“So then what are we going to do?” She asks to let go of the impostor and stomps off toward the hall. “Well we can get him secured, we can just check down that passage”. Asher says, receiving a nod from Avory. “True but it’d be easier if he’d just tell me,” Hailey mutters walking back into the room they left the impostor in.  Grabbing him by his wrists she begins whispering. ‘Huh, so that's what human spells look like’ Asher thinks as a layer of ice covers the siren from his feet to his shoulders. 

“Alright, that'll hold him for a while,” she mutters motioning for Asher and Avory to follow her. there's a few places he could be mainly because the others have traps.”  nodding opening the passage she leads them into the dark tunnel.

Rumble click swoosh

 “Alright there's a trap room over on that far side so the normal room should be around here,” she mutters, pushing open one of the doors. “What exactly did he use to get my father here?” she asks, looking through the room. “He should be in a small black bag tied with a length of rope,'' Asher says looking through a nearby crate.

‘Doesn’t look like he’s here” says Avory looking through a cabinet.  “Alright so he’s not in here but it looks like something’s been here,” Hailey says showing them a batter's box. “Looks kinda like it’s been chewed on maybe?” Asher mutters looking at the marks. “We might run into whatever caused this.” She says, frowning at the box. ‘This might take a while he thinks as he follows Hailey from the room.

Following her, they pass three doors. “Should we check them?” Asks Avory as they make their way down the hall.  “Not really most of these rooms have traps,” Hailey says as they round a corner.  “It might help us figure out what was in that room... Or not looks like we’ll be dealing with them sooner than later”  he says, noticing a large shadow near a door.  

‘Is that a rat? Or maybe just a rat beastkin it's huge’ Asher thinks as Hailey makes her way toward it. Following close behind her he watches as she reaches out her hand. “Frosted crystallin ravine chilled grasp of vines I call on the blessing of  Cillianina high goddess of ice” she mutters. 

Rumble swoosh

‘Oh wow,’ he thinks as the temperature in the hall drops.  A large mass of icy vines erupts from the floor grabbing a hold of the large rodent.  Twisting around its body the vines begin thickening as they turn into a large hand. “What is it?” he asks as Hailey walks up to it.

“ some sort of rat? I don’t know I’ve never seen it before” she mutters walking toward it. 

Hiss squelch  hiss drip 

‘oh no’ he thinks, grabbing Hailey and pulling her back just as the large rat heaves releasing a putrid green liquid melting away the ice. “Well, it's obviously not going to talk to us” Avory mutters, pulling a pair of gloves on. Pulling a large bottle he pours enough to coat his fingers into his hand. Summoning a shield he dashes up to it. 

We are probably better off just killing it’ asher thinks watching as Avory slams his hand into its side. gouging out a large section of it he fishes a small black object from his pocket and processes it to the wound before jumping back. “ that should handle it “ Avory says, stepping behind the shield as the rat begins to smoke and melt.

squelch rip  plop

swoosh screech hiss 

 ‘Well then’ asher thinks as the rat becomes a large vicious puddle on the gowns. “um should we do something about that?” he asks as Hailey steps around it. “it’ll burn away in a second.” Avory says waving Asher's concern. “what did you even use?” “an infurnel ember made from drang scale.“  

“Well if we find him there's a large chance he’s seriously injured,”Hailey mutters leading them past a few doors. 

this is the last room without traps before the exit” she mutters opening the door. “ are you going to do something about the giant rat problem?” asks Asher as they begin looking through crates. “Well sure we will, it'll just have to wait until we find my dad.” she says shrugging. 

‘oh so he’s more important to her than the acidic rats. i wonder if im that important to skylar’ he thinks as he moves on to looking in barrels. “looks like he’s not here unless the  bags in that barrele?”Hailey asks, watching as Ashr pulls  “not one that matches the one he was put in? No none of them look similar.” he replies, frowning at the weight of the bag  he pulled from the bottom.

“Alright so let see if he’s somewhere around the exit then we can make our way through the trap rooms.” says avory as hailey walks back into the hall. “or we could check them now?” “ do you think you wouldn't have noticed the imposter being injured by whatever trap you have in those rooms?” asks Asher as Hailey stubbornly heads for the nearest trap room. 

“seeing as he wouldn't know it had a trap i doubt he could have gotten in without getting hurt.” Avory says as Hailey pauses  “alright fine we'll start with the exit and work our way back.” she hufflooking between them . “is there anything we’d to look though?” 

“it got a lot of bushes and a few small barrels “ she says.leading them to a small stone bridge. “and apparently a ravine” mutters Asher looking at the small body of water the bridge crosses. 

“eh not like i got a say hopefully whoever that is in my living room didn’t throw him in. “ she says, peering into the dark water.  

“We'll have to check the exit first. Avory says, pulling her away from the edge. ‘he’d float probably’ thinks Asher glancing over the water. “The exit actually opens to a nearby river so he might actually be farther out-” she starts leading them toward a group of barrels.

flash 

‘Greate looks like he didn’t throw him into the water but hid hime around here.’ Asher thinks as he watches a dark figure shuffle past the barrels.  following close behind they pass through a group of bushes 

trinkle 

nearing the river's edge he  sees the  figure  quickly hide an item near the base of a tree. “there i should be able to get back here if needed” the figure mutters turning to make its way back through the bushes

“ Starbub... Starbub?” calls Avory and Hailey turning he sees them through the bushes “yes?” he calls checking the base of the tree. ’There he is’  he thinks as they step through the bushes. “ What are you doing  and why was your necklace glowing?” “Well I know where he is now,” he says, holding up the bag.  “really?”  “yeah, he hid him here.” “Alright let’s get back inside,” Hailey says motioning for them to follow.  Nodding Asher and Avory follow her back through the passage into her house.  

“do you have somewhere we can lay him down?” Asher asks as they step into the hall.  “ We can use a guest room until I get his room fixed since whoever that is was staying in it” she says glaring at the sirens prone form on her couch. nodding  Avory follows her into the nearest guest room.