NOVEL FROG Chapter 115: Dead Drop Gorge
Crisis began heading north, trailing the path next to the large forest on the right side of the city. They began running at first, but after seeing that the omens were already way ahead of them and couldn’t be seen on the horizon, they slowed down the pace slightly to take a bit of a detour. They headed west, trying to stick close to the mountain range and hills so they wouldn’t be too out in the open. And while they still managed to run for quite a few minutes, only Kiwy and Frost were capable of keeping up the pace as Tricky, Nitro, and Candy slowed down considerably after about fifteen minutes of running on and off.
–How many times have they tried taking over a base again? I lost count…– Tricky commented sarcastically, breaking the silence as everyone focused on breathing. It took a while to get a response since everyone looked straight forward, and she was at the back of the line with Candy, who hesitated to speak but then tried to catch up with Frost so he could hear her.
–They’ll keep trying until they succeed. But this might be a trap…– Candy replied with a skeptical but prudent tone that caught Frost’s attention. Candy approached him through his left but kept looking back at Tricky and Nitro, though she was interrupted abruptly by Frost’s scoffing at her.
–It’s already a trap. I’ve been told they are surrounding the base already, so we have to hurry up before they kill everyone…– Frost explained in a commanding and discreet manner, but he didn’t waste time quieting his teammates' doubts to have them focus on running again. However, he only managed to make his teammates a bit nervous, more so when he refused to elaborate and began running again.
Candy followed closely, staying right behind Kiwy, but Tricky and Nitro had a harder time keeping up. They stuck close to the rest of the team for about a minute but then fell behind a little bit, leading to an awkward silence between the two as they exchanged silent stares. Nitro tried to amuse Tricky with a silly face, but she ignored him until he finally thought of something to say.
–Well, this ain’t original at all, but we finally got some action outside, and at night as well. This is wonderful, I can’t wait to see how bright their bodies will burn!– Nitro exclaimed with enthusiasm while facing Tricky, who wasn’t as optimistic as him, and dismissed him until he pulled out a grenade to cheer again.
–How do you have more grenades? Didn’t you use all of them in the float?– Tricky asked in disbelief, slightly concerned that Nitro still had plenty of ammo for his grenade launcher, or at least it appeared that way since his bag of explosives was full. He scoffed at her and got a bit closer with a taunting grin that made her uncomfortable, then back away. But as she was still curious and waited for an explanation, she reluctantly looked at him to find out where he found more grenades.
–A good bomber always carries extra explosives with himself at all times…– Nitro replied with a smug grin, mocking Tricky as he fidgeted one of his grenades. But his response only brought more questions than answers, and Tricky was now more invested in the mystery than the rest of the team, so she began thinking.
–There’s no way the company gave you that many. I haven’t given you any either… You stole them, didn’t you?– Tricky asked again with a critical tone, becoming upset at Nitro after realizing in the middle of her sentence what he had probably done. But even though it was clear that she was right from the way he cackled at her accusation, he just denied it with a firm shake of the head.
–A good bomber never reveals his secrets…– Nitro responded with a witty, slightly flirtatious smile, followed up by a wink, before running fast to not confront Tricky as she became irritated. However, she wasn’t left satisfied and caught up to the rest of the team, running after him to keep judging despite being annoyed over and over by his responses.
–I hope one of those goes off while you sleep, seriously…– Tricky claimed it with genuine spite and malice, catching the rest of the squad’s attention. They immediately turned back once they saw that they were arguing, but Nitro only laughed back at her hateful stare. And as Tricky’s eyes fixed on conveying as much contempt as possible, Nitro was unphased by her response and only found inspiration to come back at her.
–Woah, woah. Hey, how could you say that?... What if I happened to be sharing my bed with you?– Nitro asked in fake shock before building up to a satiric tone and mocking grin before turning around and laughing at his own response. Some of his teammates cracked up, but Tricky jumped in with more insults right as he turned his back.
–Shut up, you little, ill-fed, slimy, perverted, good-for-nothing freak! You’ll only be sleeping six feet under with those grenades shoved up your-…– Tricky shouted with intense hostility, to the point that Nitro was speechless and fearing for his life, though he still cracked a laugh. Unlike him, Tricky wasn’t joking around and appeared to mean every word, especially the last part, which he seemed very eager to hear. However, he couldn’t hear the full insult as Kiwy, Frost, and Candy burst laughing, with the latter trying to contain her laughter and calm her sister down instead.
–Ahh, nothing like some pre-battle jokes… See, that’s when I like you, you get that combat spirit working… Now, make sure to save that for later…– Frost laughed with genuine content, which was off-putting for Nitro and the rest of the team as he turned back to address Tricky. They all looked at each other to confirm that they all heard the same, and while Nitro was flattered at first, he was too scared to say anything that could change Frost’s opinion, so he opted to shut up and stay back. However, it sounded like Frost was being honest and convivial for once as his excitement showed the closer they got to the gorge, and he didn’t mind showing it despite it being weird for the squad.
–There’s nothing better in life than killing omen scum while they least expect it. We have to enjoy it while we can, so let’s keep it moving…– Frost added with an eager tone, talking to himself at first before turning to his team with an enticing smirk that sparked the same enthusiasm for battle in them. As they were pumped up to confront the enemy once again, they gathered all their energy to run continuously until they reached the gorge.
It took them longer than expected as the entire field surrounding Rysemery was empty, and other than the forest and the mountain range, they didn’t come across any signs of movement apart from some wild animals. The exhaustion was setting in, but they were committed to making it in time, so they focused solely on running and managing their breath. So, while the eerie silence of the empty valley returned, Frost maintained a consistently fast pace that forced everyone else to keep up, and as they couldn’t entertain themselves, they admired the natural and untouched landscape around them before entering the battlefield.
They noticed the sky was too dark to see the mountains ahead, as large clouds were blocking several stars. But even with a limited field of view, it didn’t matter if they could see very far, as they had reached a corner of the mountain range. They came across various entrances and passages, but none of them were the shortcuts Indie told them about. A bit further up north, there was a big path that appeared to be the main route to their destination, and while the rock walls at both sides were too tall for them to climb, it was spacious enough for them to spread out and walk all side by side. But since it was so dark inside, the squad hesitated to enter the gorge and waited for Frost to come up with a good approach.
–Is this it? I’ve actually never been here…– Candy asked with a hint of curiosity and dread in her eyes, taking cover behind Frost and the rest of the squad to only peek at the gorge's entrance, which appeared to be completely clear but a bit menacing. The steep, rocky walls were covered in thorny vines and dead foliage, as well as some debris that showed past and even recent activity. The ground appeared to be uneven, but not enough to prevent them from walking, so Frost stepped in to check it out before moving.
–Yep, this should be the main entrance… Heads up, we must be careful now. They must have gone through here, so they could come from anywhere now. Let’s try to be quiet and stick to the sides…– Frost ordered cautiously but remained somewhat unbothered since he was eager to venture into the dark ravine. Candy began shivering, but with Frost guiding her, she took a step forward with him, and soon, the whole squad followed without questioning.
Forming a line to stick to the left wall of the passage, Tricky and Nitro stayed at the back and couldn’t help but keep arguing by staring at each other to death. However, they were silent despite not having any threats present yet, as there was still a certain level of uneasiness due to the ambiance and lack of movement. But even with the limited light at their disposal and the uncertainty of something creeping up on them at any moment, they advanced slowly, checking above and behind to keep an eye on everything as Frost tried to guess his way through the gorge.
While Crisis was just entering the gorge, the Heartaches and EchoForce were already deep in the mountain range, trying to navigate its narrow corridors. After leaving their hiding hole, they entered an open ravine that showed them the light again. Panda and Agnus led both teams, trying to cover as much ground as possible to find their way out more efficiently, though there was little space for them to walk side by side. They continued going north as they encountered many other paths, but even when they kept going in one direction, it looked like they wouldn’t find their way out any time soon, which was starting to make everyone anxious.
The rookies and Heartaches kept themselves distracted by chatting, cutting the rock surrounding them, or even stopping to relieve themselves, as they hadn’t gone to the bathroom in hours. They either complained about the plain surroundings or shared their worries about what could happen outside the mountains. But they focused once again when they entered a somewhat large, dark cave at one point. They returned to darkness, but with the help of the lighter, they roamed around until they found a slope, taking them to a crevice where the light shone through.
Following the light, they climbed a few rocks to get to the exit, and while they were all tired already, their spirits were lifted when they saw what was outside. They had climbed onto a cliff that connected the mountain they were on with a shorter hill, and while trying to stand on the even ground of the ridge, they took a break from walking but also looked around to orientate themselves. The rookies admired the surroundings, but they also noticed that they were back on the first line of mountains next to the green plains below, with the forest visible in the distance, though they were still quite lost as they were too far away from Rysemery to see it.
–Are we there yet?– Ignatius asked sleepily as Panda handed his lighter back, but he took some time to assess their situation and give him a proper answer.
–We should be closer now, but we still have a lot to travel. It should take us longer to traverse the ridge, but at least we’re safe from the antipunks…– Panda replied earnestly but stayed optimistic to keep the group motivated. They weren’t as concerned as before since it was a relief to leave the narrows and see the valley again, but as Panda and Agnus tried to find the direction of where they were supposed to go, the Heartaches and rookies sat down to rest.
While looking either up at the sky or down at the fields, they noticed it was significantly darker than when they left the factory. Unlike most nights, gigantic clouds were covering most of the sky, which they didn’t seem to notice at first, or at least they didn’t mind. It was only until the moon was briefly obscured by a thick, gray cloud that it was brought to their attention, as it was almost as dark outside as the cave they just left. And while they didn’t have anything to fear since no enemy was nearby, the cloudy night didn’t provide a sense of safety.
–Uggh, is it me, or is the sky getting even darker?– Chappy asked in mild concern, getting a few dismissive looks from his own friends, even Scott and Zoey, who were more focused on holding hands as they sat on the edge of the cliff to look over the valley. Ace and Shade seemed unenthusiastic, turning even more apathetic when Chappy pointed out the obvious. But his comment didn’t go unanswered, as some of the Heartaches were just now realizing that the sky was too cloudy, though they seemed excited about it.
–Yea, it might rain. I hope it does, I’m thirsty…– Ryu responded with a playful smile, receiving some affirmative nods from his teammates. Chappy gave him a weird look and turned to Ace and Cookie, but before he could say anything, everyone had to stand up as Panda and Agnus had chosen a route to follow.
–Let’s go, the others probably already got there…– Panda ordered and took the lead as he continued heading north through the precarious ridge. Agnus, Cookie, and Kayden followed right behind, with the rest of the Heartaches forming a line to traverse the only path they could take to go over the mountain range. It was much faster and more direct than the maze-like passages they came from, but since it was riskier, the rookies fell behind to make sure not to slip. They were careful with their steps but continued chatting some more as they all got curious about their destination now that it looked like they were very close to it.
–Why do you think the gorge is called that way?– Scott asked his friends with a lighthearted tone, prompting some long reflection as Ace, Chappy, and Zoey thought hard about a good answer. Even Shade considered it for a bit, but they were all interrupted by Zayn, who stayed at the back of the Heartaches’ line with Faye and Nolyn, and he appeared to be listening keenly to the rookies’ conversation.
–It’s because it housed many secret bunkers for collecting and relaying intelligence back in one of the great wars. It was also mistakenly called Drop Dead Gorge because thousands of people have died trying to break into these secret bunkers. Nowadays, it’s just one of the main passages to the northern region of our continent and is used for commerce and combat, although the trade routes are situated more to the east. That’s where the inspection points are located since there’s a lot of activity and conflict closer to the Citad-…– Zayn explained casually, catching the rookies off guard but captivating them with the story to the point they all slowed down and allowed the other Heartaches to go ahead. But as Zayn kept spouting knowledge on them, their intrigue and confusion eventually overwhelmed them, so they stopped him from talking to make some sense of it.
–Great wars? Secret bunkers? Trading? How come they don’t teach us those things?– Ace asked with skepticism but turned lively as he was the most interested in the subject. Unfortunately, Zaun was already moving on and didn’t see the rookies’ reaction, so they began speculating, though Scott and Chappy appeared absorbed in all those concepts that they were hearing for the first time.
–I guess it depends on where you grew up. I did hear some war stories, but I don’t really know much about it…– Zoey responded thoughtfully, sharing her curiosity but taking a moment to let the other rookies share their opinions as well.
–Man, it sounds like war was much cooler back then…– Chappy thought to himself out loud, but as the rookies had almost stopped walking and fell behind quite a lot, Panda noticed after glancing back to check up on them. He also halted and waited for them, but while they mindlessly followed, something caught his attention as they continued discussing the topic Zayn brought up. And they were so distracted on the subject that Chappy bumped into Nolyn at the back of the line, and that’s when Panda tried to clear their doubts.
–Hey, I know a lot about wars. You don’t have to worry about them now, they have been mostly forgotten. Let’s just focus on meeting up with Crisis and preventing another one tonight, and I might tell you more later…– Panda assured with a promising tone that made the rookies focus on their mission again. Panda reclaimed the lead and took both teams down a short slope at the end of a mountain to reach a rocky field similar to the one back at the factory. But with the rookies still at the back of the line, they continued bringing up questions while Panda wasn’t looking as they waited for the Heartaches to make their way down first.
–What about those continents he talked about? Are there, like, more countries and stuff out there?– Chappy asked with suspicion but restrained excitement, sparking more doubt in Zoey and Scott, who seemed unable to even imagine what other continents would look like.
–I bet... There’s probably a whole continent of cat and cow girls…– Ace replied jokingly, getting a laugh out of Zoey and Scott, but he painted a picture in Chappy’s head that was hard to ignore as he was fascinated by it instantly.
–I would die to go live there…– Chappy muttered with dreamy eyes as he lost himself in the thought of a land of precious animal girls, almost drooling at the idea. His friends laughed, and he didn’t even notice, but their fun was cut short when Shade hurried them up to go down the slope.
–Oh we’ll see, just you wait…– Shade replied with a sinister grin that almost seemed playful but ended up scaring the rookies so badly that they allowed him to go down first before taking turns. His response did serve as the end of their senseless discussion as they rejoined the group, and they were forced to focus on the task ahead as it looked like they were about to enter more narrows. They were bummed out by it but then realized that several minutes had already passed and they were now entering an area that seemed treacherous, at least from Panda and Agnus’ reactions.
–This is it… Stay sharp, y’all. We might walk right into the enemy now, so keep your guard up and quiet down…– Panda ordered warily, as he assumed a watchful attitude, slowing down and keeping his head low as he headed towards the big opening of what appeared to be one of the entrances to the Dead Drop Gorge. Both teams followed closely, and while some were anxious to enter the gorge, they remained close and didn’t hesitate much. However, Panda’s warning prepared them to face unknown enemies waiting on the other side, so they tried to make their way through the gorge with caution as their top priority.