Crystal, Ice and Fire ✔

CHAPTER 23

We walked through the main plaza. It was deserted and creepy, of course. Once Master had told us about Infinity, Dragneel and Gray never left my side. Dragneel, especially, had abandoned his interest of exploring the city and was looking around warily, using his Dragon Slayer senses.

Gray was just walking next to me (shirtless, of course), impassive and sharp-tongued as ever. But I could tell he was on high alert.

I, myself, wasn't sitting idle. I was doing the same thing Erza and Master were doing- thinking about ways to defeat Infinity. Defeat unlimited, unimaginable power. Infinity draws power from death.

But how do you stop death?

Especially in a war, where the casualties will increase tenfold?

How are we supposed to beat that?

I fervently wished Shimera was here. She would know what to do, she always did. But the Dragons were gone, and I couldn't just summon them out of thin air. I shook my head slightly and refocused myself.

A few minutes of brainstorming later, I heard something. I instantly snapped my head in that direction. Dragneel heard it too and was immediately in a fighting stance, covering me.

The others saw us and understood immediately. I saw them get into an attacking position, and I did too. 'They are here,' Master said.

Then everything went black.

****

When I came to, I realized I was being carried. I kept my eyes closed and focused on my senses, a trick Phil had taught me in case I was ever kidnapped.

Thanks, Phil.

I could hear multiple sets of breathing. They outnumbered my team. The people who were carrying me were a running. I opened my eye a tiny bit to see a black cloak, then shut it again.

How is this possible?

No, I'm not talking about being kidnapped.

The pair of arms holing me felt familiar. Felt like home. Felt like...

James.

No, I thought to myself. It's an illusion. They're using illusion magic on you. Snap out of it.

I tried my best to break the illusion. I tried harder than I had ever done before. But the feeling still didn't go away.

I had no choice to pretend like I was asleep still unconscious and see where they were taking me. I couldn't fight, I was overpowered and outnumbered, I could sense great (and very familiar, again) magic power.

This frustrated me to no end.

Suddenly, the whole group of my kidnappers came to a halt.

Only the person who was carrying me started walking. He climbed a few flights of stairs. Finally, when I assume, he reached the top step, he dropped me. Ouch. Even an evil James wouldn't do that.

I didn't cringe. I still pretended like I was unconscious. I focused on my sensed instead.

Here, I could sense five sets of breathing, excluding my kidnapper's and mine. Four directly in front while on was on the side. My kidnapper walked away from me and stood on the opposite side of the sixth breather, basically flanking the four and giving me no room for escape. Yay.

It was silent for a few minutes, I could feel all eyes on me. Finally, a voice coming from one of the four in front of me said, 'Is she the one?'

'Yes,' a cold voice confirmed. I froze.