Chapter 60 - Hermes' Revenge
The next day, Bell woke up first and he was relieved after his confession. He got ready while Ais was still sleeping and went downstairs. When Ais woke up, she was feeling extremely self-conscious. Remembering what Bell said just made her flushed. She took extra care to brush her teeth and washed her face. She combed her long hair for an extra long time before heading down for breakfast...
During breakfast, Tiona dropped by the Hestia home for their camping trip. Everyone was all packed up and ready for their assignment. Hoping the gods would show up in the places that Enyo detected them previously, they were going to camp in the same locations. Ais and Bell would be going to the shack by the sea about 15 miles from Melen, while Wiene and Tiona would be going to the volcano.
Before leaving, Tiona pulled Bell aside and nudged him a little "Romance by the ocean. I want to hear about some progress, you know what I mean : ) If I do not, I will tell everyone over dinner that you said you two have been doing very naughty things in your room ever since Hermes' training..." Bell gulped but tried hard to be cool...
On their way to the shack, Ais and Bell first stopped at Melen again to see if anyone has seen any sign of any god. They saw Njord's familia but they said there is nothing new. When they got to the same shack, no one was there and none of the fishing equipment seemed to have been moved. Thus, they set up camp next to the shack and got things ready for lunch and dinner. There was a quick call with Hestia to let them know what was going on, and then a quick call with Finn and Riveria also to update them. Before they hung up, Riveria said to them "Have fun, but not too much fun ..." Afterwards, since they brought their swimming clothes, so Bell went spear fishing using Ais' sword. Having caught enough, he return to their camp and roasted the fish with Ais for lunch. Remembering Tiona's threat, Bell decided to pull something out of Hermes' playbook. Bell suggested going swimming and fishing together later, which Ais gladly agreed to...
Meanwhile, Wiene and Tiona reached the volcano. Tiona was enjoying her first flight with Wiene. They circle around the volcano and nearby areas and confirmed there was no sign of civilization. They then landed a little bit from the volcano to set up camp. They caught a deer, so they would eat well out there, with all the boars and deers. After lunch, Wiene went flying around again to search for any signs of life, while Tiona stayed by the camp hoping someone would show up. Fortunately, Finn remember to give her one of the magic swords so she could defend herself if needed. Until they find something or someone shows up, it is going to be a long wait...
Back at the ocean, Ais flew around by herself to look for any signs of any other shacks or anyone, but did not find any new shacks or people beyond those they found yesterday. Bell just enjoyed the nice day waiting for the owner of the shack to return. After flying for a couple hours, Ais came back and they went swimming and fishing. They first put Hermes' training to good use by diving around the area to see if they can find any clues. After 30 minute, they found nothing, but agreed to dive at a different location the next day. After the diving, they went back to the safety of the shallow water. Putting his Hermes cap on, Bell suggested wrestling to see who can win a 3-sec pin. Compared to earlier training, Bell was much stronger but he let Ais pin him a couple times. The competitive aspect kept the embarrassment under control, but then he got serious and pinned Ais for 3 seconds. After 3 seconds, he would not let Ais go. After some struggling, Ais gave in and Bell got his kiss. Totally embarrassed, both were bright red, but Bell got a couple more for good measure. At that point, they thought they heard a far away scream but did not see anyone, though Hestia's attendants had to help her regain consciousness in heaven... Afterwards, they went to spear a few more fish for dinner.
That night, Wiene and Tiona enjoyed the campfire in the wilderness and laughed about how many months they were going to stay there...
After their seafood dinner, Bell and Ais also enjoyed the campfire by the ocean. Ais had been incredibly quiet since the kisses. In the tent, Bell suggested some more wrestling and was rewarded again...