[crow]

With Acheron taking point and leading the way, and even Lupin putting in the work, it wasn't actually that hard to keep walking through this swampy mess, even if it was still unpleasant. Seeing as there was nothing else to distract her from the sensation of the mud squishing between her toes, Tomoe gave over more of her thoughts to imagining just exactly what she was going to say to Nico when she got back. She wouldn't singe his feet after all, but maybe she'd threaten it a little.

[crow]

As satisfying as it would have been to see him jump, it wasn't worth the fuss that it would cause. And if she had burned him for real, then everyone would feel bad for him rather than listening to the very pertinent points that she would be making in the meantime. Namely about paying more attention to the suitability of one's team members when one was handing out assignments, and also, that reconnaissance missions were a massive waste of time.

[crow]

She was sure that she would make a compelling case. This was especially true considering the fact that Lupin also didn't seem terribly pleased with the mission they had been given. She and the Zorua had gotten off on the wrong foot, to be sure, but there was time to turn that around. The enemy of one's enemy was one's friend, and all that. If they united against the common foe that the Cubone presented, surely they'd get somewhere.

[crow]

With such pleasant thoughts in her head, she almost failed to notice one of the dungeon's resident Pokemon drawing close to her until it was too late. "Lady Tomoe, look out!" Acheron barreled past her to intercept the foe, slashing at it with claws extended. Belatedly Tomoe stepped back, then loosed a gout of flame at the--- the Whiscash. The flames licked almost harmlessly over its damp skin, and it didn't so much as flinch from the heat of it, which was pretty disappointing.

[crow]

"Ha, that's the best you can do, isn't it!" said Lupin, joining the fray by darting between her legs to nip at the tail of the Whiscash. Acheron was still distracting it by taking it head on, and landing opportune blows whenever the Whiscash's attention wandered. Tomoe wanted to give the stupid fish a piece of her mind -- it would be nice to be able to vent her frustrations somehow -- but she couldn't use any more flame with both Lupin and Acheron in such close proximity to the foe.

[crow]

She wouldn't have admitted it aloud, but she wasn't confident enough in the accuracy of her flames to try it, for fear of hitting one of them with it. Though in these sodden conditions, it might not have done much to them either.

Still, it would be hard to live down a mistake like that if it happened, so she stayed her attempts. They said they would take care of it anyway, and it wasn't a lady's place to fight to begin with.

[crow]

The Whiscash must not have been very strong after all. They dispatched it without too many problems. Lupin had gotten off unscathed, and Acheron only had light wounds to show for their altercation. "Let us move on," he said, wasting no time in taking the lead yet again, and leading them down yet another narrow corridor bracketed with dense marshy foliage.

"Some help you were," said Lupin as he brushed by her, his juvenile voice and gaze both laden with smugness.

[crow]

Oh, how she would have liked to kick him, but for the sake of preserving her dignity, she did not.

She was growing pretty sick of traipsing through narrow tunnel after empty room though. So it was a relief when the next room they emerged into had something in it. "Stairs!" said Lupin, greeting them eagerly. Acheron stayed their approach a moment to scan the room for threats, but luck was on their side this time. The room was empty, but for them.

[crow]

"Quickly, my lady, this way," Acheron said. Lupin certainly needed no encouragement. He ran right for them, and disappeared up the steps as soon as he reached them. Tomoe and Acheron arrived together a moment later, and he inclined his head. Graciously, she stepped down through them first, knowing that he would follow her through as soon as there was room enough to do so.

The stairs went up only a little ways before they emerged into... more swamp.

[crow]

"Are we not leaving?" she said.

"What, a two floor dungeon? No way," said Lupin. "Nico wouldn't even have bothered sending anyone to a place that small."

"Perhaps we will see the exit after a few more floors," said Acheron. "We are a little closer to finding the exit."

This really was turning out to be such a terrible time. By this point Tomoe didn't even have the energy to gripe at this new and unpleasant turn of events.

[crow]

"Just go," she said to Acheron, who dutifully took up his position as the front of their little train. He did cast worried glances back at her once or twice, but she ignored these. What she wanted, he couldn't do for her, and there wasn't much more any of them could do about this situation. All they could manage was to keep going through this swamp.

"Hey, at the next intersection, let's go left," Lupin said.

"Did you see anything?" Acheron asked.

[crow]

"No, but I've got a hunch. A good feeling, you could say." The Zorua seemed to be in better spirits, which surprised Tomoe given that he hadn't gotten any drier, and neither had the weather. Actually, nothing had really changed about their situation, except that they had won a fight against a Whiscash. Acheron said nothing, but at the next fork he did take a left. And lo and behold, when they emerged into the next room, the stairs were there.

"Yes! Nice! You're welcome," said Lupin.

[crow]

He had dashed up to the stairs yet again, but this time before he ran up them, he turned around and wiggled his tail, grinning smugly at the two of them. Then he turned on his heel and ran up without waiting for a reply.

Tomoe sighed, but since he had made himself useful, she supposed she could let that one slide.

After that, Lupin piped up more often to make suggestions as to where they should head to next.

[crow]

As the first time had gone so well, Acheron generally went along with them. It wasn't as if he had strong opinions on where to go either, since none of them knew the lay of the floors, so unless he saw something dangerous, he didn't protest Lupin's suggestions.

They didn't always work out as well as the first time. In fact, they generally didn't. But since it didn't seem to make that much of a difference either way, Acheron kept listening to him anyway.

[crow]

And his failures didn't seem to lessen Lupin's confidence at all, since he didn't stop making the suggestions either. They found the stairs after some time and ascended those, emerging into yet more swamp.

After that, things started to really blur together for Tomoe. It was just swamp, swamp and more swamp. Occasionally there were stairs, but after the third or fourth set, she stopped being excited to see them. They never emerged into a proper exit like she'd been hoping.

[Crystal Synthesis Complete]