1:151 on the 3rd day of Winter

I was dripping with sweat from driving the mana drill into the wall again and again. It was backbreaking work but still a lot easier than doing this same task with hammers. Finally, I put the drill down, needing to take another break.

"What are you doing Baldor!" said Flood. "Don't rest now! We still have yet to see the drill's limits.”

I glared at him while trying to catch my breath. He still doesn't know my name.

"Hey Theod," said Baldor. "Let me give it a go for a bit."

I handed him the drill and sat down on the cart. Flood just coughed and returned to his notes. I opened up my canteen and drank deeply. Baldor kept it up for a few minutes then handed it off to Hroadant. Flood looked bored but was turning an hourglass over whenever it finished and was taking occasional notes to look busy. The magic circuit in the drill was widely used to create steam clouds that could obscure vision but we didn't know how it would work under pressure. This was the final test of the whole system before the design could be sold to a magic item manufacturer in the city. Frankly, there wasn't a lot of interest. The drill would be extremely expensive at first and, with the influx of refugees, labor was cheap. Eventually Hroadant got tired and handed it off to Uote. She started in on the wall and just a few seconds into drilling a new hole there was a loud CRACK that could be heard even over the drill.

Uote left the drill in the wall and jumped back. Then there was another series of louder cracks followed by the sound of crumbing rocks all without any change to the wall we were working on. It took a second for us all to realize that the sound was coming from one of the tunnels. The echo made it hard to determine which one though. I hoped it wasn't from the tunnel we came down. We all looked at each other.

"What was that?" asked Hroadant.

"It sounded like a tunnel collapse." said Uote.

"Don't anyone worry, there are many routes back to the surface." said Flood. "You there, go and check it out."

He was gesturing to me. This was really starting to piss me off. The others had referred to me by name enough times he had to be deliberately not remembering my name. Then it occurred to me that he hadn't used Uote's name either and she was the only other one down here that wasn't a mage. So this was a magist thing, and now he was sending me into a dangerous situation because I was more expendable than the mages in the group. Fantastic.

I just stood there glaring daggers at him until he looked at me. He seemed to notice my anger and after his initial surprise he looked down his nose at me.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked. "Get to it."

He was the master and I the apprentice. If I told him to get stuffed then I would expect to lose all that and never get my journeyman level. I needed this. Again I found myself without power.

"Fine." I said.

I picked up my bright-leaf lantern, moved over to the supplies, and started putting useful items into a work satchel. Knife in its belt sheath, check, extra water canteen, check, backup light source, check. I could hear a few hushed exchanges behind me speculating what the noise was. After the pack was stocked I walked right past Flood without looking at him. I headed back down the tunnel we came from. I made it about twenty meters away when Flood started yelling again.

"Back to work!” he said. "We haven't collected enough data yet. Another twenty measures should do it."

The sudden noise made me jump but after he was done I resumed my trek up the tunnel. After a measure of walking I could no longer see the light of the work camp. Things were eerily silent in the dark of the mine. I wasn't too worried, the mine guard patrolled down here so nothing from the deep places of the world would come up to threaten us. Maybe a cave rat or two but nothing really dangerous.

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After about three measures the floor sloped up and I started to see small rocks. The air was getting cloudy with rock dust. I took a minute to wrap a scarf over my mouth and wet it with water from my canteen before continuing a bit further. I found a large pile of rocks covering the tunnel floor. The wall had collapsed and beyond was a large black expanse.

There was a soft sound of dripping water coming from beyond the hole. Perhaps that was what caused the collapse, steady erosion by water. I walked closer, still wary of another collapse. I reached the threshold and shined my light inside. The space was big, very big. I took out the flashlight style magic item I had stowed in my bag and shined it around for a better look. There were hundreds of stalactites above an underground lake at least a hundred meters across. The opening was probably thirty or forty meters above the lake on a high ledge. I pulled down my scarf and approached the edge. Looking around with my light I could see other ledges closer to the water and, on the far side of the lake, other tunnel entrances. That's when a thought struck me. This cave might not have been cleared by the mine guard yet.

There was a scuffling sound but it echoed off the cave walls so I couldn't tell which direction it came from. I turned around and tried to see whatever it was. If it was a cave rat, I could probably run away or even stab it with my knife. Not finding anything, I set down the bright-leaf lantern and moved toward the tunnel I came from, stumbling over loose rubble. Then I saw it. Not a cave rat. A car sized kith demon came charging up the other passage. Its segmented body was supported on six thin legs and it had two arms, each with a single long blade like claw glowing red hot. Its compound eyes found me and it rushed forward.

I screamed as I ran back into the cave with the lake. My work bag was awkward to run with so I dropped it. When I reached the end of the ledge I was on I jumped to a lower one and kept on running. The lantern light went out suddenly and the scuffling behind me was getting closer so I didn't pause as I jumped again to a lower ledge. I missed my footing and rolled.

The two red hot blade claws were visible on the last ledge with more now appearing by the entrance. Just my rotten luck. I got to my feet and ran again. If I could just make it to one of the other tunnels maybe I could disengage and get away. But the next ledge was too far, probably. I looked back to reassure myself of certain death behind me, then charged forward to only likely death ahead.

I jumped with everything I had but could tell I wouldn't quite make it. I dropped my light but managed to catch the edge and luck was with me as my foot found purchase. I scrambled my way onto the ledge turning around to see the glowing red of the monsters' claws moving from side to side to find a way across. My light had dropped in the water so everything was black in the cave except for that red glow. I started feeling my way back but quickly found the edge again. I could see the red glow start to move up what I knew must be the cave walls. They were moving around the gap and would soon reach me.

I pulled my knife and stood with my back to the lake. It wasn't bravery. It was spite. If they were going to eat me I would make them pay an eye for their meal. One of them made it across and approached slowly. As my eyes adjusted I could see its triangular head by the light of its own claws. It opened a wide mouth filled with rows of needle-like teeth. Some of its drool sizzled on the tip of its claw.

Then there was a bright flash of light from the cave entrance. There, standing tall and confident, stood a girl in banded leather armor who was literally glowing.

"Hey! Monsters." she yelled. "Why don't you pick on someone your own size!"

My heart leaped with hope. I didn't recognize her but she was a light mage and was here to rescue me. Thank Mez. Then the monster in front of me swiftly turned to face the newcomer, catching me with a back leg and throwing me over the edge. I had a moment to consider my fate as I fell. Then I felt something strange come over me. A heat spreading rapidly from my chest and a pulse of power thrumming through me. Then I hit the dark water.

I came to my senses just marks later in horrible pain. The water around me was utterly black and I couldn't tell which way the surface was. I think I was still sinking. The heat and power still ran through me and I could feel it pouring over into the surrounding water.

A soft blue glow started emanating out in all directions. Smooth rock was visible below me and I was able to pause and get my bearings. As my mind started to catch up to events I realized that I must be awakening magic. My heart leapt with joy as I looked around to take in the blue glow and smiled. Was I a light mage?

Then, as I looked more closely, I realized first that the light wasn't coming from me. The glow was coming from the water itself. Moreover, the book said that light mages always awaken with blinding flashes of white light, not a soft blue. My heart filled with dread. I had seen this very particular glow once before. But not in this world.

Early in my career I had a chance to take a tour of the advanced test reactor at a state research laboratory. I remember there was a large tank of extremely clear water that was used to shield us visitors from harmful radiation. The water around the reactor glowed with Cherenkov radiation. It glowed with an eerie blue light just like what filled the dark water around me. My awakening of magic poured out enough charged particle radiation to make water glow. That was when I really started to panic.