He was smirking. Good God, the Ice Prince was making jokes now; the world must be ending

" ....please don't ever do that again. It doesn't fit your demeanor. "

He turned, drew his sword, and swept the chains off the gate. It swung open with a creak, and Ash scanned the compound warily.

"Stay close to me," he muttered, and he eased his way inside.

Large mounds of scrap metal lay piled about the yard as we walked through, the sharp edges glinting in the faint rays of dawn. Ash winced each time he passed one, keeping a wary eye on it, as if it would leap up and attack him. Strange creatures scampered about the metal drifts, tiny men with ratlike features and naked tails. When they nibbled on a piece of metal, it rusted away under their teeth. They didnt bother them, though Ash shuddered whenever he saw one, and his hand never left his sword.

Isiea is moving at a fast pace, not caring to be cautious.

Lise followed his instructions and stayed close to him, watching the strange creatures.

The iron doors had more chains around them, but the ice blade cut through them easily. Inside, it looked like an ordinary warehouse, empty and dark, though there were skittering noises in the corners. More mountains of scrap metal littered the gloom, some larger than they were tall.

Isiea impatiently heads forward, wanting to get to Ethan as soon as she can.

She looked around for the Trod.

Metal grates covered the floor, pressing through their shoes. Ash hesitated, hanging back in the doorway.

Steam drifted over the ground, coiling around their legs. Against the far wall, one of the grates had been pried up, leaving a square, gaping hole. Smoke boiled out of the opening. There!

From the doorway, Ash called for them to stop.

Isiea, without hesitation, dashes through the trod.