Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
The repeated sounds echoed through the dusty mines.
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
It was meticulous, the clicking of the pickaxes against the stone and the ore being dropped into the carts. The light from the lanterns on the walls was barely enough to illuminate everything, shadows played on the walls.
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
It was maddening after a while. Alexa knew someone who had been killed after going mad and trying to attack the guards. No one escaped from here, you served your sentence then you went home. That’s what the Royals said.
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
Yet Alexa’s sentence was supposed to end two months ago. Made her want to scream and demand she get to go home to her daughter, but then they might just increase her sentence. Never trust people with power.
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
Dust drifted up from the rocks. Alexa sneezed. It was the only sound she heard besides the meticulous clicking of the pickaxes on the stone. She looked at the rocks thinking. Could I break out of here?
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
Then there were the plodding footsteps. Guards turned the corner laughing to themselves as the pushed a new slave. What else could you call them, constantly toiling in these mines, never to see your loved ones again?
The new guy was pushed nearby and told to begin mining. The guards left, leaving him and her alone.
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
“So what are you down here for?” The guy asked, he wore the clothing the male slaves wore, not more than sack clothes, but his eyes were a pretty blue and his hair was kept clean it seemed. He had muscles, he’d make a good miner.
Alexa stayed silent going about her mining. Click, ore fell. Pick it up, drop it in the minecart with a chink.
“Well my name’s Steven and it seems we’ll be mining together.” He seemed happy as he began swinging the pickaxe. Maybe conversation wouldn’t be so bad? When was the last time she talked to a real person?
Click. Clink.
“My name’s Alexa. It’s nice to meet a friendly face in the veins of the earth.” Alexa said, still mining, it took her a moment to remember the words.
“Well, I’m glad to see everyone down here isn’t dead inside. So what are you in for?” He asked, generally curious.
“Not paying my taxes, I was sentenced to four months of hard labor, been down here for six.”
“Oh, so they make you work longer than you should?”
Click. Clink.
“They think we don’t count the days.” Alexa turned away beginning to cry, “The Royals throw us in here and keep us here so they can get rich and fat off our labor. They don’t care whether we live or die. Only that we make them money.”
“Well I’m down here for trying to assassinate Lady Carina,” Steven said matter of factly.
Alexa dropped her pickaxe. She had to scramble to pick it back up. While doing so she looked at Steven’s ankles. Yes, he had magic-canceling bands. “You nearly killed Lady Carina!” Alexa was overjoyed that some people still were willing to fight against the monarchy.
“I sadly didn’t succeed, so now I don’t have my payment and I’m down here in these dusty caves,” Steven said, mostly sad about payment it seemed. “This air can’t possibly be good for our health.”
Click. Clink. Click. Clink.
Alexa went back to mining, She didn’t have anything else to say.
Click. Clink. Click. Clink. Click.
Alexa snapped around, Steven had unlocked one of his shackles, and it had fallen to the ground. He looked up at her with a guard’s key in hand. “Well I’m not sticking around, want to escape with me Alexa?”
Alexa looked at him. Then thought about her daughter. “Nothing would make me happier.”
The alarms went off. Steven picked up his sword and dagger. Intricately carved with images of leaves and wind spirits. Alexa looked panicked. Steven was calm. Stepping out of the guard area near the entrance he walked forward. Even in these winding tunnels it seemed like he knew where he was going. A guard turned the corner, sword in hand.
Alexa stepped past his body as shiny red liquid began spilling from his throat. Steven wasn’t playing anymore. Several guards were waiting at the entrance to the mines. Each ready to fight. Steven lifted his hand, “Cyclone Blast,” The guards were hurled backwards by a blast of wind magic. Steven began slitting throats. Alexa was horrified. They might’ve mistreated her but they had lives as well.
It was over in moments, Steven stepped outside. Alexa stayed back and threw up, before following him out. It was bright and Alexa needed a second for her eyes to adjust to normal light. The two quickly moved away towards the shelter of woods. “My sailboat is docked in a hidden cove, hopefully no one found it.”
“Okay,” Alexa was still pale, and not just from being underground for so long.
The two reached the cove where Steven’s boat was still docked in the water. The sky was growing dark from the clouds, a storm was coming. She then heard the thrashing of guards coming behind them, they had been followed.
“No time to waste,” Steven grabbed Alexa and jumped into the boat, before putting her down and setting off into the Bronze Sea. Alexa began laughing. She hadn’t laughed in six months.