Chapter 20: Why are Air Ducts so Big

The trio crawled through the vents with ease, as they were surprisingly wide for air vents. Sounds from the other rooms traveled though noisily. Eventually, Beth told them to stop so she could listen.

After listening hard, all she could hear was snores and people whispering. She signaled that they needed to head down to the first floor vents. They started moving again, and found a shaft downwards. Arron slid down, followed by Beth and Laki. Beth listened again.

A moan reached her ears, and she gestured for Aaron to head right, to which he used the intersection as an opportunity to move and let Beth lead. Beth, Aaron, and Laki crawled through the vents until that came to a vent cover on the ceiling of a dark room with only one door. The room had no light source, the room only illuminated by the light from under the door. But it was enough to let Beth see the figure inside.

Beth used her magic to summon her plants. Carefully, they twisted and turned, before they crawled towards the vent cover. Obeying her commands, the plants unscrewed the large vent cover, before holding onto the remaining pieces. This kept the noise level down, and there was now an opening in the vent. The trio jumped down into the room. The figure didn't give any response to the movement.

Beth tip toed over to the figure lying on the ground, and shook his shoulder. He moaned softly. The Dragon Slayer rolled the figure over. She was staring at Siprix's face, now covered with cuts and bruises. Dirt inclosed him from all sides, as a few particles speckled his face that had a helpless expression plastered to it. A large cut also dripped blood from his forehead, as a bump marked how brutal the men had treated him during his capture. The rest of his body wasn't much better, as his arm was lower than it should've been and all of him was covered in cuts and bruises.

Laki tried to move his arm, but he moaned and pulled away. "Might be dislocated," she whispered.

"I can pop it back in. I did it to myself once when I accidentally fell from a tree," Beth responded. She made some wood and leaves like a mask and put it over Siprix's mouth. "He'll probably scream."

She gestured for Aaron to come over to where she was. "Can you hold his shoulder here? Laki, make sure no one comes in incase this attracts attention." Laki crept to the door and sent Beth a thumbs up. Aaron put his hands on Siprix's shoulder and nodded. Beth popped his arm back in.

All Siprix did was moan and whimper slightly. Beth took to mask off of him, and felt teeth marks in it.

"That really hurt," Siprix murmured.

"Sorry," Beth apologized. "But you're awake?" She shifted so Siprix could look at her.

"Yeah, it's not everyday that a wood mask covers the lower half of your face. Plus the pain woke me up."

"Well, we'll get you out of here soon. Don't worry." Beth winced as Siprix groaned and shifted away from Aaron, who hadn't taken his hands off of Siprix's shoulder.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Aaron said has he hurriedly removed his hands.

Siprix looked at the boy above him. "Oh hey it's you. What're you doing here?"

"I came to help them help you. You saved me, so I thought I could maybe repay the favor," Aaron replied.

"Thanks," Siprix said. Then he paused. "Them?"

"Laki's here too," Beth said. "She uses Wood-Make Magic and is in Fairy Tail. We teamed up to rescue you."

"Okay. Thanks," Siprix groaned. "Do you have any magical pain killing plants?"

"Yeah, this'll act as an ice pack, that's for sure," Beth said as she produced a few Nilfheim berries. "Are you okay with a little chill?"

"Yes. Please just do whatever your gonna do, this is pain is killing me." Beth lifted Siprix's sleeve. He hissed at the contact, but didn't move. She placed one on his swollen shoulder. She wiped some blood off of his forehead and placed another one on the large bump. The rest she placed on various bruises and cuts. "That does help. Thanks."

"No problem." She secured the berries with leaves and thin vines.

"Beth, we got company heading our way," Laki warned.

"Were we too loud?" Aaron asked worriedly.

"No, I would presume they have regular patrols and that includes checking in here," Beth said. "We have to go now." She looked at Siprix. "Can you stand?"

"Yeah, just give me a sec and please help me up." Beth stood and grabbed his hand, pulling Siprix to his feet. Beth and Aaron caught him before he fell to the ground.

"You just keep getting beat don't you." Siprix didn't respond.

Beth turned towards Laki. "A little help to the vent please."

"Wood Make: Stairs." The mages climbed up the stairs quickly, trying to jar Siprix as little as possible. Laki got rid of the stairs just as two men in black shirts and pants with gold hemming came into the room.

"Sound the alarm: the hostage has escaped," one man said into a communications lacrima. The other looked shocked.

"How did he escape? He was beat up and unconscious."

"He must've woke up. We didn't do as much as we could it appears."

"Secure the perimeter and don't let him escape," came a voice over the lacrima. The two men turned and dashed out the door, their gilded clothes flashing in the lights.

"That was a close one," Beth murmured. Siprix groaned quietly. "Just hang on. We'll get you help soon." Beth laid flat on her stomach and Laki and Aaron helped her get Siprix onto her back. With the beat up water mage situated, the group started through the vents again. They managed to get back to the outside vent they came in from and climbed through.

"You are really light, you know that Siprix," Beth said.

"I don't care." Beth stood up on the roof with Siprix on her back, Aaron and Laki close behind her.

"They're all over the place," Laki said, looking down at the streets. "How are we going to do this?"

"I can teleport Siprix to somewhere and then come back for you guys," Aaron suggested.

"Not a bad plan," Beth mused. "Alright. You take Siprix to the forest. Then come back. If you get too tired, we'll find another way." Beth handed Aaron Siprix, who groaned from moving so much. Aaron vanished.

A minute later, he reappeared and took Laki's hand. They teleported away.

Finally, Beth's turn arrived. Taking Aaron's hand, they vanished from the roof and reappeared in the forest a little ways from town. Laki was kneeling next to Siprix, who was lying on the ground and groaning from pain. Beth walked over to him.

"I guess the full wave of pain hit me while we were in the vents. It's a lot worse now," Siprix said, gritting his teeth.

Beth winced and sat next to her friend. "Sorry. I have an herb that can help you sleep if you you want." Siprix nodded.

The Forest Dragon Slayer grew a small leaf and placed it in the water mage's mouth. He chewed it slowly and swallowed the herb.

"Dang that's strong," Siprix commented. "How long will this last?"

"The herb will keep you asleep for an hour or two, then you'll wake up."

"Okay," Siprix said, yawning. "Thanks, Beth. Real *yawn* big, help." Siprix's head lulled to the side as he nodded off.

Beth glanced over the sleeping mage. "We need to get his wounds cleaned and bandaged. They could get infected."

"I'm too tired to teleport us all. I'm sorry," Aaron said.

"You got us off the roof, and that's more than enough." Beth looked towards the town and then to the guild hall. She turned towards Laki. "Think we could walk?"

Laki judged the distance. "Yes, we could. Though one of us would need to carry Siprix and the others would need to be ready to defend if we ran into trouble."

"I'll carry Siprix. I don't know how to fight well yet and would only get in the way," Aaron said.

Beth nodded. "Okay then. Laki and I will cover you if needed."

Aaron lifted Siprix and put the water mage onto his back. They took off towards the guild at a jog.

As they entered town, Beth spotted someone on a roof. They jumped off and landed in the road, stopping the mages.

"Nice try Fairy Tail. But you won't be getting any farther!" With that the man drew a sword from the scabbard on his waist, and charged.

"Forest Dragon's Leaf Sword!" Beth rushed to meet him.

Fortunately, Beth's leaves were as strong as the sword they clashed with. The three swords locked positions as the man did a double take. Beth brought one of her blades back and sliced at the man, who jumped back to avoid the attack. The Forest Dragon Slayer jumped up and summer salted over her opponent, slicing with her leaf swords as she came down. The man didn't react in time and got sliced, but not deep enough to do major damage.

"That actually stings girl. Now you're gonna get it!"

"Wood Make: Wall!" Laki's spell went up just on time as another person was about to attack Beth from behind. The man Beth was fighting charged at her. Beth dodged and her opponent crashed into the wall as well.

"Thanks!"

"No problem." The girls dashed into battle as the men rushed to meet them.

"Forest Dragon's Pineapple Grenade!" Beth launched the newly formed pineapple into the air. It exploded, littering the ground in sharp barbs. Their opponents didn't know any better and stepped on them, and howled on pain.

"Amber Shot!" Beth trapped the two men to the ground with the sticky sap as Laki got wood to suspend them in the air. The sap hardened a few seconds later.

"Let's keep moving." They took off at a jog again.

"Why didn't you trap them in the first place?" Laki asked.

"I can't use it in every situation. Best not to become dependent on it."

They made it halfway to the guild before they ran into more people. Laki and Beth started with long ranged attacks.

"Forest Dragon's Reaching Vine!"

"Wood Make: Lance!"

Their spells were blocked by a shield a mage put up.

"So they have magic this time. Okay then."

"Got anything else that blows up?"

"Make a lance again, I have an idea. Aim it at the ground."

Laki followed Beth's instructions. Before the lance was fired, Beth yelled "Firecracker Pepper Vines!" The vegetable plant wrapped itself around the lance as it took off. The organic weapons blew up in the faces of the Vineghoul wizards, throwing them back. They all stayed down after that.

"They are not very determined, now are they," Laki said as they took off again.

"Not a bit," Aaron replied.

"That was rhetorical."

"Sorry."

"Come on we're almost there," Beth said.

They arrived at the guild hall without further incident, and burst through the doors. Everyone turned to look at them, and relaxed when they saw Siprix, albeit concerned when they realized he was unconscious.

Makarov walked up to them without saying anything, and led them to a room on the side of the guild hall. Beth recognized it as the room she woke up in when she arrived at the guild. Aaron put Siprix down in the bed closest to the door.

—

Beth's head shot up when her ears caught a faint groan. She looked at the sleeping and bandaged mage in the bed she was sitting next to. Siprix groaned again and shifted. He opened his eyes and looked around, his body tensing. He relaxed when he spotted Beth.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still painful, but less than before. The herb really helped, thanks."

"No problem. You need anything?"

"Got any food?" Beth handed him an apple that she had waiting.

The water mage bit into the fruit ravenously. He didn't stop until he ate the whole thing, core and all.

"Thanks."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"Breakfast, I think. What time is it?"

"It's nearly eleven. Like I said, one hour."

"Yeah. It was definitely breakfast."

Beth stood up. "I'm going to let the others know you're awake." With that she left the room.

She found Aaron and Laki at a table, talking with Master Makarov. Aaron looked considerably better, having gotten cleaned up and changed clothes. Beth walked over to them.

"Hey there was blonde hair and freckles under all that dirt."

"I know right. Master Makarov is letting me join Fairy Tail! I can work now! But I still need to work on my magic," Aaron said, he voice faltering at the end.

"Yes, but he has a lot of potential to become a great wizard," Laki said.

"Well I wanted to let you guys know that Siprix is awake."

"And how is he feeling?" Makarov asked.

"Better, though he's still in pain. I was just about to ask Mira for something, since he's hungry too."

Makarov nodded. "I'll go and speak to him about what happened. You three can join if you want." The mages nodded. Laki and Aaron followed Makarov, while Beth got a meal for Siprix.

She walked into a silent room. Makarov, Laki, and Aaron were staring at Siprix, who was in turn deep in thought. "They wanted me for bait. That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out."

"Bait for who?" Makarov asked as Beth placed the meal on Siprix's lap.

Siprix looked towards Beth and caught her eyes before saying "You."

Hey guys! What's up? So you may have noticed that this chapter is longer than the others. This is going to be the new normal for this story. That's right, I am doubling the chapter size from here on out. This will not affect how often I post, I will still be posting on Friday afternoons weekly. So with that covered, we now have twenty chapters! And shoutout to my friend SilverConstellation, who beta read this chapter and helped out a bunch. Thank you so much!

So with all my ranting said: Go get 'em tigers!

-ThinMintE