Child of Magic | jerza

Queen of Shadows [3]

"So this is the Isle of the Blest?" Natsu asked. "Doesn't look blessed to me."

"No, this is just some destroyed castle," Jellal said, studying the crumbled stone. "It looks abandoned."

"It's getting dark," Ultear said nervously. "Let's go in."

"Not a good idea," Gray warned.

"Let's vote," I decided. "Who wants to be killed by the Dorocha outside the castle? And who wants to be killed by the Dorocha inside the castle?"

"Castle it is," Jellal said, kicking the door open. "Natsu, you go first."

"Why me?" he wailed.

"Because you have the torch, idiot," Gray snapped, pushing him into the castle. 

"But you have one too!" he shouted, entering the castle. He didn't scream after a minute, so we took that as good sign and stepped in. 

It was dark at first and there was no light except our two flickering torches, but my eyes soon adjusted. The walls were crumbling and there appeared to be no furniture. The wall looked like it might cave in any second.

"Okay," Jellal ordered. "Sir Macao, Natsu- go outside and find wood. We'll be camping out here."

"Why do you call Macao 'Sir' and not me?" Natsu complained for the umpteenth time.

"Two reasons," Jellal explained. "One, he's older than me. Two, he's polite, unlike you."

Natsu and Macao left. We sat down on the cold castle floor, and listened to the screaming of the Dorocha.

"Hold the torch," Jellal said. "Hopefully they won't come near the light."

~ ~ ~

Ultear and I were sitting huddled in the corner of the abandoned room in the castle, while Jellal paced back and forth, looking anxious. Gray, on the other hand, was sleeping, the torch sitting beside him. How he could possibly sleep with the Dorocha flying around at night, screaming?

Macao and Natsu entered the room, holding a couple twigs.

"Couldn't find anything," Macao panted. "Too many Dorocha."

"What about your torch?" Ultear asked.

"They still try to attack you. You have to use the torch as a sword."

"I'll go out and see what I find. You two rest," the king responded. "Erza, come with me."

I nodded and tiredly got up.

"Here, take our torch," Macao said, handing Jellal the stick. 

"Will one torch be enough for you guys?" I asked.

"It'll do..for now."

~ ~ ~

I held the torch while Jellal collected wood. Technically it should be the other way around. After all, Jellal was the king. But Jellal was different then Faust and insisted that I hold the torch while he did the work. It made me proud that he was different and he had a great destiny set out for him.

A couple Dorocha occasionally flew by, in which I swatted them away with my torch. Jellal was almost done collecting firewood when five Dorocha flew at us.

"Drop the torch, Erza!" Jellal screamed, pulling me down to the ground.

I couldn't see anything now that the torch was gone, but I heard the scream of the Dorochas' as they flew over us.

"RUN!" he yelled, grabbing my arm and dragging me back to the abandoned castle we had found earlier.

He opened the door and pulled me inside, closing the door just in time.

We sat down and breathed heavily.

"Close one," I murmured.

"Where are you, Erza?" Jellal asked worriedly. "I can't see you."

"Right beside you," I comforted.

Like I always will be.

~ ~ ~

"It's almost dawn," Ultear said. "They're not back. We need to look for them."

"I'll come," Natsu agreed.

"And I."

Gajeel pulled himself up. "So will I."

"I don't want to stay here alone," Macao muttered. "So I'll come."

~ ~ ~

"Did you really think you could fight off five Dorocha with one torch?" Jellal teased.

"Yep."

He gently touched a strand of my scarlet hair. "You're the bravest knight I've ever known."

"Did you just compliment me?" I mocked.

"In between battles you're brave," he added, making me hit his arm with my elbow.

"You have no ideas how many times I've saved your life," I said softly.

Jellal laughed. "That's very funny, Erza. I should make you court jester."

If he's going to sacrifice himself when we get to the Isle of the Blest..It wouldn't hurt to tell him the truth, right?

But I bit my lip and kept quiet.

~ ~ ~

"Oh my god," Ultear groaned. "There's like..Twenty Dorocha here!"

"They must sense Jellal," Gray whispered. "Minerva..she..hates Jellal right?"

"But they're siblings!" Natsu protested.

"Idiot," Ultear murmured. "That's why it's so sad."

"Well, I'd love to sit here and talk about Jellal's family, but we need to find a way to get past these Dorocha," Gajeel said loudly.

"We have one torch," Macao said, raising it. "But we'll have to manage. Work like a team."

Natsu and Gray exchanged looks.

~ ~ ~

We sat together in the big, dark room in silence. At least before the ghostly skeleton-like face floated through the door. I could hear the voices of our comrades coming closer with the torch, but there was no time.

I stood straight up, attempting to shield Jellal from the Dorocha. The Dorocha went straight through me, throwing me to the side of the room. Luckily, Jellal was able to move out of the way and Ultear and the others came in with a torch.

I tried to get up, but I couldn't. Ultear handled the Dorocha easily and came rushing over to me. I tried to speak and managed to rasp, "I can't move."

"Can you breathe okay?" she asked.

"Not really," I gasped.

"I'm so, so sorry," Jellal breathed. He put his hand to my cold cheek and asked, "But we can't go back. Not now. We have to continue this mission."

"Leave me," I told him.

"No," Ultear said suddenly. "I'll take Erza back to Fiore. You guys continue going to the Isle of the Blest."

~ ~ ~

The horses were still waiting outside, and Jellal carried me and put me on top of the horse.

"Be careful, Ultear," Jellal warned.

"I will," she replied.

I lay against the horse's back and closed my eyes.