Chapter 11 : Dragons
Just outside the forests of Magnolia, a few hooded figures stood hidden beneath the shadows of the trees, whispering silently among themselves.
" How long more before Pursuit Team reaches us?"
" Another ten more minutes, sir. What should we do for now, sir?"
The figure in the middle slipped off his hood, revealing an unruly mass of chestnut-brown hair and a pair of piercing blue eyes.
" We wait, just like we've always done," He said," While we're waiting, Afene, i want you to check on our package, make sure that it's still sedated."
One of the figures behind him, most probably who he called Afene, nodded and faded into the shadows.
" Come on, screw Tiamat and her team! They can't even catch one itsy bitsy demon, a familiar too!" Tearing off his hood, one of the figures stood up and stretched his limbs, grinning widely with a crazed look in his completely black eyes," I wanna have some fun right now! I'll tear off the wings of those puny Fairies one by one and hang them in my collection, i wanna see red...!"
" Hush Katar! You'll have your fun next time, we have our orders..."
" Hai hai, O great Daemon-sama, to get the Vessel and the Gatekeeper, preferably while they're still alive and breathing blah blah blah and if they create any trouble," Katar laughed maniacally at that, " Which i really hope they do, unleash the big guy back there for tea time~"
He then pulled at his crimson hair in frustration, the sole white spot in his pupils swiveling haphazardly from side to side, " But i want in, they are my prey, mine! MINE!"
" But orders are orders, so you will follow them Katar!" Daemon snapped at the crazed man, his magical aura flared out from his body and pushed Jackal to his knees,
" Daemon you bastard..." The redhead growled, glaring holes into Deamon's face as he struggled to stand.
" I think that's quite enough Daemon..." A quite voice said from under the hood, red eyes gleaming from under the shadow of the cowl, " I think he gets the message.."
The black haired leader looked at his subordinate and finally relented, the pressure pressing down on Katar's body disappearing almost immediately, " I trust your judgement Jackal."
The man, Jackal, nodded with his face still cloaked, a stray tuft of deathly white hair flashed under the moonlight from under the hood.
" Daemon-sama." Afene stepped out from the shadows and bowed," The beast is still sedated, we have time till Tiamat and her team reaches us."
" That's good," Daemon said, "Afene, i'm leaving Jackal and the men in your hands, i'm going to go scout the area with Jackal." Just as he lifted his hand to pull back his hood, he saw something white flying in his direction.
Quickly dodging to the side, pulling out a knife from his boot while doing so, he snapped his head in the direction of the flying object and saw something that looked suspiciously like a feather, but it disintegrated before he could affirm his suspicions.
Someone clapped their hands from within the dark space in front of Daemon and his men, who were all tensed and armed in a flash, just as two figures walked out from the shadows.
" Impressive reflexes, young man. But i believe your time is up."
Daemon looked at the speaker in shock and said,
" You! How did..."
Tenebre's eyes glinted with a dangerous light," How did i find out that you people were here waiting for me? A little crow whispered in my ear and told me!"
3 hours ago...
" Let's get out of here first."
Tenebre leaped lightly over the bar counter and walked into the kitchen area where Mirajane was, Dante following closely behind her.
Hearing sift footsteps approaching her, Mira turned around and smiled brightly at them, still stirring at the contents in her pot,"Oh hey Tenebre! Can i help you with something?"
Tenebre shook her head, " I'm fine, just here to inform you that i'll be stepping out for a while, i don't know how long but if Lucy asks tell her i'll be back by nightfall."
" Going somewhere?" Mira's eyebrows quirked up suggestively, and Tenebre quickly shook her head at the scheming gaze Mira casted at the both of them.
" No Mira, he's not my boyfriend, he's my demon familiar, Dante."
Mira seemed to deflate at the first part, but quickly recovered with her eyes gleaming excitedly,
" A demon familiar?!"
" Yep, Mira meet Dante, real living breathing Demon. Dante, meet Mirajane, The Demon of Fairy Tail."
" Pleasure to meet someone as famous as you, Lady Mirajane" Dante said, bowing almost gallantly to her and placing a soft kiss to her hand.
" Lady? Me?" Mira fanned herself with her free hand," Oh Mavis, you flatter me!"
Tenebre rolled her eyes and smacked his head lightly," Overdoing the flattering Dante, overdoing it."
Dante bowed back almost meekly at her, and Mira giggled.
" I never imagined that i would one day meet a real demon that's not one of Zeref's!" Mira sneaked a quick wink at Dante, " Can i pit my magic against yours one day? I want to know if my Takeover: Demon is on par with a real Demon's magic!"
" Maybe next time Mira," Tenebre cut in, " But we have to go now."
" Oh, go on then, i'll make sure Lucy receives your message." Mira said, " Have fun both of you~"
" You and your imagination Mira..." Tenebre shook her head and muttered under her breath as she exited through the back door.
They walked into the forest behind the guild, and when they determined they were far enough from the guild, they stopped and Tenebre said,
" Dante, do you remember how to turn into a raven?"
Dante nodded his head.
" Good, i want you to scout the entire Magnolia, especially the dense forests like the one we're in now, in your raven form, i've got a strong feeling that they're in the forests somewhere."
" Hai Master." He disappeared in a shower of raven black feathers and flew up into the sky, his body morphing into the shadowy shape that of a raven.
" He might need some help..." A ceremonial knife appeared in her hand and she slit her palm, blood pooling out of the cut in an instant and dripping onto the grass.
" Thou bound to my blood, Ohawas, i summon thee!"
A drop of blood slipped from her hand and dripped onto the on the grass, it then expanded in a swirling vortex, as it turned black, a figure of a woman rose from it, wearing a one-shouldered brown animal hide dress with a belted waist with crow feathers sewn onto the hems, her partly braided blueish-black hair hiding her face as she knelt in front of Tenebre, showing a crow's feather tattoo on her left arm.
" Master, what can i do for you?" She said, her voice deep and rich like volcanic earth.
" Rally your kind and scout the entire Magnolia's forests and report back to me when you find them, you of all my familiars other than Dante should be more than familiar with their magic."
" Are you finally making your move against them Master?" Ohawas said, lifting up her head to look at Tenebre, her completely black eyes glinting darkly with hatred.
"Yes and no. I'm moving as a protective measure, so it's not exactly what you're thinking."
" But it's also to confirm with something, i've been sensing a familiar presence here in Magnolia ever since i woke up but i can't pinpoint it's exact location and i can't say that i like this feeling." Tenebre clenched her fists and look in the distance with a distant expression," I just hope my hunch is wrong."
If Ohawas was disappointed, she didn't let it show through her completely neutral expression, " I shall get going then, Master."
Standing up, she lifted her left hand to the sky and raised her voice,
" Lend me your strength, my brethren!"
A flapping sound came from Tenebre's left as a crow landed on her shoulder, its head looking jerkily from side to side as it opened it's sharp black beak, croaking.
"Caw caw!"
More and more crows gathered till everything around them was covered in a huge writhing black mass, completely covering the surrounding foliage in large dark shadow.
"Greetings my friends, " Ohawas stroked the smooth black feathers of the crow on her arm.
Then all the crows flew up in a funnel around her and she tossed the crow on her arm to the sky, as it soared up, she turned into a crow, one slightly bigger than the rest, and flew up into the sky, all of the other crows flying into different directions throughout Magnolia, eliciting several puzzled and bewildered looks from the citizens at the sudden increase of black shapes soaring through the sky that day.
" Master! You didn't mention anything about sending bird-brain!" Dante complained in Tenebre's head irritably.
" Well nice to hear from you too, oh dear cousin of mine." The crow lady quipped.
" I though you might need some help." Tenebre said.
" As if i need her help." Dante scoffed, and Tenebre sighed when she felt Ohawas's feathers bristle angrily through their telepathic link as she resisted the urge to claw him out of the sky.
" Hmph, lets see about that, Dante." Ohawas spat out his name venomously.
Present Time...
" Caw!"
Daemon looked up at the tree and saw a crow perched up in one of the branches, cocking its head from side to side as it looked at him.
He was startled though, by the malice it's black eyes held as it glared down contemptuously at him, and he somehow felt that it was directed at him and his entire group.
"Caw caw!"
The crow flew onto Tenebre's shoulder and turned red, melting into a crimson puddle and sinking into her skin, leaving a single jet black feather behind.
" I'll have to send you back for now Dante, go back and rest up."
" Send me back? Hell no! i ain't-"
" It's not a matter of wanting or not now! They've weapons against your kind, so until i find a way to counter those weapons, rest up. Dante, return!"
Dante screamed her name in outrage, erupting in a pillar of flames as he was forcefully sent back into her, the remaining flames of his being was absorbed into her as he rested within her.
" Now," Tenebre turned her attention to the group before her and they flinched back as her piercing gold and black flecked silver eyes bore into their very souls, " I suppose you people are either here to fail miserably at trying to capture me alive or to kill me?"
Being the first to recover, Daemon said through gritted teeth as he resisted the urge to shy away from her gaze, " None of the above i'm afraid, we're just here on behalf on our Master to present you a gift to celebrate your return, Gatekeeper-sama."
He snapped his fingers at Afene, "Bring it forth."
" Hai Daemon-sama." The girl replied, scampering away quickly,
" Gift?" Tenebre narrowed her eyes calculatingly," From him?"
At that moment, Afene walked out from the shadows with a chain in hand, dragging out something heavy behind her and Tenebre's eyes widened in disbelief.
In an instant, she slammed Daemon into a tree with a single hand to his throat, cracks appearing on the trunk under the pressure she inflicted on him.
" Daemon-sama!" Afene shouted, dropping the chain as her hand reach for the knife strapped to her waist.
Daemon coughed and gasped desperately for air as she tightened her grip on his throat,
" You're lucky i'm only using a small percentage of my strength," Tenebre said coldly, pulling back her arm, she brought Daemon face closer to hers, "or you'll be dead by now."
"Unless you want to see this man's body in fifty one different pieces, i suggest that all you you stay where you are now, not a single step towards me." Afene flinched when she felt Tenebre's steely gaze on her and she stepped back immediately and sheathed her knife.
" Now spit it out, why is it here?" Tenebre loosened her grip just enough for a barest amount of air to enter Daemon's lungs.
" I...I d-don't know...", Daemon gasped when air finally entered in his oxygen deprived lungs.
Tenebre's eyes flashed dangerously and slammed his body back onto the tree, splitting the tree into two through the middle, unconsciously gripping harder on his neck.
" Cut the crap! Why is there a dragon here in Earthland?!" Tenebre's magical aura flared out from her body, shaking the ground around her and forcing some of Daemon's weaker men to faint due to its pressure, while the others were barely able to stand or stay fully conscious.
" A...Af..." Daemon gasped out, trying to speak, and Tenebre loosened her grip, thinking he was about to finally answer her.
But she immediately regretted it.
Daemon quickly sucked in a quick breath of air and forced it all out in one shout.
" AFENE, RELEASE THE BEAST!"
Afene lunged at the cage with all her strength and plunged the key in her hands into the keyhole, immediately releasing the chains, and the sleeping enchantment casted on it, with a quick twist of her wrist.
A deep rumbling sound came from its throat as its yellow reptilian eyes opened and looked around, Tenebre's grip slackened in surprise and Daemon took this chance to escape from her grip, slipping right under her hands, he barked as he ran towards his men.
" All units fall back!"
Snapping out of their daze, all of them retreated into the shadows of the trees, dragging their fallen behind them.
"Daemon-sama, are you alright?" Afene immediately scrambled to Daemon's side, looking over her commander in concern. Rubbing his sore neck, he replied,
" I'll be fine." Daemon gasped raggedly, he then ordered, " Wait till the Gatekeeper's attention is fully occupied by the beast, then we'll go retrieve the Vessel."
The dragon rose up to it full height and shook its head in annoyance, roaring up at the sky ferociously as its translucent-blue scales glinted menacingly in the dying sunlight.
ROOOOAAARR!
" Requip: Key Wheel!" Tenebre barked, the said item appearing in her hand in a flash of light, a mixture of all her different keys held together in one huge circle of silver clinking against each other. Snapping out two bronze keys, she summoned,
" Gate of the Chinese Dragon and Snake, I summon thee, Anguis! Serpe!"
Poofing out in front of her in a shower of gold dust, both of them grinned stupidly, unaware of the situation they were in,
"Heya Tenebre-" Anguis started.
" DUCK!" Tenebre shouted, kneeling down immediately.
" Huh?" Both of them looked back and immediately flattened themselves onto the ground, barely dodging an icy breath attack.
" Serpe! Go to Lucy!" Serpe nodded curtly and dashed into the forest in the direction of the city, already knowing what his master requires of him from that short order.
" Anguis, help me subdue the dragon!"
" Oh, just like the old days eh?" Anguis grinned, getting into his battle stance, he shifted his right leg back, bending both legs slightly, his left hand in front of him and his right hand at his waist.
" I said SUBDUE, not KILL," Tenebre said, sending the key wheel back and requiping into her Valkyrie armor and wielding a large double-sided sword with an "S" shape.
" Then why are you taking out the Ravager?" Anguis eyed Tenebre's choice of weapon and leaped to the side to avoid an incoming torrent of snow.
" That was the past, though this blade as tasted the blood of countless of dragons, it's no longer used for such purposes, it's now just a normal weapon." Tenebre charged at the dragon while twisting the bladed in the center, the long 'S' blade split in half and became a pair of dual blades both around her height, " Let's do this!"
" Yes mi'lady!"
The dragon, now fully awake, bared her pearly white fangs and roared in Tenebre and Anguis's face,
ROOOAAARRR!
" That's weird," Anguis said, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion, "She acting strangely."
" In what way?" Tenebre yelled as she jumped up in the air, spinning her body and her blades, turning her body into a deadly tornado, as she descended onto the dragon's back, delivery a bloody whirlwind of attacks.
Several gashes opened on the dragon's back and she howled in pain, tossing her body from side to side and throwing Tenebre off her back at the same time.
" Normally i would be able to read a dragon's mind, but this one, something or maybe someone is controlling her, something is blocking me from entering her mind." Anguis shouted, running up the dragon's tail and onto its back and up to its snout the moment Tenebre landed beside him.
" Secret Arts: Five Talons!"
Anguis kicked with his right leg, then pivoting his body, he spun and did another kick with his left, and right and left again, he then did a backflip, kicking the dragon's head up, and landed on the ground, skidding to a stop.
The dragon growled, cold smoke trailing out her nose as she lumbered towards the pair.
" Mind controlled? Lemme see..." Tenebre took to the skies in a single jump and her eyes turned a silver-flecked black.
The aura around Anguis was pure gold in color, signifying that he was a celestial spirit and that he was not tainted by any foul magic, the thin thread of gold tied around his wrist that led to Tenebre shows that they are connected through the celestial spirit contracts.
She then looked at the dragon's vibrant red aura, the color for dragons, but wrapped around her aura was a plethora of malicious dark strings that were wrapped around her entire body but mostly coming out from her back, it was as if the dragon was a marionette and its master was... Tenebre's eyes followed the strings that led to the girl from before, the one who was holding onto the chains.
Snapping out of her soul vision, the gold flecks immediately returning to her eyes, Tenebre narrowed her eyes at the group of human presences she was looking for, and her eyes turned gold,
" Ecliptic Ray." She whispered, and a purple ball sphere came out of her hand, giving it a silent command, the ball sank into the ground and shot off into the direction of her prey.
The ball started to change in size, it split in two, then four, then it kept splitting till it was around the size of dust, its presence almost non-existent, it then made its way to the group, and every single one of them breathed in the minuscule purple specks unknowingly.
Tenere snapped her fingers and immediately an ear-slitting screech was heard,
"AAAHHH!"
Afene's body convulsed uncontrollably, her eyes wide in horror as blood started trailing out from her eyes and mouth, lumps appeared on her body and she then exploded in a huge bloody blast, her severed limbs flying and splattering everywhere.
A loud snap was heard and the dragon stopped attacking, her yellowed eyes slowing returning to a icy blue coulour as she put down her raised claw, looking down at Tenebre with grateful eyes,
"Gatekeeper, you've returned." She said curtly, bowing her head slightly," I suppose i should thank you for releasing me from these cretins." Her pupils narrowed as she hissed out the last word, glaring down at group of men cowering in the shadows of the trees, baring her icicle sharp fangs at them.
" Pleasure's all mine." Tenebre bowed back, turning her head to look at the bunch of terrified people, she looked at them with an almost pitiable expression," I'm sorry, but i do not approve of your master's choice for a gift. I would normally spare all your lives..."
Tenebre tilted her head slightly to the side just as a dagger whizzed past her head, " But it seems that it just not your day today."
Snapping her fingers, all of the men including Daemon started to convulse uncontrollably and they too, exploded, blood, flesh and sinew splattering all over, painting the green area crimson.
Only Jackal was spared, looking at the mess with bored eyes, he drawled,
" Why spare me? Why not kill me like the others?"
" Pass a message to your Master," Tenebre looked at the white haired man, and felt a strange sense of deja vu came over her, she frowned and shook it off, not knowing why she suddenly felt a sense of familiarity to this man, and continued, " I am not yours, and never will be, so give it up. Same goes for the Vessel, hands off, she under my protection."
" So you spared me just to be a mere messenger? Fine, but be warned, we will not give up." With that, he faded into the shadows, with a strange expression on his face.
Tenebre too had a weird look on her face, but it was instantly replaced with her business face, walking towards the dragon, she placed a hand on its leg gently and started healing her,
" I'm sorry for all the harm i've done to you, Kori-san, but it's a reflex of mine, attacking when i'm being attacked." Tenebre said, Kori lowered her snout and looked at Tenebre with her left eye, and rumbled,
" Don't apologise, Gatekeeper," She huffed, the icy puff of frost coating the grass before her in a shimmering coating of white, " Those blasted humans simply caught me off guard."
" But the gates should've been sealed up, how on Earthland is it possible that you're here and not in the Dragon World? All the dragon's should've been sent back!" Tenebre inquired, looking deeply troubled.
" I was-" Kori was about to reply, but she stopped, lifting her head to sniff at the air, she said with narrowed eyes,
" I smell Igneel, Metalicana and Grandine. Or at least what's similar to their scents."
" Oh no..." Tenebre's voice trailed off when she heard the rustle of the bushes nearby and a pink/ blue/ black head tumbled out from within, all three of them shot up and dusted off the leaves from their bodies, and when they looked up, they gaped,
" Tenebre-san?" Wendy said, surprised,
" DRAGON?!" Natsu and Gajeel shouted, jabbing an accusing finger at the trio.
" This is too early!" Tenebre said in her head, her inner self running in circles in panic.
" Oi Weird Eyes ! Why are you with a dragon?!" Gajeel growled.
" Two dragons!" Natsu added, pointing at Anguis.
" Do you know where Igneel/Metalicana/Grandine is?!" All three of them said in sync.
" I'm...I...I can't tell you! N-Not yet!" Tenebre said, guilt preventing her from speaking properly.
" Why?!" Gajeel shouted, his arm turning into a metal pole,
" What have you done to Igneel?!" Natsu burst into flames, his eyes full of anger.
" Do you know where Grandine is, Dragon-san?" Wendy asked Kori, desperation in her eyes and her voice.
Kori looked at the three Dragonslayers sadly, taking a quick look at Tenebre, who was clenching her fists so hard blood flowed out, her hair hiding her face, rising up to her full height, she said,
" I'm afraid i cannot answer your plea, Child of Grandine, only the Gatekeeper can."
" Tenebre-san,please!" Wendy looked at Tenebre desperately,making Tenebre clench her fist tighter.
" TELL ME TENEBRE! WHERE IS IGNEEL/METALICANA?!" Both Natsu and Gajeel shouted,
Tenebre silently created a gate to the Dragon World and it appeared behind Kori.
Hit by the scent of their lost parents, the three of them looked around frantically, desperate to find them,only to find that it came from the gate behind the blue dragon.
Tenebre and Anguis was instantly beside the gate, Anguis crossed over first, then Kori, and before Tenebre crossed, she looked back at the three of them,
" I'm so so sorry, i'll explain everything when i return, help me tell Lucy that i won't be back for a few days. And Natsu, please keep Lucy in your sight all times, i can't say much, but she's in danger. And one more thing, please try to remember what all three of your parents taught you, especially the part about your mates."
With that, Tenebre disappeared along with the gate, leaving the Dragonslayers standing there, unable to process the turmoil of emotions swirling in their chests.
" Lucy's in danger?" Natsu whispered, his knuckles turning white,"Mate?"
As soon as the three deserted the bloodied forested area, a hooded figure melted in from one of the shadowed areas, and sighed,
" What a waste, and they were such well behaved puppets." Gleaming green eyes glowed forth from within the deep cowl of his hood, " Oh well, let's see what remaining materials i can gather from them..."
AN: Nothing much to say here, other than DOUBLE UPDATE BAYBEH! So yeah, go ahead to the next chapter, what cha waiting for?