Cobra had seen some stupid things.
There's no way...
This had to be the top, though.
Cobra felt his breath stutter and his mouth widen as he felt a pair of fangs sink into his back, the poison sinking into his veins and his lungs and healing his most grievous injuries. His bones shifted back into place one by one, and his internal bleeding stalled and then burned away with the blessed touch of venom coursing through his body.
"Coballios!"
Yet even then, Cobra was only focused on the sound of his friend's heartbeat, which had come back in full force. His friend was alive, and the slight hiss in response was all Cobra needed to hear to have his heart beating out of his chest. He had lost all hope, and now the painfully quiet sound was back and louder than ever before.
'Hiss'
Cobra's friend was alive...
'Hiss' 'Hiss'
Alive and kicking, undeterred by the tears mixed with blood that had fallen from Cobra's eyes. Coballios kissed them away as he slowly and agonizingly stood up, the process excruciatingly painful, yet nothing compared with the utter despair he had felt before when he thought his first and only true friend had been dead.
"You're alive..."
Cobra's friend was alive...
"Thank fuck you're alive, Coballios."
No amount of words could express how much that meant to him, none.
'Hiss'
He could never explain how much it settled his heart when Coballios slithered up his shaking legs and around his neck like everything was normal. The smooth scales rested against his bruised skin like a maroon scarf; all the while, Cobra wiped the tears from his closed, bloodstained eyes.
'Hiss'
His permanently shut and bloodstained eyes.
"Don't worry, Coballios, it's not your fault."
Cobra said as he gingerly tapped his scarred eyelids, flinching back at the sting that shot straight through them and to the cut that ripped through his irises and pupils. Thankfully, the amount wasn't deep enough to gouge his eyes out, but it was enough to cut the nerves and optics. Enough to blind him indefinitely.
"I doubt even the first generation could heal this."
Eyes were complicated; even a slight scratch could ruin them permanently. Cobra's healing factor was decent but mostly reserved for primary injuries and fatigue. It wasn't like he could regrow an arm or anything of that caliber; at least, he was pretty sure he couldn't, so the fact that his eyesight was still gone was to be expected.
"I'll get used to this in no time."
Cobra had always had better ears anyway.
'...Hiss'
Coballios's reluctant yet acceptance was enough to help ease Cobra's mind as he adjusted to the dark world he would now live in. His ears prickled for the surroundings as he caught the sound of little first generation's breathing, soft and snoring; she must be asleep. There was the sound of smoke still lingering in the air, some toxic chemicals that made their way to his ears, and another breath.
"He's still alive, Coballios..."
Jellal's steady and slumbering breathing was only a few meters away.
"We can kill finally..."
'JELLAL'S A GOOD PERSON!'
"We can kill..."
'HE SAVED ME!'
"Goddammit..."
'Please don't make me take another life.'
"Ugh... FUCK!"
Cobra roared as he kicked the ground, snarling as he 'glared' daggers at the person he wanted to kill more than anything and at the blue-haired girl who wanted nothing more than to heal him. The blue-haired girl that was stupid enough to give him this chance, this golden fucking chance on a silver platter. What was he supposed to do, not take it?
"You know what... fuck it."
Like hell, Cobra would let this chance slip through his fingers. Cobra was going to kill Jellal; yeah, that's what was going to happen. He would march over to that sleeping bastard and stomp his fucking head in, and that would be it because there was no reason not to.
"It's her stupid fault for..."
There was no reason...
"Trying to heal..."
No reason.
"My friend."
There was no fucking reason Cobra should be hesitating.
'There... All... better...'
Cobra growled as he walked over to Jellal's probe body, gnashing his teeth as he looked down at the prone bastard that had made his life fucking hell for months on end, and heard his partner's quiet hiss hit his ears that had become his crutch.
'Hiss'
Even if Cobra couldn't hear his partner's voice, he could tell what Coballios wanted to do. What Coballios wanted Cobra to do.
"Fucking dammit..."
Cobra would be lying if he said he didn't hate it.
Midnight felt like he was going insane.
How big is this fucking forest...
It was like he'd walked for hours and hadn't seen anyone. He should have gotten out by now or stumbled upon something other than tree bark, but nothing came up. The stupid fucking flaws in his memory weren't helping either. They kept throwing him off.
Where am I going again...
At some point, he'd forgotten whatever trail he was following and decided to keep walking. It had been hours since then, and his body hurt; even worse, the guy he was dragging behind him was heavy...
So weird...
It was so heavy...
Why am I here again...
When was it heavy again?
I'm looking for a way out or... something else.
No, his hand was pretty light right now, just a look back, and he could see it was empty. Why did he think it was heavy again?
My head is so... fuzzy.
Midnight stopped walking through the forest, his eyes quirking as he looked into nothing and tried to figure out what he was thinking about earlier. It was weird; his head was foggy, but it slipped out of his grasp every time he looked. Fleeting and fluttering, like a butterfly he couldn't catch but could see.
What am I here for again...
When did his head get so foggy...
I was here to kill...
It was after he killed...
Who was I here to kill?
To kill...
It was... two?
Had midnight killed someone?
Two doesn't make sense...
No, that wasn't right...
It was one... wasn't it?
He was here to kill someone, but he hadn't done it yet. Yeah, that made more sense.
Yeah, that's right.
That was right; Midnight was here to kill Jellal; it all made sense now. He was here to kill Jellal, and he was pissed because his idiotic guild mates had gotten a head start. Now, if he wanted to get a piece of the action, he had to walk through this stupid forest and find out where Racer and Cobra snuck off before they killed Jellal, and he got nothing.
"What a shame..."
Midnight sighed as he started walking, putting his hands in his pockets. He sleepily trailed through the forest, following the trail his guild mates had left him. If only he hadn't been such a deep sleeper, he could have gotten a piece of revenge for himself as well; now, he might not have gotten the chance.
"It's almost midnight, too."
He would just have to hope those two battle junkies didn't kill Jellal too quickly.
Siegrain should have been dead, utterly and truly.
"Raubol..."
Siegrian had been pinned, and even after Raubol had arrived, he hadn't noticed when Midnight went into an illusion to hide himself. He didn't even realize the Midnight standing next to him was a fake until Raubol commented on it, and the illusions shattered, leaving the space next to him empty and revealing the actual Midnight behind Raubol.
"Yes, Siegrain."
Then Midnight had tried to stab Raubol; Siegrain saw Raubol flicker out of existence and reappear a few meters above before landing on Midnight's head and tapping Midnight's forehead with his cane. Then Midnight stopped functioning? It was hard to describe; Midnight's eyes had some glazed over like he'd fallen asleep with his eyes open, and then he'd just stopped moving. He was staring off into space with hazy and unfocused eyes without any indication of what Midnight saw underneath.
"What did you do to him?"
Midnight now stood with slumped shoulders, looking at nothing with unfocused eyes as if watching a film behind his irises. Raubol sat crisscrossed on his head without a hint of concern, just the occasional chuckle.
"Oh, this little trick..."
It was jarring to see the enemy who had nearly killed Siegrian, who would have killed him if not for Raubol, handled so easily.
"Just something I picked up over the years."
It was even more jarring that Raubol didn't seem to think it was a big deal, just casually humming from atop Midnight's head. The old trickster gave a sly smile as he leaned his cheek on his palm, "I would offer to teach it to you, but I doubt it's something you could master in your lifetime."
When did I learn this again? When I was 250... oh, maybe it was 300. Ah, how time flies.
Raubol had mastered the art of illusions more than any other in known history, and as much as Siegrain was talented, he wasn't the kind of talent necessary for Illusions. Raubol could confidently say that he'd only ever met two people who came close to being the required talent to learn his magic: a little girl named Azalea that he had taught 70, maybe even 80 years ago, and another he met briefly a century ago.
What was her name again, Mantis... no, Mavis was her name. Yes, Mavis Vermillion.
Now, she was someone he wouldn't forget, no matter how many years passed. If magic itself loved someone, it would have been her, and if she hadn't disappeared, he would have probably asked her to destroy his creation. He felt like she could have turned that impossibility into a reality.
I wonder what ever happened to her.
Raubol hummed passively as he got lost in his daydreams for a bit before turning to watch the incredibly talented child in front of him give a slow, grateful, hesitant nod. The boy looked like he wanted nothing to do with the magic Raubol had used, which was unfair, in Raubol's opinion.
This spell isn't that scary, is it... he'll forget about it all tomorrow anyway.
If you asked him, Raubol hadn't done anything that bad to the boy below him; he just tweaked the boy's memories a bit and showed him what he wanted to see... over and over and over again—trapped him in an endless loop so he could live his violent fantasies out in his head instead of out in the open.
If anything, I should be the one complaining.
Raubol was the one the violent boy had cut in half about six times so far inside the illusion. It felt unfair. Raubol had even been friendly!
How cruel... I was trying to lighten the mood.
Raubol pouted at the thought, sparing a glance at Siegrain sitting in an exhausted heap, catching his breath and glancing at his canvas of injuries. The sullen look crossed Siegrain's face, not going unnoticed by Raubol, who spoke with a caring tone and a deep understanding.
"You shouldn't be too hard on yourself."
Raubol had seen the frustration of losing haunt far too many souls over the centuries.
"I wasn't there, but I can tell you fought well..."
Raubol hoped Siegrain wouldn't be one of them.
"That in itself is something to be proud of."
Raubol watched as his words hit the sullen teen's ears, Siegrain's eyes drooping in a downcast nod. Raubol wasn't sure if his message got across, but it was at least heard; that was the best he could ask for, given the trying circumstances.
We should get moving now...
Raubol had handled this problem, but Jellal and Wendy's whereabouts were still in question. Hopefully, it worked out like he thought it would, with Jellal winning his battle and Wendy healing him afterward, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Now that Raubol was certain that Siegrain's wounds weren't fatal, it was time to start moving towards the others.
Siegrain's wounds aren't lethal, but he'll need first aid. Hopefully, Wendy can take a look at him after she's done healing Jellal.
Raubol hummed at the thought, getting ready to hop off Midnight's head before he heard a rustling from the surrounding forests. Raubol glanced over along with Siegrain as a tan young man with a shredded white trench coat drenched in blood and bruises walked into the open.
"Knew I heard something..."
The young man's maroon hair was matched by the maroon snake wrapped around his neck as he lumbered into the open, dragging two figures behind him, one in each hand, before speaking with a grave and exhausted voice, "Hey you..."
There was a slight pause, the maroon-haired individual's ears twitching, before he spoke more confidently: "People. Yeah, you two. I'm not here to fight, just here to talk."
The kid looked worse for wares, going off the heavy breaths he took and the scar stretching across his face. Horizontal and cutting across both eyes, blinding the kid for the far future, although going off the way he tilted his head, he didn't seem to mind it.
"Name's Cobra."
This 'Cobra' seemed to have good ears.
"Let's trade these two for the sleepy and long nose."
Still, Raubol couldn't let the young lad's unfortunate circumstances distract him from the two hostages hanging limply from the boy's fingers. On the one hand, Raubol spotted Wendy, thankfully without a wound on her, just sleeping from what looked like a long healing session, and on the other was Jellal, who, unfortunately, wasn't as unscathed.
"Boy..."
Raubol couldn't stop the hint of anger that slipped into his voice as he looked over the empty sleeve where Jellal's right arm used to be. His eyes flashed over the twin scars across Jellal's face before turning to the new arrival, trembling under Raubol's silent judgment. Raubol's centuries' worth of magic narrowed in on Cobra, suffocating him and only him, as Siegrain watched in stunned silence.
"I take it you were the one who took Jellal's arm."
Raubol tamed back his magic and watched the boy gulp, sweat dripping down the blind mage's chin before he gave a dry chuckle and answered without trying to lie or shift blame, "Well, it wasn't me per se, but I was the reason he lost it, so yeah..."
Raubol could admit he admired the kid's honesty.
"I took his arm."
The fact that the kid wasn't trying to shift blame or hide made Raubol soften his temper. He reigned in the last bit of his magic before humming, "Well then... I suppose I'll let it slide."
As long as everyone was alive at the end of the day, Raubol could overlook a lost arm.
"It seems like you already paid the price for it anyway."
Especially since the loss of one's eyes was a far worse sacrifice, in Raubol's opinion.
"Yeah, that's fair," Cobra said with a grimace, squinting from behind his blood-stained eyelids before he took a deep breath. The glint of fanged teeth flashed under the moonlight as he went to speak before Siegrain interjected with a cautious tone, sparing a curious look at Cobra from the ground. He had committed to recovering now that Raubol was present to watch his back.
"Why did you and your friends attack us?"
Siegrain wanted to know. He understood that it had to do with Jellal, but he couldn't figure out what it was for his life.
"What did Jellal-"
"He tortured us."
Cobra's quick and unbending response shut Siegrain's mouth in an instant. His brown eyes widened in shock as Cobra tilted his blind gaze towards him and spoke with a fiery tone that simmered and burned yet never exploded, "He kept us chained to his stupid tower for months on end. He was stacking bricks on bricks till our fingers bled, and our stomachs started eating themselves and building that shitty thing without any end in sight. Day and night, that's all we did, over and over. We were his slaves, his tools, and we would still be there if it weren't for our guild master."
The words stuck Siegrain to the core, and Cobra never lost his fire throughout all of them. His words were all spoken with a searing belief, albeit they cooled down a bit as Cobra turned to Siegrain and tilted his head in what seemed like a latent realization, "I'll admit it that it was our fault for dragging you into it, you don't seem to know as much as I thought you did... but if you want me to apologize for trying to kill your brother, forget it."
Yet Cobra never, for a single second, lost his deep and seething hatred for Jellal.
"There's no one in this world that deserves death more than he does."
That knowledge, the conviction stewed in Cobra's words, was like weights that fell in Siegrain's stomach. The importance of his brother's sins rang with Vera's warning, creating a bitter pill he was forced to swallow.
My brother has done horrible things...
Whether Ultear's influence was involved, Siegrain's brother had done something horrible and unforgivable, and the proof stood before him. Standing with both eyes lost yet never once showing an ounce of regret because Cobra was particular; Jellal was that horrible.
Truly and utterly horrible things.
The thought circled Siegrain's mind like a shark as he gained a downcast expression. His eyes wavered as he turned from the blind dragon slayer towards the brother in question, still lying limply in Cobra's white-knuckled grip. Siegrain traced Jellal's lost arm and new scars before opening his mouth to ask a question, only for Raubol to ask it first.
"Don't mind me asking, but why did you keep him alive if you hate him so much?"
It was an apparent contradiction: If Cobra hated Jellal so much, why hadn't he killed him before coming here? Jellal was asleep; the opportunity was there; why hesitate if the hate was truthful? Raubol and Siegrain were curious, and as they both looked to Cobra for the answer, they saw him tilt his head slightly at Wendy, and suddenly, the answer became apparent: "Nothing..."
Wendy did have a way of reaching people with her kind and strong-willed heart.
"Coballios and I just wanna rematch before we kill him."
Cobra seemed to be the same.
"That's all," Cobra said with a thin reluctance, gently letting go of Wendy. She softly fell to the ground compared to the roughly dropped Jellal as Cobra waited for his offer to be rejected or accepted. If it was denied, then he was screwed; he didn't have it in him to fight these two, not if they were able to defeat Midnight. Especially that old man that sounded completely fucking silent, with no blood sloshing, no heartbeat, no nothing, except the aged voice that escaped his lips and the sound of magic, "Alright, boy..."
There was a sound of an immense pool of magic that seemed to rest in every muscle. It was so loud it almost sounded like he was made of it, but Cobra knew that wasn't true; it was impossible.
"Take your friends and leave quietly; there's been enough bloodshed for one night."
It had to be impossible.
"Yes sir," Cobra said with a tired sigh, fighting off a shiver as he heard the old man hop off Midnight's head before snapping. The sound echoing before Midnight seemed to slump to the ground in an unconscious heap, ready for Cobra to drag along with Racer, who was... missing something.
The fuck... When'd long nose lose his foot?
Cobra furrowed his brows before shaking his head and walking towards his guildmates. He tilted his head at Jellal's brother, Siegrain, if he remembered right, and noted his sound for later. Cobra only had part of the story, but it was easy to guess who was responsible for Racer's change.
He could be a problem in the future...
Anyone good enough to stop that adrenaline junkie was probably going to be a threat. It was better to keep him in mind for the future.
Plus, he survived Midnight... even if the older man probably helped him out.
Cobra's mouth thinned at the thought, a silent huff escaping his lips as he grabbed Racer by his only functioning leg and Midnight by another leg and dragged them behind him. Cobra moved to the edge of the forest, relying on the night's buzz and the tiny hisses of Coballios to guide him through the pitch-black world he would be forced to live in.
It is going to take some time to get used to-
"Oh yeah, Cobra, was it?"
Cobra stalled as the older man called out, his breath hitching as he felt a cane tap his nose, a boop from straight out of nowhere. There wasn't a single warning, not an ounce of movement emitted from the older man. Even Coballios hadn't noticed when the older man had moved, going off the startled hiss from around Cobra's neck in response to the older man's sudden appearance.
"If you and your friends ever tire of that life you're living..."
Cobra shook at the older man's words, his breath trembling as he waited for the man to snap, only to hear him speak from behind him this time.
"Stop by Cait Shelter."
That was just a casual conversation, a casual parting, yet the words Raubol said and their hidden meaning stole Cobra's breath away.
"Our guild is a good place for weary travelers who have lost their way."
It was unexpected, and in the end, a confused 'huh' escaped the poison dragon slayer before he collected himself and shook his head. He was muttering 'whatever' before he tiredly began walking into the cover of the woods, leaving the old man and Jellal's brother without glancing back.
Crazy old man...
Cobra was expecting a threat, not an offer.
I've never heard of that place before. Probably some backwater guild he owns—what an idiot.
To be clear, it was a stupid request, but it was still weird. This whole forest was fucking weird, and he honestly just wanted to get out of it. Regardless of how nice the older man appeared, it didn't matter; he sent shivers down Cobra's spine.
Besides, even if I did hear about it, why the fuck would I join your guild...
Jellal's brother, Siegrain, was long gone from Cobra's mind. He didn't care if he cut off Racer's foot or if he became a severe threat in the future; no matter how strong that dude became, it wouldn't matter in the slightest.
No way am I working under someone that doesn't even sound human.
Cobra was sure he'd never meet anyone scarier than that old man again.
The stiff shuffling filled the air as Siegrain watched Cobra walk into the deep underbrush of the forest and disappear. A full minute of silence passed after the poison dragon slayer had vanished entirely from sight before Siegrain tilted his head at Raubol and asked, "What'd you do that for?"
Why did he boop him on the nose? Is that a Cait Shelter thing? Am I going to be booped when I leave?
Siegrain furrowed his brows at the thought, looking at the end of his nose with worry before Raubol broke him out of his studies with a chuckle and a loud slap on his bruised back.
"Oh, that little thing! Don't worry about it," Raubol said with a halfhearted shrug as he snapped his fingers, and the two unconscious rugrats started floating in the air, "It was just a little parting gift."
Raubol grinned as he moved towards the floating children, glancing behind him as he saw Siegrain try and fail to stand up. Raubol gave a sympathetic look to the boy whose muscles had utterly and wholly collapsed from exhaustion. Siegrain's eyes fluttered similarly before Raubol floated him in the air and moved him next to the others, and his eyes widened in surprise.
"There, way easier, isn't it?" Raubol asked with a light smile, watching as Siegrain glanced back sulkily before muttering, "I can walk by myself..."
"Sure, whatever you say, kid."
Raubol chuckled as Siegrain halfheartedly rolled his eyes, lying on his back in midair as the two traveled through the forest. Siegrain looked up at the passing stars before glancing at the mage, who was much stronger than he had previously believed and asked a question that had been bugging him for a while.
"Are you sure letting them leave like that is okay?" Siegrain didn't take them as the type to forgive and forget this. He could see them recovering and then returning to burn this forest to the ground, without question, "What'll you do if they decide to come back for revenge."
"I'll send them away again."
"...that's all?"
"Yup," Raubol said with an offhand laugh, gazing at the stars as he spoke with a goofy smile. "I know what you're thinking, boy, and I'm a pacifist. I won't take a life, regardless of the person or circumstances. Not a single one."
"...so like Aria then."
"Ooh, do you mean the big fellow who picked up Wendy? Yes, I suppose it would be like that," Raubol said with a slight shake of his head, tapping his cane playfully along the dirt as he walked underneath the stars. "Although, based on the brief conversation we shared when he picked up Wendy, I would say the connotation is slightly different."
Raubol spared a glance back, cracking a smile as he saw Siegrain's brow furrow in confusion. The boy's apparent desire to know more only sparked Raubol's childish desire not to say anything else and continue their tiny walk home: "You should get some rest, Siegrain; you've had a long night."
"...I can manage."
"Tell that to your eyelids."
Raubol smiled as Siegrian frowned and refused to acknowledge his falling eyelids. The stubborn teen glared at his brother floating next to him, sans arm, and changed the subject with a dreadful tone: "You think Jellal did it?"
'He tortured us.'
Siegrain had been around torturers for years, and his brother didn't scream it. Jellal looked tired, and from the little he saw between Wendy's arrival and Racer's appearance, he looked kind. He was kind enough to put his body on the line for a little girl he cared for over a year ago without a second thought.
'He'll kill you.'
Siegrain had trouble matching what Vera had told him and Cobra with the person he saw with his own eyes. He was confused, and Raubol's "I don't know" answer didn't help. Although Siegrain could admit that the slight smile and childish glint in Raubol's eyes did make it seem a little less daunting, "Guess we'll just have to ask him when he wakes up."
Siegrain wanted to meet his brother face to face, without interruptions or anything getting in the way.
"...yeah."
Siegrain was ready to meet his brother once and for all. It helped him calm down enough to rest finally, and as his eyes dropped lower and lower, unable to fight off the desperate need for sleep, he was comforted by the fact that he would wake up and finally be able to put his worries to rest.
"Goodnight Siegrain."
When Siegrain woke...
"...night... Raubol..."
He would finally get to meet his brother Jellal.