An Assassin's Adventure: The Great Conjunction

Chapter 24: Repast

The ordinarily cheery, and rowdy, dining hall was silent, as a cloaked stranger made his way around the buffet. Everyone had stopped in their tracks to gawk at the trespasser, who seemed to falter in his actions at times. It was incredibly awkward for Hit, the 'invader', and he had nearly given up on eating here, were it not for the hunger and annoyance that drove him on. Delectable meal acquired, Hit scanned the hushed room. A tanned hand waved about in the centre of the grand hall, seeking his gaze.

"Over here, Hit!" It belonged to Tiona, who pointed, in an exaggerated fashion, to a vacant seat beside her.

Hit continued to look around; yet, sadly, saw no empty tables. He sighed and trudged his way to the high-level adventurers, who either smiled, acted indifferently, or scowled at him. His tray clanked onto the table as he settled in beside the excited girl. "Is this place usually so unpleasant?"

Tiona swayed back and forth merrily, happy to see him. "Hihi! No, everyone's just shocked to see you, is all!"

Gareth nodded, relieved to see the rookie again. "Aye, you've got quite a reputation here lad, a mystery boy. Some say yer a ghost."

Finn chuckled at him. "I must admit, the rumours that have spread about you are quite ridiculous."

Tione added onto his remark, arms crossed. "It's only natural, everyone likes to unravel mysteries. Some people thought you weren't even real, just another one of Loki's jokes."

Hit rolled his eyes and dug into the roast leg of pork on his plate. He had gotten used to the luscious delicacies in this world, so wasn't too amazed. Still, it was very tasty. "Those individuals obviously have far too much time on their hands".

Tiona peered up at him, a small smile playing on her face. "Lighten up, Hit! This is our first meal together, so we shouldn't argue."

Riveria smiled at her, approvingly. Her childishness could sometimes be her most commendable feature. "Quite so. Let us relax after our trials of the day."

Conversation bubbled about the hall once more, as the mystery of Hit had finally been solved. Hit and his colleagues enjoyed a pleasant meal.

...

Hit hummed to himself contentedly, hunger satiated. He sat, occasionally peering over to his superiors, who were discussing a very engrossing topic. Finn adopted a stern expression as he addressed each of his fellow adventures. Despite his diminutive size, he was a master commander. "I want you all to be at your best for this expedition. I'm sure I don't need to tell you how dangerous this is going to be; you all know first-hand."

They seemed to be discussing a dungeon dive of epic proportions, to the uncharted 59th floor. Finn had even enlisted the aid of Hephaestus familia smiths, to ensure their weapons could be maintained during the descent. Apparently, their previous adventure had been cut short due to acidic caterpillars, which destroyed their supplies and armaments. Tiona was especially furious at their mention, and was seemingly looking forward to getting her revenge. A lull in the conversation allowed Tiona a moment of respite to glance around. Her beady eyes spied an unusually invested Hit. Perhaps this could be a way to involve the strange boy in their adventures. "What about you, Hit? Wanna come along?"

Riveria seemingly put an end to this and narrowed her eyes at the girl. "Don't be ridiculous, Tiona. He joined us less than a month ago; we cannot afford to put him at risk. I do not mean any offence, Mr Hit, but we cannot guarantee your safety."

Tiona showed the more negative side to her childishness and whined at the familia's mother figure. "But it'd only be part-way, to the 18th floor! Please!"