Please read the author's notes.
Discord: https://discord.gg/K7f8qGpvuk
pat.treon:/Keanu_Eugene
CHAPTER START---
---Folkvangr, Sunrise...
Sitting behind her rarely used desk Freya is wrapped tightly in her white robes as she stares down her guest. Mia Grand, the burly owner of The Hostess of Fertility sits opposite her, a pronounced scowl on her face, wearing her green dress and white apron.
The former captain of Freya Familia, a level six adventurer, was thoroughly unamused by her goddess. Glaring at the paper in front of her as if it offended her.
"You must be fucking insane," Mia is tempted to spit in Freya's face, perhaps she would have, but she is still technically her goddess.
"I'm being perfectly reasonable, I just need a bit more manpower for this adventure, and I need it done before Yang is in any shape to get back into the dungeon," Freya says coldly.
"We had a deal Freya," Mia says. "I trained Ottar until he was level five, then you gave me the money to start my pub, and in exchange for that and hiring you as Syr, we're done. And now you come to me with a suicide mission."
"Not a suicide mission," Freya says. "There is a clear tactical plan which both Hedin and I have sorted out, minimal casualties, if any. We just need a bit more muscle, you're level six and oversee two of my level fours at your pub, that's a lot of muscle."
"HA! In most fights that's enough, but that's nothing in this kind of a death run, sorry but I don't care what kind of information you have I'm not getting involved, and neither are my girls."
"Since when are you afraid?" Freya asks.
Mia gets up and slams her hands on the desk, staring down at the goddess. "Since monsters like that appeared out of nowhere! This isn't worth the risk, even if it is to get your Odr to stay."
"It is," Freya grits out.
Mia sighs, "look, I feel for you. But I'm not throwing our lives away on your last bet like this. Maybe a few years ago when being level six meant something, but in this kind of fight, I'm just another paperweight."
"After everything I've done for you, you'd really abandon me like this?" Freya pleas.
Mia turns to leave, not seeing any reason to stay any longer. "We both know you need me, because this is...this is fucked, at least with me not involved you'll have a place to work when everyone else is dead."
"Hmph," Freya turns away and scrunched her face. "Just get out if you aren't going to help."
"This is your familia's last adventure, at least try to reconsider, this is a suicide run," Mia says once more before turning to leave.
"The information I have is perfect, we can do this..."
---Yang's Apartment, 10 AM...
Sitting on his couch Yang has a wooden tray on his lap. Only wearing a pair of shorts, torso and legs wrapped in bandages he eats a simple meal of rice and chicken from his bowl on the tray.
Welf sits on a single seat to his left while Thalie and Mikoto are down on the carpet with their own meals.
Noticing the small red spots on his bandages, his open wounds still trying to bleed him out, Thalie begins with her usual morning questions. "So, how are you feeling?"
Yang groans and rolls his eyes, "can we not?"
"Sorry but I've got to check up on you every morning and night, so?"
"Ugh," Yang groans. "Same as the past five days since leaving the hospital. Feels sore, tired, trouble sleeping---"
"Pain or nightmares?" Welf asks.
"Both," Yang says. "Wounds aren't closing at all from what I can see. I'll need more bandages by the way."
"I'll take care of it," Thalie says.
"What about the left hand?" Mikoto asks.
Yang sighs and tries to raise his left arm, only to have his metal hand weigh him down severely. Barely moving the hand a few inches above the couch before giving up. "Still too heavy to properly move around, and without magic I can't even move the fingers, no news there."
"Mhm," Thalie takes another bite of her food before continuing. "And about Freya? Anything on that problem?"
"No," Yang says. Raising his right hand he shows her the Ring of Odr, "still hasn't contacted me and without magic I can't call."
"And she hasn't been seen since she left the hospital," Thalie says suspiciously. "That means you said your goodbyes?"
"More or less," Yang says.
Welf shakes his head, "more more or more less?"
"Uncertain," Yang says. "She'll probably reach out in a few days, if she ever talks to me again that is."
"It was inevitable," Thalie says.
"What about the big boss monster?" Welf asks. "Alatreon is a serious problem, we couldn't even scratch it. The sooner I know what equipment we'll need the more prepared I can be."
"We'll save that talk for a bit later, for now just reinforce our armor as much as possible, there aren't really any tricks in this fight. And make a lot of Magic Swords if you can."
"Of course I can," Welf flashes a pearly grin.
"Alright," Yang says. "Enough of me being useless, what about you two, what's going on out there. I can barely walk but can I at least go outside?"
"No," Thalie says bluntly. "We can't afford for the public to see you looking so, um," she blanks out for a moment, unsure what to say.
"Weak," Yang says.
"Sadly yes, you stay in here for a few more weeks until you're back in form then we can go public again."
"Fuck," Yang mutters. "I hate it but it makes sense." he turns to Welf, "Anything new with you?"
"Hephaestus has me working repairs all day," Welf admits. "Everyone in the familia is working non-stop for the past few days, word on the street is either a familia in another country is making a big move, probably some warlord familia like in The Far East, or a real national familia like Kali's. But either way, all the shops have been getting emptied out and everyone is on hand with repairs."
"Must be big if she bothered to ask you for help," Thalie says.
"Mhm, got me working on repairs all day every day since I don't make equipment for anyone but us."
"Are we sure it isn't maybe Loki gearing up for another expedition?" Yang asks. "After their last few failures Finn could be taking a more, well-armed approach. Riveria mentioned that their equipment breaks a lot more than before since the new monsters showed up, could just be that."
"Not that," Welf says. "Definitely not that. Loki has a big contract with Gibnu, aside from the executives he gets exclusive sales and services to everyone in her familia, at least in most cases. Tsubaki handles special weapons, the kind of weapons executives uses."
"Really, why not Hephaestus?"
"Cost," Thalie says. "Not everyone can walk down to the deep floors and bring up a load of high-quality monster crystals," she shrugs.
"Right, well either way we don't have to worry about running into the dungeon to save anyone for a while, I should be fine to stay locked away to recover."
"Good," Welf says. "Hephaestus was a bit concerned that you'd want to go walking around the city in your current vulnerable state, that could cause more issues than you can imagine."
"All she had to do was ask," Yang says.
Thalie rolls her eyes," right, because you have a very clear history of following orders, when was the last time you did as you were told anyway?"
Everyone looks at Yang expectantly, only for him to slump back into the couch and avoid the questions. "I'm not on trial here alright. The point is my intentions align with hers so everything will be fine. I feel like my lungs will explode if I walk up some stairs much less walk all the way down to the elevators."
"Not such a bad thing," Thalie says. "Try not to attract attention for a change, just stay in bed all month and sleep..."
---Hephaestus's Office, 7 PM...
Sitting behind a thick stack of papers Hephaestus is constantly signing documents, hands almost numb from constantly writing all day.
"Finally done with repairs and I can get back to making things," she grins while signing to final few documents.
As she's so close to being done with this sudden influx of requests, the doors to her office swing open.
"Yang is in his apartment," Hephaestus mutters out as she sees Freya approaching her. The woman wearing a pair of black plants and Yang's grey hoodie for a top, holding a sheet of paper close to her chest.
"I'm not here to see him," Freya says. "I don't think he'd want to see me for a while after this."
Hephaestus's attention entirely focuses on Freya, not seeing anyone else accompanying the goddess, "after what?"
Without a word Freya simply rests the paper on Hephaestus's desk, and the woman immediately begins reading.
Freya can see every emotion flow through Hephaestus, from surprise, then denial, to absolute confusion, and finally, completely rage.
By the time Hephaestus finishes the first paragraph she's red in the face and gritting her teeth for Freya to see.
"You bitch!" Hephaestus screams out.
"I know," Freya calmly says.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!"
"I know."
"Who the hell do you think you are, challenging me, your SISTER, to a war game!"
END CHAPTER---
Short chapter today.