Chapitre 5: The Song of the Nimirnella 2/4
DanMachi: The Dragon's Return
Hey, everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I know I don't update often, but I will try to do so more in the future. Thankfully I recently acquired a job that can allow me to do dabble in a little writing as well! Assuming writer's block doesn't screw with me, that is. Heh. In either case, enjoy the chapter and please let me know your thoughts in the reviews!
Also, this chapter I felt was more or less inspired by LOTRO's "The Hollin Gate" and Sword Art Online's "She Was Sitting Under the Osmanthus Tree." Enjoy!
Chapter 5
The Song of the Nimirnella
Part 2
The Truth and the Fangs of Dungeon
…
Lefyia, Ais, and Tiona watched the old man, Michael, as he leaned on his staff, smiling as the aura of his mystery ever grew to the members of the Loki Familia. There were hushed whispers that spread throughout the main hall of the Twilight Manor. Michael turned his eyes once more to the trio of young women on the balcony, his eyes piercing them as if their souls were laid bare for him to read as open books in a library.
"Th-that's impossible!" a young elf-maiden of golden hair and green eyes shouted. "Queen Celdia was a saint! She was pure!"
"And what defines a 'saint?'" Michael laughed. "Saints are named in Heaven for far lesser deeds than the Lower World is impressed by, that have much nobler effects on the world! Indeed, Celdia was pure, in the moral sense. Do you think she would give her physical purity up without being wed to whom that purity was given?"
The golden-blonde elf, Alicia, stood baffled with widened eyes in front of the mysterious god that Loki was afraid of. Lefiya, herself, was unsure what to think, but taking a look at her friends at least gave her some power to speak. Still, it was clear to Lefiya that Ais and Tiona were as confused as she was.
"If… all of this is true," Lefiya pondered slowly, "why wouldn't Celdia return to take up her rule of the elves?"
"Which is more likely to cause a civil war?" Michael asked back. "Would the cause be an illegitimate child between an elf queen and high noble elf lord, or an elf queen and some lowly human that would have been a forgettable nobody without the aid of a spirit? Let's say again that despite this elf queen and lowly human were wed, that he died in her early pregnancy, with no proof that such an unborn half-breed child was the product of this elf queen's moral purity through marriage. The High God sent my kin, (1) Gabriel, to prevent such a civil war from happening. Whether you accept it or not, Lefiya, you are an Alf, and the rightful claimant to rule over the elves."
Michael glanced at Riveria and offered her a small, curious smile. "Not that you ever wanted the throne your father sits upon, lady Riveria."
"My heart is lies in the discovery of the world, lord Michael," Riveria returned the smile. "But I still don't understand why Celdia wouldn't join Albert in fighting the Black Dragon, even if she was pregnant."
"I suspect she didn't know of her pregnancy at the time," Michael stroked his beard. "And if she did suspect she was pregnant, it was too early to be certain. Like I said, I was not in charge of what happened during such an event. The answer, however, as to why both Evelda and Celdia left the hero, Albert, knowledge of both of their pregnancies or no, was that he gave them charge of your Sword Princess."
Ais' eyes widened, hearing each word of the mysterious god that merely smiled before her. His smile turned to laughter, long and quiet, as if he knew every little detail of the lives and histories of the Loki Familia. Lefiya turned her eyes to her beloved idol, unsure what to think, and even more puzzled that the book, Dungeon Oratoria, was indeed about Ais' parents.
"As for Tiona, and her sister, Tione," Michael said again finally after he was finished laughing at whatever it was that only he found to be funny, "there are two ways to make claim to the Amazon throne in Telskyura: the first is the long abandoned tradition of royalty by blood, while the second way is the reason the first way was abandoned. Any Amazon, of course, may make a claim to the Telskyurain throne, but such a claim must be placed through strength. Single combat to the death, in other words. Evelda vanished with the death of Albert, and every Amazon thought her dead. So, every Amazon who desired the throne fought with each other. Kali's descent into the Lower World resulted in the Amazons fighting her as well. When each Amazon lost to her, Kali revealed who she was and took the throne. However, because Kali (2) has no children, the bloodline of Evelda could be reestablished as a fallback stewardship if Kali were to ever leave the Lower World."
"How do you know all of this?" Ais finally spoke, her face betraying no emotion, though her eyes were filled with an array of emotions that both Lefiya and Tiona had only seen when she was thinking upon the strange strength of Bell Cranel.
"How?" Michael laughed again before looking at Loki, his grin growing wider. "We have been quietly working and watching far longer than you know. What was it that you gods say? 'The Titans don't care, and the High God cares even less?'"
"S-something like that," Loki mumbled under her breath, only to earn Michael's laugh once more.
"Don't worry about it too much," Michael said. "Now, if you will kindly relinquish those three children of yours, I'll be on my way. There is a work that needs to be done, and we are running out of time."
"Do you really need to take them to Asgard?" Loki frowned. "The Dungeon is tough and is probably far more dangerous than the Dragon Valley the lower one goes down, but that valley is called the 'Valley of Death' for a reason."
"You know that I do," Michael neared Loki and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "As terrible as the Dungeon might be, there is only one Titan lying in its depths. There are multiple Titans in the Dragon Valley, and thousands of gods along with them, each spirit of those gods and Titans inhabiting monstrous dragons that Thor does not have the strength to endure. I do not plan on killing each one of those evil gods, but with a small force, we may well destroy the spirits of the Titans before they awaken."
"You're a troublesome Titan, Michael," Loki smiled grimly. "Everyone one of you come and go where you please, and leave nothing but despair in your wake!"
"We do what we must," Michael nodded. "You must do what you must as well. Gather what strength you can, you can Freya, and prepare for the Dungeon to be unleashed. The board is set, I fear, and the pieces are moving. There is strength here, yes, but the strength in the numbers of the Dungeon cannot be counted. You must offer what little time you can afford me. For now, however, I must collect a hero."
…
"Kokonoe," Haruhime whispered, her hands over her chest, vainly hoping that the placement of her hands would calm the fear her heart was experiencing. "Beloved snow. Beloved crimson. Beloved white light."
Bell, Lili, and Haruhime had made some progress by the evening of the day, though too slowly for their liking. Upon reaching the ninth floor, a floor all too familiar to Bell and his Xenos rival, Asterius, once a minotaur, the trio had stumbled upon a horror beyond Bell's wild dreams. In the center of the floor, was a monster that was also all too familiar to Bell Cranel, though it was far smaller, and was seen at the eighteenth floor. But what truly frightened Bell more than what that Black Goliath did, what that this Black Goliath (3) was wreathed in flame and bore an axe of lightning.
Bell had screamed for the girls to run, but Goliath noticed the trio first, and swung its axe upon the ground. The lightning sprang across the ground towards the trio, and Bell pushed the girls out of the way. The lightning, however struck the cavern hall that the trio had come out of, and earth collapsed, destroying the trio's exit. Bell gritted his teeth, whilst the monster laughed in mockery.
"Lili, Haruhime, stay behind me," Bell growled protectively, drawing his knives once more.
"Like hell we're letting you fight that thing alone, Master Bell!" Lili shouted as she grabbed onto Bell's sleeve.
"We're with you to the end!" Haruhime smiled despite her fear, and clung to Bell's other side. Bell sighed, but nodded.
"Don't get yourselves into unnecessary danger!" Bell shouted before dashing off to fight.
"Speak for yourself!" Lili screamed after him before turning her attention to Haruhime. "Don't worry. We'll get this…. Somehow, we will! I need you to chant to power up Bell and me up. I don't know if the boost will help, but maybe the power up will give Bell enough strength for us to weaken it so he can finish it off."
Haruhime nodded and began her chant. She watched in earnest as Bell tried to slash at the terrifying Goliath again and again while Lili would shoot at the monster with her crossbow. The monster seemed to be ignoring the damage form both Bell and Lili, and swung its axe once more, sending Bell rocketing into wall behind him.
"MASTER BELL!" Haruhime felt her heart shatter as Lili screamed in terror. However, despite slumping to the floor, Bell got up again, his eyes filled with anger. Haruhime felt tears streak down her face.
"I…. I have to finish my spell!" the Renard thought as she tried to push down the fear that was dominating her. "Please let me be beside you – this love I have found at the end of two thousand nights." Again and again, Bell struck at the monster, and again it would laugh in derision before sending Bell flying back into the wall. Haruhime felt her tears flood her cheeks. She saw the same with Lili the same way, light disappearing from her eyes in the face of what the trio was coming to believe was a hopeless fight.
"M-my name is Magic Fox. Former destroyer. My name is Ancient Song." No song would help them now. They were abandoned to whatever hell this monster was about to unleash upon them. "Former dreamer…." A dream of spending her life at Bell's side was fading before her eyes with each word that passed her lips. "For you who beat your wings like a bird, I shall allow the nine spirits to dwell within me. Echo, song of gold, sacred poem of Tamamo. White face, golden fur, king of nine tails. Oh, tails of the auspicious beast, consume all, grant all wishes – grow!"
Light consumed Haruhime as she prepared her double enchantment. The tears continued to flood down her cheeks as watched Bell be thrust down again and again. He was bleeding. The blood was too much. Anymore, and he would die. Haruhime felt her heart turn to dust as the beast that slashed again at the boy she dearly loved. The light surrounded her, hugged her as a mother would hold her newborn close to her. Haruhime then saw a woman in front of her. She was indescribably beautiful. Her eyes, clothes, and hair were all bathed in starlight. The woman smiled at Haruhime, and the Renard began to realize that time itself had come almost a complete stop.
"Bell! I can save Bell!" the Renard thought as she continued her enchantment. "That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion. Grow! Confine divine offerings withing this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you. Grow! Dance! Uchide no Kozuchi!"
Golden light rushed towards both Bell and Lili, though time did not return to normal. The mysterious woman smiled once more and grasped Haruhime's hands. As quickly as the magic went out from her, Haruhime felt her ability to cast the double enchantment once more. Once the words of the second double enchantment completely left her lips, the woman disappeared, and time once again went back to normal. Suddenly, Bell felt as if the monster was moving much slower than it was before. And, to the surprise of both Lili and Haruhime, Bell's knife suddenly surrounded itself in Bell's Argonuat flames. With a leap and a quick slash, Bell struck the magic crystal of the Goliath before weariness wholly overtook him, and Bell collapsed.
…
1. Gabriel, according to Judeo-Christian tradition, is an archangel who often acts a messenger of God. He has given a number of prophesies in Judeo-Christian text and is often seen nudging people in certain directions so those people can trust in God.
2. This is actually true in Hindu mythology. While Kali is wed to Shiva, they have no children together, while Shiva has three children with a goddess called Parvati, one of whom is Ganesha. It is interesting that to note that the author of DanMachi associates the Amazons with Hinduism when said warrior beauties come from Greek mythology. It is also interesting to note that while Greek mythology deems that the Amazons hail from modern-day northern Turkey; some scholars place the homeland of the Amazons in the forests of modern-day Russia, close to the city of Moscow with their influence ranging as far east as Mongolia across what is called "the Steppes."
3. Yes, I did make a small reference to The Silmarillion's "Gothmog, Lord of the Balrogs." The humor of it was too much for me to resist. Also, according to the lore, he did have an axe, but it was also of fire. I figured that the Goliath being smaller, though still far taller than our heroes by comparison, and on fire would be the Dungeon's mockery of Bell and its vision of him if he ever went "dark side." And, yes, the Dungeon is becoming increasingly sentient.
...
Hey, everyone! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Who do you think it was who saved Bell, Lili, and Haruhime? Please leave your reviews! Have a great day!
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone