AN: Been far too long for this story.
But I'm back now with a new chapter. And I think I'm gonna start dedicating some more time to this story, as quite a few readers have been reaching out to me about updates, which was pretty telling.
Either way, I'm back again with a new chapter, and although I didn't cover as much as I wanted to in this chapter, I'm happy enough with it. The bonus though, is that the extra bits and pieces I have left over that didn't make it into this chapter, will make a good base to work off of for the next chapter, which means that there might by another update pretty soon, after all half of the next chapter is pretty much written, and awaiting a polish.
So yeah hope you enjoy it, and please leave a review etc. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to PM me.
Another thing while I am at it, is this. I am a part of a discord group, there are tons of others there, plenty of writers, admittedly mainly PJO, but other stuff too, including a growing number of other writers. Feel free to pop along and say hi, I'm always happy to chat about the stuff I am writing. So if you fancy it please do join by sticking this: discord .gg / elibrary into discord, with no spaces, or using the link on my bio.
Thanks for reading and please do leave a review, or feel free to PM, I am usually much better at answering those!
This story hasn't been betaed, so if you spot any major grammar, spelling mistakes or typos, please do let me know.
Disclaimer: I do not own Last of his Kind or Elder Scrolls.
( - )
(Last Time)
The gear Welf had loaned him had been decent enough for a low-level adventurer, but its quality hadn't been enough to surpass the Tenth Floor.
"Well," he said, shaking off the remains of the ruined armour as he turned back to the still cowering Lili. "That was fun, wasn't it?"
In response, Lili could only stare at him, her eyes wide and fearful.
"So, do you want to continue on, or do you fancy heading back up to the surface?" He continued, with a winning smile now on his face.
A part of him suspected that things hadn't gone the way she had been expecting them to.
( - )
Chapter 16
( - )
(With Azoth)
"The Snow Prince?" Azoth asked, his tone as dry as the wastes of Hammerfell.
Hephaestus deliberately avoided eye contact.
"Not bad for a first name," Tsubaki said cheerfully. Her single eye was alight with delight at his apparent good fortune of getting a 'good' first alias.
"The Snow Prince..." Azoth repeated, his violet eyes boring into the shifty-looking red-haired goddess.
"The other gods voted for it," Hepahsutus finally said defensively.
She was still not making eye contact.
"I'm not a prince, though…" he said tonelessly.
"True, and Wallenstein isn't a princess either, but the name still fits. But you know, you do kinda look like one though," Tsubaki barged into the conversation once more. "Or you would if you know..., you dressed up more fancy, had a haircut, and learned some of that elf etiquette crap." She continued cheerfully, nudging him in the side with her elbow. "You could totally pull off being a little elven princeling, and with that snowy hair… I'd bet you'd woo many a maiden's poor, fragile heart."
Azoth turned his piercing gaze onto Tsubaki with full force.
It had little to no effect, save for making her cheeky grin grow even wider.
This was not the first title or epitaph that had been bestowed on him during the years.
Dovahkiin.
Dragonslayer.
Harbinger of the Companions.
Legate.
Bandit Chief.
Thief.
Pickpocket.
Guildrat.
Milkdrinker.
Knife-eared guttershite.
Over the years,, he had been given names that commanded great respect.
Names that encompassed his responsibilities and many mighty feats.
He'd also been given insulting names, which had been meant to drag him down and humiliate him.
Yet he'd never been given a title so pointless and so brazenly stupid as Snow Prince before.
Even the litany of derogatory and demeaning insults he had received when he was still working as a guildrat for the Thieves Guild had been better than Snow Prince.
At least those insults had some grounding in reality.
He did have pointed ears.
He was a guttersnipe.
He did steal, lie, cheat, and deceive.
He had indeed once been a useless waste of flesh who could only contribute by stealing from his betters.
The comments made about him by both older members of the guild and the Riften Guards had been unpleasant and at times hurtful. But they had also once been true. Which in turn had provided them with greater weight, and so had inspired him to grow stronger and become better so as to fight back against such comments by proving them wrong.
Snow Prince, though.
That alias was just stupid.
"It could have been worse," Hephaestus said quickly.
"Do I want to know?" Azoth asked.
"Probably not," his goddess said, shaking her head. "Just know that it was Freya who ended up suggesting Snow Prince."
Azoth's eyes narrowed. "I'll be sure to remember that and thank her when I can…."
"I really don't get what you're whining about. It sounds good to me." Tsubaki grinned, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Though I'll admit that it isn't as badass as mine. But then again, there aren't many adventurers out there with a name that can match my alias, Cyclops."
Azoth's gaze shifted from Hepheastus's grimacing face to Tsubaki's lone remaining eye - the other was covered by a black eyepatch patch—and t then returned to Hephaestus.
It was a bit… on the nose.
His eye twitched slightly as he tried to think of what to say.
His friend looked so impressed and happy when spouting off about her alias.
He didn't want to ruin it for her by making an acerbic comment about how it had likely been given to her as a form of mockery.
"Yes," he finally said, mirroring Hephaestus's grimace with one of his own. "You're right, when you say it like that, maybe Snow Prince isn't all that bad after all."
"That's the spirit!" Tsubaki laughed.
"Yes." Hephaestus nodded, her voice still slightly strained. "But anyway, how was your second trip down to the Dungeon?" She continued, her expression easing slightly as she abruptly changed the topic.
"Oh yeah," Tsubaki hummed obliviously. "I was wondering that too. The armour you were wearing was little more than scrap." As she said that, her gaze shifted to where said armour was currently lying abandoned on one of his work tables.
The three of them were currently conversing in his forge, with both Hephaestus and Tsubaki having sought him out not long after he returned from the guildhall with a decent-sized bag of coins and an even bigger bag of drop items.
"It wasn't exactly my best work," Azoth said after a moment, his brow furrowing. His armour hadn't held up as well as he thought it would. "More something, I quickly cobbled together to test some of the material I had access to. But I'll admit, I did think it would last at least a bit longer."
Hephaestus hummed in thought, her gaze now on the ruined remains of his armour. Reaching out, she picked up the broken breastplate.
"It's not exactly bad work," she said, her fingers trailing along one of the broken edges. "Stylistically, it is an interesting piece. And as far as I can see there aren't any flaws or major faults in the metalwork or grain. It's not perfect by any means, but it is adequate enough for a rush job, and should have been more than good enough to cover you for the first eighteen or so floors."
Tusbaki joined Hepahstus at the workbench, her single red eye scanning over the damage.
"Was this caused by an infant dragon?" She asked, her gaze fixed on the clawed-out rents in the breastplate.
"Yes." Azoth nodded, his frown deepening. "There were two of them, and they weren't even a challenge to fight, and yet they still managed to do this to my armour."
"Infant dragon's claws are quite sharp, and despite their diminutive size when compared to their more powerful kin, they are still very strong," Tsubaki said, her mood switching from cheeky friend to serious Familia Captain as she continued to look over his armour. Her finger traced one of the rents, examining the way the metal had warped and broken. "What floor did you end up making it down to?"
"We stopped on the thirteenth," Azoth said after a moment. "My armour was pretty battered by that point, and my supporter… I think she was a bit shaken up. I thought it best to run around. And there was also dinner with the Loki Familia later. I didn't want to miss that."
Lile had been rattled after their run-in with the infant dragons. But despite her frayed nerves, she had wanted to continue on a bit further into the Dungeon. Especially after she saw how quickly he dispatched the infant dragons and the size of the monster soul gems they had left behind. That said, after a couple more levels, and several attacks by even larger hordes of monsters, it had all become a little too much for even her greed to handle.
"Hmm, you've got your priorities straight, then." Tsubaki nodded sagely. "Never miss a free meal."
Hephaestus rolled her single visible eye at Tsubaki's shameless comment and looked back at Azoth. "You got a supporter?"
"Aye, she seems alright. She's a pallum girl called Lili," Azoth said as his lips curled up into a slight smirk. "She seems pretty sweet on the surface. But she's also pretty sly and quick-witted too, and also sticky-fingered. She kind of reminded me of myself when I was a child."
"Not exactly princely behaviour," Tsubaki muttered slyly.
Ignoring her, Azoth shook his head. "She was helpful, though. She might have skimmed a bit off the top and maybe been a bit too interested in my enchanted weapons. But I don't begrudge her that, as she made it possible to collect far more material and gems than I would have been able to without her."
"Still, you should report her to the Guild if you suspect her of being a thief," Hephaestus said sharply, her brow furrowing. "That kind of behaviour isn't at all acceptable, especially if you're going into the dungeon with her. Trust is essential in the Dungeon. Besides, if she stole from you, then she has likely done it to others as well. And who knows what damage that might have caused, both to the reputation of her fellow supporters, to pallums, and to the parties she pilfered from."
Azoth shook his head.
"I think you're making it a bigger deal than it is," he said easily. "But I'll keep what you said in mind in the future. Though after today, I suspect she might not want to go back to the Dungeon with me again."
"Oh really, just what did you do?" Tsubaki asked with a grin.
"I was just being myself." Azoth smiled. "For some reason, I've always attracted trouble like moths to a flame. And in the Dungeon that trouble ended up being a lot of monsters, probably more than she was comfortable with."
"But you did protect her, though?" Tsubaki pressed, her smile fading as it was instead replaced with concern.
"Of course I did," Azoth said reproachfully. "And not just because she was carrying all the drops and loot I had farmed while down there."
"Farmed?" Tsubaki asked, her single eye twinkling as she relaxed a little at his confirmation that he had indeed looked after his substantially weaker supporter while delving into the Dungeons depths.
"Well, it did feel that way. The monsters on the upper levels are just too weak. Even on floor thirteen, it felt more like slaughtering cattle than it did killing monsters." He shrugged.
In truth, it had actually been pretty disappointing.
Compared to the dangers that roamed across the plains and mountains of Skyrim, the first thirteen levels of the Dungeon had been child's play.
"No," Hephaestus said after a moment, her gaze still on his armour as she pawed over a ruined gauntlet. "They're not too weak. You're too strong. Which is also why your armour broke like it did. The material it is made from isn't strong enough to deal with the stress you were putting it under. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that your bare flesh was more durable than this armour."
"Well, there is one way to check," Tsubaki said chipperly as she picked up his other gauntlet and slipped it on her slim hand. "Brace yourself, Snow Prince."
Azoth felt his eye twitch instinctively at the alias as he turned to face Tsubaki. Only for her to lunge forward and slam her now-armoured fist into his gut.
Instinctively tensing his abs, Azoth watched as the too-large metal gauntlet Tsubaki was wielding flexed and bent as she continued to drive it into his gut.
He could feel the strength of the punch through his thin shirt.
It hurt a bit, but not as much as an armour-clad punch from a seasoned warrior should hurt.
With a final crunch, the joints on the armour fractured and several pieces broke off, even as Tsubaki withdrew her arm and allowed the broken remains of the gauntlet to slip off her hand and fall to the floor with a tinkle of broken metal.
"Ow," Azoth said tonelessly, his gaze on the broken remains of his armoured gauntlet.
Tsubaki's tactics might've been unconventional, but she had definitely proved her point.
His flesh was apparently now more durable than steel.
"Don't be so soft," Tsubaki shot back with a wink.
"Tsubaki," Hephaestus said with a long-suffering sigh. "What have I told you about punching your Familia?"
"Don't," Tsubaki said sheepishly. "And to be fair, I wouldn't normally, or at least not with the weaker Familia members. But Snow Prince is stronger than I am. If I had thought for a second that I would have hurt him, then I wouldn't have done it."
"Uh huh," Hephaestus tilted her head to the side, unimpressed. "And what about the time you hit Leo with a hammer?"
"Valdez wanted me to test out a shield he'd just forged, so I hit it with a warhammer," Tsubaki said defensively. "He literally asked for it!"
"You cracked his shield nearly in two and knocked him off his feet… and into a pile of horse dung in the stables…" Hephaestus trailed off laconically.
"True, but I was also annoyed at him at the time too. I caught him and Welf trying to peep in the girl's bathhouse." Tsubaki said, her hands on her hips.
"Hmm, you make a good point; I withdraw my previous complaint." Hephaestus nodded, bending down and scooping up the remains of the armour. "But as penance for breaking Azoth's already broken armour, I want you to give him a hand picking out some better materials from the Familia stores. Since you'll both be heading on the Loki Familia's expedition into the lower floors of the Dungeon soon, I want Azoth to have a serviceable set of armour before he heads down there. And since you have more experience of deep diving in the Dungeon than him, I want you to give him some advice."
"That's fine," Tsubaki said agreeably. "I've already done all the maintenance on Gareth's equipment, and so have some spare time. Plus, it'll give me a chance to get a look at some of his techniques." Her red eye shifted back to his armour, absently tracing over the Orsimer-inspired design he had used when crafting the armour.
Azoth cocked an eyebrow in response.
"Don't pout, Snow Prince, I'll show you mine if you show me yours." Tsubaki grinned back.
"Tsubaki, do try to have at least some decorum." Hephaestus sighed, her cheeks flushing slightly pink at the innuendo. "Especially when we go over to the Twilight Manor later. Loki might be as bawdy and uncivilised as they come, but that doesn't mean you have to act like that too."
"Yes, mother," Tsubaki rolled her eyes.
"And stop calling me mother," Hephaestus shot back as she headed for the door of the forge. "Also Azoth, go clean yourself up. As a member of the Hephaestus Familia, you will also need to make a good impression with the Level Five and Six adventurers in the Loki Familia. Especially if you want to secure a contract with one of them. Which, in case you've forgotten, is what you'll need to do if you want to source a steady supply of high-quality materials and drops."
Azoth shared a look with Tsubaki.
"Yes, mother," he said drolly.
Hephaestus paused at the door and gave him a sour look. "Not you too."
"Hmm, if he is your son and the Snow Prince, then would that make you the Snow Queen?" Tsubaki asked idly.
"I think Fire Queen would be more accurate," Azoth corrected mildly. "Or maybe Red Queen."
"Yes, it would make sense with the red hair." Tsubaki nodded agreeably. "And look, her face has started to go pretty red too…."
"Children…" Hephaestus said, her face flushed red with embarrassment. "Do behave."
"Yes, mama."
"Yes, mother."
"Why do I bother….?"
( - )
(With Loki at the Twilight Manor)
The Twilight Manor, the grand and majestic home of the Loki Familia, was a hive of activity that evening.
Familia members ran back and forth lighting the many candles and torches that lit the home. Others meanwhile made the finishing touches to the three large, feasting stables in the great hall. While still other members of the Familia helped out in the kitchens or did some last-minute tidying and prepping for the feast that night.
Still, more adventurers were upstairs donning their finest garb for the night ahead, even as several lower-level members put on spiffy-looking uniforms and took their positions as footmen at the main doors to both the manor itself, and at portcullis and thick wooden doors that were set into the outer curtain wall.
While all this was happening, Loki, the patron god of the Loki Familia, and probably one of the most powerful and influential gods currently in the lower world, lolled back in her throne-like chair with a put-upon scowl.
She was bored.
And uncomfortable.
The velvet dress she was wearing was a little too tight, and constricting.
It wasn't as comfortable as her usual short shorts and baggy cotton shirt.
Cracking her neck, she tried not to smudge the makeup that Lefyia had painstakingly put on for her. Not because she personally cared that much about what she looked like. But more because she didn't want to upset her child. Lefiya, for all she was a pretty adept Level three adventurer at this point, could still be a bit prissy and soft about certain things. That, and she also didn't want to be given another lecture by Riveria on propriety.
She had to physically hold back a grown at that thought, her sharp eyes trailing across the majestic great hall over to where she could see Lefyia, in a frilly white dress, talking with both Tiona and Tione. The Amazon twins. Both of them were wearing dresses that while still very revealing for someone as reserved as Lefyia, were pretty conservative compared to what the sisters usually wore.
Taking a moment to eye the three fit and beautiful young girls up appreciatively, Loki allowed her gaze to wander to where Finn, her Familia Captain, was currently chatting with Gareth and Riveria. No doubt he was giving his two fellow executives some last-minute instructions.
The little blonde pallum had always been very good when it came to organising things. He just had that kind of mind. Very sharp, very analytical, and very good at compartmentalising things.
It was something she admired about him and one of the reasons she was happy to allow him to lead the rest of the children in her Familia.
He wasn't just a great warrior, he was a fantastic leader too.`
She let out a bored sigh as the three continued talking, apparently oblivious to her attention-seeking gaze.
Reaching out she picked up the glass of watered-down wine Riveria had allowed her to have before the feast and took a perfunctory sip.
It was no Somer wine, but it was better than the plonk most of the people in the city drank.
Smacking her lips noisily, she leant back in her chair and let loose another obnoxiously loud sigh.
She didn't like pageantry or fancy get-togethers.
She never had, not even when she had been in the Heavens.
Some gods, like Freya and Ishtar, might like prancing around in intricate and expensive dresses and hosting lavish banquets. But she hated it.
It was too much effort and far too much responsibility.
Where some people liked being the host and liked to retain some degree of control over things - Riveria was a perfect example of this type of person - she preferred to keep things casual, and just go with the flow.
Generally, she would much rather go to a tavern and get shitfaced, or turn up late to a feast organised by someone else wearing either whatever she found comfortable, or something that she wanted to show off. There was less stress, less expectation and less lecturing from her Familia about behaving herself.
Unfortunately, though, that was not to be.
With the expedition to the deepest depths of the Dungeon coming up. There was an expectation that she would invite the other Familia that her own Familia was coordinating with to the Twilight Manor for a pre-expedition feast. That said, although the main reason behind the shindig was to commemorate the trip. Another reason was so the different Familai Captains and gods could put the finishing touches on the final preparations and agreements for the expedition.
Grumbling at that thought, she slumped back in her chair, her back hunched as she idly played with the neck of her wine glass.
As the patron god of the Loki Familia, she'd had to dress up yet again so she could be paraded around like a show pony.
It was irritating and reminded her far too much of her time in the Heavens, and the reason why she had abandoned that mindless drudgery for a life of adventure and excitement in the lower world.
Her head lolled back as she carefully placed the wine glass on the perfectly set dinner table.
The only good thing was that she hadn't had to do any work to set things up. Not when she had overachieving control freaks like Finn and Riviera around to do all the organising for her.
Keeping that thought in mind, she watched Finn finish giving his instructions to the others.
Gareth, noticeably wearing his finest, shuffled away, no doubt to relay Finn's orders to the other members of the Family who would be acting the part of footmen and waiters/ waitresses.
Riveria and Finn meanwhile, caught her eye and approached.
"The guests will soon arrive," Finn said, sliding into a seat beside her.
"Finally," Loki said, rolling her eyes. "Does this mean I can start drinking properly?"
"You can have a few glasses during the dinner," Riveria cut in primly, "But for now you still need to pace yourself."
"Fine," Loki bit out petulantly. "Who is even coming anyway?"
Holding back a long-suffering sigh, Finn forced a smile. "You already know who. Hephaestus and a few of the more important members of her Familia, Hermes and a few of his Familia members, and Dian Cecht and his executives."
"Well at least Hermes is good for a laugh," Loki muttered.
The God of Messengers was capricious and was entirely untrustworthy. But he had a decent sense of humour, and often brought good gifts. He was almost as talented at schmoozing up to other gods as he was cunning.
A loud gonging sound rang out through the hall.
"The guests are here," Riveria said, smoothing down the front of her elegant, silken dress.
"Right," Loki said, pushing herself to her feet. "Might as well meet, greet and mingle. As a bonus, at least I'll get to see Ais in a dress."
A lecherous smile slid across her face at that thought, even as she started sauntering away.
Behind her, she could hear Riveria turn to Finn.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
"It'll be fine, you know she can behave when she needs to."
"Still, we've invested a lot of money and time into this expedition. At this stage, we can't afford for things to go wrong. Things are already tense enough, what with Ishtar expanding her operations in the Pleasure Quarter, and the Freya Familia continuing to gain in strength and influence. From what I've heard, Freya has even started suborning some of the small Familia into some kind of coalition of independent Familias."
"You worry too much Riveria. At this point, the other Familia are just as invested in the success of the expedition as we are. As for Freya, it is all just politics. She knows the state of the city as well as we do and knows just how dangerous things will get if she upsets the balance."
"And that's part of what worries me," Riveria muttered.
Tuning out the rest of their conversation, Loki plastered a smile on her face and continued down the hall and away from the two worrywarts.
Despite her lackadaisical facade, she wasn't stupid. She too had picked up on what was happening in the city and knew the stakes of their most recent venture.
A success in the latest expedition would increase their influence within the city. Bring in a lot of gold, and rare monster drops, which they could use to recoup the cost of the expedition and also solidify their alliance with other important Familia in the city. Plus, yet another success added to their already stellar record. This in turn would draw in new, higher calibre recruits from other Familia.
A failure though, would do the opposite.
It was as she was mulling those thoughts over that she made it into the antechamber and spotted a hint of gold in the corner of her eye.
Turning, a smile tugged at her lips as she saw Ais, wearing a pale blue dress, descending the main staircase.
She was truly a beautiful sight to behold.
Unfortunately, before she could do more than drink in the sight of Ais she was distracted by one of her children's voices as they introduced their arriving guests.
"Introducing the Goddess Hephaestus and her Familia."
Grudgingly tearing her gaze away from Ais, she was peripherally aware that her other executives had all joined her in the antechamber, as had a good number of her Level Three and Level Four children.
They made a pretty impressive group, or at least in her opinion, they did.
Keeping a smile on her face, she watched as Hephaestus stepped into the room.
Like the last time she had seen her old friend, the God of Smiths was wearing an expensive-looking crimson dress. Only this time the cut was slightly more revealing, showing a hint of her moderate-sized bust, and some of her right leg. It was nice to see her cutting loose a little.
Meeting her gaze, Loki's smile became a little bit more genuine.
It also seemed she wasn't the only one who had dressed to impress, as right now Hephaestus looked like a complete knockout.
Glancing over her shoulder at the half-dozen Familia members she had brought along, she noted that the rest of her Familia had done likewise.
The Hephaestus Familia Captain, Tsubaki, was wearing a black and orange, eastern style dress. It was flashy, but definitely accentuated the one-eyed, half-dwarf, half-Amazon's exotic looks.
On Hephaestus' other side, was her newest Familia member. Azoth was taking a place of honour as befitting a person of his Level, even if he was probably the newest member of her Familia. Focusing on the familiar white-haired elf, Loki's eyes narrowed a fraction.
For all that they had given him the alias Snow Prince to make Hephaestus cringe in embarrassment whenever it was used in her vicinity. He did annoyingly live up to the alias. With his pure white hair, alabaster skin, light violet eyes, sharply pointed ears and delicate facial features, he truly did look like an elven prince.
In her head, she couldn't help but compare him to Riveria.
They both looked like royalty.
Only, where Riveria actually was royalty, Azoth was a complete unknown.
She wet her lips.
And that was part of what concerned her.
Level Sixes didn't just appear from nowhere.
Which made his sudden arrival all the more suspicious, especially considering how close he had seemingly gotten to her girls in just a short space of time.
Lefyia and Tiona both seemed especially fond of him, and even Ais had said he was 'okay'.
Her hands clenched into fists.
The last thing she wanted was some white-haired pretty boy stealing away her girls.
She'd have to make sure to keep an eye on him.
But first, she had other duties she needed to attend to.
"Hephaestus," she said with a bright smile. "Welcome to my home!"
( - )
(With Azoth)
With how informally Loki and her Familia veterans had acted the last time he had seen them, Azoth had expected that the feast they were hosting would likewise be informal.
Apparently, though, that was not the case.
From the moment he entered the Twilight Manor, he had noticed how differently they were acting.
Or rather how different all of them save the elves and Ais were acting.
The Amazon twins weren't joking around as much.
Bete wasn't posturing.
Neither Loki nor Gareth were getting ludicrously drunk.
Instead, they all seemed to be on their best behaviour.
Which only became more noticeable as the other guests arrived.
Hermes, a blonde-haired fop, with a welcoming smile, was one of the guests of honour that night.
Azoth's eyes narrowed as he eyed the grinning god.
Having grown up around deceitful fuckwits like Mercer Frey, he could spot a liar and a manipulator when he saw one. For all Hermes was outwardly cheerful and gregarious, a part of Azoth couldn't help seeing the conniving mind that lurked beneath his charming outer veneer.
It was his bright blue eyes that made him weary. They crinkled and twinkled when he laughed and grinned. But behind his good cheer, he could see even from where he was sitting that they remained cold and calculating.
The rest of Hermes's Familia, including his Captain, Asfi Al Andromeda; a stern-looking, blue-haired human with spectacles, also gave off an… odd vibe.
For some reason he couldn't quite explain, Hermes and his Familia made him uncomfortable.
Which was strange as Hephaestus had previously spoken fondly of her old friend, Hermes, and had nothing but positive things to say about him and his Familia, and how helpful they could be.
That unfortunately meant he just had to grit his teeth, ignore his gut instinct, and make nice, especially since the Hermes Familia were sending along some of their higher-level adventurers on the expedition as supporters, even as Asfi used a rare skill she apparently wielded to create enchanted items for the other adventurers on the expedition.
The other main guest of honour at the feast. Alongside several members of his Familia. Was Dian Cecht, a God of Healing, and the leader of one of the more wealthy and influential Familia in Orario. And yet another god that was also supporting the expedition by providing the Loki Familia with discounted potions and some Familia members that would come align with them and act as healers.
On the surface, it all seemed pretty innocent.
But like with Hermes though, Azoth couldn't help but get odd vibes from him.
Where other gods had seemingly chosen younger forms when they descended to the lower world, Dian Cecht had strangely chosen the form of a bearded, grey-haired old man. In fact, he looked quite similar to old Kodlak Whitemane. The former Harbinger of the Companions and Azoth's old mentor. Only Dian Cecht dressed in finer clothing, was better groomed and also seemed pretty two-faced.
He smiled a lot, and laughed loudly at other's jokes, but like with Hermes, his blue eyes also remained cold and calculating.
There was an inhumanity in him lurking beneath the surface, one far more noticeable than in the other gods he had met and spoken with.
Then again, maybe he was just being overly suspicious and judgy.
He didn't really know either of them or any of their Familia members.
Hell, he didn't even know his own goddess and Familia members that were either.
Shaking his head at that thought, Azoth looked around the rest of the room.
It almost felt like he was in the Blue Palace at Solitude, attending yet another feast thrown by High Queen Elisif.
Three large tables had been set up in the centre of the hall. With two of the heavy wooden out on the wings, and one in the centre between the other two. Together they formed a U-shape.
On a throne-like chair in the centre of the central table, sat Loki, with Hephaestus on one side of her, and Dian Cecht and Hermes on the other.
Near to them, and also at the central table were the four Familia Captains; Tsubaki, Finn, Asfi and the Captain of the Dian Cecht Familia, Airmid Teasanare, a purple-eyed, silver-haired young woman. Also at the head table, and filling out the remaining seats was Gareth and Riveria.
He meanwhile had been seated on one of the wings, alongside Agil, Beckendorf, Bete, Tiona, Lefiya and a golden-haired, golden-eyed member of the Hermes Familia called Falgar Batros.
In total, there were only three dozen people dining. Six members of the Hephaestus Familia, four members of the Hermes Familia, and three members of the Dian Cecht Familia. The remaining nineteen non-divine beings in the room were all members of the Loki Familia. Of those present, most of them would be going on the expedition. Except for the four gods and Asfi. And currently, all of them were dining and making light conversation.
The large tables they were sitting at, practically groaned under the weight of all the sumptuous-looking food that had been placed on them. The dinner that night had been set out almost in the style of a buffet where anyone could grab what they wanted, even as they made idle chit-chat.
Continuing to look around, Azoth absentmindedly loaded his plate up with some more expensive-looking food, even as he listened to some of the nearby conversations.
"Yeah, apparently he's a member of the Hestia Familia. Just a young kid that looks as soft as anything, like a little bunny rabbit. But yeah, apparently he was still tough enough to take down a Silverback singlehandedly during that shitshow at the Monsterphilia." Tiona chatted away, waving her fork around to make a point.
"Defeating a Silverback at Level One is an impressive achievement," Falgar hummed, his golden eyes narrowing in thought as he idly scratched his golden-coloured beard. "What did you say his name was?"
"No idea," Tiona shrugged.
"Shame, but I still might mention it to Lord Hermes. He's always on the lookout for new talent." Falgar said thoughtfully.
"But wouldn't that be poaching?" Lefiya asked calmly, her bright blue eyes locking with Folgar. Lefiya, like all the others, had dressed in her finest for the night, wearing a lacy, white dress that somehow looked even fancier than her normal fancy outfits.
In response to Lefiya's poorly concealed accusation, the golden-haired weretiger chuckled.
"Depends on the approach," Agil shrugged as he entered the conversation. His deep powerful voice quickly drew the other's attention to him. "Adventurers are not permanently bound to their Familia. They have the right to leave if they wish, as they should."
"But wouldn't leaving a Familia only to then join another just because it is richer or more powerful be disrespectful. Both to the god that took you in gave you their Falna and supported you, and to your fellow Familia members. A Familia is supposed to be like a family, so shouldn't you treat it as such?" Lefiya pressed on.
"A Familia might be like a family to some. But to others, it is just a means to an end." Agil shrugged, his dark, hazel eyes softening slightly at Lefiya's shock.
"He has a point. Different people choose to become adventurers for different reasons. Some want fame, some want to become strong, some want to kill monsters, and others just want to be rich." Beckendorf nodded. "In the end, a Familia isn't so much like a family as it is a guild. A place where different people gather and work together to improve and grow. And eventually, people will outgrow their Familia and want to move on to greener pastures."
"But even so, there should be some sense of loyalty." Lefiya protested.
"But who should they be loyal to, themselves or their god? Although we build mutually beneficial relationships with the gods, we're not actually their children, nor are we their slaves. Instead, we have a symbiotic relationship with them, where we benefit from their Falna, and they benefit from our protection and the money we bring in. But eventually, a better opportunity will crop up." Falgar said bluntly. "For example this Level One adventure. He's currently in a small, no-name Familia. Don't you think he'd leap at the chance to join the Loki Familia if given the chance? Your Familia would provide training, better equipment and more opportunities to build experience and gain extalia. If he wants to become an adventurer for personal gain, then joining a bigger and more influential Familia would just be a no-brainer."
"But then how long would it be before he leaves and goes to another one? How can you trust someone, when in the end you know that they're just using you for your own gain?" Lefiya asked, her lips forming into a firm line.
She didn't look at all happy with what the others were saying.
"Because it's basic nature. Everyone uses everyone else. The weak use the strong to survive, while the strong are stuck with weak hangers on which they use to support them," Bete grunted. "It's a parasitic relationship. But if you ask me. If you want to not only survive in this world but flourish. Then you need to get strong, and that means putting yourself first and chasing that strength. Just look at Tiona. She and her sister ditched their old Familia and came to Orario to join a new one, and now they're both Level Five adventurers, and among the toughest in not just the city, but the world."
"That's not quite the same," Tiona said, her usual cheer absent from her voice.
"You both might have had different reasons than most. But you still ended up swapping out your old Familia for a better one, didn't you?" Bete grunted, his eyes narrowing as he locked gazes with the short, petit Amazon.
Tiona grudgingly nodded.
"But what about friendship and bonds?" Lefiya said.
"Temporary, especially for those that fight monsters," Bete grunted. "Eventually we'll all either die or become too injured to continue and will be forced out of the Familia and into retirement. Besides, just because you leave a Familia doesn't mean you can't still be chummy with the ones you leave behind."
"Depends on the manner in which you left your Familia," Agil muttered grimly.
"Not that any of us are planning on leaving our Familia of course," Beckendorf chipped in swiftly, looking around challengingly as if daring someone to call him out on his statement. "For smiths like Azoth, Agil and me, the Hephaestus Familia is the absolute best for honing our craft and gaining access to high-quality materials and resources. There is no better Familia to be a part of than Hephaestus' Familia"
"Same with the Loki Familia," Tiona grinned. "If you want to explore the Dungeon and fight monsters, there is no better Familia out there."
Falgar shrugged. "Hermes is a decent god, he's a bit pervy, but looks out for us in his own way and honestly I like the work we do. Not too dangerous or hard, but not boring either. But at the same time, if the opportunity arose to join the Loki Familia or Freya Familia…, well I'd certainly consider it."
"Aww, is that an unsubtle hint?" Tiona grinned, some of her earlier pep returning.
Folgar shook his head. "Not really, I'm not looking to change Familia's any time soon."
"I still don't like it. It just feels wrong." Lefiya scowled. "If a god took you in, raised you, nurtured you and helped you achieve your dream, I think you owe them your loyalty and allegiance."
"But what about the old adage 'if you love something then you should set it free?'" Agil asked shrewdly. "If Familia are like family, and the gods do think of us as children, then isn't it only natural for them to let their children move on and make something of themselves?"
"Love can sometimes be toxic, and not all parents are good parents," Tiona muttered.
There was something in her tone that pretty much demanded that people not broach the topic further with her.
"What do you think, Azoth?" Lefiya asked into the tense silence that followed the usually cheerful Tiona's dark words.
"Yeah, what do you think, Snow Prince?" Beckendorf smirked.
"Snow Prince?" Tiona asked, perking up slightly as she suddenly looked over at Azoth with stars in her eyes.
"His new alias, hadn't you heard?" Beckendorf grinned.
"It's a strong name," Folgar hummed, giving him a nod of respect.
"Powerful for a first alias. Then again, you are Level Six." Agil agreed.
"It's alright," Bete shrugged. "A bit too similar to Sword Princess for my tastes though." He continued, his eyes narrowing.
Azoth glanced over to where Ais was glumly playing with her food. She was seated alongside Lisabeth, Leo, Tione and several other adventurers he didn't know. All of whom were chatting, even as Ais seemingly ignored the going on in favour of her own thoughts.
"Snow Prince," Lefiya repeated, her pale cheeks going a little pink. Before with a start, she shook her head and returned to the matter at hand. "Sorry, so what do you think then, Azoth?"
Sitting back in his seat, Azoth took a moment to think over all that he had heard.
He would be a hypocrite if he took Lefiya's side of the argument.
He could definitely see the point she was trying to make, but from his own experience, he had moved around a lot.
He'd been taken in by the Thieves Guild.
Only to then ditch them for a life of banditry, which he continued right up until he was caught and taken to the town of Helgen for execution, and well… things escalated from there as he joined the Jarl's court in Whiterun as a Thane, became a member of the Companions, joined the Legain, and eventually become a hero.
If he had stayed loyal to the Thieves Guild, then it was likely that none of the other things in his life would have happened the way they did, and Skyrim would have been all the worse for it.
Taking a sip of wine, he exhaled and sent Lefiya a soft smile.
"I can understand your point. If your god treats you like one of their children, and you love them like your parent then I can understand your loyalty. But at the same time, we are mortal with but one life to live. And that life is our own and not our parents." Azoth said softly. "I like my current Familia, and I like Hephaestus, far more so than Meridia. But at the same time, the future is completely unknown. It might be that I spend the rest of my life in Orario and as a member of the Hephaestus Familia. But it could also be that events transpire to send me away from Orario, which would end up with me leaving the Familia. In the past when I've found friends and formed bonds, I thought they would last forever. But every time I was proven wrong, when life happened, and things changed, and people I was once close to grew distant."
Lefiya's expression softened.
Smiling, Azoth reached out and ruffled her hair - much to her displeasure. "Either way, cheer up. The choice of what you do in life belongs to you and you alone. If you want to stay in the Loki Familia for the rest of your life and the stars align to allow you to do so. Then do it. Don't let others tell you what to do or how to live."
"Here here," Beckendorf grinned, raising his glass of wine. "We are the masters of our own destiny."
"As it should be," Azoth nodded. "To hell with grim prophecies, what matters is what we do with ourselves in the here and now, and I'm not sure about you, but I'm planning on gorging myself with food, and then getting hammered!"
"I can drink to that!" Tiona grinned.
"I thought that was always the plan," Agil smiled.
"Might as well," Folgar said ruefully. "In a couple of days, we'll be in the Dungeon, so this is pretty much our last chance to cut loose and have fun."
"Then we might as well keep the party going," Tiona chirped up. "How about after dinner, we head down to the Hostess and drink Mia out of all her beer."
"I think I'll stick to wine," Lefiya flushed, a small smile spreading across her face as she looked around at the others.
Grabbing a nearby bottle of wine, Azoth filled up everyone's glasses to the brim. "Then let's get the party properly started!"
"So long as I can blame you when Riveria comes lecturing, I don't care," Bete smirked, downing his glass of wine. "Plus, once we get outside, fancy having another brawl?" He continued grinning wolfishly over at Azoth.
"Sure, why not. The winner buys the first round," Azoth nodded.
From around him, he could see the mood in the room getting a bit more jovial as the wine continued to flow, and inhibitions and decorum took a backseat.
Loki especially, seemed to be getting into the rhythm of things as she laughed bawdily, and shared loud, innuendo-filled jokes with Hermes and Gareth. Much to Riveria's visible disapproval, and Finn's embarrassed amusement.
From what he could see, things were shaping up to be an interesting night.
( - )
AN: So quite character and dialogue heavy this one, but fear not. The next chapter will finish of the feast, and a trip to the hostess, and will then proceed to the long awaited expedition into the lower depths of the dungeon, which will be the next major arc, and will involve a lot of the characters that have been introduced over the last few chapters. So yeah, although the feast scene got a little out of hand, as I had wanted to keep it a bit tighter and more concise, at the same time though I don't mind what I ended up doing. the next chapter will pick up the remainder of the night and will involve some more character development.
That said I have some major plans for the expedition arc, and the future, including the ongoing situation up in Orario. Also for those wondering about Lili, she will still be around. But now her story has veered very much away from canon. How? Well you'll have to stay tuned to find out.
Either way, thanks for reading and sticking with me, even if my updating speed has been pretty lacklustre, I'll endeavour to do better.
If you ant to chat about this story or any of my others I am on Discord with a load of other writers, so if you fancy popping over to ask questions or offer suggestions about this story, or any of my other ones, or to find new authors you might not have come across yet, please feel free to use the link in my bio or at the top of the page.
That said, as an aside, and because I never learn, I've been pondering a new crossover based on the Goblin Slayer fandom. I'm thinking either a RWBY/Goblin Slayer story, or an Elder Scrolls/Goblin Slayer story, still pondering on it. But I have some ideas I want to at least put to paper, even if it doesn't come to anything.
Either way, thanks for reading and if you have any suggestions or questions feel free to PM me or find me on Discord.
Catch you later.
Greed720.
