It took Val a moment to get her emotions under control. Luckily for her she wasn’t the only one who struggled to keep it together.
“We need to celebrate!” Mina yelled.
Lucia and Amarisse shared a look, then shrugged.
“I think it’s a good idea actually,” Cyrus said, grinning. “Nothing bonds a team like getting drinks and food together.”
Irina rolled her eyes. “You would know wouldn’t you?”
Cyrus looked down at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Dolf was barely holding back his laughter.
“You always eat and drink more than your fill every time we go out,” Zennia chided, folding her arms. “It’s one of your favorite things to do after a successful delve.”
Cyrus raised his hands defensively. “Sorry for wanting to bond with my team.”
Val wiped away the last of her tears, struggling to keep a straight face. No matter how often she saw them, their bickering always warmed her heart.
“There’s a smile,” Dolf said, pressing his fist to her leg.
“We are going to get out of your hair,” Zennia said, nudging Cyrus. “You girls go and have some fun, you’ve got a lot to discuss.”
Val immediately grabbed Zennia and Cyrus’ hand.
With a tug she pulled their entire party into a group hug. “Thank you—so much.”
She wiped away another stray tear after releasing them. “I don’t think I could’ve gotten here without your help.”
Zennia and Irina were blushing while Cyrus and Dolf were fondly looking at her.
“We’re gonna be checking in on you,” Cyrus said, smirking. “Don’t forget that.”
Val nodded and waved as they began walking away, leaving her with her girls.
“How did you meet them?” Lucia asked.
Val laughed. “I quite literally ran into Cyrus.”
Amarisse and Mina exchanged a glance before shrugging.
“Let’s get some drinks and food,” Lucia said. “We do have a lot to talk about.”
Val expected them to suggest going to Axeman’s Hall, but Lucia surprised her.
Instead, they were going to a small tavern Lucia knew of that wasn’t heavily frequented by adventurers. The quiet atmosphere was ideal for their planning and discussion, according to her.
The walk itself only took around ten minutes.
When Lucia finally stopped walking, Val took in the building in front of her.
A two story tavern made of dark black wood and stone stood out from the lighter wood of neighboring buildings.
The front wraparound porch had matching blackened wood tables and chairs spaced apart. Beautiful silver and bronze lanterns sat atop each table, a magical flame offering plenty of dim light.
A low hum of conversation, clinking glasses and mugs, and sizzling meals emanated from within the open doorway ahead.
“The Deep Cup?” Val asked.
Lucia nodded. “They have some of the best alcohol on this side of the city. Not cheap either.”
“If the alcohol is so good, then why don’t adventurers come here more often?” Mina asked.
Amarisse answered before Lucia could. “Not many are willing to drop the coin on the drinks here.”
Lucia nodded. “Plus they prefer a slightly more… responsible clientèle.”
“Less rowdy, then?” Val asked.
“Perfect for a small celebration,” Lucia confirmed.
Mina started bouncing. “I’m starving! Let’s go all out tonight!”
Without waiting, Mina started walking inside. The girls followed her in and Val finally got her first look inside.
The scent hit her first—good food, strong drink, and a lingering burn of wood smoke.
Contrary to the outside, the inside had a warm brown design. Everything from the flooring to the tables and chairs were made of an oak-like wood. The designs weren’t extravagant, but weren’t plain either. Decorative touches were carved throughout the tavern without being gaudy.
Val gulped. “Wow, it’s a lot nicer than I expected.”
Lucia giggled. “I consider it a small gem I found while exploring one day.”
Mina had already dashed for a corner table in the back of the tavern. The one she chose had a booth that wrapped around half of the table, plenty of room for each of them.
Amarisse and Val took the ends, due to their size, while Mina and Lucia were in the middle.
Within seconds of getting situated a stout younger man approached the table.
“Evenin’, what can I get ya? Food, drinks, or both?”
The man couldn’t be older than 20 based on what Val could tell. His voice was a little on the rough side, and he had a thick country accent. He almost resembled a smaller and younger Cyrus in a way.
“Both,” Lucia said. “To start can we get a few glasses of the house brandy. Pair that with your variety board as well.”
He smiled. “Regular?”
Lucia nodded. “Been here many times. Meat, meat, bread, vegetables, and then cheese.”
The man nodded. “Good choices.”
The other girls were barely following the conversation, glancing between Lucia and the man.
When he began walking away Amarisse broke the silence.
“Wow. You weren’t joking when you said you come here often.”
Lucia grinned. “Talio’s new. I think this is only his second time serving me. Probably why he didn’t recognize me.”
A few minutes later, small glasses of brandy sat in front of them.
Lucia took a few sips right away.
“Fuck it,” Amarisse mumbled, before tossing back the entire drink.
Lucia’s eyes went wide. “Careful, that’s a pretty strong drink.”
Amarisse’s face twisted for a second. “Oh wow, that is strong. Another one please!”
Mina copied Lucia, just sipping a few times. As the strong liquor hit her tongue, Mina’s tail stiffened.
“Yikes. It is strong,” she said. “But it’s actually got a nice taste too!”
Val was the only one who hadn’t touched hers yet.
The girls were looking at her, each expression trying to convince her of how to drink it.
Amarisse’s massive grin and slight nodding told her exactly what she wanted.
Val grabbed her glass. “Like Amarisse said, ‘fuck it’.”
With that, Val tossed back her whole glass as well earning her a “whoop” from Amarisse, while Lucia sighed.
“We should probably get into planning and discussion before any of you get too far gone,” she said, pulling out a journal.
The warmth of the liquor suffused Val’s body as the smooth tang lingered on her tongue. It was way better than anything she had in her old life. She was never much of a drinker before, but considering the career path she was on, a stiff drink couldn’t hurt.
Lucia flipped to an empty page in her journal. “So, I say for our first delve we hit floor one and maybe floor two as well.”
Amarisse chipped in. “I don’t think it’s smart to go to floor two as a new group at level one.”
“I agree,” Mina said, taking another sip. “I’m eager to get deep, but only if we are strong enough.”
Val was surprised.
Mina and Amarisse were both very boisterous and outspoken. Now that they were discussing the dungeon though?
Both girls had gotten serious, not willing to joke.
“That’s why I suggested it as a maybe,” Lucia said. “Going through floor one will give us a good baseline on our capabilities. Afterwards, we can make a judgment call.”
She tapped the journal. “Stay on floor one, and clear out as much as we can, or move to floor two and test ourselves.”
Amarisse tapped her chin while Mina sipped quietly on her brandy.
“Val? What do you think?” Lucia asked.
Val’s face scrunched in thought. “Honestly? I think we should consider staying only on the first floor. Unless we happen to breeze through our fights, then I don’t think it’s worth the risk—to any of us.”
The group as a whole was on the same page. Floor one only, with a big maybe on probing floor two later.
The conversation continued onto floor layout next.
The design of the floor and what it represented was always a topic of intense discussion in academic circles.
Stone ruins with overgrowth that wore everything down as time passed—eloquently dubbed “The Breach”. Long ago the expansion of a local mine shaft destabilized a ruined temple opening a hole into the dungeon itself.
During the conversation Talio brought the variety board to their table.
A double helping of sizzling meat, steamed vegetables, and melty cheese was laid across it. The size of the “board” took up a third of the table and the girls wasted no time in diving in.
Val bit into what looked like a rib, moaning. “It melts in my mouth!”
Mina had a piece of what looked to be steak as she rapidly cut into it and took a bite. The moan that escaped her said everything.
Amarisse on the other hand was already working on a combo of meat and vegetables. Her ears perked up the moment she bit into what looked like a steamed pepper. Before she even finished chewing, she shoved in something that looked like a piece of porkchop.
“Wow, you guys really like the food huh?” Lucia teased.
Talio wiped his hands on the apron he had, chuckling. “I’ll let the cook know you approve.”
The girls were given fresh glasses of brandy shortly after and continued to discuss, in between bites.
“The monsters shouldn’t be all that difficult based on what I read,” Lucia said, flipping to a new page.
Amarisse swallowed her food. “Anything in particular we should keep an eye out for?”
Mina leaned closer to Lucia, her face flushed as she chewed on her food.
Lucia placed a finger on some writing. “Well, based on records and word of mouth there are two we need to avoid if possible. The Soul Mimic, and Emberfang Alpha.”
Val swallowed half her glass to assist with swallowing her food. Then she spoke up. “What do they do?”
Lucia sipped her brandy before continuing. “Well there are two forms. A Soul Echo and the Soul Mimic. The Soul Echo is a small wisp that mimics adventurer's cries to lure others close, then siphons small amounts of their life energy.”
“Can they kill you?” Amarisse asked.
Lucia shook her head. “Not on their own. They try and stick around other monsters in hopes of evolving when an adventurer dies.”
Mina tilted her head. “Evolve?”
Lucia’s expression softened. “If a Soul Echo is close when an adventurer dies… they can mimic their form when they evolve into a Soul Mimic. Looks, voice, class, gear, all of it.”
Val shivered. The idea of a monster taking her form after witnessing her death made her stomach churn.
Amarisse tossed back the rest of her brandy. “Damn… that’s a fucked up monster.”
Everyone nodded.
We really need to be on guard for something like that.
“You mentioned something called an Emberfang Alpha?” Mina asked.
“Right.” Lucia flipped to another page. “It’s a wolf of sorts, body made of flame with a skeleton made of obsidian. Though their claws and canines are larger than normal. They can launch a ball of fire at us and their attacks scorch your wounds or gear. The deadliest thing is what people call their ‘flame shift’ ability.”
“Don’t tell me they can move through flames like some sort of teleportation?” Amarisse groaned.
Lucia shook her head. “Not quite. They put out a lot of heat to distort their form and then somehow quickly shift and dart in close.”
Val dropped her head on the table.
I just got my badge and it already sounds like its going to be a slog.
Lucia giggled. “Don’t give in so quickly, Val. I think we will do just fine, as long as we avoid the elites. The Soul Mimic is extremely rare on the higher floors, so I doubt we will have anything to worry about.”
Val sat up just in time for another round of brandy to be sat down.
Amarisse raised her glass up. “She’s right, we’ve got this. Now let’s drink to us!”
Val couldn’t stop the smile spreading across her face as everyone raised their glasses together. She and Amarisse downed theirs in one go, while Lucia and Mina kept nursing theirs.
An hour later and the food was gone.
Everyone was feeling the effects of the liquor.
At some point throughout the night Mina and Lucia had swapped spots, letting the cute cat-girl get close to Val.
“I—I think it’s t—time I go home,” Lucia slurred.
Amarisse laughed. “You sound a little drunk there.”
Lucia glared at her but smirked. “You too.”
Amarisse got out of the booth testing her balance before placing her agreed upon share of the cost down.
“Lucia and I l—live nearby. So we can head out t—together. You two gonna be alright?”
Mina was leaning against Val eyes closed and smiling.
Val nodded. “I think we’ll be g—good.”
She stayed still as Mina laid against her while the girls left the tavern.
It was getting late now, and the tavern was almost empty. The light was dim giving them seclusion in their little corner.
Val looked down only to find Mina looking up at her.
“You’re so pretty… and strong…”
Before Val could reply the cute cat-girl leaned in and captured her lips.
At first Val’s eyes went wide but slowly she melted into the kiss, returning it.
When Val didn’t push her away or stop her, Mina grew bolder.
Her kisses grew more insistent, her tongue prodding at Val’s lips, seeking entrance. Tipsy and already flushed with arousal, Val didn’t stop her. The slightly rough texture of Mina’s tongue sent a shiver down her spine as she made out with Mina.
I wonder how her tongue would feel on…
She couldn’t finish the thought as Mina slowly climbed up into her lap.
Val’s hands immediately found her plump rear and she squeezed. Mina moaned into her mouth before her eyes went wide.
She looked down. “You have a…”
Val nodded. “Magic illness left me with something…”
Mina grinned before leaning forward, her hips beginning to grind against Val’s growing bulge.
She leaned close to Val’s ear. “It feels big.”
Val let out a breathy groan as Mina’s grinding got rougher and faster.
Mina on the other hand was panting, her eyes glazed with lust. She reached down and began to grope Val’s chest as Val began rocking her hips in time with Mina’s grinding.
“F—fuck… I need it,” Mina said, breathless.
Without hesitation she reached for Val’s belt, quickly getting the clasp undone.
Even as Mina’s hand slipped toward her waistband, Val glanced around the room—worried someone might be watching.
In a moment of clarity she remembered something.
Lynesia…
Val gently grabbed Mina’s wrist. “Mina, wait… I—I can’t. Not yet. I’m sorry.”
Mina looked into Val’s eyes. “…Are you mad?”
Val leaned forward and pecked her lips. “No. Gods no. I just… need to figure some things out first.”
Mina sank and then slowly shuffled off Val’s lap.
She was quiet for a few seconds causing Val to worry she might’ve hurt the girl’s feelings.
Mina slowly slid out of the booth. She rummaged through her coin purse before setting her share of tonight’s cost down. Then with a smile she looked into Val’s gaze.
“I’ll be waiting for when you’re ready,” she said. “I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but I guess I needed something to give me the push.”
Val could understand what she meant.
It’s called liquid courage for a reason.
“As soon as I’m ready, I’ll let you know,” Val said softly.
Mina leaned in, giving Val one more kiss. “Good. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Val watched as the cute cat-girl swayed her hips on the way out before slumping into the booth.
I really just blue-balled myself.
After paying her portion of the bill, Val pulled herself up and out into the night air.
The cool breeze helped clear the haze in her head, but not the warmth in her chest—or between her legs.
First Lynesia, now Mina too? What am I supposed to do?
Is having more than one partner frowned upon?
She started walking, the tightness in her pants a constant reminder.
To distract her from the needs of her body, she took her badge out. She flipped it over in her hand, the small glint of the purple lined seal on the back showing.
I haven’t even told Lynesia the truth yet.
Val stopped walking, eyes going wide with realization.
“Do I love her?”
Val had thought long and hard about what Lynesia meant to her since that confession.
Was it a crush? A fling? Or just lust after their intimate moment during her rehab.
Mina wanted me… gods she was begging for it!
And I stopped her, because of Lynesia.
It was a sobering realization that Val might feel the same way. Why else would she have stopped a hot little thing like Mina from going wild?
“I need to sleep this off. A clear head will help.”
Val didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but for now she needed sleep.