"Argh! Don't tell me I fell asleep!"
The dragon opened one eye as the shrimpy human packed her things in a flurry.
"Geez, I hadn't thought I'd stay all night! If I don't get back soon, Master is going to throw a fit for sure!"
Master? Just who was the human referring to? The dragon slowly raised its head as she finished packing her bag.
"And I'm sure Laxus will put his two cents in," she muttered. "Can't wait for that."
The dragon tilted its head at her sarcasm. Who was this "Laxus"?
She raised the strap of her bag over her shoulder… then dropped it as she remembered something!
"That's right! Can't forget about you, big guy."
In no time, Levy restocked the dragon's iron supply. Then, with a quick wave, the human darted into the woods.
There was no denying it. The dragon was becoming a bit curious about the human's daily life. Obviously there was more to it than being a dragon's companion. Perhaps some investigation was in order…
The dragon flashed that mischievous grin before its body began to shift once more.
'Where is it?' Levy thought as she dug through her personal collection of books. Master Makarov had allowed her to keep a few on hand, though he made her promise to limit the amount. Some of them were for entertainment, while others served as references. At the moment, she was searching for her potions book so she could complete her latest project. Since she had shown up late, her punishment was some extra work. It wasn't necessarily hard; all she had to do was make some concoctions and powders as the customers ordered.
But she couldn't make anything without her reference book.
"What are you looking for, brat?"
Levy bit her lip as Laxus hovered over her. She knew he didn't really care; the man had to be up to something.
"If you must know, I'm looking for one of my books."
Laxus innocently raised an eyebrow, which told Levy he was definitely scheming something. "It wouldn't happen to be that book right there, would it?"
Levy looked to where he pointed. "Right there" happened to be at the very top of the bookshelf. Neither she nor Master Makarov could reach that high so easily. She glared at him, knowing full well what he had done.
"Can't you find someone else to annoy?!"
The man shrugged. "Don't know what you're talking about."
Sighing, Levy walked past the man, who continued to grin at his brilliant prank. The mage noticed that her step stool was nowhere to be found. Her irritation worsened when she spotted her magic pen sticking out, meaning that it was resting on top of the book. She groaned, aware that Laxus must have taken them as a precaution. But she needed that book, so she tried to reach it. Unfortunately, her hand didn't even come close to her destination. This made the arrogant Laxus smirk.
"What's wrong, brat? Can't reach?"
A nerve popped on the girl's head in fury, but she held in her rage. Any sort of reaction would only serve to satisfy him. She stood on her toes and stretched her arm to its limit, ignoring the man's taunts.
Laxus laughed at her struggling. "Haha! So Little Miss Mage can't even reach a freaking book!"
Levy continued to ignore him, though his words were making her more stubborn by the second. After making fun of her height, she would only add fuel to the fire if she stopped to look for her step stool. And there was NO WAY she was going to ask Laxus of all people for help!
The large man stepped behind her, still chuckling at her antics. "Alright, alright. This is getting painful to watch. Step aside, brat."
"No, thanks," she growled. "I'm fine on my own."
Her statement only caused Laxus to laugh louder. "So I see! Well, brat, don't say I didn't offer. Later!"
With that, Laxus strolled out the door. 'I'd say the little fairy will beg for my help soon enough. I'll make her get on her knees!' The thought of Levy pleading to him made him smirk.
As he imagined what he'd make the brat do for him, he failed to notice the hooded figure watching him leave.
"Ugh! Stupid Laxus! I'll show him!"
Levy still hadn't given up her battle with the bookshelf. "Of all the books that jerk had to hide, why did he take that one?"
If the man had taken one of her fiction novels, Levy could have lived with it for the time being. She had plenty more. But this one… this one she needed for her work.
'Not to mention he stuck my pen up there! I can't even make my own stool or ladder!'
She grit her teeth as she stretched some more. This would not defeat her!
Suddenly, the chimes at the door rang, notifying Levy that someone had entered. Doubting that Laxus would return so quickly, she deduced it was a customer. "I'll be right with you!" she called from her spot.
"…What are ya doin'?"
Levy froze at the man's gruff voice. She didn't know any villagers who talked that way. Her eyes moved to the newcomer.
Before her stood a man with a tan, hooded cape. He was truly a large man: perhaps not as large as Laxus, but just as menacing, if not more. Levy noted the strange metal piercings on his face. Was this guy for real?
The man remained oblivious to her gaping. Instead, his red eyes moved to where she was reaching. "Did ya need that?"
Levy blushed, embarrassed about the situation he caught her in. Laxus seeing her like this was one thing, but the presence of a complete stranger was making things awkward.
"Umm…. Yes, I did, but I can always get it later. What can I—"
She didn't get the chance to finish; the man was behind her in a flash. His large hands grasped her waist and hoisted her into the air! The blush on Levy's cheeks deepened.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?! Put me down! Please!"
"Can ya reach now?"
The girl blinked, then looked back to the shelf. Her book and pen were right by her face!
Not wanting the awkward position to last longer than it had to, Levy quickly collected her things. "Thank you. I got them."
The man grunted and lowered the girl. Thankful to be on the ground again, she looked up at the man before her. His hood was now down, revealing his thick mane of black hair. Levy found it oddly familiar. 'Wait… could he be…?'
The girl recalled the silhouette of her mysterious rescuer from the river. After comparing that with the man before her, it was certainly possible that he was the one...
Remembering herself, Levy coughed a bit before smiling brightly at the stranger. "Now then. How can I help you?"
"Help? What can a shrimp like you do?"
Levy was left shocked at his words. 'Did he just call me a shrimp?!'
A peculiar laugh brought her out of her shock. "Gihihi!"
The mage's eyes narrowed, not knowing what was so amusing. She huffed and folded her arms, revealing her impatience. "Then what business do you have, here?"
The man shrugged as he looked around the shop. "I was just passin' by. What kind of place is this, anyway?"
"The town's magic headquarters. You must be new to the area to not know about it."
"…I guess you could say that."
Releasing a calming sigh, Levy put on her best service smile. "Well, this place is where wizards and mages come to purchase magical items or look for work. My master runs this shop, so if you're looking for a job, he's the one to talk to. Otherwise, if you need a spell, I can whip something up for you."
The man folded his arms. Now that he was here, he figured the man this girl referred to as "master" would be Makarov Dreyar. His skills were almost legendary; it made him want to meet the man face-to-face.
"So, where's this 'master' of yours?"
"Out. He had to assist a client, but he'll be back shortly."
"And he left this headquarters to a shrimpy girl? Not too bright, is he?"
Levy growled at his comment, officially despising the word "shrimp" more than "brat." She took back her previous thoughts; there was no way this stupid jerk was her hero!
The man only laughed again, ruffling her hair as he did so. "Gihihi! Relax, Shrimp, I'm just messin' with ya!"
"My name is not 'Shrimp'! It's Levy!"
"Yeah, well, you look like a shrimp to me."
A retort was on the tip of her tongue, but the chimes of the door called her attention.
"Oh. Welcome back, Master. Did everything go well?"
"Feh! It was a piece of cake!" the old man laughed. Levy smiled, but the man behind her was left gawking. This shriveled old man was supposed to be the most powerful wizard?!
Makarov made his way to the counter, his usual sitting spot. "Now then. Have you completed your duties, child?"
Levy bit her lip; it wasn't worth the effort to tattle on Laxus. "Just about, Master. I had some trouble locating one of my reference books, but I got it now."
The stranger glanced at Levy, but just when he opened his mouth to say something, she elbowed him in the gut!
"Oof!" the man grunted, though it wasn't painful. He was merely caught by surprise from her actions.
The girl proceeded to smile at her master. "I'll get back to work, then."
Levy made her way to the back, and Makrov turned to the unfamiliar presence. "And how may we assist you?"
The man smirked at the little man. "I came lookin' for work. I'm new around here, and I could use the cash. So if ya got anything heavy duty, I'll take it on."
Makarov smirked himself; he found this man's cocky attitude to be quite amusing. "What's your name, my boy?"
"Name's Gajeel. Gajeel Redfox."
"Well, Gajeel, I don't happen to have the kind of work you want at the moment. However, feel free to check in often. I'm sure we can find something for you."
Gajeel nodded in agreement, while Levy was horrified at the thought! She had heard everything, and she really didn't want another bully in her life!
"Geez, why does it have to be this way?" she muttered to herself, unaware that Gajeel could hear her as well.
"Gihihi!"