Chapter Twenty-one: Goodbye for Now (Part Two)
“That face suites you much better. Rather than fretting over this curious son of mine, perhaps I should save my worries for the young girls of Distan.” She giggled and shook her head. She seemed to be speaking more to herself than to the children. Her happy expression was indescribably beautiful, and for a moment Alistar forgot she was sick. “Even with Rodei’s good looks, my Alie wouldn’t mimic his father’s recklessness with women.” She spoke with an air of motherly caution, her silver irises gleaming like polished steel against her sunken face. “You wouldn’t want to anger Kaila, now would you, Alie?”
“Auntie…”
Kaila looked away. He couldn’t tell within the dimness, but Alistar could have sworn that her face had coloured.
“Hah!” grunted his uncle. “If he’s half as bold as Rodei, he’ll make more than one angry maiden in Distan.” His mother raised her eyebrows, causing Raidon to shrink back. He coughed. “Of course, I’ll see to it that he doesn’t grow to be as shameless as my brother. Or any of yours, for that matter.”
Alistar didn’t know any girls aside from Kaila, but he already knew that he should be kind and courteous toward all of them. “What do you mean? Papa wasn’t shameless. I’m going to be just like him!” He didn’t understand, but he puffed out his chest at the mention of his father.
To his confusion, his mother only laughed.
I wish every day could be like this. His family members were wearing expressions that they hadn’t shown in months. Even his uncle was chuckling here and there.
Only Alistar’s mother could have turned the dismal mood on its head, and with only a handful of words, at that. He had no idea how he’d get on without her.
“Mama, I…” Alistar began, losing his words and finding them all at once as he took in her caring expression. “I don’t want to leave.” Quieter, he added, “I can’t just abandon everyone.”
Kaila remained silent behind hopeful eyes, though there was a sense of futility lingering in her frown. She’d been frowning too much lately.
“Alie,” his mother said tenderly. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing you’re soon to leave this life behind. Many great things await you, and I would be ashamed if you never got a chance to experience them. You are my one and only precious son. I can’t bear the thought of you being holed up in here from your first days to your last. I just can’t.”
The sound of his uncle’s pick falling to the ground stilled Alistar’s fumbled response. He simply nodded, knowing that there was nothing he could do to change the outcome of this day.
Raidon hadn’t finished filling up the crate. Rather, he seemed to have noticed some movement down the line. Moments later, he was resting an arm on each of the children’s shoulders as he knelt down to face the family.
“It’s about time to set out. It should be around midday, and it’ll take quite some a while to reach Malford.”
“Malford?” asked Alistar.
“The closest town that we’re allowed to go to. It pains me to say it, but we can’t afford to waste anymore daylight. We’ve got to go.”
Far down the work line, a group of people were steadily approaching them. They had to be guards, as the Carriers were doing their best to squeeze out of the way and inconspicuously meld with the pale-faced miners. Using one of his uncle’s solid shoulders for leverage, he pulled himself up to get a better look.
A column of around ten guards streamed down the tunnel with little consideration for those they passed. Even from a hundred paces away, Alistar recognized those that usually kept the young captain company. They were a nasty lot, all of them rough, vulgar and unrelenting. They were the sort to abuse slaves, and also among those that held his family in the most contempt. At the head of the column strode the red-haired youth, newfound confidence spilling from his smug grin.
The moment that Alistar made eye contact, he knew that it was time to leave. He quickly knelt down and hugged his mother as tightly as he could without hurting her. According to his uncle, it would take at least a week to reach the next nearest town after Hatsford, which was a small logging town that Raidon had visited in the past. This region of the empire was known as the frontier, where towns and villages were few and far between. Once they reached Malford, it would take weeks for them to walk to the county of Distan, and months, perhaps years, before they could find work in order to save up enough money to free the rest of the family.
With him gone, his mother would only need to meet the standard quota of a single crate, which would be manageable with Talon’s help. Kaila had promised that she would begin sleeping beside his mother and that she would save the bread that Servan left for her and feed it to her inconspicuously during sleeping hours. It was usually soft and easily chewable, so the guards wouldn’t notice as long as she ate beneath their ragged blankets. The young captain would leave within a couple of months, and with him, his torments.
There was no way of knowing if things would play out as planned, but so long as there was a chance of success, then Alistar would cling to that hope and wholeheartedly dedicate his life to realizing his goals. That meant making enough money to free his family. Fun and exploration would have to wait until the rest of his loved ones were out of the mines to share in such experiences.
“Would you help me to my feet, Alie?” His mother’s voice was calm. By the time she was standing, the guards were upon them. Servan was there, inconspicuously bringing up the rear. He kept his gaze from lingering, his eyes devoid of emotion. He didn’t feel like the gentle older-brother-figure that Alistar had come to know. He blended in with the group so easily that, at that moment, he seemed like nothing more than another armoured figure come to tear apart an unfortunate family.
As the group neared their workstation, the guards split into groups of five, each lining a wall. The young captain stepped up and pointed down the line. Just as before, all sounds within the cave diminished significantly. The guards on duty neglected to keep the workers in check, as everybody paused to see how the situation would unfold.
“I’ll say this one time and one time only,” spat the man, whose face was still red from the earlier confrontation. “Time. To. Go.”
Alistar and his family began to walk without meeting the menacing looks that came from either side of them. Every time a slave had been released from Crystellum, regardless of the circumstances, their family and close friends had been permitted to stop their work and send them off with a formal goodbye, or so he had heard. This had also been the case with the four that the count had recently freed, so it came as somewhat of a shock when Alistar’s mother and Kaila were dragged away and barred from accompanying him.
“What’s the meaning of this?” demanded Raidon. “We’ve been allowed a private parting.”
“Just the two of you.”
“But it is stated in the Aldert Decrees—”
“The Aldert Decrees! Hah, to hell with them! That you’re even being released is a miracle in and of itself.”
“Bertrand and the others were seen off by a dozen, at least,” glared Raidon. “They’re our family.”
The moment the captain’s hand found the hilt of his sword, nearly a dozen guards shifted in stance and readied their spears. Servan was no exception.
Alistar looked helplessly to his mother, who urged him to leave with a look of encouragement from behind a curtain of thinning hair. She dipped her head lightly, the motion telling him that it was okay to go. Her shining eyes displayed all of her affection, her hopes and dreams that he might have a happy future.
Kaila’s quivering lips told that she might burst into tears at any moment. Knowing he wouldn’t see her for a long time, possibly for the rest of his life, Alistar took a long look at her. Her hair had grown a good deal, and seemed smoother than usual, as if she’d picked out many of the stubborn knots with her fingers before she had met up with his family. Hadn’t her hair been the same colour as his? It looked brighter, more in line with the colour of her eyes. Her face wasn’t as dirty as it usually was, possibly from all of the tears she’d spilled over the past few days. She was such a crybaby, but he loved that about her. They held each other’s attention for what seemed like an eternity.
He put on his best smile and straightened up, touching his hand to his chest, right above his racing heart. And finally, he turned his back and made his way down the unmoving line, and away from those whom he held most dear. Raidon followed in silence, waving at the others from behind a face flushed from all sorts of emotions.
They had only taken a few steps when a sudden warmth touched Alistar’s back. He knew immediately that Kaila had slipped under the extended spears and run over to embrace him, uncharacteristically brave in this crucial moment. As he turned to face her one last time, she surprised him further by pressing her tiny lips against his grubby cheek in a soft little kiss and then whispering into his ear. “Don’t worry, Alie. We’ll see each other again. After all, you promised, didn’t you?”
Before he could even blush, and before one of the guards could pry her off, she let go and hurried back to his mother’s side.
He focused on his uncle’s back as Raidon took the lead, fighting off every inclination to return to his family. He’d spent most of his nine years wandering through the tunnels, but this final walk down the working line was by far the longest of his life. Jealousy, disgust, hope, pity; he saw all sorts of expressions as they passed the other workers in their group, more than a hundred people in total.
All he could think about was his mother, and Kaila. Just how much of his heart was he was leaving behind?
Even after everything that had happened, his family still commanded a certain degree of respect among the other slaves. Now that they were leaving, dozens of people abruptly dropped to one knee out of respect for his uncle, which he had hardly expected. Most remained on their feet, many with revulsion stamped onto their faces, though many showed complicated, longing looks.
Alistar didn’t pay this scene any mind. His resolve crumbled and he shot a final glance over his shoulder, but his loved ones were obscured by the guards that the captain had left behind. He’d caught but a glimpse of their forlorn figures, a frail-looking woman supported by a thin, ragged girl, both holding hands to their mouths as lines of tears dripped over their dirty fingers.
As they neared the end of the line, Talon cut into their sober procession and embraced him tightly, his rough muscles causing Alistar’s spine to pop as he planted a loving kiss on his forehead. “Live well, lad. For all of us.”
Before he knew it, they were passing through the Resident Cavern, which had gone eerily quiet the moment that they entered. He saw no admiration within the massive chamber, only glares of piercing envy that passed through him like fading thoughts. What did he care of their opinions? These were people that he would never see again.
A short while later, he and his uncle were ushered past a guarded post and guided into a tunnel that was off-limits to all but the guards. He had never walked uphill before, and was surprised at how his legs eventually began to burn. He didn’t pay this any mind, however, because right now they were heading toward the surface.
For the first time since he could remember, Alistar was walking through a large tunnel without knowing what to expect at the end.
Chapter Twenty-one: Goodbye for Now (Part Two)
“That face suites you much better. Rather than fretting over this curious son of mine, perhaps I should save my worries for the young girls of Distan.” She giggled and shook her head. She seemed to be speaking more to herself than to the children. Her happy expression was indescribably beautiful, and for a moment Alistar forgot she was sick. “Even with Rodei’s good looks, my Alie wouldn’t mimic his father’s recklessness with women.” She spoke with an air of motherly caution, her silver irises gleaming like polished steel against her sunken face. “You wouldn’t want to anger Kaila, now would you, Alie?”
“Auntie…”
Kaila looked away. He couldn’t tell within the dimness, but Alistar could have sworn that her face had coloured.
“Hah!” grunted his uncle. “If he’s half as bold as Rodei, he’ll make more than one angry maiden in Distan.” His mother raised her eyebrows, causing Raidon to shrink back. He coughed. “Of course, I’ll see to it that he doesn’t grow to be as shameless as my brother. Or any of yours, for that matter.”
Alistar didn’t know any girls aside from Kaila, but he already knew that he should be kind and courteous toward all of them. “What do you mean? Papa wasn’t shameless. I’m going to be just like him!” He didn’t understand, but he puffed out his chest at the mention of his father.
To his confusion, his mother only laughed.
I wish every day could be like this. His family members were wearing expressions that they hadn’t shown in months. Even his uncle was chuckling here and there.
Only Alistar’s mother could have turned the dismal mood on its head, and with only a handful of words, at that. He had no idea how he’d get on without her.
“Mama, I…” Alistar began, losing his words and finding them all at once as he took in her caring expression. “I don’t want to leave.” Quieter, he added, “I can’t just abandon everyone.”
Kaila remained silent behind hopeful eyes, though there was a sense of futility lingering in her frown. She’d been frowning too much lately.
“Alie,” his mother said tenderly. “Nothing makes me happier than knowing you’re soon to leave this life behind. Many great things await you, and I would be ashamed if you never got a chance to experience them. You are my one and only precious son. I can’t bear the thought of you being holed up in here from your first days to your last. I just can’t.”
The sound of his uncle’s pick falling to the ground stilled Alistar’s fumbled response. He simply nodded, knowing that there was nothing he could do to change the outcome of this day.
Raidon hadn’t finished filling up the crate. Rather, he seemed to have noticed some movement down the line. Moments later, he was resting an arm on each of the children’s shoulders as he knelt down to face the family.
“It’s about time to set out. It should be around midday, and it’ll take quite some a while to reach Malford.”
“Malford?” asked Alistar.
“The closest town that we’re allowed to go to. It pains me to say it, but we can’t afford to waste anymore daylight. We’ve got to go.”
Far down the work line, a group of people were steadily approaching them. They had to be guards, as the Carriers were doing their best to squeeze out of the way and inconspicuously meld with the pale-faced miners. Using one of his uncle’s solid shoulders for leverage, he pulled himself up to get a better look.
A column of around ten guards streamed down the tunnel with little consideration for those they passed. Even from a hundred paces away, Alistar recognized those that usually kept the young captain company. They were a nasty lot, all of them rough, vulgar and unrelenting. They were the sort to abuse slaves, and also among those that held his family in the most contempt. At the head of the column strode the red-haired youth, newfound confidence spilling from his smug grin.
The moment that Alistar made eye contact, he knew that it was time to leave. He quickly knelt down and hugged his mother as tightly as he could without hurting her. According to his uncle, it would take at least a week to reach the next nearest town after Hatsford, which was a small logging town that Raidon had visited in the past. This region of the empire was known as the frontier, where towns and villages were few and far between. Once they reached Malford, it would take weeks for them to walk to the county of Distan, and months, perhaps years, before they could find work in order to save up enough money to free the rest of the family.
With him gone, his mother would only need to meet the standard quota of a single crate, which would be manageable with Talon’s help. Kaila had promised that she would begin sleeping beside his mother and that she would save the bread that Servan left for her and feed it to her inconspicuously during sleeping hours. It was usually soft and easily chewable, so the guards wouldn’t notice as long as she ate beneath their ragged blankets. The young captain would leave within a couple of months, and with him, his torments.
There was no way of knowing if things would play out as planned, but so long as there was a chance of success, then Alistar would cling to that hope and wholeheartedly dedicate his life to realizing his goals. That meant making enough money to free his family. Fun and exploration would have to wait until the rest of his loved ones were out of the mines to share in such experiences.
“Would you help me to my feet, Alie?” His mother’s voice was calm. By the time she was standing, the guards were upon them. Servan was there, inconspicuously bringing up the rear. He kept his gaze from lingering, his eyes devoid of emotion. He didn’t feel like the gentle older-brother-figure that Alistar had come to know. He blended in with the group so easily that, at that moment, he seemed like nothing more than another armoured figure come to tear apart an unfortunate family.
As the group neared their workstation, the guards split into groups of five, each lining a wall. The young captain stepped up and pointed down the line. Just as before, all sounds within the cave diminished significantly. The guards on duty neglected to keep the workers in check, as everybody paused to see how the situation would unfold.
“I’ll say this one time and one time only,” spat the man, whose face was still red from the earlier confrontation. “Time. To. Go.”
Alistar and his family began to walk without meeting the menacing looks that came from either side of them. Every time a slave had been released from Crystellum, regardless of the circumstances, their family and close friends had been permitted to stop their work and send them off with a formal goodbye, or so he had heard. This had also been the case with the four that the count had recently freed, so it came as somewhat of a shock when Alistar’s mother and Kaila were dragged away and barred from accompanying him.
“What’s the meaning of this?” demanded Raidon. “We’ve been allowed a private parting.”
“Just the two of you.”
“But it is stated in the Aldert Decrees—”
“The Aldert Decrees! Hah, to hell with them! That you’re even being released is a miracle in and of itself.”
“Bertrand and the others were seen off by a dozen, at least,” glared Raidon. “They’re our family.”
The moment the captain’s hand found the hilt of his sword, nearly a dozen guards shifted in stance and readied their spears. Servan was no exception.
Alistar looked helplessly to his mother, who urged him to leave with a look of encouragement from behind a curtain of thinning hair. She dipped her head lightly, the motion telling him that it was okay to go. Her shining eyes displayed all of her affection, her hopes and dreams that he might have a happy future.
Kaila’s quivering lips told that she might burst into tears at any moment. Knowing he wouldn’t see her for a long time, possibly for the rest of his life, Alistar took a long look at her. Her hair had grown a good deal, and seemed smoother than usual, as if she’d picked out many of the stubborn knots with her fingers before she had met up with his family. Hadn’t her hair been the same colour as his? It looked brighter, more in line with the colour of her eyes. Her face wasn’t as dirty as it usually was, possibly from all of the tears she’d spilled over the past few days. She was such a crybaby, but he loved that about her. They held each other’s attention for what seemed like an eternity.
He put on his best smile and straightened up, touching his hand to his chest, right above his racing heart. And finally, he turned his back and made his way down the unmoving line, and away from those whom he held most dear. Raidon followed in silence, waving at the others from behind a face flushed from all sorts of emotions.
They had only taken a few steps when a sudden warmth touched Alistar’s back. He knew immediately that Kaila had slipped under the extended spears and run over to embrace him, uncharacteristically brave in this crucial moment. As he turned to face her one last time, she surprised him further by pressing her tiny lips against his grubby cheek in a soft little kiss and then whispering into his ear. “Don’t worry, Alie. We’ll see each other again. After all, you promised, didn’t you?”
Before he could even blush, and before one of the guards could pry her off, she let go and hurried back to his mother’s side.
He focused on his uncle’s back as Raidon took the lead, fighting off every inclination to return to his family. He’d spent most of his nine years wandering through the tunnels, but this final walk down the working line was by far the longest of his life. Jealousy, disgust, hope, pity; he saw all sorts of expressions as they passed the other workers in their group, more than a hundred people in total.
All he could think about was his mother, and Kaila. Just how much of his heart was he was leaving behind?
Even after everything that had happened, his family still commanded a certain degree of respect among the other slaves. Now that they were leaving, dozens of people abruptly dropped to one knee out of respect for his uncle, which he had hardly expected. Most remained on their feet, many with revulsion stamped onto their faces, though many showed complicated, longing looks.
Alistar didn’t pay this scene any mind. His resolve crumbled and he shot a final glance over his shoulder, but his loved ones were obscured by the guards that the captain had left behind. He’d caught but a glimpse of their forlorn figures, a frail-looking woman supported by a thin, ragged girl, both holding hands to their mouths as lines of tears dripped over their dirty fingers.
As they neared the end of the line, Talon cut into their sober procession and embraced him tightly, his rough muscles causing Alistar’s spine to pop as he planted a loving kiss on his forehead. “Live well, lad. For all of us.”
Before he knew it, they were passing through the Resident Cavern, which had gone eerily quiet the moment that they entered. He saw no admiration within the massive chamber, only glares of piercing envy that passed through him like fading thoughts. What did he care of their opinions? These were people that he would never see again.
A short while later, he and his uncle were ushered past a guarded post and guided into a tunnel that was off-limits to all but the guards. He had never walked uphill before, and was surprised at how his legs eventually began to burn. He didn’t pay this any mind, however, because right now they were heading toward the surface.
For the first time since he could remember, Alistar was walking through a large tunnel without knowing what to expect at the end.
