Chapter 25: Bitter Rain
After defeating the Demi-Spirit and sending the goddess Hel, who was responsible for all this, back to the heavens, Thor, his familia and his allies were forced to leave the underground. Of course, they would have preferred to hunt down the last survivors, but it wasn't reasonable for them to do so.
However, Knossos had not been the sole territory of the Evilus for a long time. All this mayhem had finally attracted the attention of Fels, who had been discreetly monitoring the labyrinth for quite some time. By contacting the Hestia Familia, he was able to get a report on the situation and ensured that the Xenos finished the job by hunting down the survivors. The latter had very little chance against a Lyd in a particularly bad mood after Wiene's kidnapping and a certain black minotaur skilled in heavy axe blows in the face.
After that, the majority of the group went to Dian Cecht's clinic to get treated, while Thor was forced to answer a summons from Ouranos to explain the whole mess in Knossos.
As for Aiz, Loki quickly learned what she had done. When she knew that her little favourite had blatantly disobeyed her orders, she came to drag her back to the mansion by the collar, with the firm intention of getting a full report before considering her punishment.
Most of the familia left Dian Cecht's clinic during the day, suffering from minor injuries that would heal with potions and some rest. However, two members stayed an extra day, Thargar and Ygannea. When Thor asked about their condition, Dian Cecht chose to receive him in his office.
Regarding the dwarf, we did what we could, we cleaned the injury and operated to close the wound more cleanly, he will experience the classic problems of a person suffering from a missing limb like phantom pains or having to get used to this handicap, but otherwise he's fine.
Thor listened silently and simply nodded at the words of the god doctor. He knew Thargar, he knew he'd get over it, but his missing arm put a lot of things into question.
Of course, it was possible to make him an artificial arm, but even for a friend, a Airgetlam type silver prosthesis had a cost.
And that was the reason why you didn't see them very often. The technique was revolutionary, but the cost of making a single prosthesis was outrageous. With the special materials, the expertise and the enchantments required, the bill would quickly escalate. The best example of this was the case of Miach. By giving a prosthesis to his captain, he had ruined himself and put his family in debt, to the point that all his children had left him and he had spent the last few years being humiliated by Dian Cecht every time he came to collect his money.
No, I'll be fine, as far as he's concerned, I'll look at other options.
Oh? I'd be curious to know what they are, asked the god doctor. But Thor remained silent, making him understand to move on. Regarding your elf child, the situation is very different and not good at all. Physically she is well, but the real concern is elsewhere.
Thor listened silently to the other god, worried. Even him had no idea what Ygannea had done. The elven sorceress had not told anyone, and no doubt she knew that she would have been forbidden to use this technique because of the risks, and rightly so. Thor tried to take it in stride, but inwardly he felt bad, for the whole thing with Hel had deeply wounded his familia. How ironic that it was not the Dungeon, but the city itself that had claimed his share of blood.
The next day, once everyone had returned to the Thunder Hall, the god organized a meeting, both to review the situation with his children and to give some explanations to his allies. Astraea was naturally there with Ryuu, after all, they lived here. But Hestia and her familia came too, after all that had happened, they also wanted some explanations. And finally, Loki came as well, just to get some answers to explain why Aiz had disobeyed her and trying to calm things down with Thor. The blonde swordswoman was there too, as well as Riveria. She hadn't brought anyone else, choosing to keep it small for the time being.
Unfortunately, the meeting couldn't start right away, and for good reason, there were many embarrassed looks and Mei's giggles as she held back her laughter. Finally, Thor sighed and gave the signal.
Fine, just do it, I see that you can't take it anymore.
And immediately, the shivati suddenly burst out laughing, unable to stop, twisting on the spot, slapping the table, laughing so hard that her stomach hurt. A little more and her bladder would give out.
Good heavens! Aiz, you're so... so... but she didn't manage to finish her sentence, because another burst of laughter came over her. The concerned person had a sulky look on her face and was making big eyes at her. At the same time, how could she not laugh when Aiz had rabbit ears on her head?
S-stop that, pyon!
"Pyon?" Mei said with wide eyes.
I-It was Loki who forced me... pyon...
Indeed, Loki had decided that, despite the circumstances, Aiz should still be punished for disobeying orders. Since Aiz had already been punished by doing chores in a maid's outfit, Loki decided to be more imaginative. Originally, she had intended to make Aiz wear a bunny-girl outfit for a week, but Riveria had made it clear that if she tried, she would immediately send her back to heaven. Instead, the goddess had managed to find a compromise, Aiz would just have to wear the costume ears and finish all her sentences with "pyon".
You're so cute like that my little rabbit. said Mei with a big amused smile. Aiz came to her side and started to hit her on the shoulder in protest, trying not to speak to avoid adding to the problem.
But then, Mei wasn't the only one amused or disturbed by the situation. Hestia, who had always seen Loki's favourite as a sort of rival, was also holding back her laughter, almost happy to see her ridiculed this way. Bell was embarrassed to see his idol like this, even though a part of him found her absolutely adorable. And the rest of the people present alternated between embarrassment and laughter.
Lady Loki, you are my new hero. said Mei, who finally managed to regain her composure.
Hi' five sis! the goddess replied, holding out her hand.
Yeah! said Mei, slapping the goddess's hand, causing Aiz to show her displeasure by pinching her cheek.
Playful, the goddess then came to sit next to Mei, her new friend.
By the way, I heard you were... one of my people.
And by that she meant interested in other women when it came to horizontal sports. The shivati took the hint and gave her a small smile that was both charming and mysterious.
Well, well… maybe...
Interesting, then, how about dropping by the manor one of these days for...
But the goddess was cut off by Thor's huge hand that had just landed on her head, even starting to tighten its grip on her skull a little. The Trickster didn't even have to turn around to know that he must have had his killer look and that she'd better find a way out soon.
for... for... spend some time with Aiz... like... just the both of you... and me at the other end of the mansion...
Thor's grip loosened and she sighed with relief. The God of Thunder was usually very forthcoming about the private lives of his children, as long as it didn't make a fuss. He'd long ago figured out Mei's preferences and let her have her own fun, but with Loki, certainly not! Since he considered both of them as his daughters, it would be extremely embarrassing.
Finally, it was Astraea who refocused the debate a bit.
Hmm! All this is very amusing, but I'd like to get back to serious business, please.
Soon everyone forgot about Aiz's ears and Loki's words and got serious faces as Thor explained what he understood about the whole thing.
So it was Hel all along. Loki simply said.
Yes... and my indulgence toward her created this tragedy. replied the god of thunder wearily. I had hoped she would understand and move on, but I guess after what happened with her familia, it was too naive.
Seeing the suddenly tired and sad look on the colossus' face, Astraea spoke again.
It wasn't long before you found me, was it? I understood at that time that you had had problems with her, but I didn't ask at the time.
Of course, I didn't know how to explain to you that I ordered my children to kill all her familia.
The god's reaction caused shock among all the guests present. They all knew that Thor could be a bit impulsive, but they didn't see him slaughtering a whole familia so easily. And for Bell it was even more difficult, especially since Thor's children didn't seem the least bit bothered by their god's statements. Himself was still struggling to come to terms with what he had done two days earlier.
I... I don't understand. the young man began. What can justify...
To slaughter almost forty people? Mei added in a cold voice. To put it simply, they deserved it.
That's a rather radical point of view. Astraea replied. As a goddess of justice, she was sensitive to this kind of thing and the affair with Ryuu had already hurt her deeply. Can you explain why then?
Mei sighed and looked at her god who nodded.
Officially, the Hel familia was a nomadic organization, but in reality, it was nothing more than a roving band of raiders. Hel seemed to enjoy gathering the worst bastards she could find and letting them travel and have fun as they pleased. These people didn't hold back on anything, attacking convoys, looting villages, robbing, raping, torturing, killing and not necessarily in that order. Mei told them, to everyone's horror, but she didn't stop there.
Their favourite game was to attack small isolated villages, capture everyone, settle down for a few days and indulge in many perversions and other sadistic games before leaving without having left a single person alive. Women, children, elders, they spared no one.
There was a dead silence in the room, but Thor's captain didn't stop and continued her story.
And we passed behind them several times. Can you imagine: entering in a small village, finding it in ruins, all the inhabitants dead. Trying to bury them with dignity, spending the day trying to find out whose body part belongs to whom, before you finally decide to just dig a mass grave and bury what you've found. Now that was the kind of gift the Hel familia was leaving behind. That's why when Thor ordered us to stop them definitively, no one flinched and we executed every last one of them.
I... see. The goddess of justice simply said. She herself wasn't sure how she would have reacted in their place. The Evilus were dangerous fanatics, but at least they had a cause, as twisted as it was. But what they had just described to her was pure, heartless sadism. Mei then turned her gaze to Bell and spoke again.
Bell, the little village you grew up in was their favourite prey, if they hadn't been stopped, you might be in a mass grave yourself by now and with your adorable face, I can't imagine what those freaks would have done to you. So, yes, I think it was fully justified. Our god may have given the order, but as captain, I bear the responsibility for their execution and I don't regret it.
After his captain, Thor spoke again.
Yes, Hel familia was really just a collection of the worst that mortals have to offer. I met Hel before all this, tried to convince her to stop this madness, to remove her blessing and bring her children to justice. But she wouldn't listen to me, so I made a decision.
A decision that was obviously difficult and would haunt this familia for a while.
Well... I think you were right. Said Loki. There's no reason to leave such freaks in the wild, I would have done the same thing in your place. But why didn't you send Hel back to the heavens as well? Did she run away?
No, Loki. I just... couldn't. I just wanted her to have a fresh start.
That's very naive of you. Is this... about that old story again?
Thor answered with a simple nod.
What story? asked Bell.
I don't want to talk about it, boy. Let's just say that it goes back so far that all the gods have been to the Source several times since then.
The god seemed strangely closed on the subject and he noticed that all the other gods in the room, even little Ishtar, all had closed faces, as if an old wound had been opened. The boy glanced at Mei, who told him that she didn't know any more about it.
But that doesn't change the problem. I was too soft on her and now many people have paid the price.
There had been the deaths of Arrauth, Girkas and Viclaer, but also all the other problems, including Farg Galleon's shenanigans, which had cost the lives of two of Ganesha's children, as well as all the physical and mental injuries suffered during the assault on the Evilus' lair.
Why would that goddess have done something like that? Ryuu asked, silent from the beginning. Was this her twisted way of entertaining herself?
The elf's comment was relevant, many deusdeas had done a lot of bad things just for fun.
No. Hel's motivation has always been hatred. She is physically deformed, which is rare among the gods and frowned upon by some. She has always had a complex about it. But over time, the complex turned into resentment, then into hatred. A hatred that she has never known how to channel other than through the suffering of others. A hatred that she has never been able to overcome...
No one knew what else to say. No one really felt entitled to judge Thor for what he and his familia had done. If the Hel familia had been as atrocious as they said they were, then it was only right that they had done what was necessary to stop them. And no one could judge him for showing compassion to Hel either.
After this meeting, which had left everyone in a bad mood, everyone went off to do their own thing. Aiz had followed Mei, the shivati had promised her a gift for coming to help them despite Loki's ban. The blonde said nothing. She was already not very talkative under normal circumstances, but this was even worse. Since she was taking her punishment very seriously, she felt obliged to punctuate her sentences with "pyon", even if Loki wasn't looking. And she didn't feel like doing it. Mei walked ahead of her, humming softly. Suddenly the oriental stopped and before Aiz had time to understand, she came to snuggle with her, her face in her shoulder. Between the little jolts and the muffled noises, the blonde understood that her friend was crying.
From the beginning, Mei wasn't feeling well at all, her laughing fit, her nonsense with Loki, all of it was just window dressing to hide her pain. But she couldn't show it, not in front of her familia, because as a captain she had to be an example, not in front of so many people, not in front of Thor, or he would worry again. No, it was only alone with Aiz that she could finally release the emotions she had held in for far too long. Aiz did the only thing she could do, she hugged her friend and offered her a comforting embrace.
I suck as a captain! I should have done better! They were counting on me and I failed, I should have protected them all!
Aiz then lifted Mei's head from her shoulder and gently took her face in her hands.
No...
Yes, she hadn't put a 'pyon' at the end of her sentence, but under these circumstances, Loki could go to hell for once.
You did your best. Even the best captain can't save everyone, so don't get that idea in your head.
She had seen that even Finn, an experienced leader and excellent strategist, couldn't prevent everything. Her familia had also paid a heavy price during their first raid on Knossos. Line's death, in particular, remained a painful episode. And Finn himself had almost died when Valleta's trap had closed on him.
Meanwhile, I'm here.
The blonde concluded by giving her friend a bigger hug. For now, she just had to deal with all this and the only thing she could do was to be by her side and support her. And if Loki's stupid punishment could make her laugh, it would be a good thing. Alone in their spot, the two friends remained like that for a long time, in total silence. There was nothing else to say anyway.
For his part, Thor had used the pretext of business between deities to take Astraea, Hestia and Loki with him. The four deusdeas headed for one of the secluded rooms in Thor's home. The colossus knocked on a door and a small, gentle voice told him to come in. So the four gods entered the room. It was a remote room with two women in it.
Half lying in bed was Ygannea. However, the elf magician no longer had the gentle, motherly expression she was known for. She was awake, but her eyes seemed to be empty of life. She was listless and didn't say a word. At her side was Bricaena. The pallum healer was obviously taking care of her. She was currently feeding her. It was a sad sight, every time the healer brought the spoon close to the elf's mouth, the latter ate, but it seemed to be done automatically, as if her body was a puppet responding to simple commands.
By heavens... began Hestia. What happened to her?
I don't know. Thor replied with a tired sigh. What she did against the demi-spirit, no one has ever seen before, so we don't know. Physically she's recovered and is fine, but as you can see, she's totally apathetic. She doesn't react to anything, she doesn't talk and she doesn't do anything by herself. She can be made to stand up, walk and eat, but everything is done as if she were a puppet being guided.
The other deities remained silent, none of them had ever seen anything like this.
And... there is something else I would like to show you. Said the god of thunder. Brica.
Right away. Replied the prum, before taking Ygannea's hands to make her stand up. Once again, the magician was mechanically doing what she was told to do. Bricaena then made her sit on a stool, with her back to the gods, and began to undo her top to expose her back.
Everyone understood what Thor was about to do, so no one was surprised to see him prick his finger to release a drop of his ichor. If he was willing to reveal the elf's status to them, then the situation must be very complicated indeed.
Ygannea's falna reacted to Thor's blood and the glyphs appeared, the other deities came forward and all remained shocked by what they saw.
But...
What the hell!
It doesn't make sense...
And for good reason, the magician's falna was in a strange state. Normally, Thor's falna was represented by the emblem of his familia, namely Mjöllnir surrounded by five lightning bolts and the different lines of glyphs surrounding this symbol. But this wasn't the case anymore. It looked as if someone had taken the elf's falna, cut it with a chisel, put it in a shaker and thrown it randomly on her back. There were pieces of the emblem all over the place and the different letters were in random places, turned in all directions. This falna didn't make sense anymore!
But, her falna... started Astraea. It looks like it's...
Broken. Thor concluded. I came to the same conclusion. And the falna is linked to the soul of the blessed person. So a broken falna means...
A broken soul. Concludes Hestia.
Have any of you ever seen anything like this?
Unfortunately for him, all three goddesses nodded at the same time.
I suspected as much, unfortunately, even Dian Cecht had never seen anything like this. Said the god in a sad voice.
Did you try to update her status? asked Astraea.
No, I can't access anything, it's too damaged and I'm afraid I'll do even more damage if I push.
What are you going to do? said Hestia.
For the time being, watch its development. I'll see if I can get an meeting with Ouranos, given his experience he might know something. If not, I'll also contact Yga's parents, they are two important people in the Crystal City, they have access to other resources. They might have another solution.
Few people knew that the magician was originally from this city, a city of mages dedicated to the study of magic arcana. A city that had always shown distrust towards the gods and their blessings. Those who knew about it were still wondering how Thor had been able to recruit a magician from this city.
I'm not asking you to do the impossible, but if one day you learn something...
I promise. Loki answered. I'll keep an eye on it when I get a chance.
Thanks, that's all I ask.
Seeing that they could do nothing more, the four deities left the room, leaving the magician in the care of the pallum.
After all these events, Wiene would normally have returned to Knossos and the Dungeon with the other xenos. However, shocked by the events and in need of comfort, she asked to stay a few days with Bell and the other members of Hestia's familia. The little vouivre even gave them her best miserable kitten gaze, the one they were all incapable of saying "no".
The advantage of this little xenos was that she wasn't hard to hide. A big cloak, a hood, not leaving the house during the day and no one could see anything. But nobody had anticipated a new problem caused by a change in the members of the household. Namely the presence of a certain goddess who had come down from the Tenkai in a reduced version.
It would be an understatement to say that their meeting was eventful. For as soon as each understood that the other coveted the same place as her, a terrifying event began within the Hestia familia, a dark period that would later be called...
The little sisters' war!
The only good thing about this story was that Bell had no time to think about his moral dilemmas. On the one hand, a goddess who had become a child again, and on the other, a little vouivre girl. And the two were now playing 'who was the better little sister'. This was not a restful time for anyone in general and especially not for Bell.
The climax was at night when it was time to go to bed, because they both wanted to sleep with Bell and couldn't give up. But strangely, this was also the only time they made peace and found common ground. Hestia tried to get them out of Bell's bed, but not only did they not let her, but they also formed an alliance to kick the goddess out of the room.
And of course, the young man had absolutely no voice in the matter. Fortunately, the members of Apollo's familia, from whom they had taken some of their furniture as well as their home, had favoured large beds. At least there was enough room for all three of them, although Bell still had trouble sleeping, given the two leeches that had clung to him while he slept.
The next morning, it was a rather tired Bell who walked alongside Ryuu. He and the elf had agreed to meet up to visit their friends at the Hostess of fertility together. With the latest events, Bell hadn't been back there for a while and Ryuu wasn't working there anymore. The elf was still struggling since she had discovered Syr's secret and was still not sure how to deal with all aspects of her best friend.
But in the meantime, she was more concerned about Bell, who looked a little tired, as evidenced by the jaw-dropping yawn he made.
Is everything okay? the elf asked.
Yes. I just didn't sleep very well. answered the young man.
Bad dreams? Given the circumstances, she naturally thought that Bell was still haunted by the events of the last few days and that it followed him even in his sleep.
No, it's not that. Let's just say that my bed is a bit small for three people.
At this statement, Ryuu suddenly started to blush to the tips of her ears.
T-Three people... in the same bed? she said in a slightly shocked voice. As soon as Bell understood that his words had been badly misinterpreted, he started to panic.
N-no! Not at all! It's not what you think!
Then followed an explanation from the young man about the new little sisters' war that was raging in the manor and the shameless occupation of his bed by two too clingy girls.
I-I see... Ryuu replied soberly. But the reality was a little different. In fact, if the elf was so embarrassed, it was because her own thoughts had betrayed her and she suddenly had in mind the image of her, Bell and Syr in the same bed.
Let's remember that for a pure-blooded elf like her, the simple fact of sleeping in the same bed as someone else (except in a situation of imminent danger, the Dungeon doesn't count), was already extremely erotic.
Fortunately, their arrival at the tavern put an end to this particularly awkward situation. The establishment wasn't open yet, but for their old elf friend and that adventurer that Half the waitresses loved, there was always a table available. Mia didn't feel like making eyes at them, so she let them all sit down at a table, eat, drink and laugh together.
Several waitresses had sat down with Bell and Ryuu. Syr, Lunoire, Chloe and Anya had joined the conversation. But they soon realised that Bell's heart wasn't in it.
Bell. said Syr, looking at him with a worried expression. What's wrong with you?
I... Sorry, it's nothing. The boy replied.
You're a bad liar, Bell, I can see that something is bothering you.
It wasn't the first time he had confided his problems to Syr and she had always been a compassionate and sympathetic ear for him. Although, much to the fake human's chagrin, it was unfortunately not enough to sway his heart towards her.
I... let's just say that someone I care about was in danger and I had to make a difficult decision.
How difficult? she asked, putting her hand on Bell's.
There were people who wanted to hurt her, very dangerous people. To save her, I had to... I had to kill some of them...
There was a small silence after his statement. But Syr didn't lose her smile. Behind the mask, Freya was watching him carefully, Bell had just passed a new ordeal and she had to take it into account. It hadn't affected Bell's soul, which still shone as brightly as ever. He had killed, yes, but not out of joy, out of absolute necessity and he accepted the weight of it.
First time nya? Anya asked, putting on a serious face for once. Were they bad people?
Not wanting to let Bell dwell on it too much, it was Ryuu who answered her.
Evilus survivors. Who wanted to hurt one of the most innocent people in this town.
Did they? In that case, too bad for them nya. They deserved it, nya.
The young man was a little disturbed by the lightness with which she was taking this, and it was Lunoire who spoke again.
Bell, this isn't trivial, but things like this happen in this town. Even with the best motives, there will always be people who will try to hurt others. If you acted to defend yourself or someone close to you, there's nothing to feel guilty about. Don't dwell on it and it will eventually fade away. Trust me, we've all been there.
Bell then looked at them with round eyes. His adorable reaction caused the young women to be amused and it was Chloe who spoke up.
Come on, Bell, you've known all along that we weren't always sweet waitresses in a tavern.
Yes, I already suspected that you were former adventurers.
He had suspected it after a while when he saw their steps. With time and experience he had understood that they were experienced fighters. And the fact that they had come on a rescue operation during their disastrous expedition had only been a confirmation.
Yes, it was! And so is Mama! said Anya cheerfully.
I'm just an ordinary innocent young woman. said Syr. At this statement, Ryuu discreetly gave her a look full of judgment, just to remind her that she was the less ordinary person in this room. To which the fake human answered discreetly by sticking out her tongue to tease her.
Former bounty hunter. Lunoire continued.
Former assassin. Chloe concluded, as if it were all perfectly normal.
Former... what? said a visibly shocked Bell at those revelations. Ryuu sighed and spoke up.
Have you ever heard of Black Fist and Black Cat?
Uh... vaguely, I've heard those names before, but nothing more. Bell replied. The young man's lack of information wasn't surprising. They had ceased their activities five years ago, long before he arrived in town. Since then, the names had been forgotten, until they had become a kind of urban legend. Only in dark circles were they still remembered.
Wait... don't tell me...
In that case, we don't say anything. Lunoire then said, obviously teasing him.
The remaining part of the meal was more relaxed, as Bell listened to the young women tell some old stories, especially about how they had met. He was quite surprised to discover that the two young women had originally come to kill Ryuu, before everyone made peace because Mia had yelled at everyone so loudly. A feat that didn't surprise him coming from the dwarf, considering she had a reputation for scaring the shit out of half the town.
Once the situation was a little more relaxed and the other three waitresses had to clear everything away, Syr approached Bell and offered him a gentle, compassionate smile.
I know it's not easy to open up about something so serious Bell. But don't forget that you have friends here too. And I'll always be here to listen to what's on your mind.
Thank you Syr, that's kind. The boy replied, returning her smile.
Ryuu, silent, had observed the exchange. In the past, she would have welcomed it, encouraging Syr to get closer to him. But now that she knew the truth, she was more conflicted. What was Freya looking for? Why was she so interested in Bell? She who could have anyone she wanted at her feet in a matter of moments. The night she'd told her, Freya had brought up the subject of a soul mate, but she hadn't been too specific. She was waiting for something from Bell, but Ryuu couldn't quite figure it out yet. She had never fully grasped Syr's thoughts and discovering her true nature only made it more complicated. What had changed for her was that she could no longer picture her best friend as someone who was teasing and innocent. Freya and innocent were by definition two contradictory words.
But Ryuu also knew that she wasn't a very good psychologist and that she wouldn't be able to help Bell as effectively as Syr could at the moment. So if she could help the boy get better, she would let it happen. But she would still watch a little. And then, she was more and more tempted to finally assume her feelings. As well as taking her revenge on the sword princess someday, their little duel during the xenos incident still had to be settled.
No, she had no desire to beat the shit out of Aiz in front of Bell out of pure jealousy.
Not at all.
She was a pure and chaste elf.
Pure and chaste would have suited Airmid Teasanare just as well. The Dea Saint was a reserved young woman, who had never had a single love affair. And yet many people had tried their luck. But Airmid had rejected them all, because they were all attracted either by her beauty or her fame. And in general, it was always the same profiles, arrogant guys who thought they were the most handsome or unsubtle idiots, convinced that they were alpha males. A few women had also tried their luck, but generally they were as subtle as Loki after a drunken night.
And yet Mei had succeeded. And the best part was that it hadn't been premeditated. The Dea Saint had simply gone out for a meal one evening to relax after a hard day, they had talked by chance, the shivati had offered her a drink out of courtesy, the conversation had been natural and the rest had followed on its own.
As they relaxed, the beautiful oriental woman became more teasing and was able to press on anything that could arouse Airmid's curiosity. And that's how the two of them had ended up having a much more ardent evening than expected. Basically, those random encounters that make up the spice of life. After that, she had thought... no, she had sworn to herself that it was only a one-night stand and Mei hadn't asked for anything more anyway.
And yet, on this beautiful evening, there she was, in a bed that wasn't hers, naked, covered in sweat and breathing rapidly as if after an intense physical effort. Or rather in this case, intense physical sensations. Because yes, Airmid had just done some very indecent things with Mei again.
And once again, their meeting had been by chance. Mei, depressed, had gone out for a drink, hoping that it would relax her. Airmid had bumped into her by chance and struck up a conversation. She had already treated several members of the Thor familia and their latest injuries. So she knew that the mood wasn't good. At first she had simply tried to cheer her up, then they had isolated themselves, hoping that Mei would open up more quietly.
And again the rest followed. A one-night stand, with an aftertaste of despair, the search for physical contact, the surrender to pleasure in the hope of silencing the pain. Perhaps it had worked a little.
Once Airmid had finally regained her breath and her wits, she sat up, only to find that Mei was sitting by the window, looking sadly at the moon. The Dea Saint covered herself with a sheet and went to her evening companion, covering her in turn.
Mei... You don't have to blame yourself. If there's anything I've learned in the last few years, it's that pain, injury and death are part of our lives and sometimes there's nothing we can do about it.
She knew this better than most, as a doctor she had often been confronted with cases that were beyond her, situations where she could do nothing. Even the most gifted doctor is not a miracle worker. You can fight fate, but sometimes it invariably catches up with you.
You did the best you could, I'm convinced of that and so are your friends. Don't judge yourself so harshly.
Maybe you are right. Thank you, Airmid. She replied with a smile that did little to hide her sadness. The Dea Saint then took her by the hand and made her stand up before bringing her back to the bed, pushing her on it and standing over her.
I can see you're still thinking. So I guess I'll have to give it another round to get your mind off things.
Mei's expression was one of surprise, then amusement. Seeing Airmid so playful and demanding was refreshing.
And then, because of you, I lost my image of innocence and chastity, so now you have to deal with it.
Mei let out a small, sincere laugh and remembered an essential truth. Always beware of the women who look the most innocent, very often they are the ones who hide their game the best.
And while some were enjoying themselves, others were satisfied to be spectators. This was the case of a certain blond god, who was walking down a small street, accompanied by his captain, a beautiful young woman with azure hair. The deusdea had a mysterious little smile as usual.
Well, my dear Asfi, things have taken an interesting turn.
A very personal way of considering all this. She replied with a mixture of weariness and cynicism.
Well, are you worried, Asfi?
You'll break the boy at this rate. But her statement simply made the god laugh.
You worry too much, Asfi. In fact, I think he's making good progress, this kind of event will teach him a lot and...
The god didn't have time to finish his sentence, for the coldness of a steel blade was now against his throat. Emerging from the shadows behind them, Ekkrit, the shadow of Thor, had appeared and put a blade to the throat of each of them, holding them at his mercy.
Good evening to you, god of thieves, we have to talk I think. Don't even think about it Perseus.
With these words he pressed a little more on Asfi's throat. She had barely made a half-movement, but he had anticipated her action immediately, how far did this nezu's instinct go? Was this what it was like to deal with a real assassin? To feel as helpless as a lamb at the slaughter?
Hermes tried to keep a smile on his face, but it was difficult to hide his nervousness.
This is a rather brutal greeting, what do I owe the pleasure?
The nezu just let out a small, frightened chuckle before speaking.
It took me a long time, you know. Time to figure out who had been the conduit for the leaked information about the island. To figure out who had subtly suggested that Hel come to Orario, allowing her to reconnect with her old Evilus friends. Who had subtly put the goddess back in touch with Farg Galleon.
Ha... I see. Hermes said, still not very comfortable. I suppose Thor took it very hard if you're here.
No. I kept that information to myself for now. Otherwise, Mei would already be preparing the familia for the future wargame against yours. Although knowing Thor, he might not even be that subtle.
Meaningful words. If Thor came tomorrow to take revenge on Hermes, the colossus would only have to beat the messenger god to death to send him back to heaven. And given his temper, he would be quite capable of it.
In that case, perhaps we can find some common ground, I am also the god of merchants after all. Hermes was trying to show some control over the situation, or at least to pretend to have some, because he knew he was at the mercy of the nezu and Asfi didn't seem to be able to help him much.
Of course, to begin with, I cannot suggest enough that you do not engage in any more shenanigans that directly or indirectly harm our familia.
This goes without saying.
Also, whoever you are doing this for, my dear pupil of the moment. He is a good boy for whom I have grown very fond. If you continue to play too much with his destiny, I will be forced at some point to slow you down a little.
Hermes didn't like that at all, everything he did was aimed at making Bell the hero he was supposed to be, if the nezu got involved, everything would become more complicated, but he wasn't really in a position to refuse.
I assure you I'm not playing with him and I have his best interests at heart.
It wasn't technically a lie, Hermes was doing what he thought was best for Bell. At least, according to his own point of view and his own objectives, even if he forced them on the young man.
We'll see in time. In the meantime, don't forget these names: Arrauth Dorxina, Girkas Faeceran, Viclaer Morren... You owe us three lives and I will claim this debt in due time. Congratulations god of thieves, you are now part of my intelligence network.
And just after these words, the nezu released them and disappeared in the shadows. No more presence, he was no longer there, gone as he had come. Asfi fell to her knees, while Hermes let out a long sigh before wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Well, this is an unexpected encounter, isn't it, As...
Turn around! shouted his captain.
Uh... Asfi?
Don't look at me!
Instinctively, the god obeyed, demonstrating that Asfi still had authority over him. As for the human, she now had a face full of tears and an expression between shame and anger.
Although Asfi was not the kind of person to seek glory, she was still proud of her status. She was Asfi Al Andromeda, level 4 adventurer, captain of the Hermes Familia, princess by birth. She was Perseus, the one who was said to be the best magic items maker. And she was crying out in frustration and anger at herself, for in the terror of this encounter, her own bladder had betrayed her...
Author's notes: And another chapter finished. I'm feeling pretty good about the pace right now, so I'm enjoying the inspiration.
I hope you continue to enjoy the read anyway. As usual, feel free to send me your feedback, it's always very interesting for me.