Secrets, part 21
The main guild shook from the sparring out back. A massive cloud of salty steam covered the area as Yona and Natsu had their fun. "Who's winning?", asked Happy, unable to see. Ronen smirked. "Does it really matter?", he taunted. "As long as they're having fun", beamed Rani, sweet as ever. Lucy wiped the sweat from her brow. The heat was intense. Erza smiled faintly to herself as she watched the two dragon slayers have it out. Jasper seemed lost to his thoughts nearby. Wendy watched him with concern. Suddenly, the steam bubbled in on itself, letting out a rush of hot water and revealing the sparring friends. Juvia diverted it from her precious Gray-sama. After all, he preferred things cold.
Yona and Natsu stared each other down, each wearing a smirk that worried their friends. "Nice trick", teased Natsu. "I have my ways", retorted Yona. The exceeds cheered their companions on. Lucy just hoped nothing would get destroyed. She really didn't feel like rebuilding Serpent Wing's guild hall. "Come on. Show me what you've got!", taunted Yona. Happy to oblige, Natsu ran at her, fists ablaze. Lucy was entranced by the fight and never noticed Loke appearing her beside her. "Fire and water, huh? Bad match", teased the spirit. Lucy jolted at his unexpected words. Calming herself and feeling rather silly about it, the spirit mage turned to him with interest. He was supposed to be doing some recon on Noctis.
"Learn anything that can help us?", inquired Erza, keeping her eyes on the duel. "Puck was right. The Order's definitely hiding something. I managed to sneak into their headquarters and the whole place reeks of magic", replied Loke. "Aren't they sworn to eradicate all magic?", asked Charle, uninterested in the spectacle. "I can't say for sure what they're up to, but this guild seems like their top priority. Even their master's coming this way", stated the spirit. Jasper's keen ears twitched on that note. The incubus glanced over in question. "No one's ever seen their master. How do you know this?", he asked. "Just telling you what I overheard", replied Loke, knowing how troubling the news was. "But why Serpent Wing?", asked Lucy with worry. "Is it because they failed before?", added Wendy. Loke shook his head. "I can't really say, but I don't think it's about their pride. I saw something...strange...", trailed Loke.
At that point, Jasper got to his feet and called off the sparring match. Natsu looked toward him in surprise. He'd never heard the incubus express authority before. "Erza, Loke, Lucy - Will you come with me to my father?", asked Jasper, clearly concerned. Each nodded in turn and the group headed below quickly. "What the hell was that about?", blurted Yona, mad her fun had been interrupted. Gray's cold stare met her inquiry. The look on his face started to worry even Yona. Without looking away, she said, "Ronen, follow them." The exceed nodded and took off in flight. "What happened?", inquired Natsu.
Deep below the guild, Puck and Veda were quickly heeding their summons. The meeting room was fully attended within minutes. Even Kavi sat in, Blythe silently by his side. "Are you certain?", asked Puck almost too calmly. Loke nodded. He told them what he'd reported topside. "What did you see that was so strange?", asked Veda. Loke adjusted his shades, obviously uneasy. The spirit took a deep breath, increasing the tension of the room. Meeting the elf's eye, he told them.
"While I was at their base, a lot of things were going on. Mostly it looked like preparations for an invasion", began Loke. That enough set Kavi on edge. He never wanted to see the guild the way it looked the day Tanya attacked in the name of the Order. Blythe gently grasped his shoulders, silently offering support. It seemed to work. Kavi relaxed faintly, though his expression remained grim. "The deepest parts of the complex not only had traces of magic, but it looked like an entire church had been built underground. Hooded acolytes were chanting. It was an old tongue, but I recognized one word they kept repeating...It meant 'blood'...", said the spirit, solemnly.
All eyes turned to Puck. If Serpent Wing were an army, he would be their general. "What do we do?", asked Blythe meekly. "We stand our ground", stated Veda. She looked very determined. She would not lose her guild a second time. "We need a plan", uttered Kavi, obviously tense at the prospect of another full attack. "Leave that to me", said Puck. Turning, he nodded to Loke and thanked him for the information. The spirit returned to his own world, leaving Lucy and Erza to speak for Fairy Tail. "How can we help?", asked Lucy. Erza's steely gaze faded to a warm smile. "We'll do whatever we can", she assured. "Thank you", uttered Veda. Puck rose from his seat stiffly. "No matter what happens, you two must stay in the sanctum when they come", he ordered, peering at his wife and son.
"What about you?", inquired Jasper, calmly meeting his father's stare. "I'll be fine. I'm a shape shifter; They won't even notice me", assured the elf. "Don't take Noctis lightly. They're trained to find any source of magic", said Blythe, looking upon his friends with concern. Puck grinned softly, glad Blythe was starting to feel comfortable in his presence. "You've told us much these last few days. I thank you for that", said the elf, humbly lowering his head. Blythe fidgeted unused to such respect. "I just hope my intel is still accurate. I haven't heard from the Order in years...I'm not even sure why they let me live knowing as much as I do", he sighed. Kavi grasped his hand with a complex expression. They shared much mixed history, it seemed. "Never mind that. Just don't let them find you here", said Puck.
Blythe tensed at that statement. There was no way he would simply hide while his friends, his guild, his family were under attack. "I want to help fight them off", he stated, defiantly staring down his superior. Veda glanced between them. Slithering beside her soon to be son, she placed a warm hand on his arm. "We know you do. That's why you're going to stay here in the sanctum and help direct our defenses. Isn't that right, husband?", she said, turning toward her beloved. Her eyes left no argument. Ceding the point, Puck sighed. "Very well. Your knowledge of the Order may well be our last hope if things take a turn for the worse", said the elf.
Once the meeting was over, Veda left with Erza to go over their geographic defenses, should the sanctum be breached. Blythe led Lucy back toward their friends, leaving Puck, Jasper, and Kavi alone. Once everyone else was gone, Kavi closed the door and stared upon his adoptive father. Puck's calm expression was infuriating. Jasper was the first to speak. "Dad", he began. Puck raised his hand for silence. "I already know what this is about. I appreciate you boys not involving your mother and further...This is about your eyes, isn't it, Kavi?", said the elf. The dragon slayer took his seat with a wry grin. "Sharp as ever", he sighed. Sounding more serious, Jasper asked once again, "What did you do?". Puck explained what he did with his recovered eye and while admitted to getting it from Bran, he had yet to reveal the cost.
Kavi sighed heavily. "You know better than to trade with her", he said sternly. "What has the world come to when the child reprimands his father?", grinned Puck. "We're worried about you. You haven't been yourself lately", stated Jasper sincerely. "Your mother's aware of it, as well", uttered Puck, seemingly troubled. He slid one of his bracers off, showing his dimmed light to his sons. "I didn't realize it was so bad...", trailed Jasper, sadly looking upon the elf's arm. "You're running out of time, aren't you?", said Kavi, speaking the thoughts his brother was too afraid to utter. Puck offered a sad smile as he met their worried gazes. "Nothing lasts forever", he said. Looking closer, neither of the boys had ever seen him look so wan.
"Then it's time...Avalon is receding...", uttered Jasper, his hands tensing into fists. "You've done well to read so much of my library", said Puck proudly. "The planar shift", sighed Kavi. He, too, had made use of the elf's book. Puck looked over them with both pride and sadness. They had mastered the arcane languages he'd taught them, but because of it, they understood all too well was was happening. "It's true, Avalon will soon fall back into the mists of time and Mu will rise from the ocean once more...We cannot coexist. The laws of magic won't allow it", said Puck. "Is there nothing we can do?", asked Jasper with exasperation. Puck calmly shook his head. "What about Mom?", inquired the incubus softly. "She'll have a choice to make. She can stay here and lead the guild or she can come with me", explained the elf.
Kavi peered over in curiosity. "Are naga allowed in the court? I thought you sent them all into the planes of Nirvana?", he ventured. Nodding faintly, Puck replied, "Yes. The fey are few in this world. It's the way it has to be now." He did his best not to look toward Jasper. He'd have to make his own choice soon enough. The incubus forced himself to relax, trying to put on a smile for his father. "How long will have once you return home?", he asked nervously. The room grew deathly quiet. Both Jasper and Kavi slowly looked toward their silent patriarch. He stared grimly into his palm as he replaced his bracer. "As long as the crown sees fit", he said solemnly. Meeting their worried faces, he smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about me, my sons. I've already lived several lifetimes. I'm really happy you two were part of that...Please...Let me talk to your mother about all of this...Just pretend everything's fine...for her sake."
The boys exchanged glances. That was a reasonable request, but many things were left unanswered. "But everything isn't fine. We're on the brink of war with Noctis and if you insist on fighting, you may not survive long enough to take Veda home with you", stated Kavi darkly. Jasper looked to his brother speechlessly. He had a way of saying what needed to be said. "And if I do nothing, the entire guild will worry, knowing something's wrong. I've lived seven centuries, Kavi-kun. I'm only asking you to trust my judgment for a little while longer", replied Puck. Jasper nervously watched them stare each other down. Their silent argument was interrupted. Puck's eye clouded over as if a storm raged in them. Jasper had seen this before. It meant something important was happening in Avalon. His father was receiving a message. However, something new was also happening. Kavi clenched his eyes as if in pain. Puck was lost during these moments, so Jasper sprang to his brother's side.
Gently jarring him, Jasper called out, "Kavi, Kavi! What's wrong? Are you all right?!". His jaw nearly dropped when his brother met his gaze. Each eye stared back with a glowing triangle deep in his pupils, one gold and one silver. Blood ran from Kavi's eyes like tears. Jasper panicked. What had his father done? "Kavi, just try to stay calm!", he cried, clearly worried. Finally, the storm in the elf's eye passed and Puck blinked as if clearing a mist away. His gaze quickly settled over his sons. Rushing to Kavi's aid, he examined him closely. It seemed Kavi's pain was receding. He blinked several times, even rubbing his eyes, and they appeared normal once more. "Dad?", ventured Jasper. Puck looked grim. He swore in an archaic tongue. Placing his hands over Kavi's eyes, he chanted, emitting a faint light. Static crackled within the magic, a sure sign of resistance. When he let go, he sat heavily in his chair and stared into the floor. "I'm sorry...This is all my fault...", he muttered.
Replacing his glasses, Kavi took a deep breath. It had been enough to shake him, but not take him out again. "What was that?", he asked calmly. He wiped away the blood and and stared at reddened finger tips in thought. "It seems that by transferring my vision to you, something else went with it...It may fade with time and it may not...I'm sorry, son...", uttered Puck solemnly. Jasper watched his brother nervously. "Are you all right?", he inquired. Kavi nodded, "I'm fine. It doesn't hurt now."
Jasper stood between his brother and father, each of them lost to thought. "Did you see anything?", asked Puck, breaking the silence. Kavi thought it over before replying, "I think so, but I'm not sure what." Puck touched two finger's to Kavi's brow and closed his eye. Kavi gasped lightly as images flooded his mind. "That was it! It's just clearer now", said the dragon slayer, amazed. Puck grinned wanly. "It seems you're now somewhat attuned to Avalon's frequency", he explained.
Many questions were answered and theories proposed over the next half hour. Eventually, Kavi seemed satisfied for now and retreated to the library. Jasper nearly followed him before being stopped at the sound of his name. Slowly turning, he eyed his father with question. "Sit down, son. I have some things I need to tell you." It would be nearly an hour before they emerged from the chamber. Veda waited them anxiously in the hall. When the doors opened, Puck's grim expression greeted her. Behind him, she could see Jasper sitting at the meeting table with his hand in his hands. "Gently closing the doors behind himself, Puck sighed. "Just give him some time, my love", he stated in a low tone. Veda nodded. She wanted to hurry to her son's side, but her husband was right. If he'd fully disclosed everything, then their darling incubus indeed had a lot to take in.
To be continued...