Tale of the Sky Maiden
LastationLover5000 and Demod20
Chapter 19 - Trials and Troubles in Paradise
Happy.
It was the first time the vagabond Lazuli had felt genuine happiness. Clinging to the arm of a handsome young man who seemed to relish his company just made him swoon. Going through the marketplace interlocked made his heart beat and his stomach tingle with butterflies.
Lyon Vastia regaled of his time spent getting to Paradisio, across the vast deserts of...well, Desierto. He seemed to be ordinarily stoic but having taken a liking to the blue haired mage had brought his more passionate side.
"...and when we came across what we thought was a bundle of trees for some much needed shade, it turns out they were carnivores that had the backs of turtles that had flora growing off their shells!" He emphasized, spreading his free arm out and smiling broadly as he described the monsters
"Necks of massive snakes that spout acid, I think they were called-"
"Oasis Vipers," Robyn answered without thinking, making Lyon blink with surprise at him. The azure slayer cleared his throat and hastily explained away. "Uh, I did travel through Desierto once upon a time, but that a much less enjoyable trip. Nasty buggers though, but thankfully their shells aren't too tough that magic can't handle it."
"Hmm, indeed," He quieted, smiling over at Robyn as they continued to walk along the booths and shops set along the big city's path in silence. Robyn couldn't help but steal a glance at things he felt he could pocket away for later as his eyes lit up at sparkly gems and magical trinkets on display.
"Would you like me to purchase something for you, my lady?"
Robyn had to supress a fitt of laughter and a spout of water behind a swift hand clasping over his mouth. Despite Lyon's cluelessness about his gender, he didn't want to spoil the mood so he discreetly wiped away the spit and turned back to bat his eyes at Lyon.
"You'd do that for me? But, I don't know if I could pay you back-"
"Consider it a gift to you, whose beauty can never be matched by anything that glitters here; only compliment it," He smoothly turned his chin and smiled chastely at the young slayer with a momentary glance.
This guy is such a huge sucker, but he's cute enough I can ignore it...Robyn thought, outwardly accepting his generosity with grace while inwardly rubbing phantom hands together greedily. How much can one cute boy like me get spoiled? Let's see how deep his wallet is, hm?
Just as Lyon left the street to peruse what he thought was appropriate wares to satisfy his attempt at flattering the crossdressed teen, something shifted in the air. Blinking, the Lazuli enchanter could feel the normally pervasive sense of wonderment hanging in Paradisio's air had shifted in temperature. Magic had been cast but, when he turned to sniff the noticeable scent, there was nothing around.
The people were still bustling. Most of his comrades were still in view, with Fairy Tail Mages abound and having all kinds of interactions with the booths.
He saw Bobbie and Doranbolt at what looked like a carnival game of throwing blunt knives at standie-targets. Eris was listening to a chorus of busquing performers along with a slew of other marketplace shoppers. Macao along with his pompadour friend and his son along with Kinana in the background witnessing - to Romeo's chagrin - the Guild Master trying not to trip over himself with the palace escorts keeping an eye on the majority of the guest mages.
Wait. He could make out the friendliest of the three and the more loudspoken that cleared them a path into the market district. But where was the third one?
"Something wrong?" Lyon asked, quickly picking up on Robyn's change of demeanor.
"I don't know," He answered, smiling at him in a disarming way to put him at ease. "Thought I missed someone in the crowd, but it was just nothing."
"If you say so," He quietly replied, looking around himself as if he had the same notion to check. "Where's Sherria?"
"She's with Wendy and Charles," Robyn remarked, having forgotten the Exceed's name was Charle. "They're responsible enough to keep her safe, I assure you."
"As I said, as you say, my lady," He spoke with more reassurance, much to Robyn's glee.
Unbeknownst to Robyn, Lyon closed one eye while using an unseen hand to extend his forefingers behinx his magic. In a small, unnoticed puff of water and ice, an eyeball matching Lyon's attached to a frozen sparrow sculpture took flight and began to fly off, out of sight but keeping Lyon's mind tracking its artificial gaze.
Ice Make: Sky Eye Sparrow! I may trust you, miss Robyn, but I worry too much. I'll take a discreet look myself…!
Though, his gut feeling not abading, Robyn himself discreetly tugged at the hem of his pointed hat, activating a latent link magic he enchanted into it.
I'm sure nothing is off...but on the safe side I'll steal a moment from a more alert persona…
THUNK-THUNK-THUNK!
All three targets of the highest worth were impaled on the center of the targets. The blunt knives used for thr excursions normally would have a hard time sticking into the wood, but the power and efficiency of the deed done was so superb that the booth owner just gawked with amazement.
"Wow, the fourth game and I won again," Bobbie replied dryly, though a smirk armed on her face showed anything but boredom. Looking to a pair of sleeveless arms holding a bundle of soft, large stuffed plush dolls enamored by weapons and jewels of high worth, she grinned smugly at the face barely perceived through the crack of easily won carnival goods.
"C-Congratulations are in order, to be sure," The booth owner spoke, his voice timid as he stared with less humor to the attractive foreigner. "But, perhaps you are too tired to continue-"
"That was just a warm-up," She flatly declared, her smile turning sinister as the air around her began to flourish blue with her Aura; frightening the man and a crowd of onlookers. "Shall I show you some of my real power?"
"I-I-I'm going to be ruined by this w-woman-!" He began to squeak out impotently, teeth chattering and face running wild with upward ascending cold sweat.
"I won't give you money for another game, Bobbie."
Bobbie's manifestation of ill will vanished, returning with a pout and instant look of boredom. Turning on her heels, her curvaceous hips and thick - barely covered - chest swayed as she grabbed Doranbolt through his armfulls of her shopping/wins and dragged him away.
Leaving the booth owner sobbing with relief as they finally departed.
"I-I'm not a pack mule!" Doranbolt grumbled as he stumbled along, barely able to hold the exotic shared stuff toys holding the weapoms and jewels he helpes her purchase. "Nor am I am a pocketbook! Stop using me!"
"You weren't complaining before," She countered.
"I have been! Repeatedly!"
"Not that I could notice," She replied with a barely seen shrug. Despite it all, a smile played upon her lips that the teleporter hadn't left despite the provocations. It had been a long time since she could rely on any man, especially one so capable.
While the scar-faced man just thought he was wasting time he could have used making sure Wendy was alright. Not that he disliked Bobbie, but as far as he had seen, she was only out to test the utmost limits of his patience.
Bobbie, it's me. A voice suddenly spoke to her, bringing her to raise a hand up to her head as she received an unheard signal that only she and one other could hear. Can you do me a small favor? I need you to check up on a few things…
"What? Why have you stopped?" Doranbolt asked with confusion at unwilling partner's halt and silence.
"Uh-huh, understood," She spoke, turning around and placing a hand on the mountain of gifts she achieved; in a flash of golden white light, disappearing into her Requip space. "C'mon, I need your help. Discreetly."
Of course now she uses her magic to haul her stuff, Doranbolt inwardly grumbled but only managed an outward grimace as he asked. "Is it trouble?"
"Unknown, a little blue bird contacted me using our item links' telepathy," She explained, gesturing to one of her gleaming earrings. "That's how I know something is up, otherwise he would have called for me the old fashined way."
Trouble? I should find Wendy…!
Doranbolt maintained a stoic face as his thoughts turned to alarm. Bobbie didn't betray her passive calm but he knew she wouldn't have stopped pestering him unless she believed it necessary.
So, the pair tried to discreetly comb through the crowd, looking for anything out of the ordinary. While Bobbie's eyes skimmed through faces and objects, Doranbolt peered at the surrounding environment. Most people that they saw were too enamored by their foreign ethnicity or their companions if not completely dazzled by the other events happening in the bazaar-like district.
Most people looked to be enjoying themselves, and yet...something felt odd. As Doranbolt looked towards a particular crowd, their expressions seeming to be animated yet were constantly recycled; as if watching a feed from a Communications Lacrima on loop.
Approaching the area, he felt his skin tingle as an active spell wafted over him. Grimacing, he turned to see instead of the odd crowd was now looking on in horror and crying out in their native tongue startled exclaimations. Turning to look behind him, he was stunned to see everything looked to be still, as if put on pause, from this point of the crowd on the street.
A faint murmuring was heard before a loud pop of air expelling from a massive impact followed by a stream of heat that crossed over his short haired scalp. Looking to the source, his eyes traced up to see Wendy, recovering in the air and narrowly avoiding a blow from an avatar of fire. Blinking, he saw her fend the antagonist off, giving himself ease till he felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Magic was concealing this action," Bobbie whispered into his ear, momentarily bringing a blush to his face at feeling her left breast press into his back. The following statement made him realign his priorities, however. "I managed to slip in, like you, but I see a possible culprit for this cover-up."
Before he could ask where, his periphery caught it. It was disguised within the shadow of a rooftop's colorful embroidered top, acting as a Sun-rood tent of sorts. A hooded figure wearing a white serpent mask held its hands out, slowly lowering them as a distant shout of Rune Knights was heard entering the fray.
An instant later, Doranbolt teleported Bobbie with him in front of the figure. Her voice gasped, and backed up farther in the shade as the pair examined her slender build and trappings.
"Who are you, and what were you doing to the people down there just now?" He asked brusquely, his eyes narrowed with a dangerous glint of grey behind them.
"A servant of the Queen of Desierto," She spoke, her voice distorted by the strange pale serpent mask. "And seeing that outsiders don't get in the way of true justice; no thanks to the Council pawns for interfering!"
Doranbolt growled, stepping towards her with fists curled and teeth bared.
"Someone precious was just harmed now. I hope to see that you'll regret trying to hide that from me…!"
As he sneered, he'd feel Bobbie rush around him, brandishing a blade that struck the air - sparks flying as an invisible whip retracted and coiled over the masked woman's head, air streaming from an open sleeve on her left. With Direct Line he moved forward instantly, throwing a punch straight at his enemy's mask. Bending down in the splits instantly revealed tanned curved legs enamored by golden bands of jewelry; following up with the whip becoming a distortive fist that sought to encompass his upper body.
"Shit!" He swore out, teleporting diagonally just barely out of the near invisible energy's path.
Bobbie, he saw leaped around in a blur, now embroiled in shadows as she activated her most memorable Requip to Doranbolt. Armed with a katana of darkness, she swung out in a deadly flourish, matching the invisible weapon's movements in a slew of magic induced sparks and electricity.
All the while the masked woman backed up, slipping through the top of the building's roof past its door and out the other side in a free fall. Turning her hooded head, a cry of surprise and pain came from Doranbolt darting after her and instantly bludgeoning her with a palm-heel into her shoulder - following with a teleport impact into the alley street below with a crash.
"Don't move," He warned, Bobbie landing opppsite of him, still on guard and poised to strike in full benefit of being in the shadows. "Or I'll dislocate your shoulder. And if you keep being difficult, I'll keep breaking bones till you speak."
The sound of clenched teeth sucking air was all he heard. Remaining still, he grimaced at having to resort to torture but he didn't want to let this chance pass by. He began to apply pressure-
"Look out!" Bobbie cried out, throwing a knife at Doranbolt's blind spot. As the teleporter turned to see, he noticed another white mask bearing the appearance of a pale snake. Leaping out from a nook in the building's wall like a reed instead of a person, an arm elastically sought him out only to divert to deflect Bobbie's knife. Doranbolt felt a spike of aura and teleported straight into the air, narrowly avoiding a massive distortion in the air - shapening to look akin to a massive snake of air that hissed in an attempted to batter him as much as clamp him in its jaws.
From the cloak that billowed out the phantom air snake, the figure attempted to flee only to be caught by a lancing shadow from the opposite structure's shade. Biting back a cry, she bounced off the ground and flipped back onto her feet, the air spiraling with a protectice wreathe as she stood her ground. Seeing Bobbie deter her attack as her comrade stretched her durable frame to spear and whip at her, a swift clash of blade on limbs ensued.
The sound of feet tapping behind her caused the first masked woman to growl and turn herself to face him. With her distortive weapon unwinding in a dizzyingly fast thrust, she'd briefly widen her eyes as he sidestepped without even teleporting.
Then, he zigzagged his Direct Line, above her head and grasping her hood and hauling her with him back violently into the ground.
"Direct Line: Lightning Impact!" He declared out as magic sparked from the force of his attack. The woman cried out, her mask shattering off her face and blood spouting from her mouth.
"Shadow Magic: Night Troupe Rush!"
As Doranbolt held her in a choke-hold using her hood and his other arm, Bobbie blitzed the other woman. Over a dozen shadow wreathed copies of herself circled around at high speeds, each one striking the enemy with non-lethal blows with their duplicate katanas - using the blades' pommels and their backs to pummel the elastic-like opponent.
The masked entity spiraled upward in the air from the multitude of near instantly landed sequential strikes. Then, a final kick sent them cracking into the wall they emerged from, soon was pinned against the wall by shadowy knives. The curvaceous woman garbed in darkness strode up confidently, reaching out and pulling the mask off.
At the same time, surprise was shown on both the swift pair. Doranbolt saw a bruised and bloodied pair of lips grimace as she weakly struggled, defiant eyes were looking up at him and a familiar yet fair face and darkly colored locks spilled forth. Bobbie herself was looking at a young man whose features were soft enough to pass as a young woman, but the souns of his growls and the shape of his eyes gave away his subdued masculinity. What's more, they both possessed jewelry and markings akin to a trio of women they had already become acquainted with.
"Escorts of the Queen…!" They both realized, their thoughts coming to the same conclusion.
"My-my, what do we have here?" A silvery voice inquired almost playfully from the side. Both turned to see an almost cobra-hooded figure of thick blues, purples and red making up the robe came a new figure of beguilimg and arrogant features. Behind the blue scaled hood of blue/purple was a pale, angular faced man with a sharp nose, chin and a smooth jawline; such features not belonging to one born in the harsh wastes of Desierto or lived pampered in Paradisio, making it seem he was a native to this land but dressed as such. More uncanny were a pair of mismatched eyes - the one on his right being a striking blue and the other being a red pupil within a sea of blackness. Flanked by him was a pair of white masked women on either side, stopping short as he raised a dark gloved hand up with a wide sleeve.
"Those are my subordinates and I would think it kind if you return them to me," He intoned, his tone cordial but his smile didn't reach his menacing eyes. "Given your tenuous stay as our guests, I would hate to see you locked up for the duration of your stay while the candicacy trials are underway."
"You've got a lot of nerve," Doranbolt snarled, tightening his hold over the woman as he glared at him spitefully. "Your people were casting magic to conceal whatever violence befell a dear friend of mine. What's to stop me from reporting you to the Council-?"
"They'll deport us," Bobbie interrupted, though not harshly, but in a calm and stoic way that she often had. Though her hand clenched the mask in hand, she looked angrily at the man with a sneer armed at his way. "You're not just some goon, are you?"
"Ah, that is correct!" The man clapped his hands together, taking the time to bow with both hands flourishing out exaggeratively. "I am one of the personal guards to the Queen, Yashin Shiyonin," He raised back up to his full height, grinning at the two as they saw the gravity of the situation. "As I said, either you release my subordinates or I'll have to unfortunately banish you from Paradisio; unless you'd like to spend the remaining time your guild is here in our dungeon? I am not picky with either, but are you?"
Doranbolt gritted his teeth, releasing the woman and standing upright. As the maskless agent coughed, she heard her male compatriot freed from the binds Bobbie placed on him. The two stoically bore their pain from the wounds they received, joining their masked brethren in their shadows.
"Thank you kindly," Yashin smiled thinly, his red eye gleaming with supressed menace. "I do love getting along with guests. Oh," He raised a single gloved finger up, as if he forgot something. "Spread word of what has happened here, try anything unsavory towards agents of the Queen, and you will find deportation or imprisonment a kindness compared to what I'd prefer to do to you."
A snap of Yashin's finger and the four of them disappeared in a pillar of smoke. Try as they might, the pair could find no trace of them nor where the magic took them.
"Well, that's great," Doranbolt huffed out, examining himself for any damage to his sleeveless jacket and pants from the battle. "It seems the Queen has some shady people under her wing."
"We should check on Wendy and the other two," Bobbie suggested, her Requip flashing around herself back to her traveling desert attire in a visible bounce of her breasts and hair. "They may actually tell us what happened to spark such an action by the Queen's agents."
Doranbolt sighed.
Things just had to be more complicated than a contest for a Queen's hand in marriage, he thought.
The Guild was soon coerced to return to their assigned quarters after a few more hours of ogling the wares, games and spectacles the marketplace had to offer. While Doranbolt and Bobbie confirmed they had sufficient protection from the Rune Knights, they decided to meet up as the rest of the guild was ferreted back. Crossing a bridge to the eastern side of Desierto where lavish guest housing was provided, the mages of Lamia Scale bid farewell for the evening to their friends in Fairy Tail.
"It was so nice to see you here, Wendy," Sherria said as she released a firm hug on the taller girl.
"I'm sorry I got you involved in that mess earlier," The blue haired mage apologized with a look of hurt in her eyes. "I should've held back. Given this isn't Fiore, I never thought of the consequences-"
"Naw, I still think you did the right thing," She said with a childish smile. Even as Wendy blinked at her enthusiasm, she began to playfully throw punches and kicks in the air. "The way you kicked his butt! Ha-Ha-Ha! And buwaaaaah!" She exclaimed giddily with a jump. "Ohhh it was so cool!"
"Even if it was cool," Charle admitted with a slight blush on her feline face, she nodded with a stern look at the two. "Never start a fight. Always look for a way to end things peacefully. And if that is not possible, just avoid getting involved."
"I'm sorry, Charle, but you're wrong," Wendy rebuttled, looking firmly back at her Exceed companion. "The way they were going to beat that man was unacceptable. I don't care whose laws I break, I'll fight when I think I should; Natsu would do no less!"
Charle caught herself before rebuking. She couldn't fault the inherent righteousness to what the young Slayer was saying. Even if it was illogical and put herself in danger she was unrepentant in what she chose to do.
"You're right, just...for your sake and everybody else's sake, let's keep out of trouble," She urged her maturing human friend. "I want this time spent here to have fun, and to help encourage Max in any way we can. Getting in trouble won't help anybody."
"I understand," Wendy relented, bending down and hugging Charle now, nuzzling her soft furred neck. "I'll try for you."
"That's all I ask," Charle smiled with her eyes closed.
Not far apart, Robyn was smiling with the blue-silver jewelry enamoring his neck, hat, wrists and ankles. Necklaces, a medallion, wreathes and bracelets, they all made the effeminate mage feel special and satisfy his penchant for shiny things. Lyon leaned over, placing a kiss on his hand and he left in a gentleman flourish that left the Slayer with blushes and hearts in his eyes.
Oh please take me now! He thought as Bobbie suddenly pulled him aside, whispering into his ear. The more he spoke, the more the lovestruck excited expression became more and more neutral. Looking to Doranbolt speaking to Wendy, Charle and Sherria, she thinned her stare and nodded with affirmation.
When Bobbie departed to speak to Eris, in the midst of her talking to the other Lamia Scale Mages, Lyon approached Jura with a more serious expression.
"You've had your fun?" The Wizard Saint asked with a slight smile. "You spoiled that girl quite a bit."
"She is quite special indeed," Lyon admitted with a chaste smile as his eyes closed in memory of the day. Just as quickly, though, his smile faded as a ice magic bird with a pronounced eyeball on its head landed on his shoulder. Yuki widened his own gaze as he joined Jura his flank, as Lyon spoke in a hush whisper. "Some shadow extends from the crown of Desierto. The attack that entangled Sherria may not be so isolated after all..."
Secret talks were made, unknown to their friends and most of the guilds they were party with. After a final bid of farewell to the each other, the Guild Master looked over at Robyn pulling at his sleeve with a serious look on his face.
"When we go to the first event tomorrow, keep an eye on the Queen's attendants," He spoke quietly.
"Something wrong?" He asked, Macao no longer imagining flirting with the woman he had been around all day.
"Don't know yet, but there's definitely something behind this whole ceremony that's going on," He intoned, glancing left and right without shifting his pointed-hat covered head. "Just keep your wits about you, Guild Master."
Complying with a nod, the Guild Master couldn't help feel being watched. Concurring with that feeling was a hooded figure, having been spotted in a split instant by the Rune Knights' Captain before vanishing just as quickly; leaving all with a sense of unease even if they couldn't place why.
The following night brought relief to the guild of Fairy Tail. After spending time enjoying the hospitality and exotic entertainment of Paradisio, the enigma of the queen's shadow brings some skepticism to some of the more disgusting members of the family unit. Unaware that the visiting Lamia Scale also were knowing something amiss going on, they rested and hoped to see the trials unfold naturally.
And it seemed to start off as intended. The same attendants as before brought them a morning meal and instructed them to follow closely as to not get separated as before. Leaving the compound, they were escorted through a side entrance away from the four main gates of the palace, activated by the union of the three placing hands on an unremarkable part of the structure's wall that lifted up into unseen seams and revealed a dimly lit corridor.
Arriving twists and turns within a seemingly underleveled labyrinth beneath the palace came a large populated arena of sorts. Crowds of people were seated within, the most lavishly dressed and important citizens of the kingdom with front row seats to whatever spectacle was unknown to the Fiorean foreigners.
Seated within a large viewing box that was levitated above the other seats, they would see it was entirely reserved just for them. In fact other aerial boxes with floating staircases leading up to them showed other people of importance; all having ties to the candidates for Prince Consort to the Queen herself.
"So many people," Wendy spoke in awe, looking around the dense crowd. While not as large as the stadium in Fiore's capital, it certainly presided within an immense underground dome, given luminescence by statues of the previously introduced four guardian beasts that predated the Queen herself; seemingly giving off light from no source other than magnificent craftsmanship and glowing metal. "And they do this every time the Queen wants a new husband?!"
"Seems like a pretty big tradition," Doranbolt intoned while looking around, taking in the people of importance. Apart from attendants or companions of the candidates, he noticed a foreign looking man draped in flowing garbs of deep color, seated in a chair next to turban hooded men and guarded by six standing figures; he recognized two of them being Yashin Shiyonin and Kaseem Aladrah. "Seems like the Queen's entourage are overseeing this, but no sign of her. Curious…"
"You would do to pick up on cues better," said Robyn, a dour look on his face. "There are scant few reasons nobles and royalty don't appear before the common folk. Firstly, a sense of pride: blue-bloods hardly mix with those below them. Secondly, necessity: keeping a low profile is arguably wiser, preventing assassination attempts and the like. Thirdly, the authority of the unknown: the people here exist under a theocracy, not a monarchy. Those under such sway are the easiest to manipulate and bend to their knees."
"But for what purpose?" Wendy asked, looking at the group of robed bodyguards and what seemed to be members of the royal entourage she hadn't met. "Do they have any reason to lie about the existence of their Queen or what she looks like?"
"Plenty," replied Robin airily. "I'd be willing to bet my bottom Jewel that even if these folk have seen their deity, it was a body double hidden behind a curtained palanquin." He grit his fanged teeth. Robyn really did not like this country.
"My homeland didn't even have the dignity of having a physical ruler," Alzack commented, seeming to grasp what Robyn was saying without even needing to look his way. "We revere an emperor who rarely even does his duty. Whenever his citizens ask for a proper explanation for his statesmen's treatment of us, he is always away. For all we know there is no Queen, if she even existed in the first place."
"Monarchies suck as they are, but when it leads to blind worship…" Robyn trailed off, seeing Eris step up to him and raise a scolding finger up to her lips. Grimacing, he heard a voice speak up, hushing all onlookers as she spoke with authority and cool elegance that drew his eyes to her.
"Let us give thanks to our Queen for another bountiful harvest, wealth in trade and peace from those who would seek to plunder our reaped benefits. All take silence in thanks to her most holiness."
As all took her cue, a few of the Fairy Tail mages got a good look at the woman's appearance.
Standing at the front of the royal booth on the far side of the arena was a woman with dark hair, olive tinged skin and shining amethyst eyes. Adorned in regal purples and chains of gold, a scale was worn on her exposed left thigh and her fingers affixed with many rings of different inscriptions inscribed on them. Raising her arms up, eyes closed as if in prayer, and her words echoed its end as she spoke in a formal yet direct tone.
"All you gathered here, citizens of the Desierto Kingdom and foreigners, will now witness the first trial these candidates will face. May the scales tip in the favor of the promised one. I, Kuon, will show you their harrowing of this trial."
Clasping her hands out, the sands of the arena swirled, changing in shape and forming something within. Soon enough all would marvel as the proctor of this engagement, Kuon, was casting a spell, revealing the slew of candidates that were partaking in the trial. Each of them looked as if they stood right below them, yet none seemed to recognize they were being seen.
"That looks like Thought Projection," Macao spoke up, his son bending over the railing in awe as he crossed his arms over his chest with appreciation of the feat. "To think they have spells like that; that's almost on par with your Smoke Doubles, Wakaba."
"Doubt they have any real substance," The Smoke Mage nodded, grinning past his pipe as he looked at all the figures speaking but didn't quite make out their voices. "Must be for fanfare more than anything else."
Wendy took in all the spectacles and comments in stride. What she looked at was Max standing square in the middle astride a silvery knight, seeming to be the most proximate to him. She had no idea who the figure was or what they looked like but she assumed a stunning man lied beneath such splendorous armor.
Amidst the figures emerged from the sand like ghosts, ethereal with no true form as they flickered in and out of reality. Like shadows they had a darkened palette to their appearance, yet they clearly depicted village folk of the land, wrapped in thick cloth to hide them from cold nights and the hot Sun.
They posed a question that was audible as if spoken right to Wendy, despite not looking or even being near her.
"My Lords! We are befoul a plague amidst our homes! Come and rid it of us. Surely you have the power and ability to do so," The first shadowy specter of a villager spoke, hasty yet also irritated in its speech.
"Do not fall for his trickery. If what he says is true, then they are luring you out to not only practice a futile effort but perhaps take advantage of you. Protect the rest of us by killing them outright; preferably at a distance so none shall suffer this plague," The second spoke, assured in itself but is quick to also be rid of the issue at hand.
There had been some deliberation among the candidates. All seemed to weigh their opinion of how to solve what appeared to be a test of character. This wasn't anymore different than how they were screened by the proctor to begin with yet this looked to be a pattern as well.
However, it didn't take long for the first to speak. A metal hand raised up, speaking aloud in a deep, metallic bass from the armor they wore.
"Those answers are insufficient. Only the ramblings of fools desperate for an easy way out; truly the marking of a coward," The figure spoke, an unseen gleam viridescent came from the slits of its helm. "I won't fool myself by doing all the whims in person or discarding them. I shall send my most trusted friend to scout out this plague and tell me of its victims and symptoms. If there is hope then it shall be done through medicine before magic is used. I will not throw my life away anymore than I will discard a citizen of the kingdom; that is my choice!"
The candidates, all taken aback by the sheer audacity of the knight's proclamation couldn't help but be stunned. Even Max was visibly shocked as the audience.
However, other would-be Prince Consorts began to bellow their answers to the trial specters.
"I, Octavius Selfridges, have no time to meddle in such droll affairs. I shall let this run its course. If it is true that it is a plague then we will curb it and what remains of its victims, granting them all a painless end. There is no reason to exhaust my resources, let alone the kingdom's for such a small matter," One noble of Pergrande said, appearing to be by far among the most wealthy of the candidates around him.
"I will send healers to diagnose the symptoms and report what has been said. I won't discourage the pleas of the people," Elidyr Oladove, a timid looking elf of golden hair and beautiful appearance, representing the exotic yet respected elves of the Seven Kingdom Alliance.
Then, amidst the others, Max breathed in and said, "Let the sick be brought to me. I'll have physicians and healers at the ready. Plagues are easily dealt with if you know what you are up against and if we see it with the brightest minds on hand then we can definitely handle it easier than letting it be prolonged. Those who cannot make the journey will be guarded by soldiers until we can confirm we can heal them. If the worst comes to pass and they can't be cured, then we will at least try and make their suffering as painless as possible."
Once Max spoke, there was a tinge of sadness in how he spoke. Memories of the guild that lost those in the calamity of Tenrou's destruction brought it to the fore in his mind. Even from this distance, some keen eyes of his own comrades could feel his subtle sign of anguish.
The specters disappeared, and one featureless shadow emerged from between looming tall over them. A single eye opened vertically at its top and tendrils emerged from all sides; appendages that entangled around a number of the candidates instantly. Their cries were not muted, as they were strangled out as blackness petrified around them and slowly drained the life out of them.
"Wh-What is the meaning of this?!" Octavius howled out in rage, trying for all his might but not being able to free himself. Glaring at the specter, he pointed his hand forth, watching it crumble to dust before his eyes. "You judge me, even after accepting my pride and authority?! What kind of people are you to look down at my resolve!"
"Arrogance and resolve you are not lacking nor rebuked for. It is in fact those who chose to be negligent in your duties to see that every citizen is appraised properly and cared for," Kuon's voice reached out, looking at the affected retainers and those foreigners who looked shocked and appalled at what was happening; including Fairy Tail's mixture of anger and fear. "There are many who were on the precipice of rejection but were accepted to see how they fared. All were given the chance to go forth with the trials with lives at risk; not all are capable, but many are still found lacking. They are not worth letting leave as they were an insult to insinuate that those beneath our Queen's light are lesser of him bringing question to his devotion as consort to our goddess at all."
As she finished speaking, the rest affected were reduced to dust, crumbling away while the shadow pulsed an ominous purple light. Max gulped at the sight, clutching at his chest and watched the specter vanish from sight beneath the floor. His image, along with the others flickered, showing them vanishing from the ground of the arena.
Murmurs spread like wildfire. While many had seemingly passed the test, others were outright executed in a cold fashion. Many could only wonder what kind of barbarism awaited those who were still found less than satisfactory.
Though not all took this in stride.
"How dare you spill noble blood," Octavius's retainer spoke, a tall regally dressed man standing in his booth and pointing angrily at Kuon. "I demand reparations! Or do you wish to feel the wrath of our kingdom-"
"You have no authority here."
"What?!" He cried out, suddenly seeing the tall bearded Viceroy speak with a deep, unflinching gaze from his seat. Angled eyes glared at him and he felt a sudden chill wash over him.
"The Ishgar Compact written five hundred years ago prohibits any who are guests in our kingdom to ignore our laws. Any who challenge our customs will either die or be exiled. Please check with the King of Pergrande and I assure you this hasn't been recanted," Jafar smiled thinly, his glare turning hungry as he waved his arm at the guards standing around him. "Unless you doubt me, feel free to challenge your injustice. I guarantee it won't go well for you."
"You desert rat!"
"Oh boy," Doranbolt remarked as he saw the retainer erupt in a surprisingly bright magical aura of yellow. Energy crackled around him and the guards surrounding the area rushed to detain him. Drawing blades, they suddenly were struck by blasts of solar colored light that burned them on impact and sent them flying across the arena.
The crowd however was eerily calm. They exchanged words as if this was part of the festivities, not even batting an eye as soldiers were dispatched by the foreigner. Wendy looked to the others and they looked just as mystified by the citizens' total tranquility to the disturbance.
The royal guards eased up as the Visier stood up, drawing the retainer's gaze. The Pergrandian took off across the room in a halo of luminous glory, reaching a hand out to grasp at the man.
And within an arm's length, he froze in place. The aura he shined revealed a prism he was contained in, restricting his movements and containing all of his magical power. Silenced, his yells of rage reached no one as the smiling Visier raised his hands up, exclaiming to all around him.
"Do you see how the malcontent and the prideful come to act? When the life of her majesty is put in their hands, this is why we judge them all. You don't need to be a good man to be the Prince Consort of her grace; but you do need to know your place when you fail so completely," He spoke, his voice silencing the masses both domestic and foreign.
Raising a hand, he sneered at the trapped retainer and spoke lowly, "Prism Magic - Collapsing Coffin!"
With a hand clenching into a fist, the Pergrandian was instantly crushed in an implosion of flashing light. Winking out of view, he lowered his hand and sat back down, his smile gone and a scowl formed to himself as all the people bowed their heads in reverence of what was seen as a divine act.
"We shall continue the trials after a brief recess," Kuon spoke up, staring at the guest boxes as she briefed them. "That trial you all have witnessed will be repeated out of sight for the next few hours to cull the expendables. Results of the success will be made public once the second trial comes to be this noon. The third trial will take place at three and then the final trial at sundown. By the moon's rise tonight, we will have chosen the candidate who has earned the honor of being the Queen's favored to possibly be her consort. If she chooses him, then he will be inaugurated three days from then. Now," She waves her hands, "That is all. Return here to spectate the next trial."
A/N:
LastationLover5000: Hey, all! I had a spot of trouble formulating coherent thoughts during the writing of this chapter, so I left it largely up to Demod. I feel that was a success though, as we got a gripping, interesting chapter out of it. We will see y'all soon.
Demod20: Hey guys, another update for ya. This one I put some work into but I feel fairly confident in how it turned out. Giving both the heroes some time to process what happened before and then the sheer eeriness of a devoted faithful conglomerate praising anything their governing body does as 'divine'. How will the trials play out for Max? Find out in the next chapter!