Fiore Academy
Chapter 22 - The Blight
Authors' Note - Sorry for the wait you guys, took me a while to piece together what I wanted to write, on top of life being just a plain old bitch. This chapter will not be focused on Natsu and the group however, but rather... what you all have to look forward to. Also, it's like... REALLY short, and I hope you can forgive me, but I wanted it to be a chapter with one focus. So, I hope you all enjoy.
As many know, there are three worlds.
Above the clouds, there are the Heavenly Pillars, where the race known as Gods reside.
Beneath them, we have the Mortal Plain, where those of mortal blood reside.
But beneath the earth of the Mortal Plain, lives another race; the Demons, living in the Blight.
Though much was occurring in the realm of Mortals, much more was happening within the Blight. Not long ago, the Demon King himself sent word to gather the six Demon Lords, for a meeting that many could guess the subject of; the upcoming war with Mortal Kind, when passage between their two worlds, becomes nearly non-existent.
The Eclipse Gates.
One such Demon Lord, known as the Lord of Thorns, Mard Geer, was currently on his way to the aforementioned meeting. Walking through the maze like corridors of stone that make up the belly of the Demon Capital Fortress Elysium, Mard Geer had a troubled expression upon his face.
He walked on auto-pilot, knowing the layout of the Fortress like the back of his hand, enabling him to seclude himself within his thoughts.
"It's clear the King wishes to discuss tactics for the upcoming war" Mard Geer thought to himself, "But the feel of all of this... makes me think he wants to make a move now... yet the Eclipse Gates do not open for yet another few months at least".
Mard Geer stopped in his tracks to gaze out a window to his left, which gave a clear view of the land around the Fortress of Elysium. Elysium was supposed to be the heaven in hell, and yet... all that Mard Geer could see was ruin and fire as far as his eyes could see. He remembered a time when the Blight was a prosperous and beautiful land... but that was nearly ten thousand years ago, when the Eclipse Gates first opened and the war between Mortals and Demons began.
"I hope victory finds us soon; after all these years, battle can be quite tiresome" Mard Geer muttered to himself as he gazed out longing for the days of peace and beauty, little knowing, someone was listening.
"I see old age is making you sentimental, Lord of Thorns" a fiery voice said behind Mard Geer.
Acting far less startled than he actually was, Mard Geer turned to the voice with a smile.
"You are too young to have known anything but war, Lord of Rage" Mard Geer smiled at the woman before him.
The Lord of Rage, Wrath, smirked at her fellow Demon Lord, "Maybe that's why I'm so angry all the time".
Wrath was a beautiful woman, with long honey blonde hair and emerald eyes that sparkled like the gems themselves. Her face was rough yet refined; she gave off the aura of a strong and powerful woman, but whose beauty was matched by few.
"Perhaps; it wouldn't surprise me at least anyway" Mard Geer replies offhandedly, "So Wrath... what do you make of today?"
Wrath gives him a questioning look before replying, "Today? You mean the meeting?"
Mard Geer holds in his self-control; he didn't like people like Wrath, who were too coarse to understand the undertones of speech.
"Yes, the meeting. What do you think about it?" Mard Geer asked her, though he didn't think anything she said would be useful; all she really liked focusing on, was a fight.
Wrath gave a smirk, and replied exactly how Mard Geer thought she would, "It means we're going to War; pretty soon, I'm going to have so much fun, ripping off the heads of those weak and pathetic mortals".
"Weak? Pathetic? If they are those things, we are as well" Mard Geer replies softly.
"What are you talking about?" Wrath asks, puzzled.
"If the mortals are weak and pathetic, then so are we; we have warred with them for ten thousand years nearly, and not yet has there been a clear winner" Mard Geer explains.
"That's only because they outnumber us and you know it" Wrath says defiantly.
"Perhaps you're right" Mard Geer sighs, "But then again... could it just be that numbers is their strength? And no doubt, there are mortals who are individually strong, even by our standards... like the Ten Captains of the Knights of the Red Cross".
"You have a point with those Ten Captains" Wrath smirks, "I personally want to fight them myself, particularly the famous ones like Tempest".
"You mean Knight-General Arias?" Mard Geer asks her, to which she nods, "Perhaps you should leave him to our King".
"Why!?" Wrath asks, outraged.
"Even our King is cautious of that man; you don't stand a chance" Mard Geer replies, feeling bored with the conversation.
"Then how about one of the newbies?" Wrath asks, "Heavens' Chariot?"
"Captain Fernandez?" Mard Geer asks again, to which she nods, "I last heard he was already out of commission".
"You kidding me here!?" Wrath exploded, "If I find that twerp, I'm going to-"
"He's in a coma, what more could you do besides kill him?" Mard Geer, "Besides that, he won't feel it regardless".
Wrath gritted her teeth in anger... then just as quickly as light itself, her face lit up, "What about the Black Dragon?"
Mard Geer frowned, "Last I heard he was wounded, but... he'll be back soon".
Wrath grinned, "Excellent... not only is he a Captain... but he's also a Dragneel as well".
"Not just a side branch either" Mard Geer points out, "He's the illegitimate son of the Scarlet Dragon, Igneel".
Wrath smiles even more, "Sounds like it'll be a good fight then".
"If you say so; I for one, hope to see the day of our victory soon" Mard Geer mumbles in reply, "I tire of war... and yet, we must be off".
"Where to?" Wrath asks, still excited at the prospect of fighting the Black Dragon.
Mard Geer turns on her with a glance that told her one thing; she's an idiot.
"The reason we're here... the Council of the Demon King" Mard Geer replies, and leads the way with Wrath in tow.
...
Mard Geer gazed around the council hall; despite there being only a round table for seven seats in the hall, it was enormous. Carrying up over ten meters, was the ceiling bearing a mosaic of the first clash between Mortal kind and the Demon race; the Dragon King Festival.
Aside from himself and Wrath, who sat to his immediate right, only two other Demon Lords were present.
Directly opposite to him, was the Lord of Time, Kronos. He sported a neatly trimmed goatee and closely cropped hair, so black it almost seemed as though it were purple. His face was lined with the near hundred wars he had endured, since his first Battle at the Dragon King Festival. He was one of the Demon Lords who, unlike most of his fellow Demons, wanted peace with the Mortal Plain.
On the right of Kronos, was perhaps the only Demon Lord that made Mard Geer nervous; the Lord of Seduction... Lilith.
Lilith was a beautiful woman; though Wrath was gorgeous, she paled in comparison to Lilith. Lilith, with her jet black hair going to the waist, like a river of liquorice. Her eyes were the most brilliant blue, like fluorescent water and her smile made men's hearts flutter across all three worlds. But behind that beautiful face, was a deviant, who enjoyed meddling with the minds of others, including her fellow Demon Lords.
Mard Geer was about to speak to the other two Demon Lords, when a powerful aura entered the room... knowing who it was, he couldn't help but sweat; scratch what he had just said before, there were two Demon Lords who made him nervous.
"Such a rare sight, to see so many of the Demon Lords gathered in one place; last time so many gathered, was when the last set of Eclipse Gates opened, one hundred years ago" the newcomer spoke as he walked around the table to take his seat between Kronos and Mard Geer.
The Demon Lord who just entered was the Lord of Apocalypse. He had long and spiky blue hair, as well as blue eyes just as startling as Lilith's. On top of these features, on his darkly tanned skin, he had blue markings that seemed to glow and a sneer displaying his dislike of all things.
The Lord of Apocalypse, Acnologia.
"Indeed, let us hope no conflict ensues whilst we are gathered" Lilith spoke in a melodic voice, "Lest we destroy everything for kilometers around".
"Nothing will start, until we are all gathered" Kronos speaks up in a deep, rumbling voice... but within that voice, there was a strain of kindness, "We still need to wait for the Lord of Death".
"We do not" Acnologia speaks, and all heads at the table turn to his smirking features, "The Demon King has already passed on all information to myself and the Lord of Death; the Lord of Death is currently running an errand to set things into motion".
"To set what in motion? What was the point in coming to this stupid meeting?" Wrath asked, feeling frustrated that she had to travel all this way, when everything was already decided.
Acnologia smirked even harder, "Every hundred years, the passage between the three worlds becomes more fluid... every thousand it's almost like there is no barrier at all... but every ten thousand..."
"What? What will happen this time?" Mard Geer asks; this would mark the ten thousandth year since the gates were first opened... so what could it mean this year?
"Every ten thousand, we are given the chance to perform a ritual, to speed up the process of the Eclipse Gates" Acnologia responds, "If we perform it, we'll catch the Mortal Plain entirely off-guard, and by the time they're prepared... it will be too late".
"A strategy to end the conflict?" Kronos asks, already disapproving; he always wanted to make peace with the Mortal Plain, to end the conflict... but he was alone in this sentiment.
Acnologia nods, "It will be a strategy to end this war".
"Then pray tell, what is this ritual?" Lilith asks.
"For starters, it requires the ARC of Time magic" Acnologia begins, looking at Kronos who nods simply.
"So you will need me for this ritual?" Kronos asks, but Acnologia shakes his head.
"The ritual will leave the user weakened, and we'll need you battle ready immediately" Acnologia continues to smile.
"Then I fail to see..." but at that moment, Kronos' eyes widened in shock and he stood up abruptly.
"I think you can see, actually" Acnologia smiles devilishly.
The rest of the Demon Lords stared at Kronos, wondering what was the problem ensuing.
"Where is Hades? The Lord of Death" Kronos asked, extremely stiff.
"He has gone to the Mortal Plain, to extract what we need to make this Ritual a success" Acnologia smiled, unwavered by Kronos' current temperament.
"So it's true" Kronos says through gritted teeth, "You intend on involving her".
"As a half-Demon, it is also her responsibility to bring our race victory... she should be honored" Acnologia smirks, knowing full well he was speaking lies.
"You know she considers herself human; she doesn't even know what her father is!" Kronos bellows.
"Perhaps it's time she knows who her father is... and perhaps it's also time, for you to be a father, and see your daughter" Acnologia continues with his smirk.
"You have a daughter on the Mortal Plain?" Lilith asked, whilst the rest of the Demon Lords couldn't help but feel shocked at the revelation before them; no wonder Kronos wanted peace so much with the Mortal Plain.
"Seventeen years ago, I fell in love with an apprentice of the Spies of the Red Cross" Kronos begins quickly, "She fell in love with me, and together we sired a daughter... when our daughter was born, I told my love to get away from the Blight, lest our daughter be forced to join the Demon Horde... and eventually die".
"If it makes you feel better, Kronos... you're not the only one who will be receiving bad news at this table today; there's another requirement" Acnologia continues, turning the faces of the four other Demon Lords, towards him.
"Someone else has a son or daughter in the Mortal Plain?" Wrath asks.
"Not exactly" Acnologia smirks, "The other requirement, is a member of the Demon King's bloodline, and we cannot afford myself or my brothers and sisters to be weakened for the battle... so we decided we would use an enemy instead..." Acnologia looks up, and stares at one of the Demon Lords seated. All the other Lords turn gazes to this Demon Lord as well, who was currently gritting their teeth, in barely controlled anger.
"You plan to use Natsu?" Lilith asks, her blue eyes blazing in fury.
"Who is this Natsu?" Wrath asks; she had never seen such an emotional face on Lilith in all the millennia she had known her.
"On the side of his father, he is a member of the infamous Demon Slaying Clan, Dragneel" Acnologia begins, "The father of course, being the 'Scarlet Dragon' Igneel Dragneel".
"The Scarlet Dragon?" Mard Geer asks for confirmation, "I was not aware he had two sons".
"On his mother's side however..." Acnologia continues to say, but Lilith interrupts him.
"That's enough Lord of Apocalypse" Lilith declares, her composure returned as she rises to her feet, "I refuse to agree to a plan that could place Natsu in any harm".
"The ritual will only weaken him" Acnologia begins to reassure, "It will not kill him, nor will it kill the daughter of Kronos" he says the last pointedly at Kronos, who was still seething.
"Our King is all too aware on where the two of you will stand, should any actual harm befall the two individuals, Natsu Dragneel... and Ultear Milkovich" Acnologia informs them, "He has no wish to see two of the Demon Lords betray him at this crucial point in time, so he has guaranteed that they will not die or suffer any long term ailment or disfigurement" Acnologia smiles, "Besides, don't the two of you wish to see them?"
Both Kronos and Lilith look down at that.
Kronos had not seen his daughter since the day she was born. He wanted to be a father for her, that was the reason he wanted peace between their two worlds... so he could see her... and ask her for forgiveness.
Lilith had seen Natsu some years prior, but it was at a distance... she had to protect him, no matter the cost, and with or without her, the Demon King would have his way. It would be better if she remained close to him... to protect him.
"Now that I have quelled the fury of two Demon Lords" Acnologia goes on, "Let us begin talking over the specifics of our grand scheme".
Neither Kronos nor Lilith liked the current situation, but with one look to one another, they settled to a solemn agreement.
Should any harm befall Natsu and Ultear... the Demon King and the Blight itself, would be destroyed... even if it took their own immortal lives.
Authors' Note - Like I said at the top, it's really short, but I hope you can understand why. The next chapter shouldn't take much longer, I might make it a New Year's special... but I hit a blank with it, and I decided to do this until it came back... and what do you know? It worked. So within a few days, I'll update a regular sized chapter at the least. Please forgive me! Auf Wiedesehen