Praise Be The Sun

"Wha-what happened?"

Luma found himself in a dimly lit room with rough stone walls. The only exit blocked off by metallic bars and veiled by a shadowy layer that rippled like water.

"A testing chamber," he whispered, realizing where he was.

He held up his arm, feeling a slight irritation there. "I was with the chieftain, he gave me a mining artifice," he whispered, his memories slowly coming back to him.

He traced the sun inscription on it, feeling the buzz of electricity running though its circuitry. A smile crept across his face.

He pointed his wrist at the bars. "Program 2, extraction!"

The bracelet lit up, growing hotter before a stream of blue energy thundered out of it.

It clashed with the bars in a blue explosion, sending searing hot air throughout the entire cell.

"Argh," he growled, feeling his face for any burns. 

He looked back at the bars and not even a scratch had been left on them.

Should've known, reinforced metal. The tribe wouldn't allow us to leave before the rising trials begin, he thought to himself, before looking back at the bracelet.

Still, this would've broken down even the toughest rocks in the tunnel. I'm one step forward, he thought, smiling as he traced his fingers over the bracelet once again.

"Enjoying your new toy?" a voice called from behind the shadowy veil. 

Luma rushed to the bars. "Shala?"

There was silence for a moment.

"I hope you're happy with yourself," the voice replied. "There's no going back now."

Luma scowled at that. "And even if the option presented itself, I would not take it."

More silence.

"You have all of mother's courage," she replied with a sigh. "But none of father's wisdom," she added.

"Get suited, it is almost time for your first trial."

Luma turned back to look at his cell. It was empty apart from a pile at the corner. 

He picked up his uniform, and began to put it on as he had been taught. It was a camo overall, made to resemble the patterns of the rocks in the tunnels. Its fabric was flexible, but had a metallic feel to it, just touching it Luma could feel the electric buzz running through its internal circuitry.

"Where's my mask?" he asked, after he had ensured that it he was strapped tightly to prevent radiation from leaking in.

"You'll get your mask once, you've earned it," Shala replied from outside. "Now step back."

There was some movement beyond the shadowy viel before it fell like a piece of cloth. Shala placed her thumb on the wall to her left, and the bars withdrew into the ground.

"You're equipted?" Luma asked, noting that Shala was dressed in her full tunneling gear. An overall just like his, with a mask resembling a kanuit, the underground fox.

Shala stared at him silently, the eyes of her mask pitch black holes with a red light shining from deep within it.

She grabbed his arm, and dragged him out of the cell.

The exit led into a tunnel that stretched in either direction. Glow rocks were embedded into the walls dying the path in a faint pink light.

Shala pulled him forward, walking towards a bright light at one end of the tunnel.

"What, you aren't even going to say goodluck?" Luma asked, looking up at his sister.

"If you had any luck, you wasted it as soon as the radiation touched your lips," she grunted in reply.

Luma felt a poisonous anger rise within him. "Why are you so against me going into the tunnels?"

Shala gripped his arm tighter, like iron against his bones. "Why are you so eager to meet your death?" she replied, quickening her pace.

"You've gone and came back okay," he shot back.

Shala stopped, and thrust Luma to the wall.

"You think to compare yourself to me?" In that moment, her sheer size became more evident. She was bigger than most men in the tribe, towering over Luma like a giant. Even without the overall's stimulants, she could break his bones without much effort.

But Luma wasn't afraid, try as she may, she could get the other men in the village to cower before her, but not her brother.

"I don't. At my age you were still struggling to memorize the minerals," he replied, dusting himself off.

"At your age I had the wisdom to obey tribal laws," she shot back. "You know even if you succeed in your rising, the elders will call for your punishment."

Luma ignored her, soothing his throbbing back. "Did you have to push me that hard?" he asked instead. "That temper of yours is the reason you won't be the next chieftain."

"My temper is the reason I'm still alive!" she shouted. "And your slow. That push shouldn't have gotten you," she added her tone softening. "If you don't steel your focus, you will fail the third test."

A smile crept along Luma's face. "Are you going to tell me what my trials are?"

Shala let out a humoured grunt. "Even if you knew what was coming you would not be ready." She grabbed his arm again and lead him forward.

Right as they were about to step out of the tunnel, Shala stopped.

"So why?"

Luma looked up at her, freeing his arm from her grasp. "Why am I trying to help the tribe?"

She laughed at that. "I changed your cloth as a baby, do not think I can't tell when you're lying."

"If you're only after power, I think you need remember what happened to mothe-"

"Enough, Shala!" Luma grunted. "I get where you're going with this, you're worried," he said. "But I'm worried to."

"Not enough clearly," she shot back.

"The Argus tribe will have their third win next expidition," Luma replied bitterly. "Their third after they have yet to claim rewards from the last two."

"We all know what that means."

Shala looked from him towards the light coming from outside the tunnel. "So you've been keeping count?" she asked, clenching her fists.

"I'm not going to let them take you," he said.

"I don't need the protection of one who has never even drawn blood," she said, however her voice betrayed some of her worry. No one else would've discerned it, but to Luma his sister was an open book.

"I won't let them take you," he said again, tapping her shoulder before stepping into the light.