24 Yes, My Son?

Arius and Zuna were headed for the cabinet when Dante jumped down the hole. Their were no words said, but Arius assumed Eirik would jump down aswell. He didn't though.

"No Eirik?" Arius asked.

"My dad would never do that." Zuna shook her head in dismissal.

"Oh." Arius opened the cabinet. "Good thing Eirik isn't down here." It was a narrow tunnel.

"I'd rather not climb through that, who knows what's in there?" Zuna refused. "I'm moving the table to climb up a level."

Arius sighed as he put Asrael down. "Stay put."

Zuna pushed the table directly under the hole in the ceiling, then Arius lifted her up onto the table without consulting her. 'Oh well' she said nothing about his casual gesture as she jumped up to pull herself onto the next floor.

"After you, Asrael." Arius smiled at the sight of Dante holding Asrael by the shirt to restrain him. He wasn't sure if Dante was at all stronger than Asrael, but it didn't matter.

"Hmph!" After Dante let go of him, the young man crawled up onto the table and jumped up, he had done it with ease.

"Alright Dante, let's go." Arius climbed up on the table with the small boy, however the weight of both of them caused the table to come crashing down. They both fell, but they weren't really hurt at all.

"Are you okay?" Zuna looked down.

"Yep." Arius answered her.

"Should we take the tunnel then?" Dante looked up at Arius.

"No, I'll take the tunnel, I'll lift you up so you can go with the others." Arius said, he didn't mind the frown that formed on Dante's face as he raised him up towards the ceiling. The boy was pulled up by Zuna.

"Arius, be careful." Zuna called down.

"Of course." Arius opened the cabinet door once again, this time intending to venture inside. It was a wooden tunnel, so the boards creaked as he climbed inside. As he went, the tunnel started to slant upwards.

He moved until the path he was taking began to level. He heard talking, they were the voices of Zuna and Dante. It sounded like they were moving a table, but it sounded really heavy. He got close enough to notice some hinges, so he pushed on the wall. It opened up.

"Arius!" Dante ran over to the cupboard Arius was climbing out of.

"Awe, did you miss me?" Arius said it as a tease, so he didn't expect Dante to nod so seriously. Honestly, Dante had healing powers, in more ways than one. He looked over to see Zuna, who didn't struggle at all while moving a dresser over to cover the hole made in the floor.

"This is fun, isn't it?" Arius turned to Dante, who nodded. Who doesn't like adventure? Probably Eirik and Asrael. Arius could see Asrael sitting in a corner, looking as emo as ever.

Zuna had finally gotten the dressed in the correct position without it falling through the hole. The room was pretty empty except for a few cabinets, drawers, pool table and what seemed like a bar.

Arius walked over to Asrael, the young man was faced towards the corner in the wall. He was sulking it seemed. "Where have all your lackey's gone off to?"

"None of your business." Asrael refused to look his way.

"Oh yea?" Arius started cracking his knuckles, it wasn't like we was going to do anything though, but it wasn't like Asrael was scared either.

"Arius." Dante pulled on his shirt.

"Yes, my son?" Arius's words made Asrael turn his head. 'This man is clearly insane!' The young man thought, while his younger brother was clearly happy with how Arius addressed him.

"Asrael sent his people away when he heard of our arrival." Dante informed.

"He would do that?" That would mean that Asrael was protecting his people in this way, correct?

"He's a good leader." Dante looked over at Asrael. "Just that he's a terrible brother."

Arius wondered if what Dante said had hurt Asrael, because he could see how the boy flinched when Dante called him a terrible brother.

Zuna had already gotten to the next floor. She was with her dad as they waited.

"Come on, let's go." Arius said as he made his way towards the dresser. Dante followed behind him.