Fuwa and Raven were trying to figure out if they would join the recently formed adventurers guild, Fuwa really wanted to join only because she wanted to go up in the ranks or something like that, but for Raven, it seemed like one of those weird fetishes that the people from her world had, they all reacted like idiots when they heard stuff like that. For Raven it looked stupid, why an adventurer guild? It made no sense, even if people get paid or something like that, being forced to report everything you do...
"This is a really bad idea Fuwa!" Raven said trying to convince her.
"But... but I really really really want to join!" She said jumping in her place like a kid throwing a tantrum "You don't understand it Raven, it's an adventurer guild!"
"Calm down" She couldn't believe they were having this conversation "Brath Fuwa, breath, then explain me what's so good about it in your eyes"
Fuwa breathed, trying to calm herself, she then proceeded to explain how in her world she used to watch stories, which sounded very strange because she would watch and not read or hear, and in those stories heroes from other worlds arrived and became famous adventurers, but their first step was to join an adventurer guild. She then started rumbling about the heroes getting friends and lovers and becoming the strongest that ever was.
"Okay, you are stupid" Raven said after hearing her out.
"Hey!" Fuwa puffed her cheeks in protest, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at Raven "I'm not stupid! You just don't get it"
Raven sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration "No, you don't get it, Fuwa. This adventurer guild stuff might sound cool in your world, but this is real life. People die out there, and joining a guild isn't some magical way to become a hero. It's just a fancy way of getting yourself killed while reporting every damn thing to someone else"
Actually Raven said that just to mock Fuwa but then it made a lot of sense, collecting information for free, from idiots like Fuwa who threw themselves into danger way unprepared just to prove they are heroes. Maybe thats what the founder of this guild wanted. For a man who can challenge unknown depths of the dungeon, it doesn't sound like a bad plan, he must have enough money already. A grin spread on her lips.
"You know what... tell me more about this... guild?"
"Eeeh?" Fuwa was confused, and then she was cheerful "For sure!"
Fuwa's excitement bubbled over as she launched into another ramble about the adventurer guild. She seemed to have endless energy when it came to this topic, talking about how the guild was supposed to have ranks, rewards, and quests for all kinds of adventurers... big and small. And if it was what Fuwa wanted to believe it was there will be quests and chores to do to keep them busy.
Raven half-listened, her mind elsewhere as she considered the possibilities. She could raid the dungeon and take her time in this so-called guild collecting intel so she wouldn't kick the bucket, and all she had to do was feed some false information now and then, that would be amazing, usually getting information required inviting people to drink or negotiating using all kind of assets.
"…and then there's this huge ranking ceremony where you get promoted based on your accomplishments!" Fuwa was saying, her eyes sparkling "I've always wanted to be part of something like that, to see my name up there with the best of the best"
Raven raised an eyebrow "So you want to be famous?"
"No!" Fuwa Said "A little? Maybe?" Even herself looked confused about this topic.
"Alright, let's go see what this guild is all about" Raven said, standing up and stretching "Just don't get us killed on the first day, alright?"
Fuwa giggled and gave her a playful salute "Yes, ma'am!"
All of this was so dumb, but if earning some valuable information about the next floors was going to be free then Raven was up for it. As they were going towards the recruiting to obtain some information, the cat girl noticed a familiar face nearby, it was a certain cretin who ran and left her for dead.
"You!" Raven shot and he turned around.
"Haaa you are alive..." He said pretending to be cool.
"You little piece of shit!" She gritted her teeth and he got scared.
Both Raven and Ito placed their hands on their weapons.
"Is that your friend Raven?" Fuwa said all happy and cheerful misunderstanding the situation.
"I bet it's another girl he molested" Said an elf wearing a green suit with baggy eyes, apparently she was having trouble sleeping, she was wearing a slave collar on her neck.
Raven's eyes narrowed, the tension in the air thickening as she glared at the man "Friend?!" she growled, her hand tightening on the hilt of her dagger. "This idiot ran and left me for dead during a fight. I've been wanting to get him ever since"
"Come on! Don't play the victim! You treated me like trash and you wanted me to help you in that shitty swamp!?" Ito leashed back, then he took a deep breath "But you survived... and started gossiping about me! You shitty cat!"
Some adventurers and mercenaries around them took notice of them.
"Hey, that bastard cat owes me money!" Someone shouts.
"Isn't that the enuch!?" Said a blad man with massive muscles laughing and pointing at Ito.
Soon both of them got surrounded by other people, and some weren't even paying attention to them, this is why Raven didn't like that much to be near these kinds of people, most of them were like her and knew how to hold a grudge.
Raven's sharp eyes flickered to the growing crowd around them. The jeers and taunts directed at both her and Ito were growing louder, and she could sense the tension building among the adventurers. This wasn't a place for diplomacy. Most of the people here held grudges, much like herself, and the last thing she wanted was to get caught in a brawl over old debts and slights.
Fuwa, blissfully unaware of the dangerous atmosphere, tugged on Raven's arm with a bright smile. "Hey, should we… like, go before it gets worse? We don't wanna get in trouble on our first day at the guild, right?"
Raven grunted, her eyes still locked on Ito, who was now glaring at the crowd of adventurers laughing at him. His face flushed with embarrassment, and his hand hovered near the hilt of his weapon. She could practically see him contemplating whether to lash out or flee. Then a brute grabbed her arm with strength.
"You better pay me up what you owe me you bitch! You can also use that body of yours to pay, that's right boys?" He said earning many laughs in return.
"I'm paying!" Said Raven "Paying with theeeese!" She said as she punched the man's face sending him to the ground, he was just a level 1 after all.
The brute hit the ground hard, his laughter cut off by a pained groan. The crowd around them erupted into a mix of cheers and jeers, with some people egging Raven on and others looking for an excuse to start a fight themselves. Raven flicked her wrist, shaking off the slight sting from her punch, and shot a smirk toward Fuwa, who looked at her wide-eyed.
"See, Fuwa?" Raven said with a grin "That's how you pay off debts in the real world" She looked at the other guys ogling her and taunted them "Hey come on! Weren't you so though?"
Raven got feisty using the impulse, and this was something she was good at... other people began to quarrel and it seemed like a fight started, it seemed like many held grudges against others, even over minimal stuff, which led to the eruption of a street fight.
Raven's last memory of the incident was being cocky with a guy with long hair and a long beard, he wasn't a dwarf, heck, he may not even have been a human, he was damn too tall. After that, the world went black for her.
...
...
...
Her head hurt, hurt like a lot. It was different than the overuse of magic, it was more like her skull took a good beating. Now she was resting on something soft, but her head hurt too much like to even try to take a peek.
"Did... did I win?" She asked.
Fuwa just sighed.
"You won, you won a good beating"
Sometimes Fuwa really believed, that the silly cat wouldn't be alive if she wasn't around. After Raven got knocked out by a single strike, like what she did to the punk, she got the same treatment and was humbled by a guy much stronger than her. After that, the fight didn't really last much, and people lost interest. So, some responsible people took the guys who were knocked out, she could see the coward Ito running away for his life, as the elf that followed him waved goodbye to Fuwa.
'Maybe they used to be lovers or something?' Fuwa thought the relationship between Raven and that human looked complex.