I do not own Familia Myth or any of the characters.
Village
Ethan sighed as he ran through the rain. Things had gone down hill fast. He'd woken up and he and Ryuu had been on the way to the Dungeon for more training, only to meet Ais and Bell, who explained Hestia had been kidnapped by Ares the same day as Bell said in no uncertain terms that even if she asked him to be with her he'd say no, causing her to run out of the mansion. Bell had gone after her, then met Ais who told him she'd been kidnapped somehow. Now, the four of them were running after one of three groups, being led by Asfi, who was flying over the group and signaling by flashing a lantern at them.
"When we get there, we'll deal with whatever soldiers Ares has and distract Ares himself," Ethan said. "Bell, you take Hestia back."
Bell nodded and they sped along a winding trail along the mountain. Finally, Rakia came into view. Ares was in front, seated on a horse and with Hestia in a potato sack tied to his back, her head poking out of it. Ethan sped ahead, irises turning a dark crimson, then tore into the group soldiers following Ares, knocking them all out against the wall cliff face to the right just in time for Ais to step past him, readying her sword to face Ares, who dropped Hestia and drew his own sword while declaring that he wouldn't let an adventurer stand in his way. However, when he moved to attack, Ais slashed the blade of his sword off of the hilt in a single swipe and he stared at it in surprise for a moment as Ethan sighed.
"Not bad!" Ares shouted.
"Well, that's that," Ethan said. "We'll be going now."
A blonde soldier wearing an officer's uniform and possessing the bearer of a much more disciplined fighter than the soldiers or Ares, stepping into the way, drawing his own sword.
"Really?" Ethan asked, drawing his xiphos in his right hand, holding it in reverse grip while leaving his sword in its scabbard at his side. "Do you know who we are?"
"Goddess!" Bell whispered urgently from where he'd crawled past the blonde, who Aries called Marius, and Ares both.
"Bell!" Hestia cheered, only for one of her feet to slip off the edge of the cliff.
Ethan's eyes widened as Bell dove after Hestia without a second thought. "Ais, go!"
Ais took off instantly and Ethan looked back to Marius before sheathing his xiphos and smirking.
"Bye," he said, before he and Ryu leapt off the cliff as well.
They both splashed down hard, then swam with the current until they found Ais, climbing out beside her.
"I think I saw a village this way," Ais said, pointing.
Ethan nodded as Bell lifted Hestia onto his back. The four of them began to run, Ais leading them to a small mountain village. Within minutes the Mayor had decided they'd be staying in his house, giving them three spare rooms to use as he saw fit. Bell stayed by Hestia's side as soon as she was dry and in bed, and Ais, Ryu, and Ethan left to scout around the village for Rakia soldiers. After a couple hours of finding nothing but rain, they headed back to the village. Bell met them at the door, giving each of them a towel.
"Is Lady Hestia alright?" Ais asked.
"She woke up a little while ago, but she's sleeping again now," Bell said.
"Good," Ethan said. "Better she sleep and get rid of that fever."
"What did you find?" Bell asked.
"No sign of Rakia forces or Asfi," Ais reported. "Just signs that they fought."
"Did they retreat?" Bell asked.
"Most likely," Ethan said. "Asfi's not weak enough for them to take down easily, or with as few forces as they brought. She may not be a powerhouse herself, but her items are."
"Agreed," Ryu nodded. "Besides, you didn't leave many standing to fight her."
"For now, I think it'd be best if we stayed her a little longer," Ais said, reaching up to drag her fingers through the hair on the right side of her head in order to remove any tangles, though Bell's face went crimson instantly.
"L-Let's stay here, then!" Bell stammered.
Ais nodded and Bell looked to Ethan, who snorted, shaking his head.
"Don't look at me," Ethan said. "Ryu and I are taking one of the rooms. You two can sort the other two rooms yourselves."
Ryu slipped her hand into his, the pair walking to one of the rooms and closing the door. As soon as the latch was closed, Ryu began to strip off her soaked adventurer uniform. Ethan leaned against the door, smiling slightly as he watched the wet material stick to her body and make taking it off a considerably slower process than normal. Once she was finished, Ryu glanced at him, raising an eyebrow.
"You're not getting into bed wearing wet clothes," Ryu said, beginning to dry herself with her towel.
Ethan smiled, pushing off the door and quickly shedding his own clothes before wrapping his arms around Ryu, pulling her into a kiss. She leaned into him, kissing him back for several seconds before trying to speak.
"You're still wet," Ryu managed to say between increasingly heated kisses.
"Do you want to stop to dry myself?" Ethan asked.
"Don't you dare," Ryu said, pushing Ethan down onto the bed on his back before straddling his legs and fusing her lips and tongue back to his.
Ethan smiled as he helped with the decorations. Ryu had agreed to wear some borrowed clothes from the mayor's daughter in order to be more appropriately presentable for the children in the village, as had Ais, though she had simply accepted when she had been offered clothes, rather than asking for an explanation as to why she should wear them. Both had a white blouse under a black vest, a length of cloth wrapping under the collar and tied at the front, and an ankle-length skirt. Ais's skirt was dark red, as was her necktie, and had a white bandanna-like cloth over the top of her hair, while Ryu's skirt and necktie were green and she had a white hairband in place of a cloth. Both looked beautiful.
"Hey, kid," one of the villagers said, poking Ethan in the head with the rounded end of a broomstick. "Stare at your girlfriend later."
Ethan smiled and shrugged, not trying to defend himself since he had, in fact, been staring at Ryu, who was playing with the children, smiling openly. "Can you blame me?"
"Eh," the man shrugged. "I prefer mine a bit more...filled out."
Ethan smiled. "Understandable."
He lifted the next log that needed to be set on the pyre.
"Alright, we're all set," the man said. "Thanks for the help."
"No problem," Ethan said. "Let me know if you need anything else."
"Will do," the man said.
Ethan walked away, picking a daisy on the way, then wrapped one arm around Ryu's abdomen, slipping the stem of the daisy behind her right ear before wrapping that arm around her abdomen as well, kissing the back of her shoulder.
"All done?" Ryu asked.
"For a little while," Ethan nodded.
Ryu nodded, smiling, and resting one of her hands on both of his. "I talked to some of the people in this village about the festival we're helping set up. Apparently, whoever you dance with becomes your lover."
"Then I guess it's a good thing Anya forced me to learn to dance," Ethan smiled.
"Agreed," Ryu said. "I was thinking of asking Bell for a dance."
Ethan gave her an unimpressed look, even as he suppressed his grin at her actually making a joke. "You know, words hurt."
Ryu smiled, kissing him. "That's you and Anya's influence."
"Good," Ethan smiled. "You have no idea how glad I am you can finally make jokes."
She rolled her eyes and he squeezed her lightly, looking around. "What are those little shrines around the village?"
"Scales," Ryu said, narrowing her eyes. "They fell from the One-Eyed Black Dragon who wiped out the Zeus and Hera Familias. The villagers spread them around the village because monsters are too afraid of them to enter the village while it's surrounded."
"I see," Ethan nodded. "Useful. And resourceful."
Ryu nodded just as Bell and Ais walked back into the village from the path the dragon scales followed. Bell headed to the Mayor's house to check on Hestia instantly, but Ais walked over to Ryu and Bell.
"How are preparations?" Ais asked.
"Good," Ethan said. "We're finished for now, so I have some free time."
Ais nodded, staring at the ground for a moment. "What will you do?"
"I'm pretty sure you're looking at it," Ethan said.
"Actually, there's something I'd like to do, if you're willing, Ais Wallenstein," Ryu said.
Ethan sighed. "Really? You can't think of a better time and place for this?"
Ryu shrugged. "I won't insult your intelligence by pretending you don't know who I am, and I'm grateful to you for not trying to collect on my bounty."
"Since I found out who you were, you've done nothing but help those close to you. I won't collect your bounty for that," Ais said.
Ryu nodded. "If you're willing, I'm curious about how skilled you truly are. I've heard the stories, but I'd appreciate the chance to test your abilities for real."
Ais nodded. "We should get changed."
Ryu nodded, glancing at Ethan, who sighed and nodded.
The three of them headed back to the Mayor's house, the girls changing and all three grabbing their weapons before walking outside of the village to a clear area.
"Am I fighting you both?" Ais asked.
"Not yet," Ryu said. "For now, I want to face you alone. I'm interested in what you can do."
Ais nodded, drawing her sword and nodding to Ryu. Ryu drew her wooden sword as well and exploded forward. Ethan's eyes widened. She was holding nothing back, and was betraying her successive levels of maxed out agility. Even two levels higher than Ryu, Ais seemed genuinely shocked by Ryu's speed, and seemed only slightly faster than Ryu when they clashed. The two seemed to dance in a pair of blurs, moving around and around the area, their blades clashing over and over in successive showers of sparks and with the ring of metal on metal. The fight continued in this way for nearly a minute before Ais finally spun around Ryu, sweeping her legs out from under her, then put her sword to Ryu's throat.
"You're skilled," Ais said.
"And you were leading me into a trap from the very beginning," Ryu stated. "Impressive. But I think that Ethan and I together might have a chance."
"Guardian's Heart is impressive, but not that amazing," Ais said.
"I have a couple other skills with it, now," Ethan said. "I think I can manage."
Ais nodded, Ethan drawing his sword and stepping up beside Ryu.
"Make yourself angry," Ryu warned under her breath. "You'll need it."
"You'll need to start," Ethan said.
Ryu nodded and exploded forward once again, Ethan following after her. This time, as Ethan had hoped, Ais didn't take Ryu lightly. She deflected Ryu's wooden sword and her leg snapped up to kick her, only for Ethan's irises to flare a bright fluorescent crimson, his shin colliding with Ais's, stopping her kick. Ais leapt away as thin tendrils of black reached toward his iris from the outside of his eyes. Ais narrowed her eyes and readied herself as Ethan and Ryu did the same. As they did, however, the rest of Ethan's sclerae turned pitch black. Then, as one, he and Ryu shot forward. Ais deflected Ryu's blade toward Ethan to make her block his path, only for Ethan to flip over her, slashing downward at Ais. She blocked his sword and her legs bent slightly as the ground cracked. Ais's eyes narrowed slightly, betraying no other expression as she shoved his sword aside and spun, slamming a kick into his side, cracking a rib. He yelped in pain just as Ryu passed him, her wooden blade clashing with just as much speed and ferocity as the first time. Ethan recovered from the kick and turned just in time for Ais to reach him and flip, slamming a foot into the side of his head. He Bounced off his head once before crashing down on his back. He could feet the crack in his skull and the concussion, but he also felt the injuries increasing the boost from his Berserk skill.
He shoved himself to his feet as Ryu retreated past him, then replaced her, his sword clashing with Ais's over and over. She frowned, knocking his sword aside, only for Ethan to spin, ducking under her blade, which was held so that the blunt of it would hit him. Her eyes widened a fraction of a centimeter and Ethan smirked moving to sweep her feet out from under her. She jumped, just in time to cross her arms in front of herself, blocking Ryu's foot. She sailed backward, flipping and landing on her feet as Ethan charged. He slashed at her, but she spun around him, slashing from the other side. Ethan drew his xiphos, knocking her blade into the air and Ryu stepped around him, slashing. However, at the last second, Ais's free hand freed her scabbard from her belt, deflecting Ryu's blade before driving the point of the scabbard into her gut, hurling her away even as her sword deflected Ethan's sword. Ethan twisted, slashing with his xiphos, only for Ais to deflect it with her sword, then slam the scabbard into the side of his head, hurling him away. He flipped, landing on his back and sighed, looking around for his blades, seeing them opposite Ais from him.
"You are more powerful than I expected," Ais said. "You're a Level Two, but with whatever skills you have, you're easily on par with a Level Four."
"That's nothing," Ethan said. "If you were actually trying to kill Ryu, I'd have been stronger than that."
"I see," Ais nodded. "From your Guardian Heart."
"Partially," Ethan said. "My irises being red was my Guardian Heart. My sclerae being black was something else."
Ais nodded. "Your skills developed quite usefully, if the second skill also strengthens you."
"It does," Ethan nodded. "However, I'm a little disheartened by the fact that for all my skills' usefulness, I couldn't match you, even with her as help."
"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't had to fight that hard against another adventurer in a long time, and they were all my level or above," Ais said.
"Thank you," Ryu said, retrieving Ethan's blades and walking over to him. "I appreciate you taking the time to allow us to test ourselves."
Ais nodded, then glanced down at herself. "We should go and get changed again." She paused. "I cracked your rib and skull, didn't I?"
"I'll be alright," Ethan said. "I heal fast."
She nodded and they all headed back to the village.
Lively, cheerful music drifted through the air as the villagers danced. It was mainly married couples, though there were a few couples of younger villagers, the villagers around each group cheering as they began to dance. Ethan smiled as he and Ryu twirled around the pyre as well, Ryu smiling just as happily as he was. Off to one side, Bell and Hestia were dancing together. Ethan doubted Bell knew the secondary meaning and the significance of the choice of dance partners for the festival, but Hestia definitely did, if the wide, joyous smile adorning her face was any indication. Hestia had been given an outfit identical to Ryu and Ais's, including a cloth over her hair like Ais's, except with a blue skirt and necktie, and her blouse's collar open down as low as the window of her normal dress, exposing her cleavage.
After a few minutes, several children who wanted to dance stole Hestia and Ryu, one boy also bringing Ais toward the pyre to dance, and Bell and Ethan both retreated to the edge of the fire's light to watch. Ethan smiled as he watched the girls dancing, but Bell's expression betrayed his heavy thoughts. After a few minutes, however, the mayor's adopted daughter, Rina, ran over, gasping and panting for breath, partially from running, and partially from being on the verge of sobbing, tears soaking her face.
"What's wrong?" Ethan asked instantly.
"My father...the mayor..." Rina's voice failed, the woman swallowing a sob before it could slip out.
Ethan and Bell followed her to the Mayor's house quickly, the girls hot on their heels, along with a few others of the villagers that had been nearby.
Ethan remained silent as they neared Orario, Bell and Hestia chatting happily, and Ais taking turns speaking as well from time to time. Ethan wasn't paying them any attention though. He had his own thoughts to deal with. After they'd gone to be with the mayor as he passed away, Hestia had used her divine power to place him under an illusion that he was being led to heaven by the goddess whose Familia the mayor had once been in, and whom he'd been in love with. She apparently loved him back, and sacrificed herself to save him, winding up being sent back to Heaven. After that, Bell and Hestia had left the village to talk, and after an hour, Ais went to check on them, only to come back alone. Ethan hadn't managed to get much out of her, only that she'd accidentally overheard Bell telling Hestia that he wanted to be with her, goddess or no, while he was crying. Aside from that, Ais was as untalkative as always. So, Ethan had given up trying and he and Ryu had gone to bed. However, The tradition of the village's Harvest Festival kept returning to him, particularly what one man had said about asking a girl to dance usually being akin to a marriage proposal in the village. He'd be lying if he said the thought of marrying Ryu didn't appeal to him greatly, but he was almost certain that asking her now was a bad idea. And yet, he wasn't sure he had it in him to wait now that the idea had taken root in his mind.
"Are you okay?" Ryu asked.
"I'm alright," Ethan smiled. "Just thinking about some stuff."
Ryu nodded and slipped her left hand into his right, her right hand still holding his right arm at the elbow. "I'll have to apologize to Mama Mia again."
"I'm surprised she hasn't fired you yet," Ethan said.
"Because I'm usually helping you, she lets me off easy," Ryu said. "You're her favorite."
"Still, I'm sure her leniency has to be running low by now," Ethan said.
Ryu shrugged. "It's fine. If all else fails, I can just be your Dungeon Partner full-time."
Ethan smiled, nodding. "True."
He glanced at her, then forward again. He wanted to do something. Something to show her how much she meant to him. She'd done more for him than he could ever repay. She'd saved him from his Hero's Sacrifice, she'd helped him in the War Game, risking exposing who she was for the entire world to see, she'd spent her entire life's savings on a Hieroglyph Sword for him, which he still had yet to name, and he had done very little to thank her. He wanted to give her something. Her and Anya both.
"You're home!" Anya cheered, sprinting toward them and nearly tackling him and Ryu, though they managed to stay upright, and Lili actually succeeding in tackling Bell with her own hug.
"Sorry we were gone so long," Ethan said.
"Is everyone okay?" Haruhime asked worriedly.
"We're fine," Bell smiled, pushing himself up and helping Lili to her feet. "I think I could use a night's rest, though."
"That sounds great!" Hestia agreed. "My feet are so sore from walking!"
"I think a nap sounds pretty good," Ryu said. "What about you?"
"You go away," Ethan smiled. "I want to go pick up some supplies for our next dungeon dive first."
"Want me to come?" Ryu asked.
"That's alright," Ethan smiled, kissing her. "I won't be long."
"Okay," Ryu smiled, turning and walking toward the door.
Anya gave Ethan a suspicious look, but followed. Once they were gone, Welf having followed, the other girls all turned to him, all of them giving him a knowing look.
"You don't need supplies," Daphne said. "Only food."
"What kind of present are you trying to get them?" Lili asked.
"It better be something good, given what you've got strapped to your sides," Aisha said.
"About that," Ethan said, grimacing. "I could actually use some suggestions."
"Oh, I know exactly what you should get them both!" Cassandra said excitedly.
"I might have a couple of suggestions," Haruhime said.
"I have a few suggestions, too," Aisha grinned.
"Maybe another time, Aisha," Ethan grimaced.
"Come on Daphne," Cassandra said, holding her hand out to her girlfriend.
"Shopping trip!" Daphne cheered, inexplicably excited suddenly, taking Cassandra's hand before the girls dragged Ethan away from the mansion together, the other girls all going with them.
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