The group cautiously approached the temple and after searching the top portion, they headed down the stairs. Elizabeth meekly followed behind.
There was no blood nor defeated enemies as they walked down the stairs. Which left them confused as to where the belligerents that caused the upturned dirt and cut grass went.
“Hmm, I wonder if Elizabeth chased the poor bastards into the forest,” Ruby commented.
“Tch, if that bitch was sloppy enough to let them run off. We don't need her.” Furor responded before cricking his neck.
As they walked down the stairs, Nigel hastily placed himself between the two.
(“We're in enemy territory now.”) Furor thought. (“I can beat the shit out of this dumbass when we're finished.”)
Ruby held herself back from sweeping his legs as they didn't know what was in store for them at the bottom of the stairs.
When they arrived at the first floor, Lily immediately noticed the blood stain on the floor and pointed it out when everyone else walked past it.
Tina was the first to crouch down and get a good look at it.
“Seems pretty small for something Elizabeth did,” Tina commented. Most gathered agreed by nodding along.
“She’s probably trying to lead them back to their friends,” Ruby commented.
Tina scoffed and walked off when she approached the stain.
“If we aren't quick, we might not get to do anything.” She continued.
“Then let's get a fucking move on and split up.”
He walked off but someone ran over and grabbed his shoulder.
“Wait!” Nora was the one who interjected. “You still haven't decided who you're going to travel with, we can't just-”
He slapped her hand off and lowered his head to look her directly in the face when he turned around.
“Don't put us together on the same level, you weak bitch.”
Her face soured but he showed no care. He pushed her back and she clicked her tongue, as she accepted the shove.
“I'm not huddling together with any of you shits like a little bitch. I'm going to go through this place and get a job done. If you all weren't so worthless we wouldn't have to worry about some sorry sack of shit ending one of you but that's just the world we live in.”
She had already turned around and walked off but he made sure he finished his message.
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He walked in a random direction of the dungeon, and the rest split into teams, hoping to explore the dungeon safely.
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Walking down a hallway were Tina, Lily and Nora. Tibaut and Elizabeth were supposed to be with them, and Nora with another group, but with their absences, there had to be a change in plan.
They explored around the floor, but with most pathways being blocked off with boxes, and said paths looking unused it was easy to traverse.
They encountered a guard and Tina felled him in one strike. He wore plain-looking attire but if he lived down here and had access to a sword he had to be one of them.
Standing before the man with a hole in his chest, Nora couldn't help but sigh.
“sigh So are we just not gonna get information out of them first?” She asked.
“If you want to find out what sort of magic he has, you can do that in your own time,” Lily answered. She searched his pockets and…
“Oh, a map.”
Tina used the man's sleeve to wipe off her spear’s blade.
“Quit your bitching Nora. See we did get something out of him, plus we didn't have to listen to him lie to us. I think this is way more efficient than what you were planning.” Tina said.
“Whatever.” She said in an uncaring tone. She walked closer to Lily and had a gander at the map. They looked at the map and it had two sides to it.
“Based on this the top one, I'd say it's mapping out this floor. The map stops at a few places, including where the boxes are located.” Nora said as she recalled the floor.
“Do you think they have anything special past those boxes?” Lily asked, looking towards one.
“I doubt it, it's more likely space the inhabitants have found useless.”
“Bastards have a whole dungeon to themselves yet they don't want to use it?” Tina said.
“For what exactly?” Nora responded.
“I don't know, there must be something they could use it for!” She said aggressively.
Based on a symbol on the map, it looked like there was a stairway that led deeper into the dungeon. There was also an office of some kind marked on the map, but based on how sparse this floor was, it wasn't likely they'd find anyone important there. Besides, it was really out of the way to get there.
They continued into the dungeon, following the map, until they found the stairs to the second floor. On a wall close to the stairway, a blood-covered hand print was on the wall. Lily quickly rushed towards it and examined it.
“Elizabeth's really doing some work. This is recent but it's definitely not as recent as any of us entering.”
“She keeps underestimating me. Why does she have so much faith in him and not me?” Tina muttered to herself.
“What was that Tina? You still going on about that redhead, eh?” Nora asked sarcastically.
Tina gave her a pinch on the side and Lily moved between them to de-escalate.
“Let her sulk, it's good for her to think about men that don't exist in her fantasies.”
The pair ran down the stairs with Tina close behind.
Carefully observing her surroundings, Elizabeth exited a nearby room, making her way towards the stairway.
“I can't tell if they know we're here or performing something important.”
An almost empty floor, while safe, concerned her. Did they prepare an ambush or were preoccupied with something? They were a cult after all, so it wouldn't surprise her if they were busy killing a horse somewhere deep within the dungeon as a blood sacrifice to whatever childish fantasy they believed.
(“I hope I'm overthinking this but I can't imagine this is all there is to this place. Based on what Mr. Bentley said, this was the final step in our battles with these bastards.”)
The footsteps of the three girls had faded and she quickly made her way down the stairs, slowing herself down when she heard them.