Chapter 33 - Human treasures

"...- Are you sure about this?"

"Of course."

"It should have worked! Now the Director will surely notice that the power went out!"

"Well... We could try something different..."

"We tried everything! I even got those coals to feed him!"

What was going on? Who was whisper-shouting in the darkness?

Slowly opening his eyes, he became aware of the duo of arguing children standing at either side of him. The bigger one was a blond girl with glasses and dirty hands, while the other child was an obviously younger boy. This was so strange...

"He didn't even properly swallow- Oh, Look!" she pointed at him.

"No way..." gaped the boy.

"Hello, Mr. Machine! Can you understand me?" chirped the girl while getting uncomfortably close to his face.

"Y-yeah? Where... am I?"

"Oh, you're at my home! After you saved me I carried you aaaall the way up the surface! You have no clue just how much trouble I went through to smuggle you into the orphanage unnoticed!"

"Ehm... thanks? I guess?"

"You're welcome! I'm Riko and this is my friend, Teggie! Who are you?"

Who was he?

He tried to come up with an answer, but to his growing unease no memory of his name resurfaced. Nor of anything before this exact point in time.

"I... I don't know..." he whispered dejectedly.

"Really? Well, then I will have to come up with a super awesome name myself! I found you, so it's my right to name you as well!"

Riko's excitable attitude was somehow infectious, her sheer unbridled enthusiasm lifting his mood, if only slightly.

"Mmmm... How about... Reg? Yes! Your eyes are nearly the same. Do you like it?"

"Reg?"

Hesitantly he tasted that word on his coal-stained lips. It felt right.

"Y-yes, I think I'd like that."

"Wonderful! We are gonna accomplish what has never been done before! The Abyss awaits!"

Her grin promised adventure and for some odd reason he didn't mind that.

∞•۞˂ ˃۞•∞

"She can't be dead!" insisted Riko, a mad flame in her eyes as she denied the awful truth that the world was forcing on her.

Reg knew not how to sooth the young girl who had been told minutes earlier that her mother would never return from the depths. They had only been friends for a few weeks when the remains of Lyza's possessions were discovered and brought back to the surface.

How ironically cruel for that to happen the day after the Resurrection Festival.

"Do you see it Reg? This message means that she is alive! She waits down at the bottom of the netherworld for me..."

Her eyes gained this dreamy look that she sometimes had when she spoke about the Abyss. There was longing there and something deeper, more obsessive. Like a mouse salivating over the bait inside a trap.

"Yes... I will find her."

Riko was dear to him. She was kind and possessed an undeniably bright mind, but she also tended to act a little impulsive at times. Reg tried to dissuade her from whatever reckless plan she was undoubtedly cooking up at this exact moment.

"But, uhm, not now, right? From what you've told me the lower layers are way too dangerous for anyone without years of experience."

Ignoring his question, she waved his concerns off.

"Yeah, yeah, I have experience, you know? I read every available report on Black and White Whistles! I even have a friend who went there!"

"Is that really enough, though?" he attempted to interject.

"Of course! Every delver has to start somewhere and I have the basics down already."

He wanted to believe her, but it couldn't possibly be that easy.

"Rose said that 'teamwork is the key to success' and I have you! With your amazing cable-arms and my knowledge we can make it! Trust me! We have to find my mom and then everything will be alright!"

In the face of her blazing conviction, what else could he do but agree? Riko was his friend and he would follow her wherever she went. Protecting her... watching over her… that just felt instinctual.

"If you say so."

"Wonderful! Ohh... the preparations we'll have to make... Yes, we need rope, and waterskins and lighting crystals and-"

"Knock Knock Knock"

The door to their room was ripped open as another child – Nat, he remembered – stuck his head through the opening.

"Hi, Riko... eh, your friend is here? Rose? She looked like she was in a hurry?"

Instantly the blonde sprung to her feet.

"What? Where?!"

"Ehh, at the gate."

"Come Reg! I have a feeling this is a lucky sign!"

∞•۞˂Tanya's point of view˃۞•∞

Tanya went over the whole speech in her head once again. This would hopefully not be a complicated negotiation, but it always paid to be prepared. Revealing the truth about her identity and employment now might be an inopportune moment, yet the sooner she came clean, the sooner the wounds of this betrayal would be able to heal. Humans generally disliked being lied to (if not for entertainment purposes), so she was expecting Riko to be fairly upset, regardless of how irrational it was.

Playing- um, interacting with her little sister had given Tanya much insight into the thought process of children. Their moods were fickle things, easily swayed by tickles, promises of cake or other banal bribery. Accordingly, she was not very concerned, because she brought many mildly valuable gifts with her which would most likely impress Riko despite their low market value. Growing up in an orphanage made one appreciate the smaller things in life. Similar to glass pearls traded with the Native Americans.

In an ideal scenario she would let things play out more slowly, but this opportunity was as great as it was fleeting. If she did not act now then another competitor could steal away her biggest PR tool to date!

When she heard that soon after her arrival in Orth the whistle of Lyza the Annihilator had been recovered, Tanya immediately knew what to do. The child of the city's greatest celebrity was up for grabs and in the race for Riko she believed to be firmly in the lead. Years of letters had made sure to establish a connection to the vulnerable, young girl.

Yes, nothing would paint a better picture of her business than the offspring of a hero as the mascot! Her father would be delighted.

Of course she would need to build up the little, bespectacled girl up into a recognizable and, most importantly, marketable brand, but that would follow later.

First and foremost she needed to sway Riko to her side and offer her better employment conditions than the 'Belchero Orphanage'. She managed to liquidate an astounding amount of assets in the short timeframe granted to her and fully planned to throw big numbers around in order to convince both the girl and her caretakers to entrust Riko into the care of the rebranded 'Institute of Dawn'.

Tanya was not expecting an immediate answer today, but getting a foot in the door early was important. Recruitment was all about first impressions after all.

"Rose!"

Ripped from her musings, Tanya straightened her back and smiled at the energetic blonde coming her way. Riko looked remarkably unaffected by what was basically the death of her mother or she was just good at acting. Either way, she approved of such mental fortitude.

"Hello, Riko. It's a pleasure to meet you again."

"Oh come on! That's all you have to say?" whined the orphan and promptly squeezed her in a hug that was made vaguely awkward by the large backpack she was carrying.

Reflexively Tanya's hand started petting her head like she so often did with Prushka before she caught herself.

"You are right. I am sorry. I meant to say that I am immensely glad to finally see you again. I should have returned to you far sooner."

"I forgive you." mumbled Riko into her shoulder.

"Thank you. Could we go inside? We have much to talk about."

This was bound to be interesting.