Angora was a bustling merchant city. Walls of sandstone surrounded the city and big, heavy, iron doors protected it from outsiders trying to get in. Guards were posted at the top of the wall; mages who usually were usually looking for a steady job. It blended in well against the desert around it, the only thing distinguishing it was the marbled stones and silk flags decorating the outside of the city.
Lucy smiled, panting from the sun, as they reached the doors. "Fucking finally." She said, un-slinging her backpack from her back, taking out the water that was inside.
"Are we here?" Evergreen asked, just as winded.
Bickslow looked up, shielding his eyes with his hand. "Yeah, we're here. Welcome to Angora, guys."
"Snehituḍā lēka śatruvā?!" A voice yelled down to them. Lucy looked up to see the guards looking down on them.
"Snēhituni!" She yelled back, standing up from her crouched position.
"Pheyirī tōka nuṇḍi san̄jñalu!" Bickslow added, throwing a cursory glance at Lucy. She grimaced but nodded at him.
"Mīru ā agni māj lēdu... Sālamaṇḍar, mīru cēstārā?" One of the guards asked, sheepishly. Lucy snorted and shouldered her bag.
"Iḍiyaṭ tirigi phiyōrlō undi. Mēmu vāṇijyāniki mariyu konaḍāniki ikkaḍa unnāmu, iṅkēmī lēdu, ēdī takkuva kādu." Lucy replied calmly.
The two guards looked at each other, before looking back at them. "Mējik gurin̄ci caṭṭālu mīku telusā? Alāgē jarimānālu?"
Bickslow nodded. "Nēnu cēstānu. Vāru caṭṭālanu vicchinnaṁ cēyaḍāniki ēmī cēyaru."
The guards stood back up and shouted something behind them. Seconds later, the doors creaked and heaved as they opened.
"That's it?" Freed questioned, looking at Lucy and Bickslow with a puzzled expression. Lucy looked back at him with an unreadable look.
"Pretty much. People here are pretty laid back, plus not many outsiders know the dialects of Bosco. We told them what they wanted to know. It's pretty straightforward here." Lucy replied, as they entered the city.
Stalls upon stalls lined the streets; vendors shouted out deals and people bustled from one place to another. Somewhere off to the right, a group of bards were playing, making the city come to life.
Lucy took a deep breath of the air and smiled. It wasn't fresh by any means, but it was familiar and welcome and warm. She turned to her group and said,
"Alright, from here out, we need to split up. Don't start with the silk traders, there's no point right now, seeing as it's pretty early in the day. So, this is the time to get supplies and do a little digging on Angora, find out a little more about the city and its residents." The group nodded at her, all with varying degrees of determination.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm definitely looking for better clothes. Maybe they have a magic vendor here as well." Evergreen said, fanning herself. "I'll go with Laxus."
Laxus groaned. "The last time, you took me shopping I had to carry everything. I'm limiting whatever you buy, Ever." He looked around. "Freed, you want to come with us?"
The green haired mage practically melted. "Of course I'll come with you, Laxus-sama." The trio nodded at the before taking off.
Lucy snorted softly and clicked her tongue. "Alright, that leaves Cobra and Gajeel." She looked at the two of them questioningly.
Cobra rolled his eyes. "Sorry, Sugar Tits, I'm going with Soul Eater over here."
Lucy huffed. Cobra, you ass.
"And a fantastic one I have, Babes. Have fun with the Iron Stud Muffin, I'm getting something to eat." He said, waving her off as he dragged Bickslow off to a far off stall.
Lucy glanced at Gajeel and looked him up and down. "Come on, Stud Muffin, let's get to exploring." She said, holding out her hand.
Gajeel let out an amused sound and uncrossed his arms, slipping his gloved hand into hers and holding on tight.
"Where to first, Bunny?"
Gajeel couldn't get over Angora; the place was like a cliche desert paradise and he could now see why Mbatha sent them here. Because if you wanted to, you could hide something here for years before someone would find it. And the people here, almost all of them seemed to have a hidden agenda; the secrets they whispered to each other, the ones that he could only just pick out.
"You're listening to them, aren't you?" Lucy asked him, quietly as they made their way over to a fruit vendor.
Gajeel nodded. "Yeah, Mbatha was right. This is like a hub for information on anything."
Lucy smiled at that and squeezed his hand. "Almost anything, but I know what you mean. Angora is a good place to lay low in."
Gajeel turned to look at her and cocked an eyebrow. "Oh? Know about laying low, do you? Just what has the little Bunny been getting herself into, hmm?" He leered, smirking at her when she chuckled and flushed pink.
"Let's just say that the Knights... have nothing on Bosco's sellswords. Angora was my refuge for a good three weeks while I waited them out." She replied, glancing at him a bit sheepishly.
Gajeel laughed quietly and shook his head. "You'll have to tell me more about it sometime."
Lucy gave him a sly smile. "Maybe I will. In the meantime, let's grab some fruit and hit the brothels. It's about time to get to actual business."
"Brothels? I thought we were going to talk to silk traders?" Gajeel asked, puzzled.
"We are. They also happen to sell the silk too." Lucy replied matter-of-factly. Gajeel huffed and rolled his eyes at her.
"That is such a cliche, it's not even funny." He replied, bumping his shoulder into her's and grabbing a handful of mangoes.
The brothel that they went to was unlike anything Gajeel had seen. He had been to whorehouses before, but this…. This was a pleasure palace compared to those. Sheer, colorful curtains hung and lined the walls and ceilings, obscuring booths and tables from view. Scantily clad women and men served and danced and entertained clients, while bards played in the background; the smell of cooking meats- warm and savory- lust, sex and sandalwood perfumed the air, making Gajeel's nose itch. The place was lavish.
"Lūsī! Nā cinna liṅks, mīru tirigi vaccāru!" A voice called out to them.
An older woman, with long, curling dark hair, golden skin and unnatural green eyes came up to them. She was wrapped in cerulean layered sheer fabric and silk; her toned stomach, calves and ankles, arms and back glittered with sweat and oil and she smelled intoxicating.
"Carina," Lucy greeted her, smiling when she was brought into an embrace. Carina pulled back and cupped her face, pressing a kiss to her lips.
Gajeel could feel his eyes widen and his dragon prowling and growling beneath the surface. He coughed and looked away.
Lucy pulled back from Carina and glanced at him. "Sorry about that Gajeel. Carina is a former partner of mine when I stayed here."
Gajeel just nodded. "Yeah, I can see that." He said, his voice a bit strained.
Carina stalked closer to him and circled his persona. "Well, well, Lucy," She began, her voice heavily accented as she spoke Fiorian. "What a snack you've brought into my place of worship."
Lucy snorted. "Not for playing with, Carina." The brunette looked forlorn at her.
"But he's delicious looking, My Lynx. Are you sure we can't share him? It's been so long since we last shared somebody. I believe Felix was the one, was he not?" She pondered, looking at Lucy with a wry expression.
"I heard my name," A man said, walking over to them. He did a double take as he looked at Lucy. "Lucy Heartfilia! Woman, you get more gorgeous every time I see you."
The man had long, red hair, dark gold skin, and bright amber eyes. He had an elaborate silk wrap around his waist and golden arm bands around his biceps; a large tribal tattoo of a bird decorated his back, reaching all the way down to the dimples above his ass.
"Felix," Lucy replied, shaking her head at the man and accepting a kiss on the cheek from him. "You get…. Hornier every time I see you."
Gajeel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest, huffing as he watched them.
Felix winked at her. "Always, babe." He looked at Gajeel and a smirk appeared on his lips. "W-"
Lucy held up a hand. "Nuh-uh, Felix. Like I told Carina, not for playing with. We're here for a reason, you two."
Carina eyed her curiously. "A tea spilling session, is it?" She asked, leaning her frame into Felix, who wrapped his arm around her waist.
"Tea spilling?" Gajeel asked, frowning at them. Lucy nudged him gently as she nodded at Carina.
"Yeah, though, we need to use one of the back rooms for this." She replied. Felix and Carina looked at each other and then at Lucy, surprise written on their faces.
"This is serious then." Felix said, with a determined expression. "Well, let's get to it then."
*Friend or Foe?
**Friend!
***Mages from Fairy Tail!
****The fire mage.. Salamander isn't with you, is he?
*****The idiots back in Fiore. We're just here to trade and buy, nothing more and nothing less.
******You know the laws regarding magic? The penalties too?
*******I do. They won't do anything to break the laws.
********Lucy! My little lynx, you're back!
