"Don't be," Auryon says. "At least, for me. It was my own damn fault."
Kratzer just shrugs. "Could be worse."
"All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost."
Adeline nodded and poked her head out of the cave entrance. It was still raining outside. She would just have to go very slow so that she didn't slip, but otherwise the rain wouldn't affect her.
"He should probably stay here." She pointed to the man who had collapsed, knowing it was kind of rude. She didn't know any names besides Kartiel's.
Thanks to whatever had wrecked the building, it was easy enough for Kendrik to climb in through the busted window. He got a few cuts on his hands in the process, but nothing severe enough to catch his attention. Jaron, in the meantime, tried to go through the door. It stayed stuck in place. After pushing at the door for a few seconds, the fox ducked in time for Thytes to punch the door. It fell off its hinges and landed on top of the box that had been jammed against it.
"How odd," said Thytes, stepping into the store after Jaron. "You would suppose that somebody had tried to bar the entrance, obviously to little effect. One should thus find their body, but it's nowhere."
Kendrik scanned the walls. Bottles, jars, boxes, barrels. He could smell pickles, dried meats and vegetables, and alcohol. "I'm not gonna think 'bout it," he said, picking up a bottle of brandy. "Least we don't have ta worry 'bout food."
Jaron picked up one of the shirts. Blue and tattered, but the SAHR logo was imprinted on it. "They liked those symbols," he whispered.
As Kendrik set the bottle down and pulled out what he was pretty sure was a box of jerky from the wall, Thytes walked behind the counter. "Stairs," he said, heading up the first couple steps. "To some kind of room? Barred with a locked door, of course. I may have pulled a muscle in my hand from busting open the last one. Does anyone else have a solution?"
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse a persona che mai tornasse al mondo, questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero, senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.
Kartiel looked from James to Adeline. He wanted to go out with her, but he wouldn't be able to do much if he was in pain the entire time. He resigned himself to waiting inside the mouth of the cave with James and Leo. He plopped down on the ground beside them.
xXx
Reyes had followed them inside the building through the opening that Thytes had created. He had been in some disturbing places before, but this place was absolutely eerie. There was nothing more frightening than a place that had been left with all of its belongings inside - it was a reminder that someone had once spent time there, even if it was long ago.
He picked up one of the shirts with the SAHR logo and studied it. It reminded him of something, but he just couldn't recall what that something was. It was frustrating - whatever it was, it was just on the tip of his tongue.
Wisely pocketing his find, he joined the others. "I might have a solution," he said with a smile. That was one problem he could face. "My line of works makes it handy to be able to pick locks. If you give me some time, I might be able to pick it."
Adeline stepped carefully into the rain. She tiptoed over to a clearing, peering through the raindrops in her eyelashes. Bending down, she picked up a basin-like rock that had gathered some rainwater and walked slowly back toward the cave with it.
Thytes walked back down the stairs and stepped out of the way. "A useful skill!" he said to Reyes. "Strange that the adventurers should not know of it. It appears to be a simple lock, so it shan't take long. Do tell us when you finish." He bowed and headed over to the counter, where Kendrik was trying to pry open the bottle cap with his teeth.
"Adventurers shouldn't be drunk either," said Thytes, snatching the bottle from Kendrik and stuffing it into his toga.
Kendrik leaned back and scowled. "'m not goin' through this creepy town sober. And why learn how ta pick locks when I got someone who can blow them up?" He gestured to Jaron, who was currently peering into a strange device that popped out piles of paper in a tray when he pressed a certain button.
"If you would rather be drunk," Thytes said, pulling out the bottle, pressing a claw into its cap, and popping it open, "Then I will be as well."
The hound shoved the bottle back. "Ugh," he said, "Yer even worse when yer drunk, so nope."
Thytes didn't try to hide the smile on his face. "Wise decision," he said.
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse a persona che mai tornasse al mondo, questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero, senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.
It took him a couple of minutes, but he easily made quick work of the lock. He was lucky enough to have his lockpicking kit on him; he had always carried it when filming at a new location, since it was impossible to tell if every door in the building would be open.
He returned to the group, triumphant, and pointed behind him at the door.
"It's open now."
xXx
Maahes also eagerly listened to what the boy had to say; he was just as oblivious as the woman was, though the boy had informed both of them of its presence.
He tapped the floor with his foot. "There's a beach underneath here. Don't ask me how, but there is. I teleported down there earlier with a big group of people. James over there-" He pointed at James, who was in the middle of drinking out of the basin. "-wanted to come back up. Which why I'm here instead of down there, but I'm planning on returning as soon as we're all done here."
Oh, that was fast. Thytes took a few steps away from the bottle and peered up the staircase. Sure enough, Reyes had successfully opened the door; it looked slightly ajar.
"Marvelous!" Thytes said, heading up the staircase. After a couple steps, he could hear Kendrik grab the bottle and take a swig. How predictable. Based on the subsequent noise, Thytes guessed Kendrik then stuffed the bottle under the counter. Assuming he wouldn't be distracted by something else, the lion figured he'd deal with Kendrik later.
Shaking Reyes's hand and nodding respectfully, Thytes pushed open the door. After one quick look inside, he moved an arm in front of Reyes. "There appears to be a slight problem," Thtyes said with a weak smile. "I should go take care of it first, so if you would excuse me just one moment."
Thytes stepped into the room, closing the door. It looked odd, but nothing too out of the ordinary. Large, a writing desk stuffed with books and notes to one corner, shelves of books taking up two walls, and a bed positioned to Thytes's left - fairly basic for a scholar. Well, save for the books and trinkets that had fallen all over the place, the metal sheets that covered what may had once been windows, and the body of a man hanging from one of the rafters.
"Poor fool," Thytes whispered, stepping around a rug and reaching for the bed. He yanked off one of the bedsheets from the disheveled bed, stretching it out on the floor. He pulled the rope off the neck of the heavily rotted corpse, set that corpse on the ground, and covered it with a blanket.
"All clear!" Thytes called out.
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse a persona che mai tornasse al mondo, questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse. Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero, senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.
Adeline glanced over at James. He seemed to protest or tense up at every mention of the beach. She was still trying to gather information about it, so she gently sat herself in front of him.
"Why are you so opposed to the beach?", she asked quietly, "if I may ask."
