A/N: Thanks for your patience! I'd love to have a proper schedule to post more content, and I'm working on different solutions that will allow me to do that. I've got so many more ideas and stories I'd love to share, some of it even original content!
But for now, I shall thank you all for your patience as I post what I can, when I can.
Luxion wasn't kidding. The ARK base was much larger now; it almost bordered on being its own city, though because it was basically a giant military fort, calling it a city felt wrong.
The people of the ARK, the Scalelings, Scaleborns, and Scalespawns, all bowed to me as I finished teleporting. Among their number, I saw around ten children, and sensed even more; their magic power was smaller than their parents (for now).
There was a good mix of the three Scale-races among their numbers. Most of them were Scalelings right now. They had the temperament you'd expect of younglings; happy and cheerful, running down the street and engaging one another in various games and play.
All of the ones that noticed me immediately regarded me with awe and reverence. Some of the older ones bowed, seemingly on instinct.
With all this development, I'll have to name this fortress-city soon. I made my way over to the Smithy, the building where all crafting is done.
"Master!" Kenji greeted, bowing as I walked into the fully constructed forge and workshop (which is big enough to accommodate even an adult dragon), "Good to see you again."
"Rise, my friend," I smiled, speaking in our native tongue, "It's good to see you as well! How goes the progress?"
"See for yourself!" He extended his hand towards the center of the shop, where a sort of mannequin was outfitted with a modified Tek Suit. An "iron-man" project, so to speak.
It was designed for a humanoid to wear, and would become the standard battle armor for our soldiers. Similar armor was being made for our mages and sorcerers, but they weren't fully designed yet. That one is labeled Project Battlemage
"It has all the commodities you requested and more," Kenji smirked, "It truly is our finest work, Mi'lord!"
"Tell me everything," I eagerly stared at the beautiful machinery. It was unpainted, just a generic metallic silver color right now.
"The material is comprised of a vibranium-dragonite alloy, with a mixed amount of metals to aid in performing its functions; the dragonite used was forged, as you know, with your own arcane breath," Kenji briefly gave an overview, "The suit can be powered by either Element sheets or lacrima; an emergency power protocol will allow it to draw in ethernano from the surrounding environment, though that method will only keep basic functions active."
"So we can utilize ethernano to power technological functions," I smirked slightly, "That makes things easier. The Arcane Crystal that forms in my lair is much more abundant than Element."
"Indeed," Kenji smiled back, speaking enthusiastically, "This allowed us to implement more runes into the armor than we originally hypothesized! And depending on the type of lacrima powering the suit, it will grant various properties to the armor due to the Arcane Dragonite!"
"Tell me more," I egged him on.
"That discussion may have to wait," Luxion pitched in.
"Ah, of course," Kenji bowed his head, "No doubt you have much to do, sir. We're finalizing the details and performing field tests. Before we begin mass production, we'll give you a full overview and report of the final product."
"Excellent work!" I praised, "I look forward to seeing how it turns out."
"As do we, sir," Kenji bowed as I turned to take my leave, but I was barred from the door as Valdor, my Warlord, walked in.
He bowed on one knee as he finished approaching me, "Master, it is an honor to see you back."
"Valdor," I nodded, "Good to see you too, my friend. What brings you here?"
"I came to speak with you and Kenji, sir," Valdor raised his head, "I believe it would be beneficial for us to modify the Suit Project."
"Oh?" I tilted my head, while Kenji raised a brow, "Go on."
"Four years have passed since our creation," Valdor continued, "Each soldier and magic caster has been trained non-stop since then, both in our efforts to survive the ARK and prepare for future wars."
"To which I am grateful," I nodded in acknowledgement, "What is your purpose for bringing this to my attention?"
"Each soldier, while sufficiently trained to act in formations and teams, has developed their own style of fighting and weapon proficiencies," He informed me, "I believe it would be beneficial to analyze their individual technique and style, and create a custom tek suit for each."
"For every one?" I raised a brow.
"That's a tall order…" Kenji scratched his head, looking over at the Prototype tek suit.
"We have fifty soldiers, ten warriors, ten sorcerers, and fifty mages," Valdor recalled, "The armies we will have to face, by my estimate, will be at least fifty thousand times that large. While our numbers are growing, and Scalespawn children grow quickly, they will not be ready for combat for a number of years. If we can provide the means for our soldiers guaranteed survival, that will be the optimal outcome for your plans, master."
"Individually specced Tek Suits for each soldier…?" Kenji and a few of the craftsmen looked at each other with minute frowns.
"The changes don't need to be drastic," Valdor clarified, "I'm requesting the armor be modified to fit their specific styles of combat; primarily regarding performances in agility, strength, and fighting styles."
"...He makes a fair point," I turned to Kenji, "It's not like we'll ever be short on materials," I formed an ingot of vibranium using Metallurgy in one talon, and a Dragonite ingot in the other, "Now that I've returned, we will not run out of material to work with. And more Element will be obtained as we face the ARK titans."
"We have the resources, no question, Mi'lord," Kenji smiled as he bowed, before frowning slightly, "However, if we want the most efficient work to be done, it will take considerably more time to create all the Tek Armor."
"I will create more craftsmen for you to lead," I said, "Double the workers, double the work."
Good thing dinosaurs have so much meat on them, and that my minions are practically carnivorous. We'd never be able to sustain this many people without agriculture if they didn't. I suppose we have gardens for alchemy ingredients, but nothing I'd really call a farm…
"Thank you, sir," Valdor bowed his head, "I will organize the logistics for each soldier to be appraised."
"Very well," I acknowledged his statement with a nod as I left the workshop, "I entrust the details to you. Inform Luxion of anything else you'll require, and he'll inform me."
"Understood."
"Hold on, what?" Levy lifted an eyebrow at Lucy, "Someone was paying your rent?"
"Yeah," Lucy shrugged her arms as they entered the guild hall, "It was super weird. My land-lady was waiting for me when Ymir and I got there. She said someone stopped by every month to pay my rent, and even gave her extra to keep the place clean while I was gone."
"They didn't leave a name or something?" Levy asked.
"Nope," Lucy shook her head as she, Levy, and Ymir sat down at a table, "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful I don't have to pay seven years worth of rent, but it's still fishy…"
"Fish!?" Happy had a dopey smile as he suddenly popped up out of nowhere, drooling at the mention of his favorite food.
"Not that kind of fish," Levy giggled.
"Well…at least we didn't have to sleep in the street," Ymir smiled slightly, "Thanks again for letting me stay over, and for the tea last night."
"No problem, girl!" Lucy grinned, "You were an awesome roommate!"
"Maybe all us girls should get together for a sleepover!" Levy excitedly exclaimed with stars in her eyes, "That'd be so much fun!"
"Very well," Erza seemingly appeared out of nowhere this time, "If you insist, I will join you for this sleepover tonight!"
"Hold on, let's not get carried away here…" Lucy nervously sweatdropped, "And no one invited anyone to anything!"
"Oh my, that sounds like a great idea!" Mira suddenly joined in, "How about we all meet at Lucy's place at eight?"
"HUH?!" Lucy cried out.
"Awesome, I'll go tell everyone!" Wendy took off, also seeming to have appeared out of nowhere.
"It'll be the perfect opportunity to get together and catch up!" Lisanna cheered.
"Uh…" Ymir just stared with blank confusion, while Lucy let out a long sigh.
"Guess this is happening now…" She slumped, dropping her head against the table.
"Whatcha so glum about, Luce?" Natsu walked up with his hands behind his head, "A sleepover sounds awesome!"
"Sorry Natsu, no boys allowed!" Levy chuckled as she wagged her finger at him.
"Huh?" He exclaimed, "Why not!"
"This is a girl's sleepover, silly," Lisanna giggled, "A boy can't be at a slumber party!"
"That's not fair-!" Natsu started before he was smacked upside the head.
"Just let the girls have their fun, pyro," Gray spoke up as he walked past, heading towards the Request Board.
"Get back here popsicle!" Natsu launched himself at Gray; the two were now engulfed in a cloud of dust as they engaged in one of their many brawls.
"Fine, we can have a sleepover, but we'll do it this weekend, not tonight," Lucy addressed the girls, "I'm going to visit my father in Acalypha. I'll be heading out soon, but I should be back by then."
"Update me on everything else that's happened," I ordered Luxion as I stood at the highest tower of the now finished palace/fortress. I just finished making my rounds and adding all the runic defenses. Kenji also had ten more Craftsmen to lead, all of which came out as Scaleborns.
From my inventory, I pulled out the Spell Tome I obtained from the Mythic dungeon.
"Acknowledged," Luxion said, "Te'kal's whereabouts have been confirmed; he resides somewhere in Bosco, and to our knowledge has never set foot in Fiore itself. Crime Sorciere and our Shadowscales have been hard at work; almost every slave ring in Fiore has been found and raided."
"You've made more progress than I anticipated; well done!" I praised. Shadowscale is the name of the unit that Ezio and my agents were given.
The soldier units are known as Battlescales, while the magic unit is known as Magiscales. Not very creative, but when you're basically born from the scales of a dragon, you don't have much to work with.
I consumed the Spell Tome, relishing in the feeling of new knowledge entering my mind.
Spell Skill gained!
Alter Environment Tier 1
This spell will allow you to change the weather in a large area. For example, you could make it rain, conjure a thunderstorm, make it sunny, or cover the area in mist. At this Tier, this Spell can't be used to create or diffuse tornados and other weather-related natural disasters.
This is quite the useful spell! I have the points, might as well use some to upgrade it.
Alter Environment Tier 2
Choose 1 biome. With this Spell, you can alter the environment in a small area and turn it into your chosen biome.
Selected Biome: Volcanic Landscape
Hm…I chose a volcanic landscape, and while that would be useful for overwhelming enemy armies, the potential for this spell at a higher tier is amazing…its pricey though, and unavailable since I don't have Magic Tier 3. Only way I can get it right now is by using the Tier Shard I obtained a while back.
Luxion continued speaking as I pulled it out of my inventory.
"You'll also be pleased to hear that the Oracion Seis are still in prison," Luxion continued, "The Shadowscales performed their duties to the letter; the construct that would've assumed the name 'Imitatia,' or 'Michelle Lobster,' has not come into being."
"So the priest Zero was impersonating was apprehended?" I clarified as I crushed the Tier Shard.
Alter Environment Tier 3
On top of controlling weather, this Spell can now alter the environment in a large area into whatever biome you want. You can also manipulate the environment with enough control to use it as a weapon.
No regrets! Tier 3 spells are OP!
"Yes," Luxion reported as he watched me interact with the system, "The Council received our anonymous tip, and the issue of the infinity clock was resolved before it became a problem."
"Good to hear," I nodded. Since the whole Infinity Clock arc technically wasn't canonized, I wasn't sure if it would even happen to begin with, though it seems my concerns were justified.
I wanted to deal with the whole issue before the Tenrou Team was released, but seeing as how I myself was sealed away as well, I couldn't do anything to resolve the issue. Luckily, I had informed Luxion of my plans, and he was able to take charge and adapt to the situation perfectly.
"What about the Clock itself?" I asked as I pulled out the Skill Book I got as a quest reward.
"Analyzed and destroyed, per your orders," He reported as the Skill Book was consumed.
Skill Gained!
Sky Magic, LVL 1/100, 0%
The basic arcane art of wind, weather, and lightning magic.
Sky related magic is improved upon by 1%.
Oh? I wonder how this differentiates from Wendy's magic…looks like this branch of sky magic utilizes lightning and weather rather than healing. I turned my attention back to Luxion.
"Perfect…now we can focus on training the others," I firmly nodded, my eyes gazing over the horizon where smoke rose from the ARK's volcano, "Follow the road map we've outlined, and let me know when the Suit Project is complete. If all goes well, Natsu and the others will have taken on the Wyvern Queen, after which our army will be tested against the Manticore."
"Understood, sir," Luxion acknowledged, "Before I teleport you back to Earthland, did you still want to know the whereabouts of that man?"
"Yes," I said as I dismissed all the System's notifications, "Tell me where he is, and I'll head out shortly. I've got one more thing to do first."
"Understood."
The setting sun blanketed the sky in an orange hue as evening time settled over the land.
Ymir walked in solemn reverence with Lucy, Natsu, and Happy. They were on their way home to Magnolia, having just come from Acalypha.
"Lucy, I-"
"Happy," Natsu shook his head as the blue cat started to say something.
Ymir looked at the other blonde, who just kept moving forward. Her eyes trailed back over the horizon as they walked.
She could understand what Lucy was going through, to a degree. Her father was killed when…when King Fritz attacked. Then her mother was enslaved and had her tongue cut out. She shivered slightly at the horrid memories. Her own tongue was also cut out when she was first enslaved.
Ymir suddenly grimaced, rubbing her head as a sharp pain went through it. Flashes of memories that weren't her own played in her head, blurry and incomplete. Her eyes scrunched as she bore witness to…something. Was she dreaming?
She saw three young girls sitting around a table of food…a messy table. Were those her daughters? They didn't look happy to be eating. And was that Fritz in the background?
The dream shifted, revealing a blue desert. Night permeated the landscape as a large pillar of light dominated her vision, which ascended and descended from the sky as tendrils of light formed and branched off, painting the picture of a bright, pure white, leafless tree.
There also seemed to be a person in the distance…was that a child? She looked like...
Just as suddenly as they arrived, the memories faded, and Ymir's eyes shot open to find herself laying on the ground.
"...mir? Ymir!" Her vision came into focus, revealing the concerned face of Lucy.
She was kneeling next to her, while Natsu and Happy stood and looked confused.
"You okay?" Lucy asked.
"Uh…yeah, sorry," She sat up, "I don't know what came over me…" She gave them a small smile, "I'm okay now."
"You sure?" Natsu tilted his head, "It ain't exactly normal to faint like that. You hit your head pretty good."
"You feeling sick?" Happy asked in concern.
"No, I'm…I'm okay," Ymir smiled slowly, "Maybe I'm just tired."
"Let's get home, then," Lucy gave her a small smile, "You can room with me again until we find you a place."
"Are you sure?" Ymir asked tentatively as they began walking again, "I can find somewhere else if you want to be alone tonight…"
"It's fine, really," Lucy smiled sadly, "It just came as a shock, is all…it's not like my dad and I were close or anything like that…" She looked up at the sky with a somber expression, "I can't even cry…I can't help but wonder if this means I didn't care about him at all…"
"No…" Natsu said slowly, "I can't really explain it. But I don't think that whether you cry or not, means you cared any less about him."
"Yeah…I guess you're right."
They finished their journey back in silence after that.
Natsu and Happy had thoughtful looks on their faces as they walked back to the guild hall. They had just dropped Ymir and Lucy off at her apartment.
"You think it'll work?" Happy asked.
"Sure it will!" Natsu smiled, "Going on a job always cheers her up!"
"Okay then! What kind of job should we go on?"
"Well…pickings are pretty slim, so I guess we'll just have to see what's there," Natsu shrugged as he opened the door to the guild hall.
The pair dashed over to the Request Board.
"Now, what do we got here…" Natsu sifted through the pinned fliers.
"Wow, there's almost nothing!" Happy scratched his head, activating his wings to hover as he searched the board.
"Hm…what about this one?" Natsu pointed at a flier near the bottom of the board.
"A job investigating Mount Hakobe?" Happy hovered as he read it, "Lucy hates the cold, we should get one that she'll like."
"Okay…well, there ain't much here that'll pay her rent…" Natsu looked around before pointing to another flier, "How about that one? It's not too far, and it's near Akane Beach! She loves that place!"
"Sounds good!" Happy smiled, before frowning a bit, "But do you think she'll be alright with a monster hunt?"
"It's that or dealing with the cold," Natsu smiled, "C'mon, let's go get her!"
"Aye Sir!"
"Yo! Lucy!" Natsu called out from the street outside Lucy's apartment, "Happy and I are goin' on a job!"
"We'll pick up some white-clover dumplings for you on the way home if you don't wanna come, okay?" Happy shouted with a smile on his face.
"You're going on a job now?" Lucy called out as she opened the window, sticking her head out to talk to them.
"Yeah!" Natsu grinned, as he and Happy turned to leave. They waved as he said, "We'll see ya later if ya don't wanna go!"
Lucy sat there for a moment, watching them as they took off.
"You should go," Ymir's voice sounded behind her. She had just exited the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, having just finished a shower.
Lucy turned to look at her with a questioning expression, "I can't just leave you alone like that; my parents would haunt me for being a terrible host!"
"They're your friends," Ymir stated simply.
"..." Lucy was silent for a moment.
She sniffed, looking down as she wiped some tears that pooled at her eyes, "Okay…"
She lifted her head, a smile now adorning her face, "Okay!" She said more vigorously.
She ran outside, not bothering to pack or grab anything, "Wait up, I'll go with you!"
She rushed out the door, panting with a smile as she caught up to the two people that always, somehow, came through for her.
Ymir watched them leave with a somber smile. As she wasn't a member of the guild, she couldn't go with them even if she wanted to.
She closed the window as her smile slowly vanished. She could tell that Natsu and Lucy had a close bond. They called it friendship, but even Ymir could tell it was more than that.
It was the same with all of Fairy Tail. If even half the stories she's heard from Lucy the past few days are true, then there's no way someone would risk their life like that for mere friends. They were closer than Ymir's own "family" had been, even before Fritz and his raiders attacked.
She wanted to know what it was that drove them…was it love? Ymir had loved someone before, however twisted the situation had been. Kilgara had done much to help her move on, but she still wanted to know…
What does it mean to love…and be loved?
"Penny for your thoughts?" A deep voice asked behind her.
"Eep!" Ymir squealed as she whirled around, clutching the towel around her fiercely.
She relaxed slightly when she realized it was only Kilgara. He had shrunk himself to better fit inside the apartment. Ymir guessed he was about the size of a wolf right now.
"You really shouldn't sneak up on a girl like that…" She let out a breath.
"I wasn't sneaking," Kilgara chuckled. Indeed, Ymir was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice the slight gust of wind that announced Kilgara's arrival as he teleported.
"I came by to check on you and Lucy," Kilgara indicated at her state of dress (or lack thereof), "Though I appear to have caught you at a bad time."
"Just turn around," Ymir sighed as her arms instinctively covered herself as she held onto the towel preserving her modesty. This wasn't the first time Kilgara, or Alva and the other Night Fury's for that matter, walked in on her like this, and even though they weren't human, it still felt weird being naked around them.
Kilgara turned around as he made new clothes appear out of nowhere for her, "Where's Lucy? It smells like she rushed out of here."
"She and Natsu went on a job," Ymir explained as she picked up the white shirt and green pants.
"A job, huh?" Kilgara mused as she got dressed, "...She found out about her father, then?"
"Yeah," Ymir nodded as she straightened her shirt, "How'd you know?"
"We'd been keeping an eye on him," He explained, and Ymir instinctively knew he was talking about himself and Luxion, "How is she?"
"...Better than you'd expect," Ymir said after a moment's thought, "She was smiling when she left earlier."
"No surprise there," Kilgara laughed as he turned to look at the now fully clothed Ymir, "Natsu always makes her smile, no matter how dire, or even jovial, the situation."
"..." Ymir was silent at that. She had a contemplative look on her face as she slowly picked up her towel.
Kilgara's red eyes seemed to stare into her soul as she moved to put it away, "You're curious about them?"
"...Yeah," If she didn't know any better, she'd say that Kilgara had the ability to read her mind. He could almost always tell what she was thinking; She voiced her thoughts for him anyway, "What does it mean…to love and be loved? What is it really?"
The black dragon was silent for a while.
"That…" He said slowly, "Is something you may have to find out for yourself. All I know is that it's similar to caring about another. I can't say I've ever experienced it myself."
"You've never…experienced love?" She asked with a somber expression.
"Does that surprise you? I'm not human. Whether I can love the same way as you, remains to be seen," He blinked at her, "But I am certain that love comes in many forms based on who you ask."
"What do you mean?"
"True love," Kilgara began, "Is something that has eluded people for millennia. Old folklore and fairy tales would have you believe it is an emotion of strong affection, an infatuation you gain almost at first sight. Others, such as religious folk, would say it comes from work and devotion, or even faith."
"Then…what do you say?"
"...I say that it is different for every sentient being," He brought his tail around, using it to flick her forehead, "Which is why only you are capable of finding this answer."
That wasn't a conversation I expected to ever have, I thought to myself as Ymir slept.
After she and I had our…discussion? Heart-to-heart?
Whatever you call it, after we finished talking, she had eaten some food and gone to sleep, deeply engrossed in her thoughts.
The sun was getting low now, and I had one more thing to do today. Luxion gave me his location, might as well use the time I have now to…pay him a visit.
Doranbolt was drunk. Again.
His face was nearly planted into the counter at this point. You could barely tell he was breathing.
"Uh, sir," The barman poked his head sharply, "We're closing. I'm gonna have to ask you to leave."
"Ugh…" The former Magic Council employee rose up, gripping his head as a hangover began permeating his skull, "Yeah, I gotcha…what do I owe you?"
"15,000 jewel."
"Fifteen thousand!?" Doranbolt sobered up for half a second, "You're kidding!"
"I almost wish I was, but you practically drank half the bar!" The old barman chuckled.
"Tch…fine," Doranbolt grumbled under his breath as he forked over the money.
He stretched as he stood up, his demeanor shifting back into a depression as he exited the bar. It was a cool spring night. The moon was waning, and cast almost no light in the darkness.
Doranbolt took a deep breath, letting the fresh air clear his tipsy mind. He turned and started stumbling down the street, not having recovered his sense of balance from the alcohol.
"Content with the life of a drunkard, are we?" A deep voice sounded behind him.
"Oh, shut up!" Doranbolt whipped his head around, only for his eyebrow to rise. No one was there. Was he hearing things?
He shrugged as he turned back around, only to bump into something hard. He fell flat on his butt.
"Ow! Watch where you're-" His breath suddenly caught in his throat. A large piece of the night suddenly materialized into a dragon right before his eyes, one with black scales to match the darkness. It had red scales that pulsed slightly as it…spoke!?
"You've let yourself fall far, Doranbolt," It's voice was the deepest he had ever heard.
Doranbolt was stunned; for a moment, he could only stare dumbfounded with wide eyes. His mouth hung open as the creature spread its wings.
"Wha-AAAGGGH!" The dragon suddenly took off, grabbing the teleportation wizard in its front talons as it rose higher and higher into the air.
The wind blew by fiercely, and the cold served well to sober Doranbolt's mind. His eyes narrowed. He went to use his magic to teleport back to the ground and get his bearings, but his body only briefly flickered. What's…was his magic being negated!? Or was he just that drunk?
"What the hell is going on!?" He demanded, but the only acknowledgement he got was from the wind as it coursed through his ears.
Wind…he briefly remembered Wendy, the young Sky Maiden who he, along with several others, had abandoned. To a dragon, no less. Oh the irony.
Guilt bubbled in his chest, but it was quickly replaced by the shock that spread throughout his body as he was roughly tossed onto a rocky slope.
It was hard to tell in the dark, but if he had to guess, Doranbolt would say he was on a mountain. The dragon landed next to him; its talon glowed a golden white as it pointed it at him. Doranbolt's headache receded, to his slight alarm. The effects of the alcohol were…vanishing.
"This conversation is best discussed with both parties sober," The dragon said, before it threw a small ball of fire at the ground. Despite there being no fuel or wood, the fire continued to burn.
No doubt about it…this is the dragon he and Lahar failed to deliver to the Magic Council.
"...What the hell is going on?" Doranbolt repeated after a moment's hesitation, steeling himself for the worst.
"You and I are going to have a talk up here," The dragon stated as it laid on its stomach; It snapped its claws, causing a mound of rock to rise from the earth as it formed into a stone chair, "Please, make yourself comfortable. We'll be here a while."
"I-you…what!?"
"Not sure how to react?" The dragon smirked slightly, "Understandable. But please, sit. As I said, this will take some time."
Doranbolt just slumped, his eyes glued to the black lizard in front of him.
"Now, I believe introductions are in order," The dragon cleared its throat, "My name is Kilgara. And we need to clear the air."
"Well…" Doranbolt sighed as he ran his fingers through his disheveled hair, "Your story makes sense…but I doubt you'd be able to convince the Council."
It had been about an hour or so since I snatched Doranbolt, A.K.A Mest, and flew him to this mountain. The sky was still dark, the only light coming from the flames I conjured earlier.
"And yet the truth stands, whether they like it or not," I emphasized, "I am in no way related to Acnologia, and am an official wizard under a legitimate guild, capable of sentience, intellect, and speech. Fairy Tail survived the Black Dragon, and I will return to the guild I call home. I need your help to convince the Council to not send freakin' armies after me when I emerge back to the light."
"And how exactly do you plan on doing that?" Doranbolt nearly scoffed, "You barely managed to convince me, though I was one of the more pragmatic officers. But kidnapping me doesn't exactly paint a good picture. How on Earthland do you plan to convince one of the most paranoid and order-hungry organizations on the planet?"
"By providing them all the intel I have on the slave trade," A thick folder dropped into my talon from my inventory, though to him it seemed to come from thin air, "This file contains everything I've managed to gather and do regarding that practice, including names and locations of those kidnapped, locations of auctions, who participated, routes that slavers take, and the being known as Te'kal."
I dropped the file in front of him, "You'll find picture evidence as well as testimonies from those I've already managed to rescue inside. Everything has been cross referenced and verified by at least two sources."
"What…?" Doranbolt picked up the file, and began skimming through it, his eyes growing wide the entire time, "How is this possible? A dragon did…you accomplished all this… and right under the Council's nose!?"
"That and more," I nodded, "But I grow bigger everyday. It's no small feat to keep myself hidden; though I suppose it's more impressive that Acnologia himself manages to elude you."
"...Fair point," Doranbolt let out an exasperated sigh again, "...So Fairy Tail survived, huh?"
"Yes."
"Does that mean…?" He trailed off.
"Wendy is alive and well," I confirmed for him, "Unlike you."
"Come again?" He lifted a skeptical brow.
"You've turned into a depressed drunk," I smirked, "It's rather unsightly, and quite unbecoming of a man once so ambitious."
"I'd tell you to screw yourself, but I can see your point…" He acknowledged, more calmly than I anticipated.
"Then fix yourself, and turn over the intel I gave you to the Council under Fairy Tail's name," I rose as I stretched out my wings, "I'm not hiding anymore. In approximately four months, Fairy Tail will enter the Grand Magic Games, and if Master Makarov see's fit, I will be participating regardless of what the Council wants."
Doranbolt just sighed, exasperated and tired, "Fine, ya know what, fine. I'll go back to the Council and give them this. But you have to deal with the aftermath! I ain't gonna be some kind of connection for you; I won't even be re-joining them!"
"If Lahar doesn't convince you otherwise, I'll eat Natsu's scarf," I chuckled to myself as I rose to my feet.
"Huh?"
"Later," I ignored his remark as I flicked my talon in a half-hearted solute. I braced my wings and took off.
"Hold on!" Doranbolt yelled indignantly, "Get me off this damn mountain!"
"You can teleport!" I hollered back.
"Tch…Fairy Tail members are all the same…" He grumbled under his breath as he used his teleportation magic to hike down the mountain.
Unbeknownst to the now former drunk, my eyes glowed steadily as I studied him his entire trip down the mountain.
Spell Skill Gained!
Direct Line
This spell allows the caster to teleport themselves and others to any location in a straight line from their starting point. Advanced practitioners don't need to see their target destination, nor do they need direct contact to teleport others.
A small smirk adorned my expression.
Though that smirk turned into an inquiring expression as I suddenly heard Luxion's words echo in my head.
Master, you may be interested in knowing that the Night Fury's have been located, He relayed.
Really? Where are they!? The new drones must have found something. I was just beginning to get ready to search for them myself-
Natsu, Lucy, and Happy have engaged them near Akane Beach. Half the surrounding mountain-side is on fire. You can't miss it.
…Oh, shit.
A/N: Next chapter should be up shortly.
Also, have y'all heard about a game called Day of Dragons? As I understand, its an early-access game, and it looks promising! Still several bugs, but its coming along nicely. I've never seen such a game before!
Side note, if anyone knows of any good platforms I can use to post original stories that is user friendly, please let me know! :)