Here you all are, bet you thought I wasn't going to update so soon. Heh, I wasn't. But today was a long day and this just makes me feel better.
Tino was somewhat short for his age. He was only 16, still with light skin and fair hair, and even a little pudge to add on. However he deceived others as he was much stronger than he looked. It was just another morning, he heard his father get up and go off to work, he got up not too long after and moved the covers off of him as he went to the kitchen where a bowl of porridge was set out. He smiled as he sat down to eat, before getting ready for the day.
He went about his usual schedule, no longer going over to his aunt's since he stayed home to work on the garden. He walked out into the tidied garden where once overgrown weeds and grass grew, the grass was now short and soft with the warming spring sun. Winter had just passed two weeks ago and already the air was turning warm. He smiled and walked out barefoot as he examined the small vegetables that's when he heard his name being called. He looked up to see Lukas walking over to him, a small boy following him. His other younger cousin, Emil. He smiled and wiped his hands on his clothes, "Hi Lukas!" he smiled.
"Hey," Lukas replied as he entered the garden, "Mom sent me to bring you some bread," he held up a small loaf to him and TIno took it thanking him.
"Anything new happening in town?" Tino asked.
Lukas shrugged, "A couple things here and there but nothing to special." He watched as Emil began to wonder around the garden as he took a seat beside a soft flower bed. Emil was just now old enough to go to school and even attended a few classes here and there. Tino only hummed and sighed, how he wished he could attend school in town. But school was far too expensive, luckily he knew how to read and write from his father who taught him when he was young. "Well actually there is someone new in town," Lukas said and sat down and began playing with a blade of grass between his fingers. "All the adults say he isn't to be trusted, though."
Tino frowned a bit, "Why not?'
"Because there is something weird about him," Lukas mumbled. "He is supposedly really wealthy and just lives outside of town in the black forests. His servant however is the one who usually comes into town to run his errands for him." Tino chuckled and pulled up another small weed from the earth. "The servant is….loud, obnoxious."
"Lukas, you should be nice," Tino muttered glancing at him.
Lukas shrugged, "His hair is all weird too… But he comes into town at least twice a week and buys things in large abundance. He nearly made the bakery run out of bread."
"Oh my," Tino chuckled, "Well he must be a very hungry man."
"Whatever the reason is, everyone says not to trust him. But they're all such hypocrites, whenever the servant comes into town they all swarm around him asking him if he needs anything," Lukas crushed the blade of grass in his fingers. "If they say not to trust him why do they end up coddling him?" he threw the blade of grass down and scowled..
"Well Lukas, they're just trying to survive," Tino replied. "Granted it's not nice to be that way, they should at least go visit him to see if he's alright. What if he is sick? Maybe that is why he sends his servant for him."
"Sheesh you sound just like my mother," Lukas teased before standing up and wiping off his pants. He walked over to sit beside Tino as he was moving a few seeds about and then he took a deep breath, "They want to send me to work in the mines….starting next month."
Tino paused and he stared down at the warm soil, he slowly dropped the seeds inside the small hole he made and he sat back on his knees looking at Lukas. "Are you serious?" Lukas nodded quietly not looking at his cousin. "Why? I mean...you don't have to, right? The mines are really dangerous…" he whispered.
"I know, but things have gotten a little harder lately, with mom falling ill dad said I have to go and work." He shifted a bit playing with the dirt underneath, "I told him I could find another line of work, but he said the mines needed more workers. It's not the best pay there is, but it's enough to help us."
Tino clenched his jaw before getting up and walking over to a small bush that was just blooming. It was just one bush out of many that aligned with the sides of the small cottage and even poured over the fence and into the wild. The bushes were filled with silver leaves and small silver buds that, when fully opened, will look like silver moons. He snipped off a small piece and placed it in a pot, "Here, take it."
Lukas looked at it and frowned, "A moon rose? You still believe in that wives tale?" Tino didn't answer and pushed the small pot towards him. He sighed and took it looking at the small little bud.
"Keep it in your room, it'll keep you safe," Tino mumbled before turning back down toward the seeds he just planted and covered them with dirt.
Lukas looked over at him and smiled gently, "Don't worry I will."
Afterwards Lukas and Emil left home, and Tino was feeling worried. He knew over the last few years there had been many accidents, and his father had even talked about the mine becoming weak. He sighed shakily and went inside with a full basket of fresh herbs. He set them down and began to wash them as he glanced about the small cottage, it was lovely and calming, but also lonely. He pushed the thoughts aside and set the fresh herbs out to dry.
The next moment, he felt the house shake. It creaked and rumbled and it seemed to slant over a little more. Tino's eyes widened as dishes fell from the cupboard and the table with the drying herbs flipped over. He fell to the floor and covered his head, but as quickly as it had came it had disappeared. He laid there for a few more moments before he carefully got up and made his way out of the house. That's when he saw a large pile of dust to the east, where the mine was. He felt his heart stop and skip a beat for a moment, then he felt his feet moving.
He was running quickly toward the mines the dirt road was flattened by years of workers coming to and fro the mines. He nearly tripped as the dust began to clear he could hear voices and shouting from the other side. "Dad?" he shouted "Dad!" he felt tears prick his eyes and then his feet came to a halt. The opening of the mine was caved in and he felt his entire body go numb. Men were running outside yelling at one another trying to find a way into it.
"Start digging them out!"
"There is no way they survived it!"
"Start digging !"
"How many were there?!"
"Where are the shovels?!"
"They took all of them!'
"12 were down there!"
"Names I need names!"
Tino watched as the men scattered about but he saw nobody digging. He felt his chest tighten as he ran straight toward the mine and he began moving the rocks away. He flung them behind him and kept trying to find a way in. "Hey! Hey kid what are you doing?!" he heard someone shout as his arm was gripped and he was pulled away.
"I'm digging! What does it look like?!" he shouted. "My dad is down there!" he screamed and forced himself away from the man as he began to move the rocks away again. He was trembling as he did so, rocks and dust flying up in the air.
"Y-You heard him get digging! With your hands if you have to!" The group of men started to dig.
Taisto coughed roughly as he blinked a bit, it was dark...extremely dark. Dust was filling his lungs as he coughed a bit and started to feel around him. For a few moments he thought he was dead but soon began to feel his own body again. Once his eyes adjusted slightly he saw a dim light, it was from an oil lamp "Taisto? Taisto?" he heard a familiar voice calling him from the dark before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and could barely make out the facial features of Elo, "Taisto?" he asked again and Taisto slowly was helped sitting up. He trembled a bit and was placed against a slab of rock.
"What happened….?" Taisto asked as he felt Elo move away and watched as he grabbed the dimly lit oil lamp bringing it closer between the two of them.
"The mine, it collapsed," Elo replied and held up the lamp to Taisto's face only to see blood dripping down. "Shit," he muttered and took off the rag from around his neck and wrapped it carefully on Taisto's head. Then took off his shirt and tearing a piece off of it to wipe the excess blood off of him.
"Collapsed?" Taisto asked with a sudden look of panic, 'Where is everyone? Do you know if anyone made it out alive?" he asked.
Elo just shook his head, "I don't know. I woke up and I just saw you,," he muttered. He held up the lamp as both men looked around. They were stuffed in a corner of the mine with a very large slab of rock that fell over and leaving two very narrow slits to escape on either side. There was hardly enough room for them to stand up and Elo resorted to crawling trying to get near one of the slits and held the oil lamp closer to it.
Taisto heard Elo gag and cough and quickly push himself away from the slit. "What? What is it Elo?" he asked and looked over at the dimly lighted area where the lamp rested. There was blood seeping down between a few rocks and parts of flesh and bone were scattered on the floor beside it. Taisto covered his mouth and looked away. The slit was blocked off by rocks, "Check the other side," he muttered.
Elo cleared his throat and nodded as he pulled the lamp away and crawled over to the other side. He trembled slightly as he peered into the darkness but felt a small draft from that side. He held the lamp closer and noticed no rocks were blocking the way. He couldn't see far enough to see how long it stretched, but he relaxed knowing they did have a way out. "There is a way out, and I can feel air coming in," he said and held his hand close to it.
"Well at least we won't suffocate," Taisto mumbled and pressed his hand to his head. "Is it big enough for us to fit through?" he asked. Elo shook his head, but he knew the answer already.
"Hello!" Elo called out through the small opening. "Is anyone alive!?" he asked and held the lamp up as he peered through the hole but saw nothing but darkness. He sat back and sighed deeply.
They both knew the truth, even if they were found, there was no way they were going to be able to move the large rock blocking them in. "Don't worry," Taisto said, "I'm sure they'll find a way." He smiled softly at Elo who smiled weakly back. There wasn't much hope, but it didn't stop them.
Tino was now being surrounded by townspeople.
"More shovels!"
"Bring some water! Make the soil soft!"
"Where are the barrels?!"
"More shovels!"
Tino quivered, covered in dust. His eyes were watery filled with dust and the air was becoming thick. "Tino! Tino!" he heard his name being shouted before he was pulled back. "Tino!" he saw Lukas looking at him and handed him a shovel, "Use your strength," he muttered. Tino looked back at the shovel and nodded as he turned to begin to dig again. His hands gripped the shovel tightly as his knuckles turned white. He threw shovels of dirt behind him quickly, but each time he did it was like more dirt would just cave in.
Just as Lukas turned around he ran into a man who was tall, blond, spiky hair that seemed to go all over the place. He was dressed in aristocratic clothing, very much unlike his lower class like clothing. "What are you doing here?" he asked before walking past him.
"Ah," the man smiled at him and followed him. "I'm just wondering what happened here."
"The mine fell, can't you see?" he growled and tried finding another shovel.
"Isn't everyone inside dead then?" the man asked.
Lukas turned around quickly and nearly slapped him, but restrained himself at the last second, "Don't you dare ever repeat that." He murmured and turned around quickly. "If you're not here to help then get the hell out. We don't need people like you around."
"How about this, I can help you. Well more like my master can, but in return for something."
"What exactly can your master do?" Lukas said walking and trying to get pails of water, annoyed that the obnoxious man with crazy hair was following his so casually.
"Well for one he can easily get all the men out of the mine, he is that strong after all."
Lukas paused looking at him and then at his clothing, "How can I trust you?"
"You can't," the man said, "I mean it's only natural that you don't. But my master doesn't work for free, so you would have to give him something in exchange."
"We don't have much money if that's what he's looking for. We can barely make it off the mine if you haven't noticed," Lukas already felt the beads of sweat collect on his forehead as the sun was rising higher into the sky and the heat beat down on them.
"He isn't interested in your money," the man said calmly, "You see he is looking for a wife, and he'll help you for exchange of one."
"A wife?" Lukas frowned, "I...you would need to talk to the mayor. I have no right to make that choice," he mumbled.
"Of course, where is he?" the man asked. Lukas glanced around before seeing the mayor just a couple yards away from them. The man nodded, "By the way, my name is Mathias," he said looking toward Lukas before taking his hand and placing a kiss on it. Lukas pulled his hand away immediately just as Mathias walked off. He rubbed his hand over his shirt for a few moments staring after the tall blond man, but he didn't have much time to ponder on his actions as he was yelled at to get more water.
Meanwhile, Tino was using all the strength he could, he could feel the sweat running down his chest and down his back, his shirt damp. The dust got stuck in his throat and eyes, he felt his muscles wanting to give out but he couldn't let them just give up. He clenched his jaw hissing out throwing several more shovels of sand behind him. All he could think about was his father Don't worry Dad. I'll get you out. He felt his lips shaking, he knew the sorrowful truth that most likely his father - along with all the other men - were dead. He didn't want to believe it. No. He wouldn't.
Well hope you all enjoyed, leave a review please? Thanks!