Bull Demon Seed Chapter 4 (Patreon)
Content
Fairy Tail parody: Tier 1/Patreon Reward
AN: Some dark themes in this chapter warning
Also Salamander's cover story is a reference to a filler episode in the anime, that completely retcon episode 1 to make Lucy the butt of the joke.
Chapter 4 Salamander
Elfman had joined Team Stampede, making him the fourth member over all. Despite being a Team, the group did do solo missions, or be dispatched on missions. Natsu had Gray and Alzack doing a job together. The two were becoming a strong duo, which helped with the chemistry on group missions.
“Yo Elfman, want to go on a mission with me?” Natsu asked.
“A mission...you and me...alone…” he blushed.
“Yep, Gray and Alzack are off doing a mission together, we could do some sparring, but I could use the cash.” The pinkette said with a chuckle. “Besides a mission with just me and you sounds like it can be fun.”
This would be their first mission alone. “No, I’m a man, I mean I’m for it!” His heart pounded in his chest. ‘Natsu and me, alone on a mission together!’ repeated in his head as he twiddled his fingers.
Lisanna saw him and sighed. ‘Big Brother Elf still hasn’t told Natsu how he feels.’ The two have gotten closer, and Elfman has gotten stronger from their sparring and group missions. Elfman was taking on bigger missions on his own, but not today.
“Sounds good, this will be our job.” He handed Elfman the poster.
“Salamander?” He read it over. A man calling himself Salamander was suspected of use of forbidden magic, kidnapping, with ties to a human trafficking ring. The job was simple enough, locate him and investigate, bring him down and hand him over for interrogation. There was even a bonus if they could find out their base of operations.
“Can’t let a creep like this slander the name of a Salamander.” Natsu said proudly.
“I’m in.” They took the job, with Lisanna stopping Elfman. Natsu headed off to prepare for their journey.
“Big Bro, you should tell Natsu how you feel.”
“I can’t...I see how he looks at Gray and Alzack, he...doesn’t look at me that way.” Lisanna sighed. Her brother could be so damn dense it was insane. That “look” was directed at him too, he just didn’t realize it. She watched their sparring matches and could see the sparks between them.
She had to play this right, if she just told him then Elfman’s stubborn brain would go. “Well then...maybe this mission will be a good chance for you to show Natsu how much of a man you are.” She patted his shoulder. “It might do you some good to have some proper alone time, when you two aren’t rumbling with each other.”
“Yeah...I can do that…” He flexed. “I can show him how much of a man I’ve become!” He hugged his sister. “Thanks Sis!” He got his stuff and met back up with Natsu.
“Good luck big bro.” She really did think they’d make a good couple. Her brother deserved to be loved, and she believed he’d find it in Natsu’s harem.
-x-
The boys take a train to Hargeon Station much to Natsu’s annoyance. A side effect of the dragon seed/demon seed fusion, it gave him a weakness. For Dragons man made transportation gave them motion sickness; natures way of balancing the universe.
Natsu preferred to travel on land. Transportation didn’t effect him as much as a dragon, since his seeds fused. It just made him feel ill, but not as bad as pure dragons. “Are you sure about taking a train, we can run?”
“No, it’d take us twice as long to make it on foot, the rumor lead will grow cold. We don’t want this guy to slip away.” The train whistle blew. “Ugh…” He looked to Elfman. “If you don’t mind.”
Natsu sat on his lap, the muscle man’s face burned. “Huh?”
“I’ll be fine if I just rest along the way, if you don’t mind holding me, it’ll make things easier.” He got hotter, Elfman gulped.
“Oh uh sure this is fine.” He wraps his arms around Natsu who sinks against him, his head resting on his shoulder.
“If you get thirsty, you can always give me a squeeze!” He guides Elfman’s hand to his chest.
His heart skipped a beat. “I couldn’t do that...not here…” he shivered.
“Hehe, I’m only teasing a little, I know I can count on you.” He closed his eyes.
‘He’s counting on me.’ The train began to move and Natsu went into a form of stasis. He made an excellent shield, as the train moved Natsu felt calm in Elfman’s arms. ‘He’s so warm, and he...smells so good...Natsu...my manly heart burns for you…’ Natsu’s manly scent called to him, and lit a fire inside him.
The two made a lovely picture together. The train ride was calm for Natsu thanks to Elfman. They made it to Hargeon Station. “Thanks Elfman!”
“A-Any time.” Getting off swiftly the duo from Stampede began their investigation.
-x-
“Lisanna, did someone take the Salamander Job?” Mirajane asked.
“Natsu and Big Bro took it, is there a problem?”
“Yes, the quest has been upgraded to an A Class Mission, it seems some wizards from another guild went after this guy and they’ve gone missing.” Mirajane revealed a new poster. “Master Bob is offering a major reward for bringing this guy down and rescuing his wizards.”
-x-
Something was definitely up in town. Hargeon is one of the Fiore ports, it’s an old and beautiful town. The area prospers from it’s fishing than magic, but because of the Hargeon Station, there was a lot of travelers passing through town. So they had a nice bit of tourism going.
As they encountered one guy claiming to be Salamander. He was hitting on a random girl. “How about a date with Salamander?” he flicked his hair, in pretty boy fashion, making the girl blush and swoon. The blonde was quite the looker, and his flirting tactic reminded them a lot of Loke.
“Are you this Salamander?” The pretty boy turned and saw Natsu and Elfman.
“Start talking pretty boy, we got some questions for you!” Elfman cracked his knuckles intimidatingly.
“Oh crap!” The guy pulled out a strange ball and threw it on the ground. In a flash of fire magic the guy vanished leaving behind a pile of soot.
“What the heck, where did he go?” Natsu inspected the scene.
“He used a Chimney Bomb, its a kind of fire magic you could buy in stores.” It works like a smoke bomb, allowing the user to link it to a specific location. When used it teleports the user to that specific location. “They were discontinued though, as they tended to be noisy and leave a mess.”
“Clearly suspicious, if he was a real man he’d stand and fight.” The girl was confused, but went on her way.
“He might not be the Salamander we are looking for, but he’s a good a lead as any.” He was wearing some kind of funny cologne, which Natsu tried to track down, but the smell led him to another pretty boy, this one with dark hair.
The dark haired guy with tan skin was flirting with another man. “How would you like a date with Salamander?” Elfman was surprised at the open flirting.
“It just so happens we are looking for a Salamander!”
“Oh crap!” He used the Chimney Bomb and escaped. The guy being hit on blushed and slipped away.
“How are we gonna catch these guys, if they keep slipping through our fingers.” Elfman punched the ground.
-x-
At a Club in Hargeon…
A fire place opened up and the raven haired guy popped out. “Boss, we got trouble, some guys are in town looking for you.” The boss was sitting in a chair with the blonde pretty boy from earlier licking his shoes.
“For me?” Salamander chuckled. “If they are looking for me, then I should go meet them. No one can resist my charms.” He flicked his hair, with a hand that had a suspicious ring on it. The black haired hottie, got hearts in his eyes and he started swooning over the boss.
“Yes no one can resist you boss!” The two said in, creepy, unison. “You boys stay here and man the club, I’ll go out and fish myself. Where is the third bait?”
“He hasn’t returned yet.”
‘I guess using these pretty boy bitches to bring in fresh product has its draw backs. It’s likely these guys are wizards too, no matter I’ll have these wizards eating out of the palm of my hand just like those three.’ He smirked.
-x-
Natsu and Elfman hit up the local magic shop asking about the Chimney Bombs. They didn’t have a vast selection, lot of what he was selling was old and out of date. He admitted to selling out of the Chimney Bombs he had left. He tried to sell Elfman an outfit pen, it could magically alter clothing, turning your every day clothing into a fancy suit.
This seemed to be a dead end until Natsu spotted a small bottle of magic cologne. “You haven’t been selling this stuff have you?”
“Oh yes, that’s the last of it, a new club in town bought a large amount of it.” The old shopkeeper said.
“This stuff isn’t sold anymore, it has some bad side effects and was recalled by the magic council.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know I swear.” It was discontinued, and the shopkeeper just had the stuff in stock, but it was old stock. The cologne enhanced the wearers appeal, but it also messed with their heads; making one more open to suggestion, and making forbidden magics like Charm and Brainwashing spells more effective. Natsu recognized the smell of the cologne as the same smell on the pretty boys in town.
Natsu got directions to the club that bought the stuff. Dragneel didn’t want to turn the old man in for an honest mistake. He could tell the guy wasn’t lying. Odds are his supplier dumped the potions on him to make a buck knowing they either wouldn’t sell or be confiscated. Nothing else in the shop was dangerous, so he decided to cut the guy a break.
Before they raided the place they decided to go eat and build up their strength. Elfman could tell Natsu was annoyed. The Magic Council were a bunch of stuff shirts, they regulated the magic guilds and magic items bought and sold. They breathed down Fairy Tail’s necks a few times, sometimes justified but other times not so much.
“It’s possible those guys have been brainwashed.” He said before taking a drink.
“You think?” Elfman asked between stuffing his face with meat.
“The way they asked for a date it was odd, as if they were asking for someone else. Plus the matching scents on both men, also the fact they were quick to flee.”
“Maybe they were just weaklings.”
“No...I could sense magic power in them, they probably were told not to use their magic power or risk breaking whatever hex is on them.” Charm and Brainwashing magics were troublesome, but they were not unbreakable. “My guess they were doused in that cologne stuff to weaken their minds and used as bait.”
“So they aren’t the Salamander we are looking for?”
“No but they could lead us to him.” Natsu smirked. “Let’s bring this guy down.”
“Right!” They finished their meal and were about to hit the club.
A crowd of men and women caught their attention. They were gushing over some guy, he wasn’t as handsome as the other pretty boys in town, but both men and women were falling over for him. “My lovelies, I’m so happy to see your loving faces!” He flipped his hair and winked.
The crowd squealed.
Elfman gasped, feeling his heart skip a beat. ‘What is this feeling? Is this love...no I’m in love with Natsu...but…’ The weird guy winked and Elfman got hearts in his eyes. ‘He’s so…’
A hand grabbed his shoulder. “Elfman, be careful!” In a flash the fake feelings vanished in a puff of smoke.
“What the heck?” He gripped his head.
“He’s using Charm Magic!” The guy was signing autographs, little did Natsu and Elfman know they were invites to a party he was throwing on a boat. “That’s him!”
“Salamander!” The guy Salamander, noticed their aggression and spiking magic power.
“Oh my lovelies, it’s time for me to go.” He snapped his fingers. “Flame Carpet!” Off he went.
“That’s some trick!” Natsu said.
“He’s getting away!” Elfman gave chase, Natsu followed but paused when a certain scent reached his nose.
“Elfman take this!” Natsu tossed him a small ball, it was a simple communication lacrima. “Go after him, I caught a whiff of that one scent, let’s split up for now, I’m gonna go after it.” Elfman didn’t get it but trusted Natsu’s judgement.
“Right!” His legs glowed. “Beast Leg: Weretiger!” His lower half became furry, and he sprouted a tiger-like tail. He charged after Salamander at wicked speed.
Natsu followed the scent and came across another pretty boy. He appeared younger than the other two, but he was doused in the same cologne. His flirting style was also a lot like Loke’s. Natsu approached him quietly. “Oh hey hot stuff, you wouldn’t be interested in a date with Salamander would you?” He winked.
“Actually I’m looking for someone by that name!” He grinned. “Maybe you can take me to him.”
“Ohh crap!” He tried to flee, but as he fumbled for the Chimney Bomb.
“Heat Wave!” Natsu unleashed a wave of heat so powerful, it destroyed the bomb and the pretty boy’s clothes were dissolved by the intensity. The heat dissolved more than the clothes as it burned through the effects of the magic cologne. The woman snapped out of the daze, she gasped and slapped the naked pretty boy so hard she knocked him out. “Dang it!”
-x-
Elfman chased Salamander to a park of sorts, but lost sight of him. “Dang it!” Elfman groaned. “I can’t believe I lost him.”
“Looking for me?” The blue haired man appeared from the bushes. He flipped his hair and winked.
“That won’t work on me, I know you are using Charm magic, you can’t bewitch me!” He snapped.
“Ahh so you are a wizard.” Salamander chuckled.
“I am, and I’m taking you down.”
“Hold on, I haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just a humble model scout.”
“A what?” He blinked.
“I scout beautiful men and women, then I find them work as models and the like.”
“That’s clearly a lie! Why would a scout need Charm Magic, that stuff is illegal?” He pointed accusingly.
“True, but surely you understand, the need to be loved.” He poured on the fake tears. Elfman bought it. “I’m throwing a party on my boat tonight, you are free to come and investigate as you wish.” He gave Elfman an invitation. “I’ll see you there big guy!”
He escaped on his Flame Carpet. ‘Dang it, I screwed up!’ He looked at the invitation. ‘I can do this!’
To be continued...Raid and Rescue