Gajeel landed on the ground with a heavy thud, stinging prickles running up and down his arm. He could hardly do more than grunt in pain when another attack came his way. He hardened his arm, turning it into a large, metal club, and blocked the sword. He used the momentum to flip himself over onto his feet and stared down his opponent. The older man grinned.
"Nicely done. For a second there I thought I had you." Gildarts said, wiping sweat off his forehead. Gajeel kept his arms up and ready and made no move to reply, knowing the man was probably looking for some weakness in his stance.
"Com'on, Gajeel...get him!" Salamander yelled from where he and the others watched from a safe distance away.
Gajeel ignored him, refusing to fall for that trick again. He had risen to the bait before and had the scar to prove it. Gildarts relaxed his stance and waved his hand at the rest of the dragons.
"Go ahead and take a break. You look like you need it." The man smirked and only after he walked away did Gajeel relax.
"Heh, I need a break? You look like you need it more, old man," Gajeel muttered as he turned his metal arm back into flesh and blood. He walked over to the lounging dragons, still panting from his training.
He hated to admit it, but his entire body was aching. The ex-general pushed him through his forms that morning, insisting that they practice everything they had studied so far, from switching forms to Gajeel channeling his magic in his new body. Gildarts fought him with everything he had, making it so Gajeel had to turn his entire body to metal just to withstand the man's Quake Magic. Gajeel stretched out the stiffness in his arms, watching his mentor lean against the side of his cabin with a heavy sigh.
The man claimed it had been years since he served active duty to the king, but Gajeel highly doubted it. The man was a force to be reckoned with, his natural strength second to none and his magical power stronger than anything Gajeel or the other dragons had seen before. He was injured during the battle with Phantom Lord and as a result had to retire before he was ready, but the idle time did nothing to diminish his strength. If anything, it had only made him stronger and he used his extra time to train new knights for Makarov's army. Each and every person he previously trained had become a high ranking officer within the Mage Knights and Gildarts would make no exception for him, no matter what "sob story" he came up with.
Natsu had explained his situation to the human mage and Gildarts had taken one look at Gajeel, broken into a wide grin, and said he was just the challenge he'd been needing. That had been one year ago and Gajeel hadn't had a moments rest since.
"I won't let you anywhere near the castle until I know you can hold your own. There'll be plenty of others who are just as strong as me and I have a reputation to protect, ya know." Gildarts had told him during his first few months of training when he had become antsy to storm the castle and Gildarts had to physically stop him from leaving.
He didn't appreciate the comment back then, but now, as he sweated profusely and collapsed next to Wendy, he certainly was thankful for the rigorous training.
"What's the matter, Metal Head? Tired already?"
"Shut it, Salamander. You try learning how to fight in a new body," Gajeel grunted, looking around for a cup of water.
"Do you want me to help? I can get rid of the pains in your muscles, if you'd like."
Gajeel gave up his hunt and shook his head. "Nah, thanks though. I need to get my body stronger." He clasped his fingers together, marveling at how easy the action was now that he had months of practice. It had taken him a while to control the individual digits, but he had to admit that opposable thumbs really did come in handy.
Sting ruffled his wings. "What is it the humans say? Pain begets gain...gain has no pain-"
"No pain, no gain," Rogue mumbled, half asleep.
Wendy, ever the mothering type, whispered, "Don't you think you're pushing yourself too much?"
Gajeel grunted and lay on the ground. "I have to, if I want any chance of gettin' stronger. I have to blend in with those humans so they don't figure out what I am."
"You could blend in more if you hadn't been hiding from humans all the time," Rogue muttered, rolling in his sleep.
"Oi, who says I was hiding?" He jerked upwards and glared at the black dragon.
"Oh that's right, you were just hoarding your treasure away and out of sight." Sting grinned and raised his eye ridges.
He grunted, "Don't know whatcha talkin' about."
"So why are you so tired, huh? Does sparing against an old man twice your age tucker you out, little hatchling?"
"Stuff a wing in it, Sorry Scales! You try fighting with hands. Four legs is easy compared to this weird leg...arm...thing."
"You're doing great, Gajeel!" Leave it to Wendy to try and encourage him, "I just wish I had someone who loved me like Gajeel loves Levy." She sighed, ruffling his long hair.
Gajeel felt his face turn hot, which seemed to happen any time someone mentioned the girl . "Hey, wait...I don't love that Shrimp!"
"Then why are you going through all this work, huh?" Sting snickered and ignored Gajeel's glare.
Rogue curled his tail around himself. "Being a human looks exhausting."
"Ha, look at his face! He's as read as I am! Wendy, what does that mean again?"
"Leave him alone, guys. Humans do it all the time when they're embarrassed."
"I'm not embarrassed! And I'm still a dragon, if ya haven't noticed!"
"Being human really is exhausting."
Gajeel shot to his feet and kicked dirt at his so-called friends. "Shut it, all of you. Why are ya here anyway, if yer just gonna say random stuff?"
"We're supporting you Gajeel!" Wendy's entire body quivered in her excitement.
"Some support you lot are," he snorted, crossing his arms.
"Muscle up, Buttercup! Break time's over. We need to go over your sword stance again cause at this rate the only thing you'll be good for is chopping firewood."
With a final glare to make Natsu shut up, and tuning out Wendy's calls of encouragement, Gajeel followed his mentor to their training area. He listened carefully as Gildarts instructed him on the different positions for his arms and moved his body accordingly. He soaked up the information like a sponge, taking everything to heart; even if it was laced with enough insults to put Igneel to shame. But he would do whatever it took, endure whatever was served to him, if it meant he was that much closer to seeing his fairy again.