A large rough patch brought the iron carriage full of people to shove into each other. Groans emerged from some that had fallen or hit their heads with one another, including one who held onto the metal bars draped with cloth from the outside. It’s been about a week since they had kidnapped her, along with the rest of the villagers. The kidnappers were at least considerate to the extent of giving them food once a day, but it felt like they just did not want them to die before they reached their destination. When they were taken, she and her parents had been separated into different carriages. It was rare to see glimpses of them, but she was relieved they were unharmed. The only person she had not seen this entire time was her brother, Sebastian, who she last saw the day before the raid. Even though they both fought a lot when they were together, Andrea hoped he was okay.

It had not been that many days since they passed what seemed like bridges, three of them to be exact. To her analysis, they had to have passed the Luli, Kyndra, and Vija rivers, which meant they were heading somewhere east or even south-east. This must only mean they were on route to either Sigvard City or worse… Eth’Lance City. Only one part made little sense to her; if it only took a few days to pass the rivers, then at the rate of the speed they were going, they should have already arrived at Lake Clarrisa. “Something feels off. Just where in the world are they taking us?” Panic started to set in her.

“Alright you pigs, we’re here!” One of the drivers upfront barked. The vehicle came to a sudden halt, forcing the villagers to collide with one another toward the front.

Andrea held onto the bars so as not to crash with the rest. With the thick, white cloths flowing back and forth, she had a rare, brisk opportunity to view outdoors. An immense fissure in the ground brought the whites of her eyes to reflect the terror in her. Clang, clang, clang. Distant, but the indistinguishable ringing of excavation dug into her ears. As the metallic prison door screamed open next to her, the heavy wool tarp lifted, blinding everyone with the sun. A row of spears delved into the interior of the vehicle. Vain cries for help shot out from the kidnapped villagers met only with shouts to get out. Andrea shook with dread. Her palms were sweaty, knees at the point of giving out, and her arms hefty. Crying from behind her caught her attention; someone had puked on their sweater already and it was not mom’s spaghetti. The mere sensation of fear moved her to be the first one to step out onto the barren earth.

Her vision had not deceived her; a large crack about a mile long, many meters wide, rested in the ground beside her. Sturdy, wooden paths along the sides caught her attention, which led downwards and into the land fracture. Wagons filled with metal ores made their way out of numerous lines of man-made cavities in the walls and back up to the surface, all pushed by prisoners. On the other side of where she stood, a long wall of lumber obstructed what could only be a campsite for their abductors to rest. As for the unfortunate, Andrea saw in some of these openings thick metal bars housing their captives. In other words, the tunnels they were to mine were also used to keep them inside, almost like digging their own graves.

A shove from one man snapped her out of her daze. She stumbled forward, catching herself with the crude railing made from old wood. One post holding up the structure snapped in half. The ground below her rushed to her, but before she was at a free fall, Andrea caught herself with the sturdy remains of the rail in the floor. Crash! The rotten wood struck the path below her, nearly hitting a prisoner. Her messy ponytail hit her in the face, suspended over what could have been her curtain death.

Pulled up swiftly by a firm grip from her shoulder, a thug guided her along down the path closest to them. As they walked, Andrea glanced at the person taking her. They differed from the rest she had encountered; less aggressive and their face a lot gentler. Their long, dark hair fell out from the back of her leather helmet in a much neater ponytail than herself. One alarming aspect she did notice was a small amount of dried blood coming out from the sleeve of her armor.

Once they reached the bottom, they turned a corner into one of the dimly lit tunnels where unoccupied stone cells were lined up. Thick iron rods rowed vertically into the stone guarded the shallow interior of the unit, all with its own robust gate. On arrival at where she would stay, the guard opened the door and let Adrea walk in by herself. At the corner of her cell, a stack of hay lay on the cold, rocky ground.

The person looked in both directions and finally let out a small breath, “Are you okay? You took quite a tumble back there.”

“Why do you care? You’re with them, none of you are concerned about any of us.” Andrea stood behind bars, crossed arms, and looking away from her face.

The lady, still inspecting around, delicately grabbed one bar and leaned in, “I’m not with them. My name is Analyn and I’m with a group of people called The Feldrinas.”

Her name clicked in Andrea’s mind, refacing the girl, “Your name is Analyn? It sounds very -” before completing her sentence, a loud rupture from deeper inside interrupted her. Both of them shifted their sight toward the direction. After a second passed, she continued in a whisper, “- familiar.”

Perplexed, Analyn asked, “How so?”

“Ehh-” Reconsidering what she said, Andrea shook her head, “- never mind, it wouldn’t make any sense.”

Still a bit confused, Analyn slightly nodded, “Well, in any case, just do what these people tell you to do for now. My group is doing everything they can to find a way to break everyone out with no casualties. It will take some time though.”

Skeptical of every word she heard, Andrea stared at her, “I don’t know if I can trust you after everything that’s been going on.”

“That’s understandable. I wouldn’t expect you to trust me so soon. I will try to help you all trapped here without being discovered to make your imprisonment a little better.” From inside her armor, she pulled out a small loaf of bread, “It’s not much, but take it. I don’t know where you are from, but I see they didn’t feed you well while on the trip here.”

Andrea snatched it from her hand and took a bite ravenously. Crumbs fell to the floor with each mouthful she stole until it was gone, “Pueblanto… I’m from Pueblanto.”

The name took aback Analyn. Goosebumps spread throughout her where she stood, “Wait -”

Steps echoed inside from the wooden pathway nearby. Hurriedly, Analyn stood up straight before anyone could see her. She attempted to hide her emotions behind a stoic face, but her lips curled inwards ever so slightly. A pair of real thugs brought in a group of villagers into the tunnel. Clanks of doors opening and shutting reverberated all around them, with a few whimpers escaping from within the cells.

“Hey, you standing there! Get back to work before one of the commanders sees you gawking at nothing!”

Analyn broke from her anxieties and responded, “O-Okay!”

The members rolled their eyes and left. Before Analyn could leave, Andrea grabbed her wrist, “Wait… could you do me a favor if you really are here to help?”

A bit of hesitation set in Analyn, hopeful that the favor was not out of hand, “Yeah, what is it?”

“Well, the full trip here I saw my parents, who are fine, but I haven’t seen or heard from my brother. Could you maybe see if you can find him here?”

The task was within her capabilities and did not reveal herself, so she nodded, “What’s his name?”

“Sebastian Martinez. He’s nineteen, so he’s pretty young.”

“Hold on… Sebastian?!” Analyn had raised her voice by accident. She looked around to see if anyone overheard her. “You mean the very same one in a relationship with my sister, Camila Reyes? You’re his sister?!”

Andrea’s eyes shot wide open and whisper shouted, “I knew your name sounded familiar, you’re Camila’s older sister!”

“Is she here? Have you seen Camila?!”

Thinking about the entire trip here, Andrea gave a disappointed look, “No, I haven’t. When the raid struck, Sebastian had left a day ago into the woods, so Camila and Nia must have left with him. I was thinking they might’ve got him sometime later or something.”

“I’ll look into it. If they are not here, then they might have saved themselves or -” A bump caught in her throat and looked away, “- I rather not imagine the other option. Hopefully, I can find my parents too.” More footsteps headed their way. Frantic, she hurriedly spoke, “I need to get going. I’ll try to find him though, and tell your parents you are okay once I find out where they will keep them.”

It had been days since Andrea could muster a smile, but this gave her hope and so she let go of Analyn, “Thank you.”

With a nod, Analyn walked away outside, followed by another group walking in. More groans followed. With this revelation, Andrea seized onto the metal bars, on the lookout for either Sebastian, Camila, or even Nia. “I hope this group Analyn spoke about comes soon. I don’t know how much longer I can handle being a prisoner.” She kept a close eye on everyone who entered, but all saw were people her age or younger.

A guard crossed in front of Andrea, so without any reluctance, she asked, “Hey, where are the others who are older?”

The man’s eyes looked at her without him moving, “In the lower section of the mines where they will be made to mine for us. You will all join them sooner or later.”

It was not that much information she gathered from him. At least now she knew where they could be held, so she retired and laid on the hay. Analyn probably already knew more than her and was out looking for them, but with the size of this place, it could take weeks. Not only that, but she had no idea how far these tunnels went. Under her breath, Andrea spoke to herself, “There has to be more I can do. I can’t just sit and wait.”

Night fell over the mines. A chilly wind entered the tunnel Andrea attempted to sleep in. One piece that was not provided during their stay had been a blanket, so her only option was to use the hay, the only item those scumbags thought was necessary. Quaking inside her makeshift bed, Andrea could not get a good night's sleep, so when a guard came banging on her metal bars in the early morning, her eyes had dark bags under them. It was the same man from yesterday, only this time he brought a chain with multiple thick metal handcuffs in his hands.

“Get up. You have been oh so fortunate enough to join the rest and dig.” The metal door screeched open as the armored guard looked down at her.

Andrea rubbed her, “Oh? Well -” With a yawn, she sarcastically replied, “- don’t I feel so lucky then.”

After waiting for the guard to wake up more who were relatively near her age, they exited the tunnel. The early sun made her squint. Through her blurry vision, she could already see prisoners working and hear the clangs from inside other shafts. A line of wagons passed them as they walked. They already had ore in them, with their pushers sweating to their drawers. Her shoulders sagged at the sight of labor. This may be what she would have to do for a while, and she was not looking forward to it.

Cluttered together, they walked down the wooden ramps a couple of levels. When they reached their supposed floor, Andrea spotted what she presumed was a resting quarter full of guards; chattering and laughing around an old rusty table with drinks on top. Some men already seemed to look drunk so soon with their words slurring and tripping over themselves. A couple of racks full of weapons near the entrance of the room caught her eye. Their metals shimmered from the lit torches inside the area. Some even had runes on them. “Interesting,” Andrea noted under her breath.

After entering the tunnel, they passed by cells full of people, some even from her village. Thick and sturdy logs on the walls and ceiling reinforced the rock above from crashing down on everyone. Lanterns had been spread out all throughout the walls to illuminate the darkness, and now and then, they passed by shelves full of mining equipment. A few more minutes of walking led them to the end of the cells and into the workspace. The thin tunnel they had traveled on opened up into a much larger area where some of her people were made to dig by guards with whips. Sounds of excavating echoed through the room as well as the quick crack of a whip.

“It’s time to dig, rats. Those who don’t… well, it’s better if you did.” A chuckle escaped from the man pulling their chain.

Their handcuffs were undone, and a pickaxe was shoved into their hands. The wooden handle felt thick around her hands as the metallic head weighed it down uncomfortably toward one angle. With no words, the thug pointed at a wall. A thin reddish-brown strip ran across where they were supposed to dig. No further explanation was necessary, they all knew what they had to do. Once they stood in front of the rocky surface, they brought down their pickaxes on it with a weak clank.

To Andrea, it felt like hours had passed. Her arms were sore and heavy from the weight of the tool in her hands. Droplets of sweat poured down her face, some causing her to flinch. Every swing she took, the urge to throw the pickaxe on the ground became greater, but every so often a loud crack reverberated, followed by an agonizing groan. Every time she heard the pain, the muscles in her arms forced her not to stop.

Weeks ago, she was at home. Her father had just left, but before he did, he promised her he would teach her how to use a sword, just as he had taught Sebastian. Andrea had seen Sebastian practice so many times, she could recall the stances, the cuts. She was excited to learn all of this because her dream was to become a warrior. Though her dream now looked bleak. She wished she could return to those simpler times.

With another swing, a thought popped into her mind; if she was being made to dig, why not take advantage of it? Andrea remembered what her father taught her brother, it did not look hard. In fact, this could be the perfect opportunity. She closed her eyes, recalling the stance Sebastian would take; both her feet moved opposite of each other until she had a solid stance with her knees slightly bent. Her arms brought the pick up from behind until it reached the top of her head and brought it down with a powerful clang. The rock she had been picking at for quite a while cracked and a chunk fell onto the ground.

Andrea opened her eyes, amazed at how easy it was to imitate her brother. It was definitely not the way to dig at a rock at all, but excavating this way was much easier on her back. Again, she repeated her movements, and another piece dropped to the ground. This time, her grip on the tool appeared loose and her arms were too far apart. She took her stance again, straightened her arms, and held the grip tightly. Now, when she brought the pickaxe down, it felt more secure. Armed with this knowledge, Andrea continued to pick at the rock, one hunk at a time.

By day's end, the wall the group had been digging at had revealed to be fruitless. They were all re-handcuffed and brought to the part of the tunnel with all the prison cells. She was pushed into her new room and saw it had the same item as before; a small hay barrel for sleeping. Never in her life had she been so happy to see a prickly bed, but the moment she saw it, she crawled toward it and hugged it with her heavy arms. This was complete bliss for her.

Not even a minute into her bed, taps on her bars interrupted her. She nonchalantly moved her head to the entrance with a moan. “What now?” When she opened her eyes, she saw it was Analyn, standing at the entry of her cell. A jolt of energy sprung her up onto her feet and walked to her, “So did you find them?”

Analyn looked around to be sure they were not being overheard and whispered, “I found your parents not too long after I left you yesterday and told them you were okay. They also told me to tell you they were fine.” She let out a light smile, “You know, you were difficult to find.”

The news of her parents being okay made her sigh in relief, “That’s good to learn. Were you able to find Sebastian, your sister, or even Nia?”

Disappointment set on Analyn’s face, “No, it’s really starting to worry me.”

“D-Don’t worry. It’s like you said; they are here somewhere or weren’t caught. But -” Andrea’s mind swarmed with scenarios that could have happened, “- maybe the worst did happen. Maybe they are gone. Maybe when they went into the woods, something got to them or after we were captured, they found and…”

Analyn’s stare turned to Andrea, whose breathing could be heard a mile away, “Andrea, right? Take a deep breath. They have to be out there.”

A couple of tears ran down Andrea’s cheeks, “But what if they aren’t? I didn’t get to tell Sebastian I’m sorry for the stupid things I’ve said and -”

“Hey, close your eyes and try to clear your mind.”

She looked into Analyn’s eyes, which were also filled with sadness. Andrea understood she was worried as well, and her overthinking did not help. “O-Okay.” Her eyes closed, took deep breaths, and attempted to remove all thoughts from her head.

“Good, now take a minute. It’s going to be okay.”

Several moments passed. What Analyn had told Andrea to do managed to calm her down, her mind un-fogged from negative thoughts. Opening her eyes, Analyn was still there but had shifted to keeping a lookout like a guard, “Thank you.”

Her voice removed her from her thoughts and Analyn nodded, “Don’t worry.” Both she and herself felt the same way, but if she let her emotions be shown, it would make the matter worse, so Analyn exhaled to let her worries go. To change the subject, the mission emerged in her head, “I got word from my team last night; it will take a while for them to reach the mines and slowly start to infiltrate.”

“Do you know when they’ll arrive?”

“Not really, they were on a mission in the Prumia Desert and it is not simple to travel through it.”

An eyebrow lifted on Andrea, interested in hearing some of the details, “If it’s okay to ask, why are they there?”

Surprised that she would want to know, Analyn replied, “We got intel that our very own King of Amarillo had been spotted there and traveling with the High Priest.”

The shock made Andrea’s head jerk back, “King Wystan? The hell is he doing there?”

“We don’t know, but we are trying to find out. In the meantime -” Analyn stepped away from the prison cell, “- all we can do is wait.”

“Yeah, I understand.”