Fire Heart

Chapter Three

​ Salamander listened to the cries outside of his door. It was Lucy, she had left the room and sat outside and cried. She's been crying for the past hour. Of course, her sobs had turned into sniffles now. The only reason he could still hear her was because of his enhanced senses he got from being raised by a dragon.

​ "So annoying," Salamander muttered as Lucy sniffed loudly.

​ Salamander had heard about there being a Celestial mage in this town a few weeks ago, but it wasn't until a couple of days ago, that he decided he wanted to see her power. He did tell Lucy that she was weak, however she wasn't as weak as he expected her to be. That's why he kept her in the guild. Now he had a celestial mage, while Paradis did not. Also, it was easier to keep her here than kill her. He didn't want to kill her for some reason. He assumed it was because her power had intrigued him, even if it was small.

​ Lucy sniffed again and Salamander sighed and stood up. How was he supposed to think with her crying outside of his door? He whipped the door open making Lucy jump. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes. Her face was red and stained with tears.

​ Salamander sneered down at her. "When exactly did you plan to stop crying? It's getting annoying."

​ Lucy didn't answer. She just looked away and tucked her knees closer to her chest. She was also clutching her right hand where her new guild mark was.

​ Salamander scoffed. "Go down to the bar and talk to the old lady. She can get that mark to stop burning."

​ Lucy looked up in surprise. Salamander stared at her for another second before turning away and heading down the hall to his bedroom.

❤ ❤ ❤

​ "This burn isn't as bad as the other ones I've seen," The old lady at the bar said when Lucy showed her the brand-new guild mark on her hand. "Sometimes Salamander will burn someone's entire arm when he gives them a guild mark. Hang on a sec I got some cream to take away the sting."

​ Lucy looked around the guild hall as the old lady rummaged around on the shelves below the bar. There were only a few people seated at the tables now.

​ "Here you are, Sweetheart," The old lady said handing Lucy a container filled with a clear looking substance.

​ "Thanks," Lucy said. She applied some of the cream to her hand and the sting disappeared almost instantly. "This stuff's amazing."

​ "Well, you have to have good pain relievers when working for a dark guild," The old lady said simply.

​ Lucy cocked her head at the old lady. She didn't act like someone who would work for a dark guild, but then again, she was probably just another slave to the Salamander. "What's your name?" Lucy asked her.

​ "Old lady," She answered.

​ Lucy looked at her shocked. "That can't be your real name!"

​ The old lady shrugged. "That's what everyone calls me, so that must be my name, right?"

​ "No," Lucy said.

​ "Look, dear, you'll learn that everyone here is called something, but it's never their real name."

​ "So, everyone just picks a nickname for someone?"

​ The old lady shook her head. "Not everyone. Just him, just Salamander."

​ Of course, Lucy should have known better. Obviously, he's in charge of everything here, so why wouldn't he oversee names too? She wondered what he would decide to call her. She didn't like the thought of that so she pushed it out of her brain.

​ "If no one's allowed to leave the guild, then where did everyone go?" Lucy asked.

​       "Upstairs to their rooms. Everyone just lives here, which reminds me, you don't have a room yet do you, dear?"

​ "No," Lucy said. "So, I can't go home?"

​ "Not unless you want to be hunted and killed," The old lady said picking up a large book and slamming it down on the bar.

​ "But-"

​ "But nothing! You wanna stay alive you'll stay here. Now let's see what room is open," The old lady said opening the book.

​ Lucy wanted to cry again. She didn't want to stay in this horrible place so close to that demon Salamander. She wanted to go home. She wanted to work at the café! Oh, no work! What would Levy think? Surly she was going to worry about Lucy. She'd just have to write her and make up an excuse as to why she had gone missing. She didn't want Levy getting mixed up in all of this.

​ "Oh room 22 is open! Oh, no wait, that's next to Deafening's room, you wouldn't like that at all, he makes too much noise. You'd never get any sleep."

​ "Well then his name definitely makes sense," Lucy said.

​ "Oh maybe room 21! Ah no, that's by the gay guys. You may not like that, they're very, um, never mind."

​ Lucy didn't even want to know how that sentence was going to be finished.

​ "Room 48, no, that's by Angry's room. It's probably best you avoid him completely for obvious reasons."

​ None of these options sounded good and Lucy's stomach kept sinking further with each word the old lady spoke. Was she really stuck here with a bunch of evil freaks?

​ "Ah! Room 12 looks safe. It's on the end by... oh never mind this really is the safest room though. Come, dear, follow me."

​ The old lady put the giant book back and wobbled towards the stairs. Lucy followed her upstairs and across the balcony to a hallway. It was the same hallway that Lucy saw Salamander walk down earlier. The old lady lead Lucy all the way down the hall to room 12, which was located on the right. Strangely, it was the only other door in this hallway besides the one at the start of the hall.

​ "Here we are," The old lady said. "Safest room in the guild hall!"

​ "How do you know?" Lucy asked.

​ "I know everything," The old lady snapped. "And because this is my room, well, it was. It's yours now."

​ "What? But I couldn't possibly take your room!" Lucy exclaimed.

​ "Think nothing of it, I really don't mind."

​ "But where are you going to sleep?"

​ The old lady waved Lucy off. "I'll sleep when I'm dead. Have sweet dreams, Dear!" and with that the old lady hobbled back down the hall.

​ Lucy entered the room to find it was a single room with a bed, dresser, and desk. There was also a bathroom with a shower, thank goodness, but that was it. It looked like a jail cell to Lucy. She sighed. Oh well, at least she had a bed. She felt awful that she was taking the old lady's room though. What was she going to do? Sleep behind the bar? Or was she really not going to sleep?

​ Lucy pulled back the covers to the bed and climbed in. It was surprisingly comfortable. She looked at her scarred hand and her eyes welled with tears again. How on earth did she end up here?