Gone For Awhile

The Meet-Up

(Natsu POV)

After being thrown off the carriage (by request), I stumbled to the village, my stomach still not quite settled after that torturous ride. Oh no! Just thinking about it is gonna make me sick.

I quickly stopped to hurl at a tree before looking at the job flyer to figure out who I needed to meet with.

It was some chief. Betcha anything, it was gonna be some old geezer with a hunched back, a white beard, and a short walking stick. I groaned and hung my head, just thinking about the poor guy.

I lifted my head and turned in the direction of the river village on the flyer. As I approached, I saw huts with thatched roofs and canopies open. It looked like a market was open today. I continued walking around, not really looking for the older man. I was too engrossed with the sounds of people buying this trinket or getting that blanket and the delicious smell of cooking meat.

I followed my nose to a stall with a small fire and a spit with several twirling chunks of meat. I took another whiff to smell cooking deer and rabbit meat. The tall tan man that was tending the meat stall walked over to the grill and, after looking at me with a smirk, splashed a spoonful of some orangish looking liquid on the meats, making them sizzle and send more of the delicious smell towards my nose.

My stomach grumbled, and I laid a hand over it, trying to quiet it down as the meat tender walked towards the counter I was standing at.

"Here." The man says, offering me a juicy hunk of roasted meat on a thick stick. I gladly took it from the guy and began chowing down. Then I realized he still had his hand out, expecting money.

I patted my chest, then my pants, to find that I had forgotten my wallet at the guild. Normally, Lucy would cover things like this, so I didn't think to grab it. I sweatdropped, wondering how I was gonna get out of this.

"That man will eat for free." Said a thin older voice with authority. The meat stall tender and I both looked in the direction of (called it!) A frail older man with a long white beard and a hunched back. He was bald and wore a jeweled collar over a bare torso with little tufts of white chest hair. He also wore brown pants that kind of sagged on him a little and a black belt tied around his thin waist to keep his pants up. He wore open-toed black sandals and carried a short walking stick.

"You're the wizard from Fairy Tail, aren't you mah boy?" He asked, looking towards me as he came closer. I swallowed the meat in my mouth and nodded. "I thought so when I saw that mark on your arm. Follow me, and I'll explain everything." He said and kept walking past me towards a huge hut in the center of town.

I kept chowing down on my meat chunk as I followed the older man, barely listening as he explained he was the chief of the village and the one who put up the request. Duh! I already knew that.

We sat down on the brightly colored rugs inside the massive hut, and he continued his story about how this two-headed beast was terrorizing his fellow villagers in the canyon nearby. He called it something, but I don't remember what it was. I finished eating while listening to the chief beg me to take care of the problem.

"No problem, old man," I said with a swallow. "I'll take care of this beast and be back before ya know it." I proclaimed, standing up and pointing my thumb to my chest, my signature toothy grin plastered on my face.

(Lucy POV)

It's been two weeks, and Cana still won't let go of how drunk I got at the flower viewing party. I sweatdrop as she comes up laughing. No doubt about that stupid party again.

She slings her arm around my shoulders and pulls me closer to her, surprising me.

"So Lucy!" She calls drunkenly. "When ya gonna party with us again?" She asks with a crooked smile.

"Now Cana," Mira chides, " Lucy has told us before she doesn't want to drink again," Mira says, trying to help me out.

"Ah, c'mon Mira!" Cana whines, "Lucy had no problem drinkin those fruity drinks you made." Cana said suggestively.

"You gave me those drinks!" I yelled accusingly. Cana only laughs.

"I told you Mira made drinks as prizes." She defends. The only problem was that Cana clearly knew she was handing me alcoholic beverages that night. She won't admit to it. I sighed, knowing how this argument would end. Same as it always does.

I give up. There's just no arguing with Cana when she drinks. And she's always drinking.

I took a sip of my non-alcoholic strawberry milkshake and got up from the barstool to walk over to the request board. Natsu hadn't returned yet, and I was getting bored. Happy was over at Wendy's table, trying to flirt with Carla again.

I scanned the board, looking for something simple to do. I wanted to be here when Natsu returned so I could ask him about that night. I had to know what happened between us. It was killing me not knowing.

As I looked over the requests, one, in particular, caught my eye. It was a request looking for a female specifically. Looking it over, I read that it was from some rich merchant here in Magnolia. He needed someone to take his daughter to some special class. Perfect!

I grabbed the flyer from the board and ran it over to Mira. She took down her notes and gave the flyer back to me. I then walked over to Wendy's table.

"Hey, Wendy." I greeted the bluenette. She looked up at me and smiled.

"Hey, Lucy. Can I help you with something?" Wendy asked.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could borrow Carla," I said, shocking the two exceeds and Wendy.

"But why me?" Carla is the first to ask.

"Well, this job that I got is asking for females specifically, and I just don't think Happy would be welcomed."

"Why wouldn't I be welcomed?" Happy asked, upset. I sweatdropped. What now? I felt bad for the little guy.

"Don't worry about it, Happy," Wendy said cheerfully while looking at my flyer. "You can stay here with me. I mean, the request does say females only. I wonder what kind of class it could be, though." Wendy hands me the flyer back, and I look to Carla, hopefully pleading with her with my eyes.

"I just don't see why you would need me to go with you," Carla says with a huff. She crosses her arms and turns away; she stuck up the nose in the air.

"Please, Carla." I began begging. "It could be that this guy's daughter is just scared to go to the class by herself and needs someone to go with her. I think a cute cat-like yourself would help the girl out of her shyness." I explained pleadingly.

"Oh, alright, fine!" Carla exclaims, giving in. I smile and clap my hands. Carla sprouts her wings and flies into the air, hands on her hips as she hovers in front of me. "Well, where exactly is it that we're going to anyway?"

"It says he'll be waiting for us in his private house, just past Central Park. It doesn't say much other than we have to take his daughter to a 'special class.'" I explain, looking at the request flyer once more.

"Alright. Let's get going then." Carla says and flies off, me trailing behind her.

"Good Luck, You Two!" Wendy and Happy call after us. I quickly turn around and wave goodbye.