A Chthonic Hero
DISCLAIMER: Danmachi belongs to its respective owners. This story is a fan-made depiction of a fan what-if route of the original work and the characters in it abide by the fictional laws in the setting.
Story Commissioned by a patr'on.
Chapter 2: A Tragicomedy?
Part 2
"It was a whim," Hekate bled from every pore in her body as she returned the now-healthy baby to the stricken Zeus, "That thing will be… interesting."
Then she departed, through a rift in reality that only she could manipulate despite losing so much Divinity, and to who knows where.
Hades dragged his hands across his face at the sudden turn of events.
Unexpected wouldn't even come close to what the Goddess had done, he could feel it in his Divinity how the child's fate had become undone in its entirety —making nobody, not even himself, capable of discerning what laid in store in the Child's future.
But Zeus cared little about Fate now that his nephew was freed from the impending doom looming over him; the elder God forewent any semblance of old pride and status and groveled to his brother again, pleading Hades to take care of Bell Cranel.
Hades was left with no choice. An owed favor was an owed favor.
"Bell Cranel, huh…"
Fifteen years, they accorded in the end.
For fifteen years would Hades raise the young Bell Cranel, a boy who was special from birth and now even more so after his destiny became unwritten by the hefty sacrifice of an immortal.
That was who became Hades' nephew.
The Lord of the Underworld was not prepared for the burden of fatherhood nor that of mortal life; the prideful Lord was no more different than the wives in the small village that he settled to raise young Bell. It was thanks to those wives and kind men that Hades learnt the hardships of mortals were nothing to scoff at.
They helped the Lord raise the boy, knowing of his Divinity but not of his true title, until Bell grew old enough to take care of the more… gruesome matters by himself -Hades couldn't be any more grateful for that.
But a new set of hardships befell the Lord, for it would be entirely up to his upbringing whether Bell Cranel would grow up to become a simple farmer living in the countryside or become the world's greatest Hero as Zeus wished for, or… maybe even a psychopath if Hekate's involvement in his life was anything to go by.
He worried, as any other God would when Hekate was involved. The liminal titaness always remained at the fringes, never overstepping her self-set boundaries –which she had, for Bell Cranel.
And she continued doing.
Hekate visited them, twice a year. "I want to see how that thing is doing." She always said.
And much to Hades' delight, Bell was doing splendidly despite Hekate's appearances.
Bell Cranel had quite the heroic and optimistic nature in him, perhaps one gained from his mother and aunt if Hekate's glimpse into the boy's soul were true. Some may say such nature was foolish, as it would lead the young boy into a path of naivety and hurt, but Hades didn't care.
Nothing could beat the twinkle in Bell's eyes whenever Hades decided to regale him with a tale of a Hero of old that he met, or one of the many happy yet sad stories that he heard from old souls.
Until Bell became 10 years old, old enough to understand everything about the world around him yet still young enough that his curiosity was untouched by the darkness of adulthood lurking in every corner.
At that point, Hades took it upon himself to teach Bell more than just what the village's institutions taught him, mainly the extremely philosophical aspect that Hades reigned over.
The matters of life and death and the immortal were another topic that Bell was keenly interested in, his innate curiosity allowing him to understand things no child his age should worry about, and making Hades believe that Zeus's hopes for Bell's future were indeed true.
Hades decided then, that Bell deserved to know everything that had led to his point, from his birth to everything surrounding it.
"My… my grandpa was Zeus?" Bell's woe was palpable, "The… the leader of the greatest Familia in the world?"
"Yes, just don't let your grandmo—" A sharp pain in Hades' mind made him stop, "Ehem, just don't let Hera hear you say that if you ever meet her." The pain subsided and Hade's smirked slightly while Bell digested the tale of where his real mother and father came from.
The pain made Hades feel good since it meant that Hera and Zeus kept watch over Bell, even from so far away and against their divine grandfather's orders.
"And you're… Zeus's brother," Bell slowly spoke, red eyes suddenly shrinking, "So it wasn't a coincidence that your name was also Hades!"
"Hahaha, of course not!" Hades guffawed and ruffled Bell's white hair, "Your grandfather asked me to take care of you for fifteen years because you wouldn't be safe with him, not after the fall of his Familia."
"Right…" Bell suddenly calmed down and a certain emptiness coated his next words, "Evilus, no?"
"Yes, Evilus." Hades confirmed, not the least surprised that Bell was indifferent to them with how he grew up. "It is because of them that I have decided to give you this offer seeing as you're old enough and I can't stay by your side forever since I have a very important job back in Hell."
"An offer?" Bell's eyebrows rose.
"Would you like to receive my Blessing?" Hades smiled kindly, a rare occurrence for even immortals. "If you say yes, I'll start training you like those Heroes that cherish so much, and if we rope Hekate into the mix, maybe we can do more…"
"Of course, uncle!" Bell gleefully shouted, eyes twinkling upon hearing that he could become like the Heroes that he loved. "Oh, uhm, is it Lord Hades now?"
"Uncle please," Hades quickly corrected, "God I may be, but I didn't raise you as such. There's no need for formalities between you and me, you goofy kid." Hades ruffled Bell's hair again.
Bell vibrated in spot from happiness until he couldn't contain it any longer and tackled his uncle, nearly taking Hades to the ground by surprise as Bell hugged him with as much force as the 10-year-old could muster.
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
Later that evening, at the young of 10, Bell Cranel acquired his Falna from the Lord of the Underworld himself or as Bell liked to call him, Uncle Hades.
The fluctuations in Bell's fate brought a visitor, a well-known one back to their doorstep; Red hair, red eyes, empty but interested, Hekate titled her head as she gazed at the boy staring back.
"Hello."
"Hi."
Hekate tilted her head again, "What did you do?"
Bell knew what she meant, "Became a part of Uncle's Familia."
"Ah."
Hekate turned to Hades, who explained that Bell decided to become his Child and would soon be trained by him like the Heroes that the Lord had vanquished and others he met during their eternal sleep.
"I see." Hekate dropped to her knees then, grasping young Bell's shoulders with her cold fingers. "I will help you too."
The Goddess' assistance assured, Hades quickly planned how Bell would spend their next five and last years together. Hekate would be their transport, using her witchcraft or divinity to create portals that would allow them to travel the land without worrying about wasting time.
Hades took it upon himself to teach Bell about the ways of battle and strategies which Bell took everything like fish to water; They didn't stay in one place for long either, only spending enough time for Hekate to recover from the injuries inflicted by the World upon her after continuously breaking liminal law after law.
It was her interest that worried Hades, yet it was also her pain that made Bell realize several things that molded him into an even better person and gave him the opportunity to learn more than just about battling.
He cared for the Goddess, learning to use his minuscule magic to alleviate the pain that she never showed, and at the same time, kept her at arm's length as he grew older, and she grew bolder.
Still, Hades was not arrogant enough to believe himself the only source of knowledge Bell required to grow. So, Hades threw his weight around as the Lord of the Underworld to convince mentors on Earth and the afterlife alike to teach his nephew.
How did they summon those in the afterlife? Well, it was a combination of the skill Bell gained two years into his journey and Hekate acting as the catalyst and Mind supplier.
"I shouldn't be surprised you gained a Skill like this," Hades ruefully commented as he updated Bell's Falna after a long day of hard work, "Here, look at it."
Bell took the paper from his uncle and read its contents, "Stygius, what does that mean and do?" He was excited but confused for obvious reasons.
Hades gathered his thoughts together before responding, "It's related to my domain. The River Styx, remember it?"
"The river that Charon the ferryman guides souls across to go to the underworld, right?" Bell made sure he was getting it right.
"Indeed, the very same." Hades nodded sagely, "This Skill of yours is quite interesting if I'm honest. A passive boost to your growth, an increase to your magic stat, and the decrease of the Mind required to cast spells." Hades looked to the Goddess sleeping beside them, bandaged from head to toe with reddened gauzes after breaking yet another law for them. "If the second part of your Skill wasn't what I saw, I would've believed Hekate to be the source of you obtaining it."
"Eh?" Bell blinked, "Wait, what? A second part?" His curiosity was palpable, then.
"Yes, second part." Hades grinned like a child too, "Do you remember what Necromancy is, Bell?"
"Basically, interacting with the dead… No way."
"Yes way."
"Huh!?"
"You can either encase yourself in skeletal armor to improve your strength and endurance while sacrificing your agility and dexterity or…" Hades paused cryptically as Bell vibrated in place again, "You can summon the souls of those who haven't crossed or are currently crossing the River Styx, so long as they heed your call and you have enough Mind to support their existence."
"Wow… wow!" Bell grinned, "That means I can do stuff like you, uncle! I can't wait to… wait…" Bell suddenly realized something that Hades knew he would think about, "This… is…"
"Yes." Hades nodded sagely again, "Not everyone would be happy to suddenly see their deceased friends or worse, loved ones suddenly up and about, and at the mercy of someone else so… Be careful on how you plan to use this skill of yours, Bell."
"I understand," Bell touched his heart; utterly understanding the weight of his existence then, "Then… Uncle, can you help me learn the limits of my skill?"
"Of course, that's what I'm here for."
The bundle of bandages moved next to them as the Goddess who should be sleeping tilted her head to stare at bell, "I'm here too."
BarkBarkBark
"Cerberus says you can count on her, too." Hekate patted the Guard of Hell's Gates that laid on her lap as if it was just another regular dog.
"Hai!" Bell smiled widely, glad to have so much support in his life.
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
Bell's training became harsher, fighting against souls that he raised under Hades' orders and monsters that Hekate brought over from Hell; they tested him left and right, making sure that everything he learned stuck, in painful ways if required.
His optimism never decreased, his growth becoming that much faster with his Skill to the point that he leveled up soon after obtaining it; the feat required was…
"Hekate always breaks the laws, I need to understand what would happen to me if I did the same."
"It hurts." Hekate unhelpfully supplied.
"I know that you wish to see them again, Bell, but that is a line that you shouldn't cross." Hades rejected Bell's idea at first.
"She wouldn't mind." Hekate unhelpfully supplied, again.
"No is no." Hades glared at the psychopomp.
"Uncle, please!" Bell sat down and pressed his forehead to the ground, "I need to understand! It's not just my wish to see them again!"
"Look, no matter how much you—"
Hekate's staff hit Hades in the stomach and knocked the God out, Bell blinked incredulously as the Goddess sat across him and put her staff in his hands.
"You'll need it." Hekate tilted her head, "I'll bear the brunt of your actions."
"Thank you, Hekate!"
And that's how Bell obtained not just Hekate's staff, but also leveled up and obtained a ring that he strung in a necklace and wore it everywhere he went, holding it when sleeping, and keeping it out of Hades' reach —much to his uncle's displeasure.
Hades wasn't mad, he could perfectly understand Bell's desire and emotions; Hell, if he was mortal with the powers that his nephew possessed, he too would've done the same -So, he didn't scold him.
Though he did give the heavily wounded(again) Hekate quite the verbal lash out, to which she responded.
"Spare me the sermons, Hades."
Emotionless, they said she was —As if! -Hades scoffed.
Bell obtained a second skill upon level up, one influenced by the uneasy constant in his life that was Hekate and Hades' own pet; the skill was much simpler compared to Bell's first one and it was a certain type of creature charming skill.
"Hearhound, it's… Do I get any say on how the skills are named?" Bell whined after seeing the particular name of his new skill on the parchment with his status.
"No/No." Hades and Hekate replied together.
"Damn…"
The five years were up not long after, or almost entirely up. Fourteen years and ten months had Hades raised Bell Cranel and received praise from both Hera and Zeus since they stayed in contact through letters delivered via Hekate's witchcraft; but it also meant that Hades' time with Bell was up and he would have to send his nephew to where he belonged, while he in turn, would return to his duties as the Lord of the Underworld.
"Do you really have to go, Uncle?" Bell quietly stirred the pot with their dinner.
Hades sighed wearily, "Yes. It has been fun raising and seeing you grow, but I must return to my duties."
"I understand" Bell smiled sadly as he moved the pot away from the fire, "Will you leave too, Hekate?"
"Mm." Hekate stopped rubbing Cerberus's belly," For a while. I will come and go, again. I am forbidden from entering Orario."
Bell blinked, "That's not going to stop you, will it?"
"Not anymore."
Right, since she was no longer bound by one of her aspects, she was freer to do what she wished.
"So… How… are we doing this?" Bell asked after a minute of pondering, "We're quite far away from Orario, you're not planning on ditching me here, or are you, uncle?"
"No, no, nothing of the sort." Hades snorted as he served himself a bowl of stew. "I've arranged for a friend to meet you in a village near Orario and he'll take you to the city from there. He's a God too and has a Familia of his own, he's loose-lipped so get as much information as you can from him."
"Understood," Bell served a bowl for himself, "Is he… trustful?"
Hades didn't respond verbally, instead he pointed at Hekate.
"Right…" Bell nodded grimly.
"Think of it as another test to your growth, I'm sure you'll do me proud, kid."
They ate in silence, at least Bell and Hades did, neither Cerberus nor Hekate could stomach mortal food, so they settled for staring them until they were done.
"Uncle, um," Bell scratched his cheek, "Since you'll be leaving, do you think I can…"
"Sure," Hades shrugged, "You would even if I said no anyways."
"Ahaha… Thank you uncle, you're the best!" Bell tackled his uncle, quite quickly and painfully before he was off and staring at Hekate with what Hekate deemed his 'puppy-eyed-look', "Miss Hekate?"
"Lead the way."
Hades watched Bell leave the tent they had used for the night with Hekate and Cerberus in tow; in his heart, he knew it was wrong to allow Bell to break the rules of life and death like he was about to do again, but he couldn't bring himself to stop him from trying this time.
The Lord of the Underworld turned on his spot, to start writing several letters that Bell would require to explain his unusual situation if he came across several beings in Orario and all the while ignored the necromantic incantations coming from outside the tent.
Sure, Bell and Hades had gone over several times about what Life and Death meant over the years, but just this one time… Hades wouldn't stop Bell from breaking one very important rule… that is… as long as she was okay with it.
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
Hades, Hekate, and Cerberus were gone by the dawn of the next morning, leaving Bell alone while he slept soundly, clutching a necklace with a small ring quite tightly to his chest under a tree's shade. His bags and the tree's shade kept the morning Sun from hitting Bell's face until at last, it rose to the point that it forced the young man to wake up.
"Oh." Was the first thing Bell said upon finding himself alone, "Guess we're on our own now, huh?" But he was not lonely.
Bell rose to his full height and stretched the kinks in his muscles before cleaning his clothes from the accumulated dirt; a combination of combat boots, black leather trousers, a white undershirt, and a silver coat similar to that of his uncle Hades.
In the distance he spotted the village that his uncle had spoken about, several houses with people already up and about; if his uncle was right then someone would already be there waiting for him, though Bell didn't hurry up. A second look at his immediate surroundings and he spotted the bag that belonged to him.
He checked on its contents, making sure that his changes of clothes and adventurer items were in place, and spotted a hefty addition of several letters which had written his uncle's seal on the outside with words of, "Do not open before time unless you want to disappoint me."
Bell snorted and tucked everything back into the bag before slinging it across his left shoulder, his weapon -given to him by the Goddess that was quite interested in him- settled against his other shoulder and he used the butt of it to help him walk forward.
To this day, Bell didn't understand entirely what Hekate had seen in him; she was always cryptic about her presence in his life to the point that it scared even him, but his fear did not get in the way of the gratefulness he felt for everything she had done for him.
"Forward we go," Bell spoke to himself, or rather to the ring in his necklace, as he marched towards the village.
It wasn't that late into the morning that the village would be in full activity, something that Bell was grateful for since he didn't want to bother the local folk too much if he could help it. His independent life had already started, and he wanted to make sure it remained that way, but it didn't stop him from asking from help from one of the locals.
"Excuse me," Bell waved his hand peacefully at the old lady by the side of the road, "This is going to sound weird, but would you happen to know if anyone's waiting for one Bell Cranel in this village?"
The old lady whom Bell had spoken to scrunched up her nose and eyes as she examined him up and down, "If nyone's a what!?"
Bell repeated, "Waiting for one Bell Cranell…"
The old lady showed her gums, "A what now!?"
Bell's brow twitched, "Waiting for…"
"Young man!" The old lady huffed, "You're gonna have to speak louder, I fear my ears ain't as good as you look anymore!"
Bell snorted at the compliment and reprimand, "Thank you!" He cleared his throat, "DO YOU KNOW IF SOMEONE IS WAITING FOR ONE BELL CRANEL HERE!?"
"AHH! NOT THAT LAOUD!"
"Sorry."
The old lady snorted and pitching to herself before patting his chest, "Hihihi I'm kidding. Yes, there's one lad waiting for you by the village's inn. It's right over there, see'it?"
"Yes!" Bell confirmed by pointing his thumb in the right direction, "Thank you!"
"You're welcome!"
Bell left the old lady laughing to herself; he chuckled on his own as he moved towards the aforementioned inn, he waved lightly to the people who spotted him and were curious enough to hold his gaze despite his supposed 'presence'.
Uncle always said that because he was in contact with Death, his presence would usually set people on edge due to his… uniqueness, but either Bell had gotten good enough at hiding said presence or the folks weren't paying him enough attention.
He wasn't sure which of the two options was better for him, maybe the form—
"Arara, ain't you fit the description right down to a T, hm?"
Bell analyzed the man who spoke those words; short blond hair hidden beneath an eccentric hat, eyes half-closed with a smile far too wide and clothes that made him look more like a regular run-of-the-mill citizen than the Divinity that he truly possessed.
"Fit the description?" Bell tilted his head, a tic he distinctively knew he inherited from Hekate from seeing her do it so many times, "Does that mean that you're Hermes, err, God Hermes?"
"Aha' that would be me," Hermes grinned and tipped his hat to Bell, "Just for curiosity's sake, did ol' Hades say anything to you about me?"
Bell righted his head, "Only said you were a friend that has a Familia of his own… and you enjoy speaking a lot."
"Hm, well it's better than nothing I guess." Hermes smiled again, "Did you eat something before arriving? The inn here serves quite the bountiful breakfast and has quite the charming waitress…"
Bell patted his stomach lightly, "Haven't. Is the inn expensive? Uncle didn't really leave me much on hand."
"Fear not, a friend of my friend is a friend of mine!" Hermes joyfully chirped and slung his arm across Bell's shoulder, mindful of the weapon the boy possessed. "Come, my new friend! Let's fill our stomachs and eyes, ahahaha!"
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
"You and I, my friend, have to visit inns together more often." Hermes rubbed his hands together after they embarked on the journey that would take them back to Orario, horse-pulled carriages for those curious.
"Won't," Bell wiped the kiss stain on his cheek with his sleeve, "How in the seven Hells did you convince the waitress to do that!?"
"Ahaha, I did nothing, my friend." Hermes grinned from ear to ear, "That was all your charm. I dare say, if ol' Hades looks the same as the last time I saw him, then your style ain't that far off from his, and believe me when I say this: Hades was quite the charmer back in heaven."
"Uncle Hades was no such thing," Bell swatted Hermes' shoulder, not caring in the least that his actions could be considered a transgression against a God, "Hell, uncle isn't even married!"
"And why do you think he never married, hmm? Hmmmm?"
Bell knew why, his uncle had been clear on the reason why Hades had never officially married, though there was someone —a mortal— that he fancied a lot.
"Absolutely not because he was a charmer."
Hermes rolled his eyes, "Bah, you could've kept the ruse going on for a little longer, young friend."
Bell paused at that; they still had quite a few hours of horse carriage to travel before arriving in Orario, "Oh, uh… Well, why don't you tell me some things about Orario to pass the time, God Hermes?"
Hermes sighed, "A bit of a boring topic but sure, I did promise your uncle to help you with this so… ask away."
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
Hermes's knowledge of Orario was extremely helpful to Bell, mainly because he had absolutely no idea of what the city was like since neither Hades, Hekate nor he had ever set foot in it ever since it was established. There were several things Hermes went over, stuff that Bell was always curious about ever since Hades had explained his… origins.
First and foremost was, which Familias had filled the void left behind in the absence of Zeus and Hera; learning that it was Freya and Loki didn't fill Bell with much confidence, then Hermes went and explained what happened a few years since they took power…
Evilus attacked the city, killing several Gods and mortals in their rampage before the Guild and all other Familias in the city put a stop to them. A tragedy, the dark age is what they labeled that period of time, and Bell wasn't surprised in the least.
He hadn't met any other Gods or Goddesses aside from his uncle and Hekate, but those two had, and their stories weren't anything optimistic to look forward to. Nevertheless, there were some Gods and Goddesses which Bell was looking forward to meeting since Hades spoke well of them.
Hermes wasn't among them.
And Hermes, to spite Bell for his brutal honesty, replied with:
"Your aunt also died during that attack."
But Bell wasn't affected, he knew about that already; all he did was clutch the ring in his necklace tight and reply with, "I know."
Hurtful banter aside, Hermes was kind enough to explain how the Familias worked with the Guild nowadays, naming some of their functions and expectations set by the Guild; and also, the loopholes required for… certain things.
"I am not going into the red light district with you."
"Dude, come on!"
"I will not."
"One day, you will, and you'll take me along!"
"Won't."
"We'll see, friend, we'll see."
Among other topics which they discussed, one where Bell had to reject Hermes' offer to join his Familia twice before they finally arrived at the city at nightfall… And Bell had to drive another woman off from him, one of the gate guards to be exact.
"A thorough inspection of the person's belongings."
Not even Hekate had touched him in the places that the female guard had done so, and the red-haired Goddess was quite the touchy-touchy woman when asleep!
Either way, Bell blamed Hermes who guffawed at his misery, again.
"Here's a map for you, dear friend." Hermes gave Bell one last thing, "I drew the directions that you'll need to take to reach the Guild and Babel from this gate, I'd recommend going to either of those right now if you don't wish to get lost."
"Thanks." Bell made sure every piece of cloth was in the right place after that, "Take care of yourself, God Hermes."
"You too friend, I'll see you around."
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
The map pointed out that Bell arrived from the Southeast gate, most likely on Hades' order since the adventurer's cemetery was right next to the gate. Even now, his uncle was guiding and testing him… quite the interesting conundrum Hades set for Bell this time.
Would Bell head for the cemetery to call forth more souls and have them at his disposal once he started adventuring the dungeon or… would he go there to make sure every soul could depart this world and rest peacefully until they reincarnated.
Bell wanted to become an adventurer mainly because it was the most viable road into becoming the Hero that his gramps Zeus and Hera could be proud about, and at the same time, give him the opportunity to grow and realize the dreams of the Familias of which his mother and father belonged.
He was optimistic that he was someone his mother was proud of already and she wouldn't judge him for taking either option since he would need all the help he could get if was to realize his and his predecessors' dreams, but…
Bell ignored the cemetery.
Like Hekate, Bell had taken to impose on himself certain rules that he would not break no matter what. One of those being that he would not go out of his way to summon the soul of the dead against their wishes and bind them to his service.
There would come a time when he would have break some of his own rules, he knew that better than anyone else, but 'now' was not that time. He believed the dead deserved respect and be allowed to rest peacefully until Death fully claimed them…
But he would not stop the restless souls that still wanted to return to the Earth to give life another goes; it was those souls that Bell was more than willing to call upon, even if he could only summon them as a shadow of their former selves.
Besides, he already possessed such friends that were awaiting his call at any minute; souls that he had met during his journey over the land with Hades and Hekate, and souls that were willing to accompany him for a set period of time before he was strong enough to give them the proper ritual for their souls to move to the afterlife.
—uu
Bell's thoughts came to a halt upon the strange noise, he checked his surroundings but only found dark houses and dimly lit lights around him. No shadowy corners or places where someone could hide either…
Was his mind playing tricks on him?
—u!
The sound was there again; discombobulated as if it came from several places at once…
But he couldn't sense anyone around him either; it was late enough that most people were asleep. Perhaps, he really was just hearing things since he was quite tired after dealing with Hermes for so long.
He took one step forward again.
—No!
A rush of emotions exploded inside Bell's mind; assaulting his brain with the sense of loss and made him loss his sight for a second; the butt of his weapon scrapped the stone as Bell used it to right himself and process the emotions flooding into him.
"This… is like…"
Bell clutched the ring in his necklace and focused for a second until he heard a whisper, different but of the same unearthly origin as that of the sound he was hearing.
"I see…" His mind set; Bell slammed the butt of his weapon to the ground and called forth his magic. "If you're still there… if you can hear me… come, [Stygius] Salutaris Divus!"
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
—From Death, I was born.
An endless void consumed it, a darkness that devoured the bright light that took its life.
—From Death, I was saved.
The void never moved, its body never moved, its voice —never heard.
—From Death, I was liberated.
Unrealized dreams, a restless sleep that continued and never ended, slowly faded.
—From Death, I'll be your light.
The void trembled as a silver light pierced the darkness.
—From Death, I'll be your guard.
Its whispers that had been ignored echoed in the receding darkness.
—From Death, I'll be by your side.
Shackles of finality crumbled upon being touched by the silver light.
—From Death, your slumber shall be no more.
Freed; Movement returned, sensations returned, desires returned.
—From Death, your existence is born anew.
The void faded entirely, leaving it under the cold and damp serene nightglow.
—From Death, your call has been made.
A staff came into its vision; glowing red and silver, with a spike at the top that doubled the magic weapon into a physical one.
—Death has spoken.
Bearing white hair and crimson eyes that stared straight into its unrestful soul.
—Live or die.
The light receded into the staff-spear, the endless void a thing of the past as the light warmed her core.
—Choose.
A hand, his hand extended forward, with a serene smile that awaited its response…
- 0 - ACH - 0 -
Its body was incomplete, not for a lack of Bell trying, but for the moment Bell was more than happy to embrace the skeleton trembling in his arms; perhaps, if it had flesh, Bell would know whether it was trembling from happiness or trembling from crying.
Bell wasn't certain how long had this soul been here, but he knew it was one that deserved another chance; was it too arrogant of him to be the one to decide that? Certainly, but did he care about it? Not in the least.
Hades was his mentor and, in his uncle's words, "So long as you understand the weight of your actions and accept the many responsibilities that come with them, then arrogance is but another mere word in our line of work."
Said responsibility clung to his arms, bones held together through his depleting Mind, with the clacking of them as it still trembled from what Bell knew must've been an existence worse than true Death. The pain of never passing on, he didn't wish that for anyone…
…
"It's all right," Bell softly spoke, "It's over, I promise."
The skull nodded against his shoulder.
"Can you stand?"
The skull shook from side to side.
"Okay, take your time." Bell carefully patted the skeleton's back, over the clothes that covered its skeletal figure, and took the time to try and analyze them.
They were made of his Mind, but it was the skeleton's own will to give them shape; shreds of what once must've been a beautiful blue ensemble clung in tatters to the bones; with only a blue piece intact which hung on one side of its waist.
The skeletal legs were entirely bare down to the sheens where leather boots with steel tips protected its toes.
This soul was most likely an adventurer, but Bell couldn't be too sure since he didn't have a high enough level to maintain the appearance of the skeleton in his arms; Bell's brain throbbed painfully, a signal of his Mind getting below half of what he possessed after using his Skill.
"Hey," Bell slowly palmed the skeleton's back, "I currently don't have enough magic to maintain your appearance…"
The skeleton hugged him painfully, perhaps afraid that it would return to its previous unrestful existence.
"…It's okay, I promise it'll be like sleeping. You'll even be able to dream."
The skeleton moved back slightly, the white skull seemingly staring down at him; were Bell anyone else, it might've been creepy, but to him…
"Do you trust me?"
The skeleton slowly nodded.
"Then I'll put you to sleep for now, okay?"
The skeleton didn't nod, making Bell frown slightly.
Bell opened his mouth to reassure it again, but the skeleton beat him to it by raising its bony hand.
"… You want me to hold your hand?"
It nodded as it wiggled its bony fingers.
Bell didn't snort or laugh, that would've been rude; instead, he smiled, finding the action quite… cute since most other skeletal summons weren't as emotionally-showy as this one.
"Okay, I'll hold your hand." Bell set his staff to rest on his shoulder before carefully taking the skeletal hand into both of his, "Is this alright?"
The skull nodded and turned away lightly; for a moment, Bell could've sworn the bones turned a redder color, but that must've been his Mind warning him of running much lower now.
"Good night."
The skull grinned as the magic holding it together faded, taking its existence along with it in a sparkling haze of silvery dust and into a realm that only Bell could control.
Alone, in the streets that had seen none of what happened, Bell rose to his feet and held onto the ring in his necklace again, "Rest well…"
- 0 - Part 2 End - 0 -
Author's Note: Hm… Ehehehe… hmhmhm.
Jas / Shiiva
Jas / Shiiva