Two chapters today. This is the last part of the trilogy. I had planned to put this chapter into Vol.7 but decided against it and instead turned it into a side story for Vol.6
I hope you enjoy this chapter. Oh, and these last two side stories are it for Vol.6. After this, we are on to Vol.7
I'll see you all on Monday.
---
We marched through the Iron Citadel without setting up camp and barely stopped to gather our energy, drink water, and tend to our wounds. It was an absolute slog, but none of us even sighed. We all wanted out of here sooner rather than later.
I don't even think if we stopped to sleep, any of us would have gotten rest. The only good part about this mess was that Ryan wasn't in danger of dying anymore, and for some reason, we hadn't run across a single monster, which was both a blessing and a curse.
As we just witnessed, not running into monsters was not a good thing. It tended to mean that something was horribly wrong or that something was about to go wrong. But all we could do was stay vigilant and try not to make any mistakes because the longer we stayed in this dungeon, the higher the chance we wouldn't make it out.
And if those things were chasing us…it wouldn't go nearly as well the second time.
Thankfully, none of our deepest fears came to pass. Instead, we successfully made it out of the Iron Citadel with no resistance.
Sadly, we weren't exactly greeted with a hero's return. Not that we had expected it or anything, but finding yourself at the end of a sword was never a pleasant experience. Whieland, just like Luminar, protected their border with the Iron Citadel religiously. But it seemed they were even more on edge.
There were fewer guards here than in Luminar, but all were sporting full plate armor with blunt weapons designed to crush the undead to dust or guts. And all of them were jumpy at even the slightest movements despite us clearly being living and breathing creatures like them.
Honestly, it just pissed me off. But whatever, if they were getting reports of similar things that happened to them, I would be on edge as well.
All of us were dog-tired and wanted nothing more than to get out of that place. It was only thanks to Twilight did things get smoothed out. He took charge and got all the guards to calm down and let us through. Twilight secured us a light mage with just a few words and even went off to report everything himself.
He is trustworthy for a guy who hides his face. Maybe that just runs in the family or something?
We spent the next three days recouping in a small village on the outskirts of Whieland. Out of the three City States, I found Whieland to be the most miserable one of all. Something about all this rocky soil and the mountainous area just seemed so… depressing. There wasn't much green around here, it was just white from the snow and gray.
So why do I feel like Luminar is better? Maybe the colorful trees and forests? Yeah, that's probably it. And maybe because of the fact that nobody is chained up like a bunch of animals. Damn place…
After three days of resting, we immediately set off to our quest location. Let's just hope our friend hasn't disappeared in the last couple of months.
—
Squeak's POV
I started loading the cart with stone and was about to let out a sigh as I heard footsteps echo off the walls of the mine. Typically nobody bothered me all that much. I was given a task in the morning, and I was done with work when I was finished.
As a model worker, I never stood out and always did what I was told. It was just the way to be, the way to live. And in doing so, the foremen would leave me to my chores. There were only two types of people who came to see me.
Those who wanted to waste time by talking about nonsense or those that wanted to belittle me. Judging by the relaxed footsteps and the heavy footfalls, it was probably the latter group.
Occasionally, one of those bastards would come over just to harass me. Maybe it made them feel like the bigger man or something. But, most of the time, they just left after a few weak words. I guess they didn't like that I didn't give off much reaction. But there was nothing I could do but just accept it for what it was. I was here in this mine for a reason.
And I deserved every moment of it.
The footsteps stopped behind me, and I slowly turned to face the man. But instead of finding some scum, I found the Chief Foreman looking down at a piece of paper. I had only seen him from a distance, and he had never even so much as bothered to look my way. I'm sure it was much the same for others as well.
Damn it, is it really time to go back into the loop again? I was starting to wonder if I had been here too long.
"You are Squeaks, yes?" he asked me gruffly.
"I am."
He nodded once, pulled out a feather pin, and used the soot from his finger to sign something. His dark brown eyes looked at me with utter disinterest.
"There is a sack watin for you. Pack your belongings. You are to report outside at the front gate immediately," he said before walking away, not even waiting for me to ask a question.
"Damn…I really did get sold off. What a pain," I grumbled. I looked down at my filthy and blistering hands. "And belongings? What kind of sick joke is this? I don't even own the dirt between my toes."
Since the boss didn't say anything about bringing my tools back, I just tossed them on the floor and headed to the barracks. I passed by all the usuals. Some waved to me, but most just kept their heads down and focused on their work.
The barracks were a good distance away even though we were underground. And since I was in one of the deepest parts, it would take a while. But I couldn't help but groan as a bulky figure blocked my way. It was one of the pains in my neck that always bothered me regardless of what I was doing.
But much to my surprise, he just scoffed at me and went in on some other poor soul who was swinging his pick just a little too slow for his liking. My bare feet crushed the rocks with each step as the sounds of metal on stone echoed in the tunnels.
After a long walk, I finally made it to what I had been calling home for at least half a year—just a roll of sandy cloth on the hard stone ground—home sweet home. A ration sack with some small holes in the burlap awaited me, but…there wasn't much to put in it. I had some extra food I had bartered for, and that's all I had to my name.
"Well, whatever," I grumbled bitterly.
But I noticed that I wasn't the only one packing up, and it was an odd bunch at that. Many young ones were filling their sacks with whatever trinkets, shiny rocks, and bobs they had managed to trade for during their time here.
It went without saying that children were valuable in slave mines, even if there were only about six of them. They were small, could get into cracks, and go exploring in places we couldn't. However, most kids didn't last long, on account of being kids and all and having dangerous jobs. Nothing like a Rock Worm to ruin your day.
I wonder how that kid is doin'…it's been a long time, but he is probably dead, tortured by some sick fat noble in Sandervile, no doubt.
Well, I decided to wait for them since we were probably going to the same place. Ain't no way this was a coincidence. And I can't even begin to imagine why I am being tossed into a group with a bunch of kids. Despite my dashing looks, my youth was long over.
Once a few of the kids finished, the others hurried up and stuffed their packs to the brim. They lined up behind each other, and all looked at me expectantly. I hadn't meant to become their leader, but it is what it is.
I sighed, and together, the seven of us walked out to the surface. The guards sent us pointed glares as they "protected" the slaves bringing ore and stone to the surface, but none of them touched or stopped us. Which probably meant we really had been sold off to someone.
Time like this usually meant a rock to the stomach or an outstretched foot to trip us.
One might think it was odd that no guard or free worker was guiding us, but there was no point in running. It's not like we were at a camp in the planes. There was one way in and one way out of the mine. Running was just a waste of effort and was far more trouble than it was worth for most.
Eventually, the chilly winter breeze graced my skin. It had been far too long since I last felt the fresh air on my skin and in my lungs. Then, even light from outside started overtaking the torchlight. It grew and grew until the sun's brilliance blinded me.
My eyes watered and stung so bad I wanted to rip them out. No matter how long I've spent underground, going out to the surface after months of being down in the depths was never easy. But after a bit of groaning and mental complaining, the fuzzy view in my eyes lessened, and I could see again.
The camp just outside the mines was bustling with people as usual. Even with the snow on the ground, it didn't impede the operation in the slightest. Nothing short of a monster attack or the mines being flooded did that.
Although the kids were following behind me, I wandered around aimlessly for a bit. It's not that I didn't know where the front gate was. I was just wasting time. I figured I would enjoy this little time under the sun before I got stuffed into a wooden box with bars and sent off to Delpha knows where next.
But I started to feel a few pointed glares from the guards and gave up on that. I guess even though I was free from them, I wasn't free to do what I wanted.
I stepped through the packed snow that felt like needles on the bottom of my feet and shivered slightly at the frigid cold. I personally didn't mind the cold, but on account of wearing a glorified sack for clothing, it's not hard to imagine why I was not all too fond of it at that moment.
I scanned the front gate, the only entrance and exit to the camp, but oddly enough, I didn't see any slavers. Come to think of it. It was a bit odd to see any of those scum running about during the winter. Many chose to hunker down in a city, waiting out the winter for various reasons. Chief among them was that feeding extra mouths in winter was more expensive, and most slaves died in the cold.
So who is buying an old Dwarf and a bunch of kids in the middle of winter? Probably some freak….great.
A group of people was off to the side, arms crossed and watching me: three Human men and two Beastmen women. The men didn't look all that unique, just a bunch of adventurers wearing run-of-the-mill gear with winter coats. However, I guess they appeared to be somewhat decent, considering they are taking care of their stuff, even if it's cheap garbage.
Then again, that tall baldy had several wooden planks nailed together as a shield. But the rest of his gear doesn't look so shabby, besides the dents in his armor. I guess that meant something happened to his shield since his current one looked brand new. Even the paint looked fresh.
The wolf Beastmen stared at me with a cold blank expression, like a beautiful ice sculpture that was too life-like. Unlike her buddies, her gear was better off. She had clearly chosen some note-worthy stuff, a solid Dwarven Steel sword and good enough cobalt and Glotliath leather armor to match. Despite looking relatively young, she seemed to know her stuff. But I guess you could never tell with a Beastmen.
But that tall bear one…now that was a woman. It was damn cold outside, but she was practically wearing nothing yet didn't seem to have a care in the world.
I was never much of a soldier, but that's one castle I'd like to storm.
After watching, they whispered some things amongst themselves and waved me over. I wasn't sure what a group of adventurers wanted with us, but I had no reason to ignore them. And getting closer to the beauty would be worth it.
"So, is this weird-looking lecherous Dwarf the one we are looking for?" the bear Beastmen said as she puffed out her chest even more.
Never mind. She's one of those flirty crazy types that stab you in your sleep. I like my jewels attached to the family treasury, especially when I'm asleep. Some things are just too good to be true in this world.
"I believe so. The markings match up with our description," the wolf one said in the most uninterested dry tone I had heard in a long time.
"It's him," another deep toneless voice said.
My eyes locked onto and up at the newcomer as he came out of the guard shack. He was tall, and his armor was pitch black, made of pure Mythril that seemed to suck in the sunlight around him. The craftsmanship was damn good. Not as good as mine, but more than passable. I'd recommend it to anyone.
But, out of everyone here… I actually recognized him.
The Twilight Knight gave a short bow. "It's an honor to meet you again, Lord Mountainbreaker. I had a feeling it may have been you we were searching for."
"It's been forty years since I last saw you? Haven't changed a bit, huh?" I mused. "And you can drop the Lord Mountainbreaker. I'm no lord, and I ain't no Mountainbreaker. Just call me Squeaks like everyone else."
The man nodded awkwardly. "I see…much has happened since our last meeting. I wish to speak to you about it, if possible."
I just sighed. "I don't know why you are looking for me, but if you bought me to free me or make something for you, I ain't going, and I ain't smithing. So just save your money and sell me back to the mines."
The others remained silent as I looked over at them. All of them had wide eyes as they looked at me like I was some kind of freak.
"What? You got a problem or something?" I spat.
The lankier of the Humans with the knives on his belt scratched his chin and awkwardly chuckled to himself. "Nah…it's just…I don't think I've ever heard a Dwarf sound like this before."
"Nor have I seen one with no hair. Look, even his body is barren, like the desert, besides those markings. This is hard to look at," the one from The Dunes said with raised eyebrows.
"This isn't some sideshow for you. As I said, I'm not going with you, so just leave me alone," I said with a dismissive wave. I looked back at the kids and then back to Twilight. "I heard your clan does well with kids. Why don't you take them back with you?"
Twilight nodded. "That is the plan. We were expecting even more children, but this is fine. Although I recommend that you hear us out before you make any further assumptions. Mr. Nick, if you would be so kind," Twilight said, motioning him forward.
The lankier Human, Nick, stepped forward, unrolled a scroll, and cleared his throat. "As of today, all—"
"You are supposed to ask if they can understand, Nick," the bald Human said with a kind smile.
"Oh, that's right." He cleared his throat and looked at the children. "Can the six of you understand me?"
I looked back at the kids, and instead of answering him, they just nodded at me. "Seems so," I said in their stead.
The man grinned in satisfaction. "Good, good, that saves us the trouble. Now as I was saying…" he trailed off as he brought the scroll to his face. "As of today, all six of you children are free. Any debts you owe, or anything else have been handled entirely by the Dragonheart Foundation. This is all thanks to President Sylvia, who you may choose to thank one day or never."
Nick looked at the boys huddled behind me with a smile. It was no wonder the children were baffled at what they had heard. They hadn't even made a noise of surprise. They had probably resigned themselves to live and die in the mines, and most of them probably never expected to see their tenth birthday, let alone become free men.
"Now that you are free, we want to help you. Do any of you happen to live in Luminar? Or—"
The bear Beastmen let out a loud groan. "Nick, you are going to bore these kids to death at this rate. So instead of going one by one…just do this," she said as she strode forward. "Listen up, kiddos, do any of you have any family to go back to? It doesn't matter where you are from or how far you have come. You just have to tell us where, okay? There is nothing to be worried about," she said with a friendly smile.
The kids looked amongst themselves but said nothing in response to her question. It was depressing to hear that and see that reality. Most children their age should have been on the verge of collapse at even the idea of meeting their families again. But if none of them were saying anything, that meant they probably didn't know where they came from, who their families were, or even worse, knew they didn't have any family.
One of the Human boys, who looked to be the oldest, stepped forward. "I'm from Ostela…but I don't know if my family is there anymore," he said meekly, his voice hoarse and dry.
"Do you want to return to Ostela? We can take you there; even if you don't want to stay, you don't have to. But just know that your final destination will probably be Luminar if we can't find your family," the bear said to him.
The boy nodded once and shrank back into the huddle. Then another boy, a Half-Elf, stepped up. "I'm from Tel'an'duth…miss."
"That's not a problem. We can return you there if you want," she told him.
Nick nodded and gestured to everyone else. "As for the rest of you…you are all very young, and we understand that you have nowhere to go. The Dragonheart Foundation wants to give you a chance to come to Luminar to stay there with other children who are just like you for free. There you will be fed, given a home, and even have the possibility of receiving an education or work. But…if you don't want to go, you don't have to. We were told not to force any of you," he said with a firm smile.
"For those of you who want to leave and go on your own, you will receive money, clothes, and rations. We will also guide you to any town or city on our way to Luminar, Tel'an'duth, or Ostela," he explained.
"Seems too good to be true," I said honestly.
All eyes turned to me, and the kids' moods dropped in an instant. It's not that I meant it to be like that. It was just the truth. If a bunch of kids were getting a cart of gold when all they have been getting in life was a mountain of dung, they should be wary of whoever is giving them the cart.
But they are too young to know that, and they are getting blinded by an opportunity of the likes they have probably never seen. "What? It's true. Do you mean to tell me there is some kind of children's paradise in Luminar? We all know the stories of Luminar and how they treat slaves, but we also know there is no way it's that good," I said in their defense. "Everything has a cost in this life, even if they are free men."
The boys huddled closer to me, and out of all people, it was Twilight that stood forward. The kids paled at the giant man in intimidating armor, but I met the stare from behind his helmet.
"I would agree with your observation, " he said plainly. "However, your benefactor is a different case. He has already paid his part, so to speak. I should have told you that Kaladin Shadowheart sends his regards, Squeaks. And that he is finally keeping his promise but is sorry it took him so long."
"Kaladin…Shadowheart?" I muttered in disbelief.
I blinked a few times, my vision fuzzy and my ears ringing like never before. It reminded me of the time I got hit with a hammer while wearing a helmet I was testing.
I think this is what people call shock.
"He's…alive? And he came back… for me?" I said, looking up at Twilight.
"Yes, Sir, he is alive. He has been looking for you for a year now. But he wished to relay to you that he is sorry that he could not free you in person. You see, he has only recently reunited with his family. He also has a daughter to take care of now. And after slaying the Chaos Dragon, he has become quite the busy man," Twilight explained.
A family…and a daughter? As well as a Dragon?
"Dragon? The Dragonslayer is freeing us?"
"Is that true?"
"I heard the Dragonslayer was a great Elf from a faraway land…is he really saving us?"
"Can we trust them?"
"I think we should…"
The children whispered to themselves, but I was too baffled to pay any more attention than what I overheard. A debt that I could never pay. A sin that I could never right. An exile I would never return from. A nightmare that would never fade. A promise that could never be upheld.
It has finally come to an end…all thanks to him…
"We can give you some time to think this all over if you need it," Nick said with an awkward smile.
"There's no need," I muttered quietly.
"Wait? What was that? What did you say?" Nick asked me.
"I said! There's no need!" I yelled as I put my hands around the thick red iron collar around my neck.
"Wait! Stop him!"
"Don't kill yourself now, you idiot!"
"Lord Mountainbreaker!"
The voices called out to me, but I paid them no mind. I ripped the collar off with ease. The locking mechanism comes off as if it was never activated in the first place. There was a meaty thud as the collar impacted the snow and sank into it.
"Huh…but Kaladin said it might have been an Obedience Collar…" Nick said with wide eyes as he stepped back from me.
"Most impressive," Twilight said with a hint of admiration, straightening himself.
I scoffed at him. "No silly invention of mine is going to hold me down now that I'm free." I turned to the boys behind me. "Listen here, I won't tell you what to do, but I'm going to trust these people. Maybe you should too."
"He switched up fast," the bear mumbled to herself quietly.
I turned back to the adventures. "Now then, take me to Kaladin now. I believe Keldrag Pass will be unusable for some time, so let's go through the Iron Cit—"
"Not happening."
"Never going back there."
"You are waiting for the ice to melt."
"Don't even think about complaining either."
My eyes widened at the onslaught of sudden negativity from the various voices of the party. All these people seemed so kind just a moment ago, but they all glared at me with tired and resentful eyes. It felt like I pissed on their mother's grave and laughed at their faces. Even Twilight shook his head despondently.
This is going to be a long winter…huh…
Well, just wait for me, Kaladin. I'll be seeing you soon, kid.