Tale of the Sky Maiden
By LastationLover5000 and Demod20
Chapter 21- Shifting, Whispering Sands
Inwardly, Max trembled as he fought for composure. The sheer sight of the beauty enchanting him with dazzling array of desirable traits and luxurious apparel. Feeling sweat crawl down his neck, he thought to himself how much trouble he'd be if he blew this once in a century chance. Silently, the Sand Mage could only stand there: what do you say when the image of divinity has presented itself to you?
Mercifully for him, Max was spared the task of thinking about how to break the ice. The Queen spoke before him, addressing him directly. "You are the candidate they brought before me for this occasion?" Her eyes pierced Max's, as if trying to X-ray his very soul. "Why do you not kneel, wizard?"
"Why do I not—" Max spluttered, tripping over every following word. Not even a greeting, just ego on full display. Did she expect me to kneel because she's royalty? What the hell kind of first meeting is that?! Thinking to himself about how poorly this bode for the remainder of his time speaking to her, Max steeled himself before speaking. "Excuse me, but bowing isn't customary where I come from," said the Fairy Tail mage with his best attempt at flair. "Especially not for what amounts to a first date."
The Queen's eyes flashed, but they never parted from their piercing gaze at Max himself. "So you say, but I have met plenty from all over the continent, and every candidate before you has understood the necessity of bowing before a superior. No prospective consort before you has failed on such a basic act of respect and remained in my presence. Leave."
"No."
The word was out of Max's mouth before he'd processed actually speaking it, but it was his intention regardless. He stared directly at the Queen, challenge in his eyes.
"...no?" The Queen repeated the word slowly, dangerously. In that moment, Max saw everything about her that could and would appeal to the people who had worked so hard to he chosen. Beauty, sensuousness, and the threat of death danced on her lips as she parroted his word, and a sane would have stepped back.
Max, however, was a member of Fairy Tail. Sanity came sold separately.
"I just got here and I passed these tests just to be considered worthy,'" said Max quickly and carefully. "I didn't ask to be a candidate in the first place, let alone did I want to be your Prince Consort. So the least the Queen - no, the least you could do is give me the time of day and not brush me off cause I'm not like every candidate you've seen before."
The Desierto Queen felt an emotion she wasn't typically acquainted with. Genuine surprise. Her eyes narrowed appraisingly; surprised or not, she was hardly the type to want to lose control of a conversation to a common man. Simultaneously, she felt...intrigued. "Interesting. You are very interesting. It has been a very long time since a human has talked back to me." Placing a thin finger on her chin, she smiled wryly.
"A human?" Max blinked confusedly, his indignation vanishing with the new feeling.
"I called you what you are, yes," nodded the woman. "No matter. You have earned my attention. Step forward, wizard, and sit by me." Imperiously, she beckoned to him. Max found himself able to follow this instruction easily, as if there wasn't a massive social gap between himself and the person he now found himself sitting by.
"Tell me everything about yourself, strange foreign wizard" said the Queen seriously.
Max was taken aback. She'd gone from wanting him out of her sight to asking for a personal history. "You...wouldn't find it that interesting.," said Max sheepishly.
"You'll find my attention for detail spans further than the less than quarter century you've trod this world.," replied the Desierto Queen slyly. "I want to know what makes you the type of man to refuse me to my face. Until now, no one has existed." Her eyes flashing again, she added. "I'm more intrigued than you think I am."
Max sighed. In truth, he wanted to know what made her the way she was. He knew what someone looked like when they were closed off, and he did not believe for a moment she'd spoken to him honestly since he'd arrived. In the end, he relented.
"Alright, but don't complain if you fall asleep."
And so, Max began to tell her everything.
A joyous time was had.
With the selection of their new Prince Consort, the people of Paradisio became exuberant with gleeful revelry. Drinks were exchanged devoid of charge, large spreads of food laid out on any surface that could past the marketplace, and every direction they could withhold it and dancing came with songs of praise and worship. Colorful garments adorned, citizens of all status carried out their partying into the streets, towards their homes, .
With the night being young, stars filled the sky and colorful explosions of fireworks shooting off to cap off the heights of jubilee the people were experiencing. Torches lit, lighting up the streets in golden-reddish-orange and enamoring the already beautiful city in fiery lit glamor. The palace itself seems to shine a brilliant array of gold, while its various Guardian Beast Gates held different strong hues of bright colors on their own.
Anyone even just visiting, merchant and guest alike, was swept up in the festivities; Fairy Tail was no different.
"Yeaaaaaah!" Mickey Chickentiger cried out, holding hands with two passerbiers with bottles of wine on each of her horns. "Party time!"
"W-What are you doing, Mickey?"
"Having a good time, obviously!" She replied to Chico Hammit, the tanned girl waving her hands towards the rambunctious taller young woman anxiously.
"But they're gonna-"
"Check this out!"
It was all Chico heard as a man spun around in the air like a top, knocking the wine off Mickey's head and colliding onto Chico's body, knocking her to the ground; dousing her with wine that soaked her exotic brass hooped top and red embroidered gold thread skirt.
"Ohmygod!" Mickey cried out, rushing to Chico's side. "I-I didn't mean to-!"
"I-It's okay," Chico replied, sniffing back tears she tried to keep from overflowing.
"Ta-da!" Joey Fullborn cried out, wearing a golden outlined purple vest and a pair of baggy white trousers, doing little to hide his muscular physique that he showed off after the stunt; in various poses. Hearing applause, he bowed repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you! Please keep it coming!"
"You have such a good body," One veiled native lady said with purple ghostly fabric hinting at her stunning physique where it didn't cover her to keep her dignity intact. She gushed, wrapping her arms over one muscular appendage of his while tracing lines on his pectorals. "Such nice muscles."
"I know, it literally speaks for itself!" He said with a smug grin.
He flexed his pecks, each one saying in mock echo of his "Speaks for itself" in striking sound quality.
As she gawked at this feat magic, a plush gloved finger tapped his shoulder from behind.
"Oh by all means, help yourself," Joey said without looking, cocking his chin up arrogantly. "There's plenty of me to go around."
A significant POW! filled the air, thundering in synchrony with fireworks as Joey's pain ridden face flew face first across the street and towards another familiar gaggle of acquaintances.
"A masterpiece is unfolding, I can feel it," Reedus spoke in hushed excitement, painting across a canvas he set up upon one of many tripods he kept in reserve. He currently had a partial completion of the horizon along with a few of his fellow mages drinking and enjoying each other's company upon a colored carpet ground.
Kinana and Romeo were watching the spectacle with a handful of other fellow mages to keep them company; as Macao was predictably absent.
If he wasn't, he would have prevented what followed.
Excitement cut short as Joey slammed into the canvas in a shower of paint, wood and canvas paper. Groaning in pain as he stood up to nurse his face where it swelled, Reedus looked on with sudden anguish as he cried out.
"My masterpiece!" He yelled.
"My muscles!" Joey snapped, looking down at himself with paint and paper slathering his impressive bod. At once, both fixed glares at one another, a fist pulled back and a slurry of paint given life happened.
Amidst the marketplace, Eris enjoyed the singing performance done by Alexandria Quorra. In conjoined harmony, the bodyguards turned assistants of Lamia Scale we're doing yet another song and dance choreographed part. Alexandria danced exquisitely with Lyon, Yuka played a flute, Toby juggled impressively while balancing a pole on his nose, Sherry composed a bunch of musical instruments to play themselves and Jura played drums as usual.
A sudden shadow overtook the lights, causing the elf to blink and look over with sudden surprise. A tidal wave of painted water sent Joey at the head of it careening down the street with people caught in the crossfire. Crashing into the stage, the audience was swept up in the fray, only stopped in a timely shield of ice birds that flew from Lyon's hands, keeping at least Alexandria safe as Joey tumbled head over heels.
Reedus, paddling along the paint water on a painted boat, withdrew a paint hammer and leaped out angrily at Joey. He punched at the hammer, causing another shockwave to splash over everyone with no exclusion this time.
"You ruined Alexandria's dress!" Lyon snarled with a throbbing vein etched over his brow.
"My dress is soaked!" Eris cried out with a rare scene of anger from the composed member of Robyn's team.
Lyon, incensed as much as Eris, clapped his hand over a fist just as she clapped her own. Light and ice fired into the fray, causing more pandemonium to ensue as an explosion of magical property filled the market street. Joey cried out in pain and fear, while Reedus simply painted more fiercely, sending waves back at his attackers, unable to discern who is at fault for his anguish.
Rune Knights, who were spectating at the fireworks, suddenly were covered in an explosive release of water and debris. Turning to look at the offenders, they leaped into the fray, causing more panic than good with barriers and spells fired only serving to make citizens watch in awe of the chaos; going back to dancing and singing, adding a new blend of bizarre to Fairy Tail's out of control brawling.
Far away from the fighting, Macao lied against a seat of plush cushions near the steps to the palace, grinning stupidly ear to ear as Kelass and Para were straddling either leg of his in a suggestive embrace in their limited clothing. Even Wakaba puffed heart shaped clouds as Marra hugged him on a cushioned seat not more than a good few feet away.
Robyn was not far away, dancing away in a circle of onlookers, ditching his hat and stripping his top to unveil a crisscross teal strap of golden enamoring over his chest. As he winked and flirtatiously swung his hips and stroked his hands over clothed to naked skin alike, Bobbie materialized to stop a particular hand from making contact and gave said man a death glare that put him in his place.
Wendy, however, wasn't feeling festive.
True, she felt glad for Max to not just survive but win this cultural selection of potential candidates as the Queen's next groom. But ever since Doranbolt slipped away, she felt more and more anxious. If Sherria hadn't been there with Charles, she probably would be panicking right now.
"He probably needed to use the restroom, like, really bad," Sherria proffered, doing her best to force a cheerier train of thought.
"It's like him to vanish, but whatever could it be for?" Wendy asked, still looking at the passing crowd and hoping to catch sight of him.
"I hope he didn't do something reckless," Charle huffed. "He takes way too many risks as it stands. It's going to hurt him more than he can stand one of these days."
This didn't comfort the Dragon Slayer. If anything this made her worry more.
As minutes passed, her worry kept her thinking of the time that left her by. While Macao and Wakaba were in the arms of lovely escorts, Robyn himself surrounded by lovestruck men and women alike at his constant display of flirtatious suggestion, and the chaos in the distance continued to escalate to something of a spectacle to Paradisio.
Before a whole hour transpired, Wendy felt something appear. She smelled expensive ointment and something else that put her on edge; like someone's ill intent barely kept in check.
"Hello there, Hero of Fiore," Causing Wendy to turn around with hands clenched at her sides and eyes glaring up. She didn't ease at the sight of the man, surrounded by lithe robed individuals in black, with white serpent masks concealing their faces. His angular pale face smiled, accentuating his one blue eye and his other reddish black orb with a visible sinister appearance. His head crowned a colorful turban of purple fabric over a black base with a crimson jewel affixing a blue upward feather. The rest of him was embroidered in robes of blues, reds and blacks.
Black gloved hands raised up in a beckoning manner to her, saying aloud, "The Visier would have words with you and only you. Please come with me."
"What's the problem? And why does he want to speak with Wendy?" Charle asked indignantly, floating up on white feathery wings so she can ask questions at eye level.
"Ah, an Exceed," He remarked with a toothy grin, "How quaint," he paused, turning to look down at Wendy once more to speak to her while ignoring Sherria entirely. "As for your questions, this is more in relation to your presence here...as well as one of your members being absent."
Wendy felt cold all at once.
Her fears were justified. Something did happen!
"Wendy-"
"Go back to your guild, Sherria," Wendy said in a rare voice of urgency. Turning to look at her, she forced a smile for encouragement. " I'll be fine, just make sure you're safe," she paused, looking to Charle for confirmation.
"I'll make sure she gets back," She nodded, the Exceed eyeing the man in robes carefully before saying to Wendy. "Be careful."
Wendy smiled one last time before she steeled herself in a mask of stoicism. Resolved to accompany the man, she suddenly saw him raised a black gloved hand, snap a finger-
-and appear in a completely different place.
Teleportation! Wendy realized, taking a glance at her surroundings. It felt like a mixture of a laboratory and an office. Vials of liquid moving from decalters through tubes and bubbling in a transparent cistern. A human skull ornately inscribed with an emblem held a candle light within its sockets. A disembodied hand held what looked like a black book held together by what appeared to be old leather straps. And on the opposite side lay a bedroom, a conjoined dining room and a hidden lavatory; all unlit.
Seated in front of her behind a bronze framed desk of maroon wood was the Visier. The handsome angular features gave off a charismatic and disarming appearance up close. Had she not been on guard, she'd find him appealing in a sociable way; but when his yellow-amber eyes stared at hers, she felt as if a snake was coiling coldly around her body in an unseen vice.
Swallowing hard, the man behind her made a gesture of announcement over her as he spoke, "My lord, the Hero of Fiore, as you wished."
"Thank you, Yashin," Ja'far replied smoothly, leaning forward onto the desk with his arms leading to clasped hands on its smooth surface. "Wendy Marvell. You look so young for being the salvation of Ishgar."
"It's because I am," She replied tersely, her normally polite demure attitude spoiled by her arrival in this office, alone for sour reasons.
"Forgive me, I did not mean to sound condescending," Ja'far raised a hand, smiling to her as well. "Most of the time I am tasked to fetching people of significant worth and they often are found much less than I had heard. The masses and the kingdoms often exaggerate to hide how weak or unappealing their representatives are. You've seen it yourself, how quick to anger they are when they lose when everyone else has lost something of equal value," he paused, brows knitting and sneered dangerously enough to make the hairs on Wendy's neck stand on end. "but they want more when they haven't earned any of it."
Wendy felt that constricting feeling worsen. His presence had an aura so unlike the Princess she met back at Crocus. He could enchant as easily as threaten. The perfect diplomat, and a cunning ruler; or at least one under the guide as such.
She couldn't place why but she felt something else. Something more behind him that gave him such an intimidating aura.
"But you are different," He said, snapping her out of her trance, his eyes staring at her as he stroked his pronounced goatee with emphasis. "I saw it in how you fought off our wayward soldiers. How Max Alors demonstrated not just strength of character in the trials, but also power and tenacity in the face of certain peril."
The Visier paused, lowering his hand down beneath the desk while he spoke once more. This time with a Communications Lacrima in hand.
"And then came your scarred friend, poking his nose where it doesn't belong after being warned by my subordinate," He added, unveiling in a visual flicker in the glass that enhanced a bare chested man, chained by his feet and ankles to a sandstone floor. The scarred face and stoic mask hiding pain was unmistakable, and Wendy felt incensed and terrified all at once.
"Let him go-"
"You don't get to make demands here, Marvell," He answered smoothly, lowering the ball back beneath the desk and refolding his fingers in front of him while staring at her with pure calculating fervor. "Regardless of what the masses say, I am the Law. And I can do many unpleasant things you have no ability to stop me from doing. However," he leaned back, smiling at her in a relaxed fashion. "I am a man of reason. No further harm will come to your friend. So long as your guild minds itself and let the current arrangements happen as they are, no one else will be punished. Do you think you can relay that to your guild, calmly and without further plotting?"
Wendy clenched her jaws tight enough to hurt. Her hands balling into fists, whitening the knuckles. She wanted to scream, to fight, or find Doranbolt and escape
But no, if she did any of that, too many people could get hurt. She had no idea how deep this went or what Doranbolt found out. Obviously something is happening that Ja'far doesn't want to let be public. But what can she do? She has no proof and other than what was said, none of it is damning to them but Doranbolt himself.
Exhaling, Wendy filled the room with a gust that rattled the alchemic devices along the wall, fluttered the room around her and rustled the two unfazed individuals of power and respect here. Inhaling, she let out a breath and composed herself, knowing at least for now, she had to play along.
"I will do as you asked, Visier," She replied, her brown eyes glaring at his yellow eyes. "But if you harm one hair on any of my guild's head, no law will save you from me."
"Laws do not save people, Marvell," Ja'far replied with a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I thought you would have figured that out by now."
The Queen's Chambers
The room was silent. Max had just finished telling the Queen everything that she had asked him out. Who he was. Where he came from. What his guildmates were liked. She perked up with intrigue at the mention of not simply one but four Dragon Slayers ("They're supposed to be quite rare, even during that Lost Magic's heyday. To think that your Guild has had so many!") The man sat there in silence, eyeing the Queen nervously. She had been a fantastic audience, all things considered, with sparse but appropriate commentary where it should be given, but otherwise allowed Max to vent his tale uninterrupted.
He remembered, vividly, the dread he'd felt before even coming to this country. The terrible 'what-ifs' that crossed through his mind. They're all about to come true here, aren't they? This is where she tells me that they've made a mistake, that a regular guy like me shouldn't have qualified. It was one thing to be confident before getting here. He knew, even if she sent him home now, he'd still have his Guild. At the same time, he couldn't deny it wouldn't crush him. It would prove his parents right. It'd prove that nagging voice in the back of his head right.
"Your history is interesting," said the Queen. "A human who came from nothing, with parents who were barely there, rising above all competition to be here with me, right now." Her emerald-hued eyes stared piercingly at Max. "The previous consorts have all been those of decidedly noble birth. You are the first commoner to ever make your way to my chamber." A thin finger went to her chin. The Queen continued appraising Max; the Fairy Tail mage did not miss the gaze she gave him, like a predator stalking prey. It wasn't the look one would receive from another person. No, it was the kind one got from a reptile - a snake.
"What kind of ruler will you be, Max Alors?" inquired the Queen simply.
"What do you mean...?" Max blanked. He hadn't been sent away. He hadn't been rejected yet. That small victory rang in his heart like the sound of triumph, but now the Queen posed a question to him he'd not considered.
"Think of the trials, concocted by my retainers and servants," said the Queen. "They are meant to have precise answers. They seek only those who will benefit my Kingdom. It does not necessarily seek the pure of heart, but merely those with the qualities of a King. You managed to pass. But did you for a moment consider what would happen if you did actually manage to make your way here? If - over all of those other ambitious humans - you alone reigned supreme? If you stand at my side, as the King of my country, and above my people, how will you rule? You have the qualities of a king, but what kind of king are you?"
"I...I never gave it any thought," Max admitted sheepishly. "It was such a blur, being chosen, swept here, and placed separated from my friends while I tried to compete against people I didn't know. I didn't realise..."
"...that immense responsibility may await you at the end," finished the Queen. She frowned. Exhaling, in a way that made her ample chest bounce, she added. "Humans do not often handle responsibility well or take it in stride. If you do take the position this entire contest is for, you will be separated from your friends even further, and you will be expected to take in your hands the lives of millions of souls." Towards a very stunned Max, she added. "Consider everything carefully. You are currently my guest, and have both time and privilege. I am looking forward to your answer."
Desierto Dungeons
It was a unique sensation for Doranbolt. During his covert work for the Magic Council, it was usually he who captured others and clapped them in Irons. Now, here he found himself - a guest of the state no less - strung up in a dungeon. He cursed his own foolishness.
How ironic that I should be captured, grumbled the man to himself. Doranbolt's eyes scanned the entirety of his cell. His captors were not foolish. It was devoid of anything that could be used for an escape - the sandstone floor, while not polished, was well taken care of. No cracks. No weak areas to exploit. Aside from his chains, which were just then right length to allow minimal movement - not that he would, with the additional wounds on his body causing so much pain - but to still restrict him should he move too far.
I can still feel my magic, Doranbolt mused. But that makes sense... only Fiore has access to those infernal things... This was a welcome relief to Doranbolt. He knew the Desiertians wete counting on keeping him physically unable to exert enough effort to use his magic. But this left him with one single resource: himself.
With that, he knew he could plot out an escape.
I just need the right opening...
The turning of a lock, and the grinding of stone on stone, interrupted his thought process. Doranbolt looked up, seeing the door to his cell - typically indistinguishable from the wall it connected to, another torture in its own right - slid open, revealing the dim orange flow of flame. Bathed in this light was the pale Ja'far, flanked by a man cloaked in black, covering his desert attire, but barely hiding a shred face.
"How do you find your accommodations?" inquired Ja'far. "Typically, we prefer to entertain guests within their actual suite, but it isn't every day a foreigner betrays our hospitality as you have done."
"Would you consider improving the trappings if I said I wouldn't recommend this place for a vacation?" sneered Doranbolt, his eyes locked onto the cold eyes of Ja'far.
"I do admire that spirit," said Ja'far. "That Dragon Slayer girl showed very similar fire when we told her of your fate. Don't you treat her like a younger sibling?"
"Wendy?!" Doranbolt felt a chill run through his spine to his brain. "If you so much as lay a single finger on her, I'll—"
—rattle your chains at me?" chuckled Ja'far derisively. "Though you two may be siblings indeed. She too jumped to threats when she saw you. But we are the ones who hold the cards."
Doranbolt's glower intensified. "So why are you here?" he inquired tersley. "To gloat? That you're safe from reprisal by the Council, because I just remembered your profile across the Magic Menaces segment—"
Ja'far knelt down, bringing himself to eye level with Doranbolt. "Ah, so are aware of my past exploits, are you?" The Vizier chuckled in spite of himself. "I have long since shed my illicit ways. I am a man of Law here. And you spying on a lawman has made me curious how to punish you."
"So this is where the torture comes into play?"
"Your statement is crude, prisoner, but correct in essentials," said Ja'far. Reaching within his robes, he pulled out a vial. Within the vial was an orange liquid, which glowed phosphorescently. It filled the entire room with a light that made the torch seem as if it was dying out. "We of Desierto have our own methods. I will find out who you are, what you know and what your plans are, wizard spy!"
A/N:
Demod20: This chapter took awhile to get out, but I'm happy it's done with gusto! I wrote the first part of this chapter in a very Fairy Tail vein, as brawls seem to manifest whenever they are taking part in a party of any kind. In this way I am becoming fond of what was previously Nothing Background Characters by using them for gags like this. On the same token, fleshing out the drama with Wendy finding out her surrogate brother is in danger was a deep favorite of mine. Seriously our Ja'far is shaping up to being a great antagonist and my co-author did well of showing how fearless Doranbolt is in the face of that. Hope you guys are enjoying the story and as an aside for the times we live in, stay safe!
LastationLover5000: Hey everyone! Been awhile since the latest chapter but juggling three stories, stupid work schedules, and summer heat tends to do that to you. Regardless, we're back and with a banger! My co-author really managed to capture that feeling of a Fairy Tail celebration, and what can I say, we love showing off Robyn. But the best parts was the goings on behind the scenes" Ja'far's machinations, Wendy's love for her brother-figure, and Max's interactions with the Queen were all fun to write and see play out. I hope you guys are enjoying this arc, it's still set to go on for some time! We'll update soon, and in the meantime, keep safe!