Chapter 1: Jack; Vagril 5th, 343SR; 15:08
'Another day of mining... Is this all I was born for...' Jack sighed as he stared at the back of the miner in front of him. Their pickaxe slammed into the wall of rock, it's surface lit orange by the two lanterns. Green specs of logorite shimmered off the falling ore. Jack sniffled, the dust and sweat permeating the air irritated his nose.
"So- uh... Ben, how long have you been in Logos?" Jack stuttered as he made his fifth attempt at conversation.
'Is he around my age? His height and muscles make him look a lot older than sixteen...' All the muscles in Ben's wide back flexed as he raised the pickaxe overhead. He pulled it down, cleaving a chunk of the wall off, the strike echoing through the cave. He pulled his oily hair back, the sweat kept it in place. Ben had a long face, narrow eyes, and small facial features. He didn't resemble the other slaves, but Jack hesitated to ask about his parents. He always had a stern expression, never said much at all, and barely made eye contact. With his burly appearance, he was rather intimidating. 'They'll probably shave him soon...' Jack rubbed the top of his flat head, brushing his fingers against the remaining stubble. On the ground was a dirty white tee like the one Jack was wearing. They both wore loose brown pants held up by a simple black leather belt, the bottom stuffed into black rubber boots.
The pickaxe soared down again, more chunks of rock and dust scattered into the air. Ben shielded his eyes as he stepped back, catching his breath in the haze of dust. In one motion, he brought the axe overhead, grasped it with both hands, and swung down as hard as he could. With a frustrated grunt, he cleaved off a massive chunk. Broken ore clashed against the wall, rolling over the pebbles on the ground. The clangs of every other miner's pickaxe repeatedly rung in his eardrums. The mind numbing noise was almost rhythmic.
"I was just taking a short break! It's not like mining is easy! Why don't you give it a shot! You weren't doing anything anyways!" a familiar voice echoed through the cave.
Jack turned his head and looked off towards one of the lights in the dark. He saw the silhouettes of two people, a disobedient miner, and an angel with a staff. The angel raised his weapon and swung down. Even from a distance, Jack heard the thud of the strike.
"Ah!" she cried.
"There goes Carol, can't just do what she's told... At this point it's your fault you're getting beat... Idiot..." Jack whispered to himself as he shook his head. "Hey Ben, let's make a bet. If I can guess whose getting beat, you work my shift?"
Ben picked up his shirt and threw it over his shoulder. His pants were drenched in sweat and his hands shook from constantly striking the rock. Ben silently filled the bucket with the ore on the ground. Once he was done, he turned and picked up his lantern with the same hand he held his pickaxe.
"Don't talk to me..." Ben walked past Jack without looking at him.
Jack stared blankly at the wall, a lonesome chill embraced him as he lowered his head. 'It was just a joke...' He looked back toward the silhouette of the disobedient miner, as they stood up. Even from a distance, Jack could tell Carol was sticking her tongue out at the guard, mocking them as they walked away. 'Well, Carol is the only one who talks to me... She's kind of annoying, but at least there's somebody...'
Jack dragged his shirt over his scrawny body and dropped it next to the lantern, then grasped the iron handle of his pickaxe. 'Vagril only just started but it's this hot out... I'm sweating just on my way here...' Jack struggled to lift the iron pickaxe above his head. The muscles on his back tugged his skin, he still felt sore from yesterday. Jack held his breath, then swung the pick down with all his strength, slamming it into the wall. The pickaxe rattled, an uncomfortable ripple bounced through each bone in his arms. Jack tightened his grip and readied for another strike, but heard the familiar clicking of the guard's metal boot approach.
"Jack Eldritch?" the guard addressed him.
Layers of white robes covered the male guard's whole body, his face was covered by a mask with two holes to see through. They seemed to glimmer in the darkness with their bright uniform. He held a clipboard, with an iron staff secured to his back.
"Yeah... That's me..." Jack replied as he tossed a chunk of ore into the metal bucket.
"As of today, you will be responsible for the property of your mother and father, the third house on the south east quadrant of Logos," the guard explained.
"Oh... Right," Jack replied.
"Look at me when I talk to you and reply respectfully," the guard suddenly ordered as he placed an empty bucket next to the filled bucket.
"Y-Yes, sir..." Jack muttered as he turned to face the angel.
The angel handed him the key to his parent's property. "Where is your previous meal slip..."
Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled white slip, four of the five boxes were filled. As he unraveled the paper, the guard impatiently snatched it from his hands. Jack pulled back, raising an eyebrow at the sudden aggression. The guard looked at it, then scribbled something down. As Jack waited, he looked down to examine the key in his hand. The thin metal was of a silver color, it had a jagged set of notches along one edge. The numbers '03' were etched into it.
"For your own good, I suggest you speed up... You're too slow, even when it comes to mining..." the guard handed over a small strip of paper with five empty boxes on it. "Here is your meal slip for next week. I'll let you off with just a warning this time, but each day you miss your quota, that's one meal gone..."
Jack took the small sheet, nodding as he stuffed it into his pocket along with the key. 'Does he have to be such a prick...' Jack twitched as the guard turned and walked off into the darkness, his silhouette was still visible against a different light in the cave. However, the guard suddenly stopped.
"You are aware of why your parents were executed, right?" the guard asked.
"N- No sir... No one told me anything," Jack shook his head.
"Sixteen days ago, on the eightieth of Grivar... They sabotaged this mining operation, an act of treason against the alliance. They chose to reject the will of the great Celestial. Alexander Rael executed them for not remembering their place. You would be wise to not repeat their mistakes, do you understand?"
"I... I understand," Jack lied.
"Good. Your parents were fools. They should have appreciated the nobles hospitality, we don't need to provide you shelter and good food every day... It'd be in your best interest to not take it for granted..." the guard concluded his lecture and walked away.
Jack turned back to the wall. He stood in the circle of light produced by his lantern, listening to the rapid clangs around the cave. His back felt colder than before. His grip on the rough iron handle tightened, with both hands he lifted the pickaxe. His nose twitched while he grit his teeth. Jack swung down with all his strength. The pick pierced the wall, sending another ripple back through his arm, but it didn't slow him down. He ripped the axe out, and then swung it again without a moment of rest, grunting angrily as he continued to smash the wall in front of him.
* * *
The divot in the wall was slightly bigger than it was eight hours ago. Jack laid on the floor as he steadied his breath. His hands were blistered. His feet were sore. All the muscles in his upper body ached. Despite laying in filth, he was tired enough to fall asleep in it. The sparkles of green logorite on the dark ceiling dimmed slowly, the faint light of lanterns they reflected off got further away as the miners made their way out of the cave. But one pair of footfalls came toward him. 'Here she comes...'
"Jack were done for the day, lets go..." said Carol.
Jack turned his head and was met with her wide green eyes. 'Yup...' Jack sighed, pushed himself up with his elbows, then got to his feet and stood up. He brushed the pebbles and dust off the back of his pants as he shook his head.
"I'm not staying at your place anymore, they gave me my parent's property. You don't need to wait for me," Jack flapped his shirt, wisps of dust flew into the air.
"Oh, that's..." Carol hesitated as Jack pulled the dusty shirt over his head. "Well, I expected they would eventually, but that's great! You don't have to sleep on the floor anymore!"
"Yeah, I don't have to listen to you ramble anymore either..." Jack smiled as he picked up his lantern and turned towards the exit.
"Heh!" Carol snickered with an awkward look. "Was it that bad?"
Carol was a bit taller than Jack, wearing the typical miner's attire. Brown pants, and a beige shirt, both usually stained by sweat and dirt. Her skin was rough from working constantly, and her large green eyes were hard to focus on because of a bruise on her forehead. The tips of her short black hair just barely reached her neck.
"Well, I was hoping you weren't getting transferred. Not like it'd matter anyway," Carol breathed a sigh of relief.
"I got transferred from Torovince last week, why would they transfer me again? Why do you even care?" Jack groaned.
"Well, I'd... Be sad if you had to leave... But even if you left, we'd always be friends," Carol replied. "It's... Nice to have someone to talk to..."
Jack pursed his lips as she said that. "Was that bruise from earlier today?"
Carol quickly turned away, adjusting the bangs of her hair to cover the mark. "What bruise?"
"Why'd they hit you anyways?"
"They're a bunch of losers, why else? I'm fine, stop worrying..." her voice cracked.
Jack started toward the exit. "Well, if you didn't complain, you probably wouldn't have gotten hit..."
Jack raised an eyebrow as he thought about her weak attempt to hide the bruise. 'Everyone in the cave probably heard it... Whatever... Maybe she just thinks it looks ugly...' He ignored it and kept walking. Carol followed close behind with her head low. They reached a narrow pathway, their lanterns lit up the dark interior.
"Jack, do you hate this place?" Carol suddenly asked.
"It doesn't matter how I feel..." Jack groaned. "This is just, how things are..."
"Your parents hated this place..."
Jack glanced back at Carol with one eyebrow raised. Her eyebrows were furrowed, and she was unusually sullen. Carol dragged her hand over the gashes in the wall, she seemed like she wanted to say something.
"I didn't ask-"
A series of metal clangs suddenly startled Jack and Carol. From the top of the path, they heard the frustrated tantrum of a guard, repeatedly slamming their staff into the wall like an angry child. The annoying sound reverberated through the cave repeatedly. The noise rattled Jack's ears each time.
"Where are the last two damn maggots! Hurry up!" the guard at the entrance hollered.
"Were on the way!" Jack yelled back.
"Get out here faster! I want to be in the comfort of my own home! Not waiting for a couple of maggots!" the guard condescendingly yelled.
The guard was a woman, wearing the familiar white mask and white robes. 'What the hell is her problem, she's done nothing but stand there all day... We're the ones actually working...' Jack and Carol walked out of the cave. The guard's eyes were wide with rage behind the holes in the white mask.
"We're only a few minutes behind the others..." Jack shook his head.
"What was that! What did you say?!" the guard hissed, vitriol spilling from her tone.
"I'm just say-"
Before Jack could respond, the guard grasped her iron staff, and bashed it into the side of his face. His head whipped to the left. His vision suddenly blurred. He stumbled back and quickly lost his balance, dropping his lantern and pickaxe. 'Ah!' Jack grasped his face, his skull throbbing from the impact as his mind went blank.
"Jack!" Carol cried, her voice was hard to hear over the ringing in his head.
Tears spilled from his eyes. His feet dragged over pebbles as they curled in. The spot where he was hit throbbed in pain as his head rattled. A metal boot slammed into his chest. 'Ack!' Jack grit his teeth, only to open his eyes wide as another stomp to the stomach winded him. The guard pressed her heel into his chest relentlessly. Jack struggled to breathe, curling up as he tried to defend himself.
"Damn, maggot! You waste my time, and then have the nerve, to talk back to me!" The angel slammed her metal boot into his stomach three more times.
"Ah!" Jack cried out in pain.
Each hit hurt more than the last. A sickening thought came to mind as he tried to endure the abuse. 'Did this happen to my parents too...' Jack was suddenly overwhelmed with immense, humiliating fear. The thought of death flashed through his mind.
"Stop! Please stop!" Carol pleaded as she shielded Jack with her body, wincing as she took a kick herself. "He's new here! Please! He doesn't know better!"
The guard pulled away, huffing angrily. Jack gasped for air as he rolled onto his front, his breath ragged and harsh. He held his side tightly as he rolled back over, the pain still lingering.
"Maggots..." the angel spat. "Consider yourself lucky, if Alexander were here, he wouldn't be so kind..."
The guard turned around, then started down the dirt path that led around the mines. She shook her head as she muttered slurs and curses. Jack rolled onto his front as he caught his breath, pushing himself up. His pickaxe was in arms reach, his eyebrows furling as he looked at the iron edge. He reached for it, but Carol grabbed his shoulders and held him back.
"Don't!" Carol whispered with grit teeth. "The punishment for hurting an angel is- It's... It's worse than death... And killing an angel... It's even worse than that..."
Jack huffed angrily, loosening his grip on the pickaxe. His eyes quivered, frustrated tears flooded out of them. Carol closed her eyes and shook her head. She tried to bring him closer for a hug, but Jack pulled away as he stood up. His chest was numb from getting kicked repeatedly. He felt pathetic trying to hold the rest of his tears in. Carol stared at Jack as he held his head, her eyes full of concern.
"I hate this place..." Carol whimpered. "I hate all of it..."
Jack didn't reply, he started walking slowly through the forest. The dirt path was covered in foliage, there was a tree in every direction. Faint lights shone through the gaps in the thicket up ahead. Jack winced and limped every step of the way down the path. His head was numb from the strike earlier. The impact and pain was burned into his memory, constantly reminding him of how weak he was.
"It doesn't matter how we feel..." Jack muttered under his breath.
As they reached the end of the forest, they could see the small town of Logos between the last few trees. The dirt path toward it separated a light-yellow field of wheat, and another field of tall cornstalks. The path was lit by lanterns hung between the forest and the town. The sun was setting in the west, a field of orange clouds painted the pale blue sky. Jack's pace had returned to normal, but the pain from earlier lingered.
"It's going to rain tonight," Carol pointed out as she stared at the dense clouds. "I wonder how we'll mine tomorrow..."
"Obviously we're gonna keep working, it's not like the angels care about a bit of rain or flooding..." said Jack.
"Not if... We couldn't mine..."
Jack turned and looked at Carol, behind her was the mountain and forest they had come from. But even further behind the mountain, was the Celestial. It loomed over everything, a grey pillar stretching beyond the clouds. It was so tall, it almost seemed like there was no end to it. Carol stared up at the massive tower, her back facing Jack.
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked.
"A few weeks ago... A storm happened, your parents used that opportunity to close the mines with logorite... No one had to mine for a week..." Carol explained.
"Logorite can do that?" Jack tilted his head curiously. "My parents closed off the mines for a week?!"
"Yeah... Of course, we did have to just clear it up ourselves... Took forever, but..." Carol hesitated.
"Wow..." Jack felt admiration for a moment, but his smile faded quickly. "That's... That's why... They were-"
"Jack... I'm going to close off the mines tonight," Carol looked at him with a serious glare.
Carol looked around, making sure no one was watching. She pulled two chunks of logorite ore from her pocket. Jack's eyebrows furled as he stared at the green studded rock.
"Is that why you got punished today?" Jack asked.
"I almost got caught, but I made a scene to play it off," Carol explained. "I was wondering... Do you want to help?"
"Huh?" Jack shook his head in disbelief. "Did you seriously just ask me that, you got beat up today and now you're going to do something to get yourself executed!? Look at what that last guard did over the littlest reason!"
Carol frowned and looked away.
"And you want me to come along too? Just be like everyone else Carol! You're throwing your life away! It's pointless to resist the angels..." Jack shook his head.
Carol stared at Jack with a blank expression, then looked down with somber eyes as she walked past him. "If you change your mind, come by my place... I'm leaving in the night..."
"Were you even listening?!" Jack shook his head and kissed his teeth. "Ugh..."
Carol took a few more steps, then stopped. "Sorry... I only asked because I thought you'd want to get back at Alexander Rael..."
Jack froze as Carol continued down the path. 'Get back at... Alexander Rael?' The thought of revenge stuck to him tightly, but he quickly shook his head. 'Don't listen to that idiot... You'll get yourself killed... Just like...' Jack shuddered, he felt a pit in his stomach. He shook his head again and continued toward the town. The sun had gone down. The once orange clouds were now a dull grey that blended in with the dark blue sky.
The road widened as Jack reached the north entrance of Logos. He stood in front of the familiar intersection. The road straight ahead lead to the center of the town where the merchants from Helios set up their caravans. The two roads on the left and right were a single circular path that lead around the town. Wooden houses made from logs were on both sides of the circular road. Carol had gone left, going straight home rather than eating dinner. Jack shook his head. 'If she wants to throw her life away... That's her choice...' Jack continued forward into the center of the town, trying his best to hold his head high. 'It's her choice...'
The sound of people conversing about their day grew louder as he got closer. Famished men and women indulged themselves in company and food. They boasted about how much they had mined, or who could drink the most. Jack wanted to join them, but he knew he'd just be scolded or mocked. He examined the variety of options each merchant had, but his mind was made up immediately as his nose was drawn to a rich aroma of spices. He turned his head towards the smell, and noticed a whole turkey cooking over a fire. Jack's stomach growled at the sight of the charred golden-brown skin. It's juices dripped into the flame next to the merchant, causing it to flare and crackle. There was an assortment of fresh ingredients prepped and arranged in a basket. Bright red tomatoes, white onions, green lettuce, a stack of flatbreads, and a bowl of white sauce.
"Uh, hello," Jack nervously greeted the merchant angel.
"Greetings! Would you, like a scrumptious sandwich!" the merchant offered in an enthusiastic way.
"Yeah... I'll take whatever you got," Jack shrugged.
The old angel had wrinkled skin, but a cheerful and inviting smile. He wore a cap atop his head of curly black hair. His nose was plump and covered in bumps, and his skin was of a dark brown complexion. 'He looks like he's from lower Helios...' The merchant wore a full sleeved dark blue robe, covering his whole body except for his brown leather boots. Jack held up the new meal slip he received. The man took it, punched a stamp, and handed it back.
"Thank you for choosing my service, I'll make sure you won't regret it!" the old man grinned confidently. "I make the best sandwich in Helios!"
Jack looked down at the stamp. 'Amalun G...' But his attention was drawn to the man as he went into action. He grasped one of the supple flatbreads, spinning it as he threw it just close enough to the fire. It's surface bubbled and rose quickly, puffing up with air. The merchant then stuck a skewer into the plump turkey and carved chunks off with his knife. He held the skewer over the fire for a moment, giving the slices of meat a charred crust. He picked up the light brown and toasted flatbread with his bare hand, then used it to pull the meat off the skewer. 'Doesn't that burn?' He spread a dollop of the white sauce on the side with his knife, then threw in a handful of each vegetable. Once all the ingredients were added, he skillfully weaved the flatbread around it all, tightly sealing everything up.
The merchant presented it to Jack with a confident smile. "Enjoy."
'That was... Fast...' Jack's stomach growled as he held the assortment of different foods weaved together into a pouch. It was big, the surface of the bread was a little hot, but it smelled incredible. He inched forward and opened his mouth, taking the biggest bite he could. His eyes widened, then his eyebrows furled.
"Mm!" Jack moaned as he chewed.
The crispy flatbread had a satisfying texture. The vegetables felt cool and refreshing while paired with the piping hot turkey that danced around his mouth. But the meats savory succulence was perfect as the tangy sauce brought every flavor together. He didn't wait to take another bite, experiencing it all over again.
"How did you make this?!" Jack mumbled with his mouth full, he took another bite without swallowing the last.
"I did it in front of you! Was it so good you forgot? Wahaha!" the man laughed out loud cheerfully.
Jack closed his eyes and chewed. 'This is bliss...' A bit of the sauce fell out onto Jack's palm and rolled down his arm. He licked it off, then shook his head in disbelief. 'Just the sauce alone is so good...'
"I am definitely coming back tomorrow, I have too!" Jack stressed as he walked away, holding the sandwich up.
"Hah, I look forward to it kid! Glad to hear you like it," the merchant laughed as he nodded with a content smile.
'The guards may be awful, but the merchants are really nice...' Jack followed the dirt path back to the outskirts of the town as he ate his sandwich. The voices of the crowds grew distant, leaving just the sound of his own chewing. He walked south through Logos and eventually reached a forked path at the other end of the town.
He took a left and gazed upward, looking at the familiar view of a vivid green flame against the last stretches of the dark blue sky. The flame burned atop an ominous black tower, somehow built onto a small island floating hundreds of meters above the ground to the south east.
He read the numbers of each wooden house in his head, until he got to the one labeled with the number three. 'This... Is it...' He walked up to the entrance, then set his lantern and axe down on the wood. There was a faint step behind him as he put the key into his lock. The footfalls suddenly got louder as someone approached quickly. Before he could turn, an arm hooked around his neck and yanked him backward. 'Ah!' The key was ripped out of the lock with him as he was dragged off his feet. Jack dropped the sandwich, the contents spilling out over the porch.
"Ack!" Jack choked.
The arm around his neck tightened. He couldn't speak or breathe. His feet reached for the floor. A hand searched Jack's pocket, and then pulled something out. A foot suddenly planted into Jack's stomach and his eyes opened wide to see another non-unified. A slave with dark skin and curly hair. He looked angry, his teeth clenched, and his eyes wide with furled brows as he threw his fist forward. As Jack took the punch to the left side of his eye, his vision blurred. He could barely make sense of what was going on, but then felt their foot press into his gut. 'Rgh!' He felt chunks of the food from earlier climb up his throat. Someone else tried to pry the key from Jack's hand, but he desperately held it in his fist.
"Leave him alone! Both of you!" a woman across the street shouted. "Stop it Franklin!"
After another kick to the stomach, Jack was thrown to the ground. The assailants hurried off around the back of the house. Jack laid in the dirt for a moment, his face was flat against the ground. He slowly pushed himself up, holding in his reflex to throw up. 'Ah...' Jack coughed as he looked to the woman who helped him.
"Th-thank you..." Jack uttered in pain as he looked up at her.
The woman was a bit shorter than him, she had long blonde hair tied back in a pony tail, and a youthful face. She wore a loose white dress women commonly wore before they slept. Jack looked up at her face and suddenly felt uncomfortable, she had an unforgiving glare as well. Her blue eyes burned with a fury that he couldn't explain. She was disgusted.
"You look like your mother..." she muttered and shook her head, turning around and walking into her house.
Jack rolled onto his back, looking up at the sky that was now pitch black. 'Why did she look so angry... That guy looked angry too... What did I do... Why did they even-' He checked his pockets, but didn't feel anything. Jack suddenly sat upright, he felt the insides of his pockets once more as he realized what they took. 'My ticket... My food for the week!' Jack stood and hurried to the side of the house to see if the assailants were still around, but they were long gone. There was only the empty space between the two houses, and a locked door leading to the cellar. 'Franklin...' The name rang in his head, the thought of his face made him twitch. His neck felt sore from being choked, his stomach already hurt from earlier, and his head throbbed with both pain and anger. Jack sighed, hopelessly turning and walking back up the porch. He put the key into the lock and twisted it, the dark brown door creaked as it opened.
Jack moved his pickaxe inside by the door, picked up his lantern, then limped into the house. He was met with a dark empty room. There was a single door leading to a bedroom on the left. In the center of the room was just a dining table and chairs made from wood. Jack set his lantern down on the table, it lit the room with a faint orange glow. Upon opening the bedroom door, he found a closet with some old clothes, and a bed. 'This must have been there only belongings...' Jack sighed, but then noticed something on the wall, it was a portrait. Jack reached for it, taking hold of the smooth wooden frame and pulling it off the rusty nail it hung from. He wiped the rough dust off the glass with his thumb as he brought it to the light, revealing two people standing together.
It was an illustration of a bald man with a strong jaw and dark brown skin. Next to him was a brown-haired woman with a much lighter skin tone. She had a gentle smile, and was several months pregnant when the photo was drawn. Jack stared at the picture, focused on the woman's stomach. His eyes quivered, a stream of tears flooded out of them. Jack's breaths got heavier as his teeth jittered. His knees hit the floor. The picture slipped out of his grasp, bouncing against the ground. His arms weakly fell to his side. 'I'm going to be here for the rest of my life... Until I die... Just like them...' The fear, frustration, and envy all reached a boiling point.
"Alexander Rael..." Jack seethed.
Jack's head throbbed as he remembered the name of the man in charge of Logos. The pain reminded him of the consequence of disobeying the angels, but he no longer cared about the punishment. He remembered what Carol had said.
'I thought you'd want to get back at Alexander Rael...'
Jack looked at the front door, his fists lowered. 'That piece of shit... Alexander Rael... He killed my parents... He's the reason I'm in Logos... Why is someone like that blessed with power!' Jack wiped the mucus and the tears off, stood up, and then sprinted out the front door. He ran up the porch of the second house down the road from his own, then slammed his fist against the door. 'If I'm going to die anyway... What's the point in doing what they want...' After a few seconds, a pair of steps thumped against the creaky wood inside. It opened slightly, Carol poked her head out to check who it was, she had changed into a thin white coat commonly worn by alchemists. Upon seeing Jack, she opened the door with a mischievous grin on her face.
"Looks like you came to your senses," said Carol.
"I want to help..." Jack stated, his voice full of intent. "I want to kill Alexander Rael... I don't care what happens to me after that..."
Carol was taken aback by his sudden resolve, but she smiled. "Alright! I feel a lot better having a partner in crime. Come on, let's get revenge. For my parents and yours!"