Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 341- Through The Storm

The next day.

Crack!!

Crack!!

Crack!!

Much like what Poseidon said School District came into a storm.

"Very well," Leon said. "While you and Ai deal with it, the rest of us will provide covering fire."

Luckily, the ship was built to go through the roughest of waters. Even with powerful waves crashing into the side of the ship, not a single tremor could be felt onboard.

"And in case anything happens here," Cirrus puts down a pair of boots. "They will create a sheet of ice to allow you to walk on water."

"Is this what you're going to use to fight the Leviathan?"

"Don’t underestimate it," Lance said. "He used them before, and it works just as well as my skill."

"Still. Cirrus, are you sure you don’t want Lance to go with you?" Leon asked.

"I’m sure. From what I gathered on the Leviathan, me and Ai will be enough for it. I made those magic boots that I used to walk on water for her, and they're better than those from that time."

"You don’t have Nox to bail you out like you did with that mountain-sized monster," Lance added. "You are too old to be doing reckless things."

"I know, but I have grown far stronger than that time, Lance. Hell, my magic was even enough to match Alfia’s."

"I remember you telling Lord Poseidon that, but still, she couldn’t have finished off the Leviathan without the help of my and several other naval Familia’s."

"You forget I’m one achievement shy of reaching level 10, Lance. That and I have my kid with me, so I can’t show him his old man got danced on by a fucking fish."

"Well, they say fathers are ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers, and singers of song," Leon said.

"I doubt I am anything but ordinary," Cirrus said.

"No doubt about that. Also, when do you think this storm will let up?" Leon looked out the windows to see it raining cats and dogs.

"Uhhh…"

"Days," Lance said. "And with his kid onboard, it’ll probably be even longer."

"… Are you sure you're not cursed?" Leon looked at Cirrus.

"Very."

Going back to his room, he used his magic to dry himself.

"Haa…" Cirrus sits down on the bed and lays back.

Bwoosh!

Vesta appeared next to him, leaning against his head.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Heavy. Sluggish. Everything I do requires effort. What do you think will happen to me when the flame from the Levithan is taken?"

"… I believe your life would become unbearable. Your bones could be as fragile as glass, and your skin could be as delicate as paper. Death would be a mercy."

"Sir/Master." Hecton and Fafnir pop out.

"Your mindscape, the place where we reside," Hecton said.

"The sky is cloudy; rain pours down heavily," Fafnir said. "We have been observing it since Vesta took in the corrupted flame from the Behemoth."

"And from what we observed, it hasn’t risen the water level of the sea."

"How fortunate," Cirrus said, taking a deep breath. "… It’s annoying that I’m getting scared."

"It is perfectly fine to be scared."

"I kept telling myself, making promises to myself, that I would face my fate... but now that I am here, I am getting cold feet."

"Your past words still hold up."

"That is true, sir," Hecton said. "You are here, to begin with."

"Yeah, you are not running away, just taking your time getting there," Fafnir added.

"… I think I’ll sleep for now."

Cirrus slowly falls asleep as Hecton and Fafnir return to the shadow, and Vesta disappears in a wisp of fire.

Later in the afternoon.

"Whew!" Ai enters the room, drenched from the rain.

She walks in to see Cirrus sleeping. She walks closer to him and then flops on him.

"Agh!?" Cirrus wakes up from the sudden cold wetness around him.

"Hey there, sleepyhead!" Ai wraps around his head. "You wanna take a bath? We are pretty wet!"

Her tail wagged left and right.

"Sure." He then wrapped his arms around her neck. "Help me up."

Ai helps him up, and the two take off their clothes and go into the bath.

"Ahh~" The two sit as the bath fills with warm water.

"How were the lessons?" Cirrus asked her, resting his head on hers.

"It was fun! The students here are pretty tough! But they don’t have the stamina to keep up with my students!" Ai spoke comfortably. "Hey, doesn’t this remind you of our time when you lived in your workshop? We would always bathe together like this!"

"We still do this."

The warm water is halfway full.

"Yeah, but it brings back memories!"

"Hmm… Did they get Haku and his friends some rooms?"

"They are right next to us! Separated between boys and girls, of course!"

"I see… I love you; you know?"

"Where is this coming from?" She turned her head, letting their foreheads against one another.

She could see his eyes were closed.

"Can’t I say to my wife of 17 years that I love her?"

"Normally yes, but given this situation, I am concerned."

"Well, I would be lying if all of this wasn’t getting on my nerves."

"That’s right… You have that labor with Ouranos. I have forgotten. It’s been years since I thought about it. The last time resulted in Haku and Callisto, and..." She gently touched his right eye.

"… Don’t worry." Cirrus opens his eyes. He parted her hair. "We will be alright. I am your, Art, Malion, Ryuu, Haku, Calli, Auby, and Alise’s hero."

"That’s right." She inches closer to her face.

The water filled up.

"(Sing)." The knob turns to shut the water off.

"I won’t let you die, my love." She pressed her lips against his.

"I feel safer already."

His warm smile brightened Ai’s mood.

"Wanna do it?"

"I am always shocked at how easily you ruin a nice moment."

"You were thinking it, too. I can feel it with my tail." She smirked.

"Haa… You are going to have to do that work."

"Oh♪ Can I do what I want?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, go ahead. What do you want?"

The next day.

"So how far are we till the Leviathan?" Cirrus asked with a turtleneck.

"About two days from here," Poseidon said, looking out at the sea. "I have been through these storms before. It’s the Leviathan’s doing. These waves, these winds—it’s her!" He has his hands out as if to greet God’s messengers.

"Uhh… Okay." Cirrus looks at Lance, Leon, and Baldr. "You guys have known him longer than me. Is he okay?"

"You know how sailors are," Lance said, reading a book. "The Leviathan was—what did you say she was to you?" He looked up from his book at his god.

"She was the Moby Dick to my Ahab!! Moriarty to my Holmes!! Zenigata to my Lupin!! Er well in this case it's the other way around."

‘Okay, I get it.’ Cirrus thought hearing him.

"I have the students help keep a lookout for the Leviathan," Leon said. "They are taking shifts, so no injuries or casualties occur."

"Sorry about Ai. She likes to really drill in her lessons," Cirrus said.

"No worries," Baldr said. "I heard from the other teachers that they are growing pretty well! Especially their endurance."

"Well, I’ll be in the blacksmithing area." Cirrus walked to the door. "Lance, you left Unfading Light in there, right?"

"I did." He glanced back at Cirrus. "By the way, if you swing by the teacher’s lounge, we have some drinks. I’m sure you wanna relax without your wife around."

"Hm, I’ll have to swing by then."

"Ah, don’t listen to him!" Poseidon turned to Cirrus as he was halfway through the door. "Show off the scars of love your wife gave ya!"

"Uhh…" Cirrus moves his turtle neck to show his neck. "Are you sure about that?"

They look to see very visible bite marks along with hickeys.

"Daaaaaaaaamn!!!" They all said.

"I wanted to heal it, but uh... well, if I did, she would just do it again, so... eh?" He removed his hand from his turtleneck. "I’ll be seeing you at the teacher's lounge." Cirrus closes the door and leaves.

"… You know I—"

"No," Everyone said, stopping Poseidon.