Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Ranger's Apprentice.
Lucy Heartfilia-san
Oh my god, Rogues! *dies of laughter* Keep this up! Please! Also. Question: Would you be willing to make another book after this where it's after Lucy returns to Fiore?
Unfortunately, no. I do have plans in place for the ending though.
BeautifulAstrology
Your stories are always the best! I love most Lucy pairings so I tend to keep an eye out for potentially good stories. I loved your Zoro x Lucy story and I like how you want to pair her with George or Freed in this one. They are both book worms like her so I definatley see the possibilities.
I just read this whole story in one go and I must say that I LOVE IT! So Good! Please update again soon.
Much Love~ Laxus x Lucy Lover
Lucy is quite possibly the easiest anime character to pair I've ever seen. She has a very likable personality and is very accepting of people. I'm also glad you enjoyed Spirit Keys and Santoryu, despite it, in my opinion, not being my best work. And truthfully, I did not put all of the effort I could have into it. As for this story's pairing, it will end up being George and Lucy, as I don't think Freed should be coming in at this point of the story.
LilLinkGirl
Woot! More updates! Yes! I really can't wait for the action to start. Just the thought of Lucy being in their fights makes me smile. Though to be honest I like all of this, the dynamics between the characters is nice :) Only thing I can't see is when Will is taken and then drugged up later on in the story I can't see ordinary men taking Lucy down, Loki and the other spirits won't allow it. And I can't see her being held for long either, especially since it's been so long since I've read the book so I can't remember if there is mentions of men forcing themselves on women they've taken. So I can't wait to see what'cha going to do!
I already have a plan for when we get to that section of the series. And no, there was never any mention of Cassandra being forced upon. So there will be none of that in this story.
sable-rover
I really like this Stronger! Lucy.
There's a fuel for her aspiration.
Going back to her homeland, I mean.
I'm actually excited when she gets back but I'm assuming that's way too early for her leave.
I'm wondering how the time differs as well.
Maybe then, she'll only go through a few more months or years in comparison to the seven-year freeze.
I applaud your work.
It was a masterpiece, it seems.
I always felt Lucy was really underappreciated, and that the only reason she seems so weak is because of the comparable strength of those around her. She will actually be staying the full seven years. And I thank you for your praise, but I don't think it's anywhere near a masterpiece.
"Something's happened," Halt said quietly, signaling the others to rein in their horses.
Small tents were set up in ordered ranks, there was an archery range set up to one side, and several dozen shaggy ranger ponies were grazing close to the trees. Even from where they were, they could see the sense of urgency in the activity of the camp. In the center of the lines of tents was a large pavilion and they could see a group of rangers standing around a table in deep conversation. One of the men left and got on his horse, heading down a narrow track on the far side of the encampment. The man was barely out of sight before another came galloping, his horse barely came to a stop before he dismounted to join the group in the tent.
"What's going on?" asked Lucy.
Even as they watched, several of the small tents were being taken down and rolled up by their owners. "Not sure. See if you can find us a decent campsite. I'll see what's going on." said Halt. He urged Abelard forward, calling back to them, "Don't pitch the tents yet. From the looks of things, we may not be needing them," before galloping towards the main tent.
Lucy, Will, and Gilan found a place to camp that was somewhat close to the central gathering area. They all sat on a log to wait for Halt to return. Since Halt had a senior ranking in the Ranger Corps, he had access to the large pavilion, which, as Gilan explained, was the command tent. Most of the tents near them were unoccupied, but outside one was a thin and gangly Ranger that was pacing in front of his tent, looking just as confused as Gilan and the two apprentices. Seeing them, he came over to join them.
"Any news?" he asked.
We were just about to ask you the same question," Gilan responded, causing the newcomer's expression to fall. Gilan held out his hand, "It's Merron, isn't it?" he asked as they shook hands.
"That's right. And you're Gilan if I remember correctly." said Merron.
"Correct. Lucy, Will, this is Merton, Merton, this Will, Halt's apprentice, and Lucy, also Halt's apprentice. But I'm sure you must remember her from last year." Gilan said, introducing them.
"Of course I remember. Who could forget?" said Merron. "And we wondered what you two would be like. I was going to be one of your assessors, you know."
"Going to be?" Gilan asked.
Merron turned to Gilan. "Yes, I doubt we'll continue with the Gathering now . . . You mean you haven't heard?" When they shook their heads, he continued. "Morgarath is up to something again."
The name sent a shiver of fear up Will's spine. "What's happened?" asked Gilan, his eyes narrowing.
Merron shook his head. "There's no clear news so far. Only garbled reports. But it looks as if a force of Wargals broke out of Three Step Pass some days ago. They overran the sentries there and headed north."
During the time that Halt was training her, he had given Lucy a brief history of their country as there was too little time for her to get something in depth. It was because of this that Lucy was not lost as to who Morgarath was, or what Wargals were. She remained silent as she continued to listen to the conversation.
"Was Morgarath with them?" asked Gilan.
Merron shrugged. "We don't know. Don't think so at this stage, but Crowley has been sending scouts out for the past two days. Could be it's just a raid. But if it's more than that, it could mean the start of another war. If so, it's a bad time to lose Lord Lorriac."
Gilan looked up at that, concerned. "Lorriac is dead?"
Merron nodded. "A stroke apparently. Or his heart. He was found dead a few days ago, with not a mark on him. Staring straight ahead. Stone cold dead."
"That's horrible!" Lucy said.
"But he was in his prime!" Gilan exclaimed. "I saw him only a month ago and he was as healthy as a bull."
Merron shrugged again. "I suppose it can happen to anyone. You just never know."
"Who's Lord Lorriac?" Lucy asked, uttering the same question that Will had been about to ask.
Gilan shook his head in though. "Lorriac of Steden. He was the leader of the King's heavy cavalry. Probably our best cavalry commander. As Merron said, if there's a war, he'll be sorely missed."
Fear gripped Will's heart while Lucy didn't seem that concerned. "Isn't that a bit strange? The best cavalry commander dies right when there's a chance that Morgarath might be planning another war?"
"Hm . . . when you put it like that . . . It is a bit coincidental, but he died of natural causes." said Gilan.
It was nearly an hour before Halt joined them again. Will and Lucy had prepared a meal since it was midday. Halt dismounted Abelard and accepted a plate from Will, eating the food quickly.
"The Gathering's over." he said between mouthfuls.
"Is it war?" Merron asked anxiously.
Halt shook his head. "We don't know for certain. Latest reports show that Morgarath is still in the mountains."
"Then why did the Wargals break out?" asked Will, knowing the Wargals only followed the will of Morgarath.
Expression grim, Halt answered, "There's only a small party, perhaps fifty of them. They were intended to act as a diversion. While our guards were busy chasing the Wargals, Crowley thinks that the two Kalkara slipped out of the mountains and are holed up somewhere on the Solitary Plain."
Merron stepped back in surprise, and Gilan gave a low whistle. Gilan and Merron looked horrified while Lucy and Will looked confused, not actually knowing what Kalkara were.
"You mean they still exist?" Merron asked. "I thought they died out years ago!"
"Oh, they still exist all right," said Halt. "There are only two of them left, but that's enough to worry about."
Silence prevailed after that, until Lucy hesitantly asked, "Um . . . sorry, but what are Kalkara."
Halt shook his head. It was not something he wished to discuss with people as young as Will and Lucy. But he knew that with what lay ahead of them, they needed to know. "When Morgarath was planning his rebellion, he wanted more than an ordinary army. He knew that if he could terrify his enemies, his task would be far easier. So over the years, he made several expeditions into the Mountains of Rain and Night, searching."
"Searching for what?" Will asked before Lucy could.
"For allies he could use against the kingdom. The mountains are an ancient, undisturbed part of the world. They've remained unchanged for centuries and there were rumors that strange beasts and ancient monsters still lived there. The rumors turned out to be all too true."
"Like the Wargals?" Lucy asked.
Halt nodded. "Yes, like the Wargals. And he very quickly enslaved them and bent them to his will," he said with a touch of bitterness. "but then he found the Kalkara. And they're worse than Wargals. Much, much worse. There were three of them, but one was killed about eight years ago, so we know a little more about them. Think of a creature that looks somewhere between an ape and a bear, that walks upright, and you'll have an idea of what a Kalkara looks like."
"So does Morgarath control them with his mind? Like the Wargals?" Will asked.
"No," Halt said, shaking his head. "They're more intelligent than Wargals, but they are totally obsessed with silver. They worship it and hoard it and Morgarath apparently gives it to them in large amounts so they'll do his bidding. And they do it well. They can be incredibly cunning while they stalk their prey."
"Prey? What kind of prey?" Lucy asked, perhaps unnecessarily.
Halt and Gilan exchanged a glance and it was clear that Halt was reluctant to discuss this topic. For a moment, it seemed like Halt was going to scold them for asking too many questions again. But they realized it was significantly more serious than idle curiosity as Halt replied, "The Kalkara are assassins. Once they've been given a specific victim, they will do anything in their power to reach that person and kill them."
"Can't we stop them?" Will asked.
"They're very difficult to kill. They have a thick hair covering that's matted and bonded together so that it's almost like scales. An arrow will hardly penetrate. A battle-axe or a broadsword is the best against them. Or a good thrust with a heavy spear might do the job." Halt told him.
"So was it a knight who killed the one eight years ago?" he asked.
Halt shook his head. "Not a knight. Three. It took three fully armed knights to kill it, and only one of them survived the battle. What's more, he was crippled for life," he said grimly.
"That's awful!" said Lucy.
"Three men? All of them knights? But how-?" Will began to ask before Gilan interrupted.
"The problem is, if you get close enough to use a sword or spear, the Kalkara can usually stop you before you have a chance." he said, fingers drumming on the hilt of his sword.
"How does it stop you?" asked Lucy.
Merron answered this time. "Its eyes. If you look into its eyes, you are frozen helpless, the way a snake freezes a bird with its gaze before it kills it."
"Freezes you . . . how can it do that? Are you talking about magic here?" Will asked.
"Some people call it magic. I think it's more likely a form of hypnotism. Either way, Merron is right. If a Kalkara can make you look into its eyes, you become paralyzed by sheer terror, unable to do anything to save yourself." Halt said, causing Will to look about anxiously.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Will asked, hopelessness tainting his voice.
Shrugging, Halt said, "Legend has it that they are particularly vulnerable to fire. Problem is, as before, getting close enough to do any damage. Carrying a naked flame makes it a little difficult to stalk a Kalkara. They tend to hunt at night and can see you coming."
"Lucy, can any of your spirits use fire?" Will asked, noticing she had this thoughtful look on her face.
She looked up at him and shook her head. "No, but . . . one of my guild mates, Evergreen, has a secondary magic called, "Stone Eyes". Whenever someone looks into her eyes, they turn to stone, but the user can undo the spell. Just so she doesn't turn someone to stone every time they look her in the eyes, she wears glasses, which stops the spell. Likewise, if someone were to wear glasses, the spell wouldn't effect them, even if Evergreen were to remove her glasses. I was wondering . . . if we might be able to employ the same tactic with the Kalkara . . . " said Lucy.
"Hm . . . it could be possible. But where would we get these glasses from?" asked Halt.
"I could ask Virgo . . . she's always making me cute outfits, so maybe she could get us something." Lucy said.
Halt nodded. "That could be worth asking about."
There was a bit of an awkward silence then, which was broken by Gilan when he asked, "What makes Crowley think that Morgarath is using them?"
There was a moment of hesitation before Halt answered. "He's already used them twice in the past year, to kill Lord Northolt and Lord Lorriac." When he saw their puzzled looks, he continued. "Northolt was thought to be killed by a bear, remember?"
Will and Lucy nodded. The first day Will was Halt's apprentice, he'd gotten the news of the supreme commander's death. Lucy had been informed of this news when she rejoined Halt.
"I thought at the time that Northolt was too skilled a hunter to be killed that way. Crowley evidently agrees." Halt finished.
"But what about Lorriac? Everyone said it was a stroke." Merron said.
"You'd heard that, had you? Well, his physician was most surprised. Said he'd never seen a healthier man. On the other hand . . . " Halt said, pausing.
"It could have been the work of the Kalkara." Lucy finished, seeing where this was going.
Halt nodded. "Exactly. We don't know the full effects of the freezing stare they've developed. Maintained over a long enough time, the terror could well be enough to stop a man's heart. And there were vague reports that a large, dark animal was seen in the area.
Once again, silence settled over them. Around them, the other Rangers bustled about their business until Halt roused their small group from their thoughts. "We'd best be moving. Merron, you'll need to return to your fief, Crowly wants the army alerted and mobilized. Orders will be distributed in a few minutes."
Merron nodded and turned towards his campsite, but paused and turned back to them. Something about the way Halt had spoken made him ask. "What about you three? Where are you going?"
Even before he answered, Lucy and Will sensed what Halt was going to say.
"We're going after the Kalkara."
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