Ryuu paced Freya's throne room. She was casting furious glances at a specific district of Orario far below. Her hands went for the hilt of her weapons before she resumed her pacing.
"Ryuu, stop pacing, dear. You are making Loki's guard nervous," Freya said. Ryuu forced herself to stop moving, turning to look at her goddess. Freya sat at a small table on the balcony, the air gently ruffling her hair. Across from her sat Loki, the sword princess standing behind Loki.
"Now you were saying that Bell is a member of Ishtar Familia?" Freya repeated.
"Yeah, my Amazons ran into him. They were having a little family spat, thought they could fool my girls by calling Bell Crane," Loki snorted.
"Interesting. But, I fail to see what this has to do with me. I have no issue with Ishtar," Ryuu froze, staring at her goddess. Loki was similarly confused, her eyes glancing between Freya and Ryuu.
"I thought Ryuu-"
"Yes, Ryuu was quite enamored with Bell. But, if he is truly with Ishtar, no elf would go for a used man," Freya replied, turning to stare at Ryuu before giving her a wink. Ryuu relaxed, Freya was playing with Loki.
"You are just going to let Ishtar continue growing? Even you must have noticed her growth rate. By the end of the year, she will be poised to take your spot," Loki said.
"Loki, I speak for Ryuu when I say we appreciate the… care you have shown by informing us of Bell's whereabouts. But, we have no interest in fighting your battle for you, Ishtar framed Riveria, and now you are looking to get back at her. I have no interest in those games," Freya waved her hand, dismissing Loki and Aiz.
"When are we getting Bell," the words were out of Ryuu's lips once she was sure Loki was out of hearing range. Freya sighed, pushing the chair out and waving her hand to indicate the elf should sit.
"We will begin planning to get him," Freya replied. "Ishtar is extremely unstable. Remember the portion of the story Loki just told about a weapon that shreds souls? Ishtar would use that on Bell in a moment to keep us from rescuing him."
"I can wait in the dungeon, ambush them. I don't think Ishtar has any level six's yet,"
Freya shook her head before taking a slow slip of her wine, her eyes glowing as she stared at the entertainment district.
"Bell will likely be kept safe in their district. Even there, it is likely she will have eyes on him at all times," Freya replied. Deciding not to mention that since joining, she had seen two souls that may as well be conjoined to his.
"Then what do I do,"
"Syr, can you come in,"
Ryuu jumped up, pulling the sheet off the table. She sprinted, throwing the sheet around Syr's exposed body. The girl looked positively scandalous. How could someone show that much skin?
"Ryuu, it's okay! I'm going to help you save Bell," Syr smiled, dropping the table cloth to the floor.
"Syr is going to sneak into the Entertainment District pretending to be looking for work. She will then find Bell and sneak him out to us," Freya smiled. It would, of course, be her when the time came. She couldn't trust such a delicate task to Horn. She would have to keep Ottarl nearby in case anything went wrong.
Bell was unbearably bored. He had been trapped in the manor for over a week, only allowed outside under the careful watch of at least five Amazons plus Aisha. He had hardly been able to go to the bathroom without someone.
Today was even worse. Aisha had taken Haruhime to get womanly items, whatever that meant. The doors were locked tight, leaving him wandering around the manor.
"What's this?" He murmured. Dragging his feet, he moved a rug behind Ishtar's throne, a small metal door handle appearing. Curiosity getting the better, he pulled it open, struggling with the weight. It had to be adamantium! A spiral staircase illuminated by blue torches led down when it fully opened.
Hoping down, the hatch closed above him, silent as a mouse despite its weight. Walking to the bottom of the stairs, he gasped. The room had to be a hundred feet high, giant, intricate pillars rising every few feet connecting what must be the basement and the actual manor above.
Blue torches overhead illuminated his path while Bell slowly explored. It was a completely unremarkable room at one time, likely having served as a storage room based upon the old boxes in one corner. Bell had almost completed walking the perimeter when he saw it. A giant metal door made of adamantine, the metal appearing almost green in the light. Two glowing red orbs resembling eyes set where the door handles would be.
Bell walked up to a small pedestal ten feet in front of the door. A necklace with a single small ruby matches the gemstones embedded in the wall. Gently picking it up as soon as he did, the door groaned open. Bell gaped, tucking the necklace into his pocket; before stepping forward, he slowly entered the door.
"What is this place?"
He continued moving forward, the doors opening for him as he approached. He ensured he only walked straight, never taking any side passages. His lessons in the dungeons stuck with him. Never get lost. If you are unfamiliar, only go straight. It makes getting back a lot easier.
His ears perked up as he heard voices. Ducking down one of the side corridors, he watched as a procession of figures walked past his hiding spot. All wore long white cloaks, each person's face hidden behind a white mask with a red swirl emblazoned on its front. The mask symbol almost resembled a familia crest. The cloaks reminded him of the ones his familia had used to wear.
"Did you hear? Loki familia ran right through the upper floors yesterday, took out all of Ikolos familia," one of the figures asked.
"I ran into the sword princess myself, had to run into the dungeon, then doubled back to the surface," another replied.
He waited until the figures passed before heading back the way he had come. He was filling away the knowledge that the basement connected to the dungeon.
"Bell? What were you doing down there," he whirled as he shut the hatch. Lena stood, a frown marring her face as she stared at him.
"I was exploring, But there were people down there, and Loki familia is in the tunnels!" Bell replied.
"I think the manor is getting to you. Loki's familia does not live in our basement. That old tunnel goes to Daedalus Street. But it collapsed a few years back." Lena grabbed his hand, pulling him behind her. "I got permission for you to go to the Pink Flower. We have a new tryout, so it's closed to anyone, not in the familia."
She pulled him out of the manor, a group of amazons falling into a lazy circle as they hurried through alleys and buildings, making a straight line to their destination.
The newest brothel in the district, it sat in the heart of the community. Walking inside the interior could best be described as over the top. The front resembles a temple, but instead of a bell tower, a seductive dancer stood at the top swaying to words only she could hear.
Private tables lined the wall, each with an oversized table with a pole rising to the ceiling. A long stage dominated the center of the room, flowing fabrics of all colors making the ample space oddly intimate. Lena dragged him into two chairs near the center stage.
"Just wait, Bell. Supposedly she is one of the most desirable maidens in Orario," Lena said.
"I thought Ishtar already had all the desirable maidens," Bell replied, trying to wave down one of the waitresses. He would do just about anything not to have to eat reheat food Aisha kept bringing him. Unfortunately, none of the staff noticed him.
"You say all the sweetest things," Lena grasped his arm as the lights dimmed everywhere except the stage. Bell almost choked as the figure came on stage.
Syr swayed onto the stage. A pure white robe that somehow hid everything and nothing adorning her body. Her movements fluid, she minced across the floor, waiving and giggling, before flowing out of her robe. Did those garments even count as clothes?
Syr giggled when she met his eyes, flashing him a wink. Then she climbed the pole in a way Bell was sure was impossible. Hooking her ankles together, she rose to the ceiling using only her thighs. Swinging out like an acrobat once she reached the ceiling, her top coming perilously close to losing its cargo. She slid down the pole in a slow circle before dropping into a bow that gave everyone a clear view.
"I'm not going to make any tips if she works here," Lena whispered, her face slack. He chuckled at the girl, patting her gently on the back.
"I'm sure you can find someone. I think Luis is still interested," he narrowly avoided the slap that came his way.
"Luis, really? He smells like a troll," she grumbled in response. "Let me see how the girls graded her. I'll be back." Lena slipped over to where three other amazons were reviewing notes.
"Hi Bell," Syr said with a giant smile, sliding into the recently vacated chair.
"Syr? What are you doing here," Bell whispered to the girl in question. The girl looked around, making sure nobody was in earshot before replying.
"I'm here to rescue you!"
Bell cocked his head to the side, staring at the girl. "Recuse me from what?"
"Ishtar! We found out from Loki that Ishtar was keeping you captive! Ryuu wanted to come herself, but we were worried that Ishtar would do something crazy,"
"Ryuu saw me a week after I joined Ishtar," Syr frowned, opening her mouth to object, but Bell continued. "She slapped me when I reached out to her. Also, I'm not being kept captive. I agreed to join Ishtar."
"There is no way. Ryuu has been looking for you this whole time, and why would you agree to join Ishtar? She is evil!" Syr stood up, grabbing his hand and attempting to drag him from his seat.
"Ishtar told Ryuu where to find me. Ryuu chose to join Freya, and I ran into her, and Ottarl she slapped me. It's okay, Syr. Ishtar has been nothing but kind to me since I got here," he replied, gently pulling his hand back.
"Ishtar is lying. Bell Ryuu would never abandon anyone she cared about. The only reason Ishtar is being kind to you is your skill!" Syr shot back.
"It's not that rare. Several familia's have powers close to mine. Amid can bring back anyone from the cusp of death. Mine just extends a little further," Bell shrugged, Rehyla's face popping into his mind. His skill was undoubtedly not as all-encompassing as he had thought it to be.
"Your other skill," Syr replied.
"What other skill?" Bell frowned. Every status sheet he had ever seen had only one skill. Even when he leveled up, he seemed not to develop any additional abilities. Syr pulled out an old crinkled piece of paper, handing it over to him. It was a status sheet, an old one based upon the stats on it. Two skills displayed at the bottom.
"She is using you. You are a prisoner here," Syr whispered. "We need to leave." The paper was gently shaking in his hands. Why did everyone keep lying to him? Did Aisha and Haruhime know was that why there were always so kind to him?
"Bell! What are you doing here?" Aisha said. Haruhime stood behind her, several bags piled in her hands.
"Lena brought me to see our new applicant," Bell replied. Aisha's eyes narrowed at the piece of paper in his hands. He quickly crumpled it up, tucking it into his pocket.
"Wait, aren't you the server from the hostess?" Aisha asked, gliding around the girl.
"Yep! Syr at your service!" Syr giggled, giving an exaggerated courtesy.
"We don't hire anyone from the Hostess. How did you get in here?" Aisha asked, her friendly demeanor wholly gone.
"I applied at the gate,"
Bell wasn't privy to many of the inner workings of his family. He was, however, aware that you couldn't ask to join at the gate. The only way to apply was either through Aisha or Ishtar. He had seen the applicants brought through the manor, and they were always under guard from the time they entered the front gate to the manor. How had Syr managed to skip that process?
"Lena and Samira, can you please escort Syr outside the district?"
Lena handed Syr a cloak for her modesty before escorting her out of the building. Bell stood awkwardly, shifting his weight as Aisha stared down at him.
"What did she give you?" She finally asked, holding out an expectant hand. When he didn't respond, she sighed, dragging him with her out of the brothel and back towards the manor. "Bell, I know that you were friends with Syr. Now, I have three problems how Syr managed to sneak into our district and get Lena to bring you to her tryout. Finally, the letter she gave you. So, you can either give me the letter, or I can reach into your pants and not in a good way."
"Here," he pulled the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, throwing it at Aisha.
"No need to be a crab," she muttered, unscrambling the paper, her eyes glancing across it. Haruhime is trying to peer over Aisha's shoulder. Bell stared as Aisha sighed, lowering the paper, Haruhime starring in confusion between the two.
"Anything else you lied about?"
"I didn't lie," Aisha replied.
"You knew about my second skill. Is that why everyone is so nice? So you can all level up faster?" Bell asked. Aisha's eyes hardened, and Haruhime's tail started twirling in uncomfortable circles.
"Yes," Aisha replied. "Most amazons are affectionate with you so that they can level up faster."
He nodded before turning on his heels and walking out of the building. He didn't even turn around as he heard Haruhime calling his name behind him. He made a straight line for the exit from the district. Lena was standing guard with Samira and two other amazons he couldn't name.
"Bell, I thought you were with Aisha," Lena asked, looking over his shoulder for the Amazon in question. Bell snorted; the street behind him was deserted in the middle of the afternoon.
"I was," he tried to step around her, but she moved, blocking his path. "I'm going to the dungeon."
Lena looked uncomfortable, looking at the amazons around her for support. All of them suddenly found the ground or sky fascinating as they looked anywhere but at Lena and Bell.
"By yourself? Let me just go get Aisha or someone," Lena stammered.
"I'll be fine. I won't go deep," Bell replied, eyes narrowing. He had never been denied leaving the district before. But he had also never tried leaving alone before.
"I can't let you pass," Lena finally said. "Ishtar left specific instructions that you were not to leave the district."
"So I'm a prisoner here," he replied angrily. The woman in front of him stared wide-eyed at him. He would typically never be this confrontational. He was just so damned angry.
"N-No," she stammered. "It's for your.. protection?" It sounded a lot more like a question that a statement. The amazons next to Lena furiously bobbed their heads in agreement.
"Then you come with-"
"Excuse me, Bell?" He turned around Haruhime stood behind him, her hands twisting into her kimono as she stared at him. "I got something for you today. Could you come back to the manor with me?" When he didn't respond, her ears dropped a soft "please?" Escaping her lips.
He sighed, nodding. It wasn't like he would be able to fight past all four amazons. Maybe Syr was right, and he was a prisoner here? He followed the Renard back to the manor. The door closing behind them as they entered had never sounded more like a prison door than it did now.
"Aisha, we are back," Haruhime said. Aisha appeared out of one of the side hallways. Bell pointedly looked anywhere but at the Amazon. Had he not averted his eyes, he would have seen Ishtar stroll out behind her.
"Bell, my apologies. I was under the impression it was someone else when I sent you. Our woman at the gate should not have allowed that woman inside. I do hope that the woman Syr was it? Did not open too many old wounds," Ishtar asked, waiting until he shook his head no. She continued, "Wonderful, but do you mind telling me what you spoke about?"
Bell frowned as he stared at his goddess. It almost seemed like her eyes were shining. Syr's exact words were almost out of his mouth before he caught himself. It felt like something was tugging the information from his mind. A pounding headache began to form.
"She just wanted to get a job," Bell lied. The pounding in his head receded as Ishtar stared at him. Her eyes flickered over to Aisha and then back to Bell.
"What about that piece of paper?" The same pulling sensation started back up.
"I'm not sure. She handed it to me as Aisha walked in. I didn't get a chance to ask," he responded before the headache had a chance to start.
"Unfortunate," Ishtar replied, her eyes gleaming again. "You will not try to escape the entertainment district, you will obey Aisha, and you will forget everything from when you left the manor to when you returned."
Ishtar, seemingly satisfied, walked back out of the room. Her voice seemed to resonate inside his skull. He had seen Ishtar charm others before, the double voice he knew to nod his head in agreement. Why hadn't the charm worked on him? He could still remember everything.
"You look a little lost, you alright, Bell?" Aisha's easy smile was back, but it didn't reach her eyes.
"Yeah, sorry, just feel tired, I think?" He just needed to get away from everyone.
"Why don't you sit down here for a second," she pulled a chair out, beckoning him to the seat. "We need to put away some clothing items."
She gestured at the boxes that lay by the entrance. Haruhime must have dropped them off before she went to get him. Bell wondered what she had meant to show him, or if that had been a lie too. He discarded the idea Haruhime was a horrible liar, her tail's giving her away.
Bell waited until they were gone before bounding up the steps and dropping back into the cellar. The cloaked figures had said it connected with the dungeon. He had no intention of being a prisoner to Ishtar.
The hallways were all identical Bell had an initial idea of which way the dungeon was from his home. Using that as guidance, he stumbled down the hallways. But, he was soon hopelessly lost. Following the tunnels, he finally noticed muddy boot prints.
The tracks led to a long rectangular room. The ceilings were twice as tall as a typical building. The floor and walls were stone, no longer the greenish tint of adamantium; instead, they were gray with marron spotting. But the cells lining both sides of the room caught Bell's eyes.
Each one had several monsters inside the species ranging from goblins to a Formula.
"Help,"
The monsters began taking up the call of yelling for help. They could speak! He spun around, the faces and sounds blurring together.
A soft cooing noise broke through the chaos of shouting monsters drawing his attention. It was a siren. Slender built, she was tall for her kind. Her long wings were a pale golden color ending in a spattering of blue near the feathers. Her feet resembled a chicken, but those talons would cut through even mid-grade armor.
"You are new here," Her voice had a song-like quality. Bell nodded, his mouth refusing to work as he stared at the talking monsters. "Are you here to take us away?"
"Take you away?" Bell repeated the question slowly. The siren bobbed her head.
"The other humans, they would come down and take us away. We have not seen any of them in several days,"
"No, I'm not here to take you away. What are you?" He replied, slowly walking up to her cell.
"We are called Xenos, we may look like monsters, but we are closer to your kind," a soft smile graced her face. "I am called Ray "she stopped clearing her throat. "Sorry, nobody has given us any water in several days."
Bell looked around; several canteens were full, hanging next to the door he had come through. Pulling a canteen off the wall, he quickly inspected the rest of the gear. It was a complete dungeon kit with armor, potions, weapons, food, and camping supplies. A key hung at the far side of the wall. Grabbing that as well, he made his way back to Ray.
Handing the canteen to Ray, she quickly drank half the canteen before moving to a harpy lying next to her. Ray gently pulled the red feathered Xenos to a sitting position before tilting the canteen into her mouth. Bell frowned as he stared at the maroon spotting underneath the harpy. The stone floor was stained with blood.
"Why are you in cages," Bell asked.
"The man who captured us explained that we would be sold. But I have no way of knowing. Anyone whom he took has never returned." Ray replied, gently settling the harpy back onto the floor.
"The man who captured you, do you know his name?" Bell asked.
"No, he only mentioned his familia I believe is what you call it? Ikelos," she replied.
"I heard they were wiped out by Loki familia," the monsters went wild cheering and jeering banging body parts against their cages.
"What will happen to us? Nobody knows we are here," Ray asked.
"How do I know if I let you out that you aren't going to attack me," Bell asked, fingering the key in his hand.
"Have you ever been taken from your home and imprisoned? We want to go home," Ray pleaded.
"Don't have a home to return to. Do you know the way back to the dungeon?" he asked softly, opening the door—the siren carrying the harpy out of the room.
"We do. But, you have the smell of an adventurer. You must have a family?" Ray replied as Bell continued opening doors. The Xenos, as they called themselves, formed up in the center of the room, several of them grabbing weapons or armor.
"A home I am not allowed to leave and a family that lies," he spat out, opening the last of the doors. The Fumore had to crawl out of the small cell; when it was free, it almost reached the ceiling.
"Then come with us, we have a village on a middle floor. You can rest and decide on your future there. This prison is no place to leave a friend," Ray said with a small smile.
Bell nodded, helping Ray lift the harpy. He followed the group of Xenos as they made their way through Knossos and back to the dungeon.
Aisha swore as she tore the manor apart. Ishtar had questioned the guards herself. Nobody had seen Bell leave, but he wasn't inside the manor. Why hadn't Ishtar's charm worked? Every amazon she could find was tossing the place but still no Bell.
Ishtar's familia was a snake pit; any girl would use Bell as a weapon against her if they knew she had feelings for him. Her gut twisted at her last interaction with Bell. Why did he have to ask her in public?
"That girl must have given him something to fight off a charm," Aisha muttered to herself. She shouldn't have left him alone; she knew better! Especially after she told him she only liked him for his skill. She shoved that part of herself down. She hadn't thought the lie would matter once Ishtar wiped his memory. Now, it would be that much harder to get him back.
"Aisha?" Lena looked as if she had run from the front gate, her face red and chest gulping for air.
"What!" Aisha snapped at the younger girl causing her to shrink away.
"It's just that earlier, well, Bell said that he was in the basement and talking about the old escape tunnel. Did anyone check?" Lena asked. You could have heard a pin drop as every Amazon turned to stare at Lena.
"Our Knossos key is gone," Ishtar stated as she entered the room, stepping out of the trap door. "Aisha, grab every amazon you can and go to the dungeon! Station half your troops outside the exit and the rest at the eighteenth!"
"The dungeon?" Aisha asked, staring at her goddess. The tunnel connected with Deadalous street. Aisha was aware of the escape tunnel. Every amazon was. But why would she need to go to the eighteenth floor?
"The tunnels go into the dungeon! Now go!"
Aisha raced, grabbing amazons as she went. When she got her hands on that boy, she was going to chain him to her.
AN: Somewhere around midway for this story. I hope yall are enjoying it. Sorry, this chapter took longer to get out. The next one is approximately half written.