400 years

41

'I won't run away, I just need to clear my mind.'

Following a foot path aimlessly for a time, I started to sense an odd presence. Almost as if being watched. A few more steps and I was ready to turn back, the uneasy feeling tugging at my stomach, I wanted to puke. But as I turned on my heel-

A dark shadow fell over me at the same time I grabbed for my keys. 'S-shit!' I'd left them in the room back at the manor. At that moment an elderly man with long grayish-white hair, wearing a long, white and purple robe, stepped out of the darkness. A wooden staff in hand, he spoke to me. "Have you come to enjoy the moonlight, young lady?"

'Who-?' Before I could think to struggle, my arms were pinioned. Armed men in black slithered from the dark shrouds of the trees and surrounded me. I turned to see the man who held me. A large white cross on his forehead, sporting a cold smile.

"You and I met before out side of Magnolia-ji, yes? Im sad to see you didn't heed my good advice, yet chose to ignore it."

'Larcade!' "What-!" Before I could protest, Larcade quickly hushed me.

"Tsk, Tsk. You'll be good and stay quiet. If you don't I'll see that you never make another sound again."

'Yikes! I have to warn Natsu and the others, if I'm going to risk it, I better make it count.'

One of the armed men dressed in black cried out. "August sir, this is her, this is his Lucy."

'Wha-No.. oh no.. it's him!' I turned my gaze to see two men staring at me. It's the two assassins that attacked Natsu and I at the hot springs and they recognize me.

The old man catches my attention again as he starts to coldly chuckle. "So you're the luckless woman who won the dormant E.N.D's favor. Bad things follow to those who engage with the Demon King."

Unsure what this E.N.D talk was about, but something about this old guy talking badly of Natsu rubbed me the wrong way. "Take a good look at yourself before calling others names."

I struggled against Larcade's grip. He looked like a monk, but had the strength of a bear.

"Hm, I take it with a come back such as that you have no idea what it means when he's called E.N.D, do you?"

"I don't see what it really matters. Because it's clear you have the wrong idea about-!" Unable to finish due to Larcade's hand now firmly placed over my mouth.

"It refers to Etherious Natsu Dragneel. A reborn vile and cunning demon, with a deadly bloodlust. He's the destroyer of all."

As the old man known as August finishes his explanation, I try to shake my head against the painful grip of Larcade's hand, and a few stray tears slip free.

"Oh, what's this? Do you have an objection?"

With a hard glance and a wave of the old man's hand, Larcade's grip is removed. Even though my jaw feels like it's been clapped shut for years, I retort against the old man's taunting.

"Natsu has killed and done so without regret. But he has a heart too. One that carries the weight of his deeds and one that's not dead to kindness in spite of what he's done." Having gathered my composure, I glare at the old man and continue. "He's protected his beliefs and those who believe in his cause. And I will stand beside him in order to see that all life is unified!"

August, the old man scuffed mockingly.

"Now let me go!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, Natsu killed one of my men, just to save you." There wasn't a hit of anger in the old man's voice, but pity. As he continued on. "And I herd what happened tonight. When you collapsed from the poison."

Larcade chuckled softly as he added, "He's a remorseless monster, a murderer—."

August cut off Larcade with, "Yet he put everything aside for a frail confection like you."

'Could this be what Wendy was about to tell me?! Or was this just a ploy to distract me?' The hand I'd brushed Natsu's away with started to burn, the memory of the helpless look on his face stung my chest. Natsu once said there's no difference between taking one life or a hundred.. 'So, What really is life to him?'

Drawing me from my thoughts, August's deep, guttural voice spoke again. "I'll be using that weakness in tonight's battle."

"Good luck with that, your handful of shadowy henchmen don't stand a chance-!"

"Look again, little sheep. Peer into the darkness." Larcade's low voice dripped with malice into my ear, cutting me off. I looked into the forest. At first, I saw nothing but endless rows of trees.

'N-no it c-can't be!'

Then I realized, it wasn't all trees. Men cloaking themselves in the shadows of the forest. At least two hundred of them. He must've known that the poison wouldn't be enough, his plan was to strike while they were weak.

'Now, it has to be now! I must warn Natsu!'