LITTLE FURY ( fairy tail. )

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE ➵ DUST DEVIL GRAVE

The previous chapter was exactly 1999 words...it makes me angry.

Anyways, please enjoy!

➵

"They're late," Erza stated as night fell over Magnolia. "What could possibly be holding them up? It doesn't take this long to follow a simple lead."

"He was asking someone about the dragon sighting," Lucy tried to reason. "You think he found what he was looking for?"

"Maybe Natsu's playing catch-up with Igneel right now," Macao offered his two cents.

"Or he got tired of chasing rumors, got fed up and called it a night," Wakaba added.

"No," Mira denied from behind the bar, where Elfman was sitting at. Dealana was floating on a cloud, rubbing her scarred nose in an anxious tick. "normally I'd agree, but Natsu had Wendy with him. He would have brought her back first."

"Salamander may be reckless, but he wouldn't keep a kid out this late at night," Elfman agreed. "It's just not the man he is."

"What's more is we still don't know what became of my attacker from this afternoon," Erza said, observing Dealana's growing worry, watching as it affected her surroundings with increased static electricity. Small crackles and sparks occurred from where she rubbed her scar, the motion causing slight friction, which only increased the static electricity she was naturally producing from her magic. "Could it have ambushed them too?" the redhead wondered about the possibility.

Dealana missed Juvia's remark about Gray also being missing, knowing the ice mage could handle himself, but Natsu on the other hand. While Natsu could sufficiently take care of himself, Dealana didn't trust the scarf-wearing pyro with Wendy and Carla. 

"I'm going to look for them. Lucy you're with me." Erza decided. Dealana's ears perked up and before she could ask to come with, Erza was already looking at her. "Dealana, we may need your enhanced senses to track them, but you need to listen what I tell you, got it?" 

Erza knew that Dealana would either offer to go with them or, if Erza said no like she would've preferred, she would have found a way to go off on her own anyways. This way, Erza would be able to keep an eye on the Storm Dragon Slayer and keep her out of any trouble while they search for Natsu, Wendy, Happy and Carla.

"I will, I just want to find them," Dealana nodded.

"Just lead the way," Lucy agreed.

"Juvia will accompany you as well," The water mage piped up.

"You're gonna need a man with you," Elfman offered his help as well.

Erza shook her head. "No, we can't divide our forces so thinly," She reasoned. "Remain on stand-by and guard the hall."