[ picking fights with the devil ] - open; discovery?

[LUMIA CIPHER.]

A howl. A wailing, echoing call of death and agony, splitting the air like thunder. It immediately caught Lumia's attention, the feline freezing where she stood near the tavern. She had no idea where the howl had come from, but she knew it couldn't have been caused by anything good. Those around her had also stopped in their tracks, meandering about and questioning each other about what could've happened.

Mia wasn't willing to just sit and wait, though. Instead, she needed to find out what was going on. She needed to make sure that her new friends were safe and sound, and needed to make things better. The young feline knew that she wouldn't be a very good adventurer if she just turned tail and ran whenever things looked dangerous, or scary. She didn't hesitate for long before she headed downwards, paws sinking into warm sand as she bolted towards the source of the noise. The girl hardly even noticed the looks that followed, either ones of pity, or concern.

Once she grew nearly the thickly clustered trees, Lumia found a sense of dread settling within her chest. Vayne's scent was on the air, as well as Danny's, and neither was a particularly good sign. It quickly became obvious that the howl was Danny's, but what had caused it? Was he hurt? Was Vayne hurt? The thought of her niece becoming injured so soon after Lu had met her caused the girl to move faster, breath coming out in pants. The wheat colored feline was unwilling to turn back or hesitate when there was a chance of Vayne being hurt, or Danny. After all, she had been hoping to become proper friends with the canine, and she couldn't do that if he was stuck in the temple all day.

Unfortunately, what the young Cipher eventually stumbled upon was so much worse than some mere injuries. The scent of death and rot on the air was strong, causing her to recoil and gag as she grew close. Her heart sped up, her mind supplying endless possibilities for why the scent could be there. None of them were good, and while the actual scene didn't involve Danny or Vayne being dead, there was very much a corpse nearby. Not only that, but it bore an uncanny resemblance to Danny when it came to species, as well as scent. Although... that was admittedly hard to pick out, beneath the scent of blood and decay. For the first time, Lumia seriously considered running. Just... turning around and bolting before either noticed her. She wasn't quite sure that she could handle such a scene... but, she had to, right? She was Vayne's aunt, she wanted to be Danny's friend... she had to be responsible.

The next breath she took was a shaky one, but it was enough to push her forward. She spoke quietly at first, her voice gradually becoming more firm, "Danny, Vayne... you... you guys should back up. We'll have to tell someone so they can... bury her properly. And Danny... you're hurt." Her green gaze drifted down towards his bloodied fur, although she didn't try to move him just yet. She was worried that he was too volatile, liable to lash out or fall apart if she tried. Deep down inside, Lumia hoped that a proper and actual adult would come by soon, who could handle things better than she could. As it was, she was essentially a blind girl leading the blind, desperately trying to console two other children exposed to death too soon.

WATER POURING DOWN FROM THE CEILING

— Reggan