I do not own Familia Myth or any of the characters.
Unique
Ethan smiled as they walked through the Seventeenth Level. They had brought the entire Familia on the hunt because of a rumor that there was a rare monster on floor Nineteen. Having never been down that low before, they decided to use safety in numbers. Aside from Ethan, everyone else had changed back to their normal outfits, Welf having upgraded Bell's armor for him.
"How are you smiling on a Minotaur floor?" Daphne asked. "Aren't you technically still cursed?"
"Technically, yes," Ethan said. "But I'm pretty sure that there's no one in this Familia who's weak enough to need to worry about Minotaurs."
"What about me?" Anya asked.
"And Haruhime," Aisha added.
"And Lili," Welf said.
"I will never let anything hurt Anya, Aisha will never let anything hurt Haruhime, and Welf and Bell will never let anything happen to Lili," Ethan said. "Therefor, there's no problem."
"Fair enough," Aisha said.
They reached the Goliath's chamber only to stop, seeing the Goliath's crystal lying in several pieces on the floor.
"What a waste," Ethan said, walking over to it. "Bell, mind carrying a bit of extra weight?"
"Didn't you get five hundred thousand for that last time?" Aisha asked.
"I did," Ethan nodded.
"Load me up," Anya said.
She and Bell walked over, Lili currently having her bag mostly filled with sleeping rolls and food, so Ethan stuffed two of the four chunks into his own backpack under his Salamander Wool, then gave a chunk to Bell and a chunk to Anya. Then, they continued down to the Eighteenth Floor, and then on to the Nineteenth. Here, the hunt for the rare monster was in full swing. Adventurer groups were running around with weapons drawn, shouting to one another. The monsters of the floor were having a field day attacking, but with so many adventurers, almost a full expedition's worth, they were being slaughtered.
"Come on," Ethan said, drawing his sword. "Let's find the rare monster quickly."
The others all nodded and they all ran into the forest dominating the area. As they ran, they tried to avoid the other adventurer groups as much as they could. Finally, however, they accidentally ran into a large group of monsters consisting of Bugbears, Lizardmen, and Mad Beetles. The Lizardmen all had flower-shaped shields and crude stone swords. Everyone who was a combat type charged into the group instantly. Ethan slashed at a Lizardman and its shield blocked his blade, deflecting it before it slashed at him, only for him to twist, deflecting the blade with his xiphos before flipping sideways and splitting the Lizardman up the front before flipping over Ryu and splitting a Mad Beetle in half as it moved to attack her. Ryu continued to shred anything within range without even slowing down, and Ethan followed after her, shredding the monsters around them almost as easily as she was, though her recent level up had sent her miles beyond her normal skill.
As they fought, they began to drift away from the others, Bell doing the same on his own. The only person still with them was Anya, who was collecting magic stones almost as fast as they were dropping them, not a hint of worry or fear on her face. In fact, she was simply wearing a serene smile.
A Bugbear leapt at her suddenly, but Ethan spun, sending a Light Blade into its head, killing it, and Anya didn't flinch, simply catching the stone as it was falling past her and storing it in her pack with the rest of them. Ethan shook his head, returning to helping Ryu clear the monsters, and after another minute, they'd cleared the monsters around them. He turned to Anya just as she picked up the last crystal, barely two steps behind them.
"How are you so fast?" Ethan asked.
"I've been working on getting my Agility up since you left the Apollo Familia," Anya said. "Now I can keep up with you while you fight."
Ethan shook his head, smiling. "Whatever. Come on. Let's keep looking."
"What about the others?" Ryu asked.
Ethan whistled loudly, and a moment later, Aisha whistled in response. "They're coming."
Ryu nodded and they turned, continuing to jog. After a few minutes, they heard a loud shriek from somewhere nearby. However, when they turned to see what it was, they froze, staring instead at a Vouivre. She was sitting against the base of a tree, her long blue hair was a mess with her pointed ears sticking out of the sides, and she was covered in scratches, claw marks, and dirt. Her pale blue skin was very dirty, blood was running out of a scratch on her left cheek, her right shoulder, and the side of her right calf. There was a particularly nasty claw mark on her left shoulder that was clearly not from an adventurer. She had patches of light blue scales here and there, the shade somewhere between her dark blue hair and her pale skin. Her Vouivre Tear was partially hidden by her bangs, and her slit-pupiled, orange eyes were staring up at them in terror, tears running down her cheeks and her mouth open slightly in fear, as though wanting to scream but unable to, exposing her fangs.
"So, the rare monster is a Vouivre," Ryu said. "Lucky find."
"She's crying," Ethan frowned, just as flames exploded up behind them, Bell narrowly avoiding it before landing beside them, also staring at the Vouivre.
"A Vouivre?" Bell asked.
The Vouivre began to tremble, backing away just before a Firebird burst out of the trees, shrieking loudly and exhaling a blast of flames at her. Ethan shot forward instantly, holding his Salamander Wool up to block the flames. A moment later, the flames ended and Ethan lowered his cloak, as Ryu tossed the crystal to Anya. Ethan turned back to the Vouivre and knelt down.
"Where'd it go!?" a harsh male voice shouted suddenly. "That Vouivre!?"
"It can't be far!" a deeper one shouted. "Find it!"
Ethan glanced at the Vouivre, seeing her trembling, and pulled his Salamander Wool off, wrapping it around the Vouivre, pulling the hood up and wrapping the cloak around her. "Anya, come sit down."
Anya complied instantly and sat down in front of the Vouivre so that her pack hid her from view and Ethan and the other two squatted down around Anya just before a group of adventurers ran over.
"Hey, you!" one called out, this one having a bald head, a purple tattoo around his left eye, a large sword, and an open, brown, fur-lined vest leaving his toned muscles exposed. "Have you seen a Vouivre around here?"
"If we had, don't you think we'd have killed it?" Ryu asked.
"We're looking for it too," Ethan said.
"Dammit!" he growled, then ran away with the others.
They all waited for a moment before Anya stood and stepped away from the Vouivre, who was clutching the cloak around herself tightly, still trembling. Ethan knelt, setting a hand gently on her back, the Vouivre flinching.
"We won't hurt you," Ethan said gently, smiling. "Come on, we'll get you somewhere safe."
The Vouivre looked around at the others, who all smiled as well, including Ryu. The Vouivre hesitated before reaching up a hand to the one Ethan was holding out to her. He pulled her to her feet just as the others arrived.
"Bell!" Mikoto shouted.
"Everyone!" Bell blinked.
"We've been looking for you," Welf said. "When we got separated, we were worried about what would happen. Ethan and Ryu can take care of themselves, especially together, but..."
"Hey!" Bell complained.
"I'm glad you're alright," Welf said.
"Acting alone on the Nineteenth Floor is dangerous!" Lili scolded him.
"Um, Bell, Ethan, Ryu, who is that person?" Haruhime asked, staring at the Vouivre.
Ethan glanced at her just as Aisha stepped forward.
"Hey, this is a-"
"Quiet, Aisha," Ethan said. "We need to get her somewhere safe. We can explain after."
"Well, we can't exactly walk her out past all of the adventurers looking for her," Aisha said.
Ethan thought for a moment before turning to Lili. "Lili, take some of the blankets and bedrolls out of your pack and give them to Anya then take the Goliath crystal piece she has."
Lili and Anya complied, switching gear as instructed, and Ethan lined the inside of Anya's pack with the blankets. It wouldn't be comfortable, especially lying on the monster crystals Anya had collected, but there was enough room, and it would be safest.
"Can you carry her weight?" Ethan asked.
"She can't be heavier than a full load of crystals," Anya said. "I've got her."
Ethan nodded and turned to the Vouivre. "You'll have to sit inside the pack and cover yourself with the top blanket. There are magic crystals in there, so it won't be comfortable, but this is the safest way to get you out of here."
The Vouivre stared at the pack for a moment before nodding. Everyone stared at her in surprise as she climbed into Anya's pack, laying down on the blankets and pulling the top blanket over herself, covering herself entirely.
"Okay, let's move," Ethan said.
Anya closed the pack, leaving enough of it open for her to breathe before pulling it on, frowning slightly as she lifted the pack onto her back. They made their way quickly back through the level, Ethan and the others killing any monsters that tried to attack. Finally, they reached the Eighteenth Floor and headed to a mountain most people went around, which overlooked the village. As they let the Vouivre out, she was eating one of the monster crystals, of which Ethan was pretty sure there were considerably less of in the pack.
"Okay, now you need to explain," Aisha said once they were alone and the Vouivre was out of the pack.
"Yeah, Bell," Lili agreed. "Did you go and bring trouble by saving another unknown woman?"
The Vouivre staggered backward from Lili, only to trip over a small stone. Ryu caught her, but in the process, her hood fell down and her hair shifted out from in front of her forehead, exposing the blood red gemstone there. Welf, Lili, and Daphne all prepared themselves for a fight instantly, Daphne stepping in front of Cassandra, but Ethan stepped in front of the Vouivre, his sword drawn and his irises glowing red.
"Explain this!" Welf ordered.
"There's something different about her," Ethan said. "She's a monster, but she was so afraid when we found her that she was crying, and then a Firebird attacked her."
"Monsters don't attack each other!" Daphne snapped.
"Hence why we said there's something different about her," Ryu said.
"And you wanted to, what, protect it?" Aisha asked, as calm as ever.
"Personally, I have no preference," Ryu said. "But Ethan decided to protect her, so I'll help him."
"Step aside!" Lili snapped. "Master Bell, did you bring her along because she's got a pretty face? That would just make you some kind of monster fetishist!"
"It's not like that!" Bell said from Ethan's other side, also standing protectively in front of the Vouivre.
"That's enough!" Ethan snapped. "No one is going to hurt her!"
"Monsters are monsters!" Lili snapped. "They are the enemies of humanity!"
"Bell, get away from there!" Welf said.
Bell shook his head.
"Bell!" Mikoto snapped.
"All of you get out of the way!" Daphne snapped.
Aisha sighed and stepped between the two groups, turning toward Welf and the others. "Sorry, everyone, but I still owe Ethan, so I'll be taking his side on this one. Besides, she's trembling with fear right now."
Everyone turned to look, watching as Anya held the Vouivre, who was shaking in her arms. Mikoto hesitated before lowering her sword.
"Be...ll..." the Vouivre said in a small voice. "Bell."
"Y-Yes!" Bell said, kneeling in front of her as everyone stared at her. "That's my name!"
The Vouivre looked to Ethan as he and Ryu knelt as well.
"I'm Ethan," Ethan said.
"E...than," the Vouivre repeated before looking to Ryu.
"Ryu," Ryu introduced herself.
"Ryu," the Vouivre parroted.
"And I'm Anya," Anya smiled.
"Anya," the Vouivre nodded.
"The monster can...speak!" Mikoto breathed.
"You've gotta be kidding me!" Welf breathed.
"Do you want me to heal you?" Ethan asked.
The Vouivre stared at him for a moment before nodding. Ethan cast his healing spell and the burns and cuts on the Vouivre's body faded. He used the Salamander Wool she was wearing to wipe the blood off her face, then smiled.
"Better?" Ethan asked.
"Better," the Vouivre nodded.
"Bell, Ethan, Ryu, Anya, what happened between you and her?" Haruhime asked.
"She was the rare monster everyone was hunting," Ethan said.
"She was trembling and crying," Bell said. "We want to help her."
"We cannot do that, Master Bell!" Lili snapped. "If people find out we're sheltering a monster, the Hestia Familia is done for!"
"Even so," Bell said. "I don't want to abandon her."
"We're not going to," Ethan said. "We're going to help her, and no one's going to find out."
Finally, Lili sighed heavily, everyone lowering their weapons.
"Just do whatever you want," Lili sighed.
"I'm sorry, everyone," Bell said. "Thank you."
"What do we do next?" Mikoto asked. "Are we going to take her to the surface with us?"
"Yes," Ethan said. "If she stays here, she'll be attacked again. She's a Vouivre. She'd be killed in an instant for her Vouivre's Tear. The only way to protect her is to take her to the surface and hide her. Our mansion has plenty of space for that."
"And then what?" Welf asked.
"We'll figure it out," Ethan said.
"We need to take her home," Bell said. "I want to ask our goddess's opinion, too."
"Home," the Vouivre said.
"Yes," Bell smiled. "Come to our house with us."
The Vouivre stared at him for a moment, then nodded. She held her hand out to Ethan, and he smiled, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet.
"Ouranos probably knows about her by now anyway," Ethan said.
"How do you know?" Aisha asked.
"Because Ouranos knows everything that goes on in the dungeon," Ryu said. "I don't know how, but he does."
"So what do we do?" Haruhime asked. "If he knows, the moment we take her out we'll be in trouble."
"Maybe," Ethan admitted. "But I'm not leaving her to die."
"Neither am I," Bell said.
"I've been blacklisted once already," Ryu said. "I don't mind doing it again."
Everyone else nodded and the Vouivre climbed back into Anya's bag before they all headed toward the exit. They climbed quickly, getting home around midnight. Ethan explained the situation to Hestia as thoroughly as he could, and Hestia's reaction was about what he expected.
"What!?" Hestia shouted, leaning down to inspect the Vouivre. "I-I've never heard of a talking monster!"
The Vouivre shrunk back from Hestia in fear, clinging to Ethan's side.
"It's alright," Ethan said, comfortingly. "This is Hestia."
The Vouivre nodded silently, and Hestia sighed, standing up straight again.
"To be honest, I don't know what I should do," Hestia said. "But when she's this scared, well..."
"Then, you mean..." Bell trailed off.
"Yes," Hestia nodded. "We'll look after her for a while."
"Thank you," Ethan said.
"Say, you there," Hestia said. "Do you have a name?"
"Name?" the Vouivre asked. "Bell."
"Oh, no, that's my name," Bell said.
"Ethan," the Vouivre said.
"That's mine," Ethan chuckled. "Do you want us to give you one of your own?"
She looked up at him. "My own...name?" She nodded.
"The name of her species is Vouivre, but..." Mikoto trailed off, then sighed. "That isn't her individual name."
"You decide, Ethan," Welf said.
"That's right!" Hestia grinned wickedly. "You're the one that brought her here. You must take responsibility and be the one who names her."
"Okay," Ethan shrugged. He thought for several long moments.
"How about...Vergine?" Bell asked.
"Master Bell, that's the name of a divine spirit in those heroic tales," Haruhime said.
"Yes!" Bell said. "Do you think it's good?"
"Not a chance," Ethan said. "Even disregarding the divine spirit part or the heroic tails, it sounds too much like virgin to name her that."
"Virgin?" the Vouivre asked.
"No," Ethan said. He looked down at her, then up at Ryu. "Wiene?"
Ryu considered before nodding. "That sounds good."
"Wie...ne?" the Vouivre asked, Ethan nodding. "My...name?"
"That's right," Ethan nodded.
The Vouivre's face lit up in excitement. "Wiene! I'm Wiene!"
"Guess that's decided, then," Hestia nodded, smiling, turning to the rest of them. "But there's no mistaking that she's a monster. We need to gather information."
"Ask Hermes," Ethan said. "He seems to know an awful lot about an awful lot. And ask Ouranos, if you can. If anyone would know, it's him."
"Or Fels," Ryu said.
"Who?" Hestia frowned.
"Someone who works for Ouranos," Ethan said. "He's the one we were escorting to the Eighteenth Floor. I would bet all the money I earn for a year that it has to do with Wiene."
"Speaking of money," Anya said. "We lost about a hundred thousand Valis in magic crystals from her eating them."
"We also still need to turn in the ones we have left," Lili said.
"Why was she eating the magic crystals?" Daphne asked.
Ethan looked to Wiene, and she cocked her head to the side. "Why were you eating those crystals?"
She shrugged.
"Anyway," Hestia said after a moment of silence, "while you're asking around, outside of the deities Hephaestus, Miach, Take, and their Familias, be careful not to appear to be digging too deeply. It doesn't matter what it is, just find some kind of lead."
Everyone nodded.
"We should rest tonight and start tomorrow," Ethan said.
"Right," Hestia nodded. "Where's she staying?"
Wiene instantly hugged herself to Ethan's side. Ethan grimaced and looked up at Ryu, who sighed and nodded.
"We'll watch her tonight," Ryu said. "If we're wrong after all and anything happens, we're the best equipped to handle it."
The others all nodded, and they all headed to their rooms, Ethan and Ryu leading Wiene to their room. Ryu and Ethan both changed into their pajamas and climbed into bed, Ryu snuggling into Ethan's side, his xiphos safely under his pillow. As soon as they were laying down, Wiene cuddled into Ethan's other side.
"Sleep?" Wiene asked.
"Yes," Ethan said. "Time to sleep."
She cuddled into him tighter and Ethan grimaced, giving Ryu an apologetic look, only for her to smile and shake her head, reaching over to stroke Wiene's head for a moment before kissing Ethan.
"Good night, Ethan," Ryu smiled. "I love you."
"I love you too," Ethan smiled.
"Love?" Wiene asked.
Ethan sighed, smiling tiredly. "I'll explain it to you in the morning. For now, just sleep, okay?"
Wiene nodded. "Good...night."
"Good night, Wiene," Ethan said.
Wiene yawned and closed her eyes, then dropped off to sleep almost immediately.
Ethan sighed. "This is going to turn into a headache, isn't it?"
"It might turn into a harem," Ryu grinned.
"Pass, thanks," Ethan said. "I don't want a harem. You're all I need."
Ryu smiled, kissing him again. "Good, because I don't share."
Ethan smiled and nodded, resting his head against hers as they both drifted off to sleep.
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