On our way to provide assistance we run past a small group of supervising officers. When they spot Famai the one sergeant present yells out, "Fami!"
Fami shoots the sergeant a glare, and seems to be uncertain if ve should stop or not before ve decides to stop and stand at attention,
"Yes ve!" Fami says.
"What the hase are you doing? If you run in there you might be taken hostage by some vemo looking to take advantage of a bad situation. Stay here and let the vemo clean up their own blunder." The sergeant orders.
"With no respect ve, go fuck yourself." Fami says before ve takes off into the mines and Miya follows after.
The sergeant's yelling trails into the mines from behind us, "Fami! Ritu damn it, there will be hase to pay for this!"
~~~
Blood.
The scent permeates the air. We arrive, amidst a group of miners, ranging from children to adults, brutalizing their paws and hands as they tear away at the debris.
Given that I am strapped to Miya's back, there is little I can do to help, so I am left to observe, and I am startled by what I see. Apart from the obvious dire circumstances, I notice two particularly disturbing details. Of the adult miners present, most are dark-furred bitu or dark-skinned atu, and almost all are wearing orange prison garb.
At this moment I cannot help but reflect on how I have contributed to slavery. Most of us get assigned to patrol areas where vetu of darker complexions are more densely populated. Officers are not nearly as densely positioned in Sudihatosema. I was ordered to inflict carnal punishment onto those who were driven to crime, not knowing it was desperation that often drives them there. Each punishment makes people more desperate until they are either arrested by a standard officer, or have to commit something unforgivable and so are killed or enslaved as a consequence. It is an intentionally designed pipeline where officers work as the slavers and Hosudiha residents are kept desperate enough to be treated like livestock.
My thoughts snap back to reality as I witness Fami swiftly position verself behind a familiar-looking adult, one of a few pale atu prisoners here, and shout, "You, start grabbing the biggest boulders you can find!"
With Fami pointing one open paw towards the next largest stone and the other open towards a small rock, suddenly the scrawny miner is heaving massive boulders with little to no effort. Meanwhile, the small rock is slowly digging a crater into the cavern floor every time it feels the mass of one of the large boulders grabbed by the miner.
When Fami mentioned ver magical abilities earlier, I had underestimated the extent of ver power. Handling larger targets requires greater skill, and given the size of these boulders, Fami proves to be a formidable mage, alongside being a Rirmevu. I am grateful for ver presence and abilities.
One by one, corpses are pulled from the wreckage, resembling sacks of flesh more so than bodies. Some adults, some children, no bodies belonging to Shibi or Mebi, but each like a knife slowly severing the lifeline tethering me to hope.
Fami remains focused, waiting for each boulder to settle before moving on to the next one, while the other adults clear out the smaller to medium-sized rocks and Miya assists them.
"Set me down!" I yell, "I can help!"
"No!" Miya responds, "There is no time and you would only get in the way."
"Well, at least set me down so I'm not weighing you down." I insist.
Miya doesn't respond to the suggestion for a bit as ve digs, "I don't want to leave you, just in case we need to run."
YOU ARE READING
Disarm Evil
Science Fiction**New Chapter Every Wednesday!** Dima is a little person with a habit of starting, and occasionally finishing, craft projects, though when on duty Dima is fierce, cold, and calculated agent of justice who's quick thinking and sharp aim makes them a...
