Geoffrey's Legacy
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Fairy Tail - all rights and stuff belong to Hiro Mashima. If I was the one to start Fairy Tail, fan-service wouldn't be so prominent and there would be side-series' focused on Irene's ascension to a Queen, how the Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale and Phantom Lord guilds came to be, Makarov's rise to Guild Master and how Gildarts joined Fairy Tail and became Guild Ace. I only own self-made characters, magic and storylines (I don't).
"We will work hard to ensure New Zealand is once again a world leader, a country we can all be proud of. We said we could do this; we will do this." - Jacinda Ardern
Chapter 20.
(26th June X779, Phantom Lord Main Guild, Oak Town, Kingdom of Fiore)
With the development of the Element 4 having been put on the backfoot, since Master Jose still hadn't found a water-using mage good enough for his envisioned team, Lorraine found Totomaru joining her and Gajeel.
This new team was simply named Team Phantom.
Subsequently, Boze and Sue formed their own team called Team Reverb Mirror.
Gajeel had been vehemently against the idea of having another person following him around, but eventually relented after being bribed with a toolbox full of iron tools.
Not long after forming the new team, Lorraine was hit by the sudden realization that she'd been at Phantom Lord for a week.
After having beaten up some arsonists, visited the former subdivision in Magnolia Town, nearly gotten herself killed in battle against Erigor, then gotten lectured by Lahar and scared shitless by Master Jose, Lorraine had to admit that it felt a lot longer than that.
However, at the moment, the trio were sat around a table - not yet drinking, it was far too early for that - having finished a light breakfast of boiled eggs and toast or sprats with lightly buttered bread.
The three gently pushed their plates away.
"Hmm, those boiled eggs were on point." Lorraine sighed, gulping down some water.
"Man, sardines are truly the best fish." Totomaru added, nodding.
As the bartender came to clear away their plates, Gajeel grumbled something about how tuna and iron made for a better snack
The blonde looked over to her right as footsteps came closer to their position.
Aria was walking towards them, tears flowing from beneath his bandages, although it was impossible to tell whether he was actually upset or having one with his moments where he went on about the sadness of life.
Gajeel noticed his approach and sniffed, "Ugh, what does this cry-baby want?"
Totomaru shrugged, "His personality isn't that bad. Personally, I just find it hilarious."
"I'm just wondering how someone can cry so forcefully. Doesn't he ever get dehydrated due to the water he's losing?" Lorraine mused, thoughtful.
Aria marched over, stopping once he reached table.
His tears stopped at the same time and it was anybody's guess as to how the bandages around his eyes managed to remain dry.
"..."
"..." Gajeel, Lorraine and Totomaru glanced at each other.
"..." Aria lower lip began to tremble.
Totomaru coughed loudly, "Wow, Aria, we didn't see you there. How can we help?"
"Master Jose wants to see the three of you."
Gajeel frowned, "Did he say why?"
Aria shook his head, "No, he just said that he wants the three of you in his office."
"Welp, best not keep Master Jose waiting." Lorraine said, already out of her seat.
The Iron Dragon Slayer snorted, "Somebody's eager."
The blonde glanced at him, "Well, after what happened a few days ago, I'd rather not experience Master Jose's anger, even if it wasn't whole-hearted, again."
"You'd have to really upset Master Jose for him to crush you with his magic power. He's not all that uptight about punctuality." Totomaru said dismissively as Aria wandered off.
"Good to know. I'd rather not experience visions of my impending demise ever again." Lorraine replied.
The trio walked over to Master Jose's office; Gajeel taking it upon himself to knock on the door.
They heard Jose call for them to come in from the other side.
Gajeel pushed the door open, allowing the trio to set foot in Master Jose's office - the aforementioned man was sitting at his desk, fingers intertwined with each other as he hummed to himself.
He stopped when Lorraine, being the last one to enter the room, shut the door behind her.
"Master, you asked for us?" Totomaru started, voice full of admiration and respect.
"Yes," Jose began, voice calm and smooth as silk, "I have an assignment for the three you. A personal request from an associate of Phantom Lord. I'm sure you've heard about the Zentopia Church?"
Gajeel scoffed, "Keh, who hasn't. You'd have to have been living under a rock to not know about the Zentopia Church."
"I know them." Totomaru stated, nodding.
"I've heard of them, but never really paid attention to what they do. I do know, however, that they're the largest and most powerful religious organization in Earthland." Lorraine added, frowning slightly.
Master Jose looked satisfied with what he heard, "Excellent. The Archbishop of the Church has sent me a formal request for assistance. Apparently, a cultist group of dark mages has been harassing them for the past 2 months and the Legion Corps, their fighting force, cannot handle them alone."
Lorraine arched an eyebrow, "So we're essentially backup meant to help the Legion Corps out?"
"Precisely."
"I see. I assume we're to meet them at Zentopia, the independent city-state located in Fiore's northwest?" She continued.
Jose shook his head, "No. You'll be meeting with the Archbishop and the Legion Corps at the Kardia Cathedral in Magnolia Town. They'll provide you with more details when you get there.
Lorraine would've continued, but movement in her peripheral vision, plus a rather forceful nudge from Gajeel, captured her attention.
Totomaru was shaking his head as if saying 'Don't ask why the Zentopia Church hasn't employed the help of Fairy Tail if they want to meet in Magnolia Town'.
She allowed her would-be question to die at the back of her throat.
"Any other questions?"
Gajeel crossed his arms, "Like hell I'm doing this for free, powerful religion or not. I assume we're getting paid for this, right?"
Master Jose smirked, "Of course. Archbishop Francis has promised J40,000,000 for each mage who provides assistance to the Church and the Legion Corps."
Lahar's scathing and humbling lecture about greed and the seven deadly sins died a fiery death right then and there. Lorraine was very glad she hadn't joined Fairy Tail or a largely ignored guild like Mermaid Heel.
40 million jewels!? Heck, most S-Class jobs probably didn't result in one acquiring that much money.
Gajeel chuckled to himself, whilst Totomaru let out a noise of surprise.
"With that out the way, are there any other questions?"
"No, Master Jose."
"Good, depart immediately." Master Jose dismissed them with a casual wave of his hand.
Team Phantom left the office, feeling incredibly self-satisfied and they hadn't even started their assignment yet!
Lorraine felt like she was in a daze, "He did say 40 million jewels, right? Like, I didn't mishear him?"
Gajeel laughed, "Gihihihihihi, he definitely said 40 million. Fucking hell, what would I even do with 40 million jewels?"
"Keep working and taking jobs like normal. You'd be shocked how quickly that much money disappears," Totomaru said, sensibly, "Now, if he'd said 4 billion or 40 billion jewels, however..."
He trailed off.
Lorraine and Gajeel looked at each other, grins stretching across their faces.
"One thing's for certain. I'm replacing that crappy bed in my room with a Queen-sized bed." She said, holding a resolute fist over her heart.
"I don't know what I'll do, but I'll think of something eventually." Gajeel added, thoughtful.
Totomaru chuckled and shook his head as they walked towards the massive doors of the Phantom Lord main building.
"Part of me wishes Master Jose had kept our reward a secret. Now all we're going to be able to think about is our reward over the job." The dual-colour haired mage said.
"I agree. Thinking about that much money, a part of me just feels sick." Lorraine added.
Gajeel snorted as they pushed past the doors, "It'll be good motivation for us not to fuck this up. I mean, 40 million jewels."
Lorraine cocked her head to one side, "Eh, do you think we should invite Boze and Sue on this mission?"
"Nah, we're already out of the guild. It's only 40 metres behind us, but I can't be fucked to turn around and tell them." Gajeel replied.
Totomaru sniggered at that.
"Wow, that's cruel. But I think the train ride to Magnolia Town will be even more so." Lorraine said.
Gajeel shot her a look, "Still ain't turning around."
Lorraine shrugged and they proceeded in silence to the train station, entering without an issue and approaching the train platform for the train which would take them to Magnolia Town.
The trio stood in silence, waiting as people passed back and forth around them.
"Fuckin' hate trains." Gajeel snarled, arms crossed as a powerful scowl creased his forehead.
Lorraine and Totomaru glanced at each other, the former allowing a smirk to grace her face.
"Is that because you get sick on them?"
"Fuck off."
"I'll take that as a yes."
The dual-colour haired mage rolled his eyes, "I swear, you two argue like some old, married couple, and you've only known each other for about a week."
Instincts screaming at him to move, he dodged a fist - courtesy of Lorraine - which would've struck him in the head.
"Don't dodge and let me hit you." Lorraine told him.
"No thanks, I prefer my face and good looks intact."
"You won't have any good looks once I'm done with you."
"And you say that I argue like an old couple with her." Gajeel sneered, giving Totomaru the stink eye and huffed, turning to the tracks once his sensitive hearing picked up the approaching train.
(Magnolia Train Station - 45 minutes later)
"This is embarrassing." Lorraine deadpanned, staring down at Gajeel who lay on the station platform, nauseous and practically incapacitated by his motion sickness.
People around them gave them a wide berth, some because they recognised the Iron Dragon Slayer, and some because they didn't recognise him and thought Gajeel may've been some kind of junkie.
Totomaru just sighed and shook his head.
"I mean, all that power and yet you can be brought down by something as simple as motion sickness." She said, facepalming.
"Gurgh… fuck you." Gajeel mumbled weakly.
"Come on, Porcupine, let's go." Totomaru said, tilting his head to one side.
"Nrrgh, no... few more minutes."
Lorraine rolled her eyes, "Dragons aren't real. You're just hallucinating about your father."
"The fuck did you say!" Gajeel leapt to his feet and tackled the blonde to the floor.
She grunted as her back hit the hard floor, then looked up at the angry fourteen year old and smirked
"Looks like I found out how to snap you out of your motion sickness funk." Lorraine said, sounding smug.
Gajeel scrambled off her, allowing her to get up, and squatted, "I dunno, my stomach is still doing jumping-jacks. Stupid-ass motion sickness."
Totomaru watched as the Dragon Slayer took several deep breaths.
Lorraine thought about rubbing his back, but thought better of it. Gajeel would probably punch her for doing so.
He'd say 'Do I look like a little bitch who needs comforting?', or at least something along those lines
On the sixth exhale, Gajeel raised himself to his full height and inhaled once more.
"Alright, I'm ready, let's go see these Zentopia Church morons." He said, voice hard as steel.
After a few minutes of walking, and ignoring some unrecognizable Fairy Tail mages who kept yelling "Hey, Black Steel, why are you in our town?", they came across the Kardia Cathedral, which was definitely the most impressive building in the town.
It bore resemblance to a modern cathedral as a rectangular-shaped building composed of grey bricks. It had four cylindrical keep towers protruding upwards from each of the building's four corners. At the entrance were large, open gates, and there was also a small bell tower at the top of the building.
"Gates open, I guess they know we're coming." Lorraine commented.
Totomaru nodded as they passed the gates and approached the massive doors, "Well, yeah, the Legion Corps are an elite unit. There's no way they wouldn't have picked up on Gajeel's magic power."
Then, they noticed that someone was stood outside the doors.
It was a short, old man - at least 59 years old - with dark brown eyes, thick, grey eyebrows and pale skin. His greying hair was mostly hidden underneath a white zucchetto and he donned a navy blue cassock tied with a lighter sash and hidden underneath a cream coloured cloak, plus a necklace which had the symbol of Zentopia on it.
Upon noticing them, he brightened up slightly.
He gave them a short wave and a smile once they were less than 12 metres from his position.
Totomaru was the first to stop, "Sir."
"Hello, I am Father Fabrizio. You must be the group sent by Jose. I wasn't expecting Totomaru of the Conflagration and Gajeel of the Black Steel, but it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said, giving them a curt bow.
Lorraine nearly rolled her eyes. She could practically feel their egos expanding.
"And you, Miss..?"
She offered him a smile and shook his hand, "Lorraine Xanthine. I assume the Legion Corps are inside waiting?"
"Of course, Miss Xanthine."
Fabrizio turned around and pushed open one of the doors, then tuned back and gestured inside.
"Miss?"
Lorraine shot Gajeel and Totomaru a smirk, one that they instantly interpreted as 'heh, ladies first', then entered the massive cathedral.
The interior was a long, wide hallway - seemingly giving off the appearance that it was the only room in the building - with multiple sets of long benches, two rows of four windows which were adored with beautiful decorations and ten large pillars, five on the right side and five on the left.
Stood by the nearest benches was a middle-aged man, about 46 years old, with slicked-back white hair, dark grey eyes and a face which lacked eyebrows and seemed permanently set in an neutral expression.
It if weren't for the fact that she could sense his magic power, Lorraine would've thought that he was an incredibly detailed marble statue.
He wore incredibly polished combat boots, beige pants, and a blue jumpsuit underneath multiple pieces of armour over his shoulders, forearms, upper back and chest.
Directly behind him was something completely out of place within the cathedral.
It was an enormous, purple octopus with several lightly-coloured spikes protruding from its head, plus two massive horns jutting out of its forehead. The ends of the many tentacles were clawed, almost if it were part crab or crayfish, and it had perfectly rounded eyes alongside the symbol of the Zentopia Church between its massive horns.
It tilted its head to one side upon seeing them.
Gajeel's eyes abruptly locked onto the light blue cat which was hovering directly above the man's shoulder.
'Eh, that thing looks like the cat that Dragneel bastard had.' He thought, glancing at the cat's large, angel-like wings.
He wore a Mitre with the Zentopia Church's insignia on it, a set of massive glasses almost as big the cat's head, a red scarf held together by a blue-coloured ornament, white pants to cover his modesty and a dark blue shirt.
He also had the most infuriating 'my intelligence is far superior to yours, plebeian' expression on his face.
Finally, sat nearby at one of the other benches were three more members of the Legion Corps; two women, one of which was a girl about two years older than Gajeel, and a man.
They were on their feet in an instant when the stern-looking middle-aged man cleared his throat.
Lorraine, Gajeel and Totomaru found themselves straightening up when the man approached them.
Everything about this guy just screamed 'respect me or else'.
He stopped a few feet away from them, fixing his intense gaze on Totomaru who fought back the urge to snap his heels together and salute.
"Master Jose sent just the three of you?" He asked, sounding slightly sceptical.
Totomary chuckled, "Actually, we thought about asking more mages to come along, but decided against it in the end."
"I see. I am Byro Cracy - Duke of the Legion Corps."
Then, he gestured to his companions as Gajeel, much to his great displeasure, found himself being scrutinized by the flying cat.
"This is Kanaloa, my trusted partner. The cat, or as he should be correctly known as, Exceed, is Samuel, and the three legionnaires behind me are Mary Hughes, Sugarboy and Coco." Byro said.
Gajeel grunted, dragging his attention away from the Exceed who was still gazing condescendingly at him.
"Master Jose gave us the basics of your problem, but said you'd explain in further detail." The Iron Dragon Slayer said, expectant.
"I did," Byro said, then swept a hand towards the benches, "would you like to sit?"
Totomaru shrugged, "Hell, might as well."
As the Phantom Lord mages went to sit near the three legionnaires, Samuel sniffed disdainfully.
"Please, I must ask that you do not invoke the name of that barbaric part of the afterlife." He said.
Totomaru waved him off.
Byro moved to stand near them, shooting Totomaru a mild glare.
"This cultists have banded under the name of Pergrande Satanists. Besides the name, they have no direct relations to the Pergrande Kingdom. The leader's name is Roark Highsail. They're based in an old mansion; 12 miles east in the forests, and if any of their members are aware that you're allied with us, they'll attack you on sight." Byro started.
Then, he stopped, awaiting any possible questions.
"What kind of resistance can we expect. What kind of force are we going up against?" Lorraine asked.
Byro's eyes narrowed by a fraction, "6 dark mages and 250 monsters which have been bent to their will via hierarchy domination."
Lorraine ran a hand through her hair, "What do you mean 'hierarchy domination'?"
"Monsters are simple creatures, but they're not entirely stupid. When bested by a superior being, they submit. A case of cause and effect." Samuel chimed in.
"I'm not entirely sure what you meant by that, but I'll take your word for it."
"Of course you aren't. You're a simple mage, nothing more." Samuel deadpanned.
Was her intelligence being insulted by a flying cat?
Next to her, Gajeel's mocking laugh grated against her eardrums.
"What kind of monsters are we talking about?" Totomaru smoothly interjected, seconds before Lorraine could toss back an insult.
"48 Wyverns, 48 Forest Vulcans, 34 Lizardmen, 4 Giants, and 116 Gremlins." Byro replied.
Gajeel scoffed, "Is that it?"
Samuel shook his head, "Mages, always underestimating everything. Especially you Dragon Slayers, simply because you have so much power at your fingertips. Cause and effect, I suppose. Power causes arrogance."
The Iron Dragon Slayer had to bite back an angry retort.
"I'm capable of taking on a sizable force on my own, but it would be undesirable to do so. I know my limits, and so should you." Byro added.
"Sir," Mary cut in, standing up with a small smirk on her face, "permission to brief these Phantom Lord mages on what they can expect in regards to human opposition?"
Byro stepped back, "Granted."
Lorraine found Mary's yellow eyes running up and down her form as the woman stepped forwards to talk.
She knew what this was. She was being sized up; determining whether she'd be the predator to the Phantom Lord mage or prey.
The blonde shot her a pointed look and Mary's smirk grew ever so slightly.
"As the commander already said, Roark Highsail is the leader of this group. He's 6'2ft and rather skinny, but many have been fooled by his surprising strength. He's entirely bald, with purple eyes and a finger missing on his right hand." Mary started.
Gajeel frowned, "How did he lose his finger?"
"In past combat against Rune Knights. If you engage him, you may notice that he tends to favour his right side, so logically, pressure him from his left. Roark also uses Lightning Magic, Air Magic and Earth Magic, and is known for being a man who fights to kill."
"In other words, don't relax around him, not even for a second. And definitely don't take this man lightly." Lorraine acknowledged.
She wasn't about to have a repeat of the whole Erigor fiasco, not if she could help it.
Not putting herself in a near-death situation would also stop Gajeel from bitching to her, another thing she didn't need a repeat of.
"Once the fighting starts, would you like me to begin melding my magic power with yours. Just in case you need to perform a Take-Over?"
"Yeah, sounds good. And it'll mean that I'll be ready, unlike with that Death God bastard." Lorraine replied, feeling a small warmth spread throughout her chest.
She looked back towards Mary, taking note of the thick streak of white hair between the silky curtain of purple, as she filled them in on the names and magic used by Roark's fellow cultists.
"The first ally of Roark to be actually worth any mention is Akula Garza. She's twenty years old, and the sole female of the group. I'll spare you any description of her appearance, because if you don't know what a woman looks like, then I apologize for your non-existent future relationship prospects." Mary said, pointedly raising an eyebrow towards Totomaru.
The dual-colour haired mage scoffed. This legionnaire needed to get her eyes checked if she thought he couldn't get a girlfriend.
Gajeel just snorted and rolled his eyes.
Once more, Samuel sent the Iron Dragon Slayer a look of scrutiny.
"Why is this Akula Garza person worth mentioning more over Roark's other allies?" Lorraine asked.
Samuel's comment of "The ignorant ask questions to that which they don't understand. Cause and effect" went ignored.
Mary's seemingly permanent smirk became redirected towards Lorraine who offered a smug smile in return.
"The Magic Council and Rune Knight scouts have reason to believe that Akula Garza is unwillingly part of this cult. She only began operating within the cult two months ago and we've received reports that prior to joining them, she was an independent mage who'd looked into joining Phantom Lord, Fairy Tail, Mermaid Heel and Quarto Cerberus."
"And that proves she's an unwilling associate, because..?"
Mary nearly rolled her eyes, "I was getting to that."
"Members of this cult have always left behind nothing but death, wherever they go. However, whenever Akula goes and attacks somewhere, she destroys what she needs to destroy and leaves survivors behind." She said.
Totomaru frowned, "She's trying to maintain her innocence, despite the kind of people she's hanging out with."
"That's some mental fortitude. She's got my respect. Heh, most people would've snapped and murdered someone already." Gajeel said, chuckling.
"This is no laughing matter," Byro deadpanned, "we have an innocent individual, held against their will and begging to be set free."
Gajeel's eyes glittered with amusement but he verbally simmered down.
Lorraine leant against the bench, "What kind of magic does Akula use? If we're trying to convince her that we're here to help, we need to know what kind of power were dealing with, you know, in case she attacks us out of nerves."
"Arc of Space." Mary answered, as if that explained everything.
"Arc of Space?" Totomaru repeated, confused.
Byro cleared his throat and stepped forwards, giving Mary a curt nod as he did so.
"Arc of Space is a form of Lost Magic; last seen at least 140 years ago. With it, one can manipulate the boundless three-dimensional extent in which all objects and events have relative position and direction. It's rumoured that, when used simultaneously with Arc of Time, the user or magic couple could quite literally manipulate the very reality we live in." He said.
Lorraine whistled, "Damn, sounds complicated as hell, and powerful."
"Heh, jealous?" Gajeel asked, giving her a side-eye.
"Of something which could technically end fights in an instant? No way, I'd rather enjoy the thrill, wouldn't you?" Lorraine replied, raising an eyebrow.
"How rude. I believe the commander wasn't quite finished." Samuel commented, prompting Totomaru to nudge the both of them.
"Thank you." Byro said, giving the Exceed a light nod.
"The other four are Quentin Beta, Magic: Unknown; Statham Gear, user of Darkness Magic; Julius Shade, user of Concealment Magic and Bullet Magic; last is Henderson Quake, user of," Byro's face twisted into one of displeasure, "Ice God Slayer Magic."
Samuel visibly shuddered, as did the Legion Corps legionnaires.
Gajeel practically leapt out of his seat.
"God Slayer Magic? That's a thing." He asked, the thought alone giving him an adrenaline rush.
Byro looked like he'd eaten the most bitter lemon to exist.
"Unfortunately, yes. It's as unknown as, in regards to Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox, Dragon Slayer Magic. And the fact that it's being used against the Zentopia Church, a holy entity, is incredibly displeasing."
For the Iron Dragon Slayer, on the other hand, it was incredibly exciting
"Do you think they have a God Slayer for psychological purposes? To instil terror into the Zentopia Church and cripple of morale of the organization's members?" Totomaru inquired.
Byro nodded, now looking he'd been force-fed lemons for a month.
Clearly, the topic of slaying gods, one of which the Church was devoted to, was an incredibly sensitive subject.
"With great certainty." He replied, slowly smoothing out his face until his expression had returned to one of neutrality.
"Now that we've filled you in, are there anymore questions?"
"What will our plan of attack be? Surely you don't just expect us to barge in there?" Lorraine asked, sceptical.
"That was planned out long before you got here, and then adjusted accordingly when you arrived." Samuel said in a haughty fashion.
Byro shook his head, "Of course not. Our attack plan will be explained on the way. Anything else?"
The Phantom Lord mages shook their heads.
"Very well. I'd advise you to get ready. We leave in thirty minutes." The Legion Corps commander stated, then walked off - Samuel and Kanaloa obediently following.
Totomaru watched him leave, then glanced at Gajeel cautiously.
Lorraine also turned to face him and smirked when she saw that he was practically giddy.
"So, you're getting first dibs on the God Slayer, huh?" She inquired.
"Fuck yeah. Can't wait to see how Dragon Slayer Magic matches up to God Slayer Magic."
"Just don't go and get yourself killed in your dick-waving contest." Totomaru said, rolling his eyes.
"Pfft, as if I'd let some pansy-ass cultist take me down." Gajeel retorted, smirking so much that his enlarged canines were visible.
"Well, what are you mages talking about?"
Lorraine nearly jumped when Mary, whom she hadn't even noticed move, sat down next to her and slung an arm around her neck.
"Nothing of importance." Totomaru said, dismissive.
Gajeel just grunted in response.
The legionnaire made a noise of disapproval and shook her head.
"I'm sure you may know, but lying is a sin: 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour'."
Lorraine cocked her head to one side, "That's one of the Zentopia Church's ten commandments, isn't it?"
Mary nodded, pulling Lorraine slightly closer, "Ah, this one's got the right idea. Ha, I like you already."
"The feeling isn't mutual. Could you back off a bit? You're in my personal space." The blonde stated.
A slightly maniacal glint entered the yellow eyes of the legionnaire.
"Does this make you uncomfortable?" Mary said, softly, as she leant even closer to the Phantom Lord mage.
She was so close that Lorraine could feel her warm breath on her lips.
Yellow eyes gazed into green.
Thoroughly confused and embarrassed by the sudden turn of events, Lorraine felt her cheeks burn red.
Damn Gajeel and Totomaru. Damn them both for not helping and watching like a pair of common perverts.
"Yes." Lorraine answered, refusing to break their stare-down.
"Really." Mary replied, grinning as she moved her head even closer.
By now, if Lorraine moved her head forwards - even just by a couple of centimetres - she'd be locking lips with the Legion Corps legionnaire.
It was also impossible to miss the sick amusement dancing in Mary's eyes. She was finding great pleasure in making Lorraine as uncomfortable as possible.
Mary tilted her head and moved, so her lips would be a mere inch away from Lorraine's right ear.
"Remember the seven deadly sins, especially lust." Mary whispered, then pulled away, winked and walked back to her fellow legionnaires who'd watched in fascination.
Totomaru, who appeared to have stopped breathing, abruptly cleared his throat.
"Well, um..."
Gajeel just laughed until he was nearly on the verge of tears.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Lorraine grumbled, pouting.
Totomaru's shoulders shook with repressed laughter, "I'm sorry, but... but that totally turned you on, right?"
"Fuck no!"
"Fuck yes," Gajeel interjected, wiping his eyes and sniffing at the air, "I can smell your hormones. You were pretty much ready to jump that chick right then and there."
"Gajeel, keep talking, I'll shove an arrow up where the sun doesn't shine."
The Iron Dragon Slayer snickered, but said no more.
(Forests by eastern Magnolia Town - 1 hour later - Legion Corps/Phantom Lord Squad)
"So, here's the plan to deal with these cultists. Firstly, we take out all of their monsters. Whether you chose to leave them alive or dead is entirely up to you, but I'd suggest going with the latter option. There's no telling what they'd do without these cultists to lead them." Byro said as Mangolia Town disappeared behind them, hidden by a mass of trees.
"I used to hunt monsters as an independent mage. If I have to kill them, then I will." Lorraine replied, keeping well away from Mary.
Both women were positioned on each side of the 9-person group, largely at the insistence of Lorraine herself.
However, every now and again, the purple haired legionnaire would send the Phantom Lord mage a knowing, almost flirtatious, smirk.
Gajeel just shrugged, "Most monsters don't tend to get up after being hit by my magic, so eh."
Totomaru nodded, "I'm comfortable with that. I don't like it, but for the sake of preventing future damage by lost monsters, I'll do it."
Byro nodded, "Good. The next stage, before the proper fighting starts, is locating Akula Garza."
"Other than the fact that she's not really working with the cultists, why?" Gajeel inquired.
"She's been designated High Value Target by the Magic Council and Zentopia Church." Samuel answered, as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Right," Lorraine remarked, "and that means what exactly?"
Byro turned his stone cold gaze to her.
"That means that Akula is not to come to grievous harm. As we know that she's an unwilling member of this cult, if she's alone, talk to her and get her to side with us. Don't do anything which might intimidate her."
"And what if she attacks us on sight?" Lorraine inquired.
"Then defend yourself and retaliate accordingly. Orders are the same if she happens to be with one of the other cultists. It's likely they'd kill her without hesitation if they knew of her true motives." Byro commented.
"Assuming we manage to secure Akula, what are the Magic Council's plans for her?" Totomaru asked.
Samuel manoeuvred himself in-front of the fire wielding mage to answer.
"She'll be placed in solitary confinement and undergo sustained therapy for any psychological trauma she may've endured. Then, once she's deemed fit, the Council will allow her to join a guild of her choosing."
Totomaru raised an eyebrow, "Huh, they've really thought this out, haven't they?"
"Of course. Did you expect that she'd simply be able to go free without consequence? You really are simple minded. Unwilling cultist or not, there are still crimes under her name." Samuel stated, flying back to Byro.
Understanding, and slightly peeved at the insult, Totomaru nodded.
Taking the silence as his cue, Byro continued.
"Stage three is breaching the building and taking out the cultists members and securing information on their plan to take down Zentopia Church."
"You said it's a mansion, right? How're we gonna breach?" Gajeel asked.
Byro glanced at him, "It's a three-story building with stairs allowing for easy access to the second and third floors. We'll enter through all three, simultaneously, to cause confusion and prevent any of the cultists from helping each other. Preferably, there'd be two cultists on each floor."
"Who's going where?" Lorraine inquired.
"Samuel, Kanaloa and myself will be breaching through the first floor." Byro started, glancing at his trusted partners.
"Totomaru will be breach through the second floor with Mary Hughes and Sugarboy."
The dual-colour haired mage glanced at the purple haired woman and his other partner who was dressed like some kind of music star from the 1970s and had his blonde hair styled into a massive quiff.
"Right, I've got you two to back me up." He mused, sounding slightly disappointed.
"Fear not," Sugarboy began, sounding like he was singing, "I'll have your back and it's going to be spicy you sweet man."
Totomaru shuddered. Was the legionnaire trying to hit on him?
"Breaching the third and final floor," Byro continued, unfazed by Sugarboy's antics, "will be Gajeel, Lorraine and Coco."
The two Phantom Lord mages glanced at the short, brunette legionnaire who couldn't've been more than seventeen.
She didn't look like much and Lorraine felt like it'd be her and Gajeel doing most of the work.
The Iron Dragon Slayer got all up in her face, "Oi, make sure you don't get in our way."
"I'll try my best." Coco deadpanned, seemingly unfazed by his aggression.
"Lorraine, your 4'o'clock - 76 metres."
'Thanks.' Lorraine replied, turning as she summoned a recurve bow and nocked an arrow.
His superior hearing picking up on movement, Gajeel began to turn in the same direction she was.
"Hey," Totomaru perked up, "what are you both-"
Lorraine ignored him and let the arrow fly.
A horrified yelp and the sound of a steel arrowhead piercing through flesh and bone echoed through Gajeel's ears.
He and the blonde glanced at each other, then ran in the direction of which the arrow had flown in.
Behind them, the rest of the group began to follow.
A few moments later, Lorraine and Gajeel came across a short, green humanoid figure which wore a loincloth to hide its modesty, had floppy ears, a mouth full of sharp teeth and clawed hands.
Its face was twisted into one of surprise.
The arrow Lorraine had fired was buried deep in the creature's forehead; sticking out was the base of the arrow and the fletchings.
A small pool of light green blood could be seen growing in size behind the creature's head.
Byro walked up next to them and carefully inspected the body of the recently deceased.
"A gremlin." He said, giving Lorraine and Gajeel a nod of approval.
"You have excellent hearing." Coco said, cautiously gazing at the gremlin.
Lorraine shrugged. Technically, she did have good hearing, but her hearing wasn't that good, but she'd take it.
Gajeel just grunted. He was a Dragon Slayer with superior senses, enough said.
"Why was that thing all the way out here?" Mary asked, pulling the arrow out with a sickening 'SQUELCH' and tossing it back to Lorraine.
"It was definitely scouting us. The cult probably knows we're already coming." Lorraine replied, catching the arrow and wiping the blood off of the head.
It dissolved into magic particles as Lorraine, utilising her Requip, sent it back to her room at the Phantom Lord Guild.
"Let's not get too distracted." Byro said, already walking ahead.
The rest of the Legion Corps were already following and the Phantom Lord mages soon fell into step with them.
As they walked, every now and again, Gajeel would look around when his hearing picked up on distant, foreign movement.
"I can hear talking up ahead. Think we might be about to come across more ugly bastards." Gajeel commented.
"Affirmative," Byro replied, "everyone, get ready for combat."
"Yes sir!" Came the Legion Corps response.
Gajeel began to crack his knuckles as he added, "Lots of movement. Heavy footsteps."
Totomaru rolled his arms in preparation for a fight, "Must be the giants that Byro mentioned."
"Keh, giants or not, I'm all fired up." The Iron Dragon Slayer uttered, smirking maliciously.
Coming across a wide clearing with more forest on the other side, the group of 9 came across 4 giants and over a hundred gremlins, most of whom were fighting amongst each other.
The giants, as one would expect, were massive.
They all wore baggy pants, had light brown skin, a full head of shaggy brown hair and grey eyes. They were easily over 40 metres tall, had hairy arms and carried long, thick tree trunks which were presumably meant to be clubs.
One of them grunted upon noticing them.
The other three stopped whatever they were doing and looked at them.
The gremlins started hollering like a bunch of hooligans and drew small, makeshift blades, growing as they waved them at the group.
A giant let out an angry roar, bashed his club against the ground and began to run towards them.
Lorraine rolled her eyes and then glanced at Gajeel, "Would you like to have the honour?"
Gajeel punched a fist into an open palm, "It would be my genuine pleasure."
Coco's back stiffened and she turned to Byro, "Sir, if I may?"
The middle-aged Duke of the Legion Corps nodded, "Permission granted, legionnaire Coco."
A/N: Fear not, Chapter 20 is here. Hopefully, I'll be able to update with gaps similar to that between this chapter and chapter 19. Hope you enjoy the chapter and I'll see you soon in Chapter 21.