His rune barrier was holding, even as they shot their best attacks against it in an attempt to escape. He kept in a scoff; this barrier could weather one of Natsu's Secret Arts, while his ward was supporting him, they wouldn't be able to get out on their own in a million years.
Wendy was their best healer, but even she couldn't do much about Magic Deficiency Syndrome, the most she could do was speed up his Ethernano intake and processing slightly. But even that tiny speed boost made a world of difference, at least to him.
A sudden scream had him jolting up from his prone position on the floor, head tilted towards the noise to pinpoint where it originated. Wendy shot him a concerned look; her hearing wasn't quite developed enough to hear it.
He smiled grimly, staring at the stone below him, "There's someone in an awful amount of pain below us, do you want to go help?" It was entirely her choice, but she had been entrusted to him by someone who called himself Jellal, so he had a duty to keep her safe.
He knew she was conflicted, she would want to help, but she didn't want to be a burden, on himself or whoever needed healing. Her face contorted with frustration, and he caught a glimpse of the gap where her sharpened incisors would grow.
"I want to help." He smiled, offering her a hand to pull her up.
"Alright then, this way."
She was dying.
They could feel it.
Her lungs worked, and her heart beat, but she was dying.
Their whining permeated the room, echoing from where they had curled around her.
Erza and Gray were sitting listlessly in the corner; having been driven there by the rest of the Draconis. She, Vatra and the Zodiac had tried to get them to let them stay nearby, but they wouldn't listen to a word, perceiving them to be a threat to Ma'am's already failing health.
It was one of the only times she was glad not to have bonded with her yet; it spared her from the feedback loop of agonized misery.
Natsu suddenly sits up onto his haunches, focus locked onto one of the passageways behind him. His sudden movement dislodges Vatra, and his arm absently snaps out to stop her from falling off his shoulders.
It catches Saol's attention next, then Amanzi, Cobra, and Lura. She stares at the tunnel, trying to identify what they'd noticed. She hears it a few moments later; two pairs of footsteps and the low murmur of conversation.
Natsu drops back down to his hands, slowly inching towards the two newcomers, before he abruptly brightens up, bounding forward and letting out yips. The others must understand what he's saying because they start running around in excitement and Lura drops the wall blocking the passage.
He circles the two as they enter, nudging them towards her prone summoner. The child must get the hint because she sprints forward, and drops down to her knees in the space Taurus had vacated, right next to the shards of ice that were sticking out of her back.
She hovers her hands over the most prominent injury; the one that was right over her heart. "What are the shards' compositions? Someone tell me now, or she's going to die."
Gray lurches forward, "Iced Shell, dispelled by Moon Drip."
The girl curses loudly, and she can see Erza sharing a slightly disturbed look with Gray about the number of swears that are tearing their way out of her mouth.
Abruptly, the swearing halts and she calls out to her silver-haired companion as she methodically takes stock of the rest of Ma'am's wounds. As he drops down beside her, she only glances up briefly before returning her attention to her task.
"Iced Shell is used only as a last resort; it uses the mage's life to create the ice and leeches the life force from whatever its imprisoned and slowly reduces it to nothing but a husk. And in combination with Moon Drip, which nullifies any form of magic, it's acting as a poison that is destroying her systems, core and organs. I need you to pull each of these out as carefully as you can, starting with this one." She briefly gestures to the one over her heart and goes back to scanning the rest of her summoner.
As the man – Mesec – slowly pulls out the shards one by one, he asks, "Why didn't anyone else do this before?"
They all bristle at the slight, but before anyone could get a word out, she cuts in with cold professionalism. "The humans would've suffered the same symptoms as her and the spirits would've dispelled before they could get one out and would've caused more damage when the force pulling out the shard suddenly disappears, and it tears it way out. You, because of your magic, are the only one who can withstand the nullification properties without dispelling. Good enough?"
While the girl talks, she briefly sees a picture of a female who looks like the one healing her summoner, but no longer a child and the resemblance to someone she knows bothers her until she makes the connection. "Wendy…" She whispers.
Wendy's eyes lock onto her for only a moment before refocusing onto her task, but that single moment seemed to last forever; she recognized her.
Before Wendy had disappeared 400 years ago, they had been the best of friends, and despite not being blood-related, they were sisters. She cursed herself for not seeing it sooner, now that she knew, it all seemed painfully obvious; the blue hair, the eyes, and that look on her face when she was healing someone, that was all Wendy.
Mesec pulls away from her summoner, the shards in a haphazard pile next to him. Lura hesitates slightly before lowering the floor underneath the ice and crushes them under layer upon layer of stone.
Now that her summoner is getting medical attention, the giant husk of Deliora draws her attention. She strides over to Gray is; slumped against a wall. "What do you want to do with it?" She jerks her head in Deliora's direction, but she doubts he needed it.
He opens his mouth to speak, but an unknown voice coldly interrupts his answer, "You will do nothing. I, on the other hand, will revive Deliora."
Agony.
Fear.
Cold.
A never-ending cycle.
One that was interrupted by a warm hand on her shoulder. Leg. Arm. Hip. Hand. Hair.
There was a warm breeze tickling her back, and she felt the briefest of prickling sensations before it disappeared, leaving her to bask in the warm comfort.
Slowly, she could hear voices. They were starting at the barest of murmurs, before gaining volume.
She knew those voices. But, from where?
Were they some of the maids and butlers…? No, more recent than that.
From her year of travelling to Fairy Tail…? She was close.
Her spirits…? Yes, that sounded right. But which ones…?
Silver? No.
Zodiac? Some of them, but not all.
Draconis? Yes, them too.
Her Spirits; Aquarius, Taurus, Cancer, Saol, Amanzi, Virgo, Lura, Natsu, Erik, Loke, Aurinko, Sagittarius.
But what were they doing? What were they saying?
They were fading. Losing volume. Disappearing. Giving up.
No. Speak up! You can't leave! Why are you going away?!
Please don't leave me here.
Queen was in pain.
It was coursing through their connection.
Awful, intense agony that made them all near useless.
Sent them crashing to the ground, unable to move.
They were sure they made a sight, curled in up in a ball and as close to Queen as they could get.
The pain stopped. But Cold replaced it.
Freezing, deathly cold that not even spared Fire.
Made them shiver violently, lashed out with their magic at anyone who came near.
The Cold stopped. But Fear replaced it.
Ghastly, dreadful Fear that stopped them in their tracks.
Pain.
Cold.
Fear.
Over and over again.
Never ending. Never starting. Always there.
Looping and looping and looping.
Poison managed to lay a hand on Queen's shoulder, lessening the cycle.
Earth laid her palm of Queen's leg.
It was warmer now.
Water on her arm.
They could feel.
Sun moved from where she stood over by Ice, Space and TinyFire, and hesitantly placed a hand on her hip, like she didn't know if she could. He huffed, sometimes her lack of a connection made things so much harder than they should be.
There was no fear anymore.
Fire slinked forward from where he was curled around him, grasping her hand tightly.
No cold.
He maneuvered his way around his packmates, before dropping and starting to run a hand through her hair.
No pain.
Queen shot up into a sitting position, heaving breaths escaping from her mouth. They all jumped back at the unexpected movement but just as quickly surged forward to offer support and comfort.
Sky shouldered her way past Poison and Water, with Moon following, but keeping his distance. They attempted to keep her away and succeeded for a little, but Fire asked them to let her through. He said she felt familiar, said she wouldn't hurt Queen.
He turned his head towards her childlike form, studying her core for any hint of malicious intentions. He found none, and when he consulted Earth, he found she didn't find any either. The three of them parted for Sky, the rest following after a moment, making a pathway leading straight to Queen.
She hovered her palms over Queen's injuries, before cutting off the light blue glow surrounding them. She sighed, "I'm sorry I can't do more, but until I regenerate my core, you, as her spirits, will have to look after her."
Moon continued, "She needs sleep, fluids and to be kept warm. If she gets hungry, she can have small things, but nothing heavy." He pointed his finger at Fire, "You," then at Sun, "and you, have the most important job. She cannot get cold, if she does, the remainder of whatever was in her system will attack her again, and she won't survive. I don't care if she complains about being hot, even if she orders you to stop, you must not."
Space spoke up from across the cavern, "And what will you do in the meantime?" He could see him bristle at the accusation, but he pushed it aside while he got ready to leave.
"I will deal with your little problem's subordinates. Deliora reviving would not be good for her or my ward's health." He turned to Earth and Poison, "Do you mind coming along?"
Earth glanced over to where he was running a hand through Queen's hair, asking if he wanted to join them. He let his gaze drift over to where Fire and Sun were keeping Queen warm and Water was offering comfort. Water nodded at him, and he pushed himself up off the ground, stretching as he readied himself for the run.
Moon dropped down onto his hands, streaking off towards another passageway as soon as he was ready. The path narrowed for a few feet before opening up into another cavern, with a single thin, steep trail that circled the edges and stretched up to the summit - which would be so much easier than trying to climb the almost sheer sides of the mountain this high up.
Moon stops abruptly at the exit, just out of sight of whoever would be at the summit. He pushes himself back up, balancing on the balls of his feet before pulling magic to the tips of his index fingers, completing complex rune barriers within minutes.
He pulls back to observe his work before shooting forward, becoming no more than a silver and grey blur as he twists through the air to slap his traps on the impending threats.
As they moved to the centre, Poison was getting increasingly more anxious, jumping at every little thing around them. Earth shared a look with him before they bounded up to flank his sides. They bumped against him when he jumped again, and he shot them a grateful look.
He could feel Moon's focus on them as he paused to let them catch up, but as they approached, he started to shout something, collapsing before anything came out.
Poison goes to leap in front of them, but crumples before he can leave the ground, Earth steps forward to help, but she collapses as well. Earth and Poison's forms start wavering, flickering between transparent and stable, he switches his attention onto the two before him, and a bright blue wave skims across the ground, heading towards his packmates.
A ripple of magic flooding their bond lets him know Queen is alright, and he pushes himself up from his bent-over position. As he straightens, the light haze of instincts disappears, and his mind whirs into action. He makes plan after plan, but he discards them just as fast as he discerns new information about his two opponents.
Vines burst from the ground in front of them, shielding them from the magic. His attention fixes onto him, and his giant eyebrows furrow into a scowl. "Toby, attack him."
Toby – who looks disturbingly like a dog – leans down and launches forward, hands outstretched to catch himself and run on all fours. Unfortunately, Toby's focus is on retorting, "I'm not an animal!" and not his landing, so he misjudges, faceplanting onto his hands and tumbling over himself to stop before him, laid out spread-eagle on his back, seemingly unconscious.
He hesitantly reaches out to poke at his head, but the dog-man doesn't twitch. His partner rolls his eyes and scoffs, arrogantly sliding one of his hands into his pockets and slouches; dismissing him as a threat.
Crouching down on his toes, he carefully plants his hands onto the ground, watching the man for any hint of him attacking. He's acutely aware there's no one to support him - though he's no slouch in the attacking department - but he knows that trapping and restraining opponents is more his niche.
Luckily, the mage seems to have underestimated him entirely, and so he makes a show of panicking, all the while spreading his magic underground, setting up his trap.
The man raises the hand he had left hanging by his side and slices it through the air in front of him, leaving a bright blue trail that shoots downwards before levelling out a foot off the ground.
He flings himself back and, pretending to mess up the landing, scrambles out of the path of the wave, pulling his foot back at the last minute. He directs his focus downwards, tracking the progress of his traps; almost complete, only needing him to keep in contact with the ground for another minute.
Eyebrows twitches, confused at his apparent incompetence. He sent out another blue wave, this one bigger than the last, streaking towards his head. He pathetically flops onto his stomach to dodge, the wave missing by a hair's breadth. His opponent twitches again, more violently, and his eyebrows furrow deeper in frustration.
He rechecks the progress; 22 seconds left.
The mage pulls his other hand out of his pocket, sweeping them both through the air to send two waves of magic at him.
He dodges and frantically sends a single vine out to attack him.
18 seconds.
Eyebrows tilts his head to the side, making the plant miss by a fraction.
Planting both hands on the ground, he sends out a wave of vines. Eyebrows scoffs and holds a palm out, making a shield that stops them in their tracks, and they droop limply as the magic controlling them is dispersed.
11 seconds.
He analyses the shield, making possible counters and strategies to get past it before it disappears.
7 seconds.
More waves fly out from his hands.
5 seconds.
He dodges, subtly moving backwards; out of his trap's range.
3 seconds.
He plants his hands, ready to unleash his vines as soon as it was ready.
2.
His façade slips off, leaving only cold analysis.
1.
The area around him illuminates as his tattoo's glow a bright, unearthly green.
0.
Life Dragon's Circle Entrapment.
As his vines shoot through the ground, small flowers and plants slowly sprout around him, a side effect of using one of his more powerful spells.
Eyebrows jerks his hands up, attempting to block the incoming vines, but it ends up being in vain, his vines only twisted around the shields, streaming through the gaps in his defence.
Bound completely in his vines, he wouldn't be able to move a muscle, let alone escape. He allows himself to relax, but the crunching of stone underfoot alerts him to the presences behind him.
He jumps; not expecting the three of them to have recovered - or in Mesec's case, reclimbed the mountain - so fast.
Lura and Cobra give him amused - and slightly feral, he wouldn't be living that down - smirks from where they'd been leaning against the mountainside with Mesec.
Mesec steps forward, sticking out a hand. "Mesec, nice to meet you."
He shakes it, flushing with embarrassment as he realizes his first impression of him was a feral animal. "Saol, likewise."
