LYKOS - WOLVES OF THE NORTH

Disclaimer: Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima & its publishers. Other original characters, settings, and themes belong to the authoress.

Notes:

Lykos – in this story, immortal Wolf beings in human form — basically, my own version of a werewolf heh! (If you're familiar of Inuyasha, then think of the character KOUGA, who's a wolf youkai!). I'll be using 'wolf' or 'lykos' interchangeably.

I

"We can still fight, Father," insisted Juvia, a young female lykos. She knelt in front of the great tribal wolf leader of Cerule.

The aging leader wiped the tear-stained cheeks of his daughter. His eyes, once were vibrant gold orbs, were dulled with sadness and resignation. "We are no longer a match to them, my child. Some of our warriors have been captured; many injured. They are playing with our weakness."

Centuries ago, the vast Northern Lands were governed separately by different tribal clans. The biggest of them all was Cerule, occupying almost half of the Northern Lands. Its dominance became a threat to other tribes. Zeref, the commander of Ember, invaded the lands of the other tribes, conquering and placing them under one leadership. Ember suddenly found itself rivaling the dominion of Cerule. Decades passed, and the territorial dispute between Cerule and Ember lingered. With the rise in power of Ember came the weakening of Cerule.

And now, presently, Cerule's foundation was about to crumble. The Cerulean warriors could no longer defend their territories, as the Emberian invasion came closer and closer. The formidable iron gate was about to fall.

"Lord Jun," called out Gajeel, one of the strongest warriors of Cerule, stood outside the cave of the wolf leader.

"You may enter, Gajeel," the lykos leader dismissed Juvia, but the female lykos was adamant in staying with her father.

The young male lykos pushed open the stone doors of the leader's den. His tall frame was intimidating to Juvia. He sighed out loud as his gaze fell upon the female lykos's face. Juvia was distraught, and with good reason. The two of them grew up together, and Gajeel knew that she tended to carry the weight of the world on her shoulder — even when she's incapable of resolving it.

"We are outnumbered, my lord. Some of our warriors, if not injured, are fleeing or surrendering. How should we proceed from here?" he asked with his usual impassive countenance, but the frustration and panic in his voice were evident.

The wolf leader's head dropped in surrender. "We have no choice left, Gajeel. I shall surrender to the Emberians," he announced with heavy heart.

Juvia stood up to block her father from exiting the den. "No, Father. We cannot acquiesce just like that. Please do not be the leader who let go of his people and land. It cannot be you, father!"

The once mighty Cerulean leader rose to his feet. He placed gentle hands on his daughter's shoulders. A smile, albeit sad and defeated, was displayed on his aging face. "My daughter," his voice was soft, "I cannot be the leader who clung to his pride while his people bled and died."

With that declaration, both Juvia and Gajeel moved out of their leader's way. With heavy hearts, they followed the Cerulean commander wherever fate will lead them.

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A messenger from Cerule arrived bearing pleasurable news to Zeref. Upon reading the scroll, with the official insignia of the Cerulean leader, the supreme commander of the Ember empire rose from the cushion placed in his tent, pacing back and forth in deep thoughts.

Thousands of his army were camped a few kilometres from the battlefield in front of Cerule's iron gates. Two weeks had passed since Zeref personally led his army to war against the last independent tribe of the Northern Lands. Once he captured Cerule, Zeref will become the ultimate wolf emperor of the North.

It took quite a long time to formulate an excellent battle plan. He had to find a gaping hole before he could attack Cerule. Just a tiny crack, and Zeref knew the Northern Lands would be under his control.

What led to Cerule's downfall was due to all other tribes joining forces with Zeref. Of course that wasn't an easy feat. Some were easy to persuade; others needed a little more violent convincing. And the scroll in his hands indicated that the path to complete supremacy was within arm's reach.

"Call the captain," he told his attendant. A political strategy was being concocted in his head. The main protagonist of it was none other than his brother, the High Captain of the First Battalion.

"Yo Bro, you need me?" a gruff voice reverberated inside Zeref's tent.

Looking up, the Ember commander eyed the newcomer. This was his younger brother. Tufts of salmon-coloured strands were truly eye-catching. So different from his dark tresses. There was an element of mischief splayed across his boyish face. So different from Zeref's impassive and mature demeanour.

"I have good news, Natsu," was the greeting he gave the young wolf captain.

"Good news means those Cerule bastards are surrendering."

"Is that so? Then, it is indeed good news. The Cerulean commander expresses his wish to surrender," Zeref declared to his brother. Natsu raised a brow, unable to just take Zeref's words just like that. "But of course, with certain conditions."

"Conditions?" he inquired. Zeref handed him the scroll from Cerule. He motioned for Natsu to read the contents of the documents. As expected, Natsu was displeased with the conditions set by Cerule. "Are they fucking kidding us?" he bellowed, crumpling the scroll in his hands out of anger. "Who do they fucking think they are, demanding such demands."

Zeref chuckled. His brother Natsu had just turned eighteen. Compared to Zeref, he's just a pup, quick to anger and very brash in his decision-making. "This is father's dream, to have all the North tribes under our rule. With Cerule's surrender, we are about to accomplish what our father was unable to do. Giving in to their demands is nothing."

"Pray, do tell, dear brother, how you're going to let Cerule continue to govern their lands? The other tribes would rebel if they find out about this. Our rule is that we will be placing an Emberian as the authority."

Zeref approached his brother, patting his back with vigorous energy. "Do not worry, little brother. I have the perfect plan."

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Everything was elaborate when it comes to Emberian ways. Just for this supposed 'peaceful' talks, an enormous tent was set up in the middle of the battlefield, which had been declared the neutral zone for the time being. In this tent, the formidable leaders from both warring tribes met for the first time.

Along with her father and Gajeel, Juvia walked with her head held high, even with burly, intimidating lykos warriors lined up on both sides. A path had been created for the three Cerulean delegates. She observed some eyes strained to get a glimpse of her. Lykos were very traditional creatures — men are the warriors, while the women take care of the household. Not in Cerule's case, and certainly, not Juvia. She grew up trained in the art of fighting, known as the warrior princess. Though she didn't command her own battalion, many Cerulean soldiers regarded her as a leader.

So for her to walk side by side with the tribal leader, it was certainly a sight. Not only that, it was certainly brave for her to make an appearance. All three of them were relying on their enemy's word that no harm would come to them during this 'peaceful' discussion.

Of course, precautions were in place, since Gajeel was very weary of such turn of events. He arranged for his own battalion to be on standby, in case discussions wouldn't fall through. In fact, if he had it his way, Juvia wouldn't be part of this at all. But he, more than anyone else, knew the extent of stubbornness the young female lykos possesses. He couldn't argue with her. The only thing he can do would be to protect her with everything he's got. Even if it meant sacrificing his life.

Catching them by surprise, the wolf commander of Ember waited for them by the entrance of the tent. This at least showed his courtesy.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet the elusive Cerule leader," he bowed to Jun in greeting. "I am Zeref of the Ember tribe," he introduced himself.

Jun reciprocated the younger leader's show of respect. "Thank you for agreeing to meet us. This is my second-in-command, Captain Gajeel," he presented the presence of the tall man on his right. Turning to his left, Jun proudly announced his daughter. "And this is Juvia, the princess of Cerule, my daughter."

He eyed Juvia, and a wicked smile threatened to appear on his lips, but he held it in. "Indeed, the rumour is true of the Cerulean princess's bravery."

Juvia slightly bowed her head, "Thank you for the kind words. On behalf of many Cerulean citizens, Juvia hopes for a good outcome from this discussion."

Zeref nodded, quite impressed with the tone of confidence coming from the female lykos. "That is also my goal. Please join me inside, and let us commence our deliberation." He opened the tent's flap, motioning for his guests to enter.

An attendant led the three Ceruleans to their designated seats in front of a wooden round table. Juvia couldn't help but silently admire the wolf commander for being more respectful and considerate than what she expected. It would've been enough to offer cushions while sitting on the ground.

"There is one more individual I wish to invite to our discussion," Zeref informed them. As if on cue, the tent's flap opened and a slightly built lykos warrior entered. With her keen eyes, Juvia observed the newcomer's physique. For a soldier, as well in comparison to the garrison stationed lined up outside, this one was on the slender side. Yet, Juvia could tell his body was toned. Gajeel was a few heads taller than him; yet, he carried a more intimidating air around him. The most eye-catching feature was definitely his rosy-tinted hair. The spikes were all over the place, but it didn't appear dishevelled at all.

"This is Natsu, the High Captain of the Ember army," Zeref introduced. "The new tribe leader of Cerule."

All, except Zeref, were in a state of confusion mixed with shock. No discussion had been made yet, but Zeref was already declaring a decision. However, before the three Ceruleans could make a protesting remark, the wolf leader of Ember dealt another blow.

"Captain Natsu will be Lady Juvia's betrothed."

a/n: So... what am I doing creating a new story while I'm not uploading two ongoing ones? Well... a few months ago, because of deep gratitude, I asked a very kind reviewer if they have a theme request. The request was for a NaVia multi-chapter fic, and it's about werewolves.

No matter how much I try to come up with a good and unique werewolf fic, I can't. It feels like there were too many I've read, and I was concerned I might end up copying ideas. So, I just adapted an original story i wanted to write. I even borrowed the two kingdoms I created - Ember and Cerule.

I only did a quick google for another word for "wolf". Initially, I wanted to use the Japanese "ookami", but I might end up confusing this story with my Gruvia Inugami fic.

I'm still unsure where I'm going with this. Also, it all depends on the response I get. I'm way too invested in creating a satisfactory plot for Spark, but I just want to put this out there. So, let me know if it's interesting enough.

Lastly, that very kind reviewer/reader is none other than APITATOOR. I'm not sure if this qualifies as a werewolf fic, or if it's even enjoyable. Still, thank you for the support you've shown my stories. Please Enjoy!