[center][h2]Exploring Snowdin[/h2][color=salmon]Ace Cadet[/color] & [color=steelblue][b]Chosen Undead Kit[/b][/color]
Word Count: 5113 (+6 exp)[/center]
From the onset Snowdin hadn't seemed like a large town, and upon getting a closer look it turned out that was very much true. There were certainly smaller settlements out there, but this place was cozy and clustered together enough that a lap around the immediate area didn't take very long at all. The town's only real inn, the aptly named Snotel, separated the shops from the residential section, and besides the large emporium which appeared to perhaps be Snowdin's main shop for general goods, there were a number of other, smaller storefronts tucked away that could be found.

A couple of store signs jumped out at those walking the business strip for different reasons. One was a simple wooden placard, its condition suggesting it was newer than the building it was affixed to, which read only 'Eugenie's.' There was another with a brighter, bolder look, one that intentionally drew the eye to it: 'Boutique Marketing.'
 
It was to the latter that the red headed monster hunter of the Seekers was apparently on the way to, crossing the snow lined street away from one of the early open cafes with two steaming hot cups in either hand. When he happened to see one of the Seekers' newest recruits, Ace smiled and called him over. [color=salmon]"Hey! Kit!"[/color]

Kit had been wandering down the main thoroughfare, still trying to shake off the words of the Soothsayers. He had intended to set out to find a suitable base of operations for the Seekers, but so far had little luck. The knight continued walking along the road when he heard a voice call his name and turned to see a fellow Seeker, one whose name he hadn’t yet gotten. [color=steelblue][b]”Oh! Hello there… I’m sorry, I don’t believe I got your name?”[/b][/color]

[color=salmon]"Everyone calls me Ace,"[/color] the hunter replied. After a beat he offered one of the coffees to Kit. [color=salmon]"I'd give you a full rundown, swap some stories and stuff, but gotta get this back first."[/color]

He gestured with the remaining drink to the shop, then glanced back Kit's way with a curious look. [color=salmon]"Unless you wanna come along?"[/color]

Kit took the cup cautiously, opening his visor to take a sip. His head snapped back a bit as he tasted the coffee, blinking rapidly as the drink went down his throat. [color=steelblue][b]”My, this is… Something. But yes, I’d like to accompany you if you’d have me. Didn’t really get the chance to grab a partner before everyone left.”[/b][/color]

The reaction to the drink prompted an amused grin from Ace. It was hard to tell who was familiar with what, but if Kit was as medieval as he looked (which might be the most out of any of them) then he was in for many more surprises.

[color=salmon]"Yeah, we're a bunch of eager caeserbers,"[/color] Ace said, leaving out the fact that a few of the man's new teammates were just less socially inclined than others. [color=salmon]"Radalos. C'mon!"[/color]

The two men covered the rest of the short distance to Boutique Marketing, trading the hard cold for the building's less-cold interior. The heat was on, but it was still early enough that the chill hung around. It was also late enough that the proprietor, a short, slim, bespectacled [url=https://imgur.com/xSdCMym]moth person[/url] was up and around. Well, 'around' wasn't quite right. She yawned, raising one of her several hands to cover her mouth while she waited in front of her office's coffee maker with her wings draped at her back like a cape. The pot wouldn't be done for a while yet, and so when the soft bell of her business' door opening sounded, she spun slowly around and was delighted to see her new acquaintance return. 

"Oh good!" She said, reaching out to take the other coffee Ace had been carrying back for her and taking a deep drink from it. She let out a satisfied sigh afterward. 

[color=salmon]"This is Kit,"[/color] he told the woman, and then turned to the knight to follow with, [color=salmon]"and this is Luna. Just met her right before running into you. She's a... promoter?"[/color]

"Mm. Trying to put this place on the map. Plus anyone who hires me!"

[color=salmon]"Right. So I figured she'd be the one that could, y'know, shed some light on the town for us and the best place to find stuff."[/color]

Kit took another sip of his coffee, more used to it by now, and hummed to himself a little in contemplation. [color=steelblue][b]”I suppose the biggest thing I want to know about is whether there’s any sort of place our group can hole up in while we’re here. Any abandoned buildings or the like. Do you know any place like that?”[/b][/color]

Luna blinked at him as if trying to piece together if she'd heard him right or the early morning grogginess was getting to her. "Abandoned buildings?"

She glanced between the two men, although Ace had nodded his head with Kit's question like there was nothing weird about it at all.

"If you're going to stay for a while, wouldn't you rather hear about some of our amenities? We've got a perfectly good hotel, three stars but on the rise!"

She'd moved to pull out a pamphlet for the 'Snotel,' but Ace chimed in with, [color=salmon]"nah, who knows if we have the zenny for an extended inn stay for all of us. I think some place out of the way is a good idea too."[/color]

"Uh." Clearly Luna had not expected to be telling visitors about hovels around town that day. "Okay then. Well, there's the old manor up on the hill, just south of town. You can't go wrong with a stately place like that, even if you're just... squatting in it? There's also an old mining tunnel between that and the Warrens, if you're looking for... a more natural, rugged experience?"

She was trying her best to make Snowdin's abandoned places seem appealing, marketing the town as best she could apparently. Which was tough when the people she was talking with weren’t interested in traditional draws. She took another long drink of her own coffee before adding, "I'm not going to promise they'll be the coziest places, but you could do worse! ...a lot worse."

Kit tapped the chin of his visor, thinking on Luna’s words. He turned his head to Ace and asked, [color=steelblue][b]”What are your thoughts? I believe that manor would be suitable but it’d probably be best to check out the mineshaft as well just in case.”[/b][/color]

[color=salmon]"Sounds good to me! If the mine is nearby we'll at least make sure there's nothing dangerous hiding out there, and sleigh it if there is before moving on."[/color]

A flawless plan really. Though before they left, there was another thing the Cadet wanted to ask about. He turned back to Luna. [color=salmon]"We're also looking for gear. Camping supplies, general goods... oh! And... would you happen to know how the restaurants in town source their ingredients?"[/color]

This was something that he hadn't actually thought much about until the day before, when the hunter was gathering materials for the girls at the forge. If every animal and monster turned into a spirit, how was any food establishment able to buy meat in bulk? If they even could. And on that note how could they secure enough for the Lost Numbers? Fruits, vegetables, that was easy to understand - but cuts of meat, bones for broth, fish or hooves for aspic and gelatin... 

Luna thought about it. This was more along the lines of what her business actually catered towards, knowing the ins and outs of establishments in order to best market them. The first line of questioning was easy enough to answer, and she did so with two of her four arms gesturing. "You can get almost anything you can think of from Morshu's Emporium right in the center of Snowdin, from the simple to the sophisticated! Even armaments, when Sal delivers them.” The sharp-eyed moth took note of Ace’s arsenal as she spoke. “Of course, if you’re really into weapons, Eugenie’s is the place for you. And if you’re planning to venture out into the winter wonderland…well, there’s always Trap Room. Near that old tunnel I mentioned. From snares to substances, it’s got everything you’d need to tame the wilds. Fair warning, though: the owner’s a little…" Luna searched for the right word, trying to split the difference between honest and off-putting. “Quirky.”

She crossed both sets of arms. “As for the food question, well, we’ve got a little secret that keeps Snowdin better supplied than most places! Might even say it’s the reason we’re the safest haven in the Highlands!” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to an exaggerated conspiratorial whisper. “We know some Holy Order clerics that have a way to make both monsters and game animals [sub]uh[/sub] pass away normally. No ashy morsels for us; we get to use every part of the beast!”

Ace's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He'd never heard of anything like that before, as far as he knew the only exception to the whole spiritfication thing was in those specific individuals they were fighting against, but to hear there was actually a way for regular people to prevent it...!

[color=salmon]"Where can we find them?"[/color] the hunter asked, more enthusiastic than what was probably appropriate for the hour.

“Uh…” Luna seemed a little taken aback, breathing in through her teeth with her brows raised. “Not…here?” She tittered with an apologetic look. “Sorry, but there’s no set plan for their travel plans. It’s a big region, and they could be just about anywhere.”

[color=salmon]"Oh... right, okay, makes sense,"[/color] Ace responded, somewhat sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He recovered quickly though. [color=salmon]"Well thanks for your help, Luna."[/color]

The Cadet turned to Kit. [color=salmon]"Good to go?"[/color]

Kit nodded. [color=steelblue][b]”Yes, let’s get moving. Don’t want to waste daylight.”[/b][/color]

One look out of the office's small front windows at the overcast sky and Ace cracked an amused grin as he said, [color=salmon]"you call this daylight?"[/color]

After leaving the one man marketing firm, its owner calling after them to [i]'tell your friends about us!'[/i], the two men made their rounds of Snowdin. With a goal in mind it didn't take long to find what they were looking for in a couple of the establishments the town had to offer. The hard edged, cube shaped backpack that the Ace Cadet sported fit even the bulkiest items like sleeping pads, bags, and bundled up tents, miraculously so. The smaller items, rations and the like, could easily be carried in complimentary bags, though anything that could still fit in the square pack got thrown in there regardless. Even if the Seekers didn't end up using everything, it was better to be prepared than not, and so with that in mind what money they had went toward the team. 

...although when they did pass Eugenie's, it turned out to be a very strong temptation for spending there instead. The Cadet had suggested peeking inside after Luna's recommendation only to find a very, [i]very[/i] [url=https://i.imgur.com/SnFeyhO.png]odd looking owner[/url], but also an attractive looking [url=https://i.imgur.com/JpYlyH8.png]short sword[/url] for sale that instantly drew his eye. The golem-like shopkeep, who gestured to himself and said "Cruler" (which the two Seekers took to be his name), gave them a run down of his services in as few words as possible - which meant there was a little guesswork involved but they got the gist: he could do some work to improve weapons for some materials and a fee, as well as create new ones by combining different parts of weapons together by their heads and handles, possibly passing down their attributes.

It was definitely a place that the monster hunter wanted to visit again.

However, the next order of business was locating a base of operations. The hill that the manor was allegedly situated on stood outside of the town, and from where Kit and Ace had ended up after getting their haul part of the residential area was between them and it. That worked out just fine, since they could make quick work investigating the abandoned tunnel beforehand like they'd planned. 

[color=salmon]"You and... Heismay, came back with Big Band, right?"[/color] Ace asked as they walked through the snow. Unlike with the short distance between shops, they had time to fill now. [color=salmon]"I thought the whole Dead Zone was a wasteland. What was the place you guys were in like?"[/color]

[color=steelblue][b]”When I first arrived in the World of Light, it was in a desolate forest outside of a large manor. Barely any animals there, just undead and bandits roaming around. I took it upon myself to keep the roads clear, even if barely anyone used those roads. The manor was filled with even more monsters, I would have entered it myself had the front gate not been locked. Then Big Band came along with Harry and the wolf and blew the gates right open. I helped them out and we raided the manor together to find Heismay.”[/b][/color]

Kit stopped speaking for a moment to take a sip from his water canteen. [color=steelblue][b]”After we all left the manor behind, we moved past it to a place much more lively and beautiful. A great lake surrounded by forests and big mountains. I would’ve much preferred to have been dropped off there, personally,”[/b][/color] Kit chuckled to himself. [color=steelblue][b]”What about you? Where did you find yourself when you first woke up here?”[/b][/color]

It was a little hard to imagine a beautiful place alongside the desolate mud and tar pits that seemed to make up the rest of the area. To think there was a part of the Dead Zone that wasn't, well, [i]dead.[/i] It sounded nice.

[color=salmon]"I was living in this town called Lumbridge, in a region they call the Land of Adventure. Did you see any of the maps they have in the Avenger? Its south, towards the bottom. Groovios little place with a lot of different people, plus new landscapes to explore would pop up every week or so outside of it."[/color] There was a pleasant undertone to Ace's words as he spoke. He had genuinely liked Lumbridge, and he did still think about it and its people often. [color=salmon]"Forests, plains, mountains, hills... and weirder places too! Actually, when I 'woke up' one of the regions from my home world had appeared.

"Maybe that's why I ended up there, since it was pretty close to what I was already familiar with."[/color] He'd never really thought about the reasons why before, since they didn't seem all that important. Still didn't really, so Ace shrugged casually. [color=salmon]"Maybe not though. I mean, which was closer to your world? The zombie area or the lake area?"[/color]

Kit laughed a bit at that question, shaking his head. [color=steelblue][b]”The zombie one, most definitely. My world is a desolate place, no civilization, danger around every corner. There’s very few people still around. Mostly undead like myself, the ones that haven’t gone hollow at least. But there’s beauty in it as well, a magnificent city high above the rotten world below it… I had just arrived there when I found myself in this world.”[/b][/color] The knight sighed and cast a glance towards Ace. [color=steelblue][b]”You said your world was pretty similar to the Land of Adventure. Do you have anyone there that you care about?”[/b][/color]

[i]Undead 'like myself' - did I hear him right?[/i] the Cadet thought, so surprised by the statement that he'd hardly caught the rest of the description of the other world. But if the revelation that Kit was a zombie himself had surprised Ace, it was the man's next question that really caught him off guard. [color=salmon]"Er-"[/color] he started lamely as a few faces from the town flashed into his mind, with one standing out strongly from the rest, circling back until it was the only one he could picture. A soft face, with warm, light skin, dark hair pulled into a bun, and inquisitive eyes behind a pair of elegant glasses. 

A pink blush that could have easily been dismissed as the cold weather getting to him spread on Ace's face. [color=salmon]"I, uh, I do, yeah."[/color]

He might be with Nadia now -and he really liked Nadia- but... it wasn't easy to get over the woman he'd been in love with for so long a time. He certainly still cared for her, one way or another.

Ace scratched at his cheek, not quite embarrassed but just thrown for a little bit of a loop. [color=salmon]"She's from the same world as me. I've met a few from there. I'd tell you that you'll probably meet a few from yours too, but if there weren't many people living there in the first place..."[/color]

Kit's world sounded kind of grim, honestly, which made Ace appreciate that he'd still turned out to be a friendly guy - at least so far as he'd been talking with him. 

[color=salmon]"...wait, go back! You said you're undead? You look so normal!"[/color]

Kit laughed heartily at Ace’s surprise. [color=steelblue][b]”Yes, I suppose it must come as a bit of a shock. In my world, the undead curse has struck most of the lands. Those who lose their humanity become hollow, just husks of what they used to be. Humanity isn’t just a concept, it is a physical part of the world, one that you can hold in your hands and embrace into yourself. But if you die while your humanity has been restored, you will begin to grow hollow, and your features will grow gaunt and sickly. I was lucky to be human when I crossed over into this world. In fact, I have some humanity here in my pack.”[/b][/color]

Kit stopped to open up his pack, producing a small black orb with a glowing white outline in his hands. [color=steelblue][b]”I kept a stockpile of them in case I ever died and went hollow again. I’m sure the same rules apply to me here as they did in my own world, so it’s useful to have. So if you see me fall in battle, don’t fret! I’ll be coming back as strong as ever.”[/b][/color]

Since being freed from Galeem's influence, the Ace Cadet had learned a lot about different worlds, technology, cultures, species, and tons of other things. What had once been totally foreign to him had just become something he'd see on a daily basis, and some of these things he'd even come to understand well. And then there was the concept of holding humanity in one's hand! 

[color=salmon]"[i]Kut-kurazy,[/i]"[/color] Ace said, staring wide-eyed at the orb, then back up to Kit's face, and back again. He didn't cringe away from the physical humanity like he thought he might, but he also made no move whatsoever to touch it. He was so curious, but he'd leave the man's humanity to him. 

[color=salmon]"You see something new every day here."[/color] A small grin had made its way back onto the Cadet's face. All the exciting new things were something he liked about this patchwork world. [color=salmon]"That's good to know. I wonder how we could get more of it if you end up using yours, though..."[/color]

Kit’s smile fell from his face at that. He shoved the humanity back into his pack. [color=steelblue][b]”Hmm… That I haven’t thought of. Humanity could mostly be found on corpses in my world, but with the way that dying converts one into a spirit in this world, I’m not so sure how it’d work. We’ll have to find out.”[/b][/color]

The hunter snapped his fingers and pointed to Kit, a gesture of agreement. [color=salmon]"One more reason to find those Holy Order guys too."[/color]

The conversation carried them most of the way to their next destination. After passing through a large part of the Warrens (judging by the shallow snow mounds with little paths leading to front doors that suggested burrows), Kit and Ace arrived at what must have been the abandoned mine. From the outside it looked pretty normal, a large tunnel carved into one of the hillsides with wooden support beams starting around the opening and leading deeper in. Long extinguished oil lamps hung from nails driven into these supports or sat broken and frozen over on the ground beside the entrance. There was a fresh layer of snow that had piled up at the mouth of the tunnel, and icicles hanging from the roof. 

There were no barriers that would prevent their entry nor signs warning of danger, although there was a small weathered posting displaying a [url=https://i.imgur.com/31K9iBX.png]gold coin[/url] with an arrow beneath it pointing away from the mine shaft. Besides that the dim sunlight only reached so far into the tunnel, preventing the two men from being able to see past a certain point - unless, of course, they went in themselves. 

Kit crossed his arms as he examined the mineshaft, humming to himself a bit as he thought on it. He turned to Ace and spoke, [color=steelblue][b]”I’m not sure this place is what we’re looking for. It seems pretty undefendable compared to something like that manor.”[/b][/color]

Ace was inclined to agree. He didn't spot any signs of creatures coming or going, but just because it actually was empty didn't make it a good spot for a base camp. [color=salmon]"Here's hoping we don't have to do much defending since we're gonna be the ones out hunting, but yeah, I know what you mean."[/color]

The Cadet knocked on one of the beams, dislodging a chunk of snow. There was no telling how sturdy this thing really was either, and reinforcing it to ensure it didn't collapse on top of them while they disturbed the place would take more work than anyone wanted to put in for a temporary shelter.

[color=salmon]"Wanna check out the last shop before heading up the hill?"[/color]

Kit nodded. [color=steelblue][b]”That sounds like a plan.”[/b][/color]

After ruling the mineshaft out, and a quick scan of some of the interior to confirm there really was nothing hiding out in there that could cause problems for them, the two moved on to one final store to get supplies from. There was only that single beaten up sign giving them a vague direction, but as it turned out the location of the shop -if one could even call it that- wasn't actually that far from the mine. At one point in time it might have even been connected to the mine itself, because to call it a hole in the wall would be extremely accurate. The Trap Room was signified by a duo of torches at the mouth of another narrower, shallower tunnel and a crude wooden name board hanging above it. Just inside the opening was a heavy wooden and iron door, closed to separate the elements from the room behind it.

Inside was a carved out space with a natural stone ceiling, though the floors and a few walls featured planks to make the place a little more inviting. There were one or two electric lights connected by wires through a separate doorway at the far end marked "employee only" where some some strange muted noises could be heard, but most of the lighting inside was from oil lamps or torches like the ones outside. It gave the shop a somewhat threatening feel, especially with the... [i]devices[/i] lined up everywhere. There were many iron cages, some larger than Kit and Ace themselves, as well as humane steel animals traps... and less humane ones, ranging from [url=https://i.ibb.co/DPkHxGgb/Beartrap.png]small[/url] to [url=https://i.ibb.co/dwS6HjsC/Bear-Trap-Large.png]large[/url]. More simplistic [url=https://i.ibb.co/Jjvx6CjM/Hanging-Trap.png]traps[/url] stood around the area as well, along with smaller, more high-tech looking [url=https://i.ibb.co/mVWvfLXK/Nexotrap.png]nexo traps[/url] and [url=https://i.imgur.com/kYhNsqB.png]capture spheres.[/url] While all of those were more or less regular hunting implements, there was also a couple of stockades in the far back, as well as a literal guillotine - though the latter had a few barrels piled around it, as if it hadn't seen use any time recently. 

"Ah, customers..." came a deep voice from the figure standing just behind a makeshift checkout counter. The [url=https://i.imgur.com/qY0N1ay.png]man[/url] was huge in width and height, easily a foot or two taller than both Seekers, and he puffed happily on a pipe as he regarded his visitors. In fact, that wide and off putting grin on his face barely changed even as he spoke, pushing a weird [url=https://i.imgur.com/943qsl7.png]machine[/url] he'd been fiddling with off to the side. "If you're looking for something... [i]specific[/i], let me know. Otherwise, take a look around..."

Kit would allow Ace to speak to the shopkeeper while he wandered around the store, examining the traps and cages with morbid curiosity. As he did the man kept one bright eye on him, examining Kit in turn. His expression never changed even while he took stock of the weapons and armor the men had on them, attempting to make some determinations about what kind of clientele they were. 

Ace had approached the counter, though not without casting doubtful looks around the place first. It was the traditionally human captive devices that gave him pause, and so when he looked back at the Trap Room's owner it was with a suspicion and a lowered voice. [color=salmon]"Just what are you trapping here?"[/color]

"All types of dangerous critters," the shopkeeper replied easily. "Monsters take all kinds of shapes, so enterprising tamers need all kinds of traps... which I'm happy to provide."

[color=salmon]"And that?"[/color] the hunter asked, nodding his head towards the guillotine. The large man's pipe quivered as a soft rumbling chuckle escaped him. 

"Separating the big pieces, from the bodies of big monsters. Sadly no one's come by for that service in a while..."

At some point the Cadet had crossed his arms, and he didn't unfold them as he thought to himself. This guy was definitely 'quirky,' but it wasn't like Ace could call him out on anything. He'd seen for himself the various forms monsters took here, and even the scholars of his world had special devices for harvesting monster parts if there weren't any hunters around to assist them. He was getting a weird vibe from the shop keep, but for now that was all it was. Plus... well, traps were always a handy thing to have around. Ace hadn't gotten a chance to make any more after he'd used what he had, so this would be as good a time as any to stock back up with what money he had left. 

After a moment spent thinking, with the shop owner patiently standing by, the monster hunter relented. [color=salmon]"...alright, let's see what you got."[/color]

"Heheheh, excellent. You won't be disappointed..."

The man rounded the counter and led Ace to a section for lower tech traps. Kit's own tour of the shop's interior would see him end up near small bins of various items, from pungent [url=https://i.ibb.co/VYWkvF2b/Potent-Predator-Bait-RDR2.jpg]baits[/url] to metallic discs that [url=https://i.imgur.com/MpRoXY3.gif]spun[/url] when opened. There were also vials on small shelves, labeled as poisons, tranquilizers, and paralytics, and a few raw [url=https://i.ibb.co/JWsMzw5Q/Paldium-Fragment-icon.png]materials[/url] too. 

"You know..." the deep voice said from close by Kit's shoulder. While Ace was picking out what he wanted, the shopkeeper had come over to check on his other possible customer. His voice was not quite a whisper, but it was certainly lower than it had been a few minutes ago with a tone that suggested he was implying more than what he was saying. "If you want to skip the trapping process, I do trade in any kind of creature, Pals or otherwise... even kinds you wouldn't normally see around here... if you're interested."

Kit wasn’t quite sure what the trapper was implying but still felt rather uncomfortable as the man spoke. [color=steelblue][b]”Uh, thank you, but I don’t believe I’m interested.”[/b][/color]

The man stroked his chin, mumbling, "I see... pity." 

He ambled back to the counter with the grin still in place, soon meeting the knight's companion there. Ace's arms were full of a few smaller, pre-made hunting traps and trap-making mechanisms. Before the Cadet even spread it on the counter the shopkeeper tallied it up in his head, though before giving a price he did what any merchant would and went for an up sell. From beneath the counter he produced one of the blue crystal spheres, setting it before Ace and gesturing for the man to go ahead and pick it up to look it over.

"It's called a Pal Sphere... made with crystalized energy," he said, with a short motion of his head towards the bin of paldium fragments. "It'll catch anything you want, heheheh... well, it'll give you a chance at it at least. Real useful devices... "

[color=salmon]"Ehh..."[/color] Ace's face scrunched up, not sold on them yet. He had a vague idea of how they worked thanks to similar items a few of the other Seekers used and Sierra back in Edinburgh had transported her living iceberg. It wasn't something he was particularly interested in, and frankly might be on the edge of poaching, but then again he could imagine a few use cases for them. Maybe some of the other members of White Team would be interested too. 

Sensing a sale just needed a little more of a push, the large man took another puff of his pipe and added, "it's more convenient to buy them than make them... and a bundle of them would be discounted with the rest of your purchase, so why not?" 

Ace was pretty much the opposite of frugal, so he gave in soon enough and let the shopkeeper wrap up a few of them with the rest of the traps. He shoved everything into his backpack, gripping both straps around his arms as it was getting rather heavy. He still got a rather off-putting feeling from the place, but if the things he bought worked then he wouldn't complain. Maybe a more thorough investigation of the place was warranted, but for now, it was almost time for Kit and Ace to meet back up with everyone else. 

After one last item on their list, of course. 

[color=salmon]"Ready?"[/color] Ace asked Kit, already heading to the door.

Kit nodded. [color=steelblue][b]”Ready.”[/b][/color] The pair exited the shop and began walking through the snowy streets of Snowdin, leaving the town behind and walking through a shriveled forest on their way up a hill to Beneviento Manor. Standing in front of the cliffside manor, it was eerily silent save for the blowing winds. A chill crawled up Kit’s spine as he made his way to the front door. 

The knight looked to Ace. [color=steelblue][b]”Not sure what we’re gonna find in there. Hopefully it won’t be as populated as the last manor I visited…”[/b][/color]

The door was ajar, and the sounds of scraping metal filtered out from the inside, suggesting that Kit's hopes were about to be dashed.