I do not own Familia Myth or any of the characters.

Nose to the Grindstone

Ethan shouted and fought with all his might to move, but his body wouldn't move. Darkness surrounded him, except for a spot of sight ahead of him, as though at the end of a tunnel. Images flickered through that spot, playing like a series of still frames, flickering from one to the next rapidly, but slow enough that he could make out every horrific detail. His parents fighting a minotaur together. Killing it. A massive group of them arriving. Killing most of them. His mother being split at the waist. His father going on a rampage. His father bearing down on the last one. His father being split in half, half of his swords broken blade still midway through falling.

Then the stars of Ethan's torment changed. Now it was his brothers fighting. And everything played out almost identically to the last. The only differences being that one of his brothers was ripped apart, and another was impaled on a horn. They also didn't kill most of the minotaurs. And then, it was his and Anya's turn. Once again, the trap was sprung exactly the same way. But as he watched, he also relived the memories of the fight. Of carving his way through as many of them as he could. Of getting Anya away from them. They were alive. And then, the floor shattered. They fell to the floor below, Anya slamming her head on a chunk of debris as they landed. And then they bounced into a hole into the next floor down. Anya's pack had shielded her on the second landing. Ethan had managed to get away from both fairly well thanks to his high Vitality, his body's resistance to damage, which had been almost S rank, and had begun to carry Anya out. And then they were swarmed. By everything. Every monster that inhabited the middle floors swarmed them. He'd fought them all. He'd shielded her from countless attacks, and in the end, he'd gotten her out safely. And yet, he hadn't, had he? She was still hurt, wasn't she?

Ethan's eyes finally flew open as a Killer Ant shrieked, streaking toward him. He shouted in return, using the ant, and a dozen more who answered its cry, to let out his pent up pain, his anger, his anguish, and his worry. He had lost everything. Time and again, he'd lost everything. His parents. His brothers. He had been sent away from his sister because he couldn't protect her. He'd lost his home. His life's savings. His power to protect his sister. He'd lost everything.

He drove his sword down through the last ant's head, destroying it and making it burst into a cloud of darkness as he fell to his knees, blood dripping from the numerous gashes he'd received from the ants as he had neglected to properly defend himself. He pulled out the only healing potion he had and drank it, his wounds hissing, steaming, and sealing. He stared at his sword. He'd lost everything. But...he'd been given another chance, hadn't he? He could still have his sister as a supporter, once he became strong enough to defend her. He had been accepted into a new Familia. He could rebuild the power he'd lost. He could make more money. He had a new home.

Hestia drifted into his mind, worry on her face as he told her he would be in the dungeon for days. She cared. For the first time in his life, someone who wasn't family cared. He didn't understand why, and he didn't understand why that knowledge made his entire body feel like it was running on adrenaline while also being seconds from rejecting his last meal. But he did understand that he owed her everything. That was enough. He owed her everything, and he would repay her. He would give her whatever she needed. And he would defend her. He would make himself strong again. Stronger than he had been before. And he would never let those he cared about be hurt again. Not his goddess, not his sister. He would protect them, no matter how strong his foe. He would make himself stronger than anyone.

He collected the last of the crystals the ants had dropped and headed for the stairs. It was earlier than he had hoped, but he'd be back. He just needed to stock up on healing potions first. And then he'd have his status updated before he went back in.

Ethan spun through the War Shadows rapidly, splitting them one after another, struggling to avoid their attacks. He hadn't expected as many as he'd met, but it didn't surprise him. He was cursed. That was what he had decided. It was the only explanation for the minotaurs. His entire family was cursed. But that was fine. He'd just get stronger. Strong enough to beat the curse.

A War Shadow split his gut open and he growled, forcing himself to focus on the present. A few minutes later, he was finished and drank a healing potion. Then, he turned, looking for more monsters to kill. He had to get stronger. As strong as he could. He had to be strong enough to protect the things that mattered to him.

Ethan leaned against the wall, panting. He looked down at his shredded shirt and ripped it off, dropping it off to the side before sliding down the wall, sitting against it to rest. He hadn't expected using his Light Blade spell to be quite as draining as it had been. But it was worth it. Despite being a simple and relatively low-drain spell, once he had a decent amount of Magic power, it was also one that would level up his Magic status rapidly. That one use would probably double his Magic status. Just then, War Shadows began to rise from off to the side and he grit his teeth, pushing himself up and charging them. He should be thanking them. With the wounds still covering him, even if he wasn't hit, his Vitality would increase just from being wounded while he fought.

Ethan staggered out of the dungeon as the sun was rising, drinking his last health potion and ignoring the shocked and confused looks of those around him. His pants had been reduced to ripped up shorts, and he was still shirtless, and in desperate need of a nap, but he'd spent four days in the dungeon, plus two before that, not counting his six hour shopping trip. He made his way back to the church and collapsed onto the bed, groaning. He needed to level up faster.

"You're back!" Hestia said, stepping into the room. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," Ethan said. "Would you mind upgrading my statuses?"

"Sure," Hestia nodded, kneeling over him and using a knife to prick her finger, dripping it onto his back.

Ethan waited silently for her to finish, then accepted the paper listing them as he sat up, staring at it. His statuses were progressing well. His Vitality and Strength had both gone from basically nothing to mid-H, with his strength being one hundred forty two and his Vitality being one hundred sixty, his Dexterity was eighty five, his agility was ninety eight, and his magic was one hundred twenty. However, the thing that made him stare was his skills. Guardian Heart. He looked to Hestia with a questioning frown and saw an expression somewhere between proud and pensive.

"Guardian Heart is an extremely rare skill to unlock," Hestia said. "It's extremely useful, though. It increases an adventurer's statuses, all of them, when they're fighting to defend someone. The boost depends on how important that person is to them, but in most cases, the lowest boost is doubled."

"Really?" Ethan asked, raising his eyebrows. "That's awesome!"

"No," Hestia said. "It's not a good sign for an adventurer to unlock it. They have to have no regard at all for their own life. They have to believe they are less important than anyone else, and they have to exist solely to shield others from pain. That's not a good mentality to have. It's dangerous."

"Well, now I have a skill to take the danger away," Ethan shrugged, standing and setting the paper aside. "Once I master it, or figure out how to manipulate the conditions to use it at will, I'll be practically unstoppable."

"A status of one hundred doubled is only two hundred," Hestia said.

"But a status of nine hundred doubled is eighteen hundred," Ethan shrugged. "That's basically the same as being a Level Two, right?"

"And then when you level up, you'll have to start all over again," Hestia pointed out.

Ethan waved a hand over his shoulder. "It's a start. I'll try and figure out how to unlock a skill to level up faster next."

"I'm being serious, Ethan!" Hestia snapped. "You're walking a slippery slope! If you don't value your life, you're liable to throw it away for no reason!"

"It wouldn't be no reason if I die protecting the people I care about," Ethan said, looking back at her. "I've lost almost my entire family. Thanks to a spell that I should have never payed to have used, I watched as a horde of minotaurs slaughtered first my parents, and then years later another horde of minotaurs slaughtered my brothers."

"What?" Hestia asked, eyes wide.

"If this skill will allow me to be strong enough to defend the only family I have left, or to defend my goddess, then I'll happily be willing to throw my life away in order to have this skill," Ethan continued. "I'm going to buy some more healing potions," he glanced down at the remains of his clothes, "and some new clothes, and then I'm heading back into the dungeon. Hopefully, I'll be able to meet whoever else in in this Familia next time. I'm kind of curious who else you have, since we live in an abandoned church, and I've only ever met you."

"There's only one other," Hestia said, a small smile forming on her lips. "Bell Cranel."

"I see," Ethan nodded. "Well, hopefully I'll meet him soon."

He turned, walking out of the church again, heading into town to buy clothes and potions, still neglecting to buy armor, then heading for the dungeon again.

Leave a review.