Magistrate Arukmir emerged from the crystal tunnel. He was covered in dust and blood and Three-sixteen didn't know if it was his own or someone else's. Behind him, a shalletor trampled over everything. Three-sixteen had only ever heard of the reclusive beasts before, but seeing one was more frightening than the stories.
The creature stood about eight feet tall with hard scales covering most of its body. It had a thick shell that was smooth on bottom and covered in horns and rock formations on top. Each of its limbs was like a powerful hammer, designed to crush anything underfoot. It was a creature built to destroy.
Three-sixteen didn’t get a good look at it’s face, but he was pretty sure the beast had a crystal horn on its nose.
Even flying, magistrate Arukmir barely kept ahead of the beast. The shalletor was intent on catching him and it knocked aside miners and equipment without regard for them at all.
Arukmir took advantage of the open space to fly higher, but the shalletor was not shackled to the ground. With a mighty leap, the beast slammed into Arukmir, knocking him into the destroyed crystal branch, then goring him with its horn.
Arukmir tried to pull himself free, but the shalletor twisted its head, driving the horn deeper into Arukmir's chest.
As Arukmir slumped against the crystal, the beast pulled away, turning back toward the crystal tunnel as if nothing happened.
Vianni watched in disbelief as life faded from Arukmir’s eyes. Her lips quivered and her fists clenched with rage as she whispered, “Nyvlano, you bastard.”
Miners ran past Three-sixteen, all heading for the elevator. He felt an urge to follow them, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon Five-ninety-one. He really hoped she wasn’t in the crystal tunnel, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that was where he really needed to go.
He heard Luck call out for Vianni and then he saw the man rush through the tunnel, his eyes widening in horror as he looked down at Arukmir.
Vianni was beside Luck now, and the two exchanged words, but Three-sixteen didn’t hear them.
Boosted by a surge of adrenaline, fear, or something else, Three-sixteen ran through the crystal tunnel. He heard at least one sifter ahead, roaring and growling. The steady pound of shalletor steps kept him off balance, but he managed to stay standing.
Miners shouted horrible unintelligible screams, but Three-sixteen didn’t slow his pace.
He reached the end of the tunnel and stopped dead in his tracks.
The crystal heart was the size of a small boulder and it emitted a soft yellow glow. It pulsed like it had a heartbeat and it was embedded in the floor of the chamber protected by an almost transparent layer of crystal.
There were two Shalletors stomping around in the chamber, five sifters tearing through what remained of the miners Luck abandoned. Three-sixteen flinched as he noticed a Shalletor’s face right next to him.
It was mostly flat except for the horn that jutted out and up. This one’s horn was broken and its body lifeless. Three-sixteen was relieved to see Five-ninety-one was not here, or if she was, he wouldn’t recognize her now… he didn’t like they thought.
As the monsters finished with their prey, they turned to Three-sixteen. He two was an intruder in this sacred place.
Three-sixteen wasn't a fighter. He knew it and he didn't have any weapons. He doubted he could even survive if he tried to run.
The shalletors charged, pounding their mighty limbs against the ground as they came. Three-sixteen wondered if he would be crushed before the beasts decided to eat him.
He braced himself, ready to feel the crushing weight of a shalletor foot or a sifter tooth, but then he thought of Five-ninety-one. He still didn’t know if she was okay and he realized then that couldn’t just stand there and wait for death.
Mustering all his strength, Three-sixteen roared “GO AWAY!”
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The shalletors stopped dead in their tracks. They didn’t turn around and flee. They just stopped, stared, and waited.
The sifters slid to a halt, not a one moving any closer.
Three-sixteen couldn’t make sense of it, but he yelled again, “Leave me alone. I don’t want the dumb heart, I just want to save my friend.”
The words felt strange and comforting to him all at the same time. Five-ninety-one wasn’t just his charge, she was his friend. She was someone he cared for and he thought she cared for him as well. He hadn’t realized how much that meant until now.
He waited for some indication that the creatures understood. He looked between them trying to determine if they’d let him go or if they would kill him the moment he turned his back. He wasn’t sure what exactly he was looking for, but a shalletor pawed at the ground, then stepped forward. One of the sifters growled.
Three-sixteen decided that was enough waiting. He turned and ran back through the crystal tunnel. He heard the beasts move behind him, but he didn't dare look back.
If they’d wanted to kill him, they would have, but they didn’t.
Three-sixteen reached the chamber with the destroyed crystal vein and found Vianni building a ramp up the deep pit. Magistrate Luck was gone, and the few surviving miners capable of walking were sticking close to Vianni.
Three-sixteen knew very little about magic, he did know it wasn’t limitless. At some point Vianni would need to stop to rest. That was assuming she stayed to help for that long. It was entirely possible that at any moment she would abandon the miners and just save herself. Three-sixteen thought that seemed more like her usual personality.
As Three-sixteen made his way toward Vianni, another blast shook the chamber. Crystals and large chunks of rock rained down from the ceiling and the walls.
A boulder struck the path ahead, carving out a large gap that Three-sixteen wasn’t sure he could jump across. The ramp Vianni was building was already covered in rubble and blocked in places. He doubted she could get it finished before another tremor dropped more debris.
Several miners fell from the path, only one was able to catch a beam and hold on.
Three-sixteen knew he couldn’t stand there and watch. He had to help.
He looked around for something to use to get across, but everything he saw was broken, buried or too far away to reach quickly. He would’ve tried to grab one of them if he could, but he was too far away.
There was nothing he could do but watch as they hit the ground below.
Three-sixteen closed his eyes. He couldn't bear the thought of looking anymore.
He heard Vianni cursing as she blasted rocks apart and tried to clear the path again.
When a large rock nearly struck the group, Vianni blasted it apart then spun around drawing her gun. Matter of factly, she said, “I tried, sorry.”
Three-sixteen saw her face twist as she fired. A bolt of blue energy shot from the gun, striking one of the miners in the face. As the rest turned to run, she fired a quick series of shots, each felling another miner. Soon only Three-sixteen was left, but he was far from Vianni and she didn’t notice him crouching beside a fallen crystal branch.
She floated up into the air and flew out of the chamber, leaving Three-sixteen alone with the dead.
Three-sixteen heard something moving below. He hoped it was a survivor, but he very much doubted the possibility.
He stood, looking at the bodies scattered around the chamber. He was still afraid, but he felt a resolve inside that he wasn't used to.
He shouted, hoping the monsters were listening, or that Five-ninety-one was still alive. He didn't know who he really hoped to reach.
He shouted again.
Another tremor shook the chamber, but this time the ground didn’t stop shaking. Three-sixteen looked for somewhere safe to take cover, but everywhere he looked was falling apart.
The wall broke open behind him and a thick cord-like tendril wrapped around his chest.
It took him a moment to process, but it was a sifter's whisker. The beast pulled Three-sixteen inside the wall and dragged him down a long tunnel.
He wanted to fight or at least try, but he knew there was no point. The beast would easily overpower him and the walls were too close to allow him to move properly.
The creature pulled him through a narrow passage into a small chamber, then released him.
There were three small sifter pups all huddled together. Each was as big as Three-sixteen and he realized small wasn’t an appropriate way to describe them, even if they were smaller than the beasts he was used to seeing.
The sifter that saved him curled up beside the pups, her long whiskers wrapped around them protectively.
Three-sixteen wasn’t sure why she brought him here, or why she hadn’t killed him yet. He had only known these creatures as vicious killers.
He was sure that he should be trying to get away, but he felt like that was the wrong thing to do. He didn’t even know where he would go. As the mine continued to shake and rumble, Three-sixteen thought this might be the safest place for him.
He decided to stay.
He sat against the wall across from the sifter and her pups. He was cold, hungry, and tired. His clothes were torn in places and his skin felt scraped raw from being dragged through the tunnel. He wasn’t sure how long he sat there or if he was going to die here. He tried not to think much about it.
The rumbling stopped again, hopefully for the last time. Three-sixteen thought most of the mine was probably destroyed, but it didn’t matter right now. He couldn’t do anything besides pray that it wasn’t all gone, that some of his charges survived and that Five-ninety-one, his first friend, was among them.
As Three-sixteen closed his eyes to sleep, he was surprised to feel the warmth of the sifter's body next to his. Her pups were on his other side, their soft purr sounding more like a growl. He found it comforting and he eased into a deep sleep easily.