AN: Here's chapter two :D Hope you enjoy it!

Rated for: Language and violence. Rating is subject to change in case of future graphic violence and/or adult situations.

Note: Vestadera is Desierto from the FT universe, all I did was change the name. Pergrande is also part of the FT universe.

The Amulet of Pyralis

Chapter One: Wishmonger

The heat is practically unbearable as it surrounds Natsu, suffocating him. The sun is high in the sky, burning bright. The wind picks up, tossing sand around near his feet. Natsu frowns, looking up, a hand raising to shield his eyes from the sun, and then his lips purse, twisting in a snarl. He really hopes he makes it to a town before the next sandstorm hits.

Reaching up, he tugs the white cloth covering his head further over his eyes. He's beginning to regret his choice in clothing. While his dark pants, white shirt, and boots pose no issue, his long, dark, sleeveless jacket certainly does. He feels like he's going to melt.

As if mocking him for his poor choices, the wind howls again, sand being tossed into his face and his jacket whipping around his calves violently. "Dammit!" he spits, yanking the cloth further over his eyes. "Stupid sand." He briefly contemplates kicking said sand, but forgoes the idea once he realizes it would only cause more sand to hit him. He sighs, reaching up to run a hand through his hair before cursing when he remembers the scarf covering his head.

A low yowl sounds from below him, and something heavy hits his thigh, needle-like claws digging into his skin through his pants. Natsu curses, flinching and glaring down at the creature at his feet. The irate black cat practically glares up at him with crystal-blue eyes, tail swishing back and forth angrily. The cat hisses again, teeth bared. Natsu glares at the thing. It's simply huge, reaching up past his knee, nearly two feet tall and five feet long. That's not even including the wicked-long tail the damn cat has. He had no idea that the deserts of Vestadera would have such giant creatures. Sometimes he forgets that this place is known as the "Land of Magic."

He shakes his head, swatting at it. "Damn Sand Cat!" he growls under his breath, glaring when the cat hisses again. He doesn't even know why the stupid thing is here, obviously it doesn't like him much.

Two days into his journey he woke up the giant cat sitting on his chest, snarling at him. If he had been able to breathe he would have screamed, but as it was, there was a giant cat sitting on his chest. His weapon was too far away for him to grab, and every time he tried to move, the cat would hiss and dig its claws into him.

Natsu winces, rubbing at his covered chest while glaring at the cat. His chest no longer hurts, but he still hasn't forgiven the cat for trying to kill him in the middle of the night. He glares harder. It pointedly ignores him, licking its paw and rubbing at its ear. His lips curves back in disgust. The cat had sniffed at him for several minutes before finally jumping off him, but it has yet to leave his side since.

To say that he's confused is an understatement.

The cat has, sort of… been helping him. Kind of. The cat swats at him and start to get antsy and then usually something really, really good happens, or something really, really bad happens. He isn't sure if the cat is a blessing or a curse.

He frowns down at the thing, but its not looking at him anymore, its gaze is directed behind him, from where he came from, and its hair is standing on end, eyes narrowed into slits. He glances behind him, frowning, but seeing nothing there. He turns back to the cat, lips still turned down.

"You're kind of an idiot, aren't you?" Natsu mumbles under his breath. The cat's head whips around, an agitated hiss coming from the cat. "Yeah, yeah." He waves the cat off. "Don't be such a grump, Happy." He calls the cat "Happy," ironically of course, because the cat hates him. He wouldn't call the thing particularly happy.

Happy sniffs at him in distaste, then stands and turns his back to the male, walking ahead of him.

Natsu rolls his eyes. "Oh, come on! Don't be like that, Happy!" The cat ignores him, and with a shake of the head he follows the less than friendly feline. His eyes stay trained on the cat's back, brow raised in wonder. How the thing doesn't die from heatstroke is beyond him. Then again… He glances down, tugging at his dark coat with a grimace. He's not exactly one to talk.

He isn't sure how long they keep walking, minutes—hours even—he lost track of the time. It all just seems to bleed together. He's not paying attention, just following the black sand cat in front of him.

That is, until the big cat stops, freezing in place. Happy's hackles raise, hair standing on end, and low, agitated sound leaves the back of his throat. Natsu frowns at the cat, head tilting in curiosity and confusion, but then he sees it too.

Farther out, the sand is rippling, rising and falling as if it's alive and breathing. And it's moving closer. "Something's moving," he whispers, hand dipping beneath his jacket to grasp the hilt of one of two scimitars attached to the belt at his hip. Happy growls, walking backwards until he's directly in front of the man. Natsu holds his breath, fingers tightening around his weapon.

The sand shifts and then he sees it.

A great, red eye, pupil slit like a snakes.

And it's looking straight at him.

Hell breaks loose. Everything happens so fast, but to him it feels like minutes pass. He can feel his pulse pounding through his head, drowning out all other noise. The breath slams from his lungs at the same time the creature turns towards him, sand flying through the air. Happy hisses. He reaches down to quiet the cat with his free hand. The scimitar is ripped from it's sheath.

The desert explodes in a cloud of sand.

A long neck rises from beneath the earth, sand spilling over scales, rippling down the giant creatures back. His first thought is "snake," but the skull isn't flat enough, and a whisker grows from each side of the dragons maw, shorter, thinner ones grow below the larger one, the same sandy color as the rest of the creature. Large deer-like horns grow from the creature's head, fins protruding from its back.

It looks like a snake, but then he sees the legs, still hidden by the whirling sand. A dragon, he decides. This creature is a dragon like the ones from the East, long, slim snake-like bodies, unlike the bulky builds of the legends of his homeland Fiore. The dragon rises higher, and then wings he hadn't noticed before spring from its back, sending sand flying everywhere.

And Natsu just stands there, mouth open in awe. The wings disappear, like they were never really there to begin with. He blinks and suddenly the dragon is racing towards him, flying across the desert. The sword is raised in front of him as he braces himself, eyes slamming shut as dust assaults his senses.

Nothing happens.

His eyes snap open, searching the area, but there's nothing there. He sighs, body relaxing. At his side, Happy is looking up at him, head tilted to the side. All traces of the cat's earlier ire are gone. Happy blinks up at him slowly and he begins to think the heat is getting to him.

He shakes his head slowly, slipping his sword back into its place under his jacket. "I'm going crazy, aren't I?" he asks the cat quietly. Happy walks away, tail flicking behind him. Natsu sighs, shaking his head as he follows the cat. "Well, that wasn't a 'no.' "

And then time bleeds again as he loses himself to his thoughts, a frown settling on his face. He could have sworn that the dragon was real, but Happy isn't acting like anything happened. Besides dragons don't exist anymore. No one has seen them for years. It was probably just the heat getting to him. It was bound to happen at some point.

Natsu purses his lips, a frown pulling at his mouth. Hopefully he can find a town soon. Being lost in the desert isn't as much fun as he thought it would be. Actually, he never thought it would be much fun. Being lost wasn't on his to-do list. But here he is! Wherever "here" is.

He's paying so little attention that he never notices Happy stop right in front of him, causing him to nearly trip and face plant into the sand. He catches himself with his hands, jumping back to his feet. That could have been embarrassing. Hopefully no one was watching.

"Stupid cat," he grumbles, glaring when Happy shoots him a smug look. Well, as smug of a look as a cat can give. "You just love causing me problems, don't you?" The cat sniffs, turning away from him. Natsu rolls his eyes, looking around. "Well," he says. "It looks like we found a town."

At least, that's what he's assuming, judging by the large wall in front of him, and behind that, decent sized clay buildings and people running across them. Clotheslines are strung up between the buildings, colorful cloths hanging from them.

He smiles, unable to hold back the joy flooding though him. He made it. He actually made it. He slowly enters the village, fingers trailing along the wall beside him as he slips under the arched entryway. The sight is simply breathtaking, but maybe that's because all he's seen for the past few weeks is sand and the stupid cat that's been following him around. And speaking of cats, he glances down to say something to Happy, but the cat is already walking away, slipping into the shadows of the nearby buildings.

Natsu scoffs, crossing his arms. "Fine," he says, miffed. "Be that way. I never liked you anyway." Admittedly, he's a little stung. Happy has been his companion throughout his little journey. To watch the cat leave him so easily is a little disheartening. Sniffing in contempt, he turns away, continuing through the bazaar without looking back.

He pushes back the cloth covering his face, letting the white scarf bunch around his neck. He raises a hand, ruffling his wild, pink hair. A few passerby's send him odd looks, but he ignores them, too busy looking around at his surroundings. A grin spreads across his face, a thrill running up his back.

"This is amazing," he murmurs, eyes flitting from one thing to the next. There are so many new people, all dressed in white and various bright colors, smiles on their faces, but under that…

His bright grin dims, but only slightly. He can feel a heaviness in the air, like something's weighing down on the people here. He can see it in their eyes. He wonders if they can see it in his eyes too. He wonders if they can tell that he ran away, and if they can tell why he ran.

He figures they can't.

They wouldn't be looking him in the eyes if they could.

He averts his gaze from the curious eyes around him, looking instead at the bright shops lining the bazaar, men at stall selling fabrics and food and other things that he can't even recognize. Everything about this place is so different from what he's used to. Not in a bad way, though. It's a good different—a good change. He's needed a change for a long time now. Ever since—

Natsu shakes the thoughts away, shifting his jacket to further cover the scimitars at his hip. He doubts that the local authorities would take kindly to a stranger gallivanting around with weapons. Not that he's gallivanting. He wrinkles his nose in distaste. He doesn't gallivant. That word shouldn't even be a part of his vocabulary. An amused snort leaves him as he shakes his head. It must have been something he picked up during one of Old Lady Belno's speeches.

She was always lecturing him about one thing or another. Telling him to stop messing around and "gallivanting all over town." He doesn't gallivant though. That would be weird.

He wonders what ever happened to Belno. Last he saw she was sick and in the hospital. He hopes she's doing better. It would be a shame if she wasn't okay. She might be a bit of a harpy sometimes, but he doesn't wish any ill will upon her. She can be nice, in her own way.

His thought process is shattered when he slams into someone—having not been paying attention to where he was walking. The force sends him reeling backwards, stumbling over his feet, and causes the other person—a girl, he decides, judging by their small stature. He's proven correct when her headscarf, which is very much like his, falls back, slipping off her face. Her blonde hair spills everywhere and amber eyes widen in shock. Green eyes take her in, roving from her face down to her torso. The light cloak she's wearing has fallen open, revealing pale skin and a flash of red and gold before she yanks the white fabric back around her body, shielding her from his gaze. The girl jerks down around her face, shifting her legs beneath her to stand.

His eyes widen, a blush blooming across his face when he realizes he was just staring. "I'm so sorry!" He reaches down to help her—it's only fair, considering he was the one who knocked her down and then stared at her unabashedly. His fingers skim her shoulder, but she doges his hands, flinching away as if he's burned her. Natsu backs away immediately, hands up in a placating gesture. Her gaze rips from his, head bowed. He feels like he can't breathe. She ignores his apology, hoisting herself to her feet. He frowns, noticing that her feet are bare—which can't be comfortable against the hot sand and equally scalding roads. His frown only deepens when she skirts around him, careful not to touch him. He whirls on his heel once she passes him. "Hey wait—"

His breath catches in his throat, heart skipping a beat.

She's gone.

He freezes in the middle of the street, eyes snapping open wide, hand still outstretched to stop her from leaving so he could apologize again. People continue to pass by him, shouldering him out of the way, oblivious to his distress. She just… disappeared. An elbow catches his side and he flinches, grimacing as he notices how busy the bazaar is all of a sudden.

He glances up, biting his lip as he squints at the sky. If he had to guess, he would say it's about two in the afternoon. It's no wonder the bazaar is so busy.

"Oi! Don't just stand there, Boy! Get out of the way!"

His head snaps around, eyes meeting the gaze of an angry man holding the lead of a camel pulling a large cart. The man sneers at him, eyes dark, his grip on the lead tightening. Natsu apologizes quietly, ducking his head in apology as he sidesteps out of the way. The man rolls his eyes, but the ire dims.

Natsu watches the man walk away and shoulders his bag, continuing in the direction he was headed earlier.

The fire crackles in front of him, blazing red and gold and orange in the darkness of the night. The air is cool, something he learned quickly during his journey. Though the desert burned with sweltering heat during the day, a coldness settles during the night. The flames rise higher, flickering and casting shadows on the ground and the faces of the people around him. Laughter and music echo through the air, breaking the stillness that had settled over him. Women and several men dance around the fire in time with the upbeat music created from drums and flutes. Red and gold fabric flashes, reflecting the firelight. A grin inches onto his face and he run his fingers through his pink hair, brushing his bangs away from his eyes.

They look like fire.

A laugh leaves him as a little girl drags who he assumes is her older brother into the mess of dancing people. The boy—maybe thirteen at the most—makes a face, but spins his sister around regardless.

He's too busy watching them to notice the man slip into the spot beside him. It's only when he clears his throat that the younger male notices.

The man looks to be tall, muscles defined beneath his white shirt. Light brown, shoulder-length hair is pushed back on his head, an easygoing grin on his face. "Gildarts," he says, holding out a hand for him to shake.

He stares at it for a moment, biting his cheek. Finally, he takes the offered hand. "Natsu," he replies, nodding to the older male. Gildarts gives him a toothy grin and pats him on the back so hard that Natsu jerks forward, wincing a little. Way to knock the wind right out of him. His bangs fall into his eyes again and he pushes them back, huffing under his breath. He's gotten a few odd looks because of the color, but it doesn't bother him much. He's used to it and he's seen stranger colors.

"Nice to meet you, Natsu!" Gildarts says cheerfully, releasing his hand. Silence blankets them, Natsu turning back to the fire and Gildarts doing the same. Natsu is more than a little confused with the man's friendliness. Not that the people of Nuria—the village he found himself in—aren't welcoming, but something about this man seems… off. He doesn't look like he's from here. A foreigner, just like him.

Natsu also doesn't understand why the man came up to him. He wasn't doing anything worth noting.

"So what are you looking for?"

Natsu's head snaps around, eyes locking with Gildarts' "Excuse me?" he snaps, eyes narrowing. He's half way to leaving right now. This man doesn't know him, but he thinks he has the right to ask him personal questions. Natsu's lip curls back, but Gildarts doesn't seem to notice.

"What are you looking for?" he repeats, staring at him. Natsu's breath catches in his throat, unease flooding through him, twisting his stomach into knots, though he doesn't know why.

He swallows thickly. "What makes you think I'm looking for something?" he hisses, glaring. Natsu doesn't know why he's acting so defensive all of a sudden, but something about the way Gildarts said it makes him angry. He isn't looking for anything.

Gildarts throws his head back, laughter booming through the air. No one pays them any attention. "There are only two reasons people come to the desert, Boy." He smiles, but Natsu can see something dark in his eyes, something sad that's weighing at his heart. "To lose themselves, or to find themselves again." Natsu's expression softens and he looks away. "Which are you trying to do?" he asks.

"I…" Natsu stops, lips turning down in a frown. He knows what he's trying to do; well, he thought he did. He doesn't want to think about it though. Not yet. "Why are you here?" he questions, trying to steer the conversation away from him.

Gildarts chuckles, the darkness in his eyes growing. "I came here to lose myself," he admits softly. "I hated the person I had become. I was a terrible husband and father. My wife left me and I lost contact with them for a long time." He smiles, albeit slightly. "I recently regained contact with my daughter." He shuts his eyes, sighing heavily. "I came here to die, but I ended up finding myself again."

Natsu stares, open-mouthed. "I—" he cuts himself off, inhaling sharply. "I'm so sorry, I didn't—"

Gildarts reaches out, fingers wrapping around his shoulder, squeezing the joint. "You might think you're lost now, but that doesn't mean you can't be found." Not knowing what to say, Natsu nods slowly, taking in the words.

He does want to find himself again. He never meant to lose himself in the first place, but here he is.

His gaze snaps back to Gildarts when the man speaks once more. "So where are you from anyway, Kid?"

Natsu frowns. "I'm not a kid!" he snaps, crossing his arms. "I'm nineteen," he grumbles. Gildarts shoots him a dubious look, grinning. He huffs. "I'm from Fiore. A small town called Magnolia." Natsu smiles fondly at the mention of his hometown, but it dims when he remembers the people he left behind.

Gildarts looks shocked. "No kidding?" He laughs. "I had guessed Fioren, but I didn't expect Magnolia." He ruffles Natsu's hair roughly. "Small world."

Natsu bats his hands away. "Wait, you too?" The other man nods, turning away with a grin. Natsu laughs under his breath, feeling less alone than he has for the past few days—ever since Happy left him. A frown pulls down at his lips. He wonders what happened to that cat. Maybe he should go looking for him.

Natsu looks down, something Gildarts said earlier nagging at him. "Hey, Gildarts?" he ask hesitantly. The other man hums to show he's listening, but says nothing. Natsu can't bring himself to face the man. "What did you mean earlier? When you asked if I was looking for something." It's silent between them for a long time, and Natsu feels foolish for asking. Gildarts had already explained this to him, but he still isn't exactly sure what the other man meant.

Natsu coughs awkwardly, rising to his feet and turning away from the man. He should probably head back to the room he's renting. It's late and he has a busy day tomorrow.

"Are you looking for yourself, or the means to and end?" Natsu stills, waiting. The fire roars in front of him, crackling and burning. Embers fly into the air as a log is tossed on the dwindling pile, the flames surging upwards. He stares into the fire, nearly reeling back when he thinks he sees eyes staring back at him. He blinks, breath caught in his throat.

There's nothing there.

He shakes his head, cursing lightly under his breath. He thought he was done seeing things. obviously it wasn't the heat this time. A frown pulls at his lips. It must have been a trick of the light. There's nothing else it could have been. It's just the light.

That's been happening a lot since he thought he saw the dragon in the desert. He keeps seeing eyes everywhere, like something's watching him.

Like something's coming.

Natsu shakes the thought away, his skin crawling at the thought. He starts to walk away, nearly missing Gildarts' last words. But he doesn't miss them and they make his blood run cold, heart skipping a beat. He briefly considers turning back, but he doesn't have the courage to look at Gildarts face after what he said. The words echo through his head, throat tightening. It feels like something's squeezing his heart. He hurries away, shaking his head.

Maybe he just heard Gildarts wrong. Maybe it was a trick of the mind, just like the eyes. It's nothing to worry about. He has nothing to worry about. His nose wrinkles, hands tightening into fists as he walks through the silent bazaar, skin crawling.

It's too quiet. He hates how quiet it is.

"Because you'll find both here."

Natsu sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. He slides his newly bought knife into his belt, eyes tracing the light designs covering the hilt.

The Vendor before him clears his throat, smiling at him. Natsu sends a smile back, giving the man a nod. He's not entirely sure what drew him to this stall. All he can see are trinkets and otherwise useless objects. Nothing of importance to him. Natsu purses his lips, gaze trailing over a large rug curled up in the back. He snorts.

"So how was your journey through the desert?" the Vendor asks, eyes on Natsu's pack. "I imagine it wasn't as fun as it sounds." Natsu snorts, barking out a laugh.

No it wasn't much fun at all. "It was hot and dry and a sand cat started following me around." He still has to see if he can find Happy. He tried looking for him after his talk with Gildarts, but that was two days ago.

The Vendor frowns. "A sand cat?" He shakes his head slowly, pulling out a cloth to clean a broach sitting in front of him. "That's odd. Normally they don't like people." He quirks a brow at Natsu. "Are you an animal person?"

"Not that I know of."

The Vendor makes a low sound, eyebrows knitting together. He glances at Natsu again. "Something's troubling you," he says quietly. "Something else."

Natsu nods, deciding to get it off his chest. "On my way here I thought—" he coughs awkwardly, cutting himself off. "I thought I saw a dragon in the sand. I thought it attacked me, but when I opened my eyes there was nothing there." He meets the Vendor's eyes. "Could it have been real?"

The Vendor shakes his head. "Impossible," he replies. "The dragons disappeared from Vestadera nearly twelve years ago, when the Djinn were slaughtered by men from Pergrande." The Vender leans in a bit closer. "Some say the dragons were so close to the Djinn that they were heartbroken when they died. They retreated to the ends of the earth and won't come back."

Natsu frowns. "Djinn?"

The Vendor smiles at him. "I believe you would call them 'Genie.' " Natsu nods, recognizing the word. "Mystical creatures bound to the mortal world through objects such as lamps." He nods to an old, worn oil lamp sitting on the stall counter. "And whoever holds one of those objects controls the Djinni inside, binding them together. They're powerful magic users, some are even said to control the elements, others the bridge between life and death." The Vendor stares at Natsu, never breaking eye contact. "They grant wishes, you know." His grin widens. "Three wishes to be exact. Anything you could ever want." He leans in closer. "They have the power to change anything for you."

Natsu clears his throat, breaking eye-contact for a split second. "Sounds impossible," he replies. He's no stranger to mythical creatures, he's seen elementals before. That's not what he finds impossible.

The Vendor tilts his head to the side, lips twitching down. "What would you do with three wishes?"

"Wishes," Natsu scoffs, shaking his head at the vendor. "There's no such thing as wishes." If there were his life would be different now. He's about to turn on his heel and leave, but the light reflects off something in the corner of the stall, making the object flash brightly. His eyes narrow as he turns slowly. "What is that?" he asks, stepping towards the stall.

The Vendor frowns, following his gaze, but a large grin splits across his face once he realizes what Natsu is looking at. "Ahh," he says, flashing the boy a dark smile. "This is the Amulet of Pyralis."

Natsu glances up at him quickly. "The Amulet of Fire," he breathes, gaze darting back to the chain.

The Vendor leans forward, catching Natsu's hand in his own, tugging him forward quickly. Natsu stumbles, slamming into the edge of the vendor's stall harshly, hissing under his breath. "You know what they say about people who play with fire, don't you?" he asks, turning Natsu's hand over. He reaches for the amulet blindly, groping for it as he holds eye-contact with Natsu. The amulet is raised high into the air, dangling by it's chain. Natsu is bewitched. The Vendor's grin widens and he drops the necklace. "They get burned."

The amulet collides with Natsu's palm, sealing his fate.

AN: Sorry this took so long :) I was busy! I don't have much to say today, so…

Remember to please review! They really brighten my day! All reviewers receive a preview of the next chapter before it's posted!

This story might be on a short pause soon, just while I work on a short fic called "The Promposal." It will only be six chapters at most!