Previously
Those eyes. Eyes which burnt his soul. The Sage's veil had been thrown off in the storm and now she stared him in the face with tiny black reptilian eyes which could only be described as hungry. A searing heat-like pain rose from her grip where her diamond claws pierced his leg.
Moments later he lost consciousness when he was slammed into into the desert floor. Everything went dark, but just like sun spots, the sage's eyes did not escape his peripheral vision.
He felt... branded.
Day Count: 11 Days since the start of Chapter 2. Three more days until the events from the prologue.
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.: Before Her Time Runs Out :.
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.: Chapter 6 :.
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.: Amidst The Storm :.
...
Currently
Sand... so much sand. It was all that existed now as far as Gray was concerned.
He had never in his life felt such hatred towards an inanimate substance. The sand was what ultimately ruled the desert, moving things at its will, hiding and obscuring, eroding and conquering.
The desert was removing the intruders. These people had just shown up and walked all over it as if they could move freely across its expanses without trouble and as much as it conveniences them. So, as if making a move to suppress the intrusion, a storm had been sent to reaffirm order.
The air was thick with the grains of minuscule red rocks, removing vision, hurting and separating. A perfect formula for chaos. It showed no signs of subsiding either.
Gray was at least thankful for escaping the life or death situation albeit not without serious injury to his neck. What he was not thankful for was that he had been blown for all he knew miles away from the dark guild wizards so he could no longer fight them. If he could no longer subdue them then his mission would be failed. The dark guild would escape into whatever secret desert passageways they knew of, never to be seen again.
Or worse.
Gray recalled that the 'Sage' wanted HIM. For nefarious purposes most likely.
The Sage.
Gray shuddered at those eyes which had been marked in his memory. The breaking grip on his ankle which burned him all the way up to his knee. This was cause to Gray's second—lesser—injury.
As of now, he could not walk properly. He hobbled without knowing where he was going. He was walking blind, injured and alone in an unknown location with enemies dotted around; possibly lurking, waiting, watching. Yes, they still wanted him. They would trap him in his vulnerable state and do who knows what.
On second thought it might just be better to wait out this storm.
Gray pushed himself flat on the ground to let the wind pass over him, the sand chaffing at his dry, baked skin. Each grain of sand that was flung at him left a tiny scratch... building up to a whole lot of discomfort. The orange clothes which the village had gifted him just two days ago were in tatters but Gray was very thankful that he'd left them on since they provided him with a little relief.
But he could do better. He brought his two hands together to form the disguise type ice barrier which he'd used earlier. The sheet of special ice crept up from behind his feet, moving slower than usual due to having to overcome the powerful gale force winds. Eventually it formed a shielding dome around Gray's flat lying form.
It was relief beyond comparison. Not only was he no longer open to the elements but the cold air helped to numb his various pains.
Gray could now focus on his more serious injury. He was fast loosing blood from the gash in his neck; he was incredibly lucky that the knife did not reach his throat. If it had he'd be dead for sure.
Fortunately, Gray knew a way he could help himself. The beauty of ice make magic was the power of creation; it was an excellent multi-purpose tool which was good for more than merely fighting. Gray was an intelligent individual who could wield his imagination to its full purpose and over the years he'd developed far more techniques than the originals which Ur had taught him.
One of such techniques was this one. Gray placed his right palm flat over the cut while his left hand formed a fist placed on top. He breathed in to calm himself and maintain stability while he focused intensely, pinpointing the exact spot and then... There! The ice manifested into an incredibly thin and flexible wire. Gray let the wire spool out of his hand as it pierced his skin before weaving itself through until the cut was completely sewn shut.
After this was done he breathed in heavily and released the tension. Gray had found that the intricate techniques like this one actually used up far more magic power than the big powerful ones. In this case especially so because he was forced to use unmelting ice.
The blood had ceased to flow down his neck. Gray lay down, much more relaxed now that he had treated his injury as he let the raging storm pass over his icy hideout. The howling winds accompanied him in his solitude; all the while he let himself recall fragments of the weird event from earlier.
WE KNOW YOU'RE UP THERE SO GET DOWN HERE IF YOU WANT THIS BOY TO LIVE.
Gray had been a hostage held by this 'Lazara' guy. Come to think of it, throughout the encounter he had been referred to against someone else. The conflict within Burgundy Scimitar seemed to revolve around him.
After so many years, finally I can have my way.
You're wrong about this guy, pathetic sage, there is a far more capable subject.
The one who is actually powerful enough is closer than you think.
Who was this other person? Why is Gray relevant to whatever the dark guild is plotting and why do they disagree about who they need to the point of taking hostages? More immediately, they said this other person was close by so where are they?
It was just hopeless. No way did Gray have the chance to find out when this storm had split everyone up and was preventing him from walking.
So what was Gray to do other than remaining still for the time being? The only movement was outside. The storm, the howling winds, the sheer force and scale; they were all testament to the ultimate power over life and death that the Earth itself held – much more so than even the most powerful mage alive.
Despite the pelting received by the barrier it remained steadfast. It helped Gray to rest for the passing hours until finally, with one last shriek, the storm at once retreated, leaving Gray in eerie silence. Gray let the sheet of ice dissolve into thin air as he stood cautiously on his pained leg.
The unknown injury caused Gray to hobble through the void. Visibility had not yet returned as the dust stirred by the event had not settled. Instead, a brown-red mist of the stuff had choked up the air. While Gray could not see exactly where the sun was, he could feel its rays penetrating the dust cloud. Coupled together—the dust and the sun—made for a very stifling combination that made breathing very laborious. It was as much as Gray could do to cover his mouth with cloth to prevent himself from inhaling the stuff.
He walked on for another hour in the dark heat, without a clue as to where he was going. Hope. He ambled on as he reinforced himself with this prospect. Never giving up; that was what it meant to be a Fairy Tail mage. An S-class. No, Gray would keep going on until his feet bled, then he'd bandage them up and carry on. Even if it was for weeks filled with only the sound of his footsteps on sand.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
"Gah!" Gray couldn't help but cry out on that last step. An intense pain had shot up from his ankle where the Sage had grabbed him. He felt he could no longer stand on it. Realising this, he pushed his hands out in front of him ready to fall and it was not long before his posture crumbled when his leg eventually gave way. Gray tumbled down the steep sand dune which he'd unfortunately been standing at the top of. He turned and turned as he rolled down it, his arms flailing this way and that, reaching out for anything to grip onto, until he'd finally stopped and...
Crumple.
That was odd. His right hand had grabbed a handful of something that was certainly not sand. It felt like... paper? Definitely paper, Gray brought the object closer to his face for further inspection. He felt he could kiss the thing. A map! Never before had the squiggly lines looked so beautiful.
Looking around, Gray noticed a few more items strewn across the sandy embankment. One particular gleam caught his eye and he made his way towards it for a closer look. Recognising it as the hilt of a sword, he took hold of it and began to pull, hard. It was taking significantly more effort than he thought it would so putting all of his strength behind one tug he lifted the gleaming blade free of his hand... and all but jumped back in shock.
Gray could see what what was making it so difficult to lift.
.
.
.
A hand, dripping with blood was adamantly holding the sharp edge despite the obvious—and serious—injury caused as a result of such an action. The hand was—not surprisingly—connected to an arm sticking out of the steep dune. In a flash, the sword had been stabbed into the ground and was used being used as an anchor to pull the body free of its underground confinement. More and more sand shifted as the body moved, billowing in a great stream, it made way for what lay beneath. More of the red liquid tainted the silver of the sword due to the hand's tightening grip and increased strain whilst holding it.
At last, the body was free. Letting out a small chuckle, he turned to Gray amusedly. "Heh... so there you are. If I capture you now then the Sage will surely look favourably upon me..." His voice was dry and rasped. Gray gave him a long, judging look. What little was left of his robes were torn and shredded and his veil was missing; leaving Gray fully able to see his tiny beady eyes. They were reptilian in nature and very similar to the ones of the Sage only not nearly as scary.
This guy was not scary.
Gray was not afraid. Gray decided to let him attack first so that he could get a gage on his power.
"Open! Gate of the Seventh Moon!" The man reached for a black key on his belt and made an unlocking gesture, "Stonozka!" he bellowed. There was a piercing roar. The ground below Gray's feet shook and trembled, and this continued while building up to the moment when it all parted as a massive black shape blotted out the light.
Gray dodged when the black shape lunged at him. He felt the whoosh of air as the long figure rushed past him with incredible speed. He also managed to get a closer look.
The thing—beast or something—had the form of a gigantic centipede with ashy armour plates protecting pod like segments which oozed with black goo. To say it was disgusting was an understatement but Gray had seen worse and this did not phase him whatsoever.
Its speed on the other hand. That was a different matter. The beast weaved around after having lunged at Gray and skilfully turned back on its target. Gray was caught unaware when its head slammed into his back. The ice mage was sent flying into the sand from this attack but before he could get back up, the centipede had followed up with an attempt to crush Gray between its pincers. Gray pushed back up against the tremendous force and began to freeze up its jaws so that it they could no longer move.
Sensing that its attempt was not working, the centipede withdrew slightly and the man in the distance made a gesture with his sword pointing it downwards. Following the command, the beast dived straight downwards, disappearing into the ground. Gray could feel the slight tremors in the ground.
Your loss, Gray thought.
"Ice Make: Floor!" A vast, thick sheet of ice spread out from beneath Gray's feet, covering the sand in light blue.
Gray could now feel the tremors even more profoundly then before. He patiently awaited for a change in the constitution of these vibrations until he finally realised that the centipede was fast approaching the surface.
He sincerely hoped that he'd judged the location correctly as he readied his next attack, "Ice Make: Lances!" Instead of bursting upwards out of the ice floor, they piled down into the sand.
Crack. The centipede smashed through the ice floor.
"RAAAAAARRRRRGH!" The amplitude of the scream coming from the beast was high enough to force Gray to cover his ears. The centipede had indeed emerged from the ground but several of Gray's lances were lodged deep in its head, black ooze trickled out where the shell had been pierced. The cracks ventured out from the ice lances' penetrations and spread across the entirety of the insectoid body. The fracturing gradually stopped and the spirit disappeared with a final burst of black goo.
Gray turned to his opponent, expecting him to pull out another gate key but he did not see what he'd been expecting to.
"You bastard!" Gray felt a very weak punch to his chest. The man whom he'd been fighting was red and had tears streaming from his eyes. He followed up with a series of punches and kicks which Gray made no attempt to dodge. He was far too confused; the guy is a celestial spirit mage right? Lucy's spirits always got knocked around but she never acted like this...
...FLASHBACK...
"Mother, look what I found!" A young boy held a black key dangling from a chain.
"You shouldn't be touching that! You do know what that is right!?"
The boy nodded.
"Sasho, that key is sacrilege!" The woman snatched the item away from the boy's grasp.
"But Stonozka is my friend!" He snatched the key chain back from his mother and ran before she could stop him.
...FLASHBACK ENDS...
The Sage was the only one who listened to me. The only one who would take me in in my mother's place. I OWE HER! I OWE STONOZKA, MY ONLY FRIEND! The celestial wizard 'Sasho' gave Gray a murderous glare as he charged at him with his sword drawn.
Too easy, Gray thought. Just as Sasho was about to bring his blade down across his chest, Gray grabbed his wrist and twisted the hilt out of his grasp. The man screamed in agony when he only just realised the pain of the cut in his hand from earlier. Gray took no sympathy as he kicked him to the ground.
This was his chance to get some answers.
Gray pointed the sword at Sasho's neck as he began his interrogation, "who is the Sage?" he demanded. "What does she want with me?"
"Hahahaha! You think I would tell you?" Sasho spat back.
"You're a fool to think you have a choice in this matter!" Gray kicked him in his side for emphasis.
Sasho winced but remained determined, "I would never betray her trust!"
Gray realised that he was getting nowhere; the guy was completely off his head. But why? It appeared to have been triggered by the celestial spirit's loss. "Why were you so upset, it's a celestial spirit, it'll just come back." Gray used a softer tone of voice.
Now he'd done it, gone was the manic smile and in its place was the same angered, confused and upset expression from before. "What the hell would you know? Stonozka is not a celestial spirit!" He tried to get up but Gray place his foot on his shoulder to prevent that from happening. "Stonozka was my friend and you destroyed him!" Sasho was seething with rage and his response only confused Gray more. More tears gathered in his glassy black orbs.
"What?" was Gray's reaction.
Instead of speaking, Sasho reached for something in between his robes and pulled it out. It was too late when Gray realised what he was doing.
A pill.
He had swallowed a pill. Now he he had begun convulsing and shaking slightly. Gray discarded the sword and dropped to his knees besides the fallen enemy.
"What did you do!?" Gray shouted.
"Hahaha!" He had gone mad again, "just remember this: the sage has great things planned and not a single person will stand in her way. Not you, not the other candidate and definitely not the Sultan! That filthy old man will rot!" He was laughing uncontrollably but that was the least of Gray's concerns, for the man appeared to be fading.
For the first time since their fight, Gray truly looked at his opponent. Pity. That was what Gray felt in that moment. This guy appeared to be so young; his matted brown hair splayed across his face, soaked with sweat and shaded his eyes. But Gray saw them; the hatred, the sadness and the raw emotion betrayed by them despite their inhuman nature was all to clear. He was in pain.
With one last laugh, Sasho was gone. With one last convulsion he had dissolved. His body now crumbled into sand and was gone with the wind. The last evidence of his presence was his clothes, for his spirit key too had crumbled into dust.
Gray looked on in awe as the space which had once been occupied by his enemy was now empty. He punched the ground in sheer frustration. He had only been given more questions. Question upon question piled on Gray's conscience, weighing him down immensely.
Who is the Sultan and what is his relation to the Sage?
Who is the 'other candidate'?
What was wrong with that spirit key and the mage?
Did he commit suicide!? And for what?
Gray stood up, checked the map and headed out. The one place where he could find rest and possibly answers was merely hours away. Terraminos. The village which had given him so much stress over the past few days.
This time he would be more forceful. He would demand answers, and get them to talk whatever the cost. A single ray of sun poked its way through the dust cloud. If the storm was the embodiment of Gray's confusion then the light guided him along his defiant path, searching for the truth. Right now the light was only minuscule, but soon the dust would clear and the light would prevail.
But in the desert, was the sun really what Gray wanted?
…
.: End of Chapter 6 :.
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.: To be Continued :.
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Hmm what to say... sorry I can't always do really long chapters. I hope that this one was satisfactory. I actually barely managed to get it out in time; I've been pretty busy lately and was away for two days so I could not write. I know I said that you'd find out who the author is in this chapter but that'll have to wait some more.
Ah, and I hope you don't get mad at me introducing even more vague, questionable things but I did tag this story as mystery. So at least you know that everything will be answered fully in due time.
But there is something that I would ask; should I have done a proper, full flashback for Sasho or is just the bare minimum like I did best? I didn't want to bore anyone with long flashbacks about a seemingly irrelevant character.
Also, new questions:
1) What do you think will happen once Gray gets back to the village?
2) What do you make of Sasho's situation?
3) Should I have done a fully detailed flashback? I can still change that if it's something you want.
Review Time:
AsDarknessSpreads: Creepy lady indeed. It's even creepier once I reveal more about the village. I hope this chapter amended some of those concerns – i.e. Gray was strong and smart in this chapter; last chapter I tried to make it so he was the victim of circumstances e.g. the physical labour, the confusion, the sandstorm etc.
blueAztec: The summary literally took up every single available character so it better be fine...
Sal: You will find out more about the village soon. You are not supposed to like Andriaa either; so I'm glad about that, that is the kind of personality I was going for. Well, Gray kicked someone's ass in this chapter – I hope the fight scene was OK they usually take me forever to write since it's difficult to make fight scenes engaging. I try to make them interesting, significant and not just meaningless filler content. Also I prefer fights which aren't about power alone.
xXkutsarahXx: Thanks, also I agree about the Gray/Erza thing.
I'll try to get an update for next Saturday, but if not I apologise in advance. I won't disappear or anything. Also I said I will only update on Sat/Sun but more likely it will only be Saturday since Sunday is when I update my crack story and I don't want them both on the sort by updated page... o_O