CHAPTER 63: RAGE
Natsu had faced death before.
In fact, he had looked death in the eye so many times he could call it an old friend. Death had got its ethereal fingertips brushing through his hair, lulling him to sleep, but somehow, he had always escaped its grasp. There was a lure in it, yes – this feeling of transience, a melancholic truth of the end of all living things, that had made him feel more alive than life itself ever did. It brought him to face death time and time again. Death was the darkness around the candle flame. Without it, no light could ever be seen. But when the flame would go out, smothered by the dark, death would finally win.
And now, as he locked his stare with the dragon priest, he met death again. A shiver ran down his spine, for this time, he wasn't sure how he'd run from it. Perhaps even when he had laid his head on the block and waited for the headsman to swing the axe, he hadn't been as close to death as he was now.
Yes, he had faced death before, but this was the closest to it he had ever been.
Natsu glanced down at the corpse that lay by the priest's feet. The Nord lay in an unnatural position, his limbs twisted as if he had fallen from a great high, and below him, the pool of blood was still spreading. Rahgot's hands, which now grabbed the ancient warhammer, left crimson stains on the weapon's long handle. Natsu inhaled a sharp breath, his gaze still frozen on the priest, and then the mage set up sparks on his palms.
Tonight, he'd burn death itself to ashes if he must.
Despite unstrapping the hammer, Rahgot remained where he was, carefully analysing Natsu before making his move. Perhaps he'd wait for the mage to charge at him first, but Natsu knew if he'd get into the range of his weapons, he'd be smashed like a bug. When he heard a faint sob in front of him, he looked away from the priest, and faced a different kind of death in Lucy's eyes.
The death of all hope.
Lucy whispered something to him, but his blood was rushing too loud for him to hear. Tears kept flowing down her bruised, crimson-smeared face as she tried to push herself to stand. Still too weak, her limbs cave under her and she collapsed to the ground once again, shivering and whimpering. Natsu's chest tightened at the sight – never had he felt such a crushing weight of defeat, for no matter the outcome, he knew he had already failed her.
"I'm sorry it took me so long, Lucy," Natsu spoke quietly, but didn't dare to take a single step closer to her yet. Then he glanced at Loke's corpse again, as he owed an apology to the dead Nord as well. You deserved a better end, friend. "I'm so sorry."
The priest ahead of them remained still, ever observing them so carefully. Though they were just whispering to each other, Rahgot seemed to hear them very clearly. He's in no rush to kill us yet, Natsu realised. As if he'd have all the time in the world to play with us. He seems fucking satisfied now that I'm finally here.
"You…" Lucy muttered to him, disbelief and shock merging into one in her voice. "You must leave. Please. He'll kill you. Just –"
"I'm not leaving without you."
"He said the same," she reacted, faintly gesturing towards Loke. "I… I can't lose you too. Go. This is my battle. I… I can do this. I don't need to… be saved."
"Me neither," Natsu answered. Keeping his eyes on Rahgot, he walked to Lucy. He helped her to stand, supporting her small shivering frame by holding his arms around her. She shook her head and tried to push him away, but he pulled her back tighter. "Whatever happens, we are in this together. Is that clear? I'm not leaving you. Not again. Not ever again."
Lucy glanced up into his eyes, and Natsu's heart shattered into thousand tiny shards at the sight. All at once, he could feel the agony flowing into him, too, for he knew this despairing expression too well. He knew it was the gaze of the one who'd seen their friend butchered right before their eyes. Gods, I should've made it here earlier. Perhaps that Nords would still be alive. Self-blame was an easy trap for him to fall into, yet he knew he couldn't afford to wallow in it now. Gods fucking damn it.
"Yet another thief comes to steal what is mine," Rahgot spoke across the distance, walking closer to them. The echo of his words made the fire mage flinch. "The Dragonborn belongs to the Order, as does something else you carry, Keeper. Or Deinmaar, in the language of the dragons." The priest scoffed. "The flame of a great dragon sealed within a pitiful mortal. It still astonishes me how the Akaviri managed to fabricate something so preposterous. So, tell me, how did you end up as the Keeper? It intrigues me greatly. I wish to know the truth before I lay the Order's judgement upon you."
"How should I know?" Natsu replied, staring at the priest's unmoving green mask. Anger and bitterness bubbled in his tone like a brew about to overboil. "I never knew shit until Odahviing spoke to me, and to be honest, I don't even care. My fire is mine. Has always been." Natsu furrowed his brow. "I'm here to kill you, that's all."
"Kill me?" Rahgot mocked. "No one can kill me."
As Natsu held Lucy in his arms, she trembled helplessly like a fallen leaf in the wind, recoiling at every word Rahgot said. Her eyes went glassy and clouded as she stared into nothingness, fading from this world to keep her mind safe. Just how much has she heard and endured to break like this? Natsu wondered, an abrupt thirst for vengeance filling his heart. His murderous glare landed on the dragon priest.
"Besides, that fire hasn't always been yours," the priest continued. I'm so done listening to this crap, Natsu thought, but remained silent. "Dragonfire, in its purest essence, was first born in the breath of Akatosh – and unlike any insignificant spark, dragonfire lives. It grows, spreads, loves, and hates, but never dies. Even without a single flame, dragonfire is always there, in the very words of creation. All dragons carry it within their hearts, but the Tsaesci, the wicked Akaviri folk, separated it from the soul of one of the First Eight. Even I don't know what happened to it after its thievery, but after many long centuries, there it is again. Right within you, delivered back to its rightful owner."
And then, Natsu flinched too. He had said those words once before to Lucy, when she'd asked which gods did he pray to. "And you think you're its rightful owner? Think again, fucking idiot."
"I am Agnoslok's priest. I know his fire. I watched it scorch these lands without mercy. What you can do with dragonfire is nothing compared to that. Do you understand that? Nothing. You are nothing but a vessel – and when you die, the vessel breaks. Without containment, the dragonfire will be released back to the world, and Agnoslok can awaken once again. The essence of dragonfire is like a bridge between a dragon's soul and body – without it, no dragon can manifest their Thu'um. I'm not expecting you to understand it. Such matters are far beyond mortal comprehension."
"I understand it fairly well. But I know my fire better than you, and I know that it's free. In the end, it has a will of its own. It could be that even if you killed me, the fire would choose a fully different path than you'd like. Because you can't contain it," Natsu answered sternly. "Maybe if I die, the fire finds its way back to that fucking dragon, but maybe it won't. It's a gamble."
"No. All that was taken shall be taken back, as you will soon see. Don't pretend to be excepted or unaccounted for," Rahgot said and glanced at Lucy. "Fret not, Dovahkiin. His death shall be a sacrifice for our greater purpose, unlike this fool's, who died for nothing." He kicked at Loke's corpse while he walked closer to them, making Natsu clench his fingers into tight fists. Fucking degradation. "But you have indulged my weakness for speech long enough. Take your last breath." Rahgot lifted his axe, and the power of Thu'um began to gather in his throat. "KRII – LUN – "
But in half a heartbeat, Lucy's voice overwhelmed the hall – it happened so fast, so powerful, that Natsu barely grasped what she did – as if a dragon had emerged from the shell of a frail human, and covered the world under the shadow of its wings. Just a moment ago she'd been barely conscious, but she seemed to have slipped into some another world where she now returned from. She strung together words of power as if they were poetry, shouting out her rage and grief, with the full force of a dying star.
"Mul gah diiv, Sahloknir! Mul gah diiv, Krosulhah! Mul gah diiv, Milmurnir!" the strength of her words cut out the Thu'um Rahgot had been building, staggering the priest as blinding bright magic began to swirl around her. The air turned frigid out of sudden, and scales of frost began to form on Lucy's skin. "Zu'u drun nau hin dilok! Kos mahfaeraak dein asht fin iiz do diih bah! IIZ – SLEN – NUS! FRO – KRAH – DIIN!"
The last thing Natsu could see before everything dissolved into a blizzard was the spear Lucy built from ice and dragonhide, its razor-sharp tip aimed directly at the priest. Everything in Lucy's aura screamed for him to stay away from this battle, but as the clash of ice on iron echoed in the hall, Natsu ignited the sparks on his palms into raging pyres – and the fire he released did not pale to a dragon's.
The final battle had begun.
Just when Gildarts's destruction spell tore the wizard apart, a massive explosion from above quaked the whole monastery. The dying shrill of the ghost got buried under the deafening noise. Rocks and dust fell from the ceiling, forcing Gildarts to transmute his last magicka into a protective ward. Crouching underneath this cover, he waited for the rockfall to stop, while he raised his gaze and listened to the sound of spreading flames.
That was Natsu, he knew without a doubt.
Cursing under his breath, he glanced behind him, trying to glimpse Gajeel through the dust. The vampire had led his opponent to the other side of the hall. After Natsu had defeated one of them, the remaining wizards seemed to have sapped on the power the fallen had bled. It had been a while since Gildarts had been in a battle so equal, so tough, but he finally prevailed. He struggled to catch his ragged breath, fear building up in his chest as he listened to the echoes of the battle. Lucy's Thu'um reverberated in the stone walls, and though Gildarts couldn't understand the words, he felt her unyielding wrath.
And somehow, he got a haunting feeling that Loke had not made it. He only realised it now that the young Nord's presence was gone – when exactly had his life's flame dimmed out, Gildarts couldn't tell, but his death was certain. It could be felt in the grief and despair upon the magic that was being unleashed in the inner sanctum. If that could just be transferred directly into strength, that alone would carry them to victory. But Gildarts knew how easily a grieving mind was distracted, and here, one mistake, one misstep, would be too much.
A loud growl brought him back to the present moment. Instantly he found the source, and the following sound of heavy liquid dripping to the ground made his stomach sink.
The dust settled in the afterglow of the explosion, and not so far from him, an ethereal blade had struck through the vampire's guts. Gajeel collapsed when the wizard pulled out the gleaming, transparent sword, stained in blood as thick and black as oil. Energy swirled around the last remaining sorcerer like a cyclone – he had stolen the powers of his fallen brethren, and the determination to leave no survivors was tangible. As if satisfied, the wizard lifted his staff and began to chant one last rite before sending Gajeel to the void.
"Daar los fin sosaal fah kren revak golt," the sorcerer whispered. A surge of power sent his robes fluttering behind him. "Nu, huzrah fah nii."
As Gajeel knelt in pain and lowered his head, waiting to receive the final strike, Gildarts pulled together the final of his strength. Gritting his teeth, he released the silver blade from his belt, aimed precisely, and threw it forward. The built-up magicka snapped apart in the atmosphere when the dagger struck the sorcerer's back, straight to the core.
Faintly, Gajeel raised his gaze. The blood-chilling scream echoed on and on as the sorcerer stilled, his presence being eaten up around the silvery blade as if moths gnawed away his existence. His hold around the staff loosened and the sword dissolved into nothingness, and with one last effort to protect this sanctuary, the energy exploded before disappearing completely.
The blast sent Gajeel flying through the air, and even Gildarts was thrown down by the pressure wave. Biting his lip, he muttered curses as the magic kept tearing through him like a rainfall of ethereal blades. He couldn't understand the pain was real until blood flowed down his skin – the final blow had truly transmuted into magic sharp enough to cut.
With no magicka left for a proper ward, he threw himself on the ground and shielded his head and neck with his arms. He held his breath until the storm settled and silence fell to the hall. Distant waves of sorcery hit his body from above, but he couldn't hear the blasts, even though he knew he should. Keeping his eyes closed, Gildarts fell on the edge of warm, soft sleep – everything began to feel so heavy, as if the pain was forged into iron in his limbs, molten gold in his lungs.
This is death, he realised. If I fall asleep now, I'll never wake up again.
Fuck.
The urge to lay down the fight grew impossible to resist. This was a call to leave behind his pain, an opportunity to step into the eternal darkness where nothing could ever hurt him again – but somewhere in the back of his fading mind, he heard a different call, a reminder of things he had left unfulfilled. All of them felt so insignificant, except for one. His legacy as a Blade was worthless, the secrets waiting in the Sky Haven Temple meant nothing, but if he couldn't see his dear daughter's smile just once more, he wouldn't be ready to die. And as a memory surfaced from the depths of darkness, he transmuted it into power, and he stood up.
'Papa!' Cana had once shouted to him across the room in the bright morning light, running towards him with her arms open wide. Nothing made her smile brighter than seeing her father return home.
Unless he'd see her again, he couldn't die, no matter what.
Gildarts's vision blackened when he got back on his trembling feet, but he still took two staggering steps forward. The silence began to subside – the shouts and blasts of fire rang above him in the inner sanctum, but no sound of his vampiric companion could be heard. When the black clouds began to part, he recognised the outlines of a miserable lump lying amongst the destroyed stone formations. It remained perfectly still. Strands of long, black hair spread underneath the figure.
"Fuck," Gildarts cursed again. "Gajeel? Are you dead?"
Gildarts counted the misaligned beats of his heart as silence passed on.
"Yes," the vampire answered then, groaning low. A massive stone of worry rolled away from Gildarts's shoulders. "Yes, I am still dead."
The old mage chuckled dryly. With slow and pained steps, he walked across the chamber to Gajeel. The vampire rolled around on his stomach and coughed up black liquid in small, rough clumps. Gildarts shuddered at the sight. Not a single hint of red could be seen in Gajeel's open wound – under the milk-white skin, his insides were rotten and dark grey, like a corpse that had been dead for a century. Could he still feel the pain? Gildarts wanted to ask, but didn't dare.
After regathering his nerves and examining his injuries, Gajeel sat up on his knees and placed his hands on his wounded abdomen. He picked up whatever mess had bled from the hole, put them back inside, and grunted as he enveloped his fingers in a strange magic that felt more like a Daedric curse. Gajeel whispered some words Gildarts couldn't comprehend – except for one name, Molag Bal – and then, a grim, disturbing presence appeared in the hall. It roused the hairs on Gildarts's neck. Gajeel was summoning the help of Molag Bal himself, and the Father of Coldharbour answered his call.
The vampire's grievous wounds began to close.
For a moment, Gajeel was shrouded in a mist of darkness. Awestruck, Gildarts gazed at him. A mortal man would've already succumbed to such injuries. Even the most skilled restoration wizards had their limits, as the dead could never be brought back to life, but such rules of mortals no longer affected those who'd left life behind long ago.
"What is dead may never die," Gajeel said as he stood up unscathed, "but rises again harder and stronger." Then he glanced at Gildarts, whose blood was dripping to the ground. "Are you still unconvinced? Doesn't the unlife call for you? The offer I gave you is still valid."
"I think you're just hungry."
"Yeah, I can't quite deny that."
"Stop looking at me like I'm a snack," Gildarts grunted and wiped the blood from his forehead. "Natsu and Lucy are in trouble. We must help them."
"In that condition?" Gajeel questioned. "You'll bleed out before reaching the stairs."
"Don't underestimate me. Dying isn't in my plans today either." Gildarts looked up as another powerful blast shook the air. From the corner of his vision, he saw a crack spreading from the ceiling down to the wall – a split second later he realised the hall would soon collapse. "That's why we need to get the fuck outta here."
As they began to hurry to the stairway, Gildarts reached to the depths of his robe's pockets where he should have one potion left, and to his relief, he found it unbroken. His ghostly fingers flickered from the lack of magicka while he opened the cork. If my magicka wouldn't get completely depleted before this potion takes effect, that would be great, he thought and downed the bitter liquid down his throat.
"So, what will we do?" Gajeel asked while they ran, but the loud rumble of falling stones suppressed his voice. They sprinted the last leaps to the tunnel, then remained quiet as a massive part of the ceiling came crashing down. The heat of flames crept down the stairway, and suddenly the arrogance in the vampire's eyes burned away. He turned his bloodred gaze to the tunnel's end. "Unfortunately, I guess this is as far as I can accompany you. I could as well take a dive to the Red Mountain than go there."
Gildarts took a deep breath, and stepped on the first stair. A loud Thu'um tore through the air, staggering them both. It had belonged to Lucy, yet the strength in her words had already begun to fade.
"Don't give up yet," Gildarts said, nodding. "I have a plan."
Upon the frost that danced around Lucy, gleaming like a swarm of luna moths, she forged another spear twice as tall as she was. Where she had found the strength to lift it, Natsu didn't know – as so many other things, everything began to blur into one senseless mass where fire and ice reigned against an unyielding force. The dragon priest stood unharmed, all their attacks deflected by the power of his hammers. Lucy's weapons has broken one after another, and the field of energy had reflected out Natsu's flames, no matter how he'd tried to burn past it. They were both running out of magicka – or perhaps already had, and were pulling the strength merely from tomorrow.
But one could only live on debt to a certain point, especially when it came to the rules of Aetherial synergies, yet Natsu couldn't focus on that now. He summoned another ball of fire and threw it towards the priest, who repelled it with the warhammer. If I stop now, I'll be dead, but none of our attacks can get through his defence, Natsu thought in frustration and instantly began gathering more power for his next strike. Even worse, he hasn't tried to attack us back. He hasn't used a single spell. He's just trying to exhaust us. And if I use stronger spells, there's a risk of hurting Lucy, and that I cannot do either.
"I'll bring you down!" Lucy shouted, her own voice worn off long ago. She spoke through the dragon's will, her words full of bestial rage. She pointed the spear's tip towards the priest, her ice-blue eyes ablaze with fury and determination as she hurled the weapon, then suddenly enforcing it with a Thu'um. "FUS – RO – DAH!"
Yet this time, staggered by the shout, Rahgot failed to deflect.
Natsu stood still, the flames on the ground rising to his knees, the spell he had been perfecting in his hands dissolving from the shock. A growl escaped the priest's throat as the spear flew through the defence of his hammers, hitting him straight to the shoulder. It sent him through the air and pinned him to the stone wall behind him, where deep cracks were spreading from the impact.
Still, Lucy did not triumph. No blood burst from the priest's wound, and though Natsu had heard an old bone cracking, Rahgot seemed to suffer very little. With an annoyed groan, he let his other hammer fall to the ground, and then used the hand to grasp the dragonscale spear that was pointing from his shoulder.
Upon the slightest squeeze, the spear shattered, frozen dust falling to the ground that was still on fire.
Rahgot fell from the wall, crouched amongst the flames and picked up his hammer. The wound on his shoulder began to close on its own, and the fire died beneath his feet. "You can't kill me," he said. "How many times do I have to say it?" Then, with the injured arm, he swung his warhammer forward, the motion slicing the air and sending a wave of destructive force straight towards them.
Natsu dodged the force that bent the air as it moved rapidly fast across the hall. He fell on his stomach on the flaming ground, hearing the walls behind him bursting as the wave hit them. But amongst the rumble, he heard a scream. He turned his head to the side to see Lucy had been conjuring another spear, too focused on the spell to dodge the devastating hit. She reeled back from the impact, her unfinished weapon shattering at the same. Blood burst from her mouth as she collapsed on her back.
"Lucy!"
Natsu gritted his teeth and prepared a firebolt, already on the verge of exploding, on his hand and hurled it towards the priest. It did nothing but blow up, casting a veil of smoke between them and Rahgot, and so he sprinted to Lucy. She lay on the ground gasping for breath, all flames smothering below her. Trails of blood flowed down from her lips, yet she still attempted to stand. Natsu caught her in his arms, her trembling body as cold as if she'd drowned in the Sea of Ghosts. Though the wounds on her chest began to close upon the ice, Natsu knew she wouldn't last long.
"Lucy, please," he whispered to her, his heart racing against his chest as he heard the priest's slow steps getting closer. "Get out of here. Gildarts and Gajeel will help you out. Leave this to me." He wiped the blood from her forehead, her frozen gaze piercing right through him. He bent down to hug her briefly. "I've got this."
Though she remained in his embrace for a moment, she then pushed herself away. "I'm not leaving you. We hurt him. We can –"
Natsu shook his head. Even with all the force she had managed to hit him with, she had exhausted so much before succeeding at it. The whole aspect of the three dragons she'd slain wasn't enough when Rahgot's wounds healed immediately. "I'm going to burn this place down, even if I have to burn with it," Natsu said to her, sadness glimmering in his eyes. "It's the only way to kill him."
Lucy fell silent. Through the veil of smoke, Rahgot approached them. Only Lucy had the advantage of being needed alive, yet still, holding her in his arms felt like keeping her as a hostage. She turned her head towards the priest, who stopped at a distance away.
"Dragonborn," Rahgot spoke, "the spell is yet to grow. My sorcerers have been defeated, but their magic has already been planted into you. Don't fight the inevitable. You are soon going to change, and all you ever were is going to be gone forever." Then he lifted his masked face towards Natsu. "The metamorphosis has already begun. As the Konahrik, she's going to play an important role in the great prophecy, as will you, once Agnoslok will be fully resurrected. Give up and surrender. The new world awaits – it's right within our fingertips, as the age of starlight ends."
"If that's your prophecy, your destiny, then I'll burn it to ashes."
Rahgot chuckled mockingly. "Maybe, I thought you could do better, but your actions show your true limitations. Your struggle is utterly futile. Know this: if you try to wield the flame of a dragon to its full extent, you will be destroyed in every way it is possible to be destroyed – and even in some which are essentially impossible," he said. "I wouldn't be surprised if you looked upon your own suicide as an act of honour. Now, stand aside. Let the Dragonborn go."
Refusal shone bright and fiery in Natsu's eyes, yet anger formed a lump in his throat, silencing him. I'm not letting her go. Don't even think I would.
The priest kept approaching them so slowly. "This is not open to debate. Give up, and bring upon your salvation. Just one word would save you both. Death is just an interval of darkness before the light floods in again, the light of the world that has not yet been stained in the arrogant competition of the gods themselves!"
Lucy struggled free from Natsu's hold. "That is not my destiny. I'm supposed to protect this world, not destroy it! Not you or your wicked magic can change that!" Shivering, she stood up. "I will make sure of –"
Her words were cut as blood flowed from her mouth. She gagged on it, glaring down as it dripped from her lips to her hands. It kept surging as if her throat had been torn open from the inside, yet she just lifted her gaze back to the priest. "I…" she muttered, then bent down and threw up with full force, big black clots amongst the blood. She wiped her lips on the back of her hand. "…will…" yet again, she was interrupted by a burst of gory cough, and her last words were barely a mere faint wheeze. "… kill you."
Natsu couldn't watch it anymore.
He caught her back in his arms, casting a brief healing spell on her throat. It did absolutely nothing. She had blasted shout after another that it had truly begun to tear her body to shreds, and not all the dragons in the world could put her together again if she'd keep fighting.
"She's going to die," Natsu said to the priest as Lucy's eyes slipped shut. "You're going to kill the greatest actor of your grand prophecy. Is that what you want?"
Rahgot shrugged. "If you return her to me, I could heal her, but apparently you'd rather watch her die than surrender," he answered nonchalantly. "Yet if she dies, there will always come another. I already waited thousands of years for another Dragonborn to come. Time is transient. It will pass in the blink of an eye. Akatosh's efforts for restoring the balance in his beloved world are endless."
"But she's the last of her kind. The last Dragonborn there will ever be."
"It depends on many factors that are yet to be played. And you, Keeper, are one of these factors. Fate is such a covert essence that even the wisest of us all can't see past the drifts of destiny," Rahgot said. "If the Dragonborn dies here, you shall know you caused it yourself. She's falling apart because she's protecting you. If you want her to live, let her go. Give back what was stolen. Only then she'll survive."
And for a split second, Natsu considered the offer.
Then someone shouted his name from the distance.
"Natsu!" the voice cried, familiar yet cracked from exhaustion. "Force all your fire to die for a moment!"
It was Gildarts, yet Rahgot didn't show any sign of reaction to it. There was no echo in the devastated hall, only a faint reverberation within Natsu's head – and then he realised Gildarts spoke to him through a spell of telepathy. It felt strong, like an order. Not knowing why he'd have to do it, Natsu still obeyed. He swept the air with his hand and each flame in the hall was smothered. Rahgot appreciated his move with a nod.
"I take this as an act of your surrender," Rahgot spoke. "Smart man. Perhaps as a reward, I can offer you an opportunity to choose your manner of death. So, speak now. Utter your last wish."
"Hold the bluff just for a while," another voice said in Natsu's head. It was Gajeel, he recognised from the otherworldly echo. "Let go of Lucy. I will take her to safety."
Natsu swallowed hard as he released his hold on Lucy, laying her on the ground. He stood up and faced the priest, still wondering if he couldn't hear Gildarts or Gajeel, or even sense their presence. But then, even Natsu couldn't sense them around. Is this a plan of Rahgot's plan? Am I getting fooled in the most fatal way? Natsu shivered, staring at the emotionless green mask.
"I choose a death by fire," Natsu replied. "If you're truly Agnoslok's priest, then burn me alive in the hottest blaze you can conjure."
"Very well," Rahgot answered, and lifted one of his warhammers up, pointing at Lucy. "Did you hear this, Dragonborn? Step aside to honour the Keeper's wish."
Barely conscious anymore, Lucy glanced up at Natsu. He nodded to her, and though he couldn't say a word, his true meaning was concealed in his eyes. Trust in me, Lucy. I've got this. And she seemed to understand it. She could not stand, but as Rahgot swirled his warhammer, the wave of kinetic force caught her and drifted her behind the priest. There she collapsed to the ground, her despairing gaze still fixed on Natsu.
"Kneel."
Rahgot crossed the shafts of the hammers and stroked them together, sparks igniting from the impact. Bracing himself, Natsu took a slow breath, inhaling the scent of dying smoke. Then he laid his eyes on Lucy, sensing a presence approaching her just for a split second. A small smile flashed on his lips.
"No."
Lucy disappeared.
The dragon priest flinched from surprise as the Dragonborn vanished from his sight, right below his very own eyes. Even her presence faded out like the Void had swallowed her whole, yet Natsu knew it was just their vampiric companion cloaking her into a firm veil of invisibility. At the same time, the spell Gildarts had shrouded in fell off, revealing the old man standing behind the priest. In the advantage of a moment, Gildarts struck the Rahgot to the back with his fist, his power enchanted, nudging him forwards with brutal force.
"I leave the rest to you two," Gajeel said, then he was gone, running fast far beyond their connection could reach.
Natsu replied by summoning a whirlwind of fire, wrapping the threads of flame around his hands as he charged forth. The priest restored his balance, growling out his anger in a hallowing screech. Gildarts jumped back as Natsu bounced up and lashed the flaming whips directly at the priest, the ends swirling around those thin undead wrists, and then he tightened the thread.
"I see, the descendants of the Akaviri have joined forces against the Order," Rahgot growled, striking his hands forward to break the chains of fire. At that moment, Gildarts landed a brutal kick on the priest's side – the man's face was already grey and covered in bleeding cuts, yet he still wouldn't give up the fight. "A Blade, aren't you? Yet not just one dragon have you killed. Are you prepared to let your legacy dim out forever?"
"Me? No. I'm here to watch my boy burn you alive," Gildarts grunted. "Because this time I'm not holding him back." Then he shot a glance to Natsu, a faint message passing between them in a magical form. "Give it your worst, son! There's one last gift I'm going to give you. Use it well."
Before Natsu could question it, the time seemed to slow down as Gildarts's remnants of magicka reached out to him. Like a chilly cloud, his body was enveloped in a shell – what exactly it was, and what it did, Natsu couldn't tell. He remembered what happened last time he had unleashed an unperfected firestorm – he'd failed to protect his physical vessel at the same time he cast the spell, therefore inflicting heavy damage upon himself.
Yet now, Gildarts provided the ward for him.
Rahgot struck his warhammers to the ground. A pressure wave sent both Gildarts and Natsu backwards through the air, yet they landed on their feet, preparing their stance for the final blow. As the altered ward formed around each cell of his body, Natsu let the fire crawl out from the depths of his soul. While Rahgot hit his hammers together, casting sparks, then summoning his voice to ignite the pyre meant for incinerating Natsu of Dragonbridge.
"YOL – TOOL – SHUL!"
It was like an invitation, permission for him to sever all restraints.
He let the flames surround him. The burning warmth felt so close to a home it nearly made him sentimental, yet still, there was a difference to it that turned such emotion into fury. Natsu took it all into himself, each flame, each spark, feeding the fire that was already within him – as one could never smother fire by fire.
Upon him, by the words used in the very creation of existence, the fire was multiplied. He lifted his arms up, raising his gaze, yet all he could see was the bright sea of flame that left him unburnt, yet would devastate everything else in this world. Then, he whispered just one more word.
"Burn."
Following his command, the fire raged through the inner sanctum of Forelhost.
The epicentre of this blow landed directly on the source of his rage, flame raining down on the dragon priest. He basked in the warmth, feeling the burn on his body, yet no harm could fall on him now – an enticing, enamouring feeling of utter invincibility. At this moment, he was indestructible. The fire was all he could see, all he could feel, all he was. He could hear nothing else than the roaring of flames humming in the air, burying even his heartbeat, until it became eerily quiet.
When the fires went out, heavy black smoke filled his vision. A scent of molten iron lingered amongst the darkness, dripping down, hissing as it hit the ground. Rahgot had crossed his warhammers across his face, yet now they were melting from the heat – even the enchantments in them weren't enough to deflect dragonfire. The weapons dripped from his hands, his robes turning to smoke where the tiny rivers of steel went down.
Yet his mask was still intact.
It was all about the gods-forsaken mask.
The priest straightened his posture, turning towards Natsu once again. He could almost sense the wicked smile below that unburnt mask, frustration and enragement permeating his wrenched heart. The momentary feeling of invulnerability wore off in that instant.
Then, Rahgot regathered his Thu'um.
"Hey, lass, if you keep bleeding at this rate, I have no other choice than to make you a vampire. I know it would make life with your firebreathing consort – and your job as the slayer of firebreathing lizards – rather difficult, but you're losing way too much blood to survive," someone said through the mist. "Trust me, I'm an expert in this matter."
The taste of iron filled her mouth. She tried to reply but felt something warm and thick spilling from her lips. Everything in Lucy's world was a bloody mess – past and future, light and dark, it all merged into one chaos, yet now the veil was lifted only for a moment. "Nat –" she tried to utter the only thing of clarity she still had, but she choked on the liquid in her mouth. " -su?"
"He will be just fine. Don't you worry about him now when your own state is critical."
Through the haze, the pain began to grow. A dull ache enveloped her whole body, but in her throat, it felt like a blade had slashed her open. She turned her blinded eyes towards the voice. The last thing she could remember was Natsu gazing at her, then there was nothing. His presence couldn't be sensed here.
"Don't try to speak." A cold hand caught her chin. "For Molag's sake, this is bad. It should be impossible for me to heal mortals, actually, but there is something I can try. It's... well, no time to explain. Hold still."
Then, the hand moved down to her throat. Her body was desperately trying to regenerate, but it wasn't enough. She lifted her thin fingers to the big hand that held her in a chokehold, and when she tried to summon a healing spell on herself, the magic fell apart.
"If this fails, I will make you a vampire, no questions asked," he said, then she felt the blood within her throat suddenly growing thicker. "This is a trick I've done when I've… gone overboard with my feedings. It's not a healing spell, remember this, but I'm trying to coagulate the blood that flows from you. It will clog your wounds and keep you from bleeding to death. When done correctly, you won't even end up with multiple clogs running in your veins and… well, let's just say that I'm an expert in this matter as well."
Lucy remained silent as some grim, Daedric sorcery cauterized the wounds within her. Draconic ice, Krosulhah's restoring power, soon formed over the Daedric ailments, accepting them like bandages. Her breath eased, yet the pain remained, scorching agony all over her wrecked body. The mist in her vision dissolved slowly, and bright crimson eyes stared into her. It was Gajeel, the vampire she'd encountered in the Ragged Flagon. Had he joined the rescue squad as well? But why? Why would a vampire put themselves at risk just to save her?
"Good, seems like it worked. However, don't move, don't speak, don't do anything, or it might all fall apart again," Gajeel said and lifted her up with astonishing ease, as if she weighed less than a feather. "The hall before the inner sanctum is somewhat collapsed, but there could be a way out. The door to the courtyard was before that. I will take you out of here, so don't worry."
"But –" Lucy muttered, sudden terror filling her. He'd take her out of here? "We… we can't leave him behind."
Gajeel glanced down at her, empathy gleaming in those undead eyes. "Don't you trust he's gonna make it?"
In her mind, she could only hear the sound of Loke's skull crushing inside Rahgot's fist. Of course, she trusted Natsu, but this was a fight he could not win. Not alone. She pressed her chin to her chest, holding back the tears that welled up in her eyes.
"Gildarts is there with him. He promised they'd follow us as soon as they can. He has a plan."
"They will die," Lucy whispered. "I know. Rahgot will kill them both."
"Then it shall be so. It's a risk we were all willing to take the moment we laid our feet on this monastery. We all knew we might not be walking out of here alive," Gajeel said. "The only thing that matters is that you make it out, Dragonborn. We are expendable. We can be replaced. You can't. The world depends on you."
"Without him, it will be a worthless world," she answered. "One I don't want to be a part of."
Gajeel smiled at her softly. He crouched as he carried her through the doorway into the collapsed hall. "Have more faith in him. He's an incredible lad. For you, there's nothing in this world he can't defeat. Just –"
Then, a devastating blast of fire swept across the chamber ahead of them.
It flooded the stairway, long serpent arms of flame reaching to them. Gajeel sprinted forwards faster than the wind, running from the fire that would combust him with just one spark. She was petrified from terror as traces of heat hit her skin – they'd gotten far enough from the storm, yet the fortitude of it frightened her. It was Natsu's fire. She knew it from before. In Riften, he had unleashed the same spell, a blast of fire that would burn everything.
That's what he told her. He'd burn the whole monastery down, even if he'd have to go down with it.
And she couldn't bear it.
Gajeel summoned a protective ward around them. They waited in absolute silence as the flames raged on, Lucy counting her heartbeats as even the air was consumed in fire. Will it be enough to kill Rahgot? Isn't he going to burn himself as well? Gods, watch over him, Lucy thought by herself, the fear forming into a chain around her chest. She had just gotten him back after being apart for so long. Would it be over? Would she have to bid him farewell this fast?
Slowly, the flames above them began to fade. Gajeel let the ward expire as he turned his gaze towards the stairway they had just been at. The walls were scorched black from the flame's wake. The vampire seemed incredibly glad to have gotten out of the fire's way in time, but Lucy was still terrified. Thousands of words lingered in the silence, ones she'd hoped to say, yet never did.
Then, the silence was broken by a Thu'um.
"VEN – GAAR – NOS!"
A cyclone of chaos, that belonged to Rahgot.
The priest was still alive.
Natsu didn't make it, Lucy thought instantly, panic gathering in her chest, heavy and painful. She glanced up to the vampire who carried her in his arms. "We must go help him!" she cried, then winced at the sharp agony in her throat. "After that spell, he –"
"I promised him I'd take you to safety. I'm not going to take you back there now."
Unable to find the words to express her frustration, Lucy sank her teeth into his arm.
"Dagon take you!" Gajeel yelled as his hold on her loosened. Lucy fell on her feet, yet barely managed to stand up. "How bold, to bite a vampire! Damned girl, you'll –"
"TAKE ME BACK THERE, NOW!"
While her shout was still echoing in the half-collapsed hall, Gajeel stared at her in disbelief. He might've promised to take her away, but how could he keep that promise, when Lucy would burn him in dragonfire if he wouldn't obey her orders? Gajeel tsked, then wiped the black liquid from Lucy's lips, admiring her stubbornness.
"I'm not walking out of here without him," Lucy growled, taking a step towards the stairway, but was tackled to a piece of the fallen ceiling. Gajeel caught her quickly and tossed her over his shoulder, and though she tried to wriggle free, he refused to let her go. She banged her small fists on the vampire's back. "Do you understand!? I won't let another friend just die in this cursed place! What's good of being a Dragonborn if I can't even protect those I love? Take me back! Now!"
As Gajeel did not reply, Lucy realised how deadly silent a vampire could truly be.
The chaos of Rahgot's Thu'um erupted in the hall like a cyclone.
Caught in the power, the devastated fire mage was thrown around like a doll. The wind blew uncontrollably from all directions, swirling rocks and chucks of stone in the air, nearly crushing him in between them. Yet in the afterglow of the warding spell, Natsu couldn't feel the pain as he fell back to the ground. To his luck, Gildarts's ward persisted until the winds finally eased. Panting in exhaustion, Natsu got up, locking his gaze on Rahgot's green mask, finally feeling the spell wear off.
What happened to Gildarts anyway? I can't feel his presence anymore, Natsu wondered, sudden weakness growing in his limbs, making them heavy as iron. His breathing grew ragged, the air in the hall feeling so thin out of a sudden. I don't like where this is going.
Behind Rahgot, in the distant corner of the hall, lay a broken man, taking cover under his cloak. The same spell that had protected Natsu had kept him unburned as well, yet now, Gildarts's ghostly limbs flickered off. Did you die now, Gildarts? You'd just leave me alone like that? Now, of all moments, and here, of all the fucking places? Deep down, Natsu wanted to hope Gildarts had only fainted, so that he could later beat his ass for bailing on him like this. Rest well then. I've got this.
"Perhaps I underestimated you, Keeper," Rahgot spoke quietly. "You bend the laws of mortality itself, wielding dragonfire, yet you should know that the brightest flames burn quickest. Haven't you ever thought of it?"
Natsu shook his head. He attempted to summon a spark on his palm, but then there was a pain – not a burning kind of agony, but a wrenching stretch in his very soul. He had absolutely no magic left in his body. Everything was exhausted, but for the first time, he found bleeding within him, a wound this spell had torn – as if upon his will, he could transfer his soul's energy directly into magic. But as he knew, everything had a price.
"I see darkness in you," Rahgot told then, slowly approaching him again. A faint glimmer of hope sparked in Natsu's heart as he saw fatigue in the priest's steps. "Darkness that has passed, and darkness that's yet to come. A plunge into depths of despair awaits you, were you to survive here tonight. A realization of having traded your life... for the fire that burns as fast as withered leaves."
"Traded my life?" Natsu asked, flinching at the weariness of his voice. "What do you mean?"
"Even if you left your body unharmed, the dragonfire has torn an open wound into your soul. You will feel it yourself, the slow bleeding as your lifeforce drains from you, a flame that once roared fading into embers, then to ashes." Rahgot chuckled. "Even if you were to somehow escape death's grasp tonight, you can't run from it forever. You will know it."
Natsu scoffed. "Well, death has never been one of my fears."
"Isn't it?" Rahgot said, walking closer. "You managed to destroy my weapons, so I must kill you with my bare hands. And I swear I will see fear in those defiant eyes before I do it. You lost your privilege to death of choice when you tricked the Dragonborn away."
"Doesn't that bother you? What do you have left to lose?"
"As I said, the metamorphosis has already begun. It cannot be undone. I have played my part. Now, killing you, freeing Agnoslok's flame, is my next ambition," Rahgot said. "And know that in your arrogance, you have lost your privilege to a merciful death. Be ready to be slaughtered like cattle, thief."
And then it hit him. He was truly out of magic – the flame would bleed from his soul if it must, but what if Rahgot spoke true? Would it truly kill him, to sap into this force within him, even if he'd protect his physical body from the damage? What in the Oblivion should I do? Natsu wondered, gritting his teeth. I just hope Lucy and Gajeel have made it out of here, but fuck, if the sun hasn't set yet, the vampire can't leave this monastery. She's either out there alone or still here with Gajeel, and I don't know what's worse.
I had promised to see the sunset with her again.
But to be honest, I don't think I will.
There wasn't much left in the inner sanctum to use as weaponry. His flames had ravaged everything. The Order's banners, raised high on the walls, were still aflame. Hesitation lingering in his movements, Natsu released his daggers from their scabbards. One of silver, one of Skyforge Steel, whose pair he seemed to have lost in Riften. His reflection flashed on the bright surface of his blades, and he nearly winced at the sight. It wasn't the stains of blood and ashes that covered his face, neither the paleness of his skin, but the damned fear in his eyes he'd sworn he wouldn't see. Yet it wasn't death he feared, but having to break a promise he'd given to Lucy, that he dreaded the most.
Tonight, it seemed he'd break so many promises.
Perhaps every pledge he'd ever made.
"FUS – RO – DAH!"
And even without the damned warhammers, Rahgot could still throw him around like a lifeless branch with his voice alone.
The force hit him like a battering ram straight to the face, sending him through the air. Natsu held tight to his blades, quickly trying to control his landing the best he could. He rolled around and bent his knees to soften the impact, yet he still had to take support from the ground with his knuckles. The stone opened his skin, making blood flow down his hands. A faint grin rose to his lips.
"I've been hit by Unrelenting Force before," Natsu said, "and yours is nothing compared to a real dragon's shout."
There was hope in that. Even Rahgot couldn't shout immediately afterwards, and Natsu had managed to figure out the time that passed between his Thu'um. That was a force he couldn't deflect, but if he'd somehow get to harm him in that window of time, that would be his only way to survive. Natsu stared fiercely at the green mask on Rahgot's face, and then he realised it.
I have to destroy the mask.
Perhaps the dagger made in Skyforge, older than the elves or men themselves, could cut through it.
Damn it all to Oblivion if I fail, Natsu thought, glancing at his reflection one last time. Unless he'd be right close to the priest, he wouldn't do it. It might not even work – yet he had done things that could or could not work before. Sometimes, trusting his gut was the best, or the only choice there was. So, Natsu squeezed the hilt tighter, and charged at the priest.
Rahgot seemed surprised by the fire mage's sudden bolt, as a burst of suicidality had suddenly gotten on him. The priest remained still, placing himself in a fighting stance, yet Natsu reached him fast. Until now, the dragon priest and the mage had avoided each other's proximity like poison, but with insane courage gleaming in Natsu's eyes, he charged at the priest with his dagger pulled far back. He jumped and slashed forward. Rahgot lifted his arms in defence, and threw the mage away as if he was just a gnat to be slapped.
Natsu flew to the ground, falling hard on his back, losing his grip on the silver blade but his hold on the Skyforged dagger persisted tight. He pushed himself up, now knowing how tough the dragon priest's deflects landed on him. It fucking hurts, he cursed in his mind, yet ignored the pain. I know I can do this. I can kill this him. I just have to fucking focus.
It all depends on me now.
With his heart racing against his ribcage, he sprinted to Rahgot's right, then behind him. Rahgot swung his arms around, Natsu dodged, only to have to jump over the priest's kick. He maintained his balance and aimed for the priest's neck. Natsu gathered strength in his legs and leapt forward, catching the priest's robes as he climbed ever up until he could grasp his shoulder, the one Lucy had managed to injure. Though the visible damage had healed, Rahgot still winced as Natsu's fingers dug into the wound. Natsu readied his arm to stab the priest in the skull, but suddenly, he was caught by his neck and swung over Rahgot's head.
He landed in front of the priest, just managing to roll aside as Rahgot crushed his fists down, breaking the floor into shatters. Natsu's world spun around, but with a defiant shout he got up again, and even before Rahgot could extend his back, Natsu charged at him again. The desperation had grown into a nearly tragic amusement, where he no longer cared at all what would happen to him. Lucy must've made it out of here by now, Natsu reassured himself, but if I manage to kill this priest, perhaps I can break the curse. I have to do it. I won't let her change into something evil, something she is not.
I always knew I'd die for something important, and this is it.
Natsu bolted straight at the priest, aimed for the mask, and thrust his blade forward. He could only feel the hilt of the blade hitting Rahgot's arm, but then the giant of a priest deflected his strike, punching him directly in the chest. Natsu's vision blacked out from the pain, one kind he'd known before – fighting with giants usually ended up with broken ribs, as he'd learnt from Erza. But if there was something he could make up for his lack in size for was the agility the giants did not have. Though the pain was blinding, he got up right after he landed, coughing up blood.
It was soon time when Rahgot could shout again.
Natsu grit his teeth, now stained red, knowing he had to finish this soon or he'd be dead. All his rage would accumulate on this final shot, but his defiance to die now enraged the priest as well. And for a moment, they shared a common ground. An uncontrollable anger and the thirst for murder were what they were both made of – the dragon's curse reigned strong in both of them, yet in Natsu, it was just about to awaken, when Rahgot had endured it for millennia. And for half a heartbeat, Natsu wondered if that was how he'd end up if he'd live long enough, but then the feeling was unnervingly gone.
This is finally it.
Natsu ducked Rahgot's strike to the left, darted between the gigantic arms, tore through his depleted magicka and summoned a fiery burst that sent him upwards. He gathered power in his hand, conjuring an explosive flame that would hurl the blade directly into the priest's mask and sink deep into the emerald metal. The pain scorched his insides, setting his very soul aflame as he pulled the strength from somewhere, tearing open the veil that separated him from the essence of dragonfire. He endured it, for this moment was perfect, even if it was the last he'd ever have.
Then the spell fell apart, his blade flew forward with an incredible speed, and for a split second, there was the hope of a triumph.
But he missed.
Rahgot whacked him with full force as the blade struck his neck, slightly below the green mask. How it had happened, Natsu didn't know, but before he understood it he was on the ground again, and the world began to darken. He fell hard this time, and like an infuriated beast, the priest followed him and kicked him straight to the side, sending him through the air again. The last pieces of Natsu's vision disappeared as he slammed to the stone floor, pain blazing through him as all his bones had broken at once. Through the darkness, he could hear how Rahgot marched to him, and suddenly caught him by the neck and lifted him up.
"Open your eyes, Keeper," Rahgot commanded him. Natsu did, but he couldn't see almost anything through the mist. He glanced down, realising how high the priest held him in the air, even with the Skyforged blade striking from his neck. It did nothing in the undead flesh while the mask was still unharmed. "There it is, the fear I wanted to see. I wonder how the people of this world will look up to the skies when Agnoslok returns. Will they have the same despairing look in their eyes? Or will it be worse? No matter. Die now."
Yet by an unknown force, Rahgot stopped, as if he was frozen in place.
His hands were still grasped tight around Natsu's throat. Through his darkening mind, the mage could see how a trail of frost travelled upon the floor, creeping from the distant stairway all the way to them. It reached Rahgot's feet, climbed up to his legs, encapsulating him into a cocoon of ice. The priest would've broken his neck or crushed his head at any moment, but now there was a switch in consciousness, as Rahgot realised that the ice locked him still.
Even without seeing, Natsu knew whose frost it was.
"Fear?" Natsu let out a wheezing whisper. He lifted his left hand up, halting at Rahgot's mask, grinning as he summoned a spark upon his palm. If Rahgot could see something now, it was the reflection of his own mask in Natsu's eyes that gleamed with wicked joy and a sense of victory. "I told you death was never one of my fears."
Then, as if opening a dam's gate, he poured dragonfire straight at Rahgot's mask.
An ethereal, hollow howl filled the hall while sparkles flew from the metal. It yielded under Natsu's flame, melting ever more as the mage intensified the spell, pouring in more and more magic from the depths of his soul. The priest's gigantic body began to tremble, Lucy's frozen shackles on him turned to water as the fire spread down on him. Drops of emerald liquid dripped to the ground and turned to smoke and waves of energy were released from the confines of the mask, centuries of prolonged life now burning to ashes.
When Rahgot's arms began to weaken, his hold around Natsu's neck loosened. The fire mage dropped to the ground, collapsing on his knees as he forced the gate of dragonfire to close. He felt it now, the drain and toll it took on him to wield this power, yet he'd forever and always carry it with pride. Weary and pained, Natsu lifted his head and watched as the priest shrunk in front of him, those old robes still aflame as the mask kept melting.
The priest reached for the mask with his trembling, skeletal hands, catching it from the edges, and then he tore it off. Nothing underneath it resembled a human – what had been skin was now burned and molten on the mask, as he'd peeled his face off like a tongue glued on cold iron. Rahgot held the melting mask and placed it on his chest, starings straight at Natsu with those hollow sockets that had once been his eyes. There's fear in you, the fire mage thought, fear that you never got to see in me. Scary thing, this death, isn't it, when you finally face it yourself?
Then, the priest turned into embers. Ashes fell from his head to his body, until there was nothing left but a pile of cinders in front of the mage. The mask's remains, all magic now escaped from it, lay atop the ashes, staining the grey with emerald drops. Beside them was the dagger of Skyforge Steel, half-buried in the ash. Upon a fading reflex, Natsu took it and placed it back on the seath.
Natsu moved his gaze from the ash to the trail of frost. It led to the stairway, where Lucy crouched by the ceremonial door, her palms turned to the ground. Gajeel stood behind her, his hand placed on Lucy's shoulder as if allowing her to tap into his magic so she wouldn't have to drain any more of hers. Tears were pouring down her face, yet for this moment, there was a glimpse of melancholic triumph in her eyes.
Natsu smiled at them, then everything went black.
When Lucy had witnessed Rahgot picking Natsu up the same way he did Loke, her heart had stopped beating.
And even now, when Rahgot turned to ashes and Natsu collapsed to the ground, her pulse still didn't seem to return. Only a faint beat brought her enough blood to sprint up to Natsu, crying out his name as she raced across the destroyed hall, not knowing where the strength could even come from. But she reached him and fell on her knees, wrapping her arms around the fire mage's smouldering hot body, making the ice on her skin turn into sizzling steam.
Lucy burst into helpless weeping.
She clenched her fingers into his robes while she cried against his chest. She could barely believe he was still breathing – after all they endured, it felt so unreal that they were both alive. Lucy lifted her head and cupped his cheeks, calling his name again. Bruises and blood covered his face, yet there was the smallest hint of happiness hidden in his peaceful expression. How she wanted him to wake up and realise that they had won, after all, against everything.
"Natsu, it's over now. We did it. Rahgot is dead," Lucy whispered to him, smiling through the tears. "Do you hear me?" She halted abruptly as his breath faltered for a moment. "Natsu?"
Only then did she realise how grievously he'd been wounded.
Lucy's smile died as her gaze moved down his mauled frame. Blood seeped through his robes, painting patterns all over the torn fabric. She whispered his name again. The anguish spread in her chest as he did not answer, and suddenly, all triumph dissolved. Lucy placed her hands upon him, conjuring all the magic she still had left, trying so desperately to heal his wounds while tears ran down her cheeks.
"You can't just die on me. Not now!" Lucy's whisper turned into a loud cry. "Don't you dare! Don't you dare to die on me!"
Her healing light danced over his injuries, trying to make him whole again, yet all her might wasn't enough to put together what was broken. The bleeding stopped, but the cracks in his bones seemed to remain, for with her aspect of dragons worn off, she was completely sapped of magic as well. Having done all she could, she knelt there beside him, resting her hands above his heart just to know it still beat – and if it would stop, she'd curse the gods themselves to bring him back to her.
Then, Natsu moved his hand to Lucy's wrist, tracing her skin so softly, as if trying to catch her hand into his. Lucy took his still-warm fingers between hers and squeezed them tight. Trembling from the fear of losing him, she bent forward and kissed his hand, and somehow, she could sense him smiling. It might've been just an illusion, as his face remained as still as a stone, but it had felt so real.
"Please don't leave me here," she muttered in tears, leaning her forehead against her hands that still held onto him. "Don't leave me alone in this world."
"I won't," Natsu answered quietly, on the verge of unconsciousness. "I promise."
And clinging onto that promise, Lucy let him fall asleep. She kept weeping still so helplessly, but soon the tears dried out as peace descended into her mind. With her whole heart, she trusted Natsu wouldn't break that promise. He never had. And never would. They remained there for a while, Lucy stroking his bloodied forehead and holding his hand, as if basking in the life and love that had finally won.
Soon, a presence approached them. Lucy glanced over her shoulder to see Gajeel carrying someone on his shoulders. The crippled old man was still breathing, but barely, as all of Gildarts's magical limbs had now faded off. Lucy glimpsed something green in the vampire's hand, something in the shape of a dragon claw.
"I told you that bloody madlad would live," Gajeel said, gesturing at Natsu. "As I knew this old bastard wouldn't die either. I'm sorry about Loke though. I couldn't find his remains, so I assume he got cremated in the blaze, but I found this." The vampire showed the claw to her. "Loke found it in the bottom of the well, and used it to open the ceremonial door. You can keep it."
Lucy nodded sadly as she received the claw. Then she looked around, and under the light of the burning banners, she could see the door at the very end of the inner sanctum. "I don't think I will," she whispered. "Can you carry him, too?"
Gajeel replied by crouching beside Natsu and wrapping his right arm around the mage's waist. The vampire dropped Gildarts from his back to hold him with his left hand like a bag, while he lifted the lighter mage on his shoulders. Gajeel nodded then, and Lucy began leading him towards the door.
Lucy traced her fingers over the icons carved on the emerald surface, and when she saw the same avatars of a bear, a whale, and a snake on the door, she knew how to unlock it. She placed the key into the middle of the door and rotated the heavy circles until all avatars matched the order of the key, and then the door began to crumble as it opened. Gajeel remained in the shadows as the last rays of light pierced the air, but somehow, Lucy had a feeling in her heart that Natsu wanted to see this. She went back to the shadow, asking the vampire to give Natsu back to her, and so he did. Half-asleep, Natsu leaned on Lucy as she walked him out of the door. She lowered him down, rested his back against the wall and then seated next to him.
Far on the horizon, the sun was just about to set behind the distant mountains. And as the warm light hit their faces, Lucy saw a small ghost standing atop the terrace's high wall. It seemed to be formed from pure moonlight, its outlines fluttering as the colours of the sunset reflected upon the frame of a small child. Though Lucy couldn't remember it afterwards, gazed at it for a moment while the light faded out of the world, the weariness now taking over her.
Then, as the night fell, the ghost flickered out of existence, finally released from the dark curse that had reigned here for millenniums.
A/N: ... holy hell what a chapter this one was to write!
It feels crazy how I started planning all this in October 2021, and now it's finally on paper. Once again, thanks to waywardego (AO3) who gave me the idea of including Forelhost and Rahgot into this story. It turned into one hell of plot indeed, and in fact, I was very nervous how I could pull that trough. I always felt like if I'd face a dead end in this story, it would be here. But I got through this, and now a new arc begins!
Thanks to all the lovely people who have kept reading this story and given me precious feedback! I'm excited to turn a new page here, and I hope you are too. I've actually pre-written the next chapters because I was so damn stuck with this one, so I think the next update will be sooner than the latest updates have been. I wanted to take my time with these and not rush them through :)
BTW, I've also started a new Fairy Tail AU lately. Go check out "Dark Energy" in my profile in AO3, where Fairy Tail meets Half-Life 2!
Next up: ? (I have no idea of the chapter title yet XD)