Gabriel accepted the situation. He lowered his head and gritted his teeth. The image of a man with empty eyes and short, soaked blond hair appeared in the natural mirror. The scar under his almond-shaped eyes made him look even more resigned. Paralyzed by the fear of dying. Paralyzed by his inability to respond to the fluffy reaper in front of him.
The air suddenly whistled in his ears. With a thud, liquid sprayed his hair and face. With each whistle, groans of pain rang out. As much as he wanted to understand what was happening, the loss of blood caused his consciousness to fade. The last thing he remembered was the cool spring of water engulfing his body.
Gabriel slowly opened his eyes, lulled by a gentle melody. Instead of branches and leaves, he noticed a wooden ceiling with dark beams supporting it all. The warmth of the blanket over him made him doubt exactly where he was. Gabriel thought he was back on Earth, but prison beds weren't as comfortable. The pain in all his limbs proved to him that he hadn't made it to heaven either.
"How are you feeling?"
Gabriel turned his head and saw a beautiful young woman. Her short reddish hair mixed with her eyes gave a warrior effect that amplified her slim but robust figure. A belt around her waist held a tight dark green outfit firmly in place.
When she got no response from Gabriel, she crossed her arms. Her two long black gloves interlocked.
"We found you unconscious in a stream. What were you doing in the forest on your own?"
Gabriel analyzed the woman in front of him before answering. He felt that if he said anything wrong, the whole thing could turn sour.
"I can't remember. It's all still a blur..."
Apparently, she fell into the trap. A sigh exited her pink lips.
"Someone like you, with no familia, shouldn't be leaving town unescorted. Apart from the slight wounds on your left arm, you did well.
Gabriel noticed the bandages on his arm. The pain, though bearable, persisted.
She approached him and held out her hand.
"My name is Rethusa, from the familia of Mistress Artemis."
"Gabriel."
After the handshake, she turned, ready to leave.
"Pleased to meet you."
Her figure disappeared through the door. Gabriel heard discreet whispers in the corridor.
He laid his head back on the cushion without paying any attention and closed his eyes. Although his injuries were not serious, the mental exhaustion of the last few hours had taken its toll.
Gabriel dreamt of an old friend. His face was blurred, but his presence seemed real. This friend was holding a gun, pointing it at other people. Two, alone against a gang. But just when Gabriel thought things were about to get better, the friend pointed the gun at him and fired.
He opened his sweaty eyes just to see the white rays of the moon shining through the window. His gaze fell on the star.
"I wonder if he survived."
Gabriel recovered his physical form within a few days. He kept the bandages on to prevent the wound from becoming infected. From time to time, he was visited by girls who belonged to the familia D'Artemis. They would bring him a meal. But Rethusa never visited him again.
Gabriel looked out of the window. It had been almost a week since he had left the room, his body too weak to move freely. Now that he had regained his strength, his desire to explore the world was growing.
That same day, as the sun swam in the blue sea, the mistress of the familia summoned him to her office. Rethusa led him to a door. She knocked three times and a firm but gentle voice sounded from behind the door.
Rethusa opened the door. Gabriel followed, curious to know what was going to happen.
From what Gabriel understood in this world from talking to the girls in the familia at mealtimes. The gods offered their help to the mortal races against the monsters of the dungeon. Experienced or novice warriors, called Adventurers, ventured into this multi-floor labyrinth in the hope of protecting the people of Orario. To become an adventurer, you had to belong to the familia of a god.
Gabriel's acquaintance with the familia extended as far as that. Some of the girls spoke openly to him about the world, others kept their distance for reasons that were obscure to him.
A beautiful room appeared before his eyes. An emblem of a bow stretched across the center of a round moon was engraved on the floor.
"Welcome, Gabriel. I think you already know who I am, but I'll introduce myself anyway for the politeness of the gesture."
She stood behind a window with both hands behind her back. Her body turned one hundred and eighty degrees, revealing the face of a charming woman.
Gabriel swallowed.
Her blue hair floated as she stopped in front of Gabriel. A rose aroma lingered in the room.
"I am the goddess of hunting and nature."
Even though she was four heads shorter than him, the aura her physique gave off was unlike anything Gabriel had always known. However, her gaze seemed isolated from this world.
"Gabriel."
Gabriel held out his hand that Artemis took without hesitation.
"Gabriel. Do you want to become an adventurer?"