She was very excited. I only just managed to keep her from hugging me and giving me a kiss.
"Thank you… Thank you so much!" She said. "Then, we should go immediately, but we must sneak there. If anyone in town knows where we are going; they're going to stop us immediately."
"Celeste can muffle our movements, right?" I looked over at my girls.
She crossed her arms, "As Master commands, Celeste obeys!"
Did I do something to make the girls angry at me? I really wasn't doing this because Carmine was just another pretty face. I honestly agreed with her. And, if I could destroy that withered lore and get a few dungeon points, that would be good too. However, I went through it in my head a few times just to be sure, and I wasn't doing this because she was a pretty girl who needed my help. Right?
"Come," she grabbed my hand. "We go out the back way."
I was pulled out the door before I could say anything to the girls. Now was a bad time anyway. It was night now, and I could hear the distant beating of some drums. It seemed to be what Carmine had said. They were setting up and surrounding the city tonight, and wouldn't attack until after that was done.
Carmine lead the way, literally holding my hand the entire time. I wasn't blushing! It was just hot outside! My heart wasn't beating crazily because an innocent girl in trouble with an ability like mine was now depending on me and holding my hand. That's crazy talk!
Carmine really seemed to know her way too. She ducked smoothly, avoiding the patrols as if she had already paced this route before and was now just doing the timing she had already perfected in her head. Within five minutes, we were standing in front of a locked room. It appeared to be the mayor's office. Without missing a beat, Carmine pulled out a key and unlocked it. She ushered us inside. After we were out of the public eye, I gave her a look.
"I had copies of the mayor's keys made." She said, "Just in case…"
I was starting to suspect that she had wanted an excuse to get the guardian for a while now, and the Bandit King was just one in a long line of excuses she had used.
We ended up heading down a flight of stairs, and it was in the basement that we finally saw the massive doors to the dungeon. These were chained up with large thick chains, but it looked like Carmine had acquired the keys to this as well. The chains noisily fell to the floor. She opened the door, and a wave of stagnant air washed over us. The dungeon was really like the maw of a mouth waiting to eat you. If we entered, I'd be back in a dungeon again. Of course, we were packed for a long journey and she had assured us this wouldn't even take that long, but it still left me feeling a bit anxious.
"Come on…" She didn't hesitate to light a candle and then dive right into the room.
I turned back to my three women. In the dark, I couldn't see their expressions.
"I want you to know… if you don't want to do this… we can turn away."
I suddenly felt myself being hugged by three women.
"We know, Master…"
"This is just Master's way."
"Master doesn't need to say it…"
I felt three kisses on my cheeks, and then the girls pushed me back through the door.
{You have entered Terra's Dungeon.}