Dungeon of Niflheim

Khione and Frost left the Forge of Artemis, using the same teleportation point to return to the main hall of the Crystal Boundary before heading a couple floors down where the scent of delicacies replaced the aroma of fire and brimstone.

Delectable meat cooked to perfection, fried, seared, barbequed, steamed or grilled, prepared in an assortment of methods each resulting in a different smell and sensual taste, suitable for any and all manner of customer.

On this floor restaurants lined the walls, red meat specialists to the west, fish to the east, white meat to the south and vegetarian to the north while in the centre an uncountable number of stalls serving an endless variety of snacks, desserts and finger food, ideal for those in the mood for something lighter or who didn't have time to sit down and eat a full sized meal.

The entire floor was packed full with customers, their voices and the voices of the booming staff members were like a thunderous chorus, a farmer's market being docile in comparison.

"Grumble!" As a powerful scent of seared drake flesh entered through Frost's nose his stomach loudly rumbled, saliva built within his gums and an intense sense of hunger roared or rather demanded to be sated.

"Hehehehe smells good right." Khione who wasn't faring much better than her handsome paramour licked her lips as she spoke, her eyes darting between several of the food stalls in the distance, honing in on her favourites.

Under normal circumstances she would do her best to avoid this floor as the temptations were just too much. Being a training fanatic who was even more focused on what she put in her body than a top end fashion model practically everything here was off limits. The fat content being too high, the protein lacking and or the salt and sugar levels miles from what she considered beneficial to the growth of the sexy temple that was her body.

Even for a cheat day it was easy to succumb to excess when assailed by the endless variety of delicacies on display. A few bites here and there could ruin days of hard work perhaps even weeks if she wasn't careful.

However today was special. She was on a date with a young man, a man who had never seen the sights of Niflheim nor experienced the grandeur of the realm therefore she decided to pull out all the stops regardless of the danger. In for a penny in for a pound.

"Yeah… I don't even know where to start." Frost was moments from devolving into a starving beast. His eyes dashing from one stall to another as his mind did its best to imagine the taste from the lingering smell alone.

"Just trust your stomach, we've got some time so try as many places as you want it's on me after all." Khione didn't forget to flex her purse strings before grabbing Frost's arm and dragging him deep into the centre of the chaos where the aroma was the strongest.

Within 15 minutes the two of them had visited nearly a dozen different stalls, arriving at an arranged seating area with their arms filled with multiple trays of different street foods and snacks.

Kebabs made from Blue Cockatrice thigh and lathered in a special sauce fashioned from a unique set of herbs and spices. Battered and double fried dough balls filled with Polar Radiant Octopus flesh; a monster found only in the coldest reaches of freezing lakes and rivers. Barbequed wings from a Galar Diamond Butterfly, a monster found only in the core regions of the Glacial Mountains. A strangely weak monster for its habitat but with few natural predators. Their agility was high, their size a bit too small to be worth hunting but what really made other monsters keep their distance was the powerful venom held within their bodies. A venom so potent that even A-rank monsters had to be wary.

It took a highly skilled chef or butcher to prevent the venom from infecting the rest of the flesh when preparing it for a dish and if successful it'd easily be at least 5 stars in terms of quality. The wings however could easily be served as a snack by 3 star spirit chefs and below as they weren't in any danger of being affected by the venom.

There was also wafer thin strips of different types of red meat, fish and speciality vegetables as well as sauces for dipping. A real assortment of starters and mains.

For drinks Frost chose to forgo alcohol, choosing a sweet and dark coloured juice that was made from a type of tree root and mixed with natural sugars and a hint of lumarin cinnamon. Khione meanwhile chose a spicy drink that was a bubbling and vivid blue, flecks of ice strangely built up around the outside of the cup.

She took a quick swig and visibly shivered as her lips turned into a smile of satisfaction. So tasty.

"Now I regret choosing the Dark Molasses." Frost mirrored Khione's actions taking a large gulp of his drink. The taste was sweet and delicious, but his reactions weren't quite as exaggerated as Khione's.

"Hahaha if you want one go and get one, remember money is no obstacle." Khione warmly smiled showing off her pearl white teeth that had specks of blue throughout. Her drink had the added joy of dyeing one's mouth, a feature adored by children and those who refused to grow up.

In response to her brag Frost shook his head, he had made his choice and would stick with it. Even if Khione was willing to splurge he didn't feel comfortable constantly taking advantage of her 'kindness'….Alas the desire to try that vivid blue drink still remained.

He gazed at the laughing Khione, his eyes honing in on the bright blue specks marring her beautiful white teeth before getting an idea. His lips turned upwards forming a smirk, his eyes belaying a playful glint as his hands subtly moved.

"What's that dessert you got?" He first distracted her with a question causing Khione to look down at her tray and in that moment of distraction he quickly grabbed hold of her cup, brought the rim to his awaiting lips and took a bold sip. His actions causing Khione to visibly freeze mid-sentence.

"Oh that is nice, bubbly, spicy and… immensely cold." Frost rubbed his throat, he felt like he just drank a liquid that was tens of degrees below freezing. A cold chill spread throughout his body and a freezing vapour left his lungs.

Frost then conjured a mirror of ice so he could see the effects the liquid had on his teeth. The blue paintjob caused him to lightly laugh; he had to remember this.

'Loki would love this drink; Nanna may be a bit too embarrassed but I'm sure she'd love the taste.' He thought about the two kids at home and imagined their reaction to the drink. Of course he'd have to prepare one that was more suited to their palates. The frigid energy contained within the one Khione got would likely damage their young bodies.

While he was lost in his thoughts Frost failed to notice the change in Khione's expression. She was first shocked by his behaviour then she felt annoyed that he'd stolen something that was hers without asking but then she froze again, her thoughts latching on to the fact that Frost drank not just from the same cup as her but from the exact same place. His lips touched the same place hers did….was this an in…an in….in…..indirect kiss.

The moment this realisation flashed in her mind a pink blush started to rise from the base of her neck and eventually enveloped her cheeks as her heart thumped like the firing of a cannon, a booming beat so powerful that it blew away all other thoughts.

"Oh!" It was at this point that Frost noticed the changes in his tour guide. Her eyes focused like a laser beam on the rim of the cup he had placed back in her hands. He pretended to act all innocent, apologising in a clearly fake manner for stealing some of her drink but in reality he was applauding his own tactics.

"Sorry I just wanted to try it, here you can have a sip of mine if you want." He brought his Dark Molasses drink towards Khione, urging her to get a little payback. As if it was natural he even held up the side that he had drank from yet his expression was still full of innocence as though he had no inkling into what she was thinking.

Of course behind his façade Frost knew full well what he was doing. He knew he stole an indirect kiss from the musclebound beauty and was now innocently offering her a chance to do the same. Allowing her not only a chance to get back at him for his sneak actions but to test her heart. If she refused and or stayed in a passive state he'd have to work a lot harder to crack open her shell but if Khione took the chance to move forward on her own, to willingly step somewhat onto the path then he'd feel satisfied and know his efforts were truly beginning to bear fruit.