Chapter 22:

As soon as Weine saw Haruhime, the renard was dive-bombed. She was tackled and hugged and carried by the little vouivre. The renard was surprised by Weine's strength and was reminded that many people were looking to grow and become stronger. Weine followed this by quickly jumping to hug the rest of Hestia Familia. Even the newest members got hugs, which Otohime received with enthusiasm. In the middle of Weine's hug, the little dragon girl's face scrunched up, and her nose twitched. She began sniffing at the Dragon Princess's chest and then moved around the rest of her body.

"Weine?" asked Bell.

Everyone stopped to stare at the Xenos girl. Bell reached out a hand to pull her back; Weine looked up at the Dragon Princess. She had a large grin on her face and began bouncing on the balls of her feet. Weine turned to Lyd and pointed at Otohime.

"She smells like me! She's like my…my…." Weine frowned, "What's the word for someone that is like you? That is related to you?"

Lyd made a laughing sound, "A sibling Weine? Brother or sister?"

Weine nodded and threw her hands up, "She smells like me! So, she's like my sister!"

"Oh…ummmm," began Haruhime, "Lady Weine, it's not exactly like…."

"We can be if you want," Otohime bent down to pat Weine on the head, "I have had many sisters; what's one more?"

Later, when Urashima asked why, Otohime guessed that her most recent transformation had left the stench of the dragon on her. Weine, with her enhanced sense of smell, had been able to pick up on that. The action had made the former Far Eastern Princess overjoyed. The more people in her life, the better.

"Yay!"

Weine gave Otohime another hug.

Once introductions were over, Weine settled herself next to Bell. She pulled him close and made sure to sit between him and Ais. Every minute or so, she'd cast a mean look at the Sword Princess, and Ais bore it silently. She did deserve all this, after all.

The rest gathered in a type of circle and ate lunch. It was quiet and awkward with the non-Hestia Familia members of the party unsure how to treat these talking monsters. They had only met these monsters once or twice before, and even if they were willing to work with them, it was hard to make sense of the situation. The Xenos didn't seem to mind at all, with all of them happily making conversation amongst themselves. Bell counted a dozen, Xenos. The number seemed off, so he asked where Fear and the rest were.

"They've got their own missions and assignments right now," responded Lyd, "They're trying to find as many newly birthed Xenos as they can."

"Why the recruiting rush?" asked Welf.

"To keep them away from the other Xenos," replied Lyd.

Everyone took the phrase, 'other Xenos' in with quiet contemplation. Something was going on in the Dungeon, and it sounded terribly wrong.

Bell frowned, "Lyd, there's something I need to tell you. There was a Xenos above ground a week ago. He called himself Petron. Did you know him?"

Lyd scratched his chin and nodded, "I did know him. A loup-garou, if I remember correctly? A noticeably quiet but arrogant Xenos who did not listen to others."

Bell nodded, "He said that he served 'a greater master' who remembered my failures. Was he talking about Freya? Or was there someone else that he worked for?"

The group of Xenos there all looked away. Some form of melancholy settled over the group, and many balled their hands into fists. Even the ever-optimistic Weine lost her energy. Her grip on Bell tightened even more. Bell could feel her nails start to dig into his skin.

"Things have gotten intense down here, Bellichi," said Lyd. "Lots of Xenos were angry after what happened last year. A new Xenos started to take control…."

Bell's eyes narrowed, "A new Xenos? Lyd, what happened down here? You're making it sound like there's some sort of evil Xenos."

Lyd shook his massive lizard head, "Not evil, just angry. Xenos that are tired of what happens and looking to make a more radical change. They're like how Gros used to be…but more intense."

Ais frowned but said nothing; this wasn't her place. She had to keep thoughts about monsters to herself for now. The only thing that mattered now was to offer her support to whatever Bell decided. He knew more about these monsters-No! They're called Xenos! -than she did.

"What they are up to?" asked Lili.

A group of radical Xenos was not something that sounded simple. In fact, it was probably the worse thing that could happen. With Freya aboveground, and this catastrophe waiting to happen underground, Hestia Familia was about to fight a war on two fronts. There was no way that they weren't going to help their monster friends. So, Lili did the only thing she knew and began to plan. Her job now was to figure out which war would be fought first and how to get it done. However, this meant gathering all the necessary information.

"Do they have a name?" said Lili.

Lyd made a nodding motion, "Their group is called the Sun Seekers. Their leader calls himself Typhon."

Bell and Haruhime frowned. It was the renard who spoke, "How does he know about that name?"

"That name?" asked Lett. The goblin's frown got deeper.

"Typhon is the name of the King of Monster in the myth of creation," continued Haruhime, "He worked to tear down the Gods and almost succeeded."

"So, what can we do?" was Bell's immediate question. "I'm guessing we're here for a reason."

Weine responded next, "There are some other Sun Seekers here!"

"Why? Where are the rest? How many are there?" asked Ryuu.

"We think they're here for you," explained Lyd, "We've been tracking them for weeks, and they only began to move after the tournament. As for how many, twice the amount of us, if I remember correctly."

"But how many are here on this floor?" asked Ryuu.

Lyd held up one hand. "Two, his top general and one of his most powerful aides. They're a swamp warden and a war shadow," replied the lizard.

"What are they like?" asked Ais. Something was familiar about the monster they saw before. She recognized the way it stood.

"They're both fairly new monsters, but they're powerful. As soon as they were birthed, they made a mad rush to eat as many magic stones as possible," responded Lyd.

"What else?" Ais's stare was intense. "What about the war shadow?"

"The war shadow is a variant," said Lyd, "It has a female appearance. In fact, it's so different that Fels labelled it as a new species, like the 'Black Minotaur.'"

"What's the species?" asked Lefiya. A pit sat in her stomach, but she could not say why.

"He calls it a banshee."

A new crowd of monsters trailed behind Nysa. She did what she could to find replacement servants. Unlike before, where she had kept a swarm of anubites, now she had a varied group behind her. Wadjets, scorpion men, desert lizards, and griffins followed her, making their usual monster sounds. She wanted to make sure to recuperate her power before confronting Scipio. The swamp monster was not the forgiving sort of beast.

In a set of sandy ruins, a squad of monsters patrolled the outskirts. Their necks glowed purple, and there were many more than what Nysa could control. The monster slaving collars worked based on potential and intellect—the more brilliant the monster, the more they could handle. Nysa's brainpower extended as far as a single-minded focus on the dreams that haunted her. Scipio, on the other hand, was easily the most cunning of the Sun Seekers. He could control up to seventy-five monsters when he wanted to. That was also per collar. Larger beasts, which had a more significant life force, could wear multiple collars to increase their numbers. For now, though, Scipio wore one collar. All he needed was enough enslaved beasts to keep himself safe.

The monsters stared at Nysa as she walked inside, their eyes glowing a collective purple. The banshee left her own monsters outside as she walked in to meet with her partner. She did not care about all the monsters waiting outside; they were beneath her. Scipio was here as the brains of the operation. Nysa was the muscle. She could crush him with a wave of her hand.

She found the lumbering beast squatting in front of some large piece of bark. It was covered in light dust marks from fragments of quartz. It marked out a basic map of the desert floors, which Scipio had had market out a week ahead of time. Multiple monsters and Xenos had been used to get these maps. However, the timeframe had been limited, so the map was incredibly basic. It had no details except a red line traced along the river, which then cut off towards an oasis.

Nysa glided up to Scipio. "So, they are waiting there?" asked the War Shadow.

The swamp warden general gave a grunt in reply.

"And they're meeting with those human lovers?"

Another grunt. Then the moss shifted, and Nysa felt something like a gaze bore into her. "You failed. You attacked too early. You picked the wrong targets," said Scipio.

His voice came out like waves washing over gravel.

Nysa scowled, "How was I supposed to know that those random three just so happened to be the most powerful?"

It was hard to see the monster's eyes under all the vegetation, but Nysa still felt the deadpan stare it gave her. Then it seemed to lower part of its body, and a gust of air seemed to pop out. Nysa realized that the monster was sighing.

"You are supposed to be one of the smarter ones. Instead, you are obsessed with the little elf girl," said Scipio. It considered its map.

Nysa frowned, "I need to talk to her! She's important to me…somehow."

A sound that could've been a snort erupted from the swamp monster. Its massive head shook back and forth.

"Your fixation is strange. Perhaps you are the human lover now?"

Nysa smiled, but it was much too broad. From a leather bag she kept draped over her shoulder, she produced a large magic stone.

"I won't be a human lover for long, though," said the banshee.

Scipio contemplated the magic stone. Then, it was silent. After a moment of thought, a new noise erupted from it. This was the sound of laughter, deep in the desert ruins.

Back with the adventurers and the Xenos, who weren't looking to start a war, Lefiya felt her throat close up. The second the word banshee left Lyd's mouth, her vision got fuzzy. When did this hot Dungeon floor feel so cold? Why was it so hard to breathe and to focus? Her heart thrummed in her chest. She heard a voice, but it sounded like it came from behind a screen. She felt a gentle touch on her hand; it was warm.

"Lefiya," came the voice. It sounded like a whisper.

"Lefiya," repeated the voice. It was closer. A green blob came into Lefiya's vision.

"I need you to breathe for me."

That's right, she needed to breathe. The blob came into focus, its mouth began to move.

"Can you try breathing with me?"

Lefiya tried. Slowly, her throat opened. She matched her breath to the blob that slowly came into focus. It had jade green hair and glasses. Right…this was Elwin, who was important. She grabbed the hand that was touching her shoulder and squeezed tight. She reached out for the other one, and it answered. She felt his palms in hers, and something settled in her body. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply like how Lady Riveria had taught her, and when she opened them, she saw everyone's faces back in focus. They all watched her in worry. The attention made her blush, and then she remembered that she was holding Elwin's hands.

She snatched them away and almost fell backwards. As she tried to catch her balance, she noticed Elwin grinning at her. The smile was not teasing, though. It was soft and heartfelt. Even still, Lefiya felt her frustration grow.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"Nothing, I'm just happy your ok," Elwin's face turned a beet red, "Ummm…."

Then Lefiya heard something extraordinary. It sounded like Elwin said something in elvish.

"You speak Elvish?" asked Otohime, "I thought you didn't know any elf culture."

"Mama taught me some phrases. To try and keep me connected to my culture," replied the half-elf.

"What did you tell her?" asked Ais.

Elwin refused to answer, and so did Lefiya. However, Ryuu understood and almost fainted but kept her mouth shut. What he had said was clearly meant just for Lefiya.

The best translation to any non-elf culture was, 'I hope you are ok, and I'm here if you need me.' What the phrase actually translated to was, 'Our roots are of one tree, our branches intertwined, the same current flows between our blood, may there be peace upon your troubled mind.' The saying was an old one, deeply set in tradition. It was also a saying that denoted a remarkably close relationship.

The elves were left alone to sort out their feelings, and the conversation was forcibly returned to the task at hand.

"So…Lyd, what do we do next?" asked Bell.

Lyd scratched his chin.

"Well, Bellichi, the first thing to do is a little recon. We know that the Sun Seekers are up to something, but we don't know what. The real problem, though, is that they usually spend all their time in the deep floors. Fels wants to know why they came up to the lower floors," replied the Lizardman, "Why are they hunting after you lot?"

The obvious answer was Freya, but better to make sure. Not to mention, if the silver-haired Goddess was behind all this, they needed to know why.

Bell nodded, "So, we'll split up and hunt down the Sun Seekers?"

Lyd shook his head, "Not hunting, scouting. Fels says that we know too little right now. He says that if we make a move now, the Sun Seekers might exterminate us."

Bell frowned. Before he could respond, Ais spoke up.

"What else can we do?"

The words surprised the Xenos. For a couple, the comments made their blood boil. While most didn't speak up, Lett responded.

"Too late to offer your help, girlie," said the goblin, "If you talked like this from the beginning, we wouldn't be in this mess. Gros and Ray would've been able to…."

Ais nodded, "You're right. But Riveria says that what matters most is what happens next. What can we do next?"

"Not turn your back when we need help," replied Lett.

Everyone winced, but Ais nodded as if it made perfect sense.

"What else?" asked the Sword Princess.

"We have to track the Sun Seekers, but we need protection!" exclaimed Weine.

The little dragon girl was distrustful of Ais, but she also remembered that she stayed her blade when the swordswoman could have killed her. And Weine knew that Ais Wallenstein was important to Bell. So, the Sword Princess got one more chance, for Bell's sake. But only one!

"I'll protect you all," declared Ais. The seriousness of her words reached through. Lett didn't like her, but he nodded. This declaration was followed by a moment of silence.

"So, where do we go next then?" asked Welf.

"Me, Weine, and Lett will lead three groups through this floor. We know that two of Typhon's top Seekers are here somewhere. The first group that finds them will then alert the other groups. We regroup afterwards and plan what to do next," explained Lyd. From a pouch at his hip, he produced a collection of oculi. They would be the means of communication.

"But we don't engage?" asked Urashima.

Lyd nodded.

"How should the groups be split?" asked Lili.

Lyd smiled, "Fels suggested that you make the groups Lililichi."

Lili frowned. Why were all these people so lazy? Every decision got left for Lili, and it was unfair! Even still, Lili began to make groups in her head. Just as she was about to answer, she was interrupted.

"I have a suggestion!" said Otohime, who raised her hand.

"Yes, Lady Otohime?" asked Lili with a quirked brow.

"We will need a base camp, correct? Well, I believe this to be the best spot, and I suggest that the Captain and Vice-Captain remain to guard our supplies!"

"Wait, what?"

"I cannot agree!"

Both Bell and Ryuu refused to acknowledge their feelings or each other. However, Lili nodded along. They needed their Captain and Vice-Captain at their absolute best, and that included how they worked together. If Ryuu and Bell fought together like they usually did, they could take on the top members of Freya Familia. Hestia Familia needed them to make amends.

"Lili concurs. Master Bell and Miss Ryuu will take care of supplies," said the prum. After that, she organized the teams.

Lyd led the first team and was going to check on the other side of the river. With him were a couple Xenos and Aisha, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Daphne. Team two was led by Lett, with Lefiya, Elwin, Welf, Cassandra, and Ouka tagging along. Their destination was a rocky canyon. Elwin refused to be on any team that wasn't Lefiya's, seeing as she was still shaken from earlier. Finally, there was Weine's group, with Ais, Otohime, Urashima, Chigusa, and Lili joining her. They were going to check some desert ruins-which Lili was excited to raid. Weine demanded that Otohime (her new sister) join them. She wanted Bell to, but he had to stay behind, unfortunately.

When the groups were decided, they set out towards their objectives. The adventurers left their food, drink, and extra supplies with Ryuu and Bell. The two watched the other groups walk off in silence before turning to each other. After a moment of awkward silence, they got busy and organized the campground. That only took so long, though. After that, they sat at separate parts of the camp and found something to do. Ryuu tended to her sword, and Bell read some maps and books on desert monsters.

Every once in a while, Bell would look up but then look back down. He didn't say anything, but his constant gaze caught Ryuu's attention. The elf sighed, her frustration building as she worked. The only problem was, she didn't know how to start. Thankfully, Bell Cranel was just stupid (or smart) enough to open his mouth.

"I'm sorry for earlier," said Bell. However, his face was confused. It seemed like he didn't totally understand what went wrong.

Ryuu bit her tongue and let out a breath from her nose.

"It's fine."

Bell frowned, "But it's not fine. I hurt you."

"And I hurt you. Let's call it even."

The boy shook his head, "I don't agree, though."

Ryuu grit her teeth, "Bell, do you even really understand what you're apologizing about? Or why I'm upset?"

Bell's response was to look at the ground. At his silence, Ryuu rolled her eyes. Bell was as quiet and indecisive as ever. The elf bent down to resume weapon maintenance, but Bell spoke again.

"I know why, but I don't understand it."

Ryuu glanced up, "What do you mean?"

"I know why you're upset. You…" Bell blushed, "you kissed me twice, and I never told you about it. I knew how you were feeling, but I kept it to myself. Those things are important to Ryuu, and I knew all that, but I said nothing. I should've talked to you about it."

Ryuu frowned, "Then what's the part that you don't understand?"

"Why you kissed me."

Ryuu's frown got deeper.

"Bell, it's not that hard to know why."

Now it was Ryuu's turn to blush.

"I did it because I'm in love with you."

Apparently, saying the thing once made it easier to repeat it. The words no longer held onto Ryuu's tongue. Instead, they fell off and into the air. They charged forward to meet the object of her affection.

"But why?"

"Why what?"

'Bell is very obstinate today,' thought Ryuu. The boy refused to give a steady answer on anything. Instead, he replied with vague half-truths.

"Why do you love a pathetic adventurer like me?"

Bell's question took a moment to process. A cold wave washed over Ryuu when she understood. She put her weapon down and made her way over to sit in front of the quiet boy. She reached out for his hands but hesitated. So, she drew back and sat on her knees. Things were becoming so much more difficult.

"Bell, why did you call yourself pathetic?"

Bell still refused to look at her. Instead, he drew random lines in the sand. He was quiet for a minute before he spoke again.

"Because I am." His hand dug into the white granules around him. "I'm still just the pathetic little kid who has to rely on others to rescue him."

These were the thoughts hidden deep inside Bell Cranel. At that moment, Ryuu's perspective changed. Before, he had been a hero in the making, like Alise. Bell was someone to follow into battle, an ideal to aspire to. These were no true, though. Those images of him in her head were fabricated, like the image of a hero Finn Deimne forged for himself.

No matter what her new friends and family told her, Ryuu was sure of one thing. She was a villain who had betrayed the ideals of Lady Astraea. The Gale Wind had murdered all types of people, from commoners to Gods. She could never be a saviour or a hero. She could not be a standard of justice. Even if all the waitresses of the Hostess of Fertility, and all the members of Hestia Familia, worked together to tell her otherwise, she knew the truth of herself. At least, she knew how she saw the truth. Maybe, Bell was much the same. And none of them had ever noticed.

Ryuu frowned, "I don't know if I can convince you otherwise, but I don't think you're pathetic, Bell."

"But why do you love me?" asked Bell. Couldn't she understand? He had dragged her across half the world, all because he was too weak to protect the people he cared about. He was the reason that she had lost everything she cared about. He didn't deserve her love.

"I keep secrets from people, but I always try to get them to talk to me. I don't know how to deal with other people's feelings! And I always need to rely on everyone!" Bell's hands came up to clasp the sides of his head. He was not crying, but his emotions were boiling over. Days in the Dungeon had begun to take their toll.

Ryuu gave her softest smile. She reached out her hands to take his own. "Bell, those are just flaws. Everyone has some. Having flaws doesn't mean you don't deserve love."

"You haven't answered my question," responded Bell.

Ryuu sighed because he was right, of course. They had both spent enough time dodging questions. It was time for someone to take charge. Ryuu had hoped that Bell would be the first, but looking at him now, Ryuu remembered something very important. Bell was only fifteen years old. Not to mention, he had grown up in a very secluded lifestyle with only his grandfather for company. In many ways, Bell's social skills were as underdeveloped as the Sword Princess's.

"I love you because you never give up. You set yourself to your convictions, and you follow through on what you believe. I love you because you're willing to listen to anyone and give them all a chance. You never, ever talk down to someone. You know your not perfect and still have a long way to go, but you keep struggling. You work harder than most people I know, and you have more room in your heart than anyone I know." Ryuu smiled, but something inside her broke. "But I know you don't love me back."

Bell looked up for once and opened his mouth to respond. Before he could, though, Ryuu shook her head and kept on talking.

"You don't love me the way I want you to, Bell. And you need to say it. You need to be honest with your feelings and your friends. Trust me when I say," said Ryuu, "Nothing good ever comes from suppressing yourself."

And it was true. Ryuu had spoken up for the first time since her days with Astraea Familia, and she felt lighter. Her truth was out, and deep inside, a tiny kernel took root. Maybe she could leave Gale behind and become the Faerie Princess? The elf who was weighed down by her sins felt like she could fly. However, the irony of her thoughts soon caught up to her. Her contradictory statements and lifestyle crashed together, and everything overwhelmed her. But in the best way possible. It made her smile, even as tears streamed down her face. Then, she felt a giggle. It rose up through her stomach and out her throat. The giggles soon turned to chuckles and then to a bright sound from deep in her belly. Deep in the Dungeon, an elf laughed because she was free to be herself. She laughed like the wind, and it was loud, and it was bright. And it was beautiful.

Watching her laugh, Bell felt a premonition. An impossible scenario passed through his head, where an elf saved him from a minotaur that day in the Dungeon. But by a chance of fate, a flip of a coin, would he have fallen in love with Ryuu?

Out in the Dungeon, Lefiya didn't know what to say. She looked to her right, where Elwin walked beside her and struggled to find the words. She knew now that she had just experienced a panic attack, but how was she supposed to tell him why?

"You don't owe me an explanation, you know," said the half-elf, without looking at her. He continued, "I get it, really. Sometimes you just don't want to tell people things. Besides," he pointed to his hair, "It's not like I'm one to talk."

Lefiya squeezed her staff. "I just don't want you to think that I don't trust you," explained the little elf.

Elwin smiled, "I know you do. You'll never have anything to prove to me, Lefiya, ok?"

Lefiya stared at him while they walked. As the strongest member of their party, except for Lett, she walked at the back as the rearguard. Elwin had joined her, and they walked alone. Together.

"Her name was Filvis Challia," said Lefiya.

Elwin nodded but did not speak.

"When we first met, I thought she was an elf. She was very kind," explained Lefiya. She blushed before continuing, "And very pretty."

"Ah, so a rival for your affection?" asked Elwin with a smirk.

That joke did bring a smile to Lefiya's face, and she rolled her eyes.

"No, not anymore."

Elwin watched her grow silent again.

"You don't have to tell me what happened."

Lefiya mustered up her courage. "It turned out…she wasn't such a good person. She wasn't even a person, really. She was a creature with a magic stone embedded inside her, and she was trying to destroy Orario. I ended up having to kill her," explained the little sixteen-year-old elf.

Elwin stopped walking and took a moment to stare at the woman in front of him. When she noticed, Lefiya stopped too. She could just imagine what cruel thoughts were going through his head. How she was a disgusting murderer.

"You're one of the strongest people I know," said Elwin.

Lefiya was stunned for a moment before anger built within her. How could she be strong? She had killed Miss Filvis! She betrayed her dear friend, the woman she…no Lefiya Viridis was not strong. She was weak and a coward.

Elwin jogged to catch up to her and looked upon her face.

"You're crying."

Lefiya saw salty tiny tears fall to the sand and made to brush them away with the hem of her sleeve. It did not do much, though. Her whole outfit was already soaked through with sweat. All she did was mix her tears with the stains already there. The next moment, though, she felt a dry handkerchief get pressed into her hands.

"My mother always told me to keep one handy. Guess I know why now," explained Elwin. The half-elf kept talking, "Do you know the story of the Van Hellsings?"

Lefiya shook her head.

Elwin nodded, "They were a family of adventurers. There was the father, Abraham, and his wife, Mina. One day, while adventuring in the nation of Wallachia, they were attacked by a vamp bat."

Lefiya tilted her head.

"A vamp bat is a flying monster that drains blood from its victims. It also has a small chance of infecting them with a disease called Sanguinis," explained Elwin, "The original disease never did much, but once statuses became a thing, it evolved."

"Evolved?"

Elwin took a deep breath, "The disease Sanguinis had a chance to evolve to the skill: Sanguinis Vampiris. It was more of an infection, though. The adventurer would then slowly begin to change into a Nosferatu."

"A Nosferatu?"

What in the world was Elwin talking about? What did this have to do with Miss Filvis? That said, it was a pleasant distraction.

"A human with monster-like abilities. Suffice to say, all Nosferatus went mad and gained a craving for human flesh. In many ways, they would be like these creature hybrids of yours."

"What does this have to do with the Van Hellsings?"

Elwin frowned, "Mina Van Hellsing got infected and became a Nosferatu. She slowly began to take over Wallachia, and Abraham was the only one able to put her down. He had to kill her to save his country and familia."

"So what? You think that I'm like this Van Hellsing fellow?"

Elwin shrugged, "Maybe. All I'm saying is that you were faced with an impossible decision and still did what you believed to be the best. You probably helped Filvis as well."

"I helped her?" asked Lefiya, who had never considered the possibility.

"In the legend of the Van Hellsings, Mina's last words were 'Thank You.' She no longer had to watch herself destroy the world that she loved or hurt the people she cared about. In those final moments, she became herself again. Maybe you gave the same gift to Filvis Challia?"

Lefiya had never considered that option before. That was a small comfort if that was what she had done, but a comfort, nonetheless.

"That said, you never told me why the word banshee had triggered such an attack," asked Elwin.

"Banshee was what people called Miss Filvis," explained Lefiya. It would be a long time till she would allow herself to love again, but looking at him now, maybe this jade green boy could help.

Unfortunately, their moment meant that they did not notice the eyes watching over them.

Back with the elf and the human, Bell had to wait for Ryuu to stop laughing. He didn't mind waiting, though. Ryuu was lovely when she was having fun. So, he waited till she had calmed down, which came much too quickly in his opinion and then tried to resume their earlier conversation.

"Ryuu," Bell said something for the first time, "I don't love you. At least, not like that. I love you as a trusted partner and a close friend, but no more than that. I'm sorry."

Ryuu would be lying if she said it didn't hurt. However, that could wait for later.

"Bell, I need to apologize too. I was hiding my own feelings earlier. The truth is, I don't know how I feel about your lineage. Your aunt did many horrible things, and while I don't hold it against you, it is still hard not to think about it. Because of her, I lost a dear friend, among others. It will be a long time before I can be normal. Still, though, you trusted me with your secret, and I betrayed that trust." Ryuu lowered her head and almost considered the dogeza (which Mikoto had taught her). "I'm sorry."

Bell let out a breath, "I know it's complicated. And I know you didn't mean to. There's still a lot that I'm trying to figure out about this. Especially now that everyone knows my secret."

"Sorry about that," replied Ryuu, blushing.

"It's alright. The only problem is, I don't know what I'm going to do next, especially now that Hermes is gone. I have so many questions, and it seems like he's the only one with answers."

Ryuu perked up, "Then, maybe I can answer some of your questions. I did meet her after all. At the very least, I can tell you what she looked like."

Bell smiled genuinely for the first that day, "I guess so. Well, what was she like in battle?"

Ryuu pondered the question as her sky-blue eyes got lost in thought. She nodded a bit, finally settling on an idea.

Before she could speak, though, the desert erupted around them. Out came great beasts, five meders wide and twenty meders tall. Four desert worms surrounded them, their mouths filled with razor-like teeth. The monsters screeched their opposition, but Hestia Familia would not be deterred. The boy and the girl shared a glance, a smirk, and jumped into battle.

With that, the Hestia Familia executives had returned.

Woohoo! Another one done! Before we go any further, one quick thing...AAAANNNNGGGGGSSSSSTTTTT. Ok, now that's done, let's get on with the show shall we? Some very important conversations happened, and now we're getting into the meat of this arc. Monster attacks galore, and our heroes are about to be stretched to their limits. I'll see y'all on the next Wandering Wednesday!

Review Responses:

Lordlexx: Yeah, might simplify things, but who says that they'd want to share? The bunny is a very popular boy.

Kid Drive: There is a plan for the reveal, but that's for next time. Thank you!

Anonymous112112: Essentially, yeah. Thank you for the compliment!

Mr. Dato: What indeed?

pix25: Hopefully, this makes things a bit better. That said, Nysa is still waiting.

ManagZed: This was quite the journey to read, but I'm happy you enjoyed it! Nervous? Death? NNNOOOOO Never! Thanks for the love comments!