Althim

The realm of Althim is a land of magic. Mythical creatures far and wide, stretching the impossible into possible. In this realm, anybody can become anything. And anything can become the start of a new era. A new step in history. A new landmark instance that ripples out over space and time.

People of all kinds sprawled over the realm. Some lay their cities underground in the Kingdom of Fortug. Others made their homes in metropolitan mega cities such as the Capital of the Marietta Empire.

But some, some made their homes in quaint small villages away from the chaos of the world. Free and not under any nation where their children could grow up with their own ideas.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Isaac. Isaaaaac. ISAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAC!"

The wooden door was practically kicked open to the stone room. Light started to bleed into the dark alcove. Shining over a bed with a blanket being pulled over black hair. A groan emerged from the young adult hiding under the sheets. Cowering from working today.

"Mgh- God damnit, Vice. Can't you try a 'subtle approach' for once?"

At the doorway was a gruff looking fellow. Easily six feet tall with a brown beard filled with dust. Less so muscular and instead 'large', to put it kindly. He stomped on over to Isaac, pushing trash out of his way through every step.

"Come on, Isaac. You've got a special duty today!"

The sheets were thrown off Isaac, causing him to turn over towards the wall.

"What could be more special than a nape..."

"Oh, just get up already. Get down to cave B if you find the grit to stand up."

Vice moved out of the room, kicking a piece of trash out of his way.

"Maybe after this you'll be able to afford a damn lantern in this den. And pick up your trash! No woman wants to be with a dirty man."

"Speak for yourself, dirt-beard."

Isaac moaned while rolling over. With a dozen or so seconds passing, two feet hit the ground. Standing up and making his way over to the bathroom addition to his room. Washing up, hardly. Isaac was a semi-athletic young man. Mixed complexion, with hair that curled with an inch or two length to it. He hadn't had a haircut in forever, and it showed. Yet still unable to grow even a speck of a beard.

"Maybe one day."

He sighed, patting the clean jawline. Void of any manhood even teenagers could surpass. Putting on a simple set of clothes, Isaac exits the small den of a room and makes his way outside.

Outside his room was a hallway, with other 'dorms' you could say for workers. Not effective ones, more so the simple laborers. This town he resided in was called 'Vittyl'. A play on words for 'little' and 'very', at least that's what Vice always told Isaac.

Sunlight provokes his eyes to close when exiting the hallway that led out to the side of a mountain. Vittyl was a quarry town, making their profits off of the Mana Stones residing underneath the village. If it wasn't for the mines, nobody in their right mind would've made a village in the middle of the desert.

Isaac moved down the mountain, brown eyes glancing between the market and the inner section of the mountain. Patting his pockets down, empty of course, Isaac wished he had some coin to spend on some cold food. He knew a merchant with ice magic that always delivered cold treats in the morning. Expensive but in a place like this, who would argue?

In between the curving terrain that made up the mountains Vittyl was built into, pathways branched out to different caves. Alphabetical order, stretching from A down to F. They were lettered based on how valuable the minerals recovered from them often were. Isaac typically worked in F, nothing remarkable about that. So why was he wanted at cave B?

By the time Isaac arrived at cave B, a walk in itself, a crowd as already gathered. The cave had a small platform with a standing area around for people to hear daily plans. A few odd looks by the regulars, but nobody really spoke about the twig walking over. Maybe it was the fact a few others around the platform were also from less profitable caves. Before his curiosity grew even more, a dwarf entered the stage. Short, gruffy, kind of like a smaller Vice. Even had the same-colored beard, but not the belly to match.

"Aye, name's Hady. I'm sure lotta ya are confused 'bout why y'd need to turn up 'er. Cave B's normal night team didn't come back up this morning. Normally we'd have the day-team come over, but they're occupied at Cave A for clearing a partial cave in. Our job is t'go down see what's up. Probably just another partial cave in. They tend to chain in these mines."

The crowd gave a bit of murmurs to their task. Though it was quickly quelled by the man adding on a very welcomed bit to the briefing.

"You'll all be paid three times your normal salary for this work."

The murmurs turned from concerned growling to gracious nods. With Hady stepping off the platform, various tools were given to the miners stocked along a wall. Picks and shovels, even a cart. Hady's tool was a half-pick with one part blunt, the other sharp. The difference in quality was obvious, something he's probably invested his own savings into.

The descent down the cave started when everyone was loaded up. Roughly 20 miners of varying skills, most on the lower end. Hady leading the way, Isaac rested himself near the back of the group. He wasn't very confident on engaging in the front with everyone else.

They walked for half an hour, deep down into the cave. It was at that time however where they came across the first indication of the night team. A call from the front, the group came to a rough halt.

Isaac nearly bumped into someone in front of him before trying to see what was actually going on. With a scoot here and there, he could come to see the discovery that caused them to stop walking. A hand. A human hand severed halfway at the forearm. Just lying there with dried blood crossed over the fingers.

Hady's voice bellowed over the rising concern that would naturally grow within miners finding part of a person just lying in their path.

"Aye, that's not good. Listen, listen. Obviously, the night team found some... Shit to get into. It's rare but sometimes critters will dig into our tunnels and cause issues. Nothing dangerous comes to this cave though, so it's probably just a few buggers that got a surprise attack."

"Then where are the bodies?!"

A member of the group spoke up.

"They probably continued down and set up a checkpoint to fix the man's wounds- Look. If you want to continue, I'll get anybody who comes along an increase to six times your salary. Enough to last you a while, yeah?"

The man quelled back down, scooting back into the group like a sheep. Isaac grew questionable of this. 'Bad shit' instincts were going off like crazy. Someone wouldn't just 'leave' an arm here and go deeper into the cave. That'd be stupid.

Some members started to turn away, moving back up to the exit of the cave where they came from. Isaac turned around, starting to do the same. He wasn't staying here with his life on the line for some extra coin.

///Coward///

A sharp spike emerged in Isaac's ear. Like an echoing female's voice, forcing him to spin his head back around. Someone just whispered in his ear- yet nobody was there to do so. His eyes trailed between the cave walls, stalactites against the ceiling.

"Could've sworn-"

His voice was cut off by Hady pivoting around and calling out to the group that stayed. Numbering roughly twelve in total.

"Good to see there's some brave men left in the lower ranks."

His feet screamed 'leave'. They wanted to move the other direction, just be done with this. But something, some attraction out of curiosity nagged at the back of his mind. With a press of his teeth, he jogged back towards the group, catching up.