Not much time had passed since the gongs had signalled a fresh workday for the adults. Alistar and Kaila were making their way out of the Resident Cavern, hurrying away from an unsatisfying breakfast and an unfriendly crowd. They were now old enough that they no longer had to sneak off into the tunnels, nor did they worry about receiving a heated scolding. Although their loved ones were perpetually worried for them, they could hardly expect them to sit still each and every day, and frankly, the empty tunnels were safer than the occupied ones.
As the two entered the Long Tunnel, Alistar’s mind was bogged down by troubled thoughts. Today he had noticed something for the first time, once on their way out of the Resident Cavern and now again as they weaved through the hordes of aggrieved workers that filled the main tunnels, mostly lines of Carriers trapped in their endless cycles of disposing of excess rock. He wasn’t sure exactly what it was that made him uneasy about the way that some of the new guards stared at Kaila, but he knew that he must be wary of the ones who gave such looks. He had seen similar stares before, but they were only ever directed toward adults—toward women. He had never even stopped to think about it, but seeing the men look at Kaila in such a strange way planted seeds of worry in his stomach that sprouted like rampant weeds on sunlit soil.
“Alie?”
Kaila’s sweet voice freed him from his thoughts. The sounds of pained gasps and yells of discipline, of pickaxes and various tools being put to use, had all begun to dwindle. Eventually, the only thing that remained was a growing silence, a sound that Alistar appreciated more with each day.
They had just left the Long Tunnel and turned into one of the many tributaries that connected to it like a network of hollowed out veins. It was reasonably distanced from the Resident Cavern, with a string of lanterns lining one wall rather than the more commonly seen wall-mounted torches. It was in tunnels such as these that the two regularly wandered, doing their best to stay clear of any areas that were alive with activity. Outside of your work group, one had to keep a vigilant eye out for other slaves in addition to the guards. The workers had no way to alleviate their frustrations, and often took it out on others in the same situation as them.
As they always did whenever they planned on entering an unlit section of the mines—the end of this tunnel leading to one such section—Alistar leaned up against the wall and braced himself so that Kaila could awkwardly crawl on top of him and reach up for one of the lanterns. The lanterns were quite heavy, and in the past they had almost always fallen down.
Although Kaila had grown slightly taller than him in the past year, Alistar stubbornly refused her unending insistences that they switch jobs. It wasn’t that he didn’t want her to bear his weight, but that they were used to their current process, which made it easier. Having just turned down such a proposition, he maintained his usual stance along the wall and ignored the discomfort of Kaila climbing back down while balancing the lantern that she had snatched.
She hadn’t yet made it to the ground when the light sounds of hushed footfalls began to drift over from the direction of the Long Tunnel. Somebody was approaching them, and swiftly.
Once the two realized that they were about to have company, Kaila scrambled down from Alistar’s shoulders in a rush, which caused them both to fall to the ground in a clumsy tangle of limbs. They groaned as they tried to collect themselves, their muffled voices easily carrying through the empty tunnel.
“Ouch! You need to be more careful, Kaila!”
“I—I…” a light sniffle stifled her words before giving way to her childish cries.
“Stop,” Alistar urged, edging up close to her. “Stop your crying! I forgive you, okay?”
“I—I’m sorry,” she squeaked, meek and upset.
Alistar softened his voice. “It’s okay. And you’re okay, too. See”—he traced a finger over the now flushed arm that had taken the brunt of her landing—“there’s no blood.”
“O—okay,” she said, sharply inhaling through her nose and wiping away at her tears.
“Ahem.”
From a few paces behind them came the sound of a man clearing his throat. The kids, who had momentarily forgotten the cause of their fall, pushed themselves up off the ground in a hurry. A young man stood before them, eyes alight. His features were sharp. He was cleanly shaven, face decorated by a strong jawline and a thick nose, which sat below a pair of perceptive black eyes. His confident disposition gave him the air of a young and capable intellectual.
The colour drained from Alistar’s face as he recognized the guard who had accosted his family earlier that morning, the guard who had needlessly harmed his uncle and the one who had marked his family for future harassment. He instinctively ushered Kaila behind him, whose watery eyes had widened in confusion over the young man’s abrupt appearance.
Seeing their reactions, specifically Alistar’s, the young guard nodded as if in approval. “Vigilance is indeed a reliable quality, but it is yet incomplete in the absence of bravery.” He rummaged through a small sack that was tied to his belt, producing a small, round object. He tossed the fist-sized ball to Alistar, who caught it without thinking. “Pretty words, are they not? I’m quite fond of them.” He sighed as if taken by a sense of nostalgia.
Caught off guard by the man’s amiable smile, Alistar could only glare between him and the object in his hand with innate suspicion. As soon as he realized what it was, all tension left him and he stammered in bewilderment. “A-apple! This is an apple!”
His eyes filled with delight and he spun on the spot, forgetting the supposed threat posed by the man. “Kaila, this is an apple! Remember? That apple?”
Kaila’s eyes somehow widened even further as a memory was stirred. There was no way that she had forgotten about the special day when they were all treated to this fabulous red fruit. She and Alistar had agreed that it was the most delicious food that they had ever tasted.
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If Alistar was shocked by the young man’s sudden appearance, he was even more surprised that he’d just been given an apple. Something so delicious only came by once in a lifetime, so why would the man give such a rare and tasty treat to the two of them? Alistar felt his earlier suspicions return. The man wouldn’t just approach them and give them this apple on a whim. He had a reason. Alistar was sure of it.
“Why are you giving this to us?” he asked cautiously. “We don’t have anything to give you in return.”
“It’s just an…” the young man trailed off, considering something. “I supposed this might seem odd to you. No—now that I think on it, I’m sure this is coming off as very strange. An unknown man approaching two children in a dark cave bearing gifts… Yes, of course it’s weird.” He was mumbling more to himself than to them. After giving it careful thought, he said brightly, “Ah. Think of it as a gift from someone who knew your father.”
“You knew…my father?”
Kaila looked over at him, biting her lip.
The man dug a second apple out of his bag and calmly walked up to them, proffering it to Kaila. “I knew your parents, too. Not as well as Alistar’s, but I met them many times, and they were always very kind to me. Ah, that was a long time ago.” He gestured for her to take it, encouraging her as she slowly reached out to accept the unexpected gift. Afterward, he took a seat nearby with his back against the wall.
The children were silent.
“What are you staring at? Go on, eat! Don’t hold back.”
They exchanged a glance, both of them wondering if it was really acceptable, but the temptation was too strong. With excited smiles, they bit into the fruit with enthusiasm.
Alistar’s body seemed to tingle as the sweet juices caressed his tongue, his stomach greedily urging him on with every heartfelt bite. Oh, the taste! To experience this flavour again, he almost couldn’t believe it. He thought of savoring the food, of eating it slowly and committing every moment to his memory, but by the time the thought took hold he was already staring at a core that looked as if it had been picked clean by rats. He had even eaten the seeds. Kaila had also finished hers quickly.
“How did you know my father?” They had subconsciously taken a seat opposite the man, likewise leaning against the rough walls of the tunnel. Still, under the surface Alistar was wary despite the apparent kindness. This man was a guard, after all.
“When I met him, I wasn’t much older than you are now,” the young man answered, thinking back with a longing smile. “Back then, he was as new to manhood as I am now, and it was by slim chance that we became acquainted. He taught me many things, and saw worth in an existence where most found none. Your father turned my life around, and for that I’m eternally grateful.”
If the man was telling the truth, then his father had helped him out when he was down. “That sounds like him.”
“I wouldn’t be the man I am today if it weren’t for your father. Lucian knows I wouldn’t have lived this long if we’d never met.” He chuckled fondly. “Well, eventually things happened and everybody was sent here. That’s the gist of it.”
Alistar tilted his head as he processed the information. “We were sent here? By who?”
“Was that too much?” he mumbled, an eyebrow raised. He hurried to change the subject, as if he’d made some sort of mistake. “Ah, my name! I suppose I should introduce myself. The name’s Servan Scuff, pleased to make your acquaintance.” He nodded casually in their direction with a mock flourish of his fingers.
Alistar stared at the serpent of red fabric sewn onto the centre of Servan’s surcoat, and then chanced a question. “Mister Servan, why did you hit my uncle?”
“Ah,” Servan frowned. “I promise you, it wasn’t as rough as it appeared.” Following those words, a grave expression slipped onto his face. “But that matter aside. Listen closely, you two. I came to you today because I wanted to meet you, the children of my dear friends and benefactors. Honestly, I’m overjoyed to make your acquaintance, but nobody can know of my relationship with your families. Do you understand?”
“Why?” said the quiet Kaila, who had not spoken a word since she’d finished her apple.
They awaited Servan’s answer.
“How should I say this? My being here is…problematic. If the guards knew that we were connected, it wouldn’t end well.” Taking off his helmet, he ran a hand through his hair as he struggled to find the right words. The silent stares of the children continued. “Just look at it this way. A lot of the guards that find themselves in these mines aren’t fond of your families. They’re mean and scary people, and if they knew that I was on good terms with you bunch, it wouldn’t be good for me. How’s that?”
Alistar remembered the countless times when others were beaten horribly for attempting to assist his father during the weeks leading up to his death. He remembered Mr. Loyos, lying dead on the cool floor of the Resident Cavern, and then his wife in hysterics as she watched his body being carried away.
Alistar nodded in distaste. “They will hurt you.”
“Yes, they will,” Servan replied darkly. The sudden venom in his voice sent a chill down Alistar’s spine. This discomfort was quickly dismissed when Servan fell back to his earlier candor. “I apologize. News of your parents, and of Kaisus and Shail; it’s all new to me. Nobody knew that they were still alive, but once the rumours started spreading…I had to be sure.”
Alistar saw the pain in Servan’s face and recognized it for what it was. He must have come here hoping to see Father and the others.
“Okay,” Alistar said honestly. “We won’t tell anyone. We promise.” He looked over at Kaila and raised his eyebrows.
She took the hint and nodded vigorously. “We promise!”
“Also, don’t approach me in the presence of others. Don’t smile at me, or so much as look in my direction. The slightest mistake and someone might discover our connection. I’ll play the role of the mean and scary guard, so that they don’t suspect me, and you will respond as if I am such a person.”
Kaila spoke without thinking. “But Mister Servan is kind.”
“It warms my heart to hear you say so. Unfortunately, the mines of Crystellum are not a kind place. If I’m to stay here, then this is how we have to behave. No matter what, don’t forget that.” After they assured him that they wouldn’t, he pushed himself up and dusted off with helmet in hand. “It’s best that I head back for now. It was a pleasure meeting you Alistar, and you too, Kaila.” With that, he set off with a smile, pausing once to add, “Oh, and if you’d like, I’ll be here in this same spot the day after tomorrow, at the same time. Make sure to share your porridge with the rest of your family so you’re hungry when you get here, okay?” He winked and hurried off, both of them missing the frown that replaced his smile as he turned away.
Alistar and Kaila immediately began to reminisce over the apple they had just eaten, and went on to talk about the unexpected friend that they had just made. Although she’d been timid in Servan’s presence, Alistar could tell that Kaila had liked him and that she would open up to him in time. She was like that, always nervous and quiet around others, but open and earnest with those close to her.
Alistar considered what he’d learned from Servan and found himself wishing that he knew more about why his family was in Crystellum. In recent years, he had often wondered how one became a slave, but had never given much thought to how his family in particular had fallen into slavery. He thought of asking his mother, but he knew what answer she would give him. She would simply say that he will understand it once he grew older.
I am older, blast it! Yet no one tells me anything.
He and Kaila spent hours wandering the caves as they usually did. They joked like normal, played as always, and held hands when they headed back to the Resident Cavern at the end of the workday. All the while, Alistar was distracted by a growing sentiment that had taken up roots in his heart. If nobody was willing to tell him why his family had been doomed to this miserable existence, then he’d have to figure it out on his own.