Hello my dearest readers and welcome back. Well, some things have improved for our heroes, some things have only seemed to get worse. However! With the coming of a New Year, new chances are also in store for all our dear characters, so let us not give up hope on them yet. Things have a way of turning around.
I do not own Danmachi
The three got off the cart and Aria waved at the driver.
"Thank you for giving us a ride, Horatius, I do sincerely appreciate it," she said with gratitude and complete honesty.
"Ah, what kind of man would I be if I left two lovely ladies and a hard-working brother on the side of the road?" the jolly man beamed.
"You'd be like most people," Hera muttered, before sighing and allowing herself the tiniest of smiles, "so thank you for not being like most people."
"You should have a little more faith in people, young lady. People have a tendency to surprise you if given the chance," he replied.
"Young lady?" the goddess quirked a brow.
Before she could respond further than that, Zeus placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, Horatius. Truly," his voice the same, serious one he had used since learning of Bell's capture.
"You're welcome. Now, while I would love to stay and chat, I've got to get the produce to the market, so I will bid you all a fond farewell."
"Farewell," Aria said as she waved.
Once Horatius was far enough down the street the three turned to the inn Horatius had dropped them off at and, after a quick look between them, they went inside.
"Welcome!" a woman cried as they entered. The three immortals turned and saw a tall, smiling woman, likely the innkeeper, waving at them to come over to the counter she was standing at. They did so, Aria smiling back as they placed themselves before the mortal.
"And how can I help a beautiful young woman like you?" the innkeeper asked.
"We would like a room for the night and a meal, if that's possible," the spirit replied.
"Of course that's possible. Things may seem a little busy," the innkeeper gestured towards the nearly full downstairs area, "but we've still got space for three more guests, assuming you have the coin."
"Of course," Aria replied and after receiving the price, she readily paid, after which the innkeeper took their orders. Not too long after she placed their food before them.
"Anything else I can do for you folks?"
"We would like to hear news about Orario, if you have any," Hera requested.
"Oh boy," the innkeeper shook her head woefully, "I've heard plenty about the Dungeon City, none of it good."
The three immortals looked at each other with worry.
"What can you tell us?" Aria asked, her voice a soft plea.
"I can tell ya plenty, but what ya should believe, I can't say, some of what I've heard is truly nutty, even for gossip."
"Try us," Hera all-but commanded.
"Well let's see…there was the story about the monster adventurer during the Orario tournament," the innkeeper began.
"Tournament?" Zeus jumped in.
"Yeah. Apparently Orario had some big tournament with every single familia participating. During the last fight, apparently some adventurer turned into some sort of beast and nearly killed the captain of…oh what familia was it?"
"The Freya familia."
Everyone turned and found a scowling figure sitting in the corner. He was beyond scruffy looking, and something about him immediately made the three divine beings scowl.
"Ottar?" Hera questioned even as her eyes burned into the man.
"Yeah," the man picked himself and his drink up and walked over to them. "That freak, Bell Cranel, turned into a fucking dragon and nearly killed the King himself! I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Watch your-" Aria tried to hiss, but was stopped by Zeus's hand grasping her arm even as his own eyes refused to leave the man's face.
The man took a swig of his drink then continued.
"It's why I left Orario…well…one of the reasons, all of them connected to that…thing."
"What else did this… Bell Cranel, do?" Zeus asked, his voice so coldly steady that both Aria and Hera fell silent as the air grew a little colder.
"Shit that no one should be able to do," the man replied before taking another swig. "It all started with an explosion over the city…or maybe when those monsters were running loose on the surface, not sure." Another swig. "Not long ago, there was an explosion over the city. Dark magic. Never seen anything like it. Knocked me right on my ass!" he proclaimed. "Soon found out it came from the Hearthfire Manor where that crazy bastard lives. I went over there like everyone else did and who should come out but Achilles Caesar himself, looking like a fucking corpse!"
The inn was enraptured as all listened to the man's tale.
"A corpse?" Zeus pressed.
"Yeah. Nearly lost my lunch at the sight of him. Flesh burned away showing the muscle and bone," the man gestured to his arms and face. "He claimed it was some sort of training exercise, but…shit," he finished his drink and ordered another, which the innkeeper gave him as she was just as interested in hearing the tale as her patrons. "Never seen someone look like that after training. Then came the tournament. It was real fun at first, I even made some good money during all of it. But then came that final fight. Ottar and Allen Fromel versus Achilles Caesar and that monster."
Aria growled, but Zeus's hand tightened on her arm to tell her to wait.
"They fought, Allen nearly killed Achilles and Cranel goes nuts. I hear later that he has some skill…'Wrath of the Dragon', but I ain't seen no skill like that."
The three immortals froze and shared a quick look.
His power really has awakened, Aria said silently to Hera.
And it's growing stronger every day, Hera silently replied.
"Then, that lizard bastard up and heads to Athens with a whole bunch of other people to fight Ares, but he does more than fight Ares, that…thing…killed him."
A few moments of stunned silence passed before Hera, seeing Aria's horrified eyes, jumped back in, her eyes screaming bloody murder.
"That's impossible," the goddess snarled.
The man shook his head.
"No…it ain't. Not anymore anyway. Everyone's talking about it. From Orario to Rakia, everyone's whispering and talking about what they saw and heard. And Ares didn't just get sent back to Heaven, he's dead. That's what everyone's saying. D.E.A.D. Dead."
"Bell wouldn-," Aria was prepared to attack the man, but once more, Zeus stopped her.
"What else?" he asked.
What are you doing?! Aria's eyes roared. However, Zeus did not face her. She would have demanded an answer regardless of his cold tone and his ignoring her had she not heard the faintest hint of crackling.
"Well that thing comes back, only for the Knight of Knights to appear and try and kill Achilles."
"Lancelot Chevalier came to Orario?" Hera questioned even as she worked to keep her own anger in check.
"Yep, but that's not the real interesting part," the man downed his drip and once more the innkeeper refilled him, wanting more. "Shortly after, Achilles fights the other members of the Zeus and Hera familias right in the middle of the damn city."
"What? Why?!" Hera demanded.
"No one knows, but it had to be over something real serious since they nearly killed him."
"They would never do that," Hera growled.
"Again, I saw it with mah own eyes, lady. Beat the piss out of him. He barely managed to win and he was out of commission when the Evilus attacked."
The immortals froze.
"Evilus?" Zeus questioned as Hades's letter reappeared in his mind.
"Yeah." Swig. "When the shit rains down, it really pours. Shortly after that fight, a monster army attacks Orario. We heard later that an Evilus familia had orchestrated the whole damn thing. Destroyed a huge chunk of the city and lots of people were killed, including a friend of mine." The man swallowed all of his drink, but this time he didn't refill, instead, he smiled in a way that made the three divine beings' skin crawl. "But there was one good thing that came out of that attack. Heard the Evilus took the White Dragon with them."
The inn went silent.
"What did you call him?" Aria demanded as her power began to pump in her veins.
The man eyed her, his senses dulled by alcohol, but still detecting the faintest hint of danger.
"The White Dragon. Why? Ya got a problem with that, gorgeous?"
"I think we've heard enough."
All eyes turned to Zeus who had finally released Aria's arm and now loomed over the man.
"Thank you for the information," the god of storms said before he pulled his arm back punched the man hard enough to send him flying across the inn.
The man's unconscious body crashed through a table and onto the floor as the mortals within the inn stared in wide-eyed silence.
"Let this be a warning to you all," Zeus continued, tightening his fist as lightning danced across his knuckles, "never, insult my grandson again," he turned to the innkeeper. "We'll be heading up to our room. Sorry about the table, we'll pay for it before we leave."
With that, he strode towards the stairs, a smiling Aria following after him.
Hera sighed.
It would have been better to not create a scene, you big oaf, she thought before a small smile graced her lips, but I suppose I can let it slide this time.
She got up from her chair, handed the innkeeper some money for the table, then headed upstairs.
"Get this to my brother as soon as possible," Hades said with all seriousness as he handed his messenger hawk a small orb. The bird took the small item, nodded and then flew off into a black portal.
"A Palantir, Hades-sama?" Uriel asked.
"I need to speak with my brother directly," he told her. He turned and faced her, his dark eyes glowing with fear and anxiety. "Something is happening in the world and I need as much information as possible if we have any hope of staving off whatever is coming."
Uriel felt the cold hand of terror crawl up her spine and instinctively grabbed her lover's arm. He pulled her closer then kissed her head.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, all I did was scare you."
"I am scared," she admitted, "but I am glad you shared. If dark times are coming, we need to trust each other with our woes more than ever."
He managed a small smiled and kissed her before nodding.
"Let's get back inside," he said.
The two headed back inside the manor and found that the scene had not changed since they'd left.
Bell was still surrounded by everyone just like he had been back in Athens, only now, there was no comfort to be had, for the young man had not even spoken for over an hour.
"Bell…please. Talk to us," Hestia pleaded.
"We'll accept anything," Welf said.
"Even screaming would be better than this terrible silence," Haruhime added as her glassy eyes stared into his face.
For a moment, it seemed as if the silence would continue, despite their pleading, but soon, for good or ill, the Red Dawn's mouth open.
"I almost did it again," Bell spoke, his cold, dark voice startling everyone, though they were still gratiful he had finally responded to them.
"You almost did what again, Bell?" Freya asked, her lovely voice drained of its beauty and seduction due to the misery and fear she now felt.
"I almost killed again," he answered. "For a third time," guilty, self-loathing tears filled his eyes. "How can any of you," his eyes scanned his friends and family, "honestly say I'm not a monster now? Ares. Allen. And now Dionysus. And that's not counting all the other times I wanted to kill," his fists tightened as wrath entered his scarlet orbs. "Athena. Revis. I think I even wanted to kill Dix and Apollo at some point," angry tears now slid down his cheeks. "How can I not be a monster when it's so easy for me to kill?! When there's a part of me that wants to kill everyone that hurts any of you?!"
His roar sent them all back and he now sat alone amongst all those he loved so desperately and who he knew were in danger because of him.
And they always will be. As long as I'm alive, his dark self stated with absolute conviction.
Mania stared at her grandson with a pain that can not be spoken nor written down.
He hates himself. He truly does, she concluded as her heart cracked, and he believes beyond anything we can ever say, that he deserves to be punished. Nothing will convince him otherwise.
Her heart was at risk of utterly shattering at that moment in a way it had not since Achilles had fled to the ends of the earth following the battle with the Black Dragon. However, at the very last moment, right before it fell to pieces, hope was rekindled as an idea rang through her mind.
That's it!
"You're right."
All eyes turned to the goddess as she slowly moved to her grandson.
"You have acted monstrously, Bell," she stated, her voice firm and threatening.
"Mom!" Achilles cried, shocked and hurt.
"No," she held up a finger to him, "he has. He has let wrath and bloodlust control his actions and compel him to do things he knows he shouldn't."
"That is all Dionysus's fault! You know that!" Achilles bellowed desperately.
"Was Ares his fault?" she asked, keeping her eyes on Bell, knowing she would not be able to face her son's desperate eyes yet. "What of Athena? Revis? Apollo? This…Dix character? Was Dionysus to blame for them too? No. And I don't think Bell believes that Dionysus is to blame for Allen's death either. Isn't that right, Bell Cranel?"
The question hung in the air for but a moment, yet it was such a terrible moment for those around Mania and Bell that it may as well have been an eternity.
"Yes," he answered unreservedly, "his death is my fault."
"Bell-," Freya tried along the others, only for Mania to raise her hand again.
"Then you must face the repercussions for your actions," she stated.
Before he could even blink, Mania's clawed hand reached out and grabbed him by his ear and tugged him straight to his feet, making him cry out.
"I am restarting your self-control training immediately! And don't think for a moment I'm going easy on you anymore! Your anger has made you into something you are not, young man, and I will not allow you to wallow in your dark thoughts when there is something that can be done!" she declared. "In fact," she suddenly turned and before he knew what was happening, she grabbed Achilles's ear and pulled him down to her level. "I'm restarting your training as well, Achilles. You both have tempers that can, and have, destroyed entire familias and put you both in terrible danger. That is unacceptable! It's time I take my responsibility as mother and grandmother seriously and teach you two some manners!"
"Wha-aah!" Achilles cried as he and Bell were dragged out of the room while the others watched on in shocked confusion.
They made their way into the entryway, the others following slowly behind, and Mania aimed for the stairs.
"Mom is this really-aaaah!" the ex-captain cried out again as his mother twisted his ear again only this time she used her full inhuman strength to nearly send him to his knees.
"Of course it's necessary, you silly boy! You two won't stop acting out when you're angry. Then, you both dare to get those guilty looks that makes us want to pity you instead of punish you! Be glad I'm not spanking both of your bare bottoms in front of everyone as punishment for all the stress and worry you've put us through!"
"B-Baa-chan."
Mania stopped as the hope in her heart reawakened.
She slowly turned her eyes and found Bell's sad, apologetic eyes looking up at her.
The guilt is still there but, she barely kept herself from smiling, the self-loathing's gone!
"Don't 'Baa-chan' me, young man. You've brought this on yourself. I'm simply doing what I should have done the moment I learned of your overly protective nature," she proclaimed before she began tugging the two along again, dragging them up the stairs and towards her room as the others watched on with mystified stares.
"What the fuck was that?" Bete asked.
"That, Bete," Riveria said with a smile, "was Mania forcing Bell to take responsibility for what he's done," she turned to the others, "and in doing so, helping him to heal."
"Open the door," Mania ordered, refusing to relinquish her hold on the two men's ears so she could do so herself.
Achilles promptly opened it, only to be rewarded with his mother tugging him and his son into her room before shutting the door with her tail.
She dragged them both over to her bed and forced them to sit on it.
"Ah," they both hissed as they rubbed their ears.
"Quiet. I will hear no complaints from either of you," she said as she turned away to look for something.
The two men turned to each other. Bell's eyes remained utterly confused and a little worried, but the same was not true for Achilles. Though he had been just as confused as Bell, the moment he saw his adopted son's eyes, he realized what was going on.
The pain is gone, he thought as his heart began to thunder with relieved joy.
A nightstand suddenly slammed into the floor before them, making the two adventurers jump and turn.
Mania placed a candle onto the table and lit it.
"You two are now going to stare at that candle until I say otherwise. You will not speak nor turn away. You will not yawn or fall asleep. If you do any of these things," her tiger tail cracked like a whip. "Any questions?" Bell opened his mouth. "Good," she cut off. "Begin."
Bell simply kept staring at her with the same confused eyes, only for her tail to come around and crack against his knuckles, making him yip and turn his eyes to the candle.
Mania nodded and turned to her son, but was surprised to see his electric blue eyes softly looking into her own.
Thank you, he said to her.
She smiled then gestured towards the candle with her head.
He turned to the candle with a smile.
Time passed slowly. Every time Bell so much as shifted his gaze or opened his mouth, his grandmother's tail would whip him, stinging his skin and making him jump.
It was after the thirteenth or fourteenth whipping that he started to get upset. His knuckles turned white, his patience grew shorter, and his eyes grew harsher as frustration set in.
"Breathe."
His ruby eyes looked up to the goddess, only to be whipped again.
"Don't look at me, look at the candle and breathe."
His fist tightened as his eyes hardened again.
Whip!
"Ow!" he cried.
Whip!
"You're letting your frustration get to you, Bell," Mania said. "You can't let it fester within you. Frustration can turn to anger. Anger to fury. Fury to wrath. Wrath to murder."
Bell froze and, despite all the previous whippings, he turned his eyes to Mania once more. This time though, she did not lash out with her tail, but simply met his gaze with her soft, understanding eyes.
"Breathe Bell. Slowly. Focus on the candle. Take in its warmth. Its light. Let it all flow through you. Let it remind you of all the joys of the world and ease away your pain, your anger, and all the doubts you feel about who you are. Look at the flame Bell, and let it rekindle the flame in your heart."
His eyes turned back to the candle and he stared into its warm depths as his breath slowed.
"That's it. Picture that flame in your heart, Bell. Imagine it growing stronger. Imagine it lighting your path to a better future. A better you. One not at the whims of wrath and vengeance. Feel its warmth spread through your body and heal your soul."
Bell did so, picturing the flame in the center of his chest, slowly growing stronger and stronger, its warmth spreading through his blood as its light grew ever brighter.
Suddenly, that warmth of the flame combined with a different, familiar warmth within himself and images of his friends, of his familia, of everyone he cared for and loved appeared in the candlelight.
The images played out before him. Every smile. Every laugh. Everything that made his life wonderful.
It's…beautiful.
A single, dark tear slid down his cheek and with it, the dark Bell that had so plagued him disappeared, for though his troubles and doubts were far from over, the hope in his heart was now rekindled.
She stared out at the city with a mixture of contempt and eagerness.
I have finally found you, my Prince, she thought as she located her King's son sitting at the center of the city.
"Tomorrow, I will destroy that accursed city and bring you home," Tiamat's five heads declared simultaneously.
Behind her, 25,000 monsters licked their lips.
And done!
Ha! I managed to complete this one in time. I'm trying to make it a tradition to give you a Christmas present chapter every year and while this one isn't as grand as the Ais confession chapter, I think it's a pretty good way to end the year. A little hope to finish things off and suspense to finish things off.
Well, that will bring us to the end of this chapter and the end of 2022 my dear readers. We have much to look forward to in the next chapter. Tiamat is finally ready and Bell's heart is slowly healing. However, these are only the beginning of my plans. I have many things in the works and many things to decide on, but I am very eager for this upcoming year and you should be too, for I have a good few surprises in store for you.
Anyway, that's enough of my teasing. It is time for me to bid you all a fine farewell, a most Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years! So, until 2023, bye for now! :)