I do not own Familia Myth or any of the characters.
Falling Behind
Ethan split the Orc up the middle and flipped over him, stabbing down through an Imp's head. He ripped his sword out just in time for an Orc's fist to crash into his side, flinging him. He bounced and rolled to a stop, drinking a healing potion before standing and casting Light Blade, then waded back into the monsters. Claws tore at him. Another Orc managed to land a hit. More claws tore at him. Healing potion after healing potion was used. And then, he ran out. So, the next time he was hit he used Fast Heal. And then he continued. Finally, he finished the last of the monsters around himself and sighed, sitting down. He wasn't ready for floor ten. Not by a long shot. But he had to get stronger faster, and this was working. He just needed to survive for a few days down here, then he could head back. Then he'd start again. Besides, these floors he could earn more money to give to Hestia. A Goddess had no business working in order to support her Familia. That just wasn't how it was supposed to be. She should be able to live comfortably without having to do anything for it. So if risking his life on floors too deep for his level would allow that, he'd gladly do it. It was a small price to pay for being given a second chance. An Orc roared as it stomped out of the fog and Ethan sighed, standing ans picking up his sword. Then, he charged into the next fight.
Ethan staggered to the side, stabbing his sword into the ground to catch himself. He didn't have enough energy for another Fast Heal, and he was covered in gashes. However, the stairs were just ahead. He groaned, straightening and continuing to the stairs, climbing them slowly. He'd made it longer than he thought. He'd managed to make it almost three days, though he hadn't been able to rest at all the entire time. He was just glad his mind, the energy his magic used, had been able to regenerate fast enough for him to use Fast Heal when he needed it, except this time. The last three Imps he'd killed had gone down swinging.
He paused on the ninth floor, bending forward slightly, leaning on his sword, and waited to catch his breath. However, after a moment, he heard a minotaur's roar and stiffened. It was a ways off, but it sounded angry. He glanced at the stairs before groaning and following the tunnel toward the sound. He heard a voice as he grew closer, the voice shouting in effort, even as the minotaur continued to roar. He frowned. What was a minotaur even doing on the ninth floor? And who was the poor sap fighting it?
"Firebolt!" Bell's voice suddenly shouted, Ethan's gut dropping instantly.
He began to run, ignoring his exhaustion and pain. He took several corners before slowing to a stop beside a group of people just as Bell drove a black dagger into the minotaur, casting his spell several times, flames erupting from numerous gashes in the red-furred minotaur each time. Then, finally, as he cast it the last time, the minotaur began to swell before erupting into a fireball and being destroyed. Bell's arms fell to his sides and he fell motionless.
"That bastard pulled it off," a silver-haired guy with a pair of wolf ears sticking up from his hair, a wolf tail, and silver armor growled.
"He passed out on his feet," one of the others said.
Ethan groaned, falling to his knees as one of his worse gashes throbbed painfully.
"Who the hell are you!?" the guy demanded. "When did you get here!?"
"Here, let me heal you," one of the silver-haired guy's allies, a green-haired elf girl, said as the others, two tan-skinned women who wee obviously sisters, the silver-haired guy, a short blonde boy, and Ais Wallenstein walked over to Bell.
Once Ethan was healed, he thanked the girl and they walked over to Bell as well. Ethan glanced at Bell's dagger and frowned, slipping it out of Bell's hand to inspect it. It was an amazingly well-forged weapon. The best he'd ever seen. It was also a hieroglyph weapon, which meant that it could only be wielded by whoever it was forged for, meaning Bell.
"Riveria," the silver-haired guy said, turning to the elf who healed Bell. "What's his status?"
"You want me to look without permission?" Riveria asked.
"He's practically begging for us to look, isn't he?" the silver-haired guy asked, gesturing at Bell, whose shirt had been partially blasted off when the minotaur exploded.
Riveria sighed, walking over and leaning down to read Bell's crest.
"What are his stats?" the silver-haired guy demanded. "Tell me already!"
Riveria stared for a moment before turning back to them. "All abilities are rank S."
Ethan's eyes widened as Bell's knife fell to the ground, everyone else besides Ais staring in shock. S-rank? All of them? All of his statuses were over nine hundred? How? Ethan stared at his hands. Clearly he needed to ask Bell for pointers.
"What's his name?" the short blond asked Ais.
"Bell," Ais said, a hint of a smile on her face. "Bell Cranel."
Ethan sighed, kneeling and picking up Bell's dagger, sliding it back into its sheath for him before slinging Bell over his shoulder. "I'll get him back. You guys go ahead and get back to your expedition. And good luck."
"Thank you," Ais said. "Are you in his Familia too?"
"Yeah," Ethan said. "Though apparently, someone here's been keeping secrets about the best place to train secret."
"I didn't know the Hestia Familia had two members," one of the sisters said.
"Yeah, all I ever hear about is Bell," the other said.
Ethan sighed quietly, staring at his sword, which was stabbed into the ground beside him at the moment. He wasn't entirely sure why it disappointed him that no one knew he existed.
"Is Bell alright?" a Pallum wearing a tattered tan cloak asked worriedly.
"He's fine," Ethan said. "Just exhausted. Once we get him back to our Familia's church so he can rest, he'll be up and about within a few hours."
Relief flooded the Pallum's face. "Thank goodness!"
Ethan pulled his sword free of the ground. "Come on. Let's get out of here before the monsters figure out the minotaur's gone."
The Pallum nodded and they headed for the stairs. As they made their way out, she introduced herself as Bell's supporter, Liliruca Arde. Ethan introduced himself as well, and they fell silent until they reached the church, where Hestia instantly took Bell, panicking and and seeming to be on the verge of tears already with worry. Ethan assured her he'd be okay, but it did nothing to ease her worry. He sighed, turning and heading to the guild to exchange the crystals he'd gathered for money, then restocked on his potions before heading back to the church, finding Hestia still sitting at Bell's side, watching him as carefully as if she expected him to die the moment she looked away.
"I made a bit extra money today," Ethan said. "Is there anything you want?"
Silence.
"Would you mind updating my status while he's resting?" Ethan asked, setting the pouch of coins on a small dresser off to the side.
More silence.
He sighed, shaking his head and heading back out of the church. It was fine. She was worried, and he was just in the way. He held a hand to his chest as it ached, gritting his teeth. This feeling was stupid. It was annoying, distracting, and miserable. If this was what it was like to love someone, he questioned the world's sanity for actively seeking this feeling.
He looked up as he reached the dungeon again and sighed. Hopefully by the time he got back Hestia would have time for someone besides Bell. He sighed heavily before walking into the dungeon again, returning to the tenth floor before going to find something to kill.
Ethan slumped into a chair on in his room and rested his face in his hands. Two more days of no rest and an exhausting amount of fighting. And then he'd gotten back just in time for Hestia to tell him Bell had made Level Two and she was going to Denatus, a feast of the gods, to get him a title.
"Hey," Bell said, stepping into the room. "You okay? You look exhausted."
"That tends to happen when you live in the dungeon for days on end alone," Ethan said. "Congratulations on leveling up."
"Thanks," Bell said. "I just wanted to thank you for bringing me back to the church."
"You're welcome," Ethan said. "Mind if I ask you a question?"
"Sure," Bell nodded.
"Where'd you get your dagger?" Ethan asked. "A dagger like that is ridiculously expensive. How'd you afford it?"
"Oh, I didn't buy it," Bell said. "It was a gift from our goddess. She said she wanted to thank me for everything I'd done for her and support me any way she could, so she gave me this."
"I see," Ethan said. "You're lucky."
He stared at the ground. That explained why Hestia was working. She had to pay back whatever that dagger had cost. And it would probably be a long time before that happened.
"Are you alright?" Bell asked. "You don't look very happy."
"I'm fine," Ethan said. "I've just been awake too long. Almost a full week. I'm going to sleep. If you see our goddess before I wake up, can you ask her to upgrade my status for me?"
"Sure," Bell nodded.
Ethan dropped onto his bed, kicking his shoes off before climbing under the covers and laying away from Bell, curling into a ball and closing his eyes, trying to will himself to sleep. A few hours later, when he finally woke, he found a note beside his bed from Hestia.
"I'll upgrade your statuses when I get back. Went out to get a special dinner to celebrate Bell's new level."
He stared at the note for a moment before crumpling it and whipping it across the room. He clenched his teeth for a long moment before standing and picking up his sword. He was being stupid. What difference should it make that she wanted to celebrate? He had leveled up. That was good. And she was in love with him. Of course she'd want to celebrate. He had no reason to get mad about it. And yet...he was. He was furious, to the point of trembling, and he couldn't stop it. So, he headed for the best place to blow off steam. The dungeon.
Leave a review.