2

In a carriage about ten kilometers outside of Orario, several women, that may be described as jade-like in certain types of novels, ride in relative comfort on their way to the Labyrinth City. A sound, like a whistle, catches the women's attention, and they turn their heads and frown in confusion.

The loan man of the group, currently driving the carriage, looks around, wondering where the sound originates. His hand creeps towards the pommel of his Dao on the bench next to him. The sound starts to change from whistling to a more sonorous drawn-out moan getting louder and closer quickly.

"FUUUUUUCCKKKKKK-"

BOOOMMMM!!!!

The road in front of the carriage explodes as something embeds itself in the ground showering the area in castoff dirt and stone. The horses attached to the carriage buck and whinny trying to run away. The man struggles to keep the horses from bolting and carrying them off with them. After a moment, he gets them under control, and the dust settles, revealing a five meters wide crater, partially obstructing the road.

"Huangdi! What was that?" a woman asks, poking her head out from the carriage asks.

The man, Huangdi, shakes his head. "I do not know, goddess. I shall investigate."

She nods. "Ding Mao, Ding Si, assist Huangdi. Ding Hai, man the reigns. The rest stay on guard."

A chorus of "Yes goddess" follows, and three women exit the carriage. One woman carries a chain with a wicked triangular blade attached to each end. Another reaches up and pulls a long spear from the carriage, spinning it into her grasp. The third seems only to carry what looks like a fan a lady would use to cool herself, but the bladed edge tells a different story.

Huangdi approaches the crater's edge with the two women standing a few meters apart. When they reach the border, they look inside, and confused; they cock their heads to the side in unison. The goddess, seeing this, calls out. "Well, what is it?"

Huangdi turns back. "It's a man," he says before briefly turning back to check and then adding. "He seems to be unconscious but uninjured."

The goddess frowns and moves to leave the carriage. Two other women exit before she does. One carries a pair of tonfa and the other a pair of daggers. Once the goddess leaves the carriage, the final woman leaves and scrambles up on the roof, behind Ding Hai, with a bow and arrows.

The goddess looks down in the crater to see a man in his late teens with finger-length golden hair, a strong jaw, and masculine features, but it is to the tight leather pants that her eyes are drawn. Her eyebrows raise in appreciation as she stares. Her attendant with the tonfa notices and clears her throat.

The goddess shakes herself. "Huangdi, bring him. We shall carry him with us into the city."

Huangdi looks shocked. "Goddess, are you certain?"

"Are you questioning me, Huangdi?" she asks with a flat stare.

"No, goddess," he says and hangs his head.

She nods curtly. "Ding Wei, Hai, you two stay out with Huangdi and remain on guard. This man didn't just fall from the sky."

.

.

.

The line to get into the Labyrinth City of Orario is long and slow-moving. Hai and Wei sit back to back with their weapons across their laps, watching for potential threats while Huangdi drives the carriage.

Within the carriage, four sisters watch as their goddess strokes the golden hair of the man who fell from the sky while his head rests in her lap.

"Goddess?" one of the sisters says.

"Yes, Chou."

"What is it that you intend to do with this man once we enter the city?" Chou asks.

"Hmm. I wonder?" the goddess says with a lascivious grin. The four sisters blush and turn their heads away.

"Goddess, are you going to invite this man to your Familia?" another sister asks.

"I suppose that depends on him, You. Just because a man is handsome and ... endowed with certain features I find appealing, doesn't mean I want to invite him to stay. We don't even know his personality or if he already is part of a Familia. Once he wakes up, we will see."

The four sisters nod. They knew that their goddess was far too pragmatic to allow simple lust to form the basis for her decisions. However, goddess Xuannu was still a goddess of sex and war, and her passions ran hot at times.

Just then, the subject of their discussion shifted slightly. The four sisters touched their weapons. The man had already been disarmed, yet he was still rather large compared to them, and they still were not sure of his level.

Ziggy rolled to his side back towards the goddess, burying his face in her crotch, and took a deep breath before letting out a groan that caused a deep vibration and warmth to pass through her cheongsam to her most intimate of places. "Oh!" Xuannu says, surprised at the tingle it draws from her body.

The sound catches Ziggy's attention, and he pauses before turning his body back to lie face up in Xuannu's lap and opening his eyes to admire the flawless features of Xuannu. His sapphire-blue gaze meets her ebon night eyes and smiling cherry red lips, and he cannot help but sigh. "So that's what smells so good," he says, closing his eyes once again with a smile, and falls asleep.

Xuannu cheeks were red, though not with shame, only lust. Instead, the flood of embarrassment was with the four sisters whose entire faces were crimson. One of the sisters even covers her mouth and says, "Shameless." As though that is a great insult.

"Alright," Xuannu says with a mischievous smirk. "I suppose I am considering inviting him to join our Familia."

.

.

.

Ziggy looks out over the bustling city of Orario from through the window of the carriage. 'There are a lot more people than I thought there would be,' he thinks to himself.

"More tea, mister Solomon?" a soothing voice asks.

"Hm? Oh, yes, please," he replies with a smile, leaning forward with his small bowl-like cup. "But please, my friends call me Ziggy, and anyone who pulls me out of a hole in the ground, so I don't get eaten by wandering monsters is most certainly my friend."

"Speaking of the hole in the ground... Ziggy," Xuannu says with a smirk. "Do you remember how you got there?"

Ziggy made a face. "One minute I was on my way to Orario, the next I'm falling from the sky, and I couldn't tell you how I survived that fully intact."

"And what is your purpose in coming to Orario?" Xuannu asks.

"I suppose it's the same as most hot-blooded youth, adventure, fortune, fame... well, maybe not too much fame, but maybe some romance, maybe a lot of romance," he says with a wink. A few of the sisters blush, while Xuannu and the rest smile softly with a knowing look.

"So, you will challenge the dungeon then. Are you already a part of a Familia?"

"No," Ziggy says. "But I have it under good authority that the Guild will be able to point me in the direction of some that are looking to recruit."

"Hmm. And what are your credentials? What skills do you possess?" Xuannu asks.

"I'm afraid I can't speak too much to that," he says with a shrug. "I've always been athletic, but my combat experience is practically nil. I can only hope that either the Guild or whichever Familia is willing to accept me is also able to give me some basic instruction and time to get my feet under me to adapt to my new life."

"Apparently, I've even lost my weapon in the fall," he says. He's pretty confident that they took the weapon when they brought him in, but since they left his coin purse and even rescued him while he was unconscious, he was sure that it was only for their safety and comfort.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot. Mao, if you please," Xuannu says, holding out her hand. Mao reaches behind her and retrieves a sheathed sword just shy of a meter in length. The grip is relatively wide to accommodate his large hands and has a heavy-looking pommel. Xuannu takes the weapon in hand and holds it out to Ziggy, who accepts it. "It was more convenient to remove it before laying you down. It would have caused some discomfort otherwise."

He was sure that was the case. Whether his or their discomfort. His smile brightens slightly, placing the sword behind him on the bench. "Thank you very much. It was a gift from friends."

"It seems well made," Xuannu says and takes a sip of her tea. A moment later, she asks, "Tell me, Ziggy, if you are in search of a Familia, why is it that you haven't asked about joining mine?"

Ziggy had immediately recognized that she was indeed a goddess; there is a different feel to her than a normal human. He finishes his sip of tea before answering. "Honestly, I wasn't sure you were staying in Orario. And if you were staying, you would be trying to establish yourself and may not have the time and resources on hand to coddle a newly minted adventurer with no experience. You've already done so much for me. I wouldn't want to impose on your kindness."

Xuannu waves off his concerns. "Indeed, we are newly come to Orario, but my sisters have come before me to establish our presence. As for training and resources, those will not be an issue. The Queen Mother has gifted us with resources aplenty to establish a territory within the city and has already gained the approval of Ouranos. We even have non-aggression arrangements with both the Freya and Loki Familia."

Ziggy's mouth drops open. "How did you manage that?"

Xuannu smiles. "One should never underestimate the Queen Mother."

"Mysterious," Ziggy says, not prying further.

"Oi! Sister!" a cheerful voice calls out from outside the carriage. Ziggy looks out to see a small group of people waiting in greeting. The most eye-catching are the two women in front.

A cute petite girl with long deep lavender hair and matching eyes dressed in a riot of bright colors waving excitedly. The other more subdued, elegant, and taller woman with pale blue eyes and hair tied up in hip-length twin-tails tied up with pink ribbons, the tips of which seemed to shift from pale blue to straw blond, her overall color scheme consistent across her wardrobe.

'Wow. Well, that's a wake-up call,' Ziggy thinks. 'This is a completely different world than I am used to. Common sense there might get me killed here. I need to be careful.'

Behind these two, who are obviously Xuannu's sisters, several men and women stand, attendants and retainers to the pair. The carriage comes to a stop, and the people on the top climb down.

Ziggy looks to Xuannu. "I'm unfamiliar with the protocols here. When would you like me to get out."

Xuannu smiles. "Why don't we have the girls step down first, then you, and then you can help me down."

Ziggy nods his head in a half bow. "As you wish, goddess," he says with a twinkle in his eye and a grin.

Once the sisters descend, Ziggy steps down with his sheathed sword held in his left hand. He hears the bright girl say, "Oh! Who's that? Did big sister find herself a man?"

Turning back, Ziggy extended his hand to the goddess and helped her to step down. "Thank you, Ziggy."

"Any time, goddess."

"Sister Xuannu," the boisterous lavender loli says. "Where did you find this giant."

Ziggy was about to laugh and say he wasn't a giant when he noticed the direction of the petite girl's gaze and instead pulled his long coat closed. Perhaps it was a mistake to ask for leather pants. Ziggy "Oh," Xuannu says with a mirthful tone. "He just sort of... fell into my lap, you could say."

Ziggy rolls his eyes, but apparently, it is the height of humor because the six sisters cover their mouths and chuckle softly. "Siegfried, my dear, why don't we continue our conversation about you joining my Familia inside once I've greeted my sisters."

Ziggy nods, and Xuannu walks forward towards the two girls. She holds out her hands to them. "Sunu. Cainu. It's been too long since I've seen my dear sisters. How have the last few months progressed?"

"Quite well, sister," the blue hair Suna says with a soothing melodious voice. "We had a little trouble finding a location for our Familias to live, but Takemikazuchi gave us a section of his Familia's home as a starting point, and we've managed to expand from there."

"Oh, so Takemi and his orphans are still here. Are they doing well?" Xuannu asks.

"Un," Sunu replies. "I'm sure you will see him in the coming days."

"Has he realized that little Mikoto has a crush on him yet?" Xuannu asks with a twinkle in her eye.

Sunu and Cainu shake their heads. "He's a blockhead," Cainu says.

.

.

.

"Would you like any more tea, Ziggy?" Sunu asks.

"No, thank you, goddess Sunu," Ziggy says, waving his hand. "I'm afraid that if I have any more tea, I'll burst."

"Fufufu," Cainu chuckles. "This tea is extra special. It is known to increase libido and stamina."

'Great. Tealis, the viagra of teas. Just what a teenage body doesn't need,' Ziggy thinks. 'I'm already perpetually horny, and they want to ramp it up?'

They were sitting in a beautifully furnished room with thick carpets and several plush couches on which to sit. There was also a daybed near the window with a southwestern view of Babel. It very much did not resemble an eastern style decor as Ziggy was expecting. The only exception was a few paintings of landscapes that resembled a style he associated with an ancient Chinese style from Earth.

Ziggy's knowledge of Asian gods and mythology was sorely lacking. Knowing the name Sun Wu Kong and the Jade Emperor was about as far as he could recall from the limited exposure he had back on Earth. Hestia was the goddess of the hearth, and Freya was a goddess of beauty and war, but he had no idea who these beautiful goddesses were or what they would represent.

He wasn't sure if this was just goddesses in general or if they were all goddesses of beauty, but they certainly fit the bill to him. Even the loli Cainu had something going on that stirred up his loins, and he was pretty sure it wasn't just the tea.

"I'm relatively new to interacting with gods and goddesses. I have been told that some of you have certain affinities. Would it be rude of me to ask yours?" Ziggy asks.

The two goddesses smile. "Not at all," Sunu says. "While it is a little more complex than simple affinity, for simplicities sake, I suppose I would be considered a goddess of music, and Xuannu is a goddess of war."

That surprised Ziggy a little. Not the part about Sunu being a goddess of music, but Xuannu being a goddess of war. She seemed so gentle and sweet.

"And I'm a goddess of art and calligraphy. I also dabble in crafting," Cainu says, waving her hands at the paintings around the room.

Ziggy nods but is interrupted by another voice. "Aren't you two leaving too much out," Xuannu says, entering the room. She had gone to bathe and change from her travel gear. She was now dressed in a stunning gown of white and red, designed to look as though it were fashioned from feathers. It left a generous amount of creamy white cleavage exposed and hugged her every curve like an embrace.

"Siegfried, my dear, although my sisters are correct, they left out certain other aspects of our, as you call them, affinities," she says, gliding her way toward the couch. It can't be called a walk, perhaps a strut, but that sounds too coarse for how sensual her movements are. "In addition to war, as a disciple of the Queen Mother, I also hold sway over immortality, and we all hold domain over carnal pleasures and the bedroom arts."

Ziggy looks at the other two. Cainu is whistling and not looking at him, and Sunu is looking down, and her face is red.

'Oh, I fucking knew it. Thanks, ROBs, I totally forgive you for dropping me like a water balloon a mile in the sky,' Ziggy thinks.

"Are you sure you want to join my Familia?" Xuannu asks with a smirk. "We sisters may gobble you up."

He smiles back. "Well, I'd see that as an absolute win. Though, as much as I regret saying this, perhaps we should take our time and get to know one another a little better."

Xuannu smiles. "That sounds like a fabulous idea. There is no point in rushing things after all. Now...," she says, pulling the pin holding her hair in place, her voice shifting from playful to husky. "Get on the bed."

"Ahhh..." Ziggy says, raising an eyebrow.

Her expression shifts back to playful, and holding up the pin says, "So, I can give you my Falna, silly."

"Pfft. Hahahahaha," Cainu breaks out in a fit of laughter, and even Sunu looks tickled by her sister's antics.

Ziggy smiles. "Very funny," he says, standing up and walking over to the daybed. He drops his jacket as he walks and peels off his shirt to reveal his defined back of long, lean muscle. The laughter stops. Looking back over his shoulder at the three divine sisters, he sees the look of lust on the face of the three sex goddesses, and his smile widens.

Ziggy was always attractive; upgrading to High Human simply turned that up to eleven. Laying chest down on the bed, he looks at the aroused goddess and says, "So, are you ready to put your mark on me?"

"Pfft," Xuannu snorts, breaking free of her lustful thoughts. "I suppose turnabout is fair play."

She saunters over to Ziggy, and hiking up her skirt, straddles his hips with perhaps a little more grind than is strictly necessary. She runs a soft hand over the vast expanse of his back and shoulders. "This should only take a couple of minutes."

Pricking her finger with the pin, a drop of blood wells up and drops onto Ziggy's back, and a wave of energy washes out across the room. The three women look shocked by this, but of course, Ziggy has no clue. It is a standard blessing for all he knows, but the looks on the three goddesses' faces tell a different tale.

"His soul," Sunu says. "It's different. Nearly divine."

The energy forming the Falna on Ziggy's back pulses like a heartbeat and glows with blue and gold light. Xuannu looks through the light at the forming seal, reading the soul imprint, and her eyes go wide.

"Whoa. Queen Mother..."