Expansion - Chapter 20

 

Brammir – Anger

“Where’s the gold?” Dorgun snaps, voice echoing off the cavern walls.

“Who said anything about gold?” Jorvik replies, trying to keep his tone steady.

“When the Guild brought us in, they said we’d find gold and get a cut of it,” Dorgun growls.

“Yeah!” Varnik adds. “Only seen pyrite and copper.”

“Wrong kind of mine,” Haldrek says, stepping up beside Jorvik. “These tunnels show malachite, copper, hematite. I’ve not seen a single sign of gold.”

“Maybe that’s why the Legion pulled out,” Fenrik mutters. “Maybe that’s why the smelters were gone.”

“They tricked us. They lied!” Dorgun shouts, fists clenched.

“No, they didn’t,” Jorvik says firmly. “That’s the way of mining with the Guild. You go where they say and dig what they need.”

Thrain hefts his pick and moves to stand with Jorvik and Haldrek. “The Guild’s good to us.”

“Maybe to you,” Dorgun spits. “Maybe you like being lied to and used. Where are the profits? Where’s our cut?”

Brammir watches the argument unfold, a cold knot forming in his stomach. ‘Is this what my brother felt, when he refused to work for the Guild?’ he wonders.

“I think we all need to calm down,” Jorvik says. “When the Guild sends surveyors, they’ll tell us where to mine next. Until then, we’ve got a copper seam to extract.”

“I didn’t sign up for copper,” Dorgun snarls. “I didn’t sign up for iron. I came for gold — and gems. And according to Fenrik, your precious Guild pulled out with the Legion. So where’s your support now?”

Brammir watches as the cavern slowly divides. Jorvik, Haldrek, and Thrain stand together on one side; Dorgun, Varnik, and Fenrik on the other. Miri, Keldra, Brottan, and Brammir drift toward each other and take a cautious step back.

Dorgun notices. He jabs a finger toward them.

“No. Don’t pull back. Join us. They lied and you know it. Miri. Keldra. Didn’t they promise you riches if you came into the mountains?”

Miri hesitates, taking a single step toward him. Keldra’s hand lands on her shoulder, steady and firm.

“No,” Keldra says. “Haldrek’s right. These tunnels are copper with a little iron. No gold. No gems. The Guild said there was work — and there is.”

“Yeah, work like a dog,” Dorgun snaps. “Dig where your master tells you. Take the scraps when he’s done.” His voice rises, raw and bitter. “I’m tired of it. I’m going back up the tunnels and finding another way. Who’s with me?”

Jorvik steps forward until he’s nose‑to‑nose with Dorgun.

“You signed on with the Guild. You’ll do what they say, when they say it.”

Thrain shifts his grip on his pick and moves to Jorvik’s side.

Before the tension can snap, Brammir steps between them.

“Wait. Before this turns ugly — why don’t we all go up? If the Guild office is open, we can see what’s going on.” He turns to Jorvik. “You said if the smelter’s cold, we don’t have work. So let’s see for ourselves.”

Jorvik and Dorgun exchange a long, hard look — and both give a curt nod.

“Alright,” Jorvik says. “Everyone, leave your gear. We’ll go up and get answers.”

The miners form a loose, uneasy line and begin the climb toward Bimadizi‑Kor, the air thick with resentment and the sharp scent of stone dust.

 

On the main level, the cavern is eerily quiet. Too quiet. The roped‑off pens where the goblins had been kept stand empty, ropes slack and dangling. The block‑stone building the Legion used as their barracks sits dark, doors open, abandoned.

Along the far wall, seven goblin bodies lie in a heap. They’d been hung — the rope nooses still around their necks — then cut down and left where they fell.

No one speaks. Even Dorgun’s anger falters.

They move slowly toward the portable smelter. The crew camp around it is gone — tents struck, crates stacked, fire pits cold. The smelter itself remains, but its bellows hang limp, its vents dark.

“Weird,” Jorvik mutters, barely above a breath.

Fenrik leans closer to Brammir, whispering, “See? It’s just like I said. Like they left and forgot us.”

Jorvik turns toward the block building where the Guild offices had been. But the rooms are as empty as everything else.

“What now?” Dorgun asks, voice low.

Before Jorvik can answer, a sound rolls through the cavern — deep, rhythmic, unmistakable.  From the western tunnels comes the echo of heavy marching boots.