One of the downsides of mining in Issiq, Boti's tribe was discovering, was that the sand got everywhere. Even into the mines.

"It's a never ending battle," Kukimbia grumbled, leading Ambergris and Depths towards the mine's entrance. "You think you've cleared it out but no, some more appears overnight. I swear it's breeding in there."

Depths snorted in amusement, and was about to add something when the high sound of youngster's voices echoed down the tunnel, and Clay and Garnet all but tumbled into Ambergris.

"Hey!" Ambergris protested, and took a half-hearted mock swat at Garnet who laughed and ducked.

Clay regarded the three adults, eyes wide and bright. "Where're you going?"

Depths took a mock serious tone. "To the mines."

Clay and Garnet gasped in unison. "The mines!?"

Depths snorted and Ambergris laughed, while Kukimbia eyed them with resigned amusement. The youngsters clambered and talked over each other that could they please come, they'd be calm they promised, they wouldn't try and eat rocks -

Kukimbia got a mildly evil glint in their eye and nodded. "Why of course! Who am I to deny you?"

Depths and Ambergris exchanged amused looks as Clay and Garnet cheered, knowing the youngsters would be handed a shovel and told to use it.

The now five of them wove through the tunnels of the tibe's home, both carved pathways and natural tunnels that burrowed in the red orange sandstone of the hills. Ventilation kept the air moving, circulating cooler air from the ravines the tribe used so that the tunnels stayed cool even as the sun baked the earth above.

It was an ingenious system, and Depths made a mental note to ask Norm about it as the group descended into the bowels of the earth.

They paused before the entrance of the mine to don hard hats and collect their gear - shovels, brooms and some hand trolleys. Clay and Garnet wailed at the indignity of having to wear hard hats, my goodness, but once Kukimbia told them it was wear them or leave, they donned them with some grumbling.

Kukimbia and Depths donned their helmets and pulled the hand trolleys, given they had an extra set of limbs compared to the tark'ee. Ambergris focused on corralling the youngsters as they ventured into the well-lit tunnels, ore glinting in cracks in the walls. Clay kept pausing to stare at the ore, and so Ambergris eventually sighed, handed them a shiny rock, and nudged them along.

But then Garnet started making puppydog eyes at ae, and so ae sighed once more and handed xem a rock, which kept xem quiet.

Soon, they had reached where some well-cleaned stone met the portions that hadn't been cleaned yet. Sand, like Kukimbia had said, gathered in small drifts against the walls, almost as if it had been blown in here by a sandstorm. Despite being deep underground.

Depths shook his head at the sand, and handed out the shovels. Ambergris followed Kukimbia's lead and began heaping the larger portions of the sand into the hand trucks, while Depths convinced Clay and Garnet that if they really wanted to see what mining was like, they should help… and they'd get to keep their rocks.

The prospect of having their rocks taken was a sufficient motivator, and Clay and Garnet half-heartedly joined in. Soon, the hand trucks were full of red-orange sand, but the mine looked much cleaner. Now for the fun part: taking the sand outside.

Kukimbia activated the antigrav magnets on the carts and retracted the wheels, as the risk of going over a bump and spilling some sand was greater with the wheels. They magnanimously handed Clay and Garnet two brooms and told them it was their job to sweep up any sand that spilled, and it was Very Important to do so.

Depths and Ambergris shared an amused look, then began moving the carts back out through the tunnels, careful not to overbalance or spill.

It took some time weaving through the tunnels, but soon they came to the entrance and dumped the sand out into the desert beyond.

Kukimbia nodded, then turned to the four with an amused look in their eye. "Ready to go again?"