Disoriented Runes

Chapter 21

The tunnel was dark wet and stuffy. Pretty much everything they could demand from a place like this and every time their shoes splashed on a puddle of water they did their best not to think too much if it really was just water.

This time it was Evergreen who was leading them. Laxus wasn't really happy about it, letting others go first when they didn't know what might be waiting for them in the darkness but they needed light and Evergreen's Fairy Magic was perfect for that. The brunette let her fairy dust light their way as they were slowly going forward, carefully listening to any sound they might hear.

It was so quiet Laxus could almost hear their heartbeats. It almost made his ears hurt because of how quiet it was here, but it wasn't his first time adventuring in a deep dark tunnel underground. Places like these could get so quiet even a mouse sneezing could sound like a pack of vulcans were having a concert.

They had only been walking a while – though it felt like forever – when they had to stop.

"What now?" Bickslow asked as they looked around.

They got into a small chamber and inside there were now three different tunnels. None of them looked any different from the other and there were no bars or anything that could tell them which way was definitely not used.

They were all identical and it made them look at each other.

"Sniff sniff?" Bickslow smirked looking at Laxus who glared at the man. "I would do it myself but I don't have a nose that can tell if Freed's wearing same boxers as yesterday."

"I would appreciate it if we could leave my underwear out of this conversation", Freed said.

"I don't even know what I'm supposed to smell here", Laxus grunted when turning his head. "It smells like shit in every direction."

"How lovely", Evergreen sneered.

Laxus huffed and then suddenly he did actually smell something different. It was faint, but it did smell like someone had entered one of the tunnels some time ago.

The big man slowly stepped ahead, towards the tunnel in the middle and now he was trying to hear something. He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but it did sound like someone was talking somewhere.

"I'm going first", he decided and others nodded.

"I'll come after you", Evergreen said.

"Don't use too much light, just enough so we can see the floor."

Evergreen nodded and she reduced the amount of fairy dust around them and the light got dim. There was just about enough light so they could see each other barely and then they entered the tunnel.

It felt unnerving but they were used to situations like these. They had done dozens of missions where they had to work in complete darkness and in narrow places, but this time things were different. Without Freed's magic there was no way to stop anyone from attacking them from the darkness, they just had to be extremely careful.

Suddenly Laxus stopped and it made Evergreen stumble against him.

"What now?" she whispered while Freed took a step back after bumping on Evergreen, only to get Bickslow almost collapse on him.

"Now I definitely hear talking", Laxus muttered and narrowed his eyes. "Male, it sounds like he's tinkering something."

"Anyone else?" Freed asked.

"No, it sounds like the guy is talking to himself but that doesn't mean he actually is alone so be careful. I go first, then Bickslow and then Evergreen and Freed's last. And this time DON'T fucking step on the way if something comes towards you", the Thunder God growled when looking at Freed.