The little black fury

That year, winter persisted in the Eastern Forest, alternating between storms and days when a freezing wind swept through but cleared the sky of clouds. Meanwhile, Natsu and Erza continued their training with their dragons but seized every opportunity to play and have fun.

For Natsu, snow or rain made no difference, and every day, he worked to learn new spells. Thanks to the fire boiling within him, he felt neither the cold nor fatigue, and in the clearing where he and Igneel lived, the air was always warm, as if spring had been trapped there in the middle.

Erza, on the other hand, spent the colder days sheltered under the soft wings of Grandeeney, making an effort to learn the names and properties of all the herbs shown to her. The two children were so engrossed that they didn't even notice that winter had, at some point, begun to loosen its grip, and the days when the sun shone were starting to increase. They had no idea of the surprises they would find under the melting white blanket.

"Erza! Erza, come up here!" The girl hurried to do as she was told, climbing along the narrow path that circled the mountain. Natsu had discovered that passage behind the cave only a few minutes earlier. It seemed that rain and the elements had carved it.

"Be careful not to slip!"

The rocks were still covered in snow, and walking in that state was quite challenging. However, once they reached the top, the reward was more than enough to repay all the efforts. The view was very different from that at the springs. From this high vantage point, they could see the entire Eastern Forest and even beyond: villages and plains disappearing on the horizon.

"Wow!" the girl exclaimed, exhaling a little cloud of white smoke. "It's fantastic!"

"What do you think that is?" Natsu pointed to a spot further north, almost at the forest's border, immersed in a strange shadow. Despite the snow, the trees seemed so dark as to form a black blot.

"It's the Petrified Forest," Igneel's voice explained. The large dragon had joined them, hovering near the mountain by flapping his wings slowly. "Can't I lose sight of you even for a moment? Notify me when you're moving away!"

"What's the Petrified Forest?" Natsu continued. Now, that dark corner had all his attention.

"You told me there was nothing beyond the swamp!"

"And indeed, there's nothing interesting. The Petrified Forest is a dead place, where the trees have turned into solid rock. And it's also a dangerous place! You must never, and I repeat, never set foot there!"

But Natsu had heard everything except the final warning. "What's so dangerous about it?"

"Promise!"

"But..."

"Promise!"

"Promised, Igneel." In the end, the two children answered in unison, and the dragon sighed in relief, producing a cloud of white steam.

"But what's dangerous in the Petrified Forest?"

Ah, he had no hope of making himself understood by his son! If he wanted to change the subject, he had to find another way to distract him. "It's time to eat: come, you two!" Igneel rested his muzzle against the rock to allow the two children to climb onto his back. "I really feel like having some meat!"

"Meat?" It was the magic word, right for Natsu: in an instant, he was already on the dragon, while Erza stumbled to reach him. For that time, Igneel would let it pass, but not forever. The next day, Natsu was already out of the cave before Grandeeney returned to snatch away his little friend.

"Hey! Why are you running so fast? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, Erza!"

But the farther they ran into the dense forest, the more Erza began to doubt their destination. When at a certain point, the trees started to thin out to make room for the muddy puddles of the swamp, the girl decided it was time to stop. She planted her feet on the ground, and Natsu was forced to stop abruptly. "I want to know where we're going!" Erza ordered him, and he snorted, as if to say she was a terrible spoilsport. "To the Petrified Forest!"

"But we promised not to go there!" Erza didn't want to upset either Grandeeney or Igneel. "If they find out..."

"And we won't tell them!" Natsu added with a tempting smile, circling her like a hunter with his prey. "Come on! We'll just take a quick look! Aren't you curious to see it? A Petrified Forest! An entire forest where all the trees are made of stone! Isn't that legendary?"

Underneath, the idea was fascinating for Erza too, but the girl still had her doubts. "They said it's dangerous..."

"And what are you afraid of? With me here, Natsu! The strongest of all Dragon Slayers! I've beaten the Rajang; I can defeat any monster!" At that point, Erza sighed. She knew that Natsu would never give up if she told him no, and besides, they had magic on their side to defend themselves.

"Let's just take a quick look?"

"Promise!"

All he needed was to nod. Natsu wasted no time; he grabbed her hand again, dragging her away and using fallen logs to cross the stagnant sludge sea of the swamp. Winter had frozen the mud in some places, making the passage easier, but the snow that had fallen that winter also had a more insidious side: with its mantle, it hid all the corners where the ice was thinner.

"Be careful there!"

"I'm sliding!"

"Gotcha!" Fortunately, Natsu had quick reflexes and caught Erza in midair, holding her tight in his arms with a big smile.

The girl remained paralyzed for a moment, blushing so hard that her face ended up becoming the same color as her hair. Then she finally managed to wriggle out of the tight grip. "I think we've arrived!" And Erza was right: in front of them now was a completely new, terrifying yet fascinating spectacle like never before.

Natsu wasted no time in grabbing her hand again, forcing her to follow him into the labyrinth of the Petrified Forest. Around them, the trees towered bare and twisted against the sky: it seemed they had been struck by a deadly curse.

The trunks and branches had taken on the same appearance as volcanic rock, shiny black obsidian, and even touching them, the texture seemed the same. The snow had covered this part of the forest too, but to a lesser extent.

There were white patches here and there; some covered the branches, and others covered the ground, leaving a bit of yellowish, dull grass exposed. It was just as Igneel had said: in that place, there was not the slightest trace of life, yet the gloomy atmosphere that hung over the Petrified Forest played nasty tricks.

The shadows constantly gave the impression that some danger lurked around the corner. It was as if there were a strange smell in the air, but the metallic essence hovering around them made it difficult to properly distinguish the scents. It was as if something was watching and following them in the shadows.

The two children walked silently side by side, senses alert, ready to react at the slightest sign of danger.

"You said a quick look. Let's go back now!" Erza hissed; she had had enough of that place, and with every step, she regretted going along with her friend.

"Just a bit more!" But Natsu was vibrating with excitement. He was so fascinated by the Petrified Forest that he wanted to see every corner of it! He was so curious that he even wanted to discover what monster inhabited that place and made it so dangerous! Poor Natsu! He had not yet learned that one must choose very carefully the things one desires.

"Calm down!" He reassured the girl. "You're safe here with me..."

He didn't even get to finish the sentence.

All Erza saw was a black and indistinct mass, fur ruffled, and claws, throwing itself onto the other Dragon Slayer. Natsu's hand slipped from her grip, and the boy rolled away, dragged by the impact's fury.

"NATSU!" Erza screamed with all the breath in her throat, terrified as Natsu and his assailant crashed into a trunk. The entire tree vibrated under the force of the blow before the young Dragon Slayer could do something to defend himself. He gathered all the magic within his aura, covering himself in fire, and at that point, the fury that had hit him stepped aside with a leap.

"Ghihihi!"

And only then did Erza and Natsu understand that it wasn't actually a beast. Neither a fierce wolf nor a monster of some other kind. Underneath all that tangle of black fur and under that tangle of black hair, there was another boy. A human, if it weren't for the red, gleaming eyes, fangs, and claws.