After Aasterinian's sudden revelations, the mountain air felt heavy, each breath laden with unspoken thoughts.
The trek to Edas village, was now a corridor of introspection.
Draco had drifted to the back, his mind a tempest of information regarding his future and the enigmatic nature of who he was going to meet.
Up ahead, Bahamut and Aasterinian walked side by side, their hushed conversation a counterpoint to the tense silence behind them.
Beside Draco, his sister Vasiliki moved like a shadow, her presence a silent anchor.
Behind them, Vasileios and Dimitra maintained a vigilant watch, their eyes scanning the terrain for any stray monsters.
The clash between Bahamut and Falazure might have concluded, but its scars were etched deep into the landscape.
Displaced wildlife, chaotic streams of monsters, and a shattered natural order meant the ecosystem was a wound slowly trying to knit itself together, a process that would likely take ages.
Within a few minutes, a break in the trees revealed Edas village in the distance.
Its outline, however, was disturbingly ragged.
"Draco nii, we have arrived," Vasiliki's soft voice broke through his reverie.
He looked up, meeting her gaze before shifting his own to the distant settlement.
The full extent of the devastation hit him with a fresh pang.
When they had passed through Edas hours ago, it had been under the shroud of night, obscuring the true horror.
Now, in the stark light of day, he saw the splintered homes, the collapsed roofs, and the dust motes dancing over what had once been ordered, humble lives.
'Sigh, this is bad. Although we weren't directly the cause, our goddess did have an indirect hand in it' Draco thought, his gaze involuntarily finding Bahamut's back.
An almost imperceptible flicker of emotion crossed Bahamut's face, a momentary shadow of regret, before it was gone, leaving her expression serene once more.
Aasterinian caught it, but said nothing.
Bahamut, having known a settlement existed within the Beol mountain range, had still chosen this region for her momentous battle with Falazure.
She had taken precautions, drawing the fight to the far northern edges, all the way to the sea.
Yet, the collateral damage had rippled out, affecting innocent lives and stirring conflicting emotions within the dragon goddess.
But Bahamut, a deity wise in the ways of the world, composed herself with practiced speed.
'We will have to provide some form of relief, perhaps money' Draco mused, practicality overriding his concern.
It was pretty much the only thing the Bahamut familia could provide, and even that was a scarce commodity.
The brutal war with the evilus had bled Orario dry.
The Guild had promised him some compensation, but with the city heavily damaged, countless adventurers dead, repair costs astronomical, and the dungeon monster population needing to be culled, the payout felt like a distant dream.
Adding to the complicated tangle of his thoughts, Aasterinian had announced she would be taking him away from Orario, for how long, she had cryptically left unsaid.
'Sigh, one thing at a time' Draco reminded himself, resuming his walk toward the ravaged village.
Upon passing the makeshift entrance, the stench of death thickened, a cloying, metallic-sweet aroma that clung to the air.
Bodies, hardly intact were being carefully, solemnly, pulled from the debris of broken houses. Draco, Dimitra, Vasileios, and Vasiliki didn't flinch, nor did they show disgust.
A flicker of pity, perhaps, but that was all.
Their relentless experience with death during the war against the evilus had further desensitized them, especially when the victims were essentially strangers.
Amongst the somber figures aiding the villagers, Michalis suddenly spotted them.
Dropping the plank he was carrying, he sprinted forward, his eyes alight with a mixture of relief and unbridled joy.
The familia had split up at Edas village, leaving half to protect the village while the rest ran to aid their goddess.
Michalis, Clair, Nikolaos, and Eleni, who had stayed behind, had likely been worried sick, especially Michalis after witnessing the impossible golden light erupting from the far north.
The only thing that had kept his sanity tethered was the persistent warmth of his blessing, a silent promise that his goddess, Bahamut, was safe.
Michalis pulled away from a tight, relieved hug to Bahamut, his eyes sweeping across the reunited group.
They landed, with a noticeable jolt, on the striking stranger in their midst.
"Ah," Michalis reeled back, a blush creeping up his neck, a little embarrassed by his overt display of affection.
"I was wondering when you would finally notice me," Aasterinian teased, a playful glint in her eyes, which only served to deepen Michalis's crimson flush.
"This is Aasterinian, a friend of mine," Bahamut introduced, her voice calm.
"Nice to meet you, I am Michalis," he stammered, offering a startled, almost involuntary bow to the unknown goddess.
For some reason, he found his gaze drawn back to Aasterinian repeatedly, stealing glances at her striking form.
Aasterinian, after all, was a well-stacked, incredibly beautiful goddess.
Smack!
"Stop ogling her so much, it's disrespectful!" Vasiliki interjected, delivering a sharp, resounding smack to the back of Michalis's head.
"I… I was not!" Michalis quickly denied, rubbing his head and averting his gaze, though his cheeks remained stubbornly red.
Vasiliki's lips slowly curved, her face spreading into a mischievous, toothy grin.
"Oh, no, she's about to start her nonsense again," Vasileios whispered dramatically to Dimitra, who merely shook her head in exasperation, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Someone get the popcorn."
Draco, however, ignored the familiar sibling banter, his gaze still sweeping across the village, a more urgent question forming in his mind.
"By the way, Michalis," he cut in, interrupting Vasiliki's impending verbal assault, "where are Eleni, Nikolaos, and Clair?"
"Ah, that's right," Michalis said, his playful embarrassment vanishing as his expression turned serious.
"About an hour, after you all left, Riveria and Gareth from the Loki familia arrived at the village. Apparently, they were looking for the Astraea familia."
He paused, gathering his thoughts.
"Since it was Riveria and Gareth-san, we decided to trust them, handing the unconscious girls over. But Eleni was still worried about them, so she and Clair went along with them. Nikolaos and I had to stay to defend the village, so we took turns watching over the place. Nikolaos is currently asleep over there," he gestured to a shaded corner, "while I'm on watch."
"I see, so the Loki familia, huh!" Draco muttered, a flicker of concern crossing his features.
"Loki, that damn trickster!" Bahamut cursed, her fist clenching by her side.
"Not even a day after Astraea's passing and she's already trying to entice those girls during their weakest moment!" Bahamut fumed, her red eyes momentarily flashing with indignation.
"Loki, huh? I wouldn't put it past her, but is that really the case?" Aasterinian mused, sounding somewhat agreeing yet reluctant to fully condemn.
"I highly doubt that some petty words will convince the Astraea familia. Those girls all have strong personalities, after all," Draco said, his calm voice a soothing balm to Bahamut's rising temper.
He made a mental note: 'She has been very temperamental lately'
Bahamut had been having weird mood swings ever since her arduous fight with Falazure.
"Hmm, Draco nii is right. Alise and the others are strong girls," Dimitra agreed, nodding thoughtfully.
"Then we have no reason to stay here much longer," Draco announced, his decision firm.
"We will be returning to Orario."
"Finally, we can return home," Vasileios muttered, stretching his aching body with a groan that managed to be both dramatic and sincere.
'Home' Draco repeated the word internally.
It resonated deeply within him.
'It hasn't even been that long since we came to this city, in search of power. But along the way, we have found a home in Orario, we even risked our lives to defend it. The flow of life is such a mystery'
Within a few minutes, the group was prepared to leave, not before ensuring that a large area surrounding the village was safe for the remaining inhabitants.
Standing at the village gate were old man Caam and many of the villagers.
Despite being in a period of deep mourning, they had made time to offer their heartfelt thanks to Draco and his entourage.
They even wanted to throw a party, a gesture of deep gratitude, but Draco and Bahamut politely, yet firmly, refused.
There was simply too much to do, too much to prepare for, before Draco left Orario with Aasterinian for who knew how long.
With brief thanks and solemn farewells, the group turned their backs on Edas village, heading south, toward the distant, wounded heart of Orario.
.........…..
The journey back to Orario felt strangely compressed, defying the deliberate, measured pace the group had maintained since departing Edas Village.
It was as if some force had pulled them across the landscape, shortening the miles between the two locations.
Even from this distance, the evidence of the recent conflict was undeniable.
Massive plumes of black smoke clawed at the sky, a toxic monument to destruction that spread across the city.
The air thickened with an acrid tang of burning timber and death, overlaid with the presence of tension…..a heavy, palpable atmosphere of conflicting despair and defiance that spanned the entire horizon.
Yet, amidst the wreckage, one structure stood inviolable.
The great white spire of Babel, the heart of the Labyrinth City, remained utterly pristine, punching through the soot-stained air.
It was a beacon against the gloom, displaying Orario's indomitable perseverance, a silent promise that the civilization still held its core.
They soon reached the perimeter within mere minutes.
The South Gate, or what was left of it, was now a jagged landscape of shattered remnants and hastily erected barricades.
Ahead of them lay a scene of organized chaos, civilians and adventurers moving like ghosts through the half-light of the burning city.
"Halt!"
A sharp, young female voice sliced through the din of the city, echoing from a fortified position atop the wall's remaining buttress.
The group instinctively paused.
Michalis shifted his backpack, his frustration evident in his low growl.
"What is it now? Can't they see we're returning?"
"State your identities," the voice demanded, despite the proximity of the well-armed group.
Michalis started to formulate a complaint about the ridiculous delay, but before a single syllable could escape, Vasiliki's hand clapped firmly over his mouth, cutting off the protest.
Draco stepped forward, his posture impeccable despite the fatigue he felt.
He understood the necessity of procedure; paranoia was a small price to pay for security after surviving a war with the evilus forces.
"I am Draco, Captain of the Bahamut Familia. To my left is my Goddess, Bahamut, and to my right is her guest. Behind me are my Familia members," Draco introduced smoothly, his voice clear and resonant.
A sudden, sharp gasp registered from the defensive structure above, instantly drawing Draco's attention.
"Ah! Lante, wait, it's the person I was talking about!" the first voice exclaimed, now tinged with disbelief and genuine excitement.
"The flying dragon person?" a second, more skeptical voice…..presumably Lante…..inquired.
"Yes, Yes! He was like Fwooh, Krakum, Fwoosh, Fwoodh with the wind, and the bad guy was like Shiiing… the…."
The explanation quickly devolved into an enthusiastic, if dramatically inaccurate, flurry of battle sound effects.
"Alright, alright, I understand," Lante replied quickly, the sound of a palm hitting a forehead carrying even across the distance.
"Please stop embarrassing us, Captain."
The tension evaporated entirely.
The next second, a lithe figure launched herself from the top of the wall, executing a perfect, albeit slightly reckless, landing directly in front of Draco, scattering a puff of dust.
She was a young girl, perhaps only a few years into her adventuring career, bright-eyed and buzzing with energy.
She flashed a disarming, wide grin.
"Nice to meet you properly, Draco!, and members of the Bahamut Familia. I am Rethusa, Captain of the Artemis Familia," she declared, bowing quickly, then leaning in conspiratorially.
"And I am a huge fan."