When Zeldris finally awoke, it was pitch black outside, with a hint of dark blue peering over the eastern horizon.
"Must be early morning, I bet I need to make my way to the train station if I want to join that high paying job" he muttered, wiping the drool from his mouth. "I have got to get to a decent sleep schedule," he muttered. Walking down from the 3rd floor booths and through the empty guildhall, he rubbed his eyes and slowly stumbled out the guild hall doors, noticing the clock saying 5:30. "Just enough time" he thought. Closing the door behind him, he shivered slightly, feeling the cold wind of the morning breeze through his clothes. He turned and headed towards the Magnolia train station.
By the time he got there, it was 6:30 AM, and he sat down on one of the benches by the entrance, relaxing, slowly waking up and being able to really think about everything as he worried a little bit about the job.
A very tired looking Laxus and Thunderlegion approached the station, still looking like they needed another 5 hours of sleep. Zeldris waved at the quartet.
Laxus smiled in surprise "Well, it seems you made it" he remarked as Zeldris nodded and followed them into the station.
The quartet had already purchased tickets, three sets of them in fact, for each of the members of The Thunder Legion and Zeldris. As the five wizards sat in the last carriage of the train, it began to move. Cueing the mighty wizard Laxus to curl over in motion sickness. Zeldris looked puzzled and asked.
"He's a dragon slayer?" Zeldris asked, the three members of The Thunderlegion eyed him confused, surprised he did not know.
"I know that he's new, but I'd figured he know about our dear Laxus" remarked a pale, red robed and white shoes wearing wizard with bright green hair, looking in despair as he tried to comfort his dear motion sick friend, this man was Freed Justine, rune wizard and personal leader of The Thunder Legion.
"Relax Freed, he knew he was going to be sick this entire trip" the woman who sat next to Zeldris said, this seductively dressed, glasses wearing woman was Evergreen, the fairy of the bunch, dressed in a purple and black one piece dressed with dark brown stockings with black high heeled shoes.
"Still, three to fours days on a train, even for a million jule each way is almost not worth it" remarked the man with a gravelly voice who sat opposite of Zeldris, this man was Bixlow. A man dressed in a black and light gray pinstripe shirt that connected to his head, where he wore a face visor like that of medieval knight, all of this top part connected to blue pants with a gray belt with a gold belt buckle with the guild logo on it, all while he wore black cape, with fur lining much like Laxus's coat.
Laxus groaned and muttered "a million jewel is worth it in the end, especially since we're walking back when we're done".
The quartet nodded and then Zeldris asked "so what's the job actually entailing? I know the payment will be good, but I don't know anything about the job itself".
Freed then spoke up "we're to see some archaeologists in the city of the Rose Garden in the north. We will have to go to Clover, change trains there, and then once more in Ace of Spades, near the SaberTooth guild. Then we will go to the city of Rose Garden, spend the night and go from there".
Zeldris nodded then said, "I see, and how soon till Clover?''
"About five hours to Clover, six and a half to Ace of Spades, and three hours to Rose Garden city" Freed remarked, Laxus grunted in annoyance, looking ready to spill every content of his stomach and then some. Zeldris nodded and fell asleep. The various members of The Thunder Legion fell asleep as the sun rose and began to shine into the carriage.
Finally, as the sun shone directly over the coach, the train pulled into Clover on track 1. The quintet of sleepy wizards followed the walkway over to the next train, heading to Ace of Spades. With the wizards (except for Laxus) now awake Zeldris could not help but ask to get to know the members he was traveling with and about the job in general.
"I know you said we're going to the Rose Garden city, but who exactly are we to see when we get there". Zeldris asked, attempting to pass the time as the train crossed over the Clover canyon.
"Jean-Luc Neville of The Archaeological Society" Freed responded.
"Wait, you mean the actually guy?" Bixlow said looking over in surprise. Freed nodded in confirmation.
"Man, that sure brings back old memories" Bixlow remarked.
"If everyone does not mind me asking, I didn't have much time to research about the guild other than those who participated in the games, would you mind telling me about yourselves?" Zeldris asked.
"I use rune magic and can write enchantments," Freed said. Zeldris nodded with interest.
"My sane magic allows me to control souls, and use them for spells, the dolls they're in now are packed away, but I can get them if needed" Bixlow said, next up.
"Let us out! Let us out!" 5 voices in unison remarked from one of the suitcases above the quintet.
"I use fairy dust magic, and it allows me to carry out a variety of attacks" Evergreen remarked.
"Nice and vague" Zeldris murmured in response.
"Laxus, is the lightning dragon slayer" Freed said. Laxus tried to raise up and give a confident smile, and a thumbs up, but quickly returned to being motion sick.
"Any other special powers?" Zeldris asked.
"We each have special powers with our eyes" Freed said.
"I can heighten my enchantments or enchant myself" continued Freed.
"I can control the souls of the living if you look into mine" Bixlow said.
"And I can turn people to stone" Evergreen finished. Zeldris shivered at the thought of being turned to stone.
"Can you turn people from stone back to normal?" Zeldris asked. She nodded in response.
"Then, why don't you do that to Laxus and spare him the trouble?" Zeldris asked, sounding quite dumb. The Thunder Legion looked at each other, pale, and dumbfounded. They each looked at each other, then to Zeldris, and back to Laxus, following the cycle for a solid minute. Zeldris blinked in confusion as he tried to realize their confusion until he finally got it.
"You mean to tell me, in how many years the four of you have travelled, you have never done that to comfort him?" Zeldris asked in shocking amazement. The members of The Thunder Legion looked panicked, a suddenly calmed Freed remarked.
"Ummmm, we very rarely travel by train." Freed claimed, Bixlow and Evergreen quickly nodded in agreement, attempting to hide that fact.
"Just do it Ever!" Laxus said, opening his eyes struggling to keep himself upright.
"Alright, alright, I'll do it" Evergreen said, as she removed her glasses looking directly as possible into the swaying Laxus's eyes, turning him almost instantly to tone.
"Why didn't we ever think of that?" Bixlow remarked, still dumbfounded about the situation.
"Think about it, think about it" the 5 unanimous voices remarked from the luggage rack.
"They're a bunch of mixed nuts, I hope the rest of the guild isn't this bad" Zeldris thought to himself.
The train continued west as the wizards passed the time, filling Zeldris in history of themselves and the guild, the sun began shining in from the other side.
It was late afternoon as the train glided into Ace of Spades, the quartet of wizards began getting their things together to change trains.
"Don't forget Laxus" remarked Freed. A small wave of panic came over Evergreen, as she was about to step out of the carriage. Undoing her spell, and the dragon slayer returned to normal, looking quite relieved.
"We're here?" Laxus asked, following the quartet out of the railcar. The quartet nodded, getting tickets ready and heading over to the far 5th platform for the small branch line train to the Rose Garden city. The quintet of wizards got settled in the far end of the third carriage on the train.
"Go ahead and get me put under the spell before it moves," Laxus requested. Evergreen took her glasses off and did her eye spell. The mighty dragon slayer turned to stone.
Freed could not help but struggle to get used to the idea Zeldris had suggested though remarked "it's hard to get used to, but we have to do it more often".
"We could do so many more jobs," Bixlow added.
"More jobs! More jobs!" the five unanimous voices added.
Evergreen could not help but smirk "I wish I had thought about this before, I could turn Elfman into stone every time he shouts something dumb and manly".
Freed and Bixlow looked at each other dismayed as Bixlow then remarked "so Elfman's never going to be human or beast ever again".
Evergreen glared back at the two, "it wouldn't be permanent" she remarked, the train beginning to move from the station, "it would just be like a time out thing" she then turned to Zeldris "you've given me a wonderful idea" she grinned devilishly who only just noticed he was asleep and looked appalled.
"He is still going to be turned to stone permanently after the 2nd man he says" Bixlow muttered.
"That or Mira might get upset when her little brother gets turned into a front yard ornament because of Ever" Freed added in agreement.
"Quiet you two, this will be perfect!" a gleeful Evergreen finished. Freed and Bixlow looked at each other again, in agreement of how bad things would become as the train continued to make its way to its destination.
It was late at night when the train pulled into the final station at the Rose Garden city, it was a much smaller town than what the five wizards would expect it to be, considering its grand name. Laxus was returned to normal and was quite pleased with the process.
"There's a decent hotel that I have us staying at, we'll meet the Archaeological Society members in the morning around 8." Freed said, Zeldris followed the quartet, eager to learn the true details of the job, he and the other wizards had been tasked with.