"Fūin gijutsu, eh?" A wizened voice caused the Young Apprentice to look up from the ancient scrolls he was reading through. He was currently in the Monastery's Hall of Knowledge. He found himself here often these days, searching for anything of value and power that could be of use to him.
The regal man addressing him was The Great Sage of the Monastery, and the man who saved him and the Elder Apprentice.
"Yes, sensei," The young man bowed his head, using the terminology and honorifics of the Monastery, "I've found the subject to be…intriguing. It's impressive that so many ancient warriors were able to seal away such powerful spirits with these techniques."
"Indeed it is," The old man smiled as he stroked his graying beard, "Quite the complex subject, isn't it?"
"It really is," The Young Apprentice acknowledged, "As such, I'd appreciate any help you can offer."
"Hm…if you're serious about pursuing this subject, then gear up for the long run," The Sage advised, "Fūin gijutsu arts are among the most complex and challenging forms of knowledge this Temple contains. Though I must say…"
The older man looked over the Apprentice's notes, lifting an eyebrow, "You haven't been here long, but this work is already quite impressive. And if I'm not mistaken…" The old man glanced at a particular set of notes, "It seems you're trying to implement magic circles and mana into these techniques. Quite impressive."
"Thank you, but it's far from perfect," The younger man smiled humorlessly, "I'm still having trouble translating from the Kanjeic scrolls. It's a hard language to learn."
"It certainly is a far cry more complex than Common!" The old man chuckled.
"Oh, I nearly forgot!" The Sage perked up suddenly, "Your young friend woke up just a moment ago- Aaand there he goes," He chuckled as the Young Apprentice made a mad dash, sprinting away, presumably to his room.
"Ah, the well-spring of youth," He chuckled again, looking back at the Young Apprentice's studies.
"Sealing Arts…" He looked over in the direction where the young man ran off to, "You've chosen a daunting task, my young friend."
Natsu grit his teeth as he, Wendy, and Gajeel braced for a fight.
The charging saurian was speeding up fast; in response, he and Gajeel inhaled deep, simultaneously as Wendy took a deep breath herself.
"Fire Dragon…"
"Iron Dragon…"
"Sky Dragon…"
"ROOOOAAAR!"
The unison of fire, iron, and wind blasted the Tyrannosaurus, sending it crashing in a spiral as hot iron particles tore away at its scales and cooking flesh. It hit the ground as an explosion went off, sending bits of bone, meat, and blood in all directions as the carnivore met a grisly end.
"Woah…" Gajeel blinked.
"Holy crap!" Natsu exclaimed as the flying chunks of scales and cooked flesh fell from the sky, "We're awesome!"
"That was graphic…" Wendy sweat dropped as she turned away, looking a little green.
"You've all gotten stronger," A deep voice sounded from above.
The Dragonslayers felt a woosh of air as they turned to see Kilgara land mere feet away from them, his large black wings folding in as his talons touched the ground. Natsu smiled in relief.
"Kilgara!" He exclaimed as he ran over, looking up at him, "Good to see you're okay at least! We all got kidnapped! But you can just fly us back!"
"More like dragon-napped…" Gajeel said under his breath. Wendy just nodded in agreement.
"While I'm glad to see you're alright, I'm afraid that's something I can't do," Kilgara shook his head at the pink haired man.
"What? Why not?" Natsu tilted his head, "We need to make sure Happy, Lucy, and the others are okay!"
"I assure you, they're fine," Kilgara blinked down at him, "They're all still at Akane Beach. Lily's with them now, too," The black dragon's red eyes nodded at Gajeel, who raised his brow.
"Ya mind tellin' us what's goin' on, lizard?" Gajeel demanded, "Wakin' up to a monster chagrin' me down with Salamander being the first face I see in the mornin' ain't exactly my idea of a good time."
"Watch it, Rusty-!"
"I brought you here," Kilgara interrupted Natsu, "To train you."
"What? Train us…?" Wendy questioned, "But why take us…like this? And to…wherever here is?"
"Yeah, that's a good point! We were already training!" Natsu demanded, "What's the big idea?"
"This land is an ample training ground for your kind," Kilgara's gravelly voice explained, "It is filled with massive creatures and predators that will challenge your very existence. The land is harsh and volatile, and embodies the definition of 'Survival of the Fittest.'"
The black dragon spread his large wings, calling out with a short roar.
Barely a second later, Natsu heard a distinct whistling sound that made his hairs stand on end.
The Night Furys landed on either side of Kilgara. All four black dragons stared down the three Dragonslayers as the biggest of them spoke again.
"On top of your normal training, and surviving this land, we will all fight. We will fight now and we will fight later, after a few months have passed, " He growled lowly as a small smirk graced his snout, "Can you live up to your namesake, I wonder…? Or did my predecessors raise a bunch of wimps?"
"Oh, dem's fightin' words, pal!" Gajeel shouted before he smirked right back, "Gihee. I've always wanted to fight myself some actual dragons."
"You all just know how to put a fire in my belly!" Natsu grinned as flames literally danced in his eyes.
"This seems like a mean way to train…" Wendy slumped, before her gaze and stance hardened, "But I'm not just gonna let you insult Grandina like that!"
"Perfect…" Kilgara's red scales flared as all seven dragons rushed into action.
"Geez, you really pack a punch!" Natsu grunted as he rolled his shoulders, "I'm gonna be feeling that last attack for weeks!"
Natsu was on Kilgara's back as the dragon flew. It had been a day since the Dragonslayers had their initial spar with Kilgara and the Night Furys. It lasted for hours and none of the dragonslayers even managed to hit the black dragons. The Night Furys were especially agile, even when they weren't flying.
Kilgara didn't quite match their dexterity and natural grace, but for what he lacked in agility he made up for in brute strength and sheer speed. The dragonslayers were overwhelmed by pure physical power.
They were all too damn fast!
Once the black reptiles deemed the fight over, they left Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy to fend for themselves for the remainder of that night. The exhausted Fairy Tail wizards ended up settling in the cavity of a cliffside, using Gajeel's iron to bar the entrance and prevent curious predators from getting to them.
Kilgara showed up at their location early the next morning, where he retrieved Natsu, leaving Wendy and Gajeel behind.
Wendy opted to use the time to study the spells left for her by Grandina (which she obtained from Porlyusica before they left for Akane Beach), while Gajeel went off to do his own training.
"Ya gonna tell me where we're going, by the way?" Natsu asked as he looked around. He had to admit, though he was used to it with Happy, flying on the back of a dragon was something else. It reminded him of his time with Igneel…
"A place ideal for your training," Kilgara interrupted Natsu's thoughts, "One that will temper and test your flames, challenging them to burn hotter than ever before. You must utilize your fire to survive, on top of the training you were already planning on doing."
"Really? That's awesome!" Natsu pumped his fist, "So what kinda place is it?"
"Just over those peaks," Kilgara gestured ahead toward some snow capped mountains towering over the lush valleys.
A frozen tundra could be seen on the other side as the black dragon flew along the coastline. The craggy stone mountain sides were capped with snow, ice, and absolutely MASSIVE pines.
Natsu looked out with a smile on his face, though his grin turned into a confused frown, before understanding lit up his eyes.
"Damn! How come I never thought of that?" He exclaimed.
"'Cause you don't think!" Kilgara barked in amusement.
"I'm in a real good position to burn your backside!"
"And I'm in a position to drop your ass in the ocean! Good luck!" Kilgara jerked into a sudden barrel roll, a gravely chuckle rumbling his throat as Natsu screamed; the fire dragonslayer landed with a loud splash into the icy ocean shore below.
Not long after Kilgara…dropped Natsu off at the frozen tundra's of the ARK, he touched down near Gajeel, who was punching a stone cliffside.
"Oh, it's you," He said as he noticed the black dragon, "What do you want?"
"To talk about your diet," Kilgara said as he held out his talon. Gajeel tilted his head as a strange smelling metal materialized in the dragon's claws. The dragon continued, "And to familiarize you with gravity magic."
"Breath deep," Kilgara said softly as sweat began dripping from Wendy's face, "When people strain their muscles like this, they often forget to breathe, and end up holding their breath. That'll have the opposite effect of what we want."
The two of them were currently at the peak of the highest mountain face the ARK had to offer. The air was cool and the winds were crisp as Wendy strained her body in an effort to lift the boulders Kilgara modified for her.
He was having Wendy do some basic strength training, using rocks and small boulders he molded as weights.
"Why…does this…hurt, so…much?" Wendy panted as her lungs fought for breath.
"The air is thin up here. Your lungs have to work harder to get enough oxygen flowing through your body," Kilgara answered, "You draw magic from the firmaments! As your lung capacity expands, so too will your capability to consume the air for power! Move until you feel as though your lungs are about to burst as your muscles tear themselves to shreds!"
"I think…I liked…you better…" Wendy panted, her sweaty body shaking as she pushed up on a weighted squat, "As a hatchling!" She grunted as she heaved upwards.
"You'll thank me later!" Kilgara laughed as he took to the sky again, "And don't lock those legs!"
"Wait, you took them!?" Lucy exclaimed, giving the large black dragon an angry look.
Back at the beach (for about the last day or so) Lucy, Erza, Gray, Juvia, and the others had been scouring the entire city, forest, and ocean looking for the missing Dragonslayers. They awoke yesterday morning to find that Natsu and Wendy had vanished without a trace. On top of that, Happy woke up to find Panther Lily next to him.
Kilgara met up with them twenty-four hours after their disappearance, only just now informing them that he'd taken Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy to a different location for a specialized form of training.
"Do you have any idea how freakin' worried we've been?" Lucy slapped Kilgara on his scaly shoulder, "Ow…" she shook her throbbing hand, cursing under her breath.
Ymir just sighed. Having experienced the antics Kilgara and Luxion regularly engage in for years now, she should've just guessed it was the black dragon pulling off some kind of scheme.
"You couldn't have said anything earlier?" Panther Lily sweat-dropped. He'd been more than a little concerned after having woken up inside a random inn next to Carla and Happy rather than in the mountains where he and Gajeel passed out after an intense sparring match.
"I'd say sorry, but I'm not," Kilgara chuckled, "Rest assured, I'll be taking you all to the same place."
"And where would that be?" Erza crossed her arms, "We agreed to train here. All the regimens and workouts we've arranged were designed with this place in mind. Why would we change locations so suddenly after all we've done to prepare?"
"Where I'm taking you will challenge your very will to live," Kilgara looked down at her, "Some of you will not survive as you are now. I will take those who are ready today, while the rest of you continue training and building up power. Once I deem fit, the rest of you will be taken to this land as well."
"What land?" Erza demanded.
"Hm…we'll call it ARK," Kilgara smirked as Ymir's eyes widened, "I'd tell you to brace yourself, but you've already received more warning than the Dragonslayers."
With that vague statement, blue hexagonal formations of light suddenly enveloped the group, and not even a second later Kilgara, Erza, Gray, and Panther Lily were teleported away from Akane Beach.
Lucy yelped at the flash of light signaling their disappearance, while Ymir just sighed as Juvia screamed, "My darling Gray!"
She shook her head as a small smile bloomed across her lips.
"What the-" Gray stumbled as he was teleported from the tropical comfort of Akane's sandy beach to a harsh, arid desert.
The sands he found himself in now were coarse and sweltering; a stark contrast to the soft and warm embrace of Akane's silky sand.
Heat waves could be seen all around him as his body began sweating profusely. It'd barely even been five seconds!
"Damn…" He cursed as he subconsciously stripped off his unbuttoned shirt, leaving him in his swimsuit. His body nearly took that off in response to the heat as well, before a gravelly voice interrupted him.
"Leave the tunks on," Kilgara's deep voice sounded behind him, "You'll need all the cover you can get for what's coming."
"Kilgara?" Gray turned, "What the heck's goin' on? Where are we?"
"We're in the cruelest desert you'll ever experience," Kilgara answered as he gestured to the horizon, "Look."
Gray turned back around, squinting and using a hand to block the light of the sun. On the cusp of the horizon, a dark mass of brown, dusty wind was approaching them, "What is that?"
"That, is a sandstorm," Kilgara clarified for the confused ice wizard, "If you get caught in it, it'll wear and tear your skin to shreds. The wind makes the coarse sand act like tiny razors. This is where your training begins, Gray Fullbuster."
"Huh?"
"Use your ice to survive this land," Kilgara clarified, "The environment alone will force you to hone and temper your ice to greater heights of cold and resilience, while the natives will challenge your combat. Survival is the name of the game here. There are small oasis' all throughout this area. Use them for food and water. Oh, and watch out for the larger predators; they can swallow you whole."
"Huh-!? Wait!" Gray called out as Kilgara spread his wings, "Are you freaking serious!? Get back here, ya damn lizard!"
"Good luck! You won't die…probably," The black dragon beat his wings, the resulting wind causing Gray to squint and raise his hands to block sand from getting in his eyes. He watched the black dragon fly off, before turning back around.
The approaching sandstorm was barely a hundred feet away now. Bracing himself, Gray put his fist against his palm as his cold power swelled within him, "Well, crap…"
Erza stumbled as she regained her footing. As soon as the blue, hexagonal light had vanished, she found herself in a dense jungle, filled with trees that dwarfed every building she'd ever seen. The Tower of Heaven being an exception.
Vines, saplings, shrubbery, and seemingly every other plant in existence created the illusion of green walls surrounded her. Animal cries of several varieties she'd never heard before permeated the ambiance of the massive woods, and Erza immediately got an eerie feeling. The trees were huge, and the foliage was dense. She also had a nagging sensation in the back of her head.
Was she being watched?
The thwip of a bow string went somewhere above her, and Erza barely rolled to the side as the whistling of an arrow whizzed past her ear, stabbing into the ground with a thunk. She requiped a sword into her hand as she landed.
"Who's there!?"
"Your trainers," A gravelly voice sounded behind her.
Erza whipped her head around, looking up to see Kilgara, his large black form a stark contrast to the dense greenery around them. When did he get there? She didn't see or even sense him before…
"What do you mean?" Erza narrowed her eyes, tightening her grip on her sword.
"The natives of this land have agreed to assist in your training," Kilgara informed her, "You already possess an impressive bit of magic; training the speed of your Requip, diversifying your skill with weapons, and improving your adaptability will be what gives you an edge. The natives of this land are…distant descendants of my kin. As such, power flows in their blood. They wield every weapon you can think of, have diverse skill sets, and claim the home-field advantage."
Erza looked around as she took in Kilgara's words. Even though she couldn't see anyone, she still had that sense of being watched. She couldn't tell how many there were, but she couldn't sense any bloodlust.
"They will hunt you; not to kill, but to incapacitate," Kilgara confirmed her suspicions, "Though do keep your guard up; on top of the natives, the local fauna are monsters in their own right, and will not hesitate to make you their next meal. Survive, Erza Scarlet. Good luck."
Erza watched from the corner of her eye as the black and red dragon took to the skies, before bringing all her focus around her. A small smile graced her face.
She summoned a second sword in her hand as three arrows were let loose at her.
"Perhaps this will be good training after all…"
The Young Apprentice burst through the door, startling the Elder Apprentice. She jumped at him barging in, but a smile bloomed upon her face as tears threatened to sting her eyes.
"You're alive…" She said, moving to get out of her bed.
"Took the words right out of my mouth…" He smiled as he dashed forward to hug her.
The force of it caused her to stagger, though she regained her composure quickly, smiling softly as she embraced him back.
"An older gentleman came to see me," She said, "He told me where we are, and about…what happened. But I want to hear it from you."
She gave him a melancholy look at his strained face, "Is it true…?"
"...Yeah. Our home…is gone," His body relaxed as his frame slumped, "Destroyed in the aftermath of the attack."
"I see…" The Elder Apprentice looked down at her lap, "I…think I need some time. To take it all in."
"I'll be here when you're ready," He nodded, rising to take his leave. He paused at the door, saying over his shoulder, "I promise, I will make this right."
She stared blankly as he shut the door behind him. Silent tears began streaming down her cheeks as she mourned the loss of her home.
A month has passed.
Natsu was still training in the frozen regions of the ARK. I isolated him off in the northernmost coast, where water freezes in minutes if it isn't kept in constant motion. Blood included. And it gets even colder when the sun goes down.
On top of having to use his fire and magic to avoid freezing to death, he had to survive and fight the natural predators of the area for food, and when he wasn't doing that, he was swimming in the ocean and hiking the glaciers, using the cold water and frigid air to further train his magic and flames.
I wonder if he's come across a Megalodon. I know he's had to fight at least one Ice Wyvern.
Gray's situation is pretty much the same thing, just invert the temperature. The desert heat is harsh, the predators are large and powerful, and in order to eat he'll have to fight and hunt them too. I may or may not have sent some of Ezio's agents to attack him and Natsu too, just to keep them on their toes.
Wendy continues to train her body and magic high up in the rocky slopes of the mountains. Her strength training is going well, and after four weeks of living and moving in such a high elevation, her lung capacity has definitely improved. Marginally in the long run, sure, but progress is progress. On top of that, she's been studying the spells Grandina left for her.
I've been keeping a closer eye on her more than the others, namely because the environment and biome she's in is where Gigantosaurus' spawn and live. We haven't encountered one yet, but we haven't exactly gone looking for them either.
Gajeel and Lily continue to train with each other, though I've relocated them to a mountain range. On top of 'normal' food (if you count dino meat as normal), I've been having Gajeel eat a different variety of metal alloys forged from iron, steel, vibranium, and dragonite. Pure dragonite has had the best outcome so far. But while different metals restore his power and magic in varying degrees, very few actually boost it passed its original capacity (dragonite being the exception so far).
I've challenged him to try and recreate different metals, seeing if I can teach him how to perform feats similar to my Metallurgy spell. No such luck so far. Though similar, that's a whole new branch of magic, and he can't eat metal created from his own magic anyway.
On top of that, I've placed enchantments and runes in his training grounds that increase the gravity for that specific area. It makes gaining good footing even harder when they train and fight; due to the steep nature of the mountain's slopes, they have to constantly utilize their cores and legs to brace themselves as they fight in the heavily induced gravitation area. Both Gajeel and Panther Lily spar until they drop.
Erza has been doing well, though she has some difficulty taking down the larger predators she comes across. Against my minions, she does quite well in open combat; she struggles more when they adopt guerilla warfare tactics and utilize tamed creatures. She's a skilled wizard, but my Riders and Hunters have flawless teamwork.
Her skill with requiping different weapons has also improved, as she's had to utilize it more often to wield weapons more suitable for countering the diverse numbers and tactics my troops possess.
It's been good training for my minions as well; their average level has risen quite a bit since they started engaging with the Fairy Tail wizards.
And yes, I'll admit I've used some magic to make the environments everyone's in harsher than usual. First good use of my Alter Environment spell. The tundra's are colder, the desert is harsher, the mountain air is thinner and the slopes are rockier, and the jungle's dense foliage seems to come "alive" at the worst times for Erza.
As for Lucy, Happy, Ymir, and the others; they've mostly been focusing on meditation and simpler training exercises in an effort to increase their base magic power. Lucy's MP capacity is rising to the point where I'm tempted to take her to the ARK soon. Her spirits have also been teaching her a variety of things, from magic training and history, and some hand-to-hand combat from Loke and Capricorn.
Then there's Ymir…
She's a fascinating case.
I currently found myself with Luxion, observing her from a distance back at Akane as she meditated. She's gotten the hang of proper meditation techniques, but she hasn't been able to build up enough power to cast any kind of spell. Not even a basic cantrip.
Luxion brought this up as something to be concerned about, but when I had him analyze and display an updated diagram of Ymir's mind, body, and spiritual physiology, we were able to estimate what was going on.
"Look here," I gestured to the hologram, "She's likely struggling to take these first few steps because of her wounded spirit. Remember what we discovered that day, outside the guildhall. Her soul has been sliced, as if split in two. Usually magic naturally forms from one's spirit absorbing ethernano, even for a being not from this world. Our own Scaleborn are proof of this. But instead of developing a pool of magic, it appears her spirit is using the ethernano to repair itself."
"It's healing her?" Luxion inquired.
"Yes…her soul yearns for relief and healing," I elaborated, pointing to the diagram of her mind, "We know this pattern represents different levels of emotional states the mind conjures that come from the spirit. Our diagrams from seven years ago, a month ago, and today show that she's been subconsciously seeking that relief this entire time."
"So her soul is healing its spirit, in response to the pain she feels in her mind," Luxion elaborated, "And that is preventing her from developing an internal magic container?"
"More like delaying," I corrected, "At this rate, once her spirit is healed, an internal pool of power should manifest. Probably."
"Ethernano is an interesting thing," I continued, voicing my thoughts aloud, "It's a form of living energy, one that is both physical and spiritual; I don't know how this will affect Ymir in the long run, but for now, she's healing."
Let's hope she doesn't develop a spiritual form of magic cancer or something…
"This only serves to provide further proof for your theory," Luxion observed, "It would seem magic itself really is alive."
"Perhaps," I nodded, "Though not in the conventional sense," I chuckled, turning my gaze back to Ymir. My eyes glowed and shifted as I activated Arcane Eyes.
"At this rate…" I estimated as I observed her body slowly absorb the surrounding ethernano, "She'll be completely restored by the time we head for the Games, give or take a week or two. But I don't trust this to be smooth sailing. I'll continue experimenting with Runic Magic to aid and direct her recovery."
Though she's healing, the spirit is not unlike the body. Healed injuries still leave scars, and scar tissue is weaker than the original. Spiritual wounds may be different, but from my findings, one's mind, body, and spirit are vastly similar and intricately connected. What's happening to Ymir right now is not unlike a blood-transplant, and those don't always go smoothly.
Only time will tell how she'll be affected. We'll have to continue keeping a steady eye on her.
"Any magic she develops by the Games won't be all that powerful then," Luxion stated in response to my estimated timeline.
"Which is another reason you won't be leaving her side," I ordered Luxion, "Observe and record her progress. Alert me if anomalies occur. Keep an especially close eye if her Titan form makes an appearance."
That's another thing that concerns me. Will her titan abilities be affected by the way her spirit is using ethernano to heal itself? How will her being able to use magic affect that power in the first place?
"This whole situation is an anomaly," Luxion remarked, "Where will you be, sir?"
"I have another appointment with Mavis," I said as I extended my wings, bracing for take-off, "This will be my last lesson with her for a while."
"Ah, you're finally going dungeon hunting," Luxion stated, "About time, if I do say so myself. You're not very good at making time to train and level yourself up."
"Shut it, tin can, I've been busy," I thwacked him with my wing as I took to the sky, flying towards the trees I've been meeting Master Mavis in for the last few weeks.
I won't deny he has a point; I haven't yet looked for dungeons since taking the Dragonslayers to the ARK.
But I have been far from idle.
Everyone now has a solid training regimen, and not just those in the ARK.
Lucy, Juvia, Levy (I exchanged notes with her on solid script and runic magic), Happy and Charla, even Jet and Droy; I've worked with all of them and gave them tips and specific goals to work towards.
But because I've gotten the majority of the Tenrou Team in my Party still, I've been gaining passive XP as everyone trains and fights monsters, even without leveling and grinding XP myself. Those in the ARK have been especially productive.
I've gained 12 levels total from everyone in the span of a month. Not much in the grand scheme of things, but that meager amount was enough to get my INT back into the quadruple digits!
Being an Arcane Dragon with the Archmage class is completely busted.
I've also been developing other skills. My overall level hasn't gone up much, but I've been developing my current magical skills. Mavis' teachings have been especially productive.
Thanks to her, my Illusory Magic skill in the Archmage class alone has risen by fifteen levels!
Fifteen! It seems my skills develop and level up faster when I have a competent teacher guiding me.
Being Mavis' student has brought me one step closer to completing the Solo Leveling quest. And if nothing else, it's brought my Illusory Magic to be on par with my Holy Magic now! And the cherry to top it all off, I've gained a new spell skill!
Illusion Tier 1
This Spell can create illusions that affect 1 sense (smell, touch, sight, hearing, and taste) of 1 target. Your illusion will be rather rudimentary. For example, a sight illusion can't move and a taste illusion will taste slightly off.
Not very useful in a fight, and it's quite weak, but it's progress! If I can raise the tier of the spell through training, I may be able to create illusions that are near impossible to differentiate from reality.
But after my lesson with Mavis today, I'll be leaving to explore areas that'll more than likely take me outside of Fioré's borders. The Night Furys will be going with me. I need to find more dungeons, as they're one of my primary sources of XP, and those three need to start training as well. For the past month, I've mostly had them work with Zana when they aren't hunting in the ARK.
At this point, I've mapped out nearly every corner of this peninsula, and thanks to my minimap, I know that there are almost no more dungeons in the Flower Blooming Kingdom's borders. There are a few, which I'll be tackling tomorrow.
But after that I'll be spending the next week or so hunting dungeons outside the kingdom. While we travel, the Night Furys and I will be practicing aerial maneuvers and building up their speed and stamina.
As I focus on gaining levels, I have no doubt that everyone in my Party will gain quite the boost to their level and stats. On top of the training they're doing that focuses on potency and technique, the strength they gain from me leveling up should dwarf that of what they were in Canon.
As it's a bit of a longer journey I'm planning on taking, I've instructed Luxion to keep an eye on everyone in the ARK using his drones. I'll also be dropping off Lucy before I go. Though leaving her to fend for herself in a literal realm of giant monsters gives me no small amount of concern, anxiety even.
But I have faith that she's ready. She has her spirits to call upon, and Luxion will be watching the entire time.
Oh, Juvia's probably ready too, now that I think about it.
I titled my wings down, using my tail to steer through the trees as I shrunk myself to the size of a house cat. Mavis turned from the branch she was sitting on while I approached, smiling as she saw me.
"First Master," I nodded as I landed, looking out to the sandy clearing she was staring at. Lucy sat off in the distance, meditating in her white bikini with Capricorn nearby, "Observing young Miss Heartfilia train, are we?"
"Guilty," Mavis smiled as she turned back to watch the young blonde meditating with Capricorn's assistance in the distance, "I've never interacted with Celestial Spirits before. I wanted to find out what their methods for teaching magic are."
"I can't imagine it's terribly different from how the rest of us learned," I thought back to the words I remember Capricorn telling Lucy the first time he helped her meditate.
"Oh? How did you first come to learn magic, then?" Mavis inquired.
"Instinct," I said honestly, "Magic has always come to me fairly easily. Though I won't deny I studied its deeper meanings in the guild's library."
"Let's see…you would've only just been a few months old, if I recall correctly," Mavis tapped her chin in thought before smiling at me again, "Your intelligence is astounding."
"Intelligence and wisdom are two separate things," Was my response, "My youth and ignorance continues to humble me. I may have knowledge, but I'm still working on my execution of it."
"That outlook there only serves to prove your wisdom," She chuckled, "But for now, we'll continue our lessons…it's a shame this will be our last one for a while. I've been having fun!"
"I'm glad," I bowed my head before looking at her with serious eyes, "Though I wonder…when I return, will you be able to teach me any of the Three Grand Fairy Spells?"
"Hm…" Mavis' smile didn't quite reach her eyes, "We'll have to see about that. Those spells are quite dangerous when used improperly; for both the caster and those around them."
"Then I shall do no more than beseech you to ponder my request," I nodded in acknowledgement, "I recognize their danger, which is why I've requested your tutelage on the subject rather than try to learn them myself."
"Very well," Mavis returned the nod gracefully, her full smile returning, "Now! Back to what I told you about illusions yesterday…"
I couldn't stop an internal smile from forming in my mind as Mavis began instructing me more in illusions. She gets so giddy when she talks about things she's passionate about.
The Elder Apprentice smiled softly as she watched the Younger Apprentice train. Whether it was a happy or sad smile, she couldn't say.
It had been a few weeks since she woke up. During that time, her body had been recovering nicely. After months, almost years even, of physical inactivity she had finally gained the strength to stay on her feet unaided.
She'd also come to terms with everything else that had happened. The Kingdom was destroyed. Her master and father-figure was killed. The dragon was still out there. Her home and those she cared about were gone.
Save for him.
She watched from afar as her younger peer trained with the warriors of the Monastery.
Ninjas, she recalled.
"His determination is something else, isn't it?" A regal, elderly voice sounded behind her.
The Elder Apprentice turned to see the Great Sage looking out at the courtyard with her, observing the training session.
"I…just hope it doesn't become his undoing," She sighed softly, wrapping the shawl she was wearing tighter around her arms.
"Vengeance tends to lead to self destruction, yes," The Great Sage stroked his trim white beard, "Time will only tell what becomes of this."
"It doesn't take a genius to see where this is going to go," The Elder Apprentice sighed as silent tears stung her eyes, "He's going to get himself killed. And it will be for nothing…"
"Is that so?"
"Of course it is," She looked down as her tears started to flow freely, "Humans can't kill dragons! No matter what he does or how many skills he learns, he'll never…"
She hiccuped as she tried to hold back her sobs. The Great Sage eyed the young woman, a calm sense of empathy in his voice as he spoke, "Have you tried speaking with him?"
"Of course I have…" She sniffed, "I've tried so many times to talk him out of seeking revenge. Our own master was the strongest wizard alive, and he didn't stand a chance even with the Kingdom's own King on his side! The greatest warrior and the greatest mage fell to dragonfire…"
"The pair of them were indeed a force to be reckoned with," The old Sage chuckled, as he began to reminisce, "Your master was quite eccentric, and that foolish prince was no better."
"Huh?" She looked up at him, "You knew my master…and…the Prince?"
"I knew your king before he was a king," The Great Sage clarified, "He and your master visited our Monastery many years ago."
"Heh…no wonder he was so good at fighting," The Elder Apprentice smiled as memories of her master sparring with them came to mind, "He was probably the only Wizard-Warrior in the Kingdom."
"More like the whole continent, if not the world!" The Sage laughed boisterously, "His skill with magic was unrivaled even back then, and once we beat him down a peg, he picked up martial skills quite quickly."
"Yeah…but that only serves to further prove my point," The Elder Apprentice looked on toward the Younger Apprentice, who had swapped sparring partners by now, "Our master was the greatest of magical and martial might. We may have been his students, but we still don't come near his level of strength. I wish he could see that…"
Despite it all, the Elder Apprentice understood his desire for revenge; she lost everything too.
But she still had him.
He cared for her while she was injured, they grew up together, and she loved him like a brother. His tenacity was something she admired about him in the past, but she feared this quest of his would get him killed.
If she lost him too…
"You love him," The old man suddenly stated.
"Huh?" The Elder Apprentice said again, a light blush dusting her cheeks, "Well, of course I do. Our master raised us together, he's like my brother. Of course I love him."
"Have you told him as much?"
She said nothing as her mouth parted slowly.
The old man smiled softly at her silence, "By my experience, there is a power in this world that influences men in all they do."
"...And that is…?" She questioned when he didn't elaborate.
"Come now, isn't it clear?" He smiled again, "The only thing that motivates men is love; be it for a vice, virtue, or ideal, love is the driving motive behind all that men do. It can get especially messy if a woman is involved."
The Sage chuckled as he walked away, reminiscing on old memories. He hummed a tune as the Elder Apprentice was left to ponder his words.
Lucy stretched as her back arched. She fell from her meditative pose to rest on her elbows as the sun began setting. She smiled softly at the sight of the orange sky, with the calm blue sea beating against the shoreline.
She couldn't believe a month had passed already! It seemed like only yesterday when she and her friends set out for the beach. Forget that, it seemed like only a week ago since she left for Tenrou for the S-class Trial! But in reality, seven years have gone by.
Seven years…
Thoughts of her father caused her soft smile to fall from her face. She missed him. She'd since come to terms with her dad's death, but the weight of the time she lost…the time they'd all lost. She wasn't the only one affected. Far from it.
"Deep breaths, Lucy," She said to herself as she inhaled through her nose, then exhaled through her mouth.
She rose to her feet, stretching out her sore legs. She scratched her hip as her smile found its way to her face again.
She was making good progress! Everyone was. Kilgara had been a huge help for her. He'd given her some really good tips on meditating, and on how to feel and sense the magic around her. He even helped her in hand-to-hand combat! He also gave her a goal to work towards: being able to summon more than one spirit at once.
It's a feat she's managed to accomplish in the past, but only briefly. And it left her completely drained. Kilgara challenged her to prolong keeping at least two gates open while she meditated. She could barely manage a few seconds a month ago, but now she could manage a couple minutes.
Lucy chuckled. Who would've guessed the cute little lizard that clung to her shoulder would grow to be someone she relied on for magic training.
"Something funny?" Kilgara's deep voice startled her, causing her to screech as she jumped!
"Don't sneak up on a girl like that!" Lucy stomped indignantly, "I swear, you're gonna give me a heart attack one day!"
"Then learn to pay attention," Kilgara said with a straight face, "You'll know you've mastered the sensory techniques I taught you when you're able to detect the presence of those who are trying to hide when you're not looking for them."
"Huh?" Lucy blinked, almost feeling insulted, before waving it off, "Nevermind. What's up? You need something?"
"Its time," Kilgara stated, "I'll be taking you to ARK now."
"Wait, really?" Lucy couldn't help but smile, "I'll finally be with Natsu and the others?" Though time may have felt like it was passing quickly, she found herself missing her pink-haired partner in the last few weeks. Same with the rest of her team.
"No, not unless you find them," Kilgara chuckled as blue hexagons of light started forming around them.
"Woah, wait!? You mean now now!?" Lucy shrieked, "I'm still in a freakin' bikini!"
"Use your spirits and your wits to survive," Kilgara advised, ignoring her concerns, "Trust nothing and no one. Hunt to survive. Good luck."
"Dammit, why!?" Lucy nearly cried as her beachy surroundings vanished.
"Hey," The Elder Apprentice greeted from her chair as the Young Apprentice entered their room.
"Hey," He nodded back with a hoarse voice, setting a sack of bread and dried meat on the room's desk, "I brought dinner."
"Thanks," She smiled softly as she reached out to unpack the food, "You're looking worse for wear."
"We did strength and flexibility training today," He responded, "It's gotten pretty rough. I swear, this training is gonna be the death of me."
"You saying we should leave?" She asked while taking a bite out of the humble loaf of bread.
"Not a chance," He gave a tired smile, "This life is harsh, but I can already tell how strong I've gotten. I may not be on par with Master yet, but I've come so far in a few short years! Pretty soon, I'll be able to take on that monster."
"...Well, what if we did leave?" The Elder Apprentice looked down at her food as she spoke, "I've recovered to the point of being able to travel, if barely. And since you've gotten stronger, you can protect us on the road. Not to mention my Utility and Healing magic. I know that stuffs never been your strong suit," She gave him a teasing smile.
"Yeah, it really showed when I was struggling to keep us alive," He rolled his eyes, before looking at her more seriously, "But why are you in such a rush to leave? The Sages can still teach us so much, and I'm nowhere near as strong as I need to be."
"Well…I've been giving it a lot of thought," She said, brushing her chestnut hair to one side, "I don't really need more training…I've still got my magic and our Master's teachings, and I'm happy with that. And also…"
She hesitated, and the Young Apprentice watched on as she took a deep breath to steel herself. His heart grew heavy…though from what he couldn't say.
"I know you're hell-bent on revenge, and I know we've talked about it before," She continued, looking him straight in the eye, "But I have to try one last time. Is there any way I can help you find closure? Can you abandon this quest? You know what seeking that thing will do to you…I don't want to see you get hurt. Or worse. Can't we find a peaceful place to live a quiet life?"
"My answer hasn't changed," He responded with a heavy voice, "I have to kill that thing. It destroyed our home, killed our friends, and slaughtered our nation. I won't rest until I drag that thing to hell."
The Elder Apprentice rose from her seat, setting the bread back on the desk. A shadow cast over her face as she stepped towards him. He looked up at her blank face, steeling himself to argue further as they'd done in the past, but what happened next took him by surprise.
She dropped to her knees. She hugged his lap as tears stung at her eyes, "Please…please don't do this…" She said softly.
The Young Apprentice had never seen her cry like this. Even when she'd received the news of their home's destruction, she rarely cried in his presence. And these tears seemed different…
"You can't…I can't lose you too," She looked up at him as her tears streamed down her cheeks, "I love you…please…I can't lose you too," She repeated, burying her face in his lap.
"...well…I mean…You know I…care for you too," He said tentatively, "We were raised together, and you're my best friend-"
"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it," She sniffed as she looked up, giving him a hard stare, "I love you. Take it how you will, I'm not looking for a response right now. I just want you to know that you have a lot more to live for than just revenge. But if you're set on this…"
She rose to her feet, looking down at him one last time, "I'm not going to let you die. Not like this. You stupid fool."
She slapped his cheek, grabbed his head, and kissed his reddening face. She grabbed her bread as she stormed off, shutting the door behind her firmly.
The Young Apprentice watched with wide eyes as she left. He stood there for a long while, his mind blank as his cheek stung and tingled at the same time.
It would be a week later before anything truly substantial happened.
During that week, Thorn, Saphira, Alva, and I spent ninety percent of our time in the air. The four of us were constantly battling, racing, and hunting. The speed at which we traversed the skies of Fiore was truly astounding.
I was still the fastest of us all, but the three Night Furys had me beat when it came to raw agility. The fins on their tails and the flexibility of their talons provided them with unique maneuverability advantages both in the air and on the ground.
We'd found a few dungeons, enough that I leveled up ten times and the Night Furys seven. The only real notable one was a rare dungeon that contained a lair of mimics and slimes. I was able to collect quite a bit of gold and jewels from that particular dungeon.
But now, far off in the west along the border of Fiore and Bosco, Alva managed to find a real prize.
I was flying high above the clouds, filling out a portion of my mini-map when I heard her distant roar, signaling the rest of us to come to her.
I angled my wings down, folding them in as I used my tail to steer into a dive. Alva's roar came from the peak of a large mountain.
My wings extended at the last minute, sending dust flying over the rocks and I landed next to the green-eyed Night Fury. The other two landed shortly after.
My eyes widened at what I saw.
"Excellent work, Alva," I said in Draconic.
In front of us was a red dungeon portal. Another Mythic Dungeon, akin to the one Natsu and Lucy went through years earlier.
I have to wonder why it's here of all places. As far as I'm concerned, this place holds no kind of significance, and I'd thought that all dungeons Mythic tier difficulty and above could only be found near significant landmarks or locations.
Either way, I won't complain. Let's see what this dungeon might be throwing at us.
Mythic Dungeon: The Monastery
A monastery this time, huh? With like, monks and stuff? Hm…probably a lot of martial art stuff then…unless it's the kind of monastery that has things like nuns or holy men.
"Let's go," I nodded towards the sky, "We'll return later. I want us to be in top shape before we enter this particular portal."
The three Night Furys roared their acknowledgement as they spread their wings. The four of us took off, flying above the clouds just as the sun began to set.