#tiny order

“Magnus, quit it…!”

“Aw c’mon, Ellie!” A bird donning the shades of orangish-red and grey-like white hurriedly flies elsewhere in startlement and survival-instinct, as an outcome of something unclear being briskly tossed at the lifeform, “I’m just having fun…!”

Magnus’s tone was that of one that said to be an intentional pitch, trying to get under Ellegaard’s skin. The green jacket-wearing boy flipped a leftover wooden stick which turned out to be the object to cause the bird to panic, flying into the air, grabbing the branches before they proceeded to befall to the darkened, forest terrain in his left hand, a wooden sword in the other, turning to Ellegaard with a deliberately more ironic voice and an expression that was plainly intended to irritate the lass. It worked. Ellegaard couldn’t help but pointlessly retaliate with him, futilely attempting to make him cease to be such a nuisance. Then again, Magnus wouldn’t be Magnus without his astonishingly vexatious tendency. She brushed that thought off, grasping the wooden sword in her hand imperceptibly tighter, another two boarded blades secured through the belt around her waist, jacket beneath as she and Magnus sauntered through the forest, a nighttime atmosphere glowing, fainting onto the children and environment throughout.

“Your ‘fun’ is harmful to wildlife!”

“And your fun is looking at fancy lights as they burn up.”

“Hey, speak for yourself, bastard…! It’s actually very interesting, thank you!”

“Oh, I get it,” Magnus laughs that in a witty idea, “You’re just scared of the dark,” Magnus teased, slightly elongating the last word.

“What?” Ellegaard sibilated, confused.

“Doesn’t redstone give off a natural light?” Magnus jeers, somewhat lengthening the final term yet again, “I guess you just like it ‘cause you hate the dark…!” He hissing “dark” with an extra taunting and edge-like tone.

“Hey! A phobia of the dark is actually a sign of high survival-instinct…!”

“So…” Magnus replied, still in a gibing pitch but now in a wise-guy tone, “You are?”

“M-” A sharp snap of a twig cuts Ellegaard off, having her to reflexively, violently shove an arm to Magnus’s chest, a halting gesture. Her head snapped back to watch in front of herself, opposed to glaring at Magnus, “Did you hear that?” She asked in a firm and guarded pitch.

“Oh, yeah,” Magnus barbed, “It’s just the sound of a nerd changing the topic…!”

“No, you idiot,” Ellegaard stared fiercely at her ally, “It sounded like-!” A creeper carefully emerged from the brambles ahead of the duo, making a racket blatant enough for a warning to be said. The monster wasn’t looking at them but it was looking and the right-bottom as if the abnormality was attempting to watch its step, afraid of tripping to the ground. Ellegaard and Magnus both noticed the menace at near the same time, however, the damsel was the one to take action, abruptly tackling Magnus to the bushes, the right of the kids in a hiding and panicked movement, a hand loosely over his mouth so he couldn’t yelp out in startlement. As the pair duck into the hedges, glimpsing their heads out, anticipating to look at a single creeper, nothing else, they notice that somehow, a cluster of monsters surrounded the proximity. From skeletons, spiders, zombies, creepers, even an enderman or two…the monstrosities completely encircled the area. Completely. Not a foot was covered without a monster occupancy in the crepuscular shadows, a mysterious dim befell. Look at the monsters, eye-contact unnecessary, and the monstrosities would shoot in a gaze their frigid glare that perpetually intensified throughout nightfalls although it might’ve been a natural survival instinct, even if both of the human presence were children. Speaking of which…the kids…the poor, poor kids…they didn’t even have to tell one another to comprehend the fact that if a monster saw them, meaning every one of them…although they both had weaponry and understood how to use them…they’d unquestionably be dead where they stand. Unnecessary and obvious to be said, the kids instantaneously ducked out of sight in a reflex and survival-instinct. In fear, they pressed their backs up against the shrubs, desperately striving to remain out of view, paralyzed in apprehension for a few, heavy seconds, hallucinating a spine-chilling tune banging hard in their ears alike to how I’m positive that you would if your life was on the line, all so suddenly. The kids were scrambling through their minds for an plan to get out of the monster-infested area. Ellegaard tried the best she could to remain calm and keep her pride up but really the most logical plan she could think of underneath the panic that she was experiencing was to endure a sneaking escape as cunningly as they could be, tapping Magnus’s shoulder and motioning for him to follow her as they began to crawl to safety, Ellegaard with the lead. That was Ellegaard’s plan. Magnus’s? As the pair slithered past a slightly more vulnerable state, cause of the less poofy hedge, Magnus took out a small bundle of TNT, a mildly maniacal smile wore, him being presumably ready to inflame and toss it towards the monster-infested territory and he would’ve had if Ellegaard didn’t interfere and forcefully pull him by his sleeve, firmly directing him to follow her. Wordlessly, that is. Magnus though bitter, the kids proceed to creep their way past the monsters discreet as possible. As you move your eyes to the moon, far out of the forest, a close silhouette of another quickly fills the frame with a grey as they strive off.

- - -

“There it is!”

Magnus and Ellegaard proclaimed that phrase in sync of each other upon locating the cave’s entrance, Ellegaard pointing an arm and finger, Magnus louder than the lass. Despite what has the possibility of sounding like, given their tones, even after maybe half-an-hour, the duo still wasn’t at the opening of the hollow. The only reason the pair saw the cavern was because of the result of climbing higher, onto a more steeper kind of hill, the rise being more narrow and almost perpendicular than any kind of thick. Trees were to the left and right of the kids, so close that they had to clasp the plants to keep their balance; to look out at their destination. This moderate mountain was slightly off-trail and harder to escalate upon, however, both of the children were appreciative of a signal made of reassurance, confirming that they weren’t astray from the correct direction. Nonetheless, despite the fact that eerie fog encompassed the cavern and the night’s atmosphere generally, they had the ability to see two, clouded figures with blur. All that was visible was one form donning a light orange colour, more still than the other, the other with purple tints, nearly gleaming its violet hue, moving in circles. It has to be Soren and Ivor, yeah?

“Magnus, come on,” Ellegaard started, slipping down the hill, swiftly moving back to the trail before the moon sparks and shimmers, “Don’t you think that it’s best that we hurry? They’ve been waiting there for how long now?” Wonder what they’re thinking. After all, we are late.

- - -

“Soren, I feel that we should just go home.”

“It’s barely midnight, Ivor. They’ll come along.”

“You’re getting tired, so am I. I really am starting to doubt that they’re going to show up.”

“Ivor, please. Have faith in them.”

“We’ve been here for a while, Soren.”

“Have some patience, Ivor.”

“Think about it, Soren: they have no reason to come.”

“Ivor…”

“Way to have confidence in us!”

An enigmatic, loud, male-associated voice echoed and cut throughout this one, particular, already eerie, nighttime’s atmosphere, the sunless environment not encouraging to relieve or lessen the very brief, few flashes of panic, tension and dismay, cause of the abrupt sound. The duo was already guarded because of the fact that the nightfall caused monsters to generate, posing danger to; an obvious fact. The few footsteps, both before and after, disregarded, Ivor flitched in startlement of the sudden voice and took a step retrograde, a reasonable instinct, small portion of meadow beneath his near-black boots crushed to crippled. Soren instantaneously jumped up, onto his feet, his heart violently shifted alike to Ivor’s, startled of the call which pounded in and out of their ears, unforeseen and unexpected as could be. Though at a second thought, slightly familiar. Not that the pair had the ability to properly think about though because of the fact that at once, out of the twilight darkness, Ellegaard and Magnus emerged, both donning a confident still stance once they knew for a fact that they were visible to Ivor and Soren, judging by their expressions.

Ellegaard remarked, “The levels of distrust you must’ve had in us to think that we weren’t going to show up…!”

Ivor shifted the topic, “Yes well, what did take so long?”

“Oh, you should’ve seen it, Ivor!” Magnus over-exaggerated, “The biggest cluster of mobs you’ve ever seen jumped out at us, so we blew them up with a giant pile of TNT!”

Soren asked in a concerned tone while Ivor went silent, “W-what?”

“He’s exaggerating in a plain lie,” Ellegaard reassured, “He wanted to explode the monsters but I didn’t let him.”

“Well,” Soren laughed in concern, closed-eyes, “I’m glad.”

Ivor slowly added, “Blow them up…?”

“Yeah, check this out!” Magnus revealed a small bundle of TNT, he was carrying around with him, a smile wore, “I stole it from my old man.”

“I keep telling him not to play around with that stuff anymore…!” Ellegaard continued, childishly trying to get the explosive in hand and away from Magnus with both arms, the boy insisting her away with only one elbow, ultimately giving her arms a gentle yet firm push, Ellegaard finally ceasing her snatches;

“Yeah, but you never know when we might need it!” Magnus replied, tucking the item away and into his inventory yet again. That, of course, took place before Soren added a phrase ecstatically, a contrast to Ivor casting his opinion in, pessimistically.

“I feel that’s going to be useful!”

“I feel that we’re going to die.”

- - -

Whist the meagre kind of crowd commenced setting foot into the cavern which they had formulated and planned to explore throughout, completely prepared, equipped and enthusiastic…well, most of the children anyway. Ivor never failed to love the adventure aspect of things but never the whole: “we-could-so-easily-die” part. Despite that, he wasn’t really a coward. At least not visibly. He was just more cautious. Regardless, as I said, most of the children were excited to undergo and experience this thrilling adventure. They were prepared because of the fact that they planned in a more prolonged discussion several hours, beforehand. Beforehand in the sense that it was that day’s evening and only two of the children ever went into a cave beyond dusk. Or well, at all. Ivor and Soren would sometimes wander into a hollow now and then, but would never go far enough into a dugout that monsters had a risk of jeopardizing them, performing as a menace or hazard to the pair. In fact, nor Ivor, nor Soren could remember exterminating a single monster. Directly, at least. Regardless of the eerie hums of breeze, the cavern echoing throughout the seconds and soft clicks of decaying spiderwebs, Soren glanced behind the group and out of the cave, noticing something wrong;

“I thought you said that your friend of ‘Gabriel’ was coming? Did…he cancel?”

“Here we go again with the again with the enthusiasm…” Ellegaard sighed, “He’ll be a bit late. He needs to wait until his parents fall asleep and then he’d come running.”

“Oh, alright,” Soren apologized his pride still up, “Sorry…”

“Eh,” Magnus added, “I like your enthusiasm.”

“Oh…” Soren asked, genuinely a bit surprised, “Really?”

“Yeah,” Magnus teased, “Makes me seem better by comparison.”

“Magnus…!” Ellegaard objected whilst Ivor had a small and subtle case of laughter.

“Regardless…” Soren rolled his eyes, “Should…we not wait for him?”

“No,” Ellegaard answered, “He knows his way around this cave. He’ll find us.”

“Wait, you’ve come here before?” Ivor asked, bitterly, “It’s not really an adventure if it’s explored, after all…!”

Although Ivor was comforted and relieved that his unfamiliar, new friends recognized and knew their way throughout this cavern which, even though they’d merely presently penetrated, both Soren and Ivor already understood the fact that this particular dugout remained of rather great measurements and very open-ended as well. Regardless, the mental-map Magnus and Ellegaard possessed on the eerie location made Ivor consider him and Soren merely a little more protected. However, it also demolished and drained the enchanting adventure aspect of this unquestionably. After all, if it was thoroughly investigated and explored, they’d be accomplishing nothing but watching cobwebs snap, at that point. What would be the purpose of sneaking out, endangering the fact of getting in trouble with their parents, only to take a few-hour walk? That’s…not even anything that would be fun. Sure, playing around with friends is, but…this? They had a discussion about going into this cavern, why wasn’t the fact this place was already travelled throughout brought up? Ivor agreed to go on an adventure, not take a tour through a cave whilst it was nightfall. Ellegaard, Soren and Magnus all understood how Ivor only craved to come along to go on an adventure…! Surely this could be considered a trick, no?

“Nope!” Ellegaard explained with a bit of sass, “That’s where you’re wrong…! There are numerous spiralling paths farther through. We discovered a trail last time and didn’t take it,” The lass spoke before turning her back and directing the few in a walking action, “We can go down that way.”

The other three children followed their female friend towards a pathway in the particular cave, them naturally sauntering in something of a near cluster, obviously not the only sounds being of the to-be-expected clicks and cracks of the cave, though. That would clearly keep all of the kids both on-edge and creeped-out. Alternatively, the kids continuously conversated amongst one another regarding unimportant, frivolous topics in discussion. And while some of them wouldn’t admit it…it was nice. Soren and Ivor barely knew the other two, same for Magnus and Ellegaard, so getting to know the opposite duo had all of the four kids feel pleasant. They got to know things regarding each other’s interests, aspirations, general behaviour and personality, even learning some things about this unseen “Gabriel” kid--all such to-be-expected small-talk. Even if they weren’t technically on the enterprise just yet, they remained to have a lot of fun regardless. After all, these children are what? In between the age ranges of ten and twelve? Were you anticipating a different activity throughout the span of twenty minutes? Although at that point, the children were all very much content doing nothing but prattling with each other, even if they were in a cave…well, I say cave and, yes–there was some ore, here and there, but it was closer to bland than exceptional, for sure. The hollow was repeating and reappearing the likewise minerals, over and over again: Iron, coal, the very sporadic redstone or lapis, but as I said, far from anything truly outstanding…Not that the kids took notice on that over something else unquestionably questionable: they hadn’t been attacked or encountered anything aggressive since the children went down into the cavern. However, that didn’t mean that the children couldn’t overhear the noises of monsters crying out, occasionally interrupting the children’s conversations. It kept them all on-edge but the fact that the monsters were never visible, nearly made the children feel alike to the belief that they were going insane. In fact, the single actual indication of any kind of life that they saw was a bat purposelessly fluttering about. Other than each other, that is. I mean, not that they were complaining that they weren’t being attacked, of course. They liked it, obviously. Well…nothing can last forever.

- - -

“Just think, Ivor…! Soren addressed, “Someday, perhaps we’ll find diamonds or something else terribly exciting! You could finally make that enchanting table that you’ve always dreamed of…!”

“Yes, that’s true….” Ivor said as he glanced away, slightly hushing his voice, “But what I actually want is a brewing stand…It’s just that I never got a blaze rod, therefore…”

Magnus perked up, offering his assistance, “Dude, if a blaze rod is all that you need, I’ll just take one from my old man…!”

“Well, don’t steal from your father, Magnus…” Ivor responded, “If it’s stolen then I don’t want it…”

“Don’t mind him,” Ellegaard shook her head, “He’s a griefer at heart.”

“And I’m proud of it!”

Magnus’s response prompted assorted reactions to the ragtag, three other children, amongst the byside of him. Despite their distinguished personalities, feedback towards his phrase matching, what they had in alike with one another concerning their responses was the laughs. Verbal-filler or unhidden audible, Magnus was simply…Magnus and everybody knew that nobody in existence maintained the capability to prevent him. Him or his self-confidence, that is. In hindsight, it’s most beneficial that you perpetually acknowledge and appreciate any and all content and peaceful moments, displaying gratitude and being kind to your allies, even if it requires your pride to drain. You never know if that occurrence is going to be the final one you’ll have for a while. That, or ever. I guess that the only way for some people to learn is the hard way, hm? Once the four got sauntering throughout again, torch in Soren’s hand, a few flares provided to Magnus and Ellegaard, it didn’t require a prolonged measure of time for the more diminutive type of party to arrive at a more open-ending portion of the cavern, two pathways, one on the left opposing to the right, developing as a fork in the hollow, all members of the assortment gazing curiously down both passageways. Most of the members, anyways. Magnus-being-Magnus, he swiftly steered himself into the center of the range, looking at his companions, hands on his hips;

“Alright, guys! Time to split-up!”

Everyone, even Soren, of all people, simultaneously chanted back with a; “What!?”  

“You can’t seriously think that we’re going to scatter, can you?” Ellegaard asserted with a threating edge, Ivor joining the argument as he took a step forwards;

“Are you aware of the increased chances of disaster striking if we are separated?”

“It’s not like we’re completely scattering, Ivor…!” Magnus notified, “You’ll have Soren with you and Ellie’ll be with me…!”

“Magnus,” Ellegaard quarrelled, “Of all of your dumb ideas…death is on the horizon, you know!”

Magnus informed, “Hey, if you guys wanna experience the *real* thrill of adventure then this is the only way!”

Ellegaard gibed, “Yeah, the real thrill of death!”

“You told me to stop exaggerating?”

“That was genuine,” Ivor defended, “This is just going to get us all killed.”

“Oh, come on!” Magnus retaliated, “All, you, Ellie and Soren, are completely incapable of defending yourselves! You’re lucky that there are not four paths!”

“Not helping, Magnus.”

“Don’t worry!” Soren said very quickly, nearly interrupting Ellegaard’s and Ivor’s simultaneous phrase, the three hauled the argument and looked at the ginger, “We can do this!”

“Can we though?” Ellegaard mocked, turned back and glaring at Magnus.

“Ellegaard,” Soren assured, “We will all be fine. Really…!”

Both Ellegaard and Ivor sighed a heavy exhalation of contemplation. Soren was respectable. Everyone respected him. Even if they were scarcely associated with him. Including Magnus and Ellegaard. Couldn’t act against him. Nobody actually knew why. Perhaps it was how enthusiastic yet slightly native he could behave…perhaps it was a simplicity that it was his general personality that was something that you could acknowledge and appreciate…perhaps it was the fact that it was evident that he was eternally trying the best that he could, even though, at several times, his best was never enough…you truthfully couldn’t place your finger upon it. Couldn’t. Genuinely, nobody recognized and understood why precisely Soren could easily be a favorite of someone. All that people understood was that Soren’s personality was having himself to appear as a rather respectable character. Towards ones around Soren’s age and within his friendship-group, that is. Actually…you know something? Many years, hindsight thought, having an image of Soren that was donning the characteristic of ”respectable” is actually rather funny.  Very funny.

“If your path forks off, head back here,” Ellegaard explained, “We’ll meet hither in approximately an hour and then head back up, alright?”

Soren smiled, clapping his hands together whilst Ivor wordlessly nods, “Understood!”

“Good luck, guys!” Magnus encouraged, newly inflamed torch in grip as he vanished down the right-sided path, Ellegaard pausing for a few trices, giving her new friend’s bothered and worried expressions before she disappeared down the course with Magnus.

Ivor’s sighed yet again, “This is a terrible idea…”

“Not to worry, Ivor,” Soren reassured, shortly before he commenced his way to the shaft on the left-hand side of the area, Ivor following. “I’m positive that we’ll be fine!”

Ivor merely grumbled as he and his befriended companion progressed and ventured into the tunnel, the extremely plausible threats, menaces and dangers that of monstrosities that were more than certain to be prowling and lurking all throughout the unarguable darkness up ahead and onwards, oh-so-patiently anticipating to unforgivingly attack the incapable, anxious. Sneak. Scare. Slay. Straight ahead. Straight ahead to where he and Soren were directing themselves towards. The vibrations and faint but noticeable sounds, cracks and snaps of the unknown echoed all throughout, bouncing off the wall of both the tunnel and Ivor’s mind. Soren overlooked it. Soren overlooked a lot, didn’t he? The abnormalities creeping in within the eerie cavern kept Ivor to safeguard himself but still as incompetent as he always was. Well, guess you’ve changed in some ways, huh Ivor? Drastically. That’s apparent. That strange, tingling feeling and atmosphere compressed up against Ivor’s fingertips, polished off with his abhorrence of the fact that he knew that he was more than vulnerable and that he couldn’t fight even if he needed to battle to shield his life. Foreshadowing. Chapter hindsight. The fear-filling authenticity of the situation was negatively sparking and overfilling Ivor’s mind. Overfilling his mind. Overfilling his mind.

“And I’m positive that we’re going to die.”

- - -

Magnus alongside his companion “Ellegaard” proceeded to progress throughout the ominous, unexplored passage, their chosen footwear clicking and clacking in contact upon the decrepit stone damaging aloud underneath their adventure-driven heels, the atmosphere donning the sensation of eerie-ness and creep, most advisable is to endure as safeguarded and on-edge as possibly achievable, the mysterious environment to act of the cause of the children to advance onwards whilst they function themselves as the personality traits of both skepticism and prudence of the darkened section, though a smaller vicinity was illuminated, result of an inflamed torch that Magnus had a grasp upon. The inflamed a blazing, bright shade; almost appearing as a perfect golden chroma. The controlled flame radiated a warm, home-like heat under the circumstance that a particular vicinity was entered, though proceeding to an exceedingly nearby proximity would perform alike to a lingering, consistent, unmerciful injury and pain, however, I’m sure that you already knew that. Not all about the beacon had acted of dangerous, however, for the flame would let the children take glances throughout the scratched walls as they sauntered into the darkness ahead.

“Hey, Magnus…?” Ellegaard suddenly asked, ”Are you thinking about Ivor and Soren?”

“Ellie,” Magnus replied, Magnus-being-Magnus, “I wasn’t thinking about them four-and-a-half minutes ago and I was standing right next to them.”

“Oh haha,” Ellegaard sarcastically remarked, taking a brief pause, “…Do you reckon that they’re safe?”

“Why are you so conce-” Magnus got cut off by Ellegaard who sprang to speak a bit fastly;

“Did you see how anxious Ivor seemed?” She resumed her regular dialogue pace, “And how desperate Soren acted?”

“Uh…” Magnus didn’t really notice anything off about the two, meaning that he wasn’t really sure what to say, so he decided the good-old-phrasing of ‘honesty is the best policy,’ “No. Nope. Not one bit.”

“Hm, “Ellegaarrd took a very brief moment to think with her verbal-filler, “Okay. Well, regardless of what-”

“Was that a pun?” Magnus joked, a laughing tone.

“What?”

“Re-Elle-gaard-less?”

“…No,” Ellegaard directly and quickly dismissed, her eyes sending off a slight sparkle, “Anyways, regardless of what you think, don’t you wonder if they’re okay…?”

- - -

Soren and Ivor seized a leap upwards, onto a ledge naturally constructed of smooth, clean stone, estimated by the sound that it made once the duo, exclusively consisting of males–in the future–pounced and onto the edge meaning of which they now possessed an exceptional perspective of what they had discovered, Soren and Ivor a few feet, opposing sides of one another, although the likewise balcony that they had jumped onto, Ivor for one, very imperceptibly, unnoticeably struggling to recapture his equilibrium, instantaneously positioning himself with a single palm clasped against the left-hand-side of the hollow. Assumed, I mean. Their near-to-complete-sable silhouettes performing of visible from this, aforementioned viewpoint, it being so darkened to the point of where both of their afar characters thoroughly blended and merged within this specific, crazy-inducing, one-of-a-kind, open-ended location, the darkness portraying itself alike to the two children, waring the physical status of being unquestionably surrounded in blackness from each and every perspective. Encompassed in blackness from each and every perspective. Choked in darkness from each and every perspective. Both of the boys felt a cold breeze of wind pass by them. They overlooked it. After all, discovering a colossal ravine could distract you like that.

Ivor’s laughed with excitement, subsequent of them sliding their way down the ledge, “This is amazing!”

“And I bet Magnus and Ellegaard are merely on some winding path getting nowhere!” Soren called out cheerfully as they walked towards the edge of the ravine, Ivor kneeling down and looking down the valley, numerous minerals radiating against the dim, stone background, Soren still standing, ”This is wonderful!”

Ivor smiled, “Evidently!”

“Should we go back and tell the other two?”

“Ssssssssss…”

It wasn’t even necessary for the children to grasp as much as a glimpse behind them in order to know specifically what had soundlessly slithered and undesirably crept up behind them, sending shivers down both of their spines once they had been notified in the cause of the quiet yet very noticeable hissing, breaking the mere clicks of the cave, not cutting through the air though, the sound remaining so quiet. Although both of the children shared the characteristic of not possessing many occurrences with creepers, a cluster of several or other, adults had informed and would perpetually warn the children of monsters lurking throughout the world of terror, school educating kids concerning the distinctive varieties of abnormalities, signifying that both Ivor and Soren were both all-too-familiar with the hiss. Even if they weren’t taught on the subject of monsters–a monstrosity that would explode, close to instantaneously upon entering its proximity, a painful detonation, especially towards characters with lower health points and protection, the after-effects of the eruption causing people to end up flying, would plausibly register the unique and formidable creature as notorious, would it not? Soren called Ivor’s name out shortly after he instantaneously shifted aside, out of view, though he didn’t fully revolve his feet about to look aback at the creeper, respectively crept behind them. He didn’t look behind himself. He merely turned and swifted himself to a distance wordlessly;

“Ivor!”

An explosion sound echoed throughout the cave. A smokey output implied that the creeper had shattered. Presumably being the cause of Ivor being sent flying. Ivor had been aware of the abnormality at the back of him but flight-fight-or-freeze overwhelmed Ivor to cease himself and halt in a frightened status. Soren did endeavour himself to give a warning to Ivor but he informed him just as the monstrosity fragmented into oblivion, Ivor forcefully plunging over the ledge as result; The cold stone that he only barely and much more than fortunately grasped his fingers upon made his heart sense the sensation of chilled in a consequence of him being overpowered to hang overhead of the void that was the gapping ravine, Ivor respectively being incompetent to aid himself. The bottomless abyss separating the unvisible ground from Ivor’s being, stretched as faraway downhill as the eye had the ability to be seen. The aforementioned reality made Ivor feel as scared to death as could be, which is nothing short of entirely fair. After all, if he lost his clutch upon the chilled cliff, which was already into an unbound, unfixed status, he would unquestionably perish and there’d be no alternative possibility to survive. That’s something that’s set in stone;

“S-Soren…!” Ivor cried out, “H-Help…!”

The situation even panicked Soren and he was as much several feet away from Ivor who was at the edge of the ravine. The fact that Soren was the only one who was nearby and witnesses to Ivor’s downfall–Ivor directly addressing him, made Soren feel like he had an obligation to rescue him. Which he did. However..he was so, so scared, indicating that he slowly made his way to Ivor but he was only able to start to creep over to Ivor for maybe a second or two because suddenly, something slim and fast darted in front of him, forcing Soren to let out a gasp and jump away, hurting himself somehow. He couldn’t even process where he was before something else hastily shot the stone beside him, sounding a distinctive noise. The unexpected movement had Soren to look to the right of him, now being able to realize that he tripped onto the floor, near to a wall of the cavern after losing his balance…and that what had blasted to the side of him was an arrow. An arrow from a skeleton. He got a sick feeling. He looked up. And almost screamed. Several skeletons were standing feet away from him, one of which was preparing to discharge another missile at him, another being rather close to the ginger boy, other few shooting their weaponry at Ivor’s fingertips, luckily missing–Ivor letting out light yelps of panic every shot. Soren quickly slid away from the monsters while he was stooped down onto his feet, swiftly skimming his hands along the ground with him, making sure he didn’t stumble, an arrow nearly hit him shortly before hastily getting into a standing position once he was apart from the corner and closer to the ledge they had initially come down from to the ravine from, though Soren still shook and slowly retreated aside in fear.

“S-Soren!”

Soren’s heart collapsed into his stomach in a guilty sentiment of Ivor addressing his scarf-wearing friend to assist him. If Soren would help Ivor, that would be the single, possible way Ivor could chance-ly survive. Soren was shaking in a debate with himself about what to do. After all, a several-hundred-feet, lethal fall isn’t exactly too much of a laughing matter. Soren couldn’t really concentrate on his emotions though because before an oh-so-familiar hissing sound emanated from behind him, Soren’s appearance visibly showing a panicked response upon noticing both the sibilance and sense of presence at the back of him. His nervous trembling solely intensified, though his expression changed quickly as another loud explosion thundered throughout the dust. All that Soren was capable to see in between the black and the reality swapping in and out was a loose figure of his hands. That was the good news. Bad one? Soren could see in his peripheral vision the feet of monsters immediately and quickly approaching him. It sent shivered down Soren’s spine instantly, having him to second-naturally slide and dart to the north-right, far enough for the ginger to be at a position where he was at some sort of dirt tunnel that seemed to be explored, judging by dim torches among the walls via around the corner. Literally. Soren glanced into the hollow in…self-preservation. That’s what he'd like to say, anyway. Monsters were approaching both him and Ivor; Ivor being to left swinging overhead a fatal fall…Ellegaard, Magnus and “Gabriel” were nowhere to be seen…Ivor’s death was on the horizon…Soren did want to help Ivor but everything was going so, so terribly and his own life was in danger to such, such an extent…   Probably the first time that the group learned about Soren’s coward tendencies. Yet another case of “really-haven’t-changed-one-bit-have-you?” I suppose that some people never learn, huh?

“S-SOREN!” Ivor yelled out, “Y-You…!”

Ivor’s scrambling, motivation to reacquire his foothold did nothing more than solely intensifying. Now he was his single, only, exclusive hope. Not Soren. The ginger wasn’t courageous enough to assist him. To help him. To prevent him from dying. Soren didn’t reckon that he was competent to fleetingly and cautiously dash through-past the hollow and to the cliff-like ravine, purpose to aid Ivor without unwantedly getting himself lacerated, one way or another. He unquestionably understood the fact that Ivor was going to die if he was overpowered to take the deep plunge to the ground but…he couldn’t help him. Anymore, that is. Ivor was violently clambering his hands about, desperately attempting to hook himself back onto the platform, however, it was hopeless and he was eventually interrupted with chipping sound and vibration, somewhat complicating the more pale-skinned boy. Why on earth was there a chipping noise? He discovered the reason sooner than he’d prefer. Ivor collapsed into a soundless atmosphere, a slow-motioned climate crumbled into, in the terror of the much more than the horrific reality that he already knew would happen:

He was falling to his death.

Over. Gone. Dead.

A hard, dusty surface is all that Ivor could feel.

“Quick, go back through that tunnel!”

Ivor flitched in as a result of a loud, unexpected voice. Even in his death-frightened status, the specific person’s vocals impressed him. It verbalized as so confident and assurable, but assertive and commanding. An individual that already merited Ivor’s admiration obligated him into springing up onto his feet and thoughtlessly hastening over to a familiar dirt-and-stone-made tunnel, not even thinking about taking as much as a fleeting glimpse behind himself. It felt like a never-ending goose-chase to the cavern even though it took as much as a few seconds to dart over to the shaft, but he made it eventually. That’s when then and only then Ivor settled together what had happened. How he survived. He did feel a very brief pressure on his wrists before he must’ve been swiftly projected onto the stone platform; Last mystery being...who exactly saved him? The voice sounded nothing alike to Soren’s. For that matter, not Ellegaard’s or Magnus’s; although the lass could already be ruled out as a result of the voice being of male-associated. Ivor was completely out-of-breathe. He kneeled down on one knee, attempting to take a halt on his hyperventilation. Before he even knew it, the boy who had presumably rescued him, came rushing into the dusty drift, barricading the route back up with dirt, him taking a breath of relief.

“Thank you…” Ivor quietly responded, “You saved my life…”

“It’s no problem...” The other replied, “...Though…I do have to ask why you weren’t with Magnus and Ellegaard in the first place. You’re either Ivor or Soren, and I take it that the other kid that went running is the latter…” His voice lost interest as he said the final few words, him starting like he was talking to himself, thinking.

“How…do you know us?”

“I was supposed to come here and meet you all here but my folks took a long time to get to sleep, making it harder for me to sneak out of my house...”

“So…” Ivor had a small smile break across his face, “You’re Gabriel then…!”

He nodded, “That’s me. But the question still remains, how come you scattered with Magnus and Ellegaard?”

“It was Magnus’s idea.” Ivor paused, talking even lower, “…None of us really wanted to…”

“Magnus…” Gabriel glances away, sighing angrily, talking under his breath and to himself, barely being audible, “Where does that boy get these ideas…”

“You…said that you saw Soren?”

“He went running past me and when I tried to stop and talk to him, he kept running…Not sure if he even noticed me,” Gabriel sighed, “Some friend that he is…Didn’t even try to help you.”

“Yes, well…that doesn’t matter now.”

The darker-skinned boy disapprovingly sighed and shook his head left and right before beckoning his hand a gesture and walking off, indicating for Ivor to accompany–to follow behind him. Notably, they didn’t actually have anything of a conversation with one another. They did nothing more than simply advancing alongside each other in silence. Gabriel seemed to be thinking, so Ivor didn’t want to try and start a conversation. It may or may not’ve taken a while but eventually, Gabriel and Ivor perambulated into the original location of were Soren, Ivor, Ellegaard and Magnus, scattered cross two different routes. As soon as they got to the aforementioned area, Magnus and Ellegaard had already been anticipating and waiting for them, Ivor and Gabriel catching them to be sitting on the chilly, grey-stone ground. Unrelatedly, an interesting fact is that Gabriel and Ivor appeared to have entered from the pathway that Ellegaard and Magnus had been searching thoroughly, an adventurous atmosphere in tow. That detail was a bit more of a nitpick, though. After all, it could easily be resolved by simply saying that there was an alternation entrance to that path. Regardless, upon the boy and girl duo noticing their previously not-to-be-seen friend’s arrival, they both perked up, around the same time and smiled, providing themselves with their customary, friendly welcomings;

“Gabe!” Ellegaard greeted, jokingly and playfully smiling, “Took long enough.”

“Pff,” Magnus scoffed at his female comrade, “Least they’re here.”

Ellegaard laughed before her snicker fizzled out and turned a more earnest tone, “Uh...speaking of people being here….where is Soren?”

Gabriel’s expression turned from an unnoticed stern one to a genuinely surprised and confused one, “He didn’t come through here?”

Magnus went silent, looking somewhat troubled. Ellegaard took it upon herself to ask, “He’s not with you?”

Ivor suggested, “I guess that means that he went back up to the surface…?”

That was a reasonable conclusion. After all, that was the single alternative direction he could’ve proceeded through without travelling into an unfamiliar territory. Back at the entrance of the cave was their only indication and trance of where Soren could’ve advanced–disappearing into. Although every one of the four children aspired to get back to the opening of the cavern and back to their individual addresses as quickly as they possibly could’ve–possessing a half of a motivation to avoid getting in trouble with their guardians once they arrived at their home. It took them approximately twenty minutes or so of ascertaining their trail back to the sunlight. Or lack of it. The fact was because of the reality that by the time that the kids had reached a proximity of the surface, nearby enough to glimpse at the sky–it portraying a beautiful amalgam of colours with the varieties from a flushed, pink hue to pretty violet shade–a chroma of a sunrise, the moon of inscrutability beginning to set among and past the distant horizon. As the children approached the threshold of the open-ended hollow, they took a notice upon a kid who looked rather sad; him being huddled near the entrance. A trice or two after attending a glace at the boy and looking at him, about to speak something to him, the ginger perked up upon quickly shifting to an aware state of their audience. Yup, it’s Soren.

The boy with a scarf stood up, swiftly rushing over to his pale-skinned friend and the rest of the group by default, “Ivor!” Soren sort of cut Ivor off–his purple-eyed comrade was about to speak before Soren confusedly asked a valid question, “Ivor, how did you…”

“I saved him,” Gabriel spoke up, “I saw you running away and tried to ask you what happened but you didn’t stop.”

Soren underwent a heavy wave of guilt collapsing onto him. Drowning him. If Gabriel didn’t happen to be in proximity, Ivor would’ve…he would’ve...he would’ve been gone. Be dead. Can’t see him. Can’t have interactions with him. Out of his life. Permanently. Because of him, “Ivor, I am so sorry…”  

“S-Soren…?!” Ivor noticed Soren’s tremble in his voice, “That…” Ivor didn’t know what he wanted to say, “Soren, that doesn’t matter anymore,” He quickly reassured.

Soren let out a weak laugh, acting as a coping mechanism, “I just froze up…I was so scared,” Soren’s voice hushed, “I wanted to help you, Ivor…I really did…”

“It’s alright, Soren. I’m fine. That’s all that matters now,” Ivor returned, trying to shift the topic to something a bit more light-hearted, “Besides…It’s thanks to Gabriel that I’m even still here,” Soren recognized that Ivor was desperately trying to exchange the subject–he appreciated how his purple-eyed friend allowed him to move on from his more notorious moment. Soren briefly sighed, and turned to Gabriel, happily greeting;

“So…I take it that you’re Gabriel then! Thank you for rescuing my friend!”

“It’s no problem,” Gabriel replied with a shaking his head with a satisfied smile. It was comforting. Although that didn’t last for too long because he suddenly turned to his other two friends with a more serious glare;

“And Magnus, tell me, why in the world did you think it’d be a good idea to send these two off alone!?”

“I tried to tell him, Gabe!” Ellegaard informed, a tone, “I really did!”

“Hmph…” Magnus turned away, a bit angry though he tried to sound genuine, “Sorry that I almost got you killed, Ivor.”

“Um…” Ivor replied, also trying to sound sincere in his response, “That’s alright.”

Ellegaard looked up to the sky’s shade because she unnoticedly wandered to the surface, a hand pressed against a wall of the cave entrance, “It’s almost morning. We should head back or else we’re going be in trouble.”

“We all should hang out sometime again,” Soren suggested, “We don’t have to explore or do anything all that exciting. Summer is merely for being inactive, so let’s just have a lethargic day…!”

Magnus agreed, “I’m down with that.”

“Yeah,” Ellegaard accepted,” No reason not to.”

Gabriel positively replied, “Mm-hm!”

Ivor added, “I, for one, am a bit adventured out for one day, so relaxing would be nice…I guess.”

“So it’s settled!” Soren loudly exclaimed, “We’ll all get together sometime and simply play!”

- - -

The four other children vocalized various remarks, not necessarily walking away immediately after; they were still having too much fun. As the sun proceeds to an apparent position, it lets out a flame-bright incandesce, a more dramatic sign-off. The gleaming star equalled the–quite literally–breathtaking day with an attention-grabbing spark. After all, lives had been endangered that day. Soren and Ivor were essentially peer-pressured into coming along with their new friends into the open-end hollow. In fact, the actual adventure itself was terrifying. Horrifying. Petrifying. Though Soren and Ivor both had a disastrous time, it was a matter of “then again.” After all, at least Soren and Ivor wouldn’t easily forget their first, genuine cave-adventure experience…or “caving” as some termed them as. Well. I mean…It would be remembered via a notorious memory. That doesn’t matter now. In a reasonable desire, they plainly yearned to relax and take a bit of a break from any sort of life-risking adventure. Besides, death-frightening occurrence or not, Ivor and Soren’s new friend of “Gabriel” did seem to be rather likeable. I mean, anybody who saves someone’s life can seem to be rather likeable. Furthermore, the elements of the current day were actually rather peaceful at that particular, specific moment and whether some of the children would admit the fact which was shared between each and every member of their small group of misfits or not:

They were friends 

“Hey!”

The unwanted pressure upon Ivor’s neck reduced slightly as the blonde quickly turned his head, a troubled expression and freehand flinched away in startlement. Busted. The voice that shouted out wasn’t recognizable to Ivor in the slightest. However, despite that, he knew that it sounded to have resembled the type of pitch belonging to another kid, around their ages...? Ivor didn't actually have a prolonged amount of time to think about that, however, for he somehow briskly slipped into a kneeling position, audibly coughing the unforeseen situation out of his lungs. He barely was able to understand that the clutch on his collar was fully released before the same voice that had saved him, reprimanded the blonde, that’s all Ivor distinguished because he didn’t even glance up to get a glimpse at who had saved him from what was presumably going to be, a fight;

“Leave him alone!”

“He did nothing wrong!”

“Get out of here before I report you!”

Kyle was evidently endeavouring to keep up the entire “tough-guy” impersonation, however, that didn’t exactly work because, oh god, the stranger had an aggressive, rather excessively hostile tone of voice. The kid who had recused Ivor didn’t even allow the brown-eyed to obtain as much as a word in the one-sided argument dialogue edge-wise. A few seconds after Ivor continued to finish hacking his lungs out, he looked up and saw the boy who had saved him. His appearance wasn’t familiar either. The blatant rebuking endured for a while, it almost felt as if the things that were said were repeated over and over again, echoing throughout. That or Ivor just couldn’t handle the general idea of shouted at. The argument lasted for a while. That is, until whoever bailed Ivor out ultimately screamed for Kyle to “just go home,” the blonde falling into a hushed state and tongue-tied in the surprise of being abruptly yelled at. After all, why the hell was he even in the area?

“Freak!”

Kyle stomped off after adamantly declaring that but not before aggressively shoving the boy--the boy catching himself an exasperated and exhausted sigh as soon as the blonde was out of the audible proximity. As previously mentioned, Ivor was remaining on the ground though he glanced upwards--Ivor himself didn’t really know why he, himself was remaining to be crouched on earth and dusty terrain. Maybe it was because he was simply endeavouring to catch his breath...maybe he was simply still in shock of the events that just occurred...maybe...maybe...A welcoming hand materialized in front of Ivor. Guess he was supposed to grab it. As Ivor shifts to his feet with the assistant of the stranger, both of their expressions soften from their previous scared and assertive personas.

The unfamiliar asked, “You okay?”

“Yes...” Ivor replies, “Thank you...”

“No problem...I plausibly was a bit extra, wasn’t I?” He asked in a laugh but that soon vanished, “I’ve just...” He swiftly brings a small few of papers out of his inventory, putting them to a position in front of his eyes, holding the documents with both hands, reading them, his expression troubling yet again, “Had some bad news.”

“O-Oh...” Ivor didn’t really know what to say...I mean, what if someone in his family had passed away? Ivor hushed his voice, “What is it?”

“Ah,” The nameless boy smiled in an indescribable way. They appeared like they were sad yet trying to make sure that Ivor wasn’t worried about him--polite. He casually tossed his writings back into his inventory, “Nothing really. My club at this school was just shut down, due to not having enough members.” 

“Oh, that’s terrible...”

“It’s alright,”  They closed their eyes, the same smile as they reassured that, gradually beginning to walk in a way that prompted Ivor to follow alongside him, “Uh...my name is ‘Soren,’ by the way,” He said with a more genuine smile.

“Oh!” The purple-eyed introduced slightly meekly, “I’m Ivor.”

“Ivor...?” Soren confirmed, “That’s...a nice name...”

- - -