Enter Abyss

Chapter 16; Call of the Abyss

Sighing in disappointement, Archer slumped down beside Galen just as the king closed his eyes. He was quiet for a moment before asking, "How long will this take."

Galen's smile grew wider, yet his eyes remained closed. "Quite a long time, my friend. Quite a long time indeed."

"I should have brought a snack."

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For hours, Cogs and Meera simply talked.

They spoke of their own worlds, of their cultures and how much they differed. They laughed till their throats were raw, and neither grew tired of the other's company.

In fact, Cogs was not sure whether he had ever enjoyed talking to anyone more; Meera was funny and clever and she seemed to be not like the other girls, the ones on the surface world. Those who only liked Cogs for his social status but grew tired of him once he showed them his maps.

Meera was not that sort.

And though he had not known her very long, Cogs found that he would not mind seeing her again. Which is why, at the end of their walk, he summoned all the courage within him and said, "Meera..." Well, that wasn't ALL he said, but his throat dried up a little there and words were hard in coming.

Meera cocked her head at him in a curious manner. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if... perhaps you would, um, like to see more of me."

"I can't. See you, that is."

Cogs wanted to smack himself. Wonderful! He was making a twit out of himself yet again. "That's not what I meant!" he amended quickly, feeling his face turning beet red. "I just wanted to know if you would like to have dinner with me some time. Just the two of us. I, um... I want to get to know you better." Oh gods, he really DID sound like a twit, didn't he?

Thankfully, Meera smiled, her cheeks a rosy pink. "I would like that, thank you."

"Tomorrow then?"

"Tomorrow."

Thus, they parted ways with Cogs feeling like he was soaring in Archer's stupid flying machine. He felt-- dare he say it-- happy. He had been wrenched away from his family, tossed into the Abyss, thrown into jail, and his friend had been tortured, and here he was, being happy. It was absurd, really, but he felt something. Something had stirred within him as he talked to Meera; a warm, fuzzy feeling. Like holding a kitten.

It was a wondeful, elated sensation and it must have shown up on his face, for the moment he found his sleeping quarters and burst through the door, Pip gave him a look.

"Dear gods..." she muttered, "You've got something on your face."

Panicking slightly for a moment, Cogs felt his face. "What? What is it?"

"An absolute case of twit-ism."

Frowning, he drew his hands away from his head and sat down on the edge of his bed to take his boots off. And it was only then that he noticed Pip's own face. Her eye was currently turning purple, her lips were a bloody, swollen mess, and she was covered in scratches.

Cogs' frown deepened and he peered closer. "Pip... did someone hurt you?"

She snorted, "I'd say they're worse off than I am."

"You got into a fight? By Threndas' wooly beard, we've only been here a day!"

"Well, it's better than fraternizing with strange women, now isn't it?" Pip's cheeks were red and Cogs was not sure if she looked like she was going to cry of if that was simply the black eye beginning to ooze.

"How is THIS better? Pip, you could have gotten hurt!"

"I'm already hurt!" she screamed, "Don't you bloody know that by now?"

Springing to his feet, Cogs felt all his euphoria drain away, replaced with a fiery anger. "What are you going on about? How would I know anything about you when you never talk to me?"

"I talk to you--"

"Not about what really matters!"

Archer had mentioned something about Pip's past. What she had been before they had found her. He had told him that Pip would tell Cogs when she was ready for him to know, and yet she never had. She was always getting into trouble and never telling him why; it was if she hated herself, doing all these dangerous things. And yet, he had loved her for so many years. Oh gods, he had loved her. Though she never loved him back, he had waited by her side, terrified that she would take a dare that she could not achieve, that she would pick a fight she could not win. That she would die and he would ever have a chance to kiss her. To feel her lips pressed against his own.... It was a gamble loving her. A chance. A dare in itself. She was wild and unpredictable and had been for years. She was playing a dangerous game in this life and he played a dangerous game by loving her.

And Cogs was through playing.

He may have only met Meera, but he had made more progress with her than had had with Pip in YEARS. Meera spoke to him, she was open about things such as her family and friendships. He knew she had brothers, and that her favorite sound was that of rushing waters, and she hated the taste of moon moss. He had learned so much about her within a few hours. And with Pip? Nothing. Why, he did not even know what her favorite colour was.

She only told him things she wanted him to know, and even after all these years of friendship she could not trust him? He only knew that she enjoyed fighting and wearing Archer's clothes. Other than the things Arch himself had told him purely by accident, Cogs knew nothing. What was worse, Pip and Archer told one another everything! It was as if she were excluding Cogs. He had not noticed until now, making excuses on her behafe, blinded by his love for her. But now, within the span of a few short hours, he had seen the flaws in his feelings. They had been genuine, for certain, yet they had been flawed.

So flawed.

It stung, the entire ordeal, as if it made his heart bleed from the inside. It hurt. Looking at her now, at her cuts and bruises as if she was trying her hardest to hurt herself, Cogs could only shake his head.

Turning his back on her, he walked out of the room in search of a hot bath to calm his racing heart. And it was only when he found a room filled with hotsprings-- which a nearby servant informed him was the public baths-- did the realization of what he had said really sunk in. And it was not until he sank beneath the steaming water that Cogs let the guilt sink in, making him feel as though a stone were sitting upon his chest.

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