Find the pups! (Solo Job)

The job board: an essential part of guild life. If Ando ever wanted to gain recognition as a warrior (or at LEAST make a living), it was the perfect place to start. Now armed with his blade and strong in magic, he approached the job board, eager to face any foe that was requested.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Sadly, there was only one job left for D rank mages.

The note was handwritten, hastily scrawled out and pinned on the board. A small monochrome picture of a box full of puppies was attached to it. The note read...

'To anyone that will help,
recently, my precious litter of puppies escaped! I'm old and frail, so I couldn't hope to chase after them. Please, help me find all of them! I miss them dearly.
Sincerely, Old Man Jonah.'

Now, most mages would either turn a blind eye or be heartwarmed into helping. Even the mages hanging about near the board laughed at the job, thinking it a foolish waste of time. But, even as they all expected a groan or two from Ando, he reacted a little more... positively.

Tears welled in his eyes as Ando slammed a fist on the table. He paused only a moment, then sprinted for the nrarest exit into Magnolia Town.

"No honorable beast such as a dog will be ripped from their companion on my watch!"

With determination in his stride, Ando would solve this crisis once and for all. It's the least he could do, after what happened in his own past...

Ando's thoughts drifted back to his childhood, and the dog that stuck with him throughout it all. Loyal, steadfast, and strong. All the qualities he wished to emulate as a warrior. Of course, there's plenty more he probably shouldn't try to copy, but the core personality of his childhood friend were prominent in his mind.

Those puppies, the very ones he had just sworn to save, may have been someone's future loyal friend. By his honor as a warrior, he needed to fix this. No matter what it took.

For the unaccustomed mage, catching puppies seemed more like a trivial, albeit adorable, task. For Ando, it was child's play. He has plenty of experience with dogs, not to mention admiration, and the respect was usually sensed and reciprocated. All he had to do was attract the dogs to him, and he'd be done in seconds. A quick and easy job... right?

Ten minutes into searching, and Ando heard a few barks. They sounded lively, full of fire and brimstone. Metaphorically, of course. Even so, Ando knew he'd heard his first pup, and they'd get along just fine.

The little guy was small and brown, running in circles near an alleyway. It seems he was trying to get someone's attention with all the barking. In the alleyway was a few whimpers, coming from an overturned garbage can.

Just as quick as the barking started, it stopped. Ando was upon the overturned can with his blade in seconds, slashing it in two with a red hot glow. After an initial yelp of surprise, three more puppies of a similar breed hop out and rush over to the initial barking dog. They seem happy to reunite, and hop around each other playfully. Ando just didn't have the heart to break it up, so he simply sat by and let them have at it, hoping they'd approach him.

Eventually, after a happy reunion, the barking pup approached. He seemed to be the leader, as the other three slowly tracked behind him. Ando had sat down for a reason: he kept level with them, made himself more approachable for the dogs. Obviously it worked, as the leader sniffed him a moment and simply licked him a few times. With a grin, Ando petted the adorable little guy, prompting a small flinch, then all of them happily staying for now.

With this nice stroke of luck, four of the puppies were found. Only three left! This job just seemed too easy.

Suddenly, a scent wafted through the air, a familiar one... well, to the dogs at least. Ando couldn't smell a thing, but he got the gist when all four of them stuck their noses in the air and sniffed. In seconds they were off, sprinting to whatever has drawn their noses. Ando scrambled to his feet and tried to follow, the little pups being surprisingly fast.

Now, while the dogs knew that Ando was friendly, they definitely didn't keep him in mind when running. They sprinted straight into the market, darting through and weaving between the near-hundred people. Ando, however, wasn't nearly as agile.

"Pardon me, dogs are on the line here!"

Ando barrelled through the crowds with determination, ignoring the various quips from the crowd around him. Leaping over market stalls, ducking under tents... the man was unstoppable. Which, to one man's misfortune, was about to become evident.

"Sir, move your cart quickly!"

The man in question had moved his wheeled cart in front of an alleyway, just as the pups slipped under the cart and into the small passage. The merchant didn't seem to take kindly to the challenge, planting his feet and leaving the cart in place. Too small to safely dive between and too large to jump over, Ando only had one option for the stubborn shopkeep.

"Eruption Boost!"

Ando grabbed his sword and a magic seal appeared at his feet, embers and ashes already eminating from him. The merchant saw this and immediately fled in fear, ignoring his own cart. It was too late for the wooden shop anyway.

The magic seal below quite literally erupted, magma firing out and the earth cracking with a red glow. As the eription triggered, Ando boosted forward at tremendous speeds. Sword at the ready, be crashed at full speed through the cart and slashing it into pieces. He landed with a thud on his smoking feet, not even turning back to see his own destruction.

In the market, many people had fled back for their own safety. A smart move, considering what was left in Ando's wake. The magma was still in a small pool, steamimg and churning in the cracked ground. Eventually it would harden, healing it's own damage to the ground.

The cart, however, was gone for good, as was that merchant's pride.

Once in the alleyway, Ando noticed what the dogs had sniffed at: the three remaining lost pups! They were up at a window, scratching to escape. Ando thought for a moment that they were back at Old Man Jonah's home, sighing with relief. However, that notion was dashed when a rough hand snatched the captive dogs from the window, an audible yelp coming from one of them.

Ando and the leader of the pups both sprang into action at once, with Ando kicking the door down and his spunky ally running inside. A few thuggish men were inside, one of them holding the dogs by the scruff of their necks. Another of the men had a crate, apparently readying it to ship the dogs off.

"Unhand those puppies, you dishinorable curs!"

With a swift slash, the box (and the table it stood on) were destroyed by Ando's sword. In the same moment, the leader pup bit the leg of the rough man, forcing him to howl in pain and drop the captives. All the dogs were free, running outside for now.

"H-hey man, what're you doing?! Those were-"

"I should be asking you the same thing. Why did you capture these dogs? What were your plans?

Ando held his sword to the neck of the talking man, it's steel aglow with heat. The other two thugs in the room cowered back, obviously not anywhere close to ready to fight a mage.

"Our b-boss wanted them. We were j-just hired to grab 'em, I swear!"

Ando didn't seem too amused by the answer, his sword held steady. He took an intimidating step forward and looked hard into the ruffian's eyes.

"Who is your boss? Tell me the truth, or my blade will burn the truth from you!"

"S-some old guy! N-name's Jonah I think..."

Then I shall find this old man, Jonah and... wait...

That's when it dawned on Ando that they might just be trying to finish the same job he's working on.

After a bit of discussion and an apology or two from Ando, things seemed settled. The three men were scolded for their rough handling of the pups, thankfully. Now, the group walked outside to pick up all the dogs and deliver them to the old man.

Of course, they were all gone.

At least, that's what it seemed like. Once Ando had came outside, a nearby bush rustled and the leader dog popped out. He seemed pretty peeved at the disappearance of his fellow pups, although he seemed to know something they didn't. Darting off, Ando rushed to follow at a decent pace. The other three men ran clumsily together behind Ando, still wanting to finish their job.

Meanwhile...

The other six puppies yelped with concern as they were left in a large burlap sack. The man that took them looked familiar... his clothes were already coated with ash, and he looked incredibly angry.

"No one breaks my cart and gets away with it!"

Following the remaining dog to find the reason the rest disappeared sounded like a smart strategy, at least with these dogs' track record of finding each other. However, going back to the market was not. Upon Ando's arrival, the reactions were... mixed. As he stepped over the ruins of the cart he smashed, people either backed away to avoid similar fates or yelled various insulting phrases in hopes he'd leave. Ando heard all of this and simplly shrugged, still walking through without hesitation.

"I'm not sure why the market folk are so angry, and with me for some reason. Something must of happened."

Ando's three companions looked at the wrecked market stall and the nearby slowly-drying pool of magma, eyes wide with worry at what this man was capable of. They wordlessly followed along, not risking anything after last time. Whether it be for jewels or honor, they technically were on the same side, right?

Just as quickly as Ando arrived at the market, the kidnapping merchant was with his bag of puppies. Which ended up being pretty awkward, since the remaining puppy kept circling his broken cart and Ando stood close by, looking around. There were even three more men near him, which left the merchant to assume they were his lackeys. The merchant, not expecting such an immediate response to his revenge fuelled thievery.

"You there, merchant! Come here! I must inquire about something."

The merchant's heart leapt out of his chest in fear, turning slowly to look. Ando looked directly at him, sword held on the padding of his right shoulder. He slowly walked, seconds feeling like hours as he got closer.

"Do you know what all the fuss is about around here? Everyone seems... angry with me. I'm not sure what happened, besides me walking by earlier."

The merchant was blown away. Not only did Ando not remember who the merchant was, but he didn't even recall smashing his cart!

Now, the situation felt relatively delicate for the merchant. The wrong words, and he may not live to get a new cart. But, upon hearing of how nonchalant Ando was about his destruction, he couldn't hold back.

"I... y-you smashed through a market stall and left lava behind! It was MY cart!"

Ando pondered for a moment, then his eyes widened with realization. He heartily laughed, the other three men nervously laughing and looking quite confused.

"Ha! Is that all? I'll rebuild your cart then, friend. My apologies for any damage. However, I cannot help this very moment. As we speak, some kidnapper may have the group of puppies I'm trying to save. Until they're safe, I cannot help."

The merchant didn't even know how to feel anymore. Before now, he planned on selling these puppies for vengeful profit. Now, if he gave up the puppies, he'd probably get a brand new cart. Decisions, decisions...

"Erm... fine, but this cart better be top notch! And here, I found these puppies. I guess they're yours?"

The disgruntled merchant handed over the entire sack of puppies, to Ando's surprise. He opened it immediately and let them free, the whole group of seven rejoicing together. Ando looked over the merchant, making him sweat in fear of being lashed out at. Did Ando know of his malicious intent? Was he too rough, and he'd attack him for it? The merchant couldn't tell, but he had a feeling he'd soon find out...

Suddenly, Ando's arm reached out, making the merchant flinch. However, it wasn't to attack. It was a handshake. Ando gave the merchant a big grin and laughed a bit, calming everyone's nerves a little.

"Thank you, friend! That solves all out problems, it seems. I'll deliver them to their rightful owner, then be back to work on your cart."

Now that the plan was set, Ando ran off to finally return the puppies. The other three guys will help rebuild the cart while he's gone. Of course, they were going to protest since they didn't cause the mess, until they got another stern glare from the swordsman mage.

Ando eventually arrived at the door of the man who posted the job, although he would've been able to spot it even without the job.

In a surprise twist, it turns out Old Man Jonah was rich!

The estate was not only a mansion, but a gated area with a ton of pens. Instead of farm animals, each one held various dogs. They all seemed happy, the pen gates open and the dogs roaming free.

"Ah, those look like my pups! You found them!"

The surprisingly spry Jonah popped out from behind the gate, eager to greet the pups. They seemed equally eager to see him, rushing over and storming him with licks.

"Those pups have spirit, my friend. They'll grow to be great companions."

Ando's talking interrupted the reunion, but Jonah didn't mind. He smiled and started pulling out a pouch with the reward.

"They are indeed! Thank you for all your help! I'm sure it won't happen again!"

"So, how did it happen? How'd they get out?"

Around them, most of the dogs were smaller than the gaps in the fence. One quick squeeze and they're through. Jonah glanced around, scratched his head, and shrugged.

"Beats me!"

Ando and Jonah had a pleasant chat for a while, but it was about time he checked on the cart's progress. He bid Jonah farewell and said a brief goodbye to the puppies, although the leader puppy didn't seem pleased about him leaving.

Upon returning to the market, Ando was pleasantly surprised to find that not only was the cart done... it was an impressive job too. One of the three men had a toolkit at the ready, seeming to know his way around woodwork. The other two just gathered materials for him.

"I'm impressed! I thought I would have to help. Surely the merchant will be pleased!"

And pleased he was, for sure. The merchant was running around the market, leaping and exclaiming his joy. The previous cart was an eyesore, but this one? It was immaculately crafted, with designs carved into it and even the perfect spot for a sign.

"Now that we're all done... it's been a pleasure, friends. The dogs are safe and our job is complete. Farewell!"

Just as he was about to leave, Ando heard all three of them calling to him in unison.

"It's been an honor too, sir! Sorry about the incident earlier! Seeya around!"

The three of them nervously bowed and ran off, half respectful and half scared by the burly mage. Ando simply shrugged and walked off, his job complete. Weird, the other guys forgot their pay cut...

Ando walked up to the door of the guild hall, proud of himself. His first job with the guild was a total success, and for a good cause! Everyone seemed to get a happy ending.

Well, except for the leader pup.

He was stuck back at the forgetful old man's place. Sure, he could escape, but the other puppies in his litter would follow! As much as he wanted to slip away, he also wanted them safe. He thought his best chance was that guy who found them, the one with the big sword. If only he could find him...

Suddenly, the other puppies poked him with a nose to get his attention. He looked, and they all looked into the horizon, at the Fairy Tail guild hall. He tilted his head in surprise at first, but a lick from all of them showed the message. They wanted him to be happy!

Once he said his goodbyes for now, the pup darted through the fence and towards the guild hall, yipping happily as he did.

Ando reached for the door, but paused when he heard the familiar barking. He looked behind him to find the lead puppy sprint up and sit, looking up at him with a stalwart expression.

The two of them locked eyes for a while, silently communicating. Ando always did that with his dog as a child, the two of them able to read each other perfectly.

He saw the same look in this pup's eyes.

"I'll call you Cinder! Welcome aboard."

The two of them entered the guild hall together, both of them eager to tackle becoming a famed warrior!