It wasn't the next town. Or even the third one. It was in a grand city where he decided to replenish his supplies and get more coins. This was, after all, his livelihood.

He sees his lady companion who has been traveling with him for a time now, going past him and to a stall market, looking at things. He walks further into the city, looking around for all things that require a reward. And he sees a few posters scattered around the walls about a fiend within the city. In the poorest of places no less. And so that's where he goes.

Down some stairs, navigating the maze that was the alleyways until he finally feels the air. Still and very stiff. And he carefully keeps to the crumbling cement walls as he feels something off in the air. He takes out one of his scimitars, ready to strike when a noise down a dark tunnel attracts his attention.

He stares it down as he gets closer and closer to the dark tunnel and out pops a shadow of a head. He can see intense eyes stare back at him. He gets ready to run to strike it but is taken aback by the soft airy voice.

"It's you. From that tavern."

And she reveals herself walking into the sunlight. And he sees that it was her. The small petite woman from towns prior in that dingy tavern.

"What are you doing here?" they both ask at the same time.

She laughs. He didn't quite see the humor in it at this moment.

"I could have killed ye."

"Keyword," she points with her slender finger, "could have. But didn't! I thank you for that."

"What are ye doing here? Don't tell me—"

She nods, "I'm here to get the claim plastered all over the walls entering the city." She tilts her head up to look at him. A leg going back to really take him in.

"You're tall." Stating the obvious.

Rikko raises an eyebrow, "and ye short."

She giggles, "yes I'm stating the obvious. I didn't really get to see you the last time."

And Rikko actually really looks now. Short thing. Waist long placated curly brown hair. Deep dark green eyes and olive skin.

"Want to team up to get a fair share of the claim?" she keeps her smile as she approaches him.

"I can handle myself. Ye should go." He follows her, his gaze keeping himself guarded. It could be a trap. This didn't feel like a coincidence. Rarely did he meet the same people again.

"It's not a trap."

How did she know?

She turns her body to look at him over her shoulder. "If it was a trap you would be dead. I wouldn't do all of this banter. Now come. Let's get this damn thing terrorizing the poor." Her voice is no longer airy. It's severe. Determined.

Rikko nods. Despite his thoughts telling him to turn around. But he really needed the coin as well. And it was in that moment of silent agreement that a growl was heard. The sound of metal unsheathing from somewhere was all too familiar to his ears. Staring death right back as the fiend came at them from atop of one of the openings. And he dances again to the tune of death. But this time he shares this song with the petite woman. She dodges as does he. It wasn't until they just needed an extra push that he remembered what she did.

"You're a mage?" he asks after the fiend was basically charred to oblivion.

"Yep," she nods and checks the singe being. Barely recognizable. "You too huh?"

"Yeah…" he too bends in front of her to take a look at the blackened thing.

"You really do ask for trouble, don't you Rikko?" a voice said next to him and he looked as she shook her head in great disapproval.

"MV was it?" he asked to make sure he got her name right.

"Yes, her name is MV. Short for Missy Venom. I'm Chip!" came in Chip's voice from behind her. Both ready to help Vivianna should she have came into harm.

"Nice to meet you both," and he stares at MV for the longest time. Uncertain why he feels a great fond towards her.

"Let's get this to get claimed and let me buy you dinner to celebrate," Vivianna takes the focus back. She doesn't even ask. It's a demand.

"YES! I am STARVING!" Chip voiced loudly, touching her stomach with a huge grin.

"Oh yes. It's almost time for dinner," MV nods with approval and smiles at her best friend Chip for how cheerful she always is.

"Well, I can't refuse an invitation from a lady." Rikko nods once in acceptance looking back at her.

"You don't seem like the sort that does," she winks at him and with a lasso ties the discolored fiend and begins the process of dragging it.

"Allow me," he offers his hand for the rope to carry it for her.

"Oh, a gentleman huh?" she gives him the rope and places her hands behind her and both smile at each other, walking to get the claim with Chip and MV following behind them, ever vigilant.

It was the lively way the tavern was that made him smile numbly. Or maybe it was a mix of the wine with a lovely young girl. Or a combination of them all. But he enjoyed the noise tonight. Her laughter was in his ear very candied as she was told funny stories with jokes added into them.

"Oh, these people. They have so much to offer and others look down upon them…" she says she sits back in her chair, taking a long pull of her wine bottle. She puts it on the table with a gentle slam and looks at Rikko. "And you?" she asks with a pointed gesture of her chin at him, "just passing through?"

He nods slowly, "just passing through."

"Well that's lovely. You get to see a lot I bet!" She stares but searches. Searches into his gaze.

"Nothing pleasant I assure ye," he shakes his head as if swatting away such thoughts.

"Nothing pleasant? What about right now? Isn't anything in here pleasant?" her eyes roam around the room looking at how he could say such a thing when there was so much goodness happening around them.

"I do see one pleasant thing…" he deepens his voice as does his gaze at her.

"Oh?" she was intrigued now, leaning closer. "And what's that?" she places her elbow on the table, fisted fingers under her chin to stare at him, giving him her own intense stare.

He takes her free hand and holds it, looking it over. It was small in his palm. He could envelop it completely. He caresses her knuckles and looks at her again. She smiles seductively.

"I see," she says alluringly.

And she gets up, tugging him to follow, and he does. Oh does he follow her, holding her hand firm in his, as she guides him past the tables, up the stairs and into a dark room with only the moonlight filtering. Or at least that's what he would remember. Because as soon as the door closed shut, they were on each other. Clothes taken off haphazardly thrown on the floor, laying the path that lead to her whispers of encouragement. To the mewls and sighs and his name softly told to him. Selfishly told to him. The night felt long, like the scratches she left behind on his back and shoulders. The cold dug it's embrace around him like her nails into his hips. The soft alluring throbbing in the back of his head where her fingers found ways to pull his hair. His lips tingling from her wanting to devour him entirely with her teeth. She was aggressive and he enjoyed that more than he should. She didn't want to submit, wouldn't submit, and he found himself immersed into this game. Of cat and mouse under the sheets.

As he closed his eyes, hearing her whisper his name in gratitude, he did wonder, who was the cat and who was the mouse in this game. A thought he took into his dreams that welcomed him in the morning as he willed his eyes to open. With a sigh he sat up. Sea green eyes looking around the small room with the bright sun filtering through the stained dirty blue curtain, for the curly haired beauty to thank for last night. But to his disillusion, she wasn't around. Only a note on the pillow where he had hoped to greet her from, did he pick up and read it.

Thanks for last night, sweet talker. See you around.

His eyes re-read the sentence over and over until it was engraved in his memory. Along with the pink lipstick that made the entire note quite lovely to him. Lovely enough to keep. He got up from the bed, tossing the sheets off and got ready, leaving the tavern and meeting up with his lady companion as she waited for him at the gates with some goods that would be good company down the road.