Chapter 25: Lost and found
"Ready?" Irwin whispered.
"Go," Daubutim replied.
The burly boy stepped through the door opening, his club in one hand and a shield in the other, sweat dripping off his face. The shield was similar to the one Rachel had used, with only a few differences, the most interesting being that it was much larger.
Irwin followed behind Daubutim, flame ready. A wall of vegetation sat in the room, and they waited and watched. After a few seconds of nothing but distant rumblings, Irwin turned around.
"It's safe."
Twintin said nothing as she stepped into the room, not even looking at him. Fear and anger had been warring on her face ever since she'd awoken and found that Rachel had been killed. She'd barely spoken to them after that, just sitting huddled in a corner, arms around her legs.
Greldo followed her into the room before turning and keeping watch behind.
Twintin's hand gave off a blue glow, and the vegetation began withering. She glared at it with such hate that Irwin shivered. Still, he was ready to move if a silvery vine appeared.
It took a short while to clear the room up to the staircase, and they didn't encounter any of the dangerous silvery vines. The normal ones had all stayed away initially, only charging when they reached the hole from which their roots grew. Twintin had quickly ended them.
"I wonder if the staircase goes all the way up this time," Greldo whispered.
"Let's hope so," Irwin said softly.
This was the third building they had cleared since Twintin woke up and eventually calmed down. The first one's staircase had been a crumbled mess after the first floor. It was also the last one they could reach while moving through the shadows.