Secrets, part 42
High over the chaos, Pax used her keen eyesight to observe the fight below. She'd seen Yavuz beckon Jasper into the darkness. Pensively, she watched. "You can go, my lady. I'll watch things here", offered Andromeda, finally loosening her chains from Dubhan's sleeping form. Pax twitched her tail in thought. "No, I'll guard them", she sighed. Turning, she glanced at the group of humans on the floor nearby. Kavi held Blythe tightly despite being entirely unconscious, a faint grin on his lips. Beside them was Maria fawning over Dubhan. He, too, was out like a light. Maria, herself, wasn't far behind. She fought her exhaustion from giving her blood, but she wouldn't leave Dubhan unguarded. Thus, she clung to her blurred vision, waiting for Tomas.
"What have we here?", laughed a rough voice. Pax calmly faced the encroaching agent of Noctis. A large man swung a sickle playfully as he strode forward. "My ticket to the top", he grinned. Pax smirked in response, unsettling his nerves. "Catching a fey won't help you. First, Noctis dies today. Second, you're up against me", she said. Sneering, the man tried to ignore her confidence. "Once I take you down, I can reclaim the baron. I don't care if you're here to kill master Yavuz. I'll gladly take his place", replied the man. "Shall I stay out of your way, my lady?", asked Andromeda casually. Pax cracked her knuckles and pulled her flowing shirt away. Tossing it, she smirked toward Blythe. "Cover him up before he catches cold. Humans are so fragile...I'll take care of our little guest." The spirit nodded and covered Blythe's nakedness. The fire had destroyed the garb he wore previously. Pax showed her proud succubus nature as she stalked forward like a lion playing with a lamb. A tight corset barely covered her chest. Her wings spread wide and low, readying her to pounce.
Below, Jasper haughtily followed the master of Noctis through a side tunnel. Yavuz was merely toying with him and he knew it. "The mighty fey...If your senses really are so superior, you should have found me by now", taunted Yavuz from the shadows. Jasper sneered, furious at the man who caused such harm to his guild. "And if you're truly so skilled a warrior, you should face me instead of hiding", he replied sharply. Silence permeated the tunnel. Finally, the sound of sand beneath a boot. Jasper spun around to face the source. Yavuz stared him down coldly. "I'm no coward, but I'm also not a fool. I know what kind of strength you possess. All that remains unanswered if you're too soft to use it", he said. Jasper fought his welling hatred. He wanted more than anything to kill the man before him, but his heart was torn. Everything his family had ever taught him stated that all life is precious. Still, he knew Kavi had killed and even Blythe. That left him in turmoil at the choice.
"Domine mi, if I may?", called Eadmund, calmly separating himself from the ambient stone wall. Drawing the claymore from his back, he strode forward confidently. "You needn't sully your hands on such a lowly thing as this. He doesn't deserve the consideration of being called 'human'...", he trailed. Jasper sighed deeply. "No. I have to finish this", he said. His voice was firm, but his hands were shaking. "What would Yona do?", he thought. A faint grin crossed his lips. "She'd pummel him into the dirt", he thought. "The choice is yours. Come. I'd like to see what a vile perversion of nature like you is capable of", grinned the master of Noctis. "You fey are truly disgusting - beings of pure magic, the ultimate insult to nature", continued Yavuz, keeping his eyes firmly on Jasper. A dark smile crossed his face. "What happens when something like you dies? Do you crumble like an animal or simply vanish into nothing? Is there a corpse left to rot? Perhaps I should ask the elf." His words were designed to cut deeply and they did just that.
Before he could chuckle at Jasper's rage, the incubus had him by the throat. His green eyes shone like stars in the ambient darkness. Yavuz maintained his twisted grin as Jasper's corrosion magic began to eat away at his clothing. "Go ahead and be the monster you are. I won't judge you for it. After all, I'm a monster, too. Just look what I've put my own son through, my very own flesh and blood...And you know what? I don't feel a bit guilty about it...or your dragon slayer friend. I even laughed when Tanya failed. She was weak and most of your guild fell that day. Thirty mages to one agent is an acceptable loss...Are you just going to stare at me while I taunt you?" Jasper struggled against himself, gaining control of the acid in his hands. "I could easily snap your neck", he stated, almost calmly. That caught Yavuz off guard. "What's stopping you, beast?", he sneered. "It's too good for you", spat Jasper, casting the man to the dirt.
Yavuz chuckled darkly to himself as he got to his feet. "Leave it to an untrained animal to play with its prey", he grinned. Eadmund took a single step forward. Seeing Jasper raise his hand, he held his position despite his own feelings. "How interesting. Looks like you creatures have some chain of command after all. Tell me, where does the snake lurk now? Her hide alone will bring quite the purse." Acid hissed as it dripped into the sand from Jasper's clenched fists. "Leave my family out of this", he said, gritting his teeth. "Family is just a word, a simple label for those you keep closer than your enemies, hoping that when it comes down to the wire, they won't stab you in the back. You really think I care about your ties?", taunted Yavuz. Smiling darkly, he stated firmly, "I will kill every last one of you."
An unexpected voice echoed through the tunnel. "Bullshit!", rang out loudly. Jasper's intense expression gave way to one of surprise. He looked passed Yavuz to see Yona and Natsu staring down the same foe. He'd never seen Natsu look so angry, but it was Yona's voice that cried out. Even now, he could see her trembling. Nefeli jumped from Natsu's shoulder and made a strike at Yavuz's face as she swooped to her master, Eadmund. Blood trickled down from the master of Noctis's brow, but he remained calm. It was only a minor wound.
Natsu set a firm hand on Yona's shoulder, drawing her back to reality. "If that's your definition of 'family', I almost feel sorry for you", he stated, staring down Yavuz. Yona gathered her nerves and turned her steely gaze upon him, as well. "You puss-filled sack of shit. You don't have the faintest clue who you're fucking with right now. That man in front of you could have easily taken your pathetic life countless times by now. The only reason you're still standing is because he's better than you", she seethed. Eadmund smirked faintly. It seemed Jasper had made some good friends out here, after all. "Hell, he could've sicked his soldier buddy on you, too! Do you even know what a life is worth? Do you?!", yelled Yona. Natsu had let her say her piece. Now he stepped around beside her. "You've learned a lot since joining a guild", he grinned, not looking toward her. She blushed faintly. Maybe she really had come a long way. Natsu's fists turned ablaze. "Let me handle this", he smirked.
He froze as a steel sword stopped inches from his throat. Eadmund stared at him, calmly holding his gaze. "He's ordered us to stay out of it", he stated. Yona stood agape. When did Eadmund get so fast?! "Lower your blade", ordered Jasper, still staring firmly at Yavuz. Eadmund obeyed, silently sheathing his weapon. "This is about honor, is it?", smirked Yavuz. "Like you even know what that word means", sneered Jasper. The master of Noctis and his incubus adversary stared one another down, chilling the air around them. Natsu released his flames and reluctantly stepped back. Seeing Yona begin to move, he quickly grasped her wrist, encouraging her stay where she was. Eadmund carefully eyed over everyone present. Finally, he turned to the dragon slayers. "Come. Your friends are this way", he said holding out his hand as the other faded into the surrounding stone. Yona lingered, staring at Jasper in question. "Go. I'll be fine", he assured. Against her better judgment, she conceded.
Once the others were gone, Jasper and Yavuz had grown tired of waiting. Sand kicked up as both leapt into motion. Their shapes mixed with the shadows in the low light, exchanging blows. Jasper skid to a stop as a fresh cut opened on his face. He glanced briefly at the beading blood in shock. "Is that the best you've got, incubus?", asked Yavuz stiffly. The voice came from just behind where Jasper stood. A quick reaction caught Yavuz's blade before it pierced his ribs. A strong twist made a crunching sound as the dagger hit the dirt. Yavuz jumped back, nursing his now broken wrist. "That's more like it", he grinned. Snapping the bones into place, he tied off the wound with little concern. Jasper eyed him cautiously. It seemed he was up against more than he bargained for.
Elsewhere in the base, Tomas was nimbly navigating between confrontations and fleeing zealots as he made his way to the platform where Dubhan and Maria were. He showed little concern for the fallen around him, simply stepping over the unconscious. It took time to get around the crevice in the earth, but he knew the quickest routes. Soon enough, he emerged onto the risen platform. A dark-skinned creature with wings spun around to face him, her pink eyes glowing. She stood over the Noctis agent that previously attacked her. Seeing it was only an acolyte, she lowered her guard. They stared at one another briefly. Seeing no signs of aggression, she let him pass with a close eye on his movements. Pax watched as he knelt beside Dubhan and Maria. The girl looked at him with relief in her moist eyes. "He'll be okay", she said weakly. Tomas smiled softly. "You did well", he said, cupping her cheek in his palm. Dragging his fingertips over her eyelids, he said, "Sleep." Within seconds, Maria fell beside Dubhan.
"Sleep magic?", ventured Andromeda. Tomas grinned coyly. "Getting Dubhan to rest always was a fight. So, I found another way", he explained. "My lady?", asked Andromeda, glancing at Pax. "He's on our side...I think", replied the succubus. She watched with keen interest as something fell from his sleeve onto the marble. The strange metallic object clinked noisily and appeared to have blood on it. "What is that?", asked Pax. "A magic inhibitor - one of Dubhan's creations. He really is a talented scientist", replied Tomas, fondly stroking the loose hair from Dubhan's face. "I removed it from the dragon slayer", he added. Pax circled around him, intrigued. "Why?", she inquired. "Orders", stated Tomas, finally looking up from his resting lovers.
"I heard what you told Kavi. What deal did those two make?", said Pax, glancing between the twins. Tomas grinned faintly. "I wasn't privy to the exact terms. Perhaps they will explain when they wake", he said. He looked at the succubus without malice. Finally, he asked, "What are you?". Pax snickered at his confusion. "There's gonna be a lot to sort out when this is all over", she sighed. "Time's up, my lady", stated Andromeda, bowing apologetically. "Good work today. Catch you later. Rest up, ok?", said Pax with a smile. The spirit nodded and returned to her world. "...A spirit?", ventured Tomas after an awkward silence. "Why is it humans think their the only ones who practice magic?", she said flatly.
Moments later, their conversation was abruptly interrupted. Pax calmly watched the stone floor change. Tomas watched with interest as forms climbed through. "Quite the group", smirked Pax. Eadmund grinned faintly in response. He'd brought along the dragon slayers along with Lily and Ronen. Nefeli climbed down from his shoulder and inspected the sleeping mages. Gajeel's eyes narrowed as they settled over Blythe and Kavi. "We would've been faster, but we had to make a stop on the way", grinned Yona. "Are they all right?", asked Gajeel stiffly. "Yeah, I think so. Just unconscious for the time being", replied Pax. She watched keenly as Gajeel visibly relaxed. "Why's he naked?", asked Natsu flatly. "Clothes burned off", shrugged the incubus. Natsu made an odd expression. He never had that problem, but then again, he could control the fire around him.
"You mean they really did it?", inquired Ronen carefully. "Burned at the stake", said Lily absently as he glanced over their friends. "Those sick bastards!", spat Yona. She strode forward, passing Gajeel and knelt to inspect her comrades. She experimentally ran her fingers over Blythe's head. His blonde hair was mostly gone, leaving a very short style. "Damn", she cursed under her breath. "Cancer can fix that. At least they're all right", offered Natsu, coming beside her. Blythe didn't look the same without his curls, but it was definitely him. Finally, the others came beside them, as well. Gajeel silently sat down and crossed his arms, as if to guard his friends. He shot one eye open to glare at Tomas in defiance, practically begging him to try something. Natsu followed his gaze and his eyes settled over Dubhan. He wasn't used to Blythe having a twin. No one was, really.
"They do look a lot alike", stated Ronen, breaking the awkward quiet. "Apart from the bags under the eyes, yeah", shrugged Pax. Yona sighed deeply in relief. "Son of bitch pulled it off...Congrats, Blythe. You're a full fledged mage now", she grinned, patting his face. Natsu smiled to himself at the sight of it all. "How long do you think he'll be out?", inquired Ronen, getting a closer look. Pax shuddered as she recalled the previous imagery of Blythe's skeletal, charred hand reaching toward them. "A while", she said curtly. "What about them?", asked Lily, eying Dubhan's group. "Dubhan and Maria are weak from blood loss, but they'll be all right. I mean you no harm so long as you leave them be", stated Tomas calmly. Gajeel smirked at the guy's confidence. "You may not believe me, but...Dubhan intended to save Blythe from the flames. They made a deal", explained the acolyte. "You're right. I don't believe you", said Yona flatly. "He created the virus, a device to block magic, and who knows what else? Guy's got a major creep factor", she stated. Tomas dropped his eyes, but grinned sheepishly.
"I know it's hard not to judge someone, especially when they've made mistakes in the past, but Dubhan is a good person deep down. He's a brilliant scientist, a good friend, and a gracious lover", said Tomas, stroking his beloved's sleeping face. Blank stares gaped at the last sentiment. "What are gonna do with him?", asked Ronen. "Your friend, the dragon slayer, promised not to kill him", said the acolyte with a firm gaze. Glances passed around. "We're all dragon slayers", grinned Natsu. "Kavi?", asked Yona, following Tomas's eyes. He nodded. "He's not really a killing kind of guy. Pretty much a pacifist unless you piss him off", said Yona. "Or hurt someone he loves", added Ronen, staring at Blythe. "I'm glad you're all reunited and touchy feely, but the fight isn't over yet", interrupted Pax. The group looked up to see Eadmund staring over the edge of the walkway toward the chaos below.
As if on cue, Happy set Lucy on her feet beside their friends. "Lucy?", ventured Natsu, confused. "Loke made me take her", said Happy. "Soooo heavy", he added beneath his breath. Yona stifled a laugh at the glare the spirit mage gave him. "Well, if Loke's fighting, I have to have some fun, too", said an unknown voice. Everyone turned to see a man with tan skin and light hair smirking. He stood with his arms crossed and sent Pax a knowing Wink. Lucy looked at the swirled tattoo over his eye and red scarf tied around his head. "It can't be", she uttered near breathless. Yona took a quick sniff to confirm her suspicions. "Draco? What the hell happened to you?!", she spat. Eadmund stepped beside his partner with a faint smirk. "We told you he sometimes comes as an adult", he stated. "Yeah but I didn't think he'd be this hot!", replied Yona. Pax laughed. "Sorry, this one's off limits, even to me", she teased.
Natsu looked the spirit over. He seemed calmer, more in tune with what was going on. "Are you really the same kid? You smell like him, but - ", he said. Draco's eyes settled firmly over the dragon slayer. "Surprised? I figure I should at least play the part when I'm a kid", he grinned. Pax cuddled up against him as if fangirling over his looks. "I wish you'd cuddle my breasts when you look like this", she taunted. Eadmund cleared his throat, a clear warning to straighten up. Draco snickered. "Maybe later", he teased. He strode to the edge of the walkway and held out one hand. Pax grinned expectantly. "Watch, you'll like this", she said. The mages stared as reality distorted near the spirit's open palm. "Get 'em, Pyrr!", cheered Pax. "He's not going to summon the whole zodiac, is he?", asked Lucy, dumbfounded. "Nah, he only summons in child form. This is his real magic", said Pax, eagerly watching.
Time and space fragmented, showing glimpses of several different planes. Finally, the various images merged into two distinct fields - the celestial plane and one of fire. Natsu's keen eyes settled over the card tucked into Draco's waistband. It was definitely Nova's card, but why? The two visions of reality collided and a substance began to pour forth. "What is that?", gaped Yona. It was black as night and clearly showed stars, galaxies, and more in its core, but it flowed like magma. "Lava?", ventured Lily. "Something like that", smirked Pax. The mages watched as the mass suddenly took shape and split into several long tendrils. Each arm moved freely, attacking only the members of Noctis below. Cries of fear rang out from below. In the midst of the chaos, Erza stared in wonder at such a strange thing. Loke simply grinned to himself. "Good to see you're back to yourself, Draco", he mumbled.
Minutes later, Rani gracefully landed and ran to greet Yona. Loke made his way up and watched as the last of Noctis was extinguished in celestial lava. "Looks like you've still go t the touch", he grinned, stepping beside his fellow spirit. His smile faded quickly. Draco looked pale. He maintained focus and control of his magic, but it clearly was taking its toll. Shifting close, Loke whispered, "Don't over do it." Draco grinned faintly as the strange lava formed into a single sphere before exploding into harmless specks of light, raining down over the remnants of the dark church. His strength faltered and Loke quickly caught him, supporting his weight. Pax ran faster than could be followed. "You overdid it again", she said, smiling softly as she cradled his head in her lap. "Yeah, but it was fun", replied the spirit. Silence fell over the group as a bright light consumed Pax and Draco. When is faded, he was a child again, almost asleep, being cradled in her arms. She smiled fondly at the boy, pride and sadness in her eyes. He meekly pulled Nova's card from his belt and smiled softly at it. "Did you see me, mom?", he said softly. Only the fey and the draconian trio heard him. Lucy was left clueless as to why Natsu suddenly looked very shaken.
Pax brushed the hair from Draco's face and kissed his forehead tenderly. "You did great, Pyrr. I'm sure she's really proud of you", she said. The card evaporated and the boy grinned serenely to himself. "I'll ask her when I get home", he said. A huge yawn followed. "Pax, I'm tired. Can we play later?", he said, sleepy as ever. "Of course. Go home and get in a good nap", she said, hugging him. Loke smiled to himself, glad Draco had a good friend. Taking the boy into his arms, he grinned at his own companions. "I've got him from here. Take care of those two, all right?", he said, nodding toward Kavi and Blythe. "We will", replied Lucy. Then, the spirits were gone, returned to their own world. Yona looked at her friend. Natsu was visibly tense. "You ok?", she asked. "Fine", he said stiffly. He quickly put on a bright smile despite his turmoil. "I guess that wraps up Noctis", he said, trying to appear as if nothing had happened.
"Not quite", said Eadmund, quite serious. "Buzz kill", snorted Pax, getting to her feet. Ignoring her comment, he pulled off his trademark coat and held it toward her. "Cover yourself up. We can't have you getting sick", he said mildly. She grinned as she slid the oversized garment on. She was happy and comfortable in her corset, but it clearly made her partner uneasy and she was too drained to argue. Sliding his claymore holster over his back, he tightened the straps quietly. "Yavuz?", said Yona, breaking the silence. "Yes. Jasper's confronting him as we speak", replied Eadmund, clearly unhappy about it. "Shouldn't we help or something?", ventured Ronen. "Idiot wants to do it alone", said Yona, somewhat irritated. "So...We just wait?", asked Rani. Everyone shuffled uncomfortably after that. Finally, Eadmund approached the edge of the walkway again. "I'll keep surveillance. Nefeli will warn you if anything goes wrong", he said.
Everyone watched his back. His clothing had no holes for wings and he looked ready to jump. "Gliding down?", teased Pax. Eadmund grinned faintly. "Yes. I can easily see how many zealots remain in our way if I circle around", he replied. The marble around him began to crumble and fragments floated in the air. "He did say something about using stone magic", thought Lucy, curious. "Glass is lighter", echoed in Yona's mind. She smirked, eager to see it. Various stone surfaces around them contributed to the encircling debris. A dust cloud formed as it all collapsed in toward the gargoyle. A gust of wing cleared the air. Huge green, glass wings now decorated his back. Everyone gaped in shock. They were beautiful. Accents of gold decorated the rims, creating unusual shapes and effects, giving Eadmund's wings a steampunk look. Even a shining glass tail now hung from his spine. "Stay here. We'll notify you if Jasper requires help", he said and quickly dove off the platform. Yona scrambled to her feet, wanting to see if he'd actually crashed. "No way", she uttered as he arced high above them and scouted the area from the air. Nefeli flew close beside him. "He looks kind of awesome like this...You know, if you're into that sort of thing", said Pax, her cheeks faintly tinged pink. Yona stepped close beside her and leaned in close to stare. "Are you blushing?", she prodded. "Oh course not! Succubus don't blush!", spat Pax, flustered. "Riiiight", taunted Yona.
Deep below, in the tunnel system, Yavuz and Jasper continued to fight on, oblivious to the others. If only Jasper's friends knew how the fight was going, maybe they wouldn't be so carefree...
To be Continued...