There was only one steep part of rock to go up. Zhang Han had already up clambered it by tossing up a rope with a hook. Vaien grabbed onto the end of the rope and quickly followed suit. Small blue and dainty flowers blossomed along the cracks of rocks, finding root in a place that appeared inhospitable.
Zhang Han turned around and was faced with an astounding sight.
Endless miles of greens and blues stretched out before his eyes and into the horizon where two suns blazed brightly. Herds of animals wandered over grasslands in groups, many species completely unlike the others. The land just kept...going.
What he saw on Gaojun were skyscrapers, metals, and streets. Seeing the stars was impossible from the ground of the planet, nor could one see much of the sun besides a hazy brown smog with hints of orange. It was modern. A concrete jungle.
Now he was looking at a real jungle.
He looked down. There was a perpendicular drop, but only about one-third as high up as it was on the basin side. Still, it was an extreme drop, over half a mile, and his rope had no chance of reaching the bottom.
Zhang Han squinted his eyes, trying to think of a solution. He looked to the right and left, but all sides surrounding them were steep.
Vaien sighed. "Looks like there's no choice. I didn't really remember which part was steep like this or not. But now that we're here we've just gotta jump down!" he sounded suspiciously excited at that last part.
"...what?" Stunned, Zhang Han turned his sharp eyes to him.
Vaien broke into a chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't let go of you as we fall."
"No…I..." Zhang Han croaked.
He was pretty sure he understood Vaien's idea now and was outright horrified. But Vaien was superhuman so he could probably survive the fall and impact, right? But where are the physics in that?! He felt his chest clenching up as a panic attack came upon him.
No. C-Calm...
He was giving shallow breaths with dull and lifeless eyes for who knows how long until he felt a hand clench onto his shoulder and snap him out of it.
"Zhang Han...are you okay? You don't have to be THAT scared…"
Zhang Han cleared his throat. "I'm fine."
"Hm…" Vaien cocked a brow and seemed to hesitate.
Actually, he realized that Zhang Han was more emotional than his deadpan expression usually let on. That was pretty cute though. There should be a word for that. 'Cold and emotionless on the outside', but 'secretly emotional' on the inside.
Anyway.
"Well, we can also find another spot to climb down. I don't care," offered Vaien.
Surprised, Zhang Han finally recovered from his panic and glanced at the man. This was actually a lot more consideration than what Vaien had shown to him previously. After all, he'd changed slightly after they argued that day. First it was coming back after they argued, then treating his wounds, now offering alternative options as though Vaien cared about his opinion...but Zhang Han was confused as to why.
If anything Vaien should have abandoned him back then.
He just firmed his resolved. "Let's jump down. I don't want to waste time."
Vaien grinned. "That's the spirit!"
His arms edged around Zhang Han's upper back and legs, and he was maneuvered to be held in his arms again due to the backpacks they both wore.
Vaien slowly tilted his body over the edge.
Zhang Han felt like he was getting vertigo. It was one thing to go skydiving or bungee jumping and another to entrust your life to someone who was jumping down a cliff barehanded.
Then Vaien's body leaned over with a whoosh. They were falling, air whistled in ZHnag Han's ears as he squeezed his eyes shut to avoid being blinded by the air pressure. He subconsciously curled himself into Vaien's chest as though hoping it would cushion his fall.
Vaien's chest felt like it was stuttering.
That was because he was laughing as he fell.
In a matter of a few seconds that felt like an eternity, his feet slammed into the ground, Zhang Han's body floated up in his arms with zero gravity for a split second, then fell heavy back down. There was a slight crater around his boots.
Zhang Han took in a single deep breath as he was placed onto the ground.
Well. That was an experience.
Vaien was still laughing, then he just had a big smile that was somehow innocently joyful.
"I forgot how much I love doing that," he said.
Zhang Han stared at his bright expression and teasing eyes, then broke in a faint smile.
Vaien's expression froze...he swore in his mind. Why is Zhang Han's smile so attractive? He felt his heart slamming in his chest and swallowed, his face taking on a slight color of red.
"So which way?" asked Zhang Han, completely oblivious to Vaien's mood.
"Y-Yeah! Right," he stammered. "The way. ...I kind of remember the way."
"Kind of?"
"I mean, like signs along the way that are impossible to miss. I went past this place once as a kid with my Dad and sister, but we didn't stay there."
Zhang Han nodded sagely. "Well, I don't care too much. As long as we find a place eventually."
Vaien just blinked at him, then stepped forward. He took the lead as the two began their journey.
The ways they walked were naturally untraveled, the area covered with shorter grasses and plants. It was not as tall as the grass that grew down in the basin and the color had more of a yellowish-tone. Zhang Han saw a few big animals with thick, trunk like legs and big circular ears eating the plants. Those hadn't been in the valley either.
Although they'd started out in the morning, the sun quickly moved upwards in the sky. It turned hotter as the hours passed.
Sweat dripped down Zhang Han's neck and body and it became harder and harder to take a step. He was becoming exhausted. After all, he'd been used to hikes that lasted a few hours, but now they were going to trek for up to eight hours.
It would be nice to have some kind of transportation. He would even be happy if they just rode one of the slow lumbering animals around them.
A stubby and short tree grew out in the savannah-like grassland, Vaien nodded at it.
"Hey, let's take a break there."
Zhang Han frowned. Vaien clearly was fine, he didn't seem tired at all.
"We should keep going," said Zhang Han. He can go further.
Vaien met his gaze with a placid expression. "...all right." He pointed at the next short tree about half a mile off. "Then we rest there instead."
"..." Zhang Han had a confused expression, but just nodded once.
See, he was getting really confused as of late, because Vaien kept acting in ways he didn't understand. Usually he'd just make fun of him for being tired, then tell him to buck up.
But this time Zhang Han felt as though he were getting subtly manipulated.
He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.
Oh well, too tired. He'd just been too tired these past days to really care about the dynamic between him and Vaien's relationship. He supposed that made sense considering his bad injury and now subsequent stress over traveling out into unknown lands.
But he did admit that he liked the idea of adventuring out to some degree.
It made him feel free. Freer than he'd ever been before.
"Zhang Han," Vaien said in a low tone, catching his attention.
Zhang Han was jolted slightly and looked in the same direction.
Some kind of dog-like creature with tufts of hair running down its neck was staring at them with mad eyes. Drool pooled out of its mouth and a snarl came from its throat. It was only a few meters off.
"It sat up out of the grass just now, I think it might be sick, look how its mouth is frothing," explained Vaien. "That's why it doesn't bother to lower its head to me."
The dog barked and rushed towards Vaien with teeth bared.