AN: So it's been a while hasn't it, not too long, but longer than previous updates. Unfortunately that will probably continue to be the case for the next few months as I'm a front line medical worker at the NHS in the UK and so am naturally quite a lot busier than I usually am, and can only find so many hours in my week to write at the moment, especially with everything that's going on.
That said, let's see what happens in the future. For now I will continue to write in my downtime and update my stories as and when I can. All I can ask though is that you be patient, as sometimes I'm not in the mood to write, whilst others times I am.
Thanks a lot for understanding, if you do, and thanks for your continued to support. I hope you enjoy reading this chapter, and leave a review if you can.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Elder Scrolls or Danmachi.
( - )
(Last Time)
"Are we heading back now?" Welf asked.
"Yeah, I think I've seen enough for now. Plus we picked up enough soul gems and materials for the moment." Azoth nodded. The magelight following him as he led the way back to the surface, Welf, now weighed down by a heavy bag, walking along behind him. "That and I want to check out this Monsterphilia thing."
"Hn, it's overrated." Welf grunted.
"Maybe, but I'd like to check it out all the same." Azoth shot back, the two of them quickly heading up through the Dungeon and back to the surface. It had been a pretty successful trip into the Dungeon today, all things considered.
( - )
Chapter 10
( - )
(At the Guild Building)
"So, a successful day in the Dungeon then…" Eina said mildly, her green eyes panning from the awkward looking Welf Crozzo to his grinning, white haired, elven companion, Azoth. The unlikely pair thankfully, or at least in her mind, attracting little in the way of attention from the average passer-by and Guild building user as they unloaded their packs of crystals, and started to deposit them on two waiting trays so that they could be exchanged for Valis.
"Hmm, yeah I'd say it was quite successful, or at least for the most part, yes," Azoth nodded, glancing up from his crystal stuffed bag as he placed the last of the small crystals he was handing over on the tray in front of him. "Welf here showed me around the Dungeon, or at least the upper levels, and we ran into a few monsters too, enough for at least a good warm up, even if they weren't all that tough to deal with."
"A good warm up, he says," Welf chipped in, rolling his eyes as he just upend his own bag of crystals into the tray, creating a small mound of haphazardly placed crystals of varying size and quality. "Yeah sure maybe if you're a Level Six…, for me though that was bloody stressful!"
Azoth sent the redhead a sideways smile in response to his comment, the taller, broader man exuding the general cockiness, and casual power, that most Adventurers of his ilk, or at least from Eina's perspective, gave off.
Picking up one of the larger crystals from Welf's tray, the size of which suggested its origin as being from one of the stronger monsters that lurked between Floors Nine and Ten, Eina's gaze went from Azoth's still bulging bag as he swung it over his shoulder, to the marginally smaller pile of crystals in his tray. "Aren't you going to cash them all in, Azoth?"
"No, I'm keeping some of the larger, choice ones for myself," Azoth grinned, settling his bag comfortably at his side as he did so, before then meeting Eina's green eyes with his violet ones. "Those monster soul gems, and some of the other 'drops' should be quite useful to experiment with. Or at least they will prove useful to play around with once I get access to a forge."
"Hmm," Eina hummed, pushing to one side the white haired elf's odd terminology and odd ideas, as she instead idly inspected the lightly armoured Adventurer. Her gaze trailing over the numerous nicks and scrapes on the silver armour he was wearing. "I've never heard of monster crystals being used in that manner before, but still, you earned them, so you can choose what you want to do with them. Though honestly I'd advise that you just cash them in, but again, the choice to do that is up to you, and not me."
"Absolutely," Azoth grinned heartily, flashing her his teeth as he saw the bemusement in her gaze. He could already guess that the half elf thought him at least a little bit odd and eccentric.
Still that didn't bother him, after all where was the fun in being normal?
He had been part of the rank and file before, just another petty thief in a large guild of thieves, and just another bandit in a moderately sized band of bandits. It wasn't fun being a non-entity, and made you little more than an expendable asset. Someone that was always looked over and dismissed.
Being normal and average was shit.
Sure it was better than being subpar, or being seen as incompetent, but not by much.
No, his life had certainly improved for the better, discounting the increased amount of danger and tribulation he had had ended up enduring during his adventures, ever since he had found out that he was Dovahkiin, Dragonborn.
Yes, people who stood out from the crowd, for better or worse, and those who put themselves out there and went on dangerous quests and adventures, they prospered. High risk, but equally high reward as they say.
Or at least that was the way he saw things. He enjoyed standing out, and enjoyed fighting and adventuring and playing around in the forge, but more than that he enjoyed the rewards, perks and adulation that came with standing out.
"Hmm, I hope you were at least being careful down there in the Dungeon." Eina pressed on, a frown on her face now as she waved away Azoth's cocky words. The elf was a Level Six adventurer, and thus was one of the most powerful people in the city, if not in the world, he was not the one she was concerned about. "Welf is only a Level One, and shouldn't be going down too deep, not even if he is with you!"
"To be fair we didn't go that deep, we turned back and headed back up to the surface after exploring the Eleventh Floor for a bit." Welf hurriedly said, a crooked smile on his face as he looked between the nonchalant Azoth, and the noticeably concerned Eina. "As Azoth said it really wasn't that dangerous!"
"If you say so," Eina muttered, sending the two of them another sharp, reprimanding look.
Her eyes resting on Azoth for a moment or so longer, as if reprimanding the 'newbie' Level Six Adventurer for being irresponsible on his first run into the Dungeon, and taking the experienced Level One Adventurer too deep.
Honestly, Azoth mused to himself as he smiled back cheekily at Eina, the other elf, probably like his own Familia and goddess, must be struggling to quantify him as a new adventurer, when he was clearly anything but, even if today was his first dive into the Dungeon.
"Here are your Valis, at the standard exchange rate." One of Eina's fellow Guild workers said as they brought over both Welf and Azoth's tray, within which Azoth could now see a small pile of coins, Valis, the local currency, waiting for them.
"Thank you," EIna said primly, sending her associate a quick smile before she pushed the two trays across the desk, and over to the two of them, after which she gestured for them to take their rewards.
Sweeping the multitude of different sized coins into his coin pouch, Azoth sent Eina one more quick smile. "So Eina, what do you have on for the rest of the day?"
"Work," Eina replied promptly, looking over her glasses at him. "I have to wait for one of my other Adventurers to come back from the Dungeon." Eina paused after saying this, and then let out a sigh. "And this Adventurers is one of my most frustrating ones."
"Aw, I thought I had that positon!" Azoth laughed.
"Oh you're irritating too, but you at least are a Level Six, I would at least think that you can look after yourself regardless of what trouble you find yourself in. My other Adventurer though, he's only a Level One, and seems to attract trouble like nothing else, and a lot of it!" Eina sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose, and not even blinking at her blunt assessment of Azoth.
In response Azoth smiled, the half elf had clearly gotten the measure of him already, and consequently knew that he didn't particularly care for formality, nor was he that easily offended.
"Oh my, I don't think that I've ever been so offended before!" Azoth grinned, leaning against the counter now, and ignoring the blatant sigh of frustration from behind him, and the way the redhead smith started to impatiently drum his fingers on the counter in boredom.
Eina raised a single eyebrow at his comment, and then gave him an unimpressed look. "Then you need to get out more!"
Chuckling at her quick comeback, Azoth prepared to continue their banter, mainly because Eina was quite pleasant to converse with, though admittedly, a part of him was deriving a slight amount of satisfaction from Welf's rude, and obvious displays of irritation and impatience.
Honestly, a part of him wanted to see how far the redhead's patience could be pushed, as Welf he noticed, despite being quite affable and friendly, was still keeping him at a deliberate distance. Admittedly that was most likely because they had only known each other for two days, and he had thus not been able to worm his way passed the younger man's walls yet.
Unfortunately, before he was able to continue his bantering, he was distracted by a familiar, white haired figure bursting into the Guild and running over to their position, his entrance attracting a lot of attention as other Adventurers and members of staff looked away from what they were doing and instead over at the haggard, battered looking teen as he sprinting over to where Azoth, Welf and Eina were currently stood.
Frowning at the sight of the familiar white haired, red eyed kid, Azoth pushed away from the counter, his mind already whirling as he tried to remember the kids name. He was the kid from the tavern, the only one in Hestia's Familia. "Bell Cranel?"
"Huh, oh Mr Azoth!" Bell said, the white haired teen almost falling over at the sight of him. Apparently he had been so focused on Eina that he hadn't even noticed the white haired elf currently talking with her.
"Just Azoth," Azoth said mildly, before he sent a wry smile to the exasperated Eina. "So this is your other Adventurer?"
"Yes," Eina sighed fondly as she looked down at the younger kid, before she rolled her eyes. "And it seems you're already acquainted."
"Briefly," Azoth said, waving his hand nonchalantly. "Still, I think I'll leave you two to it then. Thanks a lot for the help though, Eina."
"You're welcome, and remember, if you're taking Welf with you don't go too deep into the Dungeons, have at least some thought for your fellow Adventurers down there!" Eina called after him, as he and Welf both gave their thanks for her help and started to head off.
"I will!" Azoth called back, sending the other elf a slight wave as he did so, before he headed for the doors, leaving Eina to do her job and deal with the overly excited looking kid. "Now Welf, do you reckon you could show me to my forge when we get back?"
"Yeah sure no problem, Lady Hephaestus already told me which one you would be assigned, it's one of the sheltered ones in the back courtyard, the one next to mine…" Welf shrugged, his pouch of coins jingling at his hip as he and Azoth exited the Guild building and started heading for home.
"Sounds good," Azoth smiled, his fingers twitching. It had been a while since he had felt the weight of a hammer in his hands, and the heat of a hot forge against his flesh.
( - )
(Back at Forgefire Manor)
"So I see Welf showed you to your forge," Hephaestus said mildly as she stepped into the outbuilding, the redhead's voice catching Azoth's attention as he looked up from his glowing forge and instead over to the goddess, a sheen of sweat covering his pale skin, and causing the firelight to glimmer across his body as he gently placed a small hammer on an anvil, and shoved the glowing length of metal he had been working on back into the bright hot coals of his forge.
"Aye," Azoth nodded, glancing around at the small, but well equipped, outbuilding. His eyes roving over the tiled roof overhead, and the rough stone walls either side of him, along which were several racks of hammers, pincers, and other forging equipment, along with boxes of charcoal, wood, coal and basic types of ore. "We got back from the Guild Building around an hour or so ago, and then he showed me this place. It's not a bad setup at all."
"I'm glad," Hephaestus smiled, pushing off of the wall now and entering the building properly as she looked around at the formerly neat and unused forge. Her single red eye trailing over the small mound of monster crystals she could see on a nearby worktable, and the bag full of what looked like monster drops that was next to the mound of crystals. "You seemed to have made yourself at home."
"It's getting there," Azoth nodded, looking around the smithy too, and it was. That said, he did still need to build himself an Arcane Enchanting station sooner or later, otherwise he would run into some issues when it came to forging himself a new, stronger, better set of armour.
"Hmm," Hephaestus hummed, walking along the nearly empty weapons rack on one side of the smithy, her fingers absentmindedly trailing over Wuuthrad's intricately shaped axe head as she did so, before then moving over to the ornate hilt of Dawnbreaker, only for her to let out a slight hiss and withdraw her hand immediately the moment her finger brush against Meridia's sacred blade.
Waving her stinging fingers in the air, to try and get rid of the burning sensation, Hephaestus sent Azoth a curious look.
"Yeah, Dawnbreaker doesn't tend to like being touched by other people." Azoth said mildly, leaning against the anvil in front of him as he gave the redhead an amused look.
"The sword's sentient?" Hephaestus asked, eyeing the glowing jewel in the hilt of the sword as she did so.
"No, or at least not in the sense you're most likely thinking. The sword has merely been instilled with its maker's desires, and has, over the centuries, gained a bit of a personality. Semi-sentient is what I would call it." Azoth said shrugging. The blade was at its fiercest and most angry when used against undead, and those that it considered to be of that ilk. That said it was liable to snap at the living too if they had dealt in necromantic magic, or if it just didn't like them, and thus didn't want them touching it.
"The same could be said of Wuuthrad, the axe beside you too." He continued, his eyes trailing over to the ominous looking axe, complete with the screaming face that dominated its head.
The axe, according to legend, had been forged by Yngol, the son of Ysgramor, from the ebony tears of rage, sorrow and fury that the ancient Nord hero had shed after the fall of the ancient Nord city of Saarthal, and the massacre of its populace at the hands of the Snow Elves, Azoth's people, in a night known as the Night of Tears. As such the ancient, semi-sentient axe, yearned for elven blood, and was at its most powerful and deadly when used against the fairer races.
Suffice to say, Azoth found it quite amusing and ironic that its current wielder was him, a Snow Elf, most likely the last Snow Elf alive for that matter, or at least as far as he knew.
For all intents and purposes the axe should be thirsting for his blood above all others, but instead it aided him.
Whether this loyalty and acceptance was due to him being the one to find its scattered pieces and re-forge it in the Skyforge at Whiterun, thus imparting aspects of himself and his magic into the ancient blade. Or whether it was due to it grudgingly recognising him as the Harbringer of the Companions, the very group that its former master had founded, he wasn't sure.
Not that is really mattered. No, all that did was that it accepted him as its master, and didn't thirst for his blood like it did for every other elf it came into contact with.
"I see," Hephaestus frowned, eyeing the sword and axe cautiously now as she did so. "I take it this has something to do with the method in which you forge and enchant weapons?"
"To some extent, though from I've seen and experienced, this semi-sentience is just as much to do with the age of the weapon, as it is with the nature of its construction." Azoth shrugged, turning back to his forge now and pulling the glowing bar of metal out of it with a set of pincers.
"The age, how long do these weapons of yours last?!" Hephaestus asked mildly, leaning back against the wall, a safe distance from the enchanted axe and sword now, as she instead watched Azoth go back to pounding and working the glowing bar of metal.
"I'm not sure, though I'd say probably indefinitely, so long as you look after and maintain them of course, that and you keep them well charged," Azoth shrugged, lifting the bar of metal up now as he checked its straightness. He would soon need to quench it and treat the metal.
"Impressive," Hephaestus muttered, a hint of admiration in her tone now. That level of smithing, although not unheard of, was still remarkable in a mortal. After all she knew that she herself was capable of making such a blade if she used her Arcanum, but still, for a mortal to be able to do it, even if the weapons in question required, 're-charging', was still impressive.
"Thanks, but smithing, like with anything is an ever evolving craft. Eventually I want to progress beyond my current level, and forge weapons on a par with both Dawnbreaker and Wuuthrad." Azoth continued to talk, looking over at the two ancient weapons now, before his attention went back to his blade as he quenched it in oil.
"An admirable goal," Hephaestus nodded.
"But not my only one, nor my most pressing one." Azoth shot back, raising the steaming blade to eyelevel now as he looked down its length and made sure it was still straight.
"Ah yes, the One Eyed Black Dragon," Hephaestus said mildly, her gaze still on the elven smith. From what she could see, he was making a rapier of some sort, a thin, long blade, the kind that was meant more for thrusting and stabbing, than for slashing and hacking. "With that in mind I thought you were planning on forging armour, not a new sword?"
"Oh I am," Azoth said, a slight grin on his face now as he headed for the grindstone, content now in the strength and straightness of the blade. "But it's been a few weeks since I last properly used a forge, and I need some practice. That and I don't have any strong enough material yet, the monsters on Floors One through Eleven were weak, and the bits and pieces I managed to harvest are, well they aren't terrible, but they are nowhere near as high quality as I need."
"That understandable enough," Hephaestus nodded. She could understand his reasoning. "Once you get to the lower levels I am sure you will find things more to your liking and specifications. In fact, I believe that the Loki Familia is diving into the Dungeon again very soon, and are heading for the very bottom, as low as any Adventurer has ever gone before. I have no doubt that they'll soon be contacting me, requesting for some of my Familia members to head down there with them as supporters."
"I take it you'll accept their request when it comes?" Azoth asked, looking up at Hephaestus now as he did so.
"I usually do, yes. The organisation of who is going down there, the fiftieth floor and perhaps lower will be up to Tsubaki though. So if you're interested, tell her and I'm sure she'll keep you in mind when coming up with the list of who will be heading down there." Hephaestus shrugged, pushing off of the wall now.
"Thanks, I'll make sure to do just that." Azoth nodded. A shortcut down to the lower floors would be greatly appreciated.
"Good," Hephaestus nodded. "Anyway I'll be heading of now, I just wanted to make sure you had settled in well. Though don't stay in here too long, like some of my children do, I believe that dinner will be ready soon back at the manor's great hall."
Azoth grinned at this news, his stomach letting out a pleased growl at the thought of food.
"Though I'm afraid I won't be joining you tonight," Hephaestus pressed on, a slight smile on her face now as she saw his grin, and heard his grumbling stomach.
"Oh, where are you off to then, anywhere nice? Or rather, with anyone nice?" Azoth smirked, his violet eyes twinkling as he saw the faintest of pink hues on Hephaestus's flawless face at his insinuation, before she quickly gathered her composure.
"I'm going to the Ganesha Familia's home, to the Banquet of the Gods." Hephaestus shot back, "No more than that, and certainly nothing as untoward as what you're implying!"
Again Azoth couldn't help but grin. "I don't know what you mean, I didn't imply anything of the sort!"
It was perhaps, Azoth mused, a difference in their respective cultures. Skyrim was a harsh place, people died easily, and so in turn lived freely. If you saw someone you took a fancy to you told them, and if they reciprocated your feelings then the two of you would pair up until one or other of you were bored or dead.
Courting in Skyrim was a simple, blunt thing, and as a resident of Skyrim all of his life, the culture had rubbed off on him.
Suffice to say it appeared the culture here, in Orario, was very different.
"Hmm," Hephaestus hummed, a slight smile on her face now, as she shook her head in amusement. "I like you, Azoth, you're an odd one, but you certainly have some character to you. That said do try to remember, I am a goddess, your new goddess. A bit of propriety wouldn't got a miss."
"I'll keep that in mind," Azoth shot back, a smile still on his face as he saw the red-haired goddess give him one more part amused, part curious look, before she said her goodbyes and then left.
The Divine Beings of this world were certainly a lot different to the ones of his old one.
If he had said such a thing, or made such an implication to Meridia or Nocturnal, or any of the other Daedra for that matter, then they would likely have had his guts for garters, and would have had him shitting out his own heart before he could even take the words back.
Honestly, he preferred things here, at least here the gods and goddess seemed to have a sense of humour.
( - )
(With Hephaestus)
Walking purposefully through the doorway of the Ganesha Familia's compound, Hephaestus, who was currently wearing an expensive dress that was as red as her crimson hair, had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.
She had known the god, Ganesha, for a long time, centuries in fact. But still, despite the length of their acquaintance she had never really come to terms with just how over the top and eccentric the other god was. What with his proclivity for walking around with an elephant mask on, and his fashion choice being practically Amazonian in terms of its skimpiness.
But still, despite these other oddities, the fact that he had not only had a massive statue in his likeness built at the front of his Familia home, but had positioned the entrance to his Familia home between the legs of said statue, was a step too far.
It was nearing Apollo like levels of ego and narcissism.
Glancing sideways at two of Ganesha's elephant masked Familia members, she gave the pair of them a nod of thanks as they opened the next set of doors for her and welcomed her into the palatial building that Ganesha called home. The wealth of his vast, hardworking Familia clear to see as she looked around at the opulent party he was throwing.
Her single red eye taking in the hundreds of brightly, and in some cases gaudily, dressed gods and goddess that filled the room. Some of them wearing dresses and suits just as, if not more, expensive than her own. Whilst others, those from smaller or poorer Familia's, wore plainer, but still bright and showy, outfits.
The Banquet of the Gods, for all of the pomp attached to the name, the event was simply a big party, and a chance for the gods and goddesses within the city, and outside of it for that matter, to interact on neutral ground, and in a mostly amicable manner.
Though more often than not the event, as the night progressed, turned into a rowdy mess as the different gods and goddesses got drunker and drunker, and attempted to show off what they had, and what their children had done.
All of them competing against one another, and trying to one up one another, as they jockeyed for positon in the city's' vast, and complex hierarchy. A hierarchy in which her Familia thankfully was high up in, even if it was not on the level of the largest and most powerful Familia's, like Freya and Loki's.
Taking a glass of ruby wine from a nearby tray bearing member of the Ganesha Familia, Hephaestus started to make her way through the thronging crowds of gods and goddesses, occasionally nodding or returning a greeting here and there as she looked for someone that she might want to speak too.
Idling through the room, still smiling vaguely and nodding at gods and goddess that called out to her, some of whom she didn't even recognise, Hephaestus slowly began to make her way up a grandiose staircase. Only for her to stop when she found her attention being drawn elsewhere. The sound of muttering gods, and the content of their words reaching her as she turned to look over at the source of the commotion.
"Well look who it is."
"I'm surprised she's even down here, I would have thought that that disaster of a goddess would have gone back to the Heavens by now."
"Yeah I know, I mean I saw her working part-time at a food stand just a few days ago! I mean, how low can you go?"
"Urgh, she might as well have just brought a bucket."
"You know, I always did think she was pretty hot. Not Freya or Ishtar hot, but still, hot none the less."
Tuning out the meaningless drivel from the bitchy, insipid, low ranking gods and goddess that were snidely talking behind their hands, Hephaestus instead smiled slightly and started to walk over to the object of their discussion. A short, extremely busty goddess with bright blue eyes, and long dark hair, a goddess that was currently gorging herself at the buffet table and handily ignoring the catty comments from some of the surrounding gods and goddess.
It was Hestia, the Goddess of the Hearth, and her good friend.
"Stuffing your face at the buffet table, I should have expected as much." Hephaestus said as she approached the considerably smaller, yet still exceptionally well endowed goddess. The warmth in her tone, and smile on her face taking away all the bite her words might have had as she saw Hestia freeze up, and then turn to look at her. Her cheeks noticeably bulging with food, giving the naturally beautiful goddess the look of a hamster, something which made Hephaestus bring her hand up to her mouth in order to stifle a snort of laughter.
"It's been a while, Hestia. I'm glad to see you're doing well." Hephaestus continued, ignoring the muttering of the other gossiping gods and goddess around them. Their critical comments rapidly fading to nothing as they saw that she was present, and was a friend of Hestia's.
"Hephaestus!" Hestia immediately shouted, thankfully upon swallowing her mouthful of food. The smaller goddess practically vibrating with joy at the sight of her. "I'd knew you'd be here! So, I made the right choice coming here!"
Hephaestus cocked an eyebrow at that. "You wanted to see me, huh? Well, let me make it clear to you now; I won't be lending you a single Valis."
"H-How rude of you!" Hestia exclaimed, her face flushing pink and her cheeks puffing up. "What kind of goddess do you think I am!?"
"You've been leeching off of me ever since you came to Orario, so..." Hephaestus replied mildly, waving her hand nonchalantly in the air, even as she saw Hestia's outrage disappear in a second, to be replaced by an abashed look of embarrassment.
"T-That's a thing of the past! I'm no longer willing to mooch off of my friend's purse!" Hestia proclaimed loudly, thrusting her chest out proudly as she did so, much to the audible pleasure of several of the more lecherous, nearby gods.
"But it seems like you're more than happy to mooch off of Ganesha's buffet table." Hephaestus pointed out, hiding a smile now as she saw Hestia flinch. Her lips quirking upwards at the warm-hearted, but admittedly eccentric and over the top, though not to Ganesha's level, goddess. Not mentioning as she did so, how she was currently letting Hestia stay rent free in a partially, dilapidated church that she owned on the outskirts of the city.
"No, this is... I'm just keeping these as leftovers!" Hestia said, a shifty smile on her face as she obviously tried to find a way to save face.
Not that she really needed to, the two of them had known each other for thousands of years in the Heavens, and their friendship had continued to be just as strong, even if she did like teasing the shorter goddess, when they descended to live among the mortals.
"Well, I see you two still get along very well with one another." A voice suddenly said from behind her, cutting Hephaestus off before she could reply herself. The voice catching both Hephaestus and Hestia's attention, as they turned to look at the speaker.
At once Hephaestus's single crimson eye locked with a pair of bright, shining silver ones.
The goddess in front of her was beautiful, even for a goddess, so much so that her porcelain skin, and silver hair all seemed to glow with an inner light, and the slight smile on her inhumanely beautiful face was enough to make nearby gods and goddesses weak at the knees.
Not Hephaestus though, nor Hestia either, as they both instead turned to face the newcomer, both of them standing side by side as she the goddess in front of them smiled coyly at them and continue to approach, her every movement lithe and sensual as she practically prowled towards them, like an apex predator hunting their prey.
Truly Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, was a dangerous being.
Just the sight of the inhumanely beautiful woman, her unnatural splendour emphasised as it was by the 'tight in all the right places' dress she was wearing, was enough to make her, a powerful goddess in her own right, feel inadequate in comparison.
"Freya..." Hestia spoke first. Her voice lower than normal, and her tone more serious than it had been previously when Hephaestus had been bantering with her. "Why are you here…?"
"Hmm, oh well I just saw the two of you standing here and thought I would come over and say hello. Why, am I a bother, Hestia?" Freya asked a slight smile on her face as she took a sip from the goblet of wine in her hand.
"Not really, but I'm uncomfortable with you around." Hestia bluntly said.
Hephaestus had to withhold a sigh at this, the fact she was so upfront was one of the best things about Hestia, unfortunately though it could also be one of the most problematic.
"Oh, my," Freya laughed, a delighted light entering her eyes as she flashed Hestia and Hephaestus a smile. The sight of which making her even more tense. "You're always so honest. It's what I like about you, Hestia."
Continuing to smile as she said this, Freya's violet eyes shifted over to Hephaestus. "And Hephaestus, how have things been? Truly it is a rarity to see you at a party, normally you hardly ever seen to tear yourself away from that forge of yours!"
"Yes well, I do socialise on occasion." Hephaestus replied lightly, taking a sip of her own wine here as she felt Freya's curious gaze studying her, like a cat would a particularly delectable bird.
The Goddess of Beauty was up to something, or at least more than she normally was, she didn't normally search people out like this.
Unfortunately before either one of the three could speak again however, all three of them were distracted by another, loud, and very familiar voice calling out to them. "Hey! It's Freyaaa!"
Looking up at the source of the voice, Hephaestus had to withhold a slight smile as she saw a thin, red-haired goddess practically running down the palatial hall's grand staircase, moving as fast as her very expensive looking dress would allow.
"Oh and it's Hephaestus too, and little Itty Bitty!" The voice continued as Loki, the Goddess of Mischief, descended upon them, the hyperactive goddess practically vibrating with excitement as she joined their group, other gods and goddess moving swiftly out of the charging redhead's way.
"Oh no, not her..." Hestia sighed, her comment getting a smile from both Hephaestus and Freya. "Anybody but her…"
"What was that Itty Bitty!" Loki asked as she barged her way into the conversation with all the grace of an elephant.
"Loki," Hestia said stiffly, reluctantly turning to face the other goddess as she did so. "What brings you here?"
"What? What do you mean pipsqueak, do I really need a reason to be here?" Loki replied, a sly smile on her face as she ran her eyes up and down Hestia's small, compact form.
Seeing this, Hephaestus had to withhold a sigh, even as the two goddess started to bicker like children, both of them throwing petty insults at one another, and mildly tussling, even as the other gods began to gather round and cheer them on.
The two of them got like this every time they met.
Sending a sideways glance at Freya, Hephaestus was un surprised to see the amusement on the other goddess' face.
It was typical of Freya to enjoy something like this, as if reading her mind, Freya chose that moment to raise her hand to her mouth, stifling a smile, even as she spoke. "You two really do get along well."
"Like hell we do!" Both Hestia and Loki shouted at the same time, turning away from each other and instead both looking over at the silver haired goddess.
Freya however merely smiled in response, before speaking again, noticeably steering the conversation away from the two of them arguing with one another, and instead to their Familia's. "So Loki, I hear about your Familia all the time. Things must be going well?"
Loki in response seemed puff her chest out slightly, a suddenly cocky smile on her face now. "To hear someone with a Familia as good as yours say that… I must be moving up in the world. But yeah, my children are my pride and joy, all of them a pretty damned tough!"
"Yes so I've heard," Freya smiled, talking over Hestia, even as the smaller goddess looked like she was about to speak up. "Though you're not the only one with strong Familia members, or at least from what a little birdie told me…" Freya continued, her silver eyes flicking over to Hephaestus now.
"Oh yeah, Aiz and some my other children mentioned him." Loki nodded, her eyes, which most of the time were squinted, opening slightly more as she suddenly eyed Hephaestus curiously. "That white haired elf, the Level Six one that kicked Bete's arse, Azoth wasn't it?"
A flash of sudden pride filled Hephaestus heart as she heard the praise both Loki and Freya were heaping on her newest member. "Yes Azoth, he only just joined me, but he is pretty strong, and a very skilled Smith too!"
"Oh yeah, I remember him. Big guy, really big for an elf, with the white hair and violet eyes." Hestia chipped in unexpectedly, before she began to pout adorably as she continued speaking. "I met him when he first got to the city, I tried to recruit him to, but he wasn't interested."
"Ha, and why would he join a non-existent Familia like yours?!" Loki cackled, her voice once again sparking Hestia off as the two of them began to argue again. With Hestia loudly proclaiming that she had a Familia member now, Bell Cranel, only for Loki to continue antagonising her.
Rolling her eyes at this, Hephaestus looked away from the bickering duo, only to find herself once again locking eyes with Freya. Only for her to see, in that single moment, a sudden look of hunger in Freya's silver eyes.
"So this Azoth of yours…" Freya practically purred, the tone of her voice raising the red-haired Smith's hackles.
"Yes, mine, remember that Freya." Hephaestus shot back, her tone a slight bit sharper than before and her eye flashing with warning.
She knew Freya's reputation, in fact everyone knew her reputation. The goddess was infamous after all for collecting the souls of those she found interesting, and bringing them into her Familia, even if it meant seducing and manipulating them to leave their old Familia's and join hers.
Not that anyone was bold enough to call her on it, or at least no publically. Freya's Familia was the largest in Orario and probably the strongest too.
"Oh don't worry so much Hephaestus, I'm just curious is all. It's not often that such a strong person wanders in from outside of Orario, in fact as far as I know there were only two Level Sixes out there beyond the walls of Orario, those two Captains in Kali's Familia. What were their names again, Argana and Bache?" Freya smiled, her eyes twinkling as she took another sip of wine.
"Yes, he is a bit of a rarity, but he is a good Smith, a decent warrior, and from what I have seen a good person too." Hephaestus said slowly, her eye still boring into Freya's silver ones. "He's also a very content member of my Familia."
"Say no more, say no more, I was merely asking…" Freya said, waving her hand nonchalantly, a smile still on her face.
"Hmm," Hephaestus grunted, still a bit stiff as she continued to watch the smiling goddess warily for a moment, before looking back at where Loki and Hestia were still arguing, only now it had devolved from Hestia showing off her Familia member and deriding the crown jewel of Loki's Familia, Aiz Wallenstein, to the two of them comparing boob size. A competition that the relatively flat chested Loki was sure to lose.
Seeing this, Hephaestus couldn't help but sigh. Sometimes she found it difficult to process the fact that there two were immortal goddess, especially when they showed less maturity than even her most immature Familia member.
( - )
AN: So there we go, hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I had been hoping to get to the Monsterphilia festival but that will have to wait until next time. Still the story is now heading in a specific direction, one which will see Azoth dipping in and out of the Sword Oratoria story line, and the main story line, with a few original arcs here and there, scattered in amongst him getting to know his new Familia, settling into his new home, and beginning his pursuit of his goals.
Suffice to say there is still a lot of ground I want to cover with this story, so I hope you keep reading and supporting, and do review if you have the chance.
Hope you all stay safe out there, and I'll see you later.
Greed720.