Warlock for Hire

Circle of Life

Last time:

Liling tilted her head curiously, "How odd ... the dust bunnies are acting like familiars." Everyone's jaws hit the floor in shock. This day was way too weird ...

XXXXXXXXXX

Zeref sighed as he tried to curl up in his bed, "Only one more day of treatment ... why are they still helping me after that disastrous S class promotion exam?"

Flashback

Yoko rolled his eyes for the umpteenth time that day and he stopped unpacking items in a forest to look at the seal holding back the dark mage's magic, "Yet again, the seal is fine and, as I told you Zeref, it won't break in just a couple days so stop worrying." said the blonde as he sat back in the chair. Yoko, Kurama, Zeref and Naruko were setting up camp on Tenrou Island as the contestants for the S class mage promotion headed over on the ship.

"I know." said Zeref with a pout, but despite the constant reassurance he stayed close to Yoko all the time like a little duckling.

Naruko giggled, "You're cute, Zeref." The dark mage blushed. This was strange for him. Normally he would avoid everyone, but now he was forced to stay with Yoko. Well he wasn't forced to do anything, but the thought of the recoil from the seal breaking terrified him so he never once left Yoko's side. Yoko let him stay in the same house because of the dark mage's worry. Zeref was happy, but at the same time he nearly had a heart attack when he realized Yoko didn't live alone. The blonde wizard saint had to pry Zeref off a tree and drag the dark mage in the house because the cursed mage was terrified of hurting Kaede!

Unfortunately, Zeref felt really guilty after that because Kaede got the wrong idea and started crying. Yoko understood why the cursed mage was scared, but he had to calm her down and explain why Zeref didn't want to be near her. Once the little girl understood she went and sat in the dark mage's lap and refused to move unless he promised not to be scared because her daddy will help him. The big blue eyes were too much for the cursed mage, Zeref gave in, but she still didn't move until he told her a story.

It was this obvious fear that made everyone relax around the supposed 'dark' mage ...

Yoko chuckled, "I can feel the seal, Zeref, so I will know if something is wrong." Zeref still looked nervous. "Once the test is done we'll start treatment ... it will only take a week. Maybe only three hours a day."

Cana entered the campsite just as Naruko started cooking and flopped into a chair, "Our future S class victims are here. The master is taking his sweet time getting off the boat." She grumbled as she started chugging a barrel of something alcoholic. Cana smirked at the cursed mage. "I'm surprised that you haven't caught Yoko with his lovers the way you cling like that." She threw her head back and laughed as Zeref turned a very bright shade of red. Perhaps he did witness something.

"Out of curiosity, Zeref ... this curse of yours probably made intimacy difficult ... are you a virgin?" asked Naruko as she smacked Kurama's paw when he tried to snatch a fish before it was done. If was even possible Zeref became even redder and Cana fell over laughing.

"400 years without sex! That insane-ow!" Cana pouted as Naruko bopped her on the head for being rude. Finally, Makarov, Deidara, Sasori and Jellal without his Mystogan disguise came into the camp.

"Good, everyone's here. Let's see how this test goes. I'm surprised you didn't want to join in Cana." Makarov said as he sat down.

Cana shrugged, "With Erza, Laxus and my dad testing them it's already overkill ... I wonder which person Natsu will run into." She snickered at the thought.

Time passed peacefully as they waited for the fighter's to return and see who earned the promotion to S class mage. Only two hours into the test, however, there was a big interruption in the form of the dark guild Grimiore Heart.