The girl Natsu had saved, grabbed the bundle of clothing he had tossed, her cutting it slightly so she could tie them to make them fit her. She heard the boy she had threatened shouting and she walked to the door and looked out cautiously, he stood with his large Scythe pointed towards the small force menacingly, he brought his around and planted his weight, she noticed the large gash in the ground like he had drawn a line, she looked up at the sky as thunder rocked it "It's going to rain." she said quietly. before she heard the sound of steel hitting steel and her snapped to the scene in front of her.
Natsu spun the Scythe around himself effortlessly, dropping low and turning it around in his hands and he threw it out in a wide arc, scattering his opponents and giving himself some breathing room.
"It is going to start to rain soon boy, you will not be able to keep your footing with me in this form if you fall here you die." Karite warned.
"Right then, let's change it around a little!" Natsu shouted as he spun the Scythe around him forcing his enemies back a few steps, Karite glowed white as the scythe morphed into two smaller version of the same blade linked with a large chain, Natsu caught the smaller weapons in his hands and began turning them around himself at alternating heights, one large heavy raindrop fell on his head before the torrential downpour started, Natsu pulled his mask over his face.
"We are already know what you look like!" The leader spat, still standing out of his range observing the fight.
"It has nothing to do with that, I just don't like it when blood enters my mouth." Natsu taunted as he eyed the men around him carefully 'I will let them make the first move I have speed to my advantage and reach.'
"Your cloak will weigh you down when it soaks through." Karite said quickly.
Natsu gripped the now damp cloak and pulled it, with a sound of tearing fabric he threw it into the wind, the light shirt he wore underneath did little to protect him against the elements' but being cold was the least of his worries.
"Well then I haven't got all night, let's see which one of you thinks you can stand against the Reaper!" Natsu taunted again.
"What are you doing it is still 80 to one, kill him!" The leader barked.
Natsu flashed a grin as the group's began to advance, he whipped the chain down and kicked the blade forward sending it into a man a little ahead of him, he locked the chain with his arm and pulled, with a squelch the now halved body fell to the ground and Natsu used the momentum of the blade coming lose to send it through the enemies advancing behind him, altering his stance slightly he continued to spin, the blade's entering an almost surreal state of mind, he arm's moved on their own and his body weaved and ducked and kicked.
"There can't be many left." Natsu said as tiredness started to develop in his limbs and his movements became more and more sluggish, it didn't help his arms and legs had gone numb with cold. A Light steam rose of his shoulder's as he waited for his enemies next move.
"I count 40 more." Karite said quickly
"I can't use the chains anymore they take too much energy go standard Kari." Natsu said tiredly.
"It will be difficult to face this many foes in that form, the weapon is too close range and the ground is too unstable." Karite argued
"Don't argue with me just once!" Natsu demanded anger reinvigorating his movements.
"You know what happens if you die!" Karite warned
Natsu nodded his answer and Karite obliged his request becoming his heavy and overly large Scythe once more. Natsu rolled his neck and tugged on his shoulder slightly.
"Well are you going to let me save the town this easily?" Natsu taunted again as he dropped his weight.
"The man who takes out this stubborn bounty hunter get his choice of 20 women!" The leader barked hoping one of the remaining forty could take the young man 'This boy is too good for one so young!' he thought in despair.
"Well, well that is certainly a nice incentive wouldn't you say Kari, I wonder if they will attack me with a renewed vigor now." Natsu leaned on his Scythe lazily as he taunted "If I didn't know any better I'd say they are going easy on us."
"You methods for emotional manipulation are certainly good, but do you have to be so cocky about it?" Karite asked
"You know me." Natsu answered.
Natsu hoisted the Scythe up on his shoulder blade pointing up, he eyed the last of his enemies, none of the towns traitorous militia remained so they were nothing but bandit's in front o him brandishing a variety of weapons, to his surprise the leader seemed almost uncaring about the 60 or so that were already dead, Natsu pointed at him "I haven't forgotten about you."
The leader flashed a wide grin "Well something you haven't considered it is still forty to one in my favor."
Natsu turned the Scythe around him slowly and slowly began to pick up its speed as he walked towards his enemies, he fell onto his leg heavily and sprang forward staying off the ground as he turned the Scythe around him, driving a hole into the group of men in front of him, the ones that didn't get out of the way died, Natsu's feet hit the mud and he managed to stay upright 'Note to self, don't jump.' he thought wryly as he spun the thing around his head, he dropped low and flipped the blade as he brought it around, he let it spin in from of him for a moment before catching it when he needed to altar how it was moving, he spun it left and rotated his feet as he moved slicing in wide arc's around him, he heard the thud of a step behind him and turned his head in time to see a large man brandishing a sword about to run him through 'Damnit I didn't even notice him!' Try as he might he knew there was no way to avoid the blow, he managed to glance it off his ribs but it opened a large burning gash in his side, he elbowed the man's chin and brought the Scythe from between his legs through the top of his head he fell into two pieces before him. Natsu heard the sound of steal clashing against steel again and he turned around to see the woman he had saved, at the time he had not seen her long red hair, it flowed around her as she moved, the clothing he had left for her had been cut and she had tied it in order to give her freedom of movement 'Damnit did she not hear me tell her to go with the other's.'
He grabbed her shoulder and dragged her out of the way of four weapons before they sliced her to pieces.
"Do you want to die tonight, stay out of my way I cannot worry about protecting you!" Natsu shouted as he pushed her away from him and spun around, bringing the weapon up to block for blow's coming from above him, locking his elbow against the weight he forced the back and spun the blade around, he developed a new burning in his leg and across his forearm as well as a few more along his back.
He groaned against the pain his hair stuck to his forehead around his head and blood spilled from a cut across his cheek, he panted through bare teeth 'I was fine until she came in just getting her out got me more wounds than I have ever had.'
"It is not entirely her fault she merely wants' to protect her village…and she is rather pretty." Karite added in satisfaction.
"I don't have a lot of time to admire beauty right now!" Natsu said fiercely and he winced as the movement caused his cheek to pull and tear the skin more.
"There are only fifteen remained." Karite said. "Including the leader."
The leader stood a distance back 'Now that the brat is tired it will be easy to finish him off, but that girl he seems to be going out of his way to protect her, I may have to have a little chat with her.' he smiled evilly as he began moving his way around towards the woman who watched the Scythe wielder in astonishment.
Natsu charged the remaining men, now they were scared of him so dispatching them required little effort, they barely had the strength to hold their weapons in front of them, he heard the rasp of a sword being pulled from its scabbard and looked over towards the red headed woman, she was turning towards the sound but there was no way she could react fast enough to stop him from hitting her, Natsu pushed everything he had into his legs and blasted from the ground throwing his hand out, he felt a searing pain as the sword flew through the centre of his palm before he contacted the hilt of the sword stopping it, He bared his teeth against the pain, The leader looked at him in wide-eyed terror as he used his freehand to grip the man by the hair, Natsu shoved the man's own sword to his chin, whilst pulling his head down onto it.
The man shot him one last look "The blade's tipped you are going to die anyway boy." He said before allowing the blade to enter his head through his chin.
"He wasn't lying boy." Karite admitted sadly.
Natsu felt his body grow limp as he fell to his knees, he panted and forced his mind to stay awake as he turned his head, he found the red-headed girl looking in shook to where the sword should have struck her, Natsu allowed himself a chuckle 'well at least I managed to save her.' He watched her large chestnut eyes float down to where he struggled to stay upright, he gave her a weak smile before succumbing to the darkness that nipped at him 'She really is pretty.' was his last thought as he fell to the ground heavily.
The girl watched the boy smile at her weakly before he crumpled to the ground, "No. no no, you are not allowed to die now because that makes this my fault! She shouted as he dropped to her knee's and lifted his head from the ground, he grabbed him from under his arms and began to drag him back towards the other women of her village, the last of the loyal militiamen of the village noticed her struggling with his weight and rushed over to help her the dragged him into one of the nearby houses and laid him out of the table, the tattered remnant's of his shirt clung to his body and quickly growing pool of his own blood began to develop under him. A black haired woman muscled her way through the crowd at the door, she stomped into the room. The red-haired girl turned to her "Uru, the blade they got him with was poisoned, he kept me alive and untouched from those men he protected the whole village you need to save him!"
"I am not here for a picnic!" Uru snapped
The red head looked at the ground a little ashamed of her outburst "You will be able to keep him alive right?"
Uru glanced at her then a the boy in front of her "I will do what I can Erza nothing more."
Erza nodded as Uru began to clean and bandage his wounds.
"Do you have any idea what kind of poison it was?" Uru asked as he watch the boy breathing erratically under her hands, he had stitched the large gash on his side as it was the main source of his blood, she was now bandaging the gash above his knee, she sighed after she had completed setting his outer wounds, but she had not an inkling of the poison that was coursing through his veins. She looked down curiously at the gauntlet set firmly on his hand, the grim looking thing had changed shape multiple times during his fight, to which she was entranced just watching his movement's this boy was certainly…interesting. She reached her hand down to try and tug the gauntlet off the second her hand touched it a loud voice rang out in her head "Don't even think about Dying on me Natsu, I refuse to become another forgotten relic of the ancient's because you used your unarmored hand to stop a sword! Woman you had better save this foolhardy savior of this village!" She started at the threatening tone of the voice and let go, the voice cut out abruptly and she looked down at the gauntlet with even more interest, she placed her hand on it again "Now that I have your attention, I believe the poison would be local to these part's a herb you likely use!" The voice snapped at her.
"Of course!" Uru's head shot up and she began digging through her bag again pulling a small vile of green leaves.
"Uru, if you plan on making him so sick he wakes up that taste is a good start." Erza admitted "But aren't we trying to save him here?"
"No I am trying to save him," Uru snapped at the young girl in annoyance "Besides I think the poison was death root, look at the way he is breathing."
Erza watched the rise and fall of the boy's chest every so often it seemed to catch and he would shudder before being able to breathe again "Death's root, the one that makes your windpipe close up if I am not mistaken, it work's slowly and it extremely painful but isn't he too far out for the antidote to even work?!" Erza said unable to contain the panic 'No, if he dies it is my fault all because I didn't stay with the other's I couldn't swallow my foolish pride and I got the person who saved the village killed.' She descended into despair and sank into the chair bringing her knee's to her chest she began to rock back and forwards slowly.
"Hey," A voice croaked which snapper her from her thoughts towards the face of the young boy "You know I signed on to protect all of you, don't go blaming yourself for standing up when other's wanted to lie down as far as I am concerned you have done nothing wrong." He coughed and gave her a weak smile.
She stared at him in disbelief 'Did he fight his way to consciousness just to tell me that?' "But you are going to die because of me!"
"I look at it I am going to have a near-death experience because of you," He said with as much mirth as he could inject into his voice, he took the vile of leaves from the woman and tipped his head back, his face contorted in disgust at the flavor but her swallowed and he his head fell back rather limply "And besides I grabbed a sword with my unarmored hand, if anyone should be blamed for my death it is my own stupidity."
He looked down at his gauntlet 'Even with this I might not live buddy, do me a favor?'
"I seem to be doing you a few favor's of late." Karite said in a disgruntled tone.
'I think you will like this one, I want you to take on this girl as your new apprentice you said it yourself she has spirit and I promised not to let you be forgotten.'
"I will…look after her until you get better but you know the rule!" Karite said warningly
'No dying until the age of eighty yeah yeah I know.'
Natsu pulled his injured hand over and slipped the gauntlet off "Here you go, look after it for me till I get better." He said holding it out to the red-haired girl.
She looked at him with a saddening look in her eyes, he half expected her to decline, she took it slowly and traced the design with her finger's before giving a start and Natsu chuckled at the image of the wide-eyed red-head as Karite spoke to her, his mind returned to the blackness again.
Uru watched the exchange and allowed herself a smile before signaling the men to take the boy up to the bed on the second floor, she motioned for Erza to join her and she sat her down "I am going to need to go out and replenish my stock's whatever you do keep him warm and change his bandages at the end of every day."
"Wait you are leaving me with him?!" Erza asked in shock
Uru nodded "You said you owed him for saving all of us and yourself, so here is your chance to keep him alive." The black haired woman said before walking out of the house leaving Erza with a stunned look on her face.
"You let him die because you are too silly to go up and stay beside him I will not hesitate to make your own arm choke you to death!" Karite snapped her from her thoughts and she looked down at the gauntlet that seemed to be able to talk.
Erza shook her head as she pulled a chair around to watch the boy sleep, he actually seemed to be peaceful.
"I have no objections to you snuggling him if you want." Karite jested with only a touch of seriousness he wanted to test her reaction.
Erza's face burned at his words "No, shut up you stupid glove!" she snapped
Karite chuckled "You remind me of Natsu."
Erza looked at the boy again, "Natsu." She whispered his name and allowed herself a smile.
A/N: So That is Erza at this point in the story! I hope you all enjoyed it and like the action! Until next time