It wasn't until late that evening that I made it back to the guild. Vanya had put me to work with clearing more trees to give room for the gathering the next night. Of course, that wasn't the part that took the most amount of time. In fact, with my fire and steel, it may have taken me thirty minutes to make an area big enough for the whole guild. What took me the longest was memorizing the ritual that Vanya had planned. As embarrassing and seductive as it was for me, Vanya seemed to have no trouble with it at all.
The crowd was to sit around us in a wide circle as we danced and sang in the middle, blindfolded, the fire pit between us. While still blindfolded, we were each to pull one person from the audience and set them back to back. At that point, we had to perform for that one person in particular, at the end of which the blindfolds were removed.
According to Vanya's traditions, the two picked from the audience were to serve as good luck charms for those performing. Supposedly if the performers were to experience hardships of any kind, the power of the ones picked from the audience were to assist them. I figured that even if it didn't work, it would still be interesting who would be chosen.
Vanya stayed at her camp as I went back to the guild with Eldrid. Many people were still awake and laughing, including the guys. They were all drinking a mug of beer and carrying on as if they had accomplished something big. I stood back and watched them for a second, smiling at their expressions.
Elle flew down from my shoulder and onto the ground, looking up at me. "Why don't you go be with Yolric? You love him, right?" she asked me. I giggled at her and knelt down to stroke her head.
"I just want to watch him be who he is when I'm not with him for a moment. He's the same person, sure, but it's rare I just get to stand back and watch any of them," I replied. Elle cocked her head to the side.
"You sound like a stalker, Miss June," she said plainly. I laughed before I stood and walked over to the guys. Yolric's back was to me and I wrapped my arms around him from behind. When I did so, he sat a little straighter and put a hand on my arm.
"Yo, Hot Head! What have you been up to, you look less like a train wreck!" Darren spoke loudly. I rolled my eyes at him and nestled my nose in Yolric's neck. Without warning, Yolric turned and pulled me down to sit in his lap. He put his mouth close to mine and smiled, the smell of alcohol barely on his breath.
"Hello, Sweetness," he crooned.
"I've just been with Vanya today, Darren! You know, she got rid of my scratches and bruises? How cool is that?" I blurted out. Darren and Yolric both laughed.
"Alright, Chatty Kathy. Clearly you're nervous. Is it the ritual you're doing tomorrow or Yolric being so incredibly sappy?" Darren replied.
"How did you-"
"You keep your mind so open, especially when you're flustered. Your mind is practically begging to be read. See, Yolric, she didn't go destroy a cult or anything."
I looked up at Yolric as he relaxed and gave a nervous smile. "I just wanted to make sure you're not being too dangerous," he confessed. I scooted to the chair beside him and gave him a glare.
"Yolric... You are in so much..."
"Vanya outdid me..?" Xavier interrupted. When I looked over at him, he almost looked flushed. "How... What..."
"It was just an herbal bath thing," I told him. His expression turned more shocked.
"I was outdone... By a bath with plants in it..."
"She had to get naaaked!" Eldrid chimed in, flying circles overhead. Darren's laughter was loud and boisterous at the comment as Xavier still worried over Vanya and Yolric worried over my wrath.
"So, what's this ritual about tomorrow? I'm too lazy to want to pick it out myself," Darren asked after he had calmed down.
"Vanya and I are going on a few jobs that are quite a bit aways day after tomorrow. The ritual is supposed to grant us luck and power when we need it the most. The power depends on who we choose to perform for. The only problem is that we're blindfolded, so who is chosen is by luck," I explained. "We're supposed to invite the whole guild. I'm just so nervous about it that..."
Suddenly Darren was on top of the table, took a big drink of his beer, and threw it across the room. "Hey, everybody! Vanya and June are doing some voodoo dance tomorrow night, and everyone has to come watch it! You've never seen better performers in all of Fiore, right, Hot Head?"
I reached my hand out and tugged on his pant leg. "Please... Sit down..," I whispered embarrassingly. Before I knew it, he had grabbed my arm and pulled me on the tabletop with him.
"Come on, Ladies and Gents! Don't you all want to see a Forge God Slayer give you a show?" he continued, spinning me around. When I was turned to face him again, I couldn't help but stumble into him. Dizzily, I looked over at Xavier. He made a fist with one hand and pointed to his stomach with the other. I briskly nodded and made a fist of my own, cladding it in metal and flames. I reared back and, as hard as I could, punched Darren right in the midsection. He stumbled backwards slightly before falling off the table. While taking a sip of his drink, Xavier caught the neck of Darren's shirt. He set his mug quietly down on the table, gave a two-finger salute, and drug my unconscious teammate back to his room.
"Wow, what a show! I'll have to give the loser a hard time tomorrow," Cana shouted from across the room. I gave a sigh and sat down on the wooden tabletop. Eldrid instantly flew into my lap and curled up. I petted her back as I saw Natsu, Happy, Erza, and Lucy walk over out of the corner of my eye.
"What ritual thing is he talking about, June?" Erza questioned.
"Will there be food?" Natsu chimed in. Lucy rolled her eyes and gave a sigh at his comment.
"It's pretty much for safe travels and extra power when needed. The whole guild is supposed to come and watch me and Vanya. Long story short, we dance and then pick someone from the audience and perform for them specifically while we're blindfolded," I briefly explained. Stars appears in Erza's eyes as I told than all.
"You must choose me. Rituals are so intriguing to me, and being involved in one would be wonderful," she spoke, almost to herself.
"She said she'll be blindfolded..," Lucy muttered. Erza looked slightly crestfallen at this realization.
"Believe me, Erza, I would choose you if I could. It would be much less awkward than all of the other possibilities," I confessed. I looked down at Eldrid to see she was asleep and continued to pet her.
"Awh, come on! How bad could it be?" Natsu asked loudly. We all looked around the room and set our sights on who would be the worst to dance for.
"Macao..," Lucy chimed, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.
"Droy would be something else..," Erza whispered.
"If Gildarts was here, he would get a kick out of it, but that wouldn't make it that great for ya..," Natsu chuckled.
"Makarov... As nice as he is... Dancing for the master would not be enjoyable," I spoke. I saw eyes shift over to the elder and he drank and then give a shudder.
"And the worst of them all, the one that would throw everything off and make everyone cry with disappointment... Lucy!" Happy told us theatrically.
"I'm right here, Cat!" she shouted.
"What a grump... See what I mean?" Happy leaned in and spoke to me. I covered my mouth to hide my laughter while Natsu openly displayed his amusement.
"Truthfully, I don't care who you get as long as it's not me," Yolric chimed in. I looked down at him shocked as he gave me a meek smile. "I mean, my power isn't something that I would want to protect you if you got into a bind. I'm not saying I can't be useful, but I know how you're more of a fighter. My ability is more of a flight over fight thing. Besides, it's just a ritual. I know whoever is chosen is more by luck than anything."
"Yolric..," I sighed.
"You're in a guild now, Man! Learn new magic if you want. We'll all help you if you want it," Natsu smiled. I looked up at him and couldn't help but blush slightly from how supportive and optimistic he was. From Natsu, I looked back down to Yolric, who was chugging the last of his beer. He had been so joyful when I had watched him from afar, but now he looked so dejected.
I scooped Elle into my arms as she slept and hopped off of the table. "I'm going to take this sleepy girl and head to bed. Want to come with me?" I question, bumping my hip against his shoulder. He gave me another meek smile and stood with me. Yolric waved goodnight to the others as we made our way up to the room. He was quiet the whole way up. I racked my brain on what to say but was speechless.
When we walked into our room, Yolric immediately stripped down to his underwear and jumped into the bed while I gently placed Eldrid in her cage and switched off the light. I slipped out of my pants and crawled into bed with Yolric, intertwining my legs with his and wrapping my arms around his neck.
"What's wrong, Bright Eyes?" I finally spat out. He looked at me, eyes tired and concerned.
"I'm going to be stronger for you. I know I'm not a God Slayer like you and that's fine. I want to be a stronger man to protect you, though," he told me slowly. This was so odd, even for Yolric. I moved my hand up to his hair and began to play with it.
"You're plenty man enough for me, Yolric. It's one thing to be a man to fight with the power of dragons or gods, but it's another to be smart enough to use what power you have and still do what is necessary. You're golden, Love," I crooned, slowly moving my hand to his cheek and stroking it. He took a moment and looked behind his shoulder to Eldrid's cage where she soundly slept.
Without warning, he rolled himself on top of me, propping himself up in his forearms. His fingers began to lace through my short, black hair, coldness began to flush my face. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him down to me. Before I could kiss his lips, he moved to the nape of my neck, kissing and giving a gentle bite.
"W-what's this about?" I stuttered out, blushing immensely. I heard him chuckle as his tongue traced back up to my lips.
"I don't know what I would do without you, Ms. Lex," he whispered before kissing my lips. My heart was beating out of my chest, but I couldn't help but kiss him back.
"Yolric..," I breathed out before hugging him to my chest. When his body was close to mine, I could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest.
"I'm not going to do anything," he whispered. "I just want to kiss you."
"Well, I'm comfortable now, so you're not really allowed to move," I replied quickly, holding him tighter. He gave a laugh before we both drifted off to sleep.
"Ah, June, you seem to be glowing," Vanya grinned the next afternoon. She had instructed me to meet her about an hour before the event began in order to do some last minute preparations.
"Funny, funny," I muttered. I glanced down and saw tanned cloth in her hands. She gave me a smile before responding.
"Your attire for tonight. You may go ahead and put it on so you will be comfortable in it by tonight's festivities," Vanya explained, handing me the garments. I looked around, shrugged when I saw no one, and began to change my outfit in the open. As I put the soft fabric on, I realized that it was a two piece. The top half haltered around my neck and covered my chest with tassels hanging from the bottom. The bottom was a short, simple skirt with the same tasseled design. Neither part hugged my body, making it easy to see underneath either piece. The last article I noticed was a small anklet with turquoise gems all around it. I ran my fingers over the smooth surface of the stones.
"You will continue to wear that until after our journey. That is what will contain the power that you gain," Vanya told me, noticing my fascination. I gave her a nod and put it on. "Now, I shall go change, myself. I have the same attire, only I will be wearing all of my jewels." With that, she headed back into her tent.
When I knew she wasn't going to come back out, I looked around Vanya's camp. It was now almost five times the size it had been in order to make room for the guild. Tree stumps were scattered everywhere for seating, a big fire pit sitting at the heart of it all. Torches were strapped to some of the trees, flameless. I snapped my fingers and lit them all at once, colors ranging from white to purple. I walked over to the fire pit and hopped onto the stones that surrounded it. As I walked around and balanced on its edge, a large red and orange flame arose from its middle.
I stepped down after a moment and looked into the fire. Even before I truly realized my abilities, I remember being so fascinated by flames and their warmth, only now fire chilled me to my core. With most of my skin now bare, the flames gave my flesh a coolness that only they could give. One that was satisfying and comforting. Despite this, I longed to feel what fire really felt like. It was rare that I felt heat, and it was never as intense as people claimed fire was. I just assumed they were exaggerating.
"Madam, would you mind helping me?" Vanya's voice rung from her tent. When I turned to face where she was coming from, I saw her rolling a barrel, almost bigger than herself, out of her shelter. Cana was going to need two more of those just for herself. She was now clothed in the same attire I wore, only gems hung from a head chain, wrists, and ears as well as her ankle. "I have some spirits and seating for our chosen members that must be placed out."
I gave Vanya a nod and went to get another barrel of booze only to find that she had at least thirty of them all in her small space. As soon as I was able to take in how much was actually present, my wheels began to turn until an idea popped into my head. Extending my arms, many other arms of metal began to form, each one able to carry a single barrel. I backed slowly out of the tent, each metallic appendage following me. Vanya raised one eyebrow at me as I lowered my arms next to the barrel she had rolled out, making each of the containers rest gently on the ground beside each other. With a wave of my hand, my creation disappeared.
After that, preparations were simple. Vanya had constructed two intricate chairs for those we chose to perform for. Other than that, it mainly consisted of final practices of the ritual. Vanya insisted that I sing first, which I repeatedly tried to steer away from. At the end of the day, though, I didn't really have a choice. Before the crowds flooded in from the guild, I was given a strip of black fabric that would be used to shield my eyes from knowing who I chose.
When the first stars began to appear, people began to show up. Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Leo, Erza, and Grey were the first, Leo of course using his own magic to come see the show. He told me not to worry about him, though, considering that he would be too far in the back for me to possibly choose him. That calmed my nerves slightly, considering I knew how Yolric would react.
As Natsu attempted to eat the multicolored flames, more and more people began to show. Surprisingly enough, my team was amongst the last. Darren was already slightly intoxicated along with Cana, who always handled her drunken state much better. Yolric and Xavier both turned bright red when they saw me, the previous visibly much more so.
"You're blushing, Guys," I commented as Yolric wrapped an arm around me.
"You're barely clothed," Xavier replied, raising one eyebrow. I nodded at him, admitting defeat. I heard Vanya's voice calling my name and unwrapped myself from Yolric's hold. He held onto my hand for a moment, pulled me in to kiss my cheek, and then let me go.
"Have fun," he smiled, still red. I blew him a kiss as I walked off to Vanya, who was standing beside the center fire. When I got to her, I looked around the crowd. The whole place was completely filled, the whole guild must have been present. Some of them continued to stand and talk, but most of them were seated, most all with drinks in hand. Out of the corner of my eye, I even saw Eldrid perched in a tree, preening her feathers.
"Ready, Juniper?" Vanya questioned, beginning to tie the cloth around her head, covering her eyes. I smiled and gave her a nod as I walked over to the opposite side of the fire and did the same. As the crowd noticed us covering our eyes, a hush fell over them. My heart was beginning to beat out of my chest, but I could not outwardly show my nervousness. I held my hands out, palms face up, and let fire surround them in spheres. I took a steady breath, began to slowly walk forward, and sing.
"o na kar maan rupaiye wala bar bar ke na rajje,
bai na kar maan rupaiye wala bar bar ke na rajje.
Don't keep on wanting money,
People have loads and they're never happy."
I could hear sighs from the audience, mutterings from the men and tension from the women. My hips gently swayed as I walked, my hands controlling the fire within them. Vanya then picked up where I left off. Her raspy voice contrasted my smooth one as she belted out.
"o na kar maan rupaiye wala bar bar ke na rajje,
bai na kar maan rupaiye wala bar bar ke na rajje.
Don't keep on wanting money,
People have loads and they're never happy."
At the sound of Vanya's voice, though she sang the same words I had, the feel around me changed. I felt a lively yet calm and content field around me from both the men and women. Vanya and I paused for a moment to let the crowd hold onto our words and movements. And then, at the exact same moment, Vanya and I sprung back into action.
My hands still holding flames, I clasped them together for a moment before quickly pulling them apart. I felt a metal staff form, my fire lingering in spheres at both ends. Giving the scepter a small throw, it landed vertically with my hands grabbing the middle of it's cool metal. Picking it up with my right hand, I began to rapidly spin the flaming metal in between my fingers. I willed the fire to change from red to orange, orange to yellow, yellow to white. When the white flames had settled in all of their bright brilliance, I began to briskly walk over to where Vanya had started out. In the blink of an eye, I thrust the staff into the ground and flipped myself over the top, narrowly missing the fire. I did this about three other times without my prop before I was at the audience's edge. I heard small gasps and exclamations of awe as I did so. I gave a smirk at this; I was actually enjoying myself for the time being.
After a moment, I dashed back over to where the staff still stood and reached my right hand around to the other side of it and stepping my left leg across. Vanya's cold hand latched onto mine and I could feel her ankle cross my warm one. We bowed our heads and began to sing, this time together.
"o na kar maan rupaiye wala bar bar ke na rajje,
bai na kar maan rupaiye wala bar bar ke na rajje.
Don't keep on wanting money,
People have loads and they're never happy."
After the last word was said, I felt the gems on my ankle begin to treble and emit a brisk coolness. It began to tug me away from Vanya, off to my right. At the same time, Vanya and I pulled away from each other, going swiftly to wherever the charms took us. When I got to the edge of the crowd once more, it continued to pull me, willing me to go into the masses. I stood straight and danced through them on the balls of my feet. I felt my hips brush past shoulders, my feet narrowly missing other's.
Then, as soon as the pulling started, it stopped. I gently brushed my foot in front of me, feeling a tree stump. So, whoever sat here was supposed to help me out for the next three jobs, huh? I hoped that they at least had a sense of humor about what was about to happen. I gave a small bow and reached out my hand. After a moment of hesitation, a strong hand grasped mine. Obviously a man. I stood straight and led him back to the center of our makeshift stage. I heard uproars all around me, but I had no idea if it was from my pick or Vanya's. I tried to single out the voice or the man I had picked, but he never spoke or even let out a chuckle.
Soon, I was able to feel the chair's leg brush against mine. I slung the wizard whose hand I held into the chair, expecting to hear at least a startled gasp. Nothing. He was going to make it hard for me to figure out who he really was, and that alone did me in.
Not taking our blindfolded eyes away from our selected audience, Vanya and I began to circle around them. I heard Cana's cheers of excitement from the other chair. At least Vanya knew who she chose. I reached my thoughts out to Darren, asking for at least a hint as to who I picked. All I received back was static. Clearly, someone was distracted.
After circling the two three times, we stopped once again in front of our person. I crossed my ankle with his. Long pants. Not too uncommon for this time of year, I guess. I set my hands on his knees and worked my way up his legs. A nice, expensive fabric. I could feel his knee begin to bounce and give a small sigh. Still, I was unable to hear it enough to tell who exactly it was.
My hands continued to wander up his chest, my body scooting closer to his. I felt that he had more than one layer of clothing, also not uncommon for this time of year. He felt tall, which ruled out Makarov. His chest felt toned, but not extremely muscular. I rested my hands on his shoulders and pulled my body even closer to his, sitting in his lap. I drew my face close to his, close enough to feel his breath on my skin. His strong hands began to wander up my bare back, and I could feel my face grow cold from blushing.
Hands began to trace his neck, up into his hair. Wiry, spiked, and crazy. My ankle that still crossed his began to grow frigid, the power from him beginning to course through my body. I slowly began to bring my hands back down to his shoulders, but my hands brushed against something on their way down.
Glasses.
Long pants, expensive fabric, caressing of the back, crazy hair, and glasses.
He brought my ear to his lips with one hand, the other still holding my back close to his body.
"You might not want to take the blindfold off, Junie," Leo whispered, giving a small chuckle.