Zephyr smiles as she looks at the quest noticeboard. The three of you have been in this world for a few days now, tasked with adventuring together and completing quests over the course of a month. Well, two of you have, anyway... And since Zephyr only gets credit for completing Diamond rank quests, it's been a rough start. Zephyr: Here we go! This one's Diamond rank but it looks like a cinch! How about it? You guys keen? Rezia opens her eyes lazily, still leaning on her ice staff and seemingly half asleep as usual. Somehow, her quest requirement when she arrived here was blank, meaning if it weren't for being stuck in a party with us, she could just loaf around all month. Rezia: Diamond rank? Do we have to do one of those... Can't we just skip a day, or just do a Copper quest for {{user}} or something? You guys can go find some more lost cats... Rezia trails off as Zephyr stares daggers at her before turning to appeal to me. Zephyr: Just one? I know your requirement is just to complete as many quests as possible, but I promise you I can practically solo this Diamond quest by lunch time and we'll have all afternoon free! You'll just need to watch!

Rezia frowns at her, noticing the urgency in Zephyr's tone. Then she looks up at me hopefully, searching for a hint of agreement from someone who is less eager to impress and more prone to taking it easy. But all I get is an encouraging smile from Manoel - my first thought being that he probably realizes what a chump Rezia will seem if we skip such a good chance at glory! Rezia: You know... That does sound kind of fun, watching you show off like that. And if it gets us all the free time you promised, well... Maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. Just this once?

Zephyr grins, radiating happiness. That's settled then! I already have my eye on the green dragon that's been causing trouble at the abandoned castle... You ready for some excitement, Manoel ? Just hold up your end of the deal and you can expect to reap all the rewards of our glory! Rezia: Nooo, noooo, don't go putting ideas into his head like that! It was just this once, remember?

Rezia snorts derisively but doesn't protest further. "Well then, we'd better get going if you want to show us all how it's done." She adjusts her hat and glances at the forest leading up to the castle before turning back to Manoel with a slightly more determined expression. "And remember, no complaining about how hard I work while I sleep later!"

"You'll see, it's easy peasy with the right motivation!" Zephyr says, her confidence bolstered. "Rezia here just needs some time to realize that working hard can be fun too." She pats the shorter woman on the back, who grunts under the weight before glaring at her briefly before looking away. "Alright then," she continues, "let's go slay this dragon and earn our well-deserved rest!" And with that, Zephyr takes the lead into the forest, blade-tipped boots stamping against the earth.

Rezia shakes her head but falls in behind Manoel , not wanting to be left alone. "Well... You're in for a treat," she says airily. "Trust me." The wind picks up around them, carrying with it the distant roar of an angered dragon.

As they approach the abandoned castle, Zephyr scouts around for any hidden traps or ambushes before stealthily entering through a broken window. Her greater longsword glints in the dim light as she creeps up on their target, her eyes locked on the massive form of a green dragon sleeping atop its treasure hoard.

Rezia, meanwhile, uses her ice staff to create a barrier around herself and Manoel, anticipating any fire breath or other attacks that might be headed their way. She mutters softly under her breath as she manipulates the shimmering blue energy, weaving it into intricate patterns designed to withstand even the most powerful of dragon's breath.

With a triumphant yell, Zephyr launches herself at the beast, striking multiple times in rapid succession before it can react. The air fills with the ringing clang of steel on scale

As soon as she's pinned down, Zephyr begins to struggle against the dragon's might. Her red hair flutters wildly around her face like a crimson cloak, emphasizing her desperate efforts to free herself. The blademaestro is no ordinary fighter; however, even someone as skilled and powerful as she can only be held down for so long before the dragon's strength begins to overwhelm her.

Rezia watches helplessly from outside the reach of the dragon's claws. Her ice staff trembles in her grip as she debates whether or not to try and intervene. Finally, she decides that Zephyr might need some assistance after all, and with a wordless cry of determination, she launches herself at the creature, focusing on trying to freeze it solid with blasts of icy air from her staff.

With Zephyr still struggling on the ground, Rezia's assault comes as an unexpected surprise to the dragon. The ice covers its scales like a shroud, momentarily weakening them, allowing it to toss her away with ease. Rezia lands hard against the stone floor of the chamber, breath knocked from her lungs in a sharp gust. She clutches at her ribs and coughs as she looks up at the dragon, who is now enraged beyond measure by this latest assault on its body.

Despite being pinned down, Zephyr continues to fight with all her might, taunting the dragon and trying to provoke it into leaving her vulnerable spots unguarded. "Come on," she growls through gritted teeth, "I've got nowhere else I need to be! Let's see what you're really made of!" Her words are like a challenge

Rezia's eyes widen as she sees Manoel drawing closer to the enraged dragon, katana in hand. She tries to warn him with a shout, but it comes out as little more than a weak gasp. As Manoel brings his blade down on the dragon's neck, its power surges through him, igniting every ounce of fury within and imbuing his movements with an almost supernatural speed and strength. The dragon's head rolls free from its shoulders, blood spurting across the floor as Manoel delivers the killing blow.

With a triumphant roar, Zephyr leaps to her feet, raising her sword high in the air as she watches Manoel finish off the creature. "That's it," she says with a grin, turning to face Rezia, who is still gasping for breath on the floor. "You see?

"You see?" Zephyr says, her tone taking on a note of accusation. "We could've done that all on our own if you hadn't been so lazy!" She gestures at Manoel with her sword. "He was the one who took matters into his own hands and finished it off! You were just in the way the whole time."

Rezia looks up at Zephyr, her expression sour as she rubs her side where the ice staff had connected with her ribs earlier. "I only stepped in because you couldn't handle it yourself," she says defensively. "I was just trying to help." She glances at Manoel and gives him a weak smile of thanks before looking back at Zephyr, readying herself for another round of bickering.

As they begin dividing up the spoils of their victory, Manoel carefully picks Rezia up bridal style to carry her closer to the treasure. She protests weakly at first, then seems to realize that it's probably for her own good and relaxes into his strong arms. Zephyr rolls her eyes and mutters something under her breath about him being too chivalrous before following behind them, grinning as she swings the heavy sack of gold at her hip.

The tension between Rezia and herself remains palpable even amidst their celebration. Every word spoken is carefully chosen, every glance laden with accusations. They can't seem to agree on anything, let alone how to divide up the treasure they've just acquired. Manoel watches them both warily from the corner of his eye, wondering if it might not be best for him to find another adventuring party after

As they leave the castle grounds, Manoel sets Rezia down gently beside him. She rubs her bottom where it had grown numb from being carried like that and shoots Zephyr a dirty look before turning to face her rival. Zephyr glances between them nervously, sensing the tension in the air. "Well," she says slowly, "guess we'd better be heading back to town now. The day's not getting any younger, you know."

Rezia crosses her arms over her chest and arches an eyebrow at Zephyr. "And what exactly do you have in mind for us when we get there?" she asks suspiciously. "More of your 'challenging quests'?"

Zephyr huffs, shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Well... I was thinking we could split up and each take on a different task,"