Ch. 21"I'd say the first thing we should do is go around town gathering information." Gray commented, walking off of the train platform carrying both of their bags. "I guess." Erza agreed, walking behind Gray. Gray looked behind himself, "You okay?" he asked, concerned by Erza's distanceness.
Erza looked up, "Hmm, yeah. I'm fine. It's just a little nerve racking. We don't know where they are right now.. for all we know, they're watching us." Erza glanced around. "Yeah, that just means we have to stay alert." Gray put his hand on her shoulder. Erza nodded.
Gray turned, removing his hand from her shoulder, walking out of the train's main port and into the lobby. "So, do we split up to search for news?" he asked, allowing Erza, the more elite and experienced mage, to make the decision. "Yeah, we'd cover more of the town faster that way. But we need a way to contact each other in case something happens."
Gray thought for a moment, "I really don't know what we could use, just make a lot of noise, create a ruckus. A big one." Erza frowned, "Make sure to not hurt anyone though, alright?" he agreed. "Alright, meet up at 2 this evening here. After that we can see what all information we have and go from there."
They walked out together, turning the opposite directions, walking with their backs to each other. Gray turned, looking over his shoulder, "Erza!" he called, she looked behind at him, "Even a hint that their is one or more on you, you create a ruckus worthy for the guild to say it was from one of their own." Erza nodded, knowing this was one of his ways to cheer her up, somehow they both knew… they weren't going to get out of this unscathed.
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Erza walked down the streets of the oldened town, seeing many different types of people. The problem was though, was that she had gone down this road and talked to most of these people over 3 times. She just couldn't find anything. For all she knew they knew about them, but we're protecting them, she just couldn't figure out why they would do that.
"Hey, ma'am?" came a voice from behind. Erza turned around, looking from side to side, seeing no one. "Hey!" the voice came again, sounding annoyed, she felt a tug on her pants and she looked down, seeing a little boy. "Aren't you the one that took my big brother and sister away?" he asked, sounding angry.
Erza could feel the tension in the air coming from all directions around her, she looked around, concerned, seeing a few people looking at the boy, mixtures of anger and worry in their expressions. Erza looked back down at the little boy, he seemed to be about 7, "Dear, I don't know who you're talking about." she smiled nervously, waiting for him to tell her names, as she continued monitoring the others around her, waiting to see if they made a move.
The boy's glared deepened as if offended. "Don't lie!" he yelled, "You know who! Izzy-nichan and Natsu-nisan!" he yelled, as soon as the words exited his mouth, it all clicked in Erza's head, she only had time to jump away as the same people she had been watching ran at her. Erza's jump created a breeze, lifting the present party's shirts, skirts, sleeves, and shorts up just enough to see that they all….had snake tattoos!
Erza jumped away again as another person, the kid from before ran at her, green sparks erupting from his fingertips. Erza changed her armor to that of her Heaven's Wheel armor. "Gray!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, slicing a building beside her in half, causing a ruckus as planned.
She continued dodging, not yet going on the offensive. She waited a full minute before hearing her own name called, and a building from far off came toppling down. 'They're attacking us both!' she thought in panic, jumping as two more mages, both having yellow whips coming from their wrists, came rearing at her.
Erza'd have to go on the offensive if she we're to get out of this. And she knew that. She changed armors, now requiped in her Black Wing Armor. She took her sword, putting it out. "Just let us go!" she called, not really wanting to kill anyone but their leader, but that wasn't something she thought was necessary to tell them...at least not right now.
They answered by sending more towards her, each showing a new type of magic she'd never seen. And each time she would cut them down, pushing the worries about the damage she had given and if Gray was holding up to the back of her head.
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Gray breathed hard, throwing ice spikes at the remaining mages still running at him, aiming so that they would lodge in there clothes and nail them down. It was working so far, but there was just so many of them. All of the people he had talked to, even the children had a snake tattoo and was attacking him, fullforce. It seemed like the whole town was the guild.
Gray and Erza we're completely outnumbered, their element of surprise taken away in an instant. At some point in the confrontation Erza made a promise that if she got out of here, she was going to literally kill Gerthio Ferirety for giving only half the information about the dark guild. I mean, the fact that the whole entire TOWN was the guild was kind of IMPORTANT. But Erza didn't have time to worry about it too long as more and more mages began to appear.
Erza took so many hits, she couldn't keep count. She took a knee, breathing hard. She put her sword up as a prop as she supported herself up again to stand. She let out a battle cry, changing her armor again. Erza attacked, now cloaked in her Purgatory Armor, slashing who she could avoiding as many vital spots as she could.
Erza was so focused on her sword and wear it was landing on the people it connected with, she didn't notice Kiritan, sneaking up behind her, until she felt the feeling of a knife to her throat. She froze, not wanting to cause the knife to cut her. "You will call your friend over. Now!" he ordered, pressing the knife to her throat. Erza struggled, "No!"
Kiritan laughed at her loyalty, "Fine." she breathed into her ear, causing a chill to surge through her. Suddenly the feeling of the knife was gone, but instead the feeling of slime was on her neck. She could start to see the tentacles as they trailed up her face, she struggled harder, not wanting to find out what he'd do with them, but his grip on her from behind gave him leverage and she couldn't shake him, at least not with the limited time given before the tentacles entered her nose and mouth.
Erza screamed around the limbs in her mouth, pain going through her head as it stretched her nose and throat, she began to gag, it wasn't until the last second between unconsciousness and consciousness that they exited her mouth, she dropped to the ground, her head sending a sickening crack echoing around the town.
Kiritan grinned, leaning down in front of her face, "Seems I can't kill you, boss's orders." and Erza passed out, the last thing she saw was Gray as he ran towards her.
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Erza opened her eyes, sucking in breath and hay. She lifted up, coughing and sputtering. It was dark, but not so dark that she couldn't see the lump of mass on the other side of a wall of bars, surrounded, like her by hay and more walls of metal bars.
She scooted toward the lump, sticking her hand between the bars, and shook the body. "H...Hey…" her voice was hoarse and gritty. The body grunted, lifting up abruptly, the face of the body turning towards her. "Gray!" she exclaimed, it took a second of a confused face and squinted eyes before Gray too came to terms that the being in front of him was Erza.
"Erza! Where are we?" he asked, looking around, seeing very little in the dim light. Erza shook her head, "Your guess is as good as mine." she commented, standing up. "Wherever we are, we need out." Gray added, standing as well.
He walked to the doors of the cage, placing his hand on the bars and sending magic energy through his hands, meaning to freeze the bars, but as soon as he gave even the slightest effort into it the bars mended, wrapping around his hands. "What the-" was all he had time to say before bolts of electricity waved through the bars and into his hands and up his arms, filling his being.
Gray's screams filled the room, Erza covered her ears, ducking down as she awaited the electric waves to stopped. Once they finally did, Gray was completely out cold, sagging until the "bar's" let loose his hands.
As soon as Gray hit the ground, the door that Erza hadn't known the existence of until just now, opened, allowing a stream of yellow light to flow in, pooling in the cells. Erza squinted, putting her hand up to shield it from the lights. She could see a silhouette of a body, walking towards her. By the time it was standing in front of her, her eyes had adjusted, seeing the sneering face of Kiritan. "I see you two are enjoying the...features of your cells." he commented, looking down at Gray and his smoking hands.
Erza glared, staying silent. "Well, I came to say, the master wishes to see you." he informed her, taking out his hand, forming it into a key, unlocking the cell door. He opened it, he hand instantly turning into a hand of 5 tentacles, "Make a move that I don't like and these with be going in and around your head faster than you could even think about getting away." he threatened, Erza didn't like it, but nodded, giving Gray one more glance before standing, walking in front of her kidnapee.
There wasn't much she could note about the place, the halls he directed her down we're very plain, mostly grey and black. By the time they had reached the huge set of black doors, Kiritan didn't hesitate to walk around her and push them open. He took a step to the side, letting her through. She looked in, seeing a small spotlight of light, she felt that was where she should go, so she did.
Apparently she was fight since no one was offended or got mad at her. "Erza Scarlet." she heard a man boom, a big man coming into view to claim it, but it was obvious he was old, especially by his beard. "My name is Hewett Gheri." he introduced himself, bowing, adding a mocking smile to show he wasn't truly "honored" by her presence. "Why did you bring us here? Why not kill us when you had the chance?" she asked, ignoring his gestures.
"Oh, that was on a whim. I'd say I can get my natsu back if I trade." he turned his back to her, stroking his beard, "Wouldn't you agree." Erza formulated a ie faster than she ever thought possible, not even skipping a beat in her reply, "But don't you think that two mages are better than one?" 'Gray forgive me...' "Or are you just that stupid?" she asked, adding sarcasm, Hewett turned sharply, anger radiating off him. "Do not dare, little girl, call me! Stupid!" he yelled, his mouth opening wider than she thought possible for any human.
"The ignorant at best. I am Erza Scarlet, Queen of the Fairies, Titania! I'm an elite S-class wizard!" she boasted, "I am worth more than Natsu! Not to mention you also have once of the few last ice mages in your clutches, you have way more than you could bargian for with us than you ever had with just Natsu." she reasoned.
Hewett thought, stroking his beard. "You are right child…" he replied, "Yes, yes, that's right! But why would you tell me this? It is well known how you feel of my guild and in particular me." Erza nodded, "Yes, I'd sooner kill you then join your guild, but that only shows how serious I am right now. I want to make a deal." "A deal?!" Kiritan bellowed from behind Erza, "As if you are in any position to deal anything right now!" "Silence!" Hewett yelled, silencing Kiritan immediately. "What deal?" he asked.
"You can have me and Gray, no strings attached, you can take our memories, the whole train load. But you must send two things back to our original guild first. Send the sand back to Natsu containing his memories. And something to tell them we're dead so they on't come looking for us." she concluded, knowing they come for revenge, but maybe not, maybe, just maybe, they will try to be logical and let bygones be bygones...the likelihood was low, but she didn't know what else to do.
Hewett considered the deal, thinking hard on the cues and cons of it. "I do not see any reason these terms could not be kept. But what would happen if I don't go along with your demands." Erza's face grew very serious, "As I said before, I'm an elite S-class wizard, and you have one of the best and last ice wizards as you enemies if you don't, we may not be able to get away, but we would put a rather significant dent in your count of mages. Not to mention, if you we're to stop us, I'll tell you now, it'd only happened if you killed us."
Hewett chuckled, "You have a lot of nerve. But I can see your point. I accept your deal." he turned to the rather distressed looking Kiritan. "See that it's done." he ordered, "But sir-" he began but was cut off as Hewett seemed to dissappear, materializing with his hand around Kiritan's throat, holding him in the air, "What was that?" he asked. "N-Nothing sir, I'll see to it that it is done immediately." The older man, dropped Kiritan.
As soon as Kiritan's feet touched the ground, he bowed quickly to his master, and began walking quickly out of the room, leaving Erza and the oldened master alone. Erza looked at the ground, feeling a few tears form in her eyes, but she wouldn't allow them to fall, that would mean they not only won her and Gray, but then they'd have Erza's pride as well.
She wasn't paying much attention and the sound of scissors cutting hair surprised her. But when she lifted her hand to feel what had happened, she was surprised to find all of her hair gone from her shoulders down, any other time she would have beyond pissed, but if she we're to do that now, that might hurt Natsu, her's, and Gray's chances more. So instead, she stood waiting until someone finally brought her back to her cell.
Gray was awake after she entered. As soon as she was in her own cell and the man that had brought her back was gone, Gray pounced, "What happened? What did they do? Why did they cut….both of our hair?" he ask, putting his hand through his now strangely…..well now let's just say he looked like Dean Winchester with blue hair, and she looked like Alice Cullins from Twilight with Red hair.
SHe looked up at him sadly, hoping he wouldn't hate her after she explained the turn of events that had taken place while he was asleep. As she began he listened intently, not missing anything, as she went on his face became confused, and sad, and by the end he look confused again. Erza sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this, but I hadn't even thought about doing this until I got there and-" Erza felt Gray grab her hand through the bars, "I would have done the same thing." he smiled sadly, trying to reassure her it'd be alright.
Strangely all Erza could think about was "The Last Night on Earth".
Hey! I updated! Sorry I haven't done this sooner, I had school start up, and let me tell you, it's freaking hard. I've only been in for 2 weeks and we have to learn the name of 198 countries by next Friday, I have 12...I'm sooo gonna fail….
But anyway, Yeah, so this is what happened, and I needed to make it clear they aren't dead, I see that a lot of you came to this conclusion….Yeah, so comments, ideas, likes, dislikes→ REVIEW! :)