Fairy Tail Origins Episode 1: The Eternal Journey

As Lady Athena turned on her heel and strode back to the Zenithra, Knight handed Lady Thanatos a spare helmet and climbed on the bike, sitting in front of her. He waited until the Zenithra had left, then started the engine. The airbike hummed to life.

"Hold on tight milady," he said, and lowered his visor.

The airbike slowly rose off the ground, flattening the grass beneath it with waves of wind, and Knight kicked the bike into gear. They shot off towards the horizon at a fast, but easy starting speed. The ride was smooth and free of turbulence, though that was mainly due to the driver's skill.

"We'll reach Port Selna in around an hour," he says, his voice easily audible over the wind.

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"For what it's worth, you have my sympathies," Senna said quietly. "I know what it's like to lose your comrades."

She fell silent after that, as they continued walking at a steady pace.

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Almost... Almost there... I... I can do this...

Orion's body shook all over from the strain and effort. Sweat poured from his brow. The sealing runes on his back glowed with such force, that they gave off a deep purple glow over the room, enough so that if someone walking by was paying attention, they would have seen the light from under the door.

This... Is MY power... Mine alone. And I... I am not the same boy I used to be! I refuse to be subject to the Witch's will any longer!

Suddenly, the purple light faltered and flickered, and thunder abruptly boomed in the sky outside. A fierce, sudden, and heavy downpour of rain pelted the train like a barrage of hail. The dense fog began to dissipate. And Orion slumped over and passed out on the floor.

Eden spent the better part of the next hour or so sitting quietly, as she tried to place the source of the deep foreboding that had settled in just before the fog rolled in, and which had only grown stronger since. After long enough she gave up on just thinking about it and actually went so far as to get a cup of water just for the purpose of divination. The only problem was that she couldn't see clearly, partly because of outside influence, but mostly due to being unable to clear her mind ever since the sense of foreboding grew stronger. She had to give up, aware that at least part of what was causing her worries had already come to pass, and very close by, so she left and wandered the train to find what. When she was passing by Orion's room, for a reason she couldn't explain, she thought she saw some kind of light, but when she looked back it was gone. But every one of her senses had already told her before she saw that light that she needed to check on him, certain that part of her worries involved whatever was happening with him.

"Orion?" she whispered at the door, skipping knocking altogether. When she didn't get an answer she opened up the door and found him on the floor unconscious. She couldn't be certain exactly what had caused it, but she already detected it had to do with an attempt to use some sort of magic, so there was nothing Eden or anyone else could do but watch him to make sure he was okay and allow him to rest. She sat on her shins and knees in the floor and cradled his head in her arms, waiting and wishing every moment that he would just open his eyes for a moment so she wouldn't have to worry so much. And the worst part was that she knew that their troubles were just beginning...

Instead of answering Orion, Eden leaned in affectionately as he placed his hand on her cheek, and she brushed his hair out of his face. Her eyes displayed everything that she was thinking at that moment, from her desire for Orion to rest before trying to explain or to make her feel less concerned, to her worries about what was coming their way and how it could seriously jeopardize the rescue mission, and they even said volumes about how she was trying not to think about how Jurian might be doing since worrying wouldn't help anyone. With all of that, there really wasn't anything to say, so she remained silent and focused on Orion's well-being.

Silver Thunder

Jurian bit down hard on the loose strap of cloth and jerked his head back, tightening the makeshift sling around his injured arm. Unfazed by the pain, and using only one hand, he deftly tied the strap around his collarbone in a secure knot, and then bit off the remaining piece of cloth. Using his massive greatsword for extra leverage, he effortlessly pushed himself to his feet and spit the piece of cloth out on the cavern floor. With seemingly superhuman strength, he hefted the giant sword above his head with one hand, and then rested it on the back of his shoulders. One hand still on the hilt of his sword, he hooked the tip of his boot beneath the old fashioned smoking pipe on the ground and kicked it upwards, sending it spinning into the air. He then promptly caught the pipe in his teeth, and strode towards the cave entrance in a single fluid motion.

Damn dragon. Thing's putting up one hell of a fight. Well, without the kid around, at least I ain't gotta hold back.

He confidently steps out of the large cavern and looks around, appraising the surrounding terrain once more. He grins.

Ayup. This is perfect. Guess that means it's time to stop running.

He suddenly looks up at the sky and sniffs, and his grin fades a little. Better finish this quickly, though... I don't like the smell in the air. Smells like a storm is a brewing. Smells like trouble. Well now... Will you look at that.

The sky suddenly darkened, and the Sun disappeared behind a mass of darkness... Though not quite what Jurian was expecting. Instead of the monstrous wings of the Red Dragon, he was greeted by a sudden thunderstorm from the blue. Bolts of white lightning streaked across the sky. Then, one of those bolts exploded down onto the ground only a few yards away, and Jurian found himself staring into a face he did not expect. His eyebrows shot up in surprise and alarm, and his eyes widened slightly.

"You... You should be dead."

The Goddess of Thunder did not smile or grin. Instead, her face darkened with rage. "I could say the same to you. But that will be rectified shortly. You are in my way, and therefore, you must be eliminated."

Jurian scoffed and grinned, his shock abruptly fading. "Well, aren't you just the politest gal ever. Nice to meet you too, milady. Name's Jurian Grave. I'm the strongest man alive."

He lifted his sword and brought it down in front of him, pointing the tip of the blade at her, and spat his pipe out onto the ground next to him, his features suddenly darkening. "... I don't know why you have her face, and frankly Miss, I don't give half a damn. You ain't my Sunshine, so I don't got to hold back. If you're looking for a fight, you found one. But don't say I didn't warn ya. C'mon Durandal, let's be gentlemen and show the nice lady a good time. Waddya say?"

The sword didn't respond.

"Figures," Jurian spat. "You never did like fighting ladies. Ah well. That's what I get for having a bonehead like you for a partner."

The sword glared at him.

"Are you two quite finished?" Athena asked impatiently.

Jurian grinned again. "Aye, aye. We're finished. Shall we dance?"

Grigori was outside of the train as soon as he could be and waited on the others.

The afternoon sun momentarily blinded Orion as he stepped outside. He lifted his arm to shield his eyes, and squinted as the glare subsided. The train's horn blared as it began to pull away, leaving the five wizards from Silver Chimera standing alone on a large concrete platform. Behind them, a small building of stone and wood stood nestled against the rocky outcrop of the mountain. Creaking in the strong, dry wind, a sign out front read, "Midway Station, Imperial Outpost".

Orion turned to survey the harsh landscape spread out before them. It was just as he remembered. Up close, the Serpentine Mountains seemed utterly alien, like a landscape from a different world. All around them, the mountain peaks rose like a giant's fingers, stretching to grasp the heavens. The temperature near the station was scorching, and the air was dry and arid, and a harsh hot wind blew across the land. For miles in both directions, pillars of dark red rock dotted the landscape, rising high out of the ground at odd angles. They almost looked like giant rusty swords, which is what gave this part of the mountains its name: Sword Valley. In the far distance, a world of opposites loomed on the horizon; a landscape covered in snow and ice, plagued by eternal blizzards, where snow capped mountains touched the clouds. It was a strange paradox that defied all logic. But then again, Orion was used to paradoxes.

"Sword Valley," Velia said appreciatively, breaking the silence. "And the Land of Ice and Fire. Been a while since I've been here."

She turned to Orion and motioned to the building behind them. "Let's get out of the sun and plan our next move."

Orion nodded, a bit absentmindedly, as he continued to stare out towards the horizon. His eyes were dark and distant.

She's here... Athena...

"... Right. Let's take this time to gather supplies and prepare for the journey ahead."

Ignoring the pain in his chest, he turned and walked inside, intentionally looking away and hiding his eyes from Eden. There were some things he just wasn't ready for her to see.

The inside of the outpost proved much more spacious than the outside had seemed. There were vending machines, snack machines, a small gift shop, and a few tables and chairs stacked neatly around the right half of the building, while the left half was mostly for resting, with a few chairs, a couple sofas, some bookshelves, and a single small Lacrima TV. Orion walked up to the counter and briefly spoke to the Imperial Soldier standing behind it, while the others crowed around a table in the corner.

Orion returned a few moments later and took a seat next to Eden. "There have been no recent sightings of the Wyvern King," Orion began, retrieving the map from his pack. "That's a good thing. It means Jurian is still fighting it, or he's pulled off a miracle and slain it. It could also mean he's wounded it significantly, and the beast has retreated into its lair, which is deep in the mountains. Either way, our mission does not change. If we can find an opportunity to bring down the Wyvern King, we'll take it. But our priority here is rescuing our comrade. The quickest route through the mountains is over the Ice Fields, but they can be very unstable. There's a longer, safer route going through the Limestone Caverns, but it would put us within very close proximity of the Wyvern King's lair, and cost us valuable time. I believe it would be better to try and cross the Ice Fields. But I would like to hear everyone's thoughts first."

To Challenge Solomon

"What the hell are you?!" The Goddess of Lightning spat, wiping the blood from her mouth, clutching her limp arm.

Panting slightly, Jurian rose to his full height and grinned. His massive greatsword stood wedged in the ground in front of him. "You already know the answer to that, sweetheart. Otherwise, there ain't no way in heck you'd be so intent on killing me. But what scrambles MY noggin is that you'd challenge me knowing full well who and what I am. You got a death wish, girl? Or did you think your little pet had weakened me so much that a halfbreed like yourself could take me on?"

Athena roared in rage, and the mountain exploded with the fury of a thousand thunderstorms. Her pale skin darkened to pitch black and lines of glowing golden energy rapidly spread over her body. Her long, golden hair turned into a fiery, demonic red, and she flew at him with the force and speed of a lightning bolt. But Jurian only laughed and met her charge head on. Swinging Durandal out of the ground, he tossed it high into the air and caught Athena's charge with seemingly little effort, blocking her attack with only one hand. Their faces now only inches apart, their eyes locked, as black and white lightning crackled around them both. Jurian's grin widened, like he was enjoying himself, and that only made Athena's rage skyrocket.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" He praised her, as Durandal came crashing back down to the earth, landing behind her. "Now you're starting to take this seriously!"

He suddenly leaned in closer and lowered his voice to a whisper. "But let me tell you a secret, sweetheart: It ain't enough. You don't got what it takes to defeat me. I told ya before, didn't I? I'm the strongest man alive. You lock horns with the King of the Mountain, you better pray you can back it up. But don't worry. I ain't gonna kill ya. It would leave a bad taste in my mouth."

"BASTARD!!!! DON'T YOU DARE TOY WITH ME!!!!"

Jurian's grin abruptly faded, and he moved his hand with impossible speed. Athena's eyes widened and bulged, and she desperately brought her arms up to block as she was thrown backwards, hurled across the icy mountainside like a ragdoll. She immediately rebounded and leaped to her feet, but in that split second, a towering pillar of energy had surrounded Jurian, and a gargantuan, indescribably large magic seal had materialized in the sky above him, stretching on for what appeared to be forever.

A glimmer of fear appeared in her eyes, and her form faltered, returning her to normal. "T-That's not... Possible... It can't be... There's no way... Unless..."

Jurian grinned once more. He truly seemed to be enjoying this, but there was no trace of bloodlust in his eyes. "Finally figured it out, eh? 'Bout time. Certainly took you long enough. Don't worry your pretty little head though. I've sealed off this entire area. Ain't no one gonna sense a thing. Anyway, pleasure meeting you Miss Athena, but isn't it about time you turned tail? Unless you WANT me to show you what a Lord can do..."

Instead of surrendering, Jurian's attempt at mercy had the opposite effect. Athena grinned and straightened, suddenly finding her confidence again. "... You won't do it. That kind of power would send up a bright pink arrow pointing to your location, and the location of your precious family. You may be able to seal this area off from most, but what about my Master? He's a Lord too. Do you really think unleashing that much power will go unnoticed? You won't jeopardize Solomon's Shrine just to kill me. Especially since I know your little secret now. Or should I say... our little secret?"

Her voice abruptly changed, and she began to speak in a completely different woman's voice. "Oh Jurian, it's so wonderful to see you again! I've missed you so much, my darling!"

His face darkened, changing from horror and shock to absolute rage. And then he snapped. "DON'T YOU DARE USE HER VOICE!!!! BAD MOVE, GIRL!!!! CAUSE NOW I'M ANGRY!!! TWELVE SEALS OF HEAVEN!!!! I INVOKE THE ONE ABSOLUTE TRUTH!!!

The sky suddenly began to descend, and Athena realized too late she had miscalculated. A swirling cloud of darkness suddenly manifested next to Athena, taking the shape of a young woman with silvery blue hair, and white, blind eyes. She wrapped her arm around Athena's waist, and the two disappeared. Then, before the world could end, Jurian suddenly collapsed to his knees. The sky returned to its normal place in the heavens, and the clouds returned to normal.

Jurian calmly reached over to grab his pipe, which was still on the ground next to him. Throughout their entire fight, Athena had barely been able to budge him.

Well... Damn. This ain't good. Looks like I might have overdid it a little. Eden... Stay safe.

"Have the caves been mapped out at any point?" Grigori continued to ask, thinking of a plan.

I thought military captains aren't supposed to hesitate when it comes to making decisions.

"If we hurry, we can make it back before they depart," said Gareth. "We'll take more time going on foot than taking the train, and the less time we waste, the better. We don't know how far ahead the others are, or if the fog slowed them down any."

And I don't want to miss a chance to tussle with this beast of a wyvern.