Happy New Year a day late! Wow, 2020 is finally over. I believe we all hope that 2021 can get us back on track but we're all along for the ride either way, right? Yep, and whatever 2021 throws at us I believe we can get through it. Call it optimism or misplaced faith but whatever. Enough real-world stuff, we're here for fiction, so here we go!

Enjoy :)

Posted 1/2/2021

Chapter 2- The Package

Orario- The Traveler's Inn, two days before.

"Where in the god's names have you been!" Asfi Al Andromeda, captain of Hermes familia, yelled at her god. "I had to search the city for you, and when I couldn't find you, I asked around. Only to discover you had left THREE DAYS before, with NO GUARD! I swear, what was it this time? You've been leaving FOR DAYS on end without so much of a word every six months or so for YEARS!"

"Ah, my dear Asfi, you know I can't tell you that," he said softly as he tried to stroke his captain's cheek, earning him a glare and to have his hand swatted away, "but I promise that this and all other times were very important, and it won't happen again. At least not for this particular matter." She raised an eyebrow at that.

"We both know that's a lie."

"Perhaps. The lower world is full of surprises," her eyebrow climbed higher, "it's one of the reasons we gods came down here in the first place"

"Why do I feel like you're planning something that could potentially ruin us?" she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"You know me so well, but this is beneficial to all of Orario, if not the world. However, if we wish to set this particular stage for our grand act, we must do some things first. I have met with a certain client on the way back from my excursion and he wishes we deliver something for him."

"Who could you have possibly met with?"

"That is for me to know and you to find out, my dear Asfi" Hermes states as he boops her nose before she can swat his hand away.

"Whatever, what does he want to be delivered?" Rubbing her temples in anticipation of the oncoming headache.

"Again, this is a need-to-know basis. And unfortunately, you. don't. need. to. know." Hermes states patting Asfi's head each time for emphasis while Asfi just takes it, already used to his antics.

"Fine, to whom are we delivering it too?"

"Ah, that's a question I can answer. It's a private delivery, completely anonymous, that means get in, get out. Preferably invisible."

"Get in where?" she says her eyes narrowing.

"….Twilight Manor. Delivered to the Kenki, Ais Wallenstein"

"YOU WANT ME TO BREAK INTO LOKI FAMILIA'S BASE! ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"…"

"Nope don't answer that, of course, you are."

"Asfi. Not so loud. You don't know who's listening" Hermes jokes. "Besides I have complete faith in you. All you have to do is hades hat in, drop off the package to a place we know the Kenki will find it, and leave. The package doesn't even need to be on Loki Familia grounds, and if it isn't we could always stay to watch the show."

"Your horrible."

"Maybe, but you're the best~" Hermes teases.

"Baka…" Asfi mutters, looking away from her god, blushing.

"Anyway, you have full reign to do whatever but please drop it off as soon as possible and without drawing too much suspicion to the package. Preferably, to the Kenki's eyes and her eyes only."

"This is completely irrational" She states dryly.

"You can do it." He assures her.

"Fine, I'll scout out where she frequents often and the times when fewer people are nearby to deduce when and where to present it."

"I knew I could count on my beautiful captain~"

"I-I have to go scout out her morning routine," she says quickly, running out of his office while blushing and going to the storage room to grab the hades hats. Whether to hide her blush or actually get started on the mission, Hermes will never know. I guess even some things the gods don't know.

XXX

Asfi had to work quickly and efficiently if she wanted to get this done without being caught. It didn't help Hermes just presented her with a wooden box, but she had her suspicions on who it could be.

It's not like it isn't hard to get onto the Twilight Manor grounds (if she needed to), it's just moving around and trying to get anywhere, especially following a high-level executive of said familia, is almost impossible without bumping into people. Loki familia is large and their manor is taller than it is wide, so she doesn't have much breathing room. Combine that with the fact that any familia member could have a detection skill or spell alongside the several first-class executives that could probably sense when someone they aren't familiar with is near, makes it very difficult, but not impossible.

She could do it, but first, she needs to find the Kenki.

She ran along the section of the wall closest to the Loki familia home. She quickly looked around to see if she could spot the Kenki anywhere on the training grounds. It was early in the morning, so much so that even the sun wasn't up, so she was hoping the Kenki is a morning person. Hermes gave her the mission when he got back yesterday, meaning she had one full day to follow the Kenki and see if she could find regularities in her routine. Hopefully she wouldn't have to follow her for too long. She could give it to the staff at the Hostess of Fertility but knowing the staff there and understanding that a gift to the famous Kenki would turn many heads, she elected against it. Besides the client wanted it given anonymously and discretely, and if her suspicions about who the client is, she can certainly see why they would prefer that way. However, she doesn't know what it means, but she has a hunch as to why. 'If what Hermes said about "setting the stage" is true, then that means…'

"That fool!" she cursed under her breath. 'Of course, he would do this, however, I am to simply deliver the package, whatever it is, whatever it means, is out of my hands.'

She sat on the wall overlooking Twilight Manor for almost another half an hour before finally locking onto a streak of gold below. She watched as the Kenki, made her way through the courtyard below without so much as a single thought.

'This is good, if she's lost in her thoughts that must mean it's a part of her routine. Something she does every day like clockwork.'

Asfi kept watching, as the Kenki walked outside the main part of the manor and suddenly turned off the main path leading to the manor's gate, heading straight towards her!

'WAIT! Does she know I'm here!? I know the Kenki is strong but there's no way she could know I was watching her. I still have the hades hat on right!?' Quickly reaching up to touch the helmet she wore and also noticing she couldn't see herself, helped calm her nerves, if only for a second. As right as she calmed her breathing the Kenki jumped from the Twilight Manor grounds onto the wall. Standing less than 10 meters away from the Kenki herself.

Asfi held her breath as Ais looked straight at her, or more accurately through her, cocking her head to the side slightly. Ais took a step forward and almost reach out toward her. Asfi would have laughed at the face Ais was making as she wondered what…presence she felt. It felt very similar to when she encountered Fels for the first time three years before. When she was…rescuing Bell, and with that, she suddenly felt very sad and upset at the mention/thought of her lost bunny. Her emotions now thoroughly clouding her more acute senses and the mysterious presence all but forgotten, Ais slowly walked away lost in her thoughts of 'what could have been' and 'what is he doing now' before finally walking out of earshot, or whatever distance is out of earshot for a first-class adventurer. After a tense minute or two, Asfi finally released a breath and sunk down against a section of the parapet. After collecting herself, she cursed and walked the opposite way of the Kenki.

"I guess I know where to leave the package," she muttered to herself, taking a shaky breath and walking away from the wall to lie down, get a drink, and maybe punish her god. No. She was definitely going to punish her god.

The next day the package was there waiting, as two figures watched a certain golden-haired adventurer fall to her knees.

Kinda anti-climactic, no? Yep, I 100% agree, it totally is.

This was more of a filler chapter and to show some of the players in the game. A little more filler, a lot more backstory, and answers will be revealed next week as well. I know it sucks but after the next chapter it should hopefully ramp up. Though do be warned, my English teacher said my knack for tension in general...sucked. Anyway, hope that puts you at ease for whatever epic clashes I have in mind. Yea, sorry. I'll try to ask my friends what they think about it and fix what I can. No promises.

See ya!