Is It Wrong to be a Just Adventurer Picking up Girls in a Dungeon?
Chapter Three
Hearts on Fire
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"Bell, what are you?" the old voice asked, curious.
"Grandfather?" Bell turned to his grandfather as the two were in their small home.
"Tell me Bell," the old man did not look up from his coffee, "What are you?"
"I do not understand, Grandfather?" Bell could not under his grandfather's inquiry. The confusion was plain on his face. Something his grandfather remarked upon.
"You are confused Bell," the old man still looked into his coffee, "It is only natural. You are young. A mere boy who has only just begun to look at girls, let alone women. And yet," finally the old man turned to his grandson, "You know what I mean, within your heart Bell."
Their small mountain village home disappeared and in its place was an old barge turned into a floating home.
A woman's clothes hung out to dry next to Bell's own.
Plants potted and in makeshift to provide herbs and food. Planters and hanging pots for both decoration and also to produce edibles or herbs. The tools to work with are stored neatly nearby.
A bathing area sat nearby on a different level. Accessed only by a ladder, he could see a rowboat turned into a bath and a shower. Items for hygiene were nearby as well as a couple of sinks made from salvaged material.
Bell turned to see a cooking area. Everything one needed to cook with and perform all the tasks was present. There was even hot running water.
A laundry area. Likely the cause of the hung out clothes, maybe? It had to be.
But…
"Take a look, Bell," he saw the old man still looking down into his coffee.
The boy nodded in response and then began to wander the floating home.
He walked each section, searching. He opened every door. Touched all objects of importance. He felt like… Like… He should find something.
Something important.
And so he continued his search.
From bow to stern. Port to starboard. From the keel up, until he reached a single room.
It was the only room with light and warmth. The one most cleaned and recently used. He could smell something on the other side.
Something that made his heart quicken. His pulse pounding.
"Bell," the boy didn't turn to his grandfather standing there.
The two stood in silence as both waited for a response. They waited for the other to move or speak. The answers already formed. They both knew it.
But with Bell's natural impatience and youth were fast coming to the fro, he was about to turn when his patient grandfather spoke first.
"You go through that door," the old man began, "You cannot go back. Not ever. You must see that journey through to the end. No matter what," the old man warned his grandson.
The pair just stood there again. But not for long before Bell's hand began to turn the handle of the door.
"I've seen more than you believe, Bell," his grandfather spoke again, "Far more. Far too much perhaps. I've made bad choices. Far too many. My hands are not as clean as people like to think, but I like to think I've done some right things in my life, Bell," the old man let that hang before finishing, "Like you."
"I know," the boy had tears in his eyes, "I know and I know you want me to go through that door, right."
It wasn't a question.
The old man was smiling, "Yes, Bell. Go on the adventure past that door," but then he stopped, "But do you know the adventure that awaits?"
It was the boy's turn to smile as he turned the handle.
"The one that she is waiting for me to begin."
"Go with my strength and conviction, my grandchild."
"Thank you, my grandfather."
Bell swung the door open and stepped through…
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…as far removed in a room in a small city, on its outer edge, Zeus, God of Thunder, smiled with tears streaming from his eyes.
"Go my child," he whispered as he looked to the direction of where a terrible storm was brewing and evil, the kind he once fought long ago, reared its ugly manifestations, "Let it be known that we soon will no longer have to look out for them, right Odin?"
The other Deity simply shrugged before hoisting up a drink.
"Yes," Zeus agreed as he sat across from his old friend, "Let us drink to their victory!"
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Bell's hand was as fast as his eyes shooting open to pull a knife from the man's belt and plunge the blade into his outstretched hand.
"EY-AAHHHHHH!" The man hollored in pain as backed off, trying to remove his own knife from his hand, but with Bell pursuing, pushing off a surprised Astraea, "Little brat!"
"Fight like a real man!" Bell shouted the bar brawl battlecry of Gael men everywhere and followed it up with a straight hook right to the man's face.
The man held up his good hand and caught Bell's fist. He began to smirk, before he abruptly screamed in pain again as Bell struck the knife still embedded in his hand. That was followed up by Bell using the fighting arts his Grandfather had taught him
Taking control of the arm with the wounded hand, Bell painfully pulled it behind his opponent's back as he spun behind the man, causing to yelp and cry out in further pain. Bell then kicked back of the opposite leg, causing the man to lose his balance and buckle both of his legs.
As his opponent fell, Bell guided him and pushed forward, his opponent grunting as he tried to resist being bent over, but Bell suddenly reached an arm through the opening between his legs.
What happened next, stunned Astraea, Fen, Ardi, and the girls and women behind them as Bell then began to lift the much taller and heavier full grown man up with a wordless battlecry and then, with a hop, flip the man up and around to land hard on his back.
Even as the man felt the air leave his lungs, he caught sight of Bell in the air above him, elbow at the ready.
"Sh-" the man never finished as Bell's elbow got him right in the sweet spot of his stomach, causing the man to cough up spittle and vomit.
"Got you kid!" A second enemy attempted to bring an ax down on Bell, but the boy only pulled the knife from his first opponent's hand, causing the man to scream a third time, and throw it into the second man's shoulder, causing him to flinch and miss both Bell and the first man.
Bell is swift and uses both of his fists to repeatedly punch vulnerable points on the second man's body before backhanding him just below the ear.
The second man drops onto the first man unconscious as Bell swiftly kicks the first man in the head, knocking him out and spins, grabs, and flips a third man over him before bending low and elbowing a fourth in an exposed side, just past his lower armor's protection.
"Damn… you…" the last man falls to the ground in pain, unable to do more than wheeze at the incredible amount of pain.
"Iaido and Pankration…" Astraea swallowed thickly as she realized how Bell just fought, as she had seen it before and realized that Zeus had, indeed, picked up some new tricks.
Bell releases a calming breath before sensing the danger and ducking and jump spinning away before the punch had connected with his head and the follow kick had made contact.
"Agile one, aren't you," the fifth man growls as he charges at Bell, but then has to block the ax from the second guy Bell had defeated.
As he blocks the ax blade with his knuckle duster, there is a spark as something else is there with the ax.
"What?" the man gets out before there is an abrupt series of small, but stinging blasts, "The hells you do!?"
Followed by unfathomable pain that any man knows.
Abruptly clutching his family jewels, the fifth man falls to his knees as Bell rolls over his shoulder to get back to his feet and bounce back, taking up a knife and sword to block thrown knives at him.
Two more men charge Bell with swords, but he deflects the first the knife and then swings the sword to smack the second right in the face with its flat.
That man flops onto his back dazed. He will also likely be missing a few teeth. And his nose is undoubtedly broken too. Plus his jaw.
The other turns to try and run Bell through, but the boy deflects the sword downward and from the way the man was holding it.
All men with their wits about them wince at the sound the man makes. Then he grabs his own balls as he tries to walk bent over, only to trip and fall into a tree that knocks him out. Mercifully for him.
Creating another small series of blasts that quickly erupt into a small explosion and starts a fire despite the pouring rain that quickly spreads along the path of Fen's spilt medicinal supplies, Bell turns and picks up both Ardi and Astraea.
"Let's go!" he shouts and with the girls and women assisting her, Fen begins to lead everyone in flight from the smugglers and criminals behind them.
But Astraea still looks back…
Bell's fifth opponent had the strength of a person with a Falna.
Which meant a Dark Familia and she could sense the man's Deity. She couldn't tell who at the moment. But it was likely someone she had likely thrown before the feet of Zeus or another high ranking God or Goddess.
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The powerful thug pulled himself up with the help of a tree. His groin still aching from the kick the boy had delivered. Such power had caught him by complete surprise. As well as skill, talent, luck, and even knowledge.
"Where did that Goddess find that boy?" he managed out, massaging his injured manhood, "And why-"
"Dayton," the tanned skinned man turned to another like him. Only green eyes instead of Dayton's blue eyes and with a heavier build. Not to mention he had only sideburns as opposed to Dayton's sideburns and goatee.
"Stefan," Dayton greeted, able to at least lean against the tree, "Damn kid got us good."
"So I see," Stefan observed the unconscious men before the technical fifth one, one of their assassins, finally fell out of the tree he had been in and crashed into a sufficiently deep enough pool of water that the man later exploded from now conscious, "One boy beat eight of you and held the rest of your men off?"
Dayton turned from where his assassin was being helped out of the pool and shook his head, "I thought that mallet went flying off wildly," waving off immediate assistance for the moment to talk with his fellow Level 1, "That kid was taught extremely well. Must have repeated his training like it was a part of his very existence since birth," he winced in pain, "Oh man, that kid kicks harder than an angry ass and mule put together."
Stefan shook his head. But didn't deny Dayton's words as it took a lot of strength and/or power to hurt a Level 1. Well, at least for ordinary folks outside of Orario and a few other places. The two of them were also high end Level 1s. Maybe in another year or so, both would be Level 2s. Rare feats in their parts and it would put them on par with their own top dog.
"Oh?" a female voice suddenly said, "Maybe I should remove them for my own use then."
"Piss off!" Dayton never treated their witch well and for good reason.
The crazed and exiled magic user was responsible for killing several of their guys, all hard and near impossible to replace Level 1s.
She herself was barely a Level 2. And only through her magic and not much else. They had seen weaker mages from the Magic City with more capabilities than her.
"How mean," the witch sniffed and both men were irritated with her.
Unlike them, she wasn't a smuggler. She was just some random magic user who had gotten the boot from somewhere for her mad research. Their current client had lent her to them and none of the smugglers' liked her. But unfortunately, because of their series of screw ups, she was now, more or less, a part of them and they were stuck with her.
Good news for them, though, was the recent loss of the barge with that mysteriously sleeping girl was totally her fault and not theirs.
They had enjoyed seeing her get reamed by the Goddess now calling the shots for her failure.
"Enough," the annoyed Goddess in question stepped forward with her Captain, "What is going on? You failed to capture an old woman and a bunch of girls?"
"Old woman and a bunch of girls and women with a Goddess and some strong kid," Dayton corrected and Stefan knew Dayton should keep his mouth shut and let himself do all the explaining, "Didn't get a good look at either. Boy has white hair at least with red eyes and kicks hard thanks to some kind of training he's gotten."
"Oh?" the Goddess frowned as she heard that, "And the other Goddess?"
"Brunette with white skin, somewhat tanned, though," Dayton shook his head, "Didn't get a good look at her and didn't even know she was there until the kid was collecting her and the girl from the barge."
"What do you mean?" the Goddess looked surprised, "Did you say 'the Girl from the barge?'"
"Yeah?" Dayton shared a look of surprise with Stefan who could only shrug before the former looked back at the Goddess, "I saw signs of blue hair on her and she was physically reaching for the boy when he picked her up."
"That's impossible," the Goddess suddenly turned to the equally surprised witch, "I thought you said her soul was not actively near?"
Both men weren't the only ones to mouth 'soul' to one another.
"It shouldn't!" the witch was panicked now as she tried to think things over, "Unless it was so broken, the device I was given didn't see or track any signs as I was told it would," she waved her hands before the Captain who approached, "Unless she happened to know the Goddess or the boy or someone in the group before hand to have a piece or more of soul housed inside them!"
"Stop," the Goddess ordered her Captain, "That's a possibility, wouldn't it be? Given the number of destroyed Familias, there is a small chance."
"Continue looking and be careful," the Goddess frowned as she and her attendant walked forward, the latter keeping the rain off her mistress with an umbrella, "Find them and bring them to me. All of them."
"At once," Dayton and Stefan moved off, joined by Ratsie and Spoons, two lower level flunkies that had gotten Falnas and were generally useful idiots at best and canon fodder more commonly.
At least when they were just smugglers. Now Dayton and Stefan had to put up with the two idiots.
It was going to be a long night.
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"I think we lost them, for now," Fen searched the woods behind them, but knew even if they had lost them, it was only a matter of time.
"Though swollen and swift, you knew the depth wasn't as bad as it looked," Astraea was surprised by what Bell had come up with for them to escape, "Then using some floating wood, we managed an escape."
Bell only chuckled as he kept the newest fire from becoming too bright to be easily seen. The escapees gathered around each fire to get warm again. Everyone was wet and cold, but at least alive for now.
"I remembered that Epimetheus did something similar once," Bell recalled from his stories, "So, I thought we could do the same ourselves."
Everyone blinks at Bell.
The boy had read about that little trick? Then they used it to escape?!
"Why am I unsurprised," Astraea covers her face, but chuckles anyways, "You and your stories."
"Ehehehe?" Bell looks nervous before Astraea sighed and took pity on the boy.
"Given that the writing of those books, is similar to someone I happen to know and would know the true story, I'll admit that it was likely the done," then shaking her head, "Scratch that, Epimetheus didn't likely do that trick, he did it, fully and perhaps more than once," the Goddess sighed again and then turned to Fen, "But we have something more important to discuss, right, Fen?"
With a sigh, Fen knew that the Goddess had been aware for some time. She had done a bit to keep her from interfering, figuring the Goddess of Justice would try to live up to her title or not help at all due to the loss of her Familia, but either creating false hope. The old woman had wanted to avoid that and been fortunate enough that up until the invaders attacked, she had been able to avoid the issue.
"Slaves," Fen stated with a touch of anger in her tone, "These ladies were being sold off as slaves to some of the more dispicable auction houses."
Astraea's lips thinned as she immediately figured that Fen was part of a group rescuing those they could. That meant powerful interests and powers-that-be were involved. So, no official movement could be made against them. That usually included a Familia, chiefly a Dark Familia somewhere.
"Where do you send them?" Astraea inquires, maybe, for once, they could mobilize.
"The really only safe places left," Fen admits, "Either Gael or Rakia as both Gods who rule there are known for short tempers when it comes to slavery."
That was true.
Arawn was extraordinarily hostile to slavers. Sometimes even dispatching his best warriors to go out and find slavers who had been far more sneaky than the norm. They usually ended very successful, after all, when those who wish to remain hidden get discovered, they tend to have little defense left thereafter. The slavers' deaths were all but assured thereafter.
And that's not mentioning those that crossed into Gael.
Bell likely knows more of that as he winces just thinking about it.
As for Rakia, well, it is a country of strong fighters. Men or women, it did not matter. Ares wasn't picky about gender, but he was surprisingly kind to children.
Slavers, known to traffic heavily in children, tended to avoid Rakia for that reason. Not that it stopped Ares who wasn't that much of a dumb fool. No, Ares sometimes used how deep slavers could get into local or even national governments to justify an invasion and really, when that happened, the region, if successfully annexed, would actually prosper for reasons other than slavery.
And his conquests of those areas were almost promised to succeed as the soldiers who defended were sometimes the families of the victims of the slavers.
Still, slavery in general, grated on Ares' beliefs. It might be said to be a form of struggle, but there wasn't any real struggle in his opinion. Quite the opposite, it is easy to beat up anyone who is chained down or sealed from resisting. The very idea that people could struggle against that was ludicrous and Ares championed the right to fight to be free in that regard, because as he was a God of War, struggle had to have two equal parties and if one is enslaved and the other not, how can there be equaled struggle?
While Ares did enjoy conflicts, it had to have meaning. Pointless bloodshed was little better than murder. And Ares was a God of War, not wanton murder.
"I get the feeling," Bell suddenly swallowed like increasingly pale, "You mean… like… Kill Brothels, right?"
Sucking in air quite visibly and audibly, Fen looked horrified at Bell before speaking while Astraea herself was taken aback as she had never heard of such places.
"Boy how do you know about those?!" Fen demanded as the girls and women got closer together, and a little further from Bell.
"Because my village provided aid and safety to a mother and daughter that managed to escape one," Bell explained, doing his best to calm the terrified group down, "My…" Bell swallowed, the pain of the loss still fresh and it showed on his face, "...grandfather was in a high position in my village. Never did quite figure out who he was before…" Bell took a deep breath, "before he died in a Monster attack, but he helped lay out the village defenses while a messenger went to alert the regional capital."
Looking Bell in the eyes, Fen measured Bell's words, before releasing her breath.
"I see," Fen felt great relief, "What became of the two?"
"They were originally from the Kaios Desert, don't know where," Bell explained before smiling, "But they settled into the village, the mother remarrying Tibbons, one of the best juicers in the Mreelerea Mountains, a 17 time fair winner no less, with the record of a solid seven wins back to back!"
The childish way he spoke of that, only made everyone blink.
But it had an effect.
The girls and women calmed and Fen and Astraea shook their heads with smiles on their faces. Ardi seemed to enjoy it, somehow, Astraea just knew.
"As for the daughter, she was a few years older than me, but married Crazy Thomas as we call him," Bell remembered when that happened. The mountains had been alive with the sounds of disbelief for a month or so!
"Crazy Thomas?" Fen and Astraea parroted blinking.
"Crazy Thomas is a learned sort," Bell recalled, "Favors history so much, you have to literally drag him out of his house to eat," among other things Bell wasn't going to mention, "But when he saw Dalia, he pretty much tripped over himself to meet her," Bell remembered that, as he rubbed the spot where two of Thomas' books hit him in the head, "He cleaned up thereafter, proved he was serious, and after both married, they moved to a highly regarded Military Academy where Thomas got work as a professor and could provide for them."
"Impressive," Fen blinked, surprised by that, "How did her mother take it?"
"Rather well," Bell shrugged, "She was also a bit busy as Tibbons and her were quick to have five children, including a pair of twins with more energy than even the nursemaids could help with."
Bell unconsciously began to shake and massage his hand, just remembering how the pair, when they had finally gotten teeth, had managed to latch onto his hand more than once.
The gathered females could only look on in sympathy and shudder.
But matters moved swiftly. They had to. For now was a time where speed was of the essence.
"What is a 'Kill Brothel?'" Astraea suddenly asked, fearing the answer and yet, as a Goddess of Justice, she felt some wickedness needed to be paid a bit of her personal attention.
"Exactly as the name suggests," Fen ground out in raw anger at such hideously vile places of debauchery and murder, "People are taken to Kill Brothels to be assaulted and killed in the process. Normally, not right away, but in time, they are murdered by the so-called customers of such despotic places."
Bell nodded, his lips thin and a rare showing of anger and revulsion in his eyes manifested on his face.
"In Gael, anyone caught working for such a group or place are immediately interrogated and then afterwards put to death, what's left of them anyways," Bell recalled seeing the end of a short-lived Kill Brothel that had been set up on the edge of the territory he lived in, "Lord Arawn is never forgiving for such places and usually dispatches the Order of the First or Second Warriors and they are well equipped for both interrogation and execution."
"Ghastly endings no doubt," Fen pursed her lips, while the God Arawn likely would never strike them down himself, though, rumors abound that he would strike down particularly dark hearted Mortals, he likely erred on the side of the King of Avalon and the Avalonian Royal likely put the bastards to death.
"Not really," Bell admitted, "The First and Second Warriors are not known for being cruel. The deaths are swift, swifter than what is deserved no doubt, but they are in the realm of justice and laws. There is no Punishment to Fit the Crime, just what the law ordains."
Despite the lencieny, many felt that Arawn and the King of Avalon should not be taken for such Monsters in Human form, it was clearly understandable that the justice had to be impartial. It had to be fair and righteous from beginning to end. Therefore, while not the drawn out affairs that many would clamor for, it was still a far better end and well within the realm of being Human.
Astraea could agree with that. Despite herself, she had often felt her rage boil so that it could take her over. Arawn was far more composed and centered, no doubt having seen far worse as the Thirteenth Angel. His rebellion against Heaven had been aimed solely at his fellow eleven Angels and thus, it had left all others completely out of the fight.
Though some had been worried back then. Such as the Valkyries under Freyja. The Goddess Overseer of the Valkyries had managed to reign in her Heavenly Warriors, but just barely. Odin had been able to enforce Freyja's power as well and the Valkyries had relented.
And they were, but one group to fear the former Lucifer.
Morning Star…
In the era of darkness wrought by the truly rebellious eleven, Arawn had lived up to his old true name and brought light into darkness.
Funny how things went in life.
Funny how… Frowning as Fen and Bell spoke of the true reason for these young girls and women being smuggled, Astraea took a good, long look at Bell.
'It cannot be…' she thought in disbelief, for Bell should be far more impossible than he should be.
"Lady Astraea!" Fen snapped at the Goddess who jumped, "If you're so eager for Bell to restart your Familia, then please make him so now and clear your mind!"
Astraea immediately fumbled her words as she tried to speak. Finding she could barely get a word out that actually came out as a word. But eventually, she took a deep breath and before she could speak, Bell interrupted her.
"Lady Astraea," Bell kneeled before the Goddess, "Please calm down. What Fen has just said is important."
Oh, yes. That is very important. She simply didn't take males into her Familia!
"It appears that a witch is involved and she uses some of the victims of the smuggling ring to experiment on."
Bell's words reached Astraea and the Goddess' eyes flashed dangerously.
"So," she began, her Divinity leaking into her voice and tone, "There is more?"
"Yes," Bell gulped, but pushed through, "Their research is apparently involving souls. Exactly-"
Bell stopped when Astraea's hand shot up.
It made sense now.
Her gaze was sharp as it fell on Ardi. The blue haired girl just sitting there and despite everything, seemingly conveying that yes, it is true. But not all of it.
'Her mind and senses were still sharp, despite the loss of her soul,' Astraea reasoned well, 'Well done, Ardi.'
Turning her gaze back to Bell, "Continue."
"There appears to be some actual Necromancy as well, among other forbidden arts and magicks," Bell explained what was known or could be guessed at to the Goddess of Justice.
That the Dark Familia behind the smuggling ring had taken it over. They were performing rituals and rites in addition to research. Transformation, Chimera, Transmutations, among other things not quite known. Including body reconstruction and preservation. There appeared to be some attempt at creating Night Children, a feared class of transformed Mortal not seen in centuries.
There appeared to also be cross breeding between Mortals and Monsters.
As Astraea heard the horrors, her fists clenched. Her knuckles were turning white as her nails pierced her hands and blood was slowly flowing. There were even vile medical experiments to remove portions of people and transplant them into others. To mate Mortal flesh to harden metals and replace blood with a kind of preservation liquid as well.
"Enough," her tone stopped Bell, but she had accidentally released a pulse of her power.
"DAMMIT, LADY GODDESS!" Fen shouted in anger, "You just gave away our position!"
"What?" Astraea realized her mistake too late, "I-I-I'm sorry," she tried to apologize and cursed herself for being a fool and losing her temper.
But the damage was done.
The girls and women were terrified and were looking ready to break and flee. If they did that, they would not only be in danger because of the smugglers and Dark Familia members with them, but also to any danger found in this rain and condition.
The forest around them was already a danger. But now the streams and rivers were swollen and running fast. Even the one they had taken was no longer safe. It was dark and they had no idea where they were.
Without Fen, few, if any would live, let alone escape.
Astraea began to panic herself as the central cause. This was her fault. She was supposed to be doing something to help them!
But instead she has frightened them!
What could she do?!
What could she do!?
"ASTRAEA!"
It was Bell, holding her, comforting her.
He had called her by name. He had forgotten to call her by her title. He had…
Acted as he would.
"Bell…" Astraea whined pitifully and sadly even as Fen worked to calm and keep the girls and women together instead of fleeing.
"Just calm down," Bell rubbed his cheek against her own, holding her close to him.
Feeling Bell there, reminded Astraea of her last Daughter. Her Child so far away. So far removed.
And yet… She knew what Ryuu would do.
"Bell…" Astraea nuzzled the boy back as she took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, "Please Bell… Remove your shirt and accept the duty to protect these victims, to be their champion…" her breath hitched as she finished.
"To become my Child with my power of Justice."
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A man with long reddish brown hair whistled at the destruction.
The surrounding area looked like a war took place. Ballista, rocks, and other hurled and/or fired projectiles dotted the landscape. Including arrows and bolts from bows and crossbows, though, those weren't what fired them.
Walls were cracked and wrecked. Some are completely torn open. Others were smashed pretty damn hard.
Gates and coverings were destroyed. Some were actually intact, but scattered after being literally blown off their hinges.
Towers and watchposts were either still smoking or were crushed and smoking. A few areas, and buildings, still burned, but not as badly as they had before.
The main building, some kind of estate, was blackened here and there. Windows destroyed, shutters torn away or blown away. The doors had to be completely destroyed to gain entry. A whole wall on the west side of the building was simply gone up to the third floor and collapsed down into a basement area. Foundations to either side were completely exposed as well.
Bodies were found here and there. Some of them were scattered, others crushed. A few were torn, but for the most part, they were largely intact. All of them, due to their orientation and outfitting, were attackers. Which was odd.
They weren't finding any bodies of defenders. At least not yet as they were still probing the estate.
Strangely enough as well on the outside, it also looked like someone had actually cared enough to try and recover the bodies. Probably friends of the dead attackers and it looked like they were taking their time to get it right. Then they simply were forced to abandon their work and it looked like there was a minor protest to it.
The man sighed as he lit a cigarette and took a drag, careful of the broken launching mechanisms that lay where they were destroyed. Blown to pieces by explosives of some kind. Pieces of debris indicated a liquid kind of explosive too, no less.
"Only leaves about a few dozen possibilities," the man muttered even as he watched one of his guys set off a trap with sandwich packaging and a small stone while dodging another trap set off by that set off trap, "Sheesh, overkill much?"
"Geez, these guys even had golems," another man wearing a helmet and a full face mask, though his jade green eyes could be seen, mentioned, standing next to one of the alchemical creations.
Shards of broken gems, similar to Monster Stones though not quite the same, lay near the broken golems.
But what was immediately concerning was how the golems had been destroyed.
Some had clearly been taken out conventionally. Namely, but folks with Falnas. That wasn't unexpected. They were hunting a smuggling ring under the control of a Dark Familia. They even knew who was running the ring and was the Deity of the Dark Familia.
Problem was, though, the ones that were not taken out normally.
Some were blasted by magic. The residue in the air from it marking it as not being Elvish magic. It was also not Mana-based magic either. Whatever it was, it made them feel somewhat ill if they didn't have some kind of protection against it.
Fortunately, they left that up to the Rangers and the hired help from a magical academy.
Some Guards from nearby settlements were assisting the Militias of outlying towns and villages to clean things up. Even find traps and either deactivate them or set them off in a controlled manner.
A lord from a nearby County was riding his horse carefully around. The man observing and judging for himself what had happened. He was particularly good at it. Which is why his Countess had sent him in the first place.
"Dang, we get hired for a small job and man oh man, does it get bigger and bigger every time we tug on something," the leader remarked before turning to his Goddess, "What do you think, Lady Hestia?"
The diminutive Goddess only frowned, before her head suddenly jerked with her body following.
The man had his sword in hand and ready to be drawn. His Goddess didn't act like that unless there was true danger. And close.
"That way, hurry!" the small Goddess suddenly ordered, before she started to run herself, "Astraea is in danger!"
With a curse, the Captain of the Hestia Familia called all of his people over and they took off at a sprint. One of their bigger members reaching down to scoop up their Goddess, so that she could ride on his shoulders instead of trying to keep pace with them.
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Astraea could only stare in disbelief at how easily her Falna formed on Bell's back.
In the distance, the sound of a bell rang. Like a bell that was rung in calling protectors to arms. To alert keepers of the peace to a crime. A warning of danger to the innocent and a promise of swift justice upon the wicked.
"Recite the words," Astraea commanded as she held her hand out and Bell responded at once, with a conviction that felt as though the world shook.
"In backroom alleys where fear swells,
In hidden depths beneath made hells,
In forests deep where darkness dwells,
In dungeons dank beneath ancient fells,
Let those who seek to rule the night
Caution that they are in justice sight
So, beware my power, my great might
Tis Gift of Star Child's light!"
Bell had taken her oath and promised to be a protector of the innocent. A rightful force of justice upon the wicked. To pierce the darkness with light and to fight dishonest injustice with honest might.
As Astraea watched, Bell's Falna Status formed, flashing into existence with a light so bright that the dark glade was illuminated for all to see as though it was the middle of the day and laid itself out bare for her to see and understand.
The stats were incredible. Bell was already more powerful than was typical of new Adventurers. While nowhere near the abilities of middling Level 1s, he was definitely not at the bottom.
She nodded, feeling his power brimming beneath her fingers. That feeling, told her a Skill wanted to be born. Astraea was surprised. But she felt as though something was holding that Skill in. Preventing it from appearing and yet, she could feel, just beneath, the Skill's power was there.
The snapping of branches, the grunts of annoyance.
The smugglers and their Dark Familia allies approached.
Leaning in, her breasts pressing firmly against his bare back through the thin top she was wearing, Astraea missed as something appeared in the Skill Slot as she whispered into Bell's ear.
"Be bold, be brave," the Goddess of Justice began, "With Honor as your Conviction, Alight the Night and reveal Justice upon the Wicked. Go with my Grace, go with my Power. Strength is meaningless without Judgment."
"Yes Goddess," Bell held a knife that Fen happened to have at the ready.
With a shuddering breath, "Return to us Bell. Return to me," and with that she kissed him on the cheek even as the criminals were nearly upon them, just around the corner of the tree they were behind as she released him from her embrace, "Go."
And Bell shot out and bounced off a tree with enough force to bend the tree to add to his strength and speed as he went on the attack.
"SONAV- '' the first smuggler's sword shattered on impact from Bell's swipe as the man spun around, blood spraying out from a wound that left him incapacitated.
The fight was quickly joined as Bell ducked beneath another man with a massive mallet and punched upwards, sending the man, roughly thrice more the height of Bell himself, off his feet and knocked out from the single blow.
Grabbing the mallet out of midair, Bell hurled the weapon at another opponent who was struck with enough force to send him flying back into several others, bowling them all over.
Bell dodged an assassin's cut. Then another cut and then a slash. Bell dodged the man and reached out and grabbed him instead, hauling the taller man off his feet to slam him into one of his fellow assassin's, causing injury to both so severe they were out of the fight.
Before the others could rally to fight Bell, the boy was already dancing about their numbers. Taking advantage of the woods at every turn. The boy was like a rabbit they couldn't pin down and hit hard in response.
Bell showed the fruits of his labor. Of his training. Under his late grandfather, Bell had learned the Art of Fighting. As well as when to throw out the rules of honorable combat as he proved earlier and still proved now.
No matter what the smugglers did, Bell didn't take a hit. He was just too fast and too powerful to defend against. He was also incredibly precise to never miss once against them. He was simply beyond them in turns of power and speed. His endurance was also proving itself as he kept pace with them or outlasted them as his agility kept him from their reach.
It didn't matter how many. How many hurled themselves at Bell. Didn't matter about those that tried to sneak around him, to get at the escapees that some do gooders had assisted in escaping from them.
The same guys that tried to stop them from getting near the estate. Only, they were dealt with. At least that's what they were told.
But now… They kind of wish they had failed.
Bell spun, kicking one enemy and used his spin to dodge over a low swipe from another.
As his spin ended, Bell used the back of his fist to break his opponent's jaw and send him tumbling.
Bell lowered himself and moved more like a fire energized by lightning. He was almost one with the wind, except for his movements. They were more along the lines of flames dancing and lightning arcing. Less afloat in the air and more like fire flowing over lightning twisting.
But the end results were still the same.
The white haired boy left injured and disabled opponents in his wake.
"Somebody stop that kid!" one man yelled in anger, "He's alone and only one! Why haven't you beaten him yet?!"
"Because the one and only brat is kicking our asses!" another retorts in anger, "Who the hell taught this kid how to fight!? He's like taking on a Northern Knight or Far East Samurai or something!"
Bell grabbed one man's head as he leaped up. The man couldn't resist when Bell forced his head down, right into the boy's knee. Only then, did Bell release the unconscious man who fell flat onto his side after being knocked out.
Landing, Bell did a cartwheel to avoid two others before switching to a backflip jump over another pair.
Another man attempted to hit Bell with an actual warhammer.
Bell brought his knife up and deflected the attack and using the imparted force, he spun around to perform a high kick that sent the man flying off to the side and down a muddy embankment where he became stuck in the mud.
"Dammit!" the leader of one team shouted at seeing Bell having taken out more than 60 of their guys in less than 10 minutes, "Who is this kid!?"
Bell didn't let up and added another 15 to his tally in a hurry.
"We ain't paid enough for this!" another smuggler shouted as he and several others tried to group up for better defense, but Bell danced among them and they fell to his attacks, "Ugh!"
"What kept you?!" another smuggler shouted as he saw the arrival of their stronger members, the members of the Dark Familia, "This kid ain't no-"
The man fell to the ground unconscious after being hit by a club that Bell had hurled at him. That was after the boy had used it to beat several smugglers black and blue and leave them laid out groaning or crying in pain.
The Level 1s and 2s saw Bell totalling the smugglers.
This was very much different from the previous fight.
Here, it was clear that Bell now had a Falna.
And incredible strength brought out by it.
"How could he be this strong outright?" Dayton wondered aloud even as he watched Bell use a knife to hold off a half dozen swords, axes, and spears that almost formed a dome around him before pushing up and sending a half dozen men flying.
Some men hit objects and were knocked out or injured badly while the rest landed in mud they couldn't move quickly from.
"He's suddenly more powerful," Stefan frowned as he could sense the strength of the boy. It was thick in the air. Fresh, unleashed power and skill, "The boy just received a Falna and he's already this powerful? How rare."
One of the lesser intelligent and more belligerent Level 1s from their Dark Familia suddenly launched himself at Bell.
The Dark Adventurer bent over as Bell turned and deflected the man's sword before punching him in the gut, causing him to abruptly vomit before the boy brought his other fist up and slammed it into the man's jaw.
Visible displacement of the air occurred from that one blow. Surprising those well learned in such things.
"Already?!" Dayton actually took a step back in surprise, "To be able to displace air is something that takes months to happen! Even for an Adventurer of Orario!"
Their erstwhile comrade was set flipping over and crashing down in some mud, coughing and tucking himself into a ball due to how hard he had been hit and how much injury he had just taken.
"Bastard!" another Level 1 from their Dark Familia attacked and the boy slipped under the man's wild swing of his sword and counter with his knife.
There was a quick back and forth thereafter. The boy showing skill with the knife, before he picked up a discarded sword and used it to slide his opponent's sword down its length. Sparks flew from the two swords making a harsh contact, a sign that neither blade was well kept. Then the Dark Familia Level 1 let out a cry as the boy slashed out with the knife, cutting across his opponent's outstretched arm.
"How?" The man backed off, trying to deal with his wound, which appeared minor and more than likely stung in a way that made it feel worse.
The answer was a backflip kick that set the older male flying off his feet and onto his back, unconscious.
"I guess it is my turn," a woman stepped forward, yawning slightly as she counted the fallen or defeated men around her.
Whatever languid attitude she had, she dropped when she clearly reached a certain number.
The woman was dressed in an outfit fit for an Amazon, but clearly not. Her skin tone was much different, a very tanned formerly crisp white of a Northerner. She also wore furs as opposed to leathers and cloth. In addition, she wore interwoven ringmail armor.
Well, pieces of it. She clearly took her appearance seriously. Not her protection as much. Though it was understandable.
Her speed surprised Bell and he barely dodged from the kick that displaced some air and threw him back on that alone.
"A Northerner with a Fighter's skill?" Bell rubbed the blood from the side of his chin from where he was grazed by bark from a tree, "A Viking? Battle Maiden? Raider? No… That was a Monk's technique, wasn't it?"
"Oh?" the woman chuckled, "A boy who knows his fighting styles and class types? How rare these days."
Suddenly the woman shot out to grasp Bell, but the boy was ready and the woman instead got the oldest gag in the book:
A thick tree branch to the face.
The woman screamed as she drew back. Her eyes were injured by the small needles of the pine branch. She also had smaller cuts and scrapes as well from the branch slamming into her face.
"Haha," Bell chuckled as he looks up at the pines mixed in with the other trees all around him, "Never thought I'd see pine trees this far from my mountain village."
The tanned Northern woman growled, not unlike the Amazons of the Southern lands.
"Oh?" a voice suddenly interjected, "I see. So, this must be the boy. The one that a Goddess just gave a Falna too, no less."
The young woman appeared was rather short. Barely up to Bell's chin if that. She wore dark,rather exposing clothing that revealed her pale brown skin and had white hair with green streaks. Her eyes were also a subdued color of red for her eyes, far less lively like his own ruby red eyes. She also had a rather generous bust that was a bit big for her body size.
Her facial appearance… Was that of a child. One with a cunning sense of the world and how to take advantage of it no less.
As she walked, her breasts bounced in the two overlapping pieces of black cloth that covered them. Doing absolutely nothing to hide their size or even properly restrain them. Her bottoms were separate, but connected to the top, if it could be called that, by strips of cloth running up the sides and designed to enhance her rather impressive curves for her appearance.
Her leggings were the fishnet style connected to a garter belt that was visible under a rather short skirt. Her clothes were outlined in green trim, except for the open toed boot sandals which were green with black trim. As were the open elbow length gloves on both hands, green with black trim.
The woman also wore green ribbons. One that ran from one arm to the other under her breasts and another that was tied at her neck in a bow that helped to hold up a green with black trim small cape. She also had green ribbons, likely with pins too, that held her hair in four tails, two centered down her back and two offset to the sides.
If not for her Divine Aura, Bell might have mistaken her for an Amazon, even if she didn't look fit enough to be one. At the very least, a Southerner. A stark contrast to the Northerner.
"Oh my, I wonder who took you on, little handsome," the Goddess giggled, even as her attendant, a woman that was about Bell's height and clearly from the Far East somewhere, continued to hold her umbrella, "Perhaps I'll send that Goddess back and keep you for myself," she giggled not minding that the boy did look something of a rabbit.
"He is my Child, Eris," Astraea appeared from her hiding spot, her sword she had managed to keep ready to be drawn even as the rain beat down on her.
If not for the thickness of the material, her white dress top and skirt would have been seen through at this point. It was earlier, but Bell had ignored her figure at the time for more pressing concerns.
But he had noticed she was wearing a green bra and red panty combo. Something he didn't recall seeing in her wardrobe previously. So, it was likely something she got from Fen and probably threw on the first bra and panty she could get her hands on when they evacuated from wherever they had been.
Astraea didn't strike the regal figure she likely usually had. Her top and skirt were simple things. Well made, but simple, though they didn't hide her womanly body that in its own, at least to Bell, was the perfect body of a Goddess of Beauty.
Her hair was loose and free, falling like a brown waterfall. About her shoulders was a cloak of a rich brown color. It gave her a continuous simple look. As did the brown sandals she wore.
By contrast, Astraea looked like a peasant challenging a noble in this Goddess Eris.
"ASTRAEA!" Eris screamed in surprise and anger, "I should have known! You always stick your nose into everything!"
"Usually, in your case, very much so," Astraea responded, her sword in hand, ready, "But in this case, you can lay blame at Hera's feet."
"Hera?!" Eris screamed again, "What does that overbearing, obsessive wench have to do with anything?"
"She was the one chasing me to help her hunt Zeus down," Astraea shrugged like it didn't mean anything, but was really a ploy to anger Eris, "One thing led to another and now, here we are, once more meeting."
"Not something I enjoy," Eris growled, her hair tails snapping like snakes in the air as she shook her head angrily.
"Nor do I," Astraea's tone was firm and commanding, "You seem to have fallen farther than ever before, haven't you?"
The Goddess of Strife growled, not unlike a certain other Goddess that looks a bit like her and shares many of her physical characteristics as well.
But that is where the similarities ended.
"You mean what we've ultimately been doing with those Mortals we sell to various parties, do experiments on, or whatever Enyo is up to with them?" Eris was never one for caring about particulars, especially if she could get fear out of someone.
Only her Captain standing before her abruptly kept Bell from getting within reach of her.
"ACK!" Eris stumbled back, tripping over a root and landing on her butt in a muddy puddle, "EEK! That's cold!" then Eris looked down at herself, "My clothes and panties!"
"Careful," Astraea smirked at her opposite, "My Child is a lot like one of Artemis' arrows. You do recall how well that always ended for you, right? Let alone what Hestia did to you, correct?"
Eris could only let out angered sounds and noises, unable to form words.
She and her sisters were always having issues with those three Virgin Goddesses!
If not Athena beating them up, it was Artemis chasing them with her bow and arrows!
Of course, those two paled in comparison to what Hestia tended to do to them.
That old crow in a child's form! She would always light the panties they were wearing on fire and send them running around in a panic!
Oh how she hated that. How she hated how much respect Hestia could get. And that was in spite of being essentially a nobody!
Stinking, childish Goddess of the Hearth!
And what made her worse, in Eris' opinion, was that Hestia was also a Goddess of the State and Order!
Which made the two natural opposites!
Just like Astraea was also her opposite.
"ERR-ARRGHH!" Eris blinked and looked to her Captain as he repelled Bell with everything he had and the boy was sent flying back only to flip and land almost perfectly right before his own Goddess, before Astraea, looking ready to defend her or attack.
"That boy," her Captain rarely spoke, but when he did, he was slow and deliberate, "has received advanced training that is incomplete. Someone, who knows, Adventuring," pausing to look at Bell, the man finished, "and Adventurers."
Bell showed no surprise or twitch. He held it in or didn't care. It didn't matter either way.
Grumbling to herself, Eris reached at a hand even as her Vice Captain helped her to stand back up from the mud puddle all the while Eris' aide kept the umbrella over her and clearing some of the worst mud from her, "Balthazar," Eris commanded, "Bring that rabbit to me."
Balthazar nodded. He was clearly from the Southwest. From one of the Merchant Nations on the shores of the Sardana Sea. His broad Cutlass and long Pike made him an unusual foe. He wasn't much taller than was normal, with his skin tanned and remade by salt and sun, a Stiletto Beard of chestnut brown and a mustache of the same color styled in the Peak way.
He wore scale mail and cuirass armor interwoven into or over a closed mandilion with a small shoulder cape, both done in the colors of Eris. He also wore baggy breeches over hose with fine shoes covered in greaves up to the knees and the feet covered in armored protection, less a sabaton and more just armored covering. The man also wore a burgonet helmet, inscribed with his Familia's seal and a large set of feathers in the colors of his Goddess, and had eyes like the colors of Eris' eyes, that subdued red.
Balthazar took a step forward, settling himself. He was no fool. The boy before him was quick and the trees provided him with an advantage that nullified or limited Balthazar's own prowess. If he was careless, he risked harm to all around him, including both Goddess and especially his own.
As such, he may be a Level 3, but he'd have to tone it down to about a lower Level 2 middling at best. Little better than Stefan and Dayton.
But much more refined.
Finding solid ground beneath the mud, Balthazar coiled his legs and shot forward.
To Balthazar's surprise, the boy kicked up a discarded battle ax and then charged forward and slightly to Balthazar's left.
With a curse, the Eris Familia Captain realized there was a tree in the way of his pike, forcing him to rely on his cutlass for protection. But he had the power to back it up and so he held the boy's initial attack at bay.
When the boy bounded back, showing an abnormal amount of agility for one so young and being a complete novice with a Falna's strengths, Balthazar reassessed his decision making and attacked.
This time, the two trees stood no obstacle and were cut through like they were made of paper.
Metal rang as the boy counterattacked and the dull sound of wood being thunked as the pair struck the handles of their off hand weapons.
The fact that Balthazar was using a polearm as an off hand weapon was not lost on Bell.
The same with the fact that it really wasn't an off hand weapon as Balthazar was ambidextrous like Bell himself. So, both males could do any normal chore or fight a battle with either hand as easily as breathing. Thus, this was not going to be easy for Bell and Balthazar was already executing that fact very well as he all but shoved Bell away and then charged at the boy.
"Sheesh," Eris complained as she drew her two knives from their sheaths at her back, "Now, Astraea, where were we last time?"
Even as the Goddess of Justice tensed as Eris stepped forward, her aide stayed with her the entire time. The Eris Familia Vice Captain hangs back, awaiting orders from his Goddess. The man left the rounding up Fen and the escapees to Dayton and Stefan.
"I believe we were near a pond, correct?" Eris frowned, "We were alone. My sisters were there, along with a couple of friends, and you were there with those annoying Three Virgin Goddesses and the redheaded cyclops among a couple of others."
"Indeed," Astraea remembered the pond in question.
Back up in Heaven. A nice pond on the edge of Artemis' personal domain. It was hidden within a great amount of trees and tall grass. With some flowers along the edge.
Astraea personally liked that pond. It had a nice sandy edge where one could relax comfortably on. Of course, that was normal for Heaven, but there were always places far more perfect for the individual God or Goddess.
"Yes," Eris nodded, slowly drawing out the word before speaking again, "I recall you throwing me into the pond. I ended up doing a Butt Flop. Which, I might remind you, hurts a lot!"
At times like this, Astraea felt sorry for Hestia. Eris was truly in a way, like the evil twin sister of the Goddess of the Hearth.
"I recall that," a new, almost childish voice, much in the same vein, but not as vain, as Eris, suddenly spoke up, "I also recalled what I did to you back then as I do now."
And before Eris could react, having frozen at that voice, she felt something splash against her backside, revealing her skirt had ridden up some, and then…
"Why me?" floated another voice before the whoosh of an arrow and the following piercing of flesh and Eris screaming as she once more had an arrow in her backside and her panties were on fire.
"LADY/GODDESS ERIS!" the Dark Familia members shouted/screamed before a battlecry cut through the air just above Eris' own screaming as she ran around trying to pull the arrow out as she was being burned.
"URA URA! WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?" the reddish brown haired Samurai swung his Katana around, deflecting Balthazar's cutlass before using a yari to block the pike, "Seems like a Level 3 to me," the samurai smiled widely before pushing back against his opponent, "Too bad, I'm Level 4."
And with that, the Samurai man sent both of Balthazar's weapons upwards before hurling his yari into the Vice Captain of the Eris Familia, taking out the man before he could react to the avalanche of Artemis and Hestia Familias falling upon the smugglers and Eris Familia, and then, through all of that, swinging his sword around to cut through and then stab Balthazar, ending the fight in a single go.
"If you have Earth but lack Heaven, study the Stars," the Samurai recited, "If you have Heaven but lack Earth, run through fields," the katana slid out of the surprised Balthazar who collapsed, coughing up blood, "Only then can you find balance within yourself and achieve that which is thought not possible."
Eris let out a scream as her aide finally removed Artemis' arrow from her backside and that was after putting out the flames that have badly burned her lower torso, hips, backside, frontside, and upper thighs.
"You two!" she choked out through tears, "That really, really hurts!"
"It was supposed to," Artemis declared as she materialized out of the woods as Hestia popped up from her hiding spot after she had lifted Eris' skirt and splashed her with oil, "After what you have done, do not think we are finished. You will be going before Ouranos in Orario for your crimes."
Glaring at the pair before her, "I think not," Eris suddenly said, as though her voice was far away, like what was before them was a shadow.
"What?" Artemis had her bow up at once, an arrow nocked and ready to let fly.
"That's not Eris!" Hestia shouted, pointing to her dark lookalike.
"Oh, but it was, once," 'Eris' spoke before falling into the mud, like a puppet who's strings were cut.
"Lady Eris!" her aide went to her side, only to be blasted aside by the Witch that had been present.
"Oh my, already?" the witch stepped forward and with a laugh, unleashed a storm of bolts upon those present.
"Look out!"
"Protect the Goddesses!"
"Shields up! Shelter the women!"
"Take cover!"
"AHHH!"
"RAAHH!"
"HELP ME!"
"MY LEGS!"
"That power!" Hestia shouts, recalling it too far well, "You are not a Mortal!"
Laughing maniacally the witch smiled with a deranged, sharp tooth look at Hestia.
"Oh, I was a Mortal," she laughed hysterically again, "Until I met my Lord and Master!"
She laughed uncontrollably again.
"Then he gave me what I needed to become greater than Human, greater than a Mortal!" the woman was crackling insanely, "The Goddess Eris had no idea what was happening until it was too late! She has since been my puppet the whole time! Oh, what wonderful power I have. I enjoyed debasing Eris and her perfect body for my own pleasure!"
"WHAT?!" Hestia screamed in both abject horror and terrified fear.
"What abomination you may have become," Artemis ground out in unrestrained anger, "Is no match for the truth of one fact!"
"And that is?" the ex-Human smiled insanely.
"That if you shall act like a beast, I will hunt you like a beast!"
"Then let me become someThInG mOrE tHaN A BEAST, ahaha-ahahAHAHAHAHA," the woman began to transform before the pair of Goddesses into something they were not expecting.
"Well, damn," Hestia could only sum up at this point, "Definitely has to be Typhon involved somehow."
"Most assuredly involved, but clearly not alone," Artemis agreed before releasing her air towards the neck and seeing the arrow bounce off with absolutely no effect, "We need a plan, right now!"
Both Artemis and Hestia immediately spun on their heels and shot off before the ground behind them was utterly destroyed by the massive clawed foot of a corrupted dragon of some kind.
With an earsplitting screeching roar, the dragon swept its wings wide, destroying every tree and upturning every piece of land they collided with.
"BEHOLD THE TRUE POWERS OF HELL WROUGHT UPON YOU GODDESSES!"
XXXX
Okay… Next chapter I should finally finish where Bell and Astraea begin their little journey together.
Somehow, someway, I will finish it!
I do apologize for the long wait. Both the creative juices were working overtime and my new job is physically demanding to the point, I'm realizing how underfit I am. I'm sleeping like a damn rock as soon as I have a day off. Today, I was lucky. I was up before 1500 hours or 3 pm.
Hopefully, that will become a regular theme. I was also up, briefly, about 11ish and possibly as early as 10ish.
So, there is hope yet.
Of course, a bout of Covid and then Pneumonia didn't help me.
The former back at the start of January, my second bout with it. And the latter in the middle of March. So my sleep cycles are screwed up more than a bat full of screws.
Also, I've been diverting some attention to the War of Ukrainian Independence, in its fight for Freedom from the Neo-Russian Empire of Would Be Tsarist 'Da Boss' Vladmir Putin.
I have to admit, I was surprised by just how bad the Russian Ground Forces were.
I knew they actually sucked. Their organizational and soldier quality is still stuck in the Breznov Period of the Soviet Union. Which explains the use of the Breznov Doctrine on Ukraine by Russia.
But DAMN!
Are the Ukrainians just that good or do the Russians truly suck at war?
At this point, I'd take an army of Space Balls and leave Dark Helmet and Colonel Zanders to deal with the operation. Because frankly, I think a load of Assholes would do better than an Army of Russians.
Guess they're learning it is one thing when they are weak villagers in an ununited nation to push around.
It's another when they are citizens of a unified and united country!
Especially one that let the US and British advisors, well, advise the Ukrainian Army how to win a war. And left the Ukrainian Army to actually, gasp!, learn how to arrange itself to win a war with the knowledge they were taught!
Oh and the Ukrainian Air Force used to train with American F-15 Eagle Squadrons. That would teach them a lot. It also means they might have some technical and physical capabilities at operating F-16 Falcons, which would explain why Ukraine abruptly asked for some.
Of course, the Ukrainian Air Force pilots can be a bunch of BAMFs!
They apparently liked Rambo so much, they carry full size Assault Rifles and a bandalore of Grenades in their Fighters for that chance they get shot down and those who have been shot down, have successfully fought their way back to friendly lines.
Now, I can't say much about the Russian Naval Forces. Other than, nice shooting Ukraine! Sinking that Russian Landing Ship and damaging a couple of others would put a crimp in Russian operations as Russian Shipyard Workers suck and the best ships of the Russian Naval Forces were Soviet ships built in Ukraine.
As for the Russian Aerospace Forces (Really? Trying to one up the USAF and USSF?), the best I can say is… Wow, they suck (which doesn't help the one up attempt at all).
Sure they are causing damage, but seriously. If it was a NATO nation, the Ukrainian Air Defenses and Air Force would be gone within a few days. The fact that short ranged MANPADs, better at shooting down Helicopters than Jets, are taking a chunk out of the RASF Fighter and Attacker inventories, is just, shit man, that shouldn't be happening!
And let's not forget that Russian Gator that got blasted out of the sky by a Ukrainian TV Missile too.
At first, I wanted to be neutral in the war. We all know at least one Russian and one Ukrainian. This war was a tragedy in which many Russian and Ukrainian families are blood relatives and kin. It is a war started because of a madman in Moscow who can't understand the world has passed him by and because of him, the world has left Russia behind as well.
But, as the cruelty of Russia keeps becoming apparent. Their utter disregard for Human life. Acting as though this is an era set so far back into the past, you have to wonder if it is Russia or Daesh/ISIS invading Ukraine.
I can no longer stay to the side. While I've fully supported Ukraine and condemned Russia for its invasion, I now can no longer just sit to the side. I'm doing what I can to help Ukraine. It is no longer a madman's war, but a war against the Evil Empire once more.