Rhodes himself found it unbelievable, this Cloud Dragon was different from the others. Without any trials or direct confrontation, it had granted him its Dragon Soul instantly.
'How strange.' The Mountain Dragon had been lazy and stubborn, and the Purgatory Dragon possessed a volatile temper. But this Cloud Dragon? It hadn't even shown itself. It just… gave him everything.
'Could it be the impatient type?'
Still, a gift was a gift.
And since he now had it, why not give it a try?
There was no need to hide anything from Wendy or Carla.
"Take over: Cloud Dragon Soul!"
A brilliant flash of blue-gray light erupted around Rhodes, his body undergoing its familiar transformation. Like his other Dragon Soul forms, horns grew from his temples, and wings unfurled behind him. But this time, the magic color was a pale azure, with a feathery texture replacing the rock-solid scales of his Mountain form or the blazing magma pattern of his Infernal form.
The shift in weight was incredible, Rhodes twisted slightly at the waist, stepped forward, and felt himself move with astonishing ease.
Light as a feather... no, lighter.
With a gentle flap of his wings, he vanished from sight for a moment, and reappeared silently next to Wendy.
"Wah! Brother Rhodes?" Wendy gasped, startled both by his new form and sudden appearance. A gentle breeze brushed past her face.
"I think I just got a new kind of magic," Rhodes said, spreading his arms slightly to show the feather-like scales on his hands and wings. "It might be thanks to you."
Wendy curiously extended a finger and poked the back of his hand. The blue-gray scales felt soft and smooth, like the down of a bird.
She lit up with recognition. "It feels just like Grandeeney! Her scales were exactly like feathers!"
"Oh yeah?" Rhodes grinned. "Then I'll introduce you to this dragon sometime."
"Really?"
"Promise."
Rhodes looked at his wings. "Let's test out some spells next."
He stepped back, gathered his magic power, and swung his wings forward.
Two sharp whirlwinds erupted instantly from each wing, rushing through the orchard and stirring up leaves in twisting cyclones. They moved like dancers across the rows of trees, picking up fallen debris and carrying it to the far end of the orchard.
It would've been a flawless display… if not for one small mishap.
Snap.
A twig was caught in the vortex and launched straight ahead like a dart.
Rhodes winced, his confident expression cracking. He quickly canceled the Cloud Dragon form and landed back on the ground with a sigh.
"Sorry! That was my first time using it. Still working out the control."
Pushmon blinked, then laughed it off. "No harm done! When I'm pruning, I break more branches than that."
Rhodes was quietly relieved that no major damage had been done. Still, he reflected on himself.
'I got too excited…'
"I need to be more careful in the future," he muttered under his breath. "Can't just be flinging magic around without proper control."
At least until he had a solid grip on his new power, Rhodes decided he wouldn't use it lightly. For now, he'd rely on Wendy.
Thankfully, no other surprises cropped up. Wendy swept the entire orchard with steady bursts of Dragon's Roar, gathering nearly all the leaves into the designated corner. Only a few scattered leaves remained around the edges, the kind of cleanup that could easily be done the next morning.
That night, Pushmon offered them a simple, warm place to stay. The three, Rhodes, Wendy, and Carla, rested well and returned early to finish the final touches in the orchard.
Pushmon, true to his word, signed off the job form and promptly handed over the reward.
"Thirty thousand Jewels in total," he said, placing the wrapped bills into Wendy's hands. "Ten thousand per person."
Certainly not enough for Rhodes to get excited about. But Wendy? She beamed.
She carefully counted the bills and handed half over to Rhodes.
"Here! I think this part should be yours."
Rhodes accepted his share but waved off the rest. "Like before, one for you, one for me, and one for Carla. That's the guild standard."
Wendy tilted her head. "Should we give Warm a share too?"
Rhodes laughed. "Of course not. Warm's not a wizard. It just ate snacks and chased persimmons."
He added, "Besides, if Celestial Spirits don't get paid by Lucy, I don't see why Warm should."
Wendy nodded thoughtfully. "Then I'll just give it something tasty when we get back."
With everything settled, they didn't bother calling for a carriage this time. There was no rush. The three of them, Man, girl, and cat, walked back to Magnolia at a relaxed pace under the morning sun.
When Carla grew tired, she climbed into Wendy's arms. Sometimes she didn't even need to be carried properly, she'd just curl up against Wendy's chest, and Wendy would zip up her jacket to hold her snug like a warm cocoon.
Wendy had never explored these quiet suburbs before. Every step brought something new.
She jumped across puddles, picked up shiny pebbles, and occasionally stopped to admire wildflowers by the roadside. At one point, she crouched down and gently blew on a blooming dandelion.
The white tufts floated into the breeze like little stars, drifting off in all directions.
If they aren't blown away again, they'll bloom golden flowers here next year."
Wendy smiled as she watched the last of the dandelion seeds drift into the breeze. Her eyes sparkled with quiet joy, brighter even than the golden blossoms she imagined would fill the hillside one day.
Seeing her in such a lighthearted mood, Rhodes tilted his head and asked, "Do you like this kind of work?"
Wendy didn't even hesitate. "Yeah! I really do."
"But it's so tiring," Rhodes pointed out. "Boring, too. And the pay's not exactly great."
Wendy shook her head, still smiling. "I think it's fun. Besides, we helped Mr. Pushmon. He was really happy when we finished."
Rhodes let out a quiet chuckle. "You're something else."
Her answer made him think of what Makarov always said, Mages help others using magic. They're paid in return. That's how wizards survive.
Everyone in Fairy Tail knew this truth. But what they focused on was different.
Rhodes often cared about the reward. Lucy tended to complain about how troublesome it all was. Wendy? She just wanted to help.
That didn't mean Rhodes didn't help people from the heart. Nor that Lucy only cared about herself. When it came down to it, they'd both go far beyond the call of duty for someone in need.
But they weren't quite like Wendy.
Wendy was… pure.
Still, each of them, Rhodes, Lucy, Wendy, was chasing something more than just "survival." Something personal, something meaningful.
That's what it meant to live as a mage.
As the walls of Magnolia appeared in the distance, Wendy finally slowed her steps. She turned, pigtails swaying, and asked, "Once we get back, I just need to show the request form to Sister Mira, right?"
"Right," Rhodes nodded. "That's when the mission is officially marked as complete. Sometimes for tougher jobs, you might have to write a report. But for smaller ones like this, you just talk it through. Even if you come back a day or two late, it's fine."
"I'll remember that."
Suddenly—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM…
A rapid, echoing ring thundered through the air.
The group stopped. The sound was coming from a bell tower.
Wendy's ears perked up. "That's the cathedral's bell, right?"
Rhodes narrowed his eyes, face growing serious. "Yeah. That's not the guild's bell…"
Carla flew into the air and circled once. "What does that mean? An emergency?"
Rhodes shook his head. "I've lived here for over a year and a half. I've never heard the cathedral ring the bell like this."
Carla's fur bristled slightly. "Then it must be something big."
"Let's hurry." Rhodes turned, his tone firm now. "We're going back to the guild."