Five Little Sacrifices

Chapter 99

Reedus looked around in the forest that didn't really look like a forest at all. Yet... In a way, he did think this place was beautiful, even if the gigantic mushrooms were weird to look at. He felt so tiny... Like he was just a little insect crawling at the forest floor.

If he had the time he might've stopped and painted this scenery, to try and catch the feeling he got from it. He had never felt anything like this before, though it wasn't the scariest thing he had ever encountered.

Reedus sighed and he just nervously nibbled the handle of a brush he was holding while walking through the mushroom forest and he could only hope he would find someone soon. Someone he knew. He was a coward and he wasn't proud of it, but what could he do? Naturally he would do anything he could so he could help his guild members but if it was only him around... What should he do if he met an enemy?

The man with a top hat shivered when remembering Emmett and Yuidose and how ruthlessly they attacked Fairy Tail guild house and how Humphrey and Ichabod destroyed Naava Town together. He wasn't like many others in their guild. He had no monstrous power to fight off their enemy! He wasn't at all like Natsu, Gajeel, Grey, Erza, Mirajane or...

He gulped when even thinking about Laxus. True, Laxus wasn't at all like he used to be but Reedus simply couldn't help it that the Thunder God made his legs tremble every time he saw that frown. He trusted Laxus, he knew their master wouldn't cause anything bad to them and would rather die himself than purposely hurt them ever again. It was just that when Laxus sometimes lost his temper and got angry, it really was terrifying. And Laxus looked like he was angry all the time...

Then there was the Thunder Legion. Freed, Bickslow and Evergreen were all powerful mages. Far more powerful than many could even imagine if they had never experienced what they could actually do. Freed with his adamant runes and demons, Bickslow and his ability to see souls and command them and Evergreen could turn people into stone statues just by looking at them! Like that wasn't enough, they could all fly and that way dominate not only land but air too!

That was a seriously frightening trio, or at least that was what Reedus thought.

Reedus sighed and took off his glasses scrubbing his face. He knew he shouldn't think something like this, but this foreign environment made him nervous. He didn't even know where he should go, he could only walk forward and hope that he could find his friends before their enemy might find him.

When something suddenly rustled near him Reedus almost shrieked and dropped his glasses, quickly assembling them back on and he hid behind one of the big mushrooms. At times like these he really wished he could still have Makarov's magic to make him bigger. Somehow it made him feel more safe. It wasn't that Makarov didn't want to help him, Reedus simply decided he should not bother the old man with that selfish request anymore. Oh how he regretted that now...

Reedus sat down leaning against the mushroom and closed his eyes, hoping that whatever there was nearby it would go away if he would stay quiet. He hold his breath when he could hear something.

Steps were coming closer. It made his heart race and he felt cold sweat. His whole body was trembling. What should he do? Where should he go? Should he move at all or try to run away?!

"Reeeedus~"

Reedus lifted his head in astonishment and turned to look who was talking. He saw a wide smirk and dark red eyes through the visor.

"Did you piss your pants, baby?" Bickslow cackled amused when looking at the scared man.

It was probably because Reedus was simply too scared already that he couldn't even yell. He just blinked, looking at Bickslow who was grinning at him. Then he heard more steps and turned around, almost swallowing his tongue when he saw who else but the Thunder God looking down at him. It felt like that big coat he was wearing was darkening everything around them.