A swift movement was accompanied by the sound of metal cutting through flesh. The armored individual quickly turned around and carved his axe into the ant's head, making it collapse and disappear as it hit the ground.
He turned again and faced another ant, although rather than going for the kill he just gave the monster a smile as a second person was able to climb on top of the creature's back, running the dagger across the carapace and then stabbing the head, killing it instantly.
That area in the seventh floor became silent, it was yet another victory under their belts and it was time to reap its rewards.
"Ugh…" With the monsters gone, Ragnar was able to relax momentarily, his muscles felt a bit sore and even trying to move his arms and legs around felt somewhat of a hassle.
It has been a month since Ragnar left the hospital, ever since then his injuries healed but Skadi forbade him from going into the Dungeon.
Training in Fimbulvetr kept him entertained and allowed him not to lose his edge in combat, however one thing was fighting against monsters using his weapons and the other was using sticks to defeat dummy targets.
Noel had a lesser punishment and was able to return to the Dungeon slightly earlier than his Captain, albeit accompanying the Heimdall Familia on their various ventures.
After that month passed, Skadi returned Ragnar his weapons and immediately set off to fight some monsters alongside his friend.
Many of the creatures slain were run of the mill at this point, from Kobolds and Goblins to lizards and Needle Rabbits with Killer Ants being the cherry on top in this floor. While there were only three of them, Ragnar and Noel dispatched the ants successfully.
"We have a good haul, Ragnar." The snow-haired kneeled, grabbing the crystal that the ant dropped. "All of what we got today is definitely going to be paying for the week's meals."
"We'll definitely need it…" Those words felt heavy to the Captain.
Between the renovation of Fimbulvetr and both Ragnar and Noel's healing at the hospital, much of the budget that Skadi had was gone and while she wouldn't consider her Familia `poor´ it was certainly not in a similar position as they were before.
Thus, the three of them were on a tight campaign of maximizing their earnings while trying not to get hurt in the process which added just an extra layer of challenge to the boys.
Getting severe injuries meant using medicine, which meant spending money which in turn meant that there would be less for groceries or any extras.
It was a fun challenge, in a way, it motivated both to go further, all for the next day's meal.
Noel was counting with his fingers, he seemed happy all the way through. "What now? "
"Yeah… what now? " Ragnar repeated the question, looking deeper into the cave.
He heard monsters far away, the call for more money and a chance to get stronger. Even though the bear was finally defeated, he would not deny that climbing up in levels in order to able to go toe to toe with greater adventurers was tempting.
He was confident of his abilities, his new armor kept him safe and the only pain he had was just the weight of said protection making his muscles sore, It did not help either that he was still trying to get back in the loop of fighting for plenty of hours and his body was not used to it again.
His eyes peeked at the darkness beyond, tempted by the rewards but alas…
"No." The blond shook his head, a crude response yet simple. "Let's just go back for now. We can try again tomorrow."
Noel nodded and put the last two of the crystals in his bag. Truthfully he wanted to explore even a little more but he was also feeling some fatigue. While travelling alongside Heimdall's children, he took more of a support role, barely fighting and being more of an assistant to that party, while here he was in the thick of combat alongside his Captain.
One last look to see if they forgot anything and then they started to make their way back to the surface.
"Feels good to be back down here, right? "
"It feels weird, I will admit." Ragnar looked down at his hand, clenching his gloved fist. "Too much time up there made me realize how oppressive it is down here, the walls closing on you and danger around every corner."
"Are you saying that you regret coming back here?"
A click on the tongue and a mocking laugh came afterwards. "As if, I missed doing this."
"It's good to have you back, Ragnar." Noel smiled as they continued down the path up.
There was some silence afterwards before the younger one decided to speak up.
"Uhm… Captain, I was won-"
"I told you not to call me like that, we're friends."
"I know but I need to address this with you as the Captain of the Familia and not like Ragnar." A pregnant pause but the other part nodded. "Have you spoken with the Goddess recently? "
"Not really, most of the conversations happened during the meals."
"So you haven't talked to her about our plan? "
Ragnar sighed. "No, and I don't think Skadi is willing to listen to me for a private discussion of that kind."
"But it's not private, it concerns all of us."
"I know, but ever since I asked her about my father she's been avoiding me. I tried to have some conversations with her at night but she just goes to her room and never leaves. Even if I don't want to talk about it." Ragnar grunted in frustration. "I want to ask her if she knows anything about the axe too."
"Oh right, you were worried about it this morning too, weren't you? "
"Well, it's expected, isn't it?" The Captain pulled the axe he brought from his homeland and inspected it.
The dark blue metal looked mostly clean despite some of the blood, dirt and grime from the recent combats, but perhaps the one notable change that he saw earlier in the morning was that the symbol of his Familia was engraved in it, something that didn't exist before.
There was the possibility that Skadi worked on the axe during his `time out´ but the thought of the Goddess working in the forge at Fimbulvetr was hilarious to him, but he knew better that Skadi would not dare to become a Goddess of the Forge when there were others very proficient at it.
But that was not the only thing that kept him thinking. Back in the fight against the bear, many said that his axe glowed and it turned the monster into icy crystals which then exploded.
He remembered that, but was uncertain of whether that was a dream or it really happened.
"There's so much I want to know about this…" That was one of the things that kept bugging him recently. "However, I have a plan ready." Ragnar smiled and put the axe back to the side. "By dinner I'll be asking Skadi to update my status. It has been a while so I am also curious if there was any change since the last few months. And then I just drop everything on her. The questions about my father, the axe and also the plan! "
It was foolproof, there was no way Skadi would deny talking about any of those during his update status. He did feel a bit guilty of using that to make the Goddess discuss those topics but it was probably the best moment to do so.
After they returned to the surface they headed to the Guild to turn in the crystals they obtained and to check on their boss.
With the money right in their pockets they bought a few groceries that Skadi asked them to get on their way back to Fimbulvetr and just like that the afternoon soon passed as the sun was starting to set and the skies soon darkened.
The lights of Fimbulvetr looked beautiful with the renovations and made the place far livelier than it used to be, even if there were only three people.
"Skadi."
"Mh? Yes, Ragnar?" The Goddess turned her head. She was preparing the dinner.
"Uhm… I was… I was wondering if you could…" Ragnar didn't finish his request and he could see a bit of hesitation on Skadi's end. Having a conversation with her was difficult ever since that night and getting a hold of the Goddess proved to be a monumental task at times.
"…if you could help me update my status."
"Oh…" The tension soon dissipated and the wary looks on the Goddess were also gone. "Sure, go to your room and I'll be there with you in a moment." She replied with a smile and continued preparing the meal for that night.
"Thanks."
The Captain didn't wait and headed to his room. It was still a delight walking through the new corridors, it was a stark difference from the day he joined to how it looked now.
His bedroom was right next to a big set of doors to which led to the `war room´ which was no other than a big room for all of the members to reconvene and plan ahead in case of a trip to the Dungeon or for something far bigger. However, this was unused even when he arrived since most of the planning was done back at the main floor of the mead hall.
In front of his room was Skadi's which had a different type of door compared to the other ones but it was understandable, she was a Goddess a `rank´ above mere mortals like him or Noel.
But right next to Skadi's room was the vault. Another set of double doors that were similar to the ones of the war room but it had a few more locks and security mechanisms. The Goddess knew that if they were to keep the spoils of combat somewhere safe it would be near her and the Captain, it was also the one room that was only accessed by the two of them since it required two keys which were in each other's possession.
Truly it wasn't the most sophisticated mechanism and enough brute strength could tear down both doors but there was a level of trust and civility here.
Before the renovation Ragnar had no access to the vault but according to Skadi it was filled with riches, like a small treasure trove. It was what kept her from losing Fimbulvetr and what helped her live all these years.
With the changes to the whole place the vault was almost empty and all three of them walked inside.
It was a big room, bigger than his own bedroom or Noel's, the dark blue walls were akin to ice and the floor had a small path that led to the other wall. If it weren't for the surprising amount of Valis and other items on the floor it would be just another room with a somewhat fancy design, but there was something else, something that he hasn't seen but Skadi assured that it existed.
"It is not the Valis or the fancy objects that are stored in this vault that are the most valuable. There is a secret item that is well kept from anyone's eyes, perhaps my most valuable possession that could be the envy of many in Orario. It is not something you can sell but you will know when you see it. Ragnar, Noel, when our Familia is at the direst moment, when everything seems lost you will be able to retrieve the item. You will know what it is when you see it."
That conversation happened days after he left the hospital. He inquired about the vault door and Skadi gave both her children the small explanation about it.
He was still wondering as to what that item could be. Was it a weapon? Some form of title that could save them from whatever danger could happen.
Whatever it was, it kept him curious but hopeful that such a time would never arrive.
"Ragnar?" Skadi entered his room and saw him sitting on his bed. She brought a small parchment with her.
"Ah, sorry Goddess, I was deep in thought again."
"Well, you better not be, dinner will be ready soon." She smiled at the young adventurer. "Come on, you know what to do."
Ragnar nodded and took off his shirt and laid on the bed with his back facing the Goddess. From there she saw that despite the Captain's body healing completely, there were still a few scars from the big battle but nothing compared to the one on the front.
Skadi took a deep breath, she prickled her index on the axe and once the blood was coming out she sat on top of Ragnar.
He felt a shiver running down his spine the moment the Goddess placed her finger on his back. Her hands still felt like ice touching his skin, ever since the first day.
His eyes were focused on the pillows and saw the glow that supposedly came from his back while Skadi was working on his Falna.
There was silence, one of them was working on the details while the other was just waiting for the perfect opportunity.
"Skadi…" She gave a sound in response. "I was actually wondering, since we have this time for ourselves, that maybe we could talk about my father."
Ragnar felt that the Goddess stopped working, like she froze in place before continuing to work again.
"Skadi, I'm serious, I ought to know, don't you think? My dad gave me that amulet with your Familia's symbol, he had it for a reason and you had to know him, right? There is no other reason why he would have it, so it means that you-"
"Ragnar." That word felt heavy, the way he said it meant danger, annoyance, like an ultimatum. Her hands were touching the Captain's back, the work she was doing disappeared, much like the design that was engraved in his back. "There… there are things that I do not want to talk about, at least not yet. I hope you understand that."
"But he is my father… was… I am entitled to know what relation he had with this Familia."
Silence once again, only this time Ragnar was worried. Maybe he went too far? Maybe all this idea to bring everything up during a moment such as his status update was a mistake? It was possible that she could punish him again, perhaps even not letting him finish his status update.
That could be a disaster!
"Ragnar…" She spoke again, he listened in silence but Skadi sighed. "If there is one thing that I hope is that you respect some aspects of my privacy and my past. When the time is right I will discuss them with you, but not now." There was no doubt, she sounded disappointed. "But if you want a simple answer: Yes, I knew your father."
The blond didn't respond. In a way he knew the answer but wanted to know more like how did they knew each other? When was it? Or how did he get ahold of the talisman that he was later given? But asking all those questions would lead to nowhere as the Goddess was not willing to discuss them.
"Was that all?"
It took a bit before he talked again. "Actually… there was something related to my axe that-"
"Ragnar, I know that is not what you were thinking." The Captain's shoulder slumped on the bed. "You should know that I am aware that you and Noel have been thinking of something but have not said anything to me. I am not one to be meddling in your businesses but last time it ended with both of you in hospital beds. So if there is something important, please let me know."
Well, there was nowhere else to run. That's what he thought, perhaps it was for the best.
"Goddess, Noel and I have been talking and thinking back on the fight against the bear and perhaps the future itself. Since the Familia's savings are not that big as they used to be and we are trying to bring more money, we – or rather Noel - thought that I should step up as a Captain and maybe think about recruiting more people into the Familia."
The person on top of Ragnar was quiet all along, listening to what this `plan´ entailed.
"Well, the Skadi Familia used to be bigger, so perhaps we do want to bring that glory back, you know? Fulfill my role as a Captain and who knows? Sure, it will be more mouths to feed but I believe that the more hands working on going into the Dungeon we might bring even more riches."
The silence was unnerving, he couldn't see whether Skadi was smiling or had a mortified look which made this even worse.
"And you are wondering if I approve of this idea of recruiting more members? "
"Well… yes…"
"I see…" She sighed. "Ragnar, I have no qualms in recruiting more members, the only condition is that you approve of them. My job is just as easy as giving someone my blessing but you need to trust those that you will recruit, people who are willing to follow your orders, someone who you are willing to assist and in turn receive help from them."
"In other words…"
"Trust your judgment." Skadi smiled, even if he couldn't see her and then proceeded to continue once again with the status update.
It took a few moments and there were gasps coming from the Goddess but even if Ragnar kept asking her if it was something good or bad, she would not respond.
With the process done, Ragnar put his shirt again and stood up from the bed.
"So? How did it go?"
"Well…" She presented the parchment to the Captain. "The bad news is that you haven't levelled up, but your bravery and fights so far have changed your status."
Ever since he joined the Familia there weren't many updates to his status, the same happened to Noel. The Goddess told them that a weekly update may not yield a lot of changes not matter how hard they tried. There was a question that was brought up and that was if there was a skill or anything that would boost their growth but their hopes soon dashed as Skadi told them that a skill of that kind not only would be extremely rare but also pretty much impossible.
As such, Ragnar only had four status updates almost back to back whilst Noel had two. That was until recently where the white haired got a new update and Ragnar was soon going to receive his results.
The parchment had plenty of information but he could barely recognize some of the words in there. Of course, some symbols, numbers and letter were easy to understand but the others just looked like gibberish.
But if he remembered anything from his old updates he saw that his endurance, agility and dexterity increased; magic still remained a very small value but the one that impressed him the most was strength, it was a bigger number than the other ones which elicited a smile from him.
However there was something that caught his attention. He remembered the one part which was reserved for skills and magical abilities and while the latter remained empty, the skills was not.
"Uhm… Skadi, what does this say? " He pointed at the strange words near the skill section.
"Why yes, it is your first skill! " The Goddess gave him a gentle smile but could see that his excitement was slowly rising. "It says: Grudge Taker. The user will become stronger depending on the severity of the grudge."
"Uh… all of that… is in that line?"
"Hah, no. There was a bit more information when I was looking at your back but that is the gist of it. Although it is a curious case." The Goddess curled a finger near her lips, as if in deep thought. "This seems like a variation of a Berserker skill and while I have seen similar ones, this… is rather unique."
"So there are no similar cases?" The Captain's eyes widened.
"Not that I know of. Which I suppose is a greater reason to feel excited. Congratulations Ragnar, you are the owner of a rare skill."
Skadi saw him trying to keep his composure, he was smiling and his hands were shaking. Perhaps if he was alone he would be cheering, celebrating and jumping around like a child.
"My own skill…" He said under his breath. "I… I don't know how to thank you, Goddess…"
"Oh, there is no need. I haven't done anything. All of this was done by you, I just did my part by giving you my blessing. Your Falna is unique and so is Noel's, you two may be fighting the same enemies and even train at an equal pace and even then your growth may be different between you two. After all that is part of the game."
"Game?"
"What I'm trying to say is that all of this is your own effort and you should be proud of it."
"I-… I still don't know what to say." He smiled at the Goddess, controlling his shaking hands even if just for a bit.
"Well, perhaps you can say thank you and go upstairs, I am sure you must be hungry after going to the Dungeon from a break."
"Y-yeah! Thanks Skadi!"
What started as a grim conversation it ended up being hopeful and lighthearted.
His update status revealed that he has grown ever since the last time and on top of that he had a skill of his own. How exciting!
And even if he didn't get many answers about his father or the axe he received from him, he got an answer regarding `the plan´. To see a place like Fimbulvetr with more people was an interesting prospect and perhaps it could be a good test for his abilities as a Captain.
For now, he would celebrate with Skadi and Noel this small victory because starting tomorrow the two adventurers would have to start planning how they would get people to join the Familia.
But in a city full of adventurers that wouldn't be too difficult, right?
And we are back!
Welcome to the second act of this story and as you can see, the Skadi Familia will go under some more renovations, namely recruiting new adventurers. But that will not be the only focus in this act. if I were to put a name to this it would be spoiling what's to come.
That being said, hope you enjoyed the chapter, I apologize to those who were waiting for a quick update but I had to arrange ideas on how to start the chapter properly as well as to how to continue it later on.
And now, the status updates for both of Skadi's boys:
...
Name: Ragnar Strand
Age: 17
Affiliation: Skadi Familia
Level: 1
Strength: E502
Endurance: G340
Dexterity: G305
Agility: G318
Magic: I50
Skills: Grudge Taker
Magic: -
...
Name: Noel Beliz
Age:15
Affiliation: Skadi Familia
Level: 1
Strength: G301
Endurance: H211
Dexterity: G384
Agility: F409
Magic: G320
Skills: -
Magic: Helbredende Ord
...
Thanks for everyone who's been reading and following the story.
With that I bid farewell. Happy Easter everyone and have a happy week! As always: See you in the next chapter!
