The Day of Descent

Ravela scowled. “Hey, did you not get any sleep? You look like more of a mess than usual.”

“Ehh,” I said, groaning from the other side of my doorway.

Ravela had come knocking on my door very early. Only the bakers were awake at this time.

“Hey,” I said. “Are ghosts real?”

“Pft, what?”

She tried—oh, she tried so hard not to laugh, but her huffs were slipping past her clamped lips, and she was already starting to hug her stomach.

“You’re laughing at me because ghosts aren’t real, right? Because I’m being stupid, right?”

“Heck if I know, Timaeus. I mean, I’ve seen Gloomspawn before. Never seen a ghost, and Saints know there are plenty of people who’d want to see us if they could.”

“So ghosts aren’t real here,” I said, reassuring myself.

In truth, the game had a few ghost-looking enemies, but those were like spectral monsters or land spirits that had been corrupted. They weren’t like bonafide ghosts with human-level intelligence. The strongest ones were also Level 20, which was hardly a threat.

“So, you have nightmares, Timmie? Need little old Ravela to sleep in your bed with you?”

“Yeah, actually,” I said, totally serious. “That’d be great.”

Ravela’s mouth dropped, and her cheeks reddened. Her scowl then returned, even fiercer than before.

“Don’t just say stuff like that out loud! And why aren’t you ready yet?!” She pulled a scroll out and shoved it in my face. “Please grab these compounds if you have them!”

I read through the list quickly and nodded. “Right, anti-slime monster stuff. Right. Yeah. I’ll grab that.”

***

It was that rare time when the layers felt peaceful. No shouting merchants, no drunkards yelling down staircases, no coughing steam grates. Just us, the gentle creak of old signage swaying in the breeze, and the faint, rhythmic hiss of steam escaping pipes—heck, even the pipes seemed sleepier than usual.

Me and Ravela didn’t say much as we walked.

She stayed sharp, though. Her head moved constantly—windows, corners, rooftops. I didn’t think there’d actually be someone on the rooftops, but I actually preferred her to be this vigilant as opposed to the alternative. It brought me some peace in a way, and then some irritation when I realized it meant life was so dangerous it warranted this sort of vigilance.

Ravela still wore her coat, but beneath it, I could spot a black sleeveless corset top—high-necked, a kind of turtleneck, actually, with the cleavage modestly covered. A rare look on her, but it made sense. No need to leave your chest exposed to whatever danger we were going to encounter down there.

I didn’t comment on it. It felt like the kind of thing where if I did, she’d smirk and tease me for wanting her to be pleasing to my eyes.

The route we took was unfamiliar to me. The Saint Gamori layer, between Saint Fleur and Saint Giselle, was supposed to be a slightly better-off layer, but this path had the same vibe as Saint Giselle’s trades, trash and artisan-ruled streets. Eventually, we reached a tall, metal, warehouse-like building with a significant guard presence.

“This is it,” Ravela said.

From the outside, it looked like nothing special—just another forgotten building sunken into a street that hadn't been cleaned in a year. But when she pushed the heavy doors open, its true nature was revealed: the housing for one of the largest shafts in the city.

A massive central shaft dominated the room, metal framing and fencing surrounding it. Steel cables ran from the shaft to the walls and ceiling, connecting to huge mana-powered gears and brake engines on either side. The air was colder here, tinged with oil and glowing dust.

Ravela glanced over her shoulder, then back at the shaft. “We’ll wait for the next lift.”

“Yeah,” I said, watching the guards standing at the gates to the lift.

Other salvager types were drifting in. Some wore patchwork armor and tool belts. Others looked like gritty fantasy mercenaries. There was some chatter between acquaintances and friends, but it didn’t really last too long. It was like a morning shift at some cursed factory.

I tightened the strap on my satchel and readjusted the Merry Edge on my back. I had every compound Ravela requested. I even threw in a few experimental ones, just in case we needed to dissolve something stubborn. I also had the temple’s drill gem in my pack, just in case.

The lift came without fanfare. People got on after registering with the guards, and when the lift had a solid seventy people loaded, its descent began.

Ravela took me to the back end of the lift, and rested against the framing. The walls of the shaft were earthen, but something about them was strange. Mana Vision revealed traces of mana—it was like the walls had veins. I couldn’t help but think the veins were keeping these walls contained.

“Alright,” Ravela said. “It’ll be about twenty minutes ‘til we get to the bottom. You remember everything I’ve told you?”

I stood beside her and crossed my arms. “Yeah. I’m excited.”

Ravela clicked her tongue. “Listen, I’m going to take you around so that you can see the depths for yourself, but you have to make sure you listen to me, got it, Timaeus?”

“I understand. You’re the captain, Boss.”

“Please take this seriously.”

“I am. But I’m also happy we’re doing this. Thank you.”

Ravela eyed me and then chuckled. “Yeah. No problem… I want to stay over today, so please don’t annoy me so badly that I go to Meredi’s.”

“Oh, but then you’ll get the soup—”

She slapped my shoulder swiftly. “Don’t think about my stomach. Think about me, and not annoying me.”

“One hundred percent. You’re all I have in my mind.”

“That so? Lucky me.”

“Hey, Rav? Actually, I’d like to tell you something.”

“Yeah? Go ahead.”

“Elsie was in my room yesterday.”

Her face stayed stoic, hardly reacting to the statement. “That so? Lucky you.”

“Yeah. I didn’t think it would happen, but we kissed.”

“Woo,” she dryly said. “You put your tongue in a dangerous place, huh? You must have been jumping for joy.”

She was still stoic. Maybe her grip on the framing was tighter.

I shook my head. “Hard to jump for joy when the girl looks like she’s a few kinds words from bawling her eyes out.”

Ravela was silent for a beat and then looked at her feet. “Yeah.”

“I wanted you to know,” I said. “I told her too, that I’m going after three women.”

“That’s probably the most daring thing about you. You think you can just tell someone that and get away with it.”

“I think I can only do it if I’m honest—”

“And we resign ourselves to our fates.”

That reply hit something in me.

“No,” I replied, looking at her. “You don’t have to resign yourselves to anything.”

She glanced at me. “Okay, calm down. Sorry.”

“No. I’m sorry.”

“Why? You’re just doing what you said you would do,” she said, crossing her arms. “You’re a man of your word. People can say all sorts of things about you, but they will never take that away from you.”

“I didn’t want you to step into my room tonight without knowing what happened.”

“I… I really appreciate that,” Ravela said, scratching her head. “Really, I do.”

“In my heart, you and Elsbeth are equal.”

“Really? Even though she leaped into your arms, just like that?”

“Of course. I’m not measuring anyone against her. You three… are precious in your own unique ways. All those different ways make you equal in my greedy heart.”

“What a nice thought…”

“I mean it. But it’s okay if you don’t believe it.”

Ravela sighed and then smiled at me—a soft, fragile smile. “I already knew,” Ravela said.

“You did? Did Elsie tell you?”

“She didn’t have to. The girl was so happy on our walk back. It was easy to guess… I mean, I thought maybe the two of you had kissed, but I prepared myself for it having escalated.”

“Right…”

Ravela nodded as she chewed on her lip. “That’s why… if you hadn’t told me by the end of today, and my back touched your bed… I would have been so angry at you.” She lightly punched my shoulder. “You fucking prick.”

“Yeah, that would have been pretty slimy of me.”

Ravela took one step closer, her shoulder touching mine, and almost let her head rest on my shoulder.

“But you told me… And as soon as it looked like you had finally woken up… I really hope the prospect of telling me hadn’t been the thing keeping you up last night.”

I groaned. “Not at all. I just let my imagination get the better of me.”

“Aww… Poor guy… Poor guy, but a nice guy,” she said, her smile a little warmer. “If we weren’t in public, I think I would hug you.”

I blinked. “I can create a smokescreen.”

A laugh escaped her. “Come on. Stop joking.” She looked away, but I caught a shy glance from her. “My hugs can’t be that great.”

“I would hug you all the time if I could,” I replied, sparing no second.

Ravela covered her face—and her smile—with a hand.

“Just being honest.”

“Hey,” she said, drawing my attention again. She was looking straight at me. “Listen up, lover boy… When we’re down there, if it looks like I’m in trouble, and you want to help, don’t. I know what I’m doing. You don’t. Don’t worry about me when you should be worrying about yourself.” Ravela clicked her tongue, her lips twisting. “I don’t want you hurting yourself just because I’m worth your emotional energy.”

I nodded, studying her expression for a few seconds. I knew what I wanted to say.

“Listen, Rav… If I get in trouble but you can cover me without imperiling yourself, then please help me.”

She glanced at me, a smile she was trying to restrain tugging at her lips.

“Is that okay?” I asked.

She scratched her head and rolled her eyes while letting out the cutest chuckle. “Of course,” she said with a shrug. “Isn’t it obvious that I would help? I’ve already cleaned you up before when you sat in a puddle of your piss. Saving your sorry ass from some moving slime is nothing.”

“Hehe, I’m never going to live that one down.”

Ravela pressed against my shoulder a little more. “Hey, what do you think it says about the woman kissing you up every time she’s in your bed?”

“That she’s a kind, merciful, bountiful goddess?”

 “Okay then… doofus.”

She could call me all the names she wanted; that giggle of her's  was the sort of sound that would inspire an honest man to become a tyrant if it meant getting her the world’s greatest treasure.

And then, she licked her lips and let out a soft breath. "Hey, if I get in trouble and you can cover me without getting hurt, and I’ve made it obvious that I need the help… Then please, save me from the trouble.”

“Miss, I’ll wipe that trouble from the face of the world if you give me the chance.”

“Ooo, so confident. Be careful there, I might just hop on you right now.”

“Don’t tease, you cruel mistress. I’m supposed to be focused on the adventure, not your luscious lips.”

Ravela let out a laugh. “Stop. You’re not focused at all.”

I almost fell to my knees. “Why do the gods expect miracles from mortal man?” I dramatically asked.

“Stop. You’re going to draw stares.”

“Then let them look upon the man failing the goddess; let them learn the lesson my sorry body teaches.”

Ravela rolled her eyes. “Alrighty then.”