Chapter 15

Largos De Varion

In the 98th Dungeon in the Kingdom of Gahol. There can be said one of the largest reserves of ore in the world. The Primitive Dungeon, Largos De Varion. In a large camp in front of the dungeon cave, a caravan stocked with supplies has come to a rest.

"Get out!" yelled a big man. He grabbed Mylene and Grey and tossed them out of the cage.

The big man pointed to a large crowd of kids in front of the cave. "Get in line. Now!"

Mylene and Grey nodded weakly, walking to the crowd. A man standing on a pedestal tapped his stand with a long wooden stick. On his head was two round glasses, wearing a flowing robe that dropped down to his legs. To either of his side were imperial soldiers, dressed in battle armor, holding spears.

"Vagrants! Orphans! Runaways! According to the imperial decree by Governor Yu in an effort to stem the flow of scum on the streets. All of you are conscripted to work for his majesty's realm. Who can say this isn't the highest of honor? Shout if you acknowledge this honor."

The children looked at each other confused. Many of them wear rags, but a few here also wore some elaborate silk embroidery.

"Sir!" said a young boy near the front. "I think there is some mistake! I was walking with my dad when I was accosted so unjustly! Can I go home?"

"Me too!"

"I want my mom."

"My stomach hurts."

The man waved his stick and slammed it into the ground. "Enough! I have heard your complaints, but your parents have given their full cooperation. You are to stay here till they come to pick you up."

Several of the children looked relieved, but those dressed in rags could only question further.

"But I don't have any-"

"Then you'll be returned at a later time. If you are good, then surely we will not be unkind. You will be fed and roof over your head. Do you dare be ungrateful?!"

The rest of the children stayed silent.

"Now, take a number from the box in front of the cave and report to your overseer. The tunnels are labeled 1-10. If you do not know how to count then ask the guards on your way in. You are not allowed to trade numbers. Now leave!"

The children filed away in lines.

"Grey, what will happen to us?" asked Mylene. Her voice trembling. While she was not a clever child, she already knew the man was lying. He was only telling the children whatever they wanted to hear.

"I don't know," nodded Grey. "Let's just follow them."

Grey went to the wooden box and pulled out a number. The number three. Mylene was right after him. She pulled up the number four.

"Ah," whispered Mylene. Would she be separated from Grey? They had journeyed so long together. She couldn't bear to be apart. She looked at the guard holding the box. "Sir, can I take the same number as him? I-"

"No," said the soldier solemnly. His face as unmoving as stone. "Move along."

"But," Mylene looked at the guard. Grey pulled her arm. "It is okay come lets go. Don't cause trouble. We can still see each other even if we are in different places."

Mylene and Grey made it to the line in front of the tunnel. Guards were lined up on either corner of the tunnel every five feet. Grey looked in front, trying to see the inside of the cave.

"I don't like this," said one of the girls. "I was supposed to be shopping today with momma, but now this happens. If my father ever hears about it these people will be punished."

"This is kind of exciting," said a boy with a bandana over his head. "Look how big this cave is? What is in here anyway?"

Mylene could spot the number three in the boy's hand.

"Ah, you there," whispered Mylene. "Yes, you with the thing on his head. I must have that number. Can you trade with me?"

"Huh?" said the boy turning around, "Why should I trade it? Is there something amazing about my number?"

"No, but my friend has number three. I don't want to be separated. Please?"

"Okay, I don't mind I guess, but if there is something amazing that way give it back to me okay?"

"Thank you."

The guard saw this and walked towards the Mylene. He grabbed her hand.

"Overseer! This one was trying to switch numbers!"

"Ah, how uncouth."

The overseer was a portly man with a large leather whip. He moved sluggishly from the front of the line of children to Mylene. Mylene trembled. Her legs shaking.

"Little girl. Rules are made to be obeyed. When one breaks the rules, others are sure to follow. Here is a little pain to remind you right from wrong."

The guard turned her around. The overseer drew back his whip and struck her hard on her back. The clothes ripping, leaving a bloody line.

"Ah!" cried Mylene, tears falling from her face.

"Now who was it that you switched with child? Give the number back to him and let him taste punishment as well. Ten lashes for both of you."

The boy with Mylene's number was shaking too. His eyes wide. Mylene looked at him. But before anything happened. Grey stepped forward and bowed. His thoughts collected.

"Oh?" said the overseer. "Boy was it you?"

"Sir, please let her off. She did wrong. No need to punish anyone else."

"Oh? So polite? Child you have such terrible clothes yet your speech is quite fancy. Did you not hear what I said? Offenders should be punished. If you are not the offender out of the way."

"Elder, you are right to be upset, but we are all young. If you hit us so much then perhaps we will not get up. Do you wish to kill us? If you kill us will we not be able to return to our parents?"

The other children looked at Grey. Many of them who were enjoying themselves were suddenly reminded of how they were kidnapped.

"Little kid," chuckled the overseer. He could see he was being threatened by a child and it amused him. "If you are so brave, will you take all the lashes yourself? You say you will die if you get hit by all of them. I say you are wrong. Dare you take my bet?"

Grey's eyes widened. He did not expect this adult so be so cruel! The overseer laughed inwardly. This little kid thinks he is so clever, but even so he is still a child! Will he dare take all the hits. The overseer thought not!

"I-I'll take all of it!" said Grey. His face pale.

"What?"

"I'll take all the lashes. Please forgive her."

The overseer face contorted into an ugly shape. This little kid! Did he think he was bluffing?

"Then lay on the floor. Your back outstretched. If you can endure twenty lashes without screaming then I shall say this matter was settled."

"Grey!" yelled Mylene, crying.

"It's okay. Please be quiet," said Grey, lying down.

"One!"

The whip sank into Grey's back. His body arch in a horrible manner. The loud crack echoed through the cave. A bloody mark coating his clothes.

"Two!"

A few minutes later, the children moving forward. The only two left in near the front of the cave were Grey and Mylene. Grey's back was bloodied. His eyes nearly rolled over. He wheezed. Blood trickling over his mouth.

The overseer stood there panting. His breathes heavy. His eyes furious. The child had not screamed once. He turned away with disgust, not bothering to say anything. The guard let Mylene go.

"Grey! Why! You, you," sobbed Mylene. She could not even touch Grey. His flesh exposed. A dark red.

"Its...okay...lets go...."

Mylene lifted Grey up to his feet. His arms around her shoulder. They limped to tunnel labeled number three.

~~~

A few days later, Grey limped to the mine. They organized the groups of children into pockets of five. Given a pickaxe, they chiseled away at the edges of the dungeon wall. Every so often large gems and ores would fall out and they would put them in their bags and take them to the mining cart.

Mylene stood next to him. Her eyes full of worry.

"Grey you don't have to work hard. Let me take these sacks to the cart."

While everyone carried their sacks on their backs. Grey could only drag his on the floor. His back horribly scarred.

"Sorry," he said.

"What's there to be sorry about. I am strong too! Even if you decide to sleep all day. I can do enough for both of us," smiled Mylene, softly. She took his bag and headed down the tracks.

Grey headed down another part of the tunnel. Here several children, scrawny and thin, lay collapsed on the walls of the tunnel. Cave sickness. No one knew what it was, but every now and then a child would fall ill and not get back up. These were the ones closest to death, and also the ones that had been here the longest.

He walked up to one of the children. The boy leaned on the wall. His eyes glazed over, yet his chest rose and fell.

"Are you awake? Herbert?"

"Ah" said a rasped voice. "Grey have you come to visit me again? Why not let me go in peace you weird fellow."

"How can I leave a clever kid like you alone? Do they not say birds of a feather flock together? Let us clever kids talk for a bit."

Herbert chuckled. No one dared go near those infected with cave sickness, but this boy had figured quite early that the sickness was not contagious. After all, there were sick people all around, yet only those who had been here the longest had gotten sick. The sickness was caused by the cave, not by people.

"They do not give us enough food. I am worried that we will starve to death. Yesterday's meal was a little bit less than the last. Some do not notice, but I went hungry for a day to compare both."

"Then eat the dirt."

"What do you mean?"

"There are monsters in a dungeons. Do you not know how they survive without food? Some parts of the cave dirt is quite nutritious. Most people would not eat it, but when you get hungry enough. You will eat anything."

Grey picked up a handful of dirt from the ground. His face confused.

"Haha, even though I cannot see. I see you hesitate. Do you think I am lying? How do you think I am still alive? I lie here all day long. Yet am not dead."

Grey put the dirt in his mouth and chewed. It had an earthly taste. Too bland to be called food. It tasted like white paste. He spit some out in disgust.

"Haha, it'll taste better once you get hungry," laughed Herbert.

"I guess so," laughed Grey. Food had been a large worry in his mind. Even if it tasted like poop. He would rather eat than to starve to death.

"About this cave? Is there any way to escape?"

Herbert smiled. "You think I'd be like this if I could escape?"

"Perhaps," smiled Grey.

"Haha, we are both quite clever. Grey you mean to ask if I have prepared something in my years here and you want to use whatever I've done to escape!"

"Haha, you got me," laughed Grey.

"I-I must say I have nothing."

"Nothing? Have you not lived here for many years?"

"This place is meant to kill people off."

Grey eyes hardened.

"The guards here are too many and you are tired all the time from working. You think you can run messed up like that?"

Grey sat in a stupor. Herbert was a smart child. Three years older than Grey. Herbert grew up in a small town, and with an insatiable curiosity could name all manner of herbs, trees, and stones. If he could not figure out a way. Was it really hopeless?

Herbert smiled. "If you really must know. I have found two ways. Come closer. I shall tell you."

Grey leaned closer and Herbert whispered in his ear.

~~~

In a small campfire. Two children sit next to each other eating their rations. A loaf of bread and two pork buns.

"Grey," said Mylene, watching Grey. "Grey why are you thinking so deeply."

She could see Grey's eyebrows furrow. In the last couple of days, she had began to notice his subtle expressions. Even if he said nothing. She could now guess his feelings.

"I talked to Herbert today. He said if we ever get hungry we can eat the dirt!"

"What! Why would we do that?"

Grey sighed deeply. He did not want to tell her the truth behind the dungeon. Will she not get depressed and sad knowing such horrible things.

"If they run out food. We might get hungry. So I asked him a few things."

"B-But dirt? I know we are not doing so well, but I'm okay eating less. You need more food."

Mylene took one of her buns and put it on Grey's lap.

"Mylene. You are working more you need...."

"Lalala. I am not hearing it. You eat it or I toss it away."

Grey sighed, smiling.

"I also talked to him about some things."

Mylene's eyes glistened. Grey had told her a few days ago he had made a new friend. Though Grey did not let Mylene meet this friend. This fellow Herbert had helped them learn a lot of good things about the cave.

"I learned two ways to get out of this place. If one fails the other is guaranteed to work."

"Really!?"

"Shush," chuckled Grey. "Don't let everyone know."

"Okay," whispered Mylene. "What are the two ways?"

"The first way is to endure. We wait for our chance. Someone might attack or there might be an inspection. Something that will give us a chance to escape."

"That doesn't sound much like a plan," mumbled Mylene.

"Haha, the world is so vast. How can anything stay still and not change. If it is hopeless now, who can say the same in the future?"

"Grey," said Mylene. "You said if one fails the other will work for sure? So if we wait long enough your other thing will work 100%? Tell me what is the other plan?"

Grey smiled. His heart a bit heavy. Truthfully, if it came down to that. He really did not want to use the other method. "If I tell you it might ruin the plan. Will you trust me and follow what I say?"

"Okay."