The next morning, I was up and about, as I got ready for today, and meet up with my friends at the dinner table for breakfast. "Good morning everyone."
The rest of the kids were already seated, sipping breakfast juice or eating toast and eggs. The orphanage seems to be providing you all a nice meal, courtesy of the Explorer's guild.
Everyone smiled at you as you joined them. You also noticed that Nat, Kiyui, Rico, and Reg were also here this morning as well, just sitting there with a relaxed mood as they chat with each other. "Hi Reg, Nat, Kiyui and Rico, I hope I wasn't too late."
Reg's face lights up as he sees you joining their table. "Good morning."
Nat smiles at you from the seat next to Reg. "You're late, but it's not a big deal. I'm assuming you're doing well this morning?"
Scratching my head, my head still foggy as I respond, "Yeah, hadn't had a good sleep for a long time, I wonder what will we doing today."
"Well, today the headmistress is hosting a special meeting with us and the senior students to talk about some very important matters. But for now, we have the morning to ourselves." Nat smiles at you before looking over at Kiyui and Rico. "But it would be best if you finish your breakfast, the headmistress does not like it when students skip breakfast."
"Right of course." I steadily finish my breakfast and explore around the orphanage while most of the other children are playing, I look around and approach to talk to the caretakers of the place. They share with me a lot of things about orth and the marketplace, and the festivals and cultures quite normally celebrated here.
The caretaker I approached was busy cleaning a part of the orphanage. As she noticed me approaching, she paused her cleaning activities and turns to look in your direction. "Oh, hello there. What brings you here..." The caretaker looked at you curiously.
"Hi, I'm new here so I would like to know about the people and the city."
The caretaker takes a moment before responding. "Oh... You're one of the new kids. Okay, I can see you have a lot of questions. Well, why don't you ask away? I'm here to answer any of your questions." I think of a name I heard, "They talk about Orth, is it a country or something?"
The caretaker chuckles a little bit. "Orth is the town where we are currently living in. We are deep down in the earth below the surface, but we are still considered to be a part of the "civilized land" as some may call it."
"If we are not in a country, where is Orth situated in the world?" I asked curiously.
The lady explains, "Well, you could say that we are located near the "Southern Borderland", which is the area just north of the Abyssal Sea. The rest of the world, where everything else exists, lie across the Sea. We are located in a very remote and isolated area, but this also means that some of us are one of the few people that know what lies across the deep abyss below us."
"Like an island?" The caretaker gives a nod in acknowledgment. "I suppose you could view it in that way. You see, we are surrounded by this giant abyss which connects to a giant ocean. As far as our technology is aware, there's no way to explore that abyss to see what lies beyond. It's just too deep and dangerous to explore... But that's actually the main reason why we exist, to explore the deep, infinite abyss and uncover the secrets it contains."
"I had talk with one of teachers' lessons, Mr Torka, he told me quite a bit of the Abyss, and the relics inside, that is what the cave raiders are finding yes?"
The caretaker smiles at me with a nod, "Yes, that is correct. The cave raiders are the ones trying to uncover the relics and artifacts that have been hidden within the abyss for thousands of years. Some artifacts hold immense value to the explorer's guild and the wider world. There are even rumors that some artifacts are so powerful that they cannot even be handled by a normal person and requires special people to actually use such relics properly."
"The cave raiders, they must be really brave and amazing people to just head down there.", I complimented.
The lady again commends of my deduction, "Indeed they are. They are the bravest and most fearless individuals who face the unknown head on. They explore the abyss with the purpose of uncovering the true secrets that lay beneath. They are the ones who do the unthinkable to help advance our technology and civilization. Cave raiders are a big reason for the development of Orth and why our civilization has been able to get this far."
I ask about whether said cave raiders were from this orphanage.
"Well, there are not many cave raiders that are staying at this orphanage specifically... But one of the senior students at this orphanage, Riko, is the daughter of one of the most famous cave raiders around the world right now. That should tell you a lot about who Riko is as a person, and why many of us look up to her as a role model." The caretaker replies.
"Riko, daughter of the most famous cave raider, who is it?"
The caretaker adds, "The name of the famous, if not the most reputable cave raider, is Lyza, who is also Riko's mother. Though we don't see Lyza around here that often, her accomplishments have been acknowledged by the explorer's guild and the world to be one of the most impressive and legendary cave raiders in existence."
"Wow, what makes her so famous as a cave raider though?", I wonder.
"Well, Lyza is known for being the first to make a successful expedition into the abyss of the fifth layer. In addition, she is the one who found the very first White Whistle which resides here at the explorer's guild. She's also responsible for numerous contributions that helped with the exploration and understanding of the abyss. She is by far one of the most accomplished and legendary cave raider to ever exist, and is a role model for many current and upcoming cave raiders." Seeing how accomplished the caretaker described of this Lyza character, she must be a formidable delver.
"Fifth layer? I think I should ask Mr Torka about this later. That is really cool what Lyza did, I wish I could meet her in person."
The caretaker laughed a little bit. "Well, you can probably ask Mr Torka about the layers later on. Though I highly doubt that you will meet Lyza. She's a very busy person and is usually out exploring in the abyss. I wouldn't even be surprised if she's out exploring in the abyss as we are speaking right now."
"Thanks nice lady, I will be off now, also do you think I could help around here, I may be young and small, but I want to do what I can to help out."
The caretaker smiled again. "Don't worry about it, little one. We appreciate your willingness to help, there may be some light chores that could be done like some easy cleaning duties or other small tasks. You could help with cleaning some of the tables after mealtimes and washing some dishes. There's also the cleaning up of the playroom for the younger kids when it is time for them to go to bed. But don't worry you don't have to do it all at once, these are all relatively easy duties. Just go at a steady pace and don't rush."
"Alright, I think I can start with the dining tables, I can handle that."
A smile on her face brightens, "Yes, that's a good idea. Go ahead and start with the tables, and then move into cleaning the dishes and other stuff. But remember to take it easy, all right?"
"I will," I start with some nice cleaning the tables, and afterwards slowly move the plates to the kitchen one at a time, I took some time to rest after each trip, I wish I was a bit more tougher. I continue the trips and I got all the plates sent to the kitchen, I went back to the caretaker lady and reported my task.
The caretaker sees you come back and smiles. "Oh, you're already back. That was a considerable job well done. Did you finish cleaning all the plates already?"
"Yep, every single one, told you I can handle some dirty plates." I answered with a confident demeanor. "Alright, I will be off somewhere else now."
The caretaker nods in acknowledgment. "Ah, very well. There's nothing else that you can help with right now, you deserve to have some free time. Just take it easy, little one."
For the most part, I was still very new to the orphanage and the people living within it, so today is all about just trying to familiarise myself with the different areas and the people within the orphanage. As I walk around, one of the supervisors approaches me. The supervisor seems to be just checking up on everything to make sure that it's running smoothly, and she seems to have noticed you.
The supervisor smiles at you. "Ah, you're interested in learning about the cave raiders? It seems that we have a very curious child here."
"Mhmm, second day here, I am already fascinated by the stories talking about cave raiders."
"That's very commendable of you. It looks like you don't need to be coaxed into reading about cave raiders and exploring the abyss. Did someone tell you about the cave raiders when you first arrived?" The supervisor asks.
"I heard from a class by Mr Torka, I wanna ask him more things later." I had something else to ask, "I have a question though, why do we need to be 12 for children to become cave raiders, is it very difficult for children to explore?"
The supervisor takes some time to think about your question. "Well, it's not entirely the difficulty of the expeditions and diving into the abyss that we are concerned about. It's more so the fact that the abyss's depths are truly a dangerous place to dwell in. The more you explore it, the more you expose yourself to all kinds of dangerous things such as the curse, monsters, or even the unknown itself. It's not really the best place for young kids to roam around in. That's why we only allow children to enter when they are at least 12 years old."
"I see, has there been ever news of a kid younger 12 venturing in the abyss as cave raiders?"
The supervisor looks at you questioningly. "Hmm... That's a good question. Now that I think about it, I've never heard of any children younger than 12 becoming cave raiders. I suppose it is possible though. After all, some children are built different from others and might be able to handle diving into the abyss without being cursed. But it's rare to see a young child become a cave raider, since most children usually don't have the courage to even enter the abyss at that age."
I understand to be honest, all this talk about curses, monsters, I don't know much but they don't sound very nice to hear of at all.
The supervisor nods in agreement. "Indeed, there's a lot of unsavoury things lurking in the abyss. From the powerful monsters lurking and waiting for unsuspecting delvers, to the ever-present curse that lurks around in the depths. It's no wonder that most people cannot bear to explore past the first layer. But there are also those that continue to explore the abyss to uncover its secrets and to further explore its mysteries. Those kinds of people are our cave raiders, and they are the ones who risk their lives to explore the unknown abyss."
"I don't know maybe... just maybe..." My mind wonders, whether anyone, even the young children like myself, could forthright become a legend.
"You never know, you know. It's not impossible, and you do seem to be a very ambitious child... Maybe you will be a cave raider one day, and you'll be able to see the depths of the abyss one day. Just remember to never push yourself too hard, but at the same time, don't give yourself any needless limits." The supervisor smiles at you.
"Aside from that, I never knew my parents, I could only remember them so faintly, I wonder what kind of people, are they, I could only remember times of struggles, I don't even know what happened to them."
The supervisor looks at you in a somewhat pitying manner. "I'm sorry to hear that. It must be very difficult not having anyone from your parents' generation to guide you and tell you about what it was like when they were around. It seems like you've gone through a lot, despite your young age. Are there no other people around that you could consider a role model for yourself?"
"Out in the streets, it was mostly about survival and to just survive one day after another, there wasn't really much of a role model to consider." I shared with my reality of my life before coming to the orphanage. "But, I have already met some good friends, and teachers and caretakers here, that is why I feel so happy to be around people."
The supervisor smiles at you. "I'm glad to hear that you've met some good people at this orphanage. At least you're safe and are receiving the necessary care and education that you need. It's good that you can also feel happy around others here. I hope you continue to build positive relations with more people in this orphanage, and in the future, perhaps you could find someone that can be that role model that you so wanted to have when you were younger."
Another brilliant thought comes to mind, "Or maybe to journey with me, cause I want to explore the abyss for myself. I'm only 9 right now, I just hope that it would three years past now, I just can't shake of the eagerness you know..."
Upon hearing me, chuckles could be heard escaping from the lady. "Ah, the eagerness and curiosity that comes with young age. I suppose that's just a natural feeling for kids your age. But do know that you don't have to rush into anything, even if it is something as fascinating as exploring the abyss. The abyss is always going to be there, so you have all the time in the world to prepare yourself and explore it at your own pace. But at the end of the day, the choice is completely yours. So you decide whether you're ready or not."
As we talk, I am feeling adventurous to know more about Orth and the abyss, "Miss supervisor, do you think you could take me around orth Town, it is still daytime, maybe I can even help you get things if you are going."
"Of course, I would be more than happy to show you around Orth Town. Since the sun is still up, we could even visit some places that are still open around town. And if you want to also help me around Orth Town, that would be even better. Just let me know of any places that you wish to see or go to and we can go from there." She suggests for me to come along.
"I don't know much of the places, so I will be mostly following you instead, as we left through the door."
The supervisor nods with a smile. "That's alright, we can just go around to all the popular places that are still open. Maybe we can start off with the market. Since it's still fairly early in the day, I doubt the market would be packed with people and would probably be a good place for you to experience first. We can go from there and you can simply follow me around."
"Yeah, that sounds good, also can I hold your hand, I don't want to get lost around the market." I request on concern of safety.
"Oh, sure, if you wish to hold my hand then you can. You don't have to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed about it, I don't mind if we hold hands." The supervisor smiles slightly as she reaches her hand out, awaiting for you to hold it.
I hold her hand and follow her into town, as it was bustling with people, and even there i could see the outside of orth, there are so many shops and houses and amazing view as they are all built around the giant hole, to which I think that is the abyss.
The orphanage was already a bit impressive, but as I step outside, I am blown away by just how big Orth Town is. The sheer size of the town and the size of the abyss that looms over it are truly a sight to behold. The vast amount of buildings and activities going on around the town make it seem like there is always something new to explore every time I look around.
Before the two of us begin to explore the town, the supervisor turns and looks at me with a gentle smile. I pointed to the center of the town, "Wow, so that is what the houses and town are built like, and that is the abyss down there yes?"
"That's right, the abyss is the giant pit below the Town. It's one of the reasons why this town stands where it does, since the abyss has drawn many adventurers to this town. But I guess that's a story for another time." The supervisor chuckles and starts to lead you around the town. "Okay, let's check out the market for now."
"Okay, is there anything we need?" The supervisor shakes her head. "No, there is nothing that we need to buy for now. It's just an exploration of the town. In fact, we don't even need to go into the market itself. We can simply just walk around the market and look at all the stores and shops. Does that sound alright with you?"
"Ooh what about that shop, as I read the shop, "Laffi's shop", I could see children going into it."
She sees the shop I am referring to, "Oh, Laffi's shop? That store sells a lot of different snacks and candies for kids like you. I've been to that store a few times in the past, since it's always been a hot spot for the children here in Orth Town. You can go in and check out the place if you're interested in getting some snacks."
"I might not need anything but checking the inside sounds interesting."
The supervisor nods in agreement. "Yes, of course. If you're curious about the inside of that store, then you can absolutely go and check it out. I won't hold you back from doing so. Just make sure to not stay too long inside there, okay? Since you're still young, I don't want to keep you standing around in one spot for too long. But yes, feel free to go in and have a look around."
"Thank you, Miss supervisor." I went in and I could see it is like a small shop with a second floor and it even serves like a cafe.
The supervisor smiles as she continues to watch you enter the store. She can see the bright signs and colourful displays of the store from outside, highlighting its wide selection of snacks and candies. With its lively atmosphere, the store seems like a kid's paradise full of all kinds of colourful and delicious goodies. The supervisor waits at the entrance as she sees you enter the store and ascend the stairs leading up to the café area.
A shop lady approached me and welcomes me, saying that she has never seen me around before, I replied yes, this is my first time here. The shop lady smiles at you and greets you warmly. "Oh, you're new here, young missie? Well, it's always nice to see a new face in this store. My name is Laffi. I'm the owner of this store, and I'm happy to meet you." The shop lady continues to smile as she waits for you to introduce yourself.
"Ah so this is your shop, miss, nice to meet you, I still can't remember my name, I will get back to you when I do."
Laffi laughs a little bit at your remark about not able to remember your name. "Don't worry about it. Maybe you'll remember your name eventually soon. Just take your time and feel free to just relax for now. Do you want anything to eat or drink while you're here?"
"No, I just like to know the shop a bit, like what is it like?"
Laffi smiles warmly and nods. "Well, this store is known for providing various delicious snacks and sweet treats that are usually popular with kids around your age. It even serves as a sort of café, so kids like you can enjoy eating and chatting with your friends here. You can eat as much as you like as long as you can pay for it with cash that you have. If you're just interested in browsing around, then you're more than free to do so. You can stay here as long as you like."
"Oh, I can see lots of children going upstairs to that room, is that room something special inside?"
Laffi smiles slightly and nods. "That's our café area upstairs, it's a place where kids like you can have your snacks and sweets while relaxing and sitting down. There's also some toys and games there too for you to enjoy. It's a nice place where kids like you can come to rest and unwind after having fun exploring the town, or if they just want to sit down and have a break from running around."
"Can I take a look, miss?" I politely ask to look around.
Laffi smiles at you and nods in agreement. "Of course, you can head upstairs if you want to check it out. Just make sure to not disturb the kids as they're resting there. But besides that, you are more than free to use the second floor as you like, even the toys and games there. Like I said, this store is popular for all these reasons."
I scan the place, around it is just as lively in the marketplace, and the kids are all enjoying the time, here, I even try to look at some board games, and books, maybe I would like to swing by at times, I keep the idea to myself.
Meanwhile Laffi has a customer to attend to, and I look around a bit, and I come across a room which I could see something shiny, as I step in, I could see a scope, and the light was shining from the eye piece, so I adjust the piece, and look through it, I am amazed with what I could see.
The scope that I looked into is quite amazing. With the light shining through the eyepiece, I could see the vast expanse of the town. While most of the town was just filled with buildings and homes, you could see all of the different rooftops, streets, and alleyways. The view from the scope was so clear that I could even see the giant hole in the middle of town: the Abyss. With how clear the scope was, I could also see the bottom of the Abyss and the strange creatures lurking there. "Woah what are those creatures and that green plains in the abyss, is that what it looks like inside?"
With the eye piece providing the crystal clear view of the abyss, you could see all sorts of strange creatures, as well as the vast green plains. The area that you saw in the abyss was in fact the actual inside of the abyss. Although the town and the abyss's surface stood side by side each other, you could clearly see the two areas were vastly different and distinct from each other. The abyss itself was filled with an expansive open green field where many unknown creatures lived, and it was far different from the sprawling town above.
"I wonder just how far I could see with this scope." "I wish I could see the creatures up close, maybe I could magnify it?" A knock by the door behind as Laffi found me, and quietly smile at my curious mind looking around.
Laffi smiles as she walks to your side and observes your curious behavior. "You look very interested in the scope here. I was wondering, just how close can you get with the view from the scope? Can you make any sense of the creatures out there? I'm
curious myself about how much the eye piece can actually see."
I realized that I had entered without permission, as I apologize, "Oh miss Laffi, sorry I just came in without telling you first, I didn't mean to intrude."
Laffi shakes her head and smiles warmly. "Oh, don't worry about it. It's perfectly fine for you to explore the second floor. The scope here is for anyone to use. I'm just surprised that you're so curious about it, but I'm glad that you are. Please continue looking through the eye piece and tell me what you can see."
I begin describing what I saw, the amazing scenes of the inner abyss, "I could see a huge green plains and some creatures roaming about, is that what the abyss looks like?"
Laffi nods in agreement. "So you could see the creatures and the green plains as well. Do the creatures in the abyss look familiar to you at all? Are any of them creatures that you could find in the outer world like in the town?"
"No, in fact they look so bizarre, like never seen before." "By the looks of it, they look like they are grazing in the plains, but I could see some flying ones".
Laffi hums in agreement. "Just like I thought, the abyss is full of such unique creatures that don't exist anywhere else. Can you recall which creatures exactly were grazing around the plains? Were they small or large? Could you even tell how exactly big some of them were from your perspective?"
"I can't really tell by the size I'm afraid, but it is cool to see it from afar, now I would like to one day meet on one close."
Laffi chuckles and nods. "That's understandable. The abyss is a truly fascinating and unique place. From your perspective, you could only really see their silhouettes and shadows, right? I wonder what kind of creatures can move around in the abyss and are able to thrive in such an unforgiving landscape."
"Do you mind if I could come by sometime to draw or paint, I would like to make records of what I find through the scope."
"Of course, you can come here any time you want to and draw or paint what you see through the scope. Since you're painting, I assume those creatures and the green plains are probably very beautiful to look at. You would be more than free to take your time as well. I can see that you have a very curious mind and a talent for art, so please feel free to use this shop as you like." Laffi wholeheartedly welcomes me to visit and curb my curiousities.
I couldn't be ever more grateful to be given opportunities such as these, but I know I had to return the favor, I am willing to offer any help, "Thank you, also do you need some helping hands here, I could work for you, I may be small, but I would like to help what I can."
Laffi smiles warmly and nods. "I do appreciate the offer for help. Although I still can't say there's anything right now that could require an extra pair of hands. But since I'm in charge of this shop, that could change at any time. I could use someone reliable to help when I'm busy. If you're interested, you're more than free to stay here and assist me when needed."
"Thank you, miss Laffi, I will come back soon, as I wave goodbye."
Laffi smiles and nods goodbye to you. "It was nice meeting you as well. Please do visit again anytime as you like. I'm sure we'll see each other again soon enough."
I went back to the supervisor and I smile as I express how much I like the store, and would like to come by if I could get permsission.
The supervisor smiles warmly at you. "I see no problems with that, you're more than free to visit the store again, anytime you like. Just be sure to let me know beforehand, and I'll permit you to visit. But just in case you didn't realize, the shop is quite popular, so it can get busy sometimes. If you need to ask about anything, just ask me at the entrance and I'll happily assist you."
"Thank you supervisor, I think we can head back now."
"Yes, that would be wise. It's almost night, and we should get back to the orphanage before it gets too dark. But please remember what I said, you can visit the shop again anytime you like. Just let me know beforehand instead of just showing up unannounced." She informs me.
"I promise, want me to tell you what I found". And so I talk to her of what I saw in the shop as we walk back, she is just as fascinated to hear my short trip in the store, and delighted to see me ever so curious. The supervisor is delighted by your story and continues to listen, curious to hear everything you saw while exploring the store. She smiles warmly at your curiosities and finds the fact that you wanted to see what the abyss looked like through a lens interesting itself.
"Yeah I can tell you more the next time, I stop by the shop, I can even draw out what I can see, maybe if I work on my drawing skills."
We return to the orphanage, and the supervisor reminds me that, "The dining hall should be open by now as it's getting close to dinner time and it would be wise to eat something."
I nod as I take my leave and there we headed into the dining hall, and I talk to my friends again before we leave to our rooms. As for later, I have more questions today than ever before, as I had in mind who to speak to afterwards