Chapter 15

For all my enhanced toughness, the landing sucked. Every bit of exposed skin felt scraped raw, every bit of covered skin felt like I'd been dragged over a rough carpet. I landed on my tail too, and that probably hurt the most.

I'd tried to keep track of everyone as we fell, but I'd only managed to keep an eye on Lilly, her white outfit the most eye catching in the chaos of falling rock, bodies, and equipment. She was also the first one I found too, when I managed to get feeling back in my legs after my poor tail got sat on. She was bleeding in a few spots, nothing serious at first glance. But her giant pack had been reduced to shreds and all that I could see were a few bits of equipment and a single strap that had miraculously stayed on her shoulder. Looking up, I could just barely see the ceiling. It was like the light simply ended about ten meters overhead.

Lilly groaned but didn't move. "Lilly hurts." She said quietly, "Miss Kodori?"

I knelt next to her again, having stood up to get a better look around, "Here." I took her little hand, "I don't see the other two, and I have no idea how far we've fallen. Can you move?"

"Lilly isn't sure." She started to move a little, but winced as she started to move her legs. She settled back down and shook her head.

"Let me look. I think your pack is gone, do you carry potions under that robe?" I asked, looking at her feet, the little boots she was wearing scuffed, but functional. I lightly ran a hand over her ankles, calves and knees.

"Miss Kodori is so mean, asking what Lilly has under her robe. Ow..." She winced as I took her foot and gently flexed her ankle and knee.

"If you can still joke like that, you'll be okay. Ankle and knee might be twisted a little. I don't feel anything out of place though." I replied, giving the rest of her a light pat down, checking her hips, ribs and shoulders, watching her face for a reaction. "Good. So no potions?"

"Lilly has two, but we should save them." She squinted her eyes as I lightly took her head in my hands and brushed through her hair for lumps or the like, "Ow." She said as I touched the back of her head, "Miss Kodori is good at this."

I considered telling her I had some training. But doubted she would know 'St. Johns ambulance' or 'Boy Scouts'. "Miss Kodori has fallen down enough to know how to check. Nothing seems broken, you have a few small cuts, and a lump on the back of your head that is only a little scrape." I replied instead, "Where are we?"

Lilly accepted my help in standing, leaning on me to stay off her bad leg, "Lilly doesn't really know. The dungeon some times has pits that drop to the floor under it. Miss Kodori made one herself." She looked at the remains of her bag and sighed, "Lilly lost the map."

"Hey! I hear them!" It was Welf, his voice coming from just out of sight.

A moment later they rounded a corner. Both of them looked how I felt, like we had fallen down ten meters of sharp rock. "Miss Kodori, Miss Lilly!" Bell said as he saw us, "You're both okay."

"More or less." I replied, "We are however, lost. And the dungeon ate our map."

The dungeon was eerily quite as I said that.

"Bell and I have never been this far. Lilly? Welf?" I said to fill the silence.

They both shook their heads, making me sigh the sigh of the truly put upon.

"Options then? Lilly is a little hurt, but nothing serious. We are all cut up a little, and a little cooked. But again, nothing too bad. But we have no map, and almost all of our spare supplies are gone, this includes lunch." All of us, of course, had our stomachs grumble at this.

"Lilly has an idea." She said, her voice small, "It is dangerous, but maybe..."

We all turned to her, and I put a hand on her head to encourage her.

"Down." She started, "Lilly thinks we fell down maybe two floors. Three more floors, and we should be on the eighteenth. Lilly knows this is a safe spot, almost no monsters, and many adventurers use it as a camp for deeper journeys."

The three of us all 'hmm'ed' in unison. "It sounds simple enough." Welf said, "But without a map..."

"There is also the guardian." Lilly continued. "It is defeated often, but if it is there..."

"We are all good runners." I said, "So, fastest way down without a map? While avoiding monsters?"

"What about those?" Bell pointed to a series of pits that lined the hallway, "They go down, right?"

Lilly nodded, but said, "They do, Master Bell, but not all of them. Some spawn monsters too."

That sounded bad.

"Speaking of... We should get moving. It doesn't seem like anything followed us..." Welf said, suddenly looking around, "But..."

We were all thinking it, though we left it unsaid. 'The dungeon hates us.'

Somehow, we had made it down two floors. Lilly was clinging to my back, Bell was limping, Welf had one arm dangling useless at his side, and I was staying on my feet with nothing but my magic holding me up. More hell hounds, several minotaurs, a few tiger striped dog cat things, those weird rabbit people with stone clubs. Every fight wore us down, every fight was a running retreat that never really ended until we some how managed to scrape together the strength to fight and kill them. Welf was starting to show the signs of mind down, Bell was too, and I think it was only because I chose 'mage' as my skill, was why I was still able to move.

Of us all though, I think Lilly had it the worst. Not really a fighter, she had lost her crossbow, her tools, and without those, her confidence too. She didn't want to be dead weight, and insisted we leave her behind if we had to. Bell Welf and I wouldn't have even a second of that kind of talk, and she was now tied to my back, under my salamander cloak, and told quite firmly that she would be the very last to die if it came to that.

We were taking a moment's rest, making sure we weren't in danger of bleeding to death mostly. A lot of our non-essential clothing had been cut up for bandages already making us look like a small circus. That was another reason Lilly was under my cloak and tied to my back. She had made the first sacrifice on our first bandage spree, the rest of us with bits of her robe bandaged around various cuts.

Bell was doing his best, his fear of minotaurs gone. His reckless charge into a group of three earned us the time to single them out and bring them down but had left him with a limp and probably a few cracked ribs. Welf has done amazing with his new sword, but while he cut the head off of one, he had been charged by another, breaking his arm.

I was still whole, nothing broken at least. But sported the most bandages, having had to wade into a ball of hell hounds, killer rabbit things, Welf and Bell, to literally start pulling monsters apart. I was almost more bite marks than skin now, and more than one of those came very close to a major artery. I think having Lilly on my back was my only source of body heat. It was feeling that way at least.

So, slowly, painfully, we got back up, gave each other a quick check to see if we were bleeding anywhere new, and continued on.

"Lilly thinks we are almost there." I heard from over my shoulder. "Look." Her little hand pointed out from under my arm.

It was a wide, open flat space. Like a football field in length and nearly as wide. We all looked across the expanse, and as one caught sight of the end. "Crystal?" Bell asked, "Is that?"

"Lilly thinks so. The eighteenth floor is supposed to be lit by big clear crystals, like those." She replied, settling down against my back again.

"No signnnnnnn." I said just as the floor started to rumble. "Crap, RUN!"

Bell, for once, was the slowest among us. So I actually picked him up and tucked him under one arm. He was a lot heavier that I remembered, but I was also feeling very tired. I kept pace with Welf, and we all saw -something- start to pull itself out of the ground. A giant grey hand rose up from the floor. Up, and up, the hand, forearm, then elbow. The arm bent, hand slamming to the floor and starting to lever up the rest of the arm, shoulder... Just how big was this thing?

We were about half way across the field as it pulled its hips up, as if climbing out of a hole. It was humanoid, with grey skin, and if the body was any indication, more than twice as tall as an orc. It turned its head towards us, its two red eyes glowing. With its human like mouth, it roared.

If it weren't for the sound damping hat Welf had made, I'm pretty sure my head would have exploded. As it was, I almost fell as the air felt like it had gone solid for a moment. Welf also managed to stay on his feet, though we both listed sideways towards the wall.

"If we can get to that last tunnel, we can get away!" Welf yelled, "Bell! Can you hit it? Just once?"

"Yes!" He said, holding up his hand. I tried to keep my running as smooth as possible as he aimed.

"Its hand!" I said, "Try and slow it from getting out of the floor!"

It was then I noticed Bell's hand start glowing blue. A sort of wispy mini firefly effect. It vanished a moment later as he yelled out, "Firebolt!"

We had maybe a quarter of the field to travel.

The bolt, absorbing the blue glow, crashed into the giant's nearest wrist. With a roar, it shifted, falling back into the hole it was climbing out of and making the rest of it tilt to the side.

Ten meters.

It steadied itself, pushing itself harder, both arms and a knee out of the hole now.

Five.

Welf screamed and tackled me, the sight of a massive hand sweeping towards me the last thing I saw before my world was once again a chaotic tumble of limbs. We had just cleared the 'door' and the last tunnel wasn't actually a tunnel, but a long ramp. The four of us rolled, slid and bounced down the ramp until finally, we slid to a halt.

Above us, the monster roared angrily, denied its prize.

Below me, Lilly said, "Miss Kodori is soft, but heavy."

I had managed to some how get her from my back, to my front, and was holding her head protectively with my arms.

We all managed a tired laugh.

We had made it. But made it where? After peeling ourselves out of the ground and getting mobile again, my first impression of the 'safe' zone was... Mixed. The air tasted like a forest, there were actual trees growing all over the place, near the middle was a titanic tree, bigger than even a giant Canadian Redwood. Around its roots was what looked like a town, or at least some human made structures. The walls and ceiling were covered in crystal, mostly blue, though there was a great crystal hanging from the ceiling that was a sort of milky white. Thankfully, the trip to the town's edge looked short.

It was its own ecology. Beautiful, but so unnatural it made my hair stand on end.

"Miss Kodori stopped." Lilly said quietly from my back.

"It's very odd." I commented, telling my feet that they were still on the clock, and had places to go. "Feels unnatural."

Welf and Bell had stopped to wait for me, both of them turning to look at the small world that was encapsulated on the eighteenth floor. We could hear people in the town, going about business quietly. It was like a very very small version of Orario itself, with a few merchants a tavern, and the randomly mixed bag of adventurer types. The biggest difference however was the tension. I could tell that this was only a 'safer' zone, not 'safe'.

"Well, lets see what we can do about our lack of... Everything." I said, "I am really tired of having to replace my clothes."

"Just wait until I make it to level two." Welf said with a tired chuckle.

We passed through some of the market stalls, with the weapons and other equipment on display. The prices were offensive, but down here, it was to be expected. We pooled our resources, added what ever we could from the monster drops we had managed to keep, and sighed unhappily after getting the bare minimum together to be considered 'functional'. We even payed an adventurer to heal us.

"Miss Lilly is glad to have clothes again." She said, wearing her new robe. It wasn't her usual white one, this one made of colourless wool, but it did the job and looked a little warmer. She even had a new pack, every bit as huge as the last, though mostly empty now. The rest of us were also clothed in what basically amounted to hand me downs from relatives you never liked. "Miss Kodori was lucky to have so many hell hound teeth."

"Miss Kodori had to pull all of those teeth out of Miss Kodori, thank you." I replied, getting a strained laugh from the rest of them, "But yes, It was at least useful."

Finally, Bell asked the question that had been hanging over us, "So now what do we do?"

We all knew that we were so under-equipped that trying to go back up was likely suicide. While we were all adventurers, the job itself very high risk, we were not that eager to die. "Lilly sees two options." our supporter started, "Go back up after a little rest, and run until we get to the upper floors."

A deep breath, "Or wait until another party comes up from the deep floors and follow them up."

"No question then, we wait." I said, "It's safe enough, from what the locals tell us, so long as we don't poke everything with a stick to see if it bites. There aren't many down here, but this place is defend... defence? Defence-able? Yes, in case of something coming up from below, and the monster above is too big to come down here."

Welf nodded, looking around, "I could use the time to sharpen our equipment a little, hammer out dents, that sort of thing."

"Lilly wants a bath." I seconded that with a nod.

Bell scratched his head, looking at Lilly and I, "Hestia is going to be so mad..."

I shivered at that. Hestia would probably do her mean/sad/angry/sad/mean/sad thing again. And no doubt we'd be sleeping on the floor. "Our Goddess is fair." I said, "But it couldn't be helped. She'd be even more distressed if we didn't come back at all."

We all nodded, making sagely sounding 'hmm hmm' noises.

"So, let's explore. No peeking." I pointed to the boys. "Lilly?"

The town itself overlooked the massive forest. There weren't really any watch towers, more like watch cabins, built near the almost sheer cliff that went into the woods. We used that to our advantage and made a bit of a mental map on where some things were. Small lakes, clearings in the forest, small hills that crested up from the trees... It really was like a small world down here, with a white crystal sun in the middle of the ceiling and blue crystal 'sky' surrounding it. It was even starting to dim, making me think it was nearing evening.

Lilly and I spotted a promising spot and made our way to a small pond. Lilly actually spotted it, as she sat on my shoulder to help her get a better view, just catching a glint of water peeking out from under some trees. Thankfully, the water was clean, almost unnaturally so, and the bottom was sandy, not muddy. It was just warm enough to be comfortable too.

"It's not a hot spring." I commented as I started to strip down, "But I'm not sure I would care if it were nearly freezing. I just want to wash the smell of blood and ash off of me."

"Lilly agrees." she replied, also stripping down. "Salamander wool stops the fire, but not the smell."

I settled into the water with a pleased sigh, grabbing a handful of sand from the bottom and scrubbing myself with it. It was odd, that even though monsters seem to break their teeth on my skin, if they don't puncture it, and sometimes when they DO puncture it, I was still as sensitive as normal. I watched Lilly splash about a little, cleaning her face and ducking her head mostly under the water to scrub at her hair. I waved her over and reached out to grab her head. "Here, lean back, I'll need your help after." I said to her.

I leaned her back so she could look up at the ceiling while I ran my fingers through her hair to comb it out and try and get the dried blood and various other bits of dungeon out of it. "Miss Kodori is very kind." She said, looking up at me, "So is Master Bell."

"A person's true colours show when you give them power." I said, scrubbing away, "I would like to think that I am a good person. But, honestly, Bell is so far above 'good person' compared to me."

She blinked in surprise, "Why does Miss Kodori say so? Lilly would still be..."

I poked her nose then went back to work, "It is about how we think. I'm older." I poked her again before she could ask, "I've seen a lot more of what people do with power, what they do to others, and how they do it. Before I came to this city, I was... Done with people. Given up on trying to give a damn." I sighed, tilting her head forward, before scrubbing her back with some sand on my palm, "I think... Cold? Not cold... Less with my heart?"

Lilly made a questioning noise, so I elaborated, "If you had a choice, between saving one person, or ten, and there was no way to do both, what would you choose?"

"Ten." She said, making the logical choice.

"Exactly. Thinking with your head, not with your heart. Many against few. Greater good with a lesser evil." I used all the metaphors I could think of with my current level of language, "Bell is different. He would save them all. Somehow. He wouldn't care that it was impossible, he wouldn't care if he got hurt, or even killed. He would find a way, or make a way." I sighed, letting my hands fall in the water, "I'd give up and do what I could, he'd simply find a way to do more."

Lilly turned around, and I sunk into the water a little, turning as well and leaning my head back carefully. "Miss Kodori admires Master Bell." She stated.

"Yes, I do. If I were to call anyone a young hero, Bell would be it. No water in my ears please?" I said as Lilly started to scrub my head.

"Does Miss Kodori like Master Bell?" I was honestly waiting for that question, but it still kind of surprised me.

I did my best to turn what I hoped, was an accusing ear towards her, before replying, "Not like that, no." I chuckled, "More like a little brother." I could almost feel her relief through her hands, "But." Her hands tightened up again, "He is incredibly shy, and thick headed. He has no idea at all about anything like that. It's kind of funny to watch really."

"Miss Kodori is teasing Lilly." She accused me, pinching the tip of both my ears.

"No, this is teasing you." I swished my tail, soaked by water, against her bare front, making her squeak, "But I'm serious. From what I have seen, I think you are... Number Four? And he has no idea what so ever."

I could practically hear her brain working on that, and clearly imagine steam coming off her head. She remained silent as I lifted a little out of the water and she scrubbed my back. "Who?" She asked quietly.

"Well, there's Lady Hestia. Who is just as clueless as he is, except! She doesn't know how to deal with his worship of her. She wants his love, not admiration." I said, "Then there is Syr, from the Hostess of Fertility. Both are shy, both are reserved, and both turn into blushing idiots when they get within arms length of each other." Lilly made a 'hmm hmm' noise behind me, her head nodding making the water ripple, "I might be wrong on this one, but Eina, from the guild, either wants him, or, simply couldn't imagine the world without him."

"Like Miss Kodori?" This question made my belly twist a little.

"Yes." I said finally, "From my view, it would be like... Losing the best part of your family. I have only known him for... Less than a month." I paused and thought to myself at just what an insane month it had been. It felt like a lifetime, honestly. "But here? In this place? There is no one I'd rather have guarding my back." I chuckled, turning around, "You're the fourth, or third, if I'm wrong about Eina." I paused then continued, "Now that I think of it. Bell is looking at Ais Wallenstein, but I'm not sure if it is out of hero worship, or he really does want to date her."

"Lilly wonders if Bell is only attracted to large breasts." She said, looking at me, then down at herself.

I gave myself a facepalm, then told her the greatest secret that they never tell you about men in any of those magazines. "Lilly. When a woman wants a man, the only thing she needs to do, almost every time, is show up." I got out of the water reluctantly, patting myself dry with my salamander cloak, "The only time that won't work, is if he is like Bell, and doesn't know anything about women, and becomes a stuttering idiot when one shows him affection. Or, they don't like women at all."

Lilly looked a little puzzled.

"Bell will figure himself out eventually. He reacts far too much to not be interested in women, so I know its not the last one." I tried clarifying. "Just be patient with him. Like a shy animal."

"Miss Kodori knows a lot. Does Miss Kodori like someone?" She asked, using her own cloak to dry off.

"Until recently, I'd given up on even thinking about it." I replied honestly, "So, I'm not sure?"

She gave me a sideways glance, "So not Mr. Welf?"

Before I could stop myself, I replied, "Not Mr anyone." And winced right after. I wasn't sure about the view on same sex relationships was, outside of the red light district. Thankfully Lilly just smiled at me with her 'Lilly remembers everything' look that she only wore when she dropped her childish mannerisms. I coughed to try and cover up the blush I felt climbing my face, "We should get back before something happens."

With Lilly sitting perched on my shoulder, we returned to the little town. She was happily cashing in on her 'pet Kodori's ears' ticket I had given her too. Welf and Bell were no where to be seen, but I could hear the steady clank of a hammer hitting metal.

"Figured I'd find you here." I said, following my ears and peeking into a small workshop. "Looks almost like it used to." I put Lilly down and pointed at the object on the anvil, Bell's formerly much dented chest plate, before handing it to Bell, who started putting it back on.

"I can only do this so much before it becomes brittle." Welf replied, holding up the piece and examining it with a critical eye. "Got your stuff hammered out too." He waved to a small pile in the corner by Bell. "Bell and I also got us a place to stay. Couple of tents near some roots in the middle of town. The inn is far far too expensive."

"The air is warm enough, and the ground at least flat." I said with a shrug.

"Figured you'd say that." Welf said, "Told you so Bell."

"I was just trying to make sure we recovered properly." He insisted, making Lilly and I look at each other and smile, me with an 'I told you so' smile, and her a 'you told me so' one.

"I'm amazed that there is a night and day down here." I said, looking out the little window and up, "For all the monsters, this place is still amazing."

"Dangerous." Welf said.

"But amazing." Bell added.

Good to see everyone getting along. I thought.

"Oh!" Bell perked up, "The inn keeper said Loki Familia went down to the lower floors a few days ago. They might be coming back up any day now."

"Ah, provided they survive the lower floors." I said, getting a horrified look from Bell, and an 'I see' look from Lilly, "We should be able to travel back up with them. I still have to thank them for the other day." I scratched at my right arm. "Thank them a lot."

We all nodded, the four of us owing the Loki Familia for something or other.

The little tents Welf had gotten us were... Well, if it didn't rain down here, we would be fine. We had just thrown all of our things into them when we heard a bit of a commotion from the middle of town. Cheers of welcome and congratulation from what my ears picked up.

"Oh? Sounds like some one is here." Welf commented as he picked up on the noise. "Let's go see?"

It was 'late' if the dimming crystal in the ceiling could be trusted, but I was curious, and hopeful. If that was Loki Familia returning, then we might not have to stay down here too long. "Sure, I think I can stay up a little longer."

I've said this before, but: Loki Familia sure knew how to throw a party. Within about a half hour of them arriving and getting most of the town to say hello, they had cracked open what I guessed were the last of their supplies that they didn't use on the trip down, and were having a pre-return to the city celebration. Everyone I'd met from the Familia was there, and a few others as well. Most of the town also contributed to the makeshift feast, and about an hour after the four of us arrived, everyone was having a grand old time.

To be fair, some were partying harder than others. Ais was her usual reserved self, and was sort of... maybe? Smiling? I might have imagined that. Though at some point she simply stood and walked away. Welf was chatting and drinking with that serious looking dwarf fellow I saw at the inn, and Lilly was talking with the Amazon twins. Almost the entire Loki Familia was mingling with the townsfolk, except two. These two I gravitated towards.

Riviera, her cool expression and poise, and I think his name was Finn, ever smiling member of the Pallum race. As casually as I dared, I made my way to them, knelt, knees together, about a meter away from Riviera, and bowed to her, forehead resting on my hands. "I owe you my thanks." I said, hearing Finn make a surprised yet amused noise. I lifted my head and looked at the elven mage.

"I was simply there, at the right time." She said, looking slightly embarrassed, though I'd have missed it if I wasn't looking. "I see you recovered? How is your arm?"

I held up my arm, my armour back in the tent, for her to look at. "I've had no problems. No pain. No stiffness." I recalled something, "I didn't hurt your hand, did I?"

"You've a good grip." She didn't answer directly. "Riviera, pleased to meet you."

"Kodori. You as well. And you are Finn?" I asked the smiling not child next to her. He simply raised his mug to acknowledge me. "Thanks to your help, I made it back from the dungeon that day."

"The four of you were very badly hurt. What happened?" Finn asked, "I only caught a little of the story from that white haired kid."

"Well. So long as you don't ask about much past where Ma'am Riviera healed me..." I started.

So I told them the story, as best as I could remember, until that point where my memory became a blur. Both of them Finn more than Riviera, looked at me like I was insane when I told them I punched the drake, but didn't interrupt me until the end.

"So your magic?" Finn started, "It just makes you stronger?"

"Yes. Just as advertised." I replied with a smile, "Until I earned level two, it was an all or nothing burst. Sort of... Oh right..." I tapped my forehead forgetting again about advertising my own status. I held up a hand before they could ask more, "Yes, Bell and I both are level two now."

"That's... Last time I saw you, you could barely speak, and were working as a serving girl at the Hostess." Finn said, "But... That was... Oh my."

"Three weeks." Riviera said. "And Mr. Bell... Four. Since the stray minotaur incident."

"How did you do it?" Finn asked, pondering.

"Honestly? I have a few ideas. None of them really sane." I replied, "I trained with people much stronger than me, even before I received Falna. I continued to do so after. I trained with Bell, every day, sometimes twice. I also took stupid risks, like standing under a silver back strike. Or in front of a magic sword." I rubbed a hand through my still short hair.

"Your hair was longer last time I saw you. A shame." He gave me what even I considered a winning smile, "So that business with the Soma Familia?"

"Yes. That rumour is true." I said, figuring that yes some one did set the place on fire, and yes, it was a magic sword.

"Hm. You are lucky." Riviera said simply.

"Very much so." I replied, not denying it at all. "I think the weapon broke right after. And Bell managed to subdue Zanis. I never asked, but since I wasn't killed..."

We all looked into our mugs, pondering.

Then, "So, what ever you were about down on the lower floors? Success?" I asked.

"Of a sort." Finn replied.

"Cheers to that then." I held up my mug, prompting the other two to tap it with their own.

The next morning, I woke with Lilly sleeping curled around my middle. I didn't drink, so that wasn't my fault. But she also wasn't in the tent when I turned in for the night. She was quite adorable, and it felt like I was breaking some sort of law when I pried her off of me so I could go about my morning. When I returned from the little communal bathroom, I found Bell standing out side of his tent stretching.

With a brief exchange of greetings, I pointed to an uprising in the forest, a nearly bald hill just a short way off. With respect to our sleeping companions, we raced there, Bell winning of course. It was there that we started our morning exercises, stretching out properly, then sparring as if our lives depended on it, since they kind of did.

Afterwards, we simply sat next to each other looking back on the town. "I wonder when Loki Familia is going back up." I asked, "Did you get a chance to talk to them? I honestly forgot to ask."

I noticed then, that Bell had started to blush, reverting to his stuttering idiot mode. "Oh. Um..."

"Ah, so you did talk, but forgot too." I chuckled, "I wondered where Ais went in the middle of the party. Don't remember seeing you either." He was trying, at this point, to get a word out that didn't sound like a mouth full of gravel, so I just put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it. Really."

He calmed down, looking at his lap and sighing. "Thank you."

"Every great person, follows the example of a great person." I said, "Great might mean a different thing, from person to person." I gave his shoulder a squeeze and stood, "Let's see if our friends are awake yet."

They were in fact awake. And had guests. Finn was there, chatting with Lilly and Welf.

"Ah, since you're here now, I can tell you." Finn said, seeing us and giving us a small wave, "We are treating some of our party for poisoning, from the lower floors. So either late tonight, or tomorrow we are heading back up."

"Oh, good. I'd forgotten to ask last night." I replied.

"Lilly didn't!" She said proudly.

"So I guess we take another day off." I said to my group. "I hope it's not a problem that we travel back up with you, Finn?"

"Not at all. I could tell by the look of you that you had a rough time. And since we are going up, what's a few more people?" He replied with his usual easy smile. "Just figured I'd let you know. And I saw what you meant by sparring." He made a gesture over to the hill Bell and I were on. "You really are not bad. The both of you." He gave another wave and turned, walking away.

"Whoa." Welf commented, "A compliment from him means a fair bit. He's level six, and captain of the Loki Familia."

I grimaced a little as I felt a little pride at the words. Pride had no place in combat. But, at least I knew Bell and I were doing something right. "That's something, at least." I said, mostly to myself. "Well, I suppose we go exploring?"

We were about to start packing up our limited amount of gear and the like, when we heard a commotion from a little distance off. "More arrivals?" Welf wondered.

"I hope you three are proud of yourselves..." Bell Lilly and I were all kneeling down in front of Hestia, heads bowed, as she stood in front of us.

She had arrived with a few others, in secret, sort of. With a handful of other adventurers, including Ryuu, Asfi, and a few others I didn't know, they were the new arrivals. If Asfi was here, I'd bet Hermes was too. Hestia was cloaked much like Lilly liked to be, wearing the same cloak I used on my trip into the red light district. The three of us were back at the tents, away from the town, and Welf was conveniently some place else.

She ranted at us for a while, giving us each a karate chop of discipline, that probably hurt her hand more than our heads. But the message was clear. We had screwed up, and made her worry. Again. Lilly was the first to ask questions though.

"Is Lady Hestia supposed to be here?" She asked.

"Um... No?" Our Goddess replied, finally breaking down and kneeling in front of us, "When Takemikazuchi told me his Familia past you as they ran from the dungeon, and you didn't return, I got worried. Very worried. I went to the guild, and put up a quest to come down and find you."

"Would that also include Hermes?" I asked.

"Urk... How did you know?" Hestia blinked at me.

"Asfi." I replied, "I met them both once, and got the impression she was always by his side. Poor girl." I mumbled.

"Yes, he's here too. As well as a few others who joined the search." She grumbled, glaring at us, but relented a moment later. "As apology!" She stood and grabbed Bell, getting him to stand and hooking an arm around his. "Show me around."

Unable to resist, or stutter out a work of proper protest, Bell was led away, leaving Lilly and I behind. "Well, nothing to do about it." I said with a shrug.

So the three of us split again to find something to do. Welf probably went back to the forge, maybe seeing if he could learn anything from any of the other smiths who might be around. Lilly went in the direction of town, maybe to see if she could get a deal or two.

I however, wanted a better look at the place.

I walked along the bottom of the cliff the city rested on, simply taking in the sights. Nothing looked familiar when I looked at the trees or shrubs. The leaves weren't like anything I'd seen above ground, the bark was also strange. Like who ever created the trees had the right idea, but had never actually seen one.

Experimentally, I moved a small boulder, rolling it over and looking under it. Nothing. No grass, no bugs, no mud. Bare dungeon floor. Again, it was like the place was created with an idea instead of nature. I rolled the rock back into place, determined not to think about it too hard.

After a little more head scratching about how 'almost' right this place was, I found myself on top of the hill Bell and I had sparred on. A few others were there already, apparently with the same idea I had. Just looking over the landscape. One of them heard me, making him turn and tug on the sleeve of the guy next to him.

"Yeah that's one of them." I heard the man say. He was... Scruffy looking. With a short shaggy brown hair, scarred face and fur lined armour. He looked confident, capable. And arrogant, more so now that a few more people were climbing up the hill behind him, making it into a small mob. I looked around a moment and saw that the only way out was behind me, off the cliff.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that." The front man said, crossing his big arms, "See, we wanted to test you two. Find out if the rumour is true." He had about a dozen behind him now.

"I'm not interested." I said simply, "And which rumour?"

"How the fox girl and rabbit boy were both level two now. After less than a month." He replied, scratching his chin.

"True." I said, "Is that all? I've places I'd rather be."

"Now now, don't be like that." He chuckled, "I mean, you wouldn't want to run away when your Goddess is in danger would you? Or your friend?" He did a half step to the side and the crowd parted slightly, revealing Hestia and Bell, sitting bound and gagged together.

I felt a hot burning in my chest, and a cold lump in my gut. "Really?" I sighed.

"How about you killing a drake? That one's funny." Another asked, "I mean look at her! No weapons?"

"Also true." I said, feeling the hot and cold fight each other, "I happen to have very hard fists."

"Well then, sounds interesting enough. So what do you say? You and I fight a duel?" The man in front grinned, "Winner gets to ask the loser to do anything." He leered at me, "I already know what I want. And I'm not so greedy to not share with my friends either."

I felt the fire win over the ice, my hands curling into fists. I saw Bell and Hestia's eyes a moment before they gang closed over them again. Fear. "If I win, you let them go, never to touch me or mine ever again."

"I'd never do something so crude as to harm a Goddess. And my boys here will behave, until later, that is." He grinned and drew his sword, a broad bladed longsword.

The rest of his men backed off, though I noticed one or two of them looking at me, and not smiling. I could guess why. "Fine." I took a deep breath, then let it out, settling my feet firmly, and extending a hand out to the man, making a 'come here' motion with it, smirking at him. "Come get it, you coward."

He opened up with a swing from his sword, but we were still too far apart for it to matter. At the last instant, I saw that he was aiming for a cinder block sized crystal that was growing out of the hilltop. His sideways swing shattered the crystal sending shards towards me and my face.

I pulled in my guard and protected my throat and eyes, hearing some of the shards ping against my metal arm guards. Backing up with a small leap, I looked around, and... He was gone.

I took another breath, clenching my jaw. He simply wasn't there. All his men still were, grinning like arrogant idiots. A moment later a fist slammed into my ribs from behind.

I heard him laugh as I fell and tumbled back to my feet, holding my side in pain. He was certainly level two. But while his men laughed, calling out things like 'You show her Moldo!' And 'Can't wait until later!' I looked around.

Another punch, this time across the jaw, followed by a driving strike to my gut, lifting me off my feet and sending me sprawling onto my back.

I hadn't heard anything except the sound of flesh hitting flesh. He was doing something that was keeping him hidden from my eyes, and ears. I was glad I'd skipped breakfast, as I coughed up some water.

I still stood up though, watching the crowd for any signs that they could see him, but all eyes were on me, even as I had my feet kicked out from under me, spilling me to the dirt again. I rolled a couple times to try and get some space, but was kicked in the gut as I started to rise, making me cough and gasp on the ground a moment.

More jeers, more laughter, the crowd moving aside now to let Bell and Hestia watch. They were nothing more than bullies. Beating up the new kid because they were different. Showing off for his friends. I coughed again, this time tasting blood, and blinked slowly, seeing Hestia nod at me slightly.

In my minds eye, I saw the caged ember grow, bending the bars of its prison. "Is that your best? You need a cheap trick to fight me?" I said, getting into a crouch instead of trying to get to my feet. Slowly, deliberately, I took off my arm guards, then my gauntlets, looking at the crowd of onlookers, "Showing off for your friends, when you are really just a coward who doesn't even show his face?" I put the gauntlets down, then unstrapped first one, then the other shin guard, then even my boots, leaving me bare foot. All the while the crowd laughed, all the while, I pushed my magic out as far as it would go, feeling my skin grow hot, almost feverish. Last, I took off my shirt, leaving me in my sports bra. "Come on." I stood, holding my arms out, leaving myself open for any attack my invisible opponent wanted to throw, "Hit me!"

The strike came at my floating ribs on the right side, the wind on my nearly bare skin alerting me an instant before the punch connected. I felt the shock of the impact travel through my body right to my left fingertips, the crowd going silent at the sharp snap that followed.

I dropped my right hand, sweeping it out and connecting with what felt like a forearm, my hand touching what might have been his bicep and closing on it. "There you are." I said, the feeling of pain from my side washed away with anger. "How's your hand?" I said to the air, holding perfectly still again and feeling another punch, this time to my left side. "About here then?" I grunted, feeling the shock go through me again, but grabbing at where I thought his other bicep would be.

Both arms held in my unbreakable grip, meant his head was right HERE.

Our heads came together with a clunk, my top of my forehead feeling something cut into it, while the bottom just above my eyes hit soft nose. The shock of hitting something metal so close to my eyes made me back up, letting go of him, but something popped off his head, and I could suddenly see him again. He was holding his bloody nose with his right hand and looking at me with a shocked expression. His left hand was broken, the little bones sticking out of the back of his hand.

"You can't even beat an unarmed girl. For shame." I said, feeling my anger rise further, "You wanted to make an example of me, to my Familia." I watched the colour drain from his face, and those directly behind him, "You DARED touch my Goddess." I leaned forward slightly, my anger burning now, my vision catching a glimpse of dark purple, "Draw your sword!"

I jumped at him, one hand latching on to his good wrist as he tried to draw his sword. He fell onto his back giving up on the sword and punching me in the face fearfully, only to be ignored as I mounted him and started slamming my fists into his chest and face, screaming at him. I heard chaos suddenly erupt from behind the men, but ignored that too as he managed to buck me off of him, only to have me grab his belt and drag him back towards me. In a rage I pulled off his shoulder armour, ripped out a handful of his hair, clawed at his face, broke his arm as he tried to stop me from grabbing his throat.

Some one grabbed my wrist, hand like ice against the fury my magic had pushed to just under the surface of my skin. The hand simply held my wrist, in a grip a child could have broken. "Miss Kodori." A voice said behind me.

I looked down at the pile of flesh I had been hitting. He was looking at me with one barely open eye, tears streaming down the sides of his broken face. His chest was bruised and bloody, both arms broken, his sword snapped in two just above his head.

"You were about to do something you can't take back." He said, pulling my hand back, helping me as I stood up. "Stay here, I'm going to help the others."

Others? I took a quick look around, seeing that there was a fight going on. People I didn't recognize... No, they looked familiar. The group that had run past us with the hell hounds. They were fighting the gang who were holding Bell and Hestia.

Hestia herself was... Handing me my shirt. Silently, I accepted it, kneeling in front of her, bowing my head. "Lilly cut us loose when Takemikazuchi Familia kept the others distracted." She said, walking around me, putting my shirt on for me. "Some of them found Bell and I. Threatened me, then tied us both up." I felt her literally divine calm surrounding me as she completed her walk back in front of me, the sound of the fighting maybe five meters away being drown out by her little voice. "They brought us here after they found you alone." She put a hand on my cheek, turning my head to look at the man, still laying on the ground, watching me like a small animal looks at a predator, "Made us watch you fight."

When both my eyes were on him, she said, "Forgive him?"

I looked at him, and bowed my head to him. I couldn't bring myself to say anything, not our of hate towards him, but myself, for nearly crossing that one line.

"You are my hand." Hestia said, "You have passed judgement, found him guilty. And punished him. Forgive him."

"Honour the agreement between us." I managed to say to him. His eye widened slightly, but he managed a nod. "I forgive you then."

It was then that Hestia hugged me, forgiving me as well, her body glowing a faint blue.

"Wow." I heard some one say, "You really go all out, don't you."

"Lord Hermes." I said, turning my head and seeing a dark metal skullcap. I reached for it and picked it up, holding it in my hands and looking at the sinister face stylized into the plate on the forehead. A small patch of skin was stuck to the sharp 'nose' of the face. "Asfi." I said to the lady beside him.

"I'm always impressed by you children. What you manage to accomplish, with or without our gift." For some reason his smile really annoyed me.

"Pain should not be amusing." I replied, looking again at the skullcap, "Who ever made this should be ashamed for letting some one like him have it." I stood, then tossed the thing in my hands at the stub of crystal Moldo had smashed, the black metal cap flipping through the air and then turning to dust as it hit the stub.

Both of them blinked in surprise at me, making me shrug. I turned away from them, rubbing my bruised ribs and looking at what was left of the mob. Most of them were either on the ground groaning, or backing away from some one. I noticed a familiar green cloak among them, "Ryuu?"

"Yes." She answered as I called her name, making her turn and walk towards me. She was holding her sword shaped stick in one hand, and wearing clothes that were all whites and greens. "Good to see you safe."

I took her free hand in mine and gave it a light squeeze, "Fine as one can be. Let's catch up a little later... So, I've been wondering? Hermes, Hestia? Why aren't you two supposed to be here?"

"You know that the Gods put the dungeon here, to keep the monsters contained right?" Hermes asked, "Well, if the dungeon doesn't like you children, it really hates us Gods."

As if on cue, the sound of splitting stone from the ceiling resonated through the forest, the sharpness of it a tangible pressure on my skin.

Authors notes.

Another cliffhanger! For those who have seen the show, you all know what's coming. I was debating on having that hat actually get picked up by Hermes, or perhaps the real creator of the hat give themselves away, but... Nah. Not now. :)

Writing in first person has its pros and cons. For example, I can skip things like when a person goes to sleep, or is knocked out. I can leave out important events until they actually matter to the hero. Like when Bell and Hestia get captured. Instead of writing a scene, I just have a single sentence explaining what happened. A disadvantage to first person, is that some times things seem to come out of left field, and you are left wondering if it was meant to happen, or the author pulled the story crowbar out and wedged something in.

Hopefully, I'm not doing that too much. If I am, please, make notes, send me a message. I'll try not to do it again.

Until next time.