A/N: Here we go! Chapter 20! Kind of hard to believe I made it this far.

Likely one more chapter to go before things go boom on the 18th floor. Might start in the next one, but it won't finish. In this one Ryuu's backstory along with one other into this chapter and a lot of other character interactions. Please leave a review to let me know what you think of it all!

The update pace might slow down again soon. After the next chapter or two, because life. I do have to go to work and do adulting things. Once it does, I promise that I will do my best to get a chapter out a week.

I really appreciate any and all reviews I get. They help my thought process immensely and make me want to keep writing. Please leave a review or a comment if you have something you'd like to ask/say!

Hearthfire

Chapter 20

Torrhen

"Well, everyone!" Finn shouted, standing on a box near the fire. Torrhen sat just to his right, followed by a sea of people stretching around a series of campfires in the center of the Loki Familia camp. "Tonight, we are joined by a number of guests and friends from the Hestia, Hermes, and Takemikazuchi Familias! Please make them feel welcome as we celebrate our successful return from the deeper floors!"

Finn sat back down to raucous cheers coming from the adventurers gathered around the fires. All at once the sounds of drinking, laughter, and excited chatter began to fill the air as what could only be described as a party began.

"I figured you would wait to celebrate then end of the expedition until you returned to the surface." Torrhen commented to Finn as he sipped his drink.

"Oh, we will!" Gareth answered, before Finn could. He was sitting just to the left of the Pallum. "We'll have a proper banquet and celebration at Twilight Manor once we return, but there's no harm in starting the celebrations a little early."

"Rather like our goddess," Finn smiled, "we love a good party."

Torrhen laughed. "Can't blame you there!" He took a long draught of his mead before speaking again. "Tell me about the expedition. Lefiya said you almost died."

Finn nodded, solemnly. "For a moment there, I was convinced that Gareth and Riveria really had died."

"So was I!" Gareth chuckled. "I was sure I was a goner but I guess it just wasn't my time. Still probably would have croaked if it weren't for those potions though."

"What the hell happened?" Torrhen asked. While not at his level, the three leaders of the Loki Familia were very skilled. On par with newer members of the Companion's Circle. It was hard to imagine them coming that close to death when teamed up.

"The 59th floor wasn't at all what we were expecting," Finn explained. "It was completely covered in plant life and at the center we found a huge monster that was actively devouring the other monsters on the floor."

"We believe it was a Spirit or perhaps a Demi-Spirit which had absorbed a Titan Alm monster," Riveria cut in from Torrhen's right, adding her own explanation. "It was able to speak, chant, and cast extraordinarily powerful spells."

"A Spirit?" Torrhen said, bewildered. If he remembered rightly, Hestia had said that Spirits were comparable in strength to the Dovah of Nirn. Perhaps a little weaker overall. No wonder they had such trouble fighting it.

"A corrupted one," Riveria continued. "Perhaps not a full Spirit. If it was a true Spirit, it is unlikely we would have won, but it definitely wasn't a normal monster."

"What level would you say it was?" Torrhen asked, curious.

"Hmrnm" Gareth hummed. "7 or 8 at least. We might not have had such a bad go of it if we had known it was capable of using magic from the start. It was one of those spells that nearly did us in."

"The fight had barely begun when it began a very long chant. It cast what I believe to be a Great Incantation." Finn picked up the story again with Riveria nodding along, confirming his guess. "What followed next can only be described as an inferno from hell. It overwhelmed Riveria's most powerful shield. Then it easily shattered Lefiya's and left Gareth alone, standing at the head of the group using his own body to direct the flames around us. Eventually the force of the spell threw him aside and the rest of us flying."

"Not the most pleasant experience." Gareth said with a grimace. "It literally melted my armor with me inside it."

Torrhen winced. "I've had armor melt on me before. Not a pleasant experience indeed. I take it that's when the potions came in handy?"

Finn perked up. "Oh, they were a massive help throughout the expedition. Naaza is going to have a large number of happy customers coming out of the Dungeon soon. We made sure everybody knew where we had gotten the new potions, so she's going to be busy."

"That'll please her," Torrhen chuckled.

"Back to the story," Finn continued. "We were all badly burned and forced to use our Ultimate Healing potions to get us healthy enough to fight at all."

"That bad?" Torrhen asked with a grimace. Finn nodded.

"Even after most of us had gotten up, Riveria and Gareth were the worst off. We were all convinced that they were dead, so we did our best to both avenge them and try to make it home safe."

"Working up the strength to move and grab that vial is likely the most physically painful thing I have or will ever experience," Riveria said with a faint shudder. "The blast overwhelmed my shield and our fire resistance potions, and still had enough strength to leave us on the brink of death."

"Still," Gareth grinned, "We were able to get up and drink our own potions. Got us right back into fighting shape! Minus the melted armor of course. Once we were both on our feet, we jumped right back into the fight!"

"And none too soon," Finn said. "They provided the perfect diversion and allowed Ais to deliver the finishing blow."

"Well," Torrhen said, impressed by the story. "That was quite the experience. I'm glad you made it back though. I would hate to lose any friends, especially so soon. I am sorry about your destroyed gear though."

Gareth shook his head. "Not to worry!" He grinned. "Tsubaki and I have a contract so I'll have new armor soon enough. Although…" He fixed Torrhen with a calculating stare. "It was mentioned that we should try and see if you'd be willing to enchant my armor once it's finished. What do you say, Torrhen? Willing to do a friend a favor?"

Torrhen chuckled at the obvious attempt at manipulation. "You know what, Gareth? Why not! I'll enchant your new armor. If you'd like," he nodded to Finn and Riveria, "I'll enchant or even make new gear for the both of you as well."

"How much would it cost us?" Finn asked. "We stand to make a substantial profit off this expedition, but I don't want to spend it all replacing our gear the second we get home."

Torrhen shook his head. "For you three, no charge this time. But, anybody else in your Familia who wants my services will have to pay out of their own pocket."

"That's very generous of you, Torrhen." Riveria said, surprised.

He shook his head. "Not at all. Besides, you will likely need to provide some of the materials you want me to use. I don't exactly have a good supply chain for high level materials at the moment, though I was hoping to speak with Tsubaki about that." He glanced over at the Half-Dwarf who was sitting a few feet away, laughing at something Tiona was saying. "Not to mention the fact that Hestia will soon be reaching out to Loki about a quiet alliance. If it goes through, I'll swing a discount for all your members."

"We were actually hoping for an alliance as well," Finn said with a grin. "I won't even pretend I'm not excited at the prospect of having enchanted gear. What are our options?"

"Hmm," Torrhen hummed. "Tsubaki!" He called to the girl. At her glance, he waved the smith over to join them. "We were just discussing enchantments. Since you'll be making Gareth's new armor, I figured you'd want to be part of this conversation."

"Damn right I would!" Tsubaki grinned as she sat down.

"First things first is materials," Torrhen said, addressing the group. "I need magic stones to produce enchantments. The more powerful the stone, the more powerful the enchantment. The best I have on hand, save for a few special ones left over from before I came to the city, are a few Minotaur stones I bought from a merchant. I have a Goliath stone, but I don't know how boss stones react to the process, so I'm hesitant to use it."

"Wait, you killed Goliath?" Finn cut in, grinning at Torrhen's nod. "Well, that will make our ascent easier. Go on."

"Right, so what I need you to do is choose the monster stone you want me to use." He continued. "If you can provide two, it will let me experiment first to work out the kinks before I actually enchant your gear."

"What about Valgang Dragon stones?" Gareth asked. "They're monsters from the 58th floor. We have quite a few."

"That will work just fine," Torrhen said. "You're all free to come and watch me work when I do it. As for the actual enchantments, you have several options. For armor, the enchantments are broken down into groups. There's elemental resistance, skill boost, stat boost, regeneration, and extra effect."

"Extra effect?" Rivera asked, intrigued.

Torrhen took a swig as he explained. "That would be similar to the bags I gave you. They have a Lessen Carry Weight and Expand Storage enchantment. Those don't fall into the other categories so; they're called extra effects. A few other examples would be Silent Step or Water-breathing."

"Water-breathing?!" Finn said, astonished. "You can actually do that?"

Torrhen nodded. "Sure, it's really not that difficult. We can go over the specifics later, but in the end, I can only apply two effects to any single piece of armor or any one weapon. If it's a pair of items, like boots or gloves, then they are done together and share the enchantment. The Silent Step enchantment, for instance, will only work if it's applied to both boots."

"Speaking of weapons," Gareth said, smiling. "Would you be willing to enchant my axe?"

"Sure," Torrhen agreed. "But there is something you need to know about weapon enchantments. Unlike armor or jewelry enchantments, weapon enchants will eventually be depleted and need to be recharged."

"Recharged?" Tsubaki asked. "How does that work?"

Torrhen pulled out his sword, which had been resting on the ground beside him. "As an enchanted weapon is used, the magic slowly depletes itself. The stronger the enchantment, the longer it takes. Once the magic is gone, the weapon is still viable, but the magic won't work until the energy is restored."

He drew the sword, setting the scabbard on the ground. "My sword, for instance has a special enchantment. Every strike with the blade will cause electrical damage and drain part of the opponent's life force. Essentially, healing my wounds and restoring my stamina by weakening the opponent. In addition to this, it has a 50% chance to cause frost and/or fire damage with every strike."

Gareth whistled at the description while Tsubaki stared at the sword hungrily. Finn, however, was confused.

"That's the sword you used to spar with me and Ais though," he said. "It didn't do any of that during our fight."

"That's because I left it uncharged." Torrhen said, pulling out a magic stone. The blade still had a mostly full charge from his fight with Ottar, but this would be a good demonstration. "To charge an enchanted weapon, you simply need to use it to destroy a magic stone. It will absorb the energy and refill a part of the weapon's overall capacity. The stone used to create the enchantment determines the amount of magic energy the weapon will hold, but any stone can be used to recharge. If the stone is from a weaker monster, you will simply need to use more of them to fully restore the enchantment."

Taking the magic stone, Torrhen ran it up the blade. The edge created a crack, causing the energy to leave the stone and enter the blade. The magic stone shattered as the last of the energy was drained.

"Here," he handed the sword to Finn. Then, in a reckless move, though one he had done a few times before, he grabbed the blade and used it to cut his own hand.

"What the hell?!"

"Why would you do that?!"

"Oh, that feels really weird."

A series of exclamations followed the action as Torrhen hissed in pain. Turning his hand, he showed them the burned and blistered skin. "Shock, fire and drain," he said. Flexing the fingers on his other hand, he cast the Fast Healing spell. His hands glowed with a soft golden light as the wounds faded quickly.

"That has to be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen anyone do," Riveria said, sternly. The fierce elf woman was glaring at him.

"It was the best way to demonstrate!" Torrhen said in his own defense. "You felt the drain enchantment?" He addressed Finn.

"I wish you hadn't done that but, yes." The Pallum replied. "I could feel your energy draining into my hands. I must confess, I'm rather glad that this wasn't charged when you sparred with me."

"I wouldn't have used it if it was," Torrhen said, taking the sword back. "I'll just use a different weapon for any future spars. At least until this one is drained again."

"Could you do something like this for me?" Gareth asked.

Torrhen nodded. "This particular enchantment is tricky and there are others you may want to have more. If you really want it though, I can do it. We can discuss your options at my forge once we are all back on the surface."

"How beneficial are your enchantments for a mage?" Riveria asked, curiously.

"As far as weapon enchantments go, not very." Torrhen said. "There are enchantments that drain magical energy from a target and give it to the wielder, but they wouldn't work on a staff. You'd need a different weapon for that. There are quite a few armor enchantments that are designed for mages though. I can make you new gear and enchant it, or you could bring me your gear after it's finished. Do you have a contract with someone?"

Riveria shook her head. "No," she said. "I made my last set myself with special fabrics. If I bring you similar materials, could you make something similar to my previous garments? Just slightly more… durable?"
Torrhen nodded, happily. "No problem," he said.

Bell

Bell was having a great time! He was sat directly next to Ms. Ais with Welf and Lili on his other side. Sitting with them were Mikoto, Ouka, and Chigusa, the three adventurers who would be joining Bell's Familia soon.

The two groups had been getting to know each other, and Bell was feeling even better about the three of them joining than he had before. They all seemed like very nice, dedicated people and it was wonderful to see the Familia grow. Bell could also admit his excitement to be spending time with Ms. Ais again. She was just so amazing! Mikoto's voice pulled him back to reality.

"Forgive me, Bell, but aren't you the person who broke the record for fastest level up?" She asked. Bell blushed.

"Yes," he replied. "That's me."

"Ha," Welf let out. "Our little Rabbit Foot is a celebrity!"

"I am not!" Bell insisted. He was proud of his achievement, of course, but he still had a long way to go.

"You deserve the recognition, Bell," Ms. Ais said. "You've done something truly impressive." Bell blushed again.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you do it?" Ouka asked.

Bell hesitated. "To be honest," he stammered, "I'm not sure. I've been following Mr. Torrhen's training since day one. I know my rate of improvement is faster than normal, but Mr. Torrhen says that's just me growing into my potential." He was actually quite thrilled at the fact that his teacher thought he had so much potential.

"Torrhen's training likely has a lot to do with it," Ms. Ais commented. "He's exceptionally powerful and an experienced teacher. He's even had an effect on me. Since I started working with him, I've been improving far faster than normal."

"Wait, you're training with Master Torrhen, Ms. Wallenstein?" Mikoto asked, astonished.

"Yes," Ms. Ais nodded. "Before the expedition, I spent about a week helping Bell and Lili train. After they were finished, Torrhen and I would spar. It's done wonders for my improvement. Finn says I've adjusted to being Level 6 far faster than anyone he's ever met. I'm hoping he will agree to keep working with me now that the expedition is over."

"I'm sure he will, Ms. Ais" Bell said. "Mr. Torrhen never said you couldn't come back. He was even hoping to spar more with Captain Finn and Mr. Gareth."

"True," Ms. Ais gave him a slight smile.

"I thought he was a mage of some kind," Chigusa said, quietly. "He was using a bunch of spells on our way down here. He even used a powerful spell to kill Goliath in one attack."

"Torrhen's kind of a jack of all trades," Welf replied. "He's a warrior strong enough to beat the Sword Princess, plus Captain Finn and Gareth and not break a sweat. He's a powerful mage, an alchemist, and an investor. He's a master smith and enchanter as well. In fact, the whole reason I joined the Hestia Familia was to become his apprentice and learn how to enchant. Don't get me wrong" he said, hastily, "I'm really loving being a member. It's been a blast. But that is why I joined, originally."

"He's quite the archer too," Lili added. "I've learned a lot about using my crossbow from him. You'll all be able to learn a lot from him and Goddess Hestia is just about the best patron you could ever ask for."

"It is nice to know that we will be learning from such a master once we convert," Ouka said. "If he's a smith, will he be forging weapons or armor for us?"

"Nah," Welf cut in. "His stuff is way too advanced for any of us to use. He says using gear that's too advanced will just stunt your growth and, to be frank, he's got a point. Don't worry though. If you need anything made or want an upgrade, just ask me." He leaned back onto the ground, a smile on his face. "I forged pretty much all of Bell and Lili's gear, aside from that black knife and the crossbow. I'm happy to make stuff for the three of you. I'll even enchant it. Torrhen says I'm picking it up pretty quickly."

"While I am not certain about the enchantment just yet, I may take you up on that" Ouka grinned. "I've been wanting a new axe."

"Here, Bell" Ms. Ais' voice distracted him from the conversation going on between Welf and Ouka. Turning, Bell saw her holding out a strange yellow fruit.

Taking it, he asked, "what's this?"

"It's Dungeon Fruit. They grow here on the 18th floor."

"Wait, fruit grows down here?" He had no idea! Taking a bite, Bell was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to spit it out. It was way too sweet! "Urgh," he spat.

"Too sweet?" Ms. Ais asked. "They can be a bit much."

"Yeah," Bell said, roughly. "Way too sweet for me."

Welf

Welf yawned as he moved towards the tent he was sharing with Bell and Lili. The party was starting to break up but the two of them were still there, getting to know the new members of the Familia. He would have stayed with them but he was still feeling pretty worn out from the earlier events of the day. Even with healing potions, having your knee destroyed and then being stabbed by crystal shards tended to wear a person out. He wasn't sure how Bell was still so full of energy, but Lili was starting to look pretty tired when he excused himself.

Sleep would have to wait however, because when he opened the flap there was someone inside. Someone he knew.

"Tsubaki…" He said, warily. Welf hadn't seen her since she left on the expedition. Before he left the Hephaestus Familia.

"How's it goin, Welf?" The Half-Dwarf asked. She was sitting on a crate near the front of the tent.

"It's alright, all things considered." He replied, sitting on the floor near her. "Did you need something?"

"Honestly? I wanted to know how you've been." She said. Welf was confused. Since when did Tsubaki care? Sure she wasn't a jerk to him like some members of the Hephaestus Familia but they hadn't exactly talked enough to become friends. "I know you left the Familia to learn under Torrhen and I just wanted to check up on you. Has it been what you were hoping for?"

Welf brightened at the question. "It's been even better than I had expected. It's only been a week and I've learned so much from him."

"Have you been able to produce an enchantment like his?" She asked.

Welf nodded. "I have! I even got the 'Enchanter' Skill."

Tsubaki whistled. "I didn't even know there was a skill that went with it. Impressive. How has it all turned out? Are they very strong?"

"No," Welf shook his head. "They're nowhere near as strong as a magic sword like we know them but having the magic be stable is more than worth the drop in strength. Torrhen did say my enchantments are stronger than a novice's should be though, so I guess my Crozzo blood is shining through on that."

"How do you do it?" She asked, excitedly. "He's going to be enchanting some armor I'm making for Gareth and said I get to watch."

"I'm sure Torrhen will explain if he invited you to watch, and honestly it's not that hard to get started. It's becoming proficient and actually improving that's the hard part. Your first enchantment will barely do anything. My first one was a fire enchantment on a dagger and, while it worked, the charge was gone in just 3 strikes! Not worth it to sell at all."

"A fire dagger, huh? What else have you made? What's your favorite?"

Welf paused for a moment. He actually had something with him that he could show off. It wasn't great, but it was special.

"It's not the best thing I've made so far, but…" He walked to his bag and opened it. Tabbing through the storage, he pulled out a simple sword. "This is pretty special to me. It's the first piece I made entirely alone. I smelted the ores. I killed the monsters whose drops and stones were used. I forged and enchanted this sword alone. Torrhen wasn't even in the room."

Tsubaki reached out and took the sheathed blade. It was a simple arming sword, not flashy or impressive in any way. Something a mid Level 1 adventurer might use if it wasn't enchanted. The Half-Dwarf drew the sword, grinning as it glowed a faint blue.

"What does it do?" She asked, eagerly.

"In proper terms, it has a Shock enchantment. Basically, every strike will be accompanied by tiny lightning bolts jumping off the blade."

"Ooh, vicious." Tsubaki smiled. "You're having fun, aren't you?"

Welf ginned back. "I am. I'm having more fun than I think I've had in a long time."

"Good." Tsubaki sheathed the sword and handed it back to him. "When you're ready to return, I expect you to be so good I can consider you a rival. You got that?"

Welf nodded, a determined smile splitting his face.

"And don't think enchanting will help you," Tsubaki added. "I'm gonna do everything I can to pick things up. Even if I can't be Torrhen's apprentice, I won't let you surpass me in anything. You got that?"

"Challenge accepted," Welf chuckled.

Torrhen

The crystal ceiling had only just began to brighten, signifying the start of early morning when Torrhen stepped out of his tent. The evening before had been filled with laughter, revelry, and traded stories. Something he hadn't experienced in years. The Loki Familia reminded him greatly of the Companions, so the evening had been a wonderous mix of fun and nostalgia.

Given how late the party had run, it was no surprise that he was the only one up and about so early. He'd always been an early riser. It wasn't until he had retired that he hadn't actually been required to get up early for one reason or another. Even afterwards, he had kept up the habit simply because it was all he knew.

Scratch that. He wasn't the only one. Out between the tents, Torrhen had noticed a figure moving between the tents. Curious, he moved closer. As he approached, he realized it was Ryuu. The elven waitress was something of an enigma to him. She was a retired adventurer and most definitely had secrets to hide. Some horror or tragedy in her past that she was still trying to live with.

Even with all that, she had seemingly dropped everything to help rescue Bell once Hermes asked, which meant one of three things. Hermes had info on her and had blackmailed her, she owed the god for something and he'd cashed it in, or she was fonder of Bell than he had realized.

The boy had spoken of her fairly often since they'd met on the day Welf joined the Familia. For the past week, he and the others had stopped by the Hostess for lunch every day on their way back from the Dungeon, but Torrhen hadn't realized they had become good enough friends for her to come rescue him.

Perhaps this was his chance to find out more about the girl. Silently, Torrhen crept through the tents, following the girl. It wasn't long before she had left the camp and entered the woods. Child's play for Torrhen. Literally. He'd grown up stalking the woods of Falkreath, so not even a dense forest could keep him from tracking a target.

He followed her for quite some time. His silent footfalls not even rustling the leaves as he moved from tree to tree, shadow to shadow, observing her as he went. He caught a glimpse of her face a few times as she moved through the woods. The young elf had a curious expression on her face; both happy and sorrowful.

Torrhen didn't understand until she had finally reached her destination. In the center of a clearing sat a large mound of earth. Sticking out of it, in a ring around the base, were several rusting weapons of various designs. Swords, staves, axes, even a bow. In the center of a mound was a large pole with a disintegrating cloth attached. A flag.

"This is a grave." Torrhen realized as the girl moved towards the raised earth. He watched as she began to place flowers on the mound at the feet of the weapons driven into the earth. Moving from his position behind a tree, he deliberately allowed his foot to break a twig. At the sound of the 'snap' Ryuu turned, half drawing her weapon. She paused when she caught sight of him.

"Forgive me," he said, hands raised. "I saw you leave camp and was curious about where you were going." She turned away from him, silently staring at the grave once again. Torrhen moved to stand beside her, folding his hands behind his back as he too observed the grave. He didn't have the faintest clue who it belonged to, but still paid his respects.

"No matter who they are or what they have done," He thought, remembering Kodlak's voice as they buried a group of the Silver Hand, "everyone deserves a proper burial. A grave is a sacred place. Treat it with respect."

"Thank you," he said after several minutes of silence, "for coming down here. I don't know what Hermes did to convince you, but I am grateful that you came to help rescue Bell and the others." Even with his suspicions of her, he truly was grateful that she was willing to help.

"I would have come down soon enough," she said. "Mama Mia lets me come down here every month or so to bring them flowers. However, … I do not deserve your thanks," she was almost whispering now, "nor do I deserve Mr. Cranel's friendship."

"Why not?" Torrhen asked, curious.

The blonde elf gestured to the grave mound before them. "This is the grave of the Astrea Familia. My Familia. Five years ago, we were led into a trap on the Lower Floors by a rival Familia. During the fighting they somehow summoned a truly horrific monster." The poor girl was almost shaking as she spoke. "It tore through us like a scythe through wheat. Nearly half of us had been killed before we could even blink."

"In a desperate attempt to stop the beast, my Captain and two others sacrificed their lives to buy me time to cast an incantation. The beast killed Lyra and Kaguya but our Captain, Alise was able to break its armor and hold it in place. For a moment, I thought the spell had worked, but when the dust cleared all that was left was my Captain's body. The beast had gotten away, and my friends had died for nothing."

"Ah," Torrhen muttered, sorrowfully. The loss of one's family. Their team. Was a pain he knew all too well. "What did you do?"

"I knew that the rival Familia, Rudra, was responsible and all I could feel was hate. I needed revenge, so I begged Lady Astrea to leave the city. I did not want her to see me like that. She is a Goddess of Justice, and all I cared for then was vengeance. Once she was gone, I hunted down every last person who had anything to do with the Rudra Familia or Evlius, the organization they belonged to."

"You killed them all?"

Ryuu nodded. "I hunted them all without mercy, but I think part of me was hoping to fail. To die and rejoin my sisters. One night, after I had finally wiped them out, I collapsed in an alley. I was ready to die, but Syr stumbled upon me. She brought me into the Hostess and nursed me back to health. Over time, she helped me live again. She convinced Mama Mia to hire me. For my crimes, however, I was blacklisted by the guild. There are very few who know that I was once the Gale, but there is still a bounty on my head."

She turned to face him, her face sorrowful. "You see, Master Torrhen? I abandoned the ideals my friends championed in pursuit of vengeance. I am a murderer and a criminal. I am not deserving of thanks or praise, and Mr. Cranel is a fool for trusting me."

"Bullshit." Torrhen said with finality.

"What?" Shock was written across the elf's face.

"No matter your crimes, no matter your mistakes, your past doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is what you choose to do now. In the present. Who you were and what you have done will shape you, but what matters most is who you choose to become."

He turned to face her and sighed. "You and I have not spoken much, but I know Bell is quite fond of you. He has no doubt mentioned me a few times. Based on what he has told you, how would you describe me?"

She stared at him, confused. "Kind and wise." She said, unsure. "From what I have seen, you are a powerful and righteous man who cares deeply for his friends and students."

Torrhen nodded. "A very simplistic, but fairly accurate description of the person I try to be today. Would it surprise you to learn, however, that your crimes cannot even compare to my own?"

"What?" She gasped.

Torrhen sighed. He'd explained his past to the members of his Familia, as a show of trust, but hadn't gone into explicit detail. Perhaps his story would help this girl realize that her crimes did not define her.

"I did not learn of it or meet my father until I was an adult, but the circumstances of my birth are… complicated. Still, you can be assured that my upbringing was not what my father intended for me. As an infant, I was left on the steps of a temple, to be raised by the priests inside. However, the first person to find me was not a priest, but a dark elven woman. Gabriella."

"Instead of leaving me for the clergy to find, Gabriella took me to the home of her… Familia… though that is certainly not what they called themselves. Nevertheless, I was raised in the service of a god. Just not the one my father intended. The organization to which Gabriella belonged was pledged to the service of Sithis. A god of death and the infinite void."

Ryuu's eyes went wide.

"You see, the reason she chose not to leave me for the clergy is because there were none left alive to find me. Gabriella had murdered them all." Ryuu gasped, staring at him in horror. "I had been taken in by a group calling themselves the Dark Brotherhood. I was raised by a guild of assassins."

Ryuu could only continue to gape at him, horrified.

"You can imagine that being raised by assassins, seeing one as your mother, did not lend itself to giving me much of a moral compass as I grew. I killed my first animal before I was 11. My first man by 16." Torrhen was pacing now, while Ryuu continued to stare in a sort of dark fascination. "Despite the fact that I was raised by evil people, it was not a loveless environment. The Brotherhood was so named because we were a family. Gabriella was my mother. Festus the grumpy grandpa. Arnbjorn the gruff uncle. Nazir and Veezara were my brothers. Babette was all at once the loving older sister and the annoying younger one."

"Our leader was Astrid and in truth, I'm not sure what to call her. She could be… distant; and she wasn't all that thrilled that Gabriella had brought me there in the beginning. Still, I spent the first twenty-two years of my life among them and as our leader, Astrid had my loyalty. Even now, I look back on those days with fondness. Not because I miss being an assassin or because of the countless innocents I killed, but because I loved my family. I miss them."

"What… what happened?" Ryuu asked, hesitantly.

Torrhen sighed. "Everything began to change when I was given my first big contract. A young boy had escaped an orphanage run by a cruel matron and was performing the Black Sacrament. A ritual designed to summon a member of the Brotherhood. Astrid chose me to carry out the mission alone. My first big solo contract."

"My target, Grelod, was a truly cruel woman and I will never regret her death, but it's what happened on the way back that was so important. I was passing by a farm when I came across a strange man in a jester costume trying to fix a cart with a coffin inside. He was clearly deranged and screaming about his 'poor mother' and moving her to a proper site."

Ryuu almost looked amused as his description of Cicero.

"I convinced the farmer to help him fix his wheel and sent the man on his way while I hurried back to the sanctuary. Astrid immediately sent me off with another contract, so I was only there for a few days. The contract giver was a young woman named Muiri who had been duped by a former lover. He turned out to be a notorious bandit who used her affections to get close to her adopted family and rob them blind. Her family was convinced that she had been in on it and banished her, so she wanted him dead."

Ryuu grimaced, clearly disturbed by Muiri's treatment by her family and former lover.

"I finished the contract easily, but it was Muiri herself who truly affected me. Even after I had accomplished my task, I spent several days in the city just getting to know her. She was fascinating. Breathtaking. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay with her, even though I wanted to. That was what planted the first doubt. For the first time, I contemplated a life outside the Brotherhood."

Ryuu smiled at him.

"Still, I had to return to the sanctuary. When I did, I discovered that the jester I had helped was actually a member of the Brotherhood from a different sanctuary. The 'mother' he was speaking of was the Night Mother."

"Who is the Night Mother?" She asked, fascination overcoming horror as she listened to his story.

"She was the vessel of Sithis, who could not truly appear in person. It was through her that we received our contracts. When a client performed the Black Sacrament, she would hear their prayer and relay the information to the Listener. The problem was, her last Listener had been killed years before and her sanctuary destroyed. Her Keeper, Cicero had been searching for a new sanctuary and a new Listener for years."

Torrhen sighed again. "Thus began a chain of events that led to the destruction of my family. I was named the new Listener and we were immediately hired to kill the emperor. The man who ruled our whole nation. The arrival of Cicero and the Night Mother had made Astrid paranoid. She was convinced that they would take over. That her family would betray her, and with my being chosen, she even became suspicious of me."

"Eventually, Astrid betrayed us. She informed the Captain of the Emperor's Guard of what would happen, trying to get me killed." Ryuu gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. "Unfortunately for us all, her plan backfired. I survived the ambush, but the Captain had sent his guards to our sanctuary to wipe us out."

"By the time the fighting was done only I, Nazir, and Babette had survived. Astrid too, but she was badly burned. She named me the leader of the Brotherhood and begged me to kill her, as penance for what she had done. She gave me her knife to do the job." He drew the Blade of Woe. "This very knife here. I was furious that she had betrayed us. That she had murdered our family! Still, I did what she asked and I led what remained of my family to a new home."

Torrhen sighed and sat on the ground. "I helped rebuild, but my heart just wasn't in it. I eventually left the Brotherhood in Nazir's hands and went out into the world. I had never forgotten Muiri and resolved to become a better person. One who might be worthy of her."

Ryuu smiled as she sat beside him. "What did you do?"

"I became a thief."

"Huh?" She stared, dumbfounded.

Torrhen chuckled. "It was a long journey to becoming who I am today. To leave a life of crime behind. It was years before I saw Muiri again, and when I did, I told her everything. Every murder I had ever committed, every piece of property I had ever stolen. I told her all that I had done, all that I was trying to do; and you know what she did?"

"What?"

"She kissed me. Told me she didn't care how evil a man I had been, so long as I became a good one. It was a long and difficult road and I never truly left a great deal of my past behind me but, considering she married me, I guess I succeeded."

"Where is she now?" Ryuu asked, quietly.

Torrhen smiled, sadly. "Dead. She died over fifty years ago. Of old age."

Ryuu looked up at him, startled. "Fifty years? You don't look a day over sixty!"

Torrhen laughed at her expression. "You remember Hermes asking if I was 'Dovahkiin'?" She nodded. "He was right. I'm not completely human. Depending on the situation, those of my blood can have a much longer lifespan than that of a normal human. Muiri, on the other hand, was fully human. As were our adopted daughters."

"How old are you?" She asked, curiously.

"One hundred and thirty-two, and I have at least two centuries left to go. Likely more," he replied, amused by her shocked expression. "I have told you this, Ryuu, because I want you to see that your crimes do not dictate the person you can become. You may feel as though you have abandoned the principles your Familia stood for, but that does not mean you cannot atone for it. It does not mean you cannot strive to take up those principles once again. You just need to make sure you don't abandon them a second time."

Ryuu sat in silent contemplation for a moment, staring at her hands. "Even if I tried, I do not think I could face Lady Astrea again. I don't even know where she is. Not to mention the fact that I have been blacklisted."

"Your blacklisting can always be revoked; you just need to find out how. As for Astrea. Do you wish to see her again? To earn her forgiveness?"

Ryuu nodded, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. "Then that is what you must do. Even if you don't leave the city for now, you need to find out where she is. Once you have, you should go see her. Speak to her. That is the only way for you to heal. To earn the forgiveness you seek, both from her and from yourself."

Torrhen was unsure how long the two sat there as he offered silent comfort to the crying girl. He hoped she would learn from his story. That she would accept his advice and try to find a way to forgive herself and move on with her life.

Within Babel

Uranus mused as the floor rumbled slightly. "With all that has happened in recent years and the Loki Familia's battle with the Demi-Spirit, the Dungeon is at its limit."

"Is there anything you can do to stop it?" The eerie, cloaked figure asked.

"No. It no longer hears my voice. I can only guess that another god has entered its halls. If they are found. If even the slightest spark of divinity is felt, I will not be able to contain the Dungeon's reaction.

A/N: What do you think? You like it?

I know I'm taking liberties with the Skyrim Timeline, but I wanted to actually fit Torrhen into the story as if it was a real world. Not a game where everything takes place in less than a year. Let me know if you want me to go more in depth on how I've worked out the timeline of Torrhen's life.

Any suggestions for enchantments for the Loki Familia?

It looks like there will be one more chapter before things go crazy. It might start in the next chapter, we'll see. We'll take a look at Rivira in the next one, and Hermes will try to get Bell caught up in things.

As I mentioned in the last chapter, the incident on the 18th floor is gonna be different. How different will not be revealed until I write it, but I hope you like what I have planned.

Translations: Dovah (Dragons) Dovahkiin (Dragonborn)

Answers to Questions

On FFN

Christalm: Wow! Thank you! Both for the super long reviews, which are always a blast to read, and for the super detailed OC's. I'll try to include them, even if it's just in the background. They seem like they'd work for the Hestia Familia once they start recruiting.

The Sky Kitsune: Good point!

toladeari: I don't think it would affect gods in quite the same way, but it would affect them. I mean, it is supposed to make the target experience mortality so, it would make sense for it to work on gods. We'll see if I get a chance to have Torrhen use it on a god..

On Ao3

Loghead101: Torrhen and company blitzkrieged thought the Dungeon so I'd say it reflects more on their speed. As for Torrhen/Tsubaki. You see in this chapter a bit of what happened with his wife. I don't think he'd be alright with getting in another relationship where he'd outlive his spouse or kids again. You're right though. Tsubaki doesn't get enough love which is why I want to have her show up more. Any suggestions for a pairing with her? Not Welf. He's Hephaestus'

BlackHorse8986: Thank you for the suggestions! As for Torrhen's sneak, if I was using the game mechanics for this, he would have 100 in every stat. He is also Nocturnal's former Agent of Stealth but since he's a master illusion mage, he doesn't exactly need an invisibility power.

CyberGoblin: I love the Shezzarine theory, but it won't work within this world, so I'm not using it.