Fairy Tail: Next Generation

Chapter 3: This Could Mean Trouble

Laura could hardly breathe properly as she took off. She wanted to get away from the haphazard slanted building as far as she could possibly get. She did not want the two of them to come after her when they realised that they'd been had. Ahead of her, there was a trail that paved a winding way into mountains. Without hesitation, she began to make her way towards the pathway.

"I'd advise you not to go there, Laura."

Her eyes widened and she twirled around. "How did you know I was here?"

"I was sitting over there," Gale pointed to a lake that had frozen over completely. "You seemed to be in a hurry."

Laura smiled uneasily. "You're right, I need to be someplace which happens to be through these mountains," she fibbed, not knowing what she was talking about.

The nineteen-year-old smirked. "What are you going to be doing at the Vulcans' lairs? Hunt them down or somethin'?"

The eighteen-year-old frowned at this. She would recognize those oversized primate monsters anywhere. Acheron would take her to their lairs for the training sessions. She remembered how she used to get beaten up real bad and her foster father would not even help her even when she implored him to. A wave of bitter resentment washed over her. Without another word, Laura turned her back to him and strode away.

"Hey, don't say I didn't warn you!" Gale called after her retreating back. "It's pretty dangerous out there and you can get yourself killed!"

Nevertheless, even with the admonition Gale gave, the girl continued walking.

The weather was starting to get really bad once Laura made it into the forsaken valley filled with nothing but snow and flurry. She trudged forward against the harsh sting of the winter wind that clawed her exposed cheeks and nose. Her hands were covering her face as she struggled to steady herself in the knee-deep snow. She did not expect the weather conditions to turn on her so rapidly. She wished that she could take her words back but the sinister anger that was buried deep within overwhelmed her enough not to see reason. It was all because of him...! I didn't ask to be a Dragon Slayer...!

"I didn't wish for any of this at all..." Laura whispered to no one in particular, her voice was thick with palpable pain.

She struggled to keep her tears in check. The day she escaped from what she deemed as hell, she had renounced her destiny as a Dark Dragon Slayer and her foster father.

I'm sure he would never forgive me for what I have done...

She smirked. Of course, I would never forgive you for doing that to me either...

Laura knew that Acheron would surely find her someday...and when he did, she was going to be ready for him when he did.

Suddenly, the eighteen-year-old stopped and surveyed her darkened surroundings watchfully. The sun had long since disappeared behind the snow clouds. It was nearing twilight and the Slayer had to rely on her sense of hearing now. The predator was intelligent; it had been stalking her for quite some time now. She could feel its eyes on her...or should she say many pairs of eyes. Her grip on her sword that were resting carelessly on the sides of her hips, tightened considerably. The girl knew she had herself surrounded in a tight circle. The cold sweat from the anticipation of action and adrenaline made her even colder than she already was. Vulcans' behavior was something hard for her to gauge. They could either be in a mischievous mood in particular when it came to human women or...something more feral when it came to their territory.

Something moved to the side of her. The girl turned her head and took a step back. The fast growing darkness made it all the more trickier for her to pinpoint her targets since they were strategically using the shadows to conceal themselves. This battle was going to be in their favor.

Laura's eyes widened and she leapt, just as a gigantic paw whizzed past her face and landed on the spot where she had been. She pulled out the sword and swung it competently in her hands.

"Come and get me!" she yelled out.

They did soon enough. Eight crimson eyes glinted against the darkness as the four Vulcans revealed their presence to her, growling with a feral attitude like the wild beasts they were.

"Only four, huh?" she sneered. "I'll take you all down without even using a degree of my magic."

The monsters snarled at her, sensing her scorn directed towards them. One of them lunged for her but she dodged it neatly and countered it. She struck it deliberately across its eyes, blinding it. The Vulcan howled in pain and fell backwards blindly, unable to see.

"One down and three more," she smirked.

The other three came for her at the same time but the Slayer was too agile for them and she avoided their paws entirely. However, before she knew it, the eighteen-year-old was sent flying. She landed heavily onto the ground but happily the snow broke her fall else she would have broken something. It seemed that she had misjudged the numbers. She rolled over just as a paw landed just inches away from creaming her face in the dirt. It was then that she realised two things. One was her weapon were not with her anymore; they must have been chucked aside when she was flung and the other was the Vulcan that now stood in front of her was of a different species altogether...

Things were starting to look dire for her, if she did not do something fast, like get herself out of here.

The beast that stood in front of her, towered far over the rest of the normal Vulcans. Its fur was not the usual black and white but wholly white. It was able to camouflage itself with all the snow that she was not able to recognize it. Its eyes, the colour of pure silver glared coldly at her. She was able to detect its deadly aura of murder. Laura noticed that the other three Vulcans had backed off and was nowhere to be seen, leaving the two alone.

This must definitely be their leader...

It snarled at her threateningly.

She leered at it. "Oh, I'll fight you of course."

The white Vulcan roared and raised a paw to strike a blow. Laura propelled herself forward, evading the attack and did a counter attack of her own; she brandished a hidden scimitar from her cloak and swung it. The Slayer seemed to have misjudged its apparent dexterity. The blade cut futilely through the air. A gigantic paw came into view while she was still in mid air and it connected with her stomach, knocking the wind out of her body. The force threw her body violently like a rag doll as her back collided with a gravel wall. She felt her cloak rip as the rocks that jutted out, bit into her skin, drawing blood. She winced as she slid down to the ground, gasping hard. With another deafening roar, the Vulcan sprung at her with an intention to finish her off. The girl had no other alternative except to use her magic. She grimaced as she forced herself back onto her feet, leaning against the wall.

"Demon Wings of Horror..." she whispered as a black magic circle erupted beneath her. Huge ebony colored feathered wings sprouted from between her shoulder blades and unfurled lazily as she took flight. She hovered above the Vulcan. Laura knew that she had to wrap this up quickly and get herself out of here. The more her use of magic prolongs, the more she would be exposing herself to Acheron. The Vulcan expertly began to scale the gravel walls to get within reach of her. Now was her chance; "Dark Dragon Roar!"

A black stream of magical air shot out of her mouth and she landed a direct hit. The monster lost its balance and fell down, a few feet with a satisfying thud.

Laura swallowed the lump of bile that had formed in her throat as a wave of nausea swept over her. She coughed hard, losing her focus as she drifted gently to the ground, falling clumsily onto a pile of snow. The wings dissipated into wisps of vapor.

The Vulcan was already back on its feet; her attack had induced further anger. With an enraged growl, it charged towards a weakened Laura. The girl had lost her will to stand and fight and she closed her eyes to await her impending death.