Another chapter that I must give massive thanks to my wonderful BETA ladykeyes for, she really made this one shine! Anyway, here we go...things are getting interesting and the action is starting to kick in!
The room they shared in Bosco was much smaller than the one they had back in Crocus. Acnologia had dismissed the twins telling them he would resume with his duties tomorrow. He had used a great amount of magic to transport the four of them back to Bosco and even for Acnologia himself it had taken a toll on him.
Levy had slid open the door that opened to a balcony and was currently standing outside with her arms draped over the banister admiring the new forest scenery. The sound of heavy boots could be heard coming from behind her and when the new King settled himself beside her she turned to face him.
"Why won't you tell me what happened? Shouldn't I have some sort of idea of what to expect if this might ever happen again?"
"I don't plan for this to happen again, like I told you before, it was due to my carelessness. I will be more aware after what has happened," he replied as his deep voice sent a shiver down her spine.
Levy met his eyes straight on and fully turned into him as she placed her hands against his chest.
"How can you plan for something like this to happen or not happen? I thought I was going to die! You…you weren't even there; you didn't see how scary it was." Her voice trailed off as she stared back out into the night.
Acnologia rested his hand against her cheek as he turned her to face him once again.
"You belong to me Levy. And I will never hurt what belongs to me. That's precisely why you are here with me and those two guards were replaced. Do you distrust me so?"
"No, I'm just concerned. For myself and for you. I also feel like a bird in a cage. I'm not meant to be kept in a cage, Acnologia."
He tilted his head upwards but never moved his eyes from her as a smirk crept across his stoic face.
"Is that why you snuck away while I was gone?"
Levy's eyes went wide and her lips quivered at his revelation. What all did he know about her latest excursion?
"I should have known I couldn't cage a free bird. You came back, as you always do, but you went alone and that is what has me so concerned. I will take your cage away, but that doesn't mean I can't clip your wings."
Levy didn't have time to react, for as soon as she opened her mouth to retort, the large manor they were currently staying in shook and a deep rumble spread out across the vast area. Losing her balance as the balcony shook beneath their feet, Levy tumbled into Acnologia. Wrapping his strong arm around her and bracing himself against the wall of the manor he secured her against his chest and saved her from her inevitable fall.
Levy instinctively wrapped her arms around the man as the aftershock subsided and the rumbling quieted down. Remaining close to him as she released her hold around his large chest she looked around curiously.
"What was that?" she questioned.
Acnologia gave her a toothy grin as he looked down to meet her shocked eyes, "Would you like to see what brought me here to Bosco?"
…
She clutched the back of his long, black cloak as she followed behind him down a poorly lit spiral staircase. The only lighting was the occasional torch hanging on the wall, as well the torch Acnologia was using to guide them down the stairs. The walls and the stairs were all made of a dark colored stone, absorbing much of what light they had, which made it even harder to see where she was going. Behind her Sting and Rogue's footsteps could be heard.
As they rounded another corner, various voices could be heard accompanied by the loud rumbling sound again. From their current location the sound seemed almost like a growl. New light danced across the dark walls at the next turn, and the group was greeted by numerous guards holding various weapons- poised and ready to attack- but not at them.
As Acnologia stepped to the side and looked down at the small woman who was still clutching his cloak, she shifted her eyes from his to look out into the large room. Hazel eyes grew large as they followed the sight before her up and up, until she found herself stepping away from her protector and walking towards the massive beast itself.
Acnologia watched her curiously as she walked closer, following her every step- ready to intervene if need be. The twins stood back towards the stairwell they had come from.
She was drawn to it.
The beast snorted and lowered its head as it watched Levy approach. Its large, scaled tail flicked in response to her movements, causing a few guards to jump forward. The beast reared back and a snarl ripped from its mouth, Levy's trance was broken as she back stepped into Acnologia's chest, his arm coming to rest at the small of her back.
"That's a…"
"Yes. It is a dragon," Acnologia finished her unspoken words.
"How? What is it doing here?"
"My Lord," Rogue stepped forward, "does General Cobra know about this?"
The dragon had calmed down now and was currently lying on the floor his eyes focused on the blue haired woman. Acnologia turned slightly to answer Rogue's question.
"He does. We've been looking for this dragon for a very long time. That disgusting old King knew of its existence but kept no record," he spat as his lips turned up in a devilish grin. "Now, I plan to make sure this dragon knows who his king really is. The whole of Fiore can't oppose me now, not the King of the Dragons."
Levy had once again found herself drifting towards the beast, lifting its massive head he extended his neck towards the girl as it gave another snort, Levy's cloak billowed from the warm gust of air that escaped its nostrils. Tentatively, she reached her hand out.
The dragon surprised all present by meeting her halfway and pushing his snout into her palm.
"Levy?"
Sting had stepped forward, eyeing her and watching her like a hawk while slowly unsheathing his weapon. Acnologia was watching in awe and amusement as she touched the dark scaled beast. Rogue stepped up to match Sting, ready to protect if her if the moment presented itself.
The beast merely lowered himself and allowed Levy to place both her hands on its large head, which was in and of itself as long as her entire body. The dragon rumbled something akin to a cat's purr as she ran her hands over his scales. A serene smile danced across her face.
In one swift movement the beast shot his head forward and curved around Levy's figure bringing her in closer as he moved his head back out and snarled. Levy turned around to see Acnologia had come up behind her.
"He's protecting you. How interesting."
Another rumble erupted from the beast's chest as he came even closer.
"I see you've recognized her as your Queen, but she is mine, beast."
Another snort came from the dragon.
"She is my Queen. If you want her, you'll have to abide by my word as well. Stand down."
The dragon's eyes shifted between Levy and Acnologia until he finally relaxed his defensive stance and lowered himself.
"My dear, have you any idea what you have done?"
"No. I…it…" she fumbled over her words as her eyes darted across the stone floor before looking up and meeting Acnologia's gaze straight on. "He drew me in. It was almost like I could hear him, he called to me, in a sense."
Acnologia looked very intrigued and as he walked over to the group of guards, she turned back to the large dragon standing behind her and whispered.
"You have about as much freedom as I do."
…
Soft snores could be heard inside one of the rooms of the safe house, which meant Gajeel had finally managed to get some much needed rest. Everyone had been tiptoeing near the path to his door, careful not to disturb the sleeping prince, but when exciting news came from a traveling noble it was Natsu who decided he couldn't wait another minute and was on his way to wake the grumpy man.
With no care for knocking he busted through the door and announced his presence with a hearty, "GAJEEL! Get your ass up!"
Red eyes shot open, and if looks could kill Natsu would have been long gone- resulting in pink tinted ashes piled on the floor. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he gripped the sheets on either side of him in order to quell the need to rip his personal guard's head clean off his body.
"Natsu, what the ever lovin' hell do ya want?"
"A nobleman in the city just traveled here from Bosco and said he heard noises."
"What kind of noises?"
"Growls, snarls, ear piercing roars- there were also earth tremors."
Gajeel's eyes widened as he moved his death glare from Natsu to stare at the floor and put coherent thought to the words he had just heard. When he lifted his head back up a grin spread across his face and he all but leaped from the bed, forgetting his tried and aching body with a renewed sense of energy.
"Pack it up. We're leaving in two hours."
As the last of the supplies were gathered and distributed equally between the horse's saddle bags, Gajeel stood in slight impatience, waiting for his two men as they said their goodbyes to Lucy and Juvia.
"Still chasing after that old bedtime story your father told you, hmm?"
"It's not a story or a legend, old man. It's out there, and I'm going to find it before he does."
Makarov shook his head and crossed his arms. Gajeel was stubborn, very stubborn, and he had not a chance in the world to talk him out of this wild goose chase. But he could always try.
"Gajeel my boy, if that girl comes back, what am I to do?"
Gajeel laughed and smiled, a large toothy smile to accompany his hearty laugh.
"Nice try old man but that damn woman seems to always be one step ahead of me, I wouldn't be surprised to find her myself in Bosco."
Gajeel looked past the older man to see Gray and Natsu finally making their approach towards the horses, following behind them were their two women.
"I thought you were saying goodbye?"
Lucy walked past to stroke the muzzle of Natsu's horse.
"They did, but we wanted to come and properly say goodbye to you. I hope you don't mind that I'll not be joining you."
"Nah, Natsu might actually be worth something without you around to be honest," Gajeel laughed.
"I heard that."
Natsu walked around the side of his horse and mounted it, situating himself atop the animal and securing his feet in the stirrup while leaning down to give Lucy one last kiss.
"Goodbye Gajeel, good luck and be careful to all three of you."
Juvia kissed Gray's cheek before she interlocked her arm with Lucy's and stood back watching as the two dark haired men mounted their horses.
The trek to Bosco was a little over two days by horseback from Magnolia, but that gave the men plenty of time to strategize along the way and plan for what they might encounter. It also gave time for Gajeel to pull from his memory the stories his father had once told him about the great beast of a dragon that once ruled the skies of Fiore.
Metalicana had told him of the dragon's strength and power. Only someone with the heart of a King could make the dragon bend to their will, but someone with a pure soul could make the dragon their friend and confidant and be blessed with the beast's divine protection and strength.
Sightings and stories of the great dragon had died along with his father, and Gajeel could only assume it had passed on as well, but he had made it his mission to find the dragon and seek its aid in regaining the kingdom it had once ruled from the clouds and mountains. He would be the King the dragon desired, and he'd be damned if that bastard Acnologia found the dragon before him and used it for his own evil intentions.
At the end of their first day of travel they began keeping an eye out for a safe place to make camp and rest for the night.
"According to the map we're a few miles away from where the river crosses back over our path. We'll stop there for the night."
Gray folded the map back up and slipped it into his saddle bag as the other two men replied in agreement. The river soon came into sight, and the men dismounted when they found a flat enough area with heavy tree cover. The night was clear despite the cool temperature, and Natsu got to work on building a fire while Gray and Gajeel studied the map by moonlight.
"We might be able to cut through the mountains and shave off some time."
"Let's do it then. Oi! Ya got that fire ready yet? It's damn cold!" Gajeel shouted.
"I do now!"
The three sat warming themselves by the fire and eating the food Juvia had sent with them. Natsu and Gray fell asleep first after they had retreated to their sleeping bags, leaving Gajeel alone with his thoughts. He tried to focus on his father and the dragon, but against his better wishes his mind was solely focused on the blue haired, ever-mysterious beauty that was Levy.
…
The sky was dark, various colors of black, gray and red were all that could be seen; the city had been torn apart. His search was not getting him anywhere, but he knew he had to find her.
"Prince Gajeel, I was able to find where she lives."
"Lily, where is she?"
"The western part of the city, a small green and yellow house. That's where she and her father moved to, she's there."
Gajeel clapped a hand on the tall military general's back signifying his thanks as he escaped from the fires of the inner city. It felt like his legs weren't carrying him fast enough, he was weighted to the stone streets. When he finally found the small house on the outskirts of the city it had been leveled as well. His heart sank as he approached the pile of rubble.
There amongst the pile of crumbled stone and splintered wood he spotted her blue hair buried under a support beam. As he lifted the beam from her back and tossed it to another section of the ruined home, she lifted her head and her warm hazel eyes stared back at him as tears cascaded down her dirty, blood splattered face.
"Levy."
"You came for me."
More words were exchanged but there was no sound, and her face became blurred. As he released her from the confines of the fallen house and gathered her in his arms, she became even more obscured.
Then he appeared. In one swift motion she was stolen from his arms as a dagger was impaled in his chest, covering the wound with his hand, he managed enough strength to raise his head and watch just as Acnologia's sword impaled her through the heart, the life leaving her eyes as he flung her over his shoulder and stalked away.
…
Gajeel shot up. Sweat dripping from his body, panting heavily and clutching at his old wound.
"This shit is gettin' ridiculous."
"Gajeel? You alright?" Gray was now kneeling beside him with a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes. No. I think so," he steadied his breathing before speaking again. "I dreamt about her again. Gray, I have watched her die right in front of me so many times. So how is she still alive. What if this is all a trick?"
"You survived. Maybe she did too?"
Gajeel pulled at the strands of hair on the sides of his head before standing up and putting his boots on.
"I'm gonna walk down to the river, I need to clear my head."
…
Winter was getting closer with each passing day, and the heavy forests of Bosco made the air even colder. Levy was bundled up tightly as she roamed the city with her two guards. Rogue had been just as curious as she had been about the inner city, and hadn't argued when she asked about taking a walk. Sting on the other hand was blatantly obvious about the fact he was not impressed with the weather and would much rather have stayed back at the manor.
"Why don't you just go back then? I'll take care of her," Rogue finally spoke up.
"Fine. It's too damn cold out here, how can you even enjoy this? Let me know when you guys get back."
The blonde haired twin stalked away, his arms hugging his chest as he attempted to preserve what heat he could as he dipped in and out of the various crowds littering the street.
"Sorry about him," Rogue said quietly.
Levy shook her head with a smile.
"No need to apologize, it is rather cold. Are you wanting to return? I can always come back on another day."
"I'm fine Lady Levy, now, where else were you wanting to go?"
Levy turned around to survey the area, and far off in the distance she noticed a bookstore. Pointing a finger in the direction of her desire, Rogue nodded his head and she lead the way. Rogue stepped forward to help guide her through the busy street and when they finally reached the bookstore he pulled the door open and allowed her to step inside first.
The familiar smell of ink, leather binding, and paper surrounded her; she stood motionless for a few brief seconds, allowing herself to enjoy the scents before migrating to a section on the far wall. Rogue leaned against the wall near the front of the store allowing her some privacy as she traveled up and down the many aisles.
When she found an old book on dragon folklore she plucked it from the shelf and set it down at a table near the back of the store under a window that looked out at the one of the city gates. Flipping through the pages she skimmed quickly through the chapters and decided it best to purchase the book for future more in depth reading. As she picked the book back up she stole a glance out the window and saw a man with long black hair.
"Gajeel?" She thought to herself.
She hurried over to another window hoping to get a better view but the man had already disappeared by the time she was able to peer outside. Running a hand through her curly blue hair, she decided her mind was playing tricks on her. She grabbed another book on a nearby shelf, a romance novel, and glided towards the checkout counter.
Upon her return to the manor she was summoned to the where the dragon was being kept. Sting had met back up with the her and Rogue and the three of them walked down the long stairwell to where Acnologia was waiting.
"Is everything okay?"
"Ah, my dear you're back. Everything is fine I assure you, I wanted to take a look at your right arm if I may?"
Stepping forward she pushed her sleeve up and held out her arm, and as she did so, she was surprisingly confronted with a small, yet ugly, gash.
"Oh!"
She looked up at Acnologia who was currently looking down at her arm while tracing the side of her face with the back of his hand. Leaving his hand to rest against her cheek, he turned towards the twin guards.
"Sting, Rogue, make sure she gets this taken care of, I need to contact Pantherlily," he turned back to Levy. "I will not be returning to our bed chamber tonight, do not worry yourself with waiting up my dear."
With a gentle touch to his mark above her left breast he turned and walked away, his cloak billowing behind him.
"What happened while I was gone?"
A guard stepped forward and spoke.
"The dragon was agitated earlier. He's actually been very calm since you've arrived M'Lady. He struck him not too long ago, across the back. It was a terrible sight."
"Struck across the back you say?"
She subconsciously moved her hand to touch at the wound still lingering across her own back.
Rogue had since wrapped her arm and had escaped back upstairs with his twin to assist Acnologia, leaving Levy alone. She glanced towards the dragon who was now heavily sedated by some form of magic, and found her thoughts going back to the man she had spotted outside the bookstore window.
She thanked the guard and sprinted up the stairs to her private quarters. Gathering a few things and changing out her clothes for a set more accommodating to the cold temperature, she pulled her cloak around her body, fastened it closed, and pulled up her hood as she escaped out the window.
The streets were quiet as she made her way to hotel in the middle of the city, the only sound she could hear was the heel of her boots hitting the cobblestone. As she passed the bookstore she had browsed earlier she ducked in an alley that would be a shortcut to the next street over. Rounding the corner, she paused as she heard a noise behind her.
"Tell me how I knew I'd find you here."
Levy slowly turned around and pushed down her hood, hazel eyes meeting red, she smiled as she sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Gajeel."
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