Champion of the Flame
The Greenskins were never a people known for their naval prowess; or really prowess in anything other than brute force. Their extent of nautical knowledge amounted to knowing that wood floated, and that a lot of wood together could still float with a lot of boyz on it. To that end, plenty were wondering just how the Greenskins could travel all the way to Ulthuan by sea. The answer was actually fairly simple: they didn't.
The Dark Elves may have been Ulthuan's most persistent enemies, but they are far from the only. Of course, the amount of navies across the world that could rival that of the High Elves could be counted on one hand, and even then, only the ships of Naggaroth could truly challenge them. But there was one foe that they generally overlooked, if only because they didn't show themselves as frequently: the pirates of the Vampire Coast.
While there were a few different undead crews that scoured the seas, one of the most feared was the Dreadfleet. Commanded by Admiral Noctilus from his lair in the Galleon's Graveyard, the skeletal triskelion was feared across all the coastal cities in the Great Ocean, from the New World colonies in Lustria, to the port cities along the Arabyan coast. Their rotting ships were many, and could carry dozens of undead crewmen, and one of those ships, the Old Salt, was currently moored off the coast of the Isle of Hoeth.
The captain of the ship was a vampire known as Black Eye Ed, for his left, empty eye socket; he had another, older name from before he became a vampire, but he never bothered to remember it. He wore a dark green trench coat, with an emerald brooch, which he won when he became captain, after the death of his predecessor. Surprisingly, though, Ed did not earn the brooch through murder, or at least not murder of his captain. It was good fortune that the vampire was slain, while Ed survived, and that the other would be inheritors weren't his equals. Since then, Ed had seen many adventures on the seas, but even he had to admit, this was something special.
It was well known amongst the officers that it was only by very good fortune and timing that they had been able to slip past Ulthuan's sea defenses. Most of the Ulthuan navy had been in the continent's West, trading blows with the Druuchi, and there was little doubt that if they hadn't been there, the Dreadfleet probably wouldn't have been able to complete its voyage, at least not with all their ships intact. Little was shared with anyone just what the plan was after they ferried the Greenskins to Ulthuan, though. Of course, they were ferrying a lot of them to this location; Grom's horde was large, after all, and he wanted every last one of them at his side for his campaign.
Just why the admiral had agreed to aid Grom's invasion was a mystery, since he never expressed a high opinion of Greenskins to begin with. But he was strangely committed to it, using much of his fleet to make the journey. So far their losses had been limited, only those unfortunate enough to encounter the High Elves' ships, or the sea monsters that patrolled the ocean. From what Ed had heard, the last of the horde was currently being picked up and ferried over at the moment, but when they'd actually arrive was anybody's guess.
"Captain!" Ed looked over his shoulder to see his first mate, Dom, a vampire who hailed from Tilea, coming up to him.
"What is it?" Ed asked, looking back out over the landscape.
"I wouldn't presume to tell you how to run the ship, but I must recommend we move," Dom said, "The long we stay in one place, the greater the chances that the Knife-Ears will spot us, and sink us."
"Our orders were to hold our position, until the last of our ships arrive in Ulthuan," Ed said.
"I understand, but could we at least withdraw to more hidden waters?" Dom said, "Somewhere where they can't spot us." Even with their firepower, they could never take an Asur warship in a straight fight; they were infamously maneuverable, and armed with powerful bolt throwers that could pierce the strongest hull. But Ed wasn't worried about them that much, if only because they could slip away fairly easily if they got sight of any their ships. No, the threat Ed was really worried about was much larger, and much more ancient: Amanar, the great merwyrm.
He was a rare sight, no doubt, but all sailors feared him, and rightfully so. The wyrm had protected Ulthuan multiple times in the past, and any fleet that was unfortunate enough to encounter him, met a swift, and devastating death. With that, Ed figured his first mate may have had a point.
"Have the men hoist the sails," the captain said with a nod, "We'll find a safer place to moor."
"Aye, Cap'n!" Dom said, releasing a breath, before going to disseminate the order. Ed then turned his attention back to Ulthuan, before looking back over the seas. Vampires didn't believe in gods, or at least didn't pray to them, but Ed truly hoped that his fellows would arrive soon. Ulthuan didn't want them here, and one could feel it in the air; and if the others didn't come soon, he imagined he'd feel it in the earth, water, and most dread of all, fire as well.
()
It had been a couple days since… whatever happened happened, and Lucy couldn't say their situation had really improved. Lucy wished she had her journal with her, in part because it helped her keep track of time (she really hoped she wouldn't become one of those people who scratched tally marks on the wall). The closest she had for that was when the guards would come in to give them their food. They hadn't placed any magical seals on their cell, though. Presumably they didn't think anything of the two unassuming cats that had appeared with the group. Unfortunately, that didn't really do much to help, since neither of them could break out.
When they finally saw their captors, they certainly what any of the team had expected. They were all quite tall, with striking features, and sharp eyes. Most of them were wearing exquisite armor of higher quality than even Erza's best armor, with distinctly pointed helmets. They generally didn't talk to them when any of the guild members did, unless it was tell them to be quiet (that was especially common with Natsu). Their stand offish attitudes, and exquisite armor made them strange enough, but them she saw one of them without their helmet on, revealing a pair of distinctly pointed ears.
Lucy had of course read about elves in storybooks and fairy tales, and they varied pretty wild in appearance and nature, and she heard stories of about ancient civilizations in Earthland said to resemble elves, but she always thought those were just stories. That was part of the reason she, and the others (save Natsu, who barely seemed to notice the difference) were so flummoxed by the sight. The elves generally didn't talk with them, though just bringing in food and water for them. Lucy was actually kind of impressed by the quality of food they got; she expected since this was a prison that they'd just get gruel, but they got actual foodstuff instead. And while it certainly wasn't the guild's cooking, it was better than Lucy had been expecting. Either way, at least as far as she could tell, the elves seemed to be observing them, no doubt trying to figure out just what they were, and how they got here, even if Lucy couldn't answer the latter question. From what little she remembered, it went something like this:
She and the rest of her team had just gotten back from a job. It had been a fairly successful job, and since it was out in the country, they didn't have to worry about property damage, meaning they got the full reward for once. But there was something extra in the reward: a book, or really more of a tome. The client didn't say much about it, he merely included it in the box their payment was in, and when they went back to ask about it, they found the house was in abandoned. That was already a red flag, so they opted to wait until they got back to the guild to open it up. When they did, nothing about it seemed out of the ordinary, though some details were a little weird, to include strange tendrils, eyes, markings, and the recurring appearance of the number "9". But then they came upon some glowing letters, and Natsu being Natsu, he read them allowed. All Lucy remembered after that was a flash of light, Natsu grabbing hold of her, and then they were here in this prison.
"Gah!" Natsu suddenly shouted, breaking Lucy's train of thought, "I can't take it anymore! I got get out of this box!"
"Shouting like that won't solve anything," Carla protested.
"We do need to think of something, though," Lucy said, "Or we could get stuck down here forever!"
"I don't want that!" Wendy cried.
"Grr!" Natsu growled, as he head butted the bars for what felt like the hundredth time, "When I get my hands on those guys..."
"Not helping," Lucy said, frowning in his general direction.
"I've got an idea!" Happy said, raising his paw.
()
"Help! Someone help!" Two of the guards hurried into the room at the sound of the voices, as they looked at the prisoners.
"Please!" Wendy called, pointing to the cell across from her, "You have to help her!" The guards looked over into the cage with the cats in it, and to their surprise, a young girl had appeared in them. She had white hair, with what almost looked like cat ears poking out, and she seemed to be unconscious.
"Where'd this girl come from?" one guard asked.
"Please!" Happy cried as he held onto the girl, "You have to help Carla!" Obviously, the guards were told to be very cautious around the prisoners, which was part of the reason they never spoke with them. But seeing the innocent looking, little feline with his big, teary eyes, clinging to the girl, the two warriors exchanged looks, both uncomfortable. Eventually, any suspicion they had was overcome by sympathy. Besides, what could a little cat do to them?
"Stand back!" the warrior said, as he pulled out the keys. He then opened the door, as he came in... only to slapped in the face by a whole fish. His companion didn't even have time to call out, before he was kicked in the stomach by Carla, knocking him against the bars, and into Natsu's grasp. Natsu then punched him in the face, knocking the elf unconscious.
"Told ya' it would work!" Happy said floating up next to the cat girl as he retrieved the keys.
"Yes, yes," Carla said with a frown, waving her hand, "Now just let everyone out already!" With that, Happy unlocked the cage, and they all started running down the halls. Soon, they emerged out of the dungeons, and into an open hall. The walls seemed to be pure white, lined with gold, and there was a red carpet beneath their feet.
"This place is huge!" Natsu said.
"This place, it feels full of magic," Wendy said.
"No kidding," Lucy said, as she looked around, utterly taken by her surroundings. Indeed, it felt like magic was permeating the very atmosphere, and if one looked closely, they could actually see faint trails of energy slithering through the air.
Of course, they didn't have time to take in their surroundings, as they continued running. Admittedly, they had no plan for when they got out, but anywhere was better than that prison. As they were running, they passed by several rooms, many of them looking like libraries and archives; the bookworm in Lucy was very curious, but this was far from the time from that. Finally, they came upon a very large archway, that lead outside.
"Finally, we're out!" Natsu said excitedly, as they ran down the ramp. Lucy quickly took in the area; they seemed to be on the edge of some kind of forest, with mountains in the distance. Looking up, Lucy saw that they had emerged from a massive white tower; colorful lights danced around the top, and even from here, Lucy could feel the raw magic energy.
"What do we do now?" Happy asked.
"We go to the woods and hide," Lucy said, "I bet they're all going to be-" She didn't finish as there was a flash out light, and a massive amount of dust kicked up, causing the group to stumble back and shield their eyes. Eventually, though, the dust parted, and some shapes emerged out of it. It turned out to be multiple elves, all of them wearing armor. Most were carrying spears, as they formed a shield wall, pointing their weapons at them, though there some behind them, clearly wizards judging by their elaborate robes, and the staffs they were carrying.
"You're clever, I'll give you that." With that, the warriors parted, as one figure in particular approached him. Like the others, he was tall, wearing flowing blue robes, and a tall hat with what looked like a crescent moon on it. It was clear to everyone he was a mage, especially with the tall staff he carried, and that he was the one in charge.
"But if you are looking for a magic contest, I'm afraid you're all somewhat outclassed," he said.
"Who are you?" Carla demanded.
"I have a litany of titles that I'm sure you've never heard of," the elf answered, "The name my father gave me though is Teclis."
"Where are we?" Lucy asked.
"A place you shouldn't be," Teclis answered, "Now I will give you all one chance to surrender peacefully, and return to your cells. You are free to resist, but just know it'll be a waste of time and energy."
"Wouldn't be the first time we heard that," Natsu said with a grin as he crackled his knuckles, "I've got a better idea. Why don't you just let us go, and we won't have to beat you all up?" At that, the elves all laughed, as the mere idea of any of the team beating any of them was laughable.
"You're all rather cocky for humans," Teclis said.
"That's rich coming from you," Natsu said, cracking his knuckles.
"My patience is finite," Teclis said, "Now do as you're told."
"Screw you!" Natsu declared, as his fists ignited, and he lunged at the elf. With that, Teclis just tapped his staff on the ground once, and a ball of light proceeded to fall from the sky. As it hit Natsu, it turned into a net, snaring him on the ground.
"What the hell?!" Natsu grunted, as he struggled against the binds. At a glance, this reminded him of Sting's White Dragon Slayer magic, but this magic felt different; it felt more raw compared to the deliberate, concentrated magic he'd experienced before.
"Natsu!" Lucy called, as she and the others moved to help, only for more balls of light fell from the sky. Before any of them could even realize what had happened, they were all snared in the Net of Amyntok.
"Take them all back to their cells," Teclis said as he turned to leave, "And strengthen the warding."
"Yes, my Lord," a fire mage named Kyraan said with a satisfied grin. The team all struggled against their binds, as the mages started coming towards them. Though it bore a vague resemblance to Sting's White Dragon Slayer magic, it clearly wasn't anything like that; it felt rawer, and more primal. But none of them had any time to really study it, since Natsu wouldn't give them that chance.
"I'm not going down that easily!" With that there was a massive burst of flames towards the elves, destroying the nets on the group. Teclis managed to respond in time as he manifested a glowing sphere that encompassed him and his subordinates, shielding them from the flames. But as those flames started to dissipate, and Teclis lowered the shield, he noticed something.
"This is dragon fire," the mage said, as he gathered a ball of what little remained in his hand. Dragon fire was distinct from normal fire created by hand (which was just a natural reaction), or fire created from the Aethyr (which was magical in nature); it was far more primal in nature, created from a dragon's own being. Of course no dragon would ever concede to a thorough study, so they could only know what could be inferred, but
"How are-" He couldn't finish as Natsu lunged at him again. Fortunately, Teclis was able to respond, as he swung his staff, telekinetically knocking Natsu aside. The Dragon Slayer skidded to a halt, as he looked up with an eager grin.
"We're Fairy Tail mages!" Natsu asserted, "And we don't lose to asses like you!"
"Language please!" Carla protested. Natsu, of course, wasn't paying attention, as he sprung towards the lines of soldiers.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" Natsu said, as he punched forward. The soldiers held up their shields... but they did little good. The moment his fist collided with one of the shields, the metal crumpled like paper, and sent the soldier, along with most of those around him, careening away.
"Asuryan's flame," Kyraan muttered in awe, "Since when did a human have this much power?"
"We'll worry about that later," a celestial mage named Elthyr said as he held up his staff, "For now, though, we fight." With that, the winds gathered around his staff, as a dark cloud manifested over Natsu.
"Natsu!" Lucy called, "look out!" The Dragon Slayer had just enough time to jump out of the way of Urano's Thunderbolt.
"I'll show that trespasser true fire!" Kyraan said, as he held up his own staff to fight, only for a whip to suddenly lash around his staff.
"Lucy Kick!" Lucy declared as she brought her foot down on the elf, who held up his arm just in time to block. Kyraan let out a cry as he was pushed back, as he held his arm, something even Lucy was surprised by. While she took pride in her picks and punches, she knew they weren't anything to marvel at. Speaking of "marvel", Wendy figured this was good a time as any to join the fray.
"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Wendy called as she released her breath attack. While a number of the soldiers were scattered, Teclis swung his staff, and once again dispersed the spell.
"This magic," the Mage Lord muttered, "It's..." He trailed off; "strange" wasn't the right word. It wasn't like the magic was completely unnatural, but it still felt unlike anything Teclis was familiar with, and he was familiar with a lot of different kinds of magic. "Alien" perhaps was a better word?
"I'll show you the true powers of the Heavens, little girl!" Elthyr declared as he conjured up a Wind Blast, and sent it towards the team. The wind was strong enough to send the group back, with them having to grab onto the ground to keep themselves from flying away.
"Hold on Carla!" Happy cried as he held onto Carla's leg.
"Don't look up my skirt tomcat!" Carla shouted incredulously as she flushed red. Eventually the wind died down, as Natsu leapt forward, cloaking his arms in fire.
"Fire Dragon's Wing Attack!" he said, as he swung the arms down, creating a curtain of fire that Teclis once again had to block. He then swung his staff wide, as the light around it turned bright green. Vines then burst out of the ground, as they wrapped around Natsu's ankles, causing him to fall, before wrapping around his wrists as well, tethering him to the ground.
"Natsu!" Lucy called again, as she hurried to help. She may not have had her keys on hand, but that didn't mean she was just going to lie down and give up, as she lashed her whip at the archmage. However, she ended up getting pushed back as she was struck by a ball of fire from Kryaan, who had managed to retrieve his staff, even though he could feel his arm was now broken.
Lucy!" Natsu called as he saw the blonde landing on the ground hard. That was all Natsu needed to see, as he let out a roar of rage. His entire body was consumed in flames, burning away the vines, as even Teclis had to shield his face from the heat. Natsu then emerged out of the smoke and flames, his face hard, and his eyes narrowed. Teclis responded by narrowing his own eyes
"I would much prefer to end this without any serious threat," the archmage said as he took a step forward, "But I'm afraid you're leaving me with little choice." With that, the emanating from his staff shifted from green to a deep amethyst color.
"This is your last chance to yield," Teclis said, "You have been warned."
"We ain't going back into those cages, pal," Natsu said, as his fists caught fire. Teclis just let out a sigh; he truly wished it wouldn't come to this.
"Then what happens next is on you," he said. With that, he held up his hand, which became cloaked in purple flames. Natsu was about to launch forward to continue the fight... until they were interrupted by a rumbling growl. Everyone looked around, as the wind suddenly picked up, and turned hot.
"What in Asuryan's name?" Kyraan asked, looking around.
"I'm afraid you may be invoking the wrong god," Teclis muttered.
"That sounded like a...," Lucy said slowly.
"Dragon," Wendy finished for her. With that, everyone looked up together, as a massive winged shape appeared in the sky.
Indeed it was a dragon soaring from over the mountains to the South. Specifically, it appeared to be a Sun Dragon, but some elves would be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Sun Dragons, while still big, were the smallest of the Caledorian dragons, if only by virtue of being the youngest. But this Sun Dragon was easily as large as a Star Dragon, if not slightly larger. Its scales were also a richer red than the others, and when its wings opened, they revealed the symbol of Aqshy on the membrane like brands.
Most of the Elven mages were watching in looks of wonder; a good number of them hadn't even seen dragons, aside from maybe in the far distance. Teclis had seen a good number of dragons in his travel, but this one he didn't recognize. Of course, it wasn't like Teclis knew every dragon in Ulthuan personally, but he would have definitely heard word of a dragon like this. Natsu was gawking like he'd just seen a ghost, and for him, he very well might've, while his teammates just stared in equal parts awe and fear.
The dragon circled overhead once, before it swooped down, landing on the walls of the Tower. It roared at the assembled mages, to ensure it had their undivided attention, before crawling down to ground level, and advancing on them. All the elves save Teclis fell to one knee before the dragon, and even Teclis nodded in respect to it, as it reared up, and opened its mouth…
"I am Gordinar, Champion of the Flame!" The dragon declared, rearing up and spreading his wings.
"Gordinar," Teclis mused, upon hearing that name; it sounded vaguely familiar. The dragon sniffed the air, as he looked around.
"Hold up!" Lucy said, "Dragons exist in this world too?!" It seemed the more she found out about this world, the crazier it seemed.
"You!" The dragon suddenly said, looking towards Natsu.
"Me?" Natsu asked, pointing at himself.
"Yes," Gordinar said with a nod, "You are the one."
"The one?" Natsu asked, "What does-" The dragon didn't let him finish as he inhaled, and released a massive cloud of flames. Natsu didn't even have time to react, as the fire engulfed him.
"By the breath of Draugnir!" Kyraan exclaimed.
"That must've killed him!" Elthyr declared. Teclis just watched silently, frowning; the man's comrades didn't seem that distressed by the sight, and indeed the blue cat floated up on his wings, a smirk on his face.
"Fire's never a problem for Natsu," Happy declared. Teclis would've asked him to elaborate, but he didn't get the chance, as the fire started to swirl up like a massive whirlpool. It then seemed to condense down, as Natsu's form appeared in the flames, in the epicenter of the vortex… going into his mouth.
"He's… consuming the fire?" Kyraan asked. Teclis's brow furrowed, but his eyes widened. Eventually Natsu was done, letting out a sharp exhale.
"I gotta say," he said, a grin spreading onto his face, wiping the side of his mouth, "This fire's the best I've had in a while." He then looked up at the dragon, who just stared down at him.
"I don't know who the hell you are," Natsu said, "But if you're looking for a fight, I'm your guy!" With that, he sprung towards the drake.
"Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He slammed his fire infused fist into the dragon's cheek. That was surprising enough for the Asur; never in any of their days had they seen a mortal trying to fight a dragon with their BARE HANDS. That was part of the reason why what happened next turned their surprise into nothing sort of horror.
The dragon was actually pushed back slightly, as he missed his footing, and fell to the ground. When he reared back up, there was noticeable mark on his face. Natsu landed on the ground, his face and body still steaming, as he grinned in triumph.
"He... harmed a dragon?" Kyraan asked slowly.
"And he did it with his bare fist!" Elthyr said.
"Lower your weapons," Teclis suddenly commanded, holding up his hand.
"My Lord!" Kyraan asked.
"Either he'll survive, or the dragon will destroy him," Teclis responded, "Regardless, I want to see how this will end."
"Yes," Gordinar said, as the corners of his jaw turned up in what counted as a smile on a dragon, "There can be no doubt, you are the one I sensed."
"If you mean the 'one' who's going to kick your ass back to wherever you came from, then you're damn right!" Natsu declared. He was ready to keep fighting, but that was when Gordinar started to laugh.
"Don't you laugh at me!" Natsu said, as he leapt towards the dragon again, only for him to easily avoid the fist this time. But he didn't try and strike back this time.
"I have been waiting a long time for someone like you to appear," Gordinar said as he dodged and blocked successive blows from Natsu, before his tail came up and knocked the Dragon Slayer back to the ground. Natsu leapt up, ready to continue the fight, only to see Gordinar lowering himself to the ground, stretching his wing out.
"Come," he said, gesturing with his head.
"Say what?" Natsu asked, cocking his head, "I thought we were fighting."
"Why would I have any interesting fighting you?" Gordinar asked, "I came here to see if you were worthy, and you are indeed quite worthy."
"Worthy for what?"
"To be my rider."
"Rider?!" multiple people (to include humans, elves, and even cats) shouted incredulously. Teclis just narrowed his eyes, his face betraying little to no emotion. Cocking his head, Natsu wasn't sure what do make of what was before him. He'd ridden dragons before (Atlas Flame back in Eclipse, and obviously Igneel back when he was a kid), but this was the first time a dragon had ever offered itself to him like this.
"What's the catch?" Natsu asked.
"Catch?" Gordinar asked, cocking his own head, "There is no 'catch'."
"Noble drake," Teclis said, daring to take a step forward, "If I may be so bold-"
"You may not," Gordinar interrupted, showing his teeth, "I do not need to hear any words or qualifications from an Asur." While that would probably repel most Asur, Teclis managed to hold his ground, but he still didn't protest; he just bowed his head in acknowledgement. Gordinar's attention then shifted back to Natsu.
"If you aren't going to come to me, then I will do it myself," the Sun Dragon said.
"Wha-" Natsu suddenly found himself being picked up bodily in the dragon's massive claw, and dropped onto his back.
"You'd best hold on," Gordinar said before Natsu could even ask anything, "I prefer to go fast." With that, he beat his wings, and with a burst of hot wind, he was in the air. Natsu obviously had flown before with Happy, but this was still completely unexpected, as he clung to Gordinar's spines as he flapped into the air.
Gordinar rose ever higher, higher than Happy had ever carried Natsu, to the point the White Tower started to seem like just a little pebble on the ground. The wind rushed around the Dragon Slayer, especially as the dragon folded in his wings, and dove towards the ground. Natsu screamed, but it wasn't one of fear, but of exhilaration; indeed, if one saw his face, it had broken out into a massive grin, which only got wider as Gordinar spread his wings, and swooped back up.
As they were flying, Gordinar released a burst of fire. Natsu responded by releasing his own fire, causing the clouds to merge into a swirling inferno that Gordinar swept through. As he and Natsu emerged, he roared, while Natsu shouted in agreement.
While the dragon and his new rider were bonding up in the sky, the others could only watch in numb shock at what was going on beneath them. Happy even floated up, as if trying to follow them, but as fast he could fly, Gordinar was long gone into the clouds. He just floated there in that spot, watching the drake soar about. It felt like a while before the someone finally spoke.
"Well, it seems fighting you further may be pointless," Teclis said, as he stepped forward, "What do we say we talk a little more properly?"
"Uh... yeah," Lucy said with a nod, about as flummoxed by this situation as everyone else was. Seeing a dragon here was amazing enough, and it fighting with Natsu certainly added to that, but for it to then pick Natsu up, put him on its back, and take off with him was something else entirely.
"Just... where are we?" she asked slowly, looking at Teclis.
"I think this would be better explained in a more comfortable setting," Teclis said, "But in the mean time, as a gesture of good faith…" He trailed off as he reached into his robe, and removed a familiar item: Lucy's key pouch.
"I believe these are your's?" he said. Lucy's eyes lit up at the sight of her pouch.
"Yes!" she declared, "Gimme!" Teclis tossed them over to her, as the girl seized them, and held them close to her chest, glad to have her precious keys back with her. Teclis made a mental note to learn in detail just what those things were; he'd seen wizards who prized their magical tools, but never to the point they treated them almost like members of their family.
"Now, if you follow me?" Teclis said, gesturing.
"What about Natsu?" Wendy asked.
"He'll be fine," Lucy said as she looked up at the dragon soaring overhead, "Knowing him, he's probably having a ton of fun right now." She then noticed Happy watching as Gordinar flew off.
"Hey Happy!" Carla called as the others moved off, "Are you coming?"
"Aye," Happy said slowly, as he floated after them.
Note: So we've got progress with the team in Ulthuan, and quite a bit I'd say. And Natsu's got his own dragon mount; Imrik's reaction is going to be interesting to write if and when it comes to it. The team has also made a truce with the elves (again, the dragon helps with that), which is definitely a step in the right direction. We've also found out how the Greenskins made it to Ulthuan in the first place.
This is where we start to see the settings' physics begin to interact. Warhammer has dragons that are more grounded, and while certainly not mundane, are still earthly creatures, unlike the dragons of Fairy Tail which are so far beyond human power levels that it takes a specialized form of magic to so much as challenge them (and even then, only the strongest Dragon Slayers can actually hurt them). Also Fairy Tail is a setting where people can be torched, or knocked through a wall, and walk it off; in Warhammer, being set on fire or hit with such force can severely injure, if not outright kill a person. I wanted that to be on display, to see how those concepts would play off each other. I think people like Teclis, who is himself indicated to be an extremely powerful mage, could probably take on Natsu magically, but the average warrior/mage probably couldn't.
Be sure to leave a comment. I'll quickly say that not all chapters can, or even will be as long as this one; this one was long because it had a lot to cover, and chapters will be as long as they need to be.