Hello! Here is the next installment of my fic. Sorry for the lateness of this update, but I've been really busy the past week. Will probably be super busy the next week to. So much fun.
Bell and Welf had finally reunited but this time it was after a summons to the Hephaestus Familia mansion. Bell was taken inside by Welf himself, towards where the forges were. Each Blacksmith had their own forge station, meaning each one was set up in a different way. Whether that be the Forge on the left, right or back side of the room, whether the tools were placed on different walls, or what have you. Welf's was no exception. His was unique in the sense that his forge was the only center forge of the blacksmiths. The anvil was behind it near the wall and one would have to walk around the hot furnace to get out but Welf defended himself and said it allowed him to rest better since he kept a chair against the far wall, allowing his head to find some solid ground. Bell didn't comment on anything, merely took everything in.
"Long time no see Bell. I hope you're doing great." Welf said with a grin, which Bell had returned.
"I am! I am doing great! I am getting stronger and stronger! My Goddess believes in me! And we're going to get deeper and deeper in the dungeon soon too!"
"That's what I like to hear! I am not too far from leveling up either believe it or not! I hope to get my Blacksmith ability soon too!" He laughed.
"I bet you will get it very soon and level up as well! We are going into the dungeon today too right?"
"Yes yes. I do plan on joining you. I even talked to my Goddess and let her know that we plan on moving into the 13th to 17h floors today. She only scolded me a few times about moving so quickly, but she relented only after giving us a pair of Salamander wool. She also told me that I'd have to pay for both sets hahah." Welf said, scratching the back of his head. Bell blinked.
"Are… are you sure you want to do that?"
"Yea, it sounds like a good experience. I trust you to lead us down safely."
"I do hope to keep up with your expectations." Bell replied, sighing.
"Chin up and keep that confidence you had earlier. I believe in you and you should believe in yourself." Welf replied, gently ruffling Bell's hair. Bell huffed before nodding.
"Right! We can do it! We'll take it nice and slow, and move at a proper pace!"
"That's right and with your brand new armor AND this new weapon I made for you? We'll be set. Heck, I even crafted myself some armor from the drop items you got for us."
"Oh? Was there enough?"
"Plenty. You were gracious enough to let me have most of them."
"I just want to make a collection of my travels, so its why I take one of each item we find."
"That sounds fair. Memories huh? Well, let's get you all suited up hmm?"
"Right!"
Half an hour later, Welf and Bell found themselves standing outside of the dungeon, stretching together with big grins on their faces. They were about to embark on their first major dungeon crawl, with actual plans to reach a certain floor. They were going to be gone late and had no plans to return until almost daybreak. Welf and Bell both carried a backpack, with Welf carrying a slightly larger one. Both of them carried food, water, potions, warmer clothing if needed, a fire starter kit and other emergency supplies. Bell had insisted on going all out and purchasing what he thought was necessary. Welf appreciated it. After they finished stretching, Bell stared at the top of Babel, right where he always felt those eyes coming from. He knew it was Freya but he didn't feel her eyes on him this time. It slightly saddened him.
With a sigh, Bell started to move forward with Welf. Bell was dressed in a brand new set of armor. It was still the stark white of the previous armor, but instead of the red lining, it was an electric blue. Welf had said he took inspiration from the magic that Bell could use. His new weapon was short sword. It was about a foot and a half in length for a blade, with another ten inches relegated to the crossguard, grip and pommel, or the hilt of a sword. It was double edged, with a tapered point that was good for stabbing and thrusting. The double edged gave it supreme cutting power. The grip was ridged perfectly for a proper finger grip, allowing comfortable use of the weapon. The color of the blade was a dark red, much like the inside of a Minotaurs horn which it was made out of. It was made out of the two Minotaur horns given to Welf from Bell's fight.
Both of them gave each other fist bumps before they started to run down the steps, going into the dungeon. Their adventure was now beginning!
Deep in the dungeon on floor 19, the beautiful monster girl that was being chased by a bunch of humans was know found cowering in the jungle environment, holding her knees to her chest as she hid in the crevice of a large tree. Tears streaming down her face.
'Everyone wants to kill me… Will anyone save me?'
Deep in the dense urban jungle known as the pleasure quarter, a beautiful Renard, around twenty years old, looked out of her window straight at Babel that she could see in the distance. Her eyes were mostly empty, but there was a single spark that remained. 'Will I be saved? Will a hero ever come for someone as sullied as me…?' She thought.
On the rooftop of the same building that the Renard was staring out of, stood a beautiful Amazon, easily more beautiful than Tiona though Tiona was absolutely adorableness incarnate. Tiona was the most cutest of all Amazons, due to her amazing personality so don't get upset. This beautiful Amazon, in question, was wearing what could be considered a belly dancers outfit, barely covering anything like most amazons wore. She sighed as she leaned against the railing, watching the sun head towards the horizon, preparing to set and start another night of carnal desires. 'Wonder if I can ever escape this. Was good for a while… but… my heart yearns for more…
Down deep on the 13th floor, Bell and Welf were still going strong. Neither seemed injured and both were in high spirits.
"Hey look Bell, maybe you should talk to them and see if they could leave us alone." Welf teased as the pair fought a group of Almiraj. Welf was using his long sword to cleave multiple opponents while Bell darted with immense speed, stabbing vital points on the monsters. Bell huffed in response to Welf's tease.
"They look nothing like me! You are better off asking a Bunny-Hume!"
"AHAHAHAH! Nah I think you look so much more alike!"
"Why does everyone think of me as a rabbit?!" Bell demanded in exasperation as he darted off the wall and into another Almiraj.
"Oh come on, you can't tell me you haven't noticed. Look at you! You have red eyes, white hair, you're scrawny and super fast! Perfect rabbit!" Welf replied, taking three heads of the rabbit monsters with a single stroke. Bell was keeping most of the enemies off of Welf, using hit and run attacks to remove enemies that were stranded due to Welf's weapon keeping them at bay. They worked together in perfect conjunction with Welf filling in as the front line, while Bell provided support, though Bell's kill count was higher.
"That has nothing to do with anything! I don't see it!" Bell exclaimed, before flinging out his chains, attaching his sword and knife to different ones, before using them to impale two of the rabbit monsters, using them to launch himself forward into a Hell hound that had just spawned from the rock wall to their right. Using the Hellhound as a springboard, Bell jumped off, retracting his blades before coming down with a double bladed downwards stroke while in mid air, killing the hell hound with his two blade entering on each shoulder, penetrating the lungs.
"Bah! You will understand one day!" Welf laughed, before pausing. The enemies were being relentless. "Damn. They just keep coming. I mean, none of us got hurt yet but this is insane." Bell heaved as he took in a deep breath, before spinning around with his blades. Welf, noticing Bell was swinging his blades even towards him, ducked down. Welf and Bell had gotten into a solid rhythm of learning each others own tactics within seconds of them doing it. Bell yelled out loudly.
"Thunderbolt!" Bell exclaimed, the lightning magic arcing down both of his shoulders, going to each hand, before they went down the chains. The chains spinning round and around as Bell spinned, helped the magic arc outwards in a complete circle, spreading outwards in a singular line in all directions. It went over Welf's head by a foot as Welf had went down onto his back instantly as he noticed the magical energy coming forth from Bell's weapons. The magical energy sprang forth like a wave, striking every enemy within a twenty foot radius. Hellhounds and Almiraj alike fell prey to the magic. The Almiraj's were immediately destroyed by the magic, but the Hellhounds were much stronger. The magic did stun them momentarily.
Welf immediately jumped up from the ground, charging forward at the one Hellhound ahead of them, leading further into the dungeon while Bell went flung his blades to his left and behind them, striking two different Hellhounds in the forehead, sending them all into the grave. Bell and Welf finally let their guard down slightly, taking deep breaths.
"What… the… hell… They just… won't stop." Welf exclaimed.
"At least… it's over… for now." Bell heaved. Welf nodded, only for both of them to groan.
CRAAAAACK!
The dungeon was birthing another monster. The ceiling, the walls and even the floor began to break apart as monsters came forth.
"You had to say something didn't you…?" Welf said, giving Bell the stink eye. Bell gave a slight blush.
"Sorry."
"Ah no matter. We got this! LETS DO THIS!" Welf exclaimed, hyping them up. Unknown to the both of them, another part of adventurers were on this floor… and were not doing well at all.
"AAAH!" Welf exclaimed, swinging the massive blade of his in an arc, cleaving a large dungeon worm in two right down the center from head to belly. Bell was once again darting around, dodging attack after attack as he went for throats and hearts. Slashes and stabs while moving at rapid pace, keeping away from any monster attack. Even the Hellhounds with their fire breath could not connect. Welf could use his own magic to defeat the Hellhounds, but he was saving his Mind for when it was really needed. Bell was using his own skill, Senju Musō or Thousand Image Defense, to keep evading and striking when the monsters were at their weakest. Every opening was accounted for, every opportunity taken. Bell's skills had improved tenfold ever since gaining this ability. He was growing at a rapid rate, being able to read opponents even without this skill. Bell was turning into a monster in a sense.
"They just keep coming!" Welf exclaimed, watching as more Almiraj's continued to pour in from the other hallways, only for both of them to stop as another party of adventurers went running by. It was a total of six adventures, a mix of men and women who ran past. The largest one, probably the captain was carrying another, a woman with short hair that covered her eyes mostly. The entire party ran past, though Bell noticed that the last one glanced at him every so often with remorseful eyes. "Oh no…" Welf said quietly.
"What is it?!" Bell demanded, only for him to hear the sounds. More monsters and they were coming from where the other party came from.
"It's a Pass Parade… FUCK!" Welf said, immediately pulling back to get next to Bell. Bell, on the other hand, felt fear creep up his spine. "Bell… I don't think…"
"I know… but we have to try! AAAH!" Bell screamed out, raising both of his hands into the air behind them, knowing that they were surrounded but they had to do something. Most of the monsters were behind them, so it was the only logical thing to do. "Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt!" Bell exclaimed, his magic arcing down his shoulders and into his hands over and over as he shot powerful explosive lightning into the sky, striking the dungeon's ceilings.
"What are you doing?!" Welf exclaimed, only to be answered when Bell forced in a massive cave in.
"I panicked okay?!"
"No you did the ri- AAAAAH!" Welf screamed out as a Hellhound came from behind, having avoided most of the rock. The Hellhound had bit down on Welf's right arm, immediately seizing and puncturing the arm. "AAAAAAAH!" The Hellhound began to shake its head, starting to shred the Blacksmiths arm. Bell looked back, but was struck in the back by one of the Almiraj's ax's. It glanced off the armor, but found a slight nicking purchase along the spine where the armor wasn't located due to flexibility concerns. Bell screamed in pain, before stabbing downwards with his knife, right in the forehead of the Almiraj. Welf was trying to pry the Hellhound off, but it was of no use. With only one hand, and being a level one, he was unable to overpower the beast. "Bell! Run!" Welf screamed out.
Bell refused. Bell immediately undid the chain of his knife, before swinging it around and around above their heads, before using it as a cleaver. The blade swung, striking the monsters in front of them with their own nicking cuts. This move was usually never a fatal blow, but more used to gain distance. With the distance secured, Bell took the risk and darted backwards, taking his Gladius in his hand before plunging it deep into the Hellhounds bell.
"AAAAAAAH!" Bell exclaimed, lifting the Hellhound into the air, before yanking the Gladius out, immediately killing the beast which finally released Welf.
"Bell! You have to run! I can't do you any good anymore!" Welf called out, holding his bleeding shredded arm. Bell darted forward, going from wall to wall, dodging and weaving his enemies as he went to work, eliminating every single one with no mercy. He was relentless, unstoppable. He eliminated the monsters that had came from the Pass Parade, before moving back to Welf.
"We… have to… keep moving." Bell said between breaths, heaving hard now that he had some respite.
"Bell… We need to find a way back up…" Welf replied, before Bell shook his head.
"It's too far and the way is blocked. We will waste too much time trying to find another passage… but my advisor has been instructing me in the dungeon for any floors that I might come across, even floors five ahead of what we discussed I'd go to with you. There is a safe point in five floors. Monsters don't USUALLY go there and if they do, it's mostly just pacified monsters who don't attack us. If we can get there, we can try to picky back on another party to get us out."
"Bell… we almost died on floor thirteen… and you want us to go even further?! Do you not understand how insane that sounds?!"
"We can't go back anymore… we cannot risk it. We can go down quickly… there are passage ways. I was told that if you find a hole, you'll go down a floor."
"Bell… Damnit." Welf cursed before glaring at Bell. "If you go on without me… you can make it no doubt… but I can't fight anymore."
"I will not leave you to die. I cannot have that on my conscious."
"You really won't huh…?"
"No."
"Damnit. Well, guess we're dying together." Welf said, huffing as he started to walk with Bell, heading deeper into the dungeon which seemed to have given them a bit of respite. Bell was looking around like a frightened deer or rabbit, making sure that no predator was sneaking up on them. Welf was looking around every so often, but he was focused mainly on the dungeon floor, hoping to find one of the holes that Bell had spoken about. About a minute later, Welf pointed one out with a grin. "Hey! It's one of those holes you spoke about right?!"
"I think so! If we're lucky, it'll let us skip a floor or two!"
"It can do that?!"
"It's a possibility according to Eina!" Bell said. It was then the dungeon decided to bear its fangs again. Coming from the walls on either side of the hole, as well as the ceiling, monsters began to drop. Hellhounds came from the darkness ahead, their fangs already lit up with flame. Almiraj's came from the ceiling, two crystal mantis's from the walls to the left and the right and three dungeon worms coming up from the ground. All glaring at Welf who was already injured.
"Bell…."
"I know…" Bell grit his teeth. 'What do I do?! What can I do?! Shit! If we can get to that hole… maybe…?' "Hang on!" Bell immediately grabbed Welf and put him onto his back, just as the Dungeon worms led the charge, diving into the ground to prepare for an ambush.
"Bell what are you doing?!"
"Trying to survive!" Bell yelled out as he leapt into the air, bouncing off of the first Dungeon worm who had appeared from the ground right below their feet. Bell was lifted into the air, barely leaping over the large flame that had been expelled in their direction. "I'm trying to get into that hole! I cannot protect you and kill these monsters! It's too many!"
"Then put me dooooooooown!" Welf said, as Bell dropped into the hole, barely big enough for the both of them. Welf screamed as the flames of another Hellhound found its way down into the hole, coming right for them as the slid along the tubing. They exited the tunnel in the nick of time, coming out from the side of a wall with a roll. The flames exited with a roar, before dissipating in the open air. "Damnit Bell!" Welf cursed, rubbing his bottom. "When I tell you to let me go to save yourself, I mean it!" He complained, though Welf didn't really mean it. He was touched that Bell was trying to keep him alive.
"Well you can yell at me all you want when we make it home." Bell said as he looked around. "I wonder what floor this is…"
"Not sure."
"We haven't reached the 17th floor yet or the 18th… but the fall felt much longer than a floor? So maybe we're on 15?"
"Your guess is as good as mine…" Welf said, getting up before holding his arm again. The bleeding had halted, but the wound was still massive and painful.
"Let's try to find another hole. Maybe we'll get lucky?"
"Bell… don't give the dungeon any ideas…"
Up on the surface, Loki was upset. Upset, concerned and freaking out! She was pacing back and forth on the main entrance of her home, pulling at her hair.
"Damnit! Damnit! He should have been home by now! It's the morning after!" She yelled. "I know he's getting stronger but this isn't like him!"
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
A loud and frantic knocking was heard at the main gates, and Loki immediately ran for it.
"BELL! You got some exp-." Loki yelled out, only to stop when she didn't spot Bell, but another God.
"Takemikazuchi… and… what's going on?" Loki asked, getting very serious with her eyes narrowed even more if that was possible.
"Lady Loki…" He said quietly. "I'm sorry…"
"What… happened…?" She spoke through gritted teeth, feeling her anger starting to rise.
Bell looked around frantically, hearing the noises of monsters nearby. He couldn't see them as the darkness of the labyrinth was almost suffocating. They could see maybe twenty feet ahead, but that was generous. Welf was now limping, his right leg in a splint as he held onto Bell.
"Bell… that Dungeon worm… it almost got me… We're not going to make it in time… You have to let me go…"
"I will never abandon my comrades. Ever. My family… they are all I have." Bell said firmly, feeling a bit of ache in his heart at the thought of his Grandfather, leaving him behind.
"Bell… you can't save everyone… You have to let me go."
"I can't." Bell said, only to grab Welf by his waist, leaping away to the right to dodge another blast of fire from a Hellhound. He deposited Welf against a wall, before Bell hopped into action.
Located in the living area of the Loki mansion, Loki was standing up in front of the fireplace, which wasn't burning at this time despite the chilly weather. She had her fists clenched as she stared down at the empty pit. Behind her was Takemikazuchi and the group of adventurers that had went done the bad deed to Bell as well as Hephaestus who was very silent.
"You're telling me… that your children purposely and deliberately led a group of monsters to my Bell and his supp… No to Welf…?" She said with gritted teeth. She had decided not to call Welf his supporter, despite it being somewhat the case due to the respect of the Blacksmith. Even Loki had taken notice of Bell's companion.
"Yes… I'm sorry. Even if it was out of desperation… It's unacceptable and I know that." Take said, looking at this group of children. Each of them looked full of shame, especially the long haired female that wielded a Katana.
"If my precious Bell doesn't make it back… If I do not get to see him again…" Loki threatened, turning to face Take down intensely. The large man, the captain of the familia, stood up with a glare and was about to speak, but Loki's eyes opened slightly, revealing her actual eyes for once. She was -very- serious. Take looked at his captain.
"I know what you were going to say… but save it. We would not dare do something so underhanded when it would only serve to paint a target on our backs." He warned, before looking at Loki who turned to face him.
"I want him back." Loki stated, glaring at Take.
"I'll lend the two able bodied fighters… but I don't think its enough."
"You know that I cannot help you either." Hephaestus said, speaking up. "All my capable warriors are down there with your group."
"Ah, one of your maids let me in… but I believe I may be of assistance?" spoke a smooth male voice.
"You…" Loki narrowed her eyes, glaring at Hermes who decided to make an appearance.
"Ah, Loki. I heard you were in trouble and I rushed right over here on the double for you!" Hermes said, giving a big smile. Behind him was a pretty young woman with short light blue hair. She looked annoyed if anything, though it was directed at Hermes.
"Awfully convenient." Loki said with a slight growl.
"Awww. You still think so poorly of me?"
"Didn't have much to think of you in the first place, considering who you were so close to."
"Jeez… and here I came all the way here to help! You could at least show soooooooome mercy."
"No." Loki grumbled, before Hephaestus looked over at Loki and spoke.
"You know, you can't really be picky at a time like this." The Goddess of Smithing stated. Loki stared at Hephaestus before glaring at Hermes, staring him down for about ten seconds before growling.
"Fine. I don't know what scheme you are playing this time… but I don't have a lot of choice."
"I sincerely do want to help you." Hermes stated, placing a hand over his right. "I may not have been your friend, but helping you is my concern. And I would like to save Bell, if I may."
"You're after him…" Loki muttered before Hermes hummed.
"I have to admit, he's peaked my curiosity." He admitted. "I am in no way shape or form attempting to steal from you either. Which is whyyyyyyy…. I have decided to let my Top Down, my captain, Asfi, tag along."
"Wait what?!" Asfi exclaimed, before glaring at Hermes. "Don't you go deciding things without me!" She stated, before looking around at the crowd. She sighed and nodded.
"With her tagging along, we'll be just fiiiiine." Hermes stated, waving off the concerns of the other deitys. Loki narrowed her eyes at what he said, but didn't bring it up. She knew better than to get involved in Hermes many schemes. Asfi, on the other hand, took her deity into a more secluded spot to give him an earful. Loki sighed loudly, before looking over at Hephaestus.
"I believe Bell and Welf are still alive. I can't say for sure, but I know it. Bell is stubborn. He will refuse to die and if I know him well enough, he won't abandon Welf."
"Despite his many attempts to get Bell to escape… yea I know my child too." The Goddess stated. "Though when you get down there and you find that stubborn boy, please give him this." She stated, handing Hermes as a wrapped up sword. "And a message for me as well." Loki glared as Hermes took on the quest from Hephaestus.
"I do hope you know what you are doing."
"I'd like to think I do. I'm actually gonna go see if I can get some more help as well. They are leaving tonight right?"
"I guess if that is the plan." Loki stated, shrugging. She didn't know what the plan was exactly, she just hoped they would get to Bell in time.
Down deep in the dungeon, Welf and Bell were trudging along, ever so slowly. Welf's right leg was injured, his right arm was injured, he had a swollen eye while Bell had a myriad of shallow cuts and bruises all over. Bell was injured but not even close to the extent that Welf was but Bell was running low on steam.
"Bell… if we don't make it out of here… I just want you to know. I don't regret becoming your partner."
"Likewise… but we aren't going to die just yet. I haven't realized my dreams and I refuse to allow you to perish before you get your blacksmithing skills."
"Hah… those skills are the least of my worries…" Welf said bitterly before Bell grinned.
"I see the stairs to the next floor!" Bell exclaimed, immediately speeding forward, picking up the pace with Welf who was using Bell as a crutch.
"AAAH! Bell!"
"We have to move! We're almost there! Just two more floors and if we hurry, I think we can make it past the floor boss on seventeen! It should still be dead!"
"AAAH! Okay! Okay!" Welf attempted to pick up the pace himself, wincing and groaning in pain as he put more weight on his injured leg. There were a few trips and slight collapses, but Bell was continuing on, entering the stairs.
Night fell and the group of warriors, including Hermes, gathered at the entrance to the dungeon. Due to the late night, most of the workers were not located in Babel though a few were stationed. This forced the only deity to be a little more discrete, dressing in a hooded cloak while also in between most of the other adventurers. They snuck past without any issue, entering the dungeon in which Hermes kept himself covered up just in case anyone saw him and recognized him. Asfi looked around and gave Hermes a stare.
"I hope you know what you are doing." Spoke the Captain of the Hermes Familia.
"You worry too much." Hermes replied, waving her off. "We'll be fine. We have you and the elf and both of you could easily solo this place down to the 18th."
"That reminds me… how do you figure they are heading there?"
"Simple. Bell is smart. He's going to try and find the safest way back. Sure, the monsters are weaker going backwards but the dungeon already knows that Bell is weak. It will increase the spawns just to try and kill him. That's a lot of floors to cover. I'm pretty sure they are both injured as well. So it makes sense to try and move forward, utilizing the small holes that lead to the other floors below. It's a shortcut. He's gonna head there and hope to find a party to take him out."
"It's kind of scary how analytical you are…" Asfi muttered. Hermes merely gave her a grin and a thumbs up, while paying attention to how Ryuu was clearing the dungeon with deadly precision. Even though the monsters were far below her, she held no mercy and had no wasted movements. Deadly.
Floor 16. This was the second to last floor where they would find trouble, or so Bell would think. Welf and Bell had moved deeper into the floor, finding themselves worried.
"Bell… something isn't right… We've been down on this floor for a good while… but only single monsters…"
"I know…" Bell grit his teeth. "The dungeon is being way too kind…"
"Perhaps it's just giving us a break?"
OOOOOOOOWAAAAAAAH!
"I really wish you didn't say that." Bell stated, placing Welf against the wall as seven Minotaurs appeared from the darkness.
"Bell! You can't take them all on! You have to run!"
"I already told you, I will not abandon you!" Bell roared, drawing his blades from his armbands, letting both drop down into his hands with the chains already attached to the pommels. "I will defeat them." Bell glared, feeling the adrenaline pumping as the need to survive became apparent. If one could see his Falna, they would have noticed it appeared on his back and lit up slightly, as something remarkable happened. A new skill.
"Bell… what is…" Welf started as he watched as white particles began to appear around his body, slowly condensing as if being absorbed by Bell. Bell's eyes closed as he felt the energy slowly fill his body. Bell gasped and shuddered, feeling his magic begin to condense yet expand at the same time. The magic became denser but also became larger.
"I don't know…. But I already know what it wants me to do…." Bell stated, feeling the air around him change as the Minotaurs all charged, seeing how Bell seemed to have let his guard down. Bell opened his eyes when they got within ten feet raising their stone weapons into the air.
OOOOOOWAAAAAH! They roared.
Bell gave them a grin, dropping his blades to the ground as his magic began to spark and arc over his shoulders, going down his hands. The arcs were larger and the energy released from the arcs were more powerful. "It's… Mmmm… Let's find out what it does…. Thunder Bolt!" Bell roared. The traditional single bolt of lightning wasn't what came forth. Instead, a maelstrom of energy was unleashed from both hands, combining into a single bolt a few feet away. This bolt traveled out and struck the first minotaur, immediately disintegrating the minotaur until nothing but his crystal and a single horn drop remained. The energy continued forward, arcing between each Minotaur, traveling between each of them, striking them directly center in the chest. Each Minotaur disappeared into oblivion, leaving behind their magic crystals though only one other Minotaur besides the first dropped a horn. Bell roared in fury as he shot the magic, only to collapse to one knee after firing exhausted.
"Bell are you alright?" Welf asked, slowly getting up from the sitting position along the wall, attempting to make his way over, but Bell nodded.
"Y… yea… I'm just….. tired." Bell stated, starting to stand up. He groaned and moved over to Welf, taking Welf by his right arm again before starting to walk.
"What was that…?"
"I'm… not sure. I never… did that before. It felt… like… an upgrade. No… a power up for a single moment… to amplify my magic… but the amplification also amplifies the Mind Drain." Bell stated as they kept getting deeper and deeper into the dungeon.
"I see… so good when in a pinch… but absolutely draining. Dangerous even…"
"Yes… I don't think I could use it in the dungeon more than once… at least as I am now. I would end up putting the party in a bad position if I had a Mind Down."
"Well, let's get out of here. We're almost there." Welf stated.
Up Above on the 13th floor, Ryuu who was the newcomer to the rescue party that Hermes had to get, was looking around. She spotted a bunch of magic crystals and drop items scattered all over. She then spotted the large cave in nearby.
"They went this way." Ryuu spoke quietly. She moved with the group, all deciding to follow her due to her nature. She was actually taking the lead and scouting. Even Asfi followed, not having much skill in tracking. Ryuu climbed the large wall with Hermes right behind.
"Look's like this is where that Blacksmith lost his sword." Hermes commented as he started picking at the sword that was broken in half inside of the cave in.
"Yes… but they kept moving. Lots of crystals and more drop items up ahead." Ryuu stated, turning to the others to help them. She gave Asfi the push as well as Mikoto, helping them both over the wall before doing the same for Hermes. Ouka came after that, followed by Ryuu who led the rear over the wall. She then went back to the front with Asfi in the rear, leading the way deeper into the dungeon.
"What do you make of their chances?" Hermes asked the elf.
"They are level two and 1… without a supporter… and without their gear. Their chances, logically, are minimal to none… but they kept on going. Bell looks like he still has his gear, but due to the blood… I think he's the only one capable of fighting." She stated. "Bell is stubborn and he's stronger than he looks. I say that he is very much alive… and so is the Blacksmith." Ryuu said with determination. She was calculated.
"That's good then but we still got several floors till the safe point…"
"I believe they took one of the holes…. This one in fact." She replied, looking at the scorch marks along the rim. "This is recent… I believe a Hellhound attempted to kill them as they escaped down here."
"What do you suggest?" Asfi asked.
"We follow." Ryuu said, her eyes narrowed.
Deeper in the dungeon, Welf and Bell stopped as they spotted another hole in the floor. They couldn't see the bottom and it looked like it was a straight drop. Welf looked at Bell and then deeper into the dungeon, noting the darkness looked quite… menacing.
"Bell… I don't know if we can survive this drop… but you're tired… I'm tired… we may not survive going forward…"
"I know… I know… Just don't know what we should do."
"Well, you are my captain and I fully place my trust in your choices… so I will follow." Welf said, squeezing Bell's left shoulder while Bell's right arm was over his shoulders.
"Right…" Bell stated, before they both took the plunge. Both men screamed in terror, feeling the free fall of darkness. Neither of them expected for the curve of the wall to sweep their feet out from under them, sending them tumbling down. They rolled, screaming in pain as Welf felt a few of his bones break right then and there, while Bell certainly felt like his bones nearly broke. Bell slowly got to his feet, helping up Welf who had a rib break, so his free hand went to hold his side while Bell assisted him up.
"Bell… where are…."
"This is floor seventeen… Goliath's domain…"
"The Monster Rex… is he… dead?"
"I think so… but we need to hurry. I don't know when it'll respawn."
"Damnit… okay." Welf started to hobble forward with Bells assistance, but of course… the Dungeon wasn't playing fair.
Crack…. Crack…. Crumble…. Crack.
The walls of the dungeon, of the crystal wall where Goliath was born from, began to crack.
"Oh come on!" Welf complained, looking as a dark shape began to form behind the crystal wall. Bell couldn't help but agree.
"We have to move!" Bell exclaimed, immediately picking up the pace. Welf nodded, mostly out of fear, immediately putting more weight on his legs, hopping along as quickly as he could. They inched closer and closer to the exit, watching as the large Monster Rex continued busting out of its crystal prison… or prism. Watching as a massive arm punched its way out of the crystal, spurred the two young adventurers onwards to go even faster, despite the pain or exhaustion. Another arm extended from the crystal, as Bell and Welf hobbled along towards the exit, reaching the halfway point.
OOOORAAAAAH! The beast roared as it shattered the crystals finally, revealing its massive form. It locked onto the two adventurers already injured, before rushing after them.
"WE AREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT!" Welf yelled out, feeling the dread of the massive Monster Rex approaching them both quickly. Bell lifted Welf onto his back, almost stumbling before gaining his footing. It was then Goliath swung its right arm, aiming to clobber the pair with a single punch, but Bell was just a bit faster. Bell shot forward, barely dodging a direct impact, but the shockwave from the impact to the ground sent the pair flying. The trajectory of their landing sent them straight into the exit tunnel, which was another slide just like the vertical access tunnels from the floors above. Welf was knocked unconscious from the impact with the shockwave, while Bell was barely conscious when he arrived at the bottom of the chute though he passed out shortly after, utterly exhausted. He was injured but it was only minor.
On the 18th floor, in the safety of Rivira, was most of the Loki Familia. They had been there for a few days now, camping out. Tiona was out and about from the main city, taking a walk to relieve some of the boredom when she heard the commotion come from the upper floor.
'Looks like Goliath has woken up and some adventurers are having some bad luck. That's too bad~' She thought, shaking her head before she stopped as she spotted two figures dropping down from the floor above. She spotted the white hair from easily a mile away, darting after the two figures. 'It can't be…' But it was. When Tiona arrived, she immediately went down to her knees in front of Bell and Welf who were both unconscious.
"BELL!" She exclaimed, immediately picking the pair up. She didn't question anything just yet, rushing back with both adventurers tucked under her arms. She darted through the trees at top speed, arriving at the camp site where Finn and Riveria were currently at. Finn was sitting on a crate while Riveria was looking through the supply stash with a clipboard. Both were talking about something related to their supplies but both halted when they heard Tiona approach with a yell. "Riveria! I need healing!" Tiona exclaimed, surprising both Finn and the Nine Hells when Bell and Welf were dropped off near the fire pit, near their supply stash.
"What the…" Finn started, though Riveria was fast to react. She placed the clipboard down and hurried over, the High Elf immediately starting her magic on Welf as she noticed Bell was, comparatively speaking, unharmed when looking at the Blacksmith.
"What happened?" Finn asked, looking at Tiona who explained everything in her rapid fire manner. It took about a couple minutes, as well as going through a unneeded explanation of why she was out there and her boredom, but Finn didn't snap at her. He looked down at Bell and nodded. "So, he found his way down here already huh… Interesting. Well, I suppose all we can do is wait until he wakes up and get the other information we might need. We are going to be stuck here for a while anyway until Bete gets back with the antidotes. We'll talk with Loki and the Hephaestus blacksmiths about a reschedule. Unfortunate setbacks but I'm sure they'll understand. I'll probably have you stay behind as we push forward, removing Goliath from the 17th, allowing you to escort Bell out. Apologies for not being able to join us."
"That's okay! I get to save Bell!" She thought with a grin. "Plus he's level 2 now so…" Tiona thought, only to blush as her thoughts began to turn a little less than innocent. Finn gave a small smile before shaking his head. Riveria on the other hand gave a slight glare towards the Crusher.
"Can't you see that he's injured and is in no shape to deal with you?" She scolded, though he wasn't really that upset. She may be an elf, but she wasn't a complete prude. Sure, she hasn't let anyone touch her but she also understands how dangerous and stressful the dungeon is. She knew what Tiona wanted would do both Bell and her good. Tiona gave Riveria a grin before sticking her tongue out. She giggled and helped take Bell and Welf to an empty hut, where they could rest.
Up on floor 16, Ryuu was looking around before having a slight smile.
"They are still alive." She stated as she examined the battlefield. It wasn't too obvious, but Ryuu spotted where she knew Bell and his lightning magic had been used.
"How can you tell?" Hermes asked curiously, approaching the Elf.
"Scorch marks and it's not fire. It's all sporadic like Lightning. Bell used his magic here and destroyed some monsters. By the look of it, it was some Minotaurs." She said, picking up one of the horns.
"Ah, so they at least got through here… and the exit should be up ahead right?" Hermes asked, looking at another hole in the ground.
"No, the stairs itself are pretty far off but… I think they probably took this way down." Ryuu stated. Asfi approached after.
"Ah… makes sense. Its better to risk going down there at their state instead of hoping the dungeon doesn't spawn more monsters… which it would."
"Correct." Ryuu replied. "And knowing this particular spot… it's not a fatal fall but it does lead smack into the middle of Goliath's domain on the far side of the exit. If that monster is alive…" She said slowly, before Asfi nodded.
"Right. I'll go first, followed by the two from Take." Asfi stated, before jumping down into the hole, followed by Mikoto and Ouka. Hermes jumped down after, with Ryuu following shortly to make sure no monsters attempted to strike from behind. When Ryuu hit, she immediately spotted Goliath was very much alive and angry. It was focused on Alfi who was running around, distracting it as she gave orders to the others to run for the exit. Ryuu noticed that and joined the distraction against Goliath, giving Hermes the escape as well. Both level four adventurers followed once the trio was safe below.
Once again, Tiona found herself out in the forest near the entrance to level 17. She had left Bell behind at the behest of Riveria who told her that he needed PEACEFUL rest and not the rest that the amazon could provide. She didn't complain all that much, knowing that what was ahead for her and her future man was more than enough reason to not worry so much. She could wait a little longer. As she approached the ramp, several figures appeared rolling down the ramp. She blinked as she stared at the two adventurers, followed by a man with golden hair. Half a minute later, two more adventurers came down but instead of rolling down like the trio, they came sliding down on their feet. Tiona stopped and looked.
"Ah… Perseus… What are you doing here?" She asked, curious to why this group had suddenly arrived.
"We were hired by Loki to come and rescue Bell from the dungeon."
"Oh well Bell is alright! He's resting at the camp!" Tiona exclaimed. She was all too eager for Bell to wake up.
"Oh. Well, that's good then." She coughed before Ryuu stepped forward.
"We would like to come and see him, before discussing plans for our return."
"Okay but I don't think he will be leaving any time soon, but we will see what the captain says!" Tiona said excitedly, before leading the group off back to the camp. They arrived within ten minutes, in which Riveria was busy glaring down Bell who was awake and on his feet, leaving his tent.
"Why are you so stubborn?! Your companion is right next to you sleeping fine and you need rest to! Get back to bed!" Riveria ordered, mothering Bell. Bell on the other hand shook his head.
"I can't go back to bed! I need to… I need to…"
"That's right. You can't figure out what to say because there is nothing! You're just being a pain!"
"But I…" Bell stated, only for the sharp glare of the Nine Hells to force him to cower beneath her might. It was then Finn sighed.
"Riveria, I think it's probably a good time we find out what happened after all."
"Oh Captain! We have more guests!"
"Oh?" Finn questioned, turning to look at Tiona who led in four adventurers. Hermes had hung back and hid, not wanting to be caught so soon, despite already screwing up by being down in the dungeon as it is. "Well, we have Perseus here… but I don't recognize the others…"
"We were brought down here under request of Loki." Ryuu stated, behind her green mask.
"Ah… I see… and why?" Finn asked, crossing his arms now. The two children from Take looked down at their feet, guilty, even though the male would never admit to regret it as he couldn't.
"Sorry… but up in the dungeon, we… Pass Paraded Bell and his partner. It was our fault they got so injured and wound up here." Mikoto spoke, her captain not saying a word. Everyone around frowned, not enjoying hearing what they forced Bell to go through.
"I see. Well, I'm sure our Goddess has given you an earful and many threats. It wouldn't do us any good to repeat her actions… Just know that Bell is our cherished family member… and we would have been very upset if he didn't make it. The fact that he did, doesn't necessarily lessen what you did… but you came all this way to help rescue him… so perhaps it is alright to forgive and forget, though that is also not my call. It's Bell's." Finn said, looking over at Bell who was standing off to the side, hiding somewhat behind Riveria who was glowering at the pair of far eastern children though she kept quiet. Finn, Riveria, Ais, Tione, Tiona, the pair of level four adventurers Perseus and Ryuu, and the children all looked over at Bell, who backed up a bit. Finn gestured for Bell to speak, who gulped.
"I… If it was Welf… or Tiona… or any members of my Familia who were caught in that situation of life or death…. I think… I may have done the same thing as they did. My family… they mean everything to me… so I cannot be angry, for I would have done the same." Bell stated, getting Tiona to coo in happiness, hearing him call her name in particular. Riveria sighed and shook her head, while Ryuu had a slight dusting on her cheeks from that. She had a few images of Bell coming to her rescue now, to protect his family. Finn laughed softly and nodded.
"Aye, then that is all there is to it. We hold no grudges and wont seek retribution. I'll see to it that Loki does the same. Now then, you are all welcome to join us until we depart and we can discuss your exit strategy." Finn said, while the majority of the group thanked Finn for his hospitality.
"You… on the other hand." Riveria said, turning to glare at Bell. "Bed. Now." She ordered, pointing to the hut that he was sharing with Welf. Bell cowered before disappearing back into the hut, leaving Riveria to huff. "I swear…" She muttered before departing to go handle some more chores. Finn and the others merely chuckled, seeing Bell handled so well. Mama Riveria, indeed.
Bell climbed back into his cot, provided by the Loki Familia, almost immediately passing back out. He looked over at Welf who was still sleeping, giving a smile. 'I survived… we survived. Maybe… maybe some rest is best…' Bell thought, before drifting to sleep.
The next morning came and Bell woke up ever so slowly. His rest wasn't very fulfilling despite how long he slept. He had woken up multiple times throughout the night due to the nightmares that he was facing. Nightmares about the dungeon and their multiple near death experiences at the hands of the monsters. Nightmares of potentially losing his friend. Nightmares of losing any of his other friends in the dungeon. Death. Limbs pulled apart. Eaten alive. The nightmares kept coming and coming. Bell opened his eyes and the first thing he saw was the concerned face of his long time crush, Tiona who was sitting next to his cot. When Bell's eyes opened and focused on Tiona, she immediately pulled him into a hug, squeezing the poor adventurer with all of her might. She poured her love, affection, admiration, worry and concern all into the token of affection. Bell froze up at the sudden hug, but quickly wrapped his own arms around Tiona, hugging her shoulders.
"You were terrified weren't you?" Tiona spoke quietly, noticing that Welf was still fast asleep, recovering from his injuries. Bell didn't speak, but the nod against her neck spoke enough. Tiona squeezed a bit tighter and nodded. "You were very strong and you saved your partner. The dungeon isn't nice… it isn't fair. It's out to kill you and in the most brutal ways possible… You're strong Bell." She whispered, soothing the young man who had just been through the worst ordeal of his adventuring life. "This is the life that we signed up for… a life that could end at any minute…" Bell squeezed her in return, calming down. He had broke down ever so slightly in the arms of his long time crush. Bell pulled away after another couple seconds, staring Tiona in the eyes.
'Bell. Taking risks is what adventuring is. You risk your life going in the dungeon and you risk your life every time you come out. Other adventures could be after you and try to kill you. So keep risking it. Go for it.'
Bell immediately moved forward ever so slightly, his lips a breath away from Tiona's. Tiona on her part inched forward as well, but that is when someone -haaaaaad- to ruin the moment.
"Woah… since when was this a thing…?" Spoke Welf, who had woken up to seeing the captain of his Familia in the arms of the beautiful Crusher and about to kiss her!
"WELF!" Bell exclaimed, releasing Tiona as he rushed over to his friends side. He took the risk once with Tiona, he was sure he'd get another opportunity. What he didn't know was the plans that the Crusher had in store for him. Tiona stared at Bell, before deciding to leave the tent with a big grin on his face.
'HE WAS GOING TO KISS ME!' Tiona thought happily, a big goofy grin on her face. 'HE LIKES ME. AAAAH! ALRIGHT, I'M GOING TO DO IT THEN! PREPARE YOURSELF ARGONAUT! THE MAIDEN IS COMING!' Tiona declared to herself, leaving Bell with Welf.
"Well, I guess we made it huh buddy?" Welf asked, a mostly rhetorical question. Bell nodded.
"Yea… I wasn't sure if we would… but we did. My Familia is down here. They got hung up here after some incident with the poison. I believe they want to go further down, but they might have to head up to deal with Goliath."
"Ah, well at least we get to see another day huh? I bet we got tons of experience from that."
"You think?"
"Oh yeah! Constant near death experiences, lots of fighting, trauma. Oh loads for us both for sure." Welf nodded, trying to see the bright side.
"Oh, that reminds me. Some others came to rescue us."
"Oh?"
"Loki sent a party to come rescue us it looks like. Two of them who pass paraded us came, Ryuu, and then Hermes's Captain."
"Wow, your Goddess sure is something." Welf commented with a whistle first.
"Yes… yes she is." Bell said fondly, before smiling at Welf. "How are you feeling?"
"Like a giant monster Rex threw me around a large cavern."
"That did happen." Bell pointed out while Welf stared at Bell intensely.
"I know." Welf said super seriously, only for the two men to start laughing together. They would be friends for a -very- long time, if not forever.
After another twenty minutes of chitchat, Welf and Bell had exited the tent together, dressed and ready for departure. Bell had his armor, what was left of it anyway, all strapped on, with his weapons on his bracers, ready for use. Upon their exit, Bell looked up at the sky, seeing that this was a massive floor in terms of height, depth and overall size. It was the largest floor he has seen thus far, probably just as big as the last five floors combined if not more. The Loki Familia were all gathered nearby around the campfire, which wasn't burning, discussing things. When Bell appeared with Welf, Tiona gave a grin.
"Hey Bell! I'm glad that you are alright! We should talk later okay?!" She said, being her noisy yet loving self.
"Uh… s-sure." Bell blushed, remembering their interrupted moment and what it would have meant for Bell. His first kiss with his first crush. It was then Tione looked over at Tiona and smirked, seeing her sister and her crush interact. She decided to have a splendid idea.
"Hey Tiona. I was thinking we could all go take a bath before we head out tomorrow."
"Bete's coming back soon?"
"Should be according to Finn."
"Well alright then!" She grinned. "A nice lovely bath sounds awesome." Tiona said, glancing over at Bell who blushed slightly at the thought of Tiona in the bath before shaking his head to forget the image. The other female members of the Loki group as well as Mikoto, all agreed and went off to hit the bath. Hermes, on the other hand, decided to approach Bell and whisper conspiratorially.
"Say there Bell… Could I perhaps have a talk with you in private?"
"Aaah… sure Lord Hermes." Bell replied, giving Hermes a smile. Hermes gave Bell a smile in return before Hermes led the way with Bell following shortly after. They took a pathway towards the forest. "So, what did you wanna talk about?"
"Oh not yet. Soon… well the private matter anyway. I wanna see how you are doing with your new Familia."
"Oh! Loki is an amazing Goddess… she's… well she's a big tease but she's amazing."
"You happy?"
"Very. I wouldn't be where I am at without my Goddess. She's done so much. She took me in when no one else would, gave me a home. She got me my knife… she's just an amazing person. Sure, she's a tease and maybe when she took me in it wasn't with a noble purpose… but she's family and I am very happy with her."
"Good. I'll be honest. I was a little worried about Loki being your deity… but it looks like things worked out very well in the end."
"I appreciate the concern… I guess?" Bell said, concerned. Why was Hermes so interested in Bell's life? That was the big question but not one that Bell really wanted to know or rather, cared to know. It was then Hermes started to climb a particular tree, one of the taller ones.
"Come on up here. I figured we could… hang around… get it? Hang around and talk about that private matter."
"Ah… sure…?" Bell replied, before climbing up the tree right after Hermes. Hermes smirked to himself, hiding his face from Bell as they climbed through the limbs together, moving through the thick foliage. It was then Bell heard voices, and the sounds of water. 'What the…' Bell moved forward closer and closer, only for Hermes to speak quietly. Down below, was the Loki Familia, Asfi, Ryuu, and Mikoto, all bathing. Completely. Naked.
"I brought you up here for a very good reason. It's the one of the main rules about being a man and an adventurer. It's their responsibility really especially when women are naked. It's our responsibility to sneak a quick peak young man."
'When women are naked, it is a man's duty to sneak a quick peak young man.' Bell's Grandfather had once told him.
"No… I don't know where you got that form, but it is not okay." Bell stated, speaking a little louder than Hermes, but still keeping quiet to not arouse the suspicion of the women bathing below.
"Bell, Bell, Bell. Didn't you know that spying on chicks is how a man expresses his feelings? It's romance my dear boy." Hermes said with a grin. Bell flushed a bit, thinking about if that is true or not, before his good conscious took over. He shook his head and gently grabbed Hermes by the shoulders.
"No no, let's just go back and forget this okay?" Bell stated, only for Hermes to shrug his shoulders, forcing Bell to release him as well as fall backwards… off the branch… and into the water… Which oddly enough, the only girl who released a yelp of surprise was Asfi, who jumped a bit from the sudden noise. The others were just curious, looking towards the sound of the splashing water. Hermes snickered as he watched Bell fall into his trap. Yea, Hermes had this all planned out.
"Awww. Did you wanna come bathe with us tooooooo?" Tiona teased, leaning forward without even bothering to cover up. Her entire body on full display for her crush. She didn't have a problem what so ever that Bell was in here, though she was not expecting this at all.
"W-What N-No!" Bell exclaimed, immediately covering his face with his arms, all while shivering in fear and surprise.
"And here I thought you were such an innocent boy. Maybe you were a beast all along, seeking to ravish us." Tione teased. She liked Finn, but that didn't mean Bell was unattractive or she didn't want to tease. Asfi, looked around before glancing up in the tree where Bell came from. Her eyes narrowed and a low growl escaped her throat. Hermes.
"N-No w-wait! I-I didn't mean to! AAAH! I'm sorrrrrrryyyy!" Bell cried out, before darting out of the body of water, darting deeper into the forest. Tiona grinned and waved bye.
"Bye Bell! Until next time!" She cooed, teasing her crush before looking at Tione. "Well that was fun." Tione laughed softly and nodded.
"Oddly enough, I agree. That was very satisfying. You sure about him though?"
"I've been sure about him for a long time now. He's amazing."
"Good luck." Tione replied, looking out to where Bell was.
"I don't need luck." Tiona responded.
"I wasn't talking about him."
Bell whined loudly as he went deeper into the forest, trying to recover from the major shock to his system. From the allure of the naked women to the embarrassment of being in that situation. He went deeper and deeper into the forest, before finally slowing down to a stop, taking a deep breath. "So not cool Hermes…" Bell complained, looking around. "Ah… where… Am I?" He wondered, before starting to walk again, deciding to pick a direction. He was lost, but he could at least find the edge of the dungeon floor before making his way back from there. He turned the corner, immediately freezing up as he spotted a wonderful sight. It was Ryuu, completely and utterly bare to the world. Ryuu was beautiful. Her skin was near flawless, pale and majestic. Her proportions were slim and lithe, with a good sized bust for her build. She was an elf, and with that came beauty…. But she was also a powerful adventurer. She almost immediately recognized that she was being watched, flinging a rock in the direction of where Bell was. It missed the mark, just cutting off a few strands of hair before obliterating a small tree into splinters. Bell screamed. "SORRRRRYYYY!" Bell yelled, before running away, going deeper into the forest.
Ryuu sighed and shook her head. 'I see… simple mistake. Bell would never do something like this if he could help it.' She thought, before finishing up with her bath. She was going to try and find him. Something told her that he was going to be lost in the forest for a while without her help anyway.
Ten minutes later, Bell was found by the elf. He was sitting down against a boulder, his forehead against his knees. He heard her approach but he made no movement to look up or try to run.
"Sorry… I really didn't mean to…"
"You're fine, Mr. Cranel. I know what happened." Ryuu replied, which got Bell to look up. He looked exhausted. Despite the sleep he got, he was still tired from the ordeal and then all of the stress from when Hermes pushed him in, was still overwhelming the boy.
"How do you know that I wasn't coming over there to spy?"
"I've known you for a while now. You aren't that type of person. I also would appreciate if you stop being so… self deprecating. It's unflattering." Ryuu said, slightly scolding the boy. Bell flushed a bit.
"Sorry…"
"That's enough with all the apologies as well." Ryuu stated. "You've done nothing wrong and a lot of the time, you don't."
"I… alright…." Bell said quietly before he moved to catch up to her. "Hey Miss Ryuu… I wanted to thank you… You came all this way down here to save me… and I… it means a lot."
"Think nothing of it. I was already going to come here soon anyway." Ryuu admitted, picking a few flowers along the forest floor as she led Bell to a secluded spot deep within the forest. "Though, that is not to say I didn't want to come and help." Ryuu replied, glancing back at Bell who blushed a bit. 'We'll see how he handles this next part… see if he is even… capable of standing me and my darkness.'
"Where are we…?" Bell asked, looking around before spotting the large mound of dirt with a flag and several weapons laying about. "Is this…"
"Yes, this is… a grave… the resting place of my comrades from my original Familia…" Ryuu stated, watching as Bell moved forward to kneel down. He took one of her flowers and placed it on the grave, before looking up at her curiously.
"We were ambushed. A trap laid by an enemy Familia…" Ryuu said quietly and calmly. "I was the only one to survive… The rest of them were all murdered…"
"I'm sorry to hear that… I hope they find peace…"
"As do I… but… there is more. I wanted to tell you this for some time now… and now is as good as of a time as any… I am Blacklisted by the guild."
"Blacklisted…?"
"I am not allowed to be an adventurer under the guild. I would get no help… and anything I earn would be confiscated if I was caught."
"Oh… Well, I wi-"
"I'm not done. I am blacklisted because I went after the ones who killed my Familia… and I killed every last one of them. Even the ones who weren't involved… I killed them all. No method was beneath me. Arson, traps, ambushes. I was driven purely by rage and malice. My revenge was completed…. And then I found myself alone. In a dark and empty alley. I thought I was done. I was drained of all of my strength. Bleeding all over the ground. I was found by Mia… and that's how I ended up there." Ryuu said quietly, letting Bell take in everything that she said. She was prepared for his anger and hatred. She heard nothing but silence from the young man, but before too long, she found her hands were clasped together with his own. She opened her eyes in surprise, staring at Bell.
"I cannot say that I wouldn't do the same… if… someone came after my Familia… I cannot say I wouldn't do the same. I appreciate you telling me, but it doesn't change anything."
"I'm not a good person Mr. Cranel. I am foul and dark."
"That is not true! A foul and dark person would not have come all the way down for me! They would have left me for dead for being weak! You, came down all the way to save me. You told me everything about you and didn't hide it. You're an amazing person and I will always think so." Bell said, squeezing her hands a bit more. "You told me self deprecation was unflattering, well now I say the same as well."
"Mr. Cranel…"
"It's Bell. I don't want you calling me by my last name anymore. You deserve more than what you got. So call me Bell and you will never have to be alone again in an alley." Bell declared, staring deep into Ryuu's eyes. Ryuu felt the water works start to build up, so she yanked herself away and turned so her back would face Bell.
"… I think it's time we head back, Mr. Cranel." Ryuu stated, changing the subject. Bell's face fell, before he sighed. He had tried. 'He… damn… He knows every right thing to say… I think I've…' Her thoughts changed shortly after, as she tried to shake it all off. Bell had walked off, leaving Ryuu behind. 'I will show you my own resolve later…' She thought, watching as Bell disappeared into the forest, in the right direction out this time.
Bell was deep in thought when he returned to the camp. He was so deep in thought, he didn't pay much attention when he walked right into Tiona. Tiona ended up knocking him to the ground due to her being a much higher level. He collided and he fell. Tiona turned and gave Bell a big smile.
"Heyyyy!" Tiona started, reaching down to help Bell up off the ground. "Would you come with me?" She asked curiously, her hands behind her back as she leaned forward as she normally did when she wanted to flirt or tease. Bell blushed at her actions before nodding, in which Tiona took Bell's hand.
"Something you want to talk about?" Bell asked, curious to why she wanted to see him in private.
"Oh, not really interested in talking per say." Tiona cooed as she entered a tent that Bell hadn't seen before. It was located off to the side of the main camp. She gently tugged him inside, before closing the flaps and zipping it up, giving them the privacy that Tiona needed. Bell blushed at being alone with Tiona in the tent, but that blush was nothing compared to the one after Tiona had pretty much tossed him onto the mattress. Bell opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw Tiona pull off her top, he was rendered speechless.
Tiona, was about to take her prey.
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