continue...

(-")

Erza sat at a round-shaped table, with the client, Mr. Gluck (OC). Mr. Gluck was a fat old man with his hair and beard white. He kept smiling to the mages. At the same time, the mages; Natsu and Happy at the table too, Lucy and Lisanna sat a little far from them on a small couch, while the other three mages stood away from each other. Gray behind Erza, and Sabertooth mages stood by a window. The old man cleared his throat.

"You are …" He stared into Erza's eyes. His body leaned forward and his brows almost fused.

"I'm from Fairy Tail. My name is Erza Scarlet," Erza replied. "And…these are my friends," she added.

The old man slowly nodded while Titania introduced all her friends.

"Fairy Tail and Sabertooth…" he said while nodding his head slowly. "I sent the paper to both guild but I didn't expect for both of you to come. I was recommended by a friend to use your service."

"What actually we're encountering?" she asked. The mages stared at the old man.

"Truthfully I don't know. No one in this village knows. Nobody ever encounter that creature." Sting glanced to Lisanna. At the same time, she glanced at him too. "That creature never attacks the villagers. It only took our livestock. We only realized it in the morning. I hope that you can solve this problem. I and the villagers are willingly to help you, if needed." The old man explained.

Erza turned to her friends. Lucy and Lisanna jumped off the couch and came closer to Titania. Gray too. But the Twin Dragon Slayer remained at their spot.

"We'll have a watch," she said. Crossed her arms over her chest. "Each pair will watch one place. If you spot anything unusual, one of you must inform the other pairs while the other one remain where you are."

The mages nodded. Then Erza started the night watch by pairing up the mages.

(-")

Erza stood straight. Her hands on her waist and her eyes monitored the surrounding. Behind her was one of the Sabertooth mage, giving his back to her. Him too, monitoring the surrounding. They were at the place the unknown creature last seen.

"Do you think that thing will come again?" he asked.

"We need to be careful," she answered.

(-")

Lucy stared to the dark night sky. The bright moon was covered by the cloud. She hugged Plue close to her body. The place looked creepy. She glanced to her partner. Why Erza partnered her with this guy? He himself was creepy as the night. And he kept silent all the time.

"Hey…" She tried to make a conversation with him.

"I prefer to work in silent," he said.

Lucy gritted her teeth. This guy is rude!

"Plus," he added. "..According to Sting, that creature is almost unheard. So, I am the only one useful here."

Lucy screamed in her head. I'm going to kill this guy! Kill him! Kill him!

(-")

"Why are we here?" Lisanna spoke. "Of all places, why we have to be here?

They walked across the forest. Lisanna had been questioning why they had to be the one patrolling the forest. The surrounding was dark. She was afraid that if that creature appeared, they couldn't distinguish it with the dark.

"Gray, don't you think that we should light up a fire?" she asked. "I afraid that that creature might come."

Gray silent for one second. Then he agreed. While waiting for the ice mage to light up a fire, she suddenly felt uneasy.

"Lisanna, are you alright?" he asked.

The girl didn't move since a few seconds ago.

"Ne, Gray, I think …"

Gray stood next to her with a torch.

"Is that….?" He felt that none of them need the answer for his question.

Even though he was holding a torch,but the path behind them disappeared. Everything was dark and completely black.

"Go and tell the others," Gray ordered.

"How about you?" she asked.

"I'll hold it. Quick!"

Gray created an iced wall as soon as Lisanna fled away for help. The stack of sand, as Lisanna called it, surprised the mage; they ate the iced wall and ready to attack him. As a hole made through the wall, the creatures quickly attacked him. Gray tried to trap them using his ice block but nothing trapped. They then surround him. He tried to run away, or at least swept them off his body. Unluckily he failed.

(-")

Lisanna flew high, trying to find any of her friends. That was when she saw Rouge and Lucy heading to her way. She quickly flew down, closer to them.

"Ah, Lisanna-chan?"

She returned to her actual form when she almost reached the ground.

"Help!" she shouted, even though they were near. "We are attacked. Gray's still there, holding that thing!"

She asked them to follow her, but before they even moved, that creature arrived.

Their location wasn't hidden; furthermore they are exposed to the bright moonlight. But ahead of them was nothing but darkness.

"It's here," the white-haired girl said with low voice.

The other two mages gaped.

"Let's get out of here, before it engulfs and digests us!" Lisanna said.

At the same time, she pulled Lucy's hand. Unfortunately, Lucy's legs were covered by the creatures. She screamed out of fear. Lisanna tried to pull her out and Rouge lent a hand. Their efforts were, like, for nothing. The creatures moved from Lucy to another girl and eventually the dragon slayer.

Suddenly, a loud sound heard from afar. The creatures were likely turned frozen. At the same time, Lisanna shot awayfrom the creatures' 'hand'. The creatures then dispersed.

"You alright?"

Lisanna opened her eyes, and then slowly nodded.

"Where's Lucy?" Erza asked. Erza, Natsu and Happy arrived a little late.

Everyone looked around but there was no sight of the stellar mage.

"It took Lucy?" Lisanna asked. Sting helped her stood up. She brushed her arms and clothes.

The mages stared to each other. Their condition worsened. The creatures got their member.

"Is there any unusual place around?" Erza asked.

"Erza!" Happy flew down on to the ground. "Natsu found a cave!"

The cat headed the team the said cave, located in a foothill. It was far from the village. Natsu waited at the cave. They had to move fast…before the fire dragon slayer loses his patience.

(-")

'_'