9 Golden Green - 1

When I opened my eyes… No, that wasn't the right time. It was before, when I felt my mind stir, my ears straining against the intense pain I felt. All to try and maybe… just maybe… hear the noise that so hurt my mind.

And when I opened my eyes, when I came to, curling my hand and feeling those nascent claws of mine. When I was well and truly awake.

I stood upon shaky legs, trying oh' so trying. Yet it worked not, I was forced to the ground, cradled against the bosom of another. Her gentle touch pleading with my mind to stay down and rest.

But just as my ears had strained so too had my nose. And of course I could smell that sickening taste of blood. The coppery scent that did nothing but curl my lips back in an enraged snarl. Knowing that at this moment, this very moment, that someone was dying. 

Choking upon their own blood. It hurt to know, and hurt even further to think that maybe… just maybe that was not some unknown person. That it was my companion. That our own arrogance had brought about our own downfall.

Yet when I truly looked, struggling through her grip and peering into those golden eyes. I found nothing but perfect skin, marred only by blood. It was neither mine, nor was it hers. So whose was it? Another monster?

A goblin, a kobold, those war shadows that had been so difficult to defeat? Who was it?

"Alright?" She asked and I nodded, smiling with a frail expression. All as I stood upon shaking legs.

I nodded once more, reaching to my back, where my bow found itself attached to. The quiver on my leg, attached so thoroughly, was empty. I looked to Ais, only to find her guiltily looking away.

"I wasn't…" She began, trailing off soon after.

"It's fine…" I muttered too. Not wanting to push the matter any further. It wasn't like the arrows were of any value, merely a couple hundred valis if I remembered correctly.

"Ah-" I interrupted. For the time being I had followed silently behind her, yet it was only now that I had remembered to ask. "Where are we? What floor?"

"The third." She responded and I nodded, not bothering to even verbally reply. I was sure that she already knew what I was going to say.

…

My head fell against the rock, a shout echoing through the room as I hurriedly hid. Holding Ais tightly to my chest. Not caring at all about her warm breath against my neck.

It was so sudden… so… so…

I breathed in, taking breath after breath and cuddling her golden hair to my chest. Ais barely responded, breathing in the same manner as I. Her own heart beating crazily in her chest.

What I had seen. What had I seen?

It was… it was a scene of absolute brutality. Blood splattered against the floor, some naked man. His thing hanging out and with no weapon at all. Stood against a horde of absolute goblins. Each of them with weapons and expressions in their eyes that belied their rage.

And… and the guy just slaughtered them. Not caring for the damage to his body, even welcoming it with an absolutely manic expression in his eyes.

If only it was that. Only that, then I would not be so panicked right now. But no, it had to be something else too. Another person, their smile oh so sickly sweet. Basically an older version of the boy that fought against that horde.

I had thought them brothers, and judging by the brief exchange I was right. But… but what had happened.

No, I was totally and utterly wrong. As the older one, he came with armor that reached to his chest, sparkling with the finest of silvers and a weapon to match.

He came with a whip. Not even using that sullied sword of his. And with that whip he tore apart his own brother, abusing him with such harsh words. That he just took. And when he was done.

His own brother half-dead, his limbs flayed out and his fingers hanging from only a thread. He took the body and force fed it a potion. One that kept the boy alive. Only to then throw his own brother down a hole in the dungeon.

One that he created with a kick of his foot.

"What…" I breathed out, relieved that the cruel being was gone.

"Zeus." Ais spoke.

"Zeus?" I asked, scurrying through the corners of the dungeons, holding her tight to my side. If only so I could rely on her presence to keep me from falling to the ground.

She nodded.

"Bad people. They are 'heroes' who are only obsessed with strength."

I could practically hear the air-quotes in her voice as Ais spoke of them. Even if she wasn't as sarcastic about the strength portion.

"Then why be so cruel?"

I had to ask, it was the only thing on my mind. And if I was alone I probably would have hurled. It was one thing to kill another, even if they were a monster, but to do such a thing. Something so absolutely horrid. To their own brother. I had to know.

"Zeus only updates their falna on a waitlist."

She nodded, as if that would explain everything. And it sort of did. For with both parts of her little explanation I was able to at the very least put together a rough outline of what had happened.

Most likely the two brothers wanted to update their falna, whatever that would do to their strength. Presumably it would increase it, and because of that the one that was lower on the list crippled the other in order to get in sooner.

It was brutal but it made a sort of twisted sense. 

…

When we exited the dungeon. Ais and I were too tired and exhausted to even try exchanging our crystals for any money. It was just more effort than we could afford at the moment.

But there was another effort that neither of us wanted to expand. And that was getting back to the manor. Where both Atalanta and Riveria were waiting for us.

This was sort of a… let's say unprompted expedition… so neither of us wanted to go back. Not while we were so exhausted.

That's why I had an idea. But to do that we needed a bit of money. Some that we got by exchanging our crystals.

"Do we have to~" Ais whined, surprisingly animated as she leaned into my shoulder. But I only nodded, handing enough of the stones to the clerk and having him give us back the valis.

I nodded, pocketing the little bag that the guy gave me. Taking Ais's hand back in mine and leading her into the darkened streets. 

It was only after much deliberation that I found myself at the nearest inn. If it was up to me… well no, that was untrue. I was going to say that I would have walked back on my own.

But as I looked at the comfy entrance, waiting for us to enter. I found the strength in my legs gone.

I knew that we were going to get an earful later but really, I couldn't be bothered. Right now all I wanted to do was sleep.

And so with stubby legs I walked up to the counter. The lady there gave me a blank look and handed me a key once I requested it.

"There's only a single left so ya'll gonna have ta deal with it." I nodded and followed her further instructions. Collapsing onto the bed with Ais, barely noticing as she curled into me and I her.

The covers over us warming our exhausted bodies, the food in our stomach turning our eyes so sleepy.

"G'night~" I groaned and she echoed it too. Barely even noticing as we fell asleep together.