(edit, years later...)
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Chapter 39
"Um..." I started, looking down at the young woman's face trying to hide against Bell's chest, even though she was wrapped in a cloak. Woman... Well... 'Female' would have been more accurate. Aside from all the dried blood, and there was a lot of dried blood caked to her hair, forehead, neck and what I could see of her shoulders, there was the otherworldly colour of her hair.
Silver blue hair. I'd never seen anything like it. Even in a city as widely varied as Orario. But that wasn't all. What I could see of her shoulders, past the dried blood, was covered in scales. Not unlike what made up my coat, these were solid looking and sharp edged. Her eyes too, were different. Like mine, they were a liquid gold, slit in the middle like a cat's. But as she blinked at me fearfully, I could see a secondary eyelid, much like an amphibian's. And lastly was a garnet coloured gem on her forehead. Hard to see under all the dried blood, it was unmistakeably part of her, and not a decoration.
She was a monster. A wounded, terrified monster. I kept my contact down to a simple brush against her hair, but even my presence was making her shiver in fear. No matter what you were, animal or human, 'fear' was an easy emotion to spot.
"I found her while I was doing my last sweep." Bell explained, his arms giving the girl a gentle squeeze that seemed to calm her a little. "She was hiding in a little alcove, wounded very badly. Even though she's... A monster..." He had a hard time calling her that, I could tell, "She was so scared." The girl had stopped shivering as he spoke, his voice seeming to calm her a little as well. Curious. "Her leg was broken, she had been cut, and clawed, by monsters and adventurers both. So I used a potion on the worst of it, and splinted her leg for now."
I nodded, holding off on judging him for helping a monster. He'd probably sprinkled or rubbed some potion on her wounds, instead of making her drink it. Broken bones would heal badly if force healed when they weren't set properly. I clenched my fist in memory of when I shattered my arm.
"But... As I started to leave, a fire bird attacked her!" He continued, the girl twitching again at the mention of 'fire bird'. "Even when I attacked the fire bird, it ignored me and tried to kill her."
"Ignored you?" I asked, Bell nodding quickly. He was pretty much incapable of telling a lie, so I took his words at face value. "Why would..."
"What should we do?" Bell asked, raising the hood of the cloak again to cover the girl's face. There was a little squeak of alarm, but Bell gave her another little squeeze again. "She's not just a monster... She can speak just like us!"
"Well... Umm... Stay here. I have to tell the girls dinner is ready. Take her a little way's that way, stay out of sight for a few minutes, then come back. We can explain everything with everyone together. Being clean, and not hungry, will improve everyone's mood."
Mikoto was just starting to ladle out bowls of rice and cloud fruit sauce when Bell entered the clearing, still carrying his bundle. Of course, all attention went to him, but I started the conversation. "Took you long enough Bell, come sit." I nodded to the spot next to me, moving my pack out of the way deliberately to make space for him.
"Bell... Who's that?" Welf asked, "We were wondering where you went, I mean, we know you can handle yourself, but its still pretty nuts down there."
"Did Mister Bell rescue some one else again?" Lilly asked, "Another girl? Really?"
Just as planned, everyone had a bowl and spoon in hand, and wasn't getting up to investigate. The more curious minds of our group would certainly have tried to peek under the hood of the cloak otherwise.
"Well... Umm..." Bell sat down slowly next to me, but...
"ah... ow..." Unable to help it, the mystery girl's legs moved a little, probably wiggling the broken leg.
"It is a girl." Haruhime said from beside me. "Bell-dono... Why did you carry off another girl when you have so many others?" My opposite giggled as my tails took turns swishing against her, "Sorry Ko-san... He is so adorable when he blushes." She whispered to me.
I held up a hand to stop Chigusa and Lilly, our two supporters and first aid experts, from getting up, earning myself a puzzled look from both of them. "Bell?" I nodded to him.
The reaction around the circle made me stand up to put myself between the rest of them, before I even knew was I was doing. Bowls were dropped, weapons were half drawn or picked up, others backed off. I cursed inwardly at the timing, and the hopes that food would stop the knee jerk reaction.
Most surprising of all to them, was the sudden reaction made the bundle in Bell's arms try and curl away from them. The sound she made too, was distinctly one of fear.
"Bell! That's a monster!"
"It's not just a pretty face!"
"Get away from it Bell!"
"They are the en..em...y..."
I hated doing this, especially to my friends, but I let out the breath I'd been holding in a long slow growl, the air around me darkening as my aura bled purple. And this time, the bundle made a different noise.
Crying. Helpless grief. The sound of someone who had lost hope and was in a corner.
"This one... Is different." I said, relaxing, "Sit down, and let him explain first."
Warily, everyone sat back down. Bowls were recovered, spoons were held, and as Bell told his story, the one hand on the girl's back patting her through the cloak to calm her down again, the rest of us managed to eat a few mouthfuls. He finished with the same line, "She's not just a monster. She can speak."
I could see it in the eyes of my friends. A look I'd gotten much of my life for being the 'odd one out' the 'nerd' the 'geek' the 'little kid'. I could understand why. In this world, there were 'people' 'gods' and 'monsters'. Ever since the dungeon was created, and the gods descended to keep them contained, it had always been thus. Generations of the fact that 'monsters are the enemy'.
Distrust.
But as Bell explained, and the monster girl's reaction to my few seconds of letting my anger show, they could all see something WAS different about her. Not once had she been aggressive. Her face had been uncovered for all to see, and her eyes, now that everyone had sat back down and settled, were looking at each of us with easily readable expressions. Fear mostly, but also curiosity. Had she been just another violent unthinking monster, she'd never have sat still while we talked. Had she been aggressive... well, Bell's exposed throat was within easy reach of her teeth.
"She can speak?" Welf asked.
"I'm no expert, but, isn't that impossible?" Marius added.
"She can." Bell said, looking like he wanted to scratch the back of his head, "She reminds me of Miss Kodori, like that."
I gave him a raised eyebrow, but smiled a bit too.
"Lilly thinks Bell is crazy."
"bell?" The girl asked, our circle sprouting a forest of raised eyebrows.
"Yes?" Bell answered automatically, looking down, "That's my name."
"Name?" She asked, her voice sounding... less scared of itself. "Bell is name... Name is Bell!"
She sort of dissolved from there. Saying Bell's name over and over while clinging to him happily. The rest of them alternated between wide eyed looks and disbelieving mutters. I kept watch over all of them, but it seemed they had started to accept this new hitch in their reality. Much like I had to when I arrived, they were fully grasping this new truth. Monsters might be the enemy, but THIS monster was capable of speaking. THIS monster could show human emotion. THIS monster was not, at the moment, their enemy.
It was a start.
"So, now what?" Welf asked, still keeping his distance from our new... Acquisition?
"It's obvious Master Bell wants to help her." Lilly grumbled. Of us all, she was the least fond of the idea a monster was among us.
"Isn't that..." Marius started, stopping himself from rubbing a hand through his now missing hair, "Frowned upon?"
"Aside from tamed monsters, mostly owned by Ganesha Familia, monsters above ground are..." Ouka started, shrugging after he trailed off. "I'm not opposed... Sh... It seems not harmless but..."
Ouka rubbed his side as Chigusa elbowed him.
"She is very attached to Bell-kun." Asuka said with a quiet laugh, "I mean..."
Poor Bell couldn't even eat, what with his new friend clinging to him. Even now, she was still holding on to him like he was the only thing in the world. He was also acting like he usually would when a girl cling to him. Even I could see, under all the dried blood, she was adorable looking. Monster or not.
"If we are bringing her up, it will have to be at night." I said, getting a few sharp looks.
"Miss Kodori is right..." Lilly said grudgingly, "Lilly still thinks it is a stupid idea, but...
She turned away from me as my tails went over to thank her for being understanding. Turn away, but didn't move away. "Best supporter." I mumbled to her thankfully.
"This is a terrible idea." Welf agreed, "But, even if she's a monster, she needs help right?"
"Up?" She asked.
"Yes, to our home." Bell replied, trying not to sound as nervous as he looked while he smiled at her. "Above, to the surface."
"Surface... Up..." She sounded unsure, but not opposed.
"But first." I said, sniffing the air, "We are not bringing her home smelling like dried blood and ash." My eyes went to Haruhime, "Love? I'll need a hand. Lilly, could I get a bandage?"
Lilly had probably gone a little overboard with the blindfold, and Mikoto had insisted on following us as well, but we led Bell, his head mummified from the nose upwards, and his cargo back to the stream.
"White?" The girl asked, starting to lift a hand towards Bell's blindfold. When I saw the fine blood coloured claws sprouting from each of her fingertips, I reached out a hand to stop her from touching the bandage. As my hand closed carefully over hers, she turned her head suddenly to me, eyes wide and full of fear, but I smiled back at her.
"Yes. White." I answered, trying to keep my voice gentle. As if I was speaking to a shy animal.
Which I more or less was.
Being a big sister is hard.
"Um... Even if I can't see..." Bell started, the sound of moving water filtering through the air.
"Don't worry little brother." I said.
He sat down carefully as we got there. Uncaring, I started stripping down to my underwear, Bell's surprise having stopped me from taking a quick scrub myself. After setting my equipment aside, I reached for the girl again, "Relax. Let him go please?"
Slowly, I managed to get her to reposition herself so I could mostly take the cloak off her. Bell gulped, unable to see, but feel the girl move around in his arms. Aware of her leg, I tried to be as careful as possible, and found that Bell had done a good job with the materials he had to make a splint out of his knife sheath.
The next question, as I stood in the river, supporting a slim robin egg blue skinned leg, was how I was going to set this, and not make her even more scared of me as she already was.
"Bell?"
"Y-yes?" he stammered, turning his head so he could hear me better.
"Give her a hug." I told him, making eye contact with Mikoto, and tapping my arms then pointing to the girl. "And hold her tight."
"B..." My tone of voice made it an order, and being a smart young man, I'm sure he could guess why.
The girl on the other hand, while seemingly happy to have her new favourite thing in the whole world cross his arms over her slender stomach, had one eye half closed in pain as I held her broken leg just above the break itself. Haruhime and Mikoto both got behind Bell, then as I nodded, they held onto the girls upper arms, and with a bit of pressure and a little tug, I set the bone with the ugly sound of a wet branch snapping.
She cried, she tried to struggle, but with Haruhime Mikoto Bell and myself holding her in place, she could only endure. As soon as she opened her eyes again, Haruhime put a potion in Bell's hand, and the boy pressed it to the girl's pale blue lips.
"potion..." She mumbled, the sound of her voice still startling to the two Easterners. "Pain... Gone?"
"Yes. For now." I said, gently handling the freshly healed leg. Like the rest of her, is was slender and lean. Deceptively weak looking. In the ten or so seconds I held her leg while she settled, I had to use a lot of effort to keep her from kicking me, or hurting herself more. "Can you let go of Bell?"
Conflicted, she looked like she wasn't going to, but after a moment, with Haruhime, myself, and even Mikoto giving her a smile, she relaxed a little and took my hand so I could lead her into the water.
"Brr..." She said as her legs slipped into the stream, "cold."
After being brought up from a fire bird uprising, anything would seem cold I suppose. "Haruhime, love? Try and get her back cleaned up a little, careful of the scales."
"Haru...hime? Name?" the girl asked as the golden fox tied up her robe to just under her hips and sat with just her calves in the stream.
"Yes." She smiled, her tail swishing happily.
I had to lightly take her hand again, my thumb against the palm of her hand to avoid her sharp needle pointed claws, "Tail? ..." She looked at me, and my collection, then twisted a little to look behind herself, "No tail..."
Poor Bell... Knowing the power of the male imagination first hand, especially at that age, I felt sorry for him. We scrubbed an amazing amount of dried blood, dirt, soot and dungeon bits off of her, even though she was a little shorter than Haruhime. She seemed to warm up to us, at least, she stopped shying away every time my hands brushed a little of the sand from the river bed over her skin. Haruhime, she seemed to adore, as the fox girl ran her hands through a huge amount of silky white and blue hair.
It was probably for the best he wasn't looking. He may have seen her dirty and naked, when he rescued her. But clean and naked... Everything about her was just shy of 'natural' beauty. Perfect skin that was just a little too blue to be normal. Eyes like mine, yet with the extra eyelid. Ears like an elf, only a little more pointed. Slender, perfectly formed limbs, with sharp scales at the shoulders, hips and down some of her back. Pale blue lips that could smile bright enough to light a room, with slightly extended canines, made for eating meat. A body that was just growing into womanhood, with small perky breasts and a perfectly toned belly... With no navel.
But even Mikoto, who had her hand on her sword the entire time, seemed to soften a little at the sheer innocence of the monster girl. Though, every time I used my unbreakable grip to guide those sharp claws away from either myself or Haruhime, she would tighten the grip on her sword just a little.
Eventually, we got both her, and the salamander wool cloak rinsed off, and wrapped her back up in it.
"Not cold... Bell? Bell!" She exclaimed happily as I put her in Bell's arms and got myself dressed again.
"Now, you have to stay quiet until later, okay?" I said to her, "Sleep for a while. Bell will protect you."
Never before had a victorious trip home been so... quiet. The girl had actually just... Fallen asleep, just like I'd suggested. Though a brief peek at her face showed it was out of exhaustion more than anything else. Both sets of Familia members were thinking deeply about what had been revealed today. Monsters were the enemy. But all monsters? Were there others?
We were also physically exhausted too. Some more than others. I was carrying Haruhime on my back, though mostly because she accepted my offer, not because she couldn't walk. Lilly did tease her about that, but even that was a rather subdued event. Welf was quietly inspecting gear as we walked went upwards, not speaking. Takemikazuchi Familia as a whole were encircling Bell and the girl, to keep as many potential prying eyes away from him, as well as be the first to act if the brittle truce they had given the monster girl be broken.
We had timed our exit of the tower with the last change in shifts with the guild employees who worked the exchange counters. Much to Lilly's grumbling, but also due to her suggestion, we didn't even turn in our magic stones for the day. We simply wanted to use the cover of darkness to get home, with as few eyes on us as possible.
And thankfully, we managed to do so. With our last task, being to explain ourselves to Hestia and Takemikazuchi.
I sighed as Hestia gave Bell 'the look'. It was a look between 'sleep on front lawn' and 'grounded for life'. Oddly however, Takemikazuchi was... Not 'okay' with it, but 'accepting'. I suppose being clueless about relationships had its perks in some cases, as the God of war had a hand on Hestia's shoulder so she wouldn't explode.
"So you decided to pick up a stray monster... Really Bell?" Hestia said, keeping a good three paces from Bell and the monster girl. "Even if it looks like a girl, it's not!"
"Actually." I 'ahem'ed my way into the conversation. "Very much a girl."
"You're not helping!" Hestia pointed at me, the members of both Familia doing a nervous laugh.
"Angry?" The monster's voice asked from under Bell's chin, her eyes blink-blinking at Hestia.
"Oh..." This seemed to stop Her short. "It... Really can talk."
"She can." I said, "Talk, laugh, cry, she had shown... A lot more than any base monster I've seen." I said. "And even understand simple phrases. So much better at the local language than I was."
"Miss Kodori is jealous..." Lilly mumbled next to me, making my tails poof up and swish at her, "Eep!"
"We have all accepted Bell's need to save someone." Mikoto said, hand still on the hilt of her sword, "But, what should we do from here?"
There was a moment of contemplation, until Marius raised a hand, "Again, I am no expert. Monsters are all but eradicated around Rakia. But in a city like this? Surely some one else in the city had heard of this?"
About half of us nodded at the though, "But, aside from Ganesha Familia, with the highest amount of tamers, most adventurers simply kill monsters without a second thought." Ouka said, scratching his chin, "Even us... Until now I suppose." He looked over to Bell, who still held the snoozing monster girl in her salamander wool bundle.
"Lilly might know a place to look as well..." the Hestia Familia supporter said reluctantly. "But she would have to hide her appearance. We can't let it be seen."
"Just how bad would it be?" I asked, figuring it wouldn't be THAT terrible.
Until I saw the looks on everyone's face.
"Bringing a monster out of the dungeon without proper procedure is... Very bad." Welf said, pointing to Chime, who had hopped into the room at some point and was snoozing against Hestia's foot. "You got away with it because well..."
"So obviously not a threat." I said, kneeling and collecting the micro monster. It opened its eyes at me, and rubbed its face against my palm. "Yes I'm happy to see you too." I mumbled to it.
Again, Marius raised a hand. "I must admit, I am also ignorant of what sort of monster she is."
I smiled slightly, not just at Marius's honesty, but at him calling the monster 'she' and not 'it'.
"She's a Vouivre." Bell answered quietly, "You were... Missing when Miss Eina gave that lesson." He looked up at me with a hint of sadness. "She was trying to get my mind off you, I know, but since we were trying to go past the eighteenth, she called it a lesson."
"Vouivre... Aren't they dragons? Like... Real, fully grown dragons? With wings?" Asuka asked, eyes wide. "And that the gem... on... oh..."
We'd all seen it, hidden just behind her bangs. The gem like growth on her forehead. "Called the 'Vouivre tear', or 'Prosperity Stone', the gem... It would let us all retire if we sold it." Lilly had dropped her childish manner, her tone almost one of worship at the thought of so much money. She then looked sideways over at Hestia, "Except Lady Hestia. It's not worth that much."
Our Goddess flinched as if stabbed, "Erk... So mean..."
The grim mood lightened somewhat as we all shared a quiet laugh. "So, the problem now, is, what do we do?" Ouka asked, "I mean... We can't really just... Go to the guild. They might well..."
"Hang us out to dry?" Welf said, "Considering all the trouble we've caused for them. I'm sure a pair of little Familia like us would be given quite the slap for this."
I thought for a moment, feeling eyes slowly turning my way. Being the big sister was hard, but being the leader... Welf was right. But maybe not as right as he thought? We had a rocky start but the Guild Master and I saw more eye to eye now. We could also ask, or at least reach a hand out to Ganesha Familia. Lilly's idea had merit as well, but had the greatest risk of exposure, even with her magic.
Hestia was holding, or being held by my tails as I paced back and forth, my fingertips gently brushing Chime's fur. I stopped pacing once I realized I was, and sighed. "Lilly, I'd rather you didn't risk yourself... I'm sure the questions we have will bring the wrong kinds of attention..."
"Lilly is good at hiding." She said confidently.
I nodded, knowing she really was good at hiding. Most of our dungeon evade tactics were founded on her ideas, and she was an old hand at evading people too. "Be extra careful." Hestia let one of my tails go so it could give Lilly a visit. "Lady Hestia? One of your jobs is with Ma'am Hephaestus? Ask her if anyone has mentioned a talking monster before. Cover it by saying one of us heard about it from a raiding party. Since we were part of the raiding party, it's at least a half truth."
Hestia nodded seriously, though a little nervous as well.
"We also have to keep up appearances..." I said, planting my feet so I wouldn't start pacing again. "Takemikazuchi Familia? Odd jobs for tomorrow." They nodded, "If some of us take a day off, its normal. If we all do, it's odd. We are no longer just an 'unknown' pair of Familia. Our walk to the dungeon this morning proved it. People know us, and if we all just stop showing up for work, then people will wonder." An idea struck me, "If anyone asks, say one of us were injured yesterday. If anyone did see us on our way back tonight, Bell carrying someone back wouldn't be unusual."
Mikoto frowned, as did Ouka, but I held up a hand, "It's not a lie, I mean, we all had a rough day, and anyone out that late at night was either tired or drunk, so they'd be hard pressed to remember we were all on our feet."
This got a reluctant nod from them, and I sighed inwardly. I didn't want to force anyone to break their code of ethics, but I was glad they were at least flexible.
"I... Could go to either the guild or Ganesha. I'd have to bring Chime along for either." I started, "Leaving, Bell, Haruhime, and anyone who wants the day off to stay here and keep our guest occupied."
More nods. A few head scratches, chin rubs and cheek taps. We all had the idea now, and a way to hopefully keep our two Familia from being caught.
"So that leaves..." I looked to Bell and the snoozing dragon girl. "A late dinner and sleep."
"Bell, I hope you weren't planning on taking her to your room with you." Hestia said in that passive aggressive voice that made even my spine shiver. "She might look like a girl..."
"Eh... I'll just... Sleep on the couch out here..." He said nervously, "Though... I missed lunch..."
"Mikoto? Help me a moment in the kitchen would you?" I said, heading towards the kitchen after trading Hestia Chime for my tails.
While we put together something to nibble on as a substitute for dinner, Mikoto and I shared a bit of tense silence.
Until, "That wasn't the first time I tasted cloud fruit." I said suddenly, almost making her fumble her knife. "Sorry... You okay?"
"I missed my finger." She admitted, "Kodori-dono... You are... Difficult to keep up with some times."
I let my topic sit a moment, and replied, "Being a big sister is hard. And I am trying to not look like I'm only one step ahead, while being as blind as everyone else in this situation."
"The burden of leadership." She nodded, her pony tail swishing quietly. "I do not like this situation. Or what we must do to keep us all safe." She admitted. "But... It is hard to see ...her... as just another monster."
"Me either. And it is, isn't it?" I nodded, looking sideways at her as one of my tails went to hang between her hip and sword hilt, "But, I'm glad you all trust me so much. I'm sorry I had to get in the way earlier. I hate being a bully like that. But it was the only thing I could think of to make you all stop and think, and not just react."
Mikoto, in her usual way of punishing me, gave my tail a pet with a cold hand, still wet with water from washing a vegetable. "I was surprised, as were we all... But I understand why. Had I been in the same position, I might have drawn my sword." She realized what she just admitted, and started to stammer out a cover up.
I stopped her by putting a hand on her shoulder, "If she wasn't a monster but a person that was hated by crowd. I understand."
She settled down and nodded. "So you were saying, Kodori-dono? You've had cloud fruit before?"
"I am almost certain. It was during my time away." I put down the knife I was using to slice some meat, and rubbed my temples, "I only have hints of memory of what was probably a week spent in someone's care. I don't remember faces, but someone fed me at least once, and it was that. That taste exactly. The smell too. I remember it." I sighed as the little flash of an image faded from my mind, my hands putting together some sandwiches, "But... It's still not all there."
"As strong as you are, you would not have been unhurt from that encounter." Mikoto said, picking up a platter, "But, you were in someone's care. You should thank them, if you ever meet again."
"I intend to. It let me come back, after all." I picked up the second platter, and followed her to the living room.
I was alone, in the massive bath. Most of the women, and some of the men, had all decided to camp out in the living room. Arranged on the couches and chairs, bringing blankets from their rooms. I myself trusted Bell, his 'innocent boy magnetism' completely ineffective on me. Sure, I looked up to him as a paragon of heroic ideals, but as a partner? Nope.
Everyone else on the other hand... Hestia wanted to protect him, and was maybe coming around to the idea of possibly claiming him for herself. Lilly most certainly wanted Bell for herself. Haruhime had hinted at it a few times, very shyly all things considered, and mentioned she wouldn't mind sharing if it came to that. And Mikoto... I wasn't sure, but I knew she saw Bell as 'special', even though I knew Mikoto practically burned for Takemikazuchi.
And that was just in this household.
That didn't count Syr. Who still made Bell a lunch every morning, even if he didn't always claim it. Ryuu, while not romantically interested... I think, had expressed concern a few times over him, and all the problems we got involved with. Eina was at least 'big sister' but might have other thoughts she was simply too busy to admit to. Both the cat girls at the Hostess of Fertility thought he was adorable. The amazon twins Tiona and Tione had once called him 'delicious', and then...
Ais. I wondered if Ais herself had any idea of just how much Bell wanted to be like her. It had been a while since I'd heard Bell mention her, and I wondered if he still held that Olympian sized torch for her. And I wondered if she even had a clue.
I took my time in the bath. The hot water soaking through all my bruises and washing away most of the little aches that had settled in from a long day of fighting. Knowing I'd be sleeping alone tonight kind of made me sad, but I'd manage.
Of course, I held that thought until I actually got my head to the pillow.
And camped out with the rest of them, sneaking under the blankets next to Haruhime as we all kept watch on Bell and the dragon girl.
Notes.
I realized, after writing this, I forgot to put in a scene. I'll do that next time. It's not amazingly important, or well.. It IS important. But the placement isn't so much.
Until next time. :)