She turns around to face him immediately, "You think he's here?" She runs up to him. He looks to the left and starts sniffing even more.

"Yes, but the smell is getting weaker."

"That means they're moving! We gotta catch up to them before they get away!" She grabs his wrist and starts running towards the direction Aaron was sniffing in.

"Aren't we supposed to wait for the others to get here?"

"We don't have time if there's a chance he's here. Is the smell getting stronger?" He takes a big whiff and nods.

"They've been here a while. They could know we're here since we've been poking around this place." They stop at a gravel walk and Aphmau stops.

"Are you sure it was in this direction?"

"I'm sure."

•○●A Purplla Publish●○•

"This place is starting to get boring real fast." Ein complains, "We should move locations."

"Just because the place is getting boring." The High Priest repeats what Ein said.

"And it's been a week. Aren't you concerned that Aphmau and Aaron are close to us? They catch on fast."

"This is what we want, Ein. We want her to bring Aaron to us. I could care less about Zach." He points to Zach asleep on the ground in a cell. "And you DO want revenge, correct?"

Ein looks at Zach as well, "More than anything."

"Then when she arrives, show Zach what it's like to lose someone important to you."

"And how do you plan for me to do that?" The High Priest reaches into his deep pocket and pulls out a short dagger.

"Take away the most important thing in his life." He takes Ein's hand and places the dagger handle in his palm. "And that's Aphmau."

"You want me to kill her?"

"Do you have a better plan?" He asks, "Or are you going to put on your big boy pants and handle this?"

He looks at the daggers then grips it. "I want him to feel how I felt all those years and I want it to sting. Bad."

"Then sting his daughter and that will serve the job. You get revenge... and I get an Ultima. Sound like a plan?"

"Sounds perfect."

The High Priest smirks.

"Joseph!" He calls and a man looks up from the other side of the room while sitting on the floor. "I also need your help."

Joseph jilts to the High Priest's side.

"If he can't complete the job, then you do it." He only nods and stands in place.

"I smell something." Ein says while sniffing around.

"Like what?"

"Like Aphmau."

~~~

"Why did you leave them alone? You know they're feuding." Katelyn walks down the stairs with Garroth, Blaze, and Travis tailing behind her.

"I didn't know they were together. I left the room for a split second then next thing you know, I hear the floor crumble." Travis explains himself.

"And why did you leave the room?" She faces him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Because I saw something and it looked suspicious."

"That sounds stupid!"

"Oh and you haven't done anything stupid before!" He raises his voice. Before Katelyn could put her hands on him, Garroth and Blaze grab her arms.

"Calm down, Katelyn. I get you're frustrated but attacking Travis won't help find Aphmau." Garroth says. She looks at Travis and flings Blaze's hands off of her.

"Take me to the hole. I wanna see something." Garroth takes his hand off and Travis leads the group the hole.

"They were arguing then they fell through. I told them I'd be back and stick arou-" He looks down the hole to see Aphmau and Aaron gone. "Oh no."

"Nice going, dingus. You lost them."

"Me?" Travis gets defensive, "I've been trying to help you all  since I met you!"

"Then maybe you shouldn't. You should turn yourself in back at the prison. We were a lot better without you." She admits.

Travis frowns, "Fine." Travis starts walking away from the group. Blaze goes after him but Garroth stays with Katelyn.

"You gotta watch your temper."

"Oh so I'm the bad guy now?" She scoffs, "He's caused the problems we've dealt with the for the past three weeks!"

"He's also solved many of our problems."

"Examples?"

"We'd still be in that prison if he didn't know a route to get us out. He's helped us find Lucrua. He's helped with navigation, supply, and supporting this group. Got Aphmau and Aaron talking again. Do I need to continue?"

"He also lost them."

"He didn't lose anyone, they probably walked away!" He says. "I get it's been a hell of a time, but you can't take your anger out on him."

Katelyn's chest puffs up, "Don't tell me what I can and can't do."

"I think you need some time to chill out." He starts to walk away as well.

"Where are you going?"

"To check up on Travis."

~~~

"Shit!" Aphmau bangs on the wall once, "You're confident you smelled them?"

"I smelled your father, no doubt."

"Then why were we lead here? That sniffer thingy should be accurate." She faces away from the wall then leans on it, sliding down and falling on the floor.

"... A nose?" He shakes it off. They should be here. Or on the other side-"

"It's a wall, Aaron. There is nothing else." She tucks her head into her arms and rests them on her knees.

There was something about Aphmau sitting on the floor on the verge to cry made something turn in Aaron's stomach. He looks at the wall.

He picks up a large rock and starts hitting the wall with it until it broke into pieces and slips out of his hand. Aphmau looks up, "What are you doing?" While it caused minor damage, Aaron picked up another, a little bigger than the last one.

"Getting you to your father." He starts banging the wall again, but after a while, it broke. It did more damage than the last one, but if Aaron continued to use rocks, they weren't going to get far.

He closes his eyes then balls up his fists. He opens his eyes back again, red this time, then starts pounding on the wall. Aphmau stands up and tries to pull him away from the wall, "Aaron, you're going to hurt yourself!" She tugs on his torso and tries to pulls him away, but he doesn't budge.

She sees the gravel fly off the wall and onto the ground. "Aaron, stop it! You aren't going to get anywhere!" He doesn't listen to her, instead, he justs keeps going at it until the wall starts getting thinner.

"I... can't stop!" Aphmau could see the blood running down his arm from his palm.

"Why? You're bleeding!"

"Because I said I'd help you get your father and that's exactly what I'm doing!" He steps over the big pile of gravel while hitting the wall. "And I meant what I said a few days ago!"

"Which was?"

"I love you." He takes one final hit and the hole in the wall he made makes a stop. He looks up and Aphmau looks until the hole.

"Dad!"

•○●A Purplla Publish●○•

Until next time,
~Purplla💜