(ACE) The OLIVINE Team

The Charizard hears Cinder and what she said that made things more of a danger to use the lift. "So what, we try the elevators again? I thought we deemed them unsafe." The ones back on the seventh floor was unsafe, especially the one that was on the opposite side. Then he heard a whirl of the machinery coming to life and activating as something was coming down. There was one still in full working order. "Look at that, its still charged!" Most of the machines had to be charged through Etin's electricity. Looks like their luck is getting better. "Send us to the ground floor!" Etin chants. Mathias gets in and places the box in the corner so that it wouldn't be in the way of the others.

Bastet picked up something with her psychic powers. though it wasn't Mathias' it was something else, it was crying and saying it doesn't want to feed on the living. It just wanted to be left in peace so it can forever be with its trainer in the afterlife. Poor thing, undeath is a curse and it just wants to rest in peace. there's nothing we can do for it. Getting into the elevator, the espeon then shut the undead's thoughts out of her mind. There was nothing they could do for it at this point. Then she thought about Xiao, would he be able to find them? She had no doubt on that but from his own expressions, Bastet would have to say that he's got some other things going on. "Odd that this one still works. At least now we can get back to the first floor to see where Arry's hiding at. Poor kid's probably scared being all alone." She said as she was worried about Arry as well. Then she looks at Etin, she couldn't help but have a cheerful smile on her. "You're really excited Etin. Hmm, you seem to like elevators a lot, they are fun after all when you're riding with friends." Bastet said happily.

Mathias held the door open so that the rest can get in. "This should hold us. Odd though, shouldn't this had lost its power over time?" Bringing up a valid point, it was different from the one Etin had to power. Even then, something felt off. Not in a bad way but enough to make it feel like a mystery to him. Even then, Mathias shrugs his shoulders and doesn't think of it. "We're coming Arry, please be okay."

"Look at that, its still charged!" Etincelle was gleeful, and waltzed into the elevator without missing a beat. After their concern on the higher floors Faux was grateful that the others were putting aside their reservations without complaint as they filed into the small space. Even Cinder kept her mouth shut, giving little more than a shrug as she took her spot and impatiently waited to keep moving. "Send us to the ground floor!" Etin barked again, and once everyone was inside Cinder smashed the button a few times to get them rolling.

"This should hold us. Odd though, shouldn't this have lost its power over time?" The doors rolled closed, and with a small shudder the car started to move. "It hasn't been that long, but being a moving object likely helped." An elevator was unlike a standard vehicle, but perhaps much like a car motion would help the battery hold the charge they gave it. Traveling another few floors would jazz it up again, but after their departure it would discharge once more from inactivity. Hopefully though, they would not need to return here and deal with it a second time.

As the elevator cruised downward it passed through the last few floors. The glass walls held back nothing aside from smell, and while curious Cinder turned her gaze toward the floor as they passed through the horrific scene. Faux kept her gaze locked forward, unwavering, but even the windows were dark with splatters and made for a dim sight. Decomposing bodies, blood stains, pain.. Within seconds they passed it by, but she could pull several assumptions together; whoever had lived here made camp on that floor, and whatever brought their end came up from the ground floor. An undead raid perhaps, or some rival faction that blocked off their escape. Had they followed those that were returning home, or did they want this building for themselves? Another heartbeat passed, and they slide down another floor. The sunlight returned, filtering in through the windows, and with it Faux pushed those grim thoughts aside. It would do her no good to fester, and those lives had long since passed and could not be helped.

The journey only took a few seconds but it felt like forever before the elevator finally settled on the ground floor and let the doors slide open. Cinder had almost forgotten how battle-stained and disheveled the first floor was, but no amount of apprehension would stop her from searching. "Arry! Arry you around here?" She calls out, voice bouncing loudly around the room as she charged forward. The dusty place made it hard to smell anything, and their own scents still lingered from when they were entered earlier. Her face twists, ears quivering for the slightest noise. Where is he?! Tromping around the room the Quilava sniffs and looks for any signs of the child. Some place he could be hiding, anything that could have caught his attention. "...He wouldn't just leave, right?"

"Odd that this one still works. At least now we can get back to the first floor to see where Arry's hiding at. Poor kid's probably scared being all alone." Shuffling inside Melanie took her place among the others. "He knows to be brave." She assured Bastet, but was compelled to continue for her own sake. "He's more resilient than you think." Arry had surprised them time and time again, and while this one was not welcome it was no different than before.

With hurried steps Etincelle followed along, his steps light as he made his way inside. "You're really excited Etin. Hmm, you seem to like elevators a lot, they are fun after all when you're riding with friends." "I just think they're neat." He quipped while pawing at the wall. "We didn't have anything like this where I come from." He was a wild Pokemon after all, and even the trinkets his father brought home could not compare to this. With a deep breath he pushes the memory away and grounds himself in the present. "But I just want to get to Arry as soon as possible."

"This should hold us. Odd though, shouldn't this had lost its power over time?" Was that why all these electrical devices weren't working? "If it did I could always give it another jolt!" It had been a bit strange the first time, and the grease wasn't great, but with growing experience in electronics under his belt the Electrike was confident he could move them along once again. While it was unneeded this time around he was still more than willing to volunteer, and eagerly tapped his paws to be ready at a moments notice.

In no time at all the elevator rolled back down to the first floor, the charge holding just fine and its speed making their entire journey seem like a crawl. As soon as the doors were open the Pokemon were charging out, and Cinder called, "Arry! Arry you around here?" Melanie took cautious steps out, the strength in her leg nearly a foreign sensation, but she could hardly acknowledge it as the stank of the lowest floor hit her once more. Whipping a paw her snout the fox winces at the smell of the disgusting room, but powers through as she starts sniffing about for the young Pokemon. "Arry, come out!" She begs, voice gentle but loud enough to carry. When silence returns to their calls a stone settles within Melanie's belly. Arry would not ignore or hide from them, even if he was in trouble he would want their safety. That could only mean.. "...He wouldn't just leave, right?"

Nestling her nose to the dank floor the Ninetales sniffs about, her head weaving around until finally it hit a fresher scent trace. Her tails shoot upward instinctually at the find, paws following the scent without wavering a single step. Arry made a straight line, his path clear and unburdened, and increasing her speed the fox was only stopped as she crashed into a wall. Flicking a paw forward in front of her, and catching the scent of fresh, clean, outside air, Mel felt her heart drop even further into the pit of her stomach. "..He sure would."

Bastet looked everywhere for him as she kept up with the others. "...He wouldn't just leave, right?" The espeon began to have fears that he may have fled. There was only small clues of the direction he went. Then it hit her, he must have gotten outside as the tracks lead to a hole in the wall. "..He sure would." The hole was small enough for him to fit through so no doubt he had gotten outside. The espeon could squeeze her head out of it if she wanted to but she'd end up getting stuck trying to pull her head back in. "He got outside, maybe we could check for any clues to see if he's around still. There has to be a sign at least that he's okay." Bastet said as she couldn't pick up Arry's thoughts anywhere.

Mathias finally caught up to the others, keeping ahold of the supplies as he looked around seeing the others expressions. He didn't need "Damn it, where could he have gone? I can't do much carrying this around." The charizard really couldn't and it would leave him as an open target with no way of defending himself from attack. He looks at Cinder hoping she would let him head back to the battle castle to place the supplies inside so he could have his claws free again.

Kicking up a storm of papers, boxes, and other debris Cinder raced about while upturning any possible hiding places she could spot. Arry wasn't capable of going back up the Tower so he had to be down here. Yet every box she flipped, furniture piece she nudged, and crevice she peered in to turned up empty handed while the young Pokemon's scent grew more and more stale. Their calls remained unanswered, and the silence was smothering to the fervent group of Pokemon as they waited with baited breath.

Faux sniffed and searched, following along the larger fox as they tracked the small Pokemon's lingering scent. It trailed about the room, fearless, no scent of fresh blood or chasing undead, and offered no further clues to why he ran away. Bastet found small tracks in the mess, thin dots from his short legs, and an even more worrying gap with fresh air coming from it. "..He sure would." Melanie shudders while sniffing the hole in the wall. Bastet does the same, but the space is much too small for any of them to fit through. Even as the next smallest 'mon the Vulpix did not like the prospect of squeezing through the gap, and her head instantly snaps to doors they had entered from.

"He got outside, maybe we could check for any clues to see if he's around still. There has to be a sign at least that he's okay." With a quick trot the fox passes the threshold to the outside world. The afternoon sun was still bright and things looked unchanged from when they had entered. Aside from the front landing, the raised building only had a thin strip of walkway going around it, leaving little for them to explore. Immediately the fox heads for area they had sniffed on the inside. A flowerbed rimmed the building, though it was long dead and taken over by weeds. When they finally located the hole behind tall stalks of grass fox once again picks up Arry's scent. He had emerged, and small divines from his feet marred the mud. "Look here," she directs, pointing with her nose. The pinprick stubs of an Aron would sink in any soft ground, but they had little for mud to cling to. A few tracks trailed away from the hole and back toward the main walkway but quickly faded away afterward. Following after the specks like a hound dog Faux barks again without stopping. "He's on the move."

Standing tall Cinder lets her gaze slide over the landscape of the Battle Frontier. Despite the stress and priority of this situation her mind cant help but picture it in its prime, people and Pokemon milling about the fantastic venue. Arry did not know the glories of this place, or what to expect from it. He had no preconceived notions other than what they had experienced with him, or at least she could assume. The state of the place was a far cry from what she dreamed of, but to a child it was still fantastical and huge, and was a wonderland for imagintion.
Thus, she wondered, what would Arry would do next if left on his own?
Picturing the Frontier from a lone child's eyes a few possibilities came to mind. For a more timid Pokemon like Arry, she could picture him returning home on some old lesson from his parents. That it was a safe place, the right place to go when separated from the others when staying still was not an option. Spying the Battle Castle in the distance she knew he could make it make with a little bit of bravery, and as Faux's path took them down the stairway to ground level, Cinder could almost picture the Aron racing off toward it.

Running up to Faux the Quilava could not see the path she trail she was following. Arry's scent was light, the wind dragging it around, and the tracks had ended long ago. "At least theres no blood." The fox grumbles as she marches onward, her mind solely on following along his path. Cinder's eyes refused to stay on the ground. Even though Arry was a low-bearing Pokemon, one would look up with wonder. Wide eyes to the sky, full of life and imagination. As the group turns and the faded pink shape of another facility fills her view Cinder's heart sinks. The wonder of another unexplored place was hard to ignore, and without a firm guiding hand to tell him no Cinder could see little that would dissuade him. "Oh gods we're facing the Battle Hall. What if he went toward it, or inside?!"

Melanie can feel the fresh air coming from the hole in the wall, the gap surely large enough for a small Pokemon to fit through. Had something scared him out or caught his attention from the other side? Scratching her paws against the ground anxiously Melanie backs away from the hole and desperately sniffs for another trail or any sign he had gone another way. "He got outside, maybe we could check for any clues to see if he's around still. There has to be a sign at least that he's okay." Bastet confirms her fears, and as quick as they found it the group moved outside to continue investigating.

The texture of the ground outside made Mel uneasy, her head swimming already as she tried to keep her bears. Etincelle did a quick check on her before heading to the weeds, his sniffer going furious in search. Arry's scent did not linger in the area, the trail quickly continuing onward along with a faint few yards of prints. "He's on the move." Faux grunts, pushing them forward without room for argument. Nudging Mel down the raised walkway and to ground level the physical trail had already vanished. The lad's scent was thin, their own scents from earlier still lingering on the path as they retraced their steps.

"At least theres no blood." Faux sighs, her voice tense rather than relieved. A hesitant 'for now' passes through the minds of the Pokemon as they follow along, their fears always present in the backs of their minds. "He really did just wander off.." The Ninetales sighs as well, a fresh wash of shame weighing heavy on voice. If she had been watching him then they would know if he was safe or not. Instead they where on a wild goose chase with an unknown ending or destination. "Damn it, where could he have gone? I can't do much carrying this around." Etincelle sympathized with the exasperated Charizard, the cumbersome box would make most things difficult let alone searching for a little one. "Maybe he just went back to the Battle Castle. Its a familiar place, and we took this same path to get here." He suggests, trying to stay positive and keep tensions down. It seemed like the most obvious place to him, or at least the most optimistic.

Melanie shook her head, her pelt itching with unease. Should they start calling out for him? At what point would he be able to hear them instead of possibly alerting anything in the area and putting him in further danger? Her ears flick, listening for any unwanted creatures. "Oh gods we're facing the Battle Hall. What if he went toward it, or inside?!" Cinder suddenly exclaimed, the fox unaware of their proximity to the other facility. "What?!" The Ninetales yelps, the possibility horrifying. "He wouldn't, surely he wouldn't!" But this entire stunt was already not like him. Given the horrors they had seen in all three buildings they had secured thus far she could only imagine this place would be no better. He'd be goner......!

Feeling faint and weak in the paws Melanie starts pacing the group, sniffing furiously at the ground and calling Arry's name. Seeing her distress Etincelle's paws start working the ground uncomfortably and he has to stifle a whine. He wanted to find their missing charge as much as anyone, and he was probably their best tracker!, but given Mel's state he knows priorities must shift. "Mathias, Mel and I will go back to the Battle Castle with you to drop of the supplies. Then we can check if Arry came back while we're there." Voluntelling the Ninetales for a different task would hopefully distract her, and checking their base was a valid and nessecary step. "And then everyone else can make sure he didn't.. wander in to that place."

OoC)) Skip, Mathias and Bastet nod before he was ready to go with Mel and Etin while Bast would go with Cinder and Faux.

"Maybe he just went back to the Battle Castle. Its a familiar place, and we took this same path to get here." The fox nods; the best case scenario for Arry would be the most likely were it anyone else in the group. They just had to hope the child would play nice. "We'll check it thoroughly, the pond as well. The other spots after, if we must." Though she spoke firmly concern still ran deep in voice. The Battle Castle was the most logical choice for someone to return to after being separated, but young Pokemon didn't have the best reasoning, and she feared Arry's questionable choices would continue. If not the Castle or the Hall, how far was he willing to wander on his own?

"He wouldn't, surely he wouldn't!" Melanie yelps, alarm thick on her voice as the group hurries forward. "Well, he sure wandered down a chute and strolled outside!" There was no point arguing the facts, and while Cinder scoffs the redundant trepidation the fox's stress was sure to elicit panic if left unchecked. "But he's not senseless. He wouldn't approach an obvious threat." If something frightening was strolling around he would know to run. If an enticing, bright, fun place oozed danger once he approached, surely he would go the other way. With a grimace twisting her face Cinder bit her tongue. Regardless of his path, as long as they found him before something else did it would be fine.

"Mathias, Mel and I will go back to the Battle Castle with you to drop of the supplies. Then we can check if Arry came back while we're there." Etincelle is quick to suggest, the motion killing two birds with one stone. "We'll cover a lot more ground that way too." Cinder chirps, her gaze lingering on Mel in hopes of seeing the fox relax. While the stress is still obvious in her stance the fox does not argue the point, and the Quilava takes it as a win. "And then everyone else can make sure he didn't.. wander in to that place." Beating a paw against her chest the starter Pokemon then points forward. "Alright, one of us is bound to find him, so lets make it fast!"

"If you find Arry head toward the other group. If no one comes, everyone will reconvene at the pond." Faux instructs them all before, with a final nod, charging off toward the Battle Hall. Arry's scent trail was so thin she could barely detect if. Had he truly gone with way? With no tracks and only a whisper of a scent the Pokemon had to hope this was the correct lead. With hurried steps they approached the faded pink physique of the Battle Hall. Unlike the other facilities its doors were completely broken off and left a gaping hole begging for entry. No guardians, no hesitation, no difficulty. Even as the fox sniffed about she smelled nothing overtly suspicious, nothing that would scare off a timid young child.

With perked ears she steps inside, a cold breeze following the group from behind. While not in pristine shape the foyer was in considerably better condition than the Tower. Leaves and sticks seemed to have collected inside from the gaping hole, blown in by the wind, but the musty smell in here was much more nature and pallid. "Could have been worse."

"We'll cover a lot more ground that way too." With happy taps Etincelle beams, his short tail starting to wag with hope. Spreading out was the best idea, and with their numbers the fan-like coverage would surely sweep up the kid. "And quicker!" He pointed out while giving the Ninetales a gentle nudge. That's what she wanted, what they all wanted, and even a little peace of mind was better than nothing. "Alright, one of us is bound to find him, so lets make it fast!" Cinder sends them off, and with another nudge of Mel's legs Etincelle usher's his small group forward.

With high steps he moved forward at a brisk pace. Not quite running but just barely slow enough that Mathias could keep up. "If you find Arry head toward the other group. If no one comes, everyone will reconvene at the pond." Faux instructs them, and were it not a life-or-death search the Electrike could almost imagine it as a competition. Though he smiles with determination Etincelle is painfully aware of how serious this is, and gives a final glance back at the other party. His gaze reluctantly catches Bastet, and he wonders if he should have included her in their group for Mathias' sake. But with the other team heading into unknown territory he knew they would benefit from the extra paws and pressed forward with his head held high.

Melanie listened intently to Etin's pawsteps, her mind whirling with concern. Though she sniffed about she couldn't catch a whiff of fresh scent. Had Arry even come this way?? Surely her nose would be of more use following his trail, and Etin's nose was more than enough to search the Castle. Her breath is quick and tense, paws itching to run, and though she wants to scream she manages to hold her tongue. "I doubt Arry would of gone far into the Castle." Etin rationalizes, his voice a welcome distraction though it offers the fox no real relief. "Maybe he's getting a snack, right in the front!" Food, legends forbid her stomach was in knots; eating was the last thing she could possibly imagine right now. "Etin," she simpers, her energy a stark contrast to his. "I know you're being optimistic... but tone it back?"

It felt inappropriate say but the fox's mind kept jumping to Rosko. He had wandered off in the Castle for only a few minutes and met a grisly end. They had removed that threat, sure, but that left room for other opportunists. Etincelle's frown bore in to her, regardless if she could see it or not, and he tempered his energy for that of the serious tone. "Alright," he sighs, giving in but not giving up. "You got any thoughts Mathias?" He asks, turning his attention away from the stewing Ninetales. "May as well cover all the places we can think of."

The chances of Arry being at either place is fifty fifty and it made a good chance for either Bastet or Mathias to find him first. However, they also missed some clues and unaware that Arry already was to far away now. Splitting off, Mathias went with Mel and Etin while Bastet went with Cinder and Faux. "You got any thoughts Mathias?" Etin asks Mathias. The Charizard himself doesn't know for sure. He wasn't a believer in luck as much as Bastet was. "May as well cover all the places we can think of." That would sum up what they can do but first, they got to get back inside the castle. I'm starting to feel more doubtful. Why would he had run off like that? If he really is in the battle castle, then he'll likely be somewhere that no undead can get to. Though if he wasn't there, then Bastet, Cinder, and Faux might find him first.

Bastet tried using her psychic powers to see if she could pick up on anything of Arry's thoguhts. So far, nothing. This was troubling, even for her. Did he really get too far away to even be felt? Maybe the next locale might hold some clues as well. Once they arrived, the building had more better integrity and it wasn't ready to come apart besides the musty natural air from the leaves and sticks accumulating by the hole. "At least the air here isn't sullied with corpses and blood like the tower was. If I was Arry, where would I hide at?" She said as she was keeping her eyes on her surroundings. The first thing she seen was some chewed up things, not from undead but from what looks like a that of smaller pokemon. Remembering back at home, if there is stuff chewed on that can be used to make a nest, there'd be more smaller pokemon that will use it. The pokemon that did it could be any small pokemon. "Not something Arry would do. He eats iron so this is not something he'll chew on. That however, that's a clue." The espeon said as she looks at a vent shaft with a hole on its cover.

The Charizard then responds to Etin. "Its worth a shot but I can't say if we'll be lucky to find him. He's more than likely hiding somewhere inside that we can't get to. Though the others might find him first." Yet, he felt that this wouldn't make any sense. Did he see something that made him flee? Did he run away to find help? It wasn't something he had the answers to. "There might be something in the battle castle that we can get a clue to his whereabouts." After that he looks over back to the field and sees where they first woke up at. This then brings back a memory of his trainer and the two of them having fun. He then give a light chuckle. "Haha, It feels just like yesterday that both mine and Bastet's trainer had brought us here not to battle but to have some fun. It was an off week for my trainer so he came here to have some fun. Sorry if this a little off topic. I just couldn't help but bring an old memory back." Though the arcade, never let a charmeleon play a space game. Too bad it was destroyed so only thing he can do when he gets the chance is to go through the debris to see what remains that is still somewhat recognizable.

Faux drank in the scents of the room. The heavy smell of nature inside a man-made place was almost nostalgic. Wood and leaves, old plants and dust, it reminded her of days long past. Were her old charges alright, had they survived these hard years? Padding around inside she listens for anything, anyone, but other then the rustle from the wind its solemnly quiet. "At least the air here isn't sullied with corpses and blood like the tower was. If I was Arry, where would I hide at?" Bastet comments a very shared sentiment. Though clean and unassuming they would need to keep their guards up regardless, and the fox focused on the task at hand. "A small, heavy Pokemon would stay low to the ground." Things at her eye level and lower that would catch the eye of a curious lad.

Avoiding the noisy leaves as much as possible Faux kept her nose low and sniffed while searching for anything of interest. Something shiny, noisy, brightly colored, moving, anything that could pull a child's attention. A glimmer in the leaves catches her eye, and gently brushing them aside she spies a held item that was cast aside. In its hay day trainers would work to receive such a thing, but with no need for such an item the fox turned away without a second glance. Raising her head Faux sweeps her gaze across the room. Piles of leaves were shifted and pushed in some spots, moved in a way the wind could not. "Somethings been through here recently." The fox comments as she traces a winding trail with her eyes. The thick musty scent of the leaves overrode everything else, making it impossible to tell who or what had come this way. Would Arry tromp through leaves, would that still be fun for a heavy steel type?

Their quick and quiet search was not moving fast enough for Cinder's itching nerves. Avoiding the leaves like a plague, her crackling flame a flickering hazard, she jumps about on objects and furniture while giving the main room a search. Coming in from the door the floor sloped downward with gentle steps, but it allowed for a lot of debris to pile up lower in the room. With massive leaps the Quilava jumps from box to barrier to PC, her feet nimble and way lit by her own flames. "Arry, you in here kiddo?" She calls out, voice thrown but not yelled. The further she traveled into the long room the bigger the objects, branches, limbs, and stones that had tumbled down the stairs after being moved inside. Surely the wind was not strong enough to move all these things. Flames lick at her teeth, desperate to ignite all the green waste and clear out the room, but even she was not that naive and smothered the small fire before it could be set free.

Following the trails through the leaves Faux realized there were several, with a few being more obvious than others. Were Pokemon frequenting this place? That would explain it being well-kept.. and the explosion yesterday could have chased them away. As they continued their search the Espeon spied the next sign of life. "Not something Arry would do. He eats iron so this is not something he'll chew on. That however, that's a clue." Padding over the fox sniffs at the vent hesitantly. Clean air was still flowing through, and with the cover tossed aside any small Pokemon could travel or hide. A second passes and Faux must stifle a groan. Of course he would. The amount of times Arry managed to find holes and gaps... It must be instinctual for a Pokemon that feeds on ore deposits to borrow and explore caverns, or anything that could potentially be called one. Placing her paws inside and shooting a small flame forward for light the fox seems nothing of concern. "Well, its certainly a place he would go." A secure path that could send him anywhere else on the floor...

A heavy thump next to her makes the fox flinch as Cinder drops in beside the pair of Pokemon. "Too many leaves piled up in back to see anything." She shrugs, the information giving them little to work with. "There's no obvious signs of him, so we may as well see where this leads us." The duct work would allow air to travel anywhere on the floor, and while the turns were logical on a schematic traveling in them could easily be disorientating. Faux's tails flicked, acknowledging that she was the smallest among them as she crouched once more to enter, but Cinder was quick to weasel her way past the fox. "Times a wasting!" She barks cheekily, her voice already echoing as she squeezing her long frame into the gap. A snug fit perhaps, but still very doable. "Stop messing around, you're too big for this."

Etincelle walked with high knees as he tried to hold on to his positive mindset. They hadn't sniffed out or spotted any trouble since descending the Battle Tower, which in itself was a good sign that things weren't worst case scenario. Glancing back regularly he ensures Melanie is no more than a few steps behind him. This was a familiar path and the fox could walk unguided, and while he respected her independence he would damned to lose her once more. With quivering ears and the occasional call of Arry's name he could see she had only settled down slightly and cursed that he could not put her at more ease. She's not wrong to be upset, he reminded himself, it was the hysteria he was trying to keep in check.

The air between the two of them still felt a bit tense. Mel could not bring her focus away from the search, with every little sound around them being a possible sign. Yet they all turned up empty, a simple rustle of leaves or click of their own claws  against the pavement. Gods, where could he have gone? It was like he simply vanished with the lack of clues and trails. "There might be something in the Battle Castle that we can use as a clue to his whereabouts." Mathias ponders, though the fox's deep frown does not change. If he had returned to the Castle she wanted more than a clue.

Taking a deep, steadying breath Melanie continues her desperate search for Arry's scent. The air held many things, but his metallic scent was not one of them. Instead, the fox was nearly caught off guard by the slight moisture the air had gained; though she could not see the sky it didn't feel cloudy or cold. Surely rain was not coming? Sniffing again she recalls the smells of the small pond they had rested at. The memory was a little hazy but still pleasant, with Arry gleefully chatting about stars. Had he returned here? Not hearing a single splash or plop the fox gives one pitiful call for the boy, but the silence is a clear and stark answer. Letting her ears fall she continues to trot forward, the landmark giving them no reason to stop.

Not wanting to force any more chatter between the two of them Etincelle is thankful when Mathias spurs some small talk. "Haha, It feels just like yesterday that both mine and Bastet's trainer had brought us here, not to battle but to have some fun." Fun huh? Maybe with lights and the old, vibrant colors he could see this place as some sort of fun attraction. Yet the Electrike was hesitant to see it in such a light; what they had experienced here was far from joyful entertainment. "Sorry if this a little off topic. I just couldn't help but bring an old memory back." He trails of, a reminder of the task at hand as well the tense air. "Its nice to hear this place wasn't always so.. dangerous." An awkward laugh coats his voice, a light smile accompanying it as he spoke earnestly. "Cinder talks this place up and down too, so it must have been something special for trainer Pokemon." Could he even relate special places to his old pack to something like this?  

Scuffing his paws along the ground as they walked the old Pokemon lets his own memories resurface, and gets a pang from those days long ago. "I was born so deep in the wilds that these human places are like a different world to me. I've only seen them in terrible condition, so it paints a nice picture to hear about the past." He grins at the other Pokemon, the distraction welcome, but he catches Mel averting his gaze/sound of his voice. The more she heard these Pokemon talk of this place the more confused she became. Everyone seemed to lived a vastly different life than her, and not in the obvious ways. "We liked to visit shops for fun on our off time. They were kinda similar to the stalls around here, I guess."

Mathias had considered a few options once they got back into the Battle Castle. One being splitting up and search the castle from top to bottom. The other was to listen to any areas that voices can echo. "Cinder talks this place up and down too, so it must have been something special for trainer Pokemon." In fact. this was a very special place. One might say that he and Bastet had a very special connection with his trainer before all this happened. Still, once they find Arry and regroup, he and Bastet needs to make a makeshift grave for their trainer. "We liked to visit shops for fun on our off time. They were kinda similar to the stalls around here, I guess." Remembering that one shop owner one time was enough to make Mathias snarl a bit. Tried to cheat Zeke out of his points.

Bastet looked at the vent shaft and realizing the hole is too small for the three of them. "There's no obvious signs of him, so we may as well see where this leads us." The Espeon could tell that she was going to try to fit into it, there was no way to get in. "Stop messing around, you're too big for this." She would be too big as well. Then she started getting a hunch that there was another way in. Walking over, the espeon looked at the doors to see if one was unlocked, otherwise she'd have to break the lock with her confusion and force the door open. "Let's look for another way through. I also figured out the leaves part. Rattata, no doubt. I think one might be in here. I can't tell for sure."

Mathias looked at the grass a bit. It was lush and green and a bit long. It would certainly be a lawn care worker's nightmare or a gold mine if they was around still. "If I was to say that vendors who sold stuff here was all honest, well, some would try to get you to buy the most expensive things. Mine and Bastet's trainer was careful with what he spent." Though he gave Zeke that, he was smart. Then he asked Mel something out of curiosity. "What about you Mel? Did you have a trainer?" The charizard asked. He might not know if she did have one or not.

The Quilava wiggled her hips a bit and let the flames on her rump flare for just a moment to keep the fox at bay. "I ain't that fat, I can make it." She hums while creeping forward, her body quickly vanishing into the vent. "You need to be serious. This is no time for games." Faux growled, her voice edged with exasperation, but the starter Pokemon did not reappear. "You won't be able to turn around!" She calls a bit more fervently but Cinder made no indication of reconsidering her choice as the sound of her pawsteps continued to shuffle along.

Sitting and letting her paws drag down her cheeks Faux gave a long groan. And we thought the child of the group was missing. Rolling her eyes the Vulpix finds her gaze landing upon Bastet who had wandered a bit and was observing the area. "Let's look for another way through. I also figured out the leaves part; Rattata, no doubt. I think one might be in here. I can't tell for sure." Rolling her eyes back the other direction and letting her paws drop comply the Faux stays where she is standing while drawing in a deep breath. Another way? She had just pointed out this path! But the fox puts a pin in that in favor of the other comment.

"If you suspect one you have dozens, or more." Given the size and vacancy of this place it was more than capable of holding a disconcerting amount of rats. "This is certainly more than the wind could do alone, so its very possible they could be nesting here." Rattata were abundant throughout Johto and the most common culprit of hoarding nesting material, yet something didn't sit right with her. Though piled up and with minor pathways throughout the leaves didn't look lived in. If something was living in this it hadn't been long despite all the work it took to collect. Was it hiding something, or run out of the joint before it could settle? Faux pushed the thought aside; they hadn't seen or heard anything in here yet. Blood and rustling leaves would be difficult to miss, and she would not stress herself over the possibility at this time. "Besides, if we are to mimic Arry these vents are our best bet."

Cinder continued to scoot forward until the path hit a T shape. Left or right, she had no idea which to pick, and a small puff of flames didn't aid the decision either. On a whim she makes a choice, and turning to the right she points toward the deeper sections of the battle hall. However, she walks backward, nudging herself until she can yowl down her original path as she can not turn around. "Heading in deeper, try to meet me at the next exit!" She calls out, her voice reverbing heavily across the metal. Faux was swift to respond with bitter, "We don't know where the first first is." But Cinder was not put off. "Just walk into the main area and listen for me. Its not exactly a quiet crawl." With that she continues forward, her thumping steps echoing as she went.

Quickening her pace Melanie hurried ahead of the other two Pokemon. Her gut told her Arry was not outside; he would have called back to them by now, or she would have caught his scent trail. The faster we get there, the sooner they would have an answer, but the fox did not dare finish that sentence even in her mind. Her paws were still itching, pelt twitching uncomfortably as the worry weighed heavier and heavier with every moment Arry was not with them. Etincelle hurried to catch up to her side once more, and pressed affectionately against her flank. While kind the gesture did little to combat her fretting, and the Ninetales can barely crack a thankful smile.  

"If I was to say that vendors who sold stuff here were all honest, well, some would try to get you to buy the most expensive things. Mine and Bastet's trainer was careful with what he spent." Expensive or price gouged? Flicking her ears the fox wants to remain quiet but she answers anyway without regard. "Expensive is fine as long as it isn't a fake." Mel shrugs dryly, a quality item earning its price tag. "If they have honest wares they set the price, and its up to the buyer if its acceptable. Its only an issue when one shop sells the entire stock and the price is ridiculous, making scalpers and fakes pop up like crazy." How many shops had they seen out on missions, and how many inflated their prices due to scarcity? A growl rumbled in her throat, some scoundrels cheating them out of not only money but quality items. It was a painful lesson in trust, and that things that were too good to be true often were.

Etincelle cocked his head to the side, his past experiences offering him little to no input on the concept of shops. Pokemon traded and bartered things sometimes, but it was item for item, or more often item for food. "You know a lot about markets." He coos, thankful that she found a distraction if only for a moment. With another shrug Mel kept walking, her thoughts clearly elsewhere. "You get really familiar with local shops when you're constantly preparing at them. Some were definitely better than others." Yet no matter no the quality of those vendors none were spared the wrath of the undead, and those familiar faces were likely all gone now. "Preparing for what?" He follows up, genuinely curious, but Mel only mumbles and leaves him wonder.

Letting her ears fall low Melanie couldn't help but wonder what was left of her old village. The last time she saw it... so few Pokemon were left untouched- even her parents showed signs. It was the lowest she ever left, even more so than now, and those sickeningly dark feelings teased at the back of her mind. "What about you Mel? Did you have a trainer?" Mathias asks, her ears perking up immediately at the sound of her name. "A trainer?" She repeats awkwardly, the question strange as she pulls herself from her thoughts. "Well, there was someone that trained me, and someone I trained with. It wasn't exclusive or anything though, so I don't think he was the same sort of trainer you talk about."

OoC)) Skip, Mathias is listening to Mel and Bastet is following Faux and listening to Cinder's movements.

Tilting her head to the vent Faux listened for Cinder's steps and tried to pinpoint which direction she was heading. The thuds echoed and rumbled off to their right, heading deeper into the Hall where the room dipped down and leaves piled high. Though a mass of leaves did not frighten the fox she was not thrilled to be exploring them, and had Cinder not just voiced her miniature plan Faux would have squeezed in after her. With no further comments from Bastet she begrudgingly follows along, tipping her head in a 'come' motion as she pads along the wall listening to the heavy thuds. "Well, if anythings here its certainly heard us by now." She grumbles, still bubbling with frustration from the other fire type's actions.

Cinder scooted along, practically pushing herself forward with her back feet alone as she propelled herself forward. Her pace was slow and loud, though she genuinely was trying to quiet her movements. The next opening had to be close, she swore to herself, though the dark of the path made it impossible to tell how far she had actually managed to travel. With another puff of flames she can see the dark angle of another turn, and grins with a sense of success while moving a bit faster. Her joints and chin kept bumping and thumping the metal though, a thick layer of dust clouding up as she disturbed the neglected vent. Every breath of air she drew sucked in more air, and though she covered her maw with her paws the massive sneeze reverbed heavily all along her. The metal shook wildly, the thumping deafening to the poor Pokemon as it bounced around her. With her paws over her ears Cinder trudged forward with both her elbows and hind paws, eyes squeezed closed as she pressed against her own skull and took the coming turn.

Walking along the wall Faux let out a low growl as a metallic rumbling thumped within the walls. "What the hell is she doing?" She huffs, frustration growing instead of worry as no screams or cries followed the noise. Was she intentionally making noise? Pushing her way through the old leaves the short fox practically sinks as the sloped floor drops and the pile gets taller. Resigning herself to also be a nuisance she clambers on top the leaves as best she can, and reaches for any solid foothold she can find. At the far end of the room she can see the entrance gets for the main area, but the outline of a door appeared along the wall well before they could consider that option. "Guess this is the first stop." She grunts, tails flicking as she shifted uncomfortably upon a protruding box. Thankfully, though their was space in front of it, Faux could tell from the hinges it opened inward and would not be impeded by leaves or debris.

Though the rumbling vents could be heard the entire time the fox did not catch ear of anything else. For a blessing, the abandoned place had remained quiet. Things had fallen silent now, a telling sign that the starter Pokemon was free of her small passage and had exited into a room. "Open it, if you could." She directs the eeveelution. Psychic powers would make quieter, shorter work than paws on a knob, and she waited impatiently for it to be opened.

As Mel thought back to her days training under the guildship she could not repress her memories of Leonardo. From nothing but childish dreams they took hold of their futures and signed up together, training hard as they learned all the invaluable skills they needed to succeed as explorers. It was difficult to say the least, pushing both Pokemon to the brink on many occasions. They constantly wanted to sneak away and strike their own path early, but held fast to their dreams and continued to train. And for what? All the training in the world would not have saved their village; not even the best among them could have stopped this. Higher levels would not have saved Leonardo from his horrific fate, the mob more than any one Pokemon could handle.
And her choices would have still lead her to the same tragic decision.

The past was a cruel joke, one she was forced to put behind her but could never forget. Never had she placed blame upon her mentors, as they perished all the same, but those few memories were tarnished by knowledge of their outcome. The Pokemon here seemed to have different relationships with their trainers, something she was a bit curious about but not enough to pry in to. With a heavy sigh and hanging head the fox let her senses guide her forward, the rough path slowly becoming familiar underpaw as they got closer and closer to the Battle Castle. Even the air tasted different and familiar, with the ashy tang of the collapsed Arcade having wafted toward their base. Without thinking her paws begin to quicken, their path found and 'home' not far away.

Etincelle smiles a bit bigger as Melanie's steps break into a canter. Was she finally in a different headspace? Chasing after her the Electrike no longer has to act as guide, as the Ninetales bound down the path unaided. The Battle Castle was in sight, and for a stroke of luck there was no signs of fresh combat or forced entry. "There's the Castle!" He barks, though the announcement is hardly needed. His paws slow, letting Melanie run ahead of the group as he falls in line with Mathias once more. Their trip back had a dual purpose, he reminded himself, as their supplies were precious as well (though not as much as a child's life).

Sniffing about the entrance and surrounding area Etincelle checks for any fresh scents. While he finds that of their entire party there is nothing that jumps out at him, nothing strikingly fresh or pungent. Melanie had already made her way inside, and nudging the door open enough to assist Mathias he watches as she paces about the foyer. "Arry, aryy are you in here?!" She calls out, head swiveling for even the slightest sound. "At least it doesn't like any unwelcome guests have been here." Etincelle comments in hopes of keeping their spirits up.

Bastet couldn't sense any thoughts from any of the walls outside of the current hallway. No rattatas, no undead, it was deadly silent. Then they approached a door and Faux asked Bastet. "Open it, if you could." The espeon uses her psychic powers to open the door. It took almost no time at all as the knob twists and revealing the next room. "After you Faux. I'll follow behind to where you go." Something was feeling off. There was rattata nests but no rattatas. One thought might be that something scared them off or they no longer wanted this building since there wasn't any food for them.

Mathias starts ramming the door but it wouldn't budge. "That's a problem, a room we can't get into." Pressing the side of his head against the door, he tried to listen to whether there was any noise going on. Only thing he could hear was silence. Then there was the thought that he might not be here at all. "Etin, Mel. Any sign of him?" The charizard asks seeing that there wasn't any luck yet, they still had quite a bit of ground to cover.

The knob twists and clicks, the bolt and latch sliding free and letting the door swing open. For a blessing, it doesn't catch on the other side, the walking space graciously open compared to the debris in the main area. "After you Faux. I'll follow behind to where you go." With a nod of acknowledgement Faux steps inside, her senses primed for the slightest suspicion. The air remained stale and musty, but the room was clear of leaves and other similar refuse. While ransacked like any other places they had visited it smelled clear of blood or death, a treasure these days. "A break room." She comments aloud, the room a lot smaller than she hoped for but as good a start as any. Anything meaningful was missing from the cabinets and counters long ago, but the furry creature she sought was nowhere in sight.

"Oh hey," Cinder chimes in from the far side of the room, catching the the other fire type's immediate attention while she continues, "fancy meeting y'all here~" Slouched on one elbow with a paw pressed against her cheek the Quilava gives a sassy smile. For all her games her had remained in the vent, the grates still firmly in place, locking her inside. The fox trotted over and made quick work for the broken latch until the grate fell free. Her expression remained hard, Cinder's playfulness completely out of place and getting little more than a tail flick, but the starter refused to stop. Crawling free of her cramped quarters she drapes a paw over across her forward. "Oh blessed am I to be rescued by a fair maiden!"

"Quit it." The fox growls tensely, "Have you heard anything, even a pip?" Her ears flicked and searched, but as Cinder brought up her flames once more she could only the warm crackle reaches her ears. "Not really. Noise reverbs too much in those vents to hear small sounds." Dropping her paw the Quilava was finally being a bit more serious. Her flames lit of the room a tiny bit, but their target was still missing. "He couldn't get in from the vent but he may have closed the door behind him." The space didn't offer much to search but they would be thorough nonetheless. With her nose to the floor the fox searches for anything that could aid them, but much like the rest of the place it smelled of neglect and disuse.

With micro adjustments of her head and ears Melanie scans the Battle Castle for the slightest sound. Etincelle's claw clicks and Mathias's heavy steps bounce about the room as they search, but other than the occasional noise from them messing with the environment she is returned with naught but silence. The air smelled sweetly of their own scents and that of the berries the others had gathered. Legends help them, her stomach knotted from the mere remainder of that struggle, and she dares not derail them any further by commenting on it. Trotting forward she sniffs about for the very place she had rested; the Battle Castle was fairly clear in her mind and she was not tripping over her own paws, but having a grounding point was essential. Drinking in her own scent as well as the stale pool from Etin the fox knows her place, and with another loud call angles her ears toward the leading hall.

Its quiet. Bitterly, uncomfortably quiet. Etincelle quickly canters about the foyer, sniffing for any new signs. Surely Arry came back here- other than heading back to them, something that wouuld be difficult with how high up they were, heading home was the most probable choice. But every smell he brushes over is old and stale, both the bitter heated emotions and casual lounging had started to fade. Heading after Mathias he hopes the taller Pokemon found a lead, and thankfully his voice is easy to follow. "Arry! Are you in there?!" Mathias shouts into a vent shaft, but other than the echo of his call there is no answer. Etincelle pouts and continues on instead of stopping, his paws on autopilot until he's at the room the group had slept in the nights before. The piles of bedding looked undisturbed, their scent even older and fainter than that of the foyer. Regardless, he sniffs about for any signs of the child, practically begging as he whispers his name. The quiet ways heavy on his shoulders, and with dragging paws he leaves the space that stirred a number of mixed memories.

Heavy thuds alert both Pokemon, like a panicked motion that carried strongly in the quiet space. With hurried paws they make it to Mathias at a moments notice, and they find the Charizard trying to break his way into the room he was in front of before. "That's a problem, a room we can't get into." The fox tips her head, fearing the worst. "Like somethings happened to it?" Mel asks for clarity, a locked door seeming like a negligible problem to a fully evolved Pokemon. With hurried steps Etincelle rushes forward, sniffing at the vent he picks up traces of dust and the light tang of ash from Mathias's scent. Sticking his head inside just a few inches he continues to sniff but the stagnant air does not change. "It doesn't smell like he came this way." He doubts while backing out of the vent and shaking the dust out of his fur. Melanie still looked unsure, the anxiety clear in her body language as she inches closer. "And If we can't get in its very unlikely Arry could alone." He tries to reassure both Pokemon, but it was not a comfort as they still had no leads.

"Etin, Mel. Any sign of him?" The question practically echos between the Pokemon, reality weighing heavy upon them all. "He wasn't in our sleeping chambers," Etincelle deflects, his paws shuffling uncomfortably, "and I didn't see any signs in the foyer." Melanie's head shook, hanging low as her face twists. "He wasn't by the remains of the food. Didn't smell him around there either..." Everywhere she walked felt the same as it did in her memories. Nothing seemed off or strange, for better or worse, but if Arry hadn't come home... "He could have gone deeper in. We had stopped him before cause of, uh.. some undead corpses and then the murder..." Etincelle suggests, but the possibility is no better than him being somewhere else entirely. "But at least we know the Houndoom's gone!" The Electrike squeaks a saving grace as he tries to stay positive. "And Arry knows better than to mess with undead, so.. maybe he's just exploring?"

Mathias tried to bust down the door again but it was sealed tightly. Whoever locked that room up made sure nobody could get in. From a persepective to how Mathias knows, it would be that someone had holed themselves in there to wait out the undead or that someone didn't want anyone snooping in there. Then he looked at the door a bit more. the handle wasn't locked in place and it was able to move still but only barely.There has a to be a key around somewhere. Metal door though but still, I shouldn't try to use flamethower. Then he bangs on it with his claws. It was a metal door and fire resistant at that. "Like somethings happened to it?" Not exactly but there is that risk where something could be blocking it from the inside as well. Even humans are known to block doors to keep anyone out from their supplies and have other ways of getting out.

They regrouped and started to find some explaination to Arry still being missing. The explaination of the prior events that had happened before he and Bastet arrived was also mentioned to Mathias. There could also be a reason that he could have gone further in since he is a kid after all. "And Arry knows better than to mess with undead, so.. maybe he's just exploring?" That might be the only thing they could guess since vent shaft by the door was closed still and undamaged. They'll have to head further in themselves then to make sure Arry didn't go deeper in.

Bastet meanwhile followed Faux into the room making sure nothing was coming from behind. "A break room." Not exactly what she was hoping to see but at least it looked better than the entrance. It was a small room but even then, something this small was easy to hide in if it was the right pokemon. Then she caught sight of something from the other side of the room. "Oh hey, fancy meeting y'all here~" She was still in the vent but something told Bastet that she was gonna say something a bit disappointing on Arry not being found. "Oh blessed am I to be rescued by a fair maiden!" Bastet's face turned from worried to a really look. At least it wasn't bad news at least. "Quit it." Faux growls at Cinder showing a bit of annoyance. "Have you heard anything, even a pip?" As easy as it could have been, sometimes it might not be a solution especially when noise can bounce all over. "Not really. Noise reverbs too much in those vents to hear small sounds. That certainly would make it harder to hear anything, looks like they'll have to search the old fashion way. "He couldn't get in from the vent but he may have closed the door behind him."

The Espeon then started thinking to herself on maybe Mathias and the others are having better luck than they did. Still, they had several other rooms to look through. "He might have, those vents are already a tight fit even for you Cinder." Bastet said as she kept her psychic abilities down.

Mathias looked at both Etin and Mel, thinking on what they would need to do. "We'll have to come back to this door later, I got a hunch we might find something useful in there. That door's a metal door and pretty sturdy no less. As much as you guys told me, there's also a chance that he could have gone deeper in, might be other places that he could hide in as well." Even then, if they can't find him, they'll have to head back and meet the others at the pond. Mathias then looked down the hall, they got a lot of ground here to cover as well. "Here goes nothing." The charizard said as he and the others would have to go into darker areas of the building.

With a quick trot Faux made her way toward the kitchenette. All the cupboards were wide open, and as she sniffed the insides she could clearly see any contents were stolen long ago. No fresh smells lingered on them, no scratches in the wood to show recent activity. Still, she pressed on, sniffing each one in turn in hopes of finding any clues. At one point she tosses her gaze back and can see the other Pokemon had not started to search, perhaps already convinced this room was a bust. Her eyes roll, and leaving the kitchenette alone she sniffs along the wall for clues instead.

"He might have, those vents are already a tight fit even for you Cinder." Bastet comment was not constructive, but one thought intrusively took over the starter Pokemon. Its hard being this caked up- she thinks snarkily, but before the thought can leave her lips the Quilava realizes how ridiculous it sounded. What the hell, this was how she was acting? A rush of warmth flushes her face, suddenly aware that her teasing was completely inappropriate given the tense situation. Sure, she had been trying to lighten the mood, but there were limits even she had to respect. Biting her lip Cinder looks away, eyes landing on the vent awkwardly before catching Faux's movements. Man, Im a bastard.

Placing a paw against her head the Quilava turns and quickly makes a lap of the room. There was little in the way of hiding places; some seating and tables, the cabinets Faux had already cleared, a few fake plants, and random items that had been lost to time. "Arry?" She calls half-heartedly. Every fiber of her being said this room was a bust, Arry would have come out, or made a sound, or would have been visible from the start. "I don't think he's in here. We should move on" She admits dryly while rubbing at the back of her neck. Faux's voice carried as she trotted closer, her instructions not leaving room for protest. "Fine. You take Bastet, and I'll take the vent." Almost immediately the thunks of the metal vent can be heard, the smaller Vulpix making quick work of the narrow passage.

Cinder's face twists uncomfortably, the fox's quick exit leaving her at a bit of a loss. She knew she had been in the wrong, but the tension pulled tightly at her chest. With a heavy sigh the Quilava walks to the door, "Next one, I guess." She grumbles while pushing her way in to the leaves.

"We'll have to come back to this door later, I got a hunch we might find something useful in there." Mathias starts, and though Etin gives him a sympathetic smile its Melanie who speaks up first. "We're looking for Arry, not items." She reminds him firmly, her claws impatiently tapping against the ground. Popping free of the vent Etincelle nudges her flank for just a moment before pacing off a few feet, his senses still yearning for a lead. "From what you guys told me, there's also a chance that he could have gone deeper in, might be other places that he could hide in as well." He finished, putting them back on track.

Tapping his paws a few times Etincelle tried to think of something, somewhere Arry would go. He hadn't seen as much of the Battle Castle as the rest of them, discounting Mathias and Bastet of course, and curiosity could have gotten the better of him after returning to base. "Well, there's no signs in these front areas." Melanie sighs, reiterating what they said before while pushing their options elsewhere. Shuffling awkwardly the Electrike looks down the hall, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. "If he really went deeper..." With a rough gulp he starts moving, a quick bark telling Melanie to follow. With hurried steps the fox was quick to catch up to him, these halls familiar underpaw. "Both sides of the main corridor don't end well. I don't know if Arry is actually brave enough to stray into those areas, but we should check for fresh scents anyway."

With a quick trot the Electrike is overtaken with a mix of nostalgia and deja vu. He had felt so good the first time they headed down this path, protecting their friends, investigating a shelter, but the memory was clouded by new emotions and failures. The familiar path was easy to travel the second time, the musty scents of the Castle still carrying his own scent along with Rosko's though they were both stale. Was it really that long ago...?
"They both didn't end well?" Melanie asks suddenly, her voice snapping the Electrike to attention. "I know the close side was where Rosko was lost," While the carpet and flooring felt the same as everywhere else she had not headed this direction and could tell this was new ground. "but what happened this direction?" The days prior felt so like so long ago; so much had happened, so much pain endured, that a lot of it blurred together much like her vision. The fox could recalled mentions of a scuffle with smaller undead, but that was nothing compared to the place they just came from.

Keeping his eyes fixated on the floor Etincelle kept heading forward with eyes downcast. "Well, we killed a few undead." He reminds her while informing Mathias. "The end of the path is collapsed, but right before.. we found that undead Empoleon's nest." The memory still sent a shudder down his spine. The sickening sight, the bloated bodies in the water, and the clouds on clouds of mold.

OoC)) Skip, can't think of anything at the moment, will come back to this as soon as I can get something.