Garden Of The Abyss

"I am Rengoku! It is a pleasure to meet you!"

His voice boomed like a vicious storm, but Ren somehow managed to save his eardrums from bursting.

"...I'm Ren, nice to meet you…" He introduced in return.

Are my ears bleeding? He thought.

Stepping up, the blonde-haired Lucrauvian gave his name without much etiquette, simply spilling out, "Macheo."

"My name is Iris...good to meet you," the azure-haired young woman bowed her head slightly.

Given their names, a gleeful smile perched itself across the imposing man's gallant lips as he raised his hands to the air, allowing his fingertips to graze the ceiling of the hallway quite easily.

"Fantastic names! You all were heading down to the first floor for breakfast, were you? What a fantastic coincidence! I myself was getting ready for a nice meal to celebrate an even nicer day, but I felt something aloof in the air--utter betrayal by those bandit scoundrels," Rengoku spoke.

Trailing his words for a bit as he folded his arms once more, he continued as his wild, orange locks moved with each boisterous word, "Cariel did warn me they'd be no good...I suppose I'll have to tell him he was right."

"Cariel?" Ren repeated the name he heard.

Rengoku stuck out his chest with a proud smile as his mammoth-like hands were kept at his sides, "Yeah! That's my partner! He's a pretty reliable guy, but he's a bit on the meeker side."

"...I didn't think you'd need to come here with anybody, Rengoku," Iris spoke politely.

"Oh? Well, I suppose you're right! It's a lot more fun with company though! Ha-ha!" Rengoku laughed with that world-shaking boom once more.

Purgatory is...fun? Ren thought.

After the tremor-inducing laughter from the colossal figure settled down, the three could only sigh in relief as Rengoku remained smiling.

In an unexpected twist of the morning, they found themselves in new company to the first floor in the form of the smiling, radiant Rengoku.

"That reminds me...I wonder if he's made it here yet," Rengoku placed his hand to his chin.

"Who?" He asked.

Without stopping in his march down the narrow corridor, Rengoku answered, "One of the other people in my party--Andraste."

Hearing such an unexpected name leave the man's lips, the others halted in surprise while Rengoku continued walking--only stopping once he noticed they had stopped.

"What's the hold up? I'm starving here," Rengoku asked.

"A-andraste, you said?..." Ren gulped.

Rengoku nodded his head, letting out a burly sigh, "Yeah, he's a difficult one to handle. He separated from the group because things were honestly a bit too easy here. I can't say I blame him, but...it doesn't really matter. Cariel, Athan, and I cleared the second floor on our first day."

It sounded like a joke at first, but the nonchalant way the information left Rengoku cemented it as truth.

"...First day?" Macheo asked.

"That's got to be a joke, right?" Ren muttered with a twitching smile.

Iris was the only one to hear his words, but she could only softly shake her head, "For some reason...I don't doubt it."

"I can't tell what's worse...that, or the fact Andraste is part of his group. Well, Andraste doesn't seem to be with them right now, at least…" He sighed.

Their whispers only seemed to aggravate the radiant man as his stomach roared, "If you're not coming, I shall go myself! Hunger calls!" Rengoku proclaimed.

With such sensitive information now known, it fell on him to make the choice to continue walking at the side of a man of such power. Both Iris and Macheo looked to him for an answer as he looked upon the back of Rengoku.

It was you who told me the more the merrier, right, Macheo? Wouldn't hurt to have some powerful friends down here, he thought.

Replacing his doubt with a confident stride, he walked with the orange-haired giant of a man down the spiral staircase as Iris and Macheo followed his judgment.

"...By the way, urr, Rengoku," He spoke as they descended the lengthy stairs, "that name...are you from Akitein?"

For some reason, it was only when this question was left in the air did a realization strike Iris, connecting Ren's question to the sigil etched onto the back of Rengoku's pristine, white uniform.

It was unable to be seen previously as his cape veiled it from other eyes, but as the man descended the stairs, his cape fluttered in such a way it was visible.

Seven stars gathered in a circular formation around a Mastornian hieroglyphic she recognized; a letter that bore the meaning: "Immutable Sword of The Immaculate Kingdom". And just below it, in smaller text, it was a personal title, one that likely belonged to Rengoku.

"You're indeed right in your guess that I originally come from Akitein, "Rengoku answered, "but Mastorn is the kingdom I serve under."

It was as this answer came from the man who didn't turn back that she read the title etched with black letters on his back.

"The Radiant Hero."

...How did it take me this long to remember?! "Rengoku, the Radiant Hero"--he's a living legend. One of the Victorious Seven of Mastorn…! It wasn't just Andraste--there are two of the Seven here? Why?! Iris thought.

Though Ren didn't come to the same realization just yet, the very fact that the man hailed from Mastorn brought pause in him as he stopped for a moment, glancing back at the young woman as he noticed sweat escaping her pores nervously.

"Iris, what's wrong?..." He whispered.

Is he some big shot that I don't know about? He thought.

It seemed the same realization came to Macheo without any exchange of words as well as he stopped alongside the others, though Rengoku continued his descent.

"Is he…?" He furthered his question.

With his mind approaching the conclusion that Rengoku was indeed their enemy, his hand naturally fell to the sword at his hip.

The moment it did, the thundering footsteps that spoke of the immaculate man's descent down the stairs came to a halt. He didn't turn around or speak a word, simply standing still and towering as ever with an unnatural silence to himself.

...If he's our enemy, I can't hesitate, Ren thought.

Keeping his fingers subtly tracing along the fabric covering the handle of Belus, his eyes remained on the broad back of Rengoku in the still, tense moment.

It wasn't any different for Macheo; words didn't need to be spoken, requests needn't be made--if it was an enemy to Ren, it was an enemy of his as well.

But, before such a conclusion could be hastily reached, Ren found his left hand that stayed at his blade interrupted by the gentle, benevolent touch of Iris' own hand.

"It's fine," she smiled.

Her light touch guided his hand away from his sheathed sword, disarming the unspoken situation before a single move could be made, or a single accusation could be had.

It was clear by the slight tremble of her lip as she smiled that there was something more to Rengoku that he didn't quite understand, but it was no longer his decision alone to make.

"Alright," he returned her smile.

I trust her, he thought.

The moment his hands returned to his sides, Rengoku continued his descent of the stairs with the others following behind him.

Reaching the end of the lengthy, swirling staircase, the towering man dressed in a lavish uniform came to a stop without turning himself around.

"Ren, Iris, Macheo," Rengoku spoke.

"Yeah?" Ren answered.

Another tense moment that felt as if the air was stripped tight by an unseen heat; it thumped as if resonating with the kingly heartbeat of Rengoku.

"Let's eat," Rengoku turned back with a smile.

--Just like that, the stiffness present in the winds vanished as Ren could only blink blankly before slowly nodding his head.

"Ah, there they are."

"Oh, they're over there."

In some miraculous feat of perfect unison, both Rengoku and Macheo found their respective groups--it wasn't an occurrence born out of complete randomness, however.

Rengoku's eyes were laid in the same direction that the Lucrauvian prince was pointed towards, prompting both Iris and Ren to look that way.

It was child's play to recognize the group with how standout the crimson-furred panda was, sitting at a table with a mountain of dishes while Aiko and Valerie looked almost too disgusted to eat from their own plates.

Sitting at a table to the side, Jae-Seong gobbled down something that resembled sauce-laden noodles while Mencius ate with a more refined nature, keeping his eyes closed and his movements smooth.

--But neighboring their table was what Rengoku laid his eyes on, a completely quiet in contrast seating arrangement of two men who were handling their own meals.

"Cariel! Athan!" Rengoku called out with a smile.

The voice booming from the man prompted the two men stationed to turn their gazes to the impossible-to-miss towering figure who beamed with a radiant smile.

Rengoku turned around briefly, ushering for the three to follow, "Come! Don't be shy now! They don't bite--well, Athan does, but I assure you he will not drink the blood of a friend of mine!"

That doesn't make me feel any better, Ren thought.