Again, thank you all for checking out this chapter and spending a portion of the day with it. Funny enough this chapter and the last was originally a single chapter, but I thought it was too long. So I spit it and expanded it. Either way, I hope you all enjoy the chapter and have a great day. - EG
P.S. Also, just another heads up, the next chapter will be the last that updates every week. Thank you for understanding. - EG
Word Count: 10,609
Chapter 15
…
A human with snow-white hair stood in a densely packed forest, a light rain fell from an ever-darkening sky. He held an elf in his arms for what he knew would be the last time. She could hear the sounds of distant trees snapping from the abomination he had to hold off. He had no choice.
He looked down to see the beautiful green eyes of the elf, they would never shed tears in front of him and he knew it. Over the years he had seen many different expressions on their face; joy, laughter, sorrow, grief, and anger, but never such complete despair. They always had a song to play, but not now. They always had been the stronger of them.
He ran his fingers through their green hair, stained with traces of blood from a recent injury. He gave them a warm smile, "Don't worry I'll be with you soon. I'll stop It this time… I have to." He shivered as he spoke. They both knew he was lying.
They backed away, breaking their embrace, staring into each other's eyes for a long second. But he couldn't bear to hold their gaze any longer, knowing what was to come. So instead, he turned to face the young man who stood tall beside them.
The man had flaming red hair, with determined light gray eyes. His spirit bond with Urus always had been stronger than the white-haired human's. His hair was drenched with a mixture of sweat and rain. "Crozzo, promise me to look after the others until I return. It has already claimed so many." The white-haired voice was gravelly from all the shouting in the uncounted battles.
Crozzo sighed, "Argonaut don't speak like that." His voice was heavy with unspoken emotions. Crozzo's legendary blade sat heavily on his shoulder. He turned to the elf, "Let's go Ryulu. We need to cover as much distance as possible."
Ryulu let only a single tear be seen as before they turned away. After a handful of steps, they turned to look back at the lone human, Argonaut gave a gentle, confident smile. "Go… Ryulu. I'll be fine, I promise."
Ryulu gave an obviously false smile. "Argo… I expect you to keep that promise."
.
.
.
Time passed, he only had to wait a dozen minutes. He tapped Jupiter who sat in its sheath. His bonded spirit was angry, which surprised Argonaut a bit. Jupiter had rarely shown any emotions since it became his sword.
Anger-filled lightning seemed to crackle out from the sheath. He placed a hand on its pommel calmly, Argonaut understood why, It was a spirit's natural enemy. It consumed spirits to grow stronger.
It finally arrived, as the wave of an unrecognizable black form shattered the trees in front of him. Argonaut grimaced; It was larger than he remembered. "It must have consumed more of them."
"Be…" a voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere all at once. But it was muffled like it was yelling through water.
Argonaut drew his sword, lightning crackling down the length of its blade. "I… have to hold It back until they can escape. Jupiter… consume as much of my life force as you need. I… don't care how much, so long as they live." He clutched his numb left hand around the hilt, it was abnormally pale as its strength was already damaged from a previous use of the blade.
"Wake… Bell… wake up…" The voice echoed off the landscape.
Argonaut charged as spears of black-scaled tendrils launched toward him. Using the speed he was famous for, he danced around them, swinging Jupiter in a wide arch even as pain lanced through his body.
His vision grew blurry, the price was taken.
Pain filled Argonaut's body, he glanced down to see a tendril had slipped past his defense when his sight blurred. It missed his femur by millimeters, even in that brief impalement he could feel the corruption. He grimaced but pushed through cutting the tendril with a dull snapping sound.
He felt Jupiter continue to consume his life force, but he didn't care. Swinging the blade, a wave of lightning lanced out at a terrifying speed. He felt his heart falter for a second, that was all it took, that simple moment of weakness. The lightning had connected and did damage but not enough as the scaled tendril pierced his lung.
Argonaut coughed, ruby blood slashed on the already crimson-stained forest floor.
Jupiter roared in protest; its newfound lightning refused to be diminished. For the first time, Jupiter truly acted on its own. Argonaut felt the pull of his weakening life fill the blade as lightning exploded outward.
"Bell! Wake Up." The voice from before caused a crack in reality. Then the world broke away and shattered into hundreds of shards like panes of glass falling onto the floor.
… (1)
Bell's mind shot to awareness as he was being shaken. His eyes darted around only to see Ryu standing over him. "Bell! Are you alright? Looked like you were having a nightmare."
He gave a weak smile and started to sit up. "No… not exactly. It felt… different. Like a memory, I shouldn't have." With the palm of his left hand, he rubbed at his eyes. To his surprise, the hand felt numb, 'Just like in that dream.'
"Bell what was it? If it was a 'Memory'." Ryu asked skeptically, but the worry was etched into her blue eyes. He blinked and an image of the elf seemed to overlap his vision, but it vanished after he blinked again.
He did his best to focus and remember what he could. The dream or memory was already fading from his mind. "I… was in a dark densely packed forest. I was with two others, I… told them to leave in order to buy time for their escape. There was something… following, no chasing us." Bell closed his eyes and focused until he felt a vein bulge. "I'm sorry… that's all I can remember."
Ryu gave an obviously false chuckle, "That is something you would do…" She stood up straight and sighed. "Come on Astraea is already making some breakfast for our departure."
Bell wanted to comment on how she was one to talk… but held it back. Instead, he sighed and put a smile on. "Right Right." He got dressed quickly, noticing that Ryu was watching out of the corner of her eye. "You won't see anything like that." He spoke softly, as he finished putting on a change of clothes.
Ryu blushed and fidgeted. "Now…"
But she was cut off by Bell walking and approaching quickly. "Now now… no need to get embarrassed. Besides, Lady Astraea is probably already waiting for us." He took a step and opened the door revealing the hallway.
Reaching out he grabbed Ryu's hand and lightly tugged her along. She didn't resist in the slightest, Astraea sat at the main table with a small feast in front of her. Larsa didn't seem to be around so Bell took the seat he had been using regularly over the last couple of days.
"Thank you for all you've done Lady Astraea." Bell bowed deeply in his seat, as Astraea put a hand on her cheek.
"Please don't bow like that… It's too polite. After all, at this point, I almost consider you a stepchild considering Ryu is still my child." Her comment was quick and seemingly calculated.
Bell and Ryu both blushed heavily, which caused her to smile brightly. Maybe it was just his mind playing tricks on him, due to the fading sections of his dream, but there was the slightest twinge of melancholy in her eyes. 'Of course, there would be… she is about to say goodbye to Ryu again. That can't be easy.'
"Astraea… please don't tease like that!" Ryu's nearly shouted, as her tone raised a few pitches.
"Please Ryu, don't mind my teasing… I won't be able to see you again for… a long time. Now please eat your fill, before you leave. I already have a few rations for your journey packed in the kitchen. It won't make the entire distance, but it's enough for a couple of days." She gave a cheerful smile while picking at the small plate she had prepared for herself.
Bell noticed her hesitation when speaking, his eyes flicked over to Ryu who he could see suspicion in her eyes. "Thank you again Lady Astraea." With a conscious effort, he returned his focus to the plate.
Ryu seemed to hesitate, but after a handful of moments, she got to eating. The food was quickly devoured, while they both ate a fair bit last night at the feast they were careful not to completely fill up before dancing. So they were relatively hungry, if they didn't have a massive walk they might have had another plate.
Bell stood abruptly, as he finished the last of his food. "Thank you, it was delicious." He glanced over to Ryu, "I'm going to go finish packing the few items that are still out. I'll be back in a minute."
Ryu stood, "I should help you."
But Bell shook his head, "No… Ryu." He glanced over towards Astraea. "We don't know the next time we'll see her. So please just enjoy the last precious moments with her."
After he spoke, he picked up his plate and Ryu's, which was also empty. He quickly cleaned them and returned to the room.
He grabbed his pack first, the only thing he needed to pack away was the pair of letters he had. One from Zeus, the other from Astraea. He was once again tempted to open the one from Astraea now, but he restrained his urge. She had made a special request as to when he should open it. Still, as he held the letter, he couldn't help but have a bad feeling radiating from it.
'Why else would she request to only have it opened after Ryu officially has Hestia's Blessing? That is just so many warning flags.' Still, he would do as she requested even if it would eat away at him until then.
Bell rubbed his temples, as a foreboding headache started to blossom. But still, he continued, he looked around and sighed. 'Was that really all that needed to be packed away? It's so little.' The pair had been careful to not make a mess while they stayed… but still, it seemed like very little. Was two letters all he needed to pack away? Sure there was the Zeus Familia emblem, which… would probably require some explanation if or when the Hestia Familia did anything with it.
He looked around the relatively small room, and with a sigh picked up his and Ryu's pack. He was happy to see the magic dagger strapped to his pack. "Lady Astraea must have done that when we were unconscious…" He shook his head, dispelling the wayward thoughts that bothered him about the encounter.
With one last look at the room, which almost felt like a new home despite it having only been a couple of days, he let out a sigh. "Well… I suppose it's time to get moving again. I'm sure everyone is worried." But still, he stalled, but not for his sake.
X
Astraea sat across from her child, alone for the last time. She wanted nothing more than to shed a few tears, but she couldn't not yet. She had to make sure they had left first. "Oh right, I have something for you Ryu. Give me a moment."
Astraea stood and turned noticing how carefully Ryu was watching her. But she didn't let that bother her, or to be more accurate she couldn't. So instead of accepting her emotions she moved from the room and retreated to her personal bed chambers. It was completely barren of any decorations but she didn't mind, it's what she deserved after everything.
A small wrapped package sat on her bed, "Right… Astraea… just a bit longer. That's all… just a bit… longer." With a bit of effort, she picked the package up, despite it being light, it felt heavy for two reasons. The first being the emotional weight and the second being her physical strength. She was already exhausted from the day's activities, sure she didn't sleep last night but still she felt… abnormally weak.
Astraea shook her thoughts to the side and held the package close to her, in a low voice she whispered. "Be free… my children… let your final pages be free from… this dungy house that's filled with a Goddess' regrets."
X
Ryu waited patiently alone in the room. At this point, she was certain that Bell was purposely moving slowly trying to give Ryu as much time as possible with Astraea which was kind of ironic.
Still, she glanced over to where Astraea had left, she wanted to follow but felt it would be inappropriate at this current moment.
So she sat in silence. A full minute passed as Ryu heard Astraea moving down the hall, another second and she could see Astraea was holding a small wrapped package close to her chest. "Here you go, Ryu. But I request that you don't open it until after you return to Orario."
Ryu quirked an eyebrow, "And why would you make that request? I don't mind… but."
Astraea hesitated, and it was obvious to Ryu. "It… holds some items that are precious… things that I wouldn't want to get damaged from being exposed to the elements."
Ryu didn't believe her Goddess for a second, she was about to ask another question when Bell opened the door.
Bell seemed to glance around, "Oh… well I suppose everything is packed."
Astraea leaped onto the opening. "Good. Here come with me to the kitchen and we can pack the rations away."
Bell seemed to be glancing at Ryu but moved to oblige as Ryu stood and followed. She didn't trust Bell to split the weight evenly.
.
.
.
It only took a few minutes to have the final ration packed away, along with the mysterious package from Astraea. "Right… well as much as I don't want you to leave. Time is burning away, and you should probably get moving."
Ryu agreed, but that didn't make it any easier. "Might… we pray… at the shrine before we leave?" She asked softly, she wasn't ready to leave despite knowing that they should've already been on the move.
Astraea smiled softly. "Of course Ryu. You and Bell go ahead, I've… already prayed for them today and you know how they wouldn't want me smothering them in my constant nagging." Astraea chuckled, but it felt forced to Ryu.
"Right… I suppose. Here Bell… follow me." She grabbed his hand and halfway pulled Bell to where she remembered the shrine to be.
"Ryu… are you sure you want me to as well?"
Ryu only nodded, as she exhaled a deep breath, and she opened the door. It didn't let out any sound, no creeks or screech of a moving henge. "Here come on Bell."
She heard Bell take a deep breath as he followed her into the small room. Ryu glanced around but didn't notice any obvious changes. She let go of Bell's hand and placed both her hands in front of her. She didn't say anything, instead, she only focused on the memories of her fallen sisters.
X
Bell followed Ryu's example, but his mind wasn't silent. 'I swear to you all… I do everything in my power to protect Ryu. I know she'll do reckless things and might get hurt, but I'll do what I can.'
.
.
.
He stood there for a full minute until Ryu let out a deep breath, "Right… I suppose… we should get moving…" Ryu's voice was hesitant and almost weak to Bell's ears.
Bell tapped her on the back lightly, "I suppose you're right. Let's get going." He followed Ryu out of the small room, before closing the door he took one final look around the room before closing the door gently.
.
.
.
Astraea had accompanied the pair to the front door but didn't take a step out of it. There were a few tears that had built up in Astraea's eyes, while Ryu had let them flow without restraint.
Bell could tell, they would just stand there for hours if they didn't intervene. So he did the simplest thing and gave Ryu a light push on the back, with just enough force to push her a step forward.
Ryu stumbled a bit, but Astraea held out her arms and warmly embraced Ryu. She pulled Ryu close to her and Ryu squeezed back. This time both let their tears fall freely.
"Astraea… I…" Ryu spoke through gasps and sniffles.
Astraea in turn patted the back of Ryu's head, "There there Ryu… it's alright. You've got a new family who is worried about… just remember no matter what happens… I'll always be with you…"
Bell listened in silence, but the way Astraea spoke bothered him. 'She's speaking like it's the last time she'll ever see Ryu again. Why… and why do I still get a strange feeling from her?' Bell wandered, but he didn't let his thoughts ruin their farewells.
They stood there for minutes, but Bell didn't complain. As much as they needed to get moving, this was of far more importance.
"Bell…" Astraea's voice caught his attention, "Come here." She spoke softly as Ryu slowly started to pull away.
"Astraea… won't you come with us… please." Ryu's voice sounded weak as she made her request.
Astraea shook her head. "I'm sorry… even if I wanted to… it wouldn't be right. Besides… I have a… responsibility to those in this village now." Bell could hear Ryu sniffle a little as Astraea spoke.
He took a step forward with a tiny bit of hesitation and Astraea wrapped her arms around him. "I just want to thank you again. Thank you for getting Ryu here, I'm… entrusting her to you Bell. Please don't disappoint, you two love each other greatly. Love is a slippery slope with many pitfalls. But… I have faith that you and Ryu can navigate through them and end up safely on the other side."
Bell returned the embrace, as he lightly tapped the Goddess on the back. "I'll do what I can, I know we'll be… tested in the future."
"Very Good, that's all I wanted to hear." Astraea pulled back and gave him a small peck on the cheek before letting go, fully separating them.
Bell took a couple steps away, a light blush on his cheeks which caused Astraea to giggle. Ryu spoke to break the silence. "Right… well I… suppose we're off. Please… stay safe Astraea…"
Astraea gave a small, but forced smile. "I'll be fine, no matter what happens now, you're the ones returning to Orario who knows what will happen there. But, I'm happy for you Ryu, just remember to spend time with all your new Familia Members. Trust them…"
Bell could see a facade beginning to break away, as tears began to build again. "Thank you again Lady Astraea…" He turned to face his companion, "Ryu… let's… get moving before it grows even harder for the two of you." He did his best to sound reassuring, but he knew it came out wrong.
Ryu nodded and sighed, "I'll… see you again soon Astraea." Ryu seemed to have trouble, but she forced herself to turn away and take a handful of steps away from the building. Bell looked at Astraea, gave a warm smile, and followed after Ryu.
X
Astraea watched them leave, each step they took she seemed to grow weaker. She felt lightheaded when they faded from sight. "I…" she took several steps and closed the door.
She stumbled down the hall, leaning heavily against the wall. Up until her legs failed her, she collapsed landing hard on the wooden floor. There she lay crying, hours passed and the pain in her chest increased causing her to cough violently. Liquid splashed onto her hand as she coughed, she grimaced at the red color.
With limp legs she crawled towards the shrine, her precious shrine, a piece of her dress was torn away from a slightly loose nail. She didn't make it; she only managed to crawl close to the table.
The door was thrown open. "Goddess!" The sound of Larsa's voice met her ears, but it sounded shotty and unnatural. "Goddess! What happened? We felt the change."
"Close… the door… Larsa." It complied and approached her fallen form. "They're gone… now…"
Larsa smiled at the information, "Does that mean my job is done?" It spoke as its voice changed slowly.
Astraea nodded, "I'm sorry for it having been… such a short time…" She tried to raise a hand towards Larsa but failed, she was far too weak. "I don't have to act strong… anymore… thank you Larsa for helping."
Larsa cocked a head slightly, "Why haven't you dismissed me yet? You know it would help with the pain, right? Not having to trickle out your divine essence."
Astraea chuckled, which she immediately regretted as another round of racking coughs filled the house. Fortunately, there wasn't any blood this time, "I suppose… you're right. But I wanted to see you one last time, and I wanted to apologize. Apologize for defiling your memory."
Larsa opened its mouth to argue, but nothing emitted as Astraea managed to snap her fingers as the form of Larsa grew wobbly and turned to smoke until even that was gone.
Astraea forced her weak body to crawl, she needed to be with her fallen children. "Larsa…" saying the name caused a few fresh tears to fall. Memories flashed over her vision, the time she had given the original Larsa a blessing. The first one she had given or updated in years, the peaceful few months they had lived together as they traveled.
She remembered, as she reached the closed door, how Larsa was engulfed by an all-consuming black mass. Right after Larsa had pushed Astraea out of the way. The creature just barely touched her.
Astraea, using the last of her energy, rose onto one arm and opened the door with the other.
She collapsed to the ground breathing heavily, the door opened softly… silently. The shrine of her fallen children was visible, "I'm… sorry for defiling… your resting place…" She whispered as the name Larsa sparked into existence on the carved wood, visible for the first time in several days.
As she got her torso through the door, she remembered how despite being consumed Larsa's focus was on Astraea making sure she was safe. A sad smile on Larsa's face telling her to run. So she did, and after only a minute the connection to Larsa broke.
Astraea shook her head, as she forced the rest of her body into the room. There she collapsed completely, she was having trouble breathing. Her hand rubbed against her now exposed left thigh. A black mark was visible, web-like shimmering tendrils ran down the veins of her current body. "If… only It hadn't touched me… maybe I could've returned and lived with… my last child."
She glanced down at the mark and grimaced, the veins had grown much more numerous in the last week. They had nearly multiplied by a factor of ten. More than eighty percent of her leg was marred, caught in Its corrupting web.
An hour passed as she watched the shrine and each etched name on the piece of wood. Memories, both the good and bad replayed on repeat. Her mind drifted as the combination of pain and exhaustion overwhelmed her. "Ryu…" was the last word that escaped her lips as the void of dreamscape overwhelmed her.
X
Ryu walked with a dejected pace, she knew it was going to be hard. If it wasn't for Bell's push she probably wouldn't have been able to leave. A small part of her hated that she was forced to leave her Goddess again, but she understood why so she didn't blame Bell.
The day passed slowly, as night began to fall on the first day back. Bell's hand was a constant presence, attached to hers. A part of her felt like a leech as the calming warmth he always seemed to radiate was siphoned into her. It was the only reason she hadn't broken down into a crying mess already.
Currently, they sat next to each other watching a small fire flickering in a ring of stones. She wanted to say something, anything but she couldn't force herself to do so.
"Ryu…" Bell's voice broke the silence, the first words that had been spoken since they left Astraea's home.
She changed the focus of her attention from the fire to the side of Bell's head. "Y… yes?" Her voice cracked a bit as she responded.
She felt the grip on her hand tighten a little bit. "I… know now may not be the best time, but I was hoping to discuss two things I was hoping to do as we travel, starting tomorrow." Bell's voice was calm and steady, like an unmovable oak in a forest storm. That was another thing she admired about him.
She chuckled lightly, "That's so like you, always… calm and thinking."
Bell shook his head, "No, we both know that isn't right nor accurate. Remember how I acted in the deep floors?"
Ryu paused for a moment as she remembered what she had been hoping to accomplish during the trip. "Either way, what did you want to do? I have something as well, now that I think about it." She tucked her knees into her chest, one arm wrapped around them, the other clutching to Bell like the last bastion of warmth in a cold world.
Bell sighed, "Well… I'm planning on leveling when we get back, but based on what my stats were when we left… I want them to be higher. So, I was hoping each day after we walk we can spar, it might help you gain a couple of points as well if nothing else."
Ryu nodded, as she slowly started to open up her mind again. "That's reasonable, what was the other thing?"
Bell sighed, "That's going to be the hard part. Especially for you, depending on how the sparring goes, I want you to heal us only using a spell from your skill." As he spoke, he looked right into her eyes and she could see the calm reassurance baked into the ruby color.
Still, Ryu flinched, "That… will be difficult… but I can try although I won't… promise anything." She placed her head against her knees, she remembered the incantation they were burned deep into her mind.
"That's… all that I ask…" Bell whispered, as his gaze focused on the fire again. After a minute he spoke, "What was it that you wanted to do?"
Just as his grip tightened, so did hers as she spoke. "Just like how… using that skill… will be difficult for me. I have something… that will be difficult for you." She took a deep breath and leaned into Bell as she continued speaking. "I know you were wanting to… tell everyone what happened during… our misadventure. But I don't know if you'll be able to… so I was hoping you could try telling me the story, maybe telling someone who went through it with you… I was hoping that might help you." She spoke, and she felt Bell tense a bit.
Bell chuckled weakly, "You're right… that will be hard. But… if you try with your skill. I'll try with the story."
Ryu listened as Bell let out a great sigh, but she had nothing else to say. So instead she waited and watched the fire crackling. So many thoughts ran through her mind about the events over the last several days.
She didn't know how Bell was alive, she knew her magic couldn't accomplish that. She was worried about how having Arcanum, even if only a small amount, would affect Bell in the future. Would it grow? Would people notice, she knew that she didn't feel any difference but would the hundreds of Gods in Orario notice? She remembered the calming feeling he seemed to radiate, but she had felt that even before the change.
But at the moment the single biggest worry was for Astraea, she still didn't know why Astraea… felt different. Her personality while similar was turned up a notch. Could it have just seeing Ryu again that caused the things she kept quiet to bubble up? Or a single thought came to mind that broke Ryu's heart. 'Could she have been more wounded than I was? Could the feeling of having blessed children torn away affect her so much? Could she have lost even more since I forced her to leave powerless to save them?' And here she was, abandoning her again even if Astraea pushed her to do it.
Bell wrapped an arm around her, and leaned his head against hers. She realized at that moment that she was trembling, "Bell…" was all she could muster. Tears formed at the thought of everything that could've happened to Astraea ran through her mind.
X
Bell didn't have any comforting comments, no words that could improve Ryu's mood at the moment. She was hurting due to leaving Astraea again, they both knew it would be painful but he was sure Ryu had so many unasked questions, so he did the one thing he could, something that he had done before. He simply wrapped an arm around her, to give at least some reassurance.
The moment Ryu started to cry silently he placed his head against hers and held her a bit tighter. Time passed, until he noticed that Ryu had gone limp in his embrace. 'Was she so drained emotionally that she passed out from exhaustion?'
A part of his heart hurt at this realization, but he already knew this was a possibility. So being as gentle as he could he carefully picked her up and laid her down next to the bags, picked up the blanket that was tied to his pack, and covered her with it. After a moment to make sure everything was secure and intact and the fire was steady he crawled under to join her.
He looked at her face, it was beautiful to him filled with a natural elegance that most elves seemed to have. But that's not what caught his attention, it was the puffiness around her eyes that showed her internal feelings. They didn't have any pillows so careful, he slipped his arm under her head. 'Might not be the most comfortable, but it's hopefully better than nothing.'
With his partner hopefully comfortable, he slowly started drifting to sleep. Worries of Ryu, himself, the Familia he was supposed to somehow lead, the knowledge Astraea had given him the night prior. All of it ran through his tired mind. He did his best to not focus on anything, but glimpses of thoughts plagued him as the night ticked away. It was another three before his mind grew too tired to focus as he drifted to sleep.
X
Ryu jerked to alertness, she looked around to see the small fire still barely cracking. Dawn was rising in the distance, 'When… Did I fall asleep?' Bell had his left arm under her head acting as a cushion, the other hand was wrapped over his left shoulder acting like a makeshift pillow.
She sat up and found there was a blanket draped over them, she couldn't help but smile at the person she had grown so attached to. 'Even after I passed out, he made sure I was comfortable…'
An hour passed as she watched Bell sleep, almost peacefully. There were a few twitches of emotion, but slowly his eyes flickered to awareness. "Good morning." She whispered, catching Bell's attention.
His eyes widened, "Sorry… I meant to get up earlier so I could prepare something. I thought it might help you… well… feel better to wake up with a meal ready."
Ryu chuckled lightly, "I appreciate the thought, but waking up next to you… has already helped. Plus for some reason… watching you sleep peacefully for a bit helped to soothe my nerves."
She watched Bell blush lightly, "Well… I'm glad if that's the case."
It took a bit of time for the both of them to get up and move, as they wiped away any sign they were there. Packs hefted as they continued to the home in Orario.
.
.
.
Ryu watched Bell's black dagger shift in his hand, 'He's going to thrust.' She thought as he did exactly what she expected. So, with as much care as possible, she moved her short sword and deflected the thrust by angling it away with the flat of her blade.
Her eyes widened as a white knife slashed from her blind spot, she twisted her body painfully and a light cut appeared on her forearm. Crimson dripped lightly, but that didn't stop her as she used the momentum to throw a kick that would kill an unblessed person.
Bell was sent flying thirty feet, as her leg connected with his stomach. Even as he flew, he managed to rotate his body twisting to land on his feet. The moment he landed the ground cracked a bit as he launched himself towards her. Her eyes narrowed at the headlong charge.
As Bell got close he shifted swinging both blades in a cross pattern. Ryu ducked underneath it and danced to the side as she swung with the pommel of her blade. A crack sounded out as it hit the back of his head.
Bell collapsed to the grassy floor, it took a second of heavy panting to reach down and flip him over so he was facing the sky. She was sweating but still she did what she could for the moment, and placed his head in her lap.
This was the fifth day of their travels back and the sun was starting to set in the horizon far away. She focused on her memory of the healing spell Maryuu had. She locked the chant in her mind as she waited.
She glanced down at Bell, and a single thought crossed her mind. 'The only real reason I can keep up is due to my experience. How long until his strength outstrips my experience?' She didn't let the thought bother her. She knew her strength would begin to grow again soon enough.
It didn't take long for Bell to wake up, he groaned but didn't rise off of Ryu's lap. She blushed a bit seeing Bell's ruby eyes peering upward at her. He sighed, "Still not much has changed. I lost again."
Ryu shook her head, "It's only because of the experience I have. You are stronger than me at this point. If it wasn't for that one difference, I would be the one knocked out." Ryu shrugged her shoulders and regretted as pain lanced through it. Yesterday Bell had landed a particularly strong kick on her biceps and she wasn't able to… force her mind to work when she started chanting. She remembered how he panicked thinking he might have broken the bone, fortunately, he hadn't.
Bell placed a hand on his face and rubbed his eyes. This had been the third time today he had been knocked out. She knew his head must be pounding, but still he didn't complain. After a minute Bell forced himself to get up, he turned to face Ryu sitting in front of her. He took a deep breath, "Let's try this again Ryu."
Ryu gulped with nervous energy, while she had started moving forward the memories still plagued her. She let out a deep breath trying to calm her racing heart. She wanted to close her eyes, but she didn't instead she stared at Bell's ruby eyes.
She nodded and started chanting. "Come forth magics of the fallen heroes. Lead them to the gates of justice and protection." Ryu shivered feeling her skill activate, an image flashed in through her mind. But she did her best to ignore it.
"Spirit of life… I welcome your divine… gift." The images came faster until her vision was tented with the scene she didn't want to remember.
She blinked, and the image grew to focus, it was her ally… her friend dismembered by the enemy. A tear fell from her eye, "Through your gift… I beg you for mercy. Give your essence… to the unworthy…" She felt her mind starting to crack as the words grew harder and harder to speak. She lost her focus and felt the magic starting to go out of control again.
She felt a warm hand bring her closer, as Bell hugged her. "You can do it, Ryu. I know you can."
Another tear fell down her cheek, but she regained her focus if only for a moment. "Heal the wounded and save the worthy. Bring life to those that believe in your love. Rae Vindemia…" She forced the words out, and to her great relief a wave of healing magic pulsed out it soothed her pain and by Bell's gasp, it did the same for him.
The mental image of Maryuu seemed to fade in intensity in her mind. It was still there, but not as… potent. She was lost in that realization, "Congratulations… Ryu." This snapped her mind back to reality. Bell pulled away, to look her in the eyes, "That's a massive first step. So congratulations." Bell smiled at her, she could tell he was forcing it a bit. He knew of the pain she was feeling remembering her comrades.
But she couldn't help the small genuine smile spread on her face. "Thank you, Bell." She pushed her good mood, entrusting it she leaned forward and kissed him.
Before she closed her eyes, she could see Bell's eyes widen a bit. But he didn't pull away, instead, he pushed back. Ryu was embarrassed and she felt her ears burning a bit but she welcomed it. To her, it proved that what she felt was true and honest, and not just an after-effect of Bell helping her.
The connection lasted a minute as they matched facial movements, and slowly they backed away in unison. A tiny thread of saliva trailed, she could see the blush on his face. He had a twinkle in his eyes, that… worried her a bit.
X
Bell didn't act on his urge to tease the elf who pushed for a kiss. She was in a good mood, and he didn't want to ruin it yet. But he knew what would come next, sure it might not have been as scarring as what his partner went through. He knew that, but it didn't make it any easier.
Half an hour passed as they sat there in silence celebrating the feat that Ryu had managed to accomplish.
"Bell…" Ryu whispered. He knew that it was time.
He nodded and took a deep breath. "Right…"
.
.
.
An hour passed as he was telling the story to Ryu. She was patient with him as he stumbled over every other sentence of the story. He could feel his mind fading as he remembered specific moments and events. His body twinged with phantom pain as he spoke. But in the end, he failed, again and again. He was at the point where he could tell sections without many issues, but the continuous story was beyond his ability.
He sighed as he realized what time it was. It was late and there was a small fire crackling in front of him, a blanket wrapped over his shoulders with Ryu sitting next to him.
He opened his mouth to speak, but it seemed to crack with dryness. He shifted and alerted Ryu to his conscious state. Ryu, before he could try to speak again, held out a water skin. He gave a weak smile and downed the majority of it quickly. He felt his throat rejuvenate as his throat absorbed the moisture.
He lowered his head a bit, "I'm sorry Ryu… I…" He felt Ryu wrap her arms around his body, "It's alright Bell. There's plenty of time… I have the advantage of starting to move on prior. So please don't think less of yourself because you can't tell the story yet."
Bell's body trembled as the words ran through his mind. He wanted to argue and to disagree. "But… what you went… through…" His voice was cut off as Ryu kissed him for the second time that day.
Ryu pulled away after a second, "Bell… it's not a competition. Different things affect people differently…" He felt her shiver through the arms that were trying to comfort him. "Bell… if I didn't have my past forced into my face… I doubt I could do anything. When I showed you their grave on the 18th floor… That was the first time I had been there in over a year. The only reason I visited them was I wanted you to know, it helped that I was already near there."
Bell felt the grip around him tighten, "Honesty I don't even know if the grave survived the fight with the Goliath." She shook her head, "Sorry back to what I was saying… take as much time as you need. Only you know how much it has affected you. I could only guess, and I would probably be wrong." She paused for a second, but before Bell could say anything she continued. "Now… try to get some sleep… It'll be another hike tomorrow."
She went to lean down onto the grassy patch they had been resting in, but Bell didn't move. "Sorry… Ryu… I don't think I'll sleep tonight." He wanted to sleep, but the thoughts of Ryu and the whole misadventure bothered him far too much to sleep.
He felt Ryu shift closer until their legs were touching. "Well… I guess I'm not sleeping either, and before you say something about how I need to sleep…" He had been about to do just that. "I'm not going to leave you to your own mind alone. You didn't leave me when it was the best choice, and now I won't leave you."
Bell hesitated but ultimately nodded. "I… thank you, Ryu." So he sat there with Ryu nuzzled into his arm, as he watched the night drift away in peaceful silence.
.
.
.
Days passed, and there was no sign of Bell being able to tell the whole story. Still, they did their now regular routine, traveling during the day, sparring, and practicing at night. Ryu won the majority of the sparring sessions, but Bell did occasionally catch her off guard and managed to knock her out.
She would always wake up a blushing mess, but much like Bell, she didn't try to retreat from the situation. She would stumble over her words as they spoke about the sparring, mostly with Ryu giving praise or criticism based on what Bell did.
The practice was much harder, and Ryu was slowly getting better at casting Maryuu's magic. But when she tried anyone else she would have the same problem as before, and the moment she even tried to use Alise's magic she felt nauseous and nearly threw up right before her magic imploded, dealing her a decent amount of damage.
Bell… well he would admit he was making progress but it was slow, where Ryu was making great leaps and the after-effects of her failures didn't bother him too much. Bell, on the other hand, failed and he failed hard. According to Ryu, he would end up staring at the fire with a blank expression for an hour, sometimes much longer.
Each night he struggled to sleep, but he pretended to try so Ryu could sleep at least a bit. She slept with her arms tightly wrapped around him so he couldn't make an exit and be alone for even a minute. The one time he tried, she woke up immediately and tightened her grip even tighter.
But true to her word, she didn't leave him alone with his memories. She held his hand the entire time they traveled, only letting go when they had to relieve themselves. Despite how stubborn Ryu was about the scenario, he appreciated it. Her warmth helped to soothe the aching in his mind, knowing that soon enough he wouldn't be able to hide what happened much longer.
Much like Ryu had said, he suspected that many others have gone through something at least somewhat similar and made it out fine. The rest of the expedition team nearly died when fighting the Amphisbaena, but it didn't seem to bother any of them in the slightest.
A single thought raced through his mind on many occasions, 'Am I just so weak that I can't deal with the hardships? Or is everyone else so much stronger that they can deal with it?' Those thoughts plagued him, even as he saw the Tower of Babel growing closer in the distance.
.
.
.
The pair stood in line, for what felt like hours. They had arrived at first light and there was a line nearly a mile in length. "I hope everyone is alright… I won't lie, I've been concerned about them." Bell confessed as he took a step forward in line.
Ryu squeezed his hand, "I'm sure they are alright. From what you've said about them. I'm not sure who's more stubborn, them as a collective or you." With so many people around, Ryu couldn't hide a slight blush on her face.
Bell only nodded at first, "I hope you're right… I feel sorry for Welf though. He just made that armor, and now all that remains are the grieves and vambraces." Bell shifted his pack a bit hearing the soft rattle of the wrapped pieces of armor.
Ryu chuckled lightly, "I'm sure he'll understand. After all, you don't find that on the surface every day."
The pair took another step forward. "True enough. I still can't help but wonder why it was there. It was almost as strong as a normal Amphisbaena… something feels off about it." Bell commented, taking his free hand to rub at his chin.
Ryu paused for a second, as another step forward was taken. "True, I didn't notice anything strange besides the coloration. The fire felt stronger than normal, but it's also been years since the last time I encountered one. This is something we'll need to keep in mind for a future discussion. Perhaps, Lady Hestia or Lord Ouranos might know something?"
"Next!" A female voice called out, pulling both of their attention.
Bell took a step up first, and with his free hand slipped the pass out of his hip pouch. A female human with gray-black hair, cut short looked over it for a moment. "Bell Cranel, people have been wondering where you've been as there has not been a single sighting of you in over a month. Several thought that you might have died, but I'm glad you're alive. You're free to pass."
Bell hesitated but took a step forward with Ryu halfway clinging to him. With a slightly nervous hand, she held out her pass. Again the lady looked it over. "Ryu Lion… You're Gale Wind right?"
Bell tightened his grip a bit, but Ryu nodded after a moment. To their surprise, the lady gave Ryu a small bow. "Thank you, for your services to the city, even as everything was taken away from you. I can't count the number of lives you've saved even if the means might not have been the best. So for that, I thank you." Without giving any chance for a reply she turned back to the line, "Next!"
Bell could tell Ryu wanted to say something, probably something that would discredit herself but he didn't allow that. "Come on… let's go. People are waiting for us."
Ryu paused for a second, but ultimately nodded and started to take the steps away from the checkpoint.
The sounds of the city collided with their senses. Having spent so much time outside of the city, away from the noise it was almost sensory overload. But despite everything, it made the pair almost feel like they were home again.
Scents both good and bad wafted, as traders shouted their wares toward the people entering the gate. Trying to scam first-time travelers out of their money. Bell sighed, "Well is there any place you want to stop before we go home?"
Ryu hesitated for a moment, "If… you don't mind. I would like to see the waitresses at the Hostess. I know it's a little out of the way."
Bell smiled at her, "Sure, it'll be nice to see them again. Are you wanting to check on Syr?"
Ryu nodded, there was no point in hiding it. "Yes… she relied on me nearly as much as I relied on her. So I just want to see how she and everyone in general is doing."
"Well to the Hostess it is," Bell spoke taking the first step towards the all too famous pub.
X
They arrived before normal business hours, it was only nine in the morning. But the pair could hear the sound of clacking wooden chairs and Mia's voice yelling at someone who didn't do the dishes the night before. Ryu couldn't help but smile at the chaos she knew was happening in the building. But without any hesitation, Ryu went up and knocked on the door, Bell was two steps behind her.
It took a few seconds, but Syr opened the door. "Sorry, but we're n…" She seemed to recognize who she was talking to after a moment.
"RYU!" She jumped at the elf and wrapped her in a tight hug. She rubbed cheeks together with the elf, causing a blush to form. "Where have you been? Why haven't you visited despite you promising? How are things going with Bell? Are the Hestia Familia treating you nicely? Are you growing your hair out again? What about the dye, I still have some?"
The barrage of questions stunned the elf for a second. Fortunately, Bell covered for her lapse. "Morning Syr… I hope you're doing alright?"
Syr's eyes widened as she looked at Bell, she almost didn't seem to recognize him. "Bell!" She released Ryu and launched herself at Bell, wrapping him in a tight hug. As she nuzzled into his shoulder. "How have you been? Where have you been, your Familia has come around but you were never with them. Has Ryu been as clumsy as ever? Are you treating her nicely? Is that a new scar I see? What happened? Have you grown taller? Why… Do you feel different?"
The second wave of the barrage flooded over Bell, but he did his best to respond as he patted Syr on the back. "Good, I think, out of the city, somewhat, as far as I'm aware, not that I'm aware of." Bell ended up flinching at the mention of him feeling different.
After a half minute, Ryu ended up having to pull Syr off of her partner. "Syr… I'm glad you're happy to see us, but please restrain yourself a bit." She waved outward at the crowd that was watching with mirth in their eyes. Some try and fail to cover the laughter.
Syr blushed a bit and lowered her head. "I'm sorry… I was just so… excited to see you… both again. It's been so long…"
Ryu sighed lightly, but a soft smile was on her face. "It's only been a bit over a month. Besides, I'll probably be coming here more often."
This caused Syr to smile, "Right! So that means you joined Hestia Familia?"
Ryu shook her head, "Not quite yet. But I will be soon. Despite them already saying I was an unofficial member."
Bell cut in, "Ryu you were a member even if you didn't have her blessing."
Ryu blushed a tiny bit. "Right right, that's what Lady Hestia said, but still…"
Syr poked Ryu on the cheek and pulled her to the side. In a whisper so quiet that she made sure Bell couldn't hear, "So… are you an item now?"
Ryu's blush exploded onto her cheeks. "Syr… why do you have to be so direct?"
"Because you won't answer otherwise, now answer before I start making assumptions," Syr whispered, glancing over towards Bell.
Ryu's blush turned from a pink tent to a scarlet hue, she knew how far her friend's imagination could run. "Y… yes. Technically… we are."
Ryu could see a hint of sadness in the light gray eyes. "Well I… guess that means there's… no room for me now… but I'm happy for you." Still, Syr put a smile on and parted away from Ryu, "Bell!" She halfway shouted to the white-haired human. "Be sure to take good care of Ryu… you never know what can happen."
Ryu heard Bell gulp a bit, "Of course?"
Syr smiled and stood tall, "Now the two of you head home. I'm sure they all would be excited to see you again."
Ryu paused, 'How did she know we hadn't returned to Hearth Manor yet?' but then she shook their head. It was pretty obvious, with heavy packs strapped to their backs and all. She stood up straight, "I suppose you're right Syr. It's been a long several days."
Syr nodded, "Oh I'm sure. Judging by the look of exhaustion on Bell's face. It makes me wonder if you kept him up all night… you know…" Syr blushed, as she cupped her cheeks and fidgeted. A blush ran down the length of Ryu's ears. She glanced at Bell and for the first time, noticed the small bags under his eyes.
The door flew open, "Syr! Get back to work already." Mia lightly tapped Syr on the head, causing the poor girl to grasp at her head. Mia looked at the pair, "Ryu wait here for a moment. I have something I wasn't able to give you before you took off."
Ryu stood there for a moment in confusion, as Mia left the two alone for a minute. She glanced over to Bell who just shrugged. 'Seems like he doesn't know.' She thought, so she stood there and waited.
Mia returned almost a full minute later, and she held out a single piece of folded paper. "Don't argue, just accept it," Mia commanded, as Ryu opened the folded paper, her eyes bulged at what was written on the paper.
"But Mama…" Ryu's voice was cut off by a gentle chop to the top of her head.
"It's all your withheld wages… after the cost of things you've broken. Like I said… Don't argue, just accept it." Mia crossed her arms and sighed looking over towards Bell. "Shrimp take good care of her, and I'll see you soon enough."
Before either could reply, Mia turned and left them. Ryu glanced over toward Bell and showed him the paper. Bell blanched at the number written on the paper. "2… million…" he muttered out.
Ryu nodded, although she expected it was more than what had actually been taken. "Mia doesn't often show it outwardly, but she does care for us…" Ryu admitted as she grabbed the hand that Bell held out. It was still embarrassing to do such things in public, especially considering that she was an elf and what the message would be for all the other elves in the city. But… she didn't care, she wanted to feel her partner's warmth.
Bell smiled as she took a step down, to the stone path. "That she does, come on… let go home."
X
Freya watched as her two favorite souls touched both lighting up a bit as they walked down the path from her former captain's pub. "They've grown much closer… hmmm… I wonder what happened while they were away." She started to grow aroused at the sight of the entwined souls but she restrained herself… this time. She could see the pure clear soul of her Odr having a bit of green pulsing around the core of it.
She could feel the restrained passion emanating from it, Freya felt torn. There would be a choice to make soon. 'Will I help their souls shine brighter, but be forced to keep my distance? Or will I risk dampening their already brilliance so I can enjoy them more closely?'
She sighed inwardly, her hand wandered downward over the skirt that she was wearing. Her arousal seemed to grow as she watched them leave and head deeper into the city. A polite cough from her side prevented her from actually indulging in the urges of her nature and body. She sighed and stood up straight, she could feel resentment from her connected child. But she ignored it and focused on the task at hand.
But that didn't stop her mind from debating the two options as the day passed at a snail's pace.
X
Bell listened to the general noise of the crowd as they traveled through the city hand in hand. What he heard generally was mundane, mostly just complaining about small tidbits of information. One that bothered him was the state of Loki Familia.
A voice spoke just on the edge of his hearing, "Did you hear? Apparently, the Loki Familia lost a handful of members recently, killed by some accident in the dungeon, the report says."
Bell made a mental note of that, another voice gave news he was worried and interested in hearing more about. "The dungeon… apparently it's changed, Hestia Familia was the one to report it to the guild. Others must have known, but they probably tried to keep it a secret from others."
He glanced over towards Ryu, he could tell she had heard the news as well. He gave a gentle squeeze, "We can ask more when we arrive." Ryu's eyes met his and she only nodded.
Travel was relatively easy through the busy main road of Orario, it wasn't until they took one of the thousand side streets that the all too familiar wall started to come into focus. Bell breathed a sigh of relief, nothing on the outside had seemed to change in the month they had been gone.
Bell glanced over to Ryu, "Well… are you ready?"
Ryu seemed to hesitate, but she nodded. "I… think so. It feels strange. Returning to a place I can now call home."
Bell tightened his grip on her hand, he didn't have the words to comfort and reassure her, so instead he provided silent support as he took a deep breath. Then three, "Alright, let's face the music." He raised his hand and pressed the button to alert everyone to their presence.
On the way, they had talked about whether to be open to everyone about their relationship or to keep it a secret. In the end, they both agreed to be open about it. Just to prevent future headaches.
It took a couple of minutes when Haruhime's head popped around the corner. Bell thought she looked tired, but that vanished the instant she recognized Bell. Her ears stood tall and her tail wagged happily as she rushed to the gate and opened it. "Master Bell! Miss Ryu!" She wrapped Bell in a tight hug, but only for a second.
Haruhime glanced over towards Ryu, looking like she wanted to hug her as well but thought better of it. "Haruhime, again there's no need for the word Master. Regardless, thank you. Is everyone else around?"
Bell noticed that Haruhime's green eyes never left him. Like he might vanish at any moment. Bell even noticed a few tears beginning to form. "Haru… hime?" He asked gently, after a moment he glanced at Ryu who seemed just as confused.
Haruhime rubbed at her eyes as a few tears fell. "Sorry… I'm just so happy… that you're actually alive."
Bell hesitated for a moment, but he placed his free hand on Haruhime's head and pulled into a hug. "Yes… we're alright. Just take a deep breath, alright Haruhime."
They stood there for a moment as Haruhime sobbed, to Bell's surprise Ryu reached out a hesitant hand and rubbed the Renard's back. "Haruhime… when you feel a little bit better. We'll tell everyone what happened. Once they're gathered."
Haruhime continued to sub sporadically for a few minutes. Until a question popped into Bell's mind. "Haruhime…" he felt Haruhime pull away a bit and look at him. Tears still in her eyes, "Haruhime, I know it might be hard but, why are you so… surprised that we're alive?"
Haruhime looked him straight in the eyes. "D… do you… not know?" When Bell shook his head, Haruhime's distress transformed into confusion. "But… Goddess said…" She shook her head, "No… sorry Master… Bell. I don't… think I can… explain what happened." She was sniffing the entire time, tears still forming despite the obvious confusion. "Goddess… will be able to… explain hopefully… she doesn't comp…letely understand."
Bell felt a growing concern rise in his chest. 'What happened?' He couldn't help but wonder.
Haruhime pulled away completely after another few seconds, she glanced them both over. "Well… I suppose your trip was a success. Please… I'll go get Goddess… and everyone." She gave a slight bow and started moving towards the manor proper.
Bell just stood there, speechless and confused. He felt Ryu squeeze his hand a bit. "Come on…" Ryu nearly whispered.
"R… right." Bell nodded and started moving towards the Hearth Manor, with a gentle grasp on Ryu's hand.
Author Notes:
(1) This was inspired by a scene in Sufficiently Advanced Magic by Andrew Rowe. Its a series I would highly recommend.
Review Responses:
Blazeburn006: Yeah, the ending was... well yeah. Overall, I'm glad you seemed to enjoy the chapter. The entire chapter was fun to write with the teasing and the festival.
meth0d: Glad you enjoyed it, I don't plan on leaving it anytime soon.
codywhite162: Thank you
pix25: Glad you enjoyed it?
Ryusaki: I'm surprised you could do that, But updates we going to slow eventually. Honestly, I'm surprised it's gone this long with weekly updates.