The Valkyrie (Rogue Cheney Love Story)

Chapter 27

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The next morning, my team and I arrive in Hargeon, the sun shining down on the city. I'd called Rogue on his communication lacrima last night before leaving about our mission.

He'd simply said he loves me and good luck.

"Alright. We just need to find a boat that'll take us to Kyoshi Island," I say with my hands on my hips as we gaze around.

Natsu immediately starts at that as he asks nervously, "W-We have t-to take a-a boat?"

"Yeah. How do you think we'll get to an island?" Lucy asks rhetorically. Her eyes then regain money signs as she clasps her hands and bounces on her feet. "We're gonna get some money! We're gonna get some money!"

"She seems pretty gung-ho," Gray says, smirking.

"I was gonna say crazy," Happy feels the need to say, holding up a paw.

"Shut it, cat!" The Heartfilia snaps, expression turning into a pout even as she glares.

"Well, I'm super excited about going to this Kyoshi Island! I've never actually been there before, but from what I hear, it sounds incredible," I say. "This job will be a piece of cake!"

"Now you seem to be getting gung-ho too, Viv," Gray says, sending me his smirk.

"I just hope she doesn't go crazy like Lucy," Happy snickers.

"Shut up, cat," I snap. "It's just been a good long while since I last went on an S-class mission. Especially with you guys."

"Well, I think it all sounds exciting," Wendy says, smiling.

"Remember, we are dealing with dangerous criminals, child. Don't let your guard down," Charlele reprimands her.

"She's right. This Neridah woman appears to be highly dangerous," Erza inputs with a nod of her head.

Natsu already looks motion sick even though we haven't stepped foot on the boat.

"Oh, Natsu, it'll be fine! I'm sure Wendy can use her Troia spell, so quit complaining," I tell him as I hold out my hands with a shrug and start forward. "I'm off to get us a boat. I'll be right back."

I ask around for some to take us to Kyoshi Island, but just about all of them refuse, saying something about it being cursed because of some magic crystal.

I return to my teammates to report to them and Natsu cheers about not having to go on a boat.

"Alright! Looks like we're swimming!" He cheers, only for my to whack him upside the head as Lucy and I shout at him.

"We're not swimming for seven days!"

Natsu flinches and tries to say, "But! There's no one to take us!"

I say as I gaze around, "We'll figure something out if it's the last thing I do..." I feel my eyes light up as they land on a pirate ship docked a few feet away. It was massive, too, like one of those fancy ships with large sails. "Bingo!" I stalk towards the ship, seeing a man with an eyepatch over his left eye at the wheel, a bunch of other men milling about.

"A pirate ship?!" My teammates exclaim wearily.

"I don't like where this is going..." Adds Lucy as she trails off.

"Come on," Erza says, following after me with her cart of luggage.

I stomp up onto the boat and ignore the men working on deck as I face their captain, who has shoulder length brown hair in a ponytail, an eyepatch over his right eye and a jagged scar across his nose. "You there! You're the captain of this ship?" I ask.

He raises one eyebrow. "What about it?"

"I need to request that you take me and my team to Kyoshi Island. We have a job there we need to complete."

"Kyoshi Island? No way! I ain't taking you there!" The Captain snaps back.

"Well, there's no one else who's willing to take us," Erza says curtly.

"Sorry, Missys, but we ain't going anywhere near the cursed island!" The captain says.

Erza and I exchange glances, a devious look glinting in our brown eyes. I then point with my finger as I count twenty men on deck, including the captain.

I ignore the others who notice and are getting nervous watching us.

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It was later in the afternoon after we'd sailed for several hours and Natsu is slumped over the railing with motion sickness, when the captain speaks up.

"So, err, why do you wanna go to Kyoshi Island anyway?"

I reply as I turn my head from my spot standing on the prow, hand gripping the rope for balance, "I told you: we have an S-class job to complete. We're to retrieve the Crystallite that was stolen by a woman named Neridah. It's a powerful Lost Magic—highly dangerous."

Around the deck are the unconscious bodies of the captain's crew—his name is Levi Ackerman. Erza and I had our own way of convincing him to take us to the island by knocking out Levi's crew and cracking our knuckles with our scarlet and pink magical auras swirling around us, which had totally freaked out Wendy, Gray, Happy, Natsu and Lucy while Charlele had just sighed in exaggeration.

Gray says as he leans against the railing near Natsu, deadpanning at me and Erza, "I still can't believe you two knocked out an entire pirate crew just to get them to take us to Kyoshi Island."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures, Fullbuster," I retort smoothly, causing him to sweat drop.

"What do you know of the Crystallite?" Lucy inquires as she rubs Natsu's back, Wendy's spell having worn off awhile ago.

Levi responds as Erza sits on the steps leading to the deck with her back to the railing, one foot propped up, "Not much. Just that anyone who's tried to seek it out has lost their minds trying to find it."

"Probably because it was well protected before this Neridah woman came," Happy says, standing next to Charlele.

"Let's just hope that the chief of Kyoshi Island will be able to tell us more," I murmur as I gaze back out at the water.