Chapter 4

"How long has it been?" Ouranos asked the white haired woman currently sitting a few feet away from him. His voiced stern, yet the woman could still hear the ever so faint shaking in it. "Certainly more than just a couple years."

Stella, whom was now sitting in a chair provided from him by that elf Royman after being called upon by Ouranos to provide a chair for his important guess, gave the old god a smile.

"It's a funny thing thing isn't it?" Stella spoke in an amused tone. She gaze upon the old god observing what has changed over the long passage of time. "As time progresses, so does change. No matter how strong a foundation is, wear will always creep up given time. Unheard of, unseen of. Yet, looks at us." Stella raised the cup of tea that was resting on the small table on her right side that was provided by Royman as well. Taking a sip, she smiled as she took in the aroma and swirled the content in the cup seemingly amused by her changing reflection on the surface of her drink. "The more things change, the more we the stay the same. The more we notice the change unfolding, the more we notice our unchanging nature."

"Such is our nature." Ouranos concluded as his eyes took a nostalgic shimmer. Perhaps remembering his past.

"That is true. However, one would think." Stella rested her cup on the table before crossing her legs. "Do the gods fear change? Or do they seek it? Most would say that a god has nothing fear. But that is untrue, is it not?"

Ouranos gave no response and merely gave Stella a calculating glare.

"What is your true purpose in coming here?" Ouranos asked in a commanding tone as if threatening the woman in front of him. But it gave no effect on the woman whom merely smirked in response to his harsh glare. "I thought your aim was to hide yourself. To hide from your misdeeds. To hide from all the blood you've shed. Or have you've forgotten this?"

Stella narrowed her eyes sharply at the old god hearing his words. The distaste for such a tone and question made her feel...

...

..

.

Disgusted.

"You should watch your words, Ouranos. Need I remind you that because of my sin you gods have gained a lot. " Stella stated in a steel tone sharp and cold. "The mistakes I made are many and huge in scale, yet one one of them was not forgetting them. Never once did I try to forget the mistakes I've made. Not once did I try to forget how many lives I've extinguish. The suffering I've brought not only to myself. Hide I may, but forget never."

Ouranos observe Stella. Checking if there was an once of dishonesty within her words. But he couldn't find any hint of it.

There were no lies.

Yes.

Stella may hide, but she would never forget.

Her sin.

"Then what is your true purpose here?" Ouranos asked in a curious tone, yet a tone much softer than before. "Forgive for me saying this, but your presence here will certainly bring problems not only for me, but for the gods and the mortals as well."

"I'm only here for one reason and one reason only." Stella claimed in a tone full with confidence. "He is my reason for staying alive. If it was not for him, I've surely locked away myself in the dark everlasting if not kill myself long before."

"So it's true." Ouranos felt a sensation of uncertainty and slight dread. A sensation he felt only once before when he first taken his descent from heaven to this land. "That boy is your son. He has your blood."

"How I wished he didn't have my blood." Stella looked down and grasped her hands together as she spoke in a tone filled with regret. "How I wished he wasn't my son and I his mother." Ouranos lifted a brow at this, curious. Stella noticed this and began to clarify. "Do not get wrong, Ouranos. I would never regret having him. I love him dearly and would do anything just to keep him safe. But with him being my son will bring him great danger. My blood within him made certain of his future. A future that will soon come upon both of us."

Ouranos said no words nor any actions, he merely looked at the woman speaking in such a disheartened tone.

She was disheartened and guilt-ridden, but not for herself, for her son.

"You want to know the true reason for my presence here?" Stella continued as she downed the last contents of her cup. "I'm here to protect him. To guide him. To make sure that he lives out the rest of his life without much suffering." She then gave a defeated laugh. "But he makes such a goal so uneasy. He is unique, far unique than most present here in Orario. Like a fleeting light amidst this creeping darkness. This is however is fatal. As his lonely light turn attention towards him. I am no fool, Ouranos. I am already aware of how many beings here had declared their attention towards him. Hide they may, but I can tell. I will know."

Ouranos was about to speak when Stella spoke again cutting him off.

"Do not fear, Ouranos." Stella cut in. "I've no attention in gaining their ire without provocation from their side. You can rest easy that I will merely observe and guide my son. However, if they refuse to keep their hands to themselves, then I would not hesitate to do anything and everything I can to make them undone."

"Stella, have you forgetten?" Ouranos asked. "This uniqueness of which you speak of, you have it as well. You gain attention towards yourself as well by staying at his side."

"I know of this. It has been the same way before this time." Stella clarified. "It is one of the reasons why I hid. But, the time I fear is slowly reaching. I can sense it. I must be at his side."

Stella stood up and began to walk out of the room her footsteps echoing throughout the wide interior.

"The sins I've committed will slowly claw its way out to where it originally came from and will bare its ugly fangs towards me and my son." Stella said in a somber tone. "The only thing I can do is protect him. Guide him as I rid any who will intend to bring him harm. And they will come, sooner or later. With that, I must make him stronger. For if the time comes when I won't be, I want him to have the power to stand still on his own feet. To fight with his power. His might."

"I will help you." Ouranos declared all of a sudden making Stella go all wide-eyed in surprise.

"Really now? You? Ouranos?" Stella asked, disbelief clearly evident in her tone.

"While I can't help you in the true nature of your sin and its repercussions." Ouranos said as he gestured his arms open in a slightly grand way. "I can keep an eye towards almost everything in Orario. With this, I can tell you anything whenever there's a sensation of wrongness. This sin may be your sin and yours alone, I can foretell that it will affect everything here in Orario. My goal is to protect Orario after all."

Stella stared at the old god in complete silence for a minute before laughing out loud. As if she just finished hearing an amusing joke from a court jester.

"How peculiar your words are, Ouranos." Stella laughed. "Are those words because you fear of what I will do to your citizens if something happens to my son?"

Ouranos gave no words to confirm in agreement or not and just looked at Stella in silence.

"I appreciate the gesture, Ouranos. Really. But it is best to stay clear of us. I'll do my best to keep you, your gods, your city, and your citizens, out of all this." As Stella was about to reach the exit from the room, she stopped and looked back at the old god with her glowing. "Just make certain that none of them will bring misfortunes towards my son. For I will make certain they break once they do. You know this to be true. I've spilled more blood than all of you gods and your adventurers combined."

Ouranos felt dread and creeping chill within his body as he watched Stella finally walk out of the room. The old god released a heavy sigh as the atmosphere within the room lightened up with the absence of the woman. He was certain. Stella's words were true. He prayed that whatever happens to Stella and her son, Orario will come out safe.

Though Bell in appearance looked to be chatting with his party happily, in truth he as nervous. He was feeling a sensation of uneasiness once his mother stepped further into the interior of the guild where he deduced where the god Ouranos resides in.

Questions riddled his mind endlessly. How did his mother know of Ouranos? How did they come to know each other? For if his mother was allowed to enter the innermost part of the guild then she was sure to be someone important to Ouranos. Or at the very least someone he can't treat lightly.

"Bell?"

He was brought of his tangled train of thoughts by a beautiful voice he recognized so fondly. Turning around to the source of the said voice, he was greeted by the sight of flowing gold hair paired with beautiful shining gold eyes.

Ais Wallenstein.

"O-Oh!" Bell nervously fiddled with his attire, making sure he was presentable at the very least. With a reddening face he raised his hand and waved a greeting. "Hello, Ais-san."

"Hello." Ais returned the gesture with a small smile.

The rest of the Ais party gave them a short greeting as well, surprisingly even Bete. Her party consisted of Riveria, Tiona and Tione, Lefiya, and Bete.

"Hey there Argonaut!" Tiona greeted with a wide grin. "Seems like you're heading down the dungeon as well?"

"Yes." Bell nodded.

"Your familia has been growing a lot recently." Tione commented as she pulled back Tiona whom was invading the personal space of the white haired boy. "It's quite impressive."

"If you're heading down the dungeon, then may I ask why you're staying here?" Riveria asked in a polite tone despite her true lineage. "Perhaps you're waiting for someone?"

"That's right!" Lily was the one who answered. "We're waiting for Stella-sama."

"Oh? Will she coming here at the guild later?"

"Not really." Welf answered as he slightly awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. "She's already here. Stella-san came with us to here, but she was called by Ouranos."

Hearing this, Riveria raised a brow. At their first meeting, when she felt the woman's presence for the first time and got a taste of what the woman could do, the elf princess was curious to the woman's real identity and nature. She was far from an ordinary civilian. That much she could tell. But now, hearing that the god of the guild called Stella, she was mystified. Because this entails that Stella isn't really an ordinary woman after all. That she was someone whom is clearly important to warrant a talk with Ouranos face to face.

Before she could continue to expand her thoughts about the matter, her attention was turned towards the slow tug at her sleeve. She looked and saw Ais tugging and looking at a direction.

There she was.

The woman of unknown nature.

Stella.

Stella was walking up to their location when she stopped and turned towards Eina. She thanked the receptionist with a kind smile which made the said receptionist blush.

"Mother!" Belled called out as he hurried to his mother's side. "What happened?"

"Nothing of note, dear." Stella stroked her son's cheeks fondly. "Just catching up with an old acquaintance."

This answer raised more question to everyone who heard it. While they wear waiting for Stella to provide more words to them ,to shed more light on the matter, she didn't speak any more and just smiled at Bell and his familia.

Stella then turned around towards the Loki familia members before her eyes narrowed as her gaze landed upon the wolf. Though fleeting, Bete felt the sensation of danger deep within his body before it vanished into nothing in just mere seconds.

Smiling, Stella greeted them with a lighter tone.

"Good morning." Stella greeted. "I believe you're members of the Loki familia correct?"

Riveria took a step closer to the woman before bowing slightly in a regal manner. "That is correct and good morning to you too, Stella-san."

"Are you going heading down the dungeon as well?"

"That is correct." Riveria answered with a nod. "Though we've gained a decent amount by doing quests here and there in the short amount of time, we're still lacking in funds due to our most recent expedition."

"Is that so?" Stella seemed to thought for a bit before clasping her hands and gesturing towards his son and friends. "Then perhaps you would like to go with us on the way down?"

"WHAT!?"

The shout came mostly from Bell's side, but Lefiya and Bete did so as well.

"While I presume my son and his friends can't go down the same levels as you, surely we can spend the time the way down together? Perhaps even have a talk or two?"

"M-Mother?"

To be Continued.

Afterword

I'm sorry for such a long delay and such a short chapter on top of that. Life has been rough. Work has been hectic and my free time has fallen short. Most of the time after work due to being so tired, I would just want to rest and relax. I want to write but the stress is too much and it makes writing and thinking very difficult. I hope you understand.

I just wanted to let you all know that this story hasn't been dropped.

Thank you much for being patient and for all the support. Seeing all the follows and favorites, it helps a lot. Reading the reviews was uplifting and helped me a lot as well. Thank you. Please tell me what you think of the stories in a review! If you have any recommendations for the story, feel free to tell me as well

The next chapter will be longer.

Thanks again!

Laters~