Visions and New Bonds

¬When the seas roar, and the heavens tremble

¬Ruptures and heaven's canopy shall be his temple

¬And when the beast hath stirred and awakened

¬Will the weight of his cogency upon valorous hearts be ladened

¬And there shall he ascend, a king over a king

¬Master of war, desolation shall he bring

¬Upon them beholden of his fury

¬Whom with him find no peace nor amity

¬Thus shall he stoke the verve of the brave

¬A path to laudation will he pave

¬And when to his ardour do the eyes do turn

¬Shall in his palm fate crumble, and destiny burn...

...

A girl with gracefully long blue hair clawed and thrashed beneath her covers as cascades of sweat poured down her temple and soaked her pillow. Audible sobs and gasps of fear rang aloud in the cold stony room. At that moment, the window to the room within which she slept blew inwards and let in a draft of cold harsh air.

Near to her in another futon, the sharp yellow eyes a beautiful young woman with red hair flew open and she quickly sat up in shock as the sudden breeze hit her face. She blinked in confusion for a moment before she picked up the sound of her closest friend struggling in her own bedding.

Rolling her eyes while tutting at being disturbed from her sleep, she quickly crawled out of her bedcovers with only a simple long shirt to guard her modesty as she rushed over to her friend and vigorously shook the dark haired woman.

"Cassandra!" She said as loud as she was able to, in fear becoming loud enough that someone in the next room or the room over would be roused by her voice and make this problem bigger than it should be in the already troubling and confounded circumstances already occupying their Familia.

She held the back of her hand to Cassandra's forehead and angled her friend's head a bit to bring it into the moonlight. To the young woman's shock, the bluenette's skin was pale and sickly to the touch.

"This bad?!" She hissed before physically lifting her friend into a seating position and shaking her like she wanted to rattle her soul out of her body. "It's just a nightmare! Just shut it already and WAKE UP!"

Cassandra's eyes opened to reveal porraceous irises, with the whites full of red streaks and dilating pupils as she took in a sharp intake of breath and escaped the torment of her mind. She sat rigid for a couple of seconds before she looked around the room she was in and then at her friend who was staring at her with an expression of both concern and anger.

"Daphne?" Cassandra asked nervously.

"YES, Daphne." The red haired girl huffed. "Have you any idea of the racket you were making?! A few more seconds and that sharp faced git of a captain of ours would have been throwing doors open to sniff us out!"

"I'm sorry." Cassandra apologised with a face of genuine sadness before her experiences came rushing back and she looked around the room again. "Wait, where are we again?"

"Was it that bad that it made you forget where we're sleeping tonight?" Daphne raised her brow incredulously before sighing. "We're staking the night out in one of Melen's fringe storehouses to make sure no sabotages or traps are planted. Though not as big as the fort which the Freya Familia has taken, it's defensive enough to act as our flag base when we begin tomorrow's War Game."

Cassandra's eyes widened as she finally remembered their predicament.

Six days and six nights had passed since the great Denatus, where their stupid patron somehow got himself roped into a War Game where he would have to fight alongside two Familia which were beyond a doubt greater fighting forces than themselves. But ever the pompous and contemptuous narcissist their captain was, he immediately began virtue signalling the Apollo Familia and how they would demonstrate the might and glory of the Apollo Familia and show the city once and for all that they were a force to be reckoned with.

The trouble was though, when Hyakinthos made a decision, it was an instant finality. Within hours of Apollo's announcement, they had begun sharpening the battle axes and gathering supplies and rations. Given that their opposition didn't seem to determine a base for themselves, it was assumed they'd siege the makeshift strongholds of every Familia to get at their flags instead of fighting an all out war...

...

THEIR OPPOSITION!

Cassandra's stomach churned as the sound of a haunting and sky shattering roar echoed in her mind, ending in a heavy rumble that shook the very air. Her eyes shrank in terror as she recounted in detail what she had seen and she grasped Daphne's bicep in a vice-grip, her mouth contorted into a pleading sob as she stared up at her perplexed friend with eyes full of fear.

"I had a vision Daphne!" She protested. "It was real I swear! We can't fight in this War Game!"

"Oh, here we go again." Daphne rolled her eyes as she expelled all the air in her chest and she plopped down on her hindquarters while leaning backwards on her arms. "How many times have I told you?...it's just nightmares. You can't believe every dream you have is a prophetic vision. I thought we talked about this."

"But every 'dream' I've ever told you about came true!" Cassandra crawled forwards and pushed her face into her friend's, making Daphne lean back in surprise. "And this one matters more than any other! Daphne...he is a monster, he controls monsters! He'll destroy us all!"

"H-hey now." Daphne put a palm on her face and pushed the girl back. "I get that he's a real prick sometimes, and yes it feels like he's a genuine monster. But not everybody in the Familia are monsters, and I don't think he's capable of just annihilating all of us by himself." Daphne shrugged with a hand. "I mean yes, the captain is better at fighting than the rest of us, and he's-"

"I'm not talking about our captain!" Cassandra protested with an angry pout. "I'm talking about HIM...the guy we'll be fighting tomorrow!"

"Oh, you mean the faux who's putting on a drama show." Daphne said as she lost any sort of wariness and her body drooped in boredom. "Come on, you don't seriously believe he is what he claims to be do you?"

"The Loki Familia swore upon it!"

"Even good people may betray their reputation if they have something to gain from it...or something to lose." Daphne leaned her chin in her palm. "Or maybe they want to help him prop himself up for some special reason. Considering the rumours flying around about him and the Sword Princess, I wouldn't say it is far off."

"He's going to do terrible things Daphne! You have to believe me." Cassandra said. "If we go into this, you and I will never be able to come out of it. He's even more than what he says he is...every Familia that challenges him is going to fall."

"Now you're just being dramatic." Daphne said as she pushed Cassandra back into bed. "I told you, it's just nightmares. You're nervous because we're going to be in a War Game that will be shown to the whole city. It causes you to dream things that are in reality just unrealistic and absurd. And you're a very timid person by nature...just go back to sleep and this will all just be over tomorrow."

"...why don't you ever believe me?" Cassandra pleaded. "What about all the times I was right?"

"Coincidences." Daphne answered as she leaned out of the window to survey the area outside. In the distance, she could see moving lights as people left their houses in Melen and moved to the outskirts to be out of the way of the War Game when it erupted. Upon squinting, she could see members of the Poseidon Familia directing people away. "Unbelievable. Fisherman and their families are being made to leave their beds and move to the hills for this stupid spectacle...the gods are so heartless sometimes."

"Daphne, please..." Cassandra clasped her hands as she tried to convince her friend one last time. "...let's go away while we still can. If we go now, they won't have time to look for us in the morning."

"Don't be a fool." Daphne chided her. "Assuming I did agree with you and we ran off, you know how petty Hyakinthos is. He would hunt us down at any cost even while the War Game was going on...and I can't fight for the both of us."

Cassandra looked down in defeat. No matter how many times she'd liked to believe in her friend, Daphne just never believed her visions and nonchalantly waved her prophetic messages off as dreams or nightmares. She knew what was coming...she knew who was coming.

If there had ever been a vision she would rank as the one she feared above all else, it would be the one she'd just woken up from...earth-quaking footsteps thundered in the horizon for her.

---

A hooded figure peeked over a wall in Melen at the storehouse and checked it out from bottom, analysing its defensive points and where the most penetrative point could be. As he did so, a hooded figure about a third of his size climbed up his back and peered over his shoulder at the same building.

"It's pretty flimsy." Finn said to Steve as they both ducked down again. "I bet you could sneeze and the thing would tumble over."

"It's not always the fortress that does the job, but the guy in charge of it also. Put that poofta in the fort that Freya's taken, and even against another Familia, the whole thing will come down."

"You're right." Finn nodded. "But I don't think any fortress matters to the guy who shattered the 49th Floor and erased it it from the Dungeon by making it collapse on the safe zone."

"Can you stop bringing that up?! It was a bloody accident! I didn't meant to do it."

"My point exactly. If you could do that on accident, what can you do when you actually mean it?" Finn put a hand on his hip. "And don't pretend that you're not just going to tear through this whole place just to make a point."

"...you're right. I am planning to do just that." Steve said as they began bounding across the rooftops and away from the scene. "Thanks for doing this with me by the way."

"What did you actually need me for?"

"Somebody to talk to I guess?" Steve shrugged his shoulders. "Captain to captain hear to heart maybe? I just didn't feel like doing this alone."

"Hey, I'm not complaining." Finn said. "It reminds me of the days when I was a child, and we used to sneak around the village at night and get up to all kinds of things."

"Your parents ever knew?"

"I always thought I'd gotten away with it. But as an adult, I look back now and after re-analysing certain things, I realize I'd never fooled them."

"True. Grown ups know a whole lot more than they let on." Steve said as he thought back on his own experiences. "I've certainly had my fair share of experiences."

"...I have a few requests Steve." Finn said. "I know you have your own objectives in this War Game...but if you could spare the effort to consider my words, I'd be grateful."

"Not only are we friends Finn, we're allies too." Steve said. "Of course I'm going to lend an ear if you're asking for it. What do you need?"

They came to a stop on a rooftop which had a bit of a higher wall where they could hide as some of the Poseidon Familia members patrolled by.

"Whatever happens between you and the Freya Familia, it's all up to you." Finn said. "But don't measure Ottar by the same yard-stick. He's not like the others, even though he is the most dutiful to his goddess. If Orario were to lose him, it would be a real loss and shame."

"I'm not going to snuff him out if that's what you're afraid of." Steve said. "But what are you really asking of me?"

"...It may sound strange to you considering I'm the captain of their biggest rival Familia...but whatever you do in the War Game...make it a learning point for Ottar where he can grow further." Finn said. "I guess I'm saying, help him become stronger."

"Now that is a weird request. Why on Earth would you ask of me to strengthen him when it would be to your detriment?"

"Because of you." Finn answered. "I'm sure everyone in the know of it all has realised by now that the contention between the Loki and Freya Familia is meaningless now that your Familia exists. Each and every one of you exists in a league of your own and you've set the bar too high for us to even see." Finn chuckled. "To try and prove our superiority over the Freya Familia is meaningless when you can just blow us both away."

"As will hopefully every other petty feud in Orario." Steve said. "We aim to hold monopoly over certain things for sure. After all, we have to make by with some business model. But we don't aim to be tyrants like Zeus and Hera, that I can assure you. I still don't think however that that is all the reason you're asking me this. "

"Ottar and I go way back to the times where we lived under the shadow of those two Familia." Finn said nostalgically. "I remember him when he was a kid and just how hard he fought to become stronger and prove himself worthy to serve his goddess. Before I knew it, he'd sped past me. But if there is anybody in that Familia who is genuinely good and honourable, then it is him. The last time he was able to level up was when he went up against a man of renowned power even amongst his own Familia, a man feared and respected by all."

"And you're hoping for me to be the next catalyst for his next level up?" Steve asked. "Don't worry Finn...I was planning on doing it anyway."

"You were?"

"Of course. What fun would there be if there wasn't competition?" Steve grinned. "Not to say that that particular level up would mean anything anyway to me. I'd still punt him aside just the same...but I do plan on making it happen. As for the rest of his Familia...well, it's a different story. There are some genuine assholes there who need a serious beating and my people are more than willing to serve it up cold or hot."

"I have no doubt." Finn shook his head. "Ottar levelling up might inspire the rest of us to try harder as well. It's about time someone amongst us reached the next level of power."

"I'd say you and the other two are good enough by now." Steve said. "And understandably, Ais still has much room to grow but out of the younger members, she's definitely the most fit to ascend to the next level."

"I'm sure. And speaking of which, Tiona has been particularly jumpy, smug and happy ever since your birthday night." Finn crossed his arms and looked at him grimly. "Tione has been near insufferable lately with jealousy and zeal."

"Your fault for doing what you did all those years ago knowing what her kind is like." Steve shrugged. "You rag-dolled an Amazon just because she was a level 3 at a super young age and you wanted them in your Familia. You reap what you sow."

"Don't we all?" Finn sighed rhetorically. "Take care of Tiona from now on. You understand our expectations are much higher now."

"Naturally." Steve answered. "Now, was there anything else you wanted to ask of me?"

"...This is a little bit more personal but..." Finn leaned forward and lowered his voice even though they were both in complete solitude on that rooftop. "...there is a Pallum in the Apollo Familia. His name is Luan Espel. You'll know him when you see him."

"And what relevance could an insignificant Pallum have in the eyes of the most famous Pallum in the world of the current day?" Steve asked.

"Pallums are well connected you see. Such that we even have our own special places of gathering when we want to socialise."

"Yes, I am aware of the rumoured hidden tavern." Steve grinned. "Would you believe me if I said I could find it instantly?"

"At this point I'd believe you even if you said the sky was green." Finn said exasperatedly. "Knowing you, you'd somehow make it a possibility."

"..."

"You've got to be kidding me." Finn sighed exasperatedly. "Anyway, because we're so closely knitted, I know Luan quite well. And to sum it up...he's a disgrace to Pallums and many amongst us have been hoping he's taught a lesson. So if you could spare the effort..." Finn drummed his fingers. "...mind stepping on him?"

"With pleasure." Steve smiled. "It's always enjoyable to put an arrogant brat in his place."

"I'm glad we agree." Finn looked out to the lake. "By the way, where exactly are you guys hiding?"

"It wouldn't be a secret if I told you know would it?" Steve smirked. "I'd have to kill you if I told you."

"Whatever." Finn rolled his eyes. "Honestly it's probably some other absurdity or another. I'm too tired by now to be surprised by anything you do, especially after the manor."

"I can't be that bad." Steve said. "And besides, you might jinx yourself or perhaps even another you."

"Another me?"

"Maybe by saying that, you've sentenced another Finn Deimne in some other timeline to have his common sense shattered over and over again." Steve explained. "It could happen you know. You're lucky I didn't come to Orario as a kid and dismantle your reality then."

"If there is such a version of me who is subjected to a life like that or even something closely connected, then I wish him all the luck in the world." Finn shook his head. "If that child is you or anything like you, I'm quite certain he'll be one massive headache I'm happy I didn't get."

.

.

.

Somewhere somewhen, a boy in blindfolds and a nasty scar across his stomach violently sneezed as the sound of his output echoed around the expanse of the 38th floor, momentarily breaking his concentration from his meditation as he quickly gathered himself and refocused.

.

.

.

"Well if you think you can't get surprised anymore, just you wait and see what the team and I have prepared for tomorrow's showdown." Steve grinned. "They've finally been able to go down to the Dungeon and experience the Upper Floors, and ever since then, one of them in particular has been impatiently waiting to bust out her new cards."

"I'll depend on you to be entertained." Finn said.

"You know, I like this side of you Finn." Steve said. "When you're around your Familia, you're always so stiff. But away from them, you act normally and more loosely."

"As a captain I have an example to set." Finn said. "And I would recommend that you too adopted the same approach."

"I've done it for longer than the Loki Familia has existed." Steve said.

"Oh yeah, that four hundred years thing?"

"After reviewing a few details with Alex, that number has been bumped up."

"...Goodnight Steve." Finn said as he slipped away. "We'll be cheering for you of course."

"I'd kick your collective asses again if you didn't." Steve grinned at the now gone Pallum before looking out to the lake as it's ripples glittered like gems in the moonlight. "Now ends the Age of the Gods...and tomorrow shall begin as the Day of the Titan. And I, the King over a King. I can't wait."

---

(The Day of the War Game)

Bell Cranel sighed as he picked his sore bottom off the ground, flinching as the door slammed shut with such force that the draught it created nearly knocked him over again. With a glum look, he tore the last recruitment page in his hand and watched with depression as the pieces fluttered to the ground. He looked up to the sky, feeling like crying for the umpteenth time.

But the tears had long run dry. Each and every time, the same insult was hurled his way and each and every time he was turned out on his backside. At this point he'd become so numb to it and just so empty of energy that he could not even feel bad for himself. Bell dragged his tired body over to somebody's doorstep and plopped down on his backside. He was sure by now that there were burn marks on it given how many times he was thrown out on his ass.

Setting his pack down on the ground, he fumbled around the side pockets for a bit and pulled out a small purse. Upon opening it, he was greeted with the further disheartening appearance of an empty money purse. Not only had he not found a Familia yet, but he smelled and his clothes were worn out, and now he was out of funds. So he could not eat nor could he afford some place to sleep now. He let the money purse slide out of his hand and flutter to the ground as he folded his arms over his knees and buried his head in them.

Steve had been right.

For the past week, it had been one rejection after another. But despite the assurance from the adventurer that there would be light at the end of this tunnel, Bell felt like he could not be kicked any deeper into the ditch...which was also something Steve had predicted. The Familia he'd just been rejected from was one that in a right state of mind, he would not have considered unless it was his most extreme last option...and it had been exactly that. So he had been in this state of mind for a long time already.

...

Perhaps coming to Orario was a bad idea. He was so much wiser now thanks to Steve's verbal bashing of him. He'd been so unprepared for the slap of reality, and so underqualified to get into any Familia, it was a crazy wistful idea that any Familia would accept him. And there was no sign of that light of hope that Steve had promised him. Perhaps it was the one thing that Steve was wrong about...there was no chance of him getting into any Familia.

Maybe...it was time to stop living a fantasy. Perhaps it was time to pick up his boots and go back to the village. His grandpa worked as a farmer, so why couldn't he? He would just live a humble life as a nameless nobody, another face that would disappear into the sands of time with no relevance that would carry his name through the ages. There would be no harems and princesses...if he was lucky, he could marry a cute village girl at some point in the future and settle down with her. When one thought about it, it really wasn't a bad thing, to live like a common man. He'd never had any talent nor any formal combat training, so it was probably the best decision for him going forward.

Sighing to himself as he steeled his resolve, he picked up his pack and thumbed it for a moment, wondering how he could get a ride past the forest and avoid the bandit camps. He could make the rest of the journey back on foot. It would only take about...a few months? A year? And he could live off of the wilderness while he made his way back as well...oh who was he kidding? He needed money and there was now only two ways of getting it...finding a small job or begging. And he was not going to try option number two out first. Standing up fully, he reached up to wipe the small phantom tears and rub his puffy eyes.

As he hoisted his pack onto his back, a wooden cup accidentally fell out and bounced along the cobble. He rushed after it but somehow tripped on air and landed on his own face. He was quite certain that his nose had crunched in the fall and he looked up to see the cup still bouncing...until it came to rest by a pair of feet in flip flops in the shadow of another house. Bell's eyes slowly travelled up the person's legs, up their small body, pausing ever so momentarily on their chest before his red irises were met with brilliant blue ones.

The little girl ahead of him peered down at the cup that had clattered at her feet and she smiled before picking it up.

"Hello young man." She said as she fully stepped into the sunlight that shone through the crack of two houses into the small alleyway. "Are you looking for a Familia?" She asked while holding the cup out to him...

...It was almost symbolic.

Bell stared up at her with wide eyes as he took in her appearance. Her lovely skin, her night black hair that was tied into twin-tails. Her blue eyes were large and her face looked as if it had been carved out of marble by a goddess...no wait, she WAS a goddess!

That aura, that sensation was unmistakable.

"Are...are you a goddess?" The boy asked timidly.

"I am." She smiled as her full cheeks turned a little red, and her face lit up with light as she smiled. "I am Hestia. What's your name?"

"I'm Bell. B-Bell Cranel." He said as he sat up in front of her.

"Bell Cranel." She repeated with a giggle before she looked down at him. "Well Bell Cranel, would you like to join my Familia?"

Bell could just feel the kindness and warmth oozing out of every pore in this girl's body...it felt like home.

This was it...he was sure of it. Steve's promise had been made good upon. His hope had actually appeared at the moment when he had given up all chances of it!

"Are you sure?" He asked. "I'm...I'm not that strong."

"Neither am I." Hestia said. "And I don't have any children either. You'd be the first. But if the rest of the world will not accept us, then perhaps we could accept each other. Let's start a Familia Bell Cranel...and that way we can both be alone no more."

Her soft voice soothed his nerves and brought comfort to his soul. His heart resonated with this goddess and every fibre of his being was commanding him to accept her offer. There was no doubt about it...she was the goddess for him.

"Thank you...for having me." Bell said gratefully and with shortness of breath, as great relief overcame him and his heart poured out all his emotions into that sentence. He grasped the cup from her, accepting her offering as she offered her hand again to help him up. Upon grabbing it, he noticed how small and dainty her gloved fingers were...the fingers of someone worth protecting, worth following forever because she had accepted him when all others had rejected him and turned him away. This was it! This was the beginning of his journey! He was finally going to become an adventurer!

.

.

.

The blissful silence was broken by a deep rumbling sound emanating from his stomach and both froze for a moment. After about a couple of seconds, Bell's face began to brighten at having such a serious and meaningful moment broken by his hunger. Hestia meanwhile just began laughing, driving to invoke his embarrassment even more.

"I see that you're hungry Bell." She said. "Don't worry. There's a little eatery nearby where we can get something. Consider it our first meal together...and a celebration of you finally getting to join a Familia."

"Y-yeah." He stammered, glad for an excuse to come out of this situation. "Let's do that."

...

As they made their way over to the little place Hestia wanted to take him to, Bell noticed that the city was bustling a lot more than usual. And if he didn't know better, he'd have sworn that the people looked excited too for something. He looked to his goddess who was now walking besides him and looking up at him with that smile of hers. He tried to strike up a conversation.

"Erm...Goddess. Do you happen to know why it's so busy out in the streets today?"

"You haven't heard?" Hestia raised her brow. "Today is the day of the War Game. It's a momentous occasion, and every body is waiting for it to start so we can watch it.

And she wouldn't have been wrong either. Every dining place and every public area was filled with people. There were even some who were seated in the Amphitheatron to watch the War Game in big when the time for broadcasting came.

"A 'War Game'?" Bell repeated. "That doesn't sound like fun."

"It's a contest where Familias fight against one another on the battlefield for something they want from each other. It's a really big thing when something like a War Game is in the air...especially when one of the contesting Familia is nothing but the most powerful Familia in the world at the moment."

"Where do people watch it then?" Bell asked. "Because it seems nobody wants to move from these shops anytime soon."

"You'll see soon enough." Hestia gave him a thumbs up. "Life in Orario will be different to everything you've ever known before. So you better hurry up and forget about your old life if you want to enjoy your new life here. And by the way, after we've finished, we can go to my home and I'll put a Falna on you."

"Yes goddess."

The two eventually made their way into a small eating area, where they were served bread and cheese and a bit of ale to wash it down. Everybody then suddenly perked up as a ball of light appeared in the corner of the restaurant and people began to get excited as the ball expanded and began to display images.

"It's time." Hestia said.

---

(Babel Tower)

The gods piled into their own viewing room as Ptah sat in the foremost seat to get the best view of the confrontation to come. Apollo sulked behind him and he could not be bothered to look at the expressions of Freya and Ishtar as they were there too. In the middle of the room was a round table to which the ever helpful Hermes stepped up.

"Ouranos!" The messenger god called out. "Allow me to use my divine powers!" He said as he clicked his fingers.

"Permission granted."

From the table arose a big ball of light which then became a magical screen showing a live feed of Lolog Lake. All around Orario, the same thing was popping up as people excitedly crowded around these things, waiting for something to happen. Ganesha then stepped out with a microphone that would blare his voice out to the whole city.

"I AM GANESHA!" The elephant god yelled into the device. "Ladies and gentleman, brothers and sister, mothers and fathers, all people of the two genders and anything in between, welcome to a special event! One that has been anticipated with much baited breath and now it finally happening. When the clock strikes noon, the contestants shall be made to begin the game! Welcome to the singular gladiators versus a tripartite opposition. Welcome to the Freya, Apollo and Ishtar Familia vs none other, than the new and quickly rising Ptah Familia! Welcome to the War Game!"

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