Stoneheart and the Woodhome
E1sky
Chapter 4
The Golem Appeared
"Howers da paramis bisrackers Lugy?" (Where's the promise fish crackers, Lucy?)
"Natsu, don't asked for food when you're eating already. That's your third melon isn't it?" Lucy said with an accusing finger at the fruit Natsu was picking up from the tray.
"But you promise fish crackers Lucy, and we were expecting it." Happy insisted.
Lucy sighed, closing her eyes momentarily. "First, it wasn't a promise. Second, I'd asked neighbors already but the village is really low in fish crackers nowadays."
"Why is it?"
Because the wider part of the river that is more abundant with fishes is found in the Forewood and you heard what the captain said. No one goes to the Forewood since yesterday so they're really out of proportions now, okay Happy?"
The cat didn't answer. Instead he looked away and helped himself with berries from the tray.
They were back at the captain's house, just the three of them. Captain Vegam had gone back straightway to his duties. Wendy had asked him if she could bring him to the village clinic hoping to provide some help to the injured. Charle came with her.
Arriving at the house, Lucy searched the kitchen for fish crackers but found none. Instead, she served her demanding teammates with a tray fresh fruits she found on the table. Now, Lucy found herself peering at the cabinet containing books in various sizes. Picking up one, she went back to her chair, plopping down to read. Taking a second look at the book she selected, she noticed it wasn't typical and upon opening it, she realized it wasn't a book at all.
The door opened. "We're here!" Wendy announced happily, no need to tell that she accomplished something wonderful in her errand. Charle was beside her and an elderly woman was standing beside them.
"Hi Wendy, and oh… who is she?" Lucy asked.
"Agatha-san, Captain's elder sister." Wendy said, coming in.
"Captain said he might not be going home tonight so he sends her to check on us." Charle explained.
"Ah! Wizards of Fairy Tail. 'Glad to finally meet you."
"Nice to meet you too, Agatha. I'm Lucy, and here's Natsu and Happy." Lucy tried to be friendly but her two teammates only regarded the woman with their 'who-are-you' look.
"Oh! I think I need to apologize in behalf of my brother for this messy room."
"Oh no! In fact it was cleaner before we came here." Lucy said, but despite the elder woman started picking up things which she deemed misplaced and eventually disappearing in the kitchen.
"What are you reading Lucy-san?"
"Look", Lucy flip the book backward and held it in her chest to show Wendy, "Photo album." Then she took the album back to her lap as Wendy and Charle sat closed beside her. Even Natsu and Happy came to peek over her shoulder as she continued flipping through the pages.
"Who's that child the captain was carrying?" Happy inquired.
"Is that woman his wife?" Charle asked.
"So the man has family after all" Natsu said casually.
"We haven't met them yet" said Wendy.
As questions piled up, Lucy lifted her eyes from the album and spotted exactly who she wanted to see. "Um… Agatha, where's the Captain's family?"
The elder woman stopped from what she was doing and regarded the blonde mage with an affectionate gaze. "They're not here anymore."
"Did they evacuate to other village?" Wendy asked.
"No my dear," Agatha said, coming forward and sat at the same chair where Captain Vegam sat earlier that afternoon. "They have died years ago."
All five wizards of Fairy Tail gasped, held their breath and hung on the older woman's words. Their reaction prompted the latter to continue her tale.
"Ana, his wife, was a nurse in this village. She was attacked by a mogun while harvesting medicinal plants in the Forewood with her team. She didn't survived, she and another from her team. Days later after her death, Diana, his daughter got sick. The child's condition never improved until her death and Lard believed it was because of the sudden absence of her mother. It was too painful for Lard. His terribly disappointed with his self, feeling helpless unable to protect his family. Since then his harboring grudge against all forest creatures and to himself. That's why he became the captain of the guards. Somehow he felt fulfillment in protecting the village and escorting teams that go to the Forewood to gather resources. His anger to animals was gradually decreasing and his learning to forgive himself. But the arrival of the golem turned everything around. He felt helpless once again. The sight of injured and damage properties brought the anger back together with the pain. That's why subduing the golem was very much important to him."
Somehow Natsu, Happy, and Wendy had teary eyes at the first part of Agatha's story. Lucy could understand that Natsu and Wendy were both abandoned for some unknown reason by their foster parents, but crying looks more comical than sad when it comes to Natsu and Happy do it together. Lucy herself had tears flowing silently. She lost her mother at an early age and was never in good terms with her father. It's almost funny how people share almost the same kind of pain without really being aware of it. Only Charle held herself perfectly, well feigned to look analyzing rather than affected.
"Sorry for making you tell us, Agatha" Lucy said wiping the trail of tears in her cheeks.
"Don't worry we've got over it. It was already years ago so please don't get yourself much affected especially when you got a big work to do. Maybe I'll just prepare you dinner so you will have energy tonight, okay!" The woman said standing up.
"Aye! Dinner!" Happy agreed happily, sad emotion leave no trace. "Then we'll crush the golem after, right Natsu?"
"Yeah sure! We'll finish this mission the as soon as we have sight of the target. This time be sure of what you found, Lucy?"
"And what just do you mean by that Natsu?" Lucy said glaring at the Salamander.
"You have mistaken a mogun for the golem earlier"
"Not me! You!"
"Because you took it first"
"It's an accident"
"Just admit your mistake Lucy" Natsu said lazily.
"I didn't- uh there's no sense arguing with you"
"Yeah, you have no sense"
"Hey! That's different from what I said"
"Different?"
Lucy sighed. "Just forget it please"
"Going back to the matter at hand," Charle started almost irritated at them, "shouldn't we make a plan for tonight?"
"Of course there's a plan" Natsu answered.
"And that is?"
"Strike the golem the moment we see it."
"Your forgetting something Natsu" Happy chimed in.
"What?"
"Stay awake. You will miss the golem tonight if you're asleep"
"As if" Lucy and Charle muttered to themselves.
"I see, stay awake Lucy" Natsu relayed.
"Why are you talking to me again?" Lucy asked in a pleading exasperated tone.
Charle sighed and decided to drop the subject, and Wendy smiled at her seeing her reaction. Maybe she'll just talk it with Lucy alone later.
Hours later . . .
"See that I defeated the golem Happy!" Natsu said from the sofa.
"I also have some part in it Natsu" Happy replied from the adjacent chair.
"Natsu…" Lucy called once again and turned to the girl and to the exceed just behind her. "I can't believe they're really having conversation in their sleep."
Wendy chuckled.
"Why don't you go closer to wake them up Lucy" Charle suggested.
"Not when they're dreaming of fighting the golem. I don't want to get hit by fire dragon's iron fist you know."
"But the real golem might appear any moments now."
"Should I wake them up with my roar?" Wendy suggested.
"That's overdoing Wendy, and counts as recklessness." Charle pointed out.
"You're becoming more like Natsu" Lucy teased.
Wendy gasped, aghast. "Really!?"
Lucy sighed. " 'Guess have to really wake them up now," she said and walked towards them. "Natsu… hey Natsu, wake up already" she stooped down and shook him a little but the dragonslayer only gave a murmured sound and shifted to face the backrest, turning his back to Lucy. "NatsuwakeuporIbaityoutothego lem!"
"You're so noisy Lucy"
Lucy straightened up. "Fine I'll just defeat the golem myself."
Then Lucy saw Natsu sprung up with the door bursting in the next seconds followed immediately by multiple gasps and murmurs reminding Lucy what was waiting them outside.
"What was that Lucy?"
"Oh Happy you're awake"
"Aye, where's Natsu?"
"I just woke him up"
"You overdid it" Charle chimed in.
"I'd guessed we'd better be going too" Lucy invited and led them out to what was left on the door. As she stepped out, Lucy had to momentarily close her eyes as several camera flashes met her vision. She slowly opened her eyes recognizing the torches first and then the many villagers that gathered around the house purposely waiting for them. Mayor Hamled and Captain Vegam was approaching her.
"So you're ready? We saw Natsu gone ahead." The mayor said.
"Eh, my door!" The captain muttered taking a closer look at what was left to his door, the hinges and some splinters.
"Are all these people coming with us?" Charle questioned in an disapproving tone.
"I'm afraid it can't be help," Mayor Hamled explained, "You see our village is named after a wizard but there's no really a single wizard in this village. So for the villagers to see wizards at work is like some occasion."
"But you can't let them get too near" Lucy reminded.
"Yeah, we have cleared that," Captain Vegam assured. Then they started the walk towards the Forest Alley with the villagers marching behind them, almost the same way the first time they arrived in the village.
"This is your opportunity Lucy" Happy whispered.
"Opportunity for what?"
"You see some of the villagers have cameras. Who knows if their shots will somehow reach the Weekly Sorcerer magazine."
"Oh Happy! Why I haven't thought that earlier?"
" 'Cause I'm smarter than you Lucy"
"I'm not expecting you to answer that, silly cat"
"What are those things Lucy?" Happy asked when the end of the alley came to sight.
Lucy smirked. "While you and Natsu's asleep we set out traps." On the middle of the road were a pile of chairs, some tables, and other furniture. A little further were a pile of blankets, pillows and clothes. Again a little further was a table full of foods from meat to vegetables to fruits to fishes and a pink-haired dragonslayer was devouring them pleasurably. "Natsu!"
"Hi Lucy", Natsu waved, mouth full and a large portion of meat in hand.
Lucy stormed off to him to drag him back where she left the rest of her teammates and the villagers behind.
"What was it again Lucy?" Natsu inquired once they have joined the other.
"You should not be eating those Natsu, it's for the golem."
Natsu gasped. "You feed the golem and not me. That hurts my feelings you know."
"It's not what you think. It's a trap."
"Why do we need a trap? Can't I just beat up the golem?"
"And then what?"
"It will go away"
"What if it's come back tomorrow night?"
"I'll beat it again"
"You plan to stay here?"
"No!"
"That's my point. Once we figured out the reason of its attacks then we can prevent it from coming back."
"Hm… can't I beat it so badly that it would be scared to come back?"
"We can't have assurance in that Natsu. Have you fought a golem before?"
"No, I thought you do?"
"Yeah but it was only Sherry's rock doll. This one's real having its own life and according to description, probably bigger. We haven't known its nature so please don't attack yet till I give you the signal, okay?"
Natsu sighed. "Fine"
Beyond the sight of the villagers, hidden in the dark of the shadows, two mages were watching their moves, discussing their plan of action while the villagers were making their fuss.
"Hey Zukyu, how are we suppose to move with this too many people in the way?" said one.
Zukyu, the other replied with a short laugh. "Don't worry Rukyu, I see somebody will do the work for us. All we have to do for the moment is wait." He ended his statement with a grin that was dimly noticeable in the darkness.
Lucy finds herself telling the people to back off more a little further. She turned to other group and momentarily posed as someone took a shot with a camera. Then she continued giving instructions for villagers to hide themselves at least from the golem's field of vision. With this many watchers around, what Lucy see is that their mission is slowly becoming a live show. But they didn't know Natsu. If things got uncontrollable, Lucy knew the battleground could extend to unexpected measures.
Lucy sighed and turned to look at her teammates. Wendy was apparently having a fair battle in persuading herself to ignore the specters and focus on work. Lucy always thought her hardworking attitude was so cute on her. What the little dragonslayer didn't know is that she's more useful than what she thinks of herself.
The other dragonslayer was just a few steps beside her waiting silently, completely ignoring the fuss around him. Maybe bored, maybe dozing off to sleep, but at least he stopped staring at the food she forbids him to, Lucy thought.
She was about to approach him when he snapped out, halting Lucy from her tracks. Wendy had the same impression as Natsu. They were both intently looking at the direction of the Forewood. Charle who was helping her controlling the villagers also stopped and also turned to look at the forest. Happy flew upward as if to peer ahead.
Then Lucy started hearing the disturbance in the trees too. The fuss around her died down. Everyone was listening now. There were thuds, booming rhythmic thuds that were sending slight vibrations to the ground. The steps of a giant. It's getting louder. Tension suddenly filled the air. Night wind became colder, and Lucy started to feel her heartbeat.
"It's coming Lucy!" Natsu announced and Lucy gulped in anticipation.
"I can see it!" Happy cried from above and immediately afterwards a distinguishable dark figure detached from the shadow of the Forewoods to loomed out at the lesser forest.
'Enormous' was the first word that came to Lucy's mind. It was shorter than the trees of the Forewoods but higher than regular trees that it can be spotted at the lesser forest. The dim light of the crescent moon outlining its silhouette. Much more it have menacing red eyes that glows dimly and as if staring right through Lucy's eyes. Lucy gulped for a second time and watched as the golem advanced in its own slow pace of a walk.
Villagers started to back off more without further encouragement. Excitement was easily dissolved to be replaced by fear. The very same fear they experience the previous nights slowly crept back at them at the very sight of the giant monster. Some even started to get away. Only Captain Vegam remain as close to the Fairy Tail wizards, rifle in hand.
Lucy felt the diminishing presence behind her and she thinks its better. She had finally seen it, the golem, and its coming right through her traps. She'll just only need to make sure that no unnecessary movements will go amiss. She decided to come closer to Natsu for comfort and restrain.
"Look at those red eyes Lucy, so cool" Natsu remarked, sensing her presence.
"Stop admiring scary things Natsu"
"Your hands' colder than usual" he said as he felt her hands clutched his arms.
"And you're warmer than usual huh, getting fired up already?"
He grinned. "Will you give the signal?"
She shook her head. "Mm-mm, not yet"
"It stopped at the first object!" Charle announced.
The golem was standing right before the table of food. It stoop down a little as if to look closely, but then it started moving again.
"I can't believe it ignored the food!" Happy exclaimed.
"Maybe it's not what he eats" said Wendy.
"Or perhaps it's because he has it abundantly" Charle stated.
They all watched as the golem stopped at the second object. At first it was just touching the bundle lightly as if testing it, and then it just shoved up the whole pile of cloth with its oversize hand.
"Told you it was just cold" Happy said.
"So we'll only need to give him a big sweater and he'll be fine" Natsu said.
"I don't think that's it" Charle stated.
The golem gaze at the next object before its eyes travelled to the nearest standing houses where Natsu and his team were closely hidden in its shadows. Then it slightly turned as if considering of going back.
"What are we going to do now, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked.
Lucy considered it for a very brief moment but there was no other choice. "We'll have to follow it and see what he'll do to the blankets."
Charle sighed. "So we've got to pushed that far after all."
"Natsu wait! Where are you going?" Charle was barely speaking when Lucy started as the dragonslayer freed from her grasp.
"I'm going to ask it Lucy"
"Why… I'm sure it doesn't talk."
"Who knows? Creature that old might know something."
And there he goes. Salamander stood casually before the golem, its ember eyes regarding him wholly.
"Hey!" Natsu bellowed, "Just tell me what's going on in here."
The golem answered in a clear mutter of a roar. "Hum…dum dum"
Natsu nodded to show understanding. "Hm-mm, so what is it?"
"Hum… dum dum"
"What does it say Natsu?" Lucy inquired, revealing herself to the golem in the instant. The rest of the team trailing behind her.
"It says 'hum dum dum'" Natsu replied.
"Yeah I heard it that way. What does it mean?"
"I don't know. Will you explain it for me?"
"Natsu!"
And then without warning, a shadow moved, travelling swiftly. Something has wheezed from above. Natsu had turned from Lucy to the golem in time to see a boulder hit the golem in the face. The boulder shattered by the impact but it did affect the golem.
"Who did that!?" Lucy started as she quickly turned to her surrounding, quickly recovering from shock. The expression on her face was a mixture of anger and fear. But there was no time to see things clearly around her for she was forced to look back at the golem as it let out an angry growl. That probably sends villagers that remained to run away if there was any. The golem's eyes burning to the nearest person to him, Natsu!
Lucy's jaw dropped in fear as she saw the golem pound at Natsu with its massive fist, breaking the ground where the dragonslayer was previously standing. Ground smoke momentarily rose. But Natsu wasn't there. He scooted backwards in time to evade the hit.
"'Guessed that's the signal Lucy" he said before grinning and his fist was engulfed with flames. He lunged forward, enhancing his jump with flames on his feet.