Chapter 60 - Luck of the Draw

Fairy Tail: Paths of the Soul

The battle had subsided, and Peltin gave a satisfied huff. He’d had very little interest in the planning for the festival, so when news reached him of a fight between two of the younger boys in the guild, his interest piqued. The one who issued the challenge was Hammond: a young kid, barely talked, but looked pretty smart.

He couldn’t remember the other kid's name, but that Take-Over magic of his was something he'd never forget. The fight had started off slow at first, but seeing that kid in action certainly was a site. "Damn..." He mumbled to himself, thinking about what that crocodile thing would look like when the kid grew older. "That was a hell of a thing." He turned to leave at the same time as everyone else, when a small, familiar head of bright red hair caught his eye. "Carra?" He mumbled, surprised to see her back here. "What're you doin' here?"

Carra looked away from the arena, where a small crowd had surrounded the exhausted Hammond. "He asked me to come."

"Did he now?" Peltin eyed the semi-conscious boy, feeling an itch over his missing eye. He glanced at Carra again, then back at Hammond, and a small grin widened across his face. "You don't say..." The battle can't have gone the way he planned it, and he probably just made a fool of himself. But Peltin had to give him credit: the kid had balls. "Why don't you go see how he's doin'?"

He patted her on the shoulder, and she nodded her head. Picking up Chiko in her arms, she slowly approached the middle of the arena, where a small group was currently consoling the boy.

"Are..." She mumbled, leaning over him and clutching her dog to her chest. "Are you OK, Hammond?"

He rolled his head towards her, and suddenly his face turned beat red. He stuttered and mumbled incoherently, trying to push himself upright. It didn't work, and he nearly passed out from the effort. Despite this, the smile he wore made him look like the happiest boy alive.

The novelty of the battle had worn off fairly quickly. Jak's display had pretty much put him on the map as someone to avoid challenging recklessly. By the time Davin and his son had arrived, questions arose as to weather he was actually a member or not. This led to a small discussion between Davin and Jak, and, a few forms later, Jak was signed in as the newest member of Blazing Soul.

"So..." Jak began, studying the small guild stamp in the palm of his hand. "What's this for?"

"We, uh... Use it to give new members our guild mark." Davin explained slowly, perplexed that he had to explain this.

"And..." Jak continued, balancing the stamp on the back of his arm. "How's it work?"

Jak poked the top of the thing as he asked the question, producing a dull green flash of light. Davin stared at him for a moment, again, not quite sure what to think. "Uh... That was it."

Jak turned his head to the side, then removed the stamp to find a dark green Blazing Soul emblem on the back of his forearm. "Oh, look at that." He said cheerfully. "Just like magic."

"No, it... Well... Yes, it's magic, but it's not like..." Davin stopped trying to explain things when he stared into Jak's dull, innocent eyes. He turned slightly and tapped Rift on the shoulder. "Is he serious?"

"Pretty sure he is." He shrugged, watching Jak run off to join Shelly and Leo, much to the latter's annoyance. "But hey, it's kind of funny. So why not?"

Amber watched this whole exchange from across the building, trying to keep to herself. It wasn't that she wanted to be left alone, but it was beginning to get hot inside the guild hall and she'd seemed to have found the one table in the building with a draft.

"Hey Amber?" Isa approached, carefully snaking through the maze of tables and guild members. "Do you mind helping me with something?"

She nodded her head. "Sure."

"Excellent." Isa chirped, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We're almost ready to get started. I just need to get something from Jaina's house." Amber nodded slightly, and the two of them crept out the side door.

It was still hot outside, but a nice breeze blew with them on their walk. Part way down the path, with curiosity getting the better of her, Amber decided to ask again. It also helped that she and Isa had become quite close over the last month. "So... What's everyone so exited for? Carra didn't really tell me much."

"Oh, she didn't?" Isa mumbled. Luckily though, she was a little more forthcoming with details. "Well, the Red Moon festival is coming up in a few days. Back in the day, a red full-moon around this time of year would signify the end of the fishing season, so it was when all the fishermen would come back and the whole town would celebrate a successful season." She had a real spring in her step, it looked like she was just as excited about this as everyone else. "Over the years it became less about fishing, but the celebration brought in a bunch of tourists, so it became a sort of tradition. You might've noticed there're a bunch more people in town than usual."

"Yeah." Amber nodded slightly. "I noticed."

Nodding in turn, Isa continued her explanation. "Every year since Davin became the guild master, the guild has volunteered a few members to help out and put on a show for everyone. A few of us do odd jobs for the city, but we select three people to put on a show for the crowds. Show off some magic, dance, or something like that. That's why today is so important. We're all getting together to decide who's doing what."

Just as she said that, the two of them arrived at the small fence surrounding the hut Jaina called home. Isa huffed when she saw the bedroom curtains where still drawn, and threw open the front door without knocking. Amber quietly crept inside after her, not knowing what Jaina's response would be to an intruder.

"Jaina..." Isa mumbled gently from the bedroom. "Jaina, it's time to wake up." A low grumble filled the house, followed by the sound of a glass bottle clinking across the floor. "No. No more sleep. You promised to help with the planning today." Another grumble, and after a short pause, Amber heard Isa chuckle. "Jaina, wake up!"

Amber heard the curtains being flung open, accompanied by bright ray of sunlight shining through the bedroom door. "Oh my god... Direct sunlight!" She heard Jaina scream, watching as a shadow flailed in the sunlight. "It burns!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic." Isa encouraged. "Come on, your just hung over."

"Of course I'm hung over!" Jaina screamed back. "I'm an alcoholic, that's how it works!"

Though they remained out of her sight, Amber giggled at the face she imagined Isa making when she said. "C'mon, get up."

More shuffling, and finally came the telltale thump of Jaina's peg leg against the wooden floor. "Ughhh... Leave me alone..." It finally appeared that Jaina had been roused out of bed. She rounded the corner in the midst of a long yawn, looking even more disheveled than she usually did. She froze the minute she opened her eye, staring unexpectedly at Amber. "What're you doing here?!"

"Uh..." Amber wasn't sure how to respond. "Isa asked me to help."

Jaina flew back into her bedroom, barely missing Isa on her way. "Dammit sis, a little warning next time! I look like road kill!"

Laughing the whole way, Isa stood at Amber's side while they waited for Jaina to get herself dressed. By the way Isa was giggling, Amber couldn't help but feel that this was her intention all along. "So, that thing you wanted me to help you get was-?"

"Yep. It was Jaina." Isa interrupted. "If it was just me waiting for her, she would've just dropped down on the couch and gone back to sleep."

A slight chill ran down Amber's spine. She'd never have expected Isa to pull a prank, even one as minuscule as this. Apparently, as well as being an excellent caretaker, Isa could be quite devious as well. To think she'd spent almost a week living with her and never noticed was a little chilling.

"Alright, so what's the big deal?" Jaina mumbled, adjusting her eye-patch as she re-emerged from the bedroom. "Something about a festival?"

Isa puffed out her cheeks, annoyed that Jaina even had to ask such a question. "It's the Red Moon Festival. Today was our planning day. You should be excited."

"I should be a lot of things." Jaina retorted, earning her a disappointed scowl from Isa. "What? I'm doing the same thing this year I do every year. Sit in my bedroom, stare at the sky, and drink until I think the stars are talking to me."

"C'mon Jaina..." Isa moaned like a disappointed child. "Don't be like that..."

In turn, Jaina shifted her attention to Amber. "That why you're here? Has my little sister got you all starry eyed over this too, new girl?" Amber just shook her head. Apparently being woken up had put Jaina in a bad mood. "Red moon, huh? Bet ya she didn't tell you what they use to call it back when it first started out."

"Jaina!" Isa protested.

Despite this, Jaina saw this as the perfect chance to get back at her. "You know the jist of it, right? Fishermen coming home for the season, and all that?" Amber nodded slowly. "Well, when the boats all came back, they'd butcher the fish they caught right on the deck, and just throw whatever was left back into the water. All the blood turned the whole harbor dark red." She flashed Isa a devilish grin, and Isa just huffed in disappointment. "And that, combined with the red moon that came at night, gave it their original name. The Blood Moon festival.”

Despite Jaina's taunting, Amber was still looking forward to the preparations. The name didn't bother her so much; Isa had insisted it was just a story they use to tell kids to scare them into behaving. Not wanting to get into the middle of it, Amber just accepted that and remained silent as the three of them returned to the guild.

Not waiting for anything, Jaina strode into the middle of the room and jabbed her peg-leg onto the floor. "Is this everyone!?" The noise was enough to silence the room, as Jaina's bad mood became apparent to everyone, and when nobody answered she continued along anyway. "Alright, let's get this over with. First thing's first..."

Isa approached with a small bag in hand, but seemed to be growing annoyed. "Could you at least pretend to be interested?"

"You got me here, so don't push your luck." Jaina spat back, burying her hand into the bag. "First one helping out with the setup is..." She pulled a small folded piece of paper out of the bag, then said. "Mace. You're clearing the docks docks." The man with the mess of dreadlocks grunted in response, and Jaina pulled another name. "Jon, they'll probably want help with the food somewhere. Sounds right up your ally." She dug her hand in one last time. "And... Geno, you're helping with pyrotechnics."

"Aww man..." Geno complained under his breath. "I don't know jack about fireworks..."

"And now, the suckers who get to spend the entire night putting on a show." Jaina said, not even trying to contain the bitterness in her voice as she drew three more names. "Fiona... Terra..." Terra's shoulders drooped, and Waylind wrapped his arm around her shoulders for comfort. "And... Leo. Sucks to be you three."

Davin patted his son on the back, who looked less than enthused about the whole ordeal. "Congrats, Leo." He said encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll do a great job."

Many of the guild's members departed after lots where drawn. Jaina tried to as well, but Isa had dragged her to a table with orders to stay put while she went to look for some plans she'd jotted down. Amber decided to stick around for a little while to ask Isa for more information about the festival. She hadn't really been listening while they where drawing lots, so she missed a lot of what was said. That, and she wanted a few more minutes of air conditioning before making the trek home. Shelly stayed with her, recognizing the onset of one of Leo's moods, as did Fiona who had unsuccessfully tried to convince just about everyone to trade with her on festival night.

Waiting for Isa to return, Amber felt a hand creep up her shoulder. Just as she turned around, Kat popped up out of her shadow and threw an arm around her and Shelly. "Festival time girls!" She seemed to be the only one enthused, through that may have been due to the looks of surprise on all their faces. "Why so glum? It's a festival! You know; go out, buy snacks, play games, have fun..." She leaned in between them, whispering in both their ears. "Dress up pretty for the guy you like."

Shelly wiggled out of her grasp, but her face had already begun to turn red. "R-really?"

"Yep, really." Kat nodded confidently, a wide, mischievous grin spread across her face. "So? Got someone special in mind?"

Shaking out of her grasp as well, Amber shook her head. "No, not that I can think of."

Sensing that she'd become an annoyance, Kat released the two of them and clasped her hands behind her back. Not once did her smile ever fade. "How about Axel?" She suggested slyly, drawing a confused look from all of them. "Is that why you cut your hair? There someone you're trying to impress?"

"What?" Amber was more confused than flustered to start. But the more she through about it, the redder her face got. "I-It's nothing like that. We're just friends."

"Friends who live together." Kat added

Fiona rolled up from resting her head on the table. News that she'd be missing out on the night's festivities had apparently put quite the dampener on her mood. "Kat, c'mon... Don't tease her."

"Aw, I'm just having fun." Kat waved her off, placing her hands on Shelly's shoulders. "How about you, huh? You seemed pretty quick to defend Jak when he got here."

Shelly jumped up and pushed her away, her face glowing red. "Was not!"

They heard Jaina begin to chuckle. Apparently, she'd been eavesdropping, which wouldn't have been hard to do considering there was almost nobody else around and they where being rather loud. She looked at them and was about to say something, but stopped abruptly. "Shelly?" She turned her head side wise, studying the girl's face for a moment. "Baby, are you wearing lipstick?"

Shelly's face lit up red, and she quickly licked her lips before anyone could get a closer look. "No..."

"C'mon Kat, please?" Fiona interrupted before any of them could comment. It didn't seem like she'd been paying attention to the conversation given her own troubles. "I don't want to be stuck performing all night, trade with me."

"Sorry sis..." Kat took a quick step towards the door. "I already made plans."

Fiona furrowed her brow, and a vain popped in her forehead. "Yeah, with me!" Kat childishly stuck out her tongue and sunk into her shadow, zipping out under the door. "Oh no you don't." Fiona jumped to her feet, her whole body energized with magic. "You owe me for the-."

Her voice faded instantly as she disappeared through the door at blinding speed, sending a collection of the papers on Jaina's desk scattering about the building. "Well..." Jaina mumbled, draining the last of another bottle of beer into her mouth. "If Isa asks, you have no idea where I'm going." Amber giggled; given they'd apparently got her out of bed long before she was ready, it probably wouldn't be that hard to figure out where she was headed. "Oh yeah, and short hair is definitely a better look for you, Amber. You should keep it like that." After nodding in appreciation, Amber watched as Jaina made her exit.

Deciding to leave as well, Amber pushed herself up and headed for the door. Just as she reached out to open it however, Shelly grabbed her arm. "Hey so... Can I ask you something?"

Stopping abruptly, Amber turned around. Shelly seemed troubled, but apart from Kat's teasing, she couldn't fathom why. "Uh... Yeah?"

"I was thinking." She began, fidgeting from one foot to the other. "For the festival, I..." She hadn't looked her in the eye yet, but Amber could have sworn she was bushing. "Ugh, this was so much easier in my head." Shelly finally took a deep breath, quelling her thoughts. "On the night of the festival, I... I wanted to ask Jak to go out with me."

"Really?" Amber chuckled. She'd heard Jak had been living at the Vamiro residence ever since their return from Bloody Smile. It was easy to believe that they'd become friends, he was pretty easy to get along with, but this was a development she'd never have expected. "As in; turns into a big scaly monster, Jak?"

"Don't laugh..." Shelly huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "I know he's kind of... Not smart. But he's sweet, and I like him."

Not really sure what to think, Amber swallowed back her laughter. "OK, so what'd you need me to do?"

"Could you come with me?" She asked earnestly. Amber recoiled a little, which only added to Shelly's embarrassment. "I've never gone out with a boy before..."

"Me?" Amber took a step back, flattening against the guild hall door. It warmed her heart to know that Shelly had confided in her, but still. There had to be a better pick. "What about Carra? You've known her longer than you've known me, haven't you?"

Shelly shook her head. "She's never gone out with anyone either. And besides, she's already made plans." Amber turned her head to the side in confusion, but Shelly explained before she could say anything. "She wants to hang out with Peltin for the festival."

Amber couldn't fathom why anyone would want to hang out with Peltin, for any length of time. But, he was her foster father, so maybe he was nicer to her than he was to everyone else. Still, she wasn't sure this was a good idea. "Won't that be kind'a... Weird?"

"You could bring Axel." She suggested hopefully. "It'd be like a double date."

"Date? But Axel and I aren't-." Her mind went blank. They weren't like that, where they? Sure, she and Axel did pretty much go everywhere together, and they got along well enough. Had someone been spreading rumors about them? If they had... Then the prime suspect would have to have been... "Did Jaina say something?"

"Well, no... But you two are always hanging out together. And you do live with him." None of those where things that Amber could refute, and it began to annoy her to know that people where watching her that closely. Shelly hopped forward and clasped at her hands, her bright blue eyes lighting up in anticipation. "C'mon Amber, please? It doesn't even have to be a date; you could just bring him with you."

Amber wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't made any plans; hell, she hadn't even known about the festival when she got up this morning. But she'd never have guessed that she'd be accompanying Shelly on a date a few days from now. With a small shrug, Amber nodded. "Yeah, OK."

"Really?" Shelly gasped, wrapping her arms around Amber's stomach. "Oh my god, thank you so much!" She backed away quickly, clasping her hands behind her back. "I was really afraid you'd make fun of me or something. I really didn't know how to ask you." Amber shook her head, but definitely understood where that fear must've come from. "Meet us at Harbors around seven on the night of the festival, OK? We'll pick up something to eat first."

Amber nodded slowly, and Shelly dashed out the door with a huge smile on her face. She hadn't seen her move that fast... Probably ever. And looked more excited now than she did while accompanying her on her first job. It'd been only two months since she'd joined the guild, but it felt good to know that Shelly was trusting her with something like this. With a long huff, Amber said. "I... Guess I have to talk to Axel..." With that, and one last glance around the guild hall, Amber headed out the door into the blisteringly hot sunshine.

The guild hall sat silent for a moment, a slight breeze whistling through a small window, scattering a few of the papers from Jaina's table that had been left on the floor. The side door swung open, and Isa backed into the room with a large box in her arms. "I'm back Jaina. It's time we-." She spun around, but paused when she realized nobody else was there. She looked around quickly, making sure nobody was in one of the corner booths, or out of sight on the upper level. Once she realized she was alone, Isa puffed out her cheeks in annoyance. "Jaina..." She mumbled. "You are so mean..."

Next Chapter – Chapter 61 - A Night to Remember