PART II - The Solace Within the Night
Oddly enough Jai was the first one to enter the passageway that led to the lower floors. Standing at the entrance that led to floor below, Mathis hesitated as his body pulled him back to the safe point. As if it were begging him to stay in the safety of this floor.
His breath shivered and shook, and his hand trembled as it held the torch that he grabbed from the entrance of the passageway.
"You coming?" Jai broke the silence as he stood some distance down the passageway.
"Yeah, I just need a second."
Closing his eyes he takes a deep breath. He knew that it wouldn't be until some time after the rise of the sun that the Dungeon would begin to birth it's children. But still, that bore no reassurance. Every natural instinct of survival is to avoid where the trauma has happened. And he was about to step back into it.
One deep breath in. Count to four. And then out, while counting to four.
Repeat.
Repeat.
"Alright, let's do this." Mathis said from under his mask.
"△▼△▼△▼△"
With eyes that followed them down to the twenty-fourth floor, Mathis and Jai needed to wrap it up quickly. For whoever was the second set of eyes stung at the back of Mathis' skull.
They reached a clearing where the Mushroom trees broke, and a small patch of green filled the area. At least, that is the color that Mathis could assume that it would be, as the black fog that settled on the ground painted much of the environment in it's black unforgiving residue.
But from the light of the torch that he held, he could see the faint trace of vines on the ground. A key part of the thorned forleave bush. It's root system crawled above the surface, often intermingling with other plants. In some cases forcefully overtaking them, in other cases coexisting.
In Mathi's mind it was a beautiful thing. A plant that could sway one way, then the other. Deciding as if it had its own sentience.
"There. Follow that vine." Mathis uttered quietly, in a realm that held no other beings than the four of them.
Still, it was a habit as the night settled they still felt like they were in dangerous territory.
Moving forward in a quick jog, Mathis' royal blue eyes trace the vine in pure anticipation.
It's been three hours since they started looking.
Past a grouping of bushes, he followed the vine as it snaked over the ground. Until he came to a gentle stop as he approached a small ledge where the vine crawled down. At his feet the sound of water trickled.
"Uhh.." Jai didn't know what to say, but his hesitance was apparent. He didn't want to get wet.
From the light that penetrated the clear water, he could see the bottom of the stream.
"It doesn't look that deep.." Mathis uttered before giving Jai a quick glance. "Coming?"
"I think I'm going to stick to dry land for the time being.
Mathis nodded, accepting his stance on the matter, he lept in. The water reached to just below his waist, and as his torch still burned brightly, he carefully stepped forward. Spotting the vine creeping down the edge of the creek down into the water, he began ushering forward with the water sloshing around. Occasionally, looking down to secure good footing as well as to keep an eye on the vine.
"You sure we are heading the right way?" Jai asked as he followed from up top.
"Absolutely." Mathis said confidently with a knit brow as he focused on the vine.
Five minutes passed as he waded through the water, soon enough more lines began to appear under the surface of the water. Vines, a plethora of them all weave over and under one another. All converging onto one point. And then finally.
Mathis' eyes were locked onto a small space that was covered in overgrowth.
"It has to be there."
The stream curved leaving the small hollow space perfectly hidden where no one would know where to find it unless they knew how the plant worked.
Brushing the overgrowth aside, there it stood. The thorned forleave bush. A faint layer of black fog settled on it, but it's defensive mechanism was to secrete an oil that engulfed the residue and slide off of the plants surface.
"You see that?" Mathis' asked, as if it were the most beautiful thing in the world. "Isn't that fascinating.. It's defending itself against the fog.."
"I thought you knew that? Like that was the whole point of us being down here." Jai said in a confused manner.
"Yes and no, the last time I had to find this, it never cleared the residue off itself. You'd normally have to wash it off and then boil. Which we're still going to have to do regardless."
"Ok.. Meaning?"
"Meaning that even plant life in the dungeon can adapt and evolve to survive. That and this is proof of something greater." Mathis turned away and was careful not to let him see.
For a smile of joy for only him to know.
"That even the dungeon has renounced that damned thing.."
Grabbing the root of the bush, he said a quiet prayer offering his thanks to the luck that presented itself to them. And though the thorns pricked his skin and drew blood, he held the small bush firmly in his grasp while taking the bandage that covered one arm and transplanted it over to the bush. Wrapping it tightly he held it at his side.
"We need one more. Follow any of these vines, and you'll know you've found it when you come across the only green bush here. It shouldn't be far."
Jai nodded and began his search. His eyes locked onto a path of vines and leapt over the creek.
Leaving Mathis in the water, he happily stared at the bush.
"Soon. It'll all be ok."
*Watching the water ripple around him, he placed his one free in the water. Letting it's cooling sensation wash over him. There he let out a satisfied hmm. The cool water sent waves of shivers through his body, cooling the aches and the pains that still remain even after consuming the unbreakable vials contents. If he could, he'd lay himself down in the water to take a moment and submerge himself in the clear water. And now that the black fog's residue has begun to subside and vanish through the Dungeon's own systems, he didn't have to be concerned about any pollutants in the water.
For once, he felt like he could be still and breath. That there was nothing hunting them. There still was the set of eyes upon them, that he was sure of, but the second had left some time ago. Where they went and why, he did not know. And the Amazon he didn't consider a threat. It was just them.
He felt for the first time in what seemed like a long time at peace.
And there as he opened his eyes a small object floated into view past his face and bumped into his hand as it gently rocked back and forth in its journey down. It seemed delicate, and soft. Catching it, he held it to his eyes.
"A feather."
He said as he held it up to his one good eye. And from the sky one more fell. There was something flying above him.
"What in the world?"
"It should be another ten hours until monsters are birthed.." Mathis uttered as he peered up into the darkness.
Then he felt a surge of adrenaline rush through him as he gazed where Jai once stood.
"Shit." Mathis said as he peered through the foliage of the area. The area lay in darkness and the only sign that he could rely on to find someone had vanished. The guiding light gone. Hopping out of the water and onto the surface he followed where he last saw Jai leap to. Thankfully the smith had heavy steps where his footprints were easily visible in the torch light though that only gave him a glimmer of relief that was immediately overthrown by the sudden thought of where the second pair of eyes must've gone.*
"Jai!" Mathis shouted. "Jai, where are you?!"
His eyes darted up and down, eager to find him as he sprinted through the floor.
The vines that he followed twisted and turned, yet Jai's feet followed a dedicated path away from the vines.
"Jai! We got to go! Come on!" Mathis shouted urgently.
He didn't know if it were the monster that made its presence known or the second set of eyes that were watching over them. All he could think of was how asinine of an idea it was to split up. But if Jai had followed the vines, and followed his footsteps back he'd still have been in close proximity to Mathis, then there shouldn't have been any problems. Unless there was something else at play.
"Damn it." He cursed at himself.
Hopping over and around a set of bushes at unequal lengths. He came to a clearing where on the other side he saw a faint glimmer of light being reflected on the ground. Approaching it urgently he found it to be a knife covered in black.
No. It was black.
The knife itself was hefty, but perfectly balanced, with the writing of the gods engraved on its sides. Whether or not this was a sign that Jai was ambushed, having to use his own knife, or a fallen adventurer's, neither thought was ideal. Sliding the knife into his back pocket, he secured it tightly and continued his search.
"Jai, where the hell are you?!" Mathis shouted as his voice broke the silence.
"What are you yelling about, guy?" A voice replied in the distance, some distance down Mathis' intended path.
Following the source, he ran through the clearing reaching the other side, a light shone through the darkness. With the trunks of the mushroom trees out of the way, the light of his torch became more and more visible. And there he saw Jai standing there with a thorned forleave bush wrapped at his side.
"Something spook, you?" Jai said as he watched Mathis come to a stop in his light.
Mathis let out a series of relaxed breaths as he leaned over resting his hands on his knees. Taking a few breaths and letting the adrenaline fade. It wasn't even a large amount of exertion yet his body desperately screamed at him to pace himself.
Holding out a single feather to him.
"We got a monster in the area. It's best we leave before it does anything."
"Can't we just kill it?" Jai asked in confusion.
"No we can't." Mathis said with a huff as his breath caught up with him. "Whenever I enter the dungeon, I have to do a prayer. Because of the state of the Dungeon, I offered a sort of pacifism. So we can't kill it. Alright? Or else, it'll retaliate and trust me when I say that you don't want that."
The statement left Jai silent, where he gazed upon Mathis with a single eyebrow raised.
"Huh.. Don't you think that's a little crazy? -Praying to the Dungeon.."
"No. Ouranos does it and it satiates the Dungeon." Mathis said with a flick of his finger to Jai.
"Hmm, I suppose you win that one, guy." Jai agreed reluctantly. "Though you would think I've heard of someone like you before. Because there's no way someone as strange as you are flies under the radar."
Mathis let out a nervous ah-ha..
"Remember what I said before when you asked how I got to the circle before you?" Mathis asked.
Jai simply nodded and replied.
"Very, very carefully."
"Sometimes it's best that way. You can get a lot of stuff done when the spotlight isn't on you. Come on, we've wasted enough time." Mathis said quickly, trying to divert the attention back to the task at hand.
Leading the way, Mathis easily leapt over another set of bushes, and past some tall shrubs with Jai shortly behind him. It was much longer until the flora faded and the realm of the twenty-fourth floor returned to it's rocky formations. In front of them lay towers of rock that form the paths that weave through the floor, and there they were stuck on the ground.
"Come on this way." Mathis said as he turned right.
His internal compass told him that going right would lead them to one of the key landmarks that signaled the arrival of the passageway to the floor above.
"But just as a heads up, guy, if we get attacked I'm defending myself alright? Prayer or not.."
With torch in hand, they walked at a brisk pace. Mathis' eyes carefully sweeping the floor and the air above them. Whatever was flying in the air had gone, or perhaps perched itself somewhere and watched upon them. That he could only guess at. For there was no sign of the air being broken by its wing, and no steps followed.
Yes, that had to be it.
"Let's hope it doesn't get to that." Mathis said with weary eyes.
Forward they went, until Jai's foot hit a metal object that clattered and shattered as it rolled.
"Ahh! What the hell!" Jai clutched his heart, dropping the wrapped bush.
With wide eyes, Mathis took a breath in as his eyes tracked the object.
It was a lantern with a focusing lens. What followed after was only silence, no roar of any monster. Nor any signs of the beginning of a fight. Just silence.
And as the two's hearts calmed and the adrenaline faded, they both sighed as they both were on edge.
For the Dungeon floor held that same unnerving silence that they both experienced some time ago.
Grabbing the bush from the floor, Jai sighed.
"Let's get out of here. This place is giving me the creeps."
Mathis nodded, and continued back to leading the way. The entire time though he could help but stare at the floor.
Etched into the ground were claw marks and various signs of battle. Scorched earth, broken ground, and holes poking deep into the ground. Remnants of magic. They were close to where it happened. The showdown between the familia's and the Beast.
"Uhh, hold on. I have to see something." Mathis uttered as he began following the signs of battle.
Jai gave no argument despite his desire to leave.
"Please just make it quick, guy."
Aided by the light of the torches, Mathis saw it. Absolute destruction. The rock wall that had made part of the pathway above ground collapsed after a series of violent strikes. The ground lay upheaved from a strike that shook the earth. And there lay a large scorch mark easily large enough to engulf a small house.
"This is it.." He uttered as he came to a stop.
Before him was what looked like the edge of a circle. Within it, streaks cut into the ground, and further in faint lines swept dusk and black fog in a circle. Like a god took a giant paint brush and made a circle.
"This is where they killed it.."
And just as he had known before, in the center lay no magic heart. He could feel his heart beginning to race as uncertainty swept over him. Covering his mouth, his body sought to hide the tremble in his lips. The restlessness.
Closer and closer he stepped.
Staring at the empty space where the heart of the Beast should be he uttered under his breath.
"Why won't it just end?.."
It was a quiet plea into the darkness of the night. One that went unanswered. The eerie silence was nothing more than a bitter reminder of the level of devastation that everyone and everything had suffered today.
"Come on, let's go." Mathis said in a hurried fashion as he walked past Jai in the direction of the exit.
"Don't have to tell me twice." With Jai following behind.
All went well until they reached the nineteenth floor.
They weren't far from the exit that led to the safe point. In fact, they reached the entrance of the passageway fine, without a hitch. But in the distance as they rounded a series of corners. They were approaching a place where Mathis had stumbled and fallen, meeting a group of fallen adventurers, and then Jai.
On their way down, they specifically walked around, bearing in mind that they couldn't get distracted on their current objective. On the way back up, they had no choice but to bear it's sight.
Fearing the worst, that the Beast had taken much of its prey down it's gullet, Mathis held his breath while he anticipated a gruesome sight.
Instead they were startled to find something else.
A hulking humanoid figure hunched over the remains of the blonde haired woman. It's hands carefully unstrapping the armor from her body, and draping it over it's arm. With what seemed that the woman hadn't been mutilated by the beast nor any monster. As unfortunate of a fate as it was to fall in the Dungeon, it was a sight that gave Mathis some relief and an idea. In the forefront of his mind came that they could bring her to the surface for a proper burial for her familia. Unlike her comrades who were nowhere to be seen.
Unlike his own.
If he could do this, hopefully he could bring peace to whoever that they need in such a time of crisis and despair. That even when such horror strikes, and sorrow falls upon one's heart, that there still is honor.
Cautiously Mathis stepped forward, at first in the light of the torch it looked like a large Boaz with a red robe and belt across it's shoulder.
"Hey what are you doing down here? Don't you know it's not safe?" Mathis said from under his mask.
The figure stopped, frozen in place as if it were caught red handed. And that it was as if the adventurer were so preoccupied with looting a corpse that both Mathis' and Jai's footsteps fell upon deaf ears.
"Uhh. Guy.." Jai wearily said, taking a hesitant step forward after Mathis only to come to a stop.
"It's not a good idea to be down here, even when the black fog has settled. You can get sick."
"Uhh, guy you might wanna-.." Jai uttered.
Mathis turned and gave Jai a confused glance, one that said, we need to help everyone we can find, so why can't we help him?
And then Mathis realized his mistake. His one good eye could barely make out the details of the robe until one step revealed that it never was a robe to begin with. It was scales.
Arms reach away, the Lizardman slowly stood up and met Mathis' gaze with a curious hmm. It easily stood three feet taller than him with its hulking presence, leaving Mathis to gulp at his horrible decision.
"Woah, you're big." Mathis said with trembling awe.
Slowly backing up with hands up before him, not in surrender but to display his pacifism that he hoped got through to the Dungeon. Before he knew it he backed into Jai.
"Get behind me." Jai said as he pulled out a large black crescent shaped knife with jagged edges.
Immediately Mathis' eyes widened and he gripped Jai's extended arm with one hand, trying to bring it down.
"You can't!" Mathis said in a hurried hush, desperate to deter.
"And why can't I? We're lucky it hasn't leapt at us already!" Jai replied dumbfounded at Mathis, eager to slay the monster so they could move on and live.
"But it hasn't! Remember, I told you the deal I made. The prayer." Mathis desperately reminded Jai.
"Oh you can't be serious, right now, guy!" Jai jerked his arm free of Mathis' grip but still Mathis stepped in front of him.
"We can't fight it. Just trust me." Mathis said over his shoulder, as he kept one behind him to usher Jai away from the monster.
"Yeah and if it kills you, you know what I'm going to say!"
"I can imagine it's going to be 'I told you so.'"
"Damn right. You've been pushing your luck ever since you crawled out from here."
Looking over his shoulder to Mathis, Jai reluctantly took a step back. His eyes locked on the monster before them.
"Well I think I can push it a little further. If it hits the fan, just run."
For some reason it hadn't moved. As if it were watching them with an odd fascination and curiosity. Whatever blood lust that would be apparent, having gone as if it never existed. And it's weapon remained attached to it's hip.
Holding one hand out to keep a distance between the two parties.
"You can understand me, right?" Mathis said to the monster.
It only narrowly it's eyes, not in any aggressive manner, but as if it were able to comprehend him.
"If you can, you have to know that we aren't going to fight you. Look." Mathis held out his empty hands. "See? No weapons."
The monster stood in place, aiming it's head to one side, all the while locking it's eyes on Mathis.
"It's the promise I made to your mother, for safe passage. I won't allow harm to her children, as long as they reciprocate that. And that means you too. But trust me, I really don't want to break that promise. There probably aren't many of you out right now because of what that thing has done, and I'm sorry about that. But I'm going to have to ask you to put that armor down."
Mathis slowly gestured with one hand to the armor hanging on it's massive forearm. It could easily rip him apart in his current state.
"That's hers, she may be gone, but I intend on bringing her back to her familia, her family. Can you understand why that's important? It's a piece of her."
The Lizardman glanced down to it's arm, then back to the man before him in deep contemplation.
"Please. In exchange I can give you something else. Information."
Mathis couldn't believe he said that of all things. Could it be possible that such a monster could understand the importance of knowledge over something materialistic. If it did, then it would have to show some kind of innate intelligence. A sentience that was far more than just killing and eating.
Slowly the Lizardman grasped the pieces of armor laying it gently on the floor as it hunched it's hulking figure over.
It had complied with his request with the reward of information.
It left Mathis stunned, questioning whether or not this was actually happening as his mouth was held slightly agape.
"Did it just listen to you?" Jai uttered under his breath.
"I think so, yeah.." Mathis said over his shoulder in disbelief.
Turning back to the Lizardman, Mathis' eyes fluttered in rapid debate as to what to tell it and not overload it with information. What could he offer it? What would be fair? How much resources did they have? How fast and far could they travel? There were any number of things that could be given, all tied together. A chain of information vital for survival.
In the end, he opted to go with the very same that they were hoping to accomplish today. For perhaps if this monster had friends, if, then perhaps some of them weren't so lucky.
"Alright, here we go.." Mathis took a deep breath in as he drew his focus.
"If you haven't figured it out by now, that black dust everywhere is poisonous. Wherever that beast goes, it follows. So whatever you do, don't breathe it in. Don't eat anything that hasn't been washed with boiling water. And most importantly, if any of you have breathed it in, you have about a half of a day to find a bush like this on the twenty-fourth floor-.." Mathis said, holding up the bush that was tucked under his armpit. Unwrapping it, he showed it the thornes and the shape of the leaves. "-To make an elixir. Rinse it, then boil the leaves and stems that are the brightest of greens from the entire bush. The oils you want will surface to the top, but be patient. It takes some time for the plant to fully excrete the oil. Once the oils rise, scoop them into a separate bowl and mix them with whatever healing potions you. Assuming you have any.. Then have whoever breathed it in drink it. They'll cough and cough to the point of pain after an hour, but that means it's working. Got it?"
The Lizardman narrowed its eyes as it cast it down in thought, committing it to memory.
"Do you seriously think it's going to remember all of that?" Jai whispered under his breath.
Mathis sighed, he didn't know. He wanted to believe that it could comprehend his words. In all of his time in the Dungeon, never once had he had an interaction with a monster like this. One where it didn't try to immediately kill him and whoever accompanied him.
It had to be by far the strangest encounter with a monster he has ever had. Almost irregular.
But what he believed about the Dungeon is what he wanted to be true and not some fantasy, and so he wanted to give this thing a fighting chance against the Beast. For any and all.
The Lizardman silently nodded and brought its gaze up to Mathis.
"Thank you."
Both Mathis and Jai froze in place. Slowly they glanced at each other, their necks creaking like old wooden floorboards, and on their face stood an expression that was completely unbecoming of them.
""IT CAN TALK.""
It was a cold that swept over them, and the perfect moment for the Lizardman to return the remaining gear it had taken from the fallen adventurer, and walk to the widest gap between Mathis and Jai and the passageway wall.
Each step it took, the ground quietly boomed under its weight. And the closer it got the more of the torch light shimmered off of its scales. The entire way it carefully watched the two adventurer's frozen in shock. And for a moment, Mathis thought he saw the corner of its mouth curl up into what Mathis could only guess was its way of smiling. Whether their terror was humorous or not to the Lizardman was beyond Mathis' comprehension. But as it passed, it's eyes drifted down to the bush, in that brief moment he could see it studying its shape. Committing it to memory.
Passing them it marched down the hallway. With it free to go wherever it pleased.
"Wherever it pleases.." Mathis thought to himself. "It can go anywhere. It's not bound by any floors of the Dungeon except the oppression from the surface.. But that also means-!"
"Wait!" Mathis turned around and called out to the back of the Lizardman that had reached a small distance away from them.
The Lizardman glanced over its shoulder as it came to a stop, politely giving him its attention.
"You're looking for gear right? Supplies?"
The Lizardman nodded quietly.
"I lost something precious of mine. A silver sword given to me by my father. If you find it, please take care of it. For there'll be a time when that thing comes back, and if we are to have any chance of fending it off, to end it once and for all, I'll need it. Will you do that for me if you find that? Will you keep it safe?"
The Lizardman softened its eyes, as if despite whatever weight it carried on it's shoulders it could bear a little more. Again it nodded, accepting the request.
"I will.. Keep it safe." It's voice was hoarse and deep with carefully chosen words.
"Thank you."
Watching the Lizardman walk into the depths of the Dungeon, the passageway returned to silence. Any tension that was fled from their minds, leaving Jai seemingly morally disoriented and Mathis in utter silence.
"Never in my life would I have thought that something like this would happen." Jai mumbled as he continually peered down the remaining darkness. "To see one of the armored monsters up close in person like this.. It just blows my mind.."
Mathis curiously turned to Jai.
"There's more of them? More like this one?"
Jai nodded his head as he black enveloped his eyes.
"Yeah, some time ago a group of them came up to the safepoint. Ransacked the town. And that one we just saw was a part of it." Jai's voice was tinged with weary confusion, as if his mind couldn't handle the developments that had transpired all within twenty-four hours.
In short, he was stressed, overwhelmed, caught in the grieving process of his own.
All the while trying to do right for the guy who had saved him and his friend's life.
"That was the one that attacked the Inn that's now my shop. Apparently the owner just wanted out of the Dungeon, couldn't handle living in a safepoint that was no longer safe."
"But doesn't the town get raided by monsters periodically anyway? How could that be the last straw?"
Jai sighed, his entire face looked tense as if he were playing that day back in his memory.
"Well, I didn't want to believe it at the time, but he said it was like their attack wasn't like any other raid before. They didn't try to kill any of us, or at least kill aimlessly.. The old geezer said that it was like they were looking for someone, like they were trying to make a point.."
The torches crackled with faint pops from the flames finally reaching the stick. They had reached their lifespan, and soon the torches will die. Bathing them in darkness.
"That sounds like they were out for revenge.." The words escaped from under his breath as the pieces of the puzzle came together before him. For it was something that he understood fairly well, the desire for justice when cruel acts had been thrust upon him and the ones he loves.
Yes he knew that all too well.
Following Jai's unending glare down the passageway, Mathis sighed.
"But why does it seem like it never wanted to fight to begin with?"
"△▼△▼△▼△"
In the middle of the night, Riveria lay awake by the sound of coughing from the rooms next to hers and by Bell's familia in the lobby. Bearing the full responsibility of her team and their actions as their temporary leader, there was no way she could fall into a slumber. Not when their situation at the moment was one of a broken trust. One she was determined to make amends for the sake of Bell's familia and for her own.
Dressed in her nightgown, she kicked off the covers and sat herself at the edge of her bed.
If she had a clock on her person, she'd guess that it'd say that it was within the first hour of the new day.
"It's only been nineteen hours since this all began.. And still we have no idea what is going on despite going down to investigate.."
Recounting the events of the day prior, she couldn't help but feel the stress that wrought itself upon her.
Groaning, she rested her weary eyes into the palms of her hands.
There were so many unanswered questions before they went down, and even having returned to the safe point only more questions spawned instead of questions being answered.
Resting her chin onto her palm she stared upon the second bed that stood across from hers. The amazon twin, Tiona lay fast asleep without a care in the world. It wasn't something that Riveria was particularly envious of. To have such a carefree attitude seemed almost neglectful. But at the same time, it wasn't something that she held against Tiona. She has proved herself time and time again, along with her sister, Tione, of being valuable members of the Loki familia. Though for Riveria to see herself as anything other than who she is now, seemed ridiculous.
There was no desire for change, only for growth. But there remained a challenge of identifying what exactly there was to work for and create growth.
Shifting her eyes, they cast themselves past Tiona, only to see an empty spot beside her.
"Tione hasn't returned yet.. Which means.."
Riveria rose with feet that naturally strode for elegance, with that elegance of a proper elven step also meant silence. Exiting her own room, she entered the end of the hall, with Mathis' room right across from hers. Peering past the door that remained open, the bed lay in the same state as it was when Mathis had woken up and left.
"Neither has he.."
Stepping into the room that lay bathed under the artificial light of the night, the room was cast in an eerie blue.
Her jade eyes traveled to the window of the room, where she stood in contemplation.
"But if anything has happened, I know she will be alright. She's one of the best after all.. One of us."
"One of us.."
The thought was tinged with guilt as the memory of the state that Ryuu lay in. Suddenly her head felt heavy and as she leaned against the frame of the door with her arms crossed.
"We shouldn't have let them go.."
She couldn't help but shake her head at the mistake they made.
Though hours have passed she could still hear Bell's call for help from the Occulus. It was in the single moment that dread had stricken her. For it was the exact opposite of what they all anticipated. And in the end to see the tattered shape of the boy, who carried his friend-.
"Stop it." She told herself sharply mid thought. It was a hush, a sore warning that she was not to venture down this path.
As acting leader for the Loki Familia, she could not allow it.
And yet, much of the night still remained. With tired eyes she remembered the first time when she entered Rivira, at how surreal it felt the night light felt. But it wasn't long for that sensation to fade. Though for her and her rational mind, it came as no surprise.
What did come as a surprise was something that she had missed that lay on the dresser next to Mathis' bag.
Bound in leather, and held shut with a strap and metal lock that no longer worked, was a journal. In the lack of any real light, it looked black. And when she held it in her hands it felt heavy with a large number of pages that lay between it's covers.
Carefully undoing the strap, she decided to commit a serious taboo. One purely for the sake of her own curiosity. She rationalized that it was for the sake of the mission, to dive into the mind of the lone survivor. But when she opened it she found that there was something entirely different than what she was expecting.
Furrowing her brow, her eyes trailed in disbelief at what she saw and what she was able to comprehend. It was only in part of her being a High Elf, one of royalty, that she was able to make sense of what was before her.
"Hieroglyphs?"
Swept in a curiosity, her eyes scanned the pages with the tip of her fingers preparing the flip to the next page.
"How is this possible?"
Before her was a journal written entirely in the language of the gods. Page after page the hieroglyphs were sprawled across the pages.
From her previous lectures growing up she was able to formulate a vague translation of a single entry.
"Today was the day that we found a straggler. We found her near the Sands of Kobol. It seems that her family was swept up in a sandstorm and the monsters came to pick them off. Unfortunately, we found them too late. She was the only survivor.
"We did what we could. But we voted to give her a choice. To provide aid and bring her home. Or to join our familia. It was a cruel choice to give to a child. But we didn't know what else to do. The kid lost it all.. She's only fourteen…
"In the end, we found ourselves a new member.
"Her name is Tessaryne. Welcome our new smith-in-training.. I just wish it were under better circumstances.."
"A smith named Tessaryne.."
Her eyes fell idle under the name as they fluttered, trying to process what was before her. Yet the words gently escaped from her lips.
"Tessaryne.." The name repeated itself in her mind, as if her mind wouldn't let the thought go.
Her tired eyes slowly began to drift to the empty bed beside her. The sheets were tossed over in a mess. It was anything but tidy.
But across her mind came a solemn thought as the stress had built up within her, and without knowing she let out another heavy sigh as she turned her gaze back to the journal before her.
"He had a familia too.."
He was the last one of his own. Even he seemed certain of that. But he was careful to keep it away from the forefront of his mind, to allow him to do what he felt was right. Whatever it was that he truly was doing.
"I suppose I was a little rough on him before.."
Gently closing the book, and strapping it closed with the lock that didn't seem to work. She held it in her hands as if it were something truly precious.
"But why write in hieroglyphs?"
Like a newborn she carefully laid the journal down onto the dresser where she found it. The journal containing precious memories of a familia that had fallen.
"Would human noble families even practice hieroglyphs? I suppose that it's not entirely impossible.. But never did he say he was of noble blood. Nor his own familia."
Standing in the doorway, she came to a stop, giving Mathis' room one last glance.
Maybe it was the stress of the mission that drove her to, the sudden changes in the relations with the Hestia familia, or maybe it was that something had happened that neither Aiz nor Mathis will speak of on the floor above them.
Maybe it was everything.
This entire situation and all of its facets, turned a simple mission into a juggling act.
Though she knew she had to be more careful.
"Whatever happened, he won't tell me if I keep this pressure on him. He won't cooperate, and then we'll lose our best chance at finding out what happened both above and below us."
Without realizing it, she nodded as the two parts of her being came into alignment.
"Yes, that's it."
Taking one step out of the room, she could hear the faint coughs of the Hestia familia down below on their makeshift beds. It wasn't unfair to put them there, while the Loki familia had their own rooms. It solely was to increase the ease to provide care. Something that Bell understood, or at least was so distraught that he hadn't assumed any special treatment of her own familia over his.
But there in the silence that peeked through the often sudden noise of the coughs, she heard something else. It was faint, as if it were muffled. Not muffled through the wood walls that separate the rooms, no this was something else.
Stepping carefully forward, her slender feet swayed with each step with such elegance that came so naturally for the High Elf. And with each step, brough the sound closer and closer. She was able to ascertain that it was on her right, the same side as Mathis' room. With a few steps closer, the sound became clear.
Standing before Bell's door, he could hear his muffled cries.
He had to have awakened sometime in the night.
Standing idly at his door, an odd feeling swept over her as she hesitated about what to do. This feeling was something that she could only describe as guilt and sorrow with so many others in between swept in. It was too much.
Her mouth fell agape in awe with each wave.
As she looked to her hand that hung by her side, she wondered what she could do. Bracing one hand against the door frame, she prepared herself to knock. Only to hesitate and draw her hand back.
"No. I don't know what he fully thinks of us anymore. I don't want to create any conflict.. And-.."
Running her hand past her hair, she could feel the shape of her ears that were so normal for her.
"She was an elf too.."
Between the sound of her own breath and his muffled sobs, there was nothing but the temptation to leave. To resort to the easiest thing.
But there was also the desire to help.
How? She didn't know. Her mind played on repeat, beating into her conscious mind her inadequacies when she tried to comfort Aiz. A person that she had a bond of her own with.
But Bell?
Bell was from a different familia.
A person she knew of, but not one that she knows.
Whatever words of wisdom that she could spare for him, would they be one's that he would even listen to? Especially in a time such as this.
"Would he want to listen? Besides.. Aiz is probably in there with him.."
She hung her head in defeat at the thought. It seemed absurd for her to think such a thing, and she couldn't help but blame her mind for making up excuse after excuse all in an attempt to not show compassion.
Raising her hand, her knuckles gently knocked against the wooden door. The sobbing on the other side, slowed to a crawl and finally stopped.
"Bell, it's Riveria." Wary of projecting her voice too much, the words came out softly. "Would you like to talk?"
She stood in silence, and only received the same. Silence. She could count the seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
She heard no sobs, or breath on the other side. It all seemed like a resounding no.
"I guess he didn't want to. Not that he's to blame." She thought to herself as she turned.
As soon as she turned she was brought to a stop by the sound of a single metal click. Her eyes were locked on the door knob.
"Did he just lock it?" Her eyebrows raised in disbelief, at a gesture so small yet having such impact.
And then the door knob twisted and a faint stream of night light peeked through the small gape of the door.
"No.. He had it locked to begin with.." It was a horrible realization that not even Bell felt safe around them.
From the other side a pair of reddened rubellite eyes peered to Riveria. Upon recognizing her form, his eyes drew down and away as he turned back into his room. His footsteps seemed to drag, borderline lifeless.
He was exhausted in every meaning of the word.
Carefully opening the door she followed him in, after she quietly closed the door to preserve the silence for everyone else.
Sitting on the edge of his bed, his white bangs hid his eyes as she approached. His hands were clenched tight as they gripped the legs of his pants, and he kept his knees close together as his feet hang off the side of the bed. Everything about him seemed timid and scared.
Peering down upon him in a sight that she couldn't believe a single thought crossed through her mind that almost made her quiver.
"She's only fourteen.. Tessaryne.."
And so is the boy before her.
"They're both just kids.."
It felt demeaning for the boy to stand before him, that even though her familia was considered a military power in the city of Orario, such authority felt wrong. It was too blunt.
Carefully lowering herself to a knee, she came just about eye level to the boy. And while he couldn't look her in the eyes, she could feel the discomfort coming from him. She was about to sigh with a breath inward but was drawn to a pause as the boy spoke.
"You're here about what happened with Finn, right?" He spoke with a trembling voice as he clutched the fabric of his pants.
He was afraid.
Afraid of the repercussions of acting out, both irrationally and rationally. With the fate of his familia hanging on the good graces of the Loki familia, Riveria could only imagine the terror that he felt, the guilt. Thoughts that ravage his mind as if he is now to blame for the fall of his familia.
Surely that was on his mind.
"I'm not, no.." Riviera carefully, her tone bordering a team captain, one brimming with responsibility and pride, but wielding the compassion of a leader. A true leader. "I'm here to say that I'm sorry that your friend died. And I-..."
Riveria's voice trailed off as she sought to find the right words.
"-I wanted to see how you're doing. If you needed somebody to talk to."
There fell a brief silence, only soon to be followed by a faint gasp and sob. In the faint light from outside, Riveria could see tears falling from his face and the trembling of his breath that he couldn't hide anymore.
Then he broke down, hanging his head lower as if denying Riveria the sight, to save what pride or dignity he had. Though kneeling before him, Riveria had it burned into her mind. Just like her time with Aiz, when she felt lost and confused, having locked herself in her room, Riveria was at a loss.
Even more so now with Bell. A person she knew so little of.
"Why did she have to go?" The words escaped from in between the sobs. "Why?"
"Bell.." Riveria began to gently say. To offer reassurance. Only for her to be cutoff.
"Why couldn't I save her?"
The words were sharp and tainted, aiming guilt solely at himself. Words that sent a shock through Riveria, and immediately she could feel the rebuttal forming in her mind, and her body taking the breath needed to speak.
"I wasn't strong enough. She's dead because I wasn't strong enough.."
His voice grew tense, as his body curled into itself. There a deep sob much like a sudden gasp for breath pierced the silence in the room.
"It's my fault.."
Caught in indecision, between tough love and logic, and a compliant silence, she remained kneeling watching the boy before her unravel.
"Bell." She gently tried trying to lure his attention but it didn't work. His sobs continued and his guilt remained as he continued to place blame upon himself. Not upon Finn, not upon the Loki familia. But upon himself.
"If I didn't lose my knife, I would've been able to fight it off."
"If I wasn't so weak I could've kept them all safe."
"What do I have to do, to keep the people I love from dying?"
Bell's voice tensed as another violent sob broke through the air. It looked as if he were ready to curse out to the world in a mournful scream. As he took a breath in, he felt something lay softly onto his shoulder. A gentle sensation that made him shudder, not out of discomfort, but the warmth that it held.
"Bell.." Riveria said as his reddened eyes finally peered up to her hand that rest on his shoulder, then her. "You and your familia were placed in circumstances that never should have happened to begin with. I'm not going to tell you to not cry, to restrain this sadness, or to lock it away. But please don't blame yourself."
It was the only way to stop the snowball of guilt that ravaged his heart. A simple touch to bring one back to the present, even if it were for only a moment. And while the act brought Riveria her own discomfort, she knew she couldn't allow him to fall so low. To lose that spark that everyone who met him had seen within him. To quell any black flame from starting in his heart.
"May I tell you something that we found?" Riveria's jade eyes bounced to each of Bell's own eyes. And when he gave a quiet nod, she continued. "When we reached the twenty-fourth floor, we found a trail carved into the dungeon floor. That trail led us to the Renhard and her friend. They both had vials of healing potion laying empty by their sides. And as we continued to follow that trail we found the smith, and again another vial. Your friend Ryuu, had found every single one of your familia and led us to them. She saved their lives. And then she led us to you."
"With everything that was happening, despite the exhaustion that I can imagine you two were in, I can say with great certainty that there was something that she was trying to protect."
Riveria withdrew her hand and pointed her index finger directly to the middle of Bell's chest.
"That."
Watching Bell's face shift as he couldn't fight the tears, his breath began to tremble. And whether or not the sorrow had seeped into the air, she could feel it latch onto her own skin. As if it were trying to bring her to tears, too.
From down in the lobby, the front door opened and closed in the dead of night. The two souls both heard it, both staring at the door as the footsteps traveled throughout the hallway.
"Psstt.. Riveria, where are you?" A lone voice whispered into the the night.
"Don't worry, it's just Tione. She can wait." Riveria quietly reassured him.
"But what about my familia? They're not getting any better.." Bell said in between a cough and a sob.
It was something that she had thought of in her restlessness. Given their current state, and Hestia Familia current connections, they'd be scraping by just to visit Miach's familia for medical supplies. And having heard of a specific member who often would sell diluted products at a markup, it was too dangerous of a thing to allow.
Especially after all that has happened. It was their responsibility to resolve this issue, to make amends.
"Tomorrow we'll be bringing your familia to the Dien Cecht familia for care." Riveria said reassuringly.
"But we can't afford that!" Bells face crumbled. "Even if I had my knife to sell, we'd barely break even on our debt with only a little to make payments!"
"Bell.." Riveria said gently as she brought his eyes to hers. "We're going to take care of it."
Bell froze with a faint shudder of his breath. He was in complete disbelief.
"You're going to-..?"
"That's right. The Loki Familia will take care of the bill. I'll make sure of it."
The look on his face remained the same.
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"I want you." Bell said as he hid his eyes from hers. "But-..."
His voice trailed off, and she knew all too well what he was referring to. Time and time again, he trusted the leadership of the Loki familia, only to be in the situation where they are now.
"Allow me to elaborate on what I said before. What happened, with Finn, even after he was mortally wounded, never should've happened. I can understand if you don't trust us anymore, but I want you to know that there never was the intention to send you and your team into danger. By all logic, whatever dangers should've lurked below us. To have such a monster that can travel through levels is-... It's an unprecedented horror. We couldn't put you through that, nor could we expect Aiz to forgive us if something would happen to you."
"But something did happen, to my familia.." Bell's voice grew tense as he gripped his pants.
"Yes I know. And because you all have suffered from the acts of Evilus.."
"And yet you're dancing around the fact that he lied to us, and that members of your familia knew without saying anything.."
Riveria stopped with wide eyes. He'd caught her. Never once did she mention the fact that in part they were responsible for the events that had transpired not too long ago. To acknowledge such a thing would be an admittance of guilt. To admit that they lied. That alone unsettled her, for when that gavel would be swung, any number of things could happen. Which ultimately relied on two things.
The boy before her. On how she can resolve the issue. To repair the damage that has been done. Faith and trust, solid components of any working relationship, needed to be rebuilt from the ground up.
The other would be when word of mouth would spread of Bell's and Finn's altercation. How long would it be until the words travelled the winds to ears that make Orario what it is today?
If she could be successful in the first, to make peace with Bell and his familia. She could hope that it would render the latter null. Nothing more than gossip.
"Was this the entire point of you coming here tonight?" Bell uttered with a trembling breath.
Riveria sighed in defeat.
"No. While you were right in that I didn't admit the fact that was as obvious as the sun on a clear day, politics is not what I'm here for."
"Then why are you really here?"
"To make sure that whatever spark you have inside you remains. The thing that everyone looks up to. Whether or not you want to believe, Finn is one of those people. And this-.." Her jade eyes glance around the room. "To make amends as adventurer's. As people. To let you know that you're not alone in this."
Bell sat in silence, leaving Riveria uncertain whether or not her words made any impact. Regardless, from the subtle and not-so subtle cues she picked up, it seemed that her welcome here was just about up.
Standing before Bell, she gazed down before him.
"We're going to take care of your familia. You will not have to spend a single coin on the expenses."
He couldn't bear to look her in the eyes, and taking her cue she started for the door. Opening it she was stopped in the doorframe.
"Riveria?" Bell said with his eyes still hidden, like a gentle call out to someone.
"Yes?" Riveria replied, her tone soft but the commanding presence remained.
"I'm sorry about Finn." Bell said.
In the close call that he had nearly been slayed by the claws of the Juggernaut and the beating that Bell had personally served to, Riveria only subtly nodded.
Her last sight upon Bell was picturesque. Sitting alone in the dark room in mourning as what little night light pierced the darkness, painting the room in a faint blue.
"Me too." Riveria said before closing the door.
Leaving Bell's room, she anticipated finding Tione waiting for her in the hallway, though she found it empty. Glancing back to her room and Mathis' own, there lay nothing disturbed.
"Huh.." Riveria released a slight puff of air at the defied expectation.
Turning to the stairs there was a warm but faint glow that cast itself upon the lobby and the last set of stairs. As she approaches a symphony of hushed voices toss themselves backforth as if in debate. Like a poorly kept secret meeting, Riveria found herself standing at the landing of the stairs peering into the open door of the room that housed Ryuu's body. Oddly enough the fire from the furnace was lit, providing a bright source of light for the room.
"Are you sure this one will work?" A voice spoke, one that she could identify as Mathis' own.
"Of course, guy. It's my own paring knife. Are you doubting my smithing skills?" The latter easily was identifiable.
"No, no. It just looks like an extreme version of a paring knife.."
"So they made it back.. But that leaves Tione.. Where is she?" Her eyes scanned the room to no avail. And as her eyes trailed around the room, they caught the motion of a figure standing in the doorway. With her full attention she saw none other than Aiz peering back at her.
"What's going on?" Riveria whispered.
With plane eyes, Aiz rose a single finger to her lips.
Faced with confusion, she could only stand in one place as the scene played out before her.
"There that'll do.." Mathis said.
Footsteps lightly trotted over and there Mathis walked into frame, with two large bushes about the size of a human torso.
"Jai, can you get the cauldron started?" Mathis said in the doorframe as he turned back.
"Yeah, yeah, guy. I got you." Jai said as he ushered past Mathis, lightly stepping as he made his way around the sleeping familia.
Jai, completely oblivious to Riveria's presence, aimed straight for the desk to the left of Riveria near the base of the stairs. The place where the check-in booth was located had a small room in the back, where Jai repurposed to function as a kitchen instead of an office.
As Mathis slowly walked around the tables, he held the thorned bushes tightly. Trying to ensure that no thorns scrape the people fast asleep. One of the bushes was tightly wrapped, preventing anyone from being exposed to the thornes, but the other bush wrap was falling apart. As Mathis briefly made eye contact with Riveria, he quickly looked away. But from her vantage point she could see the red dripping from his left arm.
"Well you seem to be fine." Riveria said in mild awe on how he was standing on his own two feet as if nothing ever happened.
Mathis gave her a careful glance and took a deep breath in.
"I'm not. I'm really not." Mathis said in a whisper as he starred upon the door that Jai went through. "But I can't allow myself to dwell on it right now."
Marching into the back room, Riveria followed him without any hesitation where the sound of rushing water filled a large pot. In the small kitchen, Jai started the fire underneath the cauldron and set a small metal table beside it.
Standing in the doorway, she was unsure to enter. But a force from behind her gently ushered her in.
"Excuse me." Aiz said with a small pouch in her arms.
Walking up to Mathis, she presented the pouch to him.
"Here. This is what I have that is available."
"Thank you." Mathis nodded graciously before accepting them and carefully placing them onto the table.
"Ahh, pardon me. What exactly is going on?" Riveria said as she watched the three move in a slightly coordinated fashion.
"Hmm?" Mathis said, raising his eyebrows in faint surprise. "Oh, I'm making an elixir that should help them."
Mathis pointed out to the room where Bell's familia lay, the meat of his arm covered in red dots that dripped from the thorns that pierced his skin.
"Ahh shit.." Mathis uttered as he searched for a hand cloth but found none near him. The closest one was near Riviera and for whatever reason she caught the faint wind of hesitation from him. That he didn't want to approach her. In her own way she began to feel annoyed. Reaching for the cloths, she marched straight to him. Grabbing his arm, she gave him no choice as she wiped the wounds clean and chanted a healing spell.
"A little heads up next time. It really seemed like you could use that as a weapon."
"That's because I can. As I'm sure you and I both know, you mustn't cut yourself." Her words came off as scornful yet there underneath a faint sign of concern.
"Ahh.." He said as he began to understand what she meant.
In all of her time caring for him, there was no doubt that she had seen what had stricken him ever since he was a child.
"Aiz, where is Tione?" Riveria said as she inspected Mathis' arm for any other wounds.
"The amazon?" Mathis said interjecting where Aiz nodded as they briefly made eye contact. Turning back to Riveria he began. "She went to get some of the ingredients. Said something about knowing that this particular shop owner being an insomniac. So I gave her the valis from the floor boss that I apparently killed."
"You did kill it." Aiz politely corrected.
"Yeah, anyway. Can you let go now?" Mathis said disregarding Aiz's correction as Riveria turned over his arm furthering her inspection.
"Your injuries?.."
No matter how hard she looked, there were no traces of the wounds that had engulfed his left arm. Even despite her healing magic, she would've assumed that there would have been some remnants, even scarring, but none exist on his arm. Not a single mark from the hole caused by the Deadly Hornets stinger piercing his hand. And for a moment, she all together was oblivious to the fact that she had an iron grip around his forearm.
Looking up to him with a knit brow, and eyes that held a faint level of confusion she reluctantly accepted the request.
"They're gone.."
*"I told you, it's for the things that can't be healed through normal means.. But unfortunately it had no luck on my eye." Mathis said, raising his hand to left eye as he gazed up to the ceiling. Waving it infront of his face with his right eye closed he drew the same conclusion that he had previously time and time again. "Yeah.. Nothing. Even my arm too. I can't feel anything on it. I really would've thought it would've worked on them.."*
She stood there baffled, staring upon him with a look of exasperation.
"Look, I got to get started on this. And it's going to take me a while, so if you got any questions you can stick around and I'll do my best to answer. Considering that we didn't get a chance to do that before, I figure this will be the best time to get that in." Mathis said as he backed up to the table with the bushes.
"Does that sound good to you, Nine Hell?" Mathis asked once more.
Standing in her full nightgown, she could feel the weight of the night resting on her shoulders. But at a precious opportunity such as this, to gain insight into the terror that had struck all life without prejudice, she could not afford to pass it up.
Crossing her arms, she stepped around to the other side of the table across from Mathis. As she came to a stop, she gave him a subtle nod.
"It does." She firmly agreed.
"So, starting backwards then, right?" Mathis offered from her previous instruction.
"No." The single word that escaped from her lips, caused the entire room to move to a standstill.
As all eyes fell upon her, she locked her jade eyes onto Mathis' royal blue eyes.
"From the beginning."
Author's Note:
Hey there everyone! Hope everyone is holding up the past few weeks pretty well! This chapter is a bit longer. Which may be a trend for a while just as a heads up. They are reaching 8-12k words. There truly is just a lot of things happening. I considered trimming down on the content, but that feels like disservice and may add to some confusion if things are cut and not repurposed appropriately. So to avoid any mishaps, this shall be the way for a while. Hope this works out for some you who enjoy being sucked into whatever you're reading.
Anyway, thanks for making it this far and sticking with the story! I do genuinely appreciate it and I look forward to sharing this wild ride of a story with you all. Stay safe!
EDIT NOTE: Added two lines of dialogue when Riveria is at the landing of the stairs. 6/28/2021
EDIT NOTE: Revised/added segment with asterisks. Part of initial draft, slipped my mind to implement it. 7/08/2021
EDIT NOTE: Revised/added brief dialogue addition. Noted with asterisks. Noted in Author's Preamble for next chapter. 7/26/2021