Before its annexation by Arlin, Corith was rarely invaded due to the relative lack of natural resources and inherent danger contained in its forests. Logging was its main industry, but straying further into the woods past the roads or townships of Corith was akin to jumping off of a cliff, and shared similar survival rates.

***

Alex’s appearance could best be summarized by the word “rusted”. His hair was a dark orange along with the freckles that dotted his face. In all honesty, it wouldn’t be surprising if he started making creaking noises. His general attitude, however, betrayed this rusted look.

“Oh hey there! How’s it going? You’re… your name starts with an M, right?”

Alex had a dorky smile on his face, which automatically stood out from the rest of the people here. His general mannerisms and personality were lively, which often acted as a small beacon of hope for others around him.

“North.”

As we shuffled down the food line for breakfast, I could feel him inch slightly closer to me. If he was attempting to whisper, he wasn’t doing the best job of it. It was notable that he stood almost a head taller than me which made his energetic demeanor even more eye-catching.

“Right, North. Listen, I heard about what happened to Sera last night. I’m sorry about it. If you ever need some help, I’m always here.”

Alex sauntered off back into the rest of the cafeteria, immediately striking up conversation as he sat down at a table. I awkwardly walked back to my usual table where Elric was already sitting in wait for me. His face seemed as though it had been paused in time, unable to emote. It was clear that Sera’s current state was affecting him just as much as it was me.

“Can we talk? I know that you and I are both struggling, but I want to tell you something.” I murmured, keeping my voice lower than usual. Elric responded by raising an eyebrow.

“This sounds insane, but I’m planning on doing a revolt. I want to-”

“I’m in.”

I sat there for a moment, bewildered. His expression hadn’t changed but it was clear that he’d been pondering something similar to me for a while.

“You’re doing it to save Sera, right? Then I’m in. Who else?”

“Other than me, the only person who knows is… Elm.”

Elric’s face immediately shifted alongside his tone, and he lowered his voice before leaning in towards me.

“Elm? You pick one person in this fucking camp and you pick Elm? The man who is known for helping the guards and has been on both of our asses for multiple occasions, and you choose him to trust? Gods… you’re even worse at planning than I thought.”

I knew this was going to happen.

“He’s knowledgeable and he’s sworn to work with me. I don’t have any other option, and he’s got connections in places I could never dream of. Whether he betrays us or not, we’d still be dying in the attempt. If you want to save Sera, then you need to work with him.”

Elric took a moment to search my face before sitting back down. A deep sigh escaped his throat as he tried to calm himself down.

“We’re going to need a lot more help than his old ass. You got any plans for that?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

His question hit directly on the mark that had been bothering me. Despite my deep conviction and general knowledge, I needed manpower. Elm may have been viewed with respect for most, but his demeanor and conversational skills were lacking. I wasn’t exactly the best in social environments and Elric was, despite being a bit more amicable in most regards, not held to the highest standards within the camp. The fact that the guards also tried to break up any group that was larger than 5 people in case they were attempting to plan something also limited my chances. Having messages pass from one person to another could lead to it getting warped or intercepted by the guards, and that would cause it to all fall apart.

There was a piece of this that we were missing. Getting half of the camp on our side wasn’t exactly the hardest thing to do, since all of us already wanted to kill the guards here. The gentle melancholy that Sera’s assault was a clear sign of resentment towards those who were keeping us in bondage. But getting them together in one group to actually execute a complex plan was something that would require a miracle of communication.

“Wait. What about…”

I lifted my head to turn over to the area where Alex was sitting. He noticed my glance almost immediately and shot me a smile. Elric took a moment to follow my gaze, and his frown immediately deepened.

“Oh for fucks sake. Him?”

***

Dinner held a similar air to the morning. Working in the mines had only made my thoughts even more clouded as I struggled to think up a plan. The more I tried to wrap my head around it, the larger the task appeared to be. The fact that I had less than 60 days to do it only compounded my worries. As I finished up my meal, I felt a hand tap on my shoulder and found Elm hovering over me.

“Grab another bowl and piece of bread. I talked with them, and they said you could give it to Sera. Fast.”

I got up as fast as I could and grabbed the food. The room seemed to stare at me, wondering if I was committing the grave sin of getting seconds. As I walked towards the opening of the tent, the guard manning put a hand in front of my path.

“Don’t tell me you’re taking food to the bitch with the broken leg, are you?”

I stood still, holding the soup and bread firmly in my hands.

“Yes sir. Elm ordered me to.”

The guard eyed me up and down before taking a deep breath and lowering his hand.

“Fine. Make it quick.” He said, his voice coated in frustration. “It’s just a fucking waste of food anyhow.”

***

“Thanks… I’m still getting used to this.”

Sera’s voice was still faltering, but it was better than last night. I walked over to her bunk and leaned down to get a clear look at her. The leg was still clearly mangled but the splint had managed to move back most of it into its natural place. Instead of a malformed piece of flesh, it was very clearly a leg. I gave a false smile before stretching out my arms to hand her the food, but she instinctively pushed backwards into the bunk away from my hands. It took a moment to register what had just happened on the side of both parties.

“No, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to- I just… I don’t know.”

I couldn’t do anything other than place the food down in front of her before backing off. My fists were clenched in frustration.

“It’s not your fault. It’s theirs. Don’t worry. They’ll get what’s coming to them soon enough.”

“You realize how selfish you are, trying to act like the hero? Are you really doing this just for me?”

I took a moment to think about her words before responding. It was true that I was doing this for a very personal reason and was only really spurred on by one major event.

“No, I’m not going to play the hero. I don’t know what I’m doing. The only things I’ve got are a dumb level of conviction and the ability to use an attunement I have absolutely no understanding of. But I’ve got people around me who are a lot smarter and a lot better in ways I never could be.” I took a moment to crouch down to meet her face. “You’re one of those people. And if we can get a few more heads together, maybe we can make up for this extremely stupid one talking to you right now.”

With bread in her mouth, she looked at me and smiled. I didn’t know whether it was fake or not, but it definitely helped to keep me going.

“I hope you’re right. Judging from that look, I think you already have a person in mind to start with?”

I gave her a thumbs up before I stood up and walked out of the room. The next thing I had to do was talk to the one person in camp who loved talking the most. It had only been one day since I had declared my conviction to destroy this place, but I was about to get the closest to killing myself in the 5 years that I had been a slave.