Cold Love (Gray Fullbuster x female reader)

Chapter 8 - Clues

(You're POV, 1 month after leaving)

"It'll take about a day of travel to make it there, but you'll be fine as long as you use this map. Tell her I sent you, otherwise you won't get very far with him. I wish you the best of luck."

"You have been very helpful, thank you very much!" I said before quickly running out of a shop and in the direction the kind worker had told me to go. I've been looking for my parents again for a little over a month and still have yet to find much. This is the first lead I've gotten that I think can truly give me some clues.

I've been visiting the surrounding villages of my old one to see if anyone has any information of how it was destroyed, but half of the people I've asked have never even heard of it. I finally stumbled upon a friendly worker in a shop who didn't know anything himself, but knew someone who he thought might. He explained that his friend is very educated about Fiore, lots of things that aren't commonly known. And apparently he knows lots about many villages in this area because it was where he grew up and wanted to know everything about the world around him.

I'm very pleased with myself for finding someone who could possibly help me, and I think of this as I approach the same house that is circled on the map. I'm nervous, but I begin to walk up to the door anyway.

I raise my arm to knock but before I get the chance, the door swings open. I am shocked for a moment as I see a very small old man standing in front of me, looking up and smiling.

"I haven't had a visitor in a very long time! How can I help you?" The little old man asked. He seems quite friendly, I can't see why the worker from the shop assumed I wouldn't be able to get far with him without telling him where i've come from.

"I am looking for some information on how my village was destroyed when I was a little girl and I was hoping you could help." His welcoming smile faded very quickly and I was taken aback when he began closing the door. I put my hand up to stop it from closing and said, "Wait! I was given this map by an employee of a shop a little over a day away. He didn't give me his name and I don't exactly know what city I was in, but he said you would recognize this map." I said as I handed it to him through the half shut door. He examined it for a moment before the door swung all the way open once again and his warm smile was back.

"Well why didn't you say that in the first place! I am known for my knowledge of the history of Fiore and people come looking for me all the time, it begins to get quite old. But I told my good friend that he could send anyone my way anytime, because of a friend of his is a friend of mine!" He explained excitedly. "What was the name of your village, and how long ago was it destroyed?"

"It was called Mousia, it was destroyed about 7 years ago. I've always had my theories, I was hidden away right in the middle of it all. Of course I was little so I couldn't make much sense of it. But looking back and knowing what I know now, I believe it was some sort of dark guild. But I haven't been able to figure out a reason for them to destroy a whole village."

The old man looked up at me sympathetically. "You are a very smart child. I do happen to know a bit about what happened to Mousia, but I unfortunately cannot give you all of the details you are in search of. It was in fact a dark guild that destroyed your town. They fled the moment the battle was over and they had vanished before anyone could find them. There still hasn't been word of them to this day, especially since nobody knows exactly who they were. They may still be a guild in hiding, or they may have been destroyed when many of them were a few years ago. I apologize for not having more information, I'm afraid that's all I have for you." I stared at him for a moment. My mother and father fought against a dark guild. And lost.

"Thank you. You were able to confirm my suspicions. That is enough for now. I do have one other question though."

"Anything my dear." He replied gently.

"Do you know anything about the dark guild or the town they attacked about a month ago? The reason I started searching for my parents again was because I heard of the incident and it sounded familiar to my suspicions of what could have happened to my village. Not many people I have spoken with know much about what happened either."

"Ahhh yes. I've been very interested in this incident myself recently. It's been quite some time since any noise has been made by a dark guild. This guild remains unknown for now just like the one you are looking for, although there was a bit of research done on that town. Many wizards lived there, and when very few had made it out of the town alive, not one was a wizard. The magic council isn't quite sure if that has any relation to the attack, but it's the best information they have for the time being. They are watching very closely to see if they can catch them in their next act, if one happens to occur."

"What then? Are they more powerful than a dark guild? Would they be able to defeat them, or even imprison them? It's just something I think about a lot, seeing as now I know for sure I'm specifically after a dark guild." I inquired.

"I'm not exactly sure what they plan to do. They try to keep those details very private. Information that is refused to many remains unknown to me quite often as well." He responds sympathetically.

"Thank you for all of the information you have provided me with. It will be extremely helpful in my search."

"Any time! Please, if you are ever in the area and would like to ask another question, don't hesitate to stop by! I enjoy company from time to time." He smiled up at me. We gave each other our regards and I went back to my search.

Time to go back home :))