Chapter 21 - Introductions

The dragon was resting near the horse paddock, white scales glimmering in contrast to the earthy, muddy surroundings. Gajeel was struck with a thought when he looked at the golden horn structures adorning it's body, regal and otherworldly. He wondered how anyone could have called themselves a king with such majestic creatures roaming the lands. Considering how dragons had been extinct for a long time, he thought kindoms may have only come into existence after them.

"Finally. I considered coming back," the beast grumbled, his relaxed pose and following yawn betraying his words.

"Well, not all of us can jump that far, you know."

Gajeel chuckled at Levy's answer, not expecting her to address the creature so casually. She really surprised him every time.

"No need to tell me, human. I'm well aware. You need these to carry you around." He pointed at the horses nearby with a swing of his large head.

"I thought you didn't know that?"

"I did not. But I used the time and had a chat with them. They seem to be fond of you, at least."

Gajeel, slowly getting annoyed with being left out of the conversation, yet intrigued by it's contents, decided to join in.

"Yer talking to the horses?"

"Mhm, I have yet to decide who makes for the better conversationist between you."

He decided that calling the dragon regal in his head was a misjudgement, this beast was clearly rather petty. However, the banter was not entirely unwelcome, if a bit irksome. It showed that the dragon was not only reasonable and intelligent, but also not necessarily unfriendly.

"Have a conversation with us then. You said yer looking for me. Whaddya want?"

"Fine. Let's get right to it then, you're a dragonblood, yes?"

"Explain what that is before you ask me if I am one."

"Here I thought the term was rather self-explanatory. You carry the magic of a dragon, considering your physical appearance and magic power. You should also be able to sense a presence, possibly through visions or thoughts. So?"

Gajeel sighed and sat onto the nearest patch of soft grass, petting the ground next to him for Levy to come sit as well. He figured the following conversation may prove to be a long one. After both were comfortably seated, with Levy leaning against his side, he explained his strange dreams and the first outburst of magic. Usually he'd be more cautious about who to tell this to, but the dragon inside of him, after having originally reacted strongly to the presence of another dragon, now conveyed a feeling of familiarity towards him. He was fairly convinced, that what he saw was no illusion, nor that the creature was dangerous in any way. Besides, his father was dead, and even if Natsu or some of the other sovereigns were dragonblood like him, most of the knowledge about them had been lost to time. The real, breathing dragon in front of him was invaluable to understanding his situation. When he was finished with his explanation, the beast seemed to ponder for a while, before speaking once more.

"Only dreams you say? It is easiest to connect to other planes of existence through dreams, since your body is in a relaxed state. Mhm, this could be a sign that the dragon heritage is weakening. Not surprising, considering how long it has been, but also not great, considering what I need from you."

"You want something from me?"

"Indeed. I need you to release me."

This seemed to pique Levy's interest, as she perked up next to him. She didn't make it far, though, her first word was cut off by the appearance of the dragons fluffy tail end in her face.

"Rhey-humrf"

"Hush, little human. Has no one told you that names hold power? It was not through my permission that you learnt mine, so don't go callously revealing it to others."

Levy seemed taken aback, but not overly surprised. Gajeel wondered if she had known that from some part of her research or if it may have been part of her magic education. He had been hurt by the fact that she'd never told him about her ability, but couldn't fault her for it, considering he hadn't told her about his own either. Additionally, it had clearly been to her advantage, so he was glad it helped to keep her safe in the end.

"Fine, Dragon. We haven't talked about how you came to be in that cave in the first place. You told me you didn't know, but you're clearly still in some way confined and you know what to do about it. You know more than you told me back then."

Gajeel grinned, proud to have chosen such a quick-witted, sharp woman to be his queen. He knew she wasn't ready to accept this yet, which was understandable. But he also knew she'd be good at it, her compassionate and curious nature reminded him of Natsu and he was certain the people of Terya would quickly warm up to her. Besides, he didn't intend on giving them a choice anyways, he'd never choose anyone else.

His musings had bridged the short pause between Levy's accusation and the dragon's answer, but he was pulled back into conversation by the rumbling sound of a deep laugh.

"Hrmhrmhrm. Very well. I see no more need to hide it from you, so I shall tell the two of you a thing or two about dragons, myself included. You see, we are not meant to be on this plane of existence. We are beings of pure magic, we just assume a corporeal form such as this to be able to exist here."

"So, this is not actually what you look like? What realm are you from originally? And why did you come here if you're not supposed to be here?"

Grasping that the creature in front of him was not only not made of flesh, but also claiming to be from a different plane was enough of a shock to Gajeel, but of course Levy was already asking questions. Not that he wasn't curious himself. Different planes of existence weren't well researched due to their nebulous and mostly unreachable nature, but their existence itself was at least not new information to him. Parts of Rhyacus, and the neighboring country Ataraxia had populations of powerful magicians skilled in spacial and astral magic, who had been able to connect to other realms. Most Deities also didn't make much secret out of their living space being on either their very own or a shared dimension. Apparently, dragons weren't too different in this aspect.

"We usually live on the same plane as our creator. They were the one to send us here, too. See, being magical in nature, we have the unique ability to absorb magic around us. Our creator originally sent us out to collect magic from different planes so we could develop properly. We simply enjoyed the vibrance of this world, so some of us stayed here. We returned when our physical bodies had reached their limit, not wanting to put a strain on this world by creating more."

Wondering how amazing the magic age must have been, Gajeel wished he could connect with his own dragon, maybe he'd be able to show him what it was like. It was no secret, that magic and magical creatures had been declining for some centuries, with an even more rapid decline in recent decades. Even just a few generations before, the world flourished with magic. The cause of these changes had yet to be conclusively determined, but Gajeel wondered if the dragon might be related to it.

"So, yer just a big ol' magic vortex?"

"Sigh. You know, by now I almost wish to go back to conversing with the horses. At least they weren't rude."

"Listen, overgrown lizard, it's great yer friendly an all, but as far as I see, yer in need of our help, not the other way 'round. Maybe tell me lizard etiquette first 'fore ya complain."

Now it was Levy's turn to giggle at Gajeel's usual gruff defiance, clearly unfazed even by the presence of an ancient dragon.

"Fine. I'll let it slide, since I do need your assistance. My theory is, that for me to return to freedom, this physical body needs to be destroyed. And not just by anything, the magic should be of the same nature, which is where you come into the picture."

"What do you mean by freedom exactly? You seem plenty free already. And how did you get here that this would be an issue?"

"Let me explain in more detail then, since you clearly won't stop asking. When I was living here, I met a human. They were young, reckless and curious, always asking questions, in fact, you quite remind me of them. One day, they asked for my name. Now, I did tell you that names hold power, but I had grown quite fond of their company and knowing they weren't able to write, I told them. Soon after, they had to leave and we never saw one another again, I presumed they would simply forget about me. But, they must have made note of my name somewhere, in a diary or something of that nature. Hades found my name and used it together with dark magic to summon me here forcefully. You see, usually with a summoner, they create contracts with the being they summon." He glanced at Levy "Your bond who smells of the cold night and shining stars is well versed in this matter. But Hades was not interested in negotiation, dragging me here and locking me in that cave. Now, this does not come without consequences. While he can access my magic through the summoner bond and I am unable to act against him, he is unable to command me. Thus, he used me to gather more magic than any human would be able to in multiple lifetimes, hoping that he would find a clue to make me obey. If this body dies, I would be released from the bond, since he did not put any stipulation in the contract for me to return to him if my physical body perished."

Gajeel pondered what he'd just heard. Summoning a dragon must require strong magic, plus Hades had apparently been hoarding insurmountable amounts of it for some time, which worried him. Additionally, he was hoping to get the dragon on their side and use its power for their cause, but seeing as it was more or less bound to their enemy, this seemed unsafe. But maybe it could help in some ways.

"Alright, so you need me to basically kill you with magic. For that you'd need to teach me how to wield it."

"You don't know?"

"My guardian died before he could teach me and I didn't have time to figure it out myself."

"Fine. I'll teach you right now if you have time. It shouldn't be too complicated. Tiny human, come over here for now."

Gajeel could feel the dragon in him rage at the idea of Levy even standing beside another dragon, he could almost feel him squirming, his being vibrating with magic.

"Ah, there it is. It seems the dragon you are connected to is especially possessive, causing such turmoil. Stop fighting it for a second. Listen inside of you and try to connect to the dragon. Ask for their name. Knowing it should allow you to deepen your connection."

Levy seemed concerned, making him hesitant to truly let go, but he was dying to finally get a grasp of the magic in him. So he did as told, closed his eyes and listened inside. It was hard, the dragon in him was fighting and squirming, scrambling to take over, but both soon realized it was a futile fight. Gajeel had fought against the dragon because he was concerned about what may happen if it won, now he realized the dragon, while a part of him, was not strong enough to overpower him. He tried to reach out to the energy he could feel emanating from it and when he thought he established a connection, he spoke to it:

Oi, dragon. Seems you like my woman, so how about you make yourself useful and help me protect her? You're stuck with me anyways, might as well be friends.

The energy remained unresponsive, but Gajeel could feel hesitation, as if the dragon was pondering his request.

"Oi, he's not reacting, what do I do?"

"Have you introduced yourself? Politely? Names should be exchanged, rather than relinquished."

Made sense. Gajeel hadn't thought about introducing himself, since the dragon was a part of him anyways, but it was worth a shot. He focused back on the dragon's energy, searching for the same nebulous figure he'd seen in his dreams. Breathing steadily, he could feel his muscles relax and when he felt completely calm, he addressed the dragon once more.

Guess I never really said hello, so...I'm Gajeel, nice ta meet ya. I'd like to be yer ally.

Now the energy responded, where the magic had previously been a stormy ocean, now it felt like a friendly river. The rage that had been thrashing and squirming like a caged animal vanished, replaced by magic seeping into every fiber of his being like the caress of a warm spring breeze. A name manifested in his mind. Teravhyr. With it came images of the earth, of damp, glistening caves and shimmering ore veins. It seemed the Dragon was attuned to metal and the earth, so much of a perfect match for Gajeel, that he wondered, if the magic had influenced him. He could feel the magic energy growing, the dragon seemingly delighted to be welcomed so readily.

"Good. It seems you're able to tap into your magic flow now. Next we should work on actually using it. Draconic magic is extremely versatile within the element it is attuned to, so you should be able to do pretty much anything you put your mind to. Maybe start with scales, while they are a bit complicated, they are also rather useful. Just focus your magic and will it into scales."

Gajeel was uncertain if it would be that easy and as expected, not much happened when he just thought of scales. He wasn't used to magic at all and despite a warm fuzzy feeling of energy, he didn't really know what to do with it. Suddenly, possibly sensing his struggle, Levy walked over.

"You can't grasp it yet, right?" she asked, touching his arm lightly with an understanding smile on her face. He could feel the dragon react to her touch, but ever so faintly. While he did seem protective or even posessive, it wasn't to a point where he would lay claim to Levy or see her as his own mate. Rather, it seemed that to him she was part of his hoard and his family, hence the reaction being limited to when she was in danger or seemingly being coveted by another dragon. Gajeel breathed a sigh of relief, having feared that the dragon would intervene in his relationship to an uncomfortable level.

He nodded at Levy, hoping she'd be able to help him understand how to use magic a little better.

"Focus on feeling it first, then, try to concentrate it through your breathing. Just like when you'd hold your breath, try to pull it into your chest when you breathe in, and release it when you breathe out. Magic is a flow, you don't have to push or pull, just direct it."

Doing as she said, he closes his eyes again. When he focused on his body, going through each of his limbs, he felt as though he could actually feel the magic in each of them manifesting in front of his inner eye as a sliver of shimmering silver in the darkness. He started doing a deep breathing technique, still focusing on the feeling in him, imagining the silver shimmer to swell and pool in his chest, then release with each breath. It reminded him of the waves of the sea crashing onto the shore, washing over the rocks, forming little pools, which turned into tiny streams, trickling back into the ocean. The feeling was enjoyable after a while, it had been long since he'd felt so in tune with his body and so much at peace. The dragon seemed to like it too, his satisfaction rumbling through every fiber of his being like a low purr.

Suddenly, Levy spoke again:

"You're doing great, now, direct the magic to one of your arms. And I'd guess there you'd will it to harden and take shape, use your imagination."

Gajeel did as she said, still breathing steadily, instead of releasing the magic into the entirety of his body, he now focused it into his arm. It was akin to building a canal, not forcing the energy anywhere, merely guiding it to its destination. He could feel it overflowing, it naturally started wrapping around his arm, as if it knew what he wanted. When he felt as though it had covered the arm completely, he stopped it from flowing freely, instead imagining it hardening into metal scales on his skin. A cool feeling spread across his arm and when he opened his eyes, he was greeted by glistening scales and Levy smiling brightly.

"Look, you did it! Easy, right?"

He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and grinned back at her.

"Course, what do ya take me for!"

The metal scales felt different than the ones he'd grown inadvertently before, more like a part of him and stronger, too. He was curious to try out other things.

"Good. You should be able to master it with some training. I presume you're a trained warrior, which is why you were able to achieve this so quickly. You have a strong bond between body and mind, nurturing it will strengthen the control you have over your power. Now, would grant my request once you've trained your magic sufficiently?"

"I would, but I don't exactly have the most freetime at the moment. War's on our doorstep and whatever Hades gained from you will be hard to deal with. I don't got time to train. Unless yer up to helping us out that is."

"I should make you aware that I am unable to kill my summoner. You will have to deal with this fight yourself. However, I can be of assistance if you insist. I presume that should be ample compensation for your efforts."

Gajeel grinned. Even if he had to take on Hades alone, having a dragon behind him to deal with large scale attacks could turn the tides in their favor. While he was still considering the possibilities, Levy piped up:

"If Hades dies, wouldn't that release you as well? Why do you need Gajeel to kill you?"

"To be frank, I simply wanted to rid myself of this connection as soon as possible. I've been fighting his influence in a damp dark cave for the past century, I'd rather get it over with quickly now. I also do not have explicit knowledge of what he might have at his disposal to subdue me. I hate to admit, but I am a liability to your fight."

"Wait, for the past century? How old is Hades?"

"Ah, right. There was something I wanted to tell you. Hades...I am uncertain what kinds of magic he is using, but he has been replenishing his life energy since he summoned me, or possibly even before that. You should know that you are not up against an ordinary human. Furthermore, I should tell you what I have gathered about his forces. As far as I can tell, most of them are not human. He created them, using my magic. They're autonomous puppets, ready to act out his will, with no regard for their own well-being. You should keep that in mind."

Gajeel was taken aback. He'd known there were strange things going on in Erkar, but to this extent? No wonder he'd been able to return the army to its former strength so quickly. It may even be related to the strange occurrences that had been reported from the country, from sicknesses to disappearances, to cult activities. But information about the enemy was always welcome, this was valuable knowledge to him and his strategists. With this, they might be able to come up with a plan to end this war in one decisive battle before it even began. Especially since it seemed this was not an action by the people of Erkar, rather a one-man show enacted by their power hungry king. He willed his magic to dispel again, watching the scales vanish into silvery dust, then addressed the dragon once more.

"That's valuable information, so thanks. I'm willing to take the risk to have you fighting on our side. Let's get back to camp, I'll have them clear a sleeping spot for you nearby and then we can get to planning."

The dragon nodded, heaving up his heavy body and walking towards the gate. Gajeel stretched out his hand to Levy, giving her a reassuring smile, which she hesitantly reciprocated. Of course she'd be rattled by the new revelations, but Gajeel was confident this was good news for them and their plans. If luck stayed on their side, maybe they'd be able to return to peace and normalcy in just a few weeks.

He couldn't wait.

/

AN: thank you for reading :)