Keala's Story

Destiny Saga

Keala’s Story

one

Keala and Brani had just finished eating gruel. what otherwise would have been a tasteless paste, today had i bit of sweetness. Keala had smuggled some crushed berries and shared some with Brani. the overseer rang the bell, announcing the end of the meal break. they got up, along side all the other miners present, and started getting ready to head for the next assignment

two

they got ready and started heading inside the tunnel. They both arrived at a fork in the tunnel. “see ya after work.” said Brani. she then started to head at another direction. Keala panicked. where was she going? she had bribed the overseer to change their post for today. they are starting a new tunnel nearby, it was just to dangerous. she bribed the overseer to post them somewhere far from the new tunnel. maybe, she was going somewhere else, still far from the new tunnel. Keala tried to reach Brani, but there were just so many people in the way, she could not go back. Keala continued down to her post, hoping Brani would remain safe.

three

She tried to focus on her work, but she kept wondering if Brani was safe. every rumble of the ground caused her heart to skip a beat. but she has experience on the different kinds of rumbles that pass thru the tunnels. she well knows the distinct quake cause by a cave in. she has survived her fair share. they both have. Just passed the mid shift, it happens. the obvious earth shake of a cave in. everyone stopped working for a moment. They all lowered their heads and placed their hand over their hearts. they all know some unfortunate ones where caught in the cave in, that the tunnels claimed them. the breif moment to honor those now gone comes to an end. they all go back to work. all except Keala

four

when the earth shook, Keala’s heart sank. thinking the unthinkable had happened. she fell to her knees. when the honor was over. she didnt stand back up, she was frozen in fear. a warm touch on her shoulder snapped her back. the tunnel lead asked if she was ok?. Keala rose back up. I need to find her. efforts are under way, the lead told me, if she is still with us, you’ll see her again no,no,no,no. she wasn’t supposed to the there, she was supposed to be here. the leads expression changes, to one of curiosity. you are the new addition, aren’t ya? i have said to much. i leave in a hurry. the tunnel lead does not try to stop me. no one does. we all have lost someone in the tunnels before, i have too. i have too. but Brani wasn’t suppose to be there. i paid for her safety. i thought, that i am a zephyr, i can now protect those i care for. i thought i could protect her. may she is ok, maybe i am just thinking to much. but i got to know. i arrived at the tunnel were the cave in happened, there is a lot of movement. the injured are being carried off. where’s Brani?

five

I yelled her name, hoping to hers her voice back. Nothing but the chaos around. but i kept trying. i just need to know. then someone responded. Brani?, no it was an injured miner. Brani, she was inside. she said no,no,no,no,no no,no,no she isn’t there she shouldn’t be there i move deeper inside the tunnel, the dust in the air thickens. there are Thunders around. they are helping in the rescue effort. then, i see the cave in. the tunnel has completely collapsed. Why is no one doing anything? why isn’t anyone moving the rocks? i grab a pick axe and start striking rock as hard as i can, i keep striking, when the tunnel shakes. some one yanks me from the wall ARE YOU CRAZY!!, yelled the overseer. YOU ARE GOING TO BURY US ALL. she threw me to the ground. It was Valia, the oversee of this entire mine. she had two thunders at her side The rock here is to unstable. we cant dig her. she said

six

WHY WAS SHE HERE? I yelled at Valía. Demanding answers I PAID YOU. I PAID YOU TO MOVE HER OUT OF HERE. I PAID YOU TO KEEP HER SAFE. You are not the only one paying for favor here. Some else paid more for her spot. What? It make no difference anyways. There are 14 unaccounted so far, including your friend. It could have been any other 14 lights in there. It was just bad luck today. 14? We got to do something. They can still be alive, we got to save them. Wont be happening, this rock is to unstable. We are plugging up this tunnel. So scram, or do you want to keep your friend company? I paid you to keep her safe. I grabbed a pick axe and charged at her. I PAID YOU. Before i could strike, the thunders knocked me down You are dismissed from work for the day. She then commands the thunders. Take her away. Take her to the mess hall, they will keep her ocupied. We need to make sure this tunnel is clear. Their blow left me disoriented. They drag me out of the tunnels. Soon after we reach the surface, another quake. Another cave in. But intentional this time ….. ….. She’s gone. …. … I’m sorry ….. ….. I tried ….

seven

my head is clearer when the thunders drop me off at the mess hall. i am not alone. those around me are in grief as well. its not just me, not just Brani. 14 lights were lost. those who care for them are in grief. some, are in shock. some are inconsolable. say nothing of the injured. it was not just me. not just Brani. the cook handed me a cup of tea. he said it would help calm me down. i have been here before my sisters my mother they were claimed by the tunnels as well

eight

with my sisters, my mother. i had accepted their loss. it was just a part of life. bad luck of the day, as Valia said earlier. but since i started to serve the zephyrs, serve the queen, i thought. i thought i could keep Brani safe. and i had. i had keep us out of danger. with the additional resources from the zephyrs, i bribed many to keep us safe. i smuggled few comforts for us. i paid a premium for the crushed berries we enjoyed last. i thought i could keep us safe. but , bad luck of the day. my efforts were for nothing. their is no escaping the bad luck of the day.

nine

Why? why are we here? Why are we even mining this? we don’t even use luftstose. just leave it buried in the ground. leave it in the ground, instead of use. the cook hesitated for a bit. my word rang true. he then said, we play an important part in the lives of others. we may not feel their appreciation, but it is no less important. i look out of the window, up into the sky. the giant Skyrealm that looms over this land. were all the rock we extract go to. the reason we are here. the reason she is gone, they all are.

one zero

our struggles here make a difference to others, even if we cant see it the day nears to a close. dinner has just ended. the same gruel as before. i still have some crushed berries hidden in my belt. but i just cant. i was going to share them with Brani. but i cant anymore. we gather our items and leave to our quarters. 14 flags are raised at the exit of the mine, joining three others. they will be flown for a week, and then taken down. the three already present will be taken down in two days. back at the miners quarters, we are getting ready to go to bed. there are 14 empty beds tonight. including the one next to mine. they will be filled in three days.

one one

Why? why are our lives so expendable? if they want this rocks, they should come down here and get them. if they dont worry about us, why should we worry about them? i cant sleep, i go out for a stroll. while outside in the cold night, out of nowhere, i get pulled into a dark ally . you didn’t submit your report today?, a hooded figured said i have never seen her before. yet, her hands were familiar, and so was her voice. she was my echo.

one two

Thalai? Don’t worry, I submitted it in your stead. “a star streaked in the sky, splashed in the river flow, 14 droplets glint till dawn.” A coded massages, about the cave in. But wait, I didn’t get hurt. With great force, she punched my shoulder. She swiftly cover my mouth to silence my cry of pain We can believe that you survived, but not unscathed. You were supposed to be there. remember. I had bribe my way out of there. How did she know? Just say that the Thunders hit you harder than you thought. And a boulder hit you on your reports. I’ll take care of everything else. She said Why is she gone? Why are we doing this? Please, don’t follow those thoughts. Nothing good will happen. There is nothing you can do. Trust me. No, we have to change this. We can’t continue like this anymore Don’t follow those thoughts. Nothing you do will change anything. Trust me. How would you know that? We cant know unless we try? Trust me, we know more than you realize. You are the third replacement in this area. If you follow your thought…. well…. Ill be meeting your replacement on two weeks Replacement? I am risking too much by being here, but i cant let you make a mistake. Honor her by living. Honor Brani by not throwing your life away. You have the queens protection. Dont waste it. With that, she went into the shadows and was gone.

one three

i started heading home. Replacement? who did i replace? what did she do? i am the third? WHAT DO THEY KNOW? how are they going to replace…… me…? i stood in front of Brani’s empty bed. someone else is going occupy her bed in two days. my younger sister, Raila, her bed is at the other side of mine. we three used to be inseparable. some one else occupies her bed today. my mother’s and my elder sister, they were from another building. their beds have long forgotten them. i lay down and try to go to sleep. why am i alone now?

one four

Days passed. The familiar rhythm of routine did not skip a beat. As if nothing out of the ordinary happened. The cruelty of it, is that it was right. Three flags came down after two days had passed. On the fifth day, one flag joined the 14. She was just exhausted. She could not climb the main shaft and she fell. No one could catch her. She injured two on her way down. The thud, when she hit the bottom, echoed thru the main shaft. Heads were lowered, and hearts covered once again. After a moment passed, normalcy resumed. One more flag joined the 14. She was tired, she was old. She should have been working. At her age, she should have been cared for. At least, her family got to spread her ashes. Three days later, her flag flew alone, as the 14 were taken down after a week since they were lost.

one five

a few weeks have passed, as if nothing ever happened. i have been given my reports as normal. accounting for my “broken shoulder”. haven’t seen Thalai since that night. but i know she is around. the 14 bed are now occupied, like if they were never empty. no flags have been flown since the lone one was taken down, like if we haven’t lost anyone. as if nothing had changed. but everything was different now. She is gone, they all are gone. i am the only one left. i am alone. a few days later, two flags fly. It was a loose boulder that crushed them. a mother and her daughter. She was just starting. it wasn’t but a few month ago that we celebrated her coming of age. that she could now join us for in the mines. as if that merits celebration. she had only had but a handful of coin under her name. a light just starting to shine, just gone. her father, her husband. he is all alone now. when he was told the news, the sorrow, the furry that filled his eyes. i saw… me

one six

They struggled to control him. a few thunders stepped in to calm him down. he started swinging a bucket of rocks. a thunder then pinned him to the ground. he was struggling to breath. eventually he passed out. that’s when to thunder let him go. latter that night, their bodies were set alight. he got to scatter their ashes. the ashes of his wife, and his daughter

one seven

I am alone. Why? he whispered. after the service, we started heading out. some back to the quarters, others to somewhere else. its the day off. so some are take off to their towns. he was here to pick his wife and daughter to go back to their hometown. i was heading back to the quarters. i don’t have a reason to go anywhere anymore. On my way back, i heard a familiar voice The moon flows the river’s star. said Thalai. she was standing in the shadow of a tree. why are you here? i asked. my prediction did not came true. it has been more than two weeks. i am glad that you are still here.

one eight

why are you here? I’ve summited all my reports. i asked. my prediction did not came true. it has been more than two weeks. i am glad that you are still here. Who was before me? i should not have told you that. but you were headed to the same mistake she did. what did she do? Do you remember a few years back? some one came to blows with Valia? That was a good while back. i remember Valia took a beating. yeah. and that was the last you heard of her i thought she left. because… yes. the same flood that took your sister, took her mother. what? the same fury that lead you to charge at Valia, lead your predecessor to clobber her. Having lost her family, she felt alone. and with nothing else to lose. she thought she could bring change. so no one else bear the lost she had. What happened? We happened. once we found out what she was up to. we … …took care of her you what? do…. you not care? do you not have no heart? you know, Trini reminded me of my daughter. Trini? who is…. His daughter, she was named Trini. she had the same energy my daughter. they were about the same age too. What? your daughter? thank you for listening to me. please don’t make a mistake. i have kept you long enough. with that, she grabbed me by the shoulder and threw me away from her. when i recovered, she was gone.

one nine

After speaking with Thalai, I have more questions now. My predecessor, i worked with her, but i don’t remember who she was. but i do remember when a miner got in a fight with Valia. She was my predecessor. She really clobbered Valia, that is why she has Thunders following her.
I thought she had left, because, she lost everyone. i thought about leaving, for the same reason. but where to? i have nowhere to go. but she didn’t leave, she was… taken care off. for what? hoping to make things better? trying to change the miserable situation we all are stuck in? soon after she disappeared was when i was abducted by the zephyrs. i don’t know where i was taken to. i was trained to to pay attention, to notice the smallest detail. to encode that observation and deliver it without being noticed. last, they threw me in jail to establish my cover, that i was framed for theft, to explain my disappearance. They took care of her and trained me to replace her. what if the they want to … take care of me? can i prepare against them? I never seem to catch Thalai. she always appears out of nowhere, and she disappears just the same. Who is she? i report to her every day, yet i don’t know who she is. i only get to see her when she want to see me. I am a Murmer. it is my job pay attention, and yet, i don’t see her unless she wants me to. i will never see them coming She has a daughter…. she had… a daughter. what happened with her daughter? one more light claimed by the mines? and she is ok with it? is she not angry? she told me not to think about making thing right. am i the wrong one here? am i wrong for hoping for something better? i dont know wait “The moon flows the river’s star”… i am not to submit reports anymore? Why not?

two zero

the husband is traveling down the road. rather than go back to my quarters, i decided to catch up to him. he is riding a cart back to his home

two one

“Do you live around here?” he asked “No, i don’t live here. The mines is where i live” “it growing dark, and the mines are a good ways off” “I don’t mind the hike.” as a Zephyr i am comfortable in the dark “Stay at my place. get some rest. you can head out in the morning” “I don’t want to intrude” “you wouldn’t be, my home is empty today” there was a certain sadness in his voice. i decided to take on his offer. he let me inside his home, a small apartment. he fed me. we talk a bit about his wife and daughter, Lovia and Trini. “Sorry, i didn’t catch your name” I asked “I am Duen” “Duen, I’m Keala” we went to sleep. i took his Trini’s bed.

two two

In the morning Duen made Keala breakfast, they talk about their lost families. soon after. Keala was ready for the hike back to the mines. “thank you for staying” “no problem, hope everything go well for you” “i hope so too” a sadness fills his voice, holding back tears, as he contemplates the uncertainty and hardships that now lie ahead of him. “here, take this” i give him a purse full of coin. as a zephyr, i receive a stipend. more than what i need. “i can’t” “please, you need it more than me” he accepts the purse. i greet him farewell, and i start heading back toward the mines.

two three

as i arrive back at the mines, i see Valia going into her office. i go to her office. her two thunders standing guard, staring me down. i knock at her door

two four

-“Besides,” she says, close to a whisper. “you have the Queen’s protection, don’t you?” -“what, how do you” she pull me close. she speaks in whispers

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October 31, 2025