Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

[Vol.4] Quest 384- New Home

Five days later.

Artemis and Callisto ride up on horseback to Elysian Valley; they take their time getting there.

“Wow… There is a lot of mist here.” Callisto said.

“There is,” Artemis said. “Your father added it to give it a sense of mysticism.”

“Really?”

“Very likely, knowing him.”

Callisto could hear a slightly aggressive tone in her mother’s voice.

“Mom, are you mad?”

“Of course she is,” Nox said, riding with Callisto. “She lost her spot that she swiped right in front of Ai.”

“I am not mad, Nox,” Artemis said. “Just a bit... Okay, I am a bit mad.”

“Heh. Sore loser.”

“I am not a sore loser. I just like to win.”

“Tomato tomahto.”

They travel a bit more to reach where the Torii gate is supposed to be.

“Huh? It’s not here." Artemis said, looking around.

“Your back, Lady Artemis.”

From the mist, Gemini appeared.

“Oh, one of Cirrus’s knights.”

“I am Gemini. I will—”

“Hello!” Callisto said jumping off her horse. “I am your big sister! Callisto!” She said landing right in front of him.

"Hello, Callisto.” He nods and puts on a lighthearted smile. “You’re an energetic one, huh? Follow me. I will show you the way.”

“Hey! Come on!”

“Hahaha!!” Nox cackled. “I like him already!”

They followed him through the field of flowers, which now had red flowers. Both Callisto and Artemis noticed they looked like marigolds.

"Say, what are these flowers?” Artemis asked. “They seem new."

“They are Lady Nara’s flowers. She asked her boss to make them for her.”

“Ooh… Their pretty!” Callisto said. “What are the green and red flowers' names?”

“The green cloud ones are called Elysium's, and the red ones are called Naraka’s.”

“They named the flowers after themselves," Artemis said.

“Who doesn’t name something after themselves?”

“That seems fair enough. Right, second wife?” Nox said, looking at Artemis.

“…I am going to pluck your feathers, Nox,” Artemis said, eyeing her.

They follow Gemini as he goes down the valley.

They could see several formations and holes in the sides of the valley.

Down in the dead center of the valley, they saw a red torii gate covered in mist with more Elysium’s and Nara’s. The gate in question has a solid black and red film sheet.

“Through here. Just walk through.”

“No special privileges?”

“None for now, Lady Artemis. Through you, you will meet our new leader of the Elysium Knights.”

“It’s Nara, isn’t it?"

Gemini looked at her for a second.

“… Yes.” He nods. “Scorpio is still the captain, though, so eh?” He shrugs. “Not too bad.”

The three of them then walk through the film sheet to find themselves in a whole new place.

They found themselves in a tropical environment; the heat was enough to tell them that. They look around to find that they are in a stone temple reclaimed by nature, with a waterfall a bit ahead and a bridge to walk over the water.

“Ooh! Pretty!!” Callisto said, running across the bridge.

“This has Cirrus written all over it,” Nox said, following in right behind.

“Ai does love her streams,” Artemis said.

They kept going, and as they walked down the stairs, they could see a spiral mountain. River and forest. They spiral to the top, where a red Shinto shrine stands.

“…Oh yeah, Cirrus made this,” Nox said as she turned into an owl and flew ahead.

“Come on Mom, I’ll carry you!” Callisto said.

“Thank you, sweetie.”

Running along the swirling pebble path, lined with Elysium’s and Nara’s, Artemis holds onto Callisto tightly.

“Hm?”

“What is it, mom?”

“I never noticed how big you have gotten."

Artemis didn’t really notice, but Callisto was surprisingly big for her age.

“I have been eating my green!”

“No, you didn't think I never noticed you tossing them under the table?”

“Geh! N-no! No, I didn’t!”

They kept going, crossing over three bridges before stopping right in front of the shrine.

They walk in to see Nox drinking tea and eating cake with Nara.

“Look who’s finally here!” Nox said as she took a bite of the slice of cake.

“Says the bird who flew over everything!” Callisto said while Artemis got off Callisto.

“So is this your domain?” Artemis said, looking around and noticing five torii gates around the area where they were eating.

“Something like that; this is my floor, Sanzu-no-Kawa." Nara spoke up. "I added mine to Elly's, that's his pet name, which helped him finish and get his reincarnation cycle up and going.”

“I see… So do we have to walk to Cirrus or what? Also Elly is such a nicer name than Zep-Zep."

“No, but now that everything is running, he is busy fixing any problems that occur. Also really? I thought you would dislike Elly?”

"I can admit a better name when I hear one."

“And when will he not be busy?” Nox asked getting back on topic.

“Yeah, I wanna see Dad!” said Callisto.

“He should be done in about two hours. In the meantime, you can spend your time here.”

“Can I go and see the rest of the places?" Callisto said it eagerly and excitedly.

“Hmm… Capricorn.”

Tap!

Tap!

Coming from behind the main shrine building was a brown-skinned woman in Amazoness attire who showed off her body with pieces of armor scantly scattered around her body.

And like every other knight, she had a helmet that covered her face, and its appearance was that of a goat.

“Yawn~ Sorry, my queen. What is it that you fucking desire?” She said it in a regal yet brutish tone of voice.

Nox and Artemis could see that she also looked familiar.

"Capricorn, can you show Callisto around Elysian Valley?”

“Sure thing." Capricorn walks up to Callisto. "Hey kid, you wanna go through a water slide?”

“Depends on how big the slide is?”

“Oh, it’s gonna be big!” She holds her hand out to the torii gate. “Special privilege: Capricorn. Location: Acheron Lake.”

The gate lit up.

“Come along!” She rushed on ahead.

"Oh, wait for me!" Callisto quickly chased her through the portal.

With them gone, Nara looked towards Artemis.

"So, Art, do you wanna come and join me and Nox for some tea? I’m sure after the trip you tired." Nara said.

“I would like a tea, thank you.”

Nox could feel tension in the air between Nara and Artemis.

"So how is it living here, Ai?” Nox said.

“It’s lovely. Well, from the times I can spend with Elly for the most part, I am monitoring the space and time fabric of the world.”

'It is rather annoying how complex those Rifts are. Just a massive bundle of tangled-up yarn.’ Nara thought.

“Oh~ and how is spending time with Cirrus? Or do you prefer if I call him Elysium?”

“…” Nara paused to think it over. “…I would prefer if you called him Elysium. Now that I understand what he went through, calling him Cirrus is like opening an old wound. I am sure you understand Nox.”

“I do. When you told me what happened... well, I wanted to hug him and never let go. Being stuck in that seal was one thing, but he had undergone billions of years of isolation. Tell me, Artemis.” Nox looked at Artemis. “How did you get through it?”

“I didn’t." Artemis shakes her head. "We gods do not possess an ego until we have left the Void, so we just popped into heaven. Which is why what both you and Cir—I am sorry Elysium said was incredibly, and I mean incredibly stupid, and beyond the realms of recklessness and into suicidal.”

"Well, you are not wrong. Cirrus died, and from it, Elly was born. Too was for Ai. Ahh… It seems that girl is so far away yet…” She touches her heart. “Yet so close at the same time.”

Nox and Artemis could see the conflicting expression on Nara; it was even visible in her tails and ears as they dropped down.

“Then I will try and call you by your name, Nara—”

“That is fine Art.” Nara cuts her off. “If it is close friends and family, I am fine with it. Just a little bit of understanding is all. Oh, and that goes for Elysium as well.”

“I see… Well if I am going to be living here, I should call you by your proper names now, Naraka-no-Tsurugi.”

Nara looked at Artemis with eyes filled with relief.

“Call me Nara. It’s far shorter.”

Two hours go by before they know it.

“Alright, Elly is done with his work.” Nara waved her hand, and Capricorn appeared along with Callisto.

Callisto and Capricorn were both soaking wet.

"Callisto, don’t tell me you were playing in the water for two hours," Artemis said.

“Um… No?” She said looking away.

“She is right, we were racing with Acheron and some others! I gotta say this one here!” Capricorn pats Callisto’s head. “She really is a wild one! Hahaha!!” She said bringing her in closer.

"Nox, can you dry us off?” Callisto asked.

“Ugh… I am not your personal blow dryer, you know.” Nox said coming up to the two of them. “(Genesis Light.) [White Night].”

A quick burst of heat and light evaporated a good amount of the water.

“Follow along,” Nara said as she held her hand to a torii gate, and a portal opened.

They all followed Nara through the portal.

They stand at the end of a long throne room.

At the other end was Elysium stretching, with Proanthos stretching along.

“Cirrus—”

“DAD!!!” Callisto shouted, cutting off her mother and running down the red carpet.

“Hm?”

Elysium and Proanthos could see Callisto running down the throne at full speed.

“Oh shit,” Elysium said.

“DAD!!!!”

Callisto jumped high into the air. Elysium held out his arms, catching her.

“Oof!! Callisto!! What did we say about—”

Callisto quickly hugged him.

“I missed you, Dad!” She said hugging him even more tightly.

Elysium could tell how much she missed him. So he would return the favor.

“I miss you too, Calli.” And hugged her back.

The other came up shortly.

“Nice place,” Nox said looking around. “And this must be Vesta, huh?” She said looking at Proanthos. “Did you like Cirrus more than Hestia? And speaking of Hestia, what did you return to her?”

“My name is Proanthos, and Elysium simply gave Hestia a copy of me, and yes, I much preferred him over her. Now if you will excuse me, I am on break.” She turned to Elysium. “Lord Elysium.” She bowed and left towards one of the torii gates. “Special privilege: Proanthos. Location: Phlegethon Meadows.” A portal opened, and she left through it.

“So…” Elysium looks at Artemis. “Do you want to fight Nara for—”

“Tomorrow,” Artemis said firmly while looking at Nara. “But I want to make it clear that even if I win, Nara will still be the first wife. I... begrudgingly accept that I came in second.”

“So you really wanna fight me, huh?” Nara said.

“Yes. I want to have an all-out bout with a fellow goddess. Who is stronger, my arrow or your sword?”

“Heh~,” Nox said, very interested. “Well, how—”

“Oh, Dad, can we have a spar?" Callisto said cutting Nox off.

“Hey! I wanna enjoy a nice bath! Not fight!”

“We can enjoy a nice bath after a spar! Come on, Dad! Please! Please!!”

“Alright, alright. One spar, and that’s it, alright?” Elysium said, putting Callisto down. “Sorry Art. I can show you to—”

“It’s fine. Callisto has been itching to spar with you since you replaced Bronte.” Artemis said.

“Ooh! My lord, my lady, do you mind if I get the others to watch?" Capricorn said.

“Sure thing,” Elysium said.

“Go on,” Nara said.

Capricorn quickly ran to get the other knights.