Chapter 39 - Into the Badlands

Fairy Tail: Paths of the Soul

Skirting along the wall, Amber and the rest of Rift's team made their way to the second story of the main building. Partly to avoid being drawn into Davin's lecture about irresponsibility, because to be honest they where all kind of at fault for that, and partly because some of them wanted to eavesdrop. None of the others who watched the fight stuck around to listen, either having been asked to leave or getting on with their day.

Jaina and Raven where taking the brunt of it, being the only two left. Isa stood watch over the two of them, casting a somewhat forced smile at either of them when they began to grumble. The tall man, Zumma, was noticeably absent, but from his reaction at the time, it didn't seem like he needed to be told that what they did was stupid.

It was exactly the kind of lecture someone like Davin would give. You shouldn't have done this, it was irresponsible, I don't want it to happen again; the kind of thing that made Amber doubt they where really in any trouble.

Eventually they both gave an apology; at least, the best one could expect from Raven and Jaina, and the lecture was over. Raven left immediately, and Rift headed down to see what the master wanted to talk with him about. "So..." He took one last look at the door, wondering if he'd regret sticking around. "What's up, boss?"

"The Council called me yesterday." Davin said shortly, slowly regaining the calm, patient tone in his voice. "They've got a job they want done, and they want one of our best on it."

Rift gave a disappointed snort in response. "A job? C'mon boss, I just got back from a job." He groaned, scratching the back of his head. "Zumma just got here, why not send him?"

"He's not done with his mission, only stopping by for a day." Davin explained. "He just left to say hello to a few acquaintances of his, but after that he's heading out to the islands again."

While Davin continued to explain his reasoning, Amber glanced across the table at Shelly. She'd never heard someone refer to one of their jobs as a mission, so it kind of piqued her interest. "What's Zumma do, exactly?"

"He's on another job from the council." She explained in a hushed tone, still trying to listen in. "They hired him to hunt down a dark guild hiding out in the islands to the south. Before today, he's been gone for... A few months, maybe?"

"What about the other S-class guys?" Rift's complaining caught everyone's attention again. "Where's Peltin at?"

"I can't get a hold of him." He shrugged, sitting down at one of the tables and producing a thin file folder. He slid it across the table to Rift, who began flipping through the first few pages. "Leo just headed out on a job yesterday, so it wouldn't be fair to call him back. And Kat... Well-."

"She's sick." Jaina cut in, deciding for herself that enough time had passed for Davin to have forgiven her. "Fiona too. Bad takeout, apparently."

"Come on Rift, since when have you ever turned down a job?" Davin gave him an appreciative smile, looking like he knew exactly what to say. "I understand you just got back, but the Council is really pushing for this one. And we're the closest guild to the site too."

Rift continued to look over the file, but an obvious look of interest was growing on his face. "How 'bout the team?" He said, nodding up to the second story. "Might be helpful to have backup."

Davin opened his mouth to speak, but a quick glance up at the second floor gave him pause. "If any of them want to go with you, sure..." Amber heard Axel and Geno bump fists, while Zeke shushed them both as Davin added. "I'd prefer if Shelly sat this one out though."

"What!?" Shelly jumped to her feet and slammed her hands in the railing. "That's not fare!" Davin pinched the bridge of his nose; apparently he'd spoken louder than he meant too. Shelly raced down the spiral stares and to the table, forcing Rift to hop out of the way. "Why can't I go too!?"

"It's a council job sweaty." Isa explained, resting her hands on the girl's shoulders and pulling her into a chair. "It'll be different than the one's we post on the job board. Much more dangerous."

Shelly spun up to look at Isa, looking a little hurt that she was taking her dad's side. "So?"

"It's smack dab in the middle of the badlands, baby girl." Jaina added in a more serious tone. "That cursed place isn't exactly a vacation spot."

The others had began following Shelly down the stares, and Amber stopped at the bottom just as she heard that last bit, causing the guys to bump into her. "Cursed?"

"Not like voodoo and witchcraft and shit." Jaina began to snicker at Amber's reaction. "The place is just in the worst shape." The others joined them at the table, and seeing the confusion on Amber's face, Davin motioned for Jaina to go ahead and continue her explanation. "Well for starters, it's built on a rock slab near the west coast. Cliffs make it near impossible to get ships in there, and the law is treated more like a guideline than anything else."

Amber glanced at the file Rift was still pouring over, spying what looked like a picture of a town. "And people live there?"

"The main settlement is named Creghirst city." Isa carried on Jaina's explanation, keeping her hands on Shelly's shoulders as she continued to glare at her father. "It was a really big mining colony a few decades ago; but there where a lot of accidents, so all but the biggest where closed down. There's an entire city's worth of buildings they've just been abandoned now because so many people have left."

"Yeah, who'd have thought arbitrarily carving a bunch of holes in the ground would cause cave-ins, right?" Jaina added, in her typical dark way. "But yeah, without money, the place fell apart. Now the only populated parts of the city are nothing but a massive slum."

"Which is why..." Davin began, glancing at his daughter with hopeful eyes. "I don't want you to go."

"That is so not fair!" Shelly insisted, glancing at the others for some support. The guys didn't say anything, and honestly Amber didn't know what to say either. This felt a little more personal than she wanted to get involved with. "Amber's going too."

"Only if she want's to.” Davin corrected, glancing at Amber out of the corner of his eye. "I don't want to pressure anyone into going if they don't want too."

"But you just did that to him!" Shelly jumped up again and pointed at Rift. Davin was about to argue, but bit his lip when he realized that's exactly what he'd done. "C'mon Dad, how am I suppose to grow as a mage if you keep sheltering me all the time?"

Everything in the room stopped dead, and everyone instantly focused on Davin. "That's not..." He stopped himself, looking at both Jaina and Isa. They where both shocked into silence, and he began to grumble under his breath. Nobody really heard what he said, but it was completely obvious that he didn't have a counter argument. Not one Shelly was likely to except, at least. He gave a long, defeated sigh, then said. "If you go, you'll stick by the others."

A twinkle lit up in Shelly's eye, but she kept her stern expression. "Yeah."

"You won't run off on your own, you'll listen to the others, and you won't talk to strangers. Right?" He added.

Shelly gave an annoyed huff, but the smile returned to her face. "Come on Dad, I'm seventeen-."

"Shelly..." Davin cut her off, ensuring there would be no misunderstandings.

Huffing again, Shelly nodded. "Ok."

"And most importantly; if thing's get too dangerous, you run away. Understand?" He glanced at the others as well with that last part. "Tell me you understand."

Shelly nodded, appearing rather proud of herself. "Don't worry about it. I can take care of myself."

She made a b-line for the door, trying to get away before Davin changed his mind. "Shelly, I'm seri-."

"Love you, dad!" She waved from the door, knowing exactly what to say to trip her father up. "See you later." And just like that, she was gone. Leaving the others to contemplate what they would do.

"Well..." Rift started, turning away to hide himself smiling. "I guess I can't turn the job down after that conversation. You guys in?"

"Of course." Axel and Zeke said in unison.

"Damn straight." Geno added, slamming his fists together.

Amber meanwhile, didn't really have a response. She'd sort of wanted to take it easy for a little while. While it was true she'd accumulated a small fortune over the last few weeks, constantly running out on jobs one right after the other was beginning to get tiresome. "I don't know."

Rift seemed to appreciate her position. After all, he seemed to have had the same thought in mind at the beginning of this whole conversation. "Well, if you change your mind, meet me at the train station again in a few hours. So just stick with Axel if you want to come." He curled the file into a roll and tucked it into the back of his belt, before he too headed for the door. "Oh, and someone tell Shelly the plan too."

They all nodded, and the guys soon followed Rift out. "You're going to sit this one out?" Jaina asked, resting her elbow in the table.

"I don't know." Amber shrugged again, it wasn't like she'd thought that much about it since Rift asked five seconds ago.

"I don't blame you." Isa interjected, sounding more sympathetic than her sister. "Jobs from the council are always trouble."

"Yes, they are..." Davin mumbled, crossing his arms and shifting uncomfortably. He was staring at Amber, or at something behind her. She couldn't tell really. But his intensity began to make her anxious after only a few seconds. "I hate to ask..."

"But you want me to go with Shelly?" Amber guessed. It wasn't that much of a stretch to think that's what he'd ask, to be honest.

Davin smiled and gave an appreciative nod, unable to find the words to describe the gratitude he felt. "Thank you." Isa spoke for him, looking like her heart was about to melt. "But if you are going, you should probably go get packed."

With one last nod, Amber headed out as well, stopping only once to wave goodbye at the door. Jaina, who had been oddly silent for most of the conversation, let out a small giggle. She was biting her upper lip; a completely obvious effort to hide the smile on her face. "Davin?" She took a moment to compose herself, but her childish tone betrayed her amusement. "You are. The biggest sap. I have ever known."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He mumbled, smiling to himself and stretching out his shoulders. "Do you think I should have told her no?"

"I don't think there was a right answer." Isa assured, finally sitting down at the table with them. "It'd be dangerous to let her go, but she'd be mad if you made her stay behind. Besides, this could be a good experience for her. For all of them."

"I will say though." Jaina cut in, getting up to get herself a drink just as Isa sat down. "You really do shelter her a bit too much." She popped the top of a beer and took a long drink, then wiper her mouth with the back of her forearm and said. "Let her grow up a little. The others are there to watch her back, so don't worry."

"I don't think that's a thing I can do." He said with an nervous smile.

Jaina began to laugh, picking up a wine bottle from behind the bar top. "Want a drink to calm your nerves?"

After a long sigh, Davin rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "Maybe a small one."

Preparing for the job didn't take nearly as long as Amber had thought it would. Most of the stuff from their last job was still packed. All she really had to do was grab her toothbrush and pick her pajama's off the floor. She didn't have to wait that long either; evidently Axel hadn't unpacked as well. Zeke was the one who held them up, insisting they get something to eat before leaving.

Shelly was already there waiting for them when they finally departed for the train station. She was rocking back and forth on her heels, and smiled the moment she saw Amber. "Hey, you decided to come too?"

Amber nodded, deciding to omit the part about the guild master asking her to go to watch out for his daughter. It was her only reason for going, and Shelly would definitely be annoyed with her if she heard that. "Where are the others?"

Taking a look around, Shelly shrugged. "I don't know. Geno caught up with me and said we where meeting here."

"Yeah, in a few hours." Zeke added.

Shelly seemed suppressed, and after glancing at a nearby clock Axel said. "How long have you been waiting here?"

"Uh..." Shelly's face grew red with embarrassment and she abruptly looked away. "Not that long..."

"Why don't I believe you?" The others turned to see Rift strolling up to them, grinning his pointed teeth like he always did. "You really wanted to get out of the house that bad, huh?"

Shelly puffed out her cheeks, sounding rather immature when she spoke. "It's not fair that Dad wants me to stay behind. I'm part of the team too."

"Council work can be dangerous." Rift argued, never losing his somewhat amused grin. He glanced at the others, then added. "Collaborating with other guilds to hunt down criminals, sweeping for illegal activity around the islands... And Zumma's curent job, hunting down the remnants of Specter Eye." He waited a moment, either studying their reactions, or trying to build suspense; none of them could tell. "And let's not forget the sea monster Ragonga; they like to kick that one out at us at least once a year. Council work isn't for kids, Shelly."

"I'm not a kid." Shelly huffed, gripping at the strap of her book bag.

Rift grinned at her. "You're heard of the Silunna job, right?"

The others didn't say anything, prompting Amber to ask. "The what?"

Rift's grin grew. Obviously, Amber's reaction was the one he was looking for. "It started around a decade ago. North of here, near the tallest mountain in the country. A desert just suddenly popped up out of nowhere.and it's been steadily growing to this day." He looked around for Geno, gauging how much detail to go into. With their last companion nowhere in sight, he continued. "The story was it swallowed a whole town overnight, and when the Council went to investigate, they found nothing but dead plants and sand."

"There was no magic either." Axel interrupted, looking like he had remembered something. "Dad told me this story. Reports said the whole desert was devoid of magic."

Rift nodded. "That's right. And it's been responsible for the deaths of every person who's ever to investigate it." He turned to Shelly again, trying to emphasize the next part. "Knights, mages, and bounty hunters alike, nobody who goes into that desert comes out again. Ten years later, and the place is still labelled a hazard area. Every guild knows it as the Silunna Job, named after the town supposedly at the center of the whole deathtrap."

"I know..." Shelly huffed, staring at the ground like she was being scolded. "It was around the same time dad became the guild master."

Rift nodded, and despite his grin, he didn't seem too convinced. "So, with that said: you do get why your old man doesn't want you to go on a job from the council, right?"

"Because he thinks I'll get hurt..." She mumbled, looking up again. "But our last two jobs both ended in a fight, and I was fine. I don't see why he's getting so worked up over this one."

"I..." Axel began, questioning weather or not to speak up. "Think I know why." Shelly looked at him quizzically, but the agitation was gone from her face so he decided to continue. "Dad told me council jobs are almost always taking down criminals, or monsters. So right from the get go you're going to be getting into a battle with someone."

Hearing that made Amber think back. Their first job was just a fetch quest, and the one in the capital started off with them acting as bodyguards. If what Axel said was true, then this job would be the first time they knowingly went into it expecting a fight at some point. She suddenly found herself with a new appreciation for why Davin didn't want to let Shelly go with them.

Even still, Shelly was adamant. It was clear her pride was beginning to cloud her judgment, but she obviously understood the stakes. "I can take care of myself."

"Ok, long as you're sure." Rift shrugged and headed for the ticket booth. "Don't say we didn't warn ya."

Axel suddenly looked around, like he was just cluing into where they where standing. "Wait, we're taking the train again?" He asked earnestly.

"Well yeah." Rift was grinning when he turned around, but that quickly changed to a look of surprise when he saw Axel was serious. "What, did you think we where going to meet up here so we could walk?"

"It's an option..." He mumbled, feeling his stomach and looking queasy.

Geno arrived twenty minutes later, and together they began boarding the train. Axel was already looking like he was going to be sick, so they left him alone in one cabin and settled into an adjoining one. They could hear him complaining as the car lurched forward, but it was apparent nobody wanted to go check on him.

"So what's the job?" Geno asked, sitting on the floor with his back to the window.

"Train robberies." Rift said with a shrug. "Apparently it's been getting really bad out west, and some gang's been holding up the railroad company at least once a week now."

While she was the most adamant about going, Shelly now seemed disappointed. "Isn't that a job for the police? Or bounty hunters?"

Rift nodded, grabbing the file Davin had given him and headed it over for her to read herself. "It would be, but they think one or two of them has been using magic. So the council wants us to go deal with it."

"Why wouldn't they go themselves?" Amber inquired.

"Dunno." He shrugged. "But it sounds easy, and council jobs always pay well, so I'm not complaining much."

It was only now, in the face of Rift's cavalier attitude, that Amber began to have second thoughts. Something didn't feel right about this. And given what they where supposedly getting into, Rift seemed way too calm for her to think he was taking it seriously. It didn't look like the others minded much, so she didn't complain. But the thought was already there, and it didn't seem like it'd be going away any time soon.

This was a bad idea.

Next Chapter – Culture Shock