AN: Merry Christmas! Seasons Greetings to those who aren't Christian. This chapter starts out a little bit before the last one ends because Desna requested to see more of Vander, Safra and Gin's reunion and I agree. There was a lot a skipped over I was just too excited to get to Zen so this chapter is a lot of that.
For those who've made requests for other stories, I am working on them. I even am working on a third part to the Zen x Lucy Desna has posted under the Pradesh compilation that has more with Loke and Draco with Lucy's baby. If I'm lucky that will be posted tomorrow as an extra little holiday gift for all.
-Chapter 22-
Presca remained on all fours trying desperately to recover his equilibrium. Vander had never travelled that deep and fast with him before and the bastard owed him some serious booze for that stunt. Maybe a bottle of gold label whiskey or a case of x686 Dionysos honey wine. It was a rare vintage of mead well worth the last 2 days of consistent void travelling with him as the only way of tracking the fairies. He looked over at his friend and jumped back on his ass when right in front of him instead of an open field was a glowing featureless body. Somehow that thing had snuck up on him which was no easy feat to do to the retired Blood Hunter. It was humanoid in shape and looked like it was made of tangible white light. A quick check with his magic verified it had the same weird energy signature as the two fairies still laying in a pile not 15 feet away. Steel eyes glinted in the afternoon sun as he slowly rose it his feet cautious of this creature's sudden appearance.
"What are you?" Presca quickly glanced at the others again to make sure they were still fine in their obliviousness to his potential distress.
"I am Ora, attendant and protector of my lady Safra. You are Presca, energy mage and friend of my lady's consort. Your life signature was saved in my security protocol as a non-threat to my lady. Do you require assistance?" it spoke in as warm a friendly tone as one could expect from a featureless face.
"Consort?" he questioned. He remembered vaguely Safra calling the security system in her tent Ora when he'd first entered the home space but had no clue it could have a physical form. She was pure magical energy but with her own autonomous life force too if his magic wasn't having him on. Her calling Vander a consort had him internally laughing though because out of anyone he knew, his shadowquip friend was the best person to fill that title even though it was seen as a degradation in Boscan culture, one no one who speak out against. The royal family members were the only people in their country who could take a consort but it was more like an officially recognized lover for the royal. It chained the consort to monogamy for life yet not the royal who they belonged to since they still needed to find a spouse. Belonged to was a very accurate term too since being a consort was very much a contracted servile sex slave but with the benefit of a title, privileges and status. No self-respecting Boscan would ever willingly agree to enter into that kind of contract these days because the relationship at its center was unequal, something they had fought hard to get rid of and had very severe laws to prevent. The last consort to the crown had been decades ago, long before their current king's grandfather was even born. Had Kurino not spectacularly disgraced herself committing the murder and rape of a free citizen plus high treason in her dealings with Seven, many thought she would have soon claimed one of the highly desired Pradesh brothers as a consort locking them into the only legal form a slavery they still had in their country. Being a consort was like a slap in the face and the last thing he knew Vander would ever willingly become even though his skills, if not temperament, would tailor him to the role. Not least of all these thoughts that had his mind reeling at the moment was the idea that Safra was fairy royalty and able to claim a consort in the first place. No one had mentioned she had any sort of rank or title before. That he would have remembered.
"Consort: a wife, husband, or companion. In particular the spouse of a reigning monarch. Synonyms: partner, life partner, companion, mate. While Safra's father still leads our people this is the closest word I could find for their relationship in your tongue." Presca nodded, that would be much more something his friend would be ok with. "My sensors indicate your system is not functioning within normal human parameters. Are you under duress? It there anything that you require? I apologize Lady Safra is not capable at present to act as hostess." The glowing figure turned subtly as if to look over her shoulder to check on her mistress.
A slow smile spread over the exhausted mage's face letting the ridiculousness of this situation finally settle. His friend was very much occupied with two people right in the middle of a field in Pergrande of all places while he was speaking with a new life form. Which one of them was the son of an ambassador? "Food, something to drink and a nice soak in that wonderful bath of your lady's and I'll be fine." He'd been in Safra's tent before and knew it sported a Boscan styled bath and he could really use the rejuvenation and healing properties the waters from the Grass Sea offered right about now; something to drive out the residual coldness from the voids still clinging to his body. "Too bad she doesn't have a trained Boscan attendant too," he mumbled slowly following the bright figure to the edge of the glen.
"I am able to perform much of the skills of such attendants except those that require human reproductive anatomy so as to better serve my lady and her guests. I would gladly bath and service you." Presca's eyebrows raised in curiosity. The tone was inviting and sincere but he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Could Ora even experience pleasure? Was he ok with it all being one-sided if she couldn't? A smirk quirked his full lips. He'd had training with a sudepah as an adult for his work as a spy with the Steel Council and had always been too curious for his own good. Maybe he wouldn't be so much a third… fourth?... wheel and in the way of the trios little reunion.
-DTRE-
The sun was warm on his face and the fresh scents of oak and moss of Gin and Safra's pure light and honeysuckle filled his senses. Finally he had them both in his arms again and he was not going to let them out of his sight for a good long while. He could feel Gin's strong arms wrapped around him tucked into his side tremors wracking the fairy's body. He kissed Gin's brown lightly as he hummed softly in the quiet afternoon stroking his side. Gin technically didn't have a gender like most fairies but he did take on a male human appearance as a default more often than not. Sighing he pressed the smaller man closer. This would have been perfect, a much needed balm to his soul except his little ray of sunshine was still limp on his chest; at least her muttering had stopped.
"Gin?" he questioned kissing his temple at seeing the mirrored concern on his face.
"She shut down almost immediately when she woke and realized that what happened was real and not some imagined nightmare." Gin's voice cracked and he buried his face in Vander's side. "I've tried to get through to her but nothing works." Gin couldn't hold back the sobs anymore fingers digging into the skin tight leather of the shadowquip's sleeveless jerkin.
Vander pulled his small body to him even tighter covering his face in little kisses. There wasn't much he knew to do in a situation like this. His father, Cristoff and Kaleb, hell even Bickslow were the comforters of his family not him. They exuded comfort or their magic literally enabled them to do something to ease the pain. His sisters even claimed that Bicks was the best hugger they'd ever met. Not him. He was the baby of the family full of sarcasm, jokes and always causing trouble in one way or another. If you wanted to party, pull a prank, needed information or someone dead that is what he did, his role in their family. It was his job to take the hard actions to protect everyone. He hurt people not healed them. When they found Emi crying on the floating island on the grass sea clutching the dead body of her childhood love it was Cristoff who held her while he collected information as leverage and scared the shit out of enough people to make sure the law protected Emi from something she'd never wanted to happen. But, none of his siblings were here and even if they were, these were his fairies and a small part of him wanted to be the one to take away their pain, an unnecessary pain since he wasn't actually dead.
Laying in the grass holding both light bodies he realized neither were wearing anything as was their want and he knew of one thing he could do. They always found the most comfort from skin to skin contact so he let his shadow formed leathers melt away with the gentle breeze as he wrapped himself more around Gin and Safra.
"Surviving off magic?" Vander's smooth voice carried in the quiet meadow breaking the silence once Gin's cries quieted. Seeing Safra's emaciated body it didn't take a genius to put two and two together when he found them laying out in a field under the high sun in an area that was not heavily safeguarded. It was a risk for both of them to be so exposed, especially Gin in his true form, and not one they would take this close to Rommell unless it was absolutely necessary. By the looks of Safra is was the only thing that had kept her alive for so long. While a full fairy like Gin didn't need to eat food to survive, just water, air and magic, Safra was part human and required at least some food - magic would never be enough for her. Their daily sunbathing would also explain why Presca had been able to track their magic signatures at all even if only for a few hours a day. Safra's skini was a magic space and no amount of extra spells would merge the two realities. When in it you were cut off from Earthland so no type of tracking would be able to find them when insides. It was bitter sweet that they'd been forced to come outside in a dangerous environment since it let him find them much faster.
Now that he was here he would setup his shadow traps around the area for protection and as a warning system so they could spend more time outside each day. He'd also need to get Safra to wake up so she could start eating actual food again.
He felt more than saw Gin nod acknowledging his guess. Sighing the youngest Pradesh brother wracked his brain for something else he could do to try and bring Safra back from wherever her mind had retreated. Gods he wished Gin had kept Kaleb's form among the copies he could still do. After his brother had jokingly made a move on Safra he'd not been the only one who'd been a bit jealous of her affections. Sex with someone none were attached to as long as they all agreed, sure, but that kind of love was for each other only. No one else. The three of them had decided it was best to prevent further transference if Gin dropped that form since Kaleb was going to be much more present in their lives. Now though, he was sure the fairy was kicking himself since Kaleb's mind bending magic would have helped him to nudge her back to reality and not gotten so bad. Hell, Bickslow could have done something similar with her soul so maybe Bicks would agree to Gin copying him in the future just in case? Gods, Bicks would probably be just as insufferable as he would have been had someone asked to copy him. Probably make a few jokes that if they wanted he so badly all they had to do was ask and he'd be happy join them for real. Not that they'd use that particular form for that. Vander had no desire to have sex with any of his siblings.
Continuing to hum softly while he thought Vander closed his eyes. What more could he do to tempt Safra out of her mind? Their bodies were touching as much as possible, her nose was right under his jaw and he hadn't had a chance to bath in a week so he knew she could smell him. Gods a bath sounded wonderful but it needed to wait. Her eyes were open but vacant and unseeing and he was humming so she could hear him…maybe he should try singing? She had always loved his voice. The only other option was to try a sleeping beauty cure and kiss her into wakefulness but that was just a little too cliché for him.
Hold on, to me as we go
He started quietly almost as a whisper his dulcets tones still carrying easily to her heightened hearing.
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm going to make this place your home
He wasn't sure if it was working but at least Gin's stressed out tensed muscles were slowly relaxing against him. The light breeze danced across their skin and Vander kissed the crown of her head and continued the song with more emotion and volume.
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the nightmares
That fill you with fear
Safra shifted in his arms as her head turned so her nose was buried in his chest. The slightest groan escaped her lips and he could feel new tears bathing his chest. Heartened by the response he continued.
This trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you're not alone
'Cause I'm going to make this place your home
(Home: Phillip Phillips adjusted a little for obvious reasons)
Dulled pale lilac eyes met his own warm burgundy filled with the first emotions he'd seen from her since his arrival. The matching grief and pain he'd felt since learning of the fairies absence twisted his heart. Pulling her thin body up his more, he kissed her pale quivering lips still managing to hum the tune. He couldn't hold back his own tears any longer when he felt her much weaker than usual hand grip his shoulder.
-DTRE-
The first thing the light fairy was aware of was his voice echoing in the darkness she'd hidden herself in to escape the memory loop of the moment his heart stopped beating. She couldn't make out the words in the sound and shivered as the cold continued to seep into soul. It reminded her of the voids he was master over yet he had always been warm and bright in a way she could only long to emulate. This place of empty nothingness was who she was without him and Gin, all that she would know until her last breathe but his voice was calling to her which was impossible. He was dead. Had she finally died? She didn't really want to die yet even though she longed for the peace and obliviousness she thought it would bring. Her only real regret in dying now would be leaving Gin which was enough that she still clung to life. He'd already lost all of his family in an explosion in Alta a century ago but could she stay with him until the day he left her once his true sýzygos was found? Pain of all her loss hit her again but Vander's echoing voice rang out stronger now. It was filled with hope and called to her. She had to go home but which home? Vander was her home but dead while Gin was home and alive… She was confused as her feet stumbled on invisible obstacles as she chased his voice. Something deep within her knew they were both this way but that didn't make sense. Had Gin died too? No, that couldn't be it, he was too strong…but then was Vander somehow alive? Hope swelled in her chest for the first time in a long time. She could smell his spiced sweetness of caramel and cloves but that was impossible.
Slowly her eyes focused to the real world, the darkness of her mind fading into a light so bright she couldn't see anything at first except a vague outline but she knew. She could never forget the feeling of his warm smooth skin like the finest silk against her body or the way his muscles bulged on his chest and arms or how the curve of his hips and thighs against felt against her own. She'd spent an entire month memorizing every small detail about him from the dimples above his ass to the way his heart beat just that little bit faster when he held her. Her thoughts ceased when she felt his warm lips on hers, hands gripping her body closer. Too many warm hands caressed every inch of her skin for just Vander. Her world turned upside down as the kiss grew more insistent and she couldn't help but moan in sheer bliss as their tongues danced an oh so familiar routine. Another mouth was on her neck just as familiar and welcome. Gin, Gin and Vander, both hearts beating with the sun shining on them all. They were all alive! It was impossible but that didn't matter, she'd take impossible with them any day. Her hips bucked against a hand, whose she didn't know, too many things were happening and she was helpless to the onset of so much pleasure when all she'd known for so long was the cold of nothingness. Her lips, ears, breasts, stomach, hips, thighs and oh gods her sex were all on fire and all she could do was whimper and moan as her own hands grabbed the bodies surrounding her for purchase when fingers pressed into her deeply.
Stars flashed behind her closed eyes and love filled her world. Vander chased away ever last shadow from her soul as Gin grounded her to the present so she didn't get swept away by the onslaught. Home. In both of their arms she was finally home.
"Vander, Gin," she could barely speak above a whisper. "I love you," was all she got out before Gin's mouth sealed over hers.
Vander helped Safra to sit up to straddle Gin so he could move behind her pressing into her back hands firm on her breasts mouth teasing the skin on her neck. This was the kind of reunion he'd hoped for. Gin's hands dug into his ass pulling them all closer. His dick was so hard, months without release the longest he'd ever gone since he could hold an erection as a young boy but feeling the wet warmth between those silken lips as his hips rocked was heaven and worth the wait. A pulse of magic and Gin was in a favorite human form his own cock rubbing along his. Vander abandoned one breast to grab turquoise hair so he could kiss those full dark lips as his shadows came out to aid him in his need to hold and grope them both. His other hand moved down between their bodies to grasp Gin's weeping cock. It felt so good to have his hands on the velvety hot phallus once more taking his time drive Gin's need even higher before guiding it into Safra. Vander pressed Safra forward gave him the perfect angle to let him feel all the friction they were creating together. His hands and shadows were everywhere as their pace picked up; sounds of pleasured groaning moaning need heightening as he played both of their bodies with the same mastery he did his guitar. Finally unable to wait any longer Vander spread his fairy's cheeks before entering her finally feeling that tight heat envelope him. After so long Safra's muscles fluttering around him was almost too much. They rocked and grunted with effort, hands everywhere and mouths tasting everything they could reach.
"So close," Gin was the first to voice but his own end was coming quick as he felt his balls tightened. Vander's hands moved to Safra's hips as Gin's travelled down to the back of her knees. They'd done this once before and just like then both men squeezed at the same time forcing Safra's orgasm to hit hard and drawing them to their own end before fairy magic pulsed in the partial joining all of them needed desperately. They each thinking only about their love for each other.
"Marry me, both of you." Vander did not ask, he didn't need to.
-DTRE-
"Was there a problem with the circlet?" A middle-aged woman said as she wrapped a robe around her body. She'd just finished her first round of enjoying her son's dick and did not appreciate the interruption especially from the trash of a man that called himself a king. Nuryev's cock was so much larger than his father's but that hadn't been exactly hard to achieve. She only had about another hour with his mind controlling magic dampened so she could take her pleasure from his body safely. Her little boy might think he was clever pretending to be broken completely to her will but she knew if he ever got the chance to kill her he'd take it; He got that from her.
"Not at all though it does seem to need a spell to activate. You didn't find anything with it when you found it?" King Karadin's intelligent eyes scanned Kressa's chambers in the background of the view the lacrima provided and noted the tall handsome form of her son completely drugged judging by the unfocused haze of his usually brilliantly calculating emerald eyes. He would very much enjoy helping that young man seize what was rightfully his and put that bitch he called mother in her place licking the floor. Women were worth nothing more than their ability to make more men in his opinion and what better way to get rid of one with pretenses of power and authority while also indebting her beautiful son. The little prince would soon realize the true price of reaching out for his help would be a lot more than finding a crown. No, he'd have that prince bent over his desk soon enough then kneeling at his feet before sending him back as nothing more than as a gilded puppet so as not to raise any alarm to the disgusting countries that were Seven's neighbors. He'd need to take Bosco out first before they had a chance to realize he controlled Seven and try to counter him and drive him out. With the number of berserkers he had there already it wasn't like they could anyway but it would just be bothersome and expensive right now.
"It was found in a cave. I'll have one of my people send the coordinates on," Kressa said waving away the servant as she sipped at her wine.
"Oh, I'll get that from your son when I see him."
"My son will be indisposed for some time." She leered looking back over her shoulder. Her succubus magic still had his body hard and just begging for her attention.
"I see that. Too bad. I did promise he could witness your death," Karadin said nonchalantly as his expression turned vicious.
"You cannot touch me here!" Kressa defended. She had an alliance with Bosco's crown princess and they already had plans to get King Altiene to declare war on Pergrande as soon as she declared war. Nuryev hadn't been able to create their own berserkers yet but he did manage to create an aerosol cure for Pergrande's control of their berserkers' minds that was currently being loaded into a type of grenade. It somehow brought the men's minds back without them dying from the shock of their bodies' changes. She'd spoken to a dozen of the berserkers they freed here already and got their agreement for the pending war and it only cost her an empty promise to restore them to their previous bodies afterwards. Nuryev was close to replicating the control Pergrande used so once that was worked out she could instead keep them as they were intended to be used but in her service instead. But, that would take some time and until then they would continue to cure any of those creatures sent their way and gain their support through similar lies. Karadin's open threat only moved up her time table. Her smile turned cruel before she grasped her throat eyes wide now in fear. "How?" she could barely speak her legs giving out as she crumpled to the floor.
"A very rare venom a contact of mine got from one of the victims of the poison dragon slayer in Fiore and undetectable by your current safe guards. Your death was supposed to look like an accident but no one ever said the accident couldn't be in the missing such a deadly poison that would lead back to another undeserving country." Karadin watched on with unfeeling eyes as none of her servants moved to help her. They just watched on as their queen died helpless to move.
Karadin had no misconceptions of the kind of ruler he was. He reigned with a heavy fist of fear and power but even still he knew his servants would have at least tried to save him, especially the ones that served in his private chambers should something like this have happened to him. It just proved to him again the worthlessness of all women that she was unable to find any servant loyal to her.
"It first paralyses you completely making you unable to even cry out in pain. Then it slowly breaks down your less than vital organs liquefying them before moving on to your more vital systems. My scientists tweaked it a little bit to make the process work much slower but don't start hoping for some miracle to happen in the last hours of your life. There is no cure. You will die and just maybe your dear son will get to say his goodbyes after all." The communication lacrima went dark and Kressa laid helpless on the floor unable to even scream as the venom burned through her veins.
Hours passed and Kressa could hardly breathe drowning in her own blood as the venom broke down the tissue of her lungs. She knew nothing but pain and missed when light halting footsteps could be heard approaching her prone form.
"Good bye mother." Her son's emotionless voice was the last thing she heard.
-DTRE-
Pergrande's King sat back on his throne finally letting himself enjoy the ministrations of the young slave boy at his feet. One bitch down two more to go. Humming as his cock was sucked with more vigor he waved his hand to one of his attendants.
"Have the team go pick up that Parsons person. Seems we'll be needing his expertise after all."
"Yes Sire!" the man bowed and fled the room.
Spreading his legs a little wider he couldn't stop the smile on his face as he grabbed the boy by his hair and forced his cock down his throat. Months ago his spies in Iceberg had picked up information on a small religious sect trying to resurrect their dead god Hroth so he could reign over all of Earthland and punish the unbelievers. He didn't give the intelligence any real consideration but he was still cautious and kept a team on them just in case there was a potential threat to him on that front. Iceberg was one of three countries that bordered his kingdom and he refused to let anyone threaten his rule.
On a whim he also had his researchers look into ways to defeating this God Hroth should they actually succeed in resurrecting him. Karadin had not stayed King of his powerful nation for this long by being foolish and not taking potential, even unlikely, threats lightly. Always be prepared was the motto he lived by. He had his own plans to becoming the Emperor of Isgar and not even a god would stand in his way. It was sheer luck they discovered a tale about a silver circlet said to enhance a man's power enough to control a god and that is what he was banking on. With this Hroth under his command he would be able to take Bosco and Minstrel both out in one fell swoop even with their incredibly strong militaries.
Karadin looked over at the side table at his prize. He had the weapon and just needed to know how to use it before all his dreams were realized. The texts that mentioned the artifact had been from Iceberg so he figured that religious group's leader should have a least a better idea of how to get the circlet to work. Groaning in pleasure his eyes rolled back. Having this boy's teeth all pulled had definitely been one of his best ideas.
-DTRE-
Ok so know we're back to the current timeline where the chapter prior ended and Vander is with Zen and they are planning his escape while Lucy and the others are finally headed home. Hope the time warp wasn't so bad.
-DTRE-
This was the last stop the Boscan airship was going to take before he would finally leave this country and get warm for the first time in over a week. When he'd agreed to join all the slayers and Lucy to rescue Cristoff, even though the lunar slayer hadn't really needed it, he'd not expected needing to stay as long as they had or that he'd literally end up in a frozen hell. Who in their right minds would choose to live here? If only the fucking transportation lacrimas they'd used to get here weren't so goddamned cheap and could be used more than twice before breaking. So, they had to wait here until Bickslow and Erza showed up with Kaleb and his team to do the interrogations and help organize things with the locals so they could hunt down all the remaining members of this cult before getting to go back to Fiore. At the top of the list of members that had to be found were Dr. Parsons, the man who had posted the job in Fairy Tail, and his right hand man Rachelle who was actually a woman and the High Priestess in charge of all the actual religious ceremonies. Parsons was charismatic and got the acolytes while Rachelle used them for the ceremonies and spells she worked. Neither of them had been at the place Cristoff had been brought on accident but one of their acolytes managed to send out a warning not to come when all hell had broken loose.
Their original plan had been to capture the weak woman and make her give them the Staff of Umbra, whatever the hell that was. None of the people questioned knew just why they thought Lucy had it but it was obvious she's had no clue. Then their plan was to give her to the High Priestess to keep as a pet. Apparently she was not a fan of things with dicks which he could understand. After what he'd been through with the Tower of Heaven and Brain nothing with a dick was coming close to his ass again. Thing was, his understanding of her stopped their since he was also not a fan of rape and enslavement. Obviously none of the other slayers were either and since this group had meant for their kin to become a sex slave for this Rachelle person? She was on all of their shit lists but before any of them could act Lucy's leg flew at the man who had insulted her with all the accuracy and power she'd been working on in her training and he was pretty sure the guy no longer had any balls to speak of. Cristoff, of course, refused to heal him and Cobra doubted the man would ever walk right again.
The other prisoners were much more forth coming and less insulting after that but the initial warning sent out at the beginning for Cristoff's rampage had done enough damage giving them a short window of opportunity before the cult could reorganize. The leaders knew that their people had brought a White Sea mage to them on accident that they had no chance of being able to control and his particular guild had a global reputation as one you did not want to fuck with. Thankfully, they didn't know the extent to which they were screwed but time was of the essence to shut the group down completely. Creating plans to orchestrate the raid still took time and fortunately the Iceberg Chiefs had still been gathered. It had taken a while to get them to agreed to let them have Rachelle when she was eventually found but Kaleb somehow managed that.
All of that had taken a little more than a week and none of the initial rescue team had been prepared for such subzero weather. Poor Virgo did her best in trying to outfit them all warmly but she just didn't have the types of materials available to her to truly be effective. Thank Mavis Bicks thought to bring as many fur-lined winter cloaks as he could get his hands on so at least most of them were warm enough. Cristoff had even let Natsu sleep with him and Tink in order to cocoon Lucy in warmth since she was pregnant. The man was starting to think of the pinkette as Lucy's child in a way which was pretty accurate, something he was going to enjoy teasing the hell out of Natsu with later. Still, right now it was a dream come true for that firebug and Cobra kind of wished he could join them at night, he was so fucking cold he would deal with the pyro's stink. Cristoff had managed to get two of the bucks pushed together for more space and offered for him to join them after probably hearing his teeth chattering the first might. He declined because he was a grown ass man and just couldn't bring himself to do it. If it had just been Lucy? That was one thing, but her, her mate and Natsu? He'd rather freeze – and he had but not as much as he had the first night since in true Lucy fashion she had given him their extra blankets since Natsu made them unnecessary. Damn his magic and the scars on his body making him much more susceptible to the cold. Cobra couldn't wait to get home so he could sit in front of a huge fire bundled up in blankets and pillows and sip on a steaming cup of arsenic apple cider, one of Mira's newest concoctions for the coming holidays.
The poison slayer smiled inwardly as the ship docked. One good thing about this stop was they were picking up Emi here, a beautiful solar dragon slayer. She ran hotter than Natsu but with curves that could make a gay man cum. Maybe, just maybe he could convince that hot-blooded woman to warm his bunk instead of any of the other Boscans on the ship at least until they left this arctic nightmare. Emi was taller than him but that didn't matter. He knew he could handle her lusty Boscan dragoness-self, maybe their bunk might not stand up to the test but it would be fun to test that theory. He knew she'd be approached, as well as her siblings, quickly considering everyone knew they had spent the last however long here in the only country more prudish than Fiore with only each other and a married couple for company so he had to get a move on it. Chances were good she could probably use his attentions, prefer them, just about as much as he could hers.
Standing up the poison slayer made his way to greet the last passengers and hopefully get in there first but stopped when he finally saw them all on board. A woman he'd never seen stood with Farron and Emi chatting happily and his mouth went dry. She had a scent about her like the morning dew on an oleander bush and the dragon soul in him was suddenly very vocal. Mate, mine! Claim now! Blinking and shaking his head he completely missed Bickslow trying to make introductions to the one Pradesh he had yet to meet or the sound of a glass breaking. He just turned his frozen ass around leaving everyone gapping at the spot he no longer occupied.
He honestly couldn't give two shits at the moment that he was just very rude to a member of his tatsu, kin of his kin. Nope he was too busy freaking out about what his dragon just said. He'd not met Xally before today but he'd heard enough about her that made mating her not possible. She was a highly skilled water mage and healer. Got a PHD in pediatric medicine as well and had technically just finished her residency. She was short compared to all her siblings, the only Pradesh he was taller than actually, with long beautiful black hair and aquamarine eyes. Her beauty was similar to the fairy Vander was so attached to, almost ethereal instead of the super wide hips and larger than life breasts most men seemed to prefer. Not him though, she was perfect and way out of his league. Even if he had wanted to find his mate, which he wasn't sure he was ready for that commitment just yet, there was no way in hell he'd of chosen her. She had everything going for her and while he wasn't ashamed of who he was, the fact of the matter was he was a guild mage for life and still a wanted criminal in several other countries including Bosco while she had a promising career and life there and there was no way he'd let the woman to that because of a magic he'd never wanted in the first place. He might be able to visit her homeland keeping his head down but there was no way he could live there.
No way it hell would he chain Xally to him for centuries holding her back from achieving all her dreams just to be with him. Nope, he'd just have to make sure they kept themselves apart for the duration.
-DTRE-
"What the fuck was that?" Bickslow blinked at his friend's retreating back. Cobra had never been the social type but he'd never been that flat out rude since after joining their guild.
"Kaleb, what's wrong? You look like you're sick," the young water mage asked as she approached her older brother letting everyone else worry about the poison dragon slayer she hadn't really had a chance to even see.
Kaleb's pale eyes locked with her vibrant ones before he pulled her into his strong powerful arms. "Gaza, can you get someone to clean up my glass please? It just slipped from my hand." The White Sea Guild Master didn't even stop to look back as he practically dragged his little sister from the room. This was not something he could tell her surrounded by all those people even if he just transmitted it into her head.
Usually his mental blocks kept everyone out of his mind unless he wanted otherwise but Erik's dragon practically screamed when the slayer saw Xally and the man's thoughts were now in chaos. The surprise had his drink wasted and on the floor and damn it that had been a great mulled wine. Gods, this was the last thing he wanted to deal with right now. Vander was still somewhere in Pergrande working on a "surprise", a cult was trying to raise their God of Winter to enslave the world, creepy ass beasts were being pulled into their world because of those dark spells tormenting people, and Vander's asset in Seven has just reported that Queen Kressa was dead and King Karadin has the magical artifact he'd been looking for. Now he has a slayer in denial about finding his mate who just happened to be is his little sister and thinks he's being noble about staying away from her? All he'd wanted to do was pick up his siblings and get everyone home before Halloween. Was that too much to ask for?
"Kaleb what's going on?" his soft spoken sister asked, voice full of concern after he'd closed the door to the captain's quarters, something Kryta, the captain of the gunship, insisted he use while aboard.
"Xally, you know the man Bickslow just tried introducing you to?" She nodded still completely confused. "His dragon just lost its shit when he saw you. You're definitely his mate but he's got a horrible and complicated past he doesn't want to pull you into hence why he just walked away without saying a word."
The water mage was speechless. Growing up with a huge dragon at her house since she was 6 meant she definitely knew what a dragon's mate was and how important that was to them. Gods it was shocking to hear that she was a slayer's mate but a small part of her was grateful. There were many types of magic that extended the life of the mage long past normal human capabilities in various ways. Some got old but then just kept on going like they were 60 instead of pushing 150, others were physically changed into something similar to the core of their magic and stayed almost frozen in time when the magic center had a very long life. Rock, tree, and dragon magics all shared almost unknown lifespans and she had two siblings who were slayers, one sibling mated to one, one who was going to be joined to an equally long lifed fairy (that had been a surprise when Farron told her and she couldn't wait to meet her), and Kaleb who hadn't aged in a decade so she could only assume the immaculate light also extended the lives of those who embodied it like her brother. That left Farron, her and their father as the only ones who would age normally and eventually die which was sad all around. Part of why she'd decided to go into medicine, pediatrics specifically, outside of her desire to help people and a flip of a coin, was so she could possibly isolate what those types of magics did physically to their mages so maybe just maybe her family wouldn't have to be torn apart by time. She hated the thought that her siblings would have to watch the rest of them grow old and become useless and weak but now she knew she wouldn't be part of that and a small smile broke out on her face to be quickly replaced by a scowl.
Her mate was hiding from her and she was not going to let his history get in the way of a future she could have only dreamt of. Not only would they physically start needed each other since his dragon recognized her as his mate, she just could not let his convoluted thoughts make them both miserable until they died. He was a huge part of the answer to her heart's desire and she felt almost impatient to start on her forever after with her dragon. First this doctor needed to surgically remove her mate's head from his ass - checking up on her pregnant new sister Lucy could wait. Lucy had Cristoff, Erik, she thinks his name was, needed all her attention now.
The usually even tempered and soft spoken woman inwardly raged as she left Kaleb's room making her way to the crew bunks where all the crew slept. Their situation might not be conducive to mating right now but at least he couldn't avoid her.
Kaleb watched his sister storm out with a faint smile. Xally always did know how to take care of her own problems and Erik very much was her problem and he had no issue laying back letting her deal with him. Another brother was soon to be added to their family. He should call his father and tell him the great news.
