Bonds of Iron and Fire

A Fairy Hunter's Broken Fairy Tale p1

Erza Knightwalker never had a happy life. She was abandoned by her parents before she could remember, and was taken in by the Royal Army. She was then placed into a program that raised and trained children to become deadly soldiers for the kingdom. She very quickly learned that to survive she needed to be three things. She needed to be strong, cold, and distrustful of everyone. As she lived her life by these three aspects, she excelled.

She moved through the ranks at an astonishing rate, and eventually she made it to Royal Army Captain of the 2nd Magic War Division. Such a position brought satisfaction to her. She made her way to the top and the top felt good. It felt good to look down on all the weak, pathetic, fools below her. It felt even better to take out all of the guilds that relied on each other.

Foolish.

Weak.

Pathetic.

You were only strong if you stood alone. The weak gathered together in packs. At least that's what she thought until she met and fought her.

Erza Scarlet.

Someone who fought along and for her friends. Someone who fought her to a draw. Erza Scarlet completely ruined her outlook on life. Scarlet was someone who advocated bonds and the power behind it, while Knightwalker advocated the complete opposite.

But the proof was in the pudding. And no matter what Knightwalker tried she just couldn't take Scarlet down. So she started to question her way of life. She had a lot of time on her hands anyways. Ever since Prince Jellal (he preferred Mystogan, something she didn't call him. Why? Because he preferred it.) became the king, he took a pacifist approach to everything. Meaning someone like herself was useless, unless they were attacked by another kingdom. Something that would never happen unless the attacking kingdom wanted to get annihilated. Even without magic she and the kingdom weren't to be taken lightly.

So she thought and thought and...she got nowhere. Which frustrated the hell out of her.

Some days were worse then the others, and she tended to end those days by going to a bar. She would've never imagined that her life would change because she overdid it on the alcohol one night.

Flashback

"Don't you think you've had enough?" asked the bartender as he eyed Erza Knightwalker. Now normally Knightwalker wouldn't have put up with such a remark (she was a grown woman and didn't need looking after), but she liked the bartender, not romantically of course. He talked when she felt like talking, and shutted the hell up and left her alone when she didn't want to be bothered. More importantly he didn't try to hit on her, even when she was drunk.

So his opinion held so sway in Knightwalker's mind.

"Fingers." Knightwalker slurred. The bartender held up three fingers while Knightwalker attempted to discern the amount. She then sighed after a few seconds of trying. There was no way one hand could have eight fingers. "You're right. See you around." Knightwalker said as she got up, stumbled slightly, and made her way towards the exit.

"You gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine." Knightwalker walked out of the bar, unaware of the two men that followed her out, and made her way home. 'My heads going to be killing me tomorrow.' Knightwalker thought as she stumbled down the road. She didn't get too far before she was grabbed and shoved into an alleyway.

How did she respond to such an action?

By falling unceremoniously into the side of a garbage can, of course.

"Ugh." Knightwalker groaned as the world spun around her. She was in trouble. She knew that. Normally in this situation she would've ripped whoever shoved her to pieces. Unfortunately, she was drunk out of her mind and couldn't get up at the moment. The two blurs that were looking down on her were whispering something, but she was to drunk to understand them; although, she didn't need to understand them to know what they wanted. Even in her intoxicated state, it was glaringly obvious.