Chapter 26: Drink to Forget
When Taylor and Hestia returned early from the party that evening, they didn't expect for there to be anybody waiting for them at the rundown church. And they certainly weren't expecting a crying pallum to throw herself at the goddess the moment they appeared, or for a furious Bell to be sitting in the living room with the rest of the Familia and Welf also wearing angry expressions.
"What happened?" Taylor inquired, though she had an inkling she already knew.
"S-Soma… h-he-!" Lili blubbered, before being unable to keep her tears from falling.
"Bell," Taylor uttered sharply, demanding an explanation through tone alone, and her fellow Level 2 straightened up on the couch.
"We went to pay off Lili's debt and get her out of the Soma Familia, just as planned," Bell said, beginning to tell the tale. "Zanis was not there, and the other Level 2, Vice-Captain Chandra, was willing to let us speak with Soma himself after we paid off her debt. We had to pay a 'meeting fee' but it was cheap enough. The problems started when we finally met Soma."
Bell clenched his fists. "He was drunk, and didn't even recognize Lili. And then, he refused to release her from the Familia, even after getting the money."
"What was his reasoning?" Taylor asked.
"He claimed to have never agreed to letting Lili leave his Familia. That the whole debt thing was Zanis' doing, and had nothing to do with his personal requirements for allowing an adventurer to exit his service," Bell replied.
"Bastard!" Hestia spat out even as she continued to comfort Lili.
"I see. And what, exactly, were Soma's conditions for freeing Lili?" Taylor asked, anger creeping into her voice. When Bell's expression darkened, she knew it was going to be bad.
"In exchange for removing his Falna from her, Lili had to drink a cup of Soma's 'greatest' brew and resist its effects by refusing a second serving," Bell revealed, and Taylor's own hand clenched.
"His greatest brew. The very same poison Zanis uses to control the Familia by getting them addicted to it? The very reason why Lili's parents accumulated such a massive debt and died trying to repay it? The reason Lili had to resort to thievery just to scrape by? THAT greatest brew?" Taylor demanded, her swarm boiling with rage in the background.
"The very same," Bell confirmed with a nod.
That explained why Lili was currently sobbing like her life had ended. Because to all intents and purposes, it had. Soma's so-called finest drink, unimaginatively also called 'Soma,' was a magical liquor that could instantly induce addiction in anyone unfortunate enough to consume even a tiny amount of the undiluted brew. It had to be heavily watered down for consumption, and even then, it was known to greatly exacerbate any drunken shenanigans from those who drank any.
It was known as a 'Divine Wine,' something potent enough to get even supposed gods drunk, and Soma only made a few batches of the stuff a year, sold at auction for absurd prices. During her investigations of the Soma Familia, Taylor had seen the bills of sale the Guild kept from the transactions, as Familia businesses were taxed differently from non-Familia related ones.
The Soma Familia had already reminded Taylor of the Merchants who'd used drugs to control and corrupt others, but this now reeked of something Coil would do, the manipulative snake bastard. Soma was demanding Lili prove her commitment to leaving his Familia by forcing her to become addicted to the very thing that'd ruined the lives of her parents and countless other adventurers.
'And even if Lili was able to muster up the strength to deny another cup in that instant, it would forever haunt her thoughts, and require significant detoxing and interventions in the future to keep her from relapsing and trying to get more,' Taylor thought to herself darkly.
"I think we need to have a little chat with Soma," Hestia said, her tone oozing malice. Taylor agreed, and was already making plans to storm out of the church and confront Soma right then and there.
"Tomorrow," Hestia quickly added, having guessed what Taylor had been wanting to do.
"Fine. Tomorrow," Taylor conceded. "Lili, you can stay here tonight if you want."
Lili nodded gratefully, clearly not up to leave and find her way home in the dark.
"We'll stay with you, too, so you don't have to be alone," Emma said.
"Yeah! Sleepover!" Silva happily declared, trying to cheer up everyone. It worked a little, and soon enough the middle of the living room floor had been cleared of furniture as everyone decided the catgirl's suggestion was a good one.
The impromptu sleepover was actually rather nice. Bell, being the only guy since Welf had begged off and left soon after, eventually retreated to the bedroom in order to leave the girls alone as the night wore on, and Lili found herself in the center of a big cuddle pile with the rest of the Familia.
"We'll get this sorted out," Taylor promised her as everyone began to settle down for the evening.
"Thank you," Lili mumbled softly, clutching a pillow Bell had given her tightly to her chest.
"Alright! Enough chitter-chatter! It's late and we gotta get up bright and early tomorrow!" Hestia declared. She then flopped down next to Lili. "Now let's go to sleep!"
A little bit later, everyone settled down and began to curl up under the sheets and doze off. Taylor was the last one to close her eyes, but even then she kept an eye out on the surroundings of the church through her swarm.
Satisfied that her monsters would alert her if anything happened, Taylor finally allowed herself to drift off to sleep.
111 &&& 111
The Hestia Familia woke bright and early the next morning to the smell of fresh bread and a proud Hestia standing at the table. Stomachs gurgling, the girls and Bell gathered around for a nice breakfast.
"How early did you wake up to make this?" Taylor asked as she spread butter and jam onto her breakfast bread roll.
"Oh, I got up a few hours ago. No big deal," Hestia assured her, trying to wave it off.
"Whatever happened to the girl I had to wake up every morning because she wanted to sleep in?" Taylor wondered aloud with a sigh, causing the twin-tailed goddess to pout and stomp her feet.
"Meanie!" she huffed. Hestia glanced over at Lili who was quietly eating while sandwiched between Emma and Silva, the two girls happily talking and doing their best to keep the pallum's spirits up.
"We'll leave when everyone's eaten," Taylor informed the adventurers at the table. "Hestia and I will escort Lili to the Soma Familia. Bell, you and the rest will stay here until we return. Stay on guard. And don't trust anybody from the Soma or Apollo Familias if they come around."
"Got it," Bell promised, everyone else nodding in agreement.
When the food was gone and the dishes being washed up by the other members of the Familia, Hestia led Taylor and Lili out of the church and into the city, Chris following them as a silent, looming protector.
The blackened Crystal Mantis only drew a few curious glances these days, the sight of a monster in the streets no longer that strange since everyone knew of Taylor and her Tamer-like Skill. Though even with that, many people wisely leapt out of the way of the group as the angry expressions worn by the goddess and her captain was enough to give everyone who saw it a bad feeling.
"This is the place?" Taylor asked, looking up at the Soma Familia's base. It may have been hypocritical of her to judge the state of the place, considering she lived in an abandoned building and was technically a squatter, but the place the E-rank Familia lived in was quite the mess, with many structures in various states of disrepair.
The unflatteringly named Soma's Kettlewas closer to a fenced in compound than a single building, consisting of a green-roofed, two-story manor surrounded by watchtowers, with warehouses and breweries further out but still within the grounds and connected by covered walkways, with only the latter structures showing any signs of upkeep.
"This is it," Lili confirmed.
"Let's go in, then," Hestia said, and walked confidently forward. She was mad - furious, even! But Hestia kept a tight lid on her darker emotions. Taylor also felt furious at Lili's treatment and Soma's actions, and knew that if Hestia wasn't there to reel her in, she might have sent her swarm against the other Familia already.
'Soon,' Taylor thought to herself. 'This doesn't have to come to violence, but I won't be sad if it does.'
There were two sleepy looking guards standing out front, and they didn't even try to stop them from entering or asking any questions about their identity. Even the Crystal Mantis didn't warrant much reaction either, even as it squatted down by the entrance.
The lax security was appalling, but about what Taylor had expected from a bunch of drunks who were probably nursing hangovers or withdrawals.
'They really are just the Merchants with a Fantasy flavor,' the parahuman mused to herself in disgust.
The inside of the base was laid out like an old-fashioned western saloon, with tables and booths filling the interior along with a long counter along the south wall and dozens of bottles and kegs on display. From what Taylor knew, the place served as a dive bar for the adventurers of Orario. If you wanted cheap booze and didn't care about the company you shared, the Kettlewas the place to go.
"Whatever happened to that guy with the dumb name… Boat or something?" Taylor wondered as they walked deeper inside the main building. The interior wasn't any better than the exterior, with the stink of stale beer in the air and mysterious stains all over the floor and tables.
"Canoe? No idea, he and his goons never came back from the Dungeon one day," Lili replied. "It was a bit of shock and caused a commotion since he was Zanis' main enforcer. There was a brief jockeying amongst the other veterans for Canoe's position, but the person who won is one of Chandra's people, so things have gotten… well, they haven't gotten worse, at the very least."
"Chandra… Level 2 and the Vice-Captain, correct?" the parahuman inquired. "A dwarf with a very short beard? Practically just stubble?"
"Yes… why?"
"He's in the brewery," Taylor replied. "Will he be a problem?"
"He hates Zanis, but is focused more on making and selling alcohol than trying to take over as captain. Still, he acts as a counter against the four-eyed bastard's worst traits," Lili informed the group.
"Good to know. Oh, and heads up, but that 'four-eyed bastard' is coming our way," Taylor said.
Zanis was descending the stairs, having been alerted by somebody on the first floor a little bit ago about their arrival. A fake smile was plastered onto his face as he gave a polite bow towards the newcomers. He also sported a black eye, which was interesting.
'Seems like Bell wasn't totally honest about everything that happened,' she mused to herself.
"Welcome to the Soma Familia, Lady Hestia and Lady Weaver. How may I help you this morning?" Zanis inquired, tone polite but cautious, and Taylor could tell butter wouldn't melt in his mouth.
"We're here to discuss Lili's current situation with Soma," Hestia said. "Specifically, about the abhorrent treatment she's received and his intolerable request for allowing her release."
"Ah, that is a shame, but I'm afraid it's not so easy to just meet with Lord Soma," Zanis said, a false note of sympathy in his voice. "There's also the matter of Ms. Arde's debt…"
"A debt that she has already repaid in full," Taylor cut in. "Or do I need to summon the vice-captain to confirm he did in fact receive Lili's payment?"
Zanis twitched a little at having his lie called out so quickly, and wasn't really eager to call Taylor's bluff about her being able to summon Chandra somehow. Instead, he noisily cleared his throat.
"Hmm. Even if that is the case, I'm afraid I can't exactly let you meet with Soma on such short notice," the captain said, pushing his glasses up on his face.
As a person who wore glasses as well, Taylor recognized the gesture as an attempt to try and seem intimidating by emphasizing a trait that was supposed to represent intelligence. It did not work against her or Hestia, the latter of whom folded her arms, unimpressed.
"Is that so? Well, then I'll just have to file a formal complaint with the Guild. I'm sure they'd love to hear about how Soma is denying an adventurer the right to leave her Familia."
"Ah. Well. While I'm sure they have better things to do, and would side with the right of my god to set any conditions for departure as he sees fit, I shall go check on him, and see if he has any room in his schedule later in the week…" Zanis coughed weakly.
"No need, he's currently free," Taylor announced. "In fact, he's beckoning us up to meet him."
"That-! How-?" Zanis demanded, only to flinch back when a bug clone formed beside him.
"I see many things," her clone buzzed, and Zanis finally wised up and hastily stepped aside, allowing the trio to ascend the stairs.
Soma's room wasn't hard to find. It was the largest one, taking up most of the second floor. It was also a workshop, from which heat and the stink of fermentation poured from.
"Soma, it's been a while," Hestia said, greeting the disheveled man at the center of the room.
"Hestia," he slurred out. "What's up?"
Soma was tall, with long, greasy black hair that fell across his face, covering his eyes. Combined with the stained grey robe that was two sizes too big for his skinny frame, he looked like a homeless man rather than a god, let alone the leader of a Familia.
The moment she lay eyes on him, Taylor disliked the man. And it wasn't just because he'd hurt Lili, or sounded drunk despite it being so early in the morning.
'Why does he sound like Syr?' Taylor couldn't help but wonder. 'Why does he have two hums?'
The hum that surrounded him was a strange, duel-toned song. The loudest part of his aura was a bubbling noise, like boiling water, but beneath it was a quieter hiss, like a steaming kettle.
Whatever the reason, Taylor decided to ignore it for now unless it came up, but she did keep the information tucked away in the back of her head for now.
"I'm here to negotiate with you about releasing Liliruca Arde from her current position within the Soma Familia," Hestia declared.
"Oh. Okay," Soma said with a shrug. "I'm fine with that. She just has to hic!agree to the conditions!"
"It's those very conditions that I am here about," Hestia replied. "Your famous wine can drive mortals insane if they drink it undiluted. And even if they don't, they can cripple a mortal."
"It is a test," Soma replied, wobbling a little where he stood. "If the child cannot resist, then she isn't strong enough to leave. Simple as that."
"That is not how that works!" Hestia griped.
Soma did not respond, and instead pulled out a ceramic cup and a gourd-shaped jug, uncorking the latter and pouring its contents into the former before setting both onto a nearby end table.
'So that's Soma, huh?' Taylor thought to herself as she observed the liquid. It was a cloudy silver, almost like mercury, and possessed a potent stink of a fruity medley. Her bugs were going crazy as they smelled the wine, but oddly enough, they weren't trying to drink any of it. Instead, they seemed to want to get as far away from the Soma as possible.
'That's not concerning at all,' Taylor thought to herself sarcastically.
Insects, and animals in general, often had better instincts than humans, and an ability to sense danger to themselves. If they were afraid of the potent wine then it was clearly closer to a poison than anything else.
"The child must drink what I poured just now," Soma declared, and wasn't that confusing, to have a god named after the very thing he made? "And if the child refuses to drink the rest after that first taste? Then they've proven to be strong enough to leave."
"This is insanity!" Hestia declared, tearing her eyes away from the bottle of booze to glare at the other god.
"This is the cost of freedom," Soma replied. "A child must drink and refuse it."
"Lili can't!" Lili said, trembling as she stared at the cup. "It ruined Lili's parents!"
Yet even as she said that, she couldn't help but lick her lips, the smell of the drink getting to her.
Taylor could see the conflict raging within the Supporter, and without a moment of hesitation she strode forward, grabbing the gourd-shaped bottle off the table and putting it to her lips. She drained the contents in a single gulp even as Hestia and Lili screamed at her.
The Soma was odd. It sort of reminded her of flat soda, with a cloying stickiness that coated her throat as it went down. Taste-wise, it wasn't anything special. Taylor and Emma had once sneaked some of her parent's wine on a dare. It hadn't tasted great, and the punishment they'd received when the theft was discovered had definitely not been worth it.
Taylor was reminded of that as she drank. The Soma was vaguely fruity in an undefined way. Like how candy back on Earth Bet had been artificially flavored with 'Blue Raspberry' that was very much neither blue flavored nor raspberry.
Maybe if she'd been more inclined to drinking wine or other kinds of liquor the spirit Soma had brewed might have had more of an effect on her, but Taylor couldn't find it all that pleasant. Compared to a Shirley Temple or literally any other non-alcoholic drink from Earth Bet, it just couldn't match up.
There was something else there mixed in, too. Something that curdled in her gut and made her passenger perk up in curiosity before settling down. Whatever it'd been, it didn't seem to be affecting her, and after a moment the parahuman finished emptying the bottle.
"Ugh. Disgusting," she declared, slamming the bottle back onto the end table.
"What?" Soma uttered, taken aback.
"I said it tasted disgusting," Taylor replied as she wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "You call this your greatest brew? You should quit distilling spirits and take up a more productive job, like making potions. Something that actually benefits people."
Soma just stared at her in disbelief, as did Hestia and Lili.
"Wh-what did you do?!" Hestia demanded.
"Soma said that the child had to drink the Soma in order to be free. He never elaborated about which child had to do so, however," Taylor replied. "I drank his concoction, and I don't want another helping. Therefore, the conditions are fulfilled."
"That…" Soma began, trying to deny it, but before he could, Lili ran forward and grabbed the cup that still contained the first dose of Soma that'd been poured. She knocked it back, draining the contents in a single gulp. For a moment Lili just stood there, before falling to her knees, weeping loudly.
"It's delicious!" Lili wept. "But… but Lili hates it! Lili hates how badly Lili wants more! But Lili knows that Lili will lose the friends Lili has made! That her freedom will be gone forever!"
After spilling her guts in a drunken rant, Lili simply lay there on the floor, quietly sobbing, before Soma let out a sigh.
"A deal is a deal," he slurred out, crouching down next to Lili and yanking up her shirt without hesitation. He then pricked his thumb and smeared his blood onto her back.
Lili's Falna briefly flickered into existence before Soma swiped his thumb across it, and all at once, Lili's hum vanished from Taylor's senses as the Falna disappeared in a flash of light.
"You're free," Soma said, no longer sounding drunk. Had it all been an act?
He got up and turned away once it was done, ignoring the trio as he walked over to one of his vats and began to inspect it, checking on the progress of the experimental brew within.
Hestia and Taylor shared a look with each other, before they both walked over and helped Lili back to her feet.
"Why did you do that?" Taylor asked incredulously.
"Because… because Lili wanted her freedom, and Lili didn't want you to suffer for her," the pallum slurred out as she was practically carried out of Soma's office and down the stairs. "You were so brave, Miss Taylor… you were willing to drink the Soma on Lili's behalf, even while knowing the dangers."
Lili looked up at Taylor, face flushed. "Lili admires Miss Taylor. Even if she is a big scary bug girl. Lili wants to be just like her when Lili grows up. Though that may take a while. Got a lot of growing to do. Maybe Lili should wear high heels to try and be just as tall as Miss Taylor?"
"She's drunk," Hestia said when Taylor shot her a questioning look while Lili giggled to herself.
"That fast?"
"Soma's brew is potent," Hestia replied. "Until she recovers, she'll ramble on and on and answer anything you ask with unfiltered honesty."
"I don't feel drunk," Taylor said.
"You're a weird person, Taylor. I honestly have no idea how much your, uh, 'Skill' affects your body. For all I know you could be immune to the mental degradation effects of alcohol because of how your brain processes all the various stimuli and information from your swarm. Or perhaps the 'divine' aspect of Soma's wine is being negated because of 'that' Skill."
Taylor blinked down at Hestia, who huffed a little at the blank look she was receiving. "Don't give me that expression! I'm smart! I know things!"
"Never said you didn't," Taylor replied.
"But you were thinking it!" Hestia pouted. The parahuman wisely said nothing and focused on helping Lili stumble her way out of the Familia building.
She saw Zanis watching them from a window with a glower, but Taylor ignored him. 'Unless he starts a fight with us, he's not our problem anymore.'
Taylor hoisted Lili onto Chris' back, and nodded at Hestia who walked alongside the monster, keeping a hand on Lili's back so she wouldn't fall off.
"That went well," Taylor said as they headed home, causing Hestia to sigh.
"I suppose it's better than what I feared you might do," she replied.
"I wouldn't have hurt them too badly. Just a few bugs here and there in their clothes, beds, and wine," Taylor claimed, which made the tiny girl roll her eyes.
Up on Chris' back, Lili groaned a little as she started to sober up. That made the goddess and her captain snort a little in amusement, and focus on the return journey.
Of course, the good mood didn't last long, as when they were just a block away from the church, Taylor noticed two familiar adventurers enter her range. And from the way they were moving, they were headed right for them.
"Go on ahead back to the church, you two," Taylor told Lili and Hestia. "Chris knows the way. I have something take care of."
"Are you sure, Miss Taylor?" the pallum asked, wincing as her Soma induced hangover began to assault her head.
"Yeah, it's fine. I just need to have a quick chat with some people," Taylor assured her, and the Supporter wisely decided she didn't want to be around to see what happened to the people if the 'chat' turned sour.
Hestia just shook her head, and told her to be back for lunch. "I'm making grilled cheese sandwiches, so hurry up!" she claimed, and to be fair, that was a good reason to finish things up quickly. Hestia was a talented cook, and Taylor was half tempted to believe the tiny girl had a Thinker power revolving around the kitchen.
So Taylor nodded and promised to be there soon, and watched as Chris went off, acting as a guard for the two shorter women.
When they'd were no longer in sight, she stepped into an alleyway before turning to face the entrance. In the shadows her swarm gathered. Even without the Crystal Mantis, Taylor was confident she could take care of the two people coming her way.
'They don't seem to coming here to fight,' Taylor mused, noting no weapons being carried by either of them. Of course, with the Falna granting superhuman strength, weapons weren't always needed, but it was still a good sign in her opinion.
A few seconds of waiting passed by, and then the two women who had escorted Apollo to the ball last night appeared at the entrance to the alley.
"Can I help you?" Taylor asked curtly, not wanting to bother with the Apollo Familia right now.
"Beware the Sun," the long-haired adventurer said softly. "It burns."
Taylor blinked at that odd comment, and beside her, the girl's friend sighed.
"I'm sorry, she told me she wanted to talk with you, not ramble nonsense," the red-head said, a note of apology in her tone as she grabbed her friend's shoulders and tried to drag her away. "Apologies for disturbing you and wasting your time, Weaver. Come on, Cassandra, let's go!"
"No! Let me go, Daphne! I have to speak with the Broken Beetle who slew the Golden Fool!"
At that, Taylor stiffened, and she stared with renewed intensity at the adventurer.
'A Thinker?' Taylor wondered, narrowing her eyes at the girl. Now that she was looking closer, the young woman who'd approached her had the same distant gaze Lisa, Dinah, and other Thinkers occasionally got whenever their power was being overly talkative. Though there was also an odd, rainbow glow to her eyes.
"Cassandra, please!" the now-named Daphne groaned. "Enough!"
"Wait," Taylor called out. "What do you want?"
Cassandra gained a look of immense relief when Taylor agreed to listen to her, and she broke free of her friend's grasp and hurried over to the one-armed teen.
"The Sun is covetous," Cassandra whispered. "But it always sets, and a new one will replace it. If the Broken Beetle who slew the Golden Fool overthrows the Sun, a brighter dawn will eventually rise."
She then grabbed the front of Taylor's shirt, her eyes shining with rainbow light as she stared up into the parahuman's eyes. "Yet should the Beetle extinguish the Sun, then Evil will fall upon us, and the Eclipse will blot out the Heavens as the Maw will churn and seek to devour all things."
The odd glow faded from her eyes, and Cassandra slumped, before releasing Taylor's shirt and staggering back to her friend, who quickly ushered her away.
Taylor just stood there, confused and more than a little worried by what she'd heard. Hearing all of that reminded the parahuman of when Dinah had told her that the future depended on her surrendering and becoming a Ward.
'The Sun' in this instance was clearly Apollo, and the 'Broken Beetle' was her. The 'Golden Fool' was likely Scion, which was rather fitting, honestly. He may have had the appearance of a man, but he'd had the immaturity of a child throwing a tantrum. And 'the Maw' was likely alluding to the Dungeon, given how the monsters it spawned desired to destroy everything on the surface.
Everything else though was harder to parse. What were the evil and the eclipse that threatened Orario? And was Cassandra saying it was okay to beat up Apollo and his Familia, but killing him was out of the question?
'Does she know about my Godslayer Skill somehow?' Taylor wondered, before dismissing it, settling on the much more likely explanation of 'Thinkers are Bullshit.'
When she returned to the church, she found everyone celebrating Lili's freedom.
"Lili is so excited to be part of the Familia!" she said happily, grinning widely with tears shining in her eyes.
"This calls for a celebration!" Silva shouted out. Something that everyone agreed with.
"Hestia and I will bake Snickerdoodles this evening," Taylor volunteered.
"I'll make a pork pot roast!" Iris declared.
"Um, I can make pasta!" Emma offered.
"My grandpa taught me how to cook a little bit," Bell said. "He said… well, it doesn't matter what he said."
"Was it something like, 'The quickest way to a woman's heart is through her stomach?'" Taylor wondered, and he blushed a little before nodding.
"I think we've got a plan for dinner tonight, then," the parahuman said, looking over her family.
"Oh, no. She's smiling," Lucia whispered in horror.
"I think the best way to work up an appetite would be some training," Taylor declared, and everyone groaned and winced.
"Hestia, please grant Lili her Falna and her long-awaited Level Up. We need to find out how much stronger Lili has become," Taylor requested.
"Okie-dokie!" the goddess said, grabbing Lili's hand and dragging her into the bedroom.
"As for the rest of you… twenty laps around the church should be a decent warm-up," Taylor said. Sighing, the adventurers left the basement.
"At least it'll be a good workout," Leo mumbled.
Taylor just grinned. She had a whole new set of training ideas, and they involved shooting at them with her Gun Libellula.
Was it cruel? Maybe. Was she also working off some of her own frustrations this way? Absolutely. But they'd thank her for it when the results started to show.