White Eclipse
Chapter 12
"Erza.. Are you sure you're okay to go on this mission." Wendy looked up at the scarlet haired mage in concern as they stopped at the southern outskirts of Talhan forest.
"I'm fine Wendy." Erza replied, giving her a nod and a smile for reassurance. She then looks towards the forest, or what used to be the forest. The land was now nothing but rotted trees. No animals, no grass. Nothing but tall trees without leaves.
"Talhan forest. Once a rich environment years ago. Now a ghost of it's former self."
"If it's been like this for years, why has it never been investigated?" Lucy asks as she walks to the first tree, peeling at it, but not really paying attention to what she was peeling at.
Erza began to walk forward, into the forest before she stopped and looked around again. "It was told in the briefing, that this forest was investigated, by one of the magic councils captains. But that captain said it was because of natural occurrences so they left it alone. But now, activity that's been linked to the dark guild we're after has been happening here. No idea what though."
Natsu slams a fist into his open palm. "Well what are we waiting for!? Lets go in there, find them, and bust them up!"
"Aye sir!" Happy jumps up, raising a small paw in the air. He, Charla and Lily obviously accompanying their respective dragon slayers. The gang starts walking into the forest, Lucy bringing up the rear as she stops scratching the hollow tree. What she didn't see as she followed, since she wasn't really paying attention, was the bike crystal like substance under the hollow tree.
"Lets split up. We're more effective that way." Erza looks around at her team. Gajeel already starts walking to the east. "Me and Lily will go over here."
"Happy! Lucy! Lets take this way!" Natsu pointed to the west as he began running off. Happy flying right behind him.
"Hey wait up!" Lucy runs after the two, leaving the remaining four.
Erza then nods and looks at the remaining obvious teams.
"It looks like me and Wendy will take the middle of the forest. You two take the North."
"You..two...oh.." Gray turns around slowly to see a swooning Juvia with hearts in her eyes.
"Finally! Juvia and Gray-Sama actually start a job together. This is the start to an eternal love with Gray-Sama!"
Gray gives a stale look as Erza, Wendy and Charla are already leaving. "I doubt it..."
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"Splitting up is a horrible idea." Luke protested. "I feel we should explore these woods together."
Reve simply smirks. "Well there's a reason you aren't leading this group. In fact, Luke, how about you go alone. Take the east."
White eclipse entered Talhan forest from the North. They all stood around as Reve and Taya began delegating things. Luke, with no comeback he saw fit without getting hit, began walking east, cursing under his breath.
"Well now that Luke is headed east. How do you guys want to split up?"
Tak began walking to the west.
Reve shouted back to him. "Takeru you can't go alone, we already have Luke doing that!"
Heather starts walking in the direction Luke took off in. "Let him go alone then. I'll catch up to Luke."
Reve scratches his head. "Oi...so that leaves us four."
"I'm not going with Reve, Taya. Not alone. I'll kill him." Reve laughs boisterous as Selene crosses her arms from her own comment. Taya sighs. "That's fine. Me and Reve will take the south. You and Nami take the middle of the forest."
Reve rolls up his sleeves up to his elbows. "So it's settled then. Lets all get moving."
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"Erza..why me? I'm sure you'd rather go alone.." Wendy looked at the ground as the continued walking towards the middle of the forest. "Wendy, stop that. I believe in your abilities as much as anyone else's. especially since we may be up against an actual dark guild. We need your abilities now more than ever. You're not the little Wendy anymore. You're one of our strongest mages."
Wendy then smiles as Erza's words comfort her. "Aye! I'll do my best from now on too!"
"Good girl now, keep your eyes peeled for anything unusual."
"This whole forest is unusual." Charla groaned.
"Man. There is nothing here but dead trees." Natsu sighs as he puts his hands on top of his head.
"But we just started walking." Happy rebutted, even though he was flying.
"You're not even walking, you're flying."
"So!?"
Lucy interjects as they come across a steep hill, leading to even more dead trees.
"Will you two stop arguing before someone hears us? We want to find them, not them find us!"
"But now you're yelling Lucy. Don't stand too close to the edge Lucy, you might break it like the ice!" Happy covered his mouth to stifle the laughter.
"THAT WASNT ME THAT WAS TAURUS!" As she yelled, Happy's premonition came true as the edge she was standing over broke off. Lucy let out a loud scream as she began rolling down the hill. "We should see if she's okay." Natsu says while watching her tumble.
"You said that like it was an option." Happy replied.
As she finally came to the flat ground she checked herself to make sure she was okay and sighed in relief...then she starts rolling down hill again the other way. As she screamed all the way down the hill, she rolled into a small cave, landing in a hallway. The sides of the walls to the hallway had torches hanging off of them.
"W-where...what is this place?" She stands, but then grabs her left ankle in pain and immediately sits back down.
"I think I broke it."
"We should get that looked at."
Lucy freezes up as shivers go down her spine. She slowly turns around. Standing behind her, is a man with silver hair. He had a slim built, but a vicious yet calm demeanor.
"W-who are-"
"Shhh.." Another male puts a finger to her lips. "You were looking for Silent Sanctum right?" This male had red hair, and nearly pure black eyes with small white pupils. His neck had a scar nearly all the way around it. In his mouth was a lit cigarette. "I'm Hokori, and this here is the man himself, Aloysis. But we call him Aloy for short. We'll lead you to Silent Sanctum." The taunting in his voice was so obvious, and he wasn't trying to hide it. Lucy began sliding back slowly until Aloy steps on her hurt ankle, causing her to let out a loud scream.
"Damn you're loud. That's exciting." Aloy smirked as he stepped down a bit harder. "Scream a bit louder for me." Lucy complies as she felt the pain shooting through her ankle. Aloy finally stops as he begins walking off. "Hokori. Bring her. I'm sure she's not alone, so I'll gather the others and we can finally have some fun in this dump."
"Aye aye lead captain." Hokori says in a sarcastic tone, causing Aloy to look back with a low glare. As Aloy leaves, Hokori stands over Lucy with a sadistic grin. His right arm, then begins to glow. It expands three times it's size as it now looks like the arm isn't even his. As if it used to belong to someone else.
"What are you!?" Lucy continues backing up, but she couldn't move fast enough to get away. "I told you my name girl. Now, lets get you set up. I have a friend who specializes in torture." Hokori grabs Lucy by her hurt ankle as he drags her off. Lucy lets out an agonizing scream. A scream so loud, the sound flows out of the cave. Natsu and Happy were slowly making their way down the hill, thinking she wasn't in too bad of shape. Until they heard the scream, stopping Natsu dead in his tracks, his eyes and ears perked, even though happy didnt hear a thing.
"Lucy!"
