Secrets, part 29
A small group of mages stood dumbfounded surrounding Wink. Not only was he defecting from Noctis, but he was ready to divulge all their secrets. It seemed something in him had changed for the better, but what consequences were lurking?
"You're shitting me!", exclaimed Yona. Jasper pensively stared at the sniper. "Why now?", he asked. "I already told you. Put those damned pointed ears to use", sneered Wink. He may be abandoning his organization, but he still stuck close to their code about fey. "Noctis has Blythe because he's the blood baron, but what do they want with him?", sighed Ronen. Puck stared hard into the distance as he thought. "Yavuz Sandrunner is still alive after all this time...", he uttered, troubled. "I thought what's-her-face offed that asshole", said Yona, referring to Tanya. Wink smirked at her lack of tact. "That's what the old man wanted Blythe to think. It left less loose ends that way", replied Wink.
Wink shuddered as Puck's intense gaze settled over him. "What?", he asked nervously. "Take me there", ordered the elf. Jasper shot his father a glance. He was too weak to take on all of Noctis in their own base. "We'll go. He's our team mate", stated the incubus. Yona nodded in agreement. "Bad idea. You don't know what you're getting into...Besides, I couldn't take you there if I wanted to. It's over a week's walk away from here...and I don't think the Blythe we find will be the one we knew...", trailed Wink darkly. "You're giving up on him?", inquired Rani with wide, moist eyes. She adored Blythe. Seeing the pitiful look, Wink quickly found something else to look at. "I didn't say that. I can't get you in there in time, but Dubhan can", he stated. Silence fell over the group. "You mean the shadow?", asked Jasper skeptically. "Only thing that moves faster than light is darkness. I figured someone of your kind would know that", smirked Wink. "Look, until he comes back, there's nothing we can do", he sighed.
Before anyone could argue the point, the entire sanctum shook with the force of the battle being waged above ground. Wink looked up at the stalactites anxiously. "Can you stop your ally?", asked Puck calmly. He knew the cave system intimately and it was a lot stronger than it looked. Wink laughed aloud in response. After a moment, he paused. "Wait, you're serious?", he said with an odd look on his face. "Aerona can't be stopped once she gets like that. Your friends are just gonna have to kill her", he stated. Looking over the complex expressions staring at him, he crossed his arms. "I'm not spilling Noctis blood. I'll be lucky if the old man lets me live as it is", he muttered. "No one asked you to kill her. Still, I agree that your uncle is both unstable and cruel enough to slay his kin. If you help us, we'll protect you", offered Puck. Jasper shot him a puzzled look. He'd seen Wink shoot Blythe in cold blood. Why would he treat him as a friend now?
"Dad, I don't think - ", began the incubus. Puck raised his palm for silence. "I'm only asking you to trust me a little while longer", said Puck solemnly. Jasper bit his lip with a pang of sorrow. His father had little time left. Taking a deep breath, he forced his body to relax. "So be it", he uttered. Yona scowled at Wink in distrust. "One wrong move and I'll be happy to kill him", she said with a dark grin. Something about the look in her eye told Wink she wasn't joking. "Dubhan won't stay away long. Just give him time to recharge and he'll be back. He's way too excited to miss out on messing with you guys", stated the sniper. Setting the meaning of that aside, Puck sighed. "Yona, take him topside. Get the other agent under control. Jasper, find your brother. Ronen, I need to fly up for recon", said Puck, handing out orders. Each nodded in turn.
Grabbing Wink by the back of his shirt, Yona hauled him up the long staircase. Ronen took off for the crevice overhead while Jasper looked to his father. Puck closed his eye briefly in concentration. Finally, he pointed, "That way." Jasper didn't hesitate. He went into the dark tunnels to find Kavi. Puck had each of their family marked to be tracked by his magic in emergencies. Very few knew about it and Blythe was the only one who knew Kavi's mark. Jasper hadn't let Yona close enough to find his yet. Still, such measures came in handy.
Rani looked up at the elf with pleading eyes. She wanted to help, too. Puck smiled gently at her. "Go to Veda. I'm counting on you to find me if anything happens", he stated. The exceed nodded and headed off. Once she was out of sight, Puck's strong posture faltered. He doubled over in pain. Feeling an odd warmth over his palm, he glanced at his hand. Red. His wound from Bran hadn't healed. Only his magic had kept it hidden so far, but his power was near its limit. Would he be able to save anyone?
Elsewhere, in the winding tunnels, Kavi was relying heavily on Gajeel to keep moving. He knew his mark had been activated by the sensation it caused. A faint glow could be seen if one knew where to look, but Gajeel had his piercing eyes glaring ahead. It would take too much time to get back to the sanctum like this. Pausing, he grunted in irritation. "...What...?", murmured Kavi, static filling the air. The device lodged in his flesh was blocking his magic more than ever. Gajeel sent him a steely look. Sighing, he said, "Shut up and hold still." Kavi couldn't question if he wanted to. He winced as his fellow dragon slayer slung him over his shoulder. Kavi blushed, deeply embarrassed. Gajeel smirked, sensing his discomfort. "I won't tell Blythe if you won't", he grinned. Kavi smiled faintly. It was a deal. Picking up speed, the trio headed on. Lily said nothing, knowing they had to move as quickly as possible.
Several minutes later, footsteps could be heard in the distance as Jasper navigated the pitch black with superb night vision. His glowing eyes caught the faintest light and amplified it hundreds of times over. He could feel his own mark getting warmer, a sure sign he was close. A very dim light was approaching. It had to be Kavi. Increasing the pace, the incubus rounded the wall of stone. Seeing his brother over Gajeel's shoulder made him worry instantly. "Kavi?!", he called. The trio stopped and waited for waited for him to catch up. Gajeel let down the sound dragon slayer gently. He was nearly unconscious. Jasper tapped his brother's face, trying to stir him. "Is he all right?", he asked with concern. "Other than the back of his head glowing?", scoffed Gajeel. It was unusual. Jasper hid a smirk. Puck's mark was working well.
Carefully looking Kavi over, Jasper rolled him to one side. Seeing a foreign object imbedded in the back of his brother's shoulder blade, he grimace. "What is it?", he inquired. "How should I know?", replied Gajeel. "Before his voice went out, he said the shadow stabbed him and it was blocking his magic", supplied Lily. Jasper sighed. That explained it all. Unable to speak and incredibly weak from lack of mana, the signs all made sense. "Kavi, I don't know if you can hear me, but try to stay still, okay?" He rolled his brother forward as if embracing him. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the device and pulled hard. His strength was more than enough to dislodge it. He could feel Kavi shudder in response. Pressing his fingers against the wound, Jasper peered at his brother. "I'm sorry...It's over know. Just relax", he assured.
Jasper wanted more than anything to throw the strange object as far as possible, but he knew they needed it if they were to make plans to defend against another attack. Wiping the blood on his pants, he handed it to Lily. "Can I entrust this to you?", he asked softly. Lily nodded. Gajeel was expecting t have to carry Kavi again, but to his surprise, Jasper gracefully rose from the ground with brother in his arms as if carrying nothing more than a basket of laundry. "You're stronger than you look", smirked the iron dragon slayer. Jasper grinned bashfully. He tried to hide it most of the time. "Come on. I'll guide you back", he stated, turning quickly.
As they walked, it was silent for a while. Eventually, Gajeel broke the quiet. "Either you know every inch of this place or can see exactly where you're going", he smirked. Jasper hid a faint smile. "Both", he replied. Knowing the best routes saved time. Within ten minutes, they'd returned to the sanctum. "Father?", called Jasper. The elf was nowhere in sight. Carefully proceeding, the sunlight filtered through the cracks overhead, revealing a crumpled figure in the sands. Despite the extra weight of his brother, Jasper sprinted forward. He gently placed his brother down and turned to tend to his father. "Dad...Dad?!", he hollered, shaking him. Finally, Puck rolled onto his back with a wan smile. He looked pale. Reading his son's expression, Puck softly stated, "It wasn't the sniper, Jasper...This...is my doing..." Gritting his teeth, Jasper stiffly spoke across his shoulder. "Find Wendy", he ordered. Lily took to the sky as the quickest path. Gajeel silently watched the scene, keeping an eye on Kavi as well.
Jasper stared into his father's face. "You knew better than to trade with her...Why did you do it?", he asked. "Bran was the only one...who could help restore Kavi's eyes...Don't be mad at her...All bargains have their price...", wheezed the elf. Fighting off tears, Jasper took a deep, pained breath. "You didn't have to hide it, you know...We could have helped you this whole time", he uttered. Puck's knowing smile only made it worse. "I'll get mom. Just hang on, okay?", said Jasper with a faint tremor in his voice. Puck closed his eye as if to rest in the meanwhile. Rising, Jasper turned to Gajeel. "I'll be as quick as I can. Can you - ", he began. "Of course I'll watch them. Now quit wasting time", said Gajeel, cutting him off. With a thankful, yet reluctant nod, Jasper took off to his mother's chamber. Staring down at the fallen, Gajeel wondered just how strong Jasper was. His entire family was folding.
Above ground, Natsu, Erza, and Gray were throwing attacks at Aerona from every angle. Somehow she remained unscathed, laughing harshly the entire time. "This is all Fairy Tail has to offer?! You can do better!", she grinned, tossing another barrage of knives at her foes. "What does she keep getting these things?!", exclaimed Natsu, pulling one from his forearm. "It's almost like Erza's magic", noted Gray. His ice wall had saved him any damage. "Why are doing this?!", demanded Erza. Aerona landed gracefully once more. Rising to her feet, she tilted her head to one side. "Magic is unnatural. It has to be eradicated...Simple as that", she replied. "Do you really believe that? Half of your equipment is enchanted", retorted Erza. The twisted grin on Aerona's face fell flat. "That isn't my fault. 'Fight fire with fire', they said. I refused, but in the end, it was the only way to take abominations like you down...Especially the fey...Such creatures have no place in the natural world. Once I've killed you three, I'm going after the snake", she said.
A huge wave narrowly missed her head as she ducked casually. "Like hell you are!", shouted Yona. Seeing Wink reluctantly in tow, Aerona narrowed her gaze. "Deserter", she said colder. "You chose that thing over the order? It's no wonder you never got a decent rank", she sneered. Wink was unmoved by her glare or words. "You're as dumb as ever. Did it ever occur to you that I outranked you and that's why my dear uncle treated me nice? He couldn't give a rat's ass what my last name is", spat Wink. Aerona only glared more intensely. "Lies don't suit you, Wink...but if you're choosing them, I'll just have to kill you, too", she said coldly. "Go ahead and try", smirked Wink.
Before the fairies could process the turn of events, both agents of Noctis blurred into high speed combat. "Can we really trust him?", ventured Gray. Yona shrugged, still unsure herself. Erza blocked a spray of knives with her sword. "Keep your guard up!", she ordered. A distant voice called out as Lily zoomed overhead. "Natsu!", yelled Lucy. She and Juvia had run the whole way back. "The sniper wasn't there", stated Juvia. "We know. He just showed up", replied Gray. A quick ice shield stopped several more knives in mid flight. Juvia blushed bright. Her precious Gray-sama had just saved her. "Natsu...He missed on purpose", panted Lucy. Natsu's gaze narrowed as he watched the blurry fight nearby. "Natsu?", called Lucy. "Maybe he is on our side...", trailed the dragon slayer.
Several yards away, Wendy had done all she could for Serpent Wing's fourth team. The had to rest now. Charle watched keenly as Lily alit nearby. "We need you in the sanctum", stated Lily. "Who's hurt?", inquired Acheron, ignoring his throbbing headache. "Kavi and Puck", replied the exceed. Hantu froze at the statement. Two of their strongest? "How is that even possible?!", she gaped. "Don't worry. Wendy will fix everything", offered Charle, a kind smile toward her friend. Wendy nodded. "I'll do my best", she promised. Then the exceeds grasped her shoulders and flew her away. Watching them go, Hantu sighed. "Think the guild will survive this, cos'?", she uttered. "Don't loose faith yet", replied Acheron.
Deep in one of the chambers below the guild, a dark portal opened wide and an arm wrapped in black cloth reached out. Crawling onto solid ground, Dubhan panted with exhaustion. "Damn it", he wheezed. He wasn't used to traveling so far and it drained his mana. Luckily, no one was here to see his true face. Sitting on the sands, he watched his portal shrink into nothing. His long ponytail rested on the ground as he sat and recovered. It was foolish to make such a trip again so quickly, but he really couldn't stand being around Blythe. The legacy of being the blood baron was everything to Dubhan. He was raised for it and even born for it, but he was robbed. He cursed Blythe's name as he had for last several years. Still, it was only a matter of time before Blythe would offer the power to him and that made the shadow mage smile. Once his soul was broken, he'd give it up. He only needed the right motivation and Dubhan knew exactly what that motivation was - Kavi Drupada.
Many miles away, Blythe walked alone in a dimly lit corridor. It wasn't like the cave system of the sanctum. This underground place had been made by man. Crimson carpets led up to a massive doorway. The doors were already open. He could here talking on the other side. Where exactly was he anyway? Steeling his nerves, he strode forward. The narrow passage way opened into a large domed chamber. Candles lit the path forward while controlled fires burned further into the room. All speech ceased as he entered the room. A few men in hooded robes stood silently watching him. Other people dropped to their knees as he passed. It was all very strange, but the one thing that stood out more than the rest was dead ahead. An ornate throne covered in gilded rose, complete with thorns, sat at the end of the path on a platform. In it sat a familiar face. Yavuz coldly watched his son approach. "You finally made it", he said smugly.
Whispers flared in the distance and we quickly hushed. Getting to his feet, Yavuz stepped toward Blythe. "Welcome to your new home", he said. Blythe glanced about anxiously. "What is this place?", he inquired. Yavuz laughed scoffingly. "Those are your first words to your faithful followers?", he taunted. He gestured to the people gathered. Slowly, the crowd parted as a highly decorated man hobbled through. He was old and in ill shape. His clothing marked him as important. "I've brought your messiah", stated Yavuz, greeting the man with his eyes. The elderly man stepped close to Blythe and looked him over. "Are you certain this time?", inquired the ancient priest. "I'll prove it", said Yavuz calmly.
A gasp ran among the crowd as a dagger plunged into the side of Blythe's neck. "He bleeds, but not long", said Yavuz, casually wiping off his blade. The old man stared as the wound started to close over. "Indeed. This is the one", he said, nodding. Blythe had no idea what was going on. He'd just been stabbed without warning, but already he could feel his skin knitting together. His healing factor had increased since the trauma earlier. He held the wound with shaking fingers. "Who are you?", he managed to utter. The old man turned to address the people. "Faithful, it is time to rejoice! The baron has returned to us!", he proclaimed. Cheers flooded the chamber. Once they died down, the priest shuffled close to Yavuz. "He is not ready", he stated. "He will be", replied the leader of Noctis. Blythe was tired of being talked over and about. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?!", he yelled. His voice echoed through the room.
The priest turned to him and placed an aged hand on Blythe's shoulder. "You are the blood baron reborn. We've been waiting for you for a long time. So long, that we enlisted the help of Noctis. Once you come to full power, your purpose will be become clear." Turning to Yavuz, he added, "Make him awake." Yavuz grinned coldly, sending a chill down Blythe's spine. What exactly was in store for him?
To be Continued...
