A/N: Alright, people. Just a heads up that this chapter will probably come across as being fairly long-winded but I really did not want to break any of it up for the sake of out it would flow. As always, thanks for reading and let me know what you think.
The sound of someone banging on the door to his apartment wrenched Kazro out of the realm of sleep. He sat up in bed, groggily rubbed his eyes and looked out the window. The sun was just now starting to peek over the horizon, leaving streaks of red and orange splayed across the patchy clouds that were slowly starting to grow in number and size. Kazro rose to his feet and hastily threw on the first pair of pants he could find and half-stumbled to the source of the knocking. He reached the door and looked through the peephole in an effort to see who was there at this ungodly hour. All he could see was a shadow in the shape of a woman.
"Who's there?" He called to the other side of the door.
"It's me, Kazro. Let me in."
He recognized the muffled voice coming from the other side. It belonged to Erza. Kazro quickly turned the deadbolt and opened the door to be greeted by the red headed Knightess in a surprisingly casual state of dress. A simple blue skirt, knee high boots and a sleeveless button-up shirt covering her frame with her hair cascading freely down her back.
"Come on in." Kazro motioned with his head as he opened the door wider for Erza to enter. "Why are you here this early in the morning?"
"Master has a couple errands he needs us to run." She replied simply.
"And they couldn't wait till later in the day for what reason?" He asked while trying and failing to stifle a yawn.
"He didn't say. All he told me was that it has something to do with tracking down a Dark Guild before the start of this year's Grand Magic Games. He needs us at the guild as soon as possible."
Kazro shrugged and popped his neck. "Either way, I'm going to make some coffee and take a shower before we go anywhere. Want a cup?"
Erza nodded and kept her eyes on Kazro as he disappeared into the kitchen. When he had vanished from sight, she reached for a lamp and flipped the switch controlling it. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the deceptively bright source and looked around what appeared to be a living room. It was simple and only had a handful of furnishings. A table was set up near the apartment's entrance and held a secondhand Lacrimavision set. Directly across from it was a simple oak coffee table in front of a gray and blue striped couch that looked almost as comfortable as a hotel bed.
'Seems like he moved in to this place in a hurry.' She thought with a light chuckle.
She took a deep breath and could smell the onset of a fresh pot of coffee. She let the scent fill her lungs and exhaled contentedly. Erza did not drink it often, but it was always a pleasant smell in the early mornings. Kazro reappeared holding two cups and handed one of them to the Knightess before disappearing again, this time down a short and narrow hallway. Erza chuckled to herself again. It seemed to her like Fairy Tail's newest member was not a fan of mornings by any stretch. Her eyes roamed around the living room again. They quickly settled on a banner hanging on the far wall near the hallway. It was white with a red border and looked as if it had seen better days. The emblem stood out to the scarlet haired mage the most.
'He must have salvaged it from his old guild, but I can't tell if he's even tried to repair the tears in it.'
Her train of thought came to a halt with the sound of boots resonating quietly on the wooden floor of the apartment. Erza quickly finished what remained of her coffee and sat the empty cup on the table beside her.
"If you don't have much else to do then I will meet you at the guild." She called down the hall.
All she received in reply was something between a grunt and an actual sentence that indicated an understanding of what Erza had just said. She exited the apartment and gave the banner hanging in the room one last look before closing the door behind her and making the short trek to the guildhall.
Magnolia was just now starting to rouse itself from its own slumber as the sun continued to slowly rise. The air was cool and crisp. The last vestiges of winter were clinging as best they could with the onset of spring and the warmer weather that came with it. Thoughts began to churn in the redhead's mind. She had no idea why her and Kazro needed to meet with Makarov so early in the morning, but their master had made it clear that it was a matter of urgency, especially with this year's edition of the Grand Magic Games looming just over the horizon. Erza shook the thought from her head. Worrying about it now would do little good. She looked up at the large building looming in front of her. Her ruminations had apparently distracted her from how long of a walk it was from Kazro's apartment to the hall.
'Already? I know I was lost in thought but I didn't realize I was that far gone.' She smiled inwardly.
Erza pushed open the doors to the main hall and took a seat at the bar, making her presence known to the white haired woman behind the counter. She shot a quick glance around the rest of the hall, but could find no trace of the man who had made it abundantly clear that he wanted her and the Exorcist there as early as possible.
"Morning, Erza. Need something to eat?"
Erza's turned to look at the source of the question. She smiled softly at the white haired bartender and placed an order for a breakfast consisting of eggs, sausage and a couple slices of an orange. A plate full of food was placed in front of her after a few minutes and she begun to absent-mindedly pick away at the food. The sense of urgency that had been in Makarov's voice over the communication lacrima in her room had been troubling her. The master almost never used them, preferring to wait till the members arrive on their own before asking them to do something. What was stranger was that she could have sworn she had heard another voice in the background that sounded vaguely familiar.
No sooner had she finished her food, did the door leading to Makarov's office on the upper floor open. Erza looked up to the balcony and saw Makarov leaving the office while being followed closely by a man with his hair in a neat bun and wearing the uniform of the Rune Knights. The two men quickly made their way down the stairs and approached the bar.
"Where's Kazro?" Makarov asked Erza.
"He's on his way. It shouldn't be too much longer before he gets here." Erza replied as she looked between the two men. "Why is Lahar here?"
"I'm here on official Council business. And we require the abilities of you and one of your newest members." Lahar stated flatly. "More specifically, the business deals with a possible attempt on the King's life at the upcoming games."
"Mira, we're going to the storage room. Send Kazro down when he gets here."
"Sure thing, Master." She said with a smile despite the apparent gravity of the situation.
The group of three quickly moved to one of the rooms underneath the main hall. Erza did not venture down to this part of the building often, mainly because what was down there was of little to no interest to her. She looked to the far side of the room. There was a man sitting in a wooden chair, with a blindfold over his eyes, his mouth was gagged and he was tied to the armrest and legs. She was instantly confused, but her attention turned to the door which opened to reveal Kazro. He was still yawning and had a look on his face that clearly indicated that he was irritated.
"Now just why in the hell were we told to be h-" His eyes had landed on the Rune Knight in the room. "Better question. Why the hell is one of those here?" He made no effort to hide his disdain for the other man clad in white.
"Oh, good. You're here."
Kazro looked down to see the Fairy Tail master motion for him to enter the room and close the door behind him. The Exorcist complied and stepped further into the room without taking his eyes off Lahar. Once inside, he slung his pack off his shoulders and set it on a nearby table next to a handful of empty mugs that had been missed during the last cleanup.
The Rune Knight was the first to break the awkward silence that had settled between him and Kazro. "You must be the one Makarov told me about. If even half of what he said is true then your skills will be invaluable here."
Kazro grimaced slightly. "And just what is it that you want?"
"It's simple. We need you and Erza to perform an interrogation." Lahar's voice held a barely noticeable sense of urgency.
Kazro looked to the other side of the room. He saw the man, clearly unconscious and still bound to a chair. He studied him for a while and caught a glimpse of some kind of red mark poking out from the man's left sleeve and what looked like a continuation of it rising just above the collar of his shirt. He quickly dismissed it for the time being, deciding instead to focus on why an interrogation was needed.
"Wouldn't the Council be more suited for something like this?" Erza asked.
"Usually, yes. Unfortunately, this case is one of the few exceptions." Lahar answered.
"What do you mean?" Makarov interjected.
"Time is a major factor here. Also, according to some reports I've received, there is a mage in this room who is very capable of performing one."
Three pairs of eyes drifted to Kazro with varying levels of uncertainty, the most of which came from the Knightess. Thoughts began to swirl in Erza's mind, but she quickly put an end to those until she could actually talk to the Exorcist without other people listening. Kazro made eye contact with Lahar and scoffed.
"Let me guess. It was one of Torrin's reports, wasn't it?" Kazro asked while already knowing the answer.
Lahar continued as if he hadn't heard Kazro. "Makarov Dreyar, if Fairy Tail can produce information that leads to countering the plot I mentioned earlier, then the outstanding charges for property damage will be forgiven."
The discussion between the Rune Knight and the Fairy Tail members was interrupted but the sound of sniffing followed by a raspy chuckle. The source was the bound and blindfolded man on the other side of the room.
"I'm not telling any of you a damn thing! Especially not that bitch, Titania."
The voice was deep and hoarse with a rough, piercing laugh punctuating Erza's moniker. The redhead felt a flash of anger and was about to requip a sword into an anxious hand when she felt a hand from behind rest on her shoulder. She looked back with fury still in her eyes to see a stone faced Kazro staring at the prisoner. The man sniffed the air again and perked his ears as he tried to listen in on the conversation that he had derailed.
"And is that a familiar smell?" He sniffed twice more. "I knew it. It's that son of a whore, Fhlosten. How much did your whore of a guild matron scream as she died?"
Erza felt the grip on her shoulder tighten through her pauldron and shifted from the building heat focusing in the same spot. She looked back again at Kazro and saw his eyes flash green for a brief second before he relinquished his grip.
"Alright, Rune Knight. Consider it done." Kazro stated to raucous laughter from the other side of the room.
Kazro launched a small fireball at the man's torso, hitting him dead on in the gut and effectively silencing him temporarily.
"Master Makarov, if you and Erza wish to keep what respect you have for me, then it might be a good idea for the two of you to leave the room." He added.
Erza looked between Kazro, Lahar, and Makarov. The latter two nodded at her. She shot another glance at Kazro. His jaw was clenched and his eyes looked as if they were now trying to bore through who Lahar had brought with him. She reluctantly left the room and looked behind her at the Exorcist once again as she rounded a corner, taking the room out of sight. Makarov was not far behind, but he left a small magic circle beside the threshold as he exited. The Fairy Tail master and one of his strongest mages might now be blind, but they would at least be able to hear what would happen next.
"Aww did they get their feelings hurt? You're so mean, Fhlosten." The captive teased. "You know, I was the one that told Twilight Flare about where your guild's little pl-"
He had been cut off mid-sentence by Kazro pushing the chair over, causing it to topple backwards. The unnamed man had the air knocked out of him. He struggled to regain his breath but was only able fill his lungs halfway when a boot pressed down on his sternum. He could feel a sharp heat emanating from above him and opened his eyes to see Kazro leaned over him, the silver eyes reflecting the green flames and showing a controlled and calculated fury.
"Speak another word about Titania or my Matron and the last of your sight will be spent watching my thumbs pressing into your eyes." Kazro growled in a way that sounded more demonic than human.
The detainee recoiled as much as he could with a boot on his chest and his limbs restrained. A laugh soon escaped from between his lips as he was righted by Kazro.
"Heh. You won't kill me." He proclaimed mockingly.
"You're right. You're worth more alive." The prisoner smiled arrogantly, confident in his safety. "However, there are things in this life that are much worse than death." A sickening chuckle escaped Kazro's throat. "And I can do all of them. Now answer the Rune Knight's questions."
Makarov and Erza sat in silence as they listened in on the room through the circle that had been placed in the room. Erza glanced uncomfortably at Makarov. She was no stranger to interrogations from both sides, but it was all she could do to try ignoring the fact that what was happening in the basement may very well become an exercise in torture. They had been staring intently at the magic circle on Makarov's desk. Every little thing that was said or done could be heard as if they were in the same room two levels down. The Knightess shifted in her seat again.
"Erza. You don't have to stay in here if you're uncomfortable." Makarov said softly.
Erza opened her mouth to protest but no words were able to be formed. She closed her mouth and instead focused her attention on the glowing magic circle that had bathed the room in a warm yellow light. The urge to leave the room had grown slightly. She would wince when paying attention to the magic circle. Her own morbid curiosity was forcing her to stay there and listen.
"No. I want to stay." She replied as she swallowed nervously.
The air in the makeshift interrogation room was stifling. Between the lack of any kind of circulation and Kazro manipulating the temperature with his magic, the prisoner was beginning to sweat through his shirt. The bound man and Kazro made eye contact but it was soon broken by Kazro turning his back to rummage around in his pack. Less than twenty seconds later, he had found the subject of his search. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a flame dancing off his finger. The Exorcist placed the half-full pack of cigarettes on the table, confident that he would be returning to it at least one more time before he left the room.
"I don't remember your voice, but that rat-like face of yours is a different story." Smoke trailed lazily out of Kazro's mouth as he spoke. "If I remember right, then you're cannon fodder for a dark guild based in Stella. And if that's the case, why the fuck are you in Fiore?"
The prisoner chortled and spat at Kazro's feet. Kazro's face contorted into an expression of disgust as the saliva landed just shy of his left foot. He took another drag off the cigarette and exhaled the smoke in the prisoner's face, earning a handful of coughs and short fit of rapid blinking. The Exorcist held the index finger of his free hand over the left hand of the prisoner and muttered a short incantation, causing a series of magic circles to appear on the prisoner's fingers.
Kazro stood behind the prisoner and lowered his voice. "I'll let you in on a little secret. My magic was originally developed centuries ago to send demons back to the underworld. After a while, almost all of the demons had been suppressed with the occasional straggler breaking free from the realm of the dead. It was during that little interim period that various kingdoms across the continent started using this same magic to quell rebellions and carry out inquisitions. Not many people know about that last part and even fewer know the methods that were used. Now I will ask you again. You will answer, or you will start losing fingers." Another flash of green streaked across his eyes as he continued. "Why are you in Fiore?"
The prisoner steeled his face and stared at Kazro as if he were trying to bore a hole through him. "Go to hell."
"Wrong answer. Tor'na."
The magic circle on the prisoner's left pinky began to glow brighter than the rest and then activated, burning it off from the second knuckle to the tip. An ear-piercing scream sounded through the room followed by a fit of cursing and heavy breathing as the prisoner tried to regain his composure.
"What the hell are you doing, Exorcist!?" Lahar yelled.
Kazro turned his head toward the Rune Knight and spoke over his shoulder. "You're the one that asked for my skills. If anything, Torrin should have told you about my methods. If you think you can get answers out of him, then be my fucking guest. Otherwise, sit down and shut your damn mouth." He turned back to the prisoner once more. "Why are you in Fiore? Speak!"
The prisoner winced and recoild as much as he could while having all of his movement restricted. He looked at Lahar in disbelief over what was happening and then at his left hand. The magic circle that had activated just seconds ago was still at the base of his pinky and the other four on his left hand were sitting idle He bit his lip as he tried to get his thoughts together.
"Time's up. Tor'vo."
The prisoner's eyes went wide with fear as he braced himself for the searing pain that soon followed. Another blood curdling scream escaped his throat as the circle that was at the base of his smallest digit disappeared, leaving behind a blackened nub. When the screaming subsided, he looked at his hand again. The realization that the Exorcist was far more hard-nosed than the Council began to dawn on him. The fear of a very real threat of something far worse than death began to claw at his mind.
"Answer the goddamn question!" The Exorcist barked.
"Okay. Okay. I'll talk." The prisoner utter between ragged breaths.
At this point, Lahar took over the questioning. The course of the next two hours were filled with the sounds of a man speaking as fast as he could out of fear for the Exorcist still in the room and Lahar scribbling down notes at a dizzying pace. Kazro stood in the far corner of the room and had lit another cigarette, never taking his eyes off the prisoner. As soon as Lahar had finished with his questions, he motioned for Kazro to follow him out of the room and into the hallway underneath the guild. Kazro nodded but looked at the prisoner one more time, noting the markings poking out from his sleeve and collar.
"One minute, Rune Knight. There's one more question that I need answered." Kazro spoke without a trace of the anger that was in his voice earlier as he rummaged around in his pack again before pulling out a short folding knife.
The Exorcist flicked his wrist, causing the blade to flip out of the handle and lock in place. He approached the prisoner, who was now preparing for the worst as he shuddered in fear and hoped that it would be ended quick. That end never came, but he was instead greeted by what felt like cool air hitting his skin along his left shoulder to his neck. All he heard next was a growl followed by the sound of the knife being hurled through the air before becoming lodged in one of the stones that made up the wall on the far side of the room. Kazro grabbed his pack and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Something wrong?" The Rune Knight offered only token courtesy to Kazro.
"The mark that was on his collarbone."
"What of it?"
"It belongs to a dark guild that specializes in assassinations and human trafficking. Those sons of bitches were also known to pal around with Twilight Flare. In short, your job just got a lot fucking harder."
Lahar chuckled slightly and started to flip through a small book that he had pulled out from the inside of his jacket. Kazro looked him over as the Rune Knight's fingers deftly rifled through the pages before finally tearing one out and handing it to the Exorcist.
"Contact information? Why do I need this?" Kazro asked while already knowing the next thing that would come out of Lahar's mouth.
"That's one of our agents in Stella. They'll tell you where to go from there."
"And I should accept this job for what reason?"
"Otherwise, you'll have to stand trial for aggravated assault with intent to kill." The Rune Knight's features hardened as he spoke. "You should leave now. I'll notify Master Makarov of you involvement with an official Council matter. I expect an update in three days."
Kazro scoffed and muttered a string of curses as he briskly made his way out the Fairy Tail guildhall and across Magnolia to the train station. As he stood at the platform he looked around and took a deep breath, letting the early Spring air fill his lungs. He felt something or someone tap on his should and he wheeled around to find the source. Brilliant red hair and deep brown eyes greeted him. He could not help but grimace slightly as he realized it was Erza.
"How much of the interrogation did you hear?" He cut straight to the point and prayed to the gods that she heard nothing.
Erza looked down and shuffled her feet. "All of it. And Master told me that you were forced to do a job for the Council in another country. You know, there's a good chance you'll miss the games coming up soon."
"Damn, I forgot about those. I'll make a bet with you." He said, causing the redhead to perk up at the mention of a friendly wager. "If I get back before the games are over, then I get to take you out sometime."
"And if you don't?"
"No clue. That'll be for you to decide." He chuckled.
"I'm sure I can figure out something for you to do. Just-" She paused as she tried to find the right way to voice her thoughts. "Just come back in one piece." She gave the Exorcist one of her rare warm smiles.
The Knightess received a smile back in return. Something else was clawing at her mind though. Before either of the two could react, she had thrown her arms around Kazro's neck and pulled him into an embrace neither of the two had seen coming. Kazro broke the hug as the train whistle resounded throughout the station. He looked back at Erza and flashed her another smile and waved as he disappeared on to the car. Erza turned on her heels and walked out of the station and back to the guildhall. When she got outside, she was greeted by Makarov sitting on one of several benches in front of the terminal.
"You know he cares about you, right?"
Erza simply nodded and smiled at the man who was the closest thing she had to a father since she was a child. The two mages walked in silence back to the guildhall, both of them hoping that Kazro would return from Stella sooner rather than later.
