I do not own Familia Myth or any of the characters.
Escorts
Ethan and Ryu sat in silence as the others all talked. The trip around the world had been a load of bull. Artemis had a quest to destroy a particularly strong monster outside of Orario, one which had apparently wiped out most of her Familia, if not all of it. Bell, having been the one to pull the spear free because he was truly pure of heart, was the one Artemis wanted to take on the Quest, but most of the rest of the Familia had agreed to go as well. Ethan and Ryu had not volunteered yet, because they needed to do the other quest.
"How soon so you want to leave for it?" Ethan asked finally.
"As soon as possible," Artemis said. "Are you not coming?"
Ethan and Ryu glanced at each other. "We want to."
"But there's something else we need to do first," Ryu said. "Would it be possible for you to delay your departure for a day or two?"
"What are you doing that's so important?" Hestia asked.
"Something personal," Ethan said. "But it's important."
"You're not going after the toad, are you?" Welf asked.
"No," Ethan said. "It's something else."
Artemis considered for a moment. "I can wait three days at most. Will that me enough?"
"It should be plenty," Ethan nodded. "I think we can be done in two, but we'll say three days to be safe."
Artemis nodded. "Good luck."
"Thank you," Ethan smiled.
"We should get some sleep," Ryu said. "We'll need it."
Ethan nodded in agreement and they headed upstairs, only for Cassandra to catch up to them just outside their room.
"Be careful," Cassandra said. "I had a dream that a shield-shaped flower, meaning you two, as attacked by a giant while a stampede of bulls ran past. Whatever you're doing, I think you'll end up fighting the Goliath and a bunch of Minotaurs."
"We'll be careful," Ethan promised. "Thank you."
Cassandra nodded and walked away, Ethan and Ryu both heading into their room and going to sleep instantly.
Ethan looked down at his armor and frowned. He had a silver, full-armor sleeve one his left side with the shoulder decorated with his Guardian emblem, silver metal splints from the back of his right hand to his elbow, silver boots and splinted hip guards, a pair of white pants, his black sword belt, a black cuirass over a black tee-shirt, and a white jacket with large lapels with silver along the edges and around the button's slit, the bottom of the coat reaching level with his knees, and his emblem on the right shoulder of the coat in silver. He liked it, especially since the grieves and the armor on his arms were all Durandal and the whole outfit was a gift in good faith from Ouranos according to Sophie, but he wasn't used to having armor on, so he wasn't overly enthused about wearing it.
"There you are," a deep, slightly-warbling voice said, Ethan's head snapping up, his eyes riveting themselves to a cloaked figure before him with no part of his body exposed from under the cloak.
The dark brown cloak was tight and revealed him to be an excessively thin person, his arms being barely half the width of Ethan's, his torso being less than half as thick as Ethan's.
"Where is the other escort?" the figure asked.
"Here," Ryu said, walking over in her adventuring outfit and passing Ethan his black rucksack, which he put on immediately. "Before we go, what do we call you?"
"I am Fels," the figure said. "Are you two sure you're up to this task?"
"Positive," Ethan nodded.
"Very well," Fels said. "Let's go."
They nodded and turned, walking into the Dungeon together, Ethan drawing his sword.
"Our main challenge will be the Goliath," Ryu said.
"Agreed," Ethan nodded.
They worked their way down the levels quickly, easily killing anything they met for the first fourteen levels. As they made their way through the fifteenth floor, a long string of minotaur roars echoed from deeper into the level and Ethan drew his xiphos as well, holding it in reverse grip, he and Ryu both tense.
"You have had trouble with Minotaurs in the past, haven't you?" Fels asked.
"My family has a long-standing curse to be ambushed by Minotaur parties," Ethan said. "I think it's happened five times to me personally."
Fels nodded. "We'll be careful."
Ethan nodded and they fell silent, continuing through the passageways in silence. Finally, they reached the stairs and continued downward. As they progressed, they didn't meet any Minotaurs, to Ethan's great surprise. They had to fight through several Lygerfangs and dozens of Hellhounds, but between the two of them, and with Ethan able to manipulate his Berserk into activating on command as well, they were able to carve their way through easily, Ethan being the only one harmed, and none of the injuries severe, just enough to activate his Berserk more and increase his status increase speed.
"Why haven't there been any Minotaurs?" Ryu asked as they reached the seventeenth floor..
"I have a feeling," Ethan said darkly. "I just hope I'm wrong."
Ryu nodded, swallowing hard, and drew one of her two tanto as well. Finally, they stepped into the Goliath's chamber and it smashed its way free of the wall.
"Fight or dodge?" Ethan asked.
"Run," Ryu said.
The three of them sprinted for the hole leading to the Eighteenth Floor, only to skid to a stop as the Goliath roared, stepping into their way. At the same time, a Minotaur bellowed behind them and they spun, seeing dozens of them beginning to flood into the room.
"I knew it," Ethan growled, feeling his two skills activating even more. "We'll have to fight after all."
"This is very bad," Ryu said.
"Agreed," Ethan said. "Fels, we could use some help."
"Sorry," Fels said. "I'm not very good at combat. I'm afraid you're on your own."
Ethan sighed heavily before nodding and crouching, readying himself. "What do you think? Minotaurs first?"
"I'll distract the Goliath if you can handle them," Ryu said.
Ethan nodded and turned, streaking across the chamber at the Minotaurs, which bellowed angrily and charged. As Ethan charged, he sent a barrage of magic swords at them with his Blade Rain, killing a handful before tearing into the rest. He slashed a line of them with his larger sword before deflecting an axe over himself with his xiphos. Then, he lunged, spinning counterclockwise and slashing a wide arc with his sword, killing more. Two charged at him from opposite sides and he leapt over them, allowing them to crash into each other before flipping and slashing both of them, splitting their heads up the middle, killing both. As he landed, one stepped forward and swung its axe downward at him, but he spun around it, slashing it up the front. As it disintegrated, he glanced at Ryu, seeing he flip around the Goliath's fist, allowing it to shatter the ground while she slashed it along the arm. He spun back toward the Minotaurs just in time to cross his arms, allowing his left arm's Durandal armor to block a pair of axes, hurling him backward. He flipped as he sailed through the air and the Goliath turned, throwing a punch at him. He swore, flipping, only for the punch to clip his right leg, breaking his hip. He crashed heavily to the ground, shouting in pain and rolling to a stop just as Ryu's Luminous Wind began to blast the Minotaurs.
"Regeneration!" Ethan growled, his gashes healing and his hip healing most of the way, enough for him to keep fighting.
He shoved himself up and sprinted back toward the Goliath, dropping into a slide under a swipe of its arm and grabbed his blades of the ground, then slashed the Goliath across the shins before spinning and hurling his Xiphos across the chamber and into a Minotaur that had been charging at Fels. He sprinted to the fallen blade and grabbed it just in time to use his blades to block an axe, flying backward and bouncing off the wall. He landed on his feet and charged back at the Minotaurs as Ryu began to tear into them as well. Ethan slashed three as he sped past them, then stepped around Ryu and split one up the front before it could attack her. She slashed a line of them as more began to charge into the room, mobbing them. Behind them, the Goliath turned on Fels, so Ryu turned and shot through the air, carving its eyes out with her tanto, leaving Ethan to continue trying to stem the tide of Minotaurs, his sword and Xiphos both now covered by a Light Blade, the Xiphos Light Blade extending the blade to about the length of his normal sword's length and adding a pair of arms that extended three inches out to the sides before turning and extending toward the tip in a pair of spikes. he spun in a circle, slashing a half dozen Minotaurs before leaping into a backflip as a Minotaur charged under him, one of its horns tearing a gash into his calf. He landed heavily and his leg gave out. The Minotaurs surged forward instantly just as the Goliath landed a direct hit on Ryu, sending her crashing along the ground into Ethan, who caught her.
"Enough of this!" Ethan snarled, letting the Light Blades fade and driving his Xiphos into the ground before holding his hand out and focusing. "Lightning Spree!"
Dozens of bolts of white-blue lightning exploded from his palm and fingers, blasting the Minotaurs around him and branching out from each, more lightning bolts arcing backward around Ethan and Ryu to blast the Minotaurs behind them as well, the lightning bolts making it far enough to clear the area around Fels as well without hurting him. Several bolts also blasted the Goliath in the face, forcing it to stagger backward. As the dust, smoke, and disintegrated monsters faded, Ethan sighed, finding that the only monster left was the Goliath.
"I actually almost forgot how effective that spell is," Ethan said. "Regeneration."
His and Ryu's wounds healed, his completely and Ryu's almost completely. However, as he tried to stand, he stumbled and fell to his hands and feet.
"Drink this," Ryu said, handing him a Mind Potion. "I'll keep the Goliath busy until you're ready. Blast it with a focused Lightning Spree."
Ethan nodded, accepting the potion as Ryu took off, tearing into the Goliath again. He drank the potion quickly, feeling his strength returning quickly, and stood, holding out his hand. "Lightning Spree!"
A massive, white-blue bolt of lightning as big around as his torso flashed out of his palm, passing Ryu and blasting into the Goliath's face, sending it staggering backward and falling onto its back, its head smoking badly. However, after another moment, it rose, exposing that the flesh on the left side of its face was gone, but it was far from almost dead. Ethan shook his head, quickly drinking another Mind potion.
"Stall it," Ethan said. "I'm going to use the chant."
Ryu nodded and charged again, but Ethan could see exhaustion beginning to creep into her movements. She was slower than normal, and her strikes weren't nearly as deep as they had been earlier.
"Blade of Raiko, be free," Ethan began. "Shear the sky in two."
Ryu flipped over the Goliath's fist, the fist brushing her back and doubling the speed of her fist.
"Will of Raijin," Ethan chanted. "Power of Indra. Rein supreme-"
Ryu dove aside from a punch and received a chunk of floor to the gut.
"-enjoy a boundless rampage-"
Ryu stepped off the Goliath's fist and slashed it up the face.
"-and vanish with my foes."
The Goliath's palm crashed into Ryu, sending her exploding into the ground hard enough to fracture the ground.
"Lightning Spree!" Ethan roared.
The bolt that erupted from his palm this time reached from the top of his head to his waist and shone with a blinding, pure white light as it flashed across the room and exploded into the Goliath's chest, setting off an explosion that completely enveloped the Goliath, the concussion sending Ryu sailing across the room at Ethan.
"Regeneration!" Ethan shouted in silence, arm extended toward Ryu, who shone bright green, several loud cracks and snaps echoing silently as her broken bones mended themselves.
Then, Ethan caught Ryu just in time for his exhaustion to catch up to him, dropping him to the ground in a heap, Ryu lying on his chest, his arms still wrapped around her. After a moment, she pushed herself up, carefully pouring a Mind Potion into his mouth. After a moment, he groaned as he stirred, opening his eyes and blinking a couple times to clear his vision before seeing her mouth move, realizing he was deaf. He groaned, pushing himself up into a seated position and pulled a healing potion out of a small pouch hanging from his belt and drinking it, his hearing returning enough for him to make out his words, though they were still heavily muffled.
"Can you hear me now?" she asked.
He nodded, looking past her at the Goliath, which was just finishing disintegrating into a cloud of white dust, leaving behind its massive magic crystal, which had had about a quarter of it shattered into chunks about the size of a Hellhound's.
"That was amazing," Ryu said. "You killed it."
"Only thanks to the Goliath itself," Ethan said. "It hit you before I blasted it. I was pissed and defending you."
Ryu smiled and nodded, kissing him for a couple of seconds before standing and pulling him to his feet. He swayed for a moment before walking over to the massive crystal and gathering the broken pieces into the pouch he'd taken the potion out of, the Mind Potions he'd had in it all having been broken at some point, so he tossed them aside to make room for the crystals.
"Shame you can't bring the big one," Ryu said.
"Says who?" Ethan asked.
He set his rucksack down and focused on the mental image of Ryu being slapped by the Goliath, getting his skills active just enough to lift the crystal, turn it over to the thinner end was down, then stuff the end of it into the rucksack, getting it about halfway in before pulling some rope out of a side pouch and using it to secure the crystal to the back before sitting down and putting his arms through the straps before standing grunting in effort. Ryu laughed.
"Of course you can," Ryu said. "I don't know why that surprises me." She looked around at Fels, who was standing by the entrance to the Eighteenth Floor. "Are you alright?"
"Completely unharmed," Fels said. "Well done."
Both nodded and walked over, the three of them heading down to the next floor together.
"I'm going into the town to conduct my business," Fels said. "I'll meet you both back here in two hours."
They nodded and he walked away. Ethan wiped the sweat from his forehead, then glanced at his hand, seeing it was coated in dirt and blood as well, as were his clothes.
"I need a bath," Ethan said.
Ryu nodded in agreement. "I could use one too. Come on."
He raised an eyebrow but followed her into the trees anyway.
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