The Shadow Goddess

5

Content warning for descriptions of corpses

A strong magical presence could be felt nearby, leaving everyone in the guild on edge. At first, they thought it was a large group of Gorians messing around nearby, but the power was too strong to just be forest monkeys.

It also didn't help that there were only two of whatever was out there.

Pantherlily stood on a table where Gajeel was sitting near a window, drinking some water from a small cup, as he worried about whatever was in the forest, until he thought up something that could ease everyone. It was also just something he was curious about.

"Hey, Macao, do you know where Della is?"

The guild seemed to go silent, those who knew suddenly showing looks of worry while those who had come back from Tenrou all looked at the fourth master curiously.

"Hey, yeah, where is my little sis? Well, I guess she's not very little these days, huh?" Gajeel jokes, trying to lighten the mood. "That's for certain. You said she was on a job when we got back, but then Michelle came and everything with Zentopia happened. Surely she'd be back now, right?"

Wakaba and Macao looked at each other with knowing looks, the dark-haired male taking a sip from his mug. The smoke mage sighed and sucked in a deep breath from his cigar, blowing a puff of air out, before speaking.

"She'll be home soon. We never know with her, really." The iron dragon raised an eyebrow and looked at his exceed partner, who looked just as confused. "She doesn't tell you if she's gone or let you know if she's coming home?" "Nope, not exactly."

Macao sighed and set his mug down. "Stop being so cryptic, Wakaba. You're scaring them." "You said it yourself, if Romeo didn't do it, she'd definitely kill ya from worry."

The vagueness of the conversation was confusing everyone in the guild as the men looked at each other.

"Look, you're right about her not being so little anymore. A lot happened after you guys disappeared. A lot that isn't our place to talk about. But it's also stuff you really shouldn't bring up to her once she gets back." "Okay, well, what can you tell us, especially on what we shouldn't talk about?" Carla asked what she knew was on everyone's mind.

Wakaba put his cigar in his mouth and took another hit of it before sighing. "The timeline is unclear, as they happened so close together, but sometime either before or after your disappearance, Della's parents died during an attack while on that job they went on right before the trials."

"Oh, yes, you said that Kyril and Yami passed around that same time. I can't imagine what that poor girl went through. First her parents die, then all of us disappear, thinking we were dead..." Mirajane spoke, putting a hand on her chest, others nodding as they agreed with her. "So what happened in the attack? Do you know?" Lucy asked, leaning over from where she was sitting to listen in on the conversation better.

"Della didn't talk about it when she got back, so all we know is the state of the bodies and what the military put in the official report." "And that was?"

The older man looked Lucy dead in the eyes, a feeling of seriousness washing over the wizards as they waited for the details.

"Survivors spoke of a giant winged figure destroying the village with a breath attack, later found out to be a black dragon." The wizards from Tenrou all tensed up, their eyes widening as no one dared to move.

"You mean Kyril and Yami...were killed by-" "Acnologia." Kinana spoke up, her back turned as she was cleaning the mugs behind the bar.

The air grew heavy as everyone remembered the fear and despair that washed over them that day, when the Dragon King attacked Tenrou.