[center][img]http://txt-dynamic.cdn.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjg4LmQyYjkxOS5VbUZuY3csLC4w/spektakel-demo.regular.png[/img]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/qNjHUeE.png[/img]

[h3][color=8dc73f]& Kryss[/color][/h3]

[sup](Several minutes after Kai leaves the second platform)[/sup][/center]


[hr][hr]

Though the guard's words and gentle touch were meant to comfort her Kryss was far too​ anxious to take solace from the kind gesture. Already concerned over what she had heard not too long ago, this incident happening almost right in front of her had her shaken to the core. This man seemed nice enough bit if she was reading things correctly he was likely going to wait for backup and a proper team before going down to see what had become of the girl. Sensible, but Kryss shared the opinion of the two boys that had already decided they were going down now to try and help. She still doubted there was much chance of her being alive but if she was... Death would not wait politely for the adults to get organized.

[i]Sniff...sniff sniff[/i]

Rags, still teary eyed, and her face red from crying, had her nose to the ground and her eyes to the road, utilising her senses of smell and sight to track the trail of the girl she saw earlier, who had asked Aya and herself about the missing children from the orphanage. The trail, beyond the senses of most humans to track, was as easy to read as the pages of a book to the young savage (in fact, it was easier than a book to Rags)

Before she realized what she was doing, Kryss found herself standing near the edge of the Abyss once more. [color=8dc73f][i]Time is life. Death waits not for one to be ready. Climb or fall...[/i][/color] The Abyss, and everything that could be waiting for her down there still terrified her beyond reason, and yet she started shedding her light boots and discarding her shoulder bag on the ground. She looked back at the man behind her who was no doubt wondering what she was doing. Quickly she thought of a lie on the spot to prevent him from stopping her.

[color=8dc73f]"I-I'm actually a Blue Whistle, it just got cracked and it's getting fixed. We're going on ahead until more help arrives. We.. we'll do our best, too!"[/color]


Rags caught up to the trail in time to see this scene play out, and made a mental attempt to muster as much english knowledge as she could. Her brain was working on how she could help. This girl was the other delver who would help her descend the Abyss. She was sure of it now. Why else would she be co close to the edge? Rags stood up and brushed herself off to look as normal as possible before approaching, and held out her own blue whistle.

[color=cfb105]"It’s okay! I have your blue whistle. It is fixed now! Let’s go!"[/color]

As she got closer, she leaned in and whispered to Kryss. [color=cfb105]"My name Rags. We go down Abyss together. Yes?"[/color]

Kryss startled having just gotten herself over the fence. She recognized her as one of the girls from earlier who she had meant to catch up with and talk to about the missing children. This was the best turn of events possible, not only would Kryss be able to ask Rags about the other missing children but the rescue party now had another pair of hands [i]and[/i] on top of that she just helped Kryss with a very risky lie without hesitation.

Kryss smiled and nodded, trying to look as if she knew Rags well. [color=8dc73f]“T-thank you! Your timing is amazing, like always! Let's get going then!”[/color]

Quickly, but carefully Kryss started climbing down the near vertical rock face without gear and without a second thought. It had been a long time since she had done any climbing more serious than a library ladder. However, as her toes and fingers made contact with the stone old instincts kicked in and she started finding hand and toeholds as if it were second nature. [color=8dc73f][i] it's like I never left…[/i][/color] She thought to herself, moving down and to the side several feet. She looked up at Rags to see if she was coming along alright on her own.


Any concern Kryss might have had was misplaced. Rags wasn’t descending the rock face footfall by footfall like a professional climber, but in stomach-churning leaps more reminiscent of a mountain goat. This little savage kid was truly without fear when it came to climbing sheer cliff sides. She’d seem oblivious of the dangers if you didn’t look at her face and note the look of deadly serious concentration with every leap she made further down. There wasn’t even a sign that her hands or bare feet were suffering or sore in the slightest from this rough treatment, which really made one wonder how tough her skin was.

Kryss stopped where she was and stared at Rags, mouth agape. She had yet to see a human adult climb quite so competently and she had imagined no child could be so skillful. Even the two boys that had gone down first were using the usual climbing gear but Rags was barefoot just like Kryss and easily matching her. She couldn't help but admire Rags’ technique and lean muscle.

[color=8dc73f][i]Is she really human?[/i][/color]

Despite how dire the situation was and how anxious Kryss was to be going back into the Abyss after all this time, she felt a rush of excitement. She took a few deep breaths to try to calm and center herself, closing her eyes and feeling the rock, remembering it. Remembering the Abyss.

Opening her eyes Kryss started descending at a faster pace. She started taking leaps like Rags was, tentatively at first, but more confidently as she realized she could still trust her body. She had a lot of questions for Rags but those could wait a bit longer; she didn't want to risk distracting the other girl.

[color=8dc73f][i] We'll make great time at this pace. Just hang on a little longer, we're coming.[/i][/color]

After scarcely a few minutes of climbing, they finally reached the first layer of the Abyss. Rags dropped the last couple of meters and landed on all fours, unharmed. This girl was 1005 biologically human, but there was still something very animal about the way she moved in the wild, free of the shackles of decorum and expectations. She dusted herself off and looked up at Kryss, smiling and unhurt. She was panting but didn’t appear completely exhausted. [color=cfb105]"Never seen climber good as you!"[/color] she beamed with a wide childlike grin.

Rags smile was infectious and she couldn't help but return it with a light blush, especially after her compliment. [color=8dc73f]“Thank you, but I'm nothing special, really. You're the one that makes it look easy. That's your blue whistle, isn't it? It really shows, all the work you put into your delving.”[/color]

Kryss walked to the edge of where they had stopped for the moment and looked down, and then up. She had forgotten how different the Abyss seemed once you were down in it. On the surface it looked almost distant and somehow small. It was all that open sky she supposed, giving a perspective to scale that had taken some getting used to. 

Kryss looked back down trying to see either the girl or the boys ahead of them but both were still out of sight. [color=8dc73f][i]So they will probably reach her first I think. That's good, Rags and I can help once we catch up. Between the four of us we might be able to bring her up without having to wait for the adults.[/i][/color]

[color=8dc73f]“Um, Rags? Thank you for covering for me up there. I know I'm taking a big risk lying like I did but I couldn't just stand up there and do nothing. I… I think I had already decided I wanted to help you find your friends. This just…. got me back down here sooner than I expected.”[/color]

[color=cfb105]"Is not work. Is fun!"[/color] Rags replied, grinning innocently. [color=cfb105]"I also taking risk. Ran away Orphanage to help friends down in Abyss. Came to find you. Ask to help me. But you were here…..what word………...wanting! Wanting to go down Abyss too!"[/color]

[color=8dc73f][i]This girl… here we are in what many would say is the scariest place in the world, the place where the worst things in my life have happened, where I haven't dared set foot in so long… and she's making me [b]smile[/b]. How does she do that?[/i][/color]

[color=8dc73f]“I guess it is a little fun in a way. But you know we're down here for a very serious reason, right? No, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. Of course you must know that.”[/color] Kryss looked away, thinking about how brave Rags was, running away from the orphanage to find her friends.

Her brow furrowed in thought for a moment as she peered over the edge, looking for the best start to the next part of their path. [color=8dc73f]“You're not wrong, I do… want to go. I-I mean I want to help. But you came looking for me? Why… why me?”[/color]

Rags looked at Kryss in confusion, as if the concept that serious, life or death struggles couldn’t be fun was something completely alien and nonsensical, as it was to her. Maybe she meant that they had to hurry, and there, Rags agreed, but Kryss is the one who wants to talk, and Rags didn’t believe that seconds or minutes would make much of a difference. They’d been gone since last night. If they were in immediate danger, they’d be dead by now, but Rags knew the wild wasn’t that cruel if you were smart. She had survived for years in the wild, being younger than her two friends were, and they’d been trained and taught things! Rags learned most of her knowledge through doing. 

[color=cfb105]"Why you? Hmm..."[/color] Rags thought about that, before giving an honest answer. [color=cfb105]"Nobody from Orphanage ready, but I needed help. Remembered you from today. Followed trail. You older and wiser."[/color]

Kryss stared and Rags in surprise. [color=8dc73f]“Older and wiser? Uh, I'm not so sure about that. M-maybe, but…”[/color] She trailed off, a sad look crossing her face as she remembered what she felt were far too many terrible mistakes. [color=8dc73f]“I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like I don't appreciate the compliment, it's just.. w-well nevermind. Let's help save this girl if she's alive, then let’s get back down here to look for your friends. I think that's what I had already decided to do. After all, I was on my way to the orphanage to ask you about it when this happened.”[/color] As she talked Kryss decided ease herself over the edge to start climbing down again, taking it slow at first. She remembered how with no problems but her stamina was probably less than it used to be. She would need to be careful of that.

Rags was surprised to hear that Kryss was going to return to the Orphanage herself. She had never been taught about the concepts of ‘coincidence’ or ‘destiny’, but at this moment, understood them both perfectly. She followed Kryss in descending further down the Abyss. Rags was no more careful or conservative here than she had been before, but was taking it slower just so she didn’t leave Kryss behind. During the descent, Rags landed on a thin ledge that crumbled under the impact, and she plummeted for a few seconds before she caught hold of another ledge. She didn’t seem to be afraid or panicked at all from this, as if it was something she was used to, or just a regular part of climbing. Even so, she decided to take it a lot slower afterwards, matching Kryss’ pace and care.

Kryss watched admiringly as the energetic Rags took the lead, as confident and carefree as Kryss was reserved. She looked so… free. Though a little envious she was mostly just happy to see Rags unburdened by doubt or fear or-

The sound of crumbling soil and rock. Kryss’ reaction was reflexive, her head snapping to where the sound was, her wings twitching under her dress. Everything was fine in another split second, Rags reflexes being even faster than hers. Even so Kryss hung loosely from the rock, ready to drop at any moment, until Rags was no longer at risk of falling.

It took a while for her heart rate and breathing to slow down after that. She felt much more relieved to see her slow down and match Kryss’ pace, though now she was checking nervously every few seconds to make sure their next few feet of cliff side was safe. 

Rags reached level ground first, and was glad to feel grass under her feet again. She looked around, and sniffed around. She could smell blood. The first thing she noticed was the arrow sticking out of the ground. This was a recent addition. Further exploration solved the mystery of where the smell of blood was coming from. There were marks indicating that human hands had been struggling to hold onto this edge, and there were red spots nearby. There were two sets of fresh footprints, but they were very, very fresh. Rags couldn’t suppress a suspicious snarl. These were boys, and weren’t from the orphanage, or at least weren’t people Rags was friends with. Just what was going on here? Was a rescue party already descending?

[@liferusher]