Storm Dragon's Ashes

Chapter 8: Hot on the Trail

Pic of Guild Master, Makarov Dreyar

(Natsu's POV)

In the plaza of the Midori Village, I tried to get Lucy and Jack's scent. Dragon Slayers have an acute sense of smell, hearing, and sight. I would find their scents, follow it, and end up nowhere. It just didn't make sense! Ahhh! Where are they dammit?! When I caught their trail, for some reason, it would turn too faint to track.

"Happy, this doesn't make any sense! Their scents are all over the place yet I can't get any pinpoints to where they might be." I tell him.

"Don't give up, Natsu-" Happy tried to cheer me up but I had a different reaction to what he tried to do.

"Like hell I'm gonna give up! Don't underestimate a dragon slayer's nose!" I got all fired up and started to chase the scents harder. It eventually lead me to an alleyway with a dead end. My eyes widened when I noticed the markings of a past fight that had occured.

"Happy, look!" I call him out. He stopped looking around the church and went towards me. He saw the alley and gasped.

"Natsu, were they here?" asked Happy. I sniff the air and caught both Jack and Lucy's scent. Even without the scent, there were lightning markings on the floor and on the walls. I kneel before one of them and touch the darkened floor. This was Jack's lightning. I'd recognize it from our last fight.

"They were definitly here." I look towards one of the corners where Lucy's scent was all over the floor. Nothing good came out of this fight. "If I'm not mistaken, I think they were kidnapped."

"Can you get a clear scent to follow?" asked Happy. I look towards him and sniff the air again. I grin and stand up.

"Let's go, Happy." I point towards the roof of the building on our right.

"Aye, sir!" Happy grabs my back and we head off flying. There was a good scent to follow. We went north closing in on the main gate. We couldn't fly over it since the magic barrier would block our way.

"Time to land, Happy."

"Aye, sir." Happy starts to descend a few feet away from the main gate exiting the village.

"Whatever happened back in that alley, their scents go through there." I tell Happy. "Let's go, Happy." I start to run towards the gate where two guards stood in patrol. They crossed their lances, denying my leave.

"Hey, what gives?" I ask them.

"We can't let anyone in this village leave until the one behind the explosion is found." says the guard on the left.

"Look pal, I'm trying to look for your guy but his scent goes through that gate. So, if you would just let me pass..." I explain to them and stop at the end trying to make a point. They just look at each other and then point their lances close to my neck. Out of instinct, I took a few steps back.

"Are you okay, Natsu?" asked Happy.

"Yeah. Didn't even touch me." I look towards one of them and I swore I saw one of them static, not static as in happy or hyperactive, but it was like head had a short circuit. His image faded a little but quickly came back, quickly enough to have been barely visible. I started to towards him.