Free Book - Prequel of The Chronicles of Canes Venatici

Boreas Planet 2 (Part 3.2)

Part 3.2 – Mining the Ice

You have the opportunity to accompany a group of miners to one of the largest Froststone mines on Boreas. The mine is located deep within the icy mountains, far from the relative safety of Frosthold. The journey to the mine is treacherous, taking you across some of the most dangerous terrain on the planet. The miners, however, are undeterred. They have made this journey countless times, and their faces are set in grim determination as they lead the way.

The mine itself is a marvel of engineering, a vast network of tunnels carved into the ice, stretching deep into the heart of the mountain. The walls of the tunnels are lined with a thin layer of frost, and the air inside is so cold that it burns your lungs with every breath. The miners work with thermal drills, using intense heat to cut through the ice and reach the precious Froststone buried within. It is slow, painstaking work, and the cold makes every movement feel like an effort.

As you descend deeper into the mine, the temperature drops even further, the cold so intense that it feels as though it is pulling the warmth directly from your body. The walls of the tunnel are smooth and reflective, the ice glittering in the dim light of the miners' headlamps. The silence is deafening, broken only by the occasional sound of the drill cutting into the ice or the quiet muttering of the miners as they work.

When the first piece of Froststone is finally pried free from the ice, it glows with a faint, otherworldly light. The blue-white stone is cool to the touch, yet you can feel the power it holds beneath the surface. The miners work quickly to extract the stone, their movements precise and practiced. They know that every piece of Froststone they pull from the ice is a victory, a small but significant step in ensuring the survival of their people.

As you help the miners carry the Froststone back to the surface, you are struck by the enormity of what they do. Without them, there would be no fires, no warmth, no light. The people of Frosthold would be lost, their lives snuffed out by the cold. The miners are the unsung heroes of Boreas, their work done in the shadows, but their contributions felt by every person who sits by a hearth, every child who sleeps in a warm bed.

Future Glimpse!
New mining technologies will soon be developed, allowing deeper excavation beneath the ice. However, these advancements will awaken long-dormant forces, leading to disasters that will challenge the miners' and scientists' understanding of Boreas' geological structure.

Olav J. Insight:
"There is danger in digging too deep. The ground beneath our feet holds both the past and the future, but those who delve into its depths must be prepared for what they might awaken. Sometimes, survival depends on knowing when to stop."