Hymns of Beginning

Hephaestus.

The muse of fire. Deity of weapons. Master of the Smith.

Those were the titles; the Goddess of Flames, forged by relentless ambition beared.

A fearless individual. Mighty, even within the perspective of some. Advancing her forging skills that reached Divinity, even whilst having her powers - her Arcana - sealed. Known across Orario, and the Lower World, as the greatest blacksmith alive. Worthy of that reputation.

She was a Goddess, who made her name known wide. Unhesitant, honest, and steadfast. Qualities, and traits, that rocketed her inevitable rise as one of the richest Familia's to exist in Orario. Right after the banishment of the Zeus and Hera familia. An individual that was an incarnation of composure.

Yet at this very instance, such a daunting presence that demanded nothing less than respect; was currently at a loss.

The woman with blazing red-hair, reminiscent to a unrelenting fire, winced. Her beauty, comparable to a rough; elegant gem. Fierce. Similarily to Tsubaki that stood before her, the possession of an eyepatch that covered her eyes did not diminish ber beauty any further. In fact, it seemed to rather accentuate it - reaffirming her position as a Master Smith.

However, the soft hand that reached to rub her forehead in bemusement denied any sort of jubilance such figure should usually hold. Pride at their achievement. The intermittent twitching of her eyebrow, signalled her tiredness that was calmly masked behind a smile. Perhaps a result of the stacking paperwork that lay just beside her. Its mere presence, taunting Hephaestus as it didn't seem to lessen even after these hours.

Meanwhile, the woman that stood in front was unperturbed by her Goddess' circumstances. Perhaps a light feeling of sympathy, when glancing at the mountain of papers. A task she would never dare to take indeed. A comforting silence lingering in the air as both women recollect their thoughts. However, it was one short lived.

"Let me get this straight." she spoke, breaking the ice. "You found a boy, sleeping on the 8th floor on the dungeon?" Tsubaki nodded. "Then you checked to see if he was injured and checked his body. But then you found out he didn't belong to any Familia, and more over he was an unblessed?" She nodded again, causing Hephaestus to smile without joy. "So then you brought him here because you didn't know what else to do. Barging into my office while shouting in glee." Tsubaki simply smiled brightly in response.

Hephaestus sighed deeply. Recollecting her patience at the sheer absurdity of it all. In fact, it was so bizarre that her serenity and composure - a crucial trait needed to forge on unruffled - built over uncounted millenia - simply shattered. She had lived in the Lower World long enough to know that an unblessed travelling to the 8th floor, and then continuing to sleep was nothing short of suicidal.

It wasn't a conclusion she made due to them being weak. Not at all; if it was then how would the unblessed that tread fearlessly within in the era of heroes, stand their own ground? Rather, it was the foolishness of it all. The techniques used to fight against beasts without a Falna was lost long ago, the age of Heroes had been passed since. It was now the Epoch of Gods. Having been ushered since the descent of the Divine.

On the contrary, the reason as to why few unblessed existed within the Aeon of Gods was due to one simply disadvantage. A restriction - that withered those too proud of their mortal coil, to become one with the Gods. Seeking for sky beyond the horizon. A light that illuminates their world.

Excelia.

The immaterial existence that fueled the strength of those who were known as blessed. Those who had a Falna. By killing a monster, or simply fighting with one would do one simple thing. Increase your Excelia that would permanently boost the strength of one who contained the blessing of a God. A marking widely renown to be called - Falna. It was a case of equivalent exchange. At the cost of gaining strength beyond your years, the price you had to pay was to walk alongside death.

Or to walk into it.

Despite the dangers and severity it possessed, it was still ambrosia to mortals. Like gold to a beggar. Immortality to a King. An irresistible temptation that would cause the rise or fall. The beginning of a heroic tale, or the end of a story that may have reached for more.

The act of absorbing Excelia is only a few of the many advantages one could gain from joining Familia. However, if one reason were to be said which convinced those prideful unblessed to seek a God, then it would be due to one indisputable fact.

Those with a Falna are incomparably stronger than those without.

Unblessed were considered as Level 0's. Weaklings, that were bound to die or live a mundane life. That was the natural law that bound the Lower World, and it would thoroughly remain so. Meanwhile Level 1's were those that stepped onto the territory of supernatural. Finding the way to obtain strength with half the effort, yet twice the gains.

Hephaestus instinctively furrowed her eyebrows at the firm conclusion. She had believed that the unblessed had all disappeared since the dawn of the Divine. Yet here one lay before her, one unmarked yet trudged toward the 8th floor of the Dungeon. A mere Level 0 marching to a place most Level 1's wouldn't dare to enter. It was either the suicidal act of a fool, or the movement of a genius who truly had something to show. Something to exhibit.

Hephaestus observed the boy that slept for what seemed like an eternity. Stygian hair, darker than those of Tsubaki, framing his flawless features that even she admitted to be alluring. A compliment to be taken grandly, especially when considering that the perspectives of Gods themselves were skewed. The ones considered to be perfect. Unblemished.

Sitting at her desk as a Goddess. As a ruler of her Familia. She had to make a choice. She is not so benevolent to help a stranger at the goodness of her heart, that was reserved to only she considered dear. However at the same time, she wasn't as cruel to leave a lone boy starving. Wandering. Especially when ahead of her sight. She was a Goddess before a Smith after all.

Clasping her hands together, Hephaestus decided to take a gamble. A risk - that may profit her double, perhaps even more. Or a devestating failure that would edge away at her psyche. Alongside the ire of her long known friend. A companion. It was one she didn't have conviction within. A pure wager. Unsuitable regarding one of her status -

However, even then she decided to roll the dice.

"Tsubaki, call Hestia in." her voice found itself to the captain; arching an eyebrow in surprise. "She said she needed someone to join her Familia, right? Tell her I might have found someone right within her strike zone."

She was a blacksmith after all. Gambling was one of the only things she was good at. Whether it was before or now.

- - - - - - - - - -

Waking up is one thing. Seeing a petite woman with twin tails bouncing gleefully whilst screaming was another thing all together.

The boy was slackjawed. Bewildered by the incongruity of waking up from a slumber; then coming face to face with a woman who observed every inch of his face intently. Perhaps even obsessively. Which gave the boy a chance to gaze upon the first face he had seen since the dawn of his nightmare.

She was beautiful. Incredibly so. Her face that consisted of cerulean eyes that glistened slightly in joy. Even under the dim light of the flickers of the flame that encompassed us. Her black, flowing hair split into twin tails, swaying as she jumped around, pleased. She was quite petite too.

However the presence of two startling calcium empowered bazooka's would deny any sort of pure or sincere feelings. Unfortunately lust was the sin of man; and it was up to them to control that unrelenting desire. Amitabha.

Everything aside, the ravenheaded youth had more crucial matters at hand. Persistent questions clouding his mind, casting a cloak over his vision. Plaguing his psyche. How did he survived? Why a door suddenly appeared. If all those years spent were actually real or simply a hallucination created from his mind. Most importantly -

"Where am I?"

Whispering a query that slipped from his lips, served to astound the woman. Her jittering feet halting as she took a moment to analyse the boy. Awed at the fact that he could actually speak. However, as expected of a Goddess she quickly collected her composure and puffed out her chest. Causing the boy to glance away momentarily.

"Welcome, traveller! You are within the humble abode of the best blacksmith and my best friend, Hephaestus!" a grin was plastered on her face as she came closer, a foreign sense of familiarity falling upon them. "My name is Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth - pleased to meet you!"

The surprised youth gazed at the woman smiling brightly inquisitively. Her energy causing the boy to drop his guard a little, concluding that she was most likely one of the people that took care of him when he got dropped her with no warning whatsoever.

"Ermrys." he replied. The basic needs on survival and his own name were one of the few things he remembered from when he treaded aimlessly. An ache biting his mind when he reminisced of a time that seemed like it was centuries ago.

A strange sense of tranquility descended as the two figures glanced at each other. The strange sense of comfort tugging at each other, unknown to both of them. Melting away any negative and afflciting emotions he once had. Burying them, for just a while longer.

"Hestia and Emrys. Emrys and Hestia." she whispered after a while, with a smile. Shattering the silence that bound them, content. Humming. "Hmm, Hmm. I've made my decision!"

She suddenly jumped back. Hair fluttering as she put her hands on her hips, and tilting her chin upwards to convey her intentions. The woman who held a sense of naivety abruptly took a gasping breath of air before speaking confidently. Buliding up a tension that seemed to make her seem more adorable than intimidating. It was so unnatural that it seemed like it was an advice she took from a fellow friend, or book even.

However, that sense of cuteness was bound to vanish at the thundering declaration that roared and rung in his ears.

"Join my Familia, Emrys!" the boy stared blankly at her. Stupefication bubbling within. "It's one of the best, really! In terms of sleeping, but that can be fixed with you there!" looking at her attempt to persuade him, the boy was shocked to the point he had no response. The woman feeling a teenie bit antsy at the lack of a word. "Urm, please?" Perhaps not so teenie after all.

"Ah?"

The boy chuckled. He laughed. Hands reaching to hold his stomach, as the woman's eyes watered in embarassment. Causing him to chortle harder. The sheer peculiarity of it all causing the boy to be filled with a plethora of sensations he thought had abandoned.

"A Familia..."

Emotions that felt so foreign. So strange. Yet somehow he didn't hate it. Gazing upon her puffing figure with a harmless glint in his eyes.

'She's a odd woman.'

Under the roof that held the bindings of a Mortal and Goddess soon to be interwoven. Accompanied by a single flame of a flickering hearth that oversaw their figure with warmth. It signalled the advent of a tale unspoken.

Singing the hymns of a beginning that will elucidate a hatred unforgiven by the grains of time.