Ruthless Winds and Raging Seas

Chapter 28

In the morning Natsu decided to take things a little easy and stop by a town to just relax. This particular town happened to be the same one where Erza had lived with Pastor Makarov so she decided to spend her time there visiting him. Gray, Natsu, and Lucy decided to show Juvia around the town, allowing her to see some of the sights there. They visited many shops, stands, and buildings. Every spot they went to Juvia just looked at it with her blue eyes full of wonder and amazement, she had just never seen so many things like what was in the town.

"She sure does like to stare at stuff." Natsu said as Juvia stared up close at a vase that was being sold at a stand. She looked at as it was precious gold or silver.

"Considering where she's from can you blame her?" Lucy asked. "Unlike us she doesn't see this stuff everyday."

Just then a young boy and his pet dog walked by them. The dog was very big and hairy and when it caught hold of Juvia's scent, it sensed that it was not a creature of this world and it curiously headed toward her while barking loudly. Frightened by the large and very loud animal that she had never seen before, Juvia ran and hid behind Gray fearfully.

"Hey what's wrong?" He asked her.

She pointed to the dog that was walking toward them. It chased her around Gray, determined to get a better smell of her scent so it could figure out just what kind of person she was.

"Hey, hey, take it easy Juvia. It's only a dog." He told her.

"What's a dog?" She asked clinging to his arm. "And why is after me? Does it want to eat me?"

"That's right, you've probably never seen a dog before."

"Copper bad dog! Get down!" The boy said trying to get his dog to calm down. "I'm sorry about him. He's very excitable but he won't hurt you. He just wants to say hello."

Once it got a good whiff of Juvia's scent the dog realized that despite not being from this world she was a good person and posed no threat to the boy he was protecting. So he gave Juvia a lick on the cheek and left with the boy.

"It's okay Juvia, dogs don't eat people." Gray assured her.

"Then why did it lick me?"

"That's just a dog's way of saying hello. To humans, dogs are pets. Most of the time they're very friendly."

"Why was it chasing me?"

"It probably never smelled anything like you before." Natsu said. "Dogs have stronger noses than humans."

"Do all human pets act that way?" Juvia asked.

"Happy doesn't." Natsu said. "He's relatively calm when he smells someone new. But he's just as loyal and protective as any dog."

They continued walking through town until they reached the town square where musicians were getting ready to play music.

"Would you like to dance when the music starts?" Lucy asked Natsu.

"Sorry I don't dance." He declined.

"Oh come on it's fun to dance."

"Maybe it's fun for you but it's not for me."

"Oh please. I haven't danced with anyone since I was a kid."

"No way. I'm not dancing and there's nothing you can do-"

"Oh shut up and dance with her." Gray interrupted and he shoved Natsu causing him to bump into Lucy and get into a position where his arms were around her waist. He blushed and so did she.