"Alright, we can take another break on this platform... We're on checkpoint number 9 899. Traveling isn't so bad, now that the platforms are easier to traverse, eh?" Says the scientist.
Zephyr and Alister arrive afterwards, with the ladder resting the bag now full of meat on the ground.
"Right... Less energy spent on jumping, the better. I feel like my head is spinning." Admits Zephyr.
"Did you eat enough of the turtle, Alister?" Asks Riley.
"Don't call it a fucking turtle!" Interjects the hunter. "Makes me feel even worse for dissecting the thing! Call it the vile monster it actually is. Have you seen a turtle this big in your life!?"
"Honestly, I would have preferred to meet it not dead." Interjects the blacksmith.
"Me as well. Our chances of getting away from that encounter alive would have been low, depending on its combat performance."
"Pretty sure I run faster than lightning so it wouldn't stand a chance. Ah crap I wanna sit down."
Alister drops on the ground as soon as he ends this sentence.
"Not moving a muscle. My favorite."
"For someone's whose career necessitates constant movement, you sure were dying to take a break." States Riley.
"In this line of work, you gotta appreciate the small things! After all the murders at every corner, some down time is necessary. Helps dealing with the insanity of the profession, trust me."
"But you can't always like doing the… murder, stuff, I assume." Add Zephyr.
"Some parts will just stay unlikable. Bet there are some parts of being a blacksmith you dread too, right?
"Yes, that's for sure."
A bit of silence fills the atmosphere. Tranquility. They seem more at peace with their current situation.
"So, Riley, found any mystical things since that monster?" Asks the hunter.
"More reflections on how this place functions. The material that composes the walls could give us indications at the energy used to create the Bottomless Pit. Malheureusement, I have no wild theories to entertain the both of you."
"… Was that French? The hell's that supposed to mean?"
"Think of the word 'sadly."
"Ah! Right, you should have been a teacher instead of a scientist. Bet people would have loved to learn a new language instead of being turned into your puppets. Your swiss ass is probably well versed in german too."
Riley laughs in a genuine way, entertained by Alister's mockery.
"I could say the same about you, Alister. I'm sure you could have teached people the art of kendo, instead of cutting them using a japanese sword."
"Yeah yeah, go fuck yourself. The fact that you know what kendo is scares me shitless. Whatever touches your brain makes me want to throw up."
"Heh! And your insults make me want to take a nap."
Riley follows his words and goes on a spot, gets rid of his coat and uses it as a pillow to sleep.
It's a dead silence.
They should have asked the doctor for the time. There's a lot to be preoccupied with.
2067.
October 25th, 3h49
Alister is looking for anything to cope.
#
…
More silence.
…
Zephyr gets out of his bag a blue sheet of paper that was tucked away in a corner.
"The hell is that? Something you forged?" Asks the hunter, seeing it as an opportunity to distract himself from his thoughts.
"Not me. My father. The last weapon he built before passing away. The Torch Blade."
"Ooooh! So that's how the bad boy looked like."
"Yeah, schematics for the weapon in general. Father was never the type to leave detailed and cohesive notes, so it's a mess."
"I assume you know how that weapon works." Alister tries to hold conversation, saying anything that sounds like he shows interest, regardless of the coherence. Of course, Zephyr knows how to use it, and for many applications. Nonetheless, the young blacksmith is in a position to share his line of work and what he sees as his idol to someone else, and so ignores the questionable nature of that statement.
"You need to know a weapon to use it properly. See, lighters have a clock wick and some fibers to prevent the liquid inside to leak. Not all models do this, but the one my father use is the one with sparks created by piezoelectric crystals that are compressed with the press of a button, which creates an electric charge. That's very basic stuff, you can find such info on most databases online." States Zephyr, with a more upbeat tone.
"You already lost me."
"Heh, well you don't need to know all the details for that. What you need to know about, is how the hell we can even project flames on a sword without the blade melting."
Zephyr's eyes are sparking with interest. Alister can see this is the young man's field and expertise, for he talks about it with such passion. It's more obvious when Zephyr opens the schematics and points to the poorly drawn rock at the upper corner of the sheet.
"Dragonite."
"…You…You're not playing with me, right? Dragonite?"
"No I'm not. This metal, we don't know where it comes from. It's my mother that brought some to my father when they first met. She never mentioned where she found the samples and the extend of its power."
"That red flag is real bright to me, but okay."
Zephyr ignores the assassin's comment.
"Basically, Dragonite is made to store heat, fuel and flammable gas. It can then be released as fire visible to the human eyes. It contains macroscopic holes to release as much heat as possible. Father went about it by placing some special material that would greatly reduce the amount of heat in contact with the blade. Then he modified the lighter and transferred the nozzle directly inside the Dragonite. So, when the lighter sparks, the sword just gets on fire!"
Seeing the boy with such joy in his face enlightens the mood of Alister.
"Wow, special material? You're the one who says you had to know the weapon you're using.
"H-hey, I didn't say it like that! Plus my dad was a bit of freak! I can't discern everything he does! Besides, I've only been really taking blacksmithing seriously for about a year now! I'm still learning stuff and-!"
Zephyr's embarrassment, in fact the whole energy the young man brings to the table, makes Alister laugh. The hunter looks a few years younger and less fatigued.
"Ok ok, I'm just fucking with you man, that's incredible. I bet your father must have been proud of you, to do a weapon like that and give it for free."
That comment was misunderstood. Zephyr looks at Alister with a side eye, almost annoyed. This confuses the hunter who, impressed by the description of Zephyr's old man, saw a better father figure then anything Brooklyn or Vancarther could offer him. He wanted to give that man his words of appreciation.
"I'm going to pretend that was a compliment." Replies Zephyr.
"Huh?? Dipshit, it was! I mean I wish my dad did anything to support my family, let alone give me a weapon like that. You had it rough, but you started good!"
"Oh… Sorry."
"Ah don't sweat it. It's normal for you to not know communication skills, when you're from a ghost town."
Zephyr does the side eye again, which prompts Alister to snap his fingers.
"Now THAT was an insult!" States Alister out loud, as he begins to laugh again.
"Wha-Go fuck yourself man!" Yells the teenager.
"Hey hey! Too young to say swear words buddy!"
"Yeah? Watch me go. You got me twice already, so I'm looking forward to beating you again, and settling the score."
A competitive side. Alister takes that challenge with a chuckle.
"Really now? I'll be looking forward to round 4 then."
Both have a grin on their face, as they enjoy the silence for a few moments. Zephyr has been enlightened by this chat. He never thought he could talk to Alister, let alone anybody, the way he's talking now. Since Lathe's death, Zephyr hasn't been too keen on relationships. The hunter acting like a brother figure is weirding him out, but he enjoys it. Alister on the other hand is reminded of the rare friendships he kindled when he was younger. For once, simpler times, peaceful moments are the things clouding his mind, like light gray surrounding the sky while still leaving shades of blue.
"You know, it's been less than a week, and it already feels like we've been stuck here for months." Expresses Zephyr.
"Yeah, tell me about it. No wonder no one made it back alive from here. They probably thought the same thing and gave up. Not us though. After all the concessions I've made, I better see what's at the bottom of this damn pit." Responds Alister as he grabs a piece of meat from the bag. "Do you mind giving me some flames to cook this?
"Yeah sure, but I did warn you I was almost out of fuel."
"Bro, you can blow yourself up, we'll make fire out of your dumbass."
"Glad to know I'm still useful."
Both get another giggle out of the conversation.
#
"Man, Riley sure is fast asleep. That's some slick tech he got there though." States Alister while looking at the watch sitting on the sleeping doctor's wrist.
2067.
October 25th, 5h22
The meat is ready for consumption. Two pieces have been cooked, for Urth and Eylventh woke up and decided to try their jaws at this turtle meat. They were all about the beans, but those are officially out of stock. Starving, the three are feasting with the occasional apologetic stare towards the young blacksmith.
"One day thy will be able to consume food again, I promise thy young child." Jokes Alister while imitating a grandiose preacher.
Zephyr, knowing that the hunter is fooling around, doesn't take the comment seriously. Urth, out of respect for Eylventh who is having a hard time eating its own kind, goes slowly on the turtle and turns away, pretending to not enjoy the taste. Bullfrogs of smaller sizes are known for eating other frogs. Riley's accuracy in implementing the same taste buds doesn't help in this situation. Both Alister and Zephyr enjoy the sights of the animals.
"Say, Ali, if you don't mind me calling you that."
"I've butchered your name for four days. Go crazy."
"…Alister is your first name, but since we don't know you're full name, and your identity… I guess what I'm trying to say is, you never took the time to tell us more about yourself."
Silence. Alister hesitates on shutting this conversation down.
"Well, you know, It's still something I'm hard on discussing about. Spent most of my life running away from that, ya know."
"I assume then… that you didn't have the best life out there then?"
Alister reflects on the question asked. A dozen seconds passes and Alister's face shifts from ponder to sorrow. Seeing this, Zephyr starts to worry. He lets go of the schematics and tries to relax the mood by suggesting that the assassin doesn't need to answer the question if he's uncomfortable. Alister speaks his words faster than him.
"To be frank with you, no. My life hasn't been great. I wish my father was around like yours, to tell me I am doing great, that I've learned from my mistakes, that I am worthy of his love. But no, he's Nathaniel Crow, famous leader of Vancarther, the one at the top of the hill! Because of course you're at the top of the hill the second things are fine... Except you had sex with a woman who had to do... work you're still technically too young to learn about, to survive. And he did fuck her, birthed me, and then disappeared back in his fantasy land the second the word family popped in his head... You know, like it's an ultimatum you got to have: Your prestigious lifestyle or being a decent family man. As if he can't do both at the same time because he's the guy, the one that saved Vancarther! And so, he runs away, pretends he doesn't have a family, until I must make my presence known on purpose. THEN, when that happens... The piece of shit leaves for the Bottomless Pit! He fucking JUMPS in the goddamn pit and, most probably DIES, like the asshole that he is! I had a feeling, in the back of my skull, that he was down there still. Every reason I have used to justify me following y'all in the moment have been crushed, stomped on, annihilated! Bottomline, is he abandoned me… He did, and there are plenty of other things he abandoned too. So yeah... fuck this trash can…"
Alister looks at Zephyr. The boy looks terrified.
"I- Yo, my bad, I got so carried away I really-."
"D-Don't worry, it's okay. You had to... You had to let it go... I could use some of that right now... But hum, I don't really have the courage you have for that yet so..." Awkwardly says the blacksmith.
"Yeah. No, you're right. I think I needed that. Thank you for, hum, even bothering to listen. It's appreciated."
There is yet another moment of silence.
Far more tense.
Alister can't tell that Zephyr remembered something that, in insight, he would rather never mention or talk about, ever.
"A-Anyway... I think I'll go to sleep. I'm getting tired so I'll try to nap too." Says Zephyr.
"Sure, suit yourself. I feel a bit better. I'll get on guard duty."
The instinct of the blacksmith sharpens.
Guard duty?
What if Alister discerned that something is going on?
What if he starts asking some persuasive question and Zephyr can do nothing but answer them??
What's going to happen to him??
"Al-Alright! Haha…"
Zephyr tries to let go of the panic and anxiety and places himself in a comfortable position to simply... fall asleep. Although Zephyr is acting a bit more suspicious then in the last few minutes, Alister simply chalks it up to him having a bit of trouble with words now, not truly expecting the assassin to let go such precious information off his psyche. The catharsis feels great for Alister. For once in a while, he felt like he could speak his mind to someone he trusts.
Zephyr's insides are twisting in absolute pain just thinking about what happened.
For now, the young blacksmith is pretending to sleep.