A Legend and an Old Friend

DanMachi

The Dragon's Return

(Author's Note: Hi, everyone! I figured I should try my hand at DanMachi. Partially because of the upcoming season and movie that will be coming out soon, and partially because there is a D&D campaign I really need to write, but haven't really found the inspiration to finish the story. Heh. In either case, I hope that this goes well and that everyone enjoys reading this as much as I will writing it. I hope you enjoy it! (Also, please read the author's notes at the end of the story for any side notes I might include or words that may be considered unfamiliar. Happy reading!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Danmachi or anything related to it. All rights and whatnot are reserved by their respective owners, and all relation is based on the copyright law of fair use. Blah.

Chapter One

A Legend and an Old Friend

…

Many ages ago, before there was Orario, or even the Tower Babel, which the city was built around; before the gods came down from Heaven and closed off the Dungeon that Babel was meant to seal, there was in the sight of the lesser races the mountain city of Celestia, which is the City of Heaven. Before the Black Dragon came and defiled (1) Gaia, Heaven and Gaia were intermingled, and the world knew neither war nor death. But the gods were disquiet, and in their hearts desired to see more than the paradise that all things shared. And so the gods sought wisdom, and their wisdom turned to pride, and their pride turned to discord.

From the discord that the gods had between them, they desired to rule over the lesser races and the world. These races were made by the High God, and were pure in their hearts. Now the High God made for the lesser races a command that blood be not shed between them, for though they were all of different kindreds, the races were kin in the eyes of the High God. So some of the gods, who grew evil in their discord, planted a tree that bore golden (2) apples, and deceived the lesser races, claiming that they would become gods as they were and enter into Celestia. And it was then that the lesser races desired to see the High God and the throne at the top of the Celestial Mountain, and took the apples and ate.

Thus the discord that planted and watered the tree of the golden apples was planted in the hearts of the lesser races, and blood was shed between them in the sudden hate that they bore between each other. And so it was that the High God knew of the evil that was done in Gaia, and cursed the gods that rebelled and the blood that stained the world. From that blood, Gaia opened her mouth, and Sheol (3) was formed in her depths, and the High God commanded Gaia to punish the lesser races for their part in defiling her. Monsters ever after came from the depths Sheol to drag the children of the lesser races into it. But, for the gods that rebelled, the High God cast them from the Celestial Mountain, and caused them to become monsters more terrible and fouler than any creature that would ascend from Sheol: dragons; and He sent them far away to the North. (4) But for the chief rebels of the gods, the High God cursed into the most terrifying of the dragons: the Black Dragon, the Behemoth, and the Leviathan. Yet, it is said amongst the gods that did not rebel that one other god was cursed, but she, being the most powerful of the rebels, and the planter of the evil tree that marred Gaia was named Enyo Eris: the Golden Serpent, the Dragon of Light, and the Destroyer. (5)

This is ever our secret shame, for we gods have cursed all races to fight Sheol, the Dungeon, until one is completely destroyed. And I am sorry, Bell, that you must take part in it.

…

It was mid-afternoon and raining in Orario the day an old man, clad in dark grey robes, bearing a silver staff that bore a seven-pointed star as its crown came to city. He wore a hood upon his head that covered much of the sight of his face, as he gazed ever downward as he moved. He moved quickly, for an old man, and his white beard that came down to his waist swung side to side, catching the drops of warm rain that graced the city in its summer season. When he did raise his face, however, he would reveal the astonishing blue eyes that the hood kept hidden from the people of the city. Any who saw those eyes felt fear, for they seemed to see deep within the hearts, minds, and souls of those who dared. Yet, he made no act of hostility towards any, despite the fears of those who took the chance to gaze upon his eyes.

Eventually, his quick paced movements found him in front of a three-story mansion that had a fence of iron around it for protection against possible thieves. The old man chuckled to himself and lightly touched the iron gate that opened up the way to the front door of the mansion with the star of his staff. The large gate then trembled and parted open, making a screeching sound before the old man. He smiled and walked through the gate before touching it in the same manner, and the gate closed behind him. When he came to the door, which was wooden and embroidered with the image of a bell with flame behind it, however, he merely knocked on the door with the bottom of his staff.

"Damn it, Bell!" the old man heard beyond the door the voice of what could have been a young woman in her late teens. "How many times have I told you not to leave your keys here! What if I wasn't home when you came back from the Dun--"

A short woman, with a childlike face but a rather well-endowed chest burst through the door. She had blue eyes like the old man did, though her eyes were not quite as bright. She also had long, jet-black hair that was arranged in twin tail set.

"—geon?" Her eyes widened as she looked up at the old man who completely dwarfed her in height. "M-Michael?!"

"Hello, Hestia," the old man smiled kindly. "It has been a long time, hasn't it?"

"I… I don't understand!" Hestia cried out nervously. "What are you doing here, Michael?"

"Oh? Am I not allowed to see an old friend?" the old man returned to an unreadable face, his eyes narrowing at Hestia.

"I know you don't go anywhere to simply see anyone," Hestia frowned as she spoke, though she spoke quietly. "Michael, what are you doing in the Lower World?"

"I think you can guess why I'm here, Hestia," Michael chuckled. "You and the others should very well know why I go anywhere."

"D-Does anyone else know you're here?" Hestia deepened her frown, fear entering her eyes with every second the old man stood before her.

"I suspect not," Michael stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Though I do confess the mortals have taken no love to my presence."

"Nor would the gods," Hestia sighed and dragged Michael inside the mansion before anyone could see them together. Quickly, once he was ushered in, she slammed the door shut and locked it.

"May I make you some tea?"

"Ah, yes, that would be quite acceptable," Michael nodded, and Hestia led him to a dining table. After she disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes, she came back with a couple of tea cups and a kettle.

"I'll ask again," Hestia mumbled after she poured the old man his tea and set it in front of him. "… What are you doing in the Lower World?"

"I wonder about that," the old man smiled and took a sip of the tea. "Does my presence trouble you that much, Hestia?"

"More than you could know," Hestia sighed softly as a frown returned to her beautiful face. "The Captain of the Helen (6) Legion of Celestia is in my home!"

"You make me sound rather scary," Michael chuckled.

"Only a fool wouldn't be terrified of you," Hestia watched the old man carefully. "I think we both know you took the form you have now simply to mask what you actually are."

"The High God restricted my power and bade me to put on the raiment of the Gaia, as He did to you and the others," Michael smiled before he took another sip of his tea.

"But you can go back to the City of Heaven as you wish," Hestia glared at Michael. "The other gods and I can only return to Celestia if we are slain."

"Yes, I may come and go as I please," Michael nodded, "but I still have my limits. My powers in the Lower World are far more diminished simply because I am not allowed to interfere too much or dominate the wills of the mortals."

"And yet you walk through the unseen world," Hestia muttered. "You have tread Celestia, the physical world, and the spirit realm! You have no actual limits like I do!"

"Ah, now I understand the reason for your bitterness!" Michael nodded. "You are angry that you can not use more of your powers in order to help your mortals."

"If I had your power, the Dungeon would be destroyed," Hestia grumbled.

"It wouldn't be divine punishment if you and the others destroyed the Dungeon yourselves, would it?" Michael smiled. "Besides, even if you were given back your powers, it wouldn't be enough to take down Enyo."

Hestia flinched at the name and looked down in despair, tears welling in her eyes. "Is… is there really nothing we could have done?"

"Zeus and Hera were defeated, and they had more power than any of you so-called 'gods,'" Michael stroked his beard slowly. "To the Far North, Odin (7) has been struck down by the dragons. Thor (8) has made his attempt at mounting regroup and defense of (9) Asgard, but he is quickly losing numbers. The adventures of Asgard need aid from Orario, I imagine."

"Orario is not as strong as Asgard!" Hestia frowned. "Even if we do have an adventurer ranked at level seven, and a few ranked at level six, Orario does not have the number of first-class adventures that Asgard does!"

"Even if that is true, Asgard does not have much of a choice," Michael argued calmly. "Orario has the numbers that Asgard needs."

"So, ask Ares!" Hestia cried. "He has more than enough soldiers to hold the dragons back!"

"Enough soldiers, yes," Michael nodded. "But, none of those soldiers are powerful enough to contain those dragons. You know what they actually are. Not even the Dungeon has such power inside it, with the exception of Enyo."

"The Dungeon has enough power to overrun the world if its seal were ever broken," Hestia mumbled with despair. "The dragons of the far North are powerful, I agree, but they are few in number."

"And the Ancient Dragons, those fallen gods, are fewer," Michael said bluntly. "Yet, they will still be an unstoppable force against forces of Asgard and all the world if they are not stopped. If they reach Orario, their power will break the seal of the Dungeon regardless if Enyo reveals herself or not. Their forces combined? Only the intervention of the High God would stop their wrath."

"Then why not petition Celestia?" Hestia trembled under Michael's gaze.

"Those still in Heaven?" Michael stroked his beard. "I imagine your kin loves their excitement too much to lift their fingers to save the Lower World. Still, the Legions of the High God have been watching carefully."

"But you won't do anything," Hestia's heart sank as she trembled even more. But Michael simply smiled at the beautiful goddess.

"I'm doing something now," Michael replied before taking a sip of his tea. "I'm warning my friend. Let not your heart be troubled. It is not your Familia I will be directing to Asgard."

Hestia felt tremendous relief when she heard those words. Bell would not have to fight a futile war against an enemy that rivaled the gods in raw power. Yet, she still felt fear in bottom of her heart. Seeing Michael only meant that doom would come shortly after, and that doom often meant death. When he was not presiding over the Helen Legion, he traveled the spirit realm to collect the dead. When he was not collecting the dead, and he most often was, he would show himself to mortals to warn of coming disasters. Always Michael would disappear almost as soon as he would appear, and always would that disaster come and mortals would have no memory of him. But the gods remembered, and feared his wanderings more than all monsters of world combined.

When Hestia was a young goddess, and still dwelt in Celestia, she would see Michael to hear of the stories of his travels and those of mortals. She always loved his adventures and hoped that she could one day form a Familia to share the stories of their adventures with him. Even though her Familia had done wonders already, it was still small and she thought she couldn't yet compare to the stories Michael brought to her. Mortals fascinated her, and she had grown to love them through Michael's stories. But Bell she fell in love with, and she refused to lose him to the doom that followed Michael's footsteps.

"Michael," Hestia started slowly, "why did you come see me first if you were going to find a different Familia to go to Asgard?"

"Why?" Michael echoed. He smiled mysteriously before standing from the chair. He gripped his staff and it seemed to Hestia that the room grew darker as he grew taller. But, when he reached his full height, the light came back to the room as quickly as it had fled. "My dear Hestia, you are the Lady of Hearth and Home. If the mortals cannot depend upon you for rest and warmth in the days ahead, then their doom shall be cold, lonely, and bitter."

And after his words passed his lips, he tapped the end of his staff upon the floor and vanished from Hestia's sight. Slowly, the goddess slipped from her chair and sank to her knees. Tears formed in her eyes as she clenched her fists on the floor.

"No…. Don't take him," she whispered to the now lonely room. "Don't take Bell away from me."

…

1. Gaia: In Greek mythology, Gaia was mother of the Titans and grandmother of the Greek gods. She is also called "Mother Earth."

2. a. The Golden Apples: In Greek mythology, the "golden apple" was a fruit made by the Greek gods (Eris, in particular) and protected by a multiheaded dragon known as the Hydra. Hercules defeated this monster and obtained the apple as one of his quests for the atonement of slaughtering his family. Later, this apple was used by Eris in order to start a chain of events that led to the Trojan War.

b. In Judeo-Christian text, the "forbidden fruit" was the instrument by which humanity was cut off from God/paradise. Interestingly enough, the ancient Hebraic word for "apple" and the word for "evil" were similar.

3. Sheol: A Hebrew word for "the grave." Sheol is believed to be where souls go after death. Even though the word is also known to mean "the abyss," Sheol is more related to the Roman Catholic concept of "Purgatory," otherwise known as a "limbo." When the Hebrew Bible was translated into Greek after Alexander's conquest of the ancient world, Sheol became the word "Hades." While Hades also means "the grave," or, "land of the dead," it took on the more fearful meaning of the word "hell," or "prison."

4. In Judeo-Christian text, "the North" was where Satan made his throne in the world. The text suggests that it was in the furthest north of the world. The text also highly suggests that Satan was draconic in appearance, some text often associating him with the Leviathan, calling him a "sea serpent." In this text, of course, Satan is painted as having the desire to rule over the world out of sheer envy.

5. a. Enyo Eris: Enyo and Eris are two different goddesses in Greek mythology but are of a similar domain. The two were part of a group of three that were all ruling over the domain of war, the third being the Greek god "Victor." Eris was considered the goddess of discord, and Enyo was simply a goddess of war. While it is obvious what Victor was associated with, Eris and Enyo were slightly more obscure. Eris did not require war as part of her primary domain, but anything that would require people at odds with one another, meaning she delighted in any form of chaos. Enyo, however, wanted war for the sake of war. Her delight was in bloodshed and the ruin of all things. In theory, while Eris was certainly the more cunning and manipulative, Enyo was clearly the crueler and eviler. While, of course, Victor was associated with war as his primary domain, it could be said that order was his true domain through "survival of the fittest." This idea also applies to the concept of "peace through strength," as achieving peace was victory in and of itself.

b. In Judeo-Christian text, Satan is referred to as an angel of light, ("Lucifer" being the Hebraic word for the meaning,) a devourer, and "the destroyer." However, unlike Enyo of Greek mythology, Satan delights in the destruction of all things through manipulation rather than destroying everything simply because it is there. It is interesting to note, however, that Hebraic text paints Satan, when calling him the "devil," as a kind of prosecuting attorney, wanting the destruction of souls by naming off evil deeds.

6. "Helen" is the Greek word for "Greek." In Judeo-Christian text, the angel, Michael, was referred to as a supernatural military leader who was the assigned spiritual steward-regent over Greece.

7. Odin is the king of the Norse gods. According to Norse mythology, he sacrificed one of his eyes to obtain knowledge and wisdom. He got what he wanted, but he also received the knowledge that the Norse gods (and the world) were doomed die at the hands of the evil Frost Giants. Odin is associated with ravens, one of the wisest of birds.

8. Thor is the son of Odin in Norse mythology. He was the wielder of the divine hammer, Mjöllnir, which is the most feared weapon in Norse mythology. Thor and his hammer are associated with thunder.

9. "Asgard," in Norse mythology, is the city of the Norse gods. It is also the highest branch of Yggdrasil, "The World Tree," which separates the cosmos into nine realms. From Asgard, Odin could see all of the activities of the nine realms.