Melen was a small harbour village that Bell had been too once before. He had passed through the town on his way to Orario after he had left his home village in the north so it had been less than a week since he had been here, but it was only a quick pass through the city and his carriage didn't stop in. He at first had thought that Melen was the biggest city he had ever seen before actually reaching Orario, goes to show just how small his country hometown was.
He and his Goddess Loki, had left Orario just after dawn that morning, Bell waking up to the embarrassing site of a passed out goddess smelling of wine curled up next to him still holding an empty bottle. It almost resembled the situations his Grandfather told him about, but surely those types of situations didn't include Goddesses.
Despite the amount that the goddess had probably drank going by the smell, she didn't seem hindered by it and was even more upbeat than yesterday. Bell thought it strange the he was Loki's secret, he didn't fully understand why she was hiding him away from the rest of the Familia. As strange as it was, he couldn't say it was unwelcome. Here he was in a new town with a goddess by his side.
"Now, which way was it… I know it was through the market somewhere…" Loki mumbled to herself while looking around the main market square as Bell figured he shouldn't make the comment that she was lost. Their trip here to Melen today was to get Bell a weapon, honestly Bell had felt comfortable with the dagger he had received from the guild, while no expert craftsman had made it and no legendary tales would be told about it, it fit him strangely enough.
However Loki had other ideas. Even going so far as to throw the dagger he had into the grassy field on their way to Melen after he had showed it to her upon her request. He had tried to go off and search for it before Loki had grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him along leaving the blade forever lost to the white haired teen.
They had conversed a little on their way to harbor city, Loki asking questions about his prior experience and laughed when he told her that he had gone into the Dungeon despite not having received the Falna, despite her laughter Bell felt a tinge of respect coming from her after having heard it. Was going into the Dungeon without a Falna really that big of a deal?
"Come on Little Rabbit." Loki grinned up at him. "This way." Bell nodded and followed after her now that she had some idea of where she was heading. Before they had left Orario that morning they had stopped by at the Guild, Loki having a few words with Eina before they left. Loki made it absolutely clear to Eina that Bell's position in the Loki Familia was a secret, only causing a lot of complaints from Eina due to her not understanding the reasoning and the problems that could arise, with Loki's only explanation of 'it's fun', didn't help the matter much. It seemed Loki was causing trouble over him.
"I'll have to apologise to Eina later." Bell thought to himself as he looked around wary of his surroundings. Eina had told Bell after she had given them their pass to leave Orarior that he should watch out for Loki, there was no telling who might be thinking they could take her out. Bell was even more nervous now because he didn't have a weapon on hand to defend her if it came to that.
"The nose knows." Loki grinned as Bell stopped, the red haired goddess tapping her nose and Bell smelt the air, the scent of the sea was strong seeing that Melen was on the ocean but there was also the scent of fire, coal dust and molten metal. There was also the clanging of metal on metal as all kinds of races worked hard at their forges and anvils. Loki headed off into the maze of the blacksmiths Bell doing his best to keep up with her keeping a wary eye out just encase. After asking for directions and a begrudging reply of the blacksmith they were on their way to getting Bell's new weapon, a small wave of excitement began to grow in the boy.
A sudden explosion of soot and smoke blew from the end of the street before shouting arose, Bell and Loki noticed the other Blacksmiths simply groan and continue on with their work.
"You disgusting ignoramus! You should know better!" A voice shouted causing Bell to perk up slightly, they were nearing the end of the street where the shop they were heading to was said to be.
"Shove a rag in it, it's not your business so mind your own!" Another shout, however this time it was on the other side of the street.
"Your mistake is messing up my wares, just look at this mess!"
"Like anyone wants to buy your half assed glittery arrowheads!" Bell glanced at Loki only to see that she had a look of confusion as she tilted her head slightly. "I've half a mind to go over there and drive your head up your own ass!" A sudden commotion from the left side of the road brought Bell's attention to a dwarf climbing over his work bench and raising his hands up in a rather odd way of readying for a fight.
"Well it's been a long time coming." The dwarf said before on the other side of the street another dwarf stepped onto the street, remarkable this one had blue skin and seemed much more eager for the fight then his fellow dwarf.
"Brok. Sindri." Loki called halting the two as they turned to face the Goddess, eyes widening at the sight of her. "You brother's wouldn't be fighting now would you?"
"Loki!?" Both exclaimed.
"I've come to pick up that." Loki said cryptically making the Dwarves look at one another. "You haven't sold it, have you?" She smiled, however both dwarfs began to sweat as even Bell felt the less than friendly intent behind that smile.
"We've still got it! No need to get all flustered over it." Sindri quickly nudged his brother in the arm.
"Right, hang onto your knickers I'll go get it." The blue dwarf hurried off back into his own work shop as Loki lessened the tension and clapped her hands together.
"It's been a long time Sindri, I didn't expect to find you and your brother in the middle of a squabble." Loki stated as Sindri headed back behind his work bench, Loki and Bell approaching.
"Just a small incident Goddess." Sindri stated. "Nothing for you to worry yourself over." Loki hummed as Bell was entranced with the arrow heads that his brother had called half-assed, if anything they were the most beautiful things Bell had ever seen. "Like them? They're rarest of the rare." Sindri told him. "Braided Mistletoe Arrows that can't be made by anyone else, straighter than Heimdall and perfectly weighted."
"Mistletoe?" Bell asked, weren't those flowers of some kind?
"That's right, each hand crafted by yours truly." Bell picked up one of the green arrows, it was light, nothing like a hunting arrow he had seen in his hometown.
"Any reason for creating a mistletoe arrow?" Loki questioned, an amused expression on her face hiding a secret Bell didn't know.
"N-No of course not Goddess, no particular reason just a muse is all." Sindri spoke hurriedly, taking the arrow back off of Bell and placing it with the others before taking them all out of sight.
"Anything worth of interest in recent years Sindri?" Loki asked sitting on the edge of his work bench.
"Plenty Goddess, but most were sold and I don't have much left in the ways that you'd find interesting." Sindri said however knew that it'd be better to bring her something than nothing at all. "But I might have something here…" Bell watched the dwarf move about his work area, searching hurriedly through crates of what looked like scrap items.
"I wonder how Goddess knows these two dwarves?" Bell thought to himself. "And why is one of them blue?"
"Here it is! Put this on your arm boy." Sindri called as he tossed a smell arm band to the white haired teen. Bell caught the strap and looked it over, it was some kind of device he'd never seen before and it was heavier than what he was expecting it to be. Not knowing what to expect he attached it to his left arm, doing up the straps. "Now, it's a bit tricky here." Sindri said coming back around the workbench to stand before Bell. "It's wrist work." Sindri continued raising his own wrist and rotating it slightly. "Do this but do it while your arm is at your side, otherwise you'll just knock some teeth out…. blergh."
Sindri took a step back and nodded for Bell to continue. Bell glanced at Loki to see her intrigued, not knowing what to expect either. Doing the movements as Sindri instructed the device on his arm came alive surprising him as a large golden shield formed from the gauntlet. Bell's red eyes were wide in excitement, never would he have expected that.
"That's new." Loki grinned seeing the shield, Bell turning to show it to her. "It must have taken some time to create the mechanism for that."
"Well yes, but it's fine." Sindri told her.
"We'll take that as well." Loki nodded seeing Bell was about to take it off causing him to halt in his movement to do so. "How much?"
"N-No, well you see… it's not really for sale." Sindri tried to explain. "It's a one of a kind, if it gets out there other blacksmith's will try and copy it, that's just disgraceful." Loki however simply stared at him with her closed eyes and an eerie silence passed between them. "For you Goddess, it's free." Bell's eyes shot wide open, free!?
"Well, we'll just make sure no other blacksmith can get their grubby little hands on it, right Bell?" Lokie smiled at him.
"R-Right! I won't let anyone else touch it." Bell declared getting a grin from Loki as she turned back to Sindri who hung his head. With another movement of Bell's wrist, the shield retracted quickly making him smile, he'd hold his word and never let another smith look at it.
"I'd much appreciate it." Bell was curious to know what else was behind Sindri's workbench, he'd never seen half the stuff that the dwarf had and was eager to see more. That was until Loki jumped from Sindri's bench and strode across the street to Brok's work area, Bell following.
"Gah, the dumbass spent six years trying to perfect that damn Guardian Shield." Brok huffed as he held a covered item in his arms. "Two years of that were spent just on the shield's design, don't let me get you started on the mechanism." He huffed placing the covered item on the workbench with a thud. Loki immediately uncovered the item and Bell was amazed at the axe present within it. This was the weapon Loki wanted him to use? He doubted he'd even be able to lift it. The handle was wooden and the axe head itself was covered in runes that Bell had never seen before.
"For the boy?" Brok asked.
"Yep." Loki nodded wrapping an arm around Bell's head and pulling him to her shoulder. "My newest Child, green as grass this one." Brok furrowed his brow. "But he's got what it takes." Bell smiled awkwardly at the blue dwarf who huffed as he leaned forward.
"You said that about the last one." Sindri's voice came as he walked up beside them. "Twenty eight years ago your brought a Pallum to give him the axe, said he had what it took."
"I was eager." Loki shrugged. "This time, I've got it right." She added taking a glance at Bell who was confused at the tide of the conversation, could the axe only be wielded by a certain person? Brok huffed as he leaned over the axe and glared at the boy.
"This axe, the Leviathan Axe, it's one of the best weapons me and my brother ever made. You want it repaired, you bring it here. You want it upgraded, you bring it here. You want to put a shiny fucking pink dress on it, you bring it here!"
"Y-Yes Sir!" Bell hastily answered.
"Hear that, kid called me Sir." Brok smirked at Loki who shook her head in amusement. "Here ya go than kid." Brok gestured to the axe as he took a step back. "Pick her up and she's all yours." Bell hesitated slightly as he looked at Loki and than at Sindri before down at the axe. It had to be too heavy for him right? Would he even be able to lift it? He only ever used an axe to cut wood before.
"Only one way to find out." Missing the intense stare Loki was giving him he stepped forward, approaching the bench and reached out for the handle of the axe. Gripping it in his hands a sudden chill engulfed him. "It's cold."
"That'd be the twenty frost troll souls." Brok nodded. "Not exactly warm." Bell nodded as he lifted the axe, surprisingly enough it was light, almost to the point that the dagger he had earlier almost weighed heavier than it, but that couldn't be it, right? Brok had struggled with it when bringing it out.
"Sweet Nanna's nethers." Brok breathed out, a smile coming to his face.
"J-Just hold right there!" Sindri announced before he ran back to his shop making Loki and Bell turn to see what the other dwarf was doing, before long he raced back and with him a belt of some kind. "Excuse me." He announced as he walked up to bell and pulled the belt over Bell's right shoulder and grabbed it over his opposite hip. Pulling it tight he did the strap up over Bell's chest. Quickly Sindri moved around the boy before clicking his fingers over Bell's shoulder to gain his attention. "Right here, this is where it can hang, try it now." Bell nodded and attempted to swing the axe up onto his back and luckily managed it to hook where Sindri had pointed too.
"Now you're starting to look like an Adventurer." Loki grinned at Bell, the boy blushed slightly only getting a bigger grin from the Goddess.
"Oi, boy." Brok began making Bell turn to him. "You know Thor right? Or atleast of him and that hammer of his?" At the mention of a certain God, Loki crossed her arms and turned away with a slight scowl, Bell missing it completely.
"A-Ah yes." Bell nodded, his grandfather had told him about some of the more famous gods, Thor being one them them.
"That axe, like that hammer of his can return when the one who uses it calls." Bell's eyes widened slightly at that, but it was Loki that broke the silence.
"Ah! You ruined the surprise!" Loki shouted, not having expected brok to suddenly blurt it out. "How awesome would it have been if he figured that out for himself!?" Bell smiled awkwardly beside his now frustrated Goddess.
"Remember what I said, I'll never forgive you if you let another smith work on her, got it?" Brok asked making Bell nod frantically.
"Yes, I won't." Brok nodded his head as he folded his arms.
"Bell will be a regular customer." Loki told them both. "So put away you petty squabble and get back to work." Both dwarves grumbled slightly as they glanced at one another before turning and heading back to their respective shops. Loki simply grinned, turned to look up at Bell before looping her arm with his and leading him back the way they came.
"I-Is this really okay, Goddess?" Bell asked hesitantly. "I… I didn't pay for it." Loki remained quiet for a time, making the silence slightly awkward for Bell.
"The axe is special." She simply said. "Doesn't have much value to be honest and both Sindri and Brok will be happy to be away with it." She shrugged. "Take it as a family heirloom." Bell was speechless as Loki continued. "Think of the shield as a gift for joining my familia and being my little secret." Bell smiled softly. "Now let's head back to Orario!"
"We're heading back already?" Bell asked surprised, was this really all that they came for? He honestly thought they might do a little more sightseeing.
"Yep, there's a god here that doesn't really like me personally, so the less time we spend here, the better." She told him, the smile never leaving her face. Deciding it was probably best not to cause a confrontation Bell and Loki walked from the Blacksmith marketplace to the main Gate of Melen. Before they left Bell was beginning to feel eyes upon them but Loki just increased her pace and luckily they had left the main gate before anything had happened. Now on the highway that led back to Orario the tense situation seemed to lessen considerably. Loki released Bell's arms and folded her hands behind her head while giving Bell a sidelong glance, eyeing the axe slightly before tilting her head back.
"So, my Little Rabbit, what made you want to become an Adventurer?" Bell's eyes widened slightly at the sudden question before a smile came to his face.
"My Grandfather." Loki's eyes peered open slightly taking in his features to see him hold a smile on his face. "My Grandfather always was the strongest person I knew, he raised me and ever since I can remember he always told me stories of Heroes."
"Ah…" Loki nodded, she'd heard the story numerous times, hearing stories of heroes and want to fall in their footsteps, the origin was becoming boring for the red haired goddess, about to let out a yawn Bell continued.
"Um… also... my Grandfather." Loki listened as Bell squirmed slightly beside her gaining more curiosity Loki leaned in slightly. "Said it was a Man's Romance too… to uh…" Loki, more interested opened her eyes slightly and caught sight of the blushing face of the boy. "To… to have an encounter with a girl in the Dungeon!" This stopped Loki dead in her steps as Bell turned to face her, the goddess eyes were wide open, her mouth slightly slack, then the damn broke.
"HAHAHAHAHA!" Loki was on the ground in a fit of laughter, hugging her sides as she rolled from side to side making Bell panic, was something wrong!? "HAHAHA… A Man's! HAHAHAHA!" Tears were pooling from her eyes as she banged her fist on the ground, never had she heard something so ridiculous! A boy wanting to become adventure just to meet girls in a dungeon! Sure there were plenty of folks looking to make a name for themselves and acquire woman, but this!? Taking deep breaths to steady herself, a few chuckles escaping her here and there as she sat up and looked up at the worried face of Bell.
"G-Goddess?" Bell hesitantly questioned.
"Do-Don't worry Little Rabbit." She smiled happily. "You're more amusing than I originally thought." Her smile turned into a grin as she offered her hand and Bell was there instantly there to help pull her to her feet. Clapping one hand on his shoulder she grinned up at him as they began to walk. "So let me guess, big boobies, right?"
"Eh! W-Wait Goddess! Why all of a sudden!?" Loki wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down slightly.
"What's the matter with two compatriots talking about their interests, right!? I prefer them big!"
"Eh! Goddess like girls!?" Bell exclaimed, face flushed red.
"I'm a deity Little Rabbit, hetrosexuality was a thing mortals made up." Loki shrugged before prodding him in the cheek with a finger. "I bet the Half-elf at the guild caught your interest." She teased making Bell's face flush. "Yeah! You like big boobies!" She laughed.
"N-No, Miss Eina is just my dungeon Advisor!" He tried to argue only for Loki to laugh at Bell's flushed face. "And Go-Goddess… I don't think a girl should be chosen on the size of her chest." Loki's eyes widened slightly to see Bell staring back into hers. Since coming down to Genkai she felt her cheeks heat slightly at the sight of a boy, before quickly shaking it away. Releasing Bell she simply smiled and walked with a bit more of a pep in her step as they headed back for Orario.
X-Babel Tower-X
Boredom.
That's all she felt as she looked over the city, once it was full of things that amused her, made her want to claim it all as her own. Now, it barely had anything worthy of note and it was growing tiresome, just as Tenkai once did for her.
"Ottar, can we start a war?" Freya asked offhandedly, as if asking for a glass of water. A war might cure this boredom that overcame her… not for long though.
"If my Lady commands it." The large Boaz with a rock like body and standing over two meters tall; stood a few steps behind her answered almost to the letter of how she was expecting him too.
"Boring." Freya sighed, Ottar the only 7th rank adventurer in Orario, the one who made her Familia among the top in all of Orario, perhaps the entire country considering the meager levels that they had outside this city. By far her most prized children, but like the others, he lacked holding her interest for to long.
The midday sun was setting over the city as she gazed out from behind a wall of glass. Colours of children littered the streets, but nothing she hadn't seen before. About to turn away from the window, to see what she could do to cure this boredom, her eyes caught a slight glint at the Gate of Orario and it stopped her in her tracks. Her eyes widened as she focused on it, the pure aura surrounding the child made her body begin to tremble with both excitement and need. Her eyes widened even further, completely pure, no corruption in the slightest. Had she ever seen a child so pure before?
No, never.
Resting one hand up to the glass, almost as if reaching out to him, she wanted him, nothing would stop her from having him. About to open her mouth to order Ottar to retrieve her newest fixation, she stopped her eyes fixing into a slight glare at the one next to him.
"Loki." Her fellow goddess had already taken the boy with her, something new had been taken from her before she even set her eyes on it, and it just had to be Loki. A sinister smile came to her lips. "You play unfair Loki, I'll guess I'll do the same."
Her eyes fixed on the white aura once more and her tongue licked her suddenly dry lips. Without even ordering Ottar away, her hand travelled down to her nether regions as she watched him. This was new, by no way was she unfamiliar to pleasure… just no other had made her feel like this.
The setting sun hit the small yard located at the back of the small Familia house. It was an enclosed area, shielded on three sides by large buildings with the Familia house blocking the view from the entertainment district, which as the hour got later the noise started to rise as the Pleasure District awoke. Bell was free to practice in the backyard without any prying eyes. A leftover target was set up, aged and worn from years of disuse but it was perfect for Bell to practice throwing his newly acquired Leviathan Axe at.
After returning from their trip to Melen, Loki had headed back to the Twilight Manor, saying she didn't want a search party out after her which would spoil the surprise if they found their way here. This left Bell alone, while saddened at first he soon found the backyard and with all the excitement of the boy he was, he got to testing out his new axe and shield.
Swinging the axe at invisible enemies he found that the axe was perfectly balanced, and after a few swings he found that it was even easy to swing it one handed which would definitely help if he needed to switch between defence and attack quickly, the speed of the shield would help as well. Stronger attacks would always come from swinging it two handed but he didn't doubt in time he'd be wielding the axe one handed to slay numerous monsters. He laughed giddily as he envisioned himself standing on a tall rock, axe in one hand and shield extended in the other. Deciding to fantasize later, he continued his practice.
Taking aim at the target he had managed to roughly set up, he pulled back his right arm with the axe, before putting everything he had into it and threw the axe with all his strength. The axe whirled through the air, and as if by an unknown force the blade sunk deep into the target with a weight Bell never felt from the axe, and as it sunk into the wood frost spread over the target completely encasing it in a thick layer of ice almost immediately.
"This axe is so cool!" Bell mentally cried happily, he had no idea how he was ever suppose to repay Loki for it, she said it wasn't worth anything but surely she was mistaken.
Hesitantly Bell raised his hand up, the same one that had thrown the axe and felt an enormous pull and just like Brok said, the axe came whizzing back from the target, however Bell was unprepared for the sudden return of the weapon whizzing for him, panic set in and he let out a shout of panic before jumping to the ground… the sound of glass shattering as the axe crashed through a window made Bell wince as he looked up at the broken window.