When the Princesses ship finally started moving everyone aboard the interceptor "Saberfox" displayed varying levels of relief and excitement. Kaleb and Laxus buckled down to plan, tapping into the link with Farron and Freed aboard the Princess' ship. Bickslow and Cobra looked up, exchanged smirks and kept playing cards. (Strip Old Maid….nobody else was invited and Cobra was good at chasing people away with a look.)
Lucy was pinned against a wall inside the small cargo area, legs wrapped around Zens hips as he rolled them into her and she grasped at the wall behind her for purchase so she could press into his movements, eager for as much of him as she could get and the relief from the balled up stress she'd been under since they had left Magnolia.
Zen was no different, had been more than willing when Lucy had grabbed his hand and led him down to the cargo area. Their bond was strong now, seemed to get stronger, easier for her every day and she felt like there was some part that they hadn't reached yet but it was there, close. Zen gripped her harder, thrusting into her and getting his hands on her ass, wrenching her against him even better, tipping her hips into a new angle and stepping a little from the wall so she was gasping as he started moving again, snapping his hips sharply and she couldn't even gasp anymore, just gripped his forearms, her shoulders the only things touching the wall, mouth open as her climax tore through her and she heard Zen groan out her name as his took him.
Cristoff looked up briefly, a soft feminine whine and greedy fingers gripped his hair, pulling him back into slender arms as the woman beneath him got his attention back on her. He smiled, trailing kisses down her neck and rolling his hips making her moan.
"So good...Gods...harder…" She groaned out and never one to deny a lover the Dragon Slayer responded, letting sensation drown out the increasing hum coming from the Saberfox engines. They were moving finally, but there was no nudge from Kaleb calling him to action yet, so...he'd finish off this delicious crew member, get himself a relaxing orgasm and then make his way up to the command deck. Vander was just a bunk over from him doing pretty much the same thing with another member of the crew, he just had the woman he was fucking bent over gripping a support pole eyes riveted on the girls who were riding Presca, one straddling his hips the other his face, in the bunk right by her..
They honestly hadn't come into the sleeping bunks looking for sex, all three men had come in just to rest but the female crew members, the moment they had seen Presca, who had walked into the sleeping area first, had propositioned him and Presca, tired and stressed, hadn't taken long weighing his decision. Five women, three men, Cristoff had been grabbed by a greedy one, but Presca and Vander were handling the other four just fine. The one sitting on the foot of the top bunk, legs spread, Vander had almost screaming already while he fucked her friend.
All in all, everyone was handling their stress well, or at least Kaleb felt they were as he checked over everyone before returning his focus to Laxus. Farron and Freed were still sound asleep in the ship the Saberfox was now shadowing and, so was Kurino, so they wouldn't be getting bombarded by her insanity for a while. He probed through various minds in the ship above, found the handmaids, the twisted women were enjoying their punishment, Alvarez men were rough but lacked the stamina most Boscans had, so the women were having little trouble with them. His own mage, Fille was infuriated, tired, planning many murders when the tables turned, but she would recover, Boscans handled this sort of thing probably a…lot…better than many other people did and Fille would get her justice…Kaleb would make sure she had help running down the men who had hurt her and physically she wasn't bad off, minor bruises and such, Zen could purify out anything and was a strong healer, Cristoff was a beast of a healer and could handle getting Canden back on his feet as well as Farron and Freed and Cobra could detox them of the poisons the damn princess had been filling them with, so he felt confident they would get this all sorted out.
Vander and Presca both knew how to fly the Princess' ship and Laxus was looking over the layout charts of it as Kaleb was going through all the people involved, counting up how many Alvarez and Boscan Dark Knights they would be dealing with. Hestor sat close by, bent over maps of Joyas cities and temple complexes.
"We can take the ship, fly it back to Pelerno, it's got a serious brig, magically re-enforced to hold up to s-class mages according to the information." Laxus was saying, mostly to himself, he knew Kaleb knew all of this.
"The ship was meant to be a flying home for the Princess while she traveled for diplomatic visits, so it's equipped to defend itself and to handle unforeseen issues with visitors or to carry home people retrieved from detainment in other countries that need to be put through trials in Bosco. Fortunately, when the Saberfox was designed, because it was always meant to be an interceptor and spy ship, it was designed around being able to get past the defenses of the most powerful ships in Boscos fleet...specifically, the Royal Gunships like the Golden Swan." Kaleb said.
"And Van and Presca can fly it...just the two of them?" Laxus asked, frowning, the ship was like a flying town, the Saberfox, which had a crew of 40 and was decent sized by Laxus' measuring, easily bigger than the large boat Fairy Tail owned that shuttled members to Tenrou. That the Golden Swan could carry ten of the Saberfox with room to spare made it seem unlikely two men could fly it.
"Only takes one pilot, the ship is meant to be easy to operate if you know how, it doesn't need multiple people to control it. Van has...um...stolen it...twice." Kaleb sighed. When he was 16, as an act of defiance when the Steel Council had claimed him, Vander had stolen the Princess' gunship and landed it on the Council building to "remind" the council that while they might legally be able to do what they were doing to him, he wasn't some weak kid they could push around and, to show the King, who had been bragging about how secure the new ships were, how easily one could be stolen.
The king had pardoned him, thinking the whole thing was funny as hell. Vander had done it again a little while later when the king had announced that now the ships were beefed up enough even Vander couldn't steal one anymore...after Vander stole it and landed it...again on the council building...the King had angrily warned the council to stop denying Vander leaves to see his family and had never boasted about any of his airships security to a Pradesh ever again. If they found him, and got him out of Joya, the king would have a whole new set of reasons to be grateful Vander was a reckless smartass at times.
The two Guildmasters remained bent over the plans, planning out different scenarios as the Golden Swan made its way into Joya with the Saberfox shadowing it.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Zen smiled faintly, excitement coursing through him, adrenaline as Lucy shifted against him and he brought his wings down, launching them into the sky from the deck of the Saberfox. Lucy felt her stomach flip as they left the deck and Zen banked to bring them into the cold depths of a deep gray cloud.
Tap into his magic as soon as his wings spread, you'll be able to see like he does.. Hestor had told her and she did just that, reaching into Zen through their bond and feeling the thick muscle of his arms tighten a little around her when she did. Her head was tucked nicely under his chin, a thick belt holding her back against his front so he would be free to use an arm though he had to keep one around her to hold her steady so her arms were free.
They weren't going to be fighting if everything went well, right now as the Golden Swan was descending alongside a very tall mountain they were scouting. Hestor had insisted Lucy should go with Zen, that the couple needed badly to be working together and as important as this was, there was no better time to start than immediately.
So, with only a minor objection from Zen, mostly just centered on his concern at his own loss of use of his arms being an issue because he'd be holding her, Virgo had produced the thick belt and strapped Lucy to Zen, promising to come up with something better for future missions where they would be flying together, mentioning some leather devices she had in her own collection she might customize and making Lucy blush as she mumbled about their actual design purposes.
Zen had just chuckled and Lucy had felt a rush of warm affection for the man fill her, he didn't have a single objection to her going with him, nor about her fighting, just about being limited and that objection dropped when they came up with a way to free one of his arms. They had been spending every moment they could manage together…had even now slept together a few times…and she had to admit…sex with him had been very good when they had been mated…but now…just bonded…with Zen free to be himself…it was so much better.
"Not that I mind holding you." He'd purred against her ear making her giggle.
"Shut up, no seduction during rescue missions." She said but turned into him so she could catch those smirking lips. He had this amazingly plump lower lip she just loved. Gods who was she kidding, everything about the man turned her all the way on past her former limits of endurance. His height, the thick muscle, deep tanned smooth skin, his refined face and his eyes…Gods…Zens eyes, rich deep purple with flecks of gold around the pupil that would light up with his magic until his eyes turned gold.
He chuckled softly at her admonishment, growling when she sucked his lower lip in between her teeth and bit it before she let him go.
"Now who's being seductive?" He rumbled sliding a hand up and palming her breast before returning it to where it belonged so they could step to the edge of the deck.
She smiled, wiggling her backside against his groin and making him growl again. She was still smirking when they had dived off the ship and she was reminded how remarkable Zens magic really was. Tapping into him her eyes adjusted until she could see, through the thick gray haze of the clouds they would stick to, the Golden Swan, the Saberfox, and even the outlines of the clouds themselves. Zens vision could adjust to his needs, it was vastly better than a Dragon Slayers according to Cristoff, who had watched through Zens eyes a few times via Kaleb as his brother had scouted for them on jobs before the war.
Flight was something Lucy had only ever sort of experienced with Happy, whose relentless insults had made each time more misery than enjoyment honestly. So, now held against Zens body, long black wings stretched out easily carrying them both as they stayed out beyond the range of the ships shields and thus beyond where any mages aboard would sense them, Lucy let herself enjoy the feeling of being airborne.
Unlike Happy, Zen had no time limit on his wings, once they were out they stopped using his magic unless he put magic into them to change their shape, density, composition, all things she had learned he could do with them and he clearly had no issue with carrying her, aside from keeping her steady against him so he could maneuver with ease, he seemed to not notice her weight.
"See that?" Zen with a gentle nudge through the line she'd made to tap his magic directed her eyes to man made structures jutting out from the side of the mountain below them. It was snowing heavily still, easy for them to remain unseen within the churning snow and Lucy nodded.
"It looks like a sort of castle built into the side of a mountain." She said and felt his gentle nod against her cheek.
"Lets look for entrances Vander may like." Zen said diving and banking in toward the mountain then as Lucy relayed via her link to Kaleb what they were seeing.
They found several entrances, including a couple of small waste water ports and air intakes making it obvious the complex inside the mountain had to be big. Zen landed on the ledge beside one and within moments Vander was there, appearing already crouching over a series of locks and alarms that he handled so fast Lucy was left blinking as Presca removed the door.
"Ok, so Kaleb wants you two back in the air to give him eyes on the Princess' ship docking. We're going to go on in and start mapping." Presca said, all business while Vander yawned .
"Yeah ok, move it let's do it before I'm too old to have sex anymore." He quipped shoving Presca toward the opening.
"You?! Pfft, you'll be fucking your funeral director." Presca snorted and the pair kept shooting quiet barbs at each other all the way in.
Zen shook his head, hugged Lucy to him, adjusted his grip on her and jumped off the ledge, his wings sliding out to catch the rising thermals and carry them upward swiftly so they could carefully circle where the ship was coming in, watching in amazement as the ship seemed to fly right into the mountainside, vanishing behind a shimmering illusion that Zen flew through, keeping high near the roof of the massive cavern as the Golden Swan came in to dock.
"Holy shit…." Lucy whispered and Zen nodded in silent agreement. There were thousands of troops, big hefty Joyan warriors everywhere.
Kaleb… Zen mentally was sending all of it and his brother caught his concerns.
You killed how many when we escaped Pergrande with you? Kaleb asked and Zens eyes narrowed.
More than a hundred...and it wasn't enough… He growled mentally.
How many of our people died? How many innocents in White Sea city?
Zens deadly conviction made Lucy close her eyes, feeling his power flare, his magic surge in such a way it made her own heart burn with a need to visit righteous justice on everyone beneath them.
Wait there, we wait for Vander and Presca to find Altiene, then...we start getting retribution...Kaleb said and Zen found an alcove tucked up in the ceiling of the cavern cut out so lights could be hung where he and Lucy could hide safely and wait.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Presca held tight to Vander as they shot through the shadows. In his time working with the Shadowquip he'd gained a strong resistance to the voids and the dark beings that traveled through them, it still left him chilled, but he knew how to protect his strength so that when they emerged he'd be able to fight and wouldn't be disoriented.
They checked hallway upon hallway, emerging intermittently in silent closets or storage areas so Presca could breathe and warm up before they continued. Vanders usually devilish eyes were hard, cold, calculating and Presca said nothing, he knew the look, this was Vander at his deadliest, fixated on a task, a goal, and the unfortunate random Joyans that got in their way would die fast and silent, bodies left to drift the voids until something devoured them.
It used to disturb Presca, the scope of Vanders abilities, he'd come to realize the shadowquips moral compass was strong, and his families love, the devotion to his brothers, sisters and father, kept the man firmly planted on the good side of things, he didn't abuse his strength, didn't ever over do things when it came to work, his respect for life only fell aside in times like these, when innocent good lives were at risk if he weren't as brutal as he was capable of being.
Presca himself shut down his reservations as they searched the massive compound, he was willing to kill at any level to protect Bosco, to avenge those who had died during the Princess' betrayal. He knew Farron wanted the right to destroy the handmaids, to get his piece of whatever there was of Kurino, but he couldn't help but want some for himself, he could get it here, now, out of this battle queen they were going to take their King from, he and Vander had an agreement…if the opportunity came to them…they would take it.
Vander shifted them again and they kept going, mapping as they went, getting the layout of the place down so their exit could be more efficient when they hopefully had the King with them.
"...she should share...I barely got a taste of him, he's tall, Gods we have to win you know? Restoring the slave trade and getting Boscan men into Joya, I don't care for the Stellan and Bellan men, they're not as...good. Boscans are trained, every one of them right from childhood, we win this and we get more like their King into our beds." A guard was saying to another and Vander hesitated, hung in the shadows of the hallway the guards were standing in. It was one like any other, like the dozens they had already searched.
"You shouldn't have done it though Elgi, you know our Queen likes to keep her pets to herself, she's trying to break him, get him willing so he'll start siring offspring for her." The other guard replied.
Both women were big, muscular. They had a couple of defected Joyans in White Sea, Vander had even slept with one, they were aggressive as hell in bed...not that he minded that, he thought with a smirk.
Presca cuffed him seeing the mans smirk and knowing he was probably thinking about something other than their task. Vander chuckled but sobered swiftly as they listened in.
"The Princess is docking, we need to check in and make sure the plans are still the same, she's supposedly bringing two more Boscan men in, younger ones, and a Fioran man, along with her knights, they'll make really nice slaves…" The first was smirking.
"Yeah you're only all smug because she promised you first pick." The other growled.
"11 years I have served my Queen, that sexy Ambassador will be in my bed soon as reward, you get second pick, from what our spy says the green haired one is gorgeous, just not tall like the Ambassador." The first said consolingly.
"Ladies...you after some Boscan ass I'll happily volunteer mine." Vanders silky voice drawled and both women whipped around to find the shadowmage leaning against the wall a little ways behind them.
Elgi had been in the Joyan military since she was 16, at 6 foot 1 she was good sized, heavily muscled and well skilled in many weapons. Shrewd, powerful, she held wind magic and knew how to use it. Like most Joyan women of her stature and strength, she found native Joyan men, while enjoyable…unable to excite her. Standing in combat against men from other countries she knew well the men of Joya were…products of their breeding and how they were raised. Joyan males were raised to serve, to be obedient to their women. They had limited rights and all were in collars when they reached sexual maturity.
If they were better than 5 feet tall? They were valued more, usually placed into brothels for the enjoyment of the women.
Succubus were native to Joya, and walked about as valued citizens, Elgi herself was ¼ succubus on he mothers side. She had become the first officer of the lesser Warqueen Theida 11 years ago and had loyally served her and her holdings through those years. She had earned her position through hard work and sacrifice, and was ready to have children. She needed a male that could give her daughters strength, and she believed very much the golden haired Ambassador of Bosco would do that…but now, now she was looking at a tall man…dark. He was over 6 feet tall, taller than her she could tell, broad shoulders and well trained muscle was readily visible with the skin tight black leather he wore. Wavy black hair streaked through with red and his lips…his lower was pouty, his upper elegant and he had a masculine angled face with a straight nose, almond shaped eyes set behind thick eye lashes that held a wicked edge that had Elgis blood heating. Such a man…a beautiful dark smiling man…and if she played her cards right…she could keep him…
Her eyes went over him from boots to those laughing eyes, his stance, he was ready to fight…poised, the predatory edge in those eyes was unmistakable and irresistible, he would fight her…he would stand toe to toe with her…they would wrestle in a bed and his defiance would give way to her power…she could TASTE the possibilities.
Presca rolled his eyes, always, Vander always had to fucking play around….still...he usually got results. When Vander had stepped from the shadows his Havati serpent, Meals had come out, holding the shadows connection to the hall, giving Presca something to hold onto so he could stay hidden while Vander ran a distraction.
"Where did you come from?!" Elgi demanded. Vander smiled at her, raising a brow.
"Aww, now why would I kiss and tell? Come on ladies, let me show you what a young Boscan man can really do…" He purred, his jerkin sliding down his arms to fall to the floor and he started undoing his pants.
The women hesitated, looking at each other then back to the sexy raven haired man smirking at them. Smiling at each other they turned predatory grins on him.
"Handsome...I'm gonna fuck you till you can't move then, you're gonna tell me how the hell you got into this wing of the complex." Elgi said. She'd been waiting weeks…WEEKS, she had held down the King of Bosco and forced serums into him to force his cock to stay hard for her Queens use and had watched that big muscular man getting taken by her Warqueen…he was big, powerful, all that delicious muscle….this man maybe wasn't as heavily built as the King? But gods he would do, he was tall, built well enough he clearly had plenty to offer and Elgi was starved for it…Reda, her second in command, could ride his face…Elgi was claiming the rest right now…all of him after.
"What wing would that be? I was just idly wandering around, a little lonely...hoping to find some fun…" He purred and the second was the dumb one.
"You can't just wander into the Queens wing, but don't you worry, we'll set you right…" She said and they lunged, the first one slamming into Vander hard enough his teeth rattled and he saw a few stars, she lifted him right off his feet, one arm coming around his chest beneath his left arm the hand gripping his right shoulder, the other around his waist. The moment his feet left the ground the second one was yanking at his pants and Vander let them slide a little but not enough, collecting himself as the first kissed him hard,
Presca angled himself in the shadow he was using as cover and started draining the second woman, who was so intent on getting Vanders pants off she didn't notice until she wavered, staggered back and Presca bottomed her out letting her faint before starting on the first one.
She took Vander to the hard floor of the hallway, straddling him, one hand fisting in his long hair, wrenching his head back as she bit his neck and Vander had a moment of alarm when he felt venom flow into him but relaxed realizing this was lesser succubus magic, all he had to do was give in and let his lust flow, not a problem with a woman straddling him trying to get a hand down his pants.
"Oh beautiful, I'll give you all you want of me and then some...I really would love to see your Queen.." He purred. He knew how these creatures worked. Succubi were pliant once they'd pushed their venom into a victim and lust started feeding them, he ground his hips up into her, his own hands moving, working under her shirt.
Joyans were so odd, he would swear this one might have more muscle on her than his brother Cristoff…
"Obvious...last room in the hall...you have the most incredible eyes…" She breathed as one of his hands gripped her ass so he could press into her better.
Presca was off and with a wave of his hand the woman on his partner passed out, all of her strength, energy, bottomed out so she couldn't even hold consciousness.
Vander shoved her off, on his feet in a moment all his clothes back in place as he ran along behind Presca, caught up with the man and ripped him into the voids to move faster.
Altiene was grunting, trying to hang on to his consciousness, this damn woman hadn't once forced him unconscious and he would be damned if she did it now, serum or not.
When the Queen went still on top of him he opened his eyes and at first was confused, trying to get them to focus, when they did, a smile lit his face for the first time since his daughters betrayal at meeting the dancing wine colored eyes of his best friend's youngest son.
"Your majesty...just a moment and we'll get you out of here." Presca said, coming past the slowly moving the queen, who knew impossibly sharp blades when she felt them pressed against her jugular.
"Nice and slow now, wouldn't want you bleeding out because of a sudden movement." Vander warned her, a second blade pressed biting into her back, if she pressed forward or back she'd bleed "Havati venom on these blades now so be careful." Vander added and the womans angry eyes fell into real fear, she couldn't risk any cut now, if the slightest bit of that venom got into her, she'd die an unpleasant death.
Glancing down she saw one of the serpents tattood on the bicep of the man pulling her off her slave and inwardly cringed. He was Boscan clanborn to the clan that revered the deadly serpents, that meant he likely had an immunity to the venom, so she couldn't even hope to take him with her if she fought him.
Once the woman was off of him, Presca sucked the strength out of the chains on the man and shattered them, helping his King from the bed and into his own cloak so the man was covered. The voids were cold.
"Kaleb...we have him." Presca said out loud and Altiene looked at him, grabbing his arm.
"Kaleb is alive?!" He demanded and Presca nodded "Yes my King, my Master was not in White Sea when it was razed." The energy mage replied and Altiene still frowned.
"But it was razed...Kurino...really did that." He said quietly sighing when the man nodded solemnly. "Vander….I have never in my life been so happy to see you young man." Altiene said, not too proud to accept Prescas help moving to the man.
"Just a few minutes your majesty, Presca is going to hold on to you, the voids are unforgiving, and you…" He said nudging the woman he held, he'd take this bitch through the voids naked and she could fucking suffer the cold.
"You make one move I don't like I'll leave your ass to the dark beings that live in the voids." He warned "and they are not so kind as to let anything die quickly, you would suffer possibly for years."
It was enough to keep her still, and once he had a firm grip on Presca and Presca had a grip on the King, the Shadowquip pulled them all into the voids and dove deep for the sake of speed.
He'd guessed the Queen, with her abuse of dark magics would likely suck in attention from Void shades, wraiths and possibly even hellspawns and he wasn't wrong, they were chased, but Vander was fast, and his magic was amplified within the voids, so he kept the things back and after just a few short minutes, after hours of searching the compound, they emerged on the command deck of the Saberfox.
The battlequeen collapsed, shaking and whimpering, she'd pissed herself during their trip, lots of people did, Vander had long since learned to make sure those he took through the voids angled so he didn't get pissed on.
Kaleb was standing before them with Laxus and the Captain of the Saberfox who bowed low as soon as he saw the King, Kaleb and Laxus both bowed as well.
"Kaleb...Gods above it's so good to see you." Altiene said and reached forward, hugging the slightly taller mage.
"Dad sends his encouragement my King. Cobra? Prepare, Vander? Cris? Go get the rest." Kalebs eyes narrowed and Vander smirked. Cristoff rolled his eyes as Vander gripped his shoulder and yanked him and Presca into the voids. He hated travelling the voids, no moonlight reached them and it made his magic go all weird for a few moments.
They emerged in Kurinos bedchamber and the Princess gasped, eyes flying wide in shock as Cristoff lunged forward, grabbed a fistfull of her hair and ripped her off his brother, fully silver eyes glaring into hers
"Sleep the sleep of hell you bitch." He snarled and her eyes rolled back and closed, body going limp and crumpling twitching to the ground while Cristoff stepped over her to the bed, Presca already shattering the chains holding his brother and Freed.
"You get those three to the Saberfox, we'll find the rest." Vander said sharply, vanishing and Cristoff gathered his brothers barely breathing form to his chest, Freed managing to move over and grip his arm and resting his boot on Kurinos still shuddering form, Cristoff shifted, the next moment arriving on the command deck, Cobra lunging in and grabbing Farrons arm, lifting the mans wrist to his mouth long fangs sinking into the off colored skin.
"Cris...what did you do to her?" Kaleb demanded, wincing when he tried to get into the womans mind. It was in utter chaos, consumed in terror.
Cristoff curled a lip not looking, eyes riveted on his older brother, his magic flowing into Farrons limp body helping Cobras magic as Laxus wrapped his coat around Freed who refused to leave Farrons side.
"The moment she got up and saw him awake she went to inject him with that serum…" Freed said in a shaking voice, Farron hadn't reacted well, already so heavily overdosed because of the handmaids. Freed had tried to tell Kurino but she'd called him a liar.
"I saw you kissing him in the bath, did you think there would be no monitors? You...I would punish you but it would upset my love, you keep your lying mouth shut!" She'd hissed and replaced Freeds gag before ignoring Farrons protests, his confirming what Freed had already told her about her handmaids drugging him repeatedly.
"It's ok my love, you don't need to protect him, I won't hurt him, I just won't listen to his lies, if you wish to keep him as a lover we can share him, as long as you give yourself to me completely." She'd said, caressing Farrons face. He'd glared at her in answer and she'd plunged the needle into his arm.
Farrons heart, lungs, everything had started failing within minutes but Kurino hadn't noticed, hadn't believed it, thought it was an act, that Farron was just trying some new way to deny her. Then Cristoff and the others had appeared, just as Farron had started seizing and Kurino had realized, too late, the man wasn't playing games with her.
Even a healthy strong mage like Farron could only take so much. Flooded with Succubus venoms for more than a week his body couldn't handle the concentrated more powerful serum Kurino had pumped into him.
Altiene stood over his daughters twitching shuddering form, listening as she whimpered in the grip of whatever Cristoff had done to her.
"He's stable, Freed come here." Cristoff said firmly, holding his hands out toward the rune mage who gave him an apologetic look when he couldn't manage to move. Cristoff went to him then, hands lighting up and Cobra came alongside him lifting Freeds wrist to his mouth. The rune mage barely flinched as Cobra sank his fangs into his wrist, closing his eyes as Cristoffs soothing magic flowed over him, his aches, pains, bruises, bites, all of it fading, healing under Cristoffs once again dark blue eyes.
When he finished the big Dragon Slayer hefted Farron while Laxus lifted Freed up and they stepped off the command deck into the captains quarters.
"Do you mind watching him Freed? We've a lot more to do." Laxus asked, smirking faintly at Freeds eager nod, his friend set himself up, back against the headboard of the bed, and Cristoff laid Farron down into Freeds arms, brushing his brothers tangled hair from his face and kissing his forehead before turning away, Laxus rubbed the top of Freeds head
"Yell into Kalebs link if anything happens ok?" He said softly and Freed nodded giving Laxus an impatient look.
"Farron and I have been bound and tortured for over a week together Laxus, believe me, I'll scream this ship apart if anything happens with him." Freed assured him and Laxus chuckled, turning and leaving his friend to look after Farron.
When he came onto the command deck Cristoff was begrudgingly removing his sleep spell from Kurino. "I HAD to stop her Kaleb, she was on top of him, he was seizing, I had no time to talk to her or I'd have risked Farrons life." The Lunar slayer snapped and Kaleb sighed.
"I realize that, just remove it, Bickslow and I can keep her in line if she tries anything. The king wants to deal with her himself and he's getting some clothes right now." Kalebs tone was calm, but his eyes were faintly glowing with pent up anger. It had been a long few days of stress wondering and worrying if they would find their king. Hestor slid a hand over Kalebs arm, watching intently as Cristoff bent and reversed what he'd done.
"I think everyone would like a piece of her…I wouldn't mind myself after watching you and Cristoff come back from "meetings" with her bleeding, reeking of poisons and covered in whip marks." The Celestial mage said.
Vander appeared, Fille and Canden held between him and Presca and Cristoff whirled from his bland argument with Kaleb, magic immediately coming to bear to start healing the still comatose Canden.
"Shit...what piece of shit healing magic did this crap?! It's worse than the bullshit done with Farrons shoulder…" He growled as he went to work.
"Cristoff...it's really you…" A rasping voice said shakily and Cristoff stiffened not looking up from what he was doing.
"Cristoff...you were always a favorite…" Kurino said from where she lay waking from his spell. Cristoff ignored her, but through the link Kaleb heard a very unpleasant tirade that had him stepping between Kurino and his younger brother. Hestor narrowed his eyes on the woman, glaring but he held his tongue…there was too much going on…
The dazed woman looked up at him, smiling and he turned, looking at Vander and Laxus
"Next phase." He said and both men smirked.
"Mischief and mayhem, at your order big brother." Vander grinned and Kaleb narrowed his eyes.
"We don't need a lot of prisoners to worry about, just get the ship, wreck this compound and be...destructive." He said firmly. Vander grinned, high fived Bickslow who happily stepped up next to him and in a swirl of shadows, Bickslow Vander and Presca vanished, followed shortly by Laxus and Cobra.
0-0-0-0-0-0
You two...hey...cut that shit out! Kalebs mental push into Lucys and Zens minds made them both stiffen. They were waiting, wedged up behind a light lacrima in the ceiling for the final phase of the plan, watching the bored dock crew play cards while ships crew cleaned decks had them both antsy and, to distract themselves, and since they only had each other for said distraction, Lucy had started fiddling with Zens wings, which he could feel, and that got him turned on so he kissed her and well…
Hastily pulling their clothes back in order the couple managed rushed apologies as Kaleb mentally growled at them.
Get down there and raise fucking hell so Vander and the others can start clearing the fucking ship!
As soon as Lucy was tightly in his arms the Archangel dropped from their hiding spot and dove down as Lucy shifted to her Sagittarius stardress and started peppering everyone in the open with arrows while Zens wings shot razor sharp feathers out in sprays from every flap of them.
When they reached the top deck of the Princess' ship Zen set the deck on "fire" which really wasn't a fire burning the actual ship, it was a deep black holy fire that would seek out those touched by the black taint that had taken the Princess.
Kaleb had a similar attack of his own he could use, but Zens was more choosy, the flames raced into the ship and screams could be heard as they found their targets and Zen kept casting the spell every chance he got as he and Lucy took on the crew of the Princess' ship.
Below decks, Vander and Presca were leaving an ever growing wake of death, Vander, when Presa reminded him dead bodies started stinking fast, started hurling anyone unlucky enough to cross him into the voids, dead or alive didn't matter to him, they wouldn't live long once in the voids anyway after the first few people he tossed in because the shades and wraiths were drawn to the screaming and fear and Vanders drop point in the voids rapidly turned into a gruesome feeding frenzy for the horrors that lived in the voids.
Between him and Presca they were devastating the "Dark Knights" Kurino had assembled until they reached the command deck.
Vander stilled, dropping the Knight he'd just rammed a black katana through and smiling, stepping over the writhing body as the knight started convulsing, he'd be dead before he bled out to the havati venom that coated the blade.
"Titus…" he purred, another black sword forming in his free hand, black armor forming over his tall frame. Presa looked up narrowing his steel colored eyes...Titus was a knight applicant who hadn't been able to endure the immersion in Immaculate light. He'd been tossed from the order shortly before Vander had been, though Vanders sin had been getting caught having sex in the temple with one of the Maidens of Divine Light, right against the dang holy lacrima too.
His friend had always worn his blackened knights seal with pride, he'd never liked the Maidens order within the knights, the concept that refraining from Sex while serving went against Boscan beliefs and he'd taken wicked delight in proving quite a few of the maidens weren't keeping to their vows well, the one he was caught with was far from his first conquest during his time there.
Titus though...the man was dark, tainted. Sadistic. He absolutely hated Vander, whose whimsical carefree nature had infuriated Titus from the start, Vander could outperform him while grinning and cracking jokes and Titus hated him for it.
He'd done some things too, had found a way to trap Vander inside a sealed preparation room where candidates prepared for their immersion in the light and once he'd trapped him there, he and 5 others had attacked the Shadowquip, Vander had done damage, three of the men were hospitalized after the encounter for a while...but so was Vander, Titus and one other though...they had gotten Vander restrained and hadn't been gentle with him once they had him pinned.
It was what had finally seen Titus expelled from the candidates program and Pelerno, he'd been supposedly sent to Atla as a guard for the Embassy to cook the evil out of him in that desert.
Clearly...it hadn't worked. Titus had formed his own order of dark knights that Kurino had enlisted for her fight and stood menacingly between Vander and Presca and the door to the command deck.
"Vander…." The man sneered, dark eyes raking over the shadow mage. "Ass is looking nice and tight there, ready to give me another ride?"
Vander flicked a blade and blood from the downed knight splattered across Titus chest and face. "I don't play so nice anymore Titus, no order to keep happy, no need to worry about getting in trouble this time...I'll be real happy to add your ass to the menu in the voids…" He purred blowing Titus a kiss and the man spat wiping the blood from his face. He heard a soft hissing noise and glanced down, saw his armor melting slightly under what had been flicked over him and cursed inwardly.
He knew Vander had gone to work for the Council, that he'd been working covert ops for years now. The smiling bastard always had a thing for poisons, he had to make this quick, his skin was burning and so was his mouth because he'd gotten some blood on his lower lip and could taste it.
He lunged and fiented, but the damn shadow mage wasn't there, whirling he swung and his sword rang against the black metal of one of Vanders Katanas, He tried to bring his larger size to bear but the bastard vanished again.
"Fight me like a MAN you fucking smiling coward!" He roared and felt a blade slice through the armor on his back, blood running free as he hissed and whirled swinging wildly and again facing nothing.
"Fight like what sort of man exactly? Your type? With sneak attacks and 6 to one maybe? Magic sealed rooms and magic canceling cuffs? That's not cowardly but fighting using all my skills is huh? Well, let me show you one of my greater skills then and you can tell me if it's cowardly hmm?" Vander asked lightly and Titus was suddenly wrenched into darkness, a cold unlike any he had ever endured hit him, worse than the worst cold of Iceburg. Vander was gripping his collar, his free hand blocking Titus' attempt to bring his sword in with a katana.
The shadowquip leaned in close smiling at Titus whose widening eyes were seeing now the writhing horrors moving in around them, blood floating in the air, freezing chunks of viscera and shattered body parts here and there, the gurgling last sounds of someone being...eaten alive…
"Welcome to the void Titus, do see if you can find recruits for your brave order once the shades scent your life force." Vander purred coldly, ripping his sword fast across Titus' hand, making the man bleed as if the smell of the blood Vander had flicked on him wouldn't be enough. The moment Vander shoved Titus away from him to float wide eyed, flailing frantically and uselessly in the void, shades started moving in on the dark knight.
"No! Vander! You evil bastard! I can't die like this!" Titus screamed "Fight me!" He cried.
Vander waited until the first shade reached the knight and grabbed him.
"No...I don't think so oh noble dark knight...you take on the creatures who share your brand of valor." He sneered and left to the satisfying sounds of Titus screaming in terror as the shades and wraiths rushed him once Vanders brilliant light was far enough away.
Vander emerged from the Void grinning at a wide eyed Presca.
"What? Waiting for a written invitation? Move it! Kalebs gonna fry our asses if we don't take over this ship!" Vander said lightly, grabbing Presca and slipping through the door, appearing inside it behind the crew men who were pressing against the door to help hold it shut while they tried to listen to the fight outside the door.
"BOO!" Vander shouted and one actually squealed like a girl before the men tried to attack the two Bloodhunters.
The crew dispatched, Vander watched Presca take the control seat of the Golden Swan while he sealed the command deck door with his shadows.
Ship is taken, all you kiddies need to abandon ship and let my pets purge any crew unlucky enough to still be alive. Vander called through the link.
Laxus had actually tossed the last crewman he could find overboard and listened with mild satisfaction as the mans screams were cut short by a sickening thud a few hundred feet below.
The moorings and ramps were all gone thanks to Zen, Lucy and Bickslow and Vanders traps throughout the complex that he'd placed as he'd searched for the king were starting to go off, unleashing shades that would hunt the living until the found prey, then enter the living soul and devour it, becoming trapped inside of the body until the dawn released them back to the voids. Mindless killers, and if those were starting to move, Laxus, Bickslow, Emzadi, Zen and Lucy needed to get back to the Saberfox.
"Bix! Come on man..shit!" He ducked as a wall of searing fire roared past him, leveling a group of crewmen that were trying to run from a shade and vaporizing the shade.
Emzadi stood a short distance away smiling at him "You're welcome, handsome." She winked at him and he pressed his lips together, he was in a fucking battle in Joya and Emi had just burnt a bunch of men to ash but holy hell was she turning him on. He'd been a little worried about fighting alongside her, knew with as drawn to her as he already was it would be tough on him.
"Shit sis, toasted em…" Bix said, hovering now on his babies.
"Looks like Vans traps are going off, we should go, I can handle them but it's not easy, the fucker uses some bigger ones now and then too and I don't want to melt my nails." Emzadi said lightly walking up to Laxus and trailing a hand up his chest.
"So...Thunder God...you gonna give me a ride?" She said in a sultry tone that sent a shiver through him and Bickslow cackled.
"Watch your ass Boss, Emi likes you." He laughed.
Emi pouted,her red lips looking just altogether too tempting to the big Slayer, Gods she was tall, he wouldn't even have to bend down to kiss her…
He slid an arm around her and pulled her against him...mistake...his dragon went out of its damn mind. He'd meant to say something smart but instead just struggled to remember how words and talking worked while his magic pulled in and lightning crackled around him and Emi.
Bickslow shot upward, falling in behind Zen and Lucy and following them toward the Saberfox.
As Laxus' magic danced over her Emzadi purred in the big mans arms. His teleport went off and they landed on the deck of the Saberfox, Laxus not getting a second to breathe before Emzadis warm red lips were on his and he wasn't just forgetting how talking and words worked, he forgot he had ever cared…