Hello minna-san! New chappie here! Thanks to WelcomeToTheAnimeParade for beta-ing~!
Disclaimer: I don't own FT. Period.
Amulet of Black
Chapter 1
The Hidden Secret
"Hey Gramps, you called for me?" Gray asked, entering the master's office. On the opposite side of the entrance, Makarov was sitting on his desk, his legs crossed.
He nodded at the young mage, "Yes, I did Gray. Come on in."
Gray did as told and sat down on one of the cushioned chairs. Makarov cleared his throat lightly before speaking.
"Gray, I called you here because I wanted you to go on a job." He said, eyeing the ice mage before continuing. "It has been bothering me since it was posted on the request board one night, without any of us being made aware."
"Not even you?"
"No, not even me and that's what worries me the most. It isn't possible for a request to be accepted and posted without it being approved by the guild master. And, there is a reason I specifically asked for you to come." Makarov said, handing the paper with the request to the ice mage.
"It asked for me to come…"
"Yes, and that's why I wanted you and your team to go there. Obviously they won't go with you so the sender won't get suspicious."
"No there is no need, I will go alone."
"Gray, what are you saying? It is really dangerous to go there alone!"
"Don't worry gramps; there can't possibly be anything wrong with taking care of some huge ass estate. And the amount it pays is just another huge plus. Seriously though, who gives this much money just for babysitting some mansion for a week?"
"Someone who probably wants to lure you into a trap?"
"Well many have tried and failed, it'll be nothing new! Don't stress yourself too much gramps or you are gonna get yourself sick. If it does get dangerous, however, I'll come back for help." Gray replied, smiling at the short old man. Makarov just sighed, regretting ever telling Gray about this thing. He felt as if he was putting one of his children in grave danger. He already felt guilt trying to devour him up alive.
"So, when do I leave?" Gray asked, cutting through Makarov's chain of thoughts.
"Are you sure you want to go? Please Gray, you can deny the request and it will be sent back to the council or wherever it came from. Or at least let your teammates accompany you." Makarov requested, looking at Gray in the eyes.
"I have already decided, Gramps and nope, I can't let that fire breathing lizard come and destroy the whole estate. It will be just counter-productive of what they want me to do." Gray answered, grinning. Makarov sighed once again. "So, I will be leaving tomorrow. Is it alright?"
Makarov just nodded, approving of his quest. "If you don't come back in a week, I will be sending your team to fetch you back." He said, smiling at the young mage. "Have a safe trip, brat."
"Yeah yeah, and don't worry too much Gramps, you are getting worked up over nothing. I'll see you soon." Gray said, exiting the office.
"But worrying is what parents do…" Makarov muttered, looking at the closed door. He was feeling jittery all of a sudden. An urge to stop Gray from going seemed to be crawling right under his skin. But he just sat there, pushing that feeling to the back of his mind and concentrating on the papers scattered all over his desk.
Gray exited the guild house with the paper still in his hands. He glared at the old paper with utmost hate. The name of the sender was all too familiar, a name he had come to hate from the tales his father had told him in his childhood.
'Falynus Krabell Detur' was just an anagram, a futile attempt at fooling him. He walked away from the guild and into an alley way, hiding from any possible distraction in the dark of the night. He pressed the tips of his fingers on the paper, above the name. Blue light glowed from his fingers and soon the characters of the name changing places.
ALYN DRAKE FULLBUSTER
He glared at the name before pushing it in his bag's pocket.
He had a major amount of shit waiting to be taken care of. He never imagined that he would be the one who would have to settle this matter once and for all but oh well, what choice did he have now?
He jogged out of the alley and broke into a sprint towards his house, not quite noticing the figure sitting on top of the adjacent building, smirking evilly.
"I will be waiting…my dear nephew…"
And just like that, he disappeared. No trace left behind.
Gray dashed inside his house, immediately locking the door and all the windows before drawing the curtains. He knew someone was following him and he didn't want to take any chances. He would have to take it out…now.
He went up stairs and into his room. Checking the locks and drawing the curtains, he went towards a cabinet in the corner. He bit the skin on his finger lightly, enough to ooze blood out. He pressed his finger on the lock like engraving before letting his magic flow. Immediately the click of a lock being opened resounded in the empty room. He rushed to turn off the lights before opening the small magic induced wooden door and taking out the small glass ball with a candle inside it. He went in the centre of the room and removed the carpet, revealing a pentagram like engraving on the floor, glistening in the dark.
He opened the small opening in the hollow glass sphere and lit the candle with his magic. The little flame glowed a bright icy blue. He stood in the centre of the pentagram and took out the paper with the request. He wrapped it around the sphere. Soon the dark room was engulfed in pale blue light. Symbols of various kinds were formed on the walls, moving around, trying to take some kind of shape.
COME AND GET ME, DEAR NATE, I'LL BE WAITING!
YOUR UNCLE,
ALYN DRAKE FULLBUSTER
He gasped lightly at the ominously written message. He cursed whatever deity up there for his wretched luck. He knew there was some kind of hidden message or something but he wasn't ready for a full out threat. This situation was way more fucked up than he had initially thought.
He took the paper off the sphere and pointed the light towards the ceiling until he spotted the door to the attic, the one visible by this light and not the other one which was still hidden in the darkness. He went beneath it and froze the globe on the wall before jumping up and getting a hold of the catch. The door clicked open and he pushed it up before hauling his body up and into the dark area.
He felt his way alongside the wall until he collided with a box, a glass box to be particular. He felt around the box until he felt two catches on its sides. Letting his magic flow in the small openings, it soon spread in the whole room like blood through veins. The box glowed brightly before it opened up, revealing an amulet.
He took it out of its holder and went back down in his room, closing the door to the attic on his way.
He switched on the lights and placed the not-lit-anymore sphere inside the cabinet.
He looked at the amulet and sighed. He had been made aware of the fate it brought from the moment his father had entrusted it to him. In fact his father had been training him since he was young to end the curse looming over their family since centuries, if he came out to be the fated one…and that he did.
"Just you wait uncle. Nate is gonna end your story with a bang."
TBC
Aaand that's it for now...Not much horror element? Yep, it is coming soon though! Aaand I hit a writer's block...Yaay...I have been trying to tackle it but...I just can't seem to write another word for both 'Inside Me' and 'Iced Wings'...so yeah, this little ficcie is gonna be my center of attention for some time...
Hope you liked this!