[The Road] A Miner Dilemma

[Marius]

31st of Summer, 510 AV Clang! Clang! Clang! Marius swung his pickaxe again and again, chipping away at the rocks that blocked Denval from the outside world. On either side the rubble loomed like the walls of a keep, casting dark, eerie shadows over the small clutch of miners. Although the Road extended a few miles into the rock, it was only wide enough to fit a wagon or a few men walking abreast. Not exactly the most comely arrangement, of course, but such fripperies paled to the sheer immensity of the task. While Marius forged a path through the rubble, his fellow laborers were behind him, gathering the slivers of rock and broken earth with their shovels and scooping the debris down the slope. From there it would be shoveled into carts and removed from the chasm. With a smile, Marius dislodged a head-sized boulder from the scree. It would have been easier to build a tunnel, but this wasn’t a usual mountain. Formed from masses of rubble that hadn’t yet compacted, there always a danger of collapse – not to mention a scarcity of timber for shoring. Add to that an absence of light and probable build-up of poisonous gases and the chasm model made quite a bit of sense. However, Marius had insisted on cutting nooks into the walls to contain the debris that would likely tumble into the Road over time. This way travelers would be able to clear their own path and free Denval from the burden of assisting them. Marius whistled a nameless tune as turned to regard his colleagues. Both – like him – were so begrimed with soil and dust that he could scarcely make out their faces. Marius couldn’t seem to recall their peculiar names, he’d settled on Eight and Nine. It was as close a pronunciation as he could manage. “This is the life!” he laughed as he battered at the rock. Clang! Clang! So far he was of the distinct impression that Eight and Nine were somewhat scared by him. Surely it wasn’t because of his size. Both of them towered over him – especially Eight, who looked to be able to crush boulders to gravel with her awe-inspiring bosom. He’d asked her to copulate with him, of course, but she’d said something like ‘ribbons of a dream,’ which Marius took as a ‘maybe later.’ Besides, he was smitten with Astrid, the flame-haired Captain of Denval. Clang! Marius picked up a red-veined, silvery-grey chunk of hematite and held it aloft. “See that? Iron ore, that is – though it’s little more than a miniscule deposit. Care for a lick?” He dragged his tongue across the rough surface. “Um… it rains today,” Eight blanched. “I already had breakfast,” replied Nine. “Oh, well.” Marius tossed the rock to one side and hoisted his pickaxe. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! He wasn’t certain what these Denvalis were saying half of the time, but it was clear they didn’t share his enthusiasm. “Date you get tigers?” Nine wiped a thread of grayish snot on his sleeve. “Tired?” Marius scoffed. “I never tire – and you can certainly whisper that to the ladies, my good fellow.” “Radish is not gables on well,” Eight rolled her eyes.

[Marius]

“Do you ever wonder,” Marius asked, “why miners do not rule the world?” “No,” Eight replied as she chomped on a loaf of black bread. “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Nine reminded her in Denvali, which made Marius’ dust-smeared face twist in confusion. “Er – I suppose that’s as good an idea as any,” he shrugged, and then returned to his labors. Clang! Clang! Clang! Clomp! Wait, what the- Marius bent down to examine the rock, only to discover that it was not rock, in fact, but a chunk of petrified wood. Putting his back into the work, he started to clear the rubble around the spar, sending dust and stone chips flying. “Bees on the purse maggot!” Nine swore as one of them plopped in his tankard. “Stop digging for a morsel,” Eight rose with a scowl. “If you cap at it I’m gabbing place on your salted heads.” “Fine,” Marius muttered, and turned and strode down the slope to where his fellow miners were finishing their repast. He itched to return to his labors, but he was reluctant to press the matter further. So he sat there, fidgeting, while he waited for the others to finish their repast. Marius knew he should’ve been eating as well, but he was simply too excited. He was in paradise! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Marius swarmed over the debris like a hornet, smashing at boulders left and right. It was amazing how many different sorts of rocks and random debris were scattered amidst the rubble. Oh, how I wish my ‘nuncle Ambrose was here,Marius thought for the hundredth time. Now, if only he could cajole the others Meros to follow him to Denval. Except for his cousin Leticia, of course. Marius was certain the slut would make a play for his beloved Astrid. “Basalt!” Marius cooed as he thrust the rock in Nine’s face. For some reason the man seemed underwhelmed. With a sigh, Marius hefted his pickaxe and returned to his task. Each strike of the dulled point sent thrills of pleasure through his frame, from the tips of his fingers to the soles of his feet. It was of a near-orgasmic nature, almost – but not quite – equal to the delights of a woman’s touch. At times like these Marius was certain he was the recipient of Semele’s caress, as the earth goddess implored him to delve deeper and deeper into the hidden cavities of her soul. Oh, how he loved to mine!

[Marius]

In all his days, Marius had not witnessed a more disgraceful sight. “You’re resting again?” his tone was shrill as he stared at Eight and Nine, the beginnings of a tic beneath his left eye. How dare they slack on the job! It was no wonder the miners had delved but a short way through the rubble. For some reason, Marius had begun to suspect that they didn’t even like mining – an insight so horrific that he was shaken to his core. How could they not take pleasure in such labors? Marius whirled with a final snort of disapproval and resumed his conquest of the rubble. He reveled in every swing of his pickaxe, in the shards that erupted from the shattered rocks, in the dust that blackened his snot, and especially in the clangor of iron that echoed through the sinuous chasm. At times like these Marius was often upon the verge of tears, for as he stood beneath the sliver of darkening sky, a mere speck amidst the stones, he defied the poets to encapsulate such divine perfection in words. He stood on sacred ground, after all. Semelle, in her wisdom, had blessed Denval with this barrier, this chance to become as the stones that separated them from the outside world. Of course, the Denvalis had squandered it when they chose to become a seaside people – an outpost of fishermen and carvers that lived in abhorrent huts of raised stone – not amidst the bones of the earth where they belonged. Marius could hardly abide such impudence, but he took solace in the knowledge that his task – nay, his sacred duty – was surely to return them to the fold, as it were. Had the Captain ever considered moving her people into the caverns, or of cultivating fungi in the darkest shelves and recesses? Marius doubted it. He also doubted that Astrid could be convinced now that Denval was connected to the outside world. Just wait, Marius promised, and I shall hew catacombs the like of which you have never seen, whose tunnels and vast chambers shall drive even the Isur to envy. It was his dream, his madness, his purpose in life. His love, even, for Marius was devoted to Semele. No mortal, even one of Astrid’s radiance, could compare with this mistress. All she had to do was ask, and his soul would be hers. Alone now, for the other miners had fled the darkness, Marius continued to toil amidst the writhing shadows, while Leth bore silent witness from above. END

[Tabarnac]

XP Award! Marius XP Award: Mining +5; Geology +3; Leadership +2; Seduction +1; Philosophy +2 Lore: Denvali Culture (basic); The Road (familiar) Item: 5 lb. iron ore, or 25 silver mizas (trade value) Language: Denvali (poor) Additional Note This was a fun read for a dry topic, and I enjoy Marius’ interactions with the Denvali as much as his obsession with Semele and Her naughty bits. If you would like to further hone his skills, I would be happy to mod something for you where at least you could interact with someone else and possibly get into a bit of trouble. Just let me know. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns. Keep writing!