Kapitel 15: The Way to Marketplace
Sigh.
Tiring, so, tiring.
She needs to get in shape, soon. Being stuck in a mortal body is very tiring, and burdensome. Not only you need to relieve yourself once a while, but also deprived of her sleep, and hunger.
She did enjoy to partake of the ritual known as eating or drinking once in a while in Tenkai, but it was more than luxury for herself. Being a mistress of the underworld, the humanoid body isn't exactly the design fit to travel inside her realm. She often donned herself, as dark miasma floating anywhere or enveloping the entire realm so she could get news and rumor outside faster.
It was dark there, rock formations shaped the ceiling, the floors, and walls. Vegetation is a rare thing, often enough there's stranded mortal souls that need to be judged only to ran away once they see her figures.
She's still wondering why she's so infamous back in Tenkai. Only the desperate or those who know her true nature seek under her judgment. Much to the goddess blight.
Skeleton, floating bones wrapped in six arms that are so large it may cleave mountain in a single swipe. Her veils still the same, encasing her tender skulls and blue will o' wisp in its sockets. That was her usual manifestation back in Tenkai.
She's rather an unorthodox goddess, who inherently seeks comfort in solitude the polar opposite of her sister. She's felt that shadow and darkness were only her friends, the dimness of the room that hides its secret from the mundane eyes. It's dark, yet not bright.
There's a reason why she easily tolerates and comes in terms of Dro'zah and Fels's presence or appearances.
Speaking about the Khajiit, the goddess mused as she walked past by the main road leading to the marketplace. Which is her main reason to complain about her current mortal body as the marketplace is on the other side of the city the opposite where their hideout is located. If the underneath babel tower is a dungeon, then the surface has the right to be called as a maze with how vast array of road network here.
Dro'zah is obviously strong, she doubted that even level 4 or 5 could make him sweat an eyebrow. How could she, when shoved with almost overwhelming amounts of skills The Khajiit possessed. Not to mention his magic, and strength that couldn't be traced with his new Falna. One skill is already useful as it is, for the resourceful, but dozens of them? Her head started to throb once she remembered the long list in the paper.
In a sense, it put her in pride over her excellent choice of choosing a partner. At the same time, it also gave her much burden as she wonders whether she's worthy enough to stand by his side.
No matter what.
Her conviction burned evermore, crackling in burning ember.
Tonight.
Tonight.
I'll ask him.
Once her finger and cooking wrapped his stomach in a light mood, he couldn't resist but to be in her embrace. Oh, granted her cooking is only text-book as she didn't have many chances to cook in the first place only reading some recipe book in her respite. Hopefully, she can cook something more than that as a sign of gratitude.
The Goddess already grasped the basis of her partner's personality, he's an honest soul and rather to be straight regarding his desire and intention. While at the times, she's fairly sure he's the type of man that won't hesitate to commit something he already settled about. It was a good trait, one more thing she loved about him.
"Kyu, kyu."
The furball that nestled its place between her cleavage underneath the robe, wiggled about as asking its master mistress about her intention.
"Don't worry, Fou. I'm just doing him a favor."
"Fou!"
Ereshkigal giggled at the critter antics. The only thing she knows, that Fou is supposed to be a sort of guardian to the treasury or Gates as Dro'zah called the ability of his. One thing she needs to ask later, if Fou was to be assigned to guard such vast treasury, surely there's a reason and requirement to do so. She doubted the white furball was anything but weak or harmless, though certainly, its appearances belied the great power within.
She passed the pavement to the side, hiding from the glaring sun above as she seeks shelter throughout the shadow cast by the building. Until she noticed something, the other side of the road seems flocked with a multitude of curious people.
Beheld by this sight, she approached before looking to the left or right ensuring that no stagecoaches or wagon is passing by.
People were murmuring, conversating with each other in great worry not appeased in their faces. She asked the one who wore an elephant mask, a Ganesha familia member.
"I'm sorry, what's the occasion?"
"Hm?" He turned behind, "Oh, someone is spilling and blabbering their mouth, this incident supposed to be hidden from ordinary eyes or… curious god for that matter."
She asked in confusion, ignoring the subtle sarcasm of her divinity, "Incident?"
"Sigh, guess there's no harm in telling it," He came closer. "Ah, a passer-by smells the stench of rotting bodies in a building back to the alley there." He pointed to a small road beside them, it was a familiar one she thought.
"Hearing this report, we and the guild staff launched an investigation, until…" There's a hesitation in his voice, latched with a bit mix of fear and apprehension. "We saw the inside -no the abomination inside that building. One novice and two guild staff we sent earlier died in an ambush of the monster lurking inside it."
They sent a few novices thinking that was the ordinary gang raid or wars in the underworld, of course, they paid the price with their life. After a few times, there's no report coming in from the investigation team, in worry the guild soon sent veteran member consisted of level 2 and level 3 to the place.
"That thing… I wouldn't dare to call it monsters, it was most likely to resemble those demons told in childhood fairy tales. Eight spider appendages, vile obsidian skins and carapaces, and abominable screech, with a body of half-human and spider, like it was stitched together in twisted surgery."
The place was a mess, the spider demon managed to hurt one the level two before it burned with fire magic and disappeared in purple portals. Nothing was left behind other than an intricate pool of blood that hangs and interwoven in the air.
"I tell you, goddess. A sigil made of the blood of the victim, organs botched the walls and the floors. A ritual is absolutely conducted there through human sacrifice and summoned whatever that vile thing is." His eyes dilapidated, before turning back and huffing a mouthful of air, trying to calm himself. "This day can't get any weirder, I think I don't have any appetite today. I'm sorry."
"No, thank you for the information."
"Any times, now if you please excuse me," He nodded then walk away to the other side where his colleagues were gathering together.
Ereshkigal resumed her journey to the marketplace. A frown marred her beautiful face. She absolutely will make him spills the bean, through force if needs to. It makes her head throb in pain, hopefully, he had a reasonable excuse to do whatever thing he had done that night.
Sensing his master mistress anxiousness, Fou head hanging through her robes. "Fou, Fou, Kyuu."
"It's fine, Fou. I will try to keep a level head."
"Fou!"
"Hehe, thank you."
It was another 15 minutes of walk before she came to the bustling marketplace. Orario can be said as the center of the world, the most opulent city in the entire continent. It was natural it would attract all sorts of people, especially the culture and goods they brought outside. While there's an outdoor market area near the park and the fountain, the sight of numerous buildings in different architectural styles was the thing delighted her most especially the goods they're selling.
There was also the Grand Bazaar that opens all day and night, she heard it was a good place to buy odd trinkets and goods at a cheap price. As everything inside was managed by smaller merchants or craftsmen that can't compete with the larger brand outside.
Wagon coming in through the jammed traffic, as people passing by the various stalls and vendor that tried to call their attention. She ought to keep her guard in this place, Lest the last Valis they had vanished without a sight.
She sometimes wandering, stopping to one of the stalls. Seeing the exotic articles in curiousness and went to her way before the shopkeeper could manage to convince her.
"Eres-."
Did someone just call her, no, in a place as crowded as this, it must be meant for other people.
"Ereshkigal!"
Okay, that definitely is her name. But who could someone know her in this world who didn't appreciate lest recognize her name. She promptly turned behind, shocked in her face when someone suddenly crushes her in a tight embrace. Fou did quick take and promptly shifted its place to behind her back.
"Mou, you almost made me lose my confidence."
"N-N-Ninsun-sama!?"
"Yes, it's me Ninsun, you know." The now affirmed the goddess of cow answered in a bright tone before releasing bewildered Ereshkigal from her embrace. She had a pair of horns that seems made of metal with gold and jewel encasing it in either side of her head, and beautiful golden sheen locks of hair, it was slightly bleached as a result of constant exposure to the sun. Nevertheless, it didn't diminish her beauty only further enhancing it.
"What are you doing here?"
Ninsun only leaned to her palms as expressing her exhilaration, "That's supposed to be my question. To think the lovely and shy Ereshkigal will make her descend. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, I just descend a few days ago… and a lot of things happened."
She told Ninsun, of her carelessness and Dro'zah rescue of her and forming a new familia.
The goddess of cow only sighed in exasperation. Her features still soft as always but Ereshkigal could detect a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Can't be helped, I heard she had a fierce competition with Freya familia and jealousy of all. To think Ishtar has grown complacent of her position, I should visit that child these days, I think."
Then Ninsun clasped her hands, and her bright smile surfaced again. "Well, forget these painful days. Now, tell me what your first child like?"
Ereshkigal peered her eyes off the cow goddess, "He's not my child… he's my partner."
Ninsun's eyes widened upon, then grinning excitedly, "You made a contract with him!?"
"Yes, is there any problem. Every time someone knows my contract with him, they like always make a big deal of it but then promptly ignoring it."
A gleam of amusement passed Ninsun's eyes, and smiled again, "Then you can be assured there's nothing behind that. But to think you still holding that parchment of paper, I think everyone had tossed that aside a long time ago."
"Sigh, yes."
"Then, what he is like?" The goddess pried again.
"Well, one thing I could describe him… he's strong, even for level one I doubt no one could match him. While we disagree on a lot of things, at least we share some common interest, I think." A hint of red started to resurface to her face, as she tried to cite the good quality of her partner.
"Ehm, I think I can know that you're in a safe hand."
"Thank you, Ninsun-sama."
While she governs higher authority and titles than Ninsun, she nevertheless still respected the older goddess as she was only one of the persons that still willing to accompany and guide her in Tenkai.
"Do you come here alone?"
"No, I came with my captain famil-." Then a voice from the side of the road called to them.
"Speak of the devil," The goddess of cow only giggled, as a man came with a wagon full with crates and milk juggles beside the road.
"Please, don't run like that, Ninsun-sama. An accident could happen if you're careless, you know."
It was strange indeed, in Tenkai Ninsun is known as one of the motherly goddesses that counsel to every god that seek her guidance. But here in Gekai, a mortal chided her as a mere child that had cause mischief.
"Hehe, I'm sorry. I'm just excited when I saw her here. Oh, where's my manner, Ereshkigal this is my first child, the captain of Ninsun Familia. Urbara is his name."
"A pleasure to meet you Ereshkigal-sama." The man cordially bowed to her, she too did the same. He was a buffed werewolf, with a sheen of black hair. He could match Dro'zah in terms of height. He wore a set of brown Tunic with an iron gauntlet, nothing impressive for the one who is recognized as the familia captain.
Then again, Ninsun familia isn't an exploration type. Ninsun hates anything that smells or had to do anything with violence. If she heard right, Ninsun was one of the Familia that had the largest ranching area outside the city walls rivaling Demeter who deals with crops instead.
"Please, we need to make the delivery Ninsun-sama." Urbara pleads her in a tone of urgency.
The goddess relented to her child, "Fine, it's a pity that our reunion had to cut short, Ereshkigal. I'll send you some housewarming gift later Ereshkigal."
"No, I think that won't be needed."
"Please, just take it. Think of it as our congratulatory of your descend and the new familia you've made."
The goddess of death nodded her head, "I'll accept the hospitality, Ninsun-sama. Thank you."
"Don't mention it, you're my precious friend after all. Now, see you later, Ereshkigal."
Ereshkigal nodded, saying her piece of farewells as Ninsun hop aboard the wagon and resuming their delivery.
Now, to her main objective as she too strides to the market area that dealt with grocery and foodstuffs.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Abbeysensei
Abbeysensei It's a shame but I won't update this as frequently as it used to be as I'll start my studies next week and there's a lot of materials I need to recover. Maybe once or twice a week, three if I had the time and will. On the other note, I just bought the entire volumes of Sword Oratoria yesterday, yay, gone to dust my pitiful wallet.
Thank you for reading, I hope this chapter still meet to your satisfaction.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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Stein