KingVessel: WARNING! You are reading a work possessing crude language and explicit scenes of violence, sex and other possible acts of depravity. So if you can't handle this, please fuck off.
Chapter 01: Dragons of the Seas and the Skies
Minstrel - X375
Gasping desperately for breath and shivering, he ignored the painful throbbing in his head and clutched on to the large piece of wood that had broken off. Far in the distance, he could still see the flaming ship that he'd jump off the moment the other ship full of pirates had blown a hole into it's side. Now the ship was sinking, all found survivors having been taken captive.
As for him, he'd gotten the initiative to jump off and swim away, having memorized the map enough to be aware of the nearby island.
Unfortunately, he'd been unprepared for the sudden impact against his head, which did much in obscuring his sight worse than the ongoing storm did and left him with immense pain he had to work through as he tried not to get tossed off the impromptu raft.
Then just as he was finally fading into unconsciousness, he had the weirdest delusion of fanged jaws bursting out of the sea to fully swallow him.
Then darkness...
When he woke up again, it was to a cave with it's entrance leading out to the sea. Blinking blearily, he tried to get up, only to still as the water before him suddenly frothed before splashing apart as a massive blue serpentine dragon with wings surged out and onto the ground, landing a massive claw just inches away from him. "D-Dragon?!"
"Ah?" The sea dragon looked down, noticing that it's human guest was now awake. "You're awake!"
The boy's mind blinked as a magic glyph appeared over the dragon's body before it started to glow and rapidly shrink before him. When the light faded away, it revealed a tall and buxom woman with long, wavy navy-blue hair and aquamarine eyes with slit pupils. A short, backless tunic clung tightly to her torso and acted as a miniskirt while a teal longcoat adorned with gold embroidery was fastened over that. Her slender arms were encased in a pair of fingerless black gloves while she sported a pair of thigh high boots, which emphasized the shapeliness of her thighs.
"What?" The boy gaped at the sight. A dragon that could transform into a human form? "Wha- Who are you? Why'd you bring me here?! What do you want?!"
"On your knees and worship, human. I am the Sea Dragon Queen, Merctulia." The woman introduced herself haughtily as she crossed her arms. "I understand if you're overwhelmed-"
"I'm Bell April." He cut her off as he sat up. "I'm sorry but I've never heard of you before."
Merctulia halted as she was interrupted before gritting her teeth in annoyance. "Don't interrupt me, ingrate!"
Her roar was followed by a splash of water that slammed into him and sent him sprawling onto his back. As he laid there hacking up the water that had gone up his nose, a pair of heavy footsteps had him look upwards and scream as a Vulcan nearly stomped onto his head.
"Aha. Look who has come." Merctulia raised an eyebrow without the tiniest bit of concern. Just as the creature raised it's fist to crush him, two tendrils of water wrapped around Bell's waist and reeled him in until he was hanging upside down besides Merctulia. "Watch it, monkey. Do not covet the possessions of others."
Raising him up so that their faces nearly pressed against each other, Merctulia teasingly ran her fingers against his cheek. "The plans I have for this one are far too grand to allow you to use him as a Take Over host."
"I belong to you?" Bell weakly questioned.
"This is the second time I've saved your life now." Merctulia pointed out before idly causing him to swing after poking him. "Don't complain, especially since I've clearly shown that I'm not eating you as my kind would."
"That doesn't make things much better, since I don't know what you're planning for me- GAH?!" Bell's very reasonable complaint was rendered useless as Merctulia extended the water tendril until he was hanging right before the monster, which stumbled forward and opened it's unsettlingly wide jaws.
"This is your hour of reckoning, Bell April!" Merctulia cheerily called out. "My possession or that monster's meal or host or whatever. Choose quickly and wisely!"
"Fine, alright!" Bell desperately called back. "It's better to be the possession of the great Sea Dragon Queen who's got a sexy human form!"
"Not what I was going for, but I'll accept that!" Merctulia reeled him back, just in time to catch the monster's punch in her hand. "Did I not tell you to not covet the possessions of others?"
With that, she uppercut the monster in it's gut, hitting it large enough to lift it several feet in the air despite it being twice her size. Just as it peaked in it's impromptu flight, Merctulia leapt after it and brought her fist down like a hammer, slamming it into the ground with a loud crash.
"Amazing..." Bell admired from where Merctulia had dropped him. "Even in a human form, she's beating it so easily... Has she even used any magic at all against it?"
"Do not say such foolish things, Bell." Merctulia huffed. "This worm isn't worthy of my magic being used on it."
The Vulcan roared as it got up and charged towards her, punching her in the gut.
"Merctulia!" Bell yelled in worry... only to gawk at this sight of the monster's fist being stopped dead by her fingers.
"Yes?" Merctulia turned to face Bell, not looking at the monster as she casually crushed it's hand.
"Um, nothing." Bell chuckled nervously. "You apparently fine."
"Naturally." Merctulia flipped her hair as she looked back to the injured monster.
In a pain-fueled rage, the monster roared as it slammed a fist into the ground. Picking up some crushed gravel, the monster flung it at Merctulia. Huffing, the dragon woman crossed her arms as the rocks smashed uselessly against her body, only to be startled as a cry of pain came from behind. "Bell!"
"Damnit! I got hit in the head again!" Bell groaned as he clutched his forehead, which had started to bleed anew. Of course, he also had a few more bruises on his body from where the flung gravel hit him. "Nothing lethal, though!"
"The fact that my possession got scratched in the first place is enough to exhaust my mercy!" Merctulia roared as she transformed back into her dragon form, coiling protectively around Bell as she glared down on the still Vulcan.
"Die." With that, Merctulia roared as she unleashed her breath attack, obliterating the Vulcan with a massive deluge of pressurized water that blasted a newer and bigger hole out of the cave than it's original entrance.
"Now then, where were we?" Merctulia coiled some more around Bell, changing her protective positioning into a more predatory one. "I saved you initially for one reason. You see, I'm in need of my own Dragon Slayer. Grandeeney, Igneel and Weisslogia are all getting some for reason despite the fiasco that Acnologia caused... and as a fellow dragon monarch, I refuse to be left behind!"
"So I'm basically a tool for some competition you have with your comrades?" Bell deadpanned to which Merctulia bluntly nodded. "Well, it beats being stranded in the ocean... plus, I was a street rat who just stowed away on that boat anyways..."
"Excellent!" Merctulia cheered. "If that's settled, let's get started so that I can show you off to Grandeeney by the next summer!"
And before Bell could protest, Merctulia's massive jaws clamped down on him... again.
Ministrel - X376
Bell blinked in surprise as they finally surfaced from the ocean, with him riding on Merctulia's massive head. He'd initially doubted it when she told him, but Sea Dragon Slayer Magic apparently could let him breathe underwater for long periods.
Anyway, back to the current issues, Bell still had to cough up the water in his lungs while the magic in his body readjusted it to start breathing air again.
What he barely managed to notice as Merctulia dropped him and cheerily charged at another dragon was a small hand gently patting his back as he hacked while taking in air.
"Um, are you okay?" It was a little girl with wide brown eyes and short blue hair. Even if he could smell the scent of dragon on her, Bell instantly decided that he would protect this adorable and kind little angel with his life, even if he had to fight against both Merctulia and whoever was training this little Dragon Slayer.
Speaking of trainers...
"Grandeeney!" Merctulia cheerily greeted even as her massive jaws closed down on the neck of the white dragon with feathers covering most of her body instead of the standard scales. "How've you been?!"
"Is this how you greet your friends, Merctulia?!" Even as she yelled that, Grandeeney wasted no time in biting her back, pushing her away from the kids as they then proceeded to rampage across the landscape.
As Wendy gently tugged him away from them and towards her little house, Bell idly noted that neither of them were using their spells against each other, meaning that despite the hurling insults and slow obliteration of the landscape, Merctulia and Grandeeney were probably closer than the former would've liked to admit.
"I'm Wendy! Wendy Marvell!" The little girl eagerly introduced herself, never having separated her hand from Bell's. "I'm 4 years old and I'm learning Sky Magic from Grandine! I didn't know there was a Dragon Slayer older than Gajeel and he's 10."
"Grandeeney." Bell absentmindedly corrected as he sat down with her, letting her climb up to his lap. "I'm Bell April and Merctulia's teaching me Sea Magic. As far as I know, I'm the only 12 year old Dragon Slayer. As for me, I just met Weisslogia and Sting some weeks ago. That little White Dragon's kid is about the same age as you."
"Really?" Wendy idly kicked her legs as they watched the massive Grandeeney grab Merctulia and perform a suplex that sent huge cracks spreading through the ground. "Ouchy... Are you worried about your mother losing?"
"First off, Merctulia's not my mother." Bell replied. "She's just a dragon who saved me from two slow and certain deaths, likes to boss me around and constantly teases me with her human body."
It had been mortifying ever since Merctulia had gone on one of her many solo trips and had returned with Anna Heartfilia, an actual human. She was apparently a powerful Celestial Spirit Mage who had become acquainted with quite a few dragons.
Bell especially liked Anna as she was essentially his caretaker who easily filled in whatever role Merctulia couldn't do. It was especially funny when Merctulia would get pissed and jealous, constantly trying to outdo the nervous blonde in various things that Anna was quite easily superior to her.
He wondered if Merctulia would be petty enough to keep that habit with Anna's future children.
(Four centuries in the future, a blonde descendant of Anna's and a blue haired woman with a strong specialty in water and no other relation to Merctulia other than her close appearance simultaneously sneezed.)
Of course, Anna had to remember that he was the closest to being the only teenage Dragon Slayer at the time, the others still being little children and had then proceeded to give him the TALK.
Anna had explained everything… EVERYTHING! IN DETAILS! AND GLOWING CHARTS!
(He had foolishly thought that Anna couldn't have made it worse.
Then she went and Summoned Virgo and Leo, who both had much more DETAILS than Anna had to impart.)
While Anna had been gracious in making herself scarce until he could look at her without blushing madly, Merctulia had been an utter troll in wringing as much entertainment as she could from it.
Before, they used to sleep together with her in her dragon form. Nowadays, Merctulia slept in her human form, very much as naked as she was as a dragon.
Yeah... He hardly got enough sleep until he was forced to get used to a nude woman glomping him in her sleep...
Bell mourned for his future love life.
"They're back!" Wendy cheered, causing Bell to look up and note them as the two dragonesses approached them in their human forms, both covered in bruises that were already fading away rapidly.
"Bell! You're on lunch duty!" Merctulia thumbed back at the small cliff they'd climbed up from the ocean. "Go find us some pirarucu!"
"What?!" Bell yelled back in outrage. "Those are all the way back in Acacia! It'll be late by the time I manage to catch some!"
"Get going, then." Merctulia showed no mercy. "You can use the errand to push up your underwater acceleration and top speed."
Grumbling heavily, Bell idly patted Wendy's head before running towards and leaping off the cliff into the brink.
"Are you really doing this?" Grandeeney's human form was that of a woman with shoulder length white hair with sky blue tips, blue eyes with slit pupils (yet somehow managing a far more 'humane' look than Merctulia could ever pull off) and a pale skin tone that clashed with Merctulia's tanned skin. Even though she was dressed far more conservatively than Merctulia, her feathery robe did little to hide the curvaceous figure hidden away.
"Unlike me and the others, Acnologia never managed to find you, with you not having a habit of terrorizing or associating with humans." Grandeeney commented as she idly patted her sleeping daughter's head while she watched Bell roast a large bird that had made the sore mistake of trying to eat him an hour ago. "Are you really okay with the 400 Year Plan?"
"You think too much, Grandeeney." Merctulia huffed, idly surveying the Sky spell that was hovering around them, ensuring that Bell wouldn't be able to overhear them. "It's going to be quite boring here without Bell..."
Merctulia gained a rather evil smirk. "After all, how could I ever be separated from my favorite toy? He's practically my son anyways."
Grandeeney weakly chuckled. "Don't you have a son already?"
"Mercphobia?" Merctulia shrugged. "You forget, Grandeeney, that we dragons are solitary creatures that do not gather together under a bond of blood. If Mercphobia were to ever come back and challenge me for whatever reason, I will show no hesitation in ripping in throat out. Bell's different in the sense that he still somehow evokes that territorial feeling in me, despite him being human."
"Ah, that is true for me with Wendy." Grandeeney nodded in agreement, not bothered by the mother's threat to her own child as dragons had vastly different codes of conduct compared to humans. Even Igneel had commented that she was often too kind for her own sake. If she had never become playmates with Merctulia in their younger years, Grandeeney seriously doubted that she might have ever created any offensive techniques with her Sky Magic. "I hope she'll be okay by the time we have to leave them?"
"Don't underestimate your child, Grandeeney." Merctulia growled, sending over annoyed glance. "Wendy may be human by nature, but she and Bell were nurtured by dragons! Don't go implying that we're weak creatures!"
Grandeeney's eyes widened at Merctulia's declaration before softening with refreshed resolve as she looked up to the sky. "Right. We... and them by association... We are dragons... Fierce creatures that have always pursued their desires no matter the obstacle... Even if the skies are set ablaze... Even if the earth is ripped asunder... Even the seas are soaked vermillion with blood from many others... a dragon is a walking manifestation of calamity itself."
Merctulia nodded as she looked up to the sky as well. "You're damn right."
Alakitasia - X377
It was finally the day of Bell's separation from Merctulia. The previous day, he had undergone his 'graduation', which had essentially been a flat out battle between him and her which had ended in his loss.
At the very least, the objective had been to land a 'lasting blow' against her, which Bell had succeeded in after leaving four long and thin scars against her abdomen.
When Natsu, Gajeel and Sting found out after he told them, his three 'little brothers' hadn't taken that well and had tried to challenge their dragons on the spot, leaving Wendy and Rogue to wince as they were all swiftly defeated in one hit each.
"Ha!" Merctulia crowed with total smugness. "My Bell's the best!"
"He's the oldest, after all." Igneel grumbled. "Natsu will easily match him in 10 years. Maybe 7 if he really pushes it."
"There's only so much Sting can do with his 5-year-old body." Weisslogia nodded along. "He'll need ample time to properly grow."
While the dragons started to argue in the background, proving that age definitely didn't mean maturity amongst them, Bell observed the huge magical gate before him.
Neither Anna nor Merctulia had been forthcoming about why they'd all needed to enter the gate on the same day.
(And he hadn't even gotten into the fact that Wendy(5), Sting(5) and Rogue(5) were still little kids compered to Bell(13), Natsu(10) and Gajeel(11).
Only Grandeeney and Skiadrum had had the decency to at least look apologetic.)
"Now, now all of you get ready." Anna said with a smile as she walked over to the group of children. "When we get the gate ready, you'll all walk in one at a time. The gate will send each of you to a safe place to start your own journey into the world. You could very well end up meeting each other again fairly soon depending on how close or how far apart the gate transports you."
"Um…but…what if we end up someplace scary and all alone." Wendy asked nervously afraid to end up by herself somewhere unfamiliar.
"Don't worry, Wendy." Anna reassured the younger girl as she hugged her. "You'll all be safe. I promise that the gate will only send you to a safe place. Besides, I'll be following right after."
"Tch, whatever. Can we just get on with this?" Gajeel questioned as he looked away from everyone. Anna smiled at the little Iron Dragon Slayer as Metalicana (very weakly) flicked the back of his head. "Fuck off, rust bucket!"
"Alright, I'll go activate the gate, say your goodbyes to your parents." Anna acquiesced as she and a few other mages from her clan moved towards the gate.
"Bye, Merctulia. I already left a scar for you to remember me so when I master {Dragon Force}, I'll definitely beat you-" Bell started only to be surprised when Merctulia suddenly shifted into her human form and hugged his face into her chest. "What?"
"I'm going to miss teasing you." Merctulia murmured into Bell's hair. "There just aren't many things as funny as you trying not to stare whenever a pair of large mammary glands catch your attention."
Grumbling a bit, Bell relented and hugged her back, tightly holding Merctulia close against him. "How strong do you want me to be?"
Merctulia tilted her head. "How about you become strong enough to be worthy of having a chance to mate me?"
Nearby, Anna blushed and choked as Bell's own face went tomato red. "He's a human and your student and son!"
Merctulia turned about to give her a raised eyebrow. "So? Our relationship isn't as parent-and-child-like as the others."
"...we took the liberty of preparing some supplies for your trip, children." Shaking her head and fighting down her blush, Anna called over the children as they all walked over towards their human teacher, motioning to the six rucksacks off to the side of the gate. "They each have your name on them and enough supplies to help you get started wherever you get sent. You'll find a couple days of food supplies and some water. There are also tools to help you catch food and make shelter like I taught you. Just in case you end up in a forest and have to find your way out."
"Thank you, Anna-sensei!" Bell, Wendy, Natsu, Sting, and Rogue thanked the blonde woman while Gajeel just mumbled his own thanks. Anna smiled at them before motioning them to start into the gate one at a time.
"Bye, you guys!" Bell called out as he stepped through the Eclipse Gate first. "I hope I'm lucky enough to be near a body of water."
Mercurius, Fiore - X777
Layla Heartfilia stood before the opened Eclipse Gate as the magic swirled within the opened doors. The strain on her magic to keep this portal open was immense and she was already struggling even after just a few minutes. Suddenly, seven beams of light were launched out of the gate one after another, all headed in different directions as they smashed through the ceiling and vanished over the horizon.
"Finally, it's done." Layla stated tiredly as she stopped her magic and allowed the Eclipse Gate to close. She collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion as her trusted friend and king. "I'll be alright. With this done, Lucy won't have to worry about fulfilling the Heartfilia Family mission."
"If you say so, Layla." Toma E. Fiore replied as he helped her up and away from the gate. "I just hope that those beams of light that came through are truly capable of dealing with Acnologia."
Layla smiled with exhausted relief in knowing that her daughter would be free to follow her own dreams. As she was escorted back to her home, unaware of her imminent death from magic deficiency, Bell woke up to a thunderstorm raging above him.
Looking around in confusion and noting a complete lack of Merctulia's presence, Bell frowned before getting up to explore the area.
It was very miniscule but Bell felt just the tiniest bit... heavier.
He also really didn't like the sensation that he was forgetting something important.
For the next couple of months, Bell would always act like he was a big brother to many children, which went far in confusing a lot of people, including himself.
(That rarely stopped him from frequently imagining that there was usually a little hand that was supposed to have held on to his...
It all finally made sense when he ran into Wendy Marvell again five years later.)
KingVessel: My first Fairy Tail only Fanfic! Please send me your reviews!