Add was a carefree soul living their best life. Traveling through the labyrinth, working next to scientists and explorers to scribe and document for them. Being an novice archivist was unthankful work but Add loved every part of it. Their hard work had earned them enough savings to get a brand new sturdy coat and allowed them to indulge in some quality hair gel. That all now seemed like a lifetime ago as they laid impaled with the remnants of their home scattered around them. The promising young archivist had just gone out to collect groceries when the earth opened up and the city crumbled.

Add did not even know that the labyrinth went down so deep. It would have been an exciting discovery if they weren't trapped with their left arm through arming rods that used to be part of a basement floor. Now those weaving rods had made a net suspended between a collection of benches and plaster. A safe corner in the kilometer wide chasm.

The fracture was filled with openings. Corridors with hanging foliage and cables. Dark halls where the air whistled like sirens calling for the archivist to explore them. Just a good throw above Add's head a portal of mist and foliage mocked the poor, hurt youth.

Add had hoped to go numb or pass out. The pain in their arm was red hot and the knot in their chest suffocating. The only light they had was a spotlight on their helmet that Add desperately clicked over and over with the hope that someone, anyone, would save them. Their voice had given out a long time ago.

"Come on. Someone show up or just have me die already. I can't wait around for the rust to kill me." Add mumbled to the air, tears building up at the corners of their eyes. "Damnit."

Add shifted their weight to get in a better position when the sounds of soft clicking from the cave above them caught their attention. It was mimicking the rhythm of Add's headlight.

Add did not know what to make of it but decided to try with three rapid clicks, which was responded with a near perfect echo, an echo that appeared to come from the edge of the hole.

Shining their headlight a figure with a flat triangle shaped head and gleaming white fangs appeared through the mist. The creature had no eyes but still Add could feel it staring right at them. It clicked a few times in rapid succession, taking in the space.

Add's heart was beating out of their chest. A reckless idea came to them, to provoke the creature and hope its weight would be enough to change something about the situation. If it was blind it could die if it jumped right into the metal stakes that had trapped Add.

"You going to do something, fucker!?"

The raptor stood up in attention, listened for a bit and sprung into action, jumping safely onto the benches.

Not as blind as Add had hoped after all.

The benches groaned under the weight but would not give out. The creature gingerly stepped between the metal spikes. When it's head got close enough, Add kicked with all they had and was rewarded with a claws slashing across their calf.

The raptor dove down like a shark when suddenly a spear pierced through its neck. The metal head spread out into an anchor and pulled the raptor backwards, sending it flying into the abyss.

The rope shot upwards once again and lodged itself into the wall above Add. Their savior came into view as they climbed the rubble with support from the line.

They looked like the corpse of a soldier from another world. Their eyes bloodshot and cheeks sickly sunken. Bloody bandages wrapped around their head. They were just a bit shorter than Add and decked out in reptilian leather with two big slabs of meat tied to their bulky backpack.

"Thank you. I don't know what I would have done if you didn't show up. It got really close there- "

Add wheezed out but cut themselves short as the stranger put a finger over their mouth. Add stayed silent as their savior set up a few more sip lines.

Add noted how methodical the stranger worked, making sure that they were completely safe before attempting to free Add, which they found oddly admirable.

With the ropes in place the soldier moved down and unsheathed a knife from its heavy casing. The blade hummed in an uncanny tone and tore through the arming irons with ease. The metal rod was still lodged in Add's arm but they were finally free to move.

"Thanks." Add whispered to which the stranger made a quick hand sign and let out a puff of air.

Neurons fired off inside Add's mind. Did this person use sign language? The archivist wanted to see more and compare it to their own language knowledge.

The stranger secured a line under Add's abdomen and legs then climbed up into the misty corridor before hoisting Add up.

Once up, Add let out a sigh of relief. Their hero undid all the ropes and collected their bearings before turning to head down into the jungle that was sprawling out before them.

"Wait," Add called out and when the stranger turned they continued by signing "what's your name?"

The stranger looked at Add with those tired dark eyes and put up their left thumb and forefinger right under those black bags moving the forefinger in a straight line and mouthed;

"Lyner".

"Nice to meet you Lyner. I'm… " Add thought for a second to come up with a sign for their name and settled to put their palm out and taped it twice with their thumb.

"As you say," Lyner scoffed with amusement. "How is your injury?"

Add did not fully understand what had caused the reaction but was excited that the two could communicate. Lyner's signing was much more subtle and elegant than what Add was used to, maybe it was a natural linguistic development where signing was more common. Every child learned to sign before they could speak and Add had plenty of experience using the nonverbal parts of their language even if a bit rusty.

If only they had a slate to write these things down in. Add only had their boots, their orange travel coat, and a bag with nothing but a few credits for greens and booze.

"Ok. Got some bruises, only big thing is this," Add montioned to the rod stuck in their arm and their bleeding calf, "otherwise I'm completely ok," they continued sarcastically. "Are you alright?"

"Status; Head fracture. Shoulder dislocation. General fatigue and malnutrition." Lyner listed off in a stoic manner while rummaging through their pack and then went down on their knees to wrap up Add's leg.

Add felt a bit taken aback by Lyner's straightforwardness but before they could thank them the soldier held up a hand to silence them. Lyner then proceeded to get out a small cup from the side of their backpack and listened with it held to the floor and walls.

"Go back or follow if you wish. But keep the light off and be quiet."

Add nodded. There was no way the archivist would try to take on the labyrinth alone so they kept close and followed the stranger into the misty caves ahead.