A giant, ringing, clang – Cecil whipped her head up, alert, and saw the others do the same.
"We killed the MVP not even five minutes ago," she whispered. "He can't have possibly respawned so quickly, can he?"
"Of course not," Kathryne replied, arms folded. "Which can only mean one thing – the original version is somewhere nearby. We should meet up with him, but we should also be prepared. There's a possibility that he might have volunteered for this experiment of his own free will, and there's no telling what things a lunatic like that would do."
Retha nodded resolutely. "Sounds like a plan. I'll stay back, and Eremes can cloak. Cecil and Kathryne, since you two are more capable of dealing damage, perhaps you could be the first to meet him?"
"Yes," Cecil answered. Her voice was too shaky for her to risk trying to say anything more than a few words. Her heart hammered loudly between her ribs, and with each step that she took, she imagined that a monstrous blacksmith hid behind the next column, ready to smite her to dust.
Her worries were unfounded, though, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she saw an unruly mop of white hair and a shield emblazoned with a familiar crest emerge from the darkness.
"Sir Seyren!" she exclaimed.
He smiled wearily. "It's alright, Alt-Eisen. These are my companions from Prontera," he spoke to a figure by his side. "Though I do believe I have not met you before, my lady," he continued, extending a hand towards Kathryne.
"Kathryne Keyron. It's a pleasure." The blond wizard nodded curtly, her wavy hair bobbing up and down.
"The name's Howard Alt-Eisen. Now, about getting out of this wretched place…" the whitesmith began.
"Not one to waste time, I see," Retha commented, a sly smirk on her lips.
"Of course not. Anyhow, I discovered blueprints of this place, so the exit to the next floor should be located…approximately five minutes in that direction," Alt-Eisen continued, pointing left. "Unless, of course, your holiness would care to use a blue gemstone."
"Unfortunately, we have none," Retha replied.
If only she hadn't used that blue gemstone on Eremes. Immediately, a wave of guilt swept over Cecil for the traitorous thought, but she could not help thinking of it all the same.
"The most logical course of action," Kathryne continued, expounding on Alt-Eisen's idea, "would be to follow the blueprints and go downwards."
At that, Sir Alt-Eisen's head jerked up sharply. "How did you know that we are on the highest floor? I never said anything about that. For all you know, we could be deep underground, in a basement."
Lady Kathryne sighed in exasperation. "It looks as though a fire has originated – and completely destroyed – this floor. If we were on the lowest floor, the structural integrity of this level should have been compromised and caused a cave-in for the higher floors. Since we are all alive and the ceiling is charred yet intact, I assume that we are on the highest floor. However, it is possible that the structural damage is not as severe as I thought it might be, and that there may be a floor above us."
Sir Alt-Eisen nodded skeptically. "Right."
"Anyhow," Cecil cleared her throat. "Lady Kathryne is right. We need to get out of here. Sir Alt-Eisen, the blueprints, if you please…?"
Four of them pored over the charts, determining exactly where they were and where to go in order to find the exit. Meanwhile, Sir Seyren and Assassin Eremes guarded them from errant attacks from the clones.
Soon enough, they were able to find the stairs. Downwards. Lady Kathryne had been correct in her assumption, unless there was another set of hidden blueprints delineating a fourth floor that Sir Alt-Eisen had somehow missed.
Together, they climbed downwards into the waiting darkness.
A/N: Sorry for updating on such a strange schedule...I have a bit of writer's block on this story.