Gajeel wondered if he could make the dent in the table any bigger, thanks to the constant pounding it received from his head. It sure didn't help the current problem he was facing, and added to the headache.
It started two weeks ago, just after he had picked up the little Scriptor. He winced slightly, remembering the sudden piercing scream she had let out as they took off, nearly deafening him and Panther. His sides were still recovering from the vice-like grip her arms had around him, and it was a wonder that he hadn't passed out from the lack of air. He hadn't expected the girl to have so much strength for her size, that was certain. Then again, she wasn't what he had expected at all. When his passenger, Jet, had been talking about her, he had painted her as a lovely woman. Gajeel was sure that both of them were surprised by the shivering little bundle that greeted them on the platform. He half thought it was a joke at first, until Jet rushed to her and embraced her warmly.
In fact, it was half a blessing that Makarov sent Jet, he wouldn't have believed the Weyr Leader in the first place. It certainly didn't help that the first words that popped out his mouth had been... well, that.
He grumbled to himself, wondering if Panther was going to lecture him again for such a greeting. He knew better, but he had been thrown for a loop that the foot fit perfectly in his mouth and stayed there permanently, it seemed. He couldn't blame her if she was avoiding him for that reason.
He rarely saw her since their return, even when he sought her out to apologize, but she seemed to know when he was coming and hid away, much to his irritation. He grumbled as he finally tossed the scroll away, leaning his head into his hands and sighing tiredly. He hadn't found many answers from the other Scriptors either, and after he had exhausted their help he had been left to his own devices. Not that it made any difference. Several hours later and he was right where he had started.
He groaned, rubbing his eyes and face tiredly before pushing himself away from the table, grumbling in disgust. He'd have to look elsewhere for the answers that Makarov wanted, and the old man didn't make it easy to begin with either.
It started when one of the survivors of the rogue dragon attacks mentioned Firestone, sending alarm throughout the Weyrs of the land. Using Firestone during a Thread free pass was prohibited, only to be saved for times when the silvery strands fell from the skies again. What was worse was that the dragons had been using it against innocent villages, killing many people as well as destroying livelihoods. Gajeel growled, images of smoking land seared into his memory as he and other riders flew overhead.
A soft presence brushed his mind, soothing the exhaustion away. He smiled then, relaxing somewhat as his stomach rumbled in eagerness. He stretched lazily, jumping in surprise when he glanced at the window. He'd only started in the mid afternoon, yet the window was now dark with the oncoming evening. He snorted as his stomach grumbled again, eager to be fed. He'd have to persuade one of the cooks to have mercy on him before throwing him out for missing the dinner bell.
'Nothing still?' Panther asked, interrupting his thoughts. He sounded bored, and Gajeel caught glimpses of a shimmering lake, a blue sky and green hills. Perfect flying weather.
'Tch, nothing. Looks like you've had a great time though,' he thought, nearly growling at the dragon. Panther merely rumbled happily, shrugging in his draconic way.
'Next time I'll pull you out of the library so you can take a break from breaking your brain so much,' Panther replied, huffing a chortle as Gajeel snorted.
'Wouldn't be half as bad if I actually had a little help,' he groused, folding his arms over his shoulder as he made his way through the shelves of dusty parchments. As he brushed by clouds of dust exploded around him, and he nearly choked as he breathed it in, waving his hand in front of his face.
'Speaking of little,' mused Panther, amusement in his voice. 'There seems to be a tiny person following you around.'
Gajeel froze mid step, senses immediately alert. He heard the tiny gasp and rustling from behind another shelf, as though someone ducked behind. Could it be...?
"Oi, if you're that new little Scriptor, I've been trying to find you for ages," he called out, hoping that she was listening. "I ain't gonna try to eat ya, only trying to apologize like a gent." He waited, listening for some response from her, hoping that he hadn't scared her off again. Panther crooned gently, obviously trying to aid in his persuasion. Finally there was a quiet cough, and he turned in the direction it came from.
She was peeking around the corner, her sky blue hair slightly dusty as well, but it was her eyes that stilled him. They were wide with anxiety, and glistened as she half ducked back behind the shelf. He could see her trembling, and sighed, nibbling his lip. She was clearly afraid of him, but the reason escaped him. He cleared his throat, and tried again.
"Look, if I did something worse than sticking my fat foot in my mouth then I'm sorry for that too," he said, craning his head to get a better look at the Scriptor. She ducked away again, her eyes never leaving him for a second. Only her hair stuck out from behind the shelf, a sign that she hadn't bolted yet. He sighed, then leaned gently on the shelf.
"Look, I ain't gonna hurt ya, but I ain't gonna go away either," he reasoned. He watched as the blue locks poked out even further, followed shortly by her face. He could feel Panther reach out to her, gently brushing her mind as he had on the platform weeks ago. She jumped slightly, then looked around wildly. Gajeel barely had time to smother a smirk as she turned her gaze on him again, curious yet distrustful.
"Panther won't hurt ya either, I promise ya that," he said gently, relief seeping through his shoulders when she poked her head out a little more. He nodded his chin at her, then smiled reassuringly. "You're called Levy, right?" He asked gently. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded slowly, and he grinned. "I'm Gajeel, rider of the black dragon, Pantherlily."
She merely blinked at him, and he took that as a sign to go on. "Panther would never even think to, it's taboo to hurt innocents," he repeated softly, and Panther added another soothing warble. He scratched the back of his neck, beginning to feel a bit awkward. She hadn't made a sound in response to either of them, yet she wasn't running from him either, which he was happy about. But to babble on like an idiot while waiting for her to make a move? Not something he was used to.
Something flickered in her eyes, and he nearly missed it as she looked away from him and began to study a nearby stack of parchment. Doubt? Accusation? He wasn't sure, but he would bet anything that something happened to her to make her fearful of him. Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with the rogue riders that were warmongering today, even. It would explain a lot, actually, and help him discover how to help her.
Maybe it was pity, or compassion that drove him to want to help her, but he couldn't bear the thought that thanks to the rogue riders, more and more people would fear the dragon riders. And soon, it would be passed down till their descendants would reject the dragons when Thread returned. Fear often led to people doing foolish things, and became difficult to deal with when he tried to help them. Heavens only knew of how many times he had wanted to bash people over the head for their stupidity in those times rather than deal with it patiently, as Panther would try to have him do. But still, he had to try with the little Scriptor. Especially if there was a chance he could help undo some of the damage.
'Patience,' he told himself, ignoring Panther's rumble of agreement. He opened his mouth to reassure her again, but at that moment, a wayward puff of dust found its way into his lungs, and Gajeel sneezed.
Loudly.
He was sure that the shelves shivered due to the violence of his sneeze; he'd nearly been blasted off of his own feet with the intensity. He recovered in time to hear a pattering of footsteps retreating from him, and looking up only confirmed his fear; he had startled her.
'Fuuuuuuuuck,' he groaned, clunking his head against the shelf and sending up another cloud of the cursed stuff. Panther rumbled in laughter, much to his irritation.
'Oh, shut up, you overgrown lizard,' Gajeel growled, turning back to the exit of the library. And promptly sneezed again.
~~~*8*~~~
The dragon rider kept returning after that, much to her exasperation. Not that she was trying to hide from him. At least, not anymore. It seemed like since the day his dragon, Panther, touched her mind in an effort to soothe her, they were able to pinpoint where she was almost instantly. It seemed that tracking her wasn't the only thing the dragon was good at, either. The subtle brush on her mind from him was the only warning that the duo were on the hunt, allowing her time to draw in a shaky breath as she composed herself. However, it was still a little bit of a shock once the rider was talking to her once they found her.
Or rather, talking at her.
She hadn't quite worked up the courage to actually say anything to him other than muttered greetings and a few nervous squeaks in response to his remarks, though he seemed to understand and kept a rather respectable distance from her. He wasn't above sneaking in a few jokes, however, and often times left her fighting laughter as Panther would groan in her mind.
He was getting dangerously close to being likable, she mused one day as she sipped her klah. The rich and steamy smell brought relief after the day's tiring events, soothing the aching in her shoulders somewhat as she relaxed in the dining hall, waiting for Lucy to arrive.
The blonde astrologer had been her close friend from the Scriptor's Hall, befriending the blue haired girl when they accidentally bumped into each other at the library, ironically enough in the section that had been used the least; romance and tall tales that the Masters and other teachers had discouraged reading. But being good at sneaking into libraries had been something they were both good at, and thus a friendship blossomed.
Levy smiled as Lucy walked into the hall, waving just as the first of the night's meal was being dispersed by Mira. 'Just in time,' she thought, and giggled as Lucy plopped down next to her on the bench.
"Good lord that was a brutal map to finish," she sighed, fanning her face with her hand. "The ink can't dry fast enough before that idiot would come in and ruin it!" She nodded appreciatively at Mira, who passed her a fresh cup of klah as Lisanna slid bowls of roasted sweet meats and onions on to the table, followed by freshly baked bread. Spooning an ample amount on to the small platter in front of her, Levy grinned as Lucy tore off a piece of the bread.
"I'm guessing Natsu came by to visit?" She asked, and merely chuckled when Lucy's eyes turned dark. Apparently he had, and left more than enough evidence of his presence. Undoubtedly he was back in the astrology tower, cleaning up his mess. Levy was somewhat in awe of the blonde, though; she had been the only one aside from Erza to make him behave. Even when they were young Natsu had never been one to obey anyone, and constantly encouraged the mischief of the other youngsters.
Even when Happy, his blue dragon hatched and impressed on him, that hadn't changed his attitude. If anything, he grew more careless and chaotic, leaving a mess behind him everywhere he went. As for Levy, him being a whirlwind of energy wasn't as much of a shock as much as him becoming a dragon rider. She supposed it fit him perfectly, though she tried to squash the idle worry that would wander through her mind whenever she saw him.
What if he became like one of them?
She shook her head then, startling Lucy as she dismissed the thought. No, he couldn't be, she had known him since they were small, and she had already met the little blue Happy, who had chirped excitedly at her when Natsu had introduced her proudly to the little dragon. And if what the black rider said in the library was true, then there was nothing to worry about. Right?
The sudden appearance of Panther's rider in the hall pulled her out of her thoughts, and she stiffened next to Lucy, nearly choking on her food. She certainly hadn't expected him to show up here, though she belatedly supposed that there wasn't many other places to dine in the Weyr. But the other riders rarely showed up in the hall anymore, preferring to eat in their rooms or common areas. Even the new riders ventured to where the veterans ate, hoping to learn more from them.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to notice them as he trudged to the bar at the end of the hall, obviously exhausted as he pulled a stool underneath him. She breathed a slight sigh of relief, safe from his attention for the moment. However, she couldn't pull her eyes away from him as she watched him bark an order at a rather jovial Elfman, and the familiar graze of Panther's mind against hers came, apologetic and tired.
'Forgive the late intrusion, little one,' he rumbled, and Levy nearly squeaked in surprise. He rarely spoke to her during their encounters, yet he was always warm, polite and gentle, and she couldn't help but smile. Something about this pair made it difficult for her to dislike them, especially Panther. Though she was still nervous around the other riders, she was beginning to feel a bit more comfortable around the duo.
"Levy?" Lucy's voice interrupted, amused and suddenly mischievous. She pulled her eyes away, suddenly aware that Lucy had been trying to get her attention for awhile now. "You alright? I lost you for a bit," she said, then glanced towards the bar, chuckling as a rather evil glint flashed in her eyes. Levy wanted the ground to swallow her up, mortified that she had been caught staring at the rider. Lucy bumped her shoulder with her own, deciding to go easy on the embarrassed girl. "It's pretty easy to see why, though. But I thought you didn't like dragon riders?" Confusion laced through her last question, prompting Levy to shake her head.
"It's not like that, and he's not that bad either," she admitted, weaving her fingers together. Lucy cocked her head, curiosity in her eyes as she stared at the smaller girl, waiting for an explanation. When none arrived, she sighed, shaking her head as she pushed her platter away, clearly done with her meal.
"Very well, back to what I was trying to ask you about earlier," she said, and Levy turned to her, her interest piqued. "Tell me about this midsummer festival that's coming up?"
~~~*8*~~~
The sun was just behind the hills when the dragons attacked the village, bursting the bubble of calm and serenity that the villagers had known since the last pass. Not even the watch Wher could warn them in time before a iron gilded dragon crashed into its tower, destroying it as the beast savagely lunged for the Wher's throat. Screaming shrilly, the poor creature thrashed as the dragon lifted itself into the air, the rider lashing its hide with a whip.
As the dragon climbed higher, more iron clad dragons circled around the village, diving down occasionally and spewing brilliant jets of flame from their mouths. Some dove so low they smashed into the taller buildings, knocking them down effortlessly. Screaming people poured out into the streets, only to be picked up by diving dragons and dropped, falling to their deaths. Most that weren't fled into the forest, hoping for salvation in the trees from the attackers.
However, the dragons led them on, heading the survivors off in different directions till they finally reached a clearing. They dropped from the sky, surrounding the terrified villagers in all directions. The villagers huddled together, begging for mercy while the dragons sat frozen, waiting for the order. Slowly, the lead rider lifted his fist to the sky, and silence fell over the group.
They waited for what seemed like forever, dreading the drop of the armored fist while the dragons stared eagerly at them. They held each other, shielding the women and children as best they could, knowing that it was fruitless to try. Finally, the fist dropped, and the dragons lunged, their roaring filling the air as they finished the village off.
Across the forest, in the opposite direction, a small boy and girl huddled in the shelter of a tree hollow, listening as the screams echoed through the hills. Whether by some stroke of luck, they had been late in returning home when the dragons arrived, and hid when the sky began to fill with smoke.
Hours later, long after the dragons had finished their feast and lifted off and the sun began to peak over the hills again, the two emerged from their hiding spot. Shaken, they clung to each other as they ventured towards the destroyed village. At the edge, they paused, calling out for anyone to answer them. Only the crackling from the smoldering remains and the wind could be heard, and the boy tugged the girl closer to him, fighting frightened tears in as she wailed, clinging to his shirt.
"Come on," he whimpered. "We gotta get help."