Seeing his shackles melt, Nathan’s eyes widened in awe.

He raised one hand, keeping the other to his side, then ran one along the other’s arm. He hadn’t been able to move freely in so many months; it was hard to understand how something so normal could feel so foreign and refreshing.

“Head in, the new miners will get here soon enough,” said the Overseer, pushing Nathan towards the igloo.

Expecting the shackles around his ankles to block his movements he stumbled forwards, but he could now take long strides.

Catching himself, he began to walk, slowly at first, but with ever-increasing speed. The snow was soft, fresh, and pearly white. For the past few months, the paths he took were all covered in blue crystal dust, blood, and mud.

Nathan stepped into the igloo, expecting all that came with these large structures, however, neither did the smell of sweat nor heat assault him. It was all so nice and clean. Until this day, he hadn’t ever found anything beautiful. Everything was always white and azure-blue or sky grey. But now, having seen how filthy snow got, he admired what he had lost. It reminded him of his father, and the countless days they spent wandering the plains. Those were hard days, but good ones. They had a purpose and reward. But now … he didn’t know.

…

.

The igloo was fully furnished. In the centre, a large and long block of ice served as the table where the miners would eat. On one side of the wall there lay a thick white fur, besides which dozens of smaller fur beds were arranged and on the other end of the table, there was a large open area for storage and any Seers without a bed.

Nathan couldn’t look over there for too long. Although the igloo smelled of chilled ice, his memories brought out the stench of vomit. He wouldn’t sleep in the corner like an old rag anymore. He wouldn’t let himself be taken advantage of.

He was a noble mage! One above the others, above the assistants, above even the mages that spoke Marian with a foreign tongue.

These new miners would bow to him, they would do as he told, and would understand their place under him. He would do onto them what they had done onto him.

How had he let himself fall so low!

But the longer he remained in this igloo alone and isolated, the more his heart cooled. Nathan walked over to the largest bed. He ran his hands through the thick and heavy fur, it was that of a snow troll, perhaps even one that his father had hunted. He fell into its embrace and let it envelop him in warmth. The small embers of hatred receded into the recesses of his heart, and he let his back sink further into the fur.

Resting his hands on his chest, he closed his eyes and took deep breaths. But just as he was about to fall asleep, the igloo’s wooden door swung open, and Nathan jumped up.

Through the small passageway that led into the main room, one, two, three, four … eleven, and then twelve people entered. They were all emaciated. Their lips were eaten up and crusted, their eyes sunken, and their skin transparent. All were young kids no older than himself, say for two in their thirties or forties.

Nathan didn’t know how any of them would survive. He built himself up to be ready to face grizzled men covered in blue dust, but now he felt … conflicted. “Are you guys the new minors?” he asked. After all, perhaps these were cleaners; he caught a chuckle about to escape.

“…”

He didn’t get an answer, and although they were pitiful, he still needed one, and so he looked to the oldest. A man with greyish-blond hair and blue eyes. “Are you from the east?” Nathan asked, trying to get them to talk.

The man nodded like a meek child, leaving Nathan a bit confused. Adults always spoke first, and if they didn’t, they would certainly take back control of the conversation. That’s why he had to act strong, but this was odd. “Answer me, are you from the east?”

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Y … yes,” he said.

Nathan didn’t know why, but his answer annoyed him. But perhaps it wasn’t just his words, but his face. Perhaps it was because he reminded him of the others. He reminded him of a starved and weak Grega, a starved and weak abuser. An abuser he could now beat.

Nathan closed his eyes, quenched his fire, and turned around. He’d treat them differently than how he’d been treated.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nathan said, he went ahead and sat on his fur. “From this day on, we’ll be a team. I’m going to power the mining carts, and you’ll mine the crystals. With me, you shouldn’t have any problems; after all, I can dissolve up to nine buckets a day.” He raised his hands as to show his experience.

But the reaction he expected never came. They all looked away, seemingly repulsed at the sight. Gazing down to the beds or the table, rocking back and forth on the balls of their feet.

The ember of hatred in Nathan’s heart flickered. Why? He didn’t know, but it did, and it made him get up. “Now look.” He pointed to his bed. “The biggest bed is mine. I’m the SEER, AFTER ALL.” His heart beat faster and his voice yelled. “Do not attack me, do not try and take my place. Listen to me and do as I say! I am the one with the most experience here, I know how this place works, so do not try to take my place, else I’ll stop powering the carts and let you starve!” Nathan’s breaths grew heavy, and his heart wanted to burst. He glared at every single one of the miners, waiting for them to make a move. He would beat out any desire of power before it took root in their minds.

But when they didn’t move and continued to stare down; it made him even more worried. Worried they had buried their hatred for later. He wanted to take care of them now, but he couldn’t do anything before them. He had sworn not to do that. He was different from Grega.

Nathan sat back down on his fur and lay in bed. “Everyone can go to sleep now.”

But just as he was about to close his eyes, the stirs of the miners made him get back up.

“Hey! Why all the noise? What’s going on?” He asked.

That’s when the second man of the group stepped up. He was bald, his eyes were badly yellowed, and his face had so thoroughly sunken into his skull he looked like a skeleton. “Is there no food? We haven’t eaten in three days; how will we work tomorrow?”

Nathan looked at them confused. How was he supposed to do anything? “Eat? Unless you work, you won’t eat. The same goes for me. Don’t think about it. Just go to bed, no one’s hungry when asleep and the less we sleep, the slower we’ll work.” But then Nathan realized that it didn’t matter how much the miners mined. He could let them do as they wanted; they couldn’t beat him for having missed their quotas.

#

Nathan sat on his shack’s stool, a bucket of crystals to his right, one on his left, and the bronze bowl filled with the viscous green liquid in front of him. It cooled his mind and calmed his heart. But something new troubled him. Above his head, near the ceiling, there was a plank of wood on which glass bulbs were screwed and filled with a transparent liquid.

“Overseer, what’s the new thing in the shed?”

The man laughed. “You’ll figure it out yourself, you’re a smart kid.”

Nathan didn’t like this answer in the slightest. The Overseer had been overly nice to him lately, but there was a thick slather of contempt and hatred in each of his words. He didn’t know why, nor what pushed him to act like this, but it was odd.

Regardless, he wouldn’t let it distract him and as he began to dissolve the crystals six at a time.

Two hours passed without issue, that’s when a single bulb turned bright blue. Nathan looked around, wary of everything, but nothing occurred. He decided to continue with his work, but after the third hour, another bulb lit up. And an hour after that, his stomach rumbled; it was time to eat.

He didn’t have the time, but the Overseer had always brought his food at the same time every day.

Nathan called out, “Did anything happen! Overseer, are you okay?”

But no one answered. Concerned, Nathan banged at the door—still nothing. His heart beat faster and faster, afraid that the Overseer had died, leaving him to starve in the shack.

However, soon, a chuckle came from the other side of the door. It quickly broke out into full-out laughter. “I’m sorry, although some people want certain things, I can’t help myself. I’ve been doing this for a decade, yet I still find things like this amusing. Not as much as before, but still enough to make me laugh.” He chuckled again before he exhaled and composed himself. “Remember when those miners were mad because their meals depended on your success and you couldn’t do shit? Well, now that you asked for a transfer and are the most experienced in the group, shouldn’t you also abide by those same rules?”

Nathan stared at the bulbs.

“But don’t worry, two are lit. You’ll still get some.” The door opened and Nathan was handed a meal one fifth the size of his usual meal. “That’s for today, eat well.” He waved Nathan goodbye and locked the door.

Nathan’s anger travelled down his arms into his hands. He gripped his tray with all his strength, driving Grenold shards into his hands. The pain hurt less than his anger. But just as he was about to throw his food to the ground, he took in deep breaths and recollected himself. The Overseer was just trying to instill hate into his heart. To make him act like the miners, but he wouldn’t let himself fall so low. He wouldn’t let himself be tricked by the beast of the mines.

Nathan set the tray on his lap and ate, a small hatred still simmering in his heart.