Chapter II: Part I

The walk down was quiet to the seventeenth floor. All that was said prior was all that was needed. As Finn, Riveria, and Gareth made their way down the flight of stairs leading to the main floor they were met by the bright light of the fractured Wall of Sorrows as it reflected off in various rays of light. In the center of the floor stood the others, patiently waiting for their comrades to catch up.

"Hey Captain!" Tione waved, shouting excitedly at her leader's arrival.

Finn smiled with closed eyes they approached the others upon noticing the large magic stone embedded in the floor.

"I see the Goliath was taken care of."

Finn scanned the group, all of them present except for one.

"Where's Aiz?"

"Yeah, you see she went ahead to Rivira carrying some guy. He was in pretty bad shape, and she said your orders were to clear out the floors and not to stay put, so she up and went saying she was going to get him help!" Tione recalled, faithful to the events, but also leaving out a few details that may have been unimportant for Finn.

"Hmm, well I suppose there's no harm in that for now. And you all waited here?" Finn offered his gaze to his team.

"I wasn't gonna follow her, not with that damned smell. Agh, I can still smell it here.." Bete said as he gave his reasoning only to snarl at the remaining smell that seemed to only bother him and his incredible sense of smell.

"I mean, I wouldn't want to go too far ahead. Especially if you were to need my help, Captain!" Tione proudly proclaimed.

"If he needed your help how could you help him floors away, dumbass?" Bete said lowly as he turned away to Tiona.

Finn turned to Tiona, where she stood off in the center of the room near the magic stone. Slowly working it out of the ground.

"Hah! Got it!" Tiona shouted triumphantly with her arms wrapped around it. The stone itself was the size of about two of her tall, and one wide. Yet with her strength she managed to lift it up.

Finn didn't need to ask, he knew she was enthralled with the simple task rather than following Aiz.

"Riveria." Tione said as she approached the three leaders. Riveria diverted her attention from the loot that Gareth had begun to inspect near Tiona. "I don't know why, but Aiz seemed a little off. I don't know if something was wrong, or if that guy said something. But you know, maybe you could talk with her?"

Riveria silently nodded, whatever thoughts that were on her mind immediately shifted. "I will. Thank you for letting me know."

"We should get moving, eh?" Gareth offered as he held some of the drop items over his shoulder. Primarily Goliath skin.

"Yes. Let's." Finn agreed and brought the Occulus from his pocket up to his mouth staring back at the passageway leading to the sixteenth floor. "Bell, this is Finn. The floor boss is cleared, and we're moving onto Rivira. How are things up there?"

There were a few seconds of silence as Finn waited, the others too patiently waiting. Then finally Bell's voice came from the other end.

"Glad to hear! We're moving fast, it's like there's no monsters at all down here! It shouldn't be long until we reach you." He sounded confident as they were making their way through. From beyond Bell, Finn could hear the shuffling of fabrics. Everyone must've been eager yet cautious to move on to Rivira.

"Sounds good. See you then." Finn said before tucking the Occulus away following the rest of his team.

For Riveria after being told that Aiz seemed a little off, worried her. It wasn't often, truly it was a rare thing where Aiz would be unstable. The last time she could recall Aiz becoming unstable was during the events on Daedalus. But that seemed like some time ago, where she had been able to move on.

"Did she?" Riveria wondered. It was hard to tell even for her. Aiz kept everything close to her chest and to herself. Riveria was possibly one of the few people who understood her the most. And with Tione being able to spot a difference that brought it to her immediate attention. Something that she knew she wouldn't have to discuss with Finn.

Walking down the passageway was enduring. To walk with patient steps. Her new goal was to find Aiz. To ground her in reality. To help her. She didn't know where in Rivira Aiz would be, but she knew she'd find her.

As they reached the final step, the large tree came into view that gave shelter and refuge to the town of Rivira. But before she could begin her search someone spoke up.

"Good to see you, Aiz." Finn said warmly, with Aiz giving them a courteous nod back. Her golden eyes locking onto Riveria once the social courtesy was out of the way. And there without speaking the group split up once more.

With Aiz and Riveria heading directly to the town, Finn and the others made their way along another path to give them the space they needed. Which also gave them time to search the perimeter for added safety measures. Though before they could get too far, Tiona managed to flee to Rivira with the magic stone to cash in while she could. Knowing all too well that it wasn't hers, but not entirely sure whose it was. Having a pouch of vals is much easier to carry than a large magic stone.

Riveria walked behind Aiz, it was strange for she hadn't said a word. They simply walked through the town with Aiz leading the way. Riveria didn't prod her with questions in the streets. It was too public for Aiz to open up.

"Here." Aiz said softly as they reached what appeared to be a blacksmiths building tucked amongst other buildings. Aiz knocked on the door and waited for it to open.

After hearing the usual tapping and thuds of footsteps the door opens.

"I told you that you didn't have to knock. But come on in." Jai said holding the door open for them. Aiz didn't say anything and they both entered.

Riveria's eyes scanned the room, searching for any indication or reason why Aiz had brought her here where swords, shields and all rest upon the walls and on racks.

"This isn't a clinic."

Up the stairs and down a hallway, it was the last door on the left. Again the man, Jai, opened the door. Inside the man from before, unconscious still in shambles. A small medkit placely on the nightstand next to the bed. They entered the room and Jai leaned against the door frame, patiently watching them both like a concerned citizen.

"Why did you bring me here?" Riveria asked, her voice plagued with confusion.

"My magic isn't like yours.. I can't heal him. I can only hurt.." She said as she gazed upon him like a watchful guardian.

Riveria heard it in Aiz's voice. It sounded different from her usual tone. There was a longing, a warmth. Something unlike her.

"Bell really has done a number on her.." She knew that ever since the two became acquainted Aiz had grown ever so subtly. That alone made her happy, but this confused her. "Why him? Why this stranger?"

"May you heal him?" Aiz asked as she turned to face Riveria with her golden eyes.

At first it seemed like an outrageous question. Using her healing ability on a stranger. To use her mind, when they were yet to embark on the next quarter of their mission. Sure it seemed easy in and out, but she knew fairly well how important it was to be conscious of mind usage. It could mean the difference between life and death.

"Why do you want me to do that?" Riveria asked calmly.

"I want to ask him a question." It was there in her eyes, whatever this man said to her she needed answers. Whatever actions he took, she needed to know why.

"Aiz-.." Riveria was about to begin to give her a list of reasons why she shouldn't until Jai cut in.

"If that won't do it for ya, he's the only person to come out of the lower floors. And from what I understand from the Sword Princess here, is that he slayed the Goliath Irregular up on the seventeenth." Jai said bluntly. "So if you can wake him up before you all have to go down there, then maybe you can use that intel."

Riveria turned to him and gave him a faintly surprised look after his assessment.

"And who are you exactly?"

"I'm the guy that he saved down there. Taking care of him like this is the least I can do." Jai said firmly with a shrug of his crossed arms. It was obvious that he said what he meant. "So what are you gonna do?"

Riveria squinted at him then turned back to Aiz.

"Ok, but I'd like to know Aiz. What is it that you want to ask him?" Riveria soft as if talking how a mother would to their child. Purely maternal.

Aiz took a few seconds as she searched for the right words.

"He killed the Goliath, saying that he did it so I don't have to be afraid anymore.." Aiz said carefully.

"You want to know why he'd say that?" Riveria tilted her head and leaned in the tiniest bit.

"No.." Aiz brought her eyes down away from the man. "I want to know how he knew I was afraid.."

The air stood still in the room, no sound was made. And Riveria couldn't say a word.

"She was afraid this entire time and not even I picked up on it..?" She was in complete disbelief. Almost disappointed in herself. That in some way she had failed her.

"Ok, I'll do it. It's better we get this started sooner rather than later. Aiz, you go find Tiona. She's taking the magic stone from the Irregular to cash in. Use that and buy some healing potions. You'll know which ones. If you see Finn, let him know where we will be for potential intel that could be useful for us. Ok?" Riveria said as if channelling Finn. Aiz nodded and left without any word.

Riveria could hear the door open and the sound of wind outside.

Aiz dashed high through the air, she could feel the force of the wind brush against her skin and through her hair. All this to get a better look upon the town. All to search for the one Amazon who operated with half a mind. It didn't take her long after hopping from rooftops with carefully planned arcs, she found the amazon with the large crystal at one of the magic stone exchanges.

Of course, it being Tiona, it's the money exchange with the highest fees.

"Alright so how do you know him?" Riveria began, prodding the stranger before her as she began to prepare her process.

"I don't. Never seen him here before in my life. I don't even know his name." Jai said still comfortable with leaning up against the doorframe. "Just sorta came out of the dungeon."

Riveria didn't respond, only giving him a look of skepticism as she began to cut the clothes around the unconscious man. The straps where armor was supposed to be were cut clean. Whatever protection he had was long gone and the wounds on his body proved how useful they would've been.

"I mean it. None of the guys around here know him. I asked some of the big players in town, Morg, Bors, that crazy lady with all the tattoos, they all had the same answer. Nope. No one here knows the guy with black hair and blue eyes. Someone like this I thought he would've been a part of your familia or something alike. But when he said that he was the last one left, it didn't make sense cuz I didn't see yours, or any of the other familias come down today."

Jai fell silent. Caught on a few words.

"I can't help but shake the feeling that actually has no one. Which makes no sense. You don't go down there to lower or deep floors solo. I mean unless you want to die, that is. But he practically came crawling back up. Didn't want any care, said that it wasn't safe here and said he was gonna clear a way out for us.."

Riveria could only shake her head as she began to search his body for injuries. Only to come to a single question. From the wound on his hand, to the signs of venom coursing through him, and the injuries sustained by what she could assume was from the Irregular Goliath.

"How's he still alive?"

Authors note: Don't worry, Bell is coming up next. He's not forgotten nor a "side-character" for this story.