The Firelights of Summer

In Fieri

Lucy couldn't believe her luck. The dragon had left her alone by his own volition, no underhanded methods necessary, and she was free to go. He looked so ridiculous, flitting from stall to stall and sampling—no, stealing bits of their wares. Though there was no denying his trickster nature, the glint of infantile delight in his eyes was too true to ignore. Could there really be a side to him like that, untouched by his torture? Even if there did exist that half, she still had to return to Crocus. If not that, then somehow alert the Rune Knights of their presence.

"Excuse me," Lucy said, trying to catch the attention of a pair of older women carrying baskets of fruit and fish. "What town is this?"

"Hargeon," one answered with a friendly smile, then she frowned as she scrutinized her. "Dear, you look as if you've been dragged halfway across Fiore!"

Right on the nose, she is, Lucy thought sourly. "I've been on a long journey, ma'am. It wasn't pleasant either."

"There is a little freshwater pool at the western edge of town," her friend said, pointing towards smaller buildings. "The women often use it to bathe in warm weather, but since it's fast approaching autumn, it's empty these days. You can clean up there, and find a vendor selling sewn dresses."

The smarter decision was to contact Gray immediately, but Lucy was sweaty, dirty, and in desperate need of a bath, so she nodded and bowed her thanks to the two before hurrying in the direction of the indicated pool.

One visit to a generous vendor and a cool but refreshing soak later, Lucy was stooped midst the bushes working her fingers through her soaked curls. The navy sundress fit her well enough to be presentable, and thankfully so did the boots he threw in. She looked into her reflection at her golden hair and smiled, rising to her feet.

"From what I've heard, Hargeon is a port town," she murmured, slipping through the trees until she was on a hill cresting the city. "It should be big enough to hold a Rune Knight garrison."

Everything she passed amazed her as she searched the town, although not to Natsu's level, but the excitement was there. Even though she had been on a few excursions into Crocus, it was always guided and not very expansive, and she, a storyteller, always listened with keen ears to guards as they told tales to one another of their birthplaces, places they've fought in, towns they miss the most. She was glad to finally have her own adventure, even if the conditions were...undesirable.

"Excuse me, is there a Rune Knight garrison here?" Lucy asked a fisherman coming up from the pier.

"Yeah, lady, it'd be down the street, 'til you reach the bridge, then cross it and make a left. Biggest building 'round." She thanked him and followed the indicated path, waving to the passersby she saw.

Nobody has recognized me yet despite my looks, she thought, looking around at the idle townspeople. Perhaps because I haven't been too far out into Fiore and they've never seen my face? It worked in her favor and against her at the same time, but she simply took a breath and straightened her back as she continued her way. This will simply be another thing to speak to Father about upon my return. She started slightly from her own thoughts, then gave herself a smile and an awkward laugh. I would never have considered speaking out to him before... Maybe this unsought excursion had some benefits after all?

She tightened the dual clasps of the heavy utility belt she'd acquired where her keyring hung jangling. She still lacked the magic to summon any of her Spirits, but she thought that Loki would have showed up on his own by now despite her protests. Even if he would endanger himself by wasting his magic, he would always be there to protect her—his words, not hers—so she expected him to show his furred head a lot sooner than he had, which so far was chalking up to not at all. She rubbed the cool gold of her Keys fretfully but there was no response from her Spirits. "What could be happening?" she wondered aloud as she crossed the bridge. She stopped and leaned against the railing as a school of silver-scaled, rainbow-finned fish circled and dived beneath the frothy waves, and she laughed in glee.