Koph stared at him, surprise written all over her face. She blinked. Twice. Then a bright smile flooded her face. "Sure!" she replied at last. With that simple summation, the Amazoness turned to continue their descent into the Dungeon. "Third floor passage is right through here. So you don't hear the Song? Ah, it's not weird, just so you know," she added quickly. She didn't want to make him feel belittled. "Even in my tribe, Ma Yena was the only one. Easier to say I'm the weird one!" she finished with a bright laugh.

At first, Koph's reaction to his version of her explanation caused Voltaire's stomach to twist in knots. He had said something stupid, he just knew it. A sweet rush of relief flooded him as she smiled so brightly it nearly lit the inside of the dungeon. He felt satisfaction in not making a complete fool of himself. He couldn't stop thinking about this song. Ever since he was little, Voltaire would boast about having a sixth sense. No matter who he explained this to, everyone just took it as some strange child's fantasy. It was not quite like having fore-sight but he could almost feel how certain people were going to move. Every now again there would be a strange noise but he always took it as simply the sounds of the city. He had long suppressed this in order to not be seen as an outcast.

It made him think: Was it the song Koph spoke of? And if it was, did they view it the same?

There was never anyone to teach him about it let alone assist him in cultivating the ability "I actually think it is somewhat cool." He countered the jab she made at herself while he grinned "I used to feel something like this Song of yours. I called it my sixth sense." He chuckled at the memory of his ridiculous imagination as a youth "I gave up on it shortly after my few friends starting ridiculing me. It was already hard having friends at that time." He didn't let it show that it bothered him, he was just trying to relate.

However, they were heading down lower in the dungeon. This nice chat of theirs could be over in a flash.

Koph stopped walking. She craned her head sideways, listening intently to the tunnel ahead. After a moment, she gave a sharp nod and looked back to Voltaire. The Amazoness raised three fingers and pointed down the tunnel. "Volter-kun, you had friends!?" she asked in mock disbelief. She withdrew her fingers, then motioned with her arm for the young man to keep the conversation moving. Softly, bare soles making barely a whisper against the stone tunnel, Koph crept to the next bend in the tunnel. Her spear she kept behind her, out of sight, but always at the ready to lash out.

Closer now, the sounds became more distinct. There were definitely several sets of footsteps coming toward them--more than three, she decided now. The regular 'tap-tap' of the loudest definitely came from heavy leather boots. None of the others carried the scratchy sound of monster claws on stone, either; the group approaching must be adventurers.

Greeting them with a ready spear wouldn't be particularly polite. It wouldn't be very safe, either; a group coming toward them, rather than walking away, must be coming up from a lower floor. It was unlikely they were merely level 1 adventurers; they might well be level 2's coming up from Rivira.

Koph relaxed and stood straight, then padded quietly back to Voltaire. Best to have an ally at her side for this.

His brows furrowed and he somewhat pouted in reaction to Koph's mocking "O-of course I had friends!" After his initial reaction, he realized that she had been messing with him and quickly changed from being upset to being embarrassed. He didn't hear or see anything, but Koph was definitely signalling about something. Three...something. A bit of panic set in, the added pressure didn't make it easier to keep talking "I'm hoping that I can make some new ones now. Hopefully they will call me by my actual name." He smirked a little as he said the last part.

When Koph came back, there was clear curiosity in Voltaire's eyes "So what is it? Goblins? Kobolds? Giant Spiders?" As he said that, he began to hear the sound of footsteps as well. However it was just a kind of thumping to him and not the detailed version Koph knew.

Koph shook her head at each suggestion. "People," she answered. She refrained from saying any more, standing still and watching ahead until the approaching persons appeared.

Leading was a heavy-set dwarf fully covered in armor. What little could be seen beneath the sturdy metal was a tanned face, a sturdy jawline, a few snippets of brown hair, and a pair of similarly brown eyes, lit up with a touch of excitement from the moment they locked with Voltaire's.

Behind came a human with a bow--a rarity, as it was difficult to use in the upper floors and few wanted to relearn to fight in the lower floors. She was distinctly female: long and straight, black hair; bright, blue eyes; fair complexion, soft features; and a figure that even Aphrodite would approve of. Leather armor adorned her person, and a rapier hung at her waist.

Beside this beauty was another, a Prum lass with a blonde pixie cut and a graceful, slim body. She wore trousers and a long blouse--or perhaps a very short dress--that looked easy to move in. Her weapon wasn't immediately apparent, but her sleeves were loose enough to hold something short. Her eyes were an enchanting silver, shimmering with excitement now that they'd landed upon another group of adventurers.

Two more women trailed behind, quite obviously elves and just as obviously sisters. Each sported green hair, pointed ears, sharp eyes the color of spring lilacs, and lithe forms that bespoke the years of training they had with the chakram at their sides. Their were few differences apparent between them--though the most notable was the smile given by one contrasted with the suspicious frown from her sister.

"Hallo! Sorry to intrude, we're just passing through. Good to see some young blood hard at work this early in the morning!" the leading dwarf called out--in a voice that was low alto and probably female, though some doubt remained.

"I would be eager, too, if I had such a cutie to bring with me," the Prum added, throwing in a wink--probably at Koph.

"Stel," the human snapped. "This is the Dungeon; don't give them any trouble. I don't want to hear about them dying because of something you said--or did."

"What could she do? Embarrass them into splitting?" smiling sister remarked.

"If they're adventurers, they should already be able to fight alone."

"Quiet down! No need to give grief here. Sorry about this," she(?) said, turning back to the confused pair. "These girls've been in Rivira near a week; naught but unpleasant sorts for now. I hope ye'll forgive 'em a bit o' fun. I think we're all a bit...starved for it."

"I think I've had quite enough of 'it,' thank you."

A magic lantern clicked on inside Koph's head. "Artemis Familia."

"Oh, does this mean I'm famous?"

"I very much doubt that."

"Good point; they probably recognized the beautiful Melanie Manson."

"Hey! What are you-!?"

"Girls! Sorry again. Like you said, we're from Artemis Familia. I'm Doris, here's Mel and Stel, and that's Lily and Vivi."

"Vivian," stern sister corrected.

"And yourselves? What familia?" Doris continued, ignoring her comrade's objection.

Voltaire stood in place as he remarked the all-female party with two different kinds of interest. The first was awe and admiring of a clearly more veteran group of adventurers, their equipment looked so much better and cooler than what he had to work with. The second was purely a response to their looks, especially the human who had his heart running a little faster than it did before. It took him some deal of restraint not to simply gawk like some kind of creep.

The prum made him let out a single, quiet laugh as she called Koph 'cute'. It was not that Voltaire didn't agree but it was amusing to have someone say in such a way. Listening to them, it was clear that they were pretty close....something he wanted to share with Koph one day. Today was a good start to their relationship, he thought, but he hoped they could become best friends. Of course not a word of this would ever be spilled to her directly.

Voltaire did his best to preserve their names in the back of his mind where he wouldn't forget them. However, he honestly didn't ever hear of one of them previously. It was then time for their time to speak in the conversation it seemed. Pride bade him answer before Koph got a chance to, taking a more steady posture as he spoke

"My name is Voltaire and this is Koph." He gestured to her then continued speaking "We are from the Amaterasu Familia." His voice carried with it the energy and pride of a new adventurer. The difference was that his came from years of having nothing while dreaming of this day. Each beat of his heart was faster and faster as the gaze of the women adventurers came down upon him.

Come down they did. The two elves stared, shifting uncomfortably but trying not to let the new-bloods notice. Doris's smile faltered briefly, but came back after only a moment--though a little sadder this time. The other two, Mel and Stel, didn't react beyond a stern nod of acknowledgement from the one and a cheerful smile from the other.

"Amaterasu, huh. Solome-san still training kids like you?"

Koph nodded--the fact seemed self-apparent to her, as they were in Amaterasu Familia and here in the Dungeon.

"That's good. He is a good man." For a moment Doris's eyes were glazed over, looking at something far off in the distance. Then she shook her head and she was back. "When you head home tonight, tell 'im Doris said hi."

Again Koph nodded.

"Ooh, me too! You can tell your goddess that Astella Isabella sends her best wishes and congratulations."

"What are you doing? You don't even know Amaterasu-sama. What are you even sending congratulations for?"

"For having two beautiful children, of course!"

Koph remained silent, though a little bit of color was starting to show through the dark skin of her cheeks.

"Let's move, girls! We're almost home, and I for one need a long, hot bath!" So saying, Doris started their procession up again, leading the way back up the tunnels Koph and Voltaire had just come from.

Just as she passed by the pair, the Prum spun back to quietly say, "Straight ahead will be pretty boring for a while, but there's something good two tunnels over. Just take the next left, then straight, then left." With one last wink, she turned around and hurried back to join her teammates.

With that, the strange encounter was over. Koph let out a deep breath as she relaxed. "Something good?" she asked, turning to face Voltaire--as though he would have any better idea than she about what that might mean.

Voltaire had been on the streets his entire life and so he knew when something didn't feel right. The subtle signs he just barely managed to pick up. Quite frankly, it irritated him that the mention of his familia's name would cause such reactions. Voltaire reasoned that they knew something he didn't. Doris seemed to know Solome, so maybe he would ask him later.

He responded to Doris's request with all his bravado, as if making a promise. "We will be sure to do that."

A blank expression washed over his face as he was called 'beautiful'. It was not a word ever used to describe him, only ladies, so he took minor offence to it.

He glanced at Astella as she walked by with a minor look of confusion at the vague information she gave, watching as the group of women walked away. With their absence came a feeling of reprieve that Koph shared with him. His muscles relaxed and he felt less on edge, though he pondered what was meant by 'something good'. His attention turned to his partner as she seemed to share the same thought "Could mean anything. I say we check it out." Voltaire didn't quite trust her but there was no reason she would put them in grave danger. Still, he would definitely remain on guard.

"Alright!"

Following the instructions wasn't difficult, though it was a bit confusing. They turned left at the first intersection they found; that tunnel in turn twisted right until it seemed to be going the same direction they had been. Moving straight through the next intersection seemed counter-productive; but at Koph's insistence that this was what the Prum lass had said, they pressed on. Without much warning, the tunnel twisted back in a complete U; and when a new convergence of paths appeared, they turned left, which twisted right, and let out into...

A cavern. A rare occurrence in the top three floors. Also a potentially dangerous one. The wide open space made it all too easy for a group of monsters to totally surround you. On top of that, at the far end of the room was a treasure chest.

Though it was rare, the Dungeon would create these in difficult places. As traps. They always held something good, of course; if they didn't, Adventurers would never touch them. The original potions were said to have come from chests, which alchemists and herbalists studied and recreated. Sometimes special pieces of equipment came in these chests, things that could greatly improve an Adventurer's strength and chances of survival. But one and all, these chests were trapped, placed to lure Adventurers into dangerous positions where the Dungeon had a better chance of consuming them.

"Oh," was all Koph could say. She looked around the room cautiously, wary of what may happen once they put even one foot in. If the walls were entirely filled with monsters...well, a guess based just on surface area left her picturing dozens, a full horde against the two of them.

Voltaire stared into the large space of the room, the hair on the back of his neck began to stand up. Did he want that treasure? Absolutely. However, he also was not stupid. Why did they leave it behind? It may be a trap but a party of experienced adventures should have been able to deal with it easily enough. They didn't leave it for them since they met them afterwards, but perhaps they left it for the weaker adventurers. But why? The hand on his dagger tightened to the point his knuckles turned white. Despite all the warnings, if they managed to retrieve its contents then they would be bringing glory to Amaterasu-sama not to mention giving them something good.

He nodded at the single sound Koph made "Yeah. Too good to be true right?" A faint grin on his lips as he glanced over at her, then back at the expanse before them. There was no telling what would happen when they went for that chest. It could be the end of their adventure before it began though what was adventure without a little risk? Ever since he stepped inside this dungeon, he's felt more alive than he ever has. The temptation began to override his more rational way of thinking. They could always run if the situation got out of control, right? "I think we should try. We work together like we've been and it'll be a piece of cake." He semi-joked. Admittedly, he felt the need to prove himself. Seeing those other adventurers...it made him realize he was nothing but a pup to them. Voltaire wanted to change that. He wanted fame. He wanted fortune. He wanted adventure. Though if Koph strongly refused, he wouldn't go after the chest.

Koph hesitated a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Stay together; we'll move right. If the walls come down right away, we fall back and defend the tunnel mouth. If we reach the chest first, open it and use whatever you find. If they break mid-way...we probably fall back." Koph tightened her grip on her spear, then faced forward and took a step in.

Nothing happened. Not right away. She moved to the right, hovering a few feet from the wall and making her way around. "What do you guess? When will it attack?" she asked. Her voice was a little shaky, but her steps stayed steady. She knew he couldn't know any better than she when the attack would come, but she needed to speak and to hear Voltaire speak.

Voltaire had to simply trust his senior's experience and followed her lead "G-got it." His voice was a little shaky from his nervousness. The muscles in his hand were beginning to cramp from gripping the dagger too tightly, and it felt harder to breath as they stepped into the chamber. Voltaire gently shook his head trying to shake off the nerves and changed into a more determined expression. It didn't matter what he told himself in the end, this was for all for his own selfish desires.

The fact nothing changed as they moved further and further into the room only put him more on edge "I bet as soon as we open that chest." He tried to sound more assured than he actually was. The tension was working down on his nerves. A part of him just wanted to get things started already and skip all this build-up. It gnawed at him like a ravenous animal until finally he snapped under the pressure "ARRHHHHHHHH!" He yelled out as he darted way from Koph and recklessly charged towards the chest like he had been possessed. Without hesitation, his hands gripped the opening of the chest and flipped it open with a bright smile.

Both the ground and walls began to rumble the moment he did so. Kobold after kobold began spawning, filling the room around them with a wave of bodies. Amidst these monsters, a larger kobold spawned as well with darker colored fur and gold-colored claws. It snarled angrily with razor-sharp teeth as it stared the two of them down and let out a ear-piercing howl. The normal-looking kobolds seemed to respond to this and began running towards them.

Koph raced after her partner, looking at all the walls with a panicked expression. As he threw the chest open, her fears came true; she spun around to face the rumbling, and felt her blood chill as monster after monster emerged. And finally... their Boss. There was no other name she could give him. There was no such thing as a floor boss on the second floor, but... That was no ordinary Kobold.

With the little time she had, Koph glanced back over her shoulder and into the chest. "Is that... a claw?" she asked aloud. Whatever it was, it didn't look particularly useful to her. It wasn't any weapon she had seen; maybe it was armor, but that would only protect one of them.

The Boss howled. His minions charged. They were out of time. "Yours! Behind the chest!" The wooden box was about waist-high when the lid was closed. Koph jumped around behind it and slammed the lid shut as soon as Voltaire had retrieved the item within. Then she braced one foot against it. "We need to get out. Twelve, fourteen...no, more. Here; we'll break the center, then move right. Push!"