Confusing Creatures

"Hahhh."

"Is everything alright?"

"Bwah!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, but really...you are a Mid Tier Adventurer now, try to be more aware of the world around you."

"Ah...y-yes...I'm sorry..."

I had just finished dealing with the drunken Rockfort and had been a bit distracted after entering the guild. I was so distracted that I didn't even notice Brianna in front of me. If she was a monster I'd probably be dead by now. While her tone was a bit sharp, I knew it came from a good place, she was just looking after me.

"So, why the long sigh?"

"O-oh...well..."

I hesitated whether to tell her about the events with Rockfort just now, but in the end I figured I might as well. It wasn't like I had done anything wrong or had anything to hide...this time. As I told her about what happened her face slowly turned a bit scary by the end. 𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸��𝘰𝘯𝘨?

Before I could ask what I had done, her face had shot by to her normal tranquil expression.

"So you didn't end up doing anything with her?"

"Huh? U-uh n-no nothing."

That question threw me off a bit, but I guess she wanted to make sure I didn't try any funny business on a woman who wasn't conscious. 𝘊𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵, 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘭! 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘦𝘭!...𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦.

She gave me an intense stare for a few moments, but then immediately broke it off and returned back to her normal expression again. There even seemed to be a happy bounce to her voice.

"Well that's good, I'm glad you aren't the type of guy who takes advantage."

"Hahaha...o-of course n-not."

I could only weakly laugh and reply as the thoughts of what happened with Taleena ran through my head. 𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵. 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦! 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘥! 𝘐'𝘮 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘐𝘎𝘏𝘌𝘚𝘛 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘴!

Then I suddenly remembered what happened with Rockfort in the back of her shop.....𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘵.

Before I could continue contemplating my past indiscretions, Brianna's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"So what can I do for you or did you not come here for me?"

"Ah! N-no, I mean...yes I came here for y-you. Wait! Not like that!"

The moment I said "I came here for you" I saw one of her eyebrows raise ever so slightly. I immediately tried to backtrack my words and explain.

"I-I am leaving tomorrow for The City of Walfrey, s-so I just wanted to s-say goodbye. Also, to th-thank you for everything."

For a moment I thought I saw a hint of sadness in her eyes, but it was quickly wiped away and replaced with her normal appearance.

"I see...well I know we started off a bit rough, but now I truly am glad to have met you."

"Mm...I-I also think th-the same."

I could see her face show that she was hesitating to ask something.

"Umm...will you come back to visit me- I mean the guild, will you come and visit the guild sometime? With the waypoint...it shouldn't be too bad...right?"

"Of c-course! Th-that was my plan all along!"

"Mm that is good to hear. Don't forget your origins even when you become famous."

"Ha...I th-think you overestimate me. An-anyways I definitely couldn't not see you a-and Rockfort...ever...again...is something wr-wrong?"

Everything was going fine up until my final words, but now her brows were a bit scrunched. When she spoke, she spoke in a monotone.

"I see, of course you would want to see Rockfort again, I see..."

"Uh...wh-what do you see?"

Her eyes became sharp and she stared daggers at me. I felt like I was a bad kid that had gotten caught with his hands in a cookie jar. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘥𝘰?!?

"D-did I do something wr-"

"OF COURSE NOT."

For some reason she slowly and deliberately enunciated every single part of those words. 𝘠𝘶𝘱, 𝘐 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦....

"W-well then...see you around."

I stuck out my hand to give her a handshake to express my gratitude. For some reason she looked at my hand and hesitated, scrunching her brow again. I thought I had messed up again, but then she reached out and grasped my hand.

"Yes...SEE YOU AROUND."

"Agh!"

She heavily emphasized the words "see you around" this time, and suddenly I felt a vice like grip crushing my hand. I had forgotten, but she used to be a High Tier adventurer so her strength was definitely nothing to scoff at. She continued to grip my hand tightly while shaking, and giving me a pleasant smile.

"Brianna c-could you l-let go? We n-need to finish packing-"

"WE? Do you mean you and that pretty girl you bring around...you are going together?"

"Y-yes you met her. Fiona and I are- Agh!"

The pressure on my hand suddenly increased. I then found myself being pulled closer to Brianna and then she set her free hand on my shoulder. Suddenly I felt a crushing pressure on my shoulder as she continued to shake my hand. By this point her pleasant smile had also turned into what I could only describe as an insane murdery clown smile. I felt my spine tingling as my instincts told me to flee. The last time I felt like this was when I faced the demon at the grotto. 𝘐 𝘋𝘌𝘍𝘐𝘕𝘐𝘛𝘌𝘓𝘠 𝘍𝘜𝘊𝘒𝘌𝘋 𝘜𝘗!

"I see...I see...well do take care not to GET INTO ANY TROUBLE traveling alone."

"Hah...hah...of-of course. I ne-need to take care of Fiona and I'm a m-man of high morals after all. N-nothing to worry about!"

"Yes, be sure to take care of her and KEEP UP THOSE HIGH MORALS."

With those final words I suddenly felt all the pressure release and the feeling of encroaching death vanish. 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵?!?

She had returned to her normal demeanor, as if everything up until now was an illusion. Her happy voice greeted me once again.

"Well then, have a safe trip, please see us when you return!"

I was afraid to lose sight of her, so I backed away toward the door and waved back as I spoke.

"Y-yes...th-thanks...goodbye Brianna..."

The moment I felt the door behind me I swung it open and quickly went outside.

"Hahhhhhhhhh"

I let out a huge sigh of relief. I only felt slightly safer now that there was a thick door between us. Still unsure about what the hell just happened I could only mumble a few words under my breath.

"Women...are confusing creatures."