The Grand Lift

“There weren’t always dragons in the valley,” stated the old man. He bent low, letting loose a heavy sigh as he freed himself from a pair of worn boots. “Your father was born one generation too late.”

Seri frowned, her attention on the portrait before her. A warm smile greeted her gaze, the joyful expression giving way to feelings of grief. Slowly her hands rose to grip the locket that hung loosely around her neck. “It’s not fair.”

“Nothing is, girl,” her grandfather reminded her. Tenjin Arnett was a stern man, hardened by excessive hours in the coalfields. He was thin, smaller than most, his unsightly features hidden behind dark soot. When he collapsed upon his cot, his tattered clothing stained the bedding black. “Though I wouldn’t be so quick in loosing hope. A scouting party was sent two nights back, as you know. They might find him yet.”

“I should be up there with them.”

His laughter turned into a fit of coughing. “That would be the day! No, no. Wiser to stay down here." He closed his eyes then, fatigue getting the better of him. "Besides, the surface is no place for a child.”

Anger usurped sorrow. We’ll see about that, she thought. Her eyes continued taking in the portrait on the wall until the sound of deafening snores filled the home. It wasn’t long until the feeble lights of the burrow dimmed to completion, leaving Seri sheltered in stark shadows.

She wasted no time. Her pack was where she had left it, stuffed far beneath her own cot that sat crudely supported above a stone floor. She retrieved it quietly and bared her teeth at its weight. It had been filled with nearly everything she owned, and it seemed one more item away from bursting at the seams.

With it she hid the knife. Simply beholding the weapon was enough to elicit tears, though she held them back with proper effort. It had been a gift from her father the night before his hunt, much to the displeasure of Tenjin. She took hold of its hilt, pulling it free from its sheath. The polished steel worked doubly as a mirror, her reflection almost startling her. She witnessed a thin fourteen-year-old, her tunic and breeches akin to rags, their fabric threadbare and unkept. Upon her head was a bird’s nest of dark hair, its length veiling a pair of green eyes that hungered sleep. She looked more golem than girl; wealth had never been a close friend to the Arnett family, with her father wasting his hunting coin on drinks while Tenjin went underpaid in the fields. She sighed, sheathed the knife, and attached the scabbard to her belt.

Her younger brother had acquired a fair collection of star geos over the years, all assorted carefully near his bunk. He insisted it wasn’t for a fear of the dark, but for a sheer interest in the ore. No one believed him. She grabbed one, feeling the stone’s warmth within her palm as it glowed. She slid it into her pocket and hesitated slightly before her brother as he slept. His head was buried beneath a shabby blanket. A weak smile formed upon Seri's face. I’ll be back, brother. I swear it. She moved on.

Her jacket hung on a rack near the entrance hall, and she slipped into it hastily. The Den was always cool outdoors, a fact she wasn’t all too fond of. Soon she made her way to the door and, placing an unsteady hand upon its handle, turned her head slowly round to catch a final glimpse of her burrow. Somehow she felt she was going to miss the place. Taking a deep breath, she twisted the handle and stepped outside.

I’m coming for you, father.

The streets were barren save for the watchmen. The core lights of the city had been turned off, and curfew was in full effect. Looking upwards, Seri saw nothing but a field of stalactites shimmering in the light of the false moon – the only sky she had ever known. Carefully she pulled free her brother’s star geo. The pale glow was barely enough to light the way, though it would have to do. She took to the alleyways between the collection of burrows that made up the housing district, sticking to the shadows. It wasn’t her first time out past curfew; she often had a knack for finding trouble.

It wasn’t long before she met Yenmir, an old friend from the academy. He was doing the same as her, sticking to the darkness of the unkept alleys. She expected nothing less. After all, he had been the one to teach her the method. She turned a corner, almost running directly into him. The boy screamed out, nearly dropping his bottle of likely stolen ale. Seri quickly placed a hand over his mouth, giving him a moment to realize who she was.

“Gods be damned,” he breathed. “I nearly pissed myself! What the hell are you doing out here?”

“Leaving,” she stated curtly. She continued onwards, leaving him to his mischief.

“Leaving?” He scoffed. “What are you talking about?” He swayed slightly where he stood, his smile a sure sign of his drunkenness.

She didn’t answer.

“Seri?”

She turned another corner, only to roll her eyes when she heard him approach. He ran in front of her, blocking her way forwards. His attention drifted from the sizable pack upon her shoulders to the knife at her belt.

“Whoa, hold on a second, Arnett. This isn’t about your dad, is it?”

“Get out of my way, Yen.”

“Listen, my cousin was in the same detachment as him. When they didn’t return…” He hesitated, his gaze falling to the ground below them. “I know what you’re going through, alright? I just… the scouts will find them. Alive. Okay? I wouldn’t do anything stupid.”

She pushed him aside. “Leave me alone.” Her voice was a sharp whisper.

“You aren’t going to the lift, are you?” he asked, one brow raised. “Don’t tell me you really think—”

She pushed him again, this time with force. He fell to the ground, his bottle falling from his grasp. It shattered upon impact, its content seeping into uneven stone. A sudden tinge of regret washed over her. “Go. Away. I mean it, Yen.”

She ran, leaving him. The grand lift wasn’t far. It stood tall in the distance, a grand elevator that loomed over a poor excuse for a city. It was used primarily by the hunters and scouts, giving them access to a world inconceivable to the civilians below. It was there where she would ride to the surface. Soon she would see the sun, the moon… the real moon. Grass. A blue sky. Trees. Animals.

Dragons.

She stopped suddenly in her tracks, finding her breath caught within her throat. Suddenly she realized she was sweating.

Dragons.

Seri had heard countless stories of the creatures, of course. They were the reason her sky was rock. Most of the stories came from her father, who declared them winged reptiles that stood at incredible heights, gifted with horrific abilities. Many believed they were sent by the Gods, a punishment to a race that insisted on defiling itself. Some believed they were gods. Whatever the case, there was no denying the fact that they yearned for the extinction of mankind.

She gripped her locket once more, inhaling deeply. Her father’s words came to her without warning.

Fear is what allows us to do brave things, Seri.

She nodded as if he could see her. The tears fell then, though she didn’t bother stopping them. She was going to make it to the lift. She was going to find him, regardless of what stood in her way. She took a step forward, only for a hand to seize her shoulder. Turning around, her eyes met those of an armed watchman, his helmet making him seem more monster than human.

“And where are you going, young lady?”

Her heart almost stopped. She opened her mouth, though no words came out. She felt the grip upon her shoulder tighten, and panic overtook her. She tore free from his grasp, heading for the lift. She heard the man call out, but she didn’t bother listening. She was so close now. Too close. More calls rang out, and she picked up her pace.

The lift's entrance was now in sight, along with that of a dozen curious guards. She didn't get far. They took her to the ground, her head making contact with hard stone. She closed her eyes, a dizzy spell overwhelming her. When she opened them, she found herself in a cell. Two watchmen were spitting words she couldn’t comprehend. Their faces were a blur, their red jerkins being the only distinguishable feature she recognized them by. She heard the sound of a cell door closing, and another sound as the keys did their job of locking her in.

I’ll find you father. She tried to speak her thoughts. Her voice failed her, the words caught within a dry throat. I promise. She gave up, closed her eyes, and embraced darkness.