Stoneheart and the Woodhome
E1sky
Chapter 5
The Golem Has Been Abducted?
'The golem is surely pissed off by that' Natsu thought. He knew that something had gone amiss from Lucy's plan. He had a peaceful talk with the golem, although he hasn't understood any of it. And then someone just attacked the golem indecently, unmanly in Elfman's words. No wonder it was angry now, attitude completely change. And its burning eyes was focusing on him, the Salamander, the fire dragon's son. A challenge? A Fight? Bring it on!
The golem's massive arm moved and Natsu moved away in instinct. He had evaded the first strike but something in that movement surprised him. It bothered his mind for a brief moment but it was in his nature to enjoy the fight that he recovered quickly.
"Guess that's the signal Lucy!" he said, grinned, and engulfed his fists with flames. He lunged forward, boosting his jump with flames on his feet. "Firedragon's iro- gack!"
Natsu was hit in midair by the golems swing. That's it! That's what bothered him earlier. It's speed. The golem moves with considerable speed regardless its size and contradicting the impression its slow-paced style of walking gives.
"Natsu!" Lucy cried as she saw the dragon slayer blasted away and hit a house. She was unable to see him inside but the house that he was in suddenly burst in flames damaging the adjacent houses as well. Then the fires give way to reveal the fire mage.
"Alright, I'm all fired up!"
Natsu charged again towards the golem. He boosted another jump with fire, this time out of the golem's range. "Firedragon's roar!"
The attack hit the golem squarely in the chest and the flames splashed even to the face. Natsu landed to the ground and waited for his fire to die down at the golem. "Hey! It doesn't look like it burned."
"It's a living rock Natsu, you can't crush it just like any other stone." Happy said hovering above him.
"Then I'll do a number on it till it breaks. Firedragon's wing slash!"
The golem defended itself with its one arm while the other arm, that had dropped the linens a long time ago, shoved up a heap of solid soil.
"Ranged attacked!" Happy warned and Natsu finds himself being hurled with chunks of earth. He dodged, but his evasion drives him closer to the golem. Natsu saw it but he was not in position to make another evasion. The golem will hit him with a fancy stick that has branches and leaves. It missed. Happy had taken him upward.
"That was closed Happy"
"Aye, it's getting dangerous down there. It's safer up here."
"Where did the golem got his stick?"
"Stick? It just uprooted a nearby small tree Natsu!"
"He can make a good logger then"
"That is if he wasn't charged of illegal logging"
Down below, the golem was roaring angrily up at them, its stick/weapon pointing dangerously towards them.
"You pissed him off Happy"
"Do you think it can fly too?"
"I doubt it" But then something came up at them, the stick. The golem shot the stick to them. Happy was too surprise that he wasn't fast enough to dodge but Natsu burned the tree.
"There's more Natsu!" Happy started seeing the incoming projectiles, "Now it's hurling the ground at us."
"Don't worry! I'll burn them all down."
"Wait! I think that doesn't sounds good"
Too late, Natsu already engulfed the soil projectiles with flames and they turned to lava. Happy geared up to max speed just to evade the scorching projectiles.
"Natsu, please remember that unlike you I can be burned"
"Yeah… it stopped"
"What? Aye! The golem stopped attacking. 'think it's Lucy."
"Let's go back down there, Happy!"
"Aye sir!"
Lucy saw Natsu overwhelmed. He can counter with long range attacks but the golem was just very tough and strong, and resourceful too. Natsu was right, creature that old knows something and in its own favor. Now she got to do something to give Natsu an opening. Teamwork is the word. Breaking the golem was Natsu's job, what she can give is distraction.
"Open gate of the horse, Sagitarius!"
"How can I help you? Moshi moshi?"
"See that giant? We need to assist Natsu."
"As you wish moshi moshi"
The man in horse costume shot his arrows straight to the giant's face. It doesn't seem to harm him but it did got his attention as its glaring eyes shifted to stare at them.
"What's next Lucy?" Charle asked and then snapped as she noticed something. Wendy wasn't with them anymore! "Wendy!"
"When did she get there?"
"Skydragon's roar!"
Wendy targeted the golem's leg and it was strained from moving to balance its heavy body. But then that was also makes the golem eyed Wendy who was now the nearest. "Ooops" She involuntarily took a stepped backward but stumbled and fell on her butt. The golem looks more terrifying to her now that she was almost in its reach. But before anything could happen, fire blasted to keep the golem from her. "Natsu-san!" The golem looked up to them with a horrifying roar.
"Quick Happy, let's do another attacked before Lucy could defeat the golem first."
"Don't worry Natsu, Lucy's not trying to defeat it she's just confusing it."
"Whatever, let's finished this off. Max speed!"
"Aye sir!"
Happy flew upward to reload, and then he came down at maximum speed releasing Natsu with the momentum. What more? Wendy cast vernier on him for more boost and arms to increase attack power. Natsu was ablaze. The golem seems readied itself to take the impact but suddenly the ground it was standing give way from its weight and it started to lose balance.
"I know I can count on you, Virgo" Lucy praised the maid beside her.
"Is it enough to deserve your punishment, princess?"
"Just shut up"
"Firedragon's sword horn!"
Lucy saw Natsu hit the golem right in the middle of its supposed eyebrows. Then they saw the golem completely lose its ground as it tilted backwards. They saw it fell to the ground with a loud thud of defeat. A brief moment of silence, the golem has fallen!
"Yey!" Lucy highfived Charle in the air. Natsu and Happy landed a little beside the fallen golem. Wendy was with them immediately.
"You did it Natsu-san!"
"Thanks for the boost Wendy" he said with a grin.
"Natsu!" Lucy approached with Charle.
"Wendy, that's dangerous earlier!" Charle reprimanded.
"I know, but I wanted to help. Sorry for worrying you Charle."
"This is bad, you're learning from Lucy"
"Why me!" cried Lucy.
"By the way, what are we going to do now?" Charle asked surveying the whole length of the golem.
Lucy placed her index finger to her cheek. "I don't know. We can't even move something this big."
"We'll just keep it for interrogation later" Natsu suggested.
"No one here can talk to a golem Natsu!" Lucy reminded, bit sarcastically.
"Not everyone tried yet"
"As if"
Suddenly they were distracted by rocky sounds from the golem. They all turned to see different portions of soil rising up from either side of the golem, connecting in the center and strapping the golem in place.
"What's happening?" Lucy asked no one in particular.
The ground where the golem was laying leveled up to as if a platform. Then the ground began to vibrate and the platform where the golem was started to move away.
"It's getting away Natsu!" Happy cried.
"Stop right there!" Natsu demanded setting foot forward but a boulder swished in front of him stopping his pursuit eventually. Two suspicious, probably mages, appeared riding the unconscious golem, apparently causing the movements of the ground.
"Thanks for knocking the golem for us" one said waving goodbye.
"I'm not giving you anything, come back here! Happy!"
"Aye sir!" Happy flew Natsu in chase of the suspicious wizards.
"Happy… Charle!" Wendy called but the white cat was already on her to fly her too.
The wind blew and Lucy realized she was left behind. "Hey wait!"
"Charle… Lucy-san?"
The white cat sneered. "I can't carry two people at once" she said but went back anyway.
Lucy knew what to do though. "I am a mage that connects to the spirit world. Hear my call and transcends to the gate. Open gate of the twin, Gemini!"
Gemini came out in Lucy's form. "Hello master?"
"Copy Charle"
"Right away"
Charle let them touched her and Gemini glowed transforming to another Charle.
"Now we'll follow Natsu, let's go!"
"Aye"
"That magic Natsu, they're the ones who threw the boulder to the golem earlier and disrupting Lucy's plan." Happy said as they chase the bad wizards.
"We can outrun them Happy" Natsu remarked seeing the trails of their chase below which was the length of the lesser forest.
"Aye, I'll get you ahead Natsu"
"Natsuuu!" Lucy called from behind.
Happy turned but was too surprised to see not just one but two pretty exceed that he accidentally dropped Natsu. "Charles!
"Nats- what cat! Get Natsu Happy quick!" Lucy ordered disgustingly but Natsu already disappeared below the trees.
"What was that?" Zukyu asked upon hearing an ascending scream.
"Above!" Rukyu warned just before Natsu landed on the golem with his stomach. The fall shocked Natsu but he met the eyes of the two mages. He stood up into fighting stance but stoop down again almost at the same time.
"What's wrong with this guy? We haven't done anything to him yet." Zukyu wondered.
"How come he followed us anyway?" Rukyu asked.
"How come your butt, look at our trails!"
"Tch, try to sail something this big and let see how neat you become"
"Let's cut through the Forewood"
The golem-carrier maneuvered and that makes Natsu's stomach turned.
"Hey don't puke here man!" Zukyu said kicking the dragonsalayer.
But Natsu stood his ground or rather 'lied' his ground clutching on whatever he was on to stay where he was. "Stop this thing… and fight me… fairly" he managed to say.
"Sheesh, you're only hurting yourself, give up already!" Zukyu sneered and beat Natsu harder. Not one among the three of them noticed the incoming miscommunicated assault from above.
"Skydragon's roar!"
The roar hit them halting the carrier at once. Unfortunately, Lucy who was actually trying to get to Natsu was caught in it.
"You fired too excitedly Wendy!" Charle scolded and Wendy tapped her heap with her fist.
Lucy found herself crouching on a rock. She sat herself down eventually. The other mages was not in sight but she found Natsu just in front of her still clinging on to where he was before. Lucy had the thought of getting on to him when she was suddenly bathed in red light and warmth coming from behind. Lucy turned to look but guessed what to see already. It was the golem's eyes that were blazingly bright like Lucy had never seen before. So bright that red glow spilled all over its face and Lucy was actually sitting on its chin!
The golem growled and Lucy scuttled down and run quickly in horror that she forgot to take Natsu with her. She turned but continued to stepped back and back and back as she watched the golem rose and rose and rose to its full height. It was apparently not in good mood and Lucy could tell it wasn't even aware when it lifted each huge foot and stepped on Natsu who had fall the moment it stood up. 'Poor Nastu'
And then a cry of help got Lucy's attention. "Wendy!" She turned to see Wendy being caught. The other two mages had their hands on Wendy and they weren't even bothered by Charle's petty attacks.
"Let me go!" cried the little dragonslayer.
"Let her go or you'll get hurt!" Charle threatened.
Lucy had the thought of getting on to them when she realized that the golem was onto them too. The bad wizards saw the incoming onslaught and they scuttled right away. Wendy remained standing there. 'What was she doing?' The golem will be on her in a moment if she doesn't move. "Wendy run!" It took another second before Lucy noticed that the girl's feet were stuck in the ground, their enemies' magic.
Wendy's face was horrorstricken as the golem appeared right in front of her, ready to pound. Charle was free but she chooses to stay hugging her. They could only scream as the golem struck with such destructive force. The ground-shattering smashed was felt even to Lucy's standing point. Cracks appeared on the ground and a hole.
"Lucy-san…" said a shocked Wendy from behind and Lucy turned to see the three of them.
"That was close princess"
"Great job Virgo!"
"I'm always prepared for punishment, princess"
"I'm getting suspicious of what do you mean by punishment."
"How about a sample, princess?"
"Go back already!"
"Lucy!" Happy called out, "I can't take out Natsu." The blue cat was trying to pull Natsu off the ground he was buried to.
"The golem stepped on him" Lucy informed coming to aid him, Wendy and Charle following.
"That's rude, being stepped on by something that big" Happy muttered.
"He's sturdy, I supposed he's alright" Lucy was barely speaking when they heard thuds and crashing sounds. They all turned to see the golem engaging the other two wizards. And Lucy could tell and wished there's no way they could beat up the golem.
Going back to Natsu, the four of them got him out. "Wake up Natsu!"
"Lucy… what happened?"
Lucy jerked her head to the ongoing fight. "The golem woke up"
"What? I'll crash you!" Just like that and Natsu goes charging again.
"Who did Natsu said he will crash, the golem or those mages?" asked Charle.
"I don't know" Lucy answered.
"Firedragon's roar!" Natsu simply targeted all of them.
"As expected of Natsu" Happy muttered.
The two wizards but the golem was completely blown away and Natsu grin at them. "You'll regret what you did to me earlier." He said, fist on fire. And then something hit him. The golem. The other two wizards took the chance.
"They're escaping Lucy!" Happy shouted. "Should we follow them?"
"Uh, I don't know," Lucy replied and before she could decide the two disappeared already, "We can't leave Natsu here especially when the golem's that fierce."
The first time she saw it Wendy thought it could be a gentle giant but seeing it now in rage it was completely a monster.
"Firedragon's…" Natsu didn't care if he's opponent was strong or in rage, he'll just attack and attack till he proves he's stronger, "…Iron Fist!"
He hit. Though it wasn't very clear if it hurts the golem or not. It retaliated eventually which Natsu dodged. The two was about to engage again when something halted them. It halted them both. A moment has passed without one of them moving before Lucy noticed the golem's eyes dimmed as it completely turned away and made giant strides toward at what she supposed to be the inner part of the Forewoods.
"Natsu!" Lucy called as he was about to follow the golem.
Natsu stopped and turned to them with disturbed expression on his face. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?" Lucy strained her ears.
"That again!"
"It's like a cry" Wendy described.
"Aye, a cry" Happy supported.
"Coming further in the Forewoods" Charle added.
Lucy didn't hear anything. Fine! Dragon ears hear it, cat ears hear it, and human ears don't.
"Let's go check it out" Natsu invited.
"No!"
"It sounds like a girl to me Lucy!"
Lucy blinked, unsure at first. "Who knows if it was just a sound of a weird animal? We can't risk that much. You're hurt Natsu."
"I'm not"
"Wendy's hurt too"
The said girl smiled awkwardly. "I think I could handle it"
"And I'm tired already" Lucy continued, "and so as Charle. Let's go back to the village."
"I agree with Lucy" Charle said.
Silence as they wait for Natsu's decision.
"Please… Natsu"
Natsu looked at the direction where the cry came from and then back to them. "Take them to the village Happy, I'll go alone."
"No Natsu!"
"Come on Lucy, I can handle this!" He said a little bit irritated now. But Lucy made a point.
"I don't want to spend the night worrying for you!... If we're going to the Forewod we'll go together. Tomorrow morning I promise."
Natsu gazed steadily at Lucy then he sighed. "Fine, we'll all go tomorrow morning."
The night has been tiring for all of them. The original plan to keep the golem away was disrupted by bandit wizards multiplying their difficulties. Anyway they had succumbed to the rest of sleep. Lucy, Wendy, and Charle had the spare room all to themselves which was better than the room of the captain. The captain was not in the house and Natsu and Happy has permission to use his room but somehow they prefer the convenience of the sofa after finishing the meal they had demanded before sleeping. All of them were fast asleep but Lucy.
Lucy lied awake beside Wendy. She was tired too but somehow her tiredness gone off by just lying and closing her eyes for a moment and then she found herself completely awake. Not restless but wondering at something she knows but hasn't yet to grasp.
She took a look to her sleeping comrades and decidedly stood up to take a walk. She passed Natsu and Happy in the living room. She paused for a moment for the pleasure of staring at them sleeping, especially Natsu.
Outside, she realized the night was brighter than earlier with the crescent moon up above the sky in its full light. Whether intended or not Lucy had come to the village central park where the statue of Diona Blossomer stood magnificently. It was an awesome sight. It was beautiful in the morning but the perfect white statue was reflecting the light of the moon like it was the source of light itself.
Lucy sat at a nearby bench gazing at the glowing statue amidst the quiet of the night and the moderate cold of soft winds. Then she called the spirit of the lyre.
"Lucy! I'm glad you called me! I supposed it was deep in the night though."
"Well… take a look at that"
Lyra looked. "Now I know what to sing." She sat beside Lucy and began fiddling to her harp a sound that match the peaceful beauty of the statue.
Lucy found herself hypnotized by the warm glow of the statue and the soothing sound of Lyra. Her eyes became heavy and her head tilted to the shoulder of the girl musician. Her eyes minimized into slits as she have a final look at the statue with the image it portrayed entering her thought before losing to sleep.
'Diona Blossomer… where did I hear… from mom…?'
AN: Hello there! Sorry for delays. Unlike the usual I tried to write two chapters this time before posting this one up. So yeah that means the next chapter is already written. But no, I'm not posting it yet till I write the following chapter again.
It is because I realized I'm nearing the end of the story and I want to keep track on it. In my estimate there might be only 3 remaining chapters after this.
So you've been informed of the thinning of the pages left in the book. Hope you keep reading and do tell me what you think of this story. Till then, thanks.