A Journey through Kingdoms

CHAPTER 46- SET UP

The slaves would enter the cavernous space on the side of the cliff face, with a few pushing along the minecart along with them to transport the goods back out. "So all you guys do is mine all day?" Tetsuga would ask 0121 as they walked together through the dark mine as the light from the outside slowly left them and the light from the torches were the only things illuminating their path ahead. "All day, all night. That's what we've done for the past years or so. Hell, some of us have been here since we were young," he would reveal to him, which was something grim that Tetsuga had yet to hear about this kingdom from personal endeavors. "Jeez. I knew that this place was wacky, but that's a whole other branch entirely," Tetsuga would comment, as from his past experiences, he hadn't been snooping too deep into the kingdom's private affairs. It was more touch-and-go for him.

Once they had reached the end of the cavernous tunnel, the slaves began going to work as they raised their pickaxes and started mining in all directions. Tetsuga would look around for a bit with his pickaxe resting on his hands. "Huh, this is pretty depressing," Tetsuga would say as he watched them all slave away at their assigned jobs. "Well, you get used to it after a couple weeks," 0121 would tell him as he continued to mine. Tetsuga would look back at his section of the wall and decide that there was no point in dallying. So he goes and starts mining along with them as the loud cacophony of mining pickaxes echoes throughout the tunnel, reaching the outside. Tetsuga would only hope for himself that he wasn't going to be here for more than a week.

While they mined away at the mines, the now-reduced trio was making plans somewhere as they had settled to discuss them just outside of the kingdom gates as Pyxis and Cherry were seen loitering near a tree as they waited for one of their members to arrive. They didn't have to wait too long, as Derrick finally arrived with a big sack draped over his shoulder. "I got the stuff!" He said as he gently placed the sack down on the ground in front of him. He would then open it for the other two to peer inside to see the copious amount of pyrocitite piling up inside. "Are you sure this plan will work? Kinda just sounds a little reckless, don't you think?" Cherry would comment, as the plan they had in mind seemed a lot more foolish than foll proof. "It'll be fine. Derrick told me that life isn't anything without problems," he would recount to her as Derrick's words held true to him, which the boy was glad for. "Besides, I'm done playing it safe. Those knights will get what's coming to them. once and for all," Pyxis would say as he clenched his fist in determination.

Cherry would sigh as she let it be for now. "Just make sure nobody dies here, okay? You guys still have to escort me back home, y'know." Cherry would remind them, which was very true since their whole purpose for being here in the first place was to get her back home. "Don't worry, Cherry! After we break Tetsuga out, we will be on our way to you home! I promise!" Derrick would flash her a smile to assure her that if things went according to plan, they would be back on the trail again in no time. This gave Cherry enough reassurance, as she smiled a bit. "Alright, so what are we waiting for here?" She would ask as they stood about. "The cover of night..." Pyxis would reply as they looked up and witnessed as the afternoon slowly turned to night. giving them the perfect cover to enact their master plan.

As the night rolled around, so did the slaves, hard at work as they walked out of the mines with the minecart trudging along. Luckily, Tetsuga was there to lighten the load as he pulled it along like a dog on a leash with his magic as they exited. "Wow, that's pretty nifty," 0121 would comment, as he found Tetsuga's magic to be quite the help for everyone as it easily pulled the cart along instead of multiple people trying to push it back out. "Eh, its something I got from a friend. It is helpful from time to time," Tetsuga would say as the blue magical line disappeared into the air. "My, my. It looks like you all have been busy. The cart is practically filled to the brim," the knight from before would say as he approaches the cart.