Okay, so now a few more characters are being introduced, but many more will come into play in the next few chapters. As always, thanks for reading and PLEASE review!
Chapter 10: The Building Storm
The dragonelle woke up and yawned, stretching like a cat in her soft nest. Her powerful legs flexed, as did her long, lithe tail and light brown claws. Sharp, white teeth flashed in the morning light, appearing lethal, but beautiful at the same time. Feathered, almost angel-like wings ruffled on the dragonelle's shoulders to help her wake up. Her body was covered in long, thin scales that looked like fur from a distance- colored pure, snow white with grayish-blue stripes like a tiger's.
She blinked the sleep out of her blue eyes and looked around. The dragonelle's surroundings consisted of a large room with glass windows in the side of a mountain. Her nest took up a corner of the room, with a small area on the other side where she had a few personal belongings on a rocky shelf. It was made mostly of soft sheep wool, with a few feathers here and there. A few meters from the nest was a small pool of water, which she took a quick drink from.
As she got up and glanced out through the huge glass windows, the dragonelle could see a human city at the base of the mountain, with people already awake and getting on with their usually daily routines. She yawned again, then shook herself and walked out through a large tunnel out of her room and into a great hall.
The hall was straight and rectangular in shape, with one end going deep into the mountain, and the other, the exit, towering high over the human city. Large staircases on either side of the hall led to upper floors in the mountain, where more caves like the dragonelle's could be seen. The caverns lined the hall, and while most were empty, a few showed signs of life stirring in the morning sun.
In fact, three other dragons were already up and about in the hall.
One of them, a smaller than average blue dragon with big brown eyes, looked up at her cheerily, "Morning, Lisanna! Did you sleep good?"
"Yeah, I did. What about you, Levy?" Lisanna asked.
Levy nodded, "Yup, I had the greatest inspiration last night in my dreams! I just have to tell Lucy! It'll make her so excited!"
Lisanna laughed, "Yeah? I'll have to read those stories of her sometime. You make them sound like the best thing in the world."
"And what's the best thing in the world to you, Lisanna?" Another white dragon, this one with black feathered black wings and markings, asked.
"Oh, come on, Mira, you've asked me that question for the longest time!" Lisanna complained.
Mira smiled mischievously, "You know, a drake isn't going to just come out of nowhere. You have to catch their eye if you really want attention."
"Miraaaa!" she whined, "Stop it, that's a secret! I can't even have a mate without being forced to leave the Thunder! I don't want that!"
Levy shook her head, "I hate that rule. It's no fair, and it's just an old tradition. Why can't we ever have mates? Why is it just the dominant pair? And more importantly, we don't even HAVE a dominant pair! Makarov's mate died forever ago and his grandson is more interested in being annoying than being a romantic!"
"I think Laxus is great." Mira defended.
"Mira, no offense to your taste, but he's a selfish jerk." Lisanna said dryly.
"Hey!"
The three dragonelles turned towards a large black and green mottled drake with a rather angry look on his face, "Laxus is the strongest drake in the Thunder! He's a much better dragon than any other drake could possibly hope to be, and his power is second to none in Fiore!" He started ranting about why Laxus was clearly the best, not noticing the dragonelles looking away from him.
Mira sighed, "Freed's at it again…"
"Do you think it's possible for the dominant pair to be two drakes?" Levy muttered under her breath.
Lisanna shuddered at the thought, "I don't want to find out!" She shook her head and started walking towards the huge gap in the mountain that led to the outside.
"Lisanna, where are you going?"
Lisanna looked up and behind her as a large, silver dragonelle covered in blade-like feathers walked out of her cavern. The dragonelle's neck also had petal-like scales that were colored a bright scarlet. Her dark brown eyes were stern, but kind.
"I'm just going to go hunt, Erza!" Lisanna called.
Erza stretched and sighed, "I see. Have you told Makarov?"
She shook her head, "No, I didn't want to wake him up. He's probably really tired. I'm pretty sure he tried drinking against Cana again last night."
"How that human defeats a centuries-old drake in drinking contests is a wonder to me." Erza muttered, but smiled at her friend, "Alright, I'll tell him when he wakes. How long will you be gone?"
Lisanna clicked her claws and looked outside thoughtfully, "Hmm..maybe a week? I really want some fresh air. I've been cooped up in this city for months."
Erza nodded, "I understand. With those ruffian dragons around, we've been forced to keep from roaming our own territory to avoid conflict. I don't know why Makarov hasn't sent out a patrol to deal with them, but in the meantime, be careful out there."
"I will. Bye!" Lisanna chirped, then walked through the huge doorway and leaped out into open air.
The Fairy Tail Thunder Hall was built high above the human city, which was called Magnolia, in the face of a huge mountain that created a natural fortress on either side. Opposite the Thunder Hall, one the other end of Magnolia was a huge lake, and beyond that, the forests.
Lisanna flew for the southern woods, but she wouldn't stop there. Years ago, before the strange dragons had started raiding their territory, she had found a secret place deep in the forest. That place was her special hunting grounds.
It was also a place of sanctuary for her. Whenever Lisanna was bothered by something, she'd fly out to her secret place and spend some time pondering whatever was on her mind. Usually, it was the strict rules of the Thunder system.
In a Thunder, two dragons usually ruled, an adult drake and dragonelle who were mated partners. Those two would lead the Thunder, direct how it's forces were spread, and also spend time promoting the dragon's human relations. It wasn't a bad system, and the Fairy Tail leader, Makarov, was a kind old drake, one who didn't mind if his dragons did their own thing from time to time.
But that system had a drawback. Perhaps by old suspicions, the original founders of the Thunder system hadn't trusted their dragons to have mates and offspring of their own. The reason for this was the reason why dragons in the south only lived in single family groups: Parents wanted the best for their young, and would sometimes kill the competition's offspring to further increase the chances for their young's survival. It was a cruel twist of fate, but it was actually one of the core instincts a parent dragon possessed.
So somehow, the suspicion had become an iron rule that if broken, was severely punishable: Only the dominant pair, the leaders, could have offspring of their own, and when they passed on, it was usually their young that led, and therefore made up the bloodlines. Most of the dragons in the Thunder were ones who had joined by choice from elsewhere, or had nowhere else to go, or wanted to live amongst the humans in peace. Those dragons weren't allowed to have young, or even a mate, and many had spent their lives without a lifelong partner.
Lisanna didn't want that.
She loved her Thunder and her friends, but the iron rule of never having a mate was what often made her frustrated with the system. Which was why she flew out alone sometimes. So she could vent her frustration without becoming a target of suspicion by the leader.
If anyone other than her sister and close friends found that Lisanna just WANTED a mate, it wasn't likely that Makarov would let her leave as often as she did, out of the suspicion that she might be meeting with a drake outside of the city. He stuck rigidly to that ancient tradition, probably because of his son, Ivan, who hadn't turned out to be such a great drake.
Lisanna wasn't meeting a drake, though. The drakes in Fairy Tail didn't interest her at all. Even if she wanted to have a mate, she didn't want to leave her Thunder. It was an inner dilemma for her that constantly tormented Lisanna's heart. But she was still uncertain as to what she wanted more: Her Thunder, or a mate.
I wish I could have both…
/
Further south of the Fairy Tail Thunder, a human town was burning violently. People screamed as flames poured down from the sky and burned down everything in sight.
A huge, crimson dragon with pink flame markings along his jaws and neck landed in the center of the town and bellowed, unleashing a fury that sent people, animals, and buildings flying everywhere.
The dragon glared at a group of soldiers who were either brave or stupid enough to challenge him. The soldiers charged, but the red dragon unleashed a blast of fire that literally turned them to ash in less than a second.
Now unguarded, the dragon stalked through the devastated town and started to feed. A pig was quickly cooked and devoured. Then a small cow. The dragon found that it wasn't completely satisfied and noticed a group of humans trying to flee into the surrounding forest.
With a roar, the dragon rammed into the trees, knocking them over so the humans couldn't escape.
One man slashed at his nose with a sword, but the dragon shoved him back with a swing of his paw and knocked him out. The other humans dragged the unconscious man back and cowered under the dragon's glare, a group of perhaps ten.
An older human shouted up at the dragon, "What is the meaning of this, young drake?!"
The drake snorted, "Isn't that obvious? I'm hungry. I need food."
"Lord Makarov will destroy you for this!"
The young drake sneered with bared fangs, "'Lord' Makarov will probably be outcast at my claws in a matter of months. I'm taking over this part of the country, and anyone who opposes me will be burned."
The old man opened one eye and appraised the brash young drake, "You are either very confident or very foolish to challenge Lord Makarov. Who are you, flame dragon?"
The drake licked his lips, "That's none of your concern. All I'll tell you is that I'm a dragon from the southern continent."
The old man closed his eyes, "Then leave my family be. I shall die in their place."
A quick observation of the other humans told the drake it was unlikely they were the old man's family, but he relented, "I will respect your request. You other humans, leave now, or I'll eat you."
The other humans scattered like frightened mice from an eagle.
"So it was true…" the old man sighed, "Man eaters from the south. How ominous that you've shown up now. Heed my warning, young drake: Lord Makarov is a mighty dragon, and he will not fall even to your strong flame. You are flying to your death."
"Do I look like a fool to you?" the drake growled, "I didn't come alone. There are others at my side who will challenge that old dragon."
The old man's eyes flew wide open, "What!?"
"Our group will defeat Makarov." the drake hissed, "And then we'll take over the continent. It's already as good as ours, anyway. The dragons here are so soft, it's pathetic. Not once have they even shown themselves to us."
"I see…" the old man bowed his head, "Then…Remember this, young drake."
He looked the huge dragon in the eye with the fierce light of a man many years younger, "An old proverb for you to ponder: Hope is the last to die."
And then the drake flamed him, too.
The dragon watched the old man's ashes slowly settle on the ground with narrowed eyes.
Hope is the last to die?
"Gee-hee. Not bad, Salamander."
The drake glanced skyward as a huge, silver-black dragon landed on two legs and grinned at him while it's metallic wings folded up, "You really made a mess this time. And here I was thinking your taste for wanton destruction was almost useful…"
"What do you want, Gajeel?" the drake demanded.
Gajeel smirked, "Wendy freed a captive dragon the other day from the Dragon Slavers outside the territory. She's gotten bolder ever since her wings came in. I don't think it'll be long until she gains her breath. I took down another town yesterday." The Iron Drake raised his head proudly.
The Flame Drake snorted, "We've been raiding this territory on and off for seven years and thwarting the Dragon Slavers at every chance. When are we going to actually attack the Thunder? I haven't seen another dragon other than you and Wendy for all that time."
"It won't be long now." Gajeel hissed, "We're close, Salamander. Another month, maybe two of making serious raids they can't ignore, and then we'll attack head on."
"We'd better." the Flame Drake muttered, "There's no challenge in destroying human villages. It's just a way to kill time and my boredom, these days."
Gajeel grunted agreement, "Yeah, I hear ya. I've gotten so strong, I don't even use my breath half the time I go raiding…I'm going to head east and rendezvous with Wendy. I imagine she's already tired of being alone again."
"I know I am." he sighed, "Even though you and her are like my siblings…I'd like to meet another dragon soon. That was the entire purpose of this takeover. So we could amass dragons to kill Acnologia. Right now though, I'd take other dragons just for the company."
"In time, Salamander." Gajeel's wings spread and he started flying away, throwing a farewell over his shoulder, "Well, I'll tell Wendy ya miss her. See you around!"
The Salamander grunted acknowledgement and also took off, hovering in a lazy circle while he pondered what to do next.
How should I get food next? Hmm…raid…hunt…raid…hunt…
He noted the great expanse of forest north of the town and decided. He would hunt his prey next, not steal it from another human village.
So the Salamander flew away from the burning ruins of the human village, leaving utter destruction in his wake.
I am a Flame Drake from the southern continent.
I have come to the northern continent to grow strong enough to challenge Acnologia when I return home. Acnologia, who slew my father, the Flame Dragon King Igneel.
I will do absolutely whatever I can to defeat the black dragon and destroy the Dragon Slavers who have been killing and stealing dragons for all this time.
My name is Natsu, the Flame Drake. And since I came to this place…
Seven years have passed.