I do not own Fairy tail, that belongs solely to Hiro Mashima.

Welcome to Chapter 16! I hope You did not have to wait too long for this next chapter in my story. Anyway as always I would like to get your feedback and criticism on what you thought of the story, that way I can get a good feel of how I'm doing.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!

I will in the precursor to the chapter explain more about my original content in my story right now. If you have a good memory you will know what I'm talking about, but if not you should listen.

Most of there original characters have already been revealed in past chapters. Just in case you had forgotten these characters entirely. The chapters that reference them are chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11.

The parts that show these characters are at the end of said chapters except for chapter 3, which is at the beginning. I will now give a description of these characters that have been revealed so far. Chapter 6 has the character presented in the middle or so.

Azrael: He is the leader of the mysterious fourth ally to the Baram Alliance. He could be described as insane or very serious. But he is also very idealistic. He has semi-spiky hair that is white in color and has deep blue eyes. He has the appearance of someone that is young, but his body and mind are that of a person who has experienced much that life has to offer. (Like Zeref). He wheres a red sleeveless shirt that is tucked into black combat pants. He adorns a set of plate steel greaves that reach up to his hips. (He has a full set of armor, but he does not always wear it). The armor is a silvery-blue and has golden embellishments on it. His magic is unknown. He uses a large longbow with runic carvings. The bow is almost as tall as him, as well as a shortsword with strange markings.

Hegemone: She is an underling of Azrael that is very pleasing to the eye. She could be described as the most beautiful of the two females in the dark guild. She has dark green hair that runs all the way to the small of her back. She has black eyes with a tinge of red. She wears a black kimono with white tracery and simple leather sandals. If I had to guess she has a C-cup bust size. She had earrings that are in the shape of a serpent as well. Her personality is very smart, she has the most knowledge of history than anyone else. She is very easy going but also quite impressionable. Although she is loyal to a fault, she would be the first to question her devotion. She is a dragon slayer that uses a unique style. She could be called a Bloom Dragonslayer that holds effect over plants and can tame or create draconian type creatures to fight for her.

Aegaeon: He has messy pale blue hair that is only slightly past his ears. His skin is quite tanned and he has blue markings all over his body that look like symbols for water and waves. His face is clean-shaven. He wears a tribal looking battle dress that has leaves and exotic feathers attached to it like those Polynesian people. (Don't worry though, this skirt is attached to a pair of short, shorts. So he's not letting it all hand out). Anyway, he has seashell bracelets in his wrists and ankles and walks barefoot. He also has black eyes with a tinge of red. He is quite loyal and would never think of betrayal. He is brash and does things straight forward. You could say he is not the one who creates the big plan, he only follows it. His magic is dragon slayer magic. And that is all that is known so far.

Helios: He is an almost biblical person in the way he presents himself, he speaks of the righteous path and heavenly dominion. But He is quite most of the time and speaks little. He wears an all-white rode with golden embroidery. He has long dark red hair that goes to his shoulder blades. His hair is extremely straight. He carries a book that holds a cross that is upside down. And his rode adorns similar features. He has a look of a man in his forties but has a clean-shaven face. The eyes are the same black with a tinge of red. His magic is unknown, but he is also a dragon slayer. He is known for using telepathy, however.

Aeolus: This woman is probably one of the weaker members of the dark guild, but she is nonetheless quite powerful. She has long curly white hair that reaches past her shoulders. Her personality is quite sarcastic and she is not above seduction to get what she wants. She is however very conniving and won't hesitate to stab you in the back. She has black eyes with a tinge of red as well. She wears a short white kimono with black leggings. She has white heels and a large white fur coat. Her magic is unknown, but she has the ability to fly.

There are two more members that have yet to be introduced. But they will be once I finish with my personal story arc. There will be a lot more of the original content in the chapters to come. So I hope you're ready for that. So here are the descriptions for now and I hope you enjoy it. With that out of the way, let's get on with it.

Enjoy the Story!


Chapter 16: Something

September 16, X784, Oahina town

Natus vaulted at the closest man and could see the look of shock as the man realized there was a foot coming straight for his head. Natsu ended up kicking the poor man right in the neck and he flew into the wall and met his untimely demise. The others were swiftly alerted of his presence and surrounded him in a circle.

"Looks like we got a tough guy!" One man said as he grabbed a magic staff. The man looked like the leader of this small operation. ANd thus Nastu decided he would have to make sure this man stayed conscious. And so with quick repetition, Natsu created a small ball of condensed fire in his hand as the others looked in curious awe.

"He's a wizard, damn it!" One of them shouted as Natsu kicked the main man in the chest and released his fire. Fire Dragons Explosion! All of nine men that were in close proximity to Natsu were all enraptured in the blast and fell to the floor tattered and burned, but still alive.

The blast reverberated through the cavern and Natsu wondered if this place was stable enough. But he quickly smelled another presence through the smoke and saw a silhouette of a lanky man. But this disheveled man turned out to be a boy that looked barely old enough to hold a day job.

The coughed from the thick smoke, but as it slowly dissipated the boy gasped as he stared wide-eyed at the man before him. "What are you doing in a place like this?" Natsu asked the boy with pleasant curiosity. The boy was hesitant and he shook with fear in his eyes. Natsu held his hand out and the boy warily took it and was pulled up.

"Are you alright?" Natsu asked once more before the boy nodded. But with the sound of grunting and shuffling, The pinkete knew he had to deal with the man he purposefully knocked out of the blast radius. He turned to the boy once more and spoke with a soft undertone.

"Wait for a second here, I need some information," He spoke as the boy nodded raptly as he ran to find cover. The pink-haired dragon slayer stood over the frightened man who looked like he could start crying now.

"Hold yourself together," Nastu said in a dark tone as the man cleared away his daring tears and sat on his knees and bowed to Natsu. "Please, don't kill me," The man spoke but then he was kicked softly in term of Natsu and rolled on the ground clutching his stomach.

"I don't want your sob story, I just need information," Nastu growled at the groveling man. The man seemed to have gotten the message and sat quietly waiting for questioning. And in his mind, he would not even for a second try any funny business.

"Who do you answer to?" Natsu spoke crossing his arms and listening. "I get orders from Captain Ruether," The man spoke clearly. Natsu pondered a moment and he realized what this meant, there was government corruption going on here. That was something he found rarely.

The slayer then asked again. "Is this cargo from trading ships?" He asked diligently. This mystery was still ways away from solving, but it was clear that the serpent was an excuse for looting those ships without having the government looking into it further.

"Yes, we use magic water breathing helmets, and there a tunnel that leads to under the ocean," The man spoke. This thought intrigued Natsu. He definitely thought this was a very elaborate plan here. There was a lot more to this than meets the eye, there must be a bigger party at work here. And he would be the one to solve it.

"Is there anything more you can tell me?" The slayer finally asked as the man scratched his head and looked concerned for his wellbeing. "I swear, All I do is make sure to gather the cargo and take it to the other location," The man then realized he let slip a crucial part of the information.

"I see, and where is this other location, Is there another tunnel?" Natsu turned around and scanned the area around for any other passages. But then the man spoke up. "That elevator shaft right there leads to the surface and it's how we get the cargo up from the cavern."

The man stopped and the pinkete turned. "Well go on," The pink-haired slayer spoke callously. The man shivered and then with a second hesitation continued. "Right behind this shack, there is a small patch of forest before the mountain as you may have seen," The man spoke as Natsu nodded having remembered this from his previous examination of the area.

"Well, there is a tunnel behind a boulder straight ahead and we use it to take the cargo to the other side of the island. The tunnel goes through the mountain."

"Where is the other location after that," Nastu tapped his foot as he patiently waited. Feeling the sense of urgency from the dragon slayer the man rasped out. "There's a small building made of cobbled stone hidden in the patch of thick jungle on the left of there tunnel exit, that's all I know," The man pleaded as he looked into ht cold eyes of the slayer.

"I believe you," Natsu said as the man seemed to gain a wash of relief. But he closed his eyes when he saw a fist that hit him in the face before he could actively block it and was knocked out cold. Natsu turned from the man and thought of all the information this chump had. If he knew this much then there was no telling how much the next guy in the chain knew.

"Hey kid, you can come out," Natsu spoke as the kid popped his head out from behind a large crate. The boy seemed to still have some residual fear of Natsu as the slayer could see his shake here and there. The pinkete took a good look at the boy and found he go a nostalgic feeling when he looked at him.

It reminded him of himself when he was young, but at this age, he was already a powerful S-class mage. The boy had big eyes and a mop of disheveled dark raven hair, he had grey eyes that almost looked dull. Then with the realization, he found some questions swirling in his head.

This kid wore a white sleeveless shirt and black pants. And he walked barefoot. His clothes were torn in some places and Natsu remembered when he had been on some missions where he came back looking like this boy. But then an odd realization came to Natsu's mind. The boy seemed to look at him directly and knew where he was.

Perhaps he had magic. Natsu sat on a crate and he asked. "Who are you?"

The boy sat on an adjacent crate and looked down. "My name is Sabbas, Sabbas Romanos," The boy spoke quickly. He seemed to have a very clear focus on Natsu.

"Interesting, that's a foreign name," Natsu said as he closed his eyes and put a hand to his chin. "Why are you here Sabbas?"

"Well, those men caught and used me to fit into small spaces when they needed to get into a cargo hold," Sabbas spoke with a hint of discerning in his voice. "Do you have a family?" Natsu asked seemingly knowing the answer. It was something he saw a few times in his travels. And he knew the type because he was one of them.

The boy teared up and balled his fists up. "No, I never had a family as long as I could remember. I only know that I have to thank an old man who took me in for a few years before he passed," Sabbas started to bawl as he wiped the tears from his face. Natsu could not remember the last time he dealt with a crying child, but he knew the feeling this kid was having. It was an all too familiar sting he found himself having.

But he was strong, Natsu could feel the magic inside him welling up as the boy slowed his crying. "I'm sorry to burden you like this," The boy sad as Nastu shook his head.

"It's no problem, I know how you feel. I've been there. But let me ask you," Natsu said.

"Whats's that?" Sabbas answered. He looked in awe at the man that was only nine years older than he or so he thought. Sabbas knew then that this man had been through what he had. But there was a difference with him. This man was so strong, just the way he presented himself. There was no weak point in his stance or his gaze. There was only a hardened warrior. He stared in awe at this man who defied his upbringing and made the most of it.

"Do you have anything in this town that ties you down?" Natsu probed, he had an idea that maybe the others would not like as much, but he was feeling particularly good about it. He just had a feeling about this kid that he felt he should follow. It was one of those gut feelings.

"No, are you insinuating something?" The boy asked surprising Natsu with the use of the word. "Well," Natsu thought a moment longer before he spoke. He had no room to invite someone when he himself was a fake, but he didn't really care.

"I would like to invite you to my guild, I think you have magical potential and I would like to take you there," Nastu spoke in a slightly less monotone voice than usual. He was sure this kid had great heights he could reach if he was shown the way.

Natsu almost felt himself laugh as he thought that this was how master Hades must have felt when he first met him. And now look at him, wanting to take on a pupil when he himself was still training under his master. But he cast the thought aside when he saw the boy stand up and reach out to his necklace.

The boy felt it in his hands as Natsu felt slightly awkward at the close proximity to the boy. The boy held back a smile before he stood back. "I felt something from your necklace," The boy spoke as he sat back down on the crate.

Natsu seemed to be surprised at this and then asked. "You can sense magical signature that small, that's impressive."

But then another question he felt was neccacery at the moment was of this boy's eyes. "I don't mean to be rude, but are you..." Natsu was cut off by Sabbas. "Blind, yes. I am blind. But I find that my sense of hearing and smell helps me greatly," Sabbas declared.

"You can sense magic as well, that's how you know where I am. Right?" Nasu inquired the boy. Sabbas nodded and then spoke again. "I would like you to take me from hie horrible town, it has brought me nothing but grief," Sabbas said with a sour tone that could not be mistaken. He must have had it pretty rough to want to leave so badly.

"Alright, well since you were a part of this operation, you can lead me to the other warehouse," Natsu stood and saw that Sabbas walked behind him up the way he came.

Huh, This kid. Natsu thought.


"Under Arrest!?" Erza shout out as she thought that maybe she had misheard the lead rune knight.

But when the knight nodded to her she realized there was something terribly wrong. What was it that they had done. She had no conception of a crime in her memory and she was sure of it. This was wrong, there was something at play that was beyond her knowledge and she did not like being in the dark.

"I'm telling you, this is not right. You have to the wrong people!" Erza yelled once more, but it was upon deaf ears. But then the captain spoke once more. "By order of Captain Ruether, you are under arrest. ANy further resisting will give you a higher penance!" The captain shouted as ERza sighed.

"Okay, Gray, Lucy," He said as she dropped her fists and Gray was surprised to see this. "Really, but we did nothing wrong?" Gray questioned, but Erza gave him a disheartened look that shut him up. "I think we would just comply, to see what this is all about," Erza hypothesized.

"I see," Gray nodded as Lucy glanced at Erza and then to Gray.

"Good to see that you Fairy tail wizards have sense," The man spoke as he put magic restraining cuff on each of the mages. They were put in a line and lead through town almost like a parade which made the experience all the worse. And from the ship that was saved the captain looked on with a curious look.

"Look there crew, there's something fishing going on in this here town," The old captain spoke as he grinned and turned to head for his quarters.

As the team was lead to a ship at the far side of the dock, they questioned why they were boarding a ship if this branch of the government knew full well of the beast. But as the ship started forward that saw no sign from the crew that they were nervous at all.

This sight caused Erza to scowl, this was enough. There was something going on with this town and the military here. But then her head was pushed down as she was lead below deck. She growled at the rune knight who seemed to cower a bit before he regained his former composure.

They were put in a cell inside the hull and sat in a circle. There were no guards watching them at the moment and so they spoke in hushed whispers.

"Gray, did you see how the men were not nervous at all. They know something about this monster that we don't," He concluded as the raven-haired mage nodded. "Yeah, I saw that too. But what charges do they have us on?" The ice mage contemplated. But then before he could say, it would seem both Lucy and Erza caught on as well.

And seemingly with perfect synchronization, they all shouted. "Natsu."

"Damnit! I knew he would get into trouble on his own," Gray said as he glared at the ground.

"I know, but maybe he has caught onto something and that's why they are after Fairy tail wizards. Maybe they don't want us to solve this whole thing," Erza said as Lucy perked up at this news. She thought a moment and then recalled something she remembered hearing a long time ago.

"Actually, now that you say that I remember reading about some obscure laws that have to do with wizard requests," Lucy spoke as the others listened in.

"What's that, the rules are fairly simple, I don't remember any that stand out too much," Gray spoke softly as he tried to delve into his brain for the information he sought.

"It went something like this. If a wizard was convicted of a crime during or right after completion. The reward would become forfeit if the employer so chose. Otherwise, the reward would not have to be paid and the employer keeps it," Lucy said as something in Erza's brain clicked.

"Lucy you're a genius!" Erza shouted as she shook Lucy like a doll. "Okay, okay! I get it," Lucy said as the redhead released her from her grasp.

"What did you figure out Erza?" Gray questioned the scarlet knight. She seemed to be quite sure of her self.

"I hate to say it, but Natsu was right," Erza said as Gray nodded knowing what she was hinting to. "The mayor must be an associate of this Captain Ruether, and whatever Natsu did made him a danger to his plan. The only thing that doesn't make sense is the sea monster."

"Yeah, that beast was very much real. But it only attacks certain ships apparently," Gray said stroking his chin and then he looked like he came up with another theory.

"Wait, the monster only has sunken cargo or military vessels. But maybe they sunk military ships on purpose. That way it seemed that the monster was attacking at random," Gray said as Lucy piped up.

"But where does the monster come into all this, there is no way they could have planned for that serpent to be here. Could they?" Lucy questioned not sure if magic like that was possible.

"I don't believe such magic exists," Erza contemplated as a guard came by and slammed his spear on the cell bars. This brought back some unsettling memories to Erza as she recalled her time in the tower. But that was behind her now, even though the events were fresh in her mind. She should not dwell on it.

"Quiet down in here!" The guard said as he went back around the corner. It was good he had not heard what they were talking about. But they would have to quiet up now that the guard was onto them. The ship seemed to come to a stop as Lucy was jerked forward from the abrupt stop.

The knights came down and opened the cell door and lead the team into a base that held a few small structures and a gathering of tents for the stationed soldiers. The main hall was not all that glamorous, but it got the point across that it was a law office.

They came to the front desk and the officer behind looked up from his paperwork and then to the mages in cuffs. "Oh, the captain said he wanted to see these convicts," The officer stood and came around the desk to a door immediately on the left. And he opened the door. "Right this way."

They lead them to the hall that had some other offices, but the main one was straight down the hall. And at the door, they heard the gruff voice of the man inside call out. "Come in now," The man known as Captain Ruether spoke.

The knights pushed the mages of team Erza inside and closed the door harshly as they felt like school kids in front of the principle. "I assume you know why you are here?" Ruether questioned with his gaze directed to Erza.

"Actually, I would like to know that bit of information myself," erza said in a glaring tone. The captain chuckled at this and took a puff of his cigar. The smoke he blew out thereafter went right into Erza's face. This caused the redhead to grow a tick mark on her forehead as she tried to stay cool.

"Well, then I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear that a Fairy tail mage has been snooping around this town, and said, suspect, has taken some lethal action against some unsavory types. So the crime was overlooked, but what really has me for a loop is why Fairy tail mages would steal cargo from ships that have been sunken. Have you no decency for the deceased," Ruether smirked as Erza widened her eyes.

"Furthermore we found your base of operations and a boat loaded with said cargo. How awful you must feel knowing that you commit such heinous crimes to our already suffering town," Ruether said in a sarcastic pouting voice.

Erza could practically feel the steam blowing out of her ears. They were being framed right before there very eyes. Captain further smirked at the gaping facing of the fairy tail mages.

"And you thought you could get away with it," Ruether said with a smug chuckle.


Natsu looked at the boulder that stood in the way of there path. "Well, this looks like the place, don't you think?" Natsu said as he turned to the boy. And then with a look of guilt, he then spoke. "Oh sorry, I didn't mean to make a joke," Natsu said as Sabbas waved it off.

"It's okay, but let's keep going," Sabbas spoke as Natsu nodded. And then remembering once again that the boy could not see his affirmative nod. "Yes," Was all the slayer said thinking he sounded awkward. He went to the left side of the boulder and pushed slowly. The boulder was lighter than he thought and he moved it a few feet until the hole was big enough to fit through.

"Let's go," Natsu said as Sabbas followed his scent and footsteps. Natsu took off running through the dimly lit tunnel and he could hear that Sabbas was running behind him. It was odd though. He seemed quite agile and able for someone who was blind. But that made Natsu all the more excited to see what he was capable of.

This boy used senses and magic to navigate his way around and that was quite impressive. The tunnel was carved in an arch shape and had wooden beans that jutted up every five feet or so. The tunnel looked like it would go on forever. But then, in the end, there was a familiar sensation that crossed Natsu as he saw the light. They came upon the end of the tunnel that had moss and vines growing over the exit.

The jungle on his island was beautiful with bountiful amounts of fruits and a myriad of colors. And when he turned left to see the building was in fact there, it was a cobblestone structure with a wooden roof that had bones growing out of it. But there was something wrong. There were rune knights patrolling and on the beach, he saw the ship that borrowed from the base in Southbay.

The ship had all sorts of cargo loaded onto the small vessel. This was something that puzzled the dragon slayer. He hid behind some brush and thought of a plan. "I don't think they know of this tunnel, it looks to be quite occurred by trees and brush. But why are the knights here?" Natsu pondered as Sabbas sat next to him. The boy held his legs in a curled up fashion and looked to be fascinated with his knees. But Natsu knew better.

"Maybe they knew about the place from the start," Nastu s whispered and then with his theory. "Okay Sabbas, are you good at solving things?" The pinkete questioned the boy. The raven-haired boy looked up and spoke.

"Yes, I can help you. After all, I can't thank you enough for taking me with you," The boy gave Nastu a genuine heartwarming smile that could really tug at your heartstrings. Natsu actually gave in and gave the boy a smile, even though he could not see it.

"Alright then," Natsu paused a moment before he unveiled his finding so far.

"The reward money for starters, a town this size could never hope to raise money like this. So the only way would be the government provided them the funds. And in this case, they could invoke a certain law known to contractors as the criminal deceit law were an employer could revoke the payment if a mage commits a crime during the job."

Natsu took a breath and continued.

"Paying yourself wouldn't make sense, but if the town money was not from them, then it would only be a benefit if they somehow convinced the council that the money was put to use the way it was meant to. Then the monster is here to attack the ships for extra money. So they must have sunken a military ship to keep the flow inconsistent. And see here Someone alerted their associates about the findings and are framing us to show that we committed a crime,"

Natsu finished as he caught his breath.

"Well, who could have alerted them then?" Sabbas inquired.

Then Natsu brightened up as he thought of the bartender. He must be part of this whole scheme. "I think I have it," Nastu said with some residual excitement. It had been a while since he had to solve a big mystery like this. Although, this was not the most difficult to figure out. He has solved some far harder problems before. He actually shivered at the thought of the Cerelbius Manor job he had completed two years ago. It was one giant fucking mess of clues.

"Hide here for a moment, I don't want you to get mixed into this," Natsu said as leap up and bolted to the rune knights. The knights yelled out an alarm. And all the knights in the area marched around into formation. There must have been twenty or so of the knights and they stood adjacent to Natsu.

"You there Fairy Tail wizard, you are under arrest! The lead knight yelled as he held out some magic cuffs. But Natsu charged forward and smashed his fist into the face of the knight. The man fell to his knees and then his face made contact with the sand. The other rune knights took this as an act of resistance and charged with there spears and swords.

Natsu kicked the first in the chest and spun around to the next. Grabbing the rune knight by the throat he threw the man at another and the two grunted at the contact. The pinkete merely coated his fists in fire and he smashed every man down a peg.

Then in only a minute or two, there was no one left to challenge him. And as he looked to the ship to confirm that It was the one they had sailed to the island with, he heard the sound of running behind and thought there was another knight.

He cocked his fist back and when he turned to look it was just Sabbas. And he had a wave a relief wash over him. "Oh, it's just you. I thought I told you to stay up there," Nastu said with a stern voice as Sabbas shrugged his shoulders and looked down.

"Sorry, I just thought since you finished fighting that it was safe for me to come down," The boy said as he returned to his cheery smile.

"Do you sense anybody else around Sabbas?" Natsu spoke as the boy looked around the beachhead.

"No one except for the signatures of the people in Oahina and Southbay," The boy said confidently as Nastu gaped for a second. Could he really sense people that far away? This was incredible.

"How can you sense them from so far away?" Natsu questioned the boy as Sabbas turned to the fire mage and spoke. "Well I always had the ability I guess. I can sense any sort of magic for a long distance. Even the small amount that every creature. Their bodies are clear to be because of the flow-through their bodies," Sabbas explained.

Natsu crossed his arms and closed his eyes. The people in Southbay were over six miles away right now. That was an incredible range of sight this kid had. It seemed that even without vision, he could see better than anybody else. Quite ironic if you ask me.

But then a thought entered Natsu's mind, it was about the rest of his team that must be somewhere on the island. "Sabbas, can you sense any magic signatures larger than usual?" Natsu asked the boy as the blind child seemed to scan while turning his head in different directions. This was certainly fascinating to watch from Natsu's perspective.

The pinkete held out a bit longer until the raven-haired boy spoke up. "Yes, your right. There are two that are significantly larger and then one that is smaller," The boy smiled as he completed what he was asked.

Natsu then rustled his hair. "Thanks," The slayer then started walking back to the tunnel entrance. "Where did you say they were?" Natsu questioned the boy. Sabbas squinted his eyes a bit confused. But he nonetheless answered. I had never said where they were.

"They are in Southbay town," Sabbbas expressed as Natsu gave the boy a curious look.

"Are you sure, They should still be on the island. But then again, maybe they are at the base investigating the rune knights," Natsu then realized he never interrogated the knights at the beach and cursed himself for being so forgetful at a crucial point in this mission.

As they reached the dock on the other side of the island they saw a new ship was docked there. Natsu thought it odd a ship that was a trading vessel was able to get passed the sea monster. And thus he opted to gather some information from the captain of said vessel.

The boat was a large frigate that had large masts even though the ship itself was not so large. It was maybe a good eighty-foot long. The wood had large clusters of barnacles and was rotting in some areas. It must have been in service for quite some time to be this worn down.

As Natsu climbed aboard the gangplank some of the crew gave him odd looks and he had forgotten about his current lack of attire. He guessed that Sabbas could not question it since he had no idea of what he looked like or what he was wearing.

The wood creaked when he stood a step onto the deck proper. Then from the top platform, the man that looked to be the captain of this worn trading vessel defended the stairs and cried out.

"Aye, a fellow wizard. If you're looking for your friends, your out of luck," The captain said in a scruffy voice.

"What do you mean? And how did you not agitate the beast?" Natsu inquired about the old sea captain. The captain was definitely worthy of the title salty sea dog. He looked like he's had his fair share of adventure on the high seas.

"Well, your friends were carted off by the rune knights after they saved our ship from that sea monster," The old Captain spoke with a concerned tone. He had a peg leg which Natsu thought was quite an interesting sight. He could only imagine the stories.

"Did they beat this monster," Natsu spoke in a calm and undiscernible tone. He didn't think they would get this far.

"No, that redheaded lass asked me to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. But none thus far has surfaced," The old Captain described.

"They are quite the capable bunch of mages I must say."

"Yes, I know. I must ask. In your opinion, could you tell me how large that beast might be?" The slayer asked with curious intrigue.

"Yes, I've seen serpents like that one in my many years of travel. However, none have ever been so large. Most of the beasts I've seen were about ten feet in width and were around one hundred and fifty feet long," The captain said quite sure of himself.

"That's a large serpent still," Natsu said surprised by this fact. "Yes, however, a serpent that size is much easier to kill. We used canons and arrows to bring it down. But this creature is like nothing I've seen."

The old captain sighed as he spoke. "But the larger the serpent, the thicker the scales. I bet a single scale is as tall as a man. This beast must be at least thirty-foot wide. And if that correlates to the length. Then you might be looking at four-hundred and fifty feet of a damn serpent," The old man scowled as he imagined the beast in its full size.

Natsu grimaced at the thought, but he reverted back to his calm demeanor. "I think I can handle that, I got a secret weapon," Nastu smirked as he slammed his right fist into his left palm. He exhaled through his nose which produced some smoke. The captain seemed quite impressed by this and gave the pinkete a chuckle.

"I'm sure if you believe you can, then there's nothing that can stop you. There are some incredible things I've seen mages do. Some that defy the very laws of nature," The captain smiled broadly and gave Natsu a hearty slap on the back.

"By the way, I'm not one to judge. But why are you wearing that?" The old captain lifted a brow with curiosity. Natsu sighed as he explained the situation.

"It is a punishment from my guild master for bad contact on my last escapade," Natsu saw the look of bewilderment leave the captain's face as he smiled and then chuckled.

"I do suppose that humility can be quite a good punishment. Although as I can see, you might get more attention from the ladies," The captain said referencing Natsu's muscular figure. Sabbas who has been quite the whole time now spoke up.

"Wait, what are you wearing?" The boy asked raising his pitch at the end of the sentence. The kid reached his hand out and touched Natsu'sshoulder and ran his hand down the length of the pinkete's back and down to the red fabric of the speedo.

Then he continued until he reached past Nastu's knee when he stopped. The whole thing happened in a matter of seconds, but for Natsu, it was way longer. Then with the realization that the kid had run his hand along his body, made Natsu feel quite awkward.

"Hey, don't do that. That's weird," Nastu said in a surprised voice that very little people caught his use. Sabbas seemed to scrunch up his nose before he looked to the slayer. "Sorry, it's just the only way I can tell what you are wearing," Sabbas apologized.

The old captain was a bit puzzled at the scene, but then when he saw the boy's eyes he grew a somber look on his face. "Oh, I see, it is something that is hard to deal with I know. I can't see out my left eye," The captain said with a laugh and tapped his yellowing fingernail to his left eye. And indeed there was a clinking sound.

"Huh, I couldn't even tell," Natsu spoke as he looked to Sabbas. The boy smiled. "I see," Sabbas laughed out as the old captain chuckled as well.

"It's good you can make light of your situation, it takes strength to do that," The old captain spoke cheerfully.

"We'll be going now. But I'll be back to rid these waters of that beast," Natsu concluded to the old man. With a laugh, the captain waved him off.

"Yes, thanks very much," The man said as Natsu left the ship. And when Natsu had gotten to the end of the dock he heard the captain shouted. "And don't forget about my cut!" The old sea captain said. But Natsu was not quite sure what he was talking about.

It would seem though that the captain was still a salty dog at heart. And like many seafaring men, they desire wealth above all else.

"Did he say he had a cut?" Natsu question himself as he continued to walk. Then Sabbas tugged his arm and he looked to the boy. "I realize me touching you like that was weird, but I was just curious about what you meant when he asked what you were wearing as if it was something strange," Sabbas explained to the slayer.

"I realize that. It would be different if I had more clothes. But I don't have much covering me as it is," Natsu spoke nonchalantly.

"I understand. By the way, what did you do to get in trouble?" Sabbas questioned the pink-haired dragon slayer.

Natsu considered not telling the boy what he had done. But it may be worse to start a friendship off of lies. And so with a final decision, the pinkete told the boy. "Well, it was almost a week ago. I was fighting some dark mages and they were wounded fatally," Natsu winced a little. He expected the boy to grow fearful of him. But it was on quite the contrary.

"Oh, I once had to take a man's life too," Sabbas said as Natsu seemed to raise a brow at this.

"How did you get into that situation?" Natsu knew the hardships of the world. And sometimes you were put against a wall with only one possible exit in sight. It was a sad truth, and so Nastu could understand how hard it might have been for someone so young to have to deal with that type of consequence.

"It was a few months ago when I was still not captured by those men. I had found something in the ocean when I was just sitting by the shore. It bumped into my foot as it must have washed up. The cup was metal and felt like it was handcrafted into a cup with a stem. I had thought it was just a regular cup. But when I returned to town there were murmurs that I had stolen it," Sabbas declared.

"It may have been gold, but I suppose you don't know what that is exactly," Natsu spoke. The boy nodded with agreement, this was a fact.

"Though I do know that men lust over gold. A man had chased me until he caught me. He took the cup from me and decided to take me too. We went inside some building and I felt some rope starting to be wrapped around my hands. But then I passed out after that. I don't know what happened. But when I awoke the man's energy was gone and there was the scent of blood. And I can only assume I killed him somehow," Sabbas said solemnly.

Natsu thought it was quite endearing to hear someone else's story on how they killed someone. But by the sound of his description, he may have used magic that made him lash out. But it was alluring to hear a description of something that was completely based on smell, hearing, and touch. Instead of the usual sight.

The two were on the beach and net to the crashing of the waves. "I know it might be a hard thing, but listen to me and listen well," Natsu said as he knelt in front of Sabbas who faced him. The pinkete put his hands on the shoulders of the boy as he told.

"There are many that would disagree with me, but when it comes down to it. If you have to kill, take that risk. Because whoever attacks you won't hesitate to do so to you. But just keep that between us okay," Natsu said with a stoic but suddenly sincere voice.

"I understand, But I don't know magic," Sabbas said with a frown. "Don't worry, I'll make sure you learn. And until then I will protect you," Nastu spoke with genuine vigilance to the cause.

He could not describe what this feeling was, but he felt like he had to protect this boy. It was so much like him that he could not stand to see him in harm's way. Maybe it was selfish, but he just felt defensive of this boy he had just meet a few hours ago.

He wanted to show this boy the way he wished he could have been in his childhood. Before he went with Hades. But Natsu was shocked when this boy hugged him tightly and there were tears in the corner of his eyes. He hugged back when Sabbas spoke.

"Thank you so much, I haven't even asked you your name" Sabbas spoke joyfully.

"I'm Natsu, Natsu Dragneel," The slayer spoke as the boy opened his eyes and smiled brightly. If Natsu had seen him smile he would say it was almost a mischievous one. Sabbas released the dragon slayer and stood up to look at the town across the bay.

"Let's get back to the mission," Natsu said as he saw the boy nod. "We need to get across to the military encampment," Natsu thought a moment before an idea popped into mind. He thought that maybe Sabbas might not like it much. But he supposed it was impossible for the child to have a fear of heights.

"I have an idea, get onto my back and hold on tight," Natsu spoke as the boy made a weird face before complying. Natsu squatted down and Sabbas hopped onto his back. The pinkete stood and then focused his magic in his feet and hands.

"Wait, are you going to...AHhahahahaha!" Sabbas screamed as the two took off into the air. Natsu blasted off from the ground with torrents of flame coming out from his palms and feet. Natsu laughed at the boy's reaction to the takeoff. He was once again impressed the boy could sense he was building his energy his palms and feet.

It was an unreal level of sensory that he had never known was possible. I don't even think Hades has heard of magic like this, Natsu thought.


Inside the jail of the military base was three mages all in the same small cell. There were not many cells here seeing that this was a small branch. But it was still just as frustrating for our heroes.

"Well, it looks like we failed to realized that we could not escape from magic restaining cuffs," Gray said with a snarky tone. Erza merely huffed as she turned her head.

"Well you know I think we should have known better than to accept getting captured like this. But the way I see it, I thought we could rationalize with the man," Erza stuttered out. She could barely contain her fury that the government in this branch was so corrupt. This was one of the worst cases she had seen.

There were footsteps that came into the prison from the above floor. And low and behold, it was Officer Cain. The three remembered what he had said before they had left and they were eager to use that. He had said they made a friend. And so maybe this guy would listen to reason.

"I thought I heard you guys were in jail, what happened? Everything has been a mess since you guys showed up," Cain spoke with a laugh. Erza stood and spoke in her calmest possible voice as to not scare the man.

"I'm glad your here. I need to confide something in you. Can you be trusted," Erza spoke as she gave the man an intense stare. Cain seemed taken aback by this but nonetheless nodded.

"Yes, of course, I am a practitioner of the law. And I keep my word," Cain said as he seemed to be confused why she thought he would lie.

"Then you are the person we need right now, is anyone else coming by?" Erza asked. as Cain shook his head.

"No, there shouldn't be anyone else coming," Cain remarked knowing now that this was a matter of utmost urgency. He had heard tales of the great Titania and he knew that Fairy tail was a good standing guild. And so he listened carefully.

"Then listen, we need you to alert the higher-ups of the corruption in this branch. The captain Ruether is in league with some dark mages we believe. There is a connection to him and all the deaths of the crew members and the ships being sunken," Cain gasped in light of this news. To think that the captain could do such a thing.

"You have to believe us," Erza said in desperation as her eyes told him all he needed to know. Gray then piped into the conversation.

"Yeah, not to mention that the mayor is a part of this, he has something to do wit this as well. The two are most likely profiteering of this whole deal. The only thing that makes no sense is where the sea master comes into play," gray explained to Cain who soaked the information as well as he could.

"This news is most distressing, I must leave now to get to the highest authority I can. How low our once proud branch has fallen. It all changed when captain Ruehther took his position. Beforehand the one in charge on this base was Captain Conlaoch. He was a respectable man. I knew there was something off about Ruether, but I had to follow orders," Cain sighed.

"I understand, now go. Don't worry about us though. We still have Nastu out there somewhere," Erza spoke as Cain nodded.

"Alright, hopefully, I can convince someone to help," Cain said as he ran up the stairs and out the door to the prison house. Erza looked on with hope he could find someone that could castrate this corrupt captain. But in the meantime, she had to wait until Nastu could come and get them out of this cell.

Erza turned around to slide down the bars until her butt was on the floor and sighed. Gray gave her a worrying glance. She was usually upbeat in these situations or at least more fired up. Something had her down right now and Gray wanted to get to the bottom of her not so great mood.

"Erza, what's wrong, you've been down ever since we landed on the island?" Gray questioned the redhead.

"Yeah, I know there was something you and Natsu talked about, but you shouldn't let that take over your mind so completely," Lucy stated trying to console the scarlet knight.

"I know guys, It's was something personal that I am not at liberty to tell you guys. But I appreciate the thought. It just has to do with something that happened before a while ago and he was irritated I brought it up which made me angry with him," Erza said letting on more than she had originally intended. She just didn't want them to get the wrong idea about Natsu.

He was a sweet guy even if he didn't show it. She could tell, and people make mistakes as well.

"Alright, but do you think Natsu will find us here," Gray asked the redhead. Lucy seemed to be in her own thoughts as Erza thought a moment.

"You should have more faith in your guildmates, and if he has the wits and experience I think he does. Then I believe we will be seeing him soon," Erza spoke as she truly believed Natsu was a great mage. There have been many things in which Natsu has shown incredible capability and knowhow on missions.

She would even go to say that he was a far more capable mage than herself. The scarlet knight was not conceded enough to think she was better than her. Erza knew her limits very well, and she believed Natsu had only reached the tip of the iceberg with his potential.

"Yout right Erza as always. I know I still hold a grudge for what he did to you, and I think I've constantly let that cloud my image of him. He is a man of his word, and I can respect it," Gray spoke fondly.

"I know what you mean, I was still quite new when he arrived. I was so terrified when I saw Erza, a figure who I thought was the strongest mage I ever saw, being thrown around like that. Quite honestly I was absolutely terrified of his power. And even though I was the first to greet him. I didn't even realize what I was doing. But I remember shaking like a cat in water," Lucy thought back as she affirmed her previous afflictions toward the slayer.

Erza nodded knowing what Lucy meant, she herself had been quite frightened herself, she had never face a foe that dominated her so abruptly. "Yes, I know what you mean, but the past is behind us and we need to focus on what we know. That is that Natsu is going to break us out and Cain is going to find a higher up in the council who will believe our story," Erza spoke some softly.

The others heard a loud bang outside and they knew almost immediately who it was that crashed down. "Well you know what Erza, I don't think we'll have to wait long," Lucy cheered out whilst pumping her fist in the air. Erza and Gray laughed at her attitude as they sat for a pink-haired slayer to come.

There was a loud banding sound above them when they heard the door the underground prison level slam open and sure enough. It was a well-known pinkete. He walked up to the bars as the three stood up. There was something off about him though. For starters, there was a kid with him. And second, he did not seem happy to see them.

"What's wrong Natsu?" Erza questioned.

"Well, I thought you guys would have been smart enough to not get captured. So you could imagine my surprise when that captain told me the rune knights put you guys behind bars," Natsu spoke as he crossed his arms and furrowed his brow.

Gray seemed a little offended that the slayer insinuated the rune knights could overpower them. "We went willingly because we wanted to know we even did. But apparently this captain is not negotiable," The raven-haired man spoke.

"Haha," Natsu laughed as he covered his mouth with his hand. "Sorry, I just imagined you were full of shit," Natsu then returned to a bitter tone.

Gray slammed his fists into the bars of the cell. "When you let me out of this I'm going to kick your ass!" The ice mage roared out.

"Calm down Gray, plus in retrospect going with the knights might have been a bad call on my part," Erza said as Gray and Lucy agreed.

"You think, you know for all your good qualities. You baffle me sometimes with the ideas you come up with," Natsu spoke truthfully as now it was Erza's turn to get flustered. Damn it, and she thought she wouldn't have to get mad at him anymore this trip.

"Then why don't you just leave this team if you're so dissatisfied!" Erza yelled at the slayer.

"Come on Erza, you don't mean that," Lucy said to the puffed-up redhead.

"No. I think you should leave the team. I'm done with your bullshit!" Erza screamed at the slayer who made a bored face with a glazed over look in his eye. It was just, as usual, someone else didn't want him around. He never fit in well with teams. He always worked alone.

But before any more could be said, the boy who had been standing idly by spoke up. "I thought you were friends?" Sabbas asked the dragon slayer. Erza having forgotten the child and found herself feeling guilty. She saw the child and he looked quite disheveled. His outfit reminded her of what the prisoners at the tower were forced to wear.

Erza felt bad that she acted this way in front of fresh eyes. But as she thought this she admired the boy's beautiful eyes that were so, dull? With the realization, she wondered how it came to be that Natsu was in his company.

"I sorry, we are friends. It's just that Natsu is sometimes very callous in how he talks," Erza said as she crouched down to his level. But in hindsight, she thought this act was pointless since he would know either way.

Natsu crossed his arms and looked away. Erza stood up and then looked to the slayer. "I sorry Natsu, could you at least get us out of this cell first?" The scarlet knight spoke as she waited.

The pinkete avoided her gaze as he produced a flame in his hands. He reached out to touch the iron bars that held the others. When he touched the bars, nothing happened at first. But then the bars began to glow red. And then eventually they shifted into a bright yellow hue.

Everyone stood back as the bars started melting before their eyes. They supposed it was useful to have someone that could melt metal like that. The three climbed out from the cell through the hole left by Natsu. Gray walked over to Natsu as the pinkete broke his cuffs off. And then he broke off Lucy's.

He walked over to Erza while never looking at her face and broke the cuffs. Natsu turned to leave, but Erza grabbed his arm to prevent it.

"Natsu, I'm sorry. I was not being rational," Erza said in an almost pleading voice.

"What's been said can't be taken back. I know how you feel about me now," Natsu turned around and glared at the redhead.

"You think your team or better your guild would be better off without me. You think I'm some horrible person, but you don't know me. You have no idea what made me the person I am today and I won't change just to fit your image of fairy tail. Just because you don't like the way I do things doesn't mean I'm wrong," Natsu said as he turned to leave while Sabbas just followed him.

Erza seemed stunned by his words as she stood wide-eyed. And she realized this was the first time anyone stood up to her, except for Mira in the old days. Everyone just seemed to do as she said and that was that. But in comes Natsu to jumble her all up and then leave just like that.

"Let's just get this mission finished," Erza said with a melancholic tone.

"Alright," Gray says not really sure how to put this situation together. This was an intense argument that just went down and even he could feel the level of tension between the two. But to be fair, he still had a say in this matter. This was his team as well. And as much as he would deny. Natsu is a great ally to have.

"Erza, I know this is not the best time. But we need to make this up to him," Gray spoke softly as he turned to look at the redhead who was hitting her bottom lip. She looked to be in thought at the moment, however. And he was not sure if she had heard him.

But she nonetheless remarked. "I know Gray, I said some hurtful things. But you know how he is," Erza sighed.

"I was foolish to believe I could change someone like him so fast. And I understand that we still have a long road before he trusts us completely. But I know now that me trying to make him change was only pushing him away farther," Erza said as Gray nodded.

"He's right though, we don't know his life," Lucy chimed in as Erza sighed once more.

"I just hope I can fix this," Erza said with her head down.


Natsu walked with a sense of purpose in his stride. He was beyond pissed right now and he had to vent somehow. And so he was headed for the base. He was not quite sure what he wanted to do there. But it was not going to be pretty. But before he could walk any further, he heard the sound of people running towards him.

He sighed out as he turned to look. "Natsu, you and Erza may be at odds right now. But we need to set it aside for after the mission. Okay," Gray said as he outreached his hand for the slayer to take. Natsu looked at the hand that was calling him and decided.

The pinkete shook Gray's hand and spoke. "Alright, then let me tell you what I found out," Natsu said as he walked down an alley. The others followed with Erza being behind the others. It was like she was shielding herself from him on purpose.

"Where to start," Natsu spoke as he scratched his head. "The mayor in part of a dark guild. And he is in a position of power so that they could profit off the town. Now the reward money could be forfeit since we were framed by the rune knights in command of the area. Specifically Captain Ruether," Natsupaused to take a breath.

"See, Ruther uses his rune knights to bully around the time. And the Mayor does all the grunt work with his men. Now I believe the two have been doing minor embezzlement and robbery over the years. But in light of recent creatures. They are pulling off probably there best shot to get a whole ton of cash. There's a system here. I figured this out while piecing it together in my head. And from my knowledge of dark guild I figured that this is not a dark guild," Natsu spoke.

This information was far more in-depth than what they had found out. They only priced together that the mayor was a part of the scheme. And that they were robbing the ships that were sunken.

"We only found out the mayor had been a part of the thing with Ruether. But it makes sense they wouldn't turn evil just like that," Gray spoke as the others nodded.

"How did you come across this information?" Erza asked as she stepped forward. They will put their personal matters aside, for now, was all she thought as she gazed at him.

Natsu hesitated to speak but remembered that they would wait until after the job was done.

"It's more of a hunch than anything. It's just I know how these dark guilds do things. I've hunted down many dark guilds before," Natsu spoke in half-truths.

"Then what did you mean by they were not a dark guild?" Erza questioned.

"Well they are, but they are just a beach I believe. A branch that funds a larger operation," Natsu spoke as the others felt a tingle go down their spines. And if Natsu was insinuating what she thought, then this was a far larger problem.

"Natsu, if this is true, then you must know we are in far deeper than I thought," Erza said.

"It makes sense though, if they have been doing small stuff all the time, then it would make sense to want to make sure your big paying job went smooth," Gray spoke as he himself was starting to get it.

"Yes, this job might just be their largest scheme yet. Anyway, there is usually a lead man that is in charge of this whole operation. And I don't know why, but I don't think that person is Ruether or the Mayor," Natsu said as Erza perked up at this.

"This is bad if this is only a small funding operation, then we need to take this out and then inform the council," Erza spoke as Gray nodded.

"Yeah, a dark guild large enough to have small branches like this means it must be one of the big ones," Gray spoke pointing his index finger into the air.

"What do you mean Gray?" Lucy asked.

Before Gray could say, Erza answered for him. "The Baram alliance. They are the top three guilds in the underworld. They have such an influence that they paired up as to not destroy each other with their powers," Erza explained as Lucy nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, and the big ones have hundreds of guild beneath them. These small guilds are what run the operation and all the grunt work. They get funds, raid towns, and," Nastu paused a moment before saying the final one. "Capture slaves," Natsu spoke as Erza flinched at the very notion.

"Natsu," Erza said as he looked to her. "Remember Officer Cain?" He questioned as Natsu thought as he tried to recall. There had been a lot between then and now.

"Oh, the man we met before we went to Oahina," Natsu spoke out as Sabbas tugged on his arm.

"What do you need?" Natsu spoke softly and in an almost concerning voice.

The others had completely forgotten the boy was here. And as a matter of fact, they did not know what the situation with him was.

"If we disband this operation, won't we alert the main guild?" Sabbas questioned.

Natsu thought that this kind of question was unusual for a child. He was smart as a whip.

"Not likely, if it's one of the big guilds. They won't really be affected by just one outpost being destroyed. But if we climb the ladder high enough. I think we may grab their attention, "Natsu explained.

"Oh, I see. Well ok," Sabbas smiled.

The others put on puzzled faces at the interaction. Natsu acted extremely friendly with this kid. He doesn't even act that nice to us, they all thought.

"Natsu, I can't continue without knowing who this boy is," Erza said as she remembered the boy's eyes.

Natsu patted the boy on the back and hugged him forward. "Well go on," Natsu spoke.

"I'm Sabbas, nice to meet you," He smiled as Erza crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm Erza Scarlet, and the two people standing behind me are Gray and Lucy. Umm," Erza was confused about how to explain in his terms.

But before she could Sabbas walked over to Gray and put a hand on his abdomen. And then he did the same to Lucy. Both were quite stunned by this at first. At least that was until the boy looked up at them with a smile and spoke.

"Hello, nice to meet you," Sabbas spoke sweetly as the two were shocked. Lucy covered her mouth when she saw the eyes. And she was no longer concerned about him having touched her.

"Your..."Gray stared but then paused. "Yes, blind. But I can still see in a different way," Sabbas spoke as the Erza, Gray, and Lucy seemed confused by this.

Natsu then opted to explain. "If you wondering why he's with me then listen up," Nastusaid as he leaned against the brick wall in the alley. They all turned to look at him.

"Yeah, I would like to know that," Erza said.

"Well found him while doing my investigation. He was being used by some dark mages to fit into smaller places and such. But the reason he's still with me is that I want him to join the guild. I feel he has tremendous potential," Natsu said as the others then asked.

"But hope can he hope to ever fight if he's blind?" Gray asked in a tone that was a little too abrasive for his liking.

"That's just it, he's already using magic. It's how he's able to go around. He uses his magic to sense the magic that flows in all creatures as he says," Natsu said as the others were quite impressed.

"Yes, I may not see as you do, but I can still see and walk around. That's why I walk barefoot, I don't know why. But then why feet touch the ground directly, I know where to not walk. I can see an image of my surroundings. But only vague outlines if that makes any sense," Sabbas spoke.

"So you can see that wall that Natsu is leaning on?" Erza questioned.

"Yes, but an outline. And as for Natsu, I can see flowing waves that I can only assume is inside him. I can see how much magic he has as well," Sabbas concluded.

"That's amazing," Lucy said as she smiled. She felt better now know this.

"He is able to sense magic signatures from long distance as well. That's how I found you guys. We were on the south side of the island and he could still pick you guys out," Natsu said as the others looked at the boy in awe.

"That's some incredible magic. That's over six miles away," Gray spoke with astonishment.

"So wait, you said all living creatures right?" Erza asked.

Sabbas nodded at this. "Yes, that's right. Everything magic in them. It's just how we survive. Even non-mages have magic in their body. But the difference is that they need it to live. Wizards create excess and train to use that," The boy spoke.

"This is very interesting," Erza said as she closed her eyes to think.

"Does it ever seem overwhelming with all those signatures of magic?" Erza inquired

"No, it's only if I want to see the signatures. I can cut off the connection altogether. But I really don't know much about my magic, aside from hoe I use it to live. To just walk around and to see people," Sabbas confirmed to the redhead.

"Can you tell the difference between people?" Gray asked.

"Of course, I have a good sense of smell and hearing as well. But I can tell the difference through your magic as well," Sabbas remarked as Gray nodded.

"That makes sense," Gray said.

"Okay guys, now that you all know each other. We need to focus on the matter at hand," Natsu spoke as they all nodded.

"It's nice to meet you guys," Sabbas ended as he stood behind Natsu.

"What were we even talking about?" Erza spoke as she questioned herself.

"You asked if I knew officer Cain," Natsu said as he stopped leaning and stood straight.

"Right," erza said as she coughed into her hand and regained her composure.

"Before you came, we spoke with him about some of our findings. And he went to get some higher authority," Erza said as Natsu seemed to question her move.

"Are you sure you can trust this man? We just met him earlier today," Natsu asked.

"I believe he is a man of his word. And we'll just have to wait and see," Erza said as Natsu sneered.

"Well the way I see it is we have two options," Natsu paused.

"Which are?" Gray asked.

"One, we attack the base before the government arrives, or two. We wait for them to arrive," Natsu spoke as the others weighed the options in their heads. This was an important move to make. One that could affect the outcome of this whole mess.

"I think we should wait. If the council sends someone to apprehend Ruether and the Mayor, then it would look bad if we were already in the process of fighting them," Erza spoke logically

"Yeah, your probably right," Gray said as Lucy nodded along with him.

"Then we'll wait, hopefully, he can bring someone," Natsu spoke.

He waited a bit longer and then said. "I think it may take a while, so we should camp out outside the city until then. The day is getting late. And this Cain man has a ways to go," Natsu said as he walked with Sabbas behind him.

The others followed them, and they made their way a few hundred yards from the town where there was a large field. They all set up camp and Natsu started a fire. They were in the open and near the main road. So they would be able to see any small army coming easily.

"Hey Sabbas, come sit with me," Natsu said as the boy went and sat next to the pinkete.

"Did you need something?" The boy questioned Natsu.

"No, nothing like that. I just thought you might get cold," Natsu said as the two sat next to the fire. The others sat on the other side talking amongst themselves.

"Ok," Sabbas said as he adorned a smile on his face. He could feel the heat creeping. The way it felt, sometimes the warm sensation would be too much as the fire swayed and cause it to grow hotter. But it was a simple pleasure to sit and feel the warmth.

The two sat in silence as there was nothing to say. Nothing that could replace the soft flow of the wind across your face.

They had a long day ahead of them.


To be Continued...

This was another long one so I hope you like that. Feel free to leave comments and criticism you may have.

We are currently starting the original arc. This is all part of the idea I have brewed up in my mind. Anyway, you all have a great day and I will be out with the next chapter in a week or so.

So get ready! For chapter 17!