A month after the Eisenwald incident. Things were going on rather normal for everyone in Fiore.
During a morning in Crocus, the citizens were going with their lives as peaceful as possible in their normal lives.
At the candy store, the shop hasn't been opened as the owner is currently asleep in his bedroom with his girlfriend. Natsu lies on his stomach as he only wears a pair of shorts on while Cosmos wears her pink pajamas and is sleeping on top of her boyfriend's back with Puru snuggling on the man's salmon hair.
The two couple keeps on dreaming in their sleep before Natsu groaned when he hears knocking coming from downstairs. The Salamander's captain drowsily opened his eyes as it took a while for him to wake up his senses.
The knocking continues as Natsu groans before he proceeds to grab Puru off his head and then slowly get himself out of his bed while not waking up Cosmos whose head she placed on the pillow before giving her the pink furball who was hugged in her sleep.
Natsu yawns loudly as he scratches his back while picking up a nearby shirt which he puts on while getting out of his bedroom.
The knocking continues as Natsu comes down from the stairs and heads for the front door.
"alright, alright, I heard you the first time." Natsu scratches his head and unlocks the door to answer whoever had come knocking in the morning. "what?" he opens his drowsy eyes and sees that it was Kama. "this better be something important, Kama." He then yawns loudly. "this is my day off, remember?"
"I know and it is important." Kama said before he proceeds to give a rolled up paper to the man. "The King ordered all squad Captains to attend a meeting in the afternoon." He pointed a finger at Natsu who is reading the written content in the letter. "be there on time."
"couldn't you just had delivered it via mail like back then?" Natsu said before he yawns and then scratches the back of his head. "I got it, I'll be there on time." He then raise an eyebrow. "anything else?"
"just tell Cosmos that she'll be off duty for another week or so." Kama said as he turns and waved a hand to the side in bidding the man goodbye. "we haven't got another mission for this week and therefore the Garou Knights will be on standby for a moment."
"you guys got it so easy, huh?" Natsu said as he rolled the letter up and then raise his hands up before shrugging his shoulders. "you guys are going to get lazy one of these days if you get lucky like this."
"Tell that to Captain Arcadios." Kama replied as he walked away and disappeared into the street.
"Wise Guy." Natsu said before he comes back inside while closing the door.
Natsu goes back upstairs as he re-entered his bedroom where Cosmos and Puru are still asleep. He looks at the two before he checks the time and sees that it was only 7.
"who the hell cares." Natsu said as he takes off his shirt and went back on the bed, the man lies down and Cosmos peeks an eye open before slowly getting on top of his chest.
"Was it Captain Kama?" Cosmos whispers as the pink haired executioner keeps her eyes closed while wanting to get some more snuggle time with her boyfriend.
"yeah, he told me to attend a meeting in the afternoon and to tell you that your team is on standby for the week." Natsu replied while catching Puru who tried to jump onto his head, but the pink haired man just placed the furball on the side of his head. He adjusted himself on the bed and looks at Cosmos. "since we got nothing to do until 9. Do you want to just stay on the bed?"
"okay…" Cosmos smiles as she snuggles closer to her boyfriend and receives a peck on the head.
The two goes back to sleep as they just snuggled on the bed, wanting to have more rest after a good hard work the day before.
A few hours later, at the Royal Castle; Mercurius.
Natsu is walking in one of the many hallways as he had just left his home and arrived at the kingdom while on his way to meet with his fellow squad captains who have been called to gather and meet with the King.
"couldn't they always just send a letter for a mission like they always do?" Natsu yawned again before he took out a cigar and then light the tip with a fire from his thumb. He took a deep breath and then swallowed. "Always getting someone to come to my place and wake me up in the damn morning."
As Natsu continues to walk straight for the Audience Hall, he bumps into Arcadios who came from another hallway and is carrying some rolled up scrolls in his hands.
"I knew that I smelled Old Cedar somewhere." Arcadios said as he is now walking to the throne room with Natsu. He chuckles. "its stench is so strong that I could've mistook you for Bash."
"Bash was stinking of that stuff while mine doesn't." Natsu said as he took in another puff and swallowed. "so? what's with the call for all the squad captains to gather?"
"Minister Darton propose that we upped the activities of the magic squads in taking on requests from the citizens." Arcadios replied as he handed Natsu one scroll in his grasp. "right now there's a need for a meeting between all captains about this topic and the agreement of whether or not should it be passed or not."
"so what? we're going to pick up the slack that some Wizard Guilds are too lazy to do?" Natsu said as he reads the content of the scroll and then sighs. "this just puts a bust on my private time."
"what's so private of your time?" Arcadios said with a smirk. "Everyone in the kingdom knows that you like to spend so much time in your house with your girlfriend than anything else." He chuckles with his eyes closed. "An advice from me who remained single for years to you who is still young. it'd be best to tie the knot before it becomes loose."
"hahaha, very funny." Natsu said as he looks away and continues to smoke his cigar.
Arcadios chuckles to Natsu's reply, the knight and his fellow captain continues to walk as they went straight for the throne room's door which was opened when they came to enter.
Ten minutes later, Natsu along with Kama and other magic squad captains all gathered and formed a single horizontal line then kneeled to the King who came and sat upon his throne with Darton and Arcadios at his side.
"Rise." Toma spoke as Natsu and the other captains stood up and then folds their hands behind their back. "I thank you all coming in such a notice." He looks at each captain one by one. "I'm sure you all have questions regarding the topic of this meeting." He then nods his head to Darton who nodded back before taking a step forward.
"as you all know, we have tasked each one of you and your squads with various job requests from the citizens of our kingdom." Darton stated as Natsu and the others listened. "albeit a few were not tasked, but you all performed your tasks very well."
"He's mostly talking about me and my squad." Natsu whispers with a small smirking grin to Kama who just quietly shushed him.
"right now, I have made a proposal to the King and the Magic Council regarding the requests that you all completed." Darton stated while Arcadios came forward and then presented the King with a scroll which Natsu and the others already have in their possession. "Both have agreed to present tasks to each magic squad captains on requests that have not been completed or have not been assisted by responding guild wizards. Right now, I wish to hear all your opinions regarding this topic."
"like you want our yes or not about it, right?" Natsu said while throwing up his scroll and then catches it, the action was repeated several times. "I don't know about the others." he catches the object and then grins. "but you got a yes from me and my squad."
"as to be expected." Toma chuckles while Arcadios smirks a bit and Darton sighs after hearing Natsu's reply.
"Myself and my squad will comply with this proposal, but I would like to ask a question beforehand." Kama said while raising up a hand. "as once tasked by Captain Arcadios, will we still be given our formal tasks in execution of villains?"
"You make it sound like you enjoy killing villains." Natsu said with a deadpanned face to Kama.
"I am merely stating my formal tasks before this proposal, Stupid!" Kama exclaimed.
"you all be given your formal missions along with the job requests that you may or may not accept to do." Darton stated before he look at the other squad captains. "of course, the reward money of the completed requests must be rewarded to each squad members equally."
"even if the request was completed by only one member?" a squad captain asks and Darton nodded.
"It is to be fair and equal." Darton stated and the other squad captains began to discuss with one another.
Natsu talks with Kama alone as the two were already on the Yes side of the proposal.
"so? you and your team thinking on taking a request job this week considering that you guys don't have any missions to do?" Natsu asks his friend while pocketing his right hand into his pants.
"it will depend if they have any other plans in this week." Kama said while crossing his arms on his chest. He then closed his eyes while slightly tilting his head to the side. "but I believe that none of them will be able to accept the request considering what they planned before."
"like what?" Natsu asks, curious.
"you didn't hear or you forget?" Kama said while opening his eyes and then let out a sigh before shaking his head. "forget it, you must've just daydreamed before."
"can you just tell me rather than criticizing me?" Natsu said while looking a bit annoyed.
Kama then told Natsu that his teammates along with his own have prior plans with one another. Neppa and Uosuke along with Tim and Rookie are planning to go to Hargeon for a visit to a relative of the timid warrior, Dan made plans to stay with his parents to help them with some problems, Clay has a date with someone his parents set up with, and Kamika has something to do which she didn't tell anyone.
"and Cosmos has plans to have a date with you at this weekend, remember?" Kama stated to Natsu who scratches his chin and looks up which made the Garou Knights' captain sweatdrop. "hey, you didn't forget about something she told you directly, right?"
"no, I remembered. I just haven't thought of where I should bring her." Natsu said before he closed his eyes and then shrugs his shoulders. "oh well, I'll just think of it later on."
"I'm really confused as to how did you two even end up being together when you have such a personality…" Kama whispers as he looks at Natsu in pure bewilderment.
The meeting continues for about 2-3 hours as it ended with the captains having a 6-4 agreement with the proposal of their actions to accept the job requests from the kingdom's citizens.
"as we've made an agreement." Darton spoke before Arcadios came to the captains and presented them a stack of request papers. "We have taken the liberty of choosing several requests that requires immediate attention."
"The requests were chosen according to each squad's capabilities." Arcadios stated as he handed each captain a few request papers that they take. "and also, chosen accordingly with your level of strength as well."
Natsu and Kama receives their request papers or rather paper as they both received just one that Garou Knight's Captain is holding.
"Why do we only get one?" Natsu asks while Kama reads the request paper's details and then handed it to the salmon haired mage.
"after careful debating with Minister Darton, we've decided that the two of you and your squads should take this request together." Arcadios replied as he pointed to the request paper which shows the drawn picture of an island with the words "HELP US!" written on the side. "Both are tasked with assisting the people of Galuna Island."
"never heard of such a place before." Kama stated as he took a glance at the request paper that Natsu is currently reading. "I've read about all the places belonging to Fiore, but never this one."
"it's because it's not considered one of ours." Toma spoke out. "Galuna Island is in between the borders of Fiore and Bosco, so it is considered a neutral land that doesn't belong to either of the two."
"so what they need help with?" Natsu asks as he is still reading the content of the request which made him raise an eyebrow. "Lift the curse that plagues the land? What does this supposed to mean?"
"it just as what it states." Arcadios replied. "news have it that Galuna Island has been cursed and its people needs help." He then crosses his arms. "I tried to learn more about this job, but I've only received unverifiable rumors."
"Rumors?" Kama asks.
"Rather than rumors, it's more of the sailor's tales." Arcadios said as he closed his eyes and imagined an island in the ocean. "at the midst of night, the moon shall shine its eerie glow upon the Galuna Island where screams of pain are heard and leave those who see it, be cursed for their entire life." He opens his eyes. "people who have sailed pass Galuna Island said that the island being haunted due to how it has absorbed the moonlight that shines upon the land for years and years, therefore leading to the curse of Galuna Island."
"Sounds so bogus to me." Natsu said while rolling up the request paper. "It's probably some made up mumbo jumbo stuff."
"I thought so at first, but it's a legend that is already true for some years." Arcadios said with a nod. "But even if it is just superstitious or not, we cannot deny the fact that the people of Galuna Island are requesting immediate help from guilds alike."
"I see.." Kama said before he cups his metal covered chin. "perhaps I should recall my team for this mission and…"
"they'll be annoyed, Kama." Natsu said as he taps the Garou Knights' captain's shoulder with the rolled up request paper. "some of our teammates are already away from Crocus and calling them back will take too much time." He then smirks a bit. "that's why the two of us should just go and complete this request."
"huh?" Kama looks at Natsu in surprise and confusion.
"he's being selfish and over egoistic as always…." Darton said as he facepalmed while Toma smiles and scratches his chin.
"I'm afraid that you don't understand that this job has been labelled as an S-Class quest." Arcadios said as he sighs a bit. "Requests labelled with S-Class are considered highly dangerous missions that leads to accidents and death. Even for someone of your capabilities…"
"that's why me and Kama are going to do it." Natsu said as he grabs Kama and got him into a friendly one arm hug. "The two of us are considered high ranked mages by other guilds and therefore we're considered S-class materials, right? Let us do it."
"Why is it so hard to put common sense and logic understanding in this boy?" Arcadios sighs while rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"let them do it, Arcadios." Toma spoke as everyone looks at the king who is smiling. "I've seen the accomplishment of their teams and their level of strength, they're without doubts great and strong mages."
"but, your majesty…" Darton spoke out as he wanted to retort.
"Thanks, Old man!" Natsu grins with a thumbs up. "I owe you one!"
"hey, he hasn't even.." Kama tried to retort but Natsu just shake him around. "hey! Stop shaking me around! I'm not kidding!"
"Come on, Kama! It'll be like the old training days when we went to the Bolsana Forest years back!" Natsu grins. "and besides, won't it be a good tie breaker to our many brawls? We never got to see who is really stronger than the other, right?"
"you…" Kama looks rather annoyed at Natsu as he turns to look at Arcadios. "Captain Arcadios, this type of thing is…"
"His Majesty has already agreed and given his own voice.." Arcadios sighs before he smiles. "I guess I got to believe in his judgement over you two."
"Seriously?" Kama said before he looks at Natsu who is just grinning and that made him sigh tiredly. "Why am I stuck with this type of a friend?"
"The request states that both of you should arrive to that island as quickly as possible." Toma stated. "I've taken the liberty of providing a ship for you two. It will take you two to the island."
"Thanks, old man!" Natsu said with a thumbs up. "we won't let you guys and the kingdom down!"
With that, the meeting came to an end as every squad captain leaves the throne room.
Toma along with Darton and Arcadios watches them leave before the two face the small king.
"Your Majesty, was that really wise?" Darton asks. "I understand that you owe a great of debt to Captain Bash after his passing and wish to take care of his successor and all. but to allow him and Captain Kama to complete an S-Class request would just results in too much risk, will it not?"
"it's fine, Darton." Toma replied while smiling. "I've seen the progress of our captains' growth and Natsu along with Kama-kun have bear great fruits." He chuckles. "I have no doubts that they'll be able to complete this S-class request without any problems."
"Kama won't create problems, but I doubt Natsu won't…" Arcadios said while crossing his arms and smiling. "It won't be such a surprise if the people of Galuna Island won't send us letters of war and such because of that boy…"
"It'll be fine." Toma chuckles with a grin. "That boy will definitely complete this request. I have no doubt about it!"
That's a wrap!
Bye bye