-Vytaut (Clockworks) "What do you want?!" "Geez, no need to get grumpy Stormer. Just telling you that it's time to go." "Urgg, sorry. I'm just a bit tired of the same things happening over and over again. Changes you after a while." Stormer pulled herself up and looked at Doggies. He shook his head and led the way back to the group in the dark.

They were stuck in the rotation of Cradle, the barely used one with the Gloaming Wildwoods. It was the same non-stop stream of beasts and skellys, but different tiers. They came out randomly and without warning. The group decided to take a break in the middle of it all when they found an elevator shaft. If they went in, the monsters could strike before they were ready, seeing that it could happen since it was an open elevator. Yet the same could happen if they waited outside of the elevator. After an argument over their available choices, they finally concluded on continuing going down into the Clockworks after an hour of resting and getting something down into their bodies. "So it changes you with the way Mystic cooks? I mean it was a coin toss." Doggies walked to the campfire just before it was dimmed out by the dirt being thrown on it. Sand, rocks, stuff was flying before them with the light dimming down to oblivion. "Yea well, you know how much I like to cook when I got nothing else to do, and I had a LOT of nothing else to do." Stormer flicked out her weapon and shield and went onboard the elevator with the others. "Everybody's here, right?" Will looked around in the dark and got a mixture of answers. He pushed the down button then held onto one of the suspended handlebars. The elevator kicked off with a great creak of gears before descending into the pitch black of the woods.

Everyones' eyes were shining expect for the few who had their faces covered up with their helmets. As the elevator halted, they all dashed out quietly onto the path of stone and grass that littered the area. They passed by the place where the Snarbolax once stood to see and await its oncoming prey, but he was nowhere to be seen. The group noticed this immediately and went onwards to get healed while staying quiet. As they all got their health filled, the whole area shook with the force of an charging trojan causing everyone to dash onto the battlegrounds. It got darker and darker, the gates closed behind the few who got through and the vibrations stopped. Mystic grabbed out a flashlight from his bag and turned it on to observe the wreckage. "Whoever's holding the flashlight, would you mind pointing it towards the gate?" Someone shouted from under the cover of the shadows. "Can you say please?" Mystic joked when he recognized the voice to be Amber. There was a quiet sound of breath slowly being inhaled and exhaled and then an answer. "Please, Mystic?" "Good." And as he pointed it to where he heard Amber, there was another shake of the level and trees started to fall. There was a crackle of leaves and branches as one of group members was pinned down. "Owww." Stormer whined as she tried to pull herself out from under. Mystic swung the beam of light over to her direction to see that the tree was just on the edge of the floating land. "Mystic, go help her before the next aftershock! Anyone else got a flashlight?" Dusk looked over in the darkness where he guessed everyone else was. There was a beam of light way off to the side, so he just thought it was Will or someone else. As he got closer, there was a small yelp but then he noticed that he was the one who made the sound. There was a spike protruding from his right foot making him stuck in place. Six eyes, red as the blood of the wolvers, three on each side of the head was what Dusk saw before something happened. Something quick.

Amber had shot the glowing spike from Dusks' foot, releasing him and Will then tackled Dusk to the ground to avoid the incoming attack from the creature. "It's the Snarbolax!" Will shouted hoarsely towards Dusk as the boss monster turned around. They both got up scampering towards the trees as the beast took off charging. Amber fired her AP at the Snarbolax's back to get its' attention. As it turned to face her, Dusk and Will jumped upon its back and held onto its spikes as it chased her around the small area. She reloaded and fired endlessly at the beast bell in the middle, causing the Snarbolax to covert to its stunned form and letting the other two have a clear blow at it. It froze and stopped its screeching to fall down dead on the field. "About time too." Doggies said as the gate opened up and Stormer was sweeping the dust off her Heavenly Iron Armor behind him. She smiled, hiding her discontent of being stuck under a fallen tree and not being able to join in on the fight. 'If I was just a bit more careful, then I could've-' "Stormer?" Will stood in front of her when she didn't move. "Huh? Yea?" Reality struck and the whole place started to slowly crumble away. Everyone was already running towards the elevator and was quick to pick up the few treasures and tokens. "We all gotta make a living someway." Dusk joked as he tripped over a rock. "And to make a joke out of ourselves as well." Doggies laughed as he ran past Dusk. If you listened close enough or payed more attention, you could've heard something within the brush instead of it disappearing. Everyone had got on the elevator when Stormer hit the down button on the panel, the elevator moved with another creak of gears and a slow descend. Amber turned on her communicator and got through the barrier that was blocking the path that connects the radio waves to Haven. She got a shock when a lightly deep and slightly monotone voice came on without warning. "Hello, this is Intel Agent Nix working within the squad assigned under Commander Bechamel. Now who is this?" "This is Vanguard Knight Amber within the Squad Vytaut. Did you just say Bechamel is your Commander?" Amber stifled a giggle when she heard Nix state that the highly skilled Accessorizor was in charge of his squadron. Of course Bechamel was respected as well as the others but to be in charge of a whole group of knights assembled by Kora, well it's unexpected. "Yes, why do you ask?" "Oh it's nothing. I have some information, may I speak with him?"

"I'm right here Amber. What is it?" Bechamel asked stiffly as he stood by the speaker after he had dealt with Nix. "Oh hi Bechamel, how's it going? Much better than us I hope 'cause our squad encountered the Snarbolax just a few minutes ago and something was strange about him. He was even more harsh than before and didn't hold that same attitude as he would if it was the real one. And the attack was unexpected, even the whole area collapsed just as we finished him off. We were wondering if you had any news about this at all." There was a silence that felt like it lasted an eternally then some whispers. After the whispers were some people arguing and items crashing here and there. Then quick swipes of air was heard as someone or some knights were passing past the microphone. This time, someone else responded. "Now, Amber was it? The reason behind why the Snarbolax acted so violent is that there are some excess residual energy from the Core affecting the surrounding area there. Seems like a long way but it is possible for more energy to travel up through the bottom layers of the Clockworks to have an effect in those upper depths. This means that all of you have to be vigilant of your surrounding environments now. It also means no goofing off while you're down there exploring, some of the monsters could have had their senses strengthen with the number of energy being higher than what they're used to be. Your armor is keeping most of the energy out but because of the way they are built, they are also absorbing the energy as well. As you get closer to the Core, try to upgrade your current sets to higher ones or else something could happen. We don't know yet what but it's better safe than sorry." The knight sounded straight forward but held that essence that wanted all the people he knew and still to know to come back safely. "Amber, I'm sure you remember Chief Geo Knight Wenger right?" "Ahh, no wonder he sounded familiar. Don't worry Wenger, I'm sure the group heard you above the sounds of this creaky elevator." She answered back as she gathered everyone around closer together, away from the edges of the elevator shaft. The elevator suddenly stopped in its descend, in the pitch black of the shaft. "And I had to say creaky. Wenger, I'll talk to the others later but right now, there's something else at hand here."

"No, wait don't!- Anddd she cut off the communications. Bechamel, I think we bit off more than we can chew. That elevator was to be inspected today but apparently that was changed due to the unexpected events that unfolded. If that elevator decides that it's time for it to wear out now, than we'll lose our last chance of surviving this whole ordeal." Wenger's voice faded out as he went into deep thought about what would happen to them and the other knights. Soon the others within the vicinity began having doubts of ever winning. "Wenger, they survived their way back. What makes you think they won't make that same trip back again? Sure that particular elevator is old in age, but it's not something they can't handle. We'll make sure we gain control over Haven again or else we'll admit defeat and lose our second home. Now that, for sure, isn't happening on my watch." Bechamel looked at the others, seeing their reactions after he offered his own thoughts on the issue. They started nodding to each other then to him to show that they got the idea now, Wenger chucked to himself and nodded his head in a nonchalant way.