Chapter 2: Breathe

"I hear the sound, echoes beneath
Angels and skylines meet
And I'm straining to reach
The light on the surface, light on the other side

I feel the pages turning
I see the candle burning down
Before my eyes, before my wild eyes
I feel you holding me, tighter I cannot see
When will we finally

Breathe"

Before Lucy opened her eyes she could rather feel it than see it. She was lying on something large, hard and moving. She could feel his powerful muscles under her body and his legs, pushing forward and shifting her weight with each step. When her eyelids fluttered and slowly opened, a sharp, white light clouded her vision and she needed a couple of seconds until her sight focused.

Lucy narrowed her eyes, lifting up her head a little. The sun had been long risen up and she could easily see the tall, massive pines that were surrounding her. And under her… she was riding. More specifically she was lying on a brown stallion and had probably been on it for a long time because she could hardly feel the inner parts of her hips. Lucy tried standing up but something prevented her legs and hands from moving. Her ankles and wrists were tied to the horse's saddle.

"Well, damn!"

The unknown voice, croaky and deep, made her jump as far as the ropes were letting her. She turned her head on the other side but again couldn't see the man, because her golden hair let down like a curtain in front of her face.

The unknown man laughed hoarsely and rough, calloused hands pushed her locks away.

Lucy stared at her kidnapper in surprise.

"It's you!"

Beside her, riding another horse was a man in the middle-age with oily, dark hair and stubbly beard. His black eyes lightened up with slyness when he saw her startling.

"Oh, what an honor. You know who I am."

Lucy couldn't actually remember his name. But she was sure he was one of the royal guards, one of Gray's most trusted men. He had been keeping the prince and the royal family safe for years. Lucy couldn't imagine that he would ever betray them but the facts pointed other.

"Why?" she asked quietly. One of her first memories from the palace included this man too. He would always stay near Gray and her while they had been playing in the gardens. She could even remember how once she had given him an apple and he had taken it with a warm smile.

To her shock his face now formed an ugly grimace.

"Ha, and you're even asking?! I will tell you something, missy…I lost twenty years of my life to guard WHO exactly? The king's good for nothing pricks. " The laugh that followed after didn't have even a drop of humor. "I thought the king knew how much I've sacrificed in order to keep doing my job as a guard. After all, I've also kept HIM save too! But do you know what that fucking bastard said to me a couple of months ago?"

While he was talking his words kept coming out more and more furious, his mouth sputtered and foamed with rage.

"I jumped in front of him because I thought the men behind him were being suspicious and you know what the king told me? How dare insignificant worm like you cross the path of those above it! Know your place the next time or I'll have you thrown in prison for disrespect! "

"That's when I found out how vile you all are."

Lucy's original shock disappeared after she heard his story. She knew at firsthand what kind of man Gray's father was. To crush someone else's dignity was a child's play for him.

"And when they offered me money" continued the man with a hideous smile, "to obtain information about the kingdom, well, I could not turn that down. It was the perfect job for me. "

Lucy was now hearing him with only one ear. She focused her whole mind on the situation she was in. After a short observation of the environment she reached to a conclusion. They were traveling through the pine forests, which were stretching out south of Dräntah, and most probably, they were near Gang, because she could hear the river's raging sounds in the distance. Immediately in her head a few scenarios came to live and no one of them made her feel relaxed. Lucy needed more information to be sure of her doubts.

"So… someone paid you to kidnap me?"

"Will pay me, to be more accurate. And just wait to see who that is." His hold on the bridle tightened up. "The pregrands stand no nonsense, when they want something to be taken care of; I'll tell you that, girl."

Lucy's eyes widened. That was the worst possible version and it seemed it was real. She was going to fall into the Empire's hands. If she had to judge them by the arrow from the other day, then her stay would not be pleasant at all.

"Got scared yet?" laughed the man. "You should be."

Lucy ignored his mockery.

"Where are you taking me? The river's too wild for us to cross it. "

The guard opened his mouth, likely to respond with another sharp comment, but then hesitated. He threw her a mistrustful look.

"Don't you dare try to exercise your witchy tricks on me. Won't be telling you more, so shut your mouth before I make you." He licked his lips. "Well… when we arrive at the appointed place, we'll have some time for ourselves… Maybe we can have some fun then. "

Creepy chills went down her spine. The man saw her terror, written clearly on her face, and roared with laughter, focusing his attention on the road. Regardless of everything, one of the things he had said inspired hope in Lucy. Right now they were travelling to the appointed place, where the pregrands were going to meet them. Lucy had to find a way to escape in this gap of time.

She didn't know with punctuality the time, in which they had been travelling, but from the position of the sun, she was sure there were only a couple of hours until sunset. They didn't change the direction even for once, she knew that, because she could still hear the river, and that only confused her. How would they cross the river exactly without killing themselves?

They reached a small meadow, formed between the pine-trees and the man took down the saddlebags from the horse. He began unbinding the sleeping bags and making sure everything was settled, which meant only one thing. They were probably going to be waiting for the pregrands the whole night.

That was good.

Lucy had never been the fighting type but she knew she would do anything to not fall into the enemies' hands. She absolutely had to find a way to escape.

In the next thirty minutes her kidnapper was building their camp for the night. Lucy was still sitting on the horse and that didn't make her situation any better. A sharp pain was cutting through her spine, pins and needles had been crawling down her legs and she couldn't feel her hips. Lucy knew she was in a bad shape and escaping would be a hard task right now.

The sun had long since set down, when the kidnapper finally finished with the camp. In the center he had build a small fire, which threw creepy gleams to his face. When he lifted his head and their eyes met, Lucy understood. There was just something disgusting, sickening in the animal glimmer that seized his eyes.

Now. He was going to hurt her now, when it was dark and no one would hear her screams.

While he was standing up and slowly coming towards her, Lucy tried to calm her heart down. Panic would not do her good. She couldn't miss this chance for anything in the world. It was her only chance at escape. That is why she asked, "What is your name?"

For a moment the man stopped, although there wasn't even a slight surprise on his face. Then his features curved in an ugly grimace.

"Of course you don't know my name!" he hissed, moving a few steps forward. "I've been guarding you since you were a small brat and you don't even know my name!"

Suddenly he rushed to her, his fingers painfully digging into her skin and he pulled her from the horse towards his body.

"Jose. Jose Porla." He wheezed in her ear. His breath, stinking of poor alcohol, hit her with full power. "You'll remember it well. I promise you."

He pulled out a knife from the inside pocket of his shirt and with a few swings cut the ropes that had been binding her. Then he dragged her on the ground.

Everything was happening fast. It was too fast.

Lucy tried to concentrate her mind, to make her limbs move, to do something. Anything.

Jose kept drawing her towards one of the sleeping bags.

Heavens. It was really going to happen.

Her kidnapper threw her on the cloth and began sitting above her. He wanted to press her against the ground, to rob her of freedom.

Something tightened up in her stomach; it rolled up strenuously in a ball and even started pulsing.

Fear.

Real, terrifying fear crawled in her veins.

The Fear.

It was her old acquaintance. She had been feeling it every night, while sleeping and traveling to other dimensions, other times, her past, maybe.

However, this fear… it was different.

Lucy had never hit someone before, had never hurt someone with her own hands.

But now, while she was watching Jose, coming closer and removing his belt, something clicked inside of her. Something, woken up by the fear and the terror.

At the moment when Jose began lowering his body above hers, Lucy stretched her hand to one side, grabbed as much soil as she could and then send it flying towards his eyes.

Jose screamed painfully and pulled away with a jerk, fiercely rubbing his eyes.

Here it was her chance.

Lucy strained every nerve and crawled forward, escaping from the trap of his body. She stood up and went as fast as she could to the hide-away of the forest, where she hoped would lose the man in the darkness.

Lucy managed to reach the end of the meadow and for a moment truly believed she could escape… until something grabbed her ankle and pulled her, dragging her down on the grass.

"Come here, you witch!" Jose growled behind her.

He tried to completely cover her, which made Lucy fight even more. She desperately tried to move her legs, her hands.

To shake him off. She had to shake him off.

But he was stronger. After all, he was not only a man, but a soldier and she… She was just a girl with some strategic knowledge and connection to the heavens. Mentally she might surpass him but physically he was way ahead of her.

Jose finally positioned himself above her. His legs squeezed her hips tightly, his palms gripped her shoulders. "There's no place you can run to." He laughed dryly, while his hands darted down to the bare neckline of her night dress. Tears started welled up in her eyes. The terror of what was to come hit her with full force.

When his fingers slid down her breasts, a piercing scream tore out of her mouth.

"God dammit… "Jose cursed, while Lucy used her last drops of power to try and shake him off. She kicked, and hit, and raged as if something had possessed her spirit. Jose tried to silence her, but when his hand dropped to her face, she lifted her head and her teeth hammered sharply into his skin.

Jose roared in pain and jerked back. Lucy's eyes gleamed with hope but before she could anything else, something loud snapped her right cheek. She needed a couple of seconds to realize what exactly had happened… and to feel the pulsing pain in her face.

He had hit her.

Everything swam before her eyes and her whole energy disappeared, as if it drained from her body and absorbed in the earth. The priestess collapsed and could only watch how Jose massaged his bitten hand, how his malicious eyes darkened and how he fell upon her like a hungry predator, knowing he beat his prey.

Lucy squeezed her eyelids and got ready for the worst. She felt his hands freely, roughly taking off her mantel, which only last night she had put on because of her nightmares. The previous day seemed so far away now, so unreachable.

With two sudden moves Jose ripped her low-necked, revealing her underclothes. Cold shivers creep over her skin, the first tears fell from her eyes.

When the hot breath of the kidnapper hit the skin above her breasts, Lucy braced herself.

And then, an unknown voice came from the forest.

"What, in the name of Helios, is going on here?"

Jose got startled, his palms stopped in the mid-air. He slowly turned his head and after he saw the source of the new voice, he laughed. "Ah, it's just you. I expected you'd come later but oh, well… come 'ere, come 'ere."

The strangers came closer, their footsteps were loud on the soft grass, but Lucy still couldn't see them, because Jose's body covered everything.

"You didn't specify in what condition I can bring you the strategist, so I was fully entitled to do everything I want with her."

"Her?" asked the stranger with a deep-toned voice, male voice.

Then Jose stood up, revealing Lucy.

Four men towered above the fire, whose tongues threw orange reflections on their dark armors. One of the men had the more detailed, more beautiful workmanship of his helmet, under which pink curls were coming out.

The same man now was staring right at her.

"This is Icenberg's strategist?!"

Jose gave her torn dress a lustful look and nodded, "With all her charms. She is not only a smartass, but also a pretty head, more than good enough for the bed. I was just about to try her, when you came."

Lucy absorbed his words with disgust, that didn't stay hidden on her face. She finally found strength to move, so she pulled the remains of her low-necked closer, to cover as much as she could of her skin.

"Oh, come on." Jose grabbed her shoulder and harshly shook her, making her groan in pain. "Your clothes are going to disappear anyway."

The shook he gave her suddenly stop. She opened her eyes and saw that the pink haired man had grabbed Jose's hand.

"Move away." The stranger's voice was low, guttural as if… as if he really couldn't bear watching this violence towards her. He shoved Jose, who staggered and fell on his ass in pure surprise.

While Lucy was watching, her mind managed to fight the panic and to chain the events together. Gray had been talking so often about his number one enemy, that even she knew how he looked like.

And now, as she was staring at the deep, green eyes of Natsu Dragneel, Lucy was really surprise to see just how young he looked. She knew that he was the same age as Gray, but he was the fierce, well known general… so young and already a leader of thousand armies.

Her amazement lasted seconds because she remembered the terrific situation she was in.

"We're here anyway, why don't we have some fun with her. We can take turns with her." He insisted, while watching in disbelief as Natsu took off his red mantle and gave it to the priestess.

General Dragneel threw Jose a freezing the veins stare. "I swear in all the gods-" he began with a cold tone," that if you lied to me and this woman is not Icenberg's strategist, you'd wish you hadn't bothered stepping into mortal lands."

Jose visibly shivered and stepped aside. His eyes were filled not only with fear, but also with resentment. Lucy understood what went through his head. Another higher-up was telling him what to do and was being arrogant. Jose was a lot more than a deluded man; he was vicious and disgusting to the marrow of his bones. But he also valued his life.

That's why Lucy wasn't surprised when he bowed his head and with a steady tone explained, "That is the person you're looking for, sir. I put at stake my head. I am telling you the truth. Now I will ask you to give me the promised payment. I did my job here. "

Natsu held his stare for some time then nodded to one of his men, who tossed a leather purse to Jose.

When her kidnapper checked the contents of the purse, he laid down on the sleeping bag, on which he almost had hurt Lucy.

"Witch, here our paths get separated. Unfortunately." He winked at her.

Lucy didn't want to be resentful. She really didn't want to. But the thing that he almost did to her…

She knew it was too stupid of her to say these next words, but she did it nevertheless.

"Jose Porla." At the sound of his full name, coming out of her mouth, he startled. "This time I will remember you just how you wanted and I won't forget anything you shared with me. Everything you did."

His eyebrows knitted.

Lucy continued with the same insidious voice, "And you can be sure that the stars won't ever forget either. Ever."

The corners of her mouth raised in the most dangerous smile she was capable of right now. Even from the other side of the camp she was glad to see the fear, shining in his eyes.

While she was passing through the bushes and the tall grasses, being helped by the General's two guards, Lucy still managed to hear the broken, drunk singing of Jose. The man was roaring like an animal as he was reciting Icenberg's royal hymn. There was something really off with that man and something in Lucy told her that she was about to meet him in the future again. And her instincts were never wrong.

The red mantle, which General gave her, was still thrown on her shoulders, protecting her from the cold night air. She didn't know how to interpret his actions. In the last few years she had been hearing only bad things about him. Really bad things… For example, that he was a brutal beast, on the battlefield no one could find a man scarier than him, wild, fierce like a dragon, his name was the synonym for war.

But giving her the mantle… That was a kind gesture. Gentle even.

Lucy but her lips so hard, it hurt. This kind of weak, emotional bullshit wouldn't do her any good. Not now. Not when the pregrand's army was knocking on the brink and was waiting for the opportunity to attack.

That's right. A war was on its way.

And she had promised herself that she would not be captured by the enemies' that was exactly what was happening right now…

The guard with the light blond and the other with the short tar colored hair were holding her on both sides not so much to keep her from escaping but because she could hardly walk. Her fight with Jose completely enervated her legs. She didn't have energy. In front of her were Natsu Dragneel and the third guard with the long black hair, curling like dark waterfalls on his back.

It was impossible to escape.

If not by physical way, she had to try with bluffing.

"Jose lied to you. I am not Icenebrg's strategist."

Their footsteps immediately stopped. The men all stared at her and the guard, standing next to Dragneel, sneered. "Yeah, I can't believe it either, but am pretty sure that bastard wouldn't lie to us."

His voice was rough, hoarse as if he hadn't been drinking water for a long time.

"But he did it."She said. "I am just one of the ladies-in-waiting of priestess Lucy Heartfilia. I cannot help you with anything."

"Then why didn't you say something earlier?" asked the guard on her left side, the one with the tar colored hair and the cool look. He seemed like a level-headed person unlike the others.

Lucy could feel the General's piercing stare, waiting for her answer. She would not look him in the eyes. Not yet.

"Because I thought it would be safer for me if I go with you."

A dark shadow appeared in the men's eyes. Interesting. So not only their leader didn't approve of violence over women.

"I am just an orphan." She continued in the hopes that maybe she'll succeed in convincing them. "I don't have powerful parents, who would pay to bring me back. The royal court would also not give even one golden coin for me. I am useless."

A sudden silence fell for some time, disturbed only by the sharp sounds of the owls.

"We'll see what the truth is…" The General suddenly said. Lucy lifted her head surprised and met his stare, which was full of amusement. He knew. "…When we go back home."

Their home. That thought wringed her heart.

After a couple more steps they came out of the forest and its dark embrace, only to be shined brightly by the moon eye.

They were standing on a deserted waterside, which was being splashed by the meek waves of the river Gang. Lucy couldn't believe her eyes. The river was subsided and was rather peaceful, nothing compared to the water beast near Dräntah the other day. That was because… Lucy wanted to hit herself for not thinking about that kind of possibility. They were a few kilometers away from the fortress and the river just lost its power as it got further east. The place they were now could be easily crossed over.

The wooden boat, which the men probably had come with, was situated on the waterside only a few meters away from them. The guards began to push the boat forward and Lucy couldn't do anything else except to sit in the boat and to watch how everyone else followed her.

With each paddle, her land, Icenberg, got further and even further. There was no going back.

Lucy concentrated on the men. The guards, who had been holding her on the way, now had to control the boat. Beside her sat the third guard and in front of her was Dragneel. Only he was staring at her carefully… no, he was examining her.

Lucy realized that he saw how she had scanned the others, looking for a way to do something.

She took her eyes off of him and turned them towards the sky above her. The stars were shining somewhat brighter than usual as if they were trying to tell her a secret. She could easily distinguish a lot of her favorite constellations. What kind of advice would they give her now?

Icenberg counted on her. Gray counted on her.

There was war. And during wars a lot of people could lose their lives in order to protect the others, the weaker, those who could not fight.

Lucy threw a glance at the men.

No one was holding her. Her arms and legs were free.

She gave herself some time to look at the million diamonds on the endless dark-blue sky for the last time, for them to give her courage for what she was about to do. Then she made her choice.

She took deep breaths and looked at the General, whose eyes widened as his whole body rushed to her.

"NO!" he shouted, but it was too late.

Lucy fell into the river's cold embrace, which welcomed the priestess with open arms. Muted, harmonic silence filled her consciousness, when the waters above covered her head, capturing her completely and irreversibly.

She tried to move her legs, to wave hands, to do something, in order to get back to the shore, but her body didn't listen to her, her limbs were too heavy. The deep vivid red, the color of the blood, spread around her, swirling smoothly in circles. She needed a couple of seconds to realize that the General's mantle had bloomed like a rose and was slowly floating in the water. Lucy stopped moving and just let herself be carried by the stream. She didn't have any strength. Her eyelids were slowly opening and closing, allowing the last images of her life to pass through her mind. Even in the afterlife Lucy knew she would never forget the deep, infinite darkness of the river and the only light, the moonlight ray, cutting through the same place, where Lucy now slowly faded away.

That was the fatality of the stars and she would accept it.

Some kind of movement of the water caught the dizzy attention of her mind. A few consecutively, underwater waves hit her body, as if something was coming closer to her. Suddenly something powerful took hold of her waist, wrapped around her body and…started pulling her…up. Her eyes were still closed, but she could feel every push, every impact of the water.

Lucy and the thing, wrapped around her, pierced through the water surface with a loud splash. Air rushed into her nostrils, filling her with life. She began coughing and spewing water, with her eyes still closed.

"Shit!" Someone next to her swore.

She vaguely realized that the thing around her was a body, another human. His hands lifted her waist and somebody else's palms picked her up from above. Lucy couldn't stop vomiting water and breathing heavily. When she finally opened her eyes, she was again on the boat, lying at the bottom and surrounded by startled faces.

"I can't believe it…" a voice murmured, which sounded a lot like the long-haired guard.

Lucy wiped her mouth with hand and leaned against the boat's wall. The General was sitting a few steps in front of her as wet and out of breath as her and his eyes were gazing at her somehow strange. She couldn't really define the feelings that were dripping from him.

"What did you think you'd do?" He asked with strained tone.

Lucy looked up at the sky. She hadn't believed would see it again and the fact that she did, made her really happy and filled her with the beginnings of hope. So death wasn't coming for her yet.

The long-haired guard grabbed her shoulder in a tight, but not painful hold as he growled, "Don't you dare jump again."

But Lucy didn't pay attention to him; however she took notice of the General. He had removed his armor and was left with only white shirt and dark pants. His pink curls, which were dripping with water, were squashed on his wet forehead.

"I was going to escape." She simply said, as if the answer was obvious.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Yeah." He said. "In death."

"Better in death than stepping on your territory." She proudly lifted her chin, which earned her the shocked faces of the other men.

Dragneel's stare was kind of dizzy, as if he was thinking really hard about something. Then, to her surprise, his lips formed into a dangerous smirk. "Oh," he said. "You are definitely Icenberg's strategist."

Lucy casted him an angry look but that seemed to amuse him even more.

"Keep paddling." Dragneel ordered his men, the ghost of a smile still visible on his face. "We don't have the whole night. And-"he turned his amused eyes to her. "You never know what she'll try to do next."

Lucy was left with nothing else to do but to stare desperately at the stars and silently ask them what, in the name of the gods, they had planned for her. The only answer she received was the constant cheerful sparkling of their light.

And although they seemed to find her situation funny, she wanted to throw herself into the freezing waters of Gang. Again.

What a petty really, that during the whole journey to the other shore, the guard didn't let go of her arms for even a moment this time.

Heyyyy, helloo, I am alive!

I promised you I would not abandon this story if you showed that you liked it and a lot of people favourited and followed so... A BIG THANKS TO THOSE AMAZING READERS!

This chapter was a total b*tch, I must say. It was really hard at the begining and I don't even know why. I mean, I knew the basic plot, knew what was going to happen so... ugh, I don't know. Writing is just so hard sometimes.

Buuut I managed to get it all done and now I hope you are still interested to find out what will happen to our dear characters. ^_^

As always, please review, tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you expect will happen in the next chapters, please favourite and follow the story! 3

xoxo,

elssiie

p.s. The song at the begining is "Breathe" by Fleurie.