Hey not much to say for this one, just hope you enjoy it.
Word Count: 9,380
Chapter 6
Hestia paced in circles in her office, it had been nearly a week since her captain had traveled outside the walls of Orario. "Where are they?" She asked for the hundredth time to no one in particular.
After the encounter with the enhanced Hellhound, the Hestia Familia hasn't entered the dungeon. Everyone wanted to be here when the duo arrived. Hestia knew that Bell was alive, she hadn't felt the loss of a child. All their connections were intact. "I need to calm myself, although I wish Ouranos' letter wasn't so vague." She ranted to herself.
Having given up on seeing her precious captain for another night, she retreated to her bed, hoping to sleep away her worry. She knew it wouldn't happen, but she had to try. It was at the exact moment she started to get comfortable, a peculiar sound was heard, the sound of pecking on glass. She rotated her body to see a pure white snow owl, perched on the windowsill looking at her.
She jumped out of her bed and collapsed on her face as her blankets wrapped around her legs. After a minute of untangling her body from the relentless fabric, she pulled the window open.
The owl seemingly having lost its patience, dropped a note in the window and launched itself into the air flying towards its home.
Hestia scrabbled as the note moved to the floor, she nearly tore the note in half as she unfolded the paper. She grinned like a madman at its contents, "Hestia, your child has returned to the city, and has exited the dungeon." She whispered the contents of the letter several times before dashing down the hall.
She knocked on everyone's rooms letting them know the news. The only person not inside the main building was currently working on a project in the smithy, she threw the door open and loudly proclaimed, "Bell is back! They should be back sometime tonight!"
Welf sighed as he placed the hammer back on the hook specifically designed for it. He looked at the hammer with pride, the handle was about eight inches long, with a head of black-gray metal on one end and a purple crystal on the other.
It had been a gift from Hephaestus after he joined Hestia Familia, it was the most valuable tool in the entire workshop. "Well, I guess I need Bell to finish the armor."
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The entire Hestia Familia waited for two hours, Haruhime and Mikoto nodding off as they rested against each other. Welf sat in a chair with the sketched-out plan for the next weapon he was planning to make. Lili was looking at the fire, her mental exhaustion for gathering all the funds they needed to pay the fine weighed heavily on her. Hestia paced in circles again waiting.
Then it happened, the sound of knocking on the front door, followed by a simple shout that lifted everyone's spirits, "We're home." Bell's voice drifted through the door. Hestia didn't waste any time and threw the door open launching herself at the white-haired human.
X
Ryu stared up at the stars for a long minute, she could feel the flood of potential freedom. It was almost like a drug with the invisible burden being lifted, she didn't realize how much that weighed her down mentally. Her alias was always feared, treated like some sort of monster that would snatch away your life if you so much as caught a glance of the hooded figure.
The stone bench she sat on felt cool and refreshing through her clothes, but the most important feeling was the sense of warmth and comfort coming from two sources. First was her heart, it burned but not painfully. Second was the human that sat next to her on the bench looking up at the same night sky she was.
They sat for almost an hour, just enjoying the moment. Eventually, though she had to break the atmosphere, "Bell… I…" she paused, looked at Bell, and took a breath. "I don't want to leave this place, but I think we should return… home." Ryu felt strange saying the word home, she had lost hers years ago, but she knew that was incorrect. The Hostess had been a home, at least to some degree.
Bell nodded, "Are you sure? I thought you would have opened that letter the moment we were free."
Ryu chuckled, "True. There is a part of me that wants to tear it open and read it right now." Pulling out the letter, she looked at the seal longingly. "I just…"
Bell watched Ryu struggle to find the words, and several possibilities popped into his mind. But he didn't interject words to help, he watched and waited. 'She'll find the words.' Bell thought.
Ryu pulled the letter close to her chest and sighed. "I'm… just… nervous, worried, and hopeful all at the same time. I know Astraea's parting words were meant to help relieve the burden that would follow my actions. But even knowing that…"
Bell sat in silence and looked around the empty street they were sitting next to. "I'm sure it'll be alright. I… I would put money on the idea that she wants to see you again. To know you're healthy and safe, to know everything that has and hasn't changed in the years."
"Bell… no you're right." Ryu smiled looking at the letter. Her hand was shaking, as she began to break the wax seal.
It only took a second to break the seal and to retrieve the letter nestled within. Bell looked away, not wanting to invade what might be a very personal letter. Ryu read the letter several times over five minutes.
Only after she noticed Bell very purposely looking in a different direction, she smiled at his honesty and pure nature. 'How many people could resist the urge to peak?'
It took a second to find her voice, "Ryu, how are you doing? Have you managed to find a place where you belong after everything? I know this letter might seem sudden, but I couldn't resist any longer. The desire to speak to my child has been growing slowly but steadily. It was the words of an old passing traveler that made me realize I had to write. It was simple, after staying in the village to recover from a twisted ankle we spoke. 'I don't have many regrets in my life. But the one thing I truly regret is leaving my family alone when I left.' So, here I am. Writing this letter, I don't want to have this regret any longer."
Ryu took a breath but continued to read the letter aloud. "So, if you have a chance, please come visit me. I'm in a small village on the edge of the edge of the Dwarf Mountains. Almost directly north of Orario. I hope you are well. - Astraea."
Bell was about to speak but was cut off as Ryu continued. "P.S. The old man also said that you had grown close to the Hestia Familia, he left something addressed to her captain in my protection. He seemed to hint that he wouldn't be in this world for much longer."
The final portion put both of them on edge. "How? How would whoever that old man know? If I remember correctly, the mountains are six weeks away, well at least by normal means. Adventures and people on horseback could probably get to the mountains in two, maybe two and a half weeks." Bell commented, looking over the letter that was now held between them.
"Whoever this old man seems to be well informed," Ryu spoke, but she mentally placed dots together in a path that was… well a stretch. 'Could it be his grandfather? Or someone connected. If Bell was right and he was a god, then that's a possibility. Plus, the fact that he left something specifically for Bell and the fact that he wouldn't be long for this world sounds like how a god would return to Tenkai.'
Bell sat in near silence absorbing the information, and after a minute he spoke. "Well, I guess it's a good thing we have the passes out of the cities."
Ryu paused her wild torrent of thoughts. "We? You are going to go with me?"
Bell nodded, "Of course, as the captain of Hestia Familia. It seems that it would be appropriate if we want to ask for a conversion since gods cannot leave the city. Plus, if Lady Astraea has something addressed to me, that's a bonus."
He spoke nothing but the technical truth, but Ryu knew Bell better than that. She could tell he was hiding something or some thought, but she decided to let it go for now. "Alright then, if that's the case let's get back to the Hearth Manor. I wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting." Bell nodded in agreement, standing as he held out his hand for Ryu. She accepted pulling herself to her feet, and they got moving.
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As they walked, they could see the Hearth Manor in the distance, "Ryu, can I confess something to you?"
The entire time they had been walking, neither seemed to notice their hands had been locked together. "Of course, Bell." No matter what, she wouldn't judge him.
He smiled and paused for a second before speaking, "I… truth be told I'm scared… my growth is unnatural. My biggest fear is leaving everyone behind as I continue to grow."
Ryu listened without immediately responding. She knew that something beyond his insane actions was pushing Bell. "Do you have any idea what might be the reason? You've worked extremely hard to do everything you've achieved, but… the growth isn't natural."
Bell simply shook his head negatively, but after a second, he did find his voice again. "No, but I believe Goddess knows, but every time I bring it up, she avoids answering."
"I know it won't amount to much, but I can try to gather some information. Asking Goddess Hestia directly might just retrieve some result if I were to ask." Ryu spoke softly, she was glancing around cautiously just in case. Talking about one's capabilities in public can be risky.
Bell hesitated but nodded. "I would appreciate that. If there is a major reason, then sure. But if the only reason is that I couldn't be trusted with the information… well if that's the case, then can I really be the captain of a Familia like that?"
Ryu stopped, standing stock still. It took Bell a moment to notice, it was only when their entwined hands started to separate. "Oh… sorry, I didn't realize."
Ryu looked directly at Bell, who was about to loosen the grasp and withdraw his hand. Ryu didn't let that happen, she squeezed tighter. "Please, don't think like that. If you begin to doubt your worth, I'm sure the Familia will suffer. No matter what happens, you'll always be a good captain. I have seen terrible people strive for the position over the years, but you… are an amazing individual whose honesty and bravery gathers those that believe in you to follow you."
She paused, and took a step closer, closing the distance. "If you ever doubt that, just remember what you told me on floor 18. 'If you continue to berate yourself, even I will get angry.' So… regardless, never doubt your worth. The worth that has so many wanting to always be around you." It didn't seem like it would help much but she hugged him regardless.
Bell didn't return the embrace, instead, he just remained silent, absorbing Ryu's words. After a few minutes, he spoke, "I think you're right. I… I also think that when events calm down, I want to, with your help, explain everything that happened on floor 37. I think that will be a good start towards a better future."
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It only took twenty minutes to arrive at the gate that was built into the wall that surrounded the Hearth Manor, with only the slightest bit of hesitation Bell opened the gate and entered the courtyard.
"Well, guess it's time to hear the music." Bell whispered, knocking on the door, and shouted "We're Home!"
Bell waited, sighed took a deep breath, and braced his body. Ryu watched him curiously, but jumped at the door, suddenly being thrown open as the tiny goddess launched herself at Bell. Wrapping herself around Bell, she began to shout despite it being one in the morning. "Where have you been!? You didn't do anything with that elf did you?!"
Bell had to pry Hestia off of him gently placing her back on the ground "That's something that would be best spoken in privacy, and no."
Hestia could tell he wasn't lying but judging by how Ryu's ears managed to turn a shade of pink despite her face remaining completely neutral, she didn't believe him. "You're lying!"
Bell sighed, "No, Goddess you can tell I'm not lying. Now can we please enter? We are both exhausted by the events of the week." He looked around to see everyone else still inside the building smiling with bags under their eyes, well except Welf that is. "Plus, they all look exhausted, if you want, I can give you a summary of the events now if you want to update my status, otherwise it will have to wait until we can get some… sleep."
Hestia sighed, "Alright let's go ahead and do that. Also, welcome home to the both of you." With that said Hestia marched back into the manor. Leaving the door open for Bell and Ryu.
Haruhime's tail wagged excitedly despite her exhaustion, "Welcome home Master Bell, Miss Ryu." Almost like a faithful maid, Haruhime bowed as she spoke.
"Please Haruhime, no need for that." Bell commented, "But thank you anyway."
Ryu felt very uncomfortable, being talked to so respectfully by the Renard. She hesitated, "Thank you." Ryu managed, after a second, she whispered to Haruhime "Do you have a moment to talk in private? I know you're tired, so it can wait." She might as well get to work as fast as possible and although it felt somewhat wrong to abuse the fact Haruhime is exhausted to gain information.
Haruhime only nodded in response, before turning and speaking with Mikoto.
Welf was the next to speak, "Bell! I need you to come to the forge in the morning. I was just putting the final touches on your armor, but I need to have you there to finalize it."
"Of course, it probably could've been useful. I'll see you later, I need to go prevent Hestia from having a meltdown due to waiting." Clapping Welf on the back, he turned to Mikoto and Lili, "Glad to see you both are alright." He turned to Ryu with a small nod and made his way up the stairs that were connected to the main waiting area.
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Bell sighed, feeling the dregs of his mental fortitude wavering, but he forced his hand to knock on the door to Hestia's room. "Come in." Hestia's voice echoed through the wall.
"Excuse me." Bell softly said as he turned the knob and opened the door. He could see piles of books and papers lying around the room. Out of everyone who lived in the manor, Hestia's room was the most decorated.
But that didn't matter to Bell right now, he sighed as he collapsed into a sitting position on the bed. "I'm sorry Goddess, it's just been a… long week."
Hestia patted Bell on the shoulder, "I understand Bell. Everyone else has been busy while you were gone, but that can wait until after I update your status." Hestia gave him a reassuring smile.
"Alright, I just hope it's nothing to do with other Familias," Bell muttered, removing his shirt and lying face down on the bed. From what he's heard, he is the only person she wants to be lying down to work on.
"No, nothing like that," Hestia muttered, crawling onto his butt and looking down at his back. She did her best not to wince at the scars that covered his body and didn't do a very good job at it as Bell noticed easily enough.
Hestia got the needle and pricked her finger, letting her divine blood drop onto his back. Hestia noticed Bell wince when he removed his shirt, as she worked, she spoke first. "Are you alright Bell?"
Bell sighed, feeling the worm ichor landing on his back. "No, despite everything and the amount of time that has passed. I still feel far from recovered from the expedition." He paused but pushed through, "I had damaged the tendon in my hand during the mission, fortunately, Ryu was able to help fix that with her magic. Other than that, it almost feels like my entire body is constantly under attack from the natural healing processes that have been taking place."
Hestia paused for a second observing her captain. "You know that you don't have to hide what happened. No matter how disturbing, I can handle it. I want to help you, but I can't without you telling me."
Bell paused trying to find the right words, "I need an opportunity to just think and digest everything first. With everything from the Xenos rescue mission to the expedition, things have changed… I suppose it would be more accurate to say that I have changed. I need to decide on what I want for the future, and that'll take time. I want to tell everyone what happened during the expedition, but I'm not ready yet. Soon though…"
He let out a sigh followed by an uneasy nervous chuckle, "But I do know one thing for sure. I… I don't think I love Aiz; I think I admired her strength and tricked myself into thinking that." He stuttered trying to find the right words but eventually managed.
Hestia paused, not having expected this admission, "Why would you think that?" Hestia thought otherwise, why else would he have developed that skill immediately after the incident? 'I feel like he is trying to convince himself that it wasn't ever love. He doesn't want to believe that his feelings can change.' She thought while she waited for his response.
Bell paused but managed, "Well… it never felt right… and after everything that had happened, I began to feel the cracks in what I was thinking. Plus, with her actions and pure hatred of the Xenos, who are more human than many I have seen. She might have let Weine escape, but that had been at a great cost to Weine."
He could still remember the sight of Weine tearing her wing and claws off. The pool of her blood that gathered beneath her… he shook his thoughts before his mind could spiral downward too much.
Hestia nodded even though Bell couldn't see, "I understand, I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy to hear that." She wanted to push Bell, but she couldn't. She didn't want to feel like she was forcing Bell into a decision. "So… what are your thoughts now about the whole situation?"
Bell turned his head enough to look at his goddess, "I… don't have an answer. My thoughts are a jumbled mess at the moment. I want to believe something, but I cannot. Not right now at least." He wanted to say he loved someone, but he didn't want to make the mistake again. He drives himself to a physical and mental breaking point to try to reach what he wants, just for it to be a lie. A falsehood, he had convinced himself of.
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It took a few minutes to get onto the reason for their departure. "Now, we had been tasked to find and rescue a Xenos that had been sold by Ikolas Familia. The location was pretty easy to get to, it was only a small village with nothing more than hovels for the citizens."
Bell began the story, and Hestia noticed a slight change she hadn't expected on his blessing. 'That's… strange. His stats grew even faster than normal. What happened to them?' Hestia thought as she shifted the glowing numbers around.
"We snuck into the village, knowing that the Xenos would've probably been kept in the lord's manor which was massive, nearly the size of Hearth Manor." He clenched his fist tightly as he continued. "We eventually found them. The lord was whipping the Xenos, he wanted to hear it scream in pain."
Hestia had to pause when she heard that, her fingers stopped fiddling with the status right above his skills section. "That's terrible, what did you do?"
"Not much to be honest, Ryu dashed down the stairs into the dungeon first. Her sense of justice couldn't let it continue. I followed behind, and what I saw disgusted me, the Xenos was almost exactly like Weine." Bell paused, as he collected his thoughts again. His clenched fist almost began to tear the fabric.
Hestia watched the anger building in Bell, this scared her. Despite everything that's happened, he's never shown so much anger. Then it was all gone, like a blink of an eye as an exaltation of a sigh. She managed to breathe a silent breath of relief and got back to work.
"We managed to incapacitate the lord, he was level five in strength, freed the Xenos who we learned was named Talvi, and transported her back into the dungeon with the others." He finished the summary and laid in silence waiting for the update to be finished.
"At least, that nastiness is done with, for now at least," Hestia commented, having nearly finished. But she could feel Bell shake underneath her.
"No… I don't think it is." Bell whispered, "With how proud he was, I doubt he will leave it alone. It's… only a matter of time."
"Also, don't push the level through yet," Bell commented, as he felt Hestia pausing on his update.
Hestia almost didn't hear her captain's request; his skill section had changed. "R… right…"
"Is there something wrong with my status?" Bell asked, noticing how the response was… distracted.
"No… no nothing is wrong; it does look like our hero got a new skill though." Hestia began to rapidly finish after her shock faded. She held out the paper for Bell to examine, after hiding the portion as normal.
Name: Bell Cranel
Race: Human
Age: 14
Level: 4
Strength: A843-S924 Dexterity: A881-S957 Agility: S928-SS1002 Endurance: A812-S915 Magic: B767-B776
Luck: F-H Abnormal Resistance: G Escape: I-H
Skills:
Argonaut
-Automatic Charge with an active action.
Ox Slayer
-When fighting minotaur-type enemies, all abilities are exponentially enhanced.
Savior
-When an ally within range is in extreme danger, all abilities are enhanced.
Magic:
Firebolt
-Swift Strike Magic
Bell looked at the skill, but only briefly he knew it felt right for his personality. Instead, his mind was drawn to the massive jump in stats he had received for basically doing almost nothing besides the one fight and the half dozen easy encounters in the dungeon.
"Goddess…" Bell muttered, catching her attention, he wanted to burn the sheet immediately but resisted the urge.
"Yes, Bell what is it?" Hestia spoke, somewhat distracted by the task of putting her gloves back on. She always tried to avoid getting her blood on them.
"Why… Why am I growing so fast? I have done almost nothing, yet they increased by so much. You have to know something." Bell pushed, trying to get an answer.
Hestia gave a warm smile, but her voice cracked a bit when she spoke, "I… I don't know Bell. But I do have a feeling that the others will begin to grow quicker as well."
Bell shifted his shirt back on, with his eyes narrowing at Hestia, "How do you know that?"
"Call it divine intuition." Hestia declared proudly, but Bell was tired of this conversation, he stood quickly and started to make his way to the door. "Wait Bell!" He turned to face her, "Can you tell Ryu I want to speak with her before she heads to bed?"
Bell sighed, "...Of course Goddess…" he then made his way out the door and into the hall.
Hestia sighed after a moment and revealed the section that was hidden on his update paper.
Skills:
Liaris Freese
-Rapid Growth
-Continued desire results in continued growth
-Stronger desire results in stronger growth
-Allies share in your growth, so long as they are within range. The closer they are to you the faster they grow.
"Oh, Bell," Hestia muttered as she waited for Ryu to arrive. She wasn't excited about the next conversation.
X
Ryu sat on a large bench that sat around the fountain outside the back of the house. She could feel her exhaustion catching up, but she refused to let that get in her way. After all, she and Bell had lasted a handful of days surviving on mostly ten-minute naps.
Ryu heard the door to her left open and close as shuffling footsteps approached. "Hello, Miss Ryu." Haruhime's gentle voice echoed through the empty courtyard.
Ryu stood, "Hello, sorry for calling you out here when I know you are probably exhausted. I just have a couple of things to ask you before I head to bed myself." Ryu waved the Renard to a bench, who accepted and sat.
"Alright, how can I assist you?" Haruhime spoke gently after Ryu sat back down.
'Is that her natural way of speaking, or is it something that she forces herself to do? She acts like a near-perfect maid.' Ryu wondered but quickly collected her thoughts. "Right, sorry. About Bell, do you know about his nightmares?"
Ryu noticed Haruhime flinched at the question, then gave a resigned sigh. "Yes, although I believe I am the only other who knows. I had tried reading to him, which seemed to help for a couple of nights. Then it felt like his mind grew resistant to that."
Ryu sat and pondered that for a minute gathering her thoughts. "Is it normally a nightly event from what you remember?"
"Yes." Haruhime answered without hesitation, "Some nights seem worse than others. As if it was repeating a series of events in order. Some days are better, some worse. Do you know what might be the reason? Is it what happened on the deep floors?"
Ryu nodded her head, "I believe so." She glanced at Haruhime, who was now sitting with her ears sagged downward. "Well, I do have some good news." Ryu tried to change the subject slightly. "After our… assignment, I got to meet Weine."
Haruhime's ears shot straight upward at the news. "Really! How is she? Are the others with her?"
The sudden barrage of questions surprised Ryu. "Yes, as far as I know, good she might have made a new friend. If you are talking about Ray and the others, then yes."
Haruhime sighed in relief, "Good, that's good to hear." Haruhime paused and looked at Ryu, after a second, she spoke, "Listen, Miss Ryu, while I'm sure you wanted to talk about these topics. Is there a specific thing you wanted to ask? I can tell you are tired, and almost forcing yourself to stay awake. "
Ryu chuckled, "Was it that obvious? I guess I need to work on my defenses again."
Haruhime shook her head in the negative. "No, I didn't know for sure. Master Bell has been keeping a lot of his internal thoughts and concerns to himself lately. I've been trying to pick up and try to guess the hidden thoughts."
"Really are almost like an ideal maid," Ryu whispered, she noticed Haruhime flush slightly upon hearing that. "Well, you are right. Bell confessed something to me while we were alone. He is worried and afraid of the future."
Haruhime tilted her head in innocent confusion, not a shred of jealousy showed itself at getting Bell to confess something, "How do you mean?"
Ryu sighed, "I will be blunt, he is worried at his rate of growth. He is scared that he will leave everyone he cares about behind, judging by how things have passed in the last four months, I agree. When I meet Lady Astraea again, I will probably end up being level five. But even with that, he has far outstripped me in terms of raw strength."
Ryu noticed Haruhime shift uncomfortably at the line of conversation. She took a breath and continued, "Is there a specific reason as to why he is growing so much? I know he pushes himself hard, but even then."
Ryu was looking Haruhime directly in the eyes watching for her response. The first thing she saw was regret and depression.
They sat in silence for a long period of time, until eventually, Haruhime nodded in affirmation. "I'm sorry, I don't want to keep it a secret, but the entire Familia knows but has been sworn to secrecy to not tell him. But Bell trusts you and so will I."
Ryu nodded, "Thank you Haruhime. I appreciate your honesty. Is there anything else you can tell me without breaking your promise?"
Haruhime nodded, "Yes, but not much. What I can tell you is the circumstances that led to why. Do you know what happened to him a couple of weeks after he had started as an adventurer?"
Ryu shook her head in the negative, "I know about before he traveled to Orario and most of what happened after he got his knife. The gap there… well no."
Haruhime understood, "Alright, well to start from the beginning, do you remember when Loki Familia returned from their expedition at that short window of time?" Ryu nodded so she continued, "From what I've heard, a minotaur had been running from them and reached all the way up to floor 5. Where Master Bell had just entered for the first time."
Ryu could put the pieces together. "Wait, really a Minotaur managed to reach all the way to floor five? How did the Loki Familia allow that to happen?"
Haruhime sighed, "I don't know, but it began to chase Bell across the floor until he reached a dead end. But right before the minotaur struck down our hero. A hero of his own appeared and cut the monster down. Aiz Wallenstein had saved Master Bell's life. That's when his growth began to explode." Haruhime concluded, sitting stitching her fingers together on her lap.
Ryu began to nibble on her thumbnail while thinking. After a second, she sighed. "I assume that's when he fell for Aiz. I suppose it makes sense, even though I don't like that there was a minotaur so high up. Thank you Haruhime, if you'll excuse me, I need a moment to think." So, Ryu stood, gave a polite bow, and left entering the main building.
The halls were quiet and mostly empty, just a couple of simple paintings dotted around until she arrived at her door. She opened it, entered silently, and closed the door behind her. After a moment she collapsed onto her bed as her mind began to run.
"Can I really live up to someone, who would be classified as his hero?" Ryu whispered into the darkness, as it was about two in the morning, her mind raced making several unfair comparisons. Most of which led to her loss, and a shadow of depression began to fog her mind slightly. There was still some hope, but not much.
'I can't just ask how he feels. That would be… rude and well unfair.' She thought, paying attention to nothing for too long of a period.
She didn't know how long she had been lying there in her downward spiral, it was interrupted by a sharp knock at her door. "Who… is it?"
"It's Bell." His voice echoed through the thick door.
"Ah…" she sat up on the edge of her bed, trying to calm her mind. It was only a second before she spoke, "Alright, feel free to enter." Truth be told she would rather not see her hero at the moment, not with the direction her thoughts were running.
She watched the knob turn and the door open. She could see a tired-looking Bell, he seemed to notice something was off by Ryu's expression. She watched Bell close the door behind him, 'No… no… no.' Her mind warned her, but she couldn't bring the words out before Bell sat next to her.
A moment of silence passed between them, "What's wrong?" Bell asked in a near whisper.
Ryu did her best to hide her spiraling emotions, but she couldn't hide them. She couldn't even conceal them beneath a mask like she had so many times before. She could only shake her head from side to side.
Bell didn't understand why Ryu was so emotional, she had been so happy an hour ago. So, he did the one thing he could think of, he held his arms open.
Ryu wanted to resist, to fight back, to flee her room. But she couldn't, when she noticed how his arms were open and waiting her first thought was fear. She didn't want to accept because of the chance to be heartbroken in the future, but she couldn't resist.
Ryu embraced Bell tightly, she squeezed as if he could disappear at any moment. After a second her tears began to appear just to be absorbed into Bell's shirt.
Bell didn't say anything, he knew better so instead he simply rubbed her back in an attempt to help comfort her.
Time passed, nearly ten minutes of silence and sobbing. "I'm… worried… about… my chances… for a… peaceful… future." Ryu eventually spoke in a hesitant whisper. She couldn't find the courage to say what she wanted to say. 'I'm scared about my chances to be with my hero.' She thought, about what she wanted to say.
Bell continued to rub her back gently. 'She's not telling the truth. Well not entirely.' He thought, but he didn't push her. Instead, he whispered gently, "I… I know that… out of everyone I can think of… you deserve to have a peaceful future."
Ryu jerked at those words, he noticed but didn't act. After a moment, she whispered in response. "You really are too kind."
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Another ten minutes passed when Ryu eventually regained enough composure to ask a simple question, "Sorry, was there something you needed of me?"
Bell jerked in realization; he remembered the entire reason he had knocked on her door. He had completely forgotten seeing the state that Ryu was in.
Bell chuckled lightly, "I almost forgot… well, Goddess… wanted to speak to you in her room." He hoped Hestia hadn't fallen asleep from waiting so long.
Ryu's eyes, which had been closed for almost the entire time, snapped open. "I… I hope she isn't angry."
"Just blame me for taking up your time," Bell muttered, unsure if that would work. "Truth be told she might be asleep." He glanced at the small clock on the wall. "It's almost three in the morning and she had worked all day."
After another second, Ryu had to reluctantly force her body to untangle from Bell's embrace. "I… suppose I shouldn't keep her waiting." And with that statement, she left her room at an alarming speed.
After a moment Bell stood and silently made his exit, moving to his room next door and collapsed onto his bed. He realized that he never told Hestia that Ryu was going to be traveling to meet Astraea and that he should… wanted to go and support her. His head throbbed as he removed his shirt and curled into a ball on his bed.
"I need a chance to clear my mind," Bell whispered, unable to keep his eyes open any longer.
.
Panic flooded Bell's mind; he was about to fight an opponent he knew he couldn't defeat. But that didn't stop him from moving his shaking limbs, Ryu was in danger, and in shock, he had to move despite his terrified heart.
It was so quick to kill over a dozen people, it had taken less than five seconds. There were only five more alive including himself. Ryu had a thousand-yard stare looking at the carnage, if nothing else his heart… no his soul roared that it needed to save her. It was like a long-forgotten emotion or memory was beginning to surface.
But he didn't fixate on that, in reality, he couldn't as his legs were already moving in a suicidal charge.
His strike with the god-blessed knife glanced off its hard carapace, 'Wait god blessed?' His wandering mind left his defenses open leaving him open for retaliation.
He could hear Ryu screaming in terror, he turned his head just enough to see the god-blessed knife flying through the air with an arm still attached.
Then he felt it, the sudden and violent severing of his arm. He screamed in pain and shock, Ryu screamed for him to move but he couldn't. All he could see was his blood leaking out in great gouts with each terrified pump of his heart. He noticed a black blur moving towards him and he felt a crack in his neck, then a sense of weightlessness as he flew through the air.
He was still conscious somehow, but he could not feel anything, he couldn't move. He noticed that his arm and knife had slipped into the water next to where they had been fighting.
"No no no no." He heard Ryu whispering, "I can still save him."
He could see the tears filling Ryu's eyes as she chanted her magic two… three times. Before she could cast again, he felt the dungeon itself quiver and shake in agitation as his body slipped into the water with his arm.
He still couldn't move, and panic flooded him again as he felt the water rushing into his lungs.
.
Bell jumped out of bed, his heart racing eyes stinging with the salty tears he had released over the nightmare. "It's alright Bell you're safe… it's alright you and Ryu managed to kill it… it's alright…" his heart was slamming in his chest.
With no options available, he drew himself into the fetal position in the very corner of the room. As far from the wall closest to the others as possible. He couldn't… he didn't want to wake everyone just because of his nightmares. He noticed he had only been 'asleep' for about an hour. He watched the morning arrive with the brightening of the sky and the occasional sound of a bird in the distance.
X
Ryu moved quickly towards Hestia's room, took a moment to calm her heart, and swiped her hair before knocking on the wooden door. 'No answer.' Ryu thought.
It took a total of four sets of knocks to finally get a response, "What!?" Hestia shouted through the door.
"It's Ryu… I was told you wanted to speak to me." Ryu spoke in a resigned voice. 'Guess Bell was right, with her being asleep.' Her heart was still tender and ached at the thought of Bell.
Ryu could hear thumps of footsteps inside of the room, so she wasn't surprised when the door was thrown open by the tiny goddess. "Well… come on in."
Ryu followed Hestia into the room and closed the door behind them. Ryu didn't take more than five steps into the room, "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, Goddess Hestia." Ryu apologized with a small bow.
Hestia turned and narrowed her eyes at Ryu, before sighing. "It's fine, sorry I'm just exhausted, and worrying about the two of you has frayed my nerves a bit."
Ryu didn't say anything in response, instead just gave a little tilt of her head in acknowledgment. So, Hestia began to speak instead, "Now, I need to talk to you about Bell and a couple of other things. But first, do you have anything you wish to say before we get started."
Ryu paused and thought for a moment, despite the pain in her chest she voiced what she wanted, "I… I have received a letter from Goddess Astraea, she wants me to visit…"
Ryu paused for a second, so Hestia finished her thought, "And you want Bell to go with you?" She watched Ryu blush slightly but nod in agreement. "Why? He could be helpful here. He wants to help everyone grow stronger and he can if he is with everyone."
Ryu hesitated, 'That's new information.' She thought, but she gathered her thoughts and echoed his reasoning. "He thinks it would be a good idea if someone representing Hestia Familia went when I ask for permission to transfer. Normally the god of the Familia should be the one, but since you cannot leave the city, he thinks he is the best option."
Ryu paused, and gave her own thoughts, "Plus, if the others are going into the dungeon. I don't think having Bell enter yet would be a good idea." She tapped the side of her head, "His scars are still too fresh. He needs time to come to terms with everything and a good chance to recover."
Hestia was planning on denying and sending someone else like Haruhime with Ryu instead, but she paused at the reasoning. "I… he hasn't told me or anyone what happened. Not even the doctors when he was getting healed. He always avoids questions about the subject. Will you tell me why?"
Ryu could see the pleading in Hestia's eyes. It pained the goddess that her captain had gone through so much but refused to speak on the matter. "I'm sorry, he has stated that he wishes to speak for himself on the matter. So, unfortunately, I won't."
She could see the anger and sadness in Hestia who ended up just sighing, "At this rate, I don't think he'll ever tell us."
"I understand, I went through something similar years ago. But I only recently opened up while we were down there." Ryu whispered but regained her voice. "I might have a solution to the problem."
Hestia raised one of her eyebrows, "Oh, and what might that be?"
"Like I said, he wants to, but can't yet. So, there is a chance that if he leaves Orario for an extended period of time it might help him heal at least a little. Plus, if he is going to speak it will need to be somewhere he is familiar with." She hesitated, not knowing for sure how well her plan might work. Truth be told she was coming up with it on the spot. "He is still unfamiliar with living here I believe, so I don't think that would be a good idea. Might I suggest renting out the Hostess for a night? He has been going there almost every day since he first started adventuring."
Hestia nodded in understanding, plus the maids there were part of the group that rescued him. "Alright, I think that would be doable. How much would that cost?"
Ryu hesitated, she tried to remember the number, and what came to mind sent a shiver up her spine. "I'm not one hundred percent sure, as Loki Familia is the only group that regularly rents out much of the area. Even then it's not the entire building like we would want. If I had to guess, based on how much Loki Familia pays. Probably 750,000 valis, if they rent the majority of it at 600,000."
Ryu saw Hestia nearly faint at the staggering size of the number. "Seriously? That's insane." Ryu could only shrug in understanding.
"How long would you both be gone?" Hestia asked, trying to do the calculations based on what they would have available after Lili paid the fine.
"Two and a half weeks one way," Ryu noted, based on what Bell had told her and her own experiences.
"So, about a month, that might actually be good," Hestia muttered as she placed a hand on her chin.
"How so?" Ryu questioned, surprised she wasn't upset by the amount of time.
"Bell can level now, but we haven't pushed it through yet. But he also only leveled two weeks ago. Everything that happened during the expedition was enough to push him far enough." Hestia off-handedly mentioned, "So it will give us a chance to get the guild off Bell's back for a bit. It's still…"
Ryu waited as patiently as her exhausted body and mind could handle. After all, she had achieved her goal of getting Hestia to allow Bell to leave Orario so soon. She did believe it was the best idea for Bell regardless of if he was allowed to accompany her, 'If she would've insisted Haruhime come instead of Bell… well that wouldn't have been bad… but I feel it would've been awkward between the two of us.' Ryu thought, starting to zone out of Hestia's rambling.
Ryu coughed politely to get the goddess's attention, "I'm sorry for derailing the conversation, but might I ask what you wanted to talk to me about?" She tried to sound polite despite her wanting to sleep.
Hestia coughed in an attempt to return her thoughts to the current situation, "Right sorry." She sighed, "What I wanted to talk to you was… well… Bell. To start, take a look at this." Hestia grabbed a piece of paper off her bed and handed it to Ryu.
Hestia watched as Ryu's eyes widened, "Those are the stats of Bell at the point of leveling."
Ryu glanced at the goddess, "This is… insane. With all of them compounding as he levels. No wonder."
Now that Hestia had Ryu's attention, "Ryu, I want to show you his latest update sheet. Can you give me your word to never share what's on the sheet? I'm only offering this as proof of the trust Bell and the others show you. Plus, since we are a small Familia, everyone knows each other's sheets. Unless something is requested to be kept hidden."
Ryu's eyes narrowed slightly, "If I give my word, then I will keep it. But do you think that's fair to Bell? I have no proof, but I believe he has obtained some sort of skill when Aiz saved him. You know he is terrified by his growth, right?"
She watched as Hestia flinched when Ryu said skill. 'That all but confirms it.' She thought watching Hestia lose all the color in her face.
"I know what you're thinking… but he is just too pure… I don't want Freya or Loki to figure it out." Hestia wanted to snap back, but she knew.
"Do you really not trust Bell with the information etched into his back? After everything he has been through. All the secrets he already keeps from the public." Ryu started to get genuinely frustrated with the tiny goddess. "I won't tell him, but I'll let you in on a secret. He already suspects you're lying about his status. He's told me that he doesn't know if he can lead Hestia Familia into prominence if you are keeping something from him without a good reason."
With every word, Hestia collapsed more and more in on herself. "Fine… I… understand." Hestia had tears forming in her eyes as she spoke. "When you… two get back… I'll tell him… the truth." The last thing she wanted was to lose Bell.
Hestia held out Bell's latest sheet, "The skill in question… changed this last update…"
Ryu read the specifics revolving around his skill. 'Desire equates to growth.' Her mind categorized the information quickly. She could feel her ears droop slightly as understanding dawned on her. "So essentially, the more he loves Aiz the faster he grows?"
Hestia shuddered slightly, "I… that's what I thought as well. But based on what he told me… when updating his status, I don't believe that's the case." Hestia mumbled, just loud enough that Ryu could hear.
"What do you mean?" Ryu asked quietly, as she tightly held the paper, almost tearing it.
Hestia sighed as this would eventually come out. "He told me that… what he felt… probably wasn't actual love… instead was admiration." Hestia was sniffling as she spoke, rubbing her nose she continued. "I have two theories… The first is that his 'loving' desire changed, or second, multiple desires can influence his growth. For example… love could be the strongest desire… that affects it, but others like the desire to protect and save others, or simply his desire to grow stronger."
Ryu nodded in understanding, "So it could essentially be that most aspects of his nature could be contributing?"
"That's right. The ability to help others grow is new though. Until this night only he was affected." Hestia seemed to be getting control over her emotions again as they were speaking.
Hestia sighed and sniffled at the same moment, "Now that's out in the open. When are you planning on leaving Orario?"
Ryu thought for a moment, "Well, we'll need today to rest from the mission, tomorrow we can go out and get supplies. So, I suppose the day after tomorrow, I know I want to get moving as quickly as possible. What are your thoughts?"
Hestia sighed in resignation, "As much as I don't want him to leave so early, I admit it would probably be for the best."
Ryu paused for a moment, "Later today I plan on talking to Welf about a new sword for me. My main weapon was destroyed, only the handle really remains." She sighed, but that was her fault and she would accept that.
"If that's the case, will you be awake in…" Hestia glanced at a small clock hanging on one wall. "Five hours? That's normally when he gets up and starts working. Although he did stay up a bit later waiting to welcome you both back."
Ryu nodded her head, "More than likely. I normally wake at first light, but if you don't mind… I need to get some rest." She turned and started to make her way towards the door.
"Sorry, one last thing," Hestia called out, Ryu nodded for her to continue. "While you are out there with Bell… please try to keep him safe. Especially from himself, I'm… worried about him." Hestia made a simple request, one that Ryu would've done regardless.
Ryu nodded, "Of course, that's what I would've done regardless." With that said she made her way, through the door down the hall and into her room.
She found it empty, a portion of her was saddened by that realization. 'Looks like it'll be a cold night.' She sighed, undressed, and collapsed onto her bed, pulling her blanket up to cover her underclothing. Through the night as she drifted to the realm of dreams, she felt something was wrong in her core.
She held the pillow close to her chest, as her mental faculties faded. The last thought that crossed her mind was wishing the pillow was Bell.
X
The village was burned and destroyed, and not a single structure remained intact. Astraea gasped; this was a village a handful of miles away from her current home. "What caused this?" She whispered, feeling the constant pain she had grown accustomed to over the last year.
She could see patches of green flame, even when she poured what water she had left in her water skin onto the flame, it didn't sputter in the slightest. "No, it would be impossible to see one on the surface. Especially this far north. " She whispered to herself.
She took a look around, although her tracking skills weren't great, they didn't need to be to see what she was looking for.
"If Artemis was here, she would be able to get a stronger sense of what happened." But that was a useless wish, what she saw worried her. There were obvious signs of a large four-legged monster with a long tail.
From what Astraea could guess it was probably thirty feet long and about ten feet wide. "Hmm." She paused, catching the direction it had been moving, "Away from the mountains? Good." She didn't want to destroy any more villages, and the only remaining ones she knew about were closer to the mountains. Including the one that had become her home.
She could almost hear the screaming of those who were residents of this village. Her chest burned sharply for a second, but she pushed through. "I'll need to see if we can get a few helping hands to bury the charred corpses." She whispered, she heard the snapping of twigs approaching her, and instinctively she reached for the short sword at her hip.
She released it as she watched a small white rabbit, with a black spot on its chest aimlessly following a green butterfly that slowly moved in her direction. She smiled seeing the sight, she stood which caused the rabbit to scamper away.
Astraea sighed in disappointment and patted her white dress which had been stained black with soot from the burned village. The sight brought back unpleasant memories, from when all her children were still alive. When chaos reigned supreme on Orario, she could still vividly remember the children who had acted as a distraction while explosives were strapped to them. But that didn't matter anymore, her remaining child solved most of the city's burdens without any help and she was proud of her. "Let Freya and Loki deal with it now. We had tried and lost so much."
Her head snapped towards the south, her chestnut hair fluttered from the sudden movement. A roar could be heard, the roar of a mighty beast. She hesitated for a moment, but she knew she was nowhere near strong enough to deal with it. In pure combat abilities, she could keep up with a level 2 adventurer. But that wasn't an adventurer, nor was she.
Astraea began to move towards the north, away from the sound of the roar. As she exited the soot-filled village a single tear streaked down her cheek breaking down the soot that covered her face. "I need to get home and rest. Too much excitement I'm afraid."
She watched as her home village came into view, she waved to the guards who watched over the small wooden wall. Entering the home she lived alone in, she took a bath and collapsed onto her bed. She could feel her connection to Ryu, it was the only sense of comfort she had in the years since she left Orario. The only sign that Ryu was alive. "Ryu…" she whispered as she drifted off to sleep, hopeful that her Gale Wind would arrive before… too long.
Review Responses:
Lestat719: Glad you enjoy it.
Blazeburn006: "Bell being Bell" Truer words have never been spoken. I thought a conversation between Ryu and Ray would be interesting, and Ouranos... Well yeah.
pix25: Bell: What is this sudden power?