Author´s Note: This chapter is pretty short, as it was planned. It´s the prolog for the grand final of Spirit Child. At first I wanted to make it just one big chapter, but the final will be told by Tiona´s epic and sometimes scenes within, a bit like the fight against Asterios.

The last chapter after the final will be about Bell´s and Ais´ life and what happens in Orario and with the people.

I´m working on the grand finale right now, it just looked better when I kept both chapters separated, so please don´t wonder why this one here is so short, they are basically one chapter in two parts. I can´t say right now just how long the finale will be, but longer than my usual 5k words chapter.

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"Mmmmmmh~the fresh air here is so wonderful."

Ais smiled happy while they walked. She and Bell had arrived at the road that lead to Edas village. For the biggest part of the road, at least as much as possible, they had used a rented cart.
To be carefull with Ais´ pregnancy, they had hired the safest, best-sprung, best-cushioned, and most comfortable carriage in Orario. Needless to say, it was extremely expensive, but they spared no effort when it came to the safety of their unborn child. The driver informed them that they were the first mortals to hire this carriage, usually only gods from very wealthy familias did so, like Freya or sometimes Loki. That's why they were even listened to, Loki had made it clear that it would break her heart if one of her dearest children was to travel inconveniently. That and the not so small payment.

Both weren´t used to a coach that didn´t bumped at all, the owner was visibly proud of it. And he asked for an autograph when he saw who the two adventurers were that rented his coach. He got extra payment and a threat from Loki, that something bad might happen if he lost any word about Ais´ pregnancy. But she didn't have to worry. It was part of the business model of this luxury carriage that confidentiality was a top priority. Who traveled with this carriage, where or what this person did in there with whom was absolutely kept secret, especially the goddess Freya had often relied on that.

The hard part was to get the permission to leave the city. Bell and Ais were both level seven adventurers and two of the three strongest in the whole city. The higher the level of an adventurer was, the harder was it to get permission from the guild to leave for a while. It was just explained as a short vacation, well it was one.
It was thanks to Loki and Hestia that they got the permission, since they directly talked to Royman. At first Bell wanted to talk with Eina about it, but Hestia had stopped him. He shouldn´t risk telling Eina that Ais was pregnant during her work time. As good hearted as she was, Eina had a habit of crying out in astonishment and trumpeting incredible news, like when Bell hit level two. Bell and Ais wanted peace and the last thing they needed was for word of the guild to spread like wildfire that Golden Wind was pregnant with White Flame's child. The gods would probably swarm them, since that was so exciting.

Bell got only told that Hestia and Loki managed to get the permission. But not that they did that because they tortured and annoyed Royman in the most childish way possible. At first they hadn´t told Royman about Ais´ state, but the guild needed to be informed that the Loki Familia couldn´t take one of their strongest members into the dungeon or to quests for a long while.

"Goddess Loki, Goddess Hestia, I can't just give you permission for two level seven adventurers to leave Orario for two weeks. It would take time, but so suddenly..."

Loki had smirked and leaned over Royman´s desk in his private office. "Hoooo, Royman...to talk like that to goddesses...quite the nerv you have."

"Goddess Loki, please, I have work to do."

"Oho? You mean this here?"

Loki ran her finger slowly over the ordered papers on the desk, deliberately messing them up.

"P-Please stop this."

"Hmmmm? Am I doing something? Hestia what do you say?"

"I doooon´t see anything weird...woops!"

Hestia had "accidentally" knocked some of the pens off Royman's table.

"Why are you doing this?!"

Loki smirked again. "We know that you can give us permission right away."

Hestia´s evil smile was in no way inferior to Loki's. "Our cute children have done so much for Orario...don´t you agree that they deserve a vacation? Hmmmmmm?"

"Irgh..."

The guild´s chief looked helpless as the two goddesses messed his desk up a bit more.

"Oooh...what a fine looking tea...what might happen if it would spill all over the desk, I wonder?"

"Argh, fine! I will give you the permission! Why can´t you just show up a bit earlier and ask for a later day?"

"Nope, it needs to be now. My Familia and Hestia´s boy are resting now anyway after the Expedition. It was draining for them."

This actually was true, Expeditions were exhausting.

"Fine..." The old elf sighed.

Loki and Hestia told their children they just had to say please one time.

Thinking back it was probably harder for them to get away from Riveria. She had reached new heights of concern, now it wasn't just about her little girl...now she was worried about her "grandchild" too. While others like Haruhime had helped them to prepare for the trip, Haruhime had made enough special food, things that an expecting mother would need, Riveria was nearly out of her mind.
At first she had demanded to accompany them to be able to look after Ais all the time. In the end she only let them go after receiving an oath from Bell, that they absolutely would return safely.

And Riveria gave Ais a small gift, a green pendant. Riveria got this a when she was younger, it belonged to her mother and it was a family heirloom, passed from mother to daughter when she was expecting a child, bringing good luck and protecting both mother and baby. Since a partner was never an option for Riveria, it was logical for her to do so. The question was if Ais would accept it, Riveria couldn't tell how much it meant to her when she did.

It was really heartwarming to see how worried and happy they all were.

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"How are your feet, do you need a rest?"

"No, it is okay, Bell."

They had time so they walked slowly towards the village. The weather was really nice and it wasn´t too warm either.

"Hehe, it is quite different from the last time we came here."

Ais nodded. "A little bit, it doesn´t rain this time."

"And you doesn´t have to save me and my goddess."

"Oh that, hehe, yes."

Bell smiled amorous. "And we are different now."

Ais looked down to her belly. "Very much."

"But even back then I was already in love with you, and seeing you in wet clothes after you searched in the rain, it was a bit embarrassing."

Ais looked a bit confused at first, then she looked down on herself. "Does my body really distract you that much?"

"I-I was a growing boy...and yes your body is beyond wonderful."

"Hm, aren´t you getting used to seeing it?"

"No! I will never get enough of your beauty!"

They talked about everything and yet nothing in particular.

"I wonder how much things will change."

"Aki told me that it was very different when her daughter was born. She tried to describe to me how different her body felt with the baby suddenly out of her."

"And did you got it?"

Ais shook her head. "No, but she said the feeling will get stronger later anyway, she said it increased tenfold when she felt the first kick. Even when that robbed her from her sleep sometimes."

"Kicks?"

"Yes, she said at some point the baby started to move a lot, and that I should always have a toilet nearby, just in case the baby kicks my bladder."

"Oh, good to know. Raul told me it got very different for him too, now that he is a father. He trains much harder to protect Ms. Anakitty and his daughter."

"He is already very strong. I don´t think I know anyone who made it to level four without a real skill or magic."

Bell smiled. "In a way he is the strongest of us all."

"Aki also told me I won´t get much sleep when the baby is there, because it will get hungry often in the night. She said that even the tiniest noise let her jump out of the bed."

"Hah...maybe we will be constantly tired, but I´m really looking forward to it."

"Me too."

Bell´s smile widened. "Hehe, I can´t wait to hold you and our child in my arms, I´m sure it will be as beautiful and cute as you are."

"And as strong as you, Bell."

He imagined how it would look, when he came back from the dungeon, Ais sitting in an armchair, their baby in her arms and smiling to him. And Ais imagined herself sitting under a big tree, their child on her lap, while they watched Bell train on his own.
Her parents did that and now she wanted to do that too.

As usual, talking about that made Ais more cuddly, so she leaned a bit against Bell while they walked. No one that saw them wouldn´t think they were a couple.

This village didn't have many visitors due to its location. But Ais and Bell were kindly received, once again allowed to reside in the home of the former village chief. Now the house belonged to his adopted daughter, Rina. The last time they were here was a little over five years ago, not much had changed in the village. Time seemed to stand still a little here, the only real difference being that Rina was now married herself and had a two-year-old son.

All in all it would become a very nice vacation for the two, at least until one evening they walked along the path around the village, where the ten small shrines were built, each containing a scale of different size...a scale from that black dragon.

That was when Bell would get an idea, this idea would probably change the world