Here is the next chapter. Please enjoy!
Chapter5.A trap
"I tell you, I think that Erza is in danger. We must go after her!" said Natsu.
He was in his room together with Gray, Lucy and Happy. The pink-haired mage was walking across the room. Obviously he was very nervous.
"Don't be so hasty you hot head!" yelled Gray.
"What? How did you call me?" asked Natsu in a threatening tone. "How dare you…"
"That's enough, boys! Now it isn't the right time for your quarrels!" Lucy interfered.
Silence fell on the room for a moment.
"Please Natsu, come and take a seat!" said Happy. "Please try to calm down!"
"We must go after Erza!" repeated the Fire Dragon Slayer. "We should not leave her alone!"
"But she is not alone. Besides, Erza is strong enough. She knows how to look after herself…" started Lucy but the pink-haired mage interrupted her words.
"I know that she is strong. Who doesn't know this? But this time is different. Now she is with Mystogan!"
"And what of it? What is with him that troubles you so much?" asked Gray.
Natsu bit his lips. How could he explain them…? They hadn't seen Mystogan's face. They didn't know that he was the very image of Jellal Fernandes… And who knows what his story was…
"He is an S-class mage and one of the strongest guild members. Nothing can harm Erza while she is with him," added the ice mage.
"And besides that, you know… Master Makarov forbad us to go after them. He said that the mission was only for S-class mages. If we break his order, we will provoke his anger," reminded Lucy.
"It won't be the first time when we break his orders! But this time we have an important reason to do it… For Erza's sake…" insisted Natsu.
"Please calm down, Natsu!" repeated the flying cat.
"Now it isn't the right moment for me to be calm!" yelled the Dragon Slayer. Scared by the yell, Happy drew himself aside.
At the next moment Natsu overcame his anger and made an effort to smile. "Please forgive me, Happy. I had no intention to frighten you. But we really must be with her!"
Lucy and Gray sighed.
"But remember what the master said. Maybe Laxus is involved…" said the girl.
"This is another reason to take things into our hands! Who knows what Laxus can do…? Let's go! We are losing time at the moment!"
"Typically for Natsu… It is impossible to talk him out," thought Lucy.
"Well then… Let's go after Erza. But I fear that she won't be very glad to see us… I hope we won't regret," said she.
"But listen; let's pretend that we are going on a different mission," suggested the ice mage. "Otherwise the master won't let us go!"
Natsu nodded. "Good idea. Lucy, go and say to Mirajane that we have some work to do and we must go immediately. Ask her to prepare a picnic lunch for us."
The Celestial Spirit mage opened the door and almost came into collusion with Levy.
"Lucy! Is Erza here?" asked the blue-haired girl nervously. "She isn't in her room. I have something important to tell her!"
"She left a few minutes ago. And we are in hurry to go on a mission."
"Oh, no! It was really important!" whispered Levy. "I was in the library…"
"You are there every day…" thought Lucy but she said only: "Well then, hurry up and say what it is."
Both girls entered the room.
"Friends, I was in the library and I found some information about the city of Mersyerella," said Levy without introduction. "I have read different literature sources. According to them, there was a dark guild in the city many years ago. Its members were specialized in using dark runic magic. The guild had been destroyed but maybe there is still something hidden…"
"Are you sure?" asked Gray.
Levy became embarrassed. "Well, I'm not absolutely sure. But I wanted to warn Erza…"
Natsu took her hands.
"Levy, do you agree to come with us?" he asked directly.
"Y-You want me to come with you? Where…?" Levy unintentionally took a step back.
"We decided to follow Erza. I think… I think that she may need our help. And if the story for the runic magic is true, maybe you can help us and Erza."
"You will go against master's order?"
"We have to do it. So, will you come with us?"
Levy bit her lips. What should she answer? Her timid nature wanted to refuse. It wasn't typical for her to go on missions without her partners. But from the other hand, her friends needed her help and she had no time to wait the return of Jet and Droy… She had to take her decision immediately.
"Very well, I'm coming with you," said she.
-ooo-
"What awful weather!" said Erza but the man didn't hear her words.
She and Mystogan have just arrived in the city of Mersyerella. Indeed there was a storm. It was in the middle of the day but there were no people in the streets. Heavy clouds were overhanging the city. It was pouring with rain, an ice-cold rain. Blinding lightning bolts cut through the sky. The severe wind dispersed Erza's long hair. Every step forward – against the wind – was a torture for her. Her clothes were entirely soaked and she shivered with cold.
An inattentive step and Erza fell to the ground. The man immediately took her hands and helped her to rise to her feet. His touch made her creep.
"Are you okay?" he asked. "You are trembling…" He held her in his arms for a second.
"I'm fine…" she said but at the same moment she saw that her hand was bleeding.
Mystogan touched the wound. Then she felt something strange… nice warmth in her hand. Her heart started beating faster and faster. Her eyes met his ones… and then the time stopped. There was no storm, no wind, no lightning bolts, just his eyes, and his touch. Erza knew that the guy was feeling the same; she was able to read his mind, even… to touch his heart. Both of them wished that moment to continue for ever. But moment was short. Suddenly a drop of blood fell on his hand and he looked at it.
To her surprise, Mystogan took the bandage off his left forearm and dressed her wound. The girl was almost sad; she didn't care about her hand, she just wanted to feel the tenderness of his touch again.
"Thanks…" Erza was so confused that she couldn't say anything more. And it was then when she saw it. His Fairy Tail symbol was on his left forearm. (1)
"You are welcome," he answered. "Hang in there, Erza. By the way, do you notice something strange?"
"What is it?"
"Doesn't it seem to you that all lightning bolts strike one and only place? It is strange, isn't it?"
She looked carefully and found that he was right. It seemed that one and only place drew the electricity.
"What can be the reason?" whispered Erza. "Maybe that is the place we are searching for?"
Mystogan didn't pay attention to her questions because at the same moment lot of people appeared in front of them. People were obviously nervous and frightened. They were hurrying. Most of them were almost without baggage.
Erza and Mystogan started walking in this direction. When they came closer everyone drew back. It seemed that they were startled by the sight – a young woman in armour and a masked man.
"We are mages from Fairy Tail guild," said Erza. "Our master has sent us on a mission here. Could you please tell us what is going on?"
"We are leaving the city. We are afraid that the curse is activated," said an old woman.
"A curse, you say? Would you explain in detail?" asked Erza.
"Well, there is a place inside the city … A dark guild settled down there many years ago. No one of the local people takes courage to go there. According to the rumour, there is a dark magic around the place."
"A dark magic? What is the essence of this magic?"
"I can tell you…" started the woman but her words were interrupted by a terrifying thunder. Two children behind them shrieked and covered their ears with their palms.
"I shouldn't say anything about that," she whispered and hurried up to go after the others.
Erza cast a glance at Mystogan.
"What do you think? What should we do? Do you believe that there is a curse indeed? If so, then Laxus may not be involved?"
"Let's check," he answered. "Come on. We have no time to lose. We must find the place that draws the electricity. "
-ooo-
One hour later
Approaching their goal, two S-class mages found that the storm was getting stronger. The entire sky looked as if it enveloped by a fire. It was raining in buckets but strangely, the wind was dropping.
"We are getting closer," said Erza. "There is no doubt about it!"
"It looks so," replied the man. "We must be careful. We don't know what enemy we have against us!"
She was about to answer but it was then when they saw an old house. They stopped and looked cautiously at it, trying to focus through the rain that blinded them. There was nothing different from the other houses and they wouldn't pay attention to it if it didn't shine inside. There was no doubt about the nature of that shine. The light was electrical and its light colour approved its origin. The lightning bolts were striking the roof of the house.
"That must be the house we were told about," said Erza. Her senses felt a powerful magical energy and that troubled her.
"Let's get closer" he answered and started walking forward. She followed him. They reached the house and cross the threshold.
The magical power was stronger inside. Definitely there was a mage in the house.
At the first moment they didn't see anything. The bright light blinded them and they covered their eyes with hands. After a few seconds they managed to open their eyes.
Two S-class mages were in a room much wider then expected. They looked around. A human figure was lying near to the opposite wall. Someone familiar… yes, it was none other than…
"Gajeel!" exclaimed Erza. "It's him! Goodness! What is he doing here?"
Gajeel didn't make any movement. It seemed that he hadn't heard her words. Obviously he was unconscious.
Without thinking, she took a step forward. At the same moment two strange creatures appeared in front of her blocking her way to the Iron Dragon Slayer. They had a passing resemblance with giant bats. Two pairs of yellow eyes stared at her.
"Taka care for the first one, I will handle the other," said Mystogan. His voice was absolutely calm.
Erza nodded and concentrated on her enemy. "Reequip!" said she. "Black Wind Armour!"
She raised her sword with a graceful movement and prepared to hit the beast.
Each one of her strikes was blocked by monster's claws. After a few abortive attempts she took a step back and hit again with all her strength. The monster blocked again but its claws were broken by the strike. Her sword reached its heart and that was last breath of the creature. It fell on the ground.
The red-haired girl cast a glance at Mystogan. The other beast was lying on the ground and gave no signs of life.
"Let's go!" said Erza and ran to Gajeel. The masked mage followed her. She kneeled down next to the Iron Dragon Slayer and called his name but he didn't answer.
"Is he alive?" whispered she.
At that very moment she nodded that the ground under their feet was shining with a red light. The girl looked cautiously and realized that there were thousands and thousands of small runes. They formed a complicated knot work. The mages saw that they were in the middle of a red circle.
The red light disappeared and there was no trace of the runes.
"What was that?" asked Erza. She felt a sudden weakness. She took a few steps forward and an invisible barrier stopped her. Mystogan was also unable to leave the invisible circle. They looked at each other.
"Reequip!" said Erza but nothing happened. Her magic didn't obey her will.
Erza realized that they were absolutely helpless. Their magic was useless inside that magical circle. And worse, they couldn't get out of it.
"It's a trap!" said Mystogan through clenched teeth.
-ooo-
(1) I don't know where Mystogan's sign is but for this story I decided to place it onto his forearm.
Thank you for reading! Review please!