Confrontation

As we continued walking down the path, I couldn't help but hear a commotion in the distance, by the sound of it; it's like a group of people were arguing and shouting at each other.

I took a small glance at Roslik and I could tell he'd heard it too. With that, he quickly broke into a small jog towards the noise, the others following suit.

"W-Wait!" I called out, feeling the strain and ache in my legs intensify as I try to quicken my pace.

I can't do it... it really hurts.

Maintaining a walk, I noticed myself falling behind the others, the sound of their footsteps and hushed conversations fading as they moved ahead. Little Fish, however, spotted my lagging pace and hurried back to me, placing a reassuring hand on my back and helping me catch up with our group.

"Thanks.." I expressed with a nod at him to which he responded in kind.

At this point, I could already see a few miners peeking out from their residential quarters as we walked past them, some of them even leaving their buildings in groups, confusion etched on their faces.

After a few minutes, the commotion grew more intense, and some nearby miners joined our group as we moved toward the source of the noise in the distance.

As we rounded the corner, the source of the commotion was unveiled. An angry mob of miners are confronting a group of Cloaks who were escorting a covered wagon, its contents concealed from view. The cacophony of horses' neighs and men's shouts reverberated throughout the entire vicinity.

What the fuck is happening?

Our group's abrupt appearance prompted several visibly agitated cloaks to brandish some of their sheathed blades, their shouts directed at us. Our group halted, followed by the miners who had gathered with us.

From the back, I observed Roslik and Arde talk with each other for a moment before finally engaging in a tense exchange with the cloaks; the term "exchange of words" seemed too mild, as their communication was more like a fierce shouting match between opposing sides.

Me and Little Fish slowly push our way towards the forefront, my view of the entire scene widening as I took in the chaotic sight in front of me. A gathering of at least twenty famished miners, some shirtless, filled the air with a clamor of yells and shouts aimed at the Cloaks. Their skeletal frames, visible beneath dry and bruised skin, stood in stark contrast to the well-fed, imposing appearance of the Cloaks facing them.

A few cloaks could already be seen on the verge of attacking a few miners who got too close towards them, swinging their blades wildly and recklessly at the unarmed miners. Fortunately, their strikes found only empty air. I witnessed a close call as a miner narrowly escaped a potentially fatal injury, a blade nearly slicing his face off. Quick reflexes from fellow miners prevented disaster as they pulled him away just in time to evade the descending blade.

And in that moment, I sensed something... smelled something to be exact.

I took a small step forward despite the tension and hostilities around me, then I began to slowly sniff the air, tracing the familiar scent towards the covered wagon.

There's no denying it... it's food!

My stomach grumbled audibly, and I could feel the inside my mouth start to water soon after.

I turned my head towards Little Fish, and our eyes quickly met, creating a silent understanding between our gazes. I nodded my head, and he promptly nodded his in return.

It seems I'm not the only one who has noticed this; a quick glance around reveals that my group and the nearby miners who accompanied us have also fixed hungry gazes upon the distant wagon. Even the miners who were already confronting the cloaks before our arrival likely did so because of similar reasons.

What the fuck am I going to do?

Despite how I wanted to rush towards the wagon and gobble everything inside of it, the cloaks could probably slaughter all of us unarmed miners before we could even satisfy our stomachs.

I hear a call from the confronting miners, turning my attention towards them, I could see a few of them gesturing for our group to join them in closing in on the Cloaks. From the look of things, there's no doubt that my group would commit themselves in the confrontation, after all it's foods... foods that were denied from us.

I turn to look at Arde and I could already notice him considering to join the confronting miners, even including Little Fish, who now also seems to be more excited compared to before.

Nonetheless, I could already and clearly see the small fire blazing inside their eyes, I think it's going to be a while before they're fully extinguished.

But the consequences?

What if we'll all get killed?

And if ever we would manage to survive, the punishments-...

"We many, they only... few." I suddenly heard the voice of Roslik as he appeared besides me, a now crazed look plastered on his face.

"We hungry... for months." He continued, placing his hand on his chest, "Just one bread in one day... not enough." He then took a deep breath, "We no go hungry anymore.. we eat many today!" He finished with a yell, before breaking off to a sprint towards the confronting miners, Arde, Little Fish, and our group followed suit, even including the miners who joined us on our way here.

He's right.. I'm hungry, he's hungry, everyone's fucking hungry! I can't afford to starve and die in this hellhole before my first week in here could even come to a pass!

"Fuck this..." I muttered before taking a deep and long breath.

With that, I ran after them, the pain in my body seemingly fading away as adrenaline began pumping inside of me.

The shouting and yelling intensified more as our group joined the miners confronting the cloaks, a couple of miners could also be seen hurling stones and rocks towards the Cloak's direction.

I then spot Arde and Little Fish at the very forefront of the group, provoking and taunting the Cloaks alongside the other miners.

"Oh shit, shit, shit, shit.." I repeatedly mutter under my breath as I quickly push my way towards them, despite the noise around me, I could clearly hear my rapid heartbeats while my hands began to shake at the same time.

Yet, it appears everyone's attention is too fixed on either the wagons or the cloaks, as they unintentionally overlooked my presence, even as I practically collided and bumped with them.

The moment I finally reached them, the Cloaks had gotten more agitated, a few could be seen trying to rush towards us only to be held back by his fellow cloaks. One cloak in particular, probably their leader or captain, was seemingly barking orders at his own men while at the same time, shouting and yelling at us in an attempt to drive us off.

A couple of meters separate me from the closest cloak, whose trembling hands tightly grip an axe. His head darts frantically between us, occasionally locking onto my gaze before moving on to the next person. The uncertainty and fear in his eyes are also clearly impossible to miss.

My attention then turned to the other cloaks, and it became evident that some shared similarities with the preceding one, while others wore expressions ranging from blank to furious. This stark contrast conveyed a possible message: despite the oppressive nature of the Cloaks, not all of them derive joy or satisfaction from their work.

Well... I hope that's clearly the case.

But that was until a rock suddenly slammed unto the cloak captain's head, forcing him to stumble a few steps back.

The noise faded fast, replaced by gasps of surprise and fear that spread across the whole area. We all watched in a stunned silence as their captain slowly reached up to touch his bleeding forehead, then brought his hand down to see the blood up close. Moments ticked by as he just held the blood in his hands, taking it all in.

And then, in a sudden burst akin to a beastly roar, the captain brandished a mace, pointing it in our direction while barking what seemed like orders at his subordinates.

Then, they began to slowly advance towards us, weapons at the ready. One particular miner who happens to be so close at the cloaks had his hands cut off by one of the cloaks, grinning in the process as he raised his axe again for another strike.

The miner's scream pierced the air as he tumbled onto the ground, landing on his rear while gripping his bleeding wound. Simultaneously, a small pool of blood also formed beneath him.

I remained rooted to the spot, my gaze transfixed on the unfolding spectacle before me, my eyes growing wide in shock. My limbs trembled uncontrollably, as if they had a mind of their own. Breathing seemed like a foreign concept, and even the rhythm of my heart appeared to falter. Sure, I'd witnessed brutal beatings, but witnessing a man lose his hands… have them severed? This was new... this is..

Motherfucker!

.

.

.

.

.

CHAPTER DONE!!