Chapter 17: Storm and Desire
The detention of the twins, Andil and Linda, had greatly reduced the morale of the Familia. The god of thunder was on edge and no one had managed to sleep at night. Ekkrit had gone away and had not returned before the early morning. As soon as he returned, he, his god and the rest of the familia's executive gathered.
So, what's going on? What's this mess? asked Thor, still on edge.
Exactly what the person who came to arrest them told us. They are accused of the murder of an adventurer, killed the night before last. I was able to identify the victim, the man Thargar had an altercation with the day we arrived.
It was weeks ago, the day Thor had registered with the Guild. An adventurer had insulted Ekkrit and Thargar had wanted to teach him a lesson before Mei ordered him to stop.
Wait, the little prick from that time? the dwarf asked.
It doesn't make sense, if they were trying to discredit us with a revenge story, it would have been better to accuse Thargar directly, or Yga at the very least. Why the twins? They're not our most powerful members, and besides, they're rather discreet.
Everyone agreed with Mei on this thought. It was then that the nezu spoke again.
On the other hand, something bothers me, the witnesses of the scene obviously saw the attackers well and the descriptions they give are formal, it matches well with Andil and Linda.
Any chance that these are false testimonies? asked the elf.
No, the witnesses are local ordinary people without connection to each other. If it's a frame-up, someone waited to make sure they had witnesses whose word could not be questioned.
But the twins spent that evening here, we saw them all, wouldn't that be enough to clear them? said the dwarf.
I don't think so. Mei replied. We belong to the same familia, our testimonies will certainly be rejected under the pretext that we're covering for them, we should have had outside witnesses. The scales are tipped more in favour of the Guild's accusation at the moment.
The god of thunder had listened to his children in silence, then stood up.
There is no point in staying here and talking about it. You four, with me, are going to the garrison of the Third District, Ganesha promised that we could see them and he will keep his word.
And with that, the four adventurers followed their god, still unaware of the turns this affair was going to take.
And things began to unravel as the small group walked through the 3rd district. Soon they could feel a stirring in the air, and they began to worry when they saw a group of Ganesha Familia guards pass by. By mutual agreement, they quickened their pace and found a small crowd in front of the famous garrison. And in the group was the elephant god, who looked saddened and angry.
Ganesha! What's the matter? the god of lightning called out to him.
Two of my children are dead Thor.
And those who knew Ganesha knew that he was very attached to his children, despite the fact that his familia was very populated.
What do you mean? What happened to them? And the twins?
They escaped of course! The Guild employee who had come to make the arrest the day before shouted at him. After having massacred Ganesha's guards as well. I'm warning you right now that you're going to pay dearly for this, you and your crazy familia.
The poor man didn't have time to continue pouring out his fury as the god of thunder had just grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against a wall.
SILENCE! YOU SPEAK TO A GOD OF WAR, MORTAL! YOUR WORDS ARE AN INSULT TO MY HONOUR AND THAT OF MY CHILDREN! ONE MORE WORD AND I WILL SEND YOU BACK TO THE CYCLE OF SOULS SOONER THAN EXPECTED!
Thor's voice was unnaturally powerful and resonated like thunder. The colossus' rage was obvious. And the only one who could currently calm him down was another god. Fortunately, there was one beside him who, despite his sadness, managed to keep a cool head. Ganesha put a firm hand on Thor's arm as he held the unfortunate, terrified employee.
Thor! Stop it! This won't solve anything and you know it! Please let him go.
Despite his fury, he listened to his old friend's words and let go of the poor man, who fell to his knees, unable to stand on his legs, completely terrified by the aura of the god of war. Meanwhile, Thor's children had approached the entrance and watched the scene. Finally, it was Ekkrit, the nezu, who spoke.
According to your version, the twins killed the guards and ran away. If that's what you really think, you're a fucking amateur.
Thor and Ganesha came towards him. The god of thunder knew that his shadow was very good at investigative work, so he waved him on. The nezu stepped forward and began to observe the elements of the crime scene more closely.
Were the twins still on Status Chains?
Yes, that's the procedure in these cases, the cells are not strong enough.
Which made sense, an adventurer became a superman with his falna and simple cells couldn't hold them all, especially levels 3 and above. And having cells made from adamantium, orichalcum or magically reinforced had a cost, so they were reserved for the most dangerous residents. With this in mind, keeping the prisoners in special shackles that nullified their powers made sense.
What level were the two guards?
They were not beginners, but still level 1. The prisoners had Status Chains and were cooperative, so a reinforced guard was not deemed necessary.
This also made sense. It was important to remember that more than half of the adventurers were level 1s and would never get off the ground. Leveling up was a kind of barrier that many would never be able to breach. The Nezu stepped forward and silently observed the area from all angles, as well as the bodies of the two Ganesha guards.
If the marks, the wounds, the position of the bodies and the blood spatter are any indication, then it is clear that the attack came from outside. Intruders entered and quickly killed the guards. They had no time to defend themselves.
The nezu then approached the cell where Andil and Linda had been held captive.
There was no break-in of the lock, so they logically opened it with the guards' keys.
The former assassin entered the cell and slid his fingers across the floor before bringing them to his muzzle and sniffing something.
Ekkrit? asked Mei.
Sleeping powder. Something strong. They didn't escape and nobody came to rescue them, they were kidnapped.
That's what you say, there's no guarantee that this isn't a set-up by your...
YOU! ONE MORE WORD AND YOU WILL JOIN YOUR ANCESTORS!
Stop! Ganesha shouted to prevent a further rise in tone, before turning to the slightly too uptight Guild worker.
I've known Thor for thousands of years and these are not his methods, I vouch for him! As true as I am Ganesha!
And while the elephant god fell back into his ways, the god of thunder had gathered with his familia.
Who would want to kidnap Andil and Linda? Thargar asked.
Are you sure this isn't a Freya trick? the shivat girl said to her god.
I doubt it. She's a pain in the ass, but even she respects a few things.
Not her directly, but her familia is quite... fanatical. Some may have gone beyond her orders. Ygannea added.
Maybe, but I don't know. Thor said, as confused as he was anxious.
For now, we have no leads and speculating will get us nowhere, we'd better act. Ekkrit concluded.
You are right. Go back and search on your own. The rest of us will go home and get everyone on the case. Then I'll go to the other gods and see if anyone has heard anything.
Everyone nodded and set off. It was going to be a long day.
The news had not yet spread throughout the city, and not all of Thor's allies were aware of the situation. While the god of thunder and his children were trying to find out who had kidnapped two members of their familia, Bell was innocently shopping.
The young man was walking through one of the busy streets of the city, accompanied by little Ishtar. Ishtar was always glued to him whenever she could. The more time passed, the more he became attached to this curious, joyful, loving and gentle child. Following Thor's advice, he had made the effort to see her as a whole person and not to judge her according to what had happened in the entertainment district. And indeed, he no longer found anything in her of the Ishtar he had known, she was a new person.
Her return was not yet official and few knew she was there, but her childlike appearance meant that few could guess her true identity. The other gods understood, but said nothing.
A shopping bag in her right arm, Ishtar holding her left hand, for the rabbit it was just another beautiful day. Cutting through a small, quiet street, he saw two figures he recognised a little further on.
Those of a young man and a young woman he knew. The two looked so much alike that it was a little disturbing. Ebony hair, capes decorated with black feathers and faces that were not very expressive. But that didn't stop Bell from greeting them warmly from afar.
Andil! Linda! How are you?
Bell had made friends with some members of Thor's familia and knew others only from afar. He was close to Ekkrit, Mei and a bit of Ygannea, but had never had much opportunity to talk to the twins. But they didn't talk to many people anyway. But to this nice boy, they were still acquaintances that he greeted when he passed them.
Fortunately, Bell had reflexes, so he managed to see their blades rushing towards him just in time and drew his own weapons to block them. One struck the black metal of Hestia's Dagger and the other the silver metal of a new dagger Welf had recently forged for him.
Bell might have been a nice guy, but he had learned from his many mistakes and was no longer as naive as before. He knew that trouble could happen anywhere, anytime, so he had not waited for the nezu's advice to get into the habit of always carrying a weapon.
Andil! Linda! What's wrong with you?
Sure, they weren't particularly friendly, but their familias were allies, so they had no reason to attack him. He got no answer from them, in absolute silence, the two assailants disengaged and resumed their attacks.
In his memory, the twins were level 3. His already advanced level 4 allowed him to keep up, but he was forced to defend. The two were fighting in a terribly coordinated way, to the point where he sometimes felt like he was fighting a single entity.
And his other problem was that he was not alone, the little Ishtar had been behind him since the beginning of the confrontation, forcing him to use his body to avoid her taking blows.
The twins alternated between short sword and bow attacks. Bell managed willy-nilly to fend off the arrows and blows of the blades, but he couldn't go on like this forever, if he took the risk of attacking, he would put Ishtar in danger. But on their side, his two assailants could not manage to make a single real attack on him either, coming up against his defences and reflexes, which had also benefited from Ekkrit's training.
Bell had more than his stats now, he was beginning to absorb a very effective fighting technique.
Fortunately, he was saved by time itself. The fight was still taking place in daylight and soon the noise attracted people. As soon as spectators arrived, including adventurers, the twins retreated and disappeared into the alleys.
Once the tension of the fight had dissipated, Bell let out a deep sigh of relief. Turning back to Ishtar, he saw that she seemed deeply disturbed, even shocked. He immediately stooped to her height and grabbed her shoulders, worried as he was.
Are you all right? You didn't get hit?
At first glance, she didn't have any injuries, but she still looked very troubled.
No, it's not normal... she said, as if she were talking to herself, as if a terrible truth was coming to her.
What is it, Ishtar? What is not normal?
In fact, many things were already abnormal. Why would Thor's children attack him so suddenly? Why him? Why now? Why the twins, when Thor had much stronger children to oppose him?
There is no desire Bell... There was no soul!
The little goddess' words seemed terribly cryptic to him. In any case, they should not stay there, they should tell the others about this attack and hope that his goddess would understand better what was troubling the little goddess girl at his side.
In spite of herself, someone else had just observed the events. Freya, as usual when she wasn't in the tavern, was watching her beloved precious soul. In fact, she was spending more and more time in front of her divine mirror. If it weren't for her role as Syr and her work at the Hostess of Fertility, she would certainly spend all her time watching Bell.
She was particularly surprised when she witnessed the attack by Thor's children. Even for her, it didn't make sense. And it wasn't this kind of confrontation that would polish Bell and make him shine more.
Even though she had vowed not to bother Thor directly after her defeat at the holmgang, she still kept an eye on his activity. This guy was still a thorn in her side with regard to her plans with Bell. As soon as she saw this strange sight, she immediately summoned Ottar, but also Allen and Hedin. These two were the most likely to take the initiative when they thought it would please her.
Ottar.
Yes my goddess?
Are Thor and his familia still under our discreet observation? Is there anything to report?
Ottar had been silent until now, for he had not felt he knew enough about the thunder god's recent misfortunes to be worth a full report, especially since his goddess was now almost exclusively interested in Hestia's rabbit.
We don't have all the information yet, but it seems that two members of his familia, the twins with the unknown past, were arrested last night for a murder case. Apparently there was an incident at the garrison where they were being held, some of Ganesha's guards died, and Thor's children were either on the run or captured, the details are still unclear.
With the events only a few hours old, it was good that Ottar had been able to gather so much information. Freya had a long arm, her children were dedicated and she had a whole host of people who were only too happy to make themselves look good for her. Either because her status as unofficial queen of the city meant that people wanted to get into her good graces, or for more... private reasons.
My goddess, I assure you that no one in our familia has... Hedin began, before Freya raised a hand to silence him.
I know, Hedin. Some may be temperamental, but I have the confidence to know that no one would have gone so openly against my orders.
If she sometimes blurred the interpretation of her will, and was amused by the initiatives some of her children took to please her, when it came to Thor, she made herself perfectly clear. To her surprise, it was Allen who spoke again.
Would you like us to investigate further? Discreetly?
Allen's initiative was a bit surprising, but his defeat in the arena seemed to have affected him greatly. Many had thought that he would become even more explosive than before, that this wound to his self-esteem would make him uncontrollable. But the opposite had happened.
After a few days of frustration, he had finally admitted his mistakes and the vision of Anya as he approached his death had opened his eyes to many things. He was still a Freya devotee, but seemed to have finally realised that he had to be more restrained if he wanted to regain the favour of his goddess.
Yes, try to find out as much information as you can, but don't take any action, I don't want anyone to know about this yet.
As you wish.
The three men then withdrew to do the will of their beloved goddess. Freya remained pensive for a moment, taking stock of the situation. It was unfortunate for Ganesha, especially since she knew he was attached to his children, but perhaps this affair would give her an advantage regarding Thor. If she could get her hands on some useful information for the god of thunder first, she might be able to negotiate some things with him, or even convince him not to interfere with her future plans.
It was only after several hours of searching for a lead, without success, that Thor finally returned home in frustration. The twins seemed to have vanished. Whoever had taken them had obviously prepared well, everything must have been calculated long before Ganesha arrested them. But was it they who were the targets, or the familia? If at first Thor had allowed his anger to make him believe that Freya was up to something new, he had been considering this version as unviable for some time.
The goddess of beauty could be a twisted bitch, but that wouldn't be like her. She would have tried to corrupt her children to her cause, but since her attempt on Mei and her defeat at the Holmgang, she no longer had those options. The god of thunder had to focus, he had enemies, but he couldn't see who would do that. Most of the people he had problems with had often been reduced to a state where they could no longer cause him harm. It was not for nothing that he had only seen Freya as the main threat.
But that was a terrible mistake and he would pay a high price for putting on the blinders. When he arrived, he found the rest of his familia, most of whom had returned as empty-handed as he had. But what bothered him most was the worried look in Astraea's eyes as she hurried towards him.
Thor! she simply called out to him.
Astraea, I love to see your face when I come home, but not when it looks so worried.
More jokes later Thor. Ryuu brought me some disturbing news, there's a problem at Hestia!
Thor already had his own problems to deal with, but he would never abandon his daughter at heart. Astraea had not been specific, she had just mentioned her captain, the blonde elf, whom the thunder god knew was very close to Hestia's white-haired boy. The latter was spending time with Hestia's children and had returned in a hurry saying that there was a problem and that it concerned them too. This was a good reason for the warrior god to hasten the pace.
He was accompanied by his main children, Mei, Ekkrit, Thargar and Ygannea, and the five of them were greeted in the early evening by a worried-looking Haruhime. She then guided them to the living room where the rest of the goddess of home's familia was waiting, as well as little Ishtar.
Hestia! I came as quickly as I could, is everything all right?
Everything would be better Thor, if you would explain to me why your children attacked my Bell!
And from the look on her face, she didn't seem to be in the mood for him to talk about his possessive issues again. The kid still had the patience to deal with it.
What are you saying? Nobody attacked Bell! None of my children did.
Even the biggest idiot in the world could see that it didn't make sense. Thor loved Hestia as his own daughter, he would never attack her, so why such a rude plan?
And who attacked you, my boy?
Bell seemed a little embarrassed to accuse people he thought were friends, or at least acquaintances, and children of a god who had always been sympathetic to him.
The twins, Andil and Linda.
Thor's children were stunned by this revelation, but the god of thunder approached Bell, grabbing his shoulders with a worried look.
The twins? Have you seen them? Are they all right?
At the time, it was Bell who remained silent and surprised by the deusdea's question.
Thor! interrupted Hestia. Tell me what's going on.
I don't know, Hestia. Ganesha and the Guild came to arrest them last night for a supposed murder, and this morning the garrison where they're being held is found upside down, with two of Ganesha's guards dead and signs that they've been abducted. And now you're telling me that they've attacked one of your children, I don't understand it anymore. Bell, didn't they tell you? Were you sure it was them?
Yes, unfortunately, it was them. I didn't talk to them much, but I recognised them. They didn't say anything before they attacked me, they seemed cold, detached, with a blank stare.
Tell me exactly what happened, please.
I was out doing some shopping with Ishtar. We saw them in a small street, they said nothing and attacked me. I managed to defend myself, while protecting Ishtar. Then the noise of the fight attracted people and they left.
It doesn't make sense! Mei said, increasingly confused about what was happening. Why attack Bell? Or was Ishtar the target?
It didn't seem like it to me. Bell replied.
I can't believe the twins did this. Said Ygannea the elf, whose eyes did not hide the sadness she felt. For her, who was a big sister to everyone in her familia, this was heartbreaking. It's not like them, I refuse to believe it was them.
Yet... Bell began hesitantly. It was them, I recognised them.
Maybe that's where you're wrong, Master Bell. Lili, who had been deep in thought until then, said. Have you forgotten what I can do?
Bell understood what her friend prum was trying to explain to her. Lili had a special magic, Cinder Ella, which allowed her to change her appearance to a certain extent. Of course, there were restrictions, she could only take on a humanoid form, even vaguely, and had to maintain a build close to her own. Thanks to this magic, she had impersonated a child chienthrope, the prum of the Apollo familia whose name everyone had forgotten, Finn Deimne and even an almiraj.
Do you think we were impersonating them instead, Lili?
With magic or magic objects, it is possible, Master Bell. And we have already seen what Master Fels' or Lady Asfi's creations are capable of.
Thor breathed a sigh of relief, reassured that he would be believed when he said his children would not do this. The prum's theories were more to his liking. But just as they were all beginning to agree, someone else spoke up.
They had no souls...
Everyone looked up to see where these words had come from and it was little Ishtar, discreet in her corner, who had just spoken.
What do you mean Ishtar? asked Hestia. All mortals have a soul.
There was no desire in them, they were empty. The little goddess simply said with a sad look on her face. Most of the adventurers in the room looked at each other in embarrassment, no one understood the young goddess' enigmatic words. Seeing their distress, Ishtar closed her eyes and delved into the knowledge of her other incarnations. Although she looked and acted like a little girl most of the time, she was still a goddess of beauty, as old as creation, with the knowledge that implied.
Ishtar, please explain. Thor simply asked her before making room for her to move to the centre of the group. The young goddess looked suddenly more mature, due to the fact that she was letting the ancient memory inside her speak.
All mortals have desires. Even the gods have them. And I don't just mean physical desire. Desire is the force that drives people to act. It ranges from the great desires of life, such as the desire for love, for glory, for wealth or whatever. But there are also the hundreds of small desires of everyday life. The desire to relax in a nice bath after a hard day's work or to go for a drink with friends, the desire to eat your favourite food for dinner and there are many more examples.
I understand the idea, but where do you want to take us Ishtar?
I am a goddess of beauty, I can sense people's desires. My nature means that I would end up sensing physical desires more naturally, but in reality I can sense all forms of desire. But there was nothing there at all.
At the same time, they were in the middle of a fight, probably too focused. Thor pointed out to her.
That's not the point, Thor, even in combat, people have desires, to win, to survive, to fulfill a mission, to protect someone. But here there was nothing, absolutely nothing. They were empty, desireless, soulless, like puppets guided by invisible threads.
The situation was taking a strange turn. Ishtar may have looked like a child at the moment, and she hadn't been out of the Source for a long time. But her knowledge remained intact, so there was no reason to question her judgement. Thor and his children turned to each other.
Are you... thinking about what I'm thinking? Mei then asked the rest of her familia.
It... might look like that. Ygannea replied.
You're thinking of that old bastard, aren't you? Said the god of thunder simply.
But wait, after this whole mess, everything collapsed, isn't he supposed to be dead? said Thargar.
Technically, we never saw his body. As far as I'm concerned, no corpse, no proof. Ekkrit replied prosaically.
But just as they were getting into their conversation, Hestia suddenly cleared her throat to remind them that they weren't all alone.
Will you let us in on it?
Strangely, her adoptive father began to look away, as if something was bothering him.
I'd like to... not talk about it too much right now, not until we find the twins. But I think I've got a good idea of who's behind this mess. And if it's who I think it is, I'm sure I know how to find him.
So he didn't want to tell her everything. But could she really blame him? When she herself had not yet dared to tell him about the xenos. The goddess heaved a sigh, but faced the facts.
Okay, I'll trust you. But I don't want you to leave me out of it. Whoever it was, they attacked my captain and a goddess under my protection.
That's fine with me. The god of thunder replied, offering her a fatherly smile. However, Hestia quickly brought him back to the business at hand.
And? Concretely, what do we do?
If it's who I think it is, then he needs material, lots of material, and the special kind. Ekkrit, you should be able to find that.
The nezu then stepped forward and answered him.
I think so, but to go faster, I'll need Miss Arde's help.
Me? Lili said a little surprised.
Yes, our man needs specific equipment, the kind you can't find at the most prominent dealers, even more so if he wants to go fast and remain discreet. I could use the help of someone who has known this city and its underbelly longer than I have.
Even though she had buried this life after meeting Bell, Lili still had a shameful past and a list of dishonest deeds. In her days of ripping off adventurers, she had often had to deal with various fences and other suppliers of items and components that were not always legal to sell. And she still had contacts and addresses. She didn't like to go back to this kind of people, but necessity was the law.
In that case, let's go right away.
Ekkrit nodded, then he and Lili left.
While all this was going on, somewhere in a dark place, an elderly man wearing a purple mage's robe was looking at two unconscious individuals. A young man and a young woman who looked very similar, with long ebony hair. Andil and Linda seemed to be kept unconscious in an artificial way and had not much clothing left on them. The old man let out a tired, cruel laugh.
It's great to have my children back at last. Be happy to come back to me, I will do great things with you.
Thor had given him a hard time in the past, reducing all his work to nothing. Like so many others, he was unable to understand the beauty of his science. And he had gone so far as to steal Andil and Linda, his precious children. It had been necessary to keep a low profile, to pretend he was dead, to accept to associate with those degenerate Evilus, as well as with that mad goddess, but it seemed worth it in the end.
I don't know why these poor fools wanted me to attack this boy specifically, but his level was ideal for a real-life test. The first results are conclusive. Unwittingly, Thor has provided me with what was missing by making the twins grow. A little more and soon the whole damn city will be forced to recognise my talent. I'll outdo them all, even the legendary sage!
The old man, his mind obviously focused on his own overweening ambitions, let out a much more joyful and energetic laugh. After the despair of destruction, he had found a new youth with the euphoria of success.
As night fell, a nezu and a prum walked through the darkest streets of the city. An unexpected duo, but one that brought hope to their familias.
Master Ekkrit, I know many people, but not all of them will be talkative. You have a plan, I assume?
We'll start with that. said the nezu, handing the young woman a purse. She could tell by the weight and shape of it what it contained. Gemstones, all kinds and sizes. Varis remained a universal language, but in some circles, people preferred this method of payment, easier to conceal, relatively easy to negotiate and harder to trace.
With some people, this may not be enough.
Maybe, but in that case I have another solution. Do you know the play of the good guard and the bad guard?
The prum didn't answer him, but let the nezu see a somewhat sadistic smile. The kind she would never do in front of others, and even less in front of Bell. The message was clear, the nezu wanted answers and he would get them. And she was going to help him without too much trouble. Someone had attacked Bell, the man she loved, the one she held most dear in the world, she too wanted to know who had done it and was willing to do whatever it took to find out who it was.