Chirin blinked slowly.

Does he trust her? Of course he does. Python helped him, answered his questions, and offered him food and water. Aside from her strange transactional habits, what reason would he have not to trust her? The question confused Chirin: it was one with a simple answer, one both of them already knew. If anything, Python seemed to be taking a loss with being the one to ask it. Nonetheless, Chirin won’t complain: this was the last question he owed Python for now, so he’ll humor her with an answer and pay his debt.

Chirin: “Of course I do.”

Python : “That’s good… I admire your kindness. It’s not often that you meet someone as polite as you are. You’re a good kid, Chirin. However …”

Her voice suddenly dropped to a threatening low.

Python: “I understand that you haven’t been in the Abyss for long, so you wouldn’t know any better, but allow me to educate you this one time, for your sake…”

Python quickly stood up, towering over Chirin. The light of the fire accentuated the sharp, dangerous details of her mask. Chirin could do nothing but stare at her with wide, bewildered eyes.

Python: “...I don’t know what it was like for you in Terra Firma, but you’re not there anymore. This is the Abyss, and things happen much differently here than they do where you came from: going off of how you have treated me thus far, that much is obvious… “

Python: “Let me tell you the truth about Abyssians, Chirin. Abyssians are pure manifestations of desire and subservience; slaves in pursuit of their own happiness. It is within their nature to get what they want, even if it means stepping over each other– even if it means eating each other’s hearts… If the wrong Abyssians find out about your situation… about how much of an outlier you are, they will do anything to control you… To eat you alive and never let you go. Do you understand?”

Chirin: “...Yes, but…Ma’am… You’re not making any sense…You’re an Abyssian too. You don’t seem anything like what you explained about Abyssians. You’ve been nothing but nice to me!”

Python: “Sure. I have been ‘nice’. But have you considered the fact that my “niceness” is conditional? That I don’t have any ulterior motive other than just using you? Abyssians are not simple creatures with simple desires. We can want for things other than the hearts of others.”

Chirin hadn’t considered that possibility. There was a long, uncomfortable silence as he stared long and hard at Python, carefully considering his next words.

Chirin: “...I haven’t… Because if you had wanted to harm me, you would have already done it when you found me. You’re a good person, Python. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have felt the need to go through all the trouble…”

Python’s head slowly tilted as he spoke, regarding him as if he were some unknown creature, a silent affirmation to elaborate. He shuffled uncomfortably, his hands fidgeting. His discomfort steadily growing.

Chirin: “I— Ummm… You... say you’re transactional: everything is a two-way deal with you, as you had put it… I don’t know how you view yourself, but there’s good in you..." 

Chirin: "There’s good in everyone. For some, you can’t tell unless you give them a chance…"

(He paused for a moment, rethinking the words that seemed to fall out of his mouth almost robotically).

Chirin: "...Every “good” person has done bad things before they became “good”, and every “bad” person is capable of doing good things. You can’t just assume that everyone is bad because in the end, that’s all you’ll ever see in anyone you meet… Waiting makes a difference.”

Chirin: “That’s… what I believe…”

Chirin: ("...And I'm not sure why, but... I can't seem to remember why I feel so strongly about something like this...)

Chirin struggled to recall the moments that shaped his conviction. He tried to search his memories, but they seemed shrouded in mist, like faded photographs in an older album. However, he could recall with absolute certainty that he had encountered kindness in his life- small acts of compassion from faces and names no longer remembered and moments of selflessness that may have touched his heart.

Yet, those faded instances alone weren't enough to fully explain his unshakable faith in the goodness of others. There had to be more to it, maybe something more profound or unshakable.

Python clicked her tongue, and Chirin imagined that she was probably frowning under her mask.

Python: “A wise assumption, Chirin. I find it very peculiar that you can hold on to that belief after what happened to you."

Python: "Nonetheless, I do appreciate your kind words. However… you lack concrete facts. You mustn’t only look at the good before the bad. Those questions I asked you? Those are questions you must ask yourself and others before distributing your trust. In the Abyss, almost everything is a two-way deal."

Python: "Having a generous heart here is neither courageous nor admirable. It's a weakness.”

Python: “ …I tell you this for your sake, Chirin. If you don’t guard your heart– if you let everyone you meet into it–”

Her hand rose to her heart, her fingers flexing tightly before they suddenly closed into a shaking fist.

Python: “ —someone is going to end up eating it .”

There was nothing else that could be said. 

Chirin couldn’t think of a response. He wished he could, but words always seemed lost to him whenever there was something that should be said (And in all honesty, there were so many things he wanted to say, so many things he disagreed with. But alas, Python was much older than him– much more experienced than him when it came to the Abyss as a whole. He knew that he wouldn’t have a good argument against her, who seemed to know the Abyss like the back of her hand). So, instead of saying anything, he opted to avoid Python’s gaze; he set his mild frustration with her aside and stared at a nearby tree, mindlessly taking in every detail of its bark. Python sat down with a plop, her hands drawn neatly to her knees.

Python: “If going to Terra Firma is something you absolutely want to do, then you must be prepared to face the Abyss in its entirety. Your drive is commendable, but in my honest opinion, if this is what you want to do– which I know you want– you will need to stop all of… this. ”

She further emphasized her point by gesturing to Chirin.

Chirin: “You… just gestured to all of me?”

Python: “Exactly. Stop being all of you.”

Chirin: “...I don’t get it, Ma’am… Also, that's mean!”

Python guffawed.

Python: "Mean? You wanna know what’s mean? You doing the “ Ma’am ” thing with me. I have a name. It’s Python.”

Chirin flushed with embarrassment.

Chirin: ("I never addressed her by her name!?") 

Chirin: “P-Python! Sorry–! I didn't mean to be rude! I can’t help it!”

Python: “Pbbt. Did you think that only calling me Ma’am instead of using my name would be rude? You’re funny; you know that? I never asked you to call me Ma’am Chirin… When you call me that, it makes me feel old… I’m not old… Yet …”

She chuckled a bit to herself and crossed her arms and legs.

Python: “Anyways– I digress. Juuuuust— Hear me out, okay? You’ve got a lot of work to do, and you’re nowhere near any standard Abyssians level– no. You're a lot less. You’ve got no confidence, no survival sense, and no idea what the hell you’re going to be doing next. There’s no way you’ll be able to make it to Terra Firma the way you are.”

Chirin made a sad face.

Chirin: “I know…”

Chirin: ("I can’t even walk yet… Everything in my body hurts, and my knee... It FEELS broken... Actually, no... It's totally broken...!") 

Python: “So… let's make a deal.”

Chirin: “A deal?”

Python: “That’s right. We both have something we want… You want to go to Terra Firma, and I…”

She pointed at Chirin, her coin lodged between her knuckles.

Python: “...I want information. Information you don’t have yet.”

Chirin: ("...Information? That seems like a strange request for something as big as traveling through multiple stratums… I thought she would ask for something else… Like money. She definitely likes money.")

(At that moment, he seemed to have come to a realization about something, and his lips twitched into a ghost of a smile).

Chirin: ("Python... She... can't be a sleezy money grubber, can she?!")

Chirin: ("...")

Chirin: ("Wait... no... Slow down, Chirin... Don't jump to conclusions... We just need to figure this out!")

Chirin: “Okay… But why information?”

Python’s voice took on a delightful tone.

Python: “.. Hmmm. Why? Isn’t that a question I told you to ask more often? Hahaha…”

Python: “Good job. You catch on quickly, Chirin.”

She looked down at her hand, mindlessly twirling her coin between her fingers.

Python: “Chirin… The moment you told me about what happened to you, where you came from– I knew that I found a lead to an answer I have been searching for all of my life. You have no idea… how long I’ve been looking for an opportunity like this. I’d be damned if I just let anything happen to you before I get to the bottom of it all.”

Chirin: ("Okay... Maybe not a money grubber... More like, an information-grubber, whatever that means. There are so many things I don’t know about her… But I know she’s trustworthy as long as I’m useful to her.") 

Python: “So… let me be your Guardian. I’ll guide you to Terra Firma. All that I ask for in exchange is anything you can remember. Does that sound fair enough?”

A strong breeze wheeled through the forest. It whistled as it ruffled Chirin’s hair and damp clothing, drawing a chill from the incapacitated boy. He and Python looked up, staring at the flickering crystals-like structures that hung from the trees as they danced with every burst of the current. They were bewitching in their beauty. Chirin almost couldn’t believe that something so beautiful could be part of such an allegedly ugly, selfish world.

Traveling the Abyss with Python didn’t sound that bad. And to do so in exchange for information? He didn’t completely understand why she valued that so much, but nonetheless, information was information. It wouldn’t do any harm to divulge anything he can remember.

He was as nervous as he was excited.

Chirin looked at Python and only saw fire in her grin. He tried to match her energy with a shaky one of his own.

Chirin: “That sounds fair! So… when are we starting?”

Python: “After you get some sleep and feel good enough to walk yourself. You may be small, but you get reeeeeally heavy after a while. I'd rather not carry you, but seeing your condition... well... I might have to do it anyways...”

Chirin: “Uh... It’s… night already?”

Python: “Take a look around. The light from the forest is dying right now. It’ll be dark very soon. That’s how you can tell it’s night. You need to sleep.”

(At being prompted by Python to look around, Chirin did so with wide eyes, absentmindedly noting how the Abyss seemed to have gotten darker while they were talking).

Chirin: “But why do I need to sleep?”

Python: “...Did you seriously just ask me why you need to sleep?"

Chirin smiled sheepishly.

Chirin: "Ahahaha... Yes?"

Python: "Tell me, why do you think you survived that fall from all the way up from Terra Firma?”

Chirin: “ …Pure luck?”

Python: “Brrt! Wrong! Wronger than wrong can ever be! I was hoping you would have an idea cause I sure as hell don’t. I think it might have something to do with… sleeping.”

Chirin: “Sleeping? What does that have to do with surviving a fall?”

Python: “I’m going to be straight with you. I was thinking about this a bit aaaaand… Chirin, anything that would have fallen from such a height would have died instantly. Just… smashed upon impact."

She demonstrated her point by gesturing an overexaggerated explosion with her arms while mumbling a "boom". Chirin would have laughed if it weren't for the fact that it was supposed to be him exploding in that demonstration.

Python: "But you… I found you in one piece, sleeping like you hadn’t just fallen through eight whole stratums. I wouldn’t have known you had fallen if you hadn’t told me. You must have been sleeping for a while too, because you were almost completely buried. It was a bit of a pain to get you out there, and you waking up and panicking midway through didn't help at all..."

(Chirin couldn't help the cringe that folded his face).

Chirin: ("Huh? I panicked?! I don't remember doing that... Drat--! How embarrassing...")

Python: "I think… that the key to your recovery is through sleep… And I’m certain that the state you are in right now was just a result of me waking you up before you could completely recover from your fall… "

Python: "The more I think about it, the more sense it makes to me, but I’m not quite sure if all of this is for certain. I can’t be completely sure until I see it happen, and….I’m just trying to rationalize how it’s possible for you to still be alive right now. It’s honestly fascinating. Creepily fascinating. I want to look more into it.”

Chirin stared at her, unsure of what to say and slightly confused. It was a wild theory, but it did make a little sense.

Python: “That aside, even if we started traveling, you wouldn’t be able to make it far in the state you're in, and the darkness will screw with my sense of direction anyways. We might as well wait until we have more daylight. We need our energy back.”

Chirin: ("She’s right. I’m not in good enough shape to be able to walk, so I don't think I'd be able to make it far if we started traveling now or even later. It’s… nice of Python to consider letting me rest first before doing anything else, even if me doing so is just to test her own theory…") 

Chirin: “Where am I sleeping?”

Python: “On the floor.”

Chirin: “ Awwww… Wait, if I’m the only one sleeping, what are you going to be doing?”

Python: “Keeping watch.”

Chirin: “But… don’t you need to sleep too…?”

Python: “You need to sleep more than I do.”

Chirin: “I don’t want to impose on you… You’ll be super tired! I can stay up if you need me to? We can take turns sleeping!”

Python: “No. I’ll be fine.”

Chirin: “ …Are you sure? Sleep deprivation is reeeaaaally bad for you!”

Python: “... Yes. I’m sure. ”

Chirin:  “Really? Even if it means you'll be tired next morning?”

Python: "Yes."

Chirin: "You're really, really, really sure?"

Python: “Seriously. Chirin. If you keep asking me questions, I think I’m just going to start asking you for money instead of answers. I could really use some extra coin and you’re really tempting me right now.”

Chirin: “...I don’t have money.”

Python: “That sounds like a you kind of problem.”

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