Long time no see:) Sorry for the break. I've been very busy with other projects but it felt so nice coming back to this and surprising I'd forgotten so much!
________________________________________________________________________________
On the surface it was cold and the first few rays of the morning sun exposed a light, ivory mist that rose from the damp ground after a long night of rain. Far below, bright candles illuminated winding passageways, rousing sleepy inhabitants from their cosy beds. The air was electric with muted conversation as crowds of famished villagers were herded into the dining hall, eagerly awaiting thick slabs of streaky bacon, crispy hash browns, and fried eggs piled upon chipped plates.
Y/N awoke sometime mid-morning, bleary-eyed, as the makeshift door scraped harshly against the stone floor. Whispers of slow shuffling and hushed cursing disturbed the peace as Laxus squeezed himself through the doorway, trying desperately to not wake her. She caught a glimpse of him clutching two steaming mugs, with a squashed loaf of bread under one arm and a cutting board under the other, before closing her eyes and pretending to sleep. Forcing deep, slow breaths and concealing a smile, she listened to Laxus gently place some of the breakfast items onto the coffee table by the entrance and the scent of freshly baked goods filled the room. He stood still for a moment, not making a sound, contemplating what to do next.
The pallet protested as he perched by Y/N's side and took a moment to observe her. His hand, warmed from the coffee, brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen across her face. She fluttered her eyes open and displayed a convincing act of awakening, before focusing on Laxus and the large, clay mug he extended towards her.
"About time..." he teased, his mouth curling into a smug grin. "Morning is almost over. I had to fight an army for this breakfast."
She took the mug, feeling the soothing warmth burn her fingers, and mumbled thanks. She hadn't slept so deeply in over two years and the built-up fatigue lay heavy in her muscles, pulling her back under the blankets. Laxus brandished a bunch of grapes and removed cutlery, smoked cheese wrapped in a faded patterned cloth, and a jar of apricot jam from his pockets. He reached for the bread and tore off a chunk, slathered it with jam and handed it to her as her stomach growled with anticipation. They ate without conversation, savouring both the food and the quiet intimacy, clinging eagerly to the remnants of the night before.
It didn't last long. It couldn't. An uncomfortable shroud fell over them after they had finished eating. Laxus cleared away the mugs and the cutlery, the chance to discuss what was on their minds fading quickly. Y/N brushed some crumbs off the bedding and straightened her back just as Laxus inhaled deeply, unable to meet her gaze.
"Listen Y/N... About last night-"
"Laxus... We should talk about-"
A loud knock on the door startled them and a tall, well-dressed man with tousled hair and a faint stench of body odour stepped inside, eyeing them nervously.
"The... Um... The mayor would like to see you both," he stammered.
Y/N looked at Laxus. His cheeks were still faintly flushed from the words he had been unable to speak, his eyes a little bloodshot from lack of sleep, but his face gave no inkling of what he was thinking. The discussion of the previous night's events would have to wait. Whether she felt she and Laxus could wait long was another thing entirely. She waved a hand dismissively at the man and informed him they would be on their way soon. He scurried away and they prepared their things, falling back into a more agonising silence.
***
They strode down a long, empty corridor towards the mayor's office. It wasn't hard to find, what with it being the only cavern underground that resembled a fully finished room. A large ornate door, clearly scavenged from a church or some other grand building, stood tall, keeping a watchful eye on all visitors.
The entrance was cracked open a little and they could hear the mayor's gravelly voice inside, muttering to himself. As they drew closer, a few words drifted from the office, freezing Y/N to the spot, her hand poised, ready to knock. Laxus noticed her hesitation and raised his eyebrows in question. She shook her head dubiously, her wide eyes unable to focus on her surroundings. Surely she had misheard the mayor's words...
"May Lord Zeref return."
A shiver ran down her back and she flinched as though stabbed with a poker as Laxus leaned over her and rapped sharply on the dense wood. The short, elderly man answered at once. He stepped back with his arms spread open in welcome. Catching her horrified reflection in his glasses, Y/N painted a kind smile on her face and extended herself to her full height before stepping inside.
"Welcome! Good morning to you both," he boomed. "I thought I'd check in and see how things are going with that blasted beast." He sank into a grand, leather chair behind his desk and rested his chin on his palm, giving them his full attention. If he is an old member of the commune, Y/N thought while taking in his suede suit with thick brass buttons, he certainly didn't live a similar lifestyle now. Laxus clearly had his own opinion on the man and the mayor's eagerness wavered momentarily when he snorted in disgust and crossed his arms.
"You know, I don't remember agreeing to help in the first place," he sneered, eyes locked onto the wrinkled face.
Y/N thought she saw a flicker of annoyance harden the mayor's gaze, but his smile grew in reply and he nodded sympathetically.
"You are right," he said softly, his face forlorn. "I speak on behalf of all the citizens here when I say I sincerely apologise for the way we treated you when you arrived. As I explained to your companion, we are tired of living in fear of the beast, and being unable to fight, back since none of us have any real magic talent, has made us quite desperate."
"Fine," Laxus held out his hand after a long pause and the mayor took it. "I agree to help on the condition that we get the money you mentioned to my... companion. Oh, and if you try anything I don't agree with, I will make everyone here pay the price." An amber spark shot through his fingers, and the mayor flinched, quickly releasing his grip.
Not waiting for any more pleasantries, Laxus regaled the details of their attempt to confront the wyvern yesterday and Y/N took the opportunity to closely examine the interior. The natural cavern walls were hidden behind large bookcases stuffed with famous titles, moth-eaten tapestries and a large variety of aged paintings. The mayor was seemingly a collector who took pride in the facade his objects offered him. She strolled around the bookcases, scanning the musty contents. Laxus gave her an inconspicuous glance as she completed the full circle, ending up back by his side and letting out a small sigh of relief. There were no apparent links to her past here. No demonic statues. No black books.
"Well, I wish you luck," said the mayor, pulling Y/N from her thoughts. "I do hope you can help us. A word of warning before you go, some of these buildings are old and unstable. Best to stay on solid ground if you have a choice."
He regarded her with a fixed grin, his eyes narrowing as if he could read her thoughts. She nodded at him in farewell before following Laxus out into the passageway.
***
The monstrous beast glided in circles around the decrepit church tower, its beady eyes transfixed onto the glittering, gold bell within. Y/N and Laxus clambered out the entrance to the caves below and took shelter in a shallow doorway behind the church, hidden from view.
"Okay, let's think of a plan," said Y/N, her eyes glued to the massive, winged creature as it perched on top of the tower roof. "I say we-"
She felt the air shift next to her and whipped around just in time to see Laxus rush into the street, golden energy crackling menacingly around him.
"Glad to see you came back for round two!" he yelled as he rushed forward into the wyvern's path. The lightning coursed up his right arm and grew in intensity and he slammed his fist into the wyvern's side. Y/N clamped her hands over her ears, barely filtering out the deafening screams from the beast plummeting to the ground and scattering clouds of dust across the village. Laxus turned to check on Y/N and she cried out as the beast's head burst forward with unnerving speed, sharp teeth bared and strong jaws prepped to grab onto an unguarded limb. Laxus dodged left. Y/N sprang into the air in a streak of dark energy and hurtled downwards, crashing into the top of the beast's skull with a crack. She felt Laxus' reassuring warm hand on the small of her back as she created some distance between herself and the beast, preparing for the next move. The wyvern scrambled away. They both lunged forward to grab onto the spiked tail and Y/N recoiled as Laxus' boot came into contact with her stomach, nauseating her and jolting her off course. She heard him curse before he was quickly dragged away, leaving her behind.
Sprawled on the ground, she coughed a mouthful of dirt and mentally scanned her aching body. Nothing broken. She hoisted herself up and took a moment to watch Laxus being swung around like a rag doll, leaving her with a twinge of satisfying justice as she clutched her aching abdomen. After a few minutes, he regained his balance and dug his heels into the ground, leaving a deep trail in the dirt and slowing the wyvern. Violent yellow light danced through his body and along the creature. It jerked and twisted, clawing at the source of its pain and Laxus bellowed incoherently as the lightning grew stronger. The beast gave up fighting and started to inch itself towards the church, its roars rattling Y/N to her core. Its eyes fixed unwaveringly onto the shimmering bell.
"Laxus, wait!" Y/N called out. Laxus, unable to hear her over the chaos surrounding them, released the tail and moved closer to the creature's head. Y/N sprinted towards him, hand outstretched and shouting so hard her throat turned raw. He raised his arm to give the final blow, energy surging around his clenched fist and she crashed into his back, redirecting the lightning towards a collapsed library.
"What are you doing?" Laxus roared, inches from Y/N's face, and rage lit his eyes. She shrank away and he stumbled backwards once her face came into focus and the light around him extinguished immediately. She furrowed her brows and took a deep breath before pointing towards the bell tower.
"It was trying to get to the tower."
Laxus turned to the direction she was pointing in and eyed the wyvern warily but it lay still in the dust. It heaved a giant sigh and its gaze remained fixed on the bell. Laxus grunted, acknowledging the peculiarity.
"Did I hurt you badly when I kicked you?" he asked, his expression hidden from her view.
Y/N snorted. "It'll take more than your boot to take me down."
They stood in silence for a moment, recovering their strength and composure. The morning's unspoken words hung heavily above them. Y/N stepped by his side and took his hand. Eventually, Laxus faced her and grinned widely.
"Looks like we're a bit out of practice," he said. "We'll end up killing each other before nightfall."
Y/N laughed and squeezed his hand gently. Still cautious around the frozen beast, they made their way to the church ruins and climbed the tower. Y/N heaved herself over the edge and gasped. Laxus, not as agile and therefore a bit slower at scaling the wall than she was, called out questioningly and began to pick up the pace. Underneath the bell sat a crate containing three large, shimmering eggs covered in jade scales.
"Well that explains a lot," Laxus muttered behind her.
Y/N peered down at the unmoving creature. "Wyverns lay eggs in nests, usually caves. There is no way they ended up here naturally."
"So someone took them? Why?"
"I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "It has to have been one of the villagers. Wyvern eggs are quite valuable but even so, surely they would have said or done something once the attacks started?"
Laxus sighed and ran a hand through his unruly blonde spikes. "I'll hunt them down and make them talk when we get back but in the meantime, we can't leave these here."
After much contemplation and some bickering, they decided to create a basket using the debris littering the town square and attach a rope thick enough for the wyvern to curl its talons around. The creature watched them approach but stayed still, accepting their presence with a sharp exhale. Y/N placed the basket beside the wyvern's head and extended the rope before joining Laxus on his way back underground.
***
Once Y/N reached the bottom of the ladder, Laxus placed his hands on her waist and drew her closer to him.
"So listen... As far as I'm concerned this is a job well done," he murmured. "You tell the mayor, I'll pack the bags and we can be on a train by sunset."
"Deal. I'm sure he can find the thief without our help."
He kissed her forehead before parting and she watched him until he disappeared around a bend before walking in the opposite direction. A smile played on the corners of her lips and she felt lightheaded as she thought of ideas for their next destination. The snowy mountain tops in search of the best strawberries in all of Fiore? Sailing down a river in Margaret Town together or perhaps relaxing in the hot springs at Pegasus Village? She reached the mayor's office, rapped a short rhythm on the door and stepped side to side as she waited for a response. Several minutes of silence passed. Eager to head back to the room to help with packing, Y/N gently opened the door and slid inside. Her breath caught in her throat, choking her as she noticed the mayor standing poised like a statue in the shadows of the room.
"Wha-?" she exclaimed, startled and taking a step back.
"I see you found the eggs," he said quietly. "I believe I hired you to kill the wyvern, NOT to snoop around and give away what isn't yours."
Realisation dawned too late and Y/N balle her fists tightly, ready to fight. "You stole her eggs? But why?"
The mayor stepped towards her, tutting, his expression hard and menacing. He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand and cupped her chin, closing the gap between them, the damp sweat on his skin making her shudder.
"You really are like your mother," he whispered, stale breath caressing her face. "I do hope Zeref can forgive us for her mistakes."