"Ruf! Ruf!" Rufi broke the tension between me and the blue-haired girl, trotting happily from her side to mine, holding the toy the girl had dropped in her mouth.
"Rewrrr!" A little grey lion-like creature with a magnificent curling mane chased after Rufi, pawing playfully at her side.
The silence between me and the girl lasted a moment longer, before I softened and crouched down to meet Rufi. "Is the Stone Lion yours?" I asked, trying to be casual to break the tension.
"O-oh, um, yes, yes, this is Q-Quinn. He-he's a Stone Lion cub…And…Yours?" She gestured towards Rufi.
"Yeah," I crouched down rubbing Rufi's head. "Her name's Rufi. Not sure what species, actually." I scratched my head realizing it had never come up.
"Sh-she's a Shadow Chimera." The blue-haired girl said eagerly. "P-people say that they're like other Chimera's, b-but actually they're wrong, b-because Shadow Chimera's are born that way, a-and nobody made them."
"Is that so?" I smiled, scritching under Rufi's chin. "I was just given her not that long ago, so I really don't know much about her."
"A-are you a n-new Night Mistress, th-then?" She sat back against the wall, having collected herself from when I came in.
"Uh, yeah, that's right. I just came up to this floor recently with Rivi, but I'm still really just figuring everything out. Do all new Night Mistresses get their own beast? Are you one?"
"Uh, y-yes, i-it is quite t-typical for N-Night Mistresses to get th-their own beasts, because our bl-blood makes it easier for, for beasts to-to bond with us, so." She took a breath, rubbing her leg. "So, s-since lots of b-beasts like to serve th-the goddess then, we-we usually get one." She ended and bowed her head, reaching over to grab the Stone Lion cub, which mewled in protest as she entrapped it in her lap.
"Lots of beasts like to serve the goddess? Why's that?" I asked, curious.
She took a breath trying to prepare herself. "U-uh, well, i-it's. Th-the goddess is v-very well-liked in th-the Lost Continent, s-so, a-and she d-does lots to p-protect th-the various b-beast clans, i-in exchange for th-their hearts, so s-some of them w-want to serve, I guess."
"Is that it, huh?" I leaned back trying to imagine just how much the goddess would have had to do for these beast clans so that they were willing to freely offer her their literal hearts. A moment of silence passed between us as I picked up a toy and watched Rufi chase after it.
"What's your name, by the way? Have you been a Night Mistress for long?" I asked after a while.
"I-I'm Candy. I've been a-a Night Mistress for only a f-few years now."
"I see." I continued playing with Rufi.
"A-and you? Y-you are?"
"I'm…" I started confidently, only to stop as my brain stumbled over my name. "Uh, I'm…Silvie. Sorry, I, uh, used to have a different name, so it's still a little confusing for me I guess."
"So what do you…um, do for the goddess, or do you have a master?"
"Mm, my m-master is Mistress Velda, who's the f-floor guardian of Greed. I, ah, um, am not g-good at f-fighting, so I s-stay back and help w-with the paperw—ah, no, Quinn!" Quinn succeeded at last in squirming out of her arms, and quickly darted to the other side of the room. Rufi, interested in the behavior of her new friend, quickly lost interest in my toy and chased after him.
"Oh interesting," I watched the two chasing after eachother. "Don't the other floor guardians have their own servants, like the species or whatever they have dominion over?"
"M-most don't t-take direct servants f-from their legacy, e-especially b-because it c-can interfere with th-their sins. L-Liches t-tend to be pretty g-greedy, so, p-putting them in the t-treasury isn't e-exactly a good idea."
"Oh right, I guess that makes sense." I leaned back with my head against the wall. Is that why Rivi didn't want to accept me as her servant, because she wouldn't be a good master to me if we're both struggling under the influences of our beast blood? I sighed. I wonder what she's doing now. Surely she won't stay away for too long, right?
"What do you think of the floor guardians? Are they good masters?"
She frowned and rubbed her arm absently. "I c-can't speak for th-the others, but Mistress V-velda has been v-very kind…" Her eyes darted to the side. "F-for the m-most part. I-I think they l-like to a-appear scarier th-than they are."
"Do you think…?" I paused, not sure what I was going to say. "What about Lady Riviera? She seems a bit different from the other floor guardians I've met."
"L-Lady Riviera is w-without doubt th-the kindest of a-all the sisters. Sh-she's v-very different f-from the other fl-floor guardians, b-but she do-doesn't like to b-be reminded of that f-fact." Quinn and Rufi came back towards us as Candy took up a toy to play with them both.
"D-did you know that a-almost all the st-staff of this r-realm have been r-rescued b-by Lady R-Rivera at o-one time or a-another? Sh-she do-does her b-best to r-rescue people b-before they die, but then s-sometimes," She gestured to herself with a bitter smile. "Sh-she does it after th-the fact." Her eyes took on a pained look as she looked down at the floor as if looking back into her memories.
"I-I thought," I was rather startled by this revelation. "I thought she hadn't been out of the dungeon much in recent years."
"N-not f-far out of the d-dungeon. Sh-she used to h-help run a k-kingdom i-in the c-continent of the g-gods. N-now she j-just rescues strays."
I leaned my head back at this information and closed my eyes. 'I was stupid and picked a fight with demigods,' huh?Rivi… "I see…well." I sighed and started to get up off the floor. "It was lovely meeting you and getting a chance to chat. I should probably be heading out now."
"A-are y-you staying in the a-area long?"
I blinked, surprised at the question. "Uhh, I don't really know. It kinda depends on some other stuff, but I think at some point or another I'll be heading up to the surface."
"I-I see, w-well we'll still p-probably meet a-again before you go." She extended a hand to me. "T-take care, S-Silvie."
"Thanks," I took her hand with a smile. "You too."
After I left Candy took Quinn in her arms and looked pensively out the window, the ghosts of memories flickering before her eyes. After a while she shivered and held Quinn tighter.