Dearth of Gold (Elden Ring X Fairy Tail)

Malenia has to ponder for a time. In the end however, she still prefers to rely on what she does best. Even if pledging her blade to a cause not her own rankles, she has to make allowances for the situation.

Her decision made, she takes the rest of the day to plan out her approach. And as if on cue, she feels that odd presence again after night falls. A faint brush against her conscience is all it does, not enough to identify just who they may be. If they even are someone Malenia knows instead of a comparable being.

All she knows is that they are not Miquella. Never, not in any world, would he flee her presence.

Putting the incident out of her mind again, Malenia gets to work.

Becoming a mercenary is simple overall. A little snag presents itself when Malenia realises she can not read the local script, but that takes a week of practice to rectify. The mercenary league also requires a last name for registration, which even peasants apparently have in this world. Shrugging off the culture shock, Malenia improvises and gets away with it; she is known as "Malenia of the Haligtree" from that day forward.

Outside of that, nobody even begins to doubt her capability. Her height, appearance, and general conduct make this a foregone conclusion.

However, regulations demand that she begin at the lowest of three ranks just like all others. Fiore's mercenary league categorises their members as "beginner", "professional", and "master", with more difficult and profitable missions being given only to the higher ranks. Mercenary guilds are ranked in the same way, though they can have internal structures in addition.

With her registration complete, Malenia immediately gets to work as an independent mercenary. She quickly snatches up extermination missions where she can; they suit her the best after all. The occasional trade caravan also hires her as an escort. Those are about the only times she travels the normal way instead of using her wings.

Her funds stabilise within the first month. And with that sorted out, Malenia joins the Royal Arcane Academy, Fiore's premier magic school. The academy grounds sit within Crocus, the imperial capital. The city itself is built to an acceptable standard, if only a third the size of Leyndell and about half compared to Elphael.

Once enrolled, Malenia comes and goes between her mercenary missions. She listens in on classes about the basics, eschewing all practical applications; sorceries were never her forte, not to mention that she still practices her cursive to an acceptable standard. Instead she focusses on knowledge and theoretical applications.

Malenia does not need to learn magic. She just needs to learn how it works to know what to expect when facing Fiore's wizards.

Another month passes like this while Malenia learns. Her peers at the academy avoid her for the most part, scared away by her scars. Some do dare to approach her, primarily in the library she often frequents, so she uses the chance to probe them for knowledge the books can not offer. They make for pleasant enough company.

Now however, Malenia decides to try a new experience. After hearing the students praise the trains so much, she buys a ticket instead of flying to her next mission; it may be slower, but the experience intrigues her. There was no such thing as a railway in the lands between, the closest to compare would be a lorry as used in mining.

Settling into her seat, Malenia closes her eyes for a time to feel the vibrations run through the carriage. The train makes good time, especially for humans who are much slower than her. Entire groups of people can be transported in one fell swoop and without much need for guards.

Overall, she understands that trains are a notable boon for infrastructure and logistics.

However, her analysis of military uses is cut off when someone's head lands in her lap.

Malenia's eyes slide back open, more in plain befuddlement than anything else. Partly on her lies a young man, groaning pitifully. His pink hair comes up in a spiky fashion and one can easily see the pronounced muscles under his vest.

A scandalised call of "Natsu!" precedes the teen being pulled away by a woman who seems about his age. She quickly bows her head at Malenia, blonde hair flying every which way. "I am so sorry for him!"

"There was no harm done," Malenia soothes the girl. Her own calm seems to transmit, finally cutting off the exaggerated display of contrition. Malenia glances to this 'Natsu' again, taking note how pale his face is. "If anything, that boy seems sick."

"Aye!" a blue-furred cat agrees from where it climbs into the seat next to them. "Natsu always gets sick on the train!"

So saying, and Malenia is not even surprised about something like it by this point, the cat proceeds to curl up in Natsu's lap. His head leans against the girl's shoulder, the boy still out of it. She is the only one of the three who truly looks at Malenia; yet where most shied away, she keeps in her seat with a polite smile.

They study each other in silence for a moment. Malenia can easily tell that this girl is well-fed; rigorous, or at least adequate exercise keeps her from the pudginess of many a noble lady while maintaining ample curves. A whip rests at her hip; difficult a weapon it may be, but dangerous in the hands of an expert.

"Well," the girl starts a little awkwardly, "again, I am very sorry for Natsu. Oh, and my name is Lucy."

"Malenia," she offers her own name in turn. "And it truly was of no concern. Though I have to question why a boy who can not bear the train would ride it."

Lucy nods slowly, careful not to dislodge Natsu from her shoulder. "I guess that does look a little weird. You see, we are wizards. From Fairy Tail."

She offers the back of her hand by way of explanation, where a pink guild mark is placed. Malenia inclines her head in response; she heard of that particular guild by now. One of Fiore's oldest, comprised of elite wizards, and with a penchant for collateral damage.

"And we need to get to our jobs somehow. Natsu getting sick is because of his magic, it does not play well with any sort of vehicle. So we just take the fastest one if Happy can not fly him there."

"Aye!"

The cat does not bother saying any more than that, though Malenia's curiousity has been piqued regardless. She has yet to hear of any magic that allows true flight in this world. But that boy Natsu is equally curious.

"What sort of magic would carry with it the disability to ride a cart?" she inquires curtly. Lucy grimaces, glancing at her companion and then back at Malenia.

"Dragonslayer magic," she says. It really is all the explanation Malenia needs; the name is self-explanatory.

She nods, immediately re-evaluating the boy.

Natsu, likely unaware of their conversation, groans once more and buries his face in Lucy's neck. The girl squeaks in surprise, blushing crimson when he starts taking deep breaths.

"N-Natsu, what are you doing?!"

Malenia watches the display somewhat befuddled. Natsu himself paws at Lucy with feeble hands. "It stinks, Lucy!" he whines. "Like something's died three days ago. C'mon, help me, please! Your perfume's much better than that!"

"Oh, how nice of you to say that," Lucy drawls back, finally bucking off the boy. Natsu makes a face and covers his nose instead, though she does let him lean on her shoulder again.

Malenia has a guess what it is he smells, though the fact he does at all surprises her. Nobody else so much as commented on it.

"Does his magic perchance include improved senses?" she asks, which Lucy confirms absently. So what Natsu smells is indeed the rot within Malenia's body; she does not tell them that, quietly filing away the knowledge of such powers existing.

After some time of them just facing each other in silence, Lucy seems to grow tired of tending to Natsu. She turns back to Malenia with attentive eyes and a friendly smile.

"If it's okay to ask, are you a mercenary? I mean, it looks fairly obvious," she adds with a motion for Malenia's prosthetic and sword, "but looks can be deceiving."

Her manners and speech are like a breath of fresh air, though they also affirm Malenia's suspicion of nobility. She readily indulges the girl: "I am indeed a mercenary. Your senses have already told you that I do not use any magic of my own."

It is not even a question, they both know it. Lucy nods.

"Yeah, I can't feel a lick of active Ethernano in you."

"What a peculiar thing, is it not?"

"Pardon?"

Lucy's confusion has Malenia lean back to muse. "Ethernano is quite the curious entity," she explaines her train of thought. "A basically limitless font of magical power that suffuses the very air. Some even believe it sapient in an alien sense, not to mention totally benevolent."

The far younger woman mulls over her words for a moment before shrugging. "I guess so, but that's normal, is it not?

For someone born in this world, it is. For Malenia who saw the callousness of the outer gods, it is not. She saw the cruelty perpetuated by the Academy of Raya Lucaria from a distance. She still feels the Rot. Ethernano, the entire magic of Earthland, is like a dream of paradise in comparison. Magic that actively seeks those of honest character and aids them when needed. She can scarcely believe it, judgement yet reserved on whether this is indeed true.

Nonetheless, Malenia allows herself a faint smile and nods to Lucy. "I suppose it is," she agrees.

The girl smiles back and changes the subject: "Say, where are you headed? I never really got to talk to a mercenary before."

"I hear that wizards and mercenaries seldom mix," Malenia notes, though she does not much care for that. "A separation brought forth by pride on both sides, not to mention competition. As for myself, I am following through on a request in Darkwood Forest."

Lucy had been nodding her understanding at first, but by the end she blinks in surprise. "Really? Darkwood Forest? That's where we're going, too!"

Speak of the devil. Malenia has a suspicion now. Only a minor nuisance if true, but bothersome nonetheless.

"May I see your request?"

"Uh, sure? Here."

After some feeling through her travel pack, Lucy produces a sheet of parchment that contains the specifics. A request to hunt down a pack of rabid dire wolves; ordinarily just the usual forest dwellers one can avoid, but this group contracted a disease that turns them into berserkers.

Malenia studies the parchment a moment longer, then wordlessly produces the exact same job request from her own pack. Lucy stares at it owlishly, then back up at her. Malenia offers a wry smile at that.

"It seems competition has found us."

"Uah!" the cat squawks. "But we took it first!"

He shudders upon receiving Malenia's full attention, even though she takes no offense. "I imagine that a number of request boards across the country receive these notifications. The codes I read do not specify how to deal with this situation, though I imagine it to be first come, first served."

Meanwhile, Lucy slumped in her seat. A morose look is thrown at the parchment in her hand, then a more measured one goes to Malenia. She studies the competition, weighs her odds. And her self-control is good enough to hide whatever result she arrived at from Malenia.

The quiet between them holds for a time, at least until they disembark. Lucy does a double-take upon realising that Malenia stands two heads taller than her, though she is surprisingly calm about it otherwise.

Moreover, Natsu recovers within seconds of leaving the train. He shakes his head rapidly, the unhappy grimace replaced with a grin. Happy climbs onto his head while the boy looks Malenia up and down with a predator's gaze. She offers him a simple nod in turn, undaunted.

Lucy nudges Natsu's side with her elbow, but he cuts off the attempt to make introductions. "I heard you talk earlier," he explains cheerfully. "Name's Natsu, nice to meetcha."

"Malenia, a mercenary."

"And she's doing our job, Natsu! We gotta hurry or we can't eat fish!"

Happy's worries earn him a pat on the head from calloused hands. Natsu's grin remains in place, the man himself more laughing than anything else. "Nah, we'll be fine. Remember those other mercs we beat the asses of? And those guys trained to counter wizards!"

"Please don't remind me of that job," Lucy sulks at the side. "And in case you forgot, I need to pay rent."

Such is the spirit of competition. Malenia glances between the three with a smidgen of curiousity; it seems clear that they will not try to make her vanish so they can take care of the job on their own. Nor are they about to take off in a bid to pre-empt her.

Natsu, being so short compared to her that her has to crane his neck, is not the slightest bit intimidated. He grins up at her, pointing at himself with his thumb.

"How about this then: we'll make it a race. You against us, whoever takes out the most wolves gets to take the reward!"

Malenia arches a brow in response. He is daring, almost playful in his certainty. She has to give him that much, even if it is a foolish notion.

She could easily win such a competition, even two on one. Three on one if Happy the cat counts. Proving superiority over a ragtag pair of youths and their familiar is overall meaningless, nor is Malenia in dire need of this particular reward. Then again, Natsu's flippant attitude in regard to her abilities rankles. Holding back for the boy's ego does not quite appeal, either.

On the other hand, accepting would allow her to get a firsthand look at their magic. Without the innate sense for Ethernano that the people of this world are born with, she needs her eyes to see it work. She would have to forego victory to give them a chance to use their powers, but that may as well be worth the offset.

Decisions, decisions....

---

[] Accept
-[] Win
-[] Do the minimum work, spend time observing the wizards

[] Refuse
-[] Do the job
-[] Leave the bounty to them

[] Offer an alternative
-[] write-in