TITLE: A New Dragon Enters Earthland

CHAPTER: 8

Ysmir woke up to a loud crack of machinery and hum of an engine with a start. His hand was on the pommel of his sword before he knew what he was doing. When he opened his eyes, he saw that he was still in the strange cramped vehicle with its black, cushioned seats, clear glass windows, and constant vibration from the strange engine that runs the thing. After making sure that there were no assassins, bandits, monsters or daedra trying to gut him, Ysmir relaxed and allowed his hand fall to the seat beside him.

Ysmir arched his back and let out a loud yawn. Before he could react, a loud bang tosses him into the air, hitting his head on the low ceiling with a thud, before landing back on the seat. Groaning, Ysmir leaned forward, letting the pack he was using as a pillow fall next to him. As he reached up to massage his sore head, he heard a small yawn, and a moment later Khasi poked her head out from the robes beneath Ysmir's chin.

Ysmir cocked his head back and looked down. Ysmir reached up to his chin and grabbed Khasi by the back of her dress. He pulled her out of his robes and dropped her on his leg, where she looked up at him with sleepy eyes. "Looks like you didn't sleep much either," he mumbled tiredly. Khasi yawned again and crawled up Ysmir's robes to his left shoulder where she sat down and looked at him with big eyes.

"Staying quiet, are we?" she smiled. "I'll take that as a yes, then." Ysmir still didn't know why the tiny Khajiit-like creature still traveled with him, he sure wasn't the nicest being ever. He reached up and scratched her ears. Khasi giggled and started to swing her legs back and forth, humming to herself quietly. Ysmir smirked. Even if he wasn't sure why she was with him, but he'd be lying if he said he wished she wasn't.

Ysmir yawned again and looked out the window to his right. The sun was peaking over the horizon, shining a horizontal light across the bright blue sky. The land around him was vastly different from the forest he spent the first few weeks. Instead of large trees and swamps, they were in a barren rocky landscape with a large lake in the distance. Looking ahead of them, Ysmir saw that they were following a road up a small mountain, he could hear the engine hum louder the steeper it got.

The car ran over an unusually large rock. With another loud bump, Ysmir's head bounced against the window, leaving a smear on the glass. Ysmir groaned, bringing a hand up to his head once again. Khasi giggled on his shoulder, but fell silent and looked away when Ysmir turned in her direction with an intense gaze.

"Humph," grunted Ysmir, looking back out the window. "How long until we get there?" he asked himself. Opening the door, Ysmir leaned out. He took a moment to savor the fresh morning air before looking towards the front of the car.

Still sitting in the driver's seat is Erza Scarlet, her red hair billowing in the wind and silver armor shining in the sunlight. Both of her hands were on the joystick in front of her, and that odd strap still strapped to her wrist. He noted that she didn't seem tired and that she kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead.

"Hey!" he shouted over the rushing wind, "How much longer?"

Erza glanced back. "See for yourself," she said as their vehicle crested the mountain.

He didn't know what he expected when Erza told him they were going to a place called Magnolia and what he saw shocked him.

Magnolia was a city, which possessed a large built-up area, extending over a large, rectangular surface to the shores of a large lake. A series of large roads splits the town vertically and horizontally. The whole place looked very populous, with its numerous tall buildings lining the roads and paths. Located almost in the middle of the town, overlooking the central path, is a large cathedral with four tall, pointed towers. In the northernmost part of the city, sitting on the shore of the lake, is Fairy Tail's building, the banners blowing in the wind giving it away.

Overall, Ysmir thought that the city looked amazing. It was much bigger and grander than any town in Tamriel. From their vantage point, he could see many people walking the streets and between the buildings. On the edge of the city, just off the shores of the lake, were a bunch of ships leaving and entering the docks. Ysmir noticed a large, extensive building on the southeastern portion of the city. From it came a series of large tracks, much like the ones in dwarven mines back in Skyrim. A loud whistle pierced the air as a large, black metal machine rolled down the tracks, belching black smoke into the air and a multitude of boxes and containers trailing behind it.

Erza looked back long enough to see Ysmir's awed expression. He definitely is not from around here, she thought. Looking back to the road, she pressed down the pedal and the car lurched forward down the mountain.

Ysmir felt Khasi lean against his cheek as she popped out see the city. A series of "Oohs" and "Ahhs" escaped from her open mouth as she took in the sights.

"I'll bet that's where we're headed," He said, gesturing to the large building at the far end of the city. Khasi nodded and the two continued to stare at the approaching city as Erza brought them closer and closer.

/

As Erza drove them through the wide streets, Ysmir took in everything. The well-maintained roads and bridges are made of smooth, cut stone, making the ride much smoother than the rough, rocky path they were on before. The buildings look very modern, with most having decorations and signs hanging from fixtures above their wooden and glass doors. He made notes of all the shops they passed. Some were selling food, others were selling toys, and one was selling bundles of colorful and exotic looking flowers. Ysmir paused for a moment when he saw a shop with tools on display behind a large window that had the word magic painted on the glass in large swirling letters.

The shops and buildings weren't the only things that Ysmir observed. The people they passed seemed happy, something that was uncommon back in Skyrim where war and death were typical. He watched as a laughing group of young boys ran across the street and disappeared in one of the stores ahead of him. Ysmir chuckled when he saw a young man slapped by a woman he was trying to flirt with. He saw families and couples walking in and out of the stores, happily living their lives without fear of civil war, bandits, or monsters. He noticed that there were no Elves or Beast-Folk anywhere in the crowd. It was odd seeing only humans in such a large city and Ysmir wondered if they even exist in this world.

His thoughts are interrupted when the engine fell silent. Ysmir felt the vehicle shake as Erza stepped down from the car. Ysmir stood, as much as he could in the small cabin, and opened the door and crawled out with Khasi clinging to his shoulder. Ysmir yawned and stretched his arms over his head, and she heard loud popping noises as he cracked his back.

Letting his arms fall to his sides, Ysmir looked around. Erza was standing by the front of the car, an impatient look on her face and a foot repeatedly tapping on the ground. Ysmir shrugged and her eyes hardened.

"Let's get going," said Erza. With a quick, turn she started making her way through the city, towards Fairy Tail's guild hall.

A long, low whistle left his lips. The Guild Hall is an imposing building consisting of three floors with each floor being smaller than the one below it and sitting on the latter's roof. The roofs consisted of extremely long, arched tiles lined up one after the other and possessing simple curved protrusions jutting upwards on the building's angles. On the highest roof, topping the summit of the building, sat a simple, round and pointed dome, which bore a flag on its point. The building's large entrance, with its shape being reminiscent of that of the dome on the summit, was very grand and spoke of the guild's accomplishments and success. Above it was the guild's name, topped by a protruding, stylized heart shape and flanked by a pair of carved sprites or fairies. Stylized heart shapes were also visible on the frames of the numerous, large pentagonal windows located on each floor, with the top floor housing smaller, arched windows partially covered by banners. If they were back in Nirn, this building alone would rival many temples and churches dedicated to the Divines in sheer splendor.

"Impressive," said Ysmir under his breath, looking the building up and down.

It is vastly different from what Ysmir thought it'd be like. He expected a large building, but not one so magnificent. The decorations were actually excellent, giving the building a very grand appearance. The multitude of hearts carved into the frames of the windows made it look very light-hearted, something he just isn't used to but compared to burnt corpses and skeletons, they are a welcome change.

"Yes it is," said Erza, having heard him, she stared him right in the eyes. "Fairy Tail is the best guild there is." Her voice had a certain tone to it that made that statement unquestionable and her eyes dared him to say otherwise. "So naturally we'd have a Guild Hall to match." She looked away and started walking forward again.

Ysmir stared at the back of Erza's head as she walked away. "Hopefully you're right," he said grimly, even quieter than before. "I'd hate to be here to destroy the place." Ysmir shook his head and forced those thoughts to the deepest darkest corners of his mind and follows Erza down the short, stone path to the door.

With no reason to be here other than Sheogorath's messages and the dream, he doesn't know whether he's here as a tool of destruction or to keep this place standing. Hopefully, his presence here will give him answers. There'll be time to dwell on it later.

Erza is standing impatiently by the buildings large double wooden doors, her hands on her hips and one boot repeatedly tapping on the pavement with heavy thuds. Without a word, she turned and pushed open the doors. A tide of angry yells and a chorus of breaking glass and wood assaulted Ysmir's ears. He felt Khasi jump and hide inside of his robes hood.

Before Ysmir could react to the commotion, a large wooden bench came sailing over Erza's head heading straight for Ysmir. Surprised, Ysmir brought up his arms out of reflex. The bench crash against his armored forearms with a jarring impact and it broke apart, sending pieces clattering over the stone pavement. A few wood chips and splinters stung Ysmir's face as they flew past.

Ysmir's hand was on his sword's hilt, ready to unsheathe the blade, and his other hand was wreathed in flame. Ready to defend himself, he started moving forward, but was stopped by Erza's raised hand. Ysmir looked down at her gauntlet, and then to her face. He saw that she appeared calm, her face a mask. She lowered her hand and set it on her hip, leaning back on one leg. Intrigued by her calm exterior, Ysmir decided to wait it out and see what she did, sliding his sword back into its scabbard and extinguishing the spell in his hand, he crossed his arms over his chest and waited. Maybe this was a common occurrence?

While he waited, Ysmir took a few moments to observe to room over the chaos. The inside was similar to a large lunch hall and mainly consisted of wood, possessing a parquet floor and a mezzanine held up by wood beams overlooking it. A well-stocked bar was at the far end of the room with a slim young woman with long white hair and below average height standing behind the counter. She started making her way around the bar, holding a tray filled with cups and plates over her head and walked into the brawling group. Off to the side is a board with sheets of paper pinned all over it, next to that is a set of stairs that lead up to the second story.

Overall, it reminded Ysmir of Jorrvaskr, the home of the Companions back in Nrin. The buildings looked completely different, but even through the commotion of fighting there is an air of companionship that the two groups shared, even when worlds apart. A sense of homesickness threatened to invade Ysmir's thoughts, but he forced them to the back of his mind. Next, he focused on the chaos going on around him.

The hall seemed to be a battleground. Groups of people are pushing, punching, and tossing each other around the room. A large man, with long spiky hair and a stitched scar on the right side of his face, picked up another younger man, wearing a green coat and tinted glasses, and, with a yell, threw him onto a large table. The impact broke the table in half. Ysmir watched the smaller man get back to his feet and smile to a trio of scantily clad girls before joining the fray once again.

Someone from the crowd threw a chair. Ysmir watched it arch through the air and winced as it crashed into the white haired woman, who was still making her way across the room. The chair collided with her and knocked her to the floor with a loud yelp of surprise. The tray she was carrying fell with her, spilling the drinks and food everywhere. Ysmir lost sight of her as the crowd swallowed her up.

There was a multitude of other fights going on. One, in particular, caught Ysmir's attention. One boy with spiky, pink hair was brawling with a boy of similar height who is wearing nothing but his underwear. The two were going at it with a ferocity that surprised Ysmir, especially since they both had the Fairy Tail symbol stamped to their bodies. Over the chaos, Ysmir could hear the two boys shouting insults at each other. Ysmir assumed they were insults anyway, at least to his ears. The pink haired boy shouted something about the other being… an ice princess. The partially naked boy retaliated by calling the pink haired boy a flame brain, whatever that was. they traded a few more blows before jumping away from eachother. That is when the pink haired boy ignited his hands, wreathing them in flame.

To Ysmir, the magic the boy used seemed much different from the magic he's accustomed to seeing. Instead of the small flame above the palm, a bright, smokeless fire wreathed the boy's entire fist. The other boy in the underwear shouted something that was lost in the din of fighting before slamming one fist into his open palm. A coat of frost covered the boy's hands and a white mist swirled around the air around him. Several others in the crowd started revealing their magic. The large man's right arm changes into one of a monster. The young man in the green coat brought up a hand, one of his rings started glowing with a bright light. There were many more magics that he noticed but never got to see in action.

"Ahem!" Erza's voice pierced the sound of the fighting. The large wooden doors slammed shut with a loud bang that echoed throughout the room. "That's enough!"

The entire guild froze, some in mid punch or kick, and magic spells faded away. They all looked towards Erza with looks of fear clearly showing on their faces. Just what has Erza done to warrant such a reaction? The two boys were shaking in fear, sweat dripping from their faces. The large man with the scar seemed to try to hide from Erza behind a table, and doing a horrible job at it. The rest of the crowd had sweat dripping from their brows. To some, their fear-stricken faces turned white as Erza slowly looked around the room. Slowly and quietly, the entire group started drifting away or cleaning up the wreckage. From somewhere in the crowd a happy, overly cheery voice broke the silence.

"Hi, Erza!" from somewhere in the crowd a slender hand waved in the air, followed by the white haired waitresses head, a smile on her face. She slowly made her way through to the group towards Ysmir and Erza. "Welcome back!"

She has large blue eyes and a curvy, voluptuous body, with large breasts. She was wearing a sleeveless, ankle-length maroon dress with a pleated skirt. The chest is adorned by a large, pink bow, and similarly colored trimmings frame the rather ample neckline, acting as straps and circle around the waist. She has long, white hair that curls slightly at the ends, with two bangs framing her face and reaching down to her chest. A distinctive, short, upward ponytail is tied above her forehead and her blue eyes practically glowed with happiness. To Ysmir, she is quite beautiful. She has a pretty face and seemed to have a kind personality.

"How did the job go? And who's that boy you brought with you?" Ysmir saw several people look their way, curious looks in their eyes.

"Erza brought someone with her?" asked someone in the room.

"Do you think he's a new recruit?" asked another.

"I don't know…" someone replied. "Is he her hostage or something?"

"Look at his arms," said another. "Are those scales?"

Ysmir looked back to the two women and ignored the other comments. He saw Erza cross her arms over her chest. "Hello, Mira," she said dully. "The mission was a failure. They were most likely destroyed."

"What happened?" asked Mira, a small frown forming on her lips. Erza wordlessly pointed behind her at Ysmir. He felt several pairs of eyes drill into him.

"He happened," deadpanned Erza. Ysmir kept a straight face and crossed his arms over his chest, giving the back of Erza's head a pointed look.

"Who is he?" she whispered.

"He says his name is Ysmir," stated Erza her voice low. "And that he's not from around here. I found him at the Bulls guildhall. By the time I arrived he had taken out the entire guild and was beating up their strongest member," she whispered back.

"Ooh," mouthed Mira. "So he's strong, mysterious, and handsome!" A broad smile formed on her face.

Behind them, Ysmir raised an eyebrow. "Eh?"

Erza gave her a flat look. Apparently she was not amused. "I need to see Master Makarov," said Erza, changing the subject. "Is he around?"

Mirajane looked like she was going to reply when the doors opened behind them with a bang that echoed throughout the hall. The Guild was quiet for a moment before an elderly voice broke the silence.

"I'm back everyone!"

Mirajane smiled. "There he is." Mira looked past them and waved. "Welcome back, Master!"

Ysmir turned around and followed Mirajane's line of sight. After a moment of searching, Ysmir looked down and saw an extremely short, elderly man standing between the two doors. The little man has black eyes and is growing bald with only the outer rims of his head containing white hair. A thick white mustache hangs under his nose. He was dressed in a casual manner, a white shirt with black Fairy Tail stamp in the middle, covered by an orange hoodie. His attire was completed with matching orange shorts and an orange and blue striped jester hat that reminded Ysmir of Cicero. The old man held a small wooden staff in his hands and had a smile on his face as he looked around the room.

"Master Makarov?" Ysmir said to himself quietly, raising an eyebrow. This was the leader of the guild? He honestly thought he would be taller.

Without a word, Erza started walking towards the Guild Master. Erza bent down and whispered something in his ear. Makarov raised a bushy white eyebrow and Erza gestured to Ysmir with her finger. Ysmir could feel the weight of the little man's stare. After a moment the Master looked back to Erza and nodded. The two started walking towards him.

When The little man got within arms reach, he stopped and slowly looked Ysmir up and down, looking at his sword, daggers, armor and finally his eyes. Ysmir, who has stared down the dragons and looked into the eyes of the Daedric Princes, resisted the urge to fidget with his hands.

Makarov smiled and held out a hand, surprising Ysmir. "Master Makarov, the leader of Fairy Tail," He said with a cheerful voice. "Nice to meet you!"

Ysmir stared at the outstretched hand. He wasn't used to figures of authority sounding so happy and carefree. Reaching out, he grasped the older man's hand. He has a firm grip. "Ysmir Dovahkiin," he said, bowing his head. "Likewise."

"So," said Makarov. "You want to join Fairy Tail, eh?" Ysmir nodded. The Guild Master nodded and looked into Ysmir's eyes. After a minute, he opened his mouth.

Ysmir mentally braced himself for what was coming. Whatever task this man had for him, no matter what it was, he'd have to do it. Maybe he'd have to fight Erza again, or one of the other members of the guild. Maybe he'd have to go dive into some ancient ruins and retrieve some lost relic as he has a dozen times before. Or perhaps slay some monster terrorizing a neighboring town?

"Then welcome to the guild!"

Ysmir was silent for a moment. "... What?" he deadpanned.

Makarov raised one bushy eyebrow. "You wanted to join our guild, right?" Ysmir nodded. The older man raised his voice, as he did Ysmir noticed the guild members around the hall have turned their way. "Then who am I to stop you? Every wizard should be able to practice their art and expand their horizons. You are no different, Ysmir." the little man gestured for Ysmir to lean closer. He complied and Makarov whispered into his ear. "I don't care if you keep your past to yourself; just know that I expect you to treat your guild mates with respect. Other than that," he leaned back and raised his voice to a shout. "I want you have fun!" he finished with a wide grin and picked up a mug of beer that was by his feet and held it above his head. "To our newest member!" he shouted and took a draft of his drink.

Around the entire hall were cheers and hoots of laughter. Several members of the guild walked up and patted Ysmir on the back. One even handed him a mug. He took it but did not take a drink. How he was supposed to react? Instead of happiness or surprise, he stood there stunned, confused.

No, initiation? No 'do this and prove that you are fit to join' speech? Not even a single question about his magic, skills or past? Nothing? Ysmir looked around him at the new faces surrounding him. They were all smiling and full of happiness, different than the guilds Ysmir was affiliated with back in Nirn.

/

All of the cheering and congratulations slowly started to quiet down as Erza made her way through the crowd towards Ysmir. The guild members dispersed without so much as a peep.

"Congratulations, Ysmir, welcome to the guild." Ysmir nodded. Erza turned towards Mira. "There are things I need to do. Keep an eye on him, Mira. I'll be right back."

"Okay!" Mira said with a smile.

Ysmir watched Erza walk away with a small frown on his face. She's just going to leave me here? Straightening his back, Ysmir turned his head towards Mira. Apparently she didn't mind keeping an eye on the new guy. Well, it could be worse.

"I'm Mirajane by the way. Pleased to meet you Ysmir," she smiled and held out a hand. "But you can just call me Mira if you'd like."

Ysmir returned the smile with a polite nod. "Nice to meet you, Mira. You can call me Ysmir." He shook her hand. Surprisingly, she had a strong grip for such a slender woman.

Over Mirajane's shoulder, Ysmir saw that the two boys, the pink haired and partially naked one, have completely changed their attitude towards each other. They both had their arms around each others shoulders and had masks of happiness on their faces. The doors slammed shut with a bang. As soon as the doors shut, Ysmir watched the two boys jump away from eachother before butting their heads together and attempted to kill each other with the ferocity of their stares.

"What's with those two?" he said letting go of Mira's hand and nodding towards the two boys.

Mira followed his line of sight and flashed a smile. "Oh, that's just Natsu and Gray. They're like this all the time." She looked back to Ysmir. "Don't worry about them, they're harmless!"

The two are like this all the time? At least things'll be interesting, he thought optimistically.

Another guild member, a girl with long brown hair wearing nothing but a blue bikini top over her chest, said something to break the two boys apart. Ysmir didnt hear what was said, but the clothesless boy seemed to remember his lack of modesty and scurried off. The pink haired boy laughed loudly in victory, or at his rival, and took a seat at one of the tables near the bar.

Mira gestured for Ysmir to follow her to the bar, interrupting his thoughts. He nodded and started moving forward, taking a seat on one of the stools at the bar; the wood creaked with his weight. He laid his forearms on the smooth wood of the bar, his scaled gauntlets scraped against the polished wood. "Are you a part of the guild too, Mirajane?" he asked as she walked behind the bar.

"Yep!" said Mira happily. "I just work at the Guild Hall."

Off to a good start, a barkeep or waitress always has info to share. Ysmir smiled and nodded. "An honest job, I'm sure."

"So," started Mira cheerily, leaning over the countertop, resting her head on her hands. "How'd you and Erza meet?" she asked curiously. "I've never seen her bring in a new recruit to the guild."

Why does that not surprise me? He mentally scoffed. In the short time he had known her, she definitely seemed like the type to scare away anyone weaker than herself. And considering how her guild reacted…

"Well," he started, "It wasn't peaceful. We tried to kill eachother." stated Ysmir after a moment of thought. No sense in lying, especially since the guild just got finished beating eachother up.

Mirajane looked a bit surprised. "Hmm," her eyes looked him up and down, pausing on the stitched robes on his chest. "You seem to be in one piece."

Ysmir raised an eyebrow. "Is there a reason why I shouldn't be?"

Mirajane shook her head. "Oh no reason," she grabbed a cup and washing it with a rag. Her voice held serious tone. "Erza is one of our strongest female wizards."

"Oh?"

Her voice perked up. "Yep." she nodded, "she has a title and everything. Titania, Queen of the Fairies." she said with grandeur.

Ysmir nodded in appreciation, as far as titles go Erza's is a good one. "What makes her the strongest female wizard in the guild?" he asked.

Mirajane smiled. "Erza is very strong and smart, if a little strict." Mira started to set out drinks and plates of food for the other waitresses to pick up. "You fought her, Ysmir. What did you think?"

He thought for a moment. "She definitely knows how to use a sword. Her swordplay and stance was perfect" he said while subconsciously feeling the stitches on his robes. "I haven't met a person with her skill in a long time."

Ysmir leaned back from the bar and looked towards the ceiling, thinking back to the fight. "Erza was also able to summon multiple weapons from thin air and switch armor sets almost instantly," he looked back to Mirajane. "I haven't seen magic used like that before. Is it a special kind of conjuration?"

Mira paused, holding a plate filled with cups. "The magic you're talking about is called Requip Magic. It allows the users to store items in a pocket dimension so they can easily summon it at any time." She set the plate on the counter and looked back to Ysmir. "Most people can only summon weapons when they're fighting. Erza is the only one that can swap both armor and weapons."

"Interesting… Is there a reason why her armor leaves so much exposed?" he asked. It's a question that has been bothering him. As far as armor goes, why would such a great warrior like Erza leave so much skin bared to her opponent?

"Exposes what?" said Mira innocently.

"You know… her, umm. Why her armor is so…" said Ysmir awkwardly. How is he supposed to ask her why two of the three sets of armor he saw Erza change into looked so… revealing. "You know what, never mind."

"Oh, okay," Mira smiled and went back to work while she was talking. "She says she has over a hundred different types of armor and weapons stored away, with each having their own special strengths. It's one reason why Erza is so strong."

Ysmir raised his eyebrows. The storing gear in another dimension is nothing new, but the instantly swapping armor is very interesting. If Erza has armor to counteract his magic their fight will be very interesting. "Something to think about when we have our rematch, I guess." he said offhandedly.

"Rematch?" asked Mira.

Ysmir nodded and smiled. "When I saw her Fairy Tail mark I used some tactics to stop the fight that Erza thought were unfair." after a moment he added. "Even though, I think she enjoyed the fight too."

Mira nodded. Ysmir gets a feeling that fighting is common here. "So she challenged you to a rematch?"

"Yes," he nodded, "and I think this next fight will be a lot more fun than the last." A wicked smile formed on his face in anticipation.

Mirajane smiled, "I cant wait to see it then!"

Ysmir wiped the smile off his face and put a serious tone into his voice. "So, Mirajane," he started, "I have a few questions about the guild."

Mira nodded. "What about?" she asked.

/