Chapter 20
Alistar had drifted in and out of consciousness during the hours that followed the incident with the red stone. Several guards had loomed over his sleeping area for quite some time, but he had been too disoriented to respond to their demanding inquiries. After questioning him in futility long enough for them to lose their patience, they had been forced to have a healer see to his injuries until coherency was achieved.
With the swelling and pain significantly reduced, Alistar's first thoughts had been on the intriguing process of spellwork that he'd been subjected to. Hands bathed in pale green light, the thin healer sent shocks of cool, relaxing energy throughout his afflicted areas. Minutes later and he looked fine, albeit haggard from fatigue. What would have taken weeks to heal was gone in minutes, all from just a few strange phrases.
Once he'd returned to his right mind, the guards had asked for an account of the events that occurred in the nearby tunnel, and then immediately ordered him to handover the stone. They had been certain that he'd taken it, but he had simply told them that there was no way he could have picked it up. It had killed a grown man after just the slightest contact with his skin, so how could a small child like himself have grabbed it? He could barely walk at the time, and hadn't been coherent enough to think about anything other than returning home, or so he told them. Unable to refute his logic, the guards left him. Within moments, he had fallen back into his lifeless dreams.
In no time at all, Alistar was woken by the heavy gongs that signified the beginning of a new work day. He hadn't noticed his family returning and had slept right into the next day.
As it was, he and his uncle were scheduled to be released within a few hours. They weren't required to work, but they still chose to accompany his mother to that same lonesome spot at the end of the line, where she would continue to toil herself into an early grave after they departed. Worst of all, she would have to suffer alone. The thought was enough to bring tears to Alistar's eyes, to make him frustrated to the point where he would forget to breathe whenever such contemplations visited his mind. Her condition was as bad as ever, her face drained and her too-cold skin painting a haunting image in his conscience.
From the moment he awoke, Kaila had refused to leave his side. She sat nearby, watching him work behind a mask of distress. After labouring for a time, his uncle forced him to take a break. He was told to stand in front of a torch at a distance where the heat wouldn't agitate his eyes, and made to stare into the light.
When asked why, his uncle said, "Your eyes have never seen the sun, Alistar. I can only hope that they'll be able to adjust sooner rather than later."
After a moment, he replied, "Do I have to stare into the fire? Surely my eyes will be fine. It only takes a few minutes to get used to the light in the Resident Cavern after a day of exploring the lower—the unlit areas."
"You don't understand what the sun truly is. For now, do as I say and stare into the light. Trust me."
His uncle wouldn't have said so without reason.
Thoughts of a giant flame suspended high above the ground filled Alistar's mind. What awesome magic had conjured the sun?