"Another day stuck with this brat," Jordan complained again, the fifth time since Nicholos and Tera descended another floor. All week he’d done this: Carmine would search, and Jordan would complain. At this point, She just sighed, and tried to focus on picking through a floor already cleared. Maybe she'd find something to cover Jordan’s mouth. Hopefully, she wasn’t too far off. Each floor held something she'd never seen before, beds of warm air, crystals that light a room just by walking by them, even floors that raised and lowered on their own. These things nearly blew Carmine's mind, but Nicholos didn't bat an eye. This was all normal to him.

That meant she had to find something, anything that could surprise him. She'd show him that bringing her was the right decision. Whatever she found had to be amazing, incredible! There would be time to find something, she knew she would, but right now, she would settle for finding some quiet.

"You know you can wait by the lifts," Carmine grumbled back, turning to point back to the way they came. "Go back and leave me be.

"They already searched the floor, you're wasting your time, and more importantly, my time!" Jordan pointed at himself with an annoyed, twitching finger. "I didn't come all this way to be your babysitter."

"Don't then," Carmine replied. She found her voice more easily after a few days with this dolt. “I n-never asked you to come. I can explore on my own."

"Oh, can you? You sure you won't jump and run the first time you see a statue?"

"I only did that once," Carmine fidgeted with a conflicted expression of annoyance and shame. She hid her face by crouching to peek under one of the shelves in the room. Nothing there but her urge to hide. "I-I thought it was one of those m-monsters you talked about."

"It could have been," Jordan said. He rubbed his forehead as if he had the world's biggest headache before pointing at Carmine again. "You know, as hard as you make it, girly, it's an exorcist's job to protect people from dark and heretical monsters. Human or not."

Carmine furrowed her brow, his voice twisted in frustration at the end of his words. "But you're just a Novice." She added.

"Apprentice," Jordan corrected through clenched teeth, "and I will get there."

"If you say so." Carmine turned back to the room in front of her. A mural covered the back wall, as pristine as the rest of this place. It showed people at the feet of the Ancients as the ancients touched their heads. No one in them ever looked like an elves though. Was she supposed to feel special or ignored? She reached her hand towards the image, trying to trace the glowing lines running through the walls again, but Jordan pushed her hand down.

"Don't touch me," Carmine snapped, clutching her arm away from the sudden grasp, glaring at the novice.

"Fine, fine." He pulled his hands back, giving her an alarmed look. "Just don't go touching anything."

"What is your problem?" Carmine stepped toward Jordan, riding a mix of angry anxiety for all it was worth. "Why are you being so mean all the time? First at our house and now here? Why?"

"I'm just making sure you don't try to interfere with the mission."

"Why would I do that?" Carmine shrugged her shoulders.

"You're an elf, your kind does a buncha shit for secret reasons."

"Wha-!" Carmine flinched back as if the stupidity was infectious. "Are- Are you scared of me? Scared I might, what, stab you with my pointy ears?" Carmine wiggles her ears up and down.

"Don't be ridiculous," Jordan with more bite in his voice than normal. "You don't scare me."

"Then why are you so mean?"

Jordan scrunched his nose, grumbling and groaning as he folded his arms. "Look, forget it," he said, turning his back. "Just don't touch anything...dangerous. I don't know."

"You don't even know? You try to chase off my teacher away from my house, and you don't even know?" Carmine’s hands tightened to fists just remembering how he treated Vale.

"That was different!" Jordan whipped back around. "I didn't know she was your teacher- aunt, or whatever. You can't take chances with fauns. She could've been a thief, or a vandal. You know: fauns hate that we cut down trees for our home. They burn them down, sometimes with people inside."

"That's ridiculous!" How dare he even suggest that. "Vale would never hurt us. She wouldn't hurt anyone! She's a healer, she helps people."

"Whatever you say, kid. I just know you can't take chances around fauns. You know one, fair enough, but tons of them are extremist, greenthumbed cutthroats as like to murder you quick and clean as burn your home to the ground and have a fucking song and dance while it burns."

For a moment, phantom flames crawled up Carmine’s skin before she banished the memory. No, don't think. Carmine focused her wincing eyes on Jordan, letting the absurdity of his words fill her head with anger, giving into it, pushing everything else out.

"You're- You're a fff- You're a really bad person!" Carmine stormed past Jordan, shaking. Her urge to explore completely ruined, now she just wanted to curl up back at camp. She heard steps following and she couldn't hold her tongue. "Have you even met any Fauns? Spoken to them? And no, without threats I mean. Doubt it, 'cause you're a- a- an ass." She repeated after Nicholos, hoping it would have the same mouth shutting effect.

"You're naive," Jordan dismissed. "You'll see when you're older, not everyone's all sunshine and friendship." He waved his hands at her, mocking.

"You have no idea-"

Metal ground against metal in a low hum that sent a chill up Carmine's spine."What is that!?" Her eyes darted around the room, searching for the source as her heart beat in her ears. Something was coming.

"God, you're like a scared little rabbit in a wolf's den." Jordan lifted his wrist, showing a metal band around it with a small clock at its center. The buzz came again from the curious contraption. "It's a watch, kid. A watch. They're used to tell time in the real parts of Vembris." His condescension grated Carmine's ears before Jordan turned something on the watch and the buzzing stopped. He scoffed as Carmine's panic faded. "Yeah, you can do this alone, can't you bumpkin?"

Self important jerk, Carmine thought, clasping her hands together to still their shakes.

"I-I just wasn't e-expecting it. If you're so worried about this place, why do you even have that?"

"This floor’s clear, there’s no danger so stop whining."

"F-fine. That's your thing anyway."

"You little- It's an alarm for when Tera should be back. I've been tracking their time below each day." Jordan started walking towards the lift before Carmine could say more. "Come on. Your old man can take you off my hands."

Carmine crossed her arms, turning her face away and remaining planted on her spot. No way she'd follow him.

As his steps grew distant, Carmine scanned the room around her; across the room, in the corridor, around the next bend...anything could be lurking around the next corner.

M-maybe it was time to go back, but she wasn't following. She was going to meet Nico. Right.

Carmine half walked, half ran back to the lifts, cylindrical protrusions sticking out of the wall in a familiar dome shaped room, just like the entrance. More than familiar, it looked identical, right down to the smallest line in the wall. Every floor so far started the same; their walls would open up, take people inside, and sink deeper into the ruin. Like a big stone worm, swallowing us into its belly. Carmine turned away, shaking the image from her head, only to be faced with that thing again. Jordan knelt next to the packs and bedrolls, preparing to bring them down to the next floor, and stealing the best place to sit.

"They're supposed to be here, right," Carmine asked Jordan as she paced in front of him.

"They took about this long yesterday," He replied, checking his tiny clock again. "But we don't know how large the floor down there is, they might need more time. Relax, will ya, kid? You're making me nervous."

Carmine grumbled, falling into a cross-legged seat facing the lifts. Making him nervous, she shook her head, maybe you should be nervous. Carmine opened up her own journal, and started writing what she found on the newest floor, even if it was just murals and statues. Nicholos had probably seen all that and more. What hope did she really have at finding something he couldn't? Brave as she tried to be, wandering the ruin alone twisted her stomach in knots. Of course, the only thing to keep her company did the same for a different reason. Her pencil broke twice as she scribbled in a little stick figure of Jordan, buzzing from the arm up with a buck-toothed, cross-eyed look on his face.

Despite her smirk at her finished product, it faded without the slightest joy when she looked up to find Nicholos still hadn’t returned. Sweat started on Carmine's brow, and the sick twisting in her stomach only grew tighter. Where were they?

“Why aren’t they here yet,” Carmine bound up, staring at Jordan.

“I don’t know, kid,” The young exorcist threw up his hands. “If they’re busy, they’re busy, just be patient.”

“What if they're in trouble?"

"They're not, I'd know." Jordan lifted his wrist again, showing the silver frame of the watch. He pointed to a small blue stone, embedded in the top of its face. "Remember why Tera kept me back? If they're in trouble, they'd need me. I wouldn't be much help if they couldn't signal. If they had issues, this thing would be ringing." He moved his wrist closer to Carmine's face. "Well? Hear anything?"

"No…" Carmine withdrew, tucking her head deeper in her coat. "B-but it rang before."

"It'd be different." Jordan took his arm back. He tried to return to his loafing, but Carmine's uneasy stare called his attention back in under a minute. "Look kid," he said with a sigh, "I can signal my master to check in. Its supposed to be, you know for actual dangers, so...you took this off me and started pressing buttons, got it?" Carmine nodded. Even if she was just over worrying Miss Tera wouldn't believe weak story like that anyway. Jordan thumbed a small button on his tiny clock and the a blue stone embedded within blinked with his touch. he flourished his wrist towards her with a confident grin, while Carmine wrung her hands together in anxious impatience.

"It's not like they're gonna just appear," Jordan excused and he lounged back on his bedroll. Time crept on, and still Nicholos hadn't returned.

"How long?" Carmine asked after another minute.

"How should I know?"

"What if they're stuck?"

"Kid, it's been literal minutes."

"What if they're in trouble?"

"Why do you have to whine so much?"

"I'm not whining! You're not looking!"

"What do you want me to do!?" Jordan sat up, throwing his arms over his head.

"M-Maybe we should go down?" Carmine's voice trembled as she made her suggestion.

"They told us to stay here. Just give them some time, besides: I don't really feel like disobeying Tera."

"What if she's in trouble? I thought you wanted to go with her."

"I did, but if she says stay, I stay." Jordan looked towards the lift. "Besides, it looks like you have nothing to worry about."

Carmine followed his gaze to the lifts. One of them glowed as the same lights running through the walls flowed up the lift doors. Humming walls sent a tingle up Carmine's neck as the whole room thrummed with arcane power. She recognized the sensation; this place casted magic again. Carmine ran to the lift door. She had questions, but all of them could wait until she saw Nico okay.

The humming ended as the lift arrived. Carmine approached the door, clutching her hands close to her chest.

"N-Nico?" She called out, inching closer. Metal scuffing met her call, shuffling inside the lift. Its doors opened just a crack before getting stuck. Carmine peeked through the door and something lurched inside to meet her gaze. Sickly green eyes landed on hers.

"Oh no," a weak gasp was all that escaped Carmine as she tried to run, but a spindly arm shot out from inside and snatched her scarf. The fabric tightened around her neck as she felt herself yanked back. She started to fall to panic as she coughed out her few breaths that she had left.

"Oh fuck," Jordan shouted as he scrambled to his feet, searching his pile for his sword. What a time to lose it! Nico wasn't here, Jordan was no help...she had to do something while she could still think.

Carmine strained her head back to the lift, only to see those sickly eyes glowing back. Her fingers shook as she tried to aim through the spots forming in her vision. She held on to her last breath even as her lungs burned. The lift door inched a little wider, allowing her to see her assailants full visage. Skin stretched thin, almost translucent over a filthy, dirt covered skull. Wisps of hair dangled around the side of its head and chin as its broken mouth opened with an ear piercing screech. She had to act. Now.

Carmine cast her spell, sending a mote of arcane force into the terrible creature's face. Its head snapped back, teeth flying off in every direction, and its grip on Carmine's scarf released.

She fell to the floor, gasping, coughing, taking in the sweetest breath of stale air she'd ever had. Another screech ended her relief before she could rise to her feet. Metal ground against metal as the creature gripped the lift doors, forcing them open. Moldy, shredded cloth clung to its skeletal form, putrid and revolting to Carmine's senses. Vale had shown Carmine a diagram of a skeleton before, yet this thing differed from what she'd seen. Its fingers warped into claws, its ribs split and bent outward, running up its chest in a jagged maw. Its legs looked closer to a dog's, while its feet made talons out of what bones remained.

Carmine scrambled back as the creature stalked towards her, scraping the floor with every step. It lowered one hand to the ground, ready to pounce, when one of the exorcist's backpacks landed over its head. Jordan's battle cry filled the room, his sword raised in front of him as stood between Carmine and the monster. It flailed, blinded, as Jordan carefully lopped off one claw after the other before landing a swing through the pack into the creature's skull. Its cries died in an instant, its body clattering apart, leaving only the pair of apprentices heaving every breath.

"Fuck," Jordan wheezed, wiping sweat from his brow. "Fuck. Damnit, Fuck!"

Carmine caught her breath. Normally, she'd tell him to watch his mouth, but now...now she agreed."W- Was that…?"

"Yeah. A thrall." Jordan took a deep breath. The tip of his sword fell to the ground, his arms slacking as the tension of the attack faded, at least until realization crossed his face. "Wait, if that was on their lift…" He looked at Carmine, genuine fear behind his eyes.

And his fear infected Carmine. She thought of Nicholos down there, all alone, head lulled too far to one side, robe stained red. The thought alone froze her breath and seized her mind, save for one, second fear.

The steps she took, alone outside her cindered home, no one at her side.

"We- We have to go down there," Carmine insisted, already moving before doubt could stop her. A new lift sensed her approach, sliding metal doors from her path to reveal the confining round chamber with only a sphere on a pedestal inside.

"Wait, kid, wait!" Jordan stepped after her, getting inside the lift before the doors closed and barred him out. "Kid, that was just one thrall and you nearly got your neck snapped. Tera left me to help if there was trouble, you need to stay here."

"No!" Carmine barked, baring her teeth at herself as every instinct in her body wanted to agree. "If Nico's in trouble I'm going. Try to stop me and I'll just find another lift."

"At every turn, You're more trouble than you're worth," Jordan growled, putting his head through the hole of his metal chest piece. "Fine. I'm not gonna balk at a mage, even a novice right now."

"Apprentice." Carmine glared.

"Whatever," Jordan reached out to a crystal sphere in the wall. Nicholos and Tera used them to control the lifts. "Luckily, these are the same as back home. I can get us down there. Last thing we need right now is falling down a chasm." Jordan placed his hand on the sphere. Its transparent core brightened at his touch, lighting the lift in soft hues of blue. Jordan closed his eyes, mouthing the words "next floor down." Carmine's knees turned to jelly for a second as the room started moving.

"There…" Jordan eased his back to the wall, sweating despite the underground chill. "Alright kid, no jokes or lip this time. You stay close, and do what I say until we see my master, got it?"

Carmine nodded. "J-Just this once"