Hoshi no Guu (Star Piece Quest) (M)

[Gildarts]

Gildarts felt his nose tickle, as though someone was talking about him, but he had no way of knowing he was being called ‘a young lad’ from afar. How could he? For he was miles apart from those, separated by the ivy, monster-filled forest of the Tangled Green.

Gildarts announced, “Piqui, we’re here.”

The cat looked around, there was no murk from any sort of bog in sight, “I don’t see Guu.”

“We’re at Ambrosia, I figured it’d be a good time to check on Molly, since we’re on our way,” Gildarts stated calmly.

“You’re... Taking that scary thing’s advice aren’t you?” Piqui squeaked.

Gildarts looked into the cat’s eyes, who happened to be poking around on the ground, and nodded, “It’s too dangerous, and I don’t want to lose you,” the Prime knelt to the ground and gave the cat a good pet, “Go find Molly, and RSVP for her party, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I just don’t appreciate being dumped off at the entrance of the vil...” the cat looked up, and Gildarts was iconically gone, “-lage. Tch, typical.”

Upon the descending silence, the Malefactor perked its ears up and if it had a face, it would’ve been smirking. So you’ve abandoned the cat, have you? Does that mean you’re willing to be alone with me now? You know when we’re alone, I can easily steal your seeecrets. My, my, yours are all clumped together, held in a wrought-iron cage, shackling you. Wouldn’t you like to be free someday? Aw... Don’t be like that, I hate it when you don’t acknowledge I’m here. It’s lonely, and the worst thing you can do to any living thing.

Gildarts executed his elaborate and yet simple mental fortitude, resisting the parasite in his mind, for he knew she would steadily grow, double, and quadruple in size if he fed her any bits and pieces of information, especially that of himself. The silence was the answer, and if he wasn’t, the Malefactor, and the burden it carried, would get a whole lot heavier.

Strolling through the forest, the Prime, though not tech savvy, referenced his map. He did not so forwardly come up with this solution but looked down to find ‘magic’ map had appeared in his satchel not long ago. It was very useful. The Tangled Green had coiling paths that traversed with zig-zags and scribbles all over the map, still, his path illuminated with a glow that brightened a streak in the rolled parchment, and since he knew he was going to the Bog, a dark corner of sketch on the map, it wasn’t too hard to get there with a guideline.

Gildarts’ legs, metal or not, had carried him there. The outskirts of the Bog, a damp stench and eager heat boiled off this dreadful part of swamp. Vines hung lowly from the trees and drenched the would-be blue sky in trails of thick darkness. The Malefactor awoke at the macabre environment, relishing it.

Well, isn’t this perfect, we’ve arrived! Now, where is the damsel you will be saving? I wonder, is she already dead? Were you too late? You wouldn’t have been, not with me in command, imagine it, seconds. And you choose to be the hero? Just what fun is that?

The serpent waited for her reply, and grew disheartened when Gildarts paid her no mind. In the distance, a small figure wearing bright colors shone out of the drenching darkness of the swamp. The Fairytail mage took another step in that direction.