Child of Magic | jerza

The Key of Knowledge [1]

Summary: Minerva begins to grow afraid and frustrated of this legendary "Zarina." She vows to find out who Zarina actually is..In order to do this, she must find the key of knowledge.

~ ~ ~

"The great king will survive the strongest men..but will fall at the hands of a Druid girl."

"Erza!" Porlyusica said, shaking my shoulders. "Jellal said there's been a group of Saxons trespassing from Bosco to Fiore."

I didn't respond. I kept replaying my vision over and over. A woman whispering about Jellal's bane. Fall to the hands of a Druid girl? Was Igneel right all along? It was Wendy, right? But I hadn't seen Wendy since last year..

"It's five in the morning," I said finally. "He woke you up, told you to wake me up, and excepts me to happily go with him to drive off a group of Saxons?"

"I suppose," the old woman murmured, yawning. She took one look at my side table and groaned, "Erza Scarlet. I'm taking that magic spell book from you."

"I was studying!" I whined, glancing at the leather book. "I forgot to hide it."

"It's a good thing King Jellal didn't come in here!"

"Sorry," I whispered, grabbing the book and shoving it under my bed.

"Well, I'm going back to bed," Porlyusica said, in an almost bragging tone. I glared at her as I pulled on my jacket and sword and headed out of the office.

~ ~ ~

"Can't you fight Saxons yourself?" I asked.

"You flatter me, Erza. But I'd rather have a knight with me. You never know what could happen," Jellal continued.

"Jellal!" Gray shouted. "Sire!"

"What's wrong?"Jellal asked in alarm, stopping in his tracks. "I don't recall putting you on this patrol."

Gray caught up to us and panted, "Gajeel, Natsu, and sixty other knights are missing. They never came back from their mission in Ismere."

"Sixty trainee knights?" I asked, slightly glad only two of my friends were missing and not all of them. But then again, I don't have sixty friends. "When did this happen?"

"Just now," Gray said. "Macao and I came back from dawn patrol and found the knight's quarters very empty."

"I may not be friends with all sixty knights, but they're still my men," Jellal said, glancing at me. "We need to find them and Natsu and Gajeel."

"But what about the Saxons?"

Jellal ruffled his hair and closed his eyes. For a moment, Gray and I stared at our king awkwardly, waiting for him to say something. When Jellal finally reopened his eyes, he whispered, "Gray, go back to the castle. Erza and I will handle the Saxons. We'll go back, bring a couple knights and search Ismere."

Gray nodded and left.

~ ~ ~

"Dammit!" Gajeel shouted as two men grabbed him by the shoulders and led him towards a fortress. "First you kidnap us. Then you force us into a damn wagon. Where's the food, huh? I'm hungry!"

"A castle?" Natsu asked, pointing to the building up ahead.

"A fortress," Gajeel said through gritted teeth. "The Fortress of Ismere. I thought it was abandoned."

"What have we got here, boys?" a woman's voice echoed from the stairs.

"Sixty trainee knights and two king's knights."