The Goblin Bride

The Mine

This book was originally published on Amazon, however, it's been a long time since I've edited this one. The more books I publish, the further I get from this story. I would MUCH rather people have free access to it! So, I hope you enjoy the edited, slightly changed, version of the Goblin Bride. Enjoy! 

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Men struggled out of the mouth of the mine. Dirt smeared their faces and the helmets on their heads dipped to obscure their vision. They stumbled home, the way ingrained in their minds without needed to see. 

Work in the mines had always been hard, but the further they dug the more work it seemed to be. It was dangerous for anyone going Below.

Rumors whispered of creatures that lurked beneath the stones. At some point a few years ago, the miners had broken the seal on whatever lock had kept those beasts at bay. They went missing frequently with nothing but their helmets left behind to let the others know that they were gone. 

Some said that these men merely slipped. It was far too easy to fall into one of the crevices that seemed to have no end. Others firmly believed in the tales that somewhere in those depths were creatures that feasted upon human flesh.

They called the creatures goblins. In the years since the rumors had started, these creatures had become the horror stories of the children in the mining town of Silnarra. "The Goblins will get you," became the threat that parents used to keep their children well behaved. No one knew what they looked like, some said they appeared to be the stuff of nightmares. However, most would agree that their eyes were black as night and their claws could rend flesh from bone.

Work had to continue. The mine was the only thing that kept Silnarra alive.  Men struggled to find coin to feed their families in this world and the mine held promises of riches that kept them returning week after week. Those that were born here rarely left, and those that struggled to better themselves frequently found their eyes turning back towards the black caverns. 

The mine had certainly never made a rich man, but it kept people alive. Anything of value could be sold to the more privileged. People who lived in the City preferred to live in luxury. The gemstones within the mine were precious to those who had the money to buy them. It was because of this desire that the mine held fortune within it. 

"Just a few weeks in the mines, and you'll strike it rich," was the fable on the lips of every man that walked into the pitch black.

These stones were given to the Company. Every man worked for a nameless, faceless entity that paid them. No one in the mines knew that the funds paid to families were only a fraction of the price that these stones could be sold for. There were always rumors of a more precious stone but in reality nothing was ever going to be worth the high price promised.

Find a gemstone and suddenly you were looking at a life of leisure. Of course, it all depended on the value of the rock. Until they were able to find a gemstone, the men were given a weekly stipend that was just barely enough to keep a family alive. No one wanted to pay the poor sods any more than they needed to.

It had been nearly a year since anyone had found a stone here. The Silnarra mine had once been the most prosperous mine the Company owned. Now, the gems were simply gone. The families that had found them all were either moved to a better place or the City, and no one had heard from them again. The dream of all the poor in Silnarra was to follow in their footsteps.

"Next please." The words echoed in the ears of every person that needed to pick up a paycheck. 

"Next please, keep going, move your feet!"