Bane awoke the next morning cold and alone—Eir had stayed on her side that night. Before he rose to head to the dungeon, he thought about how they would all sleep. Only this room had a fireplace, so the three of them would be in here at least through winter, unless Bane wanted to tough it out outside.
Just yesterday, Bane had given Eir enough for another bed and then some. He hoped that Eir would move quickly and try to get it. But even if they got just one other bed, that still left a question: would Bane still sleep in Eir's bed or on the floor?
'Why do I care... it doesn't matter in the slightest,' he thought, sighing, annoyed at himself for caring about such trivial matters. He changed into his armor and equipped everything on his person, then gazed back inside at Eir before leaving a moment later. Bane took the usual route through the chilly winter morning air.
Soon enough, he was at the Guild, and after a short chat with Winter, he descended to the seventh floor.
That morning, Liora awoke in her cramped room. She stared up at the wooden crossbeams of the bunk bed above her. Looking across, she saw a few more young women sleeping peacefully. Through one window at the edge of the room, Liora could see that it was morning.
Growing up in the God's Church had been a great experience for Liora—she wouldn't trade it for anything. There were just two things she wished she could change.
First, the food. On the positive side, it was free to all followers of the church; the bad side was that it tasted horrible. Any day Liora had an excuse to go out and get something else, she took it.
Second, the sleeping arrangements. She hadn't minded it at first, and neither had her roommates, but after spending many, many years in bunk beds, it got a little old. You could get a private room, but they cost a fortune, and only wealthy business owners could afford to send their kids to live in them.
Aside from that, she loved being brought up in this environment. Every nun and priest was as caring as ever, and the friends she made along the way were ones she would never forget. But all good things come to an end, and people must move on.
All of her friends in the bunkbeds with her, for the most part, had everything figured out. But Liora was a complete unknown—she didn't know what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go. She had tried everything, and on her last trip into the dungeon, she had almost died.
But then he arrived.
Swooping in like a mysterious hero in the darkness, he had saved her—and in that moment, she felt reborn. Just then, she knew what she wanted to do. 'I want to be an adventurer,' she thought. Walking with Bane only made her want it more. Watching and supporting him while he fought was like watching a painter at a canvas.
Liora sat up and scratched her scalp, letting out a quiet moan before gathering a few things and leaving the room. She wanted to feel her best, so she made her way to the private showers inside the church. That was another thing Liora liked—the privacy.
She cringed at the thought of communal baths and restrooms. Here, at least, she was able to be alone and undisturbed.
After a short shower, she combed out her hair, and once she thought it was good, she started moving her arms around her head. To an unsuspecting person, it might look like she was doing a weird form of dancing, but she was actually drying her hair.
Knowing all sorts of magic, she was able to heat up and blow wind wherever she pleased. She had learned this little trick from one of her friends when she was little and had used it ever since. With her hair mostly dry, she put on a clean white gown.
Purity was a common theme in the church—almost everyone wore white, aside from the nuns. "Having a clean and pure soul starts with what you wear," or so they said. Liora returned to her room one last time before heading out the door.
However, as soon as she stepped foot outside, she hurried back inside. "C-Cold..." she stammered, feeling the tips of her hair freeze. Retrieving her puffy white coat from the coat rack, she started toward the Eir Faction building.
She had often heard the phrase, 'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.' But currently, she had no other choice. She had tried every possible career field that a healer from the church could, and now, finally, there was some hope.
If they said no, she had no backup plan. She didn't want to think about what she would have to do to get by. She could spend her remaining time at the church, but then what? Become a nun? That was the last thing Liora wanted—it was the safest option, but she didn't want to be cooped up anymore.
'Just please say yes,' she thought, continuing through the freezing weather. By the time she arrived at the Eir Faction building, her hair was completely frozen. Once it dried, it would look like a frizzy mess. Today was already not going well.
To try and combat it, she used the same drying trick, which helped somewhat. With nothing else she could do, she knocked on the door. She had made sure to come early, but not too early—it could be seen as desperate or annoying.
"Coming," came the voice of the goddess, Eir. After the shout, the pitter-patter of her bare feet on the floor echoed through the door. It swung open to reveal Eir, who seemed excited.
"Good morning, Liora. How are you?" Eir greeted, emanating a welcoming demeanor. She wore her usual tight-fitting long-sleeve shirt and pants, which did wonders to show off her figure.
"Good morning," Liora replied, barely able to maintain a smile while fighting off the urge to chatter her teeth.
"Wow, it is freezing—come inside," Eir said, rubbing her hands on her arms as she felt the cool winds from outside. She stepped aside and let Liora in, who was glad to be saved from the brutal elements.
They walked to the partially furnished back room, and Eir quickly lit the fire. "Feel free to use a blanket from the bed to warm up," Eir said as she took her usual spot in the chair. Liora was reluctant to sit on the edge of the bed, but after Eir motioned for her to do so, she slowly lowered herself.
"Well, would you like to join the Eir Faction?" Eir asked.
Liora was a bit taken aback, but so far, it seemed like a good sign. She nodded slowly. "Yes, I would."
"Perfect! Well, I discussed it with Bane last night, and we decided you would be a great fit here at the Eir Faction," she explained, clasping her hands together happily. However, Eir wasn't sure what to do next.
With Bane, she had just let him stay here because he had nothing. She had winged it then, and now she did the same. "Over the next few days, you can move your stuff here. I'll get another bed for you as soon as I can," Eir reassured.
Liora looked around and nodded. 'So they share a bed... Isn't love between a god and mortal forbidden?!' she thought. Sensing something was up, Eir continued.
"For the time being, Bane and I share a bed. We didn't have the funds to get another one, so we're working toward that," she reluctantly explained.
"Oh, okay. Speaking of Bane, where is he?" Liora asked, glancing around the room.
This was the part Eir wasn't excited for—explaining the mystery that was Bane and his habits. "Bane already went into the dungeon today. He didn't know when you'd be arriving, and he likes to get an early start," Eir said. "He prefers doing things alone and doesn't like sharing with others, which can be a real pain," she sighed.
"O-Oh, I see..." Liora stammered. 'Will I not be able to go with him into the dungeon?' she wondered. Negative thoughts began flooding in. 'I'd just slow him down; I'd be a burden...'
"But tomorrow, I'm sure he'll go with you," Eir added.
At that, Liora perked back up. "That makes me glad," she said, her eyes downturned with a smile.
The two of them sat in silence, and Eir thought now was the best time to make it official.
"How about I read your status?" Eir suggested.
Liora was a little nervous—she knew how this worked, how you'd be transported outside your body for a moment. She swallowed and answered confidently, "Sounds good."
The two of them got up from their seats and knelt before each other. To make someone a subject of a god or goddess, all it required was a touch of the forehead. After that, no other deity could read that individual's status, and the person was effectively in a lifelong contract.
Eir and Liora touched foreheads, and in an instant, everything went white.