After Fenra received her adventurer's Guild card, she couldn't stop staring at it. The silver-engraved badge glimmered faintly in the warm light of the Guild Hall. She turned to Raizo, her tail swishing behind her with excitement.
"Raizo," she said, "do you want to go on a quest right now?"
Raizo leaned back in his chair and gave a small chuckle. "It's already afternoon… Maybe we should wait until tomorrow. We've had a long day."
Fenra pouted slightly but nodded. "Alright."
Together, they exited the Guild and stepped back onto the cobbled streets of Brunhild. The city was beginning to glow under the setting sun. The air was lively with the sounds of merchants packing up, children playing by the fountain, and carriages rolling over the stone paths.
As they walked along the main road, Fenra's keen eyes caught the sight of a cozy-looking building nestled between a smithy and a flower shop. A wooden sign hanging above the door read Brunch Inn, with a painted image of a cat holding a plate of fish.
"Looks inviting," Raizo said.
They pushed the door open, and a small bell above the frame rang. The smell of cooked stew and fresh bread welcomed them in. Behind the wooden counter stood a cheerful demi-human with soft brown hair, feline ears perched atop her head, and a fluffy tail swaying behind her.
"Welcome to Brunch Inn!" she purred. "What can I purr you today?"
Fenra blinked—and then frowned. The cat-eared innkeeper had a very full chest. Her clothes clung tightly to her figure, especially around that area. Fenra couldn't help but glance down at herself. Her own figure was athletic, slim, and toned from surviving in the wild. But still…
"She's… bigger than me," she muttered under her breath.
Raizo, noticing the shift in Fenra's expression, chuckled softly. Guess women really do compare each other over the strangest things.
"Um," Raizo began, stepping forward, "we'd like to stay here for about ten days. Is that alright?"
"Sure thing," the innkeeper said with a wink. "My name's Lia, by the way."
"Nice to meet you," Raizo and Fenra said at the same time.
"If you want to stay right meow," Lia added with a giggle, "that'll be 15 copper coins for the ten nights."
Raizo handed her the coins and added, "We'd like two bedrooms—one for me, one for my companion."
Lia glanced at the logbook and shook her head. "Sorry, sweetie. We only have one room left."
"Oh… then I guess I'll just sleep downstairs at the table tonight," Raizo offered.
Lia frowned. "Absolutely not, young man."
"But you said there was only one bedroom left."
Lia nodded with a sly grin. "I said one bedroom, but I never said there was only one bed. There are two beds in the room."
Raizo blinked. "Oh… Then yeah, we'll take it."
Lia reached for a brass key hanging on a wooden peg. "Great. I'll show you to your room."
As they walked up the stairs, Lia's tail flicked playfully behind her. Just before turning the corner, she looked over her shoulder and gave Raizo a little blink.
Raizo raised an eyebrow. "I promise whatever you're thinking is wrong."
Lia covered her mouth and giggled. "Am I?"
Raizo blushed furiously, scratching the back of his head. Fenra just tilted her head, not fully understanding what the exchange was about, but glaring lightly at Lia anyway.
They were led into a cozy room with wooden walls and a window that overlooked the back garden. Two beds sat across from each other, neatly made with soft blankets. Lia smiled and waved.
"I'll call you two down when dinner's ready."
"Thank you," Raizo said.
As the door clicked shut behind them, Fenra looked around the room. "It's… warm."
Raizo nodded. "It's better than sleeping in the forest, that's for sure."
---
Later that evening, Lia called up from downstairs.
"Dinner's ready, lovebirds—I mean, adventurers~!"
Raizo sighed. "She's messing with me…"
Fenra, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes. "I don't like her."
They made their way down to the dining hall, where bowls of steaming stew and thick slices of bread were laid out on a long table. The scent alone made Fenra's tail sway in excitement. They ate quietly, the comfort of the food melting away the tension from the day.
After the meal, they returned to their shared room. Raizo was exhausted—his body still recovering from the earlier reaction he had when he picked up the sword. He laid down without even removing his boots, and within moments, he was fast asleep.
Fenra, however, remained awake.
She sat up in bed, looking across the room at Raizo. The moonlight filtered through the window, casting a soft glow over his face. He looked peaceful in sleep—his usually guarded expression now relaxed.
He saved me… she thought. He saved my people. He believed in me when no one else did.
She remembered the feel of his hand in hers earlier that day. The warmth. The safety.
Her heart began to pound.
"What is this feeling…" she whispered to herself. "Why… Why does it hurt when I think of him leaving…?"
She continued to stare at him, her eyes soft. Her cheeks began to burn with a blush, and she quickly looked away.
But just as she turned to go to bed—
Raizo's eyes opened slightly.
Their gazes met.
Fenra's face turned bright red. She yanked the blanket over her head and dove under it like a startled fox.
"I wasn't staring!" she blurted, her voice muffled by the covers.
Raizo blinked, barely conscious. "Huh…? Okay…"
With a quiet chuckle, he closed his eyes again.
Underneath the blanket, Fenra gripped the edge tightly. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest.
Why am I acting like this? What is this feeling?
And while those questions circled in her mind… sleep slowly took her.
The moon rose high above Brunhild, casting light over a city that was about to witness the rise of two unusual adventurers—bound by trust, and something else just beginning to bloom.