The Iron Dragon Slayer didn't listen to their pleads as he stood his ground. "Gajeel-san?" Pantherlilly questioned as he climbed out of the gap in the wall.
"Intruders found different exit!"
"Intruders?" Lilly repeated. He glanced back at his partner, who only stood there with his arms crossed. His red eyes glared at the tribes people. "We aren't intruding. We only came to search fo-"
"You entered place of sacred and took Joya's favors on the land!"
Levy's eyebrow shifted as her eyes darted across the hidden threat. They stayed hidden from the sunlight and had ghostly complexions. Only an Joyian would have such a hue; which could only mean these people came from the northern land. "Joya's favors?"
"Don't listen to these assholes. Just makin' up shit," Gajeel growled. He waved his hand out in front of him as if wave off the matter. His arm transformed into a metal shard as he advanced into the forest.
The tribes people backed away from his attack, while Lilly followed Gajeel's command. Levy just stood there on the stone stairs as Gajeel fought off the surrounding tribes people. Lilly and Gajeel didn't even glance at each other as the two dueled with excellent teamwork.
There were too many.
"Gajeel, we will have to flee for now." Lilly called at his human. "There is no point staying."
"Dammit Pinky..." he cursed as he spun around and attacked those around him. He turned around and raced over to Levy, while Lilly guarded his back. The spiky haired boy picked up the bluette and placed her over his shoulder. And she squealed as he raced away from the mountain.
The tribes people tried to follow, but instead they came to a halt when the city borders appeared. "They is getting away."
"They took violet carnation from we." The tribe leader tilted his head low as he stared at the ground. They were the protections of this land. Which was the only place in Minstrel that sprouted Joya's national treasures. And they failed as protectors. There tribe people from Joya would shame them for such a failure.
He could only pray those kids didn't enter a place of flowers. A flower like Violet Carnation is a solitude flower, which was why it grew near the volcano where most other plants die int eh intense heat. And if surrounded by others could only spell disaster.
...
Juvia's eyes widen as Sting and Gray fell down onto the ground. "Sting-san! Gray-sama~!" her eyes widen as she looked at her two traveling partners. She leaned down and placed her ear against Gray's chest.
She could hear his heart beating.
She froze.
A blush appeared on her cheeks. She was touching Gray-sama's smooth chest. She jerked her head up and stood away from Gray. She gave the same treatment to Sting.
Neither moved from their positions on the ground. "Juvia-san..." she started to say. She was the only one who was still able to move. Lector went ahead to scout the area. And if she left these two here, they would surety burn in the sun. "...is the one in charge of Gray-sama and Sting-san!" She declared with her fist into the air.
As soon as she did, a critter crawled out of a nearby hole. She froze and slowly gazed at the beast. It was a giant critter with a hard shell on his back, as well sharp teeth and claws. His eyes were beady as he looked down at the two bodies as if they were food.
The critter even licked his lips.
Juvia's eyes widen as her foot slammed into the ground. "Creature is not touching Gray-sama over Juvia's dead body!" she declared.
The critter gotten onto all fours as his head turned to look at the girl. His claws spread into the sand and he sped forward; and Juvia fell on her knees from such speed. The beast went to Sting's side and bite down into Sting's furry vest, and pulled.
"Sting-san!"
Juvia once again stood in front of the beast as he tried to enter his hole once more. Her hands spread out and formed into water tentacles; because they have been traveling quite some time in this heat, this was the most she could transform. "Creature isn't taking Sting-san either!"
It was because of creatures like these that the citizens of the land strayed away from the center of the country. Which meant they have already entered Guraran Desert and any signs of civilization was gone. Her chances of hiding a pond or shade was decreasing.
As well as losing which direction they were walking in.
The girl raised her tentacle and whipped it across. It slapped against the creature's face and he took a step backwards.
Sting cracked opened his eye, "Hentai?"
Juvia lifted her other hand and tried the same, but this time the creature bite down as soon as the tentacle came close. The water splashed onto Sting's face, and he imminently doze off once more. The whole tentacle fell onto the ground and the sand soaked the water up. Her eyes widen. She knew she could form another one being as weak as she was at the moment.
Instead, she took the water back. There was no point on wasting it if the creature was only going to try to drink from her. Just like all of the desert critters, they sought after water.
And she was a being of water.
Instead she shifted places and gotten closer to the beast; whose eyes darted looking for her next appearance. She came up from his side and sliced him as if her water was claws. The creature jumped to the side and dropped Sting from his jaws. He growled at the enemy and one of his paws dug into the ground. Juvia sliced him again.
He retreated back into his hole.
Her eyebrow lifted as she looked at the hole in the ground. The creature shuttered inside, and soon there was only silence. "Juvia-san wonders...why..?" She glanced back at the two bodies on the ground. Sting was laying there with his shirt over his headgear, while Gray was laying on the ground, on his back when Juvia rolled him over to listen to his heartbeats. And her next question was, "Which...way?"
Her shoulders slumped. She had to get these two to shade until if she wanted them to turn into sand and bones. As much as she wanted to care for Gray, she couldn't at a time like this. Instead, she took a hold of their clothing and dragged them along the sand lumps. A trail followed behind them with only one pair of footsteps.
"Don't worry...Gray-sama...Sting-san...Juvia-san will find shelter!"
...
"So this is Midi," Laxus stated as his eyes stared forward. Before he took a step forward he took off his backpack. "Happy, you can come out now."
A blue head appeared out of the opening and glanced around for any dangers. "Serpents?"
"None."
He popped his head out. "What about mermen? Mermaids? Did they come to steal my fish for their top parts?"
Laxus glanced back at his followers, "What the hell have you been telling him?"
"Miss Evergreen wanted to share her wet dream with him," Bickslow shrugged his shoulders as he started walking forward.
"Shut up! You moron!" she socked him.
The blonde shook his head at his followers, but he allowed one comment to slip pass his lips. "Let me guess, Elfman?"
She closed her mouth and busted out blushing. "YOU PERVERTS! AT LEAST I'M NOT THINKING ABOUT NAKED NATSHA!" She turned around to the green haired, "Or Laxus."
His eyes narrowed, "Was that suppose to mean something?"
Bickslow just watched them and chuckled. Happy clawed out of the bag and looked at the arguing adults. "Naked Natsha?" he repeated.
The blue haired elbowed the cat, "Haven't ya heard Ever's mouth? Our good old Blondie here has a crush on your hot mama!"
His eyebrow lifted, "Not zombie mom?"
Bickslow shook his head. "Natsha."
Happy's eyes widen as he looked at Laxus. His tongue pulled out and he felt like he was going to be sick. Happy just couldn't imagine him with Natsha without losing his lunch. Laxus crossed his arms and looked at the cat, "What's his problem?"
"Freddie and him shared some thoughts," he smirked.
"DO WHAT?!" The green haired lost his cool.
Happy spun around as he tried to clear his mind of those thoughts. Naked Natsha. Naked...Laxus. He walked into the fog that surrounded the place.
"What kind of thoughts?" Laxus towered over the two other males.
Evergreen turned and looked where the cat was moments ago. Her mouth widen as the place was missing. "Where is...the Furball?"
"Happy?" Laxus turned away from the two and searched for the blue cat. "He's lost?!"
Freed's eyes darken, "Fog...this is not a good sign."
"It gotten him!" Bickslow squealed. "Missing village, and now missing Happy!" He took off his helmet, "Fuck."
...
The fog surrounded them. Their backs were pushed against each other as the fog walls came closer and closer. "What's happening?!" Wendy squealed as she raised her hands over her face.
Erza slashed through the fog in front of them, but the holes were connected moments later. She wrapped her arm around Wendy's head, "Huh?" Erza didn't even answer as she pulled Wendy through the fog. Carla was pulled along by Wendy's hand. Leaves sliced at their exposed skin like razors. She covered her face with her arm. And she ran through with her eyes closed, while Erza placed her hand above her eyes as she searched for shelter of any sort.
Until they gotten into a clearing. The fog, as well as harsh shards flying through the air, did not reach this clearing. It was a whole circle with a stone on top of another stone. "What is this magic?" Erza teethed out. As soon as she stepped into the clearing, her hair laid back down on her back. Her face was sliced from the razor leaves inside of the harsh winds.
Wendy's eyes gazed around the clearing. This must have been the center of the entire mountain.
And that scent.
It couldn't be, could it?
Her eyes darted around, waiting for the source of this smell to appear. Carla tugged on her shirt, "Wendy-san, what did you smell?"
She looked down at her hands, which formed into a fist. She couldn't believe this. Why was this here out of all places? She looked up at the two rocks while the other two glazed at her with concern and curiously.
"...Grandeeney..."
Thunder Tribe gotten to Midi while Sting's group finally gotten back into the picture! Hopefully Juvia redeemed herself from last time she showed up (I'm so sorry I made her such a pain in that chapter! I was just thinking about that special chapter where Gray is Juvia's slave in aftermath of GMG).
Danizinhachan: Yup, so Mira and Rogue will have more of a spotlight soon (just wanted to end Gajeel's side for now that way I can get to Erza and Rogue groups). The flower was kinda explained in this chapter (National flower for Joya...they came from Joya to devote their lives for the flowers). Too bad Gajeel doesn't slow down and actually listen to something and maybe he would see why they were fighting him. Heh, don't we authors just enjoy torturing our favorite characters? Which is strange seeing as how I barely torture Natsha compared to my other favorite characters. I wonder what would happen if I actually turned out to be brain games with Natsha...thanks for the review and don't worry about that (we all have other things to deal with).
darkhuntressxir: Not really (they got chased off). Still got a few plans for those flowers.
rinpup14: That's probably the main problem dealing with a great dragon...not to add Natsha and Igneel both has a temper...