A group of twenty cloaked individuals knelt upon the ground, their hoods obscuring their faces. They sat still, their heads bowed before a small shrine, neatly arranged in four rows of five. A lone womanly figure stood above them. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and a pair of black cat ears with a matching tail.
Her crazed, lustful expression shone as she stared at the small dragon statue resting on top of the shrine. Ahh… My god… We'll see each other soon. She turned her attention towards her subordinates. "Report."
They went in seating order, delivering their weekly reports, with most not having found anything. Finally, it came to her seventeenth servant before she finally heard any news. "I have something of interest for you, Lady Neme."
"Speak, Ha'uk."
"Upon investigating the abandoned city again, it was discovered that Mel's team had missed the other half of the prophecy. We have already begun working to decipher it."
"Excellent work. Our god will be most pleased. Double your efforts to solve the riddle."
"As you wish." Ha'uk stood and left to swiftly carry out his task.
"As for the rest of you, prepare for the next raid." Her smile grew wide as she licked her lips, the thought of wiping out their fourth target. It brought her closer to the ecstasy she desired. Her remaining subordinates dashed out of the room, scattering in multiple directions, which left her all alone.
"Ah, perhaps we'll finally reunite this time. One more month…" She cackled to herself. "My prey that got away… Next time for sure."
~~~~~~~~
Camilla finally returned to the tavern two days later, only to be tackled to the ground. A fully recovered Aurora was peppering her with kisses. "I've missed you!"
"Hey, dear. Are you sure it's all right for you to be up and moving?" Camilla looked at her with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. I regained full mobility yesterday. I've spent the last three days going out around the city." She moved off of Camilla, pulling her to her feet. "How did the quest go? Were you able to find them?"
Camilla's expression turned sour. "No, we went two days with no sign of them. So we reported they were killed."
"I see.." Aurora looked out towards the window. "So how close to our goal are we?"
"Hmm… we have around 70 gold to spare. It could be enough to visit my home. We could always take on another quest at the next branch."
Aurora raised her brow. "Won't we have to register again?"
Camilla hummed and shook her finger. "Hue hue. Our guild tags are transferable. Weren't you paying attention when Brandy explained this?"
Aurora grinned widely, as a teasing thought entered her mind. "I was too focused on staring at you."
"H-huh!?" Camilla recoiled as her face became a blushing mess. "I-i… uh, never mind!" She turned and ran into the bathroom, locking herself inside.
Aurora doubled over, laughing at Camilla's actions, nearly hitting her head against the wall. Goddess, she's so adorable. If only I could witness this every day!
She collected herself after a few minutes, knocking on the bathroom door. "Come on, Camilla. We need to get moving, or you'll waste the day away in there."
"J-just give me a minute!" Camilla's muted voice came a moment later. Aurora latched herself onto her arm once she exited.
"There, now you can't run and hide again. Shall we prepare to leave then?" Aurora looked up into Camilla's eyes, her own ruby red gems portrayed a questioning glance.
"Alright. Let's pack up then." The duo spent the next hour packing their minimal belongings into their bags. Once finished, they headed downstairs, checking out of the room. Checking out went smoothly, and they headed to their next stop. City hall was the destination to inform Lord Blackwood of their departure, and then off to the guild.
Aurora made sure to hold Camilla's hand as they walked, not feeling any shame despite the looks she was receiving. I can't really blame them for staring. Partners of the same gender are rare in this world, even if they aren't discriminated against.
She smiled to herself, enjoying the spring sun's heat, as they got closer to city hall. The water fountain was busy as ever, with a vast assortment of activities occurring. A group of young boys was pretending to be soldiers, fighting each other with long sticks in place of swords.
Several couples sat on benches listening to a traveling band of bards. The elderly sat near the edge of the plaza, feeding the birds. The duo continued past everyone, Aurora waving at the elderly folks she had gotten to know recently.
~~~~~~
Aurora paused just outside the door to Amy's office, no longer being stopped by security. Aurora felt a hand land on her shoulder, being Camilla who urged her inside, a smile crossing her face. She grabbed the handle, pulled the door open, and headed inside.
Amy sat behind his desk doing paperwork, pausing to look up when they walked in. "Ah, hello, you two. What brings you here today? Please, have a seat."
"Ah, no, thank you. We won't be here long. We only came to inform you that we will be leaving the city for some time." Aurora gave him a curt bow. "Thank you for all your help until now."
"Think nothing of it, child. I was simply repaying your parents through you." He pulled a book out from his desk, setting it down towards Aurora. "Take this before you go, it was your mother's."
"M-my mother's? Why did she leave you with a book? What's inside?" She asked several questions as she stepped forward, picking up the book. She skimmed over the first few pages, noting it was written like a diary, before stowing it into her satchel.
"What is it, Aurora?" Camilla inquired, curious what her mother had given her.
"I'll find out more later. Now then, if there is nothing else, we best be on our way. Thank you again, Lord Blackwood, for your many gifts." The duo bowed to the elderly man, before quickly leaving the room.
"Where to now? The guild?" Camilla adjusted the belt holding her sword as they walked.
"Hmm… Sure. We need to find Stella, and that's the most likely place for her to be." Aurora quickened her pace down the hall, Camilla right beside her.
~~~~~~~
Aurora walked into the dining area of the guild, with Camilla waiting outside the building. Her vision panned across the members until she spotted the brunette woman sat at the bar. She made her way over, sliding into the seat next to her, and ordered a drink.
"Cheers?" Aurora held her mug out towards Stella, who raised her own and banged them together.
"Cheers." Stella took a huge swig, downing half her drink in one go, before banging her mug down. "So what brings you here? I thought we were off today?"
"We are but…" Aurora swished her drink around, watching the liquid ripple. "Camilla and I are leaving town today."
"I see. Well, it seems I'll just have to tag along then." Stella chugged the rest of her liquor, placing the mug on the counter for the bartender, before she turned towards Aurora.
"Huh? Why would you come with us?" Aurora was skeptical of her suddenly wanting to join them.
"I… can't say why." Stella gave Aurora a look of apprehension. "My Lady forbids me from doing so."
"Haaaa… fine. It isn't that big a deal anyway. You've proven yourself to be trustworthy. Why should I doubt you now?" Aurora reached her hand out. "Let us continue to look after each other."
Stella chuckled. "Alright, but you're the one who needs to be kept under watch. Little Miss Troublemaker."
"Gasp." Aurora feigned shock at this. "How could you?! I'm just a normal young maiden. Your words wound me so."
"Alright, enough teasing. When are we leaving?" Both of them stood and began to head for the exit.
"Right now. We should have plenty of funds to make it to the next major town and resupply there." Aurora pushed the door open, stepping out onto the street in front. Camilla pushed off the wall and joined them.
"Sounds like a plan. Good thing I brought my gear with me today." Stella reached into her bag, pulling out a money pouch, and handed it to Camilla. "Hold on to that."
"Why would I do that? What good will my holding your money do when we're far away from each other?"
"What do you mean? I'm coming with you." Stella shook her head.
"Wait, Aurora. She's coming with us?" Camilla was shocked by Aurora's willingness towards the sudden addition to their trip.
"It's fine, Camilla. She won't cause us trouble." Aurora stepped towards Camilla, getting so close their noses were almost touching, before giving her a peck on the lips. Camilla turned as red as a beet in an instant, much to Aurora's delight.
Stella shook her head, feeling Camilla's embarrassment secondhand. "Alright, lovebirds, that's enough. Let's get moving." With that, the trio set off, their weeks-long journey just beginning.