Hello my dear peeps! Hehehe, the reactions from last chapter were quite amusing. A bit less angry than I expected, though one person did say they were going to kill me :p . Anyway, it's time for the next chapter and to see how Riveria's doing after her little dream, so let's jump in.
I do not own Danmachi.
"You're a damn fool," Ein said as she reattached Revis's arm.
"I was following orders," Revis threw back.
"You took on two of the most powerful adventurers in Orario without a real plan, then were crushed like an insect. Nothing about that was 'following orders'," Ein countered, clearly in no mood for the redhead.
"I didn't expect the elf to be there."
"You should be glad that the entire Loki familia didn't come as well. It wouldn't have been so surprising if they had, given your past involvement with them."
"It was your plan to bait the Olympian to get the items he's hiding," Revis pointed out.
"Only after you started killing adventurers in the Dungeon. You were supposed to stay hidden and wait for further instructions, not begin massacring dozens of adventurers."
"They discovered me by chance, I needed to make sure they didn't talk."
"That would be acceptable for maybe the first few, but not close to thirty. Besides, you are more than capable of hiding yourself on any level of the Dungeon," Ein stated firmly.
"I don't like waiting."
"Don't be childish. You will do as instructed or you will face punishment. Understood?"
Revis's frown deepened.
"Fine."
"Good. Then you will retreat back down level sixty. You will stay there until the tournament begins. When it does, you will then sneak out of the Dungeon using one of the many faces you've collected," Ein gestured to the bodies off a few paces away. "You will then head to Hearthfire Manor," she handed Revis a map showing where the manor was located in Orario. "And infiltrate it. You will search it to see if the items are hidden there or if there's any clue to their location."
"Fine," Revis responded, taking the map. "What if there's someone there?"
"Achilles is the only potential problem. We'll time it to ensure that he's not present when you infiltrate. No one else should put up a real fight so just kill them."
"Fine," Revis said immediately.
"Good," Ein, now finished reattaching Revis's arm, turned to leave.
"If you want to complete your goal." Ein turned to the redhead who stared at her with terrible, unwavering eyes. "You need new monsters."
Riveria, despite her best efforts, could not hide how exhausted she was.
"Are you sure you don't want to head back? At the very least we can go back to Rivira and pick up something to help with the exhaustion," Achilles offered again, concern tinting his eyes.
"I'm fine, really. Just didn't get as much sleep as I wanted," she said, before quickly turning away so as to hide her blush.
Achilles stared at her with skeptical eyes.
"Alright. If you're really sure," he finally said.
"I am. Don't forget I'm a level six adventurer. A little exhaustion is nothi-."
With what little was left of her focus placed upon Achilles, Riveria did not notice the rock by her feet and tripped over it.
Alarmed, the elf closed her eyes, expecting to hit the hard ground, only to be stopped near instantly by what she knew was Achilles's arms.
"T-Thank you," she said, mortified as she regained her footing.
Achilles didn't say anything, he simply glared down at her in annoyance. She didn't know what to say given that she couldn't really brush off what had just happened, but at the same time, didn't want him to worry.
As she tried to figure out how to proceed, the man before her suddenly turned around and bent down into a crouch before placing his hands behind him.
"Climb on."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Climb. On," he repeated, this time with real force behind his voice and turning his head to look her in the eye.
Her face erupted in red.
"Y-You can't be serious."
"I am, and you're not getting out of this. Get on and take a nap," he ordered.
"There are so many reasons why I shouldn't do that, most important being safety. You can't properly fight or defend yourself if I'm hanging off your back."
"And you can't properly fight or defend yourself if you're exhausted. Get. On."
"Achilles," she took a breath to calm herself. "As much as I appreciate the sentiment, and believe me, I do, it really is impractical. Yes, I'm a bit tired, but it would be far more irresponsible for me to take your offer and limit your ability to fight and react while also being unconscious."
He looked like he wanted to argue, and, loathe though she was to admit it, she kind of wanted him to, before he finally stood up, his eyes boring down on her.
"If you trip even one more time, I'm picking you up and carrying you bridal style the rest of the way, am I understood?"
Don't tempt me now, Riveria's little voice said.
"Perfectly," she replied as calmly as possible.
The two made their way down through the Dungeon, Riveria doing everything possible to keep awake. Luckily, with the threat of being carried bridal style hanging over her head, she found a new source of energy, even if part of her still felt like forcing that outcome.
Deeper and deeper they went, discovering no hint of Revis or anything out of the ordinary, much to Achilles's increasing chagrin.
"Damn it," he growled to himself as his temper began to boil over.
"It's alright, Achilles. It's not your fault that she escaped."
"Isn't it?" he asked bitterly. "I should have paid more attention. I should have seen that stupid plant coming a mile away. Now she gets another chance to go on a rampage and put the city and people we care about in danger."
"Achilles," she called gently, placing a hand on his arm. "There will always be danger, no matter how hard we press ourselves. Taking the blame for things that aren't your fault will only unfairly burden you."
He sighed, trying his best to calm himself, but finding it nearly impossible.
"I appreciate that, Riveria. I really do, but this was my screw up. Had I been more on the ball things would have turned out differently. Story of my life, I guess."
That broke her heart and she wanted to say more, but didn't know what she could say. She understood where his mind was at the moment. The belief that, had he just tried harder, things would have been alright. That past events that he so desperately wished had not happened, would not have happened. In this case the result had hardly been disastrous, but it still left an understandably bitter taste in their mouths, especially when it was combined with past failures.
"We're not going to find her, are we?" he finally asked.
She shook her head.
"No. Not this time."
He sighed again.
"Ouranos isn't going to be happy, especially since this was meant to pay off my debt for all the trouble I've caused."
"Ouranos sent you to stop the killings, which you did. It would be wrong to get upset because you didn't complete the secondary object."
"Doesn't mean he won't be upset."
"If he is, he can deal with me," she said defiantly.
He gave her a look.
"You're going to stand up to Ouranos?"
"You think I can't?"
After a few moments in silence, he smiled.
"No. I'm not sure there's anything you can't do."
She smiled triumphantly.
"That was the right answer."
Finally exiting the Dungeon, the two took a big breath of fresh air.
"Hopefully it's not too late to report to the Guild," Achilles said, noting the night sky.
"I'm sure Ouranos will want to hear from us immediately, whatever the time," Riveria stated.
Achilles nodded and the two made their way through the darkened streets towards the Guild.
Both noticed that it was unusually quiet for the city, with very few people moving about and even fewer taking note of them.
"Can't remember the last time I remember the streets being so empty," he said.
"Neither can I. It's rare, but I can't say I'm upset about it."
He smiled at her.
"Neither can I."
They arrived at the Guild and made their way inside. It was mostly empty, only a few adventurers and a few Guild employees here and there, one of whom, luckily, was Eina.
"Good evening, Eina-san," Achilles greeted as they made their way up to her counter.
"Oh, good evening," Eina greeted, looking up at Achilles before she shifted to Riveria. "And good evening Riv-."
Both wondered why she stopped before they watched as her face lit up.
"Oh right. I forgot," Riveria said, gesturing at her attire. "I'm a bit indecent."
"N-No, not at all, I just...wasn't expecting the new outfit!" Eina tried to excuse, feeling very guilty for having starred and making her friend uncomfortable.
"We got into a fight in the Dungeon and I had to dispose of my usual outfit, and I haven't had the chance to replace it," Riveria explained.
"Of course. Completely understandable. I shouldn't have acted so unprofessionally, especially when I've seen so many adventurers come in wearing far less. Actually," she laughed. "I remember one time when Bell-kun came in covered in minotaur blood."
That piqued both adventurer's interest.
"Covered in minotaur blood?" Achilles asked.
"Mhm. It was the day Aiz-san rescued him and he was so excited to learn more about her that he ran all the way here, covered in blood. I, of course, made him immediately clean up using the facilities in the back."
Riveria and Achilles chuckled.
"I would have liked to see that," Riveria said.
"As would I," Achilles seconded.
"Looking back it is very funny, but at the time I was quite alarmed."
"I don't think anyone could fault you for that," Riveria stated.
"Anyway," Eina pressed on, laughing one last time "You're here to see Ouranos-sama, is that correct?"
"It is," Achilles answered.
"Give me just one moment and I'll notify my superiors."
The two adventurers nodded and a moment later Eina disappeared into the back.
The two took a seat as they waited, but after a few moments, Achilles turned to Riveria.
"Still going to defend me if Ouranos is pissed?"
She laughed lightly.
"Yes, Achilles. If need be I'll protect you from Ouranos."
"Good. Just wanted to make sure."
Eina reappeared, Royman following alongside her.
"Achilles," the elf growled. "Ouranos will see you now."
"Have a good evening you two," Eina called as she broke away.
"You as well," Achilles said.
"I'll visit soon," Riveria added, earning a smile from the half-elf.
The two followed after Royman into the depths of the Guild until they reached Ouranos's chambers.
"He's waiting for you," Royman stated before turning and leaving.
The two entered and bowed to the god that towered over them.
"I am told that the killings have stopped," Ouranos said in his usual, even tone.
"Yes, Ouranos-sama. It was Revis as we feared," Achilles revealed. "Unfortunately, while we were able to wound her and drive her off, she did manage to escape."
Ouranos was silent for some time, his eyes simply boring down on Achilles who felt increasingly guilty with each passing moment.
"That is unfortunate," the deity finally said.
Achilles's nails bit into his hand as a look of failure grew on his face, which was not missed by Riveria.
"Forgive me, Ouranos-sama, but Achilles went above and beyond your initial request. Not only did he put a stop to the killings, but he drove Revis back, despite being injured himself. He even saved me on two occasions," she defended.
Ouranos turned his eyes to her.
"That does not change the fact that Revis remains loose in the Dungeon and will surely return, likely with similar or worse results," he pointed out.
"And when she does we shall both answer the call should you summon us, but that does not make this mission a failure. The Dungeon is fully open once again and we are more prepared than we were if she should try something."
Ouranos fell silent again as he stared down at Riveria.
"What you say is true, Riveria Ljos Alf. However, I fully expect you to keep your word and answer the call when I summon you again, and I will be summoning you again. Both of you," he clarified.
"Yes, Ouranos-sama," both replied immediately.
"Good. Then, for now, I consider your mission complete. You two may leave."
They bowed again and left quickly, neither feeling like staying a moment longer.
Exiting the chamber and the Guild quietly, they re-entered the darkened streets of Orario and both let out a breath.
"You really didn't need to do that," Achilles said.
"I said I would, didn't I?" she pointed out, smiling.
He smiled back.
"You did. Still, standing up to Ouranos is nerve-wracking for anyone."
"True, he does have an intimidating presence," she admitted.
Things were quiet for a time, as the two thought on all that had happened and allowed their worries and anxieties to slip away.
"How about we go for a walk?" Achilles suggested suddenly.
"A walk?" Riveria inquired.
"Yeah. It'll be a good way to calm down and clear our heads. Besides," he looked around. "I really can't remember the last time it was this quiet or empty."
He was right. Things were rarely, if ever, this quiet and it was a rare treat to be able to walk through Orario in such peaceful conditions.
Smiling, she made her decision.
"That sounds wonderful."
Practically beaming, Achilles held out his arm to her.
A bit startled, it took her a moment to respond, but when she did, she readily accepted his arm, wrapping hers around his and snuggling up against him before they began to make their way down the tranquil streets of the city.
The two walked silently, content and warm as they basked in their closeness.
This feels so right. Like we were always meant to do this, Riveria thought, her smile growing as she snuggled just a bit closer to the man next to her.
Achilles noticed the move and turned to her. Seeing her pressed up against him and smiling, his own smile grew as held onto the woman next to him just a bit tighter.
However, he was distracted for a moment by a familiar urge.
"Riveria?"
The elven princess looked up.
"Yes?"
"Would you consider it very rude of me if I started smoking? I haven't gotten a chance since before we entered the Dungeon and I'm starting to feel the urge. I won't, of course, if it'll irritate you."
She smiled warmly at him.
"No, I don't mind. As long as you share."
"I can agree to that," he said.
Taking out his pipe, he placed it in his mouth, still walking as he did so, before pulling out a match. However, when he pulled it out, he finally realized he would need to pull away from Riveria in order to light it. A small feeling of disappointment entered his heart as he was enjoying the warmth too much to simply let go.
"Achilles."
He turned his eyes and discovered a flame before him.
Following the flame, he found it was connected to the end of Riveria's thumb and, looking up, he saw her looking quite pleased with herself.
Chuckling, he quickly took her offered thumb and used it to light his pipe before taking a deep breath.
After blowing out the smoke, he removed the pipe and smiled at her.
"I forgot about that spell," he said, holding the pipe out for her.
"It's a simple spell," Riveria responded, taking the pipe. "It's only really good for lighting a campfire or as an emergency light," she finished, putting the pipe in her mouth and inhaling deeply.
"Or lighting a pipe," Achilles added.
She removed the pipe, her pleased smile still playing on her lips.
"Or lighting a pipe," she agreed.
The two continued their walk, overjoyed at each other's company and glad that no one was around to ruin it.
"I'm not sure I've ever seen Orario this quiet, even the backstreets usually have something going on," Achilles said.
"Careful. If you keep mentioning how quiet it is, you'll jinx us," Riveria joked.
He laughed.
"My apologies then. I don't want anything ruining this."
Her smile, which by now seemed like a near permanent fixture upon her lips, somehow grew and she brought herself even closer to her not-so-secret beloved, before basking in his warmth. However, or perhaps because of this fact, Riveria finally recognized how cold everywhere else was for her and her smile finally dropped as she shivered.
"Are you alright?" Achilles asked, naturally noticing instantly.
"Just a bit cold. I am still quite underdressed," Riveria replied.
Before she knew what was happening, the elven adventurer felt her partner pulling away from her. Surprised and more upset at losing the warmth than she cared to admit, Riveria turned to Achilles with softly pleading eyes. These disappeared the moment she saw him unhooking his cloak and, without missing a beat, wrap it around her shoulders and hook it to her.
"Better?" he asked.
Getting over her surprise, she nodded.
"Yes. Much better," she pulled the cloak closer to her. "I forgot how warm it was."
"It had better be, that's what cloaks are for and I made sure I got the best one."
"You always did like to get the best of everything," she teased.
"I like to get the best, practical things," he corrected.
"Ah, you're right. My apologies."
He smiled at her before he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her against him again.
"Come on, let's keep walking. I'm not sure when we'll be able to do this again," he said.
She nodded and the two continued walking down the empty streets.
It was as they walked that Riveria realized something that made her chuckle, even as it warmed her cheeks.
"What's so funny?" Achilles asked, his pipe taking an inquisitive position.
"It's just, well, this feels like a date," she admitted.
"Hm," he thought for a moment. "I suppose it does."
Things were silent for a few seconds between them, then Riveria suddenly stopped walking, causing Achilles to do the same and turn to her.
"Achilles, you know how I feel and know what I've been wanting to say," she began. "However, I want the moment when I tell you to be the right one. Not because I'm hoping for a positive reply or expecting you to accept me or my feelings, but simply because I want to do it right. For both of us. To finally get these feelings out properly and to finally give you the truth I believe you deserve to know. Perhaps that's odd, given the situation, but I just wanted to say that, I guess, to explain myself."
Achilles stared down at the woman before him, silently pondering her words for a moment.
"Alright," he finally said. "If that's what you want."
"Thank you," she said, smiling.
He smiled back.
"Though, I might try to coax it out of you every now and then," he joked.
She laughed.
"That's fine, you've kind of been unknowingly doing that anyway."
"Have I?" he questioned. He gently grabbed her and pulled her to him. "Then maybe if I start doing it actively you'll feel like confessing sooner."
"I can't exactly deny that's possible," Riveria said, blushing.
It was only then that Achilles finally took stock of where they were. It was a courtyard, a beautiful one too, made even more so by the fact that the moon had taken the absolute perfect place right above them, covering them in a pale, but beautiful glow.
An idea came to him.
"Riveria."
"Yes?"
"Would you like to dance with me?"
She stared up at him, surprise coloring her beautiful emeralds. However, that surprise lasted only a moment before it faded into joy.
"I would love to.
Achilles pulled back a bit, just enough to take her hands and then, with the two of them staring directly into each other's eyes, he began.
It was slow, but fluid as water. Each step was precise, landing exactly where it was supposed to. At the same time it held a tenderness and warmth within it that both would remember for the rest of their lives. In a word, it was perfect.
Not once did Riveria's eyes move from his, nor his from hers, so engrossed in each other were they. Words themselves were not needed as their eyes communicated all they wished to tell their partner.
I've missed this. More than you can possibly know, Riveria told him.
So have I and I'm so glad I get to do it again with you, he responded silently.
On and on it went, the quiet tapping of feet on stone, the light swish of the cape around Riveria's shoulders, and the silent words that they shared as they fell deeper and deeper into the other.
Neither knew how long it lasted, neither cared either, but it finally ended when the moon finally stopped providing them its heavenly glow by disappearing behind a building.
They pulled apart, blissful and filled with a warmth that can only come from one source.
"Thank you, Achilles. I've missed dancing with you. It was wonderful," she said softly.
"Does that mean you feel like confessing now?" Achilles inquired.
She did not waver nor blush, she only lightly shook her head.
"Not yet, but I'm very, very close," she replies, staring up at his eyes lovingly.
He chuckled.
"It's a damn good thing you're so beautiful. A guy can only take so much teasing."
She chuckled also. "My apologies. Though you did say you were willing to wait," she pointed out.
"I'd be willing to wait until the sun died if I knew for certain I'd hear those words."
The words, and the honesty she felt from them stunned her for a moment.
"When did you get so charming?"
His response was instant.
"When I found someone I desperately wanted to charm."
Perhaps it was because she had received so many compliments and so much affection in so short a time and this was the final straw, but Riveria's face suddenly burst into flames.
"Tease," she scolded.
Achilles laughed.
"Can you blame me? You're far too adorable, not to mention beautiful when you blush," he said, moving a strand of hair behind her air.
A bit peeved at the teasing, Riveria decided to counter.
"You're not bad yourself," she said, pressing herself against his chest. "That blush you had when you were admiring my body. It was such a lovely shade of red."
Now it was Achilles who was blushing.
"Mm, just like that," she pointed out, her smiling both teasing and seductive.
Suddenly, and before she could react, Achilles growled and pulled her up against him so tightly that her feet left the ground.
"Carefully, Riveria, as I said, a guy can only take so much teasing."
Getting over her shock, her teasing smile returned.
"And what are you going to do about it?"
He stared into her eyes for a moment before moving his head to her ear.
"Are you sure you want to find out?" he whispered.
The tone of his voice and the hot breath on her air made Riveria tense instantly, but she soon discovered this was only the beginning.
"Oooh," she moaned when an absolutely delicious pressure attached itself to her ear. "A-Achilles?!" she cried, trying to break herself out of his arms but finding them effectively nothing more than wet noodles. "T-That's...t-that's my...oooh...my ear!" she cried.
"I know," he whispered, pulling back for a moment. "That's the point. I need to teach you that teasing isn't nice."
He went back to nibbling, causing pleasure to wrack through her body, making her spasm and gasp as the man she so dearly loved pushed her closer and closer to the edge.
Let him, that new, desirous voice said. Let him push you over. Let him take what we know is already his.
It's too much! Much too much and much too soon! the rational part of Riveria's mind said.
Too soon? You've wanted this for decades. Too soon does not exist here, the voice threw back.
That was the last of the internal conversation as Riveria found herself on the edge of the wonderful cliff Achilles's had brought her to.
"A-Achilles!...Please!...Stop….I need you to stop!" she begged.
"Why?" he asked, his hot breath sending tingles along her whole spine.
"Because…" she managed to back away enough to look him in the eye. "I'm going to…."
He immediately understood.
"I see."
For the briefest of moments she thought he would stop. Thought that her pleading had made him see sense or cooled his blood enough, but she was wrong. She was very wrong.
His mouth went immediately for the tip of the ear, the most sensitive part. That alone would have set her off, but this time, he added something new. His tongue.
"Achilles!" she cried.
Her body shook as she released in his arms. Euphoria flooding her senses as her mind was overcome with delight.
It lasted for at least a minute, her body spasming while her breath came out in ragged gasps while Achilles stared at the woman in his arms with calm, but undeniably pleased eyes.
"Achilles," Riveria said quietly, still trying to regain her breath.
"I warned you, Riveria. Don't tease, because there's only so much a guy can take, and for me it's even worse."
"W-What do you mean?" she asked, a slight tremble to her voice.
"I'm saying, Riveria. I'm fifty-five going on fifty-six, and I've never been with a woman. That my principles have always kept me at bay. But now: having finally awakened from my Freya stupor, feeling myself being drawn to you, and now seeing you overcome in mind-numbing bliss, well...let's just say I'm finding myself exceedingly tempted to do something about those fifty-five years of celibacy."
Her jaw dropped.
"A-Achilles…"
"Shh. It's alright. I won't do anything more today. We're still not there yet. I'm still trying to fully understand my feelings and you haven't confessed yours. Admittedly this sort of thing is really supposed to happen after you become a couple, but I felt the need to do it now. If not to get you to stop your teasing, then to show you what to expect should we well and truly find each other."
Riveria had only one reply to that.
"Fuck."
He smiled and leaned in next to her ear.
"Oh we'll get to that, Riveria. We'll get to that."
The two finally reached the point where they would need to separate, neither having said a word since Achilles's promise.
"T-This was," Riveria tried to find the right words, but had some difficulty. "A very interesting last few days."
"I hope it was good interesting," Achilles replied.
She nodded, though her cheeks were still quite red.
"Yes. Very much so. It was...good to spend so much time with you again."
He chuckled.
"It was nice to spend time with you as well. I know I pushed some boundaries, and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable, but I'm not going to run from this, Riveria. I can't say those magic words yet, but each time we meet I feel myself being pulled more and more towards you. You...You really are wonderful. In so many different ways and you make me feel in a way no one has, and yes, that very much includes Freya," he quickly added. "Like I told you, she was like a warm blanket, but one that was wrapped around your head and suffocates you. You're not like that. To me you're like a spring breeze. Cooling and refreshing. Never abrasive or demanding, just gently giving me what I so desperately need. For that I'll never be able to thank you enough."
Riveria's heart honestly felt like it was going to hammer out of her chest.
"Goodness, you're making me feel like a teenager, Achilles. I'm not sure I can take anymore poetry or charming words without risk of bursting into flames."
He laughed.
"Then I'll stop for now. But that is how I feel," he stated.
"Then...I best keep doing whatever it is that I'm doing," she responded.
"Yes you should," he agreed.
The two were quiet for a moment before Achilles decided it was time to finally break away.
"Have a good evening, Riveria. Get some rest," he turned to leave.
"Wait!"
He turned back and watched as Riveria removed his cloak and handed it to him.
"Don't forget this," she said.
"You can keep it for now. It's still cold after all."
"No, it's fine. I need to cool down anyway," she replied.
Smiling, he took the cloak from her.
"I'm glad I have that effect on you."
She gave him a small glare.
"Well, you'd best expect some revenge in the future, Achilles Caesar. No one gets to best me like that and not suffer my wrath."
He responded to that by leaning in next to her ear once again.
"I look forward to it," he whispered before kissing her cheek. "Goodnight, Riveria."
Blushing, but unable to keep the smile off her face, the elven beauty waved.
"Goodnight, Achilles."
Achilles walked through the streets of Orario with a smile on his face. Almost immediately after departing from Riveria, he had come across people, moving about the city like normal and he could not help but think that some lucky star had been blessing him that night for allowing him his time with the elven princess who was earning more and more of his affection with each passing day.
He finally saw Hearthfire Manor in the distance and picked up his pace, eager to get some food in his stomach then get some sleep, confident that tonight there would be no nightmares.
He made his way inside as silently as he could, expecting that everyone would be asleep. However, upon entering, he heard the sounds of people in the dining room.
Making his way over, he found not only his familia, but also the Miach and Takemikazuchi familia, as well as Hephaestus, Tsubaki, Hermes, Asfi, and Soma, all of whom looked like they were having fun eating and talking.
"What's going on here?"
Everyone turned.
"Dad!"
"Achilles!"
"Evening everyone," he greeted, hugging Bell and smiling. "Looks like you're all having a party."
"We were training together and invited them to stay for dinner and well, I guess it kind of turned into a party," Bell explained.
"Then don't let my arrival stop things, I'm just going to grab some food. I haven't had a proper meal in days."
As Achilles made his way over to get a plate, Bell asked.
"How was the mission?"
Achilles sighed.
"It didn't go as well as I would have hoped," he admitted.
Looks of worry were shared between those present.
"What happened?" Bell asked.
"Well, we found Revis and managed to defeat her, but she fled before we could capture her so, unfortunately, she's still hiding somewhere in the Dungeon."
That concerned everyone, but there was little they could do and Bell didn't want the mood in the room to shift into anxiety or worry.
"Well, we'll find her again and make sure to capture her next time," he said confidently.
Everyone knew what he was doing, but none could resist the infectious positivity he was radiating.
"Of course we will," Achilles replied, smiling at the young man. "If I can beat the snot out of her by myself then we'll absolutely crush her together."
A few people chuckled and Hephaestus rolled her eye even as she smiled. However, one person didn't smile, but smirked.
"But you weren't alone, you had the Nine Hells with you," Welf pointed out.
Instantly the mood in the room changed as the Hestia familia gained a predatory gleam to their eyes.
"It appears that some of us are in the dark about something," Hermes noted, seeing the confused look in the non-Hestia familia members present.
Most of the Hestia familia looked ready to explain when the center of attention himself decided to answer.
"Riveria's in love with me," Achilles stated.
That surprised the messenger god, along with the guests that did not already know.
"Really? Riveria Ljos Alf, the Nine Hells herself, has feelings for you?" Hermes asked, very interested.
"Yep. Apparently has for a while."
"You say that like she told you," Hephaestus pointed out.
"She did in a way. She didn't confess her feelings but she knows I know how she feels. We had a couple of conversations about it," he explained.
That was a bit surprising for everyone present.
"My my, this is some of the most fascinating news I've ever heard. Though I suppose it's to be expected. A man of your caliber and fame likely has admirers number in the thousands."
"I suppose so, but there's only one whose attention I want," Achilles said.
A disappointed air appeared over the room as everyone recognized what he meant.
"Ah yes. A shame for dear Riveria that your heart is already taken," Hermes said dramatically, earning him a hard nudge from Asfi.
"It would be, if someone else had taken it."
Everything stopped.
"Dad, what do you mean?" Bell asked.
Achilles smiled, then chuckled for a few moments as he prepared to take a mental picture of what was about to happen.
"I'm not in love with Freya anymore, and if things keep progressing the way they are, I will be in love with Riveria very soon."
Three. Two. One, he thought.
The room burst into noise as Bell and most of his familia suddenly rushed him, congratulations and sounds of happiness jumping through the air.
Achilles laughed as he thanked everyone for their congratulations and well-wishing, while at the same time doing his best to avoid the many questions that had sprung up from his confession.
However, as most everyone, even Asfi, were congratulating Achilles on finally freeing himself from the Goddess of Beauty's hold, Hermes sat silently by himself, a deep frown carved into his face.
She's not going to like that. Freya does not take kindly to someone else touching her belongings, let alone losing one, and to a mere mortal no less. I actually can't even think of a time in all the centuries that have passed where that happened. This isn't going to end well, he thought looking at the Olympian. No, this can only end one way. With the death of Riveria Ljos Alf.
Riveria was practically running back to the Twilight Manor as her mind raced and lightning ran through her veins.
Hm, I wonder what it would feel like to have his lightning running through my ears. He has such great control over it that it wouldn't hurt, just make everything tingl-. Stop! she mentally screamed. I can't think like this!
Why? the uninhibited part of her mind asked. Especially after what he did to you? After what he said? He wants you. Badly. He desires you and wants to be with you, body and soul. What's wrong with imagining what it will be like when you finally claim him.
When?! she internally shouted.
Yes, when. There is no way that little dance under the moonlight is going to be the last time. That man's yours and you are going to claim him so thoroughly neither you, nor he, will be able to walk the day after! the voice stated, not a single shred of doubt in its words.
Oh gods! Oh heaven above, what's happening to me? This isn't like me.
Yes it is. This is the side of you that's been suppressed for years because you couldn't have what you wanted. What you needed. Now it's finally being unleashed. Years, nay, decades worth of desire, finally being unleashed as the man you want draws closer and closer. Stop fighting it. Stop fighting yourself. Let go of your restraint and enjoy the pleasure. The euphoria of having the man you want.
I don't have him yet, the rational Riveria threw back.
Yes. Not yet, her desires reminded her.
She shivered.
"Gods, Achilles, you best be prepared, because when I get my hands on you I'm taking all this frustration out on you."
Finally arriving home, Riveria took one final breath to calm herself, then made her way towards the gate.
Two guards were there, as was normal, and she approached slowly so as not to startle them.
"Evening," she greeted.
The two guards however, did not respond, which Riveria found odd until she saw their cheeks turning red and saw where their eyes were turned.
Looking down, she was reminded that, without Achilles's cloak, she was only wearing a skin-tight outfit that left very little to the imagination. A fact that led to the expected result of the two guards gawking at their superior.
Now annoyed more than was really fair, Riveria coughed loudly, snapping them back to reality where they very quickly set about opening the gate, hoping their superior didn't set them on fire.
Finally entering the compound, Riveria wondered if she should get changed before finding Finn and reporting what transpired in the Dungeon.
He might very well be asleep so I'll just go to my room and report to him tomorrow when I'm clothed, rested, and less likely to burst into flames at his teasing.
Plan in mind, she finally entered the manor, happy to be home.
"Ah, there you are."
Turning, she discovered Gareth a few paces away, sitting in a chair and reading a book.
"What are you doing down here, Gareth?" she asked.
"Finn set up a watch so that we could know when you returned and speak on what happened," he explained.
"I see," she said.
"Come on," Gareth said signally for her to follow.
She did as requested and followed after the dwarf.
The two made their way silently through the manor, however they were not alone. While things were certainly quieter than during the day, there were always a few people who were moving about, even during the night. Some were night owls, others were party people who stayed out late, and others still had simply lost track of time in the Dungeon. Whatever the reason, Riveria, for the first time in her life, found herself resenting them.
The reason was quite simple. They were all staring.
I'm not naked for heaven's sake! she internally berated them, sending a few glares at her underlings for so blatantly staring at her and her more exposed body.
You weren't this mad when Achilles stared, a thought pointed out.
That's different. He's allowed to look, her frown disappeared as a smile took its place. Only him.
They arrived at Loki's office and entered. It was empty, naturally, as Loki was asleep by then.
"I'll go get the others," Gareth said. "As well as a new set of clothes."
She smiled at him.
"Thank you," she responded.
He nodded and disappeared, allowing Riveria a few moments of quiet as she waited for her familia to begin arriving.
Some time later the door opened, revealing Finn.
The prum, seeing Riveria and her state of dress chuckled.
"Well, either you got into a bit of a tussle or you and Achilles had more fun than you were supposed to."
Riveria rolled her eyes even as a blush covered her cheeks.
Soon, others began arriving, Aiz being the next, with the Sword Princess cocking her head at seeing Riveria without her usual green outfit, though she said nothing, which Riveria appreciated. Next came Bete who eyed her with disgust as she was sure numerous ideas were flooding his mind as to why she was so underdressed. Tiona and Tione followed after him, and both instantly jumped on her once they saw the black bodysuit, asking so many embarrassing and personal questions that she felt the blush rush all the way up to the tip of her ears. Then came Lefiya who, upon seeing her fellow elf, blushed even more terribly than Riveria herself, before suddenly fainting. That gave her a temporary respite, but only for a moment before Loki entered and saw her.
"Holy…" Loki's jaw fell as blood dripped down her nose. "Is this a dream?" she asked.
A few people chuckled as Riveria tried desperately to restrain her blush.
"No, this is real," Finn stated.
That set Loki off as she ran at Riveria.
"It's been so long since I've seen your curves!" she cried in happiness. "You always bathe when no one's around so I never get to see you. I almost forgot how hot you are!"
"Hot enough to knock out poor Lefiya here," Tiona pointed out.
"I should think so," Loki said. "I mean, look at her. Those hips. That ass. Those ti-."
Riveria slapped her hard enough to make the goddess spin.
"That's quite enough," she stated firmly.
"Yeah, I for one don't want to empty my stomach," Bete sneered.
"Even you have to admit that Riveria's fire, Bete," Tione threw at him.
He simply growled as Riveria pinched the bridge of her nose, begging Gareth to save her from this mess.
Her prayer was answered when the door opened and Gareth arrived, her clothes in his arms.
"Here you go," he said, holding them out to her.
She almost kissed him for that, but decided a smile containing enough appreciation to drown a man would do.
"Thank you."
Just as she was about to put on her clothes, Loki cried out.
"Wait!"
Everyone turned to her.
"I so rarely get to see your sexy body, so for tonight, you are forbidden from wearing anything else."
Riveria's jaw dropped.
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope!" the trickster goddess replied. "I am ordering you to remain exactly as you are for this meeting and if you even think about putting those clothes on I will punish you."
It was ludicrous. Beyond ludicrous, but everyone knew she was serious as one should never get between a pervert and her eye candy.
"You will regret this," Riveria growled.
"No I won't," Loki replied immediately. "Because I'm going to burn this image into my mind until it's forever ingrained there."
Riveria sighed heavily.
This. This is my goddess.
Irritated beyond belief, but defeated, Riveria put her clothes down and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Can we begin then? If not because I don't care for the ogling, than so I can get some food and rest?"
Finn chuckled again and nodded.
"Tiona. Wake Lefiya up."
After a few moments and a few attempts, Tiona managed to wake the young elf who, luckily, did not faint again at seeing her elven superior, even if she looked ready to.
"Alright. So what happened?" Finn asked.
"Achilles and I started by going to Rivira and seeing if Bors had any information for us," Riveria began. "He didn't have much, the most important information being the location of the attacks and that two more adventurers had been killed shortly before our arrival."
The tone of the meeting finally turned serious and everyone focused intently on her words.
"We headed down towards the twenty-first floor, both of us suspecting that whoever was doing the attacks would be there. We were right."
"Was it Revis?" Finn asked.
"It was," she affirmed, instantly feeling the tension in the air grow. "She summoned a group of violas and threatened me. Achilles did not take kindly to that and engaged her while I fought the violas. It was during that fight that I lost my normal clothes," she said gesturing towards her current outfit. "Realizing that I was too slow, I threw away my cloak and overclothes and engaged them as you see now. As I fought, Achilles was wounded, but managed to defeat Revis. However, she used one of her violas to escape."
Everyone seemed disappointed at that, but there was nothing they could do.
"Achilles wanted to pursue, but seeing as he was wounded and we both weren't at our best, I suggested that we return to Rivira and rested. He reluctantly agreed. We returned and informed Bors of the situation. He was thankful and gave us a room for the night, half-off."
"Meaning full price for normal hotels," Bete stated, getting a couple of laughs from the others, allowing some of the tension to dissipate.
"Yes, well, it was still appreciated. We rested and the next day we pressed on, trying to find Revis, but finding no clue of her. Both of us wanted to continue the search, but we both recognized we weren't going to find anything. Revis undoubtedly retreated deep into the Dungeon, further than even the two of us could go, so we reluctantly turned back to report to Ouranos about what transpired."
"How did things go with old frowny?" Loki asked.
"He, naturally, would have preferred to have Revis captured, but he was understanding enough, though he did say he expected us to answer the call if he ever summoned us again."
They all nodded.
"Did you get anything on why Revis was doing the killings?" Finn questioned.
Thinking back on it, Riveria remembered a detail she had forgotten in the flurry of events.
"It appeared it was an ambush for Achilles. She demanded he provide some items to her."
Everyone gave her a questioning look.
"Items?" Finn pressed.
Riveria shrugged.
"She said something about them being the items the Zeus familia guarded. Achilles seemed to know what she was talking about, but he refused to help her. He didn't say much else on the subject and during the course of our search it failed to come up again."
"Hm," Finn pondered for a moment before turning to Loki. "Any idea what these 'items' could be?"
Loki shrugged.
"Could be anything. Zeus and Hera were the top dogs in Orario for a long time and both had their own reasons for collecting things of interest. Hera just wanted to make sure they stayed out of the wrong hands, but Zeus was always sort of fascinated by things with weird powers or special purposes. Honestly, even I can't imagine what they collected over the ages."
"That's not exactly comforting," Finn pointed out.
"It shouldn't be," Loki responded. "I have no idea what the Zeus familia hid away or what these assholes want with whatever they did hide, but I do understand that we need to know more. That's where you come in, Riveria."
"Me?"
"Who else? You're the closest to Achilles and the only one of us who has even the remotest chance of learning anything."
Horror and anger entered Riveria's heart as she realized what her goddess meant.
"You want me to spy on him?"
"Yes, and you should perfectly understand why," Loki stated firmly, her eyes opening. "You may be smitten for him, Riveria, but we're still your familia and, even more importantly, if Enyo and his little helpers want these items then quite literally everyone is in danger. You need to use your connection to find out what these items are and how dangerous they are, at the very least. I know that sucks, using your connection against him, but this is one of those situations where you're going to have to suck it up. Too much is at stake to let your feelings get in the way."
Riveria couldn't believe her ears.
"I'm not a spy."
"Well then you're going to have to learn quickly, because, starting right now, I'm ordering you to use every chance you get to learn what these items are, what they can do, and where they are hidden," Loki finished.
Riveria, shocked and unable to speak, looked at her familia, all of whom, with great reluctance, gave her the same answer.
You have to do this.
There was only one set of eyes that did not agree. Only one person who was on her side. Aiz.
This is wrong, she told her mother figure. This is wrong.
Whelp, this one was a bit fanservicing wasn't it? I hope that doesn't upset you guys as I do like it when you guys enjoy the story. I guess I just felt like making it up to you all after all the teasing from the last chapter.
That said, please share your thoughts with me. Review or send me a message. I'm all ears! I know there's often things I miss and you guys have also inspired some of my best ideas so really, I'm all ears!
With that, I'll bid you all a fine farewell and I'll see you next time. Bye for now.