Chapter Text
Bell Cranell feels an unusual heaviness on his chest, it’s not uncomfortable, in fact it almost feels like… like a large pillow is hugging him.
It's a familiar sensation, one he doesn't know why but missed dearly. Like a lost limb he didn't even know was gone until it slapped him across his face.
Blinking awake, the boy feels the morning light warming his face, “Hmm...” He looks down and–
Orna's beautiful face sits on his chest, her long luscious dark locks fall perfectly around her sharp features, her caramel skin bathed in morning light.
He had heard tales of the Amazons beauty but he is sure she is the loveliest of them, not even Otrera could compare to her allure.
Argonaut runs his fingers through her hair and wonders how he ever won her heart.
The fool who pretends he can be a Hero, the boy with nothing but his boasting and is forced to leave everything to his companions because he had no strength to call his own.
Even now with Jupiter by his side he still feels so out of his depth but he has his goal, to be a man who can save not one life but two and hope that can be enough.
He will see Orna and Ariadne smile even if it's the last thing he does.
The boy groans, sitting up, jostling his goddess from his chest.
“Hmm… Bell,” The Hestia mumbles, “You okay?”
“Yeah.” He rubs his head, “Just a headache, love.”
Her breath hitches, “Wh…what?!” She yelps.
Bell cringes, “Starlight, please.” Both his hands palm his head.
The small goddess' face falls in concern, her small hands rest on her child's shoulder, “Bell… what is it?”
“I… I don't know… I…” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees, “You know how I'm like in the morning, my eyes just can't handle the first light of the morning.” He chuckles.
Hestia frowns, “Bell, what do you think is wrong with your eyes?”
Bell hums, “I'm bli–” He stops, his body stills. He slowly opens his eyes. “I'm… I'm not blind, why did I think I was blind?”
The goddess swallows thickly, “It must have been a bad dream.” She answers hollowly.
“Right.” The adventurer mutters, “Right… but it didn't feel like a dream.” Shaking his head, he turns to look at the woman and smiles. “Sorry Or- Ari-” Gritting his teeth. “Hestia! Your name is Hestia!”
She circles her arms around the boy, “It's okay. It's alright, calm down.”
“How could I forget your name?” He whispers, “What kind of child am I? How could I forget my goddesses name?”
Hestia shakes her head, “You're amazing Bell! My amazing child! It's early in the morning, it happens, so calm down.”
Bell leans into her embrace.
“Why don't you just lay down, let's go back to sleep, okay?” She pushes the boy down, her body pushing against his, keeping him still.
“Okay.” He returns the hug, “Okay…”
The personification of Hearth lays her head in the crook of his neck, her face hidden from his, her worry unseen.
~Memoir of a Hero~
Bell leaves the ruins of the church much later than he usually would, his mood from the morning barely improved.
He can't help but think about his thoughts when he first woken up, the name of the woman running around his head and the feelings associated with her.
Pure, unadulterated love. Bell can't remember ever feeling something like that befo– no… that isn't right.
He remembers having those exact same feelings when Aiz saved him, Bell looked upon her and fell deeply in love.
Except they weren't for her, were they? No, they were for Ariadne, whoever that was.
Walking down the almost empty streets of Orario, he repeats the names engraved onto his heart, “Ariadne. Orna. Orna. Ariadne.” He tastes the names on his tongue and can't help but like the taste. “Hestia.” Bell compares the flavors, finding the taste similar. “Ariadne, Orna, Hestia.”
Smiling, his mood finally swings positively and he walks with more pep in his step.
Reaching the entrance to the Dungeon, he enters the labyrinth taking out the knife from the shealth on his left thigh and holds it firmly.
The first few floors pass by him in a blur, his moves swift and fluid. As if he's fought all his life; Kobolds, Goblins, and Dungeon Lizards fall to him-
Like always.
It's not long before he reaches the sixth floor.
Bell pauses as he enters the threshold.
The Adventurer reached the sixth floor, a floor lower than where he met the Minotaur two days ago. He… it couldn't be more than an hour or so since he entered and yesterday it took him almost half a day to reach the fourth floor, the day before then it took him a whole day of dungeon crawling to reach the fifth.
How did–
Focus. My mind must not wonder, that is how one gets injured, that is how one dies. You are a hunter, act like it, Orion.
Bell's mind pivots back. He walks forward, his eyes swivel back and forth, looking for any possible enemies. His ear picks up a small almost completely unheard thump behind him, turning around quickly, he stabs down, his knife embedding itself in the skull of the goblin.
As the life drains from its eyes another of the beasts rush forward, leaping onto the back of his companion and up to Bell's face. The boy releases his weapon and rolls to the side, raising his hand up, he chants, “Radiance Sword.” A bolt of lightning leaves his palm and strikes the monster in the side.
As it drops dead, the boy stands up and walks over to his first victim, pulling his sword out and wiping the blood off with the crook of his elbow as he continues his journey.
Bell meets a few enemies ahead but nothing he can't handle, he's almost disappointed at the lack of challenge, at the lack of a–
Good hunt.
The path he walks leads him into a rather large chamber with boulders littering the room. Perfect hiding spots for clever monsters.
Slowly walking further in, the child of Hestia prepares himself for some sort of sneak attack.
“SllIcK!”
Bell rolls forward and turns around, looking up as he does. He takes a step back in surprise, the ceiling is littered with giant one eyed frogs sitting on the ceiling, their skin reminding him of the color of vomit; Frog Shooters.
They all open their mouths and their wet tongues dart out faster than whips. The boy nimbly dodges their attacks but barely.
Every leap to an empty spot is narrowly missed and he is left with no room to counter attack with his blade. As he watches their long tongues leave gouges in the ground he knows that he can't sacrifice some health to cut off their appendages.
Bell's legs quickly start to burn and his eyes twitch in pain as he calculates their trajectory.
Raising his palm above him, he does his best to aim, “Radiance Sword!” Red electricity dances around his finger tips as a bolt of ruby red lightning leaves his hand.
One of the frogs drops down but a tongue slides against his shoulder and feels the bone dislocate.
It's only thanks to his years of experience that the pain doesn't immediately put him on his back, screaming his head off in pain.
He needs help, he needs his hounds.
“My heart is of a Hunter.”
He starts, he barely notices the words slip past his lips.
“It longs for a chase under the gaze of the all encompassing sky.”
Orion's heart beats steadily, his will shaping the moisture in the air.
“No matter the distance I must walk, no matter the oceans I must cross, my Quest shall be accomplished.”
Droplets of water appear hanging in the air, the condense into not one but two balls of water.
“The stars of fate guide me and they guide me well.”
A good hunter needs no compass, no map. Only the stars in the sky and his intuition.
“My soul sings through frigid winds, through scorching hot days, and through misty nights as I stalk my prey.”
His goal guides him, strengthens him. It gives him meaning and as such gives meaning to his creations.
“Though I do not stalk alone.”
The balls of liquid grow larger, moving as he does and take the shape of his long-time companions. Before Side, before Merope, before Opis, and before Artemis he had them.
“A Hunter must hunt but he has no need to hunt alone, awaken my companions. Awaken from the lifeblood of all living things.”
Water, the blood of all living things. Without it all would shiveral up and die, leaving nothing but ash.
“Sirius, my Canis Major, Procyon, my Canis Minor; we three shall annihilate all beasts from the world.”
Sirius, the larger of the two and his first hound.
Procyon, Sirius's brother, maybe not by blood but in all the ways that truly and utterly matter.
“From the smallest of hares to the largest of bulls, no creature shall escape our bite. These beasts shall all tremble as my hounds escort me through all challenges that stand in the way of my fate.”
Finally, finally they come and oh do they look hungry.
“Come, my loyal dogs and stand beside me.”
At his command they fly and kill all his attackers. Yet Orion does not stop, can't, there are still too many. He reaches for the bow on his back and–
Nothing, there's nothing there. Bell loses his focus and a tongue hits his chest. He can feel his ribs shatter as he's knocked onto his back.
The adventurer's vision blurs as blood cascades down his mouth, he groans as he tries to get to his feet but his body refuses to listen to him. The corner of his eyes turn black, his strength drains from his body.
He's… he… he's dying.
A tongue shoots at him, aiming straight for his head. At least it'll–
Procyon intercepts the tongue, his teeth biting into the flesh and pulls the frog from its place, slamming the monster into the ground, smearing its blood across the floor.
His two hounds come to his aid, focusing their attacks around his prone body. They become a storm of movement, their attacks more vicious and barely perceivable.
He can't help how warm that makes his heart.
Bell isn't sure how long he lays there as they finish their assault but he knows it can't be long, he doesn't have that kind of time.
The hounds come to his side, whining as they look over him. The boy uses what strength remains in his limbs to rest his palms against their heads, they lean into his touch, “Go..o..od b..oy..s..”
The boy closes his eyes, his heart slows and… and cold liquid runs across his arms?
Bell opens his eyes and sees the dogs lose their form, the water they’re made from run across his body, coagulating around him before seeping into him.
He can feel the bones in his chest realign, his organs restored. Sitting up, Bell blinks, “What the absolute netherworld?”
~Memoir of a Hero~
Hestia bites her nails as she waits for her Bell to return from the Dungeon, hoping and praying nothing else happens to trigger more of his memories.
She closes her eyes tightly and wonders for what feels like the hundredth time how this could happen. Who could have made such a mountainous mistake of not cleansing a soul properly.
“Goddess.”
Hestia eyes snap open and looks towards the voice of her child who looks at her with heavy eyes. Much heavier eyes than he had when he left and she knows her hopes were for naught.
“Bell…”
He remains silent for a good long moment, before walking forward, the boy practically hauls the woman up to her feet and hugs her fiercely, “Close enough.”
Hestia feels tears threatening to spill from her eyes, “Oh my sweet Bell, what happened?”
“I… don't exactly know but I'm still me, just more. Maybe even better.”
The goddess holds her breath, “Lay down Bell, let me update your Falna.”
Bell nods and pulls away, he removes his jacket and black long sleeved shirt, he moves to the bed and lays on his stomach. Hestia grabs a pin from the bedside table and climbs onto his back before pricking her left pointer finger, as the blood drops onto her icon.
Bell Cranell
Level One
Strength:H-138 —> Strength:H-154
Defense:H-108 —> Defense:G-202
Utility:H-155—> Utility:H-189
Agility:G-237 —> Agility:F-345
Magic:H-149—> Magic:G-255
Magic:
(Jupiter)
▪︎Radiance Sword
(Câini de apă)
▪︎My heart is of a Hunter.
It longs for a chase under the gaze of the all encompassing sky.
No matter the distance I must walk, no matter the oceans I must cross, my Quest shall be accomplished.
The stars of fate guide me and they guide me well.
My soul sings through frigid winds, through scorching hot days, and through misty nights as I stalk my prey.
Though I do not stalk alone.
A Hunter must hunt but he has no need to hunt alone, awaken my companions.
Awaken from the life blood of all living things.
Sirius, my Canis Major, Procyon, my Canis Minor; we three shall annihilate all beasts from the world.
From the smallest of hares to the largest of bulls, no creature shall escape our bite.
These beasts shall all tremble as my hounds escort me through all challenges that stand in the way of my fate.
Come, my loyal dogs and stand beside me.
Skills:
Realis Phrase
▪︎Rapid Growth. Continued desire results in continued growth. Stronger desire results in stronger growth.
How, how could this have happened? Bell did not only remember one life but two.
This had to be done on purpose. Once is an error but twice? Two times?! No, one of her fellow deities had committed the sin of soul manipulation and her poor Bell their unwilling experiment.
Tears fell from Hestia's eyes.
No wonder her poor child mind seemed so clouded, so out of sorts. So many memories pounding to be seen, felt, understood.
Her Bell almost died because his mind couldn't comprehend that he wasn't the same person, no longer had the same weapons. She lays her head against his back, “Don’t leave me alone Bell. Please, please, don't leave me all alone.”
“I…” Bell can't find the words to comfort her, so he says nothing.