The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
27: Ventures
=Anfesera, Training Grounds=
*Clang*
Adrienne blocked one of Bell's blows as she moved her left fist straight towards his face. Bell easily dodged as he twirled into the air, kicking at her as it grazed past her chin.
Adrienne jumped back before the two ended up in a stalemate for a second before she charged. She faints her attack to try to change her patterns to throw Bell off.
Bell, seeing through it but hatching a plan let the faint go as she had planned. She changed movements and stuck her sword between the handle of Bell's longsword, twirling and disarming him.
Thinking she had it, she went in for a final strike which Bell used to his advantage, waiting for the final moments where her confidence were at it's peak before-
*THUMP*
He kicked the sword upwards out of her hand, the other foot hitting her chin before he righted himself. He was ready to attack while she was stuck in an awkward position, hand in the air, entire body open for any blow.
He pushed forward and threw a hard punch straight into her abdomen… well, hard for a level 2. She was sent rolling on the ground with no weapon and barely able to breathe.
Once she got her bearings, Bell's longsword was aimed at her throat.
"Dead. Remember this, an opponent shows their greatest weakness when victory seems to be theirs. Can you guess why?" He asked. He had learnt the basics of this from Ais, but he had found out the prime reason for it and how to avoid yourself doing such a thing.
"... I… Don't know" She said after a second of thought as Bell smiled, retracting his sword and giving her his hand.
She took it as Bell pulled her up.
"Pride. It is the worst thing to have in a battle. It brings nothing positive to your fights and it will only lead to your own death. Control your emotions, don't let them overwhelm you. Look at any situation with a keen eye before making a decision" He advised as she nodded.
"So… anything I did right?" She asked but before he could answer Elora jumped into the conversation, having watched their training session.
"The way you disarmed Bell was superb. It was quick, clean but you could have made it less obvious. He let you disarm him to teach you the lesson about pride" Adrienne's face both lit up and fell at her words. On one hand, the way she disarmed her father was efficient and clean.
On the other hand, he let her do it. In her mind, she knew she had only scratched the surface on her training. She had only been going for 2 years now, now being eight years and four months old, but it was still irritating whenever she was reminded of the distance between her and her father.
"Big Sis!" Adrienne was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her little sister, Aralaya call for her. She turned around, seeing her running up to her, a book in hand.
"Aralaya, what do you have there? Anything interesting?" Adrienne asked as she was genuinely intrigued. She had gained a slight love-hate relationship with books. On one hand, they were incredibly useful, storing mass amounts of information for untold amounts of time until the book was destroyed, but on the other, she had practically been tortured with a wall of books handed to her every third day to read and memorize by her aunt.
"Yes! It's one of the ones Dad collected from a ruined library from the age of heroes. It includes a couple of magics with incredible detail that have been lost to time" She mentioned as Adrienne smiled at her.
Aralaya was quickly growing up to be a quick study. She had spent a lot of her time reading books, much to Elora's pride and glee, learning about the world around her much earlier than her. Jannor had only recently started at his mothers behest.
"Oh? Anything you think you can learn?" Adrienne queried as Aralaya nodded before opening the book and turning to a page she seems to have memorized.
"This one. It's a healing magic, Balm Touch that can even help the body form new limbs but to a limited degree. The chant is even a short one!" She exclaimed, excited about the prospect.
The Twins had recently gained the Falna from Erebus since Jannor wanted to learn how to fight as well and Aralaya wanted to learn to use magic. The Falna is the easiest and most effective way to do that.
"That sounds really good… though I do think it will be very draining on the mind. A short chant will only drain a small amount for the activation but to sustain the effect may take much more" Adrienne advised as she had learnt that from her spartan lessons.
"That's true…" Aralaya muttered as she thought about it for a second "I'll learn it anyways. To be able to grow back limbs sounds beyond useful" Adrienne could only agree to that as the half elf bounded away, reading the book and muttering the chant as she went.
"Dad… you think she can learn it?" Adrienne asked as Bell walked up to her.
"Yes, that book was written with learning magic in mind. Back before the age of the gods, mortals survived by manually learning magic through long practice and study alongside training. Balm touch is only the surface of the magic that was held in the book, but only a few remain since most pages were lost when the library was consumed by an earthquake… though it could be something else as well" He said, Adrienne nodding in understanding as she remembered the stories she had read of the age of heroes.
Spirits had played a very large role back then, but there were only so many of them with spirits being unable to reproduce. Their numbers were dwindling, so they sought out mortals to survive and fight back against the hordes of the dungeon.
It was through their coexistence and teamwork that Gekai had survived long enough for the lid to be placed, though that's only as much as everyone knows. The gods never really talk about what really went down as it seems to be a touchy subject.
"I know… Auntie didn't really permit me to not know…" She responded with a shiver as Bell chuckled.
"And now you have the information ready for whenever you need it. Trust me, I know the pain of being on the receiving end of elvish lessons. Eina practically made my brain melt out of my ears every time she made me sit through one of her 'Dungeon Lessons'" Bell said as he too shivered.
"Wait… you know the pain and still let me go through that? You are even more of a devil than I thought!" Adrienne responded, a teasing tone within her voice as the 8 year old smiled.
Bell shook his head before his shoulders shrugged.
"What can I say, it was better for you to learn than not. I'd rather you go through pain that can't kill you than not being prepared for the situations you will find yourself in" Adrienne smiled at that. Even if the training made her want to commit seppuku sometimes, he did have a point. The speed at which she has improved, technique wise and quite frankly, status wise too for a normal person, has been astounding. At least according to everyone that has ever talked about it with her.
As Bell had once said to her 'Beating an opponent that is superior to you in every way is impossible if one does not have techniques, strategies or the determination to do so. You may have abilities that make you seem invulnerable, but if you can't properly utilize those abilities, then they may become more of a hindrance than an advantage. A seasoned opponent will take advantage of that"
She had experienced it first hand with the minotaur. It was stronger than her in every way, but she overcame it through techniques. Her slashes hadn't been random, she had subconsciously attacked key points to ruin it's weapons to be able to break it.
"I know. What should we do now dad?" She asked as she had shifted her gaze to the sun that was well past midday. Bell peeked at the bright orb before contemplating the question.
"Well, I should let you rest a little. The body does need it so take the rest of the day off. I'm going to talk a little with Erebus" Adrienne smiled at him before nodding.
"Thanks dad! I'm going to see if anyone needs help in the village" Bell smiled at her as Elora walked up to him.
"So… what were you going to talk to Erebus about?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Bell smiled at her before answering.
"Nothing much. Just thinking about aiming for a level up again. Liaris Freeze. It's practically stopped working altogether. I barely go up a single stat point in weeks of sparring. The only issue is that there is nothing left out here to challenge me" Bell's answered as Elora leaned her cheek on his chest, letting out a content sigh.
"...What about Kaius in the empire?" Bell noticed her hesitation to ask, understanding her worry but he had definitely grown wiser as Takara had told him. Well, at least in choosing his battles. The man was a level 8 now and was a part of Zeus familia originally. That would mean he had maxed his status each level up. Bell stood no chance as he was now against him, even with everything he had, the power up from reaching level 8 from 7 was just too large.
"No, I wouldn't survive that battle" Bell muttered as he heard a sigh of relief escape Elora's lips. She pulled away from him after a content minute, smiling.
"So… what are you planning to do?" She asked as Bell looked down on the ground for a second.
"Remember the thing I told you about a month ago?" He asked as Elora nodded.
"Right, that the dragons valley may have an opponent that could challenge you. Are you planning on heading there?" Elora asked with bated breath before Bell nodded.
"Yes… I do have a secondary plan in case it doesn't work but… I'd rather not do that since it's risky" Elora cocked an eyebrow at him before shaking her head. Knowing her husband, it was probably extremely dangerous.
"Well, as long as you come back in one piece" She mumbled as they walked back into the house. At the table, Aralaya was sitting at the table, reading the book she was talking about before, Jannor sifting through a mountain of books that Elora had tasked him to memorize.
"You don't pull any stops with the books, do you?" Bell sweatdropped. Elora laughed, catching the two's attention before her eyes turned to Bell, twinkling with amusement.
"Well, I blame you for collecting so many books with useful knowledge. All I'm doing is using them" Bell hit her on her shoulder lightly as she laughed.
"Mom! Dad! Do you know how you learn new magic from a book? Erebus wouldn't tell me anything!" Aralaya asked as she walked over with the book.
"Well, sunshine, it's a long process. This isn't a grimoire so it takes lots of effort and understanding" Bell began as Aralaya listened intently.
"There are three factors you need to master to get the magic onto your status. One, Memorized the chant. Two, be able to form an incredibly detailed image in your head of the effect and finally three, practice"
"Practice?" She asked as Elora chuckled.
"Even if you have the last two down, you won't be able to use the magic. You have to let the synapses in your brain form with practice in order to force the mind power into reality. In other words, you have to practice to be able to do everything without thinking at all" Elora elaborated as Aralaya contemplated her words. Bell just smiled at his daughter, so glad she got his talent for picking things up fast and her mothers intelligence.
"I think I understand… So, I need to have the two aspects down first, then it's just constant repetition!" Aralaya explained as Bell nodded.
"You sure you aren't going to get bored sis?" Jannor asked from the table innocently, making Aralaya's eyebrow twitch in irritation.
"No! I won't get bored 'bro'?" She shot back as Jannor's face contorted into confusion.
"Why are you so mad!?"
"Because you're so ignorant!"
"What! What are you on about!?" Bell couldn't help but snort as the antic continued. Elora shrugged while they heard Erebus groan from the sofa.
"Quite down, will you!? I'm actually trying to read over here!" The two instantly shut their mouths at Erebus' words while Elora and Bell almost fell over in suppressed laughter.
"Erebus… you do realize that you've read that book five times, right?" Bell retorted after composing himself.
"Well… you're not wrong" He said after a pause. The next second the twins started up again as the two adults and one god shook their heads.
"Well, I wanted to talk to you anyway. I was thinking of going up to Dragons Valley. My status is barely rising anymore. Any day now Liaris freeze might stop working so it's about time I thought of getting my great feat done" Erebus listened before nodding.
"So… why are you telling me this? I just sit here and read, you do you and keep spreading that chaotic good of ours" Bell sighed with a smile as Elora nudged him.
"When are you planning on leaving?" She asked as Bell shrugged.
"Don't know, but maybe in a week or so. Now… where is Bache? She's been gone an awfully long time" Bell asked as he looked around. That morning, she had left to 'clean up' the forest.
"Oh… nevermind, here she comes" Bell muttered as he heard the doorknob twist by the door.
"-and I almost had him this time! I swear!" He heard Adrienne's voice. Didn't she just leave to help others in the village.
"Like I said Adrienne, I'll believe it when I see it" Bache's voice came through as one could hear the smile on her face.
Bell turned towards where the two were walking and he instinctively scrunched his nose as the smell of guts and blood invaded his senses.
"Jesus Bache, you smell like crap!" Bell muttered as he covered his face. Bache deadpanned him as Elora couched.
"More like complete dogshit!" Erebus muttered as he too covered his face.
"I know, there were one too many minotaurs I had to kill. They are becoming more common. I'm going to take a shower now" She muttered under her breath as Bell frowned.
"Might be good to look into that. Now, what to make for dinner…" Bell said as he pondered the option.
"Honey…" Bell turned his eye to her, whenever she called him honey, it was when she wanted something.
"Could you please make your katsudon?" She asked as Bell's features strained at the puppy dog eyes she was giving him.
"Please! Dad, your Katsudon is amazing!" Aralaya mirrored her mothers eyes. Having two pair of puppy eyes begging him was too much as he sighed out.
"Alright, I'll make the Katsudon. Can't say no to those eyes" He muttered the last part as Aralaya threw her fist into the air in victory while Elora's smile widened.
"Anyway, how are we going to do with Adrenne's training after I leave?" Bell asked as he began to bring out the ingredients.
Erebus lowered his book before looking up, pondering the question.
"That's a good question. Out of everyone here, you're the best when it comes to tactics and weaponry…" He said as Elora nodded.
"I can take over the weaponry training in the meantime. I do want to teach her everything I know about using a shortsword. I can also handle tactics. I'm a little behind compared to you, but I still know my fair share. How about Bache taking over status training?" Elora suggested as Bell thought over the proposal before nodding.
"That doesn't sound too bad. She is good at pushing herself over the limit and could push Adrienne further. Right now, she's around C to B stats in her status, her magic on the other hand is falling behind a little" Bell said as the sound of the shower turned on.
"Yes, but that would mean the rest of her skills would fall behind…" Elora muttered as Bell nodded.
"True, but there isn't much we can do about that. None of you know how to effectively use a spear, knife among other weapons" Elora nodded at Bell's words, knowing they are true.
"Yes, though we don't have a skill that makes practically all weapons more efficient when you use them" Elora said with a teasing tone. Bell chuckled and nodded.
"That is true. Blade Master is very useful" Bell answered with a smile before he continued preparing the family sized meal.
The room fell into comfortable small talk after that, throwing jabs, and teasing jokes at each other while Elora jumped in here and there to help Aralaya and Jannor with their studying. Shortly after, Bache came back out of the shower and Adrienne returned from helping others around Anfesera.
It wasn't long until it was time to go to sleep, and while waiting for the dreams to take him, Bell couldn't help but ponder back to the words of advice that ex-empress, Takara had given him.
WIth a smile on his face, having his arms wrapped around Elora's waist, he let the world of dreams consume him with bliss.
=Orario, two weeks later=
Ais was sitting down with a blank expression, staring onto the child in front of her, unable to come up with anything to do.
Blue eyes innocently stared back into golden eyes as one was in a mass of confusion while the other was curious.
"Muhhhhh" Ais moaned in frustration at her current predicament while the child tilted her head, her long black hair falling down to her side.
Ais had been packing for her trip to the village Finn wanted to visit in order to get in contact with the masked man before the child, Fiona Deimne had ran into her room, slammed the door before locking.
She had obviously been trying to get away from everyone before noticing Ais, freezing up before curiously moving towards her.
Ais had been originally startled by the action before she had sat down, Fiona mirroring her action, landing them in their current predicament.
'Why was she here? Did she do something bad? Should she call for Riveria? Will she have answers?' Questions continued to mobard Ais' mind as another moan escaped her mouth.
"Ermm… Miss Wallenstein…" Fiona's voice made Ais focus as she listened to Fiona, nodding in showing of her listening.
"Why are we sitting?" She asked as Ais thought about it for a second before frowning and shaking her shoulder.
"Don't know. Why are you in my room?" She asked as Fiona froze up.
"N-nothing!" She said quickly while stuttering lightly and whistling, trying and failing to act inconspicuous.
"Then I'll call Finn" Ais said, standing up, unlocking the door before Fiona panicked.
"No! Please! Dad will punish me for eating the sweets!" The two froze as their eyes locked into each other again. It wasn't long until Ais covered her mouth with one hand, a whiff of air escaping her mouth as a small giggle was heard.
"Don't laugh!" Fiona complained as she huffed while Ais tried to control herself.
"O-okay…" She said as she managed to stop herself before shaking her head "Want to help me pack?" she asked as Fiona nodded.
"Of course Miss Wallenste-"
"Ais. Call me Ais, everyone else does" Ais said as Fiona looked at her, nodding. The two got to work as Fiona ran around the room, helping with everything a 4 year old could help with.
They didn't even notice the door open and a certain high elf walked inside. Riveria smiled at the sight of the two packing, completely oblivious to her prying eyes.
After a minute, she cleared her throat, making the two stop and look up. Ais smiled while Fiona gulped as sweat drops began dripping down her forehead.
"They are about to leave Ais. Give your pack to Raul and he will handle the rest" Rivera started as she smiled and nodded at Ais before her features became more stern, turning towards Fiona.
"Now, you young lady have gotten yourself into some trouble. What have we said about the sweets?" Riveria scolded as Fiona shrank into herself, trying to look as small as possible.
"D-Don't eat unless given permission…" She said in an almost inaudible tone.
"What was that? My age is getting to me" Fiona gulped at Riveria's tone before repeating herself.
"Don't eat unless given permission" She said more clearly this time as Riveria nodded.
"Good, now tell me why you did the exact opposite?" She asked as Fiona fumbled with her fingers. Ais just looked to and from Riveria, seeing where this was going.
"I… I was tempted…" she uttered as Riveria sighed, pinching her nose.
"Tempted you say… Have none of our lessons reached your ears?" Riveria asked without wanting an answer before walking forward and pinching Fiona's cheeks.
"Now, you have to remember that temptation is only temporary. The best thing one can do when tempted with unnecessary luxury is to ignore it. That way, you learn to always think with this" Riveria said pointing at her forehead "Instead of this" her finger moved away before pointing at her stomach.
Fiona nodded as Riveria looked into her eyes before nodding.
"Good, seems like my point got across. Now, Ais, shall we depart?" Riveria asked as Ais nodded before picking up her pack and following the high elf, leaving the amazoness alonein the room.
As the two walked through the mansion, they stayed silent the entire way, only stopping to leave the pack with Raul who was organizing everyone's packing.
Not many were actually going to the village. Riveria was staying behind to run the technical part of the Familia while Finn and Gareth were coming with.
She was only escorting Ais and making sure everything happened smoothly. Once they walked out the door, Ais' gear was josselling in a rhythmic manner as she continued towards the main gate of the manor where Finn was standing with everyone that was coming with.
"Ais-san! Are you ready to go?" Lefiya instantly smiled at the arrival of her idol. Finn, hearing the words, turned away from Tione before nodding at her.
"Alright, seems that everyone has arrived…" Finn paused as Raul ran up to them next to Riveria with the pack "So shall we depart as soon as possible?" He asked as everyone nodded
They quickly exited the gate and headed towards western entrance to Orario. Passing Babel tower before continuing down the main street, attracting many intrigued looks upon their sudden march.
As this was an internal familia affair and not any official business, it wasn't announced so seeing the Loki familia be prepared for a small expedition was rare, doubly so if they were heading away from Babel, and not towards it.
As they were approaching the gate, Finn's thumb began to ache as they were approaching the gate. Finn, being more alert, noticed Shakti standing by the gate, looking straight at them with a serious expression.
"Great, I think we're about to receive bad news…" Finn thought as he sighed before halting everyone once they arrived by the gate. Shakti nodded in appreciation.
"What do we owe the pleasure to Shakti-san?" Finn asked as Shakti looked at Finn seriously.
"I just wanted to warn you to be more careful out there. You remember the masked man?" Finn nodded at the question, it was kind of impossible to not remember that man.
"Well… he has a name now. More like an Alias" This got Finn intrigued as he wondered why an Alias could cause such a serious expression on the captain of the Ganesha familia, granted, she always has a serious expression. This one is just… Serious 'Serious'
"Well, spit it out lass" Gareth encouraged Shakti who looked at him for a split second before sighing.
"Apollyon" She said as the area around them became deathly quiet. One could almost hear the grimm thoughts that came thinking about the sheer amount of control the man has now of Rakia.
Even bystanders that overheard the name halted in their tracks.
"..."
"..."
"What…?" Lefiyas words cut through the air as everyone mirrored the words in their heads apart from Shakti.
"Hold up one second… You're telling us tha' this one lad not only took out an entire army of level 3's but also became the third in command of an entire country?" Gareth asked as Shakti nodded.
"In theory, he is the most influential person in the entirety of Gekai that has ever lived. Not even the Zeus and Hera Familia combined could pull more weight out there than him" Shakti said as Finn looked down, thinking.
"That… makes things interesting…" he muttered as Shakti nodded in agreement.
"That it does. I wanted you all to be careful as at this point, there is nothing Orario can do against him. If we do anything unwarranted, it would be like enticing an angry mob to attack us. We might be able to handle one army coming at us but two? Not a chance and if we count Telskyura if Bache still has some pull there… that's a recipe for disaster" Shakti said as everyone nodded.
"... Alright, we'll be more careful Shakti-san, but we never intended to antagonize the man we owe a debt to. We just wanted to form a connection to the village and help it's growth, as well as sate our curiosity upon another matter" Finn stated as Shakti nodded.
"I understand, Braver. Just remember…" Finn nodded before cutting her off.
"Be careful, I promise. Now, is it alright if we depart, you know we have the all clear" Shakti nodded at his question before motioning with her hands. The gates opened before she nodded at Finn which he quickly mirrored before everyone began to head out.
The Sapphire haired captain shared a few greetings with the others as they passed before they headed out towards the horizon, their destination, Anfesera.
=North of Orario at the same time=
The wind was blowing hard as coldness invaded every inch of the adamantite armor that kept moving forward, pulling weight that shouldn't be possible by human standards.
The snow glittered off his shoulders and shook each step he took. The stone in the mask glowed as his hair was completely black.
"Finally…" He said as he stopped, peeking over the edge of the mountain, revealing a valley, endless in length from where he stood, the ground below covered in blackened snow, dragons of different breeds flying about.
"The Valley of Dragons…" He said as he pulled the mask off, a smile on his face as the hair returned to it's natural snow white color.
Bell had been traveling for a week before finally arriving at what was supposed to be the edge of the world.
The Valley represented that on every map as no one ventured into or beyond it because of its difficulty.
As he was technically entering uncharted territories, at least for the age, he put the mask inside a holster on his side before walking over the peak of the mountain, and leaped.
The side cracked as stones flew everywhere as Bell flew forwards in a single bound before quickly approaching terminal velocity.
Eventually, he smashed into the ground, cracking and sinking into it slightly. The noise notified nearby dragons of the new presence, instantly launching attacks at him.
One dragon flew straight towards him as Bell sidestepped to the side at the last second, narrowly making the dragon miss and crash face first into the ground.
A sickening crack could be heard as it's neck broke, before flames began to rapidly approach him.
Bell glared at the two dragons that sent the attack before seemingly disappearing in their eyes.
"You're too loud" The words were comprehended for a split second before a spear pierced the dragon's head, having been thrust downwards.
Bell quickly retracted the spear before throwing it at the other dragon who tried to dodge, but the spear stuck to it's wind, causing it's scream to echo across the field.
"I said…" Bell began as he exploded towards the dragon, the force of his jump, sending the disintegrating dragon flying down to the side.
"YOU'RE TOO LOUD!" He screamed as his fist slammed into its maw, obliterating it, causing it to turn to dust.
He quickly grabbed his spear out of the air before landing and looking around. In the distance, more dragons were headed towards his position as Bell sighed before he held out his hand, letting the dust drop onto his hand before inspecting it.
"Hmm… so less power maybe. I'm breaking the magic stones" Bell said before turning around, heading to where the other one had crashed, collecting it's drops.
"Now…" He began before pulling out the longsword in his left hand, smiling as the dragons were approaching quickly.
"Let's release some steam" he finished before exploding forward grinning ear to ear, his feet leaving craters towards the dragons, the battle promising a massacre.
=Anfesera, 1 day later=
"Jannor, Aralaya, and Adrienne! Come inside and get ready for lunch before it gets cold!" Elora yelled out for the entire village to hear.
Today was an off day from the kids training, they had all been working extremely hard even with their father out on a mission. The twins had begun their training shortly before Bell had left, leaving Elora and Bache to continue it after he departed. So their mothers had prepared one of their favorite meals to congratulate everyone for their hard work so far. Though it did not compare to when their father made it, the Katsudon was still superb nonetheless.
With Adrienne's stats being as high as they were, it took no time for her to reach the house, shortly after being joined by the twins. Adrienne, even at the annoyance of the twins, kept making it some sort of competition every time, even though she had a massive advantage.
"I WIN" Adrienne exclaimed.
Jannor and Aralaya looked at each other and then their sister. "That's because you're faster!" They said in unison
"Not my fault you're slow…" Adrienne muttered as her hands flew up at the familiar remark.
"KIDS, IN NOW!" Elora yelled louder this time. If one was to be watching this from afar, it's quite possible to think that you would have seen dust clouds in the children's shapes as they heard their mother call for them that last time as Bache would be heard laughing at their expenses inside.
"Mother you're getting better at this" Aralaya stated after having a taste of the Katsudon
"She is!" Jannor seconded her claim
"Still not as good as Dad's" Adrienne stated, followed by wind and a swift *Smack* upside her head from her adoptive mother. Everyone at the table proceeds to laugh as Adrienne gently rubbed her head with whimpering noises escaping her mouth.
On the other hand, the Katsudon wouldn't be enjoyed for too long, as the entirety of the household would proceed to collectively glance at each other with a knowing look…
"People have arrived, very strong people…"
Erebus who was still stuffing his face with food, unbeknownst to the shared thought of the others, looked up at them quizzically "Is everything alright?" he asked as he wiped his face off.
A moment later, Elora and Adrienne vanished from the table as the twins jumped to their feet. Bache gave Erebus a cold, worried look.
"Hide…" she said, the tone shift had alerted Erebus, who had previously been unbeknownst to the supposed 'new' arrivals. He let out a sigh before standing up.
"Can I at least get a book?" he asked as Bache just stared
Meanwhile, outside of the village, Finn's party was making a steady pace towards the forest village, they had also noticed the unusually strong presences that were within the village. Two very strong level five's or higher, and three that weren't at the same level, but one was still at most level three or below.
As the party of Adventurers came closer as they were being greeted by a woman with beautiful cream colored hair.
"Greetings Braver, my name is Saena, and I am the Chief of Anfesera. How can I be of assistance?"
"Greetings to you as well Chief Saena, and as for having assistance, we were wondering if we could speak with the masked ma- Wait, I apologize. I mean 'Apollyon'" Finn said with a glistening smile.
"Oh… I hate to say this but he's not here currently." Saena frowned slightly at her own words.
"That's a shame" Finn said before he continued "Would there be anyone else here that we could talk to? We did feel some fairly strong presences as we approached the village." Finn asks, still smiling.
"Well there is-"
"Chief Saena!" a feminine voice called out, causing everyone to turn in the direction.
"Elora! Good you're here. Maybe you'll be a better help than little old me" The chief stated.
"Maybe? Do I hear doubt?" Elora teased as Saena gave her a look.
"Not at all, but I will leave it to you. I have other things I need to tend to. Good luck!" Saena raised her hand as she walked away.
Elora nodded before turning towards the Loki familia members and giving them a smile.
"So, what brings you to Anfesera, Braver?" She asks as Finn smiles.
"Oh, we were hoping to talk with Apollyon, but as Saena mentioned, he is not present at the moment. We wanted t-" He said as he was cut off mid sentence.
"What do you want with dad?" Adrienne asked as she ran up to them, her sword holstered on her right side.
Everyone stared at her for a second as they analyzed her presence. Ais' eyes widening a slight bit at the sheer difference in stature and power she felt radiating off the young girl.
'She managed to reach this power by the age of 8 out here?' She asked herself mentally before snapping herself out of it.
"Nothing bad, I assure you Ms…" Finn stated with the lingering question in the air.
"Just call me Adrienne" She answered as Finn nodded.
"As I said, we want nothing bad. We do owe a debt to the man after all. We just wanted to have a friendly discussion with him about some matters is all" He said cryptically as Adrienne frowned, but nodded at the answer.
"I understand Braver, but as you were told, he's currently not here" Elora cut in as Finn nodded for the hundredth time.
"I understand. Would it be alright if I had the discussion with you, Thúl?" Elora nodded at the question before leading them through the village.
The others present were looking around, seeing the inhabitants of the village up and about, chatting and working in order to keep their daily lives going.
Ais on the other hand was more focused on the two other presences nearby that were following them.
As she turned in the direction of one presence, she saw something that made her eyes widen considerably which was noticed by Tione who turned her head in the direction.
On top of a roof was a boy, small, but features incredibly similar to the boy they had been looking for.
'Bell…?' Her thoughts drifted to the boy that had been driven out of Orario for a split second before her eyes landed on his elven ears.
Tione, having noticed the ears fairly quickly, had looked back at Ais, understanding what she had been thinking for a split second.
The two turned their heads back forward towards the front just in time to hear Gareth begin talking.
"Quiet the lively place ya got here! Especially since you're so close to tha' damned forest" Gareth mentioned as Finn looked around for a second before nodding.
"Indeed, I take it that they are so relaxed because of all of your presences?" Finn asked as Elora nodded without looking back.
"Yes, ever since Apollyon and I met and he moved here, we haven't had to worry about the forest at all. It's like his presence alone scares away all monsters from the village. It's made life much simpler and quite frankly, more enjoyable" Elora explained as everyone nodded.
"Hey, Hey! You know his real identity, right?" Tiona perked up energetically as Elora couldn't help but chuckle, a smile laced across her face.
"Yes. As his wife, I do of course know his identity underneath his mask, though it is not my place to tell anyone, whether they know him or not, what his real name is" Elora responded as Tiona was about to keep going.
"And as we owe him a debt that can't really be repaid at the moment, the least we can do is not pry. Everyone has their own situations and circumstances" Finn interjected before giving Tiona a pointed look which shut her up instantly.
"Thank you Braver, though I have to ask. Why is everyone but Riveria and Bete here? Is there a reason why they didn't come?" Elora asked curiously.
"Well, someone has to run the Familia's technical matter while another keeps everyone in line. Bete will do the latter while Riveria takes care of the former in our absence. We can't leave our Familia home unguarded to enemy attacks" Finn said, Elora quickly understanding that the enemy part referred to a certain goddess of beauty.
"I understand, Braver. Now, here we are. Bache should still be inside preparing enough seats for everyone" Elora said as she opened the door.
Inside, multiple stools had been prepared as everyone entered. Elora and Adrienne took seats next to Bache as the others filled in the gaps.
"As you may have noticed, we had been eating when you arrived, but we still have some leftovers. Please, don't hesitate to take a bite" Elora said as they nodded in thanks as they hadn't eaten since last night.
"This is good!"
"Who made this!?" Tione and Tiona said as they took a bite. Elora smiled as Adrienne chuckled.
"It's good alright, but it's nowhere close to Dad's. He makes this taste like bread" she said as Elora glared at her. Bache chuckled to the side as she knew damn well how adept Bell was at cooking.
"That just makes me want to taste the lad's meals!" Gareth boomed as he laughed.
"Some other time I guess. Now, onto business" Elora said as Finn nodded, graciously taking a bite and swallowing.
"Of course. We came here hoping for assistance in two different matters if that was possible. The first one being an older one that remains unsolved, and with how influential this…" Finn motioned around the house "Household his around Gekai, we were hoping you could provide a little more information on the matter if that were possible" Finn began as Elora frowned slightly.
"And what information might that be?" She asked as Finn smiled.
"There is an individual on the run for 9 years now. His name is Bell Cranel and goes by the alias, Little Rookie. His features resemble a rabbit if you may, having Red eyes and snow white hair. Do you happen to have any information upon this individual" Finn asked as his thumb ached. He ignored it for the moment as Elora made a show of thinking.
The air was tense for the few seconds it took the elf to turn back to Finn.
"Unfortunately, I can't say it rings any bells… no puns intended" She added the last part, easing the atmosphere as everyone chuckled.
"That's unfortunate, though it was worth a shot. The other matter has to do with some assistance. We were planning on heading down on an expedition into the deep floors to explore uncharted territories once again and were wondering if any of you would like to join us? It would help with raising your statuses and give you a chance to level up" He reasoned as Elora looked at him.
She already knew Bell would have instantly declined as he literally couldn't go to Orario while Freya was there, that and the fact that his skill is nearly deactivated would leave him completely vulnerable to her charm once it stops.
"It's a tempting offer, Braver. But I wonder, why didn't you just send a letter? Why did you come here in person with so many high level adventurers?" She asked as she gave him a suspicious look.
"Merley, a show of formality. We owe you all a debt and simply leaving a letter and not coming here in person would be quite rude with what has happened previously. Though I can't really hide that we also were curious of the Village that's not on any maps" Finn reasoned.
To everyone around, it was like the two were the only ones in the conversation as they listened constantly. Bache had the urge to push them out of the door, Adrienne feeling the same but knowing they couldn't do anything at the moment.
"Very Well, it's as good a reason as I can ask for. As for my answer though, I unfortunately have to decline. My duties here as the head of the guards in Anfesera keep me too busy as it is alongside me training my children" Elora said as Bache nodded.
"I'm also busy training Adrienne here and helping out, so I'm going to have to decline" Finn nodded at the words.
"Understandable. Well, we'll take a look around the village before taking our leave then Thúl. Thank you for your hospitality. The food was superb as well" Finn said as he stood up. Everyone thanked them before heading out the door, giving their goodbyes.
Everyone waited for them to be out of earshot before Elora sighed out, leaning back in her chair while Bache frowned hard.
"God… of course they appear unannounced…" Bache muttered as Elora groaned.
"I know, I'm just glad it was dealt with quickly. Where is that god of ours by the way?" Elora asked as Adrienne perked up at the mention of the god.
"Yeah, I'm wondering where he is too!" Bache sighed as he looked behind herself. Towards the door.
"We had him go back into Be- Apollyon's workshop" Bache corrected herself in fear of them still being in earshot for the level 7's.
"Alright. Well, I'm going to go inform him of what happened. Why don't you clean up here with Adrienne. Aralaya and Jannor should be returning here soon" Elora asked as Bache nodded.
"Definitely. Let's just hope that they didn't get too curious about Jannor's looks. He is practically the spitting image of a younger you know who" Bache muttered as Elora chuckled.
"I know, but it's nothing we can control" She said before exiting and closing the door, heading towards the workshop.
About halfway there, Elora stopped and looked over the horizon straight north, smiling slightly.
"Hope everything is going well for you, Honey" She muttered, standing there for a second before continuing her way towards the workshop.
That's chapter 27. It's been really hectic for me lately! Work has been intense to prepare for black week and christmas, but things are calming down a little. Hope I get more time to write now.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed and to see you all in the next chapter titled, 'Journey'.