The Tail of the Twin Dragons

4

Two people crashed through the undergrowth, a tall man with long wild black hair and a small woman with soft blue hair. The man wore a suit of armor and a grand black cape, the woman wore a brown cloak over her attire. In the man's arm was a young boy who looked on the verge of sleep despite his parent's obvious fear.

Night had fallen and they were running through the forest. Behind them were fearsome shrieks of roars.

"They're gaining!" Levy cried.

Gajeel bit down on his teeth and swore, there was no way they could outrun them... but maybe...

The boy in his arm shifted trying to get more comfortable and Gajeel looked down a fondness in his red eyes. He made a decision, stopped, and turned to Levy.

"Here, take the munchkin," Gajeel ordered handing her their black haired son.

"What are you doing?" Levy asked panicked.

"Ol' Pantherlily held them off for as long as he could... but you and I both know he was no match for those dragon killers." Gajeel growled turning one of his hands into a metal claw.

"And neither are you!" Levy cried.

"I don't mean to fight em'." Gajeel growled. He took his claw and ran it down his skin making scarlet blood rush to the surface.

"No," Levy cried running up to him and grabbing him.

"I can distract them!" Gajeel defended raising his bloodied arm so that none of it touched her.

"No I'm not losing you too!" Levy screamed making their son wake up.

"Goddammit Levy!" Gajeel growled grabbing her with his arm that didn't have the blood, "Let me do this! Let me save you and him."

Levy was crying now. She shook her head no and clutched her son.

"Please... please don't leave me," Levy shivered, "We're a family, we have to stay together."

"We will," Gajeel nodded firmly bringing her close, "I'll always be with you." With that he kissed her, briefly, but surely. He leaned down and put a hand on his son's weary head.

"You take care of your mother, you hear me squirt?" he ordered softly.

"Papa?" their son muttered wearily.

Gajeel backed away, "I love you," he assured Levy. And then he smeared the blood on his arm all over his armor and took off to the south leaving Levy to sob as she listened to the shrieks grow distant... the beasts had took the bait... they were hunting him now. No dragon killer could resist the smell of dragon's blood.

Levy turned and ran clutching her son. She held him close and prayed that somehow Gajeel get away even though she knew Dragon Killers always got their dragon.

"Mom?" her son muttered looking up, "Is Papa going to come back?" he was exhausted and looked up at her with fuzzy eyes.

"Of course," Levy lied as she continued to run, "Now go to sleep."

"Alright... " Her son muttered slipping off into sleep once again.

Levy ran faster but inside she was panicking.

Grandeeney was too far away... The harsh mountains could kill her and her son before The Dragon King got the chance...

Natsu and Lucy were in the opposite direction, back through their enemies.

Laxus? She hadn't heard from him in years.

Erik? For all she knew he had died long ago....

Erza? Juvia? Mira? Fairy Tail... God they were all the way to the east... there was no way she'd get there in time.

There was no one who could help her... no one she knew of anyway.

She looked back and realized that she was being chased... Gajeel had distracted the beasts... but The Dragon King's puppets were still on the trail.

She desperately ran even faster... when she sensed something; an enchantment.

She looked at the meadow she had run into and recognized the feeling of a illusion... she had spent years studying such magic. She used one hand to grab the quill out of her hair and wrote runes in front of her. She furiously scribbled a few more as he sensed her enemies gaining. She finished it and ran into the hidden area before locking the enchantment. 

She collapsed to her knees and clutched her son to her chest as her pursuers emerged; Dragon Hunters.

"Where'd she go!?" one yelled. Levy and her son were concealed in the enchantment; they could not be sensed, touched, or seen.

"DAMN!" another roared.

"Spread out! Find her!" a third ordered.

Levy smiled in relief as they scattered, one even walked through Levy and her son; the enchantment was very impressive. She breathed a sigh of release and rocked her son back and forth thanking fate for sparing her and her son.

"Well... I don't think I've ever seen a mortal break through that enchantment," a voice growled.

Levy looked back in horror and realized she was face to face with a large black dragon.

"Oh please grand dragon," Levy murmured bowing her head and holding her son even closer, "Excuse my intrusion... I'm seeking asylum but I will leave once my pursuers leave if you permit me," Levy recited remembering dragon courtesy.

"Don't bother," the black dragon sighed laying down, "I despise Dragon Hunters, you are welcome to stay, you and your young son."

Levy smiled in relief and bowed lower, "Thank you so much."

"Anything for a Redfox," Skiadrum said bowing his own head.

Levy looked up in shock.

"A descendant of Metalicana is an ally of mine and may I be damned to the fires of hell if I forsake them," Skiadrum recited.

"A vow of loyalty," Levy breathed.

"You know your dragon lore well. Yes, I gave my loyalty to Metalicana... until The Dragon King slaughtered him... perhaps I may serve his grandson until vengeance exacts itself on the monster that is our king."

Levy smiled; they had found a miracle. Who would have thought that one of Gajeel's father's allies would be a few miles outside of their territory.

"Thank you... what may I call you?" Levy asked.

"I am Skiadrum, the shadow dragon," Skiadrum answered.

"Of course!" Levy realized standing up, "Metalicana's right hand!"

"Yes," Skiadrum nodded, "And you are?"

"Levy, Levy McGarden Redfox," Levy answered.

"And the boy?" Skiadrum asked.

Levy looked down, "We named him Ryos."

"Ryos... typical for a Redfox," Skiadrum chuckled.

Ryos shifted in his sleep and groaned, his dreams were full of shadowed nightmares, cries, and a metal warrior covered in blood.

I don't remember my father, not as clearly as I wish I did. I see a tall shadow, I can feel the cold steel of his armor and sometimes I hear a strange laugh in my memories but I can't piece them all together. If I could have one thing in the world, it would be memories of my father because I would never be able to lose those.