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Asfi glanced over her shoulder, there was no one to see but she knew that she was being followed. For the last days she had the feeling as if being watched, but not necessarily with malicious intend.
I wonder if lord Hermes did something again...
She sighed, often when this happened it was because Hermes had done some prank again. Asfi had asked some of her Familia members to secretely watch her way and counter spy on the one watching her.
Now she had the feeling as if their pattern had changed.
It wasn´t far to her home now, but when she turned around the next corner, she had to stop. A familiar amazoness leaned against the wall with arms crossed under her voluptuous chest.
"Perseus...I would like to talk to you." Tione glanced to her with an angry face.
Asfi adjusted her glasses. "Jormungand, how may I help you?"
"I have some questions about...your items."
"Oh?"
Her ears twitched as she noticed another figure behind her and a third on the top of the roof over them. The twin of the amazoness and a certain wolf-man had cut off all of Asfi´s escape routes.
And even when four Familia members guarded her secretely, it would mean nothing against three level six adventurers.
Tione growled lightly. "And I would advice you to be absolutely honest with me."
Asfi noticed that Tione was angry...really angry...but the reason wasn´t clear to her.
"Fine, did lord Hermes something? Or one of my items?"
"Tell me Perseus...did you created items that can interfere with a persons mind? Their feelings?"
The question surprised Asfi. "The feelings? What do you mean?"
"Answer me!"
"Oy little amazoness, tell her what you mean or she can´t give you the right answer." Bete know that he was noticed.
That Bete would be the one some day that would be the calm one...the people at home would laugh about the thought.
"Have you created items that can suppress positive feelings and increase feelings of despise and anger?"
From a certain point of view, Asfi had done that, in the past she had created special darts that could anyone hit by it enrage.
"I will be honest, only one that can a person or monster immediately let go berserk."
Tione glanced up for a moment, the hands still on the hilts of her weapons.
"She isn´t lying, or she is really good at it."
Since Bete´s senses were so sensitive, he could tell if people were lying or not, smell it and even hear the changed rythm of their breathing.
"Alright, do you know anyone that can use magic like that?"
Asfi lightly shook her head. "No, I have no information about that."
"Then we´re done here, thank you for your time."
With these words, the amazons and the wolf-man left.
I have a bad feeling about this...I have to talk with lord Hermes...
Asfi exhaled in relieve, if they had suspected her being involved in whatever happened...the situation would have been another.
.
"They will search for that information now, they just can´t help it...it is what they do."
Tione spoke softly while the three walked away. Even Bete was concerned about Ais´ behaviour. A week ago he had followed her to the dungeon for the first time and did it every day now except today.
Ais got more and more reckless in the dungeon, sometimes she screamed in rage while she slaughtered monsters on her way, returning completely exhausted to their home. But at home she acted absolutely normal, as if she was just training very hard, which was nothing new for her. All of them saw that something was wrong with her, and the other reports they heard weren´t better.
Riveria had sent two observation specialists to the Hestia Mansion where they had an eye on Bell Cranel´s room. The curtains were pulled in front of the windows but they had options to see if he was inside his room...and Bell Cranel nearly never left his room...or his bed. They also looked at the visitors of the Mansion, the Takemikazuchi and Miach Familia were nothing new, but since the day of the break up, a silver haired girl visited nearly every day with a worried face. They knew her from the pub and that she was friends with Bell, maybe she was just worried about him.
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"Ouranos."
"Fels? What do you want?"
Inside the holy chamber where Ouranos sat on his throne to continue the prayers, a shadow moved inside the shadows near the walls. Fels was really good at moving in secret, intended or not.
"Are you really okay with the situation?"
The robed figure looked up to the god, Ouranos didn´t needed to ask what situation Fels meant.
"There is no reason to interfere, trust me."
Freya had talked to Ouranos after she had used her charm on Ais, explaining to him that she didn´t to start a war with Loki, that she only wanted the boy she fell in love with at her side.
It wasn´t nice what Freya had done, but compared to things of the past it was nearly nothing. Ouranos had thought for a while, Bell had done many things for them in the past and would probably in the future.
But Ouranos had to watch the whole picture, Bell wasn´t the only person who could become a hero. Ottar and Finn also had what it takes, and it was not like Bell was the protagonist of some hero story.
In the end what brought Ouranos to turn a blind eye on the situation was something else.
"I know you like Bell Cranel, Fels. But don´t be worried, everything will turn out alright."
"If you say so."
"What about the other matter?"
"Everything as planned and you wished..."He"...will not take action...for now."
"Hermes will probably be too slow, please inform "Him" that everything will be okay."
Fels nodded and vanished into the shadow, he was slightly shocked by a single fact..Ouranos...had...smiled.
Before he returned to his work, Ouranos smiled slightly again and looked up, he wasn´t worried about Bell at all.
Everything will turn out in a certain way...Freya...it is about time that you experience the setback you deserve for once.
Ouranos closed his eyes and returned to his prayers, he believed in Bell.
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.
Loki sighed heavily and leaned back in her chair, the wine in front of her untouched. It was a hard work day again...over the last week every day seemed to be hard for her.
She was continually in thoughts about her encounter with Freya, her heart burned to declare war on Freya for charming Ais. But her brain stopped her from doing that, Freya had harmed one of her children...one of her favorites..but not that much.
Sigh...
If the only thing in the end would be that Bell Cranel was heartbroken, she could live with that. Loki didn´t really hated Bell...or Hestia. She had a rivalry with Hestia and was more than a bit jealous that Bell had won Ais´ heart or that he had carried her cute Lefiya to his house. Yes she was thankfull to him for making sure that Lefiya was save...but still.
The situation wasn´t easy, declaring war could mean open fights and Orario becoming a warzone. Some or many of her children might get injured or even die. And there was no guarantee that they would win, officially the Loki Familia had more level six adventurers than the Freya Familia, but the Freya Familia had more members in total. And then there was Ottar, he was a level seven and that was all they knew from the official records, maybe his status was maxed out at every point, only Freya could know that. And the difference between a level six and a level seven was immense, if Ottar really had a maxed out status and who knows what kind of weapon...he could probably take on three or four level six adventurers at the same time.
In secret, Loki had worked with Finn on plans just in case they had to fight against Freya some day, as a safety measure. Bete would probably be the perfect match for Allen Fromel, while Ais could put up a good fight with Hogni Ragnar.
The most fearsome part would be a fight between Riveria and Hedin Selland...they could wipe out the city.
So declaring war wasn´t an easy decision, it wasn´t like Loki was afraid of Freya or a coward...but to throw away the lifes of her beloved children and turn Orario into a warzone... And that because of a broken up couple...
"Haa..."
She hadn´t sighed so much in ages. At least Ais was okay, a bit reckless in the dungeon but not to the extent of being in danger.
"I need a walk..."
Loki fetched her wine bottle and left her room, locking the door behind her. It was already late at night so there probably weren´t many of her children awake. The few she saw that were chatting or sitting around greeted her, she loved every single one of them.
When she entered the big living room she saw Raul and Anakity sitting on a couch and hastily pulling their hands away from each other.
"Hehe...just continue holding hands you two, I know about you. But too bad...I hoped to see you two kissing..."
Grinning in her usual way, Loki waved over her shoulder while she went on, leaving the blushing, young couple behind.
It was about time they got earnest to each other...
After seeing the shy love between these two, Loki´s mood got better, she took a sip from her bottle and continued to walk around. Soon her steps led her to the women´s part of the Mansion. Men and women slept in different parts...just in case. That was also the reason why Raul and Anakity had hold hands in the living room.
Now my cute little ones, are you all good girls and sleep?
Loki couldn´t help but giggle, sometimes it was good to feel silly.
"*Hic*"
Hm?
She looked up, did she just heard a noise?
"*Hic*"
There was a sound...somewhere here. Loki moved as silent as possible, following the noise. Maybe one of the girls was a bit naughty? Bringing a guy over? Wouldn´t be the first time...
But all too soon...Loki´s smile vanished as she stopped in front of the door from which the noise came.
Ais...
It was Ais´ room...and the noises from inside weren´t something naughty...Ais...was crying.
"My little Ais..." Loki whispered while she stood in front of the door.
Inside, Ais lied on her bed and hugged her bunny plushy to her chest, shaking and crying without understanding why. She felt absolutely normal from the morning when she gave the plushy a goodbye kiss...without knowing why she did that...to the evening...but when she went into her bed, hugged her plushy to sleep like always...
When the sleep was about to come...Ais started to cry...even when she slept.
"Bell...*Hic*...Bell..."
Loki´s face lost all color when she heard Ais mumbling Bell´s name in her sleep...and crying from a broken heart. The sobs and gasps hurt Loki´s heart. It slowly dawned to Loki...
So you really love that bunny...Bell Cranel...that much?...Oh my little Ais...what have I done...
Slowly, the goddess leaned her back against the door and sank down to her butt, sitting with stretched out legs and listened to her hurt child. She continued to drink and listen to the sobs from the room...not because she enjoyed it...
but she had to listen to what she had done...or what she had tolerated. That she wanted Ais for herself...or at least not that any guy put his hands on her so badly...that she had ignored how Ais had to feel.
That she ignored how much in love Ais was with Bell...it cut deep into her heart. And Loki felt that she deserved to feel bad about that...really bad.
Loki looked up to the ceiling, she could only stare. She wanted to cover her ears, so that she wouldn´t have to hear her beloved child cry...but Loki forced herself to listen to it. So that she heard what she had tolerated. Listened to what a horrible person she was, that she didn´t cared about Ais´ feelings...that it may be a good thing that she liked Bell Cranel.
I am...scum...Tears of self hatred filled Loki´s eyes.
Loki finally noticed how bad she was to her children...that she was jealous about Bell for...being a really nice guy to her children... That it was probably him that changed Ais to a more normal behaviour...giving her so much joy.
She sat there until Ais fell so deep asleep that the crying stopped...it was so deep in the night that the sun would start to rise in two or three hours.
I have to do something.
There had to be a way to help Ais...and Bell...if it wasn´t too late...the question was now, how. Just declaring war on Freya and force her wouldn´t work...and if it came to fights...one of them could die..that would be even worse.
Ais...I´ll make it up, I swear...you will get your bunny!
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In another part of the country...far away in a certain village...
Ehe...just look at these two...
Lefiya smiled tiredly while she walked with a blanket in her hands towards the couch. The goddess Astrea...which was an absolute beauty in her eyes...and Ryu had talked for a long while this evening, until they had fallen asleep on the couch, leaned against each other.
She gently put the blanket around them so they wouldn´t become cold. Lefiya was perplexed by the change of Ryu in the last days...she had seen her friendly, angry and other things in the past from time to time. But now...it was just amazing.
They really looked like a mother and her daughter.
Hehe...I hope everything is okay at home.
In two days they would start to return to Orario..so they would be back in about a week...and they wouldn´t be alone... Until then they enjoyed the calm village. Also, at the next morning, Lefiya would find an extremely embarrassed Ryu...her goddess hugged her in her sleep like a living body pillow...
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Hermes had leaned his chin on his crossed hands and frowned.
"This is disturbing news, Asfi."
It wasn´t that rare that Familias or adventurers threatened each other in Orario, but this specific situation with the Loki Familia made Hermes uneasy. Especially since some of his children that observed Bell had reported to him that they noticed some other adventurers observing his house...members from the Loki Familia. He had noticed that something was wrong with Bell but he thought about what to do. After all it just could have been something simple like a broken heart...things like that were part of life. But the extent to which he suffered was disturbing.
"What do you intend to do now?"
"First we need to gather more informations, I will try to talk to Hestia. Send some of us to have an eye on the Loki Familia, especially these three that talked to you...and little Ais."
"The Sword Princess?"
"Yes, if something is wrong with Bell, she might be involved...maybe something happened to her."
Gathering informations was what the Hermes Familia always did first and what they were best at. They talked over some important things until Asfi took her leave to start the "Operation".
After Hermes locked his door, he returned to his desk and gulped heavily.
"This...will not easy..."
He opened a special drawer and took out note paper...he had to write a letter to a certain person.
I hope we get the situation...whatever it is...under control...before you will act...old man...
The "Old Man" would already be suspicious that Hermes wrote a letter sooner than normal, but if something was wrong with Bell, he would want to hear it.
What Hermes couldn´t know...that this certain man already knew that something was wrong...
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"Steady...steady!"
Hephaistos changed the grip on her forging hammer, the work in the forge was brutal due to the immense heat and the lightning that came out of the metal from time to time. Tsubaki was busy holding the ingot in place with a tongs,
while Welf and Hephaistos used their hammers to bring it into form. They had to change clothes, Tsubaki´s bindings had started to burn due to the sparks so she had simply taken it off. But Welf...and Hephaistos...got distracted by the nearly naked woman so they had demanded that she put on one of the leather aprons. Sometimes it was a problem that Tsubaki had not much shame...she had argued that Hephaistos was her goddess and Welf like a little brother so it was okay for her.
"B-But not okay for me!" Welf had averted his eyes.
"Hmpf..."
Never before was it so dangerous...so exciting!...to forge a weapon. Elementium was just the queen of metals and it was much fun. Even so Hephaistos still thought that it was ridiculous to forge a replica of "that" sword...but the old man wanted it like that. It would have been much easier if they could have melted the metal completely...but so they had to hammer it into the form...even if it got smoother the more they worked on it.
All over the walls of the forge were burn marks, no metal before had produced so much sparks.
Currently they were working on one part of the blade, if someone would look from above when the blade was lying on a table, the inner part was hollow. From the hilt upwards it were two blades that combined at the upper third of the blade and formed the tip. That way the sword didn´t needed a separate hollow part in the blade. The hard part would be to forge the two parts of the blade together into one...it was almost like working on a relationship. Sometimes they had to be gentle...sometimes passionate...to produce something wonderful.
When it was finished, the sword would be long enough to be wielded with one of two hands. The original form was much, much bigger...
After shoving the metal, that slowly started to look like a blade, into the oven again, they took a breath and drank some water.
Tsubaki grinned. "This is so much fun!"
Welf had mixed feelings, forging this sword was just awesome...and doing it together with Hephaistos even more...it would be a product of their combined work...and love?... But he was worried about Bell...he was still heartbroken and didn´t wanted to talk much.
"Hephaistos...I have to ask again...isn´t it...a sacrilege...to forge such a replica?"
"Don´t worry Welf...it will be okay...Tsubaki! Put your apron back on!"
"Mouh..." Grumbling, Tsubaki did as she was ordered...she didn´t liked the feeling of leather on her skin.
Suddenly they heard a sound like a thunderclap from the oven and turned around, blue sparks shot into every direction...it looked like the flames were about to turn white.
"Dear heavens! Such heat!"
Even for those three the heat was immense.
It almost looks like...it is...angry? Does it want to hurry? Take it´s destined form?
Hephaistos felt silly to think this way about metal...but on the other hand it was Elementium...who knows if the metal "felt" some of the emotions the god had when he or she used the Arcana.
Carefully, Tsubaki took the tongs and pulled out the glowing metal again.
"Welf, your part!"
Welf would do most of the work now since he had to forge it into a magical sword of the kind only he could produce.
Bell...wait for it...you will love this thing...I´m sure of it!
He had the feeling that this sword would become something very, very special for Bell, not knowing why but he just had this feeling. They had calculated that about one tenth of the metal would remain after finishing.
Hephaistos had ordered to keep the metal and the "owner" shoudl decide what to do...she still refused to tell them who the owner was.
When Welf hammered onto the metal, a lightning jumped out and struck the wall.
"Heeeeere we goooo!"
Only a tiny part of Hephaistos was worried about her forge...how it might look when they were finished.
Just like the old days in heaven...damn you...Zeus...
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A few days later in the morning, Syr walked slowly towards the Hestia Mansion. Freya had come here as a friend every day since Bell had shut himself in...she gave the worried friend and had managed to get into Bell´s room on the third day.
He had looked horrible...dark circles under his eyes and they looked even more red than normal. This state of him...and his darkening soul orb...didn´t gave Freya pleasure...but it was neccessary. In the past his soul orb had no real color,
was just sparkling from his innocence...now it had taken the color of a cloud before a thunderstorm unleashed itself...a real dark grey, with still a few sparks in it from his normal self.
Freya wasn´t the only one that took care of Bell. Hestia and the girls from his Familia did everything they could to be there for Bell, trying to help him in his situation. Thankfully, even if they all loved him very much romantically, except Mikoto, not one of them tried to take an advantage of this situation.
Hestia was the first one that was able to enter his room.
"Bell..."
He was sitting on his bed, the blanket wrapped around him and sobbed...it broke Hestia´s heart to see him like this...that he was so broken.
"Goddess..." His voice was weak and fragile.
Bell looked to her with dull eyes...there was no shine in them, nor hope.
"Bell..."
Hestia had walked to his bed and sat down on the edge, gently and slowly, she had put her arms around him and pulled him to her. She had felt that Bell was shaking and heard him sobbing, soon after she started to hug him, Bell burst into tears again.
"Goddess!"
He wrapped his arms around her and cried and cried like a child...well Bell was still a child...only close to being fifteen years old. Hestia said nothing, just sat there and let Bell cry, she didn´t knew what to do. And she didn´t felt anger for Wallen-whatever-it-is, the change and the situation was too sudden...it didn´t felt right. But she couldn´t ask Bell what exactly happened, it was nearly impossible to get a word out of him.
Hestia wasn´t the only one, Lily and Haruhime also came alone to Bell to spent him comfort, Haruhime couldn´t help but cry with him. If they had more time, they would try to investigate about the situation, but all of them were too worried about him and barely left the house, except for Hestia when she went to work.
And they weren´t the only ones that suffered, in the pub where Helun took the role of Syr, she was depressed too. Her feelings about Bell were complicated, she hated him for having Freya care so much for him. But she loved him for making her goddess happy...and due to the link with Freya she had also strong feelings for him. At least she had a bit of fun with her friends at the pub while working...her feelings for them were honest since she had played the role of Syr often enough...and friends were rare for someone in the Freya Familia.
Mylady...please...don´t go...too far...
Helun was worried about Freya...the goddess was like possessed by Bell.
Give in Bell...it would be the best for everyone...
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Syr knocked softly on Bell´s door before entering, Bell sat on his bed and was leaned against the wall. He didn´t cried, not because he wasn´t sad anymore...just because his body couldn´t cry at the moment.
"Bell...morning.."
She didn´t said "good morning" for a reason...not one morning was good for Bell in the last two weeks.
"Syr...hello..."
Bell sighed while he looked out of the window, to not go insane he had started to take care of his equipment again. The sky outside was cloudy in a grey almost as dark as Bell´s soul orb, that happened alot over the last two weeks...fitting for his mood.
"How are you...today?"
"Not good..."
Freya noticed a plate with a half eaten breakfast, his body longed for food and water...but Bell had no appetite. All of what he did rememberred him of Ais...Haruhime had noticed that very fast so she didn´t served Bell any potatoes.
Wordless she walked to the bed and sat down on the edge.
"Bell...I would like to say "Cheer up" but...that might be wrong..."
Oh Bell...how I would love to "Cheer you up"...and I have so many methods to do that...I´m sure you would become insanely "happy"..
Freya had imagined many things she could do for Bell...with Bell...things she would let him do with her...in every place of his room if he desired. Be it under him...over him...with her mouth... Freya wanted Bell and the longer she had to wait to finally receive the pounding she deserved, the more lusty she got.
Bell turned his face to her and his lips twitched slightly, it was the closest he came to a smile these days.
"Thank you...for all...you´ve done...for me...Syr..."
He felt gratitude for them, that they all tried to help him.
"I will always be there for you...Bell."
Freya put on a shy smile, she was really good at that.
Even in his hurt state, Bell had noticed that Syr showed feelings for him that went beyond friendship.
Freya sometimes lost herself in memories about how she had started to like Bell...not only as Freya but as Syr too. When she saw him for the first time in Orario...that pure innocent boy..so different from the other mortals. And when she had talked to him again and again as Syr, noticed that he didn´t only looked nice but was a really pure person, even getting flustered when she just winked to him. Over the time her feelings had become stronger, she wanted him to progress as fast as possible to see how beautiful his soul might become, because of that she arranged to bring him into danger again and again so that he could grow...that´s why she gifted him the Grimoire.
And the more she looked at Bell and spent time with him as Syr...the stronger her feelings got...from both of them. Freya wanted him to develop, Syr wanted to protect him.
At first...for a long while she was fine with the things being the way that tey were...but more and more she noticed the change in her feelings...desired Bell more and more.
These feelings got so intense after she started to notice that Ryu had started to like Bell, and not in a friendship way...even Ryu wasn´t aware of her feelings at that time.
The question was, what exactly were her feelings. Did she loved him as Syr or as Freya..was she her true self or was she about to become her true self? Could she be free from being a goddess and just be Syr? What she felt for Bell...was that pure love or something else? And not only she loved Bell...Ryu got more and more aware of her feelings and after the incident on the 37th Floor it was over...Ryu had fallen for Bell. Freya also noticed that Helun too fell in love with Bell...maybe due to their link...but Helun also had much interaction with Bell when she was Syr...even though a part of Helun despised him.
Ryu and Helun would be perfect for Freya to become Bell´s lovers too...his mistresses...she herself couldn´t become pregnant...but Ryu and Helun could...and Helun would probably do it if Freya asked her.
They would be the only ones allowed to touch him...and in some of her naughty fantasies, Freya imagined what she and Ryu could do together with Bell...sharing a lewd kiss while one straddled his waist and the other his face...before changing positions.
The confusion in Freya´s feelings got so strong...that she had started to develop a split personality...without noticing it...only Helun had a guess of that happening.
When she was alone and in deep thoughts, sometimes Freya talked with herself in her mind...or rather Syr talked to Freya. Freya was Syr, Syr was Freya and yet they were two different people. When she was Syr...or was it when Syr was her? Or awake?..Aware? Freya/Syr and Syr/Freya couldn´t tell.
The room in her mind looked like her room in Babel where she sat in her chair with Syr standing next to her while they chatted.
"Freya...I have feelings for Bell...for a while now...I love him...I really do. Would you mind...no...would you be against it...if I try to get through to him?"
I love Bell...but how...why...will I betray Freya? To get what I desire?
"Do as you like Syr, try to get the boy you fell in love with...but if it doesn´t work out...you will never approach him again in a romantic way...then he will be mine...understood?"
"Of course, thank you."
"Good luck."
It was a problem of Freya´s isolation...she was partly out of her mind due to Syr...two "I´s" existed inside her. Another person who knew Freya/Syr or Syr/Freya well enough was Mama Mia, she had a guess for a long, long time that both could be much more free...and probably the same person without a split personality if Freya just hadn´t such a massive crowd around her...or fans...admirer. If she was just herself with a small Familia...maybe the elite of the Freya Familia...she was sure that Freya wouldn´t have needed to create Syr...she would be more happy. If Freya had shown this side of her openly, Mia would have gladly accepted her to work at the pub...she wouldn´t be the first goddess to work somewhere in the city. But Freya couldn´t see how wrong...how self-destructive her way was...what she did to herself. Freya had not much freedom due to her pact with Hera, which she still honored even if she left the city when she desired, but the golden cage that was around Freya, was built by herself and not her overprotective children.
.
Syr glanced shortly to the package on the table she had brought with her, it was a special dessert that she had asked someone to get for her from Rivira...a dessert meant for couples. She knew that Bell didn´t really liked sweet things but knew that his body had lost some important things like water, salt, and that he was missing sugar. Syr had approached Ottar and had asked him to bring her that dessert in order to get through to Bell.
But she also asked that no guards would be looking after her when she went to Bell´s house to care for him...win him. She said it would be the only wish that she had for Ottar, he was a special one among Freya´s children and might have realized Freya´s true desires. Ottar was in thoughts for a while, worrying what would be the best for his beloved goddess. Syr argued that she might be able to change Freya´s future...to let it be better for her...that was all Ottar needed to hear, he agreed in helping her.
He knew that Syr and Freya were the same person, yet different, that Freya wasn´t really herself when she was Syr...or was it Syr that was different when she was Freya? All he did care about was to make her happy, since she haven´t only saved his life...she had given him a life...Ottar would do anything for her.
Syr/Freya sometimes thought about a certain day...a snowy day in a slum somewhere far away. She lied there and didn´t understood why she was so hungry and dirty...on the verge of dying, right then a goddess had appeared before her...Freya.
"Are you okay, little one?"
Syr had only whimpered.
Freya had smiled. "Don´t worry, little one. I will help you...but in exchange..would you tell me what you truly desire?"
Syr had looked at the beautiful goddess. "I...want to be you.."
Freya had giggled, it was a strange thing to say.
Then she had smiled. "Okay...but in exchange for giving you what you want, you will give me something, okay?"
On that day, Syr had stopped to exist...was reborn as a goddess. As part of a goddes...or was Freya a part of her? Helun...who at first wore the name Syr...had served her goddess and developed an own personality, while she also acted as Syr sometimes.
That day in who knows which slum...Freya´s start of a splitting personality...or her true personality...had begun.
.
.
One day before Ryu and Lefiya would return to Orario...together with another person. They had stayed in the village longer than intended since it was so nice there and Astrea wanted to wish every villager a good bye before she would leave. Still...the two elves feared the wrath of Mama Mia for taking so much time off...
.
Over the last days, Syr had talked a long time with Bell, trying to draw him out of his depression. Little by little she managed to draw out the old Bell...barely saving him from falling into complete despare. She noticed his reactions by having an eye on his soul every moment.
Syr/Freya was so focussed on Bell that Freya/Syr didn´t noticed the movements that went on in Orario by various people. The high executives of the Loki Familia, the Hermes Familia and some other people were gathering informations and more and more came to a conclusion, that something..or someone...did something outraging.
Loki had talked with Finn and Riveria, telling them that what she had to tell them wasn´t allowed to leave this room. She told them about her talk with Freya and how desperate she was now to make it up for Ais...to help her little princess... Loki had asked her children if they could ever forgive her for what she had tolerated.
It wasn´t an easy subject and Riveria took her time to scold Loki for a while, during that time Finn was busy at making plans. Just in case a fight would break out with the Freya Familia, they would need help to make sure to win in one swift strike. While Bete, Tiona and Tione kept an eye on Ais, sometimes they noticed that Ais got herself ready and went to the top of the walls of Orario, waiting there for a moment before she blinked confused and asked herself why she had come here. Tiona knew that place well from the time where she had trained with Bell and Ais together, it hurt her to see Ais like this. But talking with her changed nothing, Ais still thought that she didn´t liked Bell.
Hermes who had his eyes and ears everywhere started to make arrangements...and was just too surprised when Ouranos told him and the Loki Familia to wait and drop their preparations. He told them that he had a pretty good guess what would happen...what needed to happen.
It may have been a good thing for Syr, that Freya didn´t noticed all of that.
"Syr...what can...what should I...do?"
"Bell...I...please don´t hate me when I say that...some things...aren´t...meant...to be..."
"Do you think...it wasn´t...meant?"
"I don´t dare to say that...I´m sorry...I know you...lo-lo-...lo...like the Sword Princess...I don´t know her well enough to say that."
Bell had leaned back and looked out of the window again.
"Do you think...maybe...I...didn´t thought...about her...feelings?"
"Oh Bell...you are a wonderful person...you are so full of love...I...I can´t say that...it would...probably..hurt you.."
Syr glanced to him, she would never hurt Bell...the situation was hurting her, seeing him like this, she wanted to love him...hold him...kiss him... As much as Freya was lusting after Bell and his body, was Syr still a pure Maiden in love, both sides of the same coin and yet different people.
"Hmm.."
Bell took a deep breath and sighed, slowly bit by bit, he calmed down from his desperation. His heart still hurt...it was nearly a month ago that Ais had slapped him. Syr might not have noticed it, but since she was as much as goddess as she wasn´t, her natural charm leaked out of her whenever she was alone with Bell. Not using the charm ability of Freya but since Bell´s Liaris Freese was not active at the moment, he got drawn to her more and more.
Now...it might be...my only chance...
Syr had made the deal with Freya...and she would try her best.
"Bell?"
"Yes?"
"Maybe...it is something...I mean...you know...they are things that...we all carry inside us. Things we can´t tell someone...or haven´t told someone...maybe it is..because of one of these things?"
"Ais..." Bell sighed again...bit by bit the sparks in his soul returned...it was a slow process to save Bell from the desperation that Freya had given him. "Syr, do you think...it is something like that?"
"Maybe...I mean...there are things...I haven´t told you...about me...many things."
"Oh?"
Syr allowed herself a gentle smile. "Yes, I´m sorry."
Bell´s lips twitched. "You don´t need to."
"Would you...listen to me? For a while?"
"Of course."
"Bell...please close your eyes...and just listen to me...I can´t say these things while looking into your eyes.." Syr wore a bashful expression.
He did what counted as a smile for him these days and closed his eyes.
Syr took a deep breath and started to talk.
"Bell...If I would be different...would you despise me?"
"No."
His earnest answer let her heart flutter.
"There was a time...in my life where I didn´t knew what to do... I don´t remember where it was aynmore... I was lying in a cold, snowy alley...only wearing tattered clothes...my life made no sense...it was meaningless.
I was about to die...when she came."
"She?"
"Freya...I don´t know until today why she was there...but she saved me...brought me away from this alley."
"Goddess Freya...saved you?"
"Yes. She brought me with her to Orario...cared for me until I regained my strength. To help me...to protect me...Freya...gifted me her Falna."
"You are an adventurer?"
"No...I never was...I am afraid of fighting...I am weak... But she said she wanted me to be part of her Familia. That I was special to her in a certain way."
"What do you mean?"
"You may have noticed that I call her just Freya...she and I aren´t really goddess and child...we are...friends."
"Oh?"
Syr smiled, what Bell couldn´t see. "Yes...but the life in the Freya Familia isn´t easy...many people there are jealous when Freya shows one of us more attention. After a while I talked to her, I partly left the Familia like Mia and Anya...I am still her friend, but I wanted my own life."
"So you went to Mia?"
"Yes, Mama Mia helped me like she helped Anya."
"She is a good person."
"Yes she is...ehe...but sometimes a bit harsh."
"Does Ryu and the others know that?"
"No...and Bell...please never tell them...I love my dear friends...Ryu more than anyone else...but I am afraid..that they will...not see me the same way...that things will change."
Syr sobbed lightly, that she was afraid was honest, Syr was always honest, except for when she played her little pranks. "I don´t want to lose my dear friends..."
Her eyes widened in surprise when Bell took her hand and gently squeezed it, it was the first time over the last month that he did something like that by himself.
"Your secret is save with me...and don´t worry...you are still Syr...you will ever be Syr..for me."
Syr´s heart raced more and more...she knew it might be something horrible that she did that after Bell had broken up with Ais Wallenstein. Or did she broke up? Did they together? Syr wasn´t sure...or why they had broken up...maybe someone was behind that.
She wanted to hug Bell to show him her thanks, when she stopped. "Irgh..."
"Syr?"
"Ahm Bell...when have you...washed yourself...the last time?"
"Ahm..." She saw that he was blushing.
Syr´s face got deep red, due to her feelings more of her natural charm leaked out, calming Bell without charming him directly. "Shall I...help you?"
Normally Bell would be way too embarrassed to let a woman help him...but with Syr he thought different. And he needed help since he was so weak.
An embarrassed while later, Bell had no clothes left on, Syr had put a bandage around her eyes and washed him with a sponge. He felt a bit strange about this situation, wasn´t against it and yet against it at the same time.
Syr blushed heavily when her eyes wandered to Bell´s "sword", that wasn´t something that a pure Maiden should see.
It didn´t took long for her to finish...Bell smelled way better now.
"Thank you, Syr."
"N-Not...f-for that..."
Something in her heart...or deep in her...reacted. Syr couldn´t help but hug Bell from behind, her arms around his chest. Since Bell had his eyes closed too, he only noticed now that Syr had taken off her dress to not get it wet.
"S-S-Syr?!"
"Bell...I can´t hold back anymore...I have to tell you..."
"Syr? Wha-?!"
"I love you, Bell."
He stopped for a moment, opened his eyes blinking. "You..."
"I love you...I can´t deny it anymore!"
They just stood there, naked. Syr hugged him from behind and pressed her chest onto his back...waiting for a reply of Bell to her confession.
Please...Bell...please...don´t reject me..I beg you...please...
Syr whimpered in her mind...she was afraid.
"Syr..I..."
"Bell?"
"I...am sorry..."
No...no..no no no no no no please!
"I love...Ais...I ever will."
No no no no no no no no no no no!
Syr felt a sharp pain in her heart...and eyes opening in her mind.
"Bell please...don´t reject me! Please! I can...I will do everything for you!"
She sounded desperate when she lightly shove Bell forward, he turned around in time as he fell onto his bed, Syr landing on top of him. Bell saw the crying eyes of the naked girl.
"Syr...I´m sorry..."
Suddenly he felt a touch...Syr´s hand had sneaked between his legs and touched something she shouldn´t.
"I will do everything you desire! Please! I let you put it anywhere!"
"Syr?! Wha-"
Syr got weaker and weaker as the other personality inside her rose...changing her desires.
You had your chance Syr, honor our pact, it is my time now.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
In the moment of struggle...of desperation...and annger...where Syr and Freya fought over the control...the control of the body slipped. And Syr´s eyes flashed in a bright pink in front of Bell´s eyes.
"!" His expression changed.
Wh-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE, SYR?!
THIS IS YOUR FAULT!
YOU CHARMED HIM!
THAT WAS YOU!
"Freya...I love you..." Bell smiled lovingly and gently carressed her back for a moment.
The illusion was broken in the moment that the charm took over his body. Syr´s maiden heart broke in that moment and she fell deep into the darkness inside the shared, splitted, mind.
He is charmed...
That situation was hell for Freya, Bell getting charmed was the worst possible outcome...but his hands on her naked body felt too good.
He will become himself again...I´m sure...but now..
Freya still looked like Syr on the outside, but she wore a lusty grin on her face...now she would get a taste.
"Bell...take me..."
"As you wish, Mylady."
Not being able to wait any longer, Freya crawled down on Bell...she would get him excited very soon.
.
.
"WATCH OUT!"
Welf threw himself over Hephaistos and even Tsubaki ducked down when a lightning bolt burst out with an apocalyptic roar. They were about to finish the sword and suddenly the pure wrath inside the sword burst out...no it wasn´t wrath...it was something else.
Thunder elemental energy leaked out of the sword, through the chimney and into the sky...not forming a lightning but completely invisible. The sword had reacted to something...or someone.
Faster than any eye could see, the energy rushed over the city and into a room where a horny goddess was about to do something with her mouth to a poor boy that she shouldn´t. Bell groaned loudly...as Freya thought from arousal...when something on his back got incredibly hot.
The skill "Blood of Zeus" shone in a bright, actinic blue and a spark jumped over to the first skill line...
With a shudder, Bell´s body noticed that the Liaris Freese awakened again with full power. The lightning and the skill had not broken the charm...it had obliterated it.
.
.
Mmmh...why isn´t he...reacting...
"Come on Bell...get it up for me."
"I will do my best to statisfy you, Mylady."
What is he talking like that...
Freya got frustrated...she had licked Bell a few times already but he stayed limp.
What is with th-
Freya glanced up...Bell´s expression was completely blank...and his soul orb had become dull...not one spark of what he was...who he was remained.
Freya had...broken him..
"No...no...no...Bell...please...don´t...you have to love me...don´t turn away...love me! Fuck me! Do what you want with my body!"
"Ais..."
She could see it...Bell´s body didn´t reacted to her beautiful, naked body in any way...he didn´t got aroused because his heart only belonged to one person alone...Ais Wallenstein.
With a scream of pure agony and despair...Freya had a breakdown since even with being charmed...Bell Cranel rejected her and didn´t loved her in any way.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
When Bell´s Familia came to see what happened, they would only find Bell in fresh clothes sitting on his bed, a confused expression on his face...and a wide opened window.
They didn´t saw the person that carried Freya out of their home.
.
.
For a moment a loud thunderclap was heard over the city, Ais Wallenstein looked out of her window. She sat on her bed and hugged her plushy, before getting up. Her whole body had shuddered in the moment that the thunderclap echoed.
.
.
Two days later.
.
"Welf...what do you want to show me?"
Bell walked next to Welf through the streets of Orario, he felt better than during the last weeks but he was weak on his legs. Welf didn´t accepted a no and threatened him to pull Bell in his underwear through the city if he wouldn´t follow him.
"Something for you..a gift from someone."
"A gift?"
"Wait and see, by the way it is good to see you outside of your room or bed."
"Hm...I...couldn´t stay inside forever..."
"Please note that I had to threaten you first."
"I am aware..."
"No come and don´t look so grumpy, you will like it."
Welf was guiding Bell into the direction of Babel, he still refused to tell him what he wanted to show him.
Even with still being sad, Bell felt a bit better with being outside and feeling the sun on his skin. Merchants praised their wares and tried to sell something, food stalls offered fresh, hot food, all in all Orario looked as lively as ever.
Bell felt still uneasy...and stopped immediately when he noticed a familiar blond head and two other with dark hair.
Ais...I...
There was no other way than going past Ais, Tiona and Tione...Bell tried to get onto Welf´s other side and keep walking. Seeing Ais now only hurt him more...he just hoped she wouldn´t see him...he didn´t knew what to do.
But...
"Bell?"
Irgh...
Tiona and Tione stopped in surprise, as did Welf when Ais called out to Bell.
"Ais...I´m sorry...I will-"
"Do you...want to train?" She tilted her head.
Bell blinked a few times in surprise.
The amazon twins had a shocked expression...over the last weeks Ais only said how much she didn´t liked Bell anymore.
"A-Ais? Wh-What do you mean?!"
"Training...like always...you know?"
"B-But I thought...you...I...me..."
Ais shook her head in confusion and tapped against her temple, she had a light headache since the thunderclap echoed over the city...as if something had left her head.
"I what?"
"I thought...you hated...me..."
"Huh?!" She blinked strongly in surprise, before blushing heavily. "Hating you? Why?...I...I mean...I love you...Bell."
In that moment both felt as if a veil was lifted from their heads and hearts...and they started to cry. They didn´t rememberred what exactly had happened...only that it was something horrible.
Bell hiccuped and sobbed strongly, looking at Ais. She sobbed too and in a swift movement, stepped to Bell and kissed him fully on the lips, her hands on his cheeks.
Unnoticed by the five young people, Ais´ and Bell´s soul orbs exploded like new born suns, they were united again. Ais didn´t shook off the charm because of what happened to Bell, the charm on her got weaker and weaker due to her strong love for him...the thunderclap only marked the last moment.
A few people around them giggled and then turned away as the young couple kissed as if nothing ever happened between the two.
But...
Two shadows jumped down from a nearby rooftop, a cat man with a long spear and a dark elf with a sword.
"BELL CRANEL! AIS WALLENSTEIN! YOU ARE DEAD!"
.
.
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Authors Note2: I know cliffhangers aren´t a nice thing but I didn´t knew how to close this chapter. I tried to show how twisted and split Freya´s mind is and that even gods like Loki can make horrible mistakes.
This arc isn´t over, I know I said thursday but I had to continue writing, also I just couldn´t put what comes tomorrow in the same chapter with this here, it would feel weird.
Also, the big arcs don´t have the same length, the later ones will be longer than this here, even so we still have a few chapters to go before this arc is over.
Edit: Next chapter will coming next week, I don´t have enough time to finish it this week.