Hall of the Mountain King Chapter 1

A hungry belly can motivate.

When I was a young man, I lived the life as a farmer in a quite bit of country. The hills rolled green,fertile and beautiful. The trees grew thick into forests on the borders of our lands. For some years my young wife Sarah along with our growing children lived as comfortably as possible. We did not live in a mansion but there was enough food to eat. As time went on more children were born while our crops yielded less in the markets. While the kids never went without a meal, Sarah and I grew thinner

On the ending of summer I took our rickety wooden cart filled with the years harvest to town for market. As I arrived in the town the stench of cramped human lives filled my nostrils.The houses built crowded next to catheter in dilapidated states from too much use. The filth running in rivers down the streets. Dogs with their skin managed running a muck. Oh how I remembered why I loved living away from all this. No stagnation and putrid diseases in the country. As I made it through the poorly kept cobblestone paths towards the market I passed company crier screaming her advertisement. " The Imperial Mining Company is hiring workers! New mining opportunities in far away countries! The chance to travel abroad!". I moved past her with not so much as thought. 

When I arrived at he market I set to work setting up my stall, got to keep the firm tomatoes and apples away from the ripe ones. I got all the colors arranged in a pleasing way I thought. As I started making my sales to my dismay people kept haggling down and down. What could do? It was either take less or nothing at all. When the day was over and my crops were sold I counted my earning. It was not even enough to cover the taxes on our farm. Let alone the repair to the plow, wool and fertilizer from the herders and so on. "What am I to do....?!" I yelled at myself. I spat at the ground in anger and cursed my luck. "Sarah will not be happy about this." I exclaimed. I got back on our cart and headed for home.

As I was leaving the town I again passed the crier who was still yelling. "The Imperial Mining Company is hiring able-bodied workers! A year of labor earns you twenty-six THOUSAND silver pieces!!! Sign up now!!". I jerked my body back in shock. "TWENTY SIX THOUSAND?!?! That is more than I have ever made in my life.". I don't really know what came over me maybe it was desperation but I should have put more thought into my decision. I ran over to the crier asking where I could sign up. She pointed me to the company's office and before I knew it I was signed up with the Imperial Mining Company. So for one year my life was the companies. I was told I was to report to the company's station in the next village over for transport to the new mine.

When I arrived home and told Sarah the news, the disillusionment of what I did hit me like a rock. " Oh! You are just going to leave the children and I to tend the fields?! You are just going to leave me to tend the children?! We barely have enough to keep us through the winter!!." She screamed at me with such malice. " Listen Sarah! I'm doing this for us!!

TWENTY SIX THOUSAND!!" Sarah interjected" Well why are they paying so much? Hmmm? Sounds suspicious to me." " SARAH we will be rich Sarah! We can give our children a future! We can never go hungry again. I'm..I'm sorry I did this with no real forethought but I implore you to forgive me my love." I begged her. "Well Remus you have a point. While I am furious at you, you did think of us in your own fashion. Go.". 

That was that. I spent the next week preparing provisions for the journey to the mine. I played the children, gave them all a talk about why I was leaving and what that means.Sarah and I walked together in the woods many times getting in the last pieces of passion and romance we would have for a year. The days passed quickly and at last I was awakening on the morning of departure. I got the children up hugged them all and told them how much I loved them. Sarah gave me a loving embrace and I set off for the road ahead.

To my surprise the road was full of people traveling in my direction. Many of relations to my neighbors and folk I recognized from the town. Just ahead of me I saw the blacksmith of the areas son a friend of mine just ahead of me."Ivan" I called to him. "Remus!". He cried and ran to embrace me. " Are you journeying towards the Imperial Mine as well Remus?" . "Yes I am friend and I am happy to see you are too, it will not be  so lonesome now!" I said with such joy. " Say Remus have you heard the rumors floating around about the site if the mine we are working in?" Ivan asked slyly. "Well no...No I haven't. What are they?" I asked inquisitively. " Well word has it, the place is cursed and filled with fell magic from when the world was young. Such superstitious non seen" As he was saying these things a crowd the walkers had stopped in a huddled mass on the road. They where looking at something, Ivan and I ventured forward to see what it was.

There was an old man in the road. His hair was wiry, unkept and grew down to his feet. He wore robes ragged, brown and stained with gods know what. He was rambling in a shrill voice like that of a fast wide to the crowd and this is what he said. " YOU FOOLS! The allure of silver is leading you to evil not seen in this world for many ages! The mountain you seek will bring you to death! The evil unearthed there will spread to all the world and burn it to ash! Go home! Turn back while you have time!". Some of the people around looked grave at these words. Just as his words had left his mouth a vision appeared before my eyes like a dream. I was standing at the mouth of a cave. The sky was dark but a sickly green light echoed from the cave. As I looked I saw blood pooled like a lake on the floor and limbs nailed to walls. I then heard a voice deep as thunder echo shaking the rock with its furry. "You have come to the end of the world! Die!" I snapped back from my vision shaking a little but no one noticed.Ivan chuckled at this and said." You old geezer, your superstition is the real folly! Come people do not listen to this fool! Will you let his words stand between you and twenty-six thousand silver?!" Ivan ended his speech I and the crowd murmured in general agreement. The march continued but as we left I looked back at the old man. He had turned around facing the leaving crowd shaking his head in a grave way. He let out one last cry as he stood."Well death you have chosen not only for you but for the world!". As I walked on I thought of my vision and what it could mean. My stomach growled a hungry cry "It is but the sun that plays tricks I have no time for such fancies there is work to be done." And so it was, I walked on.

Reviews

[AshlynnStyx]

The detail is brilliant but not overwhelming and the attention to dialogue is nice

[Tate Viviano]

Thank you so much glad you liked it! I'm going to try to get a chapter a week out until it's done. Cheers

[AshlynnStyx]

The detail is brilliant but not overwhelming and the attention to dialogue is nice