Alysium

by Tiffany Pelletier

  “Oh, my dear child,” said Mayge, wringing her hands in her lap, nervously, “didn’t they tell you at the orphan home?”

  “I was only there for a short time,” said Ranelle truthfully, “it was overcrowded, so eventually I was sent into the youth dorms.” Ranelle watched as the look on Mayge’s face changed from sadness to pity.

  “Goodness, imagine a child so young in a dorm.” She clicked her tongue with disapproval and shuffled papers around on her desk nervously. She then did what everyone did when first hearing of Ranelle’s rough upbringing; they were always sad at first or pitied her. Then, something would change, and they would push their feelings to the back of their mind.

  It’s human nature,” said Fraine, one day as she and Ranelle had spoken on the subject in the dorms.

  “What do you mean?” asked Ranelle.

  “Well, my Mom told me that our brains can only handle so much; that too much negativity takes the mind to bad places. People put bad thoughts aside because they’re too hurtful or disturbing to think about,” Fraine had explained, shrugging her shoulders in a matter-of-fact kind of way.

  “That makes sense,” Ranelle had replied.

  It makes sense, but that doesn’t make it right.

  Now, as she watched Mayge attempt to brush aside the details of her unhappy past, she noticed the stout woman’s demeanor begin to change. Mayge took a slow breath, then crossed her fingertips across her desk and leaned forward, appraising Ranelle.

  “Well, my dear, tales of such a sad nature will have to wait for another day.”

  Ranelle nodded, “Yes, Ma’am,” she said.

  Always defeated.

  “My ledger shows me that you’ve been assigned to mining duty. It’s my job to oversee the assignment of all new mine workers, so that puts you in my charge.” To this, Mayge beamed, as if Ranelle had just unknowingly received an enormous gift she didn’t deserve.

  Ranelle nodded, wringing her hands in her lap as Mayge continued.

  “While you, and any new miners, are in my charge, there are a few rules to follow. The most important is we never approach mining shafts that have been marked off as unsafe. If you notice anyone going into one of these prohibited areas, you are to notify a team leader or me immediately, do you understand?”

  “Yes, Ma’am,” Ranelle repeated.

  “Wonderful,” Marge said with a cheerful nod. “Also, as a miner, you will conform to our policies, and that includes miner appearance.”

  “Um, I’m afraid I don’t understand,” said Ranelle, confused.

  “Your hair, my dear. Miners are required to restrict hair length to a maximum of shoulder length. You will need to notify your governess that it must be cut before your shift starts tomorrow morning,” explained Mayge with a polite smile.

  “But,” Ranelle stammered, tugging her hair defensively into a bunch over the front of her shoulder, “it was my mother’s favorite thing about me. I haven’t cut it since her…accident.”

  Mayge appraised the girl for a moment, then shook her head and said, “I’m sorry, dear, but it’s for safety’s sake.”

  “But–,” said Ranelle as Mayge stood up from her desk and approached Ranelle.

  “Don’t worry, your governess will make sure that it gets done by tomorrow,” Mayge said, as she walked to and paused inside the doorway, “now come along with me so that I can introduce you to your new team leaders.

  Chapter Two

  Ranelle reluctantly followed the administrator as she led her toward the entrance of the mines. Mayge walked along at a good clip, a bright smile on her round face. Ranelle padded forward despondently, several paces behind her. As the two women advanced, Ranelle’s gaze automatically fell on the familiar pair of stone pillars that stood on either side of the entrance.

  The Guardians.

  Each column was a perfectly shaped obelisk, with four equal sides that formed a pyramid at the top. Each Guardian was massive. Together, they represented the tallest structures in Alysium, stretching so high that the top of each was veiled by the darkness of the vaulted cavern ceiling above.

  Ranelle reached her gaze upward and was shocked as she observed, for the first time, carvings breaking the smooth surface of the stone. Scribbles sprawled across the majority of the Guardians’ rockface. Ranelle frowned, dumbfounded. She’d never known about the etchings, until now.

  “They’re prayers,” explained Mayge, catching Ranelle’s gaze, “they serve as valuable protection for our miners.”

  “Can you read them?” asked Ranelle curiously.

  “Of course not, dear,” said Mayge dismissively, “no one has read the dead language in quite some time now.”

  “Then how do we know those are prayers?” asked Ranelle, raising her eyebrows.

  Mayge stopped walking and frowned to herself, furrowing her brow with concentration. “The story has been passed down over generations; everyone knows about The Guardians and how they protect our miners,” the elder woman said, waving her hands glibly with a smile. She hurried off with renewed energy, and Ranelle had to jog slightly to keep up with her.

  She’s keen to be rid of me.

  Ranelle smiled to herself slightly. She didn’t know why her questions irritated people so much, but sometimes she rather enjoyed watching them squirm, trying to think up little white lies to tell her.

  Ranelle decided not to press Mayge further. After all, if she was going to be a miner, she figured it would be best not to alienate the people she would need to work with. It would only make her life more challenging in the long run.

  As both women passed silently between The Guardians, Ranelle continued to stare up at the immense stone structures. When they entered the mineshaft, the obelisks were shielded from her view, and her gaze returned to the path ahead. Slowly the tunnel began to drop down as it descended deeper.

  Expecting to see a dark, wet corridor, Ranelle was surprised to find herself facing a brightly lit sanded pathway, illuminated with torches that clung to the walls of the shaft. Her surprise must have visibly shown on her face, because Mayge looked back and seeing Ranelle’s expression, laughed out loud.

  “Did you expect a vermin-filled cave, my dear?” she asked with a grin.

  “Um, well, no…I just didn’t expect it to be so–pleasant,” Ranelle said, tugging on her sleeve nervously.

  “Dear, if it weren’t safe, we wouldn’t send children there,” said Mayge matter-of-factly.

  “I suppose,” said Ranelle darkly, but Mayge appeared not to notice as she had already turned back toward their destination, heading lower into the mineshaft.

  “Your team leaders are meeting us in the Apex of the mine,” explained Mayge, swinging her pudgy arms as she traversed the sandy pathway.

  “The what?” asked Ranelle, easily keeping up with the woman’s short strides.

  “The Apex, oh forgive me, dear,” said Mayge abruptly. Her cheeks were turning pink, either from embarrassment or from the effort of descending the shaft, “I forgot that you wouldn’t know about that.”

  Ranelle sighed.

  This woman is irritating.

  “The Apex is at the center of the mine,” Mayge began to explain.

  Ranelle’s attitude faltered, and she began listening casually.

  “All mining activity goes through the Apex, and all activity is coordinated by those stationed to it.”

  The girl nodded her understanding, so Mayge continued.

  “It is a large opening in the mine where all the tunnels connect at a central location. The tunnels that line the back and sides of the Apex are labeled one through ten, but currently, only one though six are open for ongoing work. The rest have been blocked off for a time because they have been found unsafe.”

  Ranelle had been listening intently but found herself left hanging as the woman stopped suddenly, her face red from the physical effort.

  “Are you okay?” asked Ranelle, worried for her host.

  “Phew!” said Mayge, exasperated as she ben
t over, clutching her knees, “I’m reconsidering my decision to make this journey with you, dear.”

  “You’re leaving me?” asked Ranelle, eyes growing wide as she glanced nervously down the shaft.

  “I’m sorry, dear, but it’s the…ah…closed space,” blurted Mayge, as if plucking the answer right out of thin air. “Perhaps…perhaps I can send another aide down in my stead.” Mayge glanced hesitantly up the tunnel in the direction from which they had come.

  Ranelle’s shoulders slumped with resignation, “No, Ma’am, that’s not necessary; I’ll just keep going on my own.”

  “You’re sure, my dear?” Mayge asked hopefully, obviously not keen to hurry on her way back up to the surface.

  “Yes, I’ll find my way alright,” said Ranelle, as she held her arms to her sides to keep them from shaking. The idea of descending the shaft on her own was extremely unappealing. Still, she felt guilt at dragging the labored-breathing woman along any further, prolonging her obvious discomfort.

  “Wonderful,” said the woman as she straightened and placed her hands on Ranelle’s shoulders and gave them a little pat. She smiled, took a long deep breath, then turned back up toward the entrance of the mine.

  “How will I know where to find my leaders?” Ranelle called out to Mayge’s retreating backside.

  “They know who you are; when you reach the Apex, they’ll find you.”

  Ranelle’s insides began to squirm as she stood alone, with naught but the sporadically spaced torches that burned upon the tunnel wall as company. She instantly regretted letting the chubby woman off the hook, but as it was already done, she had no choice but to move ahead on her own.

  Forcing herself to continue, she slowly padded down the tunnel, taking one overly cautious step at a time. As she edged down the path, it dropped off suddenly, becoming much steeper as the walls narrowed, leaving only enough room for one person to pass. Struggling, Ranelle awkwardly shuffled her feet in the sand, arms stretched out wide, bracing herself against each tunnel wall for support.

  Nearly running headfirst into one of the torches that illuminated the tunnel, she rolled her eyes, taking a hand away from the rockface to edge past the flames. Realizing how ridiculous she probably looked at that moment, Ranelle wondered how Mayge would’ve even made it to the bottom as tricky as it was. A few steps later, however, Ranelle’s foot reached what she assumed was the bottom of the tunnel, and her attention was brought back to the task at hand.

  Testing the newly level ground tentatively with her boot, she was pleased to find solid stone beneath the sand. She could also see more of the pathway as it turned slightly to the right and continued straight on into the foreseeable distance. Feeling immense relief, she strolled smoothly down the new path, feeling more confident than she had on the decent. Reaching the end quickly, she shivered slightly as the air at the bottom of the tunnel was markedly brisker than it had been on the way down.

  Feeling a sudden and robust need for open space, she hurried on, reaching the end of the tunnel and entering a small connecting stone room. This chamber was littered with burlap bags, some held supplies, and some were left empty. The full sacks held axes, chisels, and stacks of resin helmets used by the miners.

  Ranelle remembered when she was in lessons growing up. She and her lesson mates had been part of the helmets’ manufacturing. The construction of the helmets began with tar that was collected in Cinder. Once the tar arrived in Ashbourne, it was heated in large kilns and mixed with fine sand and pulverized clay. The result was a sticky resin that was then applied to strips of fabric. These were shaped into a helmet form and allowed to set. After the helmets had fully cured, they were trimmed and ready for use in the mines. It had been Ranelle and the other kids’ jobs to fasten the chin straps on the helmets so that the miners could keep them from slipping off while working.

  Ranelle peered down at the stacks of tools surrounding her but refrained from touching anything. She wasn’t going to step out of line on her first day as an adult. Giving the storage room one last glance, she advanced through the small stone chamber empty-handed.

  As she peered through the doorway that led out the posterior, her mouth fell open in awe. The tiny storage room opened into a much larger chamber. Ranelle could only assume this new chamber was the Apex, as she’d never seen another space quite like it. Roughly round, the Apex sported a much higher ceiling than the tunnels, which could have explained why it was supported by a network of interconnected wooden beams. These beams stretched up overhead, forming a three-dimensional spiderweb-like pattern across the inside dome of the chamber.

  “Woah.”

  Ranelle was left speechless as her mouth continued to hang open.

  She’d never seen so much wood before. Timber was rare in Alysium; all the wood deposits that had been discovered, had already long since been cleaned out. Since that time, it was rare to find any besides the occasional piece that would wash up along the river in the Grotto. People in Ashbourne weren’t sure where the bulk of the wood had even come from. There were early buildings in Ashbourne that bore wooden features, but none of the other burrows were as lucky. No one seemed to know why Ashbourne alone had wooden construction; however, it gave their city a slight advantage over the others in appearance and prestige.

  Ranelle hadn’t seen a chamber as well-built in Ashbourne as this Apex. It made sense to her, though. Careful consideration and planning were no doubt used when constructing the mines, since her burrow’s primary economic resource was mining.

  Tearing her eyes away from the sprawling woodwork, she walked forward as people darted busily this way and that, attempting to complete their mining business on time. As she pushed through the throng of people toward the center of the Apex, she paused as she heard her name called out over the crowd. As people darted back and forth, she struggled, then eventually spied the owner of the voice.

  “Oh, no...” Ranelle said softly to herself as she froze mid-step, her facial expression reflecting her surprise. Standing in the middle of the large room was the Regent’s son, Gideon Warren, along with a raven-haired girl that she didn't know. The girl, who appeared older than Ranelle, stood like a statue next to Gideon, her arms crossed. With thick masses of black hair which hung limply at her shoulder, she eyed Ranelle with distaste. With big bones and masculine features, she probably could have won a fight with most of the boys in Ranelle's dormitory.

  Gideon, however, appeared much less intimidating. He wore his usual grin, one that seemed to grow when his chestnut eyes fell upon Ranelle. She avoided his gaze, noticing instead that his clothes seemed to be shabbier than usual. Today, he wore miner greys, which typically consisted of grey pants and any shirt that fit. Gideon’s scrubby uniform did nothing to diminish his appearance, however, as she noticed his long brown curls were sleek and neat as always. In his uniform, the same recycled clothing that the rest of the miners wore, he blended in well with the rest of the thrall. Only his infectious smile made him stand apart from the rest.

  Taking a deep breath, Ranelle stepped into the herd of people, weaving around hasting bodies until she found her way to the team leaders. Planting her feet firmly, she stood before them in silence while they appraised her.

  “Ranelle Blake,” said Gideon and she felt herself tense upon hearing him speak her name, “this is Abree Lind, my partner team leader here in the mines. Either she or I will be responsible for overseeing your progress and your safety while you’re here.”

  Ranelle gave a curt nod of acknowledgment.

  “Follow me,” demanded Abree, quickly retreating from the middle of the Apex and heading toward its far end. Ranelle nearly stumbled over herself, taken by surprise at the abrupt end of their meeting as she followed the girl, barely noticing as Gideon fell in line behind her. As the three of them crossed the Apex, several miners gave Abree a wide birth, shooting her nervous looks as they passed by.

  Across the back wall of the cavern, just below the wooden beams that framed in the Apex roof, Ranelle
could see several entrances to different mineshafts. Each tunnel stood slightly taller than the miners that worked within them. These shafts were more expansive than the tunnel she had traversed from the surface, each one wide enough for several people to walk through simultaneously. Above each entrance tunnel, someone had chiseled the numbers one through ten, into the rock face. Ranelle watched several miners entering and exiting tunnels one through six; the ones that Mayge had mentioned were active. Each miner carried a large, heavy sack of rock out of their tunnel or brought an empty bag in. Ranelle sighed, realizing this would be her life for many cycles to come.

  She grimaced as she followed Abree toward not one of the working tunnels, but tunnel eight instead. As they reached the mineshaft, Ranelle spoke up, remembering what Mayge had said topside, “I thought only tunnels one through six are safe to work in.”

  “You’ll quickly learn that the only thing that matters down here is that you do as you're told,” snapped Abree, who didn't even pause as she addressed Ranelle.

  Great.

  It was just her luck that she would be stuck with these team leaders. Her shoulders hung miserably with renewed disappointment as she strolled along in tow.

  “We’re cleaning up after cave-ins,” came a low voice from behind, causing her to jump–she’d forgotten that Gideon was still behind her.

  Thinking about all the tunnels that were off-limits, it made sense they would have shafts that needed clearing. It also figured that Ranelle would be doing menial labor on her first workday. Realizing there was no alternative, she began mentally preparing herself for the slow daily march that was miner life. She sauntered ahead as they entered the mineshaft with an eight above the tunnel opening.

  The trio continued for several minutes as they followed a slight turn to the right. Hushed voices from somewhere up ahead reached Ranelle’s ears, and she realized someone was already there. The burning torches that lined the mineshaft flickered as they passed by, casting dancing shadows eerily down the mineshaft wall.