(Day 1)

The sun was extra bright today, like it wanted to show off. The village looked like a picture from a storybook.

And Zane? Well, Zane didn’t feel terrible, which for him was a big win. His muscles were sore and felt like jelly, but in a good way. The kind of way that made him feel like he had actually done something.

So, what had he done? Oh, nothing much. Just caught himself a MiningMole. Yup. Zane. The guy more likely to trip over rocks than dig them up had caught the ultimate digging buddy. No one saw this coming. Least of all Zane.

“This changes everything!” Zane said, throwing off his blanket. He got up, shaking out his stiffness, a big grin on his face. “Who needs muscles when you have a tiny, furry digging expert?” He grabbed his gear with more energy than he’d had in months. Today, he was going places.

Walking to the mine felt like a victory parade. He walked tall, full of confidence. He imagined the villagers watching, jaws dropping as he returned with pockets full of ore. “They’ll line up to shake my hand. Or maybe bow. A statue? Nah, too much. Or... maybe not? ‘Zane the... uh... Zane the Magnificent’? Yeah, still working on that.”

He passed some villagers. A farmer pulling a cart. Some kids running around. He imagined them whispering, “That’s Zane. The guy with a plan.”

Zane chuckled to himself, even though the kids gave him weird looks. Didn’t matter. He had big things to do.

When he got to the cave, Garrick was already there, arms crossed. He looked both curious and doubtful. Of course, word had gotten around. Thanks to Lyra. And here was Garrick, ready to see the so-called MiningMole in action.

“Morning,” Zane said, trying to sound casual. It came out a little squeaky. “Nice day for some mining, huh?”

“Morning,” Garrick replied, raising an eyebrow. “So, this is it?”

Zane held up the CaptureCube and tried to look confident. “Yup. The MiningMole. Supposed to make digging easy. Let’s see if it’s the real deal or just a shiny box.”

He tapped the cube, and it glowed softly.

Pop! Out came MiningMole, twitching its tiny claws and sniffing the air.

Garrick raised his eyebrow even higher. “Doesn’t look like much.”

Zane laughed awkwardly, scratching his neck. “Well, we’re about to find out. It’s either this or I’m back to using your bone-breaking pickaxe.”

Garrick smirked. “Don’t tempt me. Let’s see what this little guy can do.”

They walked into the cave. The warm air turned cool, and it got darker as they moved deeper inside.

Zane guided MiningMole to a patch of solid rock and took a deep breath. “Alright, buddy,” he said, trying to be encouraging. “Time to show your stuff. Use your Ore Mining!”

MiningMole hesitated, twitching its nose. “Mole… Mole… MiningMole!” It started clawing at the stone.

Nothing happened.

Zane’s stomach dropped. He could feel Garrick’s stare. This was going to be another Zane mess-up, wasn’t it?

But then, MiningMole’s claws glowed blue. The rock crumbled. Fast.

Zane’s face lit up.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Garrick leaned in, looking surprised. “Well, I’ll be... It’s like it knows exactly where to dig.”

MiningMole was a blur. Rocks flew everywhere.

Zane’s heart raced. Pride. Excitement. This was working.

Soon, the little guy slowed down. Breathing heavy. Tired.

“Easy, easy,” Zane said, patting its tiny head. “You did awesome.” He smiled, and the little mole twitched its nose, still determined.

Garrick crossed his arms, a small smile on his face. “Not bad, Zane. The little guy’s got some spirit. Needs more stamina, though. But for a first try? Pretty good.”

“Pretty good?” Zane let out a big sigh of relief. Coming from Garrick, that was high praise.

They let MiningMole rest, looking at the small pile of rocks. It wasn’t a ton, but it wasn’t nothing either. MiningMole had its limits, but it also had potential.

The rest of the day was all about digging, resting, and repeating. Zane felt proud with each chunk of rock they cleared. Slow. Steady. But each bit felt like a win.

Zane started talking to MiningMole during breaks, telling it about the village, his dreams, his... issues.

The mole tilted its head like it understood. It made Zane feel less alone, like someone was actually listening to him.

As the sun started to set, the cave got darker. Zane wiped the sweat from his forehead. The pile of rocks was small, but it was something. And more importantly, it was theirs. His and MiningMole’s. It had promise. They had promise.

“Not bad for a first day,” Garrick said, packing up. “The critter’s got potential.”

Zane looked down at MiningMole, now curled up and sleeping. “Yeah, it does. We’ll take it slow and help it get stronger.”

Garrick nodded and looked at Zane. “And remember, you’re getting stronger too.”

Zane blinked, a bit surprised. He smiled. “Yeah. I guess we both are.”

As they left the cave, Zane felt a flicker of hope. Maybe things were getting better. He glanced at Garrick, who gave him a small nod. That was enough for Zane. Progress, no matter how slow.

(Day 2)

The next morning, Zane woke up feeling something weird. Was it hope? Was it excitement? Whatever it was, it felt good.

He was sore all over, but it was the kind of sore that made him feel proud. He grabbed the CaptureCube and headed out, walking quickly to the cave.

Garrick was already there, sharpening his tools like always. “Ready for round two?” he asked without looking up.

“More than ready,” Zane said. He held up the CaptureCube. “Today’s mission: bronze ore.”

Garrick raised an eyebrow. “You think MiningMole’s ready for that?”

“Only one way to find out,” Zane said, tapping the CaptureCube. MiningMole popped out, looking more awake than Zane felt.

“Big day, little buddy,” Zane said, crouching down. “We’re going after bronze today. You ready?”

MiningMole looked up, eyes full of determination. “Mining! MiningMole!”

“That’s what I like to hear!” Zane said.

They moved deeper into the cave, past the rocks they had cleared the day before.

“Alright, time to use your Ore Sense,” Zane said.

MiningMole sniffed the air, nose twitching.

Zane held his breath. Silence stretched. Doubt crept in like a nosy neighbor. Alright Zane, stay calm. It’s just a magic mole, doing magic mole things. Nothing weird about that. Nope, totally normal.

“MiningMole!” The mole’s tiny body tensed, and it dove right into the rock. Its claws moved fast, glinting in the dim cave light.

Garrick leaned closer, eyebrows raised. “Look at that. It found something.”

Zane’s heart pounded. “You’ve got this, buddy!” Excitement grew. This might actually work.

MiningMole clawed at the rock, panting as it worked.

Zane watched, feeling each claw strike like it was his own effort. He shook his head. Wow Zane, you’re doing great! Nothing says ‘legend in the making’ like forcing baby animals to do hard labor. Truly inspiring!

Just when it seemed the mole would collapse, a flicker of bronze showed through the rock.

Zane’s eyes went wide. “There it is! We struck bronze!”

MiningMole paused, panting. But its eyes sparkled with victory.

Zane carefully pulled the small chunk from the rock, holding it up like it was the greatest thing ever. “Bronze! Shiny, beautiful bronze! We’re in business!”

Garrick clapped him on the shoulder, nearly knocking him over. “Not bad, kid. Not bad at all.”

Zane patted MiningMole on the head. “You did amazing, little guy.”

MiningMole nuzzled his hand. “MiningMole!”

The rest of the day was more of the same. Dig. Rest. Dig. Rest.

By midday, Zane found himself just watching MiningMole, admiring how determined it was. It inspired him, which he hadn’t expected.

They took lots of breaks. But that was okay. During breaks, Garrick told stories about the old mining days.

Zane listened, fascinated. He hadn’t known much about the old days, but now he understood why Garrick was so tough.

By the time the sun went down, they had a small pile of bronze. It wasn’t much. But it was theirs.

Zane looked at the pile, a smile creeping onto his face. Real progress.

“You’re getting there, Zane,” Garrick said as they packed up. “Keep it up, and you’ll be running this mine without me.”

Zane laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t go anywhere yet, old man. But thanks. Really.”

He glanced at MiningMole, now curled up and sleeping on the ground. This was the start of something good. And that was enough for now.