Before I start.
Thank you for reading this far. Seriously. 200,000+ words later, and you guys are still here. It's honestly surprising to me, but thanks to you guys, I seem to be the most favoured and followed DanMachi fanfic on the site. It might only be a collection of internet smiley faces, but it gives me motivation to see people reading and enjoying my work. Makes me a little teary eyed honestly.
Chapter 32
A half second before I collided with the fireball, the winged boots on my feet slowed and it felt like they wanted to twist my legs out of my hips as they tried to rotate me away from the offensive magic. Asfi had said 'they should do the rest', but as I was basically led around by my feet through the sky, the rest of my body flopping and twisting around like some weird streamer, I seriously regretted not just taking my chances with arrow dodging while she recovered.
I must have been twisting about too violently to shoot at with arrows as well, and for that I was thankful. Even with my magic, I wasn't sure I could shrug off something from Hyakinthos's bow. He had shot down my glider at the war game from at least three hundred meters away like it was nothing after all, and he was level three.
Eventually, almost getting airsick while doing so, I managed to 'crouch' in mid twist, holding my ankles and stabilizing myself enough that I could at least level out again. I had to will myself to go faster almost instantly as I saw the fireball catching up, but at least I could see what was around me without the nausea inducing twist. The Rakia soldiers were littered about the mountain path under me, some still unmoving, others limping towards their comrades. Ares was with his general a fair distance away now, and Asfi was still out of sight.
And I was flying too predictably, my leg feeling an impact that felt like fire had been pushed through it, the arrowhead stopping as it hit the underside of my shin guard.
Twisting around again, the fireball passing close enough to start melting the fabric of my clothes, I caught sight of the gliders again. "Okay boots..." I mumbled, my leg hurting ferociously, "That one." I focused on the furthest glider and 'knelt' in the air, the boots feeling almost like snow skis on a slope.
The two people, one I didn't know, and the handsome dark haired Hyakinthos, both had long bows, and a double quiver of arrows. The gliders looked to be built the same, except with one addition, both of the riders had their legs in a sort of 'sock' like a half sleeping bag. My original design left that out, in case the real thing didn't work like I'd hoped and I had to abandon it. But the stability it offered them seemed to let them use their bows a little better.
I was far more manoeuvrable than they were, and now that I was thinking of the flying boots as a sort of 'ski' I found my control over them a little better now. I dodged two more arrows, was grazed by a third, was nearly hit again by the seeking ball of flame, but as I passed by Hyakinthos on my way to his wing man, I took out the little white vial and tossed it onto the white and gold fabric on the top of the glider.
Even with the wind howling past my ears, I heard the distinct sound of breaking glass.
The pilot of the second glider managed to shoot once more at me, the arrow tracing a line of fire down my back, before I slammed into him. Glider, man, myself, were all suddenly tangled up in a white gold and black ball.
Then the fireball caught up to me.
Again, I was consumed by fire. The agony of being burnt once more made me clench my jaw, the feeling of free fall tugging at my gut and inner ear made me want to cling to the man I'd just crashed into, but almost as soon as it happened, it was gone again. An instant of pain, the smell of burnt hair, and now, the scream of terror from the man I'd grabbed as the glider and I collided. I'd brushed it off!
"LET ME GO STUPID BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU!" He yelled in my ear an instant before I felt something stab me in the side.
My reaction was to let go of him and grab at my side. The boots had put me in a hovering position and I watched the man fall, his hand reaching into his vest and pulling out a two ringed version of my parachute. His body was still smoking from the magic blast, so it might have been comical to watch, if he hadn't just stabbed me. Looking to myself, and trying to command the boots to follow the man down, I grit my teeth as I pulled the dagger from my side, the wound sending droplets of blood into the air around me as I tried to spot Hyakinthos's glider, or his parachute.
I spotted the second glider as it was trying to make a tight spiral down to the ground below, a patch of the fabric slowly melting away above him. I had once heard that Asfi was the only one who knew how to make explosives with liquid... Maybe my curse met half way, with the weaponized glass?
It had cost me, but I'd grounded both of them. Feeling the flying boots propel me downwards, I swore I'd never leave home without a healing potion again.
"So." Hyakinthos started, drawing his sword and looking at me down its faintly glowing surface, "Now it's you who gets to fight me while wounded."
He'd landed a little further down the path from where I'd left Asfi. His partner was probably over on the next mountain, and out of the picture. And I was indeed wounded. I had taken off the boots and left them to the side, not wanting to trip myself on the winged decorations. The arrow in my calf made every step agonizing, and my side was bleeding heavily.
He was gracious enough to let me actually snap the arrow off and remove the boots, so I replied, "Mercenary work? Really?" I said to him, taking off my somewhat crispy shirt and tying it around my middle to at least attempt to slow the bleeding.
"After your Familia left us nearly destitute, you say that?!" He yelled back, growling, "Apollo Familia has almost nothing now! Forced to live in that wasteland Rakia has become."
"You blame us for what your God tried, and failed to do? Seriously?" I had to stop myself from laughing, as even talking was a little painful, "You blame us for fighting back? And managing to win?"
"YES!" His angular face twisted in rage, "I blame you for going against our pure and noble Lord Apollo! Lowly Familia like yours should all bow to him! Submit to his every wish!"
He'd lost it. So intense was his love for his God, it blinded him from normal thought. He'd turned into a fanatic, blaming everything but the actual cause of his Familia's problems.
"It's ironic, that the cause of all this is here before me, wounded, as I once was, alone, with no one to interfere. Now we'll see how you like it!" And he charged.
He was just as fast as I remembered him. His longsword, with its fire enchantment, left a comet's trail through the air as he swung it, intent on cutting off my head. I ducked under it, feeling pain lance through my leg and side, and instantly caught a knee to the chin. Landing roughly on my back, I felt the cage of my magic starting to shake, the beast inside waking up to my pain.
Rolling out of the way as he tried to thrust his sword into my chest, I got back to my feet as quickly as I could.
"Not so tough now that you are alone hmm?" He mocked, his blade leaving blackened nicks in my bracers as I parried. "No little criminal to shoot at me from the shadows! No rabbit to jump out from under you!"
I did my best with only one good leg, my magic burning through my body, even as felt blood starting cover my hip. But he was right, I was alone. Bell was rescuing Hestia, Lilly and the rest were back in Orario, and Asfi was a few hundred meters back up the path.
His flaming blade left a cut just under my eye and along the side of my head, and as I twisted my head to avoid a cross cut, it felt like my magic was looking back at me now from within.
No, I wasn't alone. But did I want to resort to that again? Was there no other way? Hyakinthos kicked me in the gut as I brushed aside his next swing, sending me flying against the mountain along the path, the rush of air from my lungs bringing up a mouthful of blood. No, I couldn't give in. I was written on my back, it was a tool for my survival.
I twisted, turned, blocked, and shoved him away with my first solid strike against his chest.
Wait. Written on my back.
May lose control.
"Holding your tail for comfort? Really? What happened to that smug face back at the war game?" The irritating voice taunted me as I reached behind me with a bloody hand, grabbing the base of my tail.
"No... You don't get to mock me." I said back, my inner eye looking at my caged magic, a bloody hand on the bars. "You've lost yourself to blind devotion, your reason to blind faith." I felt the energy powering my body fade.
"You dare!? Apollo is the perfect God!" And he charged.
I opened the cage again, but unlike before, I stood in the way, grabbing onto my suddenly wild magic with my bloody hand.
I swept my free hand across, intercepting Hyakinthos's sword, pushing it aside. Stepping forward, my bloody hand running up along my tail, a black and purple cloud of energy ran up the length, solidifying into the snapping jaws of a very large fox.
He backed up in shock at the appearance of the animal, sword sweeping back to slash at it, but it simply passed through the smoky body, its jaws sinking into his arm as he defended his throat. On his back now, he swung again, but this time I used my arm to defend the manifestation.
I could feel it. The anger, the madness of my inner self, held back by literally its tail. But it was my tail too, and I could feel my inner reserves of magic burning away rapidly as the ghostly fox savaged Hyakinthos's arm, trying to get to his throat.
"You might be good looking." I said to him, yanking my tail backwards, feeling a weird sort of double pain, as my Madness turned a golden eye back to me with a snarl, though it settled down somewhat, "You're God might be a thing of beauty." I grabbed his wrist with my free hand as he tried to swing his sword at me again. "But it's too bad..." I leaned down, both my eyes, and my Madness looking at him, "Because both your souls are empty!"
It might have been my injuries, or perhaps the bleed over from having my rage outside my body, but as I yelled those words to his face, blood from my lips spattering over his cheeks, I clenched my hand, snapping his wrist like a pencil. Even as he screamed, I brought back my fist, and slammed it against his ribs, then again, then again. I broke his nose, pulled out a handful of hair, and very methodically made him look as ugly as I could.
But, I did not kill him. Even as I stood up, closing my eyes and telling my Madness to go back into its cage, I refused to take that last step. "Now..." My vision wobbled as my emotions balanced out and what felt like the edges of mind down crept up on me.
Unable to move, Hyakinthos simply watched with the one eye that wasn't totally swollen shut, as I went through his belongings. "I'm going to warn you, exactly once." I found what I was looking for, two healing potions. "If I ever see you again..." I drank one of the potions, feeling that hot cold sensation as it worked through my body, and even dulling the pain as I pushed the arrow the rest of the way through my calf and pulled it out.
The second potion, I put just out of arms reach of Hyakinthos. "If your Familia ever bothers me or mine again... I won't kill you, but instead, I will bring Apollo back to Orario."
His eye widened slightly. Apollo had been banished. If he entered the city again, for any reason, it was a one way ticket back to Tenkai. And he knew it.
"So, I leave you with this bit of advice. The next time He suggests something stupid. The next time he wants something that isn't His. Do your very best to avoid what happened at the war game. Because if I hear about it, and I will hear about it, I will find Him, bring Him back, and watch as He is sent back." I wasn't sure if he believed me, but I honestly didn't care, I would make it a point to get news from Rakia somehow, and keep a travel bag handy in case I had to make a trip.
"And just so you don't try and bother me while I go after Ares, I'm going to borrow this." I said, picking up his sword, "I'll send it to Rakia after Welf takes a look at it."
He was crying out of his one eye at this point, as I very carefully wrapped the blade up in my bloody shirt. My side was mended, but still somewhat tender, and I was feeling a little lightheaded now from blood loss and the adrenaline wearing off. He had made no move for the potion even after I'd put the flying boots back on. I'd have to apologize to Asfi for getting mud in them, and blood on them.
"Sir! She's back!" I heard a groan of protest rise up from the collection of battered soldiers as I walked up the path to meet them. I'd found them easily enough among the twisting mountainside path, and instead of walking up from behind, flew over them and decided to try simply blocking the path.
"Useless mercenaries! She's wounded though! Kill her!" Ares shouted, pointing at me.
Not wanting to go yet another round with them, I held up a hand and shouted, "Surrender Ares to me." I looked pathetic. Certainly not very threatening, covered in blood, with limited armour and only a wrapped up bundle of bloody cloth as a 'weapon'. Not to mention I was only wearing my somewhat cut up sport bra and pants that were burned through in many places.
"Fool! It's one against fifty!" Ares shouted, "You'll never beat my elite soldiers as wounded as you are!"
"She's already beaten our elite soldiers my Lord" I heard someone say just loud enough for me to hear.
I pointed to the one who spoke, the general who was standing beside the God. "You, I'll talk with you." I suddenly had an idea, it was a little cruel, but it might save me from having to fight them again.
"Sir?" He looked to Ares.
"Go! Duel her! Bring me her head!" Ares put his hand on the man's back and pushed him forward.
Resigned, the man stepped forward, the other soldiers falling in behind Ares. "Idiot God..." I heard him mumble. "You really think we'd just surrender?" He didn't sound very enthusiastic. He reminded me of a greeter at a store near the end of their shift. There because they were getting paid.
"Well no. But, you really don't think you can win, do you?" Apathy, I could use that, "You seem smart enough to know that."
"I know we can't. Especially now that I see you aren't wounded, at least, not anymore. You beat them then?" I nodded, "Waste of valis... Sigh..."
"What's your name?" I asked, feeling genuinely sorry for this man. He was taller than me, with noble features and sharp eyes, though he looked... dispirited. Weary.
"Marius Victrix, crown prince of Rakia." He replied, tapping his fist to his chest in salute. "Who am I addressing?"
"Kodori, Hestia Familia." I replied, giving him a fist in palm bow, "I'm wondering, why do you follow that idiot?"
Unlike most, he didn't even bat an eye as I insulted his God. "That idiot rules Rakia. My father listens to every word he says and follows it like law. I can't go against my King and country, no matter how much I'd like to."
His words gave me an even better idea, and I had to stop myself from laughing at the simple elegance of it. "What if I gave you a way out?" I offered.
His eyes focused on me more intently, I could almost hear his mind click into gear. He was sharp. "What way out could there possibly be?"
So I told him my plan. From start to finish. More than once, Ares shouted from behind him, egging him on to draw his sword and run me through, but aside from drawing his blade just for show, he didn't attack me.
"You'd do that? You think it would be possible?" He asked me after I'd finished.
"I have a very low opinion of idiots in charge." I replied, carefully putting down Hyakinthos's sword, and raising my fists, a little cheer going up from behind Marius. "You're in luck too, I've already taken out my anger on some one else today."
"Just don't break any bones? We don't have any potions left." He said as he attacked.
He was good. I knew skill when I saw it, and he used his gladius styled blade with swift precision, and steady strength. I wanted to make it look good for the soldiers behind Ares. If they weren't convinced Marius lost in a proper fight, I'd probably have to fight them too.
So, we danced about a while. He took my punches like a trooper, gritting his teeth and brushing the pain off with discipline even Takemikazuchi would give a nod to. I in turn made sure I took a few hits of my own, his heavy boots and broad fist sure to leave a bruise later.
But in the end, he started to tire, and made his first actual mistake with his form. I took advantage, grabbing his elbow and pushing him over my extended leg, slamming him onto his back and taking the sword from his hand.
"Yield?" I asked, holding the sword to his throat. I had to make it look convincing, after all.
"I yield." He replied.
"Then tell them." I tossed the sword off the cliff, picking him up by the front of his armour with one hand, and turning him around to face, the demoralized troops and the red faced God Ares.
"I Marius Victrix, hereby surrender. Lord Ares, must return with me to Orario to answer for our actions in this war." There was a groan of protest from them, and Ares himself was sputtering mad, unable to speak. "She has guaranteed our lives, so long as I, crown prince of Rakia do not resist. Please my Lord? If not for me, for your men and my father?"
I was surprised at Ares's reaction. So far as I'd seen, he was basically an idiot. His command skills were horrible, he had almost no ground level respect, and a bald faced insult about him to his second in command didn't even get a single twitch of reaction.
So my surprise came when he looked at me, his second, and the resignation of the wounded troops around him. "Fine."
Asfi met me more or less where I'd left her. She had started down the path towards us, and was shocked at who I had with me. I saw no sign of Hyakinthos on my way back, though I did pass by a bloody stain on the ground where I had mauled him.
"You... Captured Ares?" She asked, accepting her boots back with a frown. "And you got mud in them... And blood on them too?"
"Yes, yes and yes." I replied wearily, "And no, I'm fine. Tired but fine." I was holding a rope, attached to both Ares and Marius, both tied up with arms behind their backs. Ares was trying not to cry manly tears, but Marius was... Looking oddly hopeful. "Could you do me a huge favour? Two of them actually?"
After putting her boots on, she gave me a critical look, then, "I'll find Hestia for you. I was going to anyhow, once Ares had been caught."
"Thank you. And do you have a spare shirt or something?"
"Ma'am, you can take my tabard, if you wish." Marius offered.
"Oh, well, never mind then. Could you give Loki Familia a signal or some thing? Let them know I'm on my way?" I asked, "You have no idea how much I want you to find Lady Hestia, but if she's with Bell and Ais, I'm sure they are fine."
"Very well... What's that on your back?" She motioned to the sword I'd wrapped up.
"Remember Apollo? Hyakinthos was the one who shot you down." I sighed, "I made sure he got the point to never do that again."
Ares groaned, "A half million valisssss."
"There there, my Lord." Marius tried to comfort him.
"I see..." She adjusted her glasses at me, "I would very much like to see that sword."
"Visit, without Hermes, some time soon then. I intend on sending it back after Welf looks at it."
"Sending it back? After you won it?" She looked at me as if I were crazy.
"It has no value to me past that of research." I replied, "And I'd rather not have a third meeting with him." I'd likely have to kill him then, I didn't add.
"I'll find time then. Be careful, there may be monsters about, even though this isn't near the dungeon." She tapped her heels together, extending the wings on her boots.
"Sure."
Darkness was falling as I made it to the first plateau, where Hestia, Bell and Ais had fallen/jumped/jumped after each other. Ares was still pouting, and Marius was stoically silent, his face thoughtful. After taking off his tabard, a sort of billboard like bit of cloth that went over his armour, I noticed that my first assessment of him was actually an understatement. Unlike Ares, who, being a god, was big and strong looking, as depicted in any marble statue you might find of him, he too had the same build. Not too heavy, not too lean. Hard work, practice, good diet.
He'd fit right in where I planned to put him. After a little work of course. But he looked like he'd make any effort to succeed.
"Are we going to stop here?" He asked, the first words since I'd left Asfi.
"Hm, you probably can't see as well as I can in the dark." I replied, looking at them both, making Ares shrink back from me and what probably looked like golden predator eyes, "And since I'd rather not have to carry either of you because you twisted an ankle or some such..."
"Ma'am is kind." Marius replied, "Might I suggest under that overhang? We left some of our fire making supplies there, in our haste."
The two of them sat facing the fire across from me. I'd tied the end of their ropes to my arm, and kept it away from the fire. "Ares, I'm curious about something."
He was rather subdued, his face had grown drawn, as if his defeat was really just sinking in now. "Ask, dark haired fiend." He said.
"Have you ever thought about something other than war?" I asked, "I understand, that as Ares, the God of War, it is what you do. But, is that all?"
"Is there anything else?" His voice had a little more spirit in it now. "I am the God of War! It is my every thought from the time I wake, to the time I sleep!"
Marius looked resigned, that tired look returning to his eyes. I think I heard him mumble 'muscle head' too.
"I understand that. But what if you applied that, and instead of fighting people, you fought a problem." I replied, thinking maybe some Gods just needed a little hiccup in their programming to see something differently.
"What do you mean? Isn't conquest the greatest achievement of war? No! It is the very purpose!" If his hands weren't behind his back, he'd probably be making dramatic hand gestures by now.
"Oh? Then you are saying people are the only thing you can fight? Unexpected from a God of War." I teased.
"You dare doubt me?!" He riled, trying to stand, but failing. Probably because he forgot he was tied up. Even Ganesha wasn't this thick.
"Could you not fight famine? The bane of all people? Or sickness, another thing that can bring entire nations to their knees. Prepare your lands for a siege, not by people but disaster? What good is conquest when something as simple as a flood, or starvation may defeat you before you even start?" I hid my smile as Ares stopped trying to get up, landing on his rear again with a grunt.
"It is true. An army moves on its stomach." He replied, calming down. "And sickness would slow even the strongest of men."
Aha.
"Think on that, Lord Ares." I added the honorific for style, trying not to interrupt what I hoped was the start of a tiny bit of change in an otherwise immutable being. I glanced to Marius, and he was smiling slightly at me.
"Oh its the Fox." I heard a voice call from across the plateau, "I know those ears anywhere."
"Aha." I said to my two prisoners, then called across to the voice, "Tiona?"
"Tione!" Came the reply, "You should know the difference by now!" She came closer, the larger breasted of the Amazon twins breaking into the circle of light from the campfire.
"Sorry, it's hard to tell unless you are side by side. Though your voice is a little deeper." I replied with a smile.
"Hey!" Tiona, the lesser endowed, said from just behind her, "Why do you have to be so mean... Oh, you look like you've had a bad day." The two of them stood near me, Tiona looking at me while her sister observed the captives.
"It's been eventful." I replied, suddenly feeling tired. "I'd like to talk to Loki, if She's around."
"Sure, She's down at the bottom, with Finn and Riviera. Asfi told us you'd be around here someplace so we scouted ahead." Tiona replied, "You know, I'd always thought Ares would be taller, and who's this?"
"Marius, crown prince of Rakia, at your service." He replied formally, his state of being tied up not hindering him one bit. "I'd bow, but..."
"Oh, he's not bad looking. Personal spoil of war?" Tione leaned down over me, head on my shoulder, rubbing her cheek against mine, "Even though you have that darling Haruhime?"
Playing along, I hooked an arm around her hip, turning my head and making an attempt to nip her ear, "I much prefer the ladies, though I'd bet if you asked nice Marius would love to chat with you, over dinner some time." Even my tail got into the act, wrapping itself around her upper leg.
All at once, Marius blushed, sputtering an apology, Tione blushed as well as suppressed a moan as I actually managed to catch her ear between my lips, and Tiona dissolved into laughter. Growling quietly, just for her, I let Tione go, smiling as she backed up a pace trying to stammer out a half dozen denials at once.
Mimicking Eina's professional 'ahem', I tried to get things back in order, "I don't suppose either of you have any food do you?" It had been over a day and a half since I'd had that rice ball, after all.
I sighed, not for the first time that afternoon, as we, that being most of the Loki Familia aces, myself, Ares and Marius marched back to Orario.
The sisters, after sharing their food with us, kept watch while we slept. The next morning, after greeting the collection of Loki Familia, as well as Loki herself, I asked if I could have a bit of an audience.
The reason for my sigh was that to be granted this audience, I'd have to carry Loki on my back while we talked.
"You know, Loki." I spoke in English, partly for the secrecy, the other so I'd be perfectly clear on my intention. "I think I know why you seem to have no luck with groping your female Familia members."
Her legs were hooked over my hips, leaving her hands to hold onto my breasts under the borrowed tabard. "Oh? Whyzzat?" Her hands stopped for a moment as she asked.
"You're terrible at it." I replied, hopping slightly to settle her weight on my back a little better. She was feather light, but her attention on my chest was making her wiggle about happily. "All enthusiasm, no technique."
"Oh? You think that's it?"
"I know that's it. You're going to bruise me if you keep that up." I grumbled, "Now, if you're going to insist on putting your hands there, I'm gonna have to ask you to pretend they aren't for grip training."
"You're no fun you know that?"
"Do I have to tell Ais on you? Or call Riviera over?"
"Urk..."
"That's better. Now to business?" I sighed again, relaxing my face from the hour's worth of trying to endure Loki's utter lack of skill.
"Finnnnnne."
"I'd like Marius turned over to me after Ares is dealt with." I said flatly.
"Pfffft! Really? What makes you think... You're serious aren't you?" She stopped in mid taunt as my tail flicked itself across her back lightly. "Why?"
"He's a smart man. Good head for tactics, knows his people, knows himself. He's kept his head clear of the mindless worship the rest of his country has fallen into." I replied, wincing again as Loki's hands wandered, "Gently please."
"Sorry. But yeah, so?" She leaned over a little, resting her head between my ears. "I mean, what good is that to you? We would ransom him back later anyhow right? Heck you caught him, you'd get a cut."
So I told her my plan, her hands moving from my breasts to my ears. Those she at least treated gently, and I had to concentrate to stop myself from getting distracted.
"Oh... Oh that's sneaky. Positively, absolutely down right dirty. But a really good idea. Where did you come up with that idea?" She asked after I'd finished, "For all her braggin' about you and the Little Rookie, itty bitty isn't joking about you bein' smart."
"So, do I have your support in this? Without one of the top Familia giving me a little backing, I doubt the guild will go along with it." I replied, my tail swishing behind me worriedly.
"Bah, the guild is powerless, to be honest. If it weren't for Ouranos supporting them..." Loki started.
"It's there to provide the illusion of balance so all the Familia in Orario at least pretend to get along, I know." I shrugged, "Freya, with Ottar and the rest of her Familia could take the city in a week at worst. We all know it, but that would ruin everyone's fun."
"And we're all about fun!" She crowed, her hands dropping back under the tabard, "Sure, I'll vouch for you. It's a good idea, and it might actually work!"
"Thank you. Now... About these hands of yours... Treat them like you were doing with my ears. Seriously, you'll have a much better response."
"Like this?"
"No touching bare skin."
"Aww..."
"But yes like that."
"Yay!"
Behind me, I could hear Finn whispering to Riviera, "Any idea what she's so happy about?"
"Aside from the obvious?" Came the curt reply.
"Well yes."
"No idea."
And so it came to pass that Ares, God of war and More Or Less Lord of all of Rakia, was brought to Orario for the crime of war, general idiocy, and a list of other things that went along with it. Excusing myself during the procession, I led Marius back to the Hestia/Takemikazuchi home of Hearthstone manor. I'd be meeting with Ares personally later, if nothing went wrong, but I needed to clear something up first.
"This city..." Marius marvelled as we walked towards home. I'd untied him, after he swore to behave himself. "It is so vibrant, when I compare it to home."
"All due to the dungeon, and the tender care the guild puts into keeping the place from burning down." I replied only a little sarcastically.
"Truly a marvel. How does it run with so many different Familia?"
"It's... Hard to explain. But..." And I started to explain. About the guild, the rules, and the endless balancing act. "It's not as if there aren't problems, but for the most part, it works." I finished.
"Amazing. I'm surprised that some of the Familia play along. The way you describe the top Familia..." He replied, his head turning to look at things as we walked past.
"It's all in the pursuit of amusement. They all know that if they pushed too hard, it would stop being fun." I said with a sigh, "But, we're here." I pointed to the white marble building as it came into view.
"That's you isn't it?" He commented as I unlatched the gate.
"Yes. They keep thinking I'm wise or some such. Bell, you'll meet him later, and I were the first two members of Hestia Familia. Our smith, Welf, you'll probably get along with him, cast it himself."
"Welf Crozzo." He said, "I hope he doesn't hold this foolishness against me... Is that a monster?"
"He's pretty laid back usually. Sort of. That's Chime, our mascot." I picked up the rabbit, who was napping by a pillar near the main door. It opened its eyes as I did so, its ears perking up and his head leaning into my hand as I pet the soft fur. "Chime, this is Marius. Friend." I held out the critter and the soldier accepted it automatically.
"Huh... I have much to learn." He mumbled, letting the rabbit sniff his fingers before he tried petting it.
"Big sister is back!" one of the many orphans said as I motioned Marius to kick off his boots.
Notes!
Going to pause this one here. I'm curious to see if anyone can guess what Kodori is trying to do with Marius. Some of you have commented on how level headed she can be, and I figured I might try and work a little more with that.
As well, I wonder if anyone caught the movie reference I made. I dropped a game reference a while ago, with the rust red armour of hers, but no one said anything. :)
And how did you like her new 'manifestation'? Too much? Too little? At least she didn't pass out?
See you all again soon, and thank you for reading.