Three weeks, three long weeks I’ve been working in these tunnels, hating every second of it. Slaving away for my masters to expand the tunnel, or to harvest their black iron. If there is any.

None of my swings feel right. Either my pick bounces off the earth like a rubber toy or I just chip tiny shards off. I’ve broken tools doing my job. I can’t tell why it happens. Maybe it’s the tools that are subpar.

Next to the more experienced Dogs, I feel useless, a hindrance, and they certainly aren’t welcoming to my feeble attempts.

Next to me, a Dog my age is successful after three days of hard work. If I don’t pick up the pace, who knows what the guards will do to me. They could move me to other occupations, or worse, they could hang me.

I continue trying to mine the lump of black ore, my blows with the pick only scratching the ore. My anxiety builds as nothing is working, regardless of what I do. I swing as hard as I can, but it only produces the same result. Failure.

‘Well, look over here,’ one Dog laughs.

Another Dog walks up to me. ‘Still struggling to get that ore out? Has it been three weeks already?’

‘It has, and the kid still isn’t trying,’ the first Dog replies.

I ignore their comments as I continue striking at the ore, sadly to no avail.

They stand there, laughing at me. One snatches the pick out of my hand and pushes me to the ground. I try to force myself up, but the other Dog comes up and kicks me in the chest.

‘Here, kid.’ He readies himself to swing the pickaxe. ‘Let me show you how to swing.’

He raises the pick above his head and hits the seam with a swift downward motion, cracking a huge chunk of black iron from it, before dropping the pick at my feet.

‘I’ve seen children use a pick better than you. I don’t like dead weight here and if you keep being a raka,’ he looks around to check if no one is listening in, ‘I will let the guards deal with you. The only reasons you are still here is because you are Marak’s adopted runt. You have two days to sort your shit out before you’re on your own.’

He kicks dirt in my face as he walks off.

I pick myself off the ground, rubbing the dirt and shame off me.

I try to replicate what he has shown me, but it doesn’t break the earth.

I sigh in defeat, looking at the ore. I have been looking forward for this job since I was a child. It is hard work yes, but it is a job that is somewhat desirable. Yet no matter how hard I try, I am not cut out for it.

I’m not a raka, I’m not a pathetic slave! I raise my pick above my head to try again. To break the earth for my own survival.

‘Hey Alex.’

The voice startles me, causing me to swing down and completely miss the ore. I turn my head in frustration to see May sitting on a mine cart.

‘What are you doing here?’ I ask, annoyed.

‘Just walking around, exploring the mine for anything interesting.’

‘And what have you seen?’

‘Well, I saw what they said, and did to you.’

She jumps off the cart and walks up to me. ‘You shouldn’t be treated like that. You are Marak’s son after all.’

I turn away from her to my work, focusing on getting the black iron.

May stands next to me, trying to grab my attention to her.

‘Why do you let them do that? You should’ve told them to leave you alone.’

I ignore her, hoping she will leave me alone. Annoyed that I am not listening, she throws a pebble at my head.

Not hard enough to hurt, but hard enough to grab my attention.

‘What?’ I yell.

‘Stop being a little wuss and be more like dad. No one will respect you if you don’t stand up for yourself.’

‘You know Marak isn’t actually my dad? I am not like him and I won’t be like him!’

May looks at me with disappointment, like a mother hearing their child saying something ridiculous.

‘Don’t say that. You don’t have to be related by blood to be his son, or to be my big brother.’

I turn away from her in frustration.

In a way, she is right. Although sometimes I wonder if I am really a big brother to her, or if she is actually a smaller big sister.

I smirk at her while I give her some black ore off the ground.

‘Come on, rule twenty-seven states...’

May rolls her eyes as we both repeat the rule. ‘That for a child to be in the tunnels, they must help with chores or learn how the mine works.’

She takes the lump of ore from my hand, smirking to herself. ‘In that case. You better get better at swinging that.’

I growl at her, and she responds by poking her tongue out. She must have picked that attitude from her mother. I don’t believe she picked up her attitude from dad. He is never that sassy.

We continue working for a suitable amount of time. With every chip of the black ore, she takes the broken pieces to the cart.

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Most of the time, she sits on the cart as she asks questions about the mine. About what the job is like, while also having adult responsibilities, whatever that means.

I answer her questions vaguely. I think these questions are best left for dad to answer.

As she watches me mine she mocks my swings, teasing me for my efforts. Then she tries to mine the ore herself, only for her to fall over and miss the ore. I laugh as she makes some excuses, saying that is because kids can’t mine and therefore is acceptable for her to fail.

While annoying, her company makes the job a little more enjoyable. Her smile and bubbly personality makes the other Dogs in the tunnel more relaxed and eager to work while she talks to them. She even hauls their rubble into the cart.

When she gets older, she will make a brilliant chieftain, but I won’t allow my sister to be a boss of me. I am still her big brother, after all.

The sudden crack of a whip causes everyone in the tunnel to stop what they are doing. Our bodies freeze in place as we wait for orders.

May rushes to my side, holding my hand anxiously as three guards enter the tunnel. The familiar tap of a stick gets closer and closer. My heart flutters as my body slips into flight-or-fight mode. I need to run away to safety, away from him. Yet, I just freeze, not daring to move in case they deem sudden movements justifiable enough for hanging.

May tries her hardest to hide behind me, shivering in fear of what might come.

The warden enters the tunnel and smiles at all of us.

‘Well, isn’t it good to see you all here?’ He walks around the tunnel, scanning each and every one of us. When he steps in front of me, he points his pace stick at May.

He licks his lips with hunger in his eyes. ‘You there, E-23:7. Step forward.’

May hesitantly steps forward. Her arms and legs lock by her side, looking at the ground to avoid eye contact. The warden uses his stick to raise her head to face him.

‘M-24:6’s girl. What are you doing here?’

‘I uh...’ May struggles to get any words out, shaking in terror before the warden.

I need to speak up to explain why May is here, but I can’t. I try to do anything, but my body refuses to respond.

The warden nods his head. ‘Come on E-23:7, you have to answer my question.’

‘I came to help, master,’ she mumbles.

The warden cups his ear to make her say it again.

‘I came to help, master,’ she says, louder than before, but still faint. The warden looks around at everyone, eventually pointing his stick at one Dog.

‘Did she help around here?’ The warden ask one of the Dogs.

‘Yes, master.’ The Dog replies.

The warden asks the same questions again to each Dog in the tunnel, and they all give the same answer.

He faces me with a grin as he taps the end of his stick on my chest with a smirk.

‘I conclude that E-23:7, daughter of M-24:6, has violated rule twenty-seven.’

Everyone except for the guards gasp in horror at the injustice of the claim. I can tell we all want to run in to defend her, but we are too scared to move. How could we? How can we go against him?

May cries in fear as she holds on to my leg.

He reaches his hand out to grab May, but she hides behind me with terror in her eyes.

‘R-12:9, if you don’t pass her to me. I will hang everyone in this tunnel, including you.’

My gut turns. My body heating up like metal being fed to the forge. The Dogs around me either look away in guilt, or look at me with pity in their eyes.

I turn to May as I force her let go of me while I shamefully pass her to the warden.

She looks at me in shock as the guards escort her away, scared and betrayed by what I have done. I betrayed her, my own sister.

The warden taps me on the shoulder and smiles. ‘Now, I have one simple task for you.’

My hands shake, so many things passing through my mind. Will they force me to hang her? Or to continue my task from before?

‘Do you want to save her?’

‘Yes, master.’ I reply without a thought.

‘Well then, run to M-24:6. If he gets to E-23:7 at the mine’s entrance in about thirty minutes, she lives. If not...’

He grabs two ends of his whip and cracks it in front of me.

‘You understand on what needs to be done, R-12:9?’

‘Yes, master! Do you want me to start now, master?’ I ask the tyrant. The warden steps out of the way and points at the exit of the tunnel.

‘Go!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, I sprint in search of my father, darting around every Dog and guard while I shout his name.

Please be near, please, for the love of everything good that exists. Please let him respond to me!