"Who the hell are you?"
The figure came out of the shadows, however Bell didn't get a good look at the person due to them wearing a hood. However, judging by the reactions it wasn't someone they knew.
"Not gonna answer? Doesn't matter your gonna die all the same."
"Hmmm is that soo? Your two men down, the three of you here are barely armed and have already been weakened. Not going to be much of a fight in my opinion."
It was a man's voice deep and calm heck part of him swore he had heard it before, however beyond that he was at a loss for who it could be.
The leader didn't say anything. Turning to look to the to men beside him he made a nodding motion to one of them and without saying a word the man lunged at the hooded figure.
"Hmm not very smart are you?"
He quickly turned to the side grabbing the man's arm and neck. With a firm grip on both, he knocked the attacker off balance. Throwing him to the ground. The next moment a large crunch could be heard and loud cries followed.
"Ahhh dammit he broke my arm. Boss help me."
The so-called boss stepped back looking at the man who not only disarmed but also incapacitated one of his boys like it was nothing. Worse of all the screams would attract more unwanted attention.
"Damn you." The second one said about to attempt another attack on the man. However, the masked man seemed to say something under his breath.
"Spread fear in their hearts."
He could just make out the last line. The hooded man spoke in a dark and chilling tone. However, the surprise of everyone, the attacker just ran past him dropping his knife without a second thought. Bell couldn't understand it, was it something he said? A second ago he looked ready to die, trying to kill him.
"Your friend made a wise choice now, I suggest you make the same. Or perhaps you plan on dying today?"
I doubt the choice was hard at that moment. The man sighed in defeat and ran for his life.
"Hmm what do we have here?"
He moved towards Bell however at this point was barely conscious. His vision was extremely blurred and the pain made it impossible to speak. He soon found himself going black.
"Why am I so weak?"
The man noticed that was fading and that he'd soon lose consciousness
"Hmm, can't just leave you here like this can I... Orion?"
The three teams met back up at the designated meeting place. And to everyone's shock, no one had found him.
"Are you serious no one could find him? It's not like he fits in he's a white-haired kid wearing armour how many times do you see that?"
Everyone looked at Hestia her frustration was starting to show.
"Let's just came down I'm sure he'll turn up soon. He probably just needs..."
Hestia didn't have time for the other god's words.
"JUST NEEDS WHAT HERMES? HMMM GO ON ENLIGHTEN US! YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF IDEA WITH WHAT'S GOING ON! OHH WAIT YOU DON'T!"
Hermes was taken aback by Hestia's sudden outburst. However, he wasn't just going to stand and take this.
"Nobody wanted this Hestia. I'm trying to ease his pain as best as I can, just like you should be doing."
She turned her head away from his face. This whole situation was one big mess.
"Please, Goddess-sama this is no time to be fighting we need to find Master Bell."
Hestia took a deep breath and calmed herself turning to the rest of the group.
"OK, so we've checked all the main streets and couldn't find him. None of the townspeople can recall seeing anyone by the description. I think there must be somewhere we haven't looked."
They all shook their heads in defeat. The only other option was to split up and look for him again.
"You there stop!"
They all turn around to see one poorly dressed man running from a bunch of guards. Despite there current predicament, they felt they had to intervene.
Welf stepped in the way of the man, who crashed into him and was knocked to the ground. Welf the preceded to hold him down why the guards had a chance to catch up.
"OK that's far enough"
The guards soon arrived beside them it was obvious they had been chasing him for a good while. They stopped first to catch their breaths.
"Thank you, adventurers, we appreciate the assistance."
Welf merely shrugged.
"Don't mention it. Wasn't much effort besides I couldn't just let him pass. By the way, since we helped you stop him mind asking why you were chasing him?"
The guards looked at one another.
"You haven't heard a big fight broke out in one of the back alleys looked like a mugging gone wrong. We've been after this guy and his group for a while now but never could catch them in the act."
"That's terrible I hope no innocents were injured?"
The guards looked down and the group immediately knew that wasn't the case.
"That's terrible I hope there wasn't serious how many were injured?"
One of the guards shook his head.
"Just one a boy white hair. When we arrived he was badly injured looked to have taken a right beating."
"It can't be!
It didn't take them more than a second to come to the same conclusion.
"Please, he's our friend tell us where is he now."
Before the guard was able to speak a small laugh was heard below Welf.
"Ha-ha-ha, that weakling was one of yours. Ohh this is great well I'll give you this advice, your better off without him. That worthless little shit didn't even put up that much of a fight..."
Didn't take long to find his face slammed into the ground. Welf could be seen to hold a great deal of rage towards the man.
"Another word out of you and Ill beat you to an inch of your life."
"Don't worry to our knowledge your friend was taken to the local inn apparently there's a healer staying there."
They need not ask twice before Hestia was off like a bullet followed closely behind by Lili and Hermes. Leaving Ryuu, Asfi and Welf who was still holding the man's face into the dirt.
"Now then gentlemen if you don't mind we'd like to have a little chat with this man."
Asfi was calm and collected and while not specifically saying it, asked that they take care of the problem.
The guards didn't seem interested in arguing and simply went about there own business.
"Just make sure he's brought to the jails when you're done with him."
Welf merely smiled.
"Thank you well make sure he's returned in one piece."
Cracking his fists into his palms. His eyes were burning with anger and he was going to enjoy this.
It didn't take Hestia long to find the inn that the guards mentioned. She didn't wait to be greeted in simply barging past the welcome person.
"Bell are you alright?"
Despite her deep worry for him her face soon turned to one of unimpressed. And it was because of one person.
"Wallenwatsit..."
Bell had somehow managed to end up in the hands of the Loki Familia. This consited of Ais, Tione, Tiona and Riveria who she assumed was the one tending to Bells wounds. Hestia didn't like the situation however they helped Bell so she owed them thanks.
"I suppose thanks are in order. I'll be sure to repay you in some way."
She didn't care for the Loki Familia but they were capable and besides her rivalry, she didn't have anything against them. Well besides maybe one.
"Please don't worry about that. I've finished healing him up but I'd suggest he rests for a while."
Riveria walked out one of the back rooms and joined the rest of the familiar.
"Still, you managed to intervene before anything worse happened. That should be reason..."
Riveria looked towards Ais in confusion. Both displayed the same look turning to the goddess before shaking their heads.
"I'm sorry but I think your mistaken we didn't save him. He was brought to us we didn't even know what the hell even happened."
Hestia was taken aback by this information its true she assumed that they saved him heck why would someone go out of the way to bring him to them.
"So wait if you didn't save him then who did?"
All of them shrugged.
"No one we know. Didn't really get a good look at the guy, hid his face. Heck, even his voice was off at times. When he did speak he it seemed to change, the strangest thing was he knew we would be here."
Lili was confused by the last part.
"I'm sorry what do you mean by it was strange he knew you'd be here. Your mere presence should draw attention like flies."
Tiona raised her arms in the air giving a quick stretch.
"Because we had only arrived moments before. Didn't even gets properly settled in. Should have seen our surprise, when some random guy strolls in and drops the Argonaut at our feet."
"Heck at first we thought he was the one responsible. But we did wonder why he brought him to us."
Hermes started to stroke his chin deep in thought before turning his attention to Tiona
"Did he say anything, about himself, why he did this? Anything at all?"
Tiona shook her head. And the rest shrugged.
"Like we said besides being almost totally silent the moments he did speak weren't a great deal to go off sorry."
"Well too bad I was hoping to thank him. Still sorry this had to happen out of the blue. I'm sorry if it's affected your plans."
Once again they all shrugged. They really didn't seem bothered by the whole thing.
"Oh don't worry, like we said we've only just arrived so it's not like we planned anything for the day. But I do have one question if you're all here why the hell did he even get into this state?"
This shocked Hestia looking towards Hermes for advice or help with the situation.
"Its. It's a long story and one we shouldn't really be telling its not our place. However I will say this, that boy has been through a great ordeal the last two weeks."
Hermes was calm and collected however the same couldn't be said for Hestia and Lili there faces said the truth.
"We won't pry its not our place we were just curious how he ended up in that situation."
Despite being quiet for the majority of the conversation Ais seemed to be deep in thought while being overlooked by Hestia and Lili as lack of interest, however Riveria knew better.
"I Know this comes out of nowhere but I'd ask that the boy stays with us?"
Even Hermes was surprised by this request and if he was shocked then what was Hestia's reaction going to be?
Despite his thoughts, Hestia just seemed to nod in agreement. Even Lili was shocked by this. It was out of character for her.
"I'll leave him in your care. Please inform us when he will be ready for travel."
Riveria nodded and bowed to the two gods out of respect. As did the other members of the Loki Familia.
As they were leaving both Hermes and Lili displayed their confusion to Hestia's sudden change.
"Ummm what the hell just happened back there? I'm sorry but are we seriously just going to leave Master Bell with them. Don't you want to see if he's OK?
Hestia stopped walking not turning to face her.
"Please, just this once be quiet and think about the situation."
Lili was taken aback by the goddess's words. She didn't make a sound waiting for the goddess to finish.
"He ran away from us, It's obvious he's still under a lot of pressure and hasn't fully come to terms with Artemis death. Being around us isn't helping him it's just a painful reminder. A change of faces and scenery will do him good."
Lili remained silent and simply nodded in agreement before walking ahead. Hermes, however, came to her side.
"But is that what you want?"
Hestia clenched her fists, before following Lili. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't hold back the tears. Hermes merely stood silently giving another look back at the inn before joining his companions.
However unknown to them atop one of the many buildings surrounding the Inn sat an onlooker.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you want to keep him around Riveria? You said it yourself when he arrived that his injuries weren't that serious. Heck, I'm sure you said he'd be able to walk out of here in a few hours."
Riveria sat down on one of the chairs putting her hands together before showing any signs of speaking.
"Look at the bigger picture here Tione, there something else going on here and despite what I said previously the boy could be in a worse state then we know. Besides I'm curious to find out what really caused this."
Tione gave her a fine look but it was obvious she had more questions but she knew better than to ask. However the same couldn't be said for Tiona.
"But didn't you say you weren't going to ask any questions. This doesn't have anything to do with us?"
"I said I wouldn't pry I didn't say that I wasn't going to ask him questions, besides it does involve us. It involved us the moment he was brought to us. Remember up until about ten days ago the dungeon was in chaos and a huge arrow in the sky threatened to destroy us all. And yet here is the Argonaut, a boy unlike any other get his ass handed to him by a bunch of thieves. There something else going on and his goddess knows it too."
Tiona couldn't see fault in her reasoning however she had to admit it was kinda weird to see Riveria like this.
"Soo now our relaxing Hot springs vacation is going to be ruined because of your curiosity? Thanks Riveria."
"If I remember correctly I wasn't even meant to be on this little trip of yours. Heck, I'm sure if I hadn't made my student stay and practise you would have brought here with you. Or am I mistaken Tione?"
She merely turned her head to the side.
"Oh, don't be like that sis, besides it's not like he going to be with us the entire trip just a few days I bet right?"
Riveria nodded.
"See and think of all the fun we can have by messing with him in the meantime!"
Riveria and Ais both looked at each other and sighed they didn't want to admit it but it was sure going to be an interesting couple of days.