Chapter 1: Jack; Vagril 5th, 343SR; 15:08

'Another day of mining... Well, whatever, this is what we were born into this world for...' The pickaxe slammed into the wall of rock, it's surface lit orange by the lantern in Jack's hand. Several crystals of logorite shone green as the light reflected off.

"So- uh... Ben, how long have you been in Logos?" Jack stuttered as he tried to make conversation for the fifth time.

Jack stood behind Ben, the bulkier man swung the pickaxe down and a crack rippled through the cave followed by the pellets of dust trickling onto the floor. Jack looked down and noticed the light reflect off drops of sweat, the smell of it stung his nose. 'Another eight hours of mining...'

Ben raised the pickaxe and flexed his muscular arms, the sweat ran down against his light brown skin as it reflected off the light. He exhaled before he swung down, cleaving a big chunk of rock off. Ben had long black hair tied back by a band, his face was long with small features. He was always serious and never said much, he barely ever made eye contact. 'I didn't think slaves could keep that much hair, he must have been here for a long time...' Jack rubbed the top of his flat head, brushing his fingers against the tiny amount of stubble that remained after being shaved several days ago.

On the ground was a shirt like the one Jack wore, a dirty white full-sleeve T-shirt. They also both wore loose brown pants held up by a simple black leather belt. The pickaxe went down again and chunks of grey rock and dust scattered around the air. Ben squinted and shielded his narrow eyes to avoid the dust, droplets of sweat leaked down his head. He stepped back huffing, catching his breath as he twisted the pickaxe in one hand.

In one motion, he brought the axe overhead, grasped it with both hands, and swung down. With a frustrated grunt, he cleaved off as much as he could. The metallic thud echoed through the cave as the pebbles sprinkled onto the cave floor. Several chunks clashed against the wall as they rolled over the pebbles on the ground. The same noises echoed repeatedly throughout the cave from other miners.

"Why do we have to do stuff like this anyways!" a voice somewhere else in the cave shouted.

Jack turned his head and looked off towards one of the lights in the dark. He saw the silhouettes of two people, the disobedient slave, and an angel with a staff. The angel raised his weapon and swung down. An audible thud echoed through the cave, the slave only cowered from the hit, but then cried out in pain after the next one.

"Stop, ow! Stop!" the slave wailed in pain.

'There goes that idiot Carol, can't just take orders and not cause a commotion...' Jack shook his head. "Ben, do you want to bet who works the next shift on who can guess who's getting beat?" Jack tried to make conversation with Ben once more.

Ben set the pickaxe down, then picked up his shirt and threw it over his shoulder. His brown pants were drenched in sweat and his hands shook from constantly striking the rock. Ben proceeded to fill the bucket with the ore on the ground. Once he was done, he turned and picked up his lantern with the other hand.

"I don't care," Ben walked away.

Jack stood awkwardly as Ben walked away, a lonesome chill embraced him. 'Well if there's one good thing about Carol she's the only person I can talk to around here... Everyone else here just ignores me...' Carol weakly stood up, she looked at the angel who walked away. He could tell even from this distance she was sticking her tongue out to mock him.

Jack put his lantern on the ground and then gently dragged his shirt over his scrawny body. He dropped it on the dusty ground next to the light. The soothe cold air licked at his skin as he reached for the iron handle of the pickaxe. 'Vagril just started but it's this hot out... I'm sweating just on my way here...' Jack struggled to lift the tool above his head. The muscles on his back pulled his skin, he shifted the weight of it to keep it from tipping. Jack held his breath, then pulled the pick down with all his strength, slamming it into the wall. As the end of the axe hit the rock it sent a ripple through him. His bones rattled uncomfortably, the vibration lingered for a few seconds. Jack huffed and readied for another strike as someone approached. The familiar clicking sound of the guard's boots grew closer.

"Jack Eldritch? Sixteen years old?" Jack heard the voice of a young man and turned to see an angel in a guard uniform.

Layers of white robes covered their whole body, his face was covered by a white mask with two holes to see through. They seemed to glimmer in the darkness with that white uniform. The guard held a stack of paper.

"Yes?" Jack replied and reached down to pick up the green crystal, he tossed it into the bucket of logorite, and the rock clattered against the walls of the metal bucket.

"As of the fifth of Vagril, you will be responsible for the property of your mother and father, who were executed for treason sixteen days ago on the eightieth of Grivar," the angel explained.

"Oh... Right," Jack replied.

"Look at me when I talk to you and reply respectfully," the wingless angel suddenly ordered as he placed an empty bucket next to the filled bucket.

"Y-Yes, sir..." Jack muttered as the angel handed him the key to his parent's property, he felt slightly sick accepting it from him.

"Your previous ticket please."

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled white paper, four of the five boxes were filled. As he unraveled it, the angel snatched it out of his hands. 'Okay...' Jack raised an eyebrow at the guard as they noted something down on his papers. He looked down to examine the key in his hand. A cold piece of thin silver metal with a jagged pattern along its edge, the numbers '03' etched into it.

"Here is your meal plan for next week," the angel handed over a small strip of paper with five empty boxes on it.

Jack took the small sheet and examined it, the boxes were left blank. He stuffed the key and the piece of paper into his pocket. The angel lifted the bucket of the logorite and walked off into the darkness, his silhouette was still visible against a different light in the cave. The angel stopped, then glanced back at Jack.

"You are aware of why your parents were executed, right?" the angel in white asked.

"Huh? Oh... No sir... No one told me anything," Jack replied.

"They did not recognize their place and were punished for it by our noble, Alexander Rael. They chose to reject the will of the great Celestial and lost their foolish lives for it. You would be wise to not repeat their mistakes, do you understand?"

"I understand," Jack lied with a fearful tone.

"Good. Now keep mining."

Jack turned back to the wall. He stood in the circle of light produced by his torch, listening to the rapid clangs of pickaxes around the cave. His back felt colder than before. He clutched the rough iron handle with both hands and lifted the pickaxe. His hands gripped it tightly. Jack swung down with all his strength, huffing and squinting as he grit his teeth. He lifted it back up, and brought it back down again, grunting in anger as the pick bounced off the wall. He swung violently once more and struck it again.

* * *

The hole in the wall was just a bit bigger than it was eight hours ago. Jack stared at the ceiling with his back on the floor. His hands and forearms ached, the pain in his muscles made him want to fall asleep where he was. The sparkles of green logorite on the dark ceiling dimmed slowly, the faint light of lanterns they reflected off got further away as the miners left the cave. His palms were callused and his shoulders ached, Jack didn't even care that he had been laying in his own sweat. Footsteps came toward him. 'Please don't be Carol, please don't be Carol...'

"Jack let's go, the shifts are done. Why are you sitting around?" Carol asked.

'Ugh,' he recognized the voice. Jack slowly stood up, he brushed the pebbles and dust off his brown pants.

"I'm not staying at your place anymore, the angels gave me my parent's property. You don't need to wait for me," Jack flapped his shirt, and wisps of dust flew into the air.

"That's great!" Carol replied with a giddy tone as Jack pulled the dusty shirt over his head.

"Yeah, it is, I don't have to listen to you anymore..." Jack smiled as he picked up his lantern and turned towards the exit.

Carol laughed at his response. She wore the typical miner's attire, brown pants, and a beige shirt stained by sweat. Her skin was rough from working constantly, and her large green eyes were hard to focus on because of a purple bruise on her forehead. The tips of her short black hair just barely reached her neck.

"Well, I was hoping you weren't getting transferred. Not like it'd matter anyway," Carol breathed a sigh of relief.

"I got transferred from Torovince last week, why would they transfer me again? Why do you even care?" Jack asked multiple questions with an annoyed tone.

"Well, I'd be sad if a friend had to leave, but even if you left we'd always be friends, " Carol replied.

'Friend? Is that what she thinks after I said that...'

"Was that bruise from earlier today?" Jack questioned.

Carol adjusted the bangs of her short black hair to cover the purple mark.

"What bruise?" Carol replied while trying her best to make a tough smile.

Jack narrowed his eyes at her weak attempt to hide the mark on her head. He ignored it, picked up his lantern, and walked towards the exit. Carol followed close behind. They reached a narrow pathway, their lanterns lit up the dark interior.

"Jack, do you hate this place?" Carol suddenly asked as they walked through the dark hole.

"Nope," Jack replied and continued to walk in front of her.

"Your parents hated this place."

"I don't care."

They approached the exit of the cave where an angel on duty awaited them.

"Hurry up you damn maggots!" the angel guarding the entrance yelled.

The guard was a woman, wearing the familiar white mask and white robes. She yelled from the top of the cave with an iron staff in her hand, annoyingly smacking the rod against the wall. The noise echoed through the cave. 'What the hell...'

"Jack and Carol hurry up! I want to be in the comfort of my own home instead of waiting for a couple of maggots!" the angel spat condescendingly.

"All you did was stand around all day..." Jack muttered under his breath.

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"What was that! What did you say?!" the female guard hissed with a vitriolic tone.

"I didn't say anything," Jack shrugged.

As he spoke, she walked forward and grasped her iron staff. In one motion, she pulled it off her back and slammed Jack in the face. Carol gasped as Jack dropped his lantern, he blinked repeatedly as his head shook from the strike. He stumbled to the ground, falling onto his back , and grasping his face tightly. His skull throbbed from the impact as his thoughts went blank. 'Ah!'

"Jack!" he heard Carol cry out.

He felt tears coming out of his eyes from the immense pain. But at the same time, a metal boot slam into his chest. He struggled to breathe for a moment.

"Damn, maggot! You waste my time, and then have the nerve, to talk back to me!" The angel slammed her metal boot into his stomach three more times.

"Ah!" Jack grunted.

Each hit hurt more than the last, but a sickening thought came to his mind as he tried to endure. 'Is this what happened to mom and dad?' Jack was suddenly overwhelmed with immense fear and pain.

"Stop! He's new here! Please have mercy!" Carol pleaded as she tried to shield Jack.

The guard pulled away as Jack curled into a ball, writhing in pain. He gasped for air as he rolled onto his front, his breath ragged and harsh.

"Maggots," the angel mocked.

She walked away, following the dirt path that led around the mines. The path lead toward Helios, the capital city of the angels. 'Bitch!' Jack silently cursed as he slowly pushed himself up.

"Are you alright?" Carol asked as Jack picked up the pickaxe and lantern.

Jack didn't reply. His chest was numb from getting kicked repeatedly, he felt pathetic trying to hold the rest of his tears in. Carol stared at Jack with a concerned expression.

"I hate this place," said Carol.

Jack started through the forest slowly. The dirt path was covered in foliage and surrounded at all angles by trees. His head was numb from the strike earlier. The impact and pain were burned into his memory, constantly reminding him of how weak he was. Jack winced and limped every step of the way.

As they reached the end of the forest, they could see the lights from a small town between the dark trees trunks. The dirt path in front of Jack separated a light-yellow field of wheat, and another of tall looming cornstalks. The path was lit by lanterns between the forest and the town. The sun was setting in the west, a field of orange clouds painted the pale blue sky.

"It's going to rain tonight," Carol pointed out.

Jack's pace had returned to normal. but the pain from the assault earlier lingered.

"I wonder how we'll mine tomorrow," she pondered.

"We're obviously gonna keep working, it's not like the angels care about a bit of rain," said Jack, he didn't turn his head to Carol as they walked between the tall crops.

"Not if... We couldn't..." Carol spoke cryptically as she stared at the ground in front of her.

Jack turned and looked at Carol, behind her was the mountain and forest they had come from. However, behind the mountain, the Celestial loomed over everything, a grey pillar that majestically stretched into the sky, even beyond the clouds.

"What are you talking about?" Jack asked out of confusion.

Carol turned and looked up at the Celestial, her back facing Jack.

"One time a storm happened, and so your parents closed the mine. They used logorite to make a bomb, no one had to mine for a week," Carol explained.

"You can make a bomb out of logorite?" Jack asked curiously. "My parents closed off the mines for a week?!"

"Yeah..."

"Wow..." Jack felt admiration for his parents, but his smile faded. "Is that why... They were-"

"Jack, keep this a secret. I'm going to close off the mines tonight," Carol stated.

She looked around for people before she pulled out two stones of logorite from her pocket. Jack looked at her with a blank stare.

"Is that why you got punished today?" Jack asked.

"No, I almost got caught stealing so I made a scene," Carol explained. "Do you want to help?"

"Huh?" Jack shook his head in disbelief. "Did you seriously just ask me that, you got beat up today and now you're going to do something to get yourself executed!?"

Carol frowned and looked away.

"And you want me to come along too? Just be like everyone else... There's no point in resisting the Celestial..." Jack tried to reason.

Carol stared at Jack blankly. "If you change your mind, come by to my place... I'm leaving tonight..."

"Ugh..." Jack shook his head.

"I asked you because I thought you'd want to get back at Alexander Rael..." Carol stated as she walked off.

Jack froze on the spot. 'Get back at... Alexander Rael?' The possibility of getting revenge against the man who robbed him of the chance to meet his parents stuck to him. He shook his head at the thought. 'Don't be like that idiot...' Jack turned around and walked toward Logos.

The sun had gone down. The once orange clouds were now a dull grey that blended in with the dark blue sky. The path Jack walked on widened as he reached the entrance of Logos, he stood in front of the familiar path splitting into three others. Two of those paths lead around the town towards the various houses the slaves used. The third path in the middle led to the center of Logos.

Jack continued straight towards the center of Logos, the unlit lantern swung back and forth in his hand. The sound of people conversing about their day grew louder as he got closer. Famished men and women indulged in food, served by merchants from Helios. They boasted about how much they had mined, or who could drink the most. 'Same topic as yesterday... And the day before that...' Jack didn't dare approach them, knowing he'd just be scolded without ever getting a reason as to why.

The variety of merchants from Helios confused Jack as his stomach grumbled. 'What should I eat?' He examined the various options different merchants had, as well as the food people bought from them. His mind was made up immediately as his nose was drawn to a rich aroma of spices. He turned his head towards the smell and saw plump meat held up over a fire. 'Turkey...' Jack's mouth watered at the charred golden-brown skin, the juices dripping into the fire, causing it to flare. Jack approached an older angel next to the fire who sat around an assortment of ingredients. Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, a stack of thin flatbreads, and a bowl full of a white sauce.

"Uh, hello," Jack nervously greeted the merchant angel.

"Greetings! Would you like a scrumptious sandwich!" the merchant offered.

The old man had wrinkled skin, but a cheerful and inviting smile. He wore a cap atop his head of curly black hair, his nose was plump and covered in bumps, and his skin was dark brown. 'He must be from lower Helios...' The merchant wore dark blue robes which covered his whole body but had sleeves for his arms, and brown leather boots.

"Yeah, I'll take whatever you got," Jack replied.

'What's a sandwich... Is it made of sand?' He held up the piece of paper he received back in the mines. The man took it, punched a stamp, and handed it back to Jack.

"You will not regret it!" the old man grinned confidently. I make the best sandwich in Helios!"

Jack looked down at the sheet but noticed he did mark one of the boxes with a stamp, it had his name on it. 'Amalun G...' Jack attention was drawn to the man as he grasped one of the flatbreads and placed it near the fire. 'Huh?'

The flames slowly toasted it, its surface bubbled and rose. The merchant then stuck a skewer into the meat and carved a piece off with a knife. The chunk of meat was held by the skewer over the fire, giving it a crisp crust as he put it to the side and picked up the flatbread from earlier with his bare hands. 'Isn't that hot?' He cut open the flatbread with the knife and revealed an empty interior. The man quickly spread a dollop of the white sauce inside, then placed the turkey and an assortment of green, white, and red vegetables within. He tossed in another spoon of sauce, then shook it like it was a bag. He finished by skillfully tucking the filling and wrapping it all up tightly.

"Enjoy," the man handed it to Jack with a smile.

Jack's stomach growled as he analyzed the stuffed flatbread in front of him. 'This a sandwich?' It was big, the surface of the bread was a little rough. He inched forward and opened his mouth wide, then took the biggest bite he could. He was immediately met with a satisfying combination of flavors he'd never experienced before.

"Mm!" Jack's eyes widened.

Crispy flatbread softened to the touch by the creamy sauce that had its own assortment of flavors. The vegetables felt cool and refreshing as the piping hot turkey danced around his tongue. 'Oh my...' He couldn't control himself and took another bite, getting the wholesome textures and savory flavors once again.

"How did you make this?!" Jack asked, he took another bite without swallowing the last.

"I did it in front of you! Was it so good you forgot?" the man laughed out loud cheerfully.

Jack closed his eyes and chewed. 'This is bliss...' The vegetables were crunchy and juicy, adding a wholesome texture to the wrap. A bit of the filling fell out onto Jack's palm, and he licked it off his hand. 'Just the vegetables and the sauce alone is so good...'

"I am definitely coming back tomorrow, I have too," Jack stressed as he held the sandwich up.

"I look forward to it kid!" the merchant laughed.

Jack stood up and walked away, waving to the kind angel who had made him food. He followed the dirt path back to the outskirts of the town as he ate. The sound of the crowd grew distant as his chewing became the only thing he could focus on. He walked south through Logos and eventually reached a forked path at the other end of the town. He was met with the familiar view of the vivid green flame against the blue sky far off in the distance. It came from a floating island in the skies to the southeast. 'The Necropolis always looks cool at night...'

Jack walked along the path, counting down the various wooden houses made from logs. 'Nine, eight... Seven is over there... Then three should be further down past Carol's house...' Jack read the numbers in his head. As he got to the house labeled with the number three, he stood in front of it with a dazed look. 'This is it...'

Jack walked up to the entrance nervously, he placed his lantern down and put the key into the door. He didn't notice the rapid steps approach from behind. An arm suddenly wrapped around his neck and pulled him backward. 'Ah!' The key was yanked out of the door as he was dragged with minimal effort. Jack grunted as the sandwich fell against the dirt, and the delicious contents spilled across the patio.

"My sandwich- Ack!" Jack choked.

The arm around his neck tightened and he couldn't speak or breathe, his feet were pulled off the floor as he was swung around. A hand reached into his pockets, searching through it, and then ripping something out. A foot suddenly planted into Jack's stomach and his eyes opened wide to see a dark-skinned boy with curly hair and a long face. The boy looked angry, his teeth were clenched tightly.

Jack's throat became hoarse as he coughed uncontrollably, he felt chunks of the food from earlier climb up his throat but he held in his reflex to gag. All the while Jack's fist had been clenched around his house key. The same one who reached into his pocket tried to pry the key out of his hand.

"Both of you! Leave him alone!" a woman from across the street shouted. "Get off him Franklin!"

After a foot pressed into his stomach twice, the boy behind him shoved Jack to the ground and they took off around the back of the house. Jack's face was flat against the dirt, he slowly pushed himself up as his heart beat rapidly. The sore pain in his stomach returned, and he held in his reflex to puke. 'What the fuck! What was that for!' Jack looked to the woman who helped him.

"Th-thank you..." Jack uttered in pain as he looked up at her.

She wore a loose white shirt, which was common for farmers to wear. It helped them stay cool while they worked out in the sun. Jack looked up at her face and suddenly felt uncomfortable as he was met with an unforgiving glare. Her blue eyes burned with a fury that he couldn't explain. Her face looked disgusted at the sight of him even though she just helped him.

"You look like your mother... Ugh..." she muttered with an angry voice as she walked into her house.

Jack rolled onto his back and stared up at the cloudy sky. 'What did they even attack me for... I'm one of them...' He checked his pockets, his eyes widened. Jack suddenly sat upright, he felt the insides of his pockets once more as he realized what they took. 'My week's worth of food...'

Jack frowned as he stood, he walked to the side of the house slowly to see if they were still around. The space between the two houses was narrow, but a locked door on the ground led to the cellar under Jack's house. The assailants were long gone. 'Franklin...' The name rang in his head. His neck felt sore from being choked. His stomach hurt as he remembered the face of the dark-skinned boy. Jack approached the door to his small house, he put the key into the door and twisted it. The dark brown door slid forward as the lock was released, creaking as it opened.

Jack picked up his lantern and pickaxe and limped into the house. He was met with a dark empty room with a wooden dining table and several wooden chairs around it. Jack set his lantern down on the table, the room was lit with a faint orange glow. He noticed several portraits across the wall, one of the pictures caught his attention.

He took hold of portrait's smooth wooden frame. The dust on the glass obscured the figure of two people, he dragged his hand across it to get a better view.

The photo contained a bald man with a strong jaw and dark skin. His bright smile made Jack forget the pain he felt from being hurt. Next to him was a brown-haired woman with a soft and gentle smile, she was several months pregnant when the photo was made. Jack stared at them, specifically looking at her stomach. 'I'm going to live the same life they did... Mining and farming everyday... Until they kill me or I just die...' A flood of tears streamed out of his eyes. Jack's breaths got heavier. His knees hit the floor, and he dropped the picture. A chill flooded over him as he remembered the name of the man who killed them.

'Alexander Rael...' His head throbbed, the pain reminded him of the consequence of disobeying the angels. 'Alexander Rael!' he repeated in his head, he clenched his teeth as hard as he could. Jack raised his hands to slam them into the floor before he recalled Carol's words.

He suddenly looked at the door, his fists clenched as his tears continued to run down his face. He stood still for a moment, thinking it over as he wiped the mucus and the tears off his face. He let out a sigh, then opened the door. He ran out of his house in a hurry, running down the dirt path under the night sky. He passed other slaves on their way home, and quickly got to the front of Carol's house.

Jack ran up the patio and slammed his fist against the door. He huffed in and out as he waited. 'This a bad idea...' Jack shook his head. 'I don't care...' After a few seconds, a pair of steps thumped against the creaky wood inside. It opened slightly, Carol poked her head out to check who it was. Upon seeing Jack, she opened the door with a mischievous grin on her face.

"So, made up your mind?" Carol asked.

"I'm going to avenge them," Jack stated staring intently at Carol.

Her smile turned to a surprised look. She had changed into a white coat commonly used by alchemists.

"Alright! I feel a lot better having a partner in crime. Come on, let's get revenge. For my parents and yours!" Carol beckoned.

"Not just that..." Jack suddenly stated.

He stepped into the house. The thuds of his boots broke the silence of the night.

"We'll free ourselves from Logos!" Jack declared.