Set Up
The slaves would enter the cavernous space on the side of the cliff face, with a few pushing along the minecart along with them to transport the goods back out. "So all you guys do is mine all day?" Tetsuga would ask 0121 as they walked together through the dark mine as the light from the outside slowly left them and the light from the torches were the only things illuminating their path ahead. "All day, all night. That's what we've done for the past years or so. Hell, some of us have been here since we were young," he would reveal to him, which was something grim that Tetsuga had yet to hear about this kingdom from personal endeavors. "Jeez. I knew that this place was wacky, but that's a whole other branch entirely," Tetsuga would comment, as from his past experiences, he hadn't been snooping too deep into the kingdom's private affairs. It was more touch-and-go for him.
Once they had reached the end of the cavernous tunnel, the slaves began going to work as they raised their pickaxes and started mining in all directions. Tetsuga would look around for a bit with his pickaxe resting on his hands. "Huh, this is pretty depressing," Tetsuga would say as he watched them all slave away at their assigned jobs. "Well, you get used to it after a couple weeks," 0121 would tell him as he continued to mine. Tetsuga would look back at his section of the wall and decide that there was no point in dallying. So he goes and starts mining along with them as the loud cacophony of mining pickaxes echoes throughout the tunnel, reaching the outside. Tetsuga would only hope for himself that he wasn't going to be here for more than a week.
While they mined away at the mines, the now-reduced trio was making plans somewhere as they had settled to discuss them just outside of the kingdom gates as Pyxis and Cherry were seen loitering near a tree as they waited for one of their members to arrive. They didn't have to wait too long as Derrick finally arrived with a big sack draped over his shoulder. "I got the stuff!" He said as he gently placed the sack down on the ground in front of him. He would then open it for the other two to peer inside to see the copious amount of pyrocitite piling up inside. "Are you sure this plan will work? Kinda just sounds a little reckless, don't you think?" Cherry would comment, as the plan they had in mind seemed a lot more foolish than foll proof. "It'll be fine. Derrick told me that life isn't anything without problems," he would recount to her as Derrick's words held true to him, which the boy was glad for. "Besides, I'm done playing it safe. Those knights will get what's coming to them. once and for all," Pyxis would say as he clenched his fist in determination.
Cherry would sigh as she let it be for now. "Just make sure nobody dies here, okay? You guys still have to escort me back home, y'know." Cherry would remind them, which was very true since their whole purpose for being here in the first place was to get her back home. "Don't worry, Cherry! After we break Tetsuga out, we will be on our way to you home! I promise!" Derrick would flash her a smile to assure her that if things went according to plan, they would be back on the trail again in no time. This gave Cherry enough reassurance, as she smiled a bit. "Alright, so what are we waiting for here?" She would ask as they stood about. "The cover of night..." Pyxis would reply as they looked up and witnessed as the afternoon slowly turned to night. giving them the perfect cover to enact their master plan.
As the night rolled around, so did the slaves, hard at work as they walked out of the mines with the minecart trudging along. Luckily, Tetsuga was there to lighten the load as he pulled it along like a dog on a leash with his magic as they exited. "Wow, that's pretty nifty," 0121 would comment, as he found Tetsuga's magic to be quite the help for everyone as it easily pulled the cart along instead of multiple people trying to push it back out. "Eh, its something I got from a friend. It is helpful from time to time," Tetsuga would say as the blue magical line disappeared into the air. "My, my. It looks like you all have been busy. The cart is practically filled to the brim," the knight from before would say as he approaches the cart.
"Sir, we haven't been fed for weeks. Please give us something to eat," a slave pleaded to the knight as they shakily held out some sustenance for the sake of his and everyone else's survival. but all the knight gave him back was a backhand slap to the face. bringing them down to the ground, their backs laid out on the floor. Tetsuga, seeing such disrespect, tries to intervene, but 0121 stops him as he holds out his arm in front of the man, preventing him from going any further. "Just let it happen. You'll only make things worse," they would say as Tetsuga was forced to watch as the helpless man got berated by the cocky knight. "You'll all get your food when it gets here! Pleading will only make me delay it more! You understand me, you heathen!?" they would shout as they talked down to the slave that had just been struck down by his hand.
The slave could only muster an obedient nod of his head. as the knight lets off of him and lets the others pick the man back up. "Bastard, why'd you stop me?" Tetsuga would ask as he looked over at 0121, who had a face full of guilt toward him. but his actions were understandable as he would've seen them. "Look, meddling will get you nowhere here. its best we all comply and keep each other safe. That's just how it is... all day, every day," they would say as they looked down on their hands as if there were blood stains on them. but all that could be seen were dirt and calluses from all the mining work they've done. Tetsuga understood his plight. He might not be a slave himself, but even he understood how sometimes it was best to keep yourself far away from other's businesses to keep them safer.
Tetsuga places a hand on his shoulder as 0121 looks at him with a questioning look. "I get it, and I know you're not a bad guy for doing it," he would say, knowing what the man was thinking then and there. 0121 would sigh before putting his hands away. relieved as some pressure on his shoulders was lifted. for Tetsuga, his remained greatly on his. as even if he had said those words, he himself doesn't believe in them when it comes to him. but that's something he'd rather not talk about. at least not yet. As they stood about, the knight finally ordered them to head back to their cells to rest up for the night. They all comply as soon as they get escorted back. This time, Tetsuga and 0121 were escorted by different knights instead of the two knights from before. As they entered the cell, they sat in their designated beds, with 0121 falling immediately to sleep while Tetsuga was wide awake. a thought running through his head at the moment.
"I hope those three are doing fine without me," he would wonder as he gazed into the night sky through the bars of their window. At the same time, it was also time for the three to enact the first phase of their plan, which involved Cherry walking up to the gate guards, looking all frenzied and paranoid. "You two! You have to help me!" she would say as the two knights approached her to question her about what was going on. "What's the situation, young lady?" one of them asks as the other assesses their surroundings to see anything that seems off to them. "Well, something is out here in these woods, and I'm worried it might get you," she would tell them, which only perplexed the two more as they looked at her with questioning looks. "Get us?" one of them would say before Pyxis, from a tree, grabs onto a vine and proceeds to swing into one of the knights, sending them flying and crashing into a tree. Pyxis lands after successfully taking out the first knight, but this left the other one unharmed.
"Hey! You can!" The other knight was ready to attack Pyxis, but Cherry went and shoved him away as they stumbled backward on their feet. "Woah!" they exclaim right before a barrel gets slammed onto their heads as Derrick comes in with it at the ready. This prevented them from seeing the next move, which was Pyxis, who had grabbed a branch and swung it like a baseball bat right at the barrel, sending the knight flipping over and landing on his back as the barrel shattered upon impact with the stick and the ground collectively. "Enough." The knight was pretty much dazed at this point, as Derrick would see as he crouched down to meet their gaze. "Nighty night!" Derrick would exclaim before moving away from Pyxis to land a curb stomp onto the knights' heads. knocking them out cold on the floor. "Nice job everyone! especially you, Cherry! You really made it convincing!" Derrick would complement the other two as he directs most of it to Cherry, who boastfully raises her chin up to the air.
"Heh, I didn't take acting classes for nothing," she would say as she reveals yet another achievement in her long list of achievements. "Alright, go tie the other one, Derrick. I'm going to strip this one down." Pyxis would command as Derrick replied with a salute and proceeded to tie one of the knights up while Pyxis got busy stripping the other knight from his armor. Cherry would stand by where she was with a hand covering her eyes, which Pyxis would notice. "Why are you covering your eyes?" he would ask, since the knight was wearing a shirt and some pants with no revealing parts to them whatsoever. "You expect me to just watch you strip a man down? No way!" Cherry would say, as she would rather keep herself pure as long as she could. Pyxis would just shrug and continue to strip them of their armor and chainmail that was laid underneath the armored exterior. He would then put them on, and not before long, Pyxis was now clad in full knight's armor, with the helmet blocking his face and one big slit for his eyes to see through.
"Alright, phase one is complete," Pyxis would say as he stood before the two with the armor on. "You look dashing!" Derrick would complement him as he gave him a big 'ol thumbs up after he finished tying up the stripped knight and placing him next to the other. "Thanks, Derrick, but looks ain't what we're going for here." Pyxis would take the complement, but then remind him of its purpose for their plan: "Well, I for one think its enough to fool them into thinking your one of them. Let's just hope no one asks you to take off your helmet," Cherry would say as she points out one major flaw in his disguise. but they couldn't back out now, seeing as they had already knocked the knights out and taken one of their armors from them. This was the best they were going to do. "No helping that... but now its time for phase 2!" Pyxis would say as they started making their way into the kingdom again. Their sights are set on one thing tonight.
and that is to get Tetsuga back.