Shattered Moonstone

“Well, that was horrible.” Fiori grumbled as she looked at the small sack of coins sitting on the table. “I’m never going to get the smell of dog off me.” She lamented as her head fell to the table, her large feline eats drooping as she did.

“It wasn’t all bad,” Mira said, opening the bag and dividing the handful of gold out, “the guild even bought the damaged pelts off us too.” 

Fiori glared at the human man beside her, “if Ethan could hold back a little, we would have gotten more.” She hissed as Ethan scratched his head.

“I mean it worked out in the end,” Ethan chuckled, “Just the three of us against a pack of mana gorged wolves, at this rate we will be A rank in no time!” He exclaimed, causing the cat woman to roll her big gray eyes. 

Mira laughed as she slid a small stack of coins to him. “Ethan, we just got promoted to B not too long ago. Let’s not rush it.”

Ethan clicked his tongue, “if Borax didn’t leave, we would already be A rank.”

Mira sighed, shaking her head, “Borax got married, Ethan.”

“I know, I know.” He replied crossing his arms which caused Mira to smile as he pouted, “it’s just been rough without him. If we had a fourth person, we could have stayed in Ecrein.”

The adventuring trio continued to banter as they sat in the near empty adventuring guild, having finished their request early they had decided to not go back out for the night, not that there was a lot of work for the B rank adventures. They had arrived in Navratna just before snowfall last year in hopes to find a companion before summer, yet they had underestimated just how efficient the border territory was. Any competent people were already put to work either as a guard or worker for another guild, leaving the trio no options for people who would be able to keep up with them, not that they could blame people. Being a guard was way safer than an adventurer, hell the three of them considered it when they themselves were offered guard positions, but Ethan had refused as it went against his aspiration to become a hero. 

A honestly childish notation for a man that was in his 20s but Mira found his childlike enthusiasm endearing. As she watched him grumble, Fiori nudged Mira with her foot causing her to look at the feline woman who, with a sly grin, motioned to Ethan with her head making a “kissing” motion with her mouth. Mira blushed and kicked the woman under the table causing her to let out a hiss. 

The two were just about to come to blows when the front door of the hall opened. The entire room fell quiet, which was only about 15 people, as a strange pair entered.

“Who the hell brings a maid to the guild?” Ethan asked as he inspected the duo.

His eyes were instantly drawn to the beautiful woman with fiery red hair in what looked like a high-end maid uniform one would normally see in the capital, though it almost looked to be a size too small on the curvy woman, who looked as if any wrong movement would cause her sizeable chest to fall out. He couldn’t help but swallow as he looked at the scantly short skirt as she walked by, the white skin of her legs standing out as a stark contrast to the black fabric.

Mira kicked him in the leg causing him to yelp in pain as he looked back to his companion who glared at him. “What was that for?” he asked.

“You really have to ask,” Fiori asked, shaking her head, “you were drooling more than those wolves we fought earlier.” 

“I wasn’t drooling,” he snapped, rubbing his chin just in case, “I was checking out the new group. Never seen them around.”

“Oh yea?” Mira growled, “what color was the short one’s hair?”

“The short one?” was not the answer she was looking for as she began kicking him again much to the amusement of Fiori.

The trio did not see as the two women walked to the front desk before being escorted to the back room. The rest of the guild buzzed to life as the room quickly filled with murmurs once the two had left. 

Nearly half an hour later the two emerged from the back drawing the attention of the room again this time, however, the beautiful red head was overshadowed by an enormous wolf woman.

Ethans eyes went wide as he saw the woman. He had heard rumors about her, yet living in Navratna for only a few months he had never seen her. “The guild master?” He whispered as he took in the sight. 

The woman stood nearly 7 feet tall on two muscular legs that ended in wolf-like paws that caused the wooden floor to creak as she walked. Her shoulders spanned nearly twice his own, with large muscular arms with the typical padded hands of a beast-kin, though her filed down nails were a deep black. She had a wolf-like head with a long snout and large golden eyes that seemed to glow as she scanned the room, her long light brown hair flowing back almost looking like a mane as it rested on her massive shoulders. 

He was momentarily stunned as he looked at her, though she was a giant she was objectively… attractive. Her long tail seemed to sway once as she led the two into the main hall, the motion drawing everyone’s eyes to her wide hips that strained the soft leather pants she wore. It was clear she was fit given the half shirt she wore, her large breast pulling the top taunt leaving her toned stomach bare for all to see.

He stopped as he inspected the large scar that adorned the woman’s abdomen, it wasn’t uncommon for adventurers to have scars but to see one so jarring as that on someone who looked so powerful was unnerving to the small swordsmen. Just what could have done that to her? He thought as he traced the scar with his eyes, it ran from her bottom rib across her stomach and vanished into her pants on her left hip. Having clearly been healed with magic the scar was only skin deep, just leaving a bald spot in her fur, the pinkish skin showing through allowing people to see her muscular abs that pressed against her skin.

“Thank you again for your help,” The smaller girl said bowing to the guild master who simply grunted.

“No need for that little one,” the woman’s gruff voice seemed to carry a light tone as she placed a hand on the little girl’s head much to the annoyance of her maid, “you’re an adventurer now. Leave that formal stuff for the courts.” 

“Yes, of course.” The girl replied standing straight, a slight pink showing on her cheeks. The whole room watched as the guild master led the two to the door, “I will set out tomorrow as you advised, give your husband my best.” The young girl said as she and the maid left.

The guild master’s shoulders seemed to slump as she turned back to the silent room, she stood for a long moment scanning the room before her eyes landed on the stunned Ethan. “You three, come with me.” Her commanding voice cut through them causing Ethan’s knees to shake slightly as he looked back to his two companions. Fiori sat frozen, her own fur standing on end as Mira took a deep shuddering breath, the previous fire in her eyes when she was berating him now gone as she looked to the guild master.

“u…us?” he asked, his voice catching as he did. 

The woman’s eyes seemed to shimmer as she raised an eyebrow, “yes, my office, now.” She commanded, causing the three to rise from their seats and follow her with no further questions.