VII.

The song led them to the top of a narrow gorge. The entrance to which was well hidden. No, he realised. Not well hidden. Nonexistent. They'd have to climb straight down. The sides of the ravine weren't completely sheer, but they were incredibly steep and just to complicate matters it was growing darker by the minute.

"Why have you stopped?"

Why had he stopped? Because he might be able to manage the descent, but if she slipped she was as good as dead. See, this was why he worked alone! He knew his own limitations. He didn't know Levy's and she was so damn tiny she looked like a strong gust of wind might knock her over! Maybe he could carry-

"I'll go first if you like," she offered, staring at him quizzically, as though she couldn't see the problem.

"I'll go first," he growled.

"Because you're the big tough man?" she asked with a roll of her eyes, her hand finding her hip.

"Because I'm the big tough man who'll knock you clean off the fuckin' rock face if I fall on top of you!"

"Oh." Levy looked instantly contrite. "Sorry."

He didn't wait around to hear her apology. He lowered himself over the edge and started to climb down. It was even harder than it had looked to find places to grip as he carefully made his descent. Not to mention the fact that the creepy-ass song was still filling his head!

Less than halfway down, his muscles were starting to burn, and a cautious (how exactly had he forgotten her dress was that short?) upward glance told him that Levy was fairing even worse. She didn't have the advantage of his reach, so it was taking her twice as long to find anything resembling a foot or handhold.

"Gajeel!"

"What?"

"It's stopped!"

"What's stopped?"

"The so-!"

Song. Fuck! The side of the gorge erupted in a sudden explosion as the stone under his hands disintegrated into fragments. Grip gone, he started to fall. Fast. The jagged rock tore at his grasping fingers until he transformed his right arm into a metal blade and slammed it into the bedrock. Sparks flew. He braced himself against the pain as he slowed to an eventual stop.

He looked up, just in time, squinted hard against the showering debris. He made a grab for Levy's arm as she fell passed him. His fingers missed, slid against her skin, found her wrist, her hand, locked as her fingers tightened around his own.

It was several seconds until his heart started to beat again.

"I think- we may have found the demon," she panted, gently bumping against the rock face as she dangled off his arm.

"Yeah? I think it found us!" he growled, trying to look over his shoulder, as he pulled her up. "How far are we from the bottom?"

"Far."

He spat, swore, demanded: "Hold onto me."

She didn't hesitate. Why didn't she hesitate? She scaled his body, wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist. He could feel the soft swell of her breasts as they pressed against his back as she clung to him. She was going to kill him if nothing else did.

"Go!" she urged, as rock exploded around them again.

He pushed off, flew downward, metal scraping against stone as he used his body as little as possible to slow their descent. Faster- faster- they tried to outrun the rockslide.