Year X773 – On a quiet forest path
Makarov walked alone, replaying the events at the Magic Council in his mind. He let out a long, weary sigh.
"Sigh… I got scolded terribly again. Can't those guys ever be more restrained?"
His face was wrinkled like an old orange, irritation flashing in his eyes.
"When I get back, I'll definitely—"
Boom.
He stopped mid-sentence. A powerful surge of magic exploded in the distance, so strong it seemed to freeze the air itself. Birds fell from the sky. Beasts in the forest collapsed where they stood.
"Such strong magic!"
Makarov's pupils narrowed as he looked toward the source. There, in the distance, stood a figure radiating magic without restraint.
It had wings like an angel, two horns on its head, and a massive body covered in pure white feathers that glowed gold under the setting sun.
A creature that had vanished for four hundred years, surviving only in legends—
"A dragon…?"
Even with all his years of experience, Makarov was momentarily stunned. Then he noticed something else—
On the dragon's head stood a small figure. The child's magic was faint compared to the dragon's overwhelming presence, so faint Makarov hadn't noticed it before.
The dragon turned its massive head toward him, sapphire eyes locking on his position. The air crackled as golden lightning danced across its body.
"Oh no."
He hadn't even figured out what was happening, but he knew instantly—the dragon saw him as an enemy. He opened his mouth to speak, to explain he meant no harm…
But before he could, the dragon's magic began to fade. Its massive body became transparent, then vanished completely.
The child, who should have fallen straight to the ground, instead floated gently inside a pink magic bubble.
"Summoning magic…?"
It all made sense now. This was why a dragon had suddenly reappeared in the world. But that could wait—the child was the priority.
Makarov sprinted toward the landing spot.
When he arrived, a man was already there beside the unconscious child.
The sight beyond them made Makarov stop.
The village was in ruins. Deep ravines tore through the ground. Houses were burned to ash or ripped apart. Bodies lay scattered, staining the dirt red. Survivors wept over their dead, casting fearful glances in their direction.
"Was this the dragon's doing…?" Makarov thought.
Hearing his footsteps, the man tensed, then relaxed when he saw only a short, elderly man approaching. That reaction made Makarov narrow his eyes. If the dragon had attacked, wouldn't the man be afraid of him too?
"I'm Makarov Dreyar, Master of the Fairy Tail guild," he said plainly. "What happened here?"
The man's eyes widened. Fairy Tail was one of Fiore's most famous guilds.
"Master of Fairy Tail…!" His voice trembled before he quickly explained, "We were attacked by a dark guild. They destroyed everything. Many villagers… didn't make it." His eyes reddened at the memory.
Makarov was silent. Dark guilds were the scourge of the magic world. The Council had never been able to truly eliminate them.
The man continued, voice heavy. "That boy's parents… they died right in front of him. Then, out of nowhere, that… monster appeared and wiped out the dark guild members." He clearly didn't know what a dragon was.
"Magic awakening…" Makarov murmured.
Magic came from the heart, and with the right potential, extreme emotional trauma could trigger it. But magic strong enough to summon a dragon? That was unheard of.
"I was friends with his parents," the man said. "I saw him fall from the sky and came to check. Sir Magician… can you take him with you? You saw what he can do."
Makarov understood. Even if the boy had saved them, people feared power they couldn't understand. He'd seen it before—those with unusual magic were sometimes treated like monsters, even driven away.
"…I understand," Makarov said.
The man looked surprised at how easily he agreed, then bowed deeply. "His name is Reyn. I'll bury his parents and try to keep his magic a secret from the other villagers."
With one last glance at Reyn, the man turned back to help his shattered village.
Makarov sighed, looking down at the boy. His hair was dark, his face smudged with soot, yet his features were delicate.
He draped his cloak over the child, then let magic flow through his own body, transforming into his muscular giant form. He lifted Reyn gently onto his back.
In moments, he was gone—a small black speck racing toward the nearest town to summon help for the village.