Thief of Twilight

Part Three: Chapter 97

"This...is it...?"

The three of us stood over the edge of a cliff gazing down into the depths of the gorge. It looks like a long way down.

Ji-eun kicked a small pebble over the edge. The sound of it bouncing off the other rocks echoed back up to us.

"It won't take long for us to reach the bottom. But remember, the rocks are slippery. Don't lose your footing. Take it slow and be mindful of where you step." Sinopia advised.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "How are we going to get down there?"

"Easy. We're going to jump."

"Jump?" I squeaked.

"Lord Vouldraz, I think we should find another way. Jumping from this height..." Ji-eun pursed her lips.

"Just follow me." Sinopia bent his knees before jumping over the edge.

"W-Wait!" I held out a hand as he descended into the gorge. "Shit..."

"Take my hand." Ji-eun held out her hand. "We will jump together. I promise not to let anything happen to you, Lady Abedayo."

"...Right..." I took her hand and we both jumped over the edge. The wind licked our cheeks as we descended to the bottom. When we saw that we were getting closer to the rocks, we prepared ourselves for impact. Bending our knees, we landed steadily on the sediment before jumping again. As we neared the bottom, I began to hear water. It was soft but I could hear what sounded like a shallow or gentle stream.

We landed on a rocky shore overlooking a shallow river. Sinopia was at the river's edge scooping water into his hands. Holding his hands to his mouth, he took a drink with a smile.

"...That was..." I tried to think of the right words. "Interesting..." I looked back up. "How are we going to get back up?"

"The same way we came down. Don't worry. You'll get used to it." Sinopia stood up and shook his hands. "Let's go. We're almost there."

Ji-eun looked down at me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I couldn't help but feel an icy chill rush down my spine. "It's a lot colder down here than up here..."

"Yes...it is..." Ji-eun reached for the bag on her back.

"I'm fine. I don't need a coat or anything." I reassured her.

"We are several feet down. It is colder but...it's not unbearable." Sinopia stretched his arms above his head. He led the way along the shallow river. The water was much clearer. I could see the rocks and any small, tiny strands of grass. Ji-eun constantly sniffed the air as if to familiarize herself with the new scents of the environment. There were tall trees and vegetation that I did not expect to see here.

It was like this place was it's another world.

Untouched by mankind.

The further we walked, the more I felt like someone or something was watching us. We've seen a few small rodents along the way. Rabbits, squirrels, and chipmunks. Maybe it's just me being paranoid about my new surroundings.

"Sinopia...where exactly is this tower located? We are still in the west but we aren't near the border of Guoania and Sincheon, are we?" Ji-eun asked.

"The border is just a few miles on the other side of the gorge. The tower used to be an outpost for the Guoanian Empire. Back when Sincheon and Guoania were at war with one another during the Great Emperor's reign." Sinopia explained. "But at that time, this gorge was part of Guoania. Now it is part of Sincheon and has been forgotten which makes it the perfect place for moon children to live in pace and hide away from any danger. It is also a place where wolf demons wouldn't think of going since food is so scarce. There aren't many deer or boar to hunt down here."