Hello my dear people. Well, it's time again for another chapter and for us to find out how Loki's order plays out. So, let's hop in shall we?
I do not own Danmachi
Riveria sat on her bed, thinking about what she had been ordered to do.
As much as she did not wish it, she felt resentment and bitterness eating at her the more she thought about her orders.
I'm so close. After all this time, all these years of yearning, I almost have him. His heart is open to me and now they want me to put it all at risk. To potentially shatter his trust in me, her nails bit into her hands. The moment he finds out, and he will, he'll lose his faith in me. He'll retreat from me, and he'll be totally justified in doing so because I will have effectively spat in his face!
Her head fell into her hands. She hated this. These feelings of despair, rage, and disgust. It all made her want to cry.
When's the last time I cried? I can't even remember. And to be crying over this. Heaven above I'm so pathetic. A century old yet still acting like a little girl.
A knock at her door made her jump. She hadn't been expecting anyone and, quite frankly, she wasn't in the mood to talk.
"Riveria?"
Aiz?
Getting up, she went and opened the door to see a very melancholy looking Sword Princess before her.
"May I come in?" the younger woman asked.
"Of course," Riveria said, not knowing what else to do.
Aiz entered and after Riveria closed the door, she turned around and looked at her elven mother figure.
"This is wrong," she stated firmly.
Riveria blinked.
"You mean the spying?" she asked for clarification.
Aiz nodded.
"We're friends. We shouldn't spy on them."
Riveria sighed. She wanted to agree, but knew that, logically speaking, she couldn't.
"It's not that simple. While I don't like it, I understand why I was ordered to spy on Achilles."
"Why can't you just ask him about the items?" Aiz questioned, a notable bit of pleading in her voice.
"It's very likely that Achilles is keeping their existence a secret. It seemed, from what Revis said, that these items are a familia secret. Simply asking him is almost assuredly out of the question."
"But he trusts you, doesn't he?"
That simple question nearly broke Riveria and the tell tale signs of tears were threatening to overcome her. A fact she hated with all her being.
"Y-Yes," she managed after a while, though she could not stop her voice from shaking. "I believe he does."
"Then he might tell you if you ask. I trusted Bell with my secret and I haven't regretted it for a moment since. Maybe he will feel the same way."
Riveria laughed. That wonderful optimism was like a ray of sunshine during a storm.
"I appreciate your optimism, Aiz, I really do, but this isn't the same situation. Your secret was a personal one and, I remind you, Achilles compelled you to reveal it-."
"And I'm glad he did," Aiz cut it, her voice full of force and determination.
Riveria's smile grew for a moment, before it dropped.
"Even so. The secret or secrets surrounding these items is not a personal one, but one from his former familia and comes with far greater consequences if revealed."
Aiz was silent for a moment, her eyes boring into her superior.
"When are you defending them?"
Riveria looked at her, confused.
"Defending them?"
"The others. Loki. Finn. Everyone. You didn't want to spy on Achilles, but they're making you. Why are you defending them now?"
Riveria sighed as her nails bit into her hands again.
"You're right, I didn't want to do this. But I understand-."
"Don't you lie to me, Riveria," Aiz ordered, not allowing her adoptive mother the chance to try and convince either of them what she was doing was right. "This is hurting you."
"Of course this is hurting me, Aiz!" she cried, her tears finally being released. "The man I love is finally opening himself up to me. He told me so himself. He told me while we were down in the Dungeon that he believes he's falling in love with me. That he doesn't love Freya anymore!" The Sword Princess's eyes widened. "I've wanted to be with him for decades, Aiz! And now that I'm so close I'm being asked to betray his trust! That hurts me more than I can possibly say. But I understand why I must. Because compared to the danger we face, the danger these items possess, especially in the wrong hands, my feelings mean nothing. So, no matter how much I hate it, I must do this. Please understand that Aiz!"
One would have forgiven Aiz if she had been dumbstruck by the uncharacteristic display of emotion from the woman she looked up to. She would have been forgiven if she had simply remained silent as she attempted to regain her thoughts and figure out how best to respond. But she wasn't dumbstruck, nor did it take her more than a second to respond to Riveria's words.
"It's wrong."
Riveria laughed dryly before pain and bitterness overcame her again.
"It's not that simple. Life is more complicated than simply right and wrong."
Again, Aiz responded instantly.
"Wrong is wrong, there is nothing complicated about that, and I for one can't think of anything more important and good than love, and nothing worse than to taint it or force someone to betray the one they love."
Riveria was stunned silent, which served Aiz just fine. She strode past Riveria and opened the door to leave. However, just as she was about to exit the room, she turned.
"You love him, and I think he loves you. Don't let anyone ruin that. The world needs love more than anything else."
Then she left, closing the door and leaving Riveria to ponder her words.
Riveria had not slept well. How could she have? After her new orders and her talk with Aiz, her mind was racing.
It's going to be a long day, she thought as she got up.
Getting dressed slowly she briefly pondered simply grabbing a plate of food from the dining area then bringing it back up to her room so she could eat breakfast alone and away from the others. She however, disregarded that idea quickly enough, recognizing it as childish.
But am I not allowed to be a tad childish here? To be upset with what I'm being ordered to do? Can I not be mad at them and avoid them for at least a few hours?
She sighed. Yes. It was going to be a very long day.
Dressed, she made her way down towards the dining room, hoping that some food would raise her spirits.
As she walked, she noticed that she was garnering more attention than usual. Normally, when she made her way down, those she passed would simply acknowledge her with a salute or maybe stop her to ask a question, though that was a bit rare given she knew most found her intimidating. However, while this did still occur this time around, it was vastly overshadowed by a new collection of responses, namely: whispering, gawking, and blushing.
She wondered what this meant for a few moments, before her eyes caught sight of one of the people she had come across the previous night in the halls. She remembered this one in particular because he had stared at her so blatantly that she had glared at him, resulting in a very hasty retreat. Now, he seemed as though he had been waiting for her and his face soon gained a very healthy amount of red. That's when she figured it out.
Her blood began to boil.
I do not need this right now! she growled. And for Heaven's sake I was still fully dressed!
She stopped.
"It is impolite to stare and to gossip!" she called out, her voice booming down the hall.
Knowing they were caught and freaking out at the potential rage of their superior, everyone in the hall fled in unrestrained panic, emptying the hall and leaving her alone in less than a minute.
Her hand came up to her face and covered her eyes as the frustration began to crack what was left of her control.
Why now? Why did this have to happen now? After all these years apart. When we're finally so close, I have to betray him. Oh gods, why did I even go with him down into the Dungeon? I should never have gone!
She stopped, immediately realizing how wrong that was.
No, I'm glad I went, for so many reasons. I could never regret going with him. Even if everything falls apart and he loses all trust for me, I'll be glad that I went with him and made sure he came back safely. Nothing will change that.
Feeling slightly better, though knowing full well she was still anything but okay, she continued her way towards the dining hall.
Upon arriving, she was met by the same stares and whispers she received earlier, but decided to ignore them. As ludicrous as it was, it wasn't worth the stress, she decided.
Getting her food, she made her way to her spot at the front of the hall where Loki, Finn, and Gareth were already seated and eating.
"Morning, Riveria," Finn greeted, doing his best to sound pleasant.
He was met with silence as the elven princess simply took her seat and began to eat.
Finn shared a look with Gareth and Loki, both of whom had much the same look on their faces as he did. The prum captain sighed, hoping that Riveria would see reason soon and accept what needed to be done.
That thought was quickly side-lined as Finn noticed that the entire room was looking towards them, everyone apparently having noticed the cold shoulder that Riveria had given him.
He sighed again, but far more heavily.
It's going to be a long day.
Things were tense the entire time Riveria ate, everyone, but the leaders of the familia, wondering what was going on. However she, despite feeling the countless eyes upon her, ignored all of it, ate in complete silence, then got up to return her plate and utensils, and begin the trek back to her room.
She had made it to the top of the stairs when Finn called.
"Riveria!"
She turned and looked down upon her captain, all but ignoring the other leaders of her familia who were with him.
"Yes?" she inquired.
"We didn't get a chance to mention this last night, but we're training at Hearthfire Manor today," he informed her.
Her grip on her staff tightened to bone breaking potential.
"Then you'll have to forgive me. I'm too worn out from my expedition with Achilles and won't be attending this time," she replied, before turning to leave.
Everyone looked at each other, while Finn frowned.
"Trying to avoid it won't make things better, Riveria," he pointed out.
She turned back to him.
"I'm not avoiding anything, Finn, I'm simply still tired. It was a long time in the Dungeon with little rest, which is made all the worse given that I didn't get much sleep last night," she responded coldly.
Finn, having had enough of her attitude, responded forcefully.
"Stop acting like a child."
If looks could kill, the one that Riveria sent at her captain would have caused his heart to explode.
"If I'm going to do this, Finn," she growled his name. "Then I need to be as comfortable as possible, not only so that I can actually attempt to get the information you so desperately want, but so that Achilles, who is by no means an idiot, won't immediately figure out what I'm doing. So, if I tell you, I'm tired and I need some time to rest and think on things, then it would behoove you to allow me time to rest and think on things."
Everyone was concerned about the way this was turning out, and their anxiety only grew when they noticed that other members of their familia were beginning to listen in from the sidelines. Finn, however, noticed none of this, as he was too focused on returning Riveria's glare.
"If you have a problem with this familia, you're free to leave at any time."
Every jaw dropped at that. Every jaw, except for Riveria's which tightened so terribly it began to groan.
"You are the last person that gets to say that to me," she replied, her voice sending shivers up everyone's spine. "I love this familia and those who make it up, it's not merely a tool for my political ambitions that I'll discard the moment it's no longer expedient for me." Jaws dropped further, and even Finn felt a sting from that one. "But that doesn't mean I do not have a mind of my own and cannot disagree with orders. Indeed, this is the second time in recent memory I have been ordered to do something that made me feel physically ill. Yet, despite that, I will do it. As much as it pains me, I will do it. All I ask, Finn," she spat out his name like a curse. "Is a little time. Time to reconcile with what I need to do and accept my orders, in spite of the pain they cause me. If you can't accept that, maybe I should leave."
Leaving behind a shocked and horrified familia, Riveria stormed off to her room, entered, then slammed the door shut with a thunderous boom, before collapsing on her bed.
Everyone watched Riveria go in silence, too stunned to attempt to stop her.
Once she was gone, Finn sighed, releasing as much stress and anger as he could.
"I'm sure you all have something you should be doing right now!" he roared.
The sounds of dozens of scared feet erupted through the halls not a second later and he waited for things to fall quiet again.
"Alright, let's get going," he said, his voice still tired and angry.
"Are you sure that's wise, captain?" Tione asked.
"If Riveria wants to act like that, let her, she wouldn't be of much help anyway. When she wants to grow up, we'll talk again," Finn replied, trying not to come off viciously, but failing.
Not knowing what else to do, they all prepared to leave, when Ais spoke up.
"I don't think she's being childish."
Everyone turned to her, the previous tension once again crushing them.
"She knows what she needs to do," Finn stated, trying to end the conversation there.
"Does she need to do it at all?" Aiz threw back, not noticing or not caring what he was trying to do.
His frown deepened.
"You should understand by now, Aiz, that there are times when personal feelings must be set aside for the greater good. On that note," he pressed on before she could reply. "You are absolutely forbidden from saying anything to anyone about Riveria's mission or anything related to it, especially Bell Cranel." The mention of her love's name made the Sword Princess's eyes widen. "If you try what you pulled last time, I don't care if you're Loki's favorite or if the others try to defend you, there will be severe repercussions. Am I understood?"
Aiz respected the leaders of her familia, Finn very much included, and with that came a drop of fear as she fully recognized how powerful they were. However, she never really thought she was afraid of them. That was not the case at that moment, for as she stared down at the cold eyes glaring up at her, she felt fear in every inch of her body. There was no joking or restraint here. If she stepped out of line she would pay dearly.
"I-I understand," she replied as her eyes dropped.
"Good. Let's get going," he ordered again, receiving absolutely no resistance this time.
The sound of the gate bell going off once again alerted the Hestia familia that the last of their guests and training buddies had finally arrived.
"I'll go get them," Haruhime said, beaming.
She quickly went off, leaving behind the rest of the Hestia familia, along with their allied familia.
"So, you excited to see the Nine Hells again?" Welf teased good-naturedly, something that everyone had been doing almost nonstop since he told them about his change in feelings the previous evening.
Achilles laughed.
"I won't deny that I'll be glad to see her, even if it was only a few hours ago that we said goodbye," he replied.
"I really can't even begin to tell you how happy I am for you, Achilles-kun," Hestia said, smiling brightly.
"Thank you, but nothing's official yet. I still want to make sure my feelings are completely true and that I'm not simply projecting on her or rebounding from Freya," he stated.
"You're not like that. If you feel something for Riveria, it's completely genuine," Bell argued, giving his father the biggest smile of everyone.
Achilles smiled back and pulled him in for a hug.
"Thank you, Bell."
Bell returned it until the sound of the front door opening caused him to pull back as they awaited the official arrival of the Loki familia.
Everyone was all smiles as the Loki familia walked in. First came Finn. Then Gareth. Then the amazon sisters and Bete. Then Lefiya, who looked a tad uncomfortable for some reason. Finally came Aiz, who seemed utterly unwillingly to look at any of them.
Everyone lost their smiles, exchanging them for confused looks as they all asked the same question.
Where's Riveria?
"Good morning, everyone," Finn greeted with a smile.
"Good morning," most managed to reply, even if they were still confused.
Finn laughed.
"I guess you're all wondering where Riveria is. Well, she was feeling a bit tired this morning since we kept her up to discuss what happened on your expedition," he looked at Achilles. "So, she stayed behind to get some more rest," he explained.
Achilles wasn't the only one who thought that sounded a bit odd, especially combined with the odd way some of the Loki familia were acting, but, after sharing a quick look between themselves, everyone decided not to press it.
For now, Achilles noted.
"Well, that's understandable. The Dungeon can be exhausting at the best of times and they did spend a few days chasing after a very dangerous person. I hope she gets all the rest she needs," Bell said.
"I'm sure she'll be up and ready to take on the world in no time," Finn replied, still smiling.
With an explanation now provided, though still somewhat disappointed that they wouldn't get to see the elven adventurer interact with their lightning clad ex-captain, everyone let the matter drop so that training could begin, much to the Loki familia's immense, if silent, appreciation.
Over an hour had passed since the training had begun and, despite his attempts to distract himself, Achilles could not help but ponder on Riveria and her noticeable absence.
The weirdly guilty looks on Aiz and Lefiya's faces doesn't help, Achilles thought, his eyes following Aiz as she trained with Bell with far less vigor than she normally did.
Deciding to see if he could find out anymore, he made his way over Aiz and Bell.
"Hey you two," he greeted, stopping their fight. "How's everything going?"
"It's going well," Bell answered, though it was clear that he lacked the usual spark he had when training with Aiz, undoubtedly because he'd noticed her odd behavior.
"Yes...well. It's going well," Aiz said as if she needed to think on how to answer.
"Good," Achilles replied, acting as though he didn't notice. "Would you mind if I partner with her for a moment, Bell? I got to make sure I'm ready for the tournament as well."
Instantly knowing what his father was doing, Bell nodded.
"Sure. If it's okay with Aiz-san."
They both turned to the young woman, who was quiet for a moment as her brain was still playing catch up, before she finally managed a nod.
"Great. Then let's head over here so we don't risk running into the others," Achilles said, gesturing for Aiz to follow.
"...Alright," she responded, her thoughts still in a bit of a jumble.
Making their way over to a spot a bit more distant from the others, Achilles took his position across from Aiz.
It's probably best that I let her relax first so she's a bit more open to talking, he thought.
Just as he was about to begin, his eye caught sight of Finn in the distance, staring in their direction with a little too much interest.
Things are getting more peculiar by the minute, the ex-captain thought, before refocusing on Aiz.
"Okay, remember what I've told you in the past," he said.
She nodded and he was glad to see that she relaxed a bit upon getting in position.
Alright, now a few rounds to ease her in.
The two clashed, both showing off their impressive display of swordsmanship as they tested the adventurer before them. Overall, had it not been for the fact that Achilles was seeking answers, he would have been quite pleased with the fight as Aiz not only showed off her usual skill, but adapted and experimented in order to try and gain an edge.
She is an impressive young woman. It really is no surprise that Bell's so smitten for her. Even so, my chips are still in Haruhime's corner.
With one final clang of metal, Achilles signaled for them to stop with Aiz immediately complying.
"Your skills are remarkable, Aiz. You truly are worthy of your title," he complimented.
"Thank you," she said, not quite smiling, but showing a few subtle signs that she was pleased.
"You're adapting and experimenting, which is good. It's quite easy to get stuck in routine or become comfortable with a style. The fact that you're so able to flow with the fight really proves to me that you're one of the best swordsmen the world has ever seen and, if I may say so, I think your father would be very proud of you."
Her eyes widened.
"T-Thank you. That...that means a great deal to me," she replied, gaining a small blush.
"I'm only saying what I believe to be true," he told her, before deciding now was the time to ask. "But on the matter of truth, I have a suspicion that there's a little bit more to Riveria not being here than is being let on."
Aiz immediately tensed, all previous pleasure gone.
"I-I...don't know what you mean."
"Aiz, you're tense, you and Lefiya have this weird look in your eyes and Finn was looking at us earlier like he was worried about something. What's going on?" Achilles asked.
She was silent for a few moments, obviously debating with herself about something.
"She...she really is tired. That's not a lie. A lot of things have happened and she just wanted some time to rest and think," the Sword Princess finally replied.
Think? Think about what? he wondered. He pondered for a moment, looking for answers. Is it about what happened between us? Does she regret what happened? Did I push her too far? Or maybe it has something to do with Revis? Is she worried about something?
He wasn't going to receive any answers from questioning himself, he knew that, and he suspected that, for one reason or another, he wasn't going to receive any answers from Aiz either.
"Alright, that's fair," he said. "If she's tired she's tired. I certainly can understand that."
Aiz, though surprised by his nonchalant answer, quickly showed signs of relief, which he did not miss.
"Well, I think I've taken up enough of your time. Go back to Bell, I think he's ready for more sword training," he said.
"Right!" Aiz said, her evident merriment another clear sign that something was up.
"Hm," Achilles hummed as he watched her depart. "If I'm not going to get answers here..."
He made his way over to Hestia who was watching everyone train with a smile. Seeing him out of the corner of her eye, she turned and smiled at him.
"Looks like everyone's doing well," she beamed.
"Indeed. I think they'll be more than ready for the tournament," he agreed.
"Hehe, you betcha. We're gonna kick butt!"
He laughed.
"Yes, I think we will. But, on another matter, I'm going to step out for a minute," he held up his pipe. "I ran out of pipe-weed and need a refill. I shouldn't be gone too long."
"You smoke too much," she chided, playfully.
He laughed again.
"Eh, you're probably right, but I did share a bit of it with Riveria yesterday, so I have a bit of an excuse."
Her smile turned tender.
"I am sorry she didn't come today. Your expedition must have really been something."
"It was, in more ways than one. But, I'm not too upset. If she's tired, she's tired, I think we can all appreciate wanting a bit more rest," he replied softly.
"Boy I can!" Hestia declared, causing them both to chuckle. "Well, I'll tell the others where you went, but don't be too long, you hear?"
He nodded.
"Yes ma'am."
Walking through the streets of Orario, it did not take long for Achilles to find his actual target. Twilight Manor.
He made his way up to the gate and greeted the two guards.
The two guards, being used to his presence at this point, and knowing full-well they couldn't stop him, at least not while their heavier hitters were away, let him pass, receiving a word of thanks from the Olympian.
Making his way through the Manor, receiving a mixture of reactions from its residence, namely a lot more odd looks than he normally received, he finally arrived at what he knew was Riveria's room and knocked.
"Go away, Finn!"
The hostile response startled him, but only for a moment, as now he was even more invested in finding out what was going on.
"I don't recall being that short. Or blonde," he called back.
Riveria, who had previously been shoving her head in her pillow, immediately shot up, her eyes wide and mouth open.
Rushing to the door, she found Achilles standing there, giving her a small smile.
"Achilles!"
"Hi there," he waved. "Mind if I come in?"
"Uh...of course! Please," she gestured for him to enter.
He did so and she closed the door behind him.
"So, how are you? Everyone said you were a bit tired after our expedition," he said.
"Oh, well, I'm fine. Tired, but fine," she responded, though her words did not flow as they usually did.
"Hm," Achilles eyed her. "Did I do something wrong?"
"What? No! Of course not!" she replied instantly.
"Then why do you seem so...afraid of me?"
She did not respond. She didn't know how. She wanted to be honest, but she also understood the importance of her orders. It was a classic battle of heart over mind.
Is trusting him really the worst thing I can do right now? He might be willing to share if I ask him straight up, she thought. Then again, he might turn on me for trying to delve into something I have no right to know. What should I-.
Her thoughts were stopped when a soft hand lifted her head and made her look into Achilles's eyes.
"Riveria," he said so gently it turned her legs to jelly. "What is it?"
She quivered for a moment, feeling so childish and trying to remind herself that she was a level six adventurer, though that did little to nothing to stop her shaking legs.
Finally, she replied.
"You'll hate me."
That shocked Achilles and he actually backed up in shock.
"Okay, now you have to tell me what's going on. I need to know how we went from me all but confessing to you, to you now claiming I'll hate you," he said.
She was silent for a moment, steeling herself, before she finally said.
"What are the items that Revis mentioned?"
If Achilles had been shocked or surprised before, it was nothing compared to what he felt now. He had actually forgotten the reason behind Revis's ambush himself in the haze of everything else that had happened. It took him a few moments to get over his shock and he briefly wondered what he should tell her, when the wheels in his mind began to turn and he began to put all the pieces together and he frowned.
"Finn asked you to spy on me, didn't he?"
Riveria's head somehow fell lower and things were silent until she finally answered, though so quietly that anyone besides Achilles may have missed it.
"It was Loki, actually."
Nothing was said between them for what felt like an eternity for both of them, Achilles simply stared down at the downcast Riveria whose eyes refused to leave the floor.
"You see?" she finally said, her voice devoid of life. "You hate me."
Achilles did not respond immediately, he simply stared down at her. Finally though, he sighed.
"Riveria."
She didn't respond.
Rolling his eyes, he reached over to her, and forced her head up to look at him. Then, after their eyes met, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Pulling back, he found her eyes wide and her mouth open and he smiled at her.
"Would I be doing that if I hated you?" he asked.
"Achilles...I…"
"Riveria, I'm not mad," he paused. "Okay that's not true. I am mad. Furious actually. I was hoping we were past shit like this, but I'm not mad at you."
"Why? I was going to spy on you?"
"And why was it you who was chosen?" he asked.
"Because...because you trust me the most," she answered.
"Exactly. I trust you, Riveria. I also know you. I know that you didn't want to do this, but felt compelled to, probably because of something like 'they're my familia' or 'the world's at stake' or something like that."
Despite everything, Riveria chuckled at that.
"Both actually," she said, smiling.
"Thought so. And I get it. The items must be important if Revis mentions them and I'm hiding them, it makes sense, even if I don't appreciate that they decided to send you to spy on me instead of, you know, asking about them."
"Would you have told us what these items are if we had done that?" she questioned.
"No."
Her smile dampened.
"I thought not."
"Even so," he pressed on. "You guys could have tried that route. If these items weren't so important I might very well have been willing to share what I knew, but they are that important and this really is a case of, the fewer people who know, the better."
That didn't exactly make things easier for Riveria, and he knew it.
"Riveria," he got on his knee in front of her. "There are things I know that I shouldn't. Secrets that would shake the world to its core. Part of me wants to share those secrets with you, Bell, and other people I hold dear, but these are not easy secrets. These are the sort of secrets that destroy people, and I think the only reason I haven't been destroyed is because I was open-minded enough to accept inconvenient and, in some cases, horrifying truths. So please, when I try to hide these secrets, please don't think it's because I think you're untrustworthy, or because I don't care about you. That's not the case. I do trust you and I do care about you."
She smiled softly and nodded.
"I understand," she replied.
He knew she still wanted more. That this new issue had created a distance between them and that hurt, especially since they were so close. He didn't want that distance to remain, and so he decided to give her one more thing.
"I will tell you about one of the items. Just one. The one that's connected to Aiz."
"Aiz?"
He nodded.
"Yes. I am sure that this particular item is how she came to be in our time." Riveria's eyes widened. "I'll tell you all you want to know, but not right now. Tomorrow, bring Aiz to Hearthfire Manor. Just Aiz," he reinforced. "I want to talk to my familia about this first. Is that acceptable?"
Riveria thought for a moment. Truth be told, she wanted the information now. Hearing how it was connected to her ward and was the explanation to how the girl had come to their time utterly dissolved her patience. However, she also understood that this entire situation was putting Achilles in an awkward spot. He didn't really want to reveal more about these items, but also didn't want to strain on their relationship. As such, she was able to accept the wait.
"Alright. Tomorrow," she agreed.
He smiled, relieved, before lifting himself up and kissing her forehead again.
"Thank you, Riveria. For everything."
She smiled back.
"And thank you, Achilles, for trusting me."
Achilles arrived back at the Hearthfire Manor and made his way to where everyone was training. Upon arriving, he found Finn off to the side watching everyone.
Hearing the elder man, the prum turned and smiled.
"You were gone a while," he said.
Fixing your messes takes time, you little shit, Achilles internally growled.
"Had to go to multiple stores. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find the good pipe-weed," Achilles responded, taking out his pipe and new cartridge of pipe-weed. "So, I miss anything?" he asked.
"Not much. In fact I think we're about to wrap up for today," Finn said.
"Ah, then my apologies for missing most of it, I truly didn't expect to be gone so long."
He felt the Loki captain's eyes boring into him, trying to figure out if the ex-captain was lying to him. Achilles didn't reveal anything though. He had learned long ago the art of a perfect poker face, so Finn was left with nothing in the end.
"Okay everyone, I think that's enough for today!" Finn called.
"But captain, we can keep going!" Tiona whined.
"Not everyone has as much energy as you, Tiona," Finn replied, signally to the many exhausted adventurers behind her.
"Eh-he, I guess not," she replied with a smile.
"Would you all like to stay for lunch?" Bell asked.
Tiona looked ready to accept, when Finn shook his head.
"As much as we'd like to, there's some business that we need to take care of back home."
Achilles did not miss the confused looks on the Loki familia's faces, before a sudden realization suddenly seemed to hit them and the previous merriment disappeared.
"Oh, okay. Well, you're always welcome," Bell stated, still smiling.
"Thank you, Bell-san, I appreciate that," Finn returned, smiling back.
The Loki familia packed up to leave, allowing Bell a chance to say goodbye to Aiz.
"It's always very nice to see you, Aiz-san," he said, his bright smile dazzling her.
"It's always wonderful to see you too, Bell," she said before a sad look came over her.
"What's wrong, Aiz-san?" he asked, alarmed by the shift, especially after her odd behavior throughout the day.
He wasn't answered with words. Instead, he was suddenly wrapped up in a hug.
"I care about you, Bell. Please never doubt that."
The young man blushed, but was unnerved by her words.
"I would never doubt you, Aiz. I don't think it's even possible for me."
She didn't respond, only hugged him more tightly.
"Stop that!"
The two broke apart and turned to see Achilles holding Hestia who looked ready to jump at the two of them.
"You are not allowed to hug my Bell-kun!" she cried.
"Hestia-sama, please calm down," Achilles requested.
"No! Not until Aiz Wallen-whatisit understands the rules!"
A few people chuckled or rolled their eyes and this gave Aiz just enough time to turn back to Bell.
"Goodbye, Bell. Please remember," she said, before walking over to her familia.
Bell watched her go, confused and worried, but unsure of what to do.
The Loki familia walked in silence until they were out of sight of Hearthfire Manor. Once they were, Finn moved to Aiz's side.
"What did you say to him?" he asked, his voice low and demanding.
"Nothing," she replied.
"Aiz," he warned.
Her fists clenched.
"I told him that I care about him and asked that he never forget that," she answered, bitterly.
Finn stared at her for a long time, even as they continued to make their way back home. She knew he didn't trust her word right now, but she didn't care. It was the truth. Finally, he relented.
"Good."
They arrived back at the Twilight Manor and made their way over to the gate.
"Welcome home, captain," one of the guards greeted before signaling for the gate to be opened.
"Thank you. Anything to report?" Finn asked.
"Actually yes. The Olympian was here a while ago."
Everyone tensed.
"The Olympian was here? You're sure?" he asked.
"No way we'd get him wrong, not after all the times he's barged in here. He came a couple hours ago, stayed a little while, then left."
"Did he say what he wanted?" Finn pressed, hoping it wasn't what he thought.
"He said something about checking in on Riveria-sama," the guard answered.
Finn bit his thumb.
I don't like the sound of that.
"Thank you," he managed to say.
They made their way inside and Finn broke off to head towards Riveria's room. Upon arriving, part of him wanted to pound on the door and demand answers, but he restrained himself and knocked calmly.
"Come in."
Finn entered and found Riveria at her desk.
"Afternoon, Finn," she greeted, her previous hostility nowhere to be found.
"Afternoon, Riveria. You seem to be in a better mood."
"I guess I am. Were you just checking up on me?" she inquired.
"Sort of. I heard Achilles was here."
If she was in any way disturbed by this comment, then she was a master at hiding it.
"Yes, he came by to check in on me. He was worried he'd done something wrong and that was why I didn't show up today," she smiled at this last part.
"Did you...discuss things at all?" Finn asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.
She looked him in the eye and was quiet for a moment, before nodding.
"I did inquire about the items."
The throbbing in his thumb became worse.
"And what did he say?"
"Well, as expected, he didn't exactly want to share. He said it was a familia secret and everything we expected, but he did say he was willing to share at least some of the information, because he trusted me so much," she could not stop herself from emphasizing these words.
"That's...good. That's really good to hear."
"Quite. However, he said he didn't want to discuss it today and so he'll tell me in the future," he explained.
"How far in the future?" Finn pressed.
She shrugged.
"Possibly tomorrow for all I know. It's best not to push things like these," she replied.
He couldn't really disagree with that. Achilles hadn't become the captain of the Zeus familia while being an idiot, after all. If they wanted to learn more they would need time.
"Alright. Do you plan to see him tomorrow?"
"I do. Though it would probably be best if I went alone or perhaps with Aiz. After myself, she's probably the most trusted of all of us. Then again," she chuckled. "Given her many rivals in that familia, I may be wrong."
Seeing his elven companion smiling and chuckling eased some of Finn's concern, even though he couldn't quite get over the feeling he was missing something.
As long as she's now onboard with her mission that's all that matters.
"Okay. Great, then I'll leave you be and wish you luck," he said.
"Thank you," she replied calmly.
Finn left, allowing Riveria to drop her smile.
I don't need luck, I'm not the one who's infuriated the Olympian, Finn.
A few hours had passed since the Loki familia departed before the last of the Hestia's familia's guests and training partners left for home, allowing for Achilles to inform his familia about what he'd learned.
"Everyone, there's something I need to tell you all," he said.
The seriousness in his voice concerned them, but they all nodded and made their way into the living room.
Sitting down, they waited for him to begin which, after a deep breath, he did.
"So, I'll start by saying that I didn't leave to get more pipe-weed, I left to go visit Riveria."
A few looks were shared as his familia wondered why something that should have brought a smile to his face was instead creating a deep frown.
"I found her in her room and got to talking with her. Something was off about her, much like how something was off with the Loki familia today." A few nods met his eyes. "So, I inquired what was wrong and was answered by a question. 'What are the items Revis mentioned?'."
Instantly, every eye opened in shock.
"I forgot to mention it before, and I apologize for that, but it appears that Revis was trying to ambush me to gain access to the items I've told you about. I suppose I forgot myself because neither I, nor Riveria, ever brought them up again during our entire expedition. But, it appears she remembered and, more importantly, informed her familia."
Concern was added to their shock, but he pressed on.
"I quickly figured out what Riveria wasn't saying," he took a deep breath in order to restrain the anger that was growing within him. "Because of our close connection and the level of trust we share, Riveria was ordered to spy on me and try to learn more about the items."
"What?!" Hestia, Lili, and Welf cried.
"Please, everyone, I'm not happy about it either, believe me, but I need to say a bit more," he pleaded.
The three sat down, though neither they, nor the others looked particularly happy.
So that's why Aiz said that, Bell thought.
"She admitted to it and after talking about it with her we came to a bit of an understanding. I also made a bit of an offer to her."
"An offer?" Hestia questioned.
"Yes," another deep breath. "I've now shared with you all my growing feelings for Riveria, so I think you can all understand me when I say I didn't want some rift being opened between us because of some mitigating and, in some ways, unimportant factor. So, I offered to tell her about one item. Just one. The item that was used to bring Aiz to this time," Achilles said.
"The Hourglass of Kronos," Bell said.
Achilles nodded.
"Yes. Because I trust Riveria and because I think that Aiz does have the right to know how she ended up in a time not her own, I offered to tell them about this item tomorrow. However, I wanted to talk to you all first and get your opinions. If you find this unacceptable, I'll understand."
Everyone passed glances to those around them, each trying to gauge the others thoughts.
"I say we don't tell them anything. This is the second time they've done something underhanded. The first was understandable given what you did," Welf said, getting a nod from Achilles. "But this? Spying? And using her against you because of how you feel? That's low," he finished, crossing his arms.
"But we'd only be telling Riveria and Aiz," Bell tried to argue.
"And they'll be forced to tell the others, or will tell them willingly," Lili pointed out, leaving a disheartened Bell in her wake. "Lili agrees with Welf. We shouldn't tell them anything, especially not after this."
"Ryuu?" Achilles turned to the Gale Wind.
"What they did was understandable. The items are clearly dangerous, even more so if Revis wants them. We are also, technically, a rival familia. Even if we are allies, they still need to act in their own interests. However, that doesn't make what they did right. They betrayed our trust and, on the matter of self-interest, it certainly wouldn't be in our best interest to hand over secrets," she said.
Achilles nodded.
"Mikoto?"
The eastern maiden fidgeted for a moment before replying.
"Everyone makes valid points, and I understand them logically, but I, personally, feel we should tell them, at least about the Hourglass. As Achilles-dono said, Aiz-dono has the right to know how she ended up here and, perhaps more importantly, I don't want all the good will we've built up over these last few months to be burned away because of one mistake."
That last part hit everyone hard. They didn't want the friendships they had built to fall to ruin either, but this was trust shattering. Their 'friends' were actively attempting to spy on them and learn their secrets. They may have had good reason to, but that didn't make it better, especially when they didn't even make an attempt to learn directly about the items, suggesting that the trust between their familias was one way.
"Haruhime?" Achilles called gently.
It took even longer for the renard to respond than it had for Mikoto as her gentle, soft-spoken nature, made such a difficult position even worse.
"I...I think we should tell them, at least Riveria-sama and Aiz-sama. What they're doing is wrong, I know that, but I don't want us to fall into anger and distrust because of that. I don't want all we've worked so hard for to be lost."
Her sweet plea was hard to disregard for any of them. It was the soft song of the heart, arguing for a more hopeful result than the cold logic demanded. However, hers was not the last opinion they needed.
"Bell?"
Everyone shifted to their captain. His opinion was likely going to be the deciding factor in this and so they waited for his reply.
"I...I don't know," he said. "I want to trust them, all of them. Riveria. Aiz. Even Finn, but this," he bit his lip. "I get, rationally, why they felt it was necessary, but they didn't come to us. They didn't have faith in us. They immediately turned to deception and…," anger filled his eyes. "To use Riveria like that. To use her feelings...and your feelings!" Bell pointed at Achilles. "To try and discover secrets you've sworn to protect...I...I don't know. I really don't know."
It pained everyone terribly to see him like that. Bell decisiveness was one of the things they admired and adored him for. When he knew what was right and charged ahead ready to take whatever consequences came his way because he knew he was doing the right thing, it was like watching a legend unfold. But that came with the consequence of the opposite being absolutely devastating. Seeing an unsure Bell, weighed on their hearts heavily, sinking the beating organ down into the pits of their stomachs.
Luckily, everyone had forgotten that there was one final voice that hadn't spoken.
Bell suddenly felt something soft and warm wrap around his hand and discovered a gloved hand now wrapped around his. Looking up, he found his goddess smiling at him.
"Don't worry, Bell-kun, I'll handle this."
Everyone blinked.
"What do you mean, Hestia-sama?"
"Exactly what I said. I'll fix this!" she declared confidently. "I'll talk to Loki and get her to back off so that we can put this all behind us."
This didn't really help with any of their confusion, so Achilles decided to press her.
"I'm not sure that's possible. Trust isn't like trading cards or letting someone borrow your knife where you just ask for it back," he pointed out.
"Loki's just being paranoid. I'll talk with her to calm her down. Once she's rescinded the order we can just act like it never happened so that we can still be friends with the Loki familia, while also keeping our secrets safe. A win-win!"
"That doesn't really address the issue of trust, Hestia-sama," Lili pointed out with narrowed eyes.
"You trust who you want to trust. It seems like we all, generally, want to trust the Loki familia. Sure this is a bit much, but it's not unforgivable. As a lot of you guys pointed out, we understand why they did it, as underhanded as it was. Then again, it's not like we were going to just tell them about the items given how secretive they are, so we can't even really blame them for resorting to spying."
No one knew how to respond as this all just made them more confused on what they should think.
"Listen," Hestia continued, putting her hands on her hips. "We're all upset that they betrayed our trust like that. It sucks, but we all get why they did it. They're worried, and they should be. If what little Achilles's has told us about these items is true then they're really dangerous. So, we all have a choice to make. Do we want this to ruin our friendships with the Loki familia or do we want to accept their reasoning and try to move forward despite what they did? Is this mistake worth losing the people who have stood up for us against Freya, trained us to be stronger, sat next to us during our meeting, and all around gave us support?"
When she put it like that, it made it difficult for them to disagree with her.
"That doesn't make what they did right," Lili argued.
"No it doesn't. I'm not saying don't be mad. Be mad. Give them hell for going behind our backs, but don't throw away what you have because of this mistake. I have known Loki for eons, and while we certainly haven't always gotten along, the idea that I would never be able to talk to her or poke fun at her flat chest again is painful to me. I don't want any of you to feel that pain because of something we all agree, is understandable, if shady."
Everyone shared a few more looks, wondering if this was really the way forward. The reservations were still there, especially from Lili, Welf, and Ryuu, but they all slowly came around and decided that this mistake, as bad as it was, wasn't enough to end the friendship between their familias.
"Alright, Hestia-sama, I think we all agree with you," Bell said, smiling lightly.
"Begrudgingly. But they need to confess what they did!" Lili stated firmly.
"Done," Hestia agreed readily. "I'll talk to Loki tomorrow while you tell Riveria and Aiz Wallen-whatisit about the Hourglass."
An odd feeling of relief was felt amongst everyone, and some even began smiling, none more brightly than Bell.
I'll never be able to tell her how glad I am to be a member of her familia, Bell thought as he stared at his goddess. But maybe I'll be able to show her.
A few hours after the talk about the Loki familia, Hestia was making her way to her room, ready to get a good night's sleep.
"Today was crazy," she thought out loud.
She made her way into her room and began getting ready for bed.
She was in her nightgown and was about to hit the hay, when a knock came at her door.
Who could that be? she wondered.
Making her way over, she opened the door and was surprised to find Bell before her.
"Bell-kun? What is it? Did something happen?" she asked.
"No, I just wanted to thank you for what you said earlier. I was so lost, but you were able to find a way to make everything better," he said, his wonderful smile making her heart beat faster.
"Hehe, well, I'm happy when I can make you happy," she said, now beaming.
"You always make me happy, Hestia," he said, his voice so tender it sent a shiver up her spine.
"I-I do?"
"Mhmm," he replied nodding. "I'll never really be able to put into words how happy I am that you made me a part of your familia. That gift is beyond words. So, I thought actions would do better."
Hestia was about to ask what that meant when Bell suddenly leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
Her face instantly caught fire and her heart threatened to burst from her chest as his warmth travelled from his lips into her. Her blush and thundering heart were only made worse by the fact that he did not pull away immediately, but held for a good three seconds, before finally pulling back and giving her a smile so wonderful her knees began to shake.
"Thank you, Hestia. Goodnight," he said before leaving.
Hestia just stood there for a long time, her door wide open and her face frozen in a cherry-red blush.
Bell-kun kissed me. Bell-kun kissed me! BELL-KUN KISSED ME!
That was all her mind could take as she fainted, falling backwards onto her floor with a 'thud', somehow closing the door in the process.
Riveria gathered up her things and, after checking herself over, left her room.
She made her way through the halls of the manor until she reached a familiar door.
She knocked and waited for no more than three seconds before it opened, revealing Aiz.
"Riveria?" she cocked her head.
"Good morning, Aiz. I was wondering if you'd be willing to accompany me for a little while. It's important," the mother elf said.
Confused, Aiz, nonetheless, nodded.
The two made their way out of the manor and into the city. It quickly became apparent to Aiz where they were heading and her curiosity became too much to restrain.
"Why are we headed to Hearthfire Manor, Riveria?"
"Because Achilles may have something important to tell you," Riveria responded.
That wasn't much of an answer, but it was enough for now, and so Aiz fell silent and simply continued walking towards the home of her not-so-secret-except-to-him love.
Finally arriving, Riveria rang the gate bell and not long after, a voice answered.
"Hello?" came the voice of everyone's favorite renard.
"Good morning, Haruhime. I'm here with Aiz. I believe Achilles is expecting us," Riveria said, hoping that this rendezvous wouldn't end abruptly.
"Yes, he told us what happened. Please, come in," Haruhime replied and a moment later the gates opened.
What happened? Aiz wondered, her confusion growing to near boiling point.
The two made their way inside and were greeted by the sight of the entire Hestia familia waiting for them.
"Good morning, everyone," Riveria greeted.
"Good morning, they all returned."
"What's going on?" Aiz asked, finally unable to restrain in her confusion.
Hestia stepped forward.
"Achilles told us yesterday about the orders Riveria received." Aiz froze. "However, we're not mad...mostly," Hestia added. "In fact, there's something about the items Achilles is guarding that he thought you should know. He asked us for permission to tell you about it and we granted it. So, everyone is going to tell you what you need to know while I go and have a little chat with your goddess," she finished.
"You're not staying, Hestia-sama?" Bell asked.
Still a bit off from the previous night, Hestia blushed, but quickly shook her head before anyone noticed.
"No. I want to get to old flat-chest before she figures out what's going on. It'll be easier that way."
There were a few nods, while the two ladies of Loki familia processed what they had been told.
"Are you going to break off our alliance?" Riveria asked.
Aiz's heart stopped.
Please no. That'll make it harder to earn his love, she thought as her eyes turned to Bell.
"We had a tense discussion about that last night, and many here wanted to end it. Spying on us is pretty trust shattering," the goddess said. Riveria and Aiz felt a weight on their shoulders and slouched in understanding. "However, your friendship is highly valued and you all have been there for us during many troubling times, especially with regards to Freya. Without your help who knows what she would have tried to pull. So, we decided to let this one be water under the bridge, but only if the order is rescinded and the others tell us the truth!" she quickly stated.
Both princesses were relieved at hearing that and smiled brightly at that before bowing deeply to the goddess.
"Thank you, Hestia-sama," Riveria said.
"Thank you very much," Aiz added.
Hands on her hips, Hestia smiled widely at the two mortals.
"Well, just make sure that our faith in you isn't called into question again and we'll call it even," she stated.
"I think we can both agree to that," Riveria said, with Aiz readily nodding.
"Good. Then I'll be off and everyone will tell you what you need to know."
"Are you sure you wouldn't like one of us to escort you?" Achilles asked.
"No, that's okay. Annoying as she can be, she won't try anything, if only so she can keep calling me 'chibi' for the rest of eternity."
Everyone smiled at that and a moment later, after one last farewell, Hestia departed.
"Let's go sit down," Achilles suggested.
They all made their way into the living room and sat down.
"Alright, so," Achilles began. "We know your familia wants to know more about the items that Revis asked about. As you probably already guessed, I'm not exactly keen on informing you about them." Aiz nodded. "However, there is one I'm willing to share, at least with you two."
"Why?" Aiz asked.
"Because it's the reason you're living in our time," he answered.
Aiz was floored for a momen, before she thought back to when her secret was first discovered.
"The sand."
Achilles nodded.
"That was what confirmed it for me. The item in question is called the Hourglass of Kronos. It's a very powerful artifact that was made long before even your father was born," he explained. "It was created by someone named Kronos who had the ability to manipulate time. However, the kind of manipulation that would be required to pull you a thousand years into the future is not something any mortal would be able to perform, which leaves only one option. A deity."
"Do you have any idea which deity. I don't believe Loki had anything to do with it. She was just as shocked by Aiz's appearance as we were," Riveria said.
"I suspect it was that old lecher I called my god," he replied.
"Zeus," Aiz stated.
Achilles nodded.
"Yep, and I think I know why too," he took a deep breath. "My guess is, after I...we...failed to kill the Black Dragon, Zeus looked for an alternative means to complete the Great Quests. The Quests were an obsession of his. He needed them completed, I still remember how after defeating the Behemoth and the Leviathan how his smile seemed brighter each time, like a weight was being taken off his shoulders. With the Dragon still alive though, and his and Hera's familia effectively gone, he had to turn to alternative ideas. That's where you come in," he looked at Aiz. "I suspect that he thought the best chance to defeat the Dragon would be the daughter of the one who gave it its famous injury. Theoretically it makes sense. Not only are you Albert's daughter, but you are also the daughter of the most powerful spirit. As such you hold a great deal of potential when it comes to dragon slaying."
The young woman's eyes were wide as she took in the idea that she might have been specifically chosen by Zeus himself, to complete the task neither his familia, nor her father, could complete.
I was chosen. This is my destiny, she thought as her fists tightened, which did not go unnoticed by Achilles who felt his heart grow heavier.
"So now you know," Achilles said, pushing through his own anxiety. "That's how and likely why, you're here now."
Aiz didn't respond immediately and no one else felt like raising their voice at the moment, so everyone simply waited until she spoke.
"Thank you, Achilles-san. I appreciate you telling me this. I know that you aren't happy to talk about the Dragon or think about my quest to destroy it, but your honesty and support is something I do, truly, appreciate," she said kindly before bowing.
Though everyone was still a bit on edge given all that had happened, that display did provide them some relief and allowed for smiles to return.
"You're welcome, Aiz Waldstein," the Olympian replied with a small smile of his own.
Hestia made her way to the Twilight Manor with a calm, but determined look on her face. She had told the others that she would handle Loki, and she fully intended to, but she also knew that the repercussions of what she was about to do could be far-reaching, even terrible.
I have to have faith. In her and in myself. She won't like what I have to say, but she'll accept it...I hope.
Finally seeing the Twilight Manor in the distance, she took another deep breath and headed towards its gates.
"Halt. State your business," one of the guards said.
"Hello, my name is Hestia. I'm here because I need to talk with Loki about something.
"Oh, Hestia-sama, my apologies," the guard said. "Right this way."
Hestia followed the guard inside and through the manor. As she did so, she passed by many Loki familia members. Most ignored her and simply went about their business, while a few, upon recognizing her, bowed and some even smiled. She happily returned these gestures and continued on. However, these were not the other reactions she received within the walls of the Twilight Manor.
Turning her gaze, she found an adventurer off in a corner. The adventurer was already looking at her, but whereas before she received looks of curiosity or familiarity, this gaze was unquestionably hostile.
There's those eyes again. What does it mean? Hestia wondered as she turned away from the glaring adventurer.
Off in the corner, the adventurer glared at the goddess's back for as long as he could before she finally disappeared.
Damn Hestia familia, barging in here like they own the place. Someone needs to take them down a peg or two.
Upon arriving at Loki's office and the guard knocked.
"Yeah?" Loki called from inside.
The guard opened the door.
"Hestia-sama is here to see you, Loki-sama," he said.
"Hestia?"
The loli goddess walked inside and smiled at her fellow goddess.
"Hello, Loki," she greeted pleasantly.
"What are you doing here, Chibi?" Loki asked as she signaled to the guard that he could leave.
"I was hoping to talk to you about something," Hestia responded.
Loki was instantly suspicious.
"What about?"
Hestia had hoped for a little more pleasantries before delving into the meat of the matter, but seeing that this was now unlikely to happen, she jumped in.
"I'd like to request that you rescind the orders you gave Riveria Ljos Alf to spy on Achilles."
Loki sat back in her chair, her eyes opening and her frown deepening to form a truly menacing glare.
"She told you," Loki said angrily.
Hestia shook her head.
"No. Achilles figured it out. Your children were acting weird yesterday so he investigated. After that it didn't take long for him to discover the truth. He's quite clever you know."
Loki said nothing to do, she simply continued to point her red eyes directly at Hestia's blue.
"Why should I?" she finally demanded. "This is too important for me to just let it go."
"Because if you don't you might be opening the door for questions you really don't want asked."
Loki's ferocious eyes turned confused and cautionary.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Hestia took a deep breath, trying desperately to steady her heart.
"One of the items that Achilles is guarding is called the Hourglass of Kronos."
The world stopped.
The horrified look on Loki's face was expected, but it still ate at Hestia's heart.
"W-What did you say, Chibi. I...I must have misheard you."
"You didn't," Hestia replied sadly, knowing how hard this was for her friend. "One of the items hidden away, and the reason that Aiz Wallenstein is here, in this time, is called the Hourglass of Kronos."
Loki fell into her chair, the look of terror she had somehow growing worse.
"T-That can't be. We…"
"Evidently not," Hestia cut in. "And it appears we also failed at hiding the truth as well since Achilles knows."
"What?!" Loki jumped to her feet. "That's impossible! Completely, utterly impossible! We wiped out all mention of it!"
Hestia expected this reaction, so just replied calmly.
"Gaia."
Loki froze again.
"What?"
"That's what Achilles told me when I tried to deny it," Hestia explained.
"T-That doesn't prove anything. He could have heard that-."
"The Treaty of Orarios."
Loki's legs collapsed and she fell behind her desk.
Hestia quickly went over to her and bent down to check if she was okay, though she knew, at least mentally, she wasn't.
"How?" Loki asked.
"I don't know. Zeus wouldn't have told him, I know that," Hestia said.
"It would be better if he had," Loki stated. "At least then we would know it was contained. But if Achilles just found out on his own that means," she looked Hestia in the eyes, both feeling the fear of what she was about to say. "That the information is still out there."
Hestia nodded.
"Yes it does. And I very much doubt Achilles is going to tell us where he found it."
"Then we force him to!" Loki cried. "If this gets out-."
A gentle hand on her cheek stopped her this time.
"Hush, Loki. Hush. I know how you feel, believe me, I do, but that won't help us. Even if we do force him, it's unlikely we'll find everything. If we've missed it for all these centuries, we won't find it any time soon," Hestia said gently.
That didn't make Loki feel much better, but, even in her current state of hysteria, she understood that Hestia was right.
"Has he told the rabbit yet?" the trickster goddess asked.
"Bell? I don't think so, but he plans to."
Loki sighed.
"The more people that know about this, the worse things are for us," she said.
"Not necessarily," Hestia replied. Loki gave her a confused look. "Achilles didn't turn on us because of this information. In fact, when I asked, he said it simply proved what he already knew. That we were imperfect."
"Not sure how I feel hearing that from the guy who shoots lightning bolts into the sky when he's pissy."
Hestia laughed lightly.
"To be fair, I believe he recognizes his own imperfection," she defended.
"He'd better," the redhead threw back.
The two were quiet for a moment, letting things calm down before they moved on.
"I'll back off like you asked," Loki finally said. "Not sure I even want to know what these items are anymore. Probably have a heart-attack if I find more about them."
Hestia smiled at her, before pulling her into a hug.
"Thank you."
Loki blushed as her head was pressed against her friend's generous bosom.
"Geeze, Chibi, you're being a lot more affectionate these days," she said in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
"Am I not allowed to be affectionate with my friends?" Hestia asked.
That made Loki's blush grow.
"I-I guess you are."
"Good," Hestia replied with a bigger smile.
Once more silence fell over them, but this time only a few moments as Loki asked.
"Hey, Hestia?"
"Yes?"
"Do you mind if we just stay like this a while? I'm not sure I'm ready to get back to things yet."
Hestia's response was to pull her closer.
"Of course. I can stay as long as you need."
Riveria and Aiz left, giving one last, heartfelt thank you and a hug to their respective objects of affection.
The two Loki familia ladies now gone, it was quickly decided that everyone needed, if not deserved, a nap. So, the members of the Hestia familia broke apart and headed to their respective rooms.
Achilles was just about to enter his, when he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he found Bell heading his way.
"Is something the matter, Bell?" he asked.
"No, nothing's really the matter, I was just wondering about something," the Hestia captain replied.
"What is it?" Achilles asked.
"I was wondering if you had any idea which item or items this Enyo person was after. Did Revis give you any hints?" Bell inquired.
"Hm, I have been wondering that myself. They haven't given much in the way of hints towards their plans, but I do have a hunch of which ones they might want."
"You do? May...may I ask which ones."
Achilles nodded.
"If I had to guess, I would say that there are two possibilities. The Giant Killer, Mjolnir; and the Prison of Chaos, Pandora's Box."
Goodness me this one turned out a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. I actually thought it was only going to be five to six thousand words and look what happened! It's twice as long! My, how things progress.
That said, I hope you guys enjoyed the story. One of my big worries when it comes to this story is that I'm resolving issues too quickly, i.e. a problem arises and then it's fixed in the next chapter, or even the same chapter. I did think about extending this particular issue out longer, but when I thought of the characters and how they would all act it didn't seem likely that things wouldn't be discovered.
I also hope I didn't piss off any Finn fans out there. I tried to stay as true to his character as I could from my understanding, but I may have come off as too harsh or made him too much of an asshole. If I did, please tell me in the reviews. My goal is to make as entertaining a story as possible, while remaining as faithful to the Danmachi world as I can within the context of my story, so feedback from you guys is very important.
Well then, once again, I hope you guys enjoyed the story and I'll see you all next time. So, until then, bye for now.