"『Aqua Heal』"
Raven sat down on the body of a goblin as she healed herself and Fuwa, her healing spell wasn't the best thing around, but it was better than nothing. The throbbing on her forehead stopped, but her headache didn't, she had never trained for extended magical consumption and it was a very lame sensation.
'Damn... I gotta ask Eruru how to deal with it' She thought as she rubbed her temples.
"Raven look!" Said Fuwa after she was done collecting some coins from the goblins.
It was a lame amount, after all this trouble, only 12 silver coins, no items, no cards, just those coins. Usually, she didn't care about material stuff that much, but now she was babysitting this fool who consumed resources as if she were part of some royal family or something. But at least, the job here was done. It wasn't that much but at least it would serve to pay for a couple of days of staying at the tavern.
'We can't keep going on like this' Thought Raven 'We need to get more resources' Fuwa looked so happy with the bunch of coins in her hands "You look like a kid smiling like that for a few coins"
Then the martial artist extended her hand and moved her index finger to the sides "You don't understand Raven" She said with the voice full of confidence "You don't understand at all"
"What?"
"This ain't just twelve silver coins" She sounded so smug that it looked like a kid trying too hard to sound cool "These are a hot bath and a comfy bed"
"You and your hot baths rich kid" Said the cat "You are so shameless yet tremble as a baby deer when I told you to just bath in the river"
"I wouldn't!!" She said covering her privates.
"Yes it seems that way" Answered Raven "Probably you are hiding something" She just shrugged.
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"I don't know, you tell me"
Fuwa's face flushed crimson as Raven teased her, the playful banter offering a brief reprieve from the exhaustion of battle "I'm not hiding anything!" she protested, crossing her arms defensively "I just... I like my baths warm and private, okay?"
Raven smirked, clearly enjoying her companion's flustered state "Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that" She stretched her arms, feeling the strain in her muscles "Let's head back. I could use that bath too, you know. Plus, we need to start thinking about our next move"
Fuwa, still blushing slightly, nodded "Maybe we should visit the merchant that gave you the card?"
Raven had forgotten about him, she repeated herself she saved him on a whim until she believed her own lie, then totally forgot about it as she was more focused on something more urgent, like seeing Fuwa eating all their funds.
They took the portal intending to leave the dungeon, Fuwa heard the familiar words about setting a new milestone, she now too could ingress by herself to the second level of the dungeon. She had grown a little more used to hearing that voice in her head, but once they left and felt the sun that was still up in the sky she felt much better.
"It's strange" She said out loud causing Raven to look at her "I feel like the place is calling me to come back..."
Raven smiled bitterly.
"Yes, it is said that the dungeon is cursed, the more you go inside the more you want to go back" Answered the cat "If you believe in that kind of trash of course, I say it's just greedy idiots wanting to earn more"
She said that laughing with a straight face, but the truth was she too felt the same calling. In her mind, she felt too the dungeon caress, as a lover trying to seduce her, to bring her inside, but she felt it was a honey trap, and she felt in her own flesh how deadly it could be, her near-death experience and getting saved by the spirit on a whim was enough to testify.
"Well don't think about it too much, just go back to the tavern and take your lovely bath" She said to Fuwa who walked beside her.
"What are you gonna do?" Asked the human girl back to the cat.
"I'm going to the river and take a good and well-deserved bath with cold water!" She said raising her hands to the heavens, it was good to be alive, and she didn't wanted to think about the dungeon ghostly callings "What do you want me to accompany with you or something?"
Fuwa flushed red once again and hurried to negate.
"Of course not silly!" She said running ahead, soon disappearing into the sea of people in the city.
Raven chuckled to herself as she watched Fuwa dash off, her face bright red "She is such a brat" she muttered, shaking her head. She stretched her arms again, feeling the tension from the fight still lingering in her muscles. The thought of a cold bath at the river sounded refreshing.
As Raven walked through the bustling streets, she couldn't help but notice how lively the town was in contrast to the silence of the dungeon. The chatter of merchants, the smell of freshly baked bread, and the clanging of blacksmith hammers filled the air. Even if she was used to being in the city, it was strange to not be in the slums, it was a strange change for her, and she was unsure if it was for the best or not. She shook her head, it was not time to think about those things.
But first thing first, the river.
Raven made her way to the outskirts of the city, since the sun was still up high, it was such a nice hour to take a bath, and the gentle sound of the flowing water grew louder since this part of the city had more resources there were even stairs that descended into the river, making it more comfortable. The water was cold, just as she liked it, the wasteland extended across the other side, dangerous and wild.
She stripped down, letting the cool air hit her skin before wading into the river. The water was icy at first touch, sending a shiver up her spine, but soon, it became soothing, washing away the grime and fatigue from the battle. She dunked her head under, letting the cold water calm her throbbing headache, feeling relieved almost instantly. She discovered this helped a lot when she started using masquerade very frequently as she was experimenting under her bunny alter ego.
The gentle talk of other people around perked her curiosity, the people around here seemed more relaxed too, she then allowed herself a luxury, something rare, she relaxed as well and took a deep breath allowing herself to float in the water. As she floated in the river, staring up at the sky, her mind drifted back to the dungeon. The fights, the danger, and... strangely enough... the calling she had tried to laugh off. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the dungeon seemed to have sunk its claws into her mind, whispering promises of power, riches, and something else she couldn't quite define.
'I'll have to be careful' She thought 'Can't let this place get to me. There's always a price' As soon as she closed her eyes she could feel the terrible smile of Undine engraved in her mind.
Raven took a deep breath, letting the water wash away not just the grime from battle but the creeping unease that the dungeon had left in her mind, the tetric smile of the spirit vanishing as well. For now, she pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the simplicity of the moment, the cold water, the warmth of the sun on her face, and the quiet chatter of people nearby.
She finally decided to tackle her clothes. They were soaked in goblin blood and dirt, making her look like a dangerous slum drunkard. Raven stood up in the river, wringing out her soaked hair and splashing water on her face, before walking over to the riverbank where she had tossed her gear.
"Ugh, these reek of goblin filth" she muttered, holding up her bikini top and shorts. The blood stains were already drying and crusting, the fabric stiff and unpleasant to the touch. She let out a resigned sigh and dunked them into the water, scrubbing with her hands and getting rid them of the stench. She thanked that the water provided from the dungeon cleansed this kind of problems too.
As she washed her clothes, Raven couldn't help but think about how far she'd come since she left her old life behind. Not just in terms of skills and power, but in the way she interacted with people like Fuwa. She used to be so solitary, keeping everyone at arm's length, always assuming she'd be betrayed. Yet here she was, looking out for a naive girl who was excited over a handful of silver coins.
Maybe she was going soft. Or maybe it was the first step toward something more.
She shook her head, squeezing the water out of her shorts before laying them on the ground to dry. As she sat on the riverbank, she idly played with her dagger, watching the sunlight dance off its blade.
After a while, the clothes dried enough to be wearable again. Raven dressed and stretched out, feeling a bit lighter. The cool water and the moment of peace had done wonders to clear her head.
'Stupid Fuwa living in luxury' She laughed at her thought as she went back to the tavern to enjoy a meal.