Jim and Sy stepped into the small elevator together. The rickety wooden contraption lurched once and began its slow descent into the dark. There was nothing to see until they hit the bottom, so Jim did not bother to turn on his headlamp just yet. He wanted to preserve the batteries. Sy must have had the same idea because they remained in darkness.
Jim shifted his weight anxiously. He had no idea how long it would be before the elevator reached the bottom of the shaft, but he disliked the waiting. He wanted to get started on this mission. "This shouldn't be too hard, right Sy? Seems easy enough, just need to find that cave in and determine if it was caused by natural reasons or nefarious ones."
Sy didn't answer him.
Jim wasn't too surprised, he'd been too nervous to speak up at the start of his first mock mission as well. He leaned back against the bars of the elevator. The whole cage shifted as it adjusted to his change in weight.
There was a small sob from over where Sy stood.
Jim raised an eyebrow. "Are you crying?" His inquiry was met only by another small sob. Jim started to frown. Why was Sy-
'Getting buried alive is one of my worst fears.'
The sudden memory hit him hard. Jim felt his stomach drop. Sy was terrified of being buried alive and they'd sent him to investigate a cave-in. Worse, Jim had volunteered him to come down into the mine.
Jim reached up and turned off his radio headset. He moved carefully through the dark until his hand brushed fabric. He ran his fingers up Sy's sleeve and across his damp face. He removed Sy's helmet and brushed his friend's hair off his forehead. His fingertips found Sy's headset and he turned that off as well.
Gently Jim threaded his fingers into the soft strands. He pulled Sy's head down and tucked it against his shoulder. Sy's arms found their own way around his chest. He squeezed so hard Jim wasn't sure he could breath, but he wasn't going to complain.
"It's okay," Jim whispered quietly. "Nothing is going to hurt you. I won't let anything hurt you. I promise. This is just a trial. No one's actually in danger. Just like that flight simulation I messed up. We're going to be okay."
Sy tightened his grip. Jim grit his teeth and allowed it to happen. He could feel the cold brush of air where tears had dampened his neck and jacket. One hand rubbed small circles on the center of Sy's back. The other slid through his hair in slow repetitive movements.
"I would never let anything hurt you. I will always be here to protect you. No matter what, I'll be here if you need me." Jim kissed Sy's temple gently. He felt the elevator come to a halt, but he made no move to exit just yet. "Why don't you go back up? Tell them your equipment was malfunctioning, we couldn't get your radio to work as we moved away from the base. I'll do this mission alone. It's an easy one, no one has to know."
Sy's reply was filled with reluctance. "My family, they'll be so disappointed in me. My mom. She...she wouldn't understand. Fears are meant to be faced. My grandfather, I can't."
Jim pulled back slowly. He cupped Sy's face in his hands and brushed away his tears with his thumbs. "I won't be disappointed. If you can't do this, that's okay. Go back up and tell them your radio malfunctioned. If you do want to, I'm here, and I'll keep you safe."
Sy nodded in his hands. "I can do it," he whispered, though he didn't sound as if he believed himself. "Just don't let go of me. Please."
Jim reached down and took Sy's hand. He squeezed it tightly. "Not until we're back in sunlight." Carefully he set Sy's helmet back on his head. As they stepped from the elevator together Jim reached up and turned on his radio.
"Do you copy!? Hawkins, Syleven, come in! Can you hear me? Hawkins! Nah-Nah! One of you, come in!"
"We're here," Jim cut into Zephyr's frantic demands. "Radios had some issues in the elevator." Jim squeezed Sy's hand gently. He reached up and turned on both Sy's radio and his headlight. He turned on his own light next. "We're in the mineshaft, everything is empty. Are you getting video transmission?"
"Negative," Zephyr still sounded upset, though he was refocused on the mission once again. "Turn the dial on the lens clockwise." Jim obeyed the command wordlessly. Zephyr's voice came in through the headset again. "I have one video. Is that yours Hawkins?"
"Affirmative. We'll save Sy's until we find something interesting. To preserve battery." He felt Sy's head pressed against the back of his shoulder and he did not want their interlaced hands to be on screen. Jim led the way forward, cautious not to allow the boy glued against him to be caught in his light. He wouldn't embarrass his friend like that.
The two made their way slowly through the seemingly endless tunnel. The mechanical birds in the wall sang contentedly, their wooden wings flapping to their happy tune. Jim stroked the back of Sy's hand with his thumb in time with the birds. "Tell me about the canaries," Jim requested softly.
"Princess Act 83. No small animal may be sacrificed where magic and technology may do the part. Sector 9. No canary or other small bird may be used for the detection of natural gas in mining shafts. Dwarves shall be provided with wooden canaries implanted at regular intervals of no more than 20 meters along mineshaft tunnels. The wooden birds shall be hand crafted by a licensed puppet master and enchanted by a licensed fairy to sing unless natural gas or other unbreathable conditions outlined in sector 9.2 is detected. Upon unsafe levels of unbreathable air, canaries shall stop singing so that the miners may be able to return to safe ground."
Jim smiled as Sy recited perfectly from their texts. "I knew you'd be one of the few who actually read all of those regulations," he couldn't keep the affection from his voice. "Braxton used to make fun of me for reading them."
Sy's laughter sounded wet, but it was a laugh. A very small one with a sob at the end. But a laugh all the same. Jim grinned to himself. It felt good to make his friend feel better. His thumb still ran across his soft skin, round and round in gentle circles.
"Take the north tunnel at this split." Zephyr's instructions interrupted their conversation. "The cave-in should be only a few hundred meters beyond that."
"Copy," Jim turned towards the left. "I'm turning on the magical trace detector thingy."
"The Magical Elements and Residue Detection System. MERDS." Zephyr said. He sounded frustrated.
"Right. Nerds."
"MERDS."
"I wasn't talking about the system that time." Jim was rewarded with another small giggle from Sy.
The two made their way through the darkness. Loose rocks and clumps of dirt shifted under their feet. Sy's grip on his hand tightened and the younger boy's breath came faster and more shallow. Jim's beam flashed up the walls as he raised his head to study the ceiling. Though the support beams here were holding strong, one looked like it had been shifted out of place recently.
"Sir, seeing first signs of destruction. Ceiling still looks stable for now, but we seem to be getting close."
Jim returned his attention straight ahead. Sy was trembling against his arm. Jim was struggling to focus on the task at hand, the only thing he wanted to do was hold onto the younger boy and make him feel better. He refrained from so much as looking at him, however, not wishing to let anyone up above catch a glimpse of what state he was in.
Shattered beams and a mound of dirt loomed out of the darkness before them. Sy completely froze. Jim tried to tug him forward, but Sy wasn't getting any closer. The younger cadet clung to Jim's hand with both of his. His breathing was ragged and approaching a pace that had Jim quite worried. As much as he wanted to check on his friend, Jim still did not dare to turn his light towards him.
Carefully Jim transferred Sy's clutch to his left hand. His right arm he wrapped around the younger boy's shoulders. Pulling him in close, Jim held him to his chest. "We found the cave in," he reported as steadily as he could. He did his best to ignore the way Sy's helmet dug painfully into his collar bone. It was much harder to ignore the feeling of Sy's arms snaking around his middle. "I'm running diagnostics on the nerd thingy."
"MERDS. Would you please attempt to get the name right?"
"Still not calling the device that," Jim said in his lightest tone possible. Sy didn't even react this time. Jim sighed softly and squeezed him closer. "It looks like there's a read on the rubble. I'm sending you the output."
"Receiving analysis. This is….oh, this is bad. Reading dark magic, high levels of it, too. The cave-in was no accident." Zephyr sounded both concerned and fascinated. "Can you get a reading of the surrounding area?"
"On it," Jim turned towards Sy, guiding him to face the opposite direction. Still with one arm wrapped around the younger boy, he swept the device back and forth down the path they had come in on.
"The residue is heading down the tunnel. Getting stronger down the tunnel. Looks like they may have cast a distant spell, probably so they wouldn't be caught in the blast. Follow it. I'll tell you when to stop." Zephyr instructed him firmly.
Jim was glad for the excuse to get Sy away from the collapsed dirt and beams. He tugged him towards the exit, practically forcing him to even move. As the dust thinned out of the air Sy started to walk on his own. He did not remove himself from under Jim's arm, however; not that Jim minded.
"Stop there." Jim halted at Zephyr's instructions. Sy stayed glued to him. "Machine is analyzing. Just stay in that spot a minute."
"Yes sir." Jim started rubbing Sy's arm absently. If Matt were here, he'd sing some rousing song that would make Sy brave enough to face his fears. But Jim wasn't Matt. He could attempt a song, but he suspected it would only frighten Sy more.
"Alright. We got the data we need. Swing it down the tunnel you came from as well as the one to the east." Jim followed Zephyr's instructions. The older cadet's voice buzzed in his ear as he relayed information to someone behind him. At least Sy seemed to be relaxing again. He was no longer clutching Jim like a pillow, though he still held on loosely.
"Do we go down the east tunnel or return for home, sir?" Jim knew which one he was hoping for. Sy didn't deserve to be stuck down here any longer than he had to.
There was a pause before Jim lucked out. "Come back to the surface. We'll put together a team that can handle a wizard of that strength before we investigate further." Sy sagged with relief as the news came through their headsets.
"Copy that. Heading for the elevator now." Jim guided Sy back the direction they had come. He urged the pace a little faster, rushing them for safety and security. His arm slipped off Sy's shoulders and he latched onto his hand instead. Clutching one another's hands they ran through the dark tunnel back the way they had come.
The two pulled to a stop just in front of the elevator door. Jim panted for breath. He could hear Sy doing the same beside him. He reached up to turn off the camera feed on his helmet before pulling open the door to their wooden ride up. "We're at the elevator. Give us thirty seconds then you can bring us up."
Sy stepped in first. Jim shut the door behind them and turned around to face Sy. The younger boy was looking right back at him. For the first time since they had entered the darkness, Jim could see him. Tears had traced lines through the dirt on his cheeks. He'd removed his helmet, which had only made his hair stick out in random directions. His face was flushed from crying and running. And his bright green eyes had never looked so beautiful.
Jim felt an overwhelming urge to pull Sy in and cover every inch of his face in kisses. He wanted to sooth away every single fear and anxiety and to tell him how brave he was, how perfect he was. He drew in a deep breath and pushed away those emotions. He couldn't do that to Sy.
Sy stepped towards him. He reached up and brushed his fingers along the side of Jim's face. Jim felt his skin heat up where they'd passed over. Zephyr's voice cut off in the middle of whatever he had been saying. Jim hadn't even realized the older boy had been talking until suddenly his voice wasn't there any more.
Jim took a step closer to Sy. Sy had his face tipped ever so slightly to the side, almost invitingly. Jim desperately did not want to be imagining that Sy was feeling what he felt too. He struggled to find the right words. Any words.
"Sy?"
"Radios had trouble in the elevator, remember?" Sy's voice sounded rough. He reached up and turned off Jim's light. In the darkness Jim could feel his helmet being removed. The sudden rush of cool air felt good against his scalp. Sy's warm breath brushed against his cheek. Jim leaned in to meet him.
The elevator lurched.
Both boys sprang apart as the top of the elevator crested into sunlight. Jim flinched away and shielded his eyes. The transition burned. On the other side of the elevator Sy cringed and sheltered from the harsh light the same as him.
"Welcome back, you two. Good job. Go get yourselves cleaned up, you're covered in dust." Zephyr greeted them at the entrance to the elevator.
Sy scrubbed his fingers against his cheeks, clearing away the tear tracks and dirt. Back straight, he stepped past their instructing cadet and set his headset and Jim's helmet on a nearby table. He nodded goodbye to the cadets stationed at their equipment before he disappeared down the path back to the barracks.
Jim's stomach twisted with disappointment that he never once looked back.
