Cain woke up, and rubbed his dry eyes. He sat up, and suddenly felt the cold chill of the morning air lick the back of his neck. The cold current woke him right up, and he noticed he had fallen asleep in the library. Just as he was about to stand up, he felt a weight on his legs. Looking down, he noticed Ella drooling on his leg. He jumped, and slipped off of the cushy couch they'd been laying on, hitting his head on the bookshelf behind him. The loud noise seemed to wake up Ella, who rubbed her bleary eyes, and then noticed Cain on the floor, nursing his injured head.
As Cain was suffering from the sharp pain in the back of his head, he heard a giggle, and turned to see Ella holding back laughter looking at his pitiful state. He smiled wearily, but this kind of lightheartedness wasn't too bad, given the complete 180 his life had recently undergone. As Cain stood up, dusting off his clothes, Ella touched his shoulder and began a telepathic conversation.
"Back to reading soon, huh? I don't understand exactly what you're trying to accomplish here. Aren't you supposed to be going to the Mines?" She asked. Even though she was 20, the same age as Cain, she was painfully naive, having seen very little of the outside world in her life.
"It's never a bad thing to have too much knowledge, especially in my situation. I've never mined before, and I've heard that there are a multitude of dangers in the mines, including monsters and tunnels collapsing, to name a few examples." Cain always liked to have a general plan for things, and although he couldn't be prepared for every outcome, especially in Glacias, he could damn well try.
"Whatever. The other arrivals are out, exploring the town, building bonds with the townsmen, and learning plenty about Glacias in the meantime. Meanwhile, you have been cooped up here for 5 days, lost in books all day. I know you're mute, but that doesn't mean you can't interact with others." Ella had grown more comfortable with Cain over the past few days, and last night especially had helped birth an unlikely, but not unwanted friendship.
"Enough. Today is the last day I have before I will be moved to the Miners' Barracks. Then I won't have access to this wealth of knowledge, and I'll surely regret wasting time then." Tomorrow, Cain and the others were scheduled to move out of the Spire, their temporary residence, and find a more permanent one according to their assigned occupation. While some, like Noah and Theresa, could look forward to good accommodations, being treasured magic talents, Cain had no grand hopes for his new residence. It was next to the Mines, and he'd heard there were regular monster attacks, as the Mines were outside of the city walls. To be fair, though, the monster attacks usually amounted to nothing more than low tier monsters like goblins, hobgoblins, and kobolds. Very rarely would stronger monsters, though still of the lower tier, make an appearance, like the occasion Ogre or troll.
"On the bright side, the Mines will toughen you up. You look mighty frail for one of the arrivals. They're supposed to be innately gifted, and very strong. At least in the stories." Ella poked fun at Cain, who checked himself out in the mirror for pretty much the first time since arriving. He was a nice height, 1.9 meters (6'2 feet) tall, with short black hair and pale skin. He wasn't very muscular, leaning more towards lean. He had generic brown eyes and broad shoulders. He wasn't handsome per se, like Noah, but he stood a cut above normal people in looks. However, with dark circles underneath his eyes due to his long nights of reading the last few days, and his perpetually messy hair, he didn't make much use of it. Not that his main concern at the moment was his appearance. Rather, it was more focused on his survival. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, and hit the books. Ella joined him, and they passed the day peacefully reading.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Andromeda returned to the castle in a foul mood. Last night, a spy from another continent had listened in on her talk with her team about their mission assigned by their emperor. If it reached the wrong hands, it would have catastrophic consequences, not just for her, but for her Ice Phoenix Empire as well. Although she'd talked it up in front of the new arrivals, in all honesty, it was just a mere third rate empire in the Glacias continent. Given the great size of the continent, there were many Empires and Kingdoms always competing for land.
The Ice Phoenix Empire's one claim to fame was the ancestor of the current rulers, a descendant to one of the legendary Ice Phoenixes, one of the most renowned creatures in Glacias. Every continent had its own specialized environment, and thus special creatures. Glacias also had housed other creatures, like the Ice Dragons, the Frost Giants, and the Snow Fairies. These creatures couldn't be found anymore, the few left residing deep in the extreme wildernesses of the Glacias continent, in conditions no normal human could survive. It was a similar situation in the other continents.
But Andromeda had found a hint to the tomb of the ancestor of the empire, who had held the most pure Ice Phoenix blood in the history of Glacias. This was the one thing that kept it ahead of all 2nd rate empires, and even some first rate ones. However, as time passed, and the blood thinned, the Empire's forces waned. The discovery of the tomb would turn the Empire's fortunes around, and propel them forward in the rankings, back to their rightful place among the first rate empires. As Andromeda pondered what to do, her communication stone flashed.
Magic stones were a very versatile resource, and had a countless number of uses. It could act as a power source, a magic detector, and a long term communication device, among countless other things. If refined, it could even increase one's mana in both quality and quantity. However, there were certain methods to achieve these different results, and were closely guarded secrets among empires and kingdoms. A long distance communication stone like the one in Andromeda's possession could go for a fortune.
Andromeda answered, and soon, a wizened voice spoke through the stone. "How goes the search?" The speaker was clearly very old, but the words rang powerfully, and a certain person came to Andromeda's mind. The current emperor was quite weak for an emperor's standards, but his father, Erdhardt, the previous emperor, was a dreadful entity. More than 1000 years old, he was truly a monster. He was the one who'd prevented the current empire from falling, maintaining it for 600 years before passing it on to his son. He was another factor that let the empire stay afloat, and was well renowned on Glacias.
Nervously, Andromeda relayed what had happened, and Erdhardt fell silent. After a period of silence, he spoke. "I will soon head out to Frosthaven to help with the search and prevent any "unwanted" company from making trouble. I will arrive in a few months time, so you'll need to hold out till then. I hope you don't disappoint me." Although there was no verbal threat, the implication of his words left no doubt in Andromeda's mind that she couldn't screw up here. As the communication crystal dimmed, meaning the connection ended, she released the breath she'd been holding, and felt cold sweat all over her body. Reinvigorated, she began her search for the spy anew.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
The day of the new jobs had finally come, and Cain was reluctant to part with the library he had grown somewhat attached to. He reluctantly said goodbye to it, much to Ella's chagrin, and was guided by a servant out of the spire. They eventually reached the edge of the city, and arrived at one of the many city gates. He was led to a group of several horse drawn wagons. There, he saw a robust man with a bright red beard picking men from a crowd, and leading them to the wagons. The man turned, and noticed the servant from the Spire. He quickly made his way over, and looked over Cain.
"You the fresh meat 'dromeda recommended?" He asked in a gruff voice. Cain nodded, and the man frowned, but then understanding dawned on his face. "Oh, she mentioned something about you bein' a mute, didn't she." He grinned and took Cain's hand in his, giving it a vigorous shake that Cain was sure fractured a few bones in his hand. "Eh, never liked people who only speak flowery words anyway. The name's Angus. Yer a bit skinny, but I'll turn ya into a proper miner yet, don'cha worry." He laughed uproariously as he clapped his hand on Cain's shoulder, almost sending him face first into the ground.
After Angus walked back to the crowd to continue choosing potential miners, Cain, holding his shoulder and arm that felt like it was about to fall off, climbed into a carriage. He noticed that the 3 other men in it were fast asleep, and sat down. He looked out the window and was shocked to see Angus peering at him through it. Angus laughed, and said, "We're about to set off for the mining camp, Fort Tremor. It'll take us half o' the day, so get some shuteye." As Angus lumbered off to the front carriage. Cain worried for his future in the camp with this bear of a man.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
After several hours, they finally arrived at the camp. In the carriage, Cain had been practicing his magic sight, which was growing increasingly better. Before, everything was a blend of color, but he could now differentiate with much more accuracy, though it was harder to categorize the different colors he was seeing, as they came in many shades of the same colors, and all had subtle differences in shape when examined closely. He'd managed to figure out fire and water, seeing Noah and Theresa show off what little they'd learned so far at dinner. However, some would need further study.
As Cain walked through the wooden gates, the full camp came into view. And it did not disappoint his expectations. The barracks to the left were ramshackle, and collapsing in some places. All the men looked exhausted and weary, but surprisingly, only a few were in bad condition. The great majority looked like bodybuilders, with broad backs and beefy arms. His surprise must've shown on his face, because Angus came over and cleared up his confusion.
"Big, aren't they? Did ya think we were gonna starve ya? We need ya in tip top shape to be mining those crystals." As Angus proudly spoke about the miners, Cain pointed at the barracks. Angus, noticing where he was pointing, shamelessly pretended he hadn't heard him and called the new group together. He assigned them to a mining group, of which there were 12.
Cain somehow ended up in the group with all the men in bad condition. Whether horribly skinny, extremely fat, or injured, his group was a mess. He thought back on what Angus had just been saying and decided to take everything the big man said now with a grain of salt. As he was inwardly grumbling, he saw Angus board one of the carriages and head back towards the town. Shocked, he watched him go.
One of the men grunted, and said, "That damn Angus, he's all talk. He never spends time out here, but lives a cushy life off of our profits in town. The damn bastard." One of the skinnier men grumbled, and turned to Cain. "You're the mute, aren't you?" As Cain nodded, the man spoke again. "Typical of that bastard to assign you to our group. Well, welcome to Camp Tremor, named that on account of the frequent earthquakes, and collapses in the Mines. The name's Jack. Nice to meet you." Flashing Cain a smile holding barely any teeth, the man held out his hand.
"This camp, although under Angus in name, is actually under the control of a man named Buford. Stupid name, I know." The man pointed to a beefy man with long black hair who was laughing at something a man next to him said. "He controls the placement of the groups, and the food distribution for the most part. He packs any out of shape newbies, or people who have suffered injuries in this group. We're the unwanteds, and everyone could care less if we all die in a collapse."
Cain lamented his horrible luck since coming to this world as they guided him to their barracks. There was a barracks house for each mining group, and he noted Buford's was at the front of the camp, the least broken down out of them all. After walking for half an hour, they arrived at, well, what Cain assumed was supposed to be a house. However, it looked more junkyard. Whole walls had collapsed inward, and there was no roof to speak of. With virtually no privacy or protection from the elements, Cain welcomed his new home.
Somehow, that night, Cain had managed to fall asleep on a pile of straw, which was apparently one of the nicer sleeping arrangements in the house. Courtesy of Jack, who'd given the excuse that he was new, to the rest of the grumbling group. Cain missed his soft bed in the Spire, but oh well. As he stared up at the starry sky, training desperately to fall asleep, he recalled a few of the books he'd read in the library. A few on woodworking, and survival methods, such as cooking, starting fires, etc. Of course, Cain didn't dream that he could suddenly turn around the situation in this barracks, but he was certain he could gradually make improvements as he learned along the way. He resolved to talk with Jack and the rest of them about it tomorrow, and as he kept thinking about the possibilities, he slowly drifted off to sleep.
Cain woke to a loud yell right in his ear, and as he sleepily sat up, Buford's face took up most of his vision. "Get up, fresh meat! Time to work!" He flashed Cain a nasty grin, and headed back to the center of the camp where everyone was gathered. As Cain and the rest of the unwanteds arrived, Buford cleared his throat and addressed the group. "Hello everyone. As most of you know, I am Buford, the leader of this camp."
As he said this, some of the newer men who'd come along with Cain flashed questioning looks at their group mates, who shook their heads, motioning not to speak. However, one man had the courage, or maybe the stupidity to question him. "I thought Angus was the le-!"
He was cut off mid sentence as Buford's massive fist smashed into his temple, and he was sent flying, rolling a few times before coming to a stop in a crumpled pile.
Buford flashed a malicious smile, and continued. "As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted, I AM the leader here. I handle the group arrangements, and the food distribution, which is handled according to group contribution. Bring in the most, and you get the best choice of the foods sent here for us. Bring the least, and you'll be eating scraps and leftovers. So I'd hope you all do your best. Group leaders, help the newbies today. However, that's all the slack they get. I want them up to snuff by tomorrow. Dismissed."
As Buford finished, the groups quickly set out to their respective mines. As Cain went up along with them, Jack pulled him aside. "Listen, I know you're new, but for gods' sake, take off the coat and roll up your pants. You may not be used to the cold now, but you will soon enough, and it is hotter than phoenix flames down in the mines. Just a heads up. And here, this is for you. My treat." Jack flashed a grin, as he handed Cain a pickaxe. A pickaxe Cain almost dropped, as the immense weight almost slipped out of his hands. It was extremely heavy, weighing at least
80 pounds.
"You should be thanking me," Jack remarked as he saw Jack struggle to handle the pickaxe. "That's the lightest model we have. Some of the heavier ones can go up to 1,000 pounds, although only brutes like Buford can handle them." Once again, Cain was shocked by this world. He'd read that the continuous exposure to mana greatly affected even people without magic. It enhanced their bodies, and greatly increased their vitalities. Of course, in a case like Buford's, he likely had some monster blood in him. Troll or ogre likely, from what Cain had seen. No non-mage had that much potential.
Cain had found it quite strange when he'd found out it was common for people to be of mixed blood here. Very few were still purely human, as arrivals had mixed with others of different breeds, contributing to the diversity. Although there was a plethora of sentient races on Titan, many had degenerated to nothing more than savages after many years in this hellish place, and were now considered monsters, although of a higher tier than the common rabble. Very few sentient species still remained civilized, the most prominent being Humans, included mixed bloods, Beastkin, Elves, the Merfolk, and the Spirits. Many were born with inherent abilities, leaving all but the most outstanding humans in the dust. It was common to look down on pureblooded humans, as more often than not, their bloodlines held little potential in comparison.
Cain thought about how great it would be to have a more powerful bloodline as he walked awkwardly with the pickaxe. When they arrived, at the mine, which looked like a gaping black mouth in the mountain wall, Cain readied himself for the grueling labor to come. Alas, he still underestimated the mines.
Throughout the day, he took countless breaks, growing tired of swinging the burdensome pickaxe at the shining magic stones, or mana crystals, a more appropriate name. The crystals were very hard, and a full powered swing by Cain posed no threat to them, so he mined with reckless abandon, and managed a pretty decent haul in his opinion, having a dozen laying at his feet as the sun began to sink behind the mountain. As he wiped his head, and tried to ease his shaking, aching arms, Jack walked up, and looked at his pile, unimpressed.
"Cain, buddy. Look, you did an outstanding job for a newbie. Really, I didn't think you'd be able to use the pickaxe this much. However, I don't want you getting a big head over something this small." Jack gestured to the other men's piles, which Cain had failed to notice till now. They held a few dozen stones, and all the crystals. were double the size at least of Cain's largest.
Cain shook his head as Jack laughed at his expression. "Don't worry, you'll get used to the weight soon enough. You'll also get a better eye for where the good crystals are. Now come on, it's about to be dinner and we still need to transport these. As Cain stood to collect the crystals, something about what Jack said nagged him. Then it hit Cain. Better eye. He quickly activated his magic sight and saw many colorful clumps in the rocks. Magic crystals, perfectly visible with his magic sight.