Hi everyone! My April CampNaNo challenge was a great success! I wrote 40k words for this story :D I have no excuse for not updating in May, other than writing some more. My document says In The Desert is currently 92k words in total. How the hell did that happen? xD
I will update… some day.
"Please don't tell the king about what you heard here tonight," Gray said. "I'm not asking you as a subordinate, but as my friend."
"Your...friend?" Erza looked startled.
Gray got up and held his hand out, palm up, in the way one greets a female. "Yes, friend."
Chapter 8
Choice
She looked uncertain, and for a moment Gray feared that he had made another mistake...
She put her palm on top of his. It felt a little strange; he's never had armour rest against his hand in a greeting like this. Then suddenly she grabbed his hand and jerked him forward. His face smashed into her breastplate.
"Ow!" He tensed, expecting a blow.
Was she not interested in friendship after all?
Her other arm rested on his shoulder. "Friends then."
It was the first time he'd seen her smile.
"Juvia wants to be friends with Erza too." The princess held out her palm vertically, in the way two women greeted each other.
"I'd be happy to." Erza repeated the gesture.
She didn't smash her face on the armour. Gray rubbed his aching nose.
Then Erza and Lyon's gazes met. Both narrowed their eyes at the same time. "Don't mind me," Lyon said. "I'd hate to ruin the merriment. The only things missing are wine and a wedding cake."
"Actually, we have cake!" Juvia said, retrieving the platter. She either didn't notice or ignored the verbal jab. "Would you like some?"
Erza accepted a piece with a thanks. "It's delicious."
"It has granata in it. The trick is to drain the juice..." Juvia launched into her cooking techniques, which the knight listened to with interest, nodding and asking questions. The two of them looked like friends already.
The raven tapped his foot, drawing Lyon's attention. The older prince's hand was creeping up towards the hilt of his sword while the girls were distracted. Gray subtly shook his head in a 'no'.
Lyon ignored Gray's warning and glanced at Erza.
Gray placed a hand on the balustrade and applied a sharp burst of ice magic while fixing Lyon with a pointed look.
The older prince grimaced and let go of the scabbard.
"I was meaning to ask," Erza said, "Did you make this dress?"
"Yes I did," Juvia said, rubbing the airy blue fabric between her fingers.
"Could you..." She looked aside. "Maybe show me how? At a time that wouldn't inconvenience you."
The princess hid her surprise well. "I'd love to." She smiled. "Does Erza like dresses?"
Erza nodded, her face turning pink. "I've always... they are so pretty..."
Juvia grabbed Erza's gauntlets. "Then we're going to make you a dress. I'll show you how."
The knight blushed furiously, a stunned expression on her face.
Gray frowned at Juvia's over-enthusiasm. Not like she needed extra friends with the endless parties she attended… Hmmm… He tried to count Juvia's close friends on his fingers.
For some reason, he couldn't fold a single finger.
xxxxx
The rest of the roof meeting was surreal to Gray. To say that everyone was on edge was an understatement. They never brought visitors to their little hideout, and tonight they had two. Juvia did most of the talking. Erza didn't say much. Lyon occasionally inserted a scathing comment masked as a joke, which both girls ignored. Natsu brooded in a corner, lying on his side, looking at the desert. His hands rested against the bandage. And Gray... he just felt drained.
Eventually it was time to go. Erza left first, gliding down in her white-winged armour. Gray was sure to stand in between the knight and his brother. Lyon watched her go with the expression for lining up shots in a firing range. "Lyon, leave her alone," Gray said.
"Your so called 'friend' is running to Alastair as we speak."
The raven folded his arms. "I am pretty sure he already knows we hate him."
"Gray, did the whole incident with Vidaldus not teach you anything? He'll kill us! Not you, but Juvia and me for sure. Maybe even Natsu just because he heard! Are you willing to risk—"
"Look, I think we should give her a chance!" Gray said. "She's never lied to me. I think she's just lonely. If we can be the friends she needs, she won't think of telling on us. Imagine how much stronger we'd be then!"
Lyon bristled. He closed the gap between them and jabbed a finger into Gray's chest. "That's why you're a failure as a soldier, Gray." Lyon growled, face both angry and disappointed. "This will ruin you one day. I'd hate to see it, but I won't be surprised. Not everyone can be redeemed, Gray. She's a savage! They never change. If you think she can be our friend, you're setting yourself up for betrayal. Look what Phantom did to Natsu's tribe!"
Gray's gaze fell on the curled up dragon slayer. He seemed to ignore everything around him, just stare unblinkingly at the desert...
"And she's his favourite pet soldier. Have you forgotten that?"
The prince bit his lip. Well, there were rumours about how she got her current rank…
Juvia placed a hand on his arm. "I believe in Gray-sama."
"I'd hate to break it to you, but you've never been in the desert or the military." Lyon crossed his arms over his chest. "People do cruel things to each other."
Juvia looked indignant. "Juvia is not ignorant!" Then her face softened. "But Juvia also believes in Erza. Has Lyon forgot what distinguishes us from Alastair?"
Tense silence filled the air.
Lyon ran a hand over his face. "Fine," he growled.
"Will Lyon leave Erza alone?"
"I said fine!" He snapped. "But if I see a slightest sign of betrayal, her head rolls."
Juvia nodded. Some tension left Gray's shoulders. However, they placed so much trust in Erza… He hoped that they weren't wrong.
Lyon turned his back on them and shattered the protective balustrade. "Juvia, make sure to pack your things," he said quietly. "Just the essentials. You and I might have to leave tonight."
"Juvia hopes that doesn't happen."
"Well, me too." He looked at them sadly. "But unlike Gray, I wouldn't rely on a mere belief to get me through. I'd prepare for when the inevitable happens. Hoping is a waste of time; God only helps those who help themselves." His blue eyes locked on Gray's black. "I won't be the one left grieving." He hopped off the roof. "Ice Make, Eagle!"
Gray sat down and hung his head. A heavy weight lodged into his chest. It felt like an invisible hand was crushing him.
He wasn't even sure that he had made a right choice anymore. If it really came down to it...
Maybe it wasn't too late to call Lyon back and...
And what? Tell him to kill his personal knight?
He was gambling with his siblings' lives.
Why'd he even have to pick? This was stupid! And crazy, and why the hell did he have to...
His throat closed up.
He couldn't imagine his life without Lyon and Juvia.
Damn it! Gray blinked back tears.
I'm an idiot! Moron! The worst person to have graced this Earth! I am so useless... How can I make the right decision? What is the right decision?
Lyon should be king! I can't do this... I can't... Lyon is meant to be the heir.
How... how can they stand to look at me? I can't save my own slave, how am I supposed to save the city?
Maybe it'd be better if I just disappeared.
"Is Gray-sama alright?" Juvia said.
The raven stood, keeping his eyes down and struggling to keep his voice under control. "Y-yeah. We should get back."
Juvia nodded. "Does Natsu need help getting down?" She said in Tribal.
I don't deserve friends like her and Lyon. "I think yes," Gray said. "Juvia move, no pain."
Salamander rose to his feet, posture defensive. "Don't touch me."
Gray turned to Juvia. "It's fine. I'll make a ladder he can climb down," he said in Common. "Good night. And, I think you should do what Lyon said... just in case."
xxxxx
Gray retrieved an oil lamp from a shelf and lit it up, basking the room in an orangey glow. Harsh shadows fell over the room and his slave's face, making his one working eye blaze from the darkness. The shadows also emphasised the torn-up and bloody state of his clothes. There wasn't much left to do in the day but wash and sleep. And Gray didn't want the slave to climb into the princess's luxurious bed dirty and in filthy clothes.
"Come," the prince said. "Macao make clean clothes for you."
He had a harder time reading Natsu's expressions in the dark. The pinkette looked either tired or hurt. Probably both. Gray was tired too. The quicker they got this over with, the faster they could go to sleep. "Will be no pain," Gray said in a calm tone. "I promise."
Natsu grunted, and stiffly followed him into the corridor. Finally he must be feeling pain from the watermill.
They arrived at the slaves' quarters. Gray peered into the men's section where Macao slept. The old slave saw him immediately and sat up on his cot. "A late-night visit from the Crown Prince? What an honour!" He said, voice dripping with sarcasm.
The other slaves stopped their conversations and stared at them.
"Well? What do you want?" Macao snapped.
Gray swallowed. He hoped Macao had forgotten the incident but it seemed that luck wasn't on his side. "I want fresh clothes for my personal slave."
"Right away." Macao walked past him into the corridor, giving him a scathing look.
Gray and Natsu followed the old slave to one of the storage rooms. Clothes in different styles and colours hung in metal stands in the middle of the room. Rows and rows of white linen garments lay folded on the shelves and in neat piles on the floor.
Macao walked to the shelf-lined wall opposite the doorway. He pulled some trousers out, frowned and folded them back. "Ugh. I already forgot there the clothes for the slaves of the crown prince are."
"Macao?" Gray called.
"Yeah?" The slave said without pausing his search.
"I shouldn't have yelled at you. You went out of your way to help Natsu and I acted like a dick."
"Keep going."
"Macao!" The prince gave him an exasperated look even as a smile spread to his face. "I already said I'm sorry. Don't expect me to say anything more."
The slave looked at him, the twinkle returning to his eyes. "Really? I didn't hear you say 'Macao, I am so sorry for acting so foolishly and I promise to never do it again, and if I do, you can have my monthly share of cucumber servings'."
"C-cucumber servings?" The prince raised one eyebrow.
The slave laughed, a hearty, boisterous sound that lit up the hollow place. "You should have seen the look on your face." He wiped a tear off his eyes.
The prince frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. He clenched his teeth so he wouldn't say something he'd regret again. At least one of us is having fun at my expense...
"You're so uptight about everything, Gray," Macao said, still laughing. "That's why Lyon likes to tease you so much. Lighten up."
"I'm trying."
"Now now. None of that frowning here!" Macao waved his arms in the air. "You can save all the frowning for the king. This place can use more cheer."
The raven sighed. Cheer? Here? His gaze roamed about the murky room and rested on the older man's silver collar that glinted in the lamplight. How could he say that?
Macao hummed as he searched for the clothes. He pulled out a bundle. "This should be about right." He held a pair of shorts against Natsu's frame. "Come back if something doesn't fit." He dumped the bundle into Gray's arms and paused. "Did you get into a fight?"
Gray brought his hand to his split lip. "It's nothing."
Macao frowned. "Don't tell me the king..."
"What? No!" The prince near shouted. An involuntary shiver ran through his body. "One of the knights got me when we sparred, is all."
"Really?" Macao looked suspicious. "You told me they don't have the guts to."
"Well, one of them did! Thanks for the clothes. Bye." He grabbed Natsu's wrist and walked into the corridor. His heart hammered at what the older slave implied...
The prince let go when they were sufficiently far away. "Forgive me."
His eyes widened at what had just slipped off his tongue. There was no 'sorry' in Tribal. Instead, each aspect of sorry had its own distinct phrase. He hadn't realised what he said until it was out in the air.
"For which part?" Natsu narrowed his eyes.
"It is night," Gray said, voice tired. "Let us wash and sleep. More energy tomorrow."
He turned to leave, and to his relief, Natsu silently followed. The Tribal leader must have been tired as well.
Good. He had enough fights for today.
They reached the prince's quarters without incident. Gray fixed the lamp in the holder above the marble bathtub. "Damn! I completely forgot about water." He eyed Natsu's injuries. He'd better not make the slave haul the water, so that he could heal. He tried the sink tap but no water flowed past ten at night as he expected. Gray hung his head. He'd have to get water personally at this hour. The image of the green-haired water warden Karen appeared in Gray's mind. I don't want to deal with another bitch right now. Maybe if he was lucky he'd run into Aries instead. I should have asked Macao to fill the bath.
"What now?" Natsu asked.
Good question.
"I think how to find water."
Natsu rose his eyebrows. "You won't find water up in this rock mountain. It's in the ground, idiot."
Gray laughed, the hilarity of the statement making him overlook the insult. "Now that's a good one," he said in Common. "You clear not spent time in a city," he said in Tribal. "Watermill give water."
"There was no water."
"No. Watermill make water. Chieftain Alastair has watermill. So, Alastair give water if we are good."
"How can he have the watermill?" Natsu asked. "It's too big for one person."
Gray sighed. His gaze fell on tall clay pots to the side of the sink. He hated using drinking water to wash up but seemed he had no choice. He mourned passing up a full bath, but on well, he'd get another one in five days. "Is not simple," Gray said as he read the pots' labels. "Alastair make watermill. People have..." He paused, searching for the right word. He met Natsu's curious stare. "People have... obedience for Alastair." He pried open the pots' lids. "Alastair give water for work, for obedience."
"So he made the watermill," Natsu flopped down. "I'm sure everyone thanked him. Why can't everyone just share now? He's just one man."
Gray rolled the pot out. "Not made watermill. Make. Alastair make... Alastair makes watermill every day."
"What? How?" Natsu asked, voice incredulous. "Why'd he destroy it every day?"
Gray paused at hearing that note of curiosity in Natsu's voice, of needing to hear the answer. Their gazes met. That was probably the first civil conversation they shared. Natsu boldly stared back, waiting for an answer. That... felt nice.
"Alastair not destroy watermill. What you saw, where you worked, is not all. Watermill is many below."
"Your Tribal is terrible." Natsu sounded disappointed. "I don't get what you're saying."
Gray poured water into a large dish and wiped the hair out of his eyes. "I know. Erza will make me have good Tribal tomorrow." He grimaced at the thought.
To his surprise, Natsu also made a face.
That's right. She had caught him escaping. She probably did something to dissuade him from escaping again. Gray wanted to ask about it, but— he'd have a better chance tomorrow when his Tribal got better.
"Good." The dish was about half full. Enough to wash up. "Come. You first." Natsu would more benefit from the clean water than him.
Natsu rose off the floor, using the wall for support. His eyes widened when he saw the dish. "All this to wash up? Are you crazy? That's such a waste! I'll drink it if you don't want it."
The raven was a little baffled. "You can drink now. Water is clear now." He dumped a wash cloth next to the dish. "Wash next."
"That's not what I meant!" Natsu's hands turned into fists. "My tribe spends all day looking for water puddles ten times smaller! You can't just throw all this away!"
Alarm ran through Gray's body. "All right. All right," he said quickly to diffuse the slave's temper. "Alright." He switched to Tribal. "We will not throw it away." He poured half the dish back into the pot.
Natsu stared at the water, stance wide, teeth bared, as if it had offended him. Then his angry stare shifted to him.
Gray mentally face-palmed. Come on! Just wash and sleep already! He resisted the urge to groan. "Come and sit." The prince patted the tub next to him. He grabbed the dish and the washcloth. "We wash soon, we sleep soon."
"I don't need your help." Natsu growled. "I can wash myself." His green eyes challenged Gray.
The raven refused to look away.
Silence hung in the air.
"Fine." The prince approached Natsu, who still looked ready to pounce, and held out the dish with the cloth to him. The Dragon leader snatched them off. Gray rolled his eyes and reached under the sink for fresh bandages. "You will need help later." He waved the bandage for emphasis and put them on the sink. Then he sat on the floor against a wall, elbows on knees, and just watched what the Dragon leader would do next.
Natsu sat cross legged on the floor and started to unwound the bandage on his arm. Just before he pulled it completely off, he looked at Gray again. "Are you just gonna keep watching?"
The question caught Gray off guard. He didn't really think what he was doing. He felt his face heat up at the implication of the question. Natsu's knowing look didn't help.
"Fine." He left the room. He slumped against a wall around the exit, next to the circle of light. Just in time to hear Natsu's hiss of pain as he pulled off the bandage.
Xxxxx
Gray woke up some time later. He didn't remember falling asleep against the wall. There was sudden sharp pain in his neck when he tried to move. "Gah!" He grabbed the back of his neck and rolled his head painfully. It was completely dark. He listened for any sound of movement. Instead of movement, he heard... humming?
Somebody was humming a sad tune.
Curious, he retrieved the lamp and lit it up. He found the dish full of dirty water and a pair of bloody shorts on the floor. The raven frowned at the faint red stains under his feet. It looked like Natsu hastily tried to wipe them off but didn't do a good job of it.
He hoped the Tribal leader wasn't bleeding again.
He shoved the dirty garment into a basket to be taken out later and tipped the water into the sink. The bandages were gone.
The humming was louder near the princess's room. It had a distinct tune. Gray swore he had heard it before somewhere…
The door leading to the princess room was open. The prince held up the lamp, not knowing what to expect.
Natsu sat in the window, the lamplight glinting off his eyes. Even in this bad light he saw that his bandages were loose and needed redoing. There was no moon; only the street lacrima illuminated the city scenery. The watermill was a great hole of darkness amid the fireflies of dwellings. Absolute black lay beyond Fairy Tail walls.
Natsu turned his head towards the black, hands hugging his knees. The humming came from deep inside his throat. The dragon slayer ignored him, so Gray sat down to listen and tried to figure out why his slave did this instead of sleeping.
It was some sort of song; that much he could tell. It sounded kind of sad.
After a few minutes, Gray thought it was depressing. Gloomy.
Normally he wouldn't mind the slaves singing. Whatever comforted them away from home was fine by him. But this song was different somehow. He felt agitated for some reason; restless. He rubbed his temples, trying to calm down. He briefly wondered if this was some kind of magic song designed to stir the listener's emotions. However the rational part of his mind slammed that thought; Natsu was powerless thanks to him so even if he had that kind of magic, it would be completely ineffective now.
Natsu came to a quiet part of the song, and Gray couldn't hold off any longer. "What is it? What does it mean?"
"Dead," Natsu said. "For the dead."
Gray's heart fell. He should have known.
"In Fairy Tail, we have no hmmmm," he imitated a humming sound, "for the dead. Only tears and silence."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Good question.
He didn't know how to say this. "What Phantom Lord did to Dragon Tribe, it's a pity."
He felt the air bristle before he saw Natsu's angry gaze lock on his. The raven felt the hair rise on his arms. He had an unsettling feeling that he screwed up his Tribal big time. He should have kept his mouth shut.
The Dragon hopped from the window. The bandage slid down the his arm, revealing the carved Fairy Tail mark. "You think? It's a pity? Is that all this is to you?" Natsu's voice was eerily quiet, even as he stepped into a wide stance and bared his teeth.
Gray swallowed. Shit. Natsu looked furious. "Forgive me. My Tribal is bad. I mean other words."
"What words?" Natsu advanced towards him. "Nothing can bring my family back! What do you know of death and loss? You have no right to say anything!"
The prince backed away from he sheer fury Natsu emitted. The slave's eyes turned red.
"Phantom killed them, even the women... even the children. Steel Dragon is still fighting! I can't stay here any longer and nadeyatsa you'll give me my powers back." He thrust out his forearms, making Gray jump. "Undo the seals now and I'll let you live."
Gray's in big trouble now. How will he get out of this one? Find out in the next chapter!
Check out Peanut61654's story called 'The Slave' if you haven't already. It's nearing conclusion soon and very worth your while :)
Review and let me know how I went with this chapter!
Feel free to send me PMs about updates. Sometimes I need a kick in the pants to grab that red pen and face up to whatever my Muse left in his wake.
A big thank you to everyone who reviewed! Each of your comments motivates me to write the very best.
Peanut61654: Thank you :D I can recommend a couple of great books on revision/editing if you're interested in improving your skills. They're well worth the money.
AsDarknessSpreads: Haha, your review made me smile for weeks! xD Nope, the storylines of In the Desert and The Slave are completely different. So, no spoilers! I don't actually know how The Slave will end. Peanut's keeping me in the dark like she does everyone else T_T
Blackagenda: Thanks for the review~
x0xalexis8: I guess this is eventual Gratsu. It will get there xD
nazurath92: Thanks for the review!
Mayuko-chan: Thank you for the long review! Haha, I guess you see right through me (or Natsu). There are a few surprises in store yet. *grin*
Miry-0-chan: Welcome! Thanks for the wonderful review. I won't make any comments on your observation just yet. *grin* All shall be revealed in time~
Vivianne95: Welcome and thanks for the review :)
ThatCreepyGothDragoon: Well…*looks at Gray's actions this chapter* um… I didn't mean to, I swear! I wanna see him act badass but the situations are just not right! I'd love to hear your thoughts on this and make the story better.
Darkmoonlady: Thank you :)
souleaterlover99: Thank you! Hearing you say that makes me incredibly happy :D
SilverHunter: Thank you! I will certainly try to get better and better xD
One last thing. I kind of have a deadline for writing this story. It's August 1. I won't be able to write any new material after that date because I have to work on another story :( I will be able to edit and update but not finish if I don't get it done by August 1. I'll write very hard until then!
Please review and favourite!
Lynx out.