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Bell pushed his back against the cold stone wall.
He felt a sharp edge near the floor.
He slid down and rubbed the thick rope against the sharp rock.
"What are you doing?"
Haruhime asked. She moved closer to him in the dark.
"I'm breaking free,"
Bell grunted. He moved his wrists back and forth quickly. His skin hurt, but he didn't stop.
"It's no use,"
Haruhime whispered.
"Even if you get out of those ropes, the door is locked."
"I'll break the door,"
Bell said.
*Snap.*
The rope gave way.
Bell pulled his hands to the front.
He rubbed his red wrists.
He stood up and stretched his legs.
He walked over to Haruhime.
He knelt down in front of her.
He gently untied the ropes around her hands and feet.
"Come with me,"
Bell said.
"Right now."
"I can't,"
Haruhime whispered. She pulled her hands away.
"They will kill us. You don't know this place. There are guards everywhere."
"I won't let them hurt you. Trust me."
Bell looked deeply into her green eyes.
"You said you belong in a cage. I say you are not. No one should be treated like a thing."
Haruhime looked at his open hand.
She was so scared.
But his eyes were so warm.
She slowly reached out.
She placed her shaking hand inside his.
"Okay,"
Haruhime said softly.
Bell smiled.
He kicked the heavy wooden door.
It cracked.
He kicked it again with all his strength.
The door flew open and hit the hallway wall.
They crept out of the dark room.
The long hallway was lit by red lanterns.
They walked quietly toward the stairs.
Suddenly, a tall woman stepped out of the shadows.
She carried a massive sword resting on her shoulder.
"Going somewhere?"
The woman asked.
Haruhime gasped.
She hid behind Bell's back.
"Aisha."
Bell stepped in front of Haruhime.
He raised his bare fists.
"Let us pass."
Aisha looked at Bell.
She smirked.
"You're Hestia's little rabbit. You have guts. Breaking out of a locked room. But guts won't save you from Ishtar."
"I'll fight you if I have to,"
Bell said. His voice didn't shake.
Aisha pointed her large sword at his chest.
"You have no weapon. I'm a Level 4 Amazon. You'll die before you even blink. Is this weak fox really worth your life?"
"Yes,"
Bell answered immediately.
"She is my friend now. I will protect my friends."
Aisha stared at him.
She looked for any sign of a lie.
She found none.
She looked past him at Haruhime.
"You really want to leave, fox?"
Aisha asked.
"You want to leave the Night City?"
Haruhime grabbed the back of Bell's shirt tightly.
"Yes. I want to see the morning sky again."
Aisha sighed deeply.
She lowered her heavy sword.
"Run,"
Aisha said.
Bell blinked in surprise.
"What?"
"I said run, rabbit. Before I change my mind. Phryne is guarding the bottom floor. She is huge and ugly. If she sees you, you are dead."
"Thank you,"
Bell said. He grabbed Haruhime's hand and ran down the hall.
Aisha watched them go.
"Don't die, you foolish kids,"
She whispered to the empty hall.
High up in the main tower, Lady Ishtar threw her crystal wine glass at the wall.
It shattered into a hundred pieces.
Red wine dripped down the stone like blood.
"What do you mean he escaped?!"
Ishtar screamed. Her face was twisted in pure anger.
An Amazon guard kneeled on the floor.
She kept her head down.
She was shaking.
"The guards found the ropes cut, Lady Ishtar. The room is empty. The door is broken. The fox is missing too."
"That little brat!"
Ishtar yelled. She kicked a small table over.
"I brought him here to break Freya's heart! He is ruining my entire plan!"
A massive woman walked heavily into the room. It was Phryne. She looked exactly like a giant toad. She carried two large axes.
"I will find him, Ishtar,"
Phryne croaked. Her voice was deep and wet.
"I will break both of his legs. Then I will bring him to your bed."
"Do it!"
Ishtar yelled. She pointed out the window.
"Lock down the tower. Lock down the whole Night City. Nobody leaves this place. Find the rabbit and bring him to me. If he fights, hurt him. Just don't kill him. I still need him to make Freya cry."
"And the fox?"
Phryne asked.
"Bring the fox back to her cage!"
Ishtar ordered.
"Whip her until she forgets how to speak!"
Phryne smiled an ugly smile.
"Yes, my Goddess. I love hunting little rabbits."
Ishtar paced back and forth across the soft rugs.
"Freya thinks she is better than me. I will show everyone who truly rules Orario. I will take everything she loves and crush it."
At the Hestia Mansion, the front door swung open loudly.
God Hermes walked in.
He tipped his feathered hat.
He didn't look happy.
"I have news, Goddess Hestia,"
Hermes said seriously.
Hestia ran across the room.
She grabbed his collar with both hands.
"Where is he? Tell me right now! Who took my Bell?"
Hestia demanded.
"He is in the Night City,"
Hermes answered.
"Ishtar's Familia took him. They snatched him right off the street."
Hestia froze.
Her blue eyes went wide.
Then, they burned with intense fury.
She let go of Hermes.
"Ishtar,"
Hestia growled. Her voice was low and dangerous.
"That fake beauty. She dared to touch a member of my Familia?"
Welf stepped forward from the corner. He drew his large red sword. The metal scraped loudly.
"Are we going?"
"Yes,"
Hestia said loudly.
"We are going right now."
Lili loaded her heavy crossbow.
She put extra arrows in her belt.
"Lili is ready to shoot."
The others were also ready.
Hestia looked at her big Familia.
They were ready for a war.
"Listen to me,"
Hestia said. Her voice was strong and commanding.
"Ishtar's Familia is very large. They have fierce Amazons. They have a Level 5 captain. But we have each other. We are going into the Night City. We won't stop. We won't turn back. We won't rest until Bell is back home."
"Yes, Goddess!"
They all shouted together.
"Let's move out!"
Hestia pointed toward the open door.
They rushed out into the dark night.
They ran through the streets of Orario as a single group.
Other adventurers watched them go.
The citizens stepped out of their way.
Everyone could feel the heavy anger in the air.
A war between Gods was about to start in the streets.
Upstairs in the quiet library, Elias stood by the open window.
He watched Hestia and the others run down the street.
They moved fast.
The large house was finally empty and completely silent.
Elias turned away from the window.
He walked over to the far wall.
He reached out and picked up his black naginata.
The curved blade caught the moonlight.
It looked incredibly sharp and deadly.
"They are moving,"
Dee's voice came from the dark hallway.
Elias didn't look surprised.
Dee leaned against the door frame.
She was eating a bright red apple.
"Hestia is very mad,"
Dee said between loud bites.
"She might actually bite Ishtar. I would pay money to see that."
"Hestia is acting like a Goddess now,"
Elias said. He wiped a small speck of dust from his weapon.
"And what are you going to do?"
Dee asked. She tossed the apple core over her shoulder.
"The rabbit is running around. The ugly toad is hunting him. Hestia is starting a war."
Elias gripped the long handle of his naginata.
"The lesson is over. Bell has found his own reason to fight. He made his choice to save the fox girl. He stepped up. Now, it is my turn to step up."
"Finally,"
Dee smiled widely. She clapped her hands together.
"I was getting bored again. Are we going to crash the party?"
Elias walked past her.
He headed for the wooden stairs.
"Yup."
"Are you going to kill the Goddess Ishtar?"
Dee asked as she followed him.
"No, I am going to destroy her Familia,"
Elias answered.
"She broke the unspoken rules of the city. She kidnapped a member of my family. Now she pays the ultimate price."
Dee skipped down the stairs behind him.
She hummed a happy song.
"Can I help smash things?"
She asked happily.
"Why not,"
Elias told her.
They walked out of the mansion.
The night air was cool and crisp.
Elias looked toward the tall buildings of the Night City.
The red lanterns painted the dark sky like blood.