Citadel tilted his head, hearing a strange sound carrying on the wind. He followed it to the entrance of one of the Warrens and he stopped there. Sunlight on one shoulder, and shadows on the other. He stretched his head forward, sniffing the air and sampling it on his tongue. He could smell musty air from the unused cave, faint smoke residue from the unlit sconce along the distant wall.

While he stood there for a few moments he didn't hear the sound again. Nor catch the scent of anything that could have made it. He was tempted to chalk it up to his imagination, but curiosity compelled him anyway. He was about to step into the Warren when he heard the soft crunch of paw steps behind him. He turned, and saw the golden form of Bal. He nodded his head towards his brother and then tilted it slightly towards the cave. “Think I heard something. Wanna check it out?”


"Citadel Fatalis"

The golden parts of his coat gleamed in the sunlight as he padded up to his brother’s side. His ears twitched as he caught the tail end of Citadel’s words, a curious look in his obsidian eyes. The idea of exploring the unknown, especially alongside his brother, stirred a mix of excitement and cautious anticipation within him. Balrog had always been meticulous, and while the mystery intrigued him, he wasn’t one to dive into situations without some consideration.

He lifted his head and sniffed the air, catching the same musty scent that Citadel had described, and narrowed his eyes toward the dark entrance of the Warren. “Something’s in there, huh?” he mused, his voice low but steady. “Could be anything.. Or nothing.” He glanced at Citadel, a hint of a smirk playing on his dark lips. “We won’t know unless we look.”

Balrog took a step forward, his muscles tensing with readiness. He paused briefly to listen again, his senses on high alert. With no immediate danger presenting itself, he nodded to his brother. “We must stay sharp, we don’t know what we’re walking into.” With that, he moved toward the cave entrance, every step quiet and measured.

"Balrog"

Citadel gave the air one last sniff, but it didn't spill its secrets. Leaving the only path to ignore or explore. He knew which he wanted, and Balrogs words told him his brother was in. He grinned at his sibling.


His brother's words of caution were largely ignored as Citadel stepped into the den. Hurrying, so he was walking beside Bal instead of behind. He was not a follower.


Careful to navigate his paws, they pushed into the warrens. Which were a maze in their own right. “It goes on forever. If we get lost, they'll probably never find our bodies.” He said solemnly, as he searched for the source of the noise.

Balrog couldn't help but chuckle softly at Citadel's remark. "Let's try not to make that a reality," he replied, his tone half-joking but with a serious undertone. As they moved deeper into the Warren, the walls seemed to close in, and the darkness grew thicker around them. Balrog's ears twitched, picking up every little sound, but the source of the earlier noise remained elusive. He glanced sideways at Citadel, appreciating his brother's boldness.

"Let's.. stay close," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "We'll find our way out. And whatever's in here won't know what hit it." He pressed forward beside his brother, every muscle tense, ready for anything that might try to attack them.

"Balrog"