Chapter 13
Gajeel had been going at it all morning and now well into the early afternoon. He had a lot of anger to deal with and sweat out. There had been his frustration with being caught in Bellum, the fight with the girl Levy, the serious reprimand Jura had given the three of them, and now he was told they were going to have to travel by train to Minstrel. Train! He'd get there faster running.
Sting, Rogue and Lily had taken turns to train with him but there was still a thread of jumpiness in his muscles. Gajeel tied up his hair and looked at Lily. The cat was in a good mood and his steps were light and quick. He had spent most of the time focusing on his agility, dodging and sidestepping his punches and kicks. It only made him angrier, he wanted to hit something.
Lily on the other hand knew Gajeel was itching to connect the most punches possible but he was in a decent mood and was not going to let him vent that easily.
Gajeel took an opportunity of Lily's hesitation to attack to look up towards the hill where his uncle and Juvia were having lunch only to find the girl and Laxus talking instead. When had they gotten there? They were chatting and heard her laugh at something he had said. Before he could think further he felt Lily make a connection and land a punch straight to his upper jaw and temple knocking him a few feet back.
"That must of hurt," Laxus said as they both watched Gajeel fly back and land roughly on the dirt.
"No kidding! That looked awful," Levy said a little concerned.
"What the hell Lily!" Gavel was heard exclaiming from below causing Levy to giggle.
"So, your grandfather is Gran Doma you were saying?" she asked.
"Yeah. Lucky you little girl, you're going to get to see where I fictionally grew up," he grinned.
After his punch Gajeel decided he was done. The sun must have gotten to him, he thought, to get distracted that way. They all moved towards the shade beneath the trees at the other side of the training area to take a break.
"What happened Gajeel? Got distracted by Laxus winning over the pretty Lady Connell?" Sting mocked and Lector and Frosch made their way over with water.
"Shut up Sting," he answered. "I wouldn't care what Laxus wanted to do with the girl even if he sent me an invitation."
"Invitation? You know something like that could be called projection Gajeel," Lily was being a smartass. He was going to have to kick his ass again, he thought.
Subconsciously his gaze returned to the top of the hill and Cobra's voice whispered in his head 'prolonged date'. Until now Gajeel hadn't realized that they had spent days together on their own and found himself asking if something had indeed happened on the journey here. Levy and Laxus stood up as he heard her laugh again and began walking away from view.
The sound brought back memories of a training mission Jura had sent him and Lily on about a year ago but he couldn't figure out why. Jura had sent them to the western side of Joya on the border with Minstrel.
The trip had been a hell of a lot of fun and the time they spent traveling the forests of Joya made him really appreciate how beautiful this state could be. Barely of out earshot, even for a dragon-slayer, he heard it one last time. Immediately Gajeel made the connection between his trip and her laugh. The waterfalls, he said to himself.
On their return trip home, Gajeel and Lily had come across a place where several streams and rivers met and formed a major tributary for the Joya River that feeds into the Earthland Sea to the East. The place was a collection of pools ranging in size, small waterfalls, and tiny creeks enclosed so densely by trees they almost missed it.
They had decided to set up camp and at dawn Gajeel had taken a dip in one of the larger pools before Lily woke up. With the sun rising, he floated there hearing the water gurgle, chirp, and fall around him from pool to pool.
Her laugh reminded him, not of the sound, but of the aggregate moments that were happening around him. The waterfalls, the warmth of the sun, the cool of the water, the trees slightly swaying, all of it.
He hadn't told Lily about the dip and of course he didn't talk about the tranquility he had felt at that moment in time. How could a la-
"Gajeel?" Lily asked for a third time.
"Huh? Yeah, sorry, let go grab something to eat. I'm dying for some iron," he began to make his way back inside with the other three and their cats.
Meanwhile, Levy and Laxus were walking through the estate they discussing how his grandfather, Makarov Dreyar, had created the identity of Laxus Doma when he was found after the disappearance of the dragons that survived the extermination. Levy hadn't known seven dragons had escaped her uncle's madness.
The seven dragons had gone into hiding with their respectively slayer but several years ago the dragons disappeared. It had taken months for the council to realize they had disappeared and find the dragon-slayers.
Levy thought of the dragon-slayers then. They had been kids, lost in the desert like Laxus or the forests like the others by themselves. Not that the fire needed more fuel but the thought of all of them alone added more kindling to the rage she felt against her uncle and his horrible legacy.
"So can we talk about the elephant in the room now?" he asked as they came upon a bench overlooking a small koi pond. Of course Jura would raise kois, Levy thought with a smile.
"What elephant?" she asked innocently, sitting down.
"The Jude wanting you dead elephant."
She sighed, "Alright…. well, it only makes sense that he'd want me dead. Why risk me living? I'm not worth much to him and already people doubt we survived the fall."
"I get that you wouldn't be worth much but why go through the trouble of killing you? If it somehow got out that he had something to do with your death that would look terrible for him. It seems too much hassle unless you are actually worth something back home," he looked at her.
"It wouldn't be too much trouble if he suspects I'm part of the Inner Coup," she reasoned.
"Your boyfriend Mest said that your involvement was well hidden," he threw back at her.
"First, he's not my boyfriend and second, Jude has snakes whispering in his ear. The council is full of dark mages that have deep connections even here in the West," she said defensive.
"Listen, I'm not trying to argue with you but if you're in danger for reasons we don't know I think you should tell us. We'll be able to protect you and ourselves better if we know what we are dealing with," he placed a hand on the top of her head forcing her to look at him.
"I get it, I get it," she said resigned. "All that sleep must have actually transformed you to a more gentleman-like version of yourself."
"Well it's only because you have that cute dress on. I'd still be a jerk if you were wearing that god awful orange thing," he joked.
"God awful? Geez, and here I thought we were on a role," she laughed removing his arm.
"Ahem," they both turned to look a Gajeel and Lily flying next to him. "Jura would like to speak to you."
"Oh! Perfect," she had somehow dodged her way out of saying anything too revealing… again.
Levy was starting to feel she was loosing the chance to tell anyone her real name. She was burying herself deeper and deeper into who she was not and after hearing Laxus' concerns she knew they had merit. She would have to tell Jura first and go from there.
She feel into step behind Gajeel and Lily, realizing that once they found she had hid her identity Gajeel would not be… happy. Why hadn't she just told them? Levy asked herself a second time.
As Gajeel delivered Levy to Jura's study, he wondered again what had happened between Laxus and her during the trip. He had followed their trail with his nose to his uncle's koi pond and could hear them talking as he approached them. By the time he turned at a hedge, they were smiling and she was holding his arm. Had Laxus-
"We have to prepare in the case you are targeted Levy," he heard Jura say through the door.
Targeted? He inched closer to the door. "Gajeel, what are you doing? Are you eaves-"
"Sh!" he told Lily dragging him to the door to listen too.
"I understand and I agree. However, I feel the need to um, I- I'm really sorry Jura but before… I should have said something about who I-" Jura cut her short.
"I know Levy," he said. Know what?
"Oh…but how? Well, I guess several things might have given it away," it seemed they were moving further way.
"Yes you could say that. As for the rest, I understand your concern for telling them as well but let me deliver the news to them. Your perception is still shaky with them," he said trailing off. They must be standing by his window, barely within earshot. He heard them but could not make out what they were saying.
What the hell? He was thoroughly confused and looking at Lily Gajeel knew he wasn't the only one with a confused look on his face.
"You know eavesdropping isn't nice," Laxus said from behind.
"How long have you been there?" Gajeel growled.
"Long enough. You were so intent on spying you didn't hear me coming," he smirked.
"Who the hell is she?" Gajeel asked.
"Don't know but at this point it doesn't really matter does it?"
"Of course it matters! She could still be playing us. Just because she's got you wrapped around her little finger making you blind to the possibility," he argued.
"Is your pride still wounded or are you jealous? Or both scrap metal?" the smug smirk hadn't disappeared and Gajeel was sure he was going to throw a punch soon.
Gajeel took a calming breath and tried to invoke the Jura residing deep, deep, deep within. He began to walk away saying, "You're letting yourself get played Laxus."