Chapter Sixteen: His Father’s Son (Part One)
From the moment that Alistar had taken up the dead man’s pickaxe, his days had become filled with back-breaking labour. Although he and Kaila still collected the food that Servan left for them in the nearby tunnel, rather than wandering around afterward the two would return to the others immediately after eating. Kaila would keep her grandpa company at his spot halfway down the working line, and Alistar would struggle with his family until the end of the workday.
He knew that Kaila was worried about him and his mother, but there was nothing he could do to ease her apprehension. As things were, they could no longer play together. He simply didn’t have the time. Up until recently, the only outlet in his life that brought him solace were the moments he spent with Kaila, but one look at his ever-sickening mother was enough to make him bury his regretful, selfish thoughts and redouble his resolve to lessen the burden on his family.
The revelation about his father’s death now haunted his conscience, a guilt that strengthened his conviction every time he fell victim to its gut-wrenching influence. No matter how difficult or unbearable his days became, he would always persevere through the sores, the stiffness, the aches and the pains. He would not lose another person that he held dear.
Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.
Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.
This pattern came to define his daily life. He only saw Kaila in the mornings, and was avoided by Servan entirely. The only familiar face that he regularly encountered outside of his family was the one that he hated most, that of the young captain of the guard. The pestilent man often took it upon himself to spend most, if not all of his days watching Alistar’s family and interfering with their work. As things were, the flow of each day now depended on the despicable youth’s mood. The times when he was of a foul mind were the worst, and such days occurred quite often. Alistar was beaten at least once a week, but each time he would continue with his struggles, at least once he was able to get back up. If he responded in any other way, the beatings would resume.
Months had passed in this fashion and today Alistar was busy mining away just like any other day. His hands had grown rough and callused, and his body had also gained a definitive layer of muscle that was uncommon for his age. Though it was by no means comparable to that of the adults, he still took pride in the lean build that cloaked him. It was representative of all of the hard work he had endured over the past months, the only reward he would ever see for his efforts. He had also grown several inches taller, his growth spurt making it so that he now stood almost a finger above Kaila. Having grown so quickly, his uncle had to rework his clothing so that it fit him properly, using the meager resources that the guards provided to the slaves when their clothes were no longer fit for use.
Today had been a long day, to say the least.
If Alistar were to look over to his right he would see his mother lying feebly against the tunnel wall, her pale face hollow at the eyes, her skin now deeply discoloured. A few days ago she had coughed up blood for the first time. Today was the second day, and as it was, she could no longer work. Even walking was out of the question. In consequence, Alistar and his uncle had to stay back at least two hours longer than the others to make up the difference in their gatherings, and they only barely managed to do so. If one of the guards chose to inspect their boxes before they dumped them into the main crates within in the Long Tunnel, then they would discover that a thick layer of crumbled rocks made up a substantial portion of the collection boxes. This was a very daring method. If even one of the guards noticed, both Alistar and Raidon would be severely punished.
At first, Alistar’s swings had been terrible and sloppy, but now he could almost fill in for his mother so long as he and his uncle continued to hide rocks beneath their crystals. He was slowly becoming more capable.
With thoughts of his mother and his recent hardships in mind, he paused to wipe away at his sweaty forehead, absentmindedly touching the hidden compartment that his uncle had left intact when he’d mended Alistar’s clothing. Alistar had hid his precious gem for the duration of his uncle’s work, his hands now hovering habitually over its resting place.
Five days ago, there had been a meeting of all of the higher ranked guards within Crystellum, one so important that the owner of the mines himself was rumoured to have attended. Alistar’s family had caught a lucky break in that the red-haired captain hadn’t shown up to torment them since the day of the meeting. With his mother’s condition, they couldn’t afford another day of his abuse.
Poking his head out to look down the working line, Alistar’s vision blurred for a moment. Lately, he found himself unsure if he could continue on with such a gruelling lifestyle. Both his body and mind were nearing their limits, and it hadn’t even been half a year. It seemed that the pains would never leave his body, and he knew that the workload would never end. Not too long ago he had thought that he’d grown, but after working so tirelessly since that time, he now understood that he was still a child. To think that he had spent his days playing carelessly while the others endured this day after day. He could only imagine what sort of thoughts people might have had whenever they saw him running off with Kaila to play or explore.
A sharp sound brought him back to the present. It was the sound of the work bells.
It’s that time already?
Alistar’s uncle raised an eyebrow, and the two of them shared a look before they peered down the line. The guards were ushering the other workers out of the tunnel, ordering them to leave their tools behind and to take whatever they had collected along with them. By the time Alistar and his family entered the Resident Cavern—his mother needing his uncle’s support—it was clear to him that the others were just as confused as he was. Like he’d suspected, they had only been at work for a few hours when the bells had rung.
Hundreds of people poured in from the surrounding tunnels. The guards were gathering all of the workers in the centre of the Resident Cavern, arranging them so that they faced a small wooden platform that had been erected between the barracks and the palisade wall. Alistar had never seen so many people, nor heard the sounds of so many voices at once.
Were there always this many people in the mines?
Thousands of faces were looking around curiously, the crowd stretching all the way to the sleeping areas as well as the far walls. It seemed that every person in the mines was present. Earlier, Alistar had tried to pick out Servan amongst the guards standing at attention, but his vision had been quickly blocked by the bodies of the surrounding adults.
A while passed before the work bells sounded once again, all of those present taking it as a sign to quiet down. Several hundred guards now surrounded the workers in a thin line, each of them fully armoured with their spears planted firmly in front of them, eyes attentive under their dinged-up helmets.
“Silence!”
An unfamiliar voice rose up above the others, and absolute quiet ensued. From the sound of it, the speaker was standing in front of the congregation, near the barracks. Since Alistar could not see them, he closed his eyes and listened intently. The voice was loud and crisp, and it easily carried throughout the cavern.
“My name is Ragnus Melsian Lios, lord of Melsian County and owner of these miserable tunnels. I’m not fond of formalities, and I care even less for drawn out speeches, so I’ll get straight to the point. As many of you might know, some of the higher ranked guards have been absent from their duties as of late. The reason is, the officers have come together to review hundreds of personal profiles to see whether or not anybody here meets a certain eligibility. Many of you are longstanding residents in these mines, and have worked very hard over the years to contribute to the prosperity of my lands and those that live there. It’s my opinion that some among you deserve to be rewarded for your hard work, and for your passionate devotion to the kingdom and to the Empire. This is an opinion which my peers and subordinates share wholeheartedly.
“As such, in accordance to the Aldert Decrees, the following workers have been granted their liberties in return for their longstanding contributions: Bertrand Loran. Ashtin Lorvus. Calen Steeb. Robert Derlun. That’s all for now. Several others will follow in the weeks to come, so keep that in mind when you return to work.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a maelstrom of thousands of voices erupted within the cavern, their tones ranging from casual surprise, to bitter whispers, and vehement anger.
“It’s really him!”
“This bastard…”
“Why would the count travel here personally?”
“Passionate devotion, my ass.”
“He dares show his face!”
Almost as soon as the workers began talking, the work bells rang loudly and everyone went quiet once again.
“Ragnus,” hissed Raidon, lips tight. His face was rigid, his jaw locked tightly as if he tasted something utterly foul. Alistar’s mother was staring blankly at the head of the crowd, her eyes coming in and out of focus.
“Attention!” shouted a second, heavier voice. This one was also unrecognizable. “In light of Lord Ragnus’s presence, those of you who are in from the tunnels may rest for the remainder of the day. Those of you who were aroused from sleep may have an additional three hours of resting time. Also, to those that might be having any foolish ideas because of the numbers gathered here at this moment, Lord Ragnus has brought with him a dozen arcanites from his personal guard. Keep that in mind. Now, you’re all free to go about your business!”
The collective talk stole away the backdrop, as the large crowd dispersed throughout the cavern with surprising speed. Raidon had them wait around for a couple of minutes, so that there was enough space to escort his mother back to their living quarters without any incident.
Chapter Sixteen: His Father’s Son (Part One)
From the moment that Alistar had taken up the dead man’s pickaxe, his days had become filled with back-breaking labour. Although he and Kaila still collected the food that Servan left for them in the nearby tunnel, rather than wandering around afterward the two would return to the others immediately after eating. Kaila would keep her grandpa company at his spot halfway down the working line, and Alistar would struggle with his family until the end of the workday.
He knew that Kaila was worried about him and his mother, but there was nothing he could do to ease her apprehension. As things were, they could no longer play together. He simply didn’t have the time. Up until recently, the only outlet in his life that brought him solace were the moments he spent with Kaila, but one look at his ever-sickening mother was enough to make him bury his regretful, selfish thoughts and redouble his resolve to lessen the burden on his family.
The revelation about his father’s death now haunted his conscience, a guilt that strengthened his conviction every time he fell victim to its gut-wrenching influence. No matter how difficult or unbearable his days became, he would always persevere through the sores, the stiffness, the aches and the pains. He would not lose another person that he held dear.
Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.
Eat. Work. Eat. Sleep.
This pattern came to define his daily life. He only saw Kaila in the mornings, and was avoided by Servan entirely. The only familiar face that he regularly encountered outside of his family was the one that he hated most, that of the young captain of the guard. The pestilent man often took it upon himself to spend most, if not all of his days watching Alistar’s family and interfering with their work. As things were, the flow of each day now depended on the despicable youth’s mood. The times when he was of a foul mind were the worst, and such days occurred quite often. Alistar was beaten at least once a week, but each time he would continue with his struggles, at least once he was able to get back up. If he responded in any other way, the beatings would resume.
Months had passed in this fashion and today Alistar was busy mining away just like any other day. His hands had grown rough and callused, and his body had also gained a definitive layer of muscle that was uncommon for his age. Though it was by no means comparable to that of the adults, he still took pride in the lean build that cloaked him. It was representative of all of the hard work he had endured over the past months, the only reward he would ever see for his efforts. He had also grown several inches taller, his growth spurt making it so that he now stood almost a finger above Kaila. Having grown so quickly, his uncle had to rework his clothing so that it fit him properly, using the meager resources that the guards provided to the slaves when their clothes were no longer fit for use.
Today had been a long day, to say the least.
If Alistar were to look over to his right he would see his mother lying feebly against the tunnel wall, her pale face hollow at the eyes, her skin now deeply discoloured. A few days ago she had coughed up blood for the first time. Today was the second day, and as it was, she could no longer work. Even walking was out of the question. In consequence, Alistar and his uncle had to stay back at least two hours longer than the others to make up the difference in their gatherings, and they only barely managed to do so. If one of the guards chose to inspect their boxes before they dumped them into the main crates within in the Long Tunnel, then they would discover that a thick layer of crumbled rocks made up a substantial portion of the collection boxes. This was a very daring method. If even one of the guards noticed, both Alistar and Raidon would be severely punished.
At first, Alistar’s swings had been terrible and sloppy, but now he could almost fill in for his mother so long as he and his uncle continued to hide rocks beneath their crystals. He was slowly becoming more capable.
With thoughts of his mother and his recent hardships in mind, he paused to wipe away at his sweaty forehead, absentmindedly touching the hidden compartment that his uncle had left intact when he’d mended Alistar’s clothing. Alistar had hid his precious gem for the duration of his uncle’s work, his hands now hovering habitually over its resting place.
Five days ago, there had been a meeting of all of the higher ranked guards within Crystellum, one so important that the owner of the mines himself was rumoured to have attended. Alistar’s family had caught a lucky break in that the red-haired captain hadn’t shown up to torment them since the day of the meeting. With his mother’s condition, they couldn’t afford another day of his abuse.
Poking his head out to look down the working line, Alistar’s vision blurred for a moment. Lately, he found himself unsure if he could continue on with such a gruelling lifestyle. Both his body and mind were nearing their limits, and it hadn’t even been half a year. It seemed that the pains would never leave his body, and he knew that the workload would never end. Not too long ago he had thought that he’d grown, but after working so tirelessly since that time, he now understood that he was still a child. To think that he had spent his days playing carelessly while the others endured this day after day. He could only imagine what sort of thoughts people might have had whenever they saw him running off with Kaila to play or explore.
A sharp sound brought him back to the present. It was the sound of the work bells.
It’s that time already?
Alistar’s uncle raised an eyebrow, and the two of them shared a look before they peered down the line. The guards were ushering the other workers out of the tunnel, ordering them to leave their tools behind and to take whatever they had collected along with them. By the time Alistar and his family entered the Resident Cavern—his mother needing his uncle’s support—it was clear to him that the others were just as confused as he was. Like he’d suspected, they had only been at work for a few hours when the bells had rung.
Hundreds of people poured in from the surrounding tunnels. The guards were gathering all of the workers in the centre of the Resident Cavern, arranging them so that they faced a small wooden platform that had been erected between the barracks and the palisade wall. Alistar had never seen so many people, nor heard the sounds of so many voices at once.
Were there always this many people in the mines?
Thousands of faces were looking around curiously, the crowd stretching all the way to the sleeping areas as well as the far walls. It seemed that every person in the mines was present. Earlier, Alistar had tried to pick out Servan amongst the guards standing at attention, but his vision had been quickly blocked by the bodies of the surrounding adults.
A while passed before the work bells sounded once again, all of those present taking it as a sign to quiet down. Several hundred guards now surrounded the workers in a thin line, each of them fully armoured with their spears planted firmly in front of them, eyes attentive under their dinged-up helmets.
“Silence!”
An unfamiliar voice rose up above the others, and absolute quiet ensued. From the sound of it, the speaker was standing in front of the congregation, near the barracks. Since Alistar could not see them, he closed his eyes and listened intently. The voice was loud and crisp, and it easily carried throughout the cavern.
“My name is Ragnus Melsian Lios, lord of Melsian County and owner of these miserable tunnels. I’m not fond of formalities, and I care even less for drawn out speeches, so I’ll get straight to the point. As many of you might know, some of the higher ranked guards have been absent from their duties as of late. The reason is, the officers have come together to review hundreds of personal profiles to see whether or not anybody here meets a certain eligibility. Many of you are longstanding residents in these mines, and have worked very hard over the years to contribute to the prosperity of my lands and those that live there. It’s my opinion that some among you deserve to be rewarded for your hard work, and for your passionate devotion to the kingdom and to the Empire. This is an opinion which my peers and subordinates share wholeheartedly.
“As such, in accordance to the Aldert Decrees, the following workers have been granted their liberties in return for their longstanding contributions: Bertrand Loran. Ashtin Lorvus. Calen Steeb. Robert Derlun. That’s all for now. Several others will follow in the weeks to come, so keep that in mind when you return to work.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a maelstrom of thousands of voices erupted within the cavern, their tones ranging from casual surprise, to bitter whispers, and vehement anger.
“It’s really him!”
“This bastard…”
“Why would the count travel here personally?”
“Passionate devotion, my ass.”
“He dares show his face!”
Almost as soon as the workers began talking, the work bells rang loudly and everyone went quiet once again.
“Ragnus,” hissed Raidon, lips tight. His face was rigid, his jaw locked tightly as if he tasted something utterly foul. Alistar’s mother was staring blankly at the head of the crowd, her eyes coming in and out of focus.
“Attention!” shouted a second, heavier voice. This one was also unrecognizable. “In light of Lord Ragnus’s presence, those of you who are in from the tunnels may rest for the remainder of the day. Those of you who were aroused from sleep may have an additional three hours of resting time. Also, to those that might be having any foolish ideas because of the numbers gathered here at this moment, Lord Ragnus has brought with him a dozen arcanites from his personal guard. Keep that in mind. Now, you’re all free to go about your business!”
The collective talk stole away the backdrop, as the large crowd dispersed throughout the cavern with surprising speed. Raidon had them wait around for a couple of minutes, so that there was enough space to escort his mother back to their living quarters without any incident.
