Fairy Tail - Twilight Empire

Chapter 126 - Wizards of Fairy Tail

EIGHT AND A HALF YEARS AGO

The village was pretty small compared to the usual ones they visited for jobs. Natsu felt even sillier agreeing for the whole team to come along on the job with him and Happy. Just Lucy would've been enough. Erza packed enough for the entire town to have provisions, probably.

Eh. At least Wendy was happy. She was still getting used to life outside of Cait Shelter and that general area, so she got to have a nice look around. Gray? Well, he could've just stayed back at the guild. Whatever. Who needed him, right?

Happy soared overhead, trying to see if he could get a whiff of any fish markets in the village that was tucked away in the hills. Natsu smelled a butcher. His stomach rumbled.

"No food until we find our client," Erza said.

"No food?" Natsu echoed. "Oh, come on."

"The client listed this as a high-priority job, and we will not disappoint them," Erza said. "We need to stay focused."

"Oh, great, that's something we're experts at," Lucy muttered.

"Well, some of us are," Gray said.

"Why don't you focus on keeping your clothes on?"

"Gray, there are children around!" Erza barked. Wendy's eyes were closed. Carla had floated by and provided an extra layer of visual protection.

"Can you please keep your clothes on, you ice-pick, I wanna get this done so we can eat!" Natsu shouted.

"How about a knuckle sandwich?" Gray asked back.

Erza quickly stepped between the two, shadows looming long under her eyes, magic brimming in her hands.

"In this tiny, peaceful village, there is to be no fighting," Erza said. "There is our job. And that is all. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, sure, but how about a good little disagreement between best friends?" Natsu asked as he wrapped Gray by the neck in a hug.

"Just a tiff, that's all, Erza!" Gray said as he shoved a fist into Natsu's kidney.

Lucy kept walking, Happy continuing to circulate the village overhead. Gray and Natsu shoved away from one another once Erza had her back to them and was tugging her massive cart of goods down the hill, speaking in a hushed voice with Wendy. Natsu made sure to speed ahead, so the irresistible temptation to punch Gray in the head didn't get to him.

It wasn't long before they found their clientele. It was an old man and a young woman who were in a small hut near the edge of the village, facing some mountains. They greeted the wizards of Fairy Tail warmly. Lucy, Wendy, and Carla took a seat while the girl took a shine to ogling a shirtless Gray. Natsu flicked one of the paper birds dangling from the ceiling.

"Now," Erza said, stepping into the hut. "The job posting was quite vague. My understanding is you need us to find—"

"Hey, wait a second!" Natsu shouted and jabbed an accusatory finger at Erza. "You said no food before the job!"

"First of all," Erza said, not hiding the strawberry pastry in her hand at all, "this is a dessert, and a dessert does not count as food. Second, we are currently in with the client. The job has begun."

"Then I'm getting something to eat right now!" Natsu shouted.

"Get back here!" Erza shouted, snagging at his scarf. She managed to grab it off him. Natsu almost whirled around for it, but if he trusted anyone to keep his possessions safe, it was indeed Erza. Besides, what would Igneel want Natsu to do more? Eat, or get the scarf back that was already in someone's safe hands?