Fairy Tail: Strongest Creature

Lucy inhaled deeply, reveling in the crisp mountain air. "Ah—so fresh!"

Erza brushed a lock of hair from her face and smiled. "And so peaceful. Perfect for a mission."

"Feels like camping!" Happy chirped, fluttering nearby.

"Don't eat my supplies!" Natsu scolded as Gray snatched a piece of dried meat.

"Mine, too!" Gray shot back. "And put your clothes back on!"

The Fire and Ice mages bickered all the way up the winding forest road, as they often did when paired on jobs. Lucy sighed. "Can you two ever stop arguing?"

Erza glanced back. "Stop it, both of you—we're about to meet someone of very high status."

At her words, Natsu and Gray finally fell silent, though each shot the other a dirty look.

They emerged onto a wide clearing where a lone cottage stood at the edge of the cliff. The moss-covered roof and vines creeping up its walls gave it a timeless, fairy-tale appearance.

"Is this the home of Warrod Sequen, Fourth of the Ten Wizard Saints?" Happy asked, consulting a hand-drawn map.

Erza knocked on the heavy wooden door. "Excuse us—Fairy Tail wizards here on behalf of Master Makarov."

A sudden rustling filled the air. From behind the door came a soft, tinkling laughter.

"Shh! Quiet now—trees asleep, flowers drowse if you're too loud!" called a cheerful voice.

Lucy and the others exchanged bewildered glances as the door swung open. A tall, gaunt man stepped out. His hair drooped like a canopy of leaves, his robes were the color of moss, and his eyes twinkled with mischief.

"Mwahaha!" he crowed. "Welcome, younger saplings! I am Warrod Sequen, once Fourth of the Ten Wizard Saints—just pulling your branch!"

His robes rustled like branches in the breeze. "Yes, yes—Warrod Sequen at your service. Now, dry off—hah!—I'm thirsty!"

He seized a watering can by the door and tilted it to his lips, glugging water like a thirsty gardener.

Natsu gaped. "He's…he's a tree!"

Gray muttered, "Is this some kind of prank?"

Su Yan, studying the old wizard closely, nodded. This was indeed the legendary Warrod Sequen, one of Fairy Tail's founders and a former Wizard Saint—albeit one who had retired long ago.

Finally, Warrod set aside his can and addressed them properly. "Ahh, forgive my jest. I've dwelt here so long I forget company is scarce. Now—why have you come?"

Erza bowed. "Master Sequen, we seek your commission."

Warrod grinned, the lines in his bark-like skin shifting like folds of bark. "Young lady speaks true—my urgent task! You must venture into the Far North Desert, beyond the dunes, to the Oasis of the Eternal Flame."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Isn't that village known for its ever-burning hearth? What has happened there?"

Warrod's expression sobered. "A strange chill seized the Oasis—an unnatural frost. Buildings, plants… even the sacred flame has frozen. Yet the villagers remain alive, encased in ice."

Natsu's ears pricked. "Frozen flame?"

Gray crossed his arms. "Sounds like powerful ice magic."

Warrod nodded. "Indeed. I suspect ancient sorcery or… worse. I entrust this to you, Fairy Tail. Restore the flame, awaken the people, and uncover the source of this deadly chill."

Su Yan stepped forward. "We accept, Master Sequen. We will see the Oasis thawed and the Eternal Flame restored."

Warrod's grin returned, wide enough to split his wooden features. "Excellent! May your journey burn as bright as that flame once did!"

And so, under the whispering pines, Fairy Tail embarked on their next great adventure—guided by the retired Wizard Saint, into a land where fire itself lay frozen.