Playing with Fire

Playing with Fire- Chapter Sixteen

Well, I'm starting this a day before it needs to be finished, so if you know me in real life expect me to have a bruise somewhere on my arm. I've just had the busiest weekend (went to Avril Lavigne!) and there has ben literally no time to write. That and my muse is being stubborn and I have no spark right now.

Hmm. Enjoy, maybe? I don't know what the outcome of this will be. Have *fun*!

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The steady, pounding rhythm of wheels against the dirt road was almost enough to lull me to sleep, but I kept my eyes open by repeating the Ten Commandments of Lǐmào over and over in my head. Soon enough the words were running through my mind, a swarm of bees set loose to sting me whenever my eyes began to dim.

The midday sun was blocked out by the white covers, leaving us cool and comfortable. A slight breeze circulated around the wagon and cleansed the air of an aroma of sweat. I sighed contentedly, leaning back and allowing the air current to play with the split ends of my inky hair.

"It's beautiful out here, isn't it," I murmured, pressing my shoulder against Hayden's. "So different from back home. I mean, look at the hills!" Hayden's shoulders bobbed up and down in a silent chuckle.

"Completely different from home," he agreed. "Pretty cool that we get to see all of this, huh?"

"You think you're lucky?" a raspy voice coughed from across the wagon. We turned simultaneously, seeing that the words had come from a grizzled old man with permanently coal-darkened cheeks. "Sure, the hills are nice. Hell, even the mountains are nice. But when you get to the mines?" He shook his head roughly, thin whisps of stringy grey hair creeping out from under his miners cap.

I cocked my head in confusion. "What about the mines?" I asked, almost afraid of what his answer would be. Whatever was wrong with the mines, it must've been really bad to diminish the old man's perception of beauty.

The creased corners of his mouth turned down in a grimace. "You ain't never known nobody who worked in the mines before, didja? Although, I guess I should've expected it. How much does a stupid little girl know about anythin' besides serving a man?" I narrowed my eyes, staring him straight in the eye with my left hand playing with the hilt of one of my swords. He laughed cruelly. The sound grated on my ears and my mouth twitched in annoyance.

"A sword, girl? Really? Waddaya wanna bet that you ain't never used that in your life?" I felt Hayden stiffen beside me, his eyes becoming icy and fierce.

"She can use it just fine," Hayden seethed. I backed up his words by unsheathing the sword in one fluid motion and twirling it in a complicated pattern. It was something I'd learned from Hayden, naturally the best swordsman I knew.

"I won't take your word for it," he snickered. "Anyway, you were askin' about the mines. And soon as we get there you'll see. Them mines, they're hellholes. Filled with soot and ash, so dark ya can't see your own hand in front of your face." He shuddered, like he was seeing that darkness, feeling the ash on his leathery skin. "Heard noises down there when I did night shifts. Place is s'posed to be a hotbed fer demon activity. Just last month seven miners disappeared without a trace.

"And don't even get me started on the working conditions. Fifteen hour shifts, two meals a day made up of bread n' water, punishment for "not completing the daily quota". By the end of one shift, ya won't be sayin' anything about the beauty of this place. It's ruined for all o' us."

I blinked twice, thinking about the horrible working conditions those who were unfortunate ebough to become miners had to endure. Surely, there had to be someway to fix it. It would have to wait until the Dragon Master murderer was caught, however.