He was a monster hidden in plain sight. Eyes dark and alluring, his hair a startling shade of dark blue. If the rings weren't some indication, it seemed the client was right about him; infatuation magic. Lucy tried to hide her disgust as she smiled warmly at him.
"Bora! You're so handsome and talented!" Bellowed a girl from behind her.
"Please let me be your wife Bora! I'll love you forever!"
"His eyes- his hair- who wouldn't love a man like you?"
Utterly disgraceful, Lucy thought as she tried to blend in with the rest of the girls, they don't even know they're being tricked. The disgusting man was practically drinking in the praise, a smug grin plastered to his face.
The blonde sighed through clenched teeth, tugging on her scarf, she looked towards the man with as much admiration and love as she could muster. Here it goes.
"Excuse me Bora-sama." She stuttered, eyes glimmering as she stood in front of the man in question, "I, I was wondering if, if maybe you'd like to, maybe go somewhere or maybe do something, together?"
Bora took the bait. "Oh, fairest maiden," he began, taking Lucy's hand in his own, "nothing would make me happier; let us meet at sunset. Meet me at my party and I'll make all your worries disappear, for that is a simple task for the great Salamander!" He relished in the cheers that followed, turning back towards the crowd, "I look forward to seeing the rest of you lovely ladies there as well! You all shall be treated with the upmost respect and I will personally see to every one of you having a great time. Until then, however, I must depart. Farewell, maidens of Hargeon." And with that, he was gone.
Just like that, the spell was broken. Lucy shook her head, loosening her scarf as she watched as the girls dispersed into mindless chatter, unaware of their recent bewitchery.
"Hey Luce, how'd it go?" A ripple of relief came over Lucy as she turned around, eyes lighting up at the sight of her best friend.
She threw her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest as she grumbled, "Just another creepy weirdo, being a huge dick to make up for his lack of one. He's got this weird tattoo above his eye, he constantly looks like he needs a shit and he was wearing this stupid cape! And to top it all off," Lucy lifted her face from Natsu's chest, looking into his eyes, "I'm pretty sure he's pretending to be you, too."
Natsu's eyes narrowed, "Wait, 'old up a second there. What?" Lucy reluctantly took a step back, crossing her arms as she tugged on a loose strand of her hair in irritation.
"I know! Those nicknames we got in Oak Town after defeating the cult of vampires, Salamander and Stella? Yeah, well, he was calling himself 'the great Salamander' so I assume that he-" Natsu cut her off.
"No, not that. I don't care. I wanna know why the hell he's wearing a fucking cape. Is he a joke or somethin'? Don't he realise what a huge disadvantage that is a battle?" Lucy facepalmed, of course that's what he was worried about. Not the potential theft of his identity, no, the cape.
"Might I remind you, that you wore a cape, back when you were, what, thirteen, fourteen? I remember you specifically saying 'it looks cool Lulu, everyone is wearing them! Thinking about it like that, you're being a little bit of a hypocrite Nat." Lucy shook her head, chuckling at Natsu's sour expression.
"I don't know what a hippo-concrete is, but I've learnt that capes are a big no-no. I almost died when that yeti took a 'old of it back on Mt. Hakobe; definitely not worth it." Natsu shuddered at the memory; Lucy's horrified expression as he was plucked for the air, the yeti's sharp teeth, the smell of rotting flesh. Never again.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." Lucy punched his arm playfully, "On another note, where's Happy?" Natsu's eyes trailed around himself.
"HAPPY!" He shouted, "I swear he was just he there a second ago." Lucy glared at him, about to go on a rant about responsibility and looking after each other, before a huge gust of wind nearly knocked her over. Natsu looked up, eyes lighting up as he pointed at the sky.
"There he is."
She was reluctant to look up, already hearing the gasps of horror and frightened chatter that had erupted around them. Finally, her eyes found the spot directly above them.
Happy was definitely a sight to see, a giant mass of blue feathers and fur, two huge wings beating against the wind. Claws sharpened to killing machines, beak pointed in a sharp arch.
"IT'S A GRIFFIN!" Someone screamed, mass panic spreading like wild fire across the town. That's what we get, Lucy groaned internally, for going to a village only occupied by humans and wizards.
When she heard someone yell "Arrows!", Lucy began to panic.
"HAPPY!" She yelled. Said griffin immediately flew down, landing in front of her, his eyes alert and ready. "Natsu, you've got to get him out of here. Hide in the woods or something. Meet me by the docs just before sunset. Then we can get this job done, collect the money from the client and then get the hell out of here."
"Sounds good, I'll see you soon Luce." He ruffled her hair before hopping on Happy's back, "Up Happy." The griffin lifted from the ground, feathers fluttering as he soared into the sky.
"It's leaving everyone, the griffin is leaving! We're safe. Can everyone please calm down!" Her voice cut through the chaos like a knife through hot butter, everyone looking towards her.
"What was that?"
"Was that a person on its back?"
"I'm scared, will it come back?"
"Everything will be fine," Lucy assured, "I've read about griffins before and they are typically calm creatures, most of them tend to travel alone and, to my knowledge, have never been known any to attack without good reason."
Lucy hoped none of them knew anything about griffins, because everything she had just said was a lie.
_._._._._._
Light peeked out from the edge of the horizon, bathing the sky in a mix of rich red and orange. Lucy sat on the pier, golden hair blowing slightly in the wind, watching as the waves slapped softly against the shore.
Her eyes were beginning to grow heavy. The red dress she barely had the money to purchase felt tight and uncomfortable. As she almost succumbed to the faded colours of the sky, Lucy was jerked awake by a voice she knew all too well. "Luce!"
The blonde stretched out her body, lifted herself away from the pier as she greeting her friend. "Hi Natsu, Happy. Cutting it a bit close, aren't we?" She smirked, gesturing to the sky, already deepening into a dark blue.
"Sorry," Natsu had the curtesy to look sheepish, "We kinda got caught up whilst fishing. What's the plan?"
"I want you two to be flying close to the ship, but not close enough that they can see you. When I shout for you, it's either because something's gone wrong, or he's ready to be taken into custody. Do you understa-" The dragon cut her off.
"I could do more than that Luce!" He complained, angry that he wouldn't be able to do much fighting.
The blonde raised an eyebrow. "One word, Natsu: transportation."
The colour immediately drained out of his face, his knees buckling so that he lay in a pathetic heap on the floor. "You're, you're cruel Lucy. Truly cruel."
She smirked, "I try." A loud, piercing horn suddenly sounded and Lucy perked up. "That's my cue. I'm going to board now, remember the plan." She reminded as she started to walk away, "I love you two, stay out of trouble!"
The boarding was quick, everyone shovelling past each other as they clawed towards the entrance. Hair and purses were yanked in the scuffle, some attempting to climb onto railings to reach the opulence on board.
The boat was truly beautiful. A large, luxury ship with a huge decking area and a multitude of rooms that all held their own activities inside. People were laughing and drinking, some dancing to the music that bled through the speakers. All around, a very extravagant party.
A glass of something orange was suddenly shoved into her hands, "Don't worry babes," A drunk girl slurred, "I won't give ya nothin' 'at aint alcholic, I'm not tryna poison ya or nothin'."
"Uh, thanks, I guess?" The blonde chuckled as the girl moved onto her next victim. Lucy looked at the liquid slushing around in her cup, and sniffed it. She instantly recoiled, dropping the drink into a nearby plant whilst no one was looking. There might be a little more to this case than she previously thought, why else would they put sleeping pills in the drinks?
Better start searching for Bora, Lucy thought, deciding to search inside when her eyes scanned and found nothing on deck.
The first room was the bar, and when it turned up nothing, she decided to ask the bartender. "Hello, excuse me, would you happen to know where Bora is?" The girl turned, her brown hair cascading down her shoulders, a stark contrast against her blue bra top.
"Another one of yalls? Man, this guy has girls dropping for him left and right. He's in that room over there." she pointed to a room near a table at the back, "Honestly though love, you could do a lot better, look at all the sexy motherfuckers in this world. You, my friend, are a hot piece of ass and need some of that shit. I'm Cana, what's your name?"
"Stella, nice to meet you." Lucy smiled, the name rolling off her tongue without hesitation, "I should probably get going though, I've been dying to see him since I got here. Thank you, Cana, maybe we can chat later!"
Cana nodded to her, turning back to making a cocktail for a girl with bleach blonde hair that had been tugged into two, tight pigtails. She was scowling, obviously angry at their conversing which had taken up some of her drinking time.
The door Cana had pointed her to was made of rich mahogany, lined with gems and diamonds. The handle seemed to be plated with gold and the blonde turned it hesitantly, happy to see it open with ease. Lock picking in this crowded place would not look good if she was caught.
Slipping inside, Bora's eyes shifted at the sound of the door opening and clicking shut. He was alone, spilled out on a pink armchair, arms and legs pointed in several different directions. Bora instantly began to recollect himself in the presence of Lucy, standing up to greet her as if nothing had ever happened.
"Oh, fair maiden, how I am enchanted by the presence of such beauty. May I ask of thou name, for I would wish nothing more than to put it beside pure perfection." She pretended to blush, trying to not feel alarmed when he locked the door behind her.
"It's Stella." She said simply. His eyes widened by a fraction, a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
"What, what a coincidence! That's the name of my partner. You've probably heard of us, Salamander and Stella, we're pretty famous!"
Lucy tried not to chuckle, "How exciting, where is Stella now?" He squirmed, fidgeting with his hands.
"She, uh, well she's, doing other things right now. You know how it is." Lucy pretended to look confused.
"I'm not quite sure what you mean by that Bora-sama. But now that I think about it, I remember hearing that the Salamander had pink hair, and don't you have a griffin? And I'm sure I read that you were 5'9, and you look well above 6ft." Bora scoffed, flipping his hair out of his eyes.
"Dearest Stella, I'm afraid your information is wrong," he digressed, disappointment clear in his gaze, "but worry not, I shall set your facts straight. For starters, my hair is not pink, such colour would be a travesty to my complexion and frankly, to fashion in general. Secondly-"
Lucy cut him off. "Don't take this the wrong way Bora," her voice deepened, "but I don't think I believe you."
The bluenette looked shocked, his gaze falling to his rings, inspecting them in confusion. He then lifted it towards Lucy, narrowing his eyes as if finally, realising something. "Oh, I see it now." His voice was laced with resentment, raking his hand through his hair, eyes never leaving the blonde.
"My magic doesn't work on you does it, Stella?"" he began through gritted teeth, abandoning his calm demeaner, "You're aware, how unseemly. And the fact your name is Stella must mean- Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? This game would be boring without a little mystery." Bora returned back to his stoic façade, strolling over to his armchair and lifting a china glass to his lips, sipping the liquid inside.
"Let's make a deal, you keep your mouth shut about my slave trading unit," he pulled a gun from his pocket and rising from his chair, "and maybe I'll let you live."
Lucy face remained flat, but her eyes held fury. "That was a bad move, shitbag." Lucy shifted towards the man, knocking the gun from his fumbling hands and kicking it away with her foot. Grabbing him by his shoulders, she rammed her knee into his stomach. Bora let out a chocking gasp as he leaned forward, Lucy ramming the side of her hand into his exposed neck. He fell, hands desperately grasping for a gun that wasn't there. "Don't ever try to threaten me again." The blonde glowered, taking his hand and yanking off the illegal rings.
"Probably a good time to call the real Salamander, don't you think?" Lucy crouched in front of his pathetic form, whispering now, "If I told him you threatened me," Her voice went cold, "he would burn you to ash. Now stay still and this can stay between us, 'cause I'm a lot less ruthless than he is."
"SALAMANDER, HAPPY!" Lucy yelled, "GET YOUR ASSES ON THIS SHIP!" Bora was trembling, hands clutching him head as he wept into the ground. This was it, this was where he died.
A rumble spread through the entire ship and, like magic, everything was hot. The humidity shot through the roof as everyone began to sweat at the influx of heat. Lucy could faintly hear the sound of Natsu wreaking havoc, as he always did.
"HEY THERE GUYS! YOU MOTHERFUCKERS BETTER GET OFF THIS SHIP CAUSE I'M 'BOUT TO BURN THIS SHIT DOWN!" It seemed like a harmony as everyone began to scream, jumping overboard to avoid the flames. Natsu didn't seem to understand, although Lucy had explained it to him on a multitude of occasions, that most of these people were innocent.
"SALAMANDER YOU'RE GOING WAY TOO FAR," Lucy screaming unlocking the door of the room and heading towards the deck, "IF I FIND OUT YOU'VE HURT ANY INNOCENT PERSON ON THIS SHIP, NOT EVEN THE GODS CAN SAVE YOU FROM MY WRATH!" The doors of the bar flew open as Lucy tore through the crowds, and what she saw can only be described as chaos.
The entire deck was on fire, people were screaming, praying and jumping for their lives. At the centre of it all, was Natsu. A dragon-human hybrid of wings and scales and fire. Lucy walked through the flames, Natsu long since haven controlled them enough to not touch her, towards the burning ball of fury. He was laughing manically, throwing jets of fire in all directions. Still, she remained unharmed, the flames a warm tickle against her pale skin.
"Natsu, calm down." Lucy said softly. He turned to her, eyes burning like the fire around him. "Natsu! I said stop it." She said more firmly, and he wavered slightly. "This is ridiculous Natsu! Look at all this destruction, you're acting like a child throwing a tantrum. Get down and fix this!"
The reaction was almost instant. Bright flames dulled to misty clouds of grey, his scales fading into dark beige as his tail began to retract. He lowered himself down, wings drooping in guilt.
"Sorry Luce, I guess I went a bit over the top." He pretended not to hear Lucy murmur understatement of the century, "You okay though?" The human nodded, gesturing to herself. Apart from a few stray scratches, she was relatively unharmed.
"Now I need to get back inside to get Bora off this boat and into police custody- are you alright Natsu?" At the word boat, Natsu had instantly gone green, his stomach churning with each shuddering shake of the ship.
Lucy rested a hand on Natsu's back. "What's the matter? Did you get hurt?" Natsu tried to reply with a 'no', but as he opened his mouth, he wasn't able to stop what happened next.
Natsu really did hate motion sickness.
_._._._._._
"I can't believe you vomited all over my new shoes!"
"Luce, it's been a week." Natsu silenced, shoving his hands over his ears. "An entire week of non-stop complaining about those shoes! A WHOLE WEEK!"
"Yes, a week of me not having my shoes because you destroyed them!" Lucy argued back, prying his hands from his head as she shouted in his ear. "Maybe if you wouldn't have blown up the entire ship, we would've got the whole reward and I would have enough money to buy a new pair!"
Happy made a growl in the back of his throat, silencing them both. If Happy wasn't happy anymore, it was time to stop talking.
Although only having lived with them for three years, Happy had become a huge part of their little family. He was young when they found him, wounded and abandoned. Lucy had nursed him back to health, making sure his injured wing wouldn't affect his flying in any way. Once he was well again, he was reluctant to leave his two companions, eventually just deciding to stick around. Haven been with them ever since, Happy made sure to keep his friends in line.
"What's this rumour about a dragon in Magnolia, Natsu?" Lucy inquired, changing the subject in order to keep Happy in a good mood. He let out a soft chirp of approval.
"Not really sure," He admitted, shrugging, "Heard some girls talking 'bout it, 'parrently Magnolia is a really diverse city, lots of types there."
"Wait, they're mythically diverse? That's, that's incredible." Lucy said in disbelief, "I didn't think anywhere accepted all types of myth."
"Just a rumour Luce, you never really know. I don't think we should let our guard down until we're sure." Lucy looked at the floor, disappointed.
"I guess you're right," The sky began to darken, "let's get our tent set up here, I don't really fancy not being able to see anything whilst we put it up." Natsu nodded, he could see perfectly well in the dark but Lucy, like most other humans, was practically blind.
The fire crackled loudly against the otherwise still forest. Lucy was leaning against Natsu, watching the fire rise and fall in wispy streaks of red, orange and yellow. The cold, winter night sent shivers down her spine. They sat in silence, Happy breathing soft snores from inside their tent.
Lucy decided to break the tranquillity, "Hey Natsu, I really hope we find Igneel soon.". Loosened her scarf in habit, she ran her index finger along the scales, "It's been so long, you know?"
Natsu chucked bitterly, "That's what this has all been for Luce. We'll find him, don't stress 'bout it too much."
"I can't help it, it's been nine years now, Nat. That's almost an entire decade that he's been missing. Eight years of searching with practically no leads."
Natsu let out a shuddering breath, "We can't give up now, Lucy. It'll be worth it in the end."
"Whatever it takes." She smiled, her eyes watering.
He balled his own scarf in his fist. "Whatever it takes."
_._._._._._
Hello again! Thank you to everyone who is following along with this story, it means so much to me. Special thanks to Firefly9917, InuYoiushi, TurboWolf and Morenoel for leaving reviews on what they thought (Especially TurboWolf, who left some very useful constructive criticism that helped me with some wording issues. I'm still thinking about changing the lettering, as suggested, but I'm not too worried due to it mainly being matter of personal preference )
Consulting updates, I will hopefully be able to release a new chapter every Monday if I have time. Of course, sometimes that won't be possible, but I'll try my best.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed today's chapter. I actually ended up writing this twice because I wasn't happy with the first draft, crossing my fingers that this version is better.
Once again, feel free to leave reviews on what you thought. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as well as your thoughts on how the story is going. Until next time guys.
-Jasper