Disclaimer:
I do not own DanMachi or any of those series characters. Nor do I make any money off my writing.
Synopsis:
It's been six years since the fall of Zeus and Hera familias and the world has changed. Its a time where civilians and adventurers alike are terrorized by Evilus, a group that seems content to slowly seep the great city into a pool of chaos. And it's at this time that Gareth Landlock, high-executive of the Loki familia, stumbles across a six year old dungeon orphan in the middle of a crowded street.
Ch 6: Training A Hero
Evilus'R Us (Valletta)
A feminine voice echoed in the cool confines of a dimly lit room. "Report."
Magic stone powered lamps hung from exposed rafters, and while the devices could have lit the room brighter than the noonday sun, they had long ago been dimmed per the preference of the room's owner. It gave an overall intimate feeling to the gathering, one that was only enhanced by the boarded up windows sealed to preserve the privacy of those within. However, it was not the intimate feeling of a lover, cuddled close and protected from the outside world, but rather that of a knife's edge held over flesh, and the promise of certain imminent violence.
The speaker and owner of the room lounged on a couch set against the far wall. She leaned back into it, the black t-shirt she wore under a fur lined, black leather duster was artistically shredded to expose her midriff and the lean lines of her abdominal muscles.
The woman considered the portly man in front of her, and casually flicked her head to the side allowing pink pixie cut hair to gently fan out before settling once more. The features of her angular face were more striking than beautiful. Not that anyone would dare joke about Valletta Grede, Captain of the Thanatos familia, to her face. Especially if they noticed that tiny hint of madness that played behind her yellow eyes.
The man before her was known as Wort, and gently clutched a clipboard filled with various papers and reports. He didn't have the air one may expect of someone currently standing before one of the various faction leaders of the group known as Evilus. In fact, he didn't look all too impressed by the person in front of him either, or the other two that occupied the room as well.
But looks can be deceiving. It wasn't that he was fearless, or courageous. The man simply understood that he was useful, and so long as he was useful he could continue to serve.
Wart glanced down at the top most sheet on his clipboard before finally opening his mouth.
"Production of cursed weapons has more than doubled due to our latest acquisition." Short, stocky fingers rustled the papers on the clipboard, rifling through several dozen before he found the page he was looking for. "One 'Suji Collbrande'. However, our stockpile is still expected to be low for sometime due to the recent loss of several key warehouses where they were being stored."
Valletta's knuckles popped as her fists tightened in apparent frustration. "Curse that Graego familia captain. I TOLD him to move those items into the deep vaults weeks ago."
A half dozen feet away, a lean, long white haired man chuckled darkly where he sat on the edge of an adjacent worn sofa. The man's crisp gray and white clothes being a stark contrast to his own captain's attire.
"Endless oblivion, talk about a bad time for Erebus to go off galavanting on a vacation."
Erebus, patron of the Erebus Familia and self-described presider over evil incarnate, was the originator of Evilus as an organization. During the reign of Zeus and Hara familias he had gathered together the loose group of familias with a shared vision to upend the current order.
Valletta glanced sideways at the white haired man bearing a grin that ventured from mear friendly and potentially bordered near manic. "Why Olivas are you volunteering to find and bring back the esteemed 'God of Evil'?"
"How dull." Remarked the lone other figure who leaned into the shadows of the room's corner. His voice was unquestionably male, but with a light tenner musical quality to it. Despite the figure's long black robe and raised cowl no one who glanced upon them would mistake this individual as a mere mortal. "Without Erebus' support, any combined action is bound to the whims and ego of the individual familias."
"God Thanatos is correct." Wart remarked, nodding in deference to the god's point. "Without Erebus' support, any plan we come up with is unlikely to gather support from even the weakest familias such as Graego, let alone one of the more powerful familias like Alecto or Apate."
"Perhaps…" Valletta ventured, drawing out the word as she tapped her fingers against a smile that played on her lips. "Perhaps it's time for that to change."
Thanatos' hood raised slightly, and even with his face still veiled behind shadows those in the room could easily hear the god's mirth. "The familia's attitudes or their loyalty to Euranos?"
"Both." Valletta said with a glint in her eye. "Starting with the Graego Captain. I feel their next captain will be more…" Valletta tapped her tongue against the roof of her mouth making a 'tsk' sound. "...manageable in the future."
Valletta took in a deep breath before she rounded back to Wart. "So this Soji Collibrand, were we able to secure suitable motivation for his work?"
"Certainly, his immediate family is being detained in ward C of the complex."
"Good, I'd hate to see another asset leave our little group like his predecessor did."
"Perhaps he wouldn't have if we didn't leave him access to a knife..." Olivas remarked as he popped the knuckles of first one hand, then the other.
It was a criticism Olivas had raised numerous times before, and one he refused to let go of, despite the previous blacksmith having ample opportunity with other long pointy things he had been painstakingly crafting for Evilus for some time.
"You are starting to become a part of the problem Olivas, not the solution." Valletta literally growled at the man.
An eerie stillness overcame Olivas as he froze in place mid-motion. It was the same behavior of an animal that had just realized that it was standing in the middle of a frozen lake and heard the first deep crack in the ice underfoot. Olivas was cautious and a planner first, and the landscape didn't favor him here.
With a bow of his head in Vallette's direction Olivas conceded without objection.
"And back to the subject at hand, is Collibrand related to the Hephestus captain?"
Papers rustled once again as Wart rifled back to the correct page of his notes. "Yes... she is his younger sister. Their parents are buried in the Adventurer's graveyard."
"Perhaps we can utilize him and his family to pressure her as well. Having an additional angle to the plan could prove beneficial."
A quiet laugh echoed from the shadowed corner of the room. "Why Vallette, how many side projects do you plan on cultivating?"
"You can never have too many plans, Thanatos. That's something you told me."
"True. And only having one plan is awfully boring. In any case, there is a new star in our midst I feel you'll be quite thrilled to hear about."
Vallette considered the gods words for a second before she waved toward the others still in the room. "Leave us."
As the others shuffled out she fully turned toward the god who finally glided out of the shadows only to sit on Olivas recently free'd seat. The god's now visible dark purple eyes and hair, still framed by the black cowl.
"Do tell Thanatos, what have you been up to lately? I thought something may have been distracting you."
The Workshop (Bell)
Bell wiped the mild sweat from his bow as he ascended the last few steps to the top most room in the twilight manor's south tower. As the Manor had initially been built with additional rooms to expand for new, future Adventurers, there were a plethora of empty rooms in the towers. Yet when the Adventurers came back from a hard day in the dungeon, the last thing any of them wanted to do was climb a half dozen flights just to crash in their beds. As such, many of the familia's Adventurers occupied rooms that were closer to the ground floor.
It was always a long climb, and today was no exception even with his newfound strength and endurance. But as Bell came upon the last landing he rounded upon a suspiciously clean wooden door. Sounds of light cursing and scraping noises originated just on its other side, yet despite this, Bell grinned and quickly let himself in.
Months ago when Bell had first found this dusty attic its only inhabitants among the stored furniture and accumulated dust were the small roost of owls he had watched grow from fledgeling owlets to full grown owls that went on to leave an empty nest. Bell was young and watching those young chicks grow from awkward chicks seemed akin to what he himself had been going through at the time. He, like them, needed to spread his wings. That was one of the reasons why he dedicated himself to studying Riveria's schooling even if she could be extremely intense at times. It was why he had taken running messages for his familia so seriously. And it was one of the reasons he had initially started to help Kalos with his 'experiments' after Riveria and Gareth had become busy with leading counter Evilus operations.
After the 'dining room incident' Kalos had been granted the use of this mostly neglected section of the manor. After Riveria forbade Kalos from his 'experimenting' in the common areas, and then his personal quarters were deemed 'problematic' for his tests as he was surrounded by others, the executives were left little choice then to designate a space where Kalos would be the sole casualty if anything went awry.
"The roof is better suited for that sort of tinkering..." Gareth had told Kalos as the executive had handed over a key to the attic's door. Bell, who was following Gareth at the time, had watched Kalos' eyes light up at the prospect of finally getting his own space for a 'workshop' even while Gareth had continued on about if an explosion happened it would be easier to replace the roof then a collapsed tower.
The room Bell entered hardly looked like the old attic anymore. The dust and stored furniture were gone, replaced by several long tables that ran the perimeter of the room and a single one that rested in its center where Kalos currently sat, working on some new apparatus. Other half completed projects, various tools, and books cluttered the surrounding surfaces. Most of the items had previously been stuffed in Kalos' personal quarters before he brought them up here. Magic-stone powered lamps hung from the rafters, bathing everything in a well lit and steady glow. Even if Kalos had already had most of the tools and project components, he must have spent a sizable amount of dungeon earnings to complete the space.
Yet even with the new space and additional tools something always seemed to go away with Kalos' designs. Being a mostly self-taught inventor seemed to have its drawbacks. Billowing smoke and caustic fumes were a common occurrence though very few actually ended in an actual explosion.
Kalos looked up from the apparatus he was fiddling with just as the door's latch caught shut. "Ahh, young Bell! Your new falna is all anyone is talking about for some time now, how is it going? Oh! Hand me that mortar and pestle please." Kalos pointed to the far end of the table where a medium sized round stone bowl rested with its pestle poking out.
And as Bell heaved to pick it up, he was surprised to realize that the stone bowl didn't seem as heavy as the last time he picked it up. Actually it felt relatively light in comparison. So light in fact that the usual momentum Bell used to pick up the bowl pitched him up and away from the table completely.
"Careful!" A spindly hand reached out to help Bell steady himself from teetering over. Kalos gave the young boy a rueful smile. "I see you're still not fully used to your new found strength yet."
A blush colored over Bell's cheeks. "Oh, sorry."
"No, no. You'll get used to it soon enough, it just takes time."
Kalos sat back down on his stool, resting the mortar on the table with an audible 'THUNK'. Selecting several ingredients Kalos tossed them into the bowl haphazardly and started breaking them into a paste.
"So how are you liking the thrilling life of being an Adventurer so far?"
Bell sat on his usual stool beside Kalos, watching as the older Adventurer ground the different ingredients into a single mass. A gloomy expression rested on the young man's face as he rested his cheek on one raised palm. "I dono, I thought we'd be in the dungeon by now..." Bell's mouth twisted a bit, almost like he had bitten into something sour. "But Bara's been training Ais and I for weeks! And Riveria's given us twice as many things to study!"
"She added new dungeon lessons to your usual studies?" Kalos asked, just receiving a single nod in reply.
Kalos chuckled as he reached over the table and into a short jar to pick up a pinch of something he added to the paste in the mortar. "Well no wonder why I haven't seen you around lately."
Bell continued to sit, silently watching the other Adventurer mix his materials for the new experiment. This was somewhat of a rarity as Bell usually took a more active role in the preparations, and was one of the main reasons Kalos gave the youth a second glance.
"Is that the only thing that had been bothering you, that your not moving fast enough?" The question was more probing then not.
Bell opened his mouth once, then closed it again before attempting a second time. Kalos just waited patiently, continuing to crush and mix the ingredients before him.
Finally Bell mustered up the courage. "Would it be alright if I still came up to help you with..." Bell waved a hand toward the half dozen experiments that were either in progress, or failed remnants littering the surrounding tables. "... You know, the experiments every once in a while?"
One of Bell's feet slid off the stool and he lightly kicked it into the lab's wooden floor. "I don't know how often I'll be able to help though..." The young boy slid back into silence, unsure of how to proceed.
"I see..." Kalos said magnanimously. He pushed the stone bowl and pestle further onto the table before ducking and starting to rummage in the boxes underneath it.
"You have to know, that you'll probably be pretty busy now for a while." Kalos said, still half hidden under the table. The table rocked alongside a loud curse as Kalos lost his grip on something and banged his head against the table's underside. After a few seconds of quiet muttering under the table, Kalos continued. "You're more than welcome to help, but I don't know how often that might be."
Bell's face fell. Bell had truly liked working under Kalos tutelage, even if the majority of things turned out to be duds in the end.
"Ahh! Here it is!" Kalos banged his head once more on his way out from under the table, nearly toppling several vials of unknown reagents and eliciting another string of curses from the older Adventurer. Bell caught the vials before they could spill over, steadying them back onto their holdings.
Kalos brought up a rather large leather bag. Overstuffed, it was practically busting at the seams.
"This..." Kalos pat a hand over the bag's worn leather side. "was my old bag before moving into this place." He slid it over to where Bell sat. "It's yours now. I'll expect you to take good care of it, and what's inside."
As Bell opened the bag to peer inside, his eyes went wide. "But Kalos these..!"
"...are my old tool sets. Yea." A characteristic smirk came to Kalos face. "I was able to upgrade when Gareth gave me the key to the workshop. This way you can do some of this stuff on your own."
Bell was practically beaming as he raced over and wrapped the older Adventurer in a hug. "Thanks Kalos!"
Kalos awkwardly pat the young boy on the head as one arm was currently pinned to his side.
Bell released Kalos and went back over to rummage through his new bag of old tools. "Can I still come to you if I have any questions?"
"Certainly! But that also reminds me..." Kalos dug into one pocket before he pulled out a scrap piece of paper with a name written down upon it. "I was referred to talk with an up and coming inventor from the Hermes familia for some of my inquiries. They may be able to help you with any of your own questions if you can't get a hold of me."
"Um.. what's their name?"
"A..." Kalos said, squinting at the cramped writing. "...Asfi Al Andromeda... from the Hermes Familia."
A chime of the workshop's magic-stone powered clock reverberated through the room, startling both people from their present conversation.
"Oh! I need to meet Ais and Bara at the training grounds!"
Bell heaved the leather bag up and over one shoulder. His general increase in strength was never so apparent as now. Before the falna he would barely have been able to lift the bag let alone pick it up without much strain.
"Oh, and Bell?"
Bell turned around just as he reached toward the door handle, excitement causing him to bounce from one foot to another.
"Can you keep those tools hidden from Gareth for a while? I'm not really his favorite familia member at the moment…"
Training a Hero (Bara/Gareth)
Gareth squinted, and softly cursed as he stepped out of the Twilight Manor and into the brightly lit training grounds. It was a cloudless day, with the sun beating mercilessly overhead. Raising one shovel-like hand, Gareth shaded his eyes and gave them a moment to adjust.
Evilus' attacks in the city had started to ramp up, becoming an increasing source of contention for Orario's citizens and Adventurers alike. It was as if the previously hard-earned stalemate the coalition forces had forced Evilus into was slowly slipping through their fingers. Reports of raids that came just a bit too late to really make a difference. Incorrect intelligence diverting their forces. They were slipping, and the city was suffering.
The result? More preventative measures were being taken. An increased coalition force presence in the main thoroughfares and patrolling some of the more forgotten back alleys and twisted lanes within Orario. A show of positivity and force that there were those in Orario who still stood for kindness, and hope, and a brighter tomorrow. And in a way these actions were as much a deterrence for the average citizen as it was toward Evilus. With the dark cloud of despair looming over the great labyrinth city it would be easy for people's hopelessness to morph into something far more sinister and destructive.
And so, In addition to helping patrol himself, Gareth had been coordinating his familia's efforts with those of Astrea, Ganaesha, and surprisingly Freya familias. Though if he was completely honest, Gareth only worked with the Freya familia to keep their individual members on patrols from crossing paths. The last time a Loki and Freya patrol bumped into one another, a hothead Freya upstart called Allen Fromel jumped Lloyd and after several thousand veils in property damage, nearly landed them both in Dian Cecht's infirmary. Lloyd had tried to explain to an irate Gareth that he had only 'compared Lady Freya's beauty to a toad' as a joke. Sheesh. Who needed Evilus terrorizing the civilians if they were just going to do it themselves?
If only they could land a sizable defeat against Evilus, something that would push the shady familias behind the organization back on their heels. That might just give them the room they needed to really make a difference. But Gareth couldn't for the life of him fathom being lucky enough for such an opportunity to land in front of them.
Suffice it to be said, Gareth had been quite busy these last few weeks. He hadn't even been able to spend much time with Bell since the night his boy received the Falna. A shared meal after one of Bell's training sessions. A talk before Gareth headed out on patrol. But Gareth always made sure to check in on the little tyke every night, and more than a handful of times even caught Bell animatedly reading from one of the boy's Hero story books to a sleepy little Ais who sat beside him. Once he found both children prompted against one another fast asleep, the book they had been reading from still open, yet forgotten, over Bell's lap.
It was good to know that Bell finally had a friend his own age. Who knows what only growing up around a troupe of adventurers like the Loki familia would have done to the boy in the long run? He'd probably end up some sort of thrill seeking battle junky.
Finally Gareth's vision adjusted enough for him to see the training grounds without squinting too hard. He wiped away the slight water from his eyes with the back of his hand and proceeded across the yard to a small group of 4 individuals in the far corner.
Bell had been the first to notice as Gareth strode towards them, starting the others as he dropped the wooden training sword and rushed toward the dwarf with all the speed granted by his new status. The boy had naturally been quick working as the familia messenger and that speed and agility had seemingly been further sharpened through the Falna. It was a matter of seconds before the youth skid to a stop, cheeks red from his exertion but smiling nonetheless.
"You came!"
"Welp, I did say I'd come down to see ya train for a bit, didn't I?"
"Yea... but you've been so busy. I didn't think you'd be able to."
Gareth just let out a wide toothy grin as he leaned over to ruffle the boy's slightly damp mop of white hair. Sweat no doubt from Bara's afternoon training session.
"How about this?" Gareth crouched down to be eye level with the boy. "After Bara clears ya and Ais for the dungeon, we'll go yr first dive together. You, me, Ais, and we'll bring Riveria along if she's in the mood."
Bell beamed that million veil smile.
There isn't much else like youthful excitement in the world. That unbridled sense of urgency and delight that makes being patient for something so darned difficult. Frankly it was infections, and Gareth found his own smile getting wider as it crinkled around his eyes. He'd just need to take his ax to get serviced by Tsubaki before the trip. That was another thing that had been on his 'to-do' list for far too long.
"Bell!"
The commanding booming voice broke the moment as the boy stood stiff at attention, knowing from its tone that he was already well on his way to being admonished.
Gareth looked up to find Bara a half dozen steps away and nodded toward the black haired Amazon. She mirrored the action before turning back to their young charge. She had pulled her black locks back into two long braids that ran along the both sides of her scalp to hand freely down her back. It gave the leader of Loki's Expeditionary Force a more severe look, but was by far the most practical for staying out of her way while fighting or training.
"What have I been saying about focusing?"
Ais jogged up close behind the Amazon, no doubt drawn by the commotion of Bell and Bara's departure. Gareth gave her a nod too for good measure, but… she just tilted her head while frowning in a minor confusion. Perhaps their gestures were a bit different a thousand years ago…
"Bell." Bara reiterated, only glancing back once to the still confused Ais. "What did I teach you about focusing?"
"Ehh... " Bell scrunched up his face. It was the same look one would have trying to remember what they had to eat for breakfast yesterday. "Was that one about an early bird eating a worm?"
Bara shook her head, evidently from Bell's lack of attention to some nuance of the training. "Nope. What about you Ais?"
The question snapped Ais out of whatever contemplation she had been in, blinking rapidly to clear her thoughts. "Um... if you are not aware of your surroundings... a goblin will take your face off?" The last bit was said more like a question than a statement. The girl's uncertainty bleeding through.
Bara's gentle snort broke any remaining tension in the two young Adventurers. If Bara could snort then for the moment she wasn't in instructor mode. "Close, but not that one either."
"Alright you two." Bara said, attempting to corral the youngsters in front of her. "We still have a few hours until you're due to meet Riveria in the library. How about you both head over to Valdor and continue where we left off?"
The two youths nodded and Gareth watched as they scampered off to where they had been training just before. So Ais obviously knew about nodding to agree… perhaps she thought earlier he was agreeing with her about something? Ehh, he was probably overthinking it at any rate.
"Valdor hu?" Gareth let out as he stepped up beside Bara. Both Loki members were watching as Bell and Ais slid to a stop before the man in question. They were far enough to be out of earshot however Valdor's arms waved in silent instruction.
"I asked him to show Bell how to use a dagger. It would be a good off-hand option for him."
Made sense. Out of Loki Familia's current ranks Valdor was by far the most experienced knife wielder. Once, the man told Gareth it was because he liked being close, direct, and in the middle of the fight where the real action was. But sometime later Gareth had started to suspect that it was more so he could impress anyone watching with fancy moves and knife tricks. An Adventurer can't really be fancy when swinging around an ax the size of his or her body unless they don't plan on being around for very long.
But Bara said that a knife would be a good off-hand weapon for the boy…
"And what were you thinkin for his main hand?" Gareth asked out loud, completing his previous thought.
Bara shrugged, her well toned arm muscles tensing as she crossed them over her chest. "Well, he's been favoring the sword. It's unsurprising though with all the time he and Ais have been spending together recently.."
They stood there for nearly a minute watching the two youths go through their routine before Valdor said a silent comment to Bell and ushered him a small distance away. Ais, for her part, was solely focused on repeating the same sword slash over and over again. And even if her sword did stray, she would always reset to do the motion over again.
A gentle breeze blew through the training yard rustling grass and nearby tree leaves. The loose corner of a canvas tarp covering some crates at the edge of the training area shifted, stirred by the slight air current.
Bara nodded toward the corner where the three figures practiced.
"Gareth. Bell may be absent minded about some things, but I think it's because he's bored." She glanced sidelong at the Loki Executive, eyes glinting in the overhead light. "You might not realize this, being the boy's parent and all that, but your boy is exceptionally bright."
A wide and unrestrained grin spread across the dwarf's face. "Of course he is Bara, you've spent enough time with him to know. I always chucked most of it to his abundant curiosity though. Cursed mines, we're lucky it hasn't almost killed him!" Gareth's barking laugh rolled merrily across the training yard.
In fact, his curiosity for how things worked was one of the things that seemed to continuously draw the boy toward the more eccentric individual in their familia. It was no wonder that Kalos' more failed than successful art of experimentation would draw the curiosity of any youngster. Bright lights and sometimes violent explosions had a way of capturing an individual's attention, inadvertent or not.
What Gareth hadn't expected was how the boy's tutelage under Kalos mentorship had continued. Now don't get him wrong, Gareth was glad that someone was able to keep the boy busy while he was out on patrol, but Gareth highly doubted that Bell would have manifested a skill like "Test Apprentice" even if Loki was fully watching him.
"It's more than just that Gareth." Bara brought one hand up to brush her chin, and slightly caressed one of her old scars in thought. She was more contemplative than prying when she asked, "Are you sure Bell hasn't had any prior training?"
"I'm sure he hasn't. What are you getting at Bara?"
"Bell has been picking up on things exceptionally quick. In fact, he's been faster than anyone I've ever trained before."
That caused Gareth to raise his eyebrows. Bara had been the de facto training instructor for Loki familia for almost a decade. And that didn't include her positions before she joined the familia. Receiving praise from Bara wasn't uncommon, she acknowledged good work and competence in stride. But receiving HIGH praise from the older Amazon? That was rare.
"Well, he's been watching you train new recruits for the better part of a year now. He's bound to have picked up some things along the way."
"It's more than that, Gareth. I'll show him how to do something and afterwards he just knows it, and rarely do I need to correct him more than once. Furthermore, some things I had planned to teach him, he had already worked out on his own during the practice session."
"Is that necessarily a bad thing?"
"Well, no... and also yes." Bara looked up at the sun for a second as it faded behind a set of overhead fluffy clouds. "Remember the story of Ingred?"
Gareth simply nodded. Ingred was the prodigal son of a minor Rakia house that came to Orario to find 'fame and glory' in the dungeon. Seemingly well taught in swordplay, but with more brawn than brains. The story quickly ended with a group of passing Adventurers discovering Ingred's body sliced to ribbons by the tell tale signs of a war shadow's talons. It was one of those stories told to newby Adventurers to illustrate the numerous dangers they could face from the dungeon, and within themselves.
"You think he could bite off more than he can chew?"
"I think that's a possibility with any of us." Bara simply shrugged. "But perhaps more so with them."
"Them? You're talking about them both now?"
Bara nodded, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched the golden haired, golden eyed girl continue to swing her practice sword over, and over again. "The girl, Ais, now she has definitely had some instruction before, or atleast a very close individual who she had captured a lot of their form. I'll show her just like with the boy, but she doesn't exactly learn the forms I'm teaching her." A frown crossed Bara as she attempted to fully express the feeling bubbling inside of her. "She more so seems to incorporate them into the techniques she already knows, filling in for the things she either didn't know or possibly forgotten."
"Still seems similar to our boy in a way."
"But Bell never had a foundation laid for weapons combat to build upon. He isn't using the memories of previous training he's had, he's using the memories of training he is CURRENTLY experiencing."
"That's a mighty thin distinction."
"Yes, but an important one. Bell has even started to incorporate some of Ais' half remembered techniques into his own." Bara crossed her arms, almost in agitation. "There's no question if those two will have the potential, but if they will be able to survive long enough to reach it."
Bara let out a long breath. "Ahh listen to me go. I'm starting to sound old and cynical."
"We're in the business of adventuring in the dungeon Bara, I think we have a reason to be." Gareth took a moment, chewing on a thought, before he added. "On a separate note, I heard mention from Finn that the guild's been pushing to assist with hunting some irregulars that are giveing groups trouble from levels twenty to twenty-two. I wouldn't be surprised if Finn asks your group to take care of it."
"Well then, I might as well get back to the trainees. And I'll put them through the paces before heading out, don't you worry." Bara said before turning away.
The light breeze shifted once more through the surrounding buildings, adding a touch of chill into the open air that trailed goosebumps down Gareth's exposed forearms as he watched the Expedition Force's leader head back toward Bell's little group.
"Gareth!" A woman with wheat-colored hair strode up to the large dwarf without a sideways glance to any of the other outdoor familia members. "I've got a message from the Astrea familia's captain."
Ais and Bell were not the only two making strides. Embracing her new position as one of the familia's message runners seemed to rekindle something vital deep within Claire. She still shied away from combat, but with her new position and the freedom it enjoyed a bit of the old Claire he knew was starting to shine through again. Gareth just hoped that her progress would continue.
"Would you like to take it here?" Claire held out a sealed envelope bearing a stamped 'wings of justice' emblem which was the official symbol of the Astrea Familia.
Grass crunched underfoot as Gareth turned toward the distant Twilight Manor's doors Claire had just exited. "No, let's go into the office. That whippersnapper Lovell will be wantin a response and I'll be no good writin in this wind."
This would be Alise's second message for today, and unless he was mistaken there was only one reason she'd be reaching out so soon. Gareth winced as it now looked like he'd be beggin Tsubaki for a rushed repair order on his ax. Oh she'd love that one. Still... perhaps they were finally in for a bit of luck.
Knifes, Whys, and Scars (Bell)
Bell lay face down in the dusty surface of the Loki familia's practice lot as the taste of copper and earth filled his mouth, and it was not for the first time since Valdor pulled him to the side.
Overhead the sun glared harshly down from the clear sky, warming the back of Bell's new battlecloth attire. The threads of the battlecloth, intended to withstand the hard reality of the dungeon and its various environments, held up under the onslaught of the strict training schedule that Bara had put together. Gareth had commented more than once that Bell was more likely to need replacement battle clothes from his inadvertent growth spurts than any damage he would do to the clothes themselves. The inch of shortness at Bell's ankles and cuffs quietly reinforced the father figures' words as true.
And that would be the case, probably, if Bell could somehow avoid getting himself cut to ribbons.
"Ahh come on lazy bones, how ya expecting to dodge if you're laying on the ground like that?"
Bell pushed himself up while attempting to glare at the person in front of him. He spat out the mixture of saliva, training ground dirt, and traces of blood from when he accidentally bit his cheek just moments before.
Not ten feet away an Adventurer lounged in a relaxed pose, periodically tossing and catching a knife in his outstretched right hand while keeping his other tucked firmly behind his back. The man was bare chested, showcasing a thick carpet of hair the same shade of deep black as the close buzz upon the man's head. Bell would swear the man's chest hair could function as a second set of armor. The figure's blue battlecloth shirt he normally wore lay crumpled into a ball beside his and Bell's other belongings. Yet even amongst the black carpet pale scars could be seen peeking here and there, across the figure's arms, and down his back; telling a tale of struggles faced and overcome.
"This cannot be actual training Valdor!" Bell cried, voice cracking despite his attempts to control it.
"Nonsense! And you're more able to remember something if your life's on the line."
"By dodging knives?"
"By watching me throw knives, you'll need to remember what it looks like, kid."
"I thought Bara asked you to teach me how to use a knife?"
"I am!" Valdor laughed, his deep rich voice booming amongst those in the training arena. "We already covered the basics. Now get over here."
The first weeks of Ais and Bell having the Falna were not exactly what either would have expected from now becoming 'Adventurers'. They didn't get to race into and spend countless hours in the dungeon slaying monsters with their newfound strength. They didn't get any new armor, or were even allowed to pick out and carry a real weapon.
Ever since Bara caught the duo 'testing' how far they could jump and still land on their feet, she had effectively barred them from the one place where they could start their journey to get stronger.
"You both are as green as two new sprouts." Bara had said that day as she pulled Bell along lightly by the ear, Ais following close behind. "Neither of you have ANY combat experience. We'd be feeding you to the monsters if you went in like that."
In addition to her usual duties as head of the Expeditionary Force, Bara took it upon herself to train the basics of fighting into the familia's newest recruits. She had claimed it was to create a consistent standard so new recruits wouldn't embarrese the familia, but Gareth had once mentioned that she just cared too much to see young people die from their own foolishness. Either way, before a new recruit would be permitted to enter the dungeon they had to pass Bara's approval. Which seemed to Bell like a very arbitrary way to measure if someone was really prepared. Not that he would ever say that in front of Bara herself though...
The days were more exhausting then Bell would have imagined. Mornings and midday spent training with Bara, and afternoons spent in the library receiving instruction from Riveria where they would pour over dungeon maps, bestiaries, and general survival techniques. Bara was hard, but fair. Quick to correct but she didn't belittle or talk down to the two youths despite their age. It seemed like becoming Adventurers had caused them to grow up a bit in her eyes. And so Bara instructed them like she would any other new recruit, without pulling punches or critiques knowing that they'd never get that luxury while in the dungeon.
She taught much of the basics herself. Teaching how to move. Teaching how to fall. Teaching how to stand. Bell thought being told how to stand was going to be pretty useless at first, until Bara easily caused him to stumble with only her two fingers and a gentle shove. Most of the instruction for using different weapons were given by herself too, though she sometimes brought in other familia members to show off specific skills. Much like Valdor was showing Bell how to use knives.
"Alright" Valdor burlowed. "Show me the basics we went over earlier."
Bell did, raising the small knife Valdor had loaned him and shifting between the various forms first in his right hand, and then again with his left. Ever since Bara's first weapon instruction, learning to use the various weapons always seemed to come naturally, it felt like they were more an extension of his arm then just another tool. Except for shields... for some reason shields always seemed to get in his way...
"Good." Valdor said. "Now I know Bara asked me to focus on using the knife as an off-hand weapon, but I feel like you should also know to throw one. You never know when you'll need to hit a target from a distance."
Valdor turned toward some nearby practice dummies and brought up his right hand which had gripping the hilt of the knife and rested the Adventurer's thumb on the blade's dull spine. He showed Bell close up how he was holding it. "This is called a hammer grip. There are actually several ways to throw a knife but since you'll be in the middle of fighting you'll probably be already holding it closely to this. See?"
And in a way he believed he did... Bell brought up his own knife, holding it much like Valdor. Bell narrowed his eyes and then moved his thumb just a bit higher on the spine. Yea that felt right.
He brought up his arm, mimicking Valdor's stance from before. Wow, it really does stick with you. He pulled back, until his instinct cried out and let loose. The dagger sailed through the air, and rang out hollowly as the weapon rotated enough for the hilt to smack against the dummies midsection and rebound into the dirt below. Bell's face fell in disappointment.
"Ehh good job kid."
Bell looked up to Valdor in surprise. "But it didn't even hit with the blade. What did I do wrong? I thought I had it..."
A low female voice spoke up from behind them both. "You have to reduce how much forward momentum goes into your throw based on how far you are from the target. It's something you should be able to feel if you practice enough." Bara pursed her lips at Valdor as she drew close. "Though I didn't expect you to be practicing that today."
Ais shuffled over from where she had been practicing by herself, standing just outside of their circle as she listened quietly.
Valdor shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance.
Bell turned to Bara. "Bara, why am I learning to use all these weapons? Shouldn't I just stick to one like everyone else does?"
"Remember my motto?"
Bell frowned, knowing he was cornered. Kicking his toe in the dirt of the training yard he recounted, "Always be prepared, you never know what you are going to run into when you enter the dungeon. Your sword might break, or your knife, and in the end you're only left with what you have on hand." It was a saying she had used time and time again for each new weapon she wanted to teach them the basics of.
A small pout came on the boy's face. It was a remnant of the boy he actually was instead of the Adventurer he was trying to be. "But then why isn't Ais learning to use different weapons?"
Bara didn't even blink before she cocked a thumb in said young woman's direction. "That's because Ais tries to use everything like it is a sword at the moment."
Ais's deep blush could be seen twenty paces from the poor girl.
She had truly tried to follow Bara's instructions, but after she and Bell were learning how to handle a spear, Bara found Ais slowly starting to hold the spear like she would any other, though slightly longer, sword and couldn't seem to break the girl out of the habit. In the end, Bara largely declared Ais' multi-weapon training as a lost cause and had her simply focus on sword techniques.
Though, this wasn't too much of a hindrance for Ais as she seemed to be impartial to using a sword anyway.
Still, Bell had a burning feeling in his chest from calling Ais out. Was this what Riveria kept talking about watching for raging hormones? So as he looked into the distance, for anything that might change the conversation, Bell caught a glimpse of Gareth heading back to the Twilight Manor with an Adventurer he didn't recognize. Perhaps she was a new familia member?
"Um," Bell asked to no one in particular, "Who's that woman walking beside Gareth?"
"Hum?" Valdor raised one hand to shield his eyes from the overhead sun. "Oh yea, you wouldn't know her would ya? That's Claire."
Bara continued, "She took a leave from Adventuring just before Gareth brought you home with him."
Only a very few Adventurers from the familia had either gone on leave or retired since Bell could remember being with the family. Apart from Gareth talking about one of the members 'going to frolic among the pixies' the others usually got injured either in the dungeon or during a patrol.
"A leave? Was she injured? I thought Riveria could heal just about anything."
"Ahh lad. That was something not even the Miach or Dian Cecht familias couldn't cure." Bara brushed a lone strand of hair out of her eyes before continuing. "Claire's partner Sonja died in an Evilus raid. Poor thing was beside herself. We tried to support her, but she kept saying that she just wanted to 'go'." Bara shook her head in apparent pity.
Claire's loss would have been, in many ways, a lot like what Bell, or Ais, had experienced. Their loss of parents. Her loss of a partner. Each personal world upended into chaos.
Yet while Bell and Ais, ultimately found solace from their adoptive familia, that was the one thing that Clair initially rejected. Perhaps she just needed space. Perhaps she pushed away her familia because of the many everyday reminders of what she lost. In the end, did the reason really matter? Somehow, on her journey Claire found the willpower to keep carrying on, as evidenced by her eventual return. Here was also someone who even if still in mourning, chose to fight, to continue living, rather than fade away.
For a moment Bell remembered that little boy standing on the street... What would have happened if Gareth never even came? A slight shiver ran down the young boy's spine at the thought.
Valdor, every bit the king of mistimed opportunities, let out a loud hum of apparent appreciation, the warrior's eyes lightly trailing the now empty door that Gareth and Clair vanished into. "Now that she's back, I… EEH.. um… SOMEONE should make sure she's been ok. I.. ehh…"
The sound of a loud SNAP emanated from their little circle as Valdor's head lurched forwards and he let out a loud. "YEEP!"
Bara's movement had been so quick, that to Bell's level one eyes it looked like she had barely moved. If it wasn't for the dust that was kicked up and now floated in the air, or the fact that Ais' hair still wafted from side to side in the gust that followed their teacher's blow he could have convinced himself that Valdor's punishment was simply an act of the gods. Ais unconsciously moved two steps away from the Amazon.
Bara glared at Valdor before chastising him. "Behave Valdor, that girl just got herself put back together. The last thing she needs is you hounding her."
Finally, Bara turned her attention back to her two students. "Whelp, the Expedition Force will likely be moving out soon. If you can't prove to me that you both know the basics, I won't clear you to enter the dungeon until I get back."
Author's Note:
I hope you all enjoyed this section. For the most part it's a building piece. A stone I'm using to help lay a foundation for the entire fiction going forward. Sometimes I enjoy these moments more than larger action scenes as it allows more room to blow life into the world surrounding these characters.
On a separate note, for those that are unaware I have a certain level of madness to developing story plot lines which bleeds into my writing as well. I usually outline a story plan in general terms (sometimes to the order of several major and sub arcs), subdivide those into sections with general events I know I want to happen during each, and then go back through and fill in each scene as they play out in my head. Rarely do I write chronologically, scene by scene, but rather in a more ad hoc way depending on personal mood during my writing session. Why is this relevant one might ask? Well to be completely honest… it really isn't. But it may explain a bit of my inconsistency with posting times. Personally, I don't think I'm too likely to change.
Like always, please stay safe out there everyone. Sending good vibes and well wishes.