The story so far: Bell was abandoned by his grandfather two years earlier than Canon arrives in Orario. Sent into the dungeon by his goddess on his first night as an adventurer, a chance encounter with Aisha, a dying amazon, witnessed by an elven waitress, changes fate. Mia and Ryuu, both concerned by the power of Bell's ability to revive the recently dead have Bell removed from Hestia's familia. In the next two years, Bell grows closer to Ryuu.
On a regular dungeon trip, Bell fights an abnormal minotaur with the help of Alicia, an elf from the Loki Familia. Saving Alicia's companion with his healing skill, he falls further into the dungeon, where he must sneak down to the eighteenth floor. Aisha and Haruhime meet Bell on the eighteenth floor and take him drinking at the Riveria Inn. While there, Aisha discovers that Bell is the adventurer from two years ago. On the surface, Loki also uncovers that Bell is the one adventurer who can bring back the dead. Sending her adventures to recover Bell, a massive Brawl breaks out between Loki and Ishtar's familia on the eighteenth floor.
Ryuu uses the battle as an opportunity to sneak Bell out of the dungeon. The next day Bell heads to the Casino with Syr. While at the casino, he is cornered alone by Ishtar, who convinces Bell that Loki is aware of Ryuu's identity as Gale. Ishtar then offers to charm Loki to protect Ryuu's identity as payment for saving Aisha. Bell agrees to leave with Aisha to protect Ryuu. Ishtar lied. Loki never had any intention of turning in Gale. To cover her lie, she has a plum that can mimic others transform into Bell. Ishtar concludes her casino visit by framing members of the Loki Familia for Plum disguised as Bell's death.
Aisha sighed as she entered the atrium, setting a plate of food on the table. Nearby, her savior sat anxiously, thankfully much less than before.
"Bell, you stink."
Taking an experimental sniff of his armpits, Bell immediately leaned back, nearly gagging.
"You need to bathe, or else when that elf gets here, she will get knocked out from the smell."
Three days without a shower would do that.
Bell had stayed up the entire first night, finally succumbing to sleep at noon the next day. Aisha had then tossed a blanket on the boy when he fell asleep. He spent the next two days sitting in the atrium, either Haruhime or Aisha sitting with him. Every time a door opened, he would lean forward in his chair, a smile forming on his face. The visiting amazons quickly tired of the smile slipping off Bell's face every time they entered and began using a different door.
"Yeah, that's probably a good idea," he replied. After quickly eating, he followed Aisha down several opulent hallways. Bell surveyed his surroundings, trying to remember the path they had taken. This place seemed more like a maze than a house. Portions of the home had been added haphazardly, with hallways and doors of different sizes and shapes.
Arriving at the end of a nondescript hallway, Aisha opened a door made out of rich mahogany wood. As Bell entered, his sight was drawn to a massive bed which dominated the center of the room. Enormous pillows rested on the silk sheets, and a comforter made of thick fur was draped overt the end. This bed alone likely cost more than the entire Hostess of Fertility. To the side, a single oversized chair and a two person love seat surrounded a fireplace. Thick rugs clung to the floor, and royal purple curtains kept any unwanted light out of the room. Two more doors finished off the room.
"Hmm, it looks like the fox even drew up a bath for you," she said opening the far door, his jaw fell at the bathroom. Blinded by white granite, he looked at the glistening tub, easily the same size as the bed he had just seen. The fragrant smell of eucalyptus wafted off the steaming water. "The door next to the bed leads to where Haruhime and I stay. Now get in. Those rugs on the floor are plush and absorb smells!"
After Aisha had left, he slipped out of his clothes and into the bath, groaning as the warm water enveloped his weary body. He leaned his head back on the granite lip of the tub, the cool on his neck contrasting wonderfully with the heat of the tub.
It felt like hours that he laid in the water but couldn't have been more than thirty minutes. Draining the water, he stared at the clothes on the floor. He couldn't put those back on, wrinkling his nose as he caught a whiff of them. A pink frilly bathrobe sat on a hook against the door. Wearing nothing but the robe, he slipped into the bedroom. Checking the dresser revealed barren drawers.
"Excuse me, Aisha?" He asked, gently knocking on the door that led to her room.
"She went to get-"Haruhime opened the door, her eyes going wide at Bell's state. "-clothes."
"Oh, well, I uh-"Bell stammered, "need those." He finished lamely. The fox nodded her head, her ears twitching and tail swishing behind her. "Just going to shut this."
He sat in the plush chair, sinking several inches into the plush cushions . Pulling a blanket over himself, he sighed, staring into the crackling flames.
"Here." Bell jolted as Aisha walked in, who tossed a set of clothes at him. He swiftly changed in the bathroom before moving back into the bedroom. Aisha had taken up residence in the single chair he had been occupying. Across from her, Haruhime sat on one side the love seat, her hands clasped in front of her.
"So Bell, how did you wind up in Orario?" Haruhime stuttered.
"My grandpa told me stories about the city when I was growing up. I always wanted to come here, and when he left, I came here," Bell replied as he lightly sat on the loveseat next to the armrest opposite Haruhime.
"She won't bite. You can sit closer~" Aisha said, smirking. Grumbling, he moved more into the center of the seat.
"What happened to your grandpa and your parents? They just let you come here? You were what twelve when we first met?" Aisha asked as she plopped her feet onto Bell's lap.
"I'm not sure. Grandpa left to go to town and never came back. I never met my parents. Grandpa raised me. He was the only family I had." Bell shrugged.
The townspeople certainly hadn't wanted him to stay. The townspeople had been sure Grandpa was a wizard. In the countryside, people didn't like wizards.
After Grandpa went missing, he had spent the entire day looking for him. Someone had broke the windows on their cottage. Three days later, when he returned home after another search, all that remained of the cottage was a smoldering ruin
"Then Hestia tossed me out as soon as I got here," Bell muttered. He was surprised how bitter it tasted coming out of his mouth.
Haruhime leaned towards him "But, if you hadn't been in the dungeon, Aisha would have died."
"Yeah, that's true." He smiled at both women. "Why hasn't Ryuu come yet?" He asked the smile slipping from his face.
"What do you know about Amazons?" Aisha asked, meeting his eyes. When he shook his head, she continued,"Well, obviously, we are all women, but it is well known we look for men that have something to offer, normally someone stronger than us. Other people look for fame, money, and someone who can care for them. Elves, though, are completely different. They live so damn long that elves only marry elves. You even touch an elf, and they are liable to attack. I can count the number of half-elves in the city on one hand."
"So it's because I'm not an elf?" Bell shook his head in the negative. "Ryuu isn't like that. She lets me touch her."
Aisha's eyebrows shot up and she stayed silent for a while. Her feet wiggled on his lap as she bit her lip, her eyes moving to the ceiling.
"She views you as a child then."
He opened his mouth but Aisha resumed, his protest dying on his lips.
"Elves allow children, animals, and other elves of the same gender to touch them. If she came to get you, she would risk needing to leave Orario to avoid Loki, right?" He nodded his head. "She chose to stay, and you need to accept it. Perhaps she isn't the friend you thought she was?"
"That's not true!" He tried to jump to his feet, but the two feet resting on his legs suddenly weighed a few hundred pounds driving him further into the cushions. A fluffy tail took that moment to wrap around his forearm like a snake.
"My family gave me to a prum they didn't even know, all because someone accused me of eating a rice ball." Haruhime said softly next to him. She met his gaze, her knowing green eyes softening as she gently smiled. "It was an offering to the gods, and my mother blamed me. My father cast me out that night."
Bell squeezed her hand. "That's not your fault."
"But I met Aisha, and she has looked out for me ever since," Haruhime replied with a full smile as she stared at Aisha. "Family are people that choose you."
"Well, as much fun as this is," Aisha said, getting up and turning away towards her room. "I have work tonight. Bell tomorrow, we have a dungeon expedition. I talked to Ishtar. If you like, you can come with us. We leave at dawn."
"I don't even have any gear."
"It's fine. We have plenty of extras, well, less the armor, more the weapons. But, you shouldn't even get a scratch with all of us." Aisha said, grabbing Haruhime's shoulder and dragging her out of the room. "Goodnight!"
As Bell made his way to the bed and sank into the mattress, he thought of a plan. If they were going into the dungeon, he would be able to slip away and find Ryuu! It would be ideal if he could slip away before they entered the dungeon. So long as he could get away by the thirteenth floor, it would be an easy trip back to the surface. He would need to ask for a cloak if he wanted to stay hidden once they came out.
The plan set into his mind as his thoughts drifted away, replaying his conversation with Aisha. When he finally did fall asleep, nightmares filled his dreams: Ryuu leaving him alone in the dungeon, Mamma Mia throwing his things into the street from the pub, and Syr abandoning him at Maria's orphanage.
He sat up in bed, sheets stuck to his drenched chest, his heart pounding and breathing heavy. Outside, the laughter and yelling of drunk entertainment district patrons filtered in through the window.
"Bell?" he lifted his head Haruhime was standing at the door. "Are you okay? I could hear noises." She moved slowly into the room before sitting on the bed when he didn't answer. A cool hand wiped beads of sweat off his forehead. He leaned into the touch, desperate to feel wanted after his dreams.
"Bad dreams," he finally replied.
"Aisha used to sing to help me sleep. Would you like me to try?" She spoke softly as she gently leaned back against the headboard. Bell nodded his head, closing his eyes as he buried his head in the sheets.
Words spoken in a foreign tongue soared through the air, soothing the pain in his chest. When he fell asleep with a serene expression on his face, he failed to notice as the mattress dipped beside him.
Bell couldn't remember the last time he had awoken to complete silence. Warmth pervaded his senses, the heavy blanket pulled up so only his eyes showed. The only sound was the gentle breathing coming from both sides —
Both sides?
Blonde hair filled his vision as his eyes whipped open. Haruhime was directly in front of him, her eyes closed, each exhale blowing warm air directly onto his face.
"Look at you go bunny, got her in bed with you in one night. Are you sure you're not an incubus or something?"
Aisha's playful voice tickled his ear, causing him to leap off the bed, his feet tangled in the sheets. He landed on the ground, taking half the bedding with him. Aisha laughed and rolled into Haruhime, who squeaked and yanking the blankets from under his feet and back over her form.
Aisha rolled off the bed and walked over to the curtains, ripping them open as glaring sunlight assaulted his eyes. "It is long past dawn. You are lucky you both looked so cute. Now get moving. We have a dungeon to crawl!"
Haruhime huffed, dragging the entire comforter behind her as she left the room. Not a morning person then.
"We only have long swords. Better get used to it," Aisha said, tossing a blade, a new set of clothes, and a set of leather armor onto the bed. Taking the clothes into the bathroom again, he changed quickly. The leather armor on top of his clothes fit like a second skin.
"Put this on," She handed him the emerald necklace again, watching as he slid it over his head. "Ishtar does not want any trouble with Loki."
"All right, the other amazons know who you are, but if anyone else asks, we will call you Crane," Aisha said. Bell nodded his head.
Following Aisha and Haruhime back through the manor, he was amazed at the number of women in the entrance hall. There had to be almost a hundred Amazons, all of them saluting as Aisha walked in. This would complicate getting away.
"Amazons, today we have a new adventurer joining us," she pushed Bell forward. He waved lightly to the group of women, smile beginning to fail. He felt like a sheep in front of a pack of hungry wolves with the stares he was getting.
"This is Bell. Outside of our district, you will refer to him as Crane. As of three days ago, he is one of us. Protect him as you would each other. Today, we are pushing for the 39th floor. Let's move out ladies, those purses aren't going to fill themselves!"
The tide of bodies swallowed him as they moved towards the dungeon. Aisha led from the front, and Bell waited until they left the entertainment district. Shortening his stride, he slowly made his way to the group's rear.
"Bell?" Haruhime appeared next to him. "You are falling behind. Is everything okay?"
"I have short legs," he replied, pointing to the offending limbs.
"Are you planning on running away?" Haruhime asked, glancing at the pile of women now a small distance in front of them.
"N- no way, why?" he stammered. The Renard gave him a flat stare
"You are a terrible liar,"
"Crane, Haruhime, let's go," one of the amazons from the back of the group yelled, beckoning them towards her. Bell took a deep breath and lengthened his stride until he was power walking. Next to him, Haruhime stuck to him like a herding dog, her longer legs keeping her between him and freedom. She gently directed him until he was back inside the mass of women.
Entering the dungeon in such a large group was completely different. They simply strolled down the floors. Haruhime explained that they would rotate groups of twenty to clear the area around them. Every time they descended to a new floor, the groups would switch so everyone would get to level up and nobody over-exerted themselves.
They passed the eighteenth floor without stopping. As they entered the middle floors, the Amazons spread into a new formation without speaking. A series of cocentric circles- circles within circles, the lower leveled Amazons making up the outer rings. The higher levels were inside where they could immediately jump in if anyone started to get overwhelmed. Aisha was at the front of the innermost circle directly in front of Bell and Haruhime.
Bell was assigned to healing duty, and also was in charge of protecting Haruhime, who had a long chant skill. Thoughts of escaping left his mind as he took in the new monsters and sights. Even if he could escape the group, he doubted he could make it back to the surface alone.
"Allen Formel, I didn't think you cats played on the middle floor?"
Aisha's voice broke him out of staring at a giant waterfall. In front of them stood a cat person, his all-black hair and outfit almost blending into the eerie gloom of the dungeon.
"We don't normally. I didn't know those legs of yours ever left the air."
"These legs?" Aisha pointed at her legs before bending as if to inspect her legs. "You wish you had seen anything like these in the air."
"I prefer my women a little," he paused, tapping his spear against his chin, "less used. Kinda like a spear you don't want one that's taken too many beatings."
"I don't think your spear has ever taken a beating."
"Who do- let's see if you can back up that mouth!" Allen snarled, launching himself forward, his spear arcing forward like a streak of lighting. Aisha barely knocked his attack away, the force pushing her backward into Haruhime. The Amazons quickly moved, swarming Allen like a wave, but he effortlessly knocked them all away before refocusing on Aisha.
Bell swung his blade, the long sword feeling unfamiliar in his hands as Allen raced past. The downwards swing parried the spear near the tip forcing it into the ground. Allen used it like a pole vaulter rising into the air; he balanced at the top, perfectly straight, a single hand on the very back of the spear keeping him perfectly balanced.
"Look out!"
Bell tackled Haruhime and Aisha out of the way as Allen leaped at them. The spear came out of the ground as Allen yanked the spear, moving it in a windmill motion before cleaving the earth where Haruhime had been. The blow's force caused the spear's metal shaft to groan.
"Enough, Allen, we are done here," Ottarl declared, entering the room.
He could hardly breathe, not just because Haruhime and Aisha were tangled up on top of him with one of their hands partially in his open mouth. Ryuu stood silently behind Ottarl, her Freya Familia logo of a valkyrie adorning the right shoulder of her regular uniform.
"I didn't know Freya took elves," Aisha said from somewhere on top of him. He struggled from underneath the women. Every time he moved, it seemed Aisha re-entangled herself.
"Freya takes those who are worthy of being in her presence," Ottarl spoke as the three members of Freya Familia made their way around the Amazons.
"Ryuu!" Bell finally managed to untangle himself from the amazons and ran at her.
"I'm sorry, I do not believe we have met," the elf stared unblinkingly at him. Ryuu's expression hardened as he continued to approach and her hands fell to her weapons.
"Oh crap, the necklace!" He whispered, gripping the emerald in his hand and pulling it off his neck. "It's me!" Bell jumped forward, intent on hugging the elf. A stinging pain greeted him, her gloved hand connecting with his face.
"I have no idea who you are."
With that, Ryuu turned her back on him and followed her familia members from the room. Bell disbelievingly rubbed the hand print that was slowly appearing on the side of his face.
Aisha walked up beside him. "I told you. Here, let's get that back on. At the very least, it will hide that handprint! That was a hell of a smack could you taste the leather of those gloves?"
He slipped the necklace back on not responding, despondently following the Ishtar familia deeper into the dungeon. Haruhime walked silently next to him.
Aisha looked over her shoulder at Bell, her mind running. The disguise would have dropped if Bell hadn't kept that emerald against his skin. It was sheer dumb luck that he had held it in his palm. If she lost him, Ishtar would go back to the killing stone.
She shook her head to clear the thought from her mind. No, she was going to make sure that Bell became enamored with her Renard. That was the only way to keep Haruhime safe.
THE PREVIOUS NIGHT
Freya sighed as she lounged on the couch in Syr's room. Mia and Horn, wearing the disguise of Syr, stared at her from across the room.
"You actually call yourself her friend? She thinks Bell is dead when he is just 'hanging out' in the entertainment district." The disapproval was evident from Mia's voice.
"Ryuu will get over it just as she did the death of her familia. I will make sure of it." Freya learned back against the couch, her hand coming up to hide her smile. "Bell needs to get stronger before he can truly be my Odr. Ishtar will push him to the very brink to make her familia stronger than ours."
"Push him to the very brink? His skill relies upon affection. If he grows to like those women and he is a boy, so trust me, he will. You will never be ably to pry him out. Especially if he finds out you were the one that tipped off Ishtar about the casino."
Freya's radiant smile dipped just a little. "Then he won't be allowed to find out."
It was true that Ryuu had been beside herself for the last three days. It had taken Mia physically restraining the elf to keep her from hunting down Riveria. To make things worse, Freya had pulled several strings to ensure Ryuu was at the courthouse and could hear Riveria didn't kill Bell. The not guilty verdict seemed to take the life right of Ryuu.
Today, she walked around, her ears drooped, her ordinarily clean appearance anything but. A patron had even groped her tonight, and she hadn't responded. Freya, as Syr, was forced to stop flirting and slap the man.
No, that just won't do.
Plus, it would be much easier to pry Bell from Ishtar if she already had his favorite elf.
"Bring her in here," Freya commanded, looking at Horn.
When the elf walked in, she looked horrible. Her sunken eyes were streaked with red and her hair, which was typically neatly done, looked like a bird's nest. Ryuu looked like the worst kept elf she had ever seen.
"Syr, who is this?" Ryuu spoke, her voice raspy.
"I am Freya." Freya's heart gave a low thump as she gazed at the elf's soul. Its silver sheen was hardly visible beneath the black coating of grief.
"Syr is an old friend, and she came to me about you," Freya said, reaching out to touch the elf's hand.
"I don't need your help." The elf snapped, stepping back from Freya.
That's more like it.
"Really? So if I could help you find Bell, you wouldn't be interested?"
The elf stopped breathing. Freya inwardly smiled as she watched Ryuu's soul respond, the silver taking a reddish tint and pushing back against the sea of blackness.
"Bell is dead."
"Is he? Since you know more than a goddess, you must be correct, and I will take my leave,"
A hand gripped her wrist, stopping her from moving.
"Where is Bell?"
"I am unsure, but I know he is alive. Hence, I have come with an offer." Freya hadn't originally planned to make an offer at all. But, a plan had formed, and when Freya was ready, she would have the perfect person to convince Bell to join her familia. "Join my familia, and I give you my word we will find Bell."
"Where. Is. Bell." Ryuu demanded, a dagger in her hand.
Freya was mildly surprised by the weapon. While she knew Ryuu was enamored with Bell, very few individuals would pull a weapon on a deity.
Perhaps I underestimated their bond.
"A god is hiding Bell. I have not been able to figure out who yet."
She certainly did know, but it wasn't like she would let Ryuu destroy the entertainment district. No, she would wait until Ishtar was stronger, then have Loki and Ishtar fight. Destroy the second and third strongest familia in the same stroke. It would be a simple matter to tip off the trickster of what had really happened at the casino.
"Ryuu, please, she is trying to help," Horn placed her palm over Ryuu's hand holding the dagger. "This is our best chance to find Bell!"
"I can't join your familia," the elf whispered.
"Because you are Gale?"
The elf's head snapped up to look at her in shock.
"I can resolve your guild issues. Now, will you join me and help me find Bell or stay here?" A little charm and the charges would be dropped. Plus, as the strongest familia, if she stopped sending her children into the dungeon, it would soon begin overflowing back onto the surface. The guild didn't have any other choice but to cave to her demands.
"Can I join your familia and stay here?" The elf had dropped the dagger. A true smile spread across Freya's face.
"Lie on the bed."
Freya was not sure what surprised her more that night. Ryuu officially joining her familia after meeting the real her, or the 1999 SSSS stats on the level fours back.
I may need to get Bell back sooner than I thought. If he is there too long, even my children won't be able to stop him and Ishtar.
AN
: A huge thank you to the Beta Readers who assisted with this chapter. I can say without a doubt they made this chapter what it is so a huge thank you to Eurille and Gogo2015