While Stepan and Vesemir continued to discuss if a rescue mission would be possible or not in that case, Miwa noticed as Jazdia began scanning the terrain with her magic. Most importantly, she noticed how taxing it was for her to use her power, needing Eblana's help to even stay up after she was done.

"Perhaps it would be wise not to use Jazdia's powers unless strictly necessary..." Miwa suggested, looking at Jazdia with a worried expression.

"Come now, it wasn't so bad." Jazdia chuckled bitterly. "I don't think I can go there without some glowing arrows and fire."

Eblana, who had already known her for a few weeks more than Miwa, sighed at the fact that the suggestion had been repeated multiple times throughout their journey and had been ignored again this time. The charade had started to tire her out.

"Yes, it is. I think you should listen to her. Miss Jazdia, I have a strong reason to believe that the more you use your power, the stronger not only the effect of the curse but also the Caster's influence on your body."

"I will... keep that in mind. Thanks." Jazdia smiled.

"I am serious."

The smile faded, and Jazdia's usual witty remark was not heard as the elven archer's expression hardened. "So do I. If things were as simple as they sound, I would take it in a heartbeat. But let us be real, your superior needs a navigator, and I need my power to help neutralize the threat."

"But, your condition..." The young healer paused in search of words, but once she found them, they struck at the sore spot. "You are right. But I think you don't have to fight."

"And let others fight and bleed for me?"

Jazdia did not need to raise her voice. Her sharp gaze and the bluntness of the question were enough to overwhelm. Not because it intimidated, but because the question had so many layers of complication in it; laced by bitterness of a hurt pride, incapability to fully trust, and desire not to be the burden of others. Eblana tried to open her mouth as she looked at her searchingly, but a moment had passed, and Jazdia released her from her intimidating stare, not allowing anyone to understand her deeper, nor giving her a chance to revise words.

"I mean what I said earlier. I will remember your advice. Thank you."

Then she was gone.

___

@Valkon

Banishing these thoughts from his mind, he stood, staring down at the body. Summoning his spadone, he turned the blade downwards, tip resting on the overgrown forest floor, and placed his palms atop the pommel before closing his eyes to pay respect to his fallen would-be comrade. The best way he could honor the fallen knight, he decided, was to ensure that the information he had died to secure was put to good use.

The fallen knight lay still, helmet and armor already blended into the growing moss and vines. It was probably for the best to let him stay in his resting place undisturbed, lest he be there dignified still.

However, some details did not go unnoticed by some, especially by Rezello. There was a vertical slit on the breastplate; it dented inward like a cut from a very heavy axe. Whatever caused such wounds likely led to the knight's demise.

Mr. Elc stood silently, observing as Rezello walked away from the fallen knight. It was not hard to deduce that the masked mercenary came from the same region as the fallen warrior. The question that lingered was how well he knew him or whether the mercenary had another reason for joining the expedition. But that was a question for another time. He had Jazdia coming, with pursed lips and silent disapproval that he could guess was caused by who.

The two stood at a respectable distance from the fallen, separated by a small underground. Far enough to not be inconsiderate of Rezello's tribute, but close enough to observe the details.

"The devourer did that," the masked elf said finally.

"Pardon?"

"The devourer. The other variant of it. No less vicious than what we had the pleasure of meeting yesterday, and this one is a bit smarter, too. They use their sharpened horn to skewer their victim, pin them against the wall, and rip them apart like a can opener."

Jazdia nodded. "I thought so too. The dead knight's party faced strings of misfortunes in that labyrinth, which mortally injured one of their members. They managed to escape from the tunnel at sundown, but the night is always the time for devourers to hunt. They had to leave their wounded friend, a price to pay, so their escape wouldn't be impeded."

"While I understand that it's a necessary action, it doesn't make the situation any less grim."

Jazdia shrugged. "That's the only explanation that I can think of. This is not a safe place to linger." She looked around and noticed that Rezello had started to march toward the cave, followed by Miwa. Her special vision was not active (Due to a certain reason), but she scanned the gaps and crevices and overgrown beyond as if expecting an ambush coming out of the shadows.

"Vesemir, we can begin now! And tell those two not to wander too far from the group."

They could probably hear her, but it wasn't hurt to let the warning be relayed to many ears.

---

The sun was barely peaking over the trees, but the brightness of the sky gave sign to the coming day. The makeshift table and chairs were collected and packed, the fires extinguished, the barrel of water and fish loaded. Many hands were busy with the cleanup, each doing their best to be done by the time Vesemir wanted to leave. It was not long until their campsite was returned to the wilderness. The only thing that lingered was the scent of freshly cooked fish and still water. Ready to go, the party took leave from the momentary safety of camp deeper into the unknown forests of twilight.

Fia expected dangers to come. Not immediately, but at some point before they reached the jagged hills several hours later. Yet, they managed to travel without so much as a fox crossing their path. A blessing to be sure. The group had stopped to assess their next direction of travel. Climbing was put to rest in favor of the alternate route Vesemir wanted. Using the remains of prior defeat as a landmark was not an unheard of traveling trick, but to have only the body of a single soldier was. Especially in a place that housed blood thirsty entities capable of moving the very earth beneath their feet. Regardless, it had done it’s job after death, their elven archer locating the entrance to the underground passage they needed to reach the vault.
“I cannot say I blame those who were forced to leave their dear friend behind.” said Fia, “not all have the benefit of a Freundutzen to hike through the difficult terrain towards home carrying those dead on its shoulders. Looking at the state of that soldier, I doubt they had the chance to even reach him. Poor dear. At least his sacrifice has lent aid to the future travelers that came through these cursed lands.” While it was possible for any of them to suggest perhaps providing a grave for the corpse, it felt unnecessary. Not out of disrespect, but something else. Time perhaps, or maybe to keep him as the gate keeper towards the vault’s underground. Even Rezello, who seemed to have the most invested interest in the body, felt the rites he offered sufficient. At least Fia got that impression after he finished his small ceremony and left for the cave entrance.
“Hmm, has something amiss caught your attention, dear?” asked Fia, as she grouped with the others during the moment the group shuffled their positions. Miwa and Rezello had started to take the lead in silence as Jazdia spoke to the others of the first company. “The forest’s very nature makes it not safe to linger, but I sense there is something more immediate to watch for?”

@Randomness

Hmm, has something amiss caught your attention, dear?” asked Fia, as she grouped with the others during the moment the group shuffled their positions. Miwa and Rezello had started to take the lead in silence as Jazdia spoke to the others of the first company. “The forest’s very nature makes it not safe to linger, but I sense there is something more immediate to watch for?”

"Our old friend Devourer." Answered Mr. Elc, as if he could read what was in Jazdia's mind. Or simply because both shared similar expertise.

Vesmir approached them and took the lead, and the two followed. "Well? That's to be expected, isn't it?"

"True," said the masked elf, walking beside Vesemir. Jazdia was behind him with Eblana, Fia, and others in tow. "But we are about to enter the place where night and day make no difference for them. Be on your guard, Vesemir."

After carefully hacking overgrowth and a careful descent, the tunnel was before them. It was indeed a straight path for a while, with no sign of abnormality or hostility in sight. The air was damp and thick, and the party did their very best not to kick up the dust into the air as they walked. It wasn't a very wide tunnel, and there were often chokepoints and sharp turns.



They went deeper, and the light from Vesmir's lamp became less adequate for illuminating the dark path ahead.

"Try this." Rezello lifts his free hand, a small, lime-green sphere of flame manifesting in his palm before floating a short distance ahead of the group and into the tunnel, illuminating the darkness ahead of them with roughly the same intensity as a torch.

"Well, look at that."

"If this is suitable, I can keep the flame moving ahead of us as we go forward. I can also make it dimmer, if it's too bright."

"Keep it a bit lower, and try to keep it close to our group." said Jazdia, nodding as the knight adjusted the intensity to the level she found suitable. "It's best to keep our presence low in this tunnel. I saw Devourers prowling in a few places."

"Did they know we are here?" Asked Vesemir.

"I think not. Yet. Anyway, I think I saw the path that leads to the vault. It's... a long walk to the southeast. There is a treasure chest too at the southwest, unimportant, but I am just letting you know."

The party continued their slow march into the labyrinth, with Jazdia activating her abilities each time they reached a crossroads. Despite its rugged appearance, the tunnels were quite elaborate, extending far beyond what anyone could perceive with magical vision. The maze featured elevations, underpasses, confusing twists, and dead ends that could easily lead a person astray for weeks, or even longer, if Devourer didn't get them first.

"Hold up," Jazdia said quietly, raising her hand as they saw another crossroad ahead. She reached for her bow, but no arrow had been attached. They heard the sound of hurried footsteps, and on the other side of the intersection, at least six devourers were rushing through, seemingly unaware of the group. However, one devourer intentionally stopped right at that intersection. Its eyeless head sniffed the air, and the light from Rezello's fire reflected on its sharp horn and oily skin. The mandibles on its back squirmed to feel the half-illuminated space and the jagged labyrinth walls.

"Let it pass," the elven archer whispered with eerie caution as the creature maintained its pose in their path. Slowly, it turned its head, staring at the immobile adventurers as if daring them to strike.

---

Before departure and the breakfast was ready. Akari spent her time helping the Rogue Masked Knight for cooking and preparing the food. Sat next him and enjoying the food while curiosity how the Rogue Masked Knight eating his food while mask is on.

During the departure. Akari activated her SHADOW CLONE and made a formation. One clone on the front, the middle and the rare of the party. It will stayed even during the dark tunnel path. Each clones have divided throwable weapon and their blade is on ready when the hostile creatures attacked first. Despite of it, they kept themselves lay low as in stealth. Once one of the devourers stopped and the parties stopped. Most of clones camouflaged from all senses due to her passive ability NINJA SPIRIT. Despite the light, three of them blended on the background like chameleon.

All of the clones are looking to the young miko. Seems to be worried towards to Miwa.

What seemed to be a prelude to a nasty encounter de-escalated almost instantly as that lone Devourer turned its head away and followed its brethren, leaving the group with a low, disappointed growl. Jazdia remained at the ready for a solid three minutes, only allowing herself to be at ease when the creature's hasty strides could no longer be heard, and she was sure that their path would not cross with her again for the time being.

"What a curious skotrotopic creature they are," commented Vesemir as the group continued their advance to the left tunnel. "It seems without external control, they behave like ordinary feral animals."

"Sko- what again?" asked Mr Elc, half whispering.

"Means they are attracted to darkness and thrive in it."

In her careful walk, Jazdia stopped and looked down. From behind, she appeared calm, but her face was visibly disturbed as she looked back and spoke.

"Mind your steps."

There were a bunch of human bones scattered on this path. Probably came from several individuals by the amount of it, and curiously, they varied greatly by size, provoking a morbid speculation that there were children among the dead. Who in their right mind would bring children into this God-Forsaken place?

"What in the Creator's name is this? Are you sure this is the right path? Lass?" Groaned Stepan. Eblana hushed him, and Jazdia did not answer, while the other elf followed her lead, walking through that path slowly and carefully so as not to disturb the scattering remains.

There was another crossroad, Jazdia took the right tunnel this time, leading them to a cavernous section of the labyrinth... where more skeletons could be seen. The elf stopped, stood still as if bracing herself for an impact. Her eyes gleamed with a purplish hue as she affixed her gaze on the dusty walls and nothingness, scanning beyond darkness and hard earth.

"We are on the right path. The end of this maze is still far, but thankfully, the devourers are already far away, and I saw no more of them. Find your courage, Sir Stepan. It's just an unfortunate coincidence that our paths intertwined with these... people."

The individuals she referred to were the skeletons filling this chamber. There were at least nine of them, more diverse than the specimens they had encountered along the path, making it difficult to determine if they belonged to the same group trapped together in this maze, or accumulations of victims dragged by devourers. Some still wore their armor, while others lay in civilian clothes, and some had no clothing at all. Those with armor bear markings that seemed identical to the knight they found near the gorge. There were rusty weapons scattered on the floor, and also some trinkets, old ripped clothes, and pieces of leather.

"The bones are at least one or two decades old." Mused Mr. Elc. "I wonder what happened here, dried bloodstains on the wall, armored men guarding the entrances. The place was a slaughterhouse."

"I am more curious about how half of them could be here to begin with. The amount of weapons and armor doesn't add up. The unarmed outnumbered the armed."

"Maybe the eyless thing's doing? Twas ten years ago you said. And things could be taken, kicked away, thrown, or dragged about and lost?" Stepan offered.

"Never heard devourers collect old swords and spears, but hey, not impossible."

Rezello

---

Spelunking wasn’t something new to Rezello - plenty of monsters and outlaws he had fought in previous adventures had turned caves into their lairs - but tunnels as labyrinthine as the ones their expedition found themselves in now were fairly rare. If these passages were indeed connected to the library, he could only imagine it must’ve been a convenient accident rather than an intentional construction. Either that, or elvish tunneling was more haphazard than he would have expected.

Their slow journey through the underground was halted as Jazdia detected a group of passing devourers. One of them hesitated for a moment, turning towards the party as though it had sensed their presence; Rezello’s grip on his weapon tightened as he readied to strike if it made any hostile actions, but thankfully it continued down the path the rest of its pack had gone down. After waiting a moment for the pack to become sufficiently distant, they continued their trek through the tunnels.

Before long, the branching tunnels opened up into a larger chamber. As Jazdia warned of the remains scattered on the ground within, Rezello stopped to inspect the one nearest him; another armored corpse, its metal shell in the same style as that of the fallen knight they found outside the entrance to the caverns. But something was off. While he could have been another fallen member of the Sten Corps from that contract, there were several more corpses in the chamber than the losses of that mission would have accounted for. And, when Rezello summoned another spark to get a better view of the deceased, it became clear that most of them couldn’t have been knights of Scheel.

Skeletons of various sizes, most unarmored, and what scraps of cloth remained on them was clearly civilian rather than the dress of a resting soldier caught unaware. The arrangement of the dead seemed to indicate a defensive perimeter, clearly the few battle-ready members of this doomed group trying to defend the helpless majority. But what were they doing here in the first place? There had never been a civilian excursion into the forest; at most, the occasional foolhardy treasure-hunters who fell victim to rumors of hidden gold and artifacts in the cursed lands. So why were they here? How did they get in these tunnels?

A hypothesis was starting to form in Rezello’s mind, and he didn’t like its conclusions.

Vesemir sniffed the air and shook his head. Dusty environments had been the bread and butter of his work, and he was no stranger to examining half-buried skeletons. However, this one was different; they were not unearthed bones that belonged to persons buried eons ago, these were recent, and seeing this many in one place brought up the reality of the enterprise he was currently leading. That in this place, death was sometimes far and sometimes as near as the jugular in one's neck.

"My condolences, sir Rezello," he said, and then a pause ensued as the old Scholar searched for words that could convey his curiosity but did not sound thoughtless. "I assume you know some of them. I could arrange another expedition to return them to their next of kins, that, if you don't mind, of course."
@Valkon

"Mr. Elc, would you happen to know if these creatures have a particularly keen sight or they use mostly hearing and smell to orientate themselves? Should we find ourselves in a... difficult situation where fighting shows itself to not be the best option... Exploiting their keen senses might be a very good idea. Be it a flash of bright light or a particularly loud noise with a high frequency..."

Miwa had to wait until she arrived in that large hall before the masked elf finally brought the topic back.

"They are practically blind, but somehow they can locate their victim in total darkness. Did the keen hearing contribute to that mastery? Likely so, but can we use a loud noise to stop it? I doubt it. The night before you arrived in our camp, we dealt with a few of them, and the explosion from Miss Jazdia's was as loud as you could imagine, yet they stayed at their position unflinched. I'd put my bet more on the light, but to say it is benefiting us is a matter of debate, and it only has to be used as a last resort."

Pausing to, he then continued after recalling experiences. "What I mean by that is like this: We keep the light around us, but only at low intensity. It was to mask our presence. The balance had to be maintained. No light, and we will be visible to them, too much of it, and they will see it as a beacon worth attacking. Sure, they can be blinded with a bright flash of light, but it will only stop them for a while, and if some of them couldn't get us, they will resort to calling their brethren, and... we really don't want that fight, even if Vesemir's lantern is as bright as the sun. Light does not hurt them physically, and devourers are known to be a bunch of persistent creatures, and in this tunnel, sense of direction mattered less if there were only two directions for them to attack. And I'am sure they employed the same tactic on these people."

When Mr. Elc spoke about the "people," the young sojourner finally looked around to see what the elves had been discussing earlier.

"Gods... There are probably children among these bones... To die in such a place... Without even receiving a proper burial..."

It was indeed terrible, and He let Miwa do her prayer. Moments passed before the same question that had been troubling them resurfaced again.

"What exactly happened here... Were they purposely corralled into these caves and cornered by the creatures? If they are smart enough to employ such tactics, we should be very careful..."

"I wish I could answer that," said the masked elf. "However, I doubt that this is a regular thing. The bones are uniformly old. Means the slaughtering was a one-time occurrence. And no, they might be smart for a feral creature, but they aren't that smart to put a collar around the neck."

Despite saying that, Mr Elc felt it did little to ease his mind, and he diverted his attention to the westernant knight, who had been examining a few corners thoroughly. His guts told him that Rezello knew who they were. The question was, if this had occurred ten years ago, how the heck had he never heard about it? The number of people was too many; there should have been one or two survivors to tell a tale or ask for the rescue. Were they here for something illicit? The kind of business they didn't want the Varenheim government to know? With women and children?

---

The caves were dark, damp, and echoed with the shuffling of feet, either that of the party or the devourers. If this was meant to be an alternate path, maybe the caution was indeed warranted. Creatures that can see in the dark much like how other beings can see in the light. Such an inverse of sight was fascinating, and was confusing as well. To be blind, but sighted in the dark. How curious. Fia mainly stood near the middle of the group, behind that of the imposing warriors and leaders of the path, yet in front of those who were less combat focused and even on of the three Akari that had appears shortly after the sunlight vanished.

“As far as scenic routes go, I have to give these caverns a low rating. A little out of date when it comes to horror homes, no?” said Fia, attempting to help lighten the mood. The group had managed to avoid any encounters with monsters, and according to Jazdia, they would be safe going forward. But such humor came at a poor time as the cave opened up into a larger room. The flickering sparks of Rezello’s flame barely lit the far walls, though the ceiling remained low. Among the rubble of the stone and dirt were the remains of several individuals. Individuals that Rezello seemed to have a connection with. At least according to Vesemir.

“You said that an entire town disappeared suddenly one day? The remains here seem awfully light to populate an entire town. And even then, you would think there was more evidence of an invasion of only these monsters corralled them away.” said Fia. She wandered near one of the piles of bones, it was browned with dust and dirt, obviously corroded by the elements, no flesh remaining of any sort. They were small, delicate, and gave away just how young some of the victims were. “I don’t know what kind of sorcery was at play then. We can only wish that the souls of these people didn’t suffer.

“Coming back or carrying them out seems more dangerous than it’s worth.” said Fia. She wasn’t cold in her delivery, but spoke more out concern for any future endeavors into the Twilight lands. “It would be faster to cremate them and let the ashes scatter. At least then their bones would no longer be gnawed on, and you could give any last rites have you any.”

Rezello

---

"My condolences, sir Rezello," he said, and then a pause ensued as the old Scholar searched for words that could convey his curiosity but did not sound thoughtless. "I assume you know some of them. I could arrange another expedition to return them to their next of kins, that, if you don't mind, of course."

Rezello glanced at the scholar, looking back down at the skeletal corpse in front of him before answering, “I appreciate the offer, but in their state I’m not sure I could identify most of them... nor am I certain whether there would be any next of kin to return them to.” With a wave of his hand he extinguished the second spark he had been using to inspect the bodies before continuing, “Aside from myself, I only know of twelve others that evaded the disappearance in Scheel, and I’m not entirely certain of their current whereabouts...”

“You said that an entire town disappeared suddenly one day? The remains here seem awfully light to populate an entire town. And even then, you would think there was more evidence of an invasion of only these monsters corralled them away.” said Fia. She wandered near one of the piles of bones, it was browned with dust and dirt, obviously corroded by the elements, no flesh remaining of any sort. They were small, delicate, and gave away just how young some of the victims were. “I don’t know what kind of sorcery was at play then. We can only wish that the souls of these people didn’t suffer.

“It may simply be some misplaced hope of mine for answers to questions I’ve had for a decade, but from the age of the bones, the armor of the combatants, the... variety of deceased... I am confident these were people of Scheel. But, as you say, the number of bodies hardly accounts for all who vanished, and the matter of how they got here remains unanswered. I fear we may find more elsewhere in the forest...”

Perhaps they would have been better off if they really had just vanished.

"Ssss! Where am I? When am I?"

At the side of the group, largely not paid any attention to, Verdant hissed softly as light returned to her eyes. The experience from the last sixteen or so hours crashed down into her mind, from the newly added member in vaguely familiar getup to the next morning's breakfast and following journey until they ended up in the depth of devourer lair.

The serpent slowly blinked once. Twice. Then shrugged. Must've fell into another trance. Been a while since the last one, it had only been a frequent occurrence not long after she acquired her human form.

"Gotta be some sort of unique sight adapted to near-total darkness." She quipped from the side, comparing it with some of her forms. There's surprisingly few overlap despite the seemingly reptilian root of the devourers. "Closest... I can think of the eyeless snakes' degenerated eyes. Some sort of differentiation between light and dark. Dont think it's heat vision, or tasting the air. Probably not vibration either. But sounds are possible." Her insight may not add much to what should or should not be done when it comes to attracting devourer presence, but it did narrow it down somewhat. Perhaps it'll be useful. Perhaps not. Verdant simply wanted to talk a bit after that moment of trance.

"I dont think they're very smart at all. The light is an, uh, anom-ally? But none of them comes to check it out."

“I appreciate the offer, but in their state I’m not sure I could identify most of them... nor am I certain whether there would be any next of kin to return them to.” With a wave of his hand he extinguished the second spark he had been using to inspect the bodies before continuing, “Aside from myself, I only know of twelve others that evaded the disappearance in Scheel, and I’m not entirely certain of their current whereabouts...”

"I... I see, I hope there is some answer you can earn from this expedition." Vesemir tapped the knight's pauldron and moved on. He was aware of how his offer could sound like a fake decency, but God knows he meant every word he said.

"Feel bad for Master Rezello," he mused as he walked closer to Eblana and Jazdia. "Only nine survived, including him. I could only imagine how hard it is, being one of the few who survived."

Eblana could only sigh, while Jazdia had no comment on that matter. She turned and walked toward the exit, ready to leave this gloomy place. On her way, she noticed that Verdant was chatty again, which was a good thing.

"I dont think they're very smart at all. The light is an, uh, anom-ally? But none of them comes to check it out."

"Now you say that, I agree. We have been wondering why, but considering this has been a tried-and-true trick, we rangers didn't think much about it." Answered mr Elc, fixing his mask before continuing. "The fact that whoever is above my pay grade doesn't show any interest in studying these creatures doesn't help either."

"They would if it serves the national interest, but that's very unlikely given the history of this place. So, I'm afraid there won't be any nation-sponsored journal for it in the foreseeable future. Let's temper our hopes; we have come this far, which means our guesses are working. Those devourers aren't getting any smarter, but they might return. Let's get going."

As their brief visit to the grim chamber concluded, Jazdia, out of curiosity, glanced back. She could have sworn she saw the shadows of the fallen rematerialize as the light from Vesemir's lantern faded away.

The path ahead inclined gently, revealing openings that, in the dim light, appeared as a four-meter-wide chasm of unknown depth. Clusters of glowing mushrooms lined the sides of the path, sprouting on dried skeletons and gaps where blood and human remains were once stuck.

Jazdia plucked one of the mushrooms and tossed it into the chasm, and it landed on what looked like a solid floor, just six meters below.

Not far from that 'chasm', the road in front of them was branched again. To the right or to the left? Their navigator had not made her choice, nor had she activated her eyes to check if they had gone astray. She simply stopped and inquired.

"The treasure is on the right path, our destination is to the left. What path will you choose?"

---

Fia’s right hand was held out at her side, with the palm facing the ceiling prepared to bring forth more flames to cremate what remains of Sheel lay about. However, Rezello didn’t seem keen on any idea involving their displacement instead sharing part of his sad memory of that time ten years ago. Even so, there was determination that rode upon his voice over the sorrow. He had come for answers and had found the chisel to chip at the stone that blocked his path. A mystery a decade old was unraveling, ready to reveal the closure the knight very much wanted.
“Ah, my darling serpentine emerald has woken from her slumbering coil.” said Fia one she heard the slithering voice of the yokai girl. Rezello had steeled himself to discover more answers, so now the focus was more on the caves themselves. Fia clasped her hands together as she spun on her heel to face the snake girl. “How I’ve missed the breath of your voice. I only we could seal of silence on our furnace knight, then life would be that much grander.”
“But to answer the question at hand, if you find me one of those devourers alive, I might be able to glean some information on just what makes them tick. You can learn a surprising amount in a short time just by testing their limits” Fia quickly pulled a large knight out from behind her back, somehow strapped near the ties of her corset. Fia twirled the knife in hand a little as she stared so intensely. She ended her flare holding the knife handle gingerly in one hand, resting the tip of the knife with the index finger of the other. “National interest or no, if anyone else as my virescent darling is interested enough, I could sacrifice some time to figure it out.”
Fia smiled and let out a quick breath of air, almost like she laughed. She carefully returned the large knife into its tough hide sheath and looked towards the elf. The room was depressing enough with the bodies of stolen loved ones. And with none of the devourers around, no answers would be found regarding anything with the room or the creatures themselves. Shadows barely flickered as the masked knight’s flames danced in an almost hypnotic color, their only source of light for the moment. But there was the opportunity the cursed elf casually dropped. Something that has always lifted the spirits of any adventure into unknown lands and forgotten pasts.
“I am always weak for treasure, darling. Seeking answers is the main goal, yes. However, to wander the lands the world chose to ignore and not bring back souvenirs. Well, that feels like a crime. You said that none of those devourers were in this section of the caves? What harm is there in a slight detour?”

All of Akari's figure slowly shown her appearance from transparency. One looking from their behind path, one sticking with Miss Eblana and the last one appeared close to Jazdia and others discussing the path of tunnel and the treasure area. She listened from the rest of them as she did glance on those who discussed about the decisions.

"I don't mind to go first for better caution and for scouting. All of us have shared memories and it we could easily replace the lost figure when something happened." Akari joined the three ladies.

<Snipped quote>

"The treasure is on the right path, our destination is to the left. What path will you choose?"

@Randomness

@Randomness

“I am always weak for treasure, darling. Seeking answers is the main goal, yes. However, to wander the lands the world chose to ignore and not bring back souvenirs. Well, that feels like a crime. You said that none of those devourers were in this section of the caves? What harm is there in a slight detour?”

"Very well," Jazdia said. There was nothing in her tone and expression but a sheer indifference that apparently did not discourage the others from expressing similar interest in that chest full of gold. And honestly, she thought they shouldn't.

"I see no problems in making a small detour, should you guys want to check the treasure."

@13org
Miwa said. Seemingly emboldened by Fia's words. Another party member stepped up, it was Verdant.

"As for the treasure, I can head off real quick to take a look? Shouldn't take long at all."

With that the diminutive serpent shrank, all the way into a tiny little snake barely as long as one's forearm. With a flick of the tail she circled around Miwa and Fia with surprisingly swift pace, small trail of dust rising in her wake.

She's fast, got pretty good darksight, and small enough to avoid notice. Practically made for the job, and Jazdia did not see any reason to say no to such a simple plan.

@Akari

"I don't mind to go first for better caution and for scouting. All of us have shared memories and it we could easily replace the lost figure when something happened."

Akari's sudden entry into the conversation and the appearance of her clone near her took Jazdia off guard, enough to slightly shake her stolid demeanor. And again, she found the proposition solid despite a few things they all should notice.

But before the elf could say her approval, she realized that saying yes was not her call. Vesemir was still their party leader, and she quickly transferred his gaze to the old elf, who seemed lost in his own thought.

"Vesemir?"

"Ah, yes. About the treasure? Well, the vault isn't going anywhere, and the treasure is near. It's all yours to take. Consider it a perk of the job, eh?"

Jazdia turned her attention back to Akari and Verdant, who had turned into a very enthusiastic little viper. "Go straight, and you will find another chamber. In that chamber, you will see a set of stairs that leads into an elevated room. Careful, there is another rift in that path---"

Jazdia suddenly pressed a knuckle to her forehead. Apparently, there was a flaw in that plan she had almost overlooked. That damn curse was making her decision-making sloppy. "I almost forgot. Akari, do you have anything to light up the path? Your clone cannot go without one."

Akari's sudden entry into the conversation and the appearance of her clone near her took Jazdia off guard, enough to slightly shake her stolid demeanor. And again, she found the proposition solid despite a few things they all should notice.

But before the elf could say her approval, she realized that saying yes was not her call. Vesemir was still their party leader, and she quickly transferred his gaze to the old elf, who seemed lost in his own thought.

"Vesemir?"

"Ah, yes. About the treasure? Well, the vault isn't going anywhere, and the treasure is near. It's all yours to take. Consider it a perk of the job, eh?"

Jazdia turned her attention back to Akari and Verdant, who had turned into a very enthusiastic little viper. "Go straight, and you will find another chamber. In that chamber, you will see a set of stairs that leads into an elevated room. Careful, there is another rift in that path---"

Jazdia suddenly pressed a knuckle to her forehead. Apparently, there was a flaw in that plan she had almost overlooked. That damn curse was making her decision-making sloppy. "I almost forgot. Akari, do you have anything to light up the path? Your clone cannot go without one."

"Usually I could lit some own fire... But I think I prefer to borrow some from Sire Rezello..." Akari answered the Female High Elf Ranger. One of her figure approached the figure that Jazdia talking with. Distributing some throwable weapons like shuriken and kunai.

Better than prepared. She could at least bring some throwables besides her ninjato.

"I dont need light source! Be right back!"

A high-pitched version of Verdant's voice echoed from the little serpent before she shot right off into the darkness, leaving the rapidly receding soft susurration of a slithering serpent in her wake.

And then she was gone, and Akari was left behind.

"Well, if you want to catch up with her, you'd better do it fast."

It was quite intriguing that Vesemir did not offer his lantern. Usually, the old elf would jump straight ahead to offer a solution. The lantern was special, true, but hunting for treasure usually came with a prospect of finding a historical artifact.

"Usually I could lit some own fire... But I think I prefer to borrow some from Sire Rezello..."

In all honesty, the unpreparedness on the Shinobi's part was duly noted with a sigh, and the elf, visibly perplexed and tired, was ready to pluck one of her arrows to give this clone of a lousy spy some light so she wouldn't jump into a dark abyss.

But Fia would step in, flicking her wrist forward to conjure a small ball of light and then guide it to be next to Akari. It glowed in a similar intensity to Rezello's candlelight and seemed 'smart' enough to follow whoever the spell was assigned to. "How convenient".
“Here you go, darling. Treasure awaits us.”

@Akari