The sun was just coming up as they reached the cliffs of Periculum. The shadow that the canyon created, spread long and thick and obscured the lab’s frame – but it was definitely there. Butterfield was right. Kail was sure the old man was right about a lot of things. Right now he just took in the moment and stared at the massive structure below. “How tall is this thing again?”
“The lab or the cliff?” Butterfield asked standing next to him, overlooking a fatal drop.
“The lab,” he clarified. He took his eyes off the bottom of the chasm. He was starting to feel uneasy with nothing between him and certain death but a few feet of earth. Kail studied Selestia’s face from a distance. She stood with the rest of the group talking about something, but he couldn’t make out what. He hated himself for putting her through all this. He wished he had decided to rescue her after all of this was over. He knew that wish didn’t make sense however. Without her, there would be no Butterfield. No Butterfield, no mission. No mission, no mission to wish she was not on. He had to stop his introspection. He needed to focus on what needed to happen now.
“The tunnel is right over there.” Butterfield pointed to a hill. “It’s quite the trek down, especially with my old knees.”
“Hey!” Kail exclaimed staring at him. “You wanted to come. I didn’t make you.” Kail noticed that he spoke louder when talking to Butterfield without having to think about it. This was a microcosm of what made Kail who he was. He could effortlessly adapt to seemingly any situation even if it was as simple as compensating for someone’s lack of hearing.
“Time to rally the troops?” Blabber asked as he approached.
Kail looked up surprised. He couldn’t believe he didn’t hear him approaching. Was he that out of it right now? Was he so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the loudest human being on the planet getting near to him? Or was Blabber showing a side of himself that he had never seen before? The side that manifested itself when he volunteered to come. He showed calmness and self-restraint. Kail was not a father and Blabber was a good 40 seasons older than him anyway, but he felt like a proud parent must have felt at that moment. Perhaps Blabber needed a new nickname when this was all over.
“The troops, sir?” Blabber asked again.
Kail smiled. “Right,” he responded shaking his head, trying to free his mind of the internal dialogue he was having. New Blabber or not, that was no excuse to be caught off guard. “And what’s with the ‘sir’. Using formalities doesn’t suit you.”
Blabber laughed because he knew it was true. “I just figured, that if this is our last day alive, I want to die with dignity. I want to be sophisticated for a change.”
“We’re going to make it out of this Blabber,” Kail assured him. Before Blabber could say anything, Kail added, “Alive.”
“Well, good to see that you’re unjustly optimistic as usual,” Blabber said with a smirk. “I’ll round them up.” He trotted back to the rest of the crew who were still engaged in conversation.
Kail patted Butterfield on the back and led him to the rest of the group. “You’re in charge now,” he half whispered in his ear. Butterfield perked up and straightened his back as best he could. “Ok now everyone, listen up!” Kail spoke loudly in his commanding voice. “Butterfield will lead the way as he is the only one who’s been here before.” He paused a moment to visually survey his crew. The stares of an old man, a giant, a “sophisticated” loudmouth, a prince dressed like a shadow, one of his closest friends who was fiddling with a gun Keiran had given him, and the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He took in the moment as he knew it was likely the last time he would see everyone together.
