400 years

23

Few days later...

I had started working in the scroll room, along side a short blue haired girl who was obviously pregnant. Her name is Levy Redfox, surprisingly she married that lump of a grump Gajeel. Come to find out her and I have a lot in common, a side from our taste in men. Levy has been showing me different types of books on my type of magic and I shared my love of writing stories with her.

Today I was going to present to her a short story she had asked for. However, she must be getting closer to her delivery date because Wendy had informed me that Levy wouldn't be joining me, but she mentioned where I could find Levy's residence.

'Hmmm, Wendy said it was down a wooden hallway that wrapped around a koi pound..' While holding the package containing the little story scroll, I came upon a large iron door. 'Oh boy, that couldn't be any more obvious.' I stood in front of the entrance i believed to be Levy's residence. 'Heh, the door must have been Gajeel's choosing.' I chuckled to myself as I knocked and called out to announce my arrival. "Excuse me, Levy-chan, it's Lucy."

Levy's exhausted voice answered called from behind the door.  "Please come in Lu-Chan."

~•~

Several hours later I ended my visit with Levy so that she could get some actual sleep. Not to mention Gajeel had returned home and he still seems to think poorly of me. As I'm walking down the wooden hallway I hear a voice in the distance..

"You seem to be fitting in well here."

'Hmm, a snake.' I think as the voice registers in my brain. "I'm making progress here and there, Jellal."

"Progress is good."

'Eh, would it kill him to smile a little more!? It's as if he's pulling my deepest thoughts out of my heart and snaking on them!'

Jellal continued, "How's your progress on your wager with my lord?"

"You heard about that!?"

"It's not everyday someone picks a fight with Natsu out of the blue. Though the vessels seem to be getting a good kick out of it."

'Fight? That's not it at all!'

"I'll bet you'll fall head over heels for Natsu, only be left sodding in the end."

'Hmph!' "I bet you that the world will end before I'd ever fall in love with Natsu!"

Jellal was stunned with silence for a few minutes. "We'll see how long you can hold out."

'Argh!' "Good day!" I bowed and hurried away. I wasn't ready to head back to Dragnof castle yet. So I decided to spend time in the castle town.

I'd worked myself into a fervor, rumbling on in my thoughts about the hard work I'd put into learning the game. I was hardly paying attention to the city around me.

"Lucy, wait!"

'Huh, Brandish?' Stopping and turning around the unexpected face motioned me over.

"How's Dragnof castle life treating you?"

"Well, it's fine. Actually more than fine. I enjoy the job I've been assigned and everyone is decent to me." I fumble around with weather or not to include Natsu's behavior towards me.. 'Nah.. better not.'

Brandish listened to me talk and once I'd finished, her eyes narrowed a bit.

"Hmm, glad you seem safe, but just in case. Here."

She handed me a small sphere that fit neatly in my palm. It was black and about as heavy as a marble, it swirled with a shimmer of dark purple. 'Obviously this is made with magic..' before I could ask what it was..

"It's a magic defusing smoke bomb. You activate it by squeezing, it will produce smoke in a five meter radius and paralysis any magic user in the area for 5 minutes."

"Oh, interesting." We chatted a bit more about magic and suddenly he eyes narrowed as they shifted quickly to each side.

Brandish whispered, "Look, there's rumored to be a war. A big one."

"H-How big?"

"Big enough that you might not be safe within the castle. So if you can find a strong ally among Natsu's vessels, Incase it comes to that. If you still want to return home." With that Brandish left.

'I should be afraid.. but right now I can't even fathom a huge war..'