Into The Mine

Nestled in a small valley at the base of two large mountains, the mining city of Culku City extended up the sides of the mountains. Culku City wasn't a real city. It was more a collective of miners and vagabonds that prefer this type of living rather than within the walls of society.

As the Sect approached they came to a large wooden wall and barrier built across the road. It was a few hundred feet before this point they noticed the other path to the city met back up. The wall was built between a similarly narrow path like they had encountered on their journey. A handful of guards patrolled the top of the wall.

One called down to them when they came into ear shot. "Oi! Who goes there?"

"The Silver Sect," Ergios said.

"Ne'er heard of you. What brings you to Culku City?"

"We have business within the Dunlan Mine!" Harim said.

The guard whispered to one of his companions before turning back to them. "Alright." The large wooden gate slowly swung open, with enough space for them to walk through. The dwarven guard ran down the stairs on their side of the wall to escort them into the city.

"Quite the security. Do you see a lot of trouble this far north?" Harim asked.

The brown bearded dwarf kept marching forward. "All sorts of trouble in these mountains. Can't be too careful." He had a rough voice, like one might get from years of working in a mine filled with soot and dust.

"So nothing to do with what's been going on in the Empire?"

"Don't care much for the goings on in the Empire. We are simple folk. Keep to ourselves up here, so long as we are getting paid we don't care."

"So you've had no trouble with the change in ownership?" Harim thought that question might trigger something.

The dwarf stopped walking, still a few hundred feet from the start of the city. He turned to face Harim. "You sure ask a lot of questions."

"Knowledge is important."

"That it is...Well if you must know the mine or mines you are referring to were just bought. Which means we are still getting paid."

"I thought slaves did most of the mining?" Rothox asked.

"They used to." The dwarf said.

"What happened to them?"

"Nothing happened. We still have a few, but with the new laws and all, things have changed. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Rothox said.

Once they were in the city the guard dwarf gave them directions and returned to his post at the gate. Grumbling about strangers asking so many questions.

They walked in silence for the rest of the way, heading towards the late Dunlan's mine, apparently under new ownership, already. Harim and Rothox both knew that if new owners had taken over the mine in the time it took them to leave Meirgrand and arrive in Culku City, it could only mean one thing. The only other people that knew of Lord Jirax's death, the third party involved, was already here.

There wasn't much to the outside of the mine, located a few minutes walk north of the city down a well trodden path. One simple structure, served as the forman's quarters, where the maps and layouts of the mine were kept. The natural cave opened up into a large cavern where the majority of the mining equipment sat. A black beard, thick and taller than average dwarf greeted them as they entered his mine. Clearly he was the foreman. It was hard to tell if his beard was actually black or just black from working in the mine.

He's voice was deeper and rougher than the guard's. "Can I help you?"

"We hope so." Harim began. "Our employer has asked us to retrieve a shipment he never received, although it was paid for, in full."

"Okay…who might your employer be?"

"He prefers to remain anonymous but the shipment pertains to a specific item. The previous owner, Dunlan, had struck a deal with him, and he would like to see that deal come to fruition."

"Hmm, I don't recall such a deal, and I'm in charge down here." Harim knew he was lying about the deal.

"That may be the case but we would be remiss if we didn't have a look around nonetheless. Is that acceptable?"

"Whatever, just don't bother the workers, they got...well work to do." He looked around nervously, his eyes darting to a specific tunnel.

"And if I may, what was your name, sir?" Harim was very respectable as he talked. Someone well versed in business conversations.

"The name is Rurik, Rurik Bigtoe." The dwarf said proudly.

"Pleasure Rurik, we will respect your wishes and we appreciate your cooperation."

"Yeah, whatever. Just don't get lost. I don't need that on my hands." Rurik grunted and walked off.

"He's lying," Harim whispered to the group.

"I could tell he was nervous and didn't make eye contact with us, he kept looking down towards that tunnel," Rothox said, nodding to the tunnel in question.

"Let's take a look and see what our friend Rurik is hiding," Erigos said.

The tunnel was tight, just wide enough to get a minecart through and tall enough for a person to walk but it was uncomfortably close. Clearly designed to get to an area using the least amount of space. The Sect pushed onwards as the tunnel started to decline and curve deeper into the mountain. A few torches lit the way but other than those random sources of light it was very dark.

They heard the opening first, as the clanging of metal against stone reached their ears. The tunnel eventually came to another large cavern, larger than the first one. A dozen or so miners were hard at work mining large chunks of platinum. They weren't all dwarves. There were a couple humans, as well as a demonblood. The ceiling was covered with stalagmites with a handful of their cousins on the floor. In the center of the room sat a handful of minecrafts half filled with raw ore. The miners paid them no mind as they began to look around the cavern.

Another tunnel continued out the other end, heading deeper into the mountain. Rothox looked at the demonblood as they walked by. They briefly made eye contact before the sect pressed onwards, eventually coming to a smaller cavern but one with four more tunnels, a cross section.

"Which one?" Erigos asked, walking into the center of the cave.

"Not sure, we should have grabbed a map," Rothox said.

"I have an idea," Harim said. "Everyone listen a few feet into a tunnel, see if you can hear the ringing of the miners." They each did just that and listened, they couldn't hear anything. Although there was a faint rumble from the one Rothox listened to.

"Should we head back up and see if we can find a map?" Alissa asked.

"It took awhile to get down here, we will lose time if we do that and I feel we are already behind," Harim said.

"Behind? What do you mean?" Erigos asked. The other two hadn't fully filled them.

"Well we believe the assassins that killed Lord Jirax may have gotten here before us. They were also inquiring about the chestplate. It seems this item is highly coveted," Harim said, facing Erigos.

"How could they have gotten here first, we left right away," Erigos moved from his tunnel.

"If they took the swamp road and if they have mounts it is possible, we don't know. They were ahead of us after leaving the Lord's home. That is all we can go off of." Harim began to pace.

"Who are these...assassins?"

"I didn't see them, Rothox, did you see their faces?" Harim turned to the demonblood.

"I didn't see, just heard them talking," he lied again but kept his eyes focused on Harim. He knew he was good at reading people, but Rothox had grown up lying he was great at it.

"How will we know who they are? For all we know we've walked past them already and have entered a trap," Erigos said as his temper rose. He kicked a loose stone, and it skittered a few feet from him.

"Very astute of you Erigos."

They all spun around to see who said that. An all black armored figure standing in a tunnel, a red chestplate clutched under his arm.