July 5, x778
It had been nearly a year since Metallicana disappeared, and things weren't going Gajeel's way.
"Oi! I'm looking for a place named Dragnof! Have you seen it?" Gajeel asked a nearby stranger, getting a fearful glance before the asshole hurried off to another back alley in whatever city he was in. Gajeel didn't know the name. Or the people. Or the location. All he knew was that it wasn't his village.
After Metallicana disappeared, he couldn't find his village; all he found was grass and dry wood.
It was like the village had vanished in a single night.
Ever since then, he'd wandered, usually sticking to the forests and eating whatever monsters or animals he could get his hands on. He stopped by any villages or towns he stumbled across and asked if they'd seen a metal dragon or a dumbass fire mage.
After the seventh time, someone laughed at him for asking for a dragon, so he dropped that question and started focusing his search on Ru.
Ru would know where Metallicana was anyway, so if he had found him, it would have been two birds with one stone. But so far, no one knew anything about a fire mage with black fire, making him shift his search again to try and find the place Ru said he was heading to.
Dragnof. Gajeel had been asking for knowledge on it for half a year.
So far, nothing.
"Oi! You! Old hag!" Gajeel said as he approached a tall old woman with lightly tanned peach skin, long black hair, and black eyes. She wore a white version of the strange bathrobes people wore, with a yellow sash around her waist.
She tilted her head, a smile playing on her lips, "Yes, young man?"
"You know a place called Dragnof?"
"Why yes."
"Fucking finally!" Gajeel grinned, "Can you-"
"It was destroyed centuries ago."
"Fuck, never mind, you crazy hag," Gajeel groaned, letting the crazy lady go as he stuffed his hands in his pocket, "I'll ask someone else."
"I'm sure you will. Good luck, Gajeel." The woman waved goodbye, fading into the crowd. Gajeel scoffed and walked away, looking for someone else that probably wouldn't know shit about where Dragnof was. He'd been asking for half a year, and so far, all he had to show for it was a fuck ton of nothing, one crazy lady, and all the piercings he'd ever wanted.
It's not like Metallicana was around to stop him anymore, so whatever.
Where the fuck did he go... where did Ru go... where the fuck even am I?
Gajeel ground his teeth as he walked through the crowd of strange people in strange clothing. They were lightweight, and most had floral patterns on them. People called them 'Caminos' or something, and he couldn't tell if they looked comfortable. He'd never seen them before. Back in the village, no one wore them; here, everyone wore them.
It was weird.
Shit... I'm so fucking lost.
Gajeel frowned as he walked through the dirt streets of vendors and milling people. He'd followed metal tracks from some Pomegranate Kingdom and ended up here. In a land of strange bathrobes and what looked like paper houses.
Gajeel asked three more people and received similar responses to: 'I've never heard of Dragnof. Stop talking to me, you possibly flea-ridden child.'
After that, he decided to head back to the tracks.
He didn't have much luck in Pomegranate, but at least there, he didn't stick out like a sore thumb. His clothes were just as isolating as the dirt caking his skin from the forests he'd walked through.
"Fuckin waste of time," Gajeel muttered as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and forced his way back towards the edge of town. About a quarter of the way there before his sensitive ears picked up a lady saying something that caught his attention.
"I'd love to see the Fire God..."
Gajeel's head whipped to the side, his eyes widening as he saw a tall, elderly white woman with clothes similar to his talking to locals. She had a black cloak and a purple turtleneck. Her sandy blonde hair was tied into a large ponytail that seemed to fan out into a series of spiky tufts. She had black eyes that seemed to notice his staring immediately.
She froze the second she saw him, her eyes widening, before she collected herself and said goodbye to the local. The restlessness of the city muted their words as Gajeel watched her walk away, and he followed, "Oi! You! Wait a second!"
Gajeel pushed through the crowd, forcing his way past confused locals as he tried to catch up to the old lady. He had to rely on his sense of smell at one point because he'd lost sight of her.
He followed her to the steps leading towards a strange wooden structure atop a hill. Until the final step, a series of large red wooden gates without doors lined the road. Flower trees hung over the passage, shading it.
"Hey!" Gajeel said, catching the lady's arm before she could climb up the steps. She stopped, glancing back with a scowl, "What do you want? I'm busy."
"Where is he?" Gajeel narrowed his eyes, "You were talking to that lady about a Fire God. Where?"
"You heard that?" The woman raised an eyebrow before shrugging off his hand and pointing up the hill. "Well, if you want to see the fire god so badly, it's up there. Locals say it's open to visitors."
"Ru's up there?" Gajeel grinned, already moving up the steps as he sprinted up the hill, "Thanks lady!"
"Wait," The woman's voice faded as Gajeel sprinted up the steps, passing a couple carrying incense up the hill.
When he reached the top, he was greeted by what he assumed had to be a temple or a shrine, one of the two. A medium-sized building was in the center of a stone-laced courtyard, and a mural was painted facing the entrance. A pedestal of incense and other small objects lay below, and locals were kneeling with their hands clasped before it.
The mural showed a giant man with a large club and a beard of fire stomping across houses and trees, the sun shining at his back. It was cool, but not what he was looking for.
"Ru!" Gajeel shouted, startling a few people as he looked around, failing to find Ru. Gajeel clicked his tongue, moving to a nearby pillar. He started to climb up it to get a better look before the old lady from before yelled, "What are you doing! This is a shrine, for crying out loud! Are you insane!"
"Butt out, old hag!" Gajeel roared, halfway up one of the weird red gate pillars, "I'm looking for Ru! You're the one who said he'd be here, so what's the big deal? Once I find his dumbass I'll leave."
"What are you even talking about?" the lady scowled, messaging her temples. You said you were looking for the Fire God, kid. Who's Ru?"
"The Fire god," Gajeel rolled his eyes, "Or whatever, I still think it's a dumb nickname. Once he becomes a Fire God Slayer, it'll be cooler."
"I don't know who that is." The lady sighed, gesturing to the mural, "That's Kagutsuchi, these people's fire god. It's part of their religion."
The woman's lips thinned, "And right now, you're being disrespectful, so please get down, young man. You're making a bad impression."
Gajeel narrowed his eyes, glancing around at the disdained looks aimed his way.
"Whatever," Gajeel clicked his tongue, sliding down the pole and stuffing his hands in his pocket. Trying his best to hide his disappointment behind a bored tone, "What'd you mean by visitor, hag? What? I don't look like I belong here or something?"
"No, you certainly don't." The woman shook her head, tugging at some of his greasy and dirty hair, "When's the last time you bathed? You look foul."
"Hey! I couldn't find a river anywhere in this dump!" Gajeel snapped, pulling away as he stomped down the steps, muttering, "And I wouldn't even be here if Ru and Metallicana hadn't disappeared. Leaving me on some stupid wild goose chase."
"Metallicana?" The woman raised an eyebrow, following Gajeel down the hill for whatever reason. She asked, "Who's that? Is he like your other friend? The one that made you cause a scene at a place of worship."
"Ru?" Gajeel huffed, "No, Metallicana's different."
Gajeel frowned, "And that wasn't my fault. I thought Ru was there. You said he was there."
"I said the Fire God was there." The woman took out a cigarette, "I thought you meant Kagutshuchi. He's a god in these people's religion."
The woman lit her cigarette and put it to her lips, "They say his name translates to 'he who starts fires.' He's revered here."
"I don't care what he is. I'm not looking for an actual god." Gajeel groaned, scratching his head, "Look, hag. I'm looking for a dude with black hair, a burn scar on his face, nice as shit, and black fire magic. People call him a 'god' or whatever because they're dumb, and he's a pushover. Have you seen him?"
"No," the woman said, "But if you met your God back in Ishgar, which it looks like you did, I doubt you'll have any luck. Those types of Gods usually roam until called upon. Hardly ever stay in one place."
"Those types of gods?" Gajeel asked suspiciously, "What do you mean?"
"People, or more specifically, mages." The woman explained monotonously, her cigarette half gone by the time they got to the bottom of the steps, "Once human but now revered as something more. I don't know if they have any in Easteria. Kyoshi is the only city that allows foreigners, but in Ishgar, we have four."
The woman glanced away, "None of them are named Ru, to my knowledge."
"You serious?" Gajeel scowled, "You sure you aren't making shit up, old hag. I've never heard of any gods in Ishgar besides Ru."
Gajeel narrowed his eyes, "You don't have dementia, do you?"
"How old do you think I am brat!" The woman yelled, pinching her cigarette before snuffing it in a nearby ashtray and muttering, "Actually, don't answer that. I don't want to punch a child."
"Just try it," Gajeel taunted, "I don't care how old you are, you bag of bones. I'll kick your ass."
"What a little delinquent you are." The woman shook her head, glancing at the nearby civilians, "What are you even doing here, brat? Where are your parents?"
"Fuck if I know," Gajeel rolled his eyes, "Metallicana disappeared a year ago, and I haven't found shit."
"He's your dad?"
"Yeah."
"What's he look like."
"A dragon," Gajeel said, waiting for the hag to dismiss him like all the others.
"Never seen one." The woman shrugged instead, treating it like a passing topic. "Most people think they're extinct. Some don't even believe they're real. Claim they're fairy tales of old."
"That's bullshit." Gajeel frowned, relaxing slightly as he leaned against a nearby fence, "Metallicana's strong as shit. He wouldn't die. I just gotta find his lazy ass."
"Why are you looking for this Ru person then?"
"Because he'll know where Metallicana is. They're friends." Gajeel said, kicking the dirt as he muttered, "Ru said he was going to a place called Dragnof. Everyone I've asked has said they've never heard of it. You any different?"
"Afraid not, brat." Belno shrugged, "Sounds new to me."
"Great," Gajeel clicked his tongue, turning to leave.
"Thanks for the help, lady." Gajeel started walking away. "Hope you don't die of a stroke or something."
"I'm not that old brat," the lady laughed, stopping Gajeel in his tracks as she said. "But if your friend really is a god," the woman lit a second cigarette. "I might be able to call in a favor with someone who knows one personally. Who knows, maybe this Dragnof is a place only Gods know of."
"Seriously?" Gajeel asked, whipping his head back to the lady. "You're serious? Not pulling my leg or anything?"
"I wish I were." The lady sighed, "I have a feeling you're going to give me wrinkles before I turn 60."
"You're not 60 yet?"
"You want my help or not, brat?"
"Depends. What's the catch?" Gajeel narrowed his eyes, "You just met me, lady. What do you want?"
"I want to smoke in peace." The lady sighed, pinching her cigarette and discarding it. "And I want to make sure a kid who looks like he crawled out of the woods doesn't wander around the continent alone. Believe it or not, I'm not heartless."
Gajeel stiffened as the woman walked away, beckoning him to follow, "You coming? I've done all the other councilors sent me to do in this country, so if I'm gonna call in that favor, it's gonna be back in Ishgar."
The woman scoffed, "Or you scared of traveling with a bag of bones?"
"I ain't scared of shit." Gajeel huffed, trailing behind the lady—the two heading towards the local train station on the west side of town.
"Hey," Gajeel murmured halfway through the trip, glancing at the woman who may or may not have had a smoking problem.
"What's your name?" He asked quietly.
"Belno, " the woman replied, finishing her last cigarette and tossing it and the empty box in the trash. "Yours."
"Gajeel."
"Good name." Belno hummed, idly explaining, "Well then, Gajeel, I live in Fiore, so if you want to talk to the guy who knows a god, you'll need to stick with me for the next couple of weeks."
"Okay."
"You have a problem sleeping on the couch?"
"I'll sleep outside." Gajeel narrowed his eyes, "I don't need handouts, hag. I can handle my own shit."
"I'm not offering handouts," the woman sighed, wrinkling her nose. "I'm offering necessities, like a bath and soap—both of which you desperately need."
"What's soap?"
"Damn, I have my work cut out for me." The lady shook her head. She handed Gajeel a ticket and said, "Soap is something you'll use the second we get to my house. No questions asked. If you don't like it, just pay me back later. I'll wait."
"Alright," Gajeel said warily, accepting the ticket, "What's this for?"
"A train. Have you ever been on one?"
"No." Gajeel narrowed his eyes, inspecting the ticket before stuffing it in his pocket, "What's it like?"
"Loud." Belno shrugged. "It's a giant machine that moves fast, made of metal."
"Does it look like a giant caterpillar?"
"Sort of, yeah."
"I might've seen one, actually." Gajeel tilted his head, recalling the giant thing traversing the tracks he'd been following from Pomegranate. He thought it was a monster, but apparently, it was a form of transportation. A metal beast people could ride.
Gajeel was looking forward to it.
July 12, x778
Gajeel wanted to die.
"Ugh." Gajeel groaned as he got off the train, his body collapsing as his stomach nearly cried in relief. It had been hell. The second the train had started moving, he'd been struck with the worst case of motion sickness he'd ever experienced.
It was like his stomach had wanted to strangle him for something he had no control over.
It was the worst seven days of his life.
"Surprised you made it." The hag, Belno, snarked as she dragged his limp body out of the way of nearby passengers. Taking him out of the station and to a nearby public restroom, where he vomited the little food he'd been able to keep down.
"Never again." Gajeel murmured as he ambled out of the restroom a few minutes later, holding his queasy stomach. "Never riding that death trap again."
"Oh, if only it were that easy," the woman chuckled, pointing to the nearby station, "Unfortunately, kid, we're not even halfway."
"What!?" Gajeel looked around, getting used to the cold breeze that seemed to linger even with the summer warmth. These people didn't seem to notice it, though. They wandered the streets, playing in the fresh dew grass and talking amongst themselves like it wasn't the least chilly.
Some kids were even walking around in shorts and T-shirts.
Gajeel, in his sleeveless black tunic, crossed his arms and made it a point not to shiver.
"Where are we?" Gajeel asked.
"Isvan." Belno said, reaching into the glowy thing Gajeel had seen Ru use on occasion and pulling out a thin overcoat she immediately donned, "It's the country west of Pergrande Kingdom. If you didn't recognize it, I'm guessing you didn't pass it on the way to Easteria."
Belno smirked, "Some people call it Iceberg because it snows nearly year-round here."
"Course they do," Gajeel grumbled, glancing at the train station with a slight shiver. He clenched his teeth and grumbled, "Whatever. Let's just go."
"Wow, someone's in a hurry." Belno chuckled, shaking her head as Gajeel scowled. He refused to look at the train waiting at the station or make it known how much he did not want to get on it again.
He didn't do a great job hiding it, though, since the hag just smirked, "Relax, kid," she said, "I'm not gonna make you go on the train again. I didn't know you'd get motion sickness that bad."
"I can handle it." Gajeel grumbled, his shoulders slumping, "I ain't gonna lose to a dumb train."
"I'm sure you wouldn't." Belno smirked, "But even then, you shouldn't have to."
Gajeel blinked as the woman started smoking a cigarette, "I already called someone to help us out. He should be here soon, so just wait a minute. We'll be in Fiore sooner than you think."
"Whatever, hag." Gajeel grumbled, glancing at the cigarette with a raised eyebrow, "Are those good?"
"Nope, tastes like shit." The woman said, pinching the cigarette and stuffing it to the side, "Don't even think of trying any. These things will kill you."
"Eh?" Gajeel scowled, "You're using them, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but I'm old as bones, remember." Belno chuckled, "I can afford to die a little earlier."
"Oi, don't go croaking till you help me, hag."
"I'll try my best." Belno smiled, glancing past Gajeel's shoulder as she said, "Hear that, Mest. You don't have to worry about me dying anytime soon."
"That's good news, Councilor," a young man said from behind Gajeel, startling the dragon slayer so bad he jumped away on instinct. His eyes flashed warily as he looked for the source.
When he turned, he saw nothing.
There was no one standing behind him at all. There was no sign of the first person, probably ever, to catch him off guard. His dragon slayer senses usually ensured no one could sneak up on him.
Where... what... how?
This was the first time they failed.
"Hag, who was that?" Gajeel asked, looking around cautiously. His eyes widened as he felt a finger poke his shoulder, and an amused voice cut in, "That was me, little delinquent. Nice to meet you."
Gajeel snarled, turning around and swiping his iron claws at the stranger, only for his attack to be greeted by air. The nearby pedestrians murmured as Gajeel clenched his teeth, scanning his surroundings.
Where the fuck is he!?
Gajeel found nothing before he heard the old hag chuckle, "Go easy on him, Mest. He's not as much of a threat to me as he looks."
"The hell I'm not!" Gajeel growled, turning back to see the hag standing beside a lean young man with black hair. The man's cheek was scarred, and his eyes were emerald green. He dutifully watched Gajeel with a cautious yet understanding gaze. The man waved lightly.
"Sorry then, kid." The man said, keeping Gajeel in his peripheral as he directed his attention to the hag. "And sorry, Councilor Belno. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't coercing you. A little test is all."
"You know I'm far too experienced for something like that to work." Belno rolled her eyes, beckoning Gajeel, "You, brat. Let me introduce you to one of the council's best. He will help us avoid the train you despise so much."
"I don't despise shit!" Gajeel growled, stomping over as he made sure to keep the man in his vision, "And who the fuck is he?" Gajeel jabbed his thumb in the man's direction, "How'd he vanish like that?"
Gajeel frowned as Belno smirked, glancing at the man with a silent question. The man shrugged and nodded, saying, "I got it," he said, holding out a hand for Gajeel to shake. "My name's Mest Gryder. I dabble in teleportation magic. That's how I sneaked up on you earlier. Apologies."
"Dabble?" Belno shook her head fondly, "Glad to see you're still humble."
Gajeel frowned at the interaction, eying the man's hand cautiously. He eventually shook it and muttered, "Gajeel." Before retracting his hands and shoving them in his pockets.
"Nice to meet you, Gajeel." Mest smiled, ending the formality as he took out a pocket watch and said, "I'll be back, Councilor Belno. The other councilors are waiting for my report. We can leave afterward."
Mest glanced at the hag, his expression tinged with worry: "This long a distance will take a toll on even my body. I'll probably have to make multiple jumps. Are you sure your body can handle it, councilor?"
"I'll be fine, Mest. Quit worrying." The hag shrugged, waving Mest off. "Now get going. The sooner you call the other councilors, the sooner we can leave."
"Yes, Councilor," Mest nodded, bowing slightly before vanishing. Flickering out of existence like he wasn't even there.
Gajeel looked at the spot he had vanished from, frowning as he tried to sense the man. He couldn't even begin to narrow down where he could've gone.
"Don't even bother, kid," Belno said, leaning against a nearby fence as she sighed, "He could be on the other side of the city by now. His range is much greater when it's just him he has to move."
"So what? I'll still kick his ass." Gajeel clicked his tongue, crouching beside the hag, his back snugly against the wall, "Who the hell is he? I've never seen magic like that before."
"That's unsurprising. It's not exactly easy to learn." Belno shrugged, murmuring, "It's also dangerous. Most of the people that try end up dead. Either from the physical strain or from teleporting somewhere they bloody shouldn't. That's why I said he was being humble earlier. When he said, he dabbled."
Gajeel perked up as the woman explained lazily, "He's probably the best teleport mage in Fiore. You could learn a lot from him."
"I don't need to learn shit." Gajeel clicked his tongue, a slight smirk growing, "I just need to fight him. He looks strong. He can fight, right?"
"He can." Belno shrugged, "The council doesn't use the ranking system that guilds use, but if we did, he'd be one of the three S-class mages we have under our direct control. Wizard Saints withstanding, obviously. They more or less govern themselves unless we need them for something important."
"Sounds complicated." Gajeel huffed, resting his chin on his palm as he asked, "What do you even do? He said you're a counselor or something. What's that?" Gajeel scratched his head, "And those Wizard Saint things. What are they? They sound strong."
"Seriously?" Belno's lips thinned, "did you live in the mountains or something?"
Belno's demeanor subtly changed as Gajeel nodded, "Yeah." He tilted his head, "Why?"
"Never mind." Belno sighed, shaking her head and recounting, "Well, one question at the time. I'm a part of the Magic Council. A group of mages that govern the magic users of Ishgar and ensure they don't run amok. We're in charge of upholding the laws and regulations followed by light guilds and independent mages. Usually through our operatives in conjunction with the Rune Knights."
"That's boring." Gajeel yawned, lying down in the dirt, "Is that Must dude on the council?"
"No, but he works under us." Belno frowned, "I'm sure he'll be on it eventually, but it's rare for a good fighter to volunteer for the council. They deal with more paperwork and legal challenges than actual combat, so it's better reserved for the retired."
"So you're in it cuz you're old." Gajeel realized, yelping as Belno's fist slammed into his head with more of a punch than he was expecting. Gajeel uttered a muffled scream as he rubbed the new welt atop his head, "Ow! What was that for, hag!"
"Pushing your luck." Belno huffed, rubbing her wrist as she shook her head, "As for the wizard Saints. They're a group of the strongest wizards in Ishgar, recognized and honored by the council. In legal terms, they are technically subservient to us," Belno sighed, "But practically, we don't have the power to subjugate them should they break the law. Hence, we give them benefits for complying with our rules and helping us when we call upon them."
"So you're pandering to them."
"Legally, no." Belno frowned, "It's more like a deal. We give them a lot of money and free rein to practice their magic anywhere, and in return, they follow our rules and help us when we call. Usually on issues of national security. They're Ishgar's greatest assets."
"Sounds like pandering." Gajeel rolled his eyes, drawing in the dirt as his lips curled up, "So who are they? Where are they? They sound strong."
Gajeel would love to fight someone that would finally give him a challenge. He couldn't fight anyone strong without Ru around. Just the occasional bandit or petty thief. They were boring.
Wizard Saints sounded way more fun.
"Think they'd fight me?" Gajeel smirked, his smile faltering as the woman laughed, "They'd kill you, brat. Try not to test your luck too much."
"I bet I could take 'em," Gajeel grumbled, his face burning as the hag laughed so hard she had to hold her stomach. Shaking her head as she wiped a tear from her eye, "You're funny, kid."
"You're annoying hag."
"Annoying's better than delusional." Belno smirked, tilting her head as she continued, "As for what the Wizard Saints are doing, hard to say. There are six currently, but there can be a maximum of ten if circumstances arise."
Belno held up four fingers. "Four of them are the gods I mentioned back in Easteria. They basically function as the head of the Wizard Saints and are really only called if there's an emergency concerning Ishgar itself. Otherwise, they just wander."
Belno held two fingers, "The last two are currently guild masters. They're heading to a guild master's conference currently, but I already talked to one while you were conked out on the train. He'll," Belno stopped, glancing past Gajeel and sighing, "I'll explain it later. Now, come on. Mest is waiting."
Gajeel flicked his head back, smiling as he saw the mage waiting patiently nearby. Gajeel forgot about the conversation as he confidently stomped up the mage and declared, "Oi! Must!" Gajeel smirked, "Fight me!"
Gajeel watched as the man raised an eyebrow, glancing at Belno.
She sighed and shrugged, seemingly permitting him.
"Go ahead," Belno smiled slightly, "He's a stubborn brat. I have a feeling he'll only learn his lesson if you hammer it into his skull."
"That sounds shockingly familiar." Mest shook his head, smiling slightly as he checked the time on his pocket watch. "Okay." He said, "We can fight real quick."
Gajeel's eyes twitched at the dismissal before his irritation molded into an excited grin. He turned his arms to metal and crouched, his eyes sharpening before the man vanished instantly.
"Sorry in advance," A voice sounded behind, "Don't take this personally, Gajeel."
Gajeel instantly turned, lashing out with an iron lance, but in the split second before he could, a sharp blow landed on his neck, and his vision flickered off.
"It'll just be easier to teleport you if you're asleep."
When Gajeel woke up, he was at a cabin in Fiore, and Mest was gone.