Fairy Tail - Eyes of Ice

Chapter 3 - Phantom Lord Pt. 1

He shuffled through the usual gambit: Erza, his magic, his time with Kairi, his time on the Tower of Heaven. More recently he thought of the battle with Erigor. One of his truer tests in recent times. Kai balled up his fist.

Zeref...

"What if the dragonlings have something to do with Acnologia?" Kai muttered as they started up a hill. Iggy had jumped off his shoulder and pranced beside him.

"You think you're ready for that?"

"I can at least gauge my strength against him if I can easily defeat his dragonlings, right? His spawn?"

"That's like saying you can fight an adult if you can beat up a baby."

Kai grimaced. Why'd Iggy have to be right all the time? He often used to think cats were super intelligent before he met Happy. That cat knew how to cook a good fish but he wouldn't have figured out Kai's illogical thoughts as fast.

His path took him away from a fork in the road and led him down the hill. Nature chirped and called at him. Vivid scents rushed through his nostrils, and he felt reenergized, almost as if he'd just had a nice cup of ice. He imagined Erza walking at her side, maybe for once without her armor, without her guard up.

Without the fear that someone could take her and enslave her again. Kai bowed his head. A cloud's shadow descended over him. He shouldered his pack again.

"Don't think about it."

"I know."

"But you still are."

"How can a place so evil bring me a person so good? People so good? Simon, Sho, Wally, Millianna...There were so many good kids there. So many more I didn't get to meet, that we didn't get to rescue."

"Kai, it's dangerous to think about it. Not just for yourself, but for other people."

He shook his head. "Other people need to know, we need to...what if something's happened, Iggy? How do I know everyone is okay, how can I find out, how—"

A strange scent caught his nostrils and the air around him seemed to completely stop. That one scent multiplied into a bunch, an entire crowd, moving at a great pace. But nothing rustled, nothing seemed to be happening.

"Dragon Slayer, how good to see you in the wild."

"Kai!"

Kai spun and found himself only a couple of feet from Jose Porla, Guild Master of Phantom Lord.

Jose.

Joseph.

Damn it.

"What's going on here?"

"Oh I took a request," Jose said. "A high-paying one, I might add, just like you did. Honestly, I wasn't sure which of the Dragon Slayers I would manage to snag away but I'm quite happy it was you, so we could chat face-to-face and discuss what you've done to me."

"I haven't done anything to you that any other wizard wouldn't. You're slime."

"And you're asking for a great bit of trouble." Jose smiled. Something about him was strange. There were scents everywhere, but not in front of Kai. "But I personally only have this time for you. I'm quite focused on other things. I just needed to make sure you wouldn't affect my request."

"Did you have the job with the dragonlings?"

"There are no such dragonlings, and you'll never see that kind of money. I certainly will...oh, I'm sorry. I forgot while I received the request, it isn't just myself that's partaking in it. It's my entire guild."