Part 5:  The Burial  

Kalen being a familiar face helped a little. He snuck medicine to her when he saw that she had gotten hurt. He made small talk and he tried to give her and anyone else she knew easy jobs.

Jayl and Yang cautioned her. He was still one of them. He had the power to summon a weapon yes, but he was kind. He always looked sad and tried to take the blame off of a lot of the other prisoners' wrong doings.

"I don`t trust him with my life but I am sure he just wants to ease our suffering," Dev whispered to her brother as they kept digging. Yang was once again telling her not to trust Kalen while Jayl just nodded in agreement.

"As long as you remain cautious," Jayl told her.

Dev nodded.

The sound of a horn blowing three times interrupted their digging and Dev felt her heart sink. Three times.

The three horns signify that a hunting party was coming in, it was big and they were coming with more prisoners. Dev glanced at the other prisoners and watched their faces grow wearily. Every time a new party came to the prison camp, either more of their families have been captured or more tribe members entered the sad grounds.

From then, they had to show them how things were done in the camps. There would be a slight hesitation in the new prisoners, a few beatings and then life would go on. Dev sighed as she got back to digging. Even if they wanted to see who had arrived, they were not done with work yet.

Her brothers soon followed suite and got back to work. When it was time for their one-time break, Dev swung her pickaxe over her shoulders and forced herself to walk out. They had dug deeper into the earth looking for more diamonds as the ones on the surface were completely gone. She wondered if one day, they would be any left for the children to see.

If they were even allowed to have children anymore.

At the rate that they were going, the invasion of their land wasn`t slowing down and her people were now a dying race. She heard rumors that their land was almost completely taken over. The only place that was untouched was Ulsa. The land of the God was still untouched. Those who made it into the land were the lucky ones.

Those who didn`t. Ended up like her.

As they came out of the caves, her eyes burned and she shut them briefly so they could adjust to the midday sun. The sweat from her brow ran down the side of her face and she muttered a little prayer hoping for at least a gentle breeze to cool them down.

Yang was behind her and maneuvered her so they were sitting behind a rock with several other prisoners. All waiting and hoping for their guards to have mercy on them and to bring them water. Yang was keeping an eye out for Kalen as he usually tried to find Dev in order to give her some water during her break if he wasn`t in charge of them during the day.

Dev sat down and studied her pickaxe before moving to her hands. The blisters she once had now gave way to the rough callouses. It made her sad.

"Where`s Jayl?" Yang asked as he craned his neck and scanned for their dark-haired brother.

Frowning, Dev looked up and searched for him as well. A few of the prisoners were with them but there was no sign of her brother. Letting go of her pickaxe, she stood to better scan the place. 

Suddenly a few of the prisoners rushed started to stand as a commotion broke out.

A few of them asked what was going on when one them broke through the crowd and came running. He stopped to scan the crowd before his sight landed on Yang who was watching with a frown.

"Young man! Your brother!" The fellow prisoner yelled and pointed towards the main yard where the new prisoners would no doubt be entering. Not thinking twice, Yang dropped his pickaxe and ran. Dev put one foot in front of another and stumbled after her brother.

The main crowd of her fellow prisoners were surrounding something or someone. As she tried to break through, she could hear whispers of 'whipping' and 'something ending badly' which made her tried to get through the crowd as fast as she could.

She was close when she heard a loud cry. Freezing, a bad feeling seeped into her stomach.

Why did that voice sound so familiar?

Ahead of her, Yang had managed to break through the crowd and whatever he saw made him stop before he pushed forward with a sob.

"Jayl! Fader!" Yang yelled as he tried to push through the crowd gathered.

"Fader?" Dev whispered in horror. Her fader was gone. He hadn`t been seen since the day they were separated. Dev started to push through the crowd until she was beside her brother.

Her fader.

Jayl.

Both lay bleeding.

Her fader was badly beaten and his head lay on the ground a step away.

Jayl lay a few feet away from him. Blood dripping from his throat onto the ground. The guard who must have executed him was wiping his sword with a cloth and grinning at their bodies.

Dev sucked in a breath and tried not to cry out. Jayl must have been trying to help her fader. Her fader. Whom they haven't seen in three summers. He had been alive. And they were close to being reunited only for this to happen.

The guard who was wiping his sword finally noticed the two siblings. Holding up his sword, he approached them with a sneer.

"You?! Do you wish to join them?!" He questioned out loud. Every one of her people fell back slowly. Not wanting to be part of any of the bloodshed.

Yang was about to step forward when Dev grabbed his arm and shook her head. Her brother turned to her and whatever he saw in her face made him stop.

He could step forward and have them end his life so he could be with his family. But who would watch over Dev?

Swallowing his cries, he stepped back into the crowd and shook his head. Dev chocked back a sob.

The guard growled, "Then get back to work!"

Every one of them nodded and began to disperse. Dev wanted to go over to her bother and fader but Yang pulled her away.

"They cannot be…buried…with the others…," Dev sobbed quietly as they walked away.

The others.

Any other prisoner who died, their bodies would be thrown into a cart and at the end of the day, the Warden himself, a tall man with a cut over his left eye would select a few of the prisoners to the dig a hole before dumping the bodies. They would then cover them up and leave. As if the dead didn`t need any final rituals to allow them to rest in peace.

Dev had been pulled into the job three times but always vomited from the smell and the sight of the wounds the dead bodies carried. This happened three times before they pulled her from the job and made her do other jobs.

Yang shook his head," What can we do?"

The single statement made her broke her heart even more.

What could they do?

They were not in positions to bury their loves in peace nor could they bargain for their bodies. It was hopeless. When they were forced back into the caves, Dev worked as slowly as she could. What little strength she had was fading away. Jayl, who had woken up this morning beside her was now no longer breathing.

They cried but kept digging through everything as the guards went around to check on their progress. Yang had managed to find three more diamonds that were taken away from him as soon as possible.

At the end of the day, they left the caves and Dev looked up to see that it was very late. No stars or moon to light their path so the guards had extra torches lit. They were all moved into their cages and made to settle down.

Dev sat next to her brother sought comfort from him.

The others gave them space. No doubt they wanted them to mourn and grieve in peace.

When it was time for the guards to give them food and water, Kalen found them at the corner of the cell and waved them over. Dev coaxed her brother to follow her until they were crouched beside him. He then passed over an extra helping of bread to them while whispering, "Your family. I will take them out of here and bury them."

He had been there when the party came in bringing in more of the Zelowalli. Each time, he tried to look for a reason why they needed to enslave them and keep them in camps. Yes, they were at war but to bring it to the shore of a new land that knew nothing of it was a thorn in his conscious. In his own way, he tried to make the prisoners experience with him bearable.

He never raised his weapon against them, never scolded them, gave them food and water whenever he could. He would secretly tend to their wounded when the other guards were looking away. He especially kept an eye out for Dev and his siblings. Dev was a Zelowalli who showed kindness to him on his first day. There was something about the younger boy that made him feel protective of him.

That is why when he saw Jayl break away from the crowd and run towards one of the prisoners who was to be executed in camp, he tried to stop him. It made things worse when he realized that the prisoner was his father. Dev`s father as well.

He was about to break towards them only for Jin, the brother of his future bride and a fellow guard stop him.

"Don`t. You`ll get –"He then froze in horror. Kalen turned around and he felt his heart sink as Raze, the Warden`s right hand man, execute both father and son. At the corner, he and Jin both watched as Dev and Yang arrived at the scene in horror and tears.

Later on, he convinced Jin to help him hide both bodies away so they could be buried somewhere peacefully but he wanted to honor them and burry them in the ways of heir tradition so he sought out the two remaining siblings.

Hearing his wish to bury their loved ones, Yang managed a slow nod as a single tear fell from his eyes before he nodded, "Many thanks."

Dev, wiped away her tears and nodded her thanks as well, "Many thanks, they will want to be buried under the trees and sky."

Kalen, looked like he was in pain as he scanned the siblings faces. He managed a nod and cleared his throat as he felt his eyes burn a little, "Is there something you wish for me to do when I am burying them? I`m not familiar with your burial rites. "

Both siblings exchanged glances before they nodded. Yang was the one who answered, "Recite our words. It is expected every time one of us dies."

"Tell me what I have to say."

 "From the rising sun and till the stars rain down from the heavens, you have brought to this land, eternal joy. For now, you are to take your next step into the next world. Jayl, first son of Yousef and Yonda, now passed and long passed, brother to Yang, brother to Prika, long passed, brother to Dev, brother to unborn sister or brother, long passed. Heir to the Medicine Man of the Junt Tribe, Child of the God Inka, who protects and gives us joy," Dev`s voice cracked at the part and Yang patted her shoulder before he took over," May you rest in eternal peace in the eternal Garden. For our fader, you must say repeat the first sentences:

 From the rising sun and till the stars rain down from the heavens, you have brought to this land, eternal joy. For now, you are to take your next step into the next world. Yosef, first son of Belva and Windle, long passed. Brother to Fray, long passed. Husband to Yonda, long passed. Father to Jayl, now passed. Father to Yang. Fader to Prika, long passed. Fader to Dev. Father to unborn daughter or son, long passed. The Medicine Man of the Junt Tribe, Child of the God Inka, who protects and gives us joy. May you rest in eternal peace in the eternal garden."

Kalen looked away with a nod. Dev asked him to repeat their words and he did. They both nodded as he left.

They retreated to their side of the cage and sat still. Kalen would bury their family but what did it mean when it came to a point where a stranger had to do it? Send off your loved ones to the enteral garden while you stayed locked in cages.

When everyone was fast asleep, Dev kneeled and clasped her hands in prayer," If I am to die, let me die outside of these walls and cages. Please. That is all I ask."