Only by looking at the trees people could see that summer was long gone, replacing the once so lustful green leaves with a portrait of natures most colorful display. Leaves that were colored with red and yellowish textures, which so every now and then decided to let one of its many brethren go. Breaking free from the branches where it had attached himself too all summer long, only so that the wind would carry it away. So that it eventually would dwindle on the ground.
It all seemed to be the most perfect setting for this melancholy that was going on in Magnolia's park.
In front of Frederick stood a small crowd of people, all staring towards a white wall with a long list of scribbling on it. From the distance Frederick was standing he could never read what it was, but he probably didn't need too. He knew that every word on that marble wall was actually a name. A name of yet another person who lost it's life three years ago. During the plague and scourge what was later called the 'Battle for Magnolia'
Next to the 'Wall of Honor' was a small stage, with on it now a young girl. Probably not older then a year of twelve. Summing up several lines from a piece of paper that she held in her hands.
Frederick didn't really listen to what she was saying, but guessing from the rhyming words at the end of each sentence it had to be a poem.
It wasn't that rare that he wasn't really listening to the girl, probably most people didn't. Most of them were probably remembering the ones they'd lost. Their neighbors, friends or even family. However that was probably the big difference between Frederick and the rest of the crowd, no unlike them he wasn't thinking of the ones he lost during that battle. But more of the battle itself, the foolish and blind faith he had back then in the entity that called itself the Lichborne. The very being that through the dark guild Savage Skull held Fiore in it's entire grasp.
At first they were with nothing more then a handful in a big and empty building, then from the darkness itself. The very darkness that resided in that place something called out to them. It's voice was promising, it's power even more so. It offered enough to convince us to do it's bidding.
From that moment on Frederick and Constantine Rebellion, the only other powerhouse in the guild besides himself. Started underground recruiting, every scoundrel and scumbag they could find. What kind of group they belonged to didn't matter, may they've been a mage or a normal human being. All those who wanted to raise the banner of the Lichborne were welcome to join.
And before Frederick knew they had an army, strong enough to scourge the land and challenge Council and it's guilds.
And they did so, out of nowhere they had launched their attack on Fiore. Ravaging through the outer regions, plundering towns. Destroying everything in their path. Until their attention fell upon Magnolia, home of Fairy Tail.
Back then Frederick was planning to make an example out of them, showing the other guilds that thwarting his plans wouldn't go unpunished. However when they raged through this town, taking the lives of everyone they came across, they were stopped. An alliance of every legal guild in Fiore stood together and launched a counter attack against the troop of dark mages.
The battle ended eventually in Savage Skull's loss, the being they were following was shattered into nothingness by the hands of the guild masters Zeno Sombras and Shuhei. Along with the young dragon slayer Heero Reynolds. It forced the remaining dark mages to run away with their tail between their legs.
All this, the destruction of Magnolia, the shame of running away from the battlefield. It all still clawed at Frederick from the inside. It was a feeling he still couldn't place, at some moments he cursed himself for his blind leap of faith in a false prophet, on others he raged and swore to repay those who've chased him away in humiliation. And at some nights even he asked himself, why it was that he still didn't feel any regret for the lives he had taken.
Maybe that was why he came here, to feel something for those people. To see if he truly had taken upon a new direction in life. Or that he, after all his own ordeal was still the same person. Incapable of feeling anything other then negative emotions.
It all seemed to be the most perfect setting for this melancholy that was going on in Magnolia's park.
In front of Frederick stood a small crowd of people, all staring towards a white wall with a long list of scribbling on it. From the distance Frederick was standing he could never read what it was, but he probably didn't need too. He knew that every word on that marble wall was actually a name. A name of yet another person who lost it's life three years ago. During the plague and scourge what was later called the 'Battle for Magnolia'
Next to the 'Wall of Honor' was a small stage, with on it now a young girl. Probably not older then a year of twelve. Summing up several lines from a piece of paper that she held in her hands.
Frederick didn't really listen to what she was saying, but guessing from the rhyming words at the end of each sentence it had to be a poem.
It wasn't that rare that he wasn't really listening to the girl, probably most people didn't. Most of them were probably remembering the ones they'd lost. Their neighbors, friends or even family. However that was probably the big difference between Frederick and the rest of the crowd, no unlike them he wasn't thinking of the ones he lost during that battle. But more of the battle itself, the foolish and blind faith he had back then in the entity that called itself the Lichborne. The very being that through the dark guild Savage Skull held Fiore in it's entire grasp.
At first they were with nothing more then a handful in a big and empty building, then from the darkness itself. The very darkness that resided in that place something called out to them. It's voice was promising, it's power even more so. It offered enough to convince us to do it's bidding.
From that moment on Frederick and Constantine Rebellion, the only other powerhouse in the guild besides himself. Started underground recruiting, every scoundrel and scumbag they could find. What kind of group they belonged to didn't matter, may they've been a mage or a normal human being. All those who wanted to raise the banner of the Lichborne were welcome to join.
And before Frederick knew they had an army, strong enough to scourge the land and challenge Council and it's guilds.
And they did so, out of nowhere they had launched their attack on Fiore. Ravaging through the outer regions, plundering towns. Destroying everything in their path. Until their attention fell upon Magnolia, home of Fairy Tail.
Back then Frederick was planning to make an example out of them, showing the other guilds that thwarting his plans wouldn't go unpunished. However when they raged through this town, taking the lives of everyone they came across, they were stopped. An alliance of every legal guild in Fiore stood together and launched a counter attack against the troop of dark mages.
The battle ended eventually in Savage Skull's loss, the being they were following was shattered into nothingness by the hands of the guild masters Zeno Sombras and Shuhei. Along with the young dragon slayer Heero Reynolds. It forced the remaining dark mages to run away with their tail between their legs.
All this, the destruction of Magnolia, the shame of running away from the battlefield. It all still clawed at Frederick from the inside. It was a feeling he still couldn't place, at some moments he cursed himself for his blind leap of faith in a false prophet, on others he raged and swore to repay those who've chased him away in humiliation. And at some nights even he asked himself, why it was that he still didn't feel any regret for the lives he had taken.
Maybe that was why he came here, to feel something for those people. To see if he truly had taken upon a new direction in life. Or that he, after all his own ordeal was still the same person. Incapable of feeling anything other then negative emotions.
