Chapter 7: Demons Walking Amongst Each Other
She wasn't happy. If her magic revolved around the intensity of her glare, Mira was sure that the paper Makarov handed her would have been set aflame in an instant. However, instead of awakening a newfound skill as a mage, Mira accepted the paper with a disgruntled swipe and grumblings falling from her lips as she read through the request. It was a basic job, one that she's probably done a hundred times before, and accepted that it was probably a simple enough job for her to lead Natsu through. Would she follow through the task with enthusiasm? Wouldn't count on it. Without another word, Mira turned on her heel and moved to exit the guild. Whether Natsu followed or not was up to him, she wouldn't beg.
The guild was silent around them. With it still being early in Natsu's membership in Fairy Tail, officially only being a few short hours, anything that surrounded him was met with curiosity. Granted, Mira didn't suspect the man's larger reputation was well known, but it would come in a short time and the stares would become all the more intense. Walking toward her exit, Mira knew that she was being watched just as much as Natsu was. She was an S-class mage and was supposed to be an example for everyone else, or that's what Master was always telling her and Erza, and when she was given an assignment in front of everybody the least she could do was follow it. Once she gets back after a job well done, then she can give Master an earful about it.
Her annoyance was mitigated the smallest bit on her way out of the guild as Mira heard Gray whisper discreetly as she walked past him. "Do you want me to tag along?" The words made her smirk as she passed him, her eyes catching the seriousness in his gaze and only rolling in response. To his credit, Gray took her silent response with a scoff and a smirk before she took the rest of the guild floor in stride and pushed out into the roads of Magnolia.
For the longest time, Mira hadn't even known if Natsu followed her. She had hoped that he would stay glued in the barstool and took the heated lecture from Makarov for not listening. If she was lucky, she would return just in time to catch the tail end of Makarov's famously long-winded reprimands. However, the nagging that pulled in the back of her mind told her that she wouldn't be so lucky. By the time she reached the ticket counter at the train station, she didn't even need to check behind her before two tickets were bought for passage to Mount Hakobe. He never said a word, never coming too close, but she felt his presence like it was a deep, dark shadow looming over her.
Turning from the ticket counter, Mira was immediately met with a watchful gaze of dark eyes that stood only half a dozen steps removed from her. Their eyes met for a moment, almost in a stalemate as they sized each other up briefly. Scoffing, Mira turned away from Natsu and walked toward the platform their train is to arrive at and her hand lazily held out his ticket as she strolled through the crowded station. She waited to feel the ticket snatched from her finger's grip in annoyed protest in her apathy, but it never came. The only reason she knew it was gone was because her fingers were now pressing on each other with no buffer, the ticket sliding away without her notice. Ignoring that, ignoring him, and ignoring those around them, Mira stood and waited for their train in silence. Fortunately, that wait wasn't even a half hour and she hadn't needed to say anything to anybody.
She felt rightfully annoyed at Master's choice of having her escort him around his first job. Did she understand it? Obviously. Did she like it? Not at all. Dangerous, mysterious, and Makarov's most recent charity case. Granted, Mira and her siblings were once that charity case for the guildmaster, but this one wasn't a misplaced family. He wasn't some orphaned child without a place to go. This was a grown man that has lived a life hunting people. Dark mages or not, crazed Zeref worshippers or not, there is still little comfort to think of that being all someone did for years at a time. How could she trust him with her guild, her friends, or her siblings? Glancing to her right, Mira saw Natsu standing just as still and quiet as she was, albeit much more stiffly as people moved past him to get to their platforms. His eyes danced and shot around as if he was seeing everything for the first time, making sure to identify it all as fast as he could. It was almost enough nervous energy to spurn her nerves into action. She wanted to snap at him, tell him to get ahold of himself, but the whistle of the coming train was enough to drown whatever words could have been and distract her away from her forced-upon partner.
Their cabin steadily filled with commuters and traveling families that filled the booths around them. Mira didn't have the need to seclude herself with Natsu in a private cabin, neither for the comfort of being away from strangers or her temporary partner's immaculate company. Mira's arms crossed over her chest as she watched him, not much care going into whether or not it could be perceived as rude. The pressure on her burned wrist from her crossed arms caused some discomfort, a subtle sting on the tender flesh, but was nowhere near the pain that came the day before. The lack of pain made it easier for her to simply look. She watched as Natsu's eyes were glued on whatever caught his interest on the other side of the window and kept them there long after their train started moving.
She couldn't say when, but eventually the silent inspection of the man across from her melted into her wordlessly watching the terrain fly across the frame of the window overseeing their booth. Mira's arms fell to the table between her and Natsu, a hand coming up to hold her head in place, and slowly the weight of her own eyelids proved to be an increasingly intense burden to hold. Before Mira could finally give in to that weight, another settled on her. It was a heaviness that made her hair stand on end and her skin prickle before she could even identify it. Raising her head, Mira was met with the narrowed eyes of Natsu looking down at the bandaged wrist resting on the tabletop. Her eyebrow quirked, posing a silent question to a man not paying her expressions any mind. She raised her head from her hand, straightening her back as she prepared to ask what the hell he was staring at, only for her question to be impeded by his quiet, serious voice.
"I didn't know." Was all he said at first, his eyes still trained on her wrist and not the utterly confused look that had overtaken Mirajane's face. There was a moment of pause, one that felt like it would stretch far longer than she was willing to let it, but again Natsu spoke before she had the chance to cut through that silence. "I thought you were the ones that summoned Lullaby, if I had known you weren't I wouldn't have burned your wrist like that."
The eyebrow that was initially raised in question of Natsu's staring quickly sunk with its pair into a deep furrow at his words. Was he trying to apologize? She hadn't heard a "sorry" or an "I apologize" but his words sounded suspiciously like an apology. At least a well-meaning excuse if not a full apology. As much as she was shocked by it, Mira bristled to an equal degree at the thought of the apology. She attacked him, legal mage or no. Technically, although the chances were slim to impossible, she should be the one to apologize. It didn't feel right. Maybe if she was someone else, someone like her sweet little sister, she would take the apology at face value, but she wasn't. Demon Mirajane wasn't someone so easily taken by words.
"And that makes it alright, doesn't it?" Mira asked, probably more defensively than she needed to be. "It doesn't matter what you do to someone if they're labeled a dark mage, does it? Just an excuse to let loose without any consequences."
It wasn't anything that had yet to be said about Natsu over the past few years, especially recently. The more dark guilds destroyed, the more people were concerned he was simply using the laws that weren't extended to illegal mages and guilds to his advantage. From the sounds of it, Natsu didn't seem to act otherwise. Even at the butt of her accusation, Natsu looked at Mira as if she brought up a complaint about the weather. A subtle frown showed on his face, but the man seemed far from bothered.
"Life is the most precious thing in this world." Natsu began, but there was something odd in the way he spoke. In the little bit she's heard, Natsu's words have sounded unsure and filled with thought. Mira was far from a people reader, especially when compared to someone like Master Makarov, but even she could tell that Natsu didn't have much experience talking with others. Yet, he now spoke clearly and surely. It was almost like he was reciting something already ingrained in his memory. "Those that disregard that importance forfeit their own."
"And what do you think happens to you? Isn't your life forfeit, too. Or are you an exception to that rule?" She fired back quickly, hoping her adamance will earn her something more. More information, more understanding, or more truth. Again, Natsu surprised her. Whatever pressure he should have felt from the question was ignored for the sake of a small smile. Even through her minor frustration, Mira could tell that it wasn't out of mocking that Natsu smiled at her. He didn't show triumph or ferocity at her question, only some small amusement. His eyes drifted further away, despite still looking at her, like he was lost in thought or in a memory.
"I'm right here. If someone wished to collect, I would not run." Maybe if the words were said with fire, with aggression, they could have sounded as a sort of threat. Somehow, despite the context of the conversation, Natsu made his declaration sound like a carefree suggestion. Mira has heard Lisanna talk about playing with squirrels with the same sort of intensity. Namely, none at all. It was also another example of Natsu speaking with practiced words with that lost expression on his face. There was something deeper that was entirely lost on the woman, but the face value of the words were enough for her. They were so paradoxical, so contradictory, that making sense of them seemed like a waste of time.
Instead, Mirajane settled with a scoff and a heavy roll of her eyes as a response to the man's cryptic words. It wasn't worth trying to understand, if there was truly anything to understand at all. There was more than a passing chance that Natsu's words were nothing but nonsense that was meant to confuse her. Choosing not to dwell any further on the conversation, Mira returned her eyes to the open field that sprinted past the window on her right. There was nothing to see, nothing outside of grassy plains and the occasional bundles of small trees. As they went, the terrain would shift on them pretty swiftly as they drew closer to their destination, but as of now the view out of the mirror interested Mira as much as the prospect of continuing the conversation with her impromptu partner.
Minutes passed by without either speaking another word. Natsu didn't comment on Mira's abrupt exit to the conversation and she didn't feel the need to explain herself. She was sure it would be that way until they pulled into the train station closest to the base of Mount Hakobe in a couple hours until the man across from her practically shot from his seat to lean closer to the window and stare at the growing treeline that stared back at them. His neck cranked one way and then the other to see as much as he could through the pane of glass.
"What the hell are you doing? Sit down." She didn't need to look around to know that they now had unwanted eyes on them. Mira considered snatching the loose red fabric of his collar to pull him back down into his seat, like she would have done to Elfman, Gray, or literally anyone else in their guild, but she thought better of it with Natsu. Instead, after waiting a moment, Natsu sat himself back down with a scouting eye flicking through the window with marginally less intensity than before. More than once Mira took a glance out of the window, trying to see what could have possibly set the man off, but all she saw were trees. Just trees.
"Are you going to tell me what the hell that was, or should I just start guessing?" Mira bit out after far too long of a silence. Only when she spoke did Natsu actually pry his eyes away from the window, a storm of emotions flying through his dark eyes with no name for Mira to attach to any of them.
"We passed something that looked familiar to me." Natsu partially explained with a frown that deepened as his eyes returned to the window for a moment. Partially explained meaning that he said words to answer the question but didn't actually tell her anything of use. Typical. "Where are we going?"
It took a moment for Mira to realize that she had yet to show him the job request that Master had given her. She was too busy following the order to remember that Natsu was more in the dark than she was. Instead of outright answering the question, Mira reached in her top and removed the paper she safely stored in there. As comfortable as her shorts were, they weren't generous for pocket space but her tank top tended to work just fine on most occasions. To his credit, Natsu didn't balk when she offered the folded sheet of paper, unfolding it immediately to read the basic parameters of the job.
Naturally, job requests only give the most basic necessary information of the job at hand. Usually the client, in this case the town mayor, would fill in the bulk of the information once they accepted the job and met with them. Makarov chose a simple investigation of missing cattle that had been a growing nuisance to a town that sat at the base of Mount Hakobe some distance away from the station they'd be arriving at. Minor damages, missing cattle, injured townsfolk. It happened more than most outside of magic would assume due to many towns and villages not having defenses for magical beasts that roamed around. A simple job to teach the guy the process of taking a job without demanding too much from either of them. At least Master had the forethought to not shove her on a dark guild run with someone who was, admittedly, a little heavy handed with them. It also helped that the job had a generous payment attached to it, despite the simplicity.
After taking his time to read the job, Natsu silently passed the slip back to Mira who tucked it away once more. She expected something else to follow. A passing comment, maybe. Perhaps further explanation of his reaction to the thickening woods would have been appropriate. Nothing. Just contemplative silence topped off with tightly folded arms and a deep frown. After snorting and shaking her head, Mira accepted the empty-handed curiosity.
When the train slowed to a stop at their destination, another word had yet to be said. They exited the train onto a platform that was essentially empty of people, those joining them from the train not exactly adding too much to that either. It was to be expected, however. Most settlements around Mount Hakobe were humble, this one included. Not to say that there was anything wrong with the town. Roads were worn but upkept as well as they could be, the buildings that lined those roads were welcoming cabins that were fit for the harsh snows that would run off from the mountain, and the people they passed always had a warm smile to offer. As welcoming as the town was, there was nothing here for them. Mirajane quickly led herself and Natsu through the village and onward down the road out toward the northeast.
Mira guessed it would be no more than a few hours of walking to reach their destination. The sun was still high in the air, the roads were lightly walked and far away from the eyes of bandits and brigands, so Mira didn't see the need to gather any supplies before she and Natsu continued on. What she failed to take into account was the mind-numbing boredom that would continue on through their walk. The train was harsh enough in the silence, but the excuse of a view supplemented it to an extent. Now, as Mira and Natsu padded down a dirt road with the same sights and scenery lingering in their slowed pace, she was sure that she'd tear her hair out before they made it to the job. Before she knew it, her mouth was opening and words were falling from it.
"Is this seriously all you did?" She blurted out without much thought behind it. Something needed to happen. Something needed to be talked about. Literally anything. When she was normally doing a job Mira tended to have her siblings with her, maybe Gray tagging along, or even Cana if the occasion arose. Talking with them was normal, easy, and made time pass considerably faster. Walking with only the occasional gusts of wind and the chirping of a bird was not enough stimulus. Not by far. "Were you just walking around, not doing or saying anything?"
"What would I do and who would I talk to?" Natsu responded to Mira's obvious annoyance with simple confusion. Whether it was confusion at the question itself or the aggression behind the words, Mira didn't know or really care. Conversation was flowing, it was just up to her to keep it that way. A twinkle of opportunity shone in Mira's face as she turned her head to look at Natsu, unknowingly catching the light of the afternoon to shine on the mischievousness that showed in her eyes.
"Yourself?" She offered with a shallow snort, a grin growing on her face. "You seem the type to ramble to yourself and other voices in your head." While the companion was unnatural, playing the role of an antagonizer to her guildmates was a well-worn shoe to Mira. Demon Mirajane was a moniker earned less so for her magic and more so from the hell she raised as she grew up in the guild. She expected her words to be brushed off or ignored, but she could be patient when it came to working on other's nerves.
"I'm not crazy." Natsu responded with a challenging tone, shedding some of the quiet reservation that usually filled the few words he spoke. A sly grin broke out on Mira's face as she heard it, the boredom quickly evaporating.
"No, of course not. Who could possibly get that idea?" Her words were drenched in sarcasm and the smile growing on her face only further emphasizing her want to irritate the man. If the narrowed eyes that were now unmoving from her own as they maintained pace down the path were any indication, Mira would say that a nerve was struck. Natsu's hands were still relaxed at his side and there were no signs of fire leaking out of him as it had when he was standing before Laxus, so Mira took it as a sign that there was still ground to cover. "I've only known you as "put together" and "respectful" since you've joined Fairy Tail."
Her eyes rolled as she made it a point to fiddle with the bandages on her burned wrist. A subject that was still as tender to her as the wound was, but she could suck it up for now. Mira adjusted and readjusted the wrappings on her wrist for a few moments more before she was interrupted by what sounded like a growl coming from her left. Turning her attention toward the sound, Mira was only given the view of the side of Natsu's head as he shifted the white fabric that hung loosely from his left shoulder and wrapped around his waist a few times over. It took a concerted effort to hold in the laughter that threatened to bubble up at the half snarl on the man's face. The dreaded Akuma was letting some light poking and prodding get under his skin.
"It was your demon magic flying at me first." While the snarl was still there, the irritated fidgeting constant, Natsu's words came out relatively calmly. The instinctual flinch from the word "demon" was less than calm. Demon Mirajane may have come from a place of familiarity in the guild she grew up in, but the whisperings that followed her because of how others saw her magic before that was still a sore topic. What was an easy-going opportunity to poke fun at her forced-upon companion now felt more tense and serious than a moment before.
"My magic isn't demonic. You especially don't get to say anything about it with your demon fire." Her words were spat defensively, to the point that Natsu stopped his fidgeting to send a glance in her direction with a pink eyebrow arching over it. She didn't exactly lie, in her own defense, but more of a technicality when it came to her magic's usage. Mira caught Natsu's eye flicking down to her covered wrist a couple of times before he spoke again.
"What is it then if it isn't a demon's magic?" Another prickle of irritation rose at his phrasing but Mira swallowed down her reaction. Any heat or irritation that sat in his voice before was gone in favor of open curiosity. Mira also refused to let his lack of argument against his "demon fire" go unnoticed.
"I'm a Takeover mage. My magic lets me absorb demon souls and use their strength to fight, but my own magic isn't demonic." The explanation was clipped, concise, and spoke quickly as she tried to speed up her walking pace to put her ahead of Natsu, but he seemed to ignore it completely while keeping up step for step. The response took a moment, Natsu seemingly thinking over her words.
"What's the difference?"
Mira simply stopped. Her feet were stuck in place while she looked at him, unimpressed as she watched him stop a few steps ahead of her in response. His voice was flat, confusion visible on his face, and showed no regard for her simple explanation at all. It reminded her of a child, oddly enough. A child that simply wanted to know. Curious but crass in his questioning.
"If you still use a demon's magic as your own, absorbing their soul into your body, it's basically your magic." Natsu shrugged as he spoke, acting as if he was making some weightless observation as he did so. It was Mira who had to tense her fists to release some of the tension in her body before she began walking again with Natsu falling into step with her quickly.
"What makes you an expert of demons and their magic? I thought you were supposed to be just some guy that got off on taking down dark guilds." Deflecting Natsu's logic quickly, Mira tried to both save herself the agitation of talking about her magic further while learning about what it was that burned her wrist. Maybe she could quench the curiosity quickly and start simply disliking the guy without poking for answers.
Like nothing, as if it was as natural as the wind blowing in their faces or the light that shone down from above, crimson flames burst into the air abruptly. Mira had returned her focus to the path ahead of them, following its winding length all the way to the horizon as if she'd all of a sudden arrived at their job site, and she didn't see Natsu's hand raise toward his face. Fingers were splayed outward and began dancing as menacing embers snaked around them in a dangerous dance that permeated the air with heat. It was instinct that made her shoot to her right a few steps. A mix of pain from only a couple days ago and the words of warning from Porlyusica to stay away from flames that seemed keen on torching the flesh her magic took over. Natsu, however, seemed unfazed by her reaction as he stared fondly at the flames coiling around his hand and down his bandaged forearm.
"My flames are that of a demon." Once again, Natsu spoke in a way that made it seem like he was reciting something not his own words once again. "A demon's pride to stand to another's flames and have them dissolve upon its flesh. A demon's greed to consume other flames to make it its own. A demon's wrath to spit its rage." The crimson fire coiled back up his arm and accumulated above his palm that now faced the sky, coming together to form a figure with wide wings, tall spiraling horns, and a long winding tail as it stood on its two feet. Then, in a harsh snap, Natsu's fist closed on the flaming figure that dissipated the fire entirely.
Mira's gaze lingered on the empty space above Natsu's hand for a moment as her mind tried to register what her ears heard. Although he didn't say the words directly, Mira knew what he meant to say. Demon Slayer. A being enchanted with the attributes of a demon to be able to slay them with their own magic. It was an ancient magic, a Lost Magic, and one that was lost to time for many, many years. Or so, that's the case for another Slaying Magic she's known. Thinking of Makarov's words that spoke to her so long ago, Mira's eyes snapped back to Natsu's.
"How? How did you learn a magic like that?" Slayers can be taught by the beings they are meant to slay, they can be gifted a lacrima to make them into a slayer if filled with the right magic, or, if talented enough, the spells of a slayer can be learned through the few readings left of them, or so Makarov tells it. There was a chance that Natsu's magic was forced on him like it was to…
"I don't know." Natsu unintentionally interrupted her train of thought with a flat voice and a shrug of his shoulders as his eyes remained forward. She had yet to regain the space she put between them, but Mira felt herself drift closer to inspect the look on his face. Whatever it was that he was thinking or feeling was hidden behind a hard expression and a furrowed brow. It was the same look he wore when Master asked where he came from, a question that was only answered with "the woods" as if it was a true answer.
"What do you know?" It sort of fell from her mouth. A sarcastic comment that lacked its usual bite in favor of general curiosity. What she was looking for, Mira didn't exactly know. He was going to be in their guild, so she assumed it was best that they knew something about him even if there was a good chance he didn't linger for long. Before he answered, Natsu's hand rose to massage his chest over the red fabric of his shirt, fingers pressing around a hard piece of lifted fabric that Mira knew to be the locket that hung around his neck when they ran into him in Clover.
"My name and my magic." Natsu's voice was more distant and airy than it had been. After a moment of silent contemplation, the fire mage's hand fell from his chest and his head shook back and forth, sending spiked pink locks into a dance as he did. His eyes met hers with a seriousness that she couldn't quite place. "My magic won't hurt you without using your demon's magic and I can control it when you do use it."
Natsu kept walking, picking up the pace as Mira did the opposite. Her feet slowed beneath her as her mind tried to catch up to what her ears heard. Did he just…try and comfort me? Maybe comfort was an overstatement, but he definitely tried to ease her mind from being worried about his magic. Him. The Akuma. The Wandering Demon Fiore. He was trying to reassure her. It was enough to send Mira's head spinning as she caught up to the man with hurried steps and slightly glazed looking eyes.
The talking slowed from then on. Mira's curiosity was quenched for now and there really wasn't much more to say aside from the occasional stray thoughts as they walked. Eventually, way too eventual for Mira's preference, the horizon was spotted with shadows in the distance. Those shadows grew as they drew closer, eventually revealing a humble town under the vast overhang of Mount Hakobe's shadow that loomed from their left. Soon, Natsu and Mira were walking through worked land that was lightly fenced off with cottages and storehouses resting in them. The road that they followed led directly through the town's center, transitioning into a softer, wider path that was surrounded by the same cozy looking buildings that filled the town they arrived in from the train. Wooden cabins and sturdy built buildings with thatch roofs made to withstand harsh turns of weather as it came. A sign stood proudly at the entry of the town, hanging over a rickety wooden arch that stretched over the road and barely stood taller than their heads as they entered the town.
Welcome to Cecelia
Mira walked through the town with a step lead over Natsu, the man clearly allowing her to take the lead from here. There wasn't a doubt that he had no experience when it came to communicating with townsfolk or clients so it was easier for her to take the reins, but it seemed to be unnecessary. Cecelia was quiet. If the windows, as covered as they were, didn't betray the light glimmering from within each building, Mira would have seriously considered if the town was barren. They ventured all the way to the town's center, which was little more than a circular spaced area that branched in the cardinal directions before continuing outward. The east and west paths within the town exited to openness that were unmarked with true roads elsewhere while straight ahead showed the way to the northeast that Mira knew would eventually lead to the Worth Woodsea. Instead of continuing onward, Mira's eyes were drawn to the largest building found within the town, although that was a shallow bar to pass. It was the only building with the windows exposed and signage hanging above its door, of which it read "Town Hall." Only three stories made the town hall, its width and length only double that of its neighboring buildings, and the uppermost level was dark and lightless. It was a sharp contrast to the grandiose architecture she was used to in Magnolia.
There wasn't any hesitation to climb the few stairs and walk directly into the town hall to meet their client. When Mira walked in, however, she was only met with an empty desk and a silent hall behind it. A long wooden table with countless chairs lining each side of it was just as empty, above was a second floor that was open just above the table with railings lining the cut out and doors that led into other rooms above, but that, too, was empty of anybody. Slow steps carried Mira into the hall further, neck craning to inspect everything in case he was missing someone that was trying to hide from her, but none were found until noise erupted from behind her.
"STOP! I didn't mean to sneak up on you!" Mira's head whipped around only to find Natsu holding the arm of a man to crank it behind his back and shove the poor guy's face into the empty desk. To her surprise, Natsu's eyes didn't pay the man any mind. Instead they looked to her with an eyebrow raised, clearly looking to her for direction.
"What are you doing!? That's probably our client, jackass!" Mira hurried forward and forcefully pulled the man from Natsu's grip, bringing his arm to a more natural position and shifting him upright off the desk. The man looked to be nothing special. Grey, thinning hairs on his head were kept shorter and pushed to the side to make them look more full than they were. Wrinkles weren't as drastic as Makarov's, but they still stood out on the man's full face that carried many years of hard work and stress. Brown eyes still showed a certain fear as they flitted back and forth between her and Natsu for several moments before hands went about straightening the dirt stained white shirt that was tucked into similarly stained work pants.
"Thank you, young lady, but it was my fault. I didn't say anything before I touched your friend's shoulder here and I must have startled him. I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it." His voice was calm and friendly despite still showing some discomfort, hands raising in a placating manner to match his words. Mira, however, knew better than to assume a civilian snuck up on Natsu. Not without him letting them. She may not know much about Demon Slayers, but she knew better than that. A glare was sent over her shoulder for good measure, letting the nonplussed mage know her thoughts before returning back to her client. "I presume you're mages to help us with our little problem?"
"We're from Fairy Tail, sir." Mira confirmed, trying to catch the nervous eyes of her client as she did. Luckily, a spark of familiarity clicked in the man's eyes at the name of their guild, seemingly settling him for their conversation. "Your job request spoke of something giving you guys a tough time here."
While it really wasn't her speed, Lisanna taught Mira how to be more "client friendly" over the years. Taking the edge out of her voice, speaking lightly, and remembering some niceties apparently helped get information from people, especially when they're scared. Mira just thought it made her seem like a priss, but she couldn't deny that Lisanna always made people talk more than she ever could. Like it was a magic of its own, the mayor's eyes widened before letting his lips curl into a sardonic smile before he began recounting.
"Please, call me Alton. I might be a mayor, but I'm no 'sir.' I've worked my family's land to the west of town for decades before I came into this place." Alton's arms rose to motion to the hall around them. Finding his comfort, Alton stepped to the other side of the desk and sat in the chair behind it. His arms rested on the desktop, fingers lacing themselves together as he thought about his words. "It started only a few months ago. First it was missing calves, something that could be figured as wolves or something similar. Then, only weeks later, full grown cows were eaten, their carcasses left in ribbons on the ground as fences were destroyed and claw marks were gashed into the ground.
"Some men went hunting for whatever it was before all of our cattle were feasted on. These aren't fighting men, mind you. Can they hunt? When it needs to be done they can, but we aren't fighters in Cecelia. Just humble people and farmers." Leaning back in his seat, Alton rubbed his arms as if to comfort himself briefly before gripping the armrests of the chair. "When they came back, all they returned with were big claw marks and their own blood. We lost one just the other day in his sick bed, too much blood lost and too much damage done. The men say the only way they escaped was because they dropped their lanterns to defend themselves and the brush caught fire and gave them a chance to escape."
Mira's mind went to the possibilities it could have been, what beast could be giving these people grief, but there were only a few that came to mind. A werewolf or other were-beasts were obvious, but it was rare to see those creatures hunt for strictly food. Many times those beasts targeted those close to the host unless previously trained and controlled. A lizardman or chimera also tickled her interest, thinking of her brother as she did, but neither dwelled in a location like this. The town was in a fairly open plain that quickly transitioned to forest toward the west as one went closer to the mountain.
"Your men tracked whatever it was to the forest near the base of the mountains?" Mira asked, she truly didn't need the confirmation but it was best to know than to assume. The solemn nod gave her that confirmation and allowed her to turn to Natsu with a plan of action forming in her mind. "We can eat, find a place to stay, and then track whatever it is first thing in the morning."
The sun was settling quickly, the afternoon would soon be evening, and after they ate there wouldn't be enough time to search for anything worthwhile before they lost light. Mira was expecting a quiet nod and for Natsu to take her lead as he had been since they entered Cecelia, as short of a time that was. Instead, what she got was a furrowed brow and dark eyes inspecting her with heavy thought.
"We should go tonight."
"Didn't you hear me? We don't have time. It'll be night soon and we won't be able to find anything out there." Her hand pointed in a random direction behind herself, clearly indicating toward the wilderness that they'd be tracking some unknown creature; in the dark if Natsu had it his way. "We still don't even know what we'll be eating yet."
"Ahem. If I may?" Alton interrupted the brief bickering between the two mages with a friendly smile as he stood from the seat he took. "You won't find any place in town that'll serve you. With the scare of whatever has been causing us trouble about, people are a little touchy these days. How about you have dinner with me and my family as you decide what to do for the night."
Mira saw Alton's warm smile, heard his easy voice, and couldn't help but feel that it was the best course of action. Sure, if they had to, Mira could find non-perishable food on her if she checked but if they could have a warm meal and a chance to gather themselves then that's what they'd do. Looking at Natsu, Mira almost expected him to fight her on this too, but fortunately he easily relented with a nod of his head and a step to the side to clear a path to the door.
Their walk to Alton's home was a quick one, despite having to trek outside of the town to reach the cottage planted within a fenced off area along a faint path extending out from the path west of Cecelia's center. Cattle grazed on the land, dogs prowled along the fence lines, and a warm glow emanated from opened windows that showed bodies maneuvering about the two story home. Through their trek, Alton shared stories of his family, stories of his town, tales from when he was a boy, and happenings of recent weeks. Mira humored him, sharing a smile when he worked himself into a bellowing laugh, and showed interest when he was sharing some notable information about this or that. Natsu, on the other hand, never tried to hide how out of place he felt or looked. His steps were slow and deliberate to keep him lagging two steps behind Mira and Alton, not a word was spoken, and all that showed Mira that he was even paying attention was the gaze that caught her own when she would glance back to make sure he was still there.
Dinner was pleasant enough. Mira shared most of her meals with her siblings when they were all in Magnolia, but rarely were they done so properly as a sit down at the dining table with only their conversation to carry the time. Alton had boasted of his wife's cooking on the way over to his home, and she couldn't blame him for it. Roasted pork with carrots, potatoes, and onion all dripping in the juices it was cooked in. All the food seemed to fall apart in her mouth as she shoved it in, practically begging herself to remember her manners as she did so. Their client's family was one that Mira liked to think was the ideal normal. A loving wife that helped him maintain the land and home while Alton runs the town, providing a hot dinner when she could. A son that was no more than a few years younger than Mira herself that was at an age where he could do the heavy lifting in his father's place. Easy laughs, welcoming smiles, and open conversation that easily lifted the subtle participation of Mira and the silence of Natsu.
Natsu's reclusive attitude only worsened as they ate at the well-worn dining table at Alton's home. He awkwardly fiddled with his silverware as he ate, his head hardly ever rose to meet gazes, and his responses were never more than a shake of the head or a grunt. Mira could understand it. How many of her friends that she grew up with at Fairy Tail would act the exact same way if they were brought on this job the same day they joined Fairy Tail? All of them. But, in that same breath, none of them were older than thirteen when they joined. Natsu was a grown man, around the same age as her, and he hadn't a clue how to act in situations like this.
An issue for another time.
After dinner, Mira gave more than her share of thanks and shows of graciousness before excusing both herself and Natsu to plan their next action. They walked out the front door with a smiling Alton holding it open for them as they exited, but only trekked down the few steps of the old wooden porch before Mira stopped and crossed her arms, letting her eyes weigh on the side of Natsu's face.
"Why the hell do you want to do this tonight? Do you see how dark it is out here? What are we supposed to find? The moon isn't even out to help us see." Glaring at the sky, all Mira was met with was the faint glimmers of stars that peeked through drifting clouds. The clouds weren't dense, just streaking puffs that would have hindered whatever light the moon would have given them if it was out. Her eyes were pulled from the sky when Natsu answered her question, his voice surprisingly firm after the quiet display he's shown with Alton and his family.
"He said they only attack at night, right?" Natsu asked, knowing the answer without Mira's confirming nod. "Then if we wait until morning we'll have to find where these things are resting throughout the day. If we go at night, they'll be out hunting like us."
"You want us to draw their attention to us and be attacked by something we don't even know?" Irritation was already mounting after such a surprisingly pleasant evening, but there was a feeling Mira had when looking at Natsu's hardened gaze. He's not going to listen to what I have to say. His mind is made up. The scoff was almost a reflex. It was stupid, ridiculous, and bound to get them hurt. Still, there was logic in what he said. They will find whatever they are looking for easier if they expose themselves to a hunt. "Fine. Just know that if you get hurt, your ass can take care of it your damn self."
Mira made her frustration known in her words just as much as it was clear when the heels of her boots clattered loudly upon the porch steps. She knocked and quickly explained to Alton their plans to start the job that night, trying her best not to laugh at the skeptical look he gave them both. They may disagree with each other, but right now both Mira and Natsu represent Fairy Tail. She wouldn't let her frustration or whatever stupidity her "partner" would cook up to taint her guild's name.
The path out of Cecelia to get to Alton's was the same path taken toward the woods where their targets would be. Granted, the path more or less disappeared after two more cottages were seen and from there they were simply hiking into the trees that made up the woods covering the base of Mount Hakobe. Their trek was silent until they reached the tree line of the woods. There was nothing to talk about and only one thing to focus on, but when they entered the woods that were quickly shown to be dense, Mira had to break that silence as she stared out into the darkness before them. It was like a blanket settling on her sight only a few trees in front of her, obscuring what would be fallen branches, misplaced stones, shrubbery, and other forest debris and turning them into vague shapes within the darkness.
"Do you have any idea how to track anything? Especially in this?" Her voice was flat and disbelieving, almost assuming that he would see it her way and they would turn back to find a bed to use. What she got was a sudden burst of light from her right side with a growl of moving air accompanying it. Suddenly, the blanket of darkness was lifted by a sinister red haze that revealed all that was behind it. She couldn't help but be surprised at just how effective a fist of fire could be. Still, Mira made it a point to take a step to her left to put room between her and the flames that had an affinity for her magic.
"I've hunted animals for food. Beasts and demons usually came to me if I stuck around the wrong places." Natsu explained almost half-heartedly as he stepped forward and began letting his eyes dance through the slowly revealing forest. Mira, while not entirely reassured by his words, could only follow a short distance behind him as he took the lead.
It wasn't like she hadn't been a part of a job like this. In fact, she's probably done dozens and dozens of them over the years, but she was willing to bet that all of them were done with Lisanna and Elfman at her side. Between her sister's Animal Soul and her brother's Beast Soul, tracking was hardly an aspect of their jobs. It was something that came so naturally to them that they didn't even realize they did it at first. Mira had to explain to them that no, most people can't "just tell" where an animal ran off to.
Despite the lack of appropriate magic, Natsu seemed to walk through the trees just as easily as her siblings would have. Granted, he didn't have the locked-on gaze that told Mira exactly where he was going, but his feet never lingered or doubted their next step as he stepped through the woods. They ducked under low hanging branches, pushed through tangled brush, and navigated through paths halted by fallen timber, but Natsu's direction seemed as sure as it could be. She wanted to ask him. An explanation would go perfectly with the blind following, but anytime she tried her voice was cut off by the sounds of nature around them. A cracking branch, the call of an ailing animal, a hoot or holler from above, or even a mass chorus of bugs that would suddenly silence themselves.
They walked themselves into what could be considered a light clearing within the otherwise dense woods. Three or four fallen trees flickered with crimson light amongst tall grass, a berth in leafy branches opened up a clear view of the partially clouded sky above, and an odd sense of exposure wafted over Mira. Unsettled, Mira let her eyes dance around as she tried to ease the sensation crawling up her back. From what she could tell, there was nothing creeping within the red haze of light around them, but that fact didn't calm her in the slightest. In her brief paranoia, Mira lost track of her feet and found herself bumping her shoulder into the side of Natsu, not even realizing he stopped until she had.
"Duck." She had expected a snippy comment about watching her step, or even a passing glance to see if she was okay, but the warning caught Mira entirely off-guard. While she prided herself on her reflexes, Mira took a brief moment before her body and mind acknowledged the warning. When they did, her knees dropped her into a crouch and her eyes danced along her surroundings for what she could have possibly missed. When the shadows just over her right shoulder moved independent from the light Natsu casted she was less surprised to see a creature fly from the abyss with reckless abandon than she should have.
True to Natsu's warning, the creature flung itself, long claws pointed forward like soaring daggers, directly where Mira stood between them. She thought that, given his warning, Natsu was looking to evade the ambush. It would be smart to try and identify what it was that attacked and then think of a plan of action. That was how normal people approached a sudden fight. Instead, the fire mage shifted his feet to face the leaping creature and surged his magic to flood the area with a sweltering heat. As the beast closed in on Natsu right above Mira's head, Natsu's fist met the charge with a swathe of dancing flames exploding from it upon impact. The lunging shadow was sent rolling across the ground just in front of her right shoulder, bouncing several yards away as it tried to scramble to its feet.
The most unsettling screech erupted from the beast, audible sizzling crawling around with its scrambling form as red embers slowly, painfully slowly, died out on the pitch black surface of the beast. As it settled, Mira rose to her feet to try and understand what it was she was looking at. Strong, thick front arms acted as legs for the beast as it hugged close to the ground. Vicious, curved claws extended from five digits on each vaguely human hand that gripped the ground. Sharp, mangled teeth were the first thing to see on its head, jutting outward and coming in countless chaotic rows that dripped in thick saliva with a thick tongue hiding behind them. Its mouth was almost like a snout protruding from the rest of the head, coming together with thick jaw muscles that made an already flat skull look wider before merging with a thick and powerful neck. Its torso was lean and lithe, although no doubt powerful. A disturbing amount of lateral flexibility was shown as the creature took skittish steps around the pair of mages. Its hind legs were longer but equally as muscles as its front legs, bending oddly so the knee joint folded outwardly to scrap against its ribs as it crawled.
The frame was easy enough for Mira to identify, but she couldn't make out any other feature of the creature. A thick coat of darkness seemed to cling to the beast like a wet blanket. Outside of the claws and teeth, there was nothing else to see. No eyes, no ears, no skin or fur or hide, only blackness. There was no saying where Natsu's punch landed now that the embers died out entirely, no burn marks revealed beneath the moving shadow.
What the hell is that thing?
Mira didn't even have a chance to roll through her list of beastly knowledge before another shudder crawled up her back. "Left Arm Takeover: Satan Soul!" Her body moved on its own, magic flooding her uninjured arm instinctually, as she snapped around to see another flying shadow with the same veiled darkness shrouding it snarl at her. "Evil Spark!" Purple lightning crawled along the golden claws and flesh of her transformed left hand and a deep purple magic circle flashed into life. Her legs propelled her into the air with a heave, allowing the beast to drift below her as her fist came down heavily on its back. The discharge was violent and reverberated like a mighty thunderclap as it drove the screeching beast into the ground. Mira kept her weight on the beast as its limbs flinched and sputtered from the current flowing through them, only for it to disappear entirely. Like smoke being caught in a sturdy wind, the mass of muscled shadow below her simply fell into the shadows below cast by the dancing flame in Natsu's hands. Whipping her head around in futile search, Mira realized that she and Natsu were now alone again in the small clearing and her nerves shuddered and sparked in warning.
Now they were the ones being hunted, their predators drifting unnoticed in the darkness around them.
What a long fucking week. Got literally no personal writing done because of essays, presentations, and driving. That's over now, though, and I get a weekend of uninterrupted peace. Got writing to catch up on and all that. If it wasn't inherently clear, I definitely inspired those little critters at the end off of the lickers from resident evil. Their bodies and how they crawl around all nimbly, at least. Nothing is more creepy than something vaguely humanoid that is completely different.
Before I forget, even if this isn't usually something I do, my boy RegulusCetus I have to apologize. If you're blue balled already, let's just say we have a ways to go big guy. We're a long way from getting answers for anything, Natsu's magic included. This is still ramping up and filling the basic info.