AN: So hey all here is the next chapter to 'The Last of his Kind'. Again the response so far has been brilliant, so thanks for that, and after reading the reviews for the last chapter I have made some minor changes to Azoth's stat sheet. I've also renamed the name of the manor, after all it turns out Hearthfire is the name of the Hestia Familia's future home in canon. I didn't realise that, as I instead chose the name based off of the elder scrolls Hearthfire expansion.
Hope you all enjoy this chapter, I have to say I am really enjoying writing this story at the moment, in part I think it was because the second season of the Danmachi anime was running. Though unfortunately the season is over now, but some good news it that a third season has apparently been confirmed for next year, so that should be good.
Still though, despite that I am liking this story at the moment, and am really appreciative that so many others are enjoying it too. Thanks a lot for reading, and I hope you continue to enjoy reading, and leave a review.
If you have any questions please feel free to PM me.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Elder Scrolls or Danmachi.
( - )
(Last Time)
With such a powerful person now in her Familia, she knew she would need to be careful in how she approached things. She didn't want to alienate the other members by just giving him the perks his level and skills deserved, despite him having just joined. At the same time though she didn't want to disadvantage Azoth by not giving him these perks. No, she wanted to help him grow, and to achieve his goal.
It was complicated, and thinking on it now, she knew it wasn't something that she felt she could deal with on her own.
'I'll ask her about it,' Hephaestus thought to herself, folding the sheet with Azoth's status on it up as she did so and sticking it in the pocket of her trousers, even as she started putting away her tools. 'Hopefully she'll be able to give me some advice on what I should do!'
( - )
Chapter 7
( - )
(Forgefire Manor)
It took him a couple of minutes of searching, but eventually, Azoth was able to find an empty room on the third floor of the manor house.
Looking around, at his lodgings for the foreseeable future the Snow Elf couldn't help but smile as he looked around at the large, richly decorated chamber.
The Hephaestus Familia was clearly a wealthy one.
The room had gleaming wooden panelling along all four walls, which hide the cold stone walls behind. It also had large set of bay windows with a number of plain sheets of glass in it; both giving the room a good view, but also sheltering the room against the elements.
In terms of furniture, there was also a large, double bed with a thick mattress on the frame at the far end of the room, with a pair of heavy looking dressers and a hefty wooden wardrobe beside it.
On the other side of the room, there was an empty desk/ worktable and wooden chair, with an empty weapons rack bolted to the wall next to the desk, and a pair of standing, wooden mannequins in the corner.
Overall the room was very grand, expensively furnished, and far better than he was expecting, especially with it being free.
Grinning slightly at this, Azoth unbuckled his belt from around his waist, and the belted sheath from his back. His smile still in place as he placed Dawnbreaker, his Daedric dagger and Wuuthrad on the weapons rack, even as he then began unbuckling his armour with practiced ease. Taking the battered and scarred metal plates off of his body, and then putting them on one of the wooden mannequins
Within minutes he had transferred all of the armour, save for the boots onto one the wooden mannequins. Which left him wearing nothing but his clean, but still stained padded shirt, his brown, slacks and the armoured boots.
"Right," Azoth muttered, his hands on his hips as he looked around at the richly furnished, but barely lived in room, a grin on his face.
His weapons and his armour, that was pretty much all of his belongings.
It was sad, Azoth, thought and he would happily acknowledge that himself. But he had literally nothing else.
"Once I get some more gold, or what is it they call it, 'Valis', I'll need to get some new clothes and stuff, maybe a journal or two too." Azoth muttered to himself as he looked around his bare room for a few moments, before it all got a bit too depressing.
"Nope, I think I'll head out now." Azoth continued mumbling to himself, at a loss for what else he could do for the rest of today; or at least until Hephaestus and the rest of his new Familia returned from what they were currently doing.
With that in mind, Azoth, grabbed his sword and belt from the weapons rack, checked his pouch of gold coins, and then left the room, pausing only long enough to lock his room behind him.
It was time to go fleece a few merchants out of their merchandise.
( - )
(A few minutes later)
Heading out into the streets of Orario no longer weighed down by his armour, Azoth, couldn't help but marvel at how peaceful and happy the city looked.
The place was filled with monster hunting adventurers and was built over the entrance to a gigantic, ancient Dungeon that was filled with horrific monsters, and yet, no one seemed that concerned or bothered.
Walking down the high-street, his right hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his sword and his money pouch jingling on his belt, Azoth, soon found his feet leading him into the main shopping area, his violet eyes shifting backwards and forwards as he passed by numerous clothing shops, each of which seemed to cater to a different clientele.
With one of the shops having barely substantial underwear on display, only instead of displaying what was clearly underwear, as underwear, the items were instead displayed as legitimate… well, outerwear. As if they expected people to purchase their goods and parade around in their underclothing.
A glance inside of the shop however, and at all the tanned, dark haired women inside, was enough to tell, Azoth, that this was a shop clearly aimed at Amazons. He should have guessed going off what he had seen of those two Loki Familia, Amazon sisters.
Similarly he saw a shop full of children, or Pallum's he assumed. Then a shop which catered to dwarfs, and another which catered to animal people, complete with strategic holes in the clothing for extra appendages like tails and the like.
Shaking his head at that, Azoth, continued on down the street ignoring the cries from some storeowners around him as they attempted to sell food and, or drinks to passing shoppers.
None of these shops caught his eye, not even the ones that seemed to be meant for humans and elves. All the items in there were just too boring and mundane. They were the kind of clothing he regularly wore back in Skyrim. They looked functional and to be of a good quality, but he wanted something flashy and new.
"Potato, fried potato!"
As he continued to walk down the high-street a familiar voice caught his attention.
It was the Goddess Hestia, he would recognise the short, incredibly busty, dark haired, blue eyed girl anywhere.
She was pretty… distinctive.
"Yeah go on then, I'll get a couple of these 'fried potatoes'." Azoth called out with a smile, wandering up to the stall and the goddess, already fishing about in his coin purse for a piece of gold as he did so.
"Oh, hey it's you!" Hestia chirped, recognition spreading across her face, along with a grin as she recognised the white haired, violet eyed Snow Elf.
"Yep, it's me. So, Goddess Hestia, how are you doing?" Azoth replied easily, leaning against the stand as he waited for the busty goddess to get him his snack, absentmindedly rolling the gold coin along his knuckle.
"Oh you know, same old, same old," Hestia waved him off, a smile still on her face as such put several odd coloured sauces on the potatoes he had ordered. "My Bell did get himself into trouble with a minotaur the other day though!"
Azoth paused as he heard this. "Oh Bell Cranel, the short, white haired, nervous kid?"
"You know him?" Hestia asked, her voice partly delighted and partly surprised.
"Yeah, I met him at the Hostess of Fertility the other night. He seemed like a good kid, a bit nervous, and lacking in confidence, especially when talking to women, but still not a bad kid." Azoth nodded. Thinking on it how, Bell, had disappeared on him the other night just before he had started brawling with Bete. "Not sure where he went though, as he kind of disappeared without a word quite early on."
"Oh yes, he does like going there," Hestia nodded, wrapping up the potatoes in paper now. "He didn't mention meeting you last night though, or, well actually, he didn't really say anything about what he was up too. I just know he came back relatively early and went to bed."
"Maybe he drank too much?" Azoth shrugged, flipping Hestia the coin, and taking the wrapped up snacks from her.
"Was Bell drinking last night?!" Hestia suddenly snapped, her eyes widening as she quickly twisted around to look at Azoth, her blue eyes flashing fiercely.
"Erm, no, I mean, well he was drinking something, but what that was… let's say no…" Azoth replied, somewhat taken aback by the previously bubbly girl's ferocity. It was a bit unnerving, almost like this was the boy's overprotective, and borderline obsessive mother.
"Oh, well, I'm sure he wasn't. My, Bell, is a good boy, he wouldn't be as irresponsible as to go out drinking or messing about with floozies!" Hestia nodded, her eyes opening a crack to look sideways at Azoth.
Azoth had to withhold a smirk. The point she was trying to get across wasn't missed, it was however summarily ignored.
"Hm, I have to say, this isn't bad." Azoth spoke up, not even batting an eye at her previous comment as he instead dug into one of his fried potatoes and then changed the topic of the conversation.
"Aren't they!" Hestia smiled widely, before she suddenly paused. "So what are you doing here then Mr Adventurer?"
"Shopping," Azoth replied dryly, polishing off one of the weird but pleasant tasting snacks, before digging into another one. "I didn't really have anything but my weapons, armour and the clothes I'm currently wearing, when I first arrived here. So while I have the time, and a bit of coin, I'm getting some new things, just the essentials you know."
Hestia nodded at that, her blue eyes roving up and down Azoth's stained shirt, worn looking slacks and battered, armoured boots. Thankfully though, she was nice enough not to point out just how shabby he looked.
Instead, Hestia, put on a slightly coy smile and sidled over to him, even as he finished his last fried potato snack. "So, have you found a Familia yet?"
Azoth paused as he heard the goddess's question. The girl in front of him had offered him a place in her Familia before he went over to the Hostess of Fertility. Despite that though he had gone off and joined another one.
A small part of him felt a little guilty.
Luckily though it was only a very small part, the rest of him however was quite satisfied that he made the best decision for himself, and also knew, that living life just to please others was no life at all. No, you would only make your own life miserable if you did that.
Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, Azoth, nodded to the goddess's question. "Yeah, I joined the Hephaestus Familia earlier today, as a Smith it was the best choice for me."
"Oh," Hestia muttered.
He could hear the disappointment in her tone, and also see it broadcasted across her face.
"Sorry," Azoth shrugged.
"No, no it's fine. I know Hephaestus, she's a good friend of mine," Hestia replied, waving his half-hearted apology aside. "You also probably made the right choice, the Goddess of Smithing's Familia, is probably the best one for a Smith."
'How magnanimous of her,' Azoth thought dryly. Honestly, she wasn't that bad for a Divine being, and neither were Loki or Hephaestus either for that matter.
In fact if he hadn't been told that they were goddesses, he probably would never have known. Or at least in Hephaestus's case he wouldn't have known until she went to give him his 'Falna'. He had definitely noticed the immense power in the redhead's lithe body when she had done that.
"Right so shopping!" Hestia chirped, once again back to being as bubbly as she had previously been. "What kind of thing are you looking for?"
( - )
(Sometime Later)
Entering the shop the Hestia had directed him to a few minutes later, Azoth, grinned as he stepped inside.
This was a lot more like it.
All around him he could see mannequins wearing fancy looking clothes, similar to what those Guild workers had been wearing the other day, only nicer.
Looking around he could see elegant gowns that made even the regal clothing the High Queen of Skyrim wore, look cheap and drab, and flashy male outfits; button up shirts, matching smart slacks and black jackets.
It was all so different, and so interesting.
Still grinning, Azoth, immediately grabbed several items that caught his interest, even as he swept passed one of the shop workers and headed to a curtained off area where he could see other customers waiting to try on clothes. As he did this, he didn't miss the dismissive glances his current apparel garnered him, nor the cautious speculative looks a few also gave him once they took note of the gleaming sword at his hip.
Ignoring them all, Azoth, cheerfully barged into one of the changing rooms and began trying on; suit trousers and jackets, shirts, and waistcoats, as he later found they were called, out. The Snow Elf having a grand old time, as he spent a day relaxing and playing around, a far cry from how he usually spent his days.
It was nice just to lounge around and be a little idle sometimes, as oppose to delving into dungeons or raiding tombs and castles, Even if the latter was far more exciting than the former, especially since the novelty of playing around, treating oneself tended to wear of quite quickly.
"Hey Azoth, is that you?" The familiar voice of Tiona called out suddenly, attracting Azoth's attention as he stood in front of a mirror, several bags of now bought clothing at his feet as well as his folded and bagged old rags, even as he adjusted his current outfit.
With Azoth having donned a pair of black leather boots, black slacks, a white shirt and a grey waistcoat with silver threat embroider along the edges.
He looked pretty damned good, if he said so himself.
"Err yes…, Tiona?" Azoth replied, turning from his reflection as he instead looked over to the Amazon girl, his relaxed violet eyes tracing over the Amazon's busty sister, Tione, the blushing, brown haired elf girl, Lefiya, and the pretty, doll like human, Aiz. All of whom he could see were looking back at him in surprise.
"Really, you shop here? You?! I would have thought someone like you would go to a cooler place?!" Tione asked, crossing her arms below her bust, even as she gave some of the frilly dresses around her a disgusted look.
"This place is lovely. You just don't like it because they don't sell clothing that makes you look like a sex worker!" Lefiya shot back, her face still red as she tore her blue eyes away from Azoth, and instead over at the Amazon.
"Pretty much, yeah." Tione shrugged nonchalantly.
Tiona however had stalked over to Azoth, her green eyes raking up and down his form. "I don't know, I think this stuff suits him. I mean he's an elf isn't he; like Lefiya and Riveria, they're all a bit stiff and stuffy."
"Stiff and stuffy?" Azoth repeated bemused, even as he went back to checking out his reflection. "I wouldn't say I was all that stiff and stuffy, but still, I look pretty damned good!"
"Yeah he does!" Lefiya chipped in, only for her to go bright red as the other four looked at her. "I-I mean, the waistcoat suits him…"
Azoth smiled wryly as he heard her words. She was a pretty girl, but a bit too young, innocent and naive for his tastes. On top of which she seemed too prim and proper. He had tried it on with Nobles before, it never worked out well. Azoth's rough upbringing, blunt demeanour, and profession, never mixed well with uptight, spoilt Nobs.
Still, he wasn't about to say anything and embarrass her. He would allow her, her crush, in the hopes that she would grow out of it, and if she didn't and she pushed, well he would let her down gently. That or depending on the circumstances, and any other hidden sides she might have to her, he might give her a chance.
Honestly he didn't know, then again he never did. His history with women, was very similar to his history of Adventuring. Which is to say all over the place, sometimes dangerous, sometimes exotic, and it always ended, sometimes well, but sometimes not so well.
"Thanks," Azoth said to Lefiya, glancing over at the younger elf for a moment, before he then locked eyes with the doll like girl, Aiz.
This girl, he couldn't help it, she unnerved him a bit. The people of Skyrim, they were an emotional lot, they openly laughed, argued, fought and loved. They might appear stoic on the battlefield, but when in the company of their friends and comrades, well they were as boisterous as it was possible to be.
Aiz though, she was an odd one, even looking into her golden eyes now he couldn't see a flicker of emotion within them, nor a single inkling as to what she was thinking or feeling on her face.
Yes, Azoth thought, as he met her placid golden eyes with his own violet ones, she was a very odd one.
"So, what are you lot doing here?" Azoth finally asked, tearing his eyes away from Aiz as he instead looked to Tiona, a bemused look spreading across his face as he saw her examining one of the frilly dresses cautiously, like it was about to come to life and eat her at any moment.
"We're shopping for Aiz!" Lefiya chirped happily, clutching onto the emotionless blonde's arm as she did so.
"Yeah, we took her to one of our shops earlier, but then poor Lefiya almost fainted, so we came to… this one instead." Tione added on, a look of distaste on her face as she looked around.
"Ah, well I wish you luck then." Azoth nodded, a half grin on his face.
"Aww thanks!" Tiona grinned as she sidled up to him and threw an arm around his broad shoulders. "Oh yeah, by the way, that fight with Bete last night, you were pretty amazing back then!"
"Yes he knows, I think you told him that about fifty times last night!" Tione sighed exasperatedly.
"Oh, did I?" Tiona replied, sticking her tongue out in thought.
"You're strong." Aiz suddenly said, her tone soft, so soft in fact that were it not for Azoth's enhanced hearing he might have missed it.
"Yeah, you're telling me!" Tiona grinned, with an empathic nod.
Azoth grinned in response. He did enjoy it when people recognised his strength, especially when that person was a pretty Amazonian with no concept of personal space. Tiona might not be as busty as her sister, but he wouldn't deny that her pressing her firm, strong body against him wasn't pleasant.
"Oh by the way, Mister Azoth, did you join a Familia yet?" Lefiya suddenly chipped in, the shadow of a frown passing over her face as she saw the way Tiona was clutching onto him.
"Yeah, that's a good point, Lefiya, what about it Azoth? If you haven't, you could come join the Loki Familia?" Tiona beamed, her smile widening as she clung onto Azoth even closer, much to Lefiya's noticeable chagrin.
"I'm not sure you should be saying that, Tiona." Tione suddenly cut in, an uncertain expression on her face as she looked at Azoth. "That would be more down to Loki, Finn, Riveria and Gareth, than us."
"Well, that doesn't really matter," Azoth shrugged, an easy grin on his face, even as his perceptive eyes caught the hint of caution in Tione's green eyes as she looked at him.
The girl seemed ill at ease, especially after Tiona's suggestion. It made him wonder, did the older Amazon sister know something the others didn't, maybe something that made her believe that he, Azoth, wouldn't be all that welcome in the Loki Familia?
"What do you mean?" Tiona asked curiously.
"I joined the Hephaestus Familia earlier today." Azoth shrug, a grin on his face.
"Aww really, that's lame!" Tiona groaned, the younger girl looking distinctly putout now.
"Does that mean that you're a Smith? I thought you were a warrior?" Lefiya asked, the elf girl masking her disappointment far better than the Amazon, even though Azoth was still able to notice it.
"What with these magic hands?" Azoth grinned, raising his long, pale hands as he did so. "You'd be in awe of what I can do with these!"
Almost immediately Lefiya flushed bright red.
Which was something both Amazon sisters seemed to notice, as Tiona released him and then joined her older sister in ruthlessly teasing the young, pink faced elf maiden.
Turns out, Azoth chuckled to himself, the prim and proper elf had a bit of a dirty mind. Genuinely he hadn't even thought of their being any innuendo in his words.
Noticeably, as the two Amazon's teased the very red faced elf, Aiz, kept her golden eyes on him. Her head tilting to the side curiously as she did so, before, without a single change in her facial expression she spoke again. "What Level are you?"
"M-Miss Aiz!" Lefiya cried out, fighting her way out of the Amazon's sister's clutches as she instead turned to Aiz. "It's not proper to ask such a question of an Adventurer from another Familia!"
"Oh come on Lefiya, it's not that bad! All the Adventurers Levels are a matter of public record, it's just their statuses and skills that you're not supposed to ask about." Tione chipped in, rolling her eyes at Lefiya's actions as she did so.
"Yeah, it's not that rude. Besides this will make it fair;" Tiona added in with a grin, ignoring a nearby salesclerk that looked to be teetering on the edge of asking them to stop making such a commotion, as she instead looked over to the bemused Snow Elf. "Me, Tione and Aiz, we're all Level Fives, and Lefiya over there, she's a Level Three!"
Azoth nodded as he heard that. He now understood what they meant when they were talking about Levels, after all Hephaestus had shared this with him at least that much, even if she had said she wanted to talk with him in more detail about his status later.
"Oh ok, that's good." Azoth nodded, an impressed look on his face as Tiona practically preened in front of him, even as Tione and Lefiya seemed to stand a little straighter, and Aiz just stared at him. "I'm Level Six."
Almost at once the four reacted. Tione and Tiona gawping in shock, their shoulders slumping slightly. Lefiya raised her hand to her mouth, to hold in an "Eep" of surprise, even as she stared at him with wide eyed awe. Aiz however just narrowed her eyes a fraction.
"So that's how you beat, Bete, so easily." The golden haired girl stated bluntly.
It was the most he had ever heard her say before.
"Pretty much," Azoth grinned, "I was an experienced Adventurer even before I came to Orario."
"But still, how did you get that strong outside of the city? I thought it was like insanely difficult to get over Level Two out there! I mean sure there are exception, but still, a Level Six!" Tione asked, her eyes widening as she realised the difference in strength between the four of them and Azoth.
Noticing the Amazon sister's reaction, Azoth, was pretty sure he knew why they were reacting the way they were. For someone who must be used to being one of the most powerful in Orario, it was probably a bit of the shock to the system to meet someone stronger than you, and a previously unknown, or unheard of, someone too.
"I killed monsters of course!" Azoth grinned, patting Dawnbreaker at his side as he did so. "Mainly undead and dragons, and even once or twice an undead dragon!"
"Dragons?" Aiz asked intently.
"Yep, dragons." Azoth replied, the smile still on his face. Though that smile dimmed slightly when he remembered Mia Grand's warning about not speaking about Alduin in public, and instead only with the Guild and his god.
Apparently the World Eater had garnered quite the reputation for himself since he arrived here, quite the reputation indeed if even powerful Adventurers and gods feared to speak his name.
Bloody overgrown lizard.
"Well anyway, I'll probably leave you to your shopping!" Azoth suddenly spoke up, reaching down and picking up his bags as he did so; his comment noticeably surprising three of the four girls in front of him.
"What really?" Tiona whined disappointedly.
"Afraid so, I need to dump this lot back in my room and get ready to meet the rest of my Familia," Azoth shrugged, before leaning in and lowering his voice. "Plus I think the staff are getting a bit sick and tired of us being here, and are about to kick us out."
Hearing the last part of his words the two Amazons and Lefiya looked around, and did indeed notice that several salesclerks were giving the group the stink eye. None of them looking too happy about the noisy group of five causing a ruckus, taking up a lot of room in the shop and not even buying anything to boot.
"Ah yes…" Lefiya muttered, her face going a bit pink again, even as she began nervously playing with the end of her long, waist length ponytail.
"That's fine, we were done here anyway!" Tione shrugged, not looking at all bothered by the faces of the clerks, in fact she looked pretty happy about the prospect of leaving.
"Hey wait, we only just got here! We've not even had the chance to look around!" Lefiya cried out, much to Tiona's amusement as the Amazon girl began cackling evilly, her sister likewise grinning as she grabbed Aiz by the shoulders and began steering the blonde of the shop.
Chuckling at this, Azoth shook his head in amusement, and made to leave too, calling out his goodbye to the Loki Familia Adventurers as he left, getting three corresponding goodbyes, even as the two Amazon sister and Lefiya fought over where they would be taking Aiz next.
He was kind of glad that he had gone shopping alone.
( - )
(Back at Forgefire Manor)
"Azoth, welcome." Hephaestus called out with a smile as she saw Azoth enter the room, the last of the Familia to arrive, as requested. With him no longer wearing the stained and dirty clothing he was wearing before, but instead a clean, new set of clothing.
The Snow Elf now remarkably cleaner and tidier than he had been the first time she met him earlier that day.
With the red haired goddess currently sitting at the head of a long, rectangular table in the manor's main hall, the other thirty seven members of the Familia all sat around her, all of them waiting for the newest member of the Familia to arrive.
With, Tsubaki Collbrande, a tall, attractive, curvaceous, tanned, dark haired woman, with an eye patch over her left eye, sitting on one side of the goddess. The half dwarf smith sitting on the goddess's right side, as befitting the Captain of the Familia.
The rest of the Familia meanwhile were spread all around the table, not seemingly sitting in any order, or dressing in any strict dress code, as the members wore a variety of clothing, in a variety of styles; from smart to casual.
With some, like the short, pink haired, Lisbeth, wearing a smart, slightly frilly red dress. Whilst others, like the tall, dark skinned, bald man next to the Pallum girl wearing a vest and work trousers, probably the clothing he had been wearing at the forge earlier in the day.
"Thanks," Azoth nodded as he confidently entered the room; conscious of all the eyes on him as he strolled in through the large doors his back straight and shoulders square as he surveyed the watching Familia members with his own intense violet eyes.
Hephaestus had wanted to make a show of this. For that reason she, and her Captain, Tsubaki, had met with him beforehand, even as the rest of the Familia filtered in and took their seats. Both of them telling him to wait outside until called so that he could be introduced to the rest of the Familia at the same time.
"Familia," Hephaestus continued, leaning forwards in her chair as she recaptured the rest of the Familia's attention, a slight smile on her face as she looked around at them, before she gestured to her newest Familia member, a warm smile on her face. "This is Azoth, the newest member of our Familia."
"Hello, it's a pleasure." Azoth said, nodding his head as dozens of his fellow Adventurer's greeted him.
With some, like the tall, bald man, who looked like native of Hammerfell, and the small, dark haired, elf like human next to him, smiling and loudly welcoming him, both of them clapping and calling out greetings and congratulations.
Others meanwhile, like Lisbeth, and like the tall, teen with short red hair and tanned skin, who was sitting on the other side of the pink haired Pallum, were quieter in their welcome. Clapping and nodding to him, but not leaping to their feet, or showing any real enthusiasm.
Still there were others, like the muscly Amazon girl on Tsubaki's other side who barely looked up. With the dark haired girl in question, instead fiddling with some kind of mechanical gizmo in her hands, seemingly oblivious to all else.
Walking along the edge of the table, Azoth, sank into the empty seat on Hephaestus's other side, her left hand side, a slight smile on his face as the Familia members all around him continued to talk, either amongst each or other, or for those close to him, to Azoth himself.
Almost straight away, Azoth, could see that they were all, mostly, a friendly, and eclectic bunch.
"So have you settled in?" Hephaestus asked, drawing Azoth's attention to her as she did so. His violet eyes flicking sideways, only for them to widen a faction as he saw that she was wearing a fresh white shirt, and the same tight black trousers and black boots as before. In the light of the room, the ensemble were far more noticeable than they had been in the darkness of the forge.
"Yes, I even got out and about and managed to pick up some new clothes from the city's high-street." Azoth nodded, sitting up straighter as he noticed how a silence had quickly begun to descend on the table.
"I noticed, they look good," Hephaestus nodded, before with a slight smile she looked back to the rest of the table. "So as I was saying, this is Azoth. He is the newest member of the Familia who just joined today. He's is not however not a new Adventurer, instead he is a season veteran who just arrived in the city from outside of Orario!"
The other members of the Familia all started muttering amongst each other curiously as they heard this. With Lisbeth noticeably frowning, before she turned and spoke quietly to the bald man next to her, whose name was, Agil, or at least going off what Azoth's heightened hearing could pick up. With the pink haired girl telling the taller man about her meeting with Azoth earlier today.
Likewise the elf like human, Leo, turned and started muttering excitedly to the red headed teen next to him. A guy called Welf apparently. With Leo, audibly cursing the fact that the new guy, wasn't a girl, after which, instead of talking about Azoth, he started ruminating on his desire for more beautiful girls to join the Familia, much to the red haired man's amusement.
On Azoth's other side he saw Tsubaki lean over to the muscly Amazon girl next to her, Nyssa. With the half dwarf Captain audibly telling the other girl to pay attention, even as the large, brawny, dark haired man on Nyssa's other side, Beckondorf, let out a loud, cheerful laugh at Nyssa's actions, after which he began teasing the distracted Amazon.
It was all very relaxed and cheerful, or at least that was what Azoth thought as he looked around at the laughing, joking and chatting group.
"What Level is he Lady Hephaestus?" Lisbeth suddenly asked, her words causing an interested quiet to spread across the table as they all looked to their goddess for an answer. "You say he is a veteran Adventurer, so does that mean he is already Level Two?"
Hephaestus's lips quirked up in amusement as she heard the pink haired girl's question, the redhead not look at all perturbed about being questioned.
"You mean is he already entitled to use Lady Hephaestus's mark on the things he crafts?" Tsubaki cut in, a smirk on her lips as she bluntly got straight to the point of Lisbeth's question.
"Well…," Lisbeth went a little pink as she heard her Tsubaki's rejoinder, the Pallum fervently looking away from the smirking, Agil, who seemed to enjoy the fact that Lisbeth was being called out. "Well, I didn't put it quite like that, but, well, yes. Is the newbie entitled to use Lady Hephaestus's mark, despite him just joining today?"
Azoth cocked an eyebrow as he heard this, his violet yes flicking over to the Goddess of Smithing curiously. This wasn't the first time he had heard Lisbeth referring to Hephaestus's mark.
"What Lisbeth is talking about, is a Familia tradition." Hephaestus said, her words drawing the attention of the rest of the table, despite her directing them to Azoth. "When a member of the Familia becomes Level Two, and gains the Development Ability, Blacksmith, I offer them the opportunity to put my mark, the Familia's brand on what they produce. Or at least as long as the armour or weapon, or whatever it is they are crafting, meets my standards, or my Executive, Tsubaki's standard. For something you create to have the Hephaestus Familia brand, well it is a symbol of recognition of the crafters skill, and the items quality."
Azoth nodded as he digested this, his eyes flicking around the table at all the interested Familia members. Nearly half of them were looking proud. This group he assumed were the ones over Level Two and with the Development Ability, Blacksmith. The rest however looked resolute, or determined, or frustrated. These were the ones, he assumed, who were still attempting to gain that honour.
"But in answer to your previous question," Hephaestus continued, a smile still on her face. "Azoth is currently a Level Six Adventurer, and has a Development Ability called Master Blacksmith, and another called High Enchanter, both of which give him the right to bare my brand. Though again, he will only be able to do so as long as what he crafts meets with my standards!"
Almost at once absolute silence spread across the table, with everyone looking at Azoth in shock now, even the previously inattentive, Nyssa, with only Tsubaki and Hephaestus looking unperturbed by what was just said.
"He's Level Six?" Lisbeth asked, her voice quiet and strained as she broke the suddenly tense silence, even as the Pallum stared at Azoth in shock. The rest of the room echoing her reaction, though some of them looked more curious or speculative, and one or two looked a little cautious and suspicious.
"Lady Hephaestus, wouldn't that mean that he is the highest ranked Adventurer in the Familia?" Agil question, his deep voice ringing out in the silence that followed Lisbeth's words, his brow furrowed as his intense dark eyes locked on Azoth curiously.
"It does yes, but it doesn't change the fact that he is new to the Familia and will need to work to prove himself, just as everyone else does." Hephaestus nodded resolutely, the redhead clearly choosing her words carefully.
"Yep, which means he will remain my minion for the foreseeable future, just like the rest of you!" Tsubaki chipped in with a loud, good-natured laugh. Her words and her tone of voice breaking the tense atmosphere that had previous enveloped the table.
"Minion?" Azoth asked dryly, leaning forward to look at Tsubaki as he did so, his long pale ears twitching, even as a bemused smiled played about the corners of his mouth.
"Yep," Tsubaki nodded unashamedly, a bright smile spreading across the beautiful, dark haired woman's face. "As the Captain of the Familia, everyone here is my minion, save for Lady Hephaestus herself of course!"
"Urgh, don't bother fighting her on this man," Leo piped up, groaning along with a number of other people at the table, the short, elf like teen's eyes shifting over to Azoth. "She keeps on at this, it's kind of a thing with her. She's one of those girls who have a control kink, you know!"
"I think it's called a domination fetish." Beckendorf laughed, the larger teen's booming voice ringing out throughout the hall, as he laughed a deep, infectious laugh that soon caught on as a number of other Familia members started laughing, even as Tsubaki went a bit pink and started vehemently denying that she had a fetish for dominating people.
Looking around, Azoth, blinked in confusion as everyone went back to talking and laughing, many of the members now digging into the food in front of them, or pouring out mugs of ale or glasses of wine or water. Most of them slowly becoming wrapped up in conversation, though some still sent him the occasional curious look.
"You get used to it," Hephaestus said dryly from beside him, a glass of wine in her hand as she watched the table descend into chaos. "I love all my Familia members with everything I have, but there is no denying that most of them are barking mad."
"I prefer the term 'bat shit insane'. But still, that's just another way of saying that we're all; eccentric, quirky, and interesting?" Tsubaki cut in joyfully, her face still a little pink as she broke off from denying Beckendorf's accusations, and instead poured herself a large glass of wine, slopping some of the crimson liquid onto the table, even as she leaned over to speak with both Hephaestus and Azoth.
"I like it," Azoth said after a few moments, looking around the hall as he did so, a slight smile on his face.
The atmosphere and the raucous bantering. It reminded him of the feasts he had regularly had in Jorrvaskr with the rest of the Companions. Every night he had spent at the hall had ended with drinking, shouting, boasting, storytelling, and of course; a brawl, or a bit of swordplay or some other kind of martial competition.
"I'm glad," Hephaestus smiled. "They're a good group, though they are admittedly very inquisitive; I suspect that more than a few of them will have questions about where you've been, how you got so strong, and the techniques you have learned and weapons you have crafted. Try not to take offense, and feel free to put them off if you want too. They do all mean well, but please don't feel like you're under any obligation to tell them your life story or your secrets."
"Not to worry," Azoth smiled, waving off her concerns. "I might not tell them everything about me, but if there is one thing I do enjoy, you know apart from fighting or Smithing, and well…. Yes, well if there is one thing I like doing its telling tales. I was a bard once you know, not for long, but I joined a bard's college for a few months and was pretty good at it!"
"You were a bard?" Hephaestus asked in amusement, her eyes raking up and down his form, even as Tsubaki let out a snort of laughter, a fine mist of wine spraying out of the beautiful, but far from elegant, woman's mouth.
"I wouldn't say that I was the best that there ever was." Azoth laughed. "But I certainly could spin a tale as well as most, and have a lot of adventures that I have been on, and quests I have completed, to use when telling my tales."
"You'll have to regale us one night then." Hephaestus smiled, taking another sip of her wine.
"Sounds like a plan," Azoth nodded, raising his mug of mead in a toast of sorts, before draining it in a single gulp. It was pretty delicious. In fact it kind of reminded him of Black-Briar Meadery's mead, a beverage local to the Rift that he was very fond of.
"That said, before you get too deep into your cups," Hephaestus continued, looking out over the rest of her chatting and eating Familia for a moment, before glancing back at Azoth with her one visible eye. "Once the feast is done, I would like to talk to you more about your status and about some of your skills. Nothing intrusive of course. I just want to relay what they all are, and get an idea of how some of them work. Again you don't have to tell me everything, but I would appreciate a bit for information if you are willing, just so I know what you're capable of, and what you can handle."
Azoth, paused for a moment as he thought about her words, before, after a moment he nodded his assent.
"And then I will have you work alongside another member of the Familia," Hephaestus continued, with a slight smile. "Just until you find your feet, and to help you acclimatise to Orario and being in a new Familia. They'll also take you to the Guild building tomorrow and help you register, and get you a Guild Advisor too. Maybe even take you down into the Dungeon too if you are willing. Though if you do head down there you might need to borrow some armour for the moment, and I also wouldn't advise going down too deep, even for a Level Six like you, or at least not until you get a better idea of what it is like down there."
Again Azoth nodded. "I remember you saying, and I think I might do as you say and at least check the place out."
"Welf." Hephaestus called out, catching the redheaded man's attention as he broke off from the conversation he was having with the dark haired, Leo, and instead looked over to his goddess. "I want you to take, Azoth, to the Guild building tomorrow, and then show him his forge and workshop and help him get settled in. Is that alright?"
Welf paused as he heard this, his brow furrowing for a moment as he looked over at, Azoth, before without a word he shrugged and then nodded his assent.
"Thank you." Hephaestus smiled, her words causing Welf to go a little pink, before he quickly turned back to his food, his face going even redder as Leo once again started talking to him, a gleeful smirk on the elf like teen's face as the younger boy clearly began teasing the redhead.
Azoth, noticing this smirked, and then chuckled slightly under his breath. He was pretty happy with his choices thus far, and was looking forward to what tomorrow would bring. Not only would he be registering as an 'official' Adventurer and member of the Hephaestus Familia, he would also be getting his first look at the massive Dungeon that lay beneath the city of Orario.
( - )
AN: So what do you all think? This chapter had some world building and character development in, as well as some interactions with other characters. Most importantly though it allowed me to introduce the Hephaestus Familia, a Familia that is pretty much not at all developed, and in canon has only three, now two, named members, including the goddess herself. For that reason I have had to introduce other characters into the story to fill out the Hephaestus Familia's ranks. There are some fun Easter eggs in the Familia, which I reckon some of you will manage to pick up. Just to clarify, these aren't the og characters, but are inspired off appearances, and have vaguely similar traits, nothing more than that though. They are not like for like copies, and never will be.
I know some may think this is just filler, or that nothing is happening, but I would disagree. In my mind it is important to set out the context of the world and the Familia, and how Azoth and the rest of the characters interact. It is not just about action, as much as I do love action and fighting. It is also about interactions, exchanges between characters and the creation of connections.
That said the next chapter will not only have Azoth register with the Guild and waltz back into some canon events, but it will also have him venture into the Dungeon for the first time, and have him have some one on one time with a certain Welf Crozzo. Plus he'll be getting some temporary armour until he can forge his own, so will have an opportunity to be a bit judgy, as any master craftsperson would be when using something that they themselves did not create.
On top of that I am looking forward to exploring more about gods and monsters, as well as the other races, so of which I don't feel was fully developed or explored, or at least in the anime.
So yes, a lot to look forward too. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and leave a review.
Thanks for reading, and please do check out my other stories if you have the time.
Catch you all later.
Greed720.