The Journey to the Cave of Beol

DanMachi The Dragon's Return

Hey, everyone! Thank you for the reviews. Once again, I apologize for being gone for so long. IRL work has been become more taxing as of late, so I rarely have time to do what I love. Ah, well, such is the pain of working through C19 in the healthcare industry! Also, once again, another big thank you and shoutout to fellow author "The Four Crosses," who helped me with some future planning. Please, read his story, "Heroes!" I hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Musical inspiration came from "Genshin Impact's" "Slight Distress."

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Chapter 20

The Journey to the Cave of Beol

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Zeus led the company through the mountain paths, and the passing days grew darker as a mountain of intimidating height became more visible through the mists that settled often upon the Beol Mountains. Bell kept a short journal of his time in the mountains, but his journal was anything but happy. Bell lost count of how many days Zeus led him and his friends through what Bell could only describe as a labyrinth that was almost as cruel as the Dungeon in terms of exploration. Though the monsters on the surface were noticeably weaker, they became more numerous the closer the company got to the central mountain that the mountain range was named after.

Mount Beol was well named, Bell often thought to himself on days that the mists lifted for long enough for the sun to give a clear image of it. The rock of the mountain was not black, but a dark grey as a plain and unadorned tombstone. From time to time, during those rare moments of clearer imagery, Bell thought that he could describe the look of the mountain as a face, screaming to the heavens as if it were in pain. As the mountain air and seasonal air grew colder around them, Bell found himself thankful for Lili's foresight when it came to packing for a long journey.

While Zeus led the company, Bell learned from his grandfather that Zeus was forced to leave out of fear of Bell's safety. Zeus had learned from Michael that Hera was supposedly assassinated during their exile from Orario, and Zeus did not want Bell to be caught up in the crossfire of other gods who hated him. As such, Zeus was forced to fake his death. However, it was the wish of the god that Bell could learn and grow through someone who could guard his heart, and not simply his life. Bell had given thought to his goddess, Hestia, that she was indeed the perfect example of what Zeus desired for him. The old god joked that he probably owed Hestia his life as well for her caring for Bell's. Still, when Bell asked what gods were after Zeus' life, the god refused to give a direct answer, only saying that plenty of gods both inside and outside of Orario were enemies of old.

Bell felt unsatisfied with his grandfather's answer but did not push the god to answer out of respect. Still, a darkness and doubt crept into Bell's mind as he would think on who might still wish Zeus dead, though he hoped that his intuitions were wrong. Night after night, Bell had dreams. Some of them were shared communications between Lefiya and Tiona through their shared souls, and others were images of the rabbit-like boy's fears. He would dream of the images of gods that were not only after his grandfather, but also Hestia. He dreamed of a woman, dazzling as sunlight and gentle as the morning summer breeze devoured by dark flames. He dreamed of a warrior woman mounted upon a giant, golden fox, joined together by a white light and led by imperishable fire to battle a golden eagle crowned with the sun. He dreamed of a girl surrounded by enemies, holding the body of a dying mother, and only a scale took the sword to defend her. He dreamed of darkness, terrible as the void, cold and cruel, and filled with malice and hate for all living things, its maw ready to devour the world.

On the nights Bell did not dream, he merely watched the world outside the caves the company took refuge in. On some nights, he gazed on the stars and wondered if they were the gods that watched over the world, and, if they did, if their watch was protective or in mockery. As Bell found himself more connected with the destiny that Michael told him was his, the boy found himself more cursing his destiny and his existence. He would not curse the gods seen, unseen, and beyond, but he found himself wanting to demand answers that were not his to ask.

"I don't want it," wept quietly to himself. "I wanted to be a hero, but I never asked for this!"

"Master Bell?" he boy heard soft voice near to him. Bell turned towards the soft, feminine voice to see Lili staring at him with concern. Her chestnut eyes glimmered under the moonlight that entered the cave as she crawled up next to him. Bell could only watch her movements quietly until he found the beautiful Pallum sitting next to him. Their eyes met once more and Lili placed a gentle hand on the boy's cheek. Bell smiled at his supporter with as much as he could, but the shimmering of the stain of tears on his cheeks told another tale.

"I guess I don't look too cool right now, huh?" Bell forced a chuckle from his lips.

"No," Lili whispered but offered him a smile. "I expect more from my captain who made it a point to depend on his friends and Familia for help in his darkest times."

"Captain," Bell muttered to himself. "You know, in a way, that word still sounds foreign to me. I never imagined myself as a leader, but I always wanted to be a hero."

"Not all heroes are leaders," Lili said softly.

"No, but they all become leaders in one way or another," Bell countered. "They become leaders by simply being role models. If they are lucky, that is the only leader they ever become."

"What does that mean?" the Pallum asked.

"There are many heroes that are often destroyed by becoming leaders," the boy muttered. "Usually that destruction is a part of their own greed. Beowulf and Lancelot are good examples of that."

"I'm afraid I don't recognize those names," Lili giggled softly.

"Just names in tales my grandfather would recount," Bell smiled awkwardly before looking towards the sleeping god. He sighed softly under the pale moonlight. "I never wanted this. I never thought I would be caught up in the possible end of the world."

"I don't think anyone would want to be caught up in an apocalyptic situation," Lili nodded and looked out at the stars. They were dimmer under the bright, silver light of the moon. "But maybe that is what it takes for people to take action during troubled times."

"Troubled times breeds the strong," Bell muttered. "Another thing grandfather would say."

"It also breeds hope that things will one day get better," Lili turned her eyes back to Bell. She moved closer to and sat on his lap, facing him a look that appeared both soft and comforting, and filled with resolve. "Master Bell, you helped me to believe in hope for a brighter future. You made others believe in that same hope as well. It is okay to be afraid, but never let that hope that drives the courage in your heart falter."

Lili gazed into Bell's eyes as he let her words sink into his mind. The cold mountain air brought a tint of red to Lili's cheeks that was faintly revealed by the pale moonlight. That red was only intensified by the closeness of the young Pallum to the boy. For the second time in those dark mountains, Lili brought her lips to Bell's. The feel of those lips was like the brushing of flower petals in Bell's mind as Lili wrapped her arms around the boy's neck and Bell placed his hands on her hips.

Lili did not know how long the kiss lasted, but she had wondered if the warmth she felt now was how the gods saw mortals: both fleeting and eternal. Love filled her heart with joy when she realized that Bell returned the kiss, but also a sadness that the return was slow and hesitant. Yet the kiss was broken by Bell and Lili, thought left with the lingering feel of his warmth, felt all the lonelier without his touch.

"Lili," Bell whispered, a tint of sadness in his voice, "I don't want to hurt you."

"Pushing me away does hurt me, though," Lili replied as she looked into his eyes that were filled with fear and uncertainty.

"I wish what I meant was that simple," Bell thought. "Pushing you away may save you in the end."

"My life became yours the day you saved me in the Dungeon, despite me stealing your knife," Lili smiled. "I would fight to protect you just like you would fight to protect me."

Bell watched the beautiful Pallum and returned her smile as best he could. However, before Lili could continue her boldness, Bell placed a finger on her soft lips. He rested his forehead on hers and closed his eyes before moving his hands up from her hips and wrapping his arms around his body to embrace her.

"I appreciate your feelings," Bell smiled as he tightened the hug. "But, maybe this isn't the best place to do this. Not while monsters could still find us and no one else is on watch."

Lili blushed and nodded. When Bell finally let her go, he kissed her forehead. Bell continued his silent watch after the beautiful Pallum went back to her bed, but his thoughts turned to the others as he looked at the cold, starry sky.

Morning came for Lili almost as quickly as she fell asleep after her time with Bell. Warmth filled her heart when she gazed at him, and that filled her with hope for the future. As the group ate, Zeus informed Bell, Lili, and Welf that they would reach the cave they would need to enter this morning.

"As I have mentioned before," Zeus said with a grimness in his face, "where we now go is dangerous beyond what even the Dungeon offers. Old and mighty things, both good and evil, live under the earth, and do not tolerate mortals. Stay on your guard, and do not get separated. The tunnels of Beol are as cruel as the creatures that guard them. Thankfully, however, such creatures are quite few in their number."

"I'm sure that they can be killed if we encounter them," Welf smiled confidently as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I wouldn't try such a thing," Zeus said. "The enemy you do not know is far more dangerous than the enemy you do know, and mortals have angered that enemy many ages now. Still, though mortals have filled them with terrible wrath, their true hate is still yet borne for Enyo Eris and her marring of this world."

"What are we up against?" Bell frowned.

"Spirits," Zeus said plainly. "Ancient spirits since before the Age of Heroes, when the world was young and unmarred and mortals enjoyed the same immortality that the gods have. They have long remembered the slights mortals have made against Gaia, and they are unforgiving as she is."

"Unforgiving?" Lili repeated slowly. "That seems unbefitting for a god."

"If all gods were forgiving, Enyo Eris would not have become the monster she did," Zeus said and looked outside the cave into the world. Grey clouds filled the sky, offering the same aura of grimness the mountains gave. "In fact, mortal preconception that gods are forgiving is far too lax in understanding. Some gods simply are not."

Zeus spoke little after that after the company cleaned up their camping spot. The old god merely gazed at Beol in thoughtfulness. It was only after that Bell claimed that the party was ready to leave that Zeus moved in a way that was more than breathing or blinking. The next couple hours that Bell experienced were met in silence save for the winds that blew through the mountains. As Bell drew closer to the mountain, he thought those winds carried voices on them, some sounded like the growl of monsters, others sounded like the groans of the ghosts. One voice only grew louder in Bell's mind as the mountain became ever closer and larger. That voice was dark and filled with hate, but it was soon paired by another voice that was sorrowful and pleading.

"You hear them, too," Zeus said softly beside his adopted grandson, to which Bell nodded.

"What are they?" Bell asked.

"You might call them memories, but I think they are also more than memories," Zeus said. "They are the voices of the Dragon and Aria. Her voice is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes," Welf and Bell answered. The wind that carried her voice was like the sound of a music that carries troubled memories and secret hopes.

"I only hear wind," Lili looked at the others with some confusion.

"Only a those gifted with certain blood can hear the voices," Zeus answered. "Actually, I envy those who cannot hear the voices. Aria has brought me to tears since long ago, and Moloch, that vile snake, fills me with rage! But, come, we have a short way yet left before we reach the cave we must enter."

Zeus for almost an hour longer before the party have before the gaping maw of a large cavern. The entrance to the cave was around twenty feet high and thirteen feet wide, as far as Bell could guess. As they moved into the cave, the air became warmer. Much like the Dungeon, the inside of the cave was illuminated by veins of glowing rock, some of such lights were blue and green, others were silver as starlight.

"The world is full of wonders, even outside the Dungeon," Zeus smiled. "I imagine Gaia made the Dungeon thinking of this place. She always did love beauty, even in her rage against mortals."

Zeus led the party through many winding tunnels and paths as the party continued forward. Bell did not know how long the part traveled the cave, or even how far underground they were. Yet, Bell was confident that his grandfather could see something about every path he took that the boy and the others could not.

"Moloch ensured he was difficult to follow when he first explored the natural tunnels of Beol, even by the gods," Zeus answered Bell's worries. "But those amongst the greater gods could find the path that Moloch so carefully laid."

When they took rest at last, it was by a pool water that came from one tunnel and led into another. Lili had remover her boots and dipped her feet in the water away from the rest of the party, who were busy filling water canteens. Bell thought it odd how clean the air was in the tunnels, and he wondered if the air was better than even that of the Dungeon. Yet, as much as this place was like the Dungeon, it was also unlike it. The lack of monsters was one thing, but there was a coldness of hostility that Bell felt the moment the party entered the tunnels.

"It wasn't always like this," Zeus muttered softly in response to Bell's thoughts. Bell looked up at his grandfather with confusion, but Zeus merely smiled at the boy. "There was even a when these mountains didn't exist."

"Then what is this place?" Bell asked hesitantly, doubtful he would like the answer he would get.

"I suppose you could call this place a 'cave of origin,'" Zeus looked up at the illuminated crystals. "But this was made as a prison. Now it is merely a reminder of the failure of the gods and the High God's judgement on mortals, spirits, and the divine alike, given form in Sheol."

"What do you mean?" Bell asked, seeing a look of sorrow and pity in the eyes of Zeus.

"The Titaness Gaia," Zeus answered. "After the Seraphim were made from the High God's thought, she was the first made amongst the Titans, and was given a beauty that surpassed the beauty of all the others of the divine. Only mortals had greater the greater beauty that was made like that of the High God. Of all the divine wounded by the treachery of Enyo Eris, her wounds are the deepest and most bitter.

The world was made for mortals to steward over, but its rule was first given to Gaia. She is the only one amongst the divine who has never made Celestia her home, for her care for the world was always deep within her thoughts and mind. When she laughed or sang, flowers would bloom and trees would sprout. Some call her the mother of all spirits, for it was her voice that caused nature to give physical form like her own. Her joy in caring for the world was short, for mortals were made when the divine had come into the fullness of their making of the world.

Though mortals were immortal, that immortality was only ever through reincarnation in its beginning. Mortals could still grow old and die, but their lives were longer, and there was no need for new souls to be made by the High God. Yet, when Gaia first looked upon mortals, she looked upon them in fear, believing that they would hurt the world she poured her very being into. Desperate in trying to protect nature, Gaia made Beol and drove mortals into their tunnels. Yet, she was not cruel, for she made those tunnels sustainable for the mortals. This became the eventual foundation for the Dungeon. Those mortals were guided then by the original spirits, who devoted themselves to teaching mortals, for Gaia still had pity on the mortals.

It was only after the First Seraph corrupted Enyo Eris through vile torture that she set her sights upon mortals and cursed them. She entered into Beol and led the mortals out of the mountain's tunnels. She told the mortals that the world beyond the caves offered them more than the tunnels of the spirits could, and that the spirits kept them in the tunnels out of jealousy. And the mortals listened to Enyo Eris and her promises of a greater understanding. And when she brought them out into the world, she offered them the golden fruits of the tree of chaos, and their hearts turned to violence.

The execution of the judgement of the High God fell upon Gaia, who sought to hurt mortals the same way they would hurt her world. And so she built the Dungeon, which she modeled after Beol, and she used the mortals' reincarnation to harm them as they harmed her world through destruction. But the High God also saw it fit to punish the gods for their folly, and it is probably for the benefit of the mortals for Gaia would had destroyed the mortals if the evil gods had not been punished.

And so now mortals are cursed with a curse that is now only eased by the mercy of the High God. Gaia sought to turn the souls of the dead against mortals, to make them a plague that would return the world to the beauty it achieved before mortals were made, this plague being monsters."

"So monsters are us?" Bell asked quietly, feeling dread in the story that was revealed to him.

"Mortals, spirits, and gods alike," Zeus nodded. "A soul that is taken by the Sheol is forcibly torn apart to the point it is no longer capable of being the breath of the High God. Reincarnation is still used, but this slowly turning into the High God simply making new souls. Eventually, souls will no longer be able to reincarnate. This is why the task of Titans like Michael is so important. The safeguard of the dead is what keeps monsters from overrunning the world. Some souls made monsters are still very much intact, however, souls like some evil gods who became creatures like the Dragon. Other souls were taken against their will and were made into monsters, yet still retain what made them what they were before, the Xenos. Yet, there is one creature I heard of that was once monster and had his soul brought back together by the High God."

"Asterius," Bell said quietly, his thoughts turning to the Xenos. His heart broke for his friends, though he was glad he was able to help them.

"Yes," Zeus nodded. "But Gaia's suffering only began with Enyo Eris. Her true pain was through Moloch, when he became Dragon, and the making of the recreated weapon of Brahma. Moloch warred against Gaia and her spirits in the name of his Dark Mistress, a battle that would have been a standstill if it were not for the support of the two gods that were the Behemoth and Leviathan. The three fallen gods struck down the spirits until only Gaia's original spirits remained, but she made them flee before the wrath of the Dragon. The atrocities they did to Gaia brought further shame to the gods, who did nothing to help her. They defiled her and killed her physical form, which retreated to Beol. But Moloch followed her spirit even into Beol with other gods, where he took illumetal, mithril, and durandal, and combined it her blood. That is how the weapon of Brahma was recreated. But Moloch was alone when the weapon was finished, and the original spirits came together and made him flee Beol.

The spirits brought back power to Gaia's spirit, and there was defensive magic was placed upon this place, but Enyo Eris was never able to come for her prized weapon. Two of those spirits left Gaia, however, the other three, I do not know of them save that they never left this place."

"Then it is the spirits we are up against," Bell said thoughtfully.

"Yes, unfortunately," Zeus answered. "They have long memories, and do not forgive easily, so be on you guard."

"I understand," Bell nodded before standing up and stretching. "Lili, Welf, we should get a move on!"

His two friends nodded their agreement, the earth began to tremble as they started to get up. The next thing Bell knew was that cracks in the cave ceiling formed over where Lili stood, and the boy quickly moved to push her out of the way. He tackled her as he heard the shouts of Zeus and Welf as the sound of stone piling upon stone screamed throughout the caves, and then there was silence.

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Hi, everyone! This chapter turned out a little longer than I thought it was going to, but I am happy with it. When I first started writing on the story of Gaia, I had the thought of philosophical story of Plato's "Cave" in my mind. The story is simple: there is a man who lives in a cave that for some reason is difficult to climb out of. However, there is sunlight that reaches the back of the cave and the man will see shadows see pass by the wall where the light bounces off of. He spends his time looking at said shadows and tries to guess what they are, philosophical question becomes "can you really define what a thing is by description?" If I were to describe a cat to you, you may respond in kind to my descriptions "but so is 'x.'" And if you were to leave the cave, what if what you found wasn't the reality you hoped for? Knowledge is power, but ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Once again, sorry it took so long to complete the chapter and hopefully I will not take as long to get out the next one. But, while covid is still a major problem, I am unsure how much free time I will have to myself. Please leave your reviews! I always look forward to what you have to say.