"speaking"
"thinking"
On with the story
The group reached towards Draseel, the city in the center of the continent Giltena
The group were venturing in the city as they see many amazing sites
"there are so many things!" Happy exclaimed in awe
"I smell a faint scent of Natsu-sama in this city" Cocytus stated while being carried by Wendy
"I smell it too" Wendy noted while Kemokemo was riding on top of Wendy's head
"Gray-sama! Looks! That bakery looks so cute!" Juvia said with a big smile to Gray
"y-yeah" Gray replied with a smile but he was having a hard time trying to think of how on earth is Juvia here
Flashback
Juvia suddenly appeared on the train, that Wendy and the others were riding as the rain mage came with Kemokemo
"how are you even here!? or better yet why?!" Gray exclaimed in surprise
"Juvia wanted to see Gray-sama!" Juvia replied with a big smile while Kemokemo squealed to Wendy
"I'm surprise the two of you found us" Erza said
"Juvia's Gray-sama radar has a broad range after all!" Juvia explained "and Kemokemo-kun has a very good nose"
"he has a nose?" Lucy asked seeing that the little furry black demon had no nose at all
"nuuu" Kemokemo squealed with a smile
"well since she's here there's nothing we can do" Happy said
"how are everyone at the guild?" Charla asked the rain mage
"and Azael-chan and the others as well" Wendy added in as she wanted to know how her God Son is doing
"everyone in the guild…" Juvia started off
"what's wrong?" Lucy asked
"nothing….everyone is fine" Juvia said as her reply made Gray feel suspicious of her
Flashback end
"well then, let's find a place to stay for the night" Erza said to the group as it was slowly turning to night
"aye sir!" Happy agreed
"i shall stay behind" Cocytus said jumping off of Wendy's arms "I will do a quick search for Natsu-sama, I can smell his scent somewhere within this city"
"Very well, will you be alright in finding us?" Erza asked as Cocytus nodded
"I shall be fine, I will just track down Wendy's scent in order to find you all" Cocytus replied before running off
the group settled into a small inn as they rested there
"Juvia can't be told about the details of the Century quest?" Juvia asked the group as they were sitting in a circle
"sorry about this, but all of us signed a contract and there's nothing we can do about it" Erza explained
"can't we just add her as a member?" Happy asked
"it's called a contract, you know" Charla told the cat with a sweatdrop
"in any case, you have to go back" Erza told Juvia who nodded in understanding
"Juvia understands" Juvia said before fawning over Gray "Juvia just wanted to see Gray-sama after all!"
"geh" Gray backed away a bit as Juvia was pushing herself too much
"but still Juvia is oh so worried" Juvia said with a long sigh
"there's nothing to worry about" Lucy told her
"Juvia is worried that love rival is near Grays-sama" Juvia said in her gloomy face as Lucy backed away a bit
"don't worry about that either" Lucy said with a sweatdrop
"then what should we do now?" Wendy asked while Kemokemo was on her lap
"we still have some time before midnight" Erza said before standing up "let's head out and have some fun for a chance"
"sounds good to me!" Lucy said as everyone agreed
Cocytus was on the street as the small wolf was sniffing around the streets while getting some attention by some passing by citizens who fawned at the small wolf's cuteness
"this way" Cocytus turned around the corner as the scent was getting stronger
The small wolf reached to a restaurant of some sort as he went climbed up to the window
As he struggled to climb up because of his small stature, Cocytus managed to get himself to view the inside
What he sees surprised him
"Natsu-sama?" Cocytus said as he finds Natsu in the restaurant and was wearing a waiter's outfit "why are you here?"
Cocytus jumped down before heading into the restaurant but got shooed out by a waitress
The small wolf growled a bit before running to the back of the restaurant
He infiltrated from the kitchen as the small wolf was sneaking around undetected before he got caught
"is this a puppy?" a voice spoke as Cocytus got lifted up from the ground by a woman who looks identical to Sayla
"Sayla?!" Cocytus spoke out, surprising the woman
"it talked!?" the woman looks in surprise as she lets go of Cocytus before backing away
"this is bad! The citizens here have never laid eyes on an Etherious before!" Cocytus thought as he backed away before bumping into Natsu himself
"wait, that dog can talk!" the woman said as Natsu looks to the small wolf before picking him up
"a dog can talk? Hahaha, did you drink too much?" Natsu asked with a smile as he carried Cocytus and walk out the back "go on little fella, go back to your home"
Cocytus looks at Natsu before the small wolf runs away
"Natsu-sama is here! I have to find Wendy and the others and tell them!" Cocytus thought as he started running while sniffing Wendy's scent
Erza and the others were in the streets as they were looking around in the city
"aaaah, man the grub here is to die for" Gray said patting his stomach
"aye" Happy agreed while munching on some fish
Lucy was looking at map as Wendy was looking at it too
"this town is in some strange shape" Lucy said as Wendy agreed
"it somehow looks like something else but I can't figure it out" Wendy said as Lucy turned the page side to side to figure it out
"thank you for letting Juvia join you all, Gray-sama" Juvia said to Gray with a smile
"it's fine" Gray told her "be careful on your way back, alright?"
"yes" Juvia replied with a smile before stopping a bit
"Juvia?" Gray looks to her with a confused look "something wrong?"
"it's…." Juvia spoke out while holding her head "white…."
"white?" Gray repeated her words before Juvia grabbed his shoulders and surprised him of her action
"the white mage….is coming!" Juvia told Gray who got a confused look on him before Juvia suddenly fainted
"hey Juvia!" Gray caught her as the others went to them
"what's wrong?!" Wendy went to Juvia as to check on her
"I don't know! She just suddenly!" Gray said before the whole town started to shake
"an earthquake!?" Erza exclaimed looking around and was surprised to see the townspeople all calm
"oh, you must be travelers" a nearby woman spoke out "you came to Draseel without any info, correct?"
"what's going on here?!" Lucy exclaimed while hugging Happy
"don't worry, this happens at the same time every single day, it's not surprising that you folks haven't felt it before" the woman said
"the same time, every day?" Erza said as the woman nodded
"yes…" the woman said "for the earth…let us pray for the great tree"
"the great tree?" Wendy said before looking to the map in Lucy's hands at a different point of view. Her eyes widen in surprise as the town's shape was in the form of a giant hand
"a hand!?" Wendy exclaimed in surprise as so did the others
"are you saying that we're on…" Charla muttered out before seeing a giant shadow appearing out from the south
"this is Draseel's right-hand city or rather" the woman spoke out before stood the biggest and largest God Dragon; the Wood God Dragon, Aldron Itself "the Wood God Dragon, Aldron's right-hand city"
"Aldron's…." Erza took a step back as she was bewildered to the God Dragon's sheer size "Right…hand?!"
"that's the Wood God Dragon!?" Gray looks in shock
"he's more bigger than Mercuphobia-san…." Wendy stated out in surprise
"unbelievable…." Lucy muttered out before falling on her butt
The Wood God Dragon let out a low loud roar as it rang out in the night
That's a wrap!
Bye bye
