From atop the Babel Tower Freya looked down upon the people, scanning for her targets until she finally found them, the black-haired elf and the white-haired boy, as they left a small potions shop alongside an animal girl. Both unique, both opposites, pure white that flew freely with the wind, and pure darkness as firm as steel. Each interesting in their own way.
The elf looked at her from below, he couldn't see her, but he could tell someone was looking, his face held the uninterested gaze he gave her during the Monsterphilia. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, a mocking smile that crawled under her skin in the worst ways possible, he could not see her, but he could feel her staring at him before he followed his white haired companion.
"They are even stronger." Freya told Ottar.
"They boy and the elf?" Ottar asked.
"Yes, the boy's soul grows even brighter, while the elf..." She trailed off.
"A person capable of resisting your beauty, not even the gods have been capable of doing so." Ottar said, she had told her loyal child about her encounter with the elf, Ottar was a very stoic man, so to see his look of utter confusion when she explained she encouter with the elf had given her a good laugh. He wanted to go meet the elf himself, but she didn't let him, now was not the time for such things.
"Yes, he grows too, the cracks in his soul expand ever more, that cover giving away ever so slightly." She took a sip from her white wine. "What do you believe it hides?"
"... I could not tell. Souls are matters of the gods, aren't they?" Ottar reflected the question back, earning a chuckle from Freya.
"I guess so." She took another sip before returning her attention to Bell. "The boy, there's something holding him back, a shackle in his soul." She took another sip. "Any ideas Ottar?"
"Perhaps his attachments." Ottar suggested
"His attachments… ?"
"Yes, it is as you have said, Mistress Freya: the boy's attachments, his connection with the Minotaur…He may not even be aware of it himself, but some part of his past has become a thorn, constantly tormenting him from within."
Ottar knew of Bell's encounter with a Minotaur in the dungeon. While Freya herself didn't exactly hear the story from Bell's mouth, she had gotten enough information to put the story together.
"Hmmm. That may be true. They seem to be preparing for a quest outside the city. Let's hope this little adventure will see him freed from those shackles."
XXX
"Hi Bell. Hi Annatar." Lyu greeted as Bell and Annatar entered the "Benevolent mistress". Bell and Annatar were going on a quest outside the city for a few days, and Bell wanted to let the waitresses that he came to call friends know before he left tomorrow.
"Yo! Elf boy! spaghetti?" Mama Mia called from behind the counter.
"Extra large. And a cup of red wine please" Annatar said with a smile. Mama Mia laughed.
They took their seats and Annya came to greet them.
"A quest Nyah?" The catgirl said in surprise.
"Yes. it's close to Agris, apparently they are having trouble with monsters inside the mines." Bell said excitedly. "So we will go there to help." And because Annatar wanted metals to work on his weapons.
"Nyah! You sound like heroes already!" She screamed.
Bell blushed a little, but was quickly taken away from his embarrassment by the loud boom of Mama Mia's extra large spaghetti dish hitting the table. "There it is, elf boy!" She said and gave him the cup of wine.
Annatar nodded happily before digging in both greedily and well mannered.
"I will have some curry and rice, please." Bell told Mama Mia.
"Big?" She asked.
Bell thought for a moment, he was going on a quest tomorrow, he could afford to eat a little bit more today.
"Large." He responded, eliciting a smile from Mama mia before she went to the kitchen.
Annatar turned to Ahnya. "You were an adventurer before, right Ahnya? Any tips for beginners?"
"Hmmmmmm. OH! I know one, go for the eyes!" She responded with a ferociously cute smile, earning a chuckle from the dark elf.
"I will keep that in mind." He took a gulp of his wine.
Bell couldn't help, but look around searching for someone. "Is Syr not here today?"
"No, Mama Mia said she was busy with something." Ahnya said before being called by a patron. "Excuse me."
Mama Mia delivered Bell's order, the boy and elf ate silently for a few seconds.
"Are you nervous?" Bell asked.
"About?"
"The quest, does it not make you nervous?"
"No? According to the information provided it shouldn't be that difficult, we will be fine, I am sure of it." He went to take another sip, but the cup was empty. "A refill please." He called to Mama Mia.
"I know, but I can't help it, what if something goes wrong?"
"Hey boy." Mama Mia interjected as she filled Annatar's cup. "Being all nervous like that won't help, if something happens it happens, tough luck, just keep a cool head and think straight, remember what you are fighting for and don't freeze, in a pinch every second counts."
Bell nodded, she was right, but he was still nervous regardless. What was he even nervous about anyway? He had lived outside the city, he had slain powerful monsters, there was nothing for him to fear.
XXX
The gates of Orario rarely ceased to see people coming in and out, not even in the early hours of the morning.
"And you are sure you have your toothbrush, and your dagger, and your-" "Goddess, calm down, I promise I have packed what I need." Hestia and Bell talked as Sauron and Lilly stood off to the side, it was true that gods call the members of their Familia their children, but that's not supposed to be literal, he is pretty sure.
"Lady Hestia, I assure you, we have gathered all that we may need." The dark lord intervened.
"Yep! Annatar and Bell are very well prepared adventurers!" Lilly chirped in.
"I know!" She moaned out. "But... my two babies leaving the city, how can i not be nervous?" She exclaimed, nearly earning an eye roll from Sauron.
"It's normal to be worried, but do not fred, we shall return, not just intact, but better."
"Do you promise that?"
Sauron sighed. "I promise in my honor as an elf." He swore with a hand above his chest, making the goddess calm down.
"CARRIAGE TO AGRIS, WE ARE LEAVING!" A red haired man inside a large carrige announced.
"That's our ride." Bell said, he placed a hand on top of Hestia's head. "Don't worry, we will be fine." He smiled to reassure her.
They climbed inside the carriage, it was nothing fancy, but it was certainly better than the last carriage ride the dark lord took.
As the carriage left the gates they waved back at Hestia as she waved at them excitedly.
The elf placed his backpack down like a pillow and laid his head on top of it.
The voices of Bell and Lilly's conversion was completely drawn out as he fell into the realm of dreams, dreams of the past, dreams of battle, dreams of glory, dreams of dread, dreams of home.
XXX
"We are here!" Bell exclaimed, waking up the dark lord.
The town was located near the ruins of castle Shrene, overlooking the city from afar. "It was once a powerful construction, left to rot." The dark lord wondered for a moment what had been done to his monuments in Mordor after his defeat.
"What?" Asked Bell.
"No matter, if we go now we can get to the mine in a few hours."
Bell and Lilly nodded as they followed him out the carriage, paying a nod to the driver.
Sauron couldn't help, but notice the nostalgic smile across Bell's face. "Memories from your childhood?"
Bell nodded. "Yeah, I grew up in a small village, it had more forests and trees, but this still reminds me of it."
Sauron nodded along, nothing in this world would ever compare to Valinor, yet seeing Bell describe his old home brought back memories of his first home... or at least what little he remembers of it. It matters not in the end, learn from failure and leave the past behind.
The walk was long and uneventful, soon the dirt and grassy terrain gave way to stone as the trees and the forest were left behind and the mine came into view where the miners stood around doing nothing. From a large tent came a gruff dwarf, just by his demeanor Sauron could tell you he was the boss.
Before the group could even speak the dwarf looked them up and down. "Is this what they send me? I ask for warriors and they send me some prissy elf, a little girl and a boy who can't even grow a beard yet?"
Bell and Lilly were immediately taken aback by this, that was not the reaction they were expecting at all.
"Yes, we were the group that the guild believed to be more prudent to send." The dark lord explained, invoking the authority of the guild.
"Then you can fuck off right back!" The dwarf exclaimed. "I explained in the letter that I need dwarves, how will an elf like you do a mission in a mine huh?"
"I know my way around a cave." The elf pressed.
"You don't know the difference between a limestone and a quartz." The dwarf rebutted.
The dark lord sighed. "I know based on the terrain and the size on the mountain that this mine has tunnels that are on average 2 by 2 and run an average of 20 to 25 meters before diverging into different path ways, it has extremely stable wall and this mining operation produces mainly iron within the caves and some small deposits of copper, while bauxite and kaolin near the surface atop the mountain is extracted using open pit methods." The dark lord explained with an authoritative tone. "I know my way around a cave."
The dwarf stood stunned for a second before balling into laughter. "By Freya's tits, you almost know more about this cave than me, alright, come on in you schmucks."
Sauron sighed in annoyance and follow the dwarf inside his tent, it was a large place with little in terms of luxury, just a bed and a table with books and letters resting on top.
"Listen here, young stuff." The dwarf said in a serious demeanor. "Five weeks ago there was signs of new tunnel, we didn't waste any time and opened it, damn thing looked like heaven, best quality iron I had ever seen, until a group of fucking kobolds came outta nowhere and drove us out, we tried to reenter with the help of the guards from a nearby city, but the damn tunnels where a labyrinth, if the gods didn't love me enough to have me born a dwarf i would be a gonner."
"So it's just enter and eliminate the kobolds? looks easy enough." Bell said, he had fought many kobolds before, maybe this mission would be easier than he thought.
"Oh no, boy, don't be arrogant now, when I went inside those tunnels the second time, I swear on my mother's beard, I felt a presence, a strong one at that." The dwarf said.
Sauron raised an eyebrow at that. "A presence?"
"Aye, there's something there, I just know it."
"Dwarfs and their superstitions." The dark lord thought. "Very well, we will be careful." He said instead. "We will rest for a few hours and will resolve this as soon as possible."
"Aye, see that you do and good luck." The dwarf said as they left the tent.
XXX
After a few hours of needed rest and sustenance, they gathered their strength and courage, determined to conquer the kobolds ahead. Bell thought the task would be easy enough. There were a large number of them, for sure, but the tight tunnels of the caves would make it difficult for them to take advantage of their numbers. So, they set out with determination, ready to get the job done.
Turns out, Bell's prediction was correct. The kobolds didn't stand a chance. They were quickly overrun and forced to retreat. The group gave chase after them to continue the fight, however, Annatar, signaled for them to stop.
"Look," the elf said. "They're retreating, but they're all going down the same path." the elf paused. "I think it's a trap."
Bell nodded. They proceeded forward slowly following the trail made by the kobolds claws into the cave floor, careful not to step into whatever danger lay ahead.
The group slowly proceeded forward, following the trail of the kobolds, the rocky cave soon began to turn into well chiseled walls that soon gave way to scriptures. Annatar began to analyze the scripture with great interest, and that interest soon turned into something Bell didn't believe Annatar could feel, fear.
"It can't be." He heard the elf mutter.
"What can't be, Mr. Annatar?" Lilly asked, feeling unease.
"Are you okay?" Bell asked with concern while placing a hand over Annatar's shoulder. "Maybe we should go back."
"No, we press forward." Annatar commanded.
"But-"
"We press forward, that's final!" Bell jumped slightly at the elf's hardened voice.
The clawprints of the kobolds lead them to an opened gate towards a stone bridge that stretched over a massive chasm.
"Don't look down." The elf said as they traversed the bridge of stone.
The other side of the bridge was the ruins of some type of settlement.
"They build a city inside a mountain?" Lilly asked to noone.
"No." But Annatar responded. "Someone built the mountain around the city."
Bell heard the kobolds scurrying around the darkness. "Stay close." Annatar said before firing a perfect shot towards the hidden enemies, drawing them out.
The kobolds quickly began to jump, some ran away, while others began to surround them.
"Shield formation: Circle." Annatar commanded.
They were not in a position to be agressive, it was better to draw the kobolds towards them.
The first kobold jumped, but was shot mid-air by Lilly while two others advanced on Bell who slashed one, but wasn't fast enough to recover for the second, thankfully Annatar sent a kick to the second kobold's side, giving Bell time to recover and kill.
The battle stayed the same, kobolds trying to strike and being beaten down while the group slowly made their way to the bridge while in formation, until they saw a large group of kobolds, the ones that had ran, suddenly advancing towards them, but they didn't strike, they passed right through.
"Why didn't the-" Bell's question was cut short by a rumble, from where the kobolds had come from, a fiery light made it's way, the monsters circling the party ran as the figure finally came into view, a giant minotaur with flames escaping it's body, in one hand it held a chain with a hook, and on the other it held a pickaxe.
Bell felt his legs begin to turn to jelly as the terrifying creature brought memories from last month to the forefront of Bell's mind.
"RUN!" Annatar screamed, breaking Bell from his memories of fear, they broke formation as they dashed to the door.
The fiery bull charged them, but Bell did not dare look back, he knew that he would freeze if he did so. Annatar stayed at the back of the party, throwing blasts at the ground in front of the minotaur, fire wouldn't damage the beast, but he could damage the ground and make it trip.
They arrived at the bridge crossing it without hesitation, but before they could pass the door Annatar stopped and looked at the monster as it made it's way to the middle of the bridge.
"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" The elf declared before blasting the stone below the monster, making it fall into the abyss.
Annatar looked at his companions and breathed a sight of relief, but it didn't last as the hook and chain of the minotaur suddenly caught Annatar's leg. He cried in pain before being dragged down.
"Annatar, no!" Bell tried to reach his leader, but he was too slow.
He turned to Lilly. "Lilly, go back to the dwarves, tell them to send help." Lilly at Bell like he had grown three heads as he grabbed his rope and began to make his way down to the darkness, Bell was scared, terrified, but Annatar needed his help so he didn't hesitate, the act of bravery made Lilly follow his lead without question, she ran to the exit, while Bell climbed to his friend.
XXX
"I will not die here!" Sauron screamed as he fell. The monster tried to struggle against the dark lord, but was answered with powerful hammerings across it's face as the ground approached.
"Stupid monster, you will bow." The dark elf said as he pressed his hand against the monster's head, using his ring to disorient its internal magic long enough as to hold it below him as a shield against the ground once they finally made contact with the floor.
The loud thud and crack emanated across the chasm, the minotaur had absorbed most of the damage, but a fall that great hurt regardless.
Sauron picked himself up from the monster's dead body, coughing up a storm as he did so, he took a few steps and looked up, seeing Bell coming down from a distance.
Unfortunately the dark lord wasn't lucky today, the monster slowly began to rise.
The Maiar turned to the beast, he lifted his hammer up, he had 3 broken ribs, his head was spinning and his left leg was about to give, any normal man would die in this scenario, but he wasn't a normal man, he was Mairon and he would survive.
Taking charge of the fight Annatar dashed forward, throwing flames behind him as a jet to gain speed, the minotaur couldn't even react before the hammer hit it in the chin.
The beast tried to grab the elf, only for him to use his flame to dodge backwards in a hop before hopping again to strike against the beast's torso.
Back and forth, left and right, the elf danced against the monster, using his flames to dash and blind, but the curtain of flame that blinded the flaming bull also blinded the dark lord, giving the monster an opportunity to grab onto the elf.
Sauron tried to release himself, but the beast held firm, bringing the dark lord into a bear hug, he felt two more ribs crack and his vision began darkening.
"AAAAAH!" Bell screamed as he finally arrived in the nick of time, thrusting the Hestia Knife into the Bull's eye.
The beast screamed and released the elf as it stumbled backwards.
"Annatar, are you okay?" Bell asked.
"Eyes on the enemy." The elf responded.
"Right." Bell unsheathed his sword and looked at the bull, the Hestia Knife had gone deep, but not deep enough to kill the monster who had now recovered itself while dagger stayed lodged into it's eye socked.
"Forward, we must control the rhythm!" The dark lord ordered as he dashed to his enemy.
Together they danced across the monster, little by little causing damage, little by little the monster would die, yet while their strikes did little damage, the monster's own blows, the few that connected, were felt hard.
Sauron finally felt it, the loud crack of his left leg, concentrating on the pain of his broken leg the dark lord failed to dodge the uppercut from the minotaur that send him flying against the wall, Annatar felt conciousness leaving as Bell screamed something the elf could not understand. Bell began to fight recklessly, frantically, it would be his undoing as the beast grabbed Bell and began to squeeze.
The elf saw his companion, the pain in his eyes, despite being a lowly human he did not want to see Bell die, he could not stay there and see him die, he wasn't going to give up now, HE WOULD NOT FAIL AGAIN!
With everything that was left, an explosion of fire blasted Sauron upwards and forward to the beast while he held his hammer high above his head.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" Sauron screamed as he felt his Maiar soul truly shine within himself for just a moment, his hair glowed with orange fire as his old power made it's way out on the moment the hammer connected to the Hestia Knife lodged into the monster's eye, exploding the beast's cranium into bits across the chasm.
Just as quickly as power arrived, it left, Sauron fell down alongside Bell, his hair returning to black, the last thing the Maiar saw was Bell coughing violently as hurried footsteps approached, Sauron passed out before seeing who they belonged too.
While in Orario all the gods wondered the same thing: WHO THE FUCK JUST USED THEIR ARCANUM?!