Chapter 14 - Mines of Hell

Flying several miles out to sea, I spotted the island where the Tower of Heaven should have been but found nothing there. Instead of a tower, I found a mining operation in full swing on the island. Making myself invisible, I glided onto the beach and made my way towards the first building I saw. Slipping inside, I realized that I had stumbled into a meeting between two different men. One of them was the Mine Chief, and the other had a badge that said Foreman on it.

"How's the progress today?", the Mining Chief asked sitting behind his desk.

"Had another cave in down on the lower levels.", the Foreman sighed, "Those kids are causing us to fall behind, why can't we get adults!"

"I don't get to pick anymore, the Church sends unwanted orphans and people here.", the Chief sighed, "We haven't any adults in months...they are only sending children. How many did we lose?"

"Two adults and several kids, one of the braces gave way and sealed them in one of the old tunnels. Want me to have people dig them out and get them back to work?", the Foreman asked.

"No, it be a waste of time. We got a large order to fill for some nobleman, we are barely halfway done with it. Just mark it as a grave for them.", the Chief snickered, "They are a dime a dozen to replace anyways at the moment thanks to the Demons. We should be getting more in a few days, just try not to beat them to death like you did that blue haired brat."

Hearing them talk about the workers like disposal items really pissed me off. Using Cocoon of Darkness, I engulfed the two men in an unbreakable barrier. Unable to see anything the two men frantically tried calling out for help, but not a sound came out of the cocoon. Snapping my fingers the inside of the cocoon's became a raging inferno of Purgatory Flames. Burning them till nothing remained I grabbed their souls before they could leave Earthland.

"Neither of you get to reincarnate...", I said swallowing their souls, "You will help me fix the problems you made.

Frankly the taste of their souls was disgusting. All the cruelty they dealt others made the flavor taste like garbage in my book. Realizing that Demons just didn't have a good sense of taste, it made sense why Meliodas sucked at cooking. If I ever had the chance to meet him, I would have to ask him to confirm that.

Learning where the collapse in the mine was, I headed down into the mines to save them. As I made my way down, I saw just how cruel the people were being treated. Seeing kids as young as two years old hauling stones and ore around under the stern gaze of their slave drivers, I clenched my fist in anger.

'Once I save the trapped people...every single one of maggots is going to pay for this!!', I thought, 'How dare you treat children this way!!'

I would have killed them now, but time was of the essence. Depending on how much air they had in that collapse, they may have minutes to live.

---Collapsed Mineshaft, 3rd Person---

"I am so sorry!!!", Millianna cried, "I didn't look where I was walking!!! This wouldn't have happened if I-"

"It's not your fault.", Erza assured her, "They have been working us to death...you fainted because we haven't eaten in days."

"We are going to die because of me!!", she sobbed, "I am so sorry!!"

"It is okay.", Rob told her with a smile, "Everything will be okay."

Even though he said that, everyone knew no one was coming. They had all seen it before, their lives were expendable in their taskmaster's eyes. Just the other day they watch Jellal die because he fainted from exhaustion...the Foreman beat him till he died while everyone continued working. It was a terrible sight that left them traumatized, especially his friends.

"I wanna go home...", Wally choked up, "I want to see Mother and Father."

Holding his younger brother tightly, Richard did his best to keep a brave face up. He hadn't told Wally that their parents were dead, he was knocked unconscious when the Mage Hunters came into their village. Richard watched their parents burned at the stake and branded Demon Worshippers by the Church. Wally held out hope that their parents would save them so Richard hid the truth from him for Wally's own sake.

Leaning on her mother for support, the shell of a person Irene just looked at the ground in shame. She had the overwhelming power of a Dragon at her finger tips, but the Mage Hunters had sealed her magic over two decades ago. A remnant of the old days, they forced her to work tirelessly in these mines as punishment for crimes they claimed she committed. The only thing that kept her going was her daughter Erza, but now it seemed those days were up.

Several of the child crawled over to be near her as to them, she was the only mother they knew. Some of them had been there their entire lives so they didn't know what their real mother's looked like. Blowing out the candles to conserve what little air was left, they all huddled together waiting for the end to come for them. A few moments later the ground started to shake violently. Believing that the rest of the shaft was going to collapse on them, they braced themselves for the worst.

Instead of a collapse, the room suddenly got larger and a blue light shot through the collapsed rubble. Shielding their eyes from the sudden burst of light, it took a moment for their eyes to adjust.

"*Cough* Son of gun...I didn't realize how dusty mining could be.", a voice said blowing the dust out of the air, "There we go, all of you still alive down here?"

Looking at the entrance, they saw a large man with blue flames pouring of himself standing before them. Not understanding what was going on, the children hid behind Rob and Irene for protection.

"I am not here to hurt you, I am here to free you from your chains.", the man said in a calm voice, "There is no reason to be afraid anymore, I am here now."

---Mael POV---

'Son of a...they look terrible.', I thought kneeling down to see them, "Let me heal you."

Using Ark to heal their bodies, the group suddenly felt reinvigorated. Ripping the chains that bound Irene and Rob, I gave them a nod.

"Stay close to me, and I will escort you out of here.", I stated.

"Wait!!", Irene hissed, "I want-"

Staring her down, she immediately stopped talking.

"The safety of everyone else is our top priority. I can assure you that I will not give your taskmasters a quick or easy death.", I assured them.

Accepting what I said, she nodded meekly and helped get everyone out of the collapse. Following me up the tunnel, they joined with several other groups of prisoners. Seeing the petrified and crushed remains of their captors, Irene and Rob saw the look of horror painted on their final expressions.

'Just what did he do to them...', Irene thought as we kept moving.

By the time we reached the exit, the remaining guards had congregated at the entrance. Pointing guns, crossbows, and ceramic balls filled with anti-ethernano at us, they were ready to kill everyone inside to stop people from leaving with damning information about what had been going on here.

"Surrender, you aren't leaving here alive!!", one of the men shouted.

Stepping out of the entrance with a smirk on my face, I told him to try and stop me. Firing on me, everything was reduced to ash a foot away from me. Dropping their weapons in shock, they were in disbelief that they couldn't even get close to me.

"Is that all you got?", I asked with a smirk, "How about I show you what a real attack looks like!"

Changing into my Demonic Form, I used a spell called Grudge to summon the spirits of those they tormented here. Their thirst for revenge...their anger...their sorrow...all of it fueled the spell which poured out onto the guards. Unable to attack the spirits I summoned, the guards found their literal souls being attacked by the spell. Fleeing for their lives, the spirits gave them no place to run before tearing them apart. Watching their souls burst into flames, I smiled sadistically as I felt pleasure from their suffering.

'Scum like them don't deserve to live or reincarnate.', I thought, 'Using children like slaves...disgusting!'

Changing into my Base Form, I looked back and gave them a smile.

"See I told you there was nothing to worry about!", I chuckled.

"WOW!!", Millianna shouted with excitement, "What kind of magic is that?!"

"Take Over Magic.", I told her, "It's a very unique spell."

Freeing the slaves from their shackles, everyone stood around looking at me. I was going to offer to send people home, but I remembered what the Mine Chief said.

'They don't have homes to go back too...', I thought looking at kids barely old enough to walk, 'There has to be a safe place to take them. Fairy Tail can't take everyone in...maybe Blue Pegasus could take some. Bob should be willing given Makarov, Rob, and him were all on a team together.'

"So where do we go from here?", Rob asked me.

"First and foremost...we need to get everyone something to eat.", I stated, "I am sure you all are starving, literally."

Nodding their heads, everyone wanted to eat a cow by themselves. Breaking into the storeroom, we found a fully stocked pantry filled to the brim with goods meant for their former masters. Seeing all the food they were eating versus what the miners ate, it upset all of them. Rushing towards the first bits of food they could find, I stopped them.

"Hold on, we need to make a stew. If you eat normal food when you are starving, you will overeat and possibly kill yourselves.", I stated.

"How quickly can you make it...", Erza asked her stomach roared in complaint.

"Give me ten minutes.", I told her.

Agreeing to that, I hurriedly made a large pot of stew and served everyone. Letting them eat in peace, I went back to the first building I went to when I arrived. According to the Mine Chief's memory, their was a safe under the floor in his office where he kept important documents. I wanted all the information I could get to give to Makarov to handle this situation.

"It also helps that he was skimming off the top of people's paychecks.", I chuckled seeing the several million jewels he had been hoarding, "This will help resettle some people, and get the few adults a place to rebuild their lives."

Stuffing the money in my storage with the documents, I headed back out to see a line forming for more stew.

---An Hour Later---

"I need a nap...", Millianna yawned.

"How about not on me...", Simon groaned stuck under her.

Smiling at the children who were starting to fall asleep, I said we should get going. Getting everyone together I teleported us back to Fairy Tail.

---Magnolia, Fairy Tail Guild Hall---

"Sis...couldn't I have gone home to change first...", Elfman sighed, "I am soaking wet."

"If you had held the dog better, you wouldn't have been thrown into the bath.", Mirajane told him.

"That wasn't a dog!! It was the size of a bear!", Elfman refuted.

Smiling as he heard them talk about their first job, Makarov wondered how the other new addition to the guild was getting along. Just as took another sip, the boy in question appeared...with a large group of people.

"Mael!?", Makarov shouted almost falling off the counter, "What are you-"

Stopping dead in his tracks, Makarov swore he saw a ghost. Dropping his mug, he started to trembling in utter disbelief.

"R...Rob!?", Makarov gasped, "You...you are alive!? Where have you been!! I spent months looking for you!! The Mage Hunters said you were-"

"Makarov, it's been a while.", Rob chuckled with a smile.

"Gildarts!!", Makarov shouted, "Get everyone in here on the double!!"

Hearing the seriousness of Makarov's tone, he made everyone outside hurry in and closed the door behind them. Seeing a large crowd of unknown faces in the Guild he was going to ask what happened before he saw one familiar face.

"Rob!!", Gildarts said with excitement, "Where have you been!!"

Giving his close friend a big hug, he was in shock that the man thought to have been dead was right in front of him alive and well. Waiting till the excitement died down from Rob's return, Makarov looked at me with a grateful smile till he saw the look on my face.

"Where did you find him and the others?", he asked me.

"On an island just over the horizon from Akane Beach. Guildmaster Makarov...the Mage Hunters and the Church sold these people to the Mine on the island to be used as Slave Labor.", I told him with a serious look.

"Mael...these are serious accusations. I hope you have proof to-", Makarov stated to tell me.

Pulling the stack of papers I collected, I set them on the counter next to him. Looking over at the paperwork, the first one he saw was Rob's Bill of Sale from nearly a decade and a half ago. Seeing the signatures, the stamps, and the notations I saw veins start popping out of the side of his head. Flipping through more and more of the pages, he saw what the Mine Chief had written down about everything...including when people died or were beaten to death.

"YAJIMA!!!", Makarov howled in anger, "Gildarts, get me my communicator now!! How dare the Magic Council lie to my face!! This is unacceptable!!"

Storming off to his office with Gildarts and a few others in tow, I glanced back at the kids who wanted to sleep. Asking guild members to help settle them in for now, it was all hands on deck to find blankets and pillows for them.