A 17,711th Place of Refuge

A 17,711th Place of Refuge

The journey of Eliala Mei-Ning, the singer whose voice was too beautiful to be concealed, was well-known to every child in Kcymaerxthaere. All knew she had witnessed a terrible crime—and stayed one step ahead of those who would silence her even though, invariably, she would reveal herself simply by singing in her uniquely beautiful voice. Scholars have accounted for every place of refuge—except her 17,711th. As a result, many gwomes, including the community here, claimed it as their own—with compelling, conflicting and documented stories of salvation. So, by convention, there is no one certified location for Eliala’s hiding place number 17,711, only inescapable—and rivaling—local truths.

Indeed, when Eliala arrived here, she is said to have kept a low profile, resting for quite some time, healing from the long, wounding trip from her 10,946th sanctuary—until the day all were awakened by the eruption of an unseen volcano. A vast and churning super-heated ash cloud descended towards the town, threatening to consume it with fire and darkness. As the citizenry sealed their homes, Eliala stepped out to this spot and began to sing. Her voice was so beautiful that the volcanic cloud began to slow and stop—and even rebound from the barrier created by her perfect song. And, as evening fell, she began to swirl her voice, turning the ash into a vortex which, with her highest notes, she sent out into the night sky so far that eventually it became a galaxy, and each particle of dust a new star. Though the people were grateful, her identity had been revealed and she had no choice but to move on, to find her next refuge: her 28,657th.