*Onomatopoeia*
Yeah… forget what I said about finishing this before the 19th. That's not happening. Sorry.
Faie.
20: And the drinks were...
The air was musty and dank, and there was a sour tang of mildew hanging from the stone walls that enclosed her in a small, almost claustrophobic room. The room, if she could even call it that since it looked much more like a medieval cellar or dungeon, had been furnished since its erection centuries ago, not that it made much of a difference.
The walls were constructed out of overlapping layers of stone blocks, and while she had spent the past odd hour hammering her fists raw and digging her fingers bloody, they had refused to budge an inch. So much for her initial hopeful theory that stone walls always had loose blocks that slid free more easily than their compatriots. Or maybe she'd just been watching too many dramas in the theatre where the hero(ine) always manages to escape their bricked confines by pulling out blocks one after another till there was a hole large enough to climb out of.
At least when she had woken up in here, her dislodged shoulder had been dealt with. Digging with a dislodged arm would have been hell.
The cell was about 5ft in diameter, with a ceiling so high that it disappeared into the darkness. Rather than a cell, she had probably been locked into a cylindrical tower. The memory of a tower dungeon drew a shiver through her as the image of herself standing in a similar room 50 storey up flashed through her mind.
The last time she had stood upon the precipice of a balcony that opened up over a barren, rocky terrain that stretched for miles on the outskirts of Magnolia, the strong gusts whipping across her face as the sun bore down on her skin. Her body had burned yet chilled at the same time. Now however, she felt nothing but the chill.
Also, there were no strong arms to catch her as she free-felled to the ground this time round. A single tear pooled in the corner of her eye at the thought of his familiar arms around her, muscle bound yet gentle and comforting in their touch as they embraced her tightly to his chest. Frowning, she wiped that tear away before it could fall.
She had no idea what time it was, but judging from the minimal rays of reddish light that streamed in through the grated window five meters up, it was late dusk. There was no sign of life in the tower, not even the squeaking of rodents (Thank God), and neither were there the sounds of nature from outside the windows. If she had to say, she was probably locked up in a towering dungeon that was part of some (very likely) distasteful Renaissance style castle that was sitting smack right in the middle of a Godforsaken desert.
Nighttime in a desert would certainly account for the ridiculously chilly air that permeated every inch of the cell and bristled across every pore of her bare skin.
Damn the fact that she was wearing nothing but knee length Capris and a spaghetti strap tank top. When she had awoken in this dreaded room, there had been a large cape sitting next to her feet, folded into a neat square, but she had obstinately refused to touch it. Yet.
As the cold continued to wear away at her skin, her resolution was quickly waning. The cape still sat there barely a meter away, and in the rapidly fading darkness, she caught sight of a ruffle of fur that was bound to provide much – needed warmth.
She cupped her palms against her mouth and exhaled, but the heat from her breath failed to provide much allaying to the chill that frosted over her skin. Despite her best efforts to still them, her teeth chattered against each other, the clicking sounds carrying up into the cold air that hung heavily on her form. She brought her knees up to her chest and leaned back against the blocky surface of the wall. Seconds later, she moved away quickly, and was careful not to let a single inch of her body touch the wall anymore. The blocks were granite, and she'd probably lose heat faster pressed up against it than sitting in the middle of the tower.
She shivered again, this time almost violently, and cursed aloud. And since that felt good, she cursed again, this time louder and with more intensity behind her voice and words.
"Fuck!"
She didn't like that word much since she was not raised to speak a sailor's tongue. But years away from home and her time with Fairy Tail had loosened her inhibitions somewhat. She cursed loudly, boisterously and vehemently, and the adrenaline that pumped through her body left her somewhat flushed and feeling less cold. However, that faded as soon as she stopped yelling expletives and the chill resumed its teasing dance across her skin.
The reddish light from before had faded into black, with just a bare sliver of moonlight playing through the rusted grates and the cold become worse. Her breath misted in front of her eyes, and her hands could not stop shaking, even though she had folded them tightly against each other. The sight of the brown cape beckoned her, taunting her with promised warmth gifted by the enemy and the blonde cursed again.
Just as she was about to reach for the cape, there was a loud clanging sound.
Lucy Heartfilia's brown eyes widened and her gaze darted towards the thick wooden door, reinforced with steel plating that she knew Gajeel could chew through within seconds if he was hungry. He'd happily do it even if he wasn't peckish, so that point was moot.
A girl draped in a similar cape stepped into view, though her body was still partially obstructed by the door. In her hands, she carried a wooden tray on which sat three different sized bowls, all made out of clay in order to preserve the heat of their contents. Instinctively, Lucy leapt to her feet despite the cold that threatened to collapse her body at any moment and lifted her fists at the intruder.
"W-whhat do y-you want?" She demanded in a fierce tone that she could not feel, "If y-you're not here t-t-to release me, th-then get the hell outta m-m-my sight."
The girl did not acknowledge the stance with the appropriate fear, probably since violently shivering fists could not muster much force behind their blows, and laid the tray down on to the floor.
"You should eat this."
"S-sc-crew y-you." Damn her chattering voice.
The girl merely arched a brow. "I strongly suggest that you put on the amicul."
Lucy's glare faltered for a second and the confusion must have shown on her face for her prison guard gestured towards the folded pile on the floor. "The cape."
"H-hmph."
"Araya – sama will not be very happy if you freeze to death.""
Again with the Araya – sama.
Lucy longed to ask about the Queen Bitch who had kidnapped her, but she was reluctant to speak again. Glaring was already sapping most of her strength, speaking any more was probably going to drain what pitiful amounts of energy she had left. So she settled for giving the slight female the best dagger-shooting glare she could muster.
The girl merely sighed, as though she was already used to such amiable behaviour from people she and Queen Bitch Araya kept locked up and turned to leave. Before the door fully closed however, she popped her head back in to regard Lucy with an amused gaze.
"I would, personally, very much like to see how long you can hold up without the amicul and vinnezhui." She pointed a slender hand at the tray and smirked. "Entertain me, won't you? It gets awfully boring around here."
The metal hoop on the door gave a reverberating clang in the silence as the door slid shut and there was a mocking laughter outside the cell. "By the wall, Heartfilia, the temperature will drop to a negative Celsius in just, let's see… oh! You have two more hours before frostbite gets to you. Have fun!"
Lucy's eyelids would have widened if she still could move them. The chill was starting to freeze the outermost layer of her skin and her limbs felt numb. While she was sure her guards would never let her die – an easy escape – Lucy didn't relish the idea of losing a limb from hypothermia. Besides, she was bound to be released sometime, and when she was, Lucy swore to whatever Gods who were still on her side that she was not going down without a fight. Even without her whip and keys, she was still a Fairy Tail mage through and through. The second she saw Queen Bitch Araya, she was going to her pay.
The blonde smirked inwardly at how the much exalted woman was going to look with five bleeding scratches down her cheek.
"Let's see how distinguished she still looks when she's missing clumps of her hair," Lucy murmured.
It was however, going to be hard, no, impossible to pull said clumps out if her fingers were frozen stiff and her arms shuddered with each misty breath.
And it was with that thought in mind that Lucy Heartfilia reached weakly for the cape and gingerly eased it around her body just in case her finger popped off from the effort. Even while hanging open, the cloth instantly provided an ease to the cold and Lucy sighed more easily. Once the rope fastenings had been firmly secured around her shoulders, she reached her hand towards the tray and pulled it close.
The base of the tray scraped noisily over the sandy, uneven floor and the blonde thought that she heard a taunting laughter outside her door, but she couldn't be sure.
Ten hours earlier, 8am, Magnolia Town
"Godamnit, you stink. And get the hell off me!"
"Mmmmrrrghhh… Lucy…"
Lucy groaned as she wiggled under a heavy male arm. "Natsu. Off."
"But I like it here."
"Well I don't. Get back onto the floor."
"But Lucyyy… you're so nice to hug…"
The blonde ignored the flash of desire that sparked in her lower belly when the male tilted his head up to look at her. Natsu's onyx eyes were slightly lidded, more due to intoxication than sleepiness. His cheeks were flushed and there was a quirky grin on his lips. When he noticed her prolonged gaze on his face, the male smirked lazily and reached one arm around the back of her head and brought her face close to his. Lucy instantly blanched from the heavy stench of alcohol that was emanating from between his parted lips.
"Lucy…"
"W-what?"
"You're so cute."
"It's 8 in the morning and I'm exhausted. I've bed hair and sleep breath. How on Earthland is that cute?"
He grinned stupidly and pressed their cheeks together, drunkenly oblivious to how a grimace pulled across her lips. "Really… God, you're gorgeous. Have you always been this gorgeous?"
"Natsu… just go to sleep."
"Don't wanna."
"Natsu…" She sighed tiredly and placed a hand on his chest to push him away. His reaction surprised the heck out of her. Natsu's grin fleeted and a serious expression replaced it. Grabbing the hand that was on his chest, he flipped them around such that the blonde was pinned underneath him, his four limbs caging her down onto the bed. Lucy's breath halted as he stared at her with an intense expression that belied his intoxicated dorky state.
"Wh-what now?"
"Luce."
One of his arms came up to touch her face softly, his fingers tracing circles along her left temple and his thumb slid down to gently stroke her plump lower lip.
"Lucy."
"Na-haa!"
The male had leaned in close, his own lips taking over his thumb to graze her lip. Lucy drew in a shuddering breath as his tongue stuck out to drag hotly across the thin chasm between her lips. Despite herself, she found her arms reaching around him to clutch onto the back of his vest as she arched herself upwards closer against his body. His skin burned more hotly than usual thanks to the fiery liquid coursing through his veins and she yearned to feel the burn on her body as she hooked her leg over his, her foot sliding up and down the bare skin of his calf.
He kissed her harder immediately, open mouthed and wanting as the hand that had been so lovingly caressing her face before now gripping tightly onto the strands of her blonde hair. Lucy gasped into his mouth when his other hand slid down to roughly grab at her breast, his fingers kneading her steadily through the thin cloth that separated their bodies.
She could taste the alcohol on his breath but rather than disgusting her, the yeasty smell titillated her senses and made her blood burn with a furious need for the man above her. Luy hooked her other leg across the back of his thighs and locked him there as her fingers slid beneath his vest and dug into the skin at the small of his back. Natsu reciprocated the gesture by reaching a hand under the end of her shirt and tugging it upwards, the calloused skin around his fingernails abrading the smooth skin of her belly.
The blonde sucked her belly inwards in anticipation of his touch and nearly whimpered when he groaned loudly only for her brain to suddenly draw to a halt when she realized something.
That groan did not come from Natsu Dragneel.
"Ohmigosh!"
Lucy let out a tiny shriek and thrust the shocked male off. She quickly grabbed her tank top and tugged it downwards. The pink haired male sat opposite her on the bed, dazed and confused as he rubbed his back where it had hit the wooden headboard.
"Luce…?"
"S-sorry! But…" She darted her head to one side in tiny vigorous moves, her eyes wide with panic.
"Wh- huh?"
"Damn it!" She jabbed her thumb at her sofa, where one tall male was slumped over the backrest, his hand clutched over his face as he groaned again.
"It's fine. He's asleep." Natsu reached an arm towards her again, only to freeze when Sting Eucliffe sighed against his palm.
"I'm not asleep. My head hurts and you guys are making enough noise to wake the dead."
Lucy's face flushed and a gasp escaped her parted lips. Furiously embarrassed, not at being caught but at having succumbed to Natsu's touch so easily, she grabbed her bolster and flung it hard at the blonde dragon slayer five meters away. Usually he would have caught the flying roll of fluff and cotton with ease but now it slammed into his arm, eliciting another groan from him.
Sting's blue eyes flashed with annoyance as he glared at her. "The hell was that for?!"
"Shut up. And get out of my house!"
"Is this how you normally treat your guests? Natsu – san. I'm disappointed in your taste."
The pink haired male simply shrugged. "Sometimes, so am I."
"What the hell does that mean?!" Lucy snapped as she whacked her pillow at him.
"Nothing. You're gorgeous when you're mad, Luce."
Lucy darted away from Natsu's embrace and continued to glare at him. "Forget it, buster. I want you two bozos out-"
*Ding dong*
Natsu looked around surprised. "That your alarm clock?"
Oh she could hit him. "No. That's my door bell. Which you would recognize if you ever bothered to use it like a normal guest instead of climbing in through my window and chimney."
Padding over in her fluffy slippers, Lucy wondered if it was Rogue coming to pick up his wayward companion.
"Burp!"
Make that his wayward and rude companion.
God, she so very much hoped it was him. One drunk and horny dragon slayer was enough for her so early in the morning.
"Rogue, y- Oh."
"Hiya Lucy!"
Lucy stared in surprise at the two strangers standing in her doorway. One was a male about Levy's height, with straight silver hair that just grazed his shoulders. He had a child's face and body, except that his face was narrow, his body was lean and without an inch of fat. The boy's red eyes and impassive stare reminded her very much of Rogue actually, if Rogue was six years younger with light coloured hair.
His female companion was about her height, slim and lanky with a teenager's budding body, with a mess of tangled black curls that sprung out in all directions. Her expression was amiable, and she fidgeted and bounced on the spot with barely withheld energy.
Both individuals were obviously not from Magnolia, or from any place that Lucy could recognize. They donned outfits that she could only describe as Medieval. The male wore an inky black tunic that hung just past his waist, with grey leggings. The leather belt that he had around his waist looked well-worn, but no blade hung from it. The female was dressed in a similar manner, but instead of leggings, she was wearing blue jeans that clung to her skinny legs. Fur-lined capes hung behind their shoulders and Lucy was surprised neither of them looked sweaty.
"Uh sorry… do I know you two?"
"Nope. We know you though. Nice to finally meet face to face, Lucy!" The female oozed with enthusiasm and excitement as she grabbed the blonde's hand and shook it. "You can call me Lora."
"Uhm… hello. Sorry, how do you know my name?"
"Luce? Who's that?"
"Oh good. Your friends are here too."
"What?"
"Watch." A snicker crossed the girl's face and she extended her arms out, palms facing skyward. A flash of light engulfed her arms and when Lucy finally focused her sight again, she inhaled in a shocked breath.
Two silver magic circles spun over the girl's hands and she flipped her palms so that the circles were facing Lucy instead.
"Lucy? Who's that gi- Wait. I recognize you."
"Natsu! Don't c-"
The blonde whipped around to see the circles zoom past either side of her, hit the two dragon slayers squarely in the chest, and spun on the spot. The males froze in place, but neither called out in pain.
"What the? Hey, I can't get this off!"
"Luce? What the hell is going on?"
"The fuck is…!"
"…!"
"…!"
The blonde gaped as she watched the two males yell, their mouths opening and closing in angry shouts but no sound, not a single whisper, escaped their mouths. For some reason, the males didn't notice it and continued shouting.
She whirled around and grabbed Lora's tunic. "What the hell did you do to them?! Why can't they speak?!"
Lora chuckled. "Oh they're speaking fine. It's just that you can't hear them.
"Wh-what?"
"Hora~!" Lora picked up a book that was sitting on the shelf next to the door and flung it straight at Sting. The blonde moved to catch the book but all three mages startled when both his hand and the book bounced off the air and the book fell clumsily to the floor.
The lack of noise… and that….
"Wait… waitaminit… this was just like that night at the inn… You guys were the one who-"
"Ahahahaha! Full points! No prizes though. Sorry~! Anyway, Lucy, we've come to-Hey! Where are you going?"
The blonde snatched her pouch of keys up from the dresser and spun around with one clutched tightly in her fist. "Open! Door of the- Gaaaah!"
"Tsk tsk. Don't you know that it's rude to interrupt people?" Lora chided as she tightened her outstretched fist.
Lucy gasped as her body was constricted tightly, her arms pressed so firmly to her body that she could not lift them to finish the enchantment. She gasped again when the grip on her body tightened again; it felt as though there was an invisible snake coiling and constricting the life out of her. The keys fell from her hands and clattered noisily to the floor, where their well polished bodies glimmered in the sunlight.
Beside her, Natsu and Sting hammered their fists against the air, yelling in silence. Despite the pain burning through every inch of her body, an odd thought occurred to Lucy.
They weren't using their magic.
Straining to speak, she panted out. "Why… Wh-what's wrong with them…"
"Sorry?" Lora cupped her free hand to her ear.
"What did you do… ha ha… to their mag-magic?"
"Magic? Oh that's not me. I'm not that awesome, right Miku-ii – san?"
"Hmph."
"Mou, Mr. Grouchy face… Anyway, that's Araya – sama's special concoction. It wasn't even that difficult to get them to take it. Two tipsy males out looking for fun? All I needed was the right waitress attire and a ready barrel of sake."
"Wha-what? Who's-"
"Oh you'll meet her. In fact, Araya – sama requests an audience with you, Lucy – chan!"
"I don't- Ahhh! Natsu!"
"He can't hear you. And you should relax your body, blondie. That way it won't hurt so much."
"Who the hell w-"
*Crkkk!*
"Ahhhh! That h- h-oh my goddd!"
"Told you so. Now stop struggling."
"To hell with y-you. Ow ow ow… Stop squeezing me so – ggghhh – tightly!"
"You should listen to Lora and relax, else I wouldn't be surprised if your other shoulder dislodges as well."
"To hell with y-you- Godamnit! Natsu! Sting!"
"Oh shut up. I just told you that your little boyfriend can't hear you. His little friend too. Besides, this is your own fault. If you guys hadn't blabbed about Vasuta, we wouldn't have had to take you by force."
"Vasuta? What are you talking about?"
"Oh cut the crap, blondie. You know exactly wh-"
"Naaaaatsssuu! Bitch! Let. Me. G- ahhhhh!"
"Hey, stop struggling! Man, you're slippery. You're more fish than girl."
"Who the… pant pant… the hell are you people…? What do you want with us?!"
"Us?"
"Are you trying to wage war against Fairy Tail? I'll – Godddd… – I'll have you know… once Master-"
"Don't be stupid, blondie. Why would we want to wage war against your stupid guild? All we want is you."
"H-huh?"
"God, she's slow. Listen up, bl-"
"Shut up, Lora. I'm leaving without you if you don't hurry up."
"Geez, fine."
"Stop! Damn you, let m-"
"Oh shut her up."
"You don't need to tell me twice. Her voice is pitchy."
"I'll scream all I want! Naaaatsuuu! Na-"
Lora sighed and tightened her fist again. There was a loud popping sound in the small apartment andtThe males yelled and pounded with renewed vigor as Lucy's head slumped lifelessly against her chest and her limbs stopped struggling.
"Finally. Let's go, Miku-ii – san, I'm hung- Ooh. Someone's angry."
*Tap tap* "Hellooo in there! My my, there's no use glaring at me like that, guys, and pun-"
*Boing boing* "Punching's useless too. Isn't it obvious? Sorry about the magic wipeout by the way. That'll pass after a while. Let's see, two days to be exact, so I'd say Friday 5am…? What was that?"
"…! …!...!"
"Sorry handsome, can't hear you. Hahaha!"
"Lora. Enough chitchat."
"Yes, boss! Oh and the bubble will release itself after, oh tick tock, three hours time. Have fun! Not like you can hear m- Oi, boss! Wait-!"
I know there's no such thing as Renaissance and the Dark Ages in FT, but I just used the words to help with the description.
Vinnezhui was adopted from Greek, Amicul from Latin.
Sorry about the three day gap. Review for me?
Faie.