Primed

Descending - Act 2 | Chapter 23 - Primed
Six Hours and Fourteen Minutes Since Juna Was Found Dead

Flavia stepped off the ladder and brushed the dirtied fold of her tunic where the tunnel rubbed against her knees. As Theo stepped down to join her he noticed something odd, specifically something felt odd.

The Chasm's appearance didn't change at all from The Entrance Section to The First Layer. It was still a long stretch of a cave as dark as could be. However, chills traced Theo's spine for reasons he couldn't understand. The temperature in his fingers dropped to an uncomfortable coldness and his mouth succumbed to a dry state. Theo could see nothing ahead, Edgar standing at the edge of darkness fastening the straps of his armor, was the final line of visibility.

Beyond him—unknown.

Theo felt it. Felt what lurked in The Chasm's darkness from how his own bones vibrated. Uncontrolled, his eyes swarmed the edges of where he could see, scanning everywhere at once, uneasily. Worst of all he felt warmth on his back. A bodily warmth. Not the same cold compress from a decaying corpse, but something that had a beating heart enough to draw fear from this place as well.

She knew it to. How unsettling this place was. The dead body on his back knew.

“When'd you get that?” Edgar grumbled from the front.

Behind the armored Gritborn was Aurelia who stood fastening a black leather gauntlet on her right hand. Gauntlet wasn't exactly the right word, however calling it a glove didn't fit the object either. Leather straps wrapped around Aurelia’s wrist in strange ways, almost restraining. Her index and middle finger were pulled tightly together by two thin straps below and above her knuckles. The squeeze looked painful and caused the tips of her two fingers to turn a slight purple.

However Aurelia didn't seem to mind it. With a smile she flaunted the newly strapped gauntlet to Edgar.

“Pretty thrilling right? Found it for cheap from a Hauler who supplies from Ground One. Apparently some Gritborn discovered it near one of Coloana-Vie's tunnels right after The Chasm shifted.”

Edgar didn't show interest in the gauntlet's appearance. He kept his head down and asked one simple question:

“What's the Fossil's Exchange?”

Aurelia emphasized her tightly wrapped index and middle fingers. “They meld together,” she said. “The Gritborn who found it gave the Fossil a trial run for about a month. In that time he noticed the skin between these fingers growing with each use until both were completely conjoined at the tip.”

She gave a slight wave of the hand, then showed she was able to separate the two fingers even while strapped. “Don't worry, I don't plan on drawing out it's Fuel unless something calls for it. But with the prestigious Edgar here I doubt I'll even need to. For now it only boosts the natural strength in my hand.”

“That's not the worst Exchange,” Flavia said with a finger to her chin.

Edgar returned a dismissive grunt. “I still don't approve.”

“I find melded fingers much better than your wooden bones, thank you very much.” Aurelia walked past Edgar and thumped the sheathed sword on his hip, then strode off into the darkness afoot.

“Lift,” Edgar said, turning towards Theo. “No matter what you think of Gritborns, understand most have a clearer mind that she does.”

With that said Edgar followed Aurelia, vanishing just as fast and she did. Though Flavia stayed behind, arms crossed and foot tapping against the ground.

Theo wondered if they should follow the others, in fact the second Edgar stepped out of sight the crawling feeling in his skin became more potent.

“Should we…” Theo started.

Flavia kept one arm crossed under her chest and held up a free hand with the other. “Give it a second.”

Doing as told Theo waited a foot behind her, watching the same pitch black cave in front of them as she did.

A smile scurried onto Flavia’s mouth as both Aurelia and Edgar returned from the abyss. The flaming haired girl kept her head down and the pristine Gritborn glanced to the side and scratched under his ear.

“There a problem?” Flavia asked with a smirk.

“...we kind of need your Stone to see…so…you know…” Aurelia mumbled.

“Oh? I thought you two could see in the dark with how quick you were to leave?” Flavia said. “Is that not the case?”

Aurelia and Edgar didn't respond. They only stepped to the side and opened the way for her.

Flavia chuckled. “Much better.”