He was sitting on his bed, listening to the sound of broom coming from the hallway. CU 73 was the one cleaning the hallway. CU was standing for cleaning unit, and 73 was his number, which he had inherited from previous cleaning unit, when he took over the job. That way they were distinguished by Lorantides, old Lumos names were forbidden long time ago. Most of them were also forgotten, since they were not in use. CU 73 was always cleaning this hallway at the same time. His gaze passed over well-known furniture in his room. Round bed with three legs, cupboard installed in the wall, couple of chairs carved in stone and covered with clothes lined against the wall, each had its own pull-out board table. Torch was attached to the door never stopping to burn, same inventory like in every other Lumos room in btari mines of Lorantid Land. He smiled ironically. Yes it was Lorantid Land, not Lumos land. Lumos land disappeared long time ago. He twitched at the thought what would Lorantides done to him if they know what he was thinking. But they don’t, at least he hoped they don’t. There was one more thing in the room of every Lumos, to remind them of their position at all times. It was metal mechanical clock. It was square, foot by foot in size, there have been only one watch hand inside of it and it was dyed red. On the edges of the square were scratched dots. One for waking up, two for breakfast, three for work, four for lunch, five for winding the clock, six for work, seven for dinner and last eight for sleep. Watch hand was getting closer to two circles, but he was really tired. All night he was thinking about WU 7286, WU was standing for working unit and she was gorgeous. He looked her for days feeling sorry they haven’t been chosen for the BUs (breeding units). But only those whose ancestors had good grades in mining and conduct, meaning they never resisted, were approved to become breeding units. And there were always twenty times more women BU than men. His grandfather once pushed away Lorantid, trying to help his sister that was buried under the fallen ceiling of mining tunnel. For that he was whipped so bad he barely survived, and all of his descendants were under higher control due to negative mark in conduct this incident earned for him. He couldn’t resist Lumos call of duty anymore, so he stood up and washed his body using cleaning gel. Rubbing it in his pale skin he remembered his childhood, when their NU (nursing unit) would gather all of them, children and rubbed them with gel. After finishing his wash he did on his working raiment which was consisted of black shirt and black pants with a neck tie hanging from his neck. On the neck tie there were all of his records. First there was WU 12323 representing his unit and number, then his date of birth and marks for mining and conduct. Any Lumos caught without tie would be severely punished. That was not traditional Lumos clothing. In old days Lumos used to wear long hooded robes. Now this traditional clothing could be seen only on Lumos who were hosts for Lorantides. He came into the dining room and stood in line for a meal. After a while C (cook) 17 dropped usual cocktail of minced vegetables and meat into his plate. Every day, three times a day, they had to eat the same shit. Dining room was gigantic, all twenty thousand Lumos working in this mine were inside of it sitting behind lined tables. In front of the tables were two hundred cauldrons filled with food cocktails. Next to each cauldron was a cook with a large spoon and a line of hungry working units holding plates. Everybody knew their sitting place. They even had no right to choose where they will be sitting during the meal. Lorantid guards were at separate tables raised on a platform in the middle of the room. There were five hundred of them. WU 12323 nodded to WU 19856 who was sitting at his table. He knew it was forbidden to communicate in anyway, unless it’s related to job, but he felt immense pleasure in doing so. Torture in afterlife that goddess Skulx threatened with to those who don’t abide by her rules wasn’t frightening him anymore. Now when he was a member of knowledge protectors he was aware she was just invented by Lorantides to keep Lumos obedient. He didn’t care about her mortal sins of disobedience and laziness, this life was already torture he didn’t have any time to think about life that would come after. Old gods, real Lumos gods were long ago forgotten. Some knowledge protectors once excavated old stone carvings written in old alphabet. Carvings were preserved ever since causing a lot of risks to personal security of members of the organization. Those carvings contained a legend about fog falling on earth after the war, which worshipers of different gods had yielded against each other. After a while the gods interfered in the war, forgetting about their duties. While they were fighting in the heavens, earth had fallen into chaos and the fog had been created. Same fog which surrounds btari mines Lumos are working in, making escape impossible, although Lumos were immune to changing ability of the fog they couldn’t see through it and a lot of dangers lurks in darkness of fog. If they would use torches it would be easy for Lorantides to locate and make an example out of them. Fear installed in Lumos people for centuries rooted deeply in their souls, sometimes he was thinking guards are not needed in these mines. Inner dastard installed in every miner was best prevention against any thought about rebellion. WU 19856 was no one else but Schnew, he was brought at this mine a week ago. WU 12323 liked his relaxed attitude toward everything and his spontaneity. Schnew always fought with guards, thus reducing his conduct grade to dangerous levels near to canceling. Yesterday he came to him saying “Hello Lumos friend.” Not knowing why, he answered with “Hello.” Expression of surprise shadowed Schnew's face, but he managed quickly: “I am Schnew. They brought me here because I was in a war against them in the Land of Moving Hills. Why are you here?” He was surprised once again when WU 12323 answered with a jape “Because I am Lumos.” Taking a better look at him, he found out it was tall, able-bodied man with short blond hair and pale blue eyes, almost transparent they were. Making sure they are not watched by a Lorantid guard, they turned behind one big rock protruding out of the tunnel wall. Schnew was telling him about wars and battles he fought in, WU 12323 about his work as a member of knowledge protectors. “In sector Z-8 there is a hole caused by last earthquake, only a few of us know it exists, come there tomorrow after the breakfast. There are some peoples you would like to know.”

[https://imgur.com/XkeUsHR.jpg]

Lorantid on Lumos host

After breakfast WU 12323 went down the mine shaft using small manually operated elevator. While the elevator was jangling down the narrow hole he was pondering the fate of his people once again. How they were sentenced to spend the rest of their days working for others. Elevator hit the bottom while the doors were slowly opening. He put his mining helmet on and entered long tunnels. There were other Lumos digging ore. He came to a spot where he left yesterday took his pickaxe and started to dig. In less than an hour he made a big pile of earth and found a couple of btaris. When WU 12328 came to pick up the dirt he told him to cover him up since he won’t be there for a next round. WU 12328 his friend since childhood just nodded, pale in the face and frowning. He went toward earthquake hole and surprisingly for the first time in his life he didn’t felt any fear of Lorantid retribution. Getting in sizeable hole he saw several of people in it, sitting on stones. He approached Schnew “Hello friend.” Schnew was grinning again showing his snow white teeth. Suddenly Subito jumped up and rolled up poor Lumos sleeves and leggings moving hands all over his body. “Hi” astonished Lumos was barely speaking. Subito shook his head. Schnew nodded “Sorry security measures, you would understand we don’t want Lorantides to find about our little meeting, or a spy to infiltrate our group.” “I still don’t trust him” Subito was unsatisfied. Alma hugged him “Friend you don’t trust your own shadow anymore. It will be ok, relax.” WU 12323 suddenly understood: Subito was looking for signs of cooperation with Lorantides, he said “It’s ok I don’t mind that you have searched me.” “It is time for you to meet the gang.” Schnew offered him mushroom “Take it. They grow in this mine and are perfectly eatable and I would even say tasty, and you guys don’t even know about them. This one that just groped you up, it is Subito. If you two need some time alone, we can leave.” “Schnew get to the point and quit pestering poor boy.” Lillium interrupted him. “Ok, this one is Lillium. She is the reason Lorantides are making a mistake in considering me to be their slave. She enslaved me long before them, look at those eyes, I would be better to quit before I get whipped. Last one, whom you probably consider a monster, is Alma. She is actually really fine. It’s not her fault she is born with such a face.” Lillium kicked him in the shin “You see I told you I will get whipped. O, gods why have you condemned me to life with such a snake when I was nothing but good all of the time. She drinks my blood, my blood drop by drop.” By the look in Lillium’s eyes, he saw he spent his joking credit for the next couple of days. WU 12323 carefully observed them. Their pale skin was almost translucent in the dark, except of course Alma who was still green as before. Schnew continued “I forgot to present myself, but you already know me and Martala we named her after some old sorceress. It was of course Lillium’s idea.” Schnew pulled out small wooden spider out of his pocket. WU 12323 confusedly looked at him. “She is the reason we need you. You will use mechanisms we acquired from clocks in our rooms and make this toy to be winding toy. Lumos are really good at mechanics and you are one of the best if my information is correct?” “Yes I can do it. But, I have to ask why?” “Well, you know during a night, four hundred guards leave the mine, meaning there are only one hundred of them left. And when they leave, they close giant metal doors behind them. We need Martala to walk into door’s mechanism preventing them from locking. We will need them opened if we want to get out.” “Out…?” Lumos eyes were so big. They could fall out of his skull any moment now. “Yes out, that’s another reason we need you, because your knowledge protectors have some maps of outside land.” “Yes we do, but one of the reasons nobody ever survived escape from these mines, was that out there is a fog. So you have to use torches and when you use torches it is easy for the guards to find you.” “Don’t worry our friend Alma here can see in the dark, she will be our guide through the fog.” “Then it’s a deal I will make your mechanical toy and contact elders of knowledge protectors for copies of the maps.” “Just hurry up, they could decide it is time to carry out the death penalty over me. I made a lot of troubles.” “I will… Say, how do you plan to bypass the rest of the guards?” “We already have measured time intervals between patrols which walk the corridors and we will sneak in between them, if problems occur we can always silence them.” Schnew pointed at the stone shiv embedded above his belly button as a piercing. “I can use it from close up or throw it. Lillium was also able to make some seed stones, you know they have magic inside of them and can produce numbers of roots that will entrap our enemies. Alma also made some stone spiked clubs. There is stone all around us. She just needed to shape it in a way her people had done for centuries, on a sand stone placed in water. If there were not those we would steal some of the pickaxes. They seem as pretty good weapon, but Lorantides are watching closely at them and count them a dozen times a day. We decided it would be better if we make our own weapons. And this miner’s helmet provides rather good head protection.” “I would like to know more about making weapons.” “We can teach you. We will still be here for a couple of days.” Lillium added “Also when we get out we expect our friend to help us, maybe he…” “We shouldn’t share too much, be careful!” Subito warned her. “Sometimes you really frighten me Subito, one of these days you will kill us all in sleep because of your schizophrenia. Every night I have to tune up myself to lamb snoring, so you don’t confuse me with a wolf.” Schnew turned it in joke “Lillium tell us what happened when Lorantides took you away before Subito get too suspicious.”

Lillium started “They picked over one hundred of girls and took us deep into the lower levels of the mine. We passed through three heavily guarded iron gates and reached one huge hall. Big lake was in it. We waited for some time on the lake shore, when the boat came from the middle of the lake. I suppose there is some island in the middle of it. Boat had black sails and golden beak. When the ship docked, four strong Lorantides with golden axes in blue cloaks brought out heavy golden palanquin covered with black canopy. They were followed by thirty more Lorantides in pale blue cloaks armed with silver axes. They were obviously personal guard to some very important person. Guards bowed in front of elderly women when the canopy was removed. She was barely walking, helping herself with two canes. Dressed in black, even in such a condition she radiated with dignity and pride. As much I could understand she is very powerful priestess of death and her name is Ma Tihani. She was walking in front of us pointing at some to step out. Sensing what’s coming next I removed my stones of youth so she walked right past me. She was choosing only healthiest, youngest and most beautiful girls. Finally she had chosen one of them, young blond-haired strongly built girl. Two of the guards held a girl while one was removing Lorantid from the back of old woman’s skull and planting it on girl’s skull. Both women fell, but only girl stood up, and it was not a same girl anymore but Ma Tihani. She had just chosen her new body. Her old body was not moving anymore, soul of previous possessor was dead long ago. Guards attached stones to chains on every limb of corpse and entrusted it to the lake. I could see a great number of fishes flocking around the corpse taking bites of it. Long time had passed before the silver ball made by fish bodies gathered around the corpse disappeared in the depths. Water in this lake had to be very clear. Most of the girls were crying, but some were sharing rumors they heard about Lorantides as black sailed boat made its way back toward the center of the lake. I have learned that somewhere in the middle of the lake is the island, and on this island is a breeding spot for Lorantides. They reproduce by dividing themselves in two and they need at least two years before the whole process is over and two fully grown up Lorantides are created out of one. Some of the memories pass from parent to his children. I also learned they are recreating army that was defeated in Land of Moving Hills as we speak. Thus, their numbers are weakened even more, since most of them are used for reproducing and if we want to defeat Lorantides best period would be in next two years while they are low in numbers. Someone mentioned one Lorantid can live up to five hundred years before natural death, if he doesn’t divide before that.” “It is time for departure” Alma warned and stood up. Everybody else followed her, and earthquake hole quickly remained empty. WU 12323 went right back to his pickaxe continuing to work till the evening without a rest. But when he was finally in his room, he wasn’t sleeping. Instead he started to assembly toy Subito slipped into his pocket during lunchtime, together with parts of clock mechanisms. Even if he wanted to sleep, he probably wouldn’t be able to. He was in some sort of feverish mood, proud he can finally fight back to Lorantides. Early in the morning his little toy was ready. He measured distance she was able to cover several times and determined that with a good winding she can cross exactly fifty feet. Later he marked the position in front of exit doors from which it should be released by leaving the dead rat on the ground. Mines were filled with these creatures, and miners didn’t mind them and often feed them. When there is an earthquake or lethal gas leaking about to occur rats were first to sense it and run toward the exits, so they were very useful to miners. Actually often they were lifesavers.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

After lunch they met again in the same earthquake hole. “How do you manage to fool the guards, and get here?” WU 12323 was curious. Schnew smiled “Lorantides like to gamble same as I do, but they are not very well in it at the same time, so I managed to win few hours of rest for me and my friends here. He just demanded from us to retreat to some isolate area, so no one would spot us and get him in trouble. We were more than happy to follow his advice.” “Do you have a map?” Lillium was inpatient. “Of course, my friends from knowledge protectors made a copy of the map they found on the old stone inscription.” He presented them with a piece of black clothing that seemed to be torn of some working suit. On it was a map drawn using lime. All of them bent over the map carefully studying it. “You will understand I can’t share the identity of my friend from the organization, because we work that way. Cells are made of five people and only the commander of cell knows every member. Members know only the commander and not each other. Commander of cell is also a member of another cell, and knows just commander of that cell. That way cells can always communicate. Lorantides are very skilled in torture, and a captured man can’t reveal information he don’t know. Also, they always were trying to infiltrate our organization with spies, mainly bribed Lumos.” “As I suspected this mine is under the foot of the mountain that Land of Moving Hills is located on” Lillium concluded. “Yes that’s the reason we have so many btaris here.” “Alma show him how to make spiked stone mace and shiv like the one Schnew have, we don’t have much time left.” Alma spent the next couple of hours showing to WU 12323 how to pick a stronger kind of stone and use it to break softer stone piece by piece till he get crude spiked stone mace or a shiv. Then she taught him how to sharpen stone tools on abrasive soft stone sprayed with water. She also taught him how to make Utrikat hunting toy. One Utrikat convicted for thievery spent his sentence as a servant in the Lux clan house and taught her and other children a lot about Utrikat culture. It was a simple stone connected to the rope, with a knot that untie itself when it is jerked strongly enough, sending stone toward animal or whatever you are hunting for. She winked to Lumos. Lillium gave him something wrapped in leaves “Cook these ingredients in water with a pebble stones for a day and you will get seed stones. Organize your people to be ready for rebellion before we come back. Let the luck be with you.” They left the hole. WU 12323 gone back to his work, although he was tired big happy smile was shining on his face. He felt relaxed. First time in his life he understood the meaning of the word freedom. He wasn’t out of mine yet, but he was free. You don’t get freedom at your birth as a gift. You have to fight for her. Are you going to fight with weapons or words, is a matter of circumstances, not a choice. That night he slept well, accepting the fact he would also die if his friends get caught. If he dies, he will die as a free man.

Night was silent, too silent for Schnew’s taste. He unlocked the doors of his room using shiv and bent wire. It took him just few moments before the doors were wide open. He smiled, closing doors behind him. Without a moment of hesitation, he sneaked to the doors of his friends rooms and opened them one by one. Their little group headed toward the exit, evading Lorantid patrols. Lurking in the shadows they came to stop before broad illuminated area. There in front of massive iron doors was a group of seven Lorantid guards sitting behind a table and playing some strange game on the stone board. Schnew pulled out his shiv and threw it toward the torch which was hanging on the doors. At the same time mixed with surprised voices of guards they heard Lillium’s seed stones patter on the floor. Few silenced screams and everything was over. It was an easy job for Alma to dispose them in dense darkness. When they lighted the torch again Alma was standing in the middle of body heap wiping her stone club on their clothes. Martala was broken by pressure, but iron bar connected on her backs jammed in doors preventing them from fully closing. Subito released her earlier that day from the spot marked with dead rat carcass, exactly at the moment when last of Lorantid guards day shift was leaving the mine. With a few stronger pushes they were already out. Subito took of a tie and hang it on the door handle. Rest of them followed his example. They were not working units anymore, now they were fugitives. Using long rope to tie themselves around the waist and to each other, they extinguished the torch. Alma was leading them through the fog. They couldn’t even see the top of their noses. It seemed to them as the ground is pulling their feet downwards. Ground was sticky and at the times it seemed to them as it was moving, like it was consisted of thousands of small creepy creatures. Some of them would occasionally hit in tree in the dark, it was slimy and smelly. Some bony hand settled on the Schnew's shoulder “Beautiful atmosphere isn’t it?” With every hair on his body up, he was relieved to recognize Alma’s voice “Next time you will get stabbed!” “Yes like you would be able to hit me” her voice was now coming from direction in front of him. “Your eyes are so big now, like a child’s in the stormy night. Don’t be afraid my sweetheart, mommy is here.” “We will see when I come out in the light again!” “Not if I leave you here. You know cutting that rope wouldn’t be too difficult. It would certainly save us all lots of troubles.” Schnew had no comment on this. After some time they were on some meadow. They were able to conclude that by the absence of trees to hit in. Travel could take days or just a few moments as our heroes were concerned since time is passing differently in the dark. Some fluorescent creatures were moving on the meadow. And there were more of them in the skies. Lillium throw them some of the food she gathered for their escape, while she was in the mine. She made balls of minced vegetables and meat they were served with, and left them dry in leaves. When creatures have come near them to taste the food, she saw they were some kind of tiny birds. Their feathers were glowing green in darkness, and there where their eyes should be she could see just empty spots of darkness. “Birds with no eyes, what is next?” Alma smiled “they have eyes, you just can’t see them. On the other hand rest of the animals you have attracted with your food donations, don’t have eyes. They are probably relying on the other senses.” “There are other animals? We better leave before some carnivores come. We are easy targets.” Alma made amber by rubbing two pieces of wood against each other, and gave it to Lillium. She used it to burn feather Galatu gave to her when they were saying goodbye in Land of Moving Hills. Some time passed before they heard Galatu calling for Lillium, she called back. “I was just several feet away from you and couldn’t find you till I started to yell your name. What are you doing in this fog?” They told him everything what’s happened since they split. “What a story! I can’t help you in the war, but I can take you to wisest of all living creatures. If someone can help you it is him. He lives in a land east from here.” Galatu picked them up using the storm and carried them above the fog. Wet from the rain that was falling in Galatu’s storm Alma stated “I prefer fog and darkness.” Schnew smiled “We saw you had the best time in your life over there.” “Revenge is sweet, especially when it is served cold.” “Now I can see it was a pretty good joke, but back there it wasn’t funny at all.” “It was for me.” Galatu was floating above in a form of big white bird, protecting them from the rain as well as he could. He recited from a “Book of Voice”.

“You see my friends, I was studying your religion. Any knowledge is step closer to the truth. Subito’s sword brother helped me a lot in this endeavor.”

“Melessar is in Hull Term?”

“Yes, I was with him when you used feather and teleported me here. He found meaning of some old alphabet, and now he is studying ancient books in our library.”

“So he found meaning behind black and white, I sure hope I will be able to find the secret behind light and fog and win in this war. Or else human race is doomed to slavery. I died from inside together with Miratur, but I would still like to give others a chance to live and love as I once had.”

***

The upper floors of the library were covered in shelves filled with books on every wall along with beautiful paintings and niches containing statues painted green. Between shelves were lines of stools for readers. From the sealing were hanging chandeliers woven into shapes of the forest. Everything was made of same white material. His eyes were hurting him from so many white. He took a few books of the nearest shelf just to make sure, they were made out of the same material. Whole city and all in it was made out of the same plant. Ancient writings were on the bottom floor, which was actually carved into the wood on which library was placed. Common folks were not allowed to enter there, only those with special permission from the mayor could see oldest and most valuable books in Hull Term. And many books were written every year in this city where art and artists were much appreciated. The moment he saw Melessar’s permission from the mayor old librarian unlocked sturdy doors for him. The walls were not shelved like upstairs, instead books were stored in special boxes, stacked against the walls. The librarian was a skinny old man with long fingers and skin dry as parchment. He was coughed all the time while he slowly moved in front of Melessar. He reminded him on the snail so much, that he was actually avoiding moving right behind him so he wouldn’t step into invisible mucus. Weak scent of damp was ever present in this room mixed with the odor of rotting wood. He touched the wall confirming his suspicions that it was covered with small wormholes. In a monotonous voice librarian explained whole room used to be a lair of some kind of a giant worm, just to be adapted in the room when the library was built. After they spent some time finding their way through the piles of boxes, librarian abruptly stopped pointing indefinitely in front of him:

“Those are the writings found in the old city, nobody could read them, but we were preserving them nevertheless.”

There was much of pride in his statement. He obviously considered his job to be very important. Not paying any attention on old man Melessar immediately opened one of the boxes and took out a couple of planks. He looked at them for some time, and then he smiled.

“I can read them. Bring me some ink, paper and quill.”

You could see old librarian was offended, but he walked away without complaints. When he came back, in his hands were the book and pencil both made of surturi plant, Melessar was relieved when he saw at least ink was not made of the same plant. He was feeling very awkward because everything around him seemed the same. Using one of the boxes as a stool he started to look through books, writing down what they were about. Only first plank of every book resembled chess board, since the letters were written using big black and white squares, other planks were covered with tiny black and white dots. Soon members of his team joined him. Librarian observed them for some time, when he got bored, he continued with his routine taking no heed of strangers. Before he left, he let them know there were hundred and thirty two boxes found in the old city. It was late afternoon when they finally established genre of every book. Young boy with inflamed boils all over his face reported to Melessar:

“All in all, there are thirty five fictional novels, thirty two books of poetry, eleven cookbooks, nineteen biographies, twenty one historic books and seven geographic, five philosophic books and finally two military strategy books.”

“We will need more men, I will arrange with Wind Wizards to give us some. You will provide them with tables containing the meaning of every letter.”

“Sure.”

“Before you go please recite me something from Book of Voice, you shouldn’t forget old knowledge in order to acquire new ones. In fact you should combine them to get step closer to the truth.”

“…Rules

Rules shouldn’t be walls blocking our way. They should be merely road signs, giving advice and not an order. People blindly following rules are either too stupid or too scared to walk the life by themselves.”

“I tried to teach you a lesson, but it seems you taught me one. Wise man should keep his mind sharp same as warrior do with his sword. Keep on good work.”

Melessar walked out. On the chair in the one of the upper floors Galatu was sitting waiting for him.

“Have you found something new? I was restless all day, just like a little child.”

“Yes we can read those writings. We will need more men…”

“That is not the problem fifty of our young lads will be here tomorrow at your disposal. But what have you read? Share something with me or else I will die out of impatience.”

“Not much, really… We read just a few sentences of every book to determine what it is about. Maybe some poetry:

Stars are blinking in the dark distance

While twigs whisper song of the wind

Heart of the night is ticking away

Counting moments to pass before we bind”

“Beautiful, so much passion…”

In that moment he just disappeared, leaving Melessar with his mouths open. When he finally managed to make a sound he called for the librarian. Old man didn’t seem disturbed at all:

“They are strange kind, it is probably some of their witchcraft. I would notice his friends anyway if I was you. We throw them out of the city once because of their witchcraft and their weirdness, but they cursed us with fog for that, so we had to bring them back.”