A/N: Something I forgot to mention, magic is not nonexistent in this world it is just not as widely used.
Natsu sat on a thick tree branch looking over the canopy of trees at the setting sun lighting the sky with orange blue in fiery ribbons he let out a small sigh as he thought.
"You should probably tell her." Karite stated simply.
"It'll just worry her." Natsu replied flatly, he closed his eyes and refocused on the soft beat of a foreign heartbeat, 'Definitely coming towards us.'
"So what are we going to?" Karite asked.
"There is a reason I decided to go into the forest, the shadows here shift often it will be hard for him to find a open spot where he can disregard them." Natsu answered.
"I thought mages were supposed to have sharp minds, this guy followed a hunter into a forest does he have a death wish?" Karite asked almost surprised.
"Something is off about this person, there heartbeat seems…Erratic." Natsu said.
"Hm, he could be tired." Karite practically joked.
A ruffle of leaves drew Natsu's attention and he turned around to see Erza walking towards him, he gave her a small smile.
"Kid, she took the necklace off I can't hide her if she doesn't have it on." Karite warned.
Natsu gave an inaudible sigh in frustration "What did you do?"
"Whatever do you mean? I am completely pure of mind!" Karite snapped.
Natsu groaned "Is something wrong Erza?" He asked flatly
"Oh, no I just was wondering what you were doing." Erza answered.
"Just a little meditation, clearing my mind." Natsu said simply 'It's not a total lie.'
"Well I should probably go and get the fire ready, it is starting to get cold." Erza said simply.
"No, that's alright I will do it," Natsu stated as he stood up "You should stay up here and reflect for a awhile I will call you down when food is ready."
Erza watched him curiously for a moment before nodding and taking a seat, staring out at the sunset, Natsu melded with the shadow of the tree walked into the small clearing they had been training in and picked up the small necklace, turning on his heel he walked back into the shadow stepping back out onto the branch, he coughed to get Erza's attention and she looked at him.
"Just keep this on you please, it lets me know you are alright and I can use it to find you if we ever get separated." Natsu explain quickly.
"Well if you scythe friend was less perverted I wouldn't have to take it off." Erza retorted.
Natsu sighed "Just please do this for me?" He asked, practically begging with his eyes.
She stared at him in disbelief for a moment before taking it from his hand "Alright, since you asked so nicely."
Natsu gave her a smile and nodded, turning back into the shadow of the tree he stepped into the clearing again and let out a sigh.
"I have to advise against this one kid." Karite said simply.
"We don't have any other choice here," Natsu retorted as he moved towards the faint beating of another heart "Let's hope it's just some random hiker that got lost."
"I am never wrong about this boy." Karite said slightly irritated.
"That's what worries me." Natsu said simply, he pulled the mask over his nose and darted in between the trees 'I just hope Erza stays put.' he thought simply.
The beat was loud enough that he could follow without concentrating on it anymore so he let the sound slip from his mind, he jumped onto a nearby branch and peered down into the small clearing he could make out the fire in the centre and he mentally cursed 'As if this won't be hard enough.'
"He has made a solid line of defense anything that crosses the line will alert him instantly." Karite said flatly.
Natsu gritted his teeth "Why couldn't I catch a break with a mage just once." He said angrily.
He ran his hand though his hair as he thought, He ripped a piece of bark of the tree and tossed it into the air before catching it again, he looked down at the bark and towards the campsite, he reared his hand back and tossed the piece of wood, it struck what looked like solid air, a loud ringing broke out and Natsu watched a shadow run into the center of the clearing.
"He didn't make it renewable, apparently he didn't think more than one thing would come through!" Karite shouted almost victoriously.
Natsu smirked as Karite took on the shape of his scythe, He pushed of the tree and hurtled towards the mage standing in the centre of the clearing, Natsu watched the man's face carefully, he smirked at Natsu pressed his weapon into the ground ripping around and rolling the curve of the blade, he jumped back and ran left the place where he about to land erupted in a thick stream of fire and he let out a sigh of relief, he kept his eyes fixed on his target. The man had very dark brown eyes and wore long black robes, Natsu couldn't make out his hair color behind the dark hood he wore.
"So you are the hunter that gave us so much trouble." The man called out without moving.
Natsu slid to a stop and dropped his weight onto his back foot "So what if I am?"
"Well I have been hired to end you," The man said with a cocky smile as he tilted his head to the side as if Natsu had just grown a second head "But at the very least I think you can tell me your name."
"I should warn you I don't take very kindly to threats." Natsu called defiantly.
The man shrugged "It is of little concern what you like or dislike, I am still going to kill you."
"You are certainly confident." Natsu said flatly.
"You hunters are all so predictable, it is almost too easy to kill you." The man taunted.
Natsu smiled, Karite returned to a gauntlet and he rose it in front of him, he put his unarmored hand behind his back and smiled "Let's see what you can do."
"Please after I kill you, I am going to pay a visit to the red-headed whore you have had following you around?" The man smiled.
Natsu's eyes narrowed dangerously "I'd suggest you start making peace with your gods, I am about to send you to him." He Threatened darkly.
Natsu pushed of his back foot, He ran forward before stopping dead on his front leg and rolling backwards, a thick stream of fire billowed from the ground in front of him, as the fire disappeared he noticed the outstretched hand of the man in front of him, he rolled to the left as a large bolt of blue energy flew past him impacting on a the tree's with a loud bang, showering Natsu with slivers of wood.
Natsu pushed of the ground and ran towards the man again, he heard a sizzle and he slid to a stop and dived to his left, the spot he had been standing lit up.
"You are more wiry than I anticipated." The man said simply.
Natsu slipped out of his cloak and tossed it at the man, who merely smirked as he moved it aside with air, with his focus on something other than him, Karite transformed in Natsu's hand, the two smaller scythe's hung down around him and the chain the connected the rattled lightly, he tossed one towards his target, as the cloak moved the side the steel flew forward and found it's mark embedding into the mages shoulder her let out a pained gasp and all his focus shattered, he immediately lost control of any magic he had been attempting to cast, Natsu wrapped the chain around his arm and gave it a firm yank, The scythe pulled free of the man's shoulder, Karite was enveloped in white light as he returned to the gauntlet on Natsu's left hand.
Natsu hurtled toward the man, embedding his fist firmly in his stomach as the man lurched forward, Natsu took his arm he twisted it behind the man's back who winced in pain, Natsu slammed his open palm into the elbow, a loud crunch was heard at the bone snapped, The man shouted out pain, Natsu spun around and delivered two swift kicks to the back of the shin a pop was heard and the man fell heavily onto his hands letting out another pained scream, Natsu raised his foot high and brought it down with back breaking force onto the centre of the man's spine, the hooded man dropped heavily, Natsu panted as he stood over the now deceased mage. Natsu squatted down beside the body and pulled the hood back, revealing a bald head with a large black symbol imprinted on the back of his head, The large black dragon looked to be coiled around the moon, Natsu frowned at it he had never seen that symbol and he had memorized the symbols of all the registered guilds 'So he is part of a dark guild, the fact that he doesn't know my name tells me this wasn't a paid job…He had a personal stake in this "You're the Hunter that has given us so much trouble. Who is us?' Natsu thought with a sigh as he stood up, he began to make his way back towards the clearing he and Erza had trained in.
A/N: So there you have it, The rest of the lore about magic will be explained in the next chapter, as usual I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I will see you in the next one!