Chapter 2

Stretching, Natsu began to yamn.

"I would much rather sleep in the forest than here !"Natsu assured. After Leone had left, the trio had finally decided to spend their money on food before finding refuge in an abandonned house, in a street not very recommended. And during the night, Natsu and Gajeel had to wake up three times, in order to get rid of undesirable people, who had the bad idea of wanting to pick their pockets.

In any case, just as yesterday, the wizards were no further ahead in their present position.

"No way to know where Fiore is !" Wendy sighed

"And we have have nothing to eat !" Natsu complained.

"That's normal ! Happy roars, in his ear, always sit on his shoulder ! You spent everything yesterday, you greedy bastard !"

"Wait, who wanted eat dozens of fish ?" Natsu retorted. Hearing only his voice, several passersby looked at him with surprise and fear, while they saw him taking to his cat, without understanding that the cat was also speaking.

"Natsu, shame on us ! " Wendy whispered, looking down.

"Eh ? Why ?" He wondered, turning to her. Not looking where he was going, Natsu suddenly bumped into someone, whom he almost ran over.

"Ouch !" Tatsumi say, back away.

"Hmmm ? Tatsumi ?"

"Ah, are you guys ?" The boy said with surprise ! "So, are you all right since yesterday ?"

"I would say that we survive as best we can !'' Gajeel replied !" We still don't know where we are !"

"What about you ? Wendy questionned him ! "Were you able to join the army ?" Suddenly, a black cloud appeared on the boy's head, which ended up squatting in front of a wall, with a depressive face :

"Euh … actually … a few things have happened since we left !"

"Don't stand in the way, please !" A guard adviced, as a huge chariot was advancing towards them. Seeing its contents, Gajeel and Natsu opened theirs mouths wide, noticing that it contained only clothes and other things.

"What is that ? It's as big as Erza's luggage !"

"These are Aria's new clothes !" Tatsumi explained to them.

"Aria ?"

"Yes ! In fact, I couldn't be accepted in the army ! And then, I was robbed of all my money ! So I ended up on the street, until I met Aria and she took me home ! Thanks to her father, several people are looking for my friends and to thank her, I try to help her carry her purchases ! "

"Well, that's nice of him !" Natsu remarked ! "We, of our side, … !"

"Oh, are you the famous friends of Tatsumi ?" A cheerful voice asked. Moving towards them, Aria ends up making her appearance, smiling at the lips.

"Delighted ! I am Aria !" And if Wendy and Happy didn't feel anything, a chill ran down the backs of the other three. They didn't know why, but this person spoke with a strange tone. Like she's forcing herself on them.

"This is the person who helped me !" Tatsumi said ! " But sorry, Aria, these are just people that I met yesterday !"

"Oh ? And they too may need my help ? If so, it would be a great pleasure to welcome you to my home ! Especially … !" Moving forward in front of Wendy, she said: "It's been a long time since I've played with a child my own age ! " Passing her hand through her hair, she noticed :

"Wow, your hair is so smooth and beautiful !"

"Uh … thanks you !" She thanked her. Then suddenly, she froze, having the strange impression of feeling Aria's fingers begin to touch her with more force, while her voice became more sinister.

"Yes, you have such beautiful hair !" But finally backing away from her, and turning to Natsu and Gajeel ! "So ? Would you like to come home and enjoy a good meal ?"

"Uh … no thanks !" Natsu immediately declined ! "In fact, we already have a place to live !" Suddenly agitating, not understanding his gesture, Happy began to scratch him in the face.

"Ow, you're hurting me, idiot !"Covered his face, Happy adressed him, without Aria being able to see him.

"Hey, what's gotten into you ? Why are you refusing his help ?"

"She is shady !" Natsu replied ! "And believe me, my instinct has very rarely betrayed me about this !" After his refusal, Aria ends up giving them a sign of goodbye, before leaving with Tatsumi and his guards.

"Stop sulking, Happy !" Natsu cried.

"As long as I have no fish, I will sulk as much as I would like !" While the small group had found a place on the terrace of a tavern, the bad mood was present with Happy who still resented Natsu for having refused such a beautiful proposal to be able to eat at will. Nevertheless, Gajeel ends up being of the same opinion as Natsu.

"I didn't trust that girl either ! She seemed to me like … strange ! "

"Me, I had the impression that she wanted to hurt me !" Wendy confessed ! " My hair seemed to fascinate her while awakening a certain anger in her !"

"In the meantime, we still have no money !" Happy roars, before Natsu leaves his hand in front of his mouth so that he does not attract the attention of other customers.

"In this case, let us return to the good old methods !" Lily proposed ,looking at something ! "Let us resume our work as wizards !" Turning the face, the others could see notices of search, stuck on a wall showing the faces of some people.

"I saw several similar posters yesterday !" Lily assures ! "So we may think they're highly wanted criminals !"

"The reward for their capture must therefore be enormous ! " Gajeel understools. Immediately raising his hand, to attract the attention of one of the waiters of the tavern, Natsu exclaimed.

" Hey, I have a question ! Those guys over there, you wouldn't have any idea where we could find them ?" Looking at him with astonishment, the server said :

" Surely you don't come from here ! Don't you know '' Night Raid '' ?"

"What is that ?"

" A group of extremely dangerous criminals !" The waiter said ! "It seems that your chances of staying alive, after meeting one of its members, are nil ! They are known to kill city people effectively ! Many have tried to capture them … and died ! If you are interested by the reward, a little advice : give up now ! Anyway, finding them is even more complicated than killing them ?"

" You seem to know a lot ! Wendy remarked."

"Oh, I hear a much gossip ! If you want the news of the day, you can always trust me ! I am Hiyo ! Nice to meet you !

"So you may know where Fiore is ? " Noticed Natsu.

"Fiore ? "

" That's where we come from ! We want to go back !"

" I'm sorry, boys, but I've never heard of this place ! And yet, I have a nephew who works as a soldier in the foreign army !" Distraught, Natsu let his head fall on the table, while Gajeel asked.

"Can't you tell us more about this place ? We've only been here since yesterday !"

"It's simple ! You are in the capital of the capital of the Empire ! A place that has prospered for 1000 years ! "

" 1000 years ?" Wendy astronished ! "So the king of this place must have a lot of responsibility on his hands !" Suddenly looking around him, to be sure that no one hears him, Hiyo whispered.

"In fact, the emperor is only a child of your age ! "

"Huh ? Seriously, huh ?"

"Yes, but, if you want to know everything, it's a another person who controls this country in the shadows ! The Prime Minister !"

"The Prime Minister ?"

"Yeah ! I shoudn't say this but … there are strange rumors circulating around this guy ! Me, anyway, I don't trust him ! But, this stays between us, right ?"

" Do you know everyone ?" Natsu asked !" So you probably know a rich, blonde girl named Aria !"

"W … Why this question ? " Hiyo wanted to know, suddenly becoming a little nervous.

"Our friend has just been received by this person, but it doesn't seem correct !" Suddenly swallowing, Hiyo whispered again.

"There are also some strange rumors about this girl and her family ! In fact, we can see them constantly taking poor people home to feed them ! "

"That's nice of them ! " Wendy noticed.

"Yes ! Except that the problem is that no one has ever seen them again ! They have as it were disappeared ! You can see, every day, poor people entering this house … to never leave it again !" Turning around, Hiyo said.

" Well, I will resume my service ! But I hope at least you will order something ! " Then turning to the wizards, he was surprised to see their empty table, while they had suddenly disappeared, having left at the speed of light.

" But what … ?"

Sniffing the air, in search of a familiar smell, Natsu began to growl.

" I knew this little girl wasn't clean ! We should have told Tatsumi about her ! "

"You think something could happen to him ? Wendy wanted to know ."

" In any case, an investigation is necessary ! " Lily said ! " Let's just hope that we worry for nothing !" Sniffing in turn, Gajeel replied.

"Might as well look for a needle in a haystack ! There are too many smells to recognize the one of Tatsumi or the other girl ! We must ask our way !"

"No need !" Natsu assured , running in one direction ! " We only have to go back where we met them ! It will be much easier to find the right track !"

" You think you're a dog, or what ? " Happy questionned. Speaking of dogs, a small animal suddenly came out of a small street, just in front of Natsu who barely had time to see him. Feeling his legs hit him, the mage fell to the ground, face down against the ground. Falling in turn, the dog began to move its tiny paws in an attempt to get up. But before he could do so, a person took him in his arms and scolded him.

"Koro, I told you to stop wandering around without me ! " Suddenly hearing Natsu moaning, before seeing him on the floor, the girl exclaimed.

"Ah, sorry ! You fell because of Koro ? Sorry ! "

"T ... That's good ! Natsu assured, getting up, while rubbing his chin ! " I've had worse !" Looking at the newcomer, Gajeel stood on his guards as he recognized her.

''It was the yesterday girl who smelled the blood ! "

Finally recovering, Natsu wanted to know.

"Who are you ?"

"I am Seryu of the Imperial Guard ! " The girl said, making her military salute ! " If you have any problems, I'll be happy to help you !" Suddenly looking at Natsu, she started staring at him. Then, suddenly, she jumped on him.

" What … ?" The boy wondered, backing away. Nevertheless, closing his arms on him, Seryu grabbed Happy, still seated on his shoulder and suddenly began to cuddle him.

"He is so cute ! He is blue ! I've never seen a cat as cute as him ! " Being strangled more than anything else, Happy had to keep quiet so as not to beg her to let go. But, seeing this, Koro suddenly began to move in all directions, as if to want to attract Seryu's attention.

"That's a strange dog you have there ! " Gajeel noticed when he introduced himself to Wendy.

"This is my teigu, Hecatonchires ! But I prefer Koro !"

" Teigu ? " Natsu repeated, squatting next to the dog ! "Is it a breed of dog ?"

" But no, idiot ! " Seryu chuckles, finally letting go of Happy ! "Teigus are weapons created long ago for the former emperor ! Koro is one of them !"

"A weapon ? "

"And what can he do ? " Wendy questionned him.

"He fights the bandits !" Seryu assured, renewing his military salute ! " As soldiers, it's our duty to ensure that the citizens of this city are defended and that justice reigns !" It was clear that at this point, Wendy had already smelled the strange smell she was wearing, as well as the smell of blood on her dog. But, she could only hear sincerity in her voice when she spoke of justice.

" That's great ! " She said !" We too are working to keep order !" Suddenly having his eyes shining, Seryu suddenly took his hands, before questionned him.

"Is this true ? Are you also defending justice ? How ? "

"We … We catch bandits or we do missions to help people !"

"And what are you doing here ?"

"We have come to capture the Night Raid's members !" Gajeel lied to him, to appear more credible.

"Incredible ! " Seryu rejoices ! " I too want to capture them ! " Suddenly developing a dark aura around her, she clenched her fist before saying ! " There is no question of me leaving these murderers free ! I will therefore fight to rid the world of these scoundrels ! People like them obstruct justice and anything but corruption !" Realizing that her sudden rage surprised more than one, she resumed her cheerful smile before asking.
" In fact, would you need help ?"
" Uh … we're looking for the house of a certain blond and rich girl named Aria ! You know her ?"
" Of course !" She helps anyone ! " She is an example to follow !" Pointing at one direction, she said ! "You go down this street and you take the path to the left when you reach the fountain ! His house is the one with an apple tree not far from the entrance gate ! "
" Ok, thank you ! " Natsu thank you ! " We owe you one ! "
" No need ! " Seryu assured ! " I am pleased to make people happy ! See you next time ! " Leaving the small group, she grabbed a leash that she put around Koro's neck before leaving with him.
"This girl … never trust her ! " Lily said ! " I have a bad feeling about her !"
"Yeah, his little animal smelled blood ! " Gajeel said.

"My, I find it rather interesting ! " Natsu replied, smiling ! " I don't know why, but I feel like it might be fun to fight it !"
"In the meantime, we have other things to do ! Happy remarked."
"Oh yes, it's true ! Natsu confessed, looking at the sky ! It's going to start getting late, so let's go! "