I sighed, resigned to the label for now, and followed the man deeper into the tunnels. The air was cooler down here, damp with the scent of earth and minerals. The sound of mine carts clattering along tracks echoed through the cavern, mixing with the steady rhythm of pickaxes chipping away at stone. Workers moved in every direction, some with burlap sacks strapped to their backs, tossing in ore and gems as they went. Others pushed the carts uphill, their faces streaked with dust and sweat, the gems glinting faintly in the dim light.
"I wouldn’t worry ‘bout her calling ya slow, boy," the man said suddenly, his voice breaking the quiet. "She calls everyone slow when she first meets 'em." He glanced back at me with a chuckle. "She expects you to know what she wants when she don’t say it."
He stopped and turned back toward me, grinning. “It’s her way of testin’ ya. If you figure it out quick, she’ll come around. Eventually." He laughed again, the sound bouncing off the tunnel walls before he resumed walking.
We continued through the winding network of tunnels until we arrived at one that was noticeably quiet. No workers, no bustling carts, and not even a full set of lamps to light the way. The tunnel ended abruptly ahead, disappearing into the darkness. I eyed the unfinished passage, my curiosity growing.
"Is this tunnel dangerous or something?" I asked, glancing around.
The man let out a hearty laugh. "No, boy. This is my personal tunnel." He gestured around with a broad sweep of his arms, pride evident in his expression.
As he stood beneath the faint glow of the lamps, I finally got a good look at him. His skin was a deep copper tone, further darkened by the dust clinging to him. He wasn’t particularly large; about my height, though his frame was leaner. Yet his muscles rippled with the kind of strength that was compact and efficient. His eyes, a striking bright green, stood out vividly against his complexion, while a shock of red hair and beard completed the striking contrast.
We walked deeper into the tunnel, the miner glanced over at me, wiping some of the dust off his hands. "Ever done any minin' before, boy?" His tone was casual but curious.
I nodded, though a bit hesitantly. "Yeah, once. I got the chance to try it out during a quest. I managed to gather a few gems, but I haven’t really had the chance to mine since. I didn’t get to learn much about the process, just swung the pickaxe and hoped for the best."
He chuckled at that, a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Ah, a ‘swing and hope’ miner, eh? Well, no wonder yer back here. You probably busted up half the gems you found that way."
I couldn’t help but grin, realizing he was probably right. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"That’s the problem with rushing it,” he said, stopping to pull a pickaxe from a rack on the tunnel wall. He handed it to me, the weight of the tool immediately sinking into my hands. “Gems are delicate things. You can’t just go hammerin’ away like you’re splitting logs. You gotta coax ‘em out. Precision, patience; those are the names of the game."
I hefted the pickaxe, testing its weight. "So, what’s the trick? I’ve only got the basics down; find something shiny, hit it, hope you don’t smash it."
He chuckled again, then motioned for me to stand next to a section of the tunnel where a rough patch of stone glittered faintly with mineral veins. "First off, you don’t just hit. You listen." He tapped the rock lightly with the head of his own pickaxe. "Feel that vibration?"
I pressed my hand against the stone. There was a subtle tremor, almost like the rock was responding to the tap.
"That’s the stone talkin' to ya," he continued. "Now, if you hit too hard, you’ll shatter any gem veins inside. But if you work the stone; tap along its weak points, feel for where it’s softer, you can ease those gems out with minimal damage."
I nodded, paying close attention as he continued explaining. "The cleaner you pull the gem, the larger cuts you can make, and the more power they hold. Cracked gems, on the other hand, lose a lot of their potential. They’ll still have some power, but nothin’ compared to a whole one."
He gestured at the pickaxe in my hand. "Now, give it a go. Start with a light tap, feel the stone, and then work your way in. Remember, we’re not in a rush. The more care you take now, the better payoff you’ll get later."
I gripped the pickaxe and did as he instructed, tapping the rock lightly. The vibration traveled up the handle, a subtle pulse through my fingers. I adjusted my stance, lining up another tap where the stone felt just a bit softer. As the rhythm of the taps fell into place, I started to get the hang of it.
"That’s it,” he said, nodding approvingly. "Feel how it responds? Now, aim for the edges of the vein and work your way in. Don't rush it; let the stone tell you where it’s ready to give."
I followed his advice, slowly chipping away at the stone, careful to keep the vibrations gentle but steady. As I worked, a faint glimmer of a gem peeked through the cracks. I paused for a moment, then carefully tapped around it, trying not to damage the precious find.
He watched in silence for a bit before speaking up again. "Yer doin’ fine. Patience, boy. Remember, you break that gem, and it’s worth less than half of what it could’ve been."
I eased the pickaxe back, feeling a small sense of accomplishment as more of the gem revealed itself. "This... actually makes a lot more sense now. I was smashing through rock like it owed me something last time."
He barked out a laugh. "That’s how most people do it until they learn better. But when you take the time to do it right, the rewards are that much sweeter."
I continued working at the stone, pulling out the gem inch by inch. Finally, it broke free, a whole, uncracked gem, much larger than the ones I’d found before.
The miner clapped a hand on my shoulder. "Not bad for a second timer. Keep at it, and you’ll have a knack for it in no time."
As I admired the gem that I’d just pulled free, I thought back to the last time I mined. "Hey, quick question," I said, turning to the miner. "The first time I tried this, I found a vein with both ore and gems in it. It was Duriron ore, and I managed to pull some out along with the gems. But... I kinda smashed my way through without knowing what I was doing. So how do I handle a vein that has both? Do I focus on one or the other?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his bright green eyes studying me for a moment. "Ah, Duriron. Tough stuff, that is. Duriron veins are tricky, ‘cause they run deep and often come with other valuable resources, like gems. What you want to do in a case like that is balance yer approach."
He motioned to another section of the wall where faint glimmers of metal could be seen alongside specks of what looked like embedded gemstones. "First off, if you’re dealin’ with both ore and gems, you gotta prioritize the gems. Gems are more fragile, and if you crack ‘em trying to pull the ore, you’re gonna lose a lotta value. The ore, like Duriron, can take more of a beating; it’s resilient. So, you wanna gently work out the gems first."
I nodded, remembering how I’d ended up with a [Lesser Glorubyte] and chunks of ore mixed together before. "So, gems first, then I can go harder on the ore once they’re out?"
"Exactly," he said, his tone firm. "But here’s the catch; sometimes the gems are nestled deep in the ore. In that case, you’ve gotta carefully chip around the ore, not through it, until you can free the gem. Once you get the gems out, you can go back and get all the Duriron or whatever else is in there without worrying about shattering the precious stuff."
He gestured toward the vein. "Why don’t you give it a shot? There’s a mix in that one. Duriron and some smaller gems. Let’s see how you handle it."
I moved closer to the vein, eyeing the metallic sheen of Duriron and the faint glimmers of gemstones embedded within. Carefully, I began to tap around the edges, focusing on loosening the gems without damaging the surrounding ore.
The miner watched closely, offering tips as I went. "Remember, take your time. You rush, you break it. Focus on the gems first, and once they’re out, you can go harder on the ore."
I nodded, keeping my strokes gentle, chipping away at the stone while being mindful of the fragile gems. Slowly but surely, I freed one of the gems from the rock, holding it up to the faint light of the tunnel. The Duriron was still intact, ready for extraction.
"Good work," he said with a nod of approval. "Now that you’ve got the gems out, go ahead and get the Duriron. Give it a little more muscle this time."
I adjusted my grip on the pickaxe, swinging it with more force now that the delicate gems were out of the way. The Duriron ore cracked loose in larger chunks, the metallic veins breaking free from the stone without the risk of damaging the valuable gems.
As I continued working, the rhythm of mining started to feel more natural. The balance between precision and power made sense now. It wasn’t about smashing my way through everything; it was about knowing when to be gentle and when to put strength behind the swing.
By the time I finished, I had a pile of gems and ore separated neatly in front of me. The satisfaction of doing it right this time settled in, and I grinned as I wiped the dust from my hands.
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The miner handed me a shovel, “Time to sift through the ore and get the rocks out best we can. Then we’ll gather up the gems, and you can take them back up front to start learning how to cut 'em,” he said with a smile.
I took the shovel and followed his lead, scooping up rocks and ore, then carefully separating the pile, sorting them into neat piles like he had shown me. As I worked, a thought crossed my mind. I reached into my pack and pulled out the [Lesser Glorubyte] I had mined before. Holding it up, I said, “This was the first gem I got from that Duriron vein I mined a while back.”
The miner took the gem from me, his eyes squinting as he inspected it closely, turning it over in his hands a few times. “Yep, cracked it pretty badly,” he said, giving me a knowing look. “Also, you said this was the first gem. Was there nothin’ else?”
Remembering the purple-white stone from that same vein, I reached into my bag and pulled it out, handing it over to him. His eyes widened like he’d just struck gold.
“Holy shit, boy! You know what you’ve got here?!” His excitement was infectious as he shot to his feet, practically dancing in a circle, holding the stone out in front of him like it was a baby.
I blinked at him, confusion all over my face. “No… it just says ‘unknown’ to me.”
He stopped mid-spin and stared at me, a mix of disbelief and envy in his gaze. “You mean to tell me, you pulled one of the rarest stones in this world from your first vein, didn’t damage it, and you don’t even know what it is?” he asked, the question clearly rhetorical.
I shrugged, offering a half-apology, still lost as to what the big deal was.
He let out a long, resigned sigh. “Damnit boy, she’s really gonna make fun of you now.” He gave me a sidelong glance before gesturing at the pile of gems I had sorted. “Gather up those gems you’ve got there and come on with me.”
Without another word, he turned and started walking back toward the main tunnels.
“What in the hells?!” the mole lady exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the gem in her hands. Her usual gruff demeanor faltered for a moment as she glanced from the gem to me. “And you’re sayin’ you pulled this from a Duriron vein?”
I nodded, the excitement in me growing as her reaction hinted at just how valuable this gem might be.
She didn’t say anything at first, just sat down heavily in a chair nestled against the mine wall. It was clear this little nook had become her makeshift office; papers and tools scattered over a battered desk, while the chair groaned under her weight. She stared at the gem in silence, her brow furrowed in thought, as if calculating a thousand possibilities.
Minutes passed, her gaze locked on the gem, before she finally snapped out of her contemplation. She stood up with a grunt and motioned for me to follow her through a makeshift door opposite the tunnel.
The room beyond was her gem cutting workshop. Tools of all kinds were strewn about on a long table, and at its center was a strange contraption holding up a large magnifying glass, clearly meant for inspecting fine details. Various cutting tools, chisels, and odd devices lay scattered across the workbench, each one well-worn from use.
“Jonn here says you picked up the art of minin’ pretty quickly, so I reckon it’s about time to learn ya how to cut some gems,” she said, her tone matter of fact as she settled onto the stool nearest the magnifying glass at the center of the table.
Jonn had followed me in, hovering near the door like he was already halfway out. “Would you like me to stay, ma’am, or head off to help close the southern tunnel?” he asked, his eyes darting between us. It was painfully obvious he wanted to bolt, and that didn’t exactly fill me with confidence about my upcoming lesson.
She just waved him off without a second glance. Jonn didn’t need to be told twice; he shot out of the room like his boots were on fire. Before he disappeared, though, he tossed me an apologetic look over his shoulder, the door closing with a soft thud behind him.
I sighed, bracing myself for whatever was about to happen. There was no turning back now. I came here to learn, and I wasn’t about to let a tiny mole lady scare me off from that. I rolled my shoulders back, determined to see this through.
I looked back at the old woman as she slipped the purple-white gem into a small leather bag and tucked it into her pocket. She noticed my gaze, her eyes narrowing.
“You want this gem back, you're gonna have to learn to cut these ones here proper-like first,” she said, her tone gruff and unapologetic. “Lucky enough you haven’t cracked it already, but I’m not lettin’ some fool hold onto it if I can help it.”
She motioned at the table covered in tools. “C’mon, let’s get to cuttin’.”
For a moment, I stood there, considering how much trouble it would be if I lost my patience with her. But instead, I let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding and forced myself to step toward the table.
“I ain’t no damned thief, boy,” she added with a huff, sensing my frustration. “Don’t twist your panties up in a knot over it.”
As I approached the table, the old mole woman grabbed a rough, uncut gem from a small pile. She held it up to the dim light, inspecting the stone with a critical eye.
“First things first,” she said, “you gotta know the gem before you can cut it. Not every gem's the same, and not every cut’s gonna work. What’s important is understanding where the gem wants to break, not where you want it to.”
She handed me the gem, and I awkwardly took it, turning it over in my hand. It felt smooth in some spots but jagged in others.
“See those cracks?” she pointed to the faint lines running through the surface. “Those are natural fault lines. Hit the wrong one, and you’ll shatter the whole gem. You’ve gotta hit the right spot, make the right cut, to get the best yield.”
She slid a strange magnifying contraption toward me. “Put the gem under this and take a good look at the cracks.”
I did as instructed, carefully positioning the gem beneath the lens. Through the magnified glass, I could see what she meant there were tiny, hairline fractures running in different directions.
“Now,” she continued, “the key is to find the main fault line, the one that’ll give you the biggest piece when it breaks. Sometimes it’s obvious, but most times, it’s hidden. Your job is to spot it. Take your time, but don’t overthink it.”
I nodded, the pressure of the task sinking in as I studied the gem. After a few minutes of examining, I pointed to a faint crack. “This one?” I asked, unsure.
She squinted at it. “Close, but not quite. That one’s too small, hit that, and you’ll get fragments.” She leaned over, gently adjusting the gem slightly under the magnifying glass. “See this line here, the deeper one running at an angle? That’s your target. When you hit it, the whole gem should break into two clean pieces.”
I focused on the deeper crack she pointed out, noticing how it extended farther than the others. “Got it.”
She reached for a small, pointed hammer like tool, handing it to me. “Now, you need to use this rock hammer. You ain’t smashing it, boy, you’re tapping it.” She gave me a stern look. “Gentle. A small tap in the right place is all it takes to break it right.”
I positioned the hammer above the gem, trying to line it up with the fault line she’d shown me. My hand trembled a bit as I raised it.
“Steady,” she muttered, watching my every move. “Don’t rush. Let the tool do the work.”
Taking a deep breath, I lightly tapped the pickaxe against the gem, aiming for the fault line. Nothing happened.
“Again,” she instructed, her voice firm but not impatient.
I tapped a second time, a bit more firmly, and this time I felt the stone shift beneath the pickaxe. A crack echoed faintly, and I saw a split form along the line.
“There,” she said, nodding in approval. “Good. Now keep tapping, same pressure.”
I repeated the process, my confidence growing with each tap. The crack widened, and with one final tap, the gem split cleanly into two pieces.
“Not bad,” she said, lifting the larger piece to inspect it. “Still a bit rough, but you didn’t shatter it. That’s what matters.”
She placed the pieces on the table in front of me. “Now we’ll refine it. This is where the real skill comes in, shaving off the rough edges without losing too much material. The bigger the piece, the more power you’ll get from it when you cut it proper.”
I picked up the larger piece of the gem and set it under the magnifying lens again. She handed me a smaller, more delicate tool, a precision cutter.
“Use this to carve along the natural edges. Don’t force it; just let the tool follow the gem’s shape. You want smooth edges, but don’t rush it. If you push too hard, you’ll crack it.”
My hands shook slightly as I adjusted my grip on the tool, carefully guiding it along the gem’s surface. The cutter scraped against the rough spots, slowly smoothing the edges. It took longer than I expected, but with every stroke, the gem’s form became clearer, more refined.
“You’re gettin’ the hang of it,” she said after a while, watching closely. “But don’t get cocky. One wrong move, and you’ll lose half of what you’ve worked for.”
After what felt like hours, the gem finally looked like a polished, clean piece, ready for use. The mole woman inspected it once more, her eyes sharp. She grunted in approval, handing it back to me.
“Good. Now, that’s how you cut a gem proper-like. You keep up this learnin’ pace, you might just be gettin’ this here gem back sooner than I thought.” She said as she patted the hip the pocket was on.
I smiled politely, "Yes, ma'am," was all I responded with.
"Come back here tomorrow mornin' b'fore the sun peaks. We got lots of work to be doin'," she said, her tone as gruff as ever.
I nodded and turned toward the door, then stopped just before reaching it. A thought crossed my mind, and I realized I hadn't even asked for her name yet; probably because she'd been practically bullying me the whole time, not that I'd admit that.
"Uh, miss... what's your name?" I asked, feeling slightly awkward.
She glanced up from her tools with a raised eyebrow. "Muldra. Now get on outta here. I got work of my own to be gettin' done, especially since I'll be dealin' with you the next few days," she said, waving me off dismissively.
I rolled my eyes, half-smiling as I turned back to the door. Why did I even bother asking? With a sigh, I made my way back to the inn.
As I entered the main room, I saw Leo, Mel, and Trish sitting around a table, speaking quietly among themselves. I made my way over, eager for a drink after the day I’d had.
“Hey guys, how’s everyone doing?” I asked, taking a seat, and waving at the waitress for a drink.
Leo was the first to chime in, his excitement evident. “Good, man! I went back to my alchemy trainer. Went over some breakthroughs, and I should be hitting master levels pretty soon!”
Mel grinned, adding, “I worked on my enchanting some more. Broke into master levels, but none of our gear is worth putting anything on.” She feigned disappointment before her smile widened. “But tomorrow, I get to go with my teacher to the castle and enchant the high guard’s gear to level up even more!” She practically bounced in her seat.
I chuckled at their excitement. “Glad to hear you guys had a great day at least.” Then, I glanced at Trish, who seemed lost in thought. “Babe? You, okay?” I asked, concerned.
Trish blinked, snapping out of her thoughts as she noticed us all looking at her. “Oh, what?” she asked, glancing between us.
“I asked if you were okay,” I repeated, my voice laced with concern.
“Oh, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry, I was just thinking about a new idea for an outfit. This dress is more of a hindrance with my new fighting style,” she said before something seemed to click. Without another word, she kissed me and walked out the door.
The rest of us exchanged glances and shrugged.
“Where’s Max?” I asked, just as the waitress placed a beer in front of me. I took a grateful sip, glad to finally unwind after the long day.
“He’s off with some Florentine trainer Wyguall introduced him to. Looks like he’s in a long training week,” Leo said with a laugh.
“Fine by me,” I said, setting the mug down with a grin. “I found a gem cutting trainer. I guess I’ll be busy with her for a while.”
Mel eyed me, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth. “You don’t sound too excited about that…”
I scratched the back of my head, hesitating. “Well… I am, I guess. It’s just… this teacher is really; how do I put it, harsh? No, not exactly harsh. She’s no-nonsense and expects people to read her mind half the time,” I explained, the memory of her impatient attitude flashing through my mind. “But when she was teaching me how to cut gems, she was super descriptive. It was almost like she switched into a different mode.” I shrugged, letting out a small sigh. “I guess time will tell.”