Spawn of the Outworlder

Chapter 14-Are You Dreaming, Dreaming of the Night?

Hosea stood in the Goldbeam home, furious while Lillian placed her hands upon the table, her shoulders sinking from exhaustion. "When will that girl learn? Thinks the world works off sense and reason. What the Hel else are we supposed to do?"

"She'll figure it out soon enough, dear," replied Lillian meekly.

Graham felt a need to defend Betsy's actions and saw that Luna's fingers were now straight. "Uhm, I know that we're strangers here and all, but—"

"Who the HEL asked you?!" growled back Hosea, nostrils flared and eyes wide.

"S-sorry, ser. It's just that, well, it does seem like she has a point."

"A' course she has a point!"

This admission stumped Graham and the confusion must have been visible along his face as Hosea began to explain himself."

"I'm not stupid, folks. Ferrum's already beating us out when it's 9000 coins per square inch. The damn stuff is expensive because the Capital is hoggin' it for their machines, but once they have too much a' the stuff, they'll start sharin' it around 'till it's so cheap, you'd be a damn fool not to buy it. Then, where will this town be? Gone. Another ghost town lost to time. That ain't no future for my baby girl."

Despite suggesting for Graham to get involved, Luna herself was apparently confused by the explanation and made her voice heard. "So then, why fight her on her argument to leave?"

"Because the town will die immediately if we do so," offered Lillian, now slumped into her chair. "All of the other miners that first came with us left, either to find some new trade or simply wander the Empire, surviving off scraps. There is no future in this life. Not anymore. The Nightpeak Mountains are one of the last locations in the Empire that haven't been picked clean of their ores and gems. Once we've swept these lands, there will be nothing left for us. The end of our livelihoods.

"The town will die and we will all be forced to move on and find some other way to survive. But that will happen years from now, when we've hopefully managed to secure some sort of future for us and the people here. If we were to leave now, however, it would be admitting failure. The others would lose hope. They'd abandon this place and return to the struggles they came here to escape. Until we have ensured that everyone here will have a life should the worst become of Shinedale, we cannot leave."

Silence crept into the room once more, Lillian and Hosea recomposing themselves after their lengthy explanation. Graham quietly struggled with what he'd just heard, while Luna showed no sign of conflict. I understand their reasoning, but they can't expect their daughter to just accept this!

"Sorry for all this, folks," finally spoke Hosea, who'd begun gathering the dinnerware along the table. "Tempers have been runnin' high 'round here and...well, that shouldn't matter to y'all."

Lillian joined her spouse in clearing the table and met Graham with a look of regret. "You shouldn't concern yourself with this, Mr. Rucervus nor you, miss. Shinedale will solve its own problems. You've only to concern yourselves with the removal of the Drake."

"I agree," spoke Luna, "that we have no authority to speak on this matter currently." The way she phrased that...does she not agree with them either?

"I understand that this has been a rather awkward situation," Luna continued, "but if you'd please, I'd like to speak with you two about what happened today."

Hosea groaned with exhaustion, the plates in his hands seeming to have doubled in weight. "Miss, it's gettin' late and I have far too much to deal with tomorrow. I still have t' deal with that fool, Amos."