1 Week Later

“I’m not going in there, you do it.”

The two young apprentices hid outside the door of the missions office. They closed down the main building to avoid being swarmed by the masses of miners famillies when they heard about the missing ship. However their superior had come in a few minutes ago and said someone was waiting to ask after the ship. Which only meant one thing. Power. Whoever it was got into a closed down building, which meant a high ranking citizen at least.

“Together then.” One said

“Alright.”

They entered the room together, but would have loved nothing more then to bolt back out. Pacing around the room was Kaden Nokoloda, son of one of the most powerful families in Terranight, their city. Cautiously they approached him and bowed low.

“How might me help you, Nokoloda, Kaden.”

“Where is she?”

“She, sir?”

“You sent her down with the mining team, on that ship. You know, the stranded one. I want to know where it was working, and how long it will take me and a professional crew to get there.”

“Sir the ship never reached it’s final destination. It could be anywhere between here and there. Who is it you are so adamant about finding?”

Kaden smiled evilly. “You should know I suppose. A very close friend of mine, went down on that ship, one I’ve known since childhood. The girl I was going to propose to when the ship arrived tomorrow. If she doesn’t make it back, if I never see her again, then you are going to be very sorry.”

The two apprentices shuddered.

“Her name, sir?” one of them asked

“Drael Inakoden.”

---

Meanwhile, the said Drael was wandering down a long strip of tunnel. This was pretty much what she’d been doing since she left the ship. Tunnel after tunnel, with no idea whether she’d ever find her way out, back, or to help. For all she knew she’d just wander down here forever until she ran out of water, of food, of hope.

Her legs ached, and eyes drooped. Her pack, long since empty, she’d left behind her days ago. Or was it more. There was no way to tell after all, no sun. She didn’t even remember the sun. Supposedly, she’d seen it once, when she was very young. To young to remember The Falling Sun, the tragedy that had destroyed everything.

Her childhood hadn’t really been bad, far from it. The elders had known of the great disaster in advance, and so the city she’d grown up in was already constructed, already had inhabitants even. Her child hood.... so long ago it seemed, would she every be home?

...Home... Drael stumbled and fell to the ground.

She didn’t get up.