Fuwa and Raven were enjoying some juicy skewers, they were made out of some kind of bird meat and vegetables, nothing too fancy, but Fuwa seemed specially fixated on this kind of food, luckily for Raven, since it was very cheap. The townspeople looked very animated, very different from the gloom they had shown them earlier when they had arrived, now they looked as if they were expecting a great deal of people to arrive. From what little Raven had been able to collect from another party of adventurers that were talking, the Ice Cavern was no more and now it was a terrible place with a tower on top of it.
'A tower eh... I wonder where I had seen it...' Raven felt a grim feeling on her stomach 'And it seems the news is spreading' She then saw Fuwa who was happily munching on a new skewer she had bought 'I just know one thing, as we are right now I'm not letting Fuwa nor me get into this mess'
As Raven sat beside Fuwa, watching her enthusiastically devour another skewer, the uneasy feeling in her gut only deepened. The once quiet, gloomy town now buzzed with life as adventurers from all over trickled in, for now just a few groups had arrived moved by curiosity, no doubt drawn by the sudden shift in the dungeon, the tower that had risen where the Ice Cavern used to be.
'It's like they're excited for their own funerals' Raven thought grimly as she listened to snippets of conversations around her.
Fuwa, on the other hand, was completely oblivious to the rising tension. She was still fixated on the food, a satisfied smile on her face.
"This place has the best skewers" Fuwa said between bites, her red eyes gleaming with pure joy, suddenly she grabbed Raven's hand and the attention of the cat girl was solely on her, she looked happy and sad at the same time "You know" Said Fuwa resting her head on the shoulder of Raven "Back at home, things are nothing like this, meat price is so high that only rich people can afford it, when I arrived here and saw how stupidly easy it is to buy tasty things I went crazy"
"I thought you lived in some kind of paradise" Raven said "What about those humburgurs or whatever?" Raven said with sudden curiosity, Fuwa was able to draw her attention from all that had happened recently, she felt the heat irradiating from her hand and it made her feel alive.
"That was different silly" She said "It was cheap, but if you ate it too much you get fat fast and it damages your body, you could say it was meat mixed with other things..." She negated with her head "Meat was reserved for special occasions mostly, you see with big cities there were not that many people working on farms or fields, so everything became expensive"
"And why are you telling me this?" Raven asked with curiosity looking at her directly in the eye.
"Mmmmhhmm..." Fuwa thought for a moment, Raven was looking at her with growing curiosity, then she smiled "Because I feel like" She simply said giving a goofy smile in response irradiating confidence"
"Sometimes it is hard to understand you..." Admitted Raven.
"And also... It's because eating alongside you makes it feel like a special occasion every time" She said.
Without thinking, Raven leaned in, closing the small gap between them. Fuwa's eyes widened in surprise for a split second, but then she smiled softly and closed her eyes, meeting Raven halfway. Their lips brushed together gently at first, almost hesitant, but the moment they connected, everything around them seemed to blur and fade away.
The kiss was soft and slow, a quiet moment shared between two people who had been through so much together. Raven could feel Fuwa's warmth radiating through her, and for the first time in a long time, she felt... safe.
Neither of them really cared at the moment for the people surrounding them or their opinions, Fuwa separated herself from Raven, she was blushing profusely and looked to another side, she moved a strand of hair that had covered her face.
"I know... sometimes I tend to be a little difficult, but take good care of me..." She said.
"Just a little?" Said Raven smirking but blushing too "Fuwa you are the most complicated girl, no, person I have ever met" Still holding a hand she pressed her forehead against Fuwa's "You really are impossible"
"Hey I gotta keep the magic alive" Side Fuwa playing her cards, then she stood up and helped Raven too "Let's go" She pointed toward a big group of people that was arriving "There are a lot of people gathering, let's see what it is"
Both girls moved across the habitants and visitors of the town until they reached the adventurers' guild, there the crowd was big, and in front of the building four people were standing in front of the guild masters, each one of them was equipped with relics and enchanted gear, they seemed very experienced, they had this look of confidence in their eyes. It was composed of three men and one girl, the plates hanging on their necks had this dark purple color so characteristic of the adamantite.
"We welcome you, Crimson Dawn party to this, our humble town" Said the guild master bowing deeply to the leader of the team.
"Don't be this humble, as soon as we got the news we rushed here!" The man looked shabby and carefree but his eyes denoted a confidence that only years and experience could provide, his body was very muscular, and he seemed like the physical type of adventurer.
Behind him, a guy with glasses and a sinister aura talked.
"Maybe it wasn't needed to rush so much chief" He said complaining "You know, casting teleport magic from such a long distance is a pain in the ass"
Fuwa's eyes were shining with emotion looking at them.
"What a pain, chief you are a pain" Said the girl of the group, she had two daggers on her belt.
"Hey you two stop complaining" Said the biggest man of the group, a colossal man clad in armor that was holding a one-hand hammer that could easily be a two-hander for someone weaker or smaller, and a book hanging on his waist, he had many sigils on his armor "We arrived here this fast because you two couldn't hold it when you heard about this dungeon"
The guild master bowed again.
"I thank you for your fast response" The events of early in the morning were still fresh in his mind, he was expecting the knights tomorrow and maybe during the week the apparition of the first adamantite team, but it seems, they had taken the easy and expensive route of teleporting here directly from one corner of the continent to this remote place "You are welcome, but the staff is currently examining the portal from outside to get more information, we don't have much details yet"
"That is okay, we are not going inside today" Said the leader of the group "But we plan to go there tomorrow"
Fuwa and Raven stood at the edge of the crowd, mesmerized by the presence of the Adamantite-ranked adventurers. Fuwa's eyes sparkled with admiration, they had what she wanted, things like fame, adventures, and shiny equipment. While Raven's gaze lingered on the team, her mind already racing with questions.
"They're even more impressive up close" Fuwa whispered, leaning closer to Raven "One day we will be like them"
Raven nodded in agreement, though her focus wasn't entirely on the adventurers' grandeur. She couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in her gut since hearing about the tower. And now, seeing the Crimson Dawn so prepared and confident only reinforced that something dangerous lurked in the distance.
As the conversation between the guild master and the Crimson Dawn continued, the crowd buzzed with excitement. The leader of the team, the carefree yet imposing man, was the focus of everyone's attention, his voice carrying effortlessly across the gathered masses.
"Hey, let's go" Said Raven pulling gently at Fuwa's hand.
"Eeeh?" Fuwa looked at her surprised "Where? Why now?"
Raven smiled.
"To a tavern" She kept dragging her from the crowd "We have two options, to reserve now before the prices go up or leave this place... but I have just the feeling you don't want to leave"
Fuwa's eyes widened, and she resisted just slightly, still glancing back at the Crimson Dawn and the crowd with a longing gaze "But... but the adventurers! I wanted to hear more about the tower, and maybe even..."
"Nope" Raven interrupted, her tone firm but laced with humor "We're not getting tangled up in that mess. Not yet, at least. Plus, if we don't move now, we'll be sleeping on the streets by nightfall... which I don't mind, I'm used to sleeping in the streets, but I don't think it's the same for you"
Fuwa pouted but didn't argue further. Raven knew her well enough to see the desire for adventure burning in her, but she also knew that Fuwa could be persuaded with the right reasoning. Food and comfort would do the trick for now. They wove through the bustling streets, the energy in the air thick with anticipation as more adventurers arrived in town. The tower had become the talk of the town, and excitement crackled in the atmosphere.
"Alright, alright, but I'm choosing the tavern!" The martial artist said.
As both of them went back to the town, the gaze of the girl of the adventurer party, Crimson Dawn, was fixated on both girls walking away from them. Most of the people here hadn't noticed, she knew her companions did, but for some reason, both girls had this aura around them... The guild master noticed and tried to invite them inside the building to discuss in private more details.