《She Who Slays Gods》Chapter 1 - In Which the Heroine Makes a New Friend
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Tyna Janar was a less than imposing figure to stumble upon for any adventurer. It was easy to look down on a woman of her visage, firstly due to her unassuming, welcoming smile. Secondly because of her shorter than average height of five feet and a single inch. A competing treasure hunter might look at her and think it would be a fun challenge to see how far they could punt her across the field. So there wasn't much camaraderie in the life of Tyna Janar, Transmutionist Extraordinaire. But there was plenty of doubt which allowed her plenty of advantage.
Up the hill she climbed, spotted in the distance by a hunter who had scoped out her targeted dungeon and set up camp out front. At first he thought it might have been some strange animal, the enormous pack on her back creating a strange shape in the shadows. Fenghar Ogorstone leaned in and squinted, recognizing it was a humanoid figure instead. As she drew nearer he was impressed by her getup and resilience with the gear she carried. The large man of deep emerald skin and bulging muscle stood to his full height, always on guard and hoping his display of height and strength would put any creature on pause. He was the first person in miles and days to not doubt her upon first glance.
"Greetings," Tyna cried out, waving her hand and stuffing the map she held in the other into her pocket in a messy bundle. "Well met and I certainly hope you can spare some water for a weary beauty such as myself."
Fenghar sniffed and laughed, crossing his arms in her direction. "Nothing quite like an adventurer with a confident tongue."
"You don't even know the half of it."
"Well our camp is open to you. Come sit down."
She huffed and hiked up her pack before him, standing only up to his chest, looking way up into his eyes. "Name's Tyna. I'll trade you rum for water."
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"Well," Fenghar snorted. "In that case, you can stay as long as you like."
Tyna relaxed by the fire as the sun settled itself into the mountain peaks, painting the sky a looming orange. She drank her fill of water for replenishment then ruined the work her body had just done by partaking in plenty of rum with her new companion. Beside her were her two blades settled against the rock she sat on, and a pack much too large for her. Additionally, there was the shoulder bag packed full of scrolls that had seen better days. They were too large for the pouch and had suffered water damage and the edges were stained with dirt.
She noticed Fenghar's eyes upon it, noting his interest for later.
"So I must ask," Tyna said. "Three beds around a fire with only one man to enjoy them. Waiting for guests?"
Fenghar finished his cup and wiped his mouth. "Just on the other side of this hill is an entrance that leads deep below ground. My companions are much more suited for dungeon-diving. I didn't want to miss out on the sunset."
Tyna smirked and held out the rum until he leaned in with his cup for her to fill. She poured slow. "Soft-hearted brute. You'd think they'd want your muscle down there. Dark things dwell beneath the land, don't you know? Not just because of the lack of sunlight." She brought her cup to her lips and looked him in the eye. "I certainly know about the dungeon beneath our feet though. It's a curious thing indeed."
He shrugged then thanked her for the drink, settling back into his seat, looking quite strange cradling the small cup in his enormous hands. Meanwhile he thought she looked quite beautiful, of lean, strong build with golden strands of hair, loose and blowing free. Uncertainty bubbled up within him. "Sure, I can fight if I need to," he said. "But I certainly don't want to. Besides, someone needs to keep watch over the gear they couldn't take inside."
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Tyna nodded and sipped, breathing in the nightly scent. With it came a chill and she rolled her shoulders and downed the rest of her cup. "Well," she said. "It's been nice meeting you, Fenghar. But in I go."
"Wh— wait, what?" He stood when she did. Then, he gave her a suspicious look. "You wouldn't be looking to steal the treasure inside from us, would you?"
"Who's 'us'?" She picked up her scabbards and worked on securing them to her hips. "You're out here. If you have a problem with me stealing anything from whoever's down below, you needn't worry. I guarantee what I'm after isn't what they are."
He tilted his head. "What makes you so certain?"
Tyna tightened the straps with a loud tug then paused. "Well. If this is indeed the hidden temple of the Old Order of Gargantuanatia, and you lot are only after the hoarded treasure deep within rather than the ancient texts of guided ritual and worship, I'd imagine we'll be after completely different things."
Fenghar sniffed. "Well, I certainly have no idea why anyone would want what you're after."
"Brilliant," Tyna said. "As the tasked bag watcher, I hope you'll be so kind as to watch my belongings as well."
"What makes you think I won't just steal from you? Very trustworthy for a human."
Tyna chuckled and pushed back some hair, working it all into a bun. "I know I'll be in and out before any of your so-called companions there." She glanced over at him. "I know if you do decide to take anything, you'll change your mind before I'm back. You wouldn't want to disappoint me, surely. We could go grab some more drinks after this."
Fenghar's face became hot. Did she really see through him that easily? He watched her approach the edge of the hill then he spoke up again, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Wait. Why are you after old religious texts anyway? Gargantuanatia is some obscure God that barely makes their mark on this world any longer."
"Oh," Tyna said, slowly turning back to him. "I need to learn all I can about the Gods, old or new..." she met his eyes and her intensity made him shudder, "...because I'm going to kill them someday."
There was only the breeze. "You serious?"
"I am." She sniffed and looked him up and down. "Always looking for those who might want to help. If I see you later, let me know if you'd like to." She turned and let out a sigh that sounded like she was reluctantly adding something more to the conversation. "Oh, Fenghar, what I mean is - I will definitely see you later. Don't forget that."
Once more he was taken aback by this woman, her words direct and full of strange intent. And before Fenghar could say any more, Tyna had descended the other side of the hill.
She found the entrance. Enormous, cold and dark it was. With nothing but her skill with a blade and a clumsy skill with magic, she entered the unknown, hoping to become stronger at the other end.
When Tyna had been gone for quite some time, Fenghar sighed. Hesitation left him motionless.
But with time, he gathered Tyna's things, as well as the other bags in the camp, secured them over his shoulders and headed out into the cold night.
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