A/N: Honestly, getting what is now 3 chapters in a week out is reminding me of when I started this story and I love it. It's kinda shocking that it's only been two months since I started this and I cannot thank you all enough for your response to it.

Truth be told, I almost turned this chapter into two considering its length. The standard I'm trying to keep is to never publish a chapter under 4k words and I've been consistent with that. Most chapters, except the first 3, are 4.5-6k words and it feels like a good length. This one is 9k. I hope it's not too long, but I honestly felt it worked better as one long chapter instead of two shorter ones.

Getting to some stuff I wanted to talk to you about, one thing I want to do with this story is portray the gods in a more parental fashion than they are in canon. At least for the good ones. Loki is more like the fun/crazy aunt. Hestia and Hephaestus are going to be very mom-like with most of their members. Take is more of a father figure. That kind of thing. With that in mind, I won't be including Mikoto's crush on Take. Both to keep with him being more parental and because he did raise her in canon from a very young age. It's really creepy for her to be in love with the guy who's basically her dad.

Also, I've been having a weird problem. The view count and traffic graphs haven't updated at all this month. I'm seeing your reviews and changes to the follower count but the view number hasn't gone up and the graph is empty. Have any of you experienced that problem? How do I fix it?

Last thing, I'm still hoping for character suggestions to join Miach's Familia. Minor Danmachi characters or OC's you might want to recommend. Even references to other franchises are ok if it's just names. I don't want to include any Elder Scrolls characters though. Torrhen is the only one I want around on a permanent basis. Daedra or summoned spirits may show up on occasion, but nobody living/undead.

Thank you so much for the comments and reviews. It really helps me and its great to see. If you have any questions you want to ask or anything else, please feel free to say something the comments.

Hearthfire

Chapter 18

Takemikazuchi

Take took a moment to calm himself before opening the door and stepping into his Familia's home. The building was originally meant for temporary residence but with how much money they were sending back east, they couldn't afford to move anywhere else. Sitting around a table were the six members of his Familia. The group was a mixed bag of talent, with three of them excelling in the Dungeon and three who were struggling. He could only hope that they liked the idea Hestia had presented and that the three who were doing well would choose to stay.

"My lord?" Ouka, the Captain of the Familia asked, looking concerned. He was the one who'd been with Take longest. Possessing a powerful build, jet black hair, and a serious face, he was the oldest and arguably the strongest of Take's children. "Is everything alright?"

Take sighed. He and Tsukuyomi had raised these children as if they were their own, but now he bore the burden of telling them the news. To tell them that their home had been attacked. That many of their friends were dead. That the goddess most of them had seen as a mother had been killed and the Familia needed to split up.

"No, Ouka." He sat down, heavily. "I'm afraid everything is not alright."

"What has happened?" Mikoto asked. She was easily Ouka's equal in power but where Ouka thrived on pure strength, Mikoto made use of speed and precision. Her black hair, usually done up in a ponytail, was hanging down to frame her face as she watched him with worried eyes.

Take braced himself to deliver the news. "I received a letter from Susanoo yesterday afternoon." He began. "It would seem that a few weeks ago, the Great Black Dragon resumed its old pattern and attacked the Far East. Hundreds have been killed. Entire villages have been destroyed." The six children before him all gasped, some covering their mouths with their hands. Others already trying to hold back tears.

"I'm afraid the news gets worse," Take continued. "Our village was one of the ones hit." Take could hear Ouka's fists clench in fury while Mikoto just stared, her eyes desperate. "While the village and the shrine are mostly intact, a fair number of the villagers were killed. Not only that, but… I'm afraid… Tsukuyomi was among the casualties."

The world was silent for a moment as the group tried to process what they had been told. A heartbeat later, a cry of despair rose up from the children before him. Ouka was grinding his teeth as he tried to hold back his tears. Chigusa, the last of Take's top three, leaned into Ouka's shoulder, weeping softly, her hands digging into his sleeves. Mikoto's own tears were streaming down her face as she pulled the wailing Asuka into her arms. Of the six, Asuka had been closest to Tsukuyomi. Having been raised in the orphanage from infancy, Tsukuyomi had been the only mother the poor girl had ever known. Although Take would see her again in Tenkai, to these poor children, she might as well be dead.

Take moved from his seat, trying to wrap as many of his children in his arms as he could. He wasn't sure how long they sat there holding and consoling each other in their grief. Minutes or hours, it didn't matter. Take would stay with them for as long as they needed him. When, after what seemed like hours, and the last of their tears had dried the group separated and moved back to their seats. There would be time to grieve more later. For now, they had to talk.

"When are we leaving?" Ouka asked, resolute.

"I have been recalled," Take started, touched that Ouka was ready to drop everything and leave with him. "If I do not return, Lady Amaterasu will order the shrine to be abandoned. The problem, as I'm sure you all remember, is that we have no way to make money at home. The sole reason we came to Orario was to earn funding for the shrine. If we all leave, there will be no way for us to keep the shrine afloat. Especially not with all the orphans made in the attack who have begun to seek refuge there."

"What are we to do then?" Chigusa asked. "If you have been recalled, then we must leave and risk the shrine going under. If we stay, the shrine will be abandoned. Neither can be allowed to happen." Chigusa was the smallest and quietest of Take's top three. Unlike Ouka and Mikoto, who thrived in a close combat role, Chigusa specialized in ranged combat and support skills. Because she spent most of her time watching from a distance, she often served as a strategist for their team.

"What if only a few of us stay here?" Ouka spoke up. "We could continue to send money back home."

"That won't work," Mikoto spoke up. "The guild has rules forbidding adventurers from entering the Dungeon if their god hasn't resided in the city for more than six months."

"Nor would you be able to update your Statuses if I am not in the city," Take said. "I have been pondering what to do since the moment I received the letter. I did not want to say anything until I had a workable solution."

"And?" Ouka asked. "Did you come up with something?"

Take nodded. "A solution presented itself, but not until I sought advice from a dear friend. She suggested that some of you stay here, in the city, and join another Familia while the rest would accompany me home. Those who stay would be able to continue sending money back, while those who return with me can help rebuild and run the shrine."

The members of Take's Familia grimaced, their brows furrowed as they considered the proposal. He could tell that none of them were thrilled with the idea. Their loyalty to him was too strong to consider serving anyone else, but it was that same loyalty that would compel them to do so. It was the only way to keep their home from being destroyed.

"Who would we join?" Mikoto asked, reluctantly. "I can't imagine many gods accepting us sending money away. Not to mention the fact that we will always be more loyal to you, my lord, than any other god."

Take smiled. "I said the same thing but Hestia, my friend, had a solution to that issue as well. You see, Hestia is the Olympian Goddess of Hearth and Home and has been a dear friend for millennia. She arrived in Orario a little under 8 months ago and has been slowly building up an exploration-type Familia. She only has four members at the moment, one of whom is retired and serves as an instructor, but they have been doing remarkably well."

"Hestia is willing to accept any of you who wish to stay into her Familia," Take paused for a moment, allowing that to sink in. "Her members contribute 10% of their earnings to the Familia, but the rest is theirs to use as they wish. She is willing to cut that in half at least, maybe even waive it entirely, for any of you who wish to join her. Instead, that money could be sent back home to the shrine. The only thing she would ask of you is that you do not bankrupt yourselves and that you be loyal to her Familia while you are in the city. If an issue of divided loyalty arises, which is unlikely given my longstanding friendship with Hestia and impending absence from the city, Hestia would only ask that you not allow the issue to endanger any of her other members."

"Why would she make an offer like this?" Ouka asked. "It almost seems too good to be true."

"It almost is," Take nodded, "and if it were any other god, I would be wary of an ulterior motive. But not with Hestia."

"Why not, my lord?" Chigusa asked, quietly.

"Not only is Hestia an old and dear friend," Take replied, "but she is also a Goddess of Home and Family. It goes against her very nature to deny a person the right to help their family, and that is exactly what you would be doing if you accept her offer. That shrine is our home. Its residents our family. She would never deny you the right or opportunity to help them, however you can. It isn't in her nature."

The room was silent for several minutes as they considered their options. "Is this the course you wish us to pursue, my lord?" Asuka asked, unsure.

Take sat for a moment, pondering the best way to respond. "It is," he said at last, "but I do not want that to cloud your judgement. Hestia was adamant that both her current members, and any of you who wish to join, accept this arrangement of their own free will."

"It would be a solution to our problems," Chigusa said, after a moment of silent thought. "If you vouch for her, my lord, I would not object to serving her. So long as it would allow me to aid you."

"The only question is," Ouka added. "Who would stay, and who would go?"

"I'm not staying," Asuka said. "I need to go home. I need to see what is left. To rebuild." Take couldn't blame the girl, considering how much Tsukuyomi had meant to her.

"I will remain here," Ouka grumbled. "I would not be much help running the shrine, but I have become adept at killing monsters. It is the best way for me to be of service."

"I'll stay as well," Chigusa added. Take smiled at the girl. He knew that she was torn but, in the end, she would never willingly leave Ouka's side.

"You should stay too, Mikoto." Asuka said.

"What?" Mikoto looked at the girl, surprise. "No, I should return home to help!"

"Mikoto…" Asuka smiled sadly and took Mikoto's hand. "Out of all those here, I know best just how much the shrine means to you, but it's obvious that being an adventurer is your calling. It's what you were meant to be. Help us by doing what you do best. Be an adventurer."

"Besides," Chigusa added. "If you stay, you will be able to continue your investigation." During the chaos of the Monsterphilia attacks, a Ligerfang from the middle floors had chased Mikoto and Ouka into the vicinity of the red-light district. Mikoto was adamant that during the chaos she had seen one of their friends, Haruhime, being shoved into a building by a group of Amazons.

Haruhime was a Renard. A fox-person who was the daughter of a noble that lived nearby to Take's shrine. As children, Mikoto and the others would often sneak her out to play but the poor girl had disappeared around a year before they had come to Orario. Nobody knew what happened to her, but now Mikoto was certain that she was in the city and had been trying to find out more. The others weren't so sure. Renard were rare, but it seemed unlikely that Haruhime would have wound up in the red-light district so far from home.

Mikoto sat silent for a moment, the inner conflict dancing across her face. Finally, she closed her eyes and nodded, squeezing Asuka's hand. "Very well," she said. "I will remain here, in the city."

The other two members, who had been silently comforting each other through most of the exchange, both decided to accompany Asuka and Take back to the Far East. The Familia would be split down the middle, with three returning home and three staying in the city to earn as much money as they could.

"Hestia has asked to meet you all before anything permanent is done." Take said. "I will take you to speak with her tomorrow. Her Familia will be diving into the Dungeon for most of the day but that will allow us to speak with Hestia and the Mentor of the Familia, before meeting their active team. If any of you change your minds, neither I nor Hestia will hold it against you."

Soon enough, the Takemikazuchi Familia would be separated but, for that night at least, they would eat, drink, laugh, and grieve together as the reminisced about their home and their family's fallen matriarch.

Bell

"They… look like you," Lili said, staring at the pack of monsters crouched in their path.

"Huh, little Bell Bunnies." Welf chuckled.

"They are called Almiraj!" Bell shouted, indignantly gesturing at the pack of small white rabbits with red eyes. So, what if they had the same coloring as him! "I am not a rabbit!" Bell thought to himself. His alias might be Rabbit Foot, but Bell was not a bunny! Before he could continue to berate his friends for comparing him to the little monsters, the pack of Almiraj screeched and pulled out makeshift axes.

Bell's team quickly fell into formation. Welf strode to the front, taking what Mr. Torrhen called the 'Tank' role. Lili stayed to the rear, calling out patterns and picking off strays with her crossbow. Bell was in the middle, dashing around Welf to strike at an enemy before using his superior agility to get back behind his defensive stance.

Using this formation, the group was able to best the pack of eleven rabbit monsters and were soon taking a break, keeping a careful watch out for approaching enemies.

"We're doing a lot better than I was expecting," Welf said, happily.

"No kidding," Lili added. "The middle floors are much harder than anything we've encountered before. It's hard to believe we're already on the 14th floor."

"I honestly thought we would have to turn back, like Ms. Eina said." Bell smiled. After the teams resounding successes on the 11th and 12th floors, Ms. Eina had given them permission to access the 13th and 14th with the provision that they turn back if they felt even slightly overwhelmed. The encounters were much more frequent than they had been expecting, but they had prepared in advance for them and had done extensive research on the monsters they would find there.

"We mostly just had to deal with Hellhounds and Dungeon Worms on 13, and it wasn't too bad. Although the Hellhound's fire breath could have been a problem if we didn't have resist potions and salamander wool." Welf commented.

Ms. Eina had insisted that the team acquire the fire-resistant salamander wool and use it in conjunction with the fire resistance potions they'd bought from Naaza. She had been very serious about not wanting to see any burns on a single one of them when they'd returned to the surface.

"We can't afford to let our guard down, even if things have been going well." Lili said. "The middle floors can be deceptive. Each floor will get progressively more difficult to navigate as we go further in. Just because we did alright on 13 doesn't mean that 14 will go nearly as well."

"True enough, Lil'E" Welf said. He'd started calling Lili by that nickname a few days ago, and Bell was almost certain that he was only doing it because he found her reaction hilarious. Sure enough, Lili was grumbling and kicking him, demanding that he never call her that again while Welf just sat there and laughed.

Bell looked around the cave-like corridors of the 14th floor. The danger sense that Mr. Torrhen was helping him develop was starting to send him signals. "We should get moving," he said. "I don't want to linger in one place for too long."

The group gathered themselves and moved along the passage, skirting around a nearby shaft. Shafts were a peculiar phenomenon Bell had come across in his 'Eina mandated' research. They were essentially massive holes in the Dungeon floor that led down to deeper levels. They were known to bypass up to 3 Dungeon Floors at a time on the middle levels. Incredible time savers if a group was in a hurry and had a landing strategy but extremely dangerous to inexperienced parties like Bell's own.

"We should probably wrap things up soon," Lili commented after a while. "We're not ready for an extended tour of the middle floors. This is just supposed to be a light excursion."

"We should have thought of that before we came down to 14," Welf replied. "You're right though. We need to head back up soon anyway. Hestia is meeting with those people from the Takemikazuchi Familia today and she asked us to be there by late afternoon."

"What do you guys think of her offer?" Bell asked. Personally, he thought that she was doing a wonderful thing for them. He really was grateful that he'd met such a kind goddess. Bell couldn't imagine being as happy serving any other god.

"I can totally understand her reasoning," Welf said, "so I don't really have a problem with them joining us. It's not like we don't have the room. Besides, it will be safer for us if we explore in a larger group." That it gave Welf more potential clients went without saying.

"I don't have any objections to them joining," Lili added. "But I do think they should contribute at least a little to the Familia coffers. I don't mind it being less than we do, in light of the situation, but they should at least contribute something!"

"I'm glad nobody objects, at least." Bell said. "It will be weird having so many people around, but I'm excited to see the Familia growing so quickly." During the first month it had really just been Bell and Mr. Torrhen but now, less than a month after that, their Familia had doubled in size! Now they would be adding even more members, barely a week after Welf had joined them. Nobody was sure just how many new members there would be, but even one would be a welcome addition in Bell's opinion.

They continued on for several more yards before emerging into a large, cavernous area. To one side, gathered around the opening of a shaft was a pack of Hellhounds who roared and charged when they caught sight of Bell's team.

Getting into formation, the group engaged the Hellhounds, determined to end the fight quickly. None of them were comfortable fighting anywhere near a shaft., considering the danger. The encounter started well, with Lili picking off two with well-placed shots to the eye. Bell took down another with a quick slash, and Welf handled two more with a single blow, thanks to his sword's longer reach. Unfortunately, they were so focused on their fight that they failed to notice the team of adventurers bearing down on them.

To the Hestia Familia's collective surprise their battle was interrupted by a brown-haired Pallum, covered in blood, barreling through the area and screaming his head off. He, and the team of 3 adventurers behind him were all dressed in a black uniform with orange trim and a logo that Bell didn't have time to recognize over the left breast. They all sported a variety of injuries or torn gear.

The Pallum slammed into Lili, sending her sprawling, and continued to run for the passage behind them.

"Luan, wait!" One of the adventurers behind him shouted, slowing briefly.

"Leave them!" The Pallum shouted over his shoulder. "Let those rookies handle it and run!"

The other adventurer hesitated before barreling down the passage after his comrades. A cacophonous amalgamation of screeches and howls tore through the Dungeon. Out of the passage the Pallum and his team had emerged from, came a veritable horde of Hellhounds, Almiraj, and Crystal Mantis'.

"They pass-paraded us!" Lili shouted in terror, scrambling to her feet.

The team tried to get into formation, desperate to weather the oncoming storm of monsters. Bell unleashed a series of Firebolts into the crowd as Welf slashed at the Helhounds nearest to them.

"We should run!" He shouted.

"We can't!" Bell replied, ducking under a Crystal Mantis and skewering it with Ushiwakamaru. "They've blocked the exit!" They had indeed. As the horde of monsters barreled into the room, they had spread out and were now surrounding Bell and his team.

"Agh!" Lili's voice cried out! One of the Almiraj had caught her from behind, its axe burying itself deeply into her right shoulder. "Get off!" Lili screamed, desperately trying to dislodge the monster, which was still holding onto the axe.

She lost her balance, her foot skating off one of the magic stones that littered the ground. Lili teetered, trying to regain her footing, but the Almiraj yanked its axe out of her shoulder and jumped away. Lili screamed, fell, and tumbled over the edge and into the shaft.

"Lili!" Bell cried out. Not even thinking, he bolted towards the opening and dived head-first into the shaft.

"This is bullshit!" Bell could hear Welf cursing as he too jumped into the shaft.

Hestia

Hestia smiled as she stood in the entrance hall to Hearthfire Hall. What had once been her entire living space was now just the entrance to the gorgeous manor she called home. She was waiting patiently for Take and his Familia to arrive so that they could meet and hash out any details or issues that might arise from Take leaving some of his members in her care. Bell, Lili, and Welf were in the Dungeon and would be coming back later in the afternoon to meet their potential new members properly.

Hestia wanted to meet them in private first, along with Torrhen, so that they could get to know their new members without the chaos of trying to introduce the rest of the Familia. She wanted them to get to know her as well, since she would be their patron for the foreseeable future.

Speaking of Torrhen, he stood on the other side of the entrance hall, patiently waiting for their guests to arrive. The two had spent the morning going over ideas and drafting a very important invitation that Hestia would be sending to Loki once word came that her Familia had returned to the surface.

She was pulled from her thoughts when the knock she was waiting for echoed through the hall. Smiling widely, she made her way to the door and opened it wide. Standing outside was Take, one of her dearest friends. Behind him stood a group of six young humans, whose ages seemed to range from 14 to 17.

"Hello," she said. "Please, come in." She stepped aside as Take and his Familia filed into the entryway. "Welcome to Hearthfire Hall," she gestured to the space around them.

"Thank you for this, Hestia." Take smiled. "You truly are a great help."

"You're my friend, Take. There was no question that I would help you." Turning to face the young humans, she said "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Hestia. I am the Olympian Goddess of Hearth and Home. This is Torrhen," she gestured to him. "He is the Mentor of my Familia and is in charge of training for all its member."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Torrhen said. "I only wish it hadn't taken such grievous circumstances to make it happen." Take's children all quickly introduced themselves. Hestia was certain that they weren't in the best of spirits but, considering what had happened, she couldn't hold it against them.

She led them through the Hall, explaining briefly about the renovations and the work that had been completed until they arrived at the office area. Four offices sat in a semi-circle around a central lounge which would be used primarily as a space for meetings and quiet conversations. Eventually, Hestia would need to conduct such things in her private office at the back of the room, but there were some conversations that were best had without a desk separating the participants.

Hestia sat in one of the chairs as their guests made themselves comfortable. Once all were settled, she began. "First, I would like to extend my sympathies for what has happened." She said. "I know that nothing I can do will help you heal, but I would like to do my best to aid you going forward."

"Thank you, Hestia." Take said. "We spent much of last night going over your offer and have come to an agreement."

"What have you decided?" No matter what happened, whether they accepted or not, Hestia would do her best to help them. Even if it was just giving them some money to help them on their way home, she would do what she could to help her friend and his children.

"We have decided to accept your offer, Goddess Hestia." Mikoto, one of Take's children said. "It is extremely generous and we are very grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting out home."

"While there was some debate about accepting your offer, it was easy to determine who would stay and who would return to the east with me." Take said. "It has been agreed that Ouka," he pointed to the largest of the children, "Chigusa," a petite girl sitting very close to Ouka, "and Mikoto," the girl with the ponytail who had spoken a moment ago, "will be joining you. The rest will be returning east with me."

"I understand." Hestia said. "I promise you all, that you will be treated well while in my Familia. I spoke with my members last night, and none had objections to any number of you joining our ranks." She smiled. "Though, I would like you to meet them before we perform the conversion. They should be heading out of the Dungeon soon so they'll probably be back in an hour or two. Do any of you have questions you would like to ask while we are waiting?"

"I do," Ouka said. "Lord Takemikazuchi said that you ask for a tribute from your members. A contribution to the Familia's coffers out of their earnings. How much would you expect us to pay?"

"In debate with my current members, it was agreed that everyone would give 10% of their earnings to the Familia to pay for food, toiletries, and the like. Eventually, the fund will be big enough to use to pay for expeditions. However, in light of your situation, I am happy to, at least, cut that in half. I would ask for 5% of your earnings at most."

"It has been difficult to convince our treasurer to agree to waiving the contribution entirely," Torrhen added. "She believes, not incorrectly, that members should contribute to the growth of the Familia."

"In comparison to what we have been sending home, 5% is not much of a requirement," Mikoto said, almost speaking more to Ouka than to anyone else. "Our main concern is making sure the shrine stays afloat, but I cannot argue with the opinion that we should contribute while we are members."

"It is a more than reasonable request," Chigusa said.

"My primary concern is for my members to thrive," Hestia said. "I am glad to hear that you wish to contribute but I must stress that I cannot allow you to bankrupt yourselves trying to help the shrine. If you need help or extra money to send, both Torrhen and I are happy to contribute when needed." Torrhen nodded at her words.

She turned to Take. "Also, I mentioned this yesterday, but if any of the orphans wish to come to Orario, you need only give them a letter of introduction and I will welcome them under the same conditions as these three." She gestured to the three who would be joining her. "Do you have any other questions?"

"Yes," Mikoto spoke up. "You said you are a mentor, Master Torrhen. Does that mean you will be training us as well?"

Torrhen nodded. "I am responsible for supervising the training of every member of the Familia. Nobody goes into the Dungeon until I deem them ready. I have no doubt that you are skilled, but I will be testing you to see how good you are. Then I can make a training plan that will aid in your growth."

Hestia smiled as she watched the interaction. Despite the horrible events that had led to this, she was glad to be able to help Take and his kids. Like a thunderbolt, a sense of horror washed over her. The same sense she had felt when Bell had faced that Minotaur!

"Hestia?" Torrhen's voice cut through the icy dread. "What's wrong?"

"Something's happened." She said, her voice shaking. "It's just like when Bell faced off with that Minotaur but far worse. Something has gone horribly wrong." She tried to slow her breathing, desperate to remain calm through the rising panic.

"I'll get my gear." Torrhen said, standing swiftly.

"They're not in immanent danger," Hestia said, trying to examine what her connection to the Falna was telling her. "Something has gone very wrong and they need help, but they should hold out long enough for you to reach them."

"Right," Torrhen said, turning to the door.

"Wait!" Mikoto said, making him pause. "I would like to accompany you."

"What?" He asked, baffled.

"It has been agreed that we will join the Hestia Familia," Mikoto continued. "That means that the members currently in need will be our comrades. One of them will be our Captain. If they are to be our comrades, and they are in trouble, then I would help them in their time of need."

"Us too," Ouka said, he and Chigusa standing together. "I could not live with myself if I left comrades in danger. Even ones I have never met."

Despite the cold feeling still gripper her heart, Hestia smiled at their words. Glancing at Take, she could see him watching his children with an expression of fierce pride. Torrhen stared at them for a moment, looking into their eyes before nodding.

"Get your gear and meet me at the entrance to the Dungeon in 45 minutes." He said. "We are running all the way. You will keep up, or you will return to the surface." The three nodded and rushed for the doors.

Torrhen

Torrhen was well practiced at panic-packing and so, despite his speed, he was methodical as he prepared his gear and threw together Adventurer Packs for the three kids who would accompany him. Although he knew it would be faster to go alone, if the team was badly wounded, he could not carry all three members out of the Dungeon by himself. He could handle the weight, of course, but trying to carry three people and fight was beyond awkward. If the team was badly wounded or unconscious and the new kids could help carry them out, it would be worth bringing them.

Hestia stepped into the room as he continued his preparations. "They were headed for the middle floors," she said as she walked in, talking fast. "They were supposed to go no further than the 14th."

"I'll head straight there then" Torrhen said. "If something was going to go badly, that's the most likely area. Can you tell me anything more about what went wrong? What do you feel?"

"I can't tell exactly what has happened," Hestia said. "But I have a feeling they may have fallen into one of the shafts. That's one of the most common dangers on the middle floors, so it's likely that they may have wound up below the 14th."

Torrhen nodded and was about to speak when something unfamiliar tickled his senses. With lighting speed, he drew his sword, swinging it to point at the man who was trying to hide just beyond the door.

"Aah don't kill me!" He yelled. The man was blonde and wearing a cowboy hat with a red scarf. His gloved hands were raised in surrender. Behind him stood a blue-haired girl wearing glasses and a white cloak who was staring wide-eyed at the blade.

"Hermes!" Hestia shouted. So, this was the god of thieves who had been asking about them. No wonder Torrhen almost missed him. If he was anything like Nocturnal, this god was very sneaky. "What are you doing here?" Hestia demanded.

"I'm sorry! I was on my way over to say hi when I saw three kids running out of your house. It looked like something was wrong, so I thought I'd check in. Did I hear right? Your kids have fallen into a shaft?"

"Yes," Hestia said while Torrhen continued to pack. "Torrhen and three of Take's kids are heading into the Dungeon to find them."

"I'd like to help." Hermes said immediately, a smile on his face. "Take Asfi with you, she knows the middle floors better than anybody."

"What?!" the girl demanded.

"We do not need extra hands, slowing us down." Torrhen said.

"Oh, come on. You need somebody who knows that area to help in the search. Asfi has spent years exploring those floors."

"I didn't agree to this!" The now named Asfi said but Torrhen paused. He hadn't been that deep. He didn't know the area.

"Consider it an order." Hermes said, smiling at Asfi.

"Damn it," Torrhen cursed under his breath. Why hadn't he gone exploring alone? It was a stupid move. Correcting that mistake was a priority once the team had been rescued. "Fine, a guide would be helpful. Meet me at the entrance in 30 minutes. If you're not there, I'm leaving you behind."

"Perfect! We'll go round up some more help and meet you there!" The god said, pulling his blue-haired companion behind him as he ran off.

"Wait, more? We don't need… and he's gone." Torrhen sighed. "Whatever" he thought. If they couldn't keep up, he'd leave them behind. Saving his students was his top priority right now, not dealing with an annoying god.

Finishing the preparations as quickly as they could, Torrhen and Hestia made their way to the Dungeon entrance. Already standing there were Mikoto, Ouka, and Chigusa but there was no sign of Hermes.

"You're here." Torrhen called to them. "Good. We're heading in. Ignore every monster that does not directly block your path and keep up."

"Right," The group moved, falling in behind him.

"Take these," He said, passing out the packs he'd prepared. "They have emergency gear and potions. We shouldn't need them until we find the others, but keep them on you, just in case."

"Be careful," Hestia said as she moved to the side. "And bring them back safe."

"We will," Torrhen said. "I promise." He moved towards the stairs to the Dungeon, the kids following behind him.

"Wait up!" Came Hermes' voice as he ran towards them. Running behind him was Asfi, his blue haired companion and, to Torrhen's surprise, Ryuu. The blonde, elven waitress from the Hostess of Fertility. She was dressed in a green and white ensemble with a wooden weapon of some kind at her hip.

Torrhen didn't have time to ponder it though. "You're late!" He called to them. "Keep up." With that, he began his descent into the Dungeon, the rest of the rescue party hot on his heels.

Daphne Lauros

When Luan and his party had come stumbling into the Apollo Familia mansion bloody and panting, Daphne sighed in exasperation. She was a Level 2 executive of the Apollo Familia, with dark red hair and yellow eyes. She, like many others, had been forcibly conscripted into the Familia by Apollo and because of that, she wasn't all that fond of him.

Oh, Apollo took care of them. He wasn't a cruel god to his members by any stretch, but that just made Daphen hate him more. One of the worst things about him though was that Apollo was just plain creepy. With his lecherous gaze and obsessive personality, she was never very comfortable being alone in a room with him.

Daphne shook off her thoughts of the god and walked towards the group of panting adventurers. Following behind her was Cassandra, another Level 2 member of the Familia. She had long bluish-black hair and was extremely timid. Not only that, but she claimed to have prophetic dreams. Not that anybody believed her of course. The poor girl was basically Daphne's shadow but she didn't mind that much. Cassandra was her best friend, even if her shy attitude was occasionally annoying.

Luan, on the other hand was not someone Daphen liked at all. He was weak, cowardly, and was far too convinced of his own self-superiority. Even though he was just Level 1 and had never been appointed to the position, the brunette Pallum considered himself to be an Executive. He loved bossing around other members and tried to take control of any party he was assigned to, despite having absolutely no leadership abilities.

"What the hell happened to you?" Daphne asked as she approached.

"We got ambushed by a huge horde on the 14th floor." One of the group, Laon said from his position on the floor.

"It's a good thing that team of rookies was nearby." Luan said. "We might have been caught otherwise."

"What?!" Daphne demanded. She couldn't believe her ears.

"We… got away by pass-parading another team." Laon said, staring at the floor in shame.

"We would have died if they hadn't been there!" Luan shouted. "We did nothing wrong."

Daphne shut him up by slapping the moron across the face. Pass-parading was one of the cruelest things a team could do. Leading a pack of monsters to an unsuspecting party and then abandoning them was pretty much a death sentence. Not only that, but if by some miracle the victims survived, it could come back to haunt them all. Familias with a reputation for pass-parading were never treated well. Shops would either refuse to sell to members or jack up their prices. Daphne may despise Apollo, but she didn't want the Familia's reputation to be tarnished because of the cowardice of a little shit like Luan.

"What did you hit me for?!" Luan shouted.

"Pass-parading, Luan?!" Daphne roared. "That's probably the stupidest thing you've ever done! If word gets out, you'll leave a black mark across our entire reputation!"

"This is one of the most powerful Familias in Orario!" Luan retorted. "Nobody would dare accuse us of anything!"

"That doesn't mean jack-shit, Luan!" Daphne roared. "We're top 10 at best! If even a rumor gets out and the stronger Familias get word of it, there's nothing we can do! Our reputation will be shot!"

"That is enough, Daphne." A voice said from behind her. Coming down the stairs was a tall human with brown hair and an expression that looked like he had excrement permanently smeared under his nose. Hyakinthos Clio, the Level 3 Captain of the Apollo Familia and the only person Daphne hated more than Apollo himself. He was self-righteous, jealous, power hungry, and obsessed with Apollo. "Luan is right. We are the glorious Apollo Familia. None would dare to say a word against us."

Daphne stepped back, holding in a growl. Hyakinthos was delusional if he thought that and Luan's now smug face was pissing her off.

"This is an ill omen," Cassandra whispered from behind her. "Doom is coming for us now."

"For once, Cassandra" Daphen whispered back, "I agree with you. Nothing good is going to come from this. They've screwed us, and all we can do is try to keep the fallout to a minimum."

Bell

Bell moaned in pain as he tried to struggle to his feet. He was laying on his back in a cavernous area. A strange light seemed to fill the air, giving the stone a pale white-blue look. Above him stretched the shaft he had jumped into, trying to catch Lili. He'd managed to reach her and tried to break their fall, but they had still landed hard. He sat up, pulling one of his feet under him, pain flaring up his leg. Shifting, he tried to put weight on it but with a cry of pain, the ankle buckled and he collapsed back to the floor.

"It's definitely broken," he thought to himself. With effort, he was able to get his pack off and flip open the lid. Using the display, he pulled out a Potion of Vigorous Healing and quickly chugged it. A soothing relief spread through his body, healing his scratches and bruises. He could feel the bones in his ankle knit themselves back together.

Once he was healed, he stood and looked around for his friends. Laying just to his left was Lili, who was still unconscious. Her shoulder was bleeding badly but she didn't appear to have any broken bones. A short distance away, Welf was leaned up against a wall groaning and clutching his knee. Below the knee, his right leg was twisted at a bad angle.

"I could use some help here," he said.

"Just a second," Bell replied. "I want to get Lili's bleeding under control."

He kneeled next to the unconscious girl and pulled out another potion. Remembering his first-aid training with Torrhen, he slowly poured the liquid down Lili's throat. Although she was still covered in blood, Bell could see the skin of her shoulder slowly sealing itself. The lump on the back of her head, which she must have gotten during the fall, was shrinking rapidly.

Once he was satisfied that she was alright, he moved towards Welf. "I need you to push it back into position," his friend said. Mr. Torhhen had explained to them that while healing potions were miraculous, they occasionally needed help. Especially with broken bones or limbs. If a bone was severely out of place or a limb was bent the wrong way it was actually better to push it back than to leave it be. By putting the twisted limb as close to its original position as possible, you reduced the amount of work the potion needed to do.

"This is going to hurt, Welf." Bell said, seizing the ankle.

"I know," he grunted. "Just do it. Quickly."

With a heave, Bell pushed the leg back into a natural position. Welf let out a groan of extreme pain as the sound crackling bones filled the air. Bell pulled another vial out and handed it to him. The redhead drank it down and Bell watched with fascination as his mangled knee shifted under the skin, the breaks healing and the bones moving back to their correct positions.

"That was unpleasant," Welf said as he leaned his head back, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "How far do you think we fell?"

Bell looked around them and then back up at the shaft. "If I had to guess, we're probably on the 17th floor," he replied. "I think I saw a few openings in the tunnel as we were falling. If they led to the other floors, then that would mean we fell three levels."

"If you're right, we are in serious trouble," Welf said, standing. "We are nowhere near ready to handle the 17th floor. We're likely to get ourselves killed trying to make our way back up."

"Not if we head further in," Lili's quiet voice added. She had woken up and from her position on the floor the girl shifted, trying to sit up. "17 isn't very big, so if we can make it to the safe zone on 18, we can meet up with some higher level adventurers. That'll give us a much better chance at getting out alive."

"What about the floor boss?" Welf asked. "All the records say that the only way to reach the 18th floor is through Goliath's boss room. We can't handle him."

"Goliath has a really long respawn time," Lili said. "He usually only spawns once a week and it's been a week since the Loki Familia went through. If we're lucky, he won't have respawned yet."

"Have you lost your mind, Lili?" Welf said, incredulously.

"It's our safest option." She responded. Lili stood and adjusted her pack. "Master Bell?" She looked at him. "You're our Captain. The final decision is yours."

Bell stared at his friends for a moment. He honestly didn't think that they would survive trying to make their way out. On the other hand, the risk of encountering Goliath was ridiculously high. Still, he knew what he had to do. Bell needed to keep his friends alive and that meant taking the safest option.

"We'll head for the 18th floor." He said. Welf grimaced but nodded.

"If that's what you think is best, I'll follow your lead. You haven't led us wrong yet." He said. Bell smiled at his friend.

"I have a monster repellent we can use," Lili knelt on the ground and opened her bag. "It smells like a sewer, but it should hopefully keep the monsters from attacking us."

"Urgh," Welf groaned as she pulled out a small cloth bag on a string. Whatever was in it was staining the bottom of the cloth a sickly green. "Sewer is right. That thing will really keep the monsters off us?"

"That's what it's for," Lili grimaced and pulled a scarf out of her bag. Wrapping it around her face she said, "try covering your noses. It won't do much, but it should at least it will block the worst of the smell."

"Wait, if that repels monsters, couldn't we use it to get back to the surface?" Bell asked. He hadn't known she had something like that. Unfortunately, Lili shook her head at him.

"I only have one and the don't last very long." She said, her expression sorrowful. "We've been so careful and I wasn't expecting to need them, so I never replenished my stocks."

"Torrhen is not gonna like that oversight," Welf commented. Lili glared at him but she didn't say anything. He was right, of course. Torrhen did not approve of entering the Dungeon unprepared.

The group moved through the floors, searching. The middle floors were laid out like a cave labyrinth with long, winding passages and huge open caverns. They moved through the tunnels as swiftly and silently as they could, searching desperately.

Occasionally, despite the use of the stink bag, they would encounter a lone monster. Some, like the Hellhounds were easy to handle. Others, like the two Minotaurs were harder to defeat. Still, considering Bell's experience with the bull monsters and the boost in strength he gained from leveling up, he was able to take them out and avoid serious injury.

They walked for what seemed like hours, desperately hoping that the repellent wouldn't run out. Until at last, the entered a massive room with a vaulted ceiling. To one side was a gorgeous, glowing crystal wall. Far on the other side was a tunnel that appeared to be heading down.

"That's the Wall of Grief," Lili said. "This is Goliath's boss room."

"We've made it!" Welf grinned.

"Not yet," Bell cut him off. "Not until we actually set foot on 18."

The others nodded and together they made their way across the room. Sadly, it was a this point that what luck they had ran out. A cracking, rumbling noise filled the air followed by a bellowing roar. The Wall of Grief shattered and out of it emerged Goliath. The floor boss was a massive, humanoid figure whose head nearly scraped the ceiling of the cavernous room and he was staring right at them.

"Run!"

The group sprinted across the room, dodging boulders and shards of crystal as they rained down upon them. With another roar, Goliath swung a massive hand at the group that they just narrowly avoided. They were nearing the exit, with escape in sight when the Monster Rex's foot came crashing down behind them. Their bodies were peppered with crystal shards and debris causing cuts and bruises with a few shards becoming embedded into their skin. The blow was so strong it created a shockwave that lifted them into the air and sent them careening through the tunnel entrance. The last thing Bell saw before he blacked out was the stairs of the tunnel coming up to meet his face as he slammed into the ground.

Ais

Ais looked up. She could have sworn that she'd heard Goliath's roar coming from the tunnel entrance. She and the rest of the Loki Familia had arrived on the 18th floor only a few hours ago and had only recently finished setting up camp.

After the battle with the spirit on the 59th floor, the expedition team had simply sat in the dust trying to process all that they had experienced. Once some semblance of sanity had returned, the first thing many of them did was mob Gareth and Riveria. They had all believed the two to be dead, so it was a great relief to them all when the two had risen and rejoined the battle.

After regrouping and expressing their joy over their recent victory, Finn had gotten everyone organized. They had collected every magic stone and drop they could find and stuffed everything that would fit into the Adventurer Packs. When those were full, what was left was shoved into satchels or pockets before they, as Gareth put it, 'got the hell out of there.'

Considering how beat up they were and how depleted their potion stores had become, getting back up to the 50th floor was a harrowing experience. They wiped out the Valgang Dragons that had respawned on 58 during their ascent, but more had spawned by the time they reached 54. Thankfully, they made it back up to 50 without major incident and filled the rest of the expedition team in on what had happened.

Riveria and Gareth were particularly upset about the destruction of their clothes and armor, but Tsubaki had promised to help in making them new gear. Gareth in particular had perked up when Finn suggested that they might be able to get Torrhen to enchant the Dwarf's new armor.

That had lit a fire in everyone and there was a great deal of animated discussion about what kind of enchantments they might want on their armor or weapons if they could convince Torrhen to do it. Ais herself had been excited by the idea, but it didn't really show thorough her usual calm demeanor.

Most would think that getting back out of the Dungeon would take just as long as heading in during an expedition but they would be wrong. During the descent, they had focused on killing every monster they could find. Collecting every material and drop in their path. On the way back up though? Their packs were full, their bodies were exhausted, and quite frankly they just wanted to go home so the team had made use of the fastest routes up the floors of the Dungeon and ignored every monster not in their direct path. It had taken them four days to reach the 50th floor. The fifth was the day that the deep-dive team had encountered the Spirit. The last two had been dedicated to their ascent, with them having reached 18 in the late afternoon of day seven.

Rather than make a push for the surface, Finn had decided that they would camp out on 18 and get some much needed rest. They weren't in a rush now, and it wouldn't do for one of the top two Familias to exit the Dungeon looking exhausted and beat up. No, they would be taking a rest on 18 and enjoying the safe zone. Once camp had been set up, most of the expedition team had either gotten a head start on dinner prep or started exploring Rivira, the town within the Dungeon.

Set up decades ago by adventurer Rivira Santilini, the town within the Dungeon was a common pitstop for adventurer parties heading for the lower floors and needing to rest or restock their supplies. There were items to be found there that either weren't available or were outright banned on the surface although the prices found within the town were astronomical compared to the ones on the surface.

Instead of exploring the town however, Ais had chosen to wander through the lush woodland that made up most of the 18th floor. It was peaceful, and gave her time to think about a great many things. The Spirit they had encountered had mentioned Ais' mother, Aria, several times and she was extremely concerned about what it could mean.

Still, Ais was pulled out of her thoughts by the echoing roar of Goliath. She wasn't all that far from the stairs leading up to the 18th floor, but Goliath wouldn't be roaring like that unless there was someone in his boss room.

Making her way towards the stairs, Ais stopped short. Lying at the bottom of the steps were three people. They were battered and bruised. Covered in bleeding cuts, they all had crystal shards sticking out of their backs and arms. Ais stared at the group for a moment. She knew two of them!

"Bell!" She cried out. Why was he here? He was nowhere near ready to be this deep! Rushing to his side, she placed two fingers on his neck, feeling for a pulse. She sighed in relief when she felt his heart beating beneath her fingers. She moved to Lili and the red-headed figure, checking them for signs of life as well. They were all alive, but certainly looked worse for wear.

Turning in the direction of the camp, Ais called out for the others. She knew that Lefiya had been somewhere close by as had Anakitty and Raul. Finding out what had happened to Bell and Lili would have to wait. For now, she just needed to get the wounded back to camp so that they could treat them.

A/N: Pass paraded by Apollo instead of Take! You like it? I seemed to me like something Luan would do. That might just be me though. I hate Luan. Either way, it works for my later plans. I'd love to hear your opinions on what I've done here, though.

I liked the idea of the gods being connected to the Falna, and able to sense when their people are in real danger through it so I wanted to have it here. Hestia and other gods, especially ones who genuinely care, can tell when their members are in real trouble.

How do you feel about having all 3 of Take's best join Hestia? Do you like it? I really want the Familia to grow and they felt like a perfect addition. The next chapter will showcase Bell and the others exploring the 18th floor and talking with the Loki Familia. Also, Torrhen and his team tearing through the Dungeon will be in the next one.

Oh, for the semi-near future. What do you think of Aisha? I'm not sure I want her in the Hestia Familia but what do you think? To me, she just doesn't fit with their dynamic.

If you have any questions or comments, please ask them. I really like seeing your opinions or ideas and responding to them.

Answers to Questions

On FFN

Toladeari: I didn't kill them? Riveria and Gareth are alive, Finn just thought they were dead. They both got up and helped in the fight shortly after. I won't be killing off major characters like that.

Christalm: I mostly meant that Tsukuyomi and Take were more like business partners, running the shrine together but I don't have a problem with them being romantic if it sounds better. Take will be leaving soon anyway. I'm not saying he won't show up again, but it'd probably be far in the future. As for Mikoto, I will be removing her crush. I'm trying to have the gods seem more like parents than potential lovers in most cases. In canon, Take raised Mikoto and the others, so her having a crush on him always felt kind of creepy to me.

Archangel Xireon Chaos God: As interesting as that might be, I'm not intending to have any more Skyrim characters be introduced. Torrhen being allowed to move worlds was a special thing and it would be ruined by bringing anybody else over.

GoTeam: Not quite yet, but there will be level up's coming eventually. Some sooner, some later, but they are coming.

On Ao3

Hulk9970: I think I'll be having Bell stick with knives, but I might give him a sword or something similar. For ranged attacks, I'll be sticking with Skyrim spells.