"Are you done?" Jezabel asks.
The woman behind the counter pushes her a short sword and a wooden shield. She looks at Jezabel with pity in her eyes. One more soul will soon be lost to those treacherous tunnels.
"It's Gayle, by the way."
"What?"
"My name is Gayle. Say hi when you get back."
"I will." Jezabel leaves without saying farewell. Gayle can only sigh in defeat.
[I have to try something risky if I plan on paying back my debt. I know this is dangerous, but I don't have a choice.]
Having dismissed any other options, she walks towards the center of the capital city until she finds the entrance to the dungeon. An entire shopping district has risen around the area. The flow of goods in and out of the dungeon has been the driving force behind the never-ending growth of the city of Durum. A wall with a single gate prevents the monsters within from rampaging through the streets. Jezabel gets in line in front of the reception desk to wait for her chance to enter. It isn't long until her turn arrives.
"Name?" A man sitting at a table with a long piece of parchment asks her without looking up.
"Jezabel." Her words are weak from nervousness which draws the man's attention. His eyes move up and down her body before he continues.
"Very well. You're clear to enter," he says, clearly perplexed. Ignoring the responses of the people around her, Jezabel begins her decent into the dungeon. The path is wide enough for two carriages to ride side by side. Several groups of people pass her in various states of disrepair as they return to the surface. Her breath quickens as she begins to sweat. The consequences of her stubborn behavior have begun to press down on her shoulders.
[If I die here, what will Lana do to survive?]
Her feet stop moving as she rethinks her decision. There are no good choices within reach. Having already made it this far, there's too much to lose if she turns back now. Jezabel gathers herself one last time and marches down to the first floor.
"AAHHHHHHH!" The scream of a dying man greets her as she arrives. The downward tunnel opens into a broad cavern. An entire city could fit inside just this layer of the dungeon. The maximum height of the ceiling is only about thirty feet high, but innumerable pillars are spread about to maintain the space. Several groups of adventurers can be seen battling the monsters on this floor. The vegetation in the dungeon has developed into a glowing plain that spans the entire area. Some smaller creatures are grazing upon the lush fauna, and a handful of predators stalk them. A well-worn path is dug through the center of the vast room, which presumably leads to the lower levels. Jezabel pauses to watch the battles occurring around her and quickly develops a plan. The most common monster appears to be the horned rabbit. They attack primarily by utilizing their quick acceleration and the sharp horn on their head. If she can manage to isolate one rabbit, then it's possible she can win the fight.
Most of the adventurers are crowded around the path at the center of the room. Jezabel walks along the wall, away from everyone else, until she spots a small rabbit grazing nearby.
[Alright, you can do this. Just use your shield to block its attack and stab the son of a bitch.]
Her opponent finally notices her approaching when she's only a few feet away. In a panic, the rabbit charges while presenting its horn.
[This is it!]
Jezabel lowers her hips and braces for impact. The Horned Rabbit slams into her with reckless abandon.
'Crash!'
Despite her best efforts, the impact is too much for her to endure, and she topples over. Sensing an opportunity, the beast charges again. Unable to stand in time, Jezabel extends her sword to intercept it. The blade grazes across the side of the rabbit, altering its course just enough to avoid a collision. The monster turns and charges again. She needs to do something fast before she's incapacitated or more enemies show up. Monsters aren't the only opponent one can find in a dungeon.
Thinking quickly, Jezabel repositions herself to face the rabbit while still lying on the ground. As it gets near, she digs the hilt of her sword into the ground to use as a fulcrum and points the blade upward. The rabbit faithfully skewers itself upon the blade.
[That was close.]
Having succeeded in her battle, Jezabel is now faced with a decision; to leave now or attempt to snag another kill. Gayle's words swirl around in her head. If she wants to break the precedent, she has to do something drastic. Jezabel wipes the dirt off herself and continues along the wall.
It isn't long before another rabbit appears. Jezabel throws a stone to get its attention and lies down on the ground to brace for the inevitable charge. Just like the first one, this rabbit embeds the blade deep within its torso. The fight is over before it even starts.
Now with two trophies, she walks back out of the dungeon and returns to the guild.
"Wow! I didn't think you'd come out alive, let alone with two kills under your belt!" Gayle's eyes light up when she sees Jezabel walk in through the front door.
"Hi," Jezabel responds.
"Yes, hi. Let's get you paid so you can get some food and clothes for yourself." Gayle walks out from behind the counter and collects the bodies of the two rabbits. She doesn't even blink when blood begins to stain her fresh uniform. "I'll be right back. Why don't you sit at a table over there, and I'll bring you the cash."
Gayle hums joyfully to herself as she disappears into the back room. Jezabel takes her advice and finds a table to sit at. All the adrenaline has worked its way out, and now she can barely keep her eyes open. Unable to win the battle against her fatigue, she falls asleep with her head resting on her arms.
"Hello, sweetie?" Gayle softly shakes her awake. "We've got your reward money here."
Jezabel blinks a few times as she returns to the land of the living.
"You did really good on your first day. Why don't you get something to eat and go to bed? I'm sure you're very tired. You can always get some fresh clothes tomorrow." Gayle's soft voice coerces her to give in and close her eyes. The day has been won. There should be no more battles to win. That's how it should be, but it's not. The debt still floats over her head. Her sister's life still hangs in the balance. The war has only just started. Jezabel shakes her head to wake herself up and grabs the small pouch of coins.
"Thank you." She ignores the advice of Gayle and the signals from her own body as she stands up to head back down into the dungeon. The walk is much farther this time. Each step is heavier than the last. She arrives at the market and opens up her pouch to count how much money she has.
[If I'm too tired, I won't be able to fight. I'll get something to eat before I go back in. I should get a coat or something for protection too.]
Jezabel grabs a bowl of porridge and drinks the entire bowl in only a few seconds. Next, she buys a wool jumpsuit and throws it over her tattered clothing.
[This will do for now.]
Again she stands in line at the entrance of the dungeon. Now that the afternoon has arrived, it's a much shorter wait as the morning rush has ended. In only a few minutes, she is fighting against her next victim. This process repeats a total of four times over the course of the day. Using her sword as a stake wasn't fully effective, so she had to scuffle with the rabbits on a couple of occasions. For better or worse, the girl survived her first day as an adventurer.
"Jezabel, please, go to your room and rest. You're killing yourself." Gayle begs her to take a break.
"Okay." Having no energy to spare, Jezabel retires to her room after counting the money she gained from her final hunt. She makes sure to grab some food for her and her sister in the hall before heading up the stairs.
"Jezzy! I was so worried abou–" Lana jumps up to hug her older sister, but Jezabel collapses on the bed before she can finish speaking. The two loaves of bread fall from her hand as she loses consciousness. Lana tries to shake her awake but to no avail. Lana nibbles on one loaf of bread with tears in her eyes. The uncertainty of the future is still bearing down heavily on both of them.