Cansite

The officers packed up quickly, the dismemberment of the wolf's corpse being packed away by the squad. The scent of blood lingered in the air. Jack stood nearby, his gaze distant, watching the officers work quietly. His hands were stained with my blood from tending to my wounds.

We moved out at the break of dawn. The wheels of the wagon creaked as it moved through the dirt path.

Everyone sat in the wagon in silence. The officers rode in front and closely behind, carrying the wounded and supplies.

The air was cool and the sun warmly hit my skin. It was then I realized, this would be my last taste of freedom.

Bren looked down at the floor, unmoving.

"What's wrong, Bren?" Jack asked, breaking the silence.

"I-I was thinking about my home and about how I'll miss my family, especially my sister. Last night made me realize how real this is."

Bren's eyes became teary, and he gripped his short blonde hair. 

"How did you get here? You seem like a good man."

"I just made a bad choice, helping a trusted friend mine, and he betrayed my expectations. Now I'm doomed to go to a mine where I cannot live long, it's ridiculous." He laughed wryly to himself, his fist clenched and hitting his knee.

Jack opened and closed his mouth, conflicted about what to say. The old man looked away, his lips pressed into a thin line.

He was just like me, no family to talk about, no loved ones to miss. He couldn't relate to Bren's sadness, nor did he pretend to.

The silence stretched until Maten spoke, his voice was deep.

"Young man, don't be disheartened. Know that your family doesn't blame you, a father wouldn't, I wouldn't. Just ensure you serve your term to return to them peacefully."

Maten seemed to believe without a doubt that he would return but it was less likely for even our corpses to be returned.

God knows mine will be thrown into the forest, there's nobody who would want it.

 An abrupt bump snapped me from thoughts. Bren wiped away his tears hastily, as if ashamed. He straightened his back and avoided looking us in the eye.

Jack turned to Maten, muttering. " How can you be so sure, although I've escaped from worst I am prepared to see this as my final resting place."

Maten smiled. "Faith. I simply cannot allow my end, not when my family waits for me."

His words hung heavy in the air.

Jack didn't respond immediately. Instead, he leaned back against the wagon's side, his arms crossing over his chest. "Easy to say," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

The wagon began to slow, looking past the horses and the officer manning the horse I could see it over the horizon. Cansite.

The wooden walls of Cansite kept all of those who worked there trapped inside. It was a mining camp that held those who had no other choice.

Jack merely glanced at the high walls before closing his eyes in meditation. Maten stared at it, refusing to look away, and Bren, although he tried to hide it, shivered. He knew we had arrived, but he refused to look.

The wagon stopped by the large gate, that slowly opened from top the bottom. Walking out came a fat man, the captain jumped off the wagon and greeted the man with a deep bow. Even though she was kind and powerful she was still a dog of the CEA after all.

 I realized I had to hide my dagger, they certainly won't be as lax as the officers were.

Would I have to throw it away into the bushes? I slipped out the dagger, I would have to do it soon or never. Holding it, I drew back my hands to throw it, but a wrinkled hand grabbed the dagger.

Looking back at him, he gestured for the knife.

"I'll show you a trick I learned in a circus, kid. listed, when we get called to be searched, I will hide the dagger. When I'm inside, you have to speak for me and make it so I am alone."

Giving him the dagger, I wondered how he could hide it. We couldn't count on them not searching our clothes and boots. I decided to place my trust in him. His lips were curled into a small smile, and he had a focused gaze, and he knew what he was doing.

A man walked out of the gate. He was short and fat, his blue eyes were big with thin lips. His face was as round and as smooth as a baby sporting no facial hair. He had two guard any his side, they were tall and musclebound with spears on their backs.

Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching our wagon, Jack quickly turned his body away, raised the dagger above him with his mouth wide open, and swallowed it.

The dagger disappeared, except for the hilt slightly poking from his cheek, anyone who didn't know would never suspect it.

All of our jaws dropped. Where and why would Jack know how to do that?

The officers came, taking us off the wagon and carrying us to the gate. Before we went through, there stood a man at the gate. Jack went up first, and his body was patted down by the guard. They were looking for weapons like I imagined, even going as far as to take off his boots. After Jack was finished, Maten and then Bren went to be checked.

When it was my turn, the fat man grabbed my arm."It seems Dorothy is skimping out on both quality and quantity, Vrita. Has my generosity not been enough?" 

The man gripped my arm tightly. It seems the captain's name was Vrita.

Vrita's face was unmoving like stone as she answered. "We deeply apologize Sir, This month has not been easy on us."

"This month has not been simple for me either, I have a lot of anger from seeing these men daily with no women here."

The man suddenly smacked my face, my head spun to the side. Why did he–

He then smacked me with the back of his hand.

"Do you know why I'm doing this, Vrita? It's because this ant will die either way, I can feel his bony face cutting into my han.d"

"You even brought him injured? It doesn't look like he can use that hand," he said, delivering another smack to my face

The man spat. " Vrita, whether it is simple or complicated, does not matter. What does is the money I'm throwing to waste and the effort and privileges ages I've given you in the debt collection office . If I get another brat here I will have to visit Aandal, tell that to Dorothy. This doesn't happen with Tissik, Yudal, and Keld."

I felt my heart beat rapidly but I gripped my shirt and silently looked down. I- I couldn't fight back, not now, but I promise I will kill this man. Only this thought eased the burning pain on my face,

What I heard made my heart skip wildly and my hands clammy. Are they supplied by all the cities surrounding Cansite? Is the death rate so high that it is necessary for them to be supplied monthly?

Damn it!

She didn't look affected, she even seemed used to the outburst."I apologize once again, all will be relayed to Mr Dorothy."

"Hmph," the man looked at the captain up and down and smirked. "Vrita, I can look past this and reward you even better than that small-time crook. It isn't too late to accept me."

Vrita's mask of indifference faltered, and she clenched her teeth. This fat man was acting as if she were one of those poor street girls who worked at night.

I could tell she didn't take kindly to it.

But just as fast as her mask broke, it was donned again, and her usual indifference returned.

"I'm afraid I have to refuse Mr Han, I am not deserving. "

The man laughed loudly, " This is what I like about you, you don't take things to heart. But know I always have my way at the end."

Vrita bowed slightly once again. " I shall take my leave."

The man gazed at Vrita as she departed, her stride a little faster than usual. "Heh, Aandal's flame blessed is just a collared bitch, it is only a shame I am not her owner. "

The man turned to his guards and ordered. "Get them inside and show them their future."The group of 6 men nodded. Grabbing us, they led us through the gate.

It was silent, none of us dared speak. Walking in, this place was just like the forest, although there were no trees, there were also no roads. 

Everyone looked at me with a surprised expression. They could tell what happened outside from my reddened face, seeing Jack's narrowed eyes at the Mr.Han I remembered.

Jack has to cough up that dagger!

Quickly calling out to the guard, I told him. "Hey, my grandpa here needs to take a dump, quickly! Can he please go to the bushes now?"

The guard laughed. "He can hold it."

Jack went to the man with a facial expression that looked horrid. He then sighed "Okay, but stay in my eyesight."

Jack went to the bushes with the man, and he came back relatively slowly. I wondered if he actually did it when I saw him brightly smiling.

Looking back at the wooden walls, I spotted men with wooden bows on lookout. They were there to shoot down any escapees.

I felt my blood chill. The entrance to Cansite was a clearing, if anyone attempted to escape, they would leave as a dead man with arrows and holes in their body. I shook my head at the thought. There must be better methods.

In the distance, there were 4 giant buildings and a horse stable. Three made of wood that stood side by side and one of stone building opposite them. The building made of stone had statues, a dirt path and even a garden. It was painted white with a Terrace on its second floor.

At the stable, there were numerous horses, all tied up. Just outside of it, there were wagons together. The guards led us to a Wooden building, inside which were numerous sleeping bags laid on the floor with clothes beside them.

After standing for a while, I noticed a familiar scent. It was a scent I was well acquainted with since I spent my time on the streets, the scent of opids.

A cheap drug made by an alchemist was used by people in the slums.

They gave us sleeping bags and clothes for ourselves.

"Everyone here gets themselves ready to enter the mines, the others went ahead according to schedule. When you're back, meals will be provided, and ensure you clean yourself off in the river behind us."

I didn't expect Cansite to have such a good environment, I had expected to sleep, eat, and bathe in the mine. Does that mean it's not the mining conditions that kill, but the mine itself 

The man glanced at me and added " especially you kid, you smell like shit and blood."

I felt embarrassed at his remark, but he was right. My clothes were soaked in blood after the fight in the omega, and I had never gotten a chance to clean them.

The man told us to follow him outside. Then pointed to an open pit in the distance, it had a darkness that seemed to suck up light. "That is the mine, you will be going there. Ensure you are prepared when I am back."