Lucy III

It had been fairly early in the morning (or at least Lucy had assumed it was early), when Lucy's cell door was swung open by Itzaco, who hurried , just as Lucy was waking up from a thoroughly uncomfortable sleep.

"What…" she began, rubbing her eyes, only to be pulled to her feet.

"You must come!" Itzaco instructed. It wasn't so much a request as it was a command.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked, as she was pushed down the halls, and back out into the open.

"Ratmen have been sighted to the East," Itzaco explained as he lead Lucy down the roads, "Lord Huihon has issued an order to face them. You are to join us."

"What?" Lucy all but snapped, "Why?"

"It has been decided that your magic must be demonstrated," Itzaco answered.

"So now you want me to join you in battle?" Lucy asked, "Isn't there an easier way to do it?"

"No," Itzaco answered bluntly. Realizing there probably wasn't a choice in the matter, Lucy sighed, and followed down the Skink down the road. Eventually they out of the city into the open, at the edge of the forest, where Lucy looked out in awe at a whole army of Lizardmen. They were of what Lucy assumed was a Saurus, with their blue scales, carrying shields with spears, along with what looked like a combination of a sword and a club. There also battalions of skinks, who had javelins and spears. She guessed there were maybe 20,000 of them. In addition, battalions of towering, crocodilian creatures that Lucy assumed were Kroxigor were standing among them. As if that wasn't enough, there were about a dozen giant, reptilian creatures that had structures on their backs, with skinks on them.

"Why are there so many?" Lucy said.

"The ratmen approach with a great host," Itzaco explained, "Our scouts estimate 50,000."

"What?!" Lucy said, "Then don't we need more?"

"One Saurus warrior is worth 20 ratmen," Itzaco answered. Lucy had heard that a lot, though she seriously had some doubts about that. As she was lead down the ranks, who were standing completely still, Lucy was going to ask who was in charge. That was when she saw it. A giant monster that looked like a lizard walking on two legs. It was hunched over, and had two grasping clawed hands. It was covered in gray scales, with an orange streak going across its sides, and its large head was filled with sharp teeth. Lucy also noticed golden bands around its tail, and a golden cap, topped with a saddle on its back, though Lucy couldn't imagine who the hell would ride such a beast.

"What is that thing?" Lucy demanded, pointing, trying not to scream. The monster turned to her, and growled.

"Its a carnosaur," Itzaco answered simply, "It is the mount of the general. Speaking of which…" Lumbering forward, was a Saurus, which was dressed in more intricate armor, and jewelry.

"This is Aka'Rar, he is in command of this army," Itzaco said, "General, this is the one the Lord wishes to learn of." The Saurus looked Lucy over slightly, his eyes turning to slits.

"You're a warmblood," he growled.

"Last I checked," Lucy said nervously. Aka'Rar glared at Lucy (though Lucy assumed it was a glare, these lizards always looked slightly angry).

"I would advise against getting in my way," he said, "My carnosaur is trained to eat all warmbloods."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lucy said, stepping out of his way, as the general walked past her, and mounted his carnosaur.

"Warriors, march," Aka'Rar roared. A series roars sounded out across the the battle lines, who all at once, started marching forward, into the jungle. Lucy turned to Itzaco, who was walking away.

"Wait, how am I supposed to get there?" Lucy asked.

"Walking."

"I don't get to ride anything?" Lucy asked.

"Well, there may be a Ripperdactyl without a rider," Itzaco offered. Lucy didn't know if he was being sarcastic, but that name sounded a lot worst than walking.

"Walking's fine," she said dejectedly, hanging her head. Itzaco then continued walking away, while Lucy walked along side the battle lines, being careful not to get in the way of the giant reptiles. They walked for what felt like a couple hours, with Lucy tempted to bring out Horologium to assist in the walking, but knew she would need to conserve her magic power for the coming battle. The giant monsters (which Lucy would later learn were called "stegadons"), marched along with the lizardmen, which were in near perfect lockstep. Looking up, Lucy could see a series of flying creatures going over head.

"This place sucks," she grumbled to herself.

"Halt!" Aka'Rar suddenly ordered, holding up his claw. The entire army stopped almost immediately. Looking around, the only thing Lucy could hear was the eerie silence.

"They come!" Aka'Rar said, "Battle formations!" With an affirming roar, all the lizards starting shifting. Lucy found herself pushed around, until they finally stopped moving, assuming an ordered line of shields.

"What's…" She didn't finish, before she noticed she had been pushed to the front line. The blonde then looked into the jungle, and tried to listen. That was when she heard the sound of what could only be described as skittering. Lucy quickly tried to go behind the battle lines, though they were too tightly packed together to do it.

"Let me through!" she cried, "I've got to…" That was when the "ratmen" army exploded out of the tree. The sight of the creatures nearly made Lucy vomit. She had assumed "ratmen" had just been some kind of slang, but they were exactly that. They were literally bipedal rats, dressed in rusty armor, and carrying equally rusty blades and spears. Worse yet, they were accompanied by giant bipedal rats, almost as tall as the Kroxigor.

Pretty quickly deciding she didn't want to stay here on the front, Lucy then opted to stop trying to go through the battle lines, and instead jumped over the taurus heads as she tried to get to the rear guard. However, she didn't get far, before with a roar, the Lizardmen all charged, causing Lucy to tumble to the ground, counting herself lucky she wasn't trampled.

When she finally managed to stand up, the battle was now in full swing. The Saurus were cutting down rats left and right so quickly, Lucy realized that Itzaco was right about how tougher Suarus were to the ratmen. The Skinks were joining the fight as well, as the Kroxigor literally smashed the ratmen.

The battle went on for some time, as Lucy tried to avoid as much as it as she could. Not that she thought she couldn't do anything but it didn't seem like it was her fight. It didn't help that she really wasn't sure if she wanted to start fighting giant rats she didn't know squat about. However, when one rat jumped at her, and Lucy had to pull out her whip to bring it down. Lucy figured that at this point, she had to join the battle. With that, she quickly rifled through her keys.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull: Taurus!" With a flash and a "moo", Taurus sprung out of the ground.

"I'm here, Ms…," the bull then stopped as he looked around, "What's going on, Ms. Lucy? Where are we?"

"Its a long story," Lucy answered, "But in nutshell the rats are our enemies, and the lizards are on our side." Fortunately, Taurus didn't ask any other questions, as he charged into battle. Lucy then decided to join the fight.

"Star Dress: Taurus!" The blonde assumed her Taurus form, managing to avoid a strike from one of the giant rats.

"Lucy Punch!" Lucy cried as she held back her fist, and slammed it into the giant rat's gut. The blow killed the monster instantly, as Lucy could feel its bones breaking under her fist.

"Whoa?" the blonde muttered, as she looked at her fists. She had struck people with that attack before, but it'd never really killed them. Though Lucy didn't have time to consider the actions fully, when another several rats came at her. Pulling out her whip, Lucy joined her Celestial Spirit and reptilian "comrades" in battle.

As the battle raged on, unbeknownst to everyone, something was watching the battle in the trees. It was a snake, looking closely at the battle, or more specifically, the Earthland mage.

Lucy panted, as she punched another giant rat away, before avoiding a blast from a rifle of all things, carried by another rat of all things. After dealing with him and looking around, Lucy could see that the battle was apparently going in the favor of the Lizardmen, but they were taking casualties from the looks of it.

"Center fall back!" Aka'Rar suddenly shouted.

"What?" Lucy cried out loud. She wasn't a strategist, but they were winning the fight apparently. But every single Lizardmen immediately did as ordered, as the center retreated, Lucy joining them. But she noticed the flanks weren't retreating. Looking over her shoulder, the rats all seemed to squeal in victory, as they charged after the "retreating" reptiles. It didn't take long for Lucy to realize what was going on.

Soon enough, Aka'Rar ordered the retreat to stop, and turned to face the rats. The rats got ready to fight, but it soon became apparent what had happened: in their eagerness, they had been completed surrounded. Lucy realized that the plan had been that if the center fell back, the rats would commit more effort to the center, allowing the flanks to surround the rats.

"Cut them down like the vermin they are," Aka'Rar ordered, as he held up his sword-club and his carnosaur charged into battle. The Saurus warriors bore down on the ratmen, and started doing exactly what Aka'Rar said. This time, Lucy didn't bother involving herself in the fight. The "battle" was so one-sided, Lucy doubted it could even be called that. The rats had no where to go as the Saurus slaughtered them.

Soon the battle was over, and when the dust finally cleared, it showed a literal mountain of bodies on the ground. Roars of victory sounded out across the Lizardmen, and Lucy wiped her brow, happy for it to be done. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed Aka'Rar approaching her, his sword-club on his shoulder.

"General," Lucy said with a nod.

"You fought well, warm blood," Aka'Rar said with his own nod, "Despite your size, there is much strength in you."

"Uh, thanks," Lucy said with an awkward smile, "But it was all my magic."

"Then it is a great magic."

"Yeah, I suppose it is," Lucy said, with a sincere grin this time. She then turned to see a couple of the flying creatures landing. Itzaco then jumped off one, and approached Lucy.

"Tell me your name, warm blood," he said.

"Lucy."

"Well then, Lucy," Itzaco said, "The general was correct that you fought well. I have never seen such magic in my time."

"Well, I guess it is rare, even where I come from," Lucy said with a slight smile. She then looked over the battlefield, and noticed several holes in the ground.

"They burrowed underground," she said, "Are you going after them?"

"We would never find them in their tunnels," Aka'Rar said, "Let the serpents feast on them." Lucy wasn't sure what to think of that, but figured there wasn't anything to be done about tit. She then noticed a couple Skinks dragging up one of the ratmen, that had some slightly more elaborate armor.

"General, this is their commander," the Skink said. Aka'Rar growled, as he grabbed the commander by the throat and hoisted him up.

"Please!" the commander squeaked, "Have mercy!"

"You will make a passable sacrifice," Aka'Rar said. Sacrifice? Lucy thought, not sure what she thought about that. However she didn't have much time to think about that.

"Ow!" Lucy cried, as a stinging pain shot up her leg. She looked down, and saw a bright red snake with its fangs in her ankle. With a yelp, Lucy swung her leg, releasing its grip. The snake then quickly slithered away back into the undergrowth, and as it did, Lucy could see its tail, which was split right down the middle in two.

"Stupid snake," Lucy grumbled. She then looked up, and noticed all the Lizardmen around staring at her in awe.

"What?" Lucy asked, before asking nervously, "Was it venomous?"

"That was a twin-tailed serpent," Itzaco said.

"A what now?"

"A twin-tailed serpent has chosen you," Itzaco muttered, "You have been marked by Sotek." Lucy remembered being told that Sotek was one of the Lizardmen's gods. Specifically a serpent-war god. Lucy definitely didn't like the sound of that.

"Wait a minute!" Lucy said, holding up her hands, "I'm not going to be some priestess for a snake god!"

"Look at the fur on your head," Aka'Rar said, pointing.

"Its hair," Lucy protested, as she took her hair, "Its not…" That was when she noticed something. A streak of crimson red now went through the center of her blonde hair.

"What the hell?" she asked, pulling at her hair, "Where did this come from?"

"It is as I said," Itzaco said, "The god Sotek has selected you as one of his servants. Do not neglect this gift, for it is not one Sotek loosely offers."

"This victory belongs to Sotek, so we will sacrifice this rat to him," Aka'Rar said, holding up the rat commander. With that, he gave the order for the army to return, as Lucy still held her hair, looking at her newest look.

"So now I'm a priestess of a war god that appears a snake?" she said, before sobbing, "I want to go home!"

Note: So Lucy has been selected by the great god of war and serpents for something. As Itzaco said, Sotek does not give his gifts lightly.

This is something I've been looking forward to doing. A real, honest to goodness battle; not just a fight or skirmish, but a real battle between armies. There are going to be more of those, especially as the story picks up. I based this particular battle on the Battle of Canae, where Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca defeated Roman general Gais Varo.

Something to keep in mind about this story, is that whereas in Fairy Tail, when Natsu breaths fire at people, they sometimes walk away singed. In the real world, that'd kill someone, as it would in the Warhammer world.

Let's quickly take note that I'm assuming in Fairy Tail, there were no dinosaurs. To that end, Lucy does not know what dinosaurs are.

Please review.