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Chapter 4 – Distant Quest, Natsu the Salamander

It had been three years since Natsu had joined Fairy Tail. In that time he'd completed multitudes of missions and ascended from D-Rank to B-Rank. Another new friend had come to Fairy Tail in the past year as well. Her name was Levy McGarden a friendly bluenette that loved books. She used a magic called 'Solid Script' that let her write words in the air that then took on the effects of the word in question. Natsu spent some time asking Levy about her magic and what kinds of words she could use.

-Flashback-

"So you can apply your Solid Script to yourself?" Natsu questioned Levy as they sat at a table with Cana and Lisanna. Mira and Erza were out on jobs and Elfman was training his Take-Over Magic.

"Yes, though it's a bit more complicated than when I write stuff in the air." Levy replied as she flipped through her book before showing the three the page about using Solid Script on the caster. "The more complex the word the more difficult it becomes. Plus certain words wouldn't work at all because of how Solid Script functions. For example I couldn't make myself immortal by writing the word on myself with Solid Script."

"All magic has some form of limitation. I can't see into the future with one hundred percent accuracy no matter how good I get with my Card Magic." Cana replied as she sipped from her drink while holding up a card.

"I can't Take-Over any Animal Soul that's stronger than me either." Lisanna smiled as she turned her hands into cat-like claws. "Otherwise I risk getting taken over myself."

"What about a word like 'speed'?" Natsu asked as he read over the page in Levy's book.

"I might be able to do that in the future. It would work like a form of speed magic at least for a short burst. But it would fade away almost instantly if I didn't focus on it." Levy replied as she turned the page and read some more.

"Oh, oh what about the word invulnerable? You'd be able to take any attack and come out fine!" Natsu cheered as he looked at the Script Mage with a toothy grin.

"I can't do that!" Levy cried out in shock at Natsu's suggestion. "A powerful word like invulnerable would demand an equally huge amount of magic to empower it. I'd use up all of my magic power and still fail to invoke a word like that." She admonished the Dragon Slayer with wide eyes.

"Really? I bet you could do it in the future though! You're a hard worker Levy, so I'm sure you'll be an awesome Script Mage!" Natsu encouraged with another toothy grin getting smiles from Lisanna and Cana while Levy blushed at the praise and encouragement from her friends.

"I'll try." Levy shyly replied as she hid her face behind her book, getting giggles from Cana and Lisanna.

-End Flashback-

Today Natsu was perusing the request board when he noticed a B-rank Quest that made him smile, both at the fond memories it brought up and the taste he remembered from growing up with Igneel. The quest was a call for help from the other side of Fiore, near the border where the Country of Bosco and the Country of Seven met Fiore in the East.

"Now this brings back memories." Natsu smiled as he pulled down the quest. "A Salamander has come down from the mountains and attacked the town of Falaise. Need assistance immediately. Reward is two hundred thousand Jewels." Natsu quickly walked up to the bar and had the quest stamped with his name.

"Heading out, Natsu?" Lisanna asked as she walked up to Natsu at the bar.

"Yep, going to help this town on the border deal with a Salamander. I can't wait, been too long since I had some roast Salamander!" Natsu replied with some drool at the corner of his mouth.

"Be careful Natsu, and bring back some for the rest of the guild too!" Lisanna smiled as she hugged the Dragon Slayer.

"Sure thing Lisanna!" Natsu replied while returning the hug. He liked getting hugs from his female friends. Though Erza often forgot to take off her armor before pulling him into a hug, hitting his head against her armor hurt! Cana was nice about it and usually hugged him when he came back from a quest. Mira always teased him when she gave him hugs. The eldest Take-Over sibling had come a long way from the morose girl she'd been when she first arrived. Now a day she was a rebellious teenager that dressed in a goth-rocker style and was one of the stronger mages in the guild. He really wanted to fight with her but Mira always turned him down saying he had to earn it. Erza however could easily get a fight from Mira as the two fought over one thing or another. Oddly enough Natsu always seemed to be around when the two girls started their most intense brawls.

"See you when you get back!" Lisanna waved as Natsu walked out the guild doors with a wave back. Now all he had to do was ride that death contraption known as a train to get to Falaise.

"Maybe I could just walk?" Natsu mused to himself before remembering that the quest stated immediate help. "I hate trains." He grumbled as he made his way towards Magnolia's train station.

-One Long Train Ride Later-

"So this is Falaise?" Natsu mumbled as he walked out of the train station and looked around. The town wasn't much different than Magnolia in terms of design; though Falaise did have an army garrison stationed on the eastern side of town unlike Magnolia. The soldiers had tried to take down the Salamander when it had attacked but had been defeated and left with severe injury. Thankfully no one had died yet but the majority of the town's livestock had been devoured. The Salamander had been seen stalking around the mountains surrounding the village since the last attack and the citizens had sent out the quest to get a mage to deal with the beast.

Natsu walked towards the Mayor's residence to meet with the man as well as the Captain of the garrison. Shortly after arriving and meeting the two men Natsu learned that the Captain had scouts tracking the position of the Salamander. When the next report came in via communication lacrima Natsu would head out to intercept the Salamander. At first both the Captain and Mayor had been skeptical of Natsu's ability to take on the quest. Natsu had assured them that he'd hunted Salamanders before and they tasted delicious when roasted. The look on the pink-haired mage's face was all it took to convince the two that he knew what he was talking about. It was less than an hour before the scouts reported in. The Salamander was near the plateau northwest of the village and would most likely be at the plateau within the hour.

"So where is this plateau?" Natsu asked as he prepared to leave.

"We'll show you." The Captain spoke up as the Mayor brought out a map of the surrounding area. The two showed Natsu the plateau and the most direct path to it on the map getting a nod from the Dragon Slayer.

"Alright, I'll head over there and take care of this. You guys get some grills and ovens ready, because I'm going to want to feast as soon as I drag this Salamander back!" Natsu grinned as he started running down the road towards the plateau.

It only took about fifty minutes for Natsu to reach the plateau. Upon arriving to the mostly flat, rocky area he could already smell the Salamander approaching. When the Fire Lizard came into view Natsu couldn't help but let out a whistle. This Salamander was at least forty feet in length from snout to tail tip. Large and strong with dark reddish scales and huge claws, the Salamander had clearly lived a long time.

"I guess I should get its attention." Natsu grinned as he inhaled deeply. "Earth Dragon's Roar!" A large cone of spiraling rock and dirt was exhaled by Natsu and rushed towards the Salamander. The beast only had a moment to look up before it was struck by the attack and staggered back from the force. "Nice to meet you!" The pinkette laughed as he watched the Salamander knock the rocks aside as it roared at him. Without a moment's pause the Salamander launched a wave of fire at Natsu from its mouth. The Dragon Slayer replied in kind. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" The two waves of fire clashed and filled the plateau with heat. The attacks tapered off and the Salamander charged at Natsu with another roar.

"Magma Dragon's Piercing Talons!" Natsu called forth his spell as his hands were surrounded by lava and he met the Salamander's charge head on. He dodged the snapping jaws of the Salamander before striking it across the side of the head. The beast roared in pain before smacking Natsu away with its foreleg. Natsu rolled for a moment along the ground before getting back to his feet. A large wave of fire heading in his direction met his vision as Natsu launched another 'Fire Dragon's Roar' in return. Again the two breath attacks clashed and dispersed leaving a heat haze around the plateau for several moments.

The Salamander charged again before rearing up on its back legs and swiping at Natsu with its front claws. Natsu dodged around the swipes noticing how they easily gouged out the rock of the plateau. With a quick dash forward Natsu was inside the Salamander's guard and unleashed multiple strikes with his lava coated fist against the beast's less protected underbelly. The Salamander roared out in pain before trying to drop its body on top of Natsu and crush him. The Dragon Slayer dived out from under the beast in the nick of time to avoid being crushed.

"Earth Dragon's Stone Spears!" Natsu called as he slammed his foot down on the rocks of the plateau sending dozens of rock spears at the Salamander. The Fire Lizard made a quick spin and smashed all of the spears with a tail swipe. The force of the swipe sent a strong gust across the plateau.

"Man, you're pretty strong aren't you?" Natsu smirked as he eyed the Salamander. His response was the Salamander charging at him again. Rushing forward Natsu jumped above the Salamander's bite and unleashed a different spell. "Magma Dragon's Wing Attack!" With a strong wave of his arms Natsu sent a burning wave of lava at the Salamander's back. The molten rock hit the Salamander causing the lizard to roar out in pain before it started rolling around on the rocky ground trying to get the lava off itself. Natsu moved in to get a better shot at the downed Salamander only for the beast to suddenly lunge at him with a claw swipe. Without time to change his course Natsu tried to shift his body to the side to dodge. He was only partially successful, a burning pain erupted on his left side as one of the Salamander's claws grazed him and left a bloody gash behind.

"Damn it!" Natsu snarled as he pushed more magic into his lava coated right hand. The lava took an even more defined shape of a dragon's talons and flames erupted from the bubbling molten rock. "Take this!" He roared as he drove his attack straight into the Salamander's eye. The lava spell didn't slow down as it pierced through the eye, broke the bones in the skull and finally hit the brain. Natsu roared again before sending a burst of magic into his spell causing it to erupt within the Salamander's head. Natsu yanked his arm out of the dead Fire Lizard's head and watched it collapse with lava pouring out of its ruined eye, its other eye and both nostrils. Seeing his opponent dead Natsu followed his instincts and through back his head letting out a loud dragon-like roar at his victory. "Raaaahhhh!" The resounding echoes off the mountains made the roar seem even louder and the scouts that had been dispatched to follow the Salamander couldn't believe what they'd just seen.

"By the gods, the kid did it. He killed it!" One of the scouts stated in shock.

"It was like there were two Salamanders fighting down there." The other scout muttered as he reached for the communication lacrima to report the success of the quest. No one knew that this random observation would spread far and wide and give Natsu a name that would become synonymous with powerful magic and monster hunting skill.

Natsu huffed as he stopped roaring and flinched as he placed his hand on his wounded side. With a grimace Natsu applied his Fire Magic to the wound and sealed it with the heat. It would definitely leave a scar but at least he didn't have to worry about the bleeding anymore. With a sigh Natsu sat down to rest for a moment. Breaking through the Salamander's magic resistant scales had required each of his spells to have much more power than normal. All Dragonkin had some level of magic resistance and it only got stronger as they aged. Natsu wouldn't be surprised if this Salamander was close to fifty years old. It probably weighed just under a thousand pounds too.

"Man, it's going to be a pain to drag you back to the village." Natsu sighed as he looked over his kill. Hearing footsteps behind him Natsu turned and saw two army soldiers approaching him.

"Amazing work young mage, I couldn't believe my eyes." The first soldier spoke.

"We're the scouts sent to track the Salamander's movements. We saw your fight with it. I'd have never believed a mage your age could be so strong." The second soldier stated.

"This guy was tough but not nearly as tough as me!" Natsu grinned.

"A squad is being sent up here to help retrieve the carcass. The Captain says you wanted to cook it, right?" The first soldier asked.

"Yep, roast Salamander is tasty! Just wait until you try it!" Natsu drooled at the thought. About two hours later Natsu was happily stuffing his face with Salamander meat while the townspeople of Falaise celebrated the success of the quest. The Mayor had happily presented Natsu with his reward and the Captain along with the garrison's weapon smith had asked Natsu about the Salamander's scales, fangs, claws and their usefulness as weapon material. Natsu knew, thanks to Igneel, that with proper methods a Dragonkin's remnants could be forged into weapons and that the scales could make armor. The weapon smith knew the process of magic forging and practically begged Natsu for part of the spoils. With a grin Natsu agreed to take half the scales, eight fangs, and five of the claws while the rest would be left to Falaise. The Mayor had asked if any part of the Salamander could be sold to help buy new livestock to replace the ones that had been lost. A potion maker from the village had confirmed that the bones of Dragonkin could be ground down into what was called 'Dragon Powder' and used in several rare potions. The money from selling the bones and a few rare potions should be able to cover the costs of replacing the livestock.

It was a happy Natsu that left the town of Falaise with a wheeled cart carrying his spoils, including almost thirty pounds of meat salted and preserved by the village butchers, along with his completed quest form. He lamented the upcoming train ride but was looking forward to giving his friends some gifts from his spoils.

-Another Long Train Ride Later-

"Young man, are you all right?" A train attendant asked Natsu seeing the pink-haired teen on the floor of the train groaning.

"Kill…me." Natsu groaned out as he looked up at the attendant.

"Well we've reached Magnolia so how about I help you off the train instead?" The attendant asked with a smile before helping Natsu off the train along with his cart and pack.

"Solid ground! Oh how I've missed you!" Natsu exclaimed once he was off the train and on the platform. Nearby passengers gave the teen a strange look before going on their way but Natsu paid no attention. Finally off the death trap called a train Natsu grabbed the handle of the cart and started heading towards Fairy Tail. A short time later and Natsu was kicking open the doors of the guild. "I made it back!" he called out getting welcomes from several members.

"Good job completing the quest Natsu." The bar maid in charge of the quest board smiled as she took the guild's ten percent cut of the reward.

"Thanks! It was a good fight! I brought back some meat to share with everybody!" Natsu grinned as he placed the wrapped meat on the bar top.

"How thoughtful of you, Natsu." The bar maid replied as she motioned for two more maids to come over and help. Makarov wandered over to get a look at what Natsu had brought back and smiled at seeing the meat.

"Well now, looks like we've got ourselves something good today." Makarov chuckled getting a grin from Natsu. "How're you doing after your quest?"

"Fine, the Salamander got a glancing blow on me but I'll be fine." Natsu smiled as he moved his vest aside to show his injury. Makarov paled seeing the scarred area and noticing that Natsu obviously hadn't had it treated properly in Falaise.

"Brat, get to the infirmary while I call Porlyusica." Makarov sighed as he pointed towards the infirmary.

"What? Why?" Natsu asked confused.

"Because you need to get that injury looked at you dolt!" Makarov told him causing Natsu to nod before heading towards the infirmary. Makarov quickly followed him and assured him they'd celebrate with the meat he brought back once Porlyusica had given him the all clear. Natsu had cheered at that while pulling the cart with the rest of his spoils behind him.

"Why would you think you could take care of this yourself?!" Porlyusica demanded as she cleaned up Natsu's injury and applied a healing salve that would reduce the scarring. The pink-haired older woman was often called over to Fairy Tail to patch up the dumb brats when they got in over their heads. This Natsu had been seen by her three times since he'd joined and this time made four. "Can't you keep yourself from getting injured you brat?"

"Hey, this wasn't so bad!" Natsu tried to protest only to get bopped on the head by the healer.

"This is going to be another scar you've collected for yourself, dimwit! Stop fighting things that can kill you if you can't handle it!" Porlyusica scolded him. "First it was that Wyvern you fought when you became B-Rank. Then you go and fight a Poison Quill and nearly pass out by the time you get back here because you didn't get treatment for the poison! You also got another scar when you went after that Dark Mage last month! So you don't get to tell me what's bad and what isn't!"

"Yes, Ms. Porlyusica." Natsu mumbled as he looked away.

"Now stay in bed for an hour to let the salve do its work." Porlyusica ordered as she began to pack up her things.

"Fine." Natsu grumbled before looking towards Makarov. "Gramps can I get some thick string or cord?"

"I think we have some, why do you want it?" Makarov asked as Natsu reached over and pulled out a few of the fangs he'd gotten as spoils from the Salamander.

"I want to make a necklace for Cana, Erza, Lisanna, and Mira!" Natsu smiled as he picked out four fangs and placed them on the bed.

"That's nice of you, Natsu. I'll go get the string." Makarov chuckled as he followed Porlyusica out of the infirmary.

"Thanks Gramps!" Natsu grinned as he set about making a small hole near the base of the Salamander fang he had in his hands. Makarov brought back a spool of tough string a few minutes later and then left Natsu to make his necklaces. The old man wondered if Natsu thought about the significance of making something for a select group of girls but laughed it off.

Natsu had just finished making the fourth and final necklace when he heard a group of footsteps pounding towards the infirmary. A second later and the door was thrown open as Lisanna, Cana, Erza, and Mira ran inside.

"Natsu!" All four girls called out as they stood beside his bed and started looking him over.

"Hey girls! How's it going?" Natsu asked with a smile before he was bombarded by questions.

"Are you ok?" Lisanna asked worried about him.

"What did you do?" Cana questioned worry and exasperation mixing her expression.

"You must be more careful, Natsu!" Erza scolded with worry coloring her voice.

"Stop making Lisanna worry about you!" Mira growled at him though it lost all heat with the concern practically pouring out of her eyes.

"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to make you all worry!" Natsu apologized as he rubbed the back of his head. "I saw an opening and took it. The Salamander just had one more good lunge left in it."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Lisanna questioned with a sniffle.

"I'm fine, Lisanna. Porlyusica says I can get out of bed in a while. Then Gramps promised we'd party with the Salamander meat I brought back!" Natsu grinned at Lisanna getting a bright smile back.

"So that was you who brought back all the meat the bar maids are currently cooking?" Mira asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep! I can't wait for you all to taste it! You'll see why I like it so much!" Natsu smiled getting Mira to turn her head slightly to try and hide the pink on her cheeks.

"You never cease to amaze, Natsu." Erza smiled as she shook her head fondly.

"What do you have there, Natsu?" Cana asked noticing the necklaces in the boy's lap.

"Oh right, I got these fangs as spoils from the Salamander. So I thought I'd use them to make something for you four!" Natsu exclaimed happily as he handed each of the girls a Fang Necklace.

"This actually looks pretty cool." Mira smirked liking how the fang fit with her style of clothing.

"Thanks Natsu! I'll cherish it!" Lisanna beamed at him as she held the Fang Necklace in her hands.

"Thank you Natsu. I appreciate your gift." Erza smiled at him a warm look in her eyes as she gazed at the Fang Necklace.

"Thanks, Natsu, this is really nice of you. I'll wear it all the time." Cana smiled as she put the Fang Necklace on. The fact that it was the first gift that Natsu had given her 'just because' made a warmth spread through her.

"I'm glad you like them! They definitely look good on you!" Natsu replied with a thumbs up gesture and a toothy smile.

None of the girls noticed the fact that Natsu's pupils had become slit like a dragon's when they all put on their Fang Necklaces. Even Natsu didn't notice anything as he was happy that his friends liked their gifts. But deep within Natsu's subconscious mind, where instinct dwelled, a passing primal thought resounded