Chapter Two of the Okator Arc; The Promotion.
The moon hung in the night sky, huge and pearly. Lucy glanced up at it and fought back a yawn. She wasn't quite sure how late it was now, but the call of home and bed had to wait. Her two wards lay in the hospital-like beds in front of her, sleeping peacefully. There had been some discussion over chaining them down. The result was a constant guard instead, to watch them through the night. The fear being restraints might cause more damage to their injuries.
Beneath her the guild hall was finally quiet, it was almost as if the chaos that had ensued earlier that evening had never happened. But it had. There had been water, so much of it, coming out of nowhere. And then the thief and a man were left on the table, both bleeding, him more so. He lay in the bed to the left now, unmoving.
They'd removed the purple cloth that had wound his head and face so as to treat the wound on the right side of his temple. Lucy found herself captivated by his face. His skin was a deep brown, like chocolate or coffee and stretched tight against high bold cheek bones and strong jaw line. The sharp line of his brow oversaw the deep inset of his eyes and there was a dip between where the overhang of his forehead ended and the peak of his crooked nose began. It might have been a handsome face, Lucy thought, strong almost regal if not for the scars dominating his cheeks. They stretched from his thick dark lips right up to the end of cheekbones, stopping before gaunt circles of his eyes. Tiny white lines that crisscrossed his otherwise flawless skin and they reminded Lucy oddly of marks a sufferer of acne might get. Except these were clearly not the work of a skin condition. They patterned across his skin like white x's. Kisses carved deliberately into place. They made her shudder.
To the bed right of him, slept the thief, Rory North, not so peacefully. Her bronze face looked pallid in the moon light, and her equally bronze hair splayed out around her head like a rusty halo. She twitched and turned in her sleep, mumbling some dream and Lucy feared she was in danger of further damaging her slinged arm with her movement. The chair beside her bed sat vacant as Erza went to relieve herself. It had taken Lucy a good portion of an hour to convince her to leave the thief's side. 'They're both fast asleep Erza.' She'd said. 'Nothing's going to happen. And if something does, I can handle myself.'
Erza had given her a wry smile.' I suppose you can.'
She fought back another yawn as she sat curled in a chair by the door, a sleeping Plue in her arms. At least someone got to sleep while she kept watch. Maybe when Erza returned she'd be able to nap. But only for a bit. It wouldn't be fair on Erza.
There was rustling from the sheets and Lucy lifted her head to meet the dark gaze of the man as he sat up in bed. All at once he looked surprised, confused and for a second uneasy. The dark amass of his dreadlocked hair tumbled and stuck out at every angle from his heavy bandaged head and fell around him like a lions mane. Lucy rose to feet, sliding up against the wall as he rasped out in a deep voice.
"Where am I? Who are you?"
"I'm Lucy." She smiled nervously at him, glancing at the door as if Erza would magically return. I can handle this . "I'd be careful if I were you," She said quickly as the man moved out of bed, "You took a sharp blow to the head. You're still recovering."
He ignored her. "Where am I?" He repeated, now on his feet. Lucy hadn't realised how tall he was. She glanced again at the door, hands shifting instinctually towards her keys.
"If you'd please go back to bed sir. Don't worry you're in good hands. Fairy Tail will-" She never finished. At the sound of the guilds name the man's eyes had narrowed and his hands flashed out in front of him. A force knocked her backwards against the wall, head cracking as it collided with the wood and Lucy knew no more.
Sunlight streamed onto her. Rory could feel the warmth on her skin, could see the glow behind her waking eyes, turning her eyelids gold. Somewhere a bird was chirping. The sound reverberated through her head like a hammer on an anvil. Rory groaned. Her head hurt.
Eventually she opened her eyes to the world, and frowned. At first there was a light blue wall and cream ceiling. But then her gaze focused and became dominated by the sword tip and its red headed owner. Titania of the Fairy Tail guild sat, in her same old usual armour in a chair by Rory's bed, her sword drawn on the thief, heavy circles under her eyes.
Rory blinked then closed her eyes again, unmoving. She lay there for what seemed like an age, before opening them again. Titania was still there, watching her apparently motionless. Rory stuck her chin to her neck looking down at her aching, bandaged body, noting her slinged arm. As soon as she became aware of the limb, she became aware of the pain also. As if by seeing it had turned on a switch in her brain to start recognising pain. Now it was everything, not just her head, that hurt.
Her clothes were gone, instead she wore a white gown and she could feel all the way down to her ankles. The room she was in resembled that of a make shift hospital room, blue walls and neat white sheeted beds. Outside the window she spotted the bird whose song had painfully woken her. Titania silently watched her survey the room, sword and scowl unwavering.
"I'm surprised you didn't bind and gag me." Rory managed finally, her voice thick and groggy. "It would have completed the whole waking up in strange bed to a redhead and weapon moment."
"I wanted you bound, but they feared it would damage your arm." Titania replied in all seriousness, the jest missing her. "As for the gag, I'm regretting that already."
Rory's mouth curved wryly and she pulled herself up in a sitting position, the thin white sheet slipping to her hips as her free arm supported her upright, batting away the tip of Titania's sword. "Must we Titania?" She sighed at the mage. "Can't we have a five minute truce for once?"
Titania said nothing but after a moment, sheaved her sword and bowed her head once, red hair falling across one eye.
"Thanks," Rory said. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her back facing the wizard. It was a show of ease on Rory's part, trying to at least appear in control. In the safety of her own mind however, thoughts were buzzing about in a throbbing reconciliation to remember as much as possible despite the pain it caused her.
Her white night gown was thin and crisp, billowing around her. Its short sleeves barely hid the thieves guild symbol branded a deep purple on her shoulder. The outline of a key double siding with a lock pick. It annoyed her how it was visible.
"So where am I?" She asked over her shoulder to the still sitting Titania. She shifted out of bed and padded over to a table by the wall which held a mirror and basin full of water.
"You're at Fairy Tail." Titania informed her in the mirror. "This is one of our private first aid rooms."
Rory nodded at her reflection, grey eyes locking with brown. She'd expected at much. "How long till the town guard come?"
"They're not coming."
Rory arched an eyebrow at her through the mirror. Titania did little to hide her displeasure at the information. Rory splashed her face, one-handedly drying it on a towel as Titania continued.
"The master does not wish to involve the law just yet. You are our ward and guest at the moment and master has some questions for you concerning last night. So here we are."
"Yes here we are." Rory echoed her, turning to face the mage she had such a history with. Well, not much of a history in a dramatic sense, but the two of them just had an unfortunate habit of running into each at the worst possible time.
Titania studied her back. "And this is your real face." She mused, almost conversationally and the notion made Rory laugh.
"Aye, getting a good look at it are you? Committing it to memory?"
Titania shook her head ever so slightly. "I'm wondering if I've seen it before. I'm finding it hard to remember."
"You have." Rory told her. "Though you didn't recognise it at the time." She shifted leaning back against the table. She wanted to go lie down again, but didn't want the proximity to Titania. "It's funny, it doesn't matter what disguise I wear, what face I take you always know it's me. Every single time without fail you always recognise the illusion. And then the one time you met me in my own skin you barely even batted an eye lash. I watched you gaze right over me then carry on without a thought."
"When was this?" Titania asked with a frown.
"Oh some time ago." Rory shrugged offhandedly. "Some train station in the country side, chance meeting. It was funny though. The irony didn't escape me at the time."
Titania's frown persisted. Rory wondered sometimes if it was carved permanently into her face. For all her time running from the wizard, she had never seen the woman smile.
"It won't happen again." Titania promised. "I know your face now."
"Aye that you do." Rory muttered. There was a slight bitterness there. Her face had been the only part of her thieving identity she managed to fully keep from the law. It was the names, Duchess, Tombraider, that were important. They were the ones on the wanted poster's at least, a drawing of her real face yet to join them.
But now Titania had not only her true face, but her true name under her belt. It was a price Rory had known she might end up paying when she visited Fairy Tail, Makarov was not one for secret identities. Still, it was paid sourly.
"So you're a wizard." Titania said, breaking the silence again. "Portal magic. That's how you've managed to escape every time all these years." She laughed humourlessly. "It's seems so obvious now. The disappearing into nowhere, the residue magical energy. Breaking out of prisons without leaving your cell. It all makes sense." She banged her fist on the arm of her chair. "I can't believe I never saw it!"
"I can." Rory smirked at Titania, who was clutching her chair so intensely, self anger radiating from her. "But please continue to cut yourself up over the truth that has been staring you in the face for years."
"Why? Do you take pleasure from my mistakes?" Titania growled, rising to her full height.
"Darling I take bets on your mistakes." Rory retorted. "The fact alone you've taken this long to discover my portal magic makes me at least five thousand Jewels richer."
Titania advanced. "You'll need that to bail yourself out of jail. Five minutes is up Duchess." And she reached for her sword.
Rory had no idea what would have happened next if it were not for Fairy Tail's Salamander, Natsu Dragneel barging in to the room, his hands ablaze. A wizard with fire dragon slayer magic; Natsu Dragneel had made himself known in the mage community at an early age. Rory knew of him from the magazines and the tell tale signs of destruction he and his fellow guild members left in their wake. His fiery nature, pink hair and toned abs painted him a teen age icon and heartthrob, so Rory hadn't though much of him. Though as he stood in the doorway of the room, he looked so angry that Rory was more than intimidated. Evidently he was more serious than the media let on.
"Where is she?" He demanded. "Is she awake?" His gaze lighted on Rory and suddenly she was push up against the wall by her collar, a burning fist held threateningly above her nose.
"Where is he?" Salamander yelled into her perplexed face. "Where did he go?"
"Wha-" She managed. She was vaguely aware of something happening behind his but his contorted face was taking up too much of her attention.
"You're friend! He hurt Lucy now I'm going to hurt him. Where is he?" Salamander repeated, shifting her slightly higher up the wall. Part of Rory felt vaguely impressed that he could lift her with one arm.
"Who?" She squeaked.
"The guy who came through the portal with you! The turban one. He left last night but not before he knocked Lucy unconscious. After we gave him shelter and tended his wounds he hurt one of us. Nobody does that to a member of Fairy Tail! Where did he go?"
She started at him with unfathomable confusion. Then his words sunk in.
Oh crap.
There was movement by the door and another figure appeared, leaning in close to Salamander. "Honestly Natsu I'm fine." Sighed a tired looking blond girl who Rory recognised from the guild hall. She lay a hand Natsu's shoulder smiling weakly at him, the Fairy Tail symbol stamped pink on her hand. Rory noticed an ice pack was being held to the back of her head. "Put her down. You're going to damage her arm further."
Rory's mind was whirling. So the guy had come through with her? Of course, he must of! And they'd treated him. The both of them. Rory remembered how he'd been knocked down by a piece of ceiling. But if he'd left in the night did that mean...
"The dagger!" Rory gasped, her hands clutching on to the muscled forearm that was pinning her against the wall."Okator's dagger! When he left did he take the bag with him! The dagger, did he get the dagger?"
Salamander frowned, pink hair falling across his wrinkled brow, but his fist extinguished itself."How should I know? You're the one working with him!" He pointed out, voice still raised.
"I don't work with him!" Rory cried urgently. "He was in the tomb too. Got there before me and set off the wards! He's after the dagger too."
"Oh." Salamander said, putting her down and taking a step back. He eyed her. "So you don't know where he went?"
"If he took the dagger I will soon." Rory promised and she turned to Titania, who was still holding her sword. "I want my stuff back. My clothes, my bag, my hat."
Titania watched her, her gaze as intense as always. Eventually she said, "The Master confiscated all of your things. I doubt that man was able to retrieve the dagger if it was in master's possession. We would know if someone stole from us. Anyway we can't let you leave yet, Wendy has not finished healing you." And she gave a pointed look at Rory's slinged arm.
Rory arched an eyebrow. "Can I at least have my clothes back?" She asked icily. "Or must I carry on looking like a sacrificial virgin?" She folded her free arm over her chest, the ankle length white night gown crinkling slightly.
Titania made a noise that sounded she'd almost laughed but stopped herself. "Natsu go get Duchess's clothes off Mirajane would you?" Titania instructed her gaze never leaving Rory's. "They should be dry by now. And Lucy go sit down, Wendy said you shouldn't be moving about."
Rory held her eye steadfastly. Neither of them blinked. Salamander and the girl Lucy glanced at each other then back at the two girls. Sensing tension in the room they silently did as they were told. Or rather the Lucy girl dragged Salamander from the room before he could start complaining. The door closed and they could hear Salamander's loud voice moving down the hall way.
Rory forced a smirk, leaning back against the wall Salamander had just shoved her against. "He's quite the protective one isn't he." She said jerking her head towards the door.
"Yes, and you'd do well to remember that." Erza warned, Rory's attempt at humour doing nothing to lighten the tension.
Rory made a noncommittal noise at the back of her throat. She was the first to look away.
The guild hall was a quiet murmur of voices from people who had a lot to say but were not in the mood to say it. Apprehensive would be a good descriptive word. Tense. Nobody was happy with the situation, but little could be done.
The thief girl sat at the bar, hunched over the bowl of soup. On instinct people kept their distance. Next to her, sat Erza carefully watching her every move. It was clear she was on edge in the thief's presence and the guild hall unknowingly followed her lead, tensing when she tensed, shifting when she shifted. Subconsciously the thief girl pulled at the floppy bobble hat that dominated her dark blonde head, as if aware of the eyes plastered to her neck and hushed whispers about her. Ever so slightly she cocked her head to the head, tucking hair and hat behind her ear. Listening.
"...lead on the man. Some people ... heading east into the woods...this morning..."
"...thieves guild got quite some nerve ...rely on our hospitality..."
"...Natsu reckons the two aren't associated..."
"...doing fine Wendy says...just a bump..."
"...and to think...such a shy timid thing when we met her..."
"...be an idiot Wakaba...act to lull us into a false sense of security..."
"...doing research...Tombraider..."
"You done eavesdropping?" Rory jumped, her spoon clattering as Erza interrupted her concentration. She spared the redhead a glare then slurped up the rest of her breakfast.
"When can I go?" She asked into her bowl.
"When the master says you can." Erza replied bluntly.
Rory narrowed her eyes. "So you're gonna keep me here like a prisoner?"
Erza shifted, her eyes searching the room. "Just be glad you're not chained up."
Rory snorted but kept quiet, revelling in her own quiet anger. How could she have opened up her portal here of all places? Why did she? Rory couldn't remember much after falling into the tunnel under coffin. She assumed the lack of air caused her to lose consciousness. So that must have been what drowning felt like. Considering everything the pain wasn't as bad as Rory thought it would be. If anything it made the air taste a lot sweeter. However now she was even further in Fairy Tail's debt.
Their two guilds were enemies on principle, yet Fairy Tail had taken her in. They'd healed, washed and dried clothes, fed her for free. Even so, Rory wished her subconscious portal had taken her to a back alley somewhere. The last thing she needed was owing Titania for hospitality of all things.
Raven's going to laugh her head off when she finds out what happened, Rory thought ruefully. She'll never live this down. Going to a legal guild for aid, and Fairy Tail no less. Why couldn't she have landed at Mermaid Heel? She wouldn't have minded waking up to them. It could've been worse, Rory reassured herself, she could have ended up at Blue Pegasus. The thought alone made her shudder.
"Good morning Rosie, awake I see. And Wendy says your arm will make a full recovery." Rory looked up from her bowl to see Makarov sitting crossed legged on the bar top a little way down from her. The old man was so tiny he fitted easily on the wooden surface. He was wearing the same bright orange jester's hat from before.
"Thanks to you." Rory inclined her head. "You could have kicked me out into the street. You should have. It's what others would have done."
His heavy white mustache bristled slightly as he watched her. "Well believe it or not, I'm glad to see you're alright Rosie."
Rory straightened up, shifting on her bar stool. "Titania says you have questions for me."
In response the old man reached behind him, and pulled out two bags; her own and the man's which he'd stored the dagger in. "Here are your things. I took the liberty of retrieving Artau's key from you. Since you shall no longer need it, I will have it returned to ex-master Henner. You needn't worry" He added as Rory grabbed one of the bags and tore it open, "Okator's dagger is safe. Your little friend last night came looking for it, but I assured him it was in good hands."
Rory's head snapped up. Lying in the bag before her was the dagger, safe and sound. "You spoke to him? Did you find out who he was? Who he works for?"
"I did not." Markarov said, almost disappointed. There was a nasty glint in his eye when he said "But he hurt one of my children. And for that he will pay, regardless of who he affiliates with."
"Whoever he is, he's dangerous." Rory told him. "He got into the tomb without the key. And he set off the wards placed round the sarcophagus without a second thought. Idiocy and power don't go well together. The lunatic nearly got the both of us killed with his hastiness."
"Sounds like he owes you his life. A dangerous position to be in." The remark almost made her smile.
Rory shook her head. "I dunno old man, I'd say he has more to fear from your Salamander than me. The guy looked pretty pissed." And in the words of her grandmother only idiots piss off dragons. There was a hint of truth behind the jest at least.
As if he'd read her thoughts, Makarov then asked "Did your grandmother teach you your portal magic?"
"Huh?" Rory jumped. "Oh, no. No I learned that off a wall. Go figure. But my grandmother did train me as a wizard when it was discovered I could use magic. But that was only basic mental stuff, like concentration and how to hide your magical aura." She glanced at Titania. "It's why you weren't ever able to sense my portal magic."
Titania nodded, a look of understanding on her face. "You are able to mask your magical energy to appear like an ordinary citizen. I'm almost impressed."
"And that was almost a compliment." She flashed the mage a grin."Careful Titania, one night together and you're already going soft on me. You'll give me the wrong idea."
Titania's face became pinched, angry and stunned at the same time. A few of her guild mates close enough to overhear shot her odd looks. "We did not spend the night together I was your guard!" She huffed indignantly. "Or do you not remember waking up to my sword?"
"Your sword?" Rory repeated. "Just what you implying Queenie? How should I interpret that one?"
Rory had discovered a year or so ago that Titania did not respond well to flirting. Especially from a girl. Rory liked to lay it on thick in her presence, in truth it was the only time she really got close to having one over on the mage. Titania always answered with formal indifference, but sometimes Rory managed to gauge a reaction. It had become part of their thing really.
Erza narrowed her eyes at her. "Literally." And said sword materialised into place at her side.
"Oh no you don't." Rory jumped backwards from the bar, out of reach. She pulled Okator's dagger from Turban man's (for lack of a better name) bag and slid it into her boot then discarded the empty material. With her own bag now slung over her shoulder she reached out her arm, and felt her magic pull and pulse through her finger tips. A large blue circle appeared next to, emitting a bright light.
"I gotta say it's nice to finally be able to use my magic in front of you Titania. Feels like I'm taking a weight off my chest you know?" She cocked her head towards Makarov, who sat unmoved on the bar top. "The Thieves Guild appreciates your help and cooperation during our recovery mission. You have my gratitude."
"HELP?" Erza yelled. "We didn't help or cooperate with you! You fell out of nowhere in the middle of guild hall unconscious!"
"Tell that sky dragon chick thanks for the healing." Rory continued, ignoring Titania. "My arm feels good as new already."
Makarov inclined his head. "Take care Rosie." Then he did something that surprised Rory entirely. He smiled and waved. It seemed the old man wasn't always as serious as he appeared. She wondered what kind of connection he had with her grandmother, to make him to kind to her.
She turned and began to walk into her portal. The guild members in the hall were watching her go, it was kind of disconcerting. But no one stopped her, evidently they couldn't wait to be rid of her. Her act could drop in a minute. "See you around Titania." She waved over her shoulder.
"This changes nothing Duchess." Titania called back, and Rory just knew she was gripping at her sword handle, flexing her fingers along the hilt. The way she usually did when pissed.
"I should hope not." Rory admonished, her foot disappearing into the blue of the portal. "Things just got a whole lot more interesting between us. I look forward to the next chase." And with that she disappeared through the portal and out onto a sunny hill side.
Rory's portal closed behind her and she fell backwards against the tree she knew was there with a groan. Sinking slowly to the ground, her beanie was pushed off her head as it rubbed along the tree bark, and she held it in her hands, the wool soft under her skin. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, turning the hat over in her hands, lost in thought.
She was losing her touch. Fairy Tail? Why? Of all places to take herself. Why? She knew that in times of stress her portals could manifest from her subconscious, taking her wherever it could. Either somewhere safe, or to the closest area of mass magical energy. But Okator's tomb was on the complete opposite side of the kingdom to Fairy Tail, there was no logical reason for her magic to be attracted there. And now she was even further in their debt. And Titania knew she was a mage. Rory punched the ground, cursing out loud as she did so. She wasn't sure which was more frustrating; the fact she couldn't understand why her portal had taken her to Fairy Tail or the fact it simply was Fairy Tail. She swore again.
"Careful now Dutch. Yer on holy ground here. Keep the cussin' to a minimum."
"Raven." Rory murmured, recognising the Northern accent in an instant. She looked up to see her partner in crime hiking up the hill to join her. "I don't think graveyards really count."
Behind her and below stretched the flowered graveyard of a small bucolic town in the north, Amaryllis. A little way beyond sat the little fat building of the Zentopian church. The graveyard was peaceful and quiet. And the small red maple tree on the hill gave the perfect shade and coverage for when one just wanted to sit and contemplate. It was a quaint, idyllic view from the small hilltop. The type you'd see stylistically painted onto a postcard. In fact Rory was pretty sure the small post office in the village actually did sell post cards with a picture of it's church from this very spot on the hill.
"They wouldna build a church here if it weren't holy ground." Raven pointed out.
Raven, or formally, Raven Nightingale was a tall, painfully thin woman, rather like a stick with long gangly limbs. She rather looked like someone had grabbed hold of her hands and feet and stretched her. Her spine had a constant curve to it, a result of by an insecurity over her height, leading her to always stoop slightly. Raven had a narrow, gaunt face and was deathly white with a prominent hooked nose rather like a beak and light blue eyes that she lined heavily with black up to her eyebrows, giving the impression that her eyes were constantly in shadow. Her rusty orange hair hung in a fine curtain around her face, dead straight down to her hunched shoulders.
Her usual getup often involved something black, red and tight, today it was a corset top, skinny jeans and knee high combat boots. Somewhere along the left side of her abdomen was the Thieves Guild symbol, branded burgundy where her skinny hip met painfully small stomach. On her hips hung her magical utility belt (black true fashion) and slung over her shoulder was a black metal bow. Raven wasn't one for a quiver of arrows. She often complained that it hurt her back and was impractical. Instead she kept her arrows in a magically expanded compartment at her hip. Also somewhere in one of those compartments were several orb shaped lacrimas that held her illusionment magic. Crack one of those things over your head like an egg and you briefly change appearance. They were the perfect disguises for a pair of thieves.
Rory assumed the two of them were close in age, but they never really talked about personally stuff like birthdays so she couldn't be sure. Sometimes Rory vaguely wondered who Raven really was. Who she was before she became Raven Nightingale that is. Before she joined the guild that shrouded each of its member's in secrecy. It was funny. She and Raven trusted each other with their lives, their safety, their sanity but not their real names. Not their true identities. It was the cost of the guild. Rory supposed she didn't need to know a person's history to know whether she trusted them in the here and now. But still she couldn't help but wonder about her closest ally.
"What are you doing north?" Rory asked as Raven joined her in the shade of the red maple's leaves.
"Recon on local mercenary guild. Ye got the dagger?"
Rory nodded, pulling at some grass.
"Then why are ye mopin' on a hillside?"
"How did you know I would be moping on a hillside?" Rory shot back testily. "How did you know I'd be here?"
Raven shrugged. "Cause yer predictable. Ye play portal favourites. Kohl told me shit went down in the tomb and this spot tends to be one of ye random go to's for contemplatin' crap like that. I was in the area anyway so figured I'd check it out before contactin' ye."
Rory frowned at the sky, both pissed and pleased that she was so easily tracked. Pissed because being predictable was hardly a good thing, but admittedly, secretly, happy that someone had taken notice of her habits. That she was not so alone for it to be only herself that knew her mind. That someone else was there, that someone could always find her.
Damn. She was getting sloppy. Five minutes with the Fairies and she was already getting emotional over one sentence from Raven. Of course Raven knew her habits they were partners. Nothing more.
And of course Raven was nothing but business. She noticed Rory's frustration and with a slight smirk, asked "So, who are they and why are they after the dagger?"
So Raven knew someone else was in the tomb. How much had Kohl managed to find out through the night? Rory supposed it didn't really matter, or rather Duchess did. Because that's who she was. Makarov and Fairy Tail had filled her mind with Rory North, but right now she needed to be Duchess.
"No idea and no idea." She said, rising to her feet. "But we will know soon." And she put her beanie back onto the back of her head, sweeping her messy blond fringe out of her eyes.
"Come on Raven, we have shit to do."
Back in Magnolia.
As one the guild hall let out the collective breath they'd been holding in. The blue portal disappeared into nothing, leaving behind no trace but a feint hint of magical residue. Makarov's smile slid from his face and he looked tired and well, old.
"She's such a vibrant young spirit." Mirajane commented cheerfully from behind the bar. "She's not at all how I imagined a member of the thieves guild to be."
"Then you don't know her." Titania said darkly, falling back against her stool. All those night hours of staying awake were finally catching up with her. "Duchess is smarter than she looks. She always has the upper hand. Not once have I been able to defeat her."
A hushed silence fell over the hall at this revelation.
"Seriously?" Gray sounded impressed and scared as he joined Erza at the bar. "I mean she doesn't look like much of a fighter." His thought process was clear however and thudded threw every mind in the guild; if Rory North was able to defeat Erza, every time, then she must be an extremely powerful wizard. To know somebody stronger than Erza, it was a terrifying thought. And the awkward blond girl in the floppy hat just didn't seem to match the notion.
"Fighter?" Erza laughed bitterly. "Duchess is not a fighter. I have rarely ever battled with her and when I do it's not much of a fight. Usually she just runs away."
Now Gray (and the eavesdropping guild hall) became confused. Elfman's deep voice muttered something about cowardice and unmanliness.
"Wait if you don't fight her then how is she able to defeat you?" Cana asked. She too was casually leaning against the bar, next to Gray. A mug of a warm liquid was already in her hand despite the early morning. The two of them looked like they belonged in a lingerie magazine, as Gray stood in nothing but his black boxers and Cana had foregone a shirt (as usual) for a black bikini top.
Erza sighed, her red hair sweeping over bad eye. "Because she always wins."
Makarov remained silent, looking solemn and thoughtful as Mirajane asked, with her voice of sugar. "What do you mean Erza?"
Erza could feel them all watching her, their curiosity burning holes through her. Erza had never mentioned the thief much around the guild, and now an explanation was due. "She wins because she always succeeds. Nothing I do would keep her in prison. Nothing I did would stop her from achieving her goal, I would only ever to delay her. It never comes to a physical fight between us because she never lets it. She'd just surrender, wait a while in captivity then continue when I'm gone. That's why she always defeats me; she always manages to get the last laugh. "
"Maybe she never fights you because she knows you'll defeat her." Gray hedged, reassuring himself more than Erza. If the thief never fought then perhaps she wasn't that great a foe, she just knew the value of patience. That must be it. Erza was still the better wizard, it was just Rosemary North never bothered to fight. Now it was clear she was a portal mage it was obvious why she was never bothered by prison; she could simply portal out.
Erza smiled gratefully at his comment, yet it didn't quite meet her eyes.
"It is not within the thieves guild's nature to fight." Makarov intone, suddenly. "They not known for their physical strength and power. Most of them aren't even mages. And the ones that are stick to the shadows, that is where they are most powerful." Makarov looked gravely at the guild. "The thieves guild deals in secrets and favours. That is where it's power and influence lies. But my children, do not let yourselves get lulled into a false sense of security. The people in that guild are more than capable."
A few weeks later.
In a small clearing the middle of Aspen Forest, south west of the city Crocus met the four thieves. Out of sight from the local hiking paths, secluded under the shelter of the trees, the three women and man were in total privacy.
Rory stood opposite Kohl, one hand deep in his pocket, the other holding a cigarette. It was a rare sight to see the man away from his bar. Rory was so used to experiencing Kohl from torso up, amid a backdrop of musty old bottles and smoke, it was strange to suddenly seem him whole, and in clean air (despite the fact he brought the smoke with him with his cigarette.) He looked like fish out of water among the white barked trees and streaming sun. A very impatient fish. It was clear he was already regretting their little field trip. Or rather he was regretting the additional people to their outing as watching them from the tree line were Raven and Doc, happily picking away at his resolve.
Doc was, if Rory had to guess, a woman somewhere within her late twenties or early thirties, though to her face Rory would say she was not a day over twenty. With dark green hair hidden by her navy religious headscarf, and quizzical monolided eyes behind half moon spectacles, Doc was easily the most attractive out the three woman. Something she liked to remind them frequently. She was usually seen in some elaborately tight cocktail dress and a white doctor's coat, complete with stethoscope and six inch heels. Rory was secretly amazed at how she'd gotten this far into the forest in such footwear. But then again she'd seen the woman navigate the Denga Citadel rooftops like the frozen, iced death drop roof tiles were nothing more than a walk in the park.
Sitting midway between Kohl and Rory, chained to a stick hammered into the ground was a puppy. Rory couldn't be sure of the breed, but it was short haired and panting happily, completely unaware of its impending fate.
"Do I have to?" Rory asked again, eyeing the dog gingerly. "There must be something else I can practice on."
Kohl raised an unimpressed eyebrow and it disappeared into his shaggy black mane. This was not the first time Rory had complained about the canine guinea pig. She shifted from foot to foot, trainers rubbing together, an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
"Dogs are the easiest to start with, Duchess. Their will is the most accessible to bind." Doc informed her, an ancient grimoire set across her and Raven's knees. The book was so huge it covered the whole of their legs like a blanket, with only pair of black combat boots and stiletto heels sticking out from under it.
Raven snorted. "Yeah but ye don't need magic to bind a dug's will. They're pushovers. Give it a biscuit and it will love ye for life. Train it to sit and it will sit. Don't need to bind it's will for that."
"Exactly." Doc said sardonically. "That's why they're the easiest to start with. Idiot. And I think you'll find Willbind goes far beyond a simple sit or stay."
"Whatever moss head." Raven grumbled. "I'm the one translatin' here." She gestured to the tome.
"Beaky." Doc hissed back, just loud enough to hear.
Kohl's stoic face mimicked that of an almost pained expression as their squabbling continued. Full on emotions were never quite his thing; it was always half a smile, one eyebrow, semi laughter, anger reflecting only in the eyes and nowhere else. His face was the kind that had only two settings: deadpan and wry.
"You can practice will bind on the dog so I know you've got the basics." Kohl told Rory bluntly, ignoring the bickering of their two comrades. "If you get it wrong, then at least it's only a dog you're killing and not a person."
"But I don't wanna kill a dog. " Rory said, her voice going up a couple octaves. "I'd seriously rather kill a person than a puppy. I'd rather bind a person than this puppy."
Every time she looked at the grinning mutt she was reminded of the huge shaggy back hound her family kept on the farm. Rory had grown up with that dog, fallen asleep using it's fur as a pillow. It was family, there was no 'only' about it. The thought of unintentionally hurting the creature in front of her made her feel physically sick. It was a baby.
Kohl gave a withering look. "You've had weeks to study bind magic now. You won't kill the dog. Now stop being a coward Chess and do it."
Rory gave him the finger then turned her concentration back onto the dog. It barked at her then rolled onto its stomach, the chain connecting it from its collar to the pole straining at the movement. Raven and Doc fell quiet, watching as Rory slowly breathed in and breathed out, pushing away her thoughts and doubts, clearing her mind, relaxing her muscles, feeling the magical energy around her, flexing out her aura, the magic building inside of her...
"You know you never did tell me why I have to learn this." Rory said suddenly, breaking the magic tension. Kohl cast his eyes to the heavens with a groan, mouth set in frustration. For a moment Rory thought he would ignore the question and leave her in the dark. He was in the right to. But then for the first time in what seemed like forever, Kohl gave in.
"Our agent watching Tartaros has gone silent."
There was a pause as his words sunk in. They had the desired effect. Rory's mind became a whizzing blur as she processed the revelation.
From the side, Raven's northern voice piped up. "S-Silent as in nothin' to report or.. silent as in...dead?" You could tell she was hoping for the first, whilst already knowing it was the second. It was the strange little form of innocence she possessed; hoping against hope. A quality Rory wanted Raven to never lose. But perhaps that too was hoping against hope.
"Well this is Tartaros we're talking about." Doc said quietly, frowning slightly. "So dead." At another time, Doc might have mocked the stutter in Raven's voice, or the stupidity of the question. At another time.
"With him gone, our guild is down one bind mage." Kohl continued. "Hence your promotion, Chess. Congratulations."
"This is a promotion?" Rory hissed, feeling cold. "You're teaching me bind magic so I can what? Shadow Tartaros?" She fought back the action to gulp. The dark guilds name had put her on edge.
Kohl's mouth stretched wryly. "Not quite. Bind magic has always been the way our guild operates. With only a small amount of us actually practicing magic, it's important we keep the number of bind mages up."
"So why aren't Doc and Raven also learning?" Rory asked defensively, glancing over at the two women.
"Cause I already know bind magic." Doc said.
"Well, to an extent." Kohl corrected her. "Doc can manipulate the physical aspects of bind just fine, Bloodbind and Bodybind as such. However her capabilities fall short when it comes to binding the will, which is what the guild requires."
"Hence why I'm here with you losers and not out doing actual guild work." Doc muttered bitterly.
"And me?" Raven asked. "How come I weren't offered to learn bind?"
Kohl gave her his 'parent' look again and said bluntly "Bind magic is ancient and powerful and requires immense magical energy and concentration. Something you have neither of. "
Raven bristled, looking almost accusingly at Rory. "But Duchess does?"
Doc snorted lightly, leaning back against their tree. "Face it Raven, some people are just born power houses. I mean, Duchess uses portal magic for God's sake. That stuff is on a whole other level to illusionment."
At another time Rory might have been pleased at the compliment; it wasn't everyday people recognised or appreciated the skill required to perform portal. However she was too busy watching Kohl, her grey eyes still searching him. "There's something else." She said. "Something more that you're not telling us. Why is it so important that I learn bind magic now?"
Kohl smiled dryly. "Chess, you see right through me." He shook his head. "You're aware of the political chaos ensuing in the underworld since Oraciόn Seis's fall. How much do you know about their defeat?"
"Everything they published in the arrest reports." Rory replied. "Nothing that suggests our guild's involvement or what actually happened." To be honest she hadn't been all that interested in the information. Her line of work lead her tombs and some of the lesser dark guilds. She never really came across any of the big guns. Or wanted to.
Oraciόn Seis had been one of the three major dark guilds that ruled the Fiore underworld along with the Tartaros Guild and Grimoire Heart. Between the three of them they controlled every dark guild asides Raven Tail. That is until an alliance of some of the top legal guilds took Oraciόn Seis out of the picture. Since then the underworld has been thrown into slight chaos, with lesser guilds trying to gain advantage of Oraciόn Seis's fall and grappling for the power it left behind.
The Thieves Guild watched them all from the shadows and then reported back. As an independent guild they were not controlled by the Balam alliance or the magic council, but the associations with both sides were strong. The higherups of both worlds knew the thieves guild spied on them, but they also knew it was the only place you could go to for information. It was an uneasy coexistence. One Rory never fully bothered in. Tombs were her specialty. Not coordinating spies.
"Our agents shadowing the Oraciόn Seis reported that the guild was seeking an ancient power." Kohl said, addressing the three of them. "That power we found out was the lost magic Nirvana. If the guild succeeded they would have thrown the world into chaos. We couldn't allow that to happen. So we intervened and orchestrated the alliance of the legal guilds to take out the Dark Guild. Our plan succeeded and the Oraciόn Seis was stopped."
"And all of it was made possible by bind magic." Doc said, nodding along. "Binding the free will of a person to the Thieves Guild and using them as a spy, in the underworld, in the legal guilds, magic council. We watch and keep people in line. When people start trying to cross those lines, we drag them back, or let them return of their own free will, so to speak."
A sudden thought occurred to Rory and her face turned sour. "It's magical slave trade." She spat.
"Perhaps. But without it we'd all be dead." Kohl looked at her sharply. "The thieves guild does not ask you to kill, Duchess. But you will be required to bind a person's will. The unrest in the underworld will soon settle, we must act now and gain power in the chaos while we can. With so many lesser guilds running rampant and vying for power now would be the time to bind them and use them as spies for when they are eventually dominated by the other Balam Alliance guilds. We need as many eyes and ears out there as possible."
"Why?" Rory shot forcefully. "What else is happening?"
Kohl looked at them grimly, pausing dramatically. A slight breeze shook through the trees as for the second time Kohl decided to share another vital piece of information.
"Grimoire Heart is on the move."
...
"Well that don't mean much. Their guild is a bloody warship, they're always on the move." Raven grunted.
Kohl's eyelids fluttered closed and a hand came up to his temple. He looked remarkably like a man at his wits end. It was funny how often Raven could bring him to such a stage. In the end he chose to ignore her. "We fear they are also heading down a dark path for power like the Oraciόn Seis did. One that will not end well for the world if they succeed. However many of our spies within their guild were will bound by our newly dead thief, meaning the bind has been broken and we've lost our few resources into Grimoire Heart.
"I'm not teaching you bind magic for you to shadow the guild, Chess." Kohl said quickly at the panicked look on her face. "But like I said, we need to keep numbers up, and times are going to only get more difficult. With the major players of the underworld acting up we need as many capable bind mages as possible. And anyway, you were down to learn bind sooner or later. The fact it's sooner doesn't make much difference in the end. So you happy now Chess? Got the information you desired?" He raised a sardonic eyebrow at her, always managing to end on a patronising note.
Rory sneered back in return, her mind turning over the news in her brain. Tartaros quiet- well nothing really new there, the loss of an agent didn't surprise Rory much. They didn't seem like a guild easily spied on. And Grimoire Heart up to no good, again not much of a surprise. It was always something world ending with those tops guild. And now it appeared the 'promotion' to bind wizard made those things her problem. Great. She hadn't even performed the spell yet and Rory already preferred it when Kohl didn't tell them anything and just gave her tomb jobs.
"So basically," Raven's loud voice interrupted her thoughts, "it looks like things are on the verge of goin' tits up again and ye want Duchess as an extra bind wizard just in case Grimiore Heart start crossin' lines and she needs to figuratively drag them back?" She summarised dryly.
Kohl's mouth curled at her tone but he nodded. "Basically, yes."
Raven threw him an unfathomable look. "See why dinna ye just bloody say that in the first place instead of givin' some stupid mostly irrelevant long winded explanation?" She cried judgingly.
A vein twitched on Kohl's forehead. "Stupid irrelevant long winded explanation?" He repeated testily."All the information was relevant and it wasn't long at all."
"The dug's gone the fuck to sleep Kohl!"
Rory looked down at the puppy and laughed when she saw Raven was right. The small mutt was curled up round the pole, snoring lightly. She and Doc both let out an uncharacteristic 'aw' at the little thing, then jumped back at the sound of the other's voice. They cleared their throats and shifted, refusing to meet each other's eye.
Kohl sighed. "Just bind the god damn thing Chess and lets be done here before I change my mind and make Raven the guinea pig instead."
Suddenly Rory felt sick again. The focus shifted back to her and the dog. And Kohl had given more than enough information, there was nothing to ask now. Nothing to stall with.
Just do it. She told herself. Just do it and get it done with. You won't hurt it. Concentrate.
And she did, feeling the pull of the new spell around her. She could tell why Raven was too weak to practice such magic. Bind was Big. Bind was Consuming. Rory felt worse than she did when she opened her portal for the first time, the magical pull of bind was much more intoxicating than portal. Portal knew her, portal was friendly. It was a magic that was enthused through her, wound to her soul. But bind was New. A spell with dark origins. It felt dirty.
The dog, seeming to sense that something was finally happening, woke up, yawning adorably and opening its big brown eyes to the world intent to hurt it. As soon as Rory's eyes met the dog's, her resolve broke and the spell fell away from her. She released it bit by bit, the energy leaving her like a dandelion in the wind.
"I can't." She said, unable to meet Kohl's eyes. "I can't hurt it. It's just a puppy."
This time it was to Rory that Kohl's impatient cursing was directed. With a sudden angry force that Rory had never seen before, Kohl strode forward, snatching up the dog by it's collar and pulling a knife from his boot. Grumbling under his breath about weak women, Rory thought for a second Kohl was going to break the dog's chain and let it go. She thought wrong. His knife slashed down, ripping open the puppy's grey stomach. The yelp that came from Rory's mouth was just was inhuman as the hair raising yowl the dog made. Raven swore loudly, her accent becoming too thick with slang to be understood and Doc let out a small scream. Their reaction's seemed to fuel Kohl's contempt.
"Women!" He snarled. His black eyes landed on Rory, who stood hands to her mouth, frozen in shock. "Bloodbind it then!"
The command shot through her like lightning and she jumped to answer it, barely even thinking. The spell left her before she could comprehend.
"Bloodbind!"
And she seized control of the atoms swelling round the puppy's gushing wound. Red dripping blood. She froze it in place, pausing it's rush out of the seeping whole. The dog continued to whimper in pain, but now it no longer lost any blood. Rory felt a bead of sweat on her forehead, the only sign of the spells affect on her. Bloodbind was supposed to be a basic form of bind, easier to cast and Rory easily recognised the difference between Bloodbind and Willbind. What the ancient tomb on Raven's and Doc's legs failed to mention, or perhaps it did and they just skipped that part, was that Bloodbind required constant attention and magical energy. Once Willbind was cast that was it, over. But Bloodbind; Rory had to hold it, keep it in place. It was not a permanent spell. She could appreciate how draining the spell was, and felt a sudden new found respect for Doc, a woman who had once notoriously held Bloodbind for eight hours straight to stop a comrade from bleeding to death. Rory could scarcely believe such an act to be capable now.
"Bind it's will now Chess." Kohl ordered, hard and indifferent. "Order it to be quiet."
The puppy was making pitiful sounds of pain that were pulling on her heart strings. Unknowingly Rory was crying. She wanted the dog to stop. She wanted to make it forget the pain.
She bound its will.
The chant flowed off her tongue like running water, memorised to the last syllable. A language old, and evil. One she knew dominated the dark curses of old. Then the final lines in her mother tongue, ones she barely even whispered.
"I bind you to my will, I bind you."
She knew it worked, she could feel the dog give in so easily. It's will dominated in a blink. She could see what they meant by 'dog's were easy'. Non sentient creatures were a breeze waiting to be claimed and caged. The gratified power flooded through her, an exuberant rush of authority. It's will was hers. She could feel the chains that bound it to her. Then perception and reality caught up with her and was brought down from her magical high. Chains. The dog was bound to her will against it's own, subjected to her commands. Success turned to bitterness in a second.
She willed the dog to be quiet. Then sent it to sleep, shutting off it's mind to the pain.
Kohl nodded, satisfied and stood back. "Heal it." He barked at Doc. She didn't need telling twice. Doc scrambled towards the helpless creature, med bag at hand.
"You are fifty shades of fucked up my friend." Doc muttered to Kohl, adjusting her headscarf and pulling a healing lacrima from the kit. She ran the orb over the wound, and it began to knit itself together slowly but surely resealing the gash and leaving a thin bloody scar in it's trace. Doc didn't look back at Kohl again. None of the women seemed to be able to stand him, still consumed in the horror of his small crime.
When Doc sat back, wound healed Kohl said quietly "You can release Bloodbind now Chess." There was almost a sense of shame in his voice, in his stance. Shoulders hunched and head down, he did not meet Rory's gaze when she eventually brought herself to look at him.
"So that was bind." She said because the silence was killing the clearing. "Blood and Will."
Thankfully Doc caught on and helped fill the quiet tension with the same stiff indifference. "Blood and body bind will both drain you magically because they need to be held." She said, one hand concentrating on cleaning up the dogs bloody stomach, the other holding a pulsating blue lacrima that Rory knew relieved pain. She spoke meticulously, like reciting from an old school book. "Stamina is required as well as constant concentration. Mass is the key with physical bind. The larger the mass you are binding the more magical energy is required."
Raven cleared her throat. "Spiritual bind magic like Will should never have a mental affect on the caster." Her voice was equally flat to Doc's and Rory knew she too was trying to fill the dumb silence. "All binds will have a physical effect and drain on the caster should they be performed enough, like most spells."
"It is impossible to self spiritual bind, you can only bind others." Doc added. "One can bind their blood and pause a wound, but you cannot bind your own will."
"The only spell where the caster involves their own fate is-"
"Soulbind." Rory finished, her eyes meeting Raven's. "I already know about Soulbind." Her grandmother had mentioned it. It was the closest thing to replicating the Fioran ideal of a soul mate through magic. When the soul was bound to another person that it. Whereas Willbind bound a person's free will to your mind, Soulbind bound the soul to soul. It was a two way spell. Not like Will where the caster's own free will remained unaffected. Soulbind had consequences for both caster and subject.
"For as long as you serve our guild you will never be required to perform Soulbind." Kohl spoke up, his voice grave. "I'd be surprised if any mage in our guild had the ability to even perform it."
Rory nodded. Soulbind was powerful. Ironically it was (debatably) the least morally dubious of all the binds and yet it was the most dangerous. The one spell no one in their right mind would ever perform. To bind someone's free will was one thing. To combine their entire essence and being to your own was another. And no one would ever tie themselves down like that.
Only an idiot would ever commit such a stupid, self-crippling act.
Only an idiot.
Hope you enjoy. Please review and I'll see you next time.