(Cough, cough) Er... Uh... Um... Guys, I kind of carried away. You'll see what I mean later.
Oh, I hope you love this chapter. I really, really hope that you do.
Sleep
Adamine's nose was lifted into the air. She could smell faint sweat on the wind. Freed's hunt through the woods was causing him to move, and with all of those layers on him, it was no wonder she could smell sweat coming from him.
Freed's scent was clean. Just like the man, he smelled neat and clean. Kind of like laundry fresh out of the dryer. Simple and clean, very Freed.
Mina ran her tongue against the tip of a canine. They were lengthening for potential battle. So were her claws. The nails had already turned to smoothly filed diamond. For some reason, Adamine wasn't expecting to be able to take Freed out as easily as she had Bickslow.
She'd taken the man out in seconds because of her element of surprise, but unlike Bickslow Freed likely had traps set up. Her eyes narrowed as she approached. According to Evergreen, Freed used the combination of letter and caster magic to create rune traps. If Mina got caught in said runes, she would be forced to either rewrite them or obey the rules to get free.
Her hands went to the light pen she'd snagged from the inn before ditching out. Unlike some slayers who'd been raised by dragons, Firmalione had made sure that Adamine was educated. The dragon would send Adamine into towns to retrieve books and clothing made of something other than animal skins. After being ditched by Firmalione, Adamine suspected that the dragon always knew that she was going to leave Adam someday. Either way, Adam could read and write. History was her favorite subject, and she loved to make comic books.
Yup, Adamine Terra was the secret writer in Fiore whose comics sold like hot cakes but no one knew who wrote them. If Adam could write stories, then she could surely find creative ways to get out of Freed's traps.
When Adamine took one step too many, a wave of purple letters flowed skyward. She could hear their almost electronic scramble as they made a cube around her. At least, I came prepared for this, she thought.
Instantly, she flipped the pen out of her pocket. As soon as she set to rewriting Freed's trap, the man appeared in a flurry of letters. "Why did you run away, Adam?" Freed wondered, hiding the concern in his words behind a stoic expression.
"Everyone around me gets hurt, Freed. I'm not dumb enough to put you through that kind of danger," she growled out. With just a few more choice words, Adamine freed herself. Her shoulders shot back, and she narrowed her eyes at her opponent.
Freed's hand came down on his sheath, but he didn't draw. He simply waited. "We're Fairy Tail mages, Adamine. Everything that we do is dangerous. Just calm down, and let us help you out."
"Freed, the only helping out that I'd be doing for you is helping your guild get burnt to the ground. Now, I'll give you two options. You let me go, and we pretend that we never saw each other. Option two you and I fight. I win, and I get to leave. You win, and you can take me back to the inn. It's your choice," she bartered.
He let out a pent up sigh then looked down at her. His expression was one of confusion mixed with aggression. Freed may have played the nice guy, but he was loyal. Of course, Adamine could understand that. She would do anything for Black Pearl or Firmalione. If they said to bring someone back, she would bring them back.
Firing up the twin blades that jutted from her forearms, Adamine got into position. Her feet were placed shoulder width apart, and she stood with one shoulder outwards. Her emerald eyes were set with stone cold, determination.
Without a word the fight began. A standard slash of Freed's blade sent a rune diving her way, but she slipped underneath it. The word Pain was stretched across a tree trunk, and deep slashes slammed the trunk in the shape of the rune.
Hastily enough, Adamine dove in. Her arm lashed out to send her blade shooting towards Freed, but he flew off with wings made of his runes. Before he could get far away, Adamine snagged him by the ankle. She threw his body down to the ground at the same time that the rune Pain hit her in the chest.
An agonized roar shred through Adam's pink lips, but she fought through it. The hand around Freed's ankle never let up. Dragging him back, she reared her hand back. Her adamantine fist slammed down but missed. Freed's sword shot upwards to block the blow.
With a snarl Adamine wrapped her hand around the blade. Ripping it from Freed's hands, she sent it flying end over end until it slammed into a tree. The sword sunk in to mid-blade. "This is for your own good, Freed!" Adam proclaimed.
Drawing him up by the cravat around his throat, Adamine flung him off in the opposite direction of his weapon. The man went flying, but his boots slammed down on the tree. His body hastened forward in full ferocity.
Perfect, Adamine thought. "Roar of the Adamantine Dragon!" she cried. Her body sucked in the air, and with a massive blast of magic Adamine sent her roar barreling in the direction Freed approached.
Once the assault slammed him dead straight in the face, Adamine shot herself through the fading whirlwind. Her knee thrust into the male, and when spit shot from his stunning lips, Adamine assisted his body down.
She snatched him up in her adamantine arms. "Why?" Freed wheezed. Blood ran down from the side of his face, cuts from the diamonds in her roar.
"Like I said. I've gotta make sure y'all don't get involved." Laying Freed gently to the ground, Adamine bent over him. She pressed her lips to his then whispered, "Thank you for everything." Hands smoothed down across Freed's body, and the man stiffened despite injuries unseen beneath his clothing.
"You won't find the book on me. I left it in the room."
She snagged the key. "Then, I guess I have to go back to the inn."
"Laxus and Ever will stop you. Adamine, you don't have to run away from us." His hand shot out to grip Adamine's forearm. "Please, just tell us what's going on."
Lightly, Adam put her hand over Freed's. She gave him a sorrow filled smile. "Freed, just trust me. You don't want to get involved." After prying Freed's fingers off her skin, she added, "Rest now. You'll need it because I know you guys aren't done coming after me."
"Bickslow's still out there, Mina. He'll find you even if you pass Laxus and Ever."
Adam twirled the key around her fingertip. With her back to him, she called, "Then I dare him to find me." Her hips swept back and forth in a cocky display.
But, as soon as she turned down a dirt path that led towards town, she heard Freed call, "Don't think you can run away forever, Mina!"
Her head looked towards the sky. Adam whispered, "You have no idea how right you are, Freed."
Adamine had two things that she needed to do in Fiore right now, and she was about to get started on Number One.
Pulsating pain was what got Bickslow cracking open his eyes. The back of his neck ached like all hell. He was about to question it until the answer slipped right out of his mouth. He growled, "Adamine." Damn, crazy dragon lady. Where the hell did she learn to do a one hit knock out like that?
His elbow stabbed backwards towards the ground, and he hauled himself up. The babies that had retreated to his head after being taken out filled into their usual positions. His dolls hovered around him, taking in the surroundings and looking for Adamine.
Slowly, his eyes scanned the scenery. The Stoner hadn't even left any footprints for him to track. He narrowed his crimson eyes behind his visor. That only meant… His eyes strolled from the ground the up, up, and up to where a tree branch hung right over his head. Of damned course, she jumped him from a tree.
If she was just looking to knock everyone out before running off that must have meant she'd gone after Freed next. Freed could handle himself. He'd been setting up runes to trap her in after the two of them had split up.
When Bickslow's tongue ran across his lips as he speculated, he tasted cherry chapstick. One brow rose underneath his visor, and he ran his tongue over his bottom lip once more. Hmm. Bickslow didn't wear chapstick. Then again, Bickslow had felt something whisper across his mouth as he'd blacked out. A hazy vision had filled his shadowing eyes, and he remembered a feminine voice whispering in his ear.
Dark blue brows rose as Bickslow came to a self-satisfied conclusion. Adamine had kissed him! Whoa! He wasn't exactly sure what to think about that. So, did that mean she was into him? Hmm. Why not? The thought that such a feisty woman would be chasing him sent a flush of adrenaline from the tips of his toes to the spikes of his Mohawk styled hair.
His babies mocked, "Bickslow likes Mina!"
Scowling, the Seith Mage gave his babies a Go to Hell look. The dolls merely danced and spun in the air.
Pushing all embarrassing attraction aside, Bickslow forced himself back to the matter at hand. Adamine had run off because she was worried her presence would put them in danger. That alone was enough for Bickslow to call bullshit. He loved a good fight, and if Adamine was going to draw him into another battle, he was A okay with that.
Still, he didn't like the thought that she had a target on her back. Her being alone meant that she could get jumped, and since Bickslow was positive that not all of the Lancet Dragon Screws had been done in. Freed and Laxus had gotten the book, and Bickslow had gotten the girls. At least, he was going to say that he'd gotten them. No one really needed to know the specifics. Did they? Either way, Bickslow was sure that some of them had either been able to escape, or the ones that had woken up knew Adamine was in the area. She was in danger, and wasn't it just convenient that Bickslow could play the Knight in Shining Armor?
When the sound of leaves crunching in the woods caught one of his doll's attention, Bickslow turned to catch Adamine running through thick brush. Her body was there one second and gone the next but not before Bickslow could catch sight of her pert backside when she leaped over a bush. Oh, yeah. He could chase that all night long.
A wicked grin crossed up Bickslow's lips, and he turned to give chase. His foot made one small, simple motion. Then, he knew he'd stepped right into a trap. Magic circles bloomed all around him like poppies to the morning sun. They made the colors of the four elements. Bickslow had no escape as he watched fire, water, earth, and wind power up in front of his eyes.
His babies aligned to create a defensive shield for him, but even Bickslow wasn't dumb enough to think the four dolls could block such a blast. Whoever the hell had set this trap up hadn't wanted the person inside of it to come out alive.
Loosing a hiss of curses, Bickslow raised his arms up to cover his head. As soon as the blasts launched into the air, he felt something hard and rigid slam him to the ground. "Stay down!" a familiar voice cried, and when Bickslow's eyes gaped up from the earth, he stared at Adamine all dragoned out.
Her body laid down on top of him. Her arms had been replaced by two massive plates of diamond. They laid down on the sides of Bickslow, covering his body from either side. Even her legs had shifted from the knees down. Bickslow's body was fully covered from the assault he watched over Adamine's gemstone face.
Behind her skull, Bickslow watched flames lick her skin. Water drenched her in a scorching bath. Pillars of earth attempted to stab through her adamantine body. Wind tried to rip her up from the ground. With gritted teeth, Adamine forced herself to stay.
The effort was obvious on her face. Even though, Adamine ground out, "When I say go, you rock their worlds."
Even as Bickslow was still gaping at the sight of his little female shield, he nodded. "Where are they?"
"Two on the right. One behind and another in front," she hissed. A fire infused tornado slammed into Adam's back. Her head hung down as she gasped from an impact directly on her spine.
Their faces were inches apart, and Bickslow didn't think he'd ever been in such a shitty situation. Despite it all, when the assault let up, Adamine's head flew back. Her gemstone locks shot backwards in a perfect arc. Straddling his hips, Adamine roared, "NOW!"
"Close your eyes!" he shouted. As soon as the slayer's eyes were shut, Bickslow's visor tore up from his line of sight. Green magic glistened like his skull had been plugged into a neon sign. Immediately, Bickslow caught sight of the two on Adam's right. The others followed Adamine's lead, shutting their eyes tight. He noted their souls slipping out of battlefield even without their sight.
With the two other mages locked in my his magic, Bickslow prompted, "Collapse!" The souls within the mages' bodies forced them to their knees. As soon as the two were down, they fell forward unconscious. Well, that was easy enough.
"They're not done for," Adamine mentioned, still straddling his hips. The slayer's green eyes were narrowed, but she was avoiding Bickslow's gaze. Good girl.
"What do you mean they aren't done for? They look pretty done to me."
"Just watch."
Sure enough, the bodies Bickslow had control over changed. The grip that Bickslow had on the souls was abruptly rejected. Bodies that had been scarlet due to his hold over them shifted back to their typical appearance. Seconds after, the bodies collapsed into a waft of flame and a burst of water.
"They have a Seith Mage with them. Dova. She can implant bits of souls into elements. When she does that, she's able to see through the eyes of her element. What just attacked us were sentries. They weren't the real mages," Adamine explained. As soon as she heard the movement of cloth that signaled Bickslow's eyes were covered, she turned her head back towards him.
He had expected to see relief in that gaze. Instead, he got a cold, hard stare. Chills ran from his skin then sunk inside of his soul. His babies hastily sunk in closer until they were butted up against his body.
Instead of hopping off of him, Adamine leaned in closer. Two diamond coated sets of claws sunk into his shoulder pads, sinking into the fabric and right to the armor underneath. With her fangs bared, Adam snarled, "You will not take me back to them, Bickslow. This right here is the shit that I've been trying to keep you and your friends out of. Just leave me alone already! Or, can you not take a hint?"
"Fairy Tail is a pretty dumb guild, Mina. We don't know how to take a hint," he bit back, not even realizing he'd used Freed's nickname for the feisty female.
"I don't need you getting killed. Back off!"
Even though the dragon slayer pretty much scared the hell out of him, Bickslow rose up even closer to her. Their breaths meshed in the air, and he barked simply, "No!"
"Ugh!" she cried. Her hands released fully from the mage, and she flopped down onto his lap. "What will it take to get y'all to get lost? Do I gotta buy you a biscuit or something? I'll do it if I have to."
"Just let us help you, dumbass. That's all we're trying to do. Let us be accountable for ourselves. If we wanna die, then let us die." Bickslow rose up on his elbows to size the woman up. She looked annoyed like there was a fly buzzing in her ear and she couldn't swat it away. Not only did she look annoyed, but she also looked… tired.
Her eyes were heavy lidded. Dark circles were forming underneath her vibrant eyes, eyes that looked more and more red every day.
Abruptly, Bickslow asked, "When was the last time you slept?"
Her brow rose at the sudden question. Almost like a dog would, Adamine pressed two hands down on Bickslow's abdomen. Her legs were sprawled out on either side of him. The way she cocked her head to the side was almost puppy-like as well.
She seemed to ponder her answer before admitting, "I don't know."
"You didn't sleep when you were at the apartment?"
"No. I haven't been able to sleep ever since my guild was burned to the ground." Her eyes went to half-mast as she gazed over his shoulder. She looked so burnt out when she added, "It's hard to sleep when you never know when the next ambush is going to come. I spent the whole night reading Freed's books to find anything about portals or magic sinkholes that may have eaten Black Pearl. When I couldn't find anything, I spent the rest of the night cleaning. What does it matter?"
Bickslow let up an annoyed sigh. "You're ridiculous." His arm reached up, snagging Adamine by the arm. Even though the contact of her silky soft skin had blush inching up his neck, Bickslow forced Adamine to lay her head down on his chest.
She tried to get up, but his hand forced her head still. "What do you think you're doing, Tongue Boy?" she growled.
Unconsciously, Bickslow ran his black painted nails down Adam's spine where she'd gotten hit. By the way her little claws sunk into his chest, he would assume the skin there was sore and swelling. Damn. He couldn't imagine living like she did. Running. Always running. Never knowing when the next meal was and never knowing when the next attack was going to happen. Adamine Terra needed a comrade. She needed Fairy Tail, but she was being too damned stubborn.
The Raijinshuu had never felt the urge to give a damn about anyone but Laxus. Then, here came Adamine Terra with her damaged soul and her hackles always on the rise. She was an animal, a tame one turned wild by all the abuse she'd gone through.
This girl… She was fucked up.
"Sleep," Bickslow commanded with his words instead of his magic. He could easily force her to go to sleep, but he didn't want to hold that over her head. Not yet. If she tried to get away, he'd do it in a heartbeat. The little idiot needed to learn when to trust someone.
"W-what? We were just attacked! I can't sleep out here. Dova knows where we are. She'll-"
Bickslow's hand locked over Adamine's mouth. "I told you to sleep not bitch about it. You saved my ass. I'll watch yours while you sleep. Trust me. I'll get you inside before anyone finds us."
Over the top of her hand, her emerald orbs narrowed. "And the others. You'll give me to them as soon as I shut my eyes."
With a slick grin crossing his face, Bickslow snickered, "Oi! This was supposed to be a two mage job, partner. The Raijinshuu and Master Laxus aren't even supposed to be here. You sleep, and I'll deal with them." He paused when the thought of Freed crossed his mind. The man hadn't shown up despite all of the explosions and yelling. "Did you seal Freed in his runes?"
A wicked grin crossed Adamine's lips when he removed his palm. She snickered, "Oh, yeah. Changed the terms to getting out too."
"Smart girl. What'd you change them to?"
"He has to strip in front of the first person that comes upon him." The mischievous way her eyes glittered forced a grin to slip onto Bickslow's face. Well, it wasn't like he couldn't grin at those conditions.
"Niiiice. And people say that I'm the biggest pervert around." He raised his hand, and after a second, Adamine met him for the high five of success.
Adamine laid her head down onto Bickslow's chest. Her legs shifted until they were between his. A fingertip made a lazy trail down one of the many pinstripes that lined his clothing. She followed the white stripe from the bottom of his jaw all the way down to his belt, not knowing that every tender stroke was causing a domino track of hormones to go tumbling south.
Her sleepy face burrowed into his neck like an animal seeking shelter. He tried to fight the heat climbing up to his face. He felt like he was going to succeed in keeping down his rampant hormones and the blood racing to the surface of his skin until she let a sleepy yawn out into his throat. She yawned, "Thank you, Bickslow."
With a face burning scarlet he grunted, "Not a problem."
"And you promise that the others won't find me?" The hand trailing stripes flattened, wrapping in an almost seductive motion around his throat. Bickslow got the threat. She was going to choke him out if something went wrong.
"Promise. The Raijinshuu may be my team, but they nabbed my job. We'll steal the book and go looking for Pearl ourselves."
"And Ignatia?"
"The guys can take care of her. I don't see why not. Chick's about as twisted as a toolbox full of screws." His figure of speech was rewarded when a short vibration of laughter went through Adam's body and to his.
"You know what, Bickslow?" He grunted in answer then waited for her to continue. "Y'all are the best thing that's happened to me in a long, long time. Thank you," she whispered.