Vander is closing in on your friend, take your team and get out of that town right now Lucy, meet him at the tree-line above the valley, that's where he'll take her… Kalebs voice was firm, clear, both Lucy and Cobra standing at the same time at his prompting.
"Time to go, bring the energy down in here…" Cobra said quietly and Presca nodded as he stood, the two men staring at the back of the room suddenly slumping unconscious in their chairs and several heads hitting tables while others staggered to sit down. Presca channelled it into the big man and stamped the signature firmly into him, leaving him staggering and snickering drunk on the power.
Cristoff and Laxus shouldered into Lucy to keep her moving and the moment they stepped from the tavern Cobra turned and blew his own little "gift" back into the place that would leave all the pieces of work in there feeling sick for days.
The streets were busy, and unfortunately, even when Kaleb throttled down the magic, Lucys own flowed in to fill the void in her desperation to help her friend and Laxus' gruffly whispered warning to her was unheard, Lucy unable to stop crying to hear him so Cristoff pushed his magic into her, reached over and gently pulled her chin around so she met his eyes and in the moment it took to whisper a command Lucy slumped down and Cristoff caught her, shouldering her careful to make sure her cloaks hood fell over her head.
"Fuck you stupid old man, told you not to drink so fucking much…" He growled noisily and Laxus shifted where he was walking beside Cristoff to make sure that cloak hid Lucy well under the guise of elbowing the unmoving form of his kin.
They left as they had entered, Presca eliminating anyone who looked to challenge them and they were outside the town when they were finally challenged by a group Presca couldn't just divert.
"Not staying in town? Looks like your friend there could use a chance to sleep things off." The man at the front of the group of 7 commented.
Laxus stepped forward, Cristoff shooting Bickslow a look and getting the imperceptible nod from his brother, the babies coming down from above a little, ready to use their back up plan.
"He can sleep it off on the road, we've got shit to do." Laxus responded, narrowing his eyes on the group.
He smiled inwardly as the ones that were mages suddenly shifted and staggered a bit, fucking Presca was a serious asset and he made a mental note to invite him to join them on their missions in the future once they got home because...shit if his magic wasn't handy as hell. He saw Freeds runes mark those mages once Presca made them identify themselves and braced himself as the man before them chuckled.
"I'm thinking you and your man there should stay, all of you should...actually, your passed out friend is the only one I aint got any interest in, but you? Tall, built and with that golden hair? You I might keep for myself because...damn, I can get enough to feed my troops for a year selling tall dark and gorgeous there to Romell for the Gladiator pits if they don't just send him right to the palace as a pleasure slave with that pretty face he has, the brown haired one will fetch a nice price and the red head for sure will, greeny there...shit...I'll sell that pretty ass to the brothel and while I can't see whats behind the mask on your tallest friend? Just his size tells me he'd sell high to the pits so that leaves you...with your blue eyes...all to me…" He purred, his men fanning out.
Laxus smirked "You're not making good business decisions...money aint worth shit to a dead man." he growled and the man shrugged which seemed to be the signal because his men rushed them, some physically, others magically. There were a lot more than 7 of them too, some sort of illusion had hidden a good dozen more and Cristoff tossed Lucy to Bickslow who jumped on his totems and shot skyward Cristoff leaping right into the magical shot sent to bring the big Seith down, broadsword neatly blocking the attack while Cristoffs eyes shifted from blue to silver and he opened his other hand, spreading his fingers and a huge magic circle spun under several of the men, all of them crumpling grabbing at their sides screaming as they started coughing out blood, Cristoffs broadsword flying to remove anothers head while lighting snaked along the ground, Laxus wouldn't risk too much airborne pulls, those would create thunder claps that could draw attention from the nearby town and they really didn't want their fight drawing more attention.
Presca rushed forward, two long swords sliding into his hands as he charged into three of the men while Cobra, grinning, rushed another cluster of them and Freeds eyes shifted to black as his rapier sliced out and sent runes forward that made a few men suddenly fall into the hard packed ground buried to their necks tightly.
Cristoff whirled beside Laxus, sword cleaving the man rushing the Lightning slayer from behind in half a second before he grabbed the shoulder of another and vanished teleporting up 600 feet, letting the man go then teleporting back to the ground behind the leader of the group and kicking in the backs of his knees, as he fell back Cristoffs fist rammed his head back as his sword came up from behind him and when his head snapped back from Cristoffs punch his head left his neck, body flopping back as the Dragon Slayer threw his hand out sending a shimmering wing attack to cut down the last of the men near him and Laxus.
He and Laxus turned toward Cobra ready to help him but instead watching the poison slayer brushing gore from his leather pants, eyes gleaming with enjoyment as Presca kicked aside the quivering body of his last opponent.
The Poison slayer stepped over a few of the men Cristoff had cleaved through, noting the Lunar Slayer didn't even try to spare lives, just cut the men down efficiently and smirked at him.
"Nice…" He started to say but Cristoff grabbed him and yanked him into the bigger mans tall frame, Cobra was about to snarl at him when the increasing noise of a mans frantic screaming made him look up just in time to see the man Cristoff had teleported up into the air hit the ground where he'd been standing with a sickening crunching thud that abruptly cut off the screams.
"...work...nice work...that's fucking creative there." He said in an impressed tone grinning at his mates brother. Cristoff smirked faintly, sheathing his broadsword.
"I am your mates brother." He reminded Cobra who smirked "Yep...fucking love your family...just sayin…"
They all stood for a moment, eyes roving over each other and their immediate surroundings before eyes and attention shifted to the town.
"We'd better move...Cris...think you can shift us up to the spot where we were before?" Laxus asked and Cristoff nodded as Freed sent the men he'd trapped in the ground all the way under with a sweep of his rapier, burying them alive before he joined them.
Hands closed on the Lunar slayers shoulders and arms and his silvered eyes turned to the moon above them that was fully risen now and his magic flared, a moment later they were standing in the small break in the trees where they had first had Lucy tell them they would have to go into the town.
Laxus turned, smiling as Bickslow flew to them, Lucys limp form cradled in his arms safe and sound. She'd likely be angry later, but she'd been in no state to fight and they had all agreed on the ship that if Vander weren't there Bickslow and his babies would remove Lucy from any bad fights get her to a distance where she could summon her spirits and back them up at range like Bickslow normally did.
The Seith handed Lucy to Laxus, moving quickly past him and Laxus turned, seeing why. A few yards away Vander was on his knees supporting what looked like a battered corpse. Cristoff already bent over her on his own knees, hands brilliantly glowing as he pushed his magic into her.
"Fuck…" Cobra breathed, following Laxus and Freed as they all moved to form a semi-circle around the trio.
"Cana…" Bix breathed, she was almost unrecognizable, the woman they all knew was vibrant, brazen, gorgeous and voluptuous with waist length chocolate colored hair and an easy smile. The woman Vander held was skinny, emaciated, bruises littered her pale skin along with scars that weren't old, her gorgeous hair had been cut off and was now ragged and short around her head, filthy, dull and lacking any of the shine it had always had.
She was in rags that barely covered her bony body and had sores from sleeping on a hard surface in addition to all the other clear signs of battery and abuse that littered her body.
"She was being beaten...to death...when I found her, the fucker meant to kill her because she hadn't gotten pregnant or some shit, he's gonna be hours dying, the shade I let into him was a nasty fucker." Vander said darkly, running a shaking hand over the womans choppy dirty short hair.
"Good job babe." Cobra said distractedly, unable to tear his eyes off the unconscious woman, she just looked so terribly unlike the Cana he knew.
"Explains the broken bones...lacerations….internal bleeding...did you kill everyone where you found her Van?" Cristoff asked in a strained shaking voice, not lifting his eyes from the woman he was working on.
Vander frowned, Cristoff never asked things like that, preferred not to know all the details of the things Vander often did. "Um...yeah...couple of em wont be dead for a few hours yet and won't be having pleasant deaths, getting devoured by void shades and all but...yeah...you ok Cris?" He asked.
Cobra narrowed his eyes turning his attention to the Lunar Dragon Slayer, noting him shaking, and stilling when a dark snarling growl escaped the man...a primal part of him recoiled at the sound, his dragon instantly on alert, pushing him to grab his mate and pull him away from the other Dragon Slayer…
"G...good" Cristoff rumbled, Cobra noticed then Cristoffs hands weren't hovering pushing his magic, they were on Cana. gently drifting over her body, clearing away every bruise, every mark,even the scars were fading as the man worked. He calmed himself and pushed a little and the roaring of the dragon inside Cristoff almost had him staggering.
Vander snapped his dark red eyes up to Cobra curiously, his mates sudden reactions confusing him. He was still learning his way around the whole mate bond, he liked it, no….he loved it, he could admit that, just like he would freely admit he was about crazy for his new mate, the Poison slayer was just...everything, all he'd ever wanted, from his sexy smirks, sinful body and delicious dimples to his sarcasm, sense of dark fun sharp wit and lusty appetite that kept pace with Vanders own substantial libido. Erik also was more conservative in some ways, able to rein himself in faster than Vander could, had a good sense for when to insert caution that Vander often lacked.
Add in the dragon slayer affection and Vander was one happy little shadow mage all things considered, if he had to be bound to someone for eternity, at least Fate had given him someone who would hold up his wrist so they could both flip fate and all collective authority in general right the hell off.
That the man also had a rounded sexy ass and was eager for Vanders more exotic tastes in the bedroom too? Well he had sort of hit the lottery where eternal mates were concerned in his opinion.
But he was noticing his brother was acting off and now his mate was all sorts of tense and looking at Cris like he'd sprouted another head.
"Gods…" Laxus added his own disbelief to the mix and stepped forward a little freezing when Cristoff glanced his way and growled a warning.
"Cris?" The Lightning slayer said hesitantly.
"This...just really has me angry...we're raised to love and respect our women, I fucking hate this country…" Cristoff said harshly.
Laxus relaxed,nodding "Yeah...no argument from me." He agreed, hugging Lucy closer to him, almost grateful she was still out and couldn't see Cana at her worst.
Cristoffs magic worked its wonders and they rifled through Lucys pack and found clothes, Cristoff insisted he handle the woman, gently cleaning her up, creating one of his lunar pools and bathing her in the purified enchanted waters before dressing her, wrapping her in his own furlined cloak and carrying her as they marched through the remainder of the night and well into the next day to put distance between them and the town.
Vander scouted out a place along the border that was well secluded where they could camp and work out how to cross the border safely, everyone agreeing that until Cana came to and regained some strength, they would just have to wait to do the crossing.
Lucy woke a little before lunch time sitting up abruptly and having to snap a hand down to steady herself after giving herself a headrush.
"Easy Tink, you're working without a net here." Cobra chuckled, crouching down by her feet. She realized she was laying on Laxus' fur lined black coat in a small meadow, a babbling stream could be heard nearby and she could see the others putting a camp together, beside her, wrapped in Cristoffs heavy furlined cloak, was Cana.
"Oh Gods...what did they do to her…" Lucy breathed, summoning Virgo and Cancer. "Virgo, could you please see about some boots for her? Then help get the camp set up and Cancer? Her hair...Gods...can you help it? She'd hate this." She said softly, running her fingers gingerly over the other womans cheek, noting how sunken in it was, how there were dark circles under her eyes and her skin was so pale.
"Easy...she's still healing…" Cristoff was there, moving between Cancer and Cana "Her hair can wait Princess…" He said softly and Lucy watched in surprise as he gently ran his fingers over Canas choppy dull hair, noting how much his eyes warmed and softened as they moved over her sleeping friend.
"Hair never needs to wait...I've never harmed anyone cutting their hair…." Cancer said offended. Lucy reached out and touched Cristoffs cheek, drawing his dark blue eyes to her and he smiled.
"She's your friend. I suppose you know best what she would want to wake up to." Cristoff acquiesced, helping sit Cana up while Cancer neatened her hair, getting rid of the chunky bits and evening it out into a short pixie like cut then looking at Lucy.
"You want me to lengthen it out again ebi?" He asked and Lucy was nibbling her lower lip trying to decide if Cana would want that when the brunette suddenly screamed and started thrashing wildly, her foot coming up and kicking Lucy in the side of the head sending her tumbling. Cristoff grabbed her, pulling her into his chest his hands lighting up, a soft rumbling growl coming from him that even made Lucy, shed a bit of the sudden tension.
"Let me go...please...don't hurt me anymore…" Cana whimpered.
"Cana...Cana it's me...Lucy...Cana...you're ok…" Lucy was right there, brushing the hair from Canas eyes and meeting dark wide eyes filled with disbelief.
"Lucy…? I...oh Gods they have you too!" She looked horrified until Lucy cupped her face between her hands "No, no Cana, it's ok...nobody has us...we're fine...look, there's Laxus and Freed and Bickslow…" She said pointing to the men who had come running over when Cana had screamed and Canas eyes scanned over the familiar faces and started filling with tears.
"Bixy...Lu...oh my Gods how did you find me...I was….that man was going to kill me because….oh Gods…" She started crying, burying her face in Cristoffs chest and the slayer tightened his hold on her, rubbing circles on her back and rocking a little in place, he was sitting back on his heels, Cana secure in his lap. He hummed softly, making soothing almost purring sounds that worked, Canas initial wails dying down to soft sobs.
"Cana...you're safe…" Lucy said.
"Are we out of Pergrande? Please Lu, tell me where we are!" Cana hiccupped and Lucy bit her lip.
"Nearly...we're by the border, but far from any settlements You are safe.." Cristoff said firmly and for the first time Cana looked up into the eyes of who was holding her.
Her mind was a mass of nightmares and while seeing Lucy and the others helped, nothing did more for her than meeting those warm soft dark blue eyes that were like a clear night sky. "I...who are you…" she breathed, unsure why she felt better in his arms, a total stranger, over two months in hell and suddenly...she felt...safe and the frantic chaotic chaos of her thoughts settled as soon as she met those eyes.
"Cristoff...my name is Cristoff...I'm a healer Cana." He said softly and she pressed her lips together, he was...gorgeous...and here she was, a complete wreck, she could feel her bones sticking out, knew her hair was gone, her new "owner" had chopped it off so it stank less since she was rarely allowed to bathe and never got to use a brush. She shivered, but warmed when strong arms tightened around her.
"I...I'm glad to meet you…" she managed lamely and Cobra standing a little ways behind her smiled faintly, watching Cristoff smile gently down at Cana.
Virgo appeared then, holding a pair of light brown boots out that Cana, blinking, accepted, suddenly looking down at herself and realizing she was wearing real clothes.
"Are these yours Lu?" She asked quietly and Lucy nodded smiling "Yep, Virgo is going to make you some since we can't exactly go shopping, did you want Cancer to make your hair long like it was again?" She asked and Cana shook her head "No...not until we're out of this shit hole of a country, until then...I want to look as little like a woman as possible." She said firmly.
Lucy nodded smiling at Cancer "I guess that's it then Cancer, thank you so much." She said and her spirit bowed and vanished.
Cristoff started to set Cana back on the ground but her arms tightened around him, eyes widening "where...where are you going?" She asked.
"To help Bix make lunch, you need to eat something mild so I need to make sure he doesn't make something ridiculous." He chuckled, pulling his cloak back up from where it had fallen to her waist and securing it around her again.
"Keep this around you, you're lacking alot of weight right now so you'll get cold easily.." He said firmly, setting her beside Lucy before getting to his feet and moving with Bickslow to where they had built a fire pit, a snap of his fingers and the wood ignited first in white flames then when the wood caught the flames warmed into a normal color.
"Is he...as nice as he seems?" Cana asked quietly, staring after the big man with wide eyes.. Lucy grinned at her "Nicer, a big muscle bound teddy bear of a Dragon Slayer. Come here, I have some cards, we can play old maid…" Cana nodded numbly, trying to remember something desperately important but it wouldn't come in the fried mess that was her head right then so she turned to Lucy and accepted the deck of cards she held out, almost sighing as she shuffled them, the familiar sensation of moving cards through her hands helping her to even out her head.
She froze then, eyes flying wide as it hit her and she looked at Lucy "Lu...Bacchus...we were captured together...he's still in Romell...Lucy...we have to save him!" She said in a gasp.
"Bacchus? Is he why you ended up in that shithole town?" Laxus demanded, he'd never liked Bacchus, the two of them had never gotten along, Erza had been one of few people in Fairy Tail that seemed ok with the mans drunken lechery and that had never made sense to Laxus, the odd friendship between the palm mage from Quattro Cerberus and Elfman that had started after the Grand Magic games so long ago had also been a surprise, considering Bacchus had no problems being a lecherous ass over Elfmans sisters and usually the take over mage was more protective of Mira and Lisanna than Laxus was over Lucy.
Cana met Laxus' narrowed eyes, narrowing hers "Look Sparky, your grampa nixed the best thing I had going in my life so he could run off somewhere, I had to go somewhere and Bacchus offered, and I needed money so we took a job...a fucking crazy stupid job for the Council recovering a berserker collar. Know what it got us? First fucking Berserker we encounter happens to be with 3 others and a bunch of Pergrandian soldiers, we didn't last 3 minutes before we were in magic cancelling cuffs and sold as slaves at the first town the group came to...I'm a woman...they beat me but Bacchus? He's a good looking guy with a nice body...they fucked him every time we stopped to rest….every single spare minute at least one of them was on him….by the time we got sold he could barely walk so don't you dare look at me like that...we have to save him...he got sold into Skyreach coliseum just like I did, only difference was they put him in armor and made him start fighting….I ...I got lucky...the top star gladiator there took pity on me and made it so there was a chance I'd get pregnant and the bastard in that shithole town won the bidding on me. WE HAVE TO SAVE BACCHUS!" She yelled.
Laxus stood staring at her, all of them shocked by what Cana had said, the ragged looking woman breathing hard, tears streaming down her gaunt face as she glared at Laxus.
The lightning slayer looked hard at her then looked at Lucy "what sort of time do we have with Aquarius? Because that spirit saved ALL of our fucking lives when you sacrificed her to summon the spirit king and Cana? Bachus be damned, if its a choice? I'm taking this team to recover that spirit before we go to save his drunk ass because he's never, not once, been there when Fairy Tail needed help and if it weren't for that spirit? You and all of us would be dead right now." Laxus said coldly.
Cana stood shaking, emotionally fried but utterly unable to argue with Laxus no matter how badly she wanted to. Lucy was torn, standing when Cana did she rounded to meet Laxus' expectant face, incredibly relieved to see Cristoff shoulder past the big glowering Lightning mage and catch Cana before her legs gave out, hugging her into his bulky body and fussing quietly at her about letting the cloak fall and exposing herself to the crisp breeze. He bent and pulled it from the ground wrapping her in it again before sliding his arms back around her.
"We have to save him...you didn't see what they were doing there...they made him fight and when he came in they would barely wash the blood off before they chained him down over something and these horrible politicians would pay to fuck him...I had to stand there...stand and watch...couldn't do anything…." Cana whimpered and Cristoff hugged her to him tighter.
"Shhh, it will work out, we'll save him...we won't leave him there, but right now there are a lot of things happening...I need you to calm down..you're still so weak.." He purred at her and she closed her eyes, fisting her hands in his soft tunic and breathing in the sweet dew and mint scent of him, relaxing against the rumble in his chest as it resonated through her frail body.
Lucy saw Cristoff comforting and calming Cana and thanked as many Gods as she could for the mans natural comforting nature, they knew she'd needed it herself and leaned heavily on it since her arrival in Bosco and even more so since leaving Kaleb behind in White Sea.
She summoned Loke, eyes pleading on him as soon as the lion spirit appeared and he smiled at her, that smile...her eyes narrowed instantly, something in his expresion instantly made her wary. "Loke...I know you can't tell us much but how time sensitive is getting to Aquarius?" She asked, wording her question carefully. Her lion bowed.
"You have time to go to Romell Princess, and..Cana...I'm so sorry about what you went through...could you tell us the name of the gladiator that saved you?" He asked, his smile again making Lucys senses wary, he was up to something, that hint of manipulator showing through and she hated when he was like this.
Cana pulled her face from Cristoffs chest. "They call him the Dark Eagle, he's a Boscan, like you…" She said, looking at Cristoff before turning her gaze back to Loke "They threw me in with him after he'd won a fight, I think they expected him to kill me, he's killed a lot of guards, even a couple of senators, he has...wings...they come out sometimes and I heard when the politicians and guards try to tie him down and do him like they do Bachus, those wings come out and cut people down, he's got 5 huge magic cancelling and draining manacles on him, one on each ankle wrist and one around his neck so...since he still can call on his magic now and then safe bet he's strong as fucking hell, has black eagle clan tattoos and...his name...he told me...his real name...it's Zen...Zen Pradesh."
When Cristoffs hand rubbing her back stopped and Vander bolted to his feet, Bickslow dropped the bowl he was stirring pancake batter in Cana swallowed hard, wondering why the three men looked ashen faced.
"Zen...his name was Zen Pradesh….and there was a black eagle tattoo on his right side?" Cristoff asked in a hoarse rasp. Cana nodded, looking up at him. Worried by the way he had gone from so soothing and sweet to rigid and wide eyed.
Cristoff had locked eyes with Vander, then both looked at Bickslow who was already looking hard at Lucy.
"Contact Kaleb Lucy...now…" Bickslow said in a shaky voice and Lucy blinked, frowning
"I promised I wouldn't…" She said
"No need...I can reach him…" Loke said then interrupting her.
"Do it...tell him Zen Pradesh is alive, being kept as a gladiator in Romell and we're waiting to hear back from him…" Bickslow said in the firmest hardest voice Lucy had ever heard from the man, even Laxus was wide eyed but unlike Lucy and Cana he didn't look confused, just completely astonished.
Lucy glanced around, Freed had sunk down to sit on a log wide eyed with a hand over his mouth, Cobra was suddenly wrapped around Vander, rumbling to him the same way Cristoff had been doing for Cana moments ago. What the hell was going on?!
"Zen Pradesh is their brother Tink...the second born son of Arman and Ganier Pradesh, when he was still a toddler they were on a diplomatic trip into Pergrand and there was an attack on the Boscan embassy in Romell, they were told it was terrorists...every living thing in the building was vaporized by a magic bomb...Ganier and Zen were believed dead, Ganiers wedding ring, one of her earrings even were recovered and sent to Arman with condolences from the Pergrandian government but aside from insisting he get himself and Farron out of Pergrand and that Bosco never set foot in Pergrand again, they never did anything about the attack...if Cana's right Tink...and Zen's alive...those fuckers lied and have had him since he was fucking 3…" Cobra explained, describing what Vanders soul was telling him.
"He's an Archangel mage...that's where those wings come from…" Cristoff added softly.
Lucys eyes widened "An Archangel mage? As in...Galasfriel the Light of the Gods Archangel mage? They're...extinct I thought...since Galasfriel vanished over 800 years ago after the holy wars…." She asked.
"Galasfriel would be Zens multiple times over great grandfather...the magic can only be born into a mage, it can't ever be taught, Zen is the first born since Galasfriel vanished." Loke said.
"Oh my...God…" Lucy breathed.
Loke narrowed his eyes, looking upward then at Laxus "I have been instructed to tell you...if we can save the Archangel mage, free him. That the Spirit King himself will return Aquarius to Lucy as a reward...Zen...is important...to the Celestial Realms…" Loke said.
"He's fucking important to us too…" Vander growled, he'd grown up watching his father mourn the loss of his wife and son, with an empty place setting at every holiday celebration, it hadn't been until just a few months ago that his father had stopped wearing his marriage jewelry and he still wore the thick gold wrist band with all of their birthstones, including Zens in it.
"Eat...all of you, stop looking like a bunch of wide mouthed fucking fish, get over here and eat while we wait for Kaleb to contact us back...gingerboy, you contacted our Master?" Presca called, he'd recovered the batter bowl before the contents were lost and was cooking pancakes.
Loke smirked, liking the chocolate haired mage. "I did, and he will be in touch as soon as possible, he's contacting Arman and Farron." Loke replied. The link Kaleb had established with Lucy had made one to her spirits as well, and Loke had made no promises to leave it alone, so he'd been quick to put it to use, the Spirit King had been trying to orchestrate a way to free the Archangel Mage for years but no opportunities that would remove him from Pergrands grasp had come along and the last thing the King wanted was for Zens true magic to be figured out by the evil powers that ruled Pergrand.
If the king there knew what Zen was...he'd have expended every resource he had to harness him, it was only the lust Zen inspired that kept the King from delving farther than basic physical control and suppression, from looking beyond his body and wings to what his magic really was, Zens deadly reactions to their attempts to control them, had kept researchers and the king himself at bay for years, and their base primal desires to possess his body for their pleasure had been the driving force behind keeping Zen...albeit still living in a nightmare but...safe...sort of...the Spirit King would prefer him dead over found out and used against the celestial realms.
"Ok then, everybody calm the fuck down, Van and I have extracted people out of Skys Reach before...it's doable, and we just got spared having to figure out how the fuck to get across the Estrellan border so come eat some pancakes." Presca said.
Vander smirked at his friend "You're an asshole." He called as he turned to give Cobra a quick peck on the mouth, acknowledging his mates attempts at calming him.
Presca shrugged "I've been your partner for how long? I've had to be, call it a coping mechanism."
"Watch the foreplay, I'll get jealous." Cobra said, following Vander to the fire.
Presca rolled his eyes "You know, it's not like it was easy dealing with just Vander...Kaleb better give me some sort of bonus for this shit…" The energy mage grumbled, handing Cana a plate of pancakes as Cristoff was helping her sit down on the grass near the fire.
A few minutes later and all of them were eating in relative silence, staring at the fire lost in their thoughts. Lucy had kept Loke out and he was sitting by her offering quiet comfort.
The buzz of Laxus' com lacrima startled all of them. The Lightning slayer yanking it out of his pocket hastily and answering it.
"We don't have long, coms are traceable, so here's the plan. Get yourselves to a small village called Umberlain, it's just north of Romell, specializes in slave accessories...like...a fucking pet store type industry there but the place is quiet and close to Romell, I've been there and so has my team, the Saberfox is already moving, lay low, stay out of the village itself if you can. The King himself has sanctioned this rescue, Dad is coming with Farron but if I have my way...they'll miss the action, am I clear?" Kaleb said swiftly, Lucy peering over Laxus' shoulder, getting her first look at her promised in over a month and her heart flew into her throat seeing those lavender eyes and that handsome face again, with Kaleb, the reality was so much better than fantasy…
His eyes lifted from Laxus to her for a moment and she felt him,that warm presence almost caressing her before his eyes were back on Laxus.
"You're coming?" Laxus asked and Kaleb nodded, frowning slightly.
"He's my brother, I'd walk through hell to get him back. We'll see you in Umberlain." Kaleb said then met Lucys eyes again once more before the com cut off and he was gone, even his presence leaving her, she almost whimpered at the feeling of...loss...that happened in that moment.
"How far is Umberlain?" Laxus asked looking at Vander. The shadowquip reached in front of him, his hand disappearing into his void storage and emerging with a rolled map that he stood and carried to the grass near Laxus where he spread it out.
"We're about here…" He said pointing to a spot east of the valley the slave town was in. His other hand moved west and south until a finger tapped the map over Romell "Umberlain is, like he said, just north of Romell." He said and Laxus glared at the map, it was far, they had serious ground to cover and a lot of populated areas to get through before they reached Umberlain.
"Fortunately, I've been to the area, but I can't teleport that far with this many people in one jump and I don't know any good points along the way so...we'll have to cover at least half the distance but, we do only need to cover half of it, I can jump us the rest of the way." Cristoff said.
Laxus nodded, relief on his face he looked at Lucy "Think your dogs can help us navigate a way through the populated areas so we're seen as little as possible?" He asked and Lucy nodded, standing and looking at Cana who was frowning and wringing her fingers.
Cana was just about to panic...rushing to Romell, to rescue the man who had saved her life by getting her out of that place was definitely something she wanted to do, and Laxus and the others would undoubtedly include Bacchus in the rescue, but...she could barely stand, so emaciated and frail...looking at that map even half the distance to Romell might as well have been clear across Earthland...she was going to slow them down...hinder them…
"Cana, have you met my dogs? Cobra found the key for me…" Lucy summoned them, and in a shower of gold the two massive hounds appeared, tails wagging elegant heads butting under Lucys hands seeking pets.
"This is Chara, and this is Asterion and...one of them can carry you." She added. Chara turned her head and moved to Cana, sliding her large wet nose under the womans hand and Cana smiled, then giggled when the dog slid her head under her hand and whined, giving her a begging look until she started scratching the silky fur behind the huge hounds ear.
"Won't keeping them out tire you out Lu?" She asked and Lucy shook her head "Nope, silver key, they're not a big drain on me at all and I've had them out all day almost every day since we entered Pergrand." Lucy declared.
Chara laid down, tail wagging and Cristoff helped lift Cana onto the dogs back, keeping her steady as the dog stood back up and Cana was grinning.
"Ok, so while you two work on getting Cana ready to travel that way we'll break camp down, Lucy wanna call out Vir…" The maid popped out before Laxus could finish asking, Loke giving her a fistbump as the two spirits started taking the tents down.
"Gives a whole new meaning to doggie style huh gorgeous?" Vander called to Cana as she was learning where she could grip the dog to hold on.
She laughed though "Not my favorite version." She called back but patted the dogs shoulder "Probably the prettiest to look at though." She cooed to the dog.
"Oh I doubt that.." Cristoff mumbled with a smirk, eyes leaving the smiling brunette as he turned to help the others but not before Cana heard him and stared after him for a moment before Chara moved again and she had to concentrate on her balance and grip on the dog.
By the time they had broken the camp down, Cana had a good grasp of how to hang on to Chara and the group left their comfortable campsite as Asterion pelted on ahead and Vander gave Cobra a departing kiss and wicked grope before he too vanished to scout ahead.
Lucy walked alongside Laxus just behind Chara, who Cristoff was walking alongside, talking quietly with Cana. The Dragon Slayers close attention to her friend hadn't gotten past her, she just couldn't figure out if it was pure concern for her or if there was something more. She hadn't seen Cristoff around someone so injured and frail before, so...it could have just been that, he was remarkably intuitive about feelings, he'd been as great a comfort and support to her the last few months as Laxus and her team had been, so she wasn't sure...but she felt like there...might be...he did growl at Laxus when he was first healing Cana, and that was way out of character for the easy going mage.
Cobra walked along a short distance behind Laxus and Lucy with Bickslow, Presca and Freed and it was Presca who caught the mans smirk.
"Gods...what?" He sighed giving the slayer a narrow eyed look.
"Tink is on to it, Cristoff...well...he fucking knows but doesn't have a fucking clue what to do about it, Laxus is clueless, Bixy and Freed are too and you…" He smirked at Presca,
"You're just trying to figure out how to keep me and Van from driving you nuts, won't work man...you're fucking doomed, embrace it."
Presca narrowed his eyes on the slayer "Fuck you."
Cobra grinned "Sorry babe...I've got my hands full with your partner." He chuckled.
Presca turned his eyes up ahead of them, narrowing them on the horizon, they were in for a hell of a tough time. The mission that had started as a simple seek and recover job was now a rescue mission for his best friends long thought dead brother and another mage enslaved at Skysreach. He wasn't kidding, he and Vander had done recovery work there before but it had been simple jobs, find a politician, a spy, in the crowds and eliminate them or take them and interrogate them for crucial intel. They hadn't ever taken anyone from the pits themselves and hadn't ever extracted anyone...alive.
He didn't doubt they could, was pretty certain that with the group of mages they had, even with an injured weakened one in their midst, they could do it, it just wasn't going to be easy.
He settled into the rhythm of their march, watching Cristoff, the Dragon Slayer was the finest healer he'd ever seen, powerful, and very good in situations like they were in, in heated combat, with all his allies taking damage, Cristoff could keep a team of 10 on their feet and fighting, Presca had been one such mage in the slayers company on a few nasty missions over the years. Vander was his best friend, which was amusing because for a long time he'd hated the shadowquip and his lighthearted undying humor.
Miserable in his own situation, he'd hated that Vander, who carried his own heavy burdens and Presca fucking knew it, still managed to enjoy life and it had driven him crazy that the younger mage would go out of his way, to wring fun out of any situation.
It was that undying humor though, that inner beacon of Vanders that had made presca unable to hang on to his hatred, especially when Vander put himself in harms way to save Prescas cousin, and then, Vanders father and eldest brother had taken on the Steel Council itself to free not just Vander, but also Presca, and all the other Bloodhunters that had been held in the corrupted grip of the old council.
He owed Vanders family...everything. Gods, Kaleb had even offered him a home in and with White Sea, where his cousin could go to school while undergoing physical therapy to get his legs working again. Now he was a working double s class mage, with a beautiful home and a thrilling life he loved.
They hadn't stopped to sleep last night, had walked through the night and into the next day to get the distance they needed from that slaver town, so he was tired, but he trusted Cristoff, knew the Lunar slayer would speak up when they had to have rest, of course, Presca didn't know Cristoff was thinking about nothing but the frail woman on the dog spirit beside him.
His inner dragon was a part of his mother, a piece of Nurems soul was within him, and always, his whole life it had been a pretty calm and content part of him. It spoke up in battle, warning him of things, helping him to fight, in all his years, not once had it ever screamed at him, but it did when he had fallen to his knees beside Cana.
As his hand hand touched her forehead, and skin to skin contact was made, his dragon had started screaming at him….and it hadn't stopped since.
"MATE!" it declared and he'd been almost bowled over by it, had faltered in his start healing the poor woman, earning a frown from Vander.
He could have said something right then, but instead...he was too shocked.
"It's her!" His dragon cried inside him and he had forced it aside, concentrated on healing her as his dragon became more and more enraged within him, as the list of her injuries grew, until it had finally settled in to help him heal every single injury no matter how small. Dragonslayers didn't have to act on their dragons cries, mates weren't set in stone. The dragon reacted to potential matches and Cristoff did have the ability to walk away, to keep looking, but this was the first time Cristoffs dragon had ever selected someone.
Holding her was just...torture, but he wouldn't push anything on her, Gods the woman had been through hell, been enslaved in Pergrand...he couldn't lay something as big as being his mate on her right now,she needed to heal, needed to get to where her thoughts didn't turn on her every few minutes and send her into anxiety attacks. If he told her now, he could become a source of anxiety for her and damn it, right now he was her greatest comfort and he knew it.
The dragon magic, having identified her, would start drawing her to him, the attraction was already there, he could damn well smell it, which impressed him, even in her current state she was still wanting him, the magic clearly was doing what it needed to.. So he'd let it build gently, let her heal,recover, then he would tell her. It wasn't what he wanted, he wanted her, Gods he wanted her so bad it hurt.
Since he was a boy as soon as he'd learned one day he would have a mate, he had dreamed about finding them, prayed for it to happen, he was an affectionate man by nature, romantic and got great pleasure out of doting on a lover, the idea that he could lavish it all on one person forever, not have to withold his heart anymore, could love that person with all he was? That had huge appeal for him.
He could feel how miserable she was, how sad and broken she felt and it tore his heart up, Gods, that he would finally find his mate, and to think that they had been hesitant to go to her aid...even he had been doubtful when Lucy had insisted on it, he didn't doubt Vander had left the man who had beaten her most recently to a nightmarish end, he'd seen what Vanders void shadows did to people. It soothed his dragon a little, but ultimately, he wanted Pergrandian slaver blood on his own hands, covering his sword and darkening his armor.
Skysreach...he wanted to make every slaver in it suffer, every guard...anyone who had laid a finger on his mate...needed to pay. So he walked alongside the large dog spirit, not entirely happy he wasn't carrying her but accepting this worked easier. He would wait, be at her side, protect her, comfort her and make sure she regained her strength, then he would tell her, when he was sure the knowledge wouldn't add to the anxiety she was already carrying, when he felt she was able to handle going through the process of mating with a Dragon Slayer, if she wanted him...he absolutely would not force himself on her, not after all she'd been through, if she wanted nothing more to do with men, sex etc, if she wanted to run off and become a nun in Enca or something, he'd respect that….probably not well...but he would.
So, because his thoughts were so absorbed with her it wasn't until his own stamina, his own body started to complain, as darkness was already starting to take over the sky, that he realized none of them except for Lucy and Cana, had slept the night before and he called for them to make camp.
"Fuck Cris…" Bickslow said with a tired chuckle and the Dragon Slayer gave him an apologetic look. The good thing was Lucys spirit Virgo was not tired and was incredibly efficient, she moved among them and got the tents put up and dinner heating over a fire in very little time as Vander rejoined them a little before Asterion appeared.
Chara left Cana and joined her brother to establish a perimeter around the camp and take up guard duty while everyone settled down to eat.
Cana was shaky, completely exhausted even though she had only sat astride a dog all day. Sitting up was even work, but she did it, clutching Cristoffs heavy cloak around her in the chill air and cursing herself inwardly as she couldn't manage to eat and keep the cloak around her well and she got cold so fast her hand shook and spilled stew on Cristoffs gorgeous cloak.
"Here, you're exhausted, let me help." Cristoff was there, stepping behind her where she sat on the cold grass, a leg on either side of her he pulled her back against him and wrapped her in the cloak, his arm encircling her holding it in place so she could hold her bowl and eat.
"Th...thank you…" She managed, her shivers not quite gone even though, with the dragon slayer, came the warmth of his body and when he leaned in, his nose trailed against her jaw by her ear.
"It's ok...I don't mind holding a beautiful woman while she eats, and the cloak is easy enough to wash." He said,his warm breath on her skin making her eyes close. Oh Gods help her, she was too weak to eat on her own but she'd sure as hell love nothing more than to climb right into the mans lap and enjoy every inch of him. He'd spent the whole day at her side, quietly listening and talking with her. It amazed her, she wanted to think it wasn't just that he was one hell of a great healer keeping close to the weakest person in the group but she knew better than to dellude herself.
She'd seen the ornate broadsword, and his clothes weren't the cheap variety, the man was a successful, powerful mage, tall dark and handsome, he was a walking dream, he could have any woman he wanted and being Boscan, he probably had a lot of them. If she were healthy, still in possession of her curves and long beautiful hair, maybe she'd have a go at him, but like she was? Gods she was probably too weak to do a damn thing anyway, maybe some kissing….she had watched those lips all day, felt them brush the skin of her jaw when he'd talked, she could very much go for some nice long heavy tongue involvement kissing with the man, sure, she'd probably get light headed and pass the fuck out but what a way to go down…
Cobra snorted, almost choking on his stew and earning a raised brow from his mate. "You know...if you've forgotten how to eat I could start feeding you." Vander smiled.
"Stew would burn that pretty cock and that's the only thing of yours I want in my mouth right now." Cobra smirked at him and Vander grinned.
Cana blinked in amazement. "Wait...hang on...Cobra? You and…?" She trailed off, eyes moving over one of the other tasty morsels in the group, really, all the men in this group were hot, every one of them, but Canas "sex on legs" meter burned out on Vander, that man had that air about him, the kind that made it clear to a woman if she took him home she would be walking funny the next day. Cana trusted her judgement in that too, like how she knew Cristoff wouldn't be the riot in bed his brother would, but he'd probably leave a woman just as jello legged because he'd melt all of her, heart and body.
Yes, that was the Dragon Slayer...she could tell as that flawless heavily muscled arm stayed around her and she sat back against the equally well muscled chest, Cristoff was a pampering spoiling tender lover while Vander was a party between the sheets.
"Yeah so you can keep the whole party between the sheets idea all to yourself drunk, fuck the Dragon Slayer, or the Energy Mage, or anyone except, MY Mate." Cobra said turning and sticking his tongue out at Vander who smirked and immediately leaned over and sucked it between his lips, the two falling over backwards a few moments later, wrestling around in the grass.
Cana laughed,shaking her head, wonders would never cease….
"He's not the only one that found somebody, right Cosplayer?" Bix prodded Lucy who blushed and that got Cana, stirred her right up, eyes sharp on her friend.
"Lu...I have been through hell...if you don't give me details I swear to every God I will find a way to beat it all out of you." She said firmly, smiling when she felt Cristoff chuckle.
"I...I got promised…" Lucy admitted, holding up her hand and Canas eyes flew wide. "Promised?! That's like some sort of legal relationship right? Like, you sign papers and such, it's an official relationship?" She demanded and Lucy nodded.
"It's an agreement two people make who feel they want to pursue more, a step below an engagement but a promise both make that that is where they want to go eventually together if things work out." Cristoff explained.
"With who?! Lucy!" Cana demanded.
"Kaleb...it happened right before we left on this mission...Kaleb asked me to promise with him...he's Bix, Cris and Vans older brother…" Lucy started to explain but Cana knew who Kaleb Pradesh was.
"Oh I've seen him! On the cover of Sorcerers Weekly you know full well I get Boscos because they print nudes pretty often...holy shit girlfriend! You're promised to the Guildmaster of White Sea! He's hot! That mean you're over what that prick Gregory did?" She asked and Lucy blushed, but nodded, Gods was she ever past that, Kaleb had shown her in abundant clarity that Gregory had been the whole problem in that scenario because not once had she ever felt anything but bone melting pleasure in Kalebs arms.
"Thank the Gods, I thought you be turned off sex for good for a while!" Cana laughed.
"No...definitely not. " Lucy laughed unable to resist her friends first healthy laugh even if it was a little at her own expense.
"Happy to see it, any of you Pradesh boys would be enough to change anyones minds about celibacy, seriously." She growled running her hand down Cristoffs thigh in a moment of playful teasing.
The Dragon Slayer tensed under her hand though, clenching his teeth as his dragon roared up inside him at her touch. Cana jerked her hand away, about to try and recoil entirely, fearful she'd gone too far, she hadn't meant anything...she was just trying to be...herself…
I should have known better, gorgeous thing like him doesn't want some scrawny weak ugly whore groping him…
A little ways away Cobra pulled himself up from setting a nice dark hickey into Vanders neck and glared sharply at Cristoff who caught the look and grabbed Canas hand, puting it right back on his thigh.
"We need to warm you up more woman, your fingers are like ice even though my pants." He chuckled and almost fell over in relief when Cana relaxed and leaned back into him again.
"Sorry, yeah, well...my hand hasn't been tucked into this fur like the rest of me." Cana said, smiling again and squeezing his thigh, this time Cristoff didn't pull away or stiffen, instead he hummed his approval, though he was still clenching his teeth and struggling against his dragon. Gods help him...Cana even weakened and tired was a merciless flirt….