"Don’t you think you went a little overboard?" Sitting beside her on the carriage, Zephyr turned to look at Aura. Still disguised as his blonde human slave, she was radiant as ever, and the sadistic smile on her face only made her appear more radiant. "By the time we’re back, she might already be addicted to...certain things."
"Ahaha~" Letting out a laugh, Aura smiled at her man before planting a kiss on his cheek. "Ohh~ That’s the plan, I want her to go insane with desire so that she comes begging on hands and knees, whoofing like a dog~ Just like her goddess back in the mansion."
"Is that why you put that show up? Shapeshifting into Hestia and filling the priestess’ head with your voices?" Aura did not have to answer his question; the smirk on her face was enough of an answer. "Well, I suppose it would certainly be entertaining to see what state she’s in when we return."
Smiling alongside her, Zephyr too felt a sick sense of joy by twisting things to corrupt that innocent woman. He was no saint after all; his mind and body were simply not back at full capacity after being asleep for so long.
"No worse than the village blighted by the curse of madness," laughing along as the horses led the charge, Aura’s eyes gazed into the distance, but looked to the past. "I still remember the red sky, the eclipsed sun and the screams of the villagers as they slaughtered each other to save themselves."
Heaving a sigh, she smiled to herself and leaned against Zephyr’s shoulders. The memories painted by her words sparked the evil in the fiend’s heart some more. In spite of that, it became clear to Zephyr in that moment, it would take him a long time to get back into the habits that had led him to become the bane of this world.
"Hmm..." Resting his head against hers, he closed his eyes. "It won’t be long until we have to cleanse another village, I’m sure. Humans...have a habit of ruining things for themselves."
"Mhnmm~" Closing her eyes as well, the two sat in each other’s arms and slumbered. The horses knew the way they needed to go, and so without any need for a master, they kept charging towards the nearest town.
As the wagon marched down the mud path while the two were asleep, it passed many bystanders on the road that ran to and fro from the forest and the town. Adventurers, apprentice alchemists, and even a handful of simple citizens who were either strolling at the edge of the town’s boundaries or being escorted by the adventurers to another city.
Most of them paid little mind to the wagon. Just another travelling merchant heading towards their town. Others thought of robbing them; however, committing to that crime was much harder than merely thinking of it. Keeping their distance from the hulking horses, they allowed the wagon to continue without any trouble.
Although a handful were much more curious and tried to get a peek inside the curtained wagon. What goods was this merchant hiding? Slaves? Armaments? Potions or raw goods and food ingredients. Unfortunately for them, the curtains were tied together in the middle with a piece of string.
"Hmm...I wonder what they have," muttering to herself, one such curious bystander watched as the wagon disappeared into the distance. "Maybe we should check them out when we return to town tonight."
Feeling a heavy hand resting on her tiny shoulders, the Fox girl rogue curved her tall ears and turned back to her party.
"Come on, Audrey, we need to keep moving." Standing before her was Charlotte, an older white, spotted leopard demi-human. "That dungeon isn’t going to find itself, remember?"
Staring at her for a moment, the fox girl lowered her gaze and looked past her. The other two members of her party were still walking upfront as if they hadn’t realized that the other two had stopped.
"Whatever, Aunty," she huffed, visibly upset for being left behind.
"Audrey! I told you not to call me that!" Charlotte complained, her eyes furrowed with frustration.
Looking back up, the girl puffed up her cheeks and pressed them together with her hands. Making a weird sound as the air escaped her lips, she complained right back.
"But you are my aunt! Same as Rudy!"
"Half–aunt! And that’s by technicality, so I don’t want you to call me that! I’m not old enough to be an aunt!"
The sounds of their bickering finally alarmed the two walking in front. Turning around, the leader raised his hand and yelled back at them.
"HEY! ARE YOU GUYS COMING OR NOT?"
Dropping their quarrel, the two loosened their shoulders and began walking forward. Catching up with their leader, they kept their distance from each other. And although the leader noticed the tension between them, it wasn’t the first time the two had fought, and so brushing that thought out of his mind, he led the group forward.
Trailing from Luminos, the group had come thus far to locate a dungeon nearby. It was one of many in the forested area around the town, but this particular dungeon was quite different from the others. Meant to host a great ancient evil, the place was host to a fiend whose tale they’ve heard since they were children.
Like a towering mausoleum turned upside down, the dungeon was said to be a staircase to hell, housing horrors beyond the comprehension of mortals. Many had lost their lives on this descent, and many more will lose their lives, unless the place is found and the fiend eradicated.
"What’s the rush anyways? It’s not like we can beat this place in one go!" Complaining once more, the fox girl stared at her half-brother’s back. "Just because the goddess named you the hero, doesn’t mean we’re invincible, Rudy!"
Ignoring her complaints, however, the hero continued on the path. Determined to find the dungeon and beat it as soon as possible. A fool’s errand at his level, and it wouldn’t be long before he realizes that. However, for now, the hero was too busy thinking about how to impress his only other companion. Roxanne Watcher–his childhood friend, the only other human in their group, as well as the only healer with the lowest level out of all of them.
Roxanne, on the other hand, was ignorant of his affection. Too innocent to look at him as more than a friend, she was bracing herself for when, inevitably, she would have to watch everyone getting injured. Soothing their wounds was her way of showing affection, but as is the duty of a healer, her affection spreads equally over everyone.
"Ughh~ Whatever, shouldn’t we at least do that goblin subjugation quest first? We need the money for new equipment!" For once, Audrey–the fox girl’s words interested everyone, and so with a renewed list of priorities, the party headed towards a known goblin mating den.