Chapter 7: Green with Envy

**Sorry guys and gals for the EXTREMELY LONG UPDATE… I've been busy with the end of my college semester. It's been insanely busy, labs, papers, projects, photography… It's been crazy. So thank you for your patience and know that this is not dead… Not yet anyway. I still have a lot I want to happen to Ardorn and his friends. So without further ado… Chapter 7**

The ground shook once again, this time Ard awoke from it. The quake wasn't that bad, just some minor movement that shook the bed and the decorative pieces in the room. However it did knock his sword over from its posted watch against the wall. Ard moved a little and grimaced, a numb sensation stemmed from everywhere yet nowhere on his body. He looked down to see Chloe drooling on the blankets by his lap, where she had fallen asleep. She snore and gurgled a little. Ard patted her head as he went to stand. Ryuu was nowhere to be seen, nor was Sula.

Ard didn't think it was that peculiar that they were gone, instead he resigned himself for the pain he was about to face. He sat up, wincing as the pain flourished through him, enveloping his entire being. His jerking must have awoken Chloe as when he opened his eyes he noticed she was awake and staring at him, her back arched back.

"You shouldn't be moving around yet Ard!" Chloe chastised, laying her hands on his chest softly, bringing her forehead to lean against the muscles there. "You scared me, you know. I was terrified. I thought you were going to die, please, don't do that again." She whispered, her voice pacified by tears strolling down her cheeks, dripping onto his bare chest.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you like that." He said consoling her, laying a free hand on the back of her head. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. Ard noted it wasn't an unpleasant smile, in fact he enjoyed seeing her smile.

As they were embracing consoling each other, Ryuu walked in with a dark haired woman with a blue ribbon helping support her ample bosom, behind them was the white haired boy.

"So this is him Bell? From the way you were talking about him he looks rather pathetic." Said the dark haired woman.

"Hestia, don't be rude. He nearly died." Bell responded, blushing, embarrassed that she had said that he had been talking about Ard in a favorable light.

"Are we interrupting something Ard? Chloe?" Ryuu said tapping her foot. Both quickly shook their heads side to side, not able to speak from their sudden appearance.

"So… Who's she?" Ard asked since no one was introducing either one to each other.

"I'm Hestia. I'm Bell's goddess." She replied haughtily, clinging to the boys arm.

"Oh, good for you kid, you've got yourself a beautiful girlfriend." Ard replied, jokingly misinterpreting the response.

"G… g… Girl… friend… Girlfriend? Bell's Girlfriend?" Stammered Hestia, her face blushing, a smile rising from ear to ear. She rapidly played with her two index fingers a small amount of saliva covering her lips. Bell hastily spoke up trying to fix the 'misunderstanding'.

"It's not like that, I'm in her familia! We aren't together… right goddess? That'd be… indecent of us." Spoke Bell, his voice cracking in nervousness. With that Hestia, started to pout and regain some form of composure. With a disappointed look she finally snaps back into reality. With that Ard chuckled.

"Oh I figured, I was just screwing with you two. But it seems like this goddess of yours has… certain things she expects of you." He chuckled again. Hestia looked at Ard, her eyes squinted. She was about to speak when Bell stole the spotlight.

"Hestia… we came for a reason right?" He said, trying to avoid any anger she might be about to deliver upon Ard.

"I suppose. Fine. Man in the bed with the crying cat on you. Join my…" Hestia starts to say, placing the back of her wrists on her hips and thrusting out her chest to convey her confidence.

"No." Spoke Ard, curtly cutting her off.

"What? Why?" Hestia replied, her eyes wide open and mouth agape. "It'd be beneficial for you! You would get even better at adventuring and…"

"And I'd have to work with people and watch their back. The last time I was supposed to do that, I wasn't even there. No, I don't want to be responsible for anyone else's blood on my hands."

"I told you he wouldn't go for it Bell." Ryuu said quietly, looking rather sad.

"So that was the why Im being insulted by a short, big-breasted goddess?" Ard questioned staring at Hestia's ample bosom. Hestia's face became red with embarrassment as she noticed. Ryuu moved closer and slapped him hard against the back of the head. "Ow! That hurt Ryuu." He scolded.

"I should be the one scolding you." Ryuu replied, turning her back to him.

The ground rumbled its anger against the world.

Before them stood a green dragon. Everything about it was huge. The size of its mouth, eyes, head, tail, body, limbs. But most of all, its hunger was huge. It gnawed on a bloody mess. The blood was all over the walls and seeping down its shimmering scales. The group was awestruck. The seven of them knew this wasn't a normal monster rex. This was an Unnatural Spawn. Normally a group of twenty could kill this thing, but these seven betted it would take a group as large as the one that took down the Black Goliath. No, they thought they'd need a group as large as that just to get a few survivors to injure it. They needed an army to kill this thing.

"Ardlebor, I'll make a dash for its face, you guys get out of here!" Cried out Yung, the diminutive dwarf charged forward with his too massive farming sickles. Before he could get too far Gertrund, grabbed the dwarf by the beard and yanked him back, saving him from a heavy swipe from the dragon's tail.

"Don't be hasty Yung. We all get out together! Now RUN!" Cried out Ardlebor, sending the other six in front of him. He ran with them for a time until he was sure they wouldn't look back. "Goodbye guys." He said as he threw a vial of a volatile chemical. As it landed he was already turned around, the explosion happened behind them.

"Ardlebor!?" Cried out Ninae, the small prumm tried to go back and clear the rubble, but the others stopped her and dragged her on. Tears in all of their eyes.

"Well dragon… it looks like it'll just be you and me!" Ardlebor charged forward dodging the swiping claws and tail as he went to try and slow it down.

Little did he realize that his sword wouldn't just save his friends. It would help save the entire city. If not, the world.

**Okay guys, I know this one is really short. And I apologize, but with this college semester ending… I've been super busy. I swear to you all I'll try and keep these stories coming out fairly quickly. But until then be patient with me. And to any new followers to the story let me say welcome! And please leave a comment to tell me how I'm doing, it'll help a lot, and just possibly motivate me to write more often!**

As always, Never stop believing in stories.

-Jaw112211