Hestia awoke and looked over at Bell sleeping on the couch. She got up and went over to him as she felt lonely and decided to cuddle with him. A creak above caused her to stop and dart a look up with a frightened expression. She turned on the lamp and hurried over to Bell.

"Bell! Bell, wake up!" She hissed ever so softly while shaking him.

He did not stir at first.

"Bell!" She hissed more intently as she shook him more intently.

Bell awoke with a fright and gasp.

"G-Goddess, what-?!" He exclaimed.

Hestia shushed him intensely while clamping her hand over his mouth and raising her other hand to her mouth with forefinger pressed to her lips.

"There's someone in the church!" She hissed into his ear while ardently pointing upward.

She took her hand away from his mouth. Another soft creak could be heard from up above.

"There, you see!" She hissed.

"Well, this is an old place, Goddess," Bell whispered.

"Damn it, Bell!" She hissed into his ear as she clamped her hand back over his mouth. "I can sense the presence of somebody up there! Now get dressed!" As she took her hand away while backing away from Bell.

Bell did so as Hestia turned to the wall and took down his sword. Once he dressed, she shoved his sword at him.

Hestia once again held her forefinger up to her lips to command quiet.

"Follow me," she mouthed while gesturing from herself to the stairs.

"Goddess!" Bell yelled while running out with lamp in hand and sword in the other. "Goddess, are you all right?!"

Hestia groans while slowly sitting up from the pile of broken wood that was once the pulpit.

"I'll be okay," she said while rubbing her head, then looks out over the church. "Wh-Where are they?!"

"There's nobody here," Bell said while looking out over the church alongside her.

Hestia quickly stands while facing the exit and dusts herself off. She next does an arms akimbo while laughing triumphantly.

"They must've discovered that this was a deity's property and feared my divine wrath!" She proclaimed with whimsical haughtiness. "Let that be a lesson to any who think they can trespass on the divine!"

Hestia starts sniffing.

"That smell!" She gasped, then sniffs once more. "I remember that smell! It was around four days ago when I was selling potato poppers . . . ! Bell?"

As she turns her head to look at Bell curiously, only to see him with his head turned to his right with a wide-eyed slack-jawed expression of terror. Hestia's expression turns to comical concern and slowly turns to look where Bell is staring to see Jonah standing alongside the open door facing them with Saw Cleaver in hand and unfurled.

She screams in terror and jumps onto Bell, who ends up struggling to remain standing. "I told you someone was skulking around up here! Wha-Wha-What do you want?!" As she points ardently at Jonah with a defiant though terrified expression. "W-We don't have anything of value, so go away!"

It's her! Jonah thought. That Great One who was selling food from a food stall!

"I remember you!" Hestia exclaimed while pointing ardently at Jonah. "I saw you four days ago up on North Avenue!"

"You did, Goddess?!" Bell asked.

"Yes, he stopped to stare upward and I asked if he wanted a potato popper but he said he didn't have any money!"

"Listen, I'm sorry if I scared you," Jonah said apologetically as he furls the Saw Cleaver and returns it to his back. "I was just looking for a place to spend the night in." Then starts circling around them as they keep watch on him with Hestia still clinging onto Bell. "I . . . I'll leave you two alone."

The Moon-scented Hunter gets down off the stage and turns to walk away.

"Wait!" Bell called as Hestia gets down off of him.

Jonah stops to regard them.

"You can spend the night here," Bell said.

"BELL!" Hestia exclaimed with outrage as she grabs him.

Jonah is stunned by that offer. "Y-You'd offer me . . . !? A complete stranger who snuck in here and frightened you?! A place to stay?!"

"Yes, because I used to be in the same situation as you're now in," Bell answered intently. "I searched around but nobody took me into their Familia until I found Goddess Hestia here."

So I was right about her divinity! Jonah thought. But she still doesn't look like a Great One!

"You have it backwards, Bell! I found you!" Hestia snapped while tugging on Bell.

"But Goddess, he's just looking for a place to stay," Bell pleaded. "Maybe he's looking for a Familia too."

"Bell, come with me!" Hestia demanded while pulling him back inside.

The hidden door is closed. Jonah keens his Insight as it also gives him the ability to listen in on conversations.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Hestia was heard.

"I'm just offering him a place to stay," Bell was heard. "And who knows, he just might even want to join our Familia."

They're a familia? Jonah thought.

"He also has that weird smell about him," Hestia was heard.

"What smell?" Bell was heard. "I never smelt anything from him."

"It's a cool sweet bloody smell and it makes me think of the moon!"

"But I couldn't smell anything from him, Goddess. And you know a Falna enhances all of one's senses."

"Then it must be a divinity thing."

"So why does him smelling like that have to do with your worries?"

"It also makes me think of Artemis."

"The Goddess of the Moon? Ah, I think I get it now! He must be a member of the Artemis Familia!"

"No he isn't because Artemis disliked men. She only ever allowed women to join her Familia. She even went as far as to kick out any member who got romantic with a man."

"Even so, Goddess, that doesn't mean we should just turn him away."

There is silence once again.

"Fine," Hestia was heard grumbling. "But I get the feeling that man is trouble."

The door opens and out comes Hestia followed by Bell.

"What's your name?" Hestia asked Jonah.

"Jonah Theron."

"Okay, Jonah Theron," Hestia said dryly. "My name is Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth, and this is Bell, my child."

"He's your son?!" Jonah sneered.

"No, no, no, it's not like that," Hestia explained while shaking her head and waving her hands momentarily. "He agreed to become a part of my Familia."

"Oh, so you adopted him?" Jonah said in supposed understanding.

"What it means is that I gain a Falna and am able to enter the Dungeon to kill monsters," Bell explained this time.

"So you made a contract with her?" Jonah asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, that sounds about accurate," Bell surmised. "Wouldn't you say so, Goddess?"

"Yes," Hestia agreed proudly and puts her arms around Bell. "Bell entered into a contract with me."

Jonah frowns over revelation. Good god! So that boy had the blood of that Great One pumped into his veins!

"Um, is something wrong, Mister Theron?" Bell asked.

"Oh um," as Jonah fishes around in his coat pockets and pulls out a stone to show. "Just how valuable are these things. I turned in twenty of them and got back something like eight thousand . . . what was it again?"

"Valis," Bell said.

"Yes, eight thousand valis for twenty of these stones," Jonah verified.

"Well," Bell begin, "it depends on what Floor you killed the monsters on. The deeper into the Dungeon you go, the more valuable the stones become."

"Really, how could they tell?" Jonah asked. "They all seem to look alike."

"The clerks are also mages," Bell answered. "They can sense the power being given off by the stones. The deeper the stones were harvested, the more power they give off."

"Hold on, why does Bell have to tell you any of that?" Hestia asked suspiciously while doing an arms akimbo. "I mean, you obviously should know all this since only those who go into the Dungeon are doing it for their Familia."

"Ah," Jonah struggles while putting the gem away. "Well, if you must know. I'm not from anywhere around here. I'm from far away."

"Where are you from, Mister Theron?" Bell asked innocently.

"Yharnam."

"Yharnam?" Bell mused. "Never heard of it. What about you, Goddess?"

"I've never heard of such a place either," she admitted with a open handed shrug and a close-eyed shake of her head. "What can you tell us about-"

"Goddess, it's late!" Bell pleaded. "I'm sure Mr. Theron can answer any more questions you have, but tomorrow. I wanna sleep and I'm sure you do too."

"Fine," Hestia sighed, then turns and walks while gesturing. "Come with us, Jonah Theron."

"Thank you," Jonah said graciously as he walks up the stairs onto the stage. "I promise not to betray your trust in me."

Jonah follows them down the stairs. He looks around at where they are living. The place looks simple and humble; kind words though. There is a couch in one corner next to a bed. The bed looks more elegant than the rest of the room.

"What sort of a weapon is that on your back?" Bell asked.

"It's called a Saw Cleaver," Jonah answered as he removes it to show them, unfurling and furling the blade.

"That looks dangerous," Hestia fretted.

"It's great for killing monsters," Jonah explained. "The entire weapon is forged from a supernatural metal that makes it overwhelmingly hard and durable, plus the arcaning that I done to it. The whole thing is enveloped in a forcefield that further strengthens it and prevents the blade from cutting unless desired otherwise, hence why I can safely carry it on my back."

"That's pretty amazing," Hestia marveled. "I don't think Hephaestus nor Goibniu have any such weapon in their works."

"How does that Saw Cleaver stay on your back, Mister Theron?" Bell asked. "There's no sheath."

"I had this strap arcaned." As Jonah momentarily tugs on the long belt going diagonally across his torso. "That way anything I put on it will stick to it for so long as I desire."

"You mentioned arcane twice?" Hestia inquired. "Are you talking about magic?"

"Yes," Jonah verified. "The rest of my clothing is also arcaned as well. Allow me to demonstrate."

He casually plucks off his bracers.

"They work on the same principal as the strap. Along with these." As he squats to casually pluck off his greaves, revealing that their straps were actually decoration.

"How convenient," Hestia mused.

"This is another weapon of mine," Jonah said as he takes out the Hunter's Pistol.

"What is that?" Bell asked.

"It's called the Hunter's Pistol," the Good Hunter answered. "It shoots off a bullet, but I don't have any left now."

"Hephaestus and Goibniu definitely don't have something like that," Hestia noted.

Jonah removes his gloves, coat, vest, and collar.

"That's quite the interesting outfit you're wearing, Jonah," Hestia noted.

"Yeah," Bell agreed. "You said that you fought monsters in the Dungeon, but in that?"

"Well skill, speed, and agility are every bit as important in fighting monsters as strength, if not more so, wouldn't you think?" Jonah asked.

"Yeah, I suppose," Bell answered, then turns away. "I'll see if we have a spare futon."

Jonah watches Bell open a closet and begin rooting around inside it. A brief but firm tug on his shirt arm redirects his attention down at Hestia, who is forced to crane her head back in order to look up at the Good Hunter as she stands head and shoulders shorter than him.

Or more accurately, glower.

"Okay, Jonah Theron," she hissed. "I know there's more to you than what you're letting on and if your secrets harm Bell, you'll feel my divine wrath! Ya here me?!"

"I hear you," Jonah sighed back down at her.

"You better," Hestia said curtly.

Bell emerges with an old futon and blanket. "Sorry Mister Theron it's all we have."

"Not a problem, Bell," Jonah answered assuredly as he takes them.

"You can sleep over there," Hestia pointed to a spot.

Jonah places the futon down in the designated spot along with the blanket. He sits and takes off his boots, then his socks. He folds up the rest of his clothes to put near him, along with his weapons, then gets under the blanket.

"You sleep with your shirt and pants on?" Bell mused.

"I will remove them while underneath the blanket since there is a lady present," Jonah said as he looks at Hestia.

"You're a modest one," Hestia smirked.

Jonah shuffles around underneath the blanket and takes out his pants to fold and place nearby, then takes off his shirt and carefully folds it to put aside, then covers up.

"May you have pleasant dreams," Jonah said.

He closes his eyes and quickly enters a deep sleep.

"Wow, he's fast asleep," Hestia said with an amazed look.

"He must be tired," Bell agreed. "Well it has been a long day so you can hardly blame him. Now let's return to bed ourselves."

Hestia does so as does Bell, they bid each other a good night. Hestia looks over at Jonah in the darkness.

What more secrets do you hold? She thought.