AN: Enjoy the chapter folks! Be sure to leave a review when you finish!
EDITED 5/21/18
Berserk
Chapter Twenty Seven
{i'll ask of the Berserks, you tasters of blood}
They've been walking for four days when they come across Narja, a trading port in the center of Bosco and one of the busiest cities in the country. The streets are teaming with people, more than either Natsu or Lucy have ever been around before in their lives. Lucy stays close to Natsu's side, arm hooked through his to avoid them losing sight of each other in the crowd, the pair of them sure to be swept away from each other if they aren't careful.
Though, that seems to be less of a problem than Lucy was originally expecting. Natsu refused to wear his jacket in Bosco, not wanting to hide himself now that they were far from Pergrande. Berserks are free citizens in Bosco, though not necessarily welcome. He won't be arrested by soldiers unless he causes problems. Which he won't, Lucy knows, not on purpose, but that doesn't mean others won't try to start something with them, especially so close to the heart of Bosco. There's no peace in slave cities.
It's a dangerous city for both of them, Natsu for his blood and Lucy for everything else. If they end up separated unintentionally, things could go very wrong. Natsu could easily be turned into the guards, bored citizens looking for a show. Natsu wouldn't go down easily, she knows, he would fight, but that would only make things worse for him. They would consider him to be a problem and either sell him off to the Fiore rings or perhaps back to Pergrande, and Lucy thinks he would die either way if that happened.
For her part, Lucy is more concerned with traffickers. If she's caught somewhere alone, especially at night, she knows what will happen to her. Auctions are held every week in cities like Narja, at night but also in broad daylight, people uncaring of those bought and sold. The government never has tried to hide its illegal activities, actively encouraging them at that. Slavers are common in these parts, Bosco thriving on the human trade: Berserks, women, children, anything is fair game so long as it doesn't become too well advertised.
The country thinks that if it keeps things hush it means they don't happen inside city walls. But they do happen, and with no one to stop them the trade only gets worse. More people end up dying, either because of where they're sold off to or because they fight back. Conditions worsen, people get sick, and slavers need more people to trade. Lucy figures that's how they ended up in Alvarez searching for Berserks. It's a sick cycle, more trafficking means more death, and more death means more trafficking. There's no reprieve.
And it only spread, passed the Ishgar borders, traversing oceans and consuming the world like a plague. With Bosco exhausting its own people and Fiore not allowing human trade, the only places to go were overseas where things were less regulated. Lucy doesn't know how Natsu was caught, if he was found alone or sold off by someone, but she doesn't think she wants to know.
She hasn't experienced the traffickers for herself, but she's heard stories of their brutality, of how horribly they treat their charges, and she doesn't want to imagine a younger Natsu being subjected to them. He said he was only six years old when he came to Fiore, so young, and she doesn't like to think about what they must have done to him or any of the others like him.
It's cruel what people do to others. She doesn't understand it, but she doesn't think she wants to.
Natsu's fingers curl through hers suddenly, the Berserk dragging her along behind him as they weave through the city streets. Narja is a dark, damp place with storm clouds looming overhead and people constantly watching from the shadows, staring with hungry eyes. She can hear whispering when she walks by alleys, nothing loud enough for her to make out, but she knows she wouldn't want to even if she could. Lucy can see the way Natsu stiffens as they pass people, his lips curving back when he hears people muttering to themselves and watching them pass.
Lucy doesn't know if they're talking about him or her, but she doesn't dare ask.
She presses herself against Natsu's side, ignoring the eyes following them as she glances up at him, wondering what it is he wants. He's doesn't look at her, eyes ahead, gaze sharp and focused. He leans down, lips brushing against her ear as he speaks. "We should find an inn," he murmurs, so low Lucy almost doesn't hear him at first.
The words register a moment later, Lucy glancing up at the cloudy sky, a drizzle beginning to form. They'll be soaked within seconds if they don't a place soon, but Lucy doesn't trust anything in the area where they are now. The place is seedy, people circling around them like vultures. She knows why, of course. They're clearly strangers to the city, outsiders, and there would be no one to notice if they disappeared, not right away.
It's dangerous for them to be here, but she knows things are better towards the center of the city, nicer. More soldiers are stationed there and less people are kidnapped off the streets. The outer ring is a bad place, and Lucy doubts most people travel to the outskirts unless they absolutely have to. She's been to Narja several times for Makarov's trade, and she was never allowed anywhere without Laxus with her, especially not this far out.
It's unsafe here, she can practically smell it in the air.
A man barrels passed them, knocking into Lucy and making her stumble into Natsu, who grabs her around the waist to hold her steady, tucking her close against his side. She expects him to release her once they begin walking again, but he surprises her by keeping her close, his palm warm against her side, fingers pressed tight against her skin. She's about to ask what's wrong when she hears the low, warning growl rumbling from deep in his chest, a clear sign for people to keep away.
He doesn't like this city and neither does she. It's too crowded and there's an air of danger to the place. Lucy knows that the abundance of people are making him nervous, Natsu hyper aware of everything around them. He doesn't dare let her out of his sight, lest she get swept away.
She doesn't blame him for that.
Instead of trying to pull away, Lucy presses tighter to his side, though she doesn't curl her arm around him in return, not wanting them to be too tangled together should something happen. It's better if they can break apart quickly, rather than waste time unwrapping themselves from each other.
Lucy leans into him, tugging on his arm to get him to lean down towards her. He complies, ducking his head so that she can whisper in his ear. "Anywhere specific?" she asks him, wondering how far he wants to go. They could easily make it to the other side of the city, but Lucy doubts that it would be any better than where they are now. Heading for the center would be best, but she'd rather go where he's more comfortable. There will only be more people in the market district.
Natsu's arm squeezes around her tightly, finger curling around her hip as he presses her to him, considering the question. He's close enough that she can hear him swallow, Natsu's teeth grinding together roughly. Lucy shivers against his side, feeling someone watching them, and Natsu's gaze sweeps around the area, his lips curving back over his teeth threateningly. "Not here," he growls against her ear, the sound making Lucy's breath catch in her throat.
He snarls suddenly, and Lucy sees a middle-aged man scurry away from them. She doesn't know how long he was hovering behind them or what he was planning to do, but Lucy decides she doesn't want to know—unsure how Natsu might react to anything vile on the man's mind.
She covers his hand on her hip with her own, tangling their fingers together briefly. "Okay," she whispers back, suddenly feeling very small in this city. Even in Đüskell she hadn't felt this small, and the capital of Pergrande is at least three times the size of Narja. There's something about this place that feels dangerous, like there's a plague slowly creeping through the city, simply waiting to infect anyone that moves too slowly.
The thought makes her skin crawl, and Lucy tucks herself closer against Natsu's side, his body heat chasing away the mind numbing chill that seems be following them through the city. She sighs in relief as he squeezes her hip, not knowing until just now how absolutely thankful she is not to be alone right now. She hadn't been thinking about her return trip through Bosco, too focused on Pergrande and the necklace to think about what she would do later. A mistake on her part, she knows, but now she has Natsu with her, and she doesn't feel nearly as unsafe as she thought she would.
His warm breath puffs against her ear, his temple pressing to hers as he leans down. "Did you stay here on your way through?" he asks, a low note to his voice that makes her pause. There's an edge of disbelief there, and something angry as well, as if Natsu couldn't believe anyone would ever stay in this city. She doesn't blame him.
"I did," she hums in response, nose wrinkling when his hair tickles her cheek. "In a place called the Iron Heart," Lucy tells him, her lips quirking slightly at the thought. The inn, while not the nicest of places, was secure and about the safest it could be in the city. She had paid for the night as well as a return trip, which cost most of her savings, much to her annoyance. She only hopes she still has the card the innkeeper gave her.
Lucy doesn't know if he'll let them in for another night if she doesn't have the card. The old man at the desk seemed pleasant enough, but she knows how deceiving looks can be.
Natsu hums a low note in his throat, considering it. "Is it safe?" he asks her, nosing at her gently to hold her attention. His fingers begin to tap a strange pattern against her side, the motion tickling her, but Lucy holds back a laugh, squirming slightly. Natsu smiles against her hair, drumming his fingers once more and this time she can't help but laugh, much to Natsu's apparent satisfaction.
Lucy snorts in response to his question, scoffing slightly. "I got to Pergrande, didn't I?" she says, not looking for an answer. Natsu chuckles, thumb brushing against her hip in a strange apology. "There are guards stationed outside," she informs him, taping the back of his palm with a finger. "The owner seems particular about keeping guests safe." An overstatement, maybe, but Lucy doesn't think most innkeepers hire guards to watch over them at night.
It's for the money, she supposes, wrinkling her nose.
"Do you remember where it is?" he asks her, wetting his lips and urging her to walk a little faster, the rain finally beginning to drip down on them. It's nothing more than a light drizzle, hardly anything to worry about, but neither of them want to end up soaked by the rain. Natsu weaves them through the streets quickly, hardly slowing when one of them slips on wet cobblestones.
She nods, walking faster to better keep pace with him. "Yeah," she whispers back to him, "follow me and stay close." It comes out as more of a demand than anything else, Lucy wrapping her hand tight around his as they hurry through the streets. She winces after saying it, but Natsu only chuckles and follows her lead, squeezing her fingers in return.
"I'm not going anywhere," he promises, lips pressed against her ear. His thumb barely brushes against her fingers, but Lucy feels him, grip tightening on his hand for a short moment before she releases him entirely.
They walk in silence for several minutes, wandering the streets and getting turned around in the large city, Lucy trying her hardest to remember where the inner city gates are located. It's slow going, neither of them knowing the city and both thinking it's too dangerous to ask for directions, lest they wander upon something sinister. Lucy wouldn't put it passed anyone to set them up, knowing how desperate people can be.
After a moment of slipping through the wet, dirty streets Lucy hears Natsu scoff, practically snarling as they walk by a group of drunken men. The sight makes Lucy all too aware of how late it's gotten, the sun gone from the sky and darkness creeping around them quickly.
"You passed through here on your own before?" Natsu asks her, spitting in disgust and wrapping his arm more protectively around her, fingers shaking away from hers and his hand slipping further around her until his fingers are splayed across her belly and lower ribcage. His hand twitches against her, Lucy feeling every flex of his fingers, Natsu nervous against her. He's acting like he has an itch, twitching and rolling his shoulders the way he is.
She knows what he's doing, trying to make himself look larger, more threatening to the people around them, hoping to dissuade people from approaching them. He's been doing a marvelous job so far, his growling and snarling doing wonders to keep people away, save for the bravest of them.
Lucy is well aware that Natsu would never hurt anyone that didn't deserve it or attack him first, but she can't blame others for being wary. The Natsu she knows is very different from the Berserk baring his teeth as anyone that comes too close to them. He's doing a spectacular job at keeping people away, and she would tease him about it if she wasn't so relieved. He isn't half as scary as he likes to pretend he is, not most days, but she thinks that can be their little secret.
It takes her a moment to register his question, Lucy lost to her thoughts, albeit unintentionally. She shakes her head slowly in reply, glancing up and locking eyes with Natsu. A droplet of water runs down the bridge of his nose before dropping onto her own, Lucy yelping in surprise and making him laugh.
Huffing, she considering ignoring him, but quickly decides she likes the sound of his voice more than she does the thick silence that seems to be closing in on them with every step they take. "I was with a family traveling to Stella," Lucy says to him, absentminded hand coming up to play with the red fabric near his hips, finger tracing the gold edging. "They offered to give me a ride since I was headed in that direction." She gives a half-shrug, not knowing what else to say.
They were a quiet family, five of them in total. It was a couple traveling with their three children, a son around Natsu's age, daughter a little younger, and a third son only around the age of ten. They were kind enough, but Lucy can't begin to remember their names, the memory lost to her after everything else that's happened.
It's been months, after all, and she doubts they remember her.
Natsu nods, evidently satisfied with her answer. "Good," he murmurs back, his shoulders relaxing, Lucy not having noticed them tense in the first place. "This place doesn't look safe for anyone," he tells her, casting a disgusted look at the ground as they skirt around what looks like a smear of blood, the ground tinged red with something.
Lucy pretends she doesn't see the wayward shoe laying in the mouth of the alley they pass.
"Much less a girl?" she scoffs. It's a joke more than anything, but the humor falls flat. Narja really doesn't seem safe, not at night. She's sure the city is nicer in the daytime, when people are less obvious about their ill intent, but under the cover of night Lucy has no doubt that this place is dangerous and all sorts of vile. Women, especially, are at the center of human trade, constantly going missing in this city.
He shakes his head, cheek brushing against hers almost apologetically. "Much less anyone traveling alone," he corrects her gently, a hard edge to his words that she knows aren't directed towards her.
She peeks up at him, but Natsu's gaze is far away, his fingers twitching nervously against her stomach. Lucy watches his throat bob with a hard swallow, Natsu chewing the inside of his cheek thoughtlessly. "Natsu," she breathes up at him, back of her hand tapping against his hip. He snaps back to attention, green eyes drifting back to her. He seems to deflate when he sees her, shoulders losing some of their tension. "Are you okay?" Lucy asks, eyes searching his for an answer.
" 'M fine," he mumbles back, softening slightly. His lips twitch into a ghost of a smile, his eyes flickering nervously up ahead of them before coming back to hers. "I didn't like this place," he says honestly. The muscle in his jaw jumps as he grits his teeth.
"I know," she responds softly, wishing she could do something to make him less nervous, but not knowing what she could possibly do to help. She settles with finally curling her arm around his back, fingers barely grazing his side as she presses against the cool metal of his armor. "We need to get to the enter of the city." She wets her lips. "There are more soldiers there."
He chuckles, but there's no humor to it, Natsu shaking his head slowly, teeth pulling at his lip. His boots scrape against the ground, kicking up water as he moves and grumbling something low under his breath. He glances back down at her, gaze hard but not unkind. "I don't like soldiers either," he reminds her, lips pulling up in a smirk, as if it's a poor joke. Regardless, it draws a breathy laugh from Lucy and she pats his side comfortingly, reminding him that she's here for him.
"Don't worry," she says, forcing more confidence into her words than she truly feels. Natsu peers down at her curiously, lifting a brow as he waits for her to continue, head slightly cocking to one side. She smiles up at him, but it's more teeth than anything else. "If they try to stop you," she promises, fingers squeezing his side suddenly, his skin firm and hot beneath her fingertips, "I'll punch them in the face."
It startles him into a laugh, Natsu stumbling to a stop and doubling over, loud snorts coming from him. He drags her against his chest, pulling her into a hug with his other arm coming to wrap around her tightly. Her own arms slip around him, palms pressed to his bare back. She feels him smile against her hair, Natsu nosing at her. "Somehow, I don't doubt that," he mumbles against her, squeezing her around the waist.
She sinks into him, sighing against his throat, and Natsu's lips slide along her temple, lingering briefly.
Lucy thinks they might be lost, the two of them finding themselves circling the center wall separating the slummy, outer edge of Narja for what seems like hours, but never finding the gates. It's making her worried, Lucy afraid that they might be locked out for the night, arriving too late. She doesn't know when they close, assuming it to be around midnight. Her best bet is that they have around two hours before they're locked tight, but she can't be sure. Besides that, they're no closer to finding the gates now than they were earlier, much to her frustration.
There should be four of them, at least. She remembers counting them when she was younger. One in each direction. It should have been a straight shot between the outer gate leaving the city and the innermost wall, but they still haven't found it.
Something's wrong, she knows. The gate should have been there, but it wasn't. It's unusual and she remembers it being there only a few months back. There's no way the gates have been closed off, the inner circle would starve during the winter and she knows that any merchants paranoia over slaver traders is outweighed by their greed for travelers money.
Her hand slips into her pocket briefly, Lucy running her fingers over the smooth, carved stone slipped inside her jacket. She traces a petal with her finger, the motion calming her. Irises were her mothers favorite flower. Lucy distinctly remembers her growing them when she was young, having an entire garden of the blossoms and regularly bringing them inside, the entire house smelling of them for weeks at a time.
That's one of the only things Lucy remembers about her mother. The flowers and her eyes, what she smelled like. She tries to forget watching her mother die, not wanting to think about the smell of her mother's blood splattered across the ground, or the rain stinging her eyes, the smiling teeth of a monster looking back at her, bits of skin clinging to its bloody teeth. Her mother's skin.
She shivers, and Natsu must think she's cold because he draws her closer to his side, his thumb brushing against her hip almost tenderly. He hasn't relaxed at all since they've been walking, feeding off her anxiety, though she hasn't told him about the missing gate. Lucy thinks he must know, able to read her that well.
The streets have emptied, but that brings little comfort to Lucy. Empty streets are dangerous streets, especially when she can feel eyes on her. Someone's been following them, waiting to get them alone in the dark.
She can feel her pulse quicken beneath her skin, Lucy biting her lip to hold back her panic. Natsu must hear the sudden spike, his hand sliding up her side until his arm is wrapped around her shoulders, palm squeezing her upper arm gently.
Natsu freezes suddenly, Lucy coming to a jerky stop beside him, stumbling slightly, but his grip around her is firm. She's jerked back against his chest almost roughly, Lucy gasping as her back is suddenly pressed flush against him. Her head snaps up, lips already forming his name, but she's cut off by the low, dangerous snarl that tears from his throat. His lips pull back over his teeth and Lucy shivers at the warning in his eyes, Natsu staring out at the street before them.
Her head snaps up, Lucy stilling when she sees a man standing in the middle of the street, a street that was empty before. There's a scuffle off to her right, and Lucy doesn't have to look to know they're surrounded. Her right hand goes to her knives, left moving to curl around the arm Natsu has wrapped around her front, fingers wrapping loosely around his wrist.
The man steps out from the shadows, grinning at them as he comes close. Lucy's arm pulses suddenly and she feels drained, exhausted. Her legs buckle beneath her for only a moment, but Natsu holds her up, hand hot against her belly, fingers biting into her skin. Lucy regains her senses quickly, forcing herself to stand taller, knowing men like this feed off fear and weakness.
Natsu growls again, but the men ignore him, closing in around them. There are only four, maybe five that she can see, so Lucy isn't too worried. They're likely only petty thieves looking to rob them, nothing more.
"Well," the man before them drawls, stepping in close and squinting at them, "look what we have here." He grins, dark hair and scruffy beard making him look more wolf than man, his smile hungry. She shivers and his eyes seem to follow the motion, his tongue flicking out to run along his lips. "What an odd little pair you two are," he muses.
He leans in closer, but Natsu's snarl sends him skittering back a step. The arm around her grows tighter and Lucy slips the knife from her holster, sneering at the man when she sees his gaze drift low on her body, eyes lingering on her bare thighs.
His eyes make her uncomfortable, but Lucy tries not to show it, holding her head high and making sure he sees her knives glint in the moonlight.
The man's smile only grows, eyes lighting up as he drinks in her frame, humming to himself as he considers her. "How much?" he asks suddenly, head tilting to one side curiously as he observes her. His grin turns malicious when he looks at her throat, a pleased shiver wracking his body when he sees the bruises on her skin, faint but still visible. He licks his lips.
Lucy's expression twists into one of disgust and she backs further into Natsu, hearing him growl against her ear, fingers tight against her shoulder. "Excuse me?" she snarls at the man, grip tightening around the first knife she finds, Lucy not caring which it is.
Lazy eyes drift up to meet hers, a sharp edge to his gaze. "I wasn't talking to you, Little Girl," he snarls at her, turning to spit on the ground. A look of disgust crosses his face and then his eyes peel away from her, glancing over her head to look at Natsu. "How much," he repeats, louder this time, "for her." He cocks his head towards Lucy and leans in so close that she can smell him.
She reacts by swiping her knife at him, drawing a thin line of blood across his face. "Ooh, feisty," he cackles, taking a step back out of her reach. He lifts a hand, wiping the line of blood from skin and observing his finger curiously. "I like that." He sends her a salacious grin and she spits at him.
"Go fuck yourself," she snaps at him, winding her way out of Natsu's grasp to stand beside him, not knowing if there's going to be a fight, but wanting to be prepared regardless. She stares him down and he laughs at her, head thrown back and shoulders shaking.
He stops just as suddenly as he started, expression turning serious and malicious. "You got quite the mouth on ya," he observes, lifting a brow in her direction. She hears movement behind her, though not close enough to be concerning. The man's gaze flicks to Natsu. "You put it to good use?" The implication is clear and Natsu lunges forward with a roar, Lucy barely having time to twist around and catch him, her knife clattering to the ground. He doesn't resist her, much to her relief.
More laughter. "Touchy, I see," he comments, teasing. Lucy shoves Natsu back and the man shakes his head, humming to himself. "I'm sure if the big bad Berserker hasn't used you yet," he sneers, gaze sparking with mischief, "someone else would love to."
He reaches for her before either of them can react, jerking Lucy forward so that she's flush against him. She gasps, eyes going wide, but her feet not stopping their stumble. A hand gropes at her ass, Lucy being rocked forward against the man's hips. He moans in her ear loudly and Lucy shoves him back, hand whipping across his face without a second thought.
He stumbles back, surprised, but doesn't have a moment to react before he's suddenly being slammed back against the wall, Natsu holding him by the throat. There's a murmur of surprise around them, the sound of weapons being drawn. Lucy thinks she can hear the soft click of a flintlock, her eyes widening. The weapons are new on the market, expensive and hard to find. They're pretty to look at, but worthless in a fight when compared with a broadsword or a bow.
Natsu snarls in the man's face, fingers squeezing tightly around his neck. "You touch her again," Natsu growls, baring his teeth threateningly, "and I'll—"
A scoff cuts him off, the man wheezing around the tight grip on his neck. "Oh, I know what you'd do to me, Berserker," he sneers, laughing in Natsu's face, seemingly unconcerned with the hand around his throat. "Monsters, the lot of ya," he spits, saliva splattering across the ground.
Natsu flinches and she's behind him before she realizes it, a hand on his arm. He stiffens, but doesn't let go. "Natsu, don't," she says softly, "they're not worth it." His eyes slide sideways to look at her, widening in disbelief.
"Lucy, he touched you," Natsu hisses between clenched teeth. Saying it out loud only seems to make his anger grow. Natsu presses the stranger tighter to the wall, grip bruising. Lucy is suddenly reminded of a very similar situation back in Jorah.
She sighs, grip on his arm tightening. They don't have time for this. "Natsu, if you hurt him, they'll report you," she tells him softly, breathing the words against his ear. "The guards will take you in and then what?" Lucy asks him, reaching out to turn his face towards her. "I'll just be out here alone." It seems to get through to him, Natsu grip slackening, though not entirely. "Let him go, please." He doesn't, fingers suddenly regaining their bruising grip. "Natsu!"
Natsu leans in, whispering something to the man that Lucy can't hear, then drops him. The man coughs, but Natsu doesn't do anything else, just reaches for her, guiding her closer when her fingers curl through his. "Come on," he mumbles against her temple, guiding her away without another word.
AN: edited 5/21/18