Danmachi: Westward Cloud [Complete]

Quest 98.1- The Missing Breeze, 2nd Half

For the next four years, Ai went into the dungeon like a madman. Throwing caution to the wind she threw herself into growing stronger.

"Hah~ Hah~" She catches her breathe. "AHHHH!!!" Before charging back into the frey.

She fought off Evilus members and delved deep into the dungeon on her own.

Slash!

Spurt~!!

"I-its the Sunny Saint!" Shouted a member of Evilus as they watched their fellow member get cut down.

"ESCAPE IS USELESS!!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs with her cold and clean katana in hand, ready to spill more blood.

She gained a reputation within the city and was given the title of Sunny Saint. She gained that title for her skill with the sword, which has grown fearsome over the last four years, more than her spearmanship, and also because of her kind personality, garnering favor amongst the male gods and citizens.

"T-thank you!" said a child looking up at Ai.

"No problem!" She smiles brightly. "Go on and go, I'll handle it."

With her help, she helped stop Evilus from growing unchecked and was now more feared for how she hunted them down relentlessly. She was actually far more intimidating as with her sense of smell she really could hunt them down far easier and longer than what Cirrus was capable of. Her sword also swung more freely.

When she finally became level 5, she immediately headed to the guild and reported it. She waited for Fels to contact her, and by nighttime, a white owl reminiscent of Nox flew in with a letter.

"Hm?" She looked at the owl on her windowsill, she saw a message tied to it's foot. "Who do you belong to?" She reached over, got the letter and began to read it's contents.

"!" Her eyes widen.

She readied her gear and left to quickly report to Ouranos.

"Lord Ouranos." Ai said arriving at the Room of Prayer.

"Shirakusa Ai, as I said 4 years ago, you are permitted to go to Telskyura."

His words filled Ai with unbridled energy. At long last she can finally go.

"Thank you. I will depart immediately."

To avoid people finding her, she took off on foot, quickly running through the southeastern part of the continent. She ran day and night through rain and sun, rivers, and mountains to reach Telskyura.

"Huff! Huff!"

After passing through the mountains north of Telskyura, Ai had a good view from high on the mountain.

"I’m coming, Nox!"

After jumping down the mountain, she ran into the country's only city. She easily got past all the Amazoness, as they didn’t expect someone to come through the harsh northern mountains and simply run by them.

'Oh! There are a lot of women here?' She really didn't think it was the Amazoness' homeland but seeing it person she was proven wrong. She did not see a male anywhere.

She quickly ran to the docks, as from what the Poseidon Familia had said, Nox would always come back there to rest and eat before heading back to look.

Sure enough, when Ai came, she spotted Nox’s unkempt, dirty white hair as she stumbled her way to the docks. Ai ran to her and shouted at the top of her lungs.

"Nox! I came to help!"

Nox turned to her to show an exhausted face. It showed that she hadn’t been eating or sleeping very much to look for Cirrus.

She talked for a bit before breaking down in anger and sadness. She continued to punch the nearby crates in a fit until her knuckles were bloody. She passed out from fatigue, with tears streaming down her face. Many of the Amazoness came and helped, one of which was Bache. She brought Ai to Nox’s home, which was the building Cirrus was at before fighting the monster.

The Amazoness decided to give it to her, as they had never seen such loyalty to another like hers. While Nox slept, Ai talked with the Amazoness about why she was there. She told them she was a friend of Zephyr from Orario, and she came to help Nox find him.

They asked no further and left her alone. Bache, on the other hand, informed her of how Nox was doing. Much of Ai’s observation was right: she would search at sea, diving deep into the water to look for him.

"I see… and you have been giving her food?" Ai said.

"Hm, I would make her some food and treat some of her injuries should she get them while searching, even when she becomes sick… of course, she grew more resilient to the cold and wetness of the sea… it still pains me to see her walk up and go looking again."

"Well, I’m here to help!" She said with a bright smile that warmed Bache’s heart.

"I like your attitude, but we have been looking for four years. A country tried to find him and nothing. I’m sorry you came all this—"

"You know… he made a promise to me."

"H-huh?" Bache looked at Ai with a puzzled and slightly jealous look.

"I gave him some charms that he would come back so." Ai got closer to Bache and looked at her stern yet confident eyes. She had her hands on her shoulders. Bache could feel the callouses on her hand. They were rough. "I will find him and make him pay for leaving me for four years!"

'She had pretty eyes up close.' Ai passively thought.

"R-right!"

"So…" Ai, lets go of Bache. "How long will Nox sleep for?"

"About three or so days… maybe more, but when she wakes up, she’ll taste some of the food and then continue to look for Zephyr."

"Hm well, I'll start in the morning. I’m a bit tired from the trip."

"I’ll show you to a room. Do you wish for—"

"I’ll stay here."

"Eh?"

Staying in one of the spare rooms, Ai ate and then went to sleep.

"Ahh... a bed. This is nice after so long." She takes a deep breathe and turns on her back looking up at the celling. "There are a lot of girls here... Hmm." Knowing Amazoness' and their preferences Ai knew Cirrus was obviously targeted. Bache came to mind. "Bache." She cast her gaze down at her chest. "... Mines are kinda big, hm. Maybe I should listen to Aisha on those bras." Her thoughts then went to Bache and Aisha, she was comparing how they stack with one another. "... Aisha really has a kind of seductive beauty with a older sister charm to her but Bache has more of a dark, mysterious kind of charm." Ai found them both appealing in their own ways.

Waking up early in the morning, full of energy, she set out to look for Cirrus.

"… I don’t know how to sail… dammit!"

She turned to see if there were any sailors or fishermen, but she found instead that it was Bache coming down the street.

"Bache!!" Ai shouted early in the morning, running to Bache and head-butting her.

"OOF!" Bache quickly moved her legs to stop herself from falling to her back. "Ugh! Why did you headbutt me?" She asked wanting a answer.

"Sorry! It’s a bad habit!"

"Habit?" She found it hard to believe but considering Ai was from a different part of the world than she then it would be plausible. "I will ask Lady Kali if headbutting could be a habit." she mumbled under her breathe.

"By the way, do you know how to sail?" Ai looked into her eyes.

"Uhh…."

For the next five days, they would go out to sea and search early in the morning.

"Hmm..." Ai's eyes blink at different times, her short hair would have been messy but using her fingers she combed through it to make herself presentable enough.

"Not a morning person huh?" Bache asked.

"... No."

In the meantime, they would fish in the afternoon and repeat until.

Shine!

"Ah, Nox!" said Ai. "Sorry I wasn’t there, I was—"

"What are you doing here? You are only a decade old." Nox said flat out.

"… Um…" Both Ai and Bache didn’t know how to respond.

"Lady Nox… um…" said Bache. "It’s been—"

"Four years," said Ai.

"… What?" Nox stumbled a bit as she tried to comprehend this information. "I… I… I never—!!"

She grabbed her head in pain.

"Nox!!" they both said, going to her.

"What’s wrong, Nox!" said Ai.

"M-my head!! It's—!!"

Nox went silent. Her eyes widen as a stunned expression slowly draws on her face.

"___" She stood up and looked out to sea, staring off into the horizon. "…Cirrus."

With no hesitation, she leaped and turned into an owl, flying as quickly as she could.

"Follow her!" Ai shouted.

They set sail and followed Nox. As they followed her, a familiar scent caught Ai’s nose.

Sniff! Sniff!

"It… it can’t be!!"

As they sailed further and further, they saw a sail way off in the distance. Nox then dove, and a bright light ensued.

They sailed further, and they found an odd ship moving rather quickly with sea foam from the sides in their direction, and in front of the ship, she saw a familiar face with Nox hugging him.

He had grown taller, as did the length of his hair. He had more scars on his body along with a tan, but his scruffy face was one she could always tell, but most of all, he had her charms around her neck.

"Z-Zephy—!?"

"CIRRUS!!!!!"

Cirrus's eyes widen while Nox was crying tears of joy. As Ai embraced Cirrus tightly, she cried, as did Bache.

"It’s good to see you all again." He said in a deeper voice.

Then a voice came up from the back of the ship.

"To think you were so loved they were still looking for you after four years?"

Ai, Bache, and Nox turned to look at the young woman. Her long pink hair was flowing in the wind, and her eyes were a deep blue and bright pink. Her clothing was that of a simple white tunic with sandals.

Nox immediately, upon seeing her, said in great surprise.

"A Sprite!?"