Chapter 2

Levy crouched into the corner of a plaster barrier wall and scribbled a rune onto its smooth surface. It was a little project of hers in the archives to translate the runes of particularly difficult documents. This one, however, was odd as the upstrokes of one leg did not match any previous symbols, and there was no context to derive its meaning due to, well, lack of content. A stray, cold breeze penetrated her warm thought bubble and brought her attention back to the present. Right, she was on duty. It was her first rotation as the night watch since she joined the Order.

Her hands began to shake with nervousness as the pressure of protecting her beloved town fell to her tiny shoulders. She felt nauseous and clammy; the chalk in her hands was clenched and it pained her fingers to hold the thin stone. What were they thinking, letting the Record Keeper's assistant out of her dusty haven? She ached to be back with her books, parchment, and ink. Instead, she had scribbled many nonsensical runes into the wall to distract herself from the unbearable feeling that something bad was going to happen. She was short, but the barrier would have come up to her bust if she stood. For now, she was completely hidden from the nightmarish darkness when she sat in the corner.

A heavy thud in the floor caused her to jump, launching the painful chalk piece into the air. A door in the wooden floor swung upward, and a friendly head of blonde hair emerged from the orange candlelight below.

"How're you doing?" her busty friend whispered excitedly.

Levy almost burst into tears when she admitted her shame, "Lucy, I can't do this! Go tell Master Makarov I'm sick so I can come back inside. Please!"

Lucy's expression turned sour, but she did not turn back.

"Don't be ridiculous, Levy! I knew you would chicken out. That's why I snuck out! I'll stay and watch with you."

Lucy climbed the rest of the ladder as she finished her sentence. Over her shoulder was a large woven basket that emitted delicious scents.

"You brought food? From where?!" Levy demanded, instantly forgetting her nausea and helping Lucy to close the heavy door.

"I asked Natsu. You know he keeps the stash in his room," she replied, unwrapping dainty cucumber sandwiches and tearing into the crunchy delicacy.

The Order rationed the town's food supply, and due to the influx of members, portions became smaller and smaller. Natsu and Lucy had been dear friends since childhood and they grew up in the town. So when Natsu joined the Order and received a promotion to work in the Preservation Chambers, Lucy followed and partnered with him by working in the fields during Harvest. They were quite popular for doling out the food surpluses when they could.

Levy hesitated at the amount of food before her. She was certainly hungry now and picked a large green apple to bite into. The sour flesh caused her mouth to pinch and water from the tartness. Lucy must have bribed the guards inside to let her up here.

She had become wonderful friends with Lucy since joining the Order. It was not her first choice of career, but her curiosity for things unknown was far greater than the downsides of being an Order member. Some days, she would regret her decision, like tonight.

She looked out into the night sky, unafraid now that she knew her friend was near. She looked up at the waxing moon, a healthy crescent reflecting gentle moonlight on the ocean waves. She enjoyed the salty smell and the way the constant breeze pulled at her hair. Still facing the wind, she observed the town below, now thankful to watch the lamplighters walk through the streets with their long poles. It was relatively quiet aside from the town's bar patrons. A comforting glow of light on the edge of the village signified their good time.

Levy took another bite of her apple, munching on the soft peel, and scanned the horizon around them. She felt no fear as she paced along the wall, skimming her fingers along the smooth plaster. She liked the privacy the village provided. All around the town was a large outcropping of rocks and cliffs protecting them from wandering travelers, and before them was another cliff. To the untrained eye, it would appear as though the town was built directly on the shore, but from here, she could see they were set on a high shelf, protecting them from high tides and stormy weather.

Lucy giggled around another mouthful of cucumber.

"What's so funny?" Levy asked, nibbling on the core of her apple. A stray droplet of juice crawled down her forearm. She caught the sour drip and trail with the tip of her tongue, smacking her lips.

"Your robe. It's lopsided," she grinned. "Have you been walking around like this all day?"

Of course, Lucy was referring to the wad of fabric tied under her belt to keep it from dragging the ground. She wrapped her arms around her waist self-consciously.

"It's too long. And until Master Makarov promotes me to Senior Record Keeper, I have to wear this."

Lucy snorted at her explanation, "You're talking about a few years from now. Here, lemme fix it!"

Lucy crawled across the floor, kneeling in front of Levy and yanking on the gold cord that made up her belt. Lucy set to work unknotting the braid. Once set loose, the fabric billowed around Levy's body, sending a shiver up her spine as the breeze entered the newly found opening. Levy was grateful to her foresight for laundering her undergarments earlier that day. The thin shift graced her body in silken comfort while still accentuating her less endowed assets. Despite the fact the shift was her favorite, she was more than a little uncomfortable having said assets bared to her best friend. However, Lucy was fast. Her hands snaked around her body, tugging heavy fabric here and there, only pausing to ask Levy to hold a certain fold or pleat. A few minutes later, Lucy leaned back to examine her work and knotted Levy's belt in the correct fashion.

Levy looked down and was surprised to find her slim waist amongst so much material. The fabric itself was white and coarse, quite like burlap, but the years of wear-and-tear from its previous owners softened its stiffness, making it almost comfortable. Almost. She turned her body for an all-around look and was pleased with the flattering design. Levy looked farther down the drapery and upon seeing her bare feet, wiggled her toes.

"Lucy, you're a genius!" she exclaimed, bouncing on her tip-toes.

Lucy said nothing for she was crouched at the South wall, staring intently at the cliffs. Levy followed her gaze and noticed a plume of smoke. She doused one of the torches into a nearby bucket of water and stared at the Southern cliffs, waiting for her eyes to adjust to the moonlight.

Agonizing seconds passed by as Levy's hopes for a grass fire were crushed. It was a campfire. A large one. People had come to the city. And she was playing dress-up instead of doing her job. She threw the heavy trapdoor open, "Sting!" she called, "Travelers on the Southern cliffs!"

A tall man with butter blonde hair appeared at the bottom of the ladder.

"How many?" he called back. His cheeks appeared to be puffed and extended, probably eating Lucy's bribe.

She ran back to the wall, squinting, trying to pick up any movements.

"Can't tell!" Lucy called down. Levy did not notice her friend relay the message, but she heard the answer, "We'll send a scout team to check it out!"

Without even realizing she had moved, Levy was at the trapdoor and added, "Don't send Natsu! He'll burn the forest again!"

A knowing chuckle echoed up the tunnel-like opening.

The girls closed the door and took their respective places in the watchtower: Lucy crouched below their last torch near the bronze warning bell with its mallet in her hands, a large weapon-like hammer for the equally large bell, and Levy paced along the southern wall.

This was the worst part of the job. Of all the nights, of all the Order members, it had to be now with her. Anxiety gripped her stomach, churning the apple she had recently eaten into a nauseating concoction that would hopefully not be violently expelled over the side of the wall. She paused and wrapped her arms around her waist, sparing a glance to the rising smoke. She put her nose to the wind, not picking up any woodsy scents from a campfire. She began pacing again, not taking her eyes off the cliff's edge.

That was when she saw it. A beast.

"Lucy!" she whispered harshly.

Already on alert, her friend was at the Sounthern wall, peeking over the edge from her crouched stance.

"What do you see?" she asked in response.

Levy had read many documents and articles in her time at the Order. She treasured the rare moments stories and pieces of fiction crossed her desk. She recalled an Order News report from a few months back after survivors from recently ravaged towns converged into the Captiol, Magnolia. Their stories were outlandish, but when more survivors came into the Capitol city with the same story, the Order had no choice but to believe them: a large beast with black scales and red eyes destroyed their homes. They called him a dragon. There were other reports too. She had filed them with the other fictions, but was quickly reprimanded when Master Freed went looking for them and filed them with the other critical reports. Back then she had let the issue go, eager to make up for her mistake. But now...

It suddenly dawned on her that it was staring at her. She unconsciously raised her hand to her blushing cheek, enamored by its dark presence. A gust of wind picked up and she watched as its long hair whipped in the strong current. She could not tear her eyes away from it, even after it moved away out of her line of sight. Surly it was a trick; a trick of the eyes, of the light. There was no such things as dragons.

She swore she saw scales; a hint of burning themselves in her memory.

"Lucy," she rasped, too stunned to speak up, "it's coming."

Dragons couldn't be real. Right?