Chapter 6: Devouring a Village

'''Morning'''

'''In the middle of nowhere'''

Natsu and the others were in their way back to Magnolia

"How further are we?" Lucy whined while looking hungry as she was sitting at the back seat with Gray driving the magic motor bike

"Stop whining will ya." Gray said while looking as hungry as well.

"You've been asking that question ten times already."

'''(stomach growling sound)'''

Makarov who was sitting by the side cart was looking more thinner as he almost looks like a pile of bone.

"So…hungry." Makarov muttered out while holding his stomach.

"We've been traveling for a day without stopping." Lucy whined as her cheeks looks a little hollow.

"Stop whining about being hungry, at times like this you need to suck it up." Erza said while looking a little pale before her stomach suddenly growled in hunger.

"I think your stomach says otherwise." Natsu said while looking a little amused as he drives the magic motor bike.

"Y-y-you're hearing things!" Erza retorted to him.

"Nya!" Milo meowed a little low as the little cat looks thinner than usual.

"Are we any closer to a town?" Lucy asked.

"Not even a village is near here." Natsu replied to them.

Suddenly their magic motor bike's engine stopped as it stopped in their tracks.

"Great, I ran out of juice." Gray said while leaning against the handle of the bike as his stomach growled in hunger again.

"Do we have anything to eat?" Lucy asked them.

"Nyaa." Milo meowed in hunger to Natsu.

"Sorry, no food." Natsu replied as he helped Erza get off the bike.

"And I don't think this place has anything to eat." Gray said while looking around the area they were in as there was only ground and ground everywhere.

Natsu got off his bike as he looked around the area, he then leans down and touches the soil.

"Dry but rich in protein." He muttered out.

"Milo." Natsu called out to the cat as Milo went to the spot he touched and started sniffing the ground.

"Nyaa!" Milo meowed while pointing his paw to a certain spot on the ground.

"Good job." Natsu said while patting the little cat's head.

"What are you doing?" Makarov asked while looking at them.

"You'll see." Natsu replied as he then cracks his knuckle and punches the ground.

'''Crack!'''

Natsu then pulled out what looks to be a tree's root.

"Bingo." He said as he breaks the root in half and took a bite out of it.

"The hell is that?" Gray asked.

Natsu didn't reply as he breaks off a piece and fed it to Milo who eats it.

"Try it." Natsu said as he breaks the root into four more pieces and gave them to Erza and the others.

They took one and hesitantly looks at it then to Natsu.

Natsu bites his root again and motions them to try it

They then bite their pieces and their eyes widen in surprise

"This tastes like roasted potatoes!" Makarov exclaimed as he eats the root

"What is this?! It's good!" Lucy exclaimed

"How can you eat something like this?!" Gray exclaimed to Natsu

"They're called Angorian Roots." Natsu explained as he breaks off another piece and gives it to Milo

"They are a type of root that can be eaten and are only found in dry areas that has soil which are rich with protein."

"So that's why you touched the soil," Erza said while eating her piece of the root

"Yeah, but there are types you can't eat." Natsu explained as he punches the ground again and pulled out a green colored Angorian root

"These ones can be eaten but they will give you an extreme stomach ache for the next two days." Natsu said to them

"And there are also the pink ones which are very poisonous."

Natsu finishes the root and throws away the green one

"I'm still hungry though." Lucy whined as Gray's and her stomach growled with Makarov's following by

"After eating that, our stomachs got even more hungrier." Gray added in while holding his stomach

"Nyaaa!" Milo called out to them as he was by the edge of a cliff

Natsu and the others went to them as they saw in the canyon were flying fish

"Fish?" Lucy said with surprised

"And they have wings, too!" Gray said as well

"Oh." Natsu said as he leans down by the edge

"I thought I smelled something fishy." Natsu said as a joke as he pets Milo's head

"Let's catch them!" Makarov shouted and Gray with Lucy raised their fists in approval

"Let me do it." Natsu said as he leans away from the cliff

"It's going to taste bad if you don't know how to prepare it."

Natsu then free falls to the cliff as he lets his body fall

"Natsu!" Erza shouted to him before sighing in relief as she saw Natsu re-equiping the chest part of his Armor as his wings sprouted from behind

Natsu then flied in a clockwise circle as the fish were gathering in one spot

A tornado was created as it went up to where Erza and the others were

"Waaaah!" Erza and the others ran back as they didn't want to be in a pile of knocked out flying fish

Natsu flies up from the canyon and landed as his Armor disappeared

"Now then." He said while walking up to them

"Milo, go find some herbs with Lucy." Natsu said as Milo meowed while nodding

Milo then lead Lucy who followed him

"Make some ice." Natsu said to Gray as a pot appeared in his hands

Gray made a lot of ice blocks from his hands as they all fall into the pot

Natsu then heats up the pot with his hands as the ice started to melt and became water

"Erza, can you do the cutting?" Natsu asked while holding the pot

Erza nodded and re-equip two kitchen knifes

And just as she was about to cut the fishes, Natsu stopped her

"Before you cut the fish up, cut off the wings then the body. So, that its organ doesn't release a disgusting taste to the body." Natsu said as Erza nodded in understanding

She then with rapid speed cuts the fishes up into pieces as two piles of the fish's body and the wings were in two places

"We're back." Lucy called out to Natsu with Milo who meowed as she was carrying a bunch of different herbs in her arms

"Good." Natsu said as he then let go of the pot and motions Gray to follow him

"Help me up in cleaning the fish." Natsu said as he takes the pile of fish meat and throws it up

Gray then freezes them all and as just as they were about to fall into the pot

Natsu breathed out a low fire breath on them as the ice on the fish melted and the meat falls into the pot

"Now." Natsu said as he took the herbs from Lucy

He then burns some of the herbs and throws them into the pot while some of them were shredded into pieces

Natsu summoned a ladle as he uses it to stir the pot while holding the pot's side and heats it up with his magic

After 10 minutes, a delicious and addicting aroma came out of the pot as Gray and the others drool at the pot

"Here." Natsu said as he scoops up some of the fish stew into a bowl he summoned and gave it to Erza

She took it and took a sip and the stew made her eyes sparkle in delight

"Delicious!" Erza said as she took a fish meat and eat it

Natsu then gives everyone a bowl of the fish stew and they ate it

"Yum!" Lucy said as she eats her stew

"Man, this is good!" Gray said as his clothes were suddenly gone

"Clothes." Makarov said while eating his stew but Gray didn't care

"You guys like my special stew?' Natsu asked them while giving a bowl to Milo

They all nodded and continued to eat their stew

"Another serving!" They all said as they gave Natsu their already empty bowl to him and he sighed with a smile

After two minutes of satisfied mouths to feed

Everyone was sitting down while enjoying their full stomach

"You're a great cook, Natsu." Lucy said while smiling

"Where did you learn to cook, by the way?' Gray asked him

"Just picked up a few things on my journey." Natsu replied while having a toothpick in his mouth

"You'll make a great house husband someday, Natsu." Erza said with a smile without thinking her words

Natsu then smirks in amusement

"Is that a proposal, Erza?" Natsu teasingly asked her

"N-N-No! it just a fact that you know…!" Erza started blushing while stuttering as her head had steam coming out of it as she keeps mumbling words in her stutter

Natsu smirks got wider as he then leans his mouth to Erza's ear

"I really like the idea of being a husband, especially yours."

He then gives a peck to Erza's cheek as her face went red like a tomato and steam came out of her head as Erza got knocked out with a red and steamy face

Gray and Lucy had a deadpanned look while Makarov was smiling with Milo

"Come on." Natsu said as he got up and started carrying the unconscious Erza with him

"Let's get back to Magnolia."

He then carried up Erza bridal style as the red head was still out cold.

They then got back to Natsu's magic bike and re-started the engine.

And they were off to go back home.

Erza who woke up, still had her blush while looking at Natsu's back as she hugs his waist.

"He's so gentle."

Erza said in her mind as she felt the gentle touch of Natsu's hand when he carried her up.

She then hugs his waist a little tighter and closes her eyes