Phoenix Fire || Fairy Tail [1]

𝐱𝐥𝐢𝐯. 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐥

𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜: 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙝𝙚𝙣
❛ 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯. ❜

◊

Rose pressed herself tightly against the wall of the alleyway, trying not to be seen by the gang of men who were roughhousing and shoving each other around. They didn't seem to be the friendly type – the weapons at their waists proved that they were anything but. She'd rather not get caught up in a petty fight.

But then she heard a tortured scream piercing through the air.

"Mom!" A young girl cried out.

"Don't touch her you piece of– ow! Get off of me!"

It was a male who cried out, and judging from his voice he was in his teens. Rose clenched her fists, warning herself not to get caught up, but she couldn't stop herself from sneaking a glance around the corner.

In the dark shadows of the alley, one of the five men had grabbed a hold of a frail-looking woman's hair. He shook her as if she were a ragdoll, sneering at the young children who were being held back by one of his henchmen.

"Give me all your money or she gets it!" The goon snarled, his eyes glinting maliciously in the moonlight which managed to illuminate the area.

Rose gritted her teeth, trying to stifle the rage that was rearing its ugly head inside her. It had been barely a month since Felliora's death, but she had witnessed many scenes like this. It was enough to make her nauseous. She had never actually interfered in any of the events, but these were children.

She couldn't let them witness their own mother's death. That would be something which haunted them for the rest of their lives.

Her legs were moving before she even realised it, propelling her around the corner. The thieves were occupied, their backs facing her, so she'd stand a better chance if she snatched one of their knives.

"Who the hell–!" Rose cut the man off mid-sentence, grasping the hilt of the dagger sheathed at his side and removing it from the belt it was tied to. Before he could attack her she'd slashed at his shoulder, digging the blade in deep enough that it would leave a nasty scar even after it healed.

"Huh. Must have hit an artery." Rose mused. She'd slashed a bit closer to the base of the neck than she'd thought she had. Blood sprayed through the air where she had been, though the phoenix slayer had already weaved around the man who collapsed and moved onto her next victim.

The next was a burly man who was holding both of the children captive – his forearms over their throats. He was down in a second, with a violent kick to the back of the knee. Rose was pretty certain that he'd have a difficult time walking for the rest of his life, given the crack his limb had made when he fell onto his face. The children collapsed to their knees, gasping for air.

Rose turned just in time to block a slash from the next man, whose accomplice tried to grab her neck while the first kept her occupied.

"Get her!" The man who was restraining the woman called out, using a few choice words to describe the dark-haired girl. "I want her dead!"

His remaining two minions seemed to agree, the first trying to wrestle the knife out of Rose's grip as the second delivered a punch to her stomach. She ignored the pain and twisted her arm out of the first man's hold, nicking his face with the end of the blade. He growled and raised his knife, about to dig it into her stomach, only to receive a blast of fire straight to the face.