Lillie had only been in the tunnels during the evacuation practices she and the other children went to after they moved to the glen. Machines have been harrying them since before she was born, if the frightening bedtime stories her pa tells her are true.
Mama Shaze cast a light spell, but even then the walls seemed to close in on her as they traversed the corridor, distant shouts and the sounds of fighting echoing off every surface.
“Mama Shaze?” Lillie sputters out.
“Yes, hun? You holdin’ up okay?” She replies, looking down at the diminutive child at her side.
“When will we see pa again? He always told me we would be separated for a while until he can be sure the constructs don’t follow us. Those things are scary.” She wrings her hands through her tunic, staring down with a forlorn look.
“Of course, sweety. As soon as Preen can be certain they aren’t able to track us he’ll come back. He always does.” Mama Shaze pulls the girl into an embrace, before turning her attention back to her own children.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The eldest Shaze daughter, Monica, walks alongside Lillie. Nearly 3 suns between them.
"So are these the same grabbies that chased our village from last time? Moma always mumbles in her sleep about how they'll come back, guess she was right."
Lillie stiffened further as they traversed the escape tunnel, remembering that horrible night the constructs invaded their town. Before they took to a nomadic life, when they had ancient relics to provide food and safety necessary to stay in the same spot.
Henry and Jen start play-fighting, one of them taking the role of a construct, the other a defender. The teen playing the construct kept jabbing at the defender, who would deftly avoid the attempts at impaling him. He pulled an imaginary device from his pocket, throwing it towards his sister as she seized up and started twitching.
“Ha! I’ve corrupted its index! Take this!” Henry shouts triumphantly, swinging an imaginary spear into the core of the fake machine.
Jen lets out a wail that’s almost too similar to the sounds outside and collapses to the ground, causing Lillie to shudder. They both start giggling as she rolls around and springs back to her feet.
“That’s enough, you two,” Mama Shaze scolds them, pinching Henry on the ear.
“Ow! Ow! Alright, I get it,” he winces out, “but I need to train to be the best defender of our village!”
“You won’t learn anything you need by play fighting with your sister,” Mama Shaze retorts. “ You’re still too young to be taken as an apprentice anyway. Have patience, my dear.”
He sulks, Jen blowing raspberries at him. He snatches at her, but she pulls away at the last second giggling. The two chase each other around their mother, yelling and shouting.
Only Lillie, the oldest child in the group, stays subdued as her father fights for their lives. Mama Shaze looks on at Lillie and Monica chatting, worry etching itself into her face.