Skyline Gang: Trial of Darkness

Chapter 18

Bud was eerily calm on the outside. On the outside, mind. Inside he was absolutely seething with anger. Usually, it's the little things that bother him. Certain sounds, tastes, stimulations and circumstances like his belongings being moved without his knowledge. It was quite rare that something so large would have him this bubbled up in anger. This was certainly one of those times. Before him and the Gang, was a deep gorge. It was about eighty metres wide. Right at the bottom was a raging river. It was roaring so loud that it was hard to hear much else. If the fall didn't kill any normal human, the rapids would.

"I swear on my intelligence that this isn't on the map!" Bud grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Lands change over time." Dude tried to reason. "And the map is quite old. I'm honestly surprised that the old man back at the market had it in the first place." Bud only grumbled in response, his fingers plucking at one of his sleeves. He wrapped himself up in his thoughts, intensely making up his own equations to solve. What better way to stay calm right now? Meanwhile the others looked around, spotting a way to get across. It was an old rickety bridge. No part of it looked safe. The wood looked unstable with green patches appearing on each plank. The rope holding it together seemed strong, but there was no way of telling how frail it truly was. Maybe there was a safer and more stable way to cross the gorge, but there was no way of knowing without wasting more time in walking.

"We don't have a choice, we have to cross." Mimi groaned, dreading what dirt she would pick up in the next five minutes.

"Can't we find something a bit more...um..." Candi whimpered, shuffling backwards. Why was it suddenly hard to breathe?

"Don't be a wuss, Candi!" Misty scowled, having enough of standing around. If she wanted to get somewhere, she will do it herself. If the others decide to stay behind, that's their problem. She had the Sceptre of Shadows after all. She should've ditched them the moment she had it.

"Misty! Wait!" Dude shouted, but he wasn't able to grab her in time. Misty charged across the bridge, carelessly stomping on it as she went. She thought that she could hear someone behind her. So someone had the guts to cross the bridge with her after all. Just as Misty thought that, her foot suddenly had nothing under it. She couldn't hold back a yelp as gravity took over. She gripped onto a board desperately, her body swinging a little. She could hear someone shouting her name, but couldn't decipher the voice over the rapids. Before she could start panicking, she felt something a little wet on the back of her neck. The scruff of her shirt was grabbed and she was carefully pulled back. She didn't dare move, not wanting to tempt anything until she was truly safe. She for once remained patient as she was dragged back onto the bridge. She sat there, breathing heavily. How long was she holding her breath for? Misty was snapped out of her thoughts again when she heard panting behind her.

"Misty! Safe!" A voice said with a small bark. Misty whipped her head around. Rainbow was standing right behind her. He saved her? She couldn't tell if he was brave or stupid.

"Thanks, fleabag." She smiled a little, patting Rainbow's head. The others remained still for a moment, breathing a sigh of relief themselves. That was a little too close for comfort. If Rainbow hadn't stepped a paw in, they would've lost both Misty and the Sceptre. Misty appeared to have learned her lesson. She started to walk more carefully, checking each board before taking a complete step.

"Maybe we should just go slower." Pip sighed, examining the bridge a little before cautiously stepping on it.

"I'll go last." Dude insisted. If that thing from earlier was still pursuing them, he can keep a sharp eye out for it.

"Try not to bunch up together too much." Bud advised before he started to follow Pip at least ten paces behind her. "And step as lightly as you can."

Waiting patiently, Dude allowed Sprout and Mimi ahead of him. Sprout went first, not daring to look down past the bridge. The less he looks at the danger below, the calmer he might be. Not to mention, the better his jokes will be once everyone crosses over. Mimi was hesitant but Dude just kept encouraging her to walk. Like Sprout, she tried her best to not look down. Just think of this as a runway for a fashion show. A very precarious runway. Just go slow and steady.