The shift in the mine ended when the shadows in the tunnel grew dense and the air turned heavy. Urk, his arms numb from the weight of the pickaxe, helped push the last wooden cart, loaded to the brim with chunks of blue stone.
On the surface, a group of gnolls and goblins waited for them alongside a Pigman who oversaw the green pigs, specially trained to haul heavy loads.
"Hey, old pig, how do you like your new job?" a goblin miner mocked, recognizing the only pigman in the group.
"Bwah," the pigman snorted, irritated. "Damn it... they sent me to this area over a simple mistake during a hunt."
The goblin let out a mocking laugh. "Tsk... you were a great hunter. Guaranteed food and, with luck, you might've even married a beautiful female of your race. But look at you now, demoted for being greedy."
"I already said it was an accident!" the pigman shot back, though without much conviction.
"Yeah, sure. An 'accident'," the goblin continued. "Injuring a Pigjade by mistake and then having to 'sadly' eat it must've been really painful. After all, it was your hunting partner."
The pigman sighed, defeated. "Alright, alright, enough. You're right, it wasn't my best idea. But in my defense, the animal was already half lame."
"Brother, you know what many would give to be hunters," the goblin said, his tone turning more serious. "But if you're not an Aura master, you can't. And you? You wasted that chance even as an Aura warrior, weak as you may be. Now you're stuck with this miserable job in the breeding grounds."
"You think I don't regret it?" the pigman muttered, his gaze downcast. "But I couldn't take it anymore. Even as a hunter, I had to hand over all the meat for a few coins that weren't enough for a proper meal."
"Tsk... complaining. I haven't tasted real meat in ages, just insects. Now you'll be living the same life. Heh."
The Cradle of Larvae
After fastening the carts to the green pigs, the group set off toward another cave: the Lepegis Hatcheries. As soon as they entered, the environment shifted into a humid heat, thick with the smell of damp earth and a faint sweetness. Inside massive pits, thousands of larvae writhed in a blind, restless mass.
The process was mechanical, almost military. At the shout of a gnoll overseer, Urk and the others tipped the carts. The sound of stone hitting the bottom was followed by a collective hiss. The larvae surged toward the blue mineral, boring into it to absorb its mana.
'Damn... these Lepegis are bigger and fatter than the ones I eat,' Urk thought, wiping the sweat from his brow.
After the delivery, they headed to the scribe's station. The clink of metal made Urk's heart skip a beat.
He received three low-grade Var coins and two mid-grade fragments.
Urk examined the face of the Sovereign engraved on the coin and, upon turning it over, the symbol of the Golden Eagle. That circle was his life.
Dreams of Mana vs. Culinary Reality
On his way out, Urk ran into a neighbor, a chubby brown minotaur named Fan.
"Hey, Urk, long time no see. Why so down?" Fan asked enthusiastically.
"Sorry, Fan. It's the work... I'm tired."
"Come on, cheer up! Things will get better," the minotaur said, his eyes shining. "I've been saving up to buy a medicine that supposedly helps open mana veins. Want to go in on it with me? If we succeed, we'll level up, brother. We won't have to live in this area anymore."
Most of the talented minotaurs had already moved on after awakening their mana or joining the Aura army. Fan, lacking talent, was still stuck hauling heavy materials at the forge.
Urk didn't answer right away. He walked over to the supply stand.
"Give me a double ration to go," he said, handing over a Var coin.
After receiving his food wrapped in leaves, he looked at his friend.
"I don't have that kind of hope, Fan. I just want to move somewhere better," Urk admitted. "I'm saving to relocate near the river. They say you can eat fish, snails... there's variety, and it's cheaper."
Fan wanted to argue, but in the end, he sighed. He knew Urk was right. The "medicine" was a gamble, while the river was a reachable reality.
The two walked in silence toward the Green Pig transport.
Urk looked out over the plains as he felt the warmth of the food in his hand.
Tomorrow would be just as exhausting, but he remembered the old goblin's words.
There were no more massacres, no more daily wars over scraps of carrion.
There was only work, order, and a roof overhead.
And for a lowly goblin... that alone was a miracle.