What is going on everyone and welcome to Chapter Two of this story! I first want to thank everyone that reviewed the last chapter. It always helps me continue to motivate myself when I see that people are actively enjoying something I wrote. The overall response to the first chapter was mostly positive which is amazing. Some of you had questions and do not worry. The questions proposed have been thought about and will be explained. ;) Secondly, I even got some PMs which are awesome too. I love seeing those and responding to you guys. Now then, thank you for checking this story out and I hope I continue to impress!
Chapter Two: Debts Repaid
Golden sunlight crept through the single window to the backroom that Arthur was allowed to sleep in. It, much like the window itself, slowly inched upwards. Though, unlike the window, the Sun began to reach high into the sky. Grazing the top of the city as nightfall came to a close and morning rounded the corner. The window on the other hand, with a slight shake as it got stuck on the way up, stopped upon meeting the top of the window seal.
It was at that time that the hooded knight crawled his way through the open window. Sneaking back into his room and landing on his two feet with a thud. Making sure to close the window behind him, he made sure to leave it unlocked and the blinds open in order to enjoy the view of the sunrise.
Taking a deep breath underneath the security of his hood, the heroic spirit found himself lost in thought over the previous night. He had not stayed in his room, evident by the fact that he had just crawled through the window, but instead patrolled and roamed all night. He had been searching, investigating everything he could around the populated city to see if he could find anything pointing him to the dark evil that was supposed to be rooted here.
He came up empty-handed.
No signs of mana, at least the magic he was familiar with. No dark presence, no monsters, no servants. Just a couple of people strolling underneath the stars, even more stumbling home after a night of drinking. Plenty of magic to be found but nothing that was of use to him.
The idea of sleeping in the bed crossed his mind, but considering he was too anxious to take that time to himself when he could have been looking for something of use to his mission made that idea impossible. He could not excuse any personal enjoyment at the moment when the world was at stake. He could barely swallow the idea of him staying at Fairy Tail. He didn't want to write it off as a waste of time, not after such an act of kindness, but that thought was in the back of his mind.
He didn't need to sleep anyway. Though his body was somewhat physical, unlike other heroic spirits, his contract with the world put him in a more spiritual-like state. Fueled by the magic that the contract gave him, he maintained his form and power. No need to eat or sleep like living humans. He could. No doubt he could probably eat a whole restaurant or kitchen, but it was more of a pleasantry. This contract was only made possible due to his weapon. The holy sword Excalibur. A weapon to fend off evil and it was tasked with slaying Beast VI.
He thought of it like a trade deal. In life, he wielded this weapon to bring peace to Britain. In death, he continues that fight but instead for all of humanity. A deeper explanation as to why he was summoned across realities to hunt this monster the way he did. At least, that is what he picked up on. Merlin was less than helpful when it came to answering questions. Actually, she caused more questions to rise in his mind than answers.
Most of the time he learned to swallow his questions, never to ask them. Sometimes, rarely, he figured out the answer himself. Still, if she could answer one question after all this time it would be, was he given this weapon and role because he is Arthur Pendragon? Or, is it because Arthur Pendragon pulled the holy sword that he was given this role? Or was it neither, maybe both?
Arthur shook his head and turned away from the window. Now that his mind was exhausted chasing and searching for nothing all night he found himself pondering things he already knew he would never know the answer to. It was better for him to accept the way things were, not that he was complaining, and finish the mission he was given.
Save humanity.
Turning towards the door to his room his hand reached for the knob and turned it. He swung open the door and gently closed it behind him. Seeing that it was early in the morning he figured that the guild would be reopening soon. People and members would come flooding back and perhaps with them the Master he needed to speak to. Wouldn't that be nice?
Doubtful it would be so easy, Arthur figured he could still gather information from the other members. If anything he would chat with Mira, the gorgeous and kind bartender that gave him a room. She seemed willing enough to share and if he knew anything about taverns and bars it was that the bartender knew everything. More than most anyway.
Quietly walking through the wooden hallway he approached the entrance to the main hall. Opening it and stepping through the knight could see that almost no one was in the guild yet. Some even still sleeping on top of the dining tables from drinking too much the night before.
One girl with long brown hair in particular, wearing a blue top that only passed as a bikini top, was sleeping next to a large barrel of alcohol. Arthur could smell the strong scent from where he stood on the other side of the room. Not only was he impressed that she wasn't deceased from drinking such a large amount, but also that she could even lift that barrel enough to pour it down her throat.
Amongst his comrades when he was alive he was sure that she would out-drink all of them. A feat that he did not think could be topped. Thankfully his hood hid his conflicted eyes and most of his somewhat shocked expression as he stared at her sprawled and snoring on the table.
Peeling his eyes away from such a sight, Arthur turned and faced towards the bar. Setting his gaze upon Mira, watching as she grabbed barstools and placed them neatly on the ground in a row. Almost as if she sensed his gaze, she picked her head up from the bar that she tended and turned to face him. Looking at the hooded knight, raising her hand and waving at him.
"Saber!" She called over, prompting him to walk over and stand before her. "Good morning!" She greeted nicely, smiling brightly at the armored traveler as she placed her hands at her side. Leaving the seats alone for now.
"Good morning, Mira." He greeted in return. Returning her gesture of a wave followed by a soft smile of his own. "I wasn't sure when you would be in. Do you need any help?" He asked nicely, pointing over to the rest of the bar stools not yet arranged with the rest of them.
Turning to follow his point, Mira shook her head and waved him off. "You're too kind, Saber." She said before walking over and grabbing one of the four remaining stools. "It's just some stools. I can take care of it. Plus, you're a guest here. It wouldn't be right if I made you do something I've been taking care of for years now." She said moving on to the second one after she placed the first one down.
He stared at her as she lowered the second stool to the ground, wiped it down, and arranged it accordingly. Seconds after, he decided to ignore her refusal and grab the third and fourth stools. One in each hand, dropping them to the floor gently.
She turned to stare at him with a smile. "You're too kind and maybe too stubborn." She giggled, walking over and cleaning them after Arthur placed them down.
"Probably,"
Another laugh escaped her mouth as she tossed the rag on the bar. "Well, thank you anyway. As you can see, we don't place all the chairs on the tables. We aren't a restaurant and everyone usually does pretty good at cleaning up in the morning. I just like to put the stools on the bar so no one falls asleep on it when I leave. Hard to deal with visitors and job requests when someone is sleeping in your workspace." She commented, looking around at the handful of members sleeping in strange and sometimes inconvenient places.
Arthur found himself following her scan of the room and his eyes landed on a board of flyers. From here he could make out different types of advertisements for jobs for ranging prices. Some like your typical mercenary work. Escorting, protecting, and even hunting beasts and bandits in areas. Others were more specific like finding items or even pets. And he swore he could make out some others for things like. . .acting?
With the handful of stories he heard about Fairy Tail and its reputation, not to mention the mood that filled the room yesterday when he walked in, it was easy to forget that this place was a business that allowed requests to be submitted and taken care of. Much like a merchant or smithing guild, something he was more familiar with.
It was also easy to forget that Mira was probably more than just the lady behind the bar. Seeing her responsibilities and access to the guild hall, she was probably closer to a bookkeeper and scribe. A much more informative job than just any regular bartender. It would be very important to keep this perspective in mind here. He never knew when he would need information or when it would come to this bar. Perhaps staying here was proving more useful than he could have thought before.
"Did you sleep alright?" Her soft voice cut through his thoughts and pulled him back to reality.
"Hm?" He hummed, bringing his sights back to her. She had her head tilted to the side, a smile on her face as she awaited his response. "Oh, yes I did. Thank you." He replied, a lie of course. Seeing that he didn't sleep at all. He didn't enjoy the notion that he did in fact lie to her, but seeing how helpful it was to her and the act of kindness itself he just didn't want to seem rude.
Mira nodded her head, "Good!" She proclaimed clapping her hands together. "I was worried the room might've been uncomfortable. It's been quite some time since someone stayed there. Now that Fairy Hills and the other dorms for our members were built we don't use it much."
Arthur nodded his head. Not really understanding much of what she was saying but picking up the basics. "No need to worry, Mira. The room was perfectly fine. Much more than I could've asked for." He answered, raising his hand to stop her from thinking it wasn't good enough.
Blood rushed to her face thanks to his soft and kind words. "Thank you, Saber. You're seriously very kind." She muttered, looking at the ground for a moment. "But, seeing that we have the time I want to ask," She started looking back up at him now walking behind the bar. "Would you tell me about yourself?"
Standing awkwardly as he watched her move behind the bar, the question caught Arthur off guard a little. "Um," He mumbled, dropping his head visibly. A tough situation but one he knew would be coming. He had just hoped he would have had more time to come up with something a little more solid than, a 'far away traveler'.
Noticing his uncomfortable stance, Mira quickly interjected. "You don't have to!" She blurted, giving him the chance to raise his head to look at her. "I understand that sometimes people come from pretty rough backgrounds. I just figured, you know, since we have some time I would try to learn a little about you. You're just very kind and polite is all. I wanted to know where that came from."
The hooded knight dropped his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I guess you could say that applies to me. It's just complicated is all." He said simply.
Mira reassured him with a smile. "Then sit and talk about the uncomplicated stuff. Let's start simple!"
He pondered the idea for a moment. It would be helpful for him to slowly work this out. If he was going to be around here these questions would come up and he doubted everyone would be as understanding as her. "Very well. I can do that."
A brighter smile formed on her face once Arthur accepted her invitation to conversation. Starting to do some small chores to prepare for the crowd of members to start funneling through she began to ask her first set of questions that came to mind. "Your armor, the way you hold yourself. You're some kind of knight right?"
The first question seemed easy enough to answer. He relaxed and sighed, "I am," He answered shortly.
"We don't get the chance to talk to knights very often. Most of the time when we do it involves some sort of punishment from the council." Mira said followed by a small chuckle as she placed some glasses away. "Explains the politeness. Your chivalry and honor. Good to know it's not all story and legend."
"I haven't seen many around. At least anybody that looks like a knight that I'm familiar with. Are they mostly legend around here?"
Mira shook her head, her back to Arthur as she reached to some cabinets above her. "No, nothing like that. They're just used as a military force. They don't usually show up unless something bad is happening or they need to enforce something." She stated, closing the cabinets and turning to face Arthur. "Is it different where you're from?"
"A little," He started, stopping his words for a moment as he thought of what else to say. "Mage guilds like this don't exist where I'm from. Being a Knight was the main profession for inspiring warriors and adventurers."
A flash of confusion rushed over her face as she tilted her head in fascination with his answer. "Really? Is this your first time ever seeing a guild full of mages?" Mira asked, surprise lacing her voice as she watched Arthur nod his head in response. "Wow, I can't even imagine a place without guilds all over. Guess that means we're your first! How lucky!" She proclaimed, excited that Fairy Tail was able to introduce him to this world.
"Wait," Before Arthur could find a reply Mira interjected, causing him to hold his words and look at her. "Do we know a friend of yours then? Someone that told you to come to visit the Master?" She asked, curious as to how Arthur could have been instructed to seek Master Makarov if this was his first time around here.
"I was hoping Master Makarov could provide some details honestly," Arthur answered with a disappointed and slightly frustrated sigh. "A teacher told me. A mage. She. . .was very vague with her instructions." The Knight placed his armored hand on the bridge of his nose. "If it wasn't for the help of someone passing by I would have aimlessly stumbled around looking for 'Fairy Tail and its Master'. Since I've never been here before I believed I was looking for the master of stories or something."
A giggle escaped Mira's lips, causing Arthur to lower his hand from his face and look up. His eyes underneath his hood fell on her trying to hold back her laughter behind her hand only to fail and continue laughing. "Sorry, sorry," She forced out between giggles. "It's not funny it's just. . .the image of you 'aimlessly stumbling around' as you say is cracking me up."
At that response, Arthur basically flopped his head right on the bar in defeat. "I'm sure she thought so too." He mumbled into the wooden table top.
"Hey," Mira started, breaking out of her giggle fit to lift his spirits. "I'm sure your teacher had faith you would figure it out. I doubt she would have sent you if she thought you would be in any danger. If anything she would come to your rescue."
Raising his head he slowly nodded. "I like to think so. Hard to believe sometimes."
There were plenty of times that could be used as evidence to prove both ideas. Times when Merlin saved Arthur, guided him, taught him, and others where he got hurt, struggled, fell, and honestly was even in more trouble because of her. He wasn't sure if she was just unlucky, or enjoyed causing issues because it was fun for her. It was always a headache and often he felt like the teacher and more mature one despite her living almost whole lifetimes more than him.
Suddenly, a large slam echoed throughout the guild hall. Stopping Mira from asking her mysterious guest any more questions. The sudden and loud noise caused both her and Arthur to jump and snap their heads in the direction of the door.
Thanks to the morning sun that peered behind them it was hard to see the details of whoever was standing in the door. "Mira!" They screamed out, panic in their voice.
Her eyes widened in shock as finally they stepped into the guild hall. Allowing her, Arthur, and a handful of awake and alert members to see who had caused such a scene. "Macao!" She cried out in response now that she could see the details of the situation unfolding in front of her.
There were two people, one that Arthur had seen the day before and another that he hadn't. Jumping off his seat and staring he could see the horrible condition the two were in. The one, Macao, who seemed to be the better of the two was supporting the other, who Arthur remembered was named Wakaba, by carrying his arm around his neck. Wakaba was unresponsive, most likely unconscious as he looked beaten and cut up, bleeding from his wounds through his clothes. Macao didn't look much better, also bruised and beaten but was able to at least limp his way further into the guild hall.
"Can I get some help here?" Macao pleaded with a grunt as he dragged his guild mate forward.
Mira and Arthur rushed forward. Meeting the two injured mages a couple of steps after they entered the building. Upon reaching them Arthur was the first to react by throwing Wakaba's other arm around his own neck and supporting most of the weight. "I have him." He said quickly, motioning for Macao to let go.
He looked over, confusion rushing over his face for a moment at an unfamiliar face. Turning his eyes to Mira for a moment she flashed him a quick approving nod, to which he looked back over to Arthur and let go of his friend.
Once he had done that Mira did her best to support Macao, trying to help him over to a seat. She looked up and pointed to an empty table. "Put him there," She commanded, as another member of Fairy Tail, a large tall tan muscular man with white hair resembling Mira's, ran over to help Arthur place the injured Wakaba on the table.
"Elfman," She followed up, grabbing the attention of the larger man. "Go grab the first aid kit in the back. Once we wrap his wounds we can move him to the beds in the back." She ordered, a quick nod in response and Elfman was gone. Rushing to where Mira had instructed the first aid kit was.
Arthur underneath his hood looked over the both of them. He could see slashes, most definitely from swords or daggers. What was most interesting was the bruising that was wrapped around their wrists and even around Wakaba's neck. The patterns almost reminded him of. . .chains? Thankfully seeing that they were both breathing, even a stable breath from the one laying on the table, he assumed they would be okay now that they could treat their wounds with bandages.
What happened?
It did not take long for Elfman to return with the first aid kit. Running over to Mira and handing it to her she looked over to Macao for a second.
"Treat him first, I'll be fine for now," He muttered, holding some shallow cuts on his left arm.
She nodded in understanding and quickly got to Wakaba. Stepping out of her way Arthur, moved to the other side of the table. Watching to ensure she didn't need any help dressing any of the wounds.
Mira opened the kit and pulled out all sorts of items. Some Arthur imagined were in there, others he didn't know. Bandages, and other wrappings, but also things that he assumed were magic items like crystals.
"Hold him, Saber. I need to close these cuts on his legs and stomach." She said sternly, holding a small red crystal in her hand as she looked up at her hooded companion.
She received a nod as a response, and soon after his armored hands grabbed Wakaba by the shoulders and pinned him to the table. Without much hesitation, Mira touched the tip of the small red crystal to his cuts. They sizzled and smoked and quickly burned shut. Wakaba cried in pain as he tried to jerk away but was held very still by Saber. Looking from underneath his hood Arthur was a bit surprised. For how gentle and kind Mira seemed to be she didn't even hesitate to address this situation as needed. She was a lot stronger than he gave her credit for.
"There," She finished, throwing the now dimmer red crystal on the table. "Now we just need to wrap these wounds." She finished, throwing a roll to Arthur as they both began to dress the different cuts and bruises.
Standing back after making quick but effective work of the injuries Mira looked over to Elfman. "Can you carry him to the back?" She asked. Without hesitation, he nodded his head and picked up off the table. Carrying Wakaba to the back where Mira had stated the beds would be, allowing him to rest and recover.
Watching as the larger man disappeared around the corner, Mira quickly grabbed the rest of the medical supplies and turned to treat Macao.
"Ah, I'm fine." He protested, raising his hand to stop her.
"Macao, you're hurt."
"I promise Mira, I'm alright. More pissed off than anything. Wakaba got the worst of it." He commented again, lowering his hand that was holding the cuts on his arm. There was some merit to his words. No more bleeding, the cuts weren't as deep either.
Mira looked at him for a moment, biting her lip as worry flushed over her face. She lowered the medical kit to the table, deciding to drop it for now. She knew the members of Fairy Tail were tough and if she genuinely believed he was at risk of losing his life over those injuries she would be a bit more pushy. But, she had seen worse so she would bring it up again later.
"How did this happen to you?" Arthur cut in, standing off to the side as he looked over at Macao shifting in his seat.
The older man looked at the hooded knight with a bit of uncertainty again. His eyes jumped over to Mira once more, her own eyes swirling with that question as she was about to ask the same thing.
He sighed, "We were ambushed by bandits on the way back into town. They have the road coming into Magnolia from the east blocked off. Taking merchants and their goods hostage for ransom." He forced out with slight embarrassment in his voice. His eyes were staring at his feet, a frown on his face as frustration built within his chest. "They totally got the jump on us. We were careless."
"Bandits?" Arthur commented, raising his armored hand and placing it underneath his chin. "Yesterday evening I entered the city from that way. I saw no sign of any blockade. Recently established then?"
Macao nodded his head, "Must be. We left that way last night. No sign of anything like that."
"What about the royal guard?" Mira interjected, "They haven't acted yet?" She questioned, after the rumors and stories of what had happened with a dark guild attacking the guild masters she was sure they would take these threats a little more seriously.
"You know how they are," Macao answered, shrugging his shoulders. "They'd rather stand around and look busy. Probably more worried about keeping it a secret. Don't want to panic the town now that a couple of citizens have been taken hostage. It's only a matter of time before everyone finds out. Traffic has been completely shut off that way."
Macao ran a hand through his hair for a moment and his facial expression shifted. "There's just one thing I don't understand about the whole thing." He said out loud, gaining the attention of the other two present members. "When they jumped us they claimed that it was retaliation. Spouting some nonsense about an armored mage from Fairy Tail attacking some of their guys. But that just doesn't make any sense. Erza's been gone for a while now. Even before that, I don't remember her taking any jobs with bandits."
After listening to Macao's question, Mira joined him in a state of confusion. However, Arthur on the other hand stood still for a moment before dropping his head.
"They aren't talking about a member of your guild." He stated, grabbing the attention of both Mira and Macao. "They're talking about me." He answered simply.
"What are you talking about, Saber?" Mira asked.
"When I was walking towards the town I came across an old merchant who was being robbed by bandits. With his carriage is at jeopardy I stepped in and defended the man. Quickly defeating the bandits. In return, the man offered to take me to Magnolia. One of the bandits must have recovered quickly and heard his offer to take me here. Maybe they even heard me ask him where I could find Fairy Tail. They must have reported back to their camp and mistaken me as a member." He answered sternly, there was a slight sadness in his voice. Guilt perhaps for causing trouble for the people that have shown him kindness.
There was a silence in the air for a moment. Not for a second did Macao or Mira look at Arthur as if they blamed him, yet now the situation that loomed over them seemed difficult. Without Master Makarov and the others, they weren't sure how to proceed. At least all of them but Arthur.
"I will return later today." He stated to them, looking to step towards the exit of the building.
"Hey," Mira stopped him by placing a hand on his armor. "Where are you going? You can't be seriously thinking of going to fight them?" She asked, concern for his safety could be seen in her eyes and heard in her voice.
Arthur stopped and looked down at Mira underneath his hood. "I would never be able to forgive myself if I didn't have the honor to go and make this right. Fairy Tail has given me shelter and now your members have been targeted because of my actions. My pride will not allow me to not go and correct the consequences of my actions." He stated softly, causing Mira to widen her eyes at his response.
Once again his chivalry was showcased, an honor that she had never personally seen before. Just because they had allowed him to stay in a room that could be considered a closet he was willing to fight for them. Members that he didn't even know the names of until just now.
"No one here would ever blame you for what just happened." She answered finally, collecting her thoughts and focusing on trying to dismiss the blame Saber was putting on himself. "You were doing a good act. You had no idea that it would lead to this."
Arthur shook his head at her. "It does not matter, it still happened as a result of my actions. Now, on my oath as a knight and protector, I must go and ensure it does not happen again. No one else from Fairy Tail must suffer at the hands of these bandits that are looking for me."
Mira was shocked once again at his response. Who was this man and how could he be so selfless? "Still," She started, her brain trying to wrap her head around the situation. "Even if that was the case, Saber, this is an official guild problem now. If the council finds out a nonmember was involved in Guild matters, or worse found out that a nonmember got hurt, it could cause worse legal problems for us."
He stopped for a moment and thought over her words. "Hm," He muttered, looking at the ground as Mira relaxed. Taking a deep breathing seeing that Saber had stopped his pursuit. At least for a few seconds, allowing her to think.
"There are no witnesses to prove that these two were involved." The Knight spoke, "That means this Magic Council isn't aware Fairy Tail is involved yet. If I go now I can resolve this problem before they hear word of your involvement. That way nothing leads back to your guild." Another workaround, one that Arthur thought of quickly. Thankfully he was very aware of the systems and regulations that governments put in place to mandate situations like this. After all, when he was alive he was the government.
Mira could not respond to his solution, there was no counter to make. Technically he was not wrong. If no one reported Macao and Wakaba's injuries this situation wouldn't come back to Fairy Tail. Yet, sending Saber alone to handle a camp of bandits did not sit right with her. Not that she doubted his skills that did not mean she had seen them or particularly had faith in them either. Even if she had and did she would still worry.
"Hold on a second, kid." It was Macao's turn to stop Arthur before he could take a step away. "I know you're new around here and don't know how we work but you going alone isn't gonna fly. Not without taking me anyway."
"Macao!" The white-haired assistant of Fairy Tail shouted out in protest.
He smiled as he stood on his feet, despite his injuries he could still hold his own weight. "Fairy Tail isn't the type of guild to let someone take a jab at us and get away with it. They'll pay for what they did to Wakaba a hundred times over. Plus, I've been itching to prove myself again since that whole rescue situation with Natsu. I got some pent-up anger I got to take out on them."
Impressed by his determination to not only stand with his injuries but fight Arthur smiled. Moved by his motivation to fight in the name of his guild. Usually, he would protest a wounded warrior coming to fight another battle, however seeing how focused he was to go fight in the name of his pride he decided to let it be. He doubted he needed the help but if this boosted the morale and the confidence of the guild, he would gladly accept his help.
"Very noble. I look forward to our battle together." He said kindly, looking at the older man.
Macao stopped for a moment looking at the hooded knight. He was a bit taken aback by the man's kind words. It would seem that his gentle nature did do more than 'woo' Mira. Not that Macao was suffering from this same effect. It was just, he was very kind, his words were soft, warm even. It was different than the reassurance that Master Makarov gave.
It was almost like he could place all his worries on the knight. That no matter what, he felt that he would be okay.
"Oh knock it off," Macao protested, crossing his arms and turning his gaze away. "You didn't have a choice whether I was going or not. So just shut it and focus on coming back."
Arthur took no offense to what seemed to be a quick snap at his expense. He couldn't really understand what was going on in Macao's head. But, seeing that he was willing to accompany him into battle, that told the knight all he needed to know.
Mira on the other hand watched Saber and Macao speak to each other and understood quite well how Macao was feeling. Saber's kindness and his nature were something unique around here. There weren't many, if any at all, people that carried themselves the same way that Saber did around the guild. It made her happy to see this, that he was fitting in around here despite being so new. She doubted he had any friends or comrades and who knew how long he had been traveling alone.
Maybe Fairy Tail could accompany him. Ensure that he knew he was no longer alone. Even if that only lasted a short while.
"There's something else," Macao stated, breaking everyone out of their rallying thoughts. "This isn't gonna be easy. Me and Wakaba, well you saw what happened to us, and that was maybe ten bandits. While escaping I probably counted another ten, maybe twenty. That's at worse thirty bandits me and you gotta handle. We're gonna need a plan."
It was at that moment Mira was pulled back to reality about the situation. Worry crept its way back into her face. "Guys, I know you want to go but you can't take on all those bandits by yourself!" She protested. Macao was hurt and not that she wanted to doubt Saber but she wasn't sure how strong he actually was. Without any more members or even one S-Class mage to help she couldn't see how it would be possible.
"Exactly! Which is why I'm going too!" A new voice shouted and pushed itself into the conversation.
The other three turned to see who the source of the voice was. It was Elfman, the larger muscular man that carried Wakaba to the back.
The first one to respond was Mira, "Elfman! You can't!" She protested, running up to him and standing between him and the other two.
Elfman looked down at her, his eyes softened. "Sis, I can't sit out on this one." He said seriously. This statement confirmed what Arthur had thought before when it came to their hair color. They were related after all. "It wouldn't be very manly of me to let an outsider take care of Fairy Tail business!" He followed up, flexing his muscles in a confident way.
Mira wanted to protest again but looking between the three men she realized it was useless. It was always like this and honestly, it only upset her that she couldn't do anything more. She was forced to stay behind and worry. Like always.
Noticing her conflicted eyes Arthur walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We'll be back soon. It'll be important that this place is ready for our return." He said softly, a gentle smile show underneath the shadow of his hood.
With those words alone, Mira felt like her worries had vanished. Arthur had given her a hint, a reminder that she wasn't useless. Staying behind at the guild meant keeping a place ready for everyone to return to. Her eyes brightened, "Okay! I'll be waiting." She said looking around at the three of them.
Turning to face the door, Saber looked between his two comrades for this mission. "Let's go. The quicker we act, the faster we can take them by surprise."
"Right!"
"Right!"
They agreed in unison. Macao and Elfman weren't entirely sure how to feel about this guy yet. They only knew him by name, that was because they heard Mira use it in conversation. They hadn't seen his face or the way he fought. He was a mystery and it was hard to trust a guy like that. But, Fairy Tail had people like Mystogan, a strong mage that followed the same mysterious nature. It was a good thing Fairy Tail had simple rules that earned trust.
Helping Fairy Tail makes you a trusted ally, Fairy Tail always repays its debts and never forgets. And your place is earned simply by proving yourself. Proving your strength and character.
In such a close community of warriors and mages, it would have only taken one member of Fairy Tail to attest to Saber's character. After that, he would've had a strong standing with most members of the guild. Now he had the chance to prove himself to two. He knew very well the opportunity he had before him. The chance to repay the kindness Mira had shown him yesterday and the chance to earn their trust.
No matter the era, war, and battle were two things. Hell on Earth and brotherhood.
The two members of Fairy Tail didn't know it but by the end of today, Saber would abide by both those rules of trust and become an ally they would never forget.
The three of them had walked on the dirt road leading east out of Magnolia for at least an hour. Ten minutes of that walk was spent entering the forest that surrounded this part of the city. Their journey was mostly quiet, filled with the sounds of their feet crushing dirt and the soft sounds of Saber's armor shifting against itself. The hooded knight took the lead slightly, while the other two members of Fairy Tail trailed behind him.
Thanks to the carriage ride into Magnolia he was familiar with these parts of the woods. Still, despite the time they had spent walking there were no signs of the bandits and their blockade. But, in contrast, there were no signs of any military presence either. Arthur wasn't sure if that was to be considered a good thing for their situation or a bad thing considering the response time.
He hoped that some sort of protective force would have come to solve the issue a lot quicker. Then again maybe they already knew but were afraid to intervene. Macao did state they were keeping hostages. It was a good thing they decided to come.
On the other hand, Arthur could feel the questioning looks of the two men behind him. It was to be expected, they were a part of an organization, a guild, a close one at that. A stranger going out of their way to help them was strange enough. This was a battle, trusting someone you didn't know would come uneasy. But, Saber was determined to not only handle a situation he felt responsible for but also prove himself and show he wasn't taking anything Fairy Tail gave him for granted.
He, once again, hoped that this would help him in the future when he met Master Makarov. The more he could build a positive reputation around the guild the more willing they would be to help him. Not to mention, this was strictly the right thing to do. He couldn't look away or not do anything. It's true that the whole world was at stake and one could argue there were better uses of his time.
But, the way he saw it if he ignored or sacrificed one or two people at a time on things he could have prevented he wasn't saving humanity at all. Instead, he was just hunting a monster. Small or large-scale problems aside, these people needed help. He would be no knight, no hero if he ignored them.
He was happy to see Fairy Tail was willing to help with that. Even if some of it was for revenge.
"Hey, Saber," A voice spoke up, the first one since they started walking. "Look, not that I doubt your ability or anything but. Maybe, Elfman and I should take the lead on this one." Macao's voice pitched in. It was uncertain, shaky even. The idea came out of concern, Arthur knew that.
Not slowing down or stopping, Arthur shook his head. Remaining at the front of the group as they stared at his back. "That won't be necessary." He said simply, "I'll be okay. No need for you to worry on my behalf."
The hooded knight did not know it, but Macao looked next to him towards Elfman. They shared a brief look before Elfman spoke up this time. "What you're doing is very manly! The fact you offered your help to us, a guild you aren't a part of, is something we won't forget! However, what Sis said earlier is true. If you get hurt, it could cause more trouble for the guild." He said, starting enthusiastically before ending a bit quieter. They were unsure how to ask this, or even bring this up. Among other members of their guild, this idea wouldn't have been considered. But, seeing that they don't know what Saber is capable of they just weren't sure.
In response, Arthur shook his head again. "Thank you for your concern." He said, his tone did not change. It remained soft and gentle, but it was stern and confident. "But rest assured that I am capable of holding my own. Should the time come, however, if you feel I am in total danger feel free to step in and take over." A compromise. One that the two men seemed to silently agree to for they didn't protest.
"You and my sister seemed pretty friendly back there," Elfman cut in suddenly, gaining a strange look from Macao. It wasn't like Elfman hadn't seen almost every man in Fairy Tail falling to their knees over Mira.
"Mira showed me a great deal of kindness. Another reason I wished to come on this mission." Saber answered simply, no hesitation in his voice.
It was strange for both men to hear a voice so pure. They were both thinking this might have had something to do with getting on Mira's good side. But, neither of them could find any hint of alternate motives than the one he just stated.
"Mira said you were some sort of traveling knight, right?" It was Macao who asked the question this time. They seemed to be more comfortable with speaking, after seeing Arthur's own confidence in his abilities. "Don't you guys usually not travel as much?" He questioned, walking behind Arthur with his hands in his white jacket pockets.
"Depends on knight's oath and mission," He answered, "My particular mission forced me to travel here. To seek Master Makarov."
"Yeah? For what?"
"I'm not sure," Saber answered truthfully again, causing the two men that were asking questions to go quiet once more. They had no reason to believe he was lying, nor did he look or even sound like the type. He just was so mysterious, so unknown, they wanted to know more but knew they wouldn't get very far with the questioning. Considering they had some mysterious folks in their guild already, they silently agreed to drop it.
They wouldn't have much time to talk after as all three men stopped walking on the dirt path. They looked around, each with a different expression on their face. While Arthur's was hidden underneath his hood, a frown formed on his usually smirking or neutral face. Elfman, looked more angry, enraged. Macao looked a bit shocked, almost taking a step back at the scene before them.
There were bodies scattered across the road, carriages and vehicles destroyed, burnt, and smoking littering the path forward. The bodies that lay face first into the dirt were more than just civilians. They were armored knights, each wearing a flag or crest that was unknown to Saber. But, remembering what Mira had told him he was sure this was a small unit sent from the government to try and clear up the situation.
It didn't go well for them.
"Damn! Are you serious? Even the royal knights were wiped out?" Elfman shouted, his hands balled into fists as he gritted his teeth.
Arthur walked forward and kneeled before one of their bodies. His armored right hand gently grazed over the broken armor. That's right, broken. Not cut or slashed. His fingers went to the fallen soldier's neck. His neck was bruised and broken. The same marks that Arthur noticed Wakaba having. Almost like someone wrapped a chain around his neck.
"Maybe this is more serious than we thought." Macao pitched in, standing behind Saber as he looked around at the destruction and carnage. "They had to have gotten reinforcements. No way the bandits that I and Wakaba ran into were capable of this sort of stuff." He finished his voice was mellow, sad even looking around at the fallen. There was a hint of fear in his voice. Uncertainty.
"No, we keep moving," Saber spoke sternly, standing up and focusing his eyes forward. "If we wait any longer this carnage worsens. We have to stop it now."
Macao swallowed his emotions. Saber's unshaken determination grounded the whole group quickly. They rallied to his words and moved behind him. They continued forward. Walking past more carnage as they shifted around debris and bodies. Some were merchants that seemed to have resisted or fought back. A terrible sight, but one the traveling knight had seen plenty of times before.
He would make sure these people got their justice.
After walking for another ten minutes through what could only be described as a warzone, the three men could make out something in the distance. A wooden blockage, stacked with wood from the forest and carriages that the bandits had robbed from people passing by. It stood taller than any one man on his feet. Yet, as they approached closer no one could see any bandits standing around it. Most likely they were all hiding behind it or in the trees. Perhaps ready to ambush any unsuspecting travelers.
"We're getting close," Elfman commented, looking around carefully for any danger. "Do we have a plan?"
Macao remained quiet but Arthur spoke up. "I do," He said but continued walking forward with determination. Macao and Elfman looked at each other with the same thought. Was he going to tell them his plan?
Guess not.
Before either man could speak up and ask the three of them stood before the blockade. They stopped a good distance away as they stared at the small fortress that blocked the road in front of them. When they stopped they could hear the voices and movement of people on the other side. It was not long before men lined the top of the makeshift wooden structure and even some walked around the sides.
They stood about thirty strong, such as Macao had guessed. The sight of all the bandits caused Elfman and Macao to tense and stand ready.
"So, what do we have here boys?" One of the bandits spoke, standing in the center atop the blockade. He seemed to lean forward and squint, before smiling a wide evil grin. "Look at this, we have ourselves some Fairy Tail wizards huh? Must be our lucky day." He said looking over at his sides and speaking to the men that laughed alongside him. "Come to add to our collection!" He screamed at the group, throwing his hands out to showcase his work.
"No," Arthur shouted back, stepping forward towards the bandits. "We've come to free these people you've taken hostage and ensure you face justice for your crimes."
The man, who could be assumed to be the leader looked at the hooded knight in shining armor. He stared slightly for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Hahaha! You kiddin' right?" He said doubling over in a laughing fit. "You must be blind, guy. Did you not see your pals, the other knights, that came and spouted the same shit? No, you look much fancier than them. Their boss maybe?"
"I saw clearly," The hooded knight shouted back with a frown. His voice held less and less of that soft and gentle nature that Macao and Elfman were getting used to. It was almost like his tone was sharpening. "You have one chance. Turn yourselves in."
Elfman and Macao looked at each other before Elfman approached Arthur and whispered in his ear.
"No way! We still gotta pay these guys back for what they did to Wakaba!"
Saber smirked underneath his hood. "Don't worry, they're never smart enough to take it."
The bandit leader had a similar reaction to Elfman, bursting into another fit of laughter before speaking. "So kind of you Sir!" He mocked, as he bowed lazily. "But, we're gonna pass! Right boys!" He shouted reaching his hands out as his fellow bandits roared in a rallying cry.
The three men from Fairy Tail prepared themselves for battle. Just as the bandits readied themselves to attack. But, before they could someone else's voice came forward.
"Boss, that's him." A bandit said he was bruised and barely able to walk. He pointed at Arthur with a shaky hand. "He's the one that stopped our first raid. Beat the crap out of me and the others."
The boss looked to his right at the man and smiled devilishly. "Oh is that so?" He muttered, "So you're the one that beat up my boys when they tried to rob that old man! Guess I should be thanking you! If it wasn't for that incredibly stupid move we wouldn't be doing this right now! And now look at us! On top of the world!" He said confidently hopping down from the top of the blockade. "You know, now that I look at you again I see you also brought that old guy we beat up yesterday. Didn't get enough geezer?" The leader took a shot at Macao as he approached the group slowly, standing in front of the group of bandits.
Macao narrowed his eyes at the mention of his first encounter with these men, his anger ready to boil over as he was ready to jump forward. Arthur stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. It was clear the man was egging them on, trying to get them to approach their territory where they could jump all three of them.
"My guys say you're pretty strong, knight. How about I kill you in front of your pals and then let my boys drag your Fairy buddies back to that guild? Hell after we kill the three of you why stop there? Maybe we'll take over Fairy Tail. I've heard the Master has gone missing. You guys must be sad." The leader mocked again sticking his tongue out at the three.
Arthur took a step forward. "I won't let that happen," Before he could take another step he was grabbed by Macao.
"You sure, Saber? This guy is no joke! We just agreed on this, he's egging you on! We can all take him if we jump him right now together." The older man whispered holding Arthur back from approaching.
The hooded knight shook his head. "You heard him yourself. I started this. Allow me to end this." He said sharply, a different tone than the one Macao was used to. It was chilling almost. Macao merely nodded his head in response. Letting go of Arthur so that he could approach the challenger.
"Done saying your goodbyes?" The bandit leader joked harshly.
"Are you?"
Arthur's quick quip caused the bandit's face to twist with frustration and anger. He clicked his tongue. "Funny guy, huh." He said tapping his leg, "Well, we'll see who's laughing when you're dead!" He shouted, lifting his hands in front of him.
A grey magic circle formed in front of him and Arthur's eyes narrowed. This was the first time he had seen magic cast in this world. Saber could feel the power swirling around the magic circle, much like he was used to. However, these ones were not bound to drawing or physical surfaces. This one was floating in the air. Before his guard was brought up the ground rumbled and cracked.
Within a moment chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around Arthur. Pinning his arms to his body and his legs together. The chains uncovered themselves from the dirt and led back to the magic circle in front of the bandit leader.
"All talk huh!" He commented, looking at the knight's seemingly defenseless situation. "You should have quit running that mouth of yours and figured I had already laid out traps for when people like you came along!"
"Saber!" Elfman shouted as both he and Macao tried to rush forward but was stopped by a wall of rocks that were hurled at them. They dodged the rocks, rolling backward, and looked to see another bandit standing atop the blockade. They had laid traps out everywhere, ready to ambush them. The other two had to be careful.
"Figures your friends would try to save you. But I told you, didn't I? That I was going to make them watch me kill you!" The chain wielder shouted, forcing the chains taut. He then went to yank the chains towards him, hoping to send the knight flying in the bandit's direction.
Yet, Saber did not move.
"Huh!" The bandit leader shouted in confusion, yanking at the chains with his full force. "How the hell are you doing that?" He shouted again, grunting as he yanked them once more.
The other bandits, including Elfman and Macao, looked over at the situation after hearing the sounds of struggling. Listening as the bandit leader, clearly the strongest of the bunch, could not force Saber to move or even lift him off his feet.
"Looks like I wasn't the only one that was all talk." Saber quipped again, a smile forming on his face as his right arm busted free from the chains that pinned it to his body. The shattered metal flew in the air as the bandit leader took a step back out of fear.
"How? That's not possible? What are you?" He stuttered, trying to back away. But, his magic was a two-way street, a cowardly weapon that depended on cheap tricks. A dishonorable way to fight, forcing an opponent to be defenseless so others could stab them in the back. But, it connected Saber and him together. One could not go far without the other.
"A knight," Arthur said before forcing his way out of the rest of them. They snapped like twigs under the weight of his strength. Before the leader could run or back away, he grabbed the remaining chains with one hand and yanked the man forward. Forcing him to fly toward Saber with incredible speed. He was met with a powerful and quick right hand straight into the gut.
The man barely had time to cough or scream in pain from the blow before he was sent barreling towards the blockade and other bandits. Spinning in the air like a bullet, flying so quickly it looked as if he left a stream of air trailing behind him. Before anyone could blink he smashed straight through the blockade, causing it to break apart like an explosion.
As pieces of wood and other bandits fell from the sky like rain, Arthur stood unmoved. The handful of bandits that were not instantly knocked unconscious from the impact stared in disbelief at such a display of power. Some even fell to their knees in fear, giving up so they would not suffer the same fate.
Macao and Elfman on the other hand stood baffled. They both shared the same shocked expression, jaws on the floor, and even a hint of fear.
"No way," Macao fumbled out, barely able to get his thoughts together. "I don't know if I've ever seen anything that. I didn't even see him cast any magic!"
"That bastard," Elfman smirked, his eyes still wide with shock and surprise. "Here he was talking as if there was a chance we might need to step in."
Saber turned to face his companions, not minding their looks of total shock. He smiled softly at them, a look that a moment ago was completely foreign to his demeanor. "Shall we finish up here?"
And that is all! I wanted to write more but this chapter was reaching a hard count of 10k so I wanted to save the last bit for chapter 3. I wanted to thank everyone that took the time to review. Ten reviews, all the followers and favorites I got were very encouraging. Thank you to the people that reach out in PM! The story has been pretty fun to write so far and you all give me a chance and motivation to continue! Next chapter we might get to see the main cast again ;) and finally some progression on the main story. Just had to do some community and bonding with the other Fairy Tail members. Not sure how much I have planned for some of the minor characters in the future! Please review, and fav and follow! It helps a lot. Reach out if you want in PM!
See you all next time!
Peace.