Bell was sure his head was about to explode. This morning he had awoken his head feeling like a kobold was banging away inside his skull. The last thing he remembered was walking into the Inn in Riveria. His confusion at waking up in his bed was quickly at the back of his mind as Syr had danced into his room, ensuring he didn't miss his morning training.
Training had been brutal. Bell's limbs felt like they all had ten-pound weights attached. The only saving grace was Lunor avoiding any hits to his stomach. Ryuu hadn't even been present afterward to heal the bruises. The day had positively dragged the smell of cooking food, making his stomach roil all day. Then, every time he ate, his stomach spent the next fifteen minutes alternating cramping or voicing displeasure.
Finally, the work day had ended. His steps up the stairs to where his very comfortable bed awaited was cut short by Syr. She stood at the base of the third-floor stairs, modeling a long flowing gold gown, her hair done up and big sparkly diamonds adorning her ears. Shit, it's Casino Night.
The casino, the reason for the pounding in between his ears. Shouts of excitement came from the table next to them. Looking over, he could see a crowd of women, the roller a woman, so average your eyes almost seemed to skip past her, the only reason special thing about her a smoking a pipe hanging from her lips. The roller seeing Bell's eyes upon her gave him a conspiratorial wink before she tossed the dice. The crowd around the table exploded into cheers. She must have won.
The casino was full of people, many standing around waiting for seats to open. All around them, adventurous stumbled and laughed staff weaving through the crowds with trays full of booze. The chime of machines as gamblers won rang out again.
"Bell?" Syr held her gloved hand up with a pair of dice in them. Kissing the hand for luck, she rolled across the table. Bell winced; the sounds of cheers from the crowd felt like hammers on his skull.
"10 player wins, again," the dealer said, looking like he had swallowed a lime. Syr's already substantial pile of chips grew fourfold.
"Syr, I think we should switch games," Bell said, nodding his head at a man that had appeared at the end of their table. Wearing a black suit, the man stood head shoulders taller than the crowd he attempted to duck behind when spotted.
Syr nodded, gesturing at the feminine gem-encrusted bag he was holding before, dramatically sweeping the chips into her casino bag. He followed her, thankful for his small size, as he slipped between the groups of people. Finally, she found an open table at the end of the hall in the back of the casino. This table had nobody else present except the dealer. The green felt labeled with giant white 21s, and the huge blackjack sign signified the game. Syr grabbed the middle of five chairs. Bell collapsed into the seat next to her.
The woman was infuriatingly stupid when it came to how she affected men. "I need my luck," he wasn't sure if Syr enjoyed that he had to kiss her hand or the glares he got from the passing males. That or she knows exactly what she is doing and doesn't care, he thought. This time her antics led to several passersby's accidentally bumping his chair.
He glanced down after the dealer played the cards—a ten with an ace below a perfect twenty-one.
Syr giggled, fluttering her eyes at the dealer, who flipped up his card. "Dealer has twenty," a slight frown appeared on the dealer's face. "Player has twenty-one, Player wins.
"This table appears hot," the voice was low. The speaker's sweet smoke-infused breath tickled Bell's ear. Turning his head, the speaker was the lady that had winked at him earlier. She moved into the seat on Syr's other side, her pile of chips rising several inches higher than Syr's. There had to be a hundred million Vali's there!
The next hand played Syr came out with a twenty, the mystery lady a fourteen, and the dealer nineteen. Several more hands played out similarly. Syr's pile grew until Bell was sure he would break his back trying to carry the stack.
"It appears I do not have your luck," the mystery lady said, looking at Syr. "Perhaps a kiss from the gentleman is the trick to a lucky hand?"
"Nope," Syr replied, showing another twenty-one to the dealer. "I think you are looking in the wrong place. I'm the luck. Bell is the arm candy." His face flushed scarlet. Then why did she always make him come with her?
"Well, that is disappointing," the woman said, sticking a hand for Syr to shake. "I go by Reyla, and you are?"
"Syr," Syr replied, her hand barely grazing Reyla's hand.
"Well, look at this table and those hands! This table, it's the one, mama!" Loki, dressed in a man's red suit, plopped down on Bell's other side. Next to her, Riveria followed, standing behind her goddess like a parent watching their child.
"Why are you wearing a suit?" Syr asked cocking her head at Loki.
"Wah-"Loki sputtered, staring at Syr. Bell rests his head in his hands. It was going to be a long evening. "It's to entice the ladies. They love a nice suit."
"They do, but on a man," Reyla said, a grin on her face.
"What would you know about getting a man?" Loki replied. "You are flatter than I am!"
"Oh, my dear, Men look for so much more than just the physical. They want a family, someone who will have their back and enjoy life with them. But, you are certainly correct. A figure does make it much easier to make a good first impression. A bad first impression is most difficult to overcome." Reyla replied. Bell almost nodded in agreement with Reyla, a small smile on his face as Ryuu's face popped into his head.
"Really? You seem to know a lot about men for someone who does not have one," Loki replied.
"I do have one. He is at home. He was under the weather today, and I didn't want to drag him into all this," Reyla said, waving her hand at the noise and lights of the casino. "He looks a little under the weather himself," Reyla said, pointing at Bell. Three sets of eyes now bored into him. He fidgeted in his seat as the dealer passed out the cards. Why couldn't Syr have left him at home?
"I'm fine," Bell replied. His stomach curled as the scent of roast beast wafted past their table, reminding him he was not fine. His bed would have been infinitely preferable to where he was now.
"You look as fine as sour milk," Loki's chuckle cut off as Riveria smacked her in the back of the head.
"Bell had quite the adventurous evening," Syr answered for him. Bell decided the cards on the table looked interesting as he leaned further from Loki. Loki had never been unkind to him at the Hostess. But the high elf beside her reminded him of Alicia's attack in the dungeon.
"Syr, can we leave," Bell spoke as softly as he could. Reyla and Loki's eyes seemed to lock onto his head. They had been here for hours. He wasn't sure how they would get Syr's winnings back to the orphanage without getting mugged.
Before Syr could respond, Reyla pushed forward a mound of chips. "I raise eighty million," the dealer's eyes almost bulged out of his head. Reyla was showing Sixteen. Syr had won every hand and was showing the same sixteen. What was she playing at?
"All in," Syr chirped, her eyes glowing positively at the chip mound. Shy pushed her pile into the massive bulge in the middle. Tapping her cards, the dealer dealt her a four.
"All I-"A loud smack cut off Loki as Riveria smacked her goddess.
"You are not all in. You will lose," Riveria stated in a dull tone. "We fold." Riveria pulled her goddess from the table by her suit coat.
"Player has twenty. Player wins," Syr squealed as the dealer spoke, running to grab a bigger bag for her chips. The dealer also ran off, with a casino manager chasing after Syr. If we get kicked out of here, we will have been kicked from every casino in the city.
"Bell Cranel, I have been looking for you for quite some time," Reyla said. Pulling an emerald earring off her ear, her face changed from average to a goddess with long flowing hair. An illusionary item he had never even heard of one of those. "I apologize for the disguise, but most casinos don't let a goddess who can charm their dealers play card games."
Ishtar sat next to crowd moved closer and tighter, completely blocking Bell and Ishtar off from the rest of the casino, a wall of tightly packed human bodies. Bell looked around them, beautiful women with men hanging off their arms. The women had to be amazons.
"How did Loki not recognize you?" He blurted out. Something about the way she was eyeing him made him want to squirm. You can't show weakness in front of a god and never answer a straight question. They can tell if you are lying. Ryuu's words popped into his head.
"She saw an average woman. This," she held the earring in front of her, "is quite the magical piece. Good enough to fool even gods. But I did not come here to talk about myself. I came to say thank you and to warn you."
"Warn me?" Bell asked. What would a goddess go out of their way to warn him about?
"Yes, Loki, she knows your little elf friend is Gale Wind after the elf had to pull you out of the dungeon last night. She intends to turn her into the guild unless you join her familia." An arm landing across his shoulders was the only thing that kept him from jumping out of his seat. "Now, I did not just come to give you bad tidings' you did save my new captain."
"Aisha?" he asked. "That's my name," the woman in said squeezing his shoulder. He didn't know all the captains of every familia, but he was sure that as of last week, Aisha wasn't Ishtars. The woman in question was the one whose arm was across his shoulder.
"Yes, but we are short on time. Loki has people looking for Gale right now. Once Loki finds her, there is nothing I can do to help you," Ishtar said, taking a deep puff off her pipe.
"What do I do then?" He could feel his heartbeat through his sweaty palms. A sinking feeling filled his gut as he realized this was all his fault. If she hadn't needed to pull him out of the dungeon, Loki would never have figured out her identity. If he hadn't saved that elf, nobody would know.
"I will handle Loki. You will need to hide. I have another illusion piece for you. Aisha, can you put the necklace on Bell?" Aisha dropped a silver chain with a small emerald stone over his head. "That will function like my earrings and allow you to leave unnoticed. But, I need you to promise you will not leave my home until the elf comes to get you."
"Why?"
"Because, if Loki sees you, the charm I will be placing on her will break. She will turn Gale in to force you to join her. I will alert Gale where to find you. Then you two can flee Orario."
Bell felt like the world was spinning. He simply nodded and felt the arm around his shoulder begin to pull him out of the casino—the diamond bag filled with chips sitting on the floor forgotten.
Ishtar watched as Aisha walked the boy out. He indeed was as gullible as Aisha made him out to be. Her last twenty-four hours of good fortune were almost unbelievable. Aisha had seduced one of Loki's second-line adventurous who confirmed Bell was not a part of Loki's familia. Then Bell had left with the waitress Syr to go to a casino, a perfect place to execute her plan. It had been a simple matter once they got to the casino, her girls working the crowd to give them some privacy.
Putting her earring back, she waved forward, a tiny figure filtering through the crowd. "Did you get a good look at him?" Ishtar asked the plum. The girl was small, hardly rising to Ishtar's waist. Her short brown hair and feminine figure looked decidedly odd in a suit that was a twin to Bell's.
"Yes, Lili can copy him," the plum held out an expectant hand.
Ishtar handed her a bag identical to the one Bell had left behind, the weight of it almost knocking the plum over. Truthfully the whole night had gone relatively cheaply eighty million for an adventurer who could raise the dead. Then another ten to frame another goddess? It may be the best money she had ever spent.
"Cinder Ella," the plum enchanted. It was a shame about the plum, Ishtar thought. The ability to change into someone else would be pretty valuable for her familia. What some men would pay to have twins. The plum before her vanished, and in her place stood a perfect copy of Bell Cranel.
Waiving Lili away, she watched as the plum made her way through the crowd. Ishtar wearing her disguise, leaned against the table, waiting. Then the screaming started, just one person at first, then others joining in.
"Someone call a healer!" Ishtar recognized Riveria's voice. Perfect.
Ishtar glided through the crowd. The whole evening would be for nothing if anyone knew of her involvement. The men and women parted before her as her children blended into the crowd until they could make a slow exit from the casino.
Truthfully she was a little worried about the poison on the bag. If it killed the plum too soon, nobody would believe the elf had done it. But, a foot from Riveria and Loki stood the plum disguised as Bell Cranel. The child screamed as its body froze. Inch after inch, freezing until with a strangled gurgle, the plum died. People stared at the body, its mouth frozen in a silent scream, limbs frozen, and the eyes having an odd sparkle as the eyeballs froze solid. I will need to tip Hermes. His child outdid themselves this time.
"The elf killed him! She cast a spell on him," Ishtar struggled to keep her face calm as one of her children began to work the crowd. Loki scanned the crowd pulling the elf back until Loki's children had formed a ring around the two, holding the public back. Riveria's face was frozen in shock as the group started to push toward her.
It was almost too easy. Bell loved the elf, all it had taken was a little lie about Ryuu's safety, and he had thrown himself into Ishtar's arms. Now with a dead Bell, nobody would be coming looking for him. It would give her familia plenty of time to make him forget about the elf. Framing Loki was just the icing on the cake, not that it would hold up any god could question Riveria and know she had nothing to do with it. But by then, the story of Bell being murdered would have spread like wildfire, especially since one of Loki's elf children had already attacked him the previous night.
Ishtar strolled from the casino, slowly returning to the entertainment district, listening to the whispers of people in alleys and sitting in front of bars. The story of the high elf murdering someone was on everyone's lips. Her amazons had filtered into every open establishment to ensure everyone would know. If she could get that damn high elf to leave, that would cut down a third of Loki's level six team.
The entertainment district walls rose out of the ground in front of her. Amazons flanked the single stout wooden gate patting down all who entered. It was an unfortunate safety measure, but after several incidents of adventurous almost killing each other over a girl, it was necessary.
Red lanterns hung everywhere inside, their light hazy from cigar smoke. The smell of booze, cigars, and perfume clung to everything. Ishtar walked under silk cloth that hung between the buildings like spiderwebs. Laughing groups of men stumbled all around, many with several women in tow—her girls stalking the few that were not yet accompanied.
When she arrived at Belit Babili, she saw Bell sitting in the corner, his suit gone and replaced with a plain white shirt and jeans. Aisha and several other amazons spread around the room playing chess or engaged in whispered conversations. While they looked to be doing work, their real purpose was to guard her new adventurer. A flutter of blonde hair from the hallway also indicated Haruhime's presence.
"Is Ryuu safe?" The boy asked as soon as she entered the hall. She nodded, making her way beside him on the lounge chair.
"She is, and I let her know myself of your whereabouts," of course, had done no such thing. The gradual loss of hope when Ryuu never showed would do wonders to crush his spirit.
"Bell, the last gift I would offer is to release your Falna," she held up a hand to forestall any questions. "It is the last gift I can give for what you did for Aisha."
"You can do that!" he asked. He could be a real adventurer again. His progress had stalled over a year ago. Now he would be able to go deeper into the dungeon again.
"I can. Any god or goddess can," Ishtar stated. She was curious to see if Hestia had ever shown him his Falna in the short time he was a part of her familia. It certainly didn't seem likely based on his conversation with Aisha. Motioning him to lie down, she straddled his back. Pricking her finger, a single drop of blood fell from her hand to his black. Symbols glowing blue across his back.
It was Hesta's symbol of a chalice, except a lock sat in front of the chalice. She dropped another bit of blood into the lock's keyhole and watched it fade away to be replaced by her symbol. Motioning one of her Amazons over, she grabbed the paper from her hand, shoving it down against Bell's back. What the hell.
Strength 1999 SSSS
Endurance 1999 SSSS
Agility 1999 SSSS
Dexterity 1999 SSSS
Magic 1999 SSSS
Abilities
Never-ending
The ability to heal any wound and even revive the recently deceased
Familia
Increases the speed of others' growth as long as his feelings last. The strength of the effects is related to the power of Bell's feelings. The user levels up at half the rate of his strongest feeling.
Forget the healing ability his second ability was worth far more. Increased leveling speed, not to mention all of his stats being above the 999 barrier. Her sides shook. Ishtar took several deep breaths to keep herself from breaking into laughter. She would have the most powerful familia no more groveling, no more being looked down on for her children's profession. The other gods would have to respect her.
My girls are the best at making men like them. He was meant to be a part of my familia. She showed the sheet to her new captain Aisha. The amazon's mouth slowly opened as she stared between the sheet and the man under Ishtar. Grabbing the sheet back, she gently smudged off the bottom skill before handing the sheet back to Bell.
"Congratulations, Bell, you are now level two," she said, the third drop of blood updating him to level two. "That minotaur fight everyone was talking about must have been enough to level you up."
Pulling his shirt down, she kept a small smile as he handed him his stat sheet. His hands were shaking. The child was so excited.
"Make sure the Barbados know of his other skill," she whispered to Aisha. "Now, Bell, I have things to attend to. As we agreed, you will stay here, and Aisha will show you to a guest room. You can have free roam of the manor, but don't leave until your elf shows up."
"I can wait here," he replied, gently setting the paper down. "Ryuu will be here soon."
"If you are sure," she responded. "Aisha, why don't you keep him company until she shows up?"
AN: So, this chapter has a lot going on. I hope it was all clear, but if it wasn't, please let me know, and I will work to fix it this weekend. I am really looking for a beta reader as I think clarity is my biggest issue, and I am working to make this an enjoyable reading experience. But, clarity is a struggle as I know what I mean when I write. If you are interested, please PM me. It will also help speed these chapters up.
AN2: So several comments about the gods/goddesses, yes they are OOC. We have immortal, rich, and all-powerful beings who think differently than humans. I plan on having some fun with that. Every other fanfic seems to have them as beautiful beings. But, well, I think that's a little one-dimensional.
To the one reviewer on Aisha being OOC, I do regret the Aisha thing in chapter 1, but I wanted her in the story and couldn't think of any other way to get her the role I wanted!