A/N: Here we go! Chapter 31, and the Apollo banquet! I hope you enjoy.
I've been looking forward to this one for a while and I know a lot of you have too, so please let me know what you think! I'm honestly glad I was able to get it out in time, cause my new hours make writing difficult.
Thank you all so much for your comments, review, and support! It is very much appreciated, and I would be very grateful if you continued to leave comments and reviews letting me know what you think!
Hearthfire
Chapter 31
Torrhen
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Torrhen asked Bell, moving to sit across from him in the upstairs lounge. The party and confrontation would happen the next evening, meaning Bell and Hestia would be dealing with Apollo on their own. He'd coached Bell as best he could on how to handle himself, but it would all boil down to the kid being able to keep his cool and make sure he told the whole truth, the entire time. Not that they needed to lie, of course, but Bell couldn't afford to let Apollo trip him up.
"I think so," Bell replied, nervously. "I don't have any reason to lie, and we know it will most likely end in war, but I'm still nervous." The two were sitting together in the upstairs lounge, while the rest of the Familia were out and about doing their own things.
Welf was visiting Hephaestus and he wasn't sure where Lili or Hestia were, but Ouka, Chigusa, Mikoto, and Haruhime were out shopping. The Renard needed new clothes and other items since she didn't exactly own much. They had already picked out her room and were buying things to decorate it while they were out. Thinking of their members, it appeared that, after the War Game, they would have 11 active members. 10 if Torrhen decided not to participate, but he felt that the others were ready to deal with the backlash and scrutiny that would come with the reveal of his status. Plus, he was eager to begin exploring the Dungeon on his own or with Finn and the Loki Familia.
In discussions among the current active members, it had been agreed that Bell's 'main' party would consist of the 10 active members they would have once the War Game ended. Bell would be the leader and a front-line fighter. Lili would act as tactician and rear-guard. Welf would be a tank and perform any spot repairs their gear may need. Ouka was a primary tank, Mikoto a front-line fighter, and Chigusa a rear-guard. Once trained, Haruhime had the makings of a powerful sorceress, while Aisha was a heavy hitter. According to their own descriptions of their skills, Cassandra would be a healer and sorceress, and Daphne a close-range fighter and tactician.
Once they began recruiting, which would begin after the War Game, any new members would be allowed to form their own parties among themselves, though they would always be accompanied by one of the more experienced adventurers until they were able to stand on their own. It had also been agreed that only parties which had made it to Floor 18 on their own would be allowed to participate in expeditions beyond that floor.
"Just keep a cool head," Torrhen said, drawing himself out of his thoughts of the future. "You can't control what Apollo will do, so you just need to focus on your own reaction. Keeping calm while he rages at you is the best way to throw him off balance and get the crowd on your side." Bell nodded, having heard this before. "Aside from that, try to enjoy yourself before he pulls something. It is a party after all, so enjoy it! Ask Ais for a dance and have some fun."
Bell blushed furiously at this. A few days ago, he had sheepishly asked if Hestia could teach him how to dance better, hoping not to embarrass himself in front of Ais. "I'll do my best to keep calm," Bell said, steadfastly ignoring Torrhen's suggestion about Ais.
Daphne
The Orario rumor mill was something to be feared. Daphne considered this fact as she wandered the hallways of her Familia home. Though the fact that she wouldn't be living there much longer was an exciting thought. Back to the rumor mill, it had run absolutely wild after a fairly quiet evening was interrupted by the sight of a giant pillar of golden light erupting out of the Entertainment District.
The entire city had been thrown into a panic since that light, signifying the death of a god, was not something anybody wanted or expected to see. Rumors had been flying across the city like crazy, and the facts were no less gossip worthy than the rumors. According to an official statement by the Guild, which was still trying to wrap things up, the god who had died was Ishtar and it had been her own fault.
The statement said that Ishtar, the goddess who ran the Entertainment District, had used her powers of godly charm to steal a banned substance out of the Guild vaults with the intention of using it against another god. This substance had then been accidentally ingested by Phryne Jamil, the Captain of the Ishtar Familia. The substance had caused Jamil to go on a rampage, during which Ishtar was killed. What exactly this substance was had not been disclosed, but the rumor mill had gone digging.
It was now widely believed that the substance in question was an extremely powerful Frenzy poison. When she'd first heard this, Daphne had been confused. She hadn't heard of Frenzy poisons before, but a little digging brought up some interesting information. Frenzy poisons had been developed recently by the Miach Familia, whose reputation was growing astronomically after the 18th floor incident and the return of the Loki Familia. Initially, it had been required that anyone wishing to purchase the poisons be accompanied by a Guild official, but that the ones stolen had been even more powerful than the ones for sale.
During her digging, she'd also discovered that the Guild had quietly banned all sale and production of Frenzy poisons as well as requesting that all completed potions be destroyed. Dian Cecht, well known for being a jealous and petty god, had already began trying to use the incident to get all of the Miach Familia's new recipes banned but the Guild had refused outright.
The rumors circulating around Miach and Dian Cecht implied that it was only Miach's lack of members and facilities that was keeping his Familia from taking literally all potioneering business in the city away from Dian Cecht. The new recipes were just that good, not to mention cheap. Their ringing endorsement by the Loki Familia and the survivors of the 18th floor had sent the reputation of the Miach Familia skyrocketing through the roof. Even the Freya Familia had commissioned all the potions for their expedition from the Miach Familia.
Dian Cecht was still holding onto the business of actual healing, with the god owning what was basically the only hospital in the city, but even that seemed to be in jeopardy according to some rumors. Those rumors stated that the members of the Miach Familia were in possession of powerful healing magics, but that they weren't ready to offer their services to the public.
Needless to say, the entire city was eagerly awaiting an announcement of recruitment by the Miach Familia and were unsure of why they were waiting. Daphne knew though. She knew that the Miach Familia were allied with the Hestia Familia. It was best that they wait and see the results of the War Game that so few knew was coming. The War Game that Daphne knew Apollo would lose. It wouldn't be long until he had lost and she, along with Cassandra and so many others, was free.
As to the conflict itself, Daphne was unsure if she and Cassandra would be able to help the members of the Hestia Familia. Depending on the type of War Game, they might be able to turn against Apollo but if it was something like a 1 on 1 duel, they would be useless. Regardless, Daphne was beginning to look forward to the day Apollo lost and she joined the Hestia Familia alongside Cassandra.
She continued to muse over recent events, as well as her and Cassandra's future until she heard angry voices from down the corridor. Creeping closer, she realized they were coming out of Apollo's rooms.
"My plan was ruined because of that bitch" Hyakinthos was raging, "and with everything else going on I have been unable to force a confrontation! That whore, Ishtar getting herself killed has thrown off my plan!"
"It is unfortunate," Apollo said. "We could have used a confrontation between Luan and the Rabbit Foot to bring the other gods onto our side, but still. You represented us well during the first encounter, and now the people will know that the Apollo Familia knows the truth.
"Thank you, My God," Hyakinthos' voice was sickeningly sweet, dripping in pleasure.
"We cannot deal with Mia at present," Apollo continued, "she has Freya's protection, but we will not forget that she insulted the great Apollo Familia and barred your entrance to her establishment. Still, she is inconsequential for the moment. We must concern ourselves with discovering a way to show Hestia for the liar she is."
"You could use the reputation of at least one of her members against her," a slimy voice she didn't recognize said.
"Explain." Hyakinthos demanded.
"Arde, the little bitch. She's the Vice-Captain of the Hestia Familia, but I know for a fact that she is a thief and a liar! While part of the Soma Familia, she would act as a supporter for random adventurers and then rob them blind." The voice responded.
"Good." Apollo's spoke up. "We can use that against Hestia. Proof that her members are nothing but thieves and cheats. Is there anything else you can give us?"
"Only to watch out for a brute that seems to be a member of the Hestia Familia. Older. Dark hair and a beard. I can't find any information on him in the active files, so he might be retired, but he is strong. Perhaps Level 3 or 4. You'll need to overwhelm him with your numbers."
"Hmmm." Apollo's voice turned contemplative. "It seems you are as useful as Hyakinthos said you'd be, Zanis."
"Thank you, my lord." The now named Zanis replied, his voice still slimy.
"Tell me, why did Soma kick you out?"
"I was conspired against by other members," Zanis' creepy voice replied, "aided by Arde and the Hestia Familia."
"Well then, it appears you'll be able to get your revenge." Apollo replied. "If your information proves as useful as I suspect, I will see you rewarded. You may join us, no matter what but… Hyakinthos? We don't have a Vice-Captain at present, do we?"
"We do not, My God." Hyakinthos replied, smugly.
"I believe you may be suited to such a prestigious role, Zanis. Do you accept?"
"Most gratefully, my lord." Zanis accepted, slimily.
"Good! We will expose Hestia for a liar and then crush her in a War Game! Her members will be mine to deal with at my leisure. Hestia herself will be forced to grovel at my feet before I send her back to the heavens!" Apollo's voice was bordering on deranged. "You may, of course, deal with the little Pallum girl as you see fit, Vice-Captain Zanis."
"Thank you, my lord." The slimy man's voice sent a shiver down Daphne's spine.
She turned and beat a hasty retreat down the hall. Daphne wasn't sure who this Zanis person was, but he sounded like bad news. The whole Familia was on high alert, preparing for the party, so she wouldn't be able to slip away, but she could at least let Cassandra know about this conversation. Together, they might be able to discreetly let Bell Cranel or Goddess Hestia know about what she had just overheard. It was rather laughable though, for them to think that Master Torrhen was only Level 3 or 4. She supposed he would show them the error of their ways soon enough.
Bell
Bell fidgeted nervously as he approached the Apollo Mansion, Goddess Hestia on his arm. They had prepared for this day as best they could, but now it really was just him and his goddess. The two of them would be the ones to face Apollo and his accusations. They might get a little assistance from Goddess Loki and Ais, but it wouldn't be much.
That, of course, wasn't the only thing Bell was nervous about. This was the first party of the gods he would be attending and, to top it all off, there was a chance he would get to dance with Miss Ais. He'd asked Goddess Hestia to help him brush up on his dancing skills, so he was fairly sure he wouldn't embarrass himself. The trick though, was working up the courage to ask her to dance.
He'd been thrilled and beyond privileged to get to train with her. To spend so much time with someone so wonderful. Still, the fact that he now considered her a friend didn't make him any less nervous. Ais was so beautiful and so strong, and he wanted to prove to her that he wasn't just some kid who needed her help. He wanted to show her that he was worth her time!
"Calm down, Bell." Goddess Hestia said. "You need to be relaxed if this is going to go well."
Bell took a deep breath and nodded. "Thank you, Goddess." He replied as they stepped through the doors.
The two of them were dressed to the nines, as befitted such a fancy party. Bell was wearing a very nice black suit with a white vest, bowtie, and gloves. Goddess Hestia was wearing a gorgeous blue dress that she had bought with her own funds, earned from her rather successful investment enterprises.
In fact, the Hestia Familia was doing exceptionally well financially! Their Familia funds were growing steadily, with the goddess putting a substantial amount of her earnings in. Bell and the others were, of course, contributing, but it seemed Goddess Hestia had a real knack for investment, assisted by advice from Mr. Torrhen. She now owned practically every Jagamarukun food stall in the city, as well as a variety of other stalls around town. She hadn't quite branched out to owning a full-on restaurant, but she had confessed to toying with the idea.
Her initial investment in the Miach Familia was also paying off, with their popularity and earnings skyrocketing. In fact, it became glaringly obvious that they were doing rather well for themselves when Bell caught sight of Lord Miach and Naaza as they made their way deeper into the banquet hall.
Naaza was wearing a beautiful red dress, with one arm bare and her prosthetic covered by a sleeve. Lord Miach was dressed similarly to Bell, in a well-tailored suit, but with a blue-gray vest instead of a white one. Naaza looked very happy to be walking around on Lord Miach's arm, and he didn't seem to be too put-out about it either.
The banquet hall itself was gorgeous, with golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Tables covered in white tablecloths and laden with food were spread out across the floor, while a veritable sea of Gods and Goddesses mingled with the adventurers they had brought with them. Servers, wearing a fancier version of the Apollo uniform were weaving in and out of the crowd, carrying trays of drinks and food.
Bell spotted Lord Hermes, wearing a white suit with a red shirt and black tie, which were in a state of disarray, standing next to Ms. Asfi. She was wearing a very nice yellow dress. Standing not too far from them was a Guild Official, who was keeping a very close eye on Lord Hermes. He wasn't allowed out of his house unless escorted by a member of the Guild.
Looking around more, Bell could see Apollo standing at the front of the hall in a white suit with a large red sash/cloak combination and a laurel wreath on his head. He began to address the crowd, but Bell could admit to not listening because he'd spotted something far more important. Miss Ais. She was breathtaking. Standing there in a gorgeous green dress, with dark green sleeves and a choker which held a large emerald. Bell's breath caught in his throat as he watched her. Then he realized that she had seen him as well, a small blush spreading across her cheeks as she offered him a dazzling smile.
Bell looked away before he embarrassed himself. Standing next to her was Goddess Loki, looking very nice in a red suit. What caught his attention next though, was a silver-haired goddess in a purple dress. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. Comparable to Ais, if Bell was forced to make the comparison but her eyes seemed cold, while Miss Ais' were warm. She was the only god he could see not accompanied by an adventurer that he could see.
"That's Freya." Goddess Hestia said, following his gaze. "Be careful of her, Bell. Goddesses of beauty have the ability to charm mortals. Watch your behavior around her. I don't trust her motivations."
Bell nodded. He had been warned about Goddess Freya already, considering she was the one behind his second encounter with a Minotaur. Bell couldn't understand how and why he of all people had caught her interest, since this was the first time he'd ever seen her, but the fact remained that she had almost gotten him killed. He would need to be wary around her.
"Apollo is really going all out," Lord Miach commented as they all sat at one of the tables. The banquet had officially begun, so all the gods were moving for the food and drinks. They each began to reach for food, while the servers bustled around them, removing platters that had begun to empty quickly and bringing drinks to those who signaled for them.
"Ostentatious is one of his favorite words." Hestia grumbled. "He's always been showy."
"At least the food is good," Naaza said. "We should enjoy ourselves while we can."
Bell nodded. "We can't do anything until Apollo makes the first move, so we might as well have fun until he does."
The four of them ate and talked together, generally having a pleasant conversation for quite some time until the signal came for the dancing to begin. The partygoers all stood and made their way towards the dance floor. Some moved to stand around the edge, not quite finished with their food or drinks. Some simply were uninterested in dancing. Others partnered up and made their way onto the dance floor.
Lord Miach knelt on the floor and asked a blushing Naaza for a dance, which she happily accepted. The two moved towards the center of the floor, grinning happily. Bell could hear Goddess Loki's voice nearby, arguing with Lord Hermes about something. Looking around, he spotted Ms. Ais standing by herself near the entrance to the balcony. Leaving Goddess Hestia, who was giggling slightly and watching the argument between Loki and Hermes, Bell screwed up his courage and made his way over to her.
"Would you like to dance?" he asked shyly, holding out his hand.
Ais blushed, causing Bell's heart to skip a beat. "I would love to dance," she said, taking his hand.
Hestia
Hestia smiled to herself as she meandered through the darker corners of the party. Despite the looming threat of Apollo's confrontation, she was having a good time. So was Bell. Leaning against a wall, she could see him dancing with Ais Wallenstein, the two sporting happy grins as they glided across the dance floor. He'd come so far in the time she'd met him, and it was nice to see him having so much fun.
The pair had gotten some odd looks when they'd first hit the floor, mostly from people wondering who exactly had the balls to ask the Sword Princess for a dance, but she had overheard many commenting that if anybody had the right to ask her for a dance, it was the person who'd smashed her record for fastest rank-up. The fact that neither Loki nor Hestia were moving to separate them had led many to simply ignore the pair.
It was startling to Hestia to discover that she completely fit in now. She was the goddess of a decent sized Familia with a growing reputation, and she was wearing clothes that were just as nice as all the other gods around her. She was not the poor goddess to be pitied, but she also wasn't the head of a powerful Familia that should be treated with great respect. Not yet anyway.
"Your little rabbit has stolen my Ais." Loki's disgruntled voice interrupted her thoughts. The redhead had moved closer to her, with them both standing in a quiet, secluded corner of the ballroom. Glancing around, Hestia realized that nobody was even glancing at them.
"They look good together." She replied to Loki. "Don't you think?"
"Yeah, they do." Loki admitted grumpily, before her voice turned wistful. "It's nice to see her smile like that. She smiles more often since she met him."
"Love will do that." Hestia said, watching them.
"You really think that's what's going on?" Loki glanced at her, askance. Hestia nodded.
"For Bell, at least, I know he's in love. I'm not sure about her though."
"I don't know if Ais knows herself." The redhead admitted. "I doubt she's ever felt anything like it."
"Will you allow it, if she is?" She asked. Loki grumbled.
"Only once he is significantly stronger, and only if our alliance stays strong." She let out. Hestia nodded. She could respect that, at least.
"It's a little surprising that everyone accepted them dancing together so quickly."
"True. I was hoping for more drama after I saw them." Loki sported a Cheshire grin. "Thought about causing it myself but I couldn't bring myself to do it after I saw her smile."
Hestia gave her a smile in turn, before snorting as an idea came to her. "If you want drama, then you and I should dance. Can you imagine the looks on their faces?" She gestured to the assembled gods.
Loki's grin widened as she let out a laugh. "That would be perfect! It would be so unexpected; it'd give them all whiplash!" She went silent for a moment. "Maybe next time. We don't want to give Apollo any indication something is wrong."
"Hmmm." Hestia hummed in agreement. She was about to speak again when a whispered voice interrupted her.
"Goddess Hestia!" The voice hissed. Looking around, Hestia spotted Daphne, doing her best to hide in the shadows of a nearby staircase.
"Are you alright?" Hestia asked as she stealthily moved over to the redhead, Loki following. "Has something happened?"
"I found out more of Apollo's plan." The young girl said in a rushed whisper. "Hyakinthos brought him someone who knows about your Familia. Some slimeball named Zanis?"
"Who?" Loki asked, confused. Hestia grimaced.
"He's the former Captain of the Soma Familia. He used Soma's wine to practically enslave the members, not to mention Soma himself, but Torrhen and I were able to snap Soma out of it. Last I'd heard, Soma had kicked him out and was restructuring his Familia."
"Ah," Loki nodded. "Slimeball indeed."
"What has Zanis done?" Hestia turned back to Daphne.
"He told Apollo that one of your members used to be a thief, Arde I think, and that he could use that to make it look like your members are all thieves and liars."
Hestia growled. "Lili was only a thief because Zanis' tyranny forced her to become one."
Daphne continued. "He also warned Apollo about Master Torrhen, but they think he's only Level 3 or 4."
Loki snickered. "He holds back so much; I can believe they'd think that. Poor fools."
Hestia smirked at her. "Thank you for telling me, Daphne." She addressed the mortal. "Are you and Cassandra alright?"
"For now," she nodded, her face grave. "Apollo has made Zanis our Vice-Captain and he gives me a bad feeling. I don't like the way he looks at Cassandra or any of the other girls. Apollo has promised to let him 'handle' Arde if they win."
"Do what you can to stay out of his sight," Hestia told her, seriously, "but if you or Cassandra need to run, I promise we will protect you."
"Thank you, goddess." Daphne said, with a relieved smile.
Bell
Bell was having the time of his life. He and Ais had happily danced their way through four songs now and were having a blast. They got to talk, just the two of them as they danced, and Bell felt like his heart was about to burst. It took all his self-control to not try and kiss her. Bell knew he wasn't worthy of her. Not yet. Besides, what if she didn't feel the same way? Better to wait until he was worthy of her attention For now, he would just enjoy her company.
"I had no idea you were a dancer," Ais had told him as they were halfway through their first dance.
"My grandfather taught me when I was small," Bell explained, "but I'll admit I asked Goddess Hestia to help me brush up on my dance moves. I was hoping I'd get to ask you tonight."
"Well, I'm glad you did." She gave him a small smile. "Riveria taught me when I was younger. She said learning to dance would help me learn how to fight. It certainly helped, though I didn't believe it would when she told me."
Bell grinned. "My grandfather just told me I should learn. He used to say, 'every woman deserves a man who can dance without breaking her toes, Bell, so you'd better learn your steps.'"
"Your grandfather sounds like he was an… interesting man."
"That's…. putting it mildly." There was no way in hell that Bell was going to tell her that his grandfather encouraged him to build a harem of beautiful women.
He'd never really understood it and now, he was outright against it. If Bell could one day prove himself worthy of just the one woman he was dancing with, he would be a happy man. They continued to dance, enjoying each other's company, until finally they both agreed to take a break after the fifth song. Moving towards the drink trays, the two were intercepted by Goddess Hestia.
"Loki is looking for you," the goddess told Ais, who nodded and moved away, searching for her own goddess. Leaning close, Hestia whispered. "Daphne was able to speak to me. Apollo has recruited Zanis and is planning on using Lili's past against us. Trying to paint us thieves or liars."
"She was only a thief because of Zanis." Bell whispered back, furiously.
Goddess Hestia nodded. "Which you should point out. If you must, reveal what Zanis did to her. The gods here will be able to tell you're telling the truth. Lili will understand."
Bell grimaced but nodded. He didn't like the idea of using his friend's tragic past like this, but it was likely their only option. The goddess was right, Lili wouldn't mind, but it still left a bad taste in his mouth. He wouldn't have to wait long either. A new song began, and he was about to ask the goddess if she wanted to dance, when the music suddenly stopped. Apollo was standing on a raised dais in front of all the assembled gods and adventurers. He held his arms wide and addressed the crowd.
"My fellow Gods and Goddesses, what a pleasure it is to see you all here tonight, accompanied by your adorable children." There was a smattering of polite applause from the gods and a few grimaces or glares from the more hardened adventurers in the crowd. Apollo continued. "I apologize for interrupting your wondrous evening, but there is something I wish to address that is best done in public. That being the vile lies and rumors spread about my Familia by the detestable harlot Hestia!"
Apollo's face morphed into an expression of apoplectic rage, spit flying from his mouth as he glared at Hestia. The reactions of the various gods and goddesses were to be expected. Some scoffed, some gasped, some started in open fascination. Others, like Loki and Hermes, looked like they were wishing they had popcorn. The adventurers on the other hand, were serious. Most had likely heard about the pass-parade and were hoping to learn the truth of those events.
"You and your little den of liars and thieves have been spreading rumors that members of my great Familia tried to murder members of yours on the middle floors!" Apollo's accusation rang out across a silent ballroom. "I will have an apology, Hestia, and satisfaction!"
Goddess Hestia's expression was serene in the face of Apollo's vitriol. "You'll get no apology from me, Apollo." She responded, calmly. "I will not apologize for something I have not done. Neither I, nor my members have sought to spread rumor or misinformation about you or your children. We have only explained what happened to Bell's party that day to those who asked. Bell?"
He stepped forward, his face and voice as calm as still water. "Lord Apollo," he bowed, "I deeply regret any possible implication that you, yourself are to blame in any way. That was not our intent. If you will, allow me to explain. My Familia and I were making our first foray into the 14th floor when we encountered members of your Familia."
Bell moved further towards the god, the audience captivated by his every word, and many of the gods paying very close attention to the truth of his words. "They were led by an adventurer named Luan, whose name we heard shouted by your members during the encounter. We had only just finished an encounter when Luan's party came barreling through, followed by a pack of monsters. Before we realized it, we had been cut off, surrounded, and Luan's party had disappeared. We tried our best to escape, but one of our members was knocked into a shaft. In order to save her and ourselves, my other teammate and I jumped in after her. We landed on the 17th floor, and it was only through sheer dumb luck that we made it to the 18th alive."
"I can attest to that!" Loki cackled. "My lil Ais was the one who found them!"
Ais nodded, her face serious. "Our expedition team was camping on the 18th floor when I found Bell's party badly wounded at the bottom of the stairs up to 17."
"You sure you got your facts straight, Apollo?" Loki laughed again. "Maybe your people tried to cover their tracks and you couldn't tell they were lying to you?" The many gods and goddesses around them laughed or nodded their heads. They were paying attention and could tell that both Bell and Ais had told the truth. Apollo was not looking good.
His face was as red as his hair as the god began to shout, gesturing at Bell. "Hestia's children are the ones who lie! This foolish child likely misunderstood the circumstances or perhaps is leaving out crucial details to make my Familia sound guilty! Hestia's Familia is a den of thieves and liars and I have proof! Zanis!"
From out of a darkened corner, the slimy form of Zanis slithered his way up onto the dais. His creepy voice began to ring out over the crowd. "I was once a member of the Soma Familia at the same time as one Liliruca Arde, who now serves as Goddess Hestia's Vice-Captain. I have conclusive proof and have personally witnessed that, during that time, she was one of the most prolific thieves in the city, cheating hundreds of adventurers out of their hard-earned Valis."
"She was only a thief because of you!" An angry voice rang out that didn't belong to Bell, Hestia, Ais, or Loki.
Making his way through the crowd was a stout, brown-haired dwarf who was glaring daggers at Zanis. Bell recognized him! His name was Chandra, and he was the one who had replaced Zanis as Captain of the Soma Familia. Following close behind was the figure of Lord Soma! Whispers broke out among the crowd, not only at the truth of that statement but the fact that Soma himself had actually appeared in public! What's more, Lord Soma began to speak!
"While you were my Captain, you capitalized on my obsession with my craft and used my wine to control the Familia. It is because of you, Zanis, that an innocent girl was forced to become a thief just to survive." Lord Soma's damning statement almost seemed to resonate in the air.
"You used Lord Soma's wine to practically enslave us!" Chandra shouted. "Lili became a thief because it was the only way she could fill her quota and not be punished or forced into prostitution to pay it! You demanded outrageous sums of us all every week, forcing nearly every member of the Soma Familia to become criminals just to stay alive!"
"It would seem, Apollo" Goddess Freya's musical voice now spoke up over the furiously whispering crowd, "that you are woefully uninformed."
Goddess Hestia stepped forward again. "I do not accuse you of wrongdoing, Apollo. Nor, in fact, do I accuse Luan and his party. They did what they did in a desperate situation. Many would and have done the same. All I and my Familia seek is an apology by those who performed the pass-parade. Nothing more. No compensation, no retribution. Just a simple apology and we will consider the matter over and done with."
The assembled crowd once again broke out into excited whispers. Many were impressed both with the calm demeanor of Bell and Hestia, and their apparent altruism in the face of what amounted to attempted murder.
"You will get no apology from me!" Apollo shouted, face red and spit once again flying from his mouth. "You and your filthy children have dared to demean my great Familia! I demand you hand over your Captain to me, as compensation for the slander you have laid upon my most holy name!"
"You overstep, Apollo!" Hestia's suddenly harsh and stern voice resounded like a thunderclap, silencing the room and causing Apollo to rear back as if struck. "You will get no apology or compensation from me."
"Then you leave me no choice!" Apollo rallied, sounding gleeful. "I challenge you to a War Game!" The room collectively held its breath. Every eye was on Goddess Hestia.
"I accept." She said, with finality. The room exploded.
A/N: War Game Time! Next chapter will probably be set up, deciding what the war game will be, and that kind of thing. The chapter after that will be the War Game itself, I think.
Speaking of the Game. I'm mostly leaning towards keeping it a siege, because I've got several interesting ideas that a siege would be perfect for, but I am not averse to other possibilities so, please, leave me your thoughts and suggestions in the comments!
What did you think of Ais and Bell? Did it seem natural?
What about the conversation between Hestia and Loki?
Who saw Chandra, Soma, or Zanis coming? Anybody?
Should Aisha and Haruhime fight in the War Game?
Totally unrelated: I need advice.
I have serval other story ideas that I want to write or do something with, but I don't want to start them until this is finished, and I have no idea when that will be. To the writers who are reading this, what do you think I should do? I'm not against posting the ideas and letting others take a crack at them. That way I would get to read what they write! I could try starting them and writing concurrent to this one, but I'm afraid that would make updates to both stories take even longer and I really don't want that. So, I'd like some advice. Any ideas on what I should do?
Answers to Questions
On FFN
One-Hell-Butler: To be perfectly honest, part of me wants to say no but I will say you can take inspiration. Just credit me with it and it's fine. That does not mean you can take my characters, dialogue, story beats, or any of my text. Taking things straight out of my story and using it in yours is theft, which I am not ok with. But I am ok with you taking inspiration from my work.
GeoPa: To answer your question, I think of Tenkai as being part of Aetherius, but it is not all of Aetherius. Does that make sense?
PyroPlayer243: Not a bad idea, but I'm not too sure how I feel about a scimitar. Maybe something like a falchion?
On Ao3
MagnustheRed: Nice to see mention of Ryuu in the comments! I'm hoping to touch on what's been going on with her soon, but probably not till after the War Game.
Banger 'n Mash: Grandpa Durnehviir is hilarious.
Gasel: Thank you! I hope you like this chapter too.