The stairs were long, but it was easier to go down than up so this time they walked instead of using a lift. Freed looked at the sea and after they left mountains behind, there was nothing but water to see. The morning sun was making the blue sea glimmer beautifully.
That didn't really help Laxus who was already angry because he knew they would have to travel with a ship and couldn't help it.
"Don't look so cranky all the time", Evergreen finally snapped to the Thunder God. "You're making us all feel down."
"Shut up", Laxus grunted.
"He can't help it since he's scared", Bickslow chuckled.
"You wanna say that again?" Laxus growled and small sparks were emitted in the air.
"Calm yourself", Freed frowned. "We can't use magic yet."
"I know", Laxus said annoyed.
"Well, people here at docks might not be as afraid of mages as people in town", Sanchez chuckled. He and Imari had came along to see them off. "They visit Hargeon and other places often, they've met lots of mages before."
"Not only because of people", Roscoe said. "But we don't want the enemy to notice us as well."
Freed opened his mouth but closed it when he noticed Laxus had smelled something. They had no time to react, when in a next second there was someone among them and they saw a wide smirk.
In the next second he was already gone and like no one had ever been there or even close to them. But Laxus frowned when he looked at the letter he got in his hand.
"I heard Jellal has someone in his guild who is really fast", Evergreen whispered as they all had noticed what happened.
"Sawyer, if I'm not wrong", Freed said. "What does the letter say?"
Laxus grunted and he opened the letter. Others came closer, blocking the letter from view so people walking up and down the stairs would not notice it.
'We have noticed some suspicious activity by the docks, be careful when you get on a ship. Don't attract too much attention. - Jellal'
Laxus frowned.
"Should we get on a ship?" Evergreen asked.
"We can't stay here either", Laxus grunted.
"What if they attack while you're on a ship?" Imari murmured as they walked down and they already heard lots of voices from the docks. Nothing out of normal, just regular noises you could hear at any harbor.
"Then we have to fight", Laxus said. "It's gonna be a pain in the ass, fighting on a ship but it seems like we don't have any other choice."
"We do have an advantage, though", Bickslow grinned. "As we can fly."
"You can?" Sanchez asked curiously.
"We sure can, baby."
"Why don't you just fly away from here?" Imari asked.
"We can't", Evergreen said. "It would draw attention. And Freed can't fly over the sea, it takes too long."
"So our only choice is to board that ship and hope for the best", Freed frowned. "We must believe that Crime Sorciére will take care of this town."
In Magnolia, at the Fairy Tail guild house Erza huffed as she read a message he had gotten only moments ago. There was no sender's name and it made the letter suspicious, but the content was alarming.
"What do you say about this?" she said and showed the letter for Makarov who was sitting on a bar counter.
The old man took the letter and read it.
"What does it say, Raisin?" Roxanne asked curiously as she was sitting on her usual bar stool.
"Emmett is in Crocus", Makarov grunted. "No destruction has happened, yet, but he has been seen."
"That sounds suspicious", Roxanne hummed. "And we have no idea who sent that letter?"
"It's either someone who can't tell us their name, or it's someone who's trying to lure us to go in Crocus", Erza frowned. "But attacking Crocus, I don't think even Yuidose is crazy enough to do something like that."
"Yet we can't be sure what might happen if we don't go there", Makarov sighed crossing his arms. This sure was problematic. "Knowing Yuidose by now, anything might happen..."
"Has they seen Moritz or others? He worked with Emmett last time", Roxanne said.
"We can't count that Moritz might be with him this time too", Erza said. "They might swap teams to make it harder for us to predict who might be where. Or it might be Emmett alone in Crocus. That is if he is there at all."
Makarov huffed and he looked at Felix, Chester and Vellanja who were playing together in the Hall with Theophilius and Kvestor.
"We can't all go", he said and Erza nodded. "No matter what, we can't leave the kids without proper protection here."
"I know", she smiled.
"It's your call as a master what we should do now. Do we trust that letter or not?"
"I wouldn't say I trust it", Erza said folding the letter. "But we can't ignore it either. Natsu!" she called and the pink haired man along with Lucy and Happy lifted their heads. "Gather up your team, you're going to Crocus."
"Crocus?" Natsu asked confused. "Right now?"
"Yes. Take a train and find out if Emmett is there."
"Emmett's in Crocus?" Lucy asked suddenly scared. "And we're going there to find him?"
"You don't need to fight with him, only find out if he's there or not", Erza said. "We got a word he might be there, but we can't send more mages there just because someone we don't know said they have seen him."
"Someone we don't know?" Happy asked. "So we're running after rumors..."
"Stop complaining and start moving."
"Aye..."
"I hope he's there!" Natsu laughed as they got up from their seats. "Because it's going to be interesting!"
"We're only supposed to find out if he's there", Lucy reminded with a sigh. She had a bad feeling how things most definitely would go...
"And if he is there, I'm gonna make him sorry he ever lifted his finger against Fairy Tail!" Natsu swore.
"Don't destroy the city", Makarov reminded.
"Yeah, yeah. Come on! Let's go find Wendy, Gray and Juvia!" Natsu laughed grabbing Lucy's hand and Happy flew after them as they left the guild house.
Makarov rubbed his forehead and Roxanne chuckled.
"I like it how energetic they always are", she said. "They're good kids."
"It's easy for you to say since you don't need to worry about the bills they cause."
"Neither do you, Raisin."
"Oh! That's right!" Makarov noticed and laughed happily while Erza sighed.
"I hope I didn't make a big mistake", she muttered and she got up from her seat. "And I really hope we're not walking straight to Yuidose's trap."
"We can't be sure what he might do now", Makarov said.
"I think I should ask some help to make sure Laxus and his team will be alright", Erza decided and he went up the stairs towards the office.
Makarov huffed.
"I'm definitely not jealous because I'm not a master", Roxanne giggled amused. "So many important decisions to make."
"She's not alone and she knows that, that's why she talked with us", Makarov assured and he took a gulp from his beer glass. "Those masters who think they should never ask any help or advises are usually the ones who won't last long."
"Maybe you are right."
One of the sailors was loudly announcing that the ship was ready to leave. Freed walked up the drawbridge in to the heavy built galleon. It was specifically built to carry both cargo and passengers and it even had some ammunition to defend everyone in it.
Others followed right after Freed and they stopped beside the railing, looking down at Imari and Sanchez who were standing on the dock, far enough so they wouldn't be on the way of those last sailors and passengers who were getting in.
"I hope we can see them soon again", Freed said.
"I'm sure we will", Evergreen smiled.
"I wish we could have stayed a little bit longer", Bickslow said. "Don't you think so too, baby?" he asked looking down at Laxus who had slumped to sit on the deck, leaning against the railing and holding his head. He grumbled something that possibly meant something agreeing and he took deep breaths.
The drawbridge was pulled up and the hawsers were untied. Big sails were let down and they immediately caught wind and the ship moved, what made Laxus groan. They lifted their hands to wave at Sanchez and Imari, who followed their example. The wind was strong and soon they were so far it was hard to see them anymore.
"I feel sad", Bickslow whined.
"It's not like we're never going to see them again", Roscoe huffed. "Pull yourself together, idiot."
"My only consolation is that if wind is this good the whole day, we'll make it to the last train and can get to Magnolia tonight. I wonder what Cana and Chester have been doing?"
"I'm sure they've been fine", Freed assured. "If something bad had happened, I'm sure they would have send us a word somehow."
Laxus grumbled and he sniffed the air.
"A thunderstorm is coming", he grunted. "Don't feel like a big one."
"Do you think it might hit us?" Roscoe asked.
"Can't say yet."
"You'll just get rid of it if that happens, baby", Bickslow grinned. "There's nothing for us to worry about."
Even Freed agreed that a thunderstorm wasn't something that would cause them troubles, they had Laxus after all. When the Thunder God got angry, it was worse than ten thunderstorms together.
The rune mage huffed and he looked how the island was left far behind. Even if the wind was strong, it would take hours before they would see land again and for some reason he was feeling nervous because they were trapped here, nothing but water around them as far as they could see. He usually never got nervous when being in a ship, but something just didn't feel right.