With the coast clear, Cana and the group made way towards the castle of Solidaster. They stood in front of it, as it was as grand as it could get.

Natsu and Happy stood in front of a fairly tall staircase that reached up to a marble entrance held up by columns on the sides. The whole castle towered upwards and seemingly resembles a hermit crab shell sort of speak. It was a rather odd castle when they thought about it, but when they saw the tiptop, they saw a grand window, assuming that'd be where his majesty's throne room would be. On either side of the spiraling domain were other sections for miscellaneous purposes supposedly. They were just as grand.

"So this is the place huh? A little funky if you ask me." Natsu remarked.

"Reminds me of ice cream with two arms." Happy said.

Erza started up the stairs. "Let's worry about getting to our client. I doubt we'll get much access with all of this invasion going about."

"Yeah, well, let's at least say hi to the guy before he goes into a panic attack." Cana started up the stairs.

Natsu and Happy started up as well, and all three moved as fast as possible so as not to be spotted by the enemy they were attacked by from before. They made way up to the doors that were guarded by two guards. They grew weary and pointed their spears at the group, but when they saw the emblems on the armor, abdomen, and shoulder, they were caught at ease.

Erza showed the job request and the guards immediately led them inside, closing the door behind them. Two more guards inside took their places as they kept watch for any suspicious characters or invaders roaming close to the castle.

Up the staircase they went, and the group marched on for what felt like forever until they finally reached the last room at the top.

The room's door opened, and inside they saw a grand window that was on the opposite side of where a throne was. On the throne was a man, and he was more than a little uneasy. The red carpet went from his throne and curved towards the doorway on its right, where Natsu and everyone entered.

"Your majesty, we present you with the guild mages you sought help for." Sentoro announced.

His majesty nodded. "Thank you, Sentoro. Allow themselves to be presented." He requested. The guys all went up by the red carpet and turned to face his majesty.

Erza bowed. "Greetings. I am Erza Scarlet. S-Class Mage of Fairy Tail."

"Name's Natsu Dragneel."

"Aye! Happy!"

"Cana Alberona. We're honored." Her eyes noticed the circles that his majesty had, but said nothing of it. "So in terms of the job you sent out…"

A fellow worker came out with some fresh tea. She stood by his side and he nodded as he took a sip of the tea. As he swallowed, he sighed in relief. The tea running down his throat was just the ticket he needed. He calmed down and gave a heaving sigh.

"I thank you guild mages for taking up this important job request." His majesty announced. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. Call me Shore."

He sat the small cup down by his side and folded his fingers over the other; despite his tired self, he seemed more demanding now. "Now, pleasantries out of the way, let's get down to business. Where to start?"

Erza took the lead for her group. "I would say from the beginning, your majesty. How did this happen? When did this happen?"

Shore's face looked up at the high ceiling. "Ah, yes. That'd be more appropriate than any other start. Let me see…" He started to recap back to what happened. "Almost two weeks ago. It was nice and calm, everyone was enjoying the beaches as always." His tone then became grim. "Then it came along. A foreign ship, supposedly made for war of some kind. It all happened so fast. Children were running, parents were screaming, massive panic flourished through the streets. They ravaged everything, and when I sent my forces to deal with the culprit…" He became silent, and Natsu's eye dilated with horror at the sign. "…They all had no prayer. Grander, the supposed head of this operation, cut almost all of my forces down without even a single sweat dropped."

"Without sweating?" Cana questioned. "You mean he wasn't trying?"

Erza's fists clenched. "Unforgivable."

"And so in no time, Grander took Solidaster by storm. He warned and threatened the entire population to stay inside their homes, including myself, until we tell him where the heiress is." Shore added.

Cana turned towards her group. "That would explain why they attacked up. If we didn't know her location and stepped out, we would've been goners."

"Sir, please go on about your daughter." Erza insisted. "Why do they target your daughter?"

Shore slowly grasped his teacup again. "Their motives aren't clear at this point, but if they weren't after my daughter, they would've killed us all off by now, myself included." He brought the teacup closer. "It's clear that they have no interest in a massacre unless we provoke them, but I also fear that time is not on our side."

As he sipped his tea, Erza grew suspicious of what he meant. "You mean as in a ceremony or special occasion?"

"Like what, she getting married?" Natsu wondered.

Shore set the teacup down. "No, no. She has the right to choose whomever to be her wedded. This upcoming week, there's an important ambassador conference held in Bosco."

"Bosco?" Natsu wondered.

"I think I remember Lucy being almost taken there when we first met!" Happy exclaimed. "Isn't Bosco supposed to be a slavery country?"

"Correct, but it is not our jurisdiction to stop that…unless, this ambassador meeting goes as planned." Shore sat back. "Lady Velvea, my precious daughter, is the ambassador. She'll represent Fiore in an attempt to persuade the Bosco officials to abolish slavery for good. Other countries will be represented in this conference, and if we get the majority, Bosco will never again uphold slavery."

Cana was surely impressed. "Wow, talk about a big leap of faith. Now I can see why they want your daughter so bad. Maybe this invasion is a warning to not go."

"Or a sabotage." Erza added. "Whatever the case, it's important that Lady Velvea remains admits. As long as she is secured we have no reason to worry. The biggest priority is…"

Natsu punched his fists, but his face showed seriousness. "To get these bozos off these shores. Now we get it."

"Aye! We'll show them!" Happy proclaimed.

"It's not that simple you two." Cana warned them, making their happiness die. "Don't forget what he said; this Grander guy is extremely strong. He wiped out an entire city's worth of soldiers without trying. If we can't defeat him or get him off these shores by the time of the ambassador's departure, then there's no way she's gonna get there in time."

Erza nodded. "I agree. Caution is advised. If push comes to shove, we'll possibly use an escape route."

"I'm afraid the latter is out of the question, Ms. Scarlet." Shore regrettably informed. "Solidaster's beaches may go on for an extensive time period, but the problem is that there are so few caves to link the outside coves, and after investigating they're all sealed off by the enemy's forces."

"I see." Erza was a little peeved by this, but at least she now knew that there was no back way out of this mission."

Natsu caught note of something. "Hold on a second. Why are you guys having this important meeting anyway?" He asked. "If it ain't your business, then why are you guys tossing yourselves in there and dealing with the problem?"

"Yeah, what's the big deal?" Happy added.

Shore grew restless, yet remained as still as possible. "Tell me, are you aware of the incident that took place one year ago?" The room's tone became more uneasy, and everyone grew goosebumps, save Erza.

"What happened a year ago?" Happy asked.

Can turned towards Erza. "Wait, wasn't that…?"

Erza nodded. "I'm afraid so." She glanced over towards Natsu. "A year ago, in Bosco, there was a slavery rebellion. It made global news. Riots were everywhere, fires all around, and many slaves and slave owners lost their lives…it was a gruesome news."

Natsu's eyes widened. "What…?"

Shore took over. "It was hard to believe, but the news spread like wildfire. Slaves turned and ran off free after the whole incident settled. It was basically a civil war. Bosco officials were trying to recover what was lost, but without slaves to do the work, and their lack of experience, they're basically a vulnerable country; lazy as some would put it."

"Now I get it. You're trying to force them back onto their feet." Cana said. "Without slaves they won't be able to properly run a country or do labor. There have been rumors that they are trying to smuggle slaves back in, but it's hard now with guards and borders all over these lands. If we can win this conference, Bosco will no longer be able to do slavery."

Natsu smirked with pride. "Now that's awesome! I certainly wouldn't like being chained!"

Erza smiled at Natsu. "Neither would I." She looked back at the client. "We're ready to assist you."

Shore smiled in happiness. "I'm glad that I can count on you. You have my gratitude." He looked out the large window. "Lady Velvea, my daughter, she has to be safe, and I'd feel more comfortable with-" He was cut short by Natsu.

"Let me stop you there. It's cool. If you don't wanna tell us where she's at then I say it's for the best."

Erza nodded. "If you ask us to make the priority to eradicate these invaders, then that is what shall be done."

Cana put hands to her hips. "Don't you worry, we'll take these guys in and that country will get a good kick in the pants. Just tell us where to begin."

"Aye sir! This'll be a synch once we put our minds into it!" Happy cheered.

"Then here is what you must do: The objective is to eradicate the forces on the shore. From what our sources can gather, Grander has three higher-rank underlings, all with great power. If you can defeat them, taking out the rest should prove relatively easy with your experience…but be very careful with Grander. His Magic is something we've all have never seen before."

Erza turned away. "We'll be careful." She and the others made their way out the door, and Sentoro closed the door behind them.

Sentoro looked back at Shore, the frown returning to his face. He was worried like the rest of the guards and soldiers for his majesty's well-being. He could barely sleep knowing lives are taken every day by Grander. To protect Lady Velvea is the upmost importance. Her life is meant to help decide the fate of Bosco. "Your majesty, do you have your doubts of sending the job request?"

Shore reached for his mug again. "Sentoro…" He held it closer to his lips. "To be honest, I can't tell if anything I'm doing is right anymore." He took a pause and began to sip up the rest of the tea, which went down his throat and he sighed as he gave the cup to her. "Please, one more? I would appreciate it."

The worker gracefully received the cup, but she also grew unsound. "Sir, all of the caffeine in this tea isn't good for your health." She turned away and began walking. "But I'll do what I can."

When she exited, that left Shore to rub his temples. He closed his eyes and grew weary once more and hunched over. "Ohh…what am I going to do? If this fails, I'll be risking innocent guild lives as well."

In a chamber made of pure, thick stone, surrounded by candles, there was a young woman with long, vermilion hair in a flowing, black dress. The top half was black, hugging her ample figure, and the bottom was flowing down to her ankles, where the shoes had dark purple slippers.

Her dark eyes cascaded down onto the desk she sat on. The candle light flickered right beside her, laminating her desperate eyes. She looked sad, and that would be putting it lightly. She never knew much about her mother, for she passed away at birth, so she must do everything she can to live up to the expectations given by both her parents.

Velvea got up slowly and crawled into her makeshift bed, putting herself on her side and closing her eyes. She remembered that her mom was the heiress, who met her father and they married. A few years later she came into the world, but her father did his best, for both their sakes.

She remembered the stories her father told, about how he met her mother, how they fell in love, how he ruled by her side. He even recalled how strict she may get at times, and quite demanding if pushed, and yet she had a good heart.

'Mom…Dad…what do I do?' She wondered. She was a young woman now, and she has an obligation to do what she can for the city. A lot of people looked up to her. 'I can't turn myself in, yet if I just stay here, more lives are gonna fall because of my cowardice.' She clenched her sheets tighter.

"What do I do? I know Dad expects me to be safe…but…how much more can I take?" Her eyes slowly closed as she decided to sleep it off, as insomnia had her up for nearly a few days. She was close to a breaking point, and she had to think what must be done, but for now, she slept calmly as the candles illuminated her beauty.

The group went in the lobby, or the center, of the castle. They were given permission to use the lobby and devise some sort of strategy, and in the center of it was none other than Erza.

"Now listen up, our mission is to eradicate these invaders from the shore and possibly Fiore. We'll have to be extremely careful, considering our recent run-in with the enemy."

"Yeah." Natsu agreed with slight eagerness in his voice. "I can't wait to pay him back for last time."

"Didn't he say there were three of those guys on the same level?" Happy questioned.

"Yeah, and if what he says is true, then we'll have a hard time." Cana stated. "But yet if we face them all at once, we might not have a chance."

Erza looked at her small group with a very high stern level. "Since they cornered us with just one of their higher-ups, we'll have to resort to more precarious routes ahead. As far as what happened goes, they'll have us ready to strike once we leave the building. As long as none of the higher-ups are on the street that we're on, we'll be able to diverge and draw them into separate directions. Natsu and Happy, you two head east, Cana will head south, and I will head west. We'll draw out the higher-ups and take them out individualized. We'll then regroup and find a way to take down Grander."

Cana looked out the window, peeking around and seeing a few numbers of the enemy walking through the large streets. "Well we might as well move it now. For S-Class, the method is relatively easy."

"Yet the enemy is overwhelmingly powerful." Erza countered.

Natsu turned towards the doors. "Then I guess we'll divide and conquer, huh?"

Erza nodded and turned towards the doorway. "This isn't as simple as the Galuna mission. These missions are extremely dangerous, and the smallest mistake may be the cost of your life." She looked at Natsu with a small plea in her eyes, which he took notice of. "Please…be careful."

Natsu gave his trademark smirk. "Yeah, you too."

Erza reciprocated with a soft smile.

Cana rolled her eyes at the small moment Erza was starting and grew tiresome. "Get a room after we take care of these clowns."

Erza coughed and was briefly flustered, but retained focus and all three made way out the doorway, where they caught the attention of several enemies that were patrolling.

"Hey! Stop right there!" He aimed his spear-like weapon at them, but he was countered with Natsu exhaling fire at him, making him and his small group flinch and step back. Natsu gave a cocky smirk and turned to run ahead. Everyone followed behind, where they were soon sought by a rather large number of enemies behind them.

They all made way, and once they got far enough, they were found stopped by a large number up ahead. With their swords and weapons in front, they were ready, but they were unable to withstand Cana when she jumped and grew cards at them, causing and explosion that knocked them all onto their backs. The group ran past them and onwards.

"Everyone…diverge!" Erza shouted.

"Gotcha!" Natsu pivoted and turned east, Cana kept running ahead, and Erza turned and ran west. The large number of enemies came to a slow halt, and had to consider what they had to do. Unanimously, they all diverged and separated into three smaller armies. They all chased after their targets with hostility.

Craig was sitting atop the rooftops, evaluating Grander's ship. With him so close, the Magic Power was extraordinary. The power flowed so much that it was like thin knives shredding about.

Screaming went on in his mind and he saw small flashes of fire and riots. He shook his head to prevent any discouraging scenes and grew weary as he looked at the ship once more. He noticed something there and then. He saw the streets below flourish with enemy pirates and they ran madly south. He looked back to see a vast number, all running away from the ship, and some exiting the ship to assist in this presumed disturbance.

However, with the numbers low on the ship, he may very well get the answers he was looking for, but he can't be foolhardy. He was smarter than that. He instead directed his worries downwards, where he cracked his knuckles and decided to lessen the numbers of Grander's forces a bit.

"This is too easy!" Natsu was carried by Happy as the Exceed flew at a low altitude, yet was surprisingly fast. He carried Natsu as far as he possibly could, and he soon led his pal to the Cliffside of the area. He escalated at a higher altitude and turned around.

"Okay Natsu! It's on!" Happy cued.

The Dragon Slayer's eyes brightened with excitement and his fists were shrouded in flames. "This is what I was waiting for!" He brought his hands together and threw a fireball. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He hit his mark and the enemy screamed as they were caught in an erupting explosion. Though they were down, Natsu wasn't close to done as the numbers were seen running from the distance.

"Whoa! That's an even bigger number than what we imagined!" Happy exclaimed.

Natsu smirked. "That's exactly what we wanted. This'll get the big guy's attention." His arms were engulfed in flames and he and Happy soared on in. They shot like a rocket and Natsu unleashed more pain. "Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" He lashed fire at the vast numbers as he and Happy zoomed on by, nearly destroying half of the armed forces advancing towards him in one fell go.

Through it, he looked at more coming at him. "This may take a while."

Grander sat inside his chamber and growled. His patience was getting somewhat tiresome to say the least. He was aware of the conference that was to be held in Bosco soon; in fact, that was something to look forward too. He was just waiting for the princess to show her face. With her on his ship, he can turn the whole debate in his favor.

He was brought out of his thoughts when his chamber doors opened, revealing Boreas once more. "Sir! Malloy and Iori! They found the same guild mages in the streets again!"

His eyes slowly opened. "I told you, I'm not worried. Now begone."

"I know, but I'll be heading down there." Boreas informed.

"Get rid of them at once. I don't feel like leaving to do the work unless they know where she's at." Grander's growling was matched by his Magic, and to all, it was something grand. Immense pressure was felt, and power off the charts.

Boreas turned away. "We'll take care of them, sir!" He closed the chamber door and rushed on out, leaving Grander to his solemn domain. Boreas and his peers serving Grander knew the man was relentless and ruthless; if they failed, they'll be leaving red stains of Grander to trample on.

Boreas made way. "Very well." A dark smirk came across him. "I was looking forward to blowing some bodies around so I wouldn't get bored."

Erza huffed as she struck a slashed pose in her Heaven's Wheel Armor. Enemies were laying before her, as she had defeated every single one, though she did show fatigue by the sheer number she had to deal with. From her count it was at least five-hundred, maybe eight-hundred.

She grew impatient as she saw no sign of one of the higher-ups, yet she didn't falter from her plan. She'll have and see if the plan had worked.

Natsu huffed after he had just breathed out some more fire. An endless number of fallen enemies laid before him, and just looking at the sheer number was enough to leave him to fall over, yet he didn't. "Man, these guys just never stop coming."

Happy got an overhead view and saw that the whole street was crawling with unconscious bodies of enemy pirates. "Whoooaaaa. Just how many were there?"

"I'd say…close to six hundred." The voice was easily recognized, but where it came from was what made Natsu turn on his heels and looked up at the cove cliffs. Happy turned and he was just as startled. Before them was none other than the one who almost captured them earlier.

"It's you!" Happy exclaimed.

Natsu's fists clenched. "Should've known that you'd be here. I still owe you a serious butt-kicking from last time!"

Malloy chuckled and scoffed down at the two. "I highly doubt that. From what I remember you couldn't even burn through my iron." A dark vibe filled the air and his eyes narrowed. "My Iron-Make is the strongest of its kind. It was used to keep all from escaping."

Happy remained steady right by Natsu's side. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah. This guy's Magic Power is tough, very tough." Natsu could feel the ominous Magic level dilating, making his clenched hands shake. "This guy is very strong."

Malloy bought an arm back and reached out. "Understatement of your life, punk! Iron-Make: Chains!" Malloy shot thick iron chains, a vast number heading after Natsu. The Dragon Slayer was surprised by the huge number and Happy was there to carry him into the air, barely dodging the piercing chains that kept on going until they reached the ground, sending many unconscious bodies tumbling away.

Natsu wasn't the kind of guy who would tolerate such poor treatment, regardless of whose side it was. Looking back at Malloy, his face grew very angry. "Hey what's the big deal?! You can't go and hit one of your own!"

However, Malloy had a very different opinion. "I couldn't care less what you think. To me, to Grander, they can be disposed of. Human nature means we can have whomever we desire to do our bidding and toss them aside. Manipulation and power are two keys that you clearly lack."

"You're gonna eat those words! I don't care where you came from! I'll send you back in a body cast!" His fists got coated in flames and Happy soared in to attack, carrying Natsu along with him. "Humans aren't tools! We all have our own rights and privileges!"

Malloy had both arms reached out ahead. "Kid, you have no idea on how wrong you are!" He shot another thick chain with high speed, and Natsu and Happy were unintentionally in its way. The Dragon Slayer was latched right in the leg, and Malloy lashed his arm violently, making Natsu whip downwards and hit the ground hard.

"Natsu-!" Happy was ready to fly back down and get his buddy, but in a flash, he found himself confined in a small iron cage fitted for his size. The Exceed screamed as he dropped out of the sky and fell onto the ground, his head ringing from the bars that didn't even bend an inch.

Natsu ran over to his caged pal. "Happy!" He looked inside and saw his pal all dazed and dizzy from the fall.

Malloy looked amused. "It suits him. Another caged animal."

Nastu turned around slowly and growled with upmost anger. "You…" His entire body was coated in pure flames, flames that signified his emotion of anger. "I'm gonna-"

"You're gonna what?" Malloy cut him off with a cocky smirk. "Last I checked, you were gonna have me eat my own words, but I can see you're all phony talk. That's what separates the weak from the strong." He reached out and iron began to mold in his clenched palm. "You need to learn to be all bite and no bark, otherwise you'll never triumph in this world!"

Natsu lunged at him in pure anger. "Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!"

"Iron-Make: Malice!" His arm molded iron into a human-sized malice. With one violent swing, he struck Natsu on the side of his face. The Dragon Slayer screamed as he flew and hit the side of a house, leaving a crater from the force applied.

Malloy looked amused. "You're just as pathetic as any of those underlings lying on the floor. I'll dispose you all since you're all no good to Grander or any of us." He smirked as the malice he molded began to shape some spikes, increasing its potential for pain.

"And then we'll find the heiress and be on our way. Say your prayers!"

Cana had a clear shot. She slammed her card on the ground and the remaining forces coming at her grew weary. "Prayer's Fountain!" The card let loose volatile beams of water, which all of the standing enemies screamed upon vicious contact. They all were sent soaring from getting blasted by uncontrollable water and laid on the ground groaning.

Cana huffed in slight exhaustion. She hasn't practiced much with divide and conquer, she was normally a solo act. Then again, she could always use the experience. She must have already knocked out at least four-hundred. She wasn't exactly sure, but a ship of the size that she took note up may very well hold about two or three-thousand people, perhaps in between.

She caught her breath and felt quite a bit of her Magic was gone. Using so much Card Magic took quite the toll, and she wasn't sure that she held up this long since the Phantom Lord battle. "Please tell me that's all."

As fortune would bring it, she got lucky…by being unlucky. She heard clapping and felt a great level of Magic Power. To her, this was a heavy amount. Something she never felt before. She knew Master had a lot, and though this wasn't as high, it was still a heavy pressure to handle.

Walking towards her from around the corner was a tan-skinned man. He had shaggy, shoulder length black hair and a wolf claw scar over his left eye. Both eyes were light green, and didn't seem to combine well with his heavily muscular body. He had tattoos of wolves, reptiles, and various other animals that were predatory to humans. He only had on tattered, baggy black pants and a swamp green vest.

"Seems someone needs to call in the top dog." He amused, stepping atop of others as he made way towards Cana. The very sight of him stepping atop of his own men without care was sickening, yet he looked indifferent. He stood with cracking arms. "Well now, a mage such as yourself causing so much trouble?"

Cana grew weary. 'This Magic Power…' She was shuddering. 'It's huge.'

"Call me Iori." He insisted. He sounded so casual, yet resented the urge to strike her down. "I must say, Solidaster gave us quite the welcoming committee. So many soldiers just came up and joyously attacked us. That's quite the number we had to cut down." His gaze turned a little more feral as his left arm was coated in red aura.

Cana could feel heavy pressure from this guy. Not only was he muscular, but the strength he had in the aura and it seemingly solidified. It had what seemed to be the looks of a red wolf and he clenched his fist tight.

"Wait, Animal Possession?" She wondered.

Iori lunged at her. "Wolf Fang!" He punched, and Cana jumped out of the way to avoid the incoming wolf-shaped attack that bit down on where she stood, breaking up the rock.

Cana feel back and swallowed at what would've been were body being bit into.

The energy dispersed and Iori turned to look at her, seeing the startled look on her face. "You should've stayed in line and stayed home little girl. Because now you're gonna have to deal with me."

Cana made it to her feet and flashed some cards in her hand. "Oh yeah?"

Iori's eyes narrowed. "Reinforcements will arrive shortly. I'll have some fun tearing you apart before that happens."

Boreas calmly walked onwards from the beach line onto the streets. As he walked, his backwind was making the palm trees behind him rattle violently, and miscellaneous materials all behind him swirled and blew away from his Magic and the power it had.

"Now, what do I do to take care of them? A hurricane? Nah, I'd have to worry about water. Twisters? Tempting, but then it'd might make it harder to find that little nuisance. Oh~, what to do, what to…do…?"

His musings were cut short. There was something very wrong, and when he turned the corner, he was caught shocked and unable to comprehend it. A very large number of Grander's men were lying all around. His eyes widened as all seven-hundred of the reinforcements had bruises, and a whole lot of cuts. To find the whole street littered by them, it was like a stampede of Vulcans trampled all over them.

"What…what the hell just happened?" He advanced slowly, and spectated the groaning and down bodies. "An ambush? Large numbers?"

"You know, you gotta learn to stop drawing conclusions. It's a big old waste of time." Boreas's eyes widened more and gasped at the similarity of the voice. It was all too familiar for him; it brought back some crazy memories.

He slowly turned his head, where a dusty wind blew at his feet. His eyes caught sight of something he'd never thought he'd see. "Craig Crius."

Craig gave a scowl and crossed his arms. His thin jacket tied around his waist blew a bit, showing the three sheathed swords. "Been a while. Never thought you'd still be running amok."

Boreas turned around fully and small winds circled him. Despite the startled appearance, he was thrilled. "Well what else would I be doing? Fishing for a living?"

Craig grinned in amusement. "Funny, you and your posy of slimy filth should be thrown back in the sea, where you belong."

"Very funny. Let me ask ya, are you alone?" Seeing Craig frown was what Boreas wanted, and he was satisfied to see Craig get slightly upset. "There we go. I thought as much."

Craig huffed and his face grew very loathsome. "You know…" He cracked his neck bones and rolled his neck, ignoring the winds picking up. "You should learn to not be a blowhard. It might get you killed one of these days…perhaps today."

The winds began to circulate around Boreas's fists, converging. "It took us forever to pick ourselves up from a year ago. This all never would've happened if you just stayed out of our way."

Craig crouched his knees and was looking expectantly. He was aware of a year ago, and his mind flashed images of the riots, chains, Grander, and how the slaves all combined forces to overpower the three, and Craig had to suffer more as many more were…

The recollection of a few faces in particular was enough for Craig to bare his sharp teeth at Boreas. "For all of them, it was a good day to die."

"We all may have lost quite a bit of our Magic Power and authority because of the trouble made, but with you here, guess this makes the matter personal." The winds around his hands spiraled harder. "Grander's gonna be pissed when he finds out you're here. He'll tear you apart along with our goal!"

Craig looked ready. "Alright, your little reinforcement party was a hefty warm-up." His eyes narrowed as his hands were up. "Let's see your Gale Magic stop me from breaking every one of your bones."

Again, I made Craig's involvement a little too obvious. I should've saved it later on, but this seemed subtle enough. Compared to The Fairy Contender and EDventures in Kalos, this story is a new experience for me, and how it's all set up is what I'm trying to get used to. I decided to save a flashback for later on, so expect some more memories for Craig and how he was involved.

Still, if you're liking the story so far, comment on what you think. I'll keep doing my best as always!