2 Resist

Every person that heard the Overseer's words was left dumbstruck.

The current situation of the mines was quite drastic, and even obtaining ten kilograms of ore per person was a tough task. And despite that, Asher and Berk were mining twenty five kilograms.

And now, they were hearing that they got no praise for it. Instead, they were now obliged to mine FORTY kilograms of ore.

It was the work of four miners assigned to a single person. It was simply unthinkable to most and they even dreaded the mere thought of it. And yet, it had now turned into reality right in front of them.

"Forty Kilograms!? We can't do that!" Asher said outright.

"Overseer… You can't possibly think that anyone can mine that much." Even Berk knew he had to speak up right now.

"What? You can't do this little task?" The Overseer though, considered it a trivial thing. "You do know our brave warriors are enduring the tough condition of the fortress every day? They suffer and keep us safe from the dangers of the dungeon." He said, his voice rising.

"They keep us safe from the DEMONS! The very same demons that killed all of YOUR families!" The Overseer's voice kept on getting louder and weighing on the ears of everyone in the area.

"The very same warriors rely on us to obtain the ores, so that they can be turned into the weapons that protect us! And here you are being hesitant about something so small?!" The overseer stood up, his fat jiggling with each movement.

By now he had come out from behind his desk and stood face to face with Asher and Berk. His thick finger made contact with Asher's forehead, pushing him back.

"Now tell me… What makes you more important than them?" The Overseer questioned. "All of you… Each and every one of you… Are wastrels!" he shouted, his voice terrifying the younger miners.

Among the miners, the age range was quite varied. There were miners as young as ten all the way to those that were in their late seventies. 

As such, the demeanor of the overseer was quite frighting for the children. Even for the older miners, they knew nothing good would come out of this.

"Now then… Both of you will go and do exactly as I said." The Overseer stated poking Asher's head. "Unless you think you are worth more than the soldiers, which I'm sure you all are not." He added smugly.

Silence descended in the area, with anxious expression prevalent on the miners' faces. 

Asher had his head facing down, while Berk slightly lifted his. Disappointment and fatigue was apparent on it, knowing that from tomorrow his life was about to get much more difficult.

He watched as the overseer turned back to go and sit at his desk, fully expecting that his work was done. 

But then, something no one had exacted happened. 

Berk saw Asher lift his face, and the indignation that flared in his eyes. 

"Don't—" before Berk could stop the boy though, he spoke.

"NO!" Like a bolt shot from a ballista, his words struck the Overseer.

As if they were physical, the Overseer stumbled, his fat jiggling even more. 

"What did you say?" The Overseer turned around, a mix of disbelief and surprise on his face.

"No." Asher stated firmly. "I will not." His limit had been crossed.

A collective gasp was heard, as hundreds of miners' eyes went wide.

"You won't work?" the Overseer questioned again. "You will defy the command? Are you insane?!" His spittle flying everywhere.

"Yes, it has been enough!" Asher replied, having had enough. "First you make us all mine ore in a depleted mine, then you don't give us usable equipment, and don't even give us torches. On top of all that, you expect us to meet unreasonable quotas!?" this time it was his voice that echoed in the area, reaching the ears of every miner.

"I don't think I'm insane… ITS YOU!" Asher roared, pointing back at the Overseer.

The Overseer was simply gobsmacked by Asher's words. No one had ever dared to speak back to him, not to mention show such insolence. The words kept on repeating in his mind, while his face started to turn red from anger.

The fury reached the top of his head and broke through his limits.

"YOU DARE!!!!!" The Overseer thundered. "GUARDS!" 

~CLANG~CLANG~CLANG~

Within seconds of his shout, eight armed guards appeared. Their pikes thudded against the ground, inspiring fear in the hearts of all the miners that heard it. Several times they had heard the very same sound, but it was always accompanied by despair.

"Overseer." The Guards responded in attention.

"Take him! Chain him in Trench Rot Cave!" The Overseer commanded while his eyes bulged.

Veins could be seen pulsing on his neck, showing just how his blood pressure was.

~CLANG~

The guards moved and quickly grabbed Asher's arms. 

"Release me!" Asher resisted. "I said release me!" 

~SMACK~

"Silence!" The guard shouted, slapping Asher across his face.

"You cannot do this! THIS IS WRONG!" But Asher was not one to take it calmly. "YOU ALL KNOW THIS! It is me today, but it will be all of you tomorrow!" he spoke to the other miners.

But his words fell on deaf ears, as all of them shied away. No one dared to look up, fearing the fact that they might be pulled into trouble. They knew better than to participate in such matters.

Asher wasn't the first person to speak up either. 

There had been many in the past. Others had even supported them in their resistant, but all of them had suffered unfortunate fates. By now, they knew that if they stuck their heads out, they would only get hammered down.

"Asher…" Berk didn't know what to do either.

Helplessness reflected on his face, while a sickening feeling filled him up. His hawk like eye dulled, as he couldn't help but look down as well.

"No…" Asher saw the faces of everyone and his heart fell. 

"NO!!!" his cries clawed at the hearts of all while being dragged to a mine far in the distance.