a hefty sum for all of them?" The slaver asked.
"Indeed. The Azgeda man is worth paying so much for the rest, even if they are of poor quality," The woman shrugged.
Shisui watched the woman closely. She was very young, and had very long dirty blonde hair. Despite her short stature, she had curves in all the right places and was definitely attractive.
"Is there anyone willing to go higher?" The slaver asked, only receiving shakes of the head and murmuring. "Very well, one hundred Drachma for the entire batch goes to Lady Ambrea!"
"Who is that woman, Senator?" Shisui asked as everyone applauded the woman for the purchase of the slaves.
"Lady Ambrea… Her grandfather was a very well respected Senator before he died, and she inherited his home and fortunes. It's a shame she can't pick men very well," Metellus sighed.
"Excuse me?" Akane looked at the Senator with a raised eyebrow.
"I mean that her husband is a nobody. Most likely a friend of the family that she's known since she was a baby. Definitely not a man of influence, that's for sure," Metellus clarified, which seemed to calm Akane down.
"So why would she buy all those slaves for such a price, if the rest of them were worthless?" Shisui asked.
"She is but a child, unfamiliar in the ways of being the Domina of a house," Metellus waved a hand dismissively.
"Oh, Senator Metellus; it is good to lay eyes," Ambrea called out as she and her attendant approached the Senator.
"Compliment well received, young mistress. I see you were in no mood to let anyone have any fun today," Metellus laughed.
"No, but I was in the mood to procure a new Gladiator for my stock, and it's not very often we have Azgeda warriors on the stands," Ambrea replied, sounding disinterested, until she saw Shisui. "Oh? Who is this, Senator? A guest of yours?"
"Ah, good eye. Yes, this man and his friend helped me out of a tight spot in the market earlier," Metellus responded, looking at Shisui and Akane, who scowled at only being referred to as Shisui's 'friend'.
"Well, you're definitely an interesting sight. What is your name?" Ambrea asked, holding out a hand, which caused Shisui to raise an eyebrow at the way she held it out.
"OHO! THIS ONE EXPECTS YOU TO BOW AND KISS HER HAND, BOY! VERY IMPRESSIVE!" Sithis roared with laughter.
"Shisui… I'm a warrior, not unlike the man you purchased, but I am no slave," Shisui responded, refusing to take the woman's hand.
"Ah, so you're a mercenary, are you? Perhaps you can give me a demonstration of your skills?" Ambrea asked, smirking slightly.
"And how do you expect me to do that?" Shisui asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Simple. Come to my villa, and fight some of my men. Perhaps you can teach them a thing or two about survival," Ambrea explained.
"A most generous offer to be sure, but these two are currently occupied with a meeting of greater importance, my lady. Apologies for the inconvenience," Metellus bowed slightly.
"Oh, is that so? Perhaps another time then. Senator," Ambrea nodded at Metellus as she turned and walked off, her new batch of slaves following her at least five paces behind.
"Fucking nasty bitch…" Akane hissed, scowling in disgust at the young woman.
"Her inexperience with others and her brash nature make her out to be a most unpleasant person at times, but she has a good heart," Metellus explained, trying to defuse the ticking bomb that was Akane.
"Would you give us a moment, Senator? I'd like to speak to my companion alone for a moment," Shisui looked at the Senator, who nodded and walked off to allow them some privacy.
"Listen to me, I know you're not happy with anything you've seen so far, but you need to keep it together. We're not going to get anywhere if you keep spitting on others," Shisui growled.
"That bitch was eyeing you up like a piece of meat! I'm not going to let anyone look at my man like that!" Akane hissed.
"Wait, that's your problem? You're jealous, aren't you?" Shisui asked, trying his best not to laugh.
"No I am not!" Akane yelled.
"If you say so, but I think we should go see that woman at some point… I want to know how that Ice Nation warrior became a slave to a Pergrandian. If my suspicions are correct, then someone within the Senate is organising secret hunting parties to capture people to sell into Slavery here," Shisui said, taking on a serious tone again.
"Ugh, fine… But I'm not happy about it," Akane huffed, folding her arms under her chest and pushing her breasts up a little; an act that didn't go unnoticed by Shisui.
"Yes, yes… We all have to make sacrifices, princess," Shisui whispered as he gently kissed Akane's cheek, which caused her to go bright red.
"Hey! You stop that when I'm trying to pout!" Akane cried as she felt her face heating up.
"Come, the Royal Palace awaits. I'm sure we'll find some answers there," Shisui said as he took one of Akane's hands and took her to where Senator Metellus was waiting.
While Shisui and Akane were away in Pergrande, hunting down the rest of Shahkulu's allies, the Royal Palace in Fiore decided to go public with what Shisui had done. They tried their best to keep the entire affair quiet, but after a couple a weeks, people started questioning what had happened to the Queen, as no-one had seen her. The moment the news of her assassination went public, it spread like wildfire. It didn't take long for the news to reach Master Makarov, and the rest of the Fairy Tail Guild…
"Hey, guys! Guys, check this out! You all need to see this!" Levy yelled as she ran into the Guild Hall, waving a newspaper in the air.
"What is it, Levy?" Cana asked, seeing Levy was considerably distressed.
"You remember that Colonel who was here a couple of months ago when those two bad guys attacked our Guild Hall?" Levy began. The mention of that Colonel got everyone's attention.
"How could we forget? That man was a fucking demon," Laxus muttered.
"Look at this!" Levy shouted as she slammed the newspaper down on the table.
'ROYAL ARMY COLONEL ASSASSINATES QUEEN' – For the past few weeks, one member of the Fiore Royal Family has been missing from the public eye, and people began to take notice. After several members of the public asking the Royal Court where Her Majesty Queen Caterina had disappeared to, the Royal Palace issued this statement;
"It is with great shame and regret that I have to publically announce that Her Majesty Queen Caterina E. Fiore has died," Royal Army Major Alex Louis Armstrong said. "However, it is not because of natural causes. Unfortunately, Her Majesty was in fact assassinated by one of our own officers."
Major Armstrong continued to say that it was a Colonel who had assassinated the Queen after His Majesty King Toma E. Fiore dismissed him from the Army after they came to a disagreement over how to proceed with a dangerous military operation. Major Armstrong said he could not name the former Colonel due to the type of work he had been undertaking, which was highly classified, and naming him could put countless lives at risk.
Assassinating the Queen of Fiore, however, wasn't the only crime this disgraced Colonel had committed. On the night of the assassination, the officer fled the city with Lady Akane Hiyama, the last surviving member of the Hiyama Clan; the protectors of Fiore.
No-one knows where this officer-turned-assassin has fled to, but the Royal Army has made it very clear that this former Colonel is a very dangerous man, with both close-combat experience and masterful control of powerful magic.
The Fairy Tail Guild Hall, which was known for being notoriously noisy, was now so silent, one would hear a pin drop within the building. Every member of the Guild had read the newspaper article, and were at a complete loss for words.
'What have you done, Shisui…?' Makarov thought to himself as he finished reading the article. He didn't want to believe it, but he was the only one in the Guild who knew for an absolute fact that Shisui was indeed the Colonel that the article had referred to.
"No. This is bullshit," Mirajane snapped.
"Oh, here we go…" Laxus grunted.
"No, I'm serious! There's no way he could do something like this! We all watched him fight and die to save us! Why would he do that then betray the people he worked so hard to save?" Mirajane shouted.
"We don't know who he really is, Mira… When he came back to life and killed that Reaper… He became an absolute monster. He destroyed our Guild Hall. He shot someone in the head without even thinking about it!" Lisanna exclaimed.
"So?! You know he was doing it to save us!" Mirajane protested.
"Oh, for fuck sake… Listen to me; no matter how hard you want to believe it, that bastard wasn't Shisui! You heard him; he stole Shisui's powers and branded him because of it. You need to let whatever kind of fantasy you have of Shisui being some damn knight in shining armour go, because he's not!" Laxus growled.
"I know it was him! Fuck what the rest of you think!" Mirajane yelled as she stormed off.
"Wait, I'm confused. Does she want it to be Shisui? If she does, then that means she will have to accept that he killed the Queen, right?" Gray asked, scratching his head.
"Leave her alone, children… Mirajane is struggling with everything that's happened recently," Makarov explained.
"More like she's suffering from separation anxiety…" Gray muttered, before he was punched in the head by Erza. "What the hell was that for?!"
"Can you idiots stop focusing on who this guy is or isn't and look at the big picture here? Remember what he said about Shisui; he was in Crocus when he was here. That means he might still be there, which means if we go and find him, we can get some answers," Erza explained.
"Absolutely not! None of you will be going to Crocus, and that is final!" Makarov boomed, glaring at everyone in the room.
"Why not?!" Everyone protested.
"It's far too dangerous to let children run about and play detective! At best, the only people who I'd even consider letting go would be Laxus and Gildarts, as they're both S-Class Wizards," Makarov responded.
It was hard to fault Makarov's logic. Laxus and Gildarts were both incredibly powerful, meaning they would be the least likely to get hurt. No-one was happy about being told they were too weak, but it was the right call.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to speak with Porlyusica. I have a feeling I'm going to need something to calm Mirajane down, so she doesn't go into a frenzy and trash the Guild Hall again. We've only just had it rebuilt," Makarov sighed as he headed for the door and left.
"Well, what are you gonna do? The old man said no. C'mon Happy, let's go fishing!" Natsu shrugged.
"Aye, sir!" Happy cried as he and Natsu left together.
"Hey, Erza… Are you buying anything the Master just said?" Cana muttered as she noticed Erza had been squinting suspiciously at the door Makarov had left through.
"I can agree we'd likely get hurt, but… He knows more than he's letting on," Erza mumbled as she wandered off.
Erza wanted answers, and whenever she wanted something, she usually got it.
"So… You're the one who accepted the contract to clear those Kikimores out of my villa in Fiore?" The Pergrandian Queen Regent asked as she looked at Shisui.
Queen Regent Aya was a woman in her early forties, but could have easily been in her early thirties. She had dark skin, long dark hair that had been braided, and piercing blue eyes. For a woman of her age, she was definitely beautiful.
"Yes, that's right," Shisui nodded. He wasn't really sure what else to say to the Queen Regent.
"Gratitude for your hard work, but what brings you to my home? Senator Metellus tells me you decided to visit these lands out of curiosity," Aya responded, her piercing blue eyes carefully watching Shisui.
"I did, yes… I'm told you're a nation who reveres a large host of Gods. I got curious, and decided to see for myself what such a thing was like," Shisui explained. No matter what, he couldn't let anyone know what he was really here for; he had no idea who was listening.
"Well, after what you did for the good Senator in the market, I have no reason to deny your request to see what my lands have to offer you," Aya shrugged. "I give you free reign of this city to explore at your leisure."
"You honour me, Queen Regent," Shisui bowed.
"Actually, I was hoping you'd take pause and listen to another request I have?" Aya looked at Shisui expectantly.
"Give voice to your request, and I shall see it fulfilled," Shisui nodded.
"I'm impressed, foreigners usually struggle to speak in our tongue, yet you pick it up as if it were new-born child; so easily, and without difficulty," Aya laughed before becoming serious. "Leave."
As soon as the command had left Aya's mouth, everyone in the room bowed and left. It was now just her and Shisui alone together.
"Stop. I know what you're going to ask me," Shisui began as Aya stood up.
"Is that right? Then the floor is yours," Aya replied, sitting back down.
"Yes, I am here to hunt down those who are responsible for kick-starting the War of the Desert Rose a few years ago. I've already found and killed the one they call 'The Eagle' back in Fiore a couple of months ago. He told me, with his dying breath, that the rest of his order were hiding in the shadows of Pergrande, poisoning the nation," Shisui explained.
"You killed Shahkulu? By yourself?" Aya blinked, not sure if she should believe Shisui or not.
"Yeah, but it wasn't a cakewalk. I nearly died when battling him," Shisui muttered.
"How did you kill him?" Aya asked suddenly.
"I found out Shahkulu's greatest weakness was his devotion to your Gods. I simply made it look like I was the Champion of Anubis, who had the ability to summon Apep to this world. Of course, I don't have such a power, but my illusion was enough to make him think otherwise," Shisui explained.
"I see, and what happened to him? Are you sure he's dead?" Aya asked, sitting forward in her throne.
"Uhh, pretty sure, yeah," Shisui responded.
"What does that mean?" Aya raised an eyebrow at Shisui.
"He was gored by a divine spear and a Reaper's weapon. If that didn't kill him, then the fact he was engulfed in a golden light and began to break into pieces should certainly confirm it," Shisui replied.
"I see… Right, I think it's best I tell you this now, so you don't mistake them for the enemy. My late husband and I were also part of a secret organisation, one that was tasked with dismantling the secret organisation that Shahkulu was a part of," Aya stated as she stood up and turned around before taking her robe off to show Shisui a tattoo she had on her shoulder. "This is our mark."
The tattoo was a black, eight-pointed star with a circular pattern in the centre. It wasn't very flashy, but it was certainly distinguishable.
"Everyone in our order has this mark, or the eight pointed star at the very least," Aya stated as she put her robe back on and turned to face Shisui. "We are known as the Bratva."
"Pergrandian for 'Brotherhood'? Interesting," Shisui remarked.
"Oh, you know the word well do you?" Aya asked.
"Shahkulu told me before he died. It's why I came to Pergrande. I can't take these people down on my own. If I'm to have any hope of succeeding, I'll need the support of the Bratva, and all the resources they have," Shisui stated.
"Well, be that as it may, while I am the Queen Regent of Pergrande, I am not the leader of the Bratva," Aya shrugged.
"Then how do I find your leader?" Shisui asked.
"He will find you… But, if you want to expedite the process… He is known to be partial to Gladiatorial competition. Find your way into a match with a Gladiator in the arena and, if you impress, he should approach you," Aya smirked.
"IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'LL HAVE TO KILL TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION! I LIKE THIS BROTHERHOOD ALREADY!" Sithis laughed darkly.
"SEND ME THEIR SOULS, AND I WILL HAVE NO QUALMS ABOUT THIS!" Exspiravit added.
"Of course you won't…" Shisui muttered.
"Is everything alright?" Aya spoke, breaking Shisui out of conversation with the two Dragons in his head.
"Yes, fine… I think I know how to do this. Thank you, Queen Regent," Shisui bowed.
"Wait, before you go… I have something for you…" Aya stood up and whistled sharply.
A few moments later, through the opening in the ceiling that was used to allow sunlight into the room, an eagle soared down into the room and landed on Aya's outstretched arm.
"An eagle?" Shisui raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, she belonged to my husband. I want you to take her, it'll make it easier for my leader to recognise you as an ally," Aya responded as she clicked her tongue a couple of times and the eagle took off and began to fly around Shisui. "Her name is Senu, and now she is yours to command."
"Senu, huh…? Pergrandian for 'Sister'… Peculiar name for an eagle," Shisui muttered as he put his arm out and Senu floated down and perched on it.
"Now, go. Seek out the leader of the Bratva, and put an end to the scum who are plaguing my nation," Aya flicked her head towards the door behind Shisui; a dark look in her eyes as she spoke.
Shisui said nothing as he turned and left the room with Senu.
"You're joking, aren't you?" Porlyusica asked.
"No, I'm not. It's spread all over the country. Shisui murdered the Queen of Fiore," Makarov stated.
"And you're absolutely sure about that?" Porlyusica sighed. She didn't really care, but Makarov was still a friend, and she could tell he was greatly distressed.
"I know he was the Colonel who fought those two men, we even spoke at length after he woke up after being in some kind of magically induced coma for three weeks. The assassination appears to have taken place shortly after he left us. Are you saying it's a coincidence?" Makarov raised an eyebrow.
"I don't know, but most armies have more than one Colonel. It could be nothing more than a coincidence," Porlyusica replied flatly.
"The article said they couldn't reveal the name of the officer because he was involved in top secret military operations, Shisui told me he was working on something classified before he left. I'm putting two and two together here," Makarov explained.
"Yes, but are you sure you're getting four instead of five?" Porlyusica snapped.
"I don't know, but I know where he's going," Makarov responded.
"Really, where is that?" Porlyusica asked incredulously.
"Pergrande," Makarov stated.
"Pergrande? What the hell would he go there for?" Porlyusica turned around and looked Makarov with a serious look.
"I don't know. He wouldn't tell me, but I know for a fact that Shisui is somewhere in the Pergrande Kingdom," Makarov said confidently.
"Right, so what do you plan to do?" Porlyusica asked.
"Nothing. Shisui has his reasons to go to Pergrande, and that's not something I wish to get involved in…" Makarov clenched his fists angrily.
"You're close to being done with him, aren't you?" Porlyusica asked quietly.
"I… I don't know. He's definitely troubled, and there's a darkness inside him that seems to be trying to take over. I can't allow him to put the rest of my children in danger, Porlyusica… If I have to cut ties with him to keep the rest safe, then it's a sacrifice I'll have to make," Makarov sighed.
"Look, I can tell you care about the boy… Why don't you try doing some research into why he'd go to Pergrande, and see if you can figure out what he's after?" Porlyusica suggested.
"Yes… I think I'll have to do that. That boy never does anything without a good reason, so I just need to find out what that reason is," Makarov replied.
"Very good… Now get out, and take this. It'll calm that little devil down and stop her from throwing a tantrum and destroying your Guild Hall," Porlyusica said sharply as she tossed a small vial of blue liquid at Makarov, who nodded and left.
"I don't like this idea," Akane said with a scowl.
"Yes, I heard you the first six times, dear," Shisui sighed, smirking at how Akane was behaving.
After his meeting with Aya, Shisui had returned to Akane to tell her the good news. Akane had particularly liked how Shisui had been given an eagle as a pet. Akane loved birds, especially lethal predators, so it was very obvious she had immediately fell in love with Senu.
The one part Akane didn't like was the idea Shisui had to get the leader of the Bratva to seek him out. The fighting as a Gladiator didn't bother her; there was something about the thought of seeing her man cutting down wave after wave of lethal enemies and being covered in their blood that excited her. No, it wasn't the what he was fighting as that bothered her; it was the who he was fighting for that bothered her.
"I still don't like this idea," Akane huffed as they arrived at their destination.
"Yes, and that is now the eighth time you've told me," Shisui shook his head as he knocked on the door, which was opened by a spindly old man.
"Who are you? Speak, or see tongue parted from mouth!" The old man snapped.
"We come at the request of your Domina; is she home?" Shisui asked, ignoring the old man's tone.
The old man narrowed his eyes and stood to the side and allowed Shisui and Akane to enter. Akane glared at the old man, who returned her glare with one of his own before closing the door and rushing off in front of Shisui.
"Apologies, Domina, but honoured guests have arrived," The old man stated as he entered a room with Shisui and Akane in tow.
"Ah, Shisui, it is good to lay eyes. I must say, I didn't expect you to come so soon," Ambrea smiled as she approached the two. "And I see you've brought your attendant. How… Lovely."
"Attendant?!" Akane shouted, before Shisui turned and looked at her.
"Apologies, the fault lies in my ability not to give proper introduction. Ambrea, this is Akane; my partner," Shisui introduced Akane to the young woman.
"Partner? Oh, my deepest apologies. I forget you are not from Pergrande. Most men of standing usually have attractive female attendants they use for pleasure, and that's about it. I assumed that's all she was for," Ambrea shrugged, which caused Akane's blood to boil.
"No, she isn't my slave. We came to Pergrande together, and we've come here together," Shisui responded.
"So, I am to assume you wish to take me up on my offer from the market earlier?" Ambrea asked as she beckoned her guests to follow her.
"Indeed. I've never fought a Gladiator before. I'd be grateful to you if I were to be given the opportunity to fight one of your own," Shisui stated as they walked out onto a balcony that overlooked a small training ground, that was currently in use.
"Before we proceed, I'd ask you to leave any weapons up here with me. I can't have you killing any of my men," Ambrea explained as the old man who greeted the pair at the door came out onto the balcony with a large silver tray.
Shisui merely shrugged as he reached around to the back of his waist and pulled out the two guns that used to belong to a Reaper, before Freed Sellzen had killed it. He was definitely surprised that Death had let him keep the guns, instead of taking them back.
Down on the sands below, several Gladiators were training hard, fighting both each other, and the blazing heat from the sun.
"I think you'll find my Gladiators to be some of the best in the Kingdom," Ambrea purred as she watched her Gladiators clash.
"I don't doubt it. Senator Metellus speaks highly of your stock, along with the man who trains them," Shisui responded.
"The Doctore? He was one of my grandfather's men; a true Titan of the arena," Ambrea answered as she looked down at the man they were talking about.
The Doctore, a name given to the instructor of Gladiators, was a tall, muscular man with very dark skin and a bald head. He wore a leather breastplate, and clutched in his hand was a bullwhip, used to start or end training, or to punish unruly Gladiators.
"Attend!" The Doctore commanded, cracking his whip as he felt the dull grey eyes of his Domina upon him. Upon barking the command, all the Gladiators stopped their training and lined up in a single row.
Right at the end, Shisui saw the Ice Nation warrior who had been bought by Ambrea earlier in the day. His hair had been cut short, and his beard had been shaved.
"What is beneath your feet?" The Doctore asked.
One of the slaves who had been bought alongside the Ice Nation warrior at the market looked confused before speaking.
"Sand?" The slave asked.
"You fucking idiot…" Another slave, this one with short, curly blond hair muttered, quiet enough that only Shisui could hear because of his heightened senses.
"Barca! What is beneath your feet?!" The Doctore growled, his crushing glare never leaving the slave who opened his mouth without speaking.
"Sacred ground, Doctore. Watered with our blood and sweat," A tall man with long dark hair spoke up. It was clear to all he was a veteran Gladiator.
"Your Domina has seen fit to bring a guest who believes himself to be a worthy opponent for a Gladiator of this house. Who shall be the one to prove him wrong?" The Doctore asked, getting laughs out of the Gladiators.
"Another one of Domina's bitches who believes they have the cock of Jupiter himself? I shall send him running back to wherever he came from, his ass sore from the fucking I'll give him," Barca declared, getting a roar of laughter from his brothers.
"Him…" Shisui growled. The single word that passed from his lips was quiet, but was spoken like death incarnate.
"Hey, are you ok?" Akane asked, gingerly putting a hand on top of Shisui's fist that was clenching the balcony.
Shisui said nothing, but the glare he gave Akane caused her to gasp. It was like she was looking into the eyes of Satan himself.
Not breaking the demonic look he was giving Akane, he leapt over the balcony and down onto the sands below.
"Someone is going to get their ass pounded, but it doesn't seem to be the Domina's guest…" The Ice Nation warrior whispered to the blond haired man next to him.
"Hold your fucking tongue. Barca is one of the most experienced Gladiators in this house, this man won't last two minutes against him," The blond man grunted.
"Domina?" The Doctore turned to look up at Ambrea, who nodded before tossing something to him.
"You… Put this on," The Doctore commanded.
"What is it?" Shisui growled, still glaring at Barca.
"A Dimeritium Band; it'll cut the flow of–" The Doctore began.
"I know what Dimeritium does. Let's get this thing started," Shisui spat.
"Hold on. Aren't you forgetting something, Shisui?" Ambrea called out.
With a grunt, Shisui stripped off his bracers which had his wrist blades mounted to them and tossed them to the sands.
"Swords!"The Doctore barked as a young man rushed over to a chest to grab wooden practice swords and handed them over to Shisui.
"I shall stick with my spear, Doctore," Barca commented as he picked up a wooden staff with a blunt point at one end.
"Anything to add before these two begin, Domina?" The Doctore asked.
"Don't kill each other," Ambrea stated coldly, as she waved a hand to signal the fight to begin.
"BEGIN!" The Doctore roared.
Barca immediately lunged at Shisui with his spear, the suddenness of the attack taking Shisui by surprise and hitting him in the ribs with a glancing strike. Had that been a real spear, it would have definitely cut deep.
Barca's attacks were relentless and fast. Shisui was able to deflect each attack easily, but had no chance to turn defence into attack, which was beginning to frustrate him. Shisui was being backed into a corner and it was starting to piss him off.
The other Gladiators looked on with smug grins. This nobody thought he could hold a candle to one of their best Gladiators and now he was being whipped like an animal. Some were laughing and jeering at Shisui's attempts to fight a veteran like Barca.
Shisui could feel rage burning inside him. He knew he didn't have the skills to fight this man toe-to-toe. Gladiatorial combat was something far different to regular combat, and it was something he had never experienced before.
It became apparent to Shisui that he had been lured into a trap. He let this man's insults get under his skin, which caused him to take on a challenge without even thinking about it, or knowing what his opponent was capable of.
Now backed into a literal corner, Shisui had nowhere to go, as Barca used the bottom of the wooden spear to flick sand up into Shisui's face before following up with a hard smack to the face with the spear, knocking him to the ground.
Spitting out a wad of blood, Shisui turned to look at his opponent, who had jumped into the air and thrust the spear down at Shisui, aiming for his chest. Such an attack would be considered a killing blow if it made contact with a real weapon.
As Barca leapt through the air with his spear aimed at his grounded opponent, something snapped in Shisui. Instead of getting up to avoid the attack, he rolled away from it as the spear harmlessly struck the sands. Immediately, Shisui rolled back over, pinning the spear underneath him and swiped at one of Barca's hands with his wooden sword, causing the Gladiator to flinch and release the weapon, which dropped to the ground.
Shisui now stood up and lunged at Barca, who had picked his spear up and swung it at Shisui's head. Instead of making contact with the side of his skull, the wooden weapon passed right through Shisui, leaving a trail of dark blue mist as the spear moved through his head.
Barca cried out in shock as he saw a brief flash of what appeared to be a skull as the attack passed through his opponent. All the other Gladiators watched on in surprise; they saw the attack miss, but they didn't see it pass through Shisui's body.
The rage Shisui had been feeling since he began this fight boiled over inside him as he let out a guttural roar and stomped on the spear, shattering it in half before advancing on Barca. In a feeble attempt to stop the advancing Shisui, Barca threw a punch at him, but Shisui grabbed a hold of the outstretched hand and twisted it around before smashing the pommel of the sword into Barca's nose.
Blood exploded out of Barca's nose, but Shisui didn't stop there. He carried on with his merciless attack, repeatedly smashing the butt of his weapon into the man's face. Dazed and hurt, Barca collapsed to his knees and looked to almost be on the verge of passing out, but Shisui wasn't finished.
"GET THE FUCK UP, MOTHERFUCKER!" Shisui roared as he raised the sword up a final time to strike down his enemy.
As Shisui made the attempt to end his opponent, but found he couldn't move his hand to strike. Looking at his hand, he saw it was ensnared by the bullwhip that belonged to the Doctore.
"Enough! The match is yours," The Doctore yelled, releasing his whip's hold on Shisui when he dropped the sword. "Take Barca to the Medicus."
At the command, both the blond haired Gladiator and the Ice Nation warrior picked Barca and dragged him off to get medical help while Shisui spat on the sands as he ripped the Dimeritium shackle off before walking off to go back up to Akane and Ambrea.
"I don't know how you managed to best Barca, but I can assure you if this were the arena, not even Amun-Ra himself would have been able to save you from the Underworld," The Doctore muttered as Shisui walked past him.
Shisui simply ignored the man and picked up his bracers before he climbed the side of the villa and jumped back up onto the balcony he had been on before heading down to the sands to fight Barca.
"Well, that was certainly unexpected. You fight like desperate animal, but lack the proper resolve to fight as a Gladiator," Ambrea looked at Shisui, an empty stare clashed with a hard glare.
"Shisui just pounded the living shit out of one of your Gladiators! You think he lacks resolve? What the hell would you know?!" Akane shouted.
"No, she… She's right," Shisui muttered.
"Huh?" Akane turned to look at Shisui, who was now looking at the floor.
"Fighting as a Gladiator is far different to any normal style of fighting. Even a well-disciplined soldier would struggle to fight against a fledgling Gladiator," Shisui whispered, clenching his fists in frustration.
"Smart is the man who understands his limits. Gratitude for the entertainment, but I don't believe the Gods have blessed you with the ability to fight as a Gladiator; as a titan of the arena," Ambrea stated as she turned and walked off.
"You're wrong!" Shisui snapped, causing Ambrea to turn and look at him curiously.
"I still managed to defeat one of your best Gladiators. That shows I am more than capable of fighting – no, winning as a Gladiator in the arena," Shisui replied from behind gritted teeth.
"Very well, I'll take you up on that offer. You may remain here, and learn the art of Gladiatorial combat from Oenomaus, my Doctore. It will be down to him, and the Will of the Gods, to decide if you are fit to honour the arena," Ambrea spoke, not breaking her gaze with Shisui. "Leave your belongings up here, and head down to the barracks below."
"What?! Why can't he stay here?" Akane asked, looking angry and confused.
"If I want to understand what it is to be a Gladiator, then I need to be amongst them, Akane. Don't worry, I'll be fine," Shisui stated, doing his best to calm Akane down. "I take it Akane is free to remain here, with you?"
"Of course, she may treat this house as if it were her own," Ambrea nodded. "Guard."
Shisui said nothing as two guards appeared and stood next to Shisui, ready to escort him down into the belly of the beast; the living quarters of the Gladiators.
"Be careful, Shisui…" Akane whispered as she watched him exit through a door on the far side of the villa.
After his conversation with Porlyusica, Makarov had returned to the Guild Hall and started looking into why Shisui would have gone to the Pergrande Kingdom. After several hours, he heard a knock at his door, which opened before he had a chance to say anything.
"Oh, it's you Laxus. What do you want?" Makarov asked, rubbing his eyes as he looked up at his grandson.
"What have you been doing in here, Old Man? No-one has seen you all day, so I thought I'd come looking for you," Laxus shrugged as he sat down in a chair in front of Makarov's desk.
"Good heavens, is that really the time?" Makarov yawned as he looked at the clock on his desk. He had been here for almost nine hours.
"Books? Have you been doing some research or something?" Laxus asked as he saw the large pile of books on the floor next to the desk.
"Hmm? Ah, yes… I'm trying to figure something out, but it's not making any sense," Makarov sighed as he closed the book he had been reading.
"Pergrande? You thinking of taking a holiday, Gramps?" Laxus raised an eyebrow.
"What? No. I'm trying to figure out why Shisui would go there," Makarov muttered, before realising what he had said.
"Wait, what's he got to do with this?" Laxus gave Makarov a suspicious look.
"Do with what?" Makarov asked.
"Don't play dumb with me, Old Man," Laxus growled.
"Alright, look, I don't know why he'd go there, but when he was last here, he mentioned something about looking for more Dragon Slayer Lacrima, so I thought I'd do some research and figure out where he'd likely go," Makarov explained, surprised at how quickly he could come up with a believable story.
"And you think Pergrande is where he is now?" Laxus asked.
"No, but if this book is to believed, there is a great temple there, dedicated to the 'Twins of Creation', who were supposed to be dragons that were two of five children of the God-King of Dragonkind; Slifer," Makarov explained as he skimmed the book over again.
"So, you think that temple contains these dragons' powers?" Laxus raised an eyebrow.
"I doubt it, but you know Shisui. He's never one to turn down a mystery. It's possible he'll look into it at some point," Makarov shrugged.
"You're just assuming that's where he'd go? What if he does?" Laxus scowled.
"Nothing. As Guild Master, I have a duty of care to all my children. As long as I know where they are, then I will sleep well at night," Makarov responded as he hopped off his chair.
"What? Are you telling me you did this because you're worried about him?" Laxus sneered.
"No, not worried. Concerned. He's been gone for a while now, and we've heard nothing. That's not like him, and I was hoping I could come to some conclusion as to where he is," Makarov stated, nodding as he spoke.
"Tch, you're so soft, Old Man…" Laxus scoffed as he stood up and walked out of Makarov's office.
As Laxus left the Guild Hall, he didn't notice Erza sat alone, reading an article in the newspaper she had been shown earlier that day. This article, however, wasn't about the death of the Queen. It was something else entirely. Something she knew the others had to see…
Later that night, once she knew everyone who wasn't going to interrupt her was asleep, Erza went and gathered everyone to tell them about the article she had read.
"C'mon, Erza, it's two in the morning," Gray groaned as he rubbed his eyes.
"Shut it, this is important, and I only included you because I know you'd be interested," Erza snapped.
"Wait, is that why we're all here, with the exception of Natsu, Lisanna, Elfman, Laxus and his 'Thunder Legion'?" Cana asked.
Erza had gathered Cana, Levy, Mirajane (with an ounce of difficulty), and Gray; people she knew would be interested in what she had to show them.
"Yes, I only chose to exclude Lisanna and Elfman, because that was the only way to get Mirajane on board, Laxus should be obvious, and Natsu clearly doesn't give a shit," Erza grumbled.
"What did you want to tell us?" Mirajane growled. She clearly wasn't happy about being woken up so early.
"Levy, it's too dark in here. Can you provide some light that's good enough for reading?" Erza asked.
After waking everyone up, Erza had everyone meet her in her room at Fairy Hills. Naturally, she had gone to get Gray first, as he wasn't allowed to stay within the dorms there, being they were for girls only.
"Sure thing. Solid Script; Light!" Levy whispered, as she cast her magic and created the word 'Light', which shone like a low-wattage bulb. It was the ideal light for reading, but also dim enough so no-one would see the light pouring out of the window.
"After we read that article about the Queen being killed, I wanted to see if there was anything else in there that could help me determine who this killer Colonel was, and it led me to this…" Erza opened the newspaper to the back page and pointed to a small article at the very bottom of the page.
'BEWARE THE ARAGAMI! – For the past few weeks, there have been whispers among the citizens of Crocus; a dark presence looms over the city, punishing the wicked at night. This individual stalks the streets at night, hunting and punishing anyone who commits crimes. An eyewitness claims to have seen this being with her own two eyes and had this to say;
"I saw it. In the dead of night as I returned home from work, a man attacked me and robbed me of my purse. Within seconds of me crying out, a shadow rose up and incapacitated my would-be robber. The shadow said nothing as it returned my belongings and swallowed the thief up into the shadows, leaving no trace of him."
When asked if she knew how such a thing was possible, the witness responded;
"When I was young, my grandmother told me stories about a vengeful Shadow Spirit that stalked the wicked, and punished them for their crimes. Unable to exist within the light of day, the Spirit would rise at night to hunt wrongdoers. The Spirit had a name; Aragami. I am certain that it was the Aragami who saved me that night."
In the wake of chaos for Crocus, will this Shadow Spirit – this 'Aragami' – be a blessing, or a curse for this city? For now, it seems to be a blessing, but how long before it becomes a curse?
"Now, who does that sound like to you?" Erza asked, a small smirk on her face.
"That sounds like Shisui," Cana replied, letting out a small gasp of a laugh.
"You really think it's him?" Gray asked. "That Colonel said–"
"That Colonel killed the Queen. It's likely he told us Shisui wasn't there so we wouldn't go looking for him," Mirajane snapped.
'That was a quick turnaround…' Gray sighed.
"Perhaps, but this is definitely worth looking in to," Levy added.
"Agreed, but we can't just up and leave without saying anything. Master Makarov would know what we're up to," Erza stated calmly.
"So, what do you propose?" Gray asked.
"I believe I might be of help there," A voice muttered from the door, which caused everyone to look over and see a dark figure standing there in the open doorway.
Upon seeing the frightening sight, everyone screamed. Erza and Mirajane both grabbed a hold of each other in fear before realising what they were doing, and shoved each other away.
"Calm yourselves, do you want the whole building to discover us?" The figure snapped as they stepped further into the room, where the light from Levy's Solid Script Magic was able to reveal their identity.
"Wait, Freed? What are you doing here?" Cana snapped, her heart still racing.
"I could ask you the same thing, but it seems I already know what you're doing," Freed responded. "Oh, come now. You don't think I didn't notice Gray sneaking through the Guild Hall with you, Erza?"
"What were you doing in the Guild Hall?" Mirajane raised an eyebrow.
"If you must know, Bickslow has an awful habit of snoring while he sleeps. It gets so bad that I have to occasionally seek refuge in the Guild Hall, just to be allowed a bit of peace," Freed sighed, rubbing his face, which now looked exhausted.
"What is it you want, Freed?" Erza asked suspiciously.
"It's not what I want, it's what you want, and it seems you want to go off and look for Shisui," Freed responded as he sat down on the floor with the rest of the children.
"What if we do? It's none of your business," Mirajane hissed.
"Ah, that's where you're wrong, Mirajane. I believe that you'll need my help if you're going to successfully leave for Crocus," Freed responded, wagging a finger in Mirajane's face, which caused her to growl.
"Oh, and what makes you say that?" Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Simple. You all know that the Master will know you've disobeyed him if he finds out you've all left the Guild at once, and with no explanation. You all need a valid reason to leave for Crocus, and I believe I have one," Freed explained.
"You mean everyone is going to be less suspicious if you come along with us? They're not stupid," Cana scowled.
"No, but when they find out what it is that we'll be leaving for, then they'll be convinced," Freed responded.
"And that would be…?" Erza looked at Freed, waiting to reveal his master plan to them.
Freed said nothing as he reached into his pocket, and fished out a piece of paper. He proceeded to unfold it and hold it out under the light for everyone to read.
"A Job Request?" Cana raised an eyebrow.
"Indeed, for a client in Crocus. But look at what the reward is," Freed tapped the bottom right corner of the page.
"What?! You can't be serious!" Erza shouted.
"It seems genuine to me," Freed shrugged.
The reward that was being offered for the advertised job was a Black Soul Gem. A very rare, and incredibly powerful item that can be used to harness the power and energy of souls.
"But… You guys, Black Soul Gems are incredibly dangerous. There's no telling what could happen if you use one," Levy muttered, feeling uneasy.
"Levy is right, even if we use this job request as a way to convince the Master we're not trying to look for Shisui, but to help Mirajane, a Black Soul Gem is not exactly a 'safe' reward," Erza stated.
"Perhaps you're right, but what other choice do we have? I know how desperate you are to go to Crocus, and this might just be the one thing that will allow you to do that without Master Makarov being suspicious of your plans," Freed explained.
They all knew Freed was right. Despite that, they still didn't know why Freed was so willing to help them out in this situation. As far as any of them were aware, Freed and Shisui weren't exactly friends. They were acquaintances due to Freed being friends with Laxus, and both Laxus and Shisui being S-Class Wizards, but that was about as far as things went between them. So what was it Freed wanted?
Erza was immediately suspicious. This was definitely out of character for Freed, and she wanted to know why he was so eager to help them. Maybe it wasn't for their benefit at all, maybe this was all for…
"Did Laxus put you up to this?" Erza asked.
"What? Heavens, no! He has no idea I'm even helping you! What would Laxus stand to gain from this anyway?" Freed asked, taken aback by Erza's interrogative attitude.
"Oh, I don't know, maybe he wants someone to get him a Black Soul Gem so he can give Mirajane her soul back, which will give her back her Take-Over Magic, and he'll look like the hero of the Guild, while Shisui looks like a selfish bastard who doesn't care about her. Stop me if I'm wrong," Erza retorted, narrowing her eyes at Freed.
"Wow, that's actually a good angle…" Freed muttered. "Uhh, but no, that isn't what this is about. I swear to you all, this isn't Laxus' idea, and he has no idea I'm even here."
"Hey, don't be so inquisitive, Erza…" Levy whispered. "I think he's genuinely trying to help us out here."
"Perhaps, but I know what Laxus is like. He'd do anything to prove he's the best, and scummy tricks like this isn't beneath him," Erza responded, her eyes never leaving Freed.
"Forget this! We have an opportunity here! Why are we just sitting around debating this? Let's go already!" Mirajane shouted as she stood up and walked to the door.
"Hold it," Freed ordered. "I'll still need to clear it with Master Makarov first. You know you all can't just tag along on a job. I'll need time to come up with a way to convince the Master that all of you are needed for this job… Especially you, Mirajane."
Mirajane let out a low growl. She knew Freed was right, and she hated it. She was well aware that without any kind of magic, she was more of a liability than an asset.
"Fine. But you had better get your ass in gear and do it quick. I'm not waiting around forever," Mirajane grumbled as she stormed out of Erza's room and returned to her own.
"Right, looks like we're all on board. I'll speak to Master Makarov in the morning; hopefully it won't take much to convince him that you're all needed on this job," Freed stood up and stretched, before turning and leaving the room, gently closing the door behind him.
"Well, that just happened," Cana muttered.
"Yeah, and it was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," Gray scratched the back of his head.
"I know, but the weird part was– Where are your pants?" Cana asked, raising an eyebrow at Gray who was now sat on the floor of Erza's room in just his underwear.
"Oh, come on!" Gray yelled as he stood up and went to go find his pants, which prompted everyone else to get up and return to their bedrooms for the night.
For a few minutes, Erza simply sat on the floor of her bedroom. Deep down, she felt a little bit of excitement. Whether it was because she and her friends were about to embark on a secret mission, or if it was simply because she knew she was going to see Shisui again soon she wasn't sure, but there was definitely a thrill of excitement inside her, and she liked it.
A/N; Right, I had a lot of difficulty trying to write this Chapter, because the more I wrote, the more I realised I was straying away from Fairy Tail and making it more of a totally different story. This arc, while not exactly connected to anything canonical in Fairy Tail, is still relevant to the story as a whole, and will later intertwine with canonical events.
Yeah, it's probably shit, and that's why I compromised and have split the story in two. One half being about Shisui and his character development in Pergrande, and the other half being about the children in Fairy Tail, who are so desperate to see their Dragon Slayer friend again. I figured I may as well start to include them in the story, so it doesn't completely sever the Fairy Tail link.
As for Pergrande itself, I'm trying to blend together Ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Roman Cultures, to give it an 'exotic flavour', so don't be surprised to see links, hints, and nudges at those three ancient civilisations which have appeared in this chapter, as well as future chapters.
Honestly, I just hope this arc is going to be worth it. I'll try make it only a handful of Chapters, and hopefully have this 'Royal Army Arc' all wrapped up in the next 10-15 Chapters (being generous, just for estimation sake). Then I can have Shisui return to the Guild, and maybe have it more of a Fairy Tail Fanfic again. I know it's a pain, but I hope you'll bear with me on it.
Lastly, I'm gonna try (operative word being 'try') and write a lemon or two down the line. Kinda to see how I do, and to see how you all like it. If you don't like it, I'll simply mark where it begins, so you can skip it.
Also, please leave a review so I know how you guys feel about the story so far. It's difficult to write if I don't know what you guys are thinking/feeling. Thanks in advance to those of you who do leave reviews.
One more thing; if you guys haven't clued in on it by now, Akane Hiyama isn't my own character, she's actually from an Anime called 'Renai Bokun', or 'Love Tyrant'. I suggest you check it out, because it's hilarious. Also, yes; I have a thing for redheads (Oooh, spoilers for future pairings?), in case you didn't know already.
