"Never shake hands with an elf, devious little things, they are."
- Commodore John Singleton, Rainfall Admiralty
A/N: If you're enjoying the story so far, please consider writing a review!
There was no peace here. No justice, no compassion, just hate and needless violence. All that could be seen were daunting blue banners alongside hanged men, women, and children swaying beneath the many trees surrounding the course, dirt path they were taking. Despite being so crowded, the country air of Old Man's Trail was dead silent. Merchants, vagrants, and other travelers walked solemnly through the road without uttering a word, which was perhaps the wisest decision any of them have ever made in this land of oppression.
Heavily armed soldiers wielding muskets and broadswords could be seen at every turn, glaring at the populace as they approached the mighty Stormwall. This brutal display of strength was just the tip of the iceberg. Fiorens were facing a problem they'd been plagued with for hundreds of years; a tyrant rules the Southern Coast.
The Rainfalls track like hounds, swim like fish, and kill like cold-hearted bastards.
Lord Arlon, however, well, he was another issue entirely. Following Ryhard's sudden demise, the South became a very different place. Rapid militarization, curfews, and countless other restrictive laws were put into effect. Guilds were flat-out banned, in fact, anyone caught using combat-based magic suffered dire consequences. The other side of that border contained a whole new world, where the word of a single madman was valued above all else.
Things needed to change, sometime, somehow, things needed to change.
"Remain calm and don't draw attention to yourself. Keep your eyes to the ground."
Two hooded figures, one significantly taller than the other, did their best to remain unnoticed as they trekked strategically through the crowd, positioning themselves in such a way where they'd be harder to spot. The younger of the two set her disturbed pink eyes on the cadavers hanging above.
"The Admiralty's killing children, Jellal. Children. There's no justification for this level of cruelty. We have to do something." Meredy's hands were shaking in rage as she tried to keep her voice down. The blue-haired man sighed at his companion's furious demeanor. Crime Sorcière wasn't founded to challenge noble families and dabble in political affairs, that was King Toma's job, the girl simply didn't understand that yet.
"Even we can't save them all, Meredy. Ishgar's elven population has been dwindling in the past twenty years, there's nothing we can realistically do about it. Bite your tongue and focus on the bigger picture."
She scoffed but didn't offer any other sign of recognition. They could purge every ounce of evil from these lands if Ultear was still with them. Meredy's heart stung just thinking about her adoptive mother's face. Crocus would be a pile of rubble without the redeemed woman's sacrifice, but that didn't change the fact that the former dark wizards would miss her greatly.
Yes, the loss was painful, but Crime Sorcière would eventually move on from this heartache and continue paving a bright future for the people of Fiore. The destruction of the Eclipse Gate was a great victory, however, the realm was far from free. Jellal sensed a new form of dark magic not long after the dragons were sent back to their original timeline, deep in the Southern Coast. His first guess was Tartaros, but the man quickly ruled them out as a suspect. It was unlikely that a magic guild, light or dark, would be able to operate beyond the Stormwall without Lord Rainfall's consent. That would be like trying to hide in a lion's den covered in steak sauce.
Was it Arlon himself? Unlikely. He's a member of the great Ten Wizard Saints, and would therefore have little need to dabble in foul sorcery. Who could be the source of this strange energy? Where would the two even start looking? These were all great questions, but they first had to make it across the border without getting spotted.
Ownership of the Cobalt Sea made House Rainfall absurdly rich and powerful throughout the centuries. It was an essential route of trade with the rest of Earth Land, serving as a gateway to neighboring Minstrel and Caelum. Outsiders who wish to travel by ship must first gain entry past the mighty Stormwall, a series of barriers and fortifications cutting Arlon's territory off from the rest of Fiore. One hundred feet of pure stone, stretching as far as the eye could see. To be blunt, it wasn't setting off any positive vibes to the pair of fugitives.
The Admiralty made it painfully obvious how criminals would be treated here, and if the mages wanted to keep their heads, they'd best keep them hidden. Jellal and Meredy were quickly approaching the gate, which was heavily guarded by at least four dozen men. If they remained inconspicuous and kept moving with the crowd, everything would be fine.
"Hold it, long-ears. Did you pay the tax yet?"
A jeering voice nearby caught the pinkette's attention. "What? Which tax would that be?" Two soldiers, who had blue serpents inscribed on their breastplates, just laughed mockingly at the elven merchant's confusion. "The 'fuck you' tax, freak. Think one of your kind's getting through without tribute? Two hundred thousand jewels, pay up or piss off."
Nearby travelers began steering away from the elf as if he was poisonous. Meredy stopped dead in her tracks and just stared in disbelief. "I-I don't have that much. Please let me through, good sirs, this is the only way I can get back to Elvara." One of them tutted and swung his sword over an armoured shoulder.
"What's in the cart? Weapons? Opium? Runaway whores? Well, Thompson, why don't we take a look?" The traveler's eyes widened. "No. I'll leave. I'll leave and never come back. There's no need to search my wagon, it's full of trade goods."
Jellal scowled as he followed his companion's line of vision. "Remember what I've told you, we can't save everyone. Damnit, Meredy, snap out of it!" The man spoke hastily in a voice barely above a whisper, but unfortunately for him, it fell on deaf ears. "Step aside, filth." The guardsmen pushed the elf roughly to his left and approached the small caravan, causing its horses to nicker in distress. Visibly panicked, the elf gripped one of the soldier's arms in a feeble attempt to stop him.
"I've done nothing wrong to you people! I told you I was leaving, so-"
A gauntleted fist was thrust violently into the merchant's face, spilling blood all over his tunic as he collapsed on the ground like a sack of potatoes. A few people nearby gasped, but just quickened their pace towards the gate, not wanting to get involved. The elf twitched violently as he desperately tried to get back on his feet, but it was no use. One of the men stomped him back into the dirt, holding him in place like a wild animal.
"Stay down or I'll crack your skull open."
The other soldier ripped the tarp off his wagon, revealing the hidden contents underneath. "Lookie here! I guess you were moving whores, after all." Jellal and Meredy watched from a distance as the man pulled a young girl out of the cart, throwing her to the ground. "Don't touch her! Go away!" She was rather young and closely resembled the merchant, ears and all, she must have been his daughter.
The girl thrashed about and screamed, tears welling up in her eyes as the guard pinned her against a nearby tree. "P-Please…" Grinning lecherously, he pinned his victim's arms behind her back and motioned for his partner to follow. "Hold the waterworks, sweetheart, this will all be over soon. Let's bring these two in for… interrogation." The father struggled as he was pulled back to his feet, and was immediately rewarded with another punch to the gut, shocking his daughter.
"Let go, you monsters! Someone help!" They were dragged across a field to an abandoned barn, with the girl squirming wildly in an attempt to break free of the soldier's grasp. It was horrible, but Jellal knew the consequences of intervening. They'd be marked as outlaws by House Rainfall before they even stepped foot in their territory. No, he couldn't put the mission at risk by helping a damsel in distress.
The blue-haired man turned to his right, only to go wide-eyed as he found himself alone. Meredy somehow managed to slip away without him noticing. "Impossible!" Jellal frantically scanned the crowd for signs of her dark blue cloak, but it was no use, it was obvious she went after them. Cursing under his breath, the tattooed man navigated through the horde of travelers and began his pursuit.
The young elf was pushed through the doors and thrown harshly on a bale of hay, and her father was simply beaten back to the ground, forced to watch the horrible scene transpire. "Settle down there, long-ears, just sit back and relax." That wolfish glare in the man's eyes caused her to shrink back in disgust. "Make this quick, Thompson. No lollygagging." The soldier, whose name was apparently Thompson, just waved his friend off carelessly in response.
"Yeah, yeah. Now don't be shy, Luv, show us your tits."
Her shirt was caught in a punishing grip, and gathering all the strength she could muster, the elf struck her assailant across the face. The man hissed and tumbled back slightly, and he looked back at the young woman with unadulterated fury. "Elven bitch!" Her father could only watch as the man tore off part of the dress his daughter wore. His worst fears were suddenly becoming reality. Earth Land was nothing like they'd hoped, the hatred and oppression of humanity knew no bounds.
The guardsmen were so busy laughing at their misfortune that they didn't hear the door creak open. "Quit your squirming! Just be glad someone's paying attention to foreign trash like y-" A barrage of teal magic blades struck the man from behind, causing unimaginable pain to spread throughout his system like a raging virus. Meredy didn't think, hesitate, or relent, the second she saw what they were doing to that girl, her beliefs of mercy vanished into thin air. She used her Maguilty Sense to render the would-be rapist immobile, forcing him to collapse on the barn floor below.
"Thompson! Fucking witch, I'll kill you!" The other drew his sword and charged at Meredy, but a flash of blue moving at the speed of light launched him against a support beam, knocking him out with a resounding thud. Jellal turned towards his companion with an irritated look. "Next time you're about to run off like that, tell me first."
The pinkette ignored him and rushed to the elven girl's side, and Jellal did the same with her father. "T-T-Thank you. Those men would have… w-would have…" The slightly older woman hushed her gently and offered a reassuring smile. "Shhh… It's alright now, they're gone. The Southern Coast is no place for an elf. If you're looking to leave Fiore by sea, try Hargeon. They're good people, they won't turn you away. Avoid Rainfall's soldiers and don't ever take Old Man's Trail again."
After nodding and wiping some tears from her eyes, the young lady smothered Meredy in a hug, uttering a few more words of gratitude before skipping off to check on her father. Jellal helped him back to his feet, and he looked at the tattooed man in disbelief. "Good sir, madam, did the gods send you, or was it Ms. Clover?"
The wizard hummed in curiosity.
"We acted on our own accord, traveler. No gods acted here, but who is this Clover? Friend of yours?" Meredy glared at her fellow mage in disapproval. These people just survived a traumatic experience only to suffer through one of his daunting interrogations. "She's a hero like yourself, sir. We don't know her personally, but word is Rayne Clover's fighting for elvish rights here in Ishgar. I thought she could help us escape to our homeland, but she's in hiding, you see. Lord Arlon would love nothing more than to put a sword through her chest."
The elf wiped the blood from his nose and straightened out his tunic. "Why did you help us? I thought all humans detested our kind." Meredy just shook her head. "No one should have to endure such intolerance, despite how long their ears are. We just did what we thought was right." The daughter's eyes suddenly lit up in excitement.
"They can help Ms. Clover, Papa! The Admiralty wouldn't stand a chance against those two!" The ex-villains exchanged a glance, but just as Jellal was about to open his mouth, another voice beat him to the punch.
"Yes! Of course, we'll help. Do you have any idea where Rayne is?"
He wanted to protest and scold Meredy for her recklessness but felt as if he didn't have the right to. The man spent years oppressing innocents in the Tower of Heaven, and that left Jellal with a debt that he believed could never be repaid. What Arlon Rainfall was doing to the elves was just as vile, if not more, than what the Cult of Zeref did to him.
While their primary goal was discovering the source of this new dark magic, there was no reason why they couldn't save some lives along the way. "Clover's taking the fight where it matters most; Sailor's Hill. Word is she's in Port Ryhard, aiding refugees and disrupting Arlon's supply chains."
Meredy jumped happily. Aside from the Eclipse Gate incident, this would doubtlessly be Crime Sorcière's greatest challenge. House Rainfall established a dynasty that's been around for hundreds of years, they were not to be underestimated. Thousands of lives were at stake here, lives that needed saving, and no other prospect pleased the girl more. "Port Ryhard, got it! Take care and be safe, you two!"
She grabbed Jellal by the cloak and pulled him out of the barn, leaving the pair of elves with hopeful smiles on their faces.
Maybe Fiore wasn't so bad after all.
