March To The Capital

Chapter 1: Luxury in Chains (Marak)

Clink, clank, rattle.
In these dark halls. These are the sounds that echoes throughout the mine. The cracking of earth and the scraping of metal.
My fellow people and I raise our picks above our heads as we harvest the metals for our masters. In unison, we suffer, working together in these tunnels that never end.
Me, my father, my father's father. Have slaved away unearthing this black ore, which the guards cleverly call Black Iron. I guess the name has stuck around ever since.
Clink, clank, rattle.
I proceed to mine away, striking the earth with whatever strength I have left in me. Thus is the life of a slave. Born to serve, and raised to die in these mines. None of us ever will ever leave here, all of us, will forever be destined to provide this black rock to our masters. Whom call themselves Cinari.
They are smaller than us, but heavily armed and organised, always observing and punishing us for minor offenses.
Two are always standing at the entrance of each tunnel, watching our every action.
They stand upright on two legs with light pinkish skin. On their face is a single nose, a mouth, two eyes, and two pointy ears. Although these characteristics are always different between individuals. The only similarity they all share is their eyes. They are always round with a light purple iris.
They like to boast that they got their eyes from their Gods, believing it makes them the rightful protectors of this world. I don't believe in that crap, for if there is a God. They would have answered our screams and cries for help. But they never came.
They call us Diamond Dogs, property of the Cinari, to be their eternal slaves. We are taller than them, besides having skin we have dark-brown fur that covers our entire body. I guess the reason they call us Diamond Dogs is that our faces looked like dogs or wolves. I've never seen one before. Perhaps they are just like us?
Clink, clank, scratch.
I glance to my right to see an elderly man slump to the ground. Panting from exhaustion, the man tries to stand but fails to get himself up.
I glance around in case the guards saw him fall. Luckily, they are more interested in chatting to each other.
'Get up, we don't want them to see you like this,' I say to the old man as I help him up.
'S... sorry, chieftain. I... I don't know what happened,' He replies with despair in his voice.
I can tell he won't have long before the guards put him down. However, it doesn't have to be today.
'Nonsense, you have plenty of years still left in you,' I lie.
The old man gives a tired smile and a soft chuckle. 'Thank you, friend.'
He takes his pickaxe from me to continue his work. To harvest the ore once more.
It's shameful to lie to a man, but deep down I know it will give him a glimmer of hope in these tunnels that we live in. Sometimes lies is easier to live with than bitter truths.
I've worked, slaved for my masters for what feels like an eternity. Cracking the earth with my fellow slaves. I can't tell how many years I've wasted in these tunnels, I, no, it's best to not to figure out how long I've been alive as their slave.
As a chieftain, I could skip this kind of labour to lounge around while I force civil order upon my people. I did that at first, but no good comes from someone sitting down and playing guard. That will paint a large target on my back for the next ambitious bastard to kill me.
So, I slave with them, my people. They grew to respect me as I do them. I do everything I can to make sure they don't do something stupid or get themselves killed. It's my responsibility as their leader to make sure they do their job, and to keep them going for as long as they can.
'Food court! Get moving or you're not getting fed.' One guard announces as they whip and kick whoever didn't get the memo. We shift and shuffle in line like it is routine.
We place our equipment down as we line up to be escorted to the get our daily meal from the food court.

We navigate our way through the labyrinthine tunnels of the mine. Trudging along with one guard at the back of the line and one at the front as they lead us to the food court.
We almost got lost a few times, but we don't dare correct the guards, for that is a death sentence. So we kept silent as we follow them.
The food court itself is a large cubic room, made specifically to fit the mine's Dog population.
Hundreds, if not thousands of tables and chairs are placed evenly in the room. The room is poorly lit by lanterns, some damaged beyond use, or never lit up.
Eating here has always been a hassle, as we are all cramped together in what seems to be a colossal room. But to us, it's a tight space.
Even when the room is brightly lit, light never touches the centre. For most of my life the centre of the food court has always been in total darkness. Maybe light has never set on that spot at all.
Dogs line themselves up to the food court, slowly shuffling along to get something from the cooks.
The foodstuffs they give is never delightful, but it is better than nothing.
I stand at the back of the line, waiting to see if I am lucky to get any.
'Hey dad, waiting as usual I see?'
I turn to see Alex, a striking young man. He is skinnier than the rest of the miners, but he will get bigger the older he gets. He still has his bandages on his left leg from when they branded his birth number on him a week or two ago. I hope it's healing well, but thankfully there is nothing showing that he has serious problems from it.
I smile. 'You know the drill Alex, leaders eat last.' I examine the room. 'Where's May?'
Without warning, someone jumps on my back while they wrap their hands around my neck. I stumble as they leap off me.
I around turn to see my daughter playfully laughing.
'Haven't I told you not to do that?'
May playfully giggles as she places her hands behind her back, playing innocently like nothing happened.
'Maybe.'
Alex rolls his eyes as he walks off to get some food.
I get on my knees to pet her head. Containing my frustration for her silly games.
'I am glad to see you, but you must know you can't just jump on people like that.'
'Okay,' May sighs. 'But you have to be first in line so you can sit next to me and Alex!'
I shake my head, 'No May. Because le-'
'Leaders eat last,' May interrupts me.
I give her another pat on the head with a smile. She can be a bit naughty, but it reminds me of her mother.
'Now, unless you want to go last, go to Alex and get something to eat.'
'Okay,' She groans as she runs off to Alex to grab some food.
She is the only daughter I had with her mother. She looks strikingly similar to me, even having the same floppy ears that I have. If only her mother could see her now, to see our wonderful daughter.
The only thing I can remind myself of her is May's beautiful green eyes.
As soon as the line dies down, I grab my meal. Well, a handful of what was left of the foodstuffs. An unseasoned slab of meat, some veggies, and a mysterious mass of white stuff.
I walk around the room in search of May and Alex. It didn't take long, for I can easily hear May cheerfully telling Alex about her day. Always playing with some kids or skipping with chains.
I politely ask a fellow Dog to move over so I can sit near my children.
They have eaten everything on their plate, but it seems they haven't even touched the white mass. From the look of things, I don't think anyone did.
I take a spoonful of the white sludge of a meal the chefs cooked for us. An odourless mass of waste that came from the bales of some pit. One taste made me gag as it taste like rotting pork and powdered nuts. I don't think I'll eat that.
'How was your first day mining?' I ask Alex.
'All right, not what I expected,' he sighs apathetically.
I know what he means. The hours, and the feeling that this would be your life forever. My heart sinks hearing him say that.
'I know, but remember you have plenty of time to get used to it and maybe enjoy it.'
Alex rolls his eyes as he smiles. 'Yeah. Maybe even wish for something better than today's dinner.'
'You can say that again!' I flick a small piece of my food at Alex.
He jumps up from the table as he tries to scrape it off him like it is some deadly disease.
May laughs at Alex's torment. 'You're such a wuss.'
Alex frowns at May. Which she covers her mouth with her hands to silence her amusement.
I couldn't help myself but laugh along. Poor boy didn't seem all that happy about it. He'll live.
On the catwalk, the warden, in his clean dark purple and red clothing steps forward to speak to us.
He taps his freshly polished bronze pace stick on the rails, catching everyone's attention. The room falls silent. I carefully listen to him so as not to miss any details.
This is Balgazard, the cruelest and fattest guard I've ever seen. His word is law. Fail to follow it can leave you hanging at the mines entrance. Even something as trivial as picking up a single pebble can land you on the noose.
He scoffs at the sight of us as he scans the room with his head held high.
He takes out a piece of paper while he clears his throat.
'This is your weekly reminder of the mines fundamental rules.'
May sighs audibly. I bump her side to make her pay attention.
The warden stops what he was doing to scan the room for the source of the noise, then he continues to read from the paper.
'Failure to follow the rules and establishments of Dragon Mine, will lead to your immediate termination by the sword.'
He puts the paper away in his jacket and looks at us. Guards enter the food court as they patrol around the tables, one hand on their sword, the other on their whip.
Balgazard polishes his pace stick with a silk rag. 'Today I want to make sure you all know the rules off by heart. Repeat them to me. Rule one.'
'The guards are my masters, their word is my duty and their command is my will,' we all answer in unison.
The warden grins as he nods. 'Two.'
'We have nothing, even our names are property of our masters.'
A guard faces my table.
I look at May to see she isn't repeating the rules. I lean close to her to make sure no one hears us.
'May you have to say them.'
'But I-'
'Say them!' She turns away in frustration.
'Three!' The warden yells.
'Under the rule of the Gods, we serve the Cinari and we will forever be in service to the crown,' May says along with us.
I gasp a breath of relief as the guard walks off. Thank goodness he didn't notice.
We continue to the fifty-seventh out of the hundred rules. While the guards take some people away for failing to recite the rules and laws of the mine.
The elderly folks who knew they had little time left in them didn't speak the rules. I suppose they just wanted a quick end to their misery.
Children are also taken away from their families by the guards for not speaking the rules or remembering them. They scream as the guards rip them away from their mothers grasp.
May hugs onto me as tight as she can. Trying to ignore the screams and cries of the other kids, smothering her face into my ragged clothing.
The warden points his pace stick at May.
'You, tell me the fifty-eighth rule of the mine.'
My heart races, every beat being harder than the last. Everything is silent, my breath being the only thing I can hear. Oh, please remember the rules May.
May looks at the warden in terror. 'All must address the Cinari as Master or Mistress. Anyone who are not Cinari will be referred as Freeman or Freewoman.'
I sigh in relief as I bring May closer to give her a hug.
The warden nods in approval before we continue reciting the rules.
The warden chuckles with an insidious grin as he paces back and forth on the catwalk.
'You know, slavery is the luxury of mercy. You people don't have to deal with the hardships of total freedom. You can't comprehend the struggles that us Cinari have to face. You see, freedom leads to decadence if you cannot hold back the temptation and the lure of chaotic freedom. Us Cinari are in a constant battle against our nature, but we always come out triumphantly so we can lead the world for a better tomorrow. I can't say the same for your kind, however. It's hard today, but it is a luxury compared to freedom. For servitude is your birthright and providing to the crown is your reward. Think about that as you rest tonight.'
The warden taps his stick on the rails, signaling the end of mealtime. The guards round us up to send us to our sleeping quarters.
May and I wave Alex off while we both head to our single room. It's the only single room a Dog can have in the mine. Reserved only for chieftains.