Chapter 12
The party had acquired a large sleeping car and been riding the train for two solid days.
Two days which Natsu mostly spent unconscious thanks to an armored head punch from Erza. He had originally started out using a potion but the Requip mage couldn't handle how he was practically bouncing off the walls from the joy of not having motion sickness. So, instead of having to deal with him, she took him out. (Lucy felt somewhat irked by the fact that she spent that jewel on the potions to only have Erza counteract that by her actions. But she wasn't remotely brave enough to confront the requip mage about it.)
Two days in which Elfman and Evergreen wouldn't stop bickering. Ever practically demanding she was always right. Elfman saying it wasn't manly to feel like she was right all the time. Ever claiming she wasn't a man. Then the whole argument somehow would start over again.
Two days where Hibiki flirted with any female who came within his personal space. This included a little girl who had gotten separated from her mother. After Hibiki had found the girl's mom he then proceeded to turn his flirtatious tendencies toward her.
The only four semi sane people on the trip were Lucy, Yukino, Freed, and Mirajane.
Freed and Mira seemed perfectly content talking about the landscape that passed their shared window. Lucy had caught sight of their hands clasped together a couple times when they thought no one was looking but she didn't point it out. She figured even though Mira was the resident matchmaker of the guild that she deserved her own happiness, and since no one seemed to know about the two having feelings for each other it wasn't Lucy's place to spread that gossip.
Lucy and Yukino had a variety of conversations all revolving around the trip, and their shared magic for the most part. They shared their excitement over the sun and moon magic they acquired. They wondered over what other keys were out there in the other countries. Somehow the conversation even looped back to the similarities and differences in the guilds the two had joined.
Lucy had learned during the small duration of her time in Sabertooth, Yukino had done quite a few jobs with the twin dragon slayers. It turned out that Yukino also had her hands full with Sting as much as Lucy had her hands full with Natsu. Rogue was at least more level headed and not quite as impulsive. During the conversation about the two dragon slayers Yukino's cheeks intensified to a bright reddish pink in color. It made Lucy wonder if she had a crush on one of the two dragon slayers. She couldn't decipher which one however since they were discussing the two as a pair and not separately. Perhaps she would have to ask her more directly later.
A half an hour later and the train had suddenly lurched to a stop. The sudden jerk of the train somehow penetrated the subconscious of the 'sleeping' Natsu. He blinked bleary eyes for a moment before he jumped up into a fighting stance.
"Natsu?" Lucy asked.
"Shh, I'm listening." As these words left his lips the entire group turned Natsu's direction and watched as his face rapidly changed from anticipation to anger. "Damn, bandit guilds," he muttered and took off with purpose.
"That idiot is going to get himself into trouble," Erza muttered and chased after him followed closely by the rest of the group.
"Worse yet, he will probably demolish the train!" Lucy exclaimed in agitation and fear.
The group traversed the small hallway of the train single file as fast as possible. Their trek halted when Erza suddenly stopped. Standing before her was a cloaked figure that she recognized immediately. "Jel...Mystogan, what are you doing here? You surely can't be a part of the bandits Natsu mentioned."
He turned to her surprised. "No, of course not," he said bitterly. He couldn't help but hate when someone thought the worst of him. It was deserved of course, but when it came from someone he trusted. It was just the thing to make the acid in his stomach boil and burn. Meredy, who had been a few steps ahead of him, touched his arm in an attempt to calm him. "I was tracing the steps of the bandit guild that is currently trying to hijack this train." He turned back pushing Meredy into continuing chasing the bandits up the hall.
They quickened their steps but continued their conversation. "What do you know about them?"
"We are now on the border of Seven and Bosco. Bosco has been known for their bandit guilds and their slave trading business, especially female slave trading."
"That's deplorable," Erza replied.
Lucy nodded as she was once again caught up in the memory of her very first adventure with Natsu in Hargeon, just after they first met. She was nearly a victim of said slave trading herself. She was determined to keep the same thing from happening again.
"The bandits on board are from a guild called Venom Talon. They have been successful several times over in the slave trade business."
"Not anymore, they're not," Erza commented.
"My sentiments exactly," Jellal smiled back at her momentarily. Erza's conviction to set things right was definitely one of the best things about her.
They had just come to the entrance to the first passenger car when they heard, "FIRE DRAGON ROAR."
"Oh great, there goes this train trip," Lucy muttered as they all pushed into the passenger car.
"It's for the greater good, Lucy. Knowing Natsu he has already subdued a few of the bandits." Erza said in justification of his actions.
Lucy couldn't help but agree. She was probably right. Natsu may be a hothead but he was just trying to protect the people on the train.
Natsu's voice must have carried because it wasn't until they came to the passenger car closest to the engine that they found him. This was obviously also where a majority of the action was going down because the car had a huge hole in the side. Lucy inspected it and found three bandits unconscious in the grass near the train track.
Natsu was currently battling one other. No other bandits were in sight. "Natsu, where are the rest of the bandits?"
"Apparently, they thought they only needed four members to do this job. I don't hear any others. Oh head's up the train conductor is coming this way."
Erza talked to the train conductor and explained the situation. To say he was unhappy would have been an understatement but he and the other train staff tied up the bandits until the local constables took them into custody. The members from Fairy Tail along with Crime Sorciere were then promptly kicked off the train. They got their stuff and were pointed in the direction of the closest town with a train station.
Lucy scolded Natsu along the walk. Yukino tried to keep her giggles from erupting at how Lucy was scolding Natsu. Freed and Mira, while not holding hands, walked comfortably side by side. Jellal walked with Erza while she toted her cart of luggage behind her. Meredy smiled as Hibiki flirted with her. Elfman and Evergreen continued their bickering. Yup, things were pretty normal for the Fairy Tail mages. Chaos, panic, destruction, and saving the day just seemed to be the Fairy Tail way.
oOo
The group had been trudging beside the train tracks for a couple hours. They were sure they would hit a town with a train stop eventually. The group walked in silence. They were tired and overwrought from the journey. So they had been walking for the past two hours admiring the landscape. To the east of the group there was a huge dense forest. To the right in a far distance was a majestic mountain range.
At one point, Lucy had been tempted to call out Horologium. But she sadly remembered it happened to be his only day off. Then Natsu surprised her by offering a piggy back ride. Lucy didn't notice the blush that rose up his neck to stain his cheeks. She just merely accepted her best friend's offer.
"You know I am surprised you haven't made some wisecrack about my weight!" Lucy admitted. Luckily Happy had flew further head otherwise he would have definitely made such a comment.
Natsu shrugged. "We are all tired, Luce. Why would I get in a fight right now when all I want to do is sit down?"
Since when did he think like that? Usually it's 'I'm all fired up! Let's fight!'
Aloud she muttered, "I give up trying to understand you."
This saddened the dragon slayer a bit. But then he smelled one of his favorite scents ever and his stomach announced itself loudly. Suddenly he was in a sprint towards the smell forgetting he had Lucy on his back.
Yukino side stepped when she heard his loud footfalls behind her. She was used to Sting being the same way when he got hungry so she knew she had to get out of the way. She forced back a laugh when he passed, and she saw that Lucy was holding on for dear life.
"Fire chicken here I come!"
Erza and Jellal were at the front of the line up and she thrust her fist into Natsu's gut when he was about to pass them. He fell to the ground clutching his stomach. "Hey! You could have hurt Luce, Erza!"
Erza turned when she heard this. Natsu may have deserved her wraith but Lucy was another story.
Luckily, Lucy was only dizzy from the run. Natsu felt bad and carried her in his arms. She clutched at his neck so she wouldn't fall. "I smelled fire chicken! We have to be near a town, and I'm starving!"
"Are you sure your arms won't fall off from carrying her like that?" Happy feigned innocence even if his eyes sparked with humor. Lucy still too dazed to react.
It was ten minutes later that they spotted a sign welcoming them to Renshaw Heights and a train depot in the distance about a half a mile from that.
They climbed up the platform and while Lucy was trying to find out details about the next train Erza noticed a big bulletin board. At the top was a great big banner saying 'these criminals wanted apprehended' below the banner were several mugshots of sullied looking men. Every last one of them seemed to have a mark of an eagle claw with green talons. "Seems Poison Talon is known for their corruption of moral laws."
"I was planning on bringing them in anyway. If the mayor is wanting to give out jewel in addition to it. Who am I to deny that?" Jellal smirked.
"I think we should go with you," Erza replied. "It's not like we are in a hurry to get anywhere, and that is a hefty amount of derelicts the mayor is wanting to bring into custody. In fact, I am pretty sure we will find once talking to the mayor that he will just want the whole guild taken out."
Through investigating of her own Lucy discovered that because of the damage to the previous train another one would not be in town for a week. So the group decided to at least go to hear the mayor out.
oOo
Mayor Eldridge Kenley was a peculiar looking fellow. He was about the same height as Levy. He had a rotund belly. His face was mostly obscured by an oversized monocle covering his right eye, an elongated broad nose, and an extensive mustache. His copper ringlets were quite unruly, and his face had a ruddy complexion that was enhanced at the tip of his nose and cheeks.
The group listened to the man as he sputtered on about how the people of Bosco were all tired of girl slave trading rings. "Venom Talon is one of the most prominent bandit guilds in Bosco. If they were able to be taken down then Bosco would be a more livable place. Of course not only do people not want to take out the guild they also fear the dire wolves of the Yith Timberland. Which, Venom Talon's hideout is supposedly somewhere in the midst of that forest."
"How long of a journey on foot would that be?" Lucy asked. She was hesitant to take the job if it took over a week. But the extra money would help fund the trips they were taking for her benefit.
"If you don't run into difficulty. I would imagine a couple days by foot each way. But I am sure the dire wolves would slow you down."
Natsu's stomach growled again. He was agitated and grumpy from lack of food.
The mayor smothered a laugh. "I could get you all room and board at the Rosewood Hot Springs."
"I'd love to accept the offer but I would like to do our own research before we agree to your terms." Erza replied.
"You are the first group to even hear me out. It's no trouble. Stay there tonight and work out what you have to then return in the morning to let me know what you decided. Oh, although, I imagine I will only be able to get you two rooms. One for the girls and one for the boys."
"Any accommodations would be appreciated."
Lucy was already sighing happily in her head about the idea of soaking in an open air hot spring. Natsu was drooling over the idea of food. Erza was working out battle strategies. Jellal was trying hard not to focus on Erza's face scrunched up in concentration. Meredy was mentally giggling at Jellal. Hibiki flirted with every girl he passed by. Freed shyly kept glancing Mira's way.
The hot springs that awaited them was actually a bit on the shabby side. The building itself looked like it should be condemned. The group planned on meeting up together in the girls room after they all soaked in the hot springs. They were all quite exhausted. Natsu grumbled at having to wait longer for food.
When the guys realized their room was connected to the girls, and the only thing that separated the baths from one another was a tall fence they all hurriedly changed out of their clothes and jumped in. Even Natsu.
oOo
After an exceptionally long train ride Samson pulled open the door to the apartment he shared with Lacey and Jonah. He wasn't ready to face the two of them yet. All he could really imagine was taking a shower to rid himself of his cramped muscles and the sweat that accumulated due to the tight quarters he had been in. He had to share a bench with several people, and he was by no means a small man. Heck, Lacey once exclaimed that even his muscles had muscles. (The metaphor was only mildly overstating things.)
Lacey bounded over to him with a huge smile on her face. She hopped in his arms and wound her limbs around him. "So, what did you find out?"
When he relayed that he discovered a majority of their guild had taken a northbound train out of town Lacey's face grew tight. She unwound herself from her perch and openly glared at him. "Do you mean to tell me that you didn't linger to find out where they were going?!"
"I did try. The employee at the train station wasn't able to tell me anything more than that." Samson really didn't understand what Lacey expected from him. He had managed to stick in the shadows and tail them despite his bulky form.
"Would you like me to check things out, Lacey?" Jonah pulled up behind her and began to stroke her shoulder.
The way she immediately sunk into his touch had Samson's lip twitching. Sure they had an 'arrangement' but that couldn't stop his natural tendencies toward jealousy when she pushed him away but relished Jonah's attentions instead.
"Hmm. Not a bad thought. But, it's depressing that you are leaving again." She turned to look his way and pouted. "I only just got you back."
"Yes, and I will miss you greatly. But, this is what you have been preparing for. I have a slew of ideas on how I can find out what we need to know."
Lacey nodded. "Yes, why don't you go by the station and see what time you can leave tomorrow."
Samson once again found himself frowning at his own ineptitude and Lacey's affections being doted on Jonah . But after his shower she went back to cuddling with him. There was no exact apology but with Lacey in his arms once more Samson found he didn't really mind.