It thankfully wasn't too long before I was again able to traverse the streets of Orth. It was me and Mother (against Father's insisting that he should go so he could carry everything), picking up some things. Already we were getting business, though it was just people buying medicines and such, nothing major... yet!
Our errands brought us to the central district of Orth, where the more busy and popular businesses were established. It was the district closest to the Abyss itself, but this didn't stop people from setting up roadside stalls, hoping to pawn their merchandise as well.
Among the normal citizens, there were people wearing tan and brown mining gear. Their looks were uniform, save for the whistles that hung from their necks. The whistles came in various colors, from black to blue to purple. These were the people Father had spoken of. They were called Delvers, those who brought up Relics from the Abyss. I couldn't take my eyes off them whenever they passed by. They probably thought I was crazy, but I didn't care.
Of course, when I wasn't looking at the Delvers, I was looking at the Abyss. Through the alleyways and down the side streets, I could glimpse the great pit, closer than ever.
"What do you keep staring at?" my mother asked, confused.
"The Abyss," I said. "When we're done, can we go closer? I want to see it better."
Concern tugged the corners of Mother's mouth down into a frown. "We're not allowed to get too close since we're not Delvers, but I suppose we can go a little closer." My request seemed to intrigue her. "I haven't seen you this interested in something in a while. Are your books not enough?"
"They are! But... the Abyss is so much more interesting. Why would I want to read about places that have been explored when the Abyss hasn't?"
"You're really hanging onto that, aren't you?" Mother said. "You have always wanted to be an explorer, so I can see why you'd be so interested. Still, maybe consider helping out at the clinic to be a little bit more important?"
"Mh-hm," I hummed, half-listening.
A group of children passed by us then, led by a few adults. I was surprised to see they were around my age, but they wore the gear of Delvers. They even had whistles, though theirs were a bright red. Were they Delvers? If they were, I was surprised. Was the Abyss really that dangerous if kids were allowed to go into it?
"Mother, look." I tugged at her sleeve to get her attention. She looked, and she was surprised by the sight as well.
"Children?" she questioned rhetorically. "I believe they're from one of the orphanages... And I thought only adults were Delvers."
"Maybe the Abyss isn't that dangerous then," I said.
Mother's frown deepened. "I wouldn't be so quick to believe that."
Why not? "They're being led by older Delvers. They could be learning from them." My mind began to race. "I wonder if there's a school for delving or something? How else would they learn?"
Mother gave me a look that was both puzzled and worry-ladden. "Why are you so interested in all of this?"
I couldn't tell her about the feeling I got when I was looking at the Abyss. She'd likely just say it was another one of my fantasies. "I told you, it's the last unexplored place in the world, who knows what's down there?"
"And that's what concerns me about it," Mother said. "Doctors are in high demand here, and yet they see fit that children can be sent down there?" She pursed her lips before sighing. "Don't worry, we can still go a little closer." That was enough for me, for now.
I had to stop myself from running ahead of my mother to the end of the street, a bit difficult considering the street sloped downwards here. Ahead, there was a wall that bordered the far side of the road with seemingly nothing but the Abyss beyond it.
Finally, I reached it. There was only the wall now separating me from the Abyss. My curiosity had peaked now, and the need to know what was down there was painful. I jumped as high as I could, trying to look over it since it was only a few inches taller than I was. Father could likely see over it just fine since he was so tall himself.
Maybe I could... I tried to climb the wall, just so I could look over it. With more than enough handholds in the stone created by time, I was easily able to haul myself up to the top. And for a moment, I got a glimpse. At my eye-level were cliffs and lush treetops, all obscured by a morning mist that the sun seemed to bounce off of. To my slight disappointment, further down I could only see the endlessly-swirling clouds. The mist was obscuring the rest, though I could faintly make out more large shapes beneath them. They weren't moving, so what were they?
"Len, get off of there!" Mother scolded, gently tugging on my sleeve. Reluctantly, I started to climb down, but this didn't stop me from taking one last look before I did. I thought I saw something moving among the clouds, something I could barely make out. I squinted, and then my eyes widened in shock as the thing broke the misty layer. It was a bird, brightly colored in red and yellow plumage with a shell of some kind covering its forehead. Mother pulled me back down to the street, but the bird flew high enough that I could still see it over the wall.
I gasped as the bird skimmed the rim of stone, occasionally dipping back out of view before rising again. It was unlike any bird I'd ever seen, real or sketched, so colorful, so wild...
My feet were moving before I realized they were, and I raced down the street along the wall, trying to keep pace with the bird. Just what was it? I was deaf to the noise around me, utterly lost in my thoughts. That was, until the piercing shout of Mother broke through the shroud I cast over myself.
"Len, watch out!"
The next thing I knew, I was running headfirst into someone. They hardly budged when I hit them, so I bounced off them and fell to the ground. The impact jarred me and knocked my glasses askew. Hitting the cobblestones didn't hurt, rather, it was my pride that was injured.
"The hell was that?" the person muttered before turning around. Staring down at me was a woman in her mid-twenties wearing Delver gear, a shiny purple whistle hanging from her neck. A brown and white feather was stuck in the brim of her helmet, giving her a flair that was unique to the other Delvers I'd seen so far. She must have been almost six feet tall with dark skin, short red hair that flared out at her shoulders, and narrow red eyes that looked at me with confusion and slight irritation.
My face flushed warm. "S-sorry!" I gasped.
Her eyes quickly took in my appearance. "Watch where you're goin', kid," she huffed before offering me her hand. Her well-toned muscles tensed as she hauled me to my feet, and I marveled at her strength. She'd pulled me up like it was nothing.
"Again, I'm sorry," I said before bowing to her slightly, adjusting my glasses when they slipped down my nose.
The woman sighed, shaking her head. "Whatever. Long as ya ain't hurt, it's not my damn problem." Her words were clipped with an accent I didn't recognize. She definitely wasn't native to Orth, in spite of her getup. "Watch where you're goin' in the future, alright? Unless this is somethin' ya always do, ya klutz."
"I-I don't know how many times I need to say sorry, but I was just trying to see something better down in the Abyss," I said, my cheeks burning hot by now. And I wasn't a klutz, it was an accident!
The woman looked out at the pit and the bird I'd been chasing just as it dove back down behind the wall. "Ya plowed into me... 'cause ya wanted to catch a glimpse at a Hammerbeak?" A grin split her face before she let out a sharp laugh. "What, ya never seen one before?"
"H-he hasn't, we... we moved here recently," Mother said as she finally caught up to me, squeezing my shoulder tightly. I tensed at the thought of what she was thinking right now, and I felt bad for making her have to run like that with her condition.
The woman nodded thoughtfully. "Must be pretty excitin' then, huh? I get that. Who doesn't wanna know what's down there?"
"He certainly does... that's for sure," Mother chuckled hesitantly.
The woman cocked an eyebrow, glancing back down at me. "Is that right? What's your name, kid?"
"I-I'm Len," I answered.
"Len? Hm. Short, snappy, I like it. I'm Melva by the way, just another Delver here," she said. "But it was nice runnin' into ya, Len. Again, watch where you're goin' next time." She turned on her heel and began to walk away, hands casually shoved in her pockets.
No, she couldn't go yet, I had to learn at least something about the Abyss from her. "Wait, since you're a Delver, can you tell me what's down there?" I called after her. She paused and glanced at me over her shoulder, a smirk curling a corner of her mouth up.
"That's somethin' you'll have to discover for yourself," she said before continuing on and vanishing into the crowd. My shoulders slouched as Mother began to guide me back up the street. I could already tell that I'd be punished for what I did. At least I got to meet a Delver in exchange.
After the incident with Melva, Mother kept a closer eye on me whenever we went out. I hated it, but it really was my fault. That still didn't stop me from trying to get my hands on any knowledge about the Abyss that I could, prying the information of the customers and clients that came into the clinic.
Apparently, the Abyss' depth was unknown, though rumors floated around that it was over twelve miles deep. It was separated into seven distinct layers that housed a variety of ecosystems full of creatures and plant life that were as varied as their surroundings, most of which hadn't even been properly named yet.
That last fact truly cemented this place as being something truly unknown to me, the presence of things that hadn't been named. Maybe I could be someone who had the chance to name something. The thought of it made me giddy.
"You think there's a jungle down there? Or maybe a dessert?" Aedia asked as I told her about my findings.
"I think you mean desert, Addy," I corrected. "And I don't know, there could be." Just the thought of something like a forest or desert existing down in the Abyss was enough to make my head spin. It was a vertical shaft, and while its width was a little over half a mile, that didn't mean there wasn't enough room for biomes like that, right?
"You wanna go draw with me now?" Aedia asked hopefully. She frowned at my hesitant look. "Why not? You always wanted to draw with me before."
Yes, I had. Guilt panged me, and I made myself nod. I could afford to not talk about the Abyss for five minutes while I drew with my sister. "S-sorry, of course I'll draw with you," I said, and her smile was enough to make me feel better.
—~*~—
A couple of weeks later, I found myself alone in the pharmacy. Aedia had come down with a cold, which was sadly typical of her, and my father was tending to her. Mother bounced between the back storeroom and the second floor, and here I was, bored out of my mind. All I had were my books and some scrap paper I occasionally doodled on.
Some time later, maybe close to noon, we got a customer. It was a tall woman with short red hair, fiery eyes, and a confused look on her face as she stared at a paper she held. I instantly recognized her, and my heart skipped a beat with excitement.
"Excuse me, but you're Melva, right?" I asked cautiously, hoping she remembered me as well. I wasn't in the mood to receive an awkward look from someone who didn't know who in the world I was.
"Yeah, I am." She looked up from the paper to me, then squinted. "Wait..." She stared blankly at me before her face lit up, and she snapped her fingers. "You're Len, right? That klutz that plowed into me 'bout two weeks ago."
"Y-yes." My face again flushed at the recollection. "Is there anything you need?"
Melva nodded. "I'm kinda shit with medicine stuff, so I was hopin' ya guys could help me. Ya might need your parents' help, though."
She handed the paper off to me. Scribbled on it, was a list of basic medications and other things like bandages. Written at the bottom were "fever alleviation" and "wound sterilization." Even if Melva didn't know what was needed for that, I did, and I hurried to gather everything. Once I'd retrieved the half-dozen items on the list, I placed them on the counter.
One of the medications I chose that would cover fever alleviation caught Melva's attention right away. It wasn't our best, but it was the least expensive. I didn't know what price she was aiming for. "What's this?" she asked, picking the bottle up.
I pointed to each of them, replying in turn, "It'll help with a fever, and you swab that one around a wound to lessen the chance of an infection."
Melva's brows rose. "No shit?" She placed it back on the counter and looked at me. "Surprised ya knew that, and ya picked it out so easily."
"My parents taught me to read with their medical journals, and I've been helping out with operations since I was ten," I said as I calculated her total. "Well, by getting the medicine and such, at least."
She handed over the money and started pocketing her purchases. "Good skills to know for your age, and perfect for a Red Whistle."
My mind instantly went to the group of orphan children with their red whistles. "I'm guessing they're beginning Delvers?"
Melva nodded. "Yep. Ya can get a red whistle when you're twelve an' start delvin' after that. I started a bit late since I came to Orth when I was fourteen, but I picked up the slack real quick."
Twelve? So if I wanted to, I could go down into the Abyss... "Ms. Melva, how do you get a whistle?" I asked.
She raised a brow. "Ms. Melva?" She stared for a moment longer before shrugging and continuing. "If ya wanna be a Delver, ya find someone who's at least a Moon Whistle, like me, and get 'em to take ya on as an apprentice. Most try to go for Black Whistles since they got more experience, but that's the thing, everyone wants to learn from a Black Whistle."
"But once I do that, I can go into the Abyss," I stated.
"Yep again," she reaffirmed. "It's disgustingly easy too, since there can never be enough Delvers pullin' up Relics for the city. Gotta keep this place goin' somehow."
Then this could be my chance. I decided to take the leap, not thinking of where I'd land. "Then could you teach me, Ms. Melva?"
She froze, going silent briefly. "Alright, I didn't expect to hear that today. Look, I 'preciate your enthusiasm, but ya know what it's—" She tsked. "Shit, no. Ya don't know what it's like down there... It's... To be a bad influence, it's amazin'." She smiled softly. "So much greenery and life, least near the top. I come from a place that's all sand, y'see, no trees, nothin'. Seein' that much green was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and it only gets prettier, 'parently."
That confused me. "If it's so beautiful, why does everyone say it's so dangerous?"
"Y'know the sayin' that every rose has a thorn?" she asked. "The Abyss has 'em in spades, things that'll kill ya in seconds if you're not careful. Birds that have the screams of men that try to lure ya in to eat ya, giant serpents that can fly without wings, and... poison-spined monsters that can pierce steel with their quills. That's not even a fraction of what's down there." For a second, she didn't look as happy, forlorn, even. "Ya don't look that scared or anythin'," she said when I didn't react.
"Because that sounds incredible," I replied before backtracking. "O-okay, maybe it is a bit scary." I couldn't deny the nervous chills that were coursing down my spine, though excitement countered them. "But it's amazing that things like that even exist at all, and we didn't know about them until now. That was probably what it was like for the people who explored the places we came from. And you're still a Delver, even knowing what could happen to you!"
To my surprise, Melva looked impressed. "Spoken like a Delver."
My mouth fell open slightly, and I quickly shut it. "R-really?"
"Yeah, really," she said. "And even better-spoken since I don't hear many kids speak like ya. Ya definitely have the voice of someone who always has their nose stuck in books. I'll say right now that you're gonna need to build up some strength if ya wanna get anywhere as a Delver."
"So... does this mean you'd be willing to take me on as your apprentice?" I asked again. "I-I won't get in the way of your Relic-hunting, I just want to see what's down there."
Melva thought, muttering, "I mean, if ya really wanna..."
"Len, lunch is ready. You can take a break now," my mother said as she entered the front of the store. She noticed Melva was there, though it took her a little extra time to realize who she was. "Oh, you're the Delver from before. Melva, yes?"
"The one and only," Melva replied. "Your kid's been a great help, knew exactly what I was lookin' for. Ya taught 'im well."
"Oh, thank you," Mother said, smiling.
"It's also the kinda skill a Delver looks for when they wanna take on an apprentice," Melva added. "I've been lookin' for my own recently, y'know?"
Mother frowned, processing Melva's words. "When you say that, you mean..." She glanced at me. "I'm sorry, but while I'm flattered that you think my son is capable of something like delving, he's better off staying up here in the city."
My flash of hope began to flicker out, and I tried to stop it. "D-don't I get a say in this?" I interjected. "What if I want to do this?"
"We don't know what's down there," Mother said. "I know you've been asking our clients and customers about the Abyss, so can you tell me what you've learned, Len?"
I relented at that, shrinking away as my face fell. "Not much, but it won't stop me from trying to learn more," I said.
"And there's your answer right there," Mother said firmly. "How could either I or your father agree to let you go down into some strange chasm with a stranger without knowing anything about it?"
It was then that Melva burst out laughing. "Ya say that like we know what the hell's goin' on down there!" she exclaimed. "Ask 'round all ya want, but you'll get the same babble every time, nothin' more. Trust me, this city's been 'ere for centuries, and we hardly know more than ya! But we all have what your son has, a drive to learn, though in a less klutzy way. Trippin' off cliffs is an easy way to get yourself killed."
Of course, Mother didn't appear swayed, and my heart fell into my shoes. "I still can't agree to this..." she said. "So if you don't need any—"
"Ma'am, I've been delvin' for 'bout twelve years now," Melva interjected. "Been from the First to the Third Layers and back least two-dozen times. Only thing I've lost was half o' my right ear, and that's 'cause I was bein' an idiot. I don't think your son'll go pickin' fights with things he don't understand, 'specially if they got a lotta teeth or a sharp beak.
"I can't guarantee he'll be completely safe, but I wouldn't take 'im down that far until he's ready to go deeper. I'll decide when that is, not him," she continued. "The Edge of the Abyss is the safest place in the Abyss, and I delve with a crew, too. Most don't since it means less ground covered and less Relics found. Unlike most people here, I value safety over profit." A small smirk snuck onto her face. "Though gettin' money's pret-ty nice, too."
Mother glanced from Melva to me, then back again. Her brow was furrowed with thought, and her lips were pulled into a tight line. After a moment of this, she sighed. "May both my husband and I speak with you about this?"
Melva lost her smile then, but she didn't back down. "'Course," she huffed. "I got some time to kill anyways, an' I won't be a stranger if ya get to know me a bit."
Mother glanced at me. "Len, go have lunch, okay? I'm sure Aedia wants to see you." I nodded before heading upstairs.
Aedia was where I left her this morning, holed up in our room in bed, flipping through my books and looking at the pictures. Her bouts of illness were thankfully never serious, but they were enough to keep her bound to bed for a couple days until she regained her strength.
"How're you feeling?" I asked as I sat on the edge of her bed.
"Bored," she grumbled, closing the book she was looking through. "I don't get why I always have to get sick. I like being with Mom and Dad, but I wanna be with you, too. It's fun seeing new people in the pharmacy."
"Speaking of new people," I said in a purposefully mysterious tone so it got Aedia interested. "A Delver came into the clinic today, the same one I ran into when Mother and I were out in the central district. She agreed to take me on as her apprentice so long as Mother and Father agree with her."
Aedia's mouth fell open. "No way! That's amazing! If she says you can be a Delver, will you tell me what it's like down there?"
I gently tousled her hair, smiling. "Of course I will. And maybe I'll try to find you a Relic or something."
"Can it be shiny?" she asked sheepishly. It was hard to not laugh at her embarrassment. She could never admit that she loved shiny things, even when she had a collection of glittering stones she'd brought from our old home.
"I'm sure it will be," I replied, to which she grew excited at. I hoped I wasn't making false promises here.
To my surprise, when I left to take my empty plate to the kitchen, I saw my parents as well as Melva coming upstairs. Mother had a resigned look on her face while Father looked both hesitant yet happy, and Melva wore the biggest smile I'd seen on her yet.
"S-so what's the answer?" I asked, daring to hope.
"I'll be back in two days," Melva said, holding up two fingers before putting one down and pointing at me. "Then after that, we're headin' out to the Abyss." My smile was able to rival hers then.
———————————~*~———————————
With Melva's introduction, here's some artwork I did of her! She's the sole reason why there's a content warning for heavy swearing, and I honestly think it's a worthy reason.