• Courage Without Fear

The booming voice slowly faded into the eerie silence of The Abyss. The Avatars remained frozen in place, an undeniable tension tightening like a vice around their hearts. They all felt fear, every single one of them. Especially because it had appeared so suddenly, the warning voice of an unseen entity.

And now because of it, a weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air.

"Well why don't you come down here and face us!" Nero yelled into the ambience.

"Nero!" Cerene slapped his wrist.

"What?"

"Why would you say that?" she snapped.

"Come on, whoever that was, they're obviously messing with us." the boy said, pointing to the red sky. "I mean 'my domain will become your unyielding torment?' What the dancing hell is even that?"

"I thought The Abyss didn't have a creator?" Spheris interjected. "Isn't that the entire reason why it's paradoxical?"

"It doesn't," Thorin replied, looking as stalwart as usual. "Whoever that was, they are not the creator of this Expanded Realm. Neither do they own it." His eyes swept over the group, assessing their reactions with a keen sense of urgency.

"Thorin, the voice literally just called it his domain." Cerene said.

"Strange." Akemi added.

"Exactly, Akemi. Very strange."

"We don't even know if it's an actual person speaking!" Thorin declared, his voice steady and strong, even though Spheris could tell that he was just as worried as the rest of them. 

A true leader, he thought.

"It could be some kind of Influence or a Spell, conjured into the realm to test us... to make us afraid. And if that is the case, then we're already failing." His gaze darted at every one of them, urgency inscribed within. "We can not allow fear to dictate our actions."

Everyone seemed to agree with the resolute Avatar, nodding their heads or muttering a silent "Yes." Even Spheris concurred. 

"Now, let's make our way to the mountains, there is certain to be some caves where we can harbor, at least after the night comes and goes."

"Alright then, boss," Cerene joked. "Let's go."

As one, they turned away from the rocky hills which had served as their vantage point. 

"It was the Heathian's fault." Spheris heard Nero murmur.''

"Shut up, Nero!" Cerene elbowed him playfully.

They threaded the steep path ahead, winding their way through the craggy outcroppings and reddish shadowed valleys.

Spheris looked at the sun above. What a strange sun it was. Usually, a person could only see the sun in a circular glowing shape. But this sun had it's sharp starry edges piercing out of the clouds, casting long shadows that stretched across the landscape like dark fingers reaching out to grasp them.

Spheris sighed. 'What kind of insanely mad person would create a world like this?'

He thought about the kingdom he would create if he somehow managed to become a Utopian. It wouldn't be like this, God no.

'It would be peaceful,' he thought. 'The structures will be made of gold, and the sun will never shine as bright.' After living years in the Heaths, Spheris had had enough of the sun.

'No, this my kingdom will be brisk. Not too cold, not hot at all. There will be food everywhere as well.' He would never let himself be hungry ever again. 

Spheris's daydream was forced to an abrupt end once they arrived at the base of the mountains. The mouth of a cave was right before them, beckoning like a welcoming embrace.

"This one seems suitable enough." Thorin said, bending low to inspect the cavern.

"Suitable enough?" Nero scoffed. "It's so dark in there, you wouldn't even see me. And I'm wearing all white."

"Is it safe?" Cerene added. "Monsters do live inside caves."

Thorin shot both of them judgemental glances. "Fear, guys. We talked about this. We can not let ourselves get afraid."

Spheris didn't agree with this. To him, fear was important if one was trying to survive. It meant knowing the danger of something and accepting it. Courage meant facing that danger anyway. 

There isn't courage without fear. 

But of course he didn't say this, he only remained silent, with his arms in their usual position — folded, Talon on his shoulders.

"What?" Thorin asked the team. It seemed that none of them was willing to step into the cave without an assurance that it was safe. 

"Alright then, I'm going in to inspect it," he grunted. "Stay here and do whatever it is cowards do."

Nero and Cerene shared a glance. "Fine by me." he murmured. 

Spheris and Akemi shared a silent one. 

Conjuring a ball of fire to illuminate his path, Thorin slowly walked into the cave, a grave silence settling amongst the Avatars as he left.

Watching this made Spheris's stomach churn. It felt like the night in the underground caves once again. Him and the other thieves, watching on as Dunnam stepped into dungeon, just seconds before he was gobbled up by the— no.

Surprisingly, he didn't wish that fate on Thorin the competent. He was the only one amongst the other Avatars that he fairly liked, even though he trusted none of them. 

And so, he made his path through the middle of Nero and Cerene, bumping their shoulders on the way. Talon flew behind him and followed him into the caves. 

"Hey," Thorin smiled, seeing that Spheris was beside him. "Thanks for showing up."

Spheris didn't say anything in reply, but his eyes concurred the reciprocating respect. 

"Okay, okay. We're coming!" Nero yelled.

- ☯ -

Moments later, the Avatars were settled within the cavern, a fire which they had made with Thorin's help, crackled merrily in the center, casting shadows against the rough-hewn walls.

After much discussion and arguments on what they should do, they were all presently silent, their faces bathed in the fire's warm glow.

Spheris had his shadowy ball of mist swirling above his palm. It responded to his every gesture, pulsing with a dark energy that intrigued him and soothed him as well amidst the uncertainty that surrounded them.

Nero got up, walked to the mouth of the cave and peered out. Then he returned. 

"Can someone explain how it's already so dark? It was around ten bright that we left the Dome, wasn't it?"

"We're not in the real world anymore," Cerene said. "Perhaps, time is different in The Abyss."

"Makes sense," he shrugged, before joining them on the ground. 

Spheris eyed him disdainfully but returned to this shadow ball without saying anything.

"Can you knock that off?" Nero said to him.

Spheris looked at him once more. "What?"

"I said knock it off."

"Nero, can't you just mind your business?" Cerene once again defended Spheris.

"Cerene's right, Nero." Thorin added. "I think you picking on Spheris has gone far enough."

"Well, I'm bored," he shrugged. "This... is boring. What are we even waiting for anyway?"

Like an answer to his question, a sudden disturbance arose in the cave. Green mists materialized before them, swirling and coalescing into distinct shapes, before they manifested into knapsacks fashioned from rough-hewn cloth.

"That!" Thorin declared, jumping up to his feet. "They were able to smuggle the supplies, just like I said."

"Oh, I love magic!" Nero sang.

With urgency, the Avatars hastened to claim their allotted provisions, each bag bearing the sigil of a Wing and designated for the Avatar of that Wing. They eagerly rummaged through the contents. Blankets, foods, water, weapons.

Spheris and Akemi were yet to collect their supplies. But when he saw that there was one last knapsack left, he simply turned around and returned to his former position.

Akemi glanced at him, picked up her knapsack which beared the Fourth Wing's sigil and walked to a corner of the cave.