Disclaimer: I do not own any copyright material hence forth, and primarily Is It Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? or Danmachi for short, and therefore claim no means of monetary gain from this work based on the copyright material. This is solely the work of fandom for fictional reasons and I will not attempt to claim any undue reward for the effort hence put in. This will be the only Disclaimer, but will cover the entire story henceforth.
Is It Wrong to be a Just Adventurer Picking Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Chapter One
Unexpected Meetings
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Weldon-upon-Reach
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It was a warm evening as the Sun began to set in the far distance of the horizon. The trade and market town of Weldon-upon-Reach was beginning to wind down. Many shops were in the process of finishing up their transactions for the day with their remaining customers. Meanwhile, others such, namely so, the taverns and restaurants were getting ready for a busy and long night.
The evening promised to be warm, yet comfortable, as was such this time of year. The kind of weather where windows were open and cool breezes slid through the rooms like a welcoming blanket. The fires would burn, but not too hot, as they would provide that little extra warmth in the corners that would still feel a chill. But the various kitchen staff of different businesses would not have to worry about cooking themselves as they cooked the food that they prepared for the evening meals.
The River Reach meandered on its path, ever-flowing peacefully at this time of year. The sounds of the river made for a delightful background ambiance with the riverside businesses. Indeed, verandas were packed with families, friends, business partners, regulars, tradesmen, merchants, and crews of the docked ships as well as the port crews themselves.
Joyous was the sounds of another evening in this busy trade and market town upon the River Reach.
An evening promising peace…
Except for a lone figure in a light brown and green full-body cloak and hood.
Instead, the figure fled around back alley corners. Checking each with skilled precision and deft timing allowed them to continue with nary a beat to be skipped.
Behind them, an ominous shadow followed. The outline is indistinct, but not for what was held apart from them. A shadow that would catch the odd amount of limited light and reflect almost nefariously sparkle of the limited light in these back alleyways.
The figure escaping spun around one corner and then dashed up some long-disused stairs. Then slid down an old mast of a long grounded ship to climb the rigging to over long-abandoned crates.
Behind them, the shadow possibly let out some very choice words. With none of them likely to be polite. And likely some very angry swearing with tones of near madden rage.
Then the shadow bellowed as the figure grabbed onto some rope to swing to a nearby building across an old pier.
"Come now Sister!" the voice was a woman's voice, "I am only asking one small favor. Hardly with all this trouble to escape. Just help me and I will help you. Simple and easy. No need for this exaggerated sport of escape."
The now identified woman nevertheless went sailing across the air on the rope. Safely she began to make her landing, only for her heel to break as she began to make alight on the building's roof.
Pinwheeling her arms as she struggled to keep from falling, she ended up instead turning and was in danger of falling onto the pier at a very bad angle.
But suddenly a hand shot out of nearby darkness, taking hold of wrist and pulling with all of its might to bring her crashing into the owner as both went tumbling over an open skylight and into a long-abandoned dining room with disused tables and chairs to break their fall.
"Oh Sister? Are you alright?" the pursuer called as she began to investigate the site her target escaped into, "Please be okay. I do not want anything bad to happen to you. Especially in this silly little game."
The woman in the cloak regained her senses to find herself in the arms of a young teenage boy running down the empty alleys as fast as he could, carrying her full weight bridal style as well as her pack and his pack.
Indigo eyes looked up to see red eyes focused on finding a route out. White hair flowing back and forth as the head turns this way and that bangs flapping around before resettling to frame the face.
'So young,' the woman thinks as she takes in his features that look so kind and gentle, and yet he wears such a determined countenance before she realizes something.
A similarity to a certain fiery, yet promising young elf who she thinks of deeply and a woman whose promise had become tragically short and her name sullied in the name of good.
"Who's there?!" the other woman's voice could be heard suddenly, "Do not interfere in our business, you hear me? I will not tolerate such insolence!"
The pair make a turn and go up steps. Then the boy slides down a banister to what had once clearly been a government building. They are now on long, open, and forgotten streets.
For being called a town, Weldon-upon-Reach was easily the size of three of the Great Adventure City of Orario's Sections. Each as large as a fair size town and able to hold several thousand to more than ten thousand people. Such was the size and breadth of Orario to have dozens of sections like that throughout its massive size and guarded by massive fortress walls and standing forts built into areas of those walls.
Indeed, such were the defenses, that there were eight literal fortresses built into the city's great walls with high rising towers to guard against invasion…
… Or seal the city in the event it ever falls from within.
The woman is pulled back into the world around her from memories of the past as the boy slides to change direction suddenly and takes a turn towards a building, passing through a long open doorway and climbing up the stairs three at a time.
Then the boy charges down an open hallway, leaping over a hole in the floor and landing somewhat awkwardly.
The woman realizes it is herself. She realizes she's taller than the boy. Not by much, a fact that slightly annoys her. But she realizes that despite how light she is, she must weigh quite a bit for his youthful frame and young age to continue to carry.
But he never utters a sound nor drops her. Instead, he recovers and rushes through another open doorway. Then rushes up to an open window and climbs through with her onto a raised walkway showing another door to the room they had been in, blocked closed. But there are stairs and soon the pair are back into alleys.
"COME BACK HERE THIS INSTANCE WITH HER!" the pursuer yells as she struggles to keep pace, "I NEED HER HELP FOR MY SEARCH FOR THAT PHILANDER! COME BACK HERE AT ONCE! I ORDER IT!"
The boy did not pay the command any attention, but he could feel the power behind it. That power only a select few have in the entire world. So he had an inkling of just what he was offending, big time.
"Up!" the woman in his arms abruptly pointed upwards, between the buildings having noticed the walls getting closer together.
The boy nodded, but waited and saw the better point to do so. A small nook in between two buildings near the river and with a small tributary passing into the larger River Reach. The spot had a good position, though lacking holds to help them up, it was better than any other point because it would mask them in the shadows and place them off the pathways and actually above water.
"Hold on," the boy told the woman as he began climbing up over various boxes and crates before twisting and slamming his back up against a wall and then using his feet he began to climb.
The woman did as told. Holding on to him as tightly as she dared and even taking hold of their packs in her hands. This allowed the boy to use his hands unencumbered and both quickly ascended the gap in the walls.
The wider gap soon narrowed and the nook the boy saw became their hiding place. Quietly he moved them both in. It was awkward and somewhat difficult. The woman having to twist into a position of half sitting and half laying on the boy for them to hide.
She was able to draw her feet up though. This helped to further mask their hiding place as some light played in the area. And there was some near to where her feet would have been hanging and thus endangered of giving them away.
But now they were hidden, though it was a lot for the boy to hold them both up. Especially after all the running and parkour, he had done earlier. Still, he would do his best to endure and persevere in holding them up until they can safely get down.
He just doesn't notice the crumbling masonry behind him where a crack was hidden.
The pursuing woman suddenly arrives.
Like her target, she wears a full-body cloak and hood, but with her knife still out in hand The hood has a small interweaved crown of brass and steel on it to keep it in place and the colors of the disguise are a creme white and onyx black. The figure looks left and right before seemingly catching sight of something and heads in that direction at a hurried pace.
Then her footfalls signal that she is running and there's a screech of anger.
"GET BACK HERE!"
"A small boat," the woman sees what has gained her pursuer's full attention, "She must think we are on it."
"That's good news," the boy replies before grunting, "Now do we wait or go down?"
"DAMN YOU!" echoes from nearby.
"We wait, I'm afraid," the woman sighs as she tries to find a way to both lessen the strain on the boy and get comfortable somehow.
"This...isn't good," the boy suddenly says and the woman frowns and looks to see his face looking anywhere but towards her with his skin completely flushed red.
"Huh?" the woman blinks before a button from his coat, a cold button, touches some of her exposed flesh, "KIE!?" the woman jerks before realization dawns on her and her face turns a dark red as well, "K-K-K-K-KYAAHHH!" she screams abruptly as she begins to curl in on and cover herself up.
"Don't move like that!" the boy yells as he nearly slips trying to hold them up, "MISS PLEASE STOP MOVING LIKE THAT!"
"A-A-A-A-ARE Y-YOU T-T-TAKING A-ADVANTAGE O-OF M-M-ME LIKE THIS!?" the woman yells back in a panic, as she ends up struggling to find a way to recover her modesty and move to shield herself from his gaze.
"MA'AM PLEASE STOP MOVING AROUND!" the boy shouts in his panic, trying to keep them up and not slip and have them both... "WE'RE GOING TO FALL!"
A sharp crack then fills the air as both froze. It echoes like a strike of lightning.
It was neither of them. They stay still, trying not to move. Hoping that they both didn't hear that and that the pursuer hadn't heard it either.
Then there is the grinding of masonry before several more cracks fill the air.
"Oh no no no no no no!" the boy tries to extend himself as the wall his back is against begins to give away.
"This…" part of the structure above them shifts, breaks with a series of thunderous cracks, and crashes into its opposite with a finality, "not good."
Then both walls give away, turning and expanding away from one another.
"AYAH/KAYAAHH!"
The two scream together as they end up riding along and being pushed by the walls that had previously held them up.
With a roar of failing and collapsing masonry, both old and dilapidated buildings begin collapsing. The two were once a pair of office blocks, once connected. That had been decades ago. Built strong originally for life on the river's edge, neither had seen even a basic examination in years.
As such, the inevitable happened.
They began falling apart but thankfully collapsed mostly into a heap over their foundations. Still, the clean-up and repair costs, plus demolishing buildings shook and/or damaged by the collapsed pair would be a headache for the Weldon-upon-Reach Town Council. But on the upside, they had been in discussion about the disused area the pair were in for revitalization thanks to new mines along the smaller river upstream that had recently opened as well as expansion work of other facilities and revitalization of some of their living areas to address a crowding issue with their growing population.
So it would all work out in the end for them and their town.
For the pair that had been hiding… Well… Fortunately, they were ultimately dunked into the River Reach.
Unfortunately, the current was strong where they landed as well. So they have pulled away from the town and its population who were completely unaware of their peril.
On the other hand, a few small boats still had enough strength in them to stay afloat, if a little washed up. Including a small river barge, that while riding low and very wet, had enough freeboard to survive the river.
It was onto this barge the pair struggled aboard like a couple of half-drowned cats.
Once aboard, both made for higher decks. The barge was once a cargo and passenger transport on the river. Two huge, flightless birds used to turn wheels that in turn turned the water wheels of the barge, giving it propulsion down the river. An additional pair of such birds were available for moving upstream as well.
But that was a long time ago and the barge had been cut down some to a conventional barge with large poles before being reduced to being a towed barge.
Despite that, its design remained largely unchanged. As such, despite how wet it was on the main deck, the upper decks were dry. Some of the superstructures even remained, though not in the best of shape.
Still, the pair struggled up to safety even as the barge picked up speed from the current. The wind passing over the decks was chilling, to say the least, to the pair who were wet and had their hair not been matted down, would have been streaming in the wind. Especially the woman's long walnut brown hair.
"Here," the boy found an old cabin, for passengers or crew it was hard to say due to the passage of time, but there was a still intact if rusted and badly banged up stove inside and a crate of coal as well that looked to have aged rather well.
The woman noticed some length of the line still curled in the place it had been left just back down the hall. It was hanging on a still intact if nearly worn out spike that had somehow avoided rusting. Telling the boy about it, he nodded and said he would go back for it as well as looking for anything else they could use once the stove is active with a warm fire.
Nodding to his plan, the woman watched as the boy quickly took apart and examined the stove.
The good news was both the stove itself and its chimney pipe were in working shape. All they had to do was build a fire inside the stove. The coal was, unfortunately, a little damp, but there were items the pair could immediately make use of to start a small fire in the stove.
The long ruined sheets and blankets were torn up and one of the bunks and a small closet were broken up, the aged wood was hardly resilient and both had heard the wood wanting to splinter.
Thrown together and lit with long destroyed paper, a small fire was achieved.
Once it was strong enough with the attention the pair gave it, the boy smiled at the woman to let her know it would soon be enough to dry out some of the coal he had picked out. He indicated he was going to move the rest as he did not trust it one bit. The woman yielded to his greater knowledge on the subject without protest.
Then the boy got up and headed out. The woman nodding to him as he went. Then following his instructions, she kept the fire alive as she remained alone, shivering in her cold, wet clothes that clung tightly to her frame.
Except for her impressive bust. The top of her dress had torn at some point earlier. So now her twins were hanging out, covered solely by her cloak. But that brought her little relief. Both to her mortification of her exposed state, the state of her dress, and the fact the boy had seen and possibly felt her.
And that the cloak was great for keeping her dry in the rain, but was now wet inside and out and very much holding that water in, making her even more chilled as she struggled to keep warm.
She was at the point of simply undressing and finding another outfit when she realized she didn't have her pack anymore.
As such, she was standing half-naked when the boy returned, arms laden with items he had found and both of their packs hanging off his back.
"I found where we dropped our packs after we got on board," the boy stated, immediately unable to see the woman in her half-dressed state due to how much he was carrying, "Mine was hanging on the stairs, caught in water rushing aboard where there's water coming aboard and your's was actually in the water."
The woman could see the boy was even wetter than before. Soaked even once more as he shook from the cold.
Without hesitation and completely forgetting her state of undress, the woman aided the boy in removing items from his arms and getting him close to the small stove.
She even went as far as to remove his clothing, eventually stripping him completely bare. A state that left the boy blushing from head to toe, but the woman ignored as she single-mindedly removed her remaining clothing and pulled him close to her, using the dry and intact, if musty-smelling old blanket to cover them both.
Only after the boy had stopped shivering and was leaning into her for warmth, did the woman realize what she had done and what they were doing.
But she pushed past that.
While deeply embarrassing and mortifying, it was either that or the boy catching his chill of death from the cold. The barge was going at a fair pace if she had to guess. She could hear the passage of wind on the old, boarded-up windows. Enough of the wind entered to chill the room, but the stove fought the worst of it off.
The brave little stove would keep them warm as long as they kept it fed. And there was now enough dry wood, tinder, coal, and old cloth to ensure that.
Plus the room was still strong enough to keep the warmth in and the cold out.
Enough that neither should become sick at any time in the future.
And it was like that, huddled together, stark naked under the blanket, and next to the stove of fiery warmth, that both drifted themselves off to sleep, snuggling closer together to keep themselves warm as the barge ran down the river at its mercy.
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Morning came quietly. The barge had ended up slowing down at some point and now only meandered along. The warm morning rays revealed that the rushing water on the lower decks was gone and there were now only puddles to be found.
Birds took to and flew through the sky above as animals began to awaken to begin feeding or to head to the river to drink along the banks. Some fish explode up into the air to catch small bugs. A few instead were caught by sharp-eyed birds for breakfast.
The river was calm and quaint as the barge flowed with it. Nothing disturbing the tranquil beginnings of a new day.
In one of the intact cabins, a pair laid together peacefully. Arm in arm, holding one another close under a blanket. The nearby stove was now a dull yellowish-orange as the last bits of coal inside of it were consumed, keeping it warm.
One of the covering boards over the windows had given away at some point. Likely well after the barge had slowed down. As such, it revealed the window panes of glass were still present and still whole and amazingly enough, only dusty after so many years of neglect and abandonment.
Through this window, the early morning rays of the Sun began to leak in. The rising Sun's warmth beginning to warm the room in place of the stove. Providing that replacement heat for the slowly dying stove fire.
Also, the warmth of the rays brings with them an indication of what the day would be like. Already, the outside is starting to warm up considerably. The inside will be getting warm enough fast to awaken both of the sleeping persons in the room.
And the day itself would be hot. Not unbearably, especially on the river, but still hot enough to be somewhat uncomfortable. The kind of hot day that people would like to stay in cool locations or be swimming in rivers. Not outside working or loitering if they can help it.
Still, not a bad day to travel as long as one was properly prepared with enough water.
Thus, it was inevitable that the increasing heat would begin to stir the pair.
But instead, it was the morning Sun's rays. The light finding its way to play over their sleeping pair's faces. This in turn disturbed their sleep softly causing both to fidget in their sleep and seek to get away from the light.
Which in turn drew them ever closer together. Intent on enjoying the peaceful sleep they had been having. Nestled in each other's arms.
So peaceful, that the woman had a leg instinctively over the young man's legs, while the young man drew her in closer, somehow burying his face into her bosom as her face found his hair to gently nuzzle.
Yet the Sun would not be denied its wake-up call for both and slowly the pair began to stir. Both rising from their sleep. Indigo Blue and Crimson Red slowly reveal themselves as the pair's eyes open to the world around them.
Which are the soft Snow White hair of the boy for the woman and the Peach White complexion of the woman's skin.
As the pair of them process what they see and realize how they were holding one another, time itself seems to stand still. As though it has now frozen at that moment for all eternity.
Though, given the nature of the two sleeping forms, it would not last.
"AAEYEAHH!"
The twin screams pierced the air. Surprisingly, the boy was the louder of the pair. Which he somehow becomes even louder.
"I'M SO SORRY!"
The boy screams at the top of his lungs as he runs out of the room and down the hallway.
The woman behind him is left frazzled, holding her hands to cover the modesty of her exposed body. Her skin is practically as red as the boy's eyes from her toes to her hair. Her face filled with mortification of what had just happened, what had happened throughout the night!
And yet, to this woman, her unique skills, senses really, picked up on something very much immediately.
Through the power that she and others like her had, though each with unique traits and abilities on top of general abilities and traits, she could immediately sense no malice, mischief, or tainted action.
Quite the opposite. With her ability, she could tell he was very much terrified of what just happened. Not because of what she is, but because he was still a young and innocent boy fresh to the world and what it entailed.
And that she was a woman while he was, even though still a boy, a man.
"A child's innocence," the woman murmurs, pulling the blanket over her and standing up.
Truthfully, she doubted the boy would be back any time soon. Though she wouldn't be surprised. Even she knew a peeking boy of his age might only be doing so out of curiosity-driven by their body's development and the change from a young child to that of a young boy and then on to being a young man.
She felt a pang of pain in her heart. A memory flashing of a blue-clad, blue-haired girl one of her fellows had taken in. She had taught her and her own that some people did things for reasons other than malic and it took her strengthening her remaining traits to fully be able to embrace being a persona of Justice.
Padding over to where her bag sat, she remembered they never pulled anything out of either of their bags.
"Don't tell me…" she sighed as she pulled her bag open and saw that, yes, all of her clothes were still wet.
She didn't even have any underwear to put on. Mortifying as that was, she checked what she had worn the day before and found that she had left it in a pile with her ruined dress, cloak and hood, socks, and still wet boots.
"I have nothing to wear…" realization struck her as she checked her most valued belongings.
Fortunately, she had placed everything that would have been outright destroyed by the water into sealed containers and pouches. Nothing of importance was destroyed or damaged. The only things were her clothes and other items, such as her traveling blanket, pillow, bedding, and a few other items. Even her toothbrush and toothpaste were carefully sealed up inside of a traveling cup.
Checking the boy's bag, she discovered he was just as conscious about his belongings. While she blushed when she pulled out some undershorts, she could see that his important belongings were sealed as well. Though she was surprised by the number of coins he carried for one so young.
"His clothes are that of a villager, farmer?" she noted his belongings, far too meager and homespun to be of any wealth from a town, "So he's not a local of Weldon-upon-Reach," one of his coats she had pulled out was far too heavy for a River Town, more suited to a Mountain life, given its thickness and materials, "A traveler? So young and with this much coin?"
That was when she found what she considered his most prized possessions. While she wanted to look, she could tell it was several books as well as what she believed to be pictures. Like expensive, even if only using basic colors, of his life back in his home village. The way they were wrapped, told her it meant the world to him.
"So young and innocent," she smiled and then remembered that determined look on his face from the night before.
She had a sinking feeling that had nothing to do with the barge or river so much as she could figure out where he had been heading when he had somehow divined her distress and came to her aid.
As she shifted, a piece of cold metal suddenly brushed along her thigh and she jumped from the contact, remembering her state of nakedness and that the boy was running around aboard the barge with less covering him in sheer terror of what she might do to him.
Frowning, though, she took a look at the item as she pulled the blanket closer to cover herself.
She found an older, but popular design of a knife used by Adventurers decades ago. The package it had been in, a sealed container, had become unsealed at some point and the knife had slid out. It was the pommel and guard that had touched her.
"This is… Mithril," she gasped in surprise, "Dwarven Mithril with," the handle made her eyes widen, "Elvish Wood? Deep Orchard Lightwood no less and the Mithril is Highland Blue Mithril."
Both together meant it had to have been forged by a Blacksmith that was neither Dwarf nor Elf. As both flatly refused to forge their weapons out of each other's materials. Unless…
As she tugged on the knife, a small bundle of strong cloth came with it. Gently pulling it free, a small breastplate just about the boy's size slid partially out as well. The alloy was Adamantite and the straps were made of high-quality Monster Material, the kind only dropped from Monsters fairly deep in the Great Dungeon of Orario.
With a hard swallow, the woman pulled the cloth that had been with the two items and unfurled it.
As she thought. A Familia Banner with a Familiar Flag also wrapped within. And not just any of the pair of banners and flags.
"Zeus... Familia," she breathed in surprise.
The boy must have been the child of survivors. The fact he had such items, told a sad tale. His parents were likely dead and Zeus was nowhere near to take in and raise the boy himself.
A familiar pain of longing struck her heart as she thought of the young elfess she had left behind.
"Ryuu…" the woman felt tears sting her eyes before shaking her head and wiping her eyes clear with some determination, "Naked or not, I cannot let him run around such as himself," she blushed at her own words while standing up, holding the blanket close, "I better find him, so we can hang our belongings up and let them dry," she chuckled, they would be sharing the blanket for some time in their state, "At least I'm not Artemis," she had a poke at one of her friends, "Or Athena!" another poke at another friend, "Hestia might be just red-faced, but as the Goddess of the Hearth, she would know the need better than those two."
And wasn't that sad, given how Hestia was the most immature of the three.
The woman, though, stopped as soon as she had strode over to the still, much to her surprise and annoyance, open door muttering about people being able to see her, but she doubted there was anyone else.
Indeed, her senses only detected the boy in their collective proximity. The sense she got was nature all around them. They were either far more down the River Reach, past all of the towns and villages on its banks this far up, or somehow had ended up on one of the smaller rivers that split off rather than fed it. A number of those had no towns or villages (if any for that matter) for miles, but were easily blockaded by regional government powers, so there was no piracy either.
"That's a relief," she mutters sarcastically, before homing in on the boy.
Her senses easily picking out his innocent and pure nature. Yet she could feel a beating thrum of justice in his aura. He was much like one of Artemis' arrows, much to her what her senses told her. Rarely were all of her senses set off at once by anyone.
'Only Alice, Ardi, and Ryuu ever set all of my senses off like this,' the woman, the Goddess, thought as she returned to the spot where they had slept and folded the blanket up and left it there, 'I… Don't want that to be lost,' her hands were shaking, that feeling once more, like with her girls coming back to her in full, 'No… No… I… cannot. I'm sorry.'
But that didn't remove the feeling to recruit the boy to start again anew.
'Besides, I only recruit girls and women,' the Goddess thought frowning, it was a unique trait she shared with a few other Goddesses and some Gods who recruited only boys and men, 'So why do I desire to recruit a boy?'
The thought he was a survivor of the now, likely completely defunct, Zeus Familia may have been playing into that desire. But she rather doubted it. The fact the boy was no pervert told her that Zeus didn't raise him. That would have set off all her senses, but for different reasons than what they are now.
And yet…
'White hair and his face,' the Goddess thought as she headed for his hiding place, not even trying to hide her modesty anymore, but her face was still aflame in doing so, 'Ryuu used to have fits about walking around our home in just our underwear, let alone fully naked,' that brought an amused smile to her face at remembering the last of her children to join her Familia, despite the pain it brought with it.
But that same thought brought another woman to mind. A woman of the Hera Familia, essentially the Zeus Familia's sister Familia.
How the woman sought to be a sinner to give raise, some might say birth even, to a new generation of heroes. How she had been successful in that, only for some hidden hand to undo the work she and others had given their lives for.
'And took the lives of my Children,' the Goddess thought with bitterness and anger, though she could still feel Ryuu's Falna even now, 'But how is she? Is she broken? Laid low? Jailed? Or perhaps, worse of all for what we and her once were, Fallen?'
She would not be surprised if Ryuu survived, body nearly broken and with a soul completely crushed, and sold herself to men to sleep with at night just to survive.
It wasn't unheard of. How the mighty have fallen. As the saying not only went but how true it was.
'This boy…' while she could not read Auras as well as some, like Frejya could, she could still see things and this boy had a definite connection as she concentrated on that memory, 'Alfia's nephew if I had to guess. I recall she had a sister, but both of them were in the Hera Familia and I saw no Hera Familia items. Only Zeus. What does that mean? Is he a survivor of both?'
That would, in hindsight, make sense.
And the fact he acted against Hera to save her, was also as telling as the feeling he showed when Hera had thrown her Deity Aura behind her words at them, or rather, at him…
He did not know Hera.
Yet, there was some familiarity he had displayed to such Aura. Like he had known it all his life and simply didn't think about it.
'Could Zeus have been in his life?' the Goddess thought as she rounded a corner down some stairs and stood opposite of where the boy hid, shivering in a small puddle behind some barrels, 'Or was there another Deity in his life near to him, but the familiarity was too deep, too ingrained. Was he raised by Zeus? If so, how did he remain so… pure?"
She approached his hiding spot, stopping as soon as she could see his white hair.
She could ask once they overcome the current hurdle. She could learn more as they speak. They had time and she had patience.
With a deep breath, she stepped around the barrels, into the puddle, surprising the boy who did his best to back up and cover himself as she stood before him, completely bared and yet her face as red as his terrified eyes.
"Young man," she spoke with some of her Divine Authority that were shown on her face as well and he straightened up immediately, providing his complete attention on her face and face only, showing an instinct developed by years of being around a Deity, "I hope you plan to stop this foolishness and not flee now, again."
"S-S-S-Sorry!" he squeaked out nervously and frightened and the Goddess couldn't help, but make a comparison to a rabbit.
A very frightened rabbit right now, but she softened both her face and tone as she held a hand out, "You'll catch your cold of death if you stay here," she smiled warmly, showing a genuine caring demeanor to him, "I could not accept that for you if I was the cause."
The boy tried to form words. They were just unintelligible gibberish that failed to even try to form a word in gibberish. But he used one hand to indicate her current state as well as his own as his face was flushed as red as his eyes, if not darker.
Taking the opening, she reached further out and grabbed the hand at the wrist, sliding back to allow her fingers to wrap around the hand, and managed to pull him up and to her, though she may have pulled too hard or he may have tried to escape, because they both landed in a heap in the water with the Goddess on her back and the boy atop her, his face just so close to her own, she felt as though they should kiss and the boy, surprisingly, look the same.
Neither knew how long they were like that before the boy shook it off and tried to escape yet again, but this time, she held firm and pulled him close, pressing herself firmly against his back and ignoring how she affected his body.
"Don't," she ordered lightly and he immediately complied, "I am, truthfully, as mortified as you are, but neither of us has any dry clothes to wear and only one blanket to share between us."
The boy had stiffened up, but then, clearly, his mind went through what she had said before his tense body relaxed against her.
"Good," she smiled, even as he brought a hand up to squeeze one of her hands in understanding, "Let's return to… our cabin," she emphasized the word with a shrug, their contact causing her to rub herself inadvertently against his back and though it did things with her body pressed against him on him, he didn't panic or tense (as much), but he knew no other way for her to say it as she knew it, "Once there, we'll set about getting our clothes dry as well as ourselves."
The boy didn't move nor answer, though she felt the inner conflict of his innocence and purity at war with his natural bodily reactions and development before he finally took a deep breath and spoke finally.
"I think we might need to clean up first," the boy indicated the water, "It may have been brought on last night, but I think there is some kind of swirling dirt we may need to wash off beforehand."
The Goddess blinked and looked at the water they were sitting in. He was, unfortunately, right. Though she did not doubt that he knew what she was thinking now.
That there was no way to properly bath or even shower on this barge. Especially as they were.
"Well…" the Goddess flushed, "From what I can sense, we are all alone on this river. Which I do not believe is, unfortunately, the River Reach anymore. So… Um…"
"If the river maintains its current pace, we could just jump in the river and swim alongside the barge," the boy suddenly says, "The pace should maintain itself for the next hour or so, if not longer. I'm not familiar with this river, but it does feel like the ones back home. So we should be able to swim in the water and get ourselves clean easily enough."
The Goddess thought it over. The boy had not lied. No, she could sense his honesty and truthfulness like any Deity. But moreover, his innocence and purity had again stood out.
So she believed him.
But that presented a problem.
"Could we make it to shore and bathe there before the barge moves on?"
She would like to clean her hair of any impurities it might have picked up from the puddle. She knew, already, how bad that could get later on.
"If we could find a way to slow it or stop it, we should be alright," the boy nodded as he turned his head slightly to the Goddess, though he did it with some timidity.
The Goddess nodded in turn with a disarming smile that the boy took well as he gave a small and gentle, if still nervous smile.
"Let's get to work then," the Goddess then began to move to get them up, "But I'm not letting go until I know you won't go and hide once more," she had his number well and he blushed as he realized he was caught from the way she smiled.
Not long after the two began their search, they found the barge's old anchor and that it had a chain instead of rope. That was surprising, to say the least. Both expected half if not completely useless anchor line of rope. The chain showed rust but was well made and before the barge being abandoned, had been cared for. It might have even been new when the barge was abandoned.
Best of all, the anchor wheel was functional and still sturdy.
The problem was, though, and quite, unfortunately, neither knew how to operate the system at all. More than that, the boy found that the anchor and its turn wheel were stuck. Not from anything stopping it, but from something locking them into place.
That lead to them investigating the barge more and discovering that it was used by smugglers.
They found food, water, alcohol, wines, coins, jewels, gems, jewelry, high-quality cloths, metals, and more in the only intact cargo hold that wasn't flooded.
Though it had been locked. Someone had dropped a key to it. The discarded items near the key also showed that the smugglers had been present right up until the barge had unexpectedly set sail.
"Hera's screeching may have caused them to hide away from the barge to safeguard their secret loot and then when the buildings began collapsing, they were likely chased off before they realizing the barge's mooring lines had torn and that it was running loose on the River Reach," the Goddess studied the evidence before her, "They likely realized it very quickly though when they couldn't spot neither wreckage nor the barge sunk, or at the very least damaged, at its moorings."
"They'll pursue," the boy points out, "This looks like it could supply my whole village for ten years, allowing it to prosper as it had never done before."
The Goddess nodded in agreement, though as she looked at the wines and some jewels and cloth, she estimated it could have supplied her Familia ten times over and allowed a massive expansion, covering her Familia's taxes for at least fifteen years. Depending on the buyer, which conveniently, she finds the ledgers and that some of the items were bound for the Casinos just on the edge of Orario.
One of the names was familiar to her. The man seemingly forgot the kindness she had shown him. Then again, for every half dozen or so that repent and reform, there is at least one who does not.
He had achieved that because next to the ledgers were the tools to forge documents or alter existing documents.
"Terry Cervantes," the Goddess read with annoyance as she felt her senses turn to righteous fury at learning that Ted had stolen a dead man's identity to do as he would, "Perhaps I will return long enough to watch Ganesha arrest the man and the Guild imprison him for good."
Ganesha would not take well to such craven crimes. The Guild would not let Ted out ever again. He'll be jailed alright. For all his crimes as he had voided their agreement by not repenting nor reforming.
"Clothes," the boy pulled a steamer trunk out to reveal very high-quality women's clothing.
Clothing the Goddess recognized as having been stolen four months ago from a caravan she had been with.
"I know those clothes," she stepped over the articles, remembering wanting to try one on, but stopping herself, "The smugglers must be in league with the brigands who stole these from a caravan I happened to be a part of at one point, but was not part of when it was later attacked."
"Really?" the boy looked surprised, but then flushed due to how good his view down was and turned his head, "M-M-M-Maybe you can put one on now? Y-Y-You k-k-know, I-I-I-I am a boy!"
"No," the Goddess responded with finality, wrapping herself in her Divine Aura to make her point clear, "These are stolen property. I should not wear them at all. Had I lost all of my clothing, yes, I would take some as a replacement and then arrange suitable recompense," the Goddess turned and raised her hand to place a finger beneath the boy's chin and guide his gaze to her eyes.
'Like stars at night,' the boy blushed for a different reason and the Goddess could sense the change and how innocent and pure it was and it rattled her internally, causing her to blush, but she fought it back to speak again.
"I have my clothes, wet as they are, I do not need to take what I already have," the Goddess made clear and the boy nodded, understanding what she was meaning, even if it left them both highly embarrassed, "Good."
"Then, um…?" the boy squirmed and the Goddess nodded.
"We should look on, perhaps we can find some items to or such that will allow us to stop the barge and bathe on the river's banks."
And with that said, they left the room, locking the door once more before the boy realized something, rather embarrassing.
"I'm, uh, Bell Cranel," the boy chuckled, "It's nice to meet you Lady Goddess."
The Goddess turned to the boy. Like him, she now realized they had not introduced themselves. But the boy had started so and yet his name surprised her once again, leaving little doubt to his heritage, and yet she is surprised by how Zeus failed to make a pervert out of him.
"Astraea," the Goddess responded with a smile that caused the boy to abruptly blush and it wasn't her naked body, but as he turned away, still trying to shyly cast his eyes to her, it was because she had appeared beautiful before him and he had become self-conscious.
Then she laughed at his shyness. He blushed deeper, but it was clear Bell was listening closely. Her laugh was so melodious that he smiled shyly while rubbing his foot on the wood.
Taking a deep breath, Astraea gave him her title, "I'm the Goddess of Justice, Astraea the Star Maiden," she formally bowed to him with her arms held out, as though lifting a skirt that wasn't there.
"Ah!" Bell blushed deeper and not because of what was happening with Astraea's body or how much she was fully showing him, but because it was so formal and he nearly tripped on seamless decking as he bowed awkwardly back, "Bell Cranel of Clan Gael from Dromore Village of the Northern Mountains of the Mreelrea Range."
Astraea was rather struck dumb to hear where Bell was from. Partially because Clan Gael rarely lets outsiders identify as a member of their kin. Though she knew of the Cranel Family and only because of the fame of a lone member from it. This only solidified Bell's connection to the Zeus Familia, since a member had joined it and the Cranel were an outlier family of Clan Gael. The history she was not knowledgeable about at all.
But the major reason for her surprise, was because she had just passed through Dromore Village less than two weeks ago and just before Hera had encountered her.
'Of course,' Astraea finally put it together, 'If Zeus had hidden in Dromore Village, it means that Hera could have tracked him there and thus our inadvertent encounter.'
But with a light chuckle, she rose back up and indicated for Bell to do so as well.
"Well, Bell Cranel, it is a pleasure to meet you," Astraea still had her smile and Bell was proving to be very shy, but the Goddess could tell much and knew the boy was now more at ease with her than ever before, "Though how interesting it is, I have to admit, to encounter you after I had just passed through your village and even stayed for a few days less than two weeks ago. How is it that we did not meet until now?"
"Ah," Bell nodded in understanding, "Did you take the New River Highway or the old Castle Road?"
"The latter, why?" Astraea looked curious.
"Because I took the Togher Path," Bell explained, "It's an older path from a different time when the route was much more lively thanks to nearby mines. But now the roads that lead to the rivers are more important for the farmers after many mines closed."
"I… am not knowledgeable, like Hermes would be, on roads or highways," Astraea was not afraid of the truth of the matter, this would be useful information long term anyways.
"The Togher Path is shorter, but far less developed now and is in poor condition in several places," Bell explained, "It was a Causeway Road, so the causeways are in disrepair in many places. So small ferries or boats take people across in several places. There are still some bridges intact or have been built to allow travel by the towns and villages along its path."
"Ah, I see," Astraea realized what Bell meant, "My route, though longer, is well maintained and cared for. As such, I would make about the same travel time as you would over the shorter, but less cared for, route."
"Yep," Bell nodded, "I couldn't travel the better roads due to costs and the tolls. Plus my grandfather had made some enemies of some people along those roads. So I had to take the Togher Path. It was longer in actual travel, but both cheaper and safer for me. I have friends who live along the waterways there and so I made faster time," Bell finishes explaining, before yelping as he tried to sit down, only to be abruptly reminded by some still cold metal that he wasn't wearing any pants or any clothes for that matter.
His face turning redder than his eyes, he couldn't help his half shout/half shriek, "WE SHOULD HURRY UP AND FIND A WAY TO BATHE AND GET DRESSED!"
Astraea winced from the volume and thought she heard window panes rattle somewhere as birds and animals fled in every direction from the sudden disturbance.
Before she could recover, though, she felt more than heard a terrific crash, and both her and Bell were sent flying to the deck of the barge. The decking rattled and shifted as she heard a mighty groan as the barge shifted and threatened to break up from the sounds it was making. The whole vessel, small by contemporary standards, but far larger than it seemed to the pair, shook and made disturbing sounds before coming to a stop, listing noticeably to port and then abruptly heaving to move again and now listing to starboard with water rushing across parts of its decks once more.
As the two laid where they fell, they waited for something more to happen. Tense moments passing, as water spray began to soak them wet once more. Then, there was a soft almost wobble sound and that was it.
After regaining their wits, both sat up and checked themselves over. Then looking at one another before standing, they went in search of what happened.
It hadn't taken long. While the deck was angled now, it was not in any way dangerous. Just a bit disorienting at first. But they soon discovered what happened.
"We ran aground in a river bend," Bell looked over the passing water, "I can't tell much from he-EERRRRAAAH!"
"AEYAAAH!" Astraea screamed as the barge slid suddenly before stopping, but knocking both over as more water began to rush over the now flooded areas, slightly turning the barge.
Bell spat out some water while Astraea parted her hair that now draped over her eyes and face.
Both looked at one another and then down at the water they now sat in before looking at one another again and then breaking out laughing as they were now getting the bath they had been talking about.
XXXX
A short time later, after the pair had calmed down. They had made their way back to their now shared cabin.
There, they collected their clothes and, having found good dry places, hung everything they needed to dry, out to dry.
Bell and Astraea also recovered their toiletries and set about going about their day. They also used another smaller and more portable stove to heat some of their traveling rations to have breakfast. The stove cooked nearby, in a dry place, as the pair washed their hair and bodies, cleaning themselves thoroughly.
They also found a still usable head, a ship's toilet, that was used by the smugglers who had operated on the barge. They were able to take care of that particular business, each, with only mild embarrassment at this point.
Both had realized just how long they had been active and talking while completely naked. By this point, it was still embarrassing, but not as strongly. Given a few days wearing clothes again, though, both expected this would be a memory they would likely prefer to forget.
Yet, unknown to both, it would be a cherished memory in years to come.
Bell had even assisted Astraea with washing her long hair. He showed an unusual aptitude for caring for it so well. His strokes with Astraea's brush reminded her, painfully, of her late Familia. How they would regularly sit down and brush one another's hair, maintaining not only their looks but building ever deeper bonds with one another.
"Lady Astraea?" Bell reached around and gently wiped away some tears in her eyes.
Realizing that her feelings were coming out, Astraea tried to lock them away, but Bell knew what was wrong.
"I'm sorry," Bell offered the brush back, "If… If I'm reminding you of loved ones lost, I can stop?"
Astraea was taken aback by Bell's tender words and his innate understanding of what was ailing her heart.
"How?" she asked, wondering if she was being too obvious in the pain she felt for her now long-dead family.
"My grandfather…" Bell swallowed thickly, trying to get it out, but his chest heaved as though spasming and his shoulders shook wildly. Tears were thick in his eyes as well. But he managed to get through with a cracking voice…
"H-H-He p-p-passed a-away r-recently," Bell managed and looked ready to break down and cry again anew as the stab of pain struck hard into his chest.
Astraea now realized that Bell was alone. Zeus had feigned death and fled without the boy. She began to feel a wave of anger rise within her before her thoughts turned to Hera, and suddenly, it clicked.
Hera may have known of the boy. But the boy did not know of his true history. Not that it would have mattered. Bell would have been in danger regardless.
Biting back her anger and realizing that Zeus likely fled to keep Hera from Bell, especially given that crazy woman being a Yandere, it made painful, if sorrowful truth.
Mustering all that she was, a Goddess of Justice, she instead took hold of Bell and instinctively pulled him close, intentionally placing his face into her bosom and gently holding him there.
Her other traits were screaming as well as she held him. Held him to shield him from harm and pain. To relieve him of his sorrow as a victim of something he never knew happened.
'Sometimes,' Astraea began stroking Bell's hair soothingly and the boy wrapped his arms around her, beginning to bask in Astraea's desire to protect and comfort him even as his body began to be wracked with trembles as tears flowed from his eyes, 'We Deities are the worst.'
Humming a gentle song as she rocked gently back and forth, Astraea felt Bell relax fully into her.
She knew that holding him, a boy still so young, like this, would encourage that. It was something that she instinctively knew and had seen. The warmth was called Maternal Instinct.
Some Goddesses, such as herself, sometimes wondered what it would be to have it for real. To be an actual mother. Now just knowing it, but having it as a direct part of their being because they had actually given real birth to a life that had grown inside of them and then came out, just as it did for animals and the Children of the world.
Astraea knew that Freyja had once openly discussed it with Inari Okami. The latter was also curious as well. For they, as Inari Okami is as difficult to find as Prometheus is and just as hidden from all but a few unlike the solitary Prometheus, also were a Deity of Fertility.
But that didn't matter now.
To Astraea's surprise, Bell had nodded off at some point. Resting so carefully against her now. Astraea could tell because she had seen far too often, that Bell never grew up knowing his mother.
In that instance, Astraea was the closest thing to a mother Bell Cranel ever had.
It broke her heart.
"If your parents' Familias hadn't been driven away," Astraea gently brushed Bell's bangs, "Would you have grown up in Orario with your mother? Would you have known her touch and love?"
The answer was obvious.
Yes.
And it pulled at her very existence of being a Goddess of Justice.
There had been no justice in what had been done. It had been a moment of panic and intrigue. A move to both calm the panicked populace and one to stop the potential of both regaining their former glory down the road and becoming Orario's heroes once more.
Indeed.
Had both Hera and Zeus remained with the remnants of their Familias, perhaps Astraea and her girls would have had help. Ganesha was helpful, but his Familia had to be guards, protecting from without and only able to do so much to patrol to protect within.
With those two Familias, things could have been better organized. Her girls would have had more help. Zeus, for all of his perversion, was both skilled and observant. Hera had impeccable skills in organization and logistics. With their aid, a true policing force would have been formed, perhaps with Astraea's Familia at its center.
But it was those same qualities that saw them chased out. Not only because Freyja and Loki were their opponents, but by others who would be the ne'er do wells. The kind like Ted, and he will be learning the error of his ways once she got back for sure, again, and his old Familia which the Astraea had dismantled and Astraea herself had sent its Deity back to Heaven for their crimes.
Of course, there was also the fact that Freyja and Loki came from a different region of Heaven. It was, after all, subdivided. Or it used to be at least, though the old boundaries remained, the Deities had stopped squabbling so far back, Astraea couldn't even begin to give a rough estimate. It just felt so natural to intermingle that it was essentially forgotten.
Such as Hestia and Brigid. They were from completely different regions and yet they were fast friends. Then again, that could just be Hestia being Hestia, though that could be argued. But also, there's the fact that they were still from formerly hostile factions.
Astraea had once gotten along with Ishtar as both were Goddesses of Justice. But in far more recent millenniums, or eons, whichever came first at this point, the two had begun to loathe one another. Mostly it had been Ishtar's issues with Freyja or her arguments with Artemis.
The less said of her fight with Amaterasu in that one incident, the better.
If Astraea remembered correctly, it had taken both Odin and Zeus to separate the two women, which had been less than ideal for both Supreme Gods. The fighting had even provoked That Guy as well. The one without a name, yet standing above the Supreme Deities.
No. He had a name. Most just chose not to use it. Wasn't that name, Watos? Something like that, she is sure.
Bell, though… Astraea wondered if he worshipped Watos?
The Gael Clan most certainly did. She knew they were one of the last handful of factions to worship Deities traditionally. And the only one with an actual Deity still left to hear them and answer, quiet and mysterious as it was.
She'll ask. Later. It wasn't important now.
Bell shifted against Astraea and nuzzled his face into her neck.
The Goddess smiled. Yes, for now, she was his mother. No matter how temporary it would be. It was the truth.
She had been told that Goddesses like her had that feeling. Or so Hephaestus had told her once. Even she, a Goddess of the Forge, could find herself holding a child like she was the mother. Dia and Bheara had said much the same and, quite frankly, Dia had the most experience in that regard, as hard as it was to imagine.
So… For the moment, Astraea let Bell bask in warmth only she could, for that time, provide.
At least, until the smell of their food about to burn reached both of them and they had to madly scramble over to save their breakfast.
Astraea forgave Bell an hour later for his face winding up where it did. More out of mortification on both their parts and her having to find him again.
XXXX
Bell examined where the barge was aground. There was no mistaking that it wouldn't remain in such a place for long. Fortunately, he had spotted smoke about two days away. In such clear conditions, it hadn't been hard and with a pair of binoculars, Bell could see a weaker bit of smoke beyond the one he saw.
"Looks like chimney smoke," Bell adjusts the focus of the binoculars, quietly praising that Forest Rangers did come up with useful things, contrary to the popular belief among some areas of civilized peoples, "It's consistent with it, but it's a long way off still. But I'd say it's near the larger source of the smoke."
"Is it a town or outpost?" Astraea inquired and Bell shook his head in the negative.
"Looks like a homestead," Bell frowns as he thinks it over, "But I'll bet it's still near a town. A chimney that big to be seen two days away is likely a plantation rather than a simple farm or such."
Astraea nodded to Bell's assessment. It made sense to her at least. Given that she had mostly lived in cities, though, she did patrol highways on occasion during her time in the Lower World. But that didn't translate into particularly deep knowledge, not like what Bell has.
And he only knows more from experience, not actual education or fact-finding.
Bell lowered the binoculars with a frown.
"With all the game around here, given their size, there's probably some big predators as well," but what went unsaid, was the possibility of monsters as well, "We might be better off waiting for the barge to refloat it-"
As though answering Bell's unfinished sentence, the barge shifted again, quite heavily.
Bell was tossed off his feet and Astraea managed to grab onto an old railing that held firm.
The barge shifted a second time, beginning to physically lurch forward. It was clear the build-up of water behind it, which was about to flood the entire lower decks and was even reaching into the second level decks due to the angle it sat at, had finally begun to pressure the barge forward. The rivercraft even beginning to right onto an even keel as it shifted to move sideways.
Bell went sliding several paces before his feet planted themselves firmly into a sideboard. Once firm, Bell swung around and placed his back against the side paneling, and held on. A great splash of water landed on him and he could hear Astraea shriek as she got wet herself.
With an abrupt roar, the barge slid free, but it wasn't alone.
A rather large river monster, the source of the roar, stuck its head out of the water. Twisting and turning to look down at the barge.
A moment later, though, it twisted and looked behind it. Several rivercraft were fast approaching.
"The smugglers!" Astraea called out, easily feeling their collective intent and dark auras from where she hung on, "They've managed to catch up already!"
"What?!" Bell shouted in a near panic, "How so fast!?"
"They must have a system in place and when we didn't pass one of their specific lookouts, they knew the general area to start looking in!" Astraea replied, instantly figuring the truth out, but the barge slid completely free of its grounding and was on its way, given a good, solid push to get moving at a decent pace.
But it wouldn't be enough to outrun them.
Fortunately, there was such a thing as Rangers. Rangers who had noticed the sudden activity of the smugglers. Thus, they were able to angle a contingent of their fellows and some nearby soldiers and town guards to not only follow but launch an attack to capture or kill the smugglers.
The start of the battle behind them was an instant attention grabber. As such, the tamed monster swiveled its head back and assessed the situation before immediately turning its entire body around and racing off to its tamer's side.
Thus the barge was not only left alone but would be able, at the rate of things, to get a decent headstart and perhaps escape any pursuing smugglers as the fight upriver took place.
Astraea and Bell met up and headed for their cabin. They would need to assess the situation and prepare. But as the barge moved along, it became caught in the flow to a tributary river, one barely wide enough for the barge to fit, but fit it did. If barely, of course.
Though, as a side effect, the smaller river was swifter and thus, the barge had picked up speed again, racing once more and being jolted roughly by the narrower riverway.
XXXX
Overlooking the minor battle and the runaway barge, a pair of eyes watched everything. The barge would arrive at a point much sooner, though that was intentionally planned.
XXXX
Nearby a man in a dark coat with gray and tan trim with a red scarf watches through the use of magic provided by a brunette woman in a red-trimmed white dress with an orange vest with a brown patch and an overly large beret with two long ribbons ending in brass rings attached at the end.
"Now, now, what have we here?" the man rubs his chin as his ruby-red eyes observe the going on, "That was most certainly not a natural turn nor such forces now colliding likely to have ever met."
The man hums again as he goes silent.
"My dear, what do you think?" the man asks the woman, providing them with the view.
"I sense power nearby, my lord," the woman then provides a second view. "Sadly, they can mask themselves quite well. But the feel of it, I would wager a Lower God, perhaps a Demi-God turned Full Fledge. The touch of the magic feels Hellenic, though it is quite fleeting and I cannot narrow it down further to be sure, but experience tells me so."
The man nods with another hum before speaking. "I may know who. Quite surprising that she's active again. Then again, things have been calm since those idiots went to ground in whatever hideaway they have," but there is a frown at the end.
"My lord?" the woman tilts her head, knowing the man well.
"She is not alone," the man states as he eyes the view of the barge with absolute seriousness, "I would never have found out, had Morgana not discovered the information by chance, a chance that should never have happened and thus, with other events, including those that are now happening, I feel something has changed."
"Or rather," the woman understands, "You believe someone has meddled."
"Indeed," he confirmed as he observed the going on further still, "The question is why, who, and how now, wouldn't you agree, my dear?"
"As always, you have a plan," the woman smiled though, showing she was all for backing it as always. "Just be careful this time around. Just because you regained your full powers, does not mean you can be so reckless still. A Divine will still strike you down as readily as that accursed metal will, my dear Arawan."
The man gave a chuckle that sounded far more sinister than what he was. "Of course, Rihanna."
XXXX
With clothes again hung up to dry, both Astraea and Bell sat under their blanket, warming by the cabin's stove yet again.
This time, both had food to eat and the energy to eat it.
Simple traveling rations. Hardtack and Jerky weren't the only things that could be carried on a trip. Dried fruits, vegetables, meats, and even nuts could be carried and eaten. Some cheeses were specially designed for traveling, along with some bread. The same applied to some drinks.
The invention of the Soda by a group of Pallums had spurred new developments in drinks.
That said, some Ales, and alcohols, were still used for traveling drinks. They lasted longer than most drinks and were safer to drink than some water points. They tended to be weaker for that reason, meant as a means of safe drinking on the road rather than getting even a mild buzz which could lower perception and awareness, a dangerous thing indeed when traveling.
Thus, both had some ale with them. For Bell, that was an Apple-based Ale, not uncommon to the Gael Clan's territory.
Their capital, after all, was named Avalon and, in an older tongue, meant Place of Apples.
Astraea had a Peach-based ale from the Desert Kingdom of Jehanna to the south and halfway towards the Far East. The area was called the Middle East, with Jehanna being closer to the West than the Far East.
Bell… Didn't quite get all of it. But what he did get was that the Middle East was closer than the Far East and hence the name. Though he wondered why it was called that and instead of something like the Middle Earth or something similar.
Astraea shrugged in response. She and the other Deities didn't do the Cartography of the world. And in truth, she even questioned it herself, since it would be better to call it Near East, as it was, technically, more near to them. That and Jehanna was more or less in the border regions, so Bell's idea had merit in her opinion.
Both enjoyed the warm quiet and companionship inside the small cabin. While both ate, they spoke of different things, different experiences, and themselves. Though Astraea didn't broach the topic of Bell's belongings, just yet, she did find him reach for and remove a book on Epimetheus, The Foolish Hero, and yet as he read it, his face brightened up.
Indeed, even as she read over his shoulder or he read aloud to her, she heard lines that were not in the common telling of Epimetheus' tale. Quite the opposite, she knew only so much in passing, but she knew that much of what Bell was reading was lost to history.
No…
It was more than that. People simply had opted to forget it altogether. To hate and deride and mock the hero that was Epimetheus.
But here, someone wrote a book about his tale. His true tale. From his beginnings to a supposed ending.
And through it all, Bell found the strength to one day be a hero.
There was a line that even she didn't know. About a blind bard who gave praise to Epimetheus and another about how Argonaut, Clown of Heroes, had given him his due praise.
"Zeus," Astraea accidentally murmured aloud, "Only you would detail a hero so much and pass it on," but as she looked at the book, read the words, "You wouldn't write a false fantasy either, but the actual truth. You old pervert, other than women, heroes are something you love above all else."
"Goddess Astraea?" the Goddess turned and realized she had spoken aloud when she saw those red eyes wide in disbelief and surprise and, dare she say shock.
Mentally kicking herself, Astraea decided to respond, and far there, she knew, sooner or later, she would talk to Bell about what she had put together. What she had learned of him.
And that she would continue to lie about his grandfather, for now. It was for his benefit. His safety. Ironic as that was and how it attacked her very core. But this was a case of the truth being more dangerous than being hidden.
Though, once he was older and surer and capable, the truth would be told.
That she promised herself.
Even as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled the boy closer to her.
Especially knowing that she needed to reject him, or else… She would recruit him and restart her Familia.
'Too close, too close,' and yet as she rested her chin on his shoulder, there was warmth like a hearth, 'Hestia would be good for him. He feels as warm as her hearth in Heaven. And just as inviting.'
But even she couldn't deny… The feeling of Justice coming from him.
XXXX
Four days since they started their little river trip.
Four days since they had come together on this barge.
Four days and now they knew where they were.
The old canals turned into a river network called the Turnberry Fen Bends.
Once canals that fed a great fortress city and its environments, such as vast farmlands, it was land destroyed through a combination of factors centuries ago. The ruins could be spotted every so often, such as the few old stone, granite, and marble, among other materials, docks they passed by on occasion, or the long destroyed villas, buildings, and more on or near the shore. Even ancient fortifications sat, crumbling, disused, and long abandoned.
Now, long later, they were a crazy maze of riverways. Some of which had flooded into the old lands and ruins, causing some to be submerged and others to be at water level. New lakes had formed as had other bodies of water as well as creeks, brooks, and such including additional rivers that red away from The Bends.
It had taken the Khonsu Familia almost three decades to fully map the Bends and even they admitted that it was always surprising them with some new path or secret they didn't know about.
And, the deeper Welds were home to Monsters as well. The place thus had another name, the Monster Marsh Wold.
Whatever the name of the ancient fortress city and its surroundings were, they are now lost to history. Perhaps one of Bell's books mentions it and its names, something Astraea would not doubt Zeus to write about, and thus they could learn. For now, it had its current names, neither of which were inviting as they drifted through the ancient trees on the river.
But of course, they could not just stay cooped up in their cabin forever.
As the splash from Bell jumping into the water attested to.
Astraea cried out a little as some of the river water landed on her as she sunbathed. She called Bell out for his splashing, but the boy just laughed it off as he saw Astraea's smile. The two were enjoying their brief respite from life to enjoy the unexpected journey.
And though Astraea had her desire to not get any closer to Bell, she found herself doing just that.
Getting closer.
Not just as a Goddess, but as a person as well.
Perhaps… Even as a woman.
XXXX
Three days later, Bell quietly leaned back against one of the old arches that once supported something that had been removed long ago. He believed they were called Superstructure. Exactly why, his grandfather never told him and he wasn't the only one. As Bell had never quite learned the meaning even from those knowledgeable.
But that wasn't on his thoughts.
Goddess Astraea instead occupied his thoughts as he glanced to see the Goddess in question swimming in the river.
From what the maps said, they were in the safer waters. Waters without Monsters or even predators. So the pair could enjoy the water to their hearts' content and that meant both used some of the smugglers' dive equipment to explore deeper, especially when the barge would lodge on something.
There were no dive suits to fit either of them.
But the Goddess hadn't minded and as the two traveled and lived together, Bell found himself not caring either.
At one point, Astraea had teased him under the water, water so clear and alight, that they might as well have been in a field.
For as far as the eye could see, only the beauty of underwater plants swaying gently, like tall grass or even wheat and corn, and fish swimming by, more like birds than actual fish underwater, were present and presented a diverse picture as wonderful as the open meadows back home had or the great flower fields.
And Astraea had teased him in that environment and he had chased after her, the two of them swimming less and frolicking more.
Which, truthfully, worried Bell deeply.
As soon as he had caught Astraea, the Goddess had simply leaned back into him. He had held her close as he had nuzzled her beneath the water, the rays of the Sun far above them glittering like those passing through leaves. Yet the light was far brighter and both had moved their relationship forward in that one moment.
Too far forward.
Astraea was a Goddess, not a Human. Therefore, Bell had to measure her Divinity to his lack thereof. She was meant to be unapproachable in that way to him, not to be something that he had come to see as a girl, a woman.
She was a GODDESS!
He had to respect that. Honor that. Keep himself from seeing her as anything other.
Her station was far above any mortal. Why he could marry a Queen or Empress. A Princess or a Hime. But he could not have any relationship beyond that which was bound in finality between a Mortal and Deity.
And yet, last night, Bell had dared to nuzzle her again in their bed.
Their bed…
That was also a problem.
Aside from gender issues, again she was a Goddess and he was a Mortal. Such a thing was wrong and scandalous. That he should be sleeping separately, even if meant outside the cabin.
But there she was, turning to him, smiling and his heart took to fluttering and he smiled back.
It felt so natural to do so. So right. Like he was meant to have a relationship with Astraea. To love her and hold her. In sickness and in health. Until the day he breathed his last.
But he knew it was wrong. Intellectually wrong. That they were too different and yet…
Bell found himself not only falling in love but wanting to toss his ideals away for her.
He had to fight it though, no matter how it hurts. Because Astraea herself made it clear that she would not be staying in Orario for one thing and another, she only recruited women and girls into her Familia. Thus they had no future if he wanted to pursue his dreams of being an Orario Adventurer.
Yet, when she climbed out of the river, water cascading down her body, he could see why they called her a star maiden.
For she looked the part to stand among the stars, be seen even on cloudy nights, and smile brightly upon the world.
This was not how it was meant to be.
He as a Mortal should not be with a Goddess.
And yet he did nothing to stop Astraea from finding a perch right next to him and leaning into him, pressing her naked flesh against his naked flesh, closing her eyes, and releasing a sigh of contentment.
XXXX
Well well, I'm back.
Sorry to every last one of the readers enjoying my stories. But my computer crashed back in January and I have been trying to get it to work again. So far, no dice.
On the other hand, I finally found my local library to be open, so here I am again.
The downside is my work schedule and the fact my car is now a one-ton paperweight. So I'm at the mercy of both work and the bus. The former has become accommodating. I work on the Opening Shift now. Unfortunately, the timing of the bus is a little tricky and fickle. So bare with me.
It took me a while just to get this far. It's been several weeks, give or take a few days, since I restarted. Plus, just catching up on my Danmachi to get things right.
Fortunately, I knew what I wanted to write from the start. I just had to start typing and here we are. The story flowed out naturally from there and thus, I present you with this.
Big Shout Out to JL Davenport, for their own Bell joining the Astraea Familia.
This story is going to follow canon, for the most part. As you can guess there are changes. Lots of them. It's natural for these kinds of stories, but one mustn't diverge too much, because then, well… They are merely writing their own story with someone else's characters and world.
I also wrote this, listening to Lucas Ricciotti on YouTube. Beautiful music. Especially Soul, Call to Adventure (ironically, lol!) and his Ace Combat remixes.
I will hopefully be active far more often. I will reveal more and more as I write. But I can say that there will be influences from other franchises. Some more direct, but would not technically be a straight crossover with them. More… Reimagined with them in it.
Other elements… Well… There are good ideas and I love those series. Naturally, a good author should have their shout outs and homages.
I hope you have enjoyed this chapter.
Because the story, the myth, has just begun.