[DanMachi/Percy Jackson] Prytaneum

Interlude: The Goddess of the Hearth (2)

At once, Hephaestus' face became serious and she could understand why—as her friend's captain spoke, a shiver of premonition crawled up her spine.

"What is it?" Hephaestus asked, but Tsubaki just glanced towards her and remained silent. "It's fine. A member of her Familia has been forming parties with Welf of late."

"Ah..." Tsubaki murmured, brow furrowing. "Then...perhaps it's for the best. I suppose you wouldn't know either."

"Did..." She began before pausing to swallow her worry. "Did something happen to Percy as well?"

Tsubaki nodded and exhaled slowly, looking down.

"Yesterday," She began before seeming to hesitate. "And understand that I only know what I do from speaking to Welf and the Guild earlier today, so my knowledge is somewhat secondhand—"

"Tsubaki," Hephaestus said sharply.

"Yesterday, it seems that Welf and...Percy?" She continued quickly, glancing towards Hestia for just a moment but not waiting for a reply. "Encountered some trouble. The supporter they've been using, one Liliruca Arde, was extorted by the Captain of the Soma Familia, the Familia she belonged to. When they found out, Welf and Percy moved to defend her, leading to a confrontation in the Dungeon, where it seems that Soma's Captain, Zanis Lustra, was or became interested in the magic sword Welf has been carrying."

Hephaestus frowned at that, but nodded slowly.

"I suppose that's to be expected," She said slowly. "Certainly, there was always the possibility of such a thing occurring and the risk of theft exists, despite the threat of Crozzo's magic sword. But if it's just the Soma Familia, then—"

"After returning from the Dungeon, the other boy—Percy," Tsubaki interrupted and then corrected herself. "Apparently took Welf and Arde back to the Hephaestus Familia home and requested that Welf safeguard her and stay hidden while he spoke to the Guild about information Arde had revealed. It seem that Zanis had obtained control of his Familia by addicting them to the wine that Soma had brewed, using it to force them to obey, and Percy wished to address matters quickly. While he was away, however, Zanis invaded Lady Hestia's home and took back both Arde and Welf's magic sword, intending to use the former to force him to produce more of the latter, as well as forcing him to remain silent about it all and not seek help from other groups."

At that, Hephaestus fell silent—but her expression shifted immediately, face growing cold even as her one visible eye became heated. At her side, one of her hands clenched into a fist.

"I see," She said after a long moment. "And?"

"Welf went to Percy instead, tell him and a member of the Guild what happened," She replied. "However, because Arde was a member of the Soma Familia—to say nothing of the fact that she was a hostage—their hands were somewhat tied, legally. Percy and Welf went to confront the Soma Familia anyway and...after a brief confrontation, they managed to rescue Arde, which apparently prompted Zanis to use the magic sword."

Hestia stiffened.

"Was that what that was?" She asked. "Yesterday, there was a strange rumble and I thought I felt something...!"

Hephaestus glanced at her, obviously remembering the same thing, but they'd already been in the forge at the time and had continued despite the distraction.

"Yes," Tsubaki nodded. "Zanis apparently killed many members of his own Familia and caused extensive damage to the street across from it, killing and wounding a number more."

"And what about Welf?" Hephaestus asked before pausing and continuing. "And Percy?"

"According to Welf, they survived the first blast because Percy shielded them from it," Tsubaki replied before grimacing and shaking her head as if in disbelief. "And they survived the second blast, because he suppressed it completely."

Hephaestus' eye widened and glanced towards Hestia, who winced. It seemed absurd even to her, but she didn't doubt that it was possible. But for him to do it so publicly meant...

No, more than that—

"Was he okay?" She asked desperately.

"...He was badly wounded," Tsubaki said after another pause. "Almost killed, in fact—evidently, he required a pair of elixirs to recover."

She rocked back and then made to run from the room—in fact, the only reason she didn't was because Hepheastus grabbed one of her arms as she tried and pulled her back.

"Let go," She all but screamed. "I have to go find Percy—"

"Wait, Hestia!" Hepheastus grunted, but held her in place. "Tsubaki, what happened to him? Where is he now?"

"Evidently, he got up and went home," She said, shaking her head again. "Apparently he's fine now."

That didn't do much to calm her down after that news, but she stopped struggling quite so hard against Hephaestus' hold.

"What happened then?" Hephaestus asked.

"The matter was resolved, it seems," Tsubaki answered. "Welf said that he and Percy finished Zanis and then the Loki Familia arrived. The Guild member they'd spoken to had apparently risked her career to seek help from the Loki Familia and they'd replied. They handled matters from there, handling things with the Guild and arranging a Meeting of the Gods."

"...I'll have to thank her," Hephaestus said and Hestia grimaced slightly but nodded. "But, a Meeting of the Gods? When?"

"Yesterday," Tsubaki said quietly. "Welf and Percy were taken into custody and the gods were summoned to help decide their fate."

"What!?" Hephaestus abruptly snapped, anger shining clearly through despite her attempts at calm. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"I don't know. Several of the gods came by yesterday and asked Wayland where you were," Tsubaki answered. "He told them you were in the forge and asked if they needed to see you, at which point they answered 'not really,' and left without leaving a message. He made a note to pass on to you, but I didn't even know a meeting had been called until the Guild requested the presence of our Familia this morning, and I've been running around trying to figure things out ever since. I don't know why you weren't called, however."

"I do," Hephaestus growled. "Damn those bastards, what were they thinking!?"

Tsubaki winced slightly as Hephaestus swore, but Hestia agreed with her. As someone who knew how they gods behaved, it was easy to see that this was a malicious prank or act of spite, but to do it on something like this...

"What did they decide?" Hestia murmured, swallowing.

"They eventually ruled in Welf and Percy's favor, thankfully," Tsubaki answered. "I still have to meet with the Loki Familia to learn more, but it seems that Loki and Freya helped guarantee that, along with the words of several others. However, I don't know any specifics beyond that."

"I'll speak to them," Hephaestus replied. "For something like this, I'll need to thank them both and try to learn more. But first, where is Welf?"

"The last I heard, he was heading towards your Familia home to make repairs," Tsubaki replied, looking towards Hestia. "He hasn't come back yet, though."

Hestia nodded and looked back at her friend.

"Let go of me, Hephaestus," She said. "I need to go home."

"I'll go with you," Hephaestus replied. "Tsubaki, can you accompany me today?"

"Of course," The half-dwarf replied—and Hephaestus finally let go, freeing her to run.

She left the main office of the Hephaestus Familia quickly, rushing out into the streets and stopping only for a moment when she realized that the streets were fuller than she ever remembered seeing, decorated in vibrant colors and packed with people. After a moment, she remembered that she'd heard about this—the Monsterphilia festival, organized by Ganesha. She'd heard about it at the party he'd arranged but...stuff like that didn't matter now. Instead, she look off down the street, cutting into a side alley she often used getting to and from work, and used it to quickly make her way back to the church that served as her home. When she entered and quickly made her way down the hidden flight of stairs, she found herself face to face with an unfamiliar door but her key worked on it and that's all that mattered.

But when she swung it open and ran inside, the house was empty.

"Percy?" She called into the living space, as if he could somehow hide himself in here. Then, doing something more productive, she went and checked the bedroom and then the bathroom, knowing that he sometimes enjoyed staying under the spray of the shower, because of whatever powers he'd inherited from his father. But he wasn't there, either.

When she came back into the main area of her home to look around some more, she saw Hephaestus at the door, looking it over carefully.

"This is Baldwyn's work," Her friend said, eye glancing her way. "Though Welf set it. The door itself was made some time ago, but it was set and fitted today."

"There are dishes in the sink," Hestia said for her own part. "They haven't finished drying yet. They must have been here recently, but..."

"They might be at the festival," Tsubaki said, speaking up from behind Hephaestus, tone an attempt at reassuring. "It is rather popular, after all—or else, Welf might have gone back to his forge. At this time of day, it's not necessarily odd that they aren't inside the house."

"...Maybe," Hestia said, but something seemed somehow wrong. There was a nervous tension between her shoulder blades that just wouldn't go away.

"It's somewhere to start," Hephaestus said, looking at her understandingly. "We can see if anyone has seen or heard from them today—and it may be a good chance for us to have some words with the others."

"Yes," She made herself say, clutching the large case close to her chest and only then realizing that she still had it. She'd been so excited to give it to Percy, to finally have some way to protect him and help him, but now...now it just felt heave in her hands. "You're right. It's just that...I..."

"Come on," Hephaestus told her, turning leave as she trailed off. "I'm worried too, but I'm sure they're both fine—and the sooner we start looking, the sooner we'll find them."

She was probably right, she knew that, but...

Percy, please be safe. Just this once, don't be in trouble.