Galadriel stood in her study. Being the Leader of Nazarick and the 'Supreme One' doesn't mean she had nothing to do. In fact, it was the contrary. Actually, the Tomb was located in the middle of very snowy mountains, in the middle of nowhere. This situation stressed Galadriel. She was a natural paranoid, and the situation didn't help.
She ordered her agents and spies with the greatest stealth and discretion abilities to scout the surroundings. Even if Sebas said there is no civilisation nearby, Galadriel was still wary of the possibility that a Player could be here, in this world, and, in the worst case, ready to strike. If Ains Ooal Gown was conjured in this world, there was no reason why this couldn't be the case for others Guilds or persons.
Ains Ooal Gown was described as villainous back in Yggdrasil's time. It was as much respected as feared and hated. And with a massive collection of World Items and other rare objects, if they were a big collector, so they would strike.
Galadriel could have used the throne room to respond to the NPC's requests, but she found it a little too spacious and big for that. So she spotted for a smaller room, she was felling less stressed in. At the disdain of Albedo, who though that every Guardians and others residents of Nazarick must saw her mistress at her full magnificence, but Galadriel insisted.
Is the magic different here ? Most importantly, how much is our level in this world ? If everyone is on a standard high level, it could cause a problem. Argh ! I'm too paranoid, but I must discover. I love to make discoveries. Why I am so difficult !
Albedo, always on Galadriel's side, noticed her love scratching her head and making strange faces
« A-Are you okay ? »
« It's nothing Albedo, I'm just worried about our situation. »
Albedo put a hand on Galadriel's shoulder « Stress isn't good for health and the skin, allow me to ask you to take a break. You did the same for us, even if we didn't wanted or needed. You take care of us, so I must take care of you. »
Of course I commended you to rest sometimes, everyone here has a true addiction to work and doing all perfectly. Geez, I may be a empress demon, and your last parent, but take it easy !
Galadriel sighted « You know what to say to appease me, that's one thing I love about you » She looked at Albedo with suggestives eyes. Their head were closer from each other, they're just inches aways until a knock was heard. They stopped what they were doing and Galadriel stared at the entrance of the room.
One of the Homonculus Maid had her head out of the door partially open. She saw the situation and what it unintentionally implies, blushed and came back from behind the door, slaming it.
« I-I'm sorry »
Galadriel giggled and asked with a gentle voice « You can come, Increment. »
Increment enter again in the study, bowing respectfully
« Galadriel-sama, Demiurge wants to see you, now »
« Good, you can call him » Galadriel was relieved, thanks to Albedo and the arrival of Demiurge, maybe she could think about something else.
Demiurge enter the room, a smirk on his face. Well, knowing him, when his lips were higher than normal, it meaned that he was happy. And if he was, so was Galadriel. Nothing was now more important to her that the NPC, or her so called children. Since she knew that they had feelings and acted on their own, she was not considering them as simple NPCs but as the last memories of her fallen comrades, her only family.
Demiurge bowed in front of Galadriel, and even if she told them they could speak to her normally, they were very stubborn, especially about addressing the Supreme One, the only member who decided to stay with them. Furthemore, she really liked when people bowed in front of her. It was strange, but the most probable was the fact that she was not human anymore. Not that she was afraid of that, it even didn't bother her.
« Demiurge, there is a problem ? » Galadriel wasn't really worried, since they were talking about Demiurge.
« Our spies we sent at the edge of the mountain and found themselves in a funny situation. » He took out a report and summarised it
« They reported a mansion at the bottom of the mountain, they detected signs of life and decided to keep a eye out, with great precautions of course. But at this time, two groups of humans one of them with walking,talking cats entered, the 'black mages' fought these uninvited and finally lost. After the battle, the two groups returned from where they came. As you recommended they took the maximum precaution, our agents didn't follow them, but they found one of them trying to escape, and decided to capture him, none of them seemed to have noticed that. So, now, we have a group of humans and they don't know what to do with them. One of our agents remained on the site. What's surprising is that the humans used a kind of magic our agents didn't recognise. »
Galadriel lifted a brow A kind of magic we don't recognise ? Like, different from Yggdrasil ? I need to know more about that.
Galadriel put a hand on her chin, it was indeed a surprising situation. « You said they were 'black mage', it's like renegate ?, or brigand ? »
Demiurge didn't respond, as he knew his mistress talked mostly to herself
The two groups of humans took care of them, then departed, without doing something else, no thieving or takinh an object they had on them. So they came here only for them. These 'black mages' must have no link with any legal organisation.
« You said they were still here ? »
« Yes, my lady, beaten and tied »
They didn't bring them to their autorities ? At least this could make sure they wouldn't move on their own ! But it would be very interesting to have a chat with these prisoners. If they disapeared before wathever police arrived, it could be a leçon to these humans to not let them alone, even if they were beaten. Eh ! Thank you for giving them to me on a silver plate, you idiots.
« Did they represent a threat, whatever the level ? »
« For what we've seen, not really »
Galadriel smiled deviously, so did Demiurge.
« May I ? »
« You may, Demiurge, but assure yourself that they didn't place a snitch on them, and make it look like they freed themself. I would prefer not to attract the attention. »
Demiurge bowed respectfully in front of Galadriel
« Thank you, Galadriel-sama »
Demiurge left the room, leaving a happy Galadriel and Albedo with these news. Things promised to be very interesting.
The black mages stood in the center of the hall of the mansion. They were tied together, and pouted about their situation.
« Where the hell is boss when we need him ? » Melody struggled to free herself
« It's no use screaming like that Melody, even if he didn't flee, I don't think he's ever coming back, the council's men arrived soon » said Byron.
« Optimist as usual, Byron » Veronica said, still pouting « If only these White Eclipse guys weren't here, we could have stomped these mages of Fairy Tail »
« Coming from the one who was defeated by a brat, it's surprising » Ironically, it was coming who the blonde who's been defeated by Erza.
This cause a thick mark to appear on Veronica's head « It's not worse than you, Surge ! It was the same person we defeated in your case. Me, at least, I punched her cat hard. You should have seen her face, priceless » she giggled remembering Wendy's angry face
« Oi ! » the last one, named Greg, interrupted their discussion. « Someone is coming »
« Yeah…but it's too soon. It must be a new guest » Byron felt something wrong about whoever was the coming people.
Everyone now felt the same, and fell silent. Echoes could be heard through all the hall now. Two strange girls dressed in maid outfit were coming. One of them had curled blonde hair and a sadistic smile, even more so than Veronica. The other one was a red-head with a tanned skin, hands on the back of her head, and a more casual smirk, like she was going on a walk.
« Yoooo~ how it's going ? » The red-head one waved a hand, saluting the people, still tied by a solid rope.
« Who are you ? And what do you want ? » Melody said « Another guild coming to catch us ? Or to see the ones who defeated Titania ? Sorry to disapoint you, but they're already gone » Melody was still pissed about their defeat. After wanting to defeat the mighty Erza Scarlet, here they were, at the mercy of 2 maids.
The red one lift a finger to each answer« It's not important. We taking you. Nope. And Nope » The red one said, smiling again, like she's secretly mocking them about their pitiful situation.
« Huh ?! What do you mean 'taking us' ? » Greg asked, fearing what it could mean.
The blonde one smile widely, almost taking inhuman proportion, and it's not a comical situation. « Our lady asked us to bring you at Nazarick, wether you want to or not. Lupusregina. »
« Okay~ » With one hand, Lupusregina took the rope between Byron and Melody and lifted them like it was nothing. Since they were all linked, everyone was lifted without effort, surprising them
« What the f… ! » Melody, much like the others, were baffled by the sheer force of the maid.
« I'm ready ! We can go ! » The maid said happily
The blonde one's arm began to wiggle, like something in her skin was in movement, until a stone-like item came out of her hand. She tossed it away, and a strange purple oval was forming. The blonde bowed, with the same smile, at her colleague « After you »
Lupusregina walked to the purple oval.
« Hey ! What do you think you're doing ? Release us ! » Greg screamed, whathever this was, he didn't want to be dragged in like that.
Veronica flailed her legs, in a vain attemps to freed herself.
Regina then stopped in her track, placing her other hand on her lips « Oh my~ I almost forgot. »She put the group on the ground, cracked her knuckles, which took on a wolf shape.
« W-What are you planning to do. » Greg ask, fearful.
« Don't worry, it won't be harmful » Lupusregina said, her smile becoming more sadistic. She bumped, in order Byron, Melody, Surge, Veronica and Greg. After that, she clawed the rope. She layed it at the center of the room, their previous location.
« Finally ! They wouldn't stop yelling ! »
« We can't stay here any longer. Let's bring them to Nazarick. Our lady is very interested in them »
The floor felt hard and cold, like the air. What does she remembered ? Ah, yes, they defeated Erza Scarlet, S rank mage of Fairy Tail. They seeked revenge and came back in a group. They could have won again, but unexpected reinforcement had arrived. With the disparition of their boss, they had been waiting in the hall, waiting for the council to bring them to the capital, Crocus, without any doubt for jail. Her memories became confused after that point, they were not in the capital. No, she would remember that face of Lahar, the anti-magic cuffs. But none of that. There were maids, MAIDS ?! One of her could bring out objects from her skin, yikes ! The other one could transform her hand into wolf paws. Maybe it was their magic. After that, she could not remember. All was foggy.
Melody opened her eyes abruptly, with cold sweats. She was cold, the room was dark. It was difficult to see anything, or even to hear anything. The room was silent, instead of the wind blowing outside. But it was not the cold from the mountain, no. It was a colder one, much colder.
W-where am I ? Where are the others ?
« Hello ? Is someone there ? » No response, not counting her own echo. She approached the bars at the other extremity and looked to the left and the right. But then, nothing again.
Melody growed angry, or afraid, by the situation.
If only I could use my magic. These cuffs are really a- but Melody felt that something was wrong, but not in a bad way. She could feel her magic circuling freely through her body. Too bad for her, her hands are in a position that didn't allow her to put a Silver Make stance, and the bruise in her shoulder probably didn't help. Unfortunately, the only thing she could do was wait. She didn't know how much time she would spend here, how many hours. Until footsteps were be heard. Finally ! Something that broke the torturous silence. The person who approched the cell was, in the opinion of Melody, quite beautiful. Even the hair bun and the glasses didn't remove her charms.
« Sorry for the wait » She said with a neutral tone. She brought out a key ring from her pocket and opened the cell.
« My lady is waiting for you, she has a few questions, please follow me » Melody didn't have much the choice but obey. She wasn't stupid. She was in a totally unknown location, unable to use correctly her magic, and that woman was dressed like the two others maids, of which one of them could lift humans without efforts, and this one is probably of the same caliber.
Melody walked through an endless amount of corridors, like this prison was a maze which each corner was identical to the last one. They ended at a steel door, the maid opened it and made a gesture with her hand
« Now, enter. My lady will not be long » Melody nodded and entered the tight room, about 9 m² with orange brick walls, but the floor was made with the same brick pattern from the rest of the prison. The room was not decorated instead of a yellow light hanging from the celling, and a metal table. Clearly, this was much like a interrogation room.
Barely Melody entered the door that the maid closed it with surprising force. Even if Melody was alone,she was feeling watched, from every angle. Now she was feeling anxious. What will happen to her ? She didn't know as a portal emerged from the other side of the table, the same one she was sent through.