feral | sting eucliffe

XXXII | TB

Episode 32: Trouble Brews!

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"CAN I TALK TO YOU?" Gildarts tilted his head up at the sound of the timid h/c haired girl's voice. She was fidgeting slightly, something scrunched up in her right hand as she waited for a response from the cocky ginger. He blinked at her briefly, taking another sip from his alcohol-filled stein. "Sure, what's up, kid?" 

Y/n averted her eyes to the library, shyly pointing. "I meant in private," She referred to the much quieter and lonely room. Gildarts's eyes widened briefly, cheeks flushing a bright pink. "O-Oh," Blood streamed from his nose as Y/n turned red, realizing what he was thinking about as she moved her hands in a panicked motion. "N-NOT LIKE THAT!" She screamed.

Chase and Nikos looked over, finding Y/n talking to the older and slightly perverted guild member. Instantly, they sent him deathly glares, cracking their knuckles as a burst of magic power surged from them. Gildarts instantly straightened up when their combined glares were added with Mira's subtle Satan Soul glare, a warning look in her eyes.

Quickly snapping out of it, he nodded towards Y/n. "S-Sure," He let her lead him into the library, closing the door behind her before making sure he sat at one of the tables. "Promise you won't get mad at me?" She quietly asked, the paper still scrunched up tightly into her right hand. He nodded slowly, brows furrowing as he grew worried. "Yeah, sure."

Gildarts and Y/n had grown close over time due to her lack of a father figure and his open heart towards all of the people in the guild. She had found her father figure in him, as odd as it sounds. He was caring, sweet, and was pretty doting to all of the Kyuuseishu. In fact, he was able to bring Akane to get off her phone and play chess with him.

Of course, she won each time.

However, that wasn't the point. Y/n let out a heavy sigh, unraveling the paper and placing it on the table. He took it onto his side, flattening it against the table and reading it carefully. "I don't know what it is about it, but Levy translated the Latin that I was barely able to decipher on the back. It was odd and definitely weird." She cleared her throat, continuing.

"My point is, I wanted to ask if you ever saw anything like that while you were there. I didn't exactly understand all of it since I. . . can't read, but it has a picture of a stony area covered with moss." Y/n rambled on and on, using dramatic hand gestures. "It mentions an army and something sacred, but I don't understand from then on."

He blinked wildly, tapping his fingers on the paper. "I didn't see anything like this, no. However, didn't you kids go on a mission involving an area similar to that? Natsu was telling me about it earlier." Gildarts gave her an odd look, tilting his head. Y/n scratched her cheek awkwardly, eyes widening. "You don't think it could be the same place, could it?"

Gildarts furrowed his brows, shaking his head. "I doubt it, but there's a slim chance. I mean, why would the same people ever request twice. Especially considering that this is an S-Class mission and the one that you all took was a regular one." Y/n's eyes widened in realization as she snatched the paper from him, yelling thanks before speeding up the steps, nearly falling.

Part of the guild—the ones that mainly knew her—grew confused at her sudden entrance. Sabertooth was visiting again, along with Mermaid Heel. Sting got up from the bar, looking at her slightly fatigued state as he gently held onto her hands, keeping her steady. "Whoa, slow your roll. What's going on?" He was abruptly pushed away, Y/n running to her table.

She slammed the paper down on the table, making Erza jolt in fear, and the others grow startled at her outburst. "Read this," Chase started opening his mouth to counter with something, but Y/n sent him a look as if reading his mouth. "That isn't my point, Chase! Someone just fucking read this, please!" Y/n yelled again, looking down at the whole table.

Lucy quickly got out the glasses that allowed her to read faster, Sting putting a hand on Y/n's shoulder from behind her. "What's this all about?" He looked over at her concerned look, but her adrenaline must've taken over. She shrugged him off, not exactly meaning to do so as a hurt look overcame his expression before leaving. "I'll tell you soon."

Her brown eyes quickly scanned the page as a gasp left Lucy's lips. "It says to protect the sacred key of Lapis. Wait, it looks exactly like the key that we gave!" She continued to read, mumbling under her breath as the others gave her confused expressions. Y/n's mind was running faster than her mouth, piecing together things as she began trying to figure this out.

"Levy, I need a reading on the key of Lapis!" She shouted, the blue-haired girl quickly complying and scurrying off as she swore about reading something like that. She soon returned with a thick book, a leather belt across it. Unlocking it, she flipped through the pages and found it, carefully reading it. Lucy continued, "It's like a family heirloom of some sort, but meant to be there."

Sting blinked, leaning over the table. "Like an ancient ritual thing? Was it sealed away when you all got there?" He questioned, looking back and forth at the mages. Chase, having arrived at the key first, nodded quietly as his head dropped. It was obvious that he was already taking the guilt for himself. "I was reading enchantments before, Levy was nice enough to lend me some books."

He glanced at her. "From there, I learned her solid script magic. I had to use that to dispel the spell that surrounded it." Y/n's heart dropped at Levy's next words. 

"The key of Lapis, a key meant to lock away a hidden power not designated for the hands of evil. Once used to unlock the door located near Stella, in the heart of Joya; the one who unlocked the door will not only gain the controller of over a thousand practically immortal stone soldiers known as the 'Joyan', but the magic passed down from the Ishi family, a lost spell. . . " 

She trailed off, heart skipping a beat.

"Rebirth magic."