Fairy Tail Adventures Await Volume 2: Undercover Investigation

Chapter 24: In These Past Years

More murmurs and whispers spread throughout the hall.

"Y-you'll never f-find us alone. Be-because we were assigned pairs n-nine years ago. Igneel was put with Chryssie. Tina was put with Guthrie. And I...I was put with Blake. Now I would like to clarify we were not the only six 'hoods' as we were called. But we w-were selected t-to carry out the m-most dangerous missions b-because we were the st-strongest. According to O-Ozzy, at least. In-in order to make us stronger, sh-she wanted to see us b-break first."

Varsha stepped back from the mic as she started to hyperventilate.

Addy hopped up the stairs and came to her side. He held out his hand and she immediately squeezed it. After a minute of gathering her breath, Varsha let go and stepped forward again.

"As I said. Ozzy indirectly tortured us. Sh-she has four other wizards beneath her. Aleks. Andy. Catie. And M...M..."

Tears flooded her eyes. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"B-Blake and I were paired under M...b-but M loved to torture the most. All of us, except T-Tina, were beaten...stabbed...electrocuted...pricked...cut open...sawed. A-and our bones were b-b-broken...many...many times. Then, M would use her s-so-called 'Bend Magic' to fix u-us up again. B-because Blake and I were paired under her...I had to w-witness her love of 'playing' with Blake. M loved to torture him in front of the r-rest of us because he was the oldest...and th-the most stubborn...and was b-basically our l-leader. A-Aleks also particip-pated. He was b-brutal in a ph-physical manner. He had n-no problem refusing food or water to those who didn't co-operate. S-sometimes he punished all of us. At once. At that time, Blake was such a kind soul. N-no matter how many times he went through hell thanks to M or Aleks, he would get up...smile...and say 'we'll make it out of here one day'."

A wave of happy and excited whispers rang through the crowd.

"I-I should mention that when we weren't being t-tortured, we were locked away in d-different cells...with our respective partners. M told B-Blake and I that we were paired because of...his Snake Magic, strong swimming abilities, and prior quest experiences. All of which could counter my uncontrollable Magic and lack of experience in any quest life."

Varsha looked down at her papers.

"H-here's some other information to know. Th-the six of us were told the five wizards, known as the Rarities, had a goal of ridding the world of most of its Magic. Well, they were actually taking it for themselves. That's, uh, what we were told as kids. I've only ever seen Andy use fire-based Magic. Aleks has only shown ice-based Magic. I...I couldn't tell you what types of Magic Catie and M use. But, I've only ever seen M active in the dark and Catie active in the light. Over the years I have never seen O-Ozzy use any Magic other than Fire and Ice. B-but sh-sh-she has an overwhelming, suppressing aura. Y-you can feel her p-presence from many many miles away. I-I don't quite know how much."

She wiped her eyes on her shawl as the whispers continued.

"Tina," she said over the crowd, "was not tortured alongside us because...she had already been there. W-we've talked a f-few times. And she t-told me she had already been with the R-Rarities for twenty years prior. She was kidnapped at age seven, and O-Ozzy had used an ancient Aging Seal on her, preventing physical growth. Tina claimed she broke this Seal herself five years later when she was physically seven but chronologically twelve. Then she physically aged to fourteen, chronologically twenty, when the rest of us appeared. And i-in general she was left alone. O-Ozzy always ordered M to stay away from Tina and exclude Tina from super arduous torture sessions."

The guild members started exchanging bewildered glances.

"I...I don't know why that all happened. And our conversations always ended before Tina could explain," Varsha admitted. "She did tell me she was paired with Guthrie because of the similarities in their Magic. And they are led by Catie, who has unusual light-based Magic. Chryssie w-was eight when she was kidnapped, which was, uh, not long before O-Ozzy visited Fairy Tail. Igneel was paired with her because his fire-based magic could be used to increase Chryssie's strength and resistance. They're paired under Andy. And f-from what I've heard, they take on the d-deadliest of m-missions. What they actually did?...I can't say for sure. I've heard some bits of it echo through the hallways, such as raiding villages, kidnappings, hostages, stealing, destruction, tracking, and murder. I-I've heard Andy shout m-myriad assassination criticisms at those two."