The Fallen Argonaut
Rated; M (Blood/Gore)
Disclaimer; I do not own Danmachi or anything created by the author Fujino Ōmori, all rights go to him
Authors: Eli-er01 & ViceroyChalister
Summary: The will of a hero is strong, yet unwavering but all good things must come to an end, even at the cost of one's Heroic Will. Imprisoned and blamed for a crime he hadn't committed, Bell seeks a way out of his predicament so that he can live without fear of being hunted by the people he once looked up to.
32: Family Trials
=Outside the Tomb of Antares=
Bell stood there, looking around and assessing the situation. There seemed to be half an army around him, all seeimingly organized and split into groups. He could tell that there was a dedicated archer team in the back, aiming crossbows from up in the trees or flying in the air with them.
At center there were mainly swords, maces and short range weaponry and at the front were shields and spears.
The thing that caught his attention the most was the Vouivre staring him down, almost glaring at him.
"I asked… who may you be, human?" She hissed at his lack of answer as Bell contemplated for a second if he should answer.
He gave a sigh as he figured it was best to just do so. He didn't want to endanger everyone inside.
"My name is Apollyon. May I ask yours in return?" He threw back as her gaze turned to the side for a split moment before looking back.
"My name is Dhiaga Mahal Kita, queen of Einhente" She answered. Bell frowned as he didn't recognize the name. Not here or past the valley of dragons.
"No offence, but queen of where?" He was only met with silence as her gaze hardened at him.
"Where is Heracles?" She almost demanded as Bell frowned at her dismissal.
"Lady, I asked you a question, but I'll be polite and answer. I tried to reason with him, but he just kept trying to kill me. I'm sorry, but he's dead" Bell said, honestly feeling bad. He didn't want to kill him.
"..." He was met with silence before murmurs began echoing across the troops while a harpy in armor walked up to the Vouivre, two swords in her hands.
"You? A human killed Heracles? Don't say something so ridiculous" Kita scoffed, making Bell frown.
"I'm sorry if it's hard to believe, but it's true. He tried to, I don't know, recruit Antares? It wasn't working as Antares isn't a Xenos. It doesn't possess any intelligence apart from seeking out Artemis to use her arcanum to destroy Orario" He explained as Kita began scratching her sharp chin.
'Polished nails with no sharpness' Bell added mentally before the queen stopped.
"If what you say is true, then you have to be punished. You slaughtered one of my highest ranking officers, which is reason enough for the death sentence" Kita spat out as Bell instantly got in a defensive position.
"Okay lady, I've been polite and answered all your questions honestly. He forced my hand as he tried to kill me and my family. What do you think I would choose? A stranger or my family and kids?" He threw back as Kita halted in her tracks.
"Kids… huh…" She muttered as a sad look took over her face.
She recovered quickly enough for Bell to wonder if he had imagined it. The only thing indicating that something had happened was that her look had softened towards him with less hostility evident in it.
"Alright then. I can understand your point. I would have chosen my own people if our roles were reversed. I'd only be a hypocrite if I punished you for doing what I would have done" She spoke out before beginning to walk closer to him.
"Now, I'd like to go in and inspect the area. I give you my word that nothing will happen to anyone we find" She said as she reached out with her pale hand. Bell looked at it with caution, alternating between her eyes and hand.
After a moment, he slowly reached out, shaking it as Kita nodded.
"Now, it's probably for the best that our paths don't cross again… though I get the feeling that it's not within our control if they do. After all, where the world is headed, we are bound to meet again" Those were her final words before she promptly began leading a group of her soldiers inside.
"Woah!" Bell's back straightened as he turned around where Bache and the others had walked to the side, Kita completely ignoring them as she headed on inside.
"Eh… Bell, who was that?" Bache asked while Rethusa and Artemis just stared at the monster, the redhead having her hand on her weapon while shaking in fright.
It was a logical response. She had no idea about the existence of the Xenos or intelligent monsters… or whatever kind of being that minotaur was.
"Well…" Bell began before clearing his throat, before narrowing his eyes again at the retreating figure.
"I honestly have no idea. All I got was that she was a queen of a nation I didn't know existed. I just hope we don't run into her again" Bell answered Bache who nodded at the same time that Jannor tapped Rethusa's arm, snapping her out of her scared state.
"Bell! What was that!?" The redhead instantly asked in a hushed tone.
"Well… It's better if I explain everything on the way back. It's quite the story" her responded before beginning to back up as the remaining… Xenos? Watched them leave.
Eventually, they were out of sight, causing the sense of danger to dissipate from everyone's shoulders.
"Dad…" Aralaya barely whispered out loud from fear of being heard.
"I know… They were strong… really strong" Bell answered quietly as well. It was true. His senses had gone haywire when he had exited the tomb. The only time he had ever faced something that instilled anywhere close as much fear in him before was with the Black Draogon.
Thankfully, he was stronger after his level up, but it still made him on edge from just talking with her.
As for the troops… level 5 and above if he had to guess from what his senses had told him. The highest he sensed apart from the Vouivre was a level 7 which was the harpy.
Everyone continued walking, following Bell as he headed towards the exit of the forest, straight back towards Anfesera.
=Orario, Twilight Manor=
"Pleasssssse Ais! I'm begging you!" Tiona clung to Ais' dress, making her best puppy eye expression she could while Ais just stared back down at her blankly.
"Tiona… I am not doing that" was her answer, which was only rewarded with more begging.
"Ais! I'll do anyhting. I mean ANYTHING!" Ais wanted to scream out in frustration, but simply sighed.
"Why? What's the point? It will only anger Tione and Finn. That and I don't want to hurt Fiona" Tiona pouted at her.
"It's just a prank… it won't hurt anyone" She tried, somehow now picking up that it was futile.
"I am not throwing the Hestia knife at her chest! It might be harmless while I hold it but not with her!" Ais' voice became an octane higher as she glared at Tiona, causing the amazoness to back away with her hand in front of her.
Her head tilted to the side in both confusion and shock.
"Wow… you're not this defensive about anyone… at least not normally. The only times I have seen you like this is-" Tiona instantly shut up as the glare intensified.
As for Ais, a pang of guilt tugged at her stomach, making her want to sob. She knew all too well that she had only acted like this on two other occasions. When it comes to her life before Loki familia… and with Bell.
She was not young anymore… not an airhead… well, still aloof and kind of an airhead, but she has had over a decade to ponder over why she had felt different with Bell.
The only conclusion she had been able to find after an embarrassing amount of time was that she had liked him… a lot. More than one likes a friend, but as someone likes a partner. It wasn't love per se, but definitely more than friendship.
It had been the reason she had been hit a lot harder than anyone else she was acquainted with. Only a few other people had reacted similarly, that being his familia members who she had watched from a distance in the hostess on some occasions, especially the prum and the renart.
"Ais! Are you there?" the woman in question shook her head, before looking at Tiona who seemed concerned.
"Sorry… I didn't mean to remind you of… well, you know what I mean" She finished as Ais nodded.
"It's alright. I'm just scared that the blade would activate when it touches her with all the momentum in tact" Ais said as Tiona froze.
"Oh… Crap, didn't think of that…" She said with eyes as wide as dinner plates.
"Of course…" Ais sighed before turning her head towards the side, sensing the approach of someone small.
A moment later, the bubbly form of Fiona came around the corner, a large smile over her face.
"Auntie Ais! Aunt Tiona!" she grinned as the two smiled, Tiona mentally questioning herself why she wanted to prank the adorable girl.
"Fiona… back from the dungeon?" Ais asked as the girl nodded vehemently.
"Yep! I managed to get down to the 3rd floor today. After yesterday, I figured the fourth was a little too much right now alone" she said before holding out a pouch.
Ais took it curiously before hearing the clinking of coins. She opened the pouch, a smile grazing her lips at what she saw of the contents inside
"Ten thousand valis. Not bad" Ais said as Tiona nodded, huffing in appreciation of the feat.
"Ais is right, Fiona! Ten thousand is nothing to scoff at for a level 1!" Fiona just smiled more at the praise.
"Did I hear that my daughter made ten thousand her second time in the dungeon?" Everyone's heads turned towards the voice. Finn stood there, his head tilted to the side with a proud smile on his face.
"Yep! It was hard for sure, but sooo worth it!" Fiona grinned once again as Finn chuckled.
"It's impressive indeed. Especially since it's only your second time in the dungeon" He said before patting her shoulders, their height being pretty much the same.
"Hehe" she grinned and blushed at the praise.
"Anyway, Ais, could you come to my office?" Finn asked as Ais tilted her head in confusion, nodding absentmindedly, wondering what it was about.
Tiona seemed to have picked up that Finn wanted to do it now, so she led Fiona away, enticing her with sweets while Finn and Ais left, heading higher into the manor.
When they entered Finn's office, Finn motioned for her to close the door, which she obliged.
"Finn… is there something I did wrong?" She asked as Finn sighed before shaking his head.
"No, Ais, you haven't done anything wrong per se. I just wanted to check up on how you're feeling" His words confused Ais even more, but the next words caused her spine to go straight.
"It's been almost 13 years you know. He's most likely settled down or dead somewhere by now" The words were blunt as Ais frowned hard, almost glaring at Finn.
"What do you mean?" She said, not meaning for it to come out as a hiss.
"I'll be frank. Me, Riveria and Gareth have known about how you felt… or should I say still somewhat feel for Bell Cranel for quite some time. With the way the search has been going, talk about giving up ha-"
"No" Ais interrupted Finn with the singular word, spoken clearly and with more passion than Finn had probably heard from her… ever. It left him speechless for a second before composing himself.
"Ais…" He sighed out, a sad look overtaking his facial features.
"I'm not giving up… we left him in that prison to die for something that anyone would do! Everything that happened was orchestrated against him! He doesn't deserve us giving up on him too…" She lashed out, her words going quieter at the last sentence, almost incoherent for the level 7 captain.
"I know. I don't want to give up on him too, but it is clear that the boy either doesn't want to be found, or he's dead" Ais flinched at the last suggestion, turning her gaze to the side.
"I'm…not…him" She whispered so quietly that Finn didn't hear it, even though he was a level 7 and only a couple of meters away from her.
"Pardon me Ais, I didn't catch that" He asked sincerely. Before she looked up at him.
"I'm not giving up, not until I find him" she said as Finn sighed at the clear conviction in her eyes.
God, they wanted her to find someone… but it seems even what they had wanted for her could turn into a headache. He once again let out another sigh.
"Alright… just prepare yourself for the worst" Finn advised as Ais nodded, turning heel and exiting the office, leaving Finn there who began leaning on his desk, gaze on the ground and deep in his thoughts.
In a way, Finn understands why she's like that. If something had happened to Fiona and she was out there, he would never give up, not until the day he dies… but the issue lies in the fact that there has been no mention of the boy since he left Telskyura.
At first, they had thought the masked individual had been the infamous little rookie, but that theory had been squashed after first meeting the man.
'But maybe Hermes knows something' As Finn's mind ran the possibilities. Hermes was a very well informed god. So much so there is no one else that knows as much as he does, not even Ouranos.
Finn reserved a mental note to ask Hermes about it whenever he got time but something told him that the god wouldn't say anything, even if he knew something.
He peeked to the side, eyeing the pile of papers he had to work through before sighing. Sometimes it really sucked being captain… oh well, might as well get started.
He grabbed the paper at the top and began reading, preparing himself for a long night.
=Anfesera=
"Saena!" Bell called out as the chienthrope turned around with a kind smile.
"Bell! I see your importu trip has come to an end… and you've brought guests" Saena smiled at Artemis and Rethusa.
"Yes, this is Rethusa, captain of the Artemis familia, and this is-"
"Artemis, I know. I've met her before" Saena nodded at the goddess, who returned the gesture.
"It's good to see you again, Saena. You're more lively than you were last time" Artemis commented as everyone looked between the two. Even Rethusa was giving Artemis a confused glance.
"Ehm… Artemis-sama… when did you two meet?" She asked as Artemis looked at the redhead.
"Oh, right. It was quiet some time ago, wasn't it? You weren't even apart of the familia back then" Artemis spoke out, piecing together the time period.
"I had just thought I lost my daughter and husband. I wasn't in a good place. Artemis led me here, to this village where I settled down. One thing led to the other and I became chief" Saena finished as everyone nodded.
"So… that makes the next part easier I guess" Bache said with a smile as Bell nodded.
"You thought you lost them?" Artemis cut in before any other words could be uttered.
"Yeah, it turns out that she's alive in Orario from what Bell said. I haven't visited her yet, but I plan to soon" She said. She had honestly postponed it over and over and decided that she would meet her before winter sets in.
"That's good. I'm glad for you" Artemis smiled as Saena did the same.
"Ehm… as I was saying, Artemis was wondering if she and Rethusa could move in within the village. They don't really have anywhere else to go right now" Bell asked as the chief's eyes turned wide.
"Oh my, if that's the case, we'd be happy to help. Bell here could build you a house-"
"Hey! Why me!?" He complained, causing everyone to laugh at his misfortune.
"Well, consider it punishment for how mad you're about to make Elora" Bell just looked even more confused at that as Bache laughed at his expression.
"You really are clueless sometimes" She said as Bell's confusion just peaked even higher than he thought possible.
"Why would she be mad?" He muttered out before his intuition began blaring in his head before-
Bell felt an aura of death coming from the village, causing him to slowly turn to it, revealing a very angry looking Elora, glaring daggers at him.
For the split moment he had before she would reach him, he cursed his deficient luck ability.
"Bell Cranel! What is this I hear about you wooing another woman!" She lashed out, causing Bell to squeak out as his confusion went even higher than before. Was it about to reach Tenkai or something?
"What do you mean!?" He asked quietly, trying to calm down the elven storm brewing in front of him.
Apparently that wasn't the right thing to say…
"YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I MEAN! AREN'T I ENOUGH FOR YOU! YOU EVEN HAD TO GO AND WOO A GODDESS!" She screamed into his ear, pointing at Artemis who smirked at his predicament.
"B-but I didn-"
"Don't you dare finish that excuse!" She hissed, causing him to zip his mouth. She grabbed his ear before pulling him with her.
"Now you and I are going to have a long… deep and informative talk about how to be a good husband" Bell managed to get a lot of complaints out of his mouth as the two disappeared into the village.
"Told you" Saena smirked as snickers spread through the group.
Not much happened after that. Bell managed to explain what had happened to Elora, who reluctantly believed her after Bache had calmed her down. Artemis and Rethusa had agreed to sleep in Adrienne's room as she had offered to sleep with the twins until the new house was built.
Days turned to an entire week as training took up a lot of time where Rethusa had decided to join in and swiftly tried to reject the decision but Bell had none of it.
After the second week, the house was finished. Rethusa and Artemis moved out and the news of Bache's level up to 7 came out. She had been elated after being stuck for so long to finally advance to the next level.
Time continued to pass as Bell planned his next move. Only one more step… only one more piece. Too bad the last piece is in the worst possible place.
The elven royal forest… The Alf's Royal Forest.
=2 Weeks later=
"Elora… are you sure?" Bell asked as he massaged her shoulders in front of the mirror, the two in their night clothes, preparing for Bed.
"Yes… I have to face it eventually" She said as Bell nodded.
"But… after what they did to you? To your mother… your-" Bell stopped as he saw her flinch "Sorry… didn't mean to bring back bad memories" He apologized as she shook her head, leaning further into his touch with a content sigh, her ears bending against his chest in a pleasant way.
"Don't be. It happened a long time ago, and I promised myself that one day, they would regret their choice. That one day, they would see what they lost because of their arrogance and prejudice" She explained as Bell nodded back.
"I know, but I want you to know that you're the bravest, most amazing woman I've ever known to do this. It's incredibly hard to face one's past like this" Bell smiled as her cheeks warmed and a smile spread across her lips.
"More amazing than Ais?" She asked.
"There isn't even any competition" He didn't even hesitate with the answer, causing her to turn around, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Their lips were mere centimeters apart as her eyes were half lidded.
"You are the only man I know that can make my heart soar like you just did… and I'd have it no other way" She said before closing the distance, locking her lips with his.
Bell didn't waste a second to wrap his arms around her lithe body, returning the kid with passion as the two kept pulling each other closer, even when there was no space between them.
As the kiss grew more fervent and the hands began to explore, the two slowly made their way to the bed unconsciously. It wasn't until Bell's leg impacted it's side that he noticed their movements and let himself fall back onto the soft mattress.
Elora positioned her on top of him, straddling him, smiling down at him.
"Bell…" She muttered as he smiled at her.
"Yeah?" She remained quiet for a second before sighing out and laying down next to him, her legs tangling with his, her head on his shoulder while she began drawing circles on his chest.
"How long are you prepared to wait until we leave?" She asked as Bell pondered the question. She did make a point… it had already been weeks but… he didn't want to leave his family again.
Those three years had felt like a lifetime with him being split apart from them. There was only one answer.
"We're not leaving for a little while. It's not going to be too long until then, but once we have everything, I'll stay for some time. I feel like I've missed so much of the kids' childhood that… I just can't bring myself to miss even more. I want to see them grow up for a little while. Be there for them" He said as Elora let out a sigh of relief.
"Good. I want to enjoy my time here too. Once all your preparations are done… Let's just stay here for a while. Be a couple… a family" She said as she looked up, her nose nuzzling his.
"Yeah… that sounds nice" He said as his eyes locked with her Amber ones. They stayed like that, half lidded eyes just staring into one another before Elora pecked him on the lips before nuzzling into the crook of his neck, pulling the sheets over them.
"Good night, honey" She mumbled into him as he couldn't help but smile, his heart feeling content with where he was at the moment.
"Good night… my shining star in the dark sky" He said, meaning the last bit with his entire heart.
He felt her smile against his neck as he closed his eyes, flicking his finger, the resulting wind putting out the candle as the darkness began taking them.
The two disappeared into the world of dreams in each other's embrace.
Next morning, Bell woke up to Elora's snores. He had to admit it was kind of cute, seeing her face so content while making those undignified noises.
He smiled as he looked at her, curled up against him as if it was the best thing in the world.
As he laid there, his thoughts began to drift about the events that are about to happen, about how they'll play out and his desire to fix things flared. He wanted to bring Elora peace of mind, he knew this ate at her from time to time.
But he looked forward to it in a strange way, excitement in seeing such a legendary place, he imagined what the land would look like.
"I'll make things right, for you and for the kids to be safe" He whispered, though very low this still seemed to wake Elora up.
"Morning" he said with a smile.
"Mornin'" Elora slurred in her sleepy state. Bell responded with a scrunched face implying that her breath stank. It took her a second to realise that he was messing with her, causing her to scoff and throw a solid punch in his shoulder, making him laugh.
At this point the twins came through the door practically airborne and body slamming their parents in their bed.
After the thud of the impact Jannor energetically spoke up to the two surprised parents "Mama, Papa, how much longer until you both leave?" Though there was a tinge of sadness that laced his voice and eyes, his smile didn't waver.
"It should be more than a couple of weeks, hopefully not more than 4 weeks" Bell's response seemed to ease the young half elf.
Aralaya on the other hand did not take the response as well as her twin brother. Clear sadness were evident in her eyes as Bell's smile wavered.
"Hey there, sunshine. Look at me" he said softly as her red eyes refused to meet Bell's. He tilted her head towards his own as she tried not to look at him.
"I may leave a little while, but this time it isn't just for me. Mom has some stuff to settle there too. Once we are back, I promise, we will stay a long time" Her eyes finally met his as he could tell that tears had welled up in them.
"I… I just m-miss you… You'r-re never h-home…" She whispered out through a clogged throat, breaking Bell's heart at seeing her like this.
He pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her gently and squeezed just enough to show her that he was there.
That was all it took for sobs to be heard, muffled against his chest as Aralaya's arms clung to whatever she could grab around him.
"Shhh… Let it all out. I'm here for you" Bell pressed a kiss to her blonde hair before seeing Jannor join in from beside Aralaya.
Elora did the same from the side.
"We won't be gone very long. This place we are going isn't really dangerous for either me or your father" Elora said, letting go before smiling down at the two.
"Okay… Thanks. I needed that" Aralaya swiped tears from her face but the tiny smile on her face told them that things were alright.
"Now, about your little wakeup call…" Elora's voice became filled with warning as the two twins gulped, their smiles turning sheepish "What have we said about barging in without knocking?"
"Sorry! Won't happen again, we promise… just don't make us read again…" Jannor muttered the last part, hoping not to be heard but Elora's level 6 hearing and sensitive ears picked up the words.
"Oh, great idea! Now… what shall we assign you two?" Aralaya glared holes through Jannors head as he tried his best to seem small.
"Alright, you two are to reread the tale of the Argonaut, the clown hero five times before even thinking about leaving the library" The twins groaned as Bell whistled.
"Listen to your mother next time, alright?" Bell grinned at the two who nodded, their ears clearly drooping downwards as they sulked, letting out a 'yes, mom' while leaving the room.
Left alone, the two looked at where the twins had disappeared before Bell interrupted the silence, snickering a little.
"What?" She asked as Bell shook his head.
"Nothing. It's just that sometimes, it feels like they never learn" Elora contemplated that for a second before a smile involuntarily spread across her face.
"Yeah… now that I think about it, they have done that a lot, haven't they? It's a miracle they haven't walked in on something" She finished, grinning at Bell who blushed while shaking his head.
"Yeah… that wouldn't be a pretty sight. Anyway, shall we head downstairs? It's-" He looked to the side to a clock "Almost 10AM… we really slept in, didn't we?" Elora chuckled at that before pulling the covers off herself and getting up, stretching while doing so.
"Honey, what are you planning on having the kids do today for training?" She asked while taking off her nightgown.
Bell, who was dressing himself as well, thought about it for a minute.
"I don't know. Perhaps work on their endurance and strength today" Bell answered honestly as Elora whistled.
"Speaking of which, how is that hole through the mountainside going?" She teasingly asked as Bell smirked.
"Oh, you know. I'd say they are around half way there. Still a lot more work to do" As Bell finished, Elora clasped her sword to her side and walked to the door.
"Wonder if they will make it before you return to Orario. My guess… is that they will" She smiled over her shoulder, swaying her hips before leaving, closing the door behind her.
Bell just stared at the door before smiling. That woman will be the death of him, he swears.
He soon joined her downstairs, finding herself seated with some pancakes that had been prepared.
Judging from the Aroma, Erebus had blessed them with his supposedly 'secret' recipe for it. He had to give it to the god, if there was one thing he could do to utter perfection, it was a well made pancake that melted in the mouth.
"Oh, Bell! Good of you to join us. Wanna partake in this game?" Erebus looked up from the sofa where the twins were playing cards with him.
Bell stared at the god for a minute, judging him.
"You… seem to be in a terrific mood. What's up?" He asked as Erebus grinned. Jannor just pouted as Aralaya glared at the deity.
"I swear… he's cheating… somehow" She muttered under her breath as Erebus turned to her, his grin widening.
"Am I hearing a sore loser?" He teased as Bell looked between the two, confused.
"He won ten games in a row" Bache's voice made Bell turn, seeing that she had just come from outside with a deer over her shoulder.
"Ten games…? Erebus…" Bell glared at the god who looked taken aback at the unspoken accusation.
"What? Can't a god enjoy himself without being accused?" Bell groaned as he sometimes wondered if the god took anything seriously.
"No, but winning ten times in a row is kind of suspicious you know" Aralaya huffed in agreement as Bell tried to figure the god out.
"You know what, I'm just going to eat… by the way. Where is Adrienne?" Bell asked.
"Oh, she's getting some firewood. We ran out" Bache answered back as Bell smiled at her.
"Alright, good. I was actually planning on doing that today. Saves me some time" It also increased the time he could train the kids as well, granted, Adrienne is losing some time.
"Dad, when are we going to train?" Jannor asked as Erebus put down a card, making Aralaya think upon her next move.
"Well, I want to finish eating first. We'll head off after that" He answered as the half elf nodded before focusing back on the game.
Bell took his time with the food to allow Adrienne to return. Once he finished and she came back, they headed off, leaving Erebus, Bache and Elora within the household.
Training went as it usually did, basically torture for them as Bell made sure they didn't slack.
Adrienne seemed to have truly gotten used to it as she was making the most progress. Perhaps he should have her swimming in boiling water… or maybe lava if she can handle it… Are adventurers resistant to fire? If so, then how much?
Questions continued to pop into Bell's mind as the training continued and time passed.
Meanwhile, Elora was doing her daily duties as head of the guards in the village and Bache was doing her best to help where she could.
Erebus… well who knows what he does during the days when no ones home. Maybe he is helping out a farm. He did do that sometimes.
It wasn't until noon that Rethusa had joined the training. Apparently Artemis had been happy with the progress in her status during the training she had undertaken before, so now she was basically ordered by her goddess to continue with it, much to the redheads despair.
Speaking of the goddess, she had taken it upon herself to help the hunters in the village, being the goddess of the hunt and all. Some had even joined her familia, though only women so far. Artemis still had her reservations, although not as extreme.
It was during these times that the Bell truly felt like he belonged, that he had a family. Times when he could just relax and enjoy life with them all.
He wished things could stay like this. Unfortunately, he knew better than anyone that sooner or later he would have to go looking for trouble… or trouble would find itself towards him, and that's speaking from experience.
=Einhante, Messis Storocia=
"THE QUEEN HAS RETURNED!" Kita just looked forward as she marched through the capital of Einhante, heading towards her home, her eyes uninterested in her surroundings.
Her mind was focused on one thing that was bugging her. From the look of the remains of Heracles' body, he hadn't stood a chance.
That man, Apollyon, was stronger than she had given him credit for. Heracles had been completely outmatched to the point that Apollyon had burned him to a crisp instantly without him being able to move.
She had sensed the aura around the man when she had stood in front of him. From what she knows, Mortals gain their strength through the blessing of a god or goddess. These blessings are built up through levels on the 'aura' which is how one depicts their strength. One can tell the level of an opponent if they can sense how many layers their 'aura' has.
That man had seven layers, meaning he was level 7. Heracles, in the terms of a blessings power, would be around low level 8, but level 8 nonetheless. If this man who had 7 layers defeated a creature that would have had 8 layers if their power measurement was the same in one hit… that would make his 'status' abnormal to say the least.
He possesses power beyond his supposed 'Aura' making him probably the most dangerous mortal out there. A mortal one can't predict or depict the strength of. In other words, an unknown variable.
Kita hates unknown variables as they force her to be careful and on her toes. It keeps her from acting and forces her to tread carefully, a situation that she can't control is a problem.
But right now all that mattered is that Heracles is tended to, though he was burnt to a crisp he was still alive, had he not been as strong as he was, he surely would've died.
The Imperial Guard followed their battalion leader, who in turn followed his objective, the Queen Dhiaga Mahal Kita. As the Queen's personal Guardsmen, Torin's whole life has revolved around the protection of his Queen. This may be redundant because she literally has only 1 equal when it comes to power, but they were still commissioned as more of a "Best of the Best" type of situation.
The Imperial Guard also acted as a quick response and monster hunting unit, keeping any chaos under control.
"M'Lady" Kita's Imperial Captain called out gaining her attention, "You look distraught and some of the people can smell Heracles, it may not be my place but I feel the need to remind you to smile" Torin smiled when he finished, Kita taking his words in, turned to her subjects and began smiling herself.
He was right, if the people see not only their Queen, but the strongest person in the Country being upset or distraught would result in a negative atmosphere.
She forced on a smile as her superior hearing could pick up on the tiny groans from Heracles' mouth.
His understanding of his need to stay as quiet as possible being the saving grace to her facade from breaking, giving her strength.
Once they reached their destination, Heracles was immediately put into intensive care of the best healers they had.
Kita already knew that it would be a rocky path for the half minotaur from here on out and felt pity well up in her chest for him.
Breathing a sigh of relief to be home and shaking a few hands after giving her entourage release to go home to their families, she headed into the building and promptly went straight for her quarters.
She sighed out as she got into her office and sat down, beginning to reminisce about her long, long life.
She had been alive for so long now that the years began melding together. Had she been alive for a hundred, no thousand years? Perhaps longer. She didn't even know. Most of those years were of complete loneliness. She had been one of the first monsters to have ever been spawned from the depths of the dungeon alongside her three siblings.
Granted, two of those siblings have been dead for nearly 30 years now and only one remains. The one she disliked the most and honestly wished would have perished with the others.
One thing she knew for certain was that being able to live this long isn't a blessing. It feels more like a curse to her.
Every life that surrounds her, she knew would perish before her. Everyone she knows and loves would die of natural causes while she could do nothing but watch.
That was the price of the power she had been born with. The power to basically destroy the world in her own unique way, just like her siblings.
"Milady. Is there anything you need?" Captain Torin asked, Kita looked back and simply said "Sleep…"
"When you get Heracles to a medical ward, report to me immediately, I want to know if he'll live or not. I have faith that he will but I just want to be sure" Kita said. A grimm look feigned
across her face for a second.
"As you wish M'Lady" Torin responded with a fist pressed against chest and bowed. He then turned and motioned for a portion of the troops to fall in behind him and escort Heracles to be treated.
After a short time of travel and saying hello to her subjects, Kita eventually made it to her residence. It was not a glamorous one at that, she believed that even though she may be the leader of her people she did not at any point want to seem superior in any way, even though she was the strongest person when it came to a fight.
Her place was large nonetheless, because it was more of a base of operations than anything, requiring it to be large enough to house people who assisted her in her efforts to make a better world and inevitably kill her last sibling.
The building was 5 stories tall, had multiple balconies, and was more squared off. It had a courthouse look to it or even a church-like touch, showing that it was an important building, but gave an air like those of a homely and warm restaurant with a sense of family and love. This was given in from the many smells of food that seemed to pour out of the building like a flood of flavor and aroma, hence the warm sense.
The moment she walked through the doors, she was greeted by her closest friend, maid, warrior and confidant.
"Milia, thank you for cleaning the house so shortly after we returned, though I am mixed about you not resting at the moment" She said as Milia bowed.
"No worries M'lady. My well being comes after yours and your will. I will sleep once you sleep" Mili rose as she smiled softly at Kita who couldn't help but shake her head with a quiet chuckle.
"Alright then. I can smell food which begs the query, have you eaten yet?" Milia simply nodded as Kita waved her to follow.
"Then let's feast together. I'd like to discuss something with you" Kita said. Milia instantly picked up on the 'topic' of the discussion. After all, it was the only logical thing.
"You're referring to this human, 'Apollyon' was it?" Milia said almost with a sneer.
"Now now Milia, I know that you've always had problems with mortals, even those in Einhante. No one can blame you for it either. I was initially quiet… infuriated at him in the beginning as well"
The two sat down at the table where food was already at the table, two servants standing to the side with wine in their hands.
"Why do I feel a 'but' coming, M'lady" both smiled slightly at the comment.
"But… he made some valid points, even when I didn't listen. He acted out of self defence while Heracles acted due to our orders. If the fault falls anywhere, it would be on us. After all, what would you do if the roles were reversed?" Kita asked as Milia's eyes softened. The man had mentioned his family.
She hated to admit it but… she would have done the same in his position. She would have chosen the ones she cares for over a stranger.
"Anyway, we are getting off topic somewhat. What I really wanted to discuss is what we are to do about him" Milia's eyes grew confused as she studied her queen.
"M'lady, with all due respect, why are we worrying about him? He is but one mortal, one man. What damage to us, our home could he possibly cause?" Milia asked as Kita sighed.
"Oh, Milia. I thought I taught you to be more observant. The man is stronger than he should. He's a loose cannon that is unpredictable. His power can't be measured like other mortals as he seems to break the boundaries of his level" At that, Milia's eyes widened.
"What do you mean? Something like that isn't possible" Her voice had gone an octave higher the bigger picture began cementing in her head.
"Correction, it shouldn't be possible, but it is. He is living proof of it. His very existence shakes the foundations of everything we believed to be solid facts. It changes everything. If one man can surpass his limits, what prevents others from doing the same? If that happens, how do we measure their overall power when levels don't matter anymore?" Milia came up short from the question.
More accurately, she didn't want to admit the only answer she could come to. One simply couldn't. If that happened, all of their plans would fall into shambles. Their projected calculations of the world powers, the end result from the coming conflict, completely useless. It would nullify the work of nearly three decades, making all that time… wasted.
"I see you've realised the true depth of the situation" Kita said as she took a bite out of her meal.
"Now, all that remains is choosing a path forward, and from what I can see, we only have two" Milia looked towards her queen before nodding.
"Work with him…" Milia began as Kita's eyes hardened, power leaking out of her as the next words escaped her words almost like a threat
"Or we kill him"
My god that chapter took wayyyyy too long. Anyway, I feel like there is no reason to go on and on about the reasons why it took so long so I'll keep it short. Life's been tough but I'm doing alright. At least the chapter is done xD
I'll end it on that note. I hope you all enjoyed and have a good time until I get the next chapter out :)