The sun beat down on my face. It wasn't a harsh heat, nor was it so weak that even the slightest breeze could disrupt its heat. It was perfectly tailored for the winter cold, giving shelter to those whose arms shivered at the slightest gust of wind.

And here I was, among an endless crowd, pushing and ebbing my way through in the grip of another. Ais held onto my hand with such force, she tried to stick close to me, but evidenced by our current situation… well there wasn't much we - a duo of children - could do against the tide of adult bodies pushing their way through.

But eventually the bodies became more sparse, less people to push us around. Less people to block our view of the various restaurants and shops. My stomach protested at the lack of food, bringing me closer and closer to that sultry smell. I now knew what I wanted to eat, and to facilitate that… well I just pulled Ais closer to my body, practically hugging her to me, and pushed through the crowd and eventual door.

It was a hole in the wall place. With a small bar to the right with patrons already drinking their day away. And to the left was about a dozen tables and booths for people to sit down in. I dragged Ais over to one of the booths and let the waitress come to us.

She was a small thing, practically a midget compared to the towering forms of her coworkers. But the small cat ears and tail that spread from her back and head, they gave her a cute visage that I didn't doubt was used to draw in customers.

"Here's the menu. Just wave me over when y'all are ready to order."

It was nice that she didn't say a single thing about our age. I… I guess that's another thing to get used to. This culture was 'oh so different.

There wasn't anyone to balk at the presence of a child, two at that, bringing themselves to a restaurant with money that they got from who knows where. There wasn't a person to usher us aside and ask where our parents were, no, there was only the suspicious eye that gazed over for a second before returning to their liver destroying hobby.

"That looks good?" Ais tilted her head, pointing to one item that I… I couldn't read at all… a blush came over me as I… I just looked away.

"I'm sure it- it is. Think I'll like it too?"

She nodded.

I smiled.

"Great then let's get two of those then!" At this point I didn't care if it was my least favorite food, I just wanted to steer the topic from my illiteracy and back towards food. Or something else, anything really.

I waved down the waiter with an excited paw and passed her the required amount, had Ais check the denominations for me, then we waited. I in anticipation of both the sustenance and in wonder at what food might appear before me. Though that expectation was soon culled. The food smelled as fine as it could be, and the presentation wasn't bad either. But in the end it was just bar food, better than every other meal that… that… hospital… gave me.

The thought of that place, the endless septic whites, the deathly aura that suffused the entire building… I- My appetite was gone. I still ate, if only to fuel the burning need for calories but it wasn't for any transient desire, more a need rather than a want.

Ais on the other hand ate with gusto. Her food was gone far quicker than mine, I could even see desire for more in her eyes. But I just shook my head, our hands entwined once more, and we were off. Once more in that endless tide of bodies.
There wasn't much to say about the rest of the shopping trip. Ais knew the exact length and balance of the sword she needed. Her other was discarded at the same shop, the blacksmith bought it back if only for the small amount of rare metals that he might be able to scrap from the sword.

By the time we were done, hours had passed. Not in vain, no. But in the countless minutes and testing it took for Ais to find a sword she liked both the heft and balance of. It wasn't like she was able to just order a new sword to her exact specifications, that was far too expensive. No, she had to go through the premade ones and find a blade she liked and one that fit the length and heft she wanted.

The streets were emptier, with less people milling about and more just busying themselves with their destination rather than any desire for product or food. The smells, those that had once been divine in my nose, seemed to have lost all of their food.

And soon we were back to Babel. The dungeon below us and a slaughter ready to be reigned. I took her hand in mine and crossed the steps. One after the other. Until the darkness had finally consumed us, and only the light of those tiny crystals could guide us further.

"I-" I paused, gathering my thoughts. "This is the first floor, yes?"
Ais nodded.
"Then what's below here… More Goblins and Kobolds or different monsters maybe?"
Ais shrugged and gestured for me to follow her. I did, shooting an arrow at any monster my eyes found. I found it weird that she didn't even bother pouting at my actions.

"First floor… and up to fourth? I think."

Was she being purposely vague? I took stock of her expression, the slight tilt of her head in remembrance, the lift of her pupil towards the ceiling. No, I sighed. Ais just didn't remember."So the first to the fourth just have Goblins and Kobolds."

Ais stopped, looked up to the ceiling while her finger tapped her chin. She held quite tightly to her new sword with her other hand.

"That sounds right."
"Ok." I nodded. "Then why don't we rush the fourth. It's bound to have more, right?"
Ais's eyes twinkled in desire. She licked her lips and buckled her sword tighter to her waist. A snort of air huffed its way from my mouth. Yeah, I would take that as a yes.

That savage… almost beast like edge to her technique had appeared again. Ais broke through dozens of Kobolds in a flurry of hurricane-like attacks that knocked them off their feet, or caved their skulls in.

In here I played backup. For every Kobold… or every Goblin that managed to make it past her savage beating, they wouldn't make it further. An arrow would pierce their eyes, their brain, even just their heart. My strikes were as deadly as they were accurate.

Then came the second floor. It was no different, there wasn't a single flaw in the monsters formation that was fixed, their strength was the same, and even their numbers only fluctuated a tiny, insignificant amount.

Then the third. The same. The fourth…? You guessed it, the same. Maybe there was, on average, one or two more goblins or kobolds in their packs. But that was a big maybe, and if it wasn't enough for either of us to pick up on then it wasn't worth thinking of.

My scowl had thickened, the very veins within me sang in desire and want. They craved the danger and adventure I had felt on that first day. In even the second day when I knew not when the strength of my limbs would return.

Our pockets were full, the bag we had bought along with Ais's sword was completely filled too. There were even some newer drops, body parts, that were mixed in. I felt it was a productive day.
Yet something almost primal disagreed. A natural urge that Ais seemed to mimic. I had adjusted. My lungs no longer needed to huff air so desperately, my legs didn't turn to jelly at all the exertion. I had adapted to the dungeon. And yet I still wanted so much more. Even if that meant an almost certain death.
I looked to the stairs. Ais glared and beckoned me to go, to follow her into the deepest depths. But I couldn't. The rational part of me had won once more, and forced me to pull us from danger. No matter how much I wanted to, no matter the depths of depravity my blood sang for.

"You still mad?" I gave a lighthearted chuckle, and tried to rub Ais's hair. She didn't like that, not at all. Her hands flickered and mine were pushed to the side.

I turned, stopped completely, and leaned down on the step above her. Ais's pout was 'oh so prominent. Maybe not to another, but to me it was as visible as the sun. I could see the dissatisfaction in her eyes. They screamed and hurled desire at me.

"You know why. We weren't prepared, I knew nothing about our enemies and you…" I wanted to tell her that her form was barbaric, that it was more suited for a club than a sword. I wanted to tell her that she had wasted so much movement, that her very being screamed inefficiency. But the words failed me.

I merely endured that grumpy glare of hers. Endured the reluctant restraint that she pointed towards me. I wanted nothing more than to break her down and build her anew with technique and grace. Yet… those golden eyes. That pout. I didn't want to lose that forever… don't go, don't leave…

It was greedy, it was selfish. It was dangerous to even let her entertain the mere idea that her form was enough, that it was great and polished enough to battle the beasts who we had hunted and yet to hunt.

But that warmth as she stood next to me, as she hunted with me, even just having her near as we ate together. It was this fuzzy… almost transient desire that wouldn't go away. A hole in my chest whose depth swallowed every single word.

The surface appeared. Countless adventurers milling about, talking plans, buying equipment, or just exchanging their loot for money. Ais and I were in the latter category. The sleepy eyes employee wasn't there, was it not his shift? Either way I tilted my head and let our crystals and drops be exchanged for money.

It was split evenly and our goodbyes were to be said. Only… only…

"Ais! Over here~!" She waved. A black haired girl. If I had to guess I would say that she was in her teens… thirteen, maybe? I frowned. And her ears flickered.

Prominent little cat ears and a black tail to match. "Do you… know her?" I furrowed my brows.

"Mhm." Ais hummed. She grabbed my hand and dragged me towards the catgirl.

"There you are, Ais! We've been looking everywhere for you and now I see that you… you've got a little friend?!"

The girl kneeled down and tried to pet my ears. Her eyes were vulpine in nature, with an almost amused smile as her digits stretched to try and take pleasure in my luxurious ears.

I flickered a paw and took myself out of her range.

"Aww~ he's shy… just like you~" She wrinkled her nose, a complete opposite action to the fawning of the previous moment. Her eyes narrowed in a sort of concerned look. "That…" She burst in speed and rubbed a finger over my cheek. "That's blood. You two've been in the dungeon. How long." It wasn't a question, nor was it rhetorical. A demand, that's what it was.
"Don't know." I pouted.
"Ais."

Ais pouted too, shaking her head in confirmation. "Don't know either."
The catgirl sighed. And dragged Ais by the hand. "Say bye to your friend. I'm taking you back to base."
Ais looked between me and the girl. "Bye. See you later."
I bid her the same. And it must've been one of the larger sentences Ais had said. I could see the slight flicker of surprise in the catgirl's ears. They turned a suspicious slitted eye to me before moving through the crowd.

And that was my cue too… The sun had already started to set, dusk was upon us, and I bet that Atalanta didn't want me gone for too long. Such was the journey back. To that warm embrace waiting for me, even if I couldn't help but wonder if Ais would be there tomorrow. She had promised, that meant she was going to be there, right?