Naren hung over Yuna as she fiddled with the keyring from the guards. Something about her was really intriguing he couldn't put his finger on it. Though, that was all overshadowed by her remembering him.
"What're you up to?"
Yuna didn't say anything. Instead she picked out a key that looked right to her and opened the cell to the curly haired girl.
"What's your name."
"Ch-Chrysanthemum."
"Come with us, Chrys."
"Hold up, why're ya adding this random, weed-head?"
Yuna held her hand out towards Chrys who faltered. Naren didn't know what she could have possibly wanted her for. She seemed way too useless. Atleast Vera was able to be his map, she couldn't do much, but hold them back.
Chrys' hand didn't move, she stayed curled into a ball.
"I know it's hard Chrys. Believe me, even now I'm shaking just imagining what we have to go through. But let's at least do it together."
Chrys' eyes glimmered, reflecting the pitch black pupils staring at her with compassion. Yuna's hand laid outstretched, ready to pull her up. A warm smile enveloping her face.
"Let's survive, together."
Chrys' shaky hands slowly grabbed onto Yuna's. All her weight in fear holding it down. But Yuna pulled it up. In one gentle motion, she brought up the girl that was all but ready to give up.
"O-okay."
Her eyes were jittery. Still apprehensive of what she was agreeing to. But Naren could see the reflection of the world becoming just a little brighter in those pupils.
They all used Cairo as a light to walk through the cavernous prison, making sure to try to stay as inconspicuous as possible. Though, security seemed very lax. Naren couldn't help but wonder how things were going way too smooth for a prison break.
'I just had to go and think that didn't I?'
Now that he thought it, something terrible was bound to happen. Something completely out of their control, like the entire ground swallowing them up, or even a dragon coming out of the sky. Well, the last one might not be that bad, Naren had always wanted to see a dragon. Maren always told lots of stories about the fire breathing lizards.
As they neared the entrance, there seemed to be nobody on guard. In fact, there was nobody visible within the entire village. The lanterns hung down, flickering, lighting up the courtyard that was now pitch-black from the night. But there wasn't a single soul to illuminate.
'Well I guess I'm in luck for once.'
Naren walked past the group, being the first to stop at the pearly white gates. Just as in the cells, these were made of the same indestructible material. Luckily for him though, Naren had the most reliable form of transportation of his time: teleportation.
The orange glow from the lanterns flickered across the icy walls of the ravine. Even the floors seemed to be made out of some special ice, one that wouldn't slip.
'Just my typa place.'
Naren immediately focused on the first reflective surface that garnered his attention. An enormous statue at the center of the courtyard — made completely out of the white material taking on a beastial shape: A hunched over figure, with six arms. Something like a human, but not quite. It would be closer to say it was like the land itself. What looked like mountains erupted from it, etched in the skin of the figure.
It's head was sunken into the skull. Six hollow holes, reflecting nothing but emptiness, acting as eyes. It's jaw split open in several spots, three mouths hung open. All stuck in between a scream and a breath. Shackles adorned every part of the creature, it's neck, legs, arms. As for arms, it had six of them stuck into its abdomen. Two of them clenched together as if holding something not there anymore. The other four of raised up into an open palm. Holding up the sky.
The statue itself was on a base of ice, far more reflective then it's statue counterpart. Though, the reflection didn't catch Naren's eyes. Nor was it the numerous arms, eyes, mouths. No, it was just a single eye. The middle left eye was slightly different from the rest. It was carved just a little different from the others, reducing the perfect statue into something more human. The middle left eye held regret.
Naren gazed at it for a second longer than he should've. The eye was strangely human and drawing. Like the feeling of meeting an old friend after a long time apart. Something nostalgic.
His eyes shifted to the base. He could get a closer look after getting out of here. With another second, his barefeet touched the cold ground of the courtyard, right next to the statue.
With a third second, his body was on the ground. Pressed against the cold icy ground. An invisible force was stepping on him, completely smothering any attempt at getting up. As if the ground itself was inhaling, pulling him in.
"Jst...Hdta...thinkk...thattt.."
Naren swiveled his head back to the gate, where he could see Cairo laughing while Yuna snickered. The orange glow of Cairo's embers reflected the icy walls of the cavern. With another second, his whole body fell flat on the floor of the dungeon once more. Embracing the ground.
"Haha, you dumbass, don't ya know about the pressing?"
"I thought it would be nice to someone handsome."
Yuna let out a chuckle. The first time she seemed to crack a genuine smile around them. Though it wasn't in the case Naren hoped.
"What're you laughing for?"
"Hm. Nothing nothing."
"You laughed when I called myself handsome didn't you?"
"No no, definitely not."
She couldn't look him in the eyes without letting a little breath escape.
"It-it's because of the Pnoe. That's what the women here called it."
They turned to Chrys, still hesitant to speak, but giving her two cents nonetheless.
"It's a pressure that appears every night, pushing anything that's visible to the night sky into the ground."
Naren turned his head towards Cairo.
"The pressing my foot."
Cairo just shrugged it off.
"How come it didn't effect me when I was in a hole before, then."
This time Yuna spoke. Finally able to maintain her composure.
"That's structural load distribution. The walls in your hole was closer together, so the surrounding ground absorbs and spreads the force laterally. But in an opening this big, there's too much span between the walls, so the pressure still delivers."
Naren tilted his head slightly. She was smart. Now that the glee of being remembered began to wear off, the lessons chiseled into his body peered through. Bjorn always warned that a smart enemy was bad, but a smart ally was infinitely worse. You can always expect the enemy to be against you, but you can never be sure of that ally.
"Makes sense, professor."
"Sounds like something you just made up, weed-head."
Yuna looked at Cairo coldly.
"I don't understand your primitive words, fossil."
Naren got up to a seated position, yawning, looking over at Chrys.
"How do we get out, curly?"
Her eyes met Narens, startled.
"Oh-uh, wait for day. Pnoe only lasts during the night. Tha-that's why all the guards are gone."
Naren yawned again, his tired eyes still on the girl.
"You remind me of that clumsy girl from the ship. I think, Iris?"
Chrys' eyes widened slightly.
"You were on the ship? Were you a part of the second platoon too?"
Naren rubbed his eyes, trying to stay awake.
"Something like that. I think."
Chrys' voice dwindled slightly, her eyes falling off Naren's face.
"But...who are you?"