The fallen star

Hewin worked squeezed in a narrow gap between the tip of the fallen star and cracked bedrock. It was so deep that many of the slaves were unable to mine the adronatium due to the inverse vertigo from the depths. Hewin was sure that scholars probably have some fancy word for this fear but everyone in the mine just called it vertigo. He didn't mind, his cat-like eyes were able to penetrate the darkness in there liberating him from the fear of the unknown. He had left his pickaxe a couple of levels above. It would be useless in such a tiny space. Instead, he was collecting adronatium crystals with a chisel and a small hammer. Down here, Hewin wasn't able to collect more buckets for his masters than the other slaves. However, the crystals at the tip of the star were far more valuable than the chunks of black stone on the higher levels. Plus, Hewin appreciated the silence.

The evening bell has rung and Hewin started his path upwards. When he emerged, the sky was already full of stars watching their fallen comrade. Hewin stretched to shake off the small aches from crawling in narrow spaces and took his two buckets to the overseer. <Oh, not this one again,> he despaired when he saw the overseer weighing and evaluating the buckets. His name was Ver Shaet, but in Hewin's mind, he was just Shit, nothing more.

"I see my favorite pet has emerged! Come here little catty," the tall and bald overseer called, amused.

<Just don't talk, don't snap, think about the stars, the ones that are free, keeping all the adronatium to themselves to shine brightly>, Hewin repeated to himself.

He dropped the bucket on the scales and the overseer inspected the crystals: "I see, you don't talk today. Well, it's only right, being an animal like you. Will you at least purr for me?"

Hewin felt his muscles tense, his heartbeat drummed. Ver Shaet noticed this and grinned. Then, the overseer took one of the crystals and hid it in his pocket. He grinned some more. Hewin remembered the downside of collecting the crystals. They were way smaller and easier to steal by the overseers than the massive chunks of star stone that the humans were mining close to the surface. Hewin tried to breathe and thought, <calm yourself! This man can only win. You will get fewer rations and less water than you expected, shit happens and you can live another day with the hope that this nightmare will end, it must!>

But then, Ver Shaet went for a second crystal from the bucket, and Hewin snapped: "Are you doing this because you feel threatened by me? Is it because I can go to the depths where you would puke yourself from vertigo?"

The overseer tilted his head, pursed his lips and then he just said: "Cute." Hewin knew what was coming after this. Ver Shaet raised his hand and a whip cracked right across Hewin's chest, ripping out fur and flesh.

"Get out of here and consider yourself lucky that I will not put you in a box!" hissed the overseer finally and Hewin knew that he would be hungry and thirsty mainly because of his own stupidity. In some morally balanced world, this maybe would have been considered honorable defiance, but Hewin was well aware that this damn mining pit was no place to even think about such values.

With hollow echoes inside of his stomach, Hewin lay down in the bunk. He rested on his back as his chest was flaring with pain. His human buds, Flesha and Reji, were already snoring after the hard work. They hated him once, all humans were suspicious of Hewin. Mostly, they were nervous about Hewin's silent step. They were afraid that he is watching them in the dark, plotting to kill them like the beast he was. But Hewin carried Flesha out from the depths when he froze from vertigo, and Reji was Flesha's best pal already, so, at least, Hewin had something resembling a friendship with them.

Rays of starlight faintly penetrated the roof from straws and Hewin knew he was going to get some sleep eventually, the stars encouraged him. Dreams took him but then somebody yelled "Fire!". Hewin jumped to his feet and looked around. The roof, the wooden walls, the floor, everything was on fire. <How is this possible, how could I miss the start of the fire? I have better senses than anyone here!> His mind was racing. He saw Flesha and Reji near the entrance to the building so he ran to them. But then, Hewin realized, <where is Enyar? Is he out already? That would make sense since he is the only other Lynxarian here besides me.> Hewin turned for a brief moment, just to be sure. And he saw Enyar, his friend since childhood. He was below the bunk, lying there, lifeless.

"No!" Hewin exclaimed and hurried to Enyar, coughing from inhaling the smoke. Fortunately, Enyar was alive. He was scared, his golden eyes shaking from side to side.

"Common bud, we can't be here! Up and away!" Hewin tried to sound encouraging and reached for Enyar. He took Hewin's hand and stood up. To Hewin's relief, there was still a visible path to the exit from the hot inferno. Still holding Enyar's hand he started to run but was immediately yanked back, Enyar stood there like an anchor.

"What are you doing? We have to get out!" Hewin cried desperately. But his friend still stood there. Enyar let go of Hewin's hand and said apologetically: "No, I am from the Void." And then he collapsed into himself, only a pitch-black shadow hovering where he had stood before.

Hewin yelled furiously and woke up in cold sweat from the nightmare. Flesha and Reji were still snoring. He looked down to check on Enyar as well, but he wasn't there. Instead, some human was lying in Enyar's bed. <What the hell>, Hewin wondered. Then he saw it, a flame flickered in the corner nearby, already growing and licking the wall. Hewing breathed in and shouted: "Fire!"