Time Lapse

Chapter 24 ~ Zlo Avis ~

Descending the rocky terrain wasn't easy for several reasons. The rocks in Shabiri Canyon were so hot that on days in the summer, the heat could melt skin to the rigid terrain. Merchants and travelers were reminded to carry several boots for backup in case they melted. Often, they did. Days of record-breaking heat usually brought deaths, corpses from long ago piling along Shabiri.

Often, the canyon is filled with criminals and bandits in hiding, most dying from the heat. Shabiri wasn't just a deep ravine but a labyrinth that made it almost impossible to escape, no matter the navigator. Many times people tried to make a map, but not even Histolytica's best cartographers could pen out the ever changing terrain and dead ends. It was as though the chasm moved, bodies occasionally disappearing but never brought back. Grave robbers frequented Shabiri for the fortunate but never returned.

Not even the Seventh War of Imsdal and Histolytica proved different. The war ended as both sides lost when each army fell in the Canyon, their bodies and remains missing six centuries ago. When both royal courts aligned their maps for battle plans, both were the same, however, the canyon somehow shifted as though to keep them there forever.

But for Atlas, it was nothing more than a deep and hot canyon. Perilous, yes. However, there was once a time when Atlas learned of Gestalt's secrets, learning to navigate the canyon.

The sharp and jagged rocks were hot, but Shadid was right. Today was adequate for normal Caryopsis conditions, cool even. Strange water passed through the bottom of the cliffs, somehow never moving as if frozen in time. Surely, if all the bodies from over the years were finally released, they could fill the entire canyon. But the ravine at the bottom had other plans, consuming with a never-ending stomach.

"It's not a ravine, it's an ocean," Atlas told himself, remembering when he first discovered the depths of Shabiri's truth. "Gestalt, what other secrets do you have..."

Dangling off the side of the exposed rock, Atlas kicked his leg up so his toes could pivot in a small crevice, allowing him more freedom. Scaling down the cliff's face was something he needed to do no matter which direction he climbed down Shabiri. Unless he arrived from Caryopsis, which would take too long.

He was never gripped; there was no reason to be. Often he was taught to fight and move as though it was his last life. One day the curse of immortality would be gone, and he couldn't rely on it any longer. While the curse was tempting to abuse, it would be accepting the demon's influence. "Only a few more months..."

The wall's overhang dangled under Atlas, and a thin platform of rock too far to reach without hurting on the fall. Preparing himself, he steadied his breath, reaching down in an awkward shape to reach a jug that sprouted off the foundation. Dropping his feet, Atlas dangled in the air, searching for any spots to hook his heels or toes. Only one was in sight, hardly close enough for him to reach, but still possible.

Kicking his leg so his toes would hook into the crevice, Atlas squeezed his core to prevent from falling, throwing his hand between his torso and the jagged rock to reach for the crevice.

Suddenly, bits of rock crumbled, his foot falling from the spot as his body fell. But within a hair's reach while rotating his torso, Atlas's extended hand gripped into the fissure, feeling his arm pull under the weight of gravity as his body swung under the canyon's ceiling. Arms strained, the invisible weight of chains pulled him down, eventually falling to the platform a few feet below.

Landing with his arms and knees bent, Atlas felt his body shake, denting the rock under him as he landed. A tiny crater with Atlas's sandals lodged into the ground, his eyes trained on the small current of water running through the bottom of Shabiri. "Gods, I need to apologize. I feel like an idiot," Atlas complained, stretching up as his thighs felt sore from the fall. The rest of the canyon wasn't much further below, enough to descent easier than earlier.