The atmosphere was muted around the campfire. Erza sat on one side, Jellal the other.
The orange light of the flames cast long shadows over Erza's face as the sun finally dipped below the horizon. She closed her eyes as she remembered the distraught family they had run into earlier that day.
"Please, help us!" They cried. Jellal looked at them in surprise, not expecting such a languished plea. "Our son... he won't wake up!"
"What is the situation?" Erza asked as they entered the distressed couple's home. The little cottage off the side of the trail they were walking down appeared to be much bigger on the inside. The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the open windows at the back of the house, which faced the lake, giving the house a warm glow.
They followed the couple into a bedroom past the kitchen, where their eyes fell upon a young man sleeping on his bed.
After the older woman cast a concerned look in her son's direction, she looked at Erza and Jellal with a pleading expression. "My son, Azima, won't wake up. He went out to train earlier this morning, a routine he's been doing for the past several months. It was a morning like any other. It wasn't until I called for dinner that my husband and I realized that Azima hadn't come back as promised. We went down to the lake, which is where he normally goes to practice his magic. We looked all over, but he didn't respond to our calls. We finally found him lying in between two boulders. He was naked and delusional, whispering about 'the lady of the lake.' We didn't know what he was talking about; there was nobody else there but us. We tried talking to him to find out what happened, but then he just closed his eyes and passed out. He's been like this since."
"Is there anything you can do for our son?" Azima's father asked. "I recognized you," gesturing towards Erza, "as one of the wizards from that Fairy Tail guild in the city and thought that maybe you knew of an illness that wizards get to make them act this way."
Without looking, Erza knew Jellal was eyeing her. I know, she thought to herself. A male wizard, a mysterious lady that disappeared… it must be her doing. But how?
Returning his father's questioning gaze, Erza nodded, silently asking to have a closer look. He stepped away and she moved closer to look down at the young man.
It's as if he's only sleeping, she thought to herself. But she knew better. Doing a quick scan of his body, she didn't notice any mortal wounds. How does she do it?
Figuring looking wasn't enough, Erza laid her hand across his temple. It was warm. Good, she thought, not dead yet.
Suddenly, her hand was tingling. Alarmed, she pulled back, but before she got too far, an arm reached out. "No, don't!" Erza's eyes widened as Azima placed her hand back onto his forehead. The tingling resumed.
"Your magic… I can feel it," he moaned. "I feel… my strength returning."
She looked back at Jellal. His expression was confused, interested. He must be feeding off of my magic, she concluded. It's the only way he's able to talk to us right now.
"Azima!" his mother cried. "What happened to you?"
"I was training," he replied. "But then… I found her."
"What did she look like?" Jellal questioned.
Azima opened his eyes. "She was… beautiful… and I fell for it."
Erza looked down at him. "What did she do exactly?"
"I don't know. She said that she needed my help, but that's not what she wanted."
Jellal moved closer, hoping to look the young man in his eyes. "What did she want?"
"She wanted my body," he answered. "I have never lain with a woman before this morning."
Erza and Jellal exchanged glances. "She took your virginity," Erza said more than asked.
He nodded. "I couldn't stop it. I looked into her eyes… and all sense left me. I was powerless. Before I knew it, it was over and I couldn't sense my magic. It's almost as if she stripped away my soul."
Erza closed her eyes, her hands balling into fists. "No matter what it takes, we'll find this woman and give you your strength and your magic back."
Azima's smile was faint. "I have faith in you… Titania…"
Her brow furrowed. The tingling had expanded into her arm; she could sense herself weakening. Whatever her power is, it's able to strip any magical sources that come into contact with her victims.
"Thank you, Azima, for all of your help. I have to remove my hand now, which means you will slip back into a deep sleep." Erza thought 'coma' was too strong a word for his parents that were barely holding on as it was. "But when you wake, you'll be back to your old self. In a few years' time, I expect to see you walking through Fairy Tail's doors. Understood?"
Azima nodded. "I apologize that I can't even offer you a name. I'm counting on you."
With a confident smile that didn't match her dizzying thoughts, she pulled away. Only a few short moments later, he was gone.
"Erza, you mustn't dwell on it," Jellal advised, pulling her out of her reverie. "We promised Azima and his parents that we are going to save him, and that's what we are going to do."
She shook her head. "I'm not dwelling on anything, Jellal. And you're right, we did make them a promise; one that I won't be taking lightly."
They fell silent, staring at each other over the campfire's flames. When they first set up camp, they discussed what they had learned and discovered that they had reached a similar conclusion: the woman was probably targeting virgin male wizards in their prime and draining them of their magical energies. It was possible that she could be gaining their powers as well, but Jellal had no evidence to offer from his initial findings.
The stars were starting to light up the young night sky, the moon's crescent body casting a silver glow across the land. Jellal finally moved from his position to fan the flames, opting for camping in the wilderness to avoid any situations that may lead to the Magic Council learning of his whereabouts.
"Erza, it will be getting chilly later tonight, so I'd advise you to choose the warmest armor you have to sleep in."
She nodded. "What I'm wearing now will do nicely."
He nodded back. Erza studied him, watching as he tended to the fire and looking as if he wanted to say more. "Is there anything else?"
Jellal froze. "There is, but I wouldn't ask it of you."
He is hiding something, she thought. Looking at him, she saw him turning red. Was it because of how close he was sitting next to the flames, or was he withholding information? "Jellal, what's going on?" When he fell silent, she added, "You either tell me now or after I have you on the other end of my blade."
Jellal half-grinned. "Not really giving me a choice, are you?" This time, he looked her straight in the eye. "If it doesn't bother you, I'd like to ask if you'd… share your body heat with me."
He mumbled the last part, but Erza's ears picked it up. "W-w-why would I do that?" she asked, trying to hide the blush that was quickly spreading across her cheeks.
Having lost the nerve, Jellal looked away. "As you may have noticed, I brought nothing with me on this mission. I travel lightly seeing as I'm always on the move, and all I have at this moment are the clothes on my back. I only ask we sleep near each other so that I will be warmed by your body heat during the night. Nothing more, nothing less."
The beat of her heart increasing, she considered his explanation. He just wants to stay warm, for us to sleep in close proximity. Nothing wrong with that, right? I trust him… I think. He's always been a man of honor, even while he was being controlled. I can do this, so long as I don't think about that dream…
Pushing the tantalizing thoughts away, she looked up at Jellal. "I understand your situation and the reasoning behind your question," she slowly responded. "I… I will permit it for tonight."
Hiding his smile, Jellal bowed his head in thanks. "I promise to act as a gentleman should."
Ignoring the urge to clutch the armor she was currently sporting, Erza tied her hair up. "Well, no reason to postpone this. We're going to need our rest for tomorrow's search anyway."
Curling up close enough to the fire to keep warm yet far enough to ward off any hazards, Erza placed her hands under her head and waited for Jellal.
Waiting… for Jellal, she chanted, almost mesmerized at how it sounded. Maybe, in another life…
Her thoughts quieted as she felt him shift behind her. He mimicked her position, curling around her and letting his chest align with her back. His chin came to rest on the top of her head. They were silent, awkward and yet comfortable in each other's presence.
"Thank you, Erza," he finally whispered. She could feel the words vibrate through his chest, and she wondered at how she was so aware of the sensation through all of her armor. She only nodded.
She felt herself drifting away, watching the flames dance. The world was almost dark, but then his voice rang in her ear.
"I hope you keep all of your promises," he said.
"What?" she asked, the sleep already creeping into her voice, making it softer than it normally was.
"Remember… remember how we used to sleep like this when you were afraid?" he asked in reply.
She frowned, relieved that he couldn't see her expression. "That was a long time ago." We're entering dangerous territory here. "I'm no longer afraid."
"I know, because of the guild and your friends," Jellal replied. "I'm really happy for you."
Folding one of her arms to serve as a pillow, she sighed. "Please don't bring up the past, Jellal. All it does is bring back terrible memories."
"I know, I'm sorry," Jellal agreed. "It's just how I cope with what I've done. All the atrocities I've caused, I try to think back to the time when I actually did good things for those I cared about."
I know you are, she thought. I can see that you're trying. Looking up towards the moon, she untightened the armor around her heart. "I remember, Jellal."
Hearing that, Jellal hid his smile in her hair. "We made so many promises to each other back then. Back when we wanted to escape together."
Erza smiled. "Yes, we did. I remember making you promise that once we escaped, we'd live in the forest like this and never be confined to a building ever again. It took some time before I was even able to enter the guild without checking to make sure the doors wouldn't lock behind me."
Jellal chuckled, and her ears picked up the laugh that she didn't realize she missed. "And I remember making you promise to never leave my side. No matter the battle, I would be there to protect you. You wouldn't believe my disappointment when I realized you could take care of yourself."
Erza fell silent, thinking back to why she needed to protect herself in the first place. "If I hadn't lost you, then maybe I would've kept that promise. It's the only one I never fulfilled."
He closed his eyes, reluctantly letting sleep interrupt the most intimate moment he's had with Erza in years. "Actually, there's one that we promised to each other; I just don't know if we can keep it anymore."
Frowning, Erza ran through the short list of promises she and Jellal had made during that frightful time. Which one was he referring to?
"What was the promise?" She waited for an answer, but all she received was the sound of his steady breathing.
Sighing, she closed her eyes. She knew it was going to haunt her all night.
"Good night, Jellal."
Smirking, the woman licked her lips as she finished off her latest prey.
"You taste like a summer breeze. You must have the power to control the wind," she surmised. "Is that so?"
All she got in return was the sound of a moan. "I know, I know. I'm sure you enjoyed the gifts of my power, so it's only right that you pay me for my services."
Looking down at the man who called himself Isaiah, she grinned at her latest choice. His caramel skin, rugged chest and strong arms and legs would make any girl swoon. Eyeing his deliciously thick member that had been spent earlier that evening, she almost wanted to go another round.
"You're not the biggest I've had, but that girth of yours surely worked in your favor," she said, as if they were having a conversation. "If I didn't require your energy and was just a normal woman, I may have let you court me."
She let her eyes travel up to meet his, orbs that were once full of life that now barely twinkled. "What… did you do to me?" he gasped.
"Me?" She replied, placing her hand across her exposed and swollen orbs. "I gave you the best sex of your life. Trust me, you will need all of the sleep you're about to get to recover."
Straightening her hair, she suddenly changed into an emerald evening gown that matched her eyes. The V-Neck line exposed an ample amount of her breasts, and the oval slit over her abdomen showed off her sculpted naval.
"Oh, I just love this new technique I picked up this afternoon! I don't remember draining someone of this particular magic, but it does come in handy for all my costume changes. If only I could've drained a bit more… I must find this wizard."
Blowing a kiss to the now unconscious Isaiah, the woman disappeared into the shadows.
"The night is young. My prey awaits…"