Gone For Awhile

Hydra Leader

(Natsu POV)

I used my strength to move most of the small boulders away from the entrance where I had left Jellal and Meredy. It was tiresome work. I hope they've got some food hidden somewhere. I'm starving! I moved the last boulder and stretched my back. Now, for the last one. I hope they can crawl real low. After calling out to them to make sure they were okay and telling them what the plan was, I bent down to pick up the piece of ceiling that had fallen. Lifting it took a lot more work than I thought it would. I waited until Jellal touched my shoulder, and I dropped the ceiling. My muscles hurt, and my hands were an ugly red.

Rubbing my hands on my pants, I turned to Jellal. "Now what?" I asked. They surveyed the robes on the ground. It wasn't too difficult of a task. They were easy to take out. Jellal turned back to me, his serious expression forever plastered on his face.

"Good work Natsu. But...Where's the Guild Leader?" He asked like I was gonna know the answer. I rolled my eyes. Obviously, the leader wasn't here, but how was I supposed to know the guy's whereabouts. This was Jellal's mission in the first place. I crossed my arms and glared at him with a scowl on my face.

"Are you looking for sweet lil ol' me?" Came a sweet, sing-song voice from above. We all began looking around the ceiling above us as the voice turned into an ominous laugh. "Oh, this is...PERFECT!!!" It sang. "My sweet, little pet here was just getting hungry." The voice growled a bit at the end as we turned to the sound of hissing coming from the wall to our left.

A small hole in the wall slithered a giant purple snake with a tail that split at the end. Small, stubby legs could barely be seen underneath its long scaly body. The serpent encircled us with its body. As the laughter rang out above us once again, the serpent lunged at Meredy. The long-haired pinkette summoned a shield that sent electrical shocks throughout the body. Its split tail thrashed before, and I felt a strange sense of deja vu.

"Don't cut the head!" I called out to Meredy as she summoned her Maguilty Rays. "It's a Hydra Beast!" I answered her unseen question. A split second later, her blades turned from yellow to blueish and crashed on top of the creature's head. The creature writhed about on the floor in untouched agony.

Thud!

I turned around to face the cloaked figure as she crouched on the ground. The serpent slithered around from behind her and laid its head at her knees. "What did you do to my poor baby?" Came the melodiously sinister voice as a hand went to the serpent's head. I could sense the magical energy coming off of the still crouching figure, and it was immense.

As the aura surrounding the female grew, so did a dark purple shadow rise from behind her. Where did that thing come from? I stared up at the beast, my heart beating heavily in my throat. How could this be? I killed that thing! I'm sure of it! Sweat started to bead on my forehead as I continued to stare at the ghost of the Hydra Beast I had killed back in the canyon.

I ducked as its massive jaws came crashing down on where I stood. The massive shadow disappeared in a cloud of dust. The cynical laugh was heard as a thick miasma began to surround us, blocking our sight from even our own shadows. I blocked out Jellal's annoying voice and listened for the slithering. This wizard must have Illusion magic and is using it to block our senses. 

I heard a quick slither behind me and turned around, fists raised. I heard it in spots left and right. Turning and turning, but the miasma was too thick to make out a thing. Finally getting bored with this, I crouched low and blew a ring of flames in a circular direction, dispelling most of the pinkish miasma and earning a sneer from the cloaked woman before me.

"Well, you're an annoying one." She complained about her body and faced hidden beneath the purple shroud. I stood ready for her attack, my elbows bent and my fists aflame. We stood staring at each other, and Jellal and Meredy fought the hydra in the background.

Then she lunged. It was quick, and I never saw her claws until it was too late. She began swiping left and right, forcing me back with every swing. My flames had gone out in shock as I had to dodge every swing. I ducked under her last one and swung my fist into her stomach. She hissed and backed away from me, holding her stomach in pain.

"How dare you hit a lady!" She screeched.

"You're no lady. You couldn't even compare to a real lady." I scoffed and swiped at the scratch on my cheek with the back of my hand. My flames lit again; I jumped at her. Now she was the one backing away from me. Jellal used his METEOR spell and rammed into the figure as my fist made contact with solid ground. Meredy came from behind and clasped a pair of shackles on the mysterious guild leader. After the leader was secured and set up in a corner, Jellal and Meredy took a deep breath and seemed to relax. I looked around, surveying the damage. Not too much was done, considering all that just happened. 

"You're free to look around, Natsu," Jellal spoke, turning to me. "You've earned it. And considering this is a dark guild, I don't think they would mind if we took a few things to survive on."

"Oh, sure!" The woman spoke, sarcasm dripping in her voice. "Take anything you want. Take it all if you can."

"Thank you. We appreciate your generous offer." Jellal spoke without looking at her. He turned and began rummaging behind a counter I hadn't seen was against the wall to the right of us. Clearly, he knew she didn't mean any of it, but he showed nothing.

"Don't worry about it, Natsu. This is how we survive. It's not honorable, but at least the dark guilds can't get any use out of what's left. We see it as not only a means of survival but a way to ensure the guild doesn't resurface." Meredy explained from beside me before she went off to join Jellal.

I shrugged my shoulders and began looking around, mostly for food. Meredy found the food storage, and I began eating. We split the food between us. Meredy handed me a bag for my portions.

"So, what happened to the hydra?" I asked, pointing my thumb behind my shoulder to the seemingly lifeless body of the purple serpent.

"I cut off its central nervous system. It's just paralyzed. It'll wear off before we leave but not before the proper authorities arrive." Meredy explained, nibbling of a small bun.

"So, how do you expect to get the authorities out here? And how do you plan to keep that thing pacified until then?" I questioned while munching on a turkey leg.

"That's where you come in, Natsu," Jellal spoke, making me turn my attention to him. "There is a small village on the other side of the forest. From there, you can catch a carriage to Clover Town and alert the closest guild."

"You want me to make the call to the Magic Council?" I gawked at him, nearly choking on the chunk of meat that had gotten stuck in my throat.

"We obviously can't make the call, Natsu," Meredy interjected. "That's why we needed you. I'll keep the Link open for you. All you have to do is tell the guild master what happened here. Once you've done that, pinch yourself, and I'll feel it. That's when we'll leave and take shelter in the forest far enough away that we won't be caught, but close enough that my magic holds the beast immobile."

"So, you guys are staying here until this whole place is taken away?" I stared curiously.

"No, Natsu. We'll stay until the magic council shows up." Jellal said almost menacingly. "We can't risk staying here too long." He finished while still rummaging beneath the counter. He pulled out a heavy metal box and began fiddling with the lock. Upon opening the container, Jellal dumped out the contents and began sorting out the inside's jewel. Jellal slid a few pouches towards me. "That's for you, Natsu. You earned it." He repeated, pocketing a single pouch himself. 

I stuffed the pouches into the bag along with my food and shouldered it. If their plan relied on me making my way to the nearest guild, then I guess I had better start. They walked me to the now ruined castle entrance, and after getting better directions, we said our goodbyes. I may not like Jellal, but Erza does.

Boy, wait until everybody hears about this.